This Shabbos, the 10th of Shevat, marks the 25th yahrzeit of my dear uncle, HaRav Sholom ben R. Moshe Feivel, zt”l. It is only appropriate that we dedicate the column he created to words that encapsulate his keen thought and also serve as a celebration of his life’s accomplishments.
* * * * *
We read in Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 22:5), “Ki tetzei esh u’matz’a kotzim ve’ne’echal gadish o hakama o hasadeh, shalem yeshalem hamav’ir et ha’be’era” – If a fire goes forth and finds thorns, and a stack of grain or a standing crop or a field was consumed, the one who kindled the fire shall make restitution.
The above verse and the Talmudic discourse that follows were a frequent topic of discussion that I and others would have with my late dear uncle. It is based on this verse that the Mishna (Bava Kamma 60a) extrapolates legal culpability for damages, stating: “If one causes a fire and it consumes wood, bricks, or [scorches] the earth, he is liable, as it says, ‘If a fire goes forth…’” The Gemara questions why it was necessary for the pasuk to mention all these items, namely, thorns, a stack of grain, a standing crop, and a field. In the course of the discussion that follows, it is clear that the Mishna considers allowing a fire to go forth equivalent to having sent out (or caused) the fire.
The Gemara proceeds with a homiletic discussion. R. Samuel bar Nachmani said in the name of R. Yonatan that calamity only comes when there are wicked people in the world, and it always begins with the righteous, as stated in the verse, “If a fire goes forth and finds thorns…” When does a fire break out? When there are thorns nearby. However, it always begins with the righteous, as it says, “[A]nd a stack of grain…was consumed.” The phrasing is not hypothetical but factual: “was [already] consumed.” (The wicked are compared to thorns whereas the righteous are metaphorically compared to a stack of grain that produces fruit. See Maharsha, Chidushei Aggadot ad loc.)
The Gemara offers another reason why the righteous suffer although the punishment is intended for the wicked. R. Yosef refers to the verse in Parashat Bo (Exodus 12:22) specifying the instructions to the Children of Israel so that they will not be smitten by the Plague of the Firstborn: “U’lekachtem agudat ezov u’tevaltem badam asher basaf ve’higatem el hamashkof ve’el sh’tei ha’mezuzot min hadam asher basaf ve’atem lo tetz’u ish mi’petach beito ad boker” – Take a bundle of hyssop and dip it into the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with some of the blood in the basin; and none of you shall go out from the door of his house until morning. The Gemara explains that we learn from the latter part of the verse that once permission is given to the Angel of Destruction, he does not distinguish between righteous and wicked. Moreover, he even begins with the righteous, as it is stated (Ezekiel 21:8), “Ve’hish’chati mimech tzaddik ve’rasha” – I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked” (mentioning the righteous before the wicked).
R. Yosef started to weep, saying, “Are the righteous worth so little that they are punished even for the wicked?” Abaye answered with words of comfort: “It is indeed good [for the righteous], for it is written (Isaiah 57:1), ‘Ki mipnei ha’ra’ah ne’esaf hatzaddik’ – The righteous is taken away from the evil to come.” (Rashi explains: So that they do not see the evil that will come.)
R. Yehuda stated in the name of Rab regarding the interpretation of the above verse in Parashat Bo instructing the Children of Israel not to leave their houses until morning: “A man should always enter [a town] by daytime and leave by daytime.” (The Gemara uses the term “ki tov,” “because it is good,” to denote daylight, referring to the fourth verse of Bereishit, “Va’yar Elokim et ha’or ki tov,” which describes the light as being good. Rashi remarks that daylight is also the proper time to enter or depart from an inn in order to protect oneself from evil spirits and highway robbers.)
Now we must question why is a second reason given to explain the fact that punishment starts with the righteous? Is not the first reason, offered by R. Samuel in the name of R. Yonatan, sufficient? However, R. Yosef’s interpretation of the pasuk in Parashat Bo leads to the halacha stated in the name of Rab, which we find in Piskei HaTosafot, Pesachim 2, that when one enters or leaves a town, one should do so in daylight. This is a rejoinder regarding security and as such should not be taken lightly.
My uncle, HaRav Sholom Klass, zt”l, always underscored, during all the years that I was fortunate to benefit from his guidance, that one of the main purposes of The Jewish Press was to serve as a voice of conscience and a vehicle for disseminating information to the worldwide Jewish community. He even ventured to say that had there been, during the Second World War, such a publication fearless in reporting the true story of the genocide perpetrated against our people, many of our brethren might not have perished at the hands of the German Nazi beasts.
Indeed, it was his reporting of events and his enabling of so many erudite voices to pen their articles under his tutelage that continues to this day, and please G-d so shall it continue to keep our readership focused on the importance of security for the viability of the State of Israel. And when asked why so many innocent Israelis are killed in the never-ending conflict with the Arabs, he referred to the above Gemara (Bava Kamma 60a). And does this not apply to the devastating tragedy of Simchat Torah 5784 – October 7, 2023, where two-legged Hamas beasts carried out the most heinous barbaric acts upon innocent Israeli civilians? These are crimes that were so proudly documented by none other than these demented antisemitic hordes.
The Gemara clearly explains that security is a matter of halacha (see also Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayyim 329:6-7), that is, obligatory, and as such we are required to address it with utmost care. Eretz Yisrael, the land all our readers love and which my uncle loved as well, can only remain ours if particular care is taken to fulfill this halacha.
I am sure that after all these years, Rabbi Sholom Klass is looking down, from his lofty abode, upon The Jewish Press and its current progression as a beacon for the Jewish community and its continual support for the State of Israel, and feeling great pride. He would be especially proud of his family, to whom he has entrusted this great ship, to steer it and guide it through waters both calm and at times turbulent with great ease, as they have proven themselves quite capable.
May he continue to be a meilitz yosher, an advocate before the Heavenly throne, for his two daughters, Naomi Mauer and Hindy Greenwald, son-in-law Jerry Greenwald, and their families, our entire extended family, and all Klal Yisrael.
Yehi zichro baruch.
