Parsha:

Emor 

Collections: R' Brander 4 Minute Video Series

Description

We need to assimilate the paradigms of leadership of both the kohen and the navi into our life and weltanschauung. On the one hand, we need to celebrate the message of the kohen; the idea that there’s a certain sense of the eternality of the Jewish people when we are committed to the rituals. The kohen is the guardian of the rituals, and that’s why his holiness is based in externals: vestments and lineage. However, if the only reason why we are celebrating our Judaism is based on the past – on the continuity of rituals – then Judaism becomes a dead symbol. Therefore, it becomes the responsibility of the navi to make sure that Judaism is imbued with relevance, and is connected to day-to-day reality.