Derasha 4 on Metzora 14:04

Parashas Metzora · Passuk 14:04

The Complete Passuk

וְצִוָּה֙ הַכֹּהֵ֔ן וְלָקַ֧ח לַמִּטַּהֵ֛ר שְׁתֵּֽי־צִפֳּרִ֥ים חַיּ֖וֹת טְהֹר֑וֹת וְעֵ֣ץ אֶ֔רֶז וּשְׁנִ֥י תוֹלַ֖עַת וְאֵזֹֽב׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temima points to Arachin 16b (verified on the daf).

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

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
שְׁתֵּי צִפֳּרִים — אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי: מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה מְצֹרָע שֶׁאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה יָבִיא צִפֳּרִים לְטָהֳרָתוֹ? הוּא עָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה פְּטִיט, אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה יָבִיא קָרְבַּן פְּטִיט.

English: “Two birds” — R’ Yehoshua ben Levi said: Why was the metzora singled out that the Torah requires him to bring birds for his purification? He performed an act of chirping (excessive talk); therefore the Torah said he should bring a chirping offering.

Type of Learning

Middah keneged middah

What Is Learned

Chazal explain the choice of birds as a fitting counterpart to the metzora’s sin of excessive, harmful speech (lashon hara).