Pride and Humility

In last week’s parshah we learned all about the laws concerning the spiritual “disease” of Tzaraat (often, though mistakenly, translated as “leprosy”). At the beginning of this week’s parshah, we learn about the procedure of which a Tzarua (a person afflicted with Tzaraat) must undergo in order to attain purification. The procedure is carried out in stages and spans over a period eight days. In the first phase of the purification procedure, we read:

“… And for the person being purified there shall be taken two live, clean birds, cedar wood, crimson thread, and hyssop… one bird shall be slaughtered… and he shall dip them into the blood of the bird that was slaughtered… Then he shall sprinkle seven times upon the person being purified from the Tzaraat…” [Leviticus: 14: 4 – 7]

As the verse clearly states, there are five items that are involved in this step of the purification process: (1) One live bird, (2) One slaughtered bird, (3) Cedar wood, (4) Crimson thread, and (5) Hyssop. What is the meaning of all this?

Among the many explanations offered by the commentaries, I believe the idea can be expressed a very profound manner. The items can be grouped into two fragments: In group 1 we have the live bird and the cedar wood, and in group 2 we have the slaughtered bird, crimson thread, and the hyssop. The conceptual understanding and contrast between each group conveys a lesson that we are to take with us throughout our entire life: pride and humility.

Group 1 contains wood (cedar) coming from a considerably tall and soaring tree, which represents the lofty and self-aggrandizing side of our personalities. As humans, we always have to look at ourselves as the highest link in the chain of God’s creation. We have been created with bodies and souls and have been given the tremendous opportunity and great responsibility of taking care of God’s world. In this regard, indeed we are very privileged and it is important that we reflect upon this. It is imperative that we remind ourselves daily of how cherished we are in God’s eyes, and that we recognize the great amount of potential we possess in this world. The live bird (when compared to the slaughtered one) represents life; it represents the life that God gave us and that He has brought us into this world for a greater purpose.

Group 2, on the other hand, demonstrates the very opposite trait. Hyssop is considered one of the shortest and most timid of all shrubbery. So too the crimson thread is wool, dyed with a pigment made from a lowly creature, a type of insect or snail. This group represents the humble aspect of our personality, the side of us that acknowledges our flaws and imperfections. Although we must recognize our self-worth and tremendous value, we must also realize that we are but lowly creatures in God’s world. When contemplating God’s infinite wisdom and eternal greatness, we can’t help but identify with our level of lowliness and frailty. Not only must we humble ourselves before God, but before others around us; we have to constantly see others as superior to us, and that we are no better than the one standing next to us. (*See footnote*) The slaughtered bird represents death, which serves as a humbling reminder that we are merely transient beings, who will inevitably leave this world like a passing shadow.
This idea was highlighted at the beginning of last week’s parshah as well (normally we read last week’s parshah along with this week’s as a double portion, but because this year is a Jewish leap year, we read them separately). On the opening verse dealing with human impurity, Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi, 1040-1105, famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentaries on the Torah) comments:

“Rabbi Simlai said: ‘Just as the fashioning of man came after all cattle, beasts, and fowl in the Torah’s account of the act of Creation (of the world), so is his (man’s) law explained after the law of cattle, beast, and fowl’ ” (Two Torah portions ago, the portion culminated with the laws of animal impurity. The next portion, which was last week’s parshah, began with the laws of human impurity, who’s laws continued until this week)

As we know, man was created last, after all other living creatures. This is meant to portray a double meaning: Either we can look at it as if God created us last because He wanted to bring us into a world where everything was already prepared for us, or He created us last because we may indeed be the lowliest of all creatures. The truth is, according to all which we’ve discussed, the both of them are true. We are meant to ascend to the highest plateau among all of creation, but through our actions we can sink to the lowest depths. Why is this idea is repeated again in the laws of human impurity?

There is one all-encompassing aspect to the human that separates him from the animals: speech. In the account of creation, both man and animal are described with the same term: “Nefesh Chaya”, which means “Living Soul”. However, by man’s creation the Targum Onkelos (Authoritative Aramaic translation of the Torah) translates the word “Nefesh Chaya” as “Talking Soul”. It is the gift of speech that truly separates us from beast, and it is this very speech that may lead to the “disease” of Tzaraat. Our Rabbis tell us that the reason one is stricken with Tzaraat is due to the sin of Lashon Hara, “the Evil Tongue”. This was demonstrated in the Torah’s account of when Miriam spoke ill of her brother Moses and was immediately afflicted with Tzaraat. This affliction serves as a reminder that we are not using our mouths properly, and that ultimately we are abusing that very aspect that sets us apart from the animals.

May we take this lesson to heart, and constantly strive to attain the balance between pride and humility in our lives.

Good Shabbos,

NZL

*It is interesting to note that whereas Group 1 has one item representing arrogance (cedar wood), Group 2 contains two items (crimson thread and hyssop). The simple reason for this,as Maskil Ledavid (a commentary on Rashi’s commentary) explains, is that between the two extremes of pride and humility, humility should be expressed to a greater extent than pride. The dangers that may come from adopting a haughty attitude far outweigh those that may result from being too humble. This may relate to the teaching of our sages: “Be very, very humble” [Ethics of our Fathers: 4: 4]