Bird's Beckoning
Why does the metzora send away two birds?
Adapted by Channie Koplowitz Stein
While the Torah includes different ways one may become impure with the rituals needed to regain the state of purity, none may be stranger than the ritual prescribed to purify one who has become a metzora, a ritual leper.[Although this affliction is also manifest in lesions, it is not what medical science would diagnose as leprosy, but a spiritual affliction diagnosed by the kohein.] This affliction usually arises as a result of loshon horo, speaking improperly. After the lesions symptoms disappear and the individual appears cured, he must undergo a purification process. Two live, clean birds are taken, together with cedar wood, crimson thread and hyssop. While one bird is slaughtered, the second bird is taken together with the red thread, cedar wood and hyssop, dipped into the blood of the slaughtered bird, and then set free upon the open field. While we cannot know why Hashem commanded this ritual, we can certainly derive from it some valuable lessons.
There is much symbolism in the birds and in the other components of this ritual. The most obvious question is why use birds and not another animal, and why two birds? Rashi provides a basis for beginning our discussion. Since the affliction came upon the individual as a punishment for the chatter of gossip and slander, his purification is effected through chirping, twittering birds. But Rabbi Mordechai Ezrachi zt”l raises a question directly related to this explanation. Why focus on all chattering when the focus should be on loshon horo, on negative speech? After all, notes Rabbi Weiss in Ziv Hechochmah, some very talkative people do not engage in loshon horo, while some quite terse people speak little else but loshon horo. Further, continues the Shvilei Pinchas, why slaughter only one bird and set the other free? Why take the bird with all these other components together?
One may think that using small birds and other small items would be less effective than a more grandiose ceremony. However, Rabbi Bloch zt”l suggests that while big gestures with much pomp may make a great initial impression, their effects are often short lived. In contrast, the small, subtle experiences are likely to retain their influence far longer. [Think of the long, disapproving look versus the loud scolding. CKS]
Citing Ramban zt”l and Racanti zt”l, Rabbi Munk zt”l Points out the parallels between these two birds and the two goats of the Yom Kippur Service. Both rituals are meant to bring atonement, and both include one animal being sacrificed and the other set free. To this, the Netivot Shalom suggests that the first is meant to signify sur meira/distance yourself from evil, while the second signifies stage two, aseh tov/do good. First one has to do teshuvah for his sin, and then one has to ensure he will not succumb to this sin again. To this end, writes Rabbi Birnbaum zt”l, one must find the root cause of the sin, the trigger. The root cause of improper speech is speech itself. It is the failure to recognize the value of speech. After all, it is intelligent, purposeful speech that defines a human being and raises him above all other creatures. Speech was the breath of life that Hashem blew into Adam at his creation. If one recognized the value of speech, one would be careful not to defile it.
Birds chirp all day without saying anything productive. As such, this ritual should act as a preventive measure for the future, writes Rabbi Ezrachi zt”l. We are meant to understand that we are not birds, that we are in control of our speech before we even speak loshon horo. We must pay attention to our speech, to use it purposefully and sensitively, writes Rabbi Scheinerman, citing Rabbi Levovitz zt”l. Speech is a precious gift, and we must treat it as we would any valuable treasure.
In Ziv Hechochmah Rabbi Weiss reminds us of the medrash of the peddler who went to the city of Zippori [alluding to the chattering birds] hawking his wares in the marketplace: "Which man desires life... Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit." (Tehillim 34:12-14) Consciously guarding your speech raises your life to a level of holiness, for you are enhancing your speech, the very breath of life, your neshamah. This, speaking without thinking starts you on the slippery slope toward loshon horo. Value your words as the precious gems they are. Don't throw your words away. Speak only when you have something positive or productive to say. Every time we speak, we exhale a bit of the precious neshamah/breath Hashem blew into us. The rectification is through speech itself, when the kohein utters the word "tahor/pure."
