I Made A Choice That Soon Became A Stand (John Barlow & Bob Weir - "My Brother Esau")

            When the lead story in a Canadian evening news telecast is the same as an American evening news telecast, it is safe to say that the lead story must be important. When the lead story in a Canadian evening news telecast is about a leaked Supreme Court Draft Opinion that the majority of Justices (5-4) have agreed to, then I am intrigued. After all, a U.S. Supreme Court Decision regarding individual rights and criminalization of abortion in the United States does not affect Canada except for the fact that there might be American women who come to Canada from those states that restrict abortion (Peter Zimonjic, CBC News. “American Women Can Obtain Abortions In Canada If Roe v. Wade Falls, Minister Says” Posted: May 3, 2022.) As troubling as the leaked draft opinion for those who believe in a women’s right to choose, perhaps just as troubling is the implicit relationship between the nature of democracy and women’s rights. In an April 2021 article by Susan Markham and Stephanie Foster entitled: “Gender Equality is Fundamental to Promoting Democracy”, the authors explain that a democracy’s vitality and health are directly related to the rights of women, minorities, their ability to participate in democratic institutions, and affect policy. Indeed, the health of democracy and the health of a civilized society is directly related to its ability to empathize with those who are underrepresented, whose rights are ignored or diminished after 50 years of legal precedent. Sadly, those who feel most threatened by their loss of power might be better served to remind themselves of the “Golden Rule” that they were taught as children.

          This Shabbat we read from Parsha Kedoshim. Kedoshim is the plural form of the adjective Kodesh, which means holy.  In this particular case, the antecedent for Kedoshim is Kol Adat B’nai Yisroel – the Entire Assembly of the Children of Israel. All of Israel is Holy, why? As we will read over and over again in a mantra-like fashion, Ki Kadosh Ani Adonai Eloheichem – Because Holy am I the Lord your God. We are holy because of our sacred relationship with God. Interestingly, the rest of the Parsha does NOT concentrate on the relationship between God and humanity. Instead, the Parsha outlines the moral and ethical behavior that we are commanded to display towards our fellow human beings. Keeping in mind that we are all created B’Tzelem Elokim – the Image of God; we are urged to “be like God”.  We are reminded to treat others as we would treat God.

          The plethora of ethical behaviors outlined includes “do not place a stumbling block before the blind”, or “a worker's wage shall not remain with you overnight until morning”. Even the Golden Rule, urging us to treat others as we hope to be treated is part of Kedoshim. The great Talmudic Sage Rabbi Hillel explained to an individual who wanted to learn Torah while standing on one leg that this one rule embodies the essence of Torah “the rest are the detail” (Shabbat 31a). V’Ahavta L’Rei’echa K’Mocha – You shall love your fellow human being as yourself (Lev 19:18).  Rabbi Akiva, another Talmudic Sage, explains that this is the fundamental rule of the Torah (Jerusalem Talmud Nedarim 9:4). Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heschel explained that this commandment does not mean to love saintly and righteous people – it is impossible NOT to love such people. Rather God commands us to love even people whom it is hard to love.  After each of these ethical reminders, God provides the mantra Ki Kadosh Ani Adonai Eloheichem – Because Holy am I the Lord your God. Did Bnai Yisroel suddenly forget who they were? Did Bnai Yisroel suddenly forget who God was? So soon after standing at Sinai, receiving the Aseret Dibrot, making the regrettable decision to worship the Egel Zahav, engaging in national Teshuva, and constructing a Mishkan, did Bnai Yisroel really forget that they are part of a sacred relationship? Perhaps these ethical statements and the re-iteration of many of the commandments are put into the context of human relationships because it is much easier to see the immediacy and relevance of these commandments in human terms. At the same time, we need to be reminded that we follow these commandments for two reasons: 1) because God said so and 2) because we have it in us to be holy, to be Godly.  

          At its core, the Golden Rule of “Love Your Neighbor as Yourself” is about empathy. Increasing our empathy for each other might help diminish the vitriol, the mistrust, and the “zero sum game” that some equate with rights and power in demographically evolving democracies.  Perhaps striving to embody  God’s qualities begins with a very small and simple step V’Ahavta L’Rei’echa K’Mocha - You shall love your fellow human being as yourself.         

