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3. His intent should be purposeful, and he should reflect whether 2 that if one is asked about a person whom he knows committed a great #
or not his words will truly be beneficial. sin in his youth, and he has heard nothing about the sinner since,

4. If he can, he should try to achieve the same purpose without and [the sinner] is studying Torah, then one should not reveal his
having to speak about him. past sins. However, if he sinned a number of times, and it is unclear
whether he repented, then one should reveal his past. Even if he did
5. He should not harm him directly with his words. repent, there is still room to consider whether it is necessary to reveal
Although it is possible that the person now regrets what he did his past…
and made up his mind not to do it again, one should be concerned Considering the words of the Minchas Yitzchak in regard to our
about this possibility and protect the would-be employer from him. case, if several years have passed since the young woman’s attempted
From the simple understanding of the Chafetz Chaim, it seems that suicide, and no further reports were heard about her in the interim,
he only saw the man stealing once, but we still have to consider that perhaps she is not obligated to reveal her past, because the presump-
he may continue to steal. [Here is evidence to support the words of tion is that she is healthy.
my father-in-law (above), that although the young woman regretted 
her act of attempted suicide and completely repented, one still has to
worry that she may attempt suicide once again.] In Orchos Rabbenu (Vol. 1, p. 266) it says that mental illness in three 20818_efi-ab - 20818_park-C_efi-ab | 2 - A | 18-08-20 | 13:46:23 |
The Minchas Yitzchak considers the status of a person who sinned brothers or in the father, son and grandson is called a presumption #20818_efi-ab - 20818_park-C_efi-ab | 2 - A | 18-08-20 | 13:46:23
once in his youth. (Vol. 6, #139) He bases his opinion on Tractate and one should not marry into that family. If there are other mentally
Taanis (16a), which states that one of the characteristics of a cantor is ill relatives, that is not considered a presumption. Furthermore, if any
that he should be above reproach, meaning that he did not have a bad member of the family with a presumption of mental illness has three
reputation during his childhood, even if he subsequently repented. (It healthy children of his own, the presumption no longer applies to
would have been superfluous for the Gemara to refer to someone who him, and he is like any other person in this respect. This resembles a
had not repented, for obviously, a sinner cannot serve as a cantor.) goring ox who sees three oxen and does not gore them; the ox reverts,
The Bi’ur Halacha explains (#53:5, s.v. d’mikol makom) that the Rama halachically to a simple, non-goring ox.
rules that if a person commits a sin only once, but intentionally, then Perhaps this applies in our case if the young woman is no longer
even if he repented he is halachically considered someone with a “bad in the unfavorable condition of her past, such as if she went through
name.” several difficult situations and did not attempt suicide again, then
The defect of not having a good name applies to shidduchim as well. perhaps she has lost her presumption of being ill and she does not
As explained in Hagahos Mordechai, (cited in Beis Yosef Yoreh De’ah have to reveal her past. This requires further study. Perhaps this is
#228, s.v. katuv, p. 479) what happens if an engaged couple accepted like a thief who has abandoned his crooked ways. Maybe if the young
upon themselves cherem for reneging on the engagement, and then woman has strengthened her fear of heaven, we can assume she will
the man became an apostate? If she came to beis din when he was an not attempt to kill herself again and therefore she does need not re-
apostate, and they permitted her to marry someone else, and then he veal her past.
repented, she still has permission to marry someone else. If she had In Responsa Iggros Moshe (Orach Chaim, Vol. 4 #118) there is a dis-
not received permission to marry another and he already repented, cussion about a young girl who sinned. Is she obligated to reveal her
then she has to ask a Torah scholar. The Minchas Yitzchak concludes sin to a potential spouse? Rav Moshe rules that she must definitely tell

34 1 Medical-HalacHic Responsa of Rav ZilbeRstein Revealing a bride's earlier attempt at suicide 2 35