Foundations of Faith
Like the behaviors of the Land of Egypt you should not do. And like the behaviors of the Land of Cana’an that I bring you there you should not do. And do not go in the way of their practices. (Sefer VaYikra 18:3)
Your children you should not give to be passed to Molech. You should not desecrate the name of Hashem, your L-rd. I am Hashem. (Sefer VaYikra 18:21)
I. The behaviors practiced in Egypt and Cana’an
The first passage above appears directly before the Torah’s enumeration of the sexual relationships and activities that it prohibits. These include various incestuous relationships, and other sexual activities that the Torah identifies as repugnant. According to Ramban – Nachmanides, the passage introduces the discussion of sexual ethics. The perverse sexual activities described in the passages that follow were practiced by the Egyptians and the nations of Cana’an. We are commanded to not imitate the behaviors we observed in Egypt and that we will again encounter in Cana’an.[1]
Why does the Torah not enumerate the prohibited sexual relationships and activities without the introductory passage? The answer is that activities that are commonplace and widely embraced we tend to regard as acceptable. We struggle to reject and repudiate mainstream behaviors. The above passage addresses the generation that lived in and was liberated from Egypt. This generation was to enter the Land of Cana’an and take possession of it. The Torah rejects the behaviors commonplace to Egypt and Cana’an. It declares that the people must accept its authority even in those instances in which the Torah’s standards of behavior are very different from those that are customary.
This interpretation of the passage answers another question. The passage is preceded by Hashem’s declaration: I am Hashem, your L-rd. It is followed by the declaration: I am Hashem. Why are these declarations necessary?
The Torah is addressing our tendency to treat as legitimate behaviors that are commonplace. It admonishes us to consider who has commanded us to observe its sexual prohibitions. They are legislated by the Creator. The practices of the Egyptians and the nations of Cana’an falsely claim legitimacy because of their broad acceptance. The laws of the Torah derive their legitimacy from their authorship; they are the commandments of Hashem.
This lesson has retained its relevance. We tend to view commonly accepted values and behaviors as legitimate. We struggle to “reconcile” the Torah’s laws with the values and behaviors that are widely embraced by our host society. We ask ourselves how we can harmonize the Torah with contemporary “enlightened” values. The Torah is reminding us that contemporary values derive their legitimacy through society’s acceptance. The Torah’s laws derive their legitimacy directly from Hashem.
II. The worship of Molech
Toward the end of its enumeration of the prohibited sexual activities and relationships, the second above passage appears. This passage prohibits participation in the worship of Molech. The commentaries disagree over the specifics of the worship prohibited by the passage. According to Ramban, parents gave a child to Molech by passing the child over a fire until the child was consumed. In other words, Molech was worshiped through the human sacrifice of its worshiper’s child.
Why is the prohibition against this primitive, barbaric worship inserted into the Torah discussion of forbidden sexual relationships and activities? Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno addresses this issue. He explains that the goal of the parents in sacrificing their child was to secure from Molech the success of their other children. The Torah is explaining that through observance of the sexual prohibitions we secure the success of our children and not through primitive human sacrifice.[2]
III. Securing our children’s success
Sforno does not elaborate upon the causal relationship between observing the sexual prohibitions and the success of one’s children. One possibility is that Sforno is referring to the teaching of the Sages that Hashem resides only among those families in Israel of proper lineage.[3] Sforno explains that the offspring of relationships prohibited by the Torah lack this lineage.[4] Hashem is the source of every success. His providence rests upon families who observe the prohibitions and upon their offspring. In other words, the Divine Presence is more intensely expressed among families that reflect the ideal described in these passages – families in which the children are the offspring of sanctioned marriages and not the products of incest. The Divine Presence contributes to the success of the offspring of these families.
Sforno’s comments can also be understood as a practical observation. The structure of the family influences the development of its children. Children who are the offspring of an incestuous relationship do not have the benefit of developing and being nurtured by the healthy nuclear family. The shortcomings of the parents impact the child’s development and emotional health.
