This week’s Parsha is Parshat Metzora. In Parshat Metzora we learn about the laws of tzara'at. It's a quite challenging portion, learning about the Halachot, the purification process, etc. Yet, within this topic, we can take away a lesson that involves not only our lives but also Pesach, which is coming up in just a few days.
Pesach commemorates Bnei Yisrael being freed from slavery in Egypt. It's a time when we celebrate our journey to redemption, from darkness to light. In the story of Pesach, we can find many parallels to this week's Parsha and aspects of Tzarat.
Tzarat isolates the person who gets it from the entire community. They are required to live outside the camp until they are considered ritually pure. This period of isolation can be seen as a form of exile, which is aligned with our exile in Egypt. Like the Jewish people, the inhibitor of tzara’at longs to be free from his exile and let him back into the community.
However, there's more to tzara’at than just physical purification. The process of purification involves reflection, such as doing teshuva and growing spiritually. The person with tzara’at must confront what led to their actions, whether it was things like lashon hara or arrogance. Through this process, they not only cleanse their bodies but also purify their souls, emerging spiritually renewed and transformed.
This journey the person with tzara’at experiences parallels with the journey of the Jewish people during Pesach. As we sit at the Seder table, during magid, we retell the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim. But Pesach isn't just about celebrating the past events; it's about reliving them, about experiencing our own personal freedom from whatever enslaved us.
Just as the person with tzaarat goes through a process of purification, so too can we use the energy of Pesach to purify ourselves from the negative traits and habits that hold us back and all our Averot. Pesach is a time for self-analysis, for identifying the "tzara'at" in our own lives—lashon hara, jealousy, anger—and striving to overcome them.
Moreover, just as the person with tza’arat eventually rejoins the community, Pesach also reminds us of the importance of community and connection. The Seder, with its emphasis on family and community, teaches us that true freedom is not found alone, but with others and with Hashem.
As we celebrate Pesach and read Parshat Metzora, let us remember that our journey to freedom is not one we did alone. Like Tzarat, we may face challenges and setbacks along the way, but through self-awareness, teshuva, and connection with others, we can become pure and ready to celebrate our freedom from our struggles and the freedom that Pesach promises.
Good Shabbos!
By: Adina Shagalov (9th)