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Chapter 3 Mishna 14
with select commentaries
Commentaries used in this translation:
Rashi Commentary (1040-1105)
Rambam Commentary (1135-1204)
Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura Commentary (1445-1515)
Tiferet Yisrael commentary (1782–1860)
Rabeinu Yonah (1180-1263)
Derech Chaim - Maharal of Prague (1525-1609) (hebrewbooks.org/14193)
Biur HaGra of Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna - (1720-1797)
Rabbi Avraham Azoulai commentary - (1570-1643)
Rabbi Chayim Yosef David Azoulai (Chida) commentary - (1724-1806)
Chatam Sofer commentary - (1762-1839), along with Ktav Sofer, and others
Ben Ish Chai commentary - (1835-1909)
and many more..
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Chapter 3 Mishna 14פרק ג משנה יד
| Rabbi Elazar of Moda'ih would say: "one who profanes the Kodashim ("holy things"), one who dishonors the Holidays, one who pales (humiliates) the face of his fellow in public, one who annuls the Brit (covenant) of Avraham our forefather, and one who reveals facets of Torah not in line with Halacha (distorts torah) - even though he possesses torah and good deeds - he has no share in the World-to-Come. | רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר, הַמְחַלֵּל אֶת הַקָּדָשִׁים, וְהַמְבַזֶּה אֶת הַמּוֹעֲדוֹת, וְהַמַּלְבִּין פְּנֵי חֲבֵרוֹ בָרַבִּים, וְהַמֵּפֵר בְּרִיתוֹ שֶׁל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, וְהַמְגַלֶּה פָנִים בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא כַהֲלָכָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ תוֹרָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים, אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא |
Bartenura - "one who profanes the Kodashim" - one who profanes the temple offerings for the altar (brings the kodshei mizbeach to pigul, noter or tamei) or derives benefit (me'ilah) from the non-altar temple offerings (kodshei bedek habayit).
"who dishonors the Holidays" - he does [non-permitted] work on the days of chol hamoed or treats them as profane through eating and drinking.
"who humiliates his fellow publicly" - the face of an embarrassed person becomes first red and then white. For the soul (nefesh which resides in the blood) has two movements. One towards outside and one towards inside. When one is embarrassed, at first the spirit (ruach) moves towards outside like one filled with rage and his face becomes red.
Then when he cannot find an escape of how to remove this shame from himself, he anguished and his spirit (ruach) returns inside due to the pain and thus his face pales and whitens. This is what our sages said on this: "the red leaves and the white enters" (Bava Metziah 58b).
"who annuls the Brit (covenant)" - he did not circumsize. Alternatively, he circumsized but pulled his foreskin over to appear uncircumsized.
"distorts torah" - he conjures up erroneous explanations of the torah not in line with Halacha (true meaning) .. Alternatively, he brazens his face to transgress the commands of the torah publicly with a high hand and without shame.
"even though he possesses torah and good deeds" - and he did not repent from one of these sins in his hand, even though he received sufferings and he died in sufferings - he has no share in the world to come. But if he repented before death, there is nothing which stands before repentance.
Rambam - the sins which our sages said "he has no share in the World-to-Come" is more severe than other sins. For in these sin, sufferings and death do not atone for them.
Yachel Yisrael - one who profanes..dishonors.. pales.. - every case is said in present tense. "profanes", "dishonors", etc. This is to emphasize that we are talking about a person who continues in his wickedness. But one who did this in the past and regretted it and repented - he escaped from this accusation (kitrug) of "he has no share in the World-to-Come"
Tiferet Yisrael - he brought five types of heretics:
"one who profanes the Kodashim" - this group is the worst in the world. These people deny the existence of G-d and therefore profane the holy. For according to their rotten view, there is no holiness in the world. Everything is completely mundane (chulin gemurim). Even the holiest things in the world are considered as nothing by them.. For their corrupt view is that there is no G-d, no service [of G-d], no korbanot (temple sacrifices) and no torah because there is no Master of the house. Thus, all the kodashim are completely mundane (chulin gemurim).
"who dishonors the festivals" - this is the second group. These people admit to the existence of G-d but they deny that the world was created. Rather, they believe the world always existed just like G-d always existed. Therefore, they "dishonor the holidays". For all of them were given only as a sign that G-d created the world. For the Sabbath, this is stated explicitly: "for in six days G-d made the Heavens and the Earth.." (Ex.20:11). The other holidays were given to remember the Exodus from Egypt and the miracles G-d made in the desert. This depends on the other. For one who believes He created the world from nothing must also believe that He has the ability to change nature as He wishes.
