VA’ESCHANAN – INSIGHTS IN RASHI – USING THE YETSER TOV FOR THE GOOD

Devarim, 6:5 “You shall love HaShem, your G-d, with all our heart, with all your soul, and with all your resources.” Rashi, 6:5, sv. With all your heart: With both of your inclinations. Va’eschanan features the first paragraph of the Shema, where we are told to serve HaShem with all our hearts. The word, heart in hebrew, is leiv, and ‘your heart’ is לבך which is normally with one ‘beis. However, in the Shema it is spelt with two beisim ((לבבך. Rashi explains that the phrase, ‘with all your heart’ refers to the two inclinations: the positive and the negative. The commentaries explain that Rashi is coming to answer why the Torah used two ‘beis’ on this occasion – the ‘beis’ alludes to the heart and the two ‘beisim’ allude to the two forces that determine the heart – the positive and negative inclinations. Many commentaries discuss what it means that we should serve HaShem with our yetser ra, however, Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l also notes a difficulty with the fact that the Torah exhorts us to serve HaShem with our yetser tov. He asks why it was necessary to tell us to love HaShem with our yetser tov; surely that inclination automatically directs a person to doing good deeds. He answers that in fact this is not the case; were the yetser tov left to its own devices it will not necessarily direct a person to perform ratson HaShem. Without the guidance of the Torah as the ultimate source of morality, one may come to define what is good and evil according to his own logic, and thereby develop a warped sense of right and wrong. In this way, writes Rav Feinstein, the yetser tov can cause a person to do actions that go against the Torah’s definition of right and wrong. He gives the example of charity; the yetser tov directs a person to want to give money to others, however there are occasions when he may want to give to inappropriate causes. My Rebbe Rav Berkovits shlita, expands on this example, arguing that at times it is not right to give charity to a person. For example if it will only engender more dependence on others, or if the money will be used for unhealthy purposes, then it may not be correct to give in this form. In order to accurately perform ratson HaShem in this delicate issue a person must turn to the Torah’s words for guidance. This often means asking a competent Torah authority who can be trusted to transmit daas Torah. Another example that Rav Feinstein mentions is misplaced rachmanus (mercy). This includes feeling remorse for evil people; this is a flaw that has affected great people in Jewish history. Perhaps the foremost example is the great Shaul HaMelech. On HaShem’s command he was commanded to destroy the whole nation of Amalek. including the women, children, and animals. Shaul defeated the Amalekim in the subsequent battle, and did kill everyone with the exception of the Amalekite King, Agag, and a few animals. The gemara offers an explanation for Shaul's reluctance to kill all the Amalekim. It tells us that Shaul made a kal v'chomer ; he noted the mitzvo of egla arufa - this is a solemn ceremony that takes place upon the murder of a person in between two cities. It demonstrates the Torah's concern with regard to a single death, and its emphasis on the value of human life. Shaul reasoned that if a single human life had so much value, all the more so that is the case with regard to a whole nation. The gemara further tells us that in reaction to Shaul's 'merciful' reasoning, a Bas kol (Heavenly voice) came out, and said, "do not be overly righteous". As a result of his failure to listen to HaShem due to his feelings of mercy, he was punished with the loss of his Kingship. What were the consequences of this mistake? Agag begot offspring and one of his descendants was Haman. Thus Shaul’s act of ‘mercy’ nearly led to the destruction of the Jewish nation. These are just two examples of how even a person’s yetser tov can direct him away from ratson HaShem. A particularly relevant application today is in present day society when many disparate groups within Orthodoxy seem to preach highly different and often opposing messages in a number of areas, such as the roles of Torah learning, working, the use of technology and so on. How can one know when his particular belief is based on the Torah’s definition of morality or merely the personal leanings of his yetser tov ? There is no simple answer to this question, but as we mentioned above, the most sure way of discerning the truth is to turn to those people most well-versed in the Torah outlook – the Gedolim and talmidei chachamim who are most able to follow their guidance and clarify application of such guidance in specific cases. Without such direction a person is at risk of failing to follow the Torah’s exhortation to use his yetser tov in the way that the Torah intended. May we all merit to use both our inclinations to perform ratson HaShem.

