“Command the children of Israel, and they shall send out from the camp every leper and every zav, and every one impure by means of a corpse” (Numbers 5:2). “Command the children of Israel, and they shall send out from the camp…” – that is what is written: “Remove the dross from silver, and a vessel will emerge for the smith” (Proverbs 25:4). Rabbi Tanḥuma bar Rabbi Abba said: What is “remove the dross from silver”?
As long as this waste is in the silver, it does not display its beauty. If one does nothing but filter the waste from it, it immediately displays its excellence. “Remove the dross from silver” – subsequently, “and a vessel will emerge for the smith.” How so?
When Israel departed from Egypt, the vast majority of them were blemished. Why? It is because they were toiling in mortar and bricks and would ascend to the top of the structure. One who builds by ascending to the top course, a stone would fall and sever his hand, or a beam or mortar would enter his eye and he would be blinded.
They were blemished. When they arrived at Mount Sinai, God said: Is this commensurate with the honor of the Torah, that I will give it to a generation of blemished people? If I wait until others arise, I will delay the giving of the Torah. What did God do?
He said to the angels that they should descend to Israel and heal them. Know that it is so. Rabbi Yehuda said that Rabbi Simon said: From where is it derived that there was no one lame among them? As it is stated: “They stood at the foot of the mountain” (Exodus 19:17), and standing is only on one’s feet.
From where is it derived that there were no amputees among them? As it is stated: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform” (Exodus 24:7). From where is it derived that there were no deaf among them? As it is stated: “And we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
From where is it derived that there were no blind among them? As it is stated: “All the people saw the sounds” (Exodus 20:15). From where is it derived that there were no mutes among them? As it is stated: “All the people answered” (Exodus 19:8) – you find that they were all healed.
If you do not derive it from here, you can derive it from elsewhere. As it is stated: “All the disease that I placed in Egypt [I will not place upon you, as I am the Lord your healer” (Exodus 15:26) – you see that they were healed. However, once they performed that act of the calf, they were restored to their blemish and became zavim1People who became impure due to an emission. and lepers. Thus Moses saw them, as it is stated: “Moses saw the people, that it was wild [farua]” (Exodus 32:25).
Parua is nothing other than an expression of leprosy, just as it says: “The leper in whom the mark is…and the hair of his head shall be unshorn [farua]…” (Leviticus 13:45). God said to Moses: Until you crafted the Tabernacle, I would have My words reach you in a temporary manner, and the zavim and the lepers were intermingled with you. Now that you crafted the Tabernacle and I rest My Divine Presence in your midst, separate them from you.
“They shall send out from the camp every leper and every zav, and every one impure by means of a corpse.” For what purpose? It is “so that they will not defile their camp, in which I dwell in their midst” (Numbers 5:3).