Riddles of the Week
(For answers see inside)
1) Can a metzorah be forced to go to a Kohen with his tzora’as? If yes, whose job is it to take him there? If there is such an obligation, why should this be? If one has a neighbour who speaks lashon horah, can he be asked to move to a new apartment?
2) The Chovas HaLevavos (Shaar Hachniyah, Perek 7) famously writes: That if one speaks loshan horah about his friend, the friend receives all the ba’al loshan horah’s Torah and mitzvos (see also Orchos Tzadikim, Shaar Ho’anovah who brings this, and the Chofetz Chaim in Shemiras HaLashon, Shaar HaZechirah perek 7). The question is, if the ba’al loshan horah does teshuvah for his sin, does he get the merit of his Torah and mitzvos back, or do we say once it is taken away, it can no longer be returned?
3) If one hears loshan horah first thing in the morning before he washes his hands, is he allowed to place his finger inside his hear, or to fold his earlobe over his ear to avoid hearing the loshan horah?
4) The Medrash Tanchumah (Metzorah 2) teaches that:השרטוטים המנומרים בעור נחש צרעת הם – “The spotted patches on the skin of a snake are tzora’as”. The Medrash explains: The reason for this is, because the snake is punished for speaking loshan horah against the Ribbono Shel Olam like we find in Bereishis (3:5). The question is, if this is true, why do people treat snake skins with great value and importance. People make special garments from snake skins, and they are very expensive. Surely, if they are plagued with tzora’as, people should be repulsed and disgusted by them?
5) The Sifro (Metzorah 1:3) teaches that the Kohen would cut all the hair of the metzorah. The Shu”t Ohryayin Telisoi (אוריין תליתאי) of R’ Moshe Tumim (siman 37) is bothered that if the removal of hair can only be done by a Kohen, and the Kohen had to remove hair from the entire body, even in private places as is clear from the Rambam (Hilchos Tumas Tzoraas 11:5), how did it work with a woman who had tzoraas, surely it was a lack of tznius for a Kohen to cut these hairs? Can you think of any answers to this question?
