Page 393 - 24107

24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Cyan
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Black
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Magenta
#24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Yellow
13
Orchard of Delights # Kedoshim
#
descended into despair, or cursed the Jews and the God of Israel for cycles. Indeed, we mark time’s continual flow by the basic division of
his fate; this approach to life may have been one of the reasons God our days, weeks, months, years, and millennia into seven.
chose him to lead Israel from slavery to freedom.
Shabbat has become the central axis around which all Jewish
Throughout Jewish history, the Jewish people have been repeatedly life revolves – like the seven-branched candelabrum, whose central
forced to adopt Moses’ outlook on life, in the face of an altogether grim column is the main pillar balancing the three branches on each side
reality. During two thousand years of bitter humiliation, oppression, of it. By continually observing Shabbat, we plug ourselves into a
exile, and slaughter, the Jewish people as a whole has never given Divine energy source and learn to live in a temporal pattern that
up its faith in God’s ultimate goodness or its belief in Israel’s unique recreates the very process of creation every week.
mission in the world. Although we cannot control all that happens God’s choice of the Jewish people began with his selection of
to us in our lives, we can control our reactions. This is the secret and Abraham. Although Abraham certainly exercised his own intellect
power of free will. We will all be tested and we all have blemishes – to “discover” that only one God exists, we might ask what thoughts
this is an existential reality no human being can avoid – yet we all caused Abraham to embark on such a unique spiritual quest. The
have the power to determine how we choose to react to events and Ishbitzer Rebbe, in his classic work entitled Mei Hashiloach, poses
forces beyond our control. We have the power to determine how we this question and provides his own answer: It was actually God who
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Magenta
experience life. “planted” these inquisitive thoughts in Abraham’s head, for He had
#24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Yellow
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Black
24107-EYAL - 24107-EYAL | 13 - A | 18-01-28 | 12:12:05 | SR:-- | Cyan
This understanding of Emor’s narrative framework – the theme of already realized Abraham’s potential and chosen him from among
physical and psychological blemishes and how we might deal with all the peoples to reveal His oneness to the world. Paradoxically,
them – leads us to another insight regarding the structure of this God chose Abraham and Abraham chose God.
portion. In the middle of Emor, the Torah repeats the entire holiday The inherent holiness of the Land of Israel is apparent from the first
cycle including Shabbat. While this review provides much new and instruction God gave Abraham: “go … to the land that I will show
important information, many commentators have wondered how you” (Genesis 12:1). Clearly, Abraham was not being instructed to
the holidays are connected to the rest of the portion. In light of our wander until he happened to find a place he liked. Rather, Abraham
insight, perhaps we can suggest that Shabbat and the holidays bring was being led to a specific land that God had already chosen. The
a welcome relief from the constant grind of personal, financial, and fact that God brought him to a particular place implies that the land
professional concerns that occupy so much for our time during the possessed particular spiritual qualities and energies that God wanted
week. Overwhelmed by these problems, it is often hard for us to see available for Abraham and his descendants’ use.
the forest for the trees. We are so often lost in the maze of the world’s
blemishes. Shabbat and the holidays provide us with the opportunity In Re’eh, in the book of Deuteronomy, we will revisit some of these
to take a step back and see the true context of our lives. The joy matters, especially those relating to God’s choice of the Temple’s
and spiritual delight of these holy days allow us to see beyond the site in Jerusalem. For now, we will suffice with the following verse,
superficial and remember life’s true purpose. During these moments which stresses God’s choice of the site for the Temple: “Rather, only
of experiential clarity, we free ourselves from the imperfections of at the place that God, your God, will choose from among all your
the world and all our own blemishes disappear; only inner peace and tribes to place His name, there shall you seek out His Presence and
acceptance reign. On Shabbat and the holidays, the soul can truly come there” (Deuteronomy 12:5).
sense its ultimate wholeness and purity, recognizing that deep within Notably, we are taught that God had already chosen this spot long
there is no blemish whatsoever on the Divine soul level. ago when he told Abraham to take Isaac there:

408 393