Changing the World
Parshas
Acharei Mos
Posted on May 2, 2019 (5779) By Rabbi
Label Lam | Series: Dvar Torah
| Level: Beginner
And no man shall be
in the Tent of Meeting when he comes to effect atonement in the Holy, until he
comes out. And he shall effect atonement for himself, for his household, and
for all the congregation of Israel. (Vayikra 16:17)
I am struck by the
list of recipients of atonement and the order. Why is it not just “all the
congregation of Israel”? That would include the Kohain Gadol and his family.
Why must he be atoned for first and his household before affecting atonement
for the nation?
I have a dangerous
habit. I like to read bumper stickers. Sometimes the print is awfully small and
in order to read it one has to get close enough, at a traffic light of course.
Some are humorous. I saw one that read, “Maybe the Hokey Pokey is really what’s
it’s all about!” Somehow I doubt it! Some I find aggravating and absurd. On two
sides of the same bumper, one reads, “Pro-Choice” and the other says, “Imagine World
Peace”. Hard to visualize both in one picture! Every once in a while I see one
that I absolutely agree with. It may even be stating a Torah true principle.
Try for example this one, “Think Global! Act Local!” I love it!
There are many people
with noble intentions, and we know what which road is paved with good
intentions, who are actively trying to change the world. There are generally
two approaches. Only one has the desired affect while the other tends to do
more harm than good.
One type is very busy
thinking local about them-selves while acting global. They are actually
actively trying to change themselves through the world. Absurdly, some imagine
that if they improve the world then they will somehow – magically become that
much better. If one cannot change himself then how can he hope to change the
world?
They tend to project
their shortcomings and foibles on the world. Then they try to fix those far
away problems. It does solve their own personal issues, as their eyes are on
the end of the earth. The results of their efforts, as idealistic as they may
be, are predictably meager because their real intention is to enrich or improve
themselves through a world they cannot help. It’s like someone who is not happy
with the way they look so they begin to paint the mirror. While the mirror gets
smeared they remain unchanged.
The other approach is
what the Talmud calls, “the longer way which is a short way”. Thinking global
while acting local means – “being the change that you wish to see in the
world”. In one place the Talmud expresses it like this, “Fix up yourself first
and then others!” In Pirke Avos Hillel famously stated, “If I am not for me who
will be for me, and if I am only for me then what am I, and if not now then
when!?” If I do not develop myself first then who else can do that for me. If I
remain unimproved, then I am trapped in true and deep identity crisis. The
point of my fixing my-self is to become a resource to help others who want to
develop themselves and help others. If the goal of my-self improvement is just
for me, then it is not an identity crisis any more but a humanity crisis, “what
am I?!” The reason I work on me is because the world, the people around me,
need a better and more resourceful version of me!
Reb Yisrael Salanter,
the father of the Mussar Movement, declared that when he was young he wanted to
change the world. Then he realized there was enough work to do in his
community. Later he realized that he needed to cure himself. He ended up changing
the world.
Nothing Wasted
Parshas
Acharei Mos
Nothing is as painful
as the loss of a child. The wound it leaves in the heart of the parent is so
deep, so jagged that no amount of time can ever heal it. And if that child was
a shining young star, beautiful, talented and accomplished, the pain is that
much greater to bear. The pain Aaron felt at the sudden demise of Nadab and
Abihu, his two brilliant sons who perished while bringing unauthorized fire
into the sanctuary, must have been excruciating.
With this in mind,
let us take a close look at this week’s Torah portion. The reading begins with
a description of the sacrificial service conducted by Aaron, the High Priest,
on Yom Kippur. The Torah prefaces these instructions with the following words,
“And the Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when
they drew near to Hashem and died . . . With this shall Aaron come into the
sanctuary, with a young bullock as a sin-offering . . .”
Two questions
immediately come to mind. One, why mention the death of Aaron’s two sons in
this context? What was the point of rubbing salt in his wounds? Furthermore,
what is the significance of the seemingly superfluous words “with this”?
Let us reflect for a
moment on loss. Two people die. One is killed on a subway by a deranged killer
on a shooting spree. The other dies of smoke inhalation while rescuing children
trapped in a burning building. Both families mourn the death of their loved
one, but which feels a greater sense of loss, of emptiness? Clearly, the family
of the hero suffer a more bearable sorrow. At least there was meaning to his
death. But what is the family of the subway victim supposed to feel? How are
they to deal with the pointless snuffing out of a vibrant life? How are they to
deal with the sudden senseless void that has appeared in their lives? The
perception of waste is the most difficult aspect of personal loss.
The untimely deaths of
Nadab and Abihu, two brilliant young priests with such promising futures, must
have seemed like such a terrible waste. But our Sages tells us that their
intentions were pure, that they acted out of tremendous although somewhat
misguided zeal. The commentators explain that anything a person does for the
good takes on a life and an existence of its own, even if its effectiveness is
not immediately apparent. The act, the word, the thought still exist, and at
some time and place in the future they can effect important results. Nothing is
lost. Nothing is wasted.
This is what Hashem was
telling Aaron by way of consolation for the death of his two sons. “With this”
shall Aaron enter the sanctuary. With the fiery zeal of his two sons, which
would now be channeled to their proper destination through the Yom Kippur
service performed by their father. Through his actions, Aaron could tune in to
the spiritual energy generated by his sons and harness it to add momentum to
his own service. In this way, he could bring fulfillment to the lives of his
sons and solace to his own broken heart.
