Mountain Climbing - Behar Bechukotai

Mountain Climbing
Parshat Behar-Bechukotai

One of the most extreme sports and physically challenging pursuits is that of mountain climbing. Scaling a mountain with your bare hands and some climbing gear is no easy feat. So how does one set out on such an arduous task?

This week's double portion is called Behar-Bechukotai. The first portion Behar, in Hebrew "The mountain" speaks about some of the special commandments that were give "at the mountain" Sinai, including the Shemita-Sabbatical year and others. The second portion Bechukotai, in Hebrew "in my statues" speaks of G-d instructing us to follow His statutes and commandments, even when we don't necessarily understand them.

Perhaps, the lesson of these two portions, can shed some light on our lifelong ambition to scale the mountains and challenges of our lives.

If you want to scale mountains you have to be prepared. You must train and have all the necessary gear, and utensils to do the job. If you skimp on the quality of the rope and hooks, you may very well be endangering your life. So too in our lives, we need the "Bechukotai" to be grounded in the commandments and directives of G-d, in order to manipulate the vicissitudes of life. Even if we don't fully appreciate the reasons or relevance of all the Mitzvot, we must understand that it is Hashem who really understands what tools and gear we need for the task

You skimp you loose.

Shabbat Shalom,

Holiness, Race & Religion - Acharei Mot/Kedoshim

Holiness, Race & Religion
Parshat Acharei-Mot Kedoshim


This week we read the double Torah portion of Acharei- Mot and Kedoshim. While there are many beautiful themes and teachings from these portions, one stands out in particular. The second portion is called Kedoshim-Holy Ones. The Torah describes in great detail the commandment given to us to be holy. This Mitzvah encapsulates the way we should behave; from our speech and behavior to our private and intimate marital life. We are enjoined to live holy, be holy, act holy and be a light unto the nations of the world.

I've often wondered why G-d felt the need to get so down and gritty with us in delineating every detail of how we should be holy. Why couldn't he just given us the general commandment and be done with it?

Perhaps the answer is, that it's really not that easy to be holy.

Regardless of religion, race or gender, we often stoop to the lowest behavior possible. Our animal soul often gets the better of us, and we behave in quite an unholy manner. We need help in this endeavor. We need tools and clear instructions to engage in this task. We need all the support we can. The Jewish people were given a special Mitzvah and directive to be a light unto the nations of the world. It is a tall order, but we are able to succeed. We need to follow the game plan and use the many tools and directives that G-d Almighty has provided us for this special task.

This week we observe the 8th Yahrtzeit of my dear grandmother Anna Barouk (Chana Tziona Bat Shlomo) of blessed memory. If one memory or lesson stood out of her beautiful ninety one years, it is that she refused to engage in negative talk about another person. She would often say to us in her native French, "If you have nothing good to say, then don't say it at all". Her ten children, and hundreds of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and descendants have merited to have a role model of what it means to be holy, to act holy. May her memory be a blessing.

We can be holy. We just need to try a little bit harder.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Y. Marrus