RABBI'S THOUGHTS: EMOR

A Shining Example

The story is told of the Rabbi who had a brother who was a doctor. One day, somebody mistakenly called the Rabbi and asked if he could make an appointment with the doctor. "You must be mistaken", said the Rabbi. "You probably want to speak to my brother. He practices - I preach."

This week's Parsha begins with the verse 'Speak to the Kohanim… and say to them..."

Rashi explains that the phrase is teaching us 'l'hazhir gedolim al hakatanim', literally to warn the elders concerning the younger ones. From this we understand that we have to take responsibility for the education of our children or, for that matter, others whom we come into contact with. We cannot just sit back, relax and expect education to 'just happen'. It takes personal effort, not just from teachers in schools or other institutions, but also from each of us. Children do, of course, learn at school, but it has to be reinforced at home, by the parents and the home environment.

The word l'hazhir comes from the word zohar, meaning 'shining'. Our efforts to educate others have a positive effect on ourselves as well as others. How is this? When we are trying to educate others, we become conscious of our own behaviour and our own character. We try to practice what we preach. In trying to impart good character traits and ideals to others, we find ourselves having to scrutinize and improve our own so as to be a 'shining example' to those we are seeking to educate and inspire. Actions speak louder than words. No amount of preaching substitutes for practice, for a 'doogmah chaya', a living example for others to follow and become inspired by.

As the Talmud tells us in the tractate Taanis, Rabbi Chanina related, "I learnt a lot from my teachers, more from my peers, but the most from my students".

By being a shining example of the values and character traits we hold dear, we find ourselves growing, becoming more conscious of our own behaviour in our efforts to impart ideas to others and we ourselves benefit in our own personal character development.

We are currently in the period between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. We count the 49 days between the two, building up to Shavuot. In Kabbalah, Jewish Mysticism, each of the days relates to the refinement of a different sefirah or mystical character trait. We are constantly working to refine ourselves. This week's Parsha reminds us of the importance of educating and sharing with others, of leading by example, and of the consequent positive effect helping others has on our own development.

Shabbat Shalom