Last week's parashah, Shemini, teaches us about which animals are pure and which are impure.
In this week's parashah, Tazria, we learn about people, that a person can become impure and then purify themselves.
Shouldn't it be the other way around? First, the Torah should teach us about people, and then about animals.
Rabbi Simlai, a sage from about 1500 years ago, answers thus: In the same way that man was created after the animals, his laws of purity and impurity come after those of the animals.
Why was man created after the animals? Because if he does not follow the will of HaShem, he is reminded of his insignificance, that even a mosquito was created before him.
El Alter Rebe explica que una persona puede llegar más bajo aún que un mosquito, porque puede decidir hacer algo que HaShem no quiere. El mosquito y los otros animales no tienen Ietzer HaRá- Inclinación al mal – que intenta llevaros lejos de HaShem. Por eso la Torá enseña las leyes de pureza e impureza del hombre después de las de los animales.
Being impure means being less connected to HaShem. To reconnect and purify oneself, a person must strive, because they were created with an Yetzer Hara (evil inclination).
We generally study the easiest things first and then the most difficult ones.
Since animals do not have Yetzer Hara, their laws of purity and impurity come first. People must put much more effort into reconnecting with HaShem, and then their laws of purity and impurity come later.
Para Rabí Simlai esto era una virtud en el hombre, él dijo: «Es verdad, el hombre fue creado después de los animales por su Ietzer HaRá y sus leyes de pureza e impureza son más difíciles. Pero cuando se esfuerza, se puede conectar con Di-s y elevarse muy por encima del resto de la creación».
Extracted from Please tell me what the Rebbe says.