Page 138 - Chayei Adam LAYOUT sivan 5782

Chayei Adam - K’lal 143 - Laws of Aseres Yemei Teshuva & Erev Yom Kippur

which people commit frequently such as false oaths. This occurs when a person
tells his friend a falsehood or he sells him an item and says “Hashem should help
me”, which is invoking Hashem’s name in an oath. The sin of false oaths is
connected to avodah zara and is worse than it, as the posuk (Shemos 20:7) says “for
Hashem will not cleanse those who take His name in vain. [Also, sometimes] a
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person curses himself or his friend and invokes Hashem’s name. There is no
difference if he says this is lashon ha’kodesh or any other language. [Also, a
person] says berachos or mentions Hashem’s name in vain, and certainly [if he
thinks about how] all the tefilos and berachos are said without intent; instead he
says them as by rote. [Sometimes he] embarrasses his friend or seeks honor by
degrading him. [If he] distresses another Jew through his words or actions [he
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violates] the Torah’s prohibition of ona’ah (Vayikra 25:17) which refers to ona’as
devarim, because the Torah’s prohibition of monetary ona’ah [appears before
this] when it says “when you sell… don’t cheat” (Vayikra 25:14). If one oppresses a
widow or an orphan he is liable for punishment of death by the hands of Heaven,
as it says “don’t oppress any widow or orphan” (Shemos 22:21) If one charges
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interest on a loan without making a heter iska [it is forbidden] and everyone just
tells themselves it is permitted and they don’t ask rabbis for guidance how to do
so permissibly. This most certainly applies to those who do business with money
changers which is almost impossible to avoid issues of interest. All of this is
explained in my work, Chochmas Adam (k’lal 142 & 143). [People are also guilty
of] hatred between Jews, anger, gazing at women, flattery, mockery, idle chatter,
speaking of business on Shabbos or yom tov, and these are things that most
people violate all the time, including the learned; if they think about it, even great

םדו רשב
6. Chayei Adam’s note: As Chazal say punish you. This is also a violation of
(Shabbos 146a) that he injected her with an taking Hashem’s name in vain.
infection.
8. See K’lal 144, siman 5.
7. Chayei Adam’s note: if he says, for
example, Hashem should punish me, or 9. Not only is it a mitzva to lend money

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