Don't Cause Suffering
It states (22:21) ַנּוּןְעת לֹא וְיָתוֹם ָנָהַלְמא כָּל, "You shall not oppress any widow or orphan." What about other people? Is it permitted to oppress and cause them tzaar?
Rashi writes, "This prohibition applies to everyone, but the Torah mentions what is common. Since [the widow and orphan] are weak, it is common that people hurt them."
The next pesukim (22-23) state ַנֶּהְעת ַנֵּהע ִםא ִּיַפא ָהָרוְח ,ָתוֲקַעצ ַעְׁמֶשא ַָמֹעׁש ַיֵלא ַקיִצְע ָעֹקצ ִםא כִּי אֹתוֹ ִיםיְתֹמ ֶםוּבְנֵיכ ָנוֹתַלְמא ֶםֵיכׁנְש ָיוּוְה ֶבָרבֶּח ֶםְכֶתא ִּיַגְתָרוְה, "If you oppress him, 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 Ibn Ezra notes that the pasuk discusses one person (who afflicted and caused distress to his fellow man), for it states ַנֶּהְעת ַנֵּהע ִםא, "if you oppress..." and it is written in singular tense. But then the punishment is written for many, as it states, ֶםְכֶתא ִּיַגְתָרוְה etc, written in plural tense. This is because if people see someone harming his fellow man, and they don't stop it, they are all held responsible for the affliction. So, one person may have harmed his fellow man, and many people might be punished for letting it go by.
Vatranus and Sensitivity
Pele Yoetz (Vatranus) writes, "Sometimes, the attribute of vatranus will give you life and save you from tzaros. How good is vatranus! No one knows its value."
Sometimes, harming a fellow man is included in the severe prohibition of harming a widow or orphans. Even if the person has parents and isn’t an orphan, you never know what the person is going through. He may be going through very hard times in life and feels totally broken. To harm them will be a severe aveirah; it is at least a דאורייתא ספק, and one must be cautious.
Not Embarrassing Others
Another pasuk in this week's parashah is (22:24) ֶהׁכְּנֹש לוֹ ְיֶהִהת לֹא ָּ ךְִמע ָנִיֶעה ֶתא ִּיַמע ֶתא ַּלְוֶהת ֶףכֶּס ִםא, "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, "Don't demand forcefully the payment of the debt, if you know that he doesn’t have money. You should act with him as if you didn't lend him money. In other words, don't shame him."
We learn from this pasuk how careful we must be not to embarrass or harm another person. Someone owes you money, and you might think that it is permitted to humiliate him, but the Torah forbids it. If even this is forbidden, certainly it is prohibited to humiliate all others.
Even Good Intentions Don't Justify Harm
The Vilna Gaon zt'l (Likutei basar Likutei year 5720) teaches that even if your intention to give tzaar to your fellow man is l'shem shamayim, because you want to bring him to pray to Hashem, nevertheless, the Torah says that you will be punished for doing so. The Vilna Gaon taught that this is hinted in the words, אֹתוֹ ַנֶּהְעת ַנֵּהע ִםא, if you oppress someone and your intention is ַקיִצְע ָעֹקצ ִםא כִּי ָתוֲקַעצ ַעְׁמֶשא ַָמֹעׁש ַיֵלא, that this person should daven to Hashem, so Hashem will listen to his prayers and he will have his salvation, nevertheless, ִּיַפא ָהָרוְח, Hashem will be angry and will punish. His good intentions won't protect him. It is forbidden to cause harm to your fellow man.
The proof is from Peninah. It states (Shmuel 1, 1:1-6), וְלוֹ ...ָנָהֶלְקא ְׁמוֹוּש ...ִִיםצוֹפ ַיִםָתָמָרה ִןמ ָדֶחא ִׁישא ִיוַיְה ָדִיםיְל ְ נִנָּהלִפ ִיוַיְה ְּ נִנָּהפ ֵּׁנִיתַשה ֵםׁוְש ַנָּהח ַתַחא ֵםׁש ִׁיםנָש ֵּיְׁתש ָדִיםיְל ֵיןא ַנָּהוּלְח, "There was one man from Ramasaim Tzofim, his name was Elkanah... He had two wives; the name of the one was Channah and the name of the second was Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Channah had no children." ַדבְּע 'ה ָגַרס כִּי ָּהִמַרְּעה ֲבוּרבַּע ַסכַּע גַּם ָּהָתָרצ ָּהַתֲסוְכִע ָּהְמַחר, "[Peninah]... would frequently anger her, in order to make her complain, for Hashem had shut up her womb." Chazal (Bava Basra 16.) say that ָּהִמַרְּעה ֲבוּרבַּע means that Peninah wanted to cause Chanah to daven. She angered Chanah and upset her, because she wanted that Chanah should daven and be saved.
Nevertheless, she was punished despite her good intentions. As it states (Shmuel 1 2:5) אומללה בנים ורבת שבעה ילדה עקרה עד, "While the barren woman has born seven, she that had many children, has been bereaved." This means that Chanah gave birth to seven children, while Peninah ended up without any children, r'l (see Rashi on Shmuel). This teaches us that harming another person, even for a good purpose, isn't correct. On the contrary, Hashem wants that a person should go in His ways of וחנון רחום, to be kind and compassionate towards all Yidden, and to feel their tzaar.
Rebbe Tzadok HaKohen (Tzikdas HaTzaddik 175) teaches, "You have to be cautious not to harm any creature... even for a mitzvah, there will be a punishment." He proves this from Tana d'Bei Eliyahu (raba ch.24), which states, "The stones that were used by the beis din to stone someone will stand in judgment. Also, the tree used by the beis din to hang someone on it will be judged." But the stone and the tree were used for a mitzvah? Why should they be punished? The answer is that nevertheless, someone was harmed through them. For this, they will be punished.
"This is why the members of Sanhedrin would fast on the day they sentenced someone to death (as stated in Sanhedrin 63.). At this time, beis din performed a mitzvah, they acted correctly, but they nevertheless fasted and did teshuvah to protect themselves from the punishment because, after all, through them, a Yid died."
Harm is Harm, Even with Good Intentions
Reb Chaim Shmuelevitz zt'l said, "When a person places his hand into the fire, even if he had a good reason to do so, his hand will get burnt." So, too, to harm a Yid is fire, even when there are good intentions. If he harmed a Yid, he will also be harmed because of it.
On the words ֵּאַפיְר ֹּאַפוְר, Chazal say, "This teaches us that a doctor has permission to heal."
