(32) You shall not profane My holy name, that I may be made holy in the midst of the Israelite people—I ה' who makes you holy,
- "To profane" means to treat with disrespect. What do you think it means to profane God's name?
- On the other hand, what do you think it means to make God's name holy?
When ten Jews are engaged in Torah or prayer, the Divine Presence / the Shechinah dwells among them, as it says (Psalms 82:1), “God is present in a Godly congregation.” Although the Shechinah dwells even with one Jew who prays or learns individually, nevertheless, different levels exist. The highest level is when ten [or more] Jews are engaged in a matter of holiness (davar she-bikedushah), for then holiness is revealed to the world (see Berachot 6a). Based on this, the Sages decreed that all matters of holiness be recited in a minyan. These include: Chazarat HaShatz (the repetition of the Amidah), Birkat Kohanim (the priestly blessing), Barchu, Kaddish, and the Torah reading (Megillah 23b).
How is this learned? From that which was taught by Rabbenai, the brother of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: It is inferred by means of a verbal analogy [gezera shava] between the words "among," "among." Here it is written: “And I shall be hallowed among the children of Israel,” and there, regarding Korah’s congregation, it is written “Separate yourselves from among this congregation” (Numbers 16:21). Just as there "among" connotes ten, so too here, "among" connotes ten.
6) The speaker and the receiver [of evil speech] also transgress (Vayikra 22:32): "And you shall not profane My holy name," in that there is no desire or physical pleasure to cause their self-centered drive to intensify itself over them, so that this sin is regarded as rebellion and blatant divesting oneself of the yoke of Heaven; and this profanes the name of Heaven. This, even in the instance of a ordinary Jew; how much more so in the instance of a person of eminence, whom they all look up to for guidance [speaking lashon hara], where the name of Heaven is certainly profaned! And how much more so, if this sin were committed in public, would it be extremely grave, the transgressor being called "a desecrator of the name of God in public."
- What reason for the Chafetz Chaim state for seeing Lashon HaRa as such a serious offense? Do you agree with that reason? Why or why not?
- Why do you think the Chafetz Chaim think that people of prominence have a larger responsibility to avoid Lashon HaRa? Why would doing so in public be even worse?
Our sages (Yoma 86) state that the sin of desecrating the holy Name of God is not one for which the Yom Kippur brings forgiveness. Even making amends does not suspend the punishment due for this sin for a period of time. Even the suffering of afflictions does not wipe out this sin. If one is guilty of the sin of desecrating the name of God, such a sin is at best “suspended” and the death of the sinner may eventually assist in wiping out this sin.
There is, however, one way of counteracting the sin of desecrating the God's holy Name. This is the sanctification of the God's Name in public by the person who was guilty of desecrating it. The Torah alludes to this when writing: ונקדשתי בתוך בני ישראל, “I want to be sanctified among the Children of Israel.”
We have another verse in Proverbs 16:6: “sin will be expiated through lovingkindness and truth;” this means that the sin of desecrating the God's holy Name through speaking lies and committing other sins may be counterbalanced by the performance of deeds of kindness and truth, thus reversing the damage one had become guilty of....
- What might be some examples of making God's name holy to balance out having previously desecrated God's name?
- Why might Rabbeynu Bachya think that this is the only way to make up for desecrating God's name? Why wouldn't the other ways to make up for it work?
You shall not profane my holy name by transgressing My commands willfully. Having regard to what is implied in the statement: You shall not profane [My holy name], what is the meaning of "I may be made holy"? This implies nothing other than a positive act of sanctification: Abandon yourself to martyrdom and make My name holy!
I might think that this command applies even to the Jewish person when they are alone (i. e., when no other Jewish people are present when the heathen bids him transgress a Divine command)! Scripture, however, states: [and. shall be made holy] amidst the children of Israel.
— And when offering oneself as a martyr, one should offer themself with the firm determination to die if necessary, for the one who abandons themself hoping that God will not exact the sacrifice and that a miracle will happen to save them will have no miracle done for them...
- In Rashi's time, he is supportive of those who made the decision to let themselves be killed rather than publicly violate a law of the Torah. People were not sure whether they should have done what they had to do in order to survive or whether they should lay down their lives for the Jewish people, God and the Torah.
- What might be a situation when you would be willing to give up your life rather than do something that you would consider undoable?
כָּל בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל מְצֻוִּין עַל קִדּוּשׁ הַשֵּׁם הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כב לב) "וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל". וּמֻזְהָרִין שֶׁלֹּא לְחַלְּלוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כב לב) "וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי". כֵּיצַד. כְּשֶׁיַּעֲמֹד עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וְיֶאֱנֹס אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לַעֲבֹר עַל אַחַת מִכָּל מִצְוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה אוֹ יַהַרְגֶּנּוּ יַעֲבֹר וְאַל יֵהָרֵג שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּמִּצְוֹת (ויקרא יח ה) "אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אוֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם". וָחַי בָּהֶם וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם. וְאִם מֵת וְלֹא עָבַר הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ:
The whole house of Israel is commanded to sanctify this Great Name, for it is said: "And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel" (Lev. 22.32). They are also warned not to blaspheme God, for it is said: "And ye shall not profane My holy Name" (Ibid.).
How are these commandments to be observed? If an star-worshipper forces an Jewish person to transgress one of the commandments of the Torah and threaten them with death for disobedience, it is mandatory that this person transgress the commandment and not be put to death, for it is said concerning the commandments: "That which a man may do and live by it" (Ibid. 18.5)—"live by it, but not die for it". Thus, if he chose death and did not transgress, his blood be upon his own head.
- How do Maimonides understand the choice between violating a law of the Torah and giving up one's life?
- What verse does Maimonides quote to support his position? Below is the passage from the Talmud that Maimonides also quotes. How does this passage support his argument?
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן מְנַסְיָא אוֹמֵר: ״וְשָׁמְרוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת״, אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: חַלֵּל עָלָיו שַׁבָּת אַחַת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמוֹר שַׁבָּתוֹת הַרְבֵּה.
אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה אָמַר שְׁמוּאֵל: אִי הֲוַאי הָתָם, הֲוָה אָמֵינָא דִּידִי עֲדִיפָא מִדִּידְהוּ: ״וְחַי בָּהֶם״ — וְלֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בָּהֶם.
Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: It is stated: “And the B'nai Yisrael shall keep Shabbat, to observe Shabbat” (Exodus 31:16). The Torah said: Desecrate one Shabbat on his behalf so he will observe many Shabbatot.
Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: If I would have been there among those Sages who debated this question, I would have said that my proof is preferable to theirs, as it states: “You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a person shall do and live by them” (Leviticus 18:5), and not that he should die by them. In all circumstances, one must take care not to die as a result of fulfilling the mitzvot.