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Overview
of the Torah Reading
To be read on Shabbat Achrei Mot, 26 Nissan 5784/May 4, 2024
Torah: Leviticus 16:1-18:30; Haftorah: Samuel
I 20:18-42
Achrei Mot 6th Reading out of 10 in Leviticus
and 29th overall, 43rd out of 54 in overall
length.
Acharei Mot opens
with a presentation of the Yom Kippur service. Next are laws regarding
slaughtering animals, followed by a list of forbidden marital relationships.
 An
Essay from
Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, Director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
This week's parsha Acharei Mot begins "Do not come
to the Holy of Holies, the Kadosh Kedoshim, at any time."
(In Hebrew "at any time" is "bechol et" i.e. "whenever
you wish"). Aharon was only allowed to enter the holy of holies once
a year, on Yom Kippur, when there was a special service, special offerings
and, in particular, special prayers for all the Jewish people.
Torat Kohanim (also called Sifra D'vei Rav, a midrash part of the Jewish
oral tradition) teaches something very interesting. It says, "Your
brother Aharon cannot go (into the Holy of Holies). But this does not
apply to Moshe".
The Ra'avad (Avraham ben David, 1125-1198) comments that Moshe was allowed
to go into the Holy of Holies any time without any special preparation,
or special offerings.
The third Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson 1789-1866,
(known as the Tzemach Tzedek) explains why. Torah is higher than time
and a person who seriously studies Torah is merited, even in these dark
times, as though he brought a olah, the highest type of offering in the
temple. Therefore, Moshe, whose entire identity was the Torah (see Devarim
33:4 "Torah was commanded to us by Moshe"), since the Torah
is higher than time (the word from the first verse above, et), Moshe was
not prohibited to enter the Holy of Holies at any time.
Countless times we have written here about the power of Torah and there
is a special teaching in our portion about how a person should serve his
Creator.
At first glance, when a person learns in the beginning of Acharei Mot
that Aharon, the first High Priest, was only allowed to enter the Holy
of Holies once a year on Yom Kippur, a person might easily come to the
conclusion that the High Priest and the Holy of Holies have absolutely
no relevance to him whatsoever. He is not a High Priest, there is no Temple
today with a Holy of Holies, etc. - this simply does not apply to him!
However, this is incorrect. Torah is eternal (Tanya chapter 17), meaning
that it exists at all times and in all places. So even though it is physically
impossible to fulfill the commandments of the offerings and entering the
Holy of Holies today, nevertheless, spiritually it is possible.
According to this we can now understand that when a person seriously involves
himself with studying Torah he rises above the limitations of time. When
we study Torah we create an infinite spiritual ability to enter the Holy
of Holies the entire year, as Moshe was permitted to do in the physical
realm. Not only the High Priest, but anyone who desires to be involved
in spiritual activities, should study Torah and so will rise above all
the limitations of time and be able to spiritually enter the Holy of Holies
- meaning that he or she will be able to connect to divinity and become
closer to G-d.
(Adapted from Likras Shabbos 637).
Shabbat Shalom , Shaul
(for a free weekly email subscription, click
here)
For last year's essay by Rabbi Leiter on this week's
Reading, see the archive.
FROM
THE SAGES OF KABBALAH ON KabbalaOnline.org
Specifically, for
an overview of the recommended articles in the columns:
Holy Zohar, Holy Ari, Mystic Classics, Chasidic Masters, Contemporary
Kabbalists, and more, click to Achrei
one sample:
Mystical Classics
Fragrance of Good Intentions
fromTorat Moshe by Rabbi Moshe Alshich of Tzfat-Safed
The Zohar states that
every sin committed by man creates an accusing angel - a negative, destructive
spiritual force. When, after confession, a person places his hands on
the sacrificial animal he offers in expiation of his sin, he transfers
this spiritually negative force to the animal to be slaughtered, whereby
it is subdued and neutralized.
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