A Taste of Torah in honor of Shabbat
from Rabbi Avi Weiss

Parshat Naso
14 Sivan 5759 / May 28-9, 1999

MAKING EVERYTHING HOLY

According to an old rabbinic joke, a young man requested to become a Kohen (Jewish priest).  When the board of the congregation refused, the young man offered several million dollars to attain this important status.   The board gave in.  Days later, the congregation's rabbi approached the young man, "I know you wanted to become a Kohen, but a million dollars, isn't that a bit much?  Why were you so desperate to become a Kohen?"  "I'll tell you," the young man said, "my father was a Kohen, my grandfather was a Kohen-so I figured why shouldn't I become a Kohen as well?!"

Of course, being a Kohen is built in.  You're either born a Kohen or not.  But in this week's portion, the Torah discusses the laws of the nazir (Numbers 6:1-21) who, on a certain level, can be viewed as a person who decides to assume similar responsibilities to that of a Kohen.  For example, much like a Kohen, the nazir is not permitted to have any contact with the dead, additionally, there are restrictions on his alcohol intake (Leviticus 10:9) and much like a High Priest, he has limitations on what he does with his hair. (Leviticus 21:10)

Life in many ways is the sum total of our existence at a particular place at a particular time.  Judaism addresses these three dimensions, existence, location and time.   

There is a realm of holiness in Judaism called kedushat gavrah (holiness of person).  This realm of holiness can be divided into two-the holiness of a person which is given by God, like a Kohen, and, on the other hand, the holiness of a person which comes from the self-like a nazir who decides to  assume priestly type responsibilities.

This pattern continues with respect to holiness of place (kedushat makom).  There is a place, the Holy Temple (and for that matter, all of Jerusalem) which is holy because its sanctity comes from God, from the Shekhinah itself.  As the Shekhinah is eternal, so is the Temple's holiness forever.  Yet, there are other places whose holiness emanates from, not divine, but human  input-like the holiness of a synagogue.   It is as holy as we make it.

So too with holiness of time (kedushat zeman).   There is a holy day, the Shabbat, whose holiness comes from God, irrespective of human contribution.  And there is a holiness of time by which human beings can transform every "ordinary" day into one as holy as the Shabbat.  This will reach its crescendo in the Messianic era when everyday will be like the day of Shabbat.

While there is kedushah which emanates from God, the challenge is to make all of life holy; for every day to become like Shabbat, for all places to become holy; and for every person to become priestly.

Unlike our rabbinic anecdote, it doesn't cost anything-it merely requires a commitment to reach high, to reach for kedushah.

Shabbat Shalom

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Rabbi Avi Weiss, Hebrew Institute of Riverdale
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