|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Being Worthy of the Role – Parshat Emor 5784
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz – Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites
This week’s parasha, Emor, opens with the laws concerning the kohanim (priests): the prohibition against becoming ritually impure through contact with the dead, a list of additional restrictions, especially in the realm of marriage, and the responsibility they bear regarding their service in the Temple. We will focus on the verse that opens the portion:
“And the Lord said to Moses: Speak to the kohanim, the sons of Aaron, and say to them…”
(Leviticus 21:1)
In the first reading, we encounter linguistic duplication: “Speak to the kohanim – and say to them.” Why is there a need for Moses to be commanded to say these laws to the kohanim twice? And did Moses indeed instruct them twice on the same laws?
Upon deeper examination, we can discern the dual identity attributed to the kohanim. They are not just “kohanim” but also “sons of Aaron.” What would have been lacking if they were identified solely as “kohanim” or solely as “sons of Aaron”?
Regarding the first question, Rashi, the greatest Torah commentator, explains that indeed Moses was commanded to say these laws to the kohanim twice, in order “to warn the elders concerning the younger ones.” Unlike all other commandments, which do not apply to young children, the laws of the priesthood – such as the prohibition against becoming ritually impure through contact with the dead – apply even to young children. Since it is impossible to instruct young children to be cautious about these laws, the elder kohanim are responsible for ensuring that the laws are observed among the young.
It can be suggested that the linguistic duplication “Speak to the kohanim – and say to them” is related to the dual identity by which they are presented: “kohanim” and “sons of Aaron.” What is the meaning of this dual identity?
The priesthood is an inherited status. If one’s father is a kohen, then he too will be a kohen. If his father is not a kohen, he can never be a kohen and serve in the Temple. Such a status may cause the kohanim to feel that they are “born into it,” that they are not required to make an effort, to engage in personal work, to progress, and to be worthy of their role. After all, they were born kohanim.
To address this, Moses was commanded to say the laws of the priesthood both to the “sons of Aaron” and to the “kohanim.” They are the same people, but it is important that they understand that being “sons of Aaron” is not enough. They must also be “kohanim” themselves, to be worthy of it. Indeed, this is a dual statement that expresses the dual meaning of the priesthood status – both as the descendants of Aaron HaKohen and as individuals who strive to be worthy of the priesthood role.
Perhaps this is also the intention of Rashi in his words “to warn the elders concerning the younger ones.” Parents are responsible for teaching their children to be worthy of the priesthood and not to rely solely on lineage. The more a kohen relies on his descent from Aaron and focuses less on personal advancement, the more likely he is to abuse the priesthood status, as indeed happened in the history of the Jewish people, especially in the late days of the Second Temple. Things got to the point where there were kohanim who purchased the high priesthood for payment to the Roman ruler who controlled the land of Israel at that time. About such a phenomenon, the sages said:
“Woe is me due to the High Priests of the house of Baitos, woe is me due to their clubs. Woe is me due to the High Priests of the house of Ḥanin; woe is me due to their whispers and the rumors they spread. Woe is me due to the High Priests of the house of Katros; woe is me due to their pens that they use to write lies. Woe is me due to the servants of the High Priests of the house of Yishmael ben Piakhi; woe is me due to their fists. The power of these households stemmed from the fact that the fathers were High Priests, and their sons were the Temple treasurers, and their sons-in-law were Temple overseers [amarkalin]. And their servants strike the people with clubs…”
(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Pesachim, page 57).
The more an individual invests in being worthy of his role, the better he performs his role. This is as true for kohanim as it is for parents, teachers, managers, and every individual in any role.
