A thought on פרשת אמור
"...v'kidashto...kadosh yi'yeh lach...ki Kadosh Ani..Mekadishchem..."
"...make him holy...he shall be holy to you...for I am Holy & make you holy..." (21:8)
In describing the triangle of interaction between the Kohen, the Jew and the Above, HaShem instructs us all to safeguard the sanctity of the Kohen, then reiterates that kadosh yi'yeh lach - he shall be holy to you. There is a great emphasis on this sanctity and on our maintaining perspective that HaShem, who is Holy, sanctifies us.
We value the sacred role of the sacred Kohen, who brought sacred offerings to the Holy One, so we can understand that honoring and protecting Kohanim is a means of promoting their continued service. It is less clear to us what the second clause, kadosh yi'yeh lach, adds here.
The Recanati provides a creative perspective of these "seemingly redundant" (from our limited view) words: in the Holy Tongue, gender terms can be masculine, feminine or pareve when referring to inanimate objects or topics. For example, the word for "him" or "her" can also mean "it." We have discussed this some years ago in another parsha email. While is it tempting, at first reading, to read the phrase "kadosh yi'yeh lach" as "he shall be holy to you," which opened up our query about restating the verse's earlier phrase, there is a variant reading of these words: the phrase can also mean "and you will become holy." (kadosh - holiness - yi'yeh - will be -- lach - yours.)
The Recanati suggests that with the Torah instructing us to safeguard the sanctity of the Kohen in order that he perform his holy service (as the verse says if you read its entirety), he is not doing that service for himself alone. Rather, he is a catalyst for each Jew's attaining a fuller measure of personal sanctity. We promote his continued service by sponsoring his sanctified role, which means that he brings forth offerings through our own efforts to do our part. That way, that which is offered on the sacred altar becomes a means of bringing all of us closer to HaShem as we share in doing His ratzon (see this year's email on Parshas VaYikra). This facilitates our being closer to Him, which elevates our level of personal kedusha.
So, the verse means, "and you shall make the Kohen sanctified and this will sanctify you." So many times, when the Torah guides our conduct and our thinking, we hunt for the objective consequence of what our actions will lead to. Here, the Recanati reminds us, we see that our actions may have an external objective (promoting the sacred service of the Kohen) but we may also benefit at an internal subjective level by developing a deeper sense of sanctity, and in fact may be the objects of Divine ratzon, which brings us holiness.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...make him holy...he shall be holy to you...for I am Holy & make you holy..." (21:8)
In describing the triangle of interaction between the Kohen, the Jew and the Above, HaShem instructs us all to safeguard the sanctity of the Kohen, then reiterates that kadosh yi'yeh lach - he shall be holy to you. There is a great emphasis on this sanctity and on our maintaining perspective that HaShem, who is Holy, sanctifies us.
We value the sacred role of the sacred Kohen, who brought sacred offerings to the Holy One, so we can understand that honoring and protecting Kohanim is a means of promoting their continued service. It is less clear to us what the second clause, kadosh yi'yeh lach, adds here.
The Recanati provides a creative perspective of these "seemingly redundant" (from our limited view) words: in the Holy Tongue, gender terms can be masculine, feminine or pareve when referring to inanimate objects or topics. For example, the word for "him" or "her" can also mean "it." We have discussed this some years ago in another parsha email. While is it tempting, at first reading, to read the phrase "kadosh yi'yeh lach" as "he shall be holy to you," which opened up our query about restating the verse's earlier phrase, there is a variant reading of these words: the phrase can also mean "and you will become holy." (kadosh - holiness - yi'yeh - will be -- lach - yours.)
The Recanati suggests that with the Torah instructing us to safeguard the sanctity of the Kohen in order that he perform his holy service (as the verse says if you read its entirety), he is not doing that service for himself alone. Rather, he is a catalyst for each Jew's attaining a fuller measure of personal sanctity. We promote his continued service by sponsoring his sanctified role, which means that he brings forth offerings through our own efforts to do our part. That way, that which is offered on the sacred altar becomes a means of bringing all of us closer to HaShem as we share in doing His ratzon (see this year's email on Parshas VaYikra). This facilitates our being closer to Him, which elevates our level of personal kedusha.
So, the verse means, "and you shall make the Kohen sanctified and this will sanctify you." So many times, when the Torah guides our conduct and our thinking, we hunt for the objective consequence of what our actions will lead to. Here, the Recanati reminds us, we see that our actions may have an external objective (promoting the sacred service of the Kohen) but we may also benefit at an internal subjective level by developing a deeper sense of sanctity, and in fact may be the objects of Divine ratzon, which brings us holiness.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 1:28 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home