Turn it and turn it...
Gleaning wisdom from the weekly Torah reading
4/30/20261 min read
Parashat Emor
The priest who is exalted above his fellows...shall not go outside the sanctuary thereby profaning the sanctuary. Leviticus 21:10-12
The high priest should be separated and set apart so that he can be a holy of holies. Despite his being a physical person, his soul should continually dwell with the angels on high.
A rabbi is the opposite of a priest. Rabbis dwell among people, not angels. Rabbis lead, not by being perfect in a vacuum, but rather by making the same mistakes everyone else makes and modeling how to navigate consequences and overcome lapses in judgment.
In the place where those who have repented stand, even the perfectly righteous cannot stand (Berachot 34b).