“This is the law of the blemish of tzara’as.”

(Vayikra 13:59)

“All this is due to Hashem’s mercy on those who observe His commandments.” (Sforno)

Indeed this is how Hashem acts toward His creations. An inanimate object does not change. A plant although it grows still does not perceive the world. Both these creations are radically different from animals who experience pain and the like but are without free choice.

The greatest of all creations is mankind for he has the power of speech. Man can also change his spiritual state at any moment choosing between good and evil. He suffers to purify his heart and perfect his Divine image.

There is an even higher level — “Yisrael in whom I take pride.” We are in a class of our own separate from the nations. This difference stems from the priceless gift [the Torah] given to us. That is also why we experience more suffering than other people do.

Could the punishment of tzara’as really be a privilege?

Just imagine ...

Two women linger in the school hallway just leaving the PTA. A few preliminaries and then one woman hints of her dissatisfaction with a particular teacher. The other nods knowingly and adds a few comments about a group of girls in sixth grade. The first woman sympathizes pointing out that behavior like that must be a reflection on the girls’ homes....

They tut look at watches complain about the babysitter who’s charging $15 an hour and head home. There they each notice a bizarre-looking spot on the ceiling. Mold they groan and promise themselves to take care of it in the morning.

Next the stains spread to their clothing. “This is terrible” they say. “How many loads of laundry can I do in a day?” Large blotches appear on their hands — the dermatologist sends them to a Kohein. “Tzara’as” the Kohein pronounces.

They have spoken lashon hara. They must spend a week outside the camp. What an embarrassment! Their neighbors deliver food babysit do the laundry. And they shake their heads sadly: Those poor children whose mother spoke lashon hara….

In the meantime the women remain alone begging for mercy from passersby. No wonder that deep down we all breathe a sigh of relief — thank goodness there’s no tzara’as nowadays.

Greater people tend to experience more suffering than others — Hashem warns those He loves to stop him sinking into sin. This is a privilege given only to people of high standing due to Hashem’s great mercy upon them.

This is true of tzara’as. When the Jewish People are wholeheartedly devoted to Hashem then Hashem’s Spirit will constantly be upon them.... Whenever one of them commits a sin or transgression the stain on his flesh or his garments are a sign that Hashem has left him.

This great matter will take place only in the chosen land where Hashem rests His honorable Presence. (Ramban)

There is no tzara’as and when two women meet at PTA they can whisper of how the principal intimidates them and of the canteen’s substandard fare. There’s no mold on the walls when they return home; they can pick up the phone and happily give over a recipe chat for a minute or two.

They don’t hear the scream that echoes from one end of the world to the other: “Lashon hara! Lashon hara!”

She doesn’t realize that she has killed three people. That she has committed a terrible sin one of the few that immediately reaches the Kisei HaKavod itself. She certainly isn’t counting the number of Biblical or Rabbinic prohibitions she has violated. Nor is she considering how far she has removed herself from the closeness to Hashem for which she yearns all day.

She has no way of knowing.

All of these sins attach themselves to her — not to her clothing not to her house and not even to her skin but to her pure soul. But she doesn’t hear a thing….

We learn from the Ramban that a person needs a lot of merit to be stricken with tzara’as. Even Bnei Yisrael had that privilege only in the chosen land for it is only there they came to know Hashem.

If only we had tzara’as. We could absorb our punishment right away and repent for our sins with complete regret. We could purify ourselves and bring the korban of the metzora accompanied by the song of the Leviim and we would no longer bear the burden of sin.

But we have no Beis HaMikdash and no korbanos; instead we have tremendous responsibility for our words. After all we don’t even have tzara’as.