On Monday night, May 12, Rabbi Mashiach Kelaty, a well-known speaker, delivered a shiur at the Beth Gavriel Center, hosted by Chazaq.
Rabbi Kelaty began by explaining that, sometimes in life, we find ourselves on a precipice – and we must jump. Then, either Hashem catches us, or He teaches us to fly. When we face trials, we must understand that they are steppingstones for our growth. Sometimes we will understand the reason; other times, we may never know it. Every challenge is Hashem opening a corridor for us.
He referenced last week’s parshah, which teaches: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart.” Why is the heart specifically mentioned? Because the heart is our essence; it contains our values and opinions. Don’t hate your brother just because he has a different heart from yours. None of us are exactly the same, not even identical twins. We tend to build barriers with those who are different from us, especially those we don’t know well.
He noted how Jewish people often play “Jewish geography” and discover mutual friends, acquaintances, or even relatives. Rabbi Kelaty shared that he recently discovered that he is a cousin of Daniel Agalar, founder of StoriesToInspire.org.
“At the end of the day,” Rabbi Kelaty said, “we are all one people. We must stop judging each other and not reject someone just because he or she is different.”
He then discussed Parshas Emor. The pasuk uses the words emor and v’amarta, which share the same Hebrew root. Why are both terms used? One refers to adults, and the other to children. Kohanim, who perform the avodah in the Beis HaMikdash, are held to a higher standard. The Torah is teaching us that we have a responsibility to guide others – and that includes knowing how to instruct with gentleness.
Amirah (as in Emor) is a soft way of speaking, in contrast to dibur, which is harsher. In Sefer B’reishis, where the world is created through Elokim, the language used is dibur, reflecting strict judgment.
A kohen must recognize that his role in the Beis HaMikdash is a privilege, not something to take for granted. Miracles were routine in the Temple: For example, the smoke from the offerings rose straight upward, and the meat never attracted flies.
Rabbi Kelaty emphasized that the Jewish people are the kohanim of the world. We are the chosen nation, and with that privilege comes great responsibility.
He raised another question: The pasuk says to “guard the mitzvos and do them.” Guarding the mitzvos means not violating them; doing them means not waiting passively but actively seeking out opportunities to fulfill them.
Rabbi Kelaty stressed the importance of making a kiddush Hashem – to show the world how special and unique we are.
He concluded with a powerful story: A boy in a small town was preparing for his bar mitzvah. The father wanted a lavish celebration on a cruise ship. But the boy, who had been learning with the town’s rabbi, preferred a simple bar mitzvah in the local shul, like the other boys in the community. The father confronted the rabbi, upset that he had influenced the boy. The rabbi explained that he had not influenced him at all. He simply noted that setting such a precedent could create competition and take away from the holiness of the milestone. In the end, the father agreed to the simpler bar mitzvah. It turned out that the cruise ship he had originally chosen was the Titanic.
