We live in\u00a0a world of cell phones and e-mails, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. We have no privacy, for almost anyone can reach us wherever we are, whatever we happen to be doing, at all times of the day. And we can have no secrets, because anyone who knows anything about us can spread it to the entire world in a matter of seconds.<\/p>\n
How often have I sat down for a moment of private time, for study or contemplation, or just to “chill out”, only to have the silence disrupted by some\u00a0total stranger who managed to obtain my cell phone number? How many dozens of e-mails and blogs fill up the space of my inbox with communications that, at best, are of no interest to me and often are offensive and obnoxious?<\/p>\n
We once felt entitled to privacy and courtesy, but\u00a0they no longer seem\u00a0achievable.<\/p>\n
Often, we write a confidential note to a trusted friend, sharing a message that we would rather others not know, only to discover that the note is now circulating in cyberspace, accessible to literally everyone. Sometimes, it is the friend’s betrayal that has made our secret public. Often, it is simply misjudgment or carelessness on his part. But more frequently, it is an unwanted error, a mistaken pressing of “send” instead of \u201cdelete”.<\/p>\n
We once\u00a0expected confidentiality and discretion, but\u00a0they too no longer seem possible.<\/p>\n
Our contemporary society has lost what once was among its primary values. “A man’s home is his castle” once meant that decent citizens respected the “fences” around another individual\u2019s personal space and would not casually trespass those boundaries.<\/p>\n
The value of trusting in the discretion of another, once a cornerstone of human interaction,\u00a0is now in danger of being relegated, along with other once-cherished values, to the oblivion of “old-fashionedness\u201d.<\/p>\n
The right to privacy and the ability to assume confidentiality are universal human values.\u00a0It is important to know that\u00a0they are primary Jewish values as well. Sources for these values in our tradition include this week’s Torah portion, Vayikra<\/em>.<\/p>\nThis might come as a surprise to you, dear reader, because you know that this week’s portion is the introduction to Leviticus<\/em>, the\u00a0biblical book\u00a0which focuses upon sacrifices and Temple ritual. This week’s portion especially seems limited to the comprehensive and complex details of sacrificial offerings. Where is there even a hint of these contemporary concerns,\u00a0courtesy and confidentiality?<\/p>\nChapter one, verses one and two, say it all, albeit between the lines:<\/p>\n
“The Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying: \u2018Speak to the Israelite people and say to them…\u2019”<\/p>\n
The rabbis of the Talmud saw in these simple and direct phrases\u00a0two subtle messages.<\/p>\n
First of all, the Lord called to Moses first and then spoke to him. He didn’t surprise Moses. He didn’t intrude on Moses’ privacy and autonomy. First, He called to him. He knocked on Moses door, as it were, ringing the bell first, asking to be invited in. No unwanted intrusion, even from the Lord Almighty, to his favorite prophet!<\/p>\n
This observation is made by the rabbis in the Talmudic tractate Yoma<\/em>. In a less well-known Talmudic source, the Tractate Derech Eretz<\/em>, the rabbis find that\u00a0the Almighty’s courteous concern for the privacy of his lowly creatures did not begin with Moses. It goes back to the way He treated the very first man, Adam. Genesis\u00a0chapter three, verse nine:\u00a0 “The Lord God called to Adam and said to him: ‘Where are you?\u2019” Here too, even when the Lord wishes to rebuke Adam, He first “calls to him”, signaling the uncomfortable conversation which is about to ensue.<\/p>\nGod respects Adam’s privacy, and He doesn’t just “barge in” on Moses. Surely a lesson in human values.<\/p>\n
The rabbis\u00a0on the same page in Tractate Yoma<\/em> find another message in the deceptively simple opening verses of our Parsha<\/em>. “…saying: \u2018Speak to the people and say to them…\u2019” From the redundancy here, “say\u201d, and \u201cspeak\u201d, and \u201csay”,\u00a0the rabbis derive the lesson that when someone tells you something, you are forbidden to share it with another unless you are given explicit permission to do so.<\/p>\nMoses was not permitted to re-tell even the divine message that he heard until God Himself told him that it was okay to “say it over”.<\/p>\n
The medieval Rabbi Moses of Coucy actually\u00a0enumerates this admonition for utter confidentiality as one of the prohibitions comprising the 613 commandments of the Torah.<\/p>\n
As I have reflected upon these specific teachings over the years of my personal Parsha<\/em> study, I have come away with several conclusions: Firstly,\u00a0there is much that is implicit in the Torah; much that lies beneath the surface. The long and complicated ritual laws that confront us as we read this week’s Parsha\u00a0<\/em>are contained in a context that teaches us more than the surface lessons. Our Rabbis of old were particularly expert at digging out these unexpected but precious nuggets.<\/p>\nSecondly, these nuggets are often\u00a0of astounding relevance for our contemporary condition. What can be more relevant than a reminder about the values of\u00a0courtesy and confidentiality?<\/p>\n
Finally, these lessons are not merely abstract teachings or\u00a0bits of wisdom for\u00a0us to ruminate upon\u00a0as we relax\u00a0in our armchairs. Rather, they are calls to arms. They are challenges.<\/p>\n
It is difficult indeed to combat the\u00a0value system that is foisted upon us by the technology which pervades the world in which we now live. Very difficult. But very necessary. If we lazily submit to the pernicious influence of modern convenience, we risk\u00a0the ultimate loss of\u00a0our very humanity.<\/p>\n
A culture devoid of courtesy can turn into a culture of callousness and cruelty. A world where\u00a0one cannot\u00a0trust his confidante is a world where authentic friendship\u00a0is impossible.<\/p>\n
Troubling thoughts? Yes, indeed.\u00a0But they are thoughts which we\u00a0ignore at our own\u00a0peril.<\/p>\n
How fortunate are we that these thoughts\u00a0are available to us, subtly embedded in the opening verses of this week’s Torah portion!<\/p>\n
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