Let's talk about Shabbas... again. On a casual basis, without researching or counting, it is quite possible to suggest that there is no other topic in the Torah that is so often repeated - except, perhaps, the prohibitions of idolatry - than Shabbas. Other mitzvos, which seem obscure but are also detailed and complex - like don't mix wool and linen, are given very brief "attention" from the Torah. But it often feels as if Shabbas is mentioned once, or more, in every parsha. In Vayikra 19, it is even mentioned twice, in both Vayikra 19:3 and 19:30.
In this particular Dvar Torah, the verse being discussed is 19:30. Before citing the verse, it is important - and interesting - to discuss the structure of this particular section of Vayikra's Parshas Kedoshim. Perak yud'tes (Chapter 19) begins with Hashem telling Moshe to command Bnei Yisrael: "You shall be holy, for holy am I, Hasham, your God" (19:2). Throughout the rest of the perak, every 1 to 5 verses are punctuated with the words Ani Hashem or Ani Hashem Ehlokeichem. Therefore, what is interesting about Vayikra 19:30 is not the verse alone, but also the verse to which it is attached: "Do not profane your daughter to make her a harlot, lest the land become lewd, and the land become filled with depravity. My Sabbaths shall you observe and My Sanctuary shall you revere - I am Hashem" (19:29 - 30).
Before a debate of modern mores on women's rights kicks off, let us please remember that 20th/21st century feminism is not the Torah's goal. In our day, it is the responsibility of every Jew to understand the Torah's values and live them in a modern context. Our current era is quick to rise and decry a perceived patriarchal tone without looking for a deeper purpose to the laws and going beyond how we know they were lived for thousands of years in less liberal societies.
Verse 29 could be read as a directive of family values. The word for profane is t'challel, which is the same verb as chilul Hashem, most often translated as a desecration of Hashem but is also understood as doing an act that causes others to devalue Hashem and Torah.
Throughout the Torah, there appears to be a great emphasis on teaching our sons - although one might debate the male noun/pronoun is also used for mixed gender multiples and the Torah does not waste words with he/she and his/hers. While most commentators discuss verse 29 in a context of not encouraging improper relations, one might be able to read it as a call for being particularly conscientious in our treatment of our daughters, particularly in their teenage years when a warning such as this seems most practical and when most would say our daughters are prone to be sensitive about how they are treated.
This idea is certainly a far leap from traditional understanding of this verse, however, it makes certain sense in connection with "My Sabbaths shall you observe and My Sanctuary shall you revere" (19:30). As is so often the case, Hashem is providing a cure even before the illness. Shabbos is when we spend the most time with our families. Guard the Sabbath to guard your family. "My Sanctuary shall you revere" uses the term mkadshei, my holy places. When we demonstrate reverence for places designated as holy, we can learn and remember that Hashem has provided us, we who live without a Mishkan or a Temple, with opportunities to turn our homes into mikdashei me'at, we must put reverence in our home so our homes can be filled with kedusha.
What about the phrasing of 19:29 that says "lest the land become lewd, and the land become filled with depravity"? This part of the verse only emphasizes the fact of how important treating our daughters properly is. Notice that the verse does not talk about daughters in the plural, but rather "your daughter." A daughter of Israel grows up, imertz Hashem, to be a wife and mother, as well as a plethora of other titles. In these roles of wife and mother, she is the critical transmission point of Klal Yisrael, and each daughter is significant from stopping the land from being filled with depravity.
One final thought - verses 29 and 30 are coupled and concluded with Ani Hashem rather than Ani Hashem Ehlokeichem. Although I have not, right now, sat and studied each section of Vayikra 19 to confirm this thought, it is interesting to ponder the distinction between the exclusion and inclusion of Ehlokeichem. We know that the Divine name Ehlokim reflects din, justice/law, and the Divine name Hashem reflects rachamim, compassion. The fact that Vayikra 19:29-30 concludes with just Ani Hashem is another subtle lesson. Observe the Sabbath, revere the holy places, and raise your daughters - raise the future homes of Klal Yisrael - guided by rachamim.
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