The Rashi of the Week Parshas Tazria Metzora

An Outline of the Rebbe's Explanation of Rashi
Parshas Tazria-Metzora
Likkutei Sichos Volume 12, Pages 78 – 82

Rashi in His Own Words
:'ב ,ד"י ויקרא:ןֵהֹכַּה לֶא אָהוּבְו תוָֹרֳהָט יוֹםְבּ עָרֹצְמַּה תַוֹתּר הֶיְהִתּ אתֹז
:'וגו המצורע תורת תהיה זאת ה"ד י"רש:בלילה אותו מטהרין שאין מלמד
Vayikroh 14:2: This shall be the law of the Metzora on the day of his cleansing. He will be brought to the Kohen.
Rashi Heading: This shall be the law of the Metzora, etc.: This teaches that (a Metzora) is not (pronounced) ritually pure at night.

Synopsis

This week's Torah portion, Tazria-Metzora, tells us (among other things) the laws of Tzora'as. The Torah says, "This shall be the law of the Metzora on the day of his cleansing ..." Rashi cites the words "This shall be the law of the Metzora, etc." and explains that "this teaches that a Metzora may not be pronounced ritually pure at night." Several of Rashi's supercommentaries clarify that the words "on the day of his cleansing" are superfluous; hence, we understand that he may only be declared ritually pure during the daytime. However, if so, why doesn't Rashi cite the words from the verse "on the day of his cleansing?" He merely alludes to these words by writing the word "etc.-'וכו" Therefore, we must say that he derives the fact that a Metzora may not be pronounced ritually impure at night from the words, "this shall be the law of the Metzora," which are the words he cites verbatim from the verse. However, these words alone are not enough to force us to draw this conclusion, so he adds "etc." to allude to the end of the verse.
Rashi could have kept everything simple by explaining that one cannot declare a Metzora to be ritually pure at night because the verse says clearly, "on the day of his cleansing." Why does he have to look further? How can Rashi derive this law from the words "this shall be the law of the Metzora" alone?

1. A Metzora is one who is afflicted with the disease Tzora'as. Both words are difficult to translate. Tzora'as is a spiritual malaise. This sickness no longer exists. It could neither be diagnosed nor cured by a doctor. Only a Kohen could diagnose Tzora'as, and it could only be cured by a procedure carried out by a Kohen. It took the form of a blotch of skin discolored with various shades of white. It was not caused by bacteria or germs, but rather by the sin of speaking ill of another. Tzora'as could also be found on a house or on clothing.
2. One did not have the status or the impurity of a Metzora until a Kohen declared him as such. Likewise, one was not "cured" of Tzora'as until a Kohen declared so.
3. Our Parshah, Vayikroh 14:2.

The Rebbe Explains

The Rebbe explains that the Hebrew word "day" does not always imply daytime rather than nighttime. More often than not, it means a twenty-four-hour day. Therefore, we can learn nothing from it saying, "on the day of his cleansing."
The first words of the verse - "This shall be the law of," are all words that connote specificity. The term "this" implies nothing else. It refers to something one can point at. The words "shall be" mean that it remains as it is. Finally, "the law of" means all the rules that apply to a specific thing. Since Rashi cites these first three words and adds the phrase "etc.," he is teaching us that the words that appear further on in our verse, "on the day of his cleansing," are also meant to be specific. Even though the word "day" means a twenty-four-hour period elsewhere, it means specifically day and not night here.

Rashi's Explanation

This week's Torah portion, Tazria-Metzora, tells us (among other things) the laws of Tzora'as. The Torah says, "This shall be the law of the Metzora on the day of his cleansing ..." Rashi cites the words "This shall be the law of the Metzora, etc." and explains that "this teaches that a Metzora may not be pronounced ritually pure at night." Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi, the Be'er Mayim Chaim, and several other supercommentaries to Rashi explain that the words "on the day of his cleansing" are superfluous. This teaches us that he may only be declared ritually pure during the daytime.
However, we have often demonstrated that Rashi carefully chooses all his words. This includes the words he cites from the verse in the heading of his comments. Those are the only words he explains and the words from which our difficulty arises. Those are also the words that define the true meaning of the verse. If it was as the Mizrachi and the Be'er Mayim Chaim say, why does Rashi not cite the words "on the day of his cleansing" in the heading of his commentary? He merely alludes to these words by writing "etc."
We must say that Rashi derives that a Metzora may not be pronounced ritually impure at night from the words "this shall be the law of the Metzora." However, these words alone are not enough to draw an absolute conclusion that a Metzora may only be declared to be ritually pure during the day. Hence, he adds, "etc." to allude to the words at the end of the verse.

