A Social Disease – Parshat Tazria-Metzora

When we hear the words 'social disease', we usually assume the dictionary's definition: Venereal Disease.1 Or we may imagine a broader reach and that it is a catchall phrase for all sorts of diseases of a sexual nature.2 Or for those of us who were around in the 60's/70's, we may remember a song asking for leniency due to having a 'social disease'.3

Leprosy, described in detail in this week's double parsha Tazria-Metzora4, is described by the 19th century sage, Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch as a social disease. What makes it a social disease? "This punishment (of leprosy) visits upon those who cannot stay clear of poor social behavior  - greed, lying, tattling, stinginess, etc." It was poor human interaction that brought about this affliction. Yet even in that situation, where the afflicted person received a punishment for his poor behavior, the priest who "diagnosed the illness" must also speak with this newly afflicted leper in a comforting tone – "my son, this punishment (leprosy) is visited upon you due to your having spoken ill of others,"5 comforting him by showing him the way to end this affliction.

We must remember that this leprosy is not the same as the contagious leprosy that still affects millions worldwide but was rather a spiritual punishment that could only be diagnosed by a priest, rather than a doctor, and had very specific social engagement laws that had nothing to do with the physical ailment.

Not only does this leprosy affect the physical and social areas of his life. But because part of who we are, as a race whose purpose is partially to give to others, by being excommunicated due to the leprosy, we are not able to live up our full human potential – we no longer have that human interaction that will put us in a position to help others and therefore will lose part of who we were meant to be. It is truly a social disease. A person who doesn’t behave within the social rule of not speaking ill of others, is necessarily excommunicated with obvious physical marks upon his body. This is leprosy- a physical ailment with social ramifications; a social disease; an ailment which prevents us from living a fully meaningful life.

Part of living a meaningful life is being social and giving to others.6 It is up to us to live our lives to the fullest and live socially healthy lives. It is the path to living a happy, satisfying life.

Click here to read another logoParsha article on Parshat Tazria (LLL or Low Level Leprosy)

Notes

  1. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20disease
  2. http://www.livestrong.com/article/81067-list-social-diseases/
  3. West Side Story – officer krupke song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq28qCklEHc
  4. Vayikra chapters13-16
  5. Rabbi Hirsch's commentary at the end of his essay in Vayikra 13:59.
  6. A basic tenet of Viktor Frankl in his view on how we attain meaning in our lives

Have A Great Shabbat!laughing

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