One who denies one also denies the other, and thus he dishonors the holidays. For he maintains that it is a disgrace for the Supernal Being to watch over our lowly world. Thus he used the term "dishonors" here instead of "profane" as the previous case.
"who humiliates his fellow publicly" - this is the third group. They believe the world was created by G-d but they deny that man was created "in the image of G-d" (Gen.1:27) and that his soul continues existing (after death). Rather, they maintain the soul exists through the body and dies with the body. Thus they don't care about the honor of others and they embarrass others even publicly. For in their view man and animal have the same end.
"who annuls the Brit (covenant)" - this is the fourth group. They believe additionally that G-d created man in His image and that there is reward and punishment (in the afterlife). But they deny and annul the covenant of Avraham. Namely, they deny that G-d made a covenant with Avraham to be a G-d to his seed, to watch over them more than all other people and to give them the torah publicly with its laws and statutes which began already in the time of Avraham and were completed in the days of Moses. Likewise, that the seed of Avraham, our forefather, was chosen to be a holy nation of priests in the world and to teach humanity like their forefather Avraham to recognize their Maker, blessed be He.
Rather, the view of this group is to deny the Torah came from Heaven and to maintain that only the natural rational precepts (mitzvot hativiot) can perfect the soul. Therefore, there is no difference between the Jewish people and the other nations, a peasant and a kohen, a man and a women - for everyone, the commandment is the same and likewise, the reward and punishment.
"distorts torah" - this is the fifth group. They additionally believe the torah is from Heaven. But they "reveals facets of Torah not in line with Halacha". They deny the Oral Tradition, namely, the explanation [of the torah] transmitted to us orally by Moshe Rabeinu. These people conjure up other explanations not in line with the Halacha we received.
Sforno - "even though he possesses torah and good deeds" - for without a doubt his deeds are not directed to the will of his Maker and his torah is just external lip service.
Rabbi Avraham Azoulai - Ahava b'Taanugim - some explain that each one of these things mentioned includes the whole torah. Therefore, one who annuls [any of] them has no share in the world to come, as if he annulled the whole torah.
"one who profanes the Kodashim" - any thing of holiness, namely, that he dishonors holiness and does not deem it important (mevaze hakedusha v'eino machshiv ota). Included in this is the holiness of the malachim (angels), and the holiness of the Holy One, blessed be He. Also included in this is one who abstains himself from being holy. If so, it is proper for such a man to not have a portion in the world to come.
Some explain, that he brings holy offerings of the altar to pigul, notar, or tamei (i.e. invalidates them). Thus, he gave the portion of holiness to the klipot (forces of evil), and mixed the holy with the mundane. For this he has no portion in the world to come, in the hidden light which the Holy One, blessed be He, separated from the mundane (hivdil min hachol) for the righteous in the world to come.
"who dishonors the Holidays" - this too is like denying the whole torah. For he disrespects all the miracles and wonders G-d did for us, since the holidays teach remembrance of the miracles G-d did for us and are a sign of them, as known (see Rashi on Tehilim 111:4). And he disrespects them thinking that it is impossible to go against the laws of nature.
"who humiliates his fellow publicly" - since whoever fulfills "love your fellow as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18), it is as if he fulfilled the whole torah (see Shab.31a). One needs to strive to benefit his fellow and all the more so, to not cause him pain. But this person who "pales the face of his fellow", besides that he did not benefit him, he hurt him and pained him. All the more so, if he whitened (humiliated) his face in public, spilling his blood - it is as if he transgressed the whole torah and thus has no share in the world to come.
Some explain "pales the face of his fellow" that due to the great shame his soul flies [away] as if it wants to leave his body. Therefore, all the bood in his body goes out towards his face and thus his face becomes red. Afterwards, the blood returns to its place and his face whitens like a man who dies. Namely, at the time of death when the soul leaves the body, the dead man's face turns white. Thus it is as if he murdered him and measure for measure his blood will be shed and he has no portion in Olam Haba.
Siftei Daat on Avot (R.Yerucham Levovitz) (quoting "Daas Chochma u'Mussar chelek 2 part 12, chelek 3 part 32-33") - "one who profanes the Kodashim" - the talmud (Sanhedrin 99a) says that we learn this from the verse: "for he treated the L-rds' word with contempt.. (ki devar H' baza)" (Bamidbar 15:31), etc. This [mishna] reveals to us a new insight (gilui chadash).
For it seems to require great investigation (tzarich iyun gadol). After all profaning the kodashim and dishonoring the Holidays are not among the severe sins. For one does not incur death by Beit Din nor karet (excision) for these sins.
