Rav Avigdor Miller on Inflicting Beneficial Pain

Why should someone pay for the pain that he caused if it’s beneficial?

The same question is why should Hitler burn in Gehinom for what he did to the Jewish people. After all it was Hakadosh Baruch Hu‘s decree? Hitler couldn’t do it on his own. He was a shaliach of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

And so it’s a simple answer. Everybody is judged by his responsibilities. We have to inflict on our fellow Jews only happiness, not pain. It’s not our job. Leave pain to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. That’s His job. And if we take over then we are mazikim and we are chayav to pay נזק, צער, ריפוי,שבת and בושת, whatever it is.

We don’t get rewarded for putting people into bad situations where they’ll learn good attitudes or gain something.

The Alter of Slabodka said a big yesod. It’s a big chiddush. It’s hard to accept but he was an adam gadol and he said it so I’ll tell it to you. The Alter of Slabodka said that when it comes to middos there’s no לפני עיוור לא תתן מכשול. You’re not supposed to cause your fellow man to do a sin. You can’t give him something that’s not kosher to eat. But when it comes to middos you can.

It means like this: If you’re honoring somebody, isn’t there a sakanah he’ll become a ba’al ga’avah, he’ll become conceited. And conceit is a big sin? So how could you honor him?

So the Alter said a chiddush. It’s a yesod. לפני עיוור לא תתן מכשול doesn’t apply to middos. So you could treat him as much as you want with as much honor as you want and don’t worry about his being spoiled. Let Hakadosh Baruch Hu worry about that. You just do good to him and leave the rest up to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

Now that needs a big peirush. It needs another lecture and we have no time now for that. But when a man inflicts on somebody nezek he should know that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is not going to reward him for that no matter what the person gains from that.

TAPE # 329 (August 21, 1980)