The ancient rabbis grappled with these questions constantly, searching for meaning in misfortune. One particularly fascinating exploration revolves around the affliction of leprosy, or tzara'at. What causes it? Is it purely physical, or is there something deeper at play?
In Bamidbar Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic teachings on the Book of Numbers, we find a compelling, if somewhat startling, list. Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi bar Rabbi Shalom suggests that leprosy arises from no fewer than eleven distinct transgressions. Eleven! It’s quite a catalog of human failings.
So, what makes this list? According to Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, the causes are: cursing God’s name, engaging in forbidden sexual relationships, bloodshed, speaking negatively and inaccurately about others, arrogance, intruding into another's domain, false speech, theft, false oaths, profaning God's name, and, of course, idol worship. It's a pretty comprehensive indictment of human misbehavior, isn't it?
But the discussion doesn't end there. Rabbi Yitzchak adds another dimension: miserliness. Yes, being stingy! He argues that when someone hoards their possessions and refuses to lend them, God might afflict their house with leprosy. The idea being that the person is shamed when they have to bring their hidden possessions out of the house. It's a stark reminder that our actions, even those seemingly private, have consequences. As it says in (Job 20:28), "The produce of his house will be exiled."
Then, our Rabbis chime in with yet another perspective: scorning the Torah. They link this to (Isaiah 5:24), where the "blossom will rise as dust" because people have "spurned the Torah of the Lord of hosts." The connection? The verse uses similar language to describe the eruption of leprosy, “paro’aḥ tifraḥ” (Leviticus 13:12). It’s a powerful image – rejecting wisdom and guidance leads to a kind of spiritual and even physical decay.
The text then goes on to offer biblical examples to support each cause. For cursing God, there's Goliath, whose blasphemy, it's suggested, led to his downfall, described with the word "yesagerkha" in (1 (Samuel 17:4)6), which is linked to the term for quarantine, "vehisgiro" used in (Leviticus 13:5). For illicit relations, we have (Isaiah 3:17), which speaks of God afflicting the daughters of Zion with "scabs" (vesipaḥ), which Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat equates with leprosy (sapaḥat).
And what about bloodshed? The mark God placed on Cain (Genesis 4:15) is interpreted by Rabbi Nechemya as leprosy. He connects it to the "ot" (sign) given to Hezekiah (II Kings 20:8), which was a rash. Or, we can look at Yoav, of whom it was said, “May there not be eliminated from the house of Yoav a zav or a leper” (II (Samuel 3:2)9).
The story of Moses is particularly poignant. When God asks him to go to Israel, Moses doubts the people will believe him (Exodus 4:1). God's response? Moses' hand becomes leprous (Exodus 4:6). The implication is that doubting the faith of others, especially when they are "believers, descendants of believers," is a serious offense.
Arrogance is exemplified by Naaman (II Kings 5:1), whose pride is seen as the root of his leprosy. Entering forbidden territory? That's Uzziah, who tried to perform priestly duties and was immediately struck with leprosy on his forehead (II (Chronicles 26:1)9). False speech? Think of Miriam, who spoke against Moses and was afflicted with leprosy (Numbers 12:10).
The list goes on, connecting theft and false oaths to the destruction described in (Zechariah 5:4), and profaning God's name to Gehazi, whose greed and dishonesty led to him being afflicted with Naaman's leprosy (II (Kings 5:2)7). The story of Gehazi serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of upholding God's reputation in our actions.
Finally, idol worship. The Israelites' sin of the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:25) is linked to leprosy, suggesting that abandoning God can lead to a kind of spiritual and even physical corruption.
What are we to make of all this? Is leprosy a literal punishment for specific sins? Perhaps. But more likely, these interpretations are meant to teach us something deeper about the interconnectedness of our actions and their consequences. Bamidbar Rabbah isn't just giving us a list of dos and don'ts; it's inviting us to reflect on the kind of people we want to be and the kind of world we want to create. It's a reminder that our choices, both big and small, have ripple effects, and that true healing comes not just from treating the body, but from mending the soul.
