Parshat Acharei Mos
In 18:21 the Torah warns us of passing our children through the fires of Molech, as a form of idol worship.
The Torah just listed numerous details of the prohibitions of עריות, then it throws in this passuk of idol worship, then it continues with a few more of עריות before it moves on to other topics.
What is the connection? Why in the middle of all this עריות do we throw in the idol worship verse?
The only connection I can think of is that among the commentaries we often find explained (commonly by the Golden Calf for example) how עריות and idol worship are very much connected. We do not understand idol worship that well, because the gemara tells us that the Great Men of Assembly cancelled the desire for idol worship due to what they saw as an increased threat, we often find idol worship going hand in hand with licentiousness.
That could be the reason for the proximity of the psukim here.
Anybody have an explanation?
Showing posts with label acharei mos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acharei mos. Show all posts
Thursday, April 26, 2007
who would eat blood anyway?
Parshat Acharei Mos
in 17:10-14, we have a span of 5 psukim in which the Torah tells us 5 times not to eat blood and another 3 times that someone who does eat blood will be cut off from Israel.
Isn't that a bit much? Why the need to repeat it so much? Especially considering the general revulsion people have to eating blood - almost nobody eats blood, so why repeat it so much?
Maybe because the severity of eating blood is so high because of its relation to the soul - כי הדם הוא הנפש.
Anybody have a good explanation?
in 17:10-14, we have a span of 5 psukim in which the Torah tells us 5 times not to eat blood and another 3 times that someone who does eat blood will be cut off from Israel.
Isn't that a bit much? Why the need to repeat it so much? Especially considering the general revulsion people have to eating blood - almost nobody eats blood, so why repeat it so much?
Maybe because the severity of eating blood is so high because of its relation to the soul - כי הדם הוא הנפש.
Anybody have a good explanation?
death in the Holies
Parshat Acharei Mos
In 16:2 Hashem tells Moshe to tell Aharon. "ואל יבא בכל עת אל הקדש...ולא ימות" - that he cannot just walk into the Holy of Holies whenever he wants... and he will not die.
Rashi adds that this is so he should not die the way his sons died.
His sons died because they brought unauthorized sacrifices in the Holy. They did not just walk in. Also over there the commentaries search for alternative explanations that were the cause of their deaths. Such as they decided halacha in front of Moshe, or they entered the Holy while inebriated, etc.
So how does this warning compare to the death of Ahaon's sons?
The only answer I can think of offhand is that it is referring to the method of death. The punishment would be the same even though the offense is different (slightly).
In 16:2 Hashem tells Moshe to tell Aharon. "ואל יבא בכל עת אל הקדש...ולא ימות" - that he cannot just walk into the Holy of Holies whenever he wants... and he will not die.
Rashi adds that this is so he should not die the way his sons died.
His sons died because they brought unauthorized sacrifices in the Holy. They did not just walk in. Also over there the commentaries search for alternative explanations that were the cause of their deaths. Such as they decided halacha in front of Moshe, or they entered the Holy while inebriated, etc.
So how does this warning compare to the death of Ahaon's sons?
The only answer I can think of offhand is that it is referring to the method of death. The punishment would be the same even though the offense is different (slightly).
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