Shemos 4:6 · EXTRA 1 — his hand was leprous EXTRA

Parashas Shemos · Side page (no TT primary unit)

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה ל֜וֹ ע֗וֹד הָֽבֵא־נָ֤א יָֽדְךָ֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וַיָּבֵ֥א יָד֖וֹ בְּחֵיק֑וֹ וַיּ֣וֹצִאָ֔הּ וְהִנֵּ֥ה יָד֖וֹ מְצֹרַ֥עַת כַּשָּֽׁלֶג׃

GOD said to him further, “Put your hand into your bosom.” He put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, his hand was encrusted with snowy scales!cscales Cf. Lev. 13.2–3.

Chabad.org — 4:6

Source Citation

Shemos Rabbah 3:13 — EXTRA.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text

מצורעת כשלג —\ldots סימן לגנות לשון הרע, שחשד את ישראל.

English: “Leprous as snow” — \ldots a sign corresponding to the ugliness of evil speech, for he had suspected Israel.

On the midrash / in context: Linked to the earlier TT unit on 4:1 (suspecting the worthy); the midrash makes the connection between the suspicion and the tzara’as explicit.

Type of Learning

Custom

What Is Learned

Chazal connect the leprous hand to Moshe’s momentary suspicion of Israel’s faith.