This Week In The Torah.



Parsha Acharei/Kedoshim Vayikra/Leviticus Ch.16-20

Holy Matrimony

Aaron shall bring near his own sin offering bull, and provide atonement for himself and his household. Ch16/6

In the beginning of the Parsha, the Torah gives us detailed instructions concerning the service of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) on Yom Kippur. Only if it is completed from beginning to end, in all its details, will it effect atonement for the Jewish people.

One of those details is found in our verse above: that his bull offering was to be an atonement not only for himself but also for his household. The Sages teach that his household refers to his wife. Consequently, he must have a spouse for the entire duration of Yom Kippur. For if his wife would die suddenly during the service, there would be no atonement. This risk is taken so seriously that preparations are made, that in the case of a sudden tragedy, the Kohen Gadol would be provided with a new wife immediately on Yom Kippur itself.

Whereas in other religions the celibate stands at the pinnacle of holiness, the Torah teaches otherwise. The Kohen Gadol has to be on the highest possible level of kedusha (holiness) on Yom Kippur. It is the holiest day of the year, and on this day the Kohen Gadol enters the Kodesh Kadoshim (Holy of Holies, the inner sanctuary of the Temple), where no other human being, including himself, is permitted entry any other day of the year. It is at this very time that the Torah requires that he be married. Celibacy would be a fatal deficiency, depriving the entire nation of atonement.

Sources: Rav Moshe Sternbach-Tam VeDas

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Sabbath, And Then Some

It is a Sabbath of complete rest for you, and you shall afflict yourselves; an eternal decree. Ch.16/31

This verse refers to Yom Kippur. In the original Hebrew it is called shabbat shabbaton, which we have translated as complete rest. In what way is Yom Kippur more of a rest then a regular Shabbat?

Rabbi Gedaliah Shorr explains that on a regular Shabbat we rest from our interaction with this world by refraining from the thirty-nine prohibited types of "work." On Yom Kippur we go further. Not only do we refrain from "work," but we also refrain from eating and drinking. It is in this sense that the rest from worldly activity is more complete. This is what makes Yom Kippur so other-worldly, and why it is so conducive to repentance. As we "leave" the mundane of this world behind and come closer to G-d, we get a taste of where we should want to be all year round. We can then use the day to make internal changes to be better Jews and to try to hold on to something of the purity of Yom Kippur for the rest of the year.

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The Clothes That Could Unmake The Man

This shall be to you an eternal decree to bring atonement upon the Children of Israel for all their sins once a year; and [Aaron] did as G-d commanded Moses. Ch.16/34

Rashi comments on this verse: When Yom Kippur arrived, he performed the service according to this order. And the Torah mentions this to tell the praise of Aaron, that he did not wear the garments for his own greatness, but rather, as one who fulfills the decree of the king.

The Chasam Sofer asks: The rest of the year, when Aaron wore only his golden garment, there might have been a temptation to wear them for his own greatness. But on Yom Kippur he donned the garments of an ordinary Kohen, as well, and was therefore less likely to feel pride. Why, then, should this be a praise of Aaron?

He answers that, for Aaron his golden garments were always associated in his mind with his role in the making of the golden calf, and this kept him humble. However, on Yom Kippur, when wearing the white garments of the ordinary Kohen, he could feel a sense of pride. So the Torah tells us, despite this possibility, he only wore the garments as one who fulfills the decree of the king.

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A Nutritious Mitzvah

Fruit of the first three years of a tree's development is called orlah, and it is forbidden to derive any benefit from it (Leviticus 19:23.) This seems to contradict another mitzvah (commandment) in the Torah: we are prohibited from wasting anything (Deuteronomy 20:19). Why does the Torah make this exception, not only permitting but actually commanding us to waste the first three years of a tree's fruits?

There are many examples of wasting things for a positive reason. Take the culling of over two million animals in the U.K. to control the raging foot-and-mouth disease. Many of the animals were in fact perfectly healthy, but in order to prevent further contamination they had to be destroyed. We waste in order to protect.

Here also we waste in order to protect. This is not to protect our health---by the third year, the fruits are very nutritious. Nor is to protect the market price, for the prohibition of orlah applies even in times of scarcity. Rather it is to protect the bond between Man and G-d. It is as if G-d said, "Don't just look at the tree as a fruit machine and grab them as soon you can. For the first three years, from its de- velopment from a seed into a mature tree, watch Me creating it. Soon you'll enjoy its fruit for many years, but I don't want you to forget Me. Take time out to appreciate it as a miracle. Be in awe as the seed grows into a tree and the blossom turns into fruit. Be joyful as the tree comes back to life in the spring after the harsh winter. Above all, be humbled, and see that it is Me that is growing the tree, not you."

As we shuttle through the 21st Century, our lives will be affected more and more by the global organizations. They will try to impose a value system on us which is purely materialistic. The mitzvah of orlah, along with many other mitzvot of the Torah, can help us maintain a spiritual outlook on life and keep the connection to our Creator healthy and full of nutrition.


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A Closer Look At Tattoos

You shall not make in your flesh a scratch over a soul, and you shall not place a tattoo upon yourselves - I am G-d. Ch.19/28

I always had a gut feeling that tattooing was not for us Jews, even before I learned that it was prohibited by the Torah. Many years later, I discovered the following analogy bsaed on the writings of Rabbi Aaron Kotler: Just as a fancy jewelry box contains and protects the precious object inside it, so the human body serves as an outer garment for the precious soul that dwells within. Any act of self-mutilation or degradation denies the Divine spark within us.




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