Against Blasphemy:
Honoring the Sacred Name
In the past few months, we have seen how the more deeply you go into the noahide
prohibition against idolatry, the closer you get to Torah and Judaism. A
logical companion to the prohibition against idolatry is the prohibition against
blasphemy. Whereas the prohibition against idolatry seems to be about making
sure we don't deny who the deity is (by worshipping something else), the
prohibition against blasphemy seems to focus on making sure we don't deny what
the deity can do (by cursing Him). Even though this was the hardest of the
noahide commandments for me to understand, it occurred to me that it is a
central one. After all, the noahide commandments seem to emerge in the Talmud
(Sanhedrin) during a discussion of how to punish someone who cursed HaShem
by name. This was blasphemy and, like the other noahide commandments, it merited
death. In a culture in which four-letter words are common, even on television,
this seems a little extreme.
But let's look at what it means to curse HaShem by name. It seems to me there are at least two possibilities:
In one case, the man (let's say) is a barbarian. He believes in nothing and has no standards. The name means nothing to him personally, but he says it to shock, to get attention, to get a rise out of the rabbis. His use of the Holy Name in this instance is an indicator of his overall lack of sensitivity and standards. Having no standards, he will steal, and kill, and engage in all manner of sexual misconduct as well.
In other case, we might be dealing with a believer, a woman (let's say), who has some learning. She has studied enough to learn the Name and its importance. For some reason, despair perhaps or anger, she sees fit to use the Name to curse HaShem. This is a sadder case than the first in that this is someone who has glimpsed Torah and turned away from it, turning it on its head.
In the end, it doesn't matter which kind of person we are talking about. The prohibition against blasphemy covers either case. In the world of Torah, human beings have standards and they do not despair. They do not curse HaShem. They bless Him. Two hints that will help you observe this commandment: Follow Orthodox practice regarding pronunciation and writing of the four-letter name (Tetragrammeton) of the deity. Observant Jews spell out the Name in Hebrew only in prayer books and in Scripture. When such a book accidentally falls to the floor, someone immediately picks it up and kisses it as a way of making amends for this indignity. When the books wear out, they cannot be thrown away casually. They have to be disposed of in an halakhically acceptable manner. The Holy Name was pronounced in the days of the beit ha-mikdash (temple) only by the kohen ha-gadol (high priest) on Yom Kippurim. Any other use of the name was considered blasphemy. Nowadays observant Jews not only do not pronounce the Name, even in prayer, but distance themselves another level or two from the Holy Name with certain practices. For example, in casual conversation they refer to the deity as "HaShem" (the Name) rather than the ritual and distance themselves "Adxnai" (Master or Sir), itself a substitute for the Tetragrammeton. These practices are a form of reverence and reserve befitting a King.
Netzarim geirim should observe the Orthodox practice in this area. If you
keep your distance from the Name, you become hyper-aware of the King and
yourself as a subject. Your character gradually becomes more suitable for the
task of attending to the heavenly court. It is a beautiful and an elevating
discipline. You should also learn to punctuate your conversation with the
phrase, "Baruch HaShem" (literally, "bless the
Name"), as observant Jews do. In practice, this is a way of expressing
gratitude to the Creator for the many gifts, big and little, that one encounters
through the day. Try it. The more you use it, the more reasons you find for
wanting to bless HaShem. One of the benefits of coming into Torah later
in life is that you can adopt these little practices and see how dramatically
they can change your life. — KENNETH GUENTERT
Schueller House
515 Manitou Ave.
Manitou Springs, CO 80829
719-685-1861 Ext. 45
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Copyright © 2004, Schueller House. Revised - 03/18/07
URL: www.schuellerhouse.com/mainblas.htm