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Who slanders not with his tongue nor does to his fellow man evil nor bears reproach for his kin. Psalm 15:3 Robert Alter
Bears reproach – The English isn’t common. “Reproach,” what is that? Other translations attempt to explain: “casts slur,” “cast scorn,” “brings shame,” “discredits,” “bribes,” “spreads rumors,” “defames” are some of the synonyms used to convey the meaning. Dictionary definitions tend toward expressing disapproval or censure. Apparently there are many different options. What does the Hebrew suggest? The word ḥārap is basically about blaming someone or scorning someone in order to bring dishonor or disgrace. The arena is once again the public eye. Because the NASB chooses to translate the verb nāśāʾ as “bears,” we might think this verse is a description of a person who absorbs the insult for one of his relatives. He “bears” the burden of the disgrace. But that’s not what the verse means. Here the verb expresses the action of someone who carries reproach for his relatives. He is the perpetrator of the lashon hara, evil spread by the tongue. Accordingly, the one qualified to dwell in the presence of God is the person who does not slander, does not act in an evil way toward his rēaʿ (not, by the way, “fellow man,” but rather “friend, companion, neighbor”), and does notblame, defame, discredit, or dishonor his relatives.
Did you notice that the Hebrew does not extend the requirement outside the clan? We’re so used to reading “Love your neighbor as yourself” as if it were a universal ethical principle that we forget its cultural situation. As a result, we read instructions about the treatment of others without the tribal background found in the texts. But the text is clear. These prohibitions apply to qārôb, that is, kinsmen. The root of this word should be familiar. It is qārab, “to draw near,” used many times for drawing near to God in worship. The derivative is someone who is near, that is, a friend or a relative, not a stranger. In technical terms, the word describes fellow soldiers, men of the same troop, brothers-in-arms. It is also used for sexual intimacy. Closeness is the common theme. The reason Yeshua’s halachah on this subject is so startling is that he includes the stranger and the enemy. That was offensive. How could an enemy be treated with the same regard as a friend?
If Yeshua’s exegesis of this Hebraic obligation is correct, and for his followers it is his exegesis that matters, then the behavioral obligations of Messianic followers must be expanded. If you want closeness with God, you’ll have to adjust your behavior toward outsiders.
I suppose you could live according to Torah and justify excluding outsiders (although I think you will find the same extension Yeshua declares in the Tanakh), but if you claim allegiance with the Messiah, ethnic segregation is no longer possible. Of course, that doesn’t seem to prevent us from casting aspersions on those who aren’t like us. Maybe we’d rather remain outside the Temple than have to really love our enemies.
Topical Index: ḥārap, reproach, qārôb, neighbor, Psalm 15:3
