We often think of disease as random, a matter of bad luck. But what if certain behaviors, certain flaws in our character, actually pave the way for illness and hardship? That’s what we’re diving into today, looking at a fascinating passage from Vayikra Rabbah, a collection of rabbinic interpretations of the Book of Leviticus.
The passage begins with a seemingly straightforward verse from (Leviticus 14:2): “This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his purification: He shall be brought to the priest.” But the rabbis, never content with the surface meaning, see a deeper connection here. They link this verse about leprosy to a passage in Proverbs (6:16-19) that lists six things God hates, and a seventh that is an abomination. "They are six that the Lord hates, and seven that are an abomination to His soul."
Rabbi Meir sees a simple numerical connection: six plus seven equals thirteen. But the other Rabbis offer a more profound interpretation: the seventh item on the list, "one who incites discord among brothers," is the worst of them all. It's so damaging that it encompasses the negativity of all the others.
So, what are these sins that are so offensive? "Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart devising iniquitous thoughts, feet hastening to run to evil, he who utters lies as a false witness, and he who incites discord among brothers." According to Rabbi Yoḥanan, all of these transgressions can lead to leprosy. "Haughty eyes" – the arrogance of the daughters of Zion, described in Isaiah (3:16-17). As it is written: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and they walk with outstretched necks and painted eyes,” and it is written: “The Lord will afflict the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs.” They flaunted their wealth and beauty, caring only about outward appearances. They’d even wear elaborate shoes, as Rabbi Abba bar Kahana points out, some adorned with serpent designs, symbols of idolatry. Others, according to the Rabbis, would fill eggshells with balsam and place them under their heels. When they saw young men, they would stomp on the eggshells, releasing a seductive scent, "like the venom of a serpent."
Their punishment? The Lord afflicted them with scabs, says Isaiah. Rabbi Elazar believes this was leprosy, connecting it to (Leviticus 14:56). Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina, however, suggests it was swarms of lice. Either way, the message is clear: pride comes before a fall, and outward vanity can lead to inner corruption, resulting in physical ailments.
Then there's "a lying tongue." The rabbis use the example of Miriam, who spoke against Moses (Numbers 12:1). The consequence? "The cloud withdrew from upon the Tent, and behold, Miriam was leprous like snow" (Numbers 12:10).
"Hands that shed innocent blood" brings to mind Yoav, whose violent acts ultimately led to his downfall. As it is written: “The Lord will repay his blood upon his head,” (I (Kings 2:3)2) and “It shall rest on the head of Yoav…those who suffer from discharge and lepers” (II (Samuel 3:2)9).
We then have "a heart devising iniquitous thoughts," exemplified by Uzziah, who attempted to usurp the high priesthood. "The Lord afflicted the king, and he was a leper until the day of his death" (II Kings 15:5).
"Feet hastening to run to evil" reminds us of Geḥazi, who chased after Naaman for personal gain. As it is stated: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you” (II (Kings 5:2)7).
And finally, that most abominable sin, "he who incites discord among brothers." The rabbis point to Pharaoh, who sowed division between Abraham and Sarah. "The Lord afflicted [vaynaga] Pharaoh" (Genesis 12:17), and nega can mean leprosy.
It’s fascinating how the rabbis connect these moral failings to a physical disease. They're not saying that everyone with leprosy is guilty of these sins, but rather highlighting a profound connection between our inner lives and our physical well-being.
The passage continues with a discussion of other types of skin diseases, particularly one called raatan. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel heard an elder say that “there are twenty-four types of skin disease and none is more problematic for the conduct of sexual relations than raatan.” Rabbi Pedat even suggests that Pharaoh was afflicted with it! The text also mentions precautions to take around those suffering from raatan, highlighting the contagious nature of the ailment.
The passage concludes with a statement from Rabbi Yosei: "This shall be the law of the leper [hametzora]," which hints at the defamer [hamotzi shem ra]. The Torah refers to the law of the leper [metzora] rather than the law of leprosy in order to hint to the fact that one who defames others [motzi shem ra] becomes a leper. The idea is that lashon hara, evil speech, is a spiritual disease that can manifest physically.
So, what's the takeaway here? It's a powerful reminder that our actions have consequences, not just for ourselves, but for the world around us. By cultivating humility, honesty, and compassion, and by avoiding arrogance, deceit, and divisiveness, we can not only improve our own lives but also contribute to a healthier, more harmonious world. Is it a literal one-to-one correlation? Maybe not. But the message resonates: our inner landscape shapes our outer reality. And that's something worth pondering.
