New York – There is a well-known Mitzvah to honor Torah scholars (Sefer HaMitzvos 209). Although the Rishonim cite different verses as to the source for the Mitzvah, it is almost universal that the Mitzvah is a Biblical one. Indeed, it is such an important Mitzvah that the Meiri (Yuma 71a) writes that it is a greater Mitzvah to honor a Torah scholar than to honor a Kohen Gadol – the High Priest in the Bais HaMikdash.
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The Talmud in Menachos (99b) discusses a case of a Torah scholar who has fallen morally. Raish Lakish tells us that we do not shame him in public. To back up this position he cites a verse in Hoshea (4:5), “You will stumble by day and the ‘prophet’ who is with you shall stumble at night, and I shall silence your mother.” The Maharsha cites Rashi who explains the verse to be understood as “cover it up like the night.” This seems to be the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch as well (Yore Deah 334:42).
However, this case is limited to a Torah scholar who has merely fallen. The Shulchan Aruch (Yore Deah 243:3) states that one who makes a mockery of the Mitzvos and has no fear of Heaven – he is likened to of the lightest people in the congregation in regard to all matters. The Shiurei Bracha further amplifies this ruling. He states that “a Torah scholar like this who has in his hand Chillul Hashem – a desecration of G-d’s Name – it is a most serious matter. The public learns from his example to cheapen the Mitzvos in the Torah. He is considered both a sinner and someone who causes others to sin.”
The Birchei Yoseph (Yore Deah 243:3) citing the Zkain Aharon (32) rules in regard to any Talmid Chochom that has in his hand Chillul Hashem – a desecration of G-D’s Name – it is forbidden to hear words of Torah from his mouth, and one may not rely upon his rulings.
The Vilna Gaon (YD 243:9) explains regarding the ruling of the Shulchan Aruch about one who makes a mockery of the Torah that it is because he is not considered within the category of “And all His holy ones.”
The question is, however, what the parameters are of a desecration of G-D’s Name and that of merely falling. The Radbaz (Volume VI Responsa #2078) seems to indicate that the determining factor is whether it was done publicly or not. If we delve slightly deeper as to why this should be the determining factor, it would seem that if it is not done in public , the scholar is perhaps not so brazen about it. If, however, he sinned brazenly and involved others in the particulars of what he was doing – then even the Radbaz would likely consider it just like it was done publicly.
It is also not clear that the Shulchan Aruch and the commentators would necessarily agree with the Radbaz. Indeed, the Bais Yoseph (334) seems to indicate that the parameters of “desecration of G-D’s Name in hand” is when the sin is repeated a second time.
The Baal HaTanya, in his Rav Shulchan Aruch (Hilchos Talmud Torah 4:3) writes that such a person is considered to be so despicable that even his accidental errors are considered to be purposeful in the eyes of Hashem.
It is clear that such a person should not be teaching Torah. What about learning Torah? The Baal HaTanya continues to quote the Kabbalists that while in a state where he is still evil and has not performed sincere Teshuva there is no question that any Torah learning or Mitzvos on the part of such a person strengthens the Klipos, nonetheless, he should continue learning Torah and performing Mitzvos because when and if he will ultimately do Teshuva – they will be there for him.
In conclusion, there is a fascinating Kochvei Ohr which discusses the sin of Acher – Elisha Ben Abuyah – the teacher of Rabbi Meir and the sage who fell. While talking to his teacher who went off the path of Torah, Acher the teacher told Rabbi Meir that he had reached the Shabbos boundary. Rabbi Meir asked him how he knew. The teacher said that he was counting the footsteps of his horse. Rabbi Meir asked Acher to come back and return to Judaism. Acher responded that he could not because he was privy to a Bas Kol that said, “Return you wayward sons all except Acher – who knew my Glory and rebelled against Me..”
Rabbi Meir tried to convince him to come back anyway. Rav Yitzchok Blaser – the author of the Kochvei Ohr and student of Rabbi Yisroel Salanter asks two questions: The first is that how could it be that Hashem did not want the penance of Acher? The second question he asked was how it could be that Rabbi Meir is going against a Bas Kol – a direct request from Hashem Himself?
The Kochvei Ohr answers that generally speaking Teshuva is always somewhat tainted. We know that Hashem will accept our Teshuva ultimately if we offer it and He will forgive us. Even though it is tainted in this manner, nonetheless, Hashem does not care and accepts it anyway.
This is true for most people. However, Acher was so depraved and had fallen so far that he needed a completely perfect Teshuvah. He required a Teshuvah untainted by the knowledge that it would be accepted.
