28 Elul 5770 |
September 7 2010 |
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And again, a double Torah reading this week consisting of the parshas of “Acharei Mot” and “Kedoshim”.
Summary of Acharei:
Acharei Mot is the Parsha which gives us the order of Temple service for Yom Kippur. On this holiest day of the year, the holiest man would enter the holiest place, at which time he would offer prayers for the atonement for the entire Jewish people. As many have the custom today, the High Priest would wear only white on Yom Kippur, in contrast to the popular gold colored vestments he would wear on other days. Although many mistakenly believe that Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year, and although it may be true to some extent (e.g. Yom Kippur is referred to as the Sabbath of Sabbaths) it is actually Shabbat which commands a greater reverence and more stringent repercussions for its violation.
Dvar Torah:
“A sacred linen tunic he shall wear” (Leviticus 16:4). When the High Priest entered to the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, he wore only simple linen white garments. Why didn’t he wear more elaborate clothing for such a sacred mission? In public the High Priest would certainly not dress in such simple clothes (cf. Today’s rabbis)! The answer is that Yom Kippur, and by extension, anytime we seek attachment to God, all the human trappings of life just don’t matter. Whether it’s the clothes, cars, or cruises, everyone is the same before God.
Summary of Kedoshim:
This is without question one of the most fundamental and vital Torah portions in learning how to live as a Jew. The name of the parsha, “Kedoshim” actually means “Holy”, referring to our requirement to work on ourselves to being better Jews, and by extension, a holy nation. There are lots and lots of laws in this parsha, among the more practical include: relationships with parents, Shabbat observance, idol worship/witchcraft/black magic, tattooing, ‘kosher clothing’, agricultural laws (most of which apply only in the land of Israel), honesty in business, civil law, personal relationships, and sexual relationships.
Dvar Torah:
We must love our fellow Jews for no other reason than the Torah commands it (although there are certainly additional good ones!). Once, while delivering a lecture, Rabbi Zelig Pliskin (a popular Jerusalem lecturer) was "interrupted" by a cute dog that entered a room, causing his audience to smile and shower admiration on the dog. Rabbi Pliskin noted that despite the fact that no one had previously seen the dog, everyone had a positive feeling toward it. If we do so with the dog, how much more so should we do so with other people?! By internalizing the awareness that each person is created in Hashem's image and that Hashem wishes us to love each other, we can learn to have this positive attitude towards our fellow man as well.
Something to think about:
What does it mean? Among the many interpretations of the commandment "You shall be holy" (Leviticus 19:2), Rashi claims that fulfillment of this precept refers to one’s behavior regarding the forbidden sexual relationships. On the other hand, the Ramban argues that these words refer to and come to teach us that one should abstain from being excessive in our behavior and that everything should be done in moderation - even regarding permissible things.
This argument as to the meaning of “You Shall be Holy” is quite drastic, if you put some thought into it.
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