Honoring The Kohen Or The Kehuna? - Emor 5770

21:8 The Posuk says ח  וְקִדַּשְׁתּוֹ--כִּי-אֶת-לֶחֶם אֱלֹקיךָ, הוּא מַקְרִיב; קָדֹשׁ, יִהְיֶה-לָּךְ--כִּי קָדוֹשׁ, אֲנִי יְרוָר מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם  Rav Pam when honored by Yeshiva after 60 years of being in the Yeshiva, said the following Vort from the Chasam Soifer. There is a Mitzvah to be Mekadeish a Kohen. Rashi brings a Gemara in Maseches Gittin 59b which is well known ר' חייא בר אבא אמר מהכא (ויקרא כא) וקדשתו לכל דבר שבקדושה תנא דבי רבי ישמעאל וקדשתו לכל דבר שבקדושה לפתוח ראשון ולברך ראשון וליטול מנה יפה ראשון. We honor the Kohen by allowing him to be first in any Davar Shel Kedusha.  The Shulchan Aruch Even Ezer Siman Gimmel says if a Kohen walks into a Shul and says I am a Kohen, that is not enough to give him the first Aliyah. This is because we only give someone the Kohen Aliyah if he is Muchzak to be a Kohen. However, a stranger who just walks in off the street needs more proof.

The Rama disagrees and is Maikil. The Rama says a Kohen that walks in is given the first Aliyah. This is the practice that we are all familiar with. What is the reason for the Rama’s Psak? If he is a Kohen you are giving him Kohen and if he is not a Kohen, if you would have given the Aliyah to a Yisrael, you wouldn’t be honoring a Kohen, so you might as well give him the Aliyah.

Rav Pam asked that this Pshat is Shver because the explanation would only work if he was the only person who said he was a Kohen in Shul. So then you lose nothing by giving him the Aliyah. Even if he was lying a Kohen wouldn’t have received the Aliyah anyway. However, what happens if there are other Kohanim in Shul. The Rama still says that you can give him the Aliyah based on his say so. How can you do that, you are being Mevateil a Mitzvas Asei because it is possible that he is not a Kohen?

The Chasam Sofer answers that the Mitzvah of giving honor to a Kohen is really to give honor to the institution of Kehuna, to give honor to the children of Aaron Hakohen. If someone comes into Shul and says he is a Kohen, perhaps he really is not a Kohen, nevertheless if the reason you are giving him the Aliyah is because you understand that he is a Kohen, and based on that you give him the first Aliyah, you are Mekayeim the Mitzvah of giving honor and Kedusha to the children of Aaron, even though this person might not be a child of Aaron. You gave him the Aliyah because he claimed to be a Kohen so you were giving honor to Kehunah.

How did this happen to be Rav Pam’s address at the dinner? Rav Pam said the following. He said when he was given this honor at the dinner and people refer to him as the Gadol Hador and a Talmid Chochom, Rav Pam in his humility said, it causes me pain. He said I know that I am not deserving of these honors, however, the Chasam Soifer gives me comfort. Rav Pam said even if I am not deserving of these honors, since people think I am a Talmid Chochom, and give me honor as a Talmid Chochom, they are honoring the institution of Talmidei Chachamim. They are honoring the Torah. So Rav Pam was able to have comfort in getting this honor.

According to this it would turn out that if a Kohen wanted to serve someone, there is a Machloikes Rishoinim if a Kohen can be Moichel on his Kehunah. The Mechaber of the Shulchan Aruch in the end of Siman 128 says that a Kohen can be Moichel on his Kavod and can serve someone who is not a Kohen.

The GRA says that the Rambam disagrees and says that a Kohen can’t be Moichel on his Kavod. The Mishna h Berurah brings it as a Machloikes L’halacha. If there is a Kohen nthat wants to be Moichel on his Kavod he can walk into a Shul that no one knows him and pretends to not being a Kohen. Then he can be Meshameish someone. Since according to the Chasam Soifer it all depends on what is going on the mind of the person who is having the Kohen work for him.

