11 Apr Parshas Tazria – Metzora Unrectified Blemishes – We all fall down.

Parshas Tazria – Metzora
Unrectified Blemishes – We all fall down.

Inspired by the teachings of HaRav Yitzchak Ginsburgh and Rabbi Moshe Genuth 

We descend for the sake of ascent…[to a reality better than before]. The Ba’al Shem Tov

The mechanisms of healing of the worlds blemishes and maladies can be found in the Torah as we see in the incurring of the blemish and the healing of Tzara’as (aka leprosy) in Parshas Tazria-Metzora.

It is important to understand regarding any imperfection in this world that  ‘G-d created the cure before the malady’.  

Tzara’as, a skin blemish may also be colloquially referred to as leprosy.  Surprisingly, it only afflicted the tzaddikim for speaking loshen hora (derogatory speech). We must question how it is possible that a tzaddik could do such a thing.  The reason given for the occurrence of this transgression is that the greater the righteousness of an individual, the more astringently he is judged. The measure of sin that is being talked about in this situation is ‘but a drop’.

But how could such a thing happen to a tzaddik? The tzaddik becomes so overwhelmed with the impurities (of a community or Jewish world) and that in his frustration of the obstacles blocking the arrival of Mashiach he makes (an outburst of) an improper utterance (loshen hora).  

He, the tzaddik,  may for example come to inappropriately lay blame upon a person, place or thing. It may seem inconsequeantial to most, but to the measure of a tzaddik may be considered inappropriate. He might even speak loshen hora (derogatory words) of himself. One should never speak loshen hora of oneself.

It is this drop of sin that causes the tzaddik to incur the blemish (tzara’as) yet still remain connected to this world.  

We need to understand that the ‘blemish’ the tzaddik incurs is directly connected to a lacking in the spiritual state of his community. The tzaddik incurs this blemish of impurity in order to guarantee that he brings or ‘returns’ in to this world the needed rectification, and the communities’ rectification to bring Mashiach.

Where the tzaddik acquires a burden of impurity upon himself, his community recognizes he has ‘fallen’ as a result of deficient state of the community and is awakened to do tshuvah. The process of the necessary tshuvah becomes more possible for the community as the tzaddik in this state has lessened the burden.  In the understanding that the Mashiach sits at the gates of Rome (metaphorical for Edom aka the ‘Western World’) ‘changing  hes bandages’ (of the burden and blemish of sin), awaiting his transition as Mashiach-in-calling  (a consummate tzaddik) we can now understand at a deeper level that Mashiach is here ‘at the gates’  waiting for the appropriate amount of rectification of the world to heal the blemishes and bring in the Final Redemption… the Messianic era.

Although we don’t have the spiritual barometer of a ‘fallen tzaddik’ and the visible blemish of tzara’as as in Torah times to indicate the spiritual or physical decline of our community or world, we continue to have the opportunity of acquiring greater clarity by Living, Learning and Teaching Torah , and the continued rectification of the blemishes through the process of prayer , meditation, the acion of tshuvah and tikun, and may we merit to become rectified individuals, a rectified Nation, anda Holy rectified People in The Holy Land People by the merit to welcome  Mashiach Now.

The Land of Israel and the bringing of Moshiach will not be acquired and elevated through war, politics and protest alone.
It will require the efforts of the individuals and the collective National of Israel to Learn , Live and Teach Torah values.  

We descend for the sake of ascent…[to a reality better than before]. The Ba’al Shem Tov

Leib Getzel (Lawrence) Lax
Addiction and Counseling (Hnrs)
http://lawrencelax.com
lawrenceJlax@gmail.com