Ch. 14, v. 6: “Es hatzipor hachayoh yikach” – The middle of verse 2 begins the rituals of purifying a metzora, starting with the word “v’huvo.” Note the conjunctive letter Vov, which indicates joining. After this every verse likewise begins with the letter Vov, save one verse, ours. This is because the activities of our verse come on the heels of the slaughtering of one of the two birds. By leaving out the letter Vov the Torah teaches us that the live bird should not be connected to the previous activity. The slaughtering of the other bird should not be done on the presence of the remaining bird, thus avoiding the surviving bird’s having pain, “tzaar baa’lei chaim.” (Oznayim laTorah)
Ch. 14, v. 4: “V’eitz erez ushni solaas v’eizove” – This collection of items has in it both a stick of a very tall tree and a lowly grass. Perhaps this comes to teach us that the one who speaks loshon hora, even if he was tall in mitzvos, loses them, and they are transferred to the victim (as mentioned in Chovas Halvovos), who even if he was very lowly in mitzvos until now, has now risen with the infusion of the baal loshon hora’s mitzvos. (Nirreh li)
Ch. 14, v. 17: “Al tnuch ozen .. v’al bohen yodo .. v’al bohen raglo” – The gemara Arochin 16 says that one of the causes of tzoraas is stinginess. How befitting to put oil onto the ear that had not heard the plea for mercy of a poor man, onto the hand that did not give charity, and onto the foot that did not run to help the needy person. (Beis Osher)
Ch. 14, v. 36: “V’lo yitmo kol asher baboyis” – The Torah tells us to remove all vessels to avoid the owner having a loss, “haTorah chosoh al m’monom shel Yisroel.” The Torah even asks others to help remove the vessels, “ufinu,” in the plural form. Why is this lesson taught here? See how much Hashem cares for his wellbeing even though tzoraas came upon this person’s home because he was stingy and did not care about another’s wellbeing. Hopefully he will take a lesson from this. (Nirreh li)
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