DEVARIM – INSIGHTS IN RASHI – SELF-SACRIFICE FOR THE TORAH

Devarim, 1:9: I (Moshe) said to you at that time, saying: ‘I cannot carry you alone’. Devarim, 1:13-14: Provide for yourselves distinguished men, who are wise, understanding and well known to your tribes, and I shall appoint them as your heads. And you answered me and said, ‘The thing that you have proposed to do is good’. Rashi, Devarim, 1:14: sv. And you answered me: You decided the matter according to your own pleasure. You should have answered: ‘Our teacher Moshe, from who is it pleasant to learn – from you or your students?! Is it not from you who suffered over it?!...” Parshas Devarim begins with a series of rebukes from Moshe Rabbeinu. One of them involves the incident when Yisro suggested that other people help relieve Moshe’s burden of teaching the people, and how the people willingly accepted his suggestion. Moshe chastised them that they should have demanded that they only learn from him – Rashi explains that Moshe’s maaleh (advantage) over everyone else was that he suffered (mistaer) over the Torah. The first question that must be asked is what kind of suffering does Rashi refer to? It seems there are two possible interpretations of this term; the first is discussed by Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l. He asks why Rashi did not simply say that they should have wanted Moshe to teach them because he was more learned than everyone else – what is the necessity of the added point that he suffered over the Torah? He answers that sometimes a less learned person can be a more effective teacher than one more learned than himself, therefore simply being more learned would not have been a valid reason why they should have only wanted to learn from Moshe. The more significant factor is the degree to which the person exerted himself in order to attain complete clarity in his learning. Thus, Rav Feinstein understands that the suffering here means that Moshe worked incredibly hard with mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) to attain clarity in the Torah that he learned. Because he reached such a high level of clarity through his intense efforts, the people should have desired to have learnt only from him. Maran HaRav Shteinman shlita, explains the suffering that Moshe Rabbeinu endured in a different way. He focuses on the forty days that Moshe spent on Har Sinai being taught the Torah. In that time he did not eat or drink – Rav Shteinman writes that we learn from Rashi that even though HaShem miraculously gave him the ability to survive so long without food and water, nonetheless he did feel the hunger and discomfort that normally accompanies fasting. Thus the reason that the people should have wanted to learn directly from Moshe was that he endured suffering in the process of his Torah learning. According to Rav Shteinman, why does the fact that he endured physical discomfort explain why they should have desired to learn only from him? It seems that the answer is that the fact that Moshe was prepared to experience physical discomfort in the process of learning Torah demonstrated his great dedication to grasping the true understanding of Torah. Because he went through more mesiras nefesh than everyone else, it can likewise be presumed that he exerted himself in order to gain clarity so it was only correct to want to learn from him alone. We learn from Rav Shteinman that there is great value to Torah learnt in difficult situations. Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg zt”l placed great emphasis on the value of such effort. He would say that many students would only learn if everything was ‘just right’ – they needed comfortable rooms, good air conditioning and so on, and if everything wasn’t right then they couldn’t learn. The outstanding students were the ones who would function in all circumstances. He explained that this fulfills the Mishna in Avos; “Such is the way of Torah; bread in salt shall you eat, water in measure you shall drink, and on the earth you shall sleep.” This doesn’t mean that a person must live like this in order to learn, but that he must be able to learn even in such adverse circumstances. As Rav Scheinberg stated, only a person on that level can attain true greatness in Torah. He added that the reward for such learning was extremely great. He quoted Rav Yerucham Levovits zt”l that if a person trudges through the mud to learn, he will bring that mud with him to Gan Eden at the time of his death, and he will receive reward for the mud that dirtied his boots, as well as the aggravation it caused him. Rav Scheinberg taught this idea through his own example in addition to his teachings. When his yeshiva, Torah Ore, was in Bensonhurst, there were times in the summer when it was scorching hot and the students would struggle to continue learning (there were no fans, let alone air conditioning!). Yet they would see him with his tefillin on his head, his many layers of tzitsis, and in his kapota, and yet he was learning with tremendous energy. It would seem that this does not only apply to men and their Torah learning, but also to women in their own spiritual efforts in learning and prayer. Moreover, the mesiras nefesh that a woman endures to enable her husband and children to learn is surely included in this lesson and the harder it is, the greater their reward. May we all merit to learn from the examples and the lessons of our Gedolim and apply these lessons to our own lives.

