Torah Portion
Respect For Fellow Man
Heightens Respect For God
In the first eight portions of Leviticus,
the program for such a sanctified life
is revealed. But a life of personal and
communal sanctity and a real relation-
ship with God must be predicated on
a formulation of justice and fair treat-
ment of all.
The entire program of sacrifices,
his week's portion contains
purity, holiness and sanctity can
regulations specifically for
degenerate into the absolute and
the priests and high priest
utter desecration of God and His
as well as a catalogue of
name if strife, dispute and disrespect
the specific laws relating to the holy
for the individual human being or
days of the year.
his property continue to exist. The
This portion is really the culmi-
Torah does not reveal the
nation of the entire first
nature of the dispute, but
part of Leviticus with its
it certainly holds the blas-
rules of sacrifice and sancti-
phemer responsible for his
ty. In this part of the Torah,
behavior to the point of
we are presented with the
demanding his execution.
regulations by which the
How would his blasphemy
Jewish people can achieve
be conceivable without the
the proper relationship with
dispute and in a society
God as well as a communal
imbued with real sanctity
life imbued with sanctity
and respect for God and
and holiness. It is in this
for one another?
RABBI ELIEZER
context that the very last
Society must begin
COHEN
section of the parsha is so
with very basic respect for
Special to the
each individual and his
enigmatic.
After this program for
Jewish News
right to live without fear
sanctity and holiness has
for his own safety and loss
been presented, the Torah
of property. There must be
tells of the incident of the blasphe-
a proper mechanism to deal justly
mer (Leviticus 24:10-23). The son of
and fairly with disputes that arise
a Jewish woman by an Egyptian man
between people. All must feel a real
becomes involved in some unspeci-
part of the community with a per-
fied dispute in the Jewish camp and
sonal interest in maintaining the
as a result blasphemes — curses —
peace and contributing to the wel-
God's holy name.
fare of the entire community.
This story is followed by a few
When this kind of just society is
verses requiring the execution of the
sincerely striven for, then sanctity
blasphemer and various other unre-
and holiness, a closeness to the
lated laws dealing with murder,
divine, is possible. Otherwise, as all
property damage and compensation.
the prophets continually proclaimed,
The absolute irony of the incident of the rites and ceremonies, religious
blasphemy — the ultimate in the
laws and practices are mere sham,
desecration and degradation of God
hypocrisy and desecration of God.
in human terms — comes at the
very culmination of hundreds of
verses teaching us how to sancti
our lives. It certainly must contain a
message that the Torah is trying to
convey.
Which is better, a completely non-
Likewise, the inclusion of the
religious community or a "reli-
laws relating to murder, property
gious" community where dishon-
damage and compensation also must
esty, deceit and lack of respect for
be explained.
each individual prevail? Why is
It seems to me that the Torah is
blasphemy considered a crime so
attempting to teach us a very basic
serious as to require an execution?
and essential lesson. Sanctity in
Is there a relationship between the
human existence can be achieved both
respect for one's fellow man and
on the personal and the communal
respect for God? What are holiness
level. Human beings, likewise, can cre-
and sanctity and how can they be
ate a real relationship with the divine.
achieved?
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