Parshas Emor
Be Prepared
At the beginning of this week’s Parshah, the Seforim HaKedoshim discuss one of the most fundamental elements of our Avodas Hashem. It is a concept that the Seforim address consistently, and it is an idea that should give each of us tremendous Chizuk in our Avodas HaBorei.
The Parsha begins by instructing the Kohanim not to encounter a corpse. The pasuk says:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה אֱמֹ֥ר אֶל־הַכֹּֽהֲנִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אַֽהֲרֹ֑ן וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לְנֶ֥פֶשׁ לֹֽא־יִטַּמָּ֖א בְּעַמָּֽיו
And the Lord said to Moshe: Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say to them: Let none [of you] defile himself for a dead person among his people. (Vayikra 21:1).
We know that the Torah is eternal and applicable to every yid. How can each of us – even those of us who are not Kohanim – fulfill this mitzvah?
Rashi explains that the repetitive language of “Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say…” teaches that the adult (Gedolim) Katanim need to be careful and warn the younger ones not to be contaminated by a corpse.
We know that our world was built with a dynamic of expansion, contractions, Aliyah and yeridah, ups and downs. Our lives – spiritually and physically - are volatile and not linear. We are constantly fluctuating. The Seforim HaKedoshim explain that there are two cycles in our Avodas Hashem. There are times when we feel connected to Hashem¸ when we are in the flow and on a spiritual high when everything seems to be falling into place. This, the Seforim HaKedoshim taught, is a state of Mochin D’gadlus. We are growing and expanding on all fronts, accomplishing a powerful deveikus through our learning and mitzvos. However, eventually, Hashem takes that away. Our Avodah becomes difficult and dry. We cool off. Those very same mitzvos, those spiritual experiences, that aroused our emotions suddenly seem to leave us unaffected. We are numb. This is the Mochin D’katnus.
Those moments when nothing seems to work, however, serve a purpose. By adhering to our Avodah, by protecting our ruchniyos even when we feel nothing, a yid will once again enter the phase of Mochin D’gadlus and spring far beyond where he was prior. The Katnus leads to a greater Gadlus, a stronger connection, a deeper relationship, and a more powerful Avodas Hashem. In fact, the Baal Shem Tov taught (Tzfanas Penach Parshas Bo) the reward we receive is specifically from the Avodah we do during those challenging times of katnus.
But how can we survive the Katnus? How can we protect ourselves from being lost in that abyss permanently? The Koshnitzer Maggid in Avodas Yisroel explains that a yid needs to be present in the moments of growth, in the times when he feels lit up by his Avodas Hashem. Being present means making a mental note, focusing and remembering what this clarity feels like. Those memories can serve as markers and a lifeline when he begins to fall into Katnus. Like breadcrumbs in the forest, they can help him find his way back.
Mental markers. Memories. Leaning into the pure enjoyment of ruchniyos when we are growing will help create guardrails when we are faced with the challenges of Katnus. It also helps us prepare ourselves for the moments when everything seems to fade away.
The Tolna Rebbe, shlita, observes that if someone jumps from a ledge, they can land without injury. However, if they fall off that same ledge, the damage can be catastrophic. What is the difference? The Rebbe explained that when someone jumps willingly and knowingly, they have prepared and trained for the fall. They can brace themselves and land gracefully. When someone falls by accident, they are caught off guard and are completely vulnerable to an injury. So too, in spirituality. If we know that a yeridah is coming, if we are mindful that the good times will end and we all will face times in our life of Katnus, then we can “brace” ourselves, train and be prepared and walk away from that Katnus into an even greater Gadlus. is aware of an impending yeridah.
We can also not allow the Katnus to define us. If we realize, as the Sefas Emes (Parshas Bo, 5638) taught, that this is also Hashem’s creation, that the struggle is an element of a master plan that is ushering us towards tikkun and our purpose in the world, then we can overcome any negative emotions that might be bubbling up. We can strengthen ourselves with the knowledge that this has a purpose and will soon pass.
This is the deeper meaning of Rashi. The “Gedolim” need to be careful and warn the “Katanim”. During the times in our lives when we feel “gadlus” we need to be careful to protect and prepare ourselves for the Katanim, when the moment of struggle inevitably arrives.
This concept was taught particularly here while discussing the idea of the impurities of a corpse. The Seforim HaKedoshim teaches that the tumas meis is symbolic of depression. When your momentum stalls, when we begin to see our successes slipping away, it is easy to become despondent or depressed. When that happens, the path forward becomes even more difficult as we wallow in our Katnus. However, if we properly prepare during the Gadlus, not only we will be ready for the Katnus, but we will also be able to avoid feeing like a lifeless corpse when it arrives.
Humility and Pride
The Kedushas Levi points out that the pasuk redundantly says, “kohanim, the sons of Aharon…” We know that the Kohanim are the descendants of Aharon, and we know that Aharon’s descendants are Kohanim! The pasuk could have more succinctly used either term. Why does it say both!?
The Kohanim were special; selected for a unique role in this world. They were holy. There are specific laws to safeguard that holiness. Kohanim had special mitzvos. Whenever a yid is connecting to kedusha, when they feel strong in their Avodas Hashem, the Yetzer Harah tries to destroy all those accomplishments by fueling the person’s haughtiness. Not only does such behavior push away other yidden, but Hashem as well. As Chazal taught (Pesachim 66b and Sotah 5a) that haughtiness pushes away the Shechinah. Whereas, humility, true humbleness born from a sincere self-awareness, welcomes the Shechinah into your life and allows you to connect to other yidden with love and empathy.
