Comentário sobre Levítico 19:30

That is that He commanded us to fear this Temple very much, to the extent that we place a burden of fear and awe upon ourselves - and that this be from the fear of the Temple. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "and you shall fear My sanctuary" (Leviticus 19:30). And the designation of this fear is like that which they mentioned in the Sifra (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:9), "Which is fear? One should not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, with his shoes, with his money-belt and with the dust on his feet; and he must not make a short-cut of it and, a fortiori, [not spit]." And it has already been explained that it is only permitted for kings of the House of David to sit in [its] courtyard. And this is all from His, may He be exalted, saying, "and you shall fear My sanctuary." And this is obligatory forever; and even in our times, when it has been destroyed on account of the increase in our transgressions. And this is the language of the [Sifra] (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:8), "This tells me only of the time when the Temple existed. From where [do we know that the same is true] even when the Temple does not exist? [Hence] we learn to say, 'My Sabbaths you shall keep, and My sanctuary you shall fear' (Leviticus 19:30) - just as the keeping of the Shabbat is eternal, so too, is fear of the Temple eternal." And there (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7:7) it is also said, "It is not the Temple that you fear, but He who makes His Divine Presence dwell in that place." (See Parashat Behar; Mishneh Torah, The Chosen Temple 7.)

ומקדשי תיראו AND YE SHALL REVERE MY SANCTUARY — This implies that one should not enter it with his staff in hand or in his shoes, or with his money belt or with the dust on his feet (all signs of irreverence) (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7 9; Berakhot 54a; Yevamot 6b). But — says God — although I warn you with regard to the reverence due to the Sanctuary, yet — את שבתתי תשמרו YOU SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS — not even the erection of the Sanctuary can set aside the Sabbath law (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 7 7; Yevamot 6a; cf. Rashi on Exodus 35:2).

YE SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS. There are many warnings in the Torah regarding [the observance of] the Sabbath, just as in the case of idolatry, because the law of the Sabbath too, is equal to all the commandments, for one who does not observe it, denies the [Divine] Creation and has no Torah at all.¹⁹⁹See Genesis, Vol. I, p. 17, Note 4. Our Rabbis have an interpretation on this verse. Thus they said here in the Torath Kohanim:²⁰⁰Torath Kohanim, Kedoshim 7:7. “I might think that the building of the Sanctuary overrides the Sabbath; Scripture therefore states, Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My Sanctuary: I am the Eternal” [meaning: “not even the erection of the Sanctuary can override the keeping of the Sabbath”]. And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], He commands here concerning the Great Sabbath²⁰¹A Cabalistic term referring to one of the emanations (Beiur Ha’lvush in his commentary to Ricanti who interprets the words of Ramban here). and the Sabbath which is His Sanctuary [on high], that it be both guarded and reverenced. For this reason the work on the erection of the Sanctuary [on earth] does not override the Sabbath and the Sanctuary [on high]. The student learned in the mysteries of the Cabala will understand.

את שבתותי תשמורו, After the Torah warned concerning a number of practices that constitute a desecration, it now proceeds to legislate days and places and people who are sacred in varying degrees. This begins with את שבתותי תשמורו, to preserve the sanctity of the Sabbath days, a sanctity bestowed on the Sabbath by G’d Himself, and including all holy convocations, מקראי קדש, whose dates have been confirmed by the Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court.

את שבתתי תשמרו, "You shall observe My Sabbaths, etc." Why did the Torah repeat here a commandment already written at the beginning of our Parshah (19,3)? Here is how Torat Kohanim explains this: "I might have thought that the commandment to build the Holy Temple supersedes that of not working on the Sabbath. The Torah therefore repeats that you must observe "My Sabbaths" to teach us that the Sabbath legislation takes precedence even over the commandment to build the Holy Temple." The words of Torat Kohanim do explain why the subject of building the Temple and the subject of Sabbath observance appear side by side; they do not, however, address the question why the Torah could not then have dispensed with mentioning this commandment in 19,3? Or, the commandment of building the Holy Temple should have been written in verse 3 instead of here.

