HaMekoshaish / The Shabbas Desecrator
When Hashem decreed that the Generation of the Wilderness would not enter the Land, a man reasoned, "The men of this generation who know that they will never reach Eretz Yisrael may now begin to treat the mitzvos lightly. They may think that mitzvos need not be taken seriously outside the Holy Land. I will desecrate the Shabbas, in order to demonstrate the grave consequences of my sin".
He therefore violated the Shabbas laws leshaim shamayim*, so that his punishment would serve as a warning to Bnai Yisrael.
- Moshav Zekainim as quoted by The Midrash Says.
(*"Not all Midrashic views agree on this point" states The Midrash Says in their footnote. Yet the author saw fit to mention only this quite bizarre view...)
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
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1 comment:
Interesting- it would seem that Chazal have a funny way of making sure all roads lead to Rome or in this case their particular Jewish agenda.
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