Parshas Metzora – All Dogs Go To Heaven {Eliezer}
All Dogs Go To Heaven
By: {Eliezer} Based on the Teachings of: R’ Akiva Tatz and R’ Shalom Rosner
Mitzrayim (Egypt) is related to a Metzora(someone with a Tzaraas affliction). Meitzar means ‘constriction.’ Mitzra–yim מצר–ים means “מצר” a restricting/squeezing of the ים Yam = 50 = levels of spiritual purity. AמצורעMetzora also becomes “מצר” restricted/confined away and also like a slave (ועthe two remaining letters = 76 = עבד, slave) to his speech. Both are steeped in terrible wickedness that destroys worlds. The only difference מצריםand מצרעים(plural form of Metzora) is that one is always evil but the other has an ע inside = the 70 ‘faces of Torah.’ Let’s look at further connections as well…
Tons of ANIMALS were involved in Egypt. The plagues included frogs, lice, wild animals, and locusts. All of these acted like normal but the FROGS went crazy. The Midrash says they jumped into ovens and even survived! When the Jews were leaving Egypt all the DOGS “Lo Yecherav Kelev Lishono” kept quiet and none of them barked. Because of this, there is a mitzvah to give credit to dogs. When we have meat that we cannot eat we are told to ‘throw it to the dogs.’ Why do the DOGS get more credit than the FROGS?
R’ Spiro: It is harder to control one’s mouth than it is to jump into a fiery oven. The Dogs controlled their INSTINCTS (natural tendencies and desires), and that is tremendous.
This Parsha deals with the element of Lashon Hara (evil speak) and all about self-control over ‘animalistic instincts.’ Mitzrayim (who acted like complete dehumanizing animals and had slaves) is compared to a Metzora (one who chooses to debase his speech to become like an animal/slave to it).
Chafetz Chaim: Make sure we GOT the message: Guard Our Tongues and follow the way of the dogs. Watch not only what goes IN to our mouths but even more so what comes OUT.
What goes IN to our mouths re-forms our bodies (we are what we eat), but what comes OUT of our mouths restructures worlds.
Chovos Halevavos: On our Days of Judgement when we are done here, we will be getting slammed for actions that are not even ours! When we speak evil about others, the words continue to get spread further and further and we are accountable for everywhere they end up. On the flip side, we will also get numerous CREDITS that we never even performed. These come to us from the people who spoke Lashon Hara about us. When EVIL speak when gets emanated from a person’s mouth, it pulls away his/her GOOD deeds along with it and they end up trying to ‘help’ compensate us who were harmed.
R’ Tzvi Dovid: A Rabbi in Krakow heard that people were spreading rumors about him (later, the people found out it wasn’t true). He explained the pasuk (verse) about when Dovid Hamelech says in Tehillim “people who sit in the gates talk about me and those who drink sing songs about me.” Dovid says he couldn’t believe that these drunkards are talking about him, would it have been better if a Torah scholar was talking badly about him? YES!! Because, if great people talk about him at least he would get tremendous deeds in his account due to the transfer! But when the low-lifes talk Lashon Hara, he does not get anything in this world or the next.
When we cannot control what others say about us, at least we can take solace in knowing that magnanimous rewards are now coming our way.
Let us be especially careful to watch what our words create. We must never debase anything to the levels of Mitzrayim and Metzora’im. When we take away the VEIL of EVIL to LIVE properly, we transform our 380 of מצרים Egypt (40+90+200+10+40=380) into becoming העם הנבחר “the chosen nation” (5+70+40+5+50+2+8+200=380) at Sinai. We should use all our speech and actions to elevate the physical to spiritual heights, make sure ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN and help bring about the ultimate un-restricting with the coming of the 3rd Bies Hamikdash, speedily in our days. Amen.