From here, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi bar Rabbi Shalom said: Leprosy comes due to eleven matters: For cursing the name of God, for illicit sexual relations, for bloodshed, for saying regarding another a [negative] matter that is not accurate, for arrogance, for one who enters an area that is not his, for false speech, for thefts, for a false oath, for one who profanes the name of Heaven, and for idol worship. Rabbi Yitzḥak says: For miserliness. Our Rabbis say: For one who scorns matters of Torah. According to the opinion of the Rabbis, who said: For one who scorns matters of Torah, it is as it is stated: “Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw [and a flame destroys chaff]…their blossom [ufirḥam] will rise as dust; [for they spurned the Torah of the Lord of hosts and scorned the word of the Holy One of Israel]” (Isaiah 5:24). This is leprosy, as it is stated: “If the leprosy shall erupt [paro’aḥ tifraḥ]” (Leviticus 13:12). What is “will rise as dust”? It is like that furnace soot that Moses cast heavenward: “It will become dust over the entire land of Egypt” (Exodus 9:9) – from it the Egyptians were stricken with “a rash erupting in blisters on man and on animal” (Exodus 9:10). According to the opinion of Rabbi Yitzḥak, who said: For miserliness, when a person is miserly and does not lend his utensils, the Holy One blessed be He will afflict his house with leprosy; he takes his utensils outside,20As part of the procedure in cases of leprosy of the house. and the people say: So-and-so, who would not lend his utensils and would say that he did not have utensils, he did have utensils. In his regard the verse states: “The produce of his house will be exiled” (Job 20:28). According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi, who said: For cursing the name of God, he derives it from Goliath, as it is stated: “For he blasphemed the armies of the living God” (I Samuel 17:36). What is written in his regard? “This day, the Lord will deliver you [yesagerkha] into my hand” (I Samuel 17:46). “Yesagerkha” is nothing other than leprosy, as it is stated: “The priest shall quarantine him [vehisgiro]” (Leviticus 13:5). For illicit sexual relations, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “The Lord will afflict with scabs [vesipaḥ] the heads of the daughters of Zion” (Isaiah 3:17). Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat said: Vesipaḥ is nothing other than leprosy, as it is stated: “A spot or a scab [sapaḥat]…” (Leviticus 13:2). For bloodshed, from Cain, as it is stated: “God placed a mark [ot] on Cain” (Genesis 4:15). Rabbi Neḥemya said: This is leprosy. “Ot” is stated here, and “ot” (II Kings 20:8) is stated regarding Hezekiah. Just as ot stated regarding Hezekiah was a rash, so, too, here, it is a rash. If you do not derive it, derive it from Yoav, who shed blood. What is written in his regard? “May there not be eliminated from the house of Yoav a zav or a leper” (II Samuel 3:29). For saying regarding another a [negative] matter that is not accurate, this is [from] Moses, as when God said to him that he should go to Israel, he said to Him: ‘My Master, but they will not believe me,’ as it is stated: “But they will not believe me…” (Exodus 4:1). God said to him: ‘Moses, do you already know that they will not believe you? They are believers, descendants of believers, yet you say to Me, “but they will not believe me…”?’ “Bring your hand to your bosom…” (Exodus 4:6). Immediately, “he withdrew it, and behold, his hand was leprous like snow (Exodus 4:6). For arrogance, this is Naaman, as it is stated: “Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man […and the man…was leprous]” (II Kings 5:1). What is “great”? It is that he had an arrogance of spirit because he was a great warrior. It is due to this that he was afflicted with leprosy. For one who enters an area that is not his, this is Uziyahu, who sought to enter the area of the priesthood. What is written in his regard? “The leprosy radiated on his forehead” (II Chronicles 26:19). For false speech, this is Miriam, as it is stated: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses” (Numbers 12:1). What is written thereafter? “Aaron turned to Miriam, and behold, she was leprous” (Numbers 12:10). For thefts and for a false oath, as it is written: “It will arrive at the house of the thief and at the house of one who takes an oath by My name falsely, […and it will eliminate it and its timber and its stones]” (Zechariah 5:4). What is a plague that destroys timber and stones? This is leprosy, as it is stated: “He shall demolish the house, its stones, and its timber…” (Leviticus 14:45). For one who profanes the name of Heaven, this is Geḥazi, who pursued Naaman in order to take money from him, as it is stated: “Geḥazi pursued Naaman…” (II Kings 5:21). Elisha sanctified the name of the Holy One blessed be He, as he did not wish to take anything from Naaman, but Geḥazi pursued him and took a false oath to him [Naaman] that he [Elisha] had sent him [Geḥazi] to him [Naaman], so that he would send money to him [Elisha]. The result is this one profaned the name of Heaven, which Elisha had sanctified. The Holy One blessed be He said to Geḥazi: ‘Wicked one; you said: “As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take something [me’uma] from him” (II Kings 5:20). You took an oath in My name in order to profane it? You said me’uma; you will take his blemish [mum]’: “the leprosy of Naaman will cleave to you” (II Kings 5:27). And for idol worship, this is Israel; when they performed that act21The sin of the Golden Calf. In section 4 the midrash derives that Israel became lepers after the sin. they became lepers, as it is stated: “Moses saw the people, that it was wild [farua]” (Exodus 32:25). And it says: “And mortal pain” (Isaiah 17:11) – that is why God said to Moses: ‘Separate the lepers who are in your midst from the camp of Israel, as it is they who performed that act.’ “They shall send out from the camp every leper.”
