Parshas Re'eh

Liyluy Nishmas Elchonon Tzvi ben R' Yisroel Menachem..... In perek yud dalid psukim alef and beis it says, "Banim atem La'Hashem Elokeichem, Lo sisgodidu v'lo sasimu karcha bein eineichem lameis. Ki am kadosh atah la'Hashem Elokecha....." "You are children to Hashem your God, you shall not cut yourselves and you shall not make a bald spot between your eyes for a dead person. For you are holy people to Hashem your God."  The Even Ezra explains that the Torah is giving two reasons why one should not cut themselves in mourning.  The first reason is because we are "banim", children, of Hashem.  He loves us even more than a human parent loves their child, and therefore we should realize that everything he does is for the good even though we may not understand it, just as a child may not understand something their parent does.  The second reason is that we are an "Am kadosh", a holy nation, and we are not like all the other nations; therefore, we should not act like them.  The Rosh Yeshivah ztl asks why the Torah feels the need to give the second reason of being a holy nation.  If the first reason clarifies why we should not cut ourselves, then the second reason is unnecessary.  If there was no first reason, what good is the second reason? Even if we are not like the other nations, maybe it would be allowed to make cuts due to the greatness of the pain and mourning.  Either way the second reason is not necessary.  He explains that really the first reason is enough to explain why it is incorrect to cut our skin.  Nevertheless, the second reason is still necessary, so that we are not negatively affected by the nations around us.  The Rambam explains, that a person will think and act like his friends around him and have the traditions of his community.  Without the second reason we would be affected by our surroundings, even when we know that we are different, that we are the children of Hashem and everything he does is for our good.  A person can know that they are different than their surroundings, yet they will automatically be affected by the people around them and begin acting like them.  If a rich man lives among poor people who are very frugal, even though the he does not need to be careful, he will automatically be frugal as well.  However, the Torah is telling us that the affect that the nations have on us is only when we feel that we are similar to them and are connected.  The Torah gives the second reason in order to break the connection that we may feel with the surrounding inhabitants in order to save us from being affected by them.  We live in a time where there is so much negative to learn from the surrounding nations.  If we remember that we are different , that
 we are the chosen nation, we may hopefully be able to pick up as little of the negative as possible. . . Good Shabbos