Parashat Naso- Stealing From God
We find in Parashat Naso a brief discussion concerning a thief who falsely denies his crime on oath. The Torah describes the process by which the thief atones for his sin, beginning with "Viduy" – verbal confession: "They shall confess their sin that they committed" (5:7).
The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), in the beginning of Hilchot Teshuba, cites this verse as the Biblical source of the Misva of Teshuba. When the Torah requires a thief to confess his wrongdoing and repent, it establishes the obligation for every sinner to undergo the process of repentance.
The question arises, why did the Torah choose specifically this context to introduce to the Misva of Teshuba? Why did it present this Misva amidst its discussion of a thief – a crime which few of us commit? Why did it not introduce the concept of Teshuba in the context of more common transgressions?
The Rebbe of Ger explained that in truth, every sinner is guilty of stealing – from God. Our bodies were given to us for the exclusive purpose of serving God – studying Torah and performing Misvot. Our eyes, ears, legs, hands, minds – everything we have has been given to us only for this reason. Misusing our bodies for wrongdoing is, essentially, stealing from God. It would be no different from borrowing a friend’s car to go into the city, and then using it to climb a tall mountain on a dirt road. Using our fellow’s property for a different purpose than for which it was lent is considered stealing. By the same token, using our bodies for sin constitutes theft. We were lent mouths and ears for prayer and Torah, not for gossip or telling lies. If we use them for these purposes, then we are guilty not only of Lashon Hara and falsehood, but also of theft, as we have misused the bodies that God has lent to us.
This is why the command of Teshuba appears in the context of theft – to teach us that sinning is stealing. We are not the owners over our bodies, over our lives. Our physical beings have been given to us on loan, for the expressed purpose of devoting them to matters of sanctity, to the service of our Creator. It is not within our right to use them in violation of God’s commands. We must ensure to use our bodies – and, in fact, all our assets, all the blessings God has granted us – for Torah and Misvot, to grow spiritually and to contribute meaningfully to the world. We will then be fulfilling our duty as God’s trusted servants, faithfully caring for the "property" that He has lent us.
