Emor – Page 4 – Peninim on the Torah

ושמרתם מצותי... ולא תחללו את שם קדשי...

You shall observe My commandments, you shall not desecrate My holy Name. (22:31, 32)

One would assume that chillul Hashem, profaning Hashem’s Name, occurs only when one commits a transgression, thereby demonstrating that he has little regard for his spiritual dimension. What about an individual who performs mitzvos, but his attitude is lacking? He does what he absolutely must do to fulfill the mitzvah, but does not go the extra mile? He buys a simple Esrog “off the rack” with no regard to its beauty. Hiddur mitzvah means beautifying the mitzvah, showing how much it really means to him; dressing for Shabbos as if he were attending a wedding; glorifying the mitzvah as if…

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בחדש הראשון בארבעה עשר לחדש בין הערבים פסח... ובחמשה עשר יום לחדש הזה חג המצות לד'

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month in the afternoon, is the time of the Pesach offering to Hashem. And on the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Matzos to Hashem. (23:5, 6)

Rashi explains that although the Festival actually begins in the evening (of the fifteenth day of Nissan), the Pesach-offering is slaughtered during the afternoon of the fourteenth. In the Torah, the word Pesach is used to describe the offering, while matzos – Chag HaMatzos, defines the Festival. Haamek Davar considers the time of Bein Ha’Arbayim, in the afternoon, to be part of the holy convocation of the Festival, so that labor is forbidden at that time. Why is there a separation between the time of slaughtering the sacrifice and the time that it is eaten – during the actual Festival?…

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כי תבאו אל הארץ אשר אני נתן לכם וקצרתם את קצירה והבאתם את עמר ראשית קצירכם אל הכהן

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

When you shall enter the Land that I give you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer from your first harvest to the Kohen. (23:10)

The Torah commences with, “And you reap its harvest,” implying that the harvest belongs to the Land, and concludes with, “You shall bring an omer from your harvest to the Kohen.” The question is: To whom does the harvest belong – to the Land or to the harvester? The answer is obvious: The harvester thinks he is the owner. Hashem is reminding him that a Jew does not live for himself. He is not to lose sight of the spiritual nature of his worldly possessions. They are all here to serve one purpose: to help others. Working in the trenches …

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ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי בתוך בני ישראל וינצו במחנה בן הישראלית ואיש הישראלי

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5776

The son of a Yisraelis woman went out – and he was the son of an Egyptian man –among the Bnei Yisrael; they fought in the camp, the son of the Yisraelis woman and the Yisraeli man. (24:10)

It all began with an argument. Veritably, it was not even a serious dispute. It was a question of allowing someone of tainted pedigree to move into the “neighborhood.” Perhaps the ish haYisraeli was justified in his attitude toward the one whose murky roots are intimated by the Torah. One thing is certain: We see the sad consequences of controversy. A machlokes, dispute, can lead to a most egregious and tragic sin: megadef, whereby one blasphemes Hashem’s Name. How did such a terrible sin result from a machlokes? Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, offers a powerful – perhaps frightening – explanation….

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אמר אל הכהנים... לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5775

Say to the Kohanim… Each of you shall not contaminate himself to a (dead) person among his People. (21:1)

Horav Gamliel Rabinowitz, Shlita, interprets this pasuk homiletically, utilizing it as a primer and guide for those who seek to devote themselves to Jewish outreach. Such work requires extreme dedication, love of Hashem and His children, consummate patience and selflessness – never expecting a thank you, because it is often not forthcoming. The work is very satisfying; saving a Jewish child or adult, bringing one back, encouraging a brother or sister to embrace a life of Torah and mitzvah observance are satisfying endeavors. They can be spiritually dangerous, however, for someone who is ill-prepared, who himself has a way to…

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ולא יחללו שם אלקיכם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5775

And they shall not desecrate the Name of their G-d. (21:6)

The sin of chillul Hashem, desecrating Hashem’s Name, is of such magnitude that only death serves to atone for it. Teshuvah, repentance, must be accompanied by missah, death, so profound is the blemish created when one desecrates Hashem’s Name. What is the reason for this ultimate punishment which brooks no compromise? Horav Shimshon Pincus, zl, explains that whenever Hashem metes out justice against one who sins against Him, His Name is sanctified. This is especially true of death, because it demonstrates Hashem’s power over man. The Navi Yeshayahu 45 says: Ki Li tichra kol berech, “For to Me will bow…

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ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5775

You shall not desecrate My Holy Name; and I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

