I am always intrigued how our children’s opinions
are affected by western culture, the mass media and even our community’s values
and standards. When we discuss the concept of heroism, greatness, and what it
means to be a hero; the influence of Western Culture and the mass media is most
evident. For our nine year old son, heroism is manifest in saving a life and
defeating the bad guys by putting one’s own life at risk. For our daughter who
has been participating in the Holocaust Educational program entitled “Names not
Numbers”, heroism means surviving the most heinous conditions. Yes, the fireman
who saves a child from a burning building, the soldier who jumps upon a grenade
saving the lives of his company, and the survivor of the Holocaust are all
heroes. I completely agreed with them but then I offered a much more subtle,
less dramatic definition. Sometimes heroism is evident by dealing with cancer
treatments, by going through hard work of rehab. Sometimes heroism is waking up
every morning and going to work in order to support a family. In all these
cases, heroism is a function of the strength and integrity of the individual’s
soul. In all these cases, heroism is a
function of the individual having a sense of sanctified purpose.
This morning we read from Parsha Naso. The Parsha’s
176 psukim make it among the longest single parshiot in the entire Torah. Its length is also reflected in the wide
variety of topics covered including: further description of Priestly
obligations, the dedication of offering that each tribe brought prior to the
Mishkan’s opening and laws concerning the wayward wife. Each of these seemingly
disparate narratives and laws focuses upon a specific segment of the
population. However all of the narratives and laws contain a common thread, how
to raise the level of holiness. The Parsha also provides a mechanism for the
most common individual to achieve spiritual greatness. The individual merely
swears a vow to forego wine, grapes, grape products and haircuts for thirty
days. This vow of abstinence could be
annulled if the individual comes into contact with death, a corpse. These are
the three requirements of spiritual greatness: 30 days, no haircuts, and no
grape products. Once those requirements are satisfied, then the Nazir has
briefly lived on a higher spiritual plane than need be. As a result the Nazir
achieved a higher level of spiritual greatness. Kol Yemai Nizro Kadosh Hu L’Adoshem – all the days of his being a Nazir, he is Sanctified to HaShem
(Num. 6:8). Rashi clarifies that “all the days of his status as a Nazir as
sanctified” refers to Zo Kedushat HaGuf
Milhitamei L’Meitim – the sanctity of
the body, which is manifest through abstinence from becoming impure through
contact with the dead. Rashi explains that striving towards a higher level
of Kedusha, of Holiness is attainable for all of us if only for a limited
period of time. Theoretically the possibility of an “inner hero” resides in all
of us.
Torah teaches us a valuable
lesson. Very often we confuse greatness with size. “Greatness” is not only the
courage to make “big” decisions. Greatness is not only initiating or responding
to big events and crises. Very often, more often than not, “heroism” and
“greatness” are not only big steps but rather the small initial steps that
someday build into greatness. All of us can achieve “Greatness” and be “Heroes”.
When a child hears this, when an adult learns this, then they become truly
empowered to make the mundane activities such as: going to work, going to
school, getting involved in the community, engaging in a small simple act of
Gemilut Chasadim, sanctified holy and heroic deeds and behaviors.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
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