tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045918723171240420.post6721683754225596124..comments2023-10-11T14:46:44.986+03:00Comments on A Fire Burns In Breslov: Lashon Hara L'ToelesYehudishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18004226633827976228noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045918723171240420.post-38661931291304720572009-07-31T01:31:22.672+03:002009-07-31T01:31:22.672+03:00Source for the story: מעשה איש, ח"ב, ע' ק...Source for the story: מעשה איש, ח"ב, ע' ק"פ- קפ"א <br />Or in English: Maaseh Ish II:pg. 180-181Micha Golshevskynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045918723171240420.post-75823592344996972622009-07-31T00:29:12.142+03:002009-07-31T00:29:12.142+03:00what's the source of this story???what's the source of this story???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045918723171240420.post-77104051811186780862009-07-28T16:01:05.605+03:002009-07-28T16:01:05.605+03:00You were very kind to offer such a lengthy respons...You were very kind to offer such a lengthy response. Once again, I am a big fan of your site and appreciate your efforts. Of the hundreds of posts from your site, my complaint was about less than five. As I sent it, I felt bad that my critical words could not be balanced with dozens of prior comments in which I would have written "Great job!" Perhaps I should start doing that.<br /><br />Regarding the story itself, I <i>did</i> appreciate the message of phrasing things in a non-Loshon Hara manner. It was the Us-vs.Them context or Foundation of the narrative that struck a nerve. <br /><br />Perhaps I saw a "Mizrachi"-themed tone in the story because of other examples of this type of story in many other biographies, including the "official" biographies of the Chazon Ish, R Zonnenfeld, the Brisker Rav, R'Elchonon, the Chofetz Chaim etc. If I read too much into it, I apologize.yehupitznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045918723171240420.post-41994196208979697412009-07-27T17:57:44.002+03:002009-07-27T17:57:44.002+03:00Yehupitz: Thank you for your comment and your comp...Yehupitz: Thank you for your comment and your compliment. <br />I certainly understand where you are coming from. And I am sorry you have found a few posts "unenlightening and slightly obnoxious." <br />I certainly meant no "back handed smack down" of Mizrachi or Rav Kook, chalila. <br />Generally, the stories that you are talking about (and I probably remember each and every one) expressed a certain point of view, especially halachic which contradict contemporary psak of certain Mizrachi Rabanim. <br />I must admit that these stories were written to show the other side to these complex halachic issues. Very often the greatest Rabanim had already dealt with what is presented as a new issue and had clearly argued with these poskim. <br />But of course Chazal tell us that one should not learn halacha from a ma'aseh, so I don't believe there is anything wrong with explaining the "other" point of view. (Especially regarding psakim that are very strange and exceedingly hard to justify halachically.) <br />I don't believe I have ever even mentioned Mizrachi here. Never the less, when one sees or hears people who are absolutely uninformed in halacha quoting a very difficult psak as if it was the only true way to learn, I believe this calls for explaining the side of the vast majority of great poskim. <br />But perhaps you are right and I am wrong. Maybe I should avoid such issues so as not to anger others. Hm. Good point. I will certainly think about it and once again I thank you for your feedback.<br />But the purpose of the post you commented on had nothing to do with any specific group at all. How sad, if a post about lashon hara ended up being just that. Rachmana l'tzlan! <br />I personally was very inspired by this story since it taught me that even after thoroughly learning and and reviewing the halachos of Shmiras Halashon and many inspiring teachings about it, I had inadvertently violated this halacha countless times when I spoke to someone l'toeles. Did I speak as though it was a rachmanus on the party who had erred? Was it clear that I was saddened by the need to speak against a fellow Jew? I am sorry to say that the answer to both question is a resounding no. I spoke forcefully and definitely transgressed, even though I don't believe that I meant the "guilty parties" any harm. If asked I would certainly have justified myself that I meant l'toeles and not for personal reasons, but I would have been wrong, since the underlying principle of the prohibition against lashon hara is that it is a contradiction to ahavas Yisrael. After seeing this story I realized that although this clearly emerges from the halachos I had completely missed it and perhaps others had as well. <br />My entire intention in telling this story was to convey this very important message to others. I sure wish I had seen it earlier!<br />I also liked this story because the Chazon Ish did not immediately assume that these bochurim were sincere. He made them come back several times and questioned them first. How careful he was to avoid such issues!<br />I was also very inspired by the reminder that a talmid chacham is not someone who knows a lot or can learn. A talmid Chacham is someone who spends his available time learning. (This is actually from the Gra.)<br />A final lesson that is clear from this story is that even if a person definitely has bad hashkafos, this does not mean one can talk against them. Sadly many people do not understand this.<br />(By the way, who told you that the problem was Mizrachi? Perhaps the Rabanim in question were people who were convinced that the Zohar is false or some other serious hashkafic negative. Of course you may be right but only someone who has seen the story inside can really know.) <br />Hashem should protect us from lashon hara. Especially since this sin is why we have endured such a long exile.Micha Golshevskynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8045918723171240420.post-87993038960378186192009-07-27T15:42:39.118+03:002009-07-27T15:42:39.118+03:00I enjoy your posts, which is why I have subscribed...I enjoy your posts, which is why I have subscribed to them. You tell the stories that interest you. I don't mind that. My comments don't have to mean anything to you. I just want to let you know that I find the type of story you posted, and there have been a few others, unenlightening and slightly obnoxious because they are a backhanded smack-down of Mizrachi-Kookian thought. I know you did not invent the genre. And I am not a student or a proponent of the Rav Kook school of Eretz Yisroel hashkafa either. But these kinds of stories are a turn-off for me, especially from a site that chooses to name itself after Breslov ideals. <br /><br />I apologize if I offended you with my feeback. I know I have not offered positive feedback in the past, even though I should have.<br /><br />Have an easy fast.yehupitznoreply@blogger.com