By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
Toward the end of Parshas Balak, we read about the shameful incident at Baal Peor. After Bilaam failed to curse the Jewish people, blessing them instead, he was about to leave Moav in disgrace when he decided to offer Balak some advice. What was Bilaam’s suggestion? “The G-d of this nation despises immorality.” He presented Balak with a spiteful plan to ensnare young Jewish men using the girls of Moav. Many succumbed, and in the resulting punishment from Heaven, 24,000 of the Jews perished.
The leaders of gentile nations have always known this truth: The G-d of this nation despises immorality. Achashverosh was aware that the Jews had been promised redemption after seventy years. But he miscalculated, thinking that the time had come and gone. Although he was happy not to lose his subjects, he was unsure if this decision by G-d was final, or if there was a chance He would change His mind and redeem the Jews anyway. Achashverosh asked Haman what to do.
“The G-d of Israel despises immorality,” Haman said. “Make a party with plenty of temptations and invite all the Jews of Shushan. Their G-d will want nothing to do with them anymore, and you will never lose them.”
Nevuchadnetzar knew it, too. There were two scheming Jews, Achav and Tzidkiyah, who desired Nevuchadnetzar’s beautiful daughter. Each one told her that he was a prophet, and that Hashem had sent her a message to submit to his friend. Confused, the girl consulted with her father. “It is impossible that they received such a prophecy,” he told her. “The G-d of the Jews hates immorality.” He had both men thrown into a burning furnace.
In general, the brachos that we recite to thank Hashem for the mitzvos are said over positive commandments. There is only one blessing that thanks Hashem for a negative commandment: the one said by the mesader kiddushin under the chuppah, expressing gratitude for the prohibitions of immorality. Am Yisrael’s pride and joy is our purity.
Hashem warns us that His protection is conditional. “Vehaya machanecha kadosh, your camp must be holy. If He sees any immorality, He will turn away.”
In these times, when we are in desperate need of His protection, we must be exceptionally careful in all matters of kedusha, and thereby merit nissim and yeshuos.
