Parsha Shemini 5769 — Gauging the Sincerity of a Jew’s Service

Our Parsha Shemini begins by relating that on the eighth day, Aaron and his sons commenced their Avodah HaKodosh. And it is interesting and ironic that our parsha is the other side of the term; “Tzav-Shemonah” which is the document or order issued by the Israel Defense Forces calling reservists to active duty in event of war.

But our Parsha also relates the tragedy of the deaths of Aaron’s two oldest sons, Nadav and Avihu who died while performing an unauthorized Service, offering a “strange fire …, which he did not command them…” (Artscroll Chumash, Vayikra, Perek 10, posuk 1)

Throughout our history, there have been, and continue to be in our days, those who sought to “cut corners” in their Avodah in a effort to achieve a perception of being “like nations.” There are many among our Jewish brethren who would deny Hashem’s control of the world and seek to tailor Torah and their Jewishness to fit the ways of the nations, rather than accepting Hashem’s reishut (command) over the world. They perceive that if only they didn’t look and act sooo Jewish, that then they’ll be loved by the gentiles. And, if the are loved and held of by the gentiles, they reason that then they can live in peace, not be harrassed, belittled or persecuted for their Jewishness — what little there is if any, left. If their eyes would only be wide open so as to see how abysmally wrong they’ve been; again, again and in the US again after having voted in droves for a President with an Islamic-sounding name who seems obviously intent on Israel’s demise.

And there are others who, while seeming to be and wearing the out trappings of frumkeit, are wanting on the inside. And it seems that during Purim or Shushan Purim, the inner realities of many bare themselves for others to see.

A few cases in point; a Shushan Purim foray into Jerusalem a couple of years ago; the unlocked door of a private, moving mini-van flung open by a young enibriated bocher who, in his distorted, drunken state, thought that he was “having a good time”, obviously at the expense of the those in the vehicle who could have been endangered by the act.

Or this author’s visit to an old chaverusa a few years ago on Shushan Purim. The Chaverusa is a great guy and a huge top-wrung Talmud Chacham — knew him from Philly Yeshiva back in the “old country”, we were Mishmar Chaverusas before he married and came to Israel. He and his wife are true Ba’alei Chassadim. He and his family act at all times in keeping with the above description. Even on Shushan Purim, when we lose the ability to distinguish Haman from Mordechai, things are leibidik at the Seudah table in the true tradition of Purim. But outside, in public, no matter what his enibriated state, he acts toward others with the utmost in menschlicheit.

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for a lot of those who live in their vicinity. Whether it was in a previous Shushan Purim visit when this author was accosted for wearing a Gush Katif cap, or as happened on the Shushan Purim in question; when an enibriated individual walked through my friend and former chaverusa’s open door, cigarette in mouth, despite my friend’s wife’s denial of permission to enter, parks himself in a chair next to where this author is trying to say over a Purim vort, and starts demanding of my friends hundreds of dollars because he needs dental work done. And when this author attempted to give mussar about his chutzpah in entering someone else’s home waving his lit cigarette around, his answer; “I can’t help it, I’m shickar.”

Are such incidents by individuals as listed above; the bochur who endangered his fellow Jews in a moving vehicle, or the fellow who acted derisively to his Gush Katif Jewish brethren, or who forced his way and unwanted enibriated, cigarette-smoking presence into a Jewish home abrasively making making monetary demands, ostensibly “religious”,
“hareidim” who lack public menschlicheit toward their brethren under guise of “being drunk and unable to tell Haman from Mordechai”, just as guilty of cutting corners in their Avodah as those who cut corners to be like the nations?

May we, the B’nai Yisrael be zocha that our brethren — the refugee families from Gush Katif be permanently settled and be made totally whole, that our dear brother Jonathan Pollard, captive Gilad Shalit and the other MIAs be liberated alive returned to us in ways befitting Al Kiddush Hashem and that we fulfill Hashem’s blueprint of B’nai Yisrael as a Unique people — an Am Segula, not to be reckoned with as with “the nations” and may we be zocha to see the Moshiach, the Ge’ula Shlaima, as Dov Shurin sings; “Yom Hashem V’Kol HaGoyim”, the Ultimate Redemption, bim hay v’yameinu — speedily, in our time”, — Achshav, Chik Chuk, Miyad, Etmol!!!