Suspicion - Pekudai 5770

Parshas Pekudai is Moshe Rabbeinu’s accounting of the gold, silver, and copper that he took in and where it was used.  The idea of a person showing that he is honest to other people is something that is mentioned regarding Moshe Rabbeinu’s accounting here.

The Medrash Rabbah in Parshas Pekudai writes, that Moshe Rabbeinu said when the Mishkan was finished being constructed I should have a full accounting so that people shouldn’t say that Moshe Rabbeinu became wealthy from this. Moshe Rabbeinu had actually become wealthy from the etching of the Luchois. So Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t want people to suspect him so he made this Cheshbon.

Rav Pam in one of the Schmuzzin which is printed in Atara L’melech page 76-77 talks about this idea. Should a person care about what other people say? If a person is being honest and is doing things straight and there are people who want to be Choished him, is it important that he be a Naki B’Hashem Uvi’Yisrael. Some people might take a stand in Hashkafa that it is not important because it is the other person’s problem. Here we learn that it is not that way. A person must do what he can to show that he is a Naki Mai’Hashem Umi’Yisrael to be able to show that he is clearly honest in the eyes of other people.

Rav Pam brings a Chasam Soifer in Cheilek 6 Teshuva 59. He writes to a Talmid that he is failing in V’hiyisem Li Nekiyim Mai’Hashem Umi’Yisrael and that he must be more careful. Then he writes that it easier to be a Tzaddik in the eyes of Shamayim than to be a Tzaddik in the eyes of people. It is far more important to avoid a potential Chillul Hashem and to be a Naki B’yisrael as well. He writes that for that all should be worried. It is interesting that the Chasam Soifer says over the Posuk that everybody in the world has to sin sometime and maybe Shlomo Hamelech meant that regarding V’hiyisem Li Nekiyim. It is a Pele because I would think that the Posuk means that it is impossible to avoid sin all the time, however, the Chasam Soifer must of held that it is possible to avoid sin all the time from the standpoint of Shamayim, however, it is in the eyes of people that it is most challenging to avoid sin all the time. He writes that this is the reason that Gad and Reuvein went to Galus first, because when they asked for land Mai’eiver Hayarden, they failed in this area of V’hiyisem Li Nekiyim and that was the Aveira that caused them to go to Galus first.

Rav Pam ends this piece with a story of a man who was Chayuv a Shevua (oath) in Beis Din. After he swore he paid anyways. The question was if he was paying anyways why did he swear? The person said I want to pay Lifnei Mishuras Hadin. I want to pay you because you think that I am a Ganuf. Had I paid and not swore you would have said, look he really is a Ganuf. Therefore, I swore and I will pay Lifnei Mishuras Hadin because of Vihiyisem Li Nekiyim Mai’Hashem Umi’Yisrael. This is an important Hanhaga that we can learn from Parshas Pekudai.

If you pay attention to the Pesukim you see that Moshe Rabbeinu only gives an accounting of the silver and the copper. Why didn’t he give an accounting of the gold as well? The Divrei Yoiel says that in general, generous people don’t accuse other people of being Ganavim, it is the stingy people that do. People who chose to give the gold were generous people and Moshe Rabbeinu wasn’t afraid of being accused by them. He gave a Cheshbon of only the silver and the copper.

What is troubling with this is that the first Rashi on Parshas Pekudai says that the accounting is for everything including the gold and we don’t find that in the Parsha. 

Killing Grandpa - Ki Sisa 5769

32:27 כז  וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, כֹּה-אָמַר יְרוָר אֱלֹרי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שִׂימוּ אִישׁ-חַרְבּוֹ, עַל-יְרֵכוֹ; עִבְרוּ וָשׁוּבוּ מִשַּׁעַר לָשַׁעַר, בַּמַּחֲנֶה, וְהִרְגוּ אִישׁ-אֶת-אָחִיו וְאִישׁ אֶת-רֵעֵהוּ, וְאִישׁ אֶת-קְרֹבוֹ The Leviim were called upon by Moshe Rabbeinu to carry out the death sentence of those who were Chayuv Misah. Rashi explains that sometimes a person had to give Misah to a relative and Moshe Rabbeinu said don’t look, even if it is your relative you should still give him Misah.

