This week’s Parsha is Tazria-Metzora, and B’ezrat Hashem, we will discuss the Haftarah we’ll read on Shabbat. To better understand what we’ll be discussing, it would be ideal for everyone to have a Tanach in hand, so things can be understood with greater clarity.
On this Shabbat, we read the Haftarah of Parshat Metzora, which is וְאַרְבָּעָה אֲנָשִׁים הָיוּ מְצֹרָעִים – There were four men who were afflicted with Tzara’at. The Gemara states (Sota 47a) this refers to Gechazi and his three sons, all stricken with Tzara’at. To fully understand the background though, we’ll first delve into the Haftarah of Parshat Tazria, which is a very rare Haftarah – read only in leap years when the preceding and/or following Rosh Hashanah coincides with Shabbat, an occurrence which can be one every twenty or so years.
Our Parsha begins by discussing the impurity of a woman who has given birth, and immediately afterward, it speaks about the matter of Tzara’at, which, as is well known, is not written in the Torah according to the order in which it occurs. The Torah first discusses Tzara’at of the body, then Tzara’at of the garment, and then Tzara’at of the house. This is not the order in which Hakadosh Baruch Hu afflicts, however, but the reverse order. The Kli Yakar says, when warning a person, one warns them about the most severe matter first. Just like Pharaoh was first warned about Makat Bechorot, despite it being the final plague. Warnings work best when they are the most powerful, but when it comes to actually punishing them, doing so gradually is the way. Thus, the punishment is first on the house, then the garment, and then the body.
The Midrash provides another answer, which we’ll mention only briefly. It says the Parsha of nega’im (afflictions) was given in the desert where they had no houses, and where there was no Tzara’at of garments, as the same garments were worn from Yetziat Mitzrayim until reaching Eretz Yisrael: לֹא בָצֵקָה זֶה אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וְרַגְלְך לֹא בָלְתָה מֵעָלֶיך שִׂמְלָתְך – The clothes upon you did not wear out, nor did your feet swell these forty years. Miraculous garments that never soiled or wore out, and which grew together with their owner, could not contract Tzara’at! Therefore, the only thing Hakadosh Baruch Hu could bring as punishment, says the Midrash, was Tzara’at on the body. Hence, Hakadosh Baruch Hu begins specifically with the body, as it was the only applicable at the time. The Parsha of afflictions – פָּרָשַׁת הַנְּגָעִים – begins with:
אָדָם כִּי־יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ־סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת וְהָיָה בְעוֹר־בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת וְהוּבָא אֶל־אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן אוֹ אֶל־אַחַד מִבָּנָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים׃
When a man has on the skin of his flesh a swelling, a scab, or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his flesh a mark of Tzara’at, he shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen or to one of his sons, the Kohanim.
Chazal (Yevamot 61a) expound on the word אָדָם. A Kohen only examines the afflictions of Bnei Yisrael, and when the nations of the world have afflictions, they do not go to the Kohen. The Gemara says: אַתֶּם קְרוּיִין אָדָם וְאֵין הָעוֹבְדִי כּוֹכָבִים קְרוּיִין אָדָם – You are called man but idol-worshippers are not called man. Therefore, a Kohen does not examine the afflictions of a non-Jew, only the afflictions of a Jew.
It would seem from the words of the Pasuk here that there is no concept of Tzara’at among non-Jews at all. A non-Jew does not come to a Kohen and say, “It seems to me that this is an affliction.” It makes no difference to him and the entire matter of נְּגָעִים pertains only to Klal Yisrael.
Look at the Rambam (Hilchot Tumat Tzara’at) and the Ramban. They all follow the same line: the entire matter of nega’im is a sign and a wonder among Bnei Yisrael. There is Tzara’at among the nations of the world, but it is not the same Tzara’at discussed here and not the same affliction spoken of here. When the Torah says that one who speaks Lashon Hara receives afflictions, this applies only to Yisrael. A non-Jew can speak Lashon Hara as much as he wants, and he will not receive Tzara’at. Thus, says the Rambam, the entire matter of Tzara’at is a special gift Hakadosh Baruch Hu gives to Bnei Yisrael to teach and warn them not to come to sin.
