Shabbos Parashas Acharei-Mos/Kedoshim - 5777
Shabbos Parashas Acharei-Mos/Kedoshim - 5777
Rabbi Hal Miller
You shall not curse the deaf, and you shall not place a stumbling block before the
blind, you shall fear your G-d, I am Hashem. [Vayikra 19:14]
This week's Torah portion is chock full of negative commandments. Nearly all have a
significant and direct impact on the victim, should we violate the command. Our verse
stands out as different. If one curses a deaf person, the victim is unaware, and suffers
no direct harm. What is this doing in with these other commandments?
Sforno and others say that cursing the deaf does do him damage, even though he himself
may not know about it, thus there is no difference. He continues that putting the stone in
front of a blind person does not in itself cause damage, but it sets up for damage, thus is
an indirect cause. He says that these two examples show the Torah prohibition against
even indirect damage.
Although this argument dealing with reputation or similar damage seems valid, it begs an
interesting question. If so, does the curse of a human being have effect? Rambam says
no, that "mere speech can cause no harm without Divine approval." He says this reinforces
the indirect damage claim. Rabbeinu Bechaye uses this argument as a kal vachomer: if
even a deaf person is damaged, all the moreso is a hearing person injured by such a curse.
These opinions do not directly address the efficacy of a curse, but they do give us something
to think about in the phrase "Divine approval." As we know G-d controls all, if an individual is
due to be cursed, then perhaps the words of another human do in fact have such power. Or
we can look at it as we do a blessing--we do not have the power to bless, only to ask G-d to
bless.
Perhaps the real victim in these types of injurious actions is not the blind or deaf, but in fact
the performer of the bad act. Rav Hirsch writes "a curse does express the ill will that one feels
towards another and only lack of power prevents one from actually bringing about the downfall"
of the intended victim. It is this ill will that is the only actual loss, and that is to the one who
curses. This is an explanation of the difference between our verse and the other negative
commands. Why is it combined in with these others?
Ramban has our answer. "A person curses the deaf and causes the blind to stumble since
he does not fear them. That is why 'you shall fear your G-d,' for He sees the hidden things."
This is the purpose of all the negative commandments, fear of G-d. We must be holy even
when we think nobody is looking. G-d is.