Sorcerers or Parents?

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 Philistines on Mount Gilboa.

A central tenet of the Jewish belief is that Hashem provides living mentors, rabbis, scholars, parents and grandparents to assist us, to provide the aid that we need. Rather than seek out those who have already returned to their creator, we have been vested with the invaluable assistance and guidance of those who live amongst us. 

In light of that, perhaps we can understand the words of Ha'azinu, the penultimate parsha in the Torah:  

Remember the days of old,

Consider the years of ages past; 

 Ask your parent, who will inform you,

Your elders, who will tell you

Rather than, shares Moshe, looking for mystical solutions, seek those closest to you, for they are the living link that bind you to those who came before you, and who are no longer with us. For those who have merited to seek the counsel of such people, parents, grandparents, and other scholars, it serves to quell fears of the unknown, and help us, as a people, connect to a living God, the God who is among us, at beck and call. 



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