Moments- Parshat Emor 2011

Insights and Inspiration
from the 
Holy Land
from 
Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz
"Your friend in Karmiel"

May 6^th 2011 -Volume I, Issue 28–2^nd of Iyar 5771

Parshat Emor

Moments

It was my first Yom Ha’Shoah as a citizen of the State of Israel. I had heard that the law was that at 10:00 AM there would be a siren sounded throughout the country and everything was meant to come to a stop, as the country engaged in a moment of silence- or as many religious schools do recite psalms or study Torah- in memory of all of the martyrs that perished in the Holocaust. I was on a bus to Jerusalem when the siren went off. At 9:57 I had pulled out my Tehillim already and was thinking about the horrific tragedy that was perpetrated against our grandparents and family. The siren went off. I saw cars pull to the side and people get out and stand up. But our bus kept on moving. I tried to concentrate on my Psalms but I was disturbed. Why weren’t we pulling over? I saw others looking around. No one seemed to say anything. There were other cars as well on the highway that had not pulled over. Some shrugged their shoulders and then the moment was over. Life went on. The ‘Holocaust minute” was done and now we can get back to our ipods, our cell phone calls and our shopping lists. As for me? I’ve been perturbed and troubled since then, waiting until I could write this E-Mail.

In truth the day of Yom Ha’Shoah itself is obviously one that is a newer innovation in the “memorial days” of Israel. It joins Yom Ha’Zikaron, Yom Ha’Atzmaut and Yom Yerushalayim  (Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen soldiers, its Independence Day and the day of the recapturing of Jerusalem respectively) as being holidays instituted by the Rabbinate of Israel that are meant to be celebrated or commemorated each year. For some people these days have religious significance with recitations of Hallel and special prayers, blessings and memorials. For others they are more secular, celebrated with picnics or visits to commemorative museums. And like all good things in this country, there are those individual as well that disagree with the innovation of any new additions to Jewish ritual and holidays as they have traditionally been practiced; particularly practices which are associated with the establishment of a State that was not founded on their religious ideals.  Additional Memorial days are also problematic to some, as they fear it  detracts from the tradition we have that  Tishah B’Av is meant to be our national commemoration day, thus connecting all our millennia of persecution with the destruction our Temple. Our bus driver didn’t seem to be someone who would have religious objection (although the lack of a Kippa is not necessarily conclusive-or as a friend of mine said- he might not have been Jewish) and I’m not sure why he didn’t stop or even more so why no one protested, but that feeling that I had of an ambivalence towards the question or commemoration of a day or even a minute of time to contemplate what happened to us a nation a little more than a half century ago, was perhaps just as great a tragedy and most troubling of all.

This week’s Torah portion interestingly enough discusses the various Jewish holidays. Yet this discussion of the Biblical holidays finds itself Divinely placed in between other seemingly un-related Mitzvot. The Parsha begins with a special admonition to the Kohanim about the laws of purity and impurity, whom they are permitted to marry, and what blemishes invalidate them from doing the service. The Torah utilizes the word Emor- V’Amarta-

Say to them- and you shall Tell them which Rashi comments is a special admonition that they should warn and caution their children about these special laws. The commentators note that it is specifically by these Mitzvot of Priesthood, when the children of the Kohanim are being taught that they are different than everyone else, that the Torah cautions the parents to speak to their children with the softer tone of Emor-Say rather than Daber- speak in order impart the importance of inspiring them in their special role.

The Torah continues with the laws of various sacrifices as well. It describes the various blemishes that invalidate offerings, the rule of an animal having to undergo a Shabbat before being offered and how it is prohibited to slaughter it on the same day as its mother. These laws seem to show that the even the offerings that we are meant to bring have a certain uniqueness to them. They must be cared for so they don’t blemish, they are meant to be “Tachas Imo-with their Mother” for their first Shabbos, and the day that they are offered cannot be the same as the day when their mother is. The Torah then continues with our obligation to thank Hashem. We are warned not push it off. The Thanksgiving offering should be eaten the day it is prepared. The lesson once again is that a person’s who underwent a lifesaving incident should appreciate the moment and channel it to Hashem. Don’t write it off as just another coincidence that can wait and be eaten over time. Rather invite over friends (for otherwise it would be impossible to finish it all in one night) and share that unique connection you have with the Almighty. Appreciate that the Kohein that brings your offering before God is unique, that the animal that is being brought is unique, and your moment of thanksgiving is unique.

