Desecration of God's Name and Redemption

נמצאו 5 תוצאות חיפוש

  1. On Sin and Redemption

    Haftarot: Para

    Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

    When the sins of Am Yisrael are compared to the impurity of the menstruating woman, this is a positive metaphor. It indicates that the sin stems from human nature, and that it is a passing state. The comparison to impurity that stems from contact with death is worse: this impurity is more complicated to shed, and seems to be related to moral corruption. However, just as the Red Heifer has the power to overcome impurity despite our inability to reverse death, so sinners who seemingly have no hope of atonement can be purified by God. The haftara discusses redemption that does not stem from teshuva - and notes that this form of redemption cannot be complete.

  2. The Abominations of their Fathers

    Part 1

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    This chapter illustrates the cyclical process of history going back to the slavery in Egypt: Am Yisrael violates God’s laws and as a result is deemed unworthy of redemption – even survival. But nonetheless the nation is restored to its land to prevent God’s Name from being desecrated in the eyes of the nations. The desecration of God’s Name lies not only in the actual transgression of His laws, but also by how this betrayal is perceived by the nations. Thus the repair of this desecration – the sanctification of God’s Name – must likewise also be “before the nations”: through the ingathering of Am Yisrael from the places to which they have been scattered.

    The commandment of Shabbat enjoys a place of honor in Sefer Yehezkel. What makes Yehezkel’s attitude towards Shabbat special is not that he mentions more often than the other prophets, but that he views Shabbat as a sign and symbol – not of the Creation of the world - but of the special sanctity of Israel.

    The testimony offered by the Shabbat that “I am the Lord your God” – is a concept unique to Yehezkel; there is no parallel to it elsewhere in the Torah. This accentuates the importance of Shabbat: through its observance, the nation not only expresses its sanctity, but also testifies to and calls to consciousness the fact that the Lord is their God. Conversely, the breach of Shabbat is testimony to the distance between the nation and their God.  This ultimately led to the defiling of the Temple and its Destruction.

  3. The Abominations of their Fathers

    Part 2

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    The act of offering children to Molekh and passing them through fire – was common among pagans and is echoed in the story of Akeidat Yitzhak. It led to a perception that such practices had Divine legitimacy. Yirmiyahu emphasizes, in each of the three verses where the burning of children by fire is mentioned, that the act violates God’s command; that such an idea never “came into God’s mind,” and that God would never mislead His people  this way. If indeed – as it appears from Yehezkel – the view prevailed among the people that this act was legitimate in God’s eyes, then it is clear why Yirmiyahu repeats over and over the prophetic message that there is no basis for it.

     

    According to Yehezkel’s prophecy, the future revival of the nation will not come because of the covenant of the forefathers – which is not mentioned here at all – nor as the result of the nation repenting. It is a “forced” redemption, motivated by the desecration of God’s Name inherent in the very fact of the nation’s exile. The nation should therefore be ashamed of its deeds because of the Divine motivation to restore them to their land. This redemption is “forced” upon the people, as it were, with no opportunity for them to exercise their free choice – perhaps even against their will. It is for this reason that the whole nation will not return.

  4. Yehezkel’s Prophecy regarding Gog and Magog

    Part 1

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    Ostensibly, the revival prophecies climax with the nation’s return to its land and its purification from sin. However, the process remains unfinished. The nation’s revival occurs hand-in-hand with the strengthening of God’s status in the world and God’s status is only fully anchored after His war against Gog: a war that ends with the Divine promise that God will not hide His face from His people.

    The uniqueness of this prophecy in Yehezkel, compared to similar prophecies in Yishayahu and Zekharya, lies in its scope, the explicit naming of the aggressors, and the timing of the war as specified in the prophecy: after the nation’s return to its land.

    The purpose of the prophecy as a whole is emphasized in the final verse of chapter 38: “Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will make Myself known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the Lord.” (v. 23) This verse underlines the aim of God’s war against Gog, as well as its result – knowledge of God among the nations. Thus, this prophecy is a response to the desecration of God’s Name represented by the exile of the nation from its land and the destruction of the Temple.

  5. Yehezkel’s Prophecy regarding Gog and Magog

    Part 3 - The Nations will Know God

    Dr. Tova Ganzel

    God exiled His people because of their sins, and because God’s chose to hide His face. In the pagan world, by contrast, the harm inflicted on a particular nation was proof of the weakness of their god; the suffering was not interpreted as a punishment or as the hiding of a divine face. This sharply contrasts the Jewish view.

    The purpose of redemption – the ingathering of the exiles and the war against Gog – is that not only will God’s name become known among the nations, but His name will also be magnified and sanctified, so much so that many nations will recognize Him. This will compensate for the desecration of God’s name that transpired when His people were exiled.