Be Smart, Not Correct
Chazal tell us that Yerushalayim was destroyed because they would judge people according to halachah. Hashem wants us to go beyond the letter of the law. Not always is being right what Hashem wants from us.
The Chofetz Chaim (Ahavas Chesed, Amud HaChesed 33) writes that when he was young, there was a widow in his neighborhood who couldn’t pay her rent. The baal habayis warned her that he would have to ask her to leave if she didn't pay. She didn't succeed in raising the money, and the baal habayis removed the roof. It was freezing, raining, and snowing inside the home, and she and her children had to leave and seek another place.
The Chofetz Chaim said that he saw this episode and guarded it in his heart. He was certain that in the end, the baal habayis would be punished for causing the almanah so much distress. Because it says in this week's parashah (22:21-23) ענה אם ,תענון לא ויתום אלמנה כל אפי וחרה ,צעקתו אשמע שמע אלי יצעק צעק אם כי אתו תענה יתמים ובניכם אלמנות נשיכם והיו בחרב אתכם והרגתי, "You shall not oppress any widow or orphan. If you oppress him, beware, for if he cries out to Me, I will surely hear his cry. My wrath will be kindled, and I will slay you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans." The Chofetz Chaim was sure that there would be a punishment.
Ten years later, a wild dog bit the baal habayis. He began barking like a dog until he died from his wounds and bitter suffering. One might ask, "What did the baal habayis do wrong? He wasn't obligated to give away his apartment for free." That's true, but we have to think beyond the letter of the law, too. Chazal tell us that Yerushalayim was destroyed because people didn't go beyond the letter of the law. One has to consider all matters before making a drastic decision.
The Gemara (Taanis 5:) states that when Reb Nachman was leaving Reb Yitzchak, he asked for a brachah. Reb Yitzchak told him, "I will tell you a mashal. A person was walking in the desert; he was hungry, tired, and thirsty, and he found a tree that had sweet fruit, good shade, and water flowing underneath it. He ate from the fruit, drank water, and sat in the shade. When he was ready to leave, he said, 'Tree! Tree! How can I bless you? If I were to tell you that you should have sweet fruit, behold you have sweet fruit. Should I bless you to have good shade? You have good shade. Should I bless you that a river should flow next to you? You have that as well! Rather, I bless you that all trees that come from you should also have all these characteristics.' I say the same to you: How can I bless you? Should I bless you with Torah? Behold, you have Torah. Should I bless you with wealth? Behold you are wealthy. Should I bless you with children? You have children! Rather, I bless you that all your children should be like you."
In the mashal, the tree had three qualities: sweet fruit, shade, and a river. In the nimshal, the talmid chacham is described as having three benefits: Torah, wealth, and children. The Maharsha shows how the three correspond to the three. The sweet fruit represents Torah, the shade represents wealth, as it states הכסף בצל החכמה בצל, and the stream of water flowing represents children, as it says רבים במים וזרעו.
The Pnei Menachem zt'l says that wealth is represented by a shadow because money is an imagination, like a shadow. You can't take it with you.
We will explain:
This week discusses the obligation to return collateral that was taken for a debt. It states (22:25-26) השמש בא עד רעך שלמת תחבל חבל אם ישכב במה לערו שמלתו הוא לבדה כסותה הוא כי ,לו תשיבנו אני חנון כי ושמעתי אלי יצעק כי והיה, "If you take your neighbor's garment as security, until sunset you shall return it to him, for it is his only covering; it is his garment for his skin. With what shall he lie? And it shall be that if he cries out to Me, I will hear because I am gracious."
Rashi explains that the pasuk is discussing collateral taken at the time of the loan to guarantee that he will get his money back. Nevertheless, he must return the garment to the poor person when the poor person needs it. A daytime garment must be returned each morning, and a nighttime garment, such as a blanket, must be returned each night.
This obligation is also discussed in Devarim (24:10). Rashi there describes the debt that is due to him, כלום של חוב, "A debt involving anything." These words can also be translated as "Debt of nothing." It is explained that Rashi wants to encourage people and help them keep this difficult mitzvah. And it is a difficult mitzvah to keep. After all, he did someone a favor; he lent him money, and he has a right to take collateral to be guaranteed that he will receive payment. Why must he return it to the poor person each day when he needs it? Rashi tells him that it is a כלום של חוב, a debt of nothing. Essentially, what is it? It is only money. With this thought in mind, it will be easier for him to keep these halachos.
This is also implied by the shadow, which represents money and wealth, as we saw above. We must remember that money is a shadow; it isn't real. We give money more importance than it deserves. Money is an intangible shadow, a chov shel klum, nothingness, and we shouldn’t let money blind us of our obligations and middos towards our fellow man.
It states (22:24) עמך העני את עמי את תלוה כסף אם כנשה לו תהיה לא, "When you lend money to My people, to the poor person who is with you, you shall not behave toward him as a lender." Rashi writes, "You shall not demand it of him forcibly. If you know that he does not have [the money to repay you], do not appear to him as if you have lent to him, but as if you have not lent to him, i.e., do not embarrass him."
This is also a very difficult mitzvah to keep. He lent money and can’t even ask for the money back because he knows that the borrower doesn't have money. Perhaps it doesn't seem fair, but the Torah requires this from us. This is because we shouldn't always think about "what is right" but rather "what is the right thing to do."
