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NUMBERS — 16:13 lord it

NUM212 The punishment of those who instill their fear in the land of the living is the result of five factors: two of these are associated with [the sinner] himself, and three with the populace. The two that are associated with the sinner are: The first--for man is [destined to] worms and maggots, and is referred to in this manner even while still living. Not only does he not bend and humble himself but he exerts domination over others [this verse], not for the sake of Heaven. Also prideful thoughts, without [actual] domination, lead to a person's ruin, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 16:5), "Every prideful heart is the abomination of Hashem."

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NUMBERS — 16:30 defiantly

NUM220 The tenth level is the severity of sins whose transgressors have no share in the World to Come. All of Hashem's creations were created to bring Him glory, as the pasuk says (Yeshayahu 43:7), "All who are called by My Name and whom I created for a My glory--I formed, even made [them]." Surely, reason dictates that one who desecrates [the Name of] Hashem and disparages His word has lost all hope [for his future]. Not only has he not fulfilled what is required of him from the beginning of his formation – to honor His Name and sanctify it – – but he has actively replaced it with the opposite and desecrated His Holy Name. The pasuk puts it as follows [this and next verse]: "The person who acts brazenly… He has shown his contempt for Hashem, and that person will be cut off from among his people, for he has disparaged Hashem's word and annulled His commandments; that person will be completely cut off, his sin will remain with him." This means that [even] after the person is cut off, "his sin will remain with him"--for death will not bring him atonement and he has no share in the World to Come. That is why here the pasuk says "his sin will remain with him," which is not mentioned regarding any other prohibition whose penalty is excision. The meaning of "the person who acts brazenly" is, for example, one who commits known sins in full public view, and one who divests himself of the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven, even when in private, for such a person is also acting brazenly. The matter of divesting the yoke of Heaven, concerns, for example, one who denies [the injunction against] eating meat that was not ritually slaughtered, or that of eating [forbidden] animal fats and blood, or the desecration of Yom Tov. Although he is not violating any of the other mitzvos, once he has divested himself of the yoke of one injunction, he has already rebelled against the Almighty. It is true that sometimes even the righteous succumb to a particular sin, but this is entirely the result of chance circumstances, as a result of one's yetzer prevailing over him, and he fills himself with self-acrimony, subsequently becoming very careful in this regard. But one who considers divesting himself of the yoke of any one injunction [with the intent of] transgressing it whenever he so desires is referred to as "an apostate regarding one matter." We have already explained this in the First Gate of The Gates of Repentance.

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NUMBERS — 17:3 sinned

NUM223 (Continued from [[LEV23]] Leviticus 2:6 break GATES 421-5). It is also possible to explain this pasuk [Leviticus 25:17] as follows: "Do not be a witness needlessly against your fellowman," to testify about him regarding transgressions that you yourself have fallen prey to, just as he has. For this reason he is referred to as his "fellowman." [I.e. his compatriot in sin]. This is borne out by what is subsequently says, "Do not say, 'As he has done to me I will do to him.'" [I.e., "Just as he revealed my sins, I will reveal his same sins" (Sha'arei Teshuvah Hameforash)]. Although it is a mitzvah to expose those who have sinned against their own souls [this verse] and charlatans, yet if the sinner's wickedness is comparable to his own and his sins are like the other [Job 35:8], he must not expose the sinner publicly, since his intention in exposing the sinner's secrets are not for the good, but to rejoice over another's misfortune. Secondly--how can one not be ashamed to refer to the other's faulty deeds, when he himself holds onto them! The pasuk says (Hosea 1:4), "I will avenge the blood of Yizre'el upon the house of Yehu" [Yehu was anointed king and charged by the prophet with destroying the house of Achav (II Melachim 9:6-9), which he did (ibid., 10:11,17). Even so, Hashem avenged this act because Yehu also became a wicked king. (The family of Achav is referred to as Yizre'el, the place where they lived.)]. Observe--although Yehu performed a mitzvah by destroying the house of Achav, he bore the sin of what he had done, since he too was filled with iniquity.

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NUMBERS — 17:5 Korah

NUM226 "That he not be like Korach and his assembly" [this verse]. Our Sages, z"l, said (Sanhedrin 110a), "Whoever supports controversy is violating a negative commandment, as the pasuk says, "That he not be like Korach and his assembly." It is [even] permissible to speak lashon hara about one who is the source of dissension [See Sefer Chafetz Chaim (Hilchos Lashon Hara 8:8) for caveats regarding this leniency] as the pasuk says (I Melachim 1:26), "But me -- I, your servant--and Zadok the Kohen, Benayahu son of Yehoyadah, and your servant Shlomo, he did not invite." [Nosson HaNavi told David HaMelech this denigrating information about David's son, Adoniyahu, who was attempting to usurp the throne.]

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NUMBERS — 20:14 hardships

NUM264 If tribulation befalls the sinner [this verse] and trouble happens upon him, and he justifies the judgment [against him], accepting the chastisement with love-- this will shield him from the many sufferings that are meant for him, as the pasuk says (Tehillim 76:11), "When the wrath of man gives thanks to You, the remainder of wrath You will restrain [tachgor]." This means that when man's suffering gives thanks to You, i.e. when a person thanks You at the time of his suffering -- then "the remainder of wrath" which were to be to be loosed on that person, You will restrain and withhold, and not bring them upon him. ([Tachgor is] similar to what the pasuk says (I Melachim 20:11), "Let one who girds [chogeir] not boast like one who loosens.") ["Let the one who girds his sword for war not boast (for he does not know if he will be victorious or not" like the one who loosens his sword belt, i.e., who has already come from the war victorious" (Rashi). Thus, tachgor means to restrain, as one tightening a belt.]. An allegory [of the verse in Tehillim] is that of one who draws his sword and [subsequently] returns it to its sheath. [So too, Hashem brings a small amount of suffering on a person (i.e. opens His wrath) to frighten him, and by doing so He is able to withhold afflicting him (i.e., girds and restrains His wrath) with more serious forms of suffering (Zeh Hasha'ar)]. The pasuk further says (Yeshayahu 12:1), "I thank You, Hashem, because You were angry at me. [Now,] Your wrath will subside , and You will comfort me." This means: I thank You for chastising me, and I have accepted it with love; because I thank You for Your anger at me, Your wrath will subside, and You will comfort me.

