Words
Can Be Daggers:
Shedding Blood Figuratively and Literally
Parshat Noach
Genesis 6:9 – 11:32
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Ten generations after Adam, God is deeply disappointed with his creation. The world had become a lawless place. Choosing Noah and his family, God decides to start over by causing a great flood to wash away the evil that has corrupted the earth. When Noah emerges from the Ark after the great flood, God establishes a new order of creation. Noah and his family are told to recognize the sacredness of all life and they are also informed that they may now consume the flesh of animals. While the laws that were given to Noah are usually associated with non-Jews, they have relevance for all people as well. Some of the sages understood the prohibition against bloodshed to have both literal and figurative significance for us. The old adage, “Stick and stones may break my bones but words can never harm me,” is just not true. Words can be a dagger.
| Genesis 9:5-6 But for your own lifeblood I will require a reckoning; I will require it of every beast; of man too will I require a reckoning for human life, for every man for that of his fellow man. Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for in His image did God make man. |
Rabbi Menachem Becker Parparot Latorah (anthology of insights on weekly
parshah)
One who sheds the blood of another: Rabbi Israel Meir Radin, known as
the Chafetz Chaim (1838-1933), found in this verse an allusion to the
teaching of the sages that “One who publicly embarrasses another
is considered as if he spilled the other’s blood.” According
to Rabbi Radin, we should ignore the usual division of Hebrew words in
this verse and read it “One who spills the blood of a person in
the person…” One spills the blood of an individual by publicly
embarrassing him so that his blood rushes to his face in humiliation.
Such a person, the Torah says, “Should have his blood spilled.”
He is considered like a murderer who spills the blood of others and the
expected punishment should be very severe. The sages taught us a specific
law with this regard: “It is better to throw oneself into a fiery
furnace than to cause someone humiliation in public.”
Mishnah, Baba Metzia 4:10
Just as there is overreaching in buying and selling, so is there wrong
done by words. Thus, one must not ask another, “What is the price
of this article,” when one has no intention of buying. If a person
was a repentant sinner (Baal Teshuvah) one must not say to him, “Remember
your former deeds.” If one was the child of a convert one must not
taunt him, “remember the deeds of your ancestors” because
it is written in the Torah You shall neither wrong a stranger (ger) nor
oppress him.” (Exodus, 22:20)
Talmud Baba Metzia 58b
Rabbi Johanan said verbal wrong is more heinous than monetary wrong because
of the first it is written, “But you shall fear the Lord”
(Leviticus 25:17) but not of the second. Rabbi Eleazar said. The one affects
the victim’s person and the second only his money. Rabbi Samuel
bar Nachmani soad: the former restoration is possible; but not for the
latter. A Tanna recited in the presence of Rabbi Nachman ben Yitzhak:
“One who publicly shames his neighbor is as though he shed blood.”
Whereupon he remarked to him, You say well because I have seen it happen:
the ruddiness departs and the paleness supervenes (which is equivalent
to shedding blood). Abaye asked Rabbi Dimi: What do people most carefully
avoid in the west (in the land of Israel)? He replied: “Putting
others to shame. For Rabbi Hanina said: ‘All descend into Gehenna
except for three.’ “All” - Can you really think so?
But say thus: All who descend into Gehenna re-ascend except three: one
who commits adultery with a married woman, publicly shames one’s
neighbor, and fastens an evil nick-name on his neighbor. Isn’t fastening
an evil nick name the same as putting one to shame? It means – even
when he is accustomed to the name.” Rabbah bar bar Chanah said in
the name of Rabbi Johanan: Better it is for a person to cohabit with a
doubtful married woman rather than that he should publicly shame his neighbor!”
Rabbi Yehezkeil of Kazmir in Otzar HaChaim
There are people who try to uproot evil traits in others by confronting
them in public and even shaming them. This type of behavior is only permitted
when the person is a close and faithful friend who would be willing to
do anything to help his friend in times of need. Only such a person can
shame his friend for his own good. But if one is not so attached to the
person it is forbidden to shame them in public because this is considered
like spilling blood. Rabbi Yehezkeil of Kazmir reads the verse thus: “One
who is willing to spill his own blood for another person” is permitted
on occasion to shame the other for his own good, even if, “he causes
his blood to be spilled.”
Questions to Ponder |
|
| 1. | There is always a reason why the sages
offer a far out interpretation of a biblical verse. What might have
led Rabbi Radin to interpret the verse in this weeks Torah portion
in this way rather than simply accepting it as a prohibition against
murder? |
| 2. | The sources above contain a number of
extreme statements regarding the public humiliation. Do you think
they are exaggerations or are we supposed to take them literally?
What point do you think the sages were trying to make? |
| 3. | The Mishnah makes a connection between
Ona’at Kesef, overreaching by charging too much or taking advantage
of another person in the market place and Ona’at Devarim, using
words to hurt or humiliate others. At first glance these two cases
seem very different from one another. What is the connection between
them? |
| 4. | Do you agree or disagree with Rabbi Yehezkeil
of Kazmir? Are there situations in which it might be appropriate to
publicly shame others? If so under what circumstances? And if not,
why not? |
| 5. | Journalists often find themselves in the
position of having to report information that is not only damaging
to another person’s reputation but may even shame the person.
How would you apply this halachah to this situation? |
| 6. | Do you have a nick-name that your friends and family use for you? How did you get it? Do you mind it? Is it wrong to refer to someone by a nickname if the person says he doesn’t mind being referred to by that name? |
A Weekly Mitzvah |
|
| a. | Stop before you speak. Have you thought about what you are about to say? Will your words hurt someone even inadvertently? |
| b. | In todays fast paced society we often taken pride in our ability to be sharp toned and cynical in the way we talk to one another. We often see the ability to put someone else down as a bit of a game which is not taken seriously either by the one who says it or the apparent victim. Think about times in your life when words offered in jest in fact really stinged. |
| c. | Find an opportunity this week to use words to heal rather than hurt others. |
Glossary |
|
Baba Metzia: A section of the Talmud in the Order of Nezikin, or Damages which deals with civil and criminal laws.
Otzar HaChaim: a contemporary collection of Chasidic interpretations and divrei Torah on the weekly Torah Portion.
Mishnah: The first written compilation of the orally transmitted teachings of Jewish law. It was edited by Rabbi Yehudah Hanasi around 200 CE.
Chafetz Chaim: taken from the
book of Psalms (Who desires life), it is also the title of the best known
work of Rabbi Israel Meir Radan known for his work on the evils of gossip.
“All it takes to study Torah is an open heart, a curious mind and
a desire to grow a Jewish soul.”
Copyright 2006 Rabbi Mark B Greenspan
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