Sunday, March 17, 2013

Not in Vain

The Talmud records that the entire world once convulsed with such force that it almost split apart as the Holy One uttered, "Thou shalt not take My name in vain."
"Why then?" asks a nameless scholar, "Why was the earth was nearly destroyed then and not at any other part of the Decalogue?" 

Perhaps because all society and civilization unconsciously accepts that it hinges on this one notion.  Without this mitzvah world could not exist.  Let me share how:
When the President of the United States takes office he swears on a Bible to uphold the Constitution.  Why a Bible?  Why not just say, "I'll do my best?"  Or, "I promise?"

When a witness takes the stand in court they also swear to God to "tell the truth."
What is it about taking God's name in vain that is so fearsome that we practice it universally today? 

A point of interest: When a Jew takes the stand they do not "swear" to God because we take the prohibition so seriously that we know, even unwittingly, we will not tell the entire truth so we "affirm" instead of swearing.
By these actions we acknowledge that this particular commandment (mitzvah) is the most powerful statement we can make (I have never heard of an atheist saying that he would not take the vow because it was not meaningful or strong enough). 
I wonder if the psychic underpinning for this is that we do not believe that we really control our lives.  Sure, we govern our day-to-day activities but when it comes to the larger issues like life and death, hope and despair, we feel powerless.
I recall an old Ann Landers column that told of a woman who, when uptight, would sit with her vacuum cleaner and let the wind blow into her face full force.  Her relatives thought she ought to be committed but Landers responded that sitting and hugging the vacuum was a reasonable response when there is no alternative.
Feeling helpless is not unusual or unique to us; it cuts a wide swathe though humanity.
In the Mishna, Rabbi Akiva is quoted as comforting the Jewish nation after the terrible Hurban, devastation of the destroyed Temple, with the words, "Happy are you, Israel, whose Father in Heaven never departs from you."
The faith of Israel is that God is always with us.

A story related by author Herbert Weiner tells of a conductor making his way down the train collecting tickets.  He came to a couple of Hasidim. 

They looked up and asked, "Why don't you ask the people in the engine cab for their tickets?"
"They are driving the train," answered the surprised conductor.
"So are we," said the Hasidim. 
So to keep order in the universe and chaos at bay we hold fast to the integrity and holiness of God's name.  This knowledge reassures and comforts us.  Or as Psalms says, "I will not fear for You are with me."

No comments:

Post a Comment