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HALACHA, HASHKAFA AND PARENTING

The Danger of Too Much Fear in the Home

The Danger of Too Much Fear in the Home

Part of Halacha, Hashkafa and Parenting · 25:44

Rav Chisda's warning about excessive fear at home leading to real aveiros, illustrated by stories of halachic scrupulousness from Reb Eliezer Silver and Rav Chaim Brisker.

Audio Transcript
Fear in the Home โ€“ Rav Chisdaโ€™s Warning

ืืžืจ Rav Chisda, Rav Chisda said, ืœืขื•ืœื ืืœ ื™ื˜ื™ืœ ืื“ื ืื™ืžื” ื™ืชื™ืจื” ื‘ืชื•ืš ื‘ื™ืชื•. A person should not make too much fear into his house. In other words, his family, his wife, his children, he shouldn't make them too afraid. ืฉื”ืจื™ ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื” ื”ื˜ื™ืœ ืขืœื™ื” ื‘ืขืœื” ืื™ืžื” ื™ืชื™ืจื”. A ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ, of the story of ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื” that her husband or whatever you call him, Gemara calls it husband, made her have extra fear and mimaile she had to run away. She ran away and the end was that she got killed and then this made a civil war and ื›ืžื” ืจื‘ื‘ื•ืช ืžื™ืฉืจืืœ, hundreds of thousands and thousands of Yidden, ื•ื”ืคื™ืœื• ื›ืžื” ืจื‘ื‘ื•ืช ืžื™ืฉืจืืœ, many ten thousands of Yidden died. All started because he made too much fear in the house, so he shows you shouldn't do that. ืืžืจ Rav Yehuda ืืžืจ Rav, Rav Yehuda said, Fear of what? Fear of what? Of the husband. Fear of the husband. Yeah. In other words, they're afraid if it doesn't happen exactly the way he wants it, he screams and he makes him so they're so you know, they're not so so they said, huh? He's not good at salt. Yeah. If not enough salt, he'll make a whole tumult and then the and the wife is very afraid to do, so what she'll do all kinds of things because she's afraid of him. So, ืืžืจ ืจื‘ ื™ื”ื•ื“ื” ืืžืจ ืจื‘, ื›ืœ ื”ืžื˜ื™ืœ ืื™ืžื” ื™ืชื™ืจื” ื‘ืชื•ืš ื‘ื™ืชื•, if

Three Aveirot Resulting from Excess Fear

someone makes extra fear in the house, ืกื•ืฃ ื”ื•ื ื‘ื ืœื™ื“ื™ ืฉืœื•ืฉ ืขื‘ื™ืจื•ืช. It leads you to three aveirot: ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืขืจื™ื•ืช, ืฉืคื™ื›ื•ืช ื“ืžื™ื, ื•ื—ื™ืœื•ืœ ืฉื‘ืช. Rashi explains why. Why ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืขืจื™ื•ืช? Because if it happens to be very cold and she can't go to the mikveh that night, it's too cold. Those days, they didn't have a heated mikveh, they used to go in the river. And she's afraid to go, so what will she do? She'll not go, but like this, if she's not afraid, she'll tell her husband, you know, \"Tonight I couldn't go.\" But if she's afraid, she'll not go and tell him she went and then they'll they'll have relations. That's That's one thing. ืฉืคื™ื›ื•ืช ื“ืžื™ื, so Rashi says, sometimes she runs away from him, and what happens? She runs away and she night and she doesn't care if she falls down a bridge, she falls into the pit or something or and and ื—ื™ืœื•ืœ ืฉื‘ืช that sometimes, you know, she already lit the nerot and then she reminds herself she forgot to do something and she's really scared of her husband, just she's going to go and do it anyway. The food is cold. But, yeah, food is cold. See, some mefarshim say, Tosafot says that it was see, according to this, it has nothing to do with ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื”, but Tosafot says that ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื” happened all three aveirot. All three aveirot, it says it says that it was ืฉื‘ืช, ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื”. Now, ืฉืคื™ื›ื•ืช ื“ืžื™ื is obvious there, a thousands hundreds of tens of thousands of people got killed, and and ื’ื™ืœื•ื™ ืขืจื™ื•ืช, the whole thing started with not being faithful, the whole thing by ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื” was because of this things which are not beseder. So, is he to blame for? Huh? Is he to blame? Yeah, because he made her too scared. Even though he's an aveirah, he's a cause of an aveirah, so obviously, if you cause someone to do an aveirah, you have A lot of meshugaim is like that even now. They're Yeah, yeah, yeah. scare their wife to death, yeah. But

