If a man shall have on the skin of his flesh (Lev. 13:2)
When discussing the phenomenon of leprosy and the various appearances such a plague could assume, the Torah uses the word "adam" (man), a term reserved for expressing man's finest attributes and characteristics. Why doesn't the Torah use any of the three other Hebrew words for man - ish, gever, or enosh? The plague of leprosy appeared only "on the skin of his flesh" - on the most external part of a person. Years ago, when G-d afflicted someone with leprosy as a punishment for his deeds, it affected only his most external self, for the inner person was spiritually healthy and not deserving of punishment. Nowadays we have no such phenomenon, as the Biblical leprosy differed from the modern-day disease bearing the same name. In our time, it's not just the external part of ourselves we must work on and purify. (Sefer Maamarim)
When a woman conceives and gives birth (Lev. 12:2)
The potential contained within a seed is virtually limitless. When properly nurtured, a seed will develop into a mature tree, which, in turn, will yield more seeds with the potential for growth and regeneration. Our service of G-d must be performed in a similar manner. A good deed must not be self-limiting; a Jew must always strive to ensure that his actions have far-reaching effects, bearing fruit in the next generation as well. (Likrat Shabbat, #22)
He shall be brought to Aaron the kohen or to one of his sons the kohanim (Lev. 13:2)
Only a kohen (priest) was allowed to determine whether or not a plague was leprous, a severe affliction necessitating that the sufferer to be sent outside the camp for seven days. Only a kohen, whose job is to bless the Jewish people with the priestly blessing, could fully appreciate the magnitude of being sent outside the warm and loving Jewish camp. He could therefore, be relied upon to try all possible means to pronounce the individual clean. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Reprinted from the Parshat Sasria 5786 email of L’Chaim, a publication of the Lubavitch Youth Organization in Brooklyn, NY.
