S.A.L.T. - Monday

Among the distinguishing features of the Hebrew language is the usage of seven different verb forms, called "binyanim." The seven forms in which verbs can appear in Hebrew can be classified into two groups: active and passive forms. Verbs appearing in the three forms called "pa'al," "pi'el" and "hif'il" generally describe an active occurrence.  For example, "I said" would translate into Hebrew in the "pa'al" form: "amarti."  Similarly, "I arranged" would assume the "pi'el" form: "sidarti."  The third of these forms, "hif'il," generally describes an action relating to another person, like "le-halbish," which means to dress another person. 

In any event, all these three forms are used to describe activity.  The three passive forms, "nifal," "pu'al" and "hufal," which correspond to the three active forms, refer to inactivity, if you will. For example, "chunakh" (in "pu'al") means, "was educated" and "nishma" (in "nifal") means "was heard" (though it can also be used as first person, plural, future tense, to mean "we will hear").

The seventh, unique verb form is called "hitpa'el."  This form fits into neither category and generally describes a reflexive action. For example, "le-hitrachetz" means to bathe oneself, and "le-hitlabesh" means to dress oneself.

Recognizing these different verb forms and seeing them in action often proves critical in studying Biblical text, as we will now demonstrate from Parashat Metzora.

This parasha opens with the presentation of the purification process required of a metzora, one who had become afflicted with tzara'at (a skin disease similar to leprosy).  Several times throughout this parasha, the Torah refers to the metzora undergoing this process as the "mitaher," or "the one being purified."  This word, which features the "chirik" vowel under the "mem" (yielding a pronunciation of, "mEEtaher") may not be confused with the term used here in reference to the administering kohen: "metaher" (with a "sheva na" under the "mem"), or "the one purifying."  Although both words come from the same root, "t.h.r.," which refers to purification, they appear in different forms.  The kohen, who performs the rituals necessary for the metzora's purification, is described with the active verb form of "pi'el" (like "medaber," "meshalem," etc.).  More interestingly, however, the metzora's description adopts the reflexive "hitpa'el" form.  Now a cursory reading of the first 32 verses in Parashat Metzora clearly reveals that the metzora plays no active role whatsoever throughout this entire procedure. He needs only to come before the kohen, who then does the rest.  Should not the Torah have therefore described the metzora with the purely passive form of "nifal" - "nithar"?

Rav Meir Simcha Ha-kohen of Dvinsk explains that the Torah here teaches us that the metzora's purification process does, in fact, require proactive involvement on his part.  Although ritually the kohen assumes the dominant role, the metzora's restoration to normal life requires his own personal initiative, as well.  As Chazal emphasize, one contracts this supernatural disease of tzara'at as punishment for certain sins, most notably that of lashon hara (negative speech about others).  The process of spiritual cleansing cannot work through the kohen's efforts alone.  The "mitaher" must look into himself and work to correct the flaw that brought on this illness.

The usage of "hitpa'el" in this context thus teaches us a critical lesson for religious life: nobody can help you if you don't help yourself.  One can place himself in a spiritually conducive environment and surround himself with the most inspiring and effective rabbis, teachers, mentors and role models, and still fail to move forward in his observance if he doesn't exert himself.  True, a metzora cannot become purified without the kohen's involvement, and we cannot grow without the guidance and inspiration of our teachers.  However, the metzora cannot remain passive; the Torah requires a reflexive action on his part, that he conducts a serious and intense process of introspection to raise himself from the impurity of tzara'at. We must do the same if we hope to raise ourselves to higher levels of mitzva observance.

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