Parashat Emor

THOUGHTS FOR PARASHAS EMOR 5755
(by Rav Moshe Friedman, Executive Vice-President of Ner Yisroel Yeshiva of Toronto)

And Hashem said to Moshe: Say to the kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and you shall say to them: A kohen may not render himself impure to anyone among his people. (21:1) The Torah uses the redundant wording of "say", followed by "and you shall say" to enjoin adults with regard to minors. (Rashi, quoting Talmud Tractate Y'vamos 114a and Toras Kohanim)

The Talmud deduces from here that it is also incumbent upon the elders to warn youngsters about prohibitions. There are two other violations from where this same concept is derived. One is the prohibition of eating blood and the other is the sin of eating insects.

What do these three share in common? The instructions in these matters do not have reasons attached to them. The purity and holiness of the n'shomo cannot tolerate the impurities innate in these violations. Therefore, since there is no apparent logic in these matters, one would therefore think that it is not conducive to instruct children in areas that have no obvious rationale.

S'forim say, it is the utterances from Hashem Yisborach that encompass and fill the creation. When Hashem said, "There should be heaven" it is these words that created heaven and its status remains for all time. This is the meaning of the verse "It is with the words of Hashem that heaven was made". (1)

This is the same by mitzvos. The spiritual light that emanates from the 22 letters of Torah, which in various forms are all combinations of Hashem's names, become part and parcel of the particular mitzvo. When one observes the mitzvo it is these very words that elevate the individual and make him holy. As a result, he is now able to hear and comprehend the purpose of the mitzvo. His deed serves as a transmitter which brings about intellectual clarity.

It is the words of Hashem in a commandment that become the essence at the heart of the mitzvo. One who fulfills the mitzvo properly merits to perceive these holy words that are hidden within the mitzva. This is what B'nei Yisroel revealed when they said "We will do and we will hear". (2)

In the same vein we find the expression "Observe and listen to all the things which I am commanding you". (3) Just as the n'shomo is concealed in the body, so too are the utterances of Hashem hidden in the mitzvos. Therefore, it is not necessary to always tell children reasons for performing mitzvos for inherent in the mitzvo itself is the spoken word of Hashem.

Not too long ago, earning a living was the prime cause for much of Chillul Shabbos. The Chofetz Chaim zt"l was invited by the Rav of a small city to come and speak to a group of rubber manufacturers to cease from desecrating Shabbos openly. When the Chofetz Chaim arrived, the Rav told him that the owners of the factory excuse themselves righteously with a claim that if they shut down the ovens for two consecutive days, (a civil law prohibited them from operating the ovens on Sunday), the merchandise would get ruined. Therefore, it would be appropriate that the Chofetz Chaim know how to answer their arguments.

The Chofetz Chaim said to the Rav, "It is not my place to enter into discussions with them concerning their business. They know the ins and outs of their operation better than I do. If they were so knowledgeable to open and run such a large plant, for sure they will be able to come up with a plan to preserve their material. It is my task to educate them on the significance of the holy Shabbos which is the n'shomo of our nation. Without it, our lives are meaningless. If I can convince them that Shabbos is important, I am certain they will find a way to insure that their merchandise will not get ruined." The incident with the Chofetz Chaim is applicable even in today's day and age when parnassa is no longer the major factor of Chillul Shabbos. Ignorance is not even the reason for the rampant desecration of the holy Shabbos. The darkness of ignorance can be overcome with the light of wisdom.

Quite often people tell Shabbos desecrators of the serenity and peacefulness that comes with Shabbos observance. Those who spend their Friday nights at the symphony or theatre, take their families on a Saturday picnic or to a ballgame cannot be convinced that their happiness and peace of mind will come from not answering the telephone on Shabbos. They know more about having a good time than do the Rabbis. It is the holiness of Shabbos and the severity of violating its laws which the Rav preaches that will reach the inner depths of a Jew and ignite the spark from within his soul.

"Educate a child according to his nature, even when he grows old he will not veer from the instruction." The Vilna Gaon points out on this verse in his commentary on Mishlei (4) that when teaching children it is important to work with them according to their nature to insure continuity. For if a child acquiesces and does what is foreign to his personality and psyche, then he does so out of fear and permanence will not be achieved. Perhaps this is why this week's parasha begins differently than any other. There is no place in the Torah where we find three expressions of the word "a-Epsilon- " meaning "saying" within one verse. Generally, at the outset of a parasha, along with a "Vayomer" (and he said) or a "Leimor" (to say to others), there is an accompanying "Vay'daber" (and he spoke) or "Daber" (speak). The Torah left out the word "Daber" (to speak) for "Daber" denotes harshness as opposed to "Emor" (say), which denotes gentleness to illustrate that this is the precise way to educate the youth.

Footnotes

(1) T'hilim 33:6.
(2) Sh'mos 24:7.
(3) D'vorim 12:28.
(4) 22:6.