Torah · Weekly Parasha VideoParashat KedoshimRabbi Uri Nahum · June 19, 2017 · Kedoshim · קדושים · 15 Min Parasha RoundupSave⌄ShareParasha class with Rabbi Uri Nahum, from BSD Productions’ 15 Min Parasha Roundup.Transcript0:06Parashat Kedoshim. This week's0:07parashah is the shortest parashah that we've read since Sefer0:10Bereishit. It has 64 pesukim,0:12and usually it's read together with Parashat0:15Acharei Mot as a double parashah, unless it's a leap year0:18where we read Acharei Mot and Kedoshim separately.0:22It's also the parashah with the most amount of0:26mitzvot for the number of pesukim that it has.0:28But really, it's listed as number0:32five on the most mitzvot in0:35the parashah that has the most amount of0:36mitzvot, with 510:39mitzvot. We've divided the parashah into two parts.0:42The first part of the parashah is the list of the0:44mitzvot of this week's0:46parashah, and the second part of the0:48parashah, the Torah talks about the punishments for specific sins,0:52more specifically talking about the punishments of arayot,0:55as we'll soon see.0:5651 mitzvot in this week's0:59parashah, like we mentioned,1:00131:01mitzvot aseh and 381:04mitzvot lo ta'aseh, and they number in Sefer1:05Chinuch between the mitzvah of number 2121:09until 262.1:10Let's get to the1:12parashah. I'll tell you, when we came to this1:14parashah, we had a very difficult time1:16in how to exactly arrange it.1:18Unlike all other1:19parashiyot, there was a link, there was a connection1:21between different parts.1:22Over here, the Torah seems to give us1:24random1:25mitzvot, and like we mentioned,1:28511:29mitzvot. To list all of them, to explain all of them,1:31obviously we will not have time in the 15 minutes.1:33It's not the purpose of our class. However,1:34we did arrange1:37the majority of the mitzvot into 10 categories,1:40although some may be out of order,1:42but still, I believe we covered1:44the majority that we can1:45in these 15 minutes that we have.1:47Let's begin with the introduction the Torah gives.1:50The Torah begins with a command:1:54Kedoshim tihyu, you shall be kadosh. Different explanations of what1:56kedoshim, but the idea of it is1:57that we have to live our lifestyle1:59on a higher level than all the other people,2:02as Hashem told us by Matan Torah,2:08Ve'atem tihyu li mamlechet kohanim ve'goy kadosh. You shall be a nation that's2:10kadosh, a holy nation,2:11which means,2:12the mefarshim explain, we have to live above and beyond regular people.2:15And you might say,2:17This is not humane. This is not possible.2:19Says Hashem,2:20Ki kadosh ani, I'm also2:21kadosh. If you try to emulate me,2:23to become kadosh like me,2:24I will give you the assistance,2:26the2:27siyata dishmaya, that you will be able to become2:30kedoshim, but you have to put the effort,2:31as Chazal tell us.2:32When we put our effort,2:34Hashem gives us the assistance.2:37What are the mitzvot in this week's parasha?2:40The groupings, we put them in2:44ten. Ninety percent of the list that we will list2:47is actually in the order that the parasha says it.2:49However, there is a few mitzvot here and2:52there that, in order to fit them in the ten categories,2:55we had to say them out of order.2:56Let's begin with the first category:2:58proper respect towards authority.3:00Torah tells us there's a3:01mitzvah to have awe and fear of one's parents.3:05Also, another mitzvah in this3:06category is not to curse one's parents.3:09Number three is to honor3:12talmidei chachamim, to honor scholars.3:13And number four is to have awe and fear3:16of the area of the Mikdash in3:18Yerushalayim. Even though the Beit HaMikdash is destroyed3:21and desolate, the area is desolate,3:23we still must treat it with awe and fear.3:27Second category of mitzvot is category of3:29avodah zarah. Here we find two mitzvot in the parasha.3:31Number one is that we may not look3:33or think about any idols or3:37avodah zarah. Number two is we may not own3:39or make an avodah zarah for somebody else to own.3:42The next category is one simple3:45mitzvah: not to eat3:46notar. The Torah tells us that any meat from a korban3:50eaten after the time that's prescribed in the3:54Torah is considered3:56notar, and one who eats it is punished3:58by the punishment of4:00karet. The next category of mitzvot in this week's parasha4:03are gifts to the