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Drash
for Shabbat Kedoshim I am
honored to be here tonight to share in a special Shabbat.
For our family it is special because my nephew Austen is becoming a
Bar Mitzvah, a holy and special occasion.
When I was asked to take an additional part of this event and comment
on the Torah portion, I was somewhat hesitant given my limited study of
Torah. Quite frankly, I was also
left questioning Robert’s judgment, once again.
After reading this week’s portion, or parasha, Kedoshim, I was
relieved in familiarity that it had. I
believe that familiarity is a lesson in itself.
When we look at the parasha Kedoshim, it appears to be an extended
version of the Ten Commandments. Under
closer inspection, it is far more. The
name of the parasha Kedoshim comes from the imperative with which it opens
“You shall be holy people for the Eternal your God am holy.”
The parasha explains what this means by listing numerous rules
focusing on holy behavior within the framework of creating a just society.
The central mitzvah of this parasha, indeed of the entire Torah, is
“you shall love your fellow human being as yourself.”
All of the mitzvot, as arcane and absurd as some of them may seem to
us today, are meant to teach us how to treat others with love and respect as
fellow human beings. Kedoshim
covers a wealth of material but there are two areas that stand out to me and
they are ways of helping others. The
first involves providing a way to help others, a charitable mitzvah. The
second speaks of not allowing others to be hurt or oppressed.
Both of these can be considered, in today’s terms, to be “doing
the right thing”. Specifically,
it is to apply those principles to those that are less fortunate than you,
whether it is by circumstance of poverty, race or nationality in a way that
offers respect. Kedoshim
highlights the importance of caring for those who are less fortunate, as the
following statement demonstrates, “When you reap the harvest of your land,
you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the
gleanings of your harvest. You
shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your
vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the Lord am
your God” (Lev. 19:9-10). Clearly,
the purpose for this type of charitable giving is to not shame those in need
by providing anonymity to the person who is in need.
The basic principles of showing respect to those in need and allowing
them to maintain their dignity allows the opportunity for them to heal.
This is far more important than a
simple handout. The
other principle that I found inspiring in Kedoshim is the notion of “guilt
by association” or more accurately “guilt by avoidance”.
Kedoshim commands us “Do not stand idly by the blood of your
neighbor…” (Lev. 19:16). We
must offer assistance, rather than turn our backs, when our neighbors are
ailing. In our world today it is
very common to look the other way when others are being hurt.
Whether we look at nation against nation or person against person, it
is the call to become involved, to put ourselves at risk for what does not
immediately affect us. No
example more clearly demonstrates this than the Holocaust.
Most of the world stood idly by, but thankfully others, Jews and
those outside of the Jewish community took a stand to put an end to this
terrible period in history. The concepts of caring for others while showing them respect, and becoming involved in the world around us, makes me proud of my Jewish heritage. Many of us are here today to celebrate my nephew Austen’s coming a Bar Mitzvah, a son of the commandments. I can think of no better Torah portion than Kedoshim to highlight what becoming an adult member of the Jewish community and a link to a proud and rich heritage. Shabbat Shalom.
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