YOU SHALL RISE

BEFORE THE AGED

 AND SHOW DEFERENCE TO THE OLD;

YOU SHALL FEAR

YOUR GOD: I AM THE LORD.

 (Vayikra 19:32)

"You Shall Rise Before The Aged

And Show Deference To The Old" –An Expression Of Human Dignity

One

must rise before one who is very old, even if he is not a wise man; even a

young man who is wise must rise before a very old man, but he is not required

to rise fully, but just enough to show deference, and

even if he be an old Cuthean, one must honor him in speech and offer a

hand to support him, as is written "You shall rise before the aged"

– this refers to every old person.

 (Rambam, Laws of Talmud Torah 6:9)

"And you shall do that which is

just and good in the eyes of God" – Simple

understanding of the plain reading of the text is: Observe God's mitzvoth

and his admonitions and his laws, and, by doing them, intend to do that which

is good and just in His sight alone. "That it may go well with you"

– a promise, saying that by your doing that which is right in His eyes, it

will go well with you, for God does well by those who are good and straight in

their hearts. Our rabbis explained this in homiletic fashion, saying that this

refers to compromise and to acting beyond the letter of the law. The meaning is

this: Initially He said that you should observe his laws and his admonitions

which He commanded; now it says that even with regard to that which He did not command you, give thought to

do that which is good and straight in His sight, because He loves that which is

good and just.

This

is a very important matter, because it would have been impossible for the Torah

to mention all behavior of man with his neighbors and friends, all his

dealings, and all local and national regulations in their entirety. But, after

having mentioned many of them, such as "Do not go about as a talebearer

among your countrymen", "You shall not take vengeance or bear

a grudge", "Do not stand upon the blood of your fellow",

You shall not insult the deaf", You

shall rise before the aged", etc., the Torah

establishes a general rule, decreeing that one should do that which is good and just in all matters, e.g.,

compromise and behavior beyond the letter of the law – such as the law of bar

metzra (The

right of pre-emption. When a field is sold, the owner of the neighboring field

has first right of purchase.) and even that which they said (Yoma

81a, paraphrased) 'His personality is without blemish and his speech with

others is gentle', so that – in all matters – he will be considered a blameless

and upright person.

 (Ramban, Devarim 6:18)

HOLINESS AS COMMITMENT TO MAN AND HIS CREATOR

Yochanan Flusser

I wish to dedicate the

their son Yonatan, who becomes a Bar Mitzvah this Shabbat.

The requirement "You shall be holy"

is a commandment for us. When we read this requirement for the first time,

it seems impossible, or perhaps unrealistic. Perhaps we are to see it as a goal or a vision, with which The

Holy One, Blessed Be He, presents us, a goal which each of us is obligated to

strive for. If we are, indeed, ready for the challenge, we must ask how does one

achieve that nebulous goal? How can the

tih-yu" – "You shall be holy"? This is a

great, powerful, incomprehensible demand – to transform all the nation of

Israel into angels or metaphysical beings.

Can everyone really reach that goal? And

if so, how?

We will deal with two

central questions that arise from the reading of the parasha:

• How are we to understand the demand "You

  shall be holy"?

• How can we respond to this divine command?

The parasha begins with "Speak to the entire assembly of the Children of Israel". The

Netziv of Volozhin emphasizes that the word "kol" (entire), connotes every individual! –

not the collective. The verse acknowledges differences between people,

recognizes their diverse capabilities – resulting from each person's

personality and talents – of reaching the goal of "Kedoshim tih-yu".

But each of us is under the obligation

to aspire and to strive to reach that goal, each in his own way.

An additional challenge is suggested by other

commentators, who see significance in the word "tih-yu" –

"you shall be" – future tense; a kind of continuing mitzvah,

without end. In our modern terminology – "vision".

How to reach

demand to reach the goal, the holy vision, are laid upon man. The mission and

goal require strenuous effort. There are conditions for attaining this kedushah.

