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Poor Slaves and Golden Clothes

When the Torah describes how the Kohen Ha-gadol enters the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim, it says "Be-zot yavo Aharon el hakodesh." The Midrash (M"R 21:6) writes that Aharon is able to enter the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim because of "zechut mila" -- the merit of having done the Brit Mila. It derives this from the pasuk in Yesha'yahu (59:21) that refers to Hashem's covenant with Benei Yisrael as "ZOT ha-brit asher tishmaru": it is only with "zot" -- the mila -- can Aharon and his descendants enter into the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim.

In a similar vein, when the Yerushalmi discusses the special eight garments the Kohen Ha-gadol wears, it asks:

What is this connection between Brit Mila and the avoda of the Kohen Ha-gadol? What message is the Torah trying to teach him and us?

The Kohen Ha-gadol when he does the avoda on Yom Kippur is not just another kohen. Nor is his role limited to being the chief kohen. Rather, when he does the avoda he is doing it on behalf of the whole nation of Israel; he is our representative in this most critical dialogue with Hashem. (This triple role is seen in the three 'viduys' that the Kohen Ha-gadol does on Yom Kippur: once for himself and his immediate family, a second time for all the kohanim, and finally a third time for all of Benei Yisroel.)

If we return to the question of why "be-zechut mila," the connection is clear. The Brit Mila ceremony is when a man enters into Knesset Yisrael. A man who has no brit is chayuv karayt. This is not just a punishment, but a fact of life: a man without a brit mila has cut himself off from the Jewish people. (The only other aseh that has a chiyuv karayt is Korban Pesach -- an event that also signifies commitment to Hashem and Benei Yisroel. When the "Wicked" Son removes himself from the korban pesach and the seder, he removes himself from Knesset Yisroel and is deserving to have remained in Egypt at the time of the Exodus.) It is only when the Kohen Ha-gadol comes as a representative of Am Yisroel -- a member of the covenant with God -- can he enter the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim and intercede on our behalf. If he comes as an individual, even as the Head of the Priests, he can not enter, and he can not do the avoda on Yom Kippur.

But if this message is so important, why does he not enter the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim wearing the eight golden garments of the high-priest? Why does he remove them and put on the four everyday priestly garments? The gemara in Yoma presents the most famous answer to this question: "ein kateigor na'aseh saneigor" -- "a prosecuting attorney can not function as a defense attorney." The gold in the Kohen Ha-gadol's clothing reminds Hashem of the Sin of the Egel Ha-zahav; a man who reminds God of Benei Yisrael's sins can not pray for forgiveness.

The Meshekh Chokhma gives another answer: there are some men who do not need to wait until the eighth day for mila. An eved cana'ani born to a Jew is circumcised immediately. So while the Kohen Ha-gadol enters into Kodesh Ha-kedoshim "be-zot" -- with mila -- it is not just the mila of the eighth day, but also of the mila of the first day. This too is part of the message. The Kohen Ha-gadol entering the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim represents the lowliest eved along with the greatest Talmid Chakham. Likewise, his taking off his golden clothing -- his badge of office -- reminds him that it is not because of his merit that he deserves to enter into the Kodesh Ha-kedoshim. Instead he wears simple linen garments; clothing that anyone would wear.

"Be-zot yavoh Aharon el ha-kodesh" -- only with the zekhut of mila -- the passport of the Jewish nation -- and functioning not as an individual but as representative of the Jewish nation -- the entire nation -- can the Kohen Ha-gadol enter into the holiest place on the holiest day and daven on all our behalf.

[Prepared by Yoni Kristt]

The opening verse of Parashat Acharei-Mot mentions the death of Aharon's sons, seemingly for no reason. Rashi explains that whereas the verses continue with the strict procedures regarding the kohen gadol's annual entry into the "kodesh hakodashim," the most sacred chamber in the Mikdash, God first reminds Aharon of the death of his two sons on account of their unwarranted entry. Rashi compares God's admonishment here to a physician who warns his patient to take certain precautions due to his illness, so that he not die like so-and-so, who died of the same disease because he didn't follow these guidelines. Invoking the instance of the deceased patient adds further efficacy to the warning. Similarly, by recalling the tragic death of Aharon's sons, God's warning to Aharon regarding his entry into the inner Sanctuary receives added force.

As Rav Yerucham Lebovitz points out, the difference between these two warnings - one that invokes prior tragedy and one that does not - is less than monumental. A strict admonition to care for one's health is generally somewhat effective; an admonition that includes concrete examples of the devastating consequences of ignoring these warnings is somewhat more effective. It does not seem to change the entire character of the warning; it merely adds a measure of effectiveness. Yet, the generally terse Chumash chooses to add an entire verse in order to yield a greater level of caution on the part of the kohen gadol. Mentioning the death of Aharon's sons adds just one small dimension to the warning, it may generate just a slightly heightened awareness regarding the prohibitions related to the Mikdash. This small, added level of caution warrants an extra verse.

