A Thought On Parshios BeHar-Bechukosai
A Thought on Parshios BeHar-Bechukosai
"...v'im b'chukosai timasu...v'hishmad'ti bamoseichem..."
"...and if you abhor My statutes...I will destroy your shrines..." (26:14,30)
The second of our two parshios contrasts HaShem's relationship with us during times of loyal service of Him through our revering His ways, with the perceived shift, the feeling of abandonment, which we experience after we have drifted from serving Him.
The Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 6:11) quantifies the concept of "abhoring HaShem's statutes." There are many attitudes which a person can take, both noble and vile, yet an attitude alone is seldom grounds for active reprisals. In our verse, HaShem forecasts that the Divine response to our abhorring His words will be a destructive change in our way of life. Even our holy places will be demolished. What kind of attitude would bring about such drastic horror?
The Rambam opines that the Torah is not pinpointing the inner thinking, but rather the cruel manner in which abhorring the commandments can be manifest behaviorally. The word in Hebrew is mi'us and this takes on a strong meaning, such as behaving with denigration and disgust. The idea of showing disgust about a rule, something abstract, is difficult. Rather, the Rambam explains that the Torah is dwelling on those who denigrate those people who teach our Torah. He explains -
It is a grave sin to denigrate or dislike Torah sages. Jerusalem was
destroyed because there were Jews who reviled the scholars. We
see this in Divrei HaYamim II which says, "they insulted the pious
ones, shaming His words, ridiculing His prophets" (36:16).
The Rambam's insight into our verse, then, is that by rejecting those who teach HaShem's word, we have belittled all that the Divine word stands for. It would be hypocritical to run to the House of Study and the House of Prayer if we despise those who exemplify for us that Higher Standard in action. Thus, the Divine response to abhorring the Torah and its pious scholars would be the forfeiture of our professed - yet rejected - holy places.
* * * * *
The Rosh sees another cause and effect between our rejecting the Torah Way, and the destruction of our sacred shrines. Our error in despising those who live by the Torah is that we stray from our very belief system. We veer from revering that which is holy, and we give up our sense of devotion and submission to the Divine. We do not pray to Him, nor turn to Him nor encourage others to serve Him.
"No atheist in the foxhole" means that in times of plight, despairing of all hope, some people finally come to a spiritual awareness that they feel no option but to call out to Heaven and to pray. However, when they have rejected Him and His ways, they have also neglected the sanctity of the House of Prayer. Our verse says that the earlier attitude of despising the pious one and all that is holy will leave us with nothing to turn to.
Our spiritual places will have become demolished. Our former shrines will have become places where Torah is a stranger. They will no longer be revered as places for the holy and the pious. Our scorning the Torah Way will eventuate in having no place left to turn to.
I remember a time in my life when I had a very long car commute which took me through a town which had once had a small religious Jewish community. I cruised slowly through its streets looking for a remnant of that neighborhood, from which once had come a student who attended yeshiva high school with me. Years later, the Jews had all vanished or even assimilated r'l. I passed a food market, then noticed on its wall in faint block letters some Hebrew words, proclaiming the name of that forgotten synagogue. No one left to pray there. No one left to read those faded letters on the wall. No one left who might have seen the writing on the wall before that all happened.....
Wishing you a spiritual revival this Shabbos. D Fox
"...v'im b'chukosai timasu...v'hishmad'ti bamoseichem..."
"...and if you abhor My statutes...I will destroy your shrines..." (26:14,30)
The second of our two parshios contrasts HaShem's relationship with us during times of loyal service of Him through our revering His ways, with the perceived shift, the feeling of abandonment, which we experience after we have drifted from serving Him.
The Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 6:11) quantifies the concept of "abhoring HaShem's statutes." There are many attitudes which a person can take, both noble and vile, yet an attitude alone is seldom grounds for active reprisals. In our verse, HaShem forecasts that the Divine response to our abhorring His words will be a destructive change in our way of life. Even our holy places will be demolished. What kind of attitude would bring about such drastic horror?
The Rambam opines that the Torah is not pinpointing the inner thinking, but rather the cruel manner in which abhorring the commandments can be manifest behaviorally. The word in Hebrew is mi'us and this takes on a strong meaning, such as behaving with denigration and disgust. The idea of showing disgust about a rule, something abstract, is difficult. Rather, the Rambam explains that the Torah is dwelling on those who denigrate those people who teach our Torah. He explains -
It is a grave sin to denigrate or dislike Torah sages. Jerusalem was
destroyed because there were Jews who reviled the scholars. We
see this in Divrei HaYamim II which says, "they insulted the pious
ones, shaming His words, ridiculing His prophets" (36:16).
The Rambam's insight into our verse, then, is that by rejecting those who teach HaShem's word, we have belittled all that the Divine word stands for. It would be hypocritical to run to the House of Study and the House of Prayer if we despise those who exemplify for us that Higher Standard in action. Thus, the Divine response to abhorring the Torah and its pious scholars would be the forfeiture of our professed - yet rejected - holy places.
* * * * *
The Rosh sees another cause and effect between our rejecting the Torah Way, and the destruction of our sacred shrines. Our error in despising those who live by the Torah is that we stray from our very belief system. We veer from revering that which is holy, and we give up our sense of devotion and submission to the Divine. We do not pray to Him, nor turn to Him nor encourage others to serve Him.
"No atheist in the foxhole" means that in times of plight, despairing of all hope, some people finally come to a spiritual awareness that they feel no option but to call out to Heaven and to pray. However, when they have rejected Him and His ways, they have also neglected the sanctity of the House of Prayer. Our verse says that the earlier attitude of despising the pious one and all that is holy will leave us with nothing to turn to.
Our spiritual places will have become demolished. Our former shrines will have become places where Torah is a stranger. They will no longer be revered as places for the holy and the pious. Our scorning the Torah Way will eventuate in having no place left to turn to.
I remember a time in my life when I had a very long car commute which took me through a town which had once had a small religious Jewish community. I cruised slowly through its streets looking for a remnant of that neighborhood, from which once had come a student who attended yeshiva high school with me. Years later, the Jews had all vanished or even assimilated r'l. I passed a food market, then noticed on its wall in faint block letters some Hebrew words, proclaiming the name of that forgotten synagogue. No one left to pray there. No one left to read those faded letters on the wall. No one left who might have seen the writing on the wall before that all happened.....
Wishing you a spiritual revival this Shabbos. D Fox
posted by Rabbi Dr. Fox at 8:07 PM
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