This Shabbat we study the Parshah Emor, meaning “speak” (Leviticus 21:1). It begins with special laws pertaining to the kohanim (priests), the kohen gadol (high priest) and the Temple Service. The second part of Emor lists the annual Callings of Holiness—the festivals of the Jewish calendar and the weekly Shabbat. Next the Torah discusses the lighting of the menorah in the Temple, and the showbread (lechem hapanim) placed weekly on the table there.

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Emor concludes with the incident of a man executed for blasphemy, and the penalties for murder (death) and for injuring one’s fellow or destroying his property (monetary compensation).

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Chabad.org

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Last week we partially addressed one of most popular phrases in the Torah, which is “Love your fellow as yourself.” Here, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman, in his article on Chabad.org, answers a reader’s concern: “Prayer, I am told, is an act of enlightenment. Am I to pray for the brutal demise of the enemy?”

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Response:

The quick and simple answer: It depends. If the enemy is the dark evil of this world, pray for an end to evil. If the enemy is a human being, defend yourself, attack first if necessary, and pray that nobody will have to die, that your enemies will become your friends and fulfill the mission for which they were born: To join together to create a peaceful, harmonious world. Welcome to the inscrutable world of Judaism, where there are so few issues on which an honest, educated Jew cannot be conflicted. In Halacha, in ethics, in mysticism, in whatever field—even once an issue is resolved, it must take into account so many angles and conditions that very little can be said in a simple line or two, other than, "G-d is One."

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Chabad approach is simply an articulation of whatever the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, had to say. And as the paradigm of Jewishness, the Rebbe's approach was one that could never be pigeon-holed. In every assertion, its opposite lies; in every approach, the other road must be taken into account.

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For a detailed account of the Rebbe’s views on war, the concession of territory and more, visit Chabad.org

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Why are the lives of the sages filled with miracles? Because they open their minds to truth and labor over it day and night. They are the awakened mind of the cosmos—through them the Infinite Light enters this world. So, of course, nature bows to them, the angels wait upon them, and everything is arranged to serve their mission. And so it is with any one of us who seeks the truth and clings to it with heart and soul. Hold tight to what’s right and the world is at your feet.

Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

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The Shabbat has two levels of holiness, indicated by the expression shabbat shabbaton. The term shabbat relates to cessation of work. Shabbaton, on the other hand, is an additional, more sublime level: the complete inner peace which transcends mere cessation from work. This level, too, derives from the six days of work, for it follows as a result from the “work” of one’s good deeds throughout the week.

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The same applies to the redemption. The six millennia of service prepare not only for the first stage of the Messianic era (the passive level of shabbat which relates to “evil being subdued and ceasing its opposition to goodness”), but also its final stage of shabbaton-when the spirit of impurity will be “removed from the earth” (Zechariah 13:2) altogether and forever...Thus, “Six days work shall be done” to prepare the world for the redemption-for the “seventh day”-the highest stage of shabbat shabbaton!

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From an article by Rabbi J. Immanuel Schochet

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I frequently serve as a mashgiach (kosher supervisor) on behalf of a well-known kosher certification agency to ensure that the products of several plants in town meet the kosher standards. On a recent inspection, the company representative escorted me into a room used to produce a food that is a strong allergen. Due to the high risk of cross contamination, it is necessary to change smocks, thoroughly wash your hands and sanitize your shoes before entering the room. As it turned out, during my inspection this production line was not in operation, and the entire apparatus had been disassembled to be cleaned and sanitized. After spending a few minutes there, we returned to the main production floor—but not before sanitizing our shoes, washing our hands and changing smocks. Chuckling, I commented to my escort, “Mike, I wonder why we need to go through this process. The room was empty!” He smiled wryly and replied, “That’s the rule, rabbi.” A good answer, and an attitude that put me at ease.

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Upon receiving the Torah, the Jewish nation was charged with the task of preserving this precious heritage for eternity. To do so, the Torah obligated the sages in each generation to introduce precautionary measures to ensure the integrity of mitzvah observance for generations. The kosher diet is rich with such safety nets. For example, to prevent the strong possibility of rationalizing the mixing of beef with dairy, the sages prohibited the mixture of poultry and dairy. These rabbinic measures are as timeless as the Torah itself.

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This is a clear indication that the intended recipients of the Torah are human beings. Since we are prone to overconfidence, laziness and forgetfulness, it is necessary for us to be aware of our natural weaknesses and to set up buffer zones to protect us from transgression.

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There is no greater pleasure to Gd than us humans overcoming the challenges of life to remain steadfast to the principles of Torah. We can successfully do so only with strict adherence to the rules, even when they may seem superfluous and not directly connected to what we perceive as the original biblical ordinance. In fact, careful adherence to these laws serves to elevate the same human deficiencies that necessitated their formulation. As I observed the responsible micro-lab coordinator at the plant thoroughly clean his hands before re-entering the main production room, even though there was no need for it, my confidence in the food industry was strengthened. Now, the analogy only goes so far. While the rules in the plant are man-made (and probably redundant at times), the rabbinic safeguards are divinely inspired and as important as the Torah laws themselves. Let’s embrace how Torah elevates our humanity and appreciate the crucial role each iota of Jewish law plays in preserving the Torah for eternity—whether we understand it or not.

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From an article by Rabbi Levi Greenberg

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