This week, we continue with translating the Chofetz Chaim’s Sefer entitled, “Sefas Tamim.” Sefas Tamim, from which our foundation takes its name, focuses on the importance of honesty in word and in deed. We now continue our translation of Chapter 2, which discusses the great punishment that awaits those that are deceitful.
“Especially someone who has become accustomed to deceive, has deceived many hundreds of times throughout his life, and so his end will be bad and bitter. This inevitable outcome is expressed in Tanna De’vei Eliyahu Zuta (3rd Perek) as follows: ‘Hakadosh Baruch Hu created everything that exists in the world, except for the character trait of ‘lies’ and ‘injustices’. Hakadosh Baruch Hu neither created these things nor made them (meaning that ‘lies’ are created by the mind of Man, and all ‘injustices’ are perpetrated by Man himself) as the Passuk emphasizes (Devarim 32:4). ‘Our Rock; His actions are perfectly just... a Hashem of faithfulness with no injustice.’ Moreover, Sefer Tzephania (3:5) ‘Hashem is Tzaddik within it (within Man), He does not commit any injustice.’ The text further states (Iyov 34:10-11) ‘(Therefore you men with understanding hearts, listen to me) Heaven forbid that Hashem should do evil, or that the Almighty should commit an injustice... because He repays man for his actions.’ I give testimony on Heaven and Earth that people are not assembled to die, and no living creature is brought to suffer except because of indulging in eating, drinking and partying, that when a man eats and drinks and lives an indulgent lifestyle he and his wife and his children together with their families, to the point when he will pass on to eternity (meaning that the Yetzer Hara deceives him and shows him leniencies to permit him to lie and commit all kinds of crimes; to steal, extort and deceive, all this in order that he and his entire household will continue to live an indulgent lifestyle with honor and happiness, just like the wealthy people live. But truthfully, this is not the way of Hashem. Rather, everyone must limit their expenses to match what they earn, as we will explain further on. Therefore, the man who conducts his life in an opposite sense to what Hashem wants of us will be punished).”