Hashem was delivering two messages in these instructions. Firstly, the Kohanim cannot feel entitled or haughty because of their roles. They are Kohanim but must remember that the only reason they have this merit is because they were born into it, they are “the sons of Aharon.”
Secondly, they need to remember that they are “the sons of Aharon”. Pirkei Avos teaches (1:12), “Be of the disciples of Aaron—a lover of peace, a pursuer of peace, one who loves the creatures and draws them close to Torah. Chazal also taught (Sanhedrin 19b) that “sons” and “disciples” are interchangeable. Hashem was reminding the Kohanim to be like true disciples of Aharon by “loving” peace and drawing yidden closer to their Avodas Hashem. Arrogance never unites or creates peace, and it only pushes yidden away from Torah. Therefore, Hashem was teaching this select group of yidden, these leaders, to remain humble and, by doing so, remain committed to the traits of Aharon.
The Rachmistrivka Rebbe, shlita, taught that this is the deeper message of Rashi’s explanation that the “Gedolim” need to be careful with the “katanim”. Meaning, the Kohanim who have a greater, holier role in the world need to be careful not to allow their Avodah to push away and isolate the “katanim” – those who might have seemingly smaller roles.
While humility is critical in Avodas Hashem, it needs to be blended with a healthy dose of pride. The Yetzer Harah is constantly trying to destroy one’s self-image. He wants you to feel unworthy of your Avodas Hashem. This can be masked in an unhealthy expression of humility; a humility that hinders your growth. Makes you feel unworthy. It tears down your self-image. The Bais Ayin explained that a yid, therefore, most always be humble, but confident and proud of his own Avodas Hashem. It is a delicate but critical balance.
Therefore, explained the Rebbe, the pasuk continues and says, Let none [of you] defile himself for a dead person among his people. The Hebrew word בְּעַמָּֽיו-among his people is the gematria of ענו-humble. The Rebbe understood the pasuk to mean: even though you need to be humble, do not defile yourself with an impure sense of humility. Know who you are. When you do, that should empower you to both feel humble as well as proud; confident in your Avodas Hashem but not arrogant.
Pure and Simple
וּסְפַרְתֶּ֤ם לָכֶם֙ מִמָּֽחֳרַ֣ת הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת מִיּוֹם֙ הֲבִ֣יאֲכֶ֔ם אֶת־עֹ֖מֶר הַתְּנוּפָ֑ה שֶׁ֥בַע שַׁבָּת֖וֹת תְּמִימֹ֥ת תִּֽהְיֶֽינָה
And you shall count for yourselves, from the morrow of the rest day from the day you bring the Omer as a wave offering seven weeks; they shall be complete. (Vayikra 23:15)
After saying that the Omer had to be brough for seven weeks, why add “they shall be complete”? Are there incomplete weeks?
The AriZal taught that the yidden had to leave Egypt in a haste because had they remind behind for one moment longer, they would have fallen into the 50th level of impurity and been unredeemable. Therefore, Hashem redeemed even though they were not worthy. However, immediately following the geulah, they had to begin earning their Avodah, they had to start internalizing their spiritually and grow day-by-day until they were spiritually ready to stand at Har Sinai and accept the Torah.
Our Avodas Hashem during Sefiras HaOmer is an expression of this same process. On Pesach, we merit to leap to new spiritual heights beyond our natural abilities. However, it is not sustainable without our efforts during the Omer. As the AriZal and Seforim HaKedoshim explain, each day of the Omer is assigned a specific Middah, character trait that we need to work on. Through the process of purifying those middos, we can be spiritually prepared for Shevuos and Mattan Torah.
But it can feel like a taunting process. Forty-nine days to work on 49 middos! When we are faced with goals that can seem overwhelming it is easy to become discouraged. However, that is a Yetzer Harah. Our Avodah is to do what we must in the moment and to have the emunah that Hashem will take care of the outcomes.
The pasuk says, תָּמִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה עִ֖ם ה' אֱלֹקיךָ- Be pure with the Lord, your God. Rashi explains that the word תָּמִ֣ים-pure means, “Conduct yourself with Him with simplicity and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future…” A pure relationship with Hashem is built on simplicity. We cannot worry about the future and the outcomes. We must focus on the Avodah here and now. If we make the right choices in the moment, then Hashem will take care of the outcome.
This applies to everything, especially teshuva. Change is difficult. Deciding one day to live your life differently can feel overwhelming. You can question the sustainability of any change, no matter how large or small. However, if we worry about the future, if we doubt our ability to maintain that new behavior, we will never change. Teshuva is founded on the idea of changing behavior without worrying about the future. The Seforim HaKedoshim explain that the Hebrew word for Teshuva is an acronym for five pasukim, each presenting an element of the process. The first letter “ת” is for this pasuk, תָּמִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה עִ֖ם ה' אֱלֹקיךָ - Be pure with the Lord, your God. This is the first step of teshuva: change without considering the long-term sustainability. This is also why Chazal taught that the word ועתה-and now always denotes Teshuva. The process depends solely on making the choice to change who you are “now”. What happens in the future, the outcomes, is completely in Hashem’s hands.
Therefore, when the Torah describes the seven-week process of the Omer, the time when we are working on every middah within ourselves, rectifying our character traits, Hashem reminds us that they need to be תְּמִימֹ֥ת-complete and pure, free of worrying about the future. Count each day. Focus on changing that singular middah. The rest is in Hashem’s Hands.
