Derasha 6 on Metzora 14:02

Parashas Metzora · Passuk 14:02

The Complete Passuk

זֹ֤את תִּֽהְיֶה֙ תּוֹרַ֣ת הַמְּצֹרָ֔ע בְּי֖וֹם טׇהֳרָת֑וֹ וְהוּבָ֖א אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temima points to Arachin 15b (verified on the daf).

E-Daf.com — Tsurras Hadaf (size=3)
HebrewBooks / Shas PDF of the daf

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע — אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: מַאי דִּכְתִיב זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע? זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רַע.

English: “The Toras of the metzora” — Reish Lakish said: What is the meaning of the verse “this shall be the Toras of the metzora”? This shall be the Toras of the one who is a motzi shem ra (who gives another a bad name).

Type of Learning

Notarikon / derash on unusual form

What Is Learned

Chazal teach that the metzora’s condition is the Torah’s response to the sin of giving another person a bad name; the unusual form “metzora” (instead of the more common “tzarua”) is read as a notarikon for “motzi shem ra.”