In this week’s Parsha, the Torah speaks about someone contracting tzaraas, a lesion on the skin that appears due to different types of sins. The pasuk says “Adam ki yieyeh…” – A person who contracts tzaraas should be brought to Aharon Hakohen, or one of his sons, the kohanim. Someone who is presumed to have tzaaras must have it checked by a Kohen. There’s a question here: The Gemara (Yevamos 61a) says that Adam is an honorific term. When the Torah uses the word Adam it’s a very preeminent and distinguished title. So, if that’s the case then why does the Torah address a person who has tzaraas as “Adam?” He sinned! Why are we honoring the sinner? Why are we honoring the Metzorah by using a distinguished term?
I heard from my father, Rav Yitzchok Fingerer shlita, that the Alshich explains that tzaraas is not a reflection of a person’s unworthiness or unworthiness. Rather, tzarrras is an indication of a person’s loftiness and stature. We get tzarras because we are “Adam” – because we are great! Since we are great, Hashem expects more from us. That’s why we are stricken with punishment and get tzaraas. Our struggles and sins don’t come because we are inferior or mediocre. Our sins come because we have inordinate and unlimited potential!
There is a beautiful old story of a farmer who was tending to his crops when he noticed a large egg on the ground. Thinking that it was from the hen, he picked it up and brought it to the coop, placing it next to the other eggs – the chicken eggs. A few days later, the eggs hatched, and adorable chicks came out. However, a funny-looking chicken came out of the strange egg. It turns out it wasn’t a chicken at all – it was an eagle. The other chickens didn’t know that, and they thought even though he looked different he was still one of them. The eagle began to do all the things the chicks did. He dug for worms in the dirt and flapped his wings around. He skipped around the coop making clucking sounds. However, he didn’t dare fly since none of the chickens were flying. A short while later, the eagle saw a bird flying high in the sky. The eagle asked the chicken what type of bird it was. The chicken said, “That bird is an eagle. He is the king of the sky, and he soars to the greatest of heights. We however, can’t do that because we are chickens and chickens don’t fly.”
One day, the majestic-looking eagle landed near the chicken coop. With his eagle eye, he recognized one of his own – a young eagle roaming and playing around. He made his way to the eagle and asked him, “Why are you down here? You’re an eagle. You should be soaring up in the sky!” The young eagle asked, “What do you mean? I’m just a chicken, and chickens can’t fly. It’s impossible! The adult eagle told the little eagle to jump on his back, and they flew high in the sky. The little eagle was amazed. It was so incredible to be so high up. The adult eagle then landed on a mountain and said, “Now it’s your turn to fly.” The “chicken” was hesitant at first but that’s precisely what he did. The eagle spread his wings and soared high.
The lesson to us is that many of us are like the eagle who didn’t realize his true identity. Many of us fail to recognize who we really are. We are living amongst chickens, and we are the eagles! We are so great! We must realize that we are holy and that we have the power and ability to soar higher and higher. Because we are so great, we must be careful with what we say and do. That’s why we are stricken with punishment. That’s why we get Tzaraas. Our struggles and sins come because we are great! We have so much potential! Let’s do this! Let’s soar high and keep ascending to even greater heights!
