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Parshat Vaykira
The critical word in these two verses is "eid – witness". How are we to bear witness to God's special role in the world and in our lives, on the one hand, and to proclaim our denial of that which is idolatrous, on the other? The Jewish tradition proffers a concrete example, in a midrash on a verse similar to the one in our haftarah: "On one tablet (of the Ten Commandments) was written: 'Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' And opposite it on the other tablet was written: 'You shall not bear false witness.' This means that if a person profanes the Sabbath it is as though he gave testimony before Him who spoke and the world came into being that He did not create the world in six days and rest on the seventh, as it said: 'You are My witnesses, said the Lord'" (Isaiah 43:10) (Mechilta de Rabbi Ishmael Bahodesh 8 Horowitz - Rabin ed. p. 234) This midrash asserts that a person who observes Shabbat acts as a witness to the world of his or her belief in God. Professor Asa Kasher, one of Israel's preeminent philosophers and ethicists, relates Shabbat observance to the alleviation of idolatry as well. He asserts that idolatry in the modern world consists of veering from the middle path and allowing one's life to be overcome by extreme behavior. Shabbat, as a day devoted to holy pursuits, protects against the idolatrous pursuit of work and other secular obsessions like overuse of the computer and television, and crass materialism. (See Yahadut and Elilut (Heb.) pp. 60-61) Shabbat, then, is more than simply a day of rest and synagogue worship; it is a day on which we bear witness to our most significant belief – our belief in God.
The United Synagogue Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem offers students of all backgrounds the skills for studying Jewish texts. We are a vibrant, open-minded egalitarian community of committed Jews who learn, practise and grow together. Our goal is to provide students the ability and desire to continue Jewish learning and practice throughout their lives. Rashei Yeshiva: Rabbi Richard Lewis, Rabbi Joel Roth and Rabbi Pesach Schindler.
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