Gossip, Lashon Hara and Leprosy - The Leftist Mafia Court Destroys Israel and Elections

A Jew that apostatizes, or violates Sabbaths in public, he is considered a gentile in all aspects.

The Gemara relates that the tanna who recited mishnayot and baraitot in the study hall taught a baraita before Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak: Anyone who humiliates another in public, it is as though he were spilling blood. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said to him: You have spoken well, as we see that after the humiliated person blushes, the red leaves his face and pallor comes in its place, which is tantamount to spilling his blood. Abaye said to Rav Dimi: In the West, i.e., Eretz Yisrael, with regard to what mitzva are they particularly vigilant? Rav Dimi said to him: They are vigilant in refraining from humiliating others, as Rabbi Ḥanina says: Everyone descends to Gehenna except for three.

"one who whitens (embarrasses) the face of another in public": The face of one who is embarrassed turns red first and then white, as the spirit [of a person] has two movements, one outwards and one inwards. And when one embarrasses a person, at first the breath moves outwards, like one who is full of anger and his face turns red. And when he does not find a solution how to get rid of this embarrassment from on his face, he worries inside himself and the breath goes inwards because of the pain, and his face turns yellow and [then] white. And this is what they said (Bava Metzia 58b) about the matter of whitening: "when the red leaves, the white comes."

one who whitens (embarrasses) the face of another in public: This is a derivative of the things for which he should die and not transgress. And the sources (avot) [of the derivatives] are three: idolatry, [forbidden] sexual relations and the spilling of blood (murder). The derivative of idolatry is the wood [that comes from] a tree-god (ashera); and like we say (Pesachim 25a), "We may heal ourselves with anything, except for the wood of a tree-god." And even though it is not [necessarily] idolatry itself; but rather [even when] it is its auxiliary, he should die and not transgress rather than benefiting from it. And the derivative of sexual relations is one who stares at or converses with a married woman - that he should die and not transgress. [It is] like that case in Sanhedrin 75a about the one whose heart [became sick] with lust about whom they said, "That she stand before him naked - He should [rather] die; she will not stand before him naked! That she should speak with him from behind a fence - he should [rather] die; she will not speak with him from behind a fence.” And the derivative of spilling blood is "one who whitens the face of another in public" - since his blood flees from the embarrassment. [It is] as we say (Bava Metzia 58b), "We see that the red leaves and white comes [in its place]." And because of this, he has no share in the world to come.

He who rebukes a friend, at the beginning, no hard words should be used against him to shame him, for it is said: "And thou shalt bear no sin upon him" (Lev. 19.17). Thus did the wise men say: "Understand it not by rebuking him thou mayest cause his countenance to change expression; for, it is said: 'And thou shalt bear no sin upon him'" (Ibid.; Arakin, 16b); herefrom we learn that it is forbidden to put an Israelite to shame, needless to say publicly. Although he who does put his fellow to shame is not flogged, it is a grievous sin. Even so did the wise men say: "He who publicly puts his fellow's countenance to shame has no share in the world to come" (Pirke Abot, 3.15). A man is, therefore obliged to guard himself against putting his fellow to shame publicly, regardless of whether he be young or old; not to call him by a name of which he feels ashamed, nor tell aught in his presence of which he is ashamed. However, all these refer to matters touching the relationship between man and man; but if it concern heavenly matters, if the sinner does not repent after being rebuked privately, he should be shamed publicly, and his sin should be proclaimed, and harsh words should be used in his presence, and he should be shamed and cursed till he repent and take up the good path, even as all of the prophets in Israel did with the wicked.⁸Baba Mezi’a 59a; Yoma, 86b. C. G.

