Overview
of the Weekly Reading: Achrei
Mot - Kedoshim
To be read on 10
Iyar 5764 (May 1st
)
Leviticus 16:1-20:27 (Achrei Mot/Kedoshim); Haftorah:
Amos
9:7-15 (sinning can lead to expulsion from Land - //Lev. 18:24-28)
Achrei Mot is the 6th Reading out of
10 in Leviticus and 29th overall, and 43th
out of 54 in overall length.
Kedoshim is the 7th
Reading out of 10 in Leviticus and 30th overall,
and 49th out of 54 in overall length.
Pirkei
Avot:
Chapter Three
his
week is also a 'double-header'. Parshas Acharei Mot
(Leviticus 16:1-18:30) opens with a presentation of the Yom Kippur
service. Next are laws regarding slaughtering animals, followed
by a list of forbidden marital relationships.
Kedoshim (Leviticus 19:1-20:27) begins with a list of many
different mitzvos by which the Jews are commanded to "be holy" (19/1).
These include honoring parents, keeping Shabbos, the forbidding
of idolatry, stealing, false testimony, perversion of justice, hating
another Jew, bearing a grudge, mixing wool and linen in one garment,
and more, including 'love one's neighbor as oneself' (19/18). This
list is then followed by another which concerns forbidden practices
as in agricultural laws, consumption of blood, belief in omens,
seeking out mediums, tattoos, immorality, removing a man's sidelocks,
and more. The Jews are also commanded to respect elders, have honest
weights, loving converts, and a number of other mitzvahs. The last
section lists transgressions and their corresponding penalties.
FROM THE MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:29-30-64/Achrei-Kedoshim)
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:29-30-64/Achrei-Kedoshim
)
Rabbi
Chizkiya opened his discourse with the verse "The Lord G-d has given
me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to sustain with
a word him who is weary." (Isaiah 50:4) "
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:29-30-64/Achrei-Kedoshim
)
This
is similar to how someone [is blinded] by looking at the light of
the sun. Thus, the dimming of the light is [not a bad thing, but]
on the contrary, the rectification.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the Shelah,
Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:29-30-64/Achrei-Kedoshim
)
There
are so many things which the heart has been entrusted with that it
is impossible to list them. They include such headings as, "do not
hate, do not take revenge, do not bear a grudge, love your neighbor...",
to name but a few.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V29-30-64/Achrei-Kedoshim)
"And you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am G-d."
(19:18)
When two Jews love each other, then "I am G-d": The numerical
equivalent of the Hebrew word for love, ahava, when doubled, is
the same as G-d's ineffable four-letter Name.
(Rabbi Chaim Vital)
"You shall love your fellow as yourself." (19:18)
How can a person love another Jew as much as himself? We have to
understand that we all consist of two parts, a body and a soul.
While our bodies are separate from each other, all of our souls
are a part of G-d. Realizing this, it is easier to love another
Jew as oneself, because through our souls we are all one.
(Tanya)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent 
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
(W:29-30-64/Achrei-Kedoshim)
In
Kedoshim, the 2nd of the two portions read this week, is the
commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself, I am G-d".
The Talmud, (Shabbat 31b) tells us that this commandment is the entire
Torah. How can a commandment about a relationship with our fellow
man even hint at all the other commandments of the Torah, like wearing
fringes on our four cornered garments, or sending the mother bird
away before taking her eggs, or mezuzah?
The Rebbe Rayatz wrote about a group of Chassidim at the
time of the first Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the Alter
Rebbe. The group sat together 'farbrenging' (an informal
gathering to discuss spiritual topics that encourage participants
to adopt and act upon them). They were speaking about the idea of
loving your fellow Jew. The Alter Rebbe's son, Rabbi Dov Ber, would
soon take over the leadership and be known as the Mittler Rebbe,
but was at the time like the other Chassidim, and sat with them. In
the midst of the farbrengen, one of the participants lifted
his cup and blessed himself (like a toast), that 'G-d grant me the
merit of truly loving my fellow Jew'. Some short time passed, and
Rabbi Dov Ber also raised his cup and blessed himself, that G-d grant
him love of his fellow Jew.
To hear the son of the Rebbe say this was different than to hear
it from just another Chassid. They began to argue, some saying the
commandment of loving G-d is indescribably greater than the commandment
of loving another Jew. Others disagreed, saying that unconditionally
loving another Jew is even higher than loving G-d. The argument continued
for weeks until they decided to ask the Rebbe.
To have an audience with the Rebbe was no small thing, and only
took place after considerable personal preparation, and only at designated
times. The Chassidim stood in awe before the Rebbe and presented their
question. Loving G-d and loving your fellow Jew are two commandments
of the Torah. Both are tied to a person's attribute of love, but,
of course, the love is different. With this understood, which is greater,
loving G-d, or loving your fellow Jew?
The Alter Rebbe was known to answer very concisely and in a singsong,
with a melody. Loving G-d and loving your fellow Jew he said, are
like one, engrained in the neshama, ruach and nefesh (three parts
of the divine soul that are contained within the body, relating to
our intellectual, emotive and active faculties). The Torah is filled
with many verses, "I love you, says G-d". From this we can
understand that loving a fellow Jew is a higher commandment, because
you are loving what 'the G-d that Loves', loves.
From then on, the Chassidim had a rule that whenever they would
farbreng, they would dwell on this concept until the commandment to
love and cherish each other was carved into their hearts, so that
they fulfill it without lapse. G-d blessed their efforts, so the ability
to love every Jew literally flowed in their veins, and they passed
on this legacy to their children and future generations. (The tradition
is that with some effort, this same quality is also passed on to those
who become Chassidim, and that they can also pass on this legacy to
their children.) Each year, as we again read the portion of Kedoshim,
we should take the opportunity to reinvest our energies in this commandment.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul Leiter
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
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