GIVING FOR THE SAKE OF GIVING - SHEMOS

“God benefited the midwives - and the people increased and became very strong. And it was because the midwives feared God that He made them houses. ”

Yocheved and Miriam risked their lives to save Jewish baby boys from being murdered by the Egyptians. God rewarded them by making them ‘houses’ - Rashi explains that they merited to be the mothers of the lines of Kohanim (Priests), Leviim and Kings. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein asks that if their main reward was these ‘houses’ then why does the clause, “and the people increased and became very strong” interrupt the description of their reward - since the ‘houses’ were the benefit described, it would seem that they should follow immediately afterwards, and the verse should have said, ”God benefited the midwives and made them houses.” He answers that their main reward was not the houses but rather the increase of the people since their true desire and joy was no more than the expansion of the Jewish population. Consequently after the verse states that God benefited them, it immediately mentions the resultant expansion of the Jewish people - that was their main reward, the houses were merely a secondary bonus for their great fear of God .

There can be a number of different reasons why a person performs an act of kindness - it may be because he knows it is a Mitzva to do kindness; it may be because he owes this person a favor, or it may be due to numerous other possible factors. We learn from Rabbi Feinstein’s explanation that the main intention we should have when we help someone (as well as the general intent to do a Mitzva) is that they benefit from our action. Yocheved and Miriam did not care about what reward they would receive for saving Jewish lives - they merely wanted the lives to be saved. God rewarded them by enabling their actions to succeed and the Jewish people grew as a result.

Yocheved’s son, Moses, inherited this same dedication to others. He saw the suffering of his people and risked his life to help them. He persuaded Pharaoh to give them a rest day so that they could observe Shabbos and furthermore he showed great concern for the sheep in his flock. It was in the merit of these actions that God spoke to him at the Burning Bush and made him leader of the Jewish people. He wanted nothing more than to release them from the crushing slavery in Egypt, and his reward was that he merited to be the one to take them out.

This lesson is relevant in many areas of our lives, but perhaps is most important with regard to our careers. Many people are fortunate to be involved in a job which involves helping others. However, it is quite easy to focus primarily on the money that they receive for providing their service. Rabbi Avraham Pam was once being treated by a dentist and he remarked at how much this dentist helped people in his profession. The dentist replied that this was a nice side-benefit to his job, implying that the main reason that he did it was to earn a living. Rav Pam replied that actually the money he earned was the side benefit but the main purpose should be to help people have healthy teeth.

We know that the ultimate reward for Yocheved and Miriam would be in the Next World - the consequence of their pure motives. If a person performs acts of kindness with such motivations then he can assure himself of ample benefit in the Next World. The Atler of Slobodka once noted the self-sacrifice of bakers - in that time the baker would rise very early in the morning in order to provide bread for the community. They were performing an incredible act of kindness by getting up so early in order that people would have this vital commodity. However, he commented that if the baker is doing it solely in order to earn a livelihood then he is losing his main source of reward in the Next World. Performing acts of kindness is a great thing and merits great reward, but let us not lose focus of what our intention should be - to help others. The side benefits will come, but improving the lives of our fellow Jew is ample reward in and of itself.

ACCEPTING REBUKE - MATTOS

When the Sfas Emes was a boy, he was looked after by his grandfather, the great Chiddushei Harim. On one occasion, the Sfas Emes stayed awake for most of the night learning Torah until he fell asleep in the early morning. He awoke after a short time to find himself a few minutes late for the shiur that the Chiddushei Harim taught. When the Chiddushei Harim saw that he arrived late he was unaware that his grandson had been awake for most of the night, and strongly rebuked him, presuming that his tardiness was the result of an element of laziness. Instead of defending himself, the Sfas Emes listened quietly to the scolding he received. His friend later asked him why he did not respond to the Chiddushei Harim’s criticism, and thereby spare himself of the rebuke . The Sfas Emes replied, saying, “would I waste the opportunity of being rebuked by my grandfather!” He based this line of thinking on an incident in Parshas Mattos .

