On Shabbat April 29 we this year read the double portion of ACHAREI MOS and KEDOSHIM.
UNIVERSAL TORAH: ACHAREI MOS
By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum
Torah Reading: Parshas ACHAREI MOS, Leviticus 16:1-18:30
AFTER THE DEATH OF AARON'S TWO SONS
Our
parshah, ACHAREI MOS, introduces the account of the awesome service of
the High Priest on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, by noting that this
parshah was given to Moses AFTER -- in the light of -- the death of
Aaron's two sons when they offered "strange fire" inside the Sanctuary.
Nadav
and Avihu wanted to redeem the entire world and bring it to G-d in an
instant -- but they themselves were consumed by G-d's jealous fire.
Their endeavor was in the realm of excess. There is an evil in the world
that cannot be redeemed: it's only redemption lies in being smashed and
destroyed forever (just as TUM'AH, ritual impurity, leaves a clay
vessel only when it is broken).
At
the center of the High Priest's service on Yom Kippur lies the profound
mystery of the GORAL. This was the "lottery" by which one of a pair of
identical goats was chosen to be the holy sacrificial offering whose
blood would atone for Israel in the Holy of Holies. The other was taken
to a remote mountain-crag and cast down to AZAZEL, the Devil, being
quickly broken to pieces on the mountainside. This mitzvah is numbered
by the Rabbis together with the purification from defilement from the
dead through the ashes of the Red Heifer as among those incomprehensible
CHUKIM, "statutes" at which the nations and the evil inclination scoff.
Rabbi
Nachman of Breslov once put the question in a graphic form: "In the
Purim play, why should one person be chosen to play Mordechai the Jew
and live, while another plays Haman and gets hung?"
There
is no satisfactory answer to the deepest questions of destiny in this
world: it is simply not given to the eyes of flesh and blood to
understand why this one is given one role in life and that one another.
There is a heavenly MAZAL at work that brings about the GORAL, "fate".
What our parshah tells us is that we are free to choose our path in the
world, and that following G-d's commandments guarantees us life.
"And
you shall guard my statutes and my laws which, when a man -- HA-ADAM --
does them, he shall LIVE through them, I AM HASHEM" (Leviticus 18:5).
The
SIFRA DEVEY RAV, the oldest rabbinic midrashic commentary on Leviticus,
goes to some lengths in commenting on this verse to emphasize that this
applies to all mankind. "It does not say 'which, when a Cohen or Levi
or Israelite does them' but 'when a MAN -- HaAdam -- does them',
including a GOY". Incidentally, this is the exact Hebrew word there.
While many gentiles find the word Goy offensive, it should not cause
offence. It is simply the standard rabbinic term for one who was not
born an Israelite -- "gentile" is the Latin equivalent. In the comment
quoted here, the Rabbis were EMPHASIZING that the Torah path is the
universal path, open to Goy, Israelite, Levite and Cohen, as long as
they are willing to follow it in truth.
Only
one person can play the role of the High Priest. Thus when studying the
portions dealing with the High Priest's Yom Kippur service, we are
onlookers at the ritual. Yet there is also a deep personal message for
us. We study this parshah at this time of the year, as we proceed on the
fifty-day SEFIRAS HA-OMER count towards our annual peak, the Giving of
the Torah on the forthcoming festival of SHAVUOS. The season of Counting
the Omer is a time for reflection on who we are and what we are trying
to achieve. The High Priest's entry into the Holy of Holies on Yom
Kippur is a lesson to us to appoint special times for seclusion in order
to enter into the personal sanctuary that we must reserve within the
depths of our own hearts for true encounter with self and with G-d. One
of the best facilitators of this encounter with self and with G-d is the
Sweet Singer of Israel, King David. It is customary to give particular
emphasis to recital of the Psalms during the Sefirah period, for the
psalms are conducive to healing, repentance, atonement and LIFE.
