Well, Can't You See That You're Killing Each Other's Soul? (Jerry Garcia - "Cream Puff War")

           On an evening earlier this week, our sixteen-year-old son came to a troubling realization and an incredibly profound comment, linking recent events to a 70-year-old black and white movie. Each day since Pesach, we have all cough snippets of the Derek Chauvin trial going on in Minneapolis.  We watched two events involving police and issues of DWB (Driving While Black), one in Virginia, and another fatal incident in a Minneapolis suburb. There has been increased reporting and discussion of hate crimes directed at Asians. Also over the past few days, we along with numerous Jews throughout the world observed Yom HaShoah, (Holocaust Remembrance Day), Yom HaZikaron (Remembrance Day for Israeli Soldiers and Victims of Terrorism), and finally Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Israel’s Independence Day). After all the homework, studying, and writing our son and I took a break.  As we turned on the 11pm news,  we happened to see a twenty-something Sidney Poitier and a thirty-something Richard Widmark in the 1950 black and white movie No Way Out.  Poitier plays a doctor and Widmark plays a racist two-bit criminal.  The doctor is confronted with the ethics of whether he should treat and save the life of the racist who means him harm or not. The language contains numerous racist epithets that were not “bleeped” out, and we were startled to hear. In one particularly raw scene, a racist woman is watching the doctor (played by Poitier) treat her husband. She makes a reprehensible comment and then spits upon Poitier. Our son watched, tears welled up in his eyes and he commented that it is 70 years later and racism is an impurity in the soul of the racist as well as society. 

          This week we combine two Parshiot: Tazriah and Metzorah. God tells Moshe the laws of purity and impurity as it relates to birth. God instructs Moshe about the appropriate korbanot (offerings) that a mother should make as she re-enters the camp. God also instructs Moshe about Tza'arat, or for lack of a good translation; leprosy. Throughout the rest of Tazria and Metzora, we are told all about Tzaarat. We are told what it is. We are told how it is diagnosed. We are told how it is treated. We are told how it spreads. We are told what to do in case it spreads. Basically, Tazriah is a type of Tza'arat, a type of skin ailment that is commonly thought of as leprosy. However, this skin ailment is not treated by the resident dermatologist. Even if they had dermatologists in the Torah, we would not bring someone suffering from Tazriah to the dermatologists. Why? The skin ailment was not a symptom of any type of physical malady. Since the person with the skin ailment appears before the Priest, the Kohen, we know that the skin condition must be a spiritual malady and not a physical one. Adam Ki Yiheyeh V'Or B'Saro S'Eit O Sapachat O Va'Heret V'Hayah V; Or B'Saroh L'Negah Tzara'at V'Huvah El Aharon H'Kohen O el Achad Mi'Banav Ha'Kohanim - If a person will have on the skin of his flesh a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration and it will become a scaly affliction on the skin of his flesh; he shall be brought to Aaron the Kohen or to one of his sons the Kohanim (Lev. 13:2-3). The rest of the Parsha teaches us the appropriate protocol for treatment. The Kohen checks again to determine if that person has become ritually impure. If so, they must be sent out of the camp in order to avoid the risk of the skin ailment spreading to others. The quarantine would last for seven days. Afterward, the Priest would check again, if there was no contamination the person was brought back into the camp, However, if the contamination remained, then the quarantine would continue for another seven days. Then the process would begin all over again. We also learn that if this contamination spread to the clothes or vessels; then everything would be burned and destroyed.

          In the Talmudic Tractate of Arichin, which primarily focuses upon the laws of valuations; we learn that the skin ailment is a punishment for the sins of bloodshed, false oaths, sexual immorality, pride, robbery, and selfishness (Arichin 16a). All of these physical occurrences are accompanied by a spiritual component. These occurrences all demonstrate the offender's failure to empathize with the needs of others. It is fascinating to think that in an ideal community, we are not only concerned with our own well-being. We should also be concerned about others as well. Our failure to do so leads to a spiritual sickness including petty jealousy, alienation, and increased erosion of community and society. This spiritual sickness diminishes the holiness within the individual and the holiness within the community. By removing the contaminated offender from the community two positive results occur. First, the welfare, integrity, and holiness of the community are spared from spiritual sickness. This is the primary concern since we fear that God will cease dwelling in a community that becomes spiritually sickened or spiritually dysfunctional. Second, the contaminated offender experiences isolation and concern from others, in other words, the contaminated individual had an opportunity to heal. This is exactly what he/she lacked and brought those shortcomings upon the community with such negative consequences.

