2021/5781
For those who have been learning the Daf Yomi cycle, or even if you are jumping in now, this Parashah has new meaning. In Yoma, we are focusing on the Avodah of the Kohen Gadol in the Beit HaMikdash on the Yom HaKadosh, Yom Kippur. It can be summed up in the following way: The holiest person, in the holiest place, on the holiest day. Yet the Gemara Yerushalmi makes a fascinating comment on a Pasuk in this week's Parashah. The Pasuk (16:17) says “VeChol Adom Lo Yiheyeh Be’Ohel Mo’ed BeVo Lechaper Ad Tzeito” “And no man shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he comes to effect atonement in the Holy, until he comes out”. Chazal say that we learn from the word “VeChol” that even the Mal’achei HaShareit are prohibited from entering at the time that the Kohen Gadol is doing the Avodah. It is easy to understand why any human of flesh and blood must stay away during the Avodah, but Mal’achei HaShareit, who are the holiest beings? Perhaps one could make the opposite argument, maybe the Mal’achim should be allowed in! Finally, what can we learn from this?
The Yismach Moshe, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum (Parashat Re’eh s.v. VeHayah HaMakom) explains that the Mal’achei HaShareit are not allowed to enter into the Kodesh Kedoshim on Yom Kippur and only the Kohen Gadol is allowed because the Kohen Gadol went through a process of becoming great, making smart and good choices to do the right thing even when it’s hard. The Kohen Gadol chose to stand up to a Nisayon and was Mitgaber over his Yetzer HaRa, this is the reason he was chosen to be Kohen Gadol. Only he can enter into the Kodesh Kedoshim. Mal’achim don’t have a Yetzer HaRa (Gemara Shabbat 89a), and so they don’t have to choose good over evil, they are lacking in the sense that they don’t have the Kedushah of being “Omed BeNisayon”.
We can learn a great lesson from this idea. While not everyone can be a Kohen Gadol, every Yid has the ability to rise above the Kedushah of the Mal’achim by standing up in the face of a Nisayon. We often think Nisyonot are challenges that take us away from Hashem and Avodat Hashem, however Nisyonot are actually the opposite; when we stand up to a Nisayon and say no to the Yetzer HaRa, we are raised to a place above the Mal’achim.