Lead Tidbit
Lessons from the M'tzora Phenomenon
There was a time when a person would discover a certain type of rash, spot, burn on his body and he would have an expert kohein look at it to determine the person's "spiritual" status - TAHOR (ritually clean), TAMEI (ritually defiled), or one week's quarantine, followed by another inspection. If and when a person was declared TAMEI, a period of TUM'A followed by a purification process resulted. During the waiting periods, the afflicted individual was to reflect on his behavior and undergo a T'shuva process that paralleled his observance of the M'tzora rules and procedures. Very often, the physical manifestations were identified with lapses in areas of behavior such as sexual conduct and misuse of one's power of speech. Other areas of sin could be involved as well.

Today, we don't have TZORAAT and NEGA'IM per se. One technical reason is the lack of kohein-experts in determining and identifying the signs of TUM'A. That lack can be factual or purposely created to avoid the continuance of the formal process of M'TZORA. The absence of a Beit HaMikdash might or might not contribute to the suspension of the laws and practices of M'TZORA. Under what conditions will it be restored is an open question. But what does remain - what should remain - is the spirit of the concept of the M'tzora.
Without actual NEGA'IM, we still maintain their message: Physical afflictions are not to be considered chance occurrences with no connection to the personal behavior of the afflicted individual. We don't show a strange mark on our bodies to a kohein; we show it to our doctor and he treats it physically. But even though a kohein does not declare the person TAMEI, nor does the person acknowledge that verbally to people he meets in the street, there is still a mental, spiritual, religious process which we must undergo. It is the sin of stubbornness to deny that what happens to us has nothing to do with how we behave. It is proper that afflictions, injuries, illness, and the like should trigger introspection, T'shuva, and an improvement in some area of mitzva observance and/or moral behavior. Trials and tribulations in our lives are often a virtual analog of the NEGA'IM of old. Let us be wise and honest enough to not need the formal status of M'TZORA to be motivated to T'shuva and self-improvement. Let us learn the lessons of the M'tzora phenomenon.