את שבתותי תשמורו, “you are to observe My Sabbaths;” the reason why this exhortation, not the first of its kind, has been written here immediately following laws about sexual chastity is reminiscent of the Talmud Kidushin 81 where the social separation of men and women is discussed and Avin is on record as saying that if one allows men and women to mingle socially one furthers unchaste conduct and worse. He considered the time when the Israelites went up to the Temple to celebrate the festivals as the most dangerous of such opportunities. The parallel with the Sabbath is clear. On the Sabbath, social gatherings are encouraged, wine flows freely, and therefore the opportunities to become guilty of unchaste behaviour are multiplied on that day. Hence the Torah issued a special warning to be on guard against violating sexual mores on the Sabbath. Immediately after the warning not to allow the Sabbath to entrap you into forbidden contact, the Torah writes:

The building of the Temple does not supersede [the] Shabbos [laws]. You might ask, how would one think that the building of the Temple supersedes Shabbos? The Temple is a positive commandment and [observing] Shabbos is a positive and negative commandment, and a positive commandment cannot supersede a positive and a negative commandment. The answer is that if not for the verse, I would think that since the sacrificial offerings that are offered in the Temple supersede Shabbos, because the Temple service supersedes Shabbos, then how much more so does the building of the Temple supersede [Shabbos]. Therefore one needs the verse. Even though Shabbos is mentioned [in the verse] before the Temple to indicate that building the Temple does not supersede Shabbos, as Rashi explains in parshas Vayakhel (Shemos 35:2), [and thus you might ask], why does it have to say here “[You shall fear My Sanctuary], I am Adonoy”? The answer is that since the Torah writes “fear” concerning the Temple, you may have thought that it supercedes Shabbos where the commandment is to “observe,” [whereas parshas Vayakhel is discussing the Tabernacle and not the Temple], therefore it says “I am Adonoy.” This also answers the above question [that a positive commandment generally cannot supersede a positive and negative commandment].

You shall keep My Shabbosos. According to the plain meaning these warnings are advice for our livelihood, by keeping Shabbos and Festivals. This is because it says regarding Shabbos, “You may do your work six days but on the seventh day you must cease,” and the Rabbis taught in Mechilta: If you cease on the seventh day you will do your work all the six days without any hindrance, and you will also meet all your needs in them. The Festivals are especially [favorable] for the livelihood in Eretz Yisrael since they are all New Years, and the Festival offering and the rest of the Festival commandments are beneficial for blessing.

את שבתותי תשמורו, “you are to observe My Sabbaths;” this is to be understood in accordance with Rashi’s interpretation, i.e. even though in Exodus 31,13 we have been warned concerning this in connection with the construction of the Tabernacle, i.e. that that commandment does not override the prohibitions in place on the Sabbath, it needs to be repeated as that structure is most holy and permanent, you must not enter its precincts on the Sabbath carrying your canes, etc. This would be a profanation. [Carrying on the Sabbath in such a public domain regardless of its sanctity is still forbidden. Ed.] ומקדשי תיראו, “and you must revere My Sanctuary;” as a result of this, אל תפנו אל האובות ואל הידעונים, “you must not turn (for help) to ghosts or unfamiliar spirits; seeing that you have access to G-d through the Temple, what possible use could you have to address yourself to such unreliable sources of information?” [Even after Moses’ death you have access to G-d through the breastplate on the chest of the High Priest and the jewels on it, to receive answers to your (the High Priest’s) enquiries.] An alternate interpretation of ומקדשי תיראו; you are to consider My commandments as sacred. All the commandments are associated with the concept of holiness, sanctity. If we needed proof of this, all we have to do is look at the next paragraph 20,3: למען טמא את מקדשי, where G-d’s commandments are referred to as His “Sanctuary,” followed by ולחלל את שם קדשי, “and to desecrate My Holy Name.” If the word מקדשי were to be translated literally as “My Sanctuary,” we would have a duplication in that verse. Hence it is clear that it refers to “My holy people,” for what desecration of the Temple could be performed if someone had worshipped the malach by making his children walk through fire.

ומקדשי תיראו, a warning to treat all holy sites with awe and reverence. This includes synagogues and all places dedicated to the service of the Lord, especially, the ones used for such activities by the public.