“This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his purification: He shall be brought to the priest” (Leviticus 14:2). “This shall be the law of the leper.” That is what is written: “They are six that the Lord hates, and seven that are an abomination to His soul” (Proverbs 6:16). Rabbi Meir and the Rabbis, Rabbi Meir says: Six and seven are thirteen.1Six are enumerated before this verse and seven after this verse. The Rabbis say: There are a total of seven; “and seven” that is written is [referring to] the seventh, who is worse than all of them together. Which is this? It is “one who incites discord among brothers” (Proverbs 6:19). These are they: “Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart devising iniquitous thoughts, feet hastening to run to evil, he who utters lies as a false witness, and he who incites discord among brothers (Proverbs 6:17–19). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: All of them are afflicted with leprosy. “Haughty eyes,” from the daughters of Zion,2The precedent of the daughters of Zion demonstrates that one with haughty eyes is afflicted with leprosy. as it is written: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and they walk with outstretched necks and painted eyes” (Isaiah 3:16), and it is written: “The Lord will afflict the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs” (Isaiah 3:17). They would extend themselves, erect like spears, and walk haughtily. “They walk with outstretched necks,” one of them would wear her jewelry and would turn her neck in order to flaunt her jewelry. “And painted eyes,” Rabbi Manei of Caesarea said: They would paint their eyes with red paint. Reish Lakish said: With red eye balm. “They walk with dainty steps” (Isaiah 3:16). When one of them was tall she would bring two short ones, one on one side and one on the other side, so she would appear tall. When one of them was short, she would bring two short ones and would place a thick sole on her feet so she would appear tall. “And strut [te’akasna] their feet” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: There was the form of a serpent3One term for a serpent is akas. The serpent was a symbol of idolatry. on her shoes. The Rabbis say: She would bring an eggshell and fill it with balsam and place it under the heel of her shoe. When she would see a group of young men, she would stomp on it and the scent would spread through them like the venom of a serpent. The Holy One blessed be He would say to Isaiah: ‘What are these doing here? Let them rise and be exiled from here.’ Isaiah would say to them: ‘Repent before enemies set upon you!’ They would say: ‘If enemies set upon us, what will they be able to do,’ as it is stated: “[Woe to them…] who say: Let Him hurry, let Him hasten His action, so that we will see it” (Isaiah 5:18–19). ‘A commander will see me and abduct me. A governor will see me and abduct me. A general will see me and abduct me, and seat me in his carriage.’4The women said that they would not mind being taken captive by enemy officers. That is, “let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel approach and be realized, and we will know it” (Isaiah 5:19); we will know whose counsel prevails, ours or His. When their sins became greater, the enemies came, and [the women] would adorn themselves and go out before them like prostitutes. A commander would see them and abduct them. A governor would see them and abduct them. A general would see them and abduct them and seat them in the carriage. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Will My counsel not prevail and theirs will prevail?’ What did he do? “The Lord afflicted the head of the daughters of Zion with scabs [vesipaḥ].” Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina, Rabbi Elazar says: He afflicted them with leprosy, as it is written: “And for the spot and for the scab [velasapaḥat]” (Leviticus 14:56). Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: He brought up on their head swarms [mishpaḥot] upon swarms of lice. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: He rendered them mekhudanot maidservants [shefaḥot]. What is mekhudanot? It is enslaved maidservants. Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Ḥilfa bar Idi said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: What is vesipaḥ? He protected their families so that the holy seed would not intermingle with the peoples of the lands. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I know that the nations of the world do not separate themselves from leprosy.’ What did He do? “The Lord will bare their private parts” (Isaiah 3:17). The Holy One blessed be He indicated to their uteruses, and [the woman] would discharge blood and fill the carriage with blood. The government official would pierce her with a spear and place her before the carriage. The carriage would go over them and trample them. That is what Jeremiah says: “Turn away [suru] impure one, [turn away, turn away [suru suru]], they shouted at them” (Lamentations 4:15). Rabbi Meir said: It is in the Greek language, stench [siron siron].5Because of her foul odor, the official cast her from the carriage. “A lying tongue” (Proverbs 6:17) from Miriam, as it is written: “Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses” (Numbers 12:1). From where is it derived that she was afflicted with leprosy? As it is stated: “The cloud withdrew from upon the Tent, and behold, Miriam was leprous like snow” (Numbers 12:10). “Hands that shed innocent blood” (Proverbs 6:17), from Yoav, as it is stated: “The Lord will repay his blood upon his head” (I Kings 2:32). From where is it derived that he was afflicted with leprosy? As it is written: “It shall rest on the head of Yoav…those who suffer from discharge and lepers” (II Samuel 3:29). “A heart devising iniquitous thoughts” (Proverbs 6:18), from Uzziah, who sought to usurp the high priesthood. From where is it derived that he was afflicted with leprosy? As it is stated: “The Lord afflicted the king, and he was a leper until the day of his death” (II Kings 15:5). “Feet hastening to run to evil” (Proverbs 6:18), from Geḥazi, as it is stated: “Geḥazi, the lad of Elisha…said…[I will run after him and take something from him]” (II Kings 5:20). From where is it derived that he was afflicted with leprosy? As it is stated: “The leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you” (II Kings 5:27). “And he who incites discord among brothers” (Proverbs 6:19), from Pharaoh, who incited discord between Abraham and Sarah. From where is it derived that he was afflicted with leprosy? As it is stated: “The Lord afflicted [vaynaga] Pharaoh”6The word nega means leprosy, as in Leviticus 13:2. (Genesis 12:17). Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: One time I was walking on the road between Tiberias and Tzippori. A certain elder encountered me and said to me: ‘There are twenty-four types of skin disease and none is more problematic for the conduct of sexual relations than raatan.’7A form of gonorrhea. Rabbi Pedat said: Pharaoh was afflicted with it. That is why Moses cautioned Israel: “This shall be the law of the leper [hametzora],” the defamer [hamotzi shem ra].8The Torah refers to the law of the leper [metzora] rather than the law of leprosy in order to hint to the fact that one who defames others [motzi shem ra] becomes a leper. The fact that this is the only cause alluded to in the verse affirms the statement that “he who incites discord among brothers” is worse than the others who are punished with leprosy. It is taught: Rabbi Yosei said: A certain elder from the men of Jerusalem said to me: ‘There are twenty-four types of skin disease and all of them are problematic for the conduct of sexual relations, but raatan is most problematic of them all.’ From what does one contract it? We learned: If one let his blood, and engaged in sexual relations, he will have epileptic children, etc.9This is a reference to a statement cited in the Talmud. The statement continues: If both of them let their blood and then engaged in sexual relations, they will have children with raatan (Ketuvot 77b; Nidda 17a). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Be wary of flies that frequent sufferers of raatan. Rabbi Zeira would not sit in their midst. Rabbi Elazar would not enter their tents. Rabbi Ami and Rabbi Asi would not eat an egg of theirs. In that regard it is stated: “This shall be [the law of the leper [nametzora]].