          So how do we understand the concept of  Tamei and Tahor- Purity and Impurity in the modern world? Both the Torah and Talmud recognize that health and sickness are not confined to the world of physiology. There are some things in this world that can cause one’s soul, one’s mind, or one’s spirit to become unhealthy. The same can be said for society as a whole. The language that the Torah describes the non-physiological aspect of an individual as  Tamei and Tahor -Purity and Impurity or “healthful and unhealthful”.  Our son understood that racism and prejudice are among those negative attitudes and feelings that cause people or society to become spiritually “unhealthful” or impure and if left unchecked, leads to the endangerment and physical suffering of the minority. For Judaism and Torah, that impurity left unchecked renders a sacred community unholy. 

Peace,

Rav Yitz

I Had The Mark Just As Plain As Day, I Could Not Be Denied (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodleloo")

         About a month ago, I read a fascinating and troubling article in The Times of Israel (dated March 17th) about the Jews of Norway and Bris Milah during the current pandemic. The Jewish community of Oslo, Norway is incredibly small. Norway has approximately 1300-2000 total Jews. The Jewish community does not have Mohel. As a result, a Mohel from another country is sent for, performs the Bris Milah, and then returns home. With borders closed, it has become impossible for a Bris Milah to happen. In such a case, families have to wait. One Oslo couple was blessed to have given birth to a healthy baby boy just prior to the border’s closing. However, because of the severity of the outbreak and the Shelter at Home restrictions, the family will have to wait until the border opens up and a Mohel can be brought in. The Oslo Rabbi explained that the Oslo community, like any community, has dealt with the case of a baby’s health requiring that the Bris be delayed beyond 8 days. This is the first time that it has been delayed because of external circumstances. After all, since the days of the Roman Empire, the Jewish people have risked their lives to gather for Bris Milah. In the current environment, the issue is not the Mitzvah per se, but rather the gathering together. In places where there is a Mohel, the baby, the father and the Mohel are the only ones in a shared space and everyone has a mask and wearing gloves.
         This week we combine two Parshiot: Tazriah and Metzorah. God tells Moshe the laws of purity and impurity as it relates to birth. God instructs Moshe about the appropriate Korbanot (sacrifices) that a mother should make as she re-enters the camp. God also instructs Moshe about Tza'arat, or for lack of a good translation; leprosy. Throughout the rest of Tazria and Metzora, we are told all about Tzaarat, skin ailment. We are told what it is. We are told how it is diagnosed. We are told how it is treated. We are told how it spreads. We are told what to do in case it spreads. The rest of the Parsha teaches us the appropriate protocol for treatment. The Kohen checks again to determine if that person has become ritually impure. If so, they must be sent out of the camp in order to avoid the risk of the skin ailment spreading to others. The quarantine would last for seven days. Afterward, the Priest would check again, if there was no contamination the person was brought back into the camp, However, if the contamination remained, then the quarantine would continue for another seven days. Then the process would begin all over again. We also learn that if this contamination spread to the clothes or vessels; then everything would be burned and destroyed.
          However, Parsha begins with the case of a mother giving birth to a baby boy and then a baby girl and the number of days the mother is considered to be impure. Amid the case of childbirth and the number of days that the mother is deemed to be in a state of “ritual impurity”; the Torah adds a seemingly irrelevant reminder that has nothing to do with issue of the mother’s state of ritual “purity/impurity”. U’VeYom HaShmini Yimol Basar Orlato - On the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. (Lev.12:3) Why does the Torah choose this moment to remind us that Brit Milah is supposed to be on the eighth day? Why take this Mitzvah, the reminder of a sacred covenant, something so holy and pure, and put it in the same place as a discussion about purity and impurity? We have known about this Mitzvah since the days of Avraham Avinu. Why, in the context of a woman giving birth and a discussion about her status of purity/impurity, does God remind Moshe of the importance of Bris Milah on the eighth day? It is Moshe Rabeinu, I would have assumed that he of all people would know about Bris Milah especially after his wife served as the mohel for her son’s bris as Moshe was preparing to return to Egypt and begin the liberation process. The Or HaChaim explains that the reminder at this time is necessary because B’nai Israel needed to understand that Brit Milah supersedes Shabbat. When Avraham Avinu was commanded to observe Brit Milah, no commandment to observe Shabbat existed. That explains the reminder occurring anytime after the Shamor V’ Zachor et Yom HaShabbat L’Kadsho- Observer and Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. The Toldot Yitzchak (written by Yitzchak Karo) offers another and more plausible response. “Man has been created for the sole purpose of serving his Creator… Through circumcision, he accepts the yoke of Heaven having been marked to serve the Lord and fulfill His commandments” Bris Milah is a physical manifestation of the holiness of the covenant. Tzaarat will serve as the diametric opposite of that purity. Tzaarat will be a temporary physical manifestation of a temporary spiritual shortcoming.
         The Jewish family in Oslo will have to wait for restrictions to loosen in order to bring a mohel. Their son will remain uncircumcised until then. Bris Milah where there is a Mohel will continue to look different because of COVID 19 virus. Indeed this virus is not a physical manifestation of spiritual impurity. It is deadly and as such, it is the physical manifestation of the physical world. Judaism recognizes that under such circumstances, when a life is at risk, then Pikuach Nefesh (saving a soul) supersedes all. Human life is fundamentally holy and pure. Like the Oslo family, we all realize the importance of temporarily reconfiguring and reorienting our Jewish observance. While much of Jewish life cycles are communally oriented, we understand that our physical well being takes precedence and we will creatively seek spiritual expressions of that sanctity and holiness.

