Parshas Yisro 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Feb 4
- 2 min read
ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש אלה הדברים אשר תדבר אל בני ישראל ... (יט-ו)
Klal Yisroel was destined to be a “Kingdom of Priests.” What does this mean? Aren’t Kohanim exclusive to Shevet Levi?
It seems that all the meforshei haChumash dwell on this and offer various explanations for this title of Kohanim. Rashi says it means שרים - masters in society’s upper echelon. The Ramban says Kohanim connotes "משרתי ה'" - servers of Hashem. The Seforno explains that just a Shevet Levi represents us in the Bais Hamikdash teaching Klal Yisroel what to do, so too, we in turn, are tasked with educating the world how to serve הקב"ה; a simile of sorts.
The Kedushas Levi offers 2 pshatim. Klal Yisroel was granted the supremacy of Malchus. A king may decide to do as he pleases. He may pardon the “guilty”, cancel wicked decrees, or bestow immense wealth upon any of his subjects, as he wishes. We, as Yidden, also have this koach to alter our destiny and to cancel any גזירות קשות that may be poised to harm us.
Kohanim here, refers to the middah of chessed (Zohar). Hence, through תשובה ותפילה we induce the kindness of Hashem to annul any harsh gezeiros, לא עלינו. Perhaps we can say that the word ממלכת is an allusion to the word נמלך, commonly used to connote changing one’s mind. Also, as we know, there exist three כתרים:כתר תורה, כהונה, ומלכות . Of them, the only one that automatically is passed down to the next generation, is כהונה. A Kohen can only beget another Kohen. Thus, we are being told here that there’s a special מסורת אבות that forever connects us all the way to Matan Torah. We are but a link in the chain. In fact the Gemara extrapolates many a time a halachic angle based on this. It says even today we are בני מלכים.
Parshas Yisro wasn’t a “one and done” event. Matan Torah happens every year and every day. Let us all try to live up to these special titles of ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש and, בסיעתא דשמיא, be zoche to continue perpetuating our holy legacy.