Page 253 - V1

Introduction to החיתפ
Sefer Chafetz Chayim םייח ץפח רפסל
Aseen - A4
זי ואל - ןיואל

on public welfare. How much more so are we commanded not to ונבתכש המו .ל"נה הטוסד ארמגמ חיכומו ל"נה רמאמב
cause someone to lose his livelihood and means of support.
וחיכוהל לצעתמ אוה םאד ,וחיכוהל בייח יאדווב ףוסבל

ם"ארה איבהש ומכ ףנח אוה םג ארקנ תלעות שיש םוקמב
Be’er Mayim Chayim אדוהי ברל ןמחנ בר רמאד ):'ע( ארתב קרפ ןישודקמ היאר
(A4) If someone is degraded because of one’s Lashon Hara or ןנבר יפנחימ אמיל אלד היניד רמ יעתשיל רמ יתאד אתשה
gossip to the point where he loses his livelihood: Such conduct .םיאריה ל"כע אנקיתש יא שוריפ ידדהא
would be absolutely forbidden. However if this was not the situation
and the speaker had no bad feelings towards this person, and there were ןייעו .ש"יע ה"צק רמאמב הנוי וניבר בתכ הזל המודכו
some other purposeful reasons for making his remarks, then the disclosure
would be permissible if it met certain criteria. Please reference the section 'ו ללכ ר"השל תוכלהב ןמקל בותכנש המו ז"צק רמאמב
th
dealing with the Laws of Esurei Rechilut in the 9 Kelal where with G‑d's .החכוה חכמ ]ט"קס ח"מב[
help, this subject will be discussed in all of its details. What I wrote above
(in the Mekor Chayim) is taken from the Rambam's commentary on giving
th
gifts to impoverished people, in the 7 perek, in the first halacha, and לע וליפאו ר"השלב ךייש םינפב ונבתכש ינשה ןפואד עדו
th
also in the 10 perek in the 7 halacha where it states as follows: There .לבקמהל קרו וינפב אלש וליפאו תמא
th
are eight levels of charity, each level more significant than the one that
preceded it. The highest of these levels is one who supports and lifts up
his fellow Jew by strengthening his hand. This can be done by giving him
a gift or a loan or entering into business partnership with him or finding םייחה רוקמ
work for him in order that he can become self-supporting and not relying
on public welfare for his support. Regarding this, the pasuk says “you
ַ
ְ
ְ
ָ
ָ
ֵ
ָ
ֵ
ַ
shall strengthen him, either a convert or a resident…and he should live ,יוּצמֶּשּׁ המ יִפל ,רחא ואל דוֹע שׁי )זי( םיִמעְפִלו )זי(
with you.” (However there is an additional pasuk of “and your brother ,סעכּ ךְוֹתִּמ ערָה ןוֹשׁל וילע רבּדְַמֶּשׁ ,םיִבּרַה וּניֵתוֹנוֲֹעבּ
ַ
ֵ
ָ
ַ
ָ
ָ
ַ
ָ
ָ
should live with you” which the Rambam did not cite here since he relied
ַ
ַ
ָ
on what he wrote in his commentary at the beginning of the 7 perek in the וֹללּקְַמ אוּה םיִמעְפוּ ,ןכּ םגּ וֹללּקְַמ אוּה הֶשֲׂעמ תעְשִׁבוּ
ְ
ְ
ַ
th
ֵ
1 halacha, that regarding the mitzvah of charity-giving there is additional
st
ָ
ֶ
ְ
ֵ
ַ
ָ
ְ
ַ
ַ
ֲ
ַ
ָ
ַ
ִ
language in the pasuk, namely “and your brother should live.” His opinion ארָקְיּו( רוּמגּ ואל לע הזבּ רבוֹע אוּהו ,ז"עלבּ וּלִּפא םֵשּׁבּ
is that this is inclusive of charity-giving, as He wrote: “There are eight
ְ
ֵ
ֵ
ַ
ָ
ַ
ַ
ְ
ְ
ָ
ֵ
ֲ
ָ
levels of charity-giving.” But the Ramban disagrees with him and divides לכו ,שׁרֵח וּלִּפא אוּה בוּתכּה תנוּכו( "שׁרֵח ללּקְַת אלֹ"דּ )ד"י ט"י
it into two separate mitzvot, namely the mitzvah of charity giving and .)'א ףיִעס ז"כ ןמיִסבּ טפְּשִׁמ ןֶשֹׁחבּ ראֹבְמכו שׁרֵח וֹניאֶשׁ יִמ ןכֶּשׁ
ֵ
ָ
ְ
ֵ
ֵ
ְ
ָ
ַ
ָ
ָ
ְ
the mitzvah of giving one the means to be able to support oneself. This
is elaborated in the Ramban's Sefer HaMitzvot, mitzvah #16, and again
ָ
ְ
ָ
ָ
ִ
ִ
ְ
ָ
ָ
ְ
ַ
in the commentary by the Megilat Esther on the Rambam’s enumeration ידֵי לע אוֹבל ןיִליגרְה ןיואל רָשׂע העבִשׁ וּנבַשִּׁח ירֲֵה
of the mitzvot. But everyone agrees that this mitzvah (helping someone .לארְָשׂיל קרַ רפּסְמ אוּה וּלִּפא ,תוּליִכרְוּ ערָה ןוֹשׁל רוּפִּס
ָ
ִ
ְ
ֵ
ַ
ֲ
ֵ
ָ
achieve a livelihood) is a Torah obligation, meaning you should provide
ֵ
ְ
ַ
ַ
ִ
ְ
ֵ
him with the means to assure that he won't fall back onto public welfare רֵתוֹי וֹרוּסִּא ,יִתוּכּ ינְפִבּ לארְָשׂי לע ןיִשׁלמ אוּה םִאדּ
(his holy words are quoted up until this point). This is also the conclusion
ְ
ָ
ֲ
ְ
ְ
ָ
ָ
ַ
ָ
ָ
ַ
ִ
ְ
of the Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'Ah, section #249 (paragraph #6). רֶשׁאכּ רוּסמ ללכִבּ םיִמעְפִל סנכנו ,רוּמח רֵתוֹיו לוֹדגּ
223 198
volume 1 VOL-1 8 volume 1