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ולבני קהת לא נתן כי עבודת הקודש עליהם בכתף ישאו

And to the sons of Kehas, he did not give; since the sacred service was upon them, they carried on the shoulder. (7:9)

The Chida, zl, offers a compelling interpretation of this pasuk. Shevet Kehas, the Tribe of Kehas, was part of Shevet Levi, the tribe which represents the lomdei Torah, those who devote themselves to the study of Torah. As such, says the Chida, the chiyuv, obligation, to study Torah is never-ending. It is a ceaseless commitment on the part of the devoted to learn Torah literally until his last ounce of strength, until his very last breath. One cannot retire from Torah. One whose vocation is teaching Torah will, upon retirement, move on to studying Torah full time. This idea is…

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ולקח הכהן מים קדשים בכלי חרש ומן העפר אשר יהיה בקרקע המשכן יקח הכהן ונתן אל המים

The Kohen shall take sacred water in an earthenware vessel, and the Kohen shall take from the earth that is on the floor of the Mishkan and put it in the water. (5:17)

The “bitter waters,” which the sotah, wayward wife, must drink, are the instrument of an ordeal which can have either negative or positive results. On the negative side, if the woman has, as accused, been involved in an extra-marital relationship, she will die a bitter death. On the positive side, if she has been wrongly accused, she stands to benefit considerably. She will be blessed with healthy children. The process begins with the Kohen reading the curses contained in Parashas Sotah on a piece of parchment. The verses of the Torah in which these curses are written are then erased…

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ואיש את קדשיו לו יהיו

A man’s holies shall be his. (5:10)

The Chafetz Chaim, zl, was wont to say that the above pasuk teaches us that an object or endeavor which a person dedicates/consecrates for sacred use is what actually belongs to him, and this is what ultimately accompanies him to the eternal world of Olam Habba, the World to Come. This means that the only objects/endeavors that we may call “ours” are those which are linked to a spiritual goal. Otherwise, we cannot consider it to belong to us. Moreover, we should not rely on others to carry out our responsibilities. True, many wonderful and generous people are around who…

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