Li-zchus my beloved friend Johnny Hanus - brachos for a happy birthday and many many more to come in health, happiness and prosperity.
Says the pasuk [Kedoshim 20-2]
וְאֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל תֹּאמַר אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן הַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ מוֹת יוּמָת עַם הָאָרֶץ יִרְגְּמֻהוּ בָאָבֶן.
And to the children of Israel, you shall say: Any man of the children of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among Israel, who gives any of his offspring to Molech, shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall pelt him with stones.
We see that the pasuk emphasizes Geirm specifically regarding Molech in contrast to most mitzvos where Geirim are included in the rest of Klal Yisrael. Why the emphasis here?
We also have to understand the words "עם הארץ ירגמוהו באבן" - the people of the land. Rashi offers two explanations: that people for whose sake the earth was created: Israel (cf. Rashi on Genesis 1:1); or, that people which is destined to remain in possession of the Land (Canaan) through obedience to these commands. Why here specifically does the Torah choose to call us "עם הארץ" and not say simply that the person should be stoned?
In the next pasuk - פסוק ג, it says:
And I will set My attention upon that man, and I will cut him off from amidst his people, because he gave of his offspring to Molech in order to defile My holy ones and to profane My holy Name.
On a simple level this is a continuation of the previous pasuk and is talking about where the death penalty has already been carried out by the court [if he wasn't killed then we have another pasuk - פסוק ד the says ואם העלם יעלימו]. The pasuk is saying that there is an additional punishment to the one administered by the "Am Ha-aretz". This is difficult to understand. The rule is that if judgment is administered down here then there is no judgment from above [מדרש תנחומא משפטים ה] so why here is there an additional judgment [of כרת] from above?
In general, we have to understand why the aveirah of Molech is so severe more so than other aveiros and mandates this double punishment.
And why here is there a למען טמא את מקדשי - We contaminate the holy of Hashem? Rashi writes:
למען טמא את מקדשי: את כנסת ישראל, שהיא מקודשת לי, כלשון (ויקרא כא כג) ולא יחלל את מקדשי:
In order to defile My holy ones: Heb. מִקְדָּשִׁי. [This is] the congregation of Israel, which is sanctified to Me. [This reference to Israel as מִקְדָּשִׁי, what is sanctified to Me, is] reminiscent of the expression [referring to the holy sacrifices], “he shall not desecrate My holy things (מִקְדָּשַׁי).
Why is it THAT bad. And in addition this sin is yet worse because it causes -
"ולחלל את שם קדשי"
"Profane My Holy Name."
Also, how do the entire Jewish people become so contaminated because of the sin of one individual?
It is also difficult according to the opinion that Molech wasn't Avoda Zara [see Sanhedrin 64a a מחלוקת תנאים]. If so, why is this aveira SO BAD?? Especially according to Rashi [סנהדרין ס"ד: ד"ה דרך העברה] who says that they didn't actually burn the child to death but just passed him through the fire. And the Rambam also holds this way [Avoda Zara 6-3] as does the Meiri [Sanhedrin 64a, see also Ramban 18-21]. The child is not dying and there is no Avoda Zara - so what is the big deal??
Let us see the next two psukim:
But if the people of the land ignore that man when he gives of his offspring to Molech, not putting him to death. I will set My attention upon that man, and upon his family, and I will cut him off, and all who stray after him to stray after Molech, from amidst their people.
Why do these consequences apply only to Molech only??
Rashi says:
ובמשפחתו: אמר ר' שמעון וכי משפחה מה חטאה, אלא ללמדך שאין לך משפחה שיש בה מוכס שאין כולם מוכסין, שכולם מחפין עליו:
Rabbi Shimon says: [In] what [way] did the family sin [that they are punished]? However, this teaches you that there is no family in which there is an [unfair] tax collector which may not [be regarded as consisting] entirely of tax collectors, for they all cover up for him. — [Torath Kohanim 20:95; Shev. 39a].
If the issue is that that if he is a sinner then the entire family are sinners and are therefore punished, then this shouldn't apply only to the sin of Molech but to all sins, as we see in the Gemara with the moshol of the tax collector.
LOTS to deal with!!😊😊
Hashem should give me the life, health and resources to continue vyter!! Stay tuned בל"נ!
