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Drash for Shabbat Emor By Nancy Koff - May 4, 2007 I am honored to present a drash on this special Shabbat when congregations across the nation gather to observe and enjoy the peace and community of the Sabbath. How wonderful it will be, I thought, to be able to read the Torah portion and talk about the lessons and guidance provided in these words. I must confess my disappointment when I realized that the parasha in question is Emor. There are few—sadly, very few—parshiot that I recognize by name; but this was the parasha I studied two years ago for my Bat Mitzvah, so I knew what it contained…and it is not, in my assessment, one that presents that crystal-clear message that I was hoping to discuss with all of you tonight. As one commentator noted, "Parasha Emor is tough to read. If you want to know more about the way the priests…prepared themselves for their sacred service, then this book is a great historical resource. However, if you read Torah to help you learn how to live ethically today, Parasha Emor can pose a frustrating challenge." I couldn’t agree more. Parasha Emor includes three sections, each very different in content. The first section discusses laws regarding priests—the requirements and prerequisites for priests, both in terms of their behavior and physical attributes. The second section discusses the days of festival, indicating appropriate observances for each holiday. The final section is the most eclectic, with, among other topics, discussions of ritual practices and standards for retribution and punishment for murder and maiming of another. No, this simply is not the parasha of my wishes! These passages, taken as a whole, are diverse and defy, at least for me, summary into a coherent message. This was my dilemma: to identify content in these passages that transcends historical interest and is instructive for us today. The answer is, happily and of some relief to me upon reviewing the parasha, quite a lot. Let me give you a couple of examples in which the admonitions of Parasha Emor prompted questions in my mind that have contemporary applications. In the beginning sections, the physical defects that would render one ineligible for the priesthood or to participate in priestly ritual are discussed. Contemporary values challenge exclusion due to these external characteristics, arguing that inclusion to religious leadership should be based on internal attributes such as knowledge, wisdom and moral conduct. Doesn’t it seem wrong to deny those who have a disability or an illness a place most close to God? What challenges does this issue present to the standards, both those codified and those privately held, we employ every day to assess the value of others and determine their eligibility for some societal good? I found the final passages also compelling, giving some context to the familiar "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" standard of retribution for an injury. Although this standard seems rather brutal in contemporary society, the value underpinning the direction "You shall have one standard for stranger and citizen alike" has contemporary applications. If standards for punishment must be the same for stranger and citizen, can we assume that standards for inclusion in the benefits of society also are the same? How does this issue of social justice help us as we engage in the difficult, and often volatile, discussions regarding immigration policy? So, this is my point. The Torah may not always be crystal-clear; it may not always be presented in terms that make the application to daily life straightforward. It may take a little digging and require patience and a bit of resolve, but there is always something there to challenge us, to guide us, to cause us to examine ourselves, and ultimately, to help us live a more complete and reflective Jewish life…and perhaps this is a most appropriate lesson for tonight. Shabbat Shalom.
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