18 Apr TAZRIA: CHANGING THE “EYE”

Guarding Against
Feeling Too Good
About Oneself

The end of parshas
Tazria deals with
Tza’ra’as [the spiritual
blemish often (mis)
translated as leprosy] that appears on clothing.
The pasuk [verse] says, “The kohen will see
the garment after it was washed, [vhenay lo
hofach hanega es ayno] and he sees that the
nega [blemish] has not changed, the garment
is unclean, you should burn it in fire.”
The pasuk uses interesting language:
“vhenay lo hofach hanega es ayno,” which
means that the appearance of the nega has not
changed. This is actually an idiomatic
expression. The word “ayno” literally means
“eye,” and the expression literally means “the
blemish has not changed its eye.”
I saw a beautiful insight, quoted in the name
of the Chidushai HaRim. The Gemara in
Meseches Ayrachin tells us that there are a
number of avayros [sins] which can cause
tza’aras. The most commonly known avayrah
is loshon horah [evil tongue; slander].
However, the Talmud in Meseches Ayrachin
also says that the punishment of tza’aras
comes “al tzoras ho’ayin.” Tzoras ho’ayin
[literally – narrowness of eye] does not only
mean a person who is tight-fisted or cheap. A
tzar ayin is a person who never sees the good
side of anything and always sees evil. It is the
opposite of a generosity of spirit. It is a
stinginess, not only regarding money, but
regarding viewing life, in general. A tzar ayin
is a person who does not like to see other
people’s success. The only success that he is
interested in is his own success.
If that is the sin that causes tza’ra’as, then
the tikun [correction] that causes the tza’ra’as
to go away, is the person doing teshuva
[repenting] and switching from being a tzar
ayin to a tov ayin. That means that one who is
like a student of Bilom HaRoshoh, who
Chazal tell us had this trait of tzoras ho’ayin,
of stinginess of spirit, must change to become
from the students of Avrohom Avinu – to
become a tov ayin [one with a good eye]. If
the tza’ra’as stays the same and does not get
better, the garment is unclean and the person
does not have a tikun for his avayrah.
The Chidushai HaRim says that when the
pasuk says, “vhenay lo hofach hanega es
ayno” – “and behold, the tza’ra’as did not
change its appearance,” there is a double
meaning. “Lo hofach hanega es ayno” – His
ayin [eye] did not change. In order to do
teshuva, this person’s ayin must change. He
must change from being a tzar ayin to being a
tov ayin. The pasuk is hinting to us, “Vhenay
lo hofach hanega es ayno.” His ayin did not
change. He has the same stinginess, the same
unwillingness to share and be generous.
“Ayno,” here, does not merely mean that the
appearance did not change, but the ayin did
not change. The tzoras ayin, the avayrah that
brought on this terrible punishment is still in
place.
The Chidushai HaRim continues with a
classic chasidishe vort: The word “nega” is
really the same word as the word “oneg.”
What is the entire difference between the
word “oneg” – pleasure and the word nega [in
the Hebrew lettering]?
The only difference is the placement of the
[letter] “ayin.” The “nun” and the “gimel” are
in the same place. The only difference is
whether the “ayin” is at the beginning or at
the end. What is the difference between
“nega” and “oneg?” What is the difference
between a person having tza’ra’as and a
person having pleasure? It all depends on the
placement of the “ayin.” That is this person’s
problem. The problem is with the “ayin.” His
problem is with his perspective and his
approach to life. His problem is with his ayin,
so his tikun must be “hofach hanega es ayno.”
He must change his “ayin.” He must take the
“ayin” from the word “nega” and make it into
“oneg.”
However, if someone is so stingy of spirit
that he can not be gracious, he can not see the
good side of life, then he remains a metzorah
and “henay lo hofach hanega es ayno” – the
nega remains and he must burn the garment
because he is incapable of changing his
“ayin.” He is incapable of changing his
perspective.