[Avodah] Why so many details of tzora'as in the Torah?

[Dov Kay]

Tazria-Metzora always raise at least 2 questions in my mind:

1  Why does the Torah shebichsav spend so much time spelling out the details 
of tzora'as relative to other, more practically relevant areas of halacha 
(eg hilchos Shabbos)?   Yes, chazal say that divrei Torah are "rich" in some 
areas and "poor" in others, but this more of an observation than an 
explanation.

2  When did tzora'as cease to be prevalent? (Assuming, contrary to the 
Radziner Rebbe, that melanomas are not negaim.) I do not recall seeing 
anywhere that these halachos are not noheg l'doros.  As the haftara for 
Metzora shows, tzora'as was still prevalent at the time of the nevi'im, but 
do we hear anything about its prevalence in the time of bayis sheni?

It occurred to me that perhaps Torah shebichsav devotes more time to topics 
that were more practically relevant for the generations until churban bayis 
rishon, as it was foreseen that Torah (and particularly Torah sheb'al peh) 
would be neglected in the time of bayis rishon relative to the era of bayis 
sheni.  Chazal tell us that bayis rishon was destroyed because they did not 
make birchos haTorah, meaning that Torah wasn't given its due, compared with 
Avodah.  In bayis sheni, however, Torah was learnt with vigour, and the 
churban resulted from sinas chinom.  The Netziv writes that Torah sheb'al 
peh flourished more in times of bayis sheni than bayis rishon.

The topics which would become far more practically relevant in later times 
(at least relative to topics such as tzora'as) could be darshaned by the 
Tannaim, whereas less acumen for darshening existed amongst the chachmei 
bayis rishon and the details directly relevant to them needed to be spelled 
out expressly in the text.

It's just an idea.  Is this question addressed by the great meforshim? Is my 
answer problematic?

Kol tuv
Dov Kay

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