That certainly does not mean that one should never speak. As with any skill, writes the Tolne Rebbe, ome must learn to use it properly or it will present a danger to the user and to others. In fact, writes Rabbi Schlesinger citing the Zohar, one harms his soul not only when one speaks destructively, but also when one fails to use his power of speech positively. Besides speaking words of Torah, one should use his words to encourage others, or to teach proper behavior. This is the purpose of the two birds, writes Rabbi Schlesinger. One bird is to atone for the loshon horo, and one bird the one which is set free, is to atone for the sin of withholding and restraining our speech when it could have served a positive purpose. We should learn to set that speech free.
How often do we greet our fellow with a warm good morning, especially a stranger in our midst, or acknowledge and thank someone for his contribution and efforts to our community? Those are examples of positive speech. Why don't we do that? Rabbi Frand suggests that our impetus to denigrate the other rather than to compliment and validate stems from our own sense of inadequacy. To feel good about ourselves, we focus on the other's failures and begin our slide toward speaking loshon horo.
Rabbi Biederman makes an interesting connection to Purim and the Megillah. Gifts to the poor need not be limited to material gifts (although those are necessary and obligatory). One should seek out the welfare of others, especially those in poor spirit, by gifting them with encouraging words and validating them. Rabbi Friefeld zt"l builds on this idea and likens this speech to emulating Hashem's ways, for, just as Hashem sustains the world constantly, so can we we sustain and revive our fellow man with a kind greeting, a simple validation of his worth. As Rebbetzin Smiles quips, your speech can soar like a bird and lift others up with it.
The purification of our speech must begin with the purification of our heart, to rid our hearts of arrogance writes Rabbi Asher Weiss. We must train ourselves to look for the good in others, to find merit in them rather than faults. Only that way will we find no fault in others to speak of and sully our speech.
The tall cedar represents haughtiness. Temper it by combining it with the lowly hyssop and the thread made red from the dye of a lowly worm, writes Rabbi Grossbard.
It is only through a sense of humility that one can achieve true wisdom. The Shvilei Pinchas develops this idea more fully. As it says in Daniel 2:21, "Hashem gives wisdom to the wise..." How does one achieve this humility? One starts with a sense of his own insignificance, as Moshe stated before Hashem, "Mah nachnu/...and what are we, " and as it says in Tehillim 8:5, "Mah adam/What is [insignificant] man that You should remember him.... be mindful of him?" One begins with that wisdom and then Hashem couples it with, "Mah/ How mighty is Your Name in all the land" (Tehillim 8:2). The result is that we have achieved wisdom, חכמה/ כח מה, the strength and understanding of the "what" of the world. Herein lies the greatest wisdom, the wisdom of Hashem through Torah. Continuing this theme, the Mishneh exhorts us to "know מה/That Which is above ממך /you." This can be reinterpreted as, "Know that what/is decreed above is determined by what you yourself do / ממך."
During this period of counting the omer, the period between Pesach and Shavuot, it is important for us to work on improving our character. The Shvilei Pinchas notes that Bnei Yisroel had to be redeemed immediately, that they could not wait/להתמה-מה. They were so depressed and on such a low spiritual level that they could not appreciate the double aspects of mah, their lowliness but Hashem's greatness. The metzora, thinking himself great, is unworthy of the greatness of Hashem's Torah. Therefore, one bird is slaughtered to remind him of his own mortality, while the second bird reminds him to look upward, to the One Who created all this. He achieves humility, and, in recognizing the majesty of Hakodosh Boruch Hu, he realizes that only Hashem can be prideful. When one can hold both these ideas, his personal lowliness and Hashem's greatness, one will not become arrogant and speak loshon horo.
Rabbi Grossbard zt”l brings an interesting observation from Targum Yonasan. He suggests that the live bird is set free but is never gone for good. If one reverts to his old speech patterns the bird returns to his doorstep to correct him.
The birds we see flying and chirping outdoors [and even more so as pets in our homes] should inspire us to be careful with our words, and bring us to the humility that will make us appropriate vessels to receive the wisdom of Torah.