First Surrender Then Transcend | Parsha Shiur Tazria Metzora 5786

The Metzora has to tear his garments, grow his hair and mustache and announce to everyone that he is impure. He is exiled out of the entire camp and he must sit alone. The process is designed to break his ego. Hopefully, he will learn to stop speaking ill of others. But in his heart, the Metzora may wonder: ‘did I really do something so terrible?… After all, did I not tell the truth?… Why shoot the messenger?’ The Baal Haturim may gently be guiding us to an additional and deeper dimension of the purification of the Metzora. One where we empower the Metzora (after he has been sufficiently humbled) to a deeper level of understanding. So, he can come to truly understand that what he sees in others is a reflection of himself - not them. Once he himself is cleansed he will see others in a positive light as well. מקורות: פרשת תזריע פרק י״ג פסוקים מ״ב - מ״ו בעל הטורים פסוק מ״ד ד״ה נגעו דברי הימים ב׳ פרק וא״ו פסוק כ״ט אגרת התשובה פרק ד׳, פרק ז׳ ופרק יו״ד מסכת ברכות דף ל׳ ע״ב ודף ל״א ע״א שמואל א׳ פסוקים א - יו״ד עיין מדרש שמואל א׳ וילקוט שמעוני ׳הלא אני אין כתיב כאן אלא הלא אנכי…׳ עיין ליקוטי שיחות חלק י״ט שיחה ׳ראש השנה - ו׳ תשרי׳