A Missing Citation and a Lesson in Gaavah
A Missing Citation and a Lesson in Gaavah
Part of Misc · 9:48
A short piece tracing a missing Rambam citation in the Kedushas Levi, tied to the halacha of impure thoughts and the dangers of gaavah.
Audio Transcript
Reb Mendel Futerfas wasn't there? Wasn't there. They looked it up and Reb Mendel Futerfas was right. And Mendel did not want to be there where Reb Chaim Brisker would be embarrassed. That's something that He left, and ran and went away. And so when they're looking at, it wasn't there. It's a madrega. Usually it's opposite, you know, you show, \"You see, I told you!\" He remembers. Yeah. For this person has tons of madregot. 讚' 讗诪讜转... It's gaavah. It's gaavah, but unfortunately we're all baalei gaavah. For this person Remember when when when Rabbi Soloveitchik came to be 诪谞讞诐 讗讘诇 the Rebbe? They were talking and learning war of the Shas, and the Rebbe mentioned a certain lashon of the Rambam. And Rabbi Soloveitchik said, \"诇讬讜讘讗讜讜讬讟砖注专 专讘讬, 住'讗讬讝 谞讬砖讟讗 讗讝讗 专诪讘状诐. 谞讬砖讟 讗讝讜讬 讝讗讙讟 讚注专 专诪讘状诐.\" A few days later the Rebbe sent a letter to to to to to Rabbi Soloveitchik. And in the letter he wrote the lashon of the of the Rambam in Perush HaMishnayot, says it. And he quoted the lashon like the Rebbe said. Then he writes to him, \"But there's another girsa in there there, and according to that girsa you are right.\" As much as the Rebbe showed him that he's right, he like gave him a place that that according to the other sensitive to his feeling also. So he said, \"According to another girsa, you're right.\" So then there's no no such Rambam. He said, yeah. No, but because according to the other girsa, the Rebbe said a certain thing the Rambam says. He said it doesn't say, the Rambam doesn't say it. According to the other girsa, the Rambam takeh didn't say it. But the Rebbe said it's in Perush HaMishnayot, he said. This
which reminds me another story which has nothing to do with this at all, but reminds a story. There's a certain Rambam, they're talking about It's not even a Rambam, they're talking about, the Rebbe said Perush HaMishnayot, yeah. It's 谞拽专注. The Rebbe, the the a group gave out a Kedushat Levi or the Noam Elimelech, I forgot which one, 诪谞讜拽讚, with 谞拽讜讚讜转, and every time he quotes a 诪讗诪专 讞讝状诇 or any, they made 诪专讗讛 诪拽讜诪讜转. They did a lot of research. There was one 诪专讗讛 诪拽讜诐 they couldn't find. He quotes a Rambam, and there's no such Rambam. They asked everyone, there's no such Rambam. I think the Berditchever or I think it's the Kedushat Levi, anyway. But they had no choice. They went to Reb Chaim Kanievsky, who's a big baki. He says, \"Give me a few days.\" And he came after, says, looked through it, he thought, he couldn't, you know So they printed it without. These two guys who printed it went by dollars and they told the Rebbe, they gave the Rebbe the sefer and they said, \"This is a new 讛讜爪讗讛, a new edition, that we found we found all the 诪专讗讛 诪拽讜诪讜转 that we added.\" So the Rebbe asked them, \"讗诇注 诪专讗讛 诪拽讜诪讜转?\" Like he was like surprised. He said, \"Yeah, except one that this and this and this, that we couldn't find.\" So the Rebbe said, \"住'讗讬讝 讚讗 讗 驻讬专讜砖 讛诪砖谞讬讜转 讗讬谉 专诪讘状诐.\" He told them who the Perush Hamishnayot is. On the spot, and they looked up they went back to Reb Chaim Kanievsky and they told him that the Lubavitcher Rebbe said what it is on the spot. He didn't So he said, \"I knew he would know. But don't tell anybody.\" Yeah. That maaseh, 30 years ago, yeah.
