[Avodah] Are "Gedolim Stories" Good for Chinuch?

[Micha Berger]

On Mon, Dec 27, 2010 at 08:57:28PM +0000, kennethgmiller at juno.com wrote:
: I found a different version of the story at http://tinyurl.com/2gyyp73
: whose last paragraph says:

: "He also says that the famous story of the Chofetz Chaim who ripped up
: a stamp when he found someone who would personally deliver his letter,
: was not grounded in Halacha. You don't have an obligation to pay the
: government money when your friend delivers your letter. The Chofetz
: Chaim ripped the stamp because in his great kedusha he wanted to make
: a Kiddush Hashem."

This is the version R' Dov Katz has in Tenu'as haMussar.

: According to that version, if a letter was delivered by someone who
: was doing a personal favor for the Chofetz Chaim, then I'd agree that
: there was no obligation to reimburse the government. In fact, with all
: due respect to the author of that version, it sounds silly to me. People
: send letters and packages via their friends all the time. Did the Chofetz
: Chaim rip up stamps when he sent his Mishloach Manos, even to make a
: Kiddush Hashem? ...

My understanding is that he originally intended to post the letter, and
therefore had mentally given the money to the gov't. He didn't want to
back out of a deal, even if just devarim shebaleiv.

(There is a similar notion in the gemara about accepting an offer mentally
during shemoneh esrei, and therefore not accepting a higher offer made
by someone who thought the silence was a rejection. I forgot the who and
where though; and of course that case differs in not involving nakhriim.)

But I hope that's enough to take the absurd edge off this version
of story.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             If you won't be better tomorrow
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