Each and every one of the enumerated twenty-four different categories of persons, Israelites though they be, have no share in the World to Come. And, there are yet lesser transgressions than those referred to concerning which the sages, nevertheless, said, that he who makes a practice to violate them has no share in the World to Come, and that they are of sufficient importance to be kept at a distance, and to watch out against them. They are: he who gives an alias name to his friend; he who calls his friend by his aliases; he who shames his friend publicly; he who glorifies himself by disgracing his friend; he who insults scholars; he who insults his masters; he who despises holy times; he who profanes holy objects. That is saying, that none of these will have a share in the World to Come, if he dies without repentance; but if he repent from his wickedness and died in a state of repentance, he is, indeed, of the sons of the World to Come, as there is not a thing to stand in the way of repentance. Even if one who denied the existence of God all of his life but in the end repented, has a share in the World to Come, for it is said: "Peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him" (Is. 57.19). All of the wicked, and apostates and their like who turned in repentance, whether publicly or secretly, should be accepted back into the folds of Israel, even as it is said: "Return ye backsliding children" (Jer. 3.22)—though he still be backsliding, for, 10, he repented secretly and not publicly, yet is his repentence accepted.²²Pirke Abot, 3.11; Sanhedrin, 99b; Baba Mezi’a, 58b; Megillah, 28a; Tosfot, Rosh ha-Shanah, 16b; Kiddushin, 38b; Abodah Zarah, 7a. C. G.

The Gemara asks: Does it enter your mind that everyone descends to Gehenna? Rather, say: Anyone who descends to Gehenna ultimately ascends, except for three who descend and do not ascend, and these are they: One who engages in intercourse with a married woman, as this transgression is a serious offense against both God and a person; and one who humiliates another in public; and one who calls another a derogatory name. The Gemara asks with regard to one who calls another a derogatory name: That is identical to one who shames him; why are they listed separately? The Gemara answers: Although the victim grew accustomed to being called that name in place of his name, and he is no longer humiliated by being called that name, since the intent was to insult him, the perpetrator’s punishment is severe.

"one who whitens (embarrasses) the face of another in public": The face of one who is embarrassed turns red first and then white, as the spirit [of a person] has two movements, one outwards and one inwards. And when one embarrasses a person, at first the breath moves outwards, like one who is full of anger and his face turns red. And when he does not find a solution how to get rid of this embarrassment from on his face, he worries inside himself and the breath goes inwards because of the pain, and his face turns yellow and [then] white. And this is what they said (Bava Metzia 58b) about the matter of whitening: "when the red leaves, the white comes."

Alternatively, one can explain: “Because he has despised the word of the Lord”; this is a reference to one who interprets the Torah inappropriately. “And has breached His commandment”; this is a reference to one who breaches the covenant of flesh, who refuses to circumcise his foreskin. “Shall be excised [hikkaret tikkaret]”; “hikkaret” refers to being excised in this world, and “tikkaret” refers to being excised from the World-to-Come. From here Rabbi Elazar HaModa’i says: With regard to one who desecrates consecrated items, e.g., intentionally rendering them impure; and one who treats the intermediate days of the Festivals with contempt; and one who breaches the covenant of Abraham our forefather; and one who reveals aspects in the Torah that are not in accordance with halakha; and one who humiliates another in public, even if he has to his credit Torah study and good deeds, he has no share in the World-to-Come.

Each and every one of the enumerated twenty-four different categories of persons, Israelites though they be, have no share in the World to Come. And, there are yet lesser transgressions than those referred to concerning which the sages, nevertheless, said, that he who makes a practice to violate them has no share in the World to Come, and that they are of sufficient importance to be kept at a distance, and to watch out against them. They are: he who gives an alias name to his friend; he who calls his friend by his aliases; he who shames his friend publicly; he who glorifies himself by disgracing his friend; he who insults scholars; he who insults his masters; he who despises holy times; he who profanes holy objects. That is saying, that none of these will have a share in the World to Come, if he dies without repentance; but if he repent from his wickedness and died in a state of repentance, he is, indeed, of the sons of the World to Come, as there is not a thing to stand in the way of repentance. Even if one who denied the existence of God all of his life but in the end repented, has a share in the World to Come, for it is said: "Peace, peace, to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him" (Is. 57.19). All of the wicked, and apostates and their like who turned in repentance, whether publicly or secretly, should be accepted back into the folds of Israel, even as it is said: "Return ye backsliding children" (Jer. 3.22)—though he still be backsliding, for, 10, he repented secretly and not publicly, yet is his repentence accepted.²²Pirke Abot, 3.11; Sanhedrin, 99b; Baba Mezi’a, 58b; Megillah, 28a; Tosfot, Rosh ha-Shanah, 16b; Kiddushin, 38b; Abodah Zarah, 7a. C. G.

