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Torah Portion -
Kedoshim
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Written by Benjamin A Rose
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Ohr Hachaim says that when one is overcome by impure thoughts and his Yetzer HaRa (Evil impulse) threatens to entice him to sin, there is one powerful preventive device. the Ohr HaChaim says that one should project a mental image of his parents because when one sees his parents stood before him, the forces of sancitty and holiness are within him and he will find it within himself to overcome such a temptation. We see in the story of Potiphar's wife and Yosef where She almost succeeded in seducing Yosef until the moment the image of Yaakov came before him to help him overcome his passion.
This explains the ordering of the verses of the Torah.
In Vayikra 19:2 we are told "kedoshim tihyu - be holy!" And immediately after comes
the verse and the command "every man of you shall fear his mother and his father" as if to say, if you wish to safeguard yourslef from the Yetzer HaRa, Fear your parents, and picture them standing before you!
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