Furthermore, for those capital sins which incur the most severe death penalty - death by stoning, such as desecrating the Sabbath, nevertheless, the person still has a share in the World to Come. But these five don't have a share in the world to come??
Likewise, for one who "pales the face of his fellow", this is nothing but the "dust" of murder (i.e. a very faint form of murder). How can this possibly be more severe than actual murder? For a murderer does have a share in the world to Come. This is a great wonder!
It seems the answer is that the verse "for he treated the G-d's word with contempt.. (ki devar H' baza)" (Bamidbar 15:31)" teaches us a special prohibition on disrespecting the word of G-d. For through this, one disrespects G-d and His honor and the main [pilar] of the entire creation was: "all that is called by My name, whom I created for My glory, whom I formed and made" (Isaiah 43:7).
Thus for one who disrespects the word of G-d and His honor, this is a sin more severe than all other sins in the torah. For all other sins in the torah, even the most severe ones whereby one transgresses them because his evil inclination overpowered him, even rebelliously, but nevertheless, in this he did not strike (pogeah) [directly] at G-d's honor.
But for one who profanes the Kodashim (temple offerings) or disrespects the holidays, even though the sin itself is not so severe, but "he treated G-d's word with contempt" and this is striking at the honor of G-d. Thus, this is a sin by itself which is more severe than all other sins and weighs like the whole torah. Due to this he has no share in the world to come.
Just as we explained the matter between man and G-d, so too is the matter between man and his fellow. For in the Talmud Yerushalmi (Nedarim 9:4):" 'Love your fellow as yourself' (Lev.19:18) - Rabbi Akiva said: 'this is the great general principle of the torah'. Ben Azai said the verse: 'This is the book of the generations of man [on the day that G-d created man, in the likeness of G-d He created him]..' (Genesis 5:1) - this is an even greater general principle of the torah'"Furthermore, our sages taught: "know whom you are disrespecting. For He made man in the image of G-d" (Ber.Rabba 24:8).
According to Ben Azai, "this is the book of the generations of man" is a greater general principle [than love your fellow]. For a man is obligated to honor his fellow more than himself. This is as our sages said: "a man is asked at the time of judgment: 'did you coronate your fellow pleasantly'" (brought in Reishit Chachma, Shaar Yirah ch.12) - i.e. to honor him the honor of a king. For he is an image of G-d. This is a duty by itself - to be careful of the honor of your fellow to the extent of coronating him [as a king]. This is besides the other laws between man and his fellow.
According to this, it is well understood that which we learned: "one who pales the face of his fellow.. has no share in the World-to-Come". For even though "paling someone's face" is only the dust (avak) of murder (i.e. much less). But nevertheless, one who dishonors (mevaze) the honor of his fellow who was created in the image of G-d, this is the most severe sin between man and man. Due to this, he has no portion in the world to come.
We can understand from here how great is the reward for one who honors other people. For G-d's trait of good (reward) is greater [than the trait of punishment].
This (honoring others) is the general principle of the entire torah. And according to Ben Azai, it is an even greater general principle than "love your fellow as yourself". The matter is awesome and wondrous.
When we contemplate this, we will see that the whole torah is but laws of honor (hilchot kavod). The foundation of the whole torah is nothing but the matter of "honor". This is the central matter which encompasses the whole torah. Honor of G-d and honor of the image of G-d. The entire torah is divided into these two types of honor - honor of Heaven, which is called the torah "laws between man and G-d", and honor of others from which branches out the torah (laws) between man and his fellow.
Thus according to our words, the structure of the torah in a nutshell is honor of G-d and honor of the image of G-d. The rest is just an explanation. Go and learn.
Siftei Daas on Avot (R.Yerucham Levovitz), from Daas Torah chelek 4 pg.47 - regarding the mishna of one who profanes the kodashim or dishonors the holidays has no share in the world to come. For all other sins, even the most severe which a man commits, nevertheless, this was due to his evil inclination strengthening over him enticing and drawing him until he stumbled in his sin. And even if it were committed rebelliously and treacherously but nevertheless, his act was due to some cause which led him to this. Thus it is not called that the man himself is evil in his core and essence (atzmo v'ikaro)
But one who profanes the kodashim, etc. namely, that there was nothing pushing him to this. Rather he profanes the kodashim and dishonors the holidays brazenly saying this is nothing and the word of G-d is not worth anything in his eyes. Without a doubt, such a person's deeds testify on him that he himself is evil. The evil is in his essence and not as secondary (tafel).
And one whose evil is primary and not secondary, there is none worse than him and thus perforce he has no share in the world to come.
Yachel Yisrael - "one who pales the face of his fellow in public" - what was said on one who publicly embarrasses is more severe than what was said on a murderer. We see this from our mishna which brings specifically the embarrasser as one who does not have a share in the world to come. We don't find such a statement said on the murderer.