The B’nei Gad and Reuven approached Moshe Rabbeinu, asking that he allow them to remain on Eiver HaYarden where there was sufficient land for them to farm their animals. Moshe replied with a strong rebuke - his main point of criticism was that by not entering Eretz Yisrael they would be abandoning their brethren in the upcoming conquest. In a lengthy passage, Moshe ominously reminds them of the incident of the spies and its terrible consequences. In reply to Moshe’s criticisms, the B’nei Gad and Reuven said that they would join the rest of the nation in conquering the land. The Sfas Emes pointed out that in truth, they had intended to join the conquest right from the beginning but Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand this from their request and consequently rebuked them for being unwilling to join their brethren in conquering the land. If so, why did they not interrupt him right at the beginning of his condemnation instead of having to endure such a strong rebuke? The Sfas Emes explained that they wanted to hear the word of rebuke from a great man, and were therefore happy to listen to his criticisms even though they could easily refute them early on. So too, although he could have stemmed the rebuke of his grandfather by justifying his tardiness, he preferred to hear the rebuke of a tzaddik .

What was the great quality of being rebuked by a great man that caused the B’nei Gad and Reuven to bear such stinging rebuke? The Gemara in Taanis tells us that the curses with which the Prophet, Achiya HaShiloni cursed the Jewish people are greater than the blessings with which Bilaam blessed them . The Gemara bases this idea on a passuk in Mishlei: “The blows of a beloved one are trustworthy, and the kisses of an enemy are damaging. ” The commentaries explain that the ‘blows’ delivered by one’s beloved here refer to words of rebuke. The rebuke of someone who genuinely cares about his friend is of great benefit because it is aimed at helping him improve himself. This is a great kindness because it helps one improve his spiritual standing. When the B’nei Gad and Reuven heard Moshe Rabbeinu rebuke them, they knew that he was doing so from the purest of motives and only had their best interests in mind. Thus, even though they could defend themselves, it was more worthwhile to listen to his words and try to somehow grow from them.

Thus far, we have seen how the rebuke of a tzaddik is of great value, however it seems that even the tochacha of a less righteous person can be of considerable benefit. Moreover, even rebuke that is given in the wrong way, can still nonetheless help someone tremendously. The Sefer HaChinuch writes that the prohibition to take revenge is based on the concept that whatever happens to a person is directed by Hashem. Even if someone acted towards a person in a negative fashion, it is nevertheless fruitless to bear a grudge or take revenge because the pain caused would not have occurred had Hashem so desired . Thus, when a person is rebuked in what he perceives to be a hurtful way, it is highly commendable that he ignore the failings of the rebuker and focus on what he actually said and accept the rebuke. There is often an element of truth in the rebuke proving that this rebuke was sent from Hashem as a means of communicating that he should strive to change his ways.

Shlomo HaMelech makes a similar point in Mishlei: “Hear advice and accept rebuke so that you will become wise in your latter days .” It is interesting to note that with regard to advice, we are told to ’hear’, whereas in relation to rebuke we should ’accept it’. Hearing implies an element of contemplation and thought - when a person is given advice he should think about it before he acts upon it. In contrast when one is rebuked he should accept it without analyzing the validity of the rebuke - rather he should view it as a message from Hashem to improve himself and act accordingly. Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l excelled in his reaction towards incorrect rebuke. On one occasion, he answered the phone only to be met with a barrage of criticism from someone who was incensed at one of his halachic rulings. He patiently listened to the tirade until it ended and did not even try to defend himself. A shocked student asked him why he did not respond to such an inappropriate rebuke. He answered that he so rarely receives any rebuke that he was grateful for the opportunity to hear such strong words - and even though in this specific area the rebuke was unfounded, there must be some other area where he could improve himself and he should use the rebuke to improve in that area !

On another occasion Rav Moshe was rebuked for a perceived transgression. He answered the rebuke in a teshuva that is found in Igros Moshe . He begins the teshuva saying: I was very happy that maalas kevodo was so zealous in fulfilling the mitzvo of rebuke according to his understanding, and chas v’shalom that I should be upset at this… bli neder I will no longer travel in a car during the time of candlelighting even though there is absolutely no prohibition in it, and there is not even maaris ayiin .” After completely refuting the arguments of the rebuker he ends, saying, “from his beloved who blesses him with the merit of the mitzvo of rebuke that he did for the honor of HashemYisbarach and for the honor of Shabbos Kodesh..”