Peace,
Rav Yitz

The A B C's, We All Must Face, And Try To Keep A Little Grace (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Touch of Grey")

We finished celebrating Pesach and our home will soon return to normal. For a week, our kids lived on Matzah Pizza. For a week they managed to get by without a bowl of cereal for breakfast. As Pesach departed and our family did Havdalah, our children quickly screamed “Bring on the Chametz” and desperately wanted us to order Pizza. Too bad the wait time for Pizza was nearly two hours which was way past everyone’s bedtime.  The disappointment was palpable and they asked what could be done to solve the problem. From their perspective, a solution would have been to run to the store, buy pizza dough, and make pizza for everybody.  However Mommy and Daddy’s solution was a bit different.  “You can have Chametz in the morning! Now go to bed.” Their request as absurd as it was revealed so much about human nature.  When a restriction is lifted, or permission granted, it is human nature to want to be first in line. When a new I Phone is released, a group of people are always in line to be first. When tickets go on sale for Beyonce, apparently people stand in line. I remember when I was in college near Philadelphia and the tickets for the Grateful Dead Philadelphia shows went on sale, a group of us quickly organized ourselves to camp out for the few days so that we could get tickets. People want to be first in line to a premiere and some run to be first on the block to buy the newest car model or gadget.  Although it may be human nature to desire and strive to be first, that doesn’t necessarily mean that it is smart or even cost effective to be first. Sometimes we need to be smart enough and mature enough to put aside human nature.

This week we read from Parsha Kedoshim, which literally means Holiness.  Hashem speaks to Moshe telling him that he should gather all of B'nai Yisroel and tell them that every aspect of life must be infused with Holiness. From the treatment of the stranger, the widow, the orphan, an employee and even our parents, there is a way to behave that is infused with Holiness and there is a way to behave that is less infused with holiness.  We are reminded that certain relationships are inherently unholy. We are reminded that certain types of worship are unholy as well. Throughout the Parsha the Mantra Ki Kadosh Ani Adonai Eloheichem – Because Holy am I the Lord your God is repeated. Of course the underlying message aimed at B’nai Yisroel was to remind them that they needed to strive beyond human nature. They needed to act differently than other people. Being involved in a covenantal relationship with Hashem means striving towards holiness; something that is beyond human nature.  

This idea of acting beyond human nature and striving for something more is emphasized at the very beginning of the Parsha. Imo V’Aviv Tira’u – Your mother and Father you shall fear.  This Commandment appears quite similar to the one of the Ten Commandments: Kabeid et Avicha v’ Et Imecha – Honor your father and mother. However there are a few differences. The first difference is that Parsha Kedoshim talks about “Tira’u” or Fear, while Ten Commandment version talks about “Kabeid” or Honor. The Second difference is the order of the parent. Regarding the commandment that invokes “fear”; “mother” appears before father. Regarding the commandment that invokes “honor”; “father” appears before “mother. At first glance we might think that the Torah is telling us that the Father is more important than the Mother hence the father should be honored first. Rashi, the 11^th Century French commentator and vintner, citing the Talmud Kiddushin 31a explained that “mother precedes father, because God knows that the father is feared more than the mother. In the Fifth commandment, which commands us to honor our parents, the mother, who generally comforts the child and is therefore honored more, is preceded by the father.” Generally speaking, children are more fearful of fathers therefore the Torah commands us to be fearful of mother. Generally speaking children honor their mothers more therefore the Torah commands us to honor fathers.  Striving towards Holiness means that we are supposed to transcend our human nature and instinct.  By doing so, we emulate God and are able to achieve holiness.

Our kids eventually had a pizza after Pesach. They eventually got their fill of Chametz. No it wasn’t the first thing they did after Pesach. By waiting, even for one extra night, there was a deeper appreciation of what they were doing, rather than the rush of being the first do it. Maybe the first bite of Pizza was not necessarily a holy act, but having them wait a few extra hours to begin ingesting Chametz added a little holiness to what is otherwise a rather mundane event known as cleaning up after Pesach.

Peace,

Rav Yitz