Professional Documents
Culture Documents
o
!$#
!
#$$
$#$
You shall observe My Sabbaths and revere My holy place, I am the Lord.
Shabbath and the repetition of the verse clearly emphasize the importance of
points out the reason for the association; Shabbath represents sanctity of time,
as follows on the verse in Kedoshim:
134
$!
$#
!$#
$
#!$
$
$
$
#
$
!$#
p
p
#
!# $!#
$
#!$
$
$
pp
!
synagogues and places of Torah study. This applies even though
the Temple has been destroyed in accordance with the verse in
places of Torah study
:
!#
!
o !#
!#
$
$# o
#!
#
$
p
#!
!
#
$
!
!
!#
#
#$#
The phrase I am the Lord is always used to indicate the
importance of the Mitzvah described, and the greatness of the
accompanying reward or punishment. This Parshah terminates
with I am the Lord in relation to these two commandments for
the King who commands us to serve him and tells us by decree
Do so and so adds after this command I am the King who
commands you. This phrase comes to give added weight to his
command, and one who neglects it is guilty of a grave sin, and
one who keeps it will receive a substantial reward.
:
# $
!
#$$
$#$!
$# !$
!
!## !
!
$#!#!
!$
!
$# !# !$ $ $# $#
# !#!$$# # !
One might perhaps think that a man should revere the sanctuary
itself the verse therefore reads You shall observe my Sabbaths
and revere my sanctuary. Sabbath observance and reverence
of the sanctuary are mentioned together just as in the case of
135
Sabbath observance one does not revere the Sabbath but He who
warned us about Sabbath, so in the case of the reverence quoted
in connection with the sanctuary, you do not revere the sanctuary
but He who warned you about the sanctuary.
!#
!$#
!
#$$
$#$
p!
!
$
# !
!
$#!
We might think that this commandment applies only when the
Temple is in existence. How do we know that it applies also when
the Temple does not exist? For this reason the verse reads You
shall observe My Sabbaths and revere My sanctuary; just as the
observance of the Sabbaths applies eternally, so the reverence of
the sanctuary applies eternally.
The Gemara in Megillah 29a discusses in further detail the situation when
the Temple is not in existence. A Baraitha is quoted in which Rabbi Shimon
ben Yochai deduces from several verses in the Tenach that the Shechinah
accompanies the Jewish people wherever they are. The Gemara asks Where
is the Shechinah actually to be found? and provides evidence that it is in the
discussion concludes as follows:
$
$
$$
o$$!#!
$#
$!
#!!$
#!$
$
$o
p$
! $#
$#!
$
$ $
# !
!
$ #!
! !
$
!# # $ $
$ $
#
Rav Huna said One who does not enter a synagogue in this
world will not enter a synagogue in the world to come Said R.
136
!$$#!!
!
!
$#$#
$
$
$$#
!!#
!$$!#
#
!
!!#
#
!
#
#
$
#
#
$
$$$
passage from the Zohar in a derashah which he delivered on Shabbath Parshath
VaEthchanan:
!##
$$
$#!
! #
o!
$#$#!
!
#
!
! !#!#
##
!!#!
!#
$
!o!
#
!
#
##
!#!
!#
p#$!
!
#
$
!
!#
!
!
#!#$
!
#
!#
$!
#
$
$!#
$o$
!
!#
#
#$$#
#
!
!!#
#
$
#!! $!
#$!!!
o
!
#$
!
$##p
1
137
pp!
$#!!
!
$# !
$# #
$#
$!
$
#
$$#
$$# #!
!
#
$#
!$!#
! #
$
!
#!
$#
!#
$
!#
$
$#
$!
!
!
$$#
#
o
!
#
!
!
$
$ ! $ $
138
!#
$##
!
!
#! #
$#
#
$
$$#!
p
#
!
!
$
$
#$
$
!#
4. RISHONIM
Some Rishonim regard the command to respect the synagogue as a Torah
his Sefer Yereim writes as follows:
p#!!
#!$
$$
#
$!
$ o
p !
! $#! $
!
#
#
po
!$
$
!$#
!#$$
$#
#
!# !#!$#
!$
$!
$ $ #
! # #! $
$ $
p
$
$
$$
!# $$
#
$
$#!
#
p
p! !!
$
#!
$
#!$
$
$
!!#
!#$
!
$
$
$#
!$ # $ !
$ !#
#
$
#!
