Home › Forums › Inspiration / Mussar › A question about being self- centered
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August 30, 2011 11:34 am at 11:34 am #804231ChachamParticipant
LMA- Let me tell you a vort from the Vilna goan. The passuk says by the mitzva of kibud av and by the mitzva of shiluach hakein lmaan yaarichun yamecha- lmaan yitov lach vchulu. Frekt the Vilna Goan why davka by these two mitzvos does it say the schar? THe Vilna goan explains from a yerushalmi . The yerushalmi explains that by shliach hakein after chasing away the mother she comes back and sees that her kids are missing, the mother has so much tzaar that she goes and commits suicide. ( And therefore one who says al kan tzipor is a to’eh). So really this is a very cruel mitzvah. Kibud av Vaim, on the other hand, is the most sichliusdikke mitzvah out there . The Gra says when one comes to the madreiga that he is able to do both of these mitzvos the same way than we say lman yaarichun. BEcause he understands that he is doing avodas hashem and is able to remove his emotions. Basically, the oan continues and says how you must do a mitzva even if it is cruel because we do avodas hashem for no other reason etc.
HE also uses this to explain why only after the akeida was Avrohom Avinu called yirei Elokim. Because Avrohom Avinu spent his entire life preaching against avodah Zara like the molech where you are makriv a kid. ANd after 138 years of preaching he is told by HAshem to be makriv his own kid, in theory that is the bigest stira to him. But he asked no questions and did not think about how it made no sense , therefore no he is called a yarei hashem.
August 30, 2011 4:07 pm at 4:07 pm #804232mw13ParticipantSorry for the (super) late responses, but here goes:
MP: Thanks.
GAW:
“The Rambam (forgot exactly where) says that anybody who does not believe in thirteen certain principles has no cheilek in Olam Haba.
And I’m not sure what you mean by “don’t bring “Apikores””.
Since when do these apply to a non-jew?”
Fair point. However, I always that since the same reasoning should apply (ie, they are missing the main point of doing “good”).
Kol Daveed:
“This feeling then necessarily is either schar or onesh not based upon eating but based upon what Hashem deems is necessary for this person to experience at this time.”
Perhaps; but then one could say that the only reason Hashem decided to give a non-believer a sense of fulfillment in doing “good” is so the non-believer will continue to do good and benefit others, not because he has done anything inherently worthy.
“I would hasten a guess that this feeling of fulfillment is amongst the “parot” of gemilut chassadim.”
I disagree. I think feeling good is the direct result of doing “good”, even if the main point (to get close to Hashem) is missing.
“we know that from the gemara in Berachos (61b – about a dozen lines down) that reshaiim are repaid their s’char in full in this world”
True, but who says those resha’im are non-believers? Perhaps they believe in Hashem (so their mitzvos do count) but they do bad most of the time anyways.
September 1, 2011 1:47 am at 1:47 am #804233yitayningwutParticipantLomed Mkol Adam-
Sorry for the delayed response. I believe I have made my point and don’t see this going any further, but have enjoyed this discussion. I will not be around often for a while as the zman has begun here; I wish you all the best.
yitayningwut
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