In the Torah portion of Kedoshim we are commanded to simply "be holy." This is one of those
rare commandments for which we are given a reason. We are told to be holy by God because "I
the Lord your God, am Holy". In the verse that follow this command, we are given several
actions to avoid in order to be holy such not stealing, observing the Shabbat and respecting one's
parents. This restatement of the Ten Commandments reinforces the recitation of the
commandments in the books of Deuteronomy and Exodus and our goal of being God-like or
holy.
Yet in addition to these well-known commandments we are told that in order to be holy we
must refrain from cursing a deaf person. One has to ask the reason for this prohibition. After all,
if we curse a deaf person, that person cannot hear the words we are saying. The harm being done
in that situation is not clear.
The Torah is teaching a far reaching lesson in this commandment. We learn that our actions and
our words have far reaching implications, even when no one is apparently harmed. If we should
not curse a deaf person who cannot hear us, then it is also clear that we should not curse those
who can. Further, and perhaps more importantly, we learn that the words that we say that do not
cause harm to others still harm the one that says the words.
The one who curses the deaf diminishes his/her holiness and spirit by having engaged in a
spiteful action and furthermore increase the probability of repeating this action in situations that
might actually cause harm or be heard. The Torah is teaching us that when we err in the words
we say, our response can never be "no one got hurt" because that is never true.
The real meaning of this short command could easily be understood by slightly changing the
English translation of the verse. The better translation may be you shall not curse even the deaf.
And if we are able to master the ability to control our speech at times when no harm to others can
be anticipated, how much easier will it be to control ourselves when the harm of our words said
to strangers, family or friends is readily apparent.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Yaier Lehrer
It turns out that the two articles I have written for The Unraveller from the Federation of Jewish
Men's Clubs are published two weeks in a row. I guess it's because the Haftarah portions that I
commented on actually follow each other in the calendar. In any event, below is the article that
was published for this week's edition.
Parashot Acharei Mot + Kedoshim
Amos 9:7-15
The haftarah for the combined portions of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim is one of the most popular
haftarot of the entire year for Bnai Mitzvah. This is not because of the powerful message in the
haftarah from the book of Amos but rather because it is short, nine verses in length, making it much
easier to learn.
In this short haftarah of the last nine verse of the book of Amos, the prophet challenges our notions
of chosenness and predicts dire consequences for a people that takes its status as God’s Chosen
People for granted. Amos specifically predicts punishment for the leaders of the people, with whom
he clashed. King Jereboam II had led the land to significant economic growth and vastly expanded
the territory of his kingdom. When he heard of the prophecies of Amos, he threatened Amos’ life.
Amos is concerned with the effect that economic growth has had on the spiritual state of the people,
since those who have economically succeeded have forgotten about their poorer brothers. Earlier in
the book of Amos, the prophet scolds the people who are “eating the fattest of sheep and cattle from
the stalls who drink from wine bowls ....but are not concerned about the ruin of Joseph." It should be
noted that Amos himself was not poor. Thus, his railing against the rich was not simply a case of
class envy.
Amos begins this haftarah by wondering if the people of Israel have become no different from all the
other peoples of the region, such as the Cushites, Philistines or Arameans. He wonders if their
exalted status of “chosen” is something that they took for granted and were not willing to uphold.
Amos reminds them that the fact that they act like all the other nations may cause them to lose their
chosen status.
The concern with chosenness is a reflection of the theme of the Torah portion of Kedoshim wherein
Gods states that “I have set you apart from other nations to be mine” (Leviticus 20:26). But while
God is now ready to wipe out a portion of his people, he is not going to destroy the entire people. He
will spare those who follow his ways and further reward them for their loyalty in the face of a large
segment of the Israelite populace that has forgotten its roots. Amos uses the metaphor of a sieve to
indicate that God will sift through the people to find those worthy of continuing the thread of the
chosen people that begins with the exodus from Egypt.
Amos’ prophecy appears to be not only concerned with those who are sinning against God, but also
about the influence of the sinners on those who have not yet been contaminated. The destruction of
the sinners will stop further contamination much like the removal of a cancerous tumor to prevent
further spread of a pernicious disease.
In this way, the prophet is teaching us some important lessons about how to handle the relationships
in our lives. The relationship with God, just like the relationships with spouses, family members and
friends, is one that needs to be tended to thrive. Taking of any of those relationships for granted
risks the loss of that relationship.
In addition to the lesson about relationships, the prophet is also reminding us that there are some
relationships not worth having, relationships from which we must distance ourselves. While in this
haftarah God is prepared to remove the evil influence from our lives, even though that influence
comes from our own people, it is up to each of us to remove the evil influences from our own lives. It
is up to us to recognize that some relationships, even if we benefit economically and socially,
eventually undermine our spirit and ethical center. So that while the haftarah reminds us that with
wealth comes responsibility to our people, the accumulation of wealth does not justify entering into
relationships that are toxic to our spiritual core.
And while Amos is critical in his prophecy, he does end with a positive message guaranteeing
redemption and prosperity to those who follow God’s ways. Therefore, wealth, in and of itself, is not
evil. It can be a gift from God. What we do to get that wealth or what we fail to do once we do get it is
that which can be objectionable to God.