Gate 65

When perusing our Parshah, we are confronted with a number of difficulties.

1) In order to convince someone to work on perfecting himself, one would expect the demands to be made on such a person to increase gradually, not to shock the student by listing all the demands that are made upon him all at once. That this is sound psychology, is attested to by the Torah itself, where we read (Deuteronomy 30, 11-14)) "for this commandment which I command you this day is not too hard for you, neither is it far away; it is not in Heaven so that you could say "who shall go up to the Heavens for us and bring it to us? For it is very close at hand, in your mouth and in your heart to perform.⁠" On the other hand, what can frighten someone off more than a command such as "be holy for I am holy?⁠"

2) Why do the commandments in our Parshah that parallel the ten commandments appear in a different order? ("Honour your parents,⁠" is listed as the first instead of the fifth commandment; "keep the Sabbath,⁠" is listed as number two instead of as number four. "Do not worship idols,⁠" is listed in third position instead of in second place)

3) After the Torah has completed the list, and concluded by saying "sanctify yourselves,⁠" (20,7) why begin once more with such commandments as "not to curse parents, not to commit adultery etc?⁠"

4) Why is the matter of attaining holiness mentioned three times?

1) There are two groups of people observing mitzvot. One group is so preoccupied with trying to understand the will of God, that even if the mitzvot had not been given, they would have divined most of them themselves, and proceeded to observe them. This is the group of people from whom potential leaders are drawn. They are,alas, few in number. The second group is the group that comprises the vast majority of people. These people observe the mitzvot because they are afraid that non observance will make them liable to punishments, to physical afflictions. They are not really concerned with any considerations beyond that. Among these two categories, some will attempt to understand the deeper meaning behind the mitzvot, whereas others content themselves with simply performing them, fearing retribution. Even among the latter group, some will be more afraid of retribution for non observance of certain commandments. They will be less concerned with the fear of retribution for transgressing some other injunctions in the Torah. It is in the nature of things that if one expects people to observe the commandments out of comprehension, the objectives should be stated first. The specifics of the observances should follow afterwards. For those who observe out of a sense of fear, the presentation of what is demanded of them should be stated first, the objectives of the legislation would be mentioned only at a later stage. Since the revelation at Mount Sinai was the site at which all of the people were assembled, the order of the prohibitions was directed first and foremost at this largest group of people, and in Gods own words. This was to instil fear in them. Here, in Parshat Kedoshim however, when Moses is to address the beney yisrael, i.e. the elite of the people, the positive aspect of what is to be accomplished is stressed first, namely the objective of achieving holiness. Subsequently we progress to the relationship between father and mother, a subject which had been mentioned at Sinai only after conclusion of the obeisances that related to poor relationship vis a vis God.