It's to be honest, he said he didn't he didn't even think of Torah. Is that halacha? You can't even think Torah in filthy Yeah. By us, too. That's why us doesn't have it. Yeah, but we don't have 讚' 讗诪讜转 砖诇 讟讬谞讜驻转. I mean those days used to be full of 注讚 诪讗讚. Not dirt, I mean the 讬爪专 诪爪专. The basic the basic is you have to be careful not to even think. Not to think, yeah. Okay, so he says, I wasn't happy with 转拽诇转 讞讘专讬讬, 讜诇讗 拽专讗转讬 诇讞讘讬专讬 讘讞谞讬讻转讜, and I never called my friend with his nickname, 讜讗诪专讬 诇讛 诇讗 砖讘住讬 讘讞谞讬讻转讜, not only with his, sometimes nickname which is not which he doesn't like, the second opinion says even a nickname which doesn't matter, a family name. He never called him, he called him always by his name. That's So, the Gemara right after, 讗诪专 诇讬讛 专讘讗 诇专讘 驻驻讗, 专讘讗 said to 专讘 驻驻讗: 诇讬诪讗 诇谉 诪专 诪讛谞讬 诪讬诇讬 诪注诇讬讬转讗 讚讛讜讛 注讘讬讚 专讘 讛讜谞讗. Tell me some of the good things 专讘 讛讜谞讗 did. 讗诪专 诇讬讛, so he said like this: 讘讬谞拽讜转讬讛 诇讗 讚讻讬专谞讗, what he did as young, I don't remember, 讘住讬讘讜转讬讛 讚讻讬专谞讗, I remember what he did when he was older. This is one of the things: 讻诇 讬讜诪讗 讚注讬讘讗, any day that was like windy and cloudy, so any house or anything that was was not so safe, was like more dangerous, shaky, so when it's windy, it's much more. What did he do? 讛讜讛 诪讜转讬讘 诇讬讛 讘讙讜讛专拽讗 讚讚讛讘讗, they would take him in like a carriage, a golden carriage, they would take him around town, 讜住讬讬专 诇讬讛 诇讻讜诇讛 诪转讗, he would look around, go travel around the whole city, 讜讻诇 讗砖讬转讗 讚讛讜讜转 专注讬注讗, any wall that he saw that was bad, 讛讜讛 住转专 诇讛, he would have it knocked down. 讗讬 讗驻砖专 诇诪专讬讛, if the owner was was able to, he could afford it, 讘谞讬 诇讛, he would the owner would rebuild it. 讜讗讬 诇讗, If the owner couldn't afford it, 讘谞讬 诇讬讛 讗讬讛讜 诪讚谞驻砖讬讛, he would pay for it to rebuild the wall. But he would make sure that there is no sakanah. 讻诇 驻谞讬讗 讚诪注诇讬 砖讘转讗, every Friday, 讛讜讛 诪砖讚专 砖诇讜讞讗 诇砖讜拽讗, he would send a shaliach to the market even for the goyim even for the goyim stam. It doesn't say here, maybe in the mefarshim. Every Friday, he would send the shaliach to the market place. 讜讻诇 讬专拽讗 讚讛讜讛 讬转讬专 诇讙讬谞讗讬, Friday when it got close to Shabbos, any any vegetables that was left over, 讝讘讬谉 诇讬讛, he would buy it, 讜砖讚讬 诇讬讛 讘谞讛专讗, he would throw it in the river. 驻专注讙转 讚讬 讙诪专讗, why did he want 讜谞讬讞转讬谞讛 诇注谞讬讬? If he wanted to buy it, why did he give it away for free to the Why throw it away in the river? 讗诪专, so he said, he says, 讝讬诪谞讬谉 讚住诪讻讬 讗讛讚讚讬, they are going to start relying on me giving them, 讜诇讗 讗转讜 诇诪讬讝讘谉, and they won't buy. And not every week is going to be available. So, there are many weeks they will be left without vegetables. 讛驻专注讙转 讚讬 讙诪专讗, 讜诇讬砖讚讬讛 诇讘讛诪讛? Give it to an animal. Why throw it away? 住讘专, he held, 诪讗讻诇 讗讚诐 讗讬谉 诪讗讻讬诇讬谉 讗讜转讜 诇讘讛诪讛. You're not allowed to destroy food, so if it's food for a person, you can't give it to a 讘讛诪讛. And then the 讙诪专讗 says, 讜诇讬 诇讗 诇讝讘谞讬讛 讻诇诇, let him not buy it at all. So, what did he buy it for? I'm sorry. Why can't you give it to a behemah? Because you can't give food that's fit fit for a person, you can't give it to a behemah. As opposed to throwing it in the river. But you'll see why. That is fit for a person. Oh. 讜诇讗 诇讝讘谞讬讛 讻诇诇, let him not buy it at all, the Gemara asks. Why did he buy it? 