Peace,
Rav Yitz

She Has No Pain Like A Child She Is Pure, She Is Not To Blame (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia - "Help Is On The Way")

          Friends of ours celebrated their son’s Bar Mitzvah. We ate, drank, and were subjected to incredibly loud music designed for young people. It always amazes me as a parent, that once you achieve the milestone of your youngest child’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah, the music at every other Bar/Bat Mitzvah seems so much louder. Yes, I suppose it is an indication of old age. We also sat through several speeches. The Bar Mitzvah boy gave offered interesting words of Torah. The siblings spoke. However, it was listening to both the father and the mother speak that began to understand and thinking about our children’s rights of passage and milestones: Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Weddings, and Bris or graduations. The father spoke and referenced his mother who had passed away several years before. The mother invoked her father who had been unable to attend her older son’s Bar Mitzvah because he, the grandfather of the Bar Mitzvah boy, was in Israel mourning and sitting Shiva for his mother. Through her joy and pride in her son, through her tears and gratitude that her father was able to attend this family event; she demonstrated what every parent understands. At any achievement of a milestone, at every lifecycle event, the parents, we parents understand that the purer the joy, the greater the sense of a desire to invoke and share that moment with a loved one who is unable to be there and, in effect, temper that joy.
          This week’s Torah portion is Parsha Tazria. Parsha Tazria concentrates upon how impurity, a spiritual impurity is passed between people. The majority of the Parsha focuses upon Leprosy as it was considered to be a very physically contagious disease. Parsha Tazria puts the diagnosis, the treatment, and the convalescence in spiritual terms rather than physical terms. We learn that the while this Tumah, this spiritual impurity is present, the stricken individual cannot reside within the camp. After all, God dwells in the camp and we cannot tolerate any impurity near God.
          However, prior to its discussion of Leprosy, Parsha Tazria outlines the somewhat troubling laws concerning impurity in childbirth. Fundamentally, the notion of impurity relates to coming into contact with that which is dead. In Parsha Shemini, Torah outlined impurities that come from dead animals. In this Parsha, we are reminded that a Mother is touched by death during the miracle of childbirth. Isha Ki Tazria V’Yalda Zachar V’Tamah Shivat Yamim Kimei Nitdat Dotah Titmah – When a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be contaminated for a seven day period as during the days of her separation infirmity shall she be contaminated (Lev. 12:2). Imagine becoming spiritually impure after being blessed by the miracle of childbirth. Yet, this new mother lost blood; she lost some aspect of her life force during the birth process. As a result, while simultaneously being touched by a new life, she is also touched by her own mortality.
          Perhaps there is no more an intense moment than when a new mother, physically exhausted and spent, holds the newborn. The Rabbis of the Talmud teach that surviving childbirth is an equivalent to a near-death experience and saying Birkat HaGomeil is therefore required. (Praised are You, Lord Our God, King of the universe who graciously bestows favor upon the undeserving, even as He has bestowed favor upon me.) Inherent to surviving a near-death experience is the notion that the individual comes precipitously close to death. Even in the miracle of life, we are reminded of its fragility. Even in death, we are reminded that we are forever striving towards elevated levels of holiness. In the most physical moments, and certainly, childbirth is quite a physical endeavor, we are reminded that it is our spiritual task to elevate that physical moment into a spiritually holy moment as well. As parents celebrating our children’s milestones, we are innately aware of the need to acknowledge our sense of loss and elevate it by incorporating it into our celebration.

