Included in the memorable moments of my childhood was the annual tradition of following the disappointing seasons of my hometown Chicago Cubs. The 2003 season ended in a rather excruciating way for Cubs fans lie myself. Five outs away from reaching the World Series, a fly ball was hit near the stands in foul territory. As left fielder Moises Alou attempted to make the play, someone got to the ball first: a fan seated in the first row. A frustrated Moises Alou returned to his position, and the rest is history: the team unraveled, and they lost the game to the disappointment of the Cubs fan standing before you.
Last week’s parsha ended with a scene more dramatic than any baseball game. In a shocking display, a Jewish man commits a public sinful, chutzpahdik act in the presence of the entire nation:
| ו וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא, וַיַּקְרֵב אֶל-אֶחָיו אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִית, לְעֵינֵי מֹשֶׁה, וּלְעֵינֵי כָּל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל; וְהֵמָּה בֹכִים, פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. | 6 And, behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman in the sight of Moses, and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, while they were weeping at the door of the tent of meeting. |
Pinchas is the first to react, and he reacts strongly. He kills them on the spot for their distasteful display.
Our parsha begins with the aftermath; G-d commends Pinchas’s zealousness. Zealously can be an easy trait to abuse, but G-d testifies that Pinchas acted purely and rewards him with the Priesthood.
If you compare the description of the story at the end of last week’s parsha with the shorter summary in our parsha, you will notice something surprising. It’s more than a summary; more information is added!
| יד וְשֵׁם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמֻּכֶּה, אֲשֶׁר הֻכָּה אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִית–זִמְרִי, בֶּן-סָלוּא: נְשִׂיא בֵית-אָב, לַשִּׁמְעֹנִי. |
In last weeks’ parsha the story is told anonymously.
וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא, וַיַּקְרֵב אֶל-אֶחָיו אֶת-הַמִּדְיָנִית
In our parsha, they are given names.
When a piece of information is added in the summary, we should take note. Why did the Torah not share the names of the sinner in last week’s parsha, in what seems a more appropriate and concise location? Why does the Torah wait until our parsha to share the names of the perpetrators!
The Ohr Hachaim answers this question by pointing to an earlier episode in the Torah. In Parshat Shelach we read of the confusion following the first Shabbat violator known as the “Mikoshesh,” the wood gatherer. This man violates Shabbos, no one knows what to do with him ,they put him in a jail until G-d commands them to stone him. Who was this guilty man? The Torah there uses the word “Mikoshesh” twice, and refers to him with second person pronouns eight times as it tells us of his imprisonment and execution.
A riveting story, but can you imagine sharing such a juicy story without naming the perpetrator?
Says the Ohr HaChaim:
| G’d has made it a rule not to belittle even the wicked unless there is a compelling reason. We know that in the case of the person who collected wood on the Sabbath and who was subsequently executed the Torah did not reveal his name at all (Numbers 15,32-36). In our instance the Torah revealed the names well after the occurrence because there was a compelling reason but not until after G’d had praised Pinchas for what he did and we have learned of the beneficial effects of his deed. Having recorded that G’d not only approved of what Pinchas had done but rewarded him publicly, the Torah explained that Pinchas had taken very great personal risks as the two victims involved were very highly placed individuals. | אכן הנה האדון ברוך הוא אינו חפץ לזלזל אפילו ברשעים לפרסם מי בעלי דברים המתועבים, ומקושש יוכיח, גם במה שלפנינו תראה שלא גילה אותם בשעת מעשה אלא דוקא אחר שהזכיר שבח פנחס אשר פעל ועשה מהמפעל הטוב שקנא לה’ וכפר על בני ישראל זכר גם כן כי לא קנא באדם פחות אלא באדם גדול |
I was among many disappointed fans in 2003 after the Cubs loss. But one fan was more than disappointed; his life was in danger. That fan’s life was ruined by his infamous interference with a potential catch. The TV cameras showed the replay again and again, his identity and personal info were put on the internet. He received death threats, he entered the witness protection program and his family was forced to seek asylum in another state. Despite his apologies, the city turned against him and ruined his life. He has not made a public appearance or attended a Cubs game since that day, and though the Cubs sent him a World Series ring after their victory in 2016, no gesture can undo the hardship and harm he has endured.
The Torah is not a Tabloid, it is an instruction manual. Teaching us a lesson of free flowing information. Did the broadcast have to zoom in on this fan’s face for millions of viewers to see? Did the newspapers have to share his name and image with us to the point that his likeness became a Halloween costume in Chicago? Ethicists and editorial staffs grapple with the question of when to publish the names of suspects and criminals. They generally refrain from naming minors, but will name adults immediately, albeit assuming innocence and peppering the story with words like “allegedly.” The goal of this drasha is not to address the media’s standards. But are these the standards we should set for our personal lives? Do we have to tell one another about an embarrassing moment we witnessed at the supermarket or at Kiddush?
The Torah has every right to tell us the identity of the sinners, but withholds that information until it is relevant. The Chofetz Chaim famously records a series of conditions that should be met before sharing relevant information. Even if we have not memorized the list, common sense can provide us with some guidelines.
In 2019, information travels quickly. We may not be publishing newspapers, but each of us can send messages across the world with the push of a button. Our shul demonstrates some of the positive uses of these messages: we have Whatsapp groups to share Torah and opportunities for Chessed. But we all know that the same technology can be used to spread misinformation, slander, or hurt someone’s privacy.
We are a week into the three weeks and the nine days are creeping up on us. The Beit Hamikdash was destroyed for sinaat chinam, baseless hatred, and will be rebuilt when we can commit ourselves to ahavat chinam, loving one another for who they are. Let us use this time of year to not merely think about our history, but to internalize that words can destroy and rebuild not just buildings, but people’s lives.
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