והבא אל אהרן הכהן…וראה הכהן את הנגע…(תזריע יג:ב-ג)

Reb Avraham Mordechai of Pintchiv zt”l, a talmid of the holy Chozeh of Lublin Zt”l, was very poor.  He had several daughters of marriageable age but had no money to promise a נדן (dowry).  Whenever he used to travel to his Rebbe, the Chozeh of Lublin, his wife nagged him to ask the Rebbe for a bracha for parnassah (livelihood) so that he should be able to marry off his daughters to Bnei Torah (pious men who learn Torah all day) and also be able to give a nice dowry.

Whenever Reb Avraham Mordechai traveled to his Rebbe, this holy tzaddik always forgot about his grave situation; once he arrived at his Rebbe’s court, he was totally consumed with loftier thoughts than his materialistic problems.

This continued for several years until one day, his Rebbetzin decided that the next time her husband went to the holy Chozeh, she would follow him to Lublin without his knowledge.  When Reb Avraham Mordechai entered the Chozeh’s room, his wife snuck in right behind him into the room.  She started crying her heart out, explaining the grave situation they were in, with no way out.  The Chozeh asked Reb Avraham Mordechai: “Why didn’t you ever share your poor status with me?”.

Reb Avraham Mordechai replied that he thought his Rebbe knew about his situation through Ruach Hakodesh (divine prophecy). Furthermore, he did not want to burden his Rebbe with his economic situation.

The Chozeh replied: “It says in the passuk “אדם כי יהיה בעור בשרו נגע צרעת והובא אל הכהן” – “a person who will have a fleck on the skin of his flesh, he shall be brought to the Kohen” וראה הכהן את הנגע – and the Kohen can right away determine whether it is pure or impure, without the person telling him about it.

However in the Parsha of “נגעי בתים” (specks on the homes), the affected homeowner tells the Kohen – even before the Kohen inspects the fleck on the home: “והגיד לכהן לאמר כנגע נראה לי בבית” (and he shall tell the Kohen about the flecks being visible in the house” (מצורע יג:לה).

“The same is with a person’s parnassa (domestic needs),” concluded the holy Chozeh of Lublin, “one has to talk about it and share his problems with a tzaddik” (since the destruction of the Beis HaMikdosh, the Tzadikim fulfill some of the Kohen’s duties, such as listening to people’s problems and blessing them).