Modern Example: Fear and Tragic Consequences

how they kill her, the ืคื™ืœื’ืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ืขื”, who killed her? It was rape, or what? Don't you know the story? No, yeah, no, then they killed her and they broke she cut it up into pieces Who killed her? and did something in in ื’ื‘ืขื”. Yeah, who killed her? The The people from there were upset at her. They were upset at her and they killed her? They killed her and then they cut her up into pieces and sent her out, 12 pieces to all the shevatim. It was a Yeah, it was a So, it's shouldn't make too much fear. I once With ื‘ื™ืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ, I once spoke at Shavuot, you know, they used to have the the end of the Yom Tov, so one of the things I said then, I don't I don't know what to ื”ืžืฉืš to what, that it says in Ralbag that normally you can't have ahavah and Yirah at the same time because they're opposite feelings. It's only ืœื’ื‘ื™ ื“ืขืจ ืื•ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ. Der Eibershter says you should have ืื”ื‘ืช ื”ืฉื, ื™ืจืืช ื”ืฉื every second. So, I said it's impossible, only by but the Eibershter, it's shayach. So, the next day, I don't remember, I met somebody in the store, one of the people from Beis Yisrael, he says to me, \"I have a comment to make.\" He said, \"It's not ืฉื™ื™ืš ืื”ื‘ื” love and fear at the same time. There's one situation I do have.\" \"To your wife!\" To your wife, you have ืื”ื‘ื” and Yirah at the same So, here's the opposite, he's afraid of her! So, the Gemara:

Rabba Bar Bar Chana on Friday Night Reminders

ืืžืจ ืจื‘ื” ื‘ืจ ื‘ืจ ื—ื ื”, Rabba bar bar Chana said, ื”ื ื“ืืžืจื™ ืจื‘ื ืŸ, this is what the ืจื‘ื ืŸ said, ืฉืœื•ืฉื” ื“ื‘ืจื™ื ืฆืจื™ืš ืื“ื ืœื•ืžืจ ื‘ืชื•ืš ื‘ื™ืชื• ืขืจื‘ ืฉื‘ืช ืขื ื—ืฉื›ื”, there are three things a person should say Friday before it gets dark, he has to remind them: ืขืฉืจืชื, because you're not allowed to take off ืžืขืฉืจ on ืฉื‘ืช, so you have to prepare all the food before, so you make sure, so you ask, did you take off ืžืขืฉืจ? ืขืจื‘ืชื, did you make the ืขื™ืจื•ื‘? ื•ื”ื“ืœื™ืงื• ืืช ื”ื ืจ, light the candles. So, the ื—ื›ืžื™ื said you have to say it, so he said, ืฆืจื™ืš ืœืžื™ืžืจื™ื ื”ื• ื‘ื ื™ื—ื•ืชื, say it calmly, nicely, ื›ื™ ื”ื™ื›ื™ ื“ืœื™ืงื‘ืœื• ืžื™ื ื™ื”, they should accept it. Don't come in and screaming, \"Did you light the candles? Did you this this this?\" ืืžืจ ืจื‘ ืืฉื™, so Rav Ashi said, ืื ื ืœื ืฉืžื™ืข ืœื™ ื”ื ื“ืจื‘ื” ื‘ืจ ื‘ืจ ื—ื ื”, I didn't hear Rabba bar bar Chana say that you should say it nicely, ื•ืงื™ื™ืžืชื™ื” ืžืกื‘ืจื. I on my I own I did it. I understood myself that this is something that you have to do, you have to say it nicely. Does it say anywhere about that, that the ืงืœื™ืคื” is strong on Erev Shabbos, because everybody's running around, so it's crazy, and it seems to be like, I just wondered. Well, Shulchan Aruch says that if someone is running ื‘ื›ืœืœ, and you hit somebody, you hurt somebody by running, you have to pay. But if you're running on Friday, you don't have to pay, because you ran, it says, you're ืจืฅ ื‘ืจืฉื•ืช. Because you're running ื‘ืจืฉื•ืช of the Torah, because Friday you have to. And the ืคืœื is that whether the ืฉืงื™ืขื” is 8:00 at night or 4:00, always running! Always, why are you running? If in wintertime you're finished by 4:00, why can't you be finished by 4:00 or 5:00 in the summer? No, you run the last minute. Every house like this. It's always last minute, you look, it's 8:00! Wintertime, 4:00 in New York, 5:00 here, you're finished as it is. ืงืฉื™ื ืคึฟื•ืŸ ืžืขืฉื‚ื™ื, exactly. Something else, the baal

