Written by Chanie Gourarie

Tzara’as, Hashem said, “I will give,”
On the homes where the Jews would settle to live.
Why does the Torah choose,
To make it sound like a piece of news?

Tzara’as was a punishment for talking negatively,
About strangers, neighbors or family.
Tzara’as came in stages four,
It wasn’t something you could ignore.

First on walls, then objects of leather were affected,
Clothing was next and then the body was infected.
Tzara’as was no fun, it is true,
But there is a lesson here for me and you.

When things seem bad we need to realize,
That it is good news in disguise,
In every situation there is a silver lining,
It is really goodness that is hiding.

How could Tzara’as be a blessing, you may wonder,

Let us go back in time and discover,
When the Amorite nation heard that the Jews were coming near,
In the walls they hid their golden treasures so dear.

They knew that because they sinned they would be sent away,
They hoped that the same fate would befall the Jews one day,
To claim their treasures in the future was in their plans,
But the hidden gold would fall into Jewish hands.

Let us learn the laws and see,
How this would come to be,
If a person found Tzara’as on his wall,

The Kohen he would call.

If the Tzara’as spread, unfortunately,

The house would have to be destroyed totally,
At this point the treasures would be uncovered,
The Amorites wealth would be discovered!

In the word Amorite, Amor can be seen,
To say, is what Amor does mean,
Tzara’as transforms evil speech,
So that the treasures within, we can reach!