?Restore our judges as at first, and remove from us sorrow and sighing.?
The Kohen Gadol [High Priest] is forbidden to mourn for family members the way others do, as it says: ?These are the rules for the Kohen Gadol among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil has been poured? He shall not go without a haircut, and shall not allow his vestments to be torn. He shall not come in contact with any dead body. He shall thus not defile himself, even for his father or mother.? (Leviticus 21:10,12)
Moreover, Moses had previously told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: ?Do not go without a haircut and do not tear your vestments. Otherwise you will die, bringing divine wrath upon the entire community. As far as your brothers are concerned, let the entire family of Israel mourn for the ones whom the L-rd burned. Do not leave the entrance of the Communion Tent lest you die, because the L-rd?s anointing oil is still upon you.? (10:6-7)
Those anointed with the anointing oil were public servants, whose task it was to bestow goodness and light upon the entire Jewish People. They were emissaries of the great nation in the holy service of the Temple. Such an emissary must be entirely committed to the Jewish People, without any personal interest at stake. Even family mourning could not interrupt the service of the Kohen Gadol, who was commanded ?not to leave G-d?s sanctuary lest he profane it.? (21:12)
In the periods of the First and Second Temples, the Jewish People had three types of leadership. There was political leadership, under the stewardship of the king, whose task it was to run the state economically and militarily. There was juridical leadership, under the aegis of the Sanhedrin and the head of the Sanhedrin. Finally, there was the spiritual leadership of the prophets and kohanim, led by the Kohen Gadol, whose task it was to shower his spirit upon all of Israel. As Hillel the Elder said, ?Be amongst the disciples of Aaron, loving and pursuing peace, loving your fellow man and bringing him near to the Torah.?
These three types of leadership, and the leaders standing at their helm, could bestow their strength and spirit upon the Jewish People on condition that they were all entirely devoted to the nation, devoid of all personal interests. They had to be like the Kohen Gadol, who even when in mourning could not cease his holy service. Wherever the political, juridical or spiritual leadership was tainted by vested interests, it hurt the whole nation and led to G-d?s concealing His countenance.
Today, the Israeli Government, Israel?s legal system and its rabbis and educators provide leadership in the political, juridical and spiritual realms. These frameworks are the preparation for fulfillment of the nation?s age-old yearning, ?Return us to You, O L-rd, and we shall return. Renew our days as of old.? (Lamentations 5:21) The nation is in great need of leadership that will be truly idealistic and devoid of all vested interests. We need leadership that will shower us with its spirit and illuminate the nation?s soul.
Speedily may our prayer be fulfilled: ?Restore our judges as at first, and our counselors as at the beginning. Remove from us sorrow and sighing.? (From the Shemoneh Esreh prayer)
By such means we will merit to have a new light shine upon Zion.
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Rabbi Dov Begon is founder and head of Machon Meir institutions.
Machon Meir is an Israeli educational institution and Hesder yeshiva dedicated to Jewish learning BeAhava UveEmunah (with Love and in Faith), in the spirit of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, the late Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel. Students at Machon Meir, Israelis and new immigrants, come from religious and non-religious backgrounds, and learn in Hebrew, English or Russian. The Machon can be contacted through its website, http://www.machonmeir.org.il.
The Kohen Gadol [High Priest] is forbidden to mourn for family members the way others do, as it says: ?These are the rules for the Kohen Gadol among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil has been poured? He shall not go without a haircut, and shall not allow his vestments to be torn. He shall not come in contact with any dead body. He shall thus not defile himself, even for his father or mother.? (Leviticus 21:10,12)
Moreover, Moses had previously told Aaron and his sons Eleazar and Ithamar: ?Do not go without a haircut and do not tear your vestments. Otherwise you will die, bringing divine wrath upon the entire community. As far as your brothers are concerned, let the entire family of Israel mourn for the ones whom the L-rd burned. Do not leave the entrance of the Communion Tent lest you die, because the L-rd?s anointing oil is still upon you.? (10:6-7)
Those anointed with the anointing oil were public servants, whose task it was to bestow goodness and light upon the entire Jewish People. They were emissaries of the great nation in the holy service of the Temple. Such an emissary must be entirely committed to the Jewish People, without any personal interest at stake. Even family mourning could not interrupt the service of the Kohen Gadol, who was commanded ?not to leave G-d?s sanctuary lest he profane it.? (21:12)
In the periods of the First and Second Temples, the Jewish People had three types of leadership. There was political leadership, under the stewardship of the king, whose task it was to run the state economically and militarily. There was juridical leadership, under the aegis of the Sanhedrin and the head of the Sanhedrin. Finally, there was the spiritual leadership of the prophets and kohanim, led by the Kohen Gadol, whose task it was to shower his spirit upon all of Israel. As Hillel the Elder said, ?Be amongst the disciples of Aaron, loving and pursuing peace, loving your fellow man and bringing him near to the Torah.?
These three types of leadership, and the leaders standing at their helm, could bestow their strength and spirit upon the Jewish People on condition that they were all entirely devoted to the nation, devoid of all personal interests. They had to be like the Kohen Gadol, who even when in mourning could not cease his holy service. Wherever the political, juridical or spiritual leadership was tainted by vested interests, it hurt the whole nation and led to G-d?s concealing His countenance.
Today, the Israeli Government, Israel?s legal system and its rabbis and educators provide leadership in the political, juridical and spiritual realms. These frameworks are the preparation for fulfillment of the nation?s age-old yearning, ?Return us to You, O L-rd, and we shall return. Renew our days as of old.? (Lamentations 5:21) The nation is in great need of leadership that will be truly idealistic and devoid of all vested interests. We need leadership that will shower us with its spirit and illuminate the nation?s soul.
Speedily may our prayer be fulfilled: ?Restore our judges as at first, and our counselors as at the beginning. Remove from us sorrow and sighing.? (From the Shemoneh Esreh prayer)
By such means we will merit to have a new light shine upon Zion.
-------------------------------------------------
Rabbi Dov Begon is founder and head of Machon Meir institutions.
Machon Meir is an Israeli educational institution and Hesder yeshiva dedicated to Jewish learning BeAhava UveEmunah (with Love and in Faith), in the spirit of Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook, the late Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel. Students at Machon Meir, Israelis and new immigrants, come from religious and non-religious backgrounds, and learn in Hebrew, English or Russian. The Machon can be contacted through its website, http://www.machonmeir.org.il.