Posted on July 11, 2022
Shalom TBAY!
Wondering what we discussed this past Shabbat? Here is a link to Friday Night’s D’Var Torah: The Ongoing Challenge of Finding and Conserving Water.
On Saturday, we discussed the ritual of the red heifer and why Aaron’s son Eleazar and not Aaron was specified as the one who must enact/oversee the ritual, whereas future High Priests were allowed to do so. Was it a punishment for Aaron participating in the sin of the golden calf? Was it because Aaron was too important to risk being defiled by the ritual? Was it because God had said that Aaron’s work had to be done in the sanctuary and this ritual would require him to leave the sanctuary to do it? Was it to show the people that Eleazar was going to be the next High Priest? We also discussed how a ritual has meaning not just in its actual act but in how it creates perceptions about the act and the people performing it. What do you think? Here is a link to the Source Sheet.
Shavua Tov!
— Rabbi Rubin : )
