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Very worthwhile reading in my opinion.
Parshas Naso: Kli Yakar – Don’t Join The “Frummies” In Gehinom
Rebbi Eliezer HaKiper famously states that the reason a Nazir Tamei brings a Korban Chatos. The Meforshim explain that despite his holy agenda, still he restrained himself from drinking wine and indulging in a pleasure that Hashem gave us. While this is a wonderful thing, nevertheless in a slight sense he did not live up to the order that Hashem created in the world.
The Kli Yakar asks, if so why is it that only a Nazir who became Tamei brings this Korban and not a Nazir Tahor who finished his term of Nezirus?
He answers that if he truly served his term of Nezirus and spent his days immersed in holiness like the Torah prescribes, then he is not a chotei and his abstinence is commendable. When he ends up becoming Tamei and the days of his Nezirus go to waste and he must start again, then has he abstained from the pleasures Hashem brought to the world in vain.
The Kli Yakar says this peirush is “yakar”. Quite often we take on extra Chumros which we honor superficially. It does not penetrate our insides and is purely an external exercise and a show of frumkeit. One could wonder based on this Kli Yakar if at the end of day we will need to give a Din VaCheshbon on all the grief and pain our abstinence causes us that we did not take advantages of the conveniences Hashem blessed us with and we chose to give them up for silly reasons that have nothing to do with Hashem’s will.
This may be pshat in the gemara Yuma (72b). The gemara says that a Talmid Chochom must be gold on the inside and on the outside, MiBayis U’MiChutz Titzapenu” (Shemos 25:11). “Woe is to those who learn Torah but do not have Yiras Shamayim!” Rava pleaded with his Talmidim not to live two Gehinom’s, one on this world toiling in Torah and not benefiting from this world, yet earning a second Gehinom when they arrive in Shamayim and find out their efforts were not at all appreciated.
When sacrificing for a Chumra ask yourself two questions. First is it really justified? Secondly “why am I doing this”? Don’t be a martyr only to join the Nazir Tamei section of Gehinom. Better to do it right and be Kadosh V’Tahor. It is the same act and only a shift in mindset, but at the end it make a huge difference.
From Revach.net
The Gerrer Rebbe Shlita said several years ago. A frummer meint nisht der eibishter, a frummer meint zech. A frummie (as contrasted to a frum person) doesn’t mean serving Hashem with his frumkeit. He means serving himself to indulge in his frum chumros. A frum sick person chas vesholom, when told by a doctor that he must eat on yom kippur and asks a rov who paskins to eat, will eat on yom kippur. He has done excatly what Hashem told him to do. VoChai bo’hem, live with the mitzvos. A frummie says, how can I, the frummie, eat on yom kippur. The main point being how can “I” eat.
yitay – you’re disrespectful tone towards Gedolei Yisroel zt”l is reprehensible. There are appropriate ways to express your lack of comprehension of written daas Torah.
The real question nowadays is, “Am I doing this for my own growth in ruchnius or am I doing it so that yenem will think I’m holy.” It seems to me that a lot of chumros are taken on because of what other people will say if we don’t follow the fashion.
The joke “Chumrah of the Month Club” sums it up. Back in the day people belonged to “clubs” that sent a copy of the currently most popular books to members at a reduced price, so members could be reading what everyone else was reading without paying too much. It strikes me that this is what’s going on now. It’s a lot easier to keep yoshon than to keep your temper. Being pleasant to your employees / co-workers / the taxi driver requires real self control of the kind that doing something that isn’t even halachically required doesn’t. And it’s really difficult to explain to your friends why you’re not jumping on the latest bandwagon.
So – it’s easier to get a reputation for being super-frum with an “easy” mitzvah bein adam l’makom than it is to be makpid on bein adam l’chavero when we really have to work at it.
yitayningwut: The Klei Yakkar was giving a drasha-type shtickel, which is clearly not pushut pshat in the Gemora.
mw13-
I am fine with that, as I said his point might be true. It’s like when the rabbanan make an asmachta which isn’t really a true drasha, he’s making an asmachta to his point. I only wished to point out that the question doesn’t need to be answered and cannot really be used as proof to his point.
Look up the gemara, and tell me exactly where I’m going wrong.
yitayningwut:
“I am fine with that, as I said his point might be true.”
Might?
“I only wished to point out that the question doesn’t need to be answered and cannot really be used as proof to his point.”
He is giving an alternative answer, which is very common in divrei Torah. I don’t see why this is still bothering you.
It seems to me that there are two issues here: Firstly, the Kli Yakar’s point that Hashem wants us to enjoy the world unless our abstinence is Lishma. Secondly, the issue of the Machmir’s possible bad middosas the genrating force in his/her’s decision to be machmir.
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