Torah Tidbits

22 May 2012 / 1 Sivan 5772

Chizuk and Idud

CHIZUK-and-IDUD-for-Olim-not-yet-Olim-respectively

By Rabbi Stewart Weiss, Ra'anana

The age-old question still burns in our mind: If the Jewish People are Hashem’s “favorite son”, His first- born, then why are we constantly under duress? Why is there so much negativity cast in our direction and why are we perpetually set upon by the forces of evil?
The Zohar’s commentary on Parshat Emor - which details the unique laws of a Kohen - offers one insight to this enigma. The Kohanim are granted more Mitzvot to perform than any other segment of our people. Imbued with this added dose of Kedusha, they attain a special, elevated status. But at the same time, they become more highly susceptible to Tuma - spiritual “contamination” - and are required to be more vigilant in their behavior than other Jews, and more protective of their exposure to death or immorality.
Kedusha, holiness, attracts Tum’a like a magnet. Though the two would seem to be completely at odds with each other, they are actually opposites which attract. This is why Chazal say that the holier the person, the greater his Yetzer Hara and his potential for spiritual decline, thus requiring increased vigilance on his part. The Ohr HaChayim likens Mitzvot to honey, both of which are sweet, and bring out the best taste and flavor. But the more a jar is filled with honey, the more the bees are attracted to it. So, too, the more Mitzvot inside a person, the more Klipot, or negative forces, will confront him and swarm around him.
Because Am Yisrael is an intrinsically holy People, a veritable “Kingdom of Kohanim” filled with Mitzvot, we must deal with a perpetual onslaught of evil and negativity around us. But we should view this phenomenon as a Divine indicator of our acute sense of Kedusha.
So, too, the Land of Israel is imbued with more Mitzvot than any other land. Unlike the countries of the Exile, every centimeter and inch of Eretz Yisrael is holy ground, with an eternal Kedusha that is unique in the world. And that is why the forces of evil spend an inordinate amount of time and energy confronting us. Our challenge is to recognize the spiritual power within us and our land, develop that power as best we can, and in so doing elicit Hashem’s protection of Israel against any and all enemies.

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So, too, the Land of Israel is imbued with more Mitzvot than any other land. Unlike the countries of the Exile, every centimeter and inch of Eretz Yisrael is holy ground, with an eternal Kedusha that is unique in the world. And that is why the forces of evil spend an inordinate amount of time and energy confronting us. Our challenge is to recognize the spiritual power within us and our land, develop that power as best we can, and in so doing elicit Hashem’s protection of Israel against any and all enemies.1987 Dodge Dakota AC Compressor

(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) | pakistan | May 27, 2011, 11:58 pm

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