Rabbi Frand on Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion.
Good Shabbos!
The Desecration of Molech: We Will Be Held Accountable For Our Priorities
The end of Acharei Mos contains the prohibition of giving one's children
over to the pagan worship of Molech. This tragic form of Avodah Zarah
(idolatry) involved transferring one's child to the priest of Molech, who
would then pass the child through fire as an act of worship to the pagan
god. In some forms of this worship the child would in fact be burnt to
death. The Torah verse that prohibits this act says. "...that you will not
thereby profane the Name of your G-d, I am HaShem." [Vayikra 18:21]. In
other words, beyond the intrinsic prohibition of the idolatry involved,
there is another prohibition, that of Desecrating the Name of G-d (Chillul
HaShem).
The Ramba"n elaborates on the unique desecration of G-d's name that
accompanies worship of Molech. The Ramba"n explains that it will be a
Chillul HaShem when the nations will hear that Jews honor their G-d by
offering animal sacrifices, but that they honor Molech by offering their
children.
Rav Dovid Kviat (in his Sefer Succas Dovid) observes that this concept --
that a person can cause a Chillul HaShem by showing greater homage and honor
to some other area in life than to the Master of the World, is a phenomenon
which is far less foreign to us than the cult of Molech.
In the book of Shmuel we learn of the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by
the Philistines. It remained with the Philistines for a certain period of
time and caused havoc to them, such that they sent it back to Israel.
Initially, upon its return to Israel, a plague occurred in Israel as well,
smiting the residents of Beis Shemesh [Samuel I Chapters 4-6]. The Medrash
asks why the residents of Beis Shemesh were punished. The Medrash answers
that they had been more worried when their hens were lost than when the Ark
of the Covenant was captured. This is a terrible criticism and a terrible
Chillul HaShem.
This is the same type of Chillul HaShem that the Ramba"n identifies with
Molech worship. It is the same type of Chillul HaShem in which we all
unfortunately engage, to a greater or lesser extent, when we do not
demonstrate the proper priorities in terms of manifesting our care and
concern.
The transmission of our car breaks. This upsets us. We come back from a
vacation and find that the refrigerator stopped working and all the food is
ruined. The house stinks. Everyone gets upset! Little things like this upset
us.
The situation in Eretz Yisroel should upset us far more than life's
trivialities, about which we get so worked up. Every day's curse is worse
than the previous day's curse. The situation there is terrible. But does it
bother us more or less than if our refrigerator breaks? Does it bother us
more than a transmission?
What bothers us? What makes us upset? What makes us lose sleep at night?
G-d was upset at the people of Israel for being more concerned about a hen
then about the Ark. We read the Medrash with disdain for the people of Beis
Shemesh. We think, how could they be more concerned about a chicken than
about the Aron! But we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves -- are
we more worried about our own businesses and our own refrigerators and
transmissions and all the other trivialities of life, than we are with what
is going on with Klal Yisroel (the Congregation of Israel)?
To be more worried about the former than the latter is in effect the
admonition mentioned in this week's parsha: "And you shall not desecrate the
Name of your G-d, I am HaShem". G-d holds us accountable for our priorities
- how we treat Him and how we treat other things.
This write-up was adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tape series on the weekly Torah portion.
The complete list of halachic topics covered in the most recent series for
Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim are provided below:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
