Our parasha begins with the consecration of Aaron and his sons
as Kohanim, priests. Great honor and distinction were bestowed upon
them, as they and their descendants forever will be the only ones privileged to
serve God in the Temple.
Our Sages taught [Avot 4:17]: “There are three crowns: the crown
of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of monarchy.”
The crown of priesthood, as we read in our parasha, was granted
to Aaron and his descendants, the crown of monarchy to King David and his
descendants, while the crown of Torah was granted to all the people of Israel.
The difference among the crowns is that priesthood and kingdom are
inherited, while Torah must be acquired by the individual himself. The crown of
Torah does not depend upon who ones parents are, it is granted to the
individual who devotes his time to the study of Torah. Indeed, without devoting
oneself to Torah study, one cannot achieve the crown of Torah.
It is significant that the Kohanim were expected to become Torah
scholars as well, since their main task was to be the spiritual leaders of
Torah Judaism. The clear lesson is that one must not satisfy himself with the
position to which he was born, but must strive to achieve the maximum of which
he is capable.
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