This was sent to me by someone I recently met who is in the process of becoming religious. These questions are pretty tough for me, but at the same time they are great to get FFb’s like me to think about things which we mostly just take for granted.
1) It says in the section on moral and ethical rules which a person should accept that you should associate with Torah scholars.
What determines if a person is considered a “Torah scholar”?
2) “The person who glorifies himself in his neighbor’s shame, even though his neighbor is not present and the humiliation has not reached him, and even if he has not actually insulted him, but only compared his own good deeds and his own wisdom with the good deeds or wisdom of his neighbor, so that from his statement he will be rated an honorable man and his neighbor as a despicable person, [this person] has no share in the World to Come unless he repents with perfect repentance.”
That’s pretty hardcore. And what is “perfect repentance”?
3) In the section that says you shouldn’t hate a fellow-Jew in your heart… it says “If the offender regtrets it and asks you to forgive him, you should forgive him and not be harsh…” You “should” forgive him? You don’t have to? (It doesn’t say “must”).
4) In the same section, it says to hate those who mislead and entice people to abandon the Torah and follow false doctrines? Does this mean hate Christians? No, right, because they don’t seduce Jews into following false doctrines… They don’t really recruit… But hey, what about Jews for Jesus? Does this mean that we should HATE Jews for Jesus?
The quote comes from the end of chapter 16 in Avos de Rabbi Nasan, which says “What is meant by ‘hatred of the people’?” It conveys this thought: “A person should not think of saying “I will love the scholars but hate the students, I will love the students but hate the unlearned. Rather, you should love them all, but hate the heretics, and those who mislead and entice people, [to abandon the Torah and follow ffalse doctrines], and also [hate] the informers.”
hmmm…
5) It says you cannot pray for Divine punishment against anyone who has done you wrong if your grievance could be settled in an earthly court. So this means that during WWII, the Jews could pray for Divine punishment against Hitler?
It also says “There are some authorities who hold that even if his case cannot be settled in an earthly court, he is not permitted to pray for Divine judgment against him, unless he first lets him know [that he intends to do so].”
If you’re a Jew in WWII, how do you tell Hitler this when you’re in a camp and hes G-d-knows-where?
6) Does “a mitzvah” just mean a good deed in general? It says to bring someone back to the right path if you see them “following a wrongful course” is a mitzvah. Can really obscure things be mitzvahs? Or does a mitzvah just mean something good?
7) “Anyone who has the opportunity to protest [against a sinful act] and does not speak out in protest, will be held responsible for that very sin, because he could have protested.” That’s pretty hardcore…
What if it endangers your life to talk out about the sin?
OH! the next section: This applies only in a case when the sinner will listen to you. When you know he will not pay attention, then you are forbidden to admonish him.
“Be careful to not do anything that might arouse suspicion that you committed a sin.” (paraphrased)
in my Shabbos-not-to-do book, it says don’t have laundry hanging up during Shabbos because it makes it seem like you might have done it during Shabbos and thus committed a sin. Is this why?
9) “Pious people don’t accept gifts.” (paraphrased)
So the Rebbe wouldn’t have accepted a gift?
Does that make you more pious if you refuse to take your Winter-holidays-bonus from work or something?
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
6) A mitzvah is not a good deed, but rather, a commandment from God. For example, wearing tzitzis, though not a good deed, is certainly a mitzvah. (Look into the difference of mitzvos aseh and mitzvos lo saaseh.)
In a word, yes.
9) The pious people this phrase is referring to are REALLY pious people, few of which exist today. It’s fine to accept gifts, but are all of them necessary? I’ll assume the Rebbe you’re referring to is the Lubavitch one, and though I can’t say offhand whether he accepted gifts or not, I would think he did. Yes, take your bonus, but it would be beneficial to think about this concept whenever you’re offered anything.
thanks for responding!!
1) There is no hard and fast definition, its best to consult your local orthodox Rabbinical authority (start with the shul Rabbi)
2) This is hardcore because “The person who glorifies himself in his neighbor’s shame” is someone who is lacking basic middos of a jew (see pirkei avos, talmidim of Avraham. For definition of Perfect Repentance see Rambam Hilchot Teshuva.
3) No you don’t have to (although the translation quoted is poor) but if he requests forgiveness from you on 3 different occasions and you withhold it then the sin is yours (see aforementioned Rambam)
4) Yes, hate the Jews for Jesus. Someone who is trying to spiritually kill a member of my (extended) family, is someone I hate
5)To oversimplify, this halacha does not pertain to non-jews (and yes Hitler, was a non-jew)
6) Mitzvah means commandment (as in, commanded by G-d) Anything he commands is a Mitzvah
7)Yes
?
9) You can accept gifts, if you don’t want your bonus send it my way
Sorry that the “translation quoted is poor” in 3), it’s taken right out of the copy of the shulchan aruch that i have.
thanks for answering!
Where can I get an English Shulchan Aruch?
i got my two volume set of the kitzur shulchan aruch at a Jewish bookstore in ny. it was $50.
http://www.eichlers.com/Product/Books/Gift_Sets/Metsudah_Kitzur_Shulchan_Aruch_2_vol._Set_IBS1004.html
that’s what i have. so i guess you could order it online.
Careful with the Kitzur…it’s got a lot of stuff in there that is not how we rule in halacha in our current time and place. It’s a good piece of material to read so you know what kind of questions to ask your rabbi who knows the real halacha.
If you ever catch yourself doing something just because you read it in the Kitzur and you’ve never noticed anyone else doing it, you’re probably doing something wrong.
Zzzzz, can you give me an example of “If you ever catch yourself doing something just because you read it in the Kitzur and you’ve never noticed anyone else doing it, you’re probably doing something wrong.
”
These are excellent questions that have to do with day to day faith. Tell your friend to read an english translation of the rambam’s hilchos deos. For instance the rambam defines a torah scholar pretty narrowly (i.e. the ideal talmid chochom) what he says IS pretty hardcore. Also tell him to read an english version of pirkei avos with commentary. (NOT ARTSCROLL) The rambam defines a person who is a hater as a misanthropist, someone who in general hates ALL people. I know a couple of people like that. The law against hating does NOT mean you must love all jews equally. Also, a rebbe once told me that of course you should not be arrogant and humiliate others, but the guy who loses his world to come is the one who goes around regularily huniliating others as a matter of habit, not the occasional slip up. if your friend realizes that true judaism is much more straightforward than what he will be fed by various people, he will be in a much better position.
Careful with the Kitzur…it’s got a lot of stuff in there that is not how we rule in halacha in our current time and place.
He’s right on the money with this one. The Kitzur is just that a kitzur – a basic guide to practice. R’ Shlomo Ganzfried wrote it in the mid 1800’s for his students in the Ukraine. It’s inappropriate to posken out of it, but if you’re in a bind to what to do and you can’t find a Rav, it’s a safe bet to follow it.
As it is a kitzur it’s a shortened form of all the nuances of Halacha. Don’t take anything from there as a black and white on any one issue. Halacha is completely gray.
As for your question, in general when you come across a “should” try reading it as – it’s appropriate to try to do this, but we recognize that it’s hard. It’s more of the attempt to do this than the actual goal; tshuva is a process not a end.
I wish someone would come out with a similar style sefer like the Gray 39 melochos set that is like the Chofetz Chaims Sefer Hamitzvos.