Acharei Mos-Kedoshim - Who's Holier?

You're listening to the weekly para podcast recorded with Hashem's never ending assistance in Ramish Mish Israel 2015. This week's para is again a double header aos and kadoshim two paras together. And one of the main themes of the parha the main themes that we find in both of these two paras is the concept of kadusha of holiness which is especially connected to the idea of being sexually pure being moral. in regards to that area of the of the human interaction. And at the beginning of paras, the second para says like this, God spoke to Moses as follows. Israel, speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel and say to them you be holy, for I, Hashem, your God, I am holy. Later on in the para also we have this language of be of the Jewish people are meant to make themselves holy and it says like this in this is in chapter 20 verse7ish you shall make yourselves holy and you will be holy I am hashem your god now the reason I'm reading this verse is because the medish in speaking about the here at the beginning of the para of the second para of kadoshim it brings this verse as well and points out the fact that in this verse it says says this double language a double statement you shall make yourselves holy and you will be holy what's the significance of the fact that there's a doubling here so the brings an interesting mushel an analogy to explain this idea and it says it's comparison it's comparable to a king he had a seller and in that seller he had many barrels of wine and he wanted to protect the wine that the wine should be watched. No one should steal it. So he placed their guards. Some of the people who were sitting there as guards were ner who are people who have made a vow that they're not going to drink any wine. And some of those who were sitting there were actually drunkards. They were alcoholics. In the evening after the day had passed, he came to pay them for their job of watching everything. Everything indeed was watched properly. So in regards to the drunkards, to the alcoholics, he gave them double portion. While when it came to the people who had made this valid, they're not going to drink any wine, he gave them only one portion. So the drunkards got paid double. So the Nazir, those who had their vow, they said, "Didn't we all do an equal job? Didn't Weren't we all the guards over here? Why do we get paid half? Why do they get double? Why do we get half of that? The king said back, "These are drunkards. They're alcoholics. Their way is to drink wine." So that's why I'm giving them double because not only did they guard, but they had to hold themselves back in order to guard. They had to hold themselves back from doing what was their nature, what's second nature to them, which is drinking. Now the med is coming to explain something that there's a double there's a doubling here in this in this p as we said there's a doubling the language here is doubled you shall make yourselves holy and you will be holy what's the doubling here what is this coming to signify in the same way when it comes to the upper spiritual forces they don't have a they don't have an evil inclination they don't have anything driving them to do evil so when we speak about them and we speak about their holiness. There's a singular nature to the holiness that's ascribed to them as a verse says. This is in uh Daniel 4:14 refers to them as holy but there's a single holiness that's referred to there when it comes to human beings when it comes to the Jewish people since the evil inclination has power over them. The Jewish people are like the drunkard who second nature for the drunkard to drink. So when we keep when we act in a holy way when we control ourselves from our adult nature. So it's much greater. It's not just kadouch. It's not just holiness like the angels it's a double level of holiness the speaking about us standing up and and being great and being faithful to our higher nature. So it speaks of it with a double language of holiness. That's what it says. Speak to all of the congregation of Israel. The verse says, it says this double language. You shall make yourselves holy and you will be holy. And the says further, not only is this true, but there's an even deeper thing that goes on said a second concept. And this and this concept is explained with another analogy where you had these people the people of the certain of the certain country they made these three beautiful crowns for the king. What did the king do with these three crowns? So the king goes and he takes one of those crowns and he puts it on his own head. And then when it comes to his sons, he gives his sons two crowns. And of course the two crowns represent the the double that the Jewish people get these double this double crown in the same way every single day. The upper angels these angels who dwell on high they say they speak about God with this triple language of holiness. What does Hashem do with this crown that they give him when they say that he's so holy? What does God do? God takes one of the crowns and he places two of those crowns on the heads of the Jewish people, the people of Israel. That's what it means in the verse. The Torah speaks about this double language. First, God takes the holiness for himself, so to speak, the