YeshivaThe torah world Gateway
Beit Midrash
- Sections
- Chemdat Yamim
Before the story, let us give some halachic background. The Rabbis (Berachot 19b) established the rule: "Great is human dignity, which pushes off a negative commandment of the Torah." The Rabbis disputed the extent of this rule. Some say it applies even to explicit Torah negative commandments, although the gemara concludes that it applies only to pushing off Rabbinic negative commandments. The matter might be the subject of a machloket between the Bavli and the Yerushalmi. In the case where the Torah law is violated by omission (e.g., refraining from a brit mila or from bringing a Korban Pesach), all agree it is overridden in order to maintain human dignity (e.g., by burying one who has no one else to bury him). (We cannot address all the principles of this halachic phenomenon in this limited space.)
The rule of kavod haberiyot (human dignity) pushing off halachotis, in some ways, more powerful than the rule of aseh docheh lo ta’aseh (a positive mitzva pushes off a negative one). The latter rule applies only at the exact time the positive mitzva is performed. In contrast, kavod haberiyot pushes off violations even when the envisioned disgrace has not yet "come into the world." Therefore, it is permitted to move stones (old equivalent of toilet paper) on Shabbat, even before the need to use them to maintain human dignity exists. This applies when carrying in a karmelit (a Rabbinic-level public domain) or in violation of a techumin (not moving things beyond the radius of approximately a kilometer).
Now, the story. On Yom Kippur of the Yom Kippur War, a truck (high enough to reduce techumin issues to a Rabbinic level) arrived at the Hesder Yeshiva of Kiryat Arba, where I was a student, at 2 PM, to take us to the front. The next stop was Yeshivat Har Etzion, where some members of our tank unit were studying. As we pulled out, we saw an older man running after us with a big bundle. We yelled to the driver to stop and then recognized the sprinter – the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Aharon.
Rav Aharon caught up with us and quickly explained. "When I realized you were being enlisted, I realized that, being Yom Kippur, you would not be able to bring along any personal items but the tallitoton your back. So I ran to the apartment to bring you toilet paper. You will be able to take that with you to various places based on the rule that kavod haberiyot pushes off a negative commandment."
I will always remember that moment. At that time, we understood what a "Man of Halacha" is, a man who thinks of halacha in a most practical way. This was a person whose Torah was not just in his head but became one with his life and personality. Even in the midst of the passion of Yom Kippur (and students of Rav Lichtenstein know its great significance to him), kavod haberiyot was an inseparable part of him. The beautiful interplay between service of Hashem with the intellect and constant Torah study along with service of the heart – prayer and deep human sensitivity – appeared before us in its full glory.
Fortunate are students who merited to take leave of their rabbi in this way as they embarked to fight the war of Hashem, protecting His nation and land. Fortunate is the rabbi who leaves the world in sanctity and purity in all ways, after a full life of service of Hashem and producing many students. Let us pray that we will merit to march in his footsteps, even a little bit, and, thereby, sanctify the Name of Heaven every day in all our paths.
Chemdat Yamim (3141)
Rabbi Yossef Carmel
1 - The Right Pace to Leave a Holy Place
2 - An Individual Who is a Community
3 - Giving More Than You Have?
Load More
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
fast navigation
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 9 - "Seeing is Believing" (parag. 21-30)
These paragraphs elaborate on the theme that seeing and knowing is better than any attempt to prove logically, and begins explaining the difference between Israel and gentiles.
Ein Aya Various Universal Stages of the Geula Process
Rav Kook examines the various stages of redemption, explaining how (in addition to the obvious oft-mentioned stages of ingathering the exiles, reviving the Hebrew language, army, state etc.) the messianic dream of world prosperity, the State of Israel and world unity can and are realistically and logically gradually coming true.
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 8- "Answering Questions on the Kuzari's Proof from Mass Revelation
How do we know that the "claim" of mass revelation to 2,000,000 witnesses at Mt. Sinai is really true? This important class answers all of the questions skeptics ask about this claim of the Kuzari.
Ein Aya Armies Still Necessary for Balance & the War Against Wars
Rav Kook explains why the world was originally divided into the various seemingly contradicting ideologies and cultures, in order to develop each one respectively. Swords or armies symbolize how each respective ideology defends themselves, as well as deters their opposing ideologies and cultures. On the other hand, the messianic era will be one of peace, and Rav Kook explains the transition to that stage, which mankind is already undergoing.
The Land of Israel LGBT'S IN ISRAEL
The question was asked, how can one make Aliyah with the LGBT parades?
Kuzari -Rabbi Ari Shvat Kuzari class 7 - Five Accumulative Proofs of G-d
As a preparation for the Kuzari's classic proof of G-d from the mass-revelation at Sinai, we start here with 5 other directions to strengthen our belief which also contribute to what the Kuzari will present as well.
Ein Aya Muscle & Meaning: The Dual Nature of Gevurah (Physical Strength)
Is physical strength and fitness a necessity or an ideal? Although it if often totally overlooked among topics of Judaism, Rav Kook writes that it clearly is also a necessity to deter the many enemies of Israel, but even in Y'mot HaMashiach, in the Messianic era, to a certain extent, it's ideal continues even after our enemies will have been finished off.
