Negative Commandment 63 (Digest)
Desecrating the Name of G‑d
"And you shall not profane My holy name"—Leviticus 22:32.
We are commanded not to desecrate G‑d's Name. This mitzvah has three applications:
a) Martyrdom: If an oppressive government arises and sets for itself the goal of eradicating Judaism and Torah, we are commanded to sacrifice our lives rather than deviate one iota from Jewish law or custom. And, at any time, we are obligated to allow ourselves to be killed rather than transgress one of the three cardinal sins—idolatry, murder, and certain forbidden sexual relations (such as adultery, incest, and homosexuality).
One who allows himself to be martyred under these circumstances has sanctified G‑d's Name. One who transgresses, has desecrated His Name.
b) Sins of Spite: One who transgresses G‑d's command not for pleasure or for the sake of perceived benefit, but simply to demonstrate indifference for G‑d's words, has desecrated G‑d's Name, having displayed open disregard for His wishes.
c) Behavior Befitting a Torah Scholar: One who is renowned for his piety may not do anything that even smells of impropriety—even if there is no transgression involved. One Talmudic rabbi said that if he were to take meat from the butcher on credit, without paying immediately, that would constitute a desecration of G‑d's Name. When a Torah scholar behaves in exemplary fashion, this causes G‑d's Name to be sanctified—and vice versa.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 63rd prohibition is that we are forbidden from profaning G‑d's Name. This corresponds to the commandment to sanctify G‑d's Name, as we explained previously in Positive Commandment Nine.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),;) "Do not profane My Holy Name."
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> This transgression has three categories: two which apply to everyone, and one which applies only to certain individuals.
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> The first general category [itself contains two parts: a)] when there is a decree [against Judaism], and one is pressed to transgress a commandment by someone who intends;) to make him violate the commandment — whether it is from the less serious or more serious commandments — or [b)] even when there is no decree, and one is pressed to transgress the prohibitions of idolatry or gilui arayot;) or murder. One is required to give up one's life and allow oneself to be killed rather than transgress, as explained in the Ninth Positive Commandment. If a person transgressed the prohibition rather than allowing himself to be killed, he has profaned G‑d's Name and has [thereby] transgressed this commandment. If he did so publicly, i.e., in the presence of ten Jews, he has profaned G‑d's Name in public and transgressed G‑d's commandment (exalted be He), "Do not profane My Holy Name," and his sin is very grievous.
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> He does not receive lashes, however, since he was forced, and the court may punish by lashes or execution only when the person transgressed intentionally, willingly, before witnesses, and after being warned. The Sifra says regarding a person who gives one;) of his children to [the idol] Molech, "The verse;) says, 'I will direct My anger against that person.' The word 'that,';) comes to exclude one who acts unwillingly, unintentionally or mistakenly." This explains to you that one who serves idolatry because he was compelled to do so is not punished by karet, and certainly is not executed by the court. He does transgress, however, the prohibition of chillul Hashem, profaning G‑d's Name.
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> The second general category is when a person does a prohibited act for which he has no desire or enjoyment, but his actions show disregard and disobedience. This person also profanes G‑d's Name and is punished by lashes.;) The verse;) therefore says, "Do not swear falsely by My name; [if you do so], you will be profaning your G‑d's name," because it gives no physical pleasure, and shows disregard for this commandment.
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> The category which applies to certain individuals is when a person who is known for his piety and righteousness does something which seems to the public to be a sin. Since such an act is improper for such a pious man, he has profaned G‑d's Name, even though the act was permitted. As our Sages said,;) "What would be an example of profaning G‑d's Name? [Rav said,] If someone like me would take meat from the butcher without paying immediately. Another Sage said, 'If someone like me would walk four amos without learning Torah or wearing tefillin.'"
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> This prohibition is repeated in the verse,;) "[Do] not profane your G‑d's name; I am G‑d."
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> The details of this mitzvah have been explained in Pesachim;) and in the end of Yoma.;)
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> Footnotes
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> Lev. 22:32.
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> 2.
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> This would not apply if violating the commandment is not the intention, such as if a burglar would demand that one drive him to safety on Shabbat. His demand that Shabbat be violated is incidental to his real intention.
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> 3.
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> A sexual prohibition which is punishable by karet, such as adultery or one of the incestual prohibitions.
