This weeks דבר תורה is לזכות רפואה שלימה ל-אברהם בייניש בן גאלדה שפרינצה.
ולאה בת חנה
And לזכר נשמת ר’ אברהם בן שמחה זצ”ל
ר’ חיים בן ר’ צבי ארי-ה זצ”ל
ור’ יחיאל יהודה בן ר’ אברהם מרדכי הכהן זצ”ל
 
In the beginning of parshas Achrei Mos the Torah discusses the avodah performed by the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. The Torah first states in reference to the פר that the Kohen Gadol offers וכפר בעדו ובעד ביתו, loosely translated to mean that it atones for himself and all his fellow kohanim. The Torah continues and speaks about the שעיר בפנים which atones for klal Yisroel. The Torah goes even further and says that the ketores atones for the every single person in klal Yisroel.
 
The apparent question is, that if the Torah states that the שעיר בפנים and the ketores atone for all of klal Yisroel then why do the kohanim need their own special korban for their atonement? Why couldn’t the regular שעיר work as a kaparah for the kohanim as well? What was lacking, that they needed their own animal for the kaparah?
 
The Meshech Chochma answers with a beautiful explanation.
 
The purpose of the שעיר פנימי was to atone for the tumas kodesh u’mikdash. Says the Mesech Chochma, regarding the laws of hekdesh and mikdash the kohanim were the ones chosen and handed over the sacred task of ensuring that everything went in order. They were entrusted to be in charge that the level of kedusha was constantly maintained in the Bais HaMikdash. If they chas v’sholom failed with their responsibility, they would be held accountable and need an extra kaparah.
 
The gemarah in Yoma states that  Shaul HaMelech did one aveira and was stripped of his status (of malchus) and lost it for his future generations, while Dovid HaMelech did two aveiros and he was NOT stripped of his status as king. What was difference between the two? The Mesech Chochma quotes the Sefer Haikrim that says that the destroying Amalek can only be done through the king and while Shaul was king, he let this opportunity slip through his hands. Since HE had the responsibility to do so and he didn’t, he was stripped of the kingship. Dovid, on the other hand, did two aveiros but neither of them were dependant on the role of being king as the case was by Shaul.
 
We see from the Mesech Chochma and the gemarah that when someone who has a responsibility and fails, the aveira is much greater than if the responsibility was ONLY nogeah through them. That is why the kohanim need an extra atonement because their aveira is related to the special tafkid given to them.
 
All of us, the bnei Torah, have a responsibility to represent and sustain kavod HaTorah and our actions have to justify that. We have to act properly and remember not to act in a way that will be mechalel shem shumayim. The reason being that we are on a higher plateau, because of the achrayos given to us to represent proper kavod haTorah.
 
May we all be zoche to prolong this vital status which will only bring us closer to see Moshiach b’karov! 
 
 א גוט שבת!                        

A special Mazel Tov to Ami Melohn, Nissan Tepper and Yefet Sharabi on their engagements. May they each be zoche to build a Bayis Ne’eman b’Yisroel. And a very special additional Mazel Tov to Mr. & Mrs. Moshe Gruber on the birth of a baby girl and Mazel Tov to their esteemed parents, Rabbi & Mrs. Gruber and Rabbi & Mrs. Shamai Goldstein. May we continue to share in each others simchos.
 
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(YWN Desk – NYC)