David continued: Moreover, my enemies torment me to the extent that at the time when they are engaged in the public study of the halakhot of the four court-imposed death penalties they interrupt their study and say to me: David, concerning one who engages in intercourse with a married woman, his death is effected with what form of execution? And I said to them: Concerning one who engages in intercourse with a married woman before witnesses and with forewarning, his death is by strangulation, and he has a share in the World-to-Come. But one who humiliates another before the multitudes has no share in the World-to-Come. The transgression of those who humiliated David is clearly more severe than the transgression of David himself.

Furthermore, they said: One exposes the hypocrites due to the desecration of God’s name, so others will not think that they are truly righteous and that their deeds bear imitating, as it is stated: “When a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, I will lay a stumbling block before him” (Ezekiel 3:20). That is, when people do not know that someone is wicked to the core, he causes other people to err and this desecrates the name of God when it is revealed. The repentance of utterly wicked people prevents suffering from coming upon them. And although the sentence of judgment has already been signed against them for suffering, their repentance prevents them from being punished.

Therefore, those who are modest in their dress and speak gently and conduct themselves as pious and just in order that others should believe them and depend upon their works, and flatter those who should not be flattered, and make secret schemes and do not worry about fulfilling the commandments except when they are in the public eye and not when they are alone, and thus deceive the people — these are profaners of God, Blessed be He, more than all others — for they cause people to disbelieve the good teachers and prophets, for these latter are then suspected by people who say, "Perhaps these men are like those who deceived us." When anyone recognizes a false and lying prophet he should spread this abroad and let everyone know, as our Sages said: "We must publicly expose those who are flatterers" (Yoma 86b).

One day Rav Ashi ended his lecture just before reaching the matter of the three kings. He said to his students: Tomorrow we will begin the lecture with our colleagues the three kings, who, although they were sinners, were Torah scholars like us. Manasseh, king of Judea, came and appeared to him in his dream. Manasseh said to him angrily: You called us your colleague and the colleagues of your father? How dare you characterize yourself as our equal?

Manasseh said to him: I will ask you, from where are you required to begin cutting a loaf of bread when reciting the blessing: Who brings forth bread from the earth? Rav Ashi said to him: I do not know. Manasseh said to him: Even this, from where you are required to begin cutting a loaf of bread when reciting the blessing: Who brings forth bread from the earth, you did not learn, and yet you call us your colleague? Rav Ashi said to Manasseh: Teach me this halakha and tomorrow I will lecture and cite it in your name during my public lecture delivered on the Festival. Manasseh said to him: One cuts the loaf from where it crusts as a result of baking.

The one who cuts the bread may not do so till salt or a relish has been placed before every one at the table—unless they propose to eat dry bread. He is not to cut a small size because this would make him seem parsimonious, nor a slice larger than the size of an egg for then he would seem ravenous. On Sabbath a large slice is cut. The bread is to be cut only at the part where it has been thoroughly baked.

Rav Ashi said to him: Since you were so wise, what is the reason you engaged in idol worship? Manasseh said to him: Had you been there at that time, you would have taken and lifted the hem of your cloak and run after me due to the fierce desire to engage in idol worship and due to the fact that it was a common faith. The next day Rav Ashi said to the Sages as a prelude to his lecture: We will begin with the treatment of our teachers, those kings who were greater than us in Torah knowledge but whose sins caused them to lose their share in the World-to-Come.

And Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and the L-rd drove the sea with a strong east wind [(the strongest of the winds)] all the night, and He made the sea into dry land, and the waters [of all the world] were split.