After this introduction, Chazal bring one additional teaching: There is a difference between the Tzara’at of a non-Jew and the Tzara’at of a Jew. The Tzara’at of a non-Jew is a contagious disease, while the Tzara’at of a Jew is a disease that is not contagious. If a bridegroom develops an affliction, they give him the seven days of Sheva Brachot feasting – for him, his house, and his clothing. Similarly, during a festival, they give him the seven days of the festival before requiring seclusion. If the Tzara’at were contagious, they would not leave him in the house for seven days to infect the entire family! Tzara’at for a Jew is a sign and a wonder from Heaven, so that a person will perform Teshuva. Therefore, Chazal say: If he received it in the house and repented, it does not transfer to the garment. If he did not repent, it transfers to the garment. If he repented, it does not transfer to the body. If he did not repent, it transfers to the body. It progresses stage by stage until it reaches Tzara’at of the body, and then he is distanced from all around him.
His purification is a very difficult purification. He must bring three offerings for a Korban Chatat along with special birds and must have all the hair of his head shaved. In short, it is a very difficult process, such that a person who once received Tzara’at will likely never speak Lashon Hara again.
From here, a question arises that everyone discusses: If you say that the Kohen examines נְּגָעִים only for Bnei Yisrael, and for the nations of the world he does not examine, a question arises from the Haftarah of Parshat Tazria. I will only touch on this briefly here and we’ll delve into it fully soon. In that Haftarah, it is recounted that there was a commander of the army of Aram – Na’aman – who contracted Tzara’at, and he came to be healed by Elisha HaNavi, who sent him to the Yarden to immerse seven times for purification.
Rabbotai, why is the Navi dealing with this? It would seem that Tzara’at is related to the Kohen and not the prophet – this is established in Halacha in the Mishnayot of Nega’im. Rashi explains: If you have a Kohen who is an ignoramus and does not understand nega’im, he brings a Torah scholar with him. The Torah scholar looks and says, “My lord the Kohen, this is an affliction.” But until the Kohen declares with his own mouth, “זֶה נֶגַע – this is an affliction,” it is not deemed impure, because the Kohen must explicitly say so, as the portfolio of nega’im is assigned uniquely to the Kohanim. Suddenly, here comes the Tzara’at of Na’aman, and they send him to Elisha! What does this have to do with Elisha HaNavi? Since when does Elisha deal with Tzara’at?
This question appears in the commentary of the Rosh. You will also find it in the Rokeach on the Torah, and you will find it elaborated at length, almost a full page, in the sefer Tzror Hamor by Rabbi Avraham Saba, one of the exiles of Spain, who raises the question and expands on it greatly.
Let us first preface an introduction to what he means. He asks first, why is Elisha dealing with this if it’s the Kohen’s domain? Second, he asks, where did Elisha get the idea that Na’aman needs to immerse in the Yarden? Why not in the Kinneret? The Jordan River is not a place known for healing, and, if it is merely a symbolic act, why did he need to send him there seven times?
Nun Pesukim and the Power of Letters
1) Before we answer these questions, we’ll present a beautiful introduction, written by Rabbeinu Bachya (Matot) and also by the Rokeach (Tazria). There are eleven Pesukim that those who recite zemirot on Motzei Shabbat recite. What They are eleven Pesukim that begin with a bent nun (נו"ן כפופה) and end with a straight nun (נו"ן פשוטה). Look at the zemirot for Motzei Shabbat that Ashkenazi communities recite, and you’ll find eleven Pesukim there, while some Sephardi communities recite them in the order of the Ma’amadot. These Pesukim are a segula against the evil eye, against fears, and to remove divine anger from a person. The Pesukim are:
נֶגַע צָרַ עַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְּאָדָם וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן:
נַחְנוּ נַעֲבֹר חֲלוּצִים לִפְנֵי ה' אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְאִתָּנוּ אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָתֵנוּ מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן:
כָּמֹנִי מֵאַחֶיךָ יָקִים לְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן :
When a mark of Tzara’at appears on a man, he shall be brought to the Kohen.