first and then when it comes to the other two crowns of holiness, he gives those two crowns to the Jewish people. That's the double language of you shall make yourselves holy and you will be holy. Now, what's interesting here is in this mages, we're soon going to see another magish, but in this medish, it seems that the holiness that the Jewish people attain through making themselves great, making themselves connecting themselves really to their higher aspect, that kaduca, that holiness is even greater is manifest is seen much more than the holiness of the angels or even the holiness as it were of God. That's what it sounds like. the Jewish people because they have a sahara because we have an inclination because we have a lower nature when we have that faithfulness that fidelity to a higher nature so by doing that so it it there's a double kaduca there's a greater holiness that becomes manifest so it sounds over here in a certain sense like the Jewish people when I make myself holy so it manifests in a greater way even than the holiness of God as it were now let's look for a moment however at the next maj Because the indication or the implication of the next measure seems to be the opposite of what we just said. Says there are two sections of the Torah that were written to us by Moses and we're able to learn them out from the para of Pharaoh. There's one verse that says that you will be very high up. It's a verse in in Deuteronomy 28:13. It refers to the Jewish people as being very high. You might think that when God says the Jewish people will be up, they'll be high. You might think that it means that they'll be as high as God. That's why the verse says rock. That you will be rock. What does rock mean? Only mute. Whenever you have the word raq, it always comes to exclude something or to to diminish it. Even though the Jewish people when they do what they're supposed to do, when they fulfill the Torah, when they act in line with their spiritual nature, it's true that they will be very high and very great, but their greatness will never be as great as God's greatness, of course. or Harasha. And when we see this from Pharaoh, the evil Pharaoh, Shanemar, in speaking as as Pharaoh was speaking to Yoseph, to Joseph and telling him that Joseph was going to be in charge. But he said, "You will be on my house. You will be in charge of my house." You might think that when Pharaoh said that, he was saying that he would be equal to him. What did Pharaoh continue and say? The continuation of his statement was that only my throne will be greater than you. In just the same way that Pharaoh when he appointed Joseph to be his second in command, he made it clear that Pharaoh would always be above Joseph. So to the Jewish people. Even though God says that when they do the Torah, when they keep the Torah, when they fulfill the commandments, they have a very high level, but that high level never reaches to the greatness of God himself as it were. The second place we said that there are two sections in the Torah. So the first one we quoted was from Deuteronomy. The second one is our para. This that it says in the para that you shall be holy. You might think that when when God says to the Jewish people, you should be holy, it means that they're going to be it's possible to be on the same level of holiness as God. The verse says, no, the verse says, I am holy. My holiness is always going to be above your holiness. We see a parallel again from that which Pharaoh, the evil pharaoh said to Joseph Shanemar. It says over there as well, Joseph Pharaoh says to Joseph, I am parro might think that you are like me. The very statement of Pharaoh was that my greatness is always going to be above your greatness. And and we could even say a little bit more that Pharaoh was trying to say to Yoseph that you should always remember that your power really stems from me giving you power. So the the question here the seeming steer there seems to be a contradiction because in this piece of mages it seems that the the verse is clearly saying Hashem is clearly saying my kadusha my holiness the holiness of God is greater than the holiness always going to be greater than the holiness of the Jewish people but in the previous mages it said that there's a double kadusha that the Jewish people have and God takes of the three kadoshas the the three statements the three crowns of holiness that the angels give God. One of those crowns God takes for himself. But two of those crowns God gives to the Jewish people. So there's a statement in the previous message clearly that the kaduca, the holiness of the Jewish people is even greater than God's holiness. That's that's what it seems to be saying. So how do we reconcile? How do we understand the steer the contradiction? Whose holiness is greater? Is God's holiness greater or is the Jewish people's holiness greater? Now before we answer this question, I just want to read through the end of this message. It's just so beautiful and so touching. And it says like this says in the name from the statement of I quote I that was made by a flesh and blood. We can understand something about the statement of quote I that God made when it came to that statement of I which was made by a flesh and blood. Joseph Ani Pharaoh. Joseph was told by Pharaoh, Pharaoh