Rabbi Daniel Siegel – Head of Jewish Life

In God’s name

In this week’s Parashah, Emor, we find the following remarkable directive:

ולא תחללו את שם קדשי/ve-lo techalelu et shem kadshi
You shall not profane My holy name

…ונקדשתי/ve-nikdashti…
That I may be sanctified

One would think that not engaging in a negative action (profaning the holy name) does not in itself constitute a positive action (sanctifying the holy name).

How might we understand the connection between these two clauses, joined by the conjunctive “ve” (usually meaning “and”, here translated as “that”)?

We are reminded of the Physician’s Prayer in which the would-be healer strives to do no harm, or of the Teacher’s Prayer in which she/he asks to be mindful not to be destructive of her/his students, in desiring to educate and enlighten them.

Perhaps this text, then, is a reminder that in our zealousness to sanctify we do not, instead, profane.

In response to terrorism and killing perpetrated in the name of God and religion, many co-religionists of these perpetrators cry out in protest “Not in my name”, echoing the words of God Himself: “You shall not profane My holy name”.  What is destructive of humanity cannot bespeak divinity.

Significantly, the Jewish concept of “Kiddush Ha-Shem”- “Sanctification of God’s Name”, connotes the sacrificing of oneself in the name of the highest ideals and values, rather than a calling to destroy another to realise the same.

Similarly, “Chillul Ha-Shem”- “Profanation of God’s Name” is diminishing the divinity in our world by failing to recognise our shared humanity.

The sanctification and the profanation of God’s name, our tradition tells us, is dependent upon whether we are a people of zealous holiness or holy zealousness.

In the words of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, “Only that which is good for all men is good for every man. No one is truly inspired for his own sake. He who is blessed, is a blessing for others”.