We will cross over armed before Hashem to the land of Canaan, and with us is the possession of our inheritance beyond the Jordan.
A prophet from among you, from your brothers, like me, Hashem your G-d will establish for you; to him you shall listen.
These first three are Pesukim straight from the Torah, while the rest are from the Nevi’im and Ketuvim. I won’t quote the entire yesod brought by Rabbeinu Bachya, but he asks why the tribe of Gad says, “נַחְנוּ נַעֲבֹר חֲלוּצִים,” when they should have said, “אֲנַחְנוּ נַעֲבֹר חֲלוּצִים”. He writes, they spoke in a language of humility, as they were chalutzim – warriors, so they humbled themselves and said נַחְנוּ, a term of humility.
Rabbeinu Bachya then says: Eleven Pesukim in Tanach begin with a nun and end with a nun, and this is one of them. It is known that the Shem Hameforash emerges from these eleven Pesukim, and it consists of thirteen letters. If you recite these Pesukim with the Name that emerges from them, you will not fear terror, for it is the Name of Hakadosh Baruch Hu that is effective against fear. These are the words of Rabbeinu Bachya.
From here, we’ll move to the words of the Rokeach on the Pasuk: נֶגַע צָרַעַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְאָדָם וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן. Eleven Pesukim begin with a nun and end with a nun. Whoever recites them with kavanah and without skipping, טוֹב לוֹ – it is good for him! It is good to recite them when going to sleep and when in danger; it is good to recite them with heartfelt intention. In these eleven Pesukim, you will not find the letter samech (ס) or the letter peh (פ). Whoever knows to recite them properly will not be dominated by destructive angels, for nun is a good sign in a dream. These are the words of the Rokeach.
Not only one who recites the eleven Pesukim, but also one who dreams of the letter nun experiences something very good! We once discussed that one who sees the letter tet (ט) in a dream, it is a good sign. The Rokeach now adds the letter nun seen in a dream. Where does he derive this from? The Gemara says (Berachot 57a):
הָרוֹאֶה הוּנָא בַּחֲלוֹם - נֵס נַעֲשָׂה לוֹ. חֲנִינָא, חֲנַנְיָא, יוֹחָנָן - נִסֵּי נִסִּים נַעֲשׂוּ לוֹ.
One who sees a man named Huna in a dream, it is a sign that a miracle will be performed for him. Ḥanina, Ḥananya, or Yocḥanan – a sign that many miracles will be performed.
Why? Because the letter nun in the name Huna represents the word נֵס – miracle, and the letter nun appears twice in the last set of names. The Rokeach says further: What is the meaning of the bracha וּלָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ וְיִדְגוּ – And let them multiply greatly in the midst of the land? He does not explain, but if I understand correctly, a fish in Aramaic is called “nun,” connecting us to this Gemara.
Now, I hope you all remember the story about the pineapple. I told it somewhere earlier today, and someone shared a good insight with me. I recounted the story in a place where I had not told it before; I told them that on Erev Rosh Hashanah, I saw someone buying a pineapple. I asked him, “What’s that for?” He told me that their family has an age-old custom to eat pineapple on Erev Rosh Hashanah, and they recite the tefillah: יְהִי רָצוֹן שַׁנִּסֵי נִסִּים יַעֲשׂוּ לָנוּ – May it be Your will that miracles upon miracles be performed for us. Why? Because a pineapple – אָנָנָס – has two nun’s in its name. So, I said to him, “Then buy a בָּנָנָה – banana! Why pay fifty shekels for a pineapple?!” Someone sharp responded to me today, “Why a banana? Isn’t that a waste of money too? He should buy נַעְנַע – mint!” In any case, these are the words of the Rokeach.
