Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Halocho #117 - Don't behave like Bilam

The Parsha this week is Balak; all about Bilam the Wizard's failed attempts to curse the Jews. It's a Torah prohibition to curse a fellow Jew. E.g. Saying "Darn him!" is an sin. Cursing a fellow Jew using any reference to Hashem - in any language - would result in 39 lashes by Bet Din. E.g. Saying "The Almighty should punish Ploni" is a Torah prohibition for which one deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din. Using G-d's "real" name in any language (e.g. G-d, or Hashem as said during prayers) would add a second sin of saying His Name in vain. Even invoking the loss of a blessing - "The Merciful One shouldn't let Ploni succeed" - is a Torah prohibition. Source Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 6:3 Be Blessed! - Danny Tuesday 5th Tamuz 5768

Please daven for a little girl - TAMAR bat NAAMA - תמר בת נעמה - who is undergoing chemotherapy

2 comments:

  1. If a Jew tells me he intends to do an avera, I can't daven for him to not successfully complete the avera?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sure you can daven for him to not successfully complete the avera; even saying so to his face is OK.

    Failure to do an avera is a blessing, not a curse.

    Feel free to bless all Jews that they not successfully complete any avera. :-)

    Actually in the long Yehi Ratzon after the last of the 15 (or so) brachos every morning we daven for all Jews to be able to win the ongoing battle with the Yetzer Hara to essentially not successfully complete any avera.

    Thanks for writing in,

    - Danny

    ReplyDelete