Following the listing of the Aseres HaDibros, the Torah says that the people became afraid of the experience of hearing the Words of the Almighty. They begged that Moshe relay G-d’s message to them instead. Moshe responded: “Do not fear, for in order to elevate you has G-d come; so that the awe of Him shall be upon your faces (ובעבור תהיה יראתו על פניכם ) so that you shall not sin” (Shemos 20:17).
The Mechilta comments that the expression “the awe of Him shall be upon your faces” refers to shame, the fact that people have a sense of embarrassment.
Rabbeinu Bechayei asks how it is that the Mechilta takes a pasuk which, on the surface, seems to speak of Fear of G-d (Yiras Hashem) and refers it to shame (busha). What is the connection? Rabbeinu Bechayei answers that Fear comes from the heart. We do not normally speak of “fear appearing on a person’s face”. The attribute that IS evident on a person’s face is the attribute of shame, which is noticeable when a person turns red from embarrassment. If the pasuk is speaking of something that “shall be upon your faces,” it must be referring to shame – busha.
The idea conveyed by the Mechilta is that a sense of shame brings a person to fear sin. If a person has a strong sense of busha — which emerges from recognition of his great and ongoing debt to the Almighty, he will not be able to sin. A sense of embarrassment keeps a person in his place.
Rav Schach once met with a group of educators and asked them to state their opinions as to why the spiritual level of our society in today’s times has deteriorated to such a low level. Rav Schach went around the table. Each teacher expressed his opinion.
One educator mentioned the general concept of the “descent of generations” [yeridas hadoros]. Rav Schach took issue with this theory and told the educator. “This is incorrect. In my time, when I was young Europe, was far from perfect. There were all sorts of philosophies and movements that swirled around and entrapped people with their attraction: Socialism, communism, Bundism, humanism, the Yiddishists. There are many people that went off the straight and narrow path and left the fold. However, it was nothing like what is happening today. What is the difference?
Rav Schach finally explained that up until very recently, there was a sense of shame that existed in society. People were never perfect. They always had their foibles. But at least there was a sense of embarrassment. There are certain things you just do not say. There are certain things you just do not talk about. People’s inhibitions have always put a certain moral constraint on society.”
Today we are seeing a fulfillment of what the Mishnah says at the end of Sotah — that in the period leading up to the coming of Moshiach (Ikvesa d’Mishicha), brazenness will become blatant. The problem we see today is not just the natural decline of every generation, as it moves one generation further away from Sinai. Today we are seeing a breakdown in society that has nothing to do with Jews or with Judaism. It has to do with humanity. Human beings (as opposed to animals) have always had a sense of embarrassment. Animals do anything in public because they do not realize that there is anything to be embarrassed about. Human beings used to refrain from doing certain things in public because of a sense of shame. “You just do not do that or talk about that in the open.”
This generation has removed the sense of busha from humanity. All a person needs to do is turn on the radio or even look in the newspaper. Things that people would not have dreamed of saying 20 years ago have become common language.
Our problem, especially the problem that we have with our children, is that society has lost its sense of BUSHA and children have lost their sense of BUSHA. The genie is out of the bottle. Unfortunately, I do not think it is going to be put back into the bottle until the coming of our Moshiach Tzidkaynu, may he come speedily in our days. (R’ Frand)
