I don't mean to count the Omer, I just mean to reference the day as I've yet to count the Omer and don't want to accidentally count without a bracha. But welcome into the weekly Parsha podcast. This week, parshas Emor talks all about the laws, the precepts and obligations for the priests, the Kohanim, those that run Hashem's house, hands on, those that protect the house, and they have certain standards of life. At the end of the Parsha we'll hear about a blasphemer. A blasphemer somebody who was not welcomed into the Jewish camp in somewhat of a fit of rage, cursed, spoke ill, blasphemed and was stoned to death to teach a lesson. An epic story needs pondering, mining, dredging Before that.
Speaker 1:Parshas Emor also discusses all the special days, the holidays, the Shabbases, the Yom Kippurs, the Svir Asa Omer, all the Moya Dei Hashem. But nestled right after the mitzvahs that are pertinent for the Kohanim, and right before the Moya Dei Hashem is two central psukim that ask a whole lot from the Jewish people, from you and I. Today I'd like to take you into this mitzvah that resides inside of these two psukim and understand seven different chidushim, seven different aspects, little-known facts about these psukim, about this mitzvah, conclude with two stories to drive the point home and then try to really make it, make an impression on us, to focus on it going forward. After this talk, the psukkim parashas emor say v'lo sechalalu eshem kodshi, don't profane my name, v'enik dashdi. The next passage in the midst of the Israelite people, I, hashem, am the one who sanctifies you. The next Pesach says I brought you out of the land of Egypt. This is what you and I know, what we assume and generally take as the mitzvah of making a Kiddush Hashem Sanctify the name of God, a precept in Judaism throughout all the rabbinic sources, all of the Rambams and Gemaras, from down to modern parlance to modern parlance.
Speaker 1:Making a kiddush Hashem, referenced at the tongue of the sages time after time, and it refers to, as we generally think, as acting like a mensch in private and communal affairs, elevated conduct that reflect well on the Jewish people. A kiddush Hashem that means to sanctify the name of God and live an exalted life. And while all of the previous stated definitions of kiddush Hashem, they are true, but there is more. There is more because this mitzvah is central to who we are. Hakadosh Baruch Hu does not reveal himself to the world, he just says you want to know what I represent, you want to know what I am, then look at my chosen nation. An insert right here jumps on the stage the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem, acting as a Jew in a way that sanctifies the name of God. This mitzvah is very much the definition of what the Jewish people and what HaKadosh Baruch Hu is to every onlooker.
Speaker 1:Talk about some pressure. God basically leaves it up to us. He leaves it in our hands. He doesn't even announce his presence and say what he believes. The Almighty blessed be. He says look at my people and through them you shall see. Talk about a paramount commandment. Talk about a paramount commandment. Let us jump in, make it maybe a bit of a chabura, or maybe to take the pressure off. It'll just be seven little known facts, but crucial facts about the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem that is included in this week's parasha. Or maybe to rank or ratchet up the pressure. We'll take it as a chabura. And seven chidushim l'halacha be'inion, kiddush shem shomayim.
Speaker 1:We start with Rashi. What does it mean? Ve'nekdashdi b'teich b'nei Yisrael. It previously said ve'lo sechad l'luh eshem kodshi. Don't profane, desecrate, make mundane my name. The Nekdashdi adds something, says Rashi. This is talking about someone who transgresses my commandments willfully. So we're talking about here, somebody that already Rashi tells us with intent, defiles the name of God, doesn't have a sin, willfully decides he's not going to go to shul on Yom Kippur. He decides he will eat on Yom Kippur. That is a chelol Hashem. But what is added by the Nekdashdi?
Speaker 1:Says Rashi, kiddush Hashem means to make the ultimate sacrifice, it means to keep God hallowed and it implies a positive act of sanctification Abandon yourself, jump into the kiv shon ha'esh. The nikdash implies a positive act of kiddash Hashem, giving up your life for the sake of God, yahob yachad. Rashi says maybe it just means when you do it by yourself, talmud loim, erbetoich v'nei Yisrael. You should do it in Rabim, you should do it in Rabbim, you should do it when this is in your midst of a crowd, a community, because you must be able to do it. You must be able to do it. You must be able to do it. You must be able to do it, says Rashi, continues that to make the ultimate sacrifice. It should be betoch b'nei Yisrael, it should be community scene, it should be a public display of giving up your life for Hashem. And we continue. Rashi says further to get this done, you shouldn't jump into the kivsh on our east. You shouldn't take the bullet for the name of God, for the sake of well. If I do this, I may look like Hananiah, mishael and Azariah. I'll look really holy. And I'm doing this because really I think a nace is going to happen and I'm betting on a miracle.
