An Appreciation of Mother's Gifts - The Pulpit's Gift to Mothers (1952)

View Text View Original

The institution of Mother’s Day is predicated on the fact that one good turn deserves another; that mothers, as a general group, bequeath certain gifts to their children, for which they deserve gifts in return. These gifts of mothers are universally acknowledged and acclaimed, but in reality are little understood. Let us, therefore, this morning, attempt to appreciate and evaluate mother’s gifts to her children, and let that appreciation be this pulpit’s gift to all mothers.

Jewish Mothers: Part II, The Tragic Dimension (1969)

In our last sermon on Jewish Mothers, we discussed motherhood as the supremely creative act of humankind, and the attendant concepts of kedushah and tum’ah. Today we shall deal with more contemporary problems, especially with the partial displacement of the classical role of the Jewish Mother by a competing type of matron and, concomitantly, a growing literature subjecting the image of the Jewish Mother, heretofore sacrosanct, to criticism – sometimes funny, sometimes vulgar, always withering. I confess to a certain apprehension in proceeding with this sermon, for two reasons.

Emor

The Kohen Today (1962)

In an important essay published not too long ago, Dr. Samuel Belkin, President of the Yeshiva University, presented a creative insight into the understanding of the commandments of the Torah. There is a great literature on taamei ha-mitzvot, the reasons for the commandments. What Dr. Belkin has proposed is a fundamental distinction between the “Reason” for a mitzvah and the “Purpose” of the commandment. The reason is historical, it is something about which man may speculate and conjecture; but ultimately it is known with certainty only to G-d Himself. Actually, the reason for legislating a mitzvah does not make too much difference; it is of little consequence to man. What is of importance, however, is the Purpose of the mitzvah. Here man must always ask himself: what is it the Torah wants me to accomplish as a result of performing this mitzvah? The Reason for a mitzvah remains the same through all eternity, although it may always remain unknown to man. The Purpose may change from generation to generation, from culture to culture, from society to society. While the Reason is divine, the Purpose is human – and, therefore, while all of us observe the same mitzvot in the same manner, each observance may mean something subtly different for each individual person. Hence, while it may be fruitless to inquire into the Reason for a mitzvah, it is most worthwhile to investigate the Purpose of the Mitzvot.It is in this spirit that we may ask a fundamental question about the teachings of this morning’s Sidra. And that is, what is the purpose of the institution of Kehunah, the hereditary Priesthood, for modern Jews living in a free and democratic society? Centuries ago, in the days of the Temple, the Kohen was a most important functionary in the religious life of the country. It was he who officiated at the sacrificial rites in the Temple. He was supported by an elaborate system of tithes, and so forth. Today, the Kohanim, descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses, are disting…

Emor

The Sons of Aaron: And the Daughters and Family and Friends (1974)

There is so much happening this week that invites comment from the pulpit – Watergate, the travels of Secretary Kissinger in the Middle East, and the conference of Jewish Women's Lib organizations, to name but a few of these urgent events. But I prefer to take vacation from such burning, relevant issues and, instead, to "talk Torah," untimely though that may be. I refer to the commandment at the beginning of this week's Sidra, which forbids the kohanim (members of the priesthood) to "defile themselves" by contact with the dead. The Torah permits them, however, to attend to the interment of their closest relatives, seven in number. I have always been bothered by this Biblical prohibition for kohanim to have any contact with a corpse. After all, Judaism regards this as hessed shel emet, and therefore a very noble mitzvah – why, therefore, should a Kohen, whose life should ideally be dedicated to the service of God, be denied such a spiritual opportunity? It has been suggested that the reason the Torah forbids the kohanim to have contact with the dead is specifically to protest against the culture of Egypt, from which our people came, in which the priests were so involved with the dead that they were in effect the professional religious undertaking class. But that answer does not satisfy me. Perhaps the Egyptians overdid it, but that is no reason for us to overreact and go to the opposite extreme. Furthermore, whatever the reason may be that he is forbidden to have contact with the dead, why was an exception made in the case of the kohen’s immediate family? And, if kohanim should indeed be prohibited to touch a corpse, why does not the same prohibition devolve on the female kohanim? One more question: why is the commandment given specifically to ha-kohanim benei Aaron, "the priests, the sons of Aaron?" Surely we all know that the kohanim are the descendants of Aaron! I suggest that the last question can be used to answer the others. If we want to understand the Tora…

Emor