Torah Portion

“THE PURPOSE OF CREATING HUMAN BEINGS WAS FOR US TO SERVE GOD.”

soul but our main identity is the body, or we can view the soul as our main identity and the body as merely the house for the soul.

If our whole selfdefinition is based solely on “body,” then we are saying that we are not superior to the animal kingdom. Therefore, God reminds us that even the mosquito was created before humankind. But if the soul is the main focus, then man is truly superior; the soul, being a Divine spark of God Himself, preceded all of Creation. The soul and the intellect are the key differentiating factor between human beings and animals.

On a physical level, we are no match for the animals: even a simple mosquito can beat us. Look how much trouble we go through to fight off the mosquitoes: we have developed drugs and all kinds of creams and insecticides to fight them off. Physically, we are weaker.

It is only with the spiritual and intellectual dimension of the neshamah, the soul, that we are elevated above the animal kingdom. We were created last to remind us that if we are going to behave like animals, then even the mosquito is better than us; it preceded us. • The third reason the Gemara gives for human beings created last is so that they would be created on Friday and go straight into Shabbos, straight into doing a mitzvah. • The fourth reason human beings were created at the end is because God wanted the world to be ready for them, like a bride and groom who enter the wedding hall last; everything is ready and everyone is waiting just for them because they are the most important part of the celebration.

THE MEANING OF LIFE

The third and fourth reasons are actually connected. Human beings were created last so that they would enter a world ready and waiting for them, indicating that all of Creation was created just for them. This relates to — and is dependent on — the third reason, namely, that human beings came last in order to go straight into a mitzvah; the purpose of creating human beings was for us to serve God.

God created everything for human beings, in order that human beings would serve Him. That is the ultimate purpose of the world.

Chief Rabbi Warren Goldstein, who has a Ph.D. in Human Rights Law, is the chief rabbi of South Africa. A longer version of this article first appeared on aish.com. TORAH PORTION

Divisiveness Is a Sickness

The Torah portions from these two weeks speak about something we’re all too familiar with over the last two years: isolation.

They teach us about the spiritual nature of isolation and what we can do to move forward. The parshah begins with the metzora’s purification process. A metzora is a person who was stricken with a spiritual malady and condition called tzaraas, incorrectly identified as leprosy. The physical symptom is a very specific rash, sometimes boils or inflammation which erupts on the skin.

The Torah says that this individual needs to leave the community and live outside the camp until the tzaraas goes away. He’s not even allowed to be in the company of other people who are impure with other impurities and are also outside the camp. He needs to be in complete isolation. Why? The sages say this was a punishment for speaking lashon hara, evil speech, which caused separation between man and wife, and between man and his friend. Therefore, it is only fitting that he be punished through complete isolation from the society he helped divide.

The purification process includes ingredients that are meant to help humble the person: cedar wood, a tall and imposing tree that symbolizes haughtiness; crimson thread (whose red dye comes from an insect, a lowly creature); and hyssop (a lowly bush), both symbolizing humility. The message: My haughtiness and lack of humility led me to denigrate others.

When COVID first hit, humanity went into an intense period of isolation that probably had never been experienced recently. One couldn’t help but notice this was happening at a time when societal discourse had completely broken down. The inability to have civil discourse about any topic even slightly controversial left us with discussions that frequently ended in Rabbi Noam toxic territory.

Gross Social media has been weaponized to create a

Parshat cancel culture movement

Metzora: that leaves people afraid Leviticus 14:1-15:33; II Kings to say anything for fear of being viciously attacked. 7:3-20. People write things to each other online that they would never dare say face-to-face. I’ve seen many ugly fights on Facebook and have yet to see anyone actually “win” an argument. This week’s parshah is both a wakeup call and a breath of fresh air. We are meant to use our words to bring people together, not to create division and chaos. Warmth and caring are what carry the day. It all starts with humility, with being able to see the humanity of those who may disagree with us. Ultimately, there is more that unites us than divides us. Almost everyone shares the basic values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The struggles of life are shared and experienced by people of all backgrounds. Knowing this is half the battle and can lead us to a needed new era of peace and harmony. What could be better than that? Rabbi Noam Gross works as an educator for the Young Professional Division of Partners Detroit.