The Alliance of
Art and Industry

Torah Portion

TOLEDO
DESIGNS

for a Modern America

High Priest's Rituals Combine
The Holy And The Humble

is responsible for both the most
tedious and ordinary tasks as well as
the dramatic holy procedures.
Although the kohen carries a sta-
tus of greater sanctity, he does so
because he carries a sacred responsi-
bility. It is he who is responsible for
administering the sacred service in
the Sanctuary and it is, therefore, he
who represents the people to God.
his week's portion contin-
In that role, his holiness comes from
ues the detailed laws of
his unique and "extraordinary"
sacrifices and offerings
duties, but equally from paying
that comprise the opening
attention to the "ordinary" needs
chapters of Leviticus.
and concerns of the people.
However, for almost
A secular example is
2,000 years, since the
Rudolph Guiliani. He
destruction of the Temple,
earned the respect of New
these laws have been, at
Yorkers — and the entire
best, impractical and, at
country — on Sept. 11,
worst, even irrelevant to
not necessarily because of
Jewish life. Maimonides
his official actions as
argued that God command-
mayor, but because of his
ed sacrifices only because
sensitive, compassionate
that was the mode of wor-
actions both on that day
ship familiar to humanity
and in the days following
in biblical times; prayer has
RABBI
the tragedy. His visible
appropriately replaced the
CHARLES
presence in difficult and
sacrificial cult.
POPKY
dangerous situation will
These passages offer the
Special to the
likely remain deeper in
religious ideas behind the
Jewish News
memories than any of his
ritual and give the ritual
specific political actions.
details as a framework for
Returning to Rabbi Bunim's
presenting ideas and values the tradi-
remarks, we should remember that
tion understands as basic to our rela-
they were made long after the
tionship with God.
Temple
was destroyed and the serv-
For example, the biblical text
ice of the kohanim ended. He is
explains that " ... [the kohen (priest)]
actually extending the religious sig-
is to set aside the ashes from which
nificance of our verse by applying it
the fire has consumed the olah
beyond the specifics of priestly
(burnt) offering upon the altar.
duties to all Israel. His point is that
Rabbi Bunim, in Itturei Torah, says,
we will not realize our holiness
"This is the first task even for the
merely in the dramatic and extraor-
High Priest, as he enters the inner-
dinary elements of our tradition.
most [part of the shrine]. This is in
The spiritual depth of our tradi-
order that he, the chosen one of the
tion is not limited to the physical
people, should not forget, as he
limits of the synagogue, nor to the
comes into such a holy and awesome
special times of Shabbat and holi-
place, the simple and concrete con-
days. We will recognize our holiness
cerns of the people. Therefore, the
when we recognize the significance
Torah commands him that he is to
of daily acts of compassion and sen-
strip off his [holy] garments and
sitivity. 0
clothed himself in other garments —
non-holy garments — and perform
the work of-the people in order that
he remember to pray for the regular
and simple needs of the people."
Rabbi Bunim draws our attention
to the fact that the kohen is required
to clean the ashes from the altar and
he is to change garments as he
Why do you think that the
moves from the sacred to mundane
Torah, the book for all Israel,
elements of the service. Rabbi
also includes the laws specifically
Bunim is struck by the fact that
for the kohanim? What do you
within the divine service, the kohen
think kadosh (holy) means in our
tradition? Can anyone be holy?

Shabbat HaGadol;
Parshah Tzav:
Leviticus 6.1-8:36•
Malachi 3:4-24.

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visiting the website.

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