What do the eleven Pesukim that begin with a bent nun and end with a straight nun have to do with all this? We asked earlier – why does Elisha HaNavi call Na’aman to come to him? What led him to this plan? I now want to amplify the question: There is a significant halachic question whether it is even permissible to heal a non-Jew. Note: I am not speaking about מִפְּנֵי דַּרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם – for the sake of peace. I am talking about a non-Jew who does not know you are Jewish; he only knows you are a doctor. A non-Jew comes to you and says, “I’m having chest pains.” Are you obligated to heal him or not? There is a halachic dispute whether it is permissible or not. In light of this issue, the question is: Why does Elisha HaNavi call Na’aman to come to him? Upon hearing that Na’aman is afflicted with Tzara’at, he says to the king, “On the contrary, tell him to come to me and I will heal him.” Why does he need to heal him? Is it even permissible?
This is a halachic question we will not delve into but in any case, the author of Tzror Hamor asks: Why does Elisha call Na’aman to come? Why does he give him advice? And why does he tell him to immerse in the Yarden? He answers that Elisha derived these three things from the three Pesukim that all begin with a nun and end with a nun, because Na’aman’s name – נַעֲמָן – begins with a bent nun and ends with a straight nun. Why did Elisha HaNavi say, “Let him come to me” rather than directing him straight to the Kohen? Because it is written: נֶגַע צָרַעַת כִּי תִהְיֶה בְאָדָם וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן, and Chazal say בְאָדָם implies on a Jew. Meaning, if he’s a Jew, he goes to the Kohen. But since Na’aman is not Jewish, Elisha HaNavi instead says, “Tell him to come to me, I’m a Navi.” How do we know that a Navi also deals with Tzara’at? Tzror Hamor next points to: נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ כָּמֹנִי יָקִים לְךָ ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵאַחֶיךָ אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן.
Elisha says, “If he comes to me and listens to what I tell him, recovery will surely come to him!” And finally, how does Elisha know that he should be sent to the Yarden and not to the Kinneret? Because of the final Pasuk that begins and ends with a nun: נַחְנוּ נַעֲבֹר חֲלוּצִים ...וְאִתָּנוּ אֲחֻזַּת נַחֲלָתֵנוּ מֵעֵבֶר לַיַּרְדֵּן.
Elisha therefore says, “Tell him to go to the Yarden and immerse there seven times, and through this, he will be healed of his Tzara’at.”
From the three Pesukim that begin and end with a nun, Tzror Hamor says, you learn the principle that if it is not a Jew, he goes to the Navi (for Tzara’at); and if he listens to the Navi and immerses in the Yarden, then he will be cured. In these Pesukim, both Na’aman and Elisha are alluded to. The words of the author of Tzror Hamor are wondrous and whoever wishes can look inside for even more!
Pasuk by Pasuk: The Story of Na’aman
Rabbotai, take your Tanach in hand now, and let’s begin to work on the Haftarah together, Pasuk by Pasuk. We’ll raise the questions, and only toward the end will we present the wonderful yesod of Chazal along with answers.
So that I do not have to repeat each question, who asks it, and what the question is, I will tell you the sources – where I found all the foundational ideas, and you can look inside and find everything there. The first source where is the Malbim on Sefer Melachim. He is the father of the questions and answers. After him, I found a wonderful yesod in Ma’adanei Shmuel on the Haftarot. Additional sources include sefer Zera Bareich, and sefer Chen Tov by Rabbi Tuvia Halevi, a contemporary of the Beit Yosef, where there is a incredible explanation of this Haftarah. From these four sefarim, I assembled this shiur, and we’ll now begin without quoting each one’s question. We’ll start with the questions and later see how to arrange them all together. We’ll begin our journey in Sefer Melachim Bet:
(5:1) Na’aman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was an important man to his lord and high in his favor, for through him GOD had granted victory to Aram. And the man was a great warrior, a leper.
