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Shabbat Hagadol: Mezora Lev. 14:1-15:33
Haftorah: Malachi 3:4-24
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RABBI FLOYD L. HERMAN SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
SPACE RESERVATION
DEADLINE IS MAY 7, 1997.
-
he Torah portion for this
Shabbat is concerned with
purification from leprosy.
It is not an easy passage
for modern Jews.
It was not an easy passage for
our rabbis either. In a talmudic
passage (Arachin 15b), a famous
rabbi interprets the word met-
zora (leper) as motzi shem ra
(one who brings out a bad
name). Thus, the rabbis inter-
pret this parsha as having to do
with evil speech, with gossip,
with slander more than leprosy.
This interpretation makes sense
for us.
Speech is a powerful tool. It
can also be a powerful weapon.
The power to communicate, our
ideas, our likes and dislikes, our
passions, is one thing that sep-
arates us from the animals; that
makes us little lower than an-
gels. It is clear that the world
would not have progressed as
much as it has had humans not
learned how to speak, and write,
and read.
Healing the
hurt of evil
speech is not
complicated.
But speech can also be de-
structive. Our people, among
all the people of the world, know
the power of speech which
instills hatred. We know how
powerful a lie can be. We know
how destructive rhetoric can be-
come.
As individuals, too, we know
the power that unkind words
have on those around us. A sim-
ple remark made, even in pass-
ing, can cut to the heart of a
friend, a family member. A word
spoken thoughtlessly can bring
hurt that takes time to heal.
That old saw is not true. "Sticks
and stones may break my bones,
and words can also hurt me."
There is too much hate-talk
around in the world today —
even within the Jewish world.
We are so quick to read out those
who do not agree with us. We
are so quick to call them names
— hateful names.
Rabbi Floyd L. Herman is spiritual
leader of the Har Sinai
Congregation in Park Heights,
Md.
There has been too much
name-calling on all sides, espe-
cially of late. We are so quick to
stereotype, to lump together; to
label.
'Rabbi Dov Berkovits, a won-
derful teacher who lives in Is-
rael, reminds us that when we
sit down to the seder next week
and read about the wicked son,
all kinds of images will likely pop
into our minds.
The wicked son is always
somebody else. We talk about
other Jews in extreme terms.
Who is causing all the problems
that the Jewish world faces?
It's that wicked other person.
It's that other group that doesn't
agree with my point of view.
And the wicked son has no
place in the Jewish community.
"Had he been there he would not
have been redeemed" (Hag-
gadah).
Is this not evil speech, about
which our rabbis teach in
reference to this week's Torah
portion? Of course there are
limits to who may be included
in the Jewish community. But
before we rush to exclude,
maybe we ought to try to un-
derstand. Before we hurry to la-
bel, perhaps we ought to
dialogue. Before we call names,
maybe we ought to try to get to
know.
Words can hurt and words
can heal. The last few weeks
have seen hurt inflicted upon
members of the Jewish commu-
nity by other Jews. They have
also seen welcome words of heal-
ing.
The rituals for healing a lep-
er described in the Torah portion
are detailed and complex. The
way to healing the hurt of evil
speech may not be so complicat-
ed.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hes-
chel of Apta teaches that one
must be humble in order to be
healed. That is the reason for us-
ing a hyssop, a lowly plant, in
the ritual.
Perhaps all of us need a mea-
sure of humility when we begin
to think about who is wicked and
who is not; when we begin to call
each other names and hurtful
words. May our own humility
lead us to speak words of heal-
ing and of reconciliation. May
this be a Pesach of understand-
ing, of freedom and of peace for
all of us.
Shabbat Shalom.
❑