Thursday, March 31, 2016

Every Sin Has Teshuva

Rav Zevin wrote in the "Moadim Bi-halacha" that in our times there is no longer a din that one rips his clothing when one see the cities of Yehuda, since today we are ruling these areas and they are no longer in Gentile hands. This is well known position held by many. 

He adds ואשרי שזכינו לכך - Fortunate are we that we merited this [i.e. Jewish dominion and our own State]. I just heard on an on-line shiur where the speaker noted that the English translation omitted these words. He was beside himself. "This is a sin for which there is no teshuva", he boomed. 

I say "Relax:-)". Every sin has teshuva. אין דבר העומד בפני התשובה. Even the sin of הוצאת ז"ל for which the Zohar says there is no teshuva, has teshuva בחילא סגי - if it is a super-duper-grand-slam-type-of-teshuva.

Speaking lashon hara is a worse sin than omitting ואשרי שזכינו לכך in the translation. So is getting angry. כל הכועס כאילו עובד עבודה זרה. 

My point is that being a chossid of the Medinah may have it's place [a hotly debated issue. The Chazon Ish and many other gedolei gedolim weren't fans] but not being a chossid of the Medinah is not the biggest sin in the Torah.

The Steipler, Rav Moshe Feinstein, the Satmar Rebbe, the Lubavitcher Rebbe were not sinners. They were also not flag waving, Hallel on Yom Haatzmaut saying, Dati Leumi type Jews. 

That being said, I am not justifying historical revisionism or unnecessary and misleading censorship. But every part of our Avodas Hashem must be within proportion to it's importance. Avoiding kitniyos is not on the same level as shmiras einayim, even though many more people are careful about kitniyos than those who are careful about shmiras einayim. Talmud Torah is more important than anything else, despite the penchant of many to waste quite a bit of time that could be spent learning [like the Chasidishe looking boy on the plane sitting near me who was busy the whole flight either playing games on his phone or watching movies...].

If one loves the Medinah - he should remain happy and healthy. But it is not the most important mitzva in the Torah.