More often than not, the parshiyot of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim are combined into one reading. What is the significance of coupling these two sidrot together?
Acharei Mot, of course, draws reference to the deaths of Aharon's sons, the tzadikim Nadav and Avihu. Kedoshim, through its 51 varied mitzvot, instruct us how to be holy. So, one idea is: Acharei Mot, through the death of saintly individuals, Kedoshim, the holiness of Am Yisrael is magnified. This concept, mysterious and very difficult to comprehend, is part and parcel of Jewish belief.
But how does death brings us closer to HaShem? I would think that the opposite is true. Seeing a young person die - particularly one's own child, G-d forbid - should logically cause someone to question whether there is justice and mercy in the universe, whether events occur by design or simply at random, and pull us further away from HaShem.
The Baal Shem Tov explains with a parable:
When a parent wants to teach his infant child to walk, he waits until the child can stand firmly. He then puts himself near the child, a few inches away, and stretches out his hands to him. Though the child is afraid to take that first step, fearing he might fall, his parent's closeness gives him confidence.
Later, the parent will retreat back a few steps and again beckon the toddler to move forward. The child again is encouraged by his parent's presence and gingerly steps forward, only to find that the parent is continuing to move further away.
The child is undoubtedly thinking, "What is going on here? Every time I move closer to him, he distances himself more and more from me!"
The truth is that the parent and the child have two different goals. The child wants to reach the parent, but the parent wants the child to walk on his own, and this can only be accomplished if the parent moves back. Letting the child reach the parent would end the process of growth and maturity.
We all want to reach HaShem, to cling to Him, to have a close and constant relationship with Him. HaShem wants this, too, but He also wants us to grow and develop our neshamot (spirits) to their fullest potential. This can only be accomplished if He sometimes moves away from us, so that we have to walk further and search deeper for Him.
Death drives G-d into the shadows. But if we go on, if we stumble forward, we can discover both His light and our own holiness.
Acharei Mot, of course, draws reference to the deaths of Aharon's sons, the tzadikim Nadav and Avihu. Kedoshim, through its 51 varied mitzvot, instruct us how to be holy. So, one idea is: Acharei Mot, through the death of saintly individuals, Kedoshim, the holiness of Am Yisrael is magnified. This concept, mysterious and very difficult to comprehend, is part and parcel of Jewish belief.
But how does death brings us closer to HaShem? I would think that the opposite is true. Seeing a young person die - particularly one's own child, G-d forbid - should logically cause someone to question whether there is justice and mercy in the universe, whether events occur by design or simply at random, and pull us further away from HaShem.
The Baal Shem Tov explains with a parable:
When a parent wants to teach his infant child to walk, he waits until the child can stand firmly. He then puts himself near the child, a few inches away, and stretches out his hands to him. Though the child is afraid to take that first step, fearing he might fall, his parent's closeness gives him confidence.
Later, the parent will retreat back a few steps and again beckon the toddler to move forward. The child again is encouraged by his parent's presence and gingerly steps forward, only to find that the parent is continuing to move further away.
The child is undoubtedly thinking, "What is going on here? Every time I move closer to him, he distances himself more and more from me!"
The truth is that the parent and the child have two different goals. The child wants to reach the parent, but the parent wants the child to walk on his own, and this can only be accomplished if the parent moves back. Letting the child reach the parent would end the process of growth and maturity.
We all want to reach HaShem, to cling to Him, to have a close and constant relationship with Him. HaShem wants this, too, but He also wants us to grow and develop our neshamot (spirits) to their fullest potential. This can only be accomplished if He sometimes moves away from us, so that we have to walk further and search deeper for Him.
Death drives G-d into the shadows. But if we go on, if we stumble forward, we can discover both His light and our own holiness.