* * *
The
account of the High Priest's Yom Kippur service is followed by a number
of commandments establishing the centrality of the Sanctuary in the
G-dly service of the community. The prohibition of animal sacrifices
outside the Sanctuary, and later, outside the Temple in Jerusalem,
forbids each person building his own personal Temple and Altar, whether
literally or in the form of pride and self-worship. There is only one
place for a literal animal offering. That is Mount Moriah, where Abraham
bound Isaac and where Jacob saw the SULAM, the ladder of ascent, that
is SINAI (SULAM and SINAI have the same gematria.) After the wandering
in the Wilderness, the final resting place of the Shechinah for all time
is in Yerushalayim, Ir HaKodesh, in the Temple on Mount Moriah.
Among
the commandments relating to the slaughter of animals is the severe
prohibition against eating blood, which is one of the fundamentals of
our daily dietary code. The Shechitah method of slaughter ensures that
the vital blood of the animal, strictly forbidden for consumption, is
shed at the time of slaughter. The removal of the veins of the animal by
the butcher and subsequent salting of the meat according to ritual law
ensure the removal of the blood from the meat. This is necessary because
an animal spirit resides in the blood. If this blood is consumed by
man, he falls from his level and is overcome by an animal spirit. The
laws of Kashrus are the very foundation of a diet that ensures that we
have a human spirit, and that we think and behave like Bney Adam.
* * *
THE LAWS OF FAMILY PURITY
The
third and concluding section of the parshah, which contains the
above-quoted verse, "he shall LIVE through them", lays out the basic
family law of the Torah, including the fundamental laws of incest and
the various forbidden relationships, including mother and son, father
and daughter, brother and sister, adultery, forbidden intercourse during
monthly period, prohibition of homosexuality, bestiality, etc.
In
more innocent times, some people were taught that certain forms of
behavior are fundamentally WRONG. The various incest laws of the Torah,
which are the Holy root of this code, can be seen in clear letters in
our Parshah. But anyone who ventures outside the holy camp of the Torah
to observe the "wider" world (such as dating services, Internet
chat-rooms, etc.) can rapidly discover that those interested in any or
all of the above prohibitions and perversions can quickly get fully
involved in a whole world where they are all freely available. What
Internet has begun to reveal appears to be only the tip of the iceberg
of the actual behavior of a very large part of the human population.
Even in Israel vociferous secularists are openly identified with the
reformist line that the fundamental statutes governing human
relationships may be freely broken. This is precisely what leads to the
breakdown of basic human norms that we witness all around the world
today in the name of "freedom" and "liberation".
This
is no liberation. The only freedom and life are those promised by the
Torah: "And you shall guard My statutes and My laws which when a man
will do them, he will live through them, I am HaShem."
The
law of Shabbos and the fundamental laws of the code laid down in our
parshah are the foundation of the family life which is the basis for the
rearing of a new generation -- our children and our children's
children. We are all bound to know the basic laws, and if our paths in
life bring us to places where these laws are infringed, we must be
properly forewarned. It is most important to teach children with
sensitivity how they must take care of themselves against strangers and
even with friends and close relatives.
The
best ways for Jews and Bney Yisrael, Bney Bris, members of the Covenant
of G-d, to maintain health and life is through strengthening ourselves
with our families and good friends. This is accomplished when we bond
together, as we did on Pesach. Now, after Pesach, we carry through the
holiness attained during the festival into the days of the year as we
Count the Omer -- count the days and learn to value each day, day after
day. During the long summer days, we must make time to study G-d's laws,
the laws that bring LIFE, celebrating the Shabbas, the Day of Life.
Fathers and sons should take time to study G-d's Torah together
regularly, and so mothers and daughters.
If all Israel would keep two consecutive Shabboses, they would be redeemed.
Shabbat Shalom!!!