Speaker 1:No, that's not the fulfillment of Kiddush Hashem. It should be solely for the sake of the Almighty, not for the miracle to be saved. It should be a giving up, an act of martyrdom. That is the Kiddush Hashem and that is Kiddush Aleph that we see in this mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem. And it is that Kiddush Hashem is not just passive but a fulfillment of a Kiddush Hashem is an obligation to be proactive.
Speaker 1:In making a Kiddush Hashem, there's something that one must do. He must take the leap of faith. God forbid, it should never be brought about that we actually have to be in such a predicament. But if it ever does, the intent we also see in Rashi and in the state of community-wide onlookers is the way that it is to be fulfilled. That's Kiddush. Number one that there is a proper and positive commandment, a positive action of martyrdom, v'nekdashdi. That's what Kiddush Hashem means. Number two the Ramban says. It's interesting that the Kiddush Hashem. It is immediately followed by a post-it that says v'nekdashdi b'tayich b'nei yisrael, followed by a post-it that says I took you out of Egypt for you to be my people and I'm to be your. God, Says the Rambam. If it should come to it, one needs to make the ultimate sacrifice.
Speaker 1:Where does this mitzvah find its origin? Where does it germinate from? We aren't entitled to life as Jewish people. We're entitled to a big fat zero. We were homeless, underneath a bridge. We were shoeless Joe Jackson Didn't even own Crocs we were whipped daily slaves, broken homeless, entitled to nothing, and we were to be a speck in the grand tapestry of history because the Jewish people would be no more, because all hope was lost. As we were in the belly of Egypt, but then with an outstretched hand, as we sat idly by and did nothing, we were told to sit in our houses and we couldn't be involved in the great escape at all. It was all done by Kud Shabrichu. Ani Valoy Malach, ani Valoy Saraf. God saved us to make us His. Therefore, we are totally His and we owe Him everything From that. That's where the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem has the how do we say politely the large claim, the audacity to ask of someone to take a bullet for something they believe in, because we aren't entitled to anything except for that. God took us out and said follow my mitzvos. And this is one of the mitzvos.
Speaker 1:Kiddush number two is that where Kiddush Hashem finds its origins, where it germinates from its roots, the rationale is because one is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, because that's the only reason that he has. Life is because of the Almighty, and an entitled person is a really poor. Look for the Jews. We live our lives as totally unentitled. We are owed zero. So anything that comes our way we're happy for, and if it should be that we must lay it all on the line for the one that we owe it all to, well then, so be it.
Speaker 1:Kiddush number three comes from the Sefer HaChinuch 296. That's the mitzvah of Vinik Dashti B'toich B'nei Yisrael. Something interesting comes out Mitzvahs Kiddush Hashem Shin Etzavinu. Lekadish Hashem Shin Emar. Vinik Dashti B'toich B'nei Yisrael. Keloyim Arshinim Zornashar Seinu Lomas Al-Kiam.
Speaker 1:Hamitzvahs Adas that that we should be willing to lay it all on the line, and the Sefer Achanuch continues that there's only specific scenarios. You don't give up your life if you're told to eat pig. Not, of course, unless it's one of the three cardinal sins and it depends if it's at the time of a Shema, like a holocaust, and if it's for the. If somebody wants to engage in an immoral action and that is the evil Nebuchadnezzar or Achashverosh is invoking harm upon the Jewish women, and if he's doing it for the sake of his own pleasure or if he's doing it for the sake of making a Hillel Hashem and getting Jews to do it just to defile their God. All of the exact parameters are crystal clear in the Sefer HaChinuch and in the Rambam, chapter 5 of Yesod HaTorah in the first book of his Yad Chazaka.
