Mother’s Day Sermon
Sermon on Emor.
7 years ago, on Mother’s day, an epic event occurred in my family: My grandmother after experiencing a massive Stroke and spending a few days in the hospital, died.
I was sad and upset, needless to say. But exasperating my stressful situation was that my grandmother, who wasn’t religious, had wanted to be cremated. On the Motzaei Shabbat- this Saturday evening - before my grandmother died, I went to my synagogue rabbi, and he assured me that a proper burial would be paid for, which is what happened — only that we’re still working in the monument.
At the beginning of this week’s Torah portion, the children of Aharon, the High Priest, the Cohanim, are told they must be very careful to avoid death. A male Cohen, to this day, may not attend a funeral, except for that of his wife, parents, siblings, and children.
And Aharon himself, the High Priest or Cohen Gadol, may not go to any funerals, even for his father or mother.
When the Torah states that a lay Cohein may attend the funeral of his parents, it says so in this order: He may have contact with his deceased father and mother. It phrases the father first.
When the Torah tells us that a the High Priest, Cohein Gadol may not attend the funeral of his parents, it says so in this order: He may not have contact with his deceased mother and father . The mother is mentioned first.
Rabbeinu Asher, called the Rosh, as well as the school of Torah commentators known at the Tosfot, in Daat Zekeinim, point this out.
There is another case where the Torah mentions a similar law in two different places, but switches the order of mother and father, in a similar manner as our parsha. Does anyone know where that is? In the mitzva to honor one’s parents, the Torah mentions the father first, because a child tends to naturally honor his or her mother more than their father. Thus, the Torah needed to emphasize that a father is entitled to equal honor. In the mitzva to fear, or respect, one’s parents, the Torah mentions the mother first, because a child tends to naturally fear his or her father more than their mother. Thus, the Torah needed to emphasize that a mother is entitled to equal respect and awe as a father.
So too, in our parsha, the Torah wishes to emphasize to a regular Cohen that even though he could claim, how does he really know his father is actually his father, he nevertheless not only can, but ought to defile himself in order to pay final respects.
