Odd Combination
Although it sounds irrational, the highest and lowest realms can reside in the same person or situation. ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM
The Peak of Holiness and the Nadir of Depravity
This week’s Torah portion of Acharei has been noted for its unusual combination of themes. It begins with a description of the service of the Kohain Gadol (High Priest), in the Holy Temple on Yom Kippur. There can be no greater amalgamation of holiness. The Kohain Gadol was the holiest Jew; the Holy Temple was the holiest place on Earth and the day of Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year!
Yet, the end of this week’s Torah portion of Acharei deals with the most reprehensible immoral acts, such as incest, adultery and so on. Why would the Torah wish to juxtapose the most sacred of experiences with the most base forms of human behavior?
Furthermore, this Torah reading that we will be reading this Shabbat is also the Torah reading for Yom Kippur. Why would a Jew on this solemn day ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM of the year, when every Jew rises above the ordinary and is closer to G-d, have to be admonished not to commit the most degrading acts of immorality?
The Higher it is the Lower it can Affect
The answer lies in a better understanding of the function of Yom Kippur, the Kohain Gadol and the Holy Temple. From the perspective of Judaism, the more holy something is, the greater its capacity to “reach down” and to affect even the lowliest aspects of life. Only the holiest Jew can refine and uplift the lowliest Jew. Only the holiest day of the year can instill sanctity in the most ordinary days of the year and only the Holy Temple could disseminate light and holiness to the farthest reaches of the world.
The objective of Judaism is to see to it that everyone is ultimately refined and capable of having a relationship with G-d. This can only be accomplished if those of us who are more knowledgeable and spiritually more sophisticated reach out to those who appear lost to the Jewish people.
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Parshas Acharei is usually read soon after the Passover Holiday. At the Seder we respond to the questions of the Four Sons. It has been pointed out that the rasha-wicked or rebellious son is placed and addressed right after the chacham-wise son. The question has been raised why place the one who is farthest from the Passover experience with the one who is closest to it?
The Previous Rebbe answered that only the wise son, can affect the rasha the wicked or rebellious son.
The Hierarchy of Generations
There is a belief that our generation is the lowest of all preceding generation sin terms of it spiritual standing. This belief is buttressed by the statement in the Talmud that as generations progress the people regress:
If the earlier generations were like angels we are like people. If they are like people we are like donkeys..
The rationale for this is based on the fact that as time goes on we are further removed from the most defining event of history, the giving of the Torah at ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM Mount Sinai. At that momentous event, G-d revealed Himself to every Jew. The further away from that event the less we are imbued with the spirit of Sinai.
In general terms this belief is indeed valid and is clearly evident in the number of Jews who have strayed so far from the ideals of Judaism.
Thus, the Alter Rebbe in his classic work the Tanya cites the characterization of our period as the “heel” of time, as compared to the generation of Moses which is described as the “head” generation.
The Uniqueness of Our Lowest-Highest Generation
However, precisely because we are, in many ways, the lowliest generation and the farthest from Sinai, we are in need of the highest form of spiritual leadership. In Chassidic circles it is accepted that from the Ba’al Shem Tov onward, G-d has unleashed the most lofty of souls to help uplift the fallen souls of our final generations before the Final redemption.
Moreover, although we are at the most distant point from Sinai, chronologically speaking, we are the closest to the revolutionary new Divine revelations of the Messianic Age.
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Our close proximity to the time of Redemption give us an edge over all the preceding generations.
Our generation with its paradoxical lowliness and sublime light is the model for the Messianic Age. It will reveal the highest degree of holiness and will therefore will permeate even the lowest and lowliest precincts of existence. As the prophet states, “All flesh will see G-dliness.” Then even the basest of existence will be transformed because of the presence of the most sublime G-dly light.
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From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
