[Avodah] Laughing at someone doing a mitzva

[Dov Kaiser]

<<If the halacha had said that one should not answer Kaddish too loudly because it disturbs the kavana of other people, I would understand that. But merely because they are laughing? I don't get it.>>
 
See Perek 20, Mesilas Yeshorim, where Ramchal explains that although must one perform mitzvos, ie strict obligations, even though people will laugh at him, this does not apply to chumros.  In the case of chumros, making oneself an object of mockery involves lifnei iver vis-a-vis the mockers.  Therefore, it is sometimes inappropriate to go beyond the letter of the law in public.
 
One might easily have adopted the position that we need not be concerned with mockers, but this is clearly not the Ramchal's position.  It is possible that this would not apply to the mockery of non-Jews, but I think that the gist of Ramchal's shita does not make any distinction.
 
Kol tuv
Dov Kaiser

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