Achrei Mot
Next
week during Pesach, we’re going to read from Parashat Emor, Leviticus 23, which
always read during Pesach and Sukkot, and which we’ll read again during the
week of May 3 in our normal progression through the Torah. This is one of
the most oft-read sections of the Torah.
There
is one particular verse that stands out (Lev. 23:22):
וּבְקֻצְרְכֶם
אֶת-קְצִיר אַרְצְכֶם, לֹא-תְכַלֶּה פְּאַת שָׂדְךָ בְּקֻצְרֶךָ, וְלֶקֶט
קְצִירְךָ, לֹא תְלַקֵּט; לֶעָנִי וְלַגֵּר תַּעֲזֹב אֹתָם, אֲנִי ה' אֱ-לֹקיכֶם.
And
when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not wholly reap the corner of
your field, neither shall you gather the gleaning of your harvest; you shall
leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
This
verse teaches us the mitzvot of peah and leket – that we are
commanded to reserve the corner of our field to the poor, and that we are to
leave fallen sheaves for those who are less fortunate. Considering that
Biblical Israel was a predominantly agrarian society, the Torah is making a
demanding claim: that as we all collect the fruits of our labor, that we
simultaneously must keep in mind the needs of those who are less fortunate.
The
core reason why we read this on Pesach and Sukkot is because it is one of the
sections where the Torah describes what we do on the various holidays. But what
is interesting is that while this verse is specifically regarding the holiday
of Shavuot, we also read it on Pesach and Sukkot. This Torah reading announces
to us, during every yom tov (holiday), that while we must spend time and energy
on our own celebration – preparing for the seder, cleaning our homes, selling
our hametz – we simultaneously MUST ensure that we remember the needs of those
who are vulnerable in our community. We cannot solely focus on our own holiday
celebration – we must always keep in mind the needs of those who need support
in our world.
This
time of year, as we recall the freedom of our ancestors, I would like to invite
you to join me at ONE Northside’s first inaugural convention, which we are
hosting at Anshe Emet. On Sunday, May 4th, from 2:00 - 4:30 p.m., we will be
hosting a full house of 1,200 people to celebrate what ONE Northside has
already accomplished – preserving people’s rights to housing, supporting those
with mental health issues in our community, and helping to resolve major issues
of violence in our neighborhoods. And we will be taking action, working
together to continue making our community, helping all of us in our quest for
greater civil rights for all. For while we are celebrating our holidays, our
freedom, we must simultaneously work towards the freedom of everyone in our
world.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Sameach,
Rabbi David Russo
