{"id":63342,"date":"2019-09-24T12:24:09","date_gmt":"2019-09-24T09:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=63342"},"modified":"2023-04-16T10:53:45","modified_gmt":"2023-04-16T07:53:45","slug":"naaman-gets-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/naaman-gets-god\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Healing"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[366,931,429],"acf":{"old_id":"63342","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":36277,"related_cahpter":"314","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"But with a dispensation for bowing to idols","content":"

In this chapter, Naaman, captain of the guard for the king of Aram undergoes a remarkable transformation. At first, he is high and mighty, belittling the powers of Elisha and the rivers of the Land of Israel. But when he condescends to obey the prophet\u2019s advice and is miraculously healed by bathing seven times in the river Jordan, he becomes a changed man. Na\u2019aman reverentially acknowledges that the God of Israel is the one and only God and promises never to bring a sacrifice to an idol again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet his transformation is not quite complete. For he begs Elisha\u2019s forgiveness for the accommodation that he feels he will need to make with his king\u2019s\u2019 pagan faith, saying: <\/span><\/p>\n

But may the LORD pardon your servant for this: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow low in worship there, and he is leaning on my arm so that I must bow low in the temple of Rimmon… (II Kings 5:18)<\/span><\/p>\n

Naaman, unwilling to forgo his high position in Aram\u2019s army, foresees how he will need to go through the motions of bowing down to the official idol, even while he knows in his heart that such worship is empty and pointless. He craves Elisha\u2019s indulgence in advance, to which the prophet replies curtly \u201cgo in peace.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, this story is the source for the halachah that a non-Jew who has accepted God and the seven Noachide Laws is not required to give up his life for the sake of kiddush hashem<\/em>, sanctifying God\u2019s name. Whereas a Jew ought to rather die than worship idols, Elisha does not forbid Aram\u2019s ceremonial subterfuge. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 74b) infers from this that as a non-Jew his compromise is allowed. Only Jews are commanded to love God so much that even in the face of death their love should not waver.<\/span><\/p>\n

But what should we make of Elisha\u2019s terse, two-word reply in response to Naaman\u2019s forty-six word speech. It is hardly a ringing endorsement. Abarbanel writes that \u201cgo in peace (or wholeness)\u201d is in fact an implicit warning against Naaman\u2019s proposed plan of pretense. \u201cHe was saying, don\u2019t do this because it will be a stumbling block with your master; they will say that you converted and throw you out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

We may recall that Abarbanel lived in Spain during the fifteenth century, when many Jews outwardly converted to Christianity, but inwardly and privately attempted to remain Jews. Abarbanel knew well the dangers of a double religious life. Hundreds of these Marannos were arrested, interrogated, tortured and killed by the inquisition despite trying to conceal their faith. Ultimately, the remnant of Spanish Jewry was expelled in 1492. It is fascinating that Abarbanel appears to imagine a similar fate for Na\u2019aman.<\/span><\/p>\n

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