The Gemara (Arakhin 16a) quotes a teaching of Ribbi Yohanan listing seven sins that afflict a person with tzaraat, a spiritual malady. Lashon Hara tops the list and is the one we’re most familiar with. The last on the list is what the Gemara calls “צָרוּת עַיִן,” and is loosely translated as stinginess.
Having listed these seven sins, the Gemara now traces each to its source in Tanach. For stinginess, the Gemara quotes a pasuk from Tahor (Messora): ‘The owner of the house shall come and tell the kohen, something like a plague has appeared upon my house’ (Vayiqra 14:35). Ribbi Yishmael’s Yeshiva then explains that the pasuk is referring to the homeowner as ‘owner of the house’ because it is describing someone who treats his home as exclusively his, unwilling to share his possessions with others, and therefore stingy. The obvious question jumps out. Isn’t it his house and his possessions? What is the pasuk actually trying to tell us?
Rabbi Yishaq Meir Alter of Poland, grandfather of the famous Sefat Emet explains (Hidushei HaRim, Tazria) that by calling him ‘owner,’ the Torah is highlighting a deep spiritual symptom rather than a legal status. This person suffers from a flawed perspective. He sees his four walls as a private fortress rather than a gift from G-d intended for kindness. This person lacks עַיִן טוֹבָה, a “good eye.” Rather than recognizing G-d’s blessing in his life, he turns inward. G-d granted him wealth and abundance to be used as a conduit for kindness, but he hoards it all instead. Worse, he despises the success of others, unable to feel genuine joy for them.
In contrast, those who open their homes, who invite guests and share what they have with others, and who take genuine pleasure in giving, embody עַיִן טוֹבָה and are deserving of great praise.
The Hidushei HaRim adds that the word נֶגַע (affliction) and the word עֹנֶג (pleasure) share the exact same letters: nun, gimmel, and ayin. The only difference is where the ayin sits. Since ayin also means “eye” in Hebrew, the placement of the letter represents one’s perspective. When the “eye” leads, placed at the beginning of the word, you have עֹנֶג, pleasure. When the eye is pushed to the end, neglected and out of place, you have נֶגַע, affliction. Everything depends on where you place your perspective. When it is in the right place, seeing the good in others and recognizing G-d’s hand in your blessings, your life is transformed into עֹנֶג.
The path back from the affliction is clear. The person must repent and move from צָרוּת עַיִן to עַיִן טוֹבָה. He must learn to see the good in others and celebrate what they have been given. If he refuses, the Torah alludes to the consequence while stating the laws of afflicted garments. After seven days, if the mark remains on the garment, the Torah states: “וְהִנֵּה לֹא הָפַךְ הַנֶּגַע אֶת עֵינוֹ,” the affliction did not change its “eye” (Vayiqra 13:55) and the garment must be burned. While this phrase refers to the appearance of the affliction on the fabric, it also suggests that the owner himself has not changed his perspective; his “eye” hasn’t adjusted. The message of the affliction did not move the owner. He hasn’t heeded his wakeup call, and so, the malady remains.
Perhaps the antidote starts with a simple realization. The Kli Yakar teaches (Vayiqra 14:34:2) that nothing is truly ours; G-d blesses us with homes and possessions as a test to see whether we will share with others. When we share His blessings, open our hearts, and celebrate the success of our peers, we shift our “ayin” to its proper place. By changing our perspective, we live with עֹנֶג and the world is a better place because of it.