SPIRIT

Our Laws, Our Lives 
T

his week’s parshah 
opens with a twist on 
a repeated line of the 
biblical narrator: “
And God 
spoke to Moses after the 
death of the two sons of 
Aharon.
” 
While we are accus-
tomed to God speaking 
to Moses, this draws our 
attention not only to the 
surprising and sudden 
death of Nadav and 
Avihu but to the state of Moses, 
their uncle, as he is instructed 
to transmit a particularly 
important and difficult 
collection of laws. 
Often referred to as 
the Holiness Code, the 
list of mitzvot explores 
the details and dynam-
ics of intimate ritual 
and relationships. Much has 
been written by commentators 
throughout time seeking to fully 
understand and incorporate 
these laws into day-to-day life. 
For contemporary readers, 
these mitzvot are often difficult 
and indeed painful. Even if we 
understand the Holiness Code 
to be, as Rashi points out, about 
differentiating ourselves from 
our ancient Cannanite and 
Egyptian neighbors, much of 

their content challenges ethos 
of inclusion and love we often 
take for granted today. This is 
particularly true in terms of the 
exclusion and oppression 
of LGBTQUIA people 
that has been built upon 
the text of this week’s 
parshah for hundreds of 
years. 
Rabbis, scholars and 
activists have offered 
myriad readings that 
rebuke the vile use of Torah as a 
source of ostracization; there is, 
nevertheless, a seemingly 
unavoidable difficulty 
encountered. It is a ten-
sion that exists at the 
intersection of a litany of 
laws regulating intimate 
aspects of our lives and 
the Torah’s famous decla-
ration: v’ahavta l’reacha kamocha 
(love thy neighbor as thyself), 
which we will read in the very 
next chapter of Leviticus. 
This brings us back to our 
opening verse: “and God spoke 
to Moses after the death of 
the two sons of Aharon …
” A 
casual reader may forget that 
Aharon’s two sons were also 
Moses’ nephews. He is receiv-
ing these words in a moment 
of grief and trauma. He is 

responsible for transmitting 
laws of holiness and acceptable 
and unacceptable behavior just 
moments after his nephews are 
killed for their well-intentioned 
transgression of these very laws. 
In this way, our parshah 
reminds us of a difficult and 
important truth, namely, that 
leadership does not take place 
in a vacuum. We are called to 
lead, whether at home, at work 
or in the community, as our full 
and complex selves. The dif-
ficult moments and questions 
do not wait for our comfort or 
convenience; they emerge in 
the midst of life’s experiences, 
which tends to be messy more 
often than not. 
Each of us is given oppor-
tunities to lead in life, to stand 
before our community and to 
be, in our own way, God’s mes-
sengers. This week’s parshah 
affirms that doing so is best 
accomplished when we step 
into the task as our full selves, 
knowing that it is all the pain, 
joy and everything in between 
that truly constitutes holiness. 

Rabbi Ari Witkin is the director of 

Leadership Development at the Jewish 

Federation of Metro Detroit.

TORAH PORTION

Rabbi Ari 
Witkin

Parshat 

Achare Mot: 

Leviticus 

16:1-18:30; 

Ezekiel 

22:1-19.

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Join the Jewish Community 
Relations Council/American 
Jewish Committee-Detroit for 
its 2022 Annual Meeting at 7 
p.m. on Wednesday, May 11. 
 During the online 
program, attendees will hear 
from the first U.S.-educated 
Uyghur-American lawyer, 
Nury Turkel, who will discuss 
the human rights abuses 
facing the Uyghur people in 
China. 
 In addition, the second 
annual Sheryl “Sheri” 
Terebelo Schiff Heart of Gold 
Award will be awarded to 
Patrice “Patti” Phillips, the 
board will thank outgoing 
president, Seth Gould, 
highlights of the last year 
will be shared and the 2022-
2023 board slate will be 
announced. 

Register at jewishdetroitcalendar.org/

event/jcrc-ajc-annual-meeting-2/

JCRC/AJC 
Annual Meeting

Patrice 
Phillips

