In the last pasuq of Parashat Ahare Mot, Hashem warns Bene Yisrael against making ourselves impure. In doing so, He writes “You shall safeguard My charge that these abominable traditions that were done before you not be done.”(Leviticus 18:30) The Eben Ezra writes that the reason Hashem specified “that were done before you” is so that when Bene Yisrael see people doing these abominable actions before them, they won’t think it is right to do such acts themselves.
A few pesuqim later in Parashat Qedoshim the missvah of fearing ones parents is juxtaposed to the missvah of Shabbat, “Every man: Your mother and father shall you revere and My Sabbaths shall you observe – I am Hashem your G-d.” (Leviticus 19:3) Rashi teaches that this juxtaposition shows that although the obligation to honor one’s parents is so stringent, if they were to tell their child to transgress Shabbat, he/she shall not obey.
When we look around and see a lot of people doing something we are quick to assume that they are doing the right thing. It could be regarding a halakha or even the way people conduct themselves. Hashem is warning us that we must look out for ourselves, sometimes even from our own parents, and make sure we are doing the right thing.
Yehoshua ben Perahia, in Masekhet Avot(1:6), teaches us to appoint for ourselves a Rabbi, “Appoint for yourself a teacher.“ The Rambam brings down that through discussion with a Rabbi, what you already know becomes much more clear, even if the Rabbi is lesser than you. We should all take advantage of the many Rabbanim around us in order to assist us in safeguarding ourselves from negative influences, and, Be’ezrat Hashem, from the zekhut of our efforts may the Mashiah come bimhera beyamenu.
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