Unholy Influences

14 Nissan 5782

“No man shall come near to any of his close relatives, to uncover [their] nakedness.” (Vayikra 18:6)

“The patriarchs – Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – observed the Torah’s laws before they were formally given on Mount Sinai. Nonetheless, we have seen that Jacob’s sons married their sisters. The reason for this was because society was so morally depraved in the patriarchs’ times that there were simply no suitable choices for marriage partners outside the family circle. In those early days, it was crucial to preserve the spiritual and moral integrity of the family that was being groomed to become the Jewish people. Therefore, in order to ensure that their children not inherit negative traits from unworthy mothers or absorb negative attitudes while being raised by these women, Abraham’s male descendants were forced not to honor these prohibitions, which in any case would only become legally binding with the Giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.” (Daily Wisdom, Lubavitcher Rebbe)

“Just like the ox on which one first places a yoke in order to make it useful to the world … so, too, must a human being first of all submit to the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven … and only then engage in divine service, and if this [submission] is not found in him, holiness cannot rest within him…” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 41)

Being a real servant of Hashem means accepting the “yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven,” distancing ourselves from all Hashem sees as undesirable and drawing near to everything He deems holy. As such, we must eliminate all the unholy influences in our life, not leaving as much as a foothold for the forces of evil in our own home.

“May he judge the nation’s poor, save the children of the destitute, and crush the oppressor, so that they will fear You as long as the sun [shines] and the moon endures, generation after generation.” (Tehillim 72:4-5)

Only when we take heed that our children should also distance themselves from everything evil and draw near to everything good, on their own accord, can we ensure that Hashem’s holiness rests within the Jewish people, “generation after generation.” “We learn from this how much care we should take to ensure that our children’s upbringing and environment support and encourage their absorption of the Torah’s teachings and values” (Daily Wisdom, as above).