              Peace

Rav Yitz

Now The Shore-Lights Beckon, Yeah There's A Price For Being Free ( John Barlow & Bob Weir - "Lost Sailor")

          The Middle East was a busy place this week. Israel celebrated its 70^thyear of being an independent country. Palestinians marked the day with what is known as Nakba – The Catastrophe. The leader of nearby Syria, Bashir Al Assad used chemical weapons upon his own people yet again.  England, France and the United States, despite Russian pressure to ignore Assad’s use of chemical weapons, bombed several sights as a warning that the West would not tolerate a dictator’s use of chemical weapons upon his own people. As our children watched the news, read the Tweets, I was asked why a leader would want to kill his/her own people, let alone kill them with an illegal weapon. For them, this was the first time that they paid attention enough to follow the news and ask the question. I reminded them that this was not the first time, and sadly it won’t be the last. In a recent speech to the European Parliament warned of the rising fascism with “antidemocratic and illiberal ideas, the deadly tendency which might lead our continent to the abyss, nationalism, giving up of freedom.” (NY Times Editorial Board April 18,2018). Macron didn’t mention anyone nor any country by name: not Hungary, not Poland, not Russia, not Turkey, nor any leader enthralled with strong armed dictators nor the populist movement that these types of leaders claim to represent. What seemed so fascinating was the way Macron spoke about it, an impurity that infects the soul of individuals, leaders and nations.

This week we combine two Parshiot: Tazriah and Metzorah. God tells Moshe the laws of purity and impurity as it relates to birth. God instructs Moshe about the appropriate korbanot (sacrifices) that a mother should make as she re-enters the camp. God also instructs Moshe about Tza'arat, or for lack of a good translation; leprosy. Throughout the rest of Tazria and Metzora, we are told all about Tzaarat. We are told what it is. We are told how it is diagnosed. We are told how it is treated. We are told how it spreads. We are told what to do in case it spreads. Basically, Tazriah is a type of Tza'arat, a type of skin ailment which is commonly thought of as leprosy. However this skin ailment is not treated by the resident dermatologist. Even if they had dermatologists in the Torah, we would not bring someone suffering from Tazriah to the dermatologists. Why? The skin ailment was not a symptom of any type of physical malady. Since the person with the skin ailment appears before the Priest, the Kohen, we know that the skin condition must be spiritual malady and not a physical one. Adam Ki Yiheyeh V'Or B'Saro S'Eit O Sapachat O Va'Heret V'Hayah V; Or B'Saroh L'Negah Tzara'at V'Huvah El Aharon H'Kohen O el Achad Mi'Banav Ha'Kohanim- If a person will have on the sin of his flesh a swelling, a rash, or a discoloration and it will become a scaly affliction on the skin of his flesh; he shall be brought to Aaron the Kohen, or to one of his sons the Kohanim(Lev. 13:2-3). The rest of the Parsha teaches us the appropriate protocol for treatment. The Kohen checks again to determine if that person has become ritually impure. If so, they must be sent out of the camp in order to avoid the risk of the skin ailment spreading to others. The quarantine would last for seven days. Afterwards, the Priest would check again, if there was no contamination the person was brought back into the camp, However if the contamination remained, then the quarantine would continue for another seven days. Then the process would begin all over again. We also learn that if this contamination spread to the clothes or vessels; then everything would be burned and destroyed.

In the Talmudic Tractate of Arichin, which primarily focuses upon the laws of valuations; we learn that the skin ailment is a punishment for the sins of bloodshed, false oaths, sexual immorality, pride, robbery, and selfishness (Arichin 16a). All of these physical occurrences are accompanied by a spiritual component. These occurrences all demonstrate the offender's failure to empathize with the needs of others. It is fascinating to think that in an ideal community, we are not only concerned with our own well-being. We should also be concerned about others as well. Our failure to do so leads to a spiritual sickness including: petty jealousy, alienation, and a further erosion of community and society. All of which diminish the holiness within the individual and the holiness within the community. By removing the contaminated offender from the community two positive results occur. First the welfare, integrity and holiness of the community is spared from spiritual sickness. This is the primary concern since we fear that God will cease dwelling in a community that becomes spiritually sickened or spiritually dysfunctional. The second positive result is that the contaminated offender has experienced the isolation and concern from others. This is exactly what he/she wrought upon the community with such behavior.

