Parent-Child Learning @ Skokie Valley Parshat Emor 2023

1) (Vayikra 24:10) ("And the son of an Israelite woman went out; and he was the son of an Egyptian man in the midst of the children of Israel. And they strove within the camp, the son of the Israelite woman and the Israelite man.") "And the son of an Israelite woman went out": Whence did he go out From the beth-din of Moses. For he came to pitch his tent in the midst of the camp of Dan — whereupon they said to him: "Who are you that you would pitch your tent in the midst of the camp of Dan?" He: "My mother was of the tribe of Dan." They: "Scripture states (Bamidbar 2:2) 'The Israelites shall encamp; each with his standard by signs according to their fathers' house shall the children of Israel encamp'" — at which he entered the beth-din of Moses, emerged unvindicated, arose, and blasphemed. "and he was the son of an Egyptian man": Even though there were not mamzerim ("bastards") at that time, he was regarded as a mamzer. "in the midst of the children of Israel": We are hereby taught that he became a proselyte. "And they strove within the camp": over the affair of the encampment. "the son of the Israelite woman and the Israelite man": his antagonist. (Vayikra 24:11) ("And the son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and he cursed. And they brought him to Moses. And the name of his mother was Shlomith the daughter of Divri of the tribe of Dan.")

The negative commandment of 'blessing' the Name: And it is from the roots of the commandment of 'blessing' the Name that it empties out the man from any good, through this bad speech. And all the glory of his soul becomes something destructive, and he is considered like the animals. As it is with this exact thing through which God separated him for the good and with it man was created - and that is speech - [and] through which he is separated from the animals, that he is separating himself to evil. And he extracts himself completely from any parameter of knowledge and becomes like a disgusting and repulsive creeping animal, and lower than it. And therefore the Torah warns us about this - since the good God will desire our good. And each and every word that causes the denial of good to [a person] goes against God's desire, may He be blessed.