This week the Torah tells us that after death is holiness.
How can this be? Easy. It is the translation of Acharai Mot-Kedushim, which is the Hebrew name for our parsha (weekly Torah portion). I added the word Mot, which means death, because some people feel it is part of the title due to the fact that Acharai (after) is not a unique enough word.
The hard part is understanding what the Torah could possibly be trying to tell us by with this title. I give an answer in a previous blog entry, which you can read here.
In the meantime, let’s take a quick look at the parsha and then see what we can make of it.
It begins with by bringing us back to the death of two of Aharon’s sons, followed by a description of what the cohen gadol (high priest) does during Yom Kippor (the Day of Atonement). After this is a reminder to bring all sacrifices to the mischcan (tabernacle) and then laws dealing with the eating of meat.
Next we are warned not to follow in the ways of other peoples, and then we learn about forbidden relationships with an explanation of why.
Moving into the second half of our double parsha, we learn more laws, many of them repeats of the 10 utterances haShem (god) made at Mount Sinai. We also get a repeat of the forbidden relationships before ending with a recap of why we need to be aware of all these rules.
Before I continue, I do want to make an apology: this overview is not very accurate. While I list the large blocks, I am leaving out many, many small rules and teachings that are here. For example, this is where we learn not to gossip and not to put stumbling blocks before the blind. It also talks about not tipping a legal ruling due to sympathy for a poor person or the honor of a wealthy person, and also we are told to make sure we use fair weights and measures in our business transactions.
If I added all these laws into my summary, it would become as long as the parsha. So I suggest reading the parsha directly because there are lots of important suggestions on how to live an honest life of respecting others.
Perhaps I will go into details on some of these laws… but not today.
Today I want to talk about the repetition. Why does the Torah feel it is important to remind us what happened to Aharon’s sons and repeat what was said at Mount Sinai? Why do we need to read about the same forbidden relationships TWICE in the same parsha? Ok, to be fair with the last question, they are actually in two different parshas; however, at best we read them two weeks in a row, if not in the very same reading.
I asked this question at the Wednesday Torah discussion and John came up with one answer I like: the repetition is there reinforce the importance of these things and to ingrain them into us so we don’t forget them.
I would like to add another thought to his. Not only does the Torah want us to remember by using repetition, but it also wants us to really absorb its wisdom by not overwhelming us.
I am sure you know the feeling of being overwhelmed. The eyes glaze over, the mind shuts down, and all information slides right by without leaving the slightest trace it had even been seen.
To prevent this from happening, the Torah spoon-feeds us a little bit at a time, each time providing new information. First we are introduced to a rule. Later, when we hear it again, we are also told the consequence of the rule.
We get the reinforcement that John mentioned, and we also get a little bit more information without being overwhelmed.
I seem to recall the public schools doing the same thing. Every year in elementary school, I learned that in 1492 Columbus crossed the ocean. Each year I learned something new about his adventure. And amazingly, after 40 years, I still remember the date of his first voyage.
Just one more thing we can learn from the Torah, how to teach. 🙂
If you care to read what I wrote about this parsha last year, click here.
About the Author
Shmuel Shalom Cohen spent 10 years studying Torah in Jerusalem. Six years ago, he started Conscious Torah to help Jews connect to their tradition in ways they didn’t think possible. Shmuel also started, and is the executive directory of Jewish Events Willamette-valley, a non-profit whose mission is to build Jewish community, pride, and learning. In his free time, Shmuel likes walks in nature, playing music, writing poetry, and time with good friends.
When I was learning statistics in college, I remember my professor said that it took three repetitions to truly learn something. Interestingly enough, about a year later, after I had already TA’ed stats once, I was TAing it again and during one of the lectures (my third repetition), I had a sudden “click” in my brain and I suddenly understood what he meant on a deeper level. Of course, when I learned it the first time, I understood it enough to do well in the course, but it took those other two repetitions to truly “grok” how statistics work on a universal level. I get the feeling, that is what is going on here.