[Avodah] Tochacha - is it a Mitzvah to change the world or ....

Rabbi Meir G. Rabi via Avodah avodah at lists.aishdas.org
Thu Dec 10 03:18:46 PST 2015


Reb Micha asked:
> Is it Assur to buy [or maybe even eat] chocolate if we may thereby
> be able to improve the treatment of other humans? Are we prohibited
> from buying a product made by child slavery and torture to help change
> industry practices?

> Or is it only like hunting for sport, an activity that is Muttar but
> something Jews should not want to be involved in [eg Nodah biYhudah YD
> 2:10]? AKL=Ad Kan LeShono

But perhaps it is not even to be discouraged, because only about a Yid do
we say that they may/should not engage in such crude activities but is
there any duty or any value to prevent Gyim killing one another? Even
giving Tzedaka to Gyim is not encouraged but for its reflection and
well-being upon Yidden. As is Chillul Shabbos to save the life of Gyim,
ONLY when non involvement threatens Yidden.

The Mitzvah is that of Tochacha but there is no Mitzva to be Mochiach
Gyim - so if it is a Yiddishe business, are we commanded to Mochiach,
is there anything wrong being done? [other than a possible reference to
the NBiYehudah, but there is a significant Chiluk between making Parnassa
and fishing for pleasure/sport] Besides the Mitzvah of Tochacha, must
be continued until they are almost beaten up by those they are trying
to influence. But AFAIK there is no duty to take any action to further
the Tochacha.

Not only is it probably Assur to ACT against them due to Lo Sikom, it
would be Assur as Lo Sikom to even desist doing them a favour, i.e. we
must not desist from eating their chocolate.

But if it is a non-J business is there an Issur altogether??

The reason we may not return lost items to Gyim is that by doing so we are
suggesting we know better than HKBH how to implement His Mitzvos [Rashi
Sanhedrin].
By treating Gyim as we treat Yidden we are also denying the special
relationship that HKBH has created which binds Yidden together.

Best,
Meir G. Rabi



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