It is understandable that most people are not on the level of Rav Feinstein and do not enjoy being rebuked - it is unpleasant be told that one has a character flaw or acted in an improper fashion. However, if a person can move past the feelings of pain he experiences and tries to learn from the rebuke then he can transform it into a tremendous tool for growth and can use it to be a better Eved Hashem.

THE VALUE OF LIFE - MATTOS

“And Bilaam the son of Beor they killed with the sword. ” It would seem that the death of Bilaam Harasha was a punishment for his efforts to harm Klal Yisroel in the desert. The Gemara, however, cites a far earlier crime that he committed as the reason for his untimely death. “Three were in that aitsa [of how Pharaoh should treat the Jewish people], Bilaam, Iyov and Yisro: Bilaam advised [to harm them] and was killed; Iyov was silent and was judged with yissurim; Yisro escaped and was zocheh that his descendants should sit in the lishkas hagazis. ” Bilaam was punished with death at the hands of Klal Yisroel because of his evil advice to Pharaoh many years earlier. Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz zt”l points out that this Gemara poses a great difficulty: It is clear that Bilaam deserved a far greater punishment than Iyov, because Iyov didn’t commit an active crime, rather he remained silent. Yet, it would seem that Iyov’s onesh was far greater than that of Bilaam. Whilst Bilaam suffered a quick death, Iyov had to endure suffering that no other man has ever experienced. How can this be understood?

Rav Shmuelevitz answers that life itself is the greatest gift possible and that any pain, no matter how bad, is infinitely greater than death. Consequently, Bilaam’s onesh was far more severe than Iyov’s - Iyov still had the gift of life, Bilaam lost it forever. Rav Leib Chasman zt”l offers an excellent mashal to help understand this concept; imagine a man wins a huge prize on the lottery, and at that every moment, one of his jugs breaks. Would this minor inconvenience bother him at all at this time of great joy?! The happiness that he experiences due to the lottery prize nullifies any feelings of pain that come in everyday life. So too, a person should have the same attitude in life - his joy at the mere fact of his existence should be so great that it should render any difficulties as meaningless, even sufferings as great as those that Iyov endured. For they are nothing in comparison with the wonderful gift of life .

Why is the gift of life so precious? The Mishna in Pirkei Avos can help answer this question: “One moment of repentance and good deeds in Olam Hazeh is greater than all of Chayei Olam Haba, and one moment of peripheral pleasure in Olam Habah is greater than all of Chayei Olam Hazeh. ” This Mishna seems to contradict itself - it begins by stating that Olam Hazeh is incomparably greater than Olam Haba and ends by saying the opposite! The commentaries explain that the two parts of the Mishna are focussing on different aspects. The second part of the Mishna is comparing the pleasure that one can attain in the two ‘worlds‘. In that sense, Olam Haba is infinitely greater than Olam Hazeh - there is no earthly pleasure that can begin to compare with one moment of pleasure in Olam Haba. The pleasure there is that of connecting to Hashem, the Source of all creation - all other pleasures are meaningless and transitory in comparison. However, the first part of the Mishna is focussing on the ability to create more of a connection to HaShem. In that aspect Olam Hazeh is infinitely greater because it is the place of free will in which we have the ability to choose to become closer to HaShem by performing mitzvos. In Olam Haba there is no more opportunity to increase the connection to Him. We can now understand why life is so precious - each moment is a priceless opportunity to attain more closeness to HaShem, the ultimate pleasure that will accompany us for eternity in Olam Haba. The Gra expressed the value of Olam Hazeh on his deathbed. He held his Tsitsit and cried, saying, “how precious is Olam Hazeh that for a few prutot it is possible to gain merit for the mitzvo of Tsitsit and to see the ‘pney hashechina’, whereas in Olam Haba it is impossible to gain anything.”

