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Moshiach in the Parsha
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MASHIACH IS READY
Vayikra 14:2
Source: Sanhedrin 98a. Rashi Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi once asked Eliyahu Hanovi, When is Mashiach coming? Eliyahu answered, Ask him yourself! But how will I recognize him? he asked. Eliyahu answered, Mashiach is sitting and suffering together with all those who are suffering. When they change the bandages on their sores of tzoraas, they take off all the bandages, clean their wounds and put on new bandages. But Mashiach only changes one bandage at a time. If he would take them all off at once, and the moment of geulah comes, the Bnei Yisroel would have to wait for him to finish changing his bandages. Mashiach goes through all of this extra trouble because he doesn't want us to have to stay in golus even one extra moment!
MASHIACHS NAME
Vayikra 14:2
Source: Sanhedrin 98a The Gemara asks, What is Mashiachs name? It gives many answers: the students of Menachem said his name is Menachem . The students of Shiloh said his name is Shiloh . The students of Yanai said Yanai, and the students of Chanina said Chanina . (The first Hebrew letter of these names - Menachem, Shiloh, Yanai, Chanina also spells out the word Mashiach ). The Rabbanim said, His name is Chivra dvei Rebbi - the Metzora from the house of the Rebbi. Mashiach is called a Metzora because just as the Metzora suffers, Mashiach suffers for the sins of Bnei Yisroel.
AND THE KOHAIN WILL CHECK IF THE TZORAAS IS CURED
Vayikra 14:3.
Sources: Torah Shleima Vol.30, p. 161:19 When the Bnei Yisroel were in Yerushalayim, Yirmiyahu told them to doTeshuva. Since they didn't listen to the novi, Hashem punished them with Tzoraas. Tzoraas and Golus. Hashem told them, Before the Geulah comes, you are all punished for your sins. But when the geulah comes,I myself will purify you forever!
THE PURIFICATION THROUGH MASHIACH
Vayikra 14:5-7
Source: Or HaCHaim 14:9 The Metzora (one who has Tzora'as) represents the Bnei Yisroel in golus and the geulah: When he is sent outside the camp, it is compared to the Bnei Yisroel being sent into golus. When he is healed and he returns, it is like doing Teshuva. The Kohen who declares him Tahor, stands for Hashem, Who tells us that the time for geulah has come. He then takes two birds - which stand for Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben Dovid, the final Mashiach. The three species (Etz Erez, Ayzov, and red wool) stand for the avos. The purification is done with the bird together with the three species - Mashiach with the merit of the avos. The bird is then set free to fly all over the fields (14:7), which stands for Mashiach ruling over the entire world. And the return of the Metzora to the camp stands for the return of Bnei Yisroel to Yerushalayim and the Bais Hamikdosh - may we merit this right NOW!
REBUILDING THE HOUSE
Vayikra 14:35-42
Source: Vayikra Rabba 17:7 Our sages tell us that the laws of tzoraas on a house hint to the Bais Hamikdosh: The owner of the house says, It looks like tzoraas in my house. The owner is Hashem, the house is the Bais Hamikdosh and He sees the sins (tzoraas) of the Bnei Yisroel. Everything is taken out of the house and then the house is broken down. This hints to the plundering of the Bais Hamikdosh and its destruction. But in the end, the house is rebuilt with other stones (14:42), hinting to the rebuilding of the Bais Hamikdosh - may it be NOW!
FINAL PURIFICATION
Vayikra 15:19
Source: Yalkut Shimoni 571 The end of our parsha speaks of a woman who became tameh (impure).
Hashem says that the Bnei Yisroel in golus are compared to a woman whois tameh. When the woman is in the house, even a Kohen Gadol can walk into the house (unlike tumas meis). So too, Hashem is with us even in golus.
But in one way, Hashem says, the Bnei Yisroel are not like this woman. She becomes tameh (impure) and then becomes tahor (pure), then tameh again, and so on. But the purification of the Bnei Yisroel is different -- Hashem Himself will purify us and it will last forever.
THE LAW
Vayikra 14:54.
Source: Min HaTorah p.174 In possuk 54, the Torah says Zos lchol nega batzoraas - This is the law of all types of tzoraas. But again in posuk 57, it repeats, Zos Toras HaTzoraas. Why is it written twice? This teaches us that Hashem will take away all types of tzoraas forever, and they will never return. The only thing that will remain is the law of tzoraas. But the sin that brought the tzoraas -- loshon hora -- still remains. It is only because of Hashems mercy -- and the people that don't speak loshon hora -- that tzoraas doesn't return. Therefore we should be very careful to speak only good about others.
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