In Midrash Tanchuma we find:

Said The Holy One, Blessed Be He, to Moshe:

"If you have merited – i.e., if you have succeeded in reaching the goal of

holiness, then you are called "kedoshim" – "holy

people"; but if you have not merited, you will be called "a wicked

assembly."

This means that "You shall be holy"

is not an innate trait given man as though with a magic wand. When one

reads the early commentators on this matter, it seems that holiness is beyond

vision, something elevated and metaphysical, beyond human nature. According the

plain reading of Parashat Kedoshim, the path to holiness is not at all

metaphysical. The path to this kedusha is open to every man, and may be

achieved by observing the mitzvoth.

As mortals, we have a need to sort out our

commitments and our relationships with the world into two categories – the

privileges and the duties in our lives. Concomitantly, in Judaism we deal with

the religious obligations, the mitzvoth, which compose that wonderful

fabric which Rambam saw not only as "decrees" or arbitrary laws, but

as mitzvoth given for man's benefit: "The purpose of the Torah in

general (the reason for the mitzvoth) is dual: perfection of the soul,

and perfection of the body." The first purpose is the teaching of correct

ideas, and the second is the

establishment of proper social relationships (Guide for the Perplexed, III 27). Rav Saadia

Gaon viewed the mitzvoth as a gift that God gave man that makes it

possible for him to achieve eternal bliss. If, indeed, it is within our power

to see the mitzvoth as a means for attaining eternal bliss, perfection

of soul and body, and as means for achieving good social relations, Parashat Kedoshim imposes another obligation:

the Omnipresent', 'between man and man'. I wish to contend that Parashat Kedoshim,

which contains fifty-one mitzvoth, breaks, once and for all, this artificial

dichotomy.

The fifty-one mitzvoth in Kedoshim

contain both types. They are not – as men would tend to arrange – classified

into two separate groups; they are mixed and interspersed among each other. We

find 'God-man' and 'man-man' mitzvoth mixed in the same parasha

and even within the same passage. If we can

a chance to read the goal of "Kedoshim tih-yu".

For example: (Vayikra 19:3) "You

am your God." This passage offers an absolute mix of 'God-man' and

'man-man'. The order of appearance is interesting. Reverence for parents precedes the mitzvah of Shabbat.

Throughout the parasha the types are interwoven. It is possible to bind up all

the 'man-man' mitzvoth' of Parashat Kedoshim into the single verse

"Love

your fellow as yourself." Rabbi Akiva

considered this verse to be "a major principle in the Torah."

We must note: "Love your fellow as yourself, I am the

Lord!" You must love your fellow not

only because it is the humane and ethical thing to do, but also because God commands it! It

is a mitzvah! (The phrase 'I am the Lord' appears eight

times in Parashat Kedoshim. 'I am the Lord

your God' is repeated eight times). And this appears davka in reference

to the mitzvoth between man and man.

"You shall not

insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear

your God: I am the

Lord" (Verse 14).

"You shall rise

before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your God: I am

the Lord. (Verse 32)

"When a stranger

resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides

with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as

yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I the Lord am your God" (Verse 32).

In other words: the mitzvoth between

man and his fellow are also mitzvoth of God, "with His

seal."

When we study Judaism in school, we are taught to differentiate between

the two categories. About a year ago, an Israeli newspaper published a

scientific study of pupils in the religious school system. Two thousand six

hundred youths participated in the survey. The study investigated the degree of

mitzvah observance as a measure of 'religiosity'.

Questions asked were: How many are diligent in observance of Kashrut? Do they

light electricity on Shabbat? Do they put on Tephilin? Do they pray the evening

service? Do they pray the Shacharit service with a minyan, etc? Certainly these

are all very important, but not a single question

was asked about mitzvoth between man and man. Nothing was asked about

attitude to parents, attitude to the elderly, the weak, the stranger, the

other; nothing about relating to friends, about "Love your fellow as yourself"! Isn't this also

'religiosity'? Are these second-class mitzvoth?

In the Ten Commandments, there is, indeed, a general division

between the kinds of mitzvoth, but there is reference

to 'man-man' mitzvoth. The above-mentioned

study cracked the Tablets a second time; it smashed one of the tablets, ignored

it as though it never existed.

