Haftorah Commentary Metzora

METZORA Melachim II 7:3–20

Refining Our Character Flaws

People are driven by various interests during their lifetime. Although one can, at times, conceal one’s true colors they will generally become exposed at some point. This week’s Haftarah serves as a perfect example of this and teaches us a profound lesson in human nature and in its refinement.

The Sudden End to a Fierce Famine

The Haftarah’s setting is one of the most trying eras for the Jewish people. They had strayed so far from Hashem’s path that He withheld their produce and brought them a severe seven-year famine. In addition, He sent Hadad the king of Aram to lay siege on the extended Samarian area, thereby restricting their access to neighboring nations for relief. The famine was so fierce that it threatened the lives of the entire kingdom and restricted the remaining people’s daily rations to all available edible material, including human flesh and below. Suddenly, Elisha Hanavi received a message from Hashem that the Jewish people’s predicament would come to a sudden halt and that there would be an overflowing abundance of food in the land. Hashem then performed an enormous miracle and created the allusion of a major invasion against Aram that caused their massive army to flee for its life and to leave a year’s supply of rations behind.

Pillaging Before Sharing the Rest

The Haftarah begins by quoting a conversation between four lepers stationed outside their city. After contemplating their hopeless plight, they decided to surrender to the Aramite army. They reasoned that whether they remained outside their city or entered it, they would surely die of starvation. But if they surrendered to the Aramite camp they may stand a chance of existence. When they arrived there, they discovered to their bewilderment an empty camp replete with food and valuables without a trace of humanity in its near vicinity. They immediately entered one tent, ate and drank and pillaged silver and gold and expensive garments and stashed them away. They continued to a second tent and pillaged it as well, and safely hid their findings. It then occurred to them that they would be discovered and held severely accountable for not immediately sharing the life-saving findings with their brethren. They therefore returned to their gates and informed the guards of their incredible discovery. The guards rushed to the king and discussed the matter in private. The king sent chariots with the last existing horses to investigate the matter and to his amazement the riders reported that the entire road was strewn with garments and items apparently casted off to flee from an enemy. The entire Jewish camp rushed to the abandoned Aramite camp and pillaged it and there was an enormous abundance of food in Samaria.

Perpetual Greed

Chazal reveal that the four lepers were Elisha’s previous servant Gechazi and his three sons. (Sotah 47a) Malbim explains that Chazal deduce the lepers’ identity, from the fact that were not healed from their illness. Since we read in last week’s Haftarah that Elisha miraculously cured Naaman, a pagan general from his chronic leprosy, he certainly would have done so for his Jewish brethren. The only exception to this was Gechazi and his sons who were cursed with a uncurable form of leprosy. The reason for their condition is stated in last week’s Haftarah, wherein we read about Gechazi’s response to Naaman’s generous gift that he offered the prophet for curing him. Although Elisha refused to accept any recognition for his part in Hashem’s miracle, Gechazi secretly misrepresented the prophet and based on a “sudden need that arose” demanded from Naaman renumeration for his healing service. Elisha, through Divine perception was aware of Gechazi’s disgraceful act, that threatened to undermine Elisha’s sanctifying Hashem’s name by refusing to take any credit for Hashem’s miracle. Therefore, when Gechazi returned from his secret “mission,” Elisha sharply reprimanded him for his atrocity, and pronounced a curse on Gechazi and his offspring to be plagued with an uncurable form of leprosy. This insight, in addition to identifying the four lepers, provides essential background to the lepers’ abhorrent behavior, and reveals in plain-view base human nature. In truth, when following the lepers’ immediate reaction to their incredible discovery, we are stunned by their inexcusable conduct. We read that after they pillaged two of the Aramite tents, they suddenly said to one another, “This is not proper [what] we are doing. Today, this day is a day of [great] tidings and [if] we remain silent until the morning, we will be found sinful.” (7:9) Metzudos explains that the lepers feared that if they would inform the people about their findings in the morning, it would be evident that they waited until that time in order to secretly pillage the camp at night and hide their findings. (Metzudos Dovid ibid)

Now, let us review the situation from the lepers’ standpoint. They were fully aware of the Jewish people’s threatening predicament as reflected by their risking their lives to surrender instead of joining their brethren and facing inevitable starvation. How, then could they be so preoccupied with themselves at the expense of people’s starvation? Why wasn’t their first response to their findings, overwhelming joy for the salvation of their people? In addition, why was their sole motivation to immediately reveal their findings, the fear of being faulted for “stealing,” rather than providing a starving nation relief from its devastating predicament?

Repetitive Faulty Nature

We can offer to explain their behavior based on their identity and previous actions. But, before doing so, a quote from Rav Simcha Zissel of Kelm is in line. He proclaimed that it is less taxing on one to study half of Talmud Bavli—over two and a half thousand pages—than to exert ample emotional energies and focus to effect even a small permanent change in one’s innate character. Following this line of reasoning, let us review Gechazi’s earlier atrocity for which he was plagued with uncurable leprosy. His master Elisha had performed a miracle and revealed a hidden healing power contained in the Jordan River. When the Aramite general was miraculously healed he offered a gift to Elisha in appreciation to Hashem and His emissary for the special grace shown to a pagan general. Elisha, seeking to preserve this appreciation in its fullest sense, refused to accept any credit for his part in Hashem’s miracle. Yet, his servant Gechazi could not forgo his opportunity, and thinking solely about himself, he misrepresented Elisha and secretly capitalized on his situation. (Radak to 6:27) In fact, we read that Gechazi made an oath to himself that he would ensure that Naaman would not leave Eretz Yisrael, without monetary numeration for the prophet’s services. Elisha immediately identified this atrocious behavior and, in effect, ostracized his servant and his offspring from associating with the rest of the Jewish people. In the prophet’s mind, Gechazi’s thinking process was the anthesis of what Hashem expects from every Jewish person.

