Parasha of Afflictions
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Question
Hello, Honorable Rabbi, The afflictions of leprosy described in the weekly portions Tazria and Metzora start first with the afflictions of the house, then the garments, and finally the person himself. So why did the Torah write them in reverse order? In the portion of Tazria, the afflictions of the person are described first, then the garments, and in the portion of Metzora, the afflictions of the house?
Answer
Hello and happy holiday!
There are several explanations for this, and we will present two of them:
A. The Alshech explains that this is the way of a loving father, who, when he wants to chastise his son for his wrongdoing, says to him, 'It would have been appropriate to strike you on the body, but I am kind to you and strike only your garments, and I am even more merciful and strike only the walls of your house.'
B. The Ohr HaChaim explains that it is to say that for the same sins for which afflictions come upon a person, afflictions also come upon garments and houses. So that it should not be said that for a minor sin, an affliction comes upon the house, for a more severe one, upon the garment, and for the most severe, upon the person himself.
Source
Alshech Vayikra 13
Ohr HaChaim Vayikra 14