In the sixth aliyah of Parshat Tazria-Metzora, Hashem tells Moshe and Aharon that when they come to the Land, He will bring tzaraat on the houses, כי תבאו אל ארץ כנען אשר אני נתן לכם לאחזה ונתתי נגע צרעת בבית ארץ אחזתכם (Vayikra 14:34). Why does Hashem say He will bring tzaraat onto the homes? Tzaraat is meant to be a divine spiritual ailment in response to a sin, so what led to this punishment? Rashi, quoting a well-known Midrash in Vayikra Rabbah, explains that in our verse, Hashem is actually giving good news. While B’nai Yisrael wandered in the midbar, the Amorites hid all of their treasures and gold in the walls of their houses. And so, when B’nai Yisrael inherit the Land of Canaan, including the homes of the Amorites, Hashem gives the houses tzaraat so that B’nai Yisrael will knock down the walls and discover the hidden wealth. Hashem brings tzaraat to the houses not as a punishment but as a reward to B’nai Yisrael. Here the Torah is challenging us to look at an obstacle that we may otherwise view as tzaraat, as a negative and unwanted thing, and instead see it as an opportunity. On the surface, it may seem like the tzaraat on the house is a devastating ailment. But God has a greater plan that sometimes we cannot yet recognize. Today, identify one thing that you see as an obstacle in your life and challenge yourself to see it as an opportunity. How can you construct meaning and connection in the face of seeming destruction? How can you uncover hidden treasure within this obstacle?
