שם יחללו ולא לאלקיהם יהיו קדשים" אלקיהם לחם 'ה אשי את כי אלקיהם (ו כא) "קדש והיו מקריבם הם
Rav Yaakov Neiman, Rosh Yeshivas Ohr Yisrael, asked: After the Torah commanded the Kohanim to be careful about their purity more than the rest of Am Yisrael, why did it add a commandment that they should not decline to the lowly level of chillul Hashem – isn’t the commandment self-understood?
Rav Yaakov explained that we learn a meaningful rule here. In avodas Hashem, there is no meddle way. A person can only be one of two things: “Kadosh l’Elokav” or “mechallel Shem Elokav”! As we can see from the words of the parashah of Vehayah Im Shamoa, right after the directive of “ul’ovdo bechol levavchem,” it says “hishomru lachem pen yifteh levavchem vesartem v’avadetem Elohim acheirim.” (Devarim 11:13-16).
For this reason, Chazal also instituted that we recite Parashas Arayos during Minchah on Yom Kippur. This takanah is intended to remind each person that although right now, towards the end of the holy day, he is on a very high level, if he does not guard himself on this level throughout the year, he can easily reach a lower level and stumble in the terrible sin of arayos, R”l.