Avraham Yehoshua Greenbaum
UNIVERSAL TORAH: KEDOSHIM
By Rabbi Avraham Greenbaum
Torah Reading: Parshas KEDOSHIM, Leviticus 19:1-20:27
BE HOLY FOR I AM HOLY
This
week's parshah, KEDOSHIM TIHYU, "Be holy.", was specifically addressed
by G-d through His prophet Moses "to all of the assembly of the Children
of Israel" (Leviticus 19:2). In the words of the Midrash: "This parshah
was addressed to all of the assembly because most of the main bodies of
Torah law depend upon it. 'Be holy' -- be pure (PERUSHIM), separate
from the world's vanities. 'For Holy am I, HaShem your G-d': This
teaches that if you sanctify yourselves, I consider it as if you had
sanctified Me. And if you do not sanctify yourselves, I consider it as
if you have not sanctified Me. Could it mean that if you sanctify Me
then I am sanctified but if not, then I am not sanctified? No - because
it says, '.for I am Holy' -- I am in My holiness whether they sanctify
me or not." (Sifra, Kedoshim 1:1).
The
code of conduct whose foundations are laid forth in the present parshah
gives practical expression to the challenge addressed to the Children
of Israel when they assembled at Sinai to receive the Torah. "If you
will surely listen to My voice and guard My covenant, you shall be a
precious treasure out of all the nations, for the whole earth is Mine.
And you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests and a HOLY NATION: these
are the words you shall speak to the children of Israel." (Exodus
19:5-6).
Following
the account of the Giving of the Torah in YITRO, parshas MISHPATIM laid
down many of the basic laws governing man's behavior with his fellows
including the prohibitions of murder, robbery and theft, the laws of
restitution for damages, etc. Many of the laws in MISHPATIM are somewhat
specialist in the sense that they apply particularly to Dayanim, Torah
judges.
However
the code laid forth in the present parshah, KEDOSHIM applies to
everyone, as it is the basic Torah code for everyday life, starting with
the respect due to parents and the observance of the holy Shabbos --
which overrides even the former, should any conflict arise.
The
next Mitzvah in the parshah -- to eat sacrificial portions within their
appointed time -- cannot unfortunately be observed today in the absence
of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. However, it is worth noting that
correct timing is an important part of G-d's code. Things should be done
at their appointed time and not dragged on until all the taste goes out
of them. The entire Oral Torah begins with an extensive discussion
about the exact time for reciting the evening Shema (Berachos, Chapter
1). It is unfortunate that at times SJT ("Standard Jewish Time") strays
somewhat widely from precision timing. Every moment in life should be
treasured, and people's time should not be wasted for no reason.
The
Mitzvos that follow in our parshah are those of giving gifts of produce
to the poor, and of basic integrity: "Do not steal, do not deceive and
do not lie to one another. Don't impound your friend's money, don't
delay payment for services rendered. Don't unjustly favor either the
poor or the rich. don't hate your brother in your heart, give due
reproof, do not take vengeance or nurse a grievance against the children
of your people, and love your friend as yourself, for I am HaShem".
The
code of Holiness contained in our parshah is not one that requires its
followers to separate from the material world and live apart in ascetic
communities such as in monasteries and the like. On the contrary, true
KEDUSHAH comes to a person precisely through living his or her life with
family, friends and associates, within the wider community and in the
workaday world. Making a living within the boundaries of the halachah,
taking into account the needs of the needy, dealing correctly in
business, abstaining from all theft and corruption, from hatred,
vengeance, etc. etc. It is precisely through keeping these commandments
in our everyday material lives, while actually dealing with all that we
have to deal with each day, that we become purer.
This
"purity" is the KEDUSHAH, the "holiness" which is the defining
attribute of the path of life set forth in our parshah. In mystical
writings, KEDUSHAH is particularly associated with the mental and
spiritual faculties of CHOCHMAH, BINAH and DA'AS, while the very
foundation for their healthy functioning is the purity of YESOD, moral
purity.
