“You shall guard My commandments and do them; I am G-d. You shall not defile My holy Name, and I shall be sanctified among the Children of Israel; I am G-d Who sanctifies you.” –Leviticus 22:31-32
In order to understand and appreciate the values of society and culture, one must research the laws and punishments enacted by that society. The most important values will obviously carry with them the greatest punishment. In China, embezzlement, fraud, piracy, theft, corruption, arson, poaching, among others will earn somebody the death penalty. In Brunei, unlawful possession of firearms, explosives and drugs will put somebody on death row. It is clear that these matters are viewed as having more importance than life itself in those societies. What is considered sacrosanct in Judaism?
Well, the Torah commands us to sanctify the name of G-d and refrain from defiling the ineffable Name. What exactly does this entail?
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 74a) explains that the command of the Torah, “You shall observe My decrees and My judgments, which man shall carry out and live by them.” (Leviticus 18:5) mandates that if a choice is given to violate a commandment or be killed, one is obligated to violate the Torah, rather than lose their life. There are however three exceptions to this rule (aside from public desecration and times of forced heresy where one must give up their life regardless): Worshiping other gods, immoral relations, and bloodshed. These three cardinal mitzvahs are the mainstay of Judaism and one must die rather than violate them. These three mitzvahs are considered the ones worth dying for, in order to fulfill the obligation of sanctifying G-d’s name. One who chooses to violate these commandments is considered to have defiled G-d’s Name.
What is so significant about these particular three; and what exactly is the connection between sanctification and the three cardinal sins? The mystical work Zohar (Cheilek 3, pp. 73a, 93a) informs us that this world contains three elements of holiness: G-d, Torah, and the Jewish People. Accordingly, our Sages inform us in Ethics of Our Fathers (1:1) that there are three foundations upon which the world stands: Service of G-d, Torah, and Kindness. Our connection as Jews obliges us to be kind to one another, and to the world at large. Being that this world is created as a vessel for holiness, those foundations are conduits of that holiness, and we must do all that we can do to uphold the world as a holy place.
Rabbi Yehudah Loew (1520 –1609), better known as the Maharal of Prague explains, "If you have nothing to die for, you have nothing to live for!” Meaning, our existence is dependent on our highest values. These values are the three foundations of the world. Without these foundations we have no existence. The three cardinal sins are the diametric opposite of the world’s foundations, and we therefore must be willing to die, rather than violate them. One who does not give up their life is considered as having no existence. Let us examine these three foundations:
1. Service of G-d means to believe and worship in one G-d. Clearly, one who is worshiping other gods cannot devote himself entirely to the one and only G-d.
2. The Torah is the connector between our animalistic aspect and our spiritual aspect. The Torah represents a channeling of our animalistic tendencies to a Higher Purpose. The Torah very clearly describes how to take the animalistic desire for intimacy and to sanctify it through the union of marriage. One who engages in immoral relations outside of what the Torah sanctifies is denying the very purpose of Torah, which is to help us channel our animalistic desires to a more spiritual plane.
3. Kindness means to give to others and to help them, even with unneeded matters. Murder is the greatest opposite of giving, as it entirely deprives life.
As the famous song goes “You'd give your last breath to your wife, take a bullet for your kids, lay your life for your country for me and all your friends. There’s a lot you say you’re living for you. Got to fight it somehow, stop and turn around cause this ain't nothing to die for.” And as one person eloquently interpreted it as meaning, “I really think that this song means that life isn't something to die for unless you’re living it. Take chances and risks because without those you aren't getting the full meaning of life. Yes having a wife and kids and friends and a job is a wonderful thing but those things don't mean anything if you’re not living. Too many people have died before they chose to live.”
The message of this week’s Torah portion is to identify our supreme values and begin living with those values. So many Jews have died sanctifying G-d’s name; let us live sanctifying G-d’s name! Let us examine our service of G-d, our Torah connection, and our acts of kindness. Let us find the areas of improvement. As we ascend the ladder from Pesach to Shavuos, we climb the forty-nine levels that raise us up from animal level to human level. That is why we offer a barley sacrifice of animal food on Pesach, and after we move up the ladder, we offer the human food of a wheat sacrifice on Shavuos. We have the opportunity to take advantage of the moment. Don’t let the moment pass.
May we all merit living the life that so many of our ancestors gave up whilst sanctifying G-d’s Name!