poor, matanot4:06aniyim. Number one is peah. What is4:08peah? That is when we're harvesting our fields,4:10we're supposed to leave the end of the field4:12in all fields that we're harvesting,4:15that it should be left for the aniyim to take.4:17There's no4:19measurement in the Torah, but Chazal tell us one out of sixtieth of the field,4:23miderabbanan, a person should leave that.4:25This doesn't mean, like most people think,4:27it's the corner.4:28Peah means really the end of the field.4:30Another mitzvah in this category is the mitzvah of leket,4:33which means not to pick up any of the stalks4:36that fell during harvesting.4:37And this only applies if two or less fell from your hand.4:41If three fell, then that belongs to the owner who is harvesting.4:45The other mitzvah, very similar to leket,4:47but applies only by grapes, and that is4:49peret, which means if you have a cluster of4:51grapes at the time of picking4:52and you have some loose grapes that fell,4:54those are not supposed to be picked up;4:56those are supposed to be left4:57for the poor people to pick it up.4:59The next category of5:00mitzvot, the fifth category that we have is honesty,5:02mitzvot that deal with honesty.5:05The first one over here is not to steal.5:07There's two forms of stealing,5:08although in5:09Shulchan Aruch he brings many forms of5:10stealing, which are listed in this week's parashah.5:11They're all5:13de'oraita. Each one is a separate5:14lav, and they all speak about different forms of stealing:5:19geneivah, gezelah, which means an outright robbery, to rob a person5:22where he knows who the robber is.5:23That's called5:25gezelah. Geneivah is when a person steals5:27without the person being robbed5:28knowing that he stole from him.5:31Next, the other mitzvah in this category is5:34not to deny any money or possessions5:37that have been given to us to watch.5:40Also, another5:42mitzvah, not to swear if you5:45denied—if somebody gives you something to5:46watch and you denied it,5:47that you have it by you.5:48It's another issur to swear5:50that you don't have it.5:53Another issur in general is5:54never to swear falsely.5:56The fifth mitzvah in this category is5:58not to withhold other people's money,6:01which means even money that6:03you—let's say you purchase something6:04and you have the6:05money and you don't pay them for what you bought.6:07So that's also including this issur.6:09Another issur over here is6:11not to withhold a worker's pay.6:13If somebody worked for you6:14and he finishes his job,6:15there's a mitzvah to pay him.6:17And if you don't pay him right away6:18or the time that's prescribed to pay him,6:21that's an issur lav.6:22Another mitzvah in this category,6:24although these are6:25found towards the end of the6:26parsha, is not to measure falsely.6:28You cannot tell a person6:30that you're buying 30 pounds of6:33potatoes when it's really 29 pounds of potatoes.6:36Another one is6:37that you may not even own6:41any false measurements,6:44but really6:44the Torah gives it as a6:45mitzvat aseh over here.6:46You must have your6:48measurements to be precisely what they are,6:50what they're supposed to be,6:51meaning to say6:52a one pounder must be a one pounder.6:54Don't label it one pound6:55when it's really less than one pound.6:57The next category6:58is really for the Jewish judges,6:59and that is three over here.7:01Number one is not to7:03judge willingly against the Torah law7:05without the litigant's approval.7:08This also includes in it,7:09if the Jewish judges know7:11what the halacha is,7:12not to delay from giving7:16the ruling of the case.7:18Another mitzvah is7:19not to honor any of the7:21litigants more than the other in judgment.7:24If you see somebody who is richer,7:26you're not supposed to give him more honor7:27than the other litigant.7:29Number three is also to judge fairly.7:31This includes a mitzvah for all Jews,7:33not only judges,7:34and that is7:36dan l'chaf zechut, the famous7:37mitzvah which is giving other Jews7:39the benefit of the doubt.7:40The next category of7:42mitzvot is interpersonal7:44mitzvot. Here we have ten mitzvot in this category.7:47Number one is not to curse any Jew.7:49Number7:49two, not to knowingly give bad advice7:52to other Jews.7:53That's7:56lo titen michshol lifnei iver. Number three is not to be a gossiper.7:59Number