The Blessed Affliction

Was today a good day or bad day? Did good things happen or did bad things happen? And in fact were they really bad? Do you have the perspective of time?

Jewish thought teaches that since the sin of Adam and Eve there is nothing that is entirely bad and nothing that is entirely good. Each has some of the other. It is up to us to find the good in the bad.

A powerful example of this is in this week’s Parsha.

The Torah continues its discussion of the affliction of Tzaraas, a skin discoloration that existed during unique times in our history. It had the power to affect the body, clothing and even the walls of one’s home.

It was a living example of punishment as consequence, for the Tzaraas came as a result of Lashon Harah, speaking ill of others.
Yet at the same time a seeming paradox presents itself. When the Tzaraas would afflict the walls of the home, often the wall would need to be demolished as part of the purifying process. Our Sages say, that one of the reasons for this is so that when the afflicted would open the walls they would fine treasure left by the Emorites who abandoned their homes when the Jews entered into the land.

So was it a bad thing; a punishment for speaking ill of others.

Or a good thing; a mechanism to uncover hidden treasures?

The answer is yes. It is both. In fact, when a person were to correct his behavior then we see that even what seems at first to be a negative is Divinely designed as part of the journey to grow, accomplish and attain things that might not otherwise be achieved.

This serves as a powerful lesson for us in moments when we might be having a rough day on account of something that happened to us or even on account of something we’ve done wrong. If we shift gears, if we change our behavior, if we change our perspective we will see the blessing that awaits us when the darkness parts.

Good Shabbos!