Our Gemara on amud beis discusses the ways in which Dovid Hamelech was verbally tormented by his critics:

They torment me to the extent that even at the time when they are engaged in the public study of the halachos of leprous sores and tents in which there is a corpse, they say to me: David, one who engages in adultery, what form of execution do they give him? And I say to them: An adulterer who commits this sin with a married woman before witnesses and with forewarning, is liable for the death penalty by strangulation, but he still has a share in the World-to-Come. But one who humiliates another in public has no share in the World-to-Come. The transgression of you, who humiliate me, is more severe than my transgression.

The Gemara’s reference to the halachic sphere of “leprous sores and tents in which there is a corpse” or in Hebrew, Nega’im and Oholos” is a distinctive choice. Peri Tzaddik (Vayetzei 7.2) notes that this terminology is used in another area of the Talmud, also seemingly with a purpose.  For example, one of Rabbi Akiva’s peers criticize his forays into aggadah (Sanhedrin 67b):

Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said to him: Akiva, what are you doing occupying yourself with the study of aggadah? This is not your field of expertise. Take your statements to the tractates of Nega’im and Oholos.

Rav Tzaddok explains that Nega’im and Oholos comprise three basic impurities: Tzora’as, Zav, and a corpse.  Each of these three represent specific character flaws.  The Metzora sins with jealousy and anger. He is utterly anti-social and must be sent out of all three encampments.  The Zav’s impurity, which is an affliction of the sexual organs, represents lust.  This sin is not as bad so he can still remain in the Israelite camp, while staying away from the Cohanite camp.  The impurity of the corpse represents arrogance, as of course death is the great equalizer and humbles all of us. While arrogance is problematic and therefore impure as well, it does not necessitate leaving any encampment, though he can render others impure, so contact is necessarily restricted.

Therefore these areas of study, as when Torah is studied properly in any area, opens a path to greater consciousness and refinement in that aspect of moral character development.  Thus, Rabbi Akiva’s colleague was saying, “You have a particular talent in these halachic and psychologically difficult areas, Klall Yisrael needs you to focus on that, so as to inspire repair to these deficits and impurities: Jealous and hatred, lust, and arrogance. \

Likewise, Dovid Hamelech was incredulous.  Even whilst Doeg and Achitofel were studying Torah that should confront and tame their tendency toward arrogance, hate, and lust, they have no problem committing these sins against me. 

Let us hope that in whatever area of Torah we study, we merit the ability to absorb the messages and not be blinded by our distortions and rationalizations.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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