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Friday

י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Friday
י"ט אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

96. Uncompromising (b) / הקפדה

There are situations when it is proper to be uncompromising towards others, such as to insist on the honor of one’s fellow and not go against his will in the slightest. For one who pains another person is as though he has pained the entire world. God reckons everything in His judgment, even for merely killing a louse in the presence of another person, which caused that person unpleasantness and disgust, and even if it was not meant to cause unpleasantness. The person who contemplates this causes his hair to stand on end; he will beg mercy from the One Who graces Man with understanding that He guide him with good counsel to do what is good and proper in the eyes of God and man. For it can happen that the very thing that one thought would be pleasing to another is actually causing suffering. Therefore, one who is alert will act wisely and flee from anything that might even remotely not be pleasing to people. Hashem will surly not withhold His good from those who walk with innocence and He will assist him from Heaven so that people will like him. He will then “find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man” (cf. Mishlei 3:4).

All the more so must one be uncompromising about the honor of his Maker — to do whatever he can of mitzvos, good deeds and pious practices all to bring satisfaction to his Creator — or to [uncompromisingly] flee from sin and Rabbinical particulars, for the honor due to Hashem is very great, and our obligation to serve Him with all our heart and soul is beyond measure. We must not, Heaven forefend, cause and any displeasure, anger or deficiency on High. Fortunate is the person who fears Hashem; he will rouse himself from slumber [to do all this], for this is all of man.

“My brothers and my nation, take this sefer Torah, and with this, and like this learn well, so that you should have it good; listen and enliven your soul, and achieve gladness and joy in this world and the world to come” (From the author’s intro.)