Weekly Parsha

Condolences to Dr. Claudio Pinto for the loss of his beloved mother Estrela. “May G-d comfort you among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem.”

Refuah Sheimah: Stephen Waczkiewicz (Shimon ben Sarah), Yossefa (Josie) "bat Sharon", Rafael ben Gladis e Esther Bracha "bat Sarah".

Continue praying for: Teddy Welz, Miriam (Mariana) "bat Zulay", Adina (Heidi) "bat Sarah" e Yosefa (Josie) "bat Sharon".

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim

Leviticus 16:1-20:27

Acharei Mot includes the Yom Kippur service where the Cohen Gadol cast lots to designate two goats -- one to be sacrificed, the other to be driven to a place called Azazel after the Cohen Gadol - the High Priest - confesses the sins of the people upon its head. Today it is a very popular epithet in Israel to instruct another person in the heat of an argument to "go to Azazel." (I don't believe the intent, however, is to look for the goat...)

The goat sent to Azazel symbolically carried away the sins of the Jewish people. This, I surmise, is the source of the concept of using a scapegoat. One thing you can truly give credit to the Jewish people -- when we use a scapegoat, at least we use a real goat!

The Torah then proceeds to set forth the sexual laws -- who you are not allowed to marry or have relations with. If one appreciates that the goal of life is to be holy, to perfect oneself and to be as much as possible like God, then he/she can appreciate that it is impossible to orgy at night and be spiritual by day.

The Torah portion of Kedoshim invokes the Jewish people to be holy! And then it proceeds with the spiritual directions on how to achieve holiness, closeness to the Almighty. Within it lie the secrets and the prescription for Jewish continuity. If any group of people is to survive as an entity, it must have common values and goals -- a direction and a meaning. By analyzing this portion we can learn much about our personal and national destiny.

"The Tent of Meeting that dwells with them in the midst of their impurities" (Lev. 16:16).

The Talmud (Yoma 57a) comments on this, "Even when they are in a state of contamination, the Divine Presence is with them."

Although disobeying the Divine will sets up a barrier between man and G-d, it is somewhat like a one-way mirror. We cause ourselves to be distant from G-d, but He is never distant from us. This is rather easy to understand. We see children who reject their parents, but regardless of how defiant the child may be, the parents' love for him is as intense as ever, and they long for his return to them. G-d is there waiting.

When Reb Mendel of Kotzk first visited Reb Simcha Bunim of P'shis'che, the latter asked him, "Young man, where is G-d?

Reb Mendel answered, "The entire world is full of His glory." Reb Simcha Bunim repeated the same question and Reb Mendel responded, "There is no place that is devoid of Him." When Reb Simcha Bunim asked for the third time the same question, Reb Mendel replied, "If my answers do not satisfy you, then you tell me." Reb Simcha Bunim answered, "G-d can be found wherever He is welcomed."

"He who is haughty of eye and large of desire, him I cannot tolerate" (Psalms 101:5).

Of a vain and arrogant person the Talmud quotes G-d as saying, "He and I cannot share the same dwelling" (Arachin 15b). G-d is indeed everywhere, but He withdraws His presence from a vain and arrogant person. A vain and egotistical person is one who is his own god. There is no form of idolatry as absolute as the person who worships himself.

If a person truly believes that he possesses a Divine neshama (soul), he will realize that he has great worth, and even if he may have gone astray in his behavior, he is nevertheless worthy by virtue of his Divine neshama. Anyone with a profound feeling of unworthiness must be in denial that he has within himself the breath of G-d. As long as we feel a desire to be close to G-d, we know ourselves to be of His essence and are able to grow spiritually.

I don't think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.

Shabbat Shalom!

R.Tank

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Rabbi Tank is a professor at the American Jewish College, where he teaches classes on Talmud, Jewish History, and Contemporary Jewish Law. Rabbi Tank is dedicated to finding modern utility and meaning in ancient wisdom texts and is pleased to provide spiritual, cultural, social and educational programming to communities around the world. 

Rabbi Tank was educated at Yeshivas in New York and Miami. He studied Biblical Archeology at Bar Ilan University and Jewish Studies at Harvard University. Rabbi Tank has a Bachelor degree in Business Administration and he is also graduated in International Economic Development from the University of Oxford. 

Rabbi Tank is a Jewish Chaplain actively involved in peace negotiations and relief operations. Rabbi Tank is the director of international affairs at the World Jewish Confederation headquarters in New York and He is member of the White House National Religious Leaders , an Executive Office of the President of the United States in Washington, D.C.

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