Parshat Acharei Mos Kedoshim 5783
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of the second parsha we read this week, parshat Kedoshim (Chapter 19, Pasuk 3), איש אמו ואביו תיראו ואת שבתותי תשמרו. The Torah commands in one pasuk to fear one’s parents and keep Shabbos. Rashi teaches that the juxtaposition of these two mitzvos is to teach that even though one is obligated to honor his parents, if his parent tells him to desecrate the Shabbos, he may not listen; את שבתותי תשמרו overrides the command of איש אמו ואביו תיראו. Rashi concludes by stating that even though Shabbos is specifically mentioned, this principle applies to other mitzvos as well; one may not violate the Torah in order to fulfill the command of fearing one’s parents. If so, why is it specifically Shabbos which is singled out as the paradigmatic mitzvah which may not be violated despite a command from one’s parents?
The Sfas Emes references the Gemara in Nidah 31A which teaches Shlosha Shutfim Yesh L'Adam. Each person born has three partners in his creation; his mother, his father, and Hashem. The Torah places the mitzvah of fearing one’s parents, who created him, alongside the mitzvah of acknowledging Hashem as the Creator of the world by keeping Shabbos. And though all three are partners, they are not equal partners. The word of Hashem supersedes the command of his parents.
He teaches a more fundamental relationship among the different contributions that each partner brings to one’s being and existence. The Mishnah in Avos teaches (Chapter 3, Mishnah 1), הסתכל בשלשה דברים ואין אתה בא לידי עברה; if one considers three fundamental things, he will not come to sin. דע מאין באת, ולאן אתה הולך, ולפני מי אתה עתיד לתן דין וחשבון. Know where you come from, where you are going, and before whom you will ultimately have to give judgment. Essentially, these three principles reflect the role that the three partners play, not only in one’s creation, but throughout one’s life as well.
Know where you come from, דע מאין באת, refers to the role played by one’s father. The seed of the father begins the creative process. I once heard from Rav Moshe Shapiro zt”l that this why in Lashon Hakodesh the word for father is אב; the first two letters of the alphabet. Similarly, one must develop this ability of taking the initiative of performing good deeds and doing mitzvos. The initial stage of preparing for mitzvos and beginning positive projects, is something we inherit from the father’s role in the creation of man.
The next step is, where are you going to, ולאן אתה הולך. The Mishnah continues and answers, למקום עפר רמה ותולעה. Eventually everyone returns to the dust of the earth, everyone dies. This is an allusion to the women’s role in the birthing process, the potential danger of pregnancy and birth, as the Gemara Yerushalmi teaches (Shabbos, Chapter 2, Halacha 6). The second partner in creation, the mother, brings us beyond the initial stage in the creative process. Hence the name for mother is אם, taking us further along, halfway through the alphabet.
And the way to continue this process is to remember we are all eventually returning to a state of עפר, of dust. The role of the mother in continuing the creative process is by inculcating us with humility, with the ability to submit ourselves to the will of Hashem. This notion of modesty is best exemplified by the mother, and it is her example that enables us to take the initiative we began and move our plans forward and “birthing” by subjugating ourselves to the will of Hashem.
But we accomplish nothing without the ultimate Creator. We must recall לפני מי אתה עתיד לתן דין וחשבון. It is only with the assistance of הקדוש ברוך הוא that are we able to accomplish anything. And His contribution supersedes and overrides anything that came before. It is only with Divine inspiration and Siyata Dishmaya that we achieve anything in this world. And this is why we have the mitzvah of fearing one’s parents alongside the mitzvah of Shabbos. It is a fundamental mitzvah to honor and fear one’s parents, two of his partner’s in creation. But keeping Shabbos and waiting and hoping for the Divine inspiration of Shabbos overrides all else.
Good Shabbos
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