In the Spring of 2013, Uri Orbach z”l named Shabbat Parshat
Kedoshim Shabbat Vehadarta, The Shabbat of Honor.
The title of the Shabbat comes from Vayikra 19:32 “Before
the grey haired you shall rise and honor the face of the elder and fear your
God. I am the Lord.”
Uri Orbach was a national religious journalist, author and
member of Knesset who as Minister of Pensioner Affairs spoke out on behalf of
the elderly. He felt that Shabbat Kedoshim should be dedicated to appreciating
the elderly and that during Torah reading an elderly person should be honored
with the third aliya (which mentions honoring the elderly). He also suggested
that synagogues and youth groups throughout
to the topic of respecting the elderly.
Unfortunately, Uri Orbach’s life was cut short when he
passed away from a chronic hematologic disease at age 54.
Some of Uri Orbach’s contributions while in the Knesset included
making all movies 10 shekels for senior citizens on Tuesdays, pairing up high
school students with senior citizens to teach them how to use the computer and
inviting senior citizens to take classes at a Jerusalem’s Himmelfarb high
school. At the kickoff event of the program, Uri Orbach came to the school and
paired up the teenagers with the senior citizens for a chavruta Torah learning
program.
Those outside of
Vehadarta next Shabbat when Parshat Kedoshim is read in chutz laaretz (the
Diaspora).
In the poetry books that he wrote for children, Uri Orbach
used humor to teach the children good values.
One poem that stands out in my mind is a poem about a boy
who says that he doesn’t only study mishna in order to earn candy, he doesn’t
only make room for an elderly man with a cane because the rabbi is
watching…There are things that he does on his own because he is a nice boy. The
poem is accompanied by a picture of a boy helping an elderly man carry his
bags.
We must do what we can to continue Uri Orbach’s legacy of
treating the elderly with respect, not just this Shabbat but every day.
If you would like to sponsor a class for the elderly in
Shabbat Vehadarta follow the link: http://toratreva.org/Joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=7
