A Quick Torah Thought

There is an interesting juxtaposition of two verses in Parshat Kedoshim that I believe adds insight into how we best view our relationship with parents and elders.  The first of the two verses states we should not seek out the counsel of ghosts and the spirits of the dead, the second, that we shall defer to the old and rise before those who have gotten on in years.            Do not turn to ghosts and do not inquire of familiar spirits, to be defiled by them: I am Hashem              your God.  You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear your God: I           am Hashem. It would seem to me that there is an inimitable connection between the two. Shaul, rather than seek out the counsel of the "aged" - those who had attained wisdom because of their many years - turned to the spirit of the dead, to Shmuel before waging war against the Philistine...

 Rabbi Moshe Shapira Z"L was wont to say that the reason behind the seder was to bring out the "child who knew not how to ask." To pique his curiosity. Ever so often in a pedagogic role, or a parenting role we are faced with that imperative, yet feel we do not have the skills, the tools, on a most elementary level to do so. It would seem that the very act of eliciting the imagination of one without, or at minimum, helping one who feels he lacks imagination in rediscovering it hinges on a basic curiosity, about life, about the world around us. As a teacher, one of the most painful – and harrowing – experiences is asking a student to partake in a class debate, and encountering absolute, unfaltering resistance on the part of the student. Believe it or not, more often than a fear of public speaking, or engaging others, a student will refuse to take a certain side of an argument because he cannot possibly conceive of it being grounded in morals, or ethicality. Interesti...

This Shabbat is a time of introspection, perhaps on par with the days leading up to Yom Kippur. A preparatory time prior to Pesach itself, it commemorates the great miracle that our ancestors in Egypt witnessed when their former taskmasters were left dumfounded at the sight of their gods tethered to Jewish bedposts, being prepared for the slaughter.  Before big periods in our own lives, it's vital to take a step back and ask what we can learn, and how we can prime or prep ourselves for the emotions that are going to come to the fore. A breather, a reprieve for mental preparation and the like.  What then, perhaps can we take from this great Shabbat? Shabbat Ha'Gadol is celebratory and commemorative at the same time, celebrating the heights reached, but also commemorating the loss, and pain we've suffered. Many Jews were not freed from Egypt - and that is the message to the wicked son, "Were you there, you would not have been redeemed," i.e. the angel of death would...

The one afflicted with leprosy, tzara'at calls out twice, "Impure, Impure," as he leaves the camp.  Many a reason has been given. To warn others to not become impure by touching him, or being in his vicinity, to have others pray for him, to serve as a living example of the opprobrium that comes with impurity; it is a declaration that he himself must make.  Perhaps, the thought struck me, the call is meant to help the caller internalize a greater sense of humility. When looking to point out others flaws, we are ever so eager. We share with enthusiasm the blemishes others possess, "Do you know what he told me?" or "Do you know how he messed up?" There's a certain exuberance about knowing that one himself does not possess a certain flaw - and that another does - and then, to be privileged at that to be the one who shares it with the world.  I would like to suggest that this call also serves as a reminder to think twice, to take a step back, to remembe...