Emor 5772

This week’s parsha begins: “And the L-rd said to Moshe: Speak (emor) to the Kohanim, the sons of Aharon , and say to them (v’amarta)…”

Many times when G-d tells Moshe to speak, Torah uses the Hebrew verb daber. Why does this verse twice use forms of the Hebrew verb omer?

Rashi writes: “[This double use comes] to warn (l’hazhir) the adults concerning the children.” At the literal level, the verse points to the responsibility of the adult Kohanim (Priests) to educate their children about the priestly duty to remain ritually pure. In a wider interpretation, the verse serves as an admonishment to all parents concerning our children’s education.

HaRav Elyakim Schlesinger contends that the words are repeated to advise the adult to teach the child two ways, through words and also through actions. While words sometimes fall on deaf ears, actions often speak louder than words. Therefore, the most effective means for a parent to educate a child is by setting a personal example. 

Rashi’s use of the word l‘hazhir offers insight about the nature of education. The Lubavitcher Rebbe derives meaning from an alternative translation for l’hazhir, “to illuminate.”  It shares a root with zohar, which means “shining” or “splendor”.  The Rebbe infers that while educating our children, our own souls shine in splendor.

The Rebbe teaches that to make an impression on our children, the qualities and character traits that we want to impart must shine within our own personalities.  As we instill them in our children, our positive traits become brighter and stronger.  Writes the Rebbe: “Education is not only an elder teaching a youngster; it is also an illumination for the educator.”

It is no coincidence that we read this parsha during the Hebrew month Iyar (a cognate for or, light) and that the parsha contains the mitzvah (commandment) of sefirat haOmer, to count the days of the Omer for 49 days between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot.  (Shavuot is the festival that celebrates the giving of Torah. This year, in the Diaspora, the holiday will be observed on May 27 and 28.)  During these seven weeks, we work daily and systematically on refining and polishing various aspects of our personality, until they shine.