IV. A life of moderation
Another explanation of the insertion of the Molech prohibition into the section dealing with sexual ethics is suggested by comments of Rambam – Maimonides. Rambam writes extensively on the importance of moderation in one’s behaviors and in one’s underlying character. A person should not be a spendthrift or overly parsimonious. Instead, one should be able to part with one’s resources as legitimately needed. A person should not be a glutton. Neither should one engage in constant fasting. A person should partake of those foods that are permitted, in moderation. Rambam explains that moderation is the soundest lifestyle and the moderate character is the healthiest.[5]
Rambam explains that the mitzvot – commandments – of the Torah are aimed at promoting moderation. The laws governing sexuality, the foods we may eat, our duty to provide charity represent a model of moderate behavior. Observing these commandments tames our desires and promote a moderate personality.[6]
V. Developing a relationship with Hashem
Following his discussion of the importance of moderation, Rambam adds:
A person should direct all his actions only toward knowing Hashem, blessed be He. His sitting, arising, and speech – all should be for this objective. For example, when one does business or engages in a craft to earn a living, one’s intention should not be merely the accumulation of wealth. Rather, one should do these things so that one can secure those things that are needed by the body – from among foods and drink, dwelling in a house, and a wife.[7]
Rambam is explaining that a healthy personality is not an end in itself. It is important because it is a prerequisite for developing a relationship with Hashem. A healthy personality is open to truth, seeking Hashem, and forming a relationship with Him. A person who is devoted to the pursuit of material desires cannot approach spiritual issues with objectively. Such a person will not develop a strong and meaningful relationship with Hashem. Instead, if this person does embrace religious beliefs, they will be twisted and perverted to accommodate one’s intense desires. Also, if one engages in self-imposed deprivation, this behavior will influence the person’s religious outlook and relationship with Hashem.
VI. Faith and knowledge
Rambam is suggesting a unique perspective on the foundation of faith. He is asserting that it requires objectivity. In other words, religious conviction is not achieved through closing one’s mind and taking a blind leap. It is secured though opening one’s mind and considering our world from an objective perspective. This objectivity can only be achieved by a one who has developed a sound character.[8]
VII. Sexual excesses and Molech
Rambam’s position suggests an alternative explanation for the inclusion of the prohibition against Molech worship within the Torah’s discussion of sexual ethics. The Torah’s regulations of sexuality are designed to nurture moderation. If they are rejected and replaced by the sexual mores of Egypt and Cana’an, then the objectivity required to find Hashem and engage with Him is forfeited. Instead, service of Hashem will be replaced by a set of religious delusion that are the invention of one’s imagination and cater to the instinctual needs and fears of the worshiper. The result may be a very perverse set of doctrines that may even include the sacrifice of one’s own child for the sake of material success.
[1] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban / Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer VaYikra 18:3.
[2] Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer VaYikra, 18:21.
[3] Mesechet Kiddushin 70b.
[4] Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer VaYikra, 20:7.
[5] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Dayot, chapter 1.
[6] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Commentary on the Mishne, Mesechet Avot, Introduction, chapter 4.
[7] Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Mishne Torah, Hilchot Dayot, 3:2.
[8] See: Rabbaynu Moshe ben Maimon (Rambam / Maimonides) Commentary on the Mishne, Mesechet Avot, Introduction, chapter 4. The above is an interpretation of Rambam’s comments. He explains that our objective in all endeavors should be “to understand Hashem etc. to the extent humanly possible.” He adds that we should maintain our physical health “so that the soul will find that all its functions are healthy and perfected. Thereby, one may utilize them in study and in the acquisition of perfection of character and reasoning and thereby, achieve that (ultimate) objective (i.e. understanding of Hashem).” In these comments, Rambam asserts that perfection of character plays an essential role in effective study and in the pursuit of an understanding of Hashem. He does not specifically explain this role.