Hero Worship

Shavua Tov-

Rav Twerski makes a note that the wording regarding respect for Kohanim is very exact. The Torah says אני ה׳ מקדישכם, “It is Me, Hashem that makes you holy.”

The emphasis here is that the Kohein is the messenger of Hashem, that through him, a person is sanctified by his blessing. One must remember that as saintly as the Kohein might be, the source of the blessings is from G-d.

Rabbi Twerski sees this as a warning to stay away from “Rebbe” worship, and any other cult-like worship. People of low self esteem have a tendency to gravitate towards this type of hero worship, that borders עבודה זרה.

The Kohein or spiritual leader, must not take advantage of his position of authority, and prey on these weak individuals.

Sometimes if you tell such vulnerable people that you love them, and you feed them, you have won them over for good.

The role of the Kohein, could attract blind followers. All of these people in leadership roles, must be reminded, that, like the Kohein, they are messengers of G-d. It is Hashem, and only Hashem, that we must worship. For it is He that sanctifies us.