At the end of this week's parsha is the story of the eglah arufa, when a dead body is found in between two cities. First the distance is measured and the city that is closest must perform the eglah arufah ritual.
The leaders of the town take a calf that has never worked into a valley and break its neck. They then proclaim that they did not murder the individual and did not witness his murder.
What kind of ceremony is this? We have a dead body lying in a field and we decide to go break a cow's neck? What about gathering clue, or interviewing witnesses? A killer is loose and all we can do is kill a cow?
This ritual is not done for the victim. It is done to send a message to the leaders of the town as well as to the citizens. The leaders are given a moment to reflect on the fact that someone in there jurisdiction was harmed.
Oftentimes in life we don't take time to reflect. We are constantly trying to solve every problem. Time for reflection is healthy for spiritual growth. That is what the month of Elul is all about, to take some time out and look at our past year and think about our responsibilities and if we are fulfilling them.
The first thing we do in eglah arufah is to measure which town the body belongs to. A strong message is sent to the people of the town and all Jews. This anonymous body and all bodies are part of a community, no person is an outsider, just passing through. Everyone is part of a community and we are all responsible for each other, making certain we are safe.
This ritual is an answer to the question that Cain asked God after he killed Able " Am I my brother's keeper?" When we perform the eglah arufah we are answering that question with a dramatic, Yes
The leaders of the town take a calf that has never worked into a valley and break its neck. They then proclaim that they did not murder the individual and did not witness his murder.
What kind of ceremony is this? We have a dead body lying in a field and we decide to go break a cow's neck? What about gathering clue, or interviewing witnesses? A killer is loose and all we can do is kill a cow?
This ritual is not done for the victim. It is done to send a message to the leaders of the town as well as to the citizens. The leaders are given a moment to reflect on the fact that someone in there jurisdiction was harmed.
Oftentimes in life we don't take time to reflect. We are constantly trying to solve every problem. Time for reflection is healthy for spiritual growth. That is what the month of Elul is all about, to take some time out and look at our past year and think about our responsibilities and if we are fulfilling them.
The first thing we do in eglah arufah is to measure which town the body belongs to. A strong message is sent to the people of the town and all Jews. This anonymous body and all bodies are part of a community, no person is an outsider, just passing through. Everyone is part of a community and we are all responsible for each other, making certain we are safe.
This ritual is an answer to the question that Cain asked God after he killed Able " Am I my brother's keeper?" When we perform the eglah arufah we are answering that question with a dramatic, Yes
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