The Light Within Yourself

Why is the commandment of milah mentioned right in the beginning of Tazria in the discussion of טומאת לידה? Why is tzarras translated by Onkelus as סגירו, closed up? Why does the Kohan need to pronounce the tumah of the negah?  Why does the Torah say the צרעת is found בעור בשרו, what does the word בעור add? The Sfas Emes (5635) says that the word עור is related to the word עיור, blindness. Every person has within themselves a great light, the light of the neshamah. However, one becomes blind to that light due to the coarseness that surrounds a person. This is the עור of a person that covers over the אור (as the Midrash says כתנות עור can be read as אור.) This is hinted to by the fact that a person's skin is porous. The holes represent that space from which the light can shine through. This is why צרעת is translated as סגירו. The tumah comes when a person's עור, their physicality clogs up a person's internal light (5641.) That is why the kohan must pronounce the person tamah. The pronouncement of tumah is not a punishment but is meant to allow the person to heal themselves from their blockages.  That is why the person with צרעת is called a מצורע- מוציא רע for the tzaras allow a person to drain the blockages around their soul.  

The Midrash cites the possuk אָח֣וֹר וָקֶ֣דֶם צַרְתָּ֑נִי regarding the man is elevated above animals but created after them. The Sfas Emes says that they are not two different modes of man but within every man is the aspect of קדם, the Divine spark that is above everything and the aspect of אחור, the last in the line of physical creations. It is up to man to determine which side will govern his actions more. 

We read in the haftorah of Shabbos Hachodesh שער החצר הפנימית הפנה קדים יהיה סגור ששת ימי המעשה וביום השבת יפתח וביום החדש יפתח. The Sfas Emes says during the week we often are consumed by the pursuits of life, and can't focus on our inner light. However, on Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh the gates are open and we can access the light easier. 

This is why the parsha of milah is in this parsha. The basis of the mitzvah of milah is the same point. A person is born creating a state of tumah but one attains a bris which allows the internal light to shine through a person's body (5661.) The Sfas Emes continues that is why נגע is the same letters as ענג for Shabbos is the time where one can focus on the kedusha that exists within an individual.  He adds ענג stands for עדן נהר גן for it is though ענג that one can access the past of themselves which was placed עדן נהר גן. 

Location

Tosfos Pesachim (3b) says that one who does not have land is exempt from korban Pesach. The Achronim struggle to find a source for the law of Tosfos. 

In the post 'What Makes A Kahal' it was cited the concept that only those living in Eretz Yisrael constitute a kahal. The Keren Orah takes this idea and says Tosfos understood that being part of the kahal is a necessary component of the obligation of korban pesach. Since it says ושחטו אותו כל קהל עדת ישראל, the Pesach requires one who is considered part of the קהל - living inside Eretz Yisrael.

Bris Of Chesed

 Chafetz Chaim p. Beshalach

I would like to say a little different peshat. Rav Solevetchik in Festival of Freedom pg. 22 recounts that people who lived in concentration camps had no ability to have compassion, sympathy or feelings of chesed. It was total self survival mode. He explains that it why the Torah emphasizes sharing the korban Pesach with a group. It is the act of doing chesed that can bring people from slaves into independent beings capable of moving beyond pure self survival. I would suggest that according to the Tana Devei Eliyahu Klal Yisrael realized this problem and made a pact to ensure that they would not descend into the pure slave mindset of self survival. נחית בחסדך, because of the chesed done with each other, that allowed Klal Yisrael to maintain a semblance of a free person and therefore they were able to be redeemed and did not just descend totally into slave mode with no way out. 

Good Or Bad

Found at the very end of the Haggadah Siach Yitchak he deals with the contradictions if those that left Egypt were considered to be very lowly or on a high level

This is the Midrash Shir Hashirim (1:25) שחורה אני במצרים ונאוה אני במצרים meaning although externally we were black with sins, intenally we were good.