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Before writing the two Divrei Torah below, I would like to give a brief introduction to the sefer that I found them in: VaYeVareich Shlomo. With great Simcha, my uncle, Rabbi George Silfen, published his first sefer titled VaYeVareich Shlomo on Torah UMo’adim. Named after my grandfather who, at a very young age, escaped the growing Nazi party and moved to Bolivia. He had no Jewish education (in fact he went to Catholic school but skipped bible classes), but did everything he could to give my mother and uncle a Jewish education. The spiritual success of his grandchildren is his greatest pride, and the greatest gift he could have received was a sefer written in his name, Shlomo. Rabbi Silfen’s extreme dedication and passion manifested themselves in the intricacy and wisdom in every Dvar Torah. 

Parashat Tazria - What’s In A Name?

In this week's Parashah, Tazria, we learn about Tzara’at that strikes a house: “Ki Tavo’u El Eretz Cena’an Asher Ani Notein Lachem La’Achuza VeNatati Nega Tzara’at BeVeit Eretz Achuzatchem,” “When you enter the land of Cana'an that I give you as a possession, and I inflict an eruptive plague upon a house in the land you possess” (Vayikra 14:34). The Ramban derives from the phrase “Ki Tavo’u El Eretz Cena’an”, that Tzara’at only strikes a house in Eretz Yisrael (contrary to what one may assume that the focus is on an “Achuza” meaning land that someone owns). Rabbi Menachem Genack explains that unlike the majority of Mitzvot that are connected to the Kedushah of the land of Israel, Tzara'at fringes upon the name Eretz Yisrael. Even between the first and second temple when there was no Kedushah (at least according to the Rambam who adopts the approach that the Kedushah that was installed into Eretz Yisrael in the days of Shlomo and the first temple was only temporary), there was still a possibility of getting Tzara’at on one’s home. Why is Tzara’at special? 

It could be that since Tzara’at is a punishment for misusing one’s tongue, the punishment fringes upon the Kedusha of the name Eretz Yisrael. (Therefore, now in days when Eretz Yisrael is called by so many different names and doesn’t have that same status of a holy name, we don’t have Tzara’at.) This serves as a stark reminder to the owner of the house of the importance and value of even the name of a place and how much more so the name and reputation of one’s fellow human being.

[Another Halachah that is also connected to the name “Eretz Yisrael” is sanctifying the new month. So too with sanctifying the month, Beit Din is required to declare with their mouths that the new month is sanctified and it is Rosh Chodesh. Since sanctifying the new month fringes upon Beit Din’s mouths it also is connected to the holy name of Eretz Yisrael.]

Parashat Metzora - Killing Two Birds With Two Stones!?

In this week's [second] Parashah, we learn the laws of the Metzora’s purification. After Recovering from his leprosy, a Metzora can finally begin his/her purification rituals. A significant part of these rituals is bringing two birds. One bird is slaughtered in the city where the Metzora lives and the other is brought to a field and set free. Why do we allow one bird to live and the other to die? And why do we take one to his/her city and the other to the fields? 

Rav Moshe Sternbuch answers the second question based on the two types of slander: 1. Public slander 2. Private, secretive slander. To atone for the public defamation, we bring one of the birds into the middle of the city, the most populated place, and we slaughter it on the spot. However, we also bring another bird to the field, a private place, to gain atonement for the secretive slander. Rav Sternbuch adds that the commandment to dip the bird of the field into the slaughtered bird’s blood symbolizes that even the most discreet slander makes its way to the masses (The Torah understood the phrase “news spreads like wildfire” even before the term was coined). 

With regards to question number one, the Ba’al HaTurim writes that the slaughtered bird alludes to the complete destruction of the Tzara’at. Conversely, the bird we send away reminds the Metzora that if he continues in his slanderous ways the Tza’arat will once again inflict him. 

Connecting the answers to questions one and two, Rabbi Silfen reveals the essence of the two birds. The bird of the field is meant to show that even though the Metzora is now healed and most likely will not publicly slander others, he/she still might have the desire to privately slander. One can say “no one will know or it won’t damage his/her reputation”, but the Torah responds that if you continue to slander others, even in private, the Tzara’at will once again inflict you.