How Do We Define Ourselves? Our Relationships? Insight into Parashat Acherei Mot

How do we define ourselves or how are we defined by others? Often via our relationships. Rabbi Mimi Feigelson helps us navigate these identity issues. 

I want to invite you to take a moment and think about how you walk in the world in regard to your relationships.

Do you walk in the world as the daughter or the son of? Or maybe the grandchild of? Maybe the sibling of, the aunt of or uncle of, the parents of?

When you are asked to introduce yourself in different situations, maybe in different locations, how do you introduce yourself in regard to your family of orient?

This is especially relevant for me when we look at the opening psukim (sentences) of this parasha. Because we have Aharon and he appears twice. First of all, instead of Nadav and Avihu being named Nadav and Avihu,  שני בני אהרון , they are known as Aharon’s sons.

When God sends Moshe to speak with Aharon, he says  אהרון אחיך, go talk to Aharon, your brother.

I want to look at the moment for this image of Aharon who walks in the world on the one hand as the father of or the brother of, and yet he is the one and only enters into the ‘holy of holies’ the קודש קודשים.

בְּזֹאת יָבֹא אַהֲרֹן אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ.

And we are taught “with this Aharon enters into the holy of holies” and we are also taught,

   עבודת יום הכיפורים אינן כשרות אלא בו

Only Aharon the Cohen, only the High Priest, can fulfill the mitzvot of Yom haKippurim.

(taken from Talmud Tractate Yoma folio 12.a)

But, he doesn’t get the information from God. When it comes to speaking with God, that’s Moshe.

When it comes to serving God, that’s Aharon.

In the times that we are right now, I find that there is so much confusion and so much chaos. Who are we talking to? Who are we when we speak? Are we the parents of soldiers? Are we the grandparents of soldiers? Are we the best friends of captives, those taken into captivity?

Who are we? Based on who we are, I want to say can we identify for ourselves who we are and at different times our language will be different because of who it is that is speaking. Sometimes we are the parent of, sometimes we are the aunt of, sometimes we are the rabbi of, sometimes we are the child of.

This Shabbat, which is not a Shabbat before Pesach, it is not a Shabbat during Pesach. It is a Shabbat that stands in its own right. I want to offer that we take some time to think about how we are walking in the world right now, and the chaotic reality that we are living on both sides of the ocean.

Who are we when we speak? Who is it that we are speaking to at any given moment?

Take a moment during Shabbat to have peace and deep breath to answer those questions of how we are walking in the world right now.

Shabbat Shalom from Schechter