Overwhelmed by Life
The second of this week’s double-parsha, Metzora, begins by instructing the Israelites about how to deal with the terrifying prospect of tzara’at, leprosy. In the time of the Torah, tzara’at was a terrifying prospect – the tzara’at could plague a person, their possessions, even their home. People and families stricken with leprosy were certainly overwhelmed with emotions: fear of what or who could be lost, nervousness about what lay ahead in the future, resentment over what they had gone through, and envy that others remained healthy.What is even more interesting is how the Torah responds to tzara’at. The first thing that we learn is that the case should be brought to a kohen, to a priest. The priest is there to perform an elaborate ritual. One can imagine that, during all of these rituals, that people in the neighborhood would wonder, “Does this person have tzara’at?” But the Torah anticipates this (Leviticus 14:36):
...בְּטֶרֶם יָבֹא הַכֹּהֵן לִרְאוֹת אֶת־הַנֶּגַע וְלֹא יִטְמָא כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בַּבָּיִת...The great Medieval commentator, Rashi, emphasizes:
… before the priest goes into it to see the disease, all that is in the house be not made unclean…
שֶׁכָּל זְמַן שֶׁאֵין כֹּהֵן נִזְקָק לוֹ אֵין שָׁם תּוֹרַת טֻמְאָה.We are commanded not to make assumptions about the struggles of others, but rather to go to the person’s home, to offer supportive rituals, to explore the impact of tzara’at together. All of the rituals and ceremonies have the intent of supporting those in need, facing what can be a debilitating disease for an individual, for one’s family, and for a community.
As long as the kohen has not yet concerned himself with it, there is no law of uncleanness here.
It is with this understanding that we at Anshe Emet are providing a night of support for every person in our community who is feeling overwhelmed, who could use a shoulder to lean on and a caring ear. On Thursday, April 18th, Rabbi Siegel will begin by exploring the difficulties that Job experienced in the Book of Job, followed by support groups for adults with aging parents, for parents caring for children with challenges, for spouses caring for ailing spouses, and for people with family members with catastrophic illnesses. Even if you do not feel like your needs fit in one of these particular groups, but you are feeling overwhelmed by life and need a caring community, please join us. Anshe Emet is our home for all the days of our lives, and we, like the Israelites who feared tzara’at, are here to support each other, whatever comes across our path.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi David Russo
