Tzara’at
Tzara'at is a biblical disease that involved discoloration of one's skin, home, or clothing. Once confirmed by a priest's inspection, it renders the subject ritually impure, requiring them to leave the camp for a period, undergo further inspection, and then a purification process. Tzara'at is the subject of Leviticus 13–14. Several biblical stories have characters inflicted with tzara'at. And tzara'at is the subject of the Mishnah's tractate Negaim.
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Diagnosing Tzara'atTANAKH
Diagnosing Tzara'at
TANAKH
According to the Torah, a diagnosis of tzara'at is achieved by way of a careful examination by a priest. The biblical book of Leviticus describes the symptoms of the disease and the process by which the priest determines whether or not the illness is really tzara'at.
The Social Implications of Tzara’atTALMUD
The Social Implications of Tzara’at
TALMUD
A person afflicted with tzara'at is considered ritually impure and may spread that ritual impurity through contact with other people or objects. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Moed Katan notes that there are social consequences to this reality: the public would keep their distance from those afflicted with tzara'at.
The Moral Lesson of Tzara'atTANAKH
The Moral Lesson of Tzara'at
TANAKH
Though the connection is not made explicitly in the Torah, the rabbinic tradition contends that tzara'at is a punishment for the sin of gossip. The book of Deuteronomy mentions Moses's sister, Miriam, who was afflicted with tzara'at after speaking ill of her brother Moses.
The Meaning of Tzara'atHALAKHAH
The Meaning of Tzara'at
HALAKHAH
The form of tzara'at most common in biblical and rabbinic literature is tzara'at on the body, but the term tzara'at can refer to a variety of conditions, which can afflict clothing or houses as well. Rambam, in his comprehensive 12th-century code of Jewish law, Mishneh Torah, provides a general overview of the different kinds of tzara'at and the moral and theological significance of the affliction.
Shades of Tzara’atMISHNAH
Shades of Tzara’at
MISHNAH
While the Torah describes the symptoms of tzara’at, the rabbis of the Mishnah go into greater detail. Tractate Negaim of the Mishnah, the first codification of Jewish law, from the early third-century land of Israel, provides a detailed description of the different shades of white that can appear.
A Sign for the IsraelitesTANAKH
A Sign for the Israelites
TANAKH
While tzara'at is typically presented as a disease and often as a punishment, it also functions biblically as a sign of God's power. In the book of Exodus, God afflicts Moses's hand with tzara'at and then heals it, offering it as a means for Moses to convince the Israelite people that he is in fact God's messenger.
What Causes Tzara'at?MIDRASH
What Causes Tzara'at?
MIDRASH
According to the rabbinic tradition, tzara'at is a punishment for more than just gossip; one can contract it as a result of a variety of moral transgressions. The early medieval Midrash Tanchuma lists a number of different sins that could cause tzara'at, providing scriptural references for each.
Miriam's Negative SpeechTANAKH
Miriam's Negative Speech
TANAKH
The rabbinic sages understood, based on the biblical story of Miriam, that tzara'at can be a divine punishment for negative speech. The biblical book of Numbers recounts how Miriam was struck with tzara'at after speaking ill of her brother Moses.
The Leper's RepentanceCHASIDUT
The Leper's Repentance
CHASIDUT
Chasidic tradition teaches that evil speech, the sin traditionally understood to cause tzara'at, has metaphysical spiritual implications that can be reversed only through the sinner's repentance. In his 19th-century Chasidic work, Noam Elimelekh, Rebbe Elimelekh of Lizhensk frames the condition is spiritual terms.
A Spiritual Imbalance KABBALAH
A Spiritual Imbalance
KABBALAH
Tzara’at is widely understood to occur as a punishment for sin, and the kabbalistic tradition offers a metaphysical understanding of how spiritual transgressions can cause a physical condition. In his 16th-century kabbalistic work Sha'arei Kedusha, Rabbi Chaim Vital explains illness as resulting from an imbalance of the spiritual forces that manifests physically.
The Severity of Evil SpeechHALAKHAH
The Severity of Evil Speech
HALAKHAH
The biblical affliction of tzara'at is often associated with the sin of lashon hara, or speaking ill about others. Rabbi Israel Meir Kagan, in his 19th-century work Chafetz Chayyim, refers to the biblical Miriam's sin and punishment to illustrate the severity of the sin.
The Priest's RoleCOMMENTARY
The Priest's Role
COMMENTARY
The Torah commands someone afflicted with a skin condition that resembles tzara'at to consult a priest, who examines the patient's skin and declares them pure or impure. Rabbi Hayyim ibn Attar, in his 18th-century commentary on the Torah, Or HaChayyim, emphasizes the importance of the priest's role in determining the status of the afflicted person.
Tzara'at and the ExodusMUSAR
Tzara'at and the Exodus
MUSAR
The first biblical appearance of the skin condition tzara'at is in the story of the exodus from Egypt, when God afflicts and then heals Moses as a sign for the Israelites. Rabbi Isaiah HaLevi Horowitz, in his 17th-century work, Shenei Luchot HaBerit, expands upon the connection between tzara'at and the Exodus narrative, drawing symbolic connections between the disease and the state of the Israelite people.
Tzara'at and the MessiahJEWISH THOUGHT
Tzara'at and the Messiah
JEWISH THOUGHT
According to biblical law, a person afflicted with tzara'at must separate from the rest of the community, spending time outside of the camp. In his 16th-century work, Netzach Yisrael, Maharal of Prague compares the complete otherness of the Messiah to the separation of a person afflicted with tzara'at, arguing that both are removed from the material world.
