A Schemer Who Missed the Message of Tzara’at

In the last few weeks, we learned how David’s nephew Yonadav ben Shama ostensibly was trying to help David’s son Amnon fulfill his desire but was actually trying to cause problems in David’s family that would enable him to become king. This week we will see that Achitofel did a similar thing – while ostensibly helping Avshalom take over the kingdom from his father, David, Achitofel was actually manipulating to pave the way for his own kingdom. We will approach the matter through the topic of tzara’at (leprosy), which is so much at the heart of our parshiyot.

The Feasibility of Fixing Folly

Ein Aya Shabbat Chapter B Paragraph 105

What are examples of contradictions within Mishlei? It says, Do not answer a fool according to his folly” (Mishlei 26:4) and it says, “Answer a fool according to his folly” (ibid. 5). It is not a problem, as one is talking about matters of Torah (one answers) and one is talking about general matters (one does not answer).