Message for your Shabbat Table
When a person sees that the Tzaraat plague that has struck him has left, the purification process that he must undergo is described in this week’s parsha.
וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלָקַ֧ח לַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר שְׁתֵּֽי־צִפֳּרִ֥ים חַיּ֖וֹת טְהֹר֑וֹת וְעֵ֣ץ אֶ֔רֶז וּשְׁנִ֥י תוֹלַ֖עַת וְאֵזֹֽב׃וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְשָׁחַ֖ט אֶת־הַצִּפּ֣וֹר הָאֶחָ֑ת אֶל־כְּלִי־חֶ֖רֶשׂ עַל־מַ֥יִם חַיִּֽים׃ אֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֤ר הַֽחַיָּה֙ יִקַּ֣ח אֹתָ֔הּ וְאֶת־עֵ֥ץ הָאֶ֛רֶז וְאֶת־שְׁנִ֥י הַתּוֹלַ֖עַת וְאֶת־הָאֵזֹ֑ב וְטָבַ֨ל אוֹתָ֜ם וְאֵ֣ת ׀ הַצִּפֹּ֣ר הַֽחַיָּ֗ה בְּדַם֙ הַצִּפֹּ֣ר הַשְּׁחֻטָ֔ה עַ֖ל הַמַּ֥יִם הַֽחַיִּֽים׃ וְהִזָּ֗ה עַ֧ל הַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר מִן־הַצָּרַ֖עַת שֶׁ֣בַע פְּעָמִ֑ים וְטִ֣הֲר֔וֹ וְשִׁלַּ֛ח אֶת־הַצִּפֹּ֥ר הַֽחַיָּ֖ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י הַשָּׂדֶֽה
The priest shall order two live clean birds, cedar wood, crimson stuff, and hyssop to be brought for him who is to be cleansed.The priest shall order one of the birds slaughtered over fresh water in an earthen vessel; and he shall take the live bird, along with the cedar wood, the crimson stuff, and the hyssop, and dip them together with the live bird in the blood of the bird that was slaughtered over the fresh water. He shall then sprinkle it seven times on him who is to be cleansed of the eruption and cleanse him; and he shall set the live bird free in the open country.
Rashi on verse 4 writes, “Because the plagues of leprosy come as a punishment for Lashon Hora (speaking derogatorily of others), which is done by chattering, therefore birds are compulsory for his purification, because these chatter, as it were, continuously with a twittering sound (Arakhin 16b).”
Now we know why birds are part of the purification process. But one bird would have sufficed for that.The second bird is sent away. What is the meaning behind that?
The commentary of עקידת יצחק gave the following parable.
A king had a servant who was extremely dedicated to him. He decided to reward him with a special jacket made of very fine, expensive material. This type of jacket was awarded to officers and ministers to wear for official occasions only such as whenever they stood before the king. This servant wore it all the time even when doing menial chores. It didn’t take long for the jacket to become dirty and worn out. When the king noticed this he became very upset and told the servant that he is guilty of two crimes. One, he has misused the funds of the king’s treasury because he never gave him the jacket to use in this manner. Two, he is guilty of disrespecting the king because his actions show how he doesn’t value the king’s gift.
Man has been bestowed with a gift that no other creature possesses. That is the gift of speech. When we speak Loshon Horah we are misusing that gift and showing how little we value it. When we do that we are disrespecting the King of all kings who has given us that very special gift.
Seeing the severity of speaking Loshan Hora we might have assumed the following message if only one bird was brought and slaughtered. STOP CHIRPING and remain silent! Therefore another bird is brought and sent away to chirp another day. Together the birds will carry a very important message. There is a way not to talk and a way to talk.
Rabbi Yisroel Meir Kagan, of blessed memory, was known as the Chofetz Chaim for the book he wrote on the laws of what is considered Lashon Hora and what is not that bore that name (the words, Chofetz Chaim, mean who wants life). When studying that book one sees how intricate these laws are and how often what we say can be Lashon Hora. One might think that it’s better not to talk at all and that’s probably how the Chofetz Chaim himself lived his life. Those who knew him well saw differently. They observed a person who spent most of his time talking to people. But he did it without speaking Lashon Hora!
There are many interesting resources available to study the laws of Lashon Hora from. The Chofetz Chaim writes in a number of his books that refraining from speaking Lashon Hora is a tremendous merit for protection in dangerous times. Studying these laws would be very befitting for the situation we find ourselves in today.
If we learn how to talk the correct way by refraining from speaking Lashon Hora, we should talk because then we will bring great honor to the King of all kings by properly utilizing the special gift of speech that he has bestowed upon us. (See Drashos 5774)
Halachot for this Shabbat
- Remember to add Ya’aleh V’yavo to Shemoneh Esrei by Mincha today and by Marriv, Shacharit, and Mincha on Shabbat. If you forget to add it during any of the daytime Shemoneh Esrei prayers you need to repeat Shemoneh Esrei.
- Remember to add Ya’aleh Veyavo to Birkat Hamazon and the addition for Rosh Chodesh to Al Hamichya. Omitting any of these does not require repeating Birkat Hamazon or Al Hamichya.
- We recite Half Hallel after Shemoneh Esrei by Shacharit.
- Av Harachamim is omitted because it is Rosh Chodesh.
- By Musaf, after the third blessing of Shemoneh Esrei, we insert “Ata Yatzarta” instead of “Tikanta Shabbat” that we say every Shabbos since it is Shabbat Rosh Chodesh. If you forget to do that and say the regular Shabbat Musaf you need not repeat the Musaf Shemoneh Esrei.
- Remember to say Borch Nafshi at the end of Musaf.
- We omit Tzidkascha Tzedek by Shabbat Mincha.
Shabbat shalom and Chodesh tov!
Yitzchak