Finally as the last introduction to the laws of the holidays Hashem commands that we must sanctify his name-even give up our own lives-in order that His never be desecrated. This commandment is a national commandment to the Jewish people. The obligation to give up one’s life rather than violate any commandment (besides the big three) is only B’Toch Bnai Yisrael- when there is a congregation of Israel present. The reason for this mitzvah the Torah tells us is because we are unique- Hashem took us out of Mitzrayim. As a nation the Jewish people have a special role and a special relationship with our Father in heaven. Each moment we have is meant to be special and meaningful. Each act that we do should be directed to connecting with Him. We are unique and His chosen nation.

It is with this introduction that we are meant to appreciate our holidays. Shabbos, Pessach, Shavuot, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. These are not merely commemoratives days but times during the year when we commune and rededicate ourselves to our special mandate and mission. We celebrate these times. They are days which we call holy- Mikraei Kodesh and days which Hashem joins us to celebrate our holiness, because we have broken free from the regular constancy of time and elevated it and ourselves to sanctity.

Our ancestors and martyrs whom we recall throughout the year, whether it be at Yizkor services on these holidays, on Yom Ha’Shoah, Yom Ha’Zikaron, or on their Yahrtzeits all had moments when they sanctified Hashem’s name. Many of them were murdered because they refused to give up their Jewish identity. Some of them heroically fought and died in order that other Jews may live or have a homeland to come to. In those moments and throughout their lives they have left a legacy that is not only one that is meant to be remembered, rather it is one that should be a guiding light in our lives. There is perhaps no greater time than during this period of the counting of the Omer, when we count each and every day as we move closer to holiday of Shavuot and the day that we received the Torah, that should be utilized to remembering and rededicating ourselves to the ideals that our loved ones gave their lives and for. It is the time of year when Hashem has given us a mitzvah each day that we count- teaching us that each day is unique, special and should be uplifted. It is also during this period of time when we mourn and remember the death of the students of Rabbi Akiva who died during this period.   If we are able to do this than we can be certain that not only will the holy souls of all our Kedoshim be sharing in our joy but our loving Father in heaven as well will surely be sharing in all of our special moments.

Have a Momentous Shabbos

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

This weeks insight is dedicated in loving memory of my grandparents Naftali Hertzka and Rivkah Klein who’s Yahrtzeits are in the coming weeks. They were both Holocaust survivors who rebuilt their lives and their family after the atrocity and horrors of the Nazis. They serve as role models to their children who miss them every day and to their grandchildren and great grandchildren who live to carry forward their memory and legacy. May their memory be blessed.

RABBI SCHWARTZ COOL PLACES IN ISRAEL OF THE WEEK-
MARESHA/ BEIT GUVRIN-
A FANTASTIC EXCAVATED CITY IN THE FOOTHILLS OF JUDEA MARESHA/ BEIT GUVRIN IS A CITY THAT WAS GIVEN TO CALEV IN BIBLICAL TIMES THIS WAS HIS REWARD (LIKE JOSHUA’S LAST WEEK COOL PLACE OF THE WEEK) FOR NOT SPEAKING EVIL BY THE SIN OF THE SPIES. THE CITY WAS EVENTUALLY DESTROYED BY THE DESTRUCTION OF THE FIRST TEMPLE. YET IT WAS LATER RELOCATED ON A NEIGHBORING HILL AND BUILT UP AS AN EDOMITE CITY(IDUMEANS). THEY WERE EVENTUALLY CONQUERED BY THE CHASHMONAIM KINGS AND FORCIBLY CONVERTED TO JUDAISM-(THE ONLY TIME IN JEWISH HISTORY THIS OCCURRED WHICH LED TO TRAGIC RESULTS-WHICH CULMINATED IN THE DESCENDANTS OF ONE OF THESE CONVERTS BECOMING THE KING OF ISRAEL-HEROD- WHO WAS NOT SUCH A NICE GUY…

TODAY BEIT GUVRIN IS A FANTASTIC SITE WHERE ONE CAN EXPLORE ANCIENT UNDERGROUND CAVES, QUARRIES AND COLUMBARIUMS-WHICH ARE PIGEON RAISING NESTING AREAS UNDERGROUND WHERE THEY WERE USED TO HELP FERTILIZE THE LAND FOR PLANTING. THERES ALSO A GREAT AMPITHEATER WHERE GALDIATORS FOUGHT (AND MANY PEOPLE WERE KILLED) AS WELL AS OIL AND WINE PRESSES AND THE FORMER GREAT CITY RUINS.

RABBI SCHWARTZES WORLD NEWS RECAP OF THE WEEK1 A BIRTH CERTIFICATE

2 A WEDDING CERTIFICATE

3 A DEATH CERTIFICATE !!!!

JJJJ