AS I WAS SITTING AT THE COMMUNITY COMMEMORATIO OF YOM HAZIKARON AND YOM HAAZMAUT, I RECALLED A TALK I GAVE ON THE RADIO A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. IT WAS REGARDING THIS WEEKS PARSHA OF KEDOSHIM. THE FIRST TWO WORDS WE READ ARE ‘KEDOSHIM TIHIYU’. WE NEED TO BE HOLY AS A NATION. ONE WONDERS: “HOW CAN WE ACHIEVE THIS HOLINESS AND HOW SHOULD WE ACT AS A HOLY PERSON?”
ONE STATEMENT ALWAYS STANDS OUT TO ME WHEN I BEGAIN TO INQUIRE INTO THE ROLE OF THE JEW IN MODERN TIMES: הן עם לבדד ישכן
‘AM YISROEL IS A NATION THAT DWELLS ALONE.’
INDEED THERE ARE MANY INTERPRETATIONS TO THIS VERY CRUCIAL DESCRIPTION OF OUR JEWISH PEOPLE.
OUR REVERED RAV, RABBI JOSEPH B. SOLVEICHIK זצ׳ל INTERPRETED THIS STATEMENT IN A UNIQUE AND COGENT FASHION.
HE SAID: “TO TRULY UNDERSTAND THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THIS DESCRIPTION OF AM YISROEL, WE NEED TO REFLECT UPON AN IMPORTANT INCIDENT IN THE LIFE OF AVRAHAM OUR PATRIACH. THE TORAH RELATES THAT AFTER THE DEATH OF HIS BELOVED WIFE SARAH, AVRAHAM APPROACHED B’NEI CHAIS AND NEGOTIATED WITH THEM TO PURCHASE A PARCEL OF LAND TO BURY HIS BELOVED WIFE. IN THE COURSE OF THE CONVERSATION WITH B’NEY CHAIS, AVRAHAM STATES: גר ותושב אנכי עמכם
“I AM AN ALIEN AND A RESIDENT AMONG YOU – GRANT ME AN ESTATE FOR A BURIAL SITE.”
THESE WORDS OF AVRAHAM IN DESCRIBING HIMSELF, AS BEING A STRANGER AND AT A THE SAME TIME A RESIDENT SEEMS TO CONTRADICT THEMSELVES AND APPEAR TO BE AN EXPRESSION THAT IS DIAMETRICALLY IN OPPOSITION TO EACH OTHER. THE RAV SAID: “THOUGH THIS SEEMS TO BE TRUE. IT IS THIS CONTRADICTION THAT MAKES UP THE JEWISH PEOPLE’S AGENDA IN LIFE AS THEY CO-MINGLE WITH THE REST OF SOCIETY.”
WHAT WAS AVRAHAM SAYING AT THIS JUNCTURE IN HIS LIFE? HE WAS STATING; HEAR ME OUT WELL WORLD - I CANNOT AND I DO NOT WANT TO RENOUNCE MY OBLIGATION TO THE CREATOR AND TO MY COVENANT WITH
G-D AND TO MY UNIQUENESS AS A JEW. WERE YOU TO GIVE ME ALL YOUR GOLD AND SILVER AND CONTINUE TO ACCEPT ME AS A DIVINE PRINCE IN YOUR COUNTRY IT STILL WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE - FOR YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT IN CERTAIN RESPECTS, I AM DIFFERENT THEN YOU AND I AM A STRANGER IN YOUR MIDST.
HOWEVER, YOU MUST, ALSO, KNOW THAT IN MANY ASPECTS OF OUR DEALINGS WITH EACH OTHER, I WILL BE A RESIDENT IN YOUR SOCIETY WORKING HARMONIOSLY TO ACHIEVE A BETTER COMMUNITY FOR HUMANITY.
I BELIEVE THIS IS OUR MESSAGE TO THE WORLD IN THESE MODERN TIMES AND ESPECIALLY A TIMELY DIRECTIVE TO OUR YOUNGER GENERATION. PROCEED WITH ALL YOUR KOCHOS TO RECEIVE THE BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE AND BE INVOLVED IN OUR SOCIETAL ENDEAVORS, BUT REMEMBER WELL, NEVER DO SO AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR YIDDISHKEIT AND THE DIRECTIVES OF OUR TORAH. REMEMBER, AT ALL TIMES, WHEN IT COMES TO OUR WAY OF LIFE, WE NEED TO ACT AS A ‘GER, A STRANGER’ AND OFTEN THIS WILL RESULT IN BEING A NATION THAT WALKS ALONE. I IMPLORE YOU ‘DO NOT FEAR THIS STATUS BUT REALIZE THAT THIS IS A RESULT OF THE FACT THAT OUR WAY OF LIFE IS DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE.’
WE POSSESS A WORLD THAT IS SPECIFICALLY OUR OWN. IT IS A WORLD OF KEDUSHA, OF SANCTITY, OF LOVING KINDNESS, AND OF TORAH. THIS WAY OF LIFE MAKES US EXCLUSIVE AND INDEED DISTINCTIVE IN MANY WAYS.
BE A-PART OF THE WORLD, BUT BE APART FROM IT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR JUDAIC WAY OF LIFE AND OUR TORAH ORIENTED WAY OF LIFE.
I AM NOT ASKING THAT WE GO IT ALONE, FOR WE DO NEED TO BE PART OF OUR SOCIETY, AND WE DO NEED OTHER PEOPLE TO SHARE IN OUR LIVES, AND THIS INTERACTION IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. NEVERTHELESS, WE MUST ALWAYS BE APPRISED OF THE FACT THAT AS JEWS OUR GUIDE IN LIFE IS OUR TORAH AND NOT THE MORE S OF SOCIETY.
YES, THE POSSIBILITIES ARE LIMITLESS FOR ALL OF US IN THIS WORLD OF OURS, BUT REMEMBER AT ALL TIMES, DO NOT RELINQUISH YOUR ESSENCE IN ORDER TO BE ACCEPTED BY YOUR PEERS AND ASSOCIATES.
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SHABBAT SHALOM
