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D'var: Parashat Aharei Mot-Kedoshim 5785 Commentary by Michael Goldsetein Friday, May 09, 2025 |
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Acharei Mot Leviticus 16:1 — 18:30
Qedoshim Leviticus 19:1 — 20:27 |
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This week is one of seven double readings when we have two parshahs, rather than just one. The two this week are Achrei Mot, which means After Death, and Kedoshim, which means Holy Ones.
In Achrei Mot (Lev. 16-18), God speaks to Moses after the deaths of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, for getting to close to God. Their deaths were reported in Shemini (Lev. 10:1,2) which we read a few weeks ago. God also tells Moses and Aaron what they must do for Yom Kippur and what sexual practices are forbidden. In Kedoshim, God outlines a number of laws, including some from the Ten Commandments, that will help people live holy lives. In Kedoshim’s first chapter, (Lev. 19), it speaks to dealings with others and then, in chapter 20, God presents laws about farming and belief in supernatural beings. There’s an important message in chapter 19. Verses 10 through 17 mainly deal with how we should treat others, including the poor, strangers, hired help, the deaf, the blind, those we will judge, and those whose blood is about to be spilled. Then, in Lev. 19:18, we are told: You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; Deep down, we know that might not always be possible, but isn’t it still a worthy goal? That always reminds me of the famous story about Rabbi Hillel, perhaps our greatest sage. When challenged to teach a non-believer the entire Torah while he stood on one foot, Hillel said, “What is hateful to you, do not do to another. That is the entire Torah. The rest is commentary.” Sure, there are plenty of reasons to hold a grudge or to seek revenge. It makes us feel good and gives us a reason to hang onto our anger. Sometimes it even makes us feel superior. At the same time, carrying a grudge or seeking revenge can be a heavy burden. We should not let a slight, an insult, or bad behavior bother us. Let them “slide like water off a duck’s back,” as a phrase coined more than 200 years ago put it. But blaming others is tempting. How much easier it is to hold someone else accountable than to take responsibility for our own actions. We like to shift the weight of our offenses to others, especially if we haven’t lived up to our own expectations or the expectations of others. It’s so easy to excuse ourselves. “I was tired or annoyed or distracted.“ Shouldn’t we be as benevolent in judging others? When we bear a grudge or take revenge, shouldn’t we allow others to say they’re sorry and to fix things? Rabbi Hillel’s one-foot image is ever-present for me, even when I fail to heed its message. So the Torah teaches us that we can be moral, even though we’re human. Being an atheist, holiness may be difficult for me to conceptualize, but Kedoshim tells me it is about righteousness, justice, and generosity… things I can conceptualize. The Torah tells us to be honest in our dealings, to feed the poor, to treat disempowered people with dignity, and to love others. Yes, we will sin, we will miss the mark, and yet we will always have the opportunity — in fact, the duty — to at least try to rise above our human flaws. If we fail to respond to suffering in the world and we don’t help the disadvantaged, Jewish law says we fail in our obligation to help those in need when we are aware of it. And, in this age of globalization and the internet, we cannot plead ignorance. That is tikkun olam… repair the world. It is what we were chosen for. When we squander a few bucks that could otherwise buy enough food to feed a family for six months somewhere, we are guilty. As long as starvation, persecution, and death from preventable diseases abound, we are not entirely blameless. When we bury our heads in the sand in order to avoid feeling responsible, we are responsible. Destructive acts of commission are also serious. Some actions increase global injustice. For example, when we buy coffee, clothes, and electronics from companies that exploit workers, we are culpable. When we speak or behave in ways that undermine women, homosexuals, transsexuals, the financially disadvantaged, or other marginalized groups, we feed the forces of oppression. Let me close here with another quote from Rabbi Hillel, this from the Mishnah: Be of the disciples of Aaron, love peace and pursue peace, love your fellows and bring them close to the Torah. (Pirkei Avos 1,12) Michael Goldsetein |
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