Reb Shlomo Carlebach zt"l on Parshas Korach
(Via Stuie Wax)
This Shabbos we are learning about the Parah Adumah, and we are learning about how the Kohen would purify someone.
Let me ask you friends, when a person G-d forbid gets defiled by a dead body, how does he purify himself?
In a nutshell, death is when there is no one to receive what I want to give you. Imagine you pour out your heart to somebody, you want to say something so beautiful, and you see after the whole thing is over, they didn’t hear what you said. It’s like a feeling of death. To mamesh hear someone and receive their words… this is life itself. Friends, most people don't need advice, they just need someone to listen to them. When someone says 'I need your advice', most of the time they mean 'have rachmanus, ( pity) listen to me a little bit'. Okay, if something comes to your head and you say something good it's also good. But we need good ears, ‘Shma Yisrael’. A Yiddele doesn't have to say so much. He has to listen well. This is real receiving.
So friends, do you know what happened at Mount Sinai? Moshe Rabbeinu brought down the Torah from heaven. Who was the first person to receive the Torah? The Medrash says that when Moshe Rabbeinu came down from Heaven, the first person he gave the Torah over to was the high priest Ahron Hakohen. What is the High Priest all about? The high priest is a person who has the vessels, and gives us vessels to receive the Torah.
To have vessels to receive and give them over to someone else... both together. Do you know how much purity this brings down to the world. I bless you and me that when you give over, there is always someone ready to receive it, and may it be received with such purity.
Good Shabbos!
