What is the significance of the fact that Miriam became a Metzora after the Cloud (and the Shechinah) departed?
Rashi: It can be compared to a king who instructed his son's tutor to punish his son, but only after he (the king) had left ? because his heart went out to his son.
Seforno: To distance the Shecinah from Miriam, to encourage Yisrael to send her out of the camp in order to shame her.
Oznayim la'Torah: Refer to 12:1:2:1**. In keeping with the Mishnah in Nega'im, 2:2 that the Kohen is not permitted to examine Nega'im on a cloudy day. 1
See Oznayim la'Torah.
Why was Miri'am stricken with the most severe form of Tzara'as - white like snow?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because, despite the fact that Miriam loved Moshe and spoke without malice, 1 Hashem tends to deal harshly with Tzadikim, punishing them - precisely because they are Tzadikim - 'like a hair's-breadth'.
See Oznayim la'Torah DH 've'Hinei Miriam ... ', who elaborates.
Seeing as Aharon had also spoken about Moshe, why was Miriam stricken and not Aharon?
Hadar Zekenim: Refer to 12:10:151:1.
Hadar Zekenim: Refer to 12:10:151:1.
Why does the Torah omit the word "ka'Sheleg" (the second time)?
Oznayim la'Torah: Because Aharon, who was able to cure Tzara'as by looking at it intensely (Sifri Zuta), 1 looked at Miria'm's Tzara'as, and, although he was unable to cure it completely, he did succeed in lessening its appearance from 'like snow' to one of the three less severe forms of Tzara'as.
See Oznayim la'Torah.
What is the meaning of "Vayifen Aharon"? Where did he turn from?
Hadar Zekenim: He turned from his Tzara'as, with which he had also been stricken 1 but from which he had already been healed.
As the Gemara in Shabbos, 97a extrapolates from the word "Vayichar Af Hashem Bam" (incorporating Aharon).
If Aharon was also stricken with Tzara'as, why does the Torah not say so?
