If fire goes out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, or standing grain, or a field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely pay.
The Ohr Hachaim first explains this possuk with its simple, Halachic, explanation. The fire was lit on the private property of the perpetrator, but it had the ability to leave his property and burn someone else’s. The fire goes out, denoting that the fire was lit in a way that had the ability to leave and cause a great conflagration.
The possuk continues that the fire catches in thorns, that even though it would never have reached the standing grain if it would not have burned the thorns on the way, he still has to pay for the thorns that he burned. These thorns have value as fuel, and he must pay for them. One would think that he is exempt from paying for them because he did not use them. They were a liability to him because they caused him to be responsible for the grain that burned. However, he still has to pay for them.
The Torah adds הַמַבְעִׂר אֶׁת הַבְעֵרָּה with a double expression to show that he has to pay for both the wood and the standing grain.
The Torah writes וּמָּצְאָּה קֹצִׂים – it will find thorns. Even if the kindler of the conflagration was unaware of the existence of the thorns and did not know that the fire could reach the grain, he is still liable for the damage.
The Ohr Hachaim then explains the pessukim with mussar to a person that would contemplate doing an aveira. A person should know that by doing an aveira, he is bringing evil down to the world that can cause all kinds of terrible punishments. All suffering in the world is due to the aveiros of people.
If a fire goes out, alluding to troubles and strife that afflict the world. And shall find thorns, alluding to the wicked ones, who are thorns that poke a person and hurt him. The Torah uses an expression of finding, alluding to the possuk וְהָּיָּה כִׂי תִׂמְצֶׁאןָּ אֹתוֹ רָּעוֹת רַבוֹת וְצָּרוֹת - It shall happen, when many evils and troubles have come on them. A Rasha does not have anyone in charge of him, he is a free bird. He has removed the yoke of Hashem from his shoulders, and he acts like someone who runs his own life. Hashem hides His face from this person, and he does not see Hashem’s hashgacha in his life. Everything that happens to him seems random.
When the fire begins to burn, it can burn anything. Not just thorns and unnecessary items, but even useful grain. Two types of grain are mentioned in the passuk – gathered grain in a גָּדִׂיש, and standing grain. The gathered grain, which does not stand up tall, is a reference to young children. Sometimes, due to the aveiros of the wicked, young children pass away. They are burnt by the fire of strict judgment that is brought to the world by the aveiros of the wicked. The Medrash writes that the children were the guarantors that the adults would keep the Torah. When the adults fail in their Torah commitments, the children are taken as collateral.
The standing grain is the grain that is still attached to the ground and is burnt by the fire of the one who kindled the conflagration. This refers to the Tzadikim of the generation, those who stand above the generation with their holiness, wisdom, and connection to Hashem. The possuk writes about Klal Yisroel זֹאת קוֹמָּתֵךְ דָּמְתָּה לְתָּמָּר - This is your stance, that is comparable to a palm tree. Klal Yisroel’s Tzadikim are called palm trees צַדִׂיק כַתָּמָּר יִׂפְרָּח- the Tzadik shall flourish like a palm tree, and now we see that קוֹמָּתֵךְ is compared to a palm tree. The Tzadikim are קוֹמָּתֵךְ and when the fire consumes the standing grain, it is referring to the Tzadikim of the generation who are taken from the generation due to the aveiros of the wicked.
Sometimes, the evil of the wicked reaches such levels that an entire generation is punished. This is what the possuk refers to with the words אוֹ הַשָּדֶׁה – or a field. The entire field was consumed and burned by the fire started with the deeds of the evil ones.
The Torah tells us that when Hashem decides to judge the entire world, those who caused these punishments will not only be punished for that which they did but also for that which they caused. שַלֵם יְשַלֵם הַמַבְעִׂר – the kindler of this conflagration shall surely pay. Hashem will ensure that he stays alive and suffers again and again until his punishment has been reached.
This is a strict Mussar lesson for all of us. Someone who makes someone else do an aveira or prevents him from doing a Mitzvah is not only to blame for the other person’s misdeed but also for all that emerges from his action or inaction. Even if his aveira is his alone, he may be affecting the entire world with his evil. The Gemara tells us that each person should view the entire world as half righteous and half wicked. If he does a Mitzvah, the entire world will be elevated and decided as a righteous world. If he does an aveira, he has tipped the scales the other way, and who knows how many people can suffer from this?
The person who makes the wrong decision may be to blame for a conflagration that consumes children, Tzadikim, and a large congregation. Of course, the converse is also true. If a person acts as he should, he tips the entire world to the good side, and many positive influences emanate. He receives the reward for all of them.
