ייִדישער מחשבֿה אויף ירמיהו 10:11

Since human life is precious, harmful substances must be shunned, and even merely potentially dangerous agents must be avoided. This is best illustrated in the laws governing the Nazirite, the self-appointed ascetic who must not only abstain from wine, but also from grapes, vineyards, and anything even remotely connected with the fruit of the vine. If this is so in the case of a Nazirite, who had imposed strictures upon himself that the Torah had not even demanded of him, how much more must this concept apply to products expressly forbidden by the Torah? The more serious the nature of the prohibition, the more stringent the cordon sanitaire around such a prohibition to insure that the actual prohibition would not be violated. Since the Torah takes a very grave view of immorality, our sages even discouraged idle conversation with one's own wife. Concerning bloodshed, another cardinal sin, our sages compare the infliction of a public insult as equivalent to the sin of bloodshed, and thereby hope to forestall even more serious expressions of one's hatred toward one's fellow man. The same principle applies to the most serious of all transgressions, the sin of worshipping idols. All other sins, especially if committed while one is under the influence of one's basic urges, can be atoned for by repentance relatively easily. After David had confessed his guilt, the prophet Nathan while remonstrating with David, whose apparent crimes included bloodshed and immorality, was able to say to David, "G-d has removed your sin from you, you will not die" (Samuel II 12,13). This is possible when the sinner had all along retained his faith in G-d. This is also what the prophet foretells concerning a future when man's knowledge of G-d will no longer be beset by doubts, "And he that stumbles on that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be like a divine being, as the angel of the Lord before them" (Zecharyah 12,8). In those days sin will not be due to lack of faith, but will be due only to the weakness of the flesh. Therefore, it can be expiated for at once, and the sinner, after his repentance, can be described as "an angel of the Lord." Nowadays, however, if someone knowingly commits idolatry, how could such a person obtain forgiveness? He would be subject to severance from his people, a penalty corresponding to the nature of his sin. Who could save him? Therefore the Torah includes laws which in themselves represent deterrents to the sin of idol-worship. The most common form of idol-worship is the adulation of heavenly objects such as the sun, the moon, and the stars. These bodies have lured people away from monotheism since time immemorial, and the Torah therefore does not tire of exhorting us "that you may not raise your eyes heavenward and be led astray to worship" (Deut. 4,19). There are many similar quotations, too many to list. All the prophets strove to wean the Jewish people away from these tendencies, and to prove to them that all these heavenly objects are merely tools which G-d uses in His wisdom to guide the progress of the universe. Jeremiah spends a whole chapter discussing this, employing even the chaldaic language to make sure that he would reach the whole nation, including those not fluent in Hebrew (Jeremiah 10).

Psalms 92,2, "it is good to pay homage to G-d and to sing praises to Your name, most High." This is the conclusion reached by David after having overcome doubts in this matter. Cognition of G-d’s works is our primary task. Glorifying His works in song and music is the natural corollary of such cognition. The song the Jewish people sang after their deliverance from the army of Pharaoh by G-d’s miraculous personal intervention, is a prime example of this.

(1,2,3) Just as man is not allowed to enjoy nature's blessings without first reciting an appropriate benediction acknowledging G'd as the source, so the priests remind people of that fact when they say "may the Lord bless you." Constant reminders that G'd is the source of all blessings and well being are important. This too is the purpose of "they will place My name on the children of Israel and I will bless them." The priests' function is to keep Israel aware of this cardinal fact. The function of the priest in relation to G'd, is parallel to the aggadah about Moses assisting G'd in His task of tying the crowns to the letters of the Torah, that we mentioned earlier. The first part of the priests' blessing is essentially material in nature. The additional word "and may He preserve you," is the difference between human and Divine blessings. The former, however generous in nature, does not carry with it the guarantee that it will endure. G'ds blessings however, includes the blessing that it will endure. The second blessing revolves essentially around spiritual matters, the important feature being that the attitude of others towards you will be positive, generous, acknowledge your worth. The third section, "Peace," is relatively the most important of the blessings, as documented by many of the sayings of our sages. They teach that even in death, shalom, peace, is an indispensable attribute. "You will join your fathers in peace." (Genesis 15, 15) See also Jeremiah 34, 4, concerning the death of king Tzidkiyahu. We find a somewhat puzzling statement by Rabbi Eleazar Hakappor, who is quoted as saying "peace is great because even if Israel worships idols, as long as they have harmony, Satan does not touch them.” He bases himself on the verse in Hoseah 4, 17, "as long as the idol worshipping Ephrayim live in unity, leave them alone;" but it continues in chapter 10, 2, "when their heart is divided, now they will receive their punishment." How strange that those who destroy the fabric that binds them to their Creator by worshipping idols, should not also burst the fabric of harmony, peace? But the lesson is that the merit of maintaining harmony gives even sinners an extension before G'ds justice is executed. The three blessings then are 1) Provision of material needs including a healthy body. 2) Provision of the needs of the spirit and soul. 3) Assistance in establishing harmony between man and his Maker, which is true harmony. The tabernacle represents the totality of this world, a microcosm. The beriach hatichon, the central bolt joining all forty eight boards comprising the walls, are the thread shalom, i.e. "peace" that bonds everything together in harmony. When the Midrash says that when G'd created the world, He desired a dwelling down here, just as He has in the Heavens, the meaning is none other than that He wished to supervise and assist man's activities, just as He supervises all that goes on in Heaven. To that end, He endowed the world with blessings. Adam, unfortunately forfeited that relationship through his sin, and until the arrival of Abraham on the stage of history, the broken thread did not begin to mend. Finally, at the completion of the tabernacle, this thread had been fully restored. This is the reason the Torah records the blessings at this juncture. For this reason also, the Midrash talks about Moses hearing three voices. He called the first voice hadar, to paraprase material well being. He called the second voice naeh, to parapharase spiritual and mental well being. The third voice he called meshubach, "choice," since it is the crowning achievement of all. Moses was anxious to have G'ds message spelled out. G'd obliged, saying "I speak shalom, I harbour no ill feelings against My children." (Psalms 85,9.) Rabbi Joshua ben Levi says that there is no need at all to quote a verse from the book of Psalms, since the verse in the Torah is perfectly adequate. Since the Torah tells us about blessings, and continues with the line "it was the day the tabernacle had been completed," the word va-yehee, it was, always refers to the reestablishment of a situation that had existed at one time, but had been interrupted.