In this week's Parsha we read about the laws of ritual purity which the Kohanim are commanded to observe. Rashi comments that the older Kohanim are commanded to warn the younger Kohanim and educate them so they don't become impure. What is it that they tell them so they refrain from impurity? They explain to them that they are Kohanim and they are exalted, because of their status they must keep themselves to a greater standard of purity. The truth is that this applied to all of us to a certain extent because the entire Jewish Nation is called "a nation of Kohanim". The Jewish People are an exalted nation and we must act accordingly. We should be proud to be Jewish and realize the responsibility which comes with it.

 

This week we celebrate Lag Ba'Omer which we have a tradition is the day that Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the greatest sages passed away. The Gemara relates many miraculous stories about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, but one shows how Rabbi Shimon proudly presented himself as a Jew.

 

The Gemara (Me’illa 17.) tells us that the government ruled that Jews were forbidden to keep Shabbos and to perform a bris milah. The Tana Reb Reuven Istrobuli dressed in
non-Jewish clothes and cut his hair in a non-Jewish style, so the government officials would think he was one of them. Sitting with the politicians, he explained that when the Jewish people keep Shabbos, they earn less money, and when they have a bris milah, they become weaker. "Do you want your enemies to be wealthy or poor, strong or weak?"
They agreed with him, and they annulled the decrees. Sometime later, they realized that Reb Reuven Istrobuli was a Jew, and that he tricked them, so they re-instated those two decrees. So, the Rabbis sent Reb Shimon bar Yochai to the king. They chose Reb Shimon specifically because "many miracles happen to him," and they hoped he would be able to annul the harsh decrees against them. A demon called Ben Temalyon met with Reb Shimon and offered his assistance... The demon went ahead of Reb Shimon and
caused the king’s daughter immense pain. When Reb Shimon arrived, Reb Shimon said, "Ben Temalyon, leave!" which it did. The king, thankful to Reb Shimon, brought him into the treasury room and said, "Take whatever you want." Reb Shimon found the documents of the decrees and tore up the papers. In this story, Reb Reuven Istrobuli helped the nation by dressing as a gentile, but Reb Shimon saved the nation appearing like a Jew.