Bar-Ilan University
Parshat Hashavua Study Center
Parshat Va-Etchanan 5774/August 9, 2014
This series of faculty lectures on the weekly Parsha is made possible by the Department of Basic Jewish
Studies, the Paul and Helene Shulman Basic Jewish Studies Center, the Office of the Campus Rabbi,
Bar-Ilan University's International Center for Jewish Identity and the Computer Center Staff at Bar-Ilan
University. For inquiries, please contact Avi Woolf at: opdycke1861@yahoo.com.
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"You shall not bear the name of the Lord your G-d in vain"
By Meir Bar-Ilan1
Below we present a new interpretation of the third of the Ten Commandments. Most of
what follows has been said in assorted scholarly forums, but for various reasons has not
reached beyond the scientific community.2 Hence this seems to be a suitable forum for
presenting the main points of this research to the public at large.
The Ten Commandments hold a central place in the Jewish religion,3 but here we shall focus
on the Third Commandment: "You shall not bear the name of the Lord your G-d in vain,"
which the Sages interpreted as having to do with swearing falsely (Shevuot 20b).4
1
Meir Bar-Ilan is Professor of Talmud.
2
M. Bar-Ilan, Khotmot Magiyim `al ha-Guf bein Yehudim ba-Meot ha-Rishonot la-Sefira, Tarbiz, 57
(1988), pp. 37-50; ibid., "Ve-samu et Shemi `al Benei Yisrael" (Num. 6:27), HUCA, 60 (1989), Hebrew
part, pp. 19-31.
3
M. Weinfeld, Aseret ha-Dibrot—Yihudam u-Mekomam bi-Mesoret Yisrael, B. Tz. Segal (ed.), Aseret
ha-Dibrot be-Re'i ha-Dorot, pp. 1-34. Phillips, Ancient Israel's Criminal Law, New York: Schocken
Books, 1970, pp. 53-60.
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But this interpretation, thus far unchallenged, is problematic and perplexing for several
reasons: swearing falsely figures in subsequent commandments, if only obliquely: "You
shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," since presumably testimony is given on
oath. If so, what reason is there for duplicating the injunction against swearing falsely in a
text whose concise (and lapidary) nature is so immediately evident?
Moreover, the Ten Commandments all deal with concrete, real things (as commentators on
"You shall not covet" have observed), hinted at by distilling the Lord's laws to a "précis"
consisting of ten commandments, a number that has physical significance (like ten fingers or
the ten plagues in Egypt). But the prevalent interpretation of "You shall not bear…" requires
a metaphorical approach, transposing the physical "bearing of the Name" to the abstract
concept of swearing falsely; so we can say that the prevalent interpretation of not bearing
false witness is far from the plain sense of the text.
Therefore, we suggest viewing the injunction "You shall not bear…" as forbidding physical
bearing of the Name, in line with the sources we present below. Specifically, people bore
the name of the Lord on their bodies, and in the essential encounter between G-d and Israel,
this commandment prohibits displaying His name in vain. Insofar as this prohibition is
included in the Ten Commandments, one cannot help but see it as central in ancient Jewish
rites.
Here we shall observe how the Name was written on the body and why the
prohibition against bearing the Name in vain is accompanied by a threat (present only in the
previous commandment, forbidding idolatry): "for the Lord will not clear one who bears His
name in vain."
Most likely the name of the Lord was written on the body, be it of individuals or of the
masses, as part of a religious rite of initiation and sanctification, as can be deduced from the
priestly benediction. Although this blessing is familiar to all, its concluding verse is obscure;
and this is the place to discuss it. It reads (Num. 6:23-27): "Speak to Aaron and his sons:
Thus you shall bless the people of Israel. Say to them: The Lord bless you and protect
you…Thus they shall place (root: s-y-m) My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless
them."
That is to say, first the priest blesses Israel orally, and afterwards he "places" on them the
name of the Lord. In other words, he writes the name of the Lord on the person being
blessed, just as it says, "And the Lord put (root: s-y-m) a mark on Cain" (Gen. 4:15). The
4
This is reflected in the way it is rendered in the New JPS Translation: "You shall not swear falsely by
the name of the Lord your G-d." [Translator's note]
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name of the Lord on one's body expressed not only religious faith in one G-d, but also that
the Lord would protect the person bearing His name.
