“…(Bo moom) that has a blemish…(moom bo) he has a blemish” (Vayikra 21:17,21)

People are well aware that the Chofetz Chaim lived to a ripe old age (well into his 90’s) and that he held a birthday celebration on his 80th birthday. When asked why he was celebrating, he explained that because he had been so careful never to speak lashon hara, he was afraid that if he died at a younger age, it might cause a desecration of Hashem’s name. People might say, “You see? Even if we avoid speaking lashon hara, we still won’t merit longevity.” He was therefore celebrating his birthday so that everyone would clearly see the long life granted to one who is meticulous about Shemiras Haloshon.

There is another fascinating detail from the life of the Chofetz Chaim that I would like to share. Remarkably, he had no cavities and never needed false teeth. His teeth remained in perfect condition, as healthy and strong as those of a young child. When asked about this, he said it was a direct result of his not speaking lashon hara. Since the teeth play a central role in the process of speech, and his teeth had never been used for forbidden language, they remained healthy his entire life.

This idea is found in this week’s parsha. The Torah discusses Kohanim who have a blemish (moom). In one verse (Vayikra 21:17) it says, “bo moom” and later (21:21) it says “moom bo”. Why does the Torah switch the order of moom and bo? The answer can be found in the very same idea we just discussed. When a person commits a sin, it first blemishes his soul, which can then manifest as some type of blemish in the corresponding organ or limb.

This is shown in a story told about the Chofetz Chaim. A storekeeper in a certain town kept his business open on Shabbos. When the Chofetz Chaim came to the town, the store owner ran to get a brocho from the Chofetz Chaim. The Chofetz Chaim took the man’s hand in his own, looked at him, and started to cry. His tears fell on the man’s hand, and the storekeeper later said that he felt as if he was being burned by those tears. The man asked the Chofetz Chaim, “Why are you crying?” The Chofetz Chaim replied, “I am looking at this beautiful hand, and I see that it desecrates Shabbos by working in your store. When you go to the world of truth, this same hand will be mangled and blemished due to the sins you committed with it. That is why I am crying – over the future destruction of this beautiful hand.

This is the idea behind these two verses. If a person sins, it first causes a blemish internally in his soul, which eventually can cause an external blemish. This will in turn limit his ability to serve Hashem properly. The Torah is teaching us that it is not the physical deficiency that causes the Kohen to be unable to serve, but rather the spiritual blemish due to his lack of observance of mitzvos.

This same idea applies in the opposite direction. When a person does a mitzvah with one of his limbs or organs, that limb or organ gains improved existence both in this world and in the world to come. We see a clear example of this in the Chofetz Chaim’s teeth.

At this time of year, during sefiras haomer, while many of us are focused on trying to improve our interactions with our fellow Jews, it is important to keep this idea in mind.

I would like to end with an incident that happened to me 25 years ago. I gave someone a ride from the middle of Jerusalem to Ramat Shlomo, where we both lived. As we entered the neighborhood, he said, “You can let me off here, and I’ll take a bus to my home.” Instead, I decided to go the extra mile and drive him all the way to his house. When we arrived, he opened the car door and said, “I would like to give you a special brocho: ‘door l’door yishabach maasecha’”. That small extra effort made him feel so good that he gave me this special brocho. May all of us strive, in our interactions with our fellow man, to go just a little beyond what is normally expected of us. In that way, we can elevate our ruchniyus, and bring brocho into our lives and the lives of those around us.