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April 30, 2004/Iyar 9 5764, Vol. 56, No. 32
Live every day with holiness, sensitivity
Torah study
RABBI BONNIE KOPPELL
Achrei Mot - Kedoshim/Leviticus 19:1-20.27
The parsha Akharei Mot/Kedoshim speaks to the fundamental purpose of Jewish life: to bring a sense of holiness to every moment of our lives.
Judaism does not suggest that the way to holiness is by withdrawing from society and aspiring towards some ascetic ideal. Rather, it challenges us to live with all the frustrations of work and family - and to maintain a consciousness of God throughout our days. "You shall be holy for I, the Lord your God, am holy." (Leviticus 19:2)
The Torah this week focuses on interpersonal relations, caring for the needy, business ethics, justice and respect for the elderly, among many mitzvot leading us towards this goal. Among these, in Leviticus 19:14 we read: "You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the Lord." The term "God-fearing" has, unfortunately, disappeared from contemporary usage, but at one time it was a common term for a pious individual.
According to rabbinic interpretation, whenever we see the phrase yirat HaShem, to be in awe of/to fear God, we understand that this mitzvah is entrusted to the conscience of the individual; it is beyond the jurisdiction of the courts. To be God-fearing means to do the right thing even when there is no legal authority to compel us to do so. It is a standard to which we all should aspire.
Since it would be clear to witnesses if we did, in fact, place a stumbling block before the blind, Rashi explains that the text refers not to someone who is literally blind, but rather to someone who is ignorant with regard to a particular matter. We are taught that it is a violation of this principle, for example, to lend money without witnesses, or to give misleading advice to benefit ourselves. A contemporary application would be not to leave our cars unlocked, especially with attractive packages visible.
The desires of our hearts are said to blind us. If we focus on things which will lead us down the wrong path, we are much more likely to steer ourselves away from holiness. We should not put stumbling blocks in our own paths, as we say twice daily in the Shema: "Do not follow your heart and eyes in your lustful urge. Thus you shall be reminded to observe all my commandments and to be holy to your God." (Numbers 15:39-40) If the eyes are the windows to the soul, then we protect our souls by directing our sight.
Leading another astray, or placing a stumbling block before the blind, is a supremely serious offense in Jewish law. Maimonides mentions it among those sins that cause a person to forfeit eternal life. We are to place neither others, nor ourselves, in a position of temptation.
There are enough dangers that come to us in life despite our best efforts at vigilance. Judaism teaches us that we are obligated not to deceive others and to warn them of any dangerous spots we have found along the way. When we fail to do so, then we are in violation of the principle found in parshat Achrei Mot/Kedoshim: "You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am the Lord."
This week we read the famous verse, "V'ahavta l'reyakha kamokha" - "Love your neighbor as yourself." (Leviticus 19:18) One of the important ways we express that love is by not preying on one another's weaknesses and by expressing compassion in the face of human limitations. It is an act of caring towards our own souls to protect ourselves from temptation as well.
Bonnie Koppell is the rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Chandler.
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