CANTOR’S CORNER

Cantor Eyal Bitton shares a few thoughts on prayer and the parasha of the week.

2023-05-06 Parashat Emor

In the Friday evening “Hashkiveinu” prayer, we ask God to protect us from harm and to grant us a peaceful night’s sleep. When we ask for protection, we mean protection from physical harm as well as emotional harm. We can be injured emotionally by the words people use, by being mistreated, by being taken advantage of, by being lied to, and, in addition to many others, by being rejected. We want acceptance. We need acceptance. To be accepted, there must be a recognition that we are all flawed and in need of protection, regardless of our differences.

 

This sentiment of acceptance is reflected in this week’s Parashat Emor, where we read about the restrictions placed upon priests with physical defects in Leviticus 21:7-18. The priests with such defects were not allowed to offer sacrifices, and their imperfections were seen as a barrier to serving God in the Temple.

 

However, the rabbis in the Talmud mitigated this exclusion by placing these flawed people in the context of communities that were inclusive and accepting. In Megillah 24b:12-13, Rav Huna says that the Gemara rules that, while a priest with runny eyes cannot recite the Priestly Benediction, a particular priest / Cohen  was allowed to because “That priest was a familiar figure in his town. Since the other residents were accustomed to seeing him, he would not draw their attention during the Priestly Benediction”.  Rabbi Yohanan cites exactly the same story regarding a priest who was blind. In both cases, priests with imperfections were still allowed to perform their duties as long as they were familiar figures in their communities. This familiarity helped the congregation see beyond the imperfection and allowed the priest to perform their duties without drawing undue attention.

 

The lesson we can draw from this is clear: acceptance of our differences is essential to building inclusive and accepting communities. We need to recognize that everyone has their own imperfections, but these should not be a barrier to participation or service. Rather, we should focus on creating an environment where people feel valued and respected for who they are, regardless of their flaws.

 

This lesson is particularly relevant in our modern world, where differences are often used to create division and discord. Whether it’s race, gender, religion, or any other characteristic, our differences can be weaponized to exclude and marginalize others. But if we learn from the rabbis in the Talmud, we can build a more inclusive society, one that values and accepts all people, regardless of their differences.

 

We can all strive to be better people, but we must start by accepting ourselves and others for who we are, flaws and all, for what matters most is our shared humanity and the content of our character. This is the key to building a society that is truly accepting and inclusive, where everyone is valued for their unique contributions.