The above pasuk is the source of the mitzvah of Kiddush Shem Shomayim, enjoinment to sanctify Hashem’s Name. This mitzvah applies to all Jews – not simply a select few. Our willingness to sanctify His Name is the determining factor in measuring our level of commitment and faith. If this is the case – and if Kiddush Hashem is of such overriding significance – why does the Torah not write it in a more “commandment like” vernacular, such as, “Sanctify My Name!” Instead, the Torah presents it in such a manner as to be describing an unrelated future event that…

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ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי... וינצו במחנה בן הישראלית ואיש הישראלי ויקב בן האשה הישראלית את השם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5775

The son of a Yisraelite woman went out – and he was the son of an Egyptian man… they fought in the camp, the son of the Yisraelite woman and Yisraelite man. The son of the Yisraelite woman pronounced the Name and blasphemed. (24:10,11)

Rarely do we see such an explosion of un-Jewish depravity as evinced by the blasphemer. Indeed, had his mother not been the only Jewish woman to have committed her own act of transgression with the Egyptian, this blasphemy would not have occurred. The mother planted the seed of infamy; the son executed his ignoble heritage that became his mother’s legacy to him. Indeed, the mother’s name is recorded for posterity in the Torah only after her son sinned. Parents must realize that, while they may ignore the personal ramifications of their ignominious behavior, they cannot disregard its effect on their…

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שבעת ימים מצות תאכלו

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5774

You shall eat matzos for a seven-day period. (23:6)

Every once in a while, I come across a story which is more dvar Torah than story. The episode is merely the medium for imparting an important Torah principle. The following story fits into this category. The surplus of matzah, which has become a way of life for us, is a modern-day wonder. One hundred years ago, when Europe was in midst of a world war, whole communities went without matzah for Pesach. Food was at a premium, and the Jewish community was always at the bottom of the totem pole for receiving aid. As a result, ehrliche Yidden, observant…

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ובת איש כהן כי תחל לזנות

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Emor, 5774

If the daughter of a Kohen desecrates herself through adultery. (21:9)

Ki seichal liznos can also be translated as, “when she will begin to stray immorally.” One must realize, and it should be emphasized, that once one has begun to fall – even slightly – the descent to the depths of evil is quick. Indeed, it is a rapid deterioration, with limited space to stop in the middle. Once the plunge has started, one can do little to prevent the sad ending. Horav Shabsai Yudelevitz, zl, relates that he once met a policeman. The two men struck up a conversation concerning the sad plight of Israeli youth. The policeman bemoaned the…

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ושמרתם מצותי... ולא תחללו את שם קדשי...

You shall observe My commandments, you shall not desecrate My holy Name. (22:31, 32)

בחדש הראשון בארבעה עשר לחדש בין הערבים פסח... ובחמשה עשר יום לחדש הזה חג המצות לד'

In the first month, on the fourteenth of the month in the afternoon, is the time of the Pesach offering to Hashem. And on the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Matzos to Hashem. (23:5, 6)

כי תבאו אל הארץ אשר אני נתן לכם וקצרתם את קצירה והבאתם את עמר ראשית קצירכם אל הכהן

When you shall enter the Land that I give you and you reap its harvest, you shall bring an Omer from your first harvest to the Kohen. (23:10)

ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי בתוך בני ישראל וינצו במחנה בן הישראלית ואיש הישראלי

The son of a Yisraelis woman went out – and he was the son of an Egyptian man –among the Bnei Yisrael; they fought in the camp, the son of the Yisraelis woman and the Yisraeli man. (24:10)

אמר אל הכהנים... לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו

Say to the Kohanim… Each of you shall not contaminate himself to a (dead) person among his People. (21:1)

ולא יחללו שם אלקיכם

And they shall not desecrate the Name of their G-d. (21:6)

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל

You shall not desecrate My Holy Name; and I shall be sanctified among Bnei Yisrael. (22:32)

ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי... וינצו במחנה בן הישראלית ואיש הישראלי ויקב בן האשה הישראלית את השם

The son of a Yisraelite woman went out – and he was the son of an Egyptian man… they fought in the camp, the son of the Yisraelite woman and Yisraelite man. The son of the Yisraelite woman pronounced the Name and blasphemed. (24:10,11)

שבעת ימים מצות תאכלו

You shall eat matzos for a seven-day period. (23:6)

ובת איש כהן כי תחל לזנות

If the daughter of a Kohen desecrates herself through adultery. (21:9)

YEARS

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