On Sun, Jan 15, 2023 at 05:15:03PM -0700, Meir Shinnar via Avodah wrote:
> Ignoring for a moment moral issues, but on practical consequences;
> ... They called in Rav Moshe Tendler for advice, who told them
> Rav Moshe's position. In Russia, if word got out a Jew did not treat
> non Jews on shabbat, the entire Jewish community of that town would be
> wiped out. Therefore, heter of darche shalom clearly applies
Except that R Aharon Lichtenstein's argument that "darkhei shalom" isn't
about "practical considerations" is pretty compelling.
Rambam (Hilkhos Melahim 10:12):
[Not only Jews and geirei toshav (resident aliens),] even for non-Jews
our sages commanded to visit their sick, bury their dead [as] with
the Jewish dead, support their poor among the Jewish poor, because of
darkhei Shalom. For it says, "Hashem is good to all, and His Mercy
is on all that He made." (Tehillim 145 "Ashrei" v. 9). And it says,
"[The Torah]'s ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are
peace." (Mishlei 3:14, also said when returning the Torah to the aron)
Darkhei Shalom is nothing less fundamental than the fulfilment of
emulating the Borei and following the ways of the Torah.
Compare the list of examples the Rambam gives here with the list of
kindnesses Sotah 14a provides as examples of what Hashem does.
Or the Rama, Tehsuvah #11:
We have learned from here that it is permissible to modify [the
truth] for the sake of peace, and it is permissible to violate
the injunction, "Thou shalt distance thyself from falsehood." [The
consideration of peace] also overrides the biblical prohibition of
"Thou shalt not do thus to the Lord thy God," which bans the erasure
of God's Name, as is explained in the Sifri to Parashat Re'eh and
counted by the Rambam and the Semag in their respective enumerations
of the mitsvot. Since this is so, I say that it is also the case that
[peace] overrides the prohibition of defamation; in other words,
it is permissible to defame another if one's intention is for the
sake of Heaven and for a good cause, [namely,] to promote peace.
See R Aharon Lichstein's article "In The Human and Social Factor in
Halakhah", Tradition 6 (2002) pp. 89-114, made available at
<http://www.lookstein.org/articles/human_social_factor.htm> by the
Lookstein Center for Jewish Education at Bar Ilan Univ.)
...
> (Note that ben Azzai holds that the most important verse in the torah --
> more than ve'ahavata lere'achca camocha -- love your neighbor as yourself
> -- is ze Sefer toldot Adam -- this is the book of generations of man --
> that we are all human.
And Ben Azzai is given last word.
Rav Shimon doesn't understand this as a machloqes about values, but
only about which pasuq better captures it. Aniyei irekha qodmin, it is
appropriate to feel more moral responsibility toward your own. (C.f. Stoic
ethics or the Ethics of Care.) Tzedaqah starts with your parents and
adult children, your friends and neighbors, etc...
So, start with our self-love, build it into rei'akh -- other observant
Jews, Geirei Toshav, and perhaps all Noachides or even all monotheists,
rependent on what "rei'akha" includes. (But not it's not "akhikha". The
mitzvah is based on being fellow believers and observers, not the
siblinghood of all Jews.) Well, instead of continuing from there, let
me quote R Wolbe, who ties the idea to darkhei Shalom as well:
... The central point in the Torah is "reia`"! This creates a close
relationship between every Jewish person, a practice of darkhei Shalom
with all people, zehirus from tzaar baalei chayim and a relationship
of responsibility toward everything that exists in HQBH's world...
(From Psyiciatriah veDat, published in Laniado Hospital's journal
Harefu'ah, vol 8 (8 Sivan 5742), a later variant on his essay "Olam
haYdidus". I have both on a sefaria page from when we discussed them at
Zelmele's Kloiz. See <https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/405067>.)
Tir'u baTov!
-Micha
--
Micha Berger A cheerful disposition is an inestimable treasure.
http://www.aishdas.org/asp It preserves health, promotes convalescence,
Author: Widen Your Tent and helps us cope with adversity.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF - R' SR Hirsch, "From the Wisdom of Mishlei"