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Newsletter            May 10, 2012 - 18 Iyyar 5772

inclusion

Displacement & Inclusion
Dedicated to Eric Hendel & Daniel Schwartz Who Live This Message    

The last time Moses met members of the blasphemer's family, he killed an Egyptian. This time he executes the blasphemer.
The Midrash connects the two famous scenes: A Jewish man caught an Egyptian having an affair with his wife, and attacked the taskmaster. Moses stepped into the scene just as the Egyptian was fighting back, and the young adopted Egyptian prince used God's name to kill the Egyptian. The gossipy Jew, and his wife pregnant with an illegitimate son, sold their story to The Memphis Enquirer. Pharaoh read the story, and Moses escaped to Midian.
Many years later, the Jews are free, living an elevated life, and establishing their lineage for the future. The illegitimate son wants to settle with his mother's tribe, and searching for justice, brings his case to Moses' court, which rules against him.
The man knows the story of that fateful day, and blasphemes the Name Moses used to kill his father. The court that ruled against the man is ordered by God to execute him.

The death sentence is pronounced by God with the general law, "A man who strikes any human being shall be put to death." A court, even when ordered by God to execute someone, must be reminded of the value of life. Moses receives the Divine message and wonders about that important scene in his past. Is God sending him a message about his killing of the Egyptian?

The first killing happened in a murderous environment. The Jewish slaves were being tortured and killed by the Egyptians. There was no justice. People were desperate. The blasphemer's execution took place in a holy environment. The nation had experienced Revelation. They camped around the Tabernacle. There was a justice system, and yet, Moses confronts a scene so powerfully connected to his killing of the Egyptian. The same family. The same Name of God. Was the connection only one of personalities, or was there still a seed of the Egyptian environment still alive even after Revelation and the construction of a House of God?

There was for one man: When the illegitimate man left Moses' tent after his unsuccessful case, he felt that he lived in a cruel environment. He could not belong to any tribe. He was displaced. He was an outsider to the holy nation just as the Jews had been outsiders in Egypt. As far as he was concerned, there was no difference between Moses pronouncing God's Name to kill the Egyptian and Moses declaring the law to displace him. Moses had failed him. The law had rejected him. Moses hears, "A man who strikes any human being shall be put to death," and realizes that he had struck the man, perhaps not with the Name of God, but in God's Name. "All those who heard the blasphemy shall lean their hands upon the blasphemer's head," as if to say, 'we are partially responsible.'

The name of this portion, "Emor," means to speak. It teaches us to create an environment that communicates with all who live within. It demands that we address the needs and issues of every individual, even the illegitimate son of an Egyptian. A community that rules by force contains the seed of the harsh Egyptian environment. A community that fails to successfully communicate its message of holiness and dignity violently strikes at the souls of those who feel excluded. A community that, in the Name of God, displaces a single person, bears responsibility for his soul.

Emor reminds us to create an environment of "A Kingdom of Priests," one that, "pursues peace and loves peace," as did the first Kohen, Aaron, who lovingly reached out to welcome each individual with peace, holiness and dignity.

Shabbat Shalom.

Rabbi Simcha L. Weinberg
President 
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