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Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Laveen - L8-9
וט ואל - ןיואל
In summary, if the circumstance involves bodily harm or suffering, there םייח םימ ראב
is a dispute among the Early Authorities if the Torah would allow revenge.
Any time there is a doubt in a Torah law, the rule is to apply the law strictly
(and one may not take revenge or hold a grudge). But if the circumstance בתכ ןכ .םירישע םה וליפא 'וכו םותי אוה םאו )וט(
involves money, there is no dispute; all Authorities are in agreement, and it םתונג רפיסו ש"מו .י"ה 'ו קרפ תועד תוכלהב ם"במרה
is forbidden to take revenge or hold a grudge in any way as I wrote above
(in the Mekor Chayim). ונריהזהש ו"נר הוצמ מ"הסב ם"במרה ןושל הזד 'וכו
הרהזאהו 'וכו הנמלא לכ רמאנש הנמלאהו םותיה תונעמ
Don’t challenge this conclusion by citing the Sefer Ye’re’im quoted above,
that there the discussion revolved around taking revenge for a monetary השעמב אלו רמאמב אל םתוא הנעי אלש תללוכ תאזה
issue by retaliating with a monetary issue. However, it is incorrect to
conclude that if in taking revenge the offended party spoke Lashon Hara ם"במרה ל"זו 'וכו םיכרו םיבוט םירבד םהמע רבדי לבא
or gossip, which is not a monetary issue, then he would not be culpable 'וכו םימותיו תונמלאב רהזהל םדא בייח תועד תוכלהב
for violating the Lav of “Do not take revenge” since this is not the
understanding of the Sefer Ye're’im! Rather the intention of the Sefer אלו תוכר אלא םהילא רבדי אל ןהמע ןיגהונ ךיאהו
Ye’re’im was only to explain how the gemara (Yomah 23a) knew that if הדובעב םפוג ביאכי אלו דובכ גהנמ אלא ןהב גהני
the circumstance involved bodily harm or anguish, the “victim” would
be allowed to take revenge or hold a grudge. Perhaps the Torah forbids ,ומצע ןומממ רתוי ןנוממ לע סוחיו םישק םירבדב םבלו
taking revenge or holding a grudge in any circumstance? In response to וא ןהב הדר וא ןהל ביאכה וא ןסיעכמ וא ןטינקמה לכ
that question, the Sefer Ye’re’im explained the conclusive Torah law using
one of the thirteen principles by which the Torah is studied and analyzed, ןתוא הכמה ןכש לכו ת"לב רבוע הז ירה ןנוממ דביא
that the gemara was only discussing a person hurt in a monetary matter ושנוע ירה וילע ןיקול ןיאש פ"עא הז ואלו ,ןללקמה וא
and that the subsequent revenge or grudge is forbidden by the Torah and
bearing a grudge or taking revenge itself is prohibited in all circumstances. תירב ,ברחב םכתא יתגרהו יפא הרחו הרותב שרופמ
The proof to this conclusion comes from the gemara’s implication (Yomah םיקעוצ םהש ןמז לכש םלועה היהו רמאש יממ התורכ
23a) that bodily harm or suffering is a much more serious matter than a
monetary issue. Therefore, since responding monetarily by refusing to המב 'וגו ילא קעצי קעצ םא יכ רמאנש םינענ םה סמחמ
grant a monetary request is forbidden, how much more so does the Torah םא לבא ומצע ךרוצל ןתוא הניעש ןמזב םירומא םירבד
forbid responding with physical harm or anguish (due to a denial for a
monetary request). The conclusion based on the thirteen principles of ןכילוהל וא תונמוא וא הרות ןדמלל ידכ ברה ןתוא הניע
Torah analysis is relevant only to the way that the offender caused anguish ,רתומ הז ירה הרשי ךרדב
or pain. Moreover, because the Torah even forbids harboring any bad
feelings, as was proven above from the Rambam and other commentators, םהל השעי אלא םדא לכ גהנמ ןהב גהני אל כ"פעאו
then it is conclusively forbidden to avenge or hold a grudge. Because if
one does not accept this logic and thinks that the Torah was only stating a יכ רמאנש דובכו םילודג םימחרבו תחנב םלהניו שרפה
rule that only in matters of “money” is it forbidden to take revenge, but that .'ח ת"לב ג"מסה בתכ ןכו .ם"במרה ל"כע םביר בירי 'ה
it is permitted to aggravate someone who aggravated you in non-monetary
matters, then at the very least he is harboring bad feelings towards the ימו ד"אב ד"כ רמאמב הבושת ירעשב הנוי וניברה ל"זו
offender which is clearly improper. Therefore the law must necessarily ןיבו קשועב ןיבו לזגב ןיב םותיו הנמלא רעציו קיציש
be as I stated it; that taking revenge is similar to holding a grudge and is
forbidden in all circumstances. בתכ ןכו ,םימש ידיב התימ בייח רעצ ינימ לכו המלכהב
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