Rabbi Abba said: Even so, the son of Neḥunya the well digger died of thirst, and the merit of his father, who attended to the water supply, did not protect him, as is stated: “And around Him it storms [nisara] mightily” (Psalms 50:3), which teaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is exacting with His surroundings, i.e., the righteous who are close to Him, up to a hairsbreadth [sa’ara], so that even slight deviations can elicit severe punishment. Rabbi Ḥanina said: This idea is derived from here: “A God dreaded in the great council of the holy ones, and feared by all that are about Him” (Psalms 89:8). This indicates that God is most feared by those that are nearest to Him, i.e., the righteous, because He is more exacting of them.

Those who ask this question do not really display much wisdom. The very quality that enabled Isaac to be judged by the attribute of Justice is what secures Israel's eventual lofty status, its joining the ranks of בני עליון, superior beings. First we must examine the meaning of the מדרשים, Bereshit Rabbah 12,15 et al., which report G–d as having wanted to create a universe that would be administered solely by the attribute of Justice. These Midrashim report that when G–d realized that such a universe could not endure for long, He co-opted the attribute of Mercy. I have dealt with this problem at length on page 14 of this volume, where I also explained that one must not conceive of G–d as having "changed His mind," having abandoned a previous plan, seeing לא בן אדם ויתנחם, "He is not human that He should have regrets" (Numbers 23,9). All that happened to G–d's original plan is that instead of the yardstick of the attribute of Justice being applied universally, it is applied only to בני עליה, the truly righteous. To them G–d applies the most stringent yardstick. It is the application to them of the undiluted attribute of Justice which stamps them as superior creatures, בני עליה. They are but few in numbers. G–d applies a mixture of the attributes of Justice and Mercy to the vast majority of people. In the future under discussion, however, when everybody will qualify as a member of that formerly select group, everybody will be judged by the undiluted attribute of Justice and will prevail even under such scrutiny. It is impossible for people nowadays to qualify for such a status until after their bodies, i.e. the raw-material their bodies are made of, have undergone a process of refinement such as the experience of exile and other afflictions. The more of such suffering the Jewish people experiences, the greater the evidence that G–d has decided to become very exacting with us in order to prepare us for that idyllic state. When viewed under this perspective, we understand that the application of the attribute of Justice is really an expression of the greatest love, חסד, of G–d for the Jewish people.

And, with regard to the formulation of the blessings, Rabba bar Ḥinnana Sava said in the name of Rav: Throughout the year a person prays and concludes the third blessing of the Amida prayer with: The holy God, and concludes the blessing regarding the restoration of justice to Israel with: King who loves righteousness and justice, with the exception of the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, the Ten Days of Atonement. These days are comprised of Rosh HaShana, Yom Kippur, and the seven days in between, when one emphasizes God’s sovereignty, and so when he prays he concludes these blessings with: The holy King and: The King of justice, i.e., the King who reveals Himself through justice.

The Holy King - since during these days He shows his kingship to judge the world

The third blessing ends, throughout the year, with the words, "the holy God," and the eleventh blessing, with the words, "King who loveth righteousness and justice." But in the ten days, from the New Year to the close of the day of Atonement, the third blessing ends with the words, "the holy King" and the eleventh, with the words, "The King of Justice."

The agent of the community always blesses the third blessing according to this formula. We sanctify you and we declare you King and three times daily we declare Your holiness as it says by the hand of Your prophet, "And they turned one to the other and said, 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His Glory (Isaiah 6)." His Glory and His Greatness fill the world and His servants ask, 'where is the place of His Glory?' To revere him, those facing praise and say, "Blessed is the glory of God from His place (Ezekiel 3)." From Your place, our King, appear and rule over us because we wait for You. When will You rule in Zion? In our lives and in our day may you dwell, be sanctified and be exalted in the midst of Jerusalem, Your city, from generation to generation forever. May our eyes see the kingdom of your strength, as it is said in Your holy writings by the hand of David your righteous anointed one, "The Lord will reign forever, Your God O Zion, from generation to generation, Halleluyah(Psalm 146)!" From generation to generation we will declare Your greatness and from eternity to eternity proclaim Your holiness; Your praise, our God, shall not cease from our lips because You, God, are a great and holy King. Blessed are You, Lord, the holy God. At the time when the communal agent says within this blessing, "And one turned to the other," all the people respond, " Holy, holy, holy, etc." And when he says, "Where is the place of Your glory?" All of the people respond, "They praise and say, blessed, etc." And when he says, "In our lives and in our days," all the people respond, "Amen." And when he says, " By the hand of David, Your righteous anointed one," all the people respond, "The Lord will reign forever." And all of these, the words that the congregation responds, he recites with them and does not raise his voice at the time that they respond with him, one for the individual and one for the communal agent. During the ten days from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, one says at the end of this blessing, as it is said, the Lord of Hosts is exalted by justice and the holy God is sanctified through righteousness. Blessed are you, Lord, the Holy King.

