CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS ACHREI MOS

(PLEASE LEARN THIS FOR A REFUA SHELAMA FOR THE GEDOLIM Rav Elyashiv -Yosef Sholom ben Chaya Musha, Rav Shteinman - Aaron Yehuda Leib ben Gitel Feiga, Rav Weiss - Yitzchak Tuvia ben Rikal, Rav Belsky - NAME ADDDED Chaim Yisroel ben Chana Tzirtel, Rav Yosef - Yaakov Chai ben Margalit Harav Shlomo Leib Ben Miriam - HaRav Shlomo Brevda Harav Yeshaya Yaakov Ben Raizel - HaRav Yeshaya Yaakov Portugal Harav Meshulem Fish Ben Tziril - The Toshe Rebbe Harav Yitzchok Issac Ben Treina - HaRav Isaav Ausband Rav Yerachmiel Shlomo Hakohen ben Raizel. -Rav Yerachmiel Shlomo Rothenberg, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva of Mountaindale Rav Shaul ben Pasha-Gavaad Zurich, Switzerland and rav of Beis Medrash Agudas Achim for a refuah shleima b’soch kol cholei am Yisrael.)

"In the hand of a designated man to the desert" (Vayikra 16:21). The task of the "designated man" is tremendously important, namely, to lead the scapegoat to the desert. The entire atonement of the people of Israel is dependant on the "designated man" doing his job properly. Yet, the designated man is an unsung hero, a simple Jew, and not necessarily a Cohen. There is no record anywhere in Jewish historical or holy texts of a scapegoat escaping from the designated man, or of a designated man not doing his job properly. The designated man is symbolic of every single anonymous Jew. If the Jewish people resemble a body, then each individual Jew is a vital organ. The Jewish people are also compared to a Torah scroll; although a Torah scroll contains several hundred thousand letters, one missing, incorrect, or illegible letter renders the entire Torah scroll unfit to make a blessing on. Similiarly, whenever someone finds fault in a Jew, he or she blemishes the image of the entire Jewish people. Some people limit their respect to those of aristocratic backgrounds, the privileged, or the powerful. The Torah contrastingly states that we should love every Jew as we love ourselves. As in the aforementioned example of the Torah scroll, each Jew – no matter how seemingly unimportant – plays a significant roll in the overall functioning of the Jewish people. One may ask, how can a simple shoemaker or plumber be as important as a great tzaddik or Rosh Yeshiva? Simply, the Rosh Yeshiva isn't allowed to learn Torah within range of a foul odor; so, if his drain or bathroom is clogged, he won't be able to open his Gemorra without the services of a good plumber. And without the shoemaker, the Rosh Yeshiva would be barefoot! The "designated man" literally translated from the biblical Hebrew is the "timely man" – ish itti. This is a further allusion from the Torah that each Jew not only has his or her special task, but wherever Hashem places them, they are the right person at the right time