Overview of the Weekly Reading:
Emor
To be read on 5 Iyar 5765 (May 14)
Torah:Lev.21:1-24:23 ; Haftorah: Ezekiel 44:15-31(Kohanim
in Temple)
Emor is the 8th Reading out of 10 in Leviticus
and 31st overall, and 20th out of 54
in overall length.
Emor
opens with laws concerning priests and the high priest: which
blemishes or states of impurity disqualify them from serving,
with whom they may marry, for which deceased person may they become
impure, and more. The next topic discussed is which animals are
eligible for sacrifices. The following section speaks about Shabbos
and lists some of the dates and laws of the holidays. Then comes
instructions about the menorah’s ‘eternal lamp’ and the showbread
in the Tabernacle. The concluding section relays how a Jew
blasphemed and what his punishment was.
FROM THE MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:31-65/Emor)
From the holy Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar
Yochai (Z:31-65/Emor)
Just as our own thought process is remote and unknowable to others
unless expressed openly, so is the wisdom of G-d remote and holy.
This wisdom can be drawn down into the sefirot below and this in
fact is an integral part of the Kedusha prayer, as we shall now
see.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:31-65/Emor)
The
mystery of the Resurrection of the Dead [is as follows]: In the
future G-d will resurrect the dead with dew.... [Resurrection] will
occur by means of holy [spiritual] droplets that manifest the name
of G-d whose numerical value is that of the word for "dew" [in Hebrew,
"tal" = 39, formed by spelling out the first three letters of the
name Havayah,] yud- hei- vav.
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:31-65/Emor)
When
such an elevated soul somehow commits a sin, the result is that
it will lose its status of being "married" to her holy roots and
will become "widowed or divorced", as the case may be, in either
case forfeiting the source of its sustenance, the most holy domain,
the world of Atzilut.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V:31-65/Emor)
"You shall count for yourselves…." (23:15)
The word "u'sefartem - and you shall count" is from
the same root as the words "sapphire" and "bright"
as if to say, "Work on 'yourselves' until you are shiny and
bright."
(The Maggid of Mezritch)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
MOSHIACH THIS
WEEK (M:31-65/Emor)
"Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is Shabbat
Shabbaton." (a Sabbath of strict rest) (Lev. 23:3)
Our Sages compare the first six millennia of the world's existence
to the six working days of every week, for they serve as preparation,
through Torah and mitzvot, for the seventh millennium -- the ultimate
stage of the Messianic era referred to as "the day that is
entirely Shabbat and repose for life everlasting."
On Shabbat there are two levels of holiness: the cessation of work,
and an additional, more sublime level of inner peace that transcends
mere cessation from labor. This higher level, too, is derived from
the six days of work, for it is a direct result of the good deeds
one has performed throughout the week.
Similarly, the six millennia of service prepare the world not only
for the first stage of the Messianic era when evil will be subdued,
but also its final stage, when the "spirit of impurity will
be forever removed from the earth."
(Maamar "Vayakhel Moshe" 5714)
[Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).]
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here) (W:31-65/Emor)
This
week's Torah portion describes some 'special dates' in the Jewish
calendar. This section begins (23/4), in literal translation, "These
are G-d's appointed times," (Aylu mo'aday Hashem), "the
callings of holiness" (mikra-ey kodesh), "that
you {the Jewish people} should designate in their proper time"
(asher tikri'oo otam b'mo'adam). We say this verse on holidays
in the daytime kiddush.
There is a traditional Chassidic teaching that has a very different
take on the verse. The Rebbe Rayatz taught as follows: G-d's name
of four letters, the Tetragramaton -Yud and Hai and
Vav and Hai-as it appears in this verse, is G-d's
essential name, describing G-d on His first and foremost level,
as Creator of all. Therefore, the verse can be read, "These
(holidays) are the appointed times of G-d's Name". In other
words, these holidays are the set times that G-d's essence is able
to be revealed. The continuation, "Mikra-ey kodesh",
can also be translated as 'holy events', meaning that the revelation
of divine energy is not something only spiritual and ethereal, rather
it is something real in this plane that you and I can experience.
"Asher tikri'oo otam b'mo'adam" can translate as,
'you will make this happen' (literally, 'you will call them into
being'), each at their right time and in a way unique to that holiday
through your appropriate preparation for that particular holiday.
This explanation of this same verse was the very first Torah concept
transmitted by the Baal Shem Tov to his main student and protoge,
Rabbi Dov Ber, the Magid of Mezritch. It was also with this Torah
concept that the Magid later acquired his disciple, Rabbi Schneur
Zalman of Liadi, the first rebbe of Chabad. Furthermore, when the
Alter Rebbe used his spiritual powers to formulate the personality
of his son and successor, Rabbi Dov Ber, enabling him to become
a teacher and leader, he also taught him this concept. The Alter
Rebbe explains that it was this Torah concept that the Besht used
to merge souls with the Magid, creating a Chassidic 'Giving of the
Torah'. In this context, the Alter Rebbe continues, I was the first
to hear it from the Magid, akin to the Jewish people receiving the
Torah at Mount Sinai.
This exact potential to reveal G-d's essence during the holidays
is, in fact, accessible to us at any time, on the condition that
we make ourselves a vessel to receive it. A person does not have
to be stuck in the rut of day to day life all of the time. If a
person considers these ideas and lifts himself a few inches above
the 'ground', you will immediately feel and see things in a different
way.
Unfortunately, the constant problem is that we are in a heavy darkness,
a vacuum, an atmosphere where G-dliness is hidden. Even though we
all realize this on some level, most of the time we have become
accustomed to think of the darkness as being light. A story is told
about the master chassid, Rabbi Hillel of Paritch, who once made
a chassidic gathering in a wine cellar. In the middle, someone came
in and said, 'Wow, it's so dark!' One of the other participants
answered him, 'What's the big deal? When you get used to it, the
darkness becomes light.' Rabbi Hillel responded, 'No. It's a real
problem when you get used to the darkness and think it is light!
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
P.S. Please also
read my weekly Shabbat Law, below.)
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
For all our insights for this parsha:
|
