“The Shul & the Building Inspector”
A Moral Dilemma for the Shabbos Table
By Rabbi Yitzi Weiner
This week’s Torah portion discusses the mitzva not to destroy holy objects. The Torah says that we should destroy idolatry but we should “not do this to Hashem” (Devarim 12, 4). This means that we cannot deface shaimos, names of Hashem and other holy items.
The following true story discusses a question about potentially causing a synagogue to be destroyed.
There was a building inspector in Israel named Avi. Avi’s job was to make sure that buildings followed the building codes. Avi was an observant Jew. One day, in the course of his routine inspections, he found a synagogue that made an extension without getting permission from the zoning committee. Avi determined that the extension posed no potential health hazard, but it was an unauthorized extension. Avi wondered if he should inform his boss about this infraction. He knew that if he reported this, they would require the extension of the shul to be torn down. Avi felt torn.
On one hand, if he tells his supervisors about this violation they might demolish the synagogue extension. On the other hand if he acts like he wasn’t aware of it people might think that he was bribed and it might be a desecration of G-d’s name. What is Avi’s obligation?
See Chashukei Chemed Baba Basra page 43
Answer to last week’s moral dilemma
This question is discussed in Chashukei Chemed Pesachim 442
Rabbi Zilberstein writes that he should leave up an empty case in order to appear as if he has a mezuza. Otherwise it would give the impression that he did not fulfill the mitzva.
Have a very beautiful Shabbos!
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