153 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Numbers, Korach (Numbers 16:1–18:32), Source Book Keys, GATES NUMBERS | 16:30 defiantly — NUM220 The tenth level is the severity of sins wh... NUM220 The tenth level is the severity of sins whose transgressors have no share in the World to Come. All of Hashem's creations were created to bring Him glory, as the pasuk says (Yeshayahu 43:7), "All who are called by My Name and whom I created for a My glory--I formed, even made [them]." Surely, reason dictates that one who desecrates [the Name of] Hashem and disparages His word has lost all hope [for his future]. Not only has he not fulfilled what is required of him from the beginning of his formation – to honor His Name and sanctify it – – but he has actively replaced it with the opposite and desecrated His Holy Name. The pasuk puts it as follows [this and next verse]: "The person who acts brazenly… He has shown his contempt for Hashem, and that person will be cut off from among his people, for he has disparaged Hashem's word and annulled His commandments; that person will be completely cut off, his sin will remain with him." This means that [even] after the person is cut off, "his sin will remain with him"--for death will not bring him atonement and he has no share in the World to Come. That is why here the pasuk says "his sin will remain with him," which is not mentioned regarding any other prohibition whose penalty is excision. The meaning of "the person who acts brazenly" is, for example, one who commits known sins in full public view, and one who divests himself of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, even when in private, for such a person is also acting brazenly. The matter of divesting the yoke of Heaven, concerns, for example, one who denies [the injunction against] eating meat that was not ritually slaughtered, or that of eating [forbidden] animal fats and blood, or the desecration of Yom Tov. Although he is not violating any of the other mitzvos, once he has divested himself of the yoke of one injunction, he has already rebelled against the Almighty. It is true that sometimes even the righteous succumb to a particular sin, but this is entirely the result of chance circumstances, as a result of one's yetzer prevailing over him, and he fills himself with self-acrimony, subsequently becoming very careful in this regard. But one who considers divesting himself of the yoke of any one injunction [with the intent of] transgressing it whenever he so desires is referred to as "an apostate regarding one matter." We have already explained this in the First Gate of The Gates of Repentance. Share Print Source KeyGATESVerse16:30Keyword(s)defiantlySource Page(s)309-313 Switch article NUMBERS | 16:26 depart — NUM219 A feeling of guilt for having failed to de... Previous Article NUMBERS | 16:32 swallowed — NUM221 The Talmud includes many fractious dispute... Next Article