Speaker 1:My father always said we probably should know all of these different laws pretty clear, because if anyone should be stuck in a situation like this, there isn't time exactly to tell the bandit or to tell the Nazi. Wait a second, let me learn the laws quickly. You have to know how to act on the spot, but hopefully we should never know of such things. You have to know how to act on the spot, but hopefully we should never know of such things. But either way, as we continue in the Sefer HaChinuch, the third Chiddush is as follows Shechayiv ha'adam shiyarag v'al ya'avor bohem la'olam in such a situation. V'im avodazara, v'chol abuzraya, any sort of branch, even a small tolda, a small little part of Avodah Zarah is included kol inyon, shelah, all the different lavim, also Gilearayis, immoral promiscuity in all of its offshoots, shvichazdamim murder. One needs to give up his life.
Speaker 1:Continues the Sefer Echenach. I always thought like this that if I ever have such a situation, god forbid. You just go through the actions that the Gentile wants you to do while he's holding the gun and you pretend to bow your head down, but in your heart you know that this is all false. You know that the fat man in a barely covering tunic named Buddha sitting on the floor there really has no significance upon our lives and really means nothing. It's definitely not a religion and it's definitely idolatrous practices and I want no sort of sheikh. There's no connection to it. So maybe to save your life, to do mitzvahs in the future, you'll bow your head, but in your heart you'll be thinking this is all madness, I'm just saving my life here. Af alpikein etstavu shiahareg v'al yaseh ha'maisah haro ha'hu.
Speaker 1:Still, that will not be tolerated. You must give up your life to even Do it in a forced manner. Coercion. Why it's interesting? Why Sounds like this fellow has a good loophole for saving himself and not actually getting involved in anything because his heart isn't in it. Good loophole for saving himself and not actually getting involved in anything because his heart isn't in it To not give a place for an innocent bystander to think that whoa Johnny gave up his connection to God. Do you see Johnny? Last night he bowed down to an idol.
Speaker 1:Kiddush number three is even an outward and false portrayal of bowing to an idol. That may give off the slightest doubt. It may give off a bad look to an onlooker, to a bystander, to a walker by or passerby. It also is included in the nikdashdi and will not be tolerated. There goes my little loophole. I thought that was spoke great depths. It was quite a large, eye-opening revelation in just how we have to be particular about a kiddush Hashem to even what one might think about, even if it's just a heartless, mindless action. But if it looks like that already that is a chelul Hashem.
Speaker 1:Kiddush number four Rambam Mishnah, torah Foundations of Torah. He discusses about the laws, every single situation of Kiddush Hashem. One should probably know them. Anyone who does this great sacrifice, he is fulfilling this great sacrifice. He is fulfilling this great mitzvah, but I thought that Kiddush Hashem just as a lead up to the Rambam, to give it some context is when in Berabim, in public, somebody makes the ultimate sacrifice, but the Rambam says more, the Khen also. I don't know where the Rambam says more, somebody here's the translation who separates from a sin or somebody that does a positive commandment.
Speaker 1:He fulfills it. Not for any other reason in the world, not because he is afraid, not because he has awe, not because he wants honor, not for any other reason is his act justified and caused except because the boy, ray Olam, the master of the world, told him to do it and he withholds from sin like Joseph did when he was alone with the master's wife. That is a Kiddush Hashem, noira. Kiddush Hashem does not need to be done, berappim. Kiddush Hashem can be done when you are lying in bed and you feel the need to sleep for an hour more. There's no sort of fear. Well, maybe there is fear, but hopefully there isn't fear. You're waking up because you know God wants you to pray Kiddush Hashem, nikra, you're alone and you could scroll through your phone and you know that there's something that may be immoral on that website and you decide to swipe off, delete it, get rid of it, like you have fulfilled the mitzvah of Enoch Dashti and nobody saw it. Nobody knows about it. You're totally b'yached by yourself alone. Nobody knows about it. You're totally by yourself alone, just you and God. Kiddush Hashem, you buy Lulav and Esarg, not so that people should think that you have the coolest Lulav and Esarg, but just because God asked you to do it. Kiddush Hashem, what an amazing, amazing Kiddush. Another Kiddush. I think we're up to five. I believe so. Three, four, five, I think. Maybe my math is off, but I think it's five.