Actually later in V’zois Habracha it is even more explicit by the Beracha of Levi. In 33:9 it says, ט  הָאֹמֵר לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ, לֹא רְאִיתִיו, וְאֶת-אֶחָיו לֹא הִכִּיר, וְאֶת-בָּנָו לֹא יָדָע:  כִּי שָׁמְרוּ אִמְרָתֶךָ, וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ Rashi says, האומר לאביו ולאמו לא ראיתיו: כשחטאו בעגל ואמרתי (שמות לב, כו) מי לר' אלי, נאספו אלי כל בני לוי וצויתים להרוג את אבי אמו והוא מישראל, או את אחיו מאמו, או את בן בתו, וכן עשו. ואי אפשר לפרש אביו ממש ואחיו מאביו וכן בניו ממש, שהרי לוים הם ומשבט לוי לא חטא אחד מהם שנאמר כל בני לוי  This means that the Leviim carried out the Chiyuv Misah even on relatives that they were Michuyav to be Mechabeid.

We have a Klal Gadol that anytime you have 2 Mitzva obligations that come into conflict if it is possible to be Mekayeim both of them we do them both. Here there were 22,000 Leviim who were able to be Mekayeim this command, so why did it have to come out that a grandson had to kill a grandfather who was Chayuv Misah if a different Levi can kill that person and he wouldn’t be Oiver the Kibbud aspect?

A possible Teretz was suggested. When it comes to hating someone who does Aveiros, a person has to be Mechavein L’sheim Shamayim. He has to really mean it and there can’t be a personal Negi’yos. Rav Pam used to say the Pesukim from Tehillim 139:21-23 כא  הֲלוֹא-מְשַׂנְאֶיךָ יְרוָר אֶשְׂנָא;    וּבִתְקוֹמְמֶיךָ, אֶתְקוֹטָט כב  תַּכְלִית שִׂנְאָה שְׂנֵאתִים;    לְאוֹיְבִים, הָיוּ לִי כג  חָקְרֵנִי אֵל, וְדַע לְבָבִי;    בְּחָנֵנִי, וְדַע שַׂרְעַפָּי Dovid Hamelech is saying, someone who hates you Hashem, I hate them. Those who fight with you Hashem, I am fighting with them. I hate them with an ultimate hatred. After this, Dovid says examine me Hashem and check my heart see that I am L’sheim Shamayim.

Rav Pam would mention Yeihu who killed the Oivdei Habal upon the command of Yona  Hanavi. Later when he committed the Aveira of Avoda Zorah he was punished for killing the Oivdei Habal because if you kill people for being Oived Avoida Zorah than you can’t be Oiver it yourself.

The Gemara says, that only Shmuel Hakatan could write the Beracha of V’lamalshinim because of the same idea. That only someone who is righteous and is doing his actions L’sheim Shamayim can write a Beracha out of Kanayos.

Rav Tzaddok writes that any time a Mitzvah comes B’tzuras Aveira it has to be L’sheim Shamayim. Sometimes a person has a Mitzvah to say Lashon Hora to save someone from a problem; you have to be Mechavein to say the Lashon Hora L’sheim Shamayim.

Yibum is a similar example that you have to be Mechavein L’sheim Shamayim because it comes B’tzuras an Aveira of marrying a sister in law.

Perhaps, this concept can be used by our Parsha. Moshe Rabbeinu was saying that you should go kill the people who were Oived Avoda Zorah. Maybe the person doing the killing is not being Mechavein L’sheim Shamayim? So Adaraba, the person doing the killing should be the person who is the most reluctant to kill by having him kill his own relatives. These are the people who will be Mechavein L’sheim Shamayim.