Parashot Tazria/Metzora The main subject of these two sections is a miraculous decease called Tzraat and the way it appears and gets cured. There are many layers of meaning in the Torah and, therefore, there's a lesson both for regular people and for very elevated people.
Introduction
This week’s Torah reading includes two portions: Tazria and Metzora. At first glance, they seem to focus on a mysterious disease and laws of ritual purity. But beneath the surface, these portions reveal profound lessons about personal growth, the power of speech, and our relationship with G-d.
The Surface Meaning: A Miraculous Disease
Tazria literally refers to the idea of planting or sowing — something taking root. Metzora describes a person afflicted with a disease called tzara’at. This condition is often mistranslated as “leprosy,” but in truth, it has nothing to do with the physical disease we know by that name. Tzara’at was a miraculous affliction, deeply connected to a person’s behavior.
This condition was triggered by negative speech — gossip, slander, falsehoods. When someone spoke badly of others, visible signs would begin to appear — not on their body at first, but on their home’s walls. If they repented, the marks would vanish. If not, the stains would spread to their clothing. Continued unrepentance led to physical affliction — the stains eventually appeared on their skin.
Isolation and Reflection
One key element in the process of healing was isolation. Just as the person’s words had caused division between people — between friends, spouses, communities — the afflicted individual was now required to live apart from the camp until they repented. Only then could they return and be reintegrated into society.
The basic lesson is clear: don’t gossip, don’t speak ill of others.
But What If You Don’t Gossip?
Someone might say, “I’m careful. I don’t speak lashon hara (evil speech). This doesn’t apply to me.”
That’s a mistake.
The Torah is not only written for people who sin openly or obviously. It’s written for every person — on every level. Just because you don’t kill or steal doesn’t mean the commandments “don’t kill” and “don’t steal” aren’t for you. Every word in the Torah speaks to each of us. Sometimes it says, “Do this.” Other times it says, “Don’t do that.” But often, it points to something deeper.
The Deeper Message of Tzara’at
Beyond gossip, tzara’at represents something even more subtle: a lack of wisdom.
In Jewish thought, “wisdom” (chochmah) is the deepest part of the human intellect — not just knowing or understanding, but seeing truth with clarity, like spiritual sight. When we see something, we have no doubts. Hearing allows for uncertainty, but seeing brings conviction.
Our sages say:
“The wise are the eyes of the congregation.”
A person without chochmah is described as spiritually dead — and in that sense, tzara’at symbolizes spiritual lifelessness.
Two Ways of Serving G-d
There are two main approaches to serving G-d:
1. Self-Centered Service
This is where a person serves G-d because it brings them benefits — spiritual, emotional, or material. But in this approach, G-d is not the central focus. The self is. Even though the person follows G-d’s laws, their main goal is what they get out of it.
This is not service through wisdom. It’s self-serving. G-d becomes a means to an end, not the end itself.
2. G-d-Centered Service
This is the higher level: serving G-d because He is the ultimate reality, regardless of personal gain or understanding. Even if you don’t like it, or it’s difficult, or you don’t understand it — you do it because it’s what G-d wants.
You live with joy, enthusiasm, and humility. You’re not the center — G-d is.