1. Rabbi Eliyahu Mizrachi was a great Talmudist and authority on Jewish law. However, he is best known for the commentary he wrote to Rashi's commentary on the Torah. He was born in Constantinople in the year 1455. He passed away there in the year 1525 or 1526. Before becoming the chief rabbi of Constantinople, he headed an advanced Torah Academy there.
2. This is the name of a commentary to Rashi's commentary of the Torah. It was written by Rabbi Chaim ben Betzalel (1515 - 1588) who was the chief rabbi of Worms. He was the older brother of the famous Maharal of Prague.

Difficulties in Understanding Rashi

Why could Rashi not simply explain that one may not declare a Metzora ritually impure at night because the Torah says, "on the day of his cleansing?" The fact is that the Midrash says so explicitly, and the Talmud also implies this.
On the other hand, how can we possibly derive that a Metzora may not be declared pure at night from the words "This shall be the law of the Metzora?" What do those words have to do with the time of day? Additionally, why does Rashi need to add the seemingly extra words, "This teaches?"

The Explanation

Rashi does not derive this law from the Torah words "on the day of his cleansing" for a different reason. Rashi's rationale is that he is explaining the verse according to Peshat. In the realm of Peshat, the word "day" (the Hebrew word יום - Yom) refers to a twenty-four-hour day and does not negate night. We see this throughout the Torah. For example, throughout the creation story, the Torah writes, "And it was evening, and it was morning one day ... the sixth day." Also, when telling us of Shabbos, the Torah says, "Six days, you shall work, and on the seventh day, you shall rest."
Moreover, we even find an instance where the word "day" is used, and nevertheless, it refers specifically to "night," as it says, "On the day that I smote all of the firstborns in Egypt." It says elsewhere that the killing of the Egyptian firstborn was at midnight! Instead of writing "on the day that I smote the firstborn," the Torah could have written, "when I smote the firstborn." The word day is superfluous. From this, the Hebrew word "day – יום "does not negate nighttime; its simple meaning is an entire twenty-four-hour period.
The words in our verse that Rashi explains are the exact words that he cites, "This shall be the law of the Metzora," as we said earlier. These words present a severe difficulty to one learning Peshat. This verse is a direct continuation of an explanation of the ritual impurity caused by one who contracts Tzora'as. The Torah did not suddenly change the subject. We are still discussing a Metzora. Why would the Torah interrupt and say, "This shall be the law of a Metzora?"

1. Toras Kohanim 14:3.
2. Talmud Megillah 21, a.
3. The exception to this is when the Torah uses the word "day - יום" in contrast to "night -לילה ."
4. Parshas Bereishis, Bereishis 1:5 – 31.
5. Parshas Mishpotim, Shemos 23:12, Parshas Ki Siso 34:21.
6. Parshas Bamidbar, Bamidbar 3:13, Parshas Beha’aloscho, Bamidbar 8:17.

How Rashi Teaches This Law

To answer this question, Rashi cites the words from the verse "This shall be the law of the Metzorah, etc." and explains that "This teaches that (a Metzora) is not (pronounced) ritually pure at night." These words teach us this law.
How is this so? The three Hebrew words that Rashi cites, "This shall be the law of a Metzora," are three words that denote precision. Each of them conveys specificity and leaves no room for any other meaning:

• "This" means a particular object: something one can point at.
• "Shall be" implies something that shall be, i.e., shall remain as it is.
• "The law of" means the rules of something with all its laws, the particular way something must be fulfilled.

These three words make it clear that the words following them (as hinted at by Rashi's word "etc.") also indicate a specific, precise thing that excludes anything else; hence, when it says "on the day of his cleansing," here, it means precisely day and not night. The first three words teach us that here, the word day serves to exclude night.

A Deeper Lesson from Rashi

As we said above, the Torah begins telling us of the purification of a Metzora with the words, "This shall be the law of a Metzora." The Alter Rebbe explains that this is how to purify a Metzora spiritually.
We stated above that Tzora'as is a spiritual disease. It is caused by "Motzi Shem Ra - ,רע שם מוציא," which is translated as libel, spreading false rumors that besmirch another's name. However, the literal translation of these Hebrew words is "bringing forth a bad name." In a spiritual sense, one draws down holy, Divine names (letters and vessels) from objects not connected to positive, G-dly things. The way to rectify this is through "this shall be the law of," being occupied in the words of Torah. This is in keeping with the teaching of the Sages that "the entire Torah is the names of Hashem." By learning Torah, one draws down a holy name that purifies an impure name.
This is why the Torah begins telling us of the Metzora's remedy with the words "this shall be the law (Torah in Hebrew) of the Metzora. The first spiritual rectification of Tzora'as is Torah. It is only afterward that it says that "he shall be brought before the Kohen." That is because, for the Torah to have the desired effect, the Metzora must be brought to the Kohen. This is because the Kohen is the one who assures that the Torah study is conducted with proper humility.
(Adapted from a talk given on Shabbos Parshas Metzora, 5725)

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