In
giving us a code of "holiness" that governs the way we do business with
one another, how we talk to and about one another, as well as so many
other details in our lives in the world, the Torah is teaching us to
constantly activate our CHOCHMAH, BINAH and DA'AS powers in everyday
life. In the words of the Baal Shem Tov, "An everyday barter exchange
also involves the Talmudic law of 'exchanging an ox for a donkey'." In
other words, everything we do, including in our business lives, is a
G-d-given opportunity for discovering buried "sparks" of holiness within
the very situations that confront us. We need to activate our minds to
recognize the holy potential contained within everyday affairs. Nothing
is more evanescent than today: the day is quickly gone. But if we are
alert to the mitzvahs we can perform every day, particularly in the
realm of "love your friend as yourself" -- which includes all forms of
kindness -- we gather great treasures day by day, all of them stored in
G-d's memory, where nothing is forgotten.
* * *
THE FOUNDATION
As
mentioned above, the spiritual traits of CHOCHMAH, BINAH and DA'AT --
the ability to perceive G-dliness and to grasp the divine wisdom -- are
bound up with YESOD, the "Foundation" -- sexual purity. This is the
subject of the latter part of this week's parshah. Thus the Torah Code
of Holiness in daily life -- KEDOSHIM -- comes "sandwiched" between the
concluding part of the previous parshah, giving the fundamental incest
prohibitions, and the concluding part of this week's parshah, setting
forth the penalties for their infringement. This underlines the fact
that the true KEDUSHAH depends upon observance of the Torah moral code.
A
fundamental principle of Torah law is that wherever a punishment is
laid down, the prohibition is also explicitly stated in the Torah. This
explains why the incest prohibitions in KEDOSHIM appear to duplicate
those at the end of ACHAREY MOS. In fact, there is no duplication: the
laws of ACHAREY MOS state the prohibitions, while the laws of KEDOSHIM
state the penalties for their infringement.
At
the head of the list of forbidden practices is the giving of seed to
Molech (Lev. 20:3). This is explained as a form of idolatry assumed by
many to be defunct today in which a father would give over some of his
children to be walked by priests through fire as a form of initiation
and consecration.
Actual
Molech-worship within the technical parameters of the term may or may
not be defunct, yet there are indications that various kinds of rituals
involving children including pedophilia and actual Satan-worship are
practiced in this day and age in many different places in the world. For
example, in Australia, a woman who won a national award for championing
victims of childhood sexual abuse is now reporting a major cover-up of
pedophiliac-Satanic activities in the country involving leading
politicians, media and business interests, the police and the
underworld.
What
innocent parents may not realize when they submit their children to
television, video, magazines and the other communications media of
contemporary society is that they may also be exposing those children to
a kind of Molech-worship. Thus most secular TV and other media show
images of the uncovered human form, many unashamedly erotic, without the
slightest compunction. Today images of the uncovered form are so
universal that few people can remember the world of a mere fifty years
ago, when indecency was still considered shocking.
With
all this suggestion and blatant eroticism around them, it is hardly
surprising that many teenagers growing up in a secular environment are
deeply obsessed with their bodies and their sexuality. The place of the
body, sexuality and romance in the mind of many teenage girls, for
example, can be seen from a quick survey of the literature they read.
What the popular literature does not spell out is the personal pain and
agony of so many helpless victims of this culture and their problems of
depression, anorexia, substance abuse, thoughts of suicide, etc.
For
parents who seek to bring up children who will become and remain true
Israelites all their lives, there is no option today but to actively
seek out ways of separating them culturally from the secular mainstream.
Ideally, the purest environment for young Jewish souls to grow up in is
one that is Television-Free from the youngest age. It is of great
importance to protect children for as long as possible from the assault
on their consciousness by the unhealthy images and sounds of the
contemporary secular media. Only with the power of deep inner conviction
together with imaginative educational methods is it possible to fire
young people with the zeal for the Torah that alone can immunize them
from the evil influences of the prevalent culture which sooner or later
they will have to face for themselves.
Shabbat Shalom!!!
Avraham Yehoshua Greenbaum
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