            Certainly we can understand that power be a source of impurity. When leaders and their political parties focus so much on obtaining power and do everything possible to remain in power; leaders, political parties, and a society’s values become corrupt. That corruption leads to cynicism which eventually destroys the purpose of power: a tool, a mechanism to help those who need help, bring relief to those in need, and bring those who are alienated and in the dark back into the light.  The Torah reminds us that our spiritual shortcomings can also affect our physical well-being.  Our psychological well-being, our spiritual well-being, and our physical well-being, according to Tazriah/Metzorah must reflect life. Just as important, we need to have life affirming rituals that we can engage in when we are confronted with things that threat our life affirming existence. Each act of kindness reaffirms the idea that freedom and democracy are the only viable means by which one can to strive towards Kedushah (holiness) and Chesed (kindness).

Peace,

Rav Yitz

You Say It's A Living, We All Gotta Eat (Robert Hunter & Mickey Hart- "Fire On The Mountain")

The holiday of Passover has passed over and our kitchen has returned to normal. Perhaps the happiest person was our 10th-grade daughter who has been experimenting with vegetarianism. Her commitment to this additional dietary restriction created some difficulties for her during Pesach. Obviously, there was no regular pasta. Even though there is a Matza based pasta on the market, she did not like it. There was no such thing as a Kosher For Passover vege-burger. There was no Tofu on Passover as soybean (and all beans for that matter) are considered kitniyot (legumes) and we hold by that restriction during the Passover festival. She ate lots of quinoa and lots of fish, eggs and cheese. Throughout the entire week, her mother and I constantly worried about her getting enough protein in her diet. I even told her that it was time she acknowledges her rightful place atop the food chain and enjoys her mother’s chicken and brisket. While our daughter smiled at my joke, she will not be persuaded to begin eating meat. So whenever we do eat meat, we always make sure that she has a “vegetarian option. Despite the inconvenience for the one cooking and our perpetual anxiety about her protein intake, I actually admire her discipline.

This week’s Parsha is Shemini. It is comprised of three chapters. The first chapter tells us how sacrificial offering is supposed to work. While receiving instructions from Moshe, Aharon, his brother, and the High Priest, makes sacrificial offerings on behalf of the people. Following every instruction down to the minutest detail, and remaining in the highest state of spiritual purity, Aharon slaughters the animal, sprinkles the blood, and burns the animal. Once finished, Moshe and Aharon leave the Mishkan and come out to bless the people. V’yeirah Kavod Adonai El Kol Ha’Am-“And the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people” (Lev 9:23). Obviously, we can see how sacrifices are supposed to work. We see how God’s pleasure is displayed and the people's response to witnessing such glory. They bow their heads. This chapter essentially explains God’s response to the sacrifices. When everything is appropriate and in the proper spirit, God accepts our approach. The second chapter concentrates much more on the priests and what happens when things are not appropriate or not conducted in the proper spirit. Aharon’s eldest sons die for their inappropriate approach toward God. Moshe reminds Aharon and his remaining sons that one must be physically and spiritually pure when offering sacrifices both on their own behalf and on B’nai Yisroel’s behalf. However, what do either of these chapters half to do with Kashrut?

The discussion of Kashrut is confined to the last chapter of the Parsha, chapter 11. In it, we read a list of animals that we are forbidden to eat. Some of which I probably would not eat even if it was kosher. However the answer to why we keep kosher is provided “For I am Adonai your God-you are to sanctify yourselves and you shall become holy, and you shall not contaminate yourselves…For I am Adonai who elevates you from the land of Egypt to be a God unto; you shall be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the animal, the bird, every living creature that swarms in the water, and for every creature that teems on the ground; to distinguish between the impure and the pure, and between the creature that may be eaten and the creature that may not be eaten.” Kashrut is merely a physical expression of our purity. God accepts offerings of all kinds. Priests purify themselves in order to make offerings acceptable to God. What about the rest of us? What everyday activity do we engage in which allows us to demonstrate our sense of purity and our own sense of holiness?  We eat! We separate animals as acceptable for consumption and unacceptable for consumption. We separate milk from meat. We separate the time from when we eat by the time when we do not eat with a blessing. We remind ourselves every day of our own sense of holiness and our relationship to God through Kashrut.

