Rabbi Marc D. Rudolph

Our Torah reading for this week opens with the words: “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: A priest shall not defile himself among his people.” The Torah then prohibits priests from coming into contact with the dead, except for seven close relatives — wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and unmarried sister.

The rabbis read this verse homiletically. The priests were responsible not only for the sanctuary but also for teaching and guiding the people. When the time came to admonish the Israelites or call them back to a better path, the Torah warns each priest: “You shall not defile yourselves among the people.”

In other words: When you stand to rebuke your community, be careful not to corrupt yourself — not with arrogance, not with spiritual pride, and not with teachings that are empty or self-serving. A priest must cultivate humility and compassion, especially when telling people they are going astray.

The Rabbis then add another layer of interpretation addressing the question of why the verse tells Moses to both “speak” and “say”.  Although the source of the Kohen’s holiness is his descent from Aaron, he must also strive to become holy through his own actions. Therefore Scripture says: “Speak to the Kohanim, the children of Aaron…” — teaching that it is not enough to rely on lineage alone. “…and say to them” — this is directed to them personally — that they are obligated to purify themselves and rise to a higher level of holiness through their own merits and efforts, rather than assuming their ancestry will accomplish this for them.

The Torah’s charge to the Kohanim reminds us that leadership—whether in a synagogue, a classroom, a business, or a family—requires inner work before outer instruction. We cannot guide others from a place of power or inherited status. When we do first do our spiritual work and then instruct, we elevate not only ourselves, but everyone around us.

Shabbat Shalom

Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.com