Monday, May 17, 2010

Kiddush HaShem: Rewarding the oppressor R' Yaakov Kaminetsky

update: The current edition of Emes L'Yaakov says that the source of this idea is from the Alter of Kelm Chachma and Mussar Vol 2 page 345. It is there almost word for word. The interesting thing is that this was part of a long letter the Alter of Kelm wrote to Baron Rothschild thanking him for his efforts on behave of  frumJews. He was in essence using this as a means of praise. If you see that even wicked people who intended only to kill Jews but nevertheless received reward for the resulting kiddush Hashem then surely you who have intent only for good will receive reward for the kiddush hashem that results from your generosity. I haven't found this idea anywhere else.


Rav Yaakov Kaminetsky discusses the mitzva of kiddush hashem in Parshas Emor. (Vayikra 22:32) He notes that it is not a mitzva to sancitfy G-d's name but rather that it is a mitzva that G-d's name be sanctified. From this he learns that children are also obligated in the mitzva of kiddush Hashem and this is justification for the view of some rishonim that children are to be killed rather than allow them to be converted to Christianity.

He adds [Bereishis 27:40] an additional consequence of the mitzva being that G-d's name be sanctified. He claims that the non-Jew who kills the Jew gets reward also for bringing about kiddush haShem. He uses this to explain the gemora in Sanhedrin 96b which describes a number of people such as Haman and Sancheriv whose descendants became Jewish. He says that was the reward for bringing about a kiddush HaShem - even though this was not their intent. He also claims that Yitzchok encouraged Esav to attack Yaacov so that Esav would be rewarded by the resulting kiddush Hashem.

12 comments :

  1. Happy L'g B'Omer.

    Does this same distinction of the gavrah and the aveirah apply to chillul hashem? If so what might the implications be?

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is similar to what Eichmann's lawyer was arguing, in his defence trial. He said since it was G-d's plan for the Shoah, then Eichman could not be held guilty for his crimes.
    All these kinds of sophistry nonsense arguments are quite absurd. Shabetai Zvi falls into the same acategory. Until now, I had not come across this amongst Lithuanian Gedolim.
    There is no implication in the Tenach of such nonsense. haman is never referred to as a Tzadik, quite the opposite.
    But there is no end to this slippery slope of vile nonsense. It is liek the recent story of the so- called rabbi who was sexually molesting women becasue he was one of the 36 Tzaddikim.

    ReplyDelete
  3. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3884459,00.html

    Arafat's minister for Jewish affairs dies. PLO visit Meah Shearim. Perhaps Hams and PLO murderers were also Tzadikkim, according to this drush of Rav Kaminetzky. Maybe that is why he oppsoed the release of R Hutner, who was hijacked by the PLO...
    you guys are all nuts!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I always had a great love and respect for Rabbi YK but am now going to seriously re-think it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear R' Eidensohn,

    Would you kindly provide a source for the quoted comments by R' Kamenetzky. They seem to be chidushim of an extraordinary degree.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Would you kindly provide a source for the quoted comments by R' Kamenetzky. They seem to be chidushim of an extraordinary degree.

    ==============
    they are published in his sefer Emes L'Yaakov on Torah in Bereishis and Vayikra as I noted.

    Or are you asking that I publish the Hebrew text?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Regarding the shtikel posted here earlier from Emes LeYaakov on kiddush Hashem, a talmid of R' Yaakov Kaminetzky zt"l who is a musmach in his 60s who finished Shas a few times, writes that the sefer was written by R' Yaakov's grandson and in his estimation, it is "nonsense" and could not be R' Yaakov's shita.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Off topic said...

    Regarding the shtikel posted here earlier from Emes LeYaakov on kiddush Hashem, a talmid of R' Yaakov Kaminetzky zt"l who is a musmach in his 60s who finished Shas a few times, writes that the sefer was written by R' Yaakov's grandson and in his estimation, it is "nonsense" and could not be R' Yaakov's shita.
    ============
    According to the footnotes in the revised edition - the idea is that the Alter of Kelm

    ReplyDelete
  9. Off topic said...
    Regarding the shtikel posted here earlier from Emes LeYaakov on kiddush Hashem, a talmid of R' Yaakov Kaminetzky zt"l who is a musmach in his 60s who finished Shas a few times, writes that the sefer was written by R' Yaakov's grandson and in his estimation, it is "nonsense" and could not be R' Yaakov's shita.





    May nihu, UOJ!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Off topic said...
    Regarding the shtikel posted here earlier from Emes LeYaakov on kiddush Hashem, a talmid of R' Yaakov Kaminetzky zt"l who is a musmach in his 60s who finished Shas a few times, writes that the sefer was written by R' Yaakov's grandson and in his estimation, it is "nonsense" and could not be R' Yaakov's shita.





    May nihu, UOJ!!!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Off topic said...
    Regarding the shtikel posted here earlier from Emes LeYaakov on kiddush Hashem, a talmid of R' Yaakov Kaminetzky zt"l who is a musmach in his 60s who finished Shas a few times, writes that the sefer was written by R' Yaakov's grandson and in his estimation, it is "nonsense" and could not be R' Yaakov's shita.





    May nihu, UOJ!!!

    ReplyDelete
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