The Chasam Sofer on the verse Vayikra 13:14, about a person covered completely with tzaraas, who is pure, comments with an astounding comparison relating to antisemitism and the coming of Moshiach.
Chazal said that before Moshiach comes, the world’s governments will turn to heresy. Such completely wicked leaders, like Pharaoh and Haman, are “pure,” because they were created from the beginning as a means of pushing the Jews towards repentance. Ultimately, they will be uprooted from the world, once that task is complete.
However, when there is “some living flesh,” when these nations show goodness to the Jews, they become “impure” and tainted, because it lures the Jews away from Hashem.
(It is known that when Napoleon offered equal rights to Jews, the Chasam Sofer felt it was a not a good thing for us, and indicated that Hashem intended to keep us in exile longer.)
If the living flesh again turned white, then the Kohain would purify the metzora. This is like Achashveirosh who nicely invited the Jews to his banquet and contaminated them, this being the living flesh. It turned white when he sold their lives to Haman, and that act did what 48 prophets and 7 prophetesses could not: bring the Jews to repentance.
It means, then, that when we suffer terrible antisemitism, it is a message from Hashem to repent of our own evil ways, and then He will remove the tormentors in an instant, just as He did Pharaoh and Haman.
Thought of the week:
Believe you can and you’re halfway there.
(DY-GY:GY ARQYW) „.AMUY YX RsB WB TWARH OWYBW .AWH RWHU ...WRsB LK TA TERCH HTSK HNHW ..."
