ויצא בן אשה ישראלית והוא בן איש מצרי בתוך בני ישראל וינצו במחנה בן הישראלית ואיש הישראלי (ויקרא כד, י)
And the son of an Israeli woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israeli woman and an Israeli man strove together in the camp.
From where did he go out?
- He went out from his eternal life (by blaspheming using the four-letter Name of HaShem). Last word in previous verse is "עולם"; thus, can be read, from the world (to come) he went out.
- He went out from a previous section – Lechem haPanim Upon hearing that the showbread was baked and then left for over a week until it was consumed by the Kohanim he disparaged the show bread, saying that it is most inappropriate for the King's bread to be served cold and stale. This led to his blaspheming. The verse in Shmuel 1:21:7 says, "Lechem cham b'yom hilokcho." We derive from this that the showbread, although having been on the Shulchan for a week was as fresh as when it was baked, actually having visible steam escape from it. If so, how could this person deride the bread when the freshness was visible? The name "Lechem haPanim" means more than that its shape was one of many facets. It also indicates that the bread reflected the FACE, the attitude, of its viewer, akin to, "K'mayim haponiml'fonim" (Mishlei 27:19). If one views these holy objects with a warmth and enthusiasm, he sees the steam rising from the bread. One who has a harsh cold attitude sees stale week-old bread in front of him. (Imrei Emes)
- He went out guilty of the court of Moshe He went to pitch his tent in the tribe Dan saying his mother was from that tribe. The tribe responded that the order of encampment depends on the father (and his father was an Egyptian). So, they went to the court of Moshe for a decision. The decision was that the tribe of Dan was correct. So, the young man asked who was his father, and he was told that his father was the Egyptian that was killed by Moshe through the four-letter name of HaShem. He was so upset that he cursed using the same four-letter name.
When did this incident occur?
- Incident took place the same time as the “Gatherer of Wood”, while still encamped around Har Sinai. They were placed in the same cell awaiting determination of their fate. The two cases differed. In the case of the “Gatherer of Wood” the court knew that he was deserving of death, but not which of the four types of death to be administered by the court, as the verse says (Bemidbar 15:34), "ki lo forash mah yei'o'se lo." In contrast, by the Blasphemer, they didn't even know if he was deserving of death (T.K. 24:237), as it says here, "lifrosh lohem." We find the same words, "mah yei'o'se lo," by the incident of Moshe being cast into the "suf" where his sister Miriam stood at a distance to find out "mah yei'o'se lo" (what would happen to him). We can similarly interpret this to mean that she knew that he would definitely be saved, but stood and watched to see what form of rescue would take place. The Baalei Tosfos asks, "Why didn't they know that he was culpable of the death penalty? Since one receives the death penalty for cursing his father or mother, surely for doing so to HaShem one deserves death as well." The Rosh answers that since blasphemy is so severe, possibly there is no death penalty, so that the transgressor should receive no atonement. Moshe was advised by HaShem that He would be kind and equate His honor with that of a human father or mother and mercifully allow for the death penalty and for an atonement in this ephemeral world.
- Incident took place shortly after the confrontation with Korach. The Blasphemer’s foster father was Dasan (of Dasan and Aviram infamy). The Egyptian overseer tricked his wife and fathered a child. This child was raised in Dasan’s household. However, at the incident with Korach, the family of Dasan were killed, but this child did not die. Now all understood he was not the child of Dasan and not from the tribe of Reuven. Further, Dasan had related to the child the four-letter name that he had heard when Moshe had killed the Egyptian.
Five times Moshe waited for decisions and actions from others:
- מקושש The Gatherer of Wood – Moshe waited from HaShem to declare the punishment
- נוקב שם ה' The Blasphemer – Moshe waited for HaShem to declare if deserved punishment of death
- צלפחד The daughters of Tzelofchod’s request for their father’s portion of the Land
- פסח שני Moshe waits for HaShem to reveal the laws of Pesach Sheni
- כזבי בת צור Moshe waited for someone else to act
These are the five letters that have a different form when at the end of a word
Two special laws relating to a Blasphemer of HaShem
- Whoever hears the blasphemy must rend his garments in the fashion of a mourner
Ravshakay was a general for Sancheriv and a Jewish apostate. He was sent to persuade the Jews to surrender. He stationed himself outside the walls of Yerushalayim and delivered a speech to the Jewish inhabitants that denied the assurances of King Chizkiyahu that HaShem would save the Jews. A delegation of three reported back to the King Chizkiyahu with torn clothes (like a mourner) and repeated the words of blasphemy from Ravshakay. When the King heard these statements, he too rent his clothes. - A special procedure occurred when the witnesses about blasphemy testified in Bais Din
At the final stage of a court case involving blasphemy, everyone left the court except for the judges and the witnesses, because the first witness had to repeat the curse word for word and the second witness would confirm. Then all present would tear their clothes. One witness and every judge present performed smichah, resting their hands on the criminal’s head. This action symbolically implied that the criminal had caused his own death sentence (they excused themselves for having had to repeat and hear the terrible curse, ascribing the fault to the criminal). Ultimately, the blasphemer’s removal from the world erases the Chilul HaShem which was caused by the curse.
The Munkatcher Rebbe was asked about the difference that in the Parsha of the Blasphemer the punishment of stoning is done with אבן (stone in singular); whereas in the case of the “Gatherer of Wood” the punishment involved אבנים (stones in plural). The Holy Rebbe answered that the “Gatherer of Wood” did the forbidden act with holy intention (to show the severe punishment for violation of Shabbos laws). Therefore, when the time arrived for the congregation to throw stones, some understood the holy intention and some did not. Thus, the stones were thrown with different intentions and the plural for stones was used in the verse. However, in the case of the Blasphemer, all knew that his intention was not for good, and that through the stones all were united in their intention to rid the evil from their midst, and thus, the verse uses the word for stone in singular to convey that those that threw the stones were unified.
Why is Shulamis, the name of the mother, specified in verse 11?
Rashi: This declares the praise of the Jewish people for the exposure of her name indicates that she alone had improper relations (even though she was unaware).
Lubavitcher Rebbe: When one’s disgrace is publicized and leads others not to commit the same error, not only is the community saved, but also that person receives retroactive merit.
