Leviticus 13:1 And יהוה spoke to Moses and Aaron saying, 2 When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a שְׂאת lifted up of (rising) a scab, or a bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of tzara’at (leprosy); then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests. C-MATS
Question: Why does tzara’at come upon a person? The plague of tzara’at comes only as punishment for evil talk- speaking derogatorily of others, although he may be telling the truth. Chumash
Question: Why is the one with tzara’at different from all other ritually impure persons in that the Torah said, “he will live in isolation outside the camp.” (Leviticus 13:46)? Since, with his slander, he caused a separation [a rift] between man and wife or between man and his fellow, he too, shall be separated [from society]. Chumash
The ancient Rabbis argued that tzara’at refers not to a bodily disease but to a physical manifestation of a spiritual sickness, a punishment designed to show a wrongdoer that he must mend his ways. In other words, tzara’at is not so much a disease as a form of supernatural spiritual discipline. The biblical treatment of tzara’at was complete isolation: the person was to live outside the camp, cloak himself up to his lips, and cry out, “Unclean, unclean!” The ancient Rabbis argued that the inward cause tzara’at was sin, particularly anti-social sins, such as lying for selfish ends, sexual immorality, false oaths, pride, and especially slander.
Yahshua was in agreement with the other Rabbis: Matthew 15:18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashed hands defiles not a man. C-MATS
Question: Why was Miriam, Moses’ own sister, afflicted with tzara’at? Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife. (Moses married a gentile.) Miriam was the instigator that committed the sin of the evil tongue, speaking against Moses. People tend to make light of the sins of the tongue–gossip, backbiting, tale-bearing– but יהוה takes it very, very seriously!