four.8:00Not to stand idly on the side when other Jews are in need of help and you could help them.8:05Number five, not to hold hate towards other Jews in your heart.8:11Lo tisna et achicha bilvavecha. If you tell them, you're not transgressing.8:13But if you hold in your heart and you pretend to be his friend, you're doing8:17an issur d'oraita. Number six, to correct other Jews when they go against the Torah, when they're transgressing the8:24Torah. Number seven, not to embarrass other Jews,8:28even if you're trying to correct them.8:30Im mitzvot ben adam l'chaveiro, you're not allowed to embarrass them.8:33Number eight, not to take revenge.8:35Number nine is not to hold a grudge.8:37And finally, the famous mitzvah of Ve'ahavta l'reacha kamocha, to love all Jews.8:42The next category of mitzvot are8:44kilayim. Kilayim means forbidden mixtures.8:46We find four forbidden mixtures in this week's8:49parasha. Number one is not to crossbreed animals.8:51Number two is not to crossbreed trees.8:54Number three, not to plant two different plantations within a certain distance next to each other.8:59The famous one that we know about is grapes not to be planted next to wheat,9:04but really this applies even between potatoes and cucumbers.9:07There's a certain distance that they must be separate from each other.9:10And finally, not to wear9:12shatnez. Shatnez is a garment that has wool and linen in it.9:16The ninth category of mitzvot in this week's parasha are commandments regarding trees,9:23or fruit trees that is, in Eretz Yisrael.9:25Number one is orlah, which means that we may not receive any benefit from a fruit9:33from a tree that was planted within its first three years.9:36That means this fruit came from a tree that was planted within the first three years9:39is considered orlah.9:41We may not eat it.9:42This is issur d'oraita in Eretz Yisrael,9:45and it's also derabbanan outside of Eretz Yisrael,9:49in chutz la'aretz. The next mitzvah in this category is9:52neta reva'i, which means when the tree is now four years old,9:56the fruits that come out after its fourth year are supposed to be taken. to10:01Yerushalayim to be in over there by the owner.10:04Number ten, the categories, or the last category in this week's parashah,10:08is we labeled it as not to imitate the ways of the goyim.10:12As the Rambam explains, all of these mitzvot are commandments by God to distance us,10:18to make us different from the goyim.10:20Number one is, there's an10:24issur lo tenachesh v'lo te'onen. These are different forms of witchcraft.10:26Whatever they are, maybe they might not be applicable today10:29because we don't have them today, but that's what Torah forbids us to do.10:33The next two mitzvot apply only to men.10:35Number one is not to cut the sideburns,10:40lo takifu pe'at roshecha. The other one is that men only, this is only men, not to women,10:45is that they cannot cut with a blade10:51the roots of the hair on the face.10:52And this is the famous thing: you cannot shave with a razor,10:55because the razor goes deep to the roots and it cuts it from there.10:59Regarding shaving with a machine, you'll have to ask your local rabbi.11:03The other mitzvah in this category is not to have a tattoo.11:07And the Torah also warns about a certain command called11:11ma'aseh ov v'yid'oni. These are also forms of witchcraft, of magic that people used to do,11:15and that Torah forbids us, a specific form of magic.11:18And finally, the Torah concludes the whole parashah,11:21not only this first section of the parashah,11:23but the whole Torah at the end,11:25with a specific commandment telling us, warning us11:28not to go in the ways of the11:31non-Jews. And with that, we'll go on to the second half of this week's parashah,11:3627 pesukim, and they are the list of punishments for specific sins,11:42and more specifically for the arayot.11:44The Torah, as a rule, never punishes a person without first warning.11:49Meaning, if you find in the Torah anywhere that talks about a certain punishment,11:53there must be a warning. For that sin as well,11:56as we find the Gemara saying it many times11:58in Avodah Zarah, in Bava Kama as well,12:02Masechet Makkot, the Gemara will say something along these lines:12:06Onesh shamanu, azharah minayin? Okay, I see the Torah says the punishment,12:08but where do I know that