“This guy voted for ____ don’t let him the Chabad House!”

“Rabbi, this guy voted for ______. I don’t think we should let him into our Chabad House!”

Thank G-d, that hasn’t happened. But in our polarizing climate, I pray it never does.

So let me preempt that with a powerful teaching from the Rebbe, based on this week’s Parsha.

The Rebbe focused on a curious process from biblical times. Back then, there was a condition known as Tzaraat, a miraculous skin disease.

A person infected with Tzaraat had to be isolated from the community. Since it was seen as a spiritual condition, a symptom of severe moral failure, only after the person repented could they be healed and welcomed back.

The laws around diagnosing a Metzora were very complex. Naturally, only top experts could identify Tzaraat.

So if someone thought they had Tzaraat, they’d go to the expert, right?

Wrong.

Even if the expert was certain, they could not issue the ruling. The expert—often not a Kohen—had to consult with a Kohen. Only the Kohen could make the final declaration.

The Rebbe asked: Why? What if the Kohen didn’t even know the laws well? Why give him the final say?

Here’s the answer:

The Kohen is a descendant of Aharon the High Priest, who was known for his kindness and love. He was “a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loved all people and brought them closer to Torah.”

Only a Kohen, someone overflowing with compassion, could be trusted to separate a Jew from the community. Only a person with such a loving heart could carry out a judgment like that. Because a person full of love wouldn’t want to isolate a fellow Jew—they would only do so when there was truly no other choice.

So here is my answer to the question which—please G-d—I hope never to be asked:

If someone walks into our Chabad House, whether they voted red, blue, or purple, whether we agree with them or not, we remember this:

Our job is to be like the Kohanim.