הלכה אויף יחזקאל 33:9

“Thou shalt surely rebuke they neighbor” (Lev. 19:17). We are commanded to rebuke any Israelite who is resigned and careless of even one of the 248 positive commandments, or if he has violated one of the negative commands. And the sages tell us that he who has an opportunity to rebuke any Israelite concerning a positive or negative command and fails to do so is punished for all (the transgressions).¹Arakhin 16b. As we have studied (Talmud), “He who has the opportunity to rebuke and protest the actions of his household members and fails to do so is punished because of them. If it involves people of his city he is held responsible because of them, if it involves the entire world he is held responsible for the entire world.”²Shabbath 54b. Whence do we know that we must return a second time to reprove someone if he has failed to respond at first? It is stated, “Whence do we deduce (the command) that if one has rebuked a first time he must rebuke his neighbor once again.” It is stated, “Thou shalt surely rebuke.”³Baba Metzia 31a. He must do so in a manner commensurate with the qualities of the one who is being rebuked; if he be kindly let him reprove him benignly, if he be difficult let him rebuke him accordingly. Let him speak to him in parables and give proofs to enable him to restore his mind to his will. And he shall not favor an elder or superior if he wishes to avoid punishment because of (either of) them. He should warn them of their wicked deeds with impartiality, even when involving a teacher.⁴Ibid. For thus said the wise man, “Where there is a profanation of God’s name, one does not grant respect even to a teacher.”⁵Berakoth 19b. And they (the rabbis) said further, “Rebuke”; this implies a teacher towards his student. How do we know that a student may do similarly to his teacher? Read the text: “Thou shalt surely rebuke, in all cases.”⁶Baba Metzia 31b. We are obliged to rebuke transgressors and to shame them with their sins to the extent that they strike, insult and curse us. He who rebukes is obliged to reprove (purge) himself for that transgression and to rectify his (own) way before rebuking his neighbor. For if he fails to do so his neighbor will not accept his reproofs. Thus did they say, “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together,” first adorn (correct) thyself and then adorn (correct) others.⁷Sanhedrin 18a. And let no man rest without exploring all means to cause his neighbor to walk the straight path, furthering him from (assisting him against) transgression in worldly and spiritual matters. He who restrains himself from rebuking is guilty of his neighbor’s punishment; for it is written, “Thou shalt not bear sin because of him”⁸Shabbath 54b. (Lev. 19:17). And if he has rebuked him and his neighbor has not responded the rebuker is exempt from punishment for the sin. The rebuker nevertheless receives merit because he has admonished him to walk the straight path and to shun wrong, as it is explained in the paragraph, “Therefore, O thou son of man, etc….” (Ezek. 23:9) “Nevertheless if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it and he turn not from his way he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek. 23:9). The root of this commandment “and not bear sin because of him” (Lev. 19:17), is that a man should not reprove his fellowman with anger or embarrassment,⁹Arakhin 16b. but first quietly and privately that he not become insolent and recalcitrant and add wrong to his transgression.¹⁰Shabbath 34a. Thus did they say, “I might conclude that he may rebuke him even if his neighbor suffers embarrassment”; read the text, “Thou shalt not bear sin because of him” (Lev. 19:17).¹¹Sifra, ed. Isaac H. Weiss (reprint of Vienna Edition of 1862; New York: OM Publishing Co., 1947), p. 89a.

There is a pious individual whose heart eagerly pursues the will of his Creator. He does not increase his good deeds as does the wise pious man who is instructed by his teacher and is therefore (also) wise. The reason why the good deeds of the other are not many is because he is not instructed by a teacher. However, if he did know (receive instruction) he would fulfill (his share of good deeds), because they have said, “A man should always be deliberate (schooled) in the fear of the Lord.”¹Berakoth 17a. Behold, one who has not learned, his heart is not like a sponge to absorb learning, and even if he has a teacher, behold, his heart is closed and at time disarrayed, he is unable to understand and know. And we find in the Torah that any one who is able to understand (what is proper to do) even though he was not commanded, is punished if he did not take the matter to heart.²Moses Maimonides, Guide for the Perplexed, trans. M. Friedlander (reprint of 1st ed., 1881-1885; New York: Hebrew Publishing Co.), Part 3, Chapter XVII, p. 73. For it is written, “And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, the captains of thousand, and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war. And Moses said unto them: ‘Have ye saved all the women alive?’” (Num. 31:14). Why did they not answer him, “Why then did you not command us? You did not tell us to put the women to death.” But Moses knew that there were wise men and experts able to argue a conclusion a minori ad majus.³Yalkut Reuveni (Warsaw: Levin and Epstein Publishers), Numbers, Chapter II, pp. 118-119. If with the Caananites where it is written “Thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth,” “That they teach you not to do etc.…” (Deut. 20:16-18), and it is written, “For he will turn away thy son from following Me” (Deut. 7:4), lest he cause you to sin in the future, (they are to be put to death) these who have already sinned and caused others to sin is it not a matter of course that you should have argued a conclusion a minori ad majus⁴Sanhedrin 68a. (that they be put to death). Similarly, when the angels said to Balaam, “Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass” (Num. 22:32), why did he not reply “What transgression is it that I hit my ass.” Even the prohibition not to cause pain to a live thing does not apply. She did not buckle because of the load (but because of an angel that blocked the road). Also when she squeezed his leg why should he not hit her? Because he should have reflected, “Perhaps it is without the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, that I curse them. He permitted (me) only to reveal to them the future, for it is said, ‘If the men are come to call thee’ (Num. 22:20), you should tell them of the future.” The Holy One, blessed be He, saw that he (Balaam) would rejoice if he were allowed to curse Israel, and this is what is said, “I have sinned for I know not that thou (angel) stoodest in the way against me” (Num. 22:34). (And yet) on the contrary the reverse stands to reason, because he did not know that he (the angel) stood opposite him he did not sin. However, he said thus, “I sinned because I did not take the pains to know, I did not examine and search into the roots of the (my) transgression.” From this we learn that a man should be deliberate in the fear of the Lord since he is punished because of his ignorance. He must know and investigate, for in the presence of the Ruler you will not be able to plead inadvertence, as Shimei was unable to say to Solomon, “ I forgot that I went out to the river Kidron.”⁵I Kings 2:40. It is for this reason that I said I will write a book for those that fear God lest they think that they are being punished without cause. Heaven forfend, attributing evil to God “For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness” (Ps. 5:5), and it is written “Warn them from Me. When I say unto the wicked: O’ wicked man thou shalt surely die, and thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way; that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at thy hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn … the righteous he shall surely live… but thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek. 33:7-9). The seven warnings correspond to the (seven) abominations of the heart: “There are six things that the Lord hateth, Yea seven which are an abomination unto Him” (Prov. 6:16); and to, “Seven times more for your sins” (Lev. 26:18). “But thou hast delivered thy soul” (Ezek. 33:9), mark that he does not say “thou hast ‘merited’” or “vindicated” but rather, “thy soul hast thou ‘delivered.’” From this we learn that anyone who has a friend that is being punished and he does not warn him and say to his friend “do not do so,” all the punishment visited upon his friend is attributed to him as if he personally killed his friend, because he should have warned him but he did not.⁶Shabbath 55a. Moreover, we exact from him the blood of his friend, concerning him it is said, “His blood will I require at thy hand” (Ezek. 33:8). For this reason have I prepared this Book of Reverence so that those who fear the word of God be circumspect. And furthermore my son be admonished,⁷Ecclesiastes 12:12. (beforewarned) if I have been mistaken let the wise man set it aright and understand in order to fear God all of the days in truth.