You shall fear your G-d. He has commanded that when a person
enters the Temple, or synagogue or a Beth Hamedrash, that he
should treat them with reverence and honour, in accordance with
the verse in Parshath Behar Sinai You shall observe My Sabbaths
and revere My holy place. We have learned in Yevamoth You
shall revere My holy place you do not revere the holy place
but the One who has warned you about the holy place i.e. the
to a synagogue or Beth Hamedrash as we have learned in Torath
Cohanim I will lay waste your Mikdoshim this includes
synagogues and Batei Midrashim. We have also learned in
Megillah And I will serve unto them as a small Mikdash in the
lands where they have settled, said R. Yitzchak: This refers to
synagogues and Batei Midrashim in Babylon .We therefore
deduce that the Torah statement You shall revere My holy place
is meant to include synagogues and Batei Midrashim.
139
##
$
!
#$$
!
!
!
!
They should not talk in the synagogue but should sit with awe
and reverence and worship our Father in heaven; all of this we
decreed with a severe ban (on those who failed to comply).
This edict is quoted in one of the commentaries of the Shulchan Aruch, Baer
.
writes as follows in his Sefer HaRokeach:
p
#$$
!!
!
!!
#
#
!
$$!
#
!!#ppo!!#
#
!
op#
#
$
$
p
po
#
!
!
$ p!#!$
$! #
$
!
!
#
o
po##
$
ooo#
$#poo#!
!$# !
$ $
#
#! $ !
#
! !
#
!!
#$
5. ACHARONIM
Of the many references to our subject among the writings of the Acharonim,
the following is an extract from his well known Sefer Charedim:
!#
$
$!
$#$
!
$! !!$$!
!
!
p
!
!
# !p!
#
# $!
#
!!#
#
!
!!
#!##
$
!
#
!o
!
!$
#
It is therefore appropriate for every community in which the law
to take strong disciplinary action against those who talk (in the
of G-d will be seen in the land and all of the people will listen and
be afraid, and will not transgress any more.
his well known Musar Sefer, Or Tzadikim, he writes as follows:
141
p !
!
$
$
$
#p#$!
p
!
!$
$$
#!
#$
#!$
$
$!
!#
$
$
$
$
$
!
!
$
###
$$
$
!
!
!
!$$
! $
$ # ! $
# $
!
!
#
$#
!#
o$ # !
$
!
o
!
p
!#
$$
$$
$$
o$#$$
$
$
$
$
$#
!
!##$$p
!###!$
##
$$#!$
#
p #!
!poo!#
!!
#!##!
!$#$
!$#
$$
#!!!##
$#
$
!
#
$ !
$ $ $
#
$ # # !
# !
#
###!
o$
$#
!o$#
o$$
$
#
$
!$#!#
!
$#!$
#
#
!
#
!
#
!
$
!#
!#p $$!#
#
!
##$
$!
$!$
$$
!
!
$
!
$
!
!#
$$
o$
#
!
$
!
$
6. SHULCHAN ARUCH
matters which have been discussed.
p $$$
!
!
#
$
#
#!$
$
#!$
$
$
# $
$
#
#
##
#
$
#p$
##
#!
p
#
!
!!
$!
#
! p
# ! !
!
!$
#
$
!
!
!
p
#
!
$#
! $
$
op$$#
!#!#
##
$o
#!
#p
p
p!###p
o
#$
$
$
!
!p#
!
!
#
!$
!
$
#
#
#!#
$#o!!
!p
!
$ !
p
p
!
$
This means that even talk on everyday matters which are needed
for his living and which are permitted outside the synagogue
are forbidden inside. It applies with greater force to idle talk
which should be avoided anywhere. The holy Zohar in Parshath
VaYakhel emphasizes in strong terms the greatness of this sin.
How much more should one take care not to engage in forbidden
talk in a synagogue or Beth Hamedrash, for example Lashon HaRa,
Rechiluth, quarrels and wrangles. These are severe iniquities in
themselves, but the iniquity is much greater in a holy place, since
he pays no regard to the Shechinah. A sin committed privately
cannot be compared to one committed in the Kings palace in
the presence of the King. Therefore any person who treats the
word of the Lord with awe and reverence should continually
concentrate his eyes and heart on this matter, and not engage in
idle talk in a synagogue or Beth HaMedrash; the place should be
devoted solely to Torah and prayer.
7. CONCLUSION
In our introductory remarks we noted that many Shomrei Torah uMitzvoth
treat conduct in the synagogue as a matter of secondary importance. We feel
anyone who studies in the preceding pages the basis in Torah and Chazal, the
comments of Rishonim and Acharonim, and the Psak Din in the Shulchan
Aruch will realize that this is a completely mistaken view.
There are some who claim that talking in synagogue arises from a weakness
in human nature, which has been with us for so long that attempts to correct
of communities in all major Jewish centres where conduct in the synagogue is
exemplary.
Rambam tells us that once a bad habit has been formed, it can be cured only
145
with the dignity of the synagogue, even at the risk of loss of popularity. No
If the lay leaders of the community, and those with a Yeshiva background were
to set an example it would not take long before the dignity of the synagogue is
properly restored.
146