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Torah Portion
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Written by Benjamin A Rose
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The possuk states, "You shall keep My Shabboses and fear My Sanctuary. I am G-d"
This possuk comes just after the Torah talks about serving Avodah Zorah. Rashi says that this is addressed to a jew who has been sold to a non-Jew, that he should not say, “Since my master has illicit relations, I will also be like him! Since my master worships idols, I will also be like him! Since my master desecrates the Sabbath, I will also be like him!” This says Rashi is why these verses are stated here.
However HaRav Moshe Feinstein ZT"L says that there is something more than this going on here!
Rav Soloveitchik brings in his Sefer Halochic man, that halocho applies to every aspect of human life, every second of the day we have to watch what we do, how we speak to people how we do business, how we eat, wash, learn, daven, the first thing we do and last thing at night we have to do it in accordance with halocho
. However Goyim, says Rav Soloveitchik, are only 'holy' in their temples and churches!
The Liberal reform jews who decided to not agree with The oral Law, Goyiim who believe in the New testament or the Quran have disregarded halochos and their "bibles" are more story based than teaching based! These new "bibles" dont teach a person how to live their life. So the only holiness these people have is a temple, mosque or a church.
Jews are different We have to be careful in every aspect of life!!
Here's a few examples:
an actor's stage is a stage, a doctors stage is an operating room, a lawyer's stage is the courtroom, a catholics stage is the church... jews stage is the world!! Life is our stage!!
Rav Shimshon Hirsch says on the posuk in Shmos says "make a Mishkon and i will dwell among them" Hashem doesn't want to dwell IN the mishkon, He wants to dwell among us!! Hashem wants our ordinary everyday lives to be subfused with kedusha!
Rav Moshe asks so why davka (specifically) here by the posuk regarding avodah Zorah do we have the posuk "Keep my shabbos, Fear my Sanctuary..." ??
We have to learn not to learn from our Goyish masters to serve Hashem the way they serve their G-d!
He says Pshat is that we musn't learn from the Goyim. As Rav soloveitchik says jews have to keep Torah and Mitzvos wherever we are however we feel!! Our possuk teaches us don't learn from the goyim and focus on the temple, shul, church etc we must remeber to serve Hashem everywhere!!
I think also that this is the reason why the posuk mentions shabbos first!! A Beis Hamikdosh without Torah (Shabbos and other Mitzvos) is nothing! It may be a holy building but it is not central to life in Avodas Hashem.
So keep Shabbos (and other mitxvos everywhere) and once we have that we can fear the Beis Hamikdosh as a holy site!
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