Parshat Vayikra - 5771-Rectify the sin
Parshat Vayikra - 5771-Rectify the sin
Too often we come across spiritual leaders and we are perplexed by their seemingly paradoxical approach to life. On the one hand, these individuals pride themselves on eloquence, charisma and knowledge, but unfortunately, they aren’t always spiritual leaders, but rather, hot-headed people who have clear motives and agendas that seemingly deny the philosophies of the teachers before them. We need not look at Egypt to understand that when a culture that contains teachers which fail to preserve proper morals is bound to crumble. The questions we must ask are: how does the passion of teachers’ lofty goals to teach eventually go sour? How do those who start their journey as leaders with pure intentions, become corrupt at age fifty?
In the midst of the detailed descriptions of the sacred offerings to G-d, we glance over an incredible amount of important things and we must be true to ourselves and recognize the fundamentals of Judaism – a topic’s seeming lack of relevancy does not suggest lack of importance. As we enter this beautiful time of Adar and Purim, we must remember - that which is hidden is truly illuminated, and that which is illuminated is truly hidden. My fellow peers, let us be the ones to illuminate.
The Torah states in a series of verses: “When a person sins… When the High Priest sins… if the entire assembly sins… if a Jewish leader sins… if an individual among the people of the land sins… If a person sins by accepting an oath” all of them must bring an offering”[i].
When we teach our children that sin is likened to the devil, the Yetzer Harah (Evil inclination), or the antithesis to the acclaimed status of the Tzaddik (consistently righteous), what we really are saying is that the very act is abnormal and should never take place. G-d forbid should we show weakness, G-d forbid should our friends and fellow peers know of our emotional insecurities. When one sins, we hide it from the world, because if we don’t, the harsh, severe judgment will trigger the unbearable guilt and degradation. Within the Jewish community, children’s growth is stifled because of sin. Granted, Judaism focuses on ideals and sets aspirations for the community and individual to improve our connections to the Creator, but all in all, Judaism doesn’t deem a sinner damned or even close to damned, but our societal building blocks say otherwise. So when we sin as a Jew, we hide it, we feel dirty, and at times we say, “Eh, what’s the point, I’m going to hell anyway!”
Friends, we have been swayed and our moral code has been twisted. We must return to the words of G-d that are found in this week’s parsha. Open your hearts and focus your eyes… the Torah teaches: “When a person sins unintentionally and turns from any of G-d’s commandments which are prohibited, he must bring a sin offering” [ii]. It is in our very genetic makeup to have flaws. Some people have certain predispositions to certain ailments and diseases, while others may not. Unlike the symmetrical animal perfect in form, we humans are far from perfect. One may beg the question, if the human species was created to serve G-d, why is it that we are perfectly imperfect?
Our Sages teach us that the greatest and strongest of all people are those who are able to stand after falling, those who have no energy left in them to carry on, but still get up, even when the breathing grows more sparse, they still run the last lap of the race. Often times we lose ourselves because we are afraid of what lies behind our imperfections, so we hide them, and pretend like our flaws do not exist. So when I ask you, what happens to our leaders, our teachers, our parents, our friends when these personalities turn from good to bad, strong to weak, humble to haughty? Is it not the sin which grows inside them and consumes their very being?!
Our Creator tells us “You will sin, you will make mistakes, you will feel down, but I didn’t make you to destroy yourself, I didn’t make you to feel low about yourself. I made you to heal, to fix, to build, to bring, to love, to feel, to empathize, to connect, to reveal, to create, and these things are impossible to do until you bring a sacrifice, until you redeem your shortcomings (sin).”
Leaders or losers, that is a question! One who is a true leader, a true rabbi, and a true teacher is someone who embraces the sin they have committed and takes ownership of their flaws while aspiring to turn them into the good that they can truly be.
Throughout our lives we will be confronted with big tests and small tests. Some we will pass and some we will fail. It is not the big test that makes the difference; it is the conglomeration of all the small tests that create a sensitive and constructive defense against sin. It is the constant fight against sin that keeps us close to the purpose of our lives, it is not hiding it from oneself, it is establishing proper methodology to come close to our Creator.
So, dear “leaders,” please evaluate your lives, evaluate your methodology, evaluate that which you think is “too late” and make it better make it stronger. Do not cast off more souls from Judaism because of coercive and hypocritical teachings. Bring them close through your own fixing of your own soul, bring a sacrifice to G-d for that which seems distant from you, leave your ego and bring your heart.
This week I will try to: uncover the sins of yesterday for the hope and sake of my life for tomorrow. Do not allow those who have swayed from true Judaism dampen my religious journey, and to recognize, with all of my strength, that humankind is made imperfect. Taking ownership of these imperfections and using them for the sake of connecting to G-d is our purpose. This week, more than any other week, I will strive to be what our Creator wants us to be -- here to heal, to fix, to build, to bring, to love, to feel, to empathize, to connect, to reveal, and to create. But we must not forget, these things are impossible to do until you bring a sacrifice, until you redeem your shortcomings (sin).
