Tzara'at/2/he
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צרעת
גישות פרשניות
סקירה
בניסיון להבין את טבעה של הצרעת, הפרשנים מתחלקים בין שתי גישות מרכזיות. חז"ל, ובעקבותיהם רב הפרשנים, מבינים שמדובר בעונש שמיימי בעקבות חטאו של האדם. הפרשנים מתבססים על מקרי הצרעת התנ"כיים, שם מפורש שמדובר בעונש על חטא, ומבינים את תהליך ההיטהרות כחזרה בתשובה.
בניגוד אליהם, הרלב"ג מבין את הצרעת כמחלה טבעית בה כל אדם יכול לחלות. לפי הבנתו, הקשר בין הטומאה לבין הנגעים אינו בחטא, כאשר תהליך הטהרה מקביל לטהרה מטומאות אחרות. בנוסף לכך, הטיפול במצורע הוא טיפול רפואי וההיבדלות היא במטרה למנוע הדבקת אחרים במחלה.
עונש שמיימי
נגעי הצרעת הם עונש אלוקי הנשלחים כאזהרה או עונש על חטא.
מקורות:תוספתא, בבלי, ויקרא רבה, במדבר רבה, תנחומא, רש"י, כוזרי, אבן עזרא, ר׳ יוסף בכור שור, רמב"ם, רמב"ן, אברבנאל, ספורנו, רש״ר הירש
טבעי או על-טבעי? הכוזרי1, הרמב"ם2, הרמב"ן3, והרש"ר הירש4 מבינים את הצרעת בכללה כעל-טבעית. בניגוד לכך , ניתן להסיק מפירושי האבן עזרא5, הבכור שור, האברבנאל והספורנו שלמרות המעורבות האלוקית, צרעת הגוף6 היא טבעית או לפחות בעלת אספקטים טבעיים.7
על אלו חטאים נענשים בצרעת? פרשנים אלו אינם מסכימים על החטאים הגורמים לאדם להיענש בצרעת, אך רובם מדברים על הוצאת דיבה8 או יהירות.9 מספר מדרשים10 כוללים רשימות ארוכות של חטאים אפשריים עליהם נענשים בצרעת11, ביניהם גזל, שפיכות דמים, גסות רוח, שקר, חילול שם ה', גילוי עריות, ושבועת שווא.
מקרי צרעת תנ"כיים – בחינת מקרי הצרעת בתנ"ך מהווה חיזוק לשיטה זו, שם ברוב המקרים נאמר מפורשות שאדם נענש בנגעי צרעת בעקבות חטאו:
- במדבר י"ב – לאחר שמדברת לשון הרע על משה, נענשת מרים בצרעת.
- שמואל ב' ג' – יואב מקולל על ידי דוד בצרעת לאחר שהוא הורג את אבנר כנגד רצונו של דוד.
- מלאכים ב' ה' – גיחזי מוכה צרעת אחרי שממרה את פי אלישע.
- דברי הימים ב' כ"ו – לאחר שהמלך עוזיהו מקטיר קטורת, נענש המלך על יהירותו בצרעת.
השוואה לצרעת הבגד והבית – על פי רוב הפרושים האלו13, הנגעים הנוגפים את ביתו של האדם או את בגדיו מהווים אזהרה, המניעה את האדם לחזרה בתשובה לפני שגופו נפגע14. האברבנאל מוסיף שהנס הגלוי בצרעת הבית בא ללמדינו על אופיה הניסי של הצרעת באופן כללי15
"וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרַעַת" – הרמב"ן 16 מצביע על כך שהשימוש בלשון "וְנָתַתִּי" מרמז שהקב"ה שולח באופן אקטיבי את הנגע, ולא ניתן להסביר אותו באופן טבעי. הרש"ר הירש מוסיף שלמילה "נֶגַע" יש קונוטציה של פגע הנגזר משמיים17, ולא סתם מחלה גשמית.
למה הצרעת גורמת לטומאה? מקורות אלה עשויים לרמוז שהטומאה מסמלת את זעמו של הקב"ה ודחייתו של החוטא.
השוואה לסוגי טומאה נוספים – רוב הגורמים האחרים לטומאה (יציאות הגוף, לידה ומוות) אינם קשורים לחטא ועונש, אלא מדובר במצבי טבע. על כן, הבנת הצרעת ככזו הופכת את טומאתה ליוצאת דופן.
