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Apr 21, 2010
Parshas Achrei Mos/Kedoshim
The Key to the Holy of Holies
Adapted From the Remarks of Rabbi Shlomo Freifeld ZT’L
In this week’s parsha, Aaron HaKohain is allowed to go “el HaKodesh” (16:3) - to enter the Holy of Holies. On Yom Kippur he and Kohanim Gadolim after him were allowed to go beyond the curtain; they were permitted to enter the place where the heavens and the earth touch.
The Sages in the Midrash (Vayikra 21:1-5) discuss the various “keys” given to the Jewish Nation, as a whole, to go “el HaKodesh.” They suggest various avenues to tap into the inner core of our being - to enter our own “Holy of Holies.”
One Tanna suggests that the proper observance of Shabbos is a way to elevate ourselves beyond the physical nature of the world. Another tells us that toiling in learning is the key to acquiring the light to see beyond the veils that block our vision. R’ Yochanan offers a one word answer - kabarneitin - which translated means “captain of a ship.” In other words, he is telling us that to imbue our lives with holiness we must live with an awareness that we are commanders of vessels afloat at sea.
R’ Yochanan’s point is as profound as it is enigmatic. The captain of a ship is the repository of responsibility. The safety of the passengers and crew of a ship rests squarely on his shoulders. He must steer the ship. He must get the vessel through storms and navigate through the night. R’ Yochanan is instructing us, in other words, that kedusha - holiness - rests on one who takes responsibility. We must see ourselves as captains; our lot in life - the vessel we command. The sea is the trials and tribulations of the world at large. The voyage is the days of our lives. When we truly understand that we are, indeed, “captains” - responsible for the wefare of all that surrounds us -we become transformed. The most banal deeds become imbued with meaning. Every turn in life carries tremendous possibilities. This is what R’ Yochanan was alluding to. This is the key to entering into the “Holy of Holies.”
R’ Simcha Zissel of Kelm was traveling with a colleague collecting money for the upkeep of his illustrious yeshiva. They stopped at a farmhouse of a Rav with whom they had known for many years. The Rebetzin was overjoyed to have such important guests. She immediately prepared a meal for them. When she served the food, R’ Simcha Zissel began asking her questions about the health of her family. He engaged her in a discussion about her chickens and cows. Meanwhile, his friend began to eat the food placed before him. R’ Simcha became irritated and called him a ganif - a thief. “How do we pay for a meal?”, he asked his friend. “She would never take money from us!” “We pay with kind words and a listening ear.” R’ Simcha Zissel lived with the reality that he was not in a world of his own. He was connected and responsible for all those who’s lives he touched.
In a similar vein, Rabbi Freifeld would admonish those who would attend weddings of fellow students and sit with their Gemaras in a corner rather than spend the evening dancing before the bride and groom. If they had understood that they were responsible for the joy of their peer, they could never allow themselves to have such a self-centered attitude.
Unfortunately, the world around us teaches us to avoid responsibility at all cost. Who wants to be tied up to anything or anyone? Comments like “It’s not my job,” “I don’t want to get involved,” are common place these days. R’ Yochanan warns us of the price we pay for such an attitude. We will be forever relegated to live our lives removed from our inner self - forced to exist in some “outer courtyard.”
Aaron went “el Hakodesh” - he entered the epicenter of the cosmos on Yom Kippur. When we live like “captains,” responsible for our lives and the lives of those around us, we too will come into contact with our essence. Our lives will be imbued with tremendous purpose and meaning and, with the help of Hashem, merit to go “el Hakodesh.”
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