2) When one uses logic, the respect due to parents leads one to respect the Creator and the Sabbath which testifies to the work of the Creator. This in turn leads one to deny the claims of any other deities. The testimony offered by not working on the Sabbath extends to total recognition of the Creator, and it brings in its wake reminders not to serve or fabricate images, not to have recourse to them in any shape or form. The prohibition not to make images, also extends to the minting of images on coins, which are treated by so many as objects of worship. Truly good Jews, of course, will not make gold their idol nor glory in their material wealth. When they offer a sacrifice, they will be sure to do so from pure motives. All of these things are the outcome of an approach to the service of God that does not stem from fear of punishment. (this accounts for the sequence 19, 1-6) When we are told by the Mishnah in Avot 2,4, "make His will like your will, so that He will make your will like His will,⁠" the meaning is as follows. If you carry out His wishes with the fervour that you normally reserve for carrying out your own wishes, then He will help you divine what is really His will. The daily practice of performing His mitzvot with understanding, will eventually enable us to know instinctively what His will would be (in matters we have not yet been taught) The Mishnah in Avot goes on to say "set aside your will in favour of His will, so that He may set aside the will of others on account of your will. In matters of wishes for mundane matters, such as your desire for women, property to be acquired illegally or immorally, curb your wishes, since such a desire is really an expression of your evil urge, and turn your wishes into permissible channels. In turn, He may influence those who possess the objects that you desire, but refuse to part with them, and you will find former obstacles to your attaining your desires removed. Biblical examples of vain attempts to achieve objects of one's desire by illegal means, are Adoniah's bid to succeed to his father David's throne. (Kings I 1,5-45). Another example is Absalom's rebellion. (Samuel II chapter 17) On the other hand, the fact that David suffered initial setbacks at the hands of Saul, but became king, shows that the prescription offered in Avot is valid. Batsheva, who had acted prematurely, almost came to fatal grief in her haste to meet her destiny. In Psalm 37, David expresses it in these words "seek bliss for yourself with the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.⁠" Since the Talmud in Zevachim 29, tells us that the offerings mentioned here are discussed in terms of the motivations that prompted them to be offered, this proves the thrust of the whole Parshah in the direction we have stated. In all these undertakings, once you have embarked on your career i.e. farming, you will be concerned with those who are less fortunate, sharing with them part of your harvest. (19,9-10) Once you have been trained to give away some of what is yours, you will certainly not be likely to steal from others, cheat, swear false oaths and thereby desecrate the name of God. (verses 11-13) On the contrary, because of your highly developed sensitivity towards the need of the poor, you may have become prejudiced in favour of the poor, and need to be reminded not to err in that direction either. (verse 15) Inactivity in the face of evil is not enough, (verse 16), even silent hatred of the evildoer (verse 17) is not enough. You have to speak out against evil, you must intervene actively to prevent violence. Unless you do these things, you will not achieve the objective of the Torah, i.e. to become a saintly person. The Torah's attitude to collective responsibility requires that we point out to delinquents that they must share the burdens of the community. If a heavy load can only be lifted by concerted effort, he who fails to help shoulder the burden, endangers the success of his colleagues, and may even become responsible for their losing what they had already achieved. Rebuking people is reserved for the intelligent and responsible, (verse 17) He who is a scoffer, will not respond to lectures etc; on the contrary, efforts in this direction can be counterproductive. Proverbs 9,8, is quite explicit on that subject. The Talmud in Ketuvot 105, tells us that the young scholars who seem to enjoy popularity,- more so than their elders,- have achieved this popularity because they fail to preach to their congregants on the proper modes of religious conduct. The true reason for not rebuking the scoffer is to avoid burdening him with the additional sin of hating the preacher. By the same token, however, pointing out errors of one's fellow man in a constructive manner adds to his appreciation of his peer or his teacher. Refraining from acts of revenge, (verse 18) are further steps in the direction leading to saintliness. It is a Divine attribute, as we read in Jeremiah 3, 12 "I will not frown upon you, because I am pious, nor will I bear a grudge against you forever.⁠" The culmination of the chapter is the injunction "Love your fellow man as yourself.⁠" (again verse 18) One needs to refrain from committing the type of acts against one's neighbor that one would consider hateful if they were perpetrated against one's own self. Since one's closest bonds are usually with one's brother, who is one's own flesh and blood, the Torah frequently uses the term "brother" as an example par excellence when it describes certain attitudes to be displayed. For instance: "when your brother becomes poor, let your brother live with you.