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The Torah study is dedicatedin the memory of
Asher Ben Haim
As anyone who has studied the laws of theft knows, all agree that one is required to do the natural thing, to return or pay for the object he stole (see Bava Kamma 66a). This is, of course, the case even if he does not swear falsely in this regard. When he does swear about it, other requirements and stringencies enter the picture. However, we can suggest that the Torah placed discussion of the return of the object in the context of the korbanot for the following reason.
First, we should mention the concept of gezel hager, one who steals from someone who has no relatives to inherit his property, and swears falsely about it. If the owner dies, the Torah requires the thief to "pay back" a kohen in lieu of the deceased in order to complete his atonement. Only when addressing the monetary affront can he take care of the matter of the false oath.
Someone might be tempted to mistakenly view the affront of stealing as one in the realm of a mitzva between man and his fellow man, with little "religious" repercussions. The mistake is two-fold. Firstly, Hashem is the one who commanded to treat our fellow man fairly. Secondly, when one begins to act immorally, it is not usually possible to limit it to a certain area alone. One who steals may need to lie. One who lies may need to invoke Hashem’s Name and swear that he neither stole nor lied. Perhaps most significantly, one who lowers his moral standards compromises his inner integrity, an area some refer to as a mitzva between man and himself. Once this has been compromised, it is almost inevitable that the sins in the realm of between man and his Maker will follow.
In the field of health, it has become popular to treat a person holistically. The Torah is teaching us that this approach should be applied to the health of the soul, as well.
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Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part I
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Our King on Rosh Hashana, Our Father on Yom Kippur.
Based on Aroch Siach, p. 221 (Rav Shaul Yisraeli)
P'ninat Mishpat A Non-Contractor in Changing Times – part II
(based on ruling 85128 of the Eretz Hemdah-Gazit Rabbinical Courts)
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part II
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
Parashat Hashavua Happiness for the Right Reasons
[With painful longing, we share these divrei Torah from our co-Rosh Kollel for close to 40 years, Harav Moshe Ehrenreich zt”l.]
