Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

147
Emor
Berachot: Yetzer Ha-ra Free
Adam Shafiyan
P arshat Emor ends with the story of the blasphemer. The blasphemer, who was
the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father, fought with another man in the
camp and during the fight he cursed Hashem. Hashem decided to make an example
of him and had him stoned, showing that whoever blasphemes the Name of Hashem
will be put to death.
Rabbeinu Bachya (24:10) asks a very intriguing question about this episode: why did
this incident have to be recorded in the Torah? Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate
to cover up this incident and to simply state that one who curses Hashem will be
killed? He explains that there are two reasons for mentioning this event in the Torah.
Firstly, the Torah tells this story in order to show that only a total rasha, someone
flawed to his core, is capable of doing such an act. A person who descends from a
proper Jewish family could never commit such a heinous crime.
The second reason is to teach us how to properly bless Hashem. When the blasphemer
cursed Hashem, he first uttered Name of Hashem and then he cursed. We too are to
bless God by first saying the Name of Hashem with the proper level of concentration
and understanding, and only afterwards proceeding with the rest of the beracha.
While the blasphemer was put to death for his crime, if we use this formula to praise
God we will merit eternal life.
In Sefer Yeshayahu Hashem tells Yeshayahu Ha-Navi that B’nei Yisrael honor Him with
their words but their actions are performed without any meaning. Sefer Chassidim