5-Bullet Friday: Parshas Shemini

~ Torah Parallels ~
5-Bullet Friday

This week is Parshas Vayikra! Check out this week's d'var torah here.

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Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday, a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week:
:

  • Question I'm pondering (on the parsha): Prosecutor and defendant. Rashi (Vayikra 9:2) writes that Hashem commanded Aharon to take a calf as a karbon to grant an atonement for partaking in the cheit Ha'Eigel (sin of the golden calf). How could this be a proper atonement for Aharon if we know that there is a principle of ein k'teiger na'aseh sneiger (that one does not get the prosecutor to be the defendant)?
  • Concept I am considering: “...Haba litaher, misayin oso”. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (1:4) discusses the halacha to wake up in the morning strong like a lion along with the struggles one may have with the yetzer harah in both the winter and summer months to wake up early. The Kitzur advises that if one commits himself to practice 4-5 times waking up early, one could easily become accustomed to the schedule and mindset. The Kitzur then ends with a concept mentioned in Gemara Yoma (38b) that, “…One who makes in effort to purify himself is assisted (by Hashem) in his efforts. Trying itself is more than an element of success, it helps further success.
  • Hashkafic idea I'm reflecting on: Author of the Torah. This week’s parsha discusses some of the laws of kashrus, specifically which animals are defined as kosher and which are not. The Torah states that only domesticated animals that chew their cud and have split hooves are kosher. The Torah then proceeds to list an exclusive list of three animals which chew their cud but do not have split hooves (camel, hyrax, and hare), and one that has split hooves but does not chew its cud (pig). It is no surprise that the Author of the Torah had such knowledge to confidently write that these are the only animals in the world that meet these characteristics, because the Torah is authored by Hashem. The Sifrei in Re’eh (102) comments: Was Moshe a world zoologist or a hunter that he would know that these are the only four animals that have only one of the kosher signs; from here we have a response to those who try to claim that the Torah is not from Heaven.    
  • Middah on my mind: Transparency. As mentioned above, the pig only has one kosher sign – it has split hooves but does not chew its cud. In a sense, although Rashi comments from the fact that these animals with one sign are not kosher that kal v’chomer those with no signs are not kosher, the pig is the worst of them all because it alone has the sign of having split hooves but not chewing its cud. In other words, the pig gives off the external impression of being kosher, while it is missing the internal piece. Self-transparency and consistency is key to being an honest and real person. The Gemara Berachos 28a relates that Rabban Gamliel used to announce in his Yeshiva that “any talmid who is not “tocho k’boro” (inside matching the outside) is not permitted in the beis medrash”.  
  • Part of Tefillah I'm concentrating on: As
  • hrei. “Gadol Hashem...” The Radak writes that if a person thinks he could give his own praises to Hashem, one would be greatly mistaken. Hashem’s greatness and praises goes well beyond what we could comprehend, think, or speak. We are left with utilizing the tools of tefillah from the Anshei kneses hagadol and chazal through our mesorah but anything more than that is actually limiting.  
What's on your mind? 

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

Parallely yours, 

Daniel

P.S:
  • New thing I am trying: Monthly inventory. End-of periods are a good time to take personal inventory. Daily reviews are simple as it is easy enough to reflect on the day and think about what you did. However, although daily reflection is optimal for consistency checks, it is not a long enough duration to determine measurable success. Annual reviews are necessary as well and it is easy to look back and see either success or failure over the course of the year, however annual reviews do not help guide one towards consistency; the reason why “resolutions” tend not to last too long. This is why monthly personal reviews are really great, stopping to reflect on a monthly basis how you scored in terms of meeting goals and achieving growth across the different categories of your life (example: self, family, work) and the layers of sub-categories beneath those verticals. Challenge: Choose goals across a couple of categories and each month measure your success towards those goals and commit how to fine-tune it for the upcoming month. Are monthly’s too distant for checkups? Try weekly’s! Too close together? Try quarterly’s!  
Have comments or thoughts on this week's bullets? Have other random thoughts on your mind? Send an email to torahparallels@gmail.com. Thank you!

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