Shabbat Shalom!
Too often we come across spiritual leaders and we are perplexed by their seemingly paradoxical approach to life. On the one hand, these individuals pride themselves on eloquence, charisma and knowledge, but unfortunately, they aren’t always spiritual leaders, but rather, hot-headed people who have clear motives and agendas that seemingly deny the philosophies of the teachers before them. We need not look at Egypt to understand that when a culture that contains teachers which fail to preserve proper morals is bound to crumble. The questions we must ask are: how does the passion of teachers’ lofty goals to teach eventually go sour? How do those who start their journey as leaders with pure intentions, become corrupt at age fifty?
In the midst of the detailed descriptions of the sacred offerings to G-d, we glance over an incredible amount of important things and we must be true to ourselves and recognize the fundamentals of Judaism – a topic’s seeming lack of relevancy does not suggest lack of importance. As we enter this beautiful time of Adar and Purim, we must remember - that which is hidden is truly illuminated, and that which is illuminated is truly hidden. My fellow peers, let us be the ones to illuminate.
The Torah states in a series of verses: “When a person sins… When the High Priest sins… if the entire assembly sins… if a Jewish leader sins… if an individual among the people of the land sins… If a person sins by accepting an oath” all of them must bring an offering”[i].
When we teach our children that sin is likened to the devil, the Yetzer Harah (Evil inclination), or the antithesis to the acclaimed status of the Tzaddik (consistently righteous), what we really are saying is that the very act is abnormal and should never take place. G-d forbid should we show weakness, G-d forbid should our friends and fellow peers know of our emotional insecurities. When one sins, we hide it from the world, because if we don’t, the harsh, severe judgment will trigger the unbearable guilt and degradation. Within the Jewish community, children’s growth is stifled because of sin. Granted, Judaism focuses on ideals and sets aspirations for the community and individual to improve our connections to the Creator, but all in all, Judaism doesn’t deem a sinner damned or even close to damned, but our societal building blocks say otherwise. So when we sin as a Jew, we hide it, we feel dirty, and at times we say, “Eh, what’s the point, I’m going to hell anyway!”
Friends, we have been swayed and our moral code has been twisted. We must return to the words of G-d that are found in this week’s parsha. Open your hearts and focus your eyes… the Torah teaches: “When a person sins unintentionally and turns from any of G-d’s commandments which are prohibited, he must bring a sin offering” [ii]. It is in our very genetic makeup to have flaws. Some people have certain predispositions to certain ailments and diseases, while others may not. Unlike the symmetrical animal perfect in form, we humans are far from perfect. One may beg the question, if the human species was created to serve G-d, why is it that we are perfectly imperfect?
Our Sages teach us that the greatest and strongest of all people are those who are able to stand after falling, those who have no energy left in them to carry on, but still get up, even when the breathing grows more sparse, they still run the last lap of the race. Often times we lose ourselves because we are afraid of what lies behind our imperfections, so we hide them, and pretend like our flaws do not exist. So when I ask you, what happens to our leaders, our teachers, our parents, our friends when these personalities turn from good to bad, strong to weak, humble to haughty? Is it not the sin which grows inside them and consumes their very being?!
Our Creator tells us “You will sin, you will make mistakes, you will feel down, but I didn’t make you to destroy yourself, I didn’t make you to feel low about yourself. I made you to heal, to fix, to build, to bring, to love, to feel, to empathize, to connect, to reveal, to create, and these things are impossible to do until you bring a sacrifice, until you redeem your shortcomings (sin).”
Leaders or losers, that is a question! One who is a true leader, a true rabbi, and a true teacher is someone who embraces the sin they have committed and takes ownership of their flaws while aspiring to turn them into the good that they can truly be.
Throughout our lives we will be confronted with big tests and small tests. Some we will pass and some we will fail. It is not the big test that makes the difference; it is the conglomeration of all the small tests that create a sensitive and constructive defense against sin. It is the constant fight against sin that keeps us close to the purpose of our lives, it is not hiding it from oneself, it is establishing proper methodology to come close to our Creator.
So, dear “leaders,” please evaluate your lives, evaluate your methodology, evaluate that which you think is “too late” and make it better make it stronger. Do not cast off more souls from Judaism because of coercive and hypocritical teachings. Bring them close through your own fixing of your own soul, bring a sacrifice to G-d for that which seems distant from you, leave your ego and bring your heart.
This week I will try to: uncover the sins of yesterday for the hope and sake of my life for tomorrow. Do not allow those who have swayed from true Judaism dampen my religious journey, and to recognize, with all of my strength, that humankind is made imperfect. Taking ownership of these imperfections and using them for the sake of connecting to G-d is our purpose. This week, more than any other week, I will strive to be what our Creator wants us to be -- here to heal, to fix, to build, to bring, to love, to feel, to empathize, to connect, to reveal, and to create. But we must not forget, these things are impossible to do until you bring a sacrifice, until you redeem your shortcomings (sin).
Shabbat Shalom!
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