How wonderful! Parsha Shemini teaches that we all have a means to approach God. Priests make sacrifices, and the rest of us eat. By engaging in such physical activity in a manner that consists of limits to that physical activity, we remind ourselves of our relationship with God.  We are reminded that our natural state of existence is entirely physical, only when we infuse our existence with spirituality are we able to embody the sacred. However, the object is to be able to elevate every aspect of our physical existence and infuse it with holiness, even something as physical as eating. Just like God was able to make things holy, so too, are we able to make things holy as well.

Peace, 

Rav Yitz

Now I Don't Know But I Was Told In The Heat Of The Sun A Man Died Of Cold (Robert Hunter & Jerry Garcia "New Speedway Boogie")

Our children came home from school saying that they had “big news”. I thought that we were going to tell me and my wife that they were such extraordinary students that they going to skip a grade.  I was wrong. The big news was that one of the administrators was leaving in two weeks and taking another job.  After their statement came a series of questions. Some of the questions were asked by my wife, and some were asked by each of our children. I didn’t ask any questions.  As they kept asking questions and offering answers,  I just listened. Finally after  a particular answer that clearly was not based upon any fact but rather rumor and assumption, I asked one question. “How do you know?” The entire conversation now changed. Rather than focusing on gossip, rumor and hearsay, our kids were force to acknowledge that their answers were not based upon facts but rather rumor gossip and hearsay.  Yet for 30 minutes or so, they spoke quite authoritatively about this particular issue. As I kept pushing our children to acknowledge the fact that they really didn’t know, I had a flashback to my childhood and my father doing the same to me: teaching me to acknowledge and say “I don’t know.” Finally after several minutes my kids started to understand my question and my message.  Rather than repeating rumor, gossip and hearsay, the Lashon Hara, as authoritative and conclusive facts, have some humility and acknowledge the fact that “you don’t know.”

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Metzorah. The discussion and laws for Tamei/ Tahor (Purity & Impurity) as it affects human beings is continued from last week’s Parsha, Tazria. We continue to learn intricate details concerning how an individual becomes ritually purified, his/her re entrance into the camp, and the prominent role of the Kohen Gadol in ascribing a spiritual treatment for a physical expression of a spiritual problem. Besides discussing the laws of the Metzorah, the laws of one who suffers from this skin ailment, the Parsha also confronts the issues of the Metzorah spreading to a house and the method by which that impurity is removed from the house. The second half of the Parsha concentrates on the laws of Taharah Mishpachah, the laws of family purity.

          When Tzaraat is discovered on an individual, he or she would go to the Kohen Gadol, the High Priest, and undergo and examination. However if the Tzaarat spreads beyond the individual and pollutes the home: U’Vah Asher Lo HaBayit V’Higid LaKohen Leimor- “K’Negah NiReH Li BaBayit” – And he that owns the house shall come and tell the priest saying: It seems to me there is as it were a plague in the house. (Lev. 14:35) Even if the individual sees the Tzaarat, sees the impurity, knows that it is Tzaarat, the individual cannot and must not say that “It is plague in the house,” but rather K’Negah literally “It is like a plague”. Rashi, (the 11century French commentator) explains that “even if the individual is learned and has no doubt as to the nature of the plague, he must not utter a definitive judgment, but merely declare “it seems”.  On the surface Rashi’s comment appears to be focused upon the issue of “Purity and Impurity”, and reminding us that the authority to decide and declare Purity and Impurity rests solely upon the High Priest.  The Talmud in Tractate Brachot 4a teaches: I have learned from my Masters that the wording is not associated with the definition of purity and impurity. Rather, it serves as a moral lesson, i.e., even in the event of certainty about an impurity, one should declare it as doubtful. Thus our Sages have stated, “Teach your tongue to say ‘I do not know’ “. The MaHaRaL of Prague (Rabbi Yehuda Loew of Prague 1525-1609) takes the lesson a step further. “Since it is but the priest who establishes the Nega (the plague and its legal implications); he would not be speaking the truth.” If that individual is not speaking the truth, then he is speaking Lashon HaRa.