תפקיד הכהן – האדם הנגוע נבדק על ידי כהן, ולא על ידי רופא, שכן זהו פולחן דתי של חטא וטומאה, ולא מחלה טבעית.18 ספורנו מוסיף כי הכהן יתפלל למען המצורע בנוסף לכך שיגרום לו לחשוב שנית על מעשיו.
Diagnosis and treatment of the defiled individual – These sources view the laws governing the diagnosis and behavior of the defiled person as related to his sin:
- Seven day periods of confinement – These intervals are opportunities for the individual to reflect and repent, so as to prevent the need for further punishment.
- Isolation – Rashi, following Bavli Arakhin, explains that this is a "measure for measure" punishment. Since the metzora, through his gossip, caused people to separate from one another, he, too, is separated from society. Alternatively, R. Hirsch suggests that the isolation serves to shame the person into self-reflection19 and correction of his negative social behavior.20
- "בְּגָדָיו יִהְיוּ פְרֻמִים וְרֹאשׁוֹ יִהְיֶה פָרוּעַ" – Rashi, Ibn Ezra, R"Y Bekhor Shor, and Abarbanel point out that these are all signs of mourning. Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel explain that the metzora must mourn his wayward ways that led to the affliction, while R"Y Bekhor Shor claims that he mourns his rejection by Hashem.
Aspects of the purification process – These sources similarly understand many aspects of the purification process as atonement or punishment for sin:
- Sending away of birds – Ramban compares the birds to the goat that is sent to Azazel as part of the Yom HaKippurim purification process, suggesting that each is intended to symbolize the carrying away of the people's sins.21 Bavli Arakhin explains that birds were chosen specifically because they chirp, thereby reminding the person of his sin of speaking about others.22
- Cedar and hyssop – Rashi and R. Yosef Bekhor Shor suggest that these symbolize the fact that the person who had been haughty23 is now humbled and brought low.24
- Scarlet thread – R"Y Bekhor Shor notes that the scarlet color represents sin, as Yeshayahu says, "אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ".
- Sin offerings – The sin and guilt offerings are brought as part of the process of atonement.
Arguments against a medical understanding – R. Hirsch argues forcefully against a medical understanding of the affliction, bringing numerous proofs from the laws relating to it. For example, he points out that if tzara'at covers the entire body it does not generate impurity. This would be counter-intuitive were the process to be one of disease control. Similarly, with regards to tzara'at of the house, before the priest enters to declare it pure or impure, all items from the house are removed so as to maintain their purity. If the process was meant to prevent contagion or the like, this too would be illogical.25
Natural Disease
Tzara'at is a natural disease which can strike a person regardless of whether they sinned or not.
What disease? None of these sources attempt to identify tzara'at with a specific known disease,27 sufficing with the claim that it was a malady that could have affected anyone.
Tzara'at of the house and clothing – Ralbag attempts to give a natural explanation for these forms of tzara'at, as well, explaining that moisture or warmth can cause natural properties to be weakened, thereby causing rotting or discoloration.28
Connection to other forms of impurity – As other cases of impurity (e.g. bodily emissions, corpses, and childbirth) result from natural processes and do not appear to be related to sin or punishment, it is logical to assume that tzara'at is no different.
Divine providence: plague without sin?
- Ralbag believes that not every individual merits Divine providence, and that it is possible that a person will suffer due to natural causes or "chance".29 As such, according to his theology, it is possible that a person could contract a debilitating disease such as tzara'at without it being considered a Divine punishment.
- R. D"Z Hoffmann posits that though most maladies come as punishment, there are always exceptional cases which cannot be explained in such a manner. Moreover, he questions why, if all diseases should be viewed as punishment for sin, it is only tzara'at that causes impurity. He therefore concludes that it cannot be sin which led to the impurity of the metzora.
