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.
וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְלָקַח לַמִּטַּהֵר שְׁתֵּי־צִפֳּרִים חַיּוֹת טְהֹרוֹת וְעֵץ אֶרֶז וּשְׁנִי תוֹלַעַת וְאֵזֹב׃ וְצִוָּה הַכֹּהֵן וְשָׁחַט אֶת־הַצִּפּוֹר הָאֶחָת אֶל־כְּלִי־חֶרֶשׂ עַל־מַיִם חַיִּים׃ אֶת־הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה יִקַּח אֹתָהּ וְאֶת־עֵץ הָאֶרֶז וְאֶת־שְׁנִי הַתּוֹלַעַת וְאֶת־הָאֵזֹב וְטָבַל אוֹתָם וְאֵת הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה בְּדַם הַצִּפֹּר הַשְּׁחֻטָה עַל הַמַּיִם הַחַיִּים׃ וְהִזָּה עַל הַמִּטַּהֵר מִן־הַצָּרַעַת שֶׁבַע פְּעָמִים וְטִהֲרוֹ וְשִׁלַּח אֶת־הַצִּפֹּר הַחַיָּה עַל־פְּנֵי הַשָּׂדֶה׃
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. (14:4-7)
Rashi on verse 4 comments, "Because the plagues of leprosy come as a punishment for Lashon Harah (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 (Arachin 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 Akeidat Yitzchak 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 Lashon Harah 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 Lashon Harah 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 Harah 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 Harah. 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 Harah because he spoke carefully.
There are many interesting resources available to study the laws of Lashon Harah from . The Chofetz Chaim writes in a number of his books that refraining from speaking Lashon Harah is a tremendous merit for protection in dangerous times. Studying these laws would be very befitting for the situation we find ourselves in today in Israel and around the world.
If we learn how to talk the correct way by refraining from speaking Lashon Harah, we will speak thoughtfully and carefully and bring great honor to the King of all kings by properly utilizing the special gift of speech that he has bestowed upon us.
Shabbat Shalom!
Yitzchak