By Rabbi Dovid Markel
This week’s parsha deals with the levels of banishment due to various forms of impurities. The verse (Bamidbar 5:2) states:
“Command the children of Israel to banish from the camp all those afflicted with tzara’ath or with a male discharge, and all those unclean through [contact with] the dead.”
While the verse intimates that all three of these impurities are grouped together, Rashi explains that this is not the case:
“At the time of their encampment, there were three camps: …Anyone afflicted with tzara’ath was expelled from all [three] of them. One with a discharge was allowed into the Israelite camp, but banned from the [other] two. And one defiled by a dead body was permitted even into the Levite [camp], and is banished only from the [camp] of the Shechinah.”
Thus, depending on the severity of an individual’s impurity, accordingly were they sent out from the various camps.
The holy Rebbe, Rabbi Mordechai Leiner, explains that each of these impurities hints to a different time of spiritual ailment which excludes a person from holiness. In relation to the level of expulsion, one can appreciate that certain character traits are more excluded from the Jewish psyche than others.
Tzara’ath, which as the Talmud explains (Erchin 15b), results from speaking evil of one’s fellow, is expressive of the trait of anger. Male discharge is expressive of the trait of lust. Lastly, a person who is impure through contacting the dead represents the quality of depression, which can be compared to death.
Accordingly, it is understood why an individual withtzara’ath is banished from all three camps, yet the others are not. For, while the other character traits are somewhat positive, there can be no room for anger within Judaism.
Tanya (Epistle 25) explains the Talmudic statement (Shabbos 105b) that a person who becomes angry is regarded as if they have served idolatry as follows: When someone becomes angry, they are essentially expressing that they do not have faith that all that happens is directly from G-d.
When one does indeed recognize this, the entire concept of anger becomes completely foreign to such an individual. May our consciousness indeed be completely permeated with the realization that all that occurs comes from G-d. When we reach such a level, all that happens to us will be accepted with utter equanimity.