Why does it cause impurity? These sources differ greatly in how they understand why this disease should cause impurity:
- Decay – According to Ralbag, most impurities relate to loss of life or potential life,30 when all that is left of man is his material being.31 This highlights that the physical ("material") aspect of man is not what is lofty, but rather only the spiritual ("form").32 Thus, when certain bodily functions cause either an excess or decay of the physical material, they cause a defiling.33 Tzara'at, which is an especially severe form of bodily decay which stems from and spreads throughout man's material body, thus promotes a high level of impurity.34
- Promote belief in Divine providence – Shadal suggests that, in ancient times, people erroneously assumed that that the skin changes brought by tzara'at were a sign of God's wrath and concluded that the plagued individual must have sinned severely. As such, they would naturally avoid the person.35 Since this attitude, albeit mistaken, promoted belief in God's providence and the concepts of reward and punishment, the Torah allowed it to persist and established tzara'at as a form of impurity with all its accompanying laws.36
- Symbolic of sin – R. Hoffmann suggests that all the various categories of impurity are meant to be symbolic of (but not a consequence of) sin.37 In reality, any condition could have been chosen, but these were specified because they were outwardly better symbols. He suggests that the appearance of a person plagued by tzara'at, whose flesh was so disfigured, made people associate it with death,38 and thus with sin.
Biblical cases – The fact that most Biblical cases of tzara'at appear to be Divinely meted out as a punishment poses a difficulty for this approach.39 These sources might explain that Hashem is simply using an otherwise natural disease as a punishment, just as elsewhere he afflicts people with blindness or plague.
"וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרַעַת" – Ralbag explains that the language of "וְנָתַתִּי" need not imply that Hashem is actively bringing the plague.40 The affliction is simply attributed to Him since He is the first cause that drives everything in the world.41
Role of priest – The priest is involved, not due to any need for atonement, but rather because the disease causes impurity, and the laws of ritual purity are in the priestly domain. Ralbag points out that the priest himself does not have to be the one to investigate and make the actual diagnosis, just to declare impurity.
An individual who is completely covered by tzara'at – R. Hirsch argues against this approach from the fact that an individual who is completely covered with tzara'at is considered pure, claiming that this would be counter-intuitive were the impurity to stem from disease and an attempt to prevent contagion. Ralbag, though, explains that such a state actually suggests that the person is close to recovery. According to him, the person's natural warmth has pushed the disease to the edges of the body and it is soon to disappear entirely.
Aspects of the defilement/purification process – Since Shadal sees the laws of tzara'at as aimed at reinforcing the people's (mistaken) belief that it was caused by sin, he reads many aspects of the process as symbolic of sin or atonement,42 just as the "Divine Punishment" approach does.43 Ralbag, in contrast, disassociates the process from one of atonement and instead views some aspects as medical in nature and others as educational.44 It is also possible that certain components of the ceremony are simply normal procedures found in many purification rites:
- Isolation – Ralbag maintains that the banishment from the camp is necessary to prevent contagion by others.
- Seven day periods of confinement – Ralbag suggests that this is the natural amount of time needed for a disease to progress and for certain symptoms to manifest themselves. Alternatively, one could view seven days as a typical formulaic period, similar to that found by other impurities.
- "בְּגָדָיו יִהְיוּ פְרֻמִים וְרֹאשׁוֹ יִהְיֶה פָרוּעַ וְעַל שָׂפָם יַעְטֶה" – Ralbag views this as related to the state of impurity created by tzara'at rather than to the disease itself. He suggests that these actions are meant to be signs of degradation which remind people of the lowliness of the material aspects of our being which caused this condition. Alternatively, this approach could explain, as does Ibn Ezra, that the covering of the mouth was meant to guard against infection.
- Burning of clothing/ destruction of home – These, too, might be explained as necessary precautions to prevent spread of the disease.45
- Scarlet thread, hyssop, and cedar – Since the person is already cured at this point, these actions might have no medicinal purpose, but rather might simply be an intrinsic part of the purification rite. The fact that the same threesome is found in the red heifer ceremony might support the possibility that this is simply a standard component of purification.
- Sending away of bird – This, too might be related to purification rather than health, as a similar rite is found in the sending away of the goats on Yom HaKippurim. See Rashbam who connects the two ceremonies, viewing both as rituals of purification. Alternatively, as Ibn Ezra suggests, the birds are expelled to unsettled territory to ensure that they do not spread the disease.
- "Living" birds and water – The emphasis on life might serve as a contrast to the death symbolized by the decaying flesh of the person plagued by tzara'at.
- Shaving of hair – Ralbag maintains that since the hair grew from diseased blood, it might still have marks of the disease on it and needs to be shaved.
- Separation from sexual relations46 – Ralbag explains that having sexual relations at this point might weaken the afflicted person and cause a relapse of the disease.
- Sin offerings – Several other forms of impurity47 require the bringing of sin-offerings despite the fact that no apparent crime has been committed. As such, it is possible that, in all of these cases, the offerings are unrelated to atonement.
