A Jew shuffles into Shul on Yom Kippur, and the Rabbi greets him. “Jack! I haven’t seen you the entire year. Where have you been? Don’t you count yourself as a member of the tribe? Are you not in the army of G-d?”
Jack whispers back, “Of course I am! I’m in the secret service.”
***
Recently, the U.S. Secret Service faced an embarrassing moment. It was called the biggest scandal in the history of the secret service. A group of agents were caught soliciting prostitutes in Cartagena, Colombia.
Apparently, what they did is technically not illegal in Colombia, but President Obama stated that he would be “very angry” if the reports were true. According to Obama, those Secret Service agents were not in Colombia for themselves but rather they were representing the entire United States and should have held themselves to a higher moral standard.
Secret Service agents are hand selected and rigorously trained. Huge amounts of money are invested in producing top notch agents who are then sent on critical missions.
***
We too are “Secret Service Agents.” Our souls were chosen for a specific and essential mission here on earth. The goal is to bring holiness to this world and transform it into a place in which G-d is comfortable.
But, alas, there are challenges.
The Zohar has its own take on harlotry:
A king once wished to test the moral rectitude of his son. So he hired a harlot – the best in the land. He instructed her to expertly ply her trade. She was to attempt to seduce the prince. But really it was a test. The king’s true desire – and subsequently the loyal prostitute’s inner will – was her failure. She would carry out her task perfectly, but secretly hoped that her efforts would fall short.
Similarly – the Zohar teaches – G-d created a little voice (or sometimes a roaring voice) inside each of us. The evil inclination pushes us to do wrong. But, truthfully, it is really on G-d’s team. Ultimately, the animal within is a faithful messenger of G-d, feigning excitement for sin. Inside, it is cheering for us to triumph.
***
This is the message found in this week’s Torah portion Shemini. When the Torah instructs us to observe the kosher laws it enjoins us to be “holy, just as G-d is holy.”
We are not perfect, but if we remember that we are agents of the true Commander-in-Chief of the universe, we can maintain our higher standards.
After all, even the challenges are really meant to make us more holy.