Rabbi Frand on Parshas Emor
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion:
Tape # 371 - The Mitzvah of Ve'Kidashto: Honoring Kohanim. Good Shabbos!
Deciphering The Medrash's Linkage of Omer, Milah, and Sotah
In Parshas Emor, the Torah details all the various Jewish holidays. In
fact, Parshas Emor is the Torah reading for many of the days of Yom Tov.
We are taught "and you shall bring an Omer of the first harvest to the
Kohen" [Vayikra 23:10]. Nowadays, when we fulfill the mitzvah of
"counting the Omer," we enumerate "Today is so many days in the Omer."
What do the words "in the Omer" mean? [It is actually one word in the
original Hebrew.] "In the Omer" refers to the number of days in the count
from the second day of Pessach when the Omer offering was brought.
Due to our sins, we no longer bring an Omer offering. This, in fact, is the
reason that some of the early commentaries give for not reciting a
"She'hechiyanu" [the blessing 'who has kept us alive' recited upon reaching
a momentous milestone] when performing this mitzvah. This bracha is not
recited over a 'sad' mitzvah and, in a sense, this is a 'sad' mitzvah. Every
day of the Omer counting we remind ourselves that we do not have a Beis
HaMikdash and so an Omer offering was not brought this year.
The Medrash on the parsha quotes Rabbi Yochanan who says "Do not let the
mitzvah of Omer be trivial in your eyes, for through this mitzvah Avraham
merited to inherit the Land of Canaan." Rabbi Yochanan then quotes pasukim
[verses] in Parshas Lech-Lecha as support for this linkage: "And I will give
to you and to your seed after you the land in which you dwelled, the entire
land of Canaan, for an everlasting inheritance and I will be for them a G-d.
And the L-rd said to Avraham 'and you shall keep my covenant, you and your
seed after you for all generations'" [Bereshis 17:8-9].
At first glance, this Medrash appears to be disjointed. It first talks about
the mitzvah of offering the Omer mentioned in Parshas Emor and then it
quotes pasukim in Parshas Lech Lecha that seem to be talking about Bris
Milah [circumcision]. What is the connection between the mitzvah of counting
Omer and the mitzvah of Bris Milah?
To make matters even more confusing, Reish Lakish responds to the statement
of Rabbi Yochanan in the Medrash by saying "Do not let the mitzvah of Omer
be trivial in your eyes, for through this mitzvah G-d made peace between man
and his wife." The idea alluded to by Reish Lakish is that the Omer offering
is brought from barley flour. Barley flour is also used in the case of the
Sotah offering, which is used to corroborate the guilt or innocence of a
woman suspected of being unfaithful to her husband. Here, too, it seems like
a far-fetched linkage between the Omer offering and marital harmony.
Clearly, this enigmatic Medrash needs explanation. What is the connection
between the Omer offering, getting the Land of Israel, circumcision, and the
mitzvah of Sotah [the suspected wife]?
Rav Shimon Schwab explains the connection. The Talmud refers to barley as
"animal food." Humans eat wheat products. What is the significance of the
fact that the Omer offering is brought from barley? The Torah is teaching us
a lesson that explains the essence of all of Torah. Man has the capability
within himself to take that which is worthy for animals and to elevate it
and make it into an offering of sublime spiritual dimension. This is what
Judaism is all about -- living the life of a human being, but at the same
time elevating every mundane and physical activity into something holy and
spiritual. This is what the Omer offering symbolizes.
The mitzvah of Bris Milah teaches a similar lesson. We make a sign of holy
covenant in the very part of the body that can symbolize the animalistic
nature of man. We sactify the organ that represents raw passion, to show
that even that aspect of our lives can be made holy. When G-d told Avraham
that he is being given the Land of Canaan on condition that he 'keep the
covenant.' G-d was telling the first Jew that the Land of Canaan is not
meant for decadent people. The Canaanites were chased out precisely because
they lived an animalistic existence. "I am giving you this land because I
expect that you will elevate even your physical life into a matter of
spirituality."
