NUM84 (Continued from [[DEUT215]] Deuteronomy 6:5 love SINAI2 43). In our time the devout, observant Jew is like the Sage and scholar of Talmud days. Others look to him to set and maintain high standards; and they look at him, with eagle eyes, ready to find supposed defections and shortcomings, and thus derive supposed justifications for col davar assur, every kind of forbidden activity that they permit themselves. If a professed observant Jew walks into a non-kosher restaurant, even if only to make a telephone call, he may be seen and misjudged; and may cause a profanation of the Name. Every action must be carefully considered. Let us bear in mind the foremost case of hillul ha-shem that our Written Torah describes: the tragedy that resulted when Moses, instead of speaking to the rock to bring forth water, as the Almighty had commanded him, boldly struck the rock (Numbers 20:7–13). We may find it hard to understand the heavy punishment that Moses received: to us, what he did may seem but a slight, unimportant deviation from the Divine command. But as the Midrash makes clear, Moses acted in anger (Midrash Tanhuma, Hukkath 9-10 (ed. Buber, 29-30), repeated in Rabbah, Numbers xix 5 and Yalkut Shim'oni I §763; Midrash D'barim Zuta, in Yalkut ibid.) And when the greatest of the prophets, the man who spoke with the Creator "face to face" (Deuteronomy 34:10) as it were, exhibits anger and impatience, the hillul ha-shem is far-reaching. The Midrash puts it in moving words: "But had not Moses said something harsher [than his present words of anger]? For it is stated [that he complained], 'if flocks of sheep and herds of cattle be slain for them, will they be enough for them?' [this verse]. There too he showed no faith, and it was a greater misdeed than this; why did the Holy, Blessed One not decree death upon him then? We may answer with a parable: A king had a friend who dared to speak hard words with him when the king and he were alone, and the ruler did not mind. In time he arose and showed the same haughtiness before his troops. Then [the king] decreed death for him (for he could not overlook or forgive a public disgrace of royal honor). Even so the Holy, Blessed One spoke to Moses [as it were]: What you did between you and Me, is forgiven you. Now it was before the multitude; that cannot [be forgiven]'" (Midrash Tanhuma, Hukkath 9-10 (ed. Buber, 29-30), repeated in Rabbah, Numbers xix 5 and Yalkut Shim'oni I §763). Let us learn from this unfortunate incident in the life of Moses, the most wonderful career we know. If high standards are demanded of us in public, let us accept them graciously. There is a good reason for them: the Name of Heaven, the "standing" of the Almighty in the eyes of our fellow man is at stake.
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