Two stages can be identified in this rite: pronouncing orally and writing physically, as follows
not only from the Shema ("you shall teach them…and write them") and from elsewhere in
Scripture, but also from the ceremony of blessings and curses described in the Torah and in
the book of Joshua: "That is the Covenant that He signed with them on Mount Gerizim and
Mount Ebal" (Midrash Tana'im on Deuteronomy).5
Likewise, the depiction by the prophet Isaiah: "One shall say, 'I am the Lord's', another shall
invoke the name of Jacob, another shall mark his arm 'of the Lord's' and adopt the name of
Israel" (Isa. 44:5). In other words, people expressed their faith (or what we might call in
modern parlance, their religiousness) by writing the name of the Lord on their body.
Scripture did not explain why the Lord's believers did this, but the idea behind it is explained
by the prophet Ezekiel: "And the Lord said to him, 'Pass through the city, through Jerusalem,
and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who moan and groan because of all the
abominations that are committed in it'" (Ezek. 9:4), indicating that writing on the body was
supposed to be a protective mark (apotropaic), and nothing was more suitable than the
name of G-d, supposed to save the person on whom His name appeared.
What we have seen thus far shed a new light on Deuteronomy 28:10: "And all the peoples
of the earth shall see that the Lord's name is proclaimed on you." Namely, the other peoples
would see the name of the Lord on the bodies of the Israelites before them (which would be
written on various parts of the body: the forehead, arm, thigh, and elsewhere), and hence
would fear Israel or the G-d of Israel.
The practice of writing the name of the Lord on one's body is mentioned in the Babylonian
Talmud as well as in the Hekhalot literature.
Yoma 88a has a baraitha about ritual
immersion on the Day of Atonement:
If he has had the name [of G-d] inscribed on his body he must not bathe, nor
anoint himself, nor stand in an unclean place; it if happens that he is obliged
to immerse himself, he should tie some reed around, go down and immerse
himself.
5
M. Bar-Ilan, Ha-Torah ha-Ketuvah `al ha-Avanim be-Har `Eival, Z. H. Ehrlich and Y. Eshel (eds.),
Mehkarei Yehudah ve-Shomron, II, Kedumim—Ariel 1993, pp. 29-42.
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Rabbi Jose said: He may go down and immerse himself in the usual manner,
provided he does not rub it off.
Clearly the tannaim were familiar with the situation in which a person had the name of the
Lord on him, and such a person would be fastidious about ritual immersion to the extent
that he would immerse himself even on the Day of Atonement (and the Sages did not
prevent him from so doing!).
Hekhalot literature, from the fourth and fifth centuries, contains several depictions of
writing the name of the Lord on one's body. For example:
Rabbi Ishmael said: Seven imprints did I stamp on myself at the moment
that [an angel] descended.
Bl[essed] are Y[ou], H', who created heaven and earth in Your great wisdom.
Forever is Your name—hyaup sysy pyyau lo sm by, kyy, tnyy—the name of
your servant
Aurys sstyy
on my leg
Abg bgg
on my heart
Arym typa
on my right arm
Aurys tsy yah
on my left arm
Abyt tkbg ar yyo dyual
on my neck
Auf a kh kytr ss ehad [one] yedid [friend] Yah [of G-d]
And above them all, af pt yhu khyu yu z'hu yhu tyts
to safeguard my soul
above my head
Ryr gog gadol [great] hp yp hp tahor [pure] hh yyo hhy hh hh hzkrot olam
[references to the world].
Blessed be the Lord of wisdom, to whom is all might,
B[lessed] are Y[ou] H' Lord of Mightiness, Lofty and Elevated, Great in
Dominion…
B[lessed] are Y[ou] H', the Holy G-d.6
Unlike ancient texts, the names written here are in secret code, presumably for fear that
unworthy people might perform the rite. Be that as it may, clearly there is but one intent,
and the rite, described in full, like the priestly benediction is divided into two stages: oral
6
P. Schäfer, Synopse zur Hekhalot-Literatur, Tübingen 1981, Schäfer p. 216, par. 566.
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and written.7 In another account, this rite turns out to have been observed after 24 ritual
immersions, somewhat similar to what we find in the gemara. We have left but to note that
the early Christians (most of whom were of Jewish origin), customarily wrote various letters
(the biblical tav, described in the book, looks like an X), and clearly their practice was derived
from the Jews.8
Thus we see that people wrote the name of the Lord on their bodies so that they would be
blessed, and as far as we can tell this was done in a sanctification rite of passage (and not at
a fixed time).