said, "I am Pharaoh." As a result of that statement, Pharaoh was saying, "I am going to give you the power that I have because I am Pharaoh. Because I am the king, I will give you all this power." As a result of this, Joseph had a tremendous amount of power, prestige, honor. All of this was because Pharaoh said, "I am Pharaoh." In the future time, God is going to make a similar statement. God is going to say, "I am God." That's the verse in Isaiah 44, sorry, 46:4. It speaks about the future time, the Messiah, the messianic age. God says, "Until those days of old, until the elderly days come," which is a reference to the future time, to that age, the future age, God says, "I am he." Verse also says in Isaiah 44 verse 6 this is the statement of God the king of Israel and redeemer of Israel I am first and I am last besides me there's no other gods certainly when God says I am God inherent in the statement just like Pharaoh when he's giving the power to Joseph Joseph is going to be the one who's going to that that no one's going to lift a hand without the statement of Joseph. Whatever Joseph says, Pharaoh tells his people. Whatever Joseph says, do how does that come about? It comes about by a statement of aniparro. I am Pharaoh. So to Hashem in the future, God speaks about himself. I am God. I am first. I am last. That statement is also a statement of giving over of p of power of prestige of honor to the Jewish people. And I think what's amazing here about this comparison between Pharaoh and Joseph comparing that to God as it were and the Jewish people is that when we look at Yseph, we look at Joseph and his relationship with parro with Pharaoh. Yosephadic was somebody who was in charge of the paras, the livelihood of the entire Egypt. And then over the course of his tenure he was really a was really responsible for the entire area and Egypt was the main power at that time. So really Joseph was in charge of everything there at that time of all of the nations at the time. So we look at that and we say look Yoseph who who had the real power. Pyro had the power. Pyro was the king. But who is Yoseph? Yoseph was the one that people interacted with. Yseph was the one parro stayed in his his palace. He stayed inside of his throne room etc. But Yseph was his main man. Mo Yseph was the one who interacted with the people who the people had to come to if they wanted to get to Pharaoh as it were. So to the Jewish people, La Havdil, the Jewish people also we are the ones who are the representatives of God in this world. We are the ones who represent the concept of kaduca, the concept of holiness, the concept of being able to stand on the side of goodness, on the side of true humanity, on the the side of holiness, not giving into our baser natures, not giving into the culture that allows promiscuity and elicit sexual relationships. The Jewish people represent that which is higher in the human being. That which is not giving into the baser nature, the baser qualities of the human being, but rather raising up all of the physical in order to to use it in the service of God. But now if I were to ask if I walk into Egypt during the tenure of of Yoseph of Joseph and I would ask somebody, who is the king here? Who is the ruler here? Everyone would answer that the ruler is parro is Pharaoh. But I say, "But wait a second. How come it seems like Joseph is the one who's in charge? I need food. I go to Joseph. I have a question. Anything I need to go to Joseph? Who's in charge? Is it Pharaoh or is it Joseph?" And the answer would always remain that it's Pharaoh. Pharaoh is the one who has the power. But he has given Joseph the right to be the executor of his power. And in the same way, the Jewish people, you look at the world and you say, is it the Jewish people who are bringing the spirituality into the world? Are they the ones who are introducing the entire world to the amazing tenants of the Torah to what true morality really is? Or is it God? And the answer on the surface it seems like it's the Jewish people. We're the ones who are representing goodness and morality in the world. But of course, it's the Torah that was given to us. It's God who is behind it all. The kaduca, any holiness that we have, any spiritual greatness that we have is because God gave us that greatness. God gave us that spirituality. And that's the second statement of the medish. The second medish is saying that always always we need to remember that the greatness that we have is really God's greatness. And in that sense, God is always higher than us in in the same way as Pharaoh is always above Joseph. But there's another aspect of it or another angle of it we could say and that's the previous medish. The previous medish is saying that the way that God manifests in the world, we don't see God directly. We don't see God's holiness directly. Yes, the the angels are able to see that. But in this world, we can't see that. It's too dark. It's too difficult to see true spirituality to have a true line into God. But where do we see it manifest? The place that it's most is seen manifest mostly that it's even more you see the kaduca even more so than anything is in the Jewish people because the Jewish people are are like malim. We act like angels. We use our sexual drive in the proper way. We