The Jewish Attitude Toward Gentiles (3)

 

Sanctification of God's Name

 

            The concept of sanctification of God's name is comprised of several aspects.  An understanding of these components will serve us well.

 

            The first dimension is the simplest one.  Unfortunately, people judge one another based on success.  The nations of the world judged their idols in this manner, and they similarly judged the God of Israel based on His success.  The practical translation of this judgment is simple.  The modern world measures God's success and greatness based upon the achievements of the Jewish people, for they are God's nation.  The suffering of the Jewish people in exile contains a desecration of God's name.  Therefore, the prophet Ezekiel prophesies that in the end of days the redemption of the Jewish people will be essential, for the redemption itself holds the proof of God's truth.  By the same token, desecration of God's name is manifest in the suffering of the Jewish nation.

 

            The second level is that of those willing to suffer death for the sanctification of God's name, who sacrifice themselves for its sake.  Rihal elucidates this principle in his claim that all religions venerate the individual who is willing to suffer for the sake of his religion.

 

            This concept is expressed in Psalm 44:

 

"...[Though] You make us into a shameful spectacle for our neighbors, an object of scorn and derision for our surroundings; [though] You make us a byword among the nations, a [cause for] nodding heads among the peoples; and my disgrace is before me all day long, and the shame of my face has covered me, before the voice of the taunter and blasphemer, before the enemy and avenger.  All this has come upon us, and yet we have not forgotten You, and we have not been false to Your covenant.  Our heart has not turned back, even when our steps veered from Your path, when You allowed us to be  oppressed where serpents dwell, and covered us with the shadow of death.  Had we forgotten the name of our God, even when we spread out our hands towards a strange god, God would have discovered it, for He knows the secrets of the heart.  For it was for Your sake that we were killed all the day long; we were considered as sheep for the slaughter... Arise, come to our aid, and redeem us for the sake of Your loving kindness."

 

            The third definition refers to the person who LIVES for the sanctification of God's name, someone whose entire life revolves around a holy focal point, whose life, in essence, constitutes a showcase for Judaism.  Since he represents the name of God, he is incapable of desecrating the holy name.  God's name is desecrated as the result of the Jewish people's immoral behavior.  It is connected not with the torment that a Jew suffers, but with the evil that he may commit.  This level is parallel to another, possibly higher level of the principle of sanctification of God's name.  Our Rabbis teach us that this sanctification finds expression through performing the commandments.

 

            Thus we can understand the term 'glory' in the verse, 'Israel, through you I shall be glorified.'  This is the glory that God enjoys from the Jewish people, when we live our lives  not according to the standards of egotism, but rather by the standards of an ideal, by the principles of holiness.  We spoke of a showcase, and once again, the use of this image is due to a certain trait of the world at large.  In practice people judge ideas not for their own worth, but rather on the basis of those who uphold them.  This necessitates the sanctification of God's name through our responsibility to conduct ourselves in accordance with our beliefs.  This obligation on our part will clearly never do justice to the ideal, for we are well aware of our sinful and weak natures.  Yet, despite the difficulty of achieving absolute success, we must make the effort.

 

            In his "Epistle Regarding the Sanctification of God's Name," the Rambam stresses a fourth perspective, to which our Rabbis gave particular weight.  It is in essence an extension of the third dimension, regarding the obligation upon sages and people of standing.  A wise man must be particularly careful of his behavior, because his behavior can cause the desecration of God's name, through what we would call 'demoralization:' when one man's actions cause others to stray from proper moral conduct. This fact places a very heavy responsibility upon people of standing, a responsibility which must find expression not only through truly moral actions, but also in prudence regarding actions which only appear to be transgressions, for these actions have the power to influence others.

 

            This concept may be expanded still further.  The scholar must be mindful of things that may estrange him from the people.  Thus, for example, the Talmud maintains that a scholar commits a sin merely by wearing stained clothing.  This is not a moral blemish, however he must be sensitive to the human tendency to judge ideas not solely based on the ethical conduct of their advocate, but also based on his esthetic appearance.  People do not appraise ideas based upon mathematical proofs, nor even, at times, by existential analysis.  The development of mass communications has intensified the problem.  A debate between presidential candidates can be won or lost because one of the candidates was not well-shaven.  Acceptance or rejection of an idea is influenced by the attractiveness of the presenter.  This is an irrational, subjective factor, yet it is a common motivator in the decision-making process.  The scholar must not hinder the masses in their attempts to reach the correct decision.  Although taking this responsibility to extremes can bring us to absurdity, and given that each individual must be granted the right to maintain his individuality and equilibrium in all areas, yet the scholar must understand that his behavior is to be amended through this concept.  The fourth dimension of sanctification of God's name places an unshirkable responsibility upon the elite who guide the masses.  For through this responsibility, the leaders determine the fate of their followers.  The Rambam teaches us that only the elite understand what it means to become similar to God.  The masses understand what it means to become similar to the elite.  The masses attain ideals through their relationship with key figures, focal points with whom they can identify.

 

            The covenant between God and the Jewish people lies at the base of the concept of chosenness.  Thus, we must see ourselves as God's ambassadors on earth.  This role obligates us to maintain a higher standard.

 

(This lecture was translated by Gila Weinberg.)

 

Copyright (c)1996 Prof. Shalom Rosenberg, Yeshivat Har Etzion.  All rights reserved.