- Rebuke thy Neighbor
- Moshe Ben-Chaim
- The Torah teaches, "hokayach tokiyach es amisecha",
"certainly rebuke your neighbor". The verse concludes with,
"v'lo sisa alav chate", "but don't carry upon him
- I heard an explanation for this juxtaposition: One must rebuke
another if he sees him sinning, but he must be aware of his
motivation. Perhaps some might rebuke out of a desire for supremacy
over others. If this is the motive, then one does not fulfill the
command. One who functions on such a base level might also rebuke in
an obstinate or egotistical fashion, thereby doing more harm by
engendering feelings of resentment, and not feelings of appreciation.
Rebuke, but don't cause sin in the process.
- The Minchas Chinuch teaches that one must do so delicately,
privately, and with a pleasant demeanor.
- I thought about what the fulfillment of this obligation is to rebuke
another. I thought, it cannot be to actually change someone else,
because this is not in our hands. If it ends up that one is
inflexible, I must have still fulfilled my obligation by approaching
him, regardless of his response. The obligation also cannot be defined
as imparting knowledge to the sinner, as if this were the case, why
would the law be to constantly rebuke if the sinner continues sinning?
If I must continue to rebuke (unless the sinner threatens me) how do I
define my obligation?
- There must be a definition which would define my act as a
fulfillment in light of these issues.
- I believe the command is not directed at generating effects in the
sinner, but the command has to do with our performance per se. I
believe "Hokayach Tokiyach" teaches that we must show
intolerance at the sight of another Jew breaking the law. This
explains why we must continue to rebuke if the sinner continues
sinning. Intolerance that God's word is not obeyed, by definition
means it is always intolerable - not only one time. We
therefore must continue our rebuke. Rebuke is not for the edification
of the sinner, as this would only require one rebuke. It is also not
to change the sinner, because we still fulfill the command if we are
ultimately threatened and must cease, leaving the sinner to sin again.
- The sinner's threats on us suspend the obligation, but they do not
cancel our fulfillment heretofore.
- Reader's Comments:
- I think it would be helpful to explain rebuke on a practical level
adding to the Minchas Chinuch. That in any situation rebuke may be
necessary. And everyone is obligated to rebuke, not only Rabbis as
many people think. People tend to ignore this obligation more because
of their strong need for approval from others. And the desire to be
popular. Often rebuke is not done because there may be political or
financial losses at stake. All of this is dangerous because this
breaks down our system of law and waters down our philosophical
outlook. When it comes to rebuke Judaism doesn't hold from being
- The word of God must be obeyed and fulfilled. Not keeping God's
system intact is intolerable.