I believe that the commandment to observe the Sabbath is connected to what was written before rather than to the commandment to build the Holy Temple. Whereas the Torah commanded the father not to desecrate his daughter by instructing her to practice harlotry, the fact remains that some girls engage in that profession without being urged by their fathers to do so. When they do that they do not only desecrate their own name but they bring shame on the name of their fathers as well even though the father was quite innocent in the matter. This is why the Torah commanded the father to keep strict control of the movements of his daughter so that she will not prostitute herself. The Torah blames the father, i.e. the person who begot the child for the eventual misdemeanours of the child. The fact is that there are three separate causes which may be to blame for the delinquency of children. 1) If at the time of conception the father was bent on the physical pleasure of the union with his wife instead of being motivated purely by the desire to fulfil G'd's commandment to be fruitful when they had marital relations. As a result, the child born from such a union may inherit a tendency to engage in sex for gratification of a biological urge. 2) The cause may be the mother; if the deeds of the mother are not morally good, "the lamb will tend to become like the sheep which has given birth to it" (compare Ketuvot 63). 3) If both father and mother had forbidden thoughts at the time they conceived the child. The classic example is King Chiskiyah and his wife (the daughter of the prophet Isaiah) who produced two great sinners from that union (compare Sanhedrin 104). The tragedy of that incident is the fact that though both father and mother were pillars of piety they nonetheless produced such issue.

The words את שבתותי תשמרו are addressesd to possibility number one, similar to something the Zohar explains on Isaiah 56,4: לסריסים אשר ישמרו את שבתותי, "as to the eunuchs who have chosen to observe My Sabbaths" (volume 2 page 89). The "eunuchs" referred to are the righteous people who make eunuchs of themselves by refusing to have marital relations with their wives except on Friday nights, and who, as a result, produce only morally elitist children by ensuring that they are all born with holy souls. Thus far the Zohar on that subject. The lesson we derive from that is that if someone wants to make sure that the children he sires are of that holy level, he must first learn how to control his libido and put it exclusively into the service of performing G'd's commandment to be fruitful. In other words, "do not have relations with your wife except on Friday nights." When you have achieved this level of conduct you may be certain that your daughter will not engage in harlotry or anything similar to it. Concerning the second reason we have listed which may be to blame for a child turning out to be delinquent, namely that its mother had sensual thoughts which the daughter inherited, the Torah writes ואת מקדשי תיראו, "and revere My Holy Temple." This is a warning to be afraid to violate the sanctity of the Temple, i.e. to ensure that a daughter will never become a סוטה, a wife suspected of infidelity who can clear her name only by drinking the מים המאררים, the waters described in Numbers chapter 5 which have to be drunk on hallowed ground and which bear within them a deadly disease if the suspected woman drinking them had been guilty of the suspicion her husband cast on her. Finally, (verse 31) concerning the third reason which may be responsible for even the most elitist fathers and mothers producing children they will be ashamed of, the Torah writes אל תפנו אל האבות ואל הידעונים, "do not turn to the ghosts and to familiar spirits;" these phenomena are manifestations of different kinds of spiritual impurity whose natural tendency is to stick to people's souls much like leeches stick to their bodies.

The word אבות is from the root אבה, in the sense of Deut. 23,6 where G'd is depicted as not willing to listen to Bileam. The word ידעני contains an allusion to ידוע, something one knows, is familiar with. A person should not claim that seeing he is familiar with these kinds of phenomena that he is immune to them. As soon as one establishes the kind of intimacy with such phenomena that enable one to claim that one knows all about them, one has already become victimised by these spiritually negative phenomena and their manifestations.

אני ה׳ אלוקיכם, "I am the Lord your G'd." The Torah writes these words as the reason for prohibiting contact with these forms of soothsaying. Seeing that G'd, i.e. something divine, dwells inside every Jew, contact with such manifestations of Satan and what he represents would result in the divine within us leaving us. We would lose whatever sanctity we had possessed and become part of the evil represented by these forces. Anyone who does not take care of these three commandments will only have himself to blame if his daughter profanes herself or the father himself took the first step by displaying her.