Let’s Have a Good Talk!

This week’s Torah reading begins in such a friendly way: Speak to the Cohanim, the sons of Aharon, and say to them. We’re not commanding them or ordering them; we’re just having a friendly talk with the family of Aharon and they accept the mission. As opposed to the normal (appearing 175 times in our Torah) format of instruction: And God DIBER to Moshe, saying. Where most commentaries assume that the language of DIBER is harsher and more business-like than the more friendly, Aleph, Mem, Resh.

There are some commentaries (the Ramban, for one) who believe that the two terms are basically synonymous, but that’s the minority. Rav Shimshon Rephael Hirsch claims:

V’AMARTA (Vayikra 23:1) starts a fresh, new speech, an independent speech having its own meaning. It is not like DABER, which aims at giving the short, curt idea, while AMARTA is a complete explanation of all the details, giving understanding of the spirit of the law. It appeals to the mind and the heart. DABER and OMER differ as ‘speaking’ and ‘informing’. 

Rav Hirsch goes on to claim: DABER is the short version of TORAH SH’B’CH’TAV (Written Law); EMOR is the full explanation as it appears to the TORAH SHE’BA’AL PEH (Oral Law). Hence an AMORA (in the Gemara) is the interpreter of the Law.

He finally concludes that the shorthand version of Mitzvot given at Har Sinai is called ASERET HaDIBROT. Those Mitzvot require much elaboration and description. However, in the first chapter of Breishit, God creates with the ASARAH MA’AMOROT (10 statements) which included all the information the Cosmos required to come into existence.

Full disclosure: The Malbim (the champion of the position that there are no synonyms in Biblical Hebrew), who also advocates for different meanings for AMAR and DIBUR, claims that DIBUR is the more extensive statement, while AMAR is the more cryptic, but we are advocating for Rav Hirsch’s approach.

So, the family of Aharon the Cohen gets this more relaxed, less tense indoctrination into their special role within the Jewish nation. Their unique role as spiritual guides and Torah teachers begins with a gentler and more extensive explanation of their singular position within the Chosen People.

This information about the Cohanic separation is a continuation of the Holiness Code (chapters 18-22 of Vayikra), and describes their more intense connection to KEDUSHA, holiness and spirituality. According to Rav Yehuda Amital (1924-2010), these instructions about how to achieve KEDUSHA are very different from the common conception (or, perhaps, misconception) about the components of a holy personality. Rav Amital explains:

Today, when the general public speaks of ‘holy people’, they refer to miracle-workers, mystics, people who exist on a higher plane. But when we investigate Torah holiness, we see that it is something entirely different…The Torah explains that what makes a person holy is not all kinds of ethereal, lofty things, but rather the simplest foundations of interpersonal relationships. This is true holiness: being connected to the world and behaving in accordance with fundamental morality towards others – not isolating oneself and engaging in ‘higher’ matters.

  Rav Amital further elucidates that holiness totally functions within the parameters of the natural order of the universe. He explains that when the Torah prohibits us from eating Temple offerings beyond specific time limits, PIGUL, he maintains that this is to let us know that offerings aren’t ‘miraculous’, they rot and go bad just like ordinary meat does. In our Torah section, we are taught that Cohanim are supposed to remain TAHOR or pure, and therefore generally must avoid contact with corpses. However, since these wonderful people remain human with all our normal needs and character, ‘they must not ignore healthy emotions; (therefore) they must defile themselves (and mourn) for close relatives’. Cohanim must go through the stages of mourning just like everyone else.

Rav Amital concludes: 

The sanctity that the Torah demands of a person is human sanctity: proper behavior between people, and not mystical sanctity. When we reach that level of proper human behavior, we will be worthy of the commandment, ‘You shall be holy’. 

This concept is in keeping with the famous idea of Rav Menachem Mendel of Kotzk (1787-1859): ‘You shall be a holy people unto Me’, that means God does not need more angels. He is looking for holy people.

What we must conclude from these chapters about how to be holy is that the greatest holiness is expressed in Mitzvot like: Do not steal, Do not lie to one another, Do not withhold that which is due to your neighbor, Do not withhold wages over night, Do not curse the deaf, Do not place a stumbling block before the blind, Judge people fairly, Do not gossip, and (according to Rabbi Akiva) the greatest of all character traits: You must love your neighbor (fellow human being) like yourself. 

According to the Slonimer Rebbe, the best possible time period for developing these character traits is right now, during Sefirat HaOmer. As he explained:

We are now preparing ourselves for accepting the Torah on Shavuot. We must purify our character, because purity of character is the vehicle (MERKAVA) for the immersion of a Jew in Torah. This idea is contained in the GEMATRIA (numerical value) of the words LEV (32) TOV (17), which equals 49. We spend the 49 days of the Omer purifying ourselves for the annual reacceptance of the Torah!

So, this LAG B’OMER, please, don’t just think of the students of Rabbi Akiva (and soldiers of Bar Kochba) and the YAHRTZEIT or HILLULA of Rav Shimon bar Yochai, also contemplate and consider what we need to do to make our Jewish society better by being holier in our interpersonal relationships. Good luck! It’s not easy, but it’s worth it to become KADOSH!