Tazria-Metzora - Skin Disease, Theodicy and Job

(16) When [King Uzziah] was strong, he grew so arrogant he acted corruptly: he trespassed against his God by entering the Temple of the Eternal to offer incense on the incense altar. (17) The priest Azariah, with eighty other brave priests of the Eternal, followed him in (18) and, confronting King Uzziah, said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the Eternal, but for the Aaronite priests, who have been consecrated, to offer incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have trespassed; there will be no glory in it for you from the Eternal God.” (19) Uzziah, holding the censer and ready to burn incense, got angry; but as he got angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in the House of the Eternal beside the incense altar. (20) When the chief priest Azariah and all the other priests looked at him, his forehead was leprous, so they rushed him out of there; he too made haste to get out, for the Eternal had struck him with a plague. (21) King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolated quarters as a Eternal, for he was cut off from the House of the Eternal—while Jotham his son was in charge of the king’s house and governed the people of the land.

§ Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani says that Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Leprous marks come and afflict a person for seven sinful matters: For malicious speech, for bloodshed, for an oath taken in vain, for forbidden sexual relations, for arrogance, for theft, and for stinginess.

(6) One day the divine beings presented themselves before the Eternal, and the Adversary^-a came along with them. (7) The Eternal said to the Adversary, “Where have you been?” The Adversary answered the Eternal, “I have been roaming all over the earth.” (8) The Eternal said to the Adversary, “Have you noticed My servant Job? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil!” (9) The Adversary answered the Eternal, “Does Job not have good reason to fear God? (10) Why, it is You who have fenced him round, him and his household and all that he has. You have blessed his efforts so that his possessions spread out in the land. (11) But lay Your hand upon all that he has and he will surely blaspheme You to Your face.” (12) The Eternal replied to the Adversary, “See, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on him.” The Adversary departed from the presence of the Eternal.

(1) One day the divine beings presented themselves before the Eternal. The Adversary came along with them to present himself before the Eternal. (2) The Eternal said to the Adversary, “Where have you been?” The Adversary answered the LORD, “I have been roaming all over the earth.” (3) The Eternal said to the Adversary, “Have you noticed My servant Job? There is no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil. He still keeps his integrity; so you have incited Me against him to destroy him for no good reason.” (4) The Adversary answered the Eternal, “Skin for skin^-a—all that a man has he will give up for his life. (5) But lay a hand on his bones and his flesh, and he will surely blaspheme You to Your face.” (6) So the Eternal said to the Adversary, “See, he is in your power; only spare his life.” (7) The Adversary departed from the presence of the Eternal and inflicted a severe inflammation on Job from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. (8) He took a potsherd to scratch himself as he sat in ashes. (9) His wife said to him, “You still keep your integrity! Blaspheme God and die!” (10) But he said to her, “You talk as any shameless woman might talk! Should we accept only good from God and not accept evil?” For all that, Job said nothing sinful.

(1) In those days Hezekiah fell dangerously ill. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came and said to him, “Thus said the Eternal: Set your affairs in order, for you are going to die; you will not get well.” (2) Thereupon Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Eternal. He said, (3) “Please, O Eternal, remember how I have walked before You sincerely and wholeheartedly, and have done what is pleasing to You.” And Hezekiah wept profusely. (4) Before Isaiah had gone out of the middle court, the word of the Eternal came to him: (5) “Go back and say to Hezekiah, the ruler of My people: Thus said the Eternal, the God of your father David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears. I am going to heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the House of the Eternal. (6) And I will add fifteen years to your life. I will also rescue you and this city from the hands of the king of Assyria. I will protect this city for My sake and for the sake of My servant David.”— (7) Then Isaiah said, “Get a cake of figs.” And they got one, and they applied it to the rash, and he recovered.—