Weekly Sidra: Tazria (she conceived)
Torah Portion: Vayikra / Leviticus 14:1-15:33
Haftorah: Melachim Bet / Kings II 7:3-20

There were four men, lepers, outside the gate. They said to one another, "Why should we sit here waiting for death? 4 If we decide to go into the town, what with the famine in the town, we shall die there; and if we just sit here, still we die. Come; let us desert to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we shall live; and if they put us to death, we shall but die." (Malachim Beit 7:3-4)

This week’s Haftarah portion begins by telling the story of four Lepers. This dovetails with the Torah portion of Metzorah (tradition or ritual) in dealing with people who have Leprosy. I have italicized the words Leper and Leprosy because this is a poor English translation. The disease in question is not Leprosy, but Tzaraat (Hebrew צרעת,).

My purpose though is not to focus on Tzaraat, but on the purpose of of these men with Tzaraat. Why does the Haftarah begin by introducing us to four men with Tzaraat?

These men had Chutzpah (guts). They knew they were going to die so they headed for an enemy camp. God provided a miracle causing the army to flee and the men proceeded to plunder the camp. They felt bad talking all the stuff for themselves so they decide to go tell the King.

The King does not believe the report of these men (v 12), but one of the courtiers convinces the King to send a team out to go to the camp. In the end of the story we see that the King’s aide dies because he did not believe the word of HaShem.

“The people then went out and plundered the Aramean camp. So a seah of choice flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel — as the Lord had spoken. Now the king had put the aide on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate; and he was trampled to death in the gate by the people — just as the man of God had spoken, as he had spoken when the king came down to him. For when the man of God said to the king, "This time tomorrow two seahs of barley shall sell at the gate of Samaria for a shekel, and a seah of choice flour for a shekel,” the aide answered the man of God and said, "Even if the Lord made windows in the sky, could this come to pass?" And he retorted, "You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat of it." That is exactly what happened to him: The people trampled him to death in the gate. (Vv 16-20)

Judaism is rich in traditions and rituals. Many of these traditions, such as Passover, remind us of God mercy toward us and His power over our enemies. However, a greater lesson may be learned from this reading.

People with Tzaraat were not highly considered in Jewish society. They were the lowest of the low. Yet God used these men to convey a message to the King. While, the King did not initially believe the story, the community was ultimately blessed. One man however, lost his life because he did not believe the voice of God.

God uses many people to convey his blessings and messages. Some like Rahab (a prostitute), Balaam’s donkey, or these four men were lowly vessels. However, we must remember to never discount our traditions or rituals, nor the vessels in which God chooses to convey them.

We must take the time to listen to people be they Kings or the beggar on the street because if we refuse to listen we just may miss the hearing the voice of God.