[Par-lite] For Parshat Kedoshim - additional shiur

Thu May 3 21:06:26 EDT 2012

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     THE TANACH STUDY CENTER
[http://www.tanach.org]

          In Memory of Rabbi Abraham Leibtag

     Shiurim in Chumash & Navi by Menachem
Leibtag

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          PARSHAT KEDOSHIM  -shiur #2

          THE HEADER / KOL ADAT YISRAEL

     Does the name 'EDAH' imply something
'good' or something

'bad'?  Even though EDAH carries a negative
connotation in the

story of the spies in Parshat Shlach, in the
opening pasuk of

Parshat Kedoshim it seems to imply something
very positive.

     In the following shiur we suggest a
thematic connection

between the word EDAH and the first half of
Parshat Kedoshim

(i.e. chapter 19).

INTRODUCTION

     In contrast to most parshiot in Chumash
which begin with

the standard header:

     "And God spoke to Moshe saying, speak to
BNEI YISRAEL..."

Parshat Kedoshim adds a short but important
phrase:

  "And God spoke to Moshe saying, speak to
KOL ADAT Bnei

  Yisrael... - to the entire congregation of
Israel" (19:1-2).

     This special header indicates that there
must be some

specific reason why this parshia was given to
KOL ADAT YISRAEL

-i.e. to the entire EDAH - congregation of
Israel.  [Note that

ADAT is simply the 'smichut' form of EDAH.]

     Rashi, quoting the Midrash in Torat
Kohanim, explains

that specifically this parshia was given to
the 'entire

congregation' because it includes most of the
basic principles

of the Torah ['rov gufei Torah tluyin bah'].
[See also

Chizkuni (19:2) who quotes a similar Midrash
Tanchuma.]

     Even though Rashi explains why it was
necessary for Moshe

to relay these mitzvot in a special
gathering, he does not

explain why specifically the word EDAH is
used!  In other

words, the Torah could have simply said:
speak to KOL Bnei

Yisrael (ALL of Bnei Yisrael / see Devarim
1:1), or could have

used the Hebrew word KAHAL instead of EDAH,
which would have

been a more precise way to describe a
gathering.

     Therefore, the Torah's choice of the
word EDAH suggests a

connection between the mitzvot of Parshat
Kedoshim and the

word EDAH.  To find that connection, we must
consider its

etymology.

     The Hebrew word EDAH stems from one of
two possible

roots:

1) ayin.daled - which implies to AFFIRM or
TESTIFY

      [e.g. the word EID= a witness; EDAH= a
female witness]

2) yod.ayin.daled - which implies to APPOINT
or to DESIGNATE

     The first root would imply that Am
Yisrael, when called

an EDAH, serve as sort of a WITNESS, while
the second root

would imply that they have been APPOINTED for
a certain

purpose.  How would either or both
explanations tie into

Parshat Kedoshim?

     From the opening commandment of Parshat
Kedoshim, one

could suggest an interesting interpretation:

  "KEDOSHIM TIHIYU - You shall be holy, for
I, the Lord your

  God, am holy..." (19:2).

  By acting as a holy nation, Am Yisrael
'testifies' (to

itself and to other nations) that God exists,
for He is holy.

[See Sforno 19:2.]

     Why is this testimony necessary?

     Testimony is usually needed order to
prove a fact.

Considering that God is transcendent, it is
difficult for man

to perceive His existence.  Therefore, God
commands ADAT BNEI

YISRAEL to keep special mitzvot which help
create a society

which 'testifies' to God's existence.  One
could actually

combine both meanings and suggest that it is
for this reason

that God DESIGNATED Bnei Yisrael to become a
nation.

