KEDOSHIM

      When I heard the sad news that Harav Hagaon Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein זצ׳ל was niftar, my mind started  to travel back on the road to my youth when my beloved father ע״ה was concerned how I was progressing in my Gemarah studies. At that time our family was living in Crown Heights, Brooklyn and we davened at The Young Israel of Eastern Parkway where the parents of Rav Aharon were also, members of distinction. Rav Aharon  a young man at the time, was already known as an Elui and for being a very warm and wonderful teacher. My father, knowing Rav Aharon  and his family very well, approached Rav Aharon  and asked if he would entertain the possibility of learning Gemarah with me. Rav Aharon  agreed.  I found those shiurim to be most inspiring.  Rav Aharon taught me the right Derech in learning for which I will always be indebted. 

   It was very special for our family when this kesher  with Rav Aharon continued with my grandson Yonatan learning at Gush and how he was influenced greatly by his ShiurIm and more so by his warmth and interest that he showed for each Bachur in the Yeshivah.

   The words of Pirke Avot clearly describes the life of 

Rav Aharon הוי מתלמידיו של אהרן אוהב שלום ורודף שלום אוהב את הבריות ומקרבן לתורה.

We pray to הקדוש ברוך הוא that  Rav Aharon's זצ׳ל    

נשמה have an עליה and may he be a מליץ יושר for his family and כלל ישראל.

   

     This week's  Parsha, Kedoshim, speaks extensively about Kedusha , which indeed is the aim of Yahadus, of living a life of Holiness. The Parsha details many mitzvos that, when observed, will lead to a true state of Kedusha. 

     One Mitzvah  stands  out in my mind, "לא תעמד על דם רעך", " You shall not stand aside while your fellow's blood is shed". Rashi explains, that one should not stand idly when a human life can be saved through ones help.  This idea is extremely important in our relationship to each other. And yet I question, why did the Torah use the negative, לא תעמד, I would have preferred the positive directive, תציל את רעך! Save your fellowman?

  I sense the Torah wanted to emphasize the importance and necessity of rendering help promptly.  When one is in danger, even when the chances seem slim for his survival, לא תעמד, do not stand around, thinking, calculating, should it be done? Don't waste time.  Go to it immediately and try to do whatever can be done and don't waste a moment trying.

     When life is at stake it is a time for action - not to stand around and quibble- should we or shouldn't we?

     This idea is most important when it comes to our State of Israel, especially when we feel we are so alone in this world. לא תעמד, we must do whatever is in our power, be it financially or politically to help. We have suffered enough and even with all our, so called friends we are alone to our own fate.

    We are in the midst of the Sefira period. The mitzvah of Sefirat Haomer is dependent on counting each and every day for forty nine days. One cannot leave out, even, one hey day. If one forgot to count a full day, then the next day cannot be counted with a Bracha. (You can still continue to count, but without reciting the appropriate Bracha.)

  This Halacha emphasizes a very important  concept in Yahadus, "Life is dependent upon consistency and endurance." Sefirat Haomer is to teach us that to be a good Jew, to be a good Human Being, it takes more than a few good acts.  It takes consistency and endurance. 

     In Judaism, it is not only the occasional acts of Chesed, of Kibud Av Vaem, of attending Minyan, of giving charity.  Those things are important.  However, Judaism wants and encourages us to be consistent and to act with constancy in our performance of all our Mitzvos. 

 This is especially true of the Mitzvah, לא תעמד, we need to always be ready and to constantly be involved in helping and saving our fellowman and surely our State of Israel. 

  קדושים תהיו, let us sanctify the everyday to make life  a constant act of fulfillment, בן אדם למקום ובן אדם לחברו - to lead us to the time when our counting Sefirah will see its fulfillment in the bringing of the Omer to our Holy Beit Hamikdash.