it's forbidden from?12:10And then the Gemara will go ahead and tell us why this issur is forbidden.12:15So therefore, the Torah listed already for us the issurim in Parashat12:20Acharei Mot. It already told us all the relations are forbidden,12:22like we mentioned in Parashat12:24Acharei Mot. Here, the Torah tells us the punishments12:26and also includes a few other ones that are mentioned in this week's12:31parashah. Let's recategorize it by the—these are really punish—these are all these things listed over here12:37that are punishable by death.12:39But we know there's four different types of death.12:41Number one is, and we're going with the most stringent,12:44sekilah, which is what we call stoning,12:46which really means to throw a person off,12:48let's say, call it the second floor.12:50Number two is12:53sereifah, which is to place hot lead inside of a person, burning his inside.12:58Number three is13:00cherev, which is to cut off a person's head, but with a sword.13:03And finally, number four is13:05chenek, which is choking a person to death.13:08First, we'll begin with list the punishments that are punishable by sekilah, stoning.13:13Number one is all forms of13:15avodah zarah. Number two is cursing one's parents.13:17Number three is having relations with one's stepmother.13:20Number four is having relations with one's own mother.13:24Number five is having relations with one's daughter-in-law, his son's daughter.13:29Number six is homosexuality between two men.13:33And finally, number seven is bestiality, relations with animals.13:36This applies to both men and women.13:39In fact, even the animal is killed, although not necessarily by stoning.13:42The next category of punishments is13:45people are punishable by the punishment of sereifah, burning them,13:49meaning burning their insides with hot lead.13:51They're all categorized in this week's parashah by one category,13:55and that is all types of relations that have to do with a woman and her mother,14:00which includes having relations with one's own daughter, or one's granddaughter,14:04whether it's from his son or daughter,14:06or having relations even with one's stepdaughter because the person married her mother.14:10This also includes having relations with one's14:13mother-in-law because he married her daughter, which is his wife.14:16His mother-in-law would be also a mother-daughter relationship.14:19Finally, the punishment that I mentioned in this week's parasha14:22is the punishment of14:24henek, which speaks about one who has relations with another Jew's wife.14:28A person who sleeps with another Jew's wife is subject to the punishment of14:33henek, and that's how we conclude the parasha. Like we mentioned,14:35Torah concludes the parasha with the command not to imitate the ways of the goyim,14:40because that's what made Hashem kick them out of Eretz Yisrael.14:44And we come to the lesson. What are we to learn from this week's parasha?14:47Torah tells us,14:50Kedoshim tihyu, daber el kol adat Bnei Yisrael. Moshe is told, when you give the Jewish people the commandment of Kedoshim14:55tihyu, speak to all the Jewish people.14:56And Chazal tell us that Moshe gathered all the Jewish people together,15:00and he gave them this commandment.15:02Why over here did he gather all the Jewish people together?15:04To show them, to be kadosh, you don't have to be a malach.15:10You don't have to be the greatest15:12tzaddik. You don't have to be Moshe Rabbeinu.15:13You don't have to be Rabbi Shimon Bar15:14Yochai. Even a regular, simple Jew could become15:17kadosh. As Hashem told us, you'll become a goy15:19kadosh. Every single one of you could become15:21kadosh. How is that so?15:23Kadosh, the root of the word kadosh means to designate,15:25like making an animal hekdesh.15:28When a person accepts upon himself that my life is a life15:30that's designated for Hashem's commandments,15:33Hashem's services,15:35that's called15:37kadosh. And Hashem says, Ki kadosh ani.15:38I will also give you that15:40siyata dishmaya. You start with designating yourself, as Chazal tell us,15:51Mekadesh atzmo me'at, mekadishin oto harbeh l'maalah. You start a little bit,15:52and Hashem will help you along the way,15:54and you will truly become a15:56kadosh, and all together will become the mamlechet kohanim.16:00En goy kadosh. Shabbat shalom.