B"H

Thursday, Adar2 21, 5779 / March 28, 2019,

This Shabbat we read Parshat Shmini, the third Parsha in the Book of Leviticus. In addition to the regular weekly Torah reading, we also read from a second Torah, Parshat Parah.

Parshat Parah is the third of the four special Torah readings read every year before Pesach.

In Parshat Shemini the Torah indicates the signs of the kosher animals, fowl and fish which a Jew is permitted to eat and specifies the non-kosher one's which we are prohibited from eating. 

Then the Torah says, "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy for I am holy."

Q. Why does the Torah use a repetitious expression, "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy."  Naturally, if one sanctifies himself or herself, they are holy?

A. The Torah tells us that G-d says, “Make an effort to sanctify yourself (“Sanctify yourselves”) and I will then assist you and make it happen ("and you shall be holy").

Our sages find a great lesson in this. G-d helps the person who makes an effort to do good.  The Torah guarantees, if one makes the effort, G-d will help them achieve their goal.

"Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy for I am holy." Says Rabbi Levi Yizchak of Barditchev, “When a father is wealthy it is easier for the child to do well in business, for he has on whom to rely for help. So too, it makes it much easier for us to be able to achieve holiness when we know that if we make the effort, our Father in Heaven, G-d, Who is holy, will help us achieve that goal."

There is a wonderful story told in the Midrash which illustrates this point:  Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, one of the great Talmudic sages, was very poor. He once saw a beautifully shaped rock which he very much wanted to bring as a gift to the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.   However, the rock was too heavy for him to carry and he couldn't afford to pay porters to deliver it to Jerusalem.

Rabbi Chanina prayed to G-d for help. Soon five angels in the form of men appeared and offered to help.  He told them that he would like them to carry the stone to Jerusalem, but he couldn't pay them.  The five angels immediately offered to carry the rock to Jerusalem, but with the condition that Rabbi Chanina put his finger to the rock and help them carry it.

Our sages explain that, although the angels didn't need Rabbi Chanina's help, the lesson is that G-d wants us to do as much as we can.  Then G-d will take care of the rest.  This is what the Torah means, "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy for I am holy."

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 7:00 / Shabbat ends: 8:05