direct it in the proper way. We use it within the the the institution of marriage and only marriages that the Torah prescribes very specifically. And all the things that we do, all of the morality that we represent, it's we here we are in our human bodies with our yehara, with our evil inclination, with our baser desires, and here we are being godly. Of course, it's with the instruction of God. Of course, it's because God told us to. But as the measure says, it's not a big deal for an angel to do God's will. It's not a big deal for a nazer, a person who doesn't drink wine to protect and guard that wine, the wine seller. But a shikur, a drunkard, an alcoholic, for him to guard the wine seller, that's a much greater statement of kaduca in a certain sense. And and that's what this is expressing in a certain sense. When you look at the kaduca, the holiness of the Jewish people, it's a much greater level of kaduca. It's a much deeper level of a manifestation of the holiness that God wants to bring into the world. And so the three holies, the three statements that God is holy, God gives, two of those statements to the Jewish people because we are the ones that you can see through us, the holiness of God himself is being brought into the world. Yes, it's those two are two out of the three that belong to God. But God gives them to us because we manifest that in this world through our behaving in a way which is in line with our higher selves which is in line with how the Torah prescribes that we behave. Now I want to share with you one last maj and with this we'll close and you know today it's very challenging was reading in freelander speaks about the fact that the Jewish people when they were in Egypt and when they were in cananan these were the most decadent societies at that time. They had all of these behaviors, beastiality, homosexuality, all of these behaviors which really lower the human being, which really are an expression of the the very basist behaviors that a human being is capable of. Now, those societies, it was specifically the Jewish people were placed in those societies in order for them to to to for the Jewish people to bring out the contrast. They were Gdurim minarayas. The Jewish people in Egypt and subsequently when they came into the land of Cananan, the land of Israel, they were the opposite. Egypt and Cananan were completely base. The Jewish people in comparison were completely raised up. They were so careful about these areas. And we also live in a society and in a time which is extremely low, extremely base. And God is asking each and every one of us to be great to to stand up to these challenges that surround us and that are that have infiltrated even into our homes. And so the question becomes how does one do that? And one path is right here in the med in the next piece in the mag which is really on the next para. It's really on the next verses but it's so beautiful. It's so apppropo to what we're speaking about. And it says like this says when a person transgresses a sin so he has he's liable for death in the hands of heaven what should a person do to resend the decree to be able to live. If this was a person who sinned, if this person who sinned was somebody who was used to learning one page, one page of of the track date, whatever of gar of he should learn twice as much. If his way was to to learn one chapter of Mishna, he should do two chapters. What should a person do if he's not so learned? He should go and be someone who gives charity. He should be involved in giving to others or or be in charge of distributing charity. And in this way, he needs to amp up his spirituality. He needs to amp up his Torah learning, his dedication to God. And by doing so, he can rescend the negative decree. Now, there's a danger here. And part of the danger is when I do something wrong. So when I get slapped in the face with information that says this is something that God is not interested in or this is something that doesn't really serve my spirituality when I see that in front of me. So it can be extremely painful. But the message is saying that if I'm willing to endure that pain and I am willing to step up my spirituality, double the amount of learning, bring it on, give more, give more charity, be involved with more good deeds and more goodness. So then I have a chance of moving out of the space. I'm told as the verse says in in Psalms, move away from evil and do good. Move into good acts. Move into good deeds. move into bringing more godliness, more kaduca, more holiness into the world. Hashem should help us. Please bless me. I bless you. Hashem should help us to be able to face these challenges to hold on to true kaduca such that we should be the ambassadors of God in the world. Just like Joseph was Pharaoh's ambassador, we should be that ambassador for God. and such that we should be able to see, people should be able to say, "Look, the Jewish people and this particular person has double kaduca. He is so holy. He's truly expressing the holiness of God in the world." Thank you so much for listening. Have a wonderful Shabas. This podcast was made possible through the gracious donations of listeners like you. For more podcasts like this, please visit www.rigoldwag.com arioldwag.com or search on iTunes Ari Goldwag. [Music]