Parshas Acharei-Mos-Kedoshim
You Are Great And Can Soar!
“Speak to the entire congregation [of] Bnei Yisroel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, Hashem, am holy.” (Vayikra 19:2)
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabba 8:10) tells us that when Hashem created Adam, the angels wanted to proclaim Adam’s holiness. Before Adam sinned, he was on such a lofty level of holiness that the angels could not distinguish the difference between him and Hashem. The Alter of Slobodka zt”l says that even after Adam fell from his great heights of holiness upon sinning, he still retained within him the capacity to return to that level of greatness. Our sages tell us that when the Jews accepted the Torah, they returned to the lofty level of Adam before his sin. They subsequently lost that level when they sinned with the golden calf.
The Torah tells us, “Speak to the entire congregation [of] Bnei Yisroel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, Hashem, am holy.” (Vayikra 19:2) The Midrash quotes the tanna, Reish Lakish, who says that from the first part of the pasuk, “You shall be holy”, One would think that a Jew can become as holy as Hashem. Therefore, the pasuk adds a qualifier, “For I am Holy”. That teaches us that Hashem’s holiness is superior. Our sages, despite their profound comprehension of Hashem’s greatness, dared to contemplate that man’s holiness can be on par with Hashem’s Holiness. However, it is only because human potential is limited that a person cannot attain the same level of holiness as Hashem.
We see from this, the awesome latent ability that Jews have, to attain holiness! We see from this the inherent, hidden greatness of every single Jew! Every Jew has the sparks of great holiness within him that he could ignite. In fact, the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuva 5:2) says that every Jew can become a tzadik like Moshe Rabbeinu!
Rabbi Aharon Karliner zt”l once said that the biggest tragedy is when a prince believes that he is a peasant.
Our forefathers and other ancestors were great, beyond human comprehension. They were the like the most distinguished royalty. We are children of royalty. We have inherent greatness and must act like royalty. We must recognize that each of us is special and comes from forefathers who were special! When we are tempted to sin, we should remember how great and special we are. To succumb to sin is beneath our dignity.
In fact, Rabbeinu Yona (Shar Ha’Avoda) says that recognizing our self-worth is the first step to being able to stay away from sin and to strengthen mitzvah observance. If one is convinced that his abilities are mediocre and that he cannot accomplish much, he may feel that there is no point in trying.
Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz zt”l (Rav Chaim’s Discourses translated by Rabbi Eliyahu Meir Klugman and Rabbi A. Scheinman) says that every Jew must grow spiritually, as much as possible. If one fails to do so, he deprives not only himself but society as well. One can maximize his potential to reach such a high level of spiritual development and achievement in 3 main ways. He can do so through diligence in Torah study, prayer, and limiting excessive indulgence in physical pleasures.
Rabbi Noach Isaac Oelbaum (in a Vayimaen video at vayimaen.org) quotes a Midrash Tanchuma (Parshas Chukas). A man was traveling from Eretz Yisroel to Bavel. Along the way, he noticed 2 birds fighting. The fight ended as 1 bird killed the other bird. Then the man noticed that the bird flew to a certain bush and plucked off a leaf. It took the leaf in its beak and touched the dead bird with it. The dead bird immediately came back to life. This man was privy to seeing a special plant that was the secret to bringing the dead back to life. The man plucked off a leaf and decided to test its authenticity. He continued his travels, looking for a dead body. Finally, he came upon a dead lion and touched it with the leaf. The leaf brought the lion back to life. The lion immediately pounced on him and killed him.
Rabbi Oelbaum asks what are we supposed to learn from this story? He quotes Hagaon Rav Elyashiv zt”l who said, had the man been wise, he could have used this key of reviving the dead in a constructive way. He could have returned to Eretz Yisroel and brought our forefathers, the Avos, back to life. Or, he could have continued going to Bavel and could have brought our great prophet, Yechezkel back to life. Unfortunately, this man did not understand. He didn’t appreciate the gift that he had, and it cost him his life.
Each and every Jew has tremendous gifts that Hashem has given us. Unfortunately, not all of us understand the great abilities that we have. Thus, when we experience challenges in our lives, we don’t think that we have the ability to overcome them. We are incorrect in our thinking. Hashem has endowed each of us with tremendous abilities! We have so much inherent holiness! We must be able to bring out that tremendous potential. We must always remember that we have the ability to soar past all challenges!
(One of the sources used was Sefer Chidushei HaLev, written by Rabbi Binyomin Luban, based on the mussar talks of Rabbi Henach Leibowitz zt”l)
