בס”ד
I. Introduction
- Genesis 20:10-11
| And Abimelech said to Abraham, “what did you see, that you did this thing?” And Abraham said, “I said, ‘there is simply no fear of G-d in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife’”. | וַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲבִימֶ֖לֶךְ אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֑ם מָ֣ה רָאִ֔יתָ כִּ֥י עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה׃ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אַבְרָהָ֔ם כִּ֣י אָמַ֗רְתִּי רַ֚ק אֵין־יִרְאַ֣ת אֱלֹקים בַּמָּק֖וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה וַהֲרָג֖וּנִי עַל־דְּבַ֥ר אִשְׁתִּֽי׃ |
II. The Fear of G-d
2. Deuteronomy 10:20
| The L-rd your G-d you shall fear, He shall you serve, to Him shall you cleave, and in His Name you shall take oaths, | אֶת־ ד’ אֱלֹהקיךָ תִּירָ֖א אֹת֣וֹ תַעֲבֹ֑ד וּב֣וֹ תִדְבָּ֔ק וּבִשְׁמ֖וֹ תִּשָּׁבֵֽעַ׃ |
3. Ibn Ezra, loc. cit.
| You shall fear the L-rd your G-d: so that you do not transgress the negative commandments. | את ה’ אלקיך תירא. שלא תעברון על מצות לא תעשה: |
III. The Significance for Noahides
4. Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 432
| And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times and by the entire human species. And this is one of the constant commandments upon a person, that the obligation not ever be interrupted from upon a person, even for one instant. And one upon whom the matter of a sin comes to his hand is obligated to arouse his spirit and to place into his heart at that juncture that G-d, blessed be He, oversees all of the actions of people and [takes] vengeance according to the evil of the deed. And one who transgresses this and does not [apprise] his heart of this at those times has violated this positive commandment; as this is the specific time [for the] fulfillment of this positive commandment. However for a person to stand with alacrity and to remember it during all of his times is included in the commandment [as well].[1] | וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן וּבְכָל מִין הָאָדָם, וְזֹאת אַחַת מִן הַמִּצְוֹת הַתְּמִידִיּוֹת עַל הָאָדָם, שֶׁלֹּא יִפָּסֵק חִיּוּבָן מֵעַל הָאָדָם לְעוֹלָם, אֲפִלּוּ רֶגַע אֶחָד, וּמִי שֶׁבָּא דְּבַר עֲבֵרָה לְיָדוֹ חַיָּב לְהָעִיר רוּחוֹ וְלָתֵת אֶל לִבּוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַשְׁגִּיחַ בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה בְּנֵי אָדָם, וְיָשִׁיב לָהֶם נָקָם כְּפִי רֹעַ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְלֹא שָׁת לִבּוֹ בְּכָךְ בְּאוֹתָן שָׁעוֹת בִּטֵּל עֲשֵׂה זֶה, שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא שְׁעַת קִיּוּם עֲשֵׂה זֶה בְּכִוּוּן. וְאוּלָם כָּל יְמֵי הָאָדָם וְכָל עִתּוֹתָיו בִּכְלַל הַמִּצְוָה לַעֲמֹד זָרִיז וְנִזְכָּר עָלֶיהָ. |
IV. Laws Concerning Blasphemy
5. Leviticus 24:16
| And he who blasphemes the name of the L-rd, shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: both the stranger, and he that is born in the land, when he blasphemes the name of the L-rd, shall be put to death.[2] | וְנֹקֵ֤ב שֵׁם־ ד’ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת רָג֥וֹם יִרְגְּמוּ־ב֖וֹ כׇּל־הָעֵדָ֑ה כַּגֵּר֙ כָּֽאֶזְרָ֔ח בְּנׇקְבוֹ־שֵׁ֖ם יוּמָֽת׃ |
6. TB Sanhedrin 56a
| How does Rabbi Meir understand the phrase “both the stranger, and he that is born in the land”? A convert or a born Jew would be liable to death by stoning, while a non-Jew by the sword. | ורבי מאיר האי כגר כאזרח מאי עביד ליה גר ואזרח בסקילה אבל עובד כוכבים בסייף |
