Parshas Metzora: Kosnos Or and the Nega

AI summary (may contain mistakes)

Why does a metzora, who spoke lashon hara, bring his nega to the Kohen? The Midrash reads Adam's garments as garments of light, and we learn that the neshama's light is meant to shine through the guf. Misusing the gift of speech blocks that light, and a nega is the very opposite of oneg. The three negaim of body, clothing and house are matched by tefillin, tzitzis and mezuzah.

Key points

• The Midrash says Rabbi Meir's Torah wrote kosnos or with an aleph, garments of light.
• After the chet the guf grew so thick that the neshama's light could no longer shine through.
• The Chasam Sofer, citing the Alshich, links the metzora's Kohen to bigdei kehuna worn for kavod and tiferes.
• In lo hafach hanega, the ayin did not move forward to turn nega into oneg.
• The Rambam adds that tefillin, tzitzis and mezuzah create malachim that protect us from chet.

In this shiur

1. 0:00Tazria and Metzora introduced
2. 1:27Kosnos or with an aleph
3. 3:15Guf, neshama and the driver's seat
4. 6:50The gift of speech and the metzora
5. 8:01Chasam Sofer on the Kohen
6. 10:55Nega and oneg
7. 15:26Three kinds of negaim
8. 18:47Nega lo yikrav in tefillah

Topics

• Tazria Metzora
• Lashon Hara
• Oneg Shabbos
• Tefillin Tzitzis Mezuzah