11 Iyar 5768 – Parshas Behar 16 May 2008

Yechezkel Perokim 10 – 17

Hello, this is my first time writing while I am in London, it is a bit shorter this week, sorry. If I saw you around it was great but if not sorry and maybe next time. I was thinking all week on what to write, I feel that the topic is one to think about. Again it is just my ideas so let me know what you think.......

In Chapter 13 of the Navi there is a strong command from Hashem about the evils and the dangers of the Navi Sheker, that the Navi Sheker does neither represent Hashem, nor His Torah. This idea of a Navi Sheker and the nature and need for there to be a special La’av in the Torah that commands against such a thing is puzzling. Why is being a Navi Sheker any worst than lying? What’s really wrong with it?

OK, I understand that to lie in the name of Hashem is clearly not a good idea, but there is a deeper point that needs to be understood. I am sure that you have dealt with this idea of what a Navi is etc. but let us go back to the Rambam, who really explains why Moshe was the man. So the Rambam explains what the job specs where to be a Navi, for those who have not learned Yesoday HaTorah chapters 7 and 8, it’s a good idea. There is a lot there that really explains what type of person the Navi was.

The Navi is the one who brings the word of Hashem to the people, which at times is good and some times is bad. Now the benefit of a Navi system as apposed to nowadays, is that today no one is really too sure of what’s wrong with the Jewish people. We all have ideas of what it could be but no one is exactly sure. So the Navi is able to tell everyone what Hashem is saying. Put in that way it really does sound like the Navi is the best way forward.

The Navi needs to be able to step away from what the people want to hear and tell them what they need to hear. So the Navi Sheker is the same as the idol worshiper. As explained last week, that when one can remove Hashem from the centre of his existence and put mankind there instead he will inevitably tell people what they want to hear as apposed to what they need to hear. Even though this ‘Navi’ calls out in the name of Hashem, there is no need to believe that this is the truth.

Throughout Jewish history people have always come up and wanted to tell the people what to do, to reveal their Nevuos, to tell over their personal revelations. But at times it has been to turn against the Torah and against the Will of Hashem.

The way that our Navi explains the Navi Sheker as the fox, reminded me of the Gemara at the end of Makkos. There is a story of Rabbi Akiva and his friends walking post-chorban and seeing a fox run through the destroyed Temple. Rabbi Akiva laughs while everyone else cries. This idea, of a fox running through a chorban is that the fox is looking for his scrapes of food and resembles the weak that remain. There is no vision for the future. No building. Just look after number one.

We have had our fair share of Navi Sheker over the last 2000 years, and even nowadays this Navi Sheker is still around, but is shouting out a different call. At the times when the Jewish people are down and need to be strengthened, the question that is asked is who is in the centre?

One of my Rabbis put this idea in a very real way by asking, why would the people go against the true Navi? And follow this Navi Sheker? He explained that, what would there be if a true Navi told us today that it was the Will of Hashem (God Forbid) to give away Jerusalem. Who would have the strength to listen and follow? No one at any time wants to hear that they need to give in. So when looking at this Navi Sheker, it is a really question of faith where one really needs to look into oneself and see what does Hashem demand. The Navi Sheker is the one who makes it all sound like easy work, the Navi Hashem makes demands on the people and shows them what they need to do.

Have a great Shabbos.

Natan