Shebet Peresha: Amer(Say)
Shabbat Shalom Mishpicha,
Welcome to our study of this week's Torah portion, which is called Emor
(Speak).
Discover new insights into the Word of אלהים as you read along with us
this portion of Scripture that will be read in synagogues around the
world this Shabbat (Saturday).
Emor (Say)Leviticus 21:1–24:23; Ezekiel 44:15–31; James 1:1–18
"Then יהוה said to Moses, 'Say [emor] to the priests, the sons of
Aaron...'" (Leviticus 21:1)
This week's Torah portion of Emor (say) begins with Moshe being
instructed to "Say to the kohanim and you shall say to them…"
(Leviticus 21:1)In explaining the usage of the double expression "say
and you shall say", Rashi comments that YHWH is teaching a subtle but
most significant point: It is not sufficient to merely instruct the
people on how to act. Rather, one must ensure that they too will hand
on these very same instructions to the next generation. Speak, and
say: You should speak to them in a manner that will convince them to,
in turn, say the same to their children. The only way to safely ensure
the propagation of a way of life is to train the next generation while
young, thus inoculating them against the doubts that will inevitably
arise.The Jewish nation was born at the Exodus from Egypt. Just as a
child is thrust suddenly into the world, naked and wailing, so too
were we plunked in the desert, unready for freedom, naked of mitzvot
and still suffering with our slave-mentality. Just as a newborn child
relies on others for protection and training, so too did this
new-found nation need to undergo a process of maturing.Over the
following seven weeks we underwent a process of
life-education,training to live and think as free men. We replicate
this journey every year over the sefira period, an annual seven-week
long passage of spiritual rectification. Each day is a new stage in
our emotional and intellectual journey to freedom, eagerly counting
the days till we attain the Torah at Sinai.To ensure survival, it is
not enough to merely bring children into this world. One needs to
guide and nurture the young until they are self-sufficient, capable of
independent thought and imbued with the capability to make their own
decisions. True education is when the instructor succeeds in
transmitting such love and devotion that even later, when left to his
own devices, the student chooses of his own will to follow that path,
and teach those lessons to his own children.
Shabbath Shalom!
Welcome to our study of this week's Torah portion, which is called Emor
(Speak).
Discover new insights into the Word of אלהים as you read along with us
this portion of Scripture that will be read in synagogues around the
world this Shabbat (Saturday).
Emor (Say)Leviticus 21:1–24:23; Ezekiel 44:15–31; James 1:1–18
"Then יהוה said to Moses, 'Say [emor] to the priests, the sons of
Aaron...'" (Leviticus 21:1)
This week's Torah portion of Emor (say) begins with Moshe being
instructed to "Say to the kohanim and you shall say to them…"
(Leviticus 21:1)In explaining the usage of the double expression "say
and you shall say", Rashi comments that YHWH is teaching a subtle but
most significant point: It is not sufficient to merely instruct the
people on how to act. Rather, one must ensure that they too will hand
on these very same instructions to the next generation. Speak, and
say: You should speak to them in a manner that will convince them to,
in turn, say the same to their children. The only way to safely ensure
the propagation of a way of life is to train the next generation while
young, thus inoculating them against the doubts that will inevitably
arise.The Jewish nation was born at the Exodus from Egypt. Just as a
child is thrust suddenly into the world, naked and wailing, so too
were we plunked in the desert, unready for freedom, naked of mitzvot
and still suffering with our slave-mentality. Just as a newborn child
relies on others for protection and training, so too did this
new-found nation need to undergo a process of maturing.Over the
following seven weeks we underwent a process of
life-education,training to live and think as free men. We replicate
this journey every year over the sefira period, an annual seven-week
long passage of spiritual rectification. Each day is a new stage in
our emotional and intellectual journey to freedom, eagerly counting
the days till we attain the Torah at Sinai.To ensure survival, it is
not enough to merely bring children into this world. One needs to
guide and nurture the young until they are self-sufficient, capable of
independent thought and imbued with the capability to make their own
decisions. True education is when the instructor succeeds in
transmitting such love and devotion that even later, when left to his
own devices, the student chooses of his own will to follow that path,
and teach those lessons to his own children.
Shabbath Shalom!
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