谞诪爪讗转 讗转讛 诪讻砖讬诇谉 诇注转讬讚 诇讘讗. If he doesn't buy it, what's going to happen? Next week they'll see that they have leftover, they'll Next week they'll bring much less, and there won't be enough. So, he wanted to do it. And what did he do What happened What So, what did he throw He just threw it away in the garbage? No, he assumed he hoped that it's going to swim, and people someplace else are going to find it and eat it. Then, 讻讬 讛讜讛 诇讬讛 诪讬诇转讗 讚讗住讜转讗, if he had some kind of medicine and people could use the medicine Says that? It says Yeah, it says in the mefarshim. 讛讜讛 诪诇讬 讻讜讝讗 讚诪讬讗, he would fill up a a water jug a whole a jug of water, 讜转诇讬 诇讬讛 讘住讬驻讗 讚讘讬转讗, and hang it up by his house, 讜讗诪专, and he said, 讻诇 讚讘注讬 诇讬转讬 讜诇讬砖拽讜诇, anybody who needs this medicine, come and take. He made the medicine available. Like if there was a like flu or some epidemic or some 讗讬讻讗 讚讗诪专讬, some say, 诪讬诇转讗 讚砖讬讘转讗 讛讜讛 讙诪讬专, 讜专诪讬 讻讜讝讗 That means he knew that if there was a the shedim were upset, would catch a person who doesn't wash before he eats. 砖讬讘转讗. Before what? Before he eats bread. So, what did he do? 砖讬讘转讗. Yeah. That means that there's they they're mazik a person who who doesn't wash. So, what did he do? 讛讜讛 诪谞讞 诇讬讛 讻讜讝讗 讚诪讬讗, he would take a jar of water, 讜转诇讬 诇讬讛, and he would take it and fill it up and hang it up by his door, 讜讗诪专, and he said, 讻诇 诪讗谉 讚爪专讬讱 诇讬转讬 讜诇讬诪砖讬, anybody who needs, cuz people had to eat like in the middle of the work in the street, there was no water, so he made the water available. 讻讬 讛讬讻讬 讚诇讗 诇讬转讜 诇讬讚讬 住讻谞讛, they shouldn't come into sakanah with the shedim. 讻讬 讛讜讛 讻专讬讱 专讬驻转讗, when he would sit down to eat bread, 讛讜讛 驻转讞 诇讚砖讗, he would open his door, 讜讗诪专, and he would say like make an announcement, 讻诇 诪讗谉 讚爪专讬讱 诇讬转讬 讜诇讬讻讜诇, anybody wants, come eat, like we say, Pesach at night. Yeah, 讻诇 讚爪专讬讱 讬讬转讬 讜讬讻讜诇. Anyway, A very deep pocket. A very rich man. 讗诪专 专讘讗, so Rava said, 讻讜诇讛讜 诪爪讬谞讗 诇诪讬拽诐 讘讛讜, all this that he did before, I could also do, 诇讘专 诪讛讗, the last thing that he would open the door and invite anybody, I couldn't do, 讚诇讗 诪爪讬谞讗 诇诪讬注讘讚, that I can't do, why? 诪砖讜诐 讚谞驻讬砖讬 讘谞讬 讞讬诇讗 讚诪讞讜讝讗. What is that? There are so many poor people poor so many poor people in 诪讞讜讝讗, if I do that, they'll eat up everything. I wouldn't have any money. I wouldn't have anything left, so that I cannot do. But he did that. He opened his door and he said, anybody wants can come and eat. So, he obviously had deep pockets. So, obviously, he had more money. Even the first one, he used to fix all the walls. Yeah. Quite a lot of money. But that's not as much. How many broken walls do you have? But if he had So, Rava said okay, all that he had, he could do. Then it's Walls is one time, poor people could come day after day. That's why arichut yamim. No, this not arichut yamim. This was this no, this was a stam. This is 讻讘讜讚 专讘 讛讜谞讗. This is a this is not this is a 驻专拽 注专讘讬 驻住讞讬诐. This is a question, why wasn't his zechut enough to keep the wall that the wall shouldn't fall down when he went in? And with all the zechuyot, all the things that he did, he didn't need 专讘 专讘 讗讚讗 讘专 讗讛讘讛. Rav Ada bar Ahavah, but I guess it wasn't I brought 砖讙讜专讛 heavy wishes to you from Rabbi Edelmann Thank you. Thank you. Yes, sure. 讛拽讚讜砖 讘专讜讱 讛讜讗 讛讜讗 讬砖诪专讱. 讻诇 讬讜爪讗讬 讬专讱 讬注拽讘