The first question that everyone asks is: The placement of the last part of the Pasuk – וְהָאִישׁ הָיָה גִבּוֹר חַיִל מְצֹרָע – should have been at the beginning of the Pasuk when already engaged in describing Na’aman as an army commander, mighty warrior, and great man. Also, what does “mighty warrior” have to do with “afflicted with Tzara’at”? There should be a vav before “afflicted with Tzara’at.” It should say גִבּוֹר חַיִל וּמְצֹרָע – a mighty warrior and afflicted with Tzara’at. This text implies that “warrior” goes together with “afflicted with Tzara’at,” which does not make sense.
(2) Once, when the Arameans were out raiding, they carried off a young girl from the land of Israel, and she became an attendant to Na’aman’s wife.
Aram went out to conquer, and he took a girl. Chazal say she was young, from a city called Na’aron.
(3) She said to her mistress, “I wish Master could come before the prophet in Samaria; he would cure him of his leprosy.”
The girl says to Na’aman’s wife: “Do you want a remedy, and for him to stop scratching at the walls? If he goes to the Navi in Shomron and pleads before him, the Navi will find him salvation. Na’aman comes home, and his wife tells him that the captive girl told her that in Eretz Yisrael there’s a prophet who heals Tzara’at: “You need to plead, and he can heal you!”
(4) Na’aman went and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.
Na’aman goes to the king of Aram and says to him: “Don’t ask, the girl from Eretz Yisrael spoke כָּזֹאת וְכָזֹאת – this and that. The commentators ask: What is “this and that”? It implies there was a whole story here, and from this story, she made a big drama. But what exactly did this girl say?
(5) And the king of Aram said, “Go to the king of Israel, and I will send along a letter.” He set out, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
The king says to him: “I will now send a letter to the king of Israel,” who was Yehoram, the son of Achav. “I will send him a letter with some money, and all will be fine.”
(6) He brought the letter to the king of Israel. It read: “Now, when this letter reaches you, know that I have sent my courtier Na’aman to you, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
“I am sending a letter, and when this letter arrives, Na’aman, commander of the army of Aram, will come with it, and I request that you heal him of his Tzara’at.”
(7) When the king of Israel read the letter, he rent his clothes and cried, “Am I god, to deal death or give life, that this fellow writes to me to cure a man of leprosy? Just see for yourselves that he is seeking a pretext against me!”
The king of Israel says, “Know that he sent this letter because he wants to start a war! He has no other intention! He knows that I do not know how to heal Tzara’at; he knows that I do not know how to revive the dead (a person with Tzara’at is considered like the dead).” He tears his garments, understanding that a war is about to break out.
(8) When Elisha, the agent of G-d, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he will learn that there is a prophet in Israel.”
Elisha hears about the tearing of the garments, and he sends a message to the king: “My lord, why did you tear your garments, is it not a pity? Let him come to me, I will heal him of his Tzara’at! Why are you in a panic?” The commentators ask: Why did he take this upon himself? Does he lack work? Does he need a livelihood? Why did he call him?
Another question everyone asks: Na’aman is a non-Jew, why are you healing him? Let him continue to itch and scratch! Instead, he returns a letter back: “You can come, the prophet is ready to treat you.”
(9) So Na’aman came with his horses and chariots and halted at the door of Elisha’s house.
“With his horses” is written improperly here. The Yerushalmi notes here that it is written “with his horse.” Na’aman said: “I am willing to give everything I have and return only with the horse in exchange for him healing me!” Na’aman then arrives at the entrance of Elisha’s house, certain they were preparing a reception for him with a red carpet. But one is waiting for him; Elisha does not even come out to greet him!
(10) Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be pure.”
Na’aman is deeply offended. He was certain they would give him a reception, a red carpet, trumpets... but nothing of the sort was to be found! He arrives at the house, there is not even a welcome sign! He sends a person inside: “My lord, I am the commander of the army of the king of Aram.” He hears in...
