The Highs and Lows of Leprosy - Parshat Metzora

It always surprises me, how as humans – even intelligent humans – we are susceptible to symbolism. It is all over the place. How do we react to it? In each case it's different depending on the symbol, our knowledge of the symbol, the context, etc. Subliminal advertising uses symbols all the time to connect concepts that they wish for us to connect.

The Torah, too uses symbolism and experiences to teach us as well. The leper, as we discussed in last week's parsha, Parshat Tazria, was punished with leprosy for having spoken ill of his fellow human.  It was a spiritual ailment with physical manifestations. This parsha, Parshat Metzora discusses the purifying process of the leper(note: we speak of purifying and not healing due to the spiritual nature of biblical leprosy). The purifying process  includes bringing a cedar strip, a wormy-shaped piece of wool and a hyssop branch. Rashi discusses the symbolism of these items. The cedar strip, coming from the proud cedar tree represents the haughtiness the person felt, without which, it is assumed, he would not have spoken Lashon Hara (speaking ill of your fellow human). The wormy shape of the wool and the hyssop branch coming from the lowly hyssop bush, Rashi explains, is the correction for his haughtiness. Let the transgressor feel like a worm or a lowly shrub. The symbolism here is rampant and I will not discuss here the other instances. It is sufficient to note that it is present, and that the Torah expects the leper to receive the message. Make yourself lowly.

Even as I write, I notice that leprosy itself is a symbol. It is a symbol that the person has spoken Lashon Hara. I do not as of now understand the symbol but I know what it is trying to say. And that's okay. I know that to drive a car I need to put the key in the ignition but I don’t really understand how a car works.

Words, too, in their own way, are symbols. They are symbols of a thought, a color or a feeling. When we view a sunset and experience the wide array of colors in the sky - from bright red and orange, pastel green and yellow to the deep blue of the night sky – we search for words to express and to feel what is happening as day passes into night and how we experience the simple beauty and tranquility of the moment.

We buy gifts for friends and loved ones. Very often these gifts have symbolic meaning. And just as often they serve the receiver as a reminder of the caring and love that the giver shared. They are symbols. And we react to them.

We are intelligent enough to make the connection. Symbols are all over. We can learn from even a lowly shrub how to be better people.

And we can become closer to being the person we are meant to be.

 

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Notes

  1. Vayikra 14:4
  2. How we experience the moment and how we allow ourselves to connect with our own individual meaning, are concepts in the logotherapy of Viktor Frankl

Have A Great Shabbat!laughing

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