A thought on Parshas Emor
"...va'yikov...va'ykallel..."
"...and the man pronouced HaShem's name...and he cursed..." (24:11)
Our parsha closes with a painful postscript about the man in the desert who uttered the Sacred Name of HaShem as he had heard it pronounced from Above at Har Sinai, then how that man used it in a blasphemous curse.
Every person who clings to HaShem by following His Torah and obeying its mitzvos with reverence and love will tense upon reading this passage. We do not curse (as we discussed in last week's Parsha thought). We do not use HaShem's name in vain, or in idle pointless talk; certainly the idea of both cursing and pronouncing the Name within that curse is abhorrent to us! Seemingly, the Torah could have spared us an account of that tragic incident and simply have written "you are forbidden to employ HaShem's name when cursing." What might we be able to learn, at some deeper and practical level, from the passage, given that it is not likely to be something we might do, chas v'shalom, that might require such a vividly foreboding illustrative story (it seems to have been a single, isolated case, after which the man was executed)? The preceding sentence is, I think, the third longest one I have written in the history of these Parsha Thoughts Emails.
Rabbeinu Bachya offers his view: He sees it as clarifying for us "an essential principle and a mighty cornerstone" about.................. how to say a blessing! How are we supposed to function when we are about to say a bracha to HaShem? The man who cursed, says the Torah, carefully pronounced and articulated the Name. He knew what he was doing, which tells us that he thought carefully about the word he was uttering. He was purposeful. He was aware and mindful. That is why he deserved such a punishment.
In turn, says Rabbeinu Bachya, when we are poised to say a bracha, we must first think about what we are doing, and about what we are about to say. We must have intentionality. Our minds and hearts must internalize the gravity of our act, and take it seriously, because we really mean it. We are doing it purposefully. And that is the only way to be answered from Above with favor and grace when we pray. Blessings are not cursory statements.
He suggests that this may be the meaning of Dovid HaMelech's words (Tehillim 145:1) which we know as "Ashrei" - "aromimcha Elokai...v'avarecha Shimcha". The first clause, I will elevate You, means I will take the words into my heart and mind first. That way I am praying "be'meizid", knowing in advance what I am about to do. The second clause, and I will bless You, means that only after I have attained this mindfulness will I utter the blessing.
We must think before we act. We must think before we pray. We must also think about how to pray, then go ahead and put our thoughts and feelings into the right words.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
"...and the man pronouced HaShem's name...and he cursed..." (24:11)
Our parsha closes with a painful postscript about the man in the desert who uttered the Sacred Name of HaShem as he had heard it pronounced from Above at Har Sinai, then how that man used it in a blasphemous curse.
Every person who clings to HaShem by following His Torah and obeying its mitzvos with reverence and love will tense upon reading this passage. We do not curse (as we discussed in last week's Parsha thought). We do not use HaShem's name in vain, or in idle pointless talk; certainly the idea of both cursing and pronouncing the Name within that curse is abhorrent to us! Seemingly, the Torah could have spared us an account of that tragic incident and simply have written "you are forbidden to employ HaShem's name when cursing." What might we be able to learn, at some deeper and practical level, from the passage, given that it is not likely to be something we might do, chas v'shalom, that might require such a vividly foreboding illustrative story (it seems to have been a single, isolated case, after which the man was executed)? The preceding sentence is, I think, the third longest one I have written in the history of these Parsha Thoughts Emails.
Rabbeinu Bachya offers his view: He sees it as clarifying for us "an essential principle and a mighty cornerstone" about.................. how to say a blessing! How are we supposed to function when we are about to say a bracha to HaShem? The man who cursed, says the Torah, carefully pronounced and articulated the Name. He knew what he was doing, which tells us that he thought carefully about the word he was uttering. He was purposeful. He was aware and mindful. That is why he deserved such a punishment.
In turn, says Rabbeinu Bachya, when we are poised to say a bracha, we must first think about what we are doing, and about what we are about to say. We must have intentionality. Our minds and hearts must internalize the gravity of our act, and take it seriously, because we really mean it. We are doing it purposefully. And that is the only way to be answered from Above with favor and grace when we pray. Blessings are not cursory statements.
He suggests that this may be the meaning of Dovid HaMelech's words (Tehillim 145:1) which we know as "Ashrei" - "aromimcha Elokai...v'avarecha Shimcha". The first clause, I will elevate You, means I will take the words into my heart and mind first. That way I am praying "be'meizid", knowing in advance what I am about to do. The second clause, and I will bless You, means that only after I have attained this mindfulness will I utter the blessing.
We must think before we act. We must think before we pray. We must also think about how to pray, then go ahead and put our thoughts and feelings into the right words.
Good Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 10:35 PM
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