Page 224 - V1

Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Laveen - L8-9
זט ואל - ןיואל

in this situation Hashem Yitbarach wants this “victim” to hold himself רבדּה תא אוּה םגּ קיִלחמוּ ,הז רבדל וֹשׁארֹ ענְענְמ ןכּ םגּ
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back and not take revenge.
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,רפּסְמהֶשׁ ינְפִּמ ,םגְפּל תוֹבֵתּ הזיא ףיִסוֹמֶּשׁ ,וֹנוֹשׁלִבּ
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The Sifra asks how far does revenge extend? “He asked to borrow a
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scythe .., etc.” The root of this mitzvah is that man must understand and וּנּמִּמ וֹל שׁיֶּשׁ ,המוֹדּכו בוּשׁח תיבּה לעבּ אוּה םיִמעְפִל
internalize the thought that everything that happens to him, both good and
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bad, is decreed by G‑d. Anything done to man can only happen because לעו .המוֹדּכו םכח וֹניאל וֹתוֹא וּקיזחיֶּשׁ ,ארֵיֶּשׁ וֹא תוֹבוֹט
G‑d decreed it. Therefore, if someone causes another person to suffer or לבא .הזל אוּה םגּ םיִכּסיֶּשׁ ,קחדּה ינְפִּמ רציּה וּנֶּתיִסי ןכּ
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causes him harm, the victim should know in his heart that his own sins
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caused this to happen as G‑d has decreed. He should not seek revenge from קרַ םִא וּלִּפא ,הפּנחדּ ואל םצעבּ אוּה הזֶּשׁ יִחא עדֵַתּ
the person who caused the harm because that person was not the reason
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harm came to him. It was his sins that caused the harm to befall him. .םייּח םימ ראבִבּ ראבְּתִמ רֶשׁאכּ תוֹבֵתּ הזיא ףיִסוֹי
David HaMelech understood this and told his escort “Leave him alone, he
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cursed me because that is what G‑d wanted him to do.” David HaMelech ָתְּמַשׂו" :)'ב ג"כ ילְשִׁמ( רמאנֶּשּׁ המ ךְיַּשׁ הזכּ ןינִע לַעו
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understood that this happened because of his sins and not because of Shimi
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Ben Gera. (Quoted up until this point). וֹמצע רֹסְמִל םדא ביּחו ,"הָתּא שׁפנ לעבּ םִא ךָעלֹבּ ןיִכּס
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This is also the Chinuch’s language regarding mitzvah #242, that not to יִפּ לעו .הזכּ המְשׁא ןוֲֹע וֹשְׁפנ תא איִשּׂי לאו ,הנכּסל
hold a grudge means to restrain yourself even from holding a grudge in דֹאְמ קזּחְתִהל םינפּ לכּ לע הֶשֲׂעמ תעְשִׁבּ ךְירִצ הרָוֹתּה
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your heart because of something bad another Jew did to you. Even if you
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decided that you will not do bad in return to this person because of what אוּהֶשׁ הנּמִּמ הארָיֶּשׁ ,תחא העוּנְתִבּ וּלִּפא וֹעיּסל אלֶֹּשׁ
he did to you, you must restrain yourself and not even remember in your
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heart the “bad” that this person did to you. This is the meaning of “Do not 'ה קרֶפּ( תוֹיּדֵֻעבּ ל"זח רמאמ ךְיַּשׁ הז לעו ,וֹרוּפִּסל םיִכּסמ
hold a grudge.” VOL-1 אוּה הזו .'וּכו וימי לכּ הֶטוֹשׁ םדא ארֵקּיֶּשׁ בטוּמ :)'ו הנְשִׁמ
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Regarding language used by the Sifra – namely how far must one go to ןיִעמְשׁנ וּיהי אלֹ החכוֹתבּ וירָבדֶּשׁ ,ןיִבֵמ אוּה םִא וּלִּפא
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restrain himself and not take revenge or hold a grudge? For example,
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“One asked another – lend me your scythe and he was refused.” From לע ןכּ םגּ וֹחיִכוֹהל ביּח יאדּובּ יִכה ואל יִאדּ ,רפּסְמהל
the fact that the Chinuch wrote that one should not take revenge if he
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was treated badly, or pained or hurt in any way, and from the example he ןוֹשׁל תוֹכלִהבּ ןמּקַל םֵשּׁה הצרְי םִא ראבְּתי רֶשׁאכּ ,הז
quotes regarding David HaMelech A”H being cursed by Shimi Ben Gera, .'ו ללכּ ערָה
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the Chinuch is of the opinion that from the perspective of the Torah it is
forbidden to take revenge or hold a grudge in any circumstance and that
only at the precise moment of insult does the law permit one to respond.
Nevertheless, it is a mitzvah and an example of one who has good character
traits to follow Chazal who have said it is better to absorb the insult and 7 םייח םימ ראב
not respond at all (“Those who are shamed and do not respond by shaming
others”). Whoever ignores slights and insults to his honor and disregards תופסותה לעב ם"ארה ןושל הזד .'וכו רבוע םימעפלו )זט(
his impulse to respond to them will benefit in that Heaven will ignore this יעסמ הלאו תשרפב ונירוצ הוצ ]ח"מר א"דב[ ה"נ הוצמב
person’s sins, as the Chinuch writes in his listing of mitzvah #338. (Please
see that reference). םיפנחל הרהזא וז ירה ירפסב אינתו ץראה תא ופינחת אלו
163 194
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