The word - like an affliction, 'something' implied - seems to be an unusual choice. Why should the house-owner not bring a definitive report to the Cohen so that remedial work can begin at once?

Rashi: Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (1040-1105CE), French rabbi who wrote commentaries on the Torah, the Prophets and the Talmud, lived in Troyes where he founded a yeshiva in 1067; focuses on the plain meaning (p'shat) of the text, although sometimes quite cryptic in his brevity

Both Rashi and the

Sforno: Rabbi Ovadiah Sforno (1470-1550CE), Italian rabbi, philosopher and physician; born in Cesena, he went to Rome to study medicine; left in 1525 and after some years of travel, settled in Bologna where he founded a yeshiva which he conducted until his death

The

Ba'al HaTurim: Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher (1269-1343), born in Cologne, Germany; lived for 40 years in and around Toledo, Spain; died en route to Israel; his commentary to the Chumash is based upon an abridgement of the Ramban, including Rashi, Rashbam and Ibn Ezra; it includes many references to gematria and textual novelties

Nechama Leibowitz: (1905-1997CE), born in Riga, graduate of the University of Berlin, made aliyah in 1931; professor at Tel Aviv University; taught Torah for over 50 years

Although tzara'at is held by the rabbis only to operate when the people of Israel are living in the land of Israel and in a theocracy where the priests administer the Torah, G-d is still just as concerned that damage is done today between people by habits of gossip. Yeshua warns believers that, "Moreover, I tell you this: on the Day of Judgment people will have to give account for every careless word they have spoken; for by your own words you will be acquitted, and by your own words you will be condemned" (Matthew 12:36-37, CJB). Neither is the context in which we speak any protection for He follows that up with the warning that "Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops" (Luke 12:3, NASB). In a verse that speaks both inwards and outwards, the Psalmist cries, "Deliver my soul, O L-RD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue" (Psalm 120:2, NASB); he needs to preserved against the effects of other peoples' lies and deceit, but he also needs to be protected from developing those same habits himself and being destroyed from within!

Given such a certain warning and exhortation, how should we govern our actions and conduct? All of us at some time or another have been guilty of, at best, careless or thoughtless speech; at worse, many of us have taken pleasure in passing on unflattering comments, criticism or reports of someone's behaviour or mistakes, possibly even originating them. We justify this either on the grounds that it is in the public interest that as wide a circulation as possible of that person's faults is made so that other people are not deceived or taken in by them, or because we are allowing the person to suffer from their own actions or words - often a thinly disguised form of revenge or getting one's own back. In the latter case, G-d simply forbids revenge, as Rav Sha'ul writes: "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of G-d, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the L-rd" (Romans 12:19, NASB); as to the former, Yeshua said, "Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!" (Matthew 18:7, NASB). Even passing on opinion or unauthorised but true facts about people in prayer requests or prayer chains constitutes gossip. Once we become aware of our actions, we should make restitution where possible by apologising to the person concerned and repenting before G-d at the first opportunity.

Further Study: Psalm 34:5; 2 Peter 3:14

Application: Have you been caught out with this one? It is so easy that the enemy often uses it to trip us up and spoil our relationships with other people and with G-d. Think back and you'll most likely find at least one incident that you need to cover. Why not make a start right now and ask the Holy Spirit to give you a nudge before you open your mouth next time you're tempted?

© Jonathan Allen, 2009