⁠" "When your brother sells himself to you" etc. etc. Brotherliness is the key to our conduct vis a vis a fellow Jew. It is only via this route that saintliness which is our goal can be approached. The exact meaning of the moral imperative "love your brother,⁠" has been dealt with in chapter twenty three. Having completed injuctions of a a social nature, the Parshah turns to injunctions governing our conduct vis a vis God Himself. The introduction "My statutes you shall observe,⁠" precedes laws designed to prevent unions that are not compatible from Gods point of view. If one is to avoid mixing different seed, i.e. when planting a vineyard, and one must not work together animals of different physical capabilities since they are unmatched, it is obvious that the sexual pairing of freemen and slaves constitutes an even greater breach of such a rule. These people are not compatible, do not even share the need to observe the Torah laws in the same manner. This law applies even to slaves who are already in the process of becoming freemen, (verse 20). Perhaps the underlying reason for these regulations is a reminder that nature is not the result of accident, that all species have been carefully planned, and that we are not to upset the calculations and purpose of their Creator. Compare the commentary of the Sifri on the tzitzit legislation, (Menachot 43) that when we see tzitzit, we are to remind ourselves of the mitzvot adjoining. Shaatnes, is a form of blending wool and flax (linen) which is forbidden under the heading of pairing incompatibles. (see our commentary in chapter ninety) The realisation that blue reminds one of the Heavens, the Creator, leads one to understand that we must not interfere with the rules God has established in His universe. The shifcha necherefet, a bondsmaid already betrothed to a man, combines a dual status in her very person, since on the one hand she is forbidden as someone else's wife, whereas on the other hand, union with her is permitted since as a slave, she has not yet qualified for marriage with an Israelite. After this, the Torah discusses which plants are not available for our use until they have attained a certain age. Possibly, a certain degree of maturity is needed before one can make certain judgments. Attaining such maturity requires time. The laws of orlah may be a reminder to await such maturity, and the laws against various kinds of soothsayers etc. (verse 26) are corollaries for this line of thought. It is in the nature of the impetuosity of youth to want to know what the future holds in store, and to go to some length to have it revealed to them. They believe that preparedness to sacrifice themselves or part of themselves for a cause, may hasten the attainment of wisdom, knowledge of the future etc Therefore the Torah warns insistently against any practices related to such endeavours. (verses 28-29) Since it is a sign of immaturity to be overly concerned with one's hairdo, the Torah legislated concerning treatment of hair in order to help bring about maturity through the observance of the relevant mitzvot. Immaturity is not confined to those who are young in years, but is a state of mind. Therefore, even if one is old enough to grow a beard, this is no guarantee that one has attained a degree of maturity. The law not to profane one's daughter to a life of harlotry, is aimed primarily at discouraging a father from giving a daughter in marriage to a much older man, since as a result of subsequent incompatibility in physical vigour, there is a chance that the daughter (wife) will seek fulfillment of her urges in extramarital relationships, in harlotry. (Sanhedrin 76) The underlying idea of all legislation is to minimize opportunities and temptations to transgress the law. Placing the injunction to treat the temple property with respect, next to the injunction not to consult soothsayers, (verse 30-31) again displays deep psychological insight. Since it is understandable to want to know the future, this is allowed only via the urim vetumim, a device on the breastplate of the High Priest, which enables the latter to receive answers to requests from God. In his partial review of Torah legislation in Deuteronomy, Moses makes the point in chapter 18,13, "be wholehearted with the Lord your God,⁠" i.e. not like the gentiles mentioned in the very next verse. For all the reasons listed above, namely efforts to counteract immaturity, the Torah demands respect for the aged and the learned, those who have achieved maturity of years or the mind, (verse 32) As the Talmud in Kiddushin 33, explains, once one shows respect for the Torah scholars, how much more respect must one show for the author of Torah? Since at the time the Talmud was edited, it was a widespread custom to rise in the presence of a Torah scroll, but to remain seated at the approach of Torah scholars, the Talmud Makkot 22, castigates this practice as foolish. The argument is that if one pays homage to the Torah, based on a logical conclusion, then certainly those who interpret Torah, without whom much of Torah would remain a mystery to most of us, deserve at least equal honour and recognition. Not only that, but the Torah specifically commands that we respect the scholar. There is therefore no contradiction between the two statements in the Talmud quoted. There follows a string of commandments dealing with fair weights and measures, both items that can be violated easily without anyone noticing. Even the person violating the injunction may not realise that he is not giving fair measure. The Torah reminds us that when God took us out of Egypt, He had to make a very fine distinction between who was a Jewish firstborn and who was an Egyptian firstborn. Without such a careful distinction, Jewish firstborns would have died. It is incumbent upon us to make such fine distinctions to ensure that our weights and measures are not fraudulent, even if such fraud is not evident to our fellow man. The passage ends with the comment that all the foregoing are both chukkim and mishpatim, statutes and social laws. This means that each of the ordinances combines elements of a social nature as well as elements that defy our reason, and therefore need to be obeyed merely because the law is Divine in origin. The point of forbidding the practice of such abominations as child sacrifice to the Moloch, is less the prohibition per se, than the demand that anyone who is guilty of such a practice must be apprehended and brought to justice. Failure to play Gods policeman in such instances, will result in dire consequences for those who choose to turn a blind eye when they observe such conduct in others. (Chapter 20, 3-6) Attaining holiness requires not only one's own effort at perfecting oneself in one's character and observances of the mitzvot, but one's active participation in eradicating perversions by others. Attainment of holiness on a nation wide basis, is unthinkable any other way.