In this week’s double-feature Torah portion, Tazriah-Metzorah, we find the laws pertaining to a house afflicted with tzaraas, the spiritual equivalent of a modern-day mold infestation. The Torah says that if, after a thorough inspection of the premises, the Kohein (priest) determines that the growth on the walls of the house is indeed tzaraas, then the house is to be completely demolished and re-built from scratch.

Let’s try and put ourselves in the shoes of the unfortunate homeowner who’s just been told that his home has been condemned due to the presence of tzaraas. For some, this scenario might not be too hard to imagine. Just think of yourself or someone you know who lost their home to Superstorm Sandy. What a sense of utter loss and devastation to realize suddenly that you and your family don’t have a roof over your heads or a place to call home!

Yet, the Torah introduces these laws by saying (Leviticus 14:33,34), “ Hashem spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: When you arrive in the Land of Canaan that I give you as a possession,[and] I will place a tzaraas affliction upon a house in the land of your possession.” Rashi, quoting the Midrash, says that this message was meant to be a piece of good news for the Jews entering the Promised Land. But how could the prospect of a tzaraas affliction that would necessitate the destruction of a home possibly be music to their ears? The Midrash explains that the Amorites, who were the previous occupants of these homes, had hidden treasures of gold in the walls of their houses and, as a result of the tzaraas-infested house being torn down, the new homeowners suddenly discovered a wealth of hidden treasure that was theirs to keep. Mazel tov!

Although the phenomenon of tzaraas currently doesn’t exist, I feel that these laws teach us a timeless lesson in life. We’re often confronted with difficult and challenging situations that cause us to wonder and question, “Why is G-d doing this to me? Don’t I deserve better?” The Torah is teaching us that in every situation we have to put our trust and faith in G-d and realize that even the most seemingly negative circumstance is ultimately Divinely stitched with the proverbial silver lining. Whenever we’re experiencing a particularly stormy and rainy day, I like to take the opportunity to point out to my children that if we could only fly in an airplane high above those dark, dreary and ominously threatening storm clouds, we’d discover bright blue skies filled with abundant sunshine and comforting warmth. Similarly, although we experience situations that, from our earthly vantage point, seem horrible and unfortunate, we have to remember that high above it all, hidden from view, is actually something that from G-d’s perspective is ultimately for our benefit and contains untold “wealth.” It’s simply up to us to break through those difficult barriers and discover the hidden treasure that awaits us.