Acharei Mot Kedoshim #2

In Perek 19, Pasuk 16, it says, "לא תלך רכיל בעמיך לא תעמד על דם רעך"

“You shall not be a gossip monger (one who advocates gossip) among your people; you shall not stand by while your fellow’s blood is being shed.” 

QUESTION: What is the link between these two commandments?

ANSWER: Chizkuni says, To speak evil against another Jew — even if it is true — is a very serious sin. However, one who stands by when his friend is being harmed, commits a greater sin. How do we know this? Because if a person knew an aggressor was planning on harming a specific person, one is not only permitted but obligated to warn the intended victim. Doing nothing is a violation of the mitzvah, “You shall not stand by while your fellow’s blood is being shed.”  Therefore, they are put next to each other, in order to stress the severity of the commandment. We know that one who gossips gets tzaraat, and one who gets tzaraat is compared to one who's dead. Therefore, if the second commandment of " ...לא תעמד" is intuitively worse than "...לא תלך רכיל" kal vichomer, should we try to avoid committing this sin.  Because following Chizkuni's logic means that a person who stands by his friend being harmed, is worse than someone who is dead or compared to dead.

What are more connections between the two commandments? Why does the first commandment say " בעמיך"? shouldn't we refrain from speaking gossip about all people? What are more interpretations of these commandments? Why are these commandments significant? 

Acharei Mot-Kedoshim- #1

In this weeks Parsha, Acharei Mot and Kedoshim, the pasuk says, "Every man shall fear his mother and his father" (19:3). 

What is the reason that fearing your mother is written before fearing your father?

The Gemara in Kiddushin Daf 31A says that in Shmot 20:12 it says to honor your father and your mother. The reason behind this is due to the fact that a person admires their mother more, and fears their father more. For this reason, the Torah writes the opposite of human nature in the Torah to show that a person should honor and fear both of their parents equally.

What other reasons are they written in that specific order for?

Shemini #3

"קח לְךָ עֵגֶל בֶּן בָּקָר לְחַטָּאת וְאַיִל לְעֹלָה תְּמִימִם וְהַקְרֵב לִפְנֵי ה׳״...

"Take for yourself a bull calf as a sin offering, and a ram as a burnt offering, [both] unblemished, and bring [them] near before the Lord"...

This parsha discusses food and kashrut laws but doesn't give reason for them. 

 Rabbi simmons believes that its important to understand reason. He explains: 'God wants us to use our intellect and to understand the mitzvot to the best of our ability'

Do you (and your rabbinical source) feel its necessary to understand the reason behind the kashrut laws we follow? Or should we just have faith and 

listen to Hashem? 

Shemini #2

Pasuk chaf gimmel: וַיָּבֹא משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן אֶל אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד וַיֵּצְאוּ וַיְבָרֲכוּ אֶת הָעָם וַיֵּרָא כְבוֹד יְהֹוָה אֶל כָּל הָעָם:

And Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting. Then they came out and blessed the people, and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people

What blessing did they give the people and why did they pick that particular blessing?

Rashi says that they said: “May the pleasantness of the Lord, our God, be upon us (Ps. 90:17); May it be God’s will that the Shechinah rest in the work of your hands.

Moshe and Aharon gave this specific blessing because the 7 days where moshe would build the mishkan, give hashem offerings and then dismantle it, the shechina would never reside there. Bnei Yisroel was humiliated by this and cried to moshe saying all their efforts were so that the shechina would reside with them and they were forgiven for the golden calf. Moshe replied that it would be through Aharon's offerings and service to hashem that the shechina would reside with bnei yisroel, because aharon is more worthy and greater than him.

Questions: Where else in tanach did moshe refer to aharons greatness? where else in tanach did moshe show a large level of humility? what can be another explanation of the original question? 

Shemini #1- Cheit Ha'egel and Nadav/Avihu

In this week's parsha, we see the sudden and disturbing death of two of Aaron's sons, Nadav and Avihu. In exploring the text more closely, what earlier Tanach story shows parallel themes and language to this story, and what is the meaning behind this connection? Did Hashem reject Nadav and Avihu? 

According to Rav Merrill, the phrase "as Hashem commanded Moshe" is redundant in Parshat Pekudei. Perhaps this message is what Nadav and Avihu neglected to hear. A purpose of the mishkan was to atone for the sin of Chet Haegel, which is where Bnei Yisroel decided to serve Hashem in their own personal way. Similarly, Nadav and Avihu choose to serve Hashem in their own personal way here, which went against what Hashem commanded. Nadav and Avihu's mistake was that they brought back the same thought process that they had during Chet Haegel.