Having made these points clear, we have but to explain what was meant by bearing the
Lord's name in vain and why this transgression was considered so grave (as indicated by the
accompanying threat). In Psalms we are told who may stand in the Temple courtyard:9 "He
who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not born My life [nafshi] in vain, and has not
sworn deceitfully" (Ps. 24:4).
In response to the rhetorical question (asked before entering the Temple precinct)—"Who
may ascend the mountain of the Lord?" (Ps. 24:3)—the psalmist declares: those who have
clean hands and a pure heart, seemingly metaphorical notions, like he who "has not born My
life in vain" and "has not sworn deceitfully." Apparently exegetes were of the opinion that
not having sworn deceitfully was simply a restatement of the previous idea, as one certainly
finds in Psalms. It turns out, however, that we have two distinct declarations here: one,
concerning swearing falsely, the other concerning bearing the nefesh in vain.
The principle difficulty here is understanding the word nefesh. A close look at this word and
exegetes' comments on it reveals that the intention is clearly to the name of the Lord. For
example, Jeremiah (5a:14) says: "The Lord of Hosts has sworn by Himself (nafsho): I will fill
you with men like a locust swarm, they will raise a shout against you." Likewise, "My Lord Gd swears by Himself (nafsho), so says the Lord G-d of Hosts" (Amos 6:8). So we see that
7
Pay especial attention to the benedictions: 1) Creation [= "who created heaven and earth"]; 2) the
Lord's might; 3) the Lord's sanctity; this is an ancient arrangement of benedictions, a different version
of which became part of the Amidah prayer. See M. Bar-Ilan, Sitrei Tefillah ve-Hekhalot, Ramat-Gan
1987.
8
John 7:2-4, 9:4, 13:16, 14:9-11, 19:16, 22:4. J. Daniélou, Primitive Christian Symbols (translated by
D. Attwater), London: Burns and Oates, 1961, pp. 136-145.
9
M. Weinfeld, Horaot le-Mevakrei ha-Mikdash ba-Mikra u-ve-Mizraim ha-Kedumah, Tarbiz 62.1
(1993), pp. 5-15.
5
nefesh is none other than a name for G-d Himself, so these quotes amount to G-d swearing
by His own great name. In other words, when the Psalmist declares not to have born "His
life" in vain, he expresses the idea that he has not born on his body the name of the Lord in
vain. One who bears the name of the Lord in vain turns out to be someone who vaunts the
name of the Lord or who makes it evident that he worships the Lord [in our day this might
be shown by wearing a yarmulke, tzitzit, and the like] yet commits transgressions, thereby
profaning the name of G-d in the world. Thus, what the third commandment means to
forbid is profaning the Lord.
The Sages' interpretation of this verse is indirect testimony to the fact that they did not
share in the practice described herein, although they apparently knew of it, as is evident
from Midrash Tehillim 36 (Buber ed., pp. 251-252):
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Two generations made use of the explicit
name of G-d: the men of the Great Assembly and the generation of the
[Hadrianic] decrees…What was their tool of war? The explicit name of the
Lord which they took out to battle, and they would not battle yet their
enemies would fall (before them). When due to their sins the Temple was
destroyed, they would fall into the hands of their enemies. Aybo and the
Rabbis disagreed, Rabbi Aybo asserting: the angels would peel off the Name
that was inscribed on them; while the Rabbis said: it would peel off of its
own accord. When, after the Temple had been destroyed, they would go to
battle (and fall), they began to say, "There is no soundness in my flesh
because of Your rage" (Ps. 38:4).
Apparently the practice ceased because people felt it would lead to desecration of the
Lord's name in the world, either directly or indirectly. For example, a certain Jew who bore
the name of the Lord on himself committed a transgression, and his transgression became
publicly known (which explains also why people refrained from laying tefillin). Likewise,
when someone bearing on himself the name of the Lord would be found murdered in a field,
they would say: Where are the awesome acts of the Lord, who should have been protecting
the murdered victim?
Henceforth, read the commandment, "You shall not bear the name of the Lord in vain," as
referring to writing the name of the Lord on the body and as having to do with desecrating
the Lord's name.
Translated by Rachel Rowen
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