Eruv and Maaser Responsibilities in the Household

does the eruv. The baal, the baal does, not the ืืฉื”. No, in the time of the Gemara the wife used to, it was the wife. ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื•... ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ืชื‘ืฉื™ืœื™ืŸ, ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ืชื—ื•ืžื™ืŸ ื•... It's ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ื™, it's ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ื™ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช, man. ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช, the ื‘ืขืœ does, not the ืืฉื”. Obviously, obviously lav davka. In the time of the Gemara, lav davka, anything that had to do with the household... Maaser also, you know? Maaser also. But yet, she used to take off, she prepared she prepared the food. It's not ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ืชื‘ืฉื™ืœื™ืŸ, actually. This is every Erev Shabbos, they don't do the ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ืชื‘ืฉื™ืœื™ืŸ. It's ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช. ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช, ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช you make one time for for all the year. Now we do it, but you don't have to. Now we make it matzah, so it stays, but they like this, you make with a challah, so it's only for one week. You have to make every week. It says, if you want, you can make with something that stays. And I think they meant, not ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื—ืœื”, ื—ืœื”, ืขืฉื™ื™ืช ื—ืœื”, that's a ืžืดืŸ. No, ืขืจื‘ืชื is eruv. Er, you mean ืขืฉืจืชื? No, ืขืจื‘ืชื. ืขืฉืจืชื, I mean ืขืฉืจืชื. No, ืขืจื‘ืชื is eruv. ืขืจื‘ืชื is the is eruv. ืขืฉืจืชื may be if the Just challah, if if it's like this... It says, ืขืฉืจืชื, ืคื™ืจื•ืช ืฉืื™ื ืŸ ื ืื›ืœื™ืŸ ืœืžื—ืจ. ืขืจื‘ืชื, ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ื™ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช. So, that's what you do every Friday. You make an eruv. So, the wife is, and ื‘ื›ืœืœ anything that has to do with food, anything is the woman The food, the woman used to do it, yeah. to prepare a egg, a matzah. When you bring it home, it's ready, you make the maaser, it's the woman. Eruv also, you make it. No, he says nowadays who would make the eruv? The husband makes the eruv. Yeah, but in the Gemara's time, it wasn't like that. The woman anything... I'll tell you, it doesn't this was in Shulchan Aruch also. No, it doesn't say... No, no, it doesn't say. But normally, a man made it. I know I make the ืขื™ืจื•ื‘ ื—ืฆืจื•ืช. Yeah, I also, but l'mashal, l'mashal, but it says in the Gemara ื‘ื ื•ื’ืข a woman, we learned in Rambam lately, that there is grounds for divorce if she's not keeping She's ืขื•ื‘ืจืช ืขืœ ื“ืช, ืขื•ื‘ืจืช ืขืœ ืขืœ ืขืœ... Huh? ื“ืช ื™ื”ื•ื“ื™ืช ื“ืช ื™ื”ื•ื“ื™ืช, ืขื•ื‘ืจืช ืขืœ ื“ืช ื™ืฉืจืืœ, yeah, yeah. So, it says, l'mashal, if she tells her husband that, \"The food I fed I gave you, I took off ืชืจื•ืžื” ื•ืžืขืฉืจ,\" and find out that she didn't. So, you see from there also it's the woman that used to do it, anything that's preparing the food. ืืžืจ ืจื‘ ืื‘ื”ื•, ืจื‘ ืื‘ื”ื• said, ืœืขื•ืœื ืืœ ื™ื˜ื™ืœ ืื“ื ืื™ืžื” ื™ืชื™ืจื” ื‘ืชื•ืš ื‘ื™ืชื•, same thing. A person should not put too much fear into his house, ืฉื”ืจื™ ืื“ื ื’ื“ื•ืœ, was a great man, ื”ื˜ื™ืœ ืื™ืžื” ื™ืชื™ืจื” ื‘ืชื•ืš ื‘ื™ืชื•, he made too much fear in the house, ื•ื”ืื›ื™ืœื•ื”ื• ื“ื‘ืจ ื’ื“ื•ืœ. And because of that, they gave him to eat something terrible. ื•ืžืืŸ ื”ื•ื, who was this? ืจื‘ื™ ื—ื ื™ื ื ื‘ืŸ ื’ืžืœื™ืืœ. So, before we even know what happened, right away the Gemara asks, ื”ืื›ื™ืœื•ื”ื•? ืกืœืงื ื“ืขืชืš? Is it possible they actually gave him and he actually ate it? We know that it's not possible. ื”ืฉืชื ื‘ื”ืžืชืŸ ืฉืœ ืฆื“ื™ืงื™ื, ืžืื™ ื“ืš, if a ื‘ื”ืžื” of a ืฆื“ื™ืง, ืื™ืŸ ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉ ื‘ืจื•ืš ื”ื•ื ืžื‘ื™ื ืชืงืœื” ืขืœ ื™ื“ื, Hashem will not make a ืชืงืœื” of a ื‘ื”ืžื”, like the famous story with the ื—ืžื•ืจ, the donkey of Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, that ื’ื ื‘ื™ื stole it and they wanted to feed it food that wasn't ื’ืขืžืขืฉืจื˜, it wouldn't eat. Because it's a ื—ืžื•ืจ belongs to a ืฆื“ื™ืง, ืฆื“ื™ืงื™ื ืขืฆืžื, ืœื ื›ืœ ืฉื›ืŸ? Der Eibershter is not going to make it happen. The pasuk says, ืœื ื™ืื•ื ื” ืœืฆื“ื™ืง ื›ืœ ืื•ืŸ. So, how could you say here that they made him eat? ืืœื ื‘ื™ืงืฉื• ืœื”ืื›ื™ืœื• ื“ื‘ืจ ื’ื“ื•ืœ, they almost, they wanted to. He caught it on time, but they they wanted to. ื•ืžืื™ ื ื™ื”ื•, what was the terrible thing that they gave him? ืื‘ืจ ืžืŸ ื”ื—ื™. And why was it? Because there's a certain part of the animal that he liked, and punkt that week, when they made the this that, they couldn't find that. And there was no time to shechat a new animal and to get, so what did they do? They took that piece off from a live animal, and they gave him ืื‘ืจ ืžืŸ ื”ื—ื™. Lefoal, he didn't eat it, because he's a tzadik, der Eibershter didn't let him eat it. Why, who gave it to him? The the family. Why? Because they were scared. Yeah, they could have told him, \"Sorry, this week we don't have it.\" But they were scared to say it. Because of that, they almost gave him to eat. So, this is a a lesson. Uvichlal this whole inyan of what it says here that ืžืื™ ื“ืš ื‘ื”ืžื”, der Eibershter doesn't let it, certainly the tzadikim themselves, it's not so pashut. Tosafot talks about it. We find other cases in Gemara where it did happen. So, Tosafot says it's only ืžื™ื“ื™ ื“ืื›ื™ืœื”. Only something only food. And why? Because food goes into you. So, that not. But other aveirot, what it says... And then Tosafot has a kashya that we find a certain tanna that by mistake, anyway He drank, he ate before havdalah, which is also issur. So the answer is, there, the food is not asur. The time was asur, but the food is not asur. But it's only food, when it's food, then the Aibershter doesn't allow. But other things, he brings other examples also. This is it. ืืœื ื’ื‘ื™ ืžื™ื“ื™ ื“ืื›ื™ืœื” ื“ื’ื ืื™ ื”ื•ื ืœืฆื“ื™ืง ืฉื™ืื›ืœ ื“ื‘ืจ ืืกื•ืจ. That's why he says the Gemara says in Shabbos, ืจื‘ื™ ื™ืฉืžืขืืœ ืงืจื ื•ื”ื˜ื”. The Gemara says that you're not allowed to read on Shabbos in front of a right in front of a candle, right? Because we're afraid that the candle is not so good, you might by mistake move it over, you might do some melachah.

