Taste of Torah – Parasha Behar Behukotai
Prepared by Rabbi Adam Kligfeld, Senior Rabbi at Temple Beth Am
5/15/15
The midrash relates the story of Hillel the Elder who would walk with his students at the end of the class. Once his students asked him, “Rabbi, where are you going?” He replied, “To do a mitzvah.” They said back to him, “Which mitzvah?” He answered, “To take a bath in the bathhouse.” They asked him, “Is that really a mitzvah?” He answered, “Yes! After all, The Romans place statues of the kings in their theaters and their plazas. There is someone assigned to the job of wiping them down and cleaning them. He earns money by doing this! In addition, such a person becomes an important person. Now I was created in God’s image…so shouldn’t I pay at least as much attention to keeping myself clean?!”
If statues of human forms deserve such attention to cleanliness, how much more so do actual human forms? Statues are made by humans. Humans are made by God. So it is a mitzvah to take care of one’s body and to keep it clean.
What are the analogous statues of our lives, of our culture? Our cars, making sure they are nice and shiny?Our homes, ensuring that they are tidy and presentable? We polish shoes, trophies and silverware. We think of it as a mundane act. But when we polish ourselves (our insides and out) the act is elevated to mitzvah.
The midrash above is connected to the verse from Parshat Behar (Vayikra 25:25) that begins, "כי ימוך אחיך/ Ki yamukhahikha/When your kinsman is in straits..." regarding a situation where you must help a relative if s/he is in financial distress. You must such a kinsman them from his/her difficulty. The midrash responds that such dignity begins with self. And making oneself clean and fit is the first step towards being alert to others who may be in need of our attention.
Therefore it comes as no coincidence that we clean, and preen and present ourselves beautifully for Shabbat. Dressing up for Shabbat is an act of holiness. The seemingly picayune halakhot about having to wash our bodies, cut our nails and dress our best for Shabbat now emerge as part of Judaism's concern that we take ourselves, and appearances, seriously. This is not about vanity, but rather about dignity.
On Shabbat, we come closer to God, who is our Maker, and the original form of our beings. And so on Shabbat we tend to ourselves, polish ourselves, so that we can present ourselves to God in the most beautiful of ways.
May such an approach to self extend to all of our days.
Shabbat shalom