WHAT we see, or HOW we see it?

In Parsha Tazria, the Kohen (priest) serves as a diagnostician and certifier of the Tzaraat affliction. In one of the verses it says, “to all the eyesight of the Kohain.”

What does “all the eyesight” (an imperfect translation) mean?

Sifra/Torat Kohanim, a early Midrashic source, has two explanations:

1) Everything the Kohain can see. Not just a particular area of affliction. But not private areas that are not usually seen. That’s what’s excluded here.

2) Kohain must have full eyesight to diagnose. Can’t be blind in an eye or have weakened eyesight. He needs all of his sight faculties, in full strength, to be able to diagnose it.

The differences between these 2 Sifra interpretation is whether the Tazria verse’s “eyes” is focused on the examiner or the examined, on how well you can see or what/how much you can see. Is the emphasis on WHAT you can see, or HOW you see it?

Rashi commentary on this Tazria verse goes with the Sifra’s 2nd explanation. He doesn’t mention first, only the second, Sifra explanation. The emphasis is on HOW you see it!

This is valuable insight into many areas of life. You might have two students taking the same class or reading the same book, and yet they view it very differently. Sometimes  you’ll have two families take the same trip or outing, one enjoys it immensely, the other did not. A lot depends on HOW you view it, how you see it, even more than WHAT you see or experience.

We used this message to tie in the “eyes” message in the Berenstain Bears “Inside, Outside, Upside Down” that we shared again this Shabbat.

The secret can often be in how we see it.