Prioritizing Oneself Above All

With this background we can offer some understanding into the lepers’ absurd reaction to the Jewish people’s treasure. Although it was self-evident that Hashem performed an incredible miracle to provide a year’s supply of food for His people after nearing starvation, Gechazi and his sons could not resist their powerful temptation. Moments before, they were prepared to forfeit their lives in the hands of Aram and instead, they discovered a gold-mine. Of course, the Jewish people deserved ultimately to benefit from the abundance of food and wealth in the Aramite camp, but after all, the four lepers discovered it first! Accordingly, they were entitled to take for themselves whatever they could, and only afterwards to present their findings to the collective Jewish nation. We now realize that if one prioritizes oneself, as they did, at the expense of Hashem’s honor and recognition, he can certainly do so at the expense of his Jewish brethren. Malbim sheds even more light on their behavior. He focusses on the repetitive words in the phrase, “Today, this day is a day of tidings…we will be found sinful” and explains that Gechazi and family were reviewing their previous behavior and said to each other, why should we permit our greed to overtake us again? If we wait until morning, we could cause starvation to some of our brethren. (Malbim to 7:9) These words substantiate Rav Simcha Zisel’s profound lesson in human nature. Even when the lepers considered their previous greedy offense and decided not to repeat it, their thoughts did not preclude them from pillaging the camp to some degree. Of course, in their perverted way of thinking, they were “entitled” to all the wealth they could amass before sharing with others.

Treasure Discovery Through Demolition

Our lesson of the lepers helps us understand the Torah’s formula for rectifying and transforming one’s faulty character traits. Although leprosy is a natural illness that could occur, Hashem created a unique miraculous form of leprosy that could strike the interior walls of one’s home. Chazal explain the Torah’s wordy description about the owner of the home, “The one whose home is his,” to mean the one whose household items are exclusive for personal usage. (Arachin 16a) They learn from this that severe stinginess is one of the offenses that brings about the plague of leprosy. Yet, the Torah introduces this experience in a mysterious way and states, “When you enter the Land of Canaan, I will “give” a spot of leprosy in your home.” (14:34) Chazal question the word-usage “give”, rather than plague or strike, implying that a leprous spot can be a gift. They answer that during the forty years of Jewish travel in the desert, the Emorites were busy burying their treasures deep in the walls of their homes. They apparently feared that the Jewish people could at any moment invade the land and appropriately claim their inheritance. Therefore, seeking to ensure that their hard-earned wealth not fall into foreign hands, they buried it deep in the walls of their homes. Chazal continue and explain that if the sinful person does not fully regret his ways and does not develop effective inroads to alter his character, the plague on his walls will mandate the demolition of his home. Then, surprisingly, he will discover Hashem’s gift, the hidden treasure deeply buried in the walls of his home. (Rashi ibid)

Rectification: The Innermost Treasure

This positive experience requires serious reflection. Granted, if the sinful person sincerely regretted his ways, he could conceivably deserve Hashem’s grace and blessing. But a sinner whose home was demolished because he did not complete his repentance, why does he deserve a blessing that his righteous neighbors whose homes remain in-tact, will never receive? We can offer the following resolution to our problem, based on an additional statement of Chazal. They explain that the plague of leprosy comes in a progressive form. It begins by plaguing the walls of the sinner’s home. If he properly repents, the leprous stones are removed and replaced with healthy ones. If he does not amply repent, his home is demolished and the plague transfers from his home to his garment, and finally to his body. (Vayikra Rabba 17:4) Chazal’s words are stunning and require serious reflection. How could anyone be so blind and indifferent to his predicament as not to respond to his clearly Providential plague? In view of our Haftarah’s lesson of the four lepers, we can offer, that not everyone merited to discover a treasure during the demolition process. That graceful experience was reserved for one who sincerely wanted to rectify his ways but found great difficulty in affecting serious change to his faulty attitudes and conduct. As stated before, it takes enormous effort to permanently alter one’s innate character. Therefore, if one was not yet willing to invest the necessary effort, his plague remained with him and after his home was demolished, the spot shifted to his garment.

Heavenly Motivation to Change

But, if one sincerely sought to alter his ways but lacked the emotional strength to reach the root of his problem, he would receive a Heavenly gift to motivate him to purify and refine his character. This person, instead of forfeiting the total value of his home, received compensation and beyond as a bonus for his past efforts and intended future ones. In fact, he experiences no monetary loss from the plague to his home, since the moment he loses his home, he gains his treasure in its place. When he contemplates Hashem’s favor of demolition, he applies his lesson to his personal character and draws a parallel line between them. He realizes that exposing the root of his faulty character is truly a blessing. In the same manner that removing his old home produced a hidden treasure, uprooting his faulty character is the greatest treasure he can find. Since he is sincerely interested in refining his character, Hashem’s special grace encourages him to become worthy of the kindliness he already received, and he then exerts the necessary effort to cleanse himself from his sinful way. We can safely say that after one discovered his treasure and responded to its lesson, Hashem did not shift the leprosy plague from his walls to his garment because he was well on his…