Hashem wanted Acher to perform this type of Teshuva and that is why Acher heard that Bas Kol. Rabbi Meir was aware of this, while his own teacher was not. He tried convincing him to do real Teshuvah anyway – even though it would not have been accepted.
We see from the words of Rav Blaser how very much Hashem wants everyone to do Teshuvah. May all of us be zocheh to a complete Teshuva in all that he do wrong. Amain.
I find it interesting the rush to defense here…selective outrage, perhaps?
he isnt reffering to tropper since tropper was never considered a scholar , to be able to fall, he is writing about the likes of rav reuven feinstein etc who are scholars and have fallen in that they havent found it right to condemn tropper nontheless, in this they have failed and we still hope they will do teshuvah
This is an awesome example of how you can say something loud and clear without ever mentioning your subject. Wow! The exposition of the various deyos here is elegantly balanced — not a trace of bias! And may our responses to it be similarly so: no cheap comments about whether or not Tropper is a talmid chocham, for instance. We’re Yidden — what’s the halacha??!!! That’s the whole issue: if he did something RA with others & hasn’t come out and thrown himself on his face in shame, he’s GOT TO BE “run out of town.” And if he didn’t do the above, get up and say ‘I, Reuvain Feinstein [et al], say this man DID NOT do RA, or embezzle donations to leaders of klal Yisroel, and I will lead the investigation and make it all public to turn this into a kiddush Hashem.’
Otherwise, every Rav who’s associated with the EJF will lose the world’s respect. Starting with ME.
Forget Tropper for a minute and focus on the Monsey Meat Macher. He for sure was a big talmid chacham yet he knowingly fed unsuspecting Jews treif meat. What would the Rambam or the Baal HaTanya say about such a person? Can they do teshuva for this? And a bigger question is, does anyone care?
It is pretty clear that being a talmid chochom is irrelevant, what is relevant is yiras shomayim and midos tovos and being koveh itim latorah (which is does not imply being a talmid chochom.)
It’s time we define what a Torah scholar is:
A Torah scholar is one who has Yiras Shmayim together with the Torah he learned. If he doesn’t have Yiras Shamayim, though he might have knowledge in Torah’s teaching – as many secular people have – the Torah doesn’t call him a Talmid Chachom.
Torah and Yiras Shmayim go hand in hand in making one a Talmid Chachom.
I heard a different pshat re Acher.
HKBH indeed witheld teshuva davka from the individual who behaved as Acher. If he were to see himself as Elisha ben Avuya, however, teshuva could not be prevented.
We all must strive to believe and act as those who are worthy of teshuva for it to be granted.
koved koved koved ……The Maharal writes that very few people should have the title Rav,I guess all these great Rebbunim think that they are the exception.The Maharal also writes that the Rebbunim will destroy the Torah because they began excepting salaries from their keheila.once you take money to study Torah ,whether you like it or not,you are influenced by those around you.How can one remain impartial and completely honest when you are in essence accepting shochat(bribery).you become behalten(indebted)to those who are supporting you and your organizations.More then that you become a stage figure,always looking to appear as if you are deserving of the honor that is being bestowed upon you.Real Torah and gaiveh don’t go hand in hand..Isn’t funny that their are more people today with the title Goan then there were in the whole goanim time period.It says in the Medrash that hashem said that he sees that will be very few Tzadikim therefore says Hashem”I will spread them out through out all the generations…
If that is true,I ask you how is possible that there are so many people who we call Tzadikim,,Maybe,just maybe, we lost the “real” definition of what being a real Tzadik is.
“The Shulchan Aruch (Yore Deah 243:3) states that one who makes a mockery of the Mitzvos and has no fear of Heaven – he is likened to of the lightest people in the congregation in regard to all matters.”
So I guess that would apply to Moshe Dovid Tendler and his friends who attack bris milah $ MBP, the world’s oldest elective surgery with the world’s lowest complication rate of any surgery. To demonstrate the threat posed by MBP, they need to cite 1946 medical articles that mention 72 cases of tuberculosis infection due to metzitzah in seven countries between 1873 and 1932 while 50 million+ people around the world died from tuberculosis. They allege HSV infection by the mohel while they avoid every standard test that would implicate the mother or exonerate the mohel. They rush to the Israeli Ministry of health and the NYC DoH in order to ban metzitzah because of their “presumed” cases (their words) while it is only Dr Tendler and his colleagues for 25 years that have found these infections. Since the DNA testing that they refused to do has now become mandatory, there have been no further cases. What does that tell you?