Parashat Naso- Stealing From a Convert
**Candlelighting in Brooklyn, NY, June 6th is at 8:06 PM.
MInha, followed by Derasha by Rabbi Mansour, and Arbit ,on Shabbat, June 7th will be at 7:15 PM **
One of the sections of Parashat Naso deals with laws relevant to theft, particularly the restitution payments that the thief must make upon confessing his crime (5:1-8). The Sages explain that the Torah in this context speaks specifically about the case of "Gezel Ha'ger," a crime committed against a convert to Judaism.
Rav Ovadia Seforno (1475-1550) comments that the Torah designated a special section to address this case because of the grave "Hillul Hashem" – "desecration of God's Name" – that such an offense entails. While theft is of course always an abhorrent crime, it assumes even greater severity when the victim is a convert. Let us imagine in our minds the situation of a gentile, who was born and raised among non-Jews, and over the years chooses to embrace Judaism. He had heard of the special laws of the Torah, the unique ethical and moral code that characterizes the Jewish way of life. The gentile is enchanted by Judaism and makes the courageous decision to leave his past, sever his ties with his family, and take on a whole new lifestyle by converting to the Jewish faith.
Then, one day, as he prays together with a congregation, focusing intently on his prayer and enjoying the unparalleled experience of sincere Tefila, somebody in the synagogue comes along, grabs his attaché case, and runs out the door.
This crime has the effect of defaming God, the Torah and the Jewish people. It sends the message to the convert that everything he had heard about the Torah and what it represents is untrue. Even if the money can be repaid, the damage done to the Jewish people's reputation cannot be completely rectified. The Torah therefore issues a special warning concerning this kind of theft, in order to emphasize the gravity of such a crime.
This message is of particular importance in our time, when people expect the Orthodox Jewish community to follow a higher standard. The Talmud records a comment of Rav, one of the great Sages, who said that it would be forbidden for him to purchase meat on credit at the butcher shop. Even though purchasing goods on credit is perfectly permissible, in the case of a Rabbi, it is forbidden because of the misleading impression the other shoppers may have. They may think that he is either stealing or demanding some kind of privileged status. As a Rabbi, he must be above suspicion. Since people expect from him the very strictest and highest ethical standards, he must avoid even permissible behavior that might arouse suspicion.
A certain Rosh Yeshiva remarked that nowadays, all Orthodox Jews have the status of a Rabbi in this regard. Non-observant Jews as well as gentiles expect and demand more of us, and they seize every opportunity to accuse us of impropriety. The question of whether or not this is fair is immaterial. What should concern us is the reality of the situation, whereby we are constantly subject to rigorous scrutiny. It therefore behooves us to ensure to avoid any suspicion, and conduct ourselves in a manner that will bring honor and admiration for us and our Torah, rather than the opposite, Heaven forbid.