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> Or more. See Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 6:4.
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> Lev.20:5.
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> 6.
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> Hahu,"against that person," rather than saying more simply, "against him."
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> See Kapach, 5731, footnotes 37, 90.
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> 8.
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> Lev.19:12.
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> 9.
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> Yoma 86a.
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> 10.
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> Lev.18:21.
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> 11.
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> 25b.
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> 12.
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> 82a, 86a.
Negative Commandment 65 (Digest)
Destroying a Place of Worship
"This you shall not do to the L-rd your G‑d"—Deuteronomy 12:4.
We are forbidden from destroying G‑d's houses of worship (i.e., the Holy Temple), or any of its utensils—such as the altar or any part of the sanctuary. This prohibition also includes defacing the books of the Prophets or erasing any written Name of G‑d.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 65th prohibition is that we are forbidden from destroying;) any houses of worship of G‑d (exalted be He) or books of the Prophets, erasing one of the Holy Names of G‑d, or any similar act.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,;) "You may not do so to G‑d your Lord," i.e., after first giving the command to destroy idolatry, to wipe out its name, and to completely demolish its altars, the verse warns, "You may not do so to G‑d your Lord."
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> One who performs one of these acts, such as destroying part of the heichal [the Holy Temple], the altar, etc. or who erases one of G‑d's Names is punished by lashes.
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> In the end of Makkos,;) the Gemara explains that one who burns wood which was designated for use in the Holy Temple is punished by lashes: "And the prohibition is derived from this verse,;) 'Burn their Asherah trees...You may not do so to G‑d your Lord.'" It is also explained there that one who erases G‑d's Name is punished by lashes: "And the prohibition is derived from this verse,;) 'Wipe out their names...You may not do so to G‑d your Lord.'"
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> The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the 4th chapter of tractate Shavuot.;)
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> See Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 6:7, Hilchos Bais Habechirah 1:17, that one may not destroy even one stone.
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> Deut. 12:4.
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> 22a.
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> Deut. 12:3-4.
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> Ibid.
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> 35a.
Positive Commandment 172 (Digest)
Heeding a Prophet
"You shall listen to him"—Deuteronomy 18:15.
We are commanded to obey the instructions of a prophet. This as long as he doesn't instruct to permanently abolish any mitzvah. But we are commanded to listen to a prophet if he tells us to temporarily suspend the observance of a biblical precept.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 172nd mitzvah is that we are commanded to obey each of the Prophets, may they rest in peace, and to fulfill all their instructions. Even if his instructions contradict one or many of these commandments, [we are commanded to obey him] as long as his instructions are temporary. This does not apply, however, if he permanently adds or subtracts [from the commandments], as we explained in the Introduction to our Commentary on the Mishneh.;)
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),;) "To him you must listen." In the words of the Sifri: "The verse, 'To him you must listen,' means that even if he tells you to temporarily;) transgress one of the commandments of the Torah, you must listen to him."
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> One who transgresses this mitzvah is punished by mita bidei shamayim, as it says in G‑d's statement (exalted be He),;) "If any person does not listen to My word that he declares in My name, I will punish him." It has been explained in tractate Sanhedrin;) that three are punished by mita bidei shamayim: one who disobeys the prophet, a prophet who disobeys his own prophecy, and a prophet who conceals his prophecy.;) All of them are derived from the phrase, "If any person does not listen." Our Sages said, "The phrase, lo yishma ['does not listen'] can also be read, lo yishamei ['does not listen to himself'] and lo yashmia ['does not make others listen'].";)
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> The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the end of tractate Sanhedrin.;)
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> If he does so, he is a false prophet and is executed. See Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 9:1.
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> Deut. 18:15.
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> See Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 9:3, where the example is brought of the prophet Elijah, who brought an offering on Mount Carmel, in spite of the prohibition to bring offerings outside the Temple in Jerusalem. Since it was a temporary measure — only to disprove the idolatry of Baal — it was permitted.
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> Deut. 18:19.
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> 89a.
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> Such as Jonah.
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> The same Hebrew word contains all three meanings when vocalized differently. The word therefore conveys all three categories, one who disobeys the prophet (lo yishma), the prophet who disobeys his own prophecy (lo yishamei) and the prophet who conceals his prophecy (lo yashmia).
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> I.e., the end of chapter Eilu Hanechenakin.