7. Ibid.
| As it is taught in a baraita: Why must the verse state: “Anyone who curses his G-d shall bear his sin”? But isn’t it already stated: “And he who blasphemes the name of the L-rd shall be put to death” (Leviticus 24:16)? Rather, since it is stated: “And he who blasphemes the name of the L-rd shall be put to death,” one might have thought that one will be liable only for cursing the ineffable name of G-d. From where is it derived that the verse includes one who curses any of the appellations as well? The verse states: “Anyone who curses his G-d,” to indicate that one is liable to be executed in any case. This is the statement of Rabbi Meir.[3] | דתניא (ויקרא כד, טו) איש איש כי יקלל אלהיו ונשא חטאו מה תלמוד לומר והלא כבר נאמר (ויקרא כד, טז) ונוקב שם ה’ מות יומת לפי שנאמר ונוקב שם מות יומת יכול לא יהא חייב אלא על שם המיוחד בלבד מניין לרבות כל הכינויין תלמוד לומר איש כי יקלל אלהיו מכל מקום דברי רבי מאיר |
8. Rambam, Laws of Kings and Wars 9:2
| A Ben Noach who “blesses” G-d. whether he does so using the Unique Name or any other expression denoting Him, in any language, in liable. | בֶּן נֹחַ שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ אֶת הַשֵּׁם. בֵּין שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ בַּשֵּׁם הַמְיֻחָד. בֵּין שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ בְּכִנּוּי בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן חַיָּב. |
9. Rambam, Laws of Oaths
| [The same laws apply whether] one took an oath – or another person administered an oath to him – with G-d’s ineffable name – or with one of the descriptive terms used to refer to Him, e.g., he took an oath “on He whose name is Gracious,” “on He whose name is Merciful,” or “on He whose name is Patient,” regardless of the language he used. The statement is considered an oath in the full sense of the term. Similarly, a statement with the terms eleh or erur is considered as an oath, provided one mentions one of G-d’s names or one of the terms used to describe Him. What is implied? When a person said: “May one who eats this-and-this entity be cursed unto G-d,” or “…cursed unto He whose name is Gracious,” “…cursed unto He whose name is Merciful” and then ate that entity, he has taken a false oath. Similar concepts apply with regard to the other types of oaths.[4] | אֶחָד הַנִּשְׁבָּע. אוֹ שֶׁהִשְׁבִּיעוֹ אַחֵר בַּשֵּׁם הַמְיֻחָד. אוֹ בְּאֶחָד מִן הַכִּנּוּיִין כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע בְּמִי שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ חַנּוּן וּבְמִי שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ רַחוּם וּבְמִי שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם. וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן הֲרֵי זוֹ שְׁבוּעָה גְּמוּרָה. וְכֵן אָלָה וְאָרוּר הֲרֵי הֵן שְׁבוּעָה. וְהוּא שֶׁיַּזְכִּיר שֵׁם מִן הַשֵּׁמוֹת אוֹ כִּנּוּי מִן הַכִּנּוּיִין. כֵּיצַד. כְּגוֹן שֶׁאָמַר בְּאָלָה אוֹ אָרוּר לַה’. אוֹ לְמִי שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ חַנּוּן. אוֹ לְמִי שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ רַחוּם. מִי שֶׁיֹּאכַל דָּבָר פְּלוֹנִי וַאֲכָלוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה נִשְׁבַּע לַשֶּׁקֶר. וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָר מִינֵי שְׁבוּעוֹת: |
By Rabbi Tani Burton
Sources:
[1] Translation by Rabbi Francis Nataf
[2] Koren Bible translation
[3] Steinzaltz translation
[4] Translation by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger
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