The message, of course, is clear. Any achievement in avodat Hashem, any added degree of love or fear of God, of meticulousness in our observance, of commitment to Torah study and proper treatment of others, is, indeed, monumental; it is worth an extra verse in the Torah. The mishna in Pirkei Avot says that if someone tells you, "I worked hard but did not achieve," you should not believe him. The standard interpretation is that we are not to believe his claim to have worked hard. If he really had worked hard, he would have achieved; the fact that he did not succeed proves that he did not work hard enough. However, there is another interpretation of the mishna - we are not to believe his claim that he did not succeed! If he truly worked hard, as he claims, then he undoubtedly accomplished something, and that accomplishment is of immense significance. This principle may also underlie Chazal celebrated comment, "One who studies his material one hundred times is unlike one who studies it one hundred and one times." When it comes to Torah study, every slight clarification, every byte of knowledge, each minute level of understanding, assumes untold importance. One who reviews the material the one hundred and first time gains some new perspective or insight, and the significance of this accomplishment can never be undermined.

When it comes to Torah and mitzvot, every little bit really does count.

[Prepared by David Silverberg]

This week’s parasha opens with the laws of Yom Kippur. With Yom Kippur still almost six months away, what do we learn at this time of the year from Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is one day a year when we repent for our sins and receive atonement. There is a story of a Rabbi who says that some people begin repenting 40 days before Yom Kippur, some begin six months before but he begins as soon as Yom Kippur is over. For those of us who have not begun yet, why would we beginnow?

We are now in the days of the counting of the Omer. In the Torah, this is the counting of the seven weeks between Pesach and Shavuot. At the beginning of that time the Omer, a grain offering of barley, is brought in the Temple. At the end, two loaves of bread made of wheat are brought. Barley is animal food whereas wheat is human food. It seems that there is an upward progression during the 49 days of the Omer. This can be linked to the upward progression of our ancestors who in seven weeks changed from a group of slaves freed from Egypt into a nation ready to accept the yoke of Torah at Mount Sinai.

Since this is a time for growth in our history, we can harness that potential now and raise our level of commitment to Torah. That will surely be helpful when we come to be judged by G-d on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

On another level, the time of the Omer has historically been a time of suffering for the Jewish people. The custom is therefore to take on some signs of mourning. The story in the Gemara on which the custom is based is about the students of Rabbi Akiva. During 33 days of the Omer all of his students died. They were punished for not honoring each other properly. Even though they were at an incredibly high level of learning Torah, they died because they did not treat each other properly.

We can use this time to learn the lesson of the students of Rabbi Akiva, that however well we serve G-d and learn His Torah our first priority has to be to treat the people around us with respect. When G-d judges us we do not want to be like Rabbi Akiva’s students!

As we read this week’s parasha, we can start to work towards next Yom Kippur, using the potential of these seven weeks of growth to recommit ourselves to Torah but remembering that this must be built on a foundation of treating others with respect.

[Prepared by Samuel Jackman.]

God admonishes towards the end of Parashat Acharei-Mot, "You shall not copy the practices of the land of Egypt where you dwelt, or of the land of Canaan to which I am taking you; nor shall you follow their laws." The Torah singles out the cultures of Egypt and Canaan, bidding us to reject the lifestyle of these two nations. Rashi explains that "the deeds of the Egyptians and Canaanites were more corrupt than those of all other nations…" Therefore, God stresses the need to renounce specifically these two cultures.

The Ketav Sofer, however, asks a powerful question on Rashi's interpretation. If these two cultures were indeed the most corrupt, why would God demand our rejection of just their lifestyle? Surely He demands that Benei Yisrael live to a higher standard than the mere avoidance of the most decrepit modes of conduct in the world!

The Ketav Sofer therefore suggests a completely different approach to the verse. The Egyptians and Canaanites in fact followed their own systems of law and religion. Each culture had its own "Shulchan Arukh" - "lehavdil"!!!!! - its own set of rules and regulations governing moral and legal conduct. God bids us to adhere to our system of law - the Torah - with an entirely different outlook than that which accompanies the other nations' observance of their laws. Whereas other peoples legislate and follow legal systems merely out of the practical necessity of ensuring societal peace and stability, we relate to our Code as the "divrei Elokim chayim," the eternal and incontrovertible Word of God. Even Torah laws that appear purely pragmatic by nature, parallel in purpose to their corresponding laws of other nations, must be approached with a reverent sense of Godliness, as intrinsic, objective truths and values that transcend the apparent pragmatic goal. We observe these laws with the same devotion as we approach the halakhot of tefillin, shaatnez, and the like. This is why our system has lasted throughout the centuries, while other codes have vanished over the years. The needs of a given society change with time; their legal systems thus adjust to address the pragmatic concerns of the given era. The Torah, however, applies with equal force in every generation. The practical applications change only when so mandated by the abstract principles, which forever remain the same as they have been since Sinai.