Gemara on Reading Before Candle Lighting

ืืžืจ ืจื‘ื™ ื™ืฉืžืขืืœ, ืื ื™ ืืงืจื ื•ืœื ืื˜ื”. I I'm sure I won't do it. So the Gemara says ืงืจื ื•ื”ื˜ื”. He came made a mistake. There's a different de'ah in Gemara that it was almost, but one de'ah is And the Gemara doesn't ask same kashya, how could Hashem allow a tzadik to do it, because it's only by ืžื™ื“ื™ ื“ืื›ื™ืœื”. Then he has other cases. And what about by Shlomo Hamelech? How he he took a thousand, he took all the wives, and it's not supposed to be ืžืจื‘ื” so many women. Then how did that happen then? Wait a second. We're not talk We're not talking something that he did intentionally. He did. For whatever reason he had, he did intentionally. We're talking here by mistake. By mistake, the Aibershter is not allowing it to happen. There's a there's a pasuk in in Tehillim that says that the Dovid Hamelech was not was not ืขื•ื‘ืจ. Shlomo Hamelech. No, Shlomo Hamelech was not was not was not It says the Gemara says, ื›ืœ ื”ืื•ืžืจ ืฉืœืžื” ื—ื˜ื ืื™ื ื• ืืœื ื˜ื•ืขื”. And the ืงืืคื™ื˜ืœ ื ืดื says, he he tells to the ืื™ื™ื‘ืขืจืฉื˜ืขืจ, ืœืš ืœื‘ื“ืš ื—ื˜ืืชื™ ื•ื”ืจืข ื‘ืขื™ื ื™ืš ืขืฉื™ืชื™. ืœืžืขืŸ ืชืฆื“ืง ื‘ื“ื‘ืจืš. That's on Dovid. That goes on Dovid. On Dovid, yeah Dovid, the ื—ื˜ื itself. No, okay, no, he's talking about Shlomo. You're correct, it's Shlomo, okay? And what what what is the pasuk What did what did he mean? He says the Aibershter warned him he should not take Bat Sheva then. But But he says, I took her that to make to show you that what you told me is when that I should be careful is right. That's right. That's one peshat, that's one peshat. Yeah. And there's another peshat. And in this pasuk it says, yeah, for teshuvah, he wanted the ืคืชื—. ืคืชื— ืื™ืœื• ืฉืœ ืชืฉื•ื‘ื”, he wanted to show that the inyan of teshuvah. But that's another thing. But bichlal the Gemara says, ื›ืœ ื”ืื•ืžืจ ื“ื•ื“ ื—ื˜ื ืื™ื ื• ืืœื ื˜ื•ืขื”. Right. Because ื›ืœ ื”ื™ื•ืฆื ืœืžืœื—ืžืช ื‘ื™ืช ื“ื•ื“ ื’ื˜ ื›ืจื™ืชื•ืช ื›ื•ืชื‘ ืœืืฉืชื•, so she wasn't an ืืฉืช ืื™ืฉ. But still, But that's not We shouldn't go into that now, because you'll talk about that from today till tomorrow. It's not It's still not nice. Still not nice. So I always say, you know what the Abarbanel writes? Terrible words. I mean it's it's a The Abarbanel writes that even though the Gemara says that David did not do an aveirah, I'm telling you he did. He writes, I'm telling you pashut the parashah the Gemara the pasuk says he saw her bathing undressed under the roof, and he wanted her, and he did an aveirah. In the Abarbanel after this piece is a ื”ืขืจื” from his son From his son. against his father. Against his father? How could my father write such a thing? Yeah, against his father. But he Abarbanel is great, but he writes it was a chet. But al kol panim, uvichlal we know that the chata'im that it says by tzadikim is not real chet. It's like, in his ืžื“ืจื’ื” it's not the highest ืžื“ืจื’ื”, and the fact that in the eyes of other people it looks like a chet, that's already called a chet. But not that ื‘ืขืฆื We can't And it pashut doesn't make sense, because when it says in Tanya, he quotes a Midrash that ืื‘ื•ืช ื”ืŸ ื”ืŸ ื”ืžืจื›ื‘ื”. All tzadikim are ืžืจื›ื‘ื”. What's a ืžืจื›ื‘ื”? So a ืžืจื›ื‘ื” is ื‘ื˜ืœ to the ืจื•ื›ื‘, ื‘ื˜ืœ. So how is it possible a person is a ืžืจื›ื‘ื” should do a chet? It's A ืžืจื›ื‘ื” means that ืคืฉื•ื˜ ื‘ื’ืฉืžื™ื•ืช, his body can do it. And the mashal is given, and even by mistake. The mashal is given, is it possible is it a ื‘ื”ืžื” by A ื‘ื”ืžื” ืืคื™ืœื•, by mistake, should forget that fire burns and jump into fire? So the Shulchan Aruch it says in Hilchos Treifos, if a ื‘ื”ืžื” does it, it's ื˜ืจื™ืคื”, because you know there's something wrong with it. It's sick, it's meshuga. Certainly a human being. I Maybe he forgot. You can't forget that! Same thing a tzaddik that's a ืžืจื›ื‘ื” could forget that his body is so tuned in that it's not ืฉื™ื™ื›ื•ืช he should forget. Mimela if it's not ืฉื™ื™ืš to forget, how could that ืฉื™ื™ืš to do a chet? So the Rabbi Rashab said to the Reb Chaim Brisker, the famous vort that he said He's not meshuga. A tzaddik unless he became meshuga. The story Huh? Yeah, yeah, that's another peshat. There was once an ืืกื™ืคืช ื”ืจื‘ื ื™ื and the the government called it, the government wanted to do something to force the ืจื‘ื ื™ื to do something, and the Rabbi Rashab came out very strongly against it. And Reb Chaim, it was a few days asifah, so he