Finally, this is also the relationship to the Sotah sacrifice. The reason
why the Sotah brings a barley offering rather than a wheat offering is
because "she did an act fit for animals - by her brazen behavior - so too
her offering is from food fit for animals." We tell her to take this
"animal food" and elevate it into an offering, to symbolize that from
hereon in, she too must begin to elevate her life as well.
This is the common denominator between Omer, Milah, and Sotah. All of them
demonstrate the Jews' ability and obligation to take a life that tugs us
down to this world and try to elevate it into a holier life.
The Chofetz Chaim's Wish Was Granted
------------------------------------
This week's parsha contains the pasukim "And you shall not profane my Holy
Name; and I shall be sanctified in the midst of the children of Israel; I am
the L-rd who sanctifies you. The One who took you out of the land of
Egypt..." [Vayikra 22:32-33]. This is the positive Biblical commandment of
Sanctifying G-d's Name.
The Sifra comments on the connection between this mitzvah and the
description of G-d as 'the One who took you out of the land of Egypt': "It
was on condition that you publicly sanctify My Name, that I took you out of
Egypt." The whole purpose of the Exodus from Egypt was for the Jews to
become the vehicle whereby the Name of G-d could be glorified and sanctified
in this world.
If we take a poll among Jews, asking for the definition of "Kiddush HaShem"
[sanctifying G-d's Name], the average reaction will be - martyrdom, dying
for the sanctification of G-d's Name. This is a true definition. Come what
may, under certain circumstances, we are called upon to give up our life to
defend G-d's laws. A Jew must be willing and prepared to do that.
However, "Kiddush HaShem" does not only relate to death. It also relates to
life. There is a mitzvah to live a life that sanctifies G-d's Name (living
al pi Kiddush HaShem). Rav Pam interpreted a pasuk in Tehillim to illustrate
this point: "By the sons of Korach, a psalm, a song whose foundation is in
the holy mountains" Tehillim [87:1]. The pasuk speaks of the foundation of
the Jewish people being in two holy mountains. One of those mountains is
Mount Moriah, the place of the Binding of Yitzchak. The other mountain is
Mount Sinai, the place where the Torah was given. Mount Moriah, says Rav
Pam, is the place that symbolizes the Jewish obligation to die in order to
sanctify G-d's Name. Mount Sinai, on the other hand, is the place that
symbolizes the Jewish obligation to live a life that sanctifies G-d's Name.
Rav Pam quoted an incident from the life of the Chofetz Chaim. A young
yeshiva student was once standing in prayer close enough to overhear the
prayers of the Chofetz Chaim. He testifies that the Chofetz Chaim was
pleading and begging the Almighty that he should be given the opportunity to
die in sanctification of G-d's Name.
It would appear that the Chofetz Chaim's prayers were not answered. He did
not die a martyr's death. He passed away in 1933, well before the Holocaust
began. It would appear that the Chofetz Chaim's wish was not granted.
But, Rav Pam said, "G-d does do the will of those who fear him" [Tehilim
145:19]. The Choftez Chaim wanted to fulfill the mitzvah in this week's
parsha of "And I will be sanctified in the midst of the Children of
Israel." That wish was granted. He did not die by way of Kiddush HaShem.
He lived his entire life as a life of Kiddush HaShem. It is more difficult
to live a life of Kiddush HaShem than to die through Kiddush HaShem.
Martyrdom is a very difficult test. We should never know from it. But it
only takes a minute and then it is over. To live a life of impeccable
sanctification of G-d's Name for 90 plus years may be even more difficult.
The Chofetz Chaim was granted his wish. He did fulfill the mitzvah of
sanctifying G-d's Name in the midst of the Jewish people.
This write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah Portion. The
halachic topics covered for the current week's portion in this series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from
Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
