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May 13/06 -
Shabbat Emor
Commentary by Chazzan
Aníbal Mass
In this Parashah we read
the very interesting
story of the first
episode of blasphemy in
the Bible. Everybody was
shocked, but nobody knew
what to do with the
offender, not even
Moses.
So, the LORD said to
Moses: “Say to the
Israelites: ‘…anyone who
blasphemes the name of
the LORD must be put to
death… If anyone takes
the life of a human
being, he must be put to
death. Anyone who takes
the life of someone's
animal must pay
restitution…’” (Lev. 24)
As a consequence, the
man is stoned and that
is the end of their
problem…but not the end
of our study.
What surprises me is the
fact that God includes
in His sentence the act
of blasphemy along with
the consequences for
offenses against other
human beings and against
animals. Shouldn’t God
make sentence here about
blasphemy only, showing
us that it’s a special
and unique way of
sinning? Isn’t God
diminishing the
importance of His name
with this kind of
answer?
Rabbi Y'honasan
Eibeschutz, one of
Jewry's most
influential leaders
during the early
1700s, was away from
his home for one Yom
Kippur and was
forced to spend that
holy day in a small
town. Without
revealing his
identity as Chief
Rabbi of Prague,
Hamburg, and
Altoona, he entered
a synagogue that
evening and surveyed
the room, looking
for a suitable place
to sit and pray.
Toward the centre of
the synagogue, his
eyes fell upon a man
who was swaying
fervently, tears
swelling in his
eyes. "How
encouraging,"
thought the Rabbi,
"I will sit next to
him. His prayers
will surely inspire
me."
It was to be. The
man cried softly as
he prayed, tears
flowed down his
face. "I am but dust
in my life, Oh
Lord," wept the man,
"Surely in death!"
The sincerity was
indisputable. Reb
Y'honasan finished
the prayers that
evening, inspired.
The next morning he
took his seat next
to the man, who,
once again, poured
out his heart to
God, declaring his
insignificance and
vacuity of merit.
During the
congregation's
reading of the
Torah, something
amazing happened. A
man from the front
of the synagogue was
called for the third
aliyah, one of the
most honourable
aliyot for an
Israelite, and
suddenly Rabbi
Eibeschutz's
neighbour charged
the podium!
"Him!" shouted the
man. "You give him
shlishi?!" The shul
went silent. Reb
Y'honasan stared in
disbelief. "Why, I
know how to learn
three times as much
as he! I give more
charity than he and
I have a more
illustrious family!
Why on earth would
you give him an
aliyah over me?"
With that the man
stormed back from
the bimah toward his
seat.
Rabbi Eibeschutz
could not believe
what he saw and was
forced to approach
the man. "I don't
understand," he
began. "Minutes ago
you were crying
about how
insignificant and
unworthy you are and
now you are
clamouring to get
the honour of that
man's aliyah?"
Disgusted the man
snapped back. "What
are you talking
about? Compared to
Hashem I am truly a
nothing." Then he
pointed to the bimah
and sneered, "But
not compared to
him!"
Once, I learned that
everybody loves
humanity, but what I
can’t love is the @#$%^&
of my neighbour…
In the same way we could
say that the love of God
is very difficult to
demonstrate. That’s why
the Torah puts this
warning together with
humans and animals. Only
loving and respecting
every creature, human or
beast, we can be sure
that we are not
dishonouring the name of
God. Because loving His
creation is loving Him.
Shabbat Shalom. |
