Restraint
A Message for Parashat Emor 2018
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Kedushah is a dominant theme in Sefer
VaYikra. It is particularly featured in our current set of parashot, each
of which presents a specific facet of sanctity. Whereas Parashat Kedoshim
presented kedushah “in action” by means of the missvot, Parashat
Emor presents it “in person” – the kohanim, and “in time” with the
holidays, while Parashat Behar will demonstrate it “in space,” as
manifested by the years of shemitah and yovel. What is the thread
that runs through these various kedushot and how can we act upon it in
our everyday lives?
The mo’adim are detailed in several
places in the Torah. Each description of the holidays highlights a different
dimension of the days. Parashat Pinehas (Bemidbar 28-9) mentions them in
the context of their unique korbanot, while Parashat Re’eh
(Devarim 16) references them as a core part of the centrality of the Mikdash.
Parashat Emor (VaYikra 23), however, portrays the mo’adim
through the prism of their sanctity. Described as “mikra’ei kodesh,” Emor
stresses the prohibition of melakhah on those days. The pesukim’s
constant refrain regarding the forbidden labor on the mo’adim suggests
that the source of their sanctity lies in that restraint.
Indeed, all of the other “kedushah”
dimensions of these parashot are underscored by a demand to “hold back”:
The kohanim are forbidden to come in contact with the dead and to marry
specific women (21:1-16), shemitah and yovel prohibit working the
land (25:1-13), and the general command that “you shall be holy” (19:1) was
famously envisioned by the Hakhamim as a demand to restrain our sexual
desires.[1]
R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik z”l
described the constant tension between our competing drives towards “majesty”
and “humility.” He explained that we seek dominance in all realms of our lives,
striving for the best in health, wealth and intellect and doing everything that
it takes for their attainment. At the same time, however, we are drawn back to
our origins and sometimes feel the natural urge to pull back and “return.”
Although this is often felt most during the “low moments” of life, even the
courageous explorers anticipate the homecoming at the end of the voyage.
R. Soloveitchik likened our dialectical
nature to that of God, who paradoxically manifests his infinite essence in this
limited world. Known by the Lurianic mystics as “simsum,” God’s ability
to “contract” Himself for creation of this world is thus the paradigm for man’s
innate appreciation of his modest and contained origins.[2]
The Gemara (Sukkah 28a) stated that
Hillel’s greatest student was Yonatan ben Uziel. Demonstrating the heights of
his greatness, the Gemara related that when he was engaged in Torah study birds
that flew over him were immediately incinerated. Considering this impressive
level of his student, it is intriguing to ponder what strengths the teacher
Hillel possessed. A well-known remark in this context is that Hillel’s
greatness lay in his ability to withhold his strengths so that any bird
flying over his head would not be burned.[3]
Cultivating a character of self-constraint is
important for career advancement, as well. Greg Mckeown laid out a map toward
“the disciplined pursuit of less” in his engaging book Essentialism. He
detailed the many mistakes committed on the path toward the unfocused and less
productive life of a “nonessentialist.” Mckeown explained that one
distinguishing feature between an “essentialist” and “nonessentialist” is the
ability to say “no” to others. He quoted Tom Friel, a former CEO, who remarked,
“We need to learn the slow ‘yes’ and the quick ‘no.’ ” Without the strength to
turn away, social and societal pressures will push us into counterproductive
situations and circumstances.[4]
In addition to the vital role of self-restraint
for individual sanctity and success, it is also a necessary component of a
healthy society. A society built upon the foundations of intense competition
leads to the downfall of many of its individuals. Structured instead by a model
of self-restraint and focused on “making room” for one another, however, the
community may flourish as a solitary unit.[5]
The various dimensions of sanctity in Parashat
Emor and its surrounding parashot invite us to explore the essence
of kedushah. Indeed, God’s command that “You shall be holy, for I, God,
am holy” (19:2) is a daunting task. Its realization, however, is the result of
understanding our conflicting tendencies of strength and restraint and
following His lead in a careful balance. Needless to say, a life imbued with
this kedushah will positively influence our professional and communal
successes, as well.
[1] See the Commentary of
Rashi ad loc., s.v kedoshim.
[2] R. Joseph B.
Soloveitchik, “Majesty and Humility,” in Confrontation and Other Essays (New
Milford, CT, 2015), pg.25-40.
[3] See, most recently, R.
Simha Maimon’s mention of this remark in his Shiurei Humash – Mahadura Tinyana
vol. 1 (Jerusalem, IS, 2017), pg. 61.
[4] Greg Mckeown, Essentialism:
The Disciplined Pursuit of Less (New York, NY, 2014), pg. 135-43.
[5] See further on this point
in Mordechai Rotenberg’s The Psychology of Tzimtzum (New Milford, CT,
2015), pg. 75-96.