Hello, today we will once again delve into the laws found in the fourth chapter of the book Brit Shalom.
Here, we are completing the formal laws regarding the prohibition of blasphemy. We must now engage in a deeper discussion regarding what exactly constitutes blasphemy. When someone speaks disrespectfully about the Master of the Universe, it implies that they believe in God's existence—after all, whom are they cursing if they do not acknowledge the existence of the one they are addressing?
But what about an atheist statement—one that denies God's existence, claiming there is no Creator of the world? Could atheism itself be included under the prohibition of blasphemy?
If we say that uttering even a single word of disrespect toward the Creator is forbidden, perhaps denying His existence should also be considered a form of blasphemy and therefore prohibited. There is much discussion on this matter, and I would like to read to you what is written in the book and perhaps add some further reflection.
"Some include atheistic beliefs under the prohibition as well." The Maharal of Prague explicitly states that one who says there is no God also violates the prohibition of Birkat Hashem (blasphemy).
"However, one must carefully examine the true intent of the person who holds this view, as sometimes it is merely an expression of rejecting idolatry."
That is, sometimes a person says, "There is no God," but what they mean is that they reject the common, simplistic, and popular notions of God. Indeed, many conceptions of God in the popular imagination are pagan, idolatrous, and primitive.
For such an elevated, moral, and wise person, it may be justified to reject belief in God as it is commonly understood—that is, in its reductive, distorted, or even caricatured form.
This is what the Talmud means when it states: "Whoever denies idolatry is called a Jew."
By rejecting idolatry, this person implicitly affirms belief in the true Creator, even if they lack the words to express that belief. The best way they find to express their faith is through negation.
In essence, they are rejecting a false concept of God, and we can still consider them a believer at heart.
Thus, one should not hastily dismiss every atheist—perhaps the outspoken atheist is, in fact, a hidden believer.
