Spiritual Disease

The following is taken from my father’s writings.

Tazria and Metzora present the laws of tzara’at (generally, but incorrectly, translated as “leprosy.” Since there is no certainty of the accuracy of the translation, I prefer to leave the word untranslated.).

Ordinarily, we would think of tzara’at as a medical, not a religious problem, so that one affected by the disease would go to a skin specialist to be cured, in keeping with the Torah’s commandment to seek medical treatment when it is needed. Thus, the Torah empowers the physician to order the law to be broken for the benefit of the ill; for example, if the doctor orders the patient to eat on Yom Kippur, the patient must eat. However, in the case of tzara’at, the Torah tells us the metzora must come before a Kohen, who will decide if the person is (ritually) pure or impure.

Our Sages considered tzara’at not only as a physical disease, but as a spiritual one as well, which is punishment for lashon hara, speaking ill of fellow men, or is the result of being stingy or envious of others.

What our Sages wish to convey is that there exists a close connection between physical and spiritual health, so that we cannot separate the physical from the spiritual. Since the soul and the body go together, one who is spiritually ill may be affected physically as well.

Judaism is based upon the principle of the close relationship between physical and moral well-being, not only on the individual level, but on the national level as well. When morality is in decline, inevitably there will be a physical decline as well.

The close connection between physical and spiritual well-being is reflected in the redemption from Egypt, which was composed of physical and spiritual freedom. From Egypt we journeyed to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah. Being taken out of Egypt freed us physically; at Sinai we became spiritually free.

We value spiritual freedom even more than physical freedom. One who is physically enslaved, but has the spirit of a free person has the possibility of regaining freedom. However, one who is spiritually enslaved is hopeless. Even if granted freedom, this person will not know what to do with it and likely will soon lose freedom.