A young dissident was sentenced to fifteen years of hard labor
in a prison camp. Each day he would push a long pole attached to a gear that
turned a heavy millstone in the next room. Day in and day out for fifteen
years, from dawn until long after dark, the prisoner pushed the pole in an
endless circles of backbreaking labor.
When he was finally released, he asked to see the millstone,
and his wish was granted. The room turned out to be dark and musty, covered
with cobwebs and many inches of dust. The former prisoner took one look and
burst into tears.
“Why are you crying?” asked the puzzled warden.
“All these years, I had thought I was grinding grain, that I
was helping make bread. But now I see that all that terrible hardship was a
total waste. That is simply too much to bear.”
In our own lives, we
often expend energy on all sorts of good deeds without seeing any tangible
results. For instance, we put tremendous efforts into our children, and
sometimes we become frustrated, thinking it is all for naught. But it is not.
We can all take comfort in the knowledge that no good deed or good word is ever
wasted, that somewhere, sometime, in one way or another, our efforts all bear
fruit…
Text Copyright © 2008
by Rabbi Naftali Reich and Torah.org.
Rabbi Reich is on the
faculty of the Ohr Somayach Tanenbaum Education Center.
Now Become Holy!
Parshas
Acharei Mos Kedoshim
Posted on April 22, 2010 (5770) By
Rabbi Label Lam | Series: Dvar Torah
| Level: Beginner
HASHEM spoke to Moshe
saying, “Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel and say to
them, “You shall be holy, for holy am I, HASHEM, your G-d.”” (Vayikra 19:1)
“You shall be holy!” is
not a separate Mitzvah in the Torah. What is it then? What does it mean to be
holy? How exactly do we do it?
The Chovos HaLevavos sheds light
this hugely important subject. He informs us that theoretically all activities
in life fall into one of three categories. 1)Mitzvos 2) Avieros-sins 3)Rishus-
Permissible. Ultimately, however, everything is either a Mitzvah or an Aveira.
How so? The Mitzvos of a given day take up a finite portion of time, while
involvement in Aveiros we hope are nil. That’s a successful day! Can one do
better? Let’s see! Where does eating for example fit in? Let’s say the pizza
was Kosher. Does that make it holy? Is eating six
slices of Kosher Pizza holy? Why or why not?
Being holy is what we
wish the Mitzvos would make out of us. By crowning HASHEM with the performance
of a Mitzvah we hope that that would promote dominion of our G-dly soul over
our baser animal instincts. It’s the general focus of all Mitzvos to become
holy and not a specific deed. It’s like a teacher saying to a class, “Become
wise!” Which assignment in particular makes the good student wise? It’s the
goal of the entire educational process. What is to be written in the comment
box on the report card of the competent student that passes all exams, does all
the requisite work but fails to become wise?
The Chovos HaLevavos paints a detailed portrait in words of
such a holy man, one who succeeded to gain mastery over his passions even in,
especially in areas of permissibility: “This individual is cheerful of
countenance even while his heart is troubled. He is exceedingly magnanimous,
and his soul is most humble. He neither bears a grudge nor slanders nor gossips
about anyone. He abhors prominence and hates lordship. He is composed of mind,
and remembers and expresses gratitude. He is most diffident and of little harm.
If he laughs, it is not to excess; if he is angry, he is not enraged. His
laughter is only a smile. When he asks a question his purpose is to learn. His
knowledge is vast but his humility is great. His resolution is firm, but he is
not hasty of foolish in his actions. He argues courteously and responds
respectfully…
His friendship is genuine, his attachment is strong, his
pledge steadfast. He accepts the Creator’s judgment; he rules over his passion.
He does not speak harshly of one that does him harm. He does not occupy himself
with what is not useful. He does not rejoice at the calamity of another and
speaks no evil of anyone. He does not impose upon others but is of great help
to them. He expresses deep gratitude at a time of misfortune; he endures
patiently at a time of ruin. If solicited he gives; if defrauded he forgives.
Though he is refused he is generous, though he is shunned he remains friendly.
He is softer than butter and sweeter than honey. He urges others to the truth
and speaks the truth. He forgoes his desires and looks ahead to the day of his
death. He keeps his word. He is wise, vigorous, a noble soul, and pleasant
toward others. He is a hero on earth and above all reproach, a help to the poor
and a salvation to the oppressed. He does not uncover what is hidden and reveal
a secret. Though his troubles are many his complaint is little…
He is esteemed and pure, intelligent and G-d fearing. His
company is a joy; his absence a sorrow. Wisdom has refined him, humility has
adorned him. He reminds the learned and teaches the ignorant. Any deed of
another he deems nobler than his own deed; any other soul he regards as purer
than his own soul. He knows his faults and is mindful of his sins. He loves G-d
and strives to do His will. He does not avenge himself or persist in his anger.
He is close with those who remember G-d. He sits with the poor. He is a friend
to devotees of righteousness, faithful to devotees of truth. He is an aid to
the needy, a father to the orphan, a husband to the widow, and he shows respect
to the poor.”
Now become holy! DvarTorah, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi
Label Lam and Torah.org.
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