“The court will now come to order,” said the judge.
Tzadok “Hatzadik” sat up straight in the defendant’s chair as the verdict was read, silently pleading to Hashem that he should be found innocent of releasing the gorilla from the Jerusalem Zoo.
“I have carefully examined the evidence in this case,” the judge said. “Given the fact that a full set of zoo keys was found in the gorilla cage, even had the cage been properly locked, the gorilla still would have escaped. Therefore, Tzadok, I find you not guilty.”
The judge banged his gavel and Tzadok jumped up, yelled “Yishtabach Shemo!” and danced his way out of the courtroom.
Free at last, Tzadok happily walked through the streets of Yerushalayim, when he noticed a huge sign announcing that the Horki Rebbe was visiting Eretz Yisroel and would be available to give brachos and answer shaylos later that day.
“The Horki Rebbe?” Tzadok said to himself. “Ah! What an opportunity! I know just what I’m going to do!”
* * *
Several hours later, a long line snaked through the Meah Shearim neighborhood as people waited for the chance to meet with the Horki Rebbe. Rav Volender, who was standing in line, looked up at the sound of his name being called.
“Tzadok?” Rav Volender said. “Is that you?”
Sure enough, there was a small booth set up outside of the house where the Horki Rebbe was meeting people, and there stood Tzadok Hatzadik.
“Rebbi! I was released from jail today!” Tzadok said happily.
“Yes, I heard - mazel tov!” Rav Volender replied. “But what are you doing here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” asked Tzadok.
“Unfortunately, no,” Rav Volender answered.
“Well all these people are waiting in line to speak to the Horki Rebbe,” Tzadok explained. “So I decided to do a big chessed for everyone here and offer to answer people’s questions so that they don’t have to wait hours to ask their questions from the Rebbe. Isn’t that a great idea? What about you, Rav Volender? What do you want to ask the Horki Rebbe?”
“Um... well I have some sensitive shaylos about how to deal with a certain repeat prisoner whom I can’t seem to teach how to stay out of trouble - but what makes you think you are qualified to answer people’s shaylos?”
Tzadok stroked his gray beard. “Kavod Harav. You tell me all the time to learn Chovos Halevavos and Mesilas Yesharim. Why don’t you tell this prisoner to do that too?”
“Uh... I have told this prisoner to do that many times,” Rav Volender said uncomfortably.
“Hmmm...” Tzadok said, stroking his beard again. “Well I would then tell this man to write a sefer. That’s what I did and now, any time I need to know what to do, I just look it up in my sefer - that’s how I’m able to answer other people’s shaylos, just like the Horki Rebbe!”
“Tzadok,” Rav Volender said. “Do you know about the mitzvah of לֹׁ ̆¿כƒמ ן≈ּ ̇ƒ ̇ ‡ֹל ר≈ּוƒע י≈נ¿פƒל?”
“No,” said Tzadok. “It sounds like it means that you shouldn’t put a stumbling-block in front of a blind person. But my sefer isn’t in braille so I didn’t write anything about blind people.”
“But Tzadok, that mitzvah isn’t just about blind people. It also means not to give people bad advice.”
“Kavod Harav!” Tzadok said, shocked. “I would NEVER give anyone bad advice!”
“I know you would never want to give anyone bad advice,” said Rav Volender. “But who says you are qualified to give advice in the first place? The Horki Rebbe is a great talmid chochom who has spent his entire life learning Torah. Do you really think you can give the same advice that he can?”
Tzadok shuffled his feet. “I can try,” he said.
“But don’t you understand?” asked Rav Volender. “Giving advice when you are not qualified, is just as bad as giving outright bad advice. People may listen to you and it will be your fault if they do the wrong thing as a result. Only talmidei chachomim should be giving advice. They are the only ones we should be listening to.”
Tzadok thought about this for a minute, and his face lit up.
“I know! The advice I will give to everyone is to not listen to me and instead ask their shaylos to the Horki Rebbe!”
Rav Volender smiled. “Very good, Tzadok. I’m glad to see that you’re taking my advice. And when I’m done speaking to the Horki Rebbe, why don’t we learn some Chovos Halevavos together?”
Have a Wonderful Shabbos
Let’s review:
- Why is Tzadok not qualified to give people advice?
- Who are the people who should be giving advice to other Yidden?