This, suggests the Ketav Sofer, is what God means in forbidding our acceptance of Egyptian and Canaanite norms. We are to adhere to our laws with a qualitatively different mindset than that of the other nations. The next verses therefore say, "You shall observe My rules and faithfully follow My laws: I am the Lord your God. You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live…" In other words, even those laws which facilitate man's living - the legal codes governing justice, due process, etc., must be observed out of a sense of "I am the Lord your God." We observe even those mitzvot whose underlying reasons are apparent to us out with a strict awareness of their status as divine decree.

[Prepared by David Silverberg]

KEDOSHIM

Beyond the Details

Often times, the Torah will prohibit -- or require -- a certain specific action. While this action may seem too specific, and perhaps even irrelevant, at times Chazal understood the action to be an example of a greater category of action. This is one of the ways that Chazal used to derive a whole halakhic and moral system based on the 316 mitzvot explicitly stated in the Torah.

Two of the more famous examples of this are found in our parasha. This first -- on a simple level -- prohibits a particular behavior most of us are unlikely to do anyway:

On a simple -- "pshat" -- level, this commandment is limited only to this particular action. However, Chazal expanded the application of this mitzva to include the prohibition of digging pits in a public place (which includes not just physical pits but any sort of public health hazard ranging from old walls that fall down to a potter displaying his wares in a public thoroughfare.) Chazal also derive from this pasuk the prohibition against intentionally giving bad advice; the Sefer HaChinukh in fact labels the issur of "lifnei iveir" as "She-lo le-hakhshil tam be-derekh" -- "Not to make a trusting person stumble through misleading advice" (Feldheim vol.3 pg. 55). Likewise, this commandment is interpreted to include causing another Jew to sin.

Only two pesukim later we find another example of this approach.

Again, on a pshat level this issur only applies to circumstances when you have the ability to save another Jew's life and you don't: a situation very few of us encounter nowadays. But again Chazal expand this issur to apply to other cases and other realms of halakha. For example, the Sefer HaChinukh (Feldheim vol. 3 pg. 77) writes: "Moreover, our Sages of blessed memory included under this injunction the duty not to suppress testimony in order that one's fellow should lose his property."

For both of these mitzvot, the Sefer HaChinukh explains that Hashem commanded us to act in this manner in order to create a better society:

We too, when we study all the laws and mitzvot in the Chumash, should not just read the details of the mitzva and move on. Instead, we should ponder what lessons we can derive from the mitzva and apply them to our daily life.

[Prepared by Yoni Kristt]

In Parshat Kedoshim we find the mitzvot of Orla (uncircumcised or sapling fruit) and Revai (fourth year fruit with special kedusha). "And when you shall come into the land and you shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then you shall reckon their fruit as uncircumcised (Orla): three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten. But in the fourth year all its fruit shall be holy for praisegiving to the L-rd. And in the fifth shall you eat of its fruit ..." (Vayikra 19:23-25).

It would seem that these mitzvot would apply only in Israel, as the verse states "when you shall come into the land". In addition, there is the well known Mishna that "any mitzvot dependant on the land is only applicable in the land (of Israel)" (Kiddushin 36b). However, that Mishna continues "except for Orla."

What is the source for Orla outside of Israel (Chutz la-Aretz - chu"l)? What is the scope of the law? And how are we to understand this unusual law? A different Mishna (Massekhet Orla 3:9) states that Orla in chu"l is 'Halakha l'Moshe b'Sinai' - a special law transmitted to Moshe at Sinai that is not recorded in a specific verse nor can be easily explained. Regarding the scope, the Gemara (Kiddushin 39a) states that outside of Israel only 100% definite Orla is prohibited; any item of doubt as to whether it is actually Orla can be consumed without even inquiring (normally, doubtful situations regarding prohibitions follows complicated rules whether one can benefit or need to desist from the item of doubt).