This idea is also demonstrated by the Gemara in Avoda Zara . The Gemara tells of Elazar Ben Durdaya, an inveterate sinner. On one occasion, when he was about to commit a terrible sin, he was told that even if he repented his teshuva will never be accepted. This ‘sentence’ effected him so deeply that he did repent and he died in a state of perfect teshuva. As his soul left him, a Bas Kol came out and said that Rabbi Elazar Ben Durdaya is ready to go into Olam Haba. The Gemara then says that when Rebbi Yehuda HaNasi heard this maaseh he cried out, “there are those that earn Olam Haba in many years and there are those that earn it in one moment.” The commentaries wonder why Rebbi was so upset by this maaseh - he, a person who had struggled for many years in Avodas Hashem, was surely destined for a far greater portion in Olam Haba than someone who earned Olam Haba for one moment of inspired teshuva!? Rav Noach Weinberg zt”l answers in the name of his father, that Rebbi was crying because he saw the power of one moment in Olam Hazeh; in one moment a person can earn infinite bliss, therefore he was crying at any failure to utilise each moment in the best possible way. Each moment is an incredible opportunity at creating more Olam Haba.

The Chofetz Chaim applies this concept to halacha . He brings the Sefer Hachinuch who writes that there are six mitzvos that are constantly incumbent upon man and that every second throughout a person’s life a person can fulfil them by merely thinking about them. Consequently, there is no limit to the reward for performing these mitvzos. This can also help explain why Jewish law is so against ending a person’s life prematurely, even if he is unable to live a normal life. Rav Zev Leff Shlita points out that even a person in a coma may well be able to perform numerous mitzvos by his thought. He can fulfil the Mitzvos that only require thought and moreover, Chazal tell us that if a person has a desire to perform a mitzvo but is prevented from doing so, he nevertheless receives reward as if he did indeed fulfil the mitzvo. Therefore, every second more of life is a great opportunity to create more Olam Haba.

We have seen how every second of life is infinitely precious. Yet we often think that little can be achieved in a few minutes here or there. However, experience has proven differently. The Chasam Sofer was once asked how he became a Gadol, he answered that he became a Gadol in five minutes. He meant that by utilising every available moment he was able to learn so much more. Rav Moshe Feinstein once had a very large smile on his face - he explained that he had just completed Shas. This was not a novel achievement for him, he was known to have finished Shas dozens of times, but this siyum was different. It comprised of his learning in the gaps at Chasunas; by consistently learning small amounts he eventually learnt all of Shas this way. We too can use small amounts of time to attain surprisingly great achievements in learning. There are people who learn one Mishna a day, this seems a somewhat trivial amount, but after years of consistently doing this they have completed whole Sedarim of Mishnayos. Another important benefit of small sedarim is that one can use them to learn areas of Torah that are not normally given sufficient attention. One Talmid Chacham in Eretz Yisroel is well-known for his expertise in all areas of Torah, including Navi, Hashkafa, and Mussar, as well as his all encompassing grasp of Shas and poskim. When asked how he managed to learn such a wide array of subjects he explained that he had many small sedarim - by learning Maharal or Navi for ten minutes a day, he gradually attained a wide knowledge in them. Similarly, Rav Yisroel Reisman Shlita often emphasizes that in order to know Navi, one need not devote hours each day to it. He attained his expertise in it by learning it for a few minutes each night. Nowadays there are many ways in which one can utilise small sedarim - there are books such as ’A Lesson a Day’ and ’Praying with Fire’ which enable people to learn small but significant amounts of highly important subjects each day.

We have seen how precious the gift of life is and the great value of every moment of life. Life is full of challenges and there are times when a person can feel despondent - but if he remembers that life itself is cause for joy then he can overcome any negative feelings: When the Alter of Novardok first started to build yeshivas, he was unsuccessful. He built yeshivas and they collapsed, he organised groups and they disintegrated. In addition, he and his approach were attacked by opponents. At that time he came to Kelm and his Rebbi, The Alter of Kelm noticed he looked sad and understood why. That Motsei Shabbos when a group had gathered to hear his shmuese, he stood at the podium and remained silent for a very, very long time. Then he banged his hand on the shtender and thundered, “It is enough for a living being that he is alive.” Over and over he repeated his words until finally he told the group to doven Maariv. “That session” said the Alter of Novardok “dispelled my gloom and cleared my thoughts. ” The Alter of Kelm taught the Alter of Novardok a priceless lesson - as long as one is alive, there is nothing to complain about. May we all be zocheh to appreciate the gift of life and use it to its fullest.