Here in this simple statement “K’Negah” –It seems to be a plague” is simplest and most effective way to deal with Lashon HaRa- acknowledge that we “don’t know” for sure, and that we are not necessarily as authoritative as we think we are. Our kids struggled with this idea because they thought that “not knowing” means you “out of the loop”, or that you are not prepared or worse, that you don’t know the answer. Now they appreciate the importance of being able to respond with “I am not sure, but I think…” or “I don’t know but I will find out…” as much more responsible and diminishes the severity of gossip and rumor.

Peace,

Rav Yitz

And Touching Makes The Flesh To Cry Out Loud ( Bob Petersen & Phil Lesh - "New Potato Caboose)

Last week, we drove to New Jersey and attended a Bat Mitzvah. It was a bit of a re-union for me, my wife and children as the Bat Mitzvah was in a Synagogue where I served as the Rabbi seven years ago.  The Bat Mitzvah girl is a very close friend to my daughter so it was very nice watching the two of them remain inseparable over the course of last weekend. The Bat Mitzvah girl invited both boys and girls to her party. Although both boys and girls attended the party, were actually in the banquet room sharing space, and breathing the same air; I was amazed by the lack of interaction between the boys and the girls. As an overprotective father, I was also quite relieved to see that there was a lack of interaction between the boys and the girls. They girls sat with the girls; the boys sat with the boys. The girls talked with the girls; the boys talked with the boys. While there was no physical barrier separating the boys and the girls, there might as well have been because neither group went near the other. It reminded me of my childhood. We didn’t go near the girls. Maybe we were scared of them. Not for the nothing, the girls didn’t go near us either. They probably thought we were “gross” and “disgusting”.

This Shabbat we read from Parsha Tzav. While the previous Parsha, VaYikra spoke of the various rules and regulations for the number of offerings; the Parsha focused upon Bnai Yisroel, the types of animals that are brought for Korbonot (usually animal offerings) and what happens to the animal at the time of the Korbonot. In Parshat Tzav, the first two chapters, focus is upon the role of the Kohanim, the priests, their entitlements, their privileges and the responsibilities in the sacrificial process. Some offering are to be burned completely and the Kohen is not entitled to anything, and some other offerings are NOT to be burned completely and the Kohen is entitle to the food that is left over.

Two consecutive chapters remind us of the importance purity, for both the Kohen as well as Bnai Yisroel. The Torah text suggests that the transfer of purity and impurity is similar to our “little boy” perceptions of girls. All we needed to do was touch or be touched and we could be rendered as pure or impure, or have “girl germs”. Kol Asher Yigah Bivsarah Yikdash Va’Asher Yizeh Midamah Al Beged Asher  Yizeh Aleha T’Chabeis B’Makom Kadosh – Whatever touches its flesh becomes holy; and if its blood is sprinkled upon a garment, whatever it has been sprinkled upon you shall wash in a holy place (6:20).  The area of the clothing that is stained with blood needs to be washed. Physically that area is stained and needs to be cleaned. Spiritually, if the offering itself touches the Kohen, the he and his clothing retain their purity. Later on we read V’HaBasar Asher Yigah B’Chol Tamei Lo Yei’Acheil BaEish Yisareif V’Habasar Kol Tahor Yochal Basar – The flesh that touches any contaminated thing may not be eaten, it shall be burned in fire; but of the uncontaminated flesh, any uncontaminated person may eat the flesh (7:19) Both the meat that was offered, and the Kohen must be in a spiritual state of purity in order for the Kohen to partake of the meat.

Unlike the children at the Bat Mitzvah party, or the children of my childhood”, we adults have a difficult time with this notion of purity and impurity. Yet from a spiritual perspective it makes complete sense. If we touch things that are not holy, we are rendered unholy. If we touch things that are holy, we have become holier. There are certain behaviors, certain foods and certain people we avoid because it we may be harmed. The same holds true in the spiritual realm as well. It is nice to know that if we are indeed receptive to it, when sacred moments touch us: a life cycle event, a holiday, Shabbat, a beautiful sundown, an inspiring word, a moving piece of music, or the peaceful slumber of our children, we achieve a higher degree of holiness, a holiness that washes away all the mundane aspects of weekly life and allows us a taste of spiritual life.

Peace,

Rav Yitz