KEDUSHA - FOR A PURPOSE

    Even though this interpretation may not
be 'simple

pshat', it blends nicely with Sefer Vayikra's
theme of KEDUSHA

in the three realms of MAKOM, ZMAN, & ADAM,
which we developed

in our shiur on Acharei Mot.

a)  KEDUSHAT HA-MISHKAN ['kedushat makom'],
we explained,

implies that God separates a special place
and infuse it with

an intense level of holiness IN ORDER that it
affect and thus

elevate the level of the area which surrounds
it.

b)  In a similar manner, God separated
SHABBAT ['kedushat

zman'], infusing it with a intense level of
holiness, IN ORDER

to elevate the spiritual level of the entire
week.

c)  So too - KEDUSHAT AM YISRAEL  ['kedushat
adam']. God

separates a special nation, infusing it with
an intense level

of holiness, IN ORDER to elevate the
spiritual level of all

nations.  God 'designates' Am Yisrael to
follow the mitzvot of

KEDOSHIM TIHIYU to fulfill this purpose, and
in this manner we

'testify' before all nations that God exists.

     This concept, which may only be alluded
to here in

Parshat Kedoshim, is stated more directly in
Sefer Devarim as

Bnei Yisrael prepare to enter the Promised
Land:

  "See, I have taught you CHUKIM & MISHPATIM
[compare Vayikra

  18:3-5!] for you to keep in the land which
you are about to

  conquer.  Observe them faithfully, for that
will be PROOF of

  you wisdom IN THE EYES OF THE NATIONS who
upon hearing all

  these laws will say:

  Surely, that great nation is a wise people,
for what great

  nation is there that is so CLOSE TO GOD...
or what great

  nation has such perfect CHUKIM & MISHPATIM
as the TORAH that

  I set before you on this day..."  (Devarim
4:5-8).

TWO OTHER PARSHIOT

     In addition to Parshat Kedoshim, there
are two earlier

parshiot of mitzvot which are directed
specifically to ADAT

BNEI YISRAEL.

  1)   Parshat Ha-Chodesh - Shmot 12:1-20
(see 12:3) which

     discusses MAKKAT BECHOROT & KORBAN
PESACH.

  2)  Parshat Vayakhel - the commandment to
build the MISHKAN.

     One could explain the Torah's use of the
phrase ADAT BNEI

YISRAEL in these two parshiot in a similar
manner.

(1)  Parshat Ha-Chodesh (as we all know) is
God's very FIRST

commandment to Bnei Yisrael (see Rashi
Breishit 1:1).  The

laws of Korban Pesach that are detailed in
that parshia serve

a double purpose.  For Am Yisrael to:

  a) recognize God's hand in their salvation
from MAKKAT

  BECHOROT [which caused the Egyptians to
finally recognize

  God.  [See Shmot 11:1-10.]

  b) AFFIRM their covenantal commitment to
BRIT BEIN H-'BTARIM

  (i.e. Brit Avot).  [See shiur on Parshat
Va'era].

(2)  Parshat Vayakhel describes the
commandment to build the

MISHKAN which itself serves as a symbol and
testimony of God's

presence.  [Recall that at the focal point of
the Mishkan lie

the LUCHOT ha-EIDUT / see Shmot 25:16,21-22.]

     One could even suggest that these three
parshiot which

are given to ADAT Bnei Yisrael reflect once
again the three

realms of KEDUSHA:

               Parshat ha-Chodesh - kedushat
ZMAN

               Parshat Vayakhel - kedushat
MAKOM

               Parshat Kedoshim - kedushat
ADAM

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FOR FURTHER IYUN

1.  Note in the first Rashi on "daber el kol
ADAT Bnei

Yisrael" that Rashi states: "melamed
she-ne'emar be-HAKHEL".

How does the parallel to Shmot 35:1 help us
better understand

this Rashi?

2.  In Sefer Bamidbar (see 14:26-27 and its
context), Bnei

Yisrael sin at chet ha-meraglim. Those
sinners are referred to

as an EDAH RA'A - a wicked (or bad)  EDAH?

     Can our explanation of 'witness' still
apply in this

case?

3.  Note that Korach's splinter group is also
called an EDAH,

and in Korach's original complaint we find
the same word - "ki KOL ha-

EDAH kulam KDOSHIM u-vetocham HASHEM..." (see
Bamidbar 16:3).

Can you relate this complaint of Korach to
this week's shiur

and the Torah's use of the word EDAH?

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