CLERGY CORNER: Holy to me

Posted on 20 February 2014 by LeslieM

(Great thanks to Rabbi Jacqueline Mates-Muchin for getting the creative juices flowing.)

I know you probably weren’t expecting a Rabbi to bring up Valentine’s Day, but, in case you haven’t figured it out in reading my columns here in The Observer, I am a romantic at heart. So, when I studied the Torah Portion the other week, I couldn’t help but find connections between them.

This Torah reading gave a description of the special clothing, the Kohanim, that Aaron and his sons were to wear. Since Valentine’s Day was coming up, many ads were pushing clothing and jewelry. They showed items of adornment that can be worn on the head, the neck and on the wrist. Why are these items shown as gifts for Valentine’s Day? Well, aside from the fact that the stores are hoping to make lots of money, hopefully, these types of gifts are a way of telling someone you love that they are special to you.

After all, I would not advise you to get the love of your life a new vacuum or a new mop along with a Cupid Card. Why? Because that would not be a very good way of saying that they are special.

So how does this connect with the Torah Reading? Well, for that, we have to look at why Aaron and his sons had special vestments to wear and I can think of no better way of finding the answer then looking at that last piece of the coordinated outfit, the frontlet that the priest was to wear on his forehead, because that piece was inscribed with the words “Holy to the Eternal.”

Of course, reading this, you might think for a moment that only the Priests were special to G-d, that only the priests were to be holy. But we are told to be “A Kingdom of Priests …”

In other words, we are all supposed to be special and we are all supposed to be holy. We are also supposed to emulate G-d. If G-d feeds the hungry, then we are to feed the hungry. If G-d clothes the naked, then we are to clothe the naked. And, if G-d finds people holy … if G-d loves others, then we to are to find people holy and love them.

Now, please don’t get me wrong, in Judaism we are not exactly fond of tattoos, so I am not suggesting that you have your loved ones tattooed on the forehead with the words “Holy to me.” But, I would suggest you try this to add to the holiness and the love in your life … each time you look at those you love, imagine those words on their forehead. Remember that we have the ability to decide what is holy and special to us.

In a perfect world, we would all be special to one another; but, for now, having just celebrated Valentine’s Day, at least see those words on your spouse, on your parents, on your children and then let those words change how you treat them.

Before you do something like getting angry or giving the silent treatment, before you tell them you don’t have time for this or that, don’t just imagine the words “Holy to me” on their forehead. Show them how Holy they are to you and show them how very much you love them as, when you do, you truly show them that they are consecrated unto you.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again.

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