With regards to Revai (fourth year) there is a difference of opinion. Tosafot (Kiddushin 2b) states that Revai applies in chu"l, albeit only to vineyards. The Rambam (Ma'akhalot Assurot 10:15) states that Revai does not apply at all in chu"l. Rav Chaim Soloveichik zt"l (a picture can be seen at http://yeshivasbrisk.freeservers.com/test.html) explains that this disagreement stems from how we understand the obligation of Orla in chu"l. If Orla outside of Israel is essentially derived from the Biblical commandment and the Halakha l'Moshe m'Sinai elucidates that this applies in chu"l - then as the verses are applicable, this includes an obligation regarding Revai (Tosafot). On the other hand, if the derivation is exclusively from the Halakha l'Moshe m'Sinai, this is a new invention which is not related to the Scriptual Orla; in this case, Revai is not relevant nor applicable (Rambam).

Rav Chaim's understanding can be stated in a different way - that there are two views of Orla outside of Israel: either it is an extension of the regular, full, Israeli Orla or it is a new invention that has no connection to the regular Orla of Israel. Perhaps we can metaphorically extend this concept. Those who live outside of Israel should ask themselves how they view their connection to Israel. Are they an extension of the Jewish existence in Israel or just a detached separate unit?

[Prepared by Larry Goldsmith.]

Parashat Kedoshim, as we know, opens with the commandment "you shall be holy." We often overlook, however, the reason given for this commandment: "for I, the Lord your God, am holy." What does the Torah add to this mitzva through this reminder that God Himself is holy?

The Ketav Sofer explains that the Torah here alludes to the definition of the term "holy" in this context. Of course, God represents the absolute sanctity; He is the very source from which all "kedusha" in the world emanates. Nevertheless, the Almighty is heavily engaged in our mundane world. He created and continually conducts the world, and His greatest honor comes through His recognition and manifestation on Earth. Our primary goal is not to detach the physical reality of the world from God, but to the contrary - to unearth Godliness from within that reality. Just as God - the ultimate "kedusha" - involves Himself incessantly with the day-to-day occurrences here on Earth, so must we actively engage in worldly affairs, in an attempt to direct the mundane towards the spiritual.

Along the same lines, though yielding a somewhat different interpretation, the Ketav Sofer explains Chazal's comments to this verse. The Midrash understands the second half of the verse - "for I, the Lord your God, am holy" - as responding to the question, "Perhaps [we must be holy] like Me [i.e., the Almighty]?" In other words, when faced with the awesome demand, "You shall be holy," one might conclude that the obligation does not end until he has reached the ultimate level of sanctity, that of the Almighty Himself. God responds to such a possibility, "For I, the Lord your God am holy - My sanctity is greater than your sanctity." In other words, God acknowledges our human limitations and expects us to work within the confines thereof. As opposed to other beliefs that espouse man's escape from his physical bounds, the Torah challenges the Jew to serve God specifically through the means provided by the physical world. This is why Parashat Kedoshim addresses a wide array of real-life situations and our obligations therein. It is specifically through our observance of mitzvot throughout daily life that we ourselves are sanctified, and the Name of God is glorified.

[Prepared by David Silverberg]

Each day of the week in the end of the morning service we recite a special chapter from psalms. According to tradition this was the psalm that the Levites would recite in the Temple on that day. Likewise, for each special day (holidays and rosh chodesh), on the calendar there is a special psalm. The general practice is that if any holiday falls on Shabbat we ignore the psalm for the holiday and recite the one for Shabbat in its place this due to the added sanctity of Shabbat. The only day that this is not so is Rosh Chodesh. Why is this so?

If we consider the meaning of Shabbat, it is about the creation and its completion. On the six days of the week, we celebrate our accomplishments within the creation and on Shabbat, we appreciate the works of God. Fittingly the psalm of Shabbat "A psalm for the day of the Sabbath (psalm 92) discusses how God and the righteous triumph over vanity and wrongdoing. The psalm for Rosh Chodesh however, takes things one step further.

Rosh Chodesh is a monthly festival, as is of course witnessed in the cycle of the moon. Renewal can be seen as starting over after a series of failings. Renewal can also be seen as a beginning at a new stage after the completion of a prior stage. In the psalm of Rosh Chodesh (psalm 104) we find a description of the functioning of the world. Every piece of creation has been set in its place. The water, land, and trees have all been set firmly. Animal life has been set into motion. Even human existence functions in its created role. This certainly can be viewed as creation as it was meant to be when the first Sabbath settled upon the earth. Hence it is renewal: we find that it refers not merely to the original; creation but to a "future creation:" "sins will be wiped off the earth, and evil doers will be no more." This sounds more like a vision for a future goal when perhaps a messianic or utopian Sabbath will settle upon the earth. This is a renewed world - a messianic view of the already existing world.

On the Shabbat when we celebrate not merely a regular Shabbat, in which we sing of God's triumph, but also Rosh Chodesh, the celebration of God's triumph in creation and its renewal, there could be no more appropriate praise than psalm 104: "My soul blesses God - Hallelujah!"

[Prepared by Aytan Kadden]

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