BOSTONER TORAH INSIGHTS Achrei Mos-Kedoshim – 6 Iyar 5772 Bostoner Rebbe shlit”a - Yerushalayim Secretariat E–mail: [email protected] “Hashem spoke to Moshe saying, ‘Speak to the entire assembly of B’nei Yisroel and say to them: You shall be Kedoshim, because I – Hashem Elokeichem – am Kadosh’ (Vayikra 19:1-2).” Rashi comments that the words ‘to the entire assembly’ teach that Moshe recited Parshas Kedoshim directly to the entire congregated nation. The reason given by the Midrash quoted by Rashi is that ‘the majority of the primary fundamental Torah concepts’ are contained within Parshas Kedoshim (Toras Cohanim 1:1). The Panim Yafos suggests that we look no further than “V’Ahavta L’Reyacha Kamocha” (Vayikra 19:18), “You shall love your fellow as you would yourself” to identify the ‘primary fundamental Torah concepts’ found therein. As Rashi comments on this Pasuk, quoting from the Talmud Yerushalmi in Nedarim: Rabbi Akiva said this is Klal Gadol B’Torah [a/the great principle of Torah]. The Talmud Bavli echoes a similar notion that the concept of V’Ahavta L’Reyacha Kamocha is the quintessential principle of the entire Torah. When a prospective convert approached Beis Hillel and stipulated that he wished to convert to Judaism on the condition that he could learn the entire Torah while standing on one foot, Hillel responded: ‘That which you dislike do not perpetrate upon your fellow’. (Shabbos 31a) Others like the Torah Temimah explain the Midrash in Toras Kohanim above by explaining that the majority of Mitzvos expressed in Parshas Kedoshim are applicable to the masses in their everyday lives. As opposed to many other Mitzvos, where one would need to consult with a Halachic expert for guidance, such as Niddah or Kashrus, the practical application of these every day laws in Parshas Kedoshim are not overly complex for the average Jew and often need to be carried out quickly without time for consultation. For this reason, it was decided to teach these laws directly to the masses. However the Ohr HaChaim is troubled why Parshas Kedoshim needed to be presented any differently than the other portions of the Torah. The Gemara explains that normally, after Moshe learned a portion of Torah from Hashem, he would teach that portion to Aharon alone. Then, Moshe would repeat it to the sons of Aharon. Then, Moshe would teach it a third time to the Zekaynim [elders]. Finally, he would recite that same portion of Torah to all of B’nei Yisroel. Afterward, Moshe would leave and Aharon would repeat the lecture to the assembled. Then, Aharon would depart and the sons of Aharon would repeat the lecture. Then, the sons of Aharon would take leave and the Zekaynim taught the same portion of Torah to the remainder of B’nei Yisroel (Ayruvin 54b). The Ohr HaChaim gives two reasons for this procedure. The first, as stated by the Gemara, was to give honor to Aharon, his sons, and the Zekaynim, respectively. The second reason was that people would naturally be more attentive to identical content if it is spoken by different speakers, with nuances in voice, pronunciation, tone, etc. However, it would seem that these reasons should be just as valid for Parshas Kedoshim as they would for any other portion of the Torah. Therefore, the Ohr HaChaim maintains that normally only the men of Yisroel took part in the general learning methods described in Ayruvin. The women would be taught the Torah laws that applied to them directly from their fathers and husbands. However, when a large array of fundamental Torah laws and concepts that applied to all Jews were being presented, such as the Giving of the Torah at Har Sinai, or here in Parshas Kedoshim, Moshe spoke to the assembled congregation in unison. He offers one proof to his theory from the double language, “Speak to the entire assembly of B’nei Yisroel and say to them”. The Hebrew terms of ‘Dibur’ [speak] and ‘Amirah’ [say] denote harsh and gentle speech, respectively. Harsh speech for the men, but more gentle speech for women. The exact same idea is presented by the Mechilta regarding Matan Torah, “So shall you ‘say’ to Beis Yaakov and you shall ‘speak’ to B’nei Yisroel” (Shemos 19:3; Rashi) – softly to the women, but harshly to the men. Vayikra Rabah (24:5) illustrates a direct one-for-one correlation between Parshas Kedoshim and Aseres HaDibros: The first commandment, “I am Hashem your Lord” (Shemos 20:2) corresponds to the words from the opening verses, “because I – Hashem Elokeichem – am Kadosh”. Similarly, “You shall not have other gods” parallels “molten gods you shall not make (Vayikra 19:4); “You shall not take the Name of Hashem in vain” parallels “Do not swear falsely in my name” (19:12); “Observe the Shabbos Day” parallels “My Shabbos days you shall observe” (19:3); “Honor your father and mother” parallels “You mother and father you shall revere” (19:3); “Do not murder” connects to “Do not stand idle over the blood/life of your fellow” (19:16); “Do not commit adultery” connects to “The adulterer and adulteress shall be killed” (Vayikra 20:10); “Do not steal” is written explicitly in both (Shemos 20:13; Vayikra 19:11); “Do not bear false witness” connects to “do not be a gossipmonger” (19:16); and the Tenth commandment “Do not covet” corresponds to “And you shall love your fellow as you would yourself” (19:18). However, there is another underlying similarity between Kedoshim and Matan Torah. At Har Sinai the Torah testifies “And Israel encamped (singular) there opposite the mountain” (Shemos 19:2). Rashi famously comments, “Like one person with one heart”. It is true that Parshas Kedoshim is essentially a comprehensive review of much of the Torah, including the Ten Commandments, and therefore both men and women should be present. However, perhaps Hashem has an additional purpose in commanding Moshe to ‘speak to the entire assembly’ in this instance – that objective is Achdus [Jewish unity]. When learning the technical details of Torah and Mitzvos, small groups and repetition is a proper method of instruction. However, when the goal is not merely to give over Torah information, but to instill the love of Torah and commitment to Torah, via its fundamental principles, it must be taught simultaneously to the entire assembly – both men and women – from its Torah leader Moshe Rabbeinu. Certainly mass revelation allows those present to verify the truth of what they simultaneously hear, but equally because Jewish Unity is a necessary prerequisite for the words of Torah to penetrate the collective minds of Klal Yisroel – as well as their collective souls. May this Shabbos not only inspire us to be “holy”, but also to be a unified ‘assembly of B’nei Yisroel’. The two concepts of ‘holiness’ and ‘unity’ may seem to conflict from time to time, but Parshas Kedoshim attests that these two objectives are inherently compatible, since Hashem demands both ‘holiness’ and ‘togetherness’ from us concurrently. One essential mission of our generation is to integrate these two ideals, and find the proper balance that will hasten the Moshiach and the Building of the Beis HaMikdash.