met him in middle in the hallway it says of of the the hallway No, he went to see him in his room in the hotel. So, Reb Chaim says to the Rabbi Rashab, where is your ืžืงื•ืจ that this is so terrible? It wasn't the worst thing in the world, was it? So the Rabbi Rashab answered him, ืื–ื•ื™ ืื™ื– ืขืก ื‘ื™ื™ ืžื™ืจ ืืคื’ืขืœื™ื™ื’ื˜. That's what I think. So Rav Chaim Brisker says to the Rabbi Rashab, when the Rebbe told this story he used these words, he said to him like this, ืœื™ื•ื‘ืื•ื•ื™ื˜ืฉืขืจ ืจื‘ื™, ืื™ืจ ื‘ื•ื™ื˜ ืื–ื•ื™ ืคื™ืœ ืื•ื™ืฃ ืื™ื™ืขืจ ืืคืœื™ื™ื’? You build so much on your pashut what you think? So the Rabbi Rashab said, ื™ื, ืื™ืš ื”ืื‘ ืื™ื™ื ื’ืขื•ื•ืขื ื˜ ืžื™ื™ืŸ ื’ื•ืฃ ืคื•ืŸ ื“ืขื ื˜ืื’ ืคื•ืŸ ืžื™ื™ืŸ ื‘ืจ ืžืฆื•ื” ืื– ืขืจ ื–ืืœ ื•ื•ืขืœืŸ ื ืืจ ื•ื•ืืก ืื™ื– ื“ืขืจ ืจืฆื•ืŸ ื”ืฉื. And if I feel that this is not, I really build on it. So that's not such a big chidush, the chidush is the second half. So Rav Chaim told him, \"In that case, I will back you.\" In other words, Rav Chaim understood. The next session, he got up, and Rav Chaim did something that against his character because he wanted to back the Rabbi Rashab, because there are other ืจื‘ื ื™ื who were not going to vote for. He got up and he said like this, \"Listen here, ืจื‘ื•ืชื™. I want to tell you who I am. I'm the famous famous Rav Chaim Brisker. I'm a person that gets ืฉืืœื•ืช ื•ืชืฉื•ื‘ื•ืช ืชืฉื•ื‘ื•ืช ื•ืฉืืœื•ืช from all over the world, and everyone relies on me. So you know who I am, and I'm paskeninging everyone should vote with the Lyubavitcher Rebbe.\" And everyone voted for the Rebbe. But what was the vort there? The vort there was that he trained his guf. So a person like that is shaychus should do a cheit? It's against his guf, just like is a shaychus a person should by mistake jump into fire? It's not shaychus. That's why it says shogeg, even an ืขื‘ื™ืจื” ื‘ืฉื•ื’ื’, a tzaddik can't do an ืขื‘ื™ืจื” ื‘ืฉื•ื’ื’, because you feel it it's it's It's against your nature. It's like they say that the maaseh of the Ruzhiner when he was a little kid The Ruzhiner when he was a little kid, he learned Gemara Shabbos. So the melamed came to the Gemara where it says if someone is, you know, ื”ืœืš ื‘ืžื“ื‘ืจ ื•ืฉื›ื— ืื™ืžืชื™ ืฉื‘ืช, he goes in the desert, after days, he forgot, mixed up the days, forgot when it's Shabbos, what do you do? So there's a machloket there. So one opinion says you count seven six days then seventh is Shabbos, one says Shabbos and then six. So the Ruzhiner as a kid says to his melamed, \"I don't understand the Gemara.\" Okay, a kid doesn't understand, so he tried to explain it to him better. \"I don't understand.\" Finally he said, \"Tell me, what don't you understand? It's a very poshute Gemara.\" It says it. Says, \"How could a Yid forget when it's Shabbos?\" So he says, \"Could happen. But it could happen.\" \"Look at the sky, and you see Shabbos, it's a different sky.\" So he can forget? I mean, by tzaddikim is he can't forget. So how could you say a tzaddik did a cheit? So it must be chassidut always finds a biur what that cheit means. It's ืœืคื™ The word cheit doesn't mean davka aveirah, cheit means chesaron. In his madregah it's a chesaron that he did it, but not to say a cheit. So yeah. That's why they asked Rav Itche der Masmid Simply did like Rav Hillel Paritcher also, did not eat anywhere, only food that he cooked that he was himself. Even in the Tzemach Tzedek's house he wouldn't eat. At the Tzemach Tzedek's table he wouldn't eat. Rav Itche der Masmid did not eat in the frierdiker Rebbe's house. Tzadok HaKohen was the same. So they asked him, Gemara says that how could you say this is the Rebbe's house. In the Rebbe's house ื”ืงื“ื•ืฉ ื‘ืจื•ืš ื”ื•ื won't bring a a a michshol, and says. So he said, \"From the Rebbe's plate I would eat.\" Otherwise I don't. Okay. By who, by his Rebbe also? Not to eat any place, a lot of people like that, they don't eat any place. That's a lot. Are you pashut stam eating now? You know, we get every few years we get a a visitation for the accreditation for the government. Yeah. So there's a group that comes always, the the team that comes. Dr. Frischman is the head of the You know Dr. Frischman? I've heard Frischman. Bernard Frischman. He's a he comes always to the yeshiva. So he comes, one of the things you know, you serve lunch for them, the team sits, it's ganz a ganz a procedure until you pass that this. He comes, he always takes out a bag from his pocket and he takes out his

