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Home -> 5778 -> Emor

את אביה היא מחללת

Moshe Marcovich
In Emor, 5778

She desecrates her father. (21:9)

Why should her father be blamed? Veritably, parents often must accept blame for their children’s indiscretions, but it seems that here it is assumed. By exhibiting profligate behavior, the daughter of the Kohen has disgraced her father. We find a similar case concerning the family of Miraim bas Bilgah, whose family was disgraced as a result of her rebelliousness. Apparently, the Torah here blames the father. Later (Parashas Ki Seitzei) concerning the debasement of the naarah ha’meorasah, betrothed maiden, who was found guilty of infidelity, she is taken to the doorway of her father’s home to be stoned. Her parents…

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Home -> 5778 -> Emor

אמר אל הכהנים בני אהרן ואמרת אליהם לנפש לא יטמא בעמיו

Moshe Marcovich
In Emor, 5778

Say to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon, and you shall say to them: to a (dead) person he shall not become impure among his people. (21:1)

Chazal (Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 26:6) quotes the pasuk in Sefer Tehillim (19:10), Yiraas Hashem tehorah omedes la’ad, “Fear of Hashem is pure, it will stand for all eternity.” Rav Levi said, “Because Aharon HaKohen maintained such fear of Hashem, he was given this parsha, which will accompany his children and their descendants until the end of time.” Which parsha is this? The parsha which addresses the avoidance of impurity. It sounds as if the primary requirement imposed upon the Kohanim is the mandate that they maintain a heightened level of purity. What about the prohibition against marrying a divorcee or…

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Home -> 5778 -> Kedoshim

בצדק תשפט עמיתך

Moshe Marcovich
In Kedoshim, 5778

With righteousness shall you Judge your fellow. (19:15)

Judging a fellow Jew judiciously is vital, because we often do not see the entire picture, which precludes us from thinking positively prior to rendering judgment. Furthermore, if we are not prepared to give our fellow the benefit of the doubt, why should Hashem do the same for us – especially when He knows the truth concerning our actions? He might be inclined to acquiesce or gloss over some of our infractions when He knows that we act similarly towards others. Last, by exerting patience and waiting to root out the whole story, not only will we spare ourselves the…

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Home -> 5778 -> Kedoshim

קדשים תהיו כי קדוש אני

Moshe Marcovich
In Kedoshim, 5778

You shall be holy for holy am I. (19:2)

Be holy because holiness means to be G-d-like. Ki kadosh Ani, “because I/Hashem am holy.” It is not enough to be observant — or even to be virtuous or righteous. One must strive for kedushah, holiness, sanctity, because that defines Judaism. Kedushah means to be separate, distinct, different, to be unlike other peoples. Our laws are different; our definition of virtue and kindness is not subject to human rationale. It is all mandated by the Torah. Hashem sets before us the Law which, as interpreted by our Sages, defines what is right and what is wrong, what is virtuous and…

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Home -> 5778 -> Acharei Mos

ושמרתם את חקתי ואת משפטי אשר יעשה אתם האדם וחי בהם

Moshe Marcovich
In Acharei Mos, 5778

You shall observe My decrees and My laws, which man shall carry out and by which he shall live. (18:5)

The Talmud (Yoma 85B) expounds on the words, v’chai bahem, “and live by them,” that pikuach nefesh, saving a life, takes precedence over all mitzvos, except for the three cardinal sins: murder; idolworship; adultery (and shmad, when gentiles force a Jew to choose between Hashem and his own life). Under such circumstances, one forfeits his life. Rashi interprets v’chai bahem to mean that, as a result of one’s adherence to mitzvos, he will achieve eternal life in Olam Habba, the World to Come. Horav Hillel Vitkind, zl, explains v’chai bahem homiletically as applying a mussar, character refinement, approach. A person…

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Home -> 5778 -> Acharei Mos

ולקח מלא המחתה גחלי אש מעל המזבח מלפני ד' ומלא חפניו קטרת סמים דקה והביא מבית לפרכת

Moshe Marcovich
In Acharei Mos, 5778

He shall take a shovelful of fiery coals from atop the Altar that is before Hashem, and his cupped handful of fiery ground incense-spices, and bring it within the Curtain. (16:12)

The Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh Hakodshim, Holy of Holies, four times on Yom Kippur. The first time was to burn incense. This was followed by sprinkling the blood of the bull between the Badim, Poles, of the Aron Kodesh. The third time, he entered with the blood of the sa’ir, he-goat, that was slaughtered l’Hashem. This blood was also sprinkled. Each time the Kohen Gadol entered the Kodesh Hakodshim, he immersed himself in the mikveh. He also changed the vestments, since the Kohen Gadol was not permitted to enter the Holy of Holies while wearing gold vestments. He performed…

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Home -> 5778 -> Metzora

וצוה הכהן ולקח למטהר שתי צפרים חיות טהרות

Moshe Marcovich
In Metzora, 5778

The Kohen shall command; and for the person being purified, there shall be taken two live, clean birds. (14:4)

Rashi explains why fowl are used as the korbanos, sacrifices, to effect atonement for the metzora. Negaim, afflictions/plagues, are the punishment meted out against one who speaks lashon hora, slanderous speech, which is the result of pitputei devarim, verbal twittering. Thus, one who “twitters” around, talking about people and their activities, inevitably ends up speaking ill of others. Veritably, the one safe way to guarantee that one not speak lashon hora is to refrain from speaking altogether! People get sucked into saying something negative – even when their original intent had been to speak positively. Shlomo Hamelech says (Koheles 9:12),…

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Home -> 5778 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצרע ביום טהרתו

Moshe Marcovich
In Metzora, 5778

This shall be the law of the metzora on the day of his purification. (14:2)

We no longer have the affliction/purification process of tzaraas, spiritual leprosy. This is the consequence of a degraded spiritual condition. Degradation applies at a time and circumstance in which our people are on an elevated moral standing, so that the failing is noticeable in contrast to the spiritual status we are expected to maintain. Since we lost our Bais Hamikdash and our spirituality plummeted, we have no longer been on the spiritual plateau deserving of such a manifestation. To put it in simple terms, the term “sick” applies to one who is otherwise healthy. Likewise, in spiritual health, one must…

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Home -> 5778 -> Metzora

זאת תהיה תורת המצורע

Moshe Marcovich
In Metzora, 5778

This shall be the law of the metzora. (14:2)

The term metzora is comprised of the construct motzi-ra, brings out bad (about his fellow). This is a baal lashon hora. The Ohr HaChaim Hakadosh teaches that one who speaks negatively about his fellow is still called a baal lashon hora, even if what he says is the truth. When one sins, he is called a baal aveirah, baal lashon hora; the word baal means husband of. Why is this? Furthermore, when a boy reaches the age of thirteen, he is called a bar-mitzvah, bar, meaning son of. With regard to mitzvos, one is called a son, while concerning one’s relationship…

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Home -> 5778 -> Tazria

כל ימי אשר הנגע בו יטמא טמא הוא בדד ישב מחוץ למחנה מושבו

Moshe Marcovich
In Tazria, 5778

All the days that the affliction is upon him, he shall remain impure; he is impure. He shall stay in isolation; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (13:46)

Not only must the metzora be isolated from pure, healthy people, but even those who are also impure are to be isolated from him (Rashi). The commentators debate concerning the identity of these impure ones to whom Rashi refers. Some say this refers to individuals who are in a severe state of impurity, such as those who have been in contact with the dead. They are not banished from all three camps – as are those who are afflicted with tzaraas. Others contend that Rashi refers to other metzoraim, who may not stay together outside all three camps. Rashi explains why…

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