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Parsha Tzav – Is Anyone Born Better?

March 26, 2015 by Russell McAlmond

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This week’s parsha of Tzav describes the Jewish priestly class of kohanim.  Being a kohanim was passed down by the father, not the mother, patrilineally not matrilineally.  Other human cultures had royal families where power was passed down to successive generations simply by accident of birth.  Even today, we have the leader of North Korea who took power from his father and claimed it based only on his lineage, not his competency.  Are people really born to be better than other people?  Does our lineage define us as Jews and human beings?

The fact is that all human beings deserve equality of respect for being human.  No human is better than another, no  human is worse – there are no super-humans and no sub-humans.  Everyone falls on the same horizontal line of respect simply for being human.

The Mishna states that we were “created as individuals” so that one could not declare, “My father is better than yours.”  In reality, our lineage does not make us a better or worse individual.  Human history has clearly shown that some people born into royal families have been terrible leaders with severe problems.  There is no ‘royal’ gene that makes every descendent of royalty an inspiring leader.  As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, we should be judged by the “content of our character” not by the traits of our birth.  Character is created by our individual thoughts and actions, it is not genetic.  Character is an individual trait, not a group trait.

Applying this standard of equality to the Jewish community there are not ‘better’ Jews or ‘worse’ Jews – there are Jews.  It is good that there is no longer a need for a Jewish priestly class and animal sacrifices.  Modern Jews are egalitarian and believe in the equality of all people including the members of our tribe.  It doesn’t matter who your parents were, what your skin color is, your gender type, or any other feature or trait determined by your birth – you are an individual.  We welcome all individual Jews to our tribe and will give them the same respect that all other members have.

We are all wonderful and unique individuals who deserve equal respect for being human.

 

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud) Tagged With: convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, darshan yeshiva, Equality, human, kohanim, matrilineal, mishna, online conversion, Parsha Tzav, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, patrilineal, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier

Parshah Tzav

March 18, 2011 by Patrick Beaulier

By Michael Sabani

In this week’s Torah portion, Tzav, we learn all about the duties and right of the Kohanim, the priests, who offer the sacrifices in the Sanctuary. We hear about how the fire must be kept burning all the time, the clothes that the priests must wear, and details on the portions of the offerings that that are given to the Kohanim to eat.

 

Interesting…

We are told that certain potions of only particular offerings are given to the Kohanim, such as portions of the Sin and Guilt offerings, but in the case of the Peace offering, the bringer also eats a portion, as well as the Kohanim. I am struck by this situation.

 

Think about this. Hashem has those who do some of the highest work, the most difficult and messy jobs, eat of the offerings that others bring. Can you imagine waiting for someone to bring a sacrifice for you to be able to eat?

 

But here’s the flip side to that, even in our mistakes, or more clearly especially in our mistakes, G-d gives us the opportunity to do good. In the Peace offering, we can eat of it ourselves, but when we make mistakes part of the repairing that happens is us providing for others. So even when we miss the mark, Hashem is able to transform that into a blessing, into something that helps the community.

 

Let us take a moment and consider where where we may have missed the mark. What have we done, not in the past year, not in the past month, not even in the past week, but today! Where have we missed the mark today? Were we angry with a loved one? Did we curse at another driver on the road? Did we ignore the needs of those suffering around us? Did we act in frustration or deceit?

 

Think about these things and realize that in our mistakes is the power to repair. Through these mistakes lie the power to not only repair what we have broken, but to help repair others as well.

 

Hashem has given us a gift, not of being able to miss the mark, but of being able to realize where we have missed, step back up to the line, and aim again. And in this time, I pray we all hit the bullseye.

 

 

Filed Under: Jewish Text (Torah/Haftarah/Talmud), Your Questions Answered Tagged With: bible, convert to judaism, convert to judaism online, d'var, darshan yeshiva, kohanim, mistake, patrick "aleph" beaulier, patrick aleph, Priest, punktorah, rabbi beaulier, rabbi patrick aleph beaulier, Religion, sacrifice, sin, Torah, Tzav

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