Have we ever asked

ourselves why is it that the chances that a kippa-wearing Jew is more

likely to drive through a red light – endangering his own and others' lives –

are immensely greater than the possibility that he will light an electric bulb

on Shabbat? Without doubt, conventional education lays great stress upon

meticulousness in observance of 'religious' mitzvoth, and less emphasis upon

strictness in performance of the 'social' mitzvoth. This disparity and

differentiation is liable to lead to the absurd, to putting life in jeopardy.

It could be that had we succeeded – as per our parasha – in doing away with

this differentiation, the terrible assassination of Yitchak Rabin, z"l,

might have been avoided. Incidentally, Yigal Amir, Yitzchak Rabin's murderer,

is very diligent in observance of the laws of kashrut lim'hadrin even in prison.

From Parashat

divine demand of "Kedoshim tih-yu" – You shall be holy."

(Yochanan

Flusser, past director and spokesman for "Oz V'Shalom – Netivot

Shalom", works in special education.).

The Real Moral Trial Is "In Your

Land"

It

has been taught – Rabbi Eliezer the Great said: Why did the Torah issue

warnings in thirty-six places – and some say forty-six places – regarding the ger,

the proselyte? Because he may relapse to his earlier state. What is the meaning

of "You shall not deceive the ger, nor shall you oppress him, for you

were sojourners in the Land of Egypt." It was taught – Rabbi

Natan said: Do not taunt your neighbor with the blemish you yourself have.

 (Bavli, Bava Metsia 59b)

"A sojourner in your land": For if he is a stranger in a foreign

land where you, too, are strangers, it is understood that you would love him

like strangers love one another (Pesachim113), and you that you be concerned with his

travail, lest you be in his place. But if he is a sojourner in your land, in

any case "do not deceive

him."

 (From Haamek Davar, Vayikra 19:33)

The Beginning of the Flowering Of Our

Redemption?

Do

not imagine that the Mashiach – the Anointed King – will have to perform omens

and signs and introduce new things in the world, resurrect the dead, etc. Such

is not the case, for Rabbi Akiva

of Ben Koziba (Bar

Kosba, considered by Rabbi Akiva and others to be the Messiah, was – and is –

commonly known as Bar Kochba – "Son of the Star". Because of his sins

and consequent failure, he was later called Bar Koziba – "Son of the

Lie".) the king, and he claimed that he was the

Mashiach, until he was killed because of sins. When he was

killed, they realized he was not; the sages did require of signs and omens. The

main point is as follows: This Torah, its laws and ordinances, are eternal;

they are not to be added to, nor detracted from.

 (Rambam, Laws of Kings, Chap. 11)

Rabotai,

it

may be that all who spoke of 'the beginning of the flowering of our redemption'

erred. It is possible that the disciples of the Gaon of Vilna erred; it is

possible that that the disciples of the Besht erred; it may be that the

disciples of Rabbi Akiva Eiger erred when they spoke of 'the beginning of the

flowering of our redemption' as described in books. It is possible that Rav

Kook was wrong; it is possible that Rav Charlop was wrong. Rabbi Akiva, the greatest of the Tanaim, was

also wrong.

(Rabbi Amital,

"To Hear the Voice of a Crying Child", in Moshe Maya's book: "A

World Built, Destroyed, and Built." P. 40).

"…

with independence we gained control of ourselves, we achieved freedom of

choice. We are not dependent upon others, and the process of Geula –

redemption – can be carried out to its completion, if so we please.

Geula is not one of

the 613 mitzvoth, and the halachic meaning of the Geula lies in

political independence – in the possibility of observing those mitzvoth

which require sovereignty and territoriality in Eretz Yisrael. "Reishit

ha-geula" – the beginning of the redemption – is the possibility of observing

the mitzvoth through the sovereignty granted us. The Geula itself

is the actual observance of the mitzvoth.

(Dov Rappel:

"Pitchei Shearim", p. 213)

Editorial Board:

Menachem Klein

Translation: Kadish

Goldberg

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