(From the teachings of Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef ztvk”l)
(written by his grandson HaRav Yaakov Sasson Shlit”a)
(translated by our dear friend Rav Daniel Levy Shlit”a, Leeds UK)
Exploring Why the Torah Chose the Prohibition of Cohanim not Having Contact With the Dead to Highlight the Importance of Educating Children, and the Mitzvah of Observing Shabbat
It states in this week’s Parashah, “Hashem told Moshe to declare the following to Aaron’s descendants, the cohanim, you shall say to them: Let no [cohen] defile himself [by contact with] the dead among his people” (Vayikra 21:1). Meaning, that it is forbidden for the cohanim to become impure through the dead, not to enter into six feet of the dead or to be in the same house or room as the dead.
Our chachamim (Yevamot 114a) analysed the double terminology of the passuk “to declare to the cohanim”, and further stated, “you shall say to them”. What does this repetition imply? Our chachamim explain that here the Torah taught us the principle of “the older one must enthuse the younger ones”, “say – and you shall say”. Instruct the cohanim that in turn they shall also inform the younger cohanim, the children, that they not become defiled by the dead. From here we learn a general principle, the obligation to educate the young children, “Train the youth according to his way; even when he grows old, he will not swerve from it” (Mishlei 22:6).
However, it must be understood why specifically in this area, regarding the prohibition of contact with the impurity of the dead, did the Torah see it fit to teach us the mitzvah of educating the youth that the older enthuse the younger? Couldn’t the Torah have taught us this amongst other mitzvot?
The idea is as follows. At the time of our ancestors they all observed the Torah. For example, no one would even dream that a Jew somewhere in the world would desecrate the Shabbat. Such a thing never existed in the world. Even 130 years ago, [the Turkish Chief Rabbi] Rav Hayyim Palagi z”l (1788-1868) testified that in all of the Middle Eastern countries there wasn’t one Jew who broke Shabbat! They were all tzaddikim! Until these wicked people infiltrated from other lands and corrupted the Sefaradim! They endangered the Sefaradim who followed them, “they pursued futility, and became futile” (Yirmiyahu 2:5). But in the earlier generations, there was no such thing as this. Every child would grow up and see that everyone was observing Shabbat. No shop was open on Shabbat, they were all tzaddikim, they all went to the Bet HaKenesset, they all prayed. If so, it was almost “automatic” that a child was drawn after their environment. They would see that everyone made kiddush, therefore they too made kiddush. So there wasn’t a need to say to them, “make kiddush”!
There was only one area where there was a challenge and this was impurity of the dead. A child who was a cohen would see that during a funeral everyone would try to get close to the person who had passed away. They all wanted to raise the bier with their hands in order to participate in burying the dead. For this is a great mitzvah to accompany the dead, “true kindness”. They would see elderly men, rabbanim and talmidei chachamim, all holding the bier in order to merit this mitzvah. If so, the child would think to themselves, this is a mitzvah! This isn’t a sin! They don’t know that there is a distinction between cohanim and the yisraelim.
Therefore the Torah taught the cohanim to pay attention to your children, explain to them that all these who approach the deceased are yisraelim but you, are a cohen, and it is forbidden to a cohen to come within six feet of the dead. A cohen is obligated to guard himself from all dangers of this prohibition. This is the unique reason that the Torah saw it appropriate to warn cohanim specifically regarding the impurity of the dead.
However, in our times, due to our many sins, there are those who publicly desecrate Shabbat. A few years ago, when we would see a car travelling on Shabbat, we would say to a child that the person travelling in the car is a Gentile. They aren’t Jewish. But today, if we walk in the streets of Rechavya, it is all full of cars on Shabbat and all of them travelling unashamedly. If so, what shall we tell a child? That they are all Gentiles? How would so many Gentiles have come here? The child knows that these aren’t Gentiles. They are Jews, and they are desecrating Shabbat.
Therefore we must explain to the children that “There powers [i.e. their god] are not like our Mighty One” (Devarim 32:31), know child that these are Jews but they are sinners. This is a serious sin, which has the punishment of stoning. Therefore, “My child, do not walk on the way with them, withhold your feet from their pathways” (Mishlei 1:15). One must speak with a child about good things in order to educate them in the ways of the Torah and for them to know that both tzaddikim and wicked people exist, and they should follow the ways of the tzaddikim.
Each person must explain comprehensively to their children that they distance themselves from these sinners. If they have a neighbour who desecrates Shabbat and takes their children in their car to the beach on Shabbat, they must explain to the child telling them, know that these unfortunate ones. These children didn’t sin but their father or grandfather is wicked and are considered like a Gentile. This is what is written by the Rema z”l (rav Moshe Isserles 1530-1572) in the Shulchan Aruch that one who desecrates Shabbat is classed as a Gentile [see Bet Yosef YD 119 and Rema YD 124:9]. If they touch wine, it is forbidden wine (yayin nesech) and forbidden to be drunk! In this way the child will draw their own appropriate conclusions and they will know to follow the paths of the tzaddikim.
So it is, due to our sins, that we have this situation in our time, until mashiach will come as then they will all return through repenting, as it states, “A redeemer will come to Zion, and of those of Yaakov who repent from wilful sin” (Yeshayahu 59:20). HaKadosh Baruch Hu will be sensitive to redeem us a complete redemption, “for the earth will be filled with knowledge of Hashem as water covering the sea bed” (ibid. 11:9), speedily in our days, Amen.
Shabbat Shalom
