A thought on Parshas Emor

"...kedoshim yih'u...v'lo yihal'lu Shem...v'ha'yu kodesh..."
"...they must have sanctity...and not defile the Name...and be holy..." (21:6)

This is one of many verses stressing the sanctity of the priesthood, the kahuna. In some verses, we are instructed to promote the kohen's consecrated status. Here, it is the kohanim themselves who are commanded to remain consecrated, or "holy" and they are adjured that they not defile or desecrate HaShem's Name. The verse closes with what seems like a reiteration of the charge that they "be holy."

The Ralbag offers a different take on this three-topic verse. The first clause, he explains, addresses the behavior of the kohanim There are some actions which are permitted and acceptable for the common Jew yet the kohen must refrain from those actions. This is a means, the Ralbag writes, of creating a safeguard so that the consecrated lives of those who serve HaShem in the most sacred place remain distant from distraction, including servile and mortal happenstance. This is "they must have sanctity" or know their limits.

The second clause, avoiding a desecration of the Divine Name, is to assure that the kohen succeed at inspiring the rest of the Jewish community. Failing to maintain consecrated boundaries and sanctity of conduct not only forfeits our having respect for him and for his station, but actually lowers our sense of the Sacred. Unseemly behavior of the kohen teaches the rest of us to downscale our honor of HaShem, for if His dedicated kohanim are careless and wanton, they dishonor their role which in turn would lead others to view the Sacred with less honor. This is the scope, then, of "they must not defile the Name" because of its deleterious impact upon the rest of us.

The third clause, "that they be holy," has a twist. Some of the commentaries understand this as a reiteration of the first clause, with the Torah again charging the kohanim to remain holy. The Ralbag ties it in to the second clause: a compelling reason for kohanim to adhere to a high standard and not lower the common Jew's reverence for the Divine is so that all of us will "be holy." Each Jew is poised and ready to do the will of HaShem. Viewing the example of the kohen, whose life is centered around this sacred mission, can inspire us to follow in that holy path. Just as the kohen is charged with consecrated conduct and avoiding chillul HaShem, we also have the potential to serve Him faithfully and with dedication. We can be discouraged by his misconduct yet ignited by his example to also be holy. The positive impact of a devout kohen is to encourage a more devout nation.

We sometimes think about the risk of negative modeling yet we also can look at the promise of positive modeling. Through our conduct, we have promote holiness in others.

Wishing you a consecrated life and a Sanctified Shabbos. D Fox