Community

Torah Portion

The Stoning Of A Blasphemer:
The 'Whys' Intrigue The Wise

ter began beating him, in the hope that
he would die. Moses witnessed this,
killed the Egyptian and fled to Midian.
The blasphemer was the child born of
that Egyptian taskmaster and the
Israelite's wife. (Bereshit Rabbah 32:4)
In 'a totally different midrash, the
hat I find most fascinating blasphemer's mother, Shelomith, was
about this week's Torah
found to be guilty of immorality in giv-
portion is a brief para-
ing birth to the half-Israelite child. It
.
graph ar the end. It
plays on the meaning of her name,
describes an incident in the wilderness
Shelomith, suggesting she would go
in which a half-Israelite commits blas-
about saying "peace (shalom) to thee"
phemy and is stoned to death:
and she was overly free with her greet-
"There came out among the Israelites
ings (shelama). She was known as the
one whose mother was Israelite
daughter of Dibri because she
and whose father was
brought destruction (deber)
Egyptian. And a fight broke
upon her son.
out in the camp between that
According to this midrash,
son of an Israelite woman and
the son was "a disgrace to his
a certain Israelite. The son of
mother, a disgrace to himself,
the Israelite woman pro-
a disgrace to his family, and a
nounced the Name in blasphe-
disgrace to the tribe from
my, and he was brought to
which he sprang." (Bereshit
Moses; now his mother's name
Rabbah 32:5).
was Shelomith daughter of
Yet another midrash
RABBI MARLA J.
Dibri of the tribe of Dan.
attempts to explain the rea-
FELDMAN
"And he was placed in cus-
son Shelomith's son used
Special to the
tody, until the decision of the
God's name in vain. In the
Jewish
News
Lord should be made clear to
wilderness, Shelomith's son
them. And the Lord spoke to
tried to pitch his tent with
Moses, saying: Take the blasphemer out-
the tribe of Dan.
side the camp; and let all who were
Tribal identification, however, was
within hearing lay their hands upon his
determined through the father, and
head; and let the whole community
since his father was an Egyptian, he had
stone him." (Leviticus 24:10-14) .
no rightful place among the Israelite
This startling, condensed saga raises
tribes. He appealed without success to
many unanswered questions. Who was
Moses. Out of frustration and anger he
this son of an Israelite woman and
struck out against another Israelite and
Egyptian man? What is the story of his
cursed God. (Bereshit Rabbah 32:3)
birth? Were relations between Israelite
These midrashim do not explain the
slaves and Egyptian taskmasters permit-
severity of his punishment, nor do they
ted? Was he a slave, like his mother, or
give the blasphemer his own name or
raised as an Egyptian, like Moses? Was
identity. They do provide, however,
he the birth-product of rape or of love?
valuable insight into the story, and help
Who was his mother, Shelomith, and
fill in some of the blanks.
what is her story? Why was he fighting
Through midrash, we can under-
with another Israelite, and why was his
stand the Biblical text more fully, and
punishment so harsh?
also apply our own creative interpreta-
Questions like these become the -
tions to give new meaning to our
source of midrash, a type of Jewish litera- ancient texts. ❑
tUre that "fills in the gaps" of the Biblical
text. The most significant compilation
of midrashic literature is known as the
Midrash Rabbah (the Great Midrash).
If you were to create a midrash on
The section "Bereshit (Genesis) Rabbah"
this story, how would you explain
addresses many of these questions.
the blasphemer's birth or the reason
In one midrash, an Egyptian
for his fight with the Israelite? Why
taskmaster eyed the wife of an Israelite,
doesn't he have a name? How do we
and had his way with her. When her
explain the reason for the severity of
husband returned the Egyptian taskmas-
the punishment imposed on the
blasphemer?
How do you think
Rabbi Marla Feldman is the assistant
Shelomith
felt
when her son was
director of the Jewish Community
stoned? Should her perspective
Council of Metropolitan Detroit and
become part of the Biblical story?
executive director of the Michigan
Board of Rabbis.

Shabbat Emor:
Leviticus 21:1-24:23;
Ezekiel 44:15-31.

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