Parashas Tazria & Metzora - WARNING! Acting miserly can cause embarrassment!

This week's Dvar Torah has been sponsored for:
Aliyah Neshama: Moshe Ben Zvi Hirsch
and
Aliyah Neshama: Aliza Rochel Bas Chaim Tzvi
May your soul be spiritually uplifted and judged with mercy
(If you would like to sponsor a Dvar Torah, feel free to email me: SharingTorah@gmail.com)
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This week we read Parasha Tazria and Metzora. They both deal with the subject of Tzara'as, leprosy, and what happens if a person is afflicted with this condition. The Tzara'as mentioned in the Torah is different from the medical condition 'leprosy' we know of. It was an affliction during the times of the Bais Hamikdash, which would manifest itself in white patches (and discolorations) which appeared on the wrongdoer's skin, house, vessels, or garments.

There were many things which caused Tzara'as: Idol worshipping, immorality, murder, desecration of Hashem's Name, theft, speaking bad of others, taking a false oath, conceit etc...

There was another one: acting stingy or ungenerous. Usually Tzara'as would break out on the house first as a warning to repent. If the warning wasn't taken seriously, it would proceed to the garments and eventually on the person's body.

When tzara'as was spotted on the walls of their house, their vessels had to be cleared out. Everything in their house was now taken out for the public to see. A reason was so that the tumah (contamination) by the house would not spread onto other items. Alternatively, if someone previously came to borrow a pot and the owner (trying to find an excuse not to lend it) said, 'I don't own one', or 'I had just lent it to someone else', he would now be humiliated because all his vessels were seen by the public. The person who was refused by the owner would ask, "I thought you didn't have a pot!" or "I thought someone else was borrowing it, but I see you had it all along."

That was a punishment Hashem gave because He disapproves when people act like misers. We have certain halachas (laws) which tell us to lend our things out to others.

There's a mitzva in the Torah to lend money to others, specifically to a poor person. [1] Money isn't the only thing one gets a mitzvah for lending, rather, other items as well, such as pots, pans, clothing, food etc... It says in the posuk, "Because Hashem desires (chesed) generosity." [2] Every time we do something generous, we score brownie points with Hashem. Chesed doesn't only mean to someone who is poor, but to anybody.

A lesson I learned from this week's parasha: Sometimes it is better to lend out items than to make a person feel bad. I am sure if someone's items were to be exposed after he/she just refused lending them, they would be humiliated. What if you just told a person you didn't have that item they wanted to borrow, and all of a sudden they see it in your possession? They would feel horrible. They would start to question whether you trusted them or not. Hashem was trying to show us something by making the wrongdoer empty out his house. Hashem was saying, "Don't think you can get away with being a miser. You have these items because of Me, now do a chesed and lend it to others."

I am not saying we should be lending out our things to anybody under any circumstances. You are definitely justified in taking precaution with your object to prevent damage. Suppose there is someone who is irresponsible, and you know they will be negligent with your personal property? I don't think you are obligated to lend it out. However, you should also take precaution against hurting your friend's feelings.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Nisso

[1] Shemos 22:24
[2] Micha 7:18