Recap of our discussion, 6th Nissan, 5774 (Parsha Metzora)

This Shabbos David Schlesinger led discussion.  We discussed the week’s parsha Metzora.  In the parsha, those who engaged in lashon hora, and other transgressions would be stricken with tzaraat.  We discussed how this is a physical manifestation of a spiritual disease.  Those who are stricken could then seek out the services of the Kohen, who would make rulings concerning purity, and would help guide the treatment which included shaving and making certain sacrifices.

We discussed Rav Yeager’s comments on the parsha.  Lashon hara is just one possible avera or transgression which can make us spiritually sick.  We also discussed arrogance.  If we have a talent or ability that others do not have, or others do not have as much of, our thoughts and actions should not be that we are better than others.  We should be grateful that Hashem has given us this talent, and use it to carry out our mission and help others, rather than to be arrogant.

We discussed the process in which one would recover from unhealthy spiritual conditions.  The first step is to make a decision that one wishes to amend his or her ways.  The second step is to seek out the advice of a Kohen.  The third step is to shave, completely.  And the final step is to pour a special oil on one’s fingers.  The Kohen will then rule that someone is now pure, again. 

We discussed the process of doing t’shuva in general.  It is necessary to stop saying lashon hora, and/or stop being arrogant, and/or engaging in whatever behavior had caused the spiritual condition.   We discussed how we have to be very careful with our words as speech can be very powerful.  We can cause a lot of damage with our speech.

David talked about how today, Hashem is a lot more hidden in the world.  In ancient times, when monotheism was just getting established there was a much more obvious manifestation of cause and effect when it came to committing avera’s and then seeing the physical manifestation of a spiritual transgression.  Howard commented how later in our history, after we had become familiar with the process of t’shuva, Hashem may give us an opportunity to repent before we become afflicted with a physical malady.

Today, Hashem remains hidden so that we seek him out and do not rely on him.  If we rely too much on Hashem, this takes away our free will.  When monotheism was just getting established it was necessary for Hashem’s presence to be a lot more obvious.  Today, if we commit averas there will be consequences, however they may be less obvious.  And conversely, if we perform mitzvah, we will reap great benefit, but the direct connection between a specific mitzvah and the benefit will be less obvious.

This Shabbos, we continued our discussion of pesach.  We discussed how whenever we go through a personal transformation, it parallels our experience with Egypt.  I definitely relate to this, personally.  We can become enslaved with what is going on with us personally.  Hashem will help set us free.  But Hashem is not setting us free, just so that we can be free.  We have a mission and although we may wander for a while, Hashem's plan is that we find our way to “Israel”, whatever that means for us personally.

We discussed how there is a mitzvah to create Simchah on the holidays.  This can be particularly difficult on Pesach, because this holiday often causes a sense of panic and/or stress related to the amount of work that has to be done.  David talked about how we often exaggerate the total amount of work that is necessary.  For areas of the house in which we do not plan to be eating meals during the holiday, it is only necessary to do a search for pieces of chumatz that are larger than an object with sides of about 1 cm.  In rooms that we have not had any meals, it is not necessary to search at all.

In the kitchen and/or dining room, and/or rooms where we plan to consume food, we need to get rid of all chumatz, as consumption is forbidden during the holiday.  This means we should spend perhaps ½ a day on the kitchen.  We discussed the process of selling any left over chumatz to a non-jew, and how the non-jew will sell the chumatz back to us after the holiday.  The non-jew makes a down payment before the holiday and can decide later whether or not to pay the remaining balance.  The non-jew after the holiday almost always will sell the chumatz back and receive the return of his downpayment.

Finally, David talked some more about how his father, Dr. Rav. George Schlesinger inspired the creation of an organization for the sharing of knowledge related to the philosophy of time.  We know from the Torah and now from science that time had a beginning.  Will it have an end?  These and other interesting questions are discussed here: Philosophy of Time Society

This is a summary of what we discussed this past Shabbos.  No Halachic rulings are intended or should be inferred.