A worldview that’s for the birds

Rabbi Dr David Nossel

Waverley Shul

This seems to describe well the status of the metzora – the so-called “spiritual leper” – who is unique in the requirement to bring two birds as offerings for purification.

Apparently the message to him is: You, Mr Metzora, belong with the birds! On the one hand you are able to fly higher and higher, get closer and closer to Heaven, but you don’t ever seem to get to the true heights that are there; and on the other hand you hang around and hop around on Earth but you don’t ever seem to become involved in the true benevolence that comes with being among people.

Instead of being a giant whose head is in heaven and whose feet are on the ground, you’re a fagela – a little bird who inhabits no-man’s land. Nisht ahin nischt aher…

However, Rabbi Yehuda ben Levi (Arachin 15b) asks: “What is different about the metzora that the Torah says he must bring two birds for his purification?” Rabbi Yehuda ben Levi does not see this “nisht ahin nischt aher” message of the two bird offering as being unique to the metzora.

To some or other degree we ALL have it! Kleiningkeit – the tendency to be “small”, is a challenge for all of us, not only the metzora.

And therefore Rabbi Yehuda ben Levi provides a new, completely different insight: “Says The Holy One Blessed Be He: ‘The metzora does petite deeds’ (says Rashi: petite refers to a voice that goes out quietly), therefore the Torah says he must bring a petite offering.” (Rashi comments: for the birds shout at every hour).

Very strange! What do petite deeds have to do with a petite offering of two birds? And furthermore, why does Rashi explain petite in reference to deeds to mean “soft”, and petite in reference to offerings to mean “loud”? The metzora’s deeds are somehow “soft” and yet his offerings are somehow “loud”. What does this all mean?

The uniqueness of the metzora is not his limited involvement in both the spiritual and material worlds. It is something completely different: it’s his quiet deeds and his loud offerings!

All the while one keeps ALL one’s deeds petite, and opts for a “non-doer” mind-set, one is still able to be tzora’as-free. But when one engages “loudly” in ritual doing, and yet is “quiet” in one’s interpersonal acts of kindness, something is not right. The inconsistency shouts out loud for all to hear.

The lesson of the metzora is that when we keep all our deeds (our ritual AND our virtuous acts) small, we can hop along through life, as free (and as small) as a bird. But when our virtuous acts are small and our ritual ones big, the contrast between the two makes one heck of a noise.

And so the metzora is much worse than nisht ahin nischt aher. He’s something much more shreklik – he’s a freak combination of a hen and a hare – a doer for heaven and a non-doer for Earth.