Shemini- Balancing Perspectives
For Year 2 of Parsha Lesson, I will be focusing on one practical middah, character trait, to think about in the week ahead and steps we can take to attain it.
Background
At the beginning of this week’s Parsha, Moshe commanded Aharon to take over as the Kohen Gadol, High Priest, and do the service of the Mishkan. For the first 7 days of the Mishkan, Moshe himself did the service of the Mishkan. On the 8th day, when the Mishkan began its regular functioning, Aharon was now commanded to take over and step into the role of Kohen Gadol.
Rashi tells us that Aharon was hesitant and embarrassed to step into this role of being the High Priest. Why? The commentators explain that since Aharon had had a role, albeit indirect, in the making of the Golden Calf, Aharon therefore felt that he was unfit for this awesome responsibility. Moshe told Aharon to ‘come and do the service, for it was for this service that you were chosen by G-d Himself.’
The R’ Henoch Leibowitz z”l explains that Moshe was framing this appointment for Aharon in a way which would encourage him to proceed with the service of the Mishkan and not be held back by his embarrassment. Moshe was setting the perspective for Aharon that despite having had some minor, inadvertent, role in the making of the Golden Calf, nevertheless Hashem chose him to be the Kohen Gadol.
The Orchos Tzaddikim tells us that embarrassment, the correct type of embarrassment, is a lofty and beautiful character trait. It encourages beautiful middos and is a tremendous tool for a person to use to attain humility, and refrain from sin. The proper embarrassment is borne from wisdom and proper knowledge.
This embarrassment, of doing such prestigious service of Hashem on behalf of the whole Jewish nation, in spite of Aharon having had some part in the making of the Golden Calf, was certainly proper and appropriate! If so, what was Moshe telling Aharon? That he was chosen by Hashem for this job!? Aharon knew that. Aharon also knew that Hashem was choosing him despite his role in the Golden Calf. And Aharon also knew that it is appropriate to be embarrassed of even a slight, inadvertent role in the tremendous sin of the Golden Calf- which Moshe was not refuting!
So what was Moshe solving?
Answer
While it was true and proper for Aharon to have this embarrassment, which Moshe did not refute, nevertheless it was not proper for Aharon to be so focused on it right now. Right now, when it was incumbent upon Aharon to step up and assume the role of Kohen Gadol, he should not be thinking of his embarrassment of having had a part of the Golden Calf.
Why? Because it was getting in the way of Aharon doing what he was commanded by Hashem to do.
Since at this moment Aharon was having difficulty focusing on the embarrassment of serving Hashem in the Mishkan as the Kohen Gadol, while also carrying out his duties as Kohen Gadol effectively, that means that this is not the right thing to focus on right now. Rather, Moshe told Aharon, just focus on the fact that Hashem chose me to do this job.
Lesson
Having the proper perspective in life does not only mean seeing things accurately and not have a skewed and inaccurate view of things. The proper perspective means to have the proper mindset which enables me to do that which I know that I need to do, to do the right thing.
There can be multiple true things that a person should focus on in any given situation, but they might not all be productive to be focused on at all times. It is therefore incumbent on a person to focus on one aspect over another in order to enable one to act appropriately. This does not mean that one is right and the other is wrong, just that one is helpful for this moment and the other is not.
First Step
The First Step is recognizing how a different perspective can really change how easy or hard it is for one to do something or to refrain from doing something. In order to be truly effective, this other perspective needs to be honest and true, not merely a trick. Tricks don’t work- particularly with one’s self. What a person needs to do is to focus on a different aspect, which is true, and see how that enables the person to behave properly.
For example, we know that it is important to love all Jewish people and how it is particularly problematic to have baseless hatred for other Jews. However, at times it is particularly difficult to adhere to this commandment. For example- when one sees another Jew acting different than those around them, so different in fact that they stick out and do not “fit in” to whichever environment they may be in, there are different possible perspectives one may have.
On the one hand this behavior may be looked at critically, and sometimes with a degree of hatred, as they are not conforming to society around them. While on the other hand this can be looked at admiringly as someone who is doing that which they believe is right- regardless of the social pressure! Focusing on one and not the other can completely transform one’s reaction and ability to act correctly.
Have a wonderful Shabbos!
Rabbi Eli Meir Kramer
