השמר בנגע הצרעת, "Take heed of the affliction known as Tzoraat, etc." According to Shabbat 132 on our verse the meaning is that a person afflicted with this plague must not remove the afflicted section of his skin in order to remove the evidence of his disease. The reason why the Torah added that we should remember what G'd had done to Miriam is intended to remind us of the true source of such an affliction and to remind those who think they can cure it by cutting off the skin where it appears that they are on the wrong track. The way to get rid of this affliction is to remove its cause, i.e. to rehabilitate a character fault which caused it in the first place.

ואליו הוא נושא את נפשו, "and his life depends on it." The Torah tells us that although paying a labourer late is at worst only a sin comparable to robbery, the penalty the Torah has in mind for the employer is as if he had committed a capital crime. When the Torah writes יהיה בך חטא "for it shall remain a sin against you," this is similar to what we find in Kings I 1,21 "and I and my son will remain sinners." In this instance the Torah first gave the reason for the penalty of the employer when it wrote: ואליו הוא נושא את נפשו "for he is risking his life for it," i.e. the penalty too will be that applicable when one had taken someone else' life.

לא תטה משפט גר יתום, "You must not pervert the judgment of a proselyte or an orphan, etc." You might be inclined to favour the proselyte in judgment seeing the Torah has commanded us so many times to love the proselyte. The Torah therefore saw fit to warn us not to pervert his judgment even in his favour. The Torah continues by writing: "do not take the garment of a widow as a pledge," in order to demonstrate that this is the only exception when the Torah does treat a widow differently in judgment compared to ordinary people. You must not take this pledge after the loan has been extended though you may take the garment as collateral at the time the loan is extended.