Speaker 1:The Messiah says when he is dissecting the mitzvah of chidish Hashem anfei chol Hashem, gam ken hem rabim u'gdolim. There are numerous branches of the sin of profanation of God's name and they are quite significant. A person constantly needs to be cognizant of the honor of his creator and everything you do, in the starting of your car and the going to work and the putting on of your clothes how will somebody see and will it be portrayed as a Kiddush Hashem or a Chilul Hashem? And here is Kiddush number five. Little known fact of Kiddush Hashem or a Chilul Hashem. And here is Kiddush number five. Little known fact of Kiddush Hashem number five.
Speaker 1:וכבר שונינו אחד שוגג וא אחד מייזד בחלול Hashem. Whether it was done with intent or whether it was an accident, whether it was a mindless error, it is the exact same as having acted deliberately to sin. When it comes to Hillel Hashem, this is all based on the Mishnah in Avos, kiddush, number five. You cannot say to God I didn't know anyone was looking or I didn't know that this was wrong or prohibited. A show gig, a total accident, an error, it's my bad coach. It is the exact same. Why it makes a lot of sense to us? Because it's the honor of God and no matter what we may say to an onlooker or to someone who might see oh, I didn't mean to, you don't really get what was happening. But if they should have a thought of wow, that's how a Jew acts, it was a mistake, it doesn't matter. Very weighty chidish. How scrupulous should we be about this mitzvah if even an accident cannot be forgiven or resonates as the same as a wanton? Not wanton, but a wanton sinner? Excuses are meaningless. That's what we see from the Mishael Shasharm when it comes to the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem.
Speaker 1:And number six, ramchal, continues. Our sages of blessed memory. They told us Masech LeYuma Pei Vav, a famous blot for many reasons. What's an example of Chilal Hashem? Like when Rav would go, he would say if I would go to the butcher I think it means and not pay immediately, but just leave it on credit. Chil Hashem, rabbi Yochanan said. Rabbi Yochanan said if in my case it would be a profanation if I should walk four cubits without Torah and tefillin.
Speaker 1:Ramchal explains that, unlike other mitzvos, kiddush Hashem has a sliding scale dependent upon your level, dependent upon your role in society and what others think of you, even if you have the lowest self-esteem. But if others should see you as a rabbi, others should see you as an upstanding and integrity-filled Jew, an honest and outspoken and God-fearing Jew. Well feet, without tefillin on his head. It's a sliding scale for him, at his level, that would be a profanation, a desecration of God's name. So the chiddish number six is that chiddish Hashem is a sliding scale. I don't know of any other mitzvah that has that qualification, that aspect.
Speaker 1:Chiddish number seven and our final chiddish is from the Ramchal. As he continues in this passage about what Kiddish Hashem entails, says the Ramchal, here it is. So each person according to his level, whatever people see you, as it doesn't matter what you think of yourself. If they assume you to be a certain Madrega, you should never do anything that's beneath your dignity. I can't imagine some of the balabatim in my community walking around eating some sort of subway wrap outside Chol Hashem. Every single person depends on what people think of you. You need to stay in that league. Ki k'fi raboiz chashi vuso v'chachmaso. According to your significance. According to your wisdom, kein roy shi yar bezehi russo. According to your wisdom, you need to be a better, more scrupulous servant of Hashem. If you reach that level and you continue to go up, here comes Chiddish, the cherry on top, number seven.
Speaker 1:Chiddish Hashem comes from Kavod HaTorah, that somebody who increases his study of the Torah. It should be. This function should lead to a conclusion of increased straightness, increased integrity and increased perfection of midos. If you go to yeshiva and you learn a lot if you're a balabos and you learn a lot if you're a kolaga and you learn a lot, but then you don't act on the level of the amount of Torah knowledge that you have, because the onlooker says why should I send my kid to learn in yeshiva if this is its product? And somebody who acts benevolently helps the old lady cross the street, davens like a mensch, acts courteously with all of his fellows. He's a swell fellow, he's a mensch. People say praiseworthy are the parents that gave birth and the tutelage to this fellow, the Kavod HaTayra, is on the line. And the more you learn, the more you know, the more that you need to back up that you know it by acting like that. And if God forbid, you should not act the part, then it can be a horrible Rachman HaLitzan, bezayin HaTayrah and people can say, oh, that's what the Torah teaches, that's what the Torah is. Oh, I want no part of that. Rachman HaLitzan.