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NUMBERS — 24:22 takes

NUM302 The Second category [of scoffer] entails one who ridicules other people [i.e., the first category is referring to one who acts or speaks scornfully, while this category refers to one who derides others inwardly] – – he belittles them in his heart due to their limited attainment of virtues, or their limited current success in acquiring honor and power, or he derides them for their impoverishment and destitution. Pride brings about this characteristic, or [it is caused by] an abundance of tranquility and pleasure, as the pasuk says (Tehillim 123:4), "Much has our soul been sated with the ridicule of the tranquil, with the contempt of the arrogant." Sometimes the scoffer marks the holy ones and the prophets, as the pasuk says (Yirmeyahu 20:7), "Everyone mocks me." Shlomo, a"h, said (Mishlei 14;21), "One who derides his friend is a sinner," and (ibid., 11:12), "He who derides his friend lacks wisdom." He also said (ibid., 17:5), "He who mocks a pauper affronts his Maker; one who rejoices over [another's] misfortune will not be absolved." What this means is that one who mocks a pauper shows himself to regard success as due to man's efforts, attained through his intellect, as the pesukim say (Devarim 8:17), "You say to yourself,' 'My strength and the power of my hand have amassed this wealth for me,'" and (Yeshayahu 10:13), "For he said, 'With the strength of my hand I have achieved, and with my wisdom, for I am perceptive.'" For this reason he mocks the pauper, for inwardly he says that the other has not attained wealth because he lacks intelligence and adroitness. With this he affronts the Maker of both the pauper and the rich, for everything comes from Hashem, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 22:2), "The rich man and the pauper meet [their fate]; Hashem is the Maker of them all." Concerning one who rejoices over another's misfortune, the pasuk says that "he will not be absolved" – – even though he has not caused any harm in deed or speech he will not be absolved. Nonetheless, the evil of one who rejoices over another's misfortune does not reach the evil done by one who mocks the pauper. [Besides acting badly toward another, he also "affronts the Maker" by denying Divine providence (Sha'arei Teshuvah Hamevo'ar.)] Because scoffing is rooted in arrogance, which is the converse of humility, Shlomo, a"h, said (ibid., 3:34), "In truth the scoffers, He will scoff at; the humble, He will give a favor." This means: In truth, the scoffer who mocks people will be mocked by Hashem, as the pasuk says (Tehillim 2:4), "He Who sits in heaven will laugh, Hashem will mock them." The Hebrew word "im" [The first word of the verse in Mishlei 3:34, usually translated as "if," here means "in truth."] is to verify the matter. In a similar vein we find [this verse], "for in truth, Kayin will be expelled," and (Mishlei 23:18), "or in truth, there is a future [reward]." [Both verses use the word "im" to express "in truth."]

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NUMBERS — 25:8 stabbed

NUM309 Having relations with a [non-Jewish] maidservant is similar to the sins that incur death administered by beis din in two ways. [The first way is:] Our Sages z"l, said (Sanhedrin 81b), "A zealous person is permitted to kill one who has intercourse with a non-Jewish woman," as the pasuk says [this verse], "He speared both of them." This means that if one discovers the sinner going astray in public, before he has completed the sinful act--he may kill him the moment he confronts him. This is more severe than all of the offenses that incur death administered by beis din. This is because [in those cases] death can be administered only after the testimony of witnesses and due prior warning, and only by jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin; but this sinner may be killed by whoever finds him, without witnesses or prior warning. [This is also the opinion of Rambam (Hilchot Isurei Bee'ah 12:4); however, Ra'avad disagrees and requires prior warning, and so rules Rema (Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 425:4)].

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NUMBERS — 30:3 pledge

NUM355 The sixth category [of liars] -- one who promises to help another, and [subsequently] gives the lie to his words by reneging on them. After he said he would help his fellow man with a promise, and after the other has placed his trust in him, he must not violate his promise--this is the path followed by those who lie, and is comparable to a man who violated his covenant, as the pasuk says (Tzefanyah 3:13), "The remnant of Yisrael shall do no injustice, nor speak falsehood, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth." [This verse is brought as proof in Pesachim (91a) that the Jewish people keep their promises.] The same applies to one who told another that he would give him a small gift, even if he did not mention a promise. Our Sages said (Bava Metzia 49a) that reneging on this is a breach of trust, for the other relies on him and trusts him to surely give him a gift, since it is [only] a small one. Moreover, if the intended recipient is poor, even if it is a large gift [i.e., and as such the recipient does not really expect to receive it.], recanting on such a commitment is a very severe offense, for he has taken [the equivalent of] an oath, and the pasuk says [this verse], "He must not violate his word." ["Any utterance of your lips you shall observe and carry out… Whatever you spoke with your mouth" (Devarim 23:24). The Talmud derives from this that when one offers a gift to a poor man (even without a promise), it is considered as if he has made a charitable vow (Rosh Hashanah 6a.)]

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