Litvish Man Refuses to Eat Anywhere

own food. Some cake, some bread. So, I asked him, \"You don't trust our kashrus here in the yeshiva that you don't eat?\" So he told me He said, \"Some places I trust, some places I don't, so I made up my mind, I don't eat in any yeshiva. I don't eat anywhere.\" He's a Litvisher guy, a yekisher guy, he's a very fine fine man, he just has So nit er iz a tzadik, he just doesn't eat. But could be yeshiva is different. I was once by a sheva brachos years ago as a bachur, and it was in a catered place, a kosher place, glatt kosher, whenever, a good place, and there was a lot of Everyone was eating, I didn't eat. At that time, I was my frume tzeit tzayten that I didn't eat any anywhere. By Lubavitch simply you didn't eat? Yeah, by Lubavitch simply. And this guy sitting is from a ื’ืจืขืกืขืจืข ื‘ืขืœ... a he was a Klausenburger chasid. Actually, it was my brother's a sheva brachos. So he sees I wasn't eating. So he says, \"Why aren't you eating?\" So I said, \"You know, I don't know the I know it's kosher, but I don't.\" So he says to me, \"Where do you eat always?\" I said, \"I eat in the yeshiva.\" Says, \"Yeah? If you eat in the yeshiva's kitchen, you can eat anywhere. The yeshiva's kitchens are the worst!\" He says, \"You can eat anywhere.\"

Reb Eliezer Silverโ€™s Paper Plate Incident

I'll tell you a better story. Reb Eliezer Silver came to to Baltimore by Rabbi Ruderman's house and they invited him for seudah, he sat down to eat and he took out from his He used to have a real high hat. Yeah, a cylinder. his food. And the rebbetzin said, \"What is this?\" He says, \"Never mind. I do it everywhere, don't take offense.\" So they went to wash their hands and they came back. Everybody had, you know, they had fancy dishes and he had a paper plate. He said, \"What is this?\" He asked, huh? She said, \"You don't trust my kashrus, I don't trust yours! You're not going to eat off my plates!\" He told me this, another guy. There was in Panama, there was a rav of the Sephardishe community, Tzion Levi. He was a real a real strong character, mamash, it was can't imagine. So I was in his house, so he tells me cuz we also were thinking he wanted us to eat. He says the Klausenburger Rebbe came to his house, tells me, and when he served, wanted to serve him, he wouldn't eat. So he told me, \"So I didn't let him use my dishes.\" That's his word. He said, \"You don't trust me, I don't trust your food. I'm not going to let\" He didn't let him use. He was a real kana'i, a real Anyway, ืœื•ืžืจ, ืœืœืžื•ื“ weiter. ืฉืœื— ืœื™ื” But look, if someone they didn't, right? They're chayav. He didn't eat it.

Intentional Aveirah Without Eating

Since they brought it, they did an aveirah. Yeah, but b'foal, the aveirah wasn't done cuz he didn't eat it. But they meant to do the aveirah. The Gemara said before if someone means to do an aveirah, even if he didn't, he has to get he has to get. Why was that not taking revenge? Huh? Not taking revenge? What? This is not revenge! I don't trust you! It's not revenge. Why all of a sudden you don't trust me? Because because That's what was meorer me. Rabbi Shapiro told us a story about this a big tzaddik, in Erev Pesach he put his whole life into making the right matzah and he came and gave away his matzah to a poshute Yid. Who was that? The Beis Halevi. The Beis Halevi. It's a story, a Litvishe story with no Litvishe people know about, it's only Lubavitch Lubavitcher know the story. Yeah. That the Beis Halevi would always go one day and bake matzah, go to the bakery and stand there with alle hidurim, oh, he made sure. So one day he was going with the after the matzah, and he had a pekel matzah that he took and he's walking. But this day eppes he felt eppes nisht geven 100% the way he really would want it. And he's walking with it and it's bothering him. As he's walking, he sees a simple Yid, a poshute Yid coming with a box of matzah also. And that was stam matzah that was baked normal kasher'e matzah, but nothing special. So he thinks to himself and he says, \"I was by my matzah. I know it wasn't 100%. By him, there's a halachah a Yid has a ื—ื–ืงืช ื›ืฉืจื•ืช. So ืขืœ ืคื™ ื”ืœื›ื”, his matzah is 100% kasher. I'd rather have his matzah.\" So he

