Say to the priests, children of Aaron, telling them not to be defiled for anyone among their people. (Lev. 21:1)
RaSHI comments: "This is to warn the greater ones [the priests] concerning those who are lesser [ketanim] than themselves..."
Every one of Israel surely contains the entire Torah. This includes the sacrificial rites, even though they were performed only by the priests. They exist within every Jew, as in "Whoever studies the burnt offerings, it is as though he had offered one" (b. Menahot 110a).
Every worshipper is called a "priest." Indeed, when there is no kohen present in the synagogue, an ordinary Israelite can be called in his place. Rav [a third-century sage], we are told, read the portion assigned to the kohen, even when there was one present (b. Megillah 22a), since everyone who serves God is called a kohen.
We read in the Mishnah tractate Avot (1:12): "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them near to Torah." What does it mean to "love and pursue peace"? It is as the prophet taught: "If he will hold fast to My strength, he will make peace for Me; peace will he make for Me" (Is. 27:5). When you hold fast to God's Torah ("strength," 'oz] and service, you bring about peace in the upper "family," the heavenly forces, and that perforce brings about peace in the [earthly] family below. The master asks how we do this, and the answer is by "loving people and bringing them near to Torah."
All the worlds were created through the twenty-two letters of the alphabet. Through Torah the world was created, and by Torah it is maintained. When you study Torah for its own sake in any particular generation, you uplift and draw the world close to its source, which is Torah. Of Torah we read: "All her pathways are peace" (Prov. 3:17). Thus peace is made among the heavenly forces above, causing peace in the lower family as well, and there will be no war.
This is all of human existence: we were created only so that blessed Y-H-W-H would have pleasure. Why would anyone not do the will of our Creator? This could only stem from a lack of religious awareness. We read: "Know the God of your father and serve Him" (1 Chron. 28:9). Without that awareness, whom could one serve? But should you [despair and] say, "What can I do? I have no such awareness," that is not really the case. We see that your mind does have awareness for things of this world, it is just in a lower state (katnut), not turned upward toward our blessed Creator. You need to use that same mind to become aware of God.
This is Say to the priests, children of Aaron. Those who serve God should be children of Aaron, disciples of the one who makes peace in both the upper and lower worlds. Telling them, with RaSHI's comment, that they are indeed "greater ones." We see that they do have mind or awareness for worldly matters. So we need to "warn them concerning...the lesser [state of mind.]" If your mind remains small or childish, even if you are seventy years old you may be considered a child. You have not yet developed the awareness to serve Y-H-W-H. Raise up that small mind of yours! How long will you leave it that way? Rise up and use your mental powers to draw near to God.
RaSHI comments: "This is to warn the greater ones [the priests] concerning those who are lesser [ketanim] than themselves..."
Every one of Israel surely contains the entire Torah. This includes the sacrificial rites, even though they were performed only by the priests. They exist within every Jew, as in "Whoever studies the burnt offerings, it is as though he had offered one" (b. Menahot 110a).
Every worshipper is called a "priest." Indeed, when there is no kohen present in the synagogue, an ordinary Israelite can be called in his place. Rav [a third-century sage], we are told, read the portion assigned to the kohen, even when there was one present (b. Megillah 22a), since everyone who serves God is called a kohen.
We read in the Mishnah tractate Avot (1:12): "Be of the disciples of Aaron, loving peace and pursuing peace, loving people and bringing them near to Torah." What does it mean to "love and pursue peace"? It is as the prophet taught: "If he will hold fast to My strength, he will make peace for Me; peace will he make for Me" (Is. 27:5). When you hold fast to God's Torah ("strength," 'oz] and service, you bring about peace in the upper "family," the heavenly forces, and that perforce brings about peace in the [earthly] family below. The master asks how we do this, and the answer is by "loving people and bringing them near to Torah."
All the worlds were created through the twenty-two letters of the alphabet. Through Torah the world was created, and by Torah it is maintained. When you study Torah for its own sake in any particular generation, you uplift and draw the world close to its source, which is Torah. Of Torah we read: "All her pathways are peace" (Prov. 3:17). Thus peace is made among the heavenly forces above, causing peace in the lower family as well, and there will be no war.
This is all of human existence: we were created only so that blessed Y-H-W-H would have pleasure. Why would anyone not do the will of our Creator? This could only stem from a lack of religious awareness. We read: "Know the God of your father and serve Him" (1 Chron. 28:9). Without that awareness, whom could one serve? But should you [despair and] say, "What can I do? I have no such awareness," that is not really the case. We see that your mind does have awareness for things of this world, it is just in a lower state (katnut), not turned upward toward our blessed Creator. You need to use that same mind to become aware of God.
This is Say to the priests, children of Aaron. Those who serve God should be children of Aaron, disciples of the one who makes peace in both the upper and lower worlds. Telling them, with RaSHI's comment, that they are indeed "greater ones." We see that they do have mind or awareness for worldly matters. So we need to "warn them concerning...the lesser [state of mind.]" If your mind remains small or childish, even if you are seventy years old you may be considered a child. You have not yet developed the awareness to serve Y-H-W-H. Raise up that small mind of yours! How long will you leave it that way? Rise up and use your mental powers to draw near to God.
Ah, what a world he describes! Every worshipper--in all the world's traditions--becoming a true disciple of Aaron, a lover and bringer of peace both "above" and "below"!