A Thought on Parshios Acharei-Kedoshim

A Thought On Parshios Acharei-Kedoshim "...u'le'challel es Shem Kadshi..." "...and has profaned my Holy Name..." (20:3) The Torah describes the Heavenly view of one who desecrates the commandments. Our verse says that HaShem "faces off" with him (nesinas Panim) because he has made the sacred impure and "profaned the Holy Name." The Bechor Shor interprets the usage of these vivid terms, and gives us firm admonition: "It is because he is a Jew that people assume that whatever a Jew does, he does because that is what HaShem has commanded. When a Jew acts profanely, people conclude that HaShem wants our people to behave in abominable ways. Word gets around when someone does things which are disgusting or cruel. It may be that onlookers will attack the perpetrator. If not, HaShem will punish him." The Bechor Shor admonishes us further. He looks at some of the adjectives used to describe sinful acts. The Torah refers to these acts as tevel, as zima, as to'eva (18:22,23). In context, each of those words means something despicable yet Chazal find in them contractions of other expressions: tevel also means a flavor (tavlin), as if the Torah is shouting "is that distasteful act going to leave behind a good flavor for you?" Zima hints at zu mah - what value does this have? You will not benefit from this in any way that would be better than legitimate, legal pleasure. To'eva alludes to to'eh ata bah - you are misleading yourself. That road leads nowhere. There is a spiritual dimension of misconduct as well as a personal dimension. Personally, the Torah implores us to examine the risk-benefit of straying from mitzvos and to avoid them for our own sakes. Spiritually, the Torah asks us to consider the bigger picture. Our actions leave an impression. When the social or societal perception is that decadent Jews are adhering to an immoral system of beliefs and practices, this reflects horribly on us. What the Bechor Shor adds is that it reflects horribly on HaShem, the One Who has chosen us and Whom the nations of the world accept as the G-d Whose will we follow. They expect Jews to emulate the Way of HaShem. When we abandon that Way, some assume that our misconduct is actually what HaShem and His Torah are really all about....... Good Shabbos. D Fox