Pensamiento judío sobre Levítico 16:16

Since Torah observance intensifies in three stages, so do the rewards for such observance. Stage one of observance, is the general movement in line with G'ds natural law, i.e. "if you will walk in My ways." Stage two is to refrain from violating specific injunctions, i.e. "you will guard My laws." The third category is the carrying out of specific commandments i.e. "and you will perform them." In response to this conduct, the Torah promises (1) rainfall; something that is a natural prerequisite for all specific material blessings. Next the Torah promises bountiful harvests of the field, i.e. your toil will be rewarded, you will enjoy the necessities of life. (2) Next the Torah promises the harvest of the trees, i.e. luxuries rather than necessities. Then comes the promise of dwelling securely, enabling you to enjoy the blessings that have been bestowed on you. You will neither have to fear attack from predators nor from hostile neighbours. (3) When the Torah describes the heroism displayed in chasing off would be attackers, the point is made that such gevurah, bravery, is not handed out to each person in equal measure. Some people can put to flight twenty times their number, others even one hundred times their number. (4) When the Torah adds in verse 11, "I will set My residence amongst you, and My soul will not abhor you," referring to spiritual reward, the last few words need clarification. When a renowned and handsome king marries a lady who seems plain, and comes from a nondescript background, the cultural gap between them may cause the king embarassment on occasion. When said king's wife acquires her husband's cultural refinements however, there will be no cause for the king ever to feel embarassed in her company. The ideal relationship between G'd and Israel is similar. The words "My soul will not abhor you" is an intensification of the prior blessing "I will place My residence amongst you." It means "I will never have occasion to be embarassed by keeping your company." Amos 7,7, may be understood in similar fashion. The whole Song of Songs, similarly extols the Jewish people's role as a partner fit for G'd to keep company with. In verse thirteen, G'd simply states that His right to demand all this from us, stems directly from the fact that He took us out of Egypt, broke our yoke and gave us human dignity. The new yoke G'd placed upon us enabled us to walk upright for the first time. As long as we shoulder this yoke, we are free from the wiles of the yetzer hara, the angel of death etc. The Torah continues that should we, however, fail to observe all that is expected of us, G'd will not punish us immediately, but only after seven fundamental sins have been committed. This is the list contained in verse 14 and 15. Once G'd does react, He will bring samples of the three basic punishments David was given a choice of, in order to alert people to what may be in store for them if they persist in their evil ways. The diseases quoted are not fatal, but leave one at the threshold of death. The planting of seeds, many of which will go to waste, does not yet result in complete starvation. Your enemies, while inflicting defeat on you, are not yet annihilating you. (verse 17) All this so far is in the nature of a warning of what my befall you if you persist in your corrupt ways. Should Israel ignore these warnings, the full force of these three punishments will be unleashed. The sevenfold retribution mentioned in verse eighteen, is to be understood as being seven times the scale of the sample punishment mentioned in verse sixteen. These various punishments do not occur simultaneously as do the blessings mentioned earlier in the Parshah, but in stages, one after another. For this reason we have the constant repetition "if you still do not listen." In verses 21, 23„ 24, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33, a chain of events will be set in motion of which each is practically a corollary of the one preceding it. The basic tenor of the punishments is that laxity in observing Torah due to not taking the time required, will result in the pressures of time becoming so overwhelming that there really will be felt to be no time for religious observances. This because of the pressing need to do something for one's physical survival. If the four escalations of retributory measures produce no results, then even though there is such a thing as the merit of the ancestors, the need to make up for all the shemittah years that have not been observed in the land, outweighs even the former, and exile continues. (7) Although this merit of the ancestors is not powerful enough to rescind the decree of exile, it does help to prevent total annihilation of the Jewish people while they are in exile. The covenant with G'd will therefore not be broken completely. Finally, G'd says, the one covenant I will remember, is not to nullify My name by the destruction of My people, as Moses had argued after the sin of the golden calf. These are the rishonim, the early ones. We observe this idea reflected in the first benediction of our amidah, central prayer, where we state "He remembers the kind deeds of the forefathers, and brings redemption to their children's children for the sake of His name, in love." When our sages formulated this benediction, they drew attention to the fact that though G'd does indeed remember the deeds of the forefathers, this may not be enough to guarantee the ultimate redemption. Failing all else, only the need to preserve His own image will guarantee that the redeemer will come. (5) Verse forty one, referring to some kind of humility az on the part of persecuted Jews, means that the humility is not sincere, only lip service due to the plight of the people.

As uncleanness caused by a dead body could only be removed after seven days, by means of the ashes of the red heifer, and the priests had constantly occasion to enter the Sanctuary, the Law exceptionally forbids them to defile themselves by a dead body (Lev. 21:1), except in cases where defilement is necessary, and the contrary would be unnatural. For it would be unnatural to abstain from approaching the dead body of a parent, child, or brother. As it was very necessary that the high-priest should always be in the Sanctuary, in accordance with the Divine command, “And it shall always be on his forehead” (Exod. 28:38), he was not permitted to defile himself by any dead body whatever, even of the above-named relatives (Lev. 21:10-12). Women were not engaged in sacrificial service; the above law consequently does not apply to women; it is addressed to “the sons of Aaron,” and not to “the daughters of Aaron.” It was, however, impossible to assume that none of the Israelites made a mistake, by entering the Sanctuary, or eating hallowed things in a state of uncleanliness. It was even possible that there were persons who did this knowingly, since there are wicked people who commit knowingly even the greatest crimes; for this reason certain sacrifices were commanded as an atonement for the defilement of the Sanctuary and its hallowed things. They were of different kinds; some of them atoned for defilement caused ignorantly, others for defilement caused knowingly. For this purpose were brought the goats on the Festivals and the New-moon days (Num. 28:15, 27, etc.), and the goat sent away on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:16), as is explained in its place (Mishnah Shebnot, 1:4). These sacrifices serve to prevent those who defiled the Sanctuary of the Lord knowingly from thinking that they had not done a great wrong; they should know that they obtained atonement by the sacrifice of the goat, as the Law says, “That they die not in their uncleanness” (Lev. 15:31); “That Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things” (Exod. 28:38). This idea is frequently repeated.