UNDERSTANDING THE TZARAAS ON THE HOUSES - METSORA

Parshas Metsora outlines the various forms of the affliction of tzaraas. Having completed discussion of the tzaraas on the body, the Torah discusses the tzaraas that can appear on people’s houses and outlines the painful process of purification. This includes removing all the possessions from one’s home to avoid them becoming impure, and cutting out the afflicted stones from the house.
Chazal offer two seemingly contradictory explanations as to why tzaraas will appear on someone’s house. Rashi brings the Medrash that tells us that this was actually very beneficial for the people whose homes had tzaraas: The Emorim who lived in Canaan hid their valuables in the walls of their homes so that the Jewish people would not be able to benefit from them. There would have been no way of the Jews finding these treasures in the normal course of events. Therefore, HaShem placed the tzaraas affliction on the part of the wall where the treasure was concealed, so that the stones hiding it would be removed, thus revealing the fortune. This explanation implies that the tzaraas on the house was not a punishment for any wrong doing, rather it was a means of providing the people with great riches.

On the other hand, the Gemara in Arachin clearly states that tzaraas on the houses was a punishment for the sin of tzaras ayin (stinginess). The Gemara in Yoma gives an example of such behavior of a person who didn’t want to lend his possessions to other people, therefore he would deny owning the items that people asked to borrow. As a punishment his home would be struck with tzaraas and he would have to take everything outside, consequently everyone would see that he really did own those items. These Gemaras clearly indicate that tzaraas on the houses came as a punishment for sins. How do we resolve the contradiction between these Maamarei Chazal (sayings of the Sages): According to the Chazal quoted by Rashi, if they deserved the reward of the treasure, why did that have to be accompanied by the suffering involved in the tzaraas striking their house. And according to the Gemaras, if they deserved to be punished, why should they benefit by finding the hidden treasure behind their walls?!

Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l answers that it must be that the person whose home is struck with tzaraas is deserving of both the punishment and the benefit that arise as a result of the affliction. If he had never sinned, then HaShem would provide him with the money that he deserves in another, more pleasant fashion. And if he was undeserving of finding the Emorim’s hidden treasure then the tzaraas on his house would not enable him to finding it. Therefore, the person whose house would be struck with tzaraas and then found the hidden treasure must look at both aspects of the Hashgacha (Divine Providence). On the one had he can rejoice in HaShem’s kindness in granting him the newfound riches; but at the same time, he must be do teshuva and not allow himself to be distracted by the good tidings.

It is possible to add that the nature of the reward is also connected to the sin that the person committed. He was guilty of being overly miserly, and therefore resorted to dishonest tactics in order to protect his wealth. His mistake was that he approached acquisition of property with a derech hateva attitude. This means that he followed the regular laws of nature and common sense that dictate that giving charity or lending one’s items will cause a person to suffer a decline in his wealth. He believed that being stingy would protech his wealth. Consequently, he is punished by suffering a financial loss with the damage to his home, and with the embarrassment of being exposed as a dishonest person who avoids lending his property. Yet perhaps the reward of finding the hidden treasure also teaches him a lesson with regard to his erroneous attitude. He believed that he had to resort to underhanded tactics to gain wealth, but the Torah tells him that HaShem, with his Infinite power, can provide a person with wealth in any number of ways . Thus, this man finds money in the most improbable of places - inside the walls of his own home! As well as benefitting him it should teach him that he need not exert excessive energy in acquiring wealth, rather he should recognize that HaShem can provide him with everything that he needs.

We learn two very important lessons from the above explanation. Firstly, in a general application, we see that Hashgacha can work in such a way that HaShem in His Infinite Wisdom can reward and ‘punish’ someone at the same time. The Torah sense of punishment does not mean merely causing pain for no reason. Rather, Divine ‘punishments’ are ways in which HaShem communicates with us, alluding to us that we should change our ways in specific areas. Thus, even when good tidings occur it is wise to observe any negative aspects to the outcome of the good news to discern if there are any underlying messages within the reward, as was the case with the tzaraas on the houses.

A second, more specific message relates to our attitude to acquiring possessions and money. The tzaraas on the houses teach us that too much hishtadlus in the realm of the physical world,is fruitless. This is all the more so the case with dishonest or stingy behavior. A person must realize that there are ‘harbeh sheluchim leMakom’; that HaShem can provide us with whatever we need in the most creative of fashions, including through discovering treasure in the walls of our homes!