Dvar Torah for Parshas Emor

       While the overall tone of Parshas Emor is celebratory, the ending is anything but. A big part of this week’s parshah discusses many details concerning the chagim; in fact, parts of this week’s parshah are read on the various holidays. However, the parshah’s ending does not give much cause to celebrate.

       “וַיֵּצֵא בֶּן אִשָּׁה יִשְׂרְאֵלִית וְהוּא בֶּן אִישׁ מִצְרִי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּנָּצוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה בֶּן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִית וְאִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי” “And the son of the Jewish woman, who was the son of an Egyptian man, went out among the people of Israel. And they fought in the camp, the son of the Jewish woman and the Jewish man.” (Vayikra 24:10). The Torah itself does not give too many details, but the story is that these two men, one with a non-Jewish father, got into a fight in the middle of the camp. The pesukim go onto describe how the “son of the Jewish mother” used Hashem’s name in vain in a way that warranted death. The parshah ends with the details of his execution.

       While this is not a happy story, as always, the reason the Torah writes it down is to teach us a valuable lesson. The Kli Yakar asks a simple question, how come the Torah does not use the names of either of these two men, instead using pronouns based on their parents’ lineage? He explains that anyone who would rush into a fight like this obviously is not someone well-known for their great and noble deeds. Because of their actions, not only are there names not written, but their parents names are not written as well! Such is the effect of their fighting. The only thing they have left is their yichus, their lineage of the Jewish people, and that’s what’s mentioned in the Torah.    

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Emor

I apologize for the shortness of the Dvar Torah, I was a little under the weather this Thursday. BH, next week we will be back to full length Dvar Torah!

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