All through the year you say in the Shemoneh Esrei, hakeil hakadosh [the Almighty, the Holy One], and melech oheiv tzedakah umishpat [King Lover of righteousness and justice] except from Rosh Hashanah until after Yom Kippur, when you must say instead Hamelech hakadosh (the King, the Holy One) and Hamelech hamishpat (the King of Justice), because on these days the Holy One blessed is He manifests His dominion by judging the world. If, by mistake, you said Hakeil hakadosh, or if you are in doubt whether you said Hakeil hakadosh or Hamelech hakadosh; if you become aware of the error within the time needed to utter a short greeting, [Shalom Alecha Rebbe] you should say Hamelech hakadosh²This is so only if you did not yet begin the next berachah, but if you began the next berachah, even if it is still within toch kedei dibur, you must start from the beginning of Shemoneh Esrei. (Mishnah Berurah 582:7) and you need not start again from the beginning. The same law applies to Hamelech hamishpat. But, if you only became aware of it after the time needed for a short greeting, then, at Hamelech hakadosh you must repeat Shemoneh Esrei from the beginning, (even if in doubt),³However, if you are certain that you intended to say Hamelech hakadosh, and then much later you became doubtful if you actually said it or not, you need not repeat the Shemoneh Esrei. If, however, the doubt came into mind immediately after you completed Shemoneh Esrei, you must repeat the Shemoneh Esrei. (Ibid 114:38) If on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur there is a doubt if you said Hamelech hakadosh, you need not repeat the Amidah, since you can assume that you said it as part of the special prayers of Yom Tov. (Ibid 582:4) because the first three berachos are considered as one (as is written in Chapter 19:2). Even the Chazzan during the repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei, must repeat from the beginning [if he did not say Hamelech hakadosh], and the kedusha must be said again. But at Hamelech hamishpat, even an individual need not repeat, even that berachah, since he mentioned the word melech "King" in that berachah. During the entire year, if you said, by mistake, Hamelech hakadosh or Hamelech hamishpat, you need not repeat the Shemoneh Esrei.

You must not pause longer than it would take to utter [a short greeting]⁵“(וּמוֹרִי) שָׁלוֹם עָלֶיךָּ רַבִּי”—“Peace to you, my Rabbi (and teacher).” This time interval applies only when pausing in silence—speaking constitutes an interruption even if only one word is uttered. (Mishnah Berurah 206:12) between the berachah [over the food] and eating it. Even while chewing, you may not pause until you swallow it. (For chewing [or tasting] do not require a berachah, see par. 7.) Now, if after the berachah but before eating, you interrupted by saying, something that was unrelated to the meal, then you must repeat the berachah. However, if you paused silently, then you need not repeat the berachah. Any delay which is necessary for the purpose of the meal, is not considered an interruption. Therefore, if you wish to eat [a portion of] a large fruit [which you must] cut up into small pieces, then you should recite the berachah while the fruit is [still] whole, for it is considered an [enhancement of] a mitzvah to say a berachah over something that is whole; and the pause [caused by cutting up the fruit] is not considered an interruption, because [this cutting] is necessary in order to eat [the fruit]. On the other hand, if you wish to eat a fruit, [and this is the only one available], and you have none other, and there is reason to suspect that this fruit contains worms which would make it unfit to be eaten, then you must open it and examine it before reciting the berachah.