Rav Chaim Brisker Witnesses the Matzah Exchange

turns to the guy and he says, \"Would you like to trade?\" So he says, \"Trade? Rebbe, your matzah is so so great, my matzah is poshute matzah. But I want to Rebbe, if you want to trade, I'll trade.\" So they traded. Rav Chaim Brisker, whose son of the Beis Halevi, happened to be walking not behind him, saw from far. So he saw this exchange. He didn't know what happened. So he turns, he stops the guy and he says, \"What happened?\" So he told him the whole story that, \"Your father asked me to change and I changed.\" So he says to this Yid, \"When you baked your matzah today, what did you have in mind? Kavanah.\" \"A poshute Yid, I had in mind the Eibershter should give me real kasher'e matzah.\" So he says, \"The Eibershter listened to your tefillah, cuz you got his matzah!\" For you, it's paid the cover rate. Kill its goose. Okay, nu, let's learn another three lines. ืฉืœื— ืžืจ ืขื•ืงื‘ื ืœืจื‘ื™ ืืœืขื–ืจ, ืžืจ ืขื•ืงื‘ื sent to ืจื‘ื™ ืืœืขื–ืจ: ื‘ื ื™ ืื“ื ื”ืขื•ืžื“ื™ื ืขืœื™, there are certain people against me, ื‘ื™ื“ื ืœืžืกื•ืจ ืœืžืœื›ื•ืช, I have a chance to give them over to the government, ืžื”ื•? Should I do it or not? Ooh. This is a Yid. Geniva, it was the famous Geniva that the Gemara talks about Geniva. He was a talmid chacham, but he was a real bother, he bothered all the talmidei chachamim. Is he the kohen or the Yeah, yeah, that. ืฉื™ืจื˜ื˜ ื•ื›ืชื‘ ืœื™ื”, so he

Rabbi Elazarโ€™s Written Response to Geniva

answered him and he wrote a pasuk, but like we learned yesterday, if you write a pasuk, you have to write ืฉื™ืจื˜ื•ื˜, you have to make a line. So he wrote like this, a pasuk, \"ืืžืจืชื™ ืืฉืžืจื” ื“ืจื›ื™ ืžื—ื˜ื•ื ื‘ืœืฉื•ื ื™.\" I said I have to keep my ื“ืจืš, keep my ื“ืจืš not to sin with my tongue. \"ืืฉืžืจื” ืœืคื™ ืžื—ืกื•ื,\" I have to be careful to have a ืžื—ืกื•ื on my mouth, not to say things you shouldn't, \"ื‘ืขื•ื“ ืจืฉืข\" \"ื‘ืขื•ื“ ืจืฉืข ืœื ื’ื“ื™,\" when the ืจืฉืข is by me. \"ืืฃ ืขืœ ืคื™ ืฉื”ืจืฉืข ืœื ื’ื“ื™,\" that means even the ืจืฉืข is against me, \"ืืฉืžืจื” ืœืคื™ ืžื—ืกื•ื,\" I have to watch and my ืคื™ should have a ืžื—ืกื•ื, should have a In other words, he told him he can't do it. ืฉืœื— ืœื™ื”, he sent it back: ืงืžืฆืจื• ืœื™ ื˜ื•ื‘ื, it's terrible, ื•ืœื ืžืฆื™ื ื ืœืื•ืงื•ืžื, I can't take it. ืฉืœื— ืœื™ื”, he quoted a different pasuk: \"ื“ื•ื ืœื”' ื•ื”ืชื—ื•ืœืœ ืœื•,\" so he taytsh like this: \"ื“ื•ื ืœื”',\" be quiet to ื”', In other words, be quiet and just daven to ื”', \"ื•ื”ื•ื ื™ืคื™ืœื ืœืš ื—ืœืœื™ื ื—ืœืœื™ื,\" and just by doing that, the Eibershter will take care of him. \"ื”ืฉื›ื ื•ื”ืขืจื‘ ืขืœื™ื”ื ืœื‘ื™ืช ื”ืžื“ืจืฉ,\" learn in extra ืชื•ืจื”, ื•ื”ืŸ ื›ืœื™ืŸ ืžืื™ืœื™ื”ืŸ, and they're going to stop by itself. ื”ื“ื‘ืจ ื™ืฆื ืžืคื™ ืจื‘ื™ ืืœืขื–ืจ, and when Rabbi Elazar said this, right away, ื•ื ืชื ื• ืœื’ื ื™ื‘ื ื‘ืงื•ืœืจ, and Geniva was arrested, and was taken to jail. So, that's what, yeah. But the reason the Gemara brings this is to show ืฉืชื™ืงื•ืชื. Huh? He was a talmid chacham. But he was ืžืงืคื— the chachamim with kushiyot, and he bothered them very much. You didn't have, you didn't have aveirot, you had, like the Mechaber says when you don't answer at all, you know, we don't answer if somebody was insulting you. Yeah. It's a maalah, it says it, it says it. ื›ืฆืืช ื”ืฉืžืฉ ื‘ื’ื‘ื•ืจืชื•, it says, Mashiach comes with the first. So, but he didn't, he wasn't, he... Right, that's why he was quiet, yeah. Also, everybody is a pilpulist.

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