The Daily Chizzuk with our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a – “Why did the blasphemer blaspheme?”
Monday, 22 Iyar 5782
These are his holy words:
What is the story with the blasphemer? Why did the blasphemer suddenly start to blaspheme? The Midrash Rabbah says that the husband of Shelomit [the blasphemer’s mother] was Datan!
Shelomit had a nice husband – sweet, holy of holies – he only disputed the tzaddik. This was his problem.
Datan was a good husband – devoted, washed the dishes, washed the floor, would cook all the food. She would rest, say Tehilim. He would do everything for her. He did only one thing that wasn’t good – dispute the tzaddik!
Datan was Shelomit’s husband. Of course, this child wasn’t his [rather, the Egyptian was his father]. Suddenly, everyone was swallowed up in the ground – Datan Aviram, Korach, the children, the grandchildren, the great-grandchildren. Even the great-grandchildren were swallowed up in the ground with the women, with the babies.
The [only] one who wasn’t swallowed up in the ground was the blasphemer. The blasphemer wasn’t swallowed up in the ground!
Everyone asked him, “Why weren’t you swallowed up in the ground? Why? The ground didn’t swallow you – why?
[He answered:] What am I? I’m holy of holies! I’m a tzaddik!
[They said to him:] No, no. There’s another reason here! Let’s go to Moshe [and] ask him.
They went to Moshe. He told the whole truth [that the Egyptian is his father and not Datan, and therefore he’s not a member of the tribe of Reuven]. Immediately, he began to blaspheme.
Really, he thought that he was the son of Datan. He thought that he was a member of the tribe of Reuven. He didn’t know what the story was at all.
Suddenly, the story was revealed. Immediately, he cursed Moshe, cursed the tzaddik, was driven from the tzaddik.
This was the moment that he needed to do teshuva (repentance). This was the moment that he could have been so holy, so great, like Moshe. If he had withstood [this test], then he would have ascended to the level of Moshe.
If he had accepted the humiliation with love, he would have ascended to the level of Moshe. He could have been Moshe.
Therefore, it’s written, “he pierced” (Vayikra 24). It’ not written “he cursed/blasphemed.” “Cursed” is [written] afterwards. “He pierced” – that he made a hole between [the supernal worlds of] Yetzirah and Asiyah – he drew lights from the world of Atzilut – he was that great.
Because the lowliest women was like Yechezkel ben Buzi. The Rambam brings in Hilchot Shemonah Perakim – Chapter 8 at the end, that the lowliest women, even an Egyptian maidservant, saw things [in prophecy] more than Yechezkel ben Buzi.
So the lowliest person could show the Merkava [lit. the Chariot – a prophetic vision] like Yechezkel who showed the entire Merkava. The entire matter of the blasphemer was that he wanted to show to them the Merkava mamash.
