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This week’s Torah portion, Metzora, tells of the laws of one finding Tzora’as on his house. The Torah says that[1] “When you come to the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a possession, and I place a lesion of Tzora’as upon a house in the land of your possession …” Rashi comments that “Finding lesions of Tzora’as is (actually) good news for the Jews. The Emorim had hidden away treasures of gold inside the walls of their houses throughout the entire forty years that the Jews were in the desert. Because of finding the lesion, one would demolish the house and find them.”
Why does Rashi assume that the Emorim hid their treasures throughout the forty years? It would seem much more straightforward to say that they began hiding their treasures after the conquest of Sichon and Og by the Jews. Rashi writes that Sichon and Og were the two kings upon whom the Emorim relied[2]. It would seem that it was then, near the end of the forty years, that they would have become frightened and begin hiding their gold.
We can answer this in the following manner. Hiding one’s treasures in the walls of his house is indicative of two contradictory feelings. On the one hand, he is afraid of being conquered, so he hides his treasure. On the other hand, hiding it in the walls of his house demonstrates that he is confident about returning to his home.
This explains why they began hiding their treasures immediately after the Jews left Egypt. At the time of the Exodus, they already knew that the Jews would possess their land, and therefore, that was when they began hiding their gold.
They knew that Hashem told Avrohom that[3] “the fourth generation will return here (to Israel), for the iniquity of the Emorim will not be complete until then.” This demonstrated that the Land of Israel does not tolerate sin, so the Jews could not return to Israel until the “sin of the Emorim was complete.” Since a nation’s sins would not allow him to remain in this land, they hoped that at some point, they would retake the land (and their homes) because the Jews would not (Chas Veshalom) merit to remain.
May our actions earn us the right to return to Israel with the complete and true redemption with Moshiach! I wish one and all a good Shabbos, and a Kosher, and a happy Pesach!
Rabbi Shmuel Mendelsohn
Adapted from Likkutei Sichos Volume 32, Page 91
DEDICATED IN HONOR OF THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE
IN LOVING MEMORY OF
DR. MINDEL RIVKA (MURIEL) BAS REB MENACHEM MENDEL SHLOMO ע”ה STITT
PASSED AWAY ON SHABBAT PARSHAS LECH LECHA, 10 MAR-CHESHVAN, 5782
MAY HER SOUL BE BOUND IN THE ETERNAL BOND OF LIFE
IN HONOR OF
The Soldiers of Tzivos Hashem Chaim and Aiden Oded שיחיו Morris
DEDICATED BY THEIR PARENTS
Rabbi & Mrs. Menachem M. and Chaya Mushka שיחיו Morris
[1]. Our Parshah, Vayikroh 14:34.
[2]. Parshas Balak, Bamidbar 22:2.
[3]. Parshas Lech Lecho, Bereishis 15:16.
The Rebbe Teaches Rashi 