The Order of Tzaraas and Earthenware Utensils
May 02, 2025•11 min
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Episode description
Aharon Fischbein asked why the order Tzaraas is presented in the Torah (person, clothes, house) is the opposite of the order that the Rambam (Tumaas Tzaraas 16:10) and the Midrash Vvayikra Rabba 17:4) say occurs to a sinner.
Rashi (Vayikra 14:36) says that when the Torah allows a person to remove his possessions from his house before the kohen declares it tamei with Tzaraas, this is merely to protect his (lowly) earthenware vessels from tumaah. On the surface, this seems extreme.
This episode addresses both of these questions.
Note: After I recorded, I noticed that the midrash (cited above) supports our explanation of the order that Tzaraas occurs.
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