פרשת אחרי - סוד העריות

Unmasking the Prohibition of Relatives This section of the Parasha opens with a puzzling double expression: “Speak to the Children of Israel” and “Say to them”. Despite the repetition, the verse doesn’t immediately clarify what critical message is being conveyed. If Hashem is emphasizing something so strongly, what exactly is Moshe being commanded to tell the people? Even more perplexing is the language used to forbid the immoral behaviors associated with Egypt and Canaan. Rather than prohibiting “the practices of the people of Egypt and Canaan”, the Torah forbids “the practices of the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan”. Why use such an unusual formulation? Lands do not act—people do. What deeper message is embedded in this unusual wording? To add to the mystery, Egypt is described here as “the land in which you dwelled”—a term suggesting voluntary residence. But wasn't Egypt the land of our enslavement and suffering, from which Hashem had to rescue us with open miracles? Why does the Torah refer to it in such neutral or even benign terms, and what does that have to do with the laws of prohibited relationships? Join us for a deep dive into this subject, as we uncover how precise the words of the Torah truly are—where every phrase, every nuance, carries a deliberate and powerful message. Shiur is given by Rabbi Fridmann from Badatz Miami. www.badatzmiami.com