D’Var Torah By: Rabbi Andy Gordon

This Shabbat, we arrive, smack dab in the middle of the Torah. The double portion Acharei Mot-Kedoshim includes the Holiness Code which serves as the very heart of the Torah. The Holiness Code is the ethical foundation that describes our vision of how we must act as a Jew and as a human being. The Holiness Code introduces us to concepts like leaving portions of crops for the “poor and the stranger” (Leviticus 19: 10) and reinforces the importance of dealing honestly with each other, promptly paying employees, respecting those who are blind or deaf, and treating others with compassion (Leviticus 19:11,13-14,18). How powerful are these laws and rules! They serve as the very bedrock of who we are as moral and ethical people. These laws in Achrei Mot-Kedoshim lay out a path for us to follow. There is a right way and wrong way to live our lives; we must follow the correct path. It’s not always easy to follow these laws and mitzvot. But the following law can be especially challenging: “Reprove your kin but incur no guilt on their account” (Leviticus 19:17). The Torah requires us to rebuke those who commit a wrong.  What, then, is our responsibility when our family, neighbors, or even our world leaders commit an immoral act? What is our obligation to “rebuke them” and make sure that they travel down the right path? One answer can be found in Shabbat 54b in the Talmud. The rabbis share a powerful story about Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya and his cow. Each Shabbat, the cow would go out into the field with a strap between its horns. This was a violation of the laws of Shabbat: an animal should never work on Shabbat. The rabbis were perplexed by this story. Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya was a very famous and pious rabbi. You might recognize his name from the Passover Haggadah. How could Rabbi Elazar flout the law? In addition, the rabbis were also shocked that Rabbi Elazar only had one cow. The Talmud says, “Rabbi Elazar’s cow,” but the rabbis asked, “Didn’t Rabbi Elazar have thousands of cows? Why is this cow specifically named?” The answer given by our sages is that Rabbi Elazar did not actually own this cow.  It was in fact, his neighbor’s cow. But because Rabbi Elazar didn’t protest his neighbor’s conduct, Rabbi Elazar was named as the cow’s owner to discredit him. Rabbi Elazar did not necessarily have any responsibility for the cow’s conduct because he was not its owner. However, the great sage saw his neighbor flout the law and did nothing. He put up his hands and said, “Not my problem!”  According to the rabbis, it was indeed his problem. For hundreds of years after this incident, Rabbi Elazar’s name was besmirched because he didn’t speak up against another person’s actions. Directly afterwards, the rabbis share this famous statement:
“Anyone who has the capability to protest the conduct of the members of their household but does not protest, they too are culpable. Anyone who has the capability to protest the conduct of the people of their town but does not protest, they too are culpable. Anyone who has the capability to protest the conduct of the whole world but does not protest, they too are culpable.” (Shabbat 54b)
Leviticus is quite clear describing our personal responsibilities towards the poor, the stranger, and our neighbors. We recognize our obligations to do good, treat those around us ethically, and follow the laws of morality. The rabbis take the words of this week’s Torah portion a step further. They reframe the laws of Leviticus and remind us that we are not just responsible for our own conduct, but for the actions of everyone else who crosses our path. This is especially true today. We are living in a very difficult time where the ethics and morals that are the foundation of our Jewish religion seem to be flouted by so many in our world. We are navigating a very rocky time as we attempt to understand a changing landscape. Yet our rabbis teach that we have an obligation to speak up, regardless of if the perpetrator is a family member, friend, neighbor, or even world leader. We have the responsibility to make sure that all are being treated with justice, mercy, and kindness. It’s not always easy to know how to speak up. In this very fraught time, our words or actions can be used against us. We are often nervous or even fearful of speaking up. However, there are different vehicles for us to express our moral outrage. We can attend a rally, sign a petition, call our representatives, or march in the streets. If it’s closer to home, we can reach out to a loved one, friend, or neighbor and gently but firmly let them know of their mistake. The most important thing is that we cannot remain silent.  For our rabbis remind us that the actions of others also reflect our own conduct. Just look to the example of Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah.