Part III. Secret Homes
Denying Hashem
Now all of this explains why there’s a special blessing for people who fear Hakadosh Baruch Hu baseiser. ר∆ ּ̇≈סַּב םƒיַמָׁ ̆ ‡≈ר¿י םָ„ָ‡ ‡≈ה¿י םָלֹעו¿ל – A man should always fear Hashem in secret. Because that’s the greatness of a man and the greatness of our nation. There’s a special blessing for that!
But we know that it wasn’t only a blessing that the Am Yisroel heard at that time on Har Grizim and Har Eival. There was a curse too. And that’s a question. Why was a special curse delineated? A blessing we understand; you’ve chosen greatness. You’ve chosen to be a link in the glorious creation of an eternally loyal people. But why a special curse? A blessing should be enough to encourage the nation. A curse makes it seem like there’s something especially wrong with a sin done in secret.
And so we understand that there’s something more here. When a man commits a sin in secret it’s not only that he’s breaking this covenant of a people who “do what is right in their eyes,” but he’s demonstrating an attitude of very serious consequence. And that’s the attitude that nobody is looking. And not only is he demonstrating that attitude but he is creating it and encouraging it in his mind. Every time you do something wrong in secret you’re ruining your mind more and more because you’re practicing up on that attitude that He’s not here, that He’s not watching chas veshalom.
Rashi (Kiddushin 31a) explains that when a man does something wrong in secret, ר≈מֹו‡ּ¿כ – it’s as if he said, “ן‡ָּכ הָינƒכּׁ¿ ַ̆ה ין≈‡ – There’s no Shechina here.” That’s what he’s thinking in his mind; that’s why he does it baseiser. He wouldn’t have done that sin if Hashem was looking. Impossible! The fact that he did it now is an expression of his feelings that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is not around.
Pushing Hashem Away
But there’s something else, something much worse. It’s not merely that you’re saying the Shechinah is not here. You’re actually chasing away the Shechinah. Because: וּלƒ‡ּ¿כ ר∆ ּ̇≈סַּב הָר≈בֲﬠ ר≈בֹעוָה לָּכ הָינƒכּׁ¿ ַ̆ה י≈ל¿‚ַר ̃≈חֹוּ„ – Anyone who transgresses in secret it’s as if he’s shoving away the feet of the Shechinah (Kiddushin ibid.). We imagine the Shechinah is seated on the throne; יƒ‡¿סּƒכ םƒיַמָּׁ ַ̆ה – The heavens are My throne, יָל¿‚ַר םֹ„ֲה ı∆רָ‡ָה¿ו – and the earth is My footstool. And when this man does something wrong in secret, he is kavyachol pushing the feet of the Shechinah off the footstool. It means he’s shoving the Shechinah away from this earth. So what’s the result of him thinking ן‡ָּכ הָינƒכּׁ¿ ַ̆ה ין≈‡ – “There’s no Shechinah here”? The result is that He’s not there, He’s pushed away!
Of course, Hakadosh Baruch Hu is always there. He’s ֹו„ֹבוּ¿כ ı∆רָ‡ָה לָכ ‡ֹל¿מ and He is everywhere. But the kedushah of the Shechinah is no longer close to him. Hakadosh Baruch Hu causes His presence to rest on those people that want His presence to be close to them. יוָ‡¿רֹו ̃לָכ¿ל םּׁ≈ ַ̆ה בֹרוָ ̃ – Hashem is close to all those who call to Him and want Him to be close. But when there are sinners who disregard the Presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, then the Shechinah goes further and further away from the Klal Yisroel.
That’s why it’s more than just a blessing. It’s a terrible curse when people’s hearts are devoid of this devotion to Hakadosh Baruch Hu within the privacy of the home because they’re pushing Hashem away from their daled amos. They’re pushing Him away from the Am Yisroel.
