Friday, April 19, 2013

CLD #868



Its another double Parasha Shabbat! The two Parshiyot for this Shabbat are Akhareh – Kedoshim, which discuss tons of laws of purity, sexual immorality, korbanot (sacrifices) and other laws that are fundamental to Jewish living. One of the Rashi commentaries on the Pesukim in our Parshiyot is a real wake up alert for all of us.

In VaYikrah 19:26 there is a Pasuk that on the Peshat (literal meaning) level you can learn it in one viewpoint and on Derash, another level of Torah learning, you can see it in a different way completely. In our Parasha there is a distinct prohibition to got to fortune tellers and people who use the impure spiritual power to tell you your luck. They are called Yidonim or Ov. These people take bones and through spiritual impurity they have the bone speak fortune or they place objects in their armpit and it causes the individual to reach a form of impure fortune telling.

This is what our Pasuk explains in the first way after viewing it, as it says “You Shall not act on the basis of omens…” Rashi explains this another way. Rashi says the word that describes omens in Hebrew is “Te’onenu,” coming from the word Onot, which in Hebrew means seasons (of the year). Rashi gives strong rebuke that teaches not to serve Hashem “based on the season.” Meaning, if an individual likes warmer weather he should NOT serve Hashem BECAUSE of this warm weather and its EASIER to do Mitzvot, rather the person should be on the same active level of living with Hashem year round.

This is strong mussar for all of us today because it is getting warmer outside and there is more temptation to go out to parks and nature reserves, etc. There is no problem to do so UNLESS it conflicts with our Avodat Hashem. If an individual wakes up Shabbat morning and sees it is a beautiful day, they shouldn’t think walking to the park instead of going to pray in Hashem’s Home (Kenissah, Bet Kenesset, Shul) is a good idea.

Be’ezrat Hashem from the privilege we have of living in a generation where its so easy to perform Shabbat and its beauty we should see Mashiakh Tzidkenu Bimhera BeYamenu!

Judaism=Think.
Shabbat Shalom!

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