Speaker 1:Seven Chedushim of Kiddush Hashem, of this central, foundational mitzvah. How scrupulous a person should be about this mitzvah? How scrupulous a person should be about this mitzvah? It's talked about in all of the sources and it's explicit. God's covenant, torah's covenant, is on the line. It's based upon how great a person is.
Speaker 1:There's so many sliding scales. It's dependent upon the covenant of Torah. There are certain times that you need to do it. One needs to be proactive, one needs to have the right intent. It come from a fact that it's God took us out and we owe everything to Hashem. We learn from the Sefer HaChinuch that even outward portrayals, even if you think you can get away with it by just going through the motions without actually having your heart in it. That's also considered a Hillel Hashem. The Rambam told us, if you're alone and you overcome a sin, that's also a Kiddush Hashem. We have the Messiah. Three Kiddush Hashem Excuses are meaningless. It's a sliding scale and this last one of that people will say that that's what's in the Torah, based on how you act, and it could be God forbid a Bezoyanat Torah on how people look at the Torah.
Speaker 1:I want to conclude with two different stories To show how the G'daylim took this mitzvah seriously. Story number one About Kiddush Hashem. It's actually a sad story, but in New Jersey you can't pump your own gas. It's rather annoying, but I guess it supplies jobs to the economy. But no-transcript.
Speaker 1:He would swipe it, they would pay for it and they would continue on their way. And as the next person would come, this less-than-swell Gentile fellow would tell if it was a Jew that would come next, pulling up right behind him to get gas. He would say you should know your Jewish brother before. He didn't pay for his gas. He forgot, he just zoomed off, but I think he wanted to pay. He just forgot, like, do you want to help him out and cover for him? And sure enough, this Gentile understood that a Jew wants to be scrupulous about a kid of Shashem. He knows its importance and a person of course would say, oh, I don't want someone to think bad that Jews don't pay, he's a cheater, a scam. And people began to cover for their Jewish fellow because that's probably proper and the right thing to do. And this fellow ran a whole business relying upon kid of Shashem. If this Gentile knows this about us, if this Gentile knows what a Jew will do for another Jew and how scrupulous we need to be about Kiddush Hashem, well then how much should we ask of ourselves about the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem? This person made a whole business until he got arrested about just making Jews glorify the name of God and protect their fellow Jews.
Speaker 1:Story number two Rabbi Hanan Wasserman. He came on a fundraising trip to America. A lot of famous stories happened when Rabbi Hanan came from Baranovich to America to fundraise for the yeshiva. But in the good old days, when one would take an elevator from one floor to the next, there was an elevator attendant, somebody who would wear an up hat, press the buttons, maybe even make it work. I'm not familiar with such things. It's before my time.
Speaker 1:But before they went into the elevator, and it was in the morning, rabban Hanan turned to his gabai and, in Yiddish, said how do you say good morning in English? I don't know what the Yiddish is, good morning, I don't know something like that. He told Rabbi Honan you have to say good morning. And even though, yes, there's different halachas about saying good morning in the mornings before shachar maybe this was after shachar, not sure what time it was, but the story goes that Rabbi Hanan was doing chazor as hashir, trying to get it perfectly right that when he should get inside of the elevator and he should be with this fellow who is going to see a rabbi and think of the rabbi once this is probably what he'll think about God and Jews he should be able to say a stark and lively and vibrant good morning. And Rabbi Hanan got it perfect and it was a walking Kiddush Hashem, a prominent and superior definition of what it means to sanctify God's name.
Speaker 1:This mitzvah is paramount and central. And this mitzvah is paramount and central and this mitzvah needs constant fixing and improving. You should think about it where you go before you act, how you act, what you're to do, what do people think about? How it will look? Even a mere hint of what it would look like to others needs to be taken into account. And with these seven chedushim, these seven little-known facts about the mitzvah of a nikdash di b'toich, b'nei, yisrael, the mitzvah of sanctification of God's name, I hope that you'll take them to heart and think about them. And these two stories that show you the importance and the prominence and the obligations that we have about the mitzvah of Kiddush Hashem, to be on the lookout to sanctify the name of Hashem and the name of Hashem in all that we do. And, to God forbid, not even come close, not even within 8 amos, within 50 feet, 50 amos of ever achill Hashem, to ensure that we constantly work on this mitzvah to bring about glory to the holy name of Hashem, of the Nekdash.