Parshas Acharei Mos: Ketores, Lashon Hara and Arayos
- In Parshah
- Drasha
AI summary (may contain mistakes)
How far does lashon hara reach? Its kapara on Yom Kippur goes all the way into the Kodesh HaKodashim, deeper than a Kohen Gadol's chet. In parshas arayos we learn, through a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, that nothing coming from Hashem is bad at its root. Some taivos, like those of Mitzrayim, are left behind.
Key points
- The Chofetz Chaim teaches that the deeper inside a kapara is done, the further the aveira reached.
- A source in the Shmiras HaLashon footnotes ties Yom Kippur's extra-fine ketores to avak lashon hara.
- The Beis HaLevi says Hashem accepts the shofar's pure sound because lashon hara has stained our speech.
- Channeling a taiva toward kedusha is a higher avodah, though dangerous, so in practice we turn away.
- The Bach reads bikdusha uvtahara in Al HaMichya as the eater becoming holy through Eretz Yisrael's fruit.