Likewise, in the Talmud: "all those who descend to Gehinom ascend up from there after they have paid [their punishment] except for three who descend and do not ascend.." (Bava Metzia 58b).
Two of the three mentioned there are: "one who embarrasses his fellow publicly and one who calls his fellow by a derogatory name. In essence these two are the same thing. They were said separately to teach that even if the person was already habituated in the embarrassing nickname, nevertheless, one who continues to call him by that name is included in the category of "one who pales (embarasses) the face of his fellow in public".
Why is embarrassing someone worse than murder?
Firstly, a person does not sense that he did a big evil. "the bottom line is that I merely uttered a few words and did not damage him physically or monetarily. What is so bad about some sharp word on someone's account?" These kinds of thoughts prevent one from repenting of his evil deeds and clings him to his bad ways (Shaarei Teshuva shaar 3, 142).
Likewise, one who embarrasses other people, demonstrates through his deeds that he does not value a human being as an "image of G-d" which one must be careful of his honor. This is unlike the murderer who is pulled after his evil inclination. He is dominated by his anger and other powerful drives. But the embarrasser does this because he has a crooked outlook on people. They are worth nothing in his eyes.
Several commentators point out that the mishna said "one who whitens the face of his friend (chavero)" and not "the face of another person" or "the face of his enemy". This is to emphasize that it is talking about a person who does not do this out of revenge or hatred but rather out of denial (kefira) of the need to guard the honor of his fellow.
This concern for the honor of others appears countless times in the deeds and teachings of the great men and women of our people, often at a heavy price.
One example that sticks out is the matriarch Rachel. She forewent on her entire future in order to not cause embarrassment to her sister Leah.
When Yaakov wanted to marry her, he recognized the trickery of Lavan and gave to Rachel secret signs to ensure it was her. His concern was not in vain for Lavan the swindler indeed switched Leah for Rachel.
When Rachel saw what her father did she told herself "now my sister will be humiliated when the fraud will be revealed publicly". Immediately, she revealed the secret signs to her sister so that Yaakov will not sense the switch.
Rachel preferred to forego on the great husband Yaakov , on the merit to be the mother of the Jewish people. She forewent on her entire future - in order that her sister won't become humiliated! And this is even though the embarrassment to her sister would not have been caused by herself..
Chasdei David - and likewise for Tamar who was ready to be executed rather than embarrass Yehuda. She left the choice to him whether to admit the truth and she be saved or hide it and she would be burnt to death... On this the talmud says "it is better for one to be thrown in a furnace rather than embarrass someone publicly. See the Meiri on Berachot 43b who deduces that "it is better" and proper but not that one is obligated in this.
Matnat Avot - for each Jew was created with a tzelem Elokim (image of G-d) and the whole structure of man's body includes the structure of all the mystical worlds and all their powers (see Nefesh Hachaim ch.1). And every Jew has a divine soul within him which is a "part of G-d" (Chelek Eloka) and there is no Jew which is not very precious and important in G-d's eyes. For G-d permitted one to transgress the whole torah (except three sins) in order to save the life of a Jew, regardless of how much righteousness or fear of Heaven he has (except for heretics who excluded themselves from the Jewish people and have no portion in the G-d of Israel).
Thus, according to this, one who pales (humiliates) his fellow publicly (which is a form of murder), he murders, so to speak, a piece of the Holy One, blessed be He, ch'v.
For this Jew which you humiliated is also a son of the Holy One, blessed be He and an attack on him is an attack on the Holy One, blessed be He, as our sages said: "one who slaps the cheek of a Jew is as if he slapped the cheek of the Shechina (G-d)" (Sanhedrin 58b).
There is no coincidence in the world! This chidush (insight) was written eve of the fourth day of the week of Parsha Vayeshev 5778. And exactly on the fourth aliyah is the story of Tamar from which our sages deduced that it is better to throw oneself in a furnace rather than humiliate someone publicly.
Daas Chachma u'Mussar, chelek 3, p.36 - the pious Yavetz wrote:For their sin is similar to heresy which uproots the whole torah. For the great foundation upon which the whole torah revolves around is that man has tremendous powers to demolish and destroy. This is to such an extent that by merely uttering one small word, he can make hekdesh (holy) a thousand, thousand portions, etc.We learn from his holy words that it is in this that he does not believe and recognize the power of man.
On this he said: "one who profanes the kodashim.." He tells himself "they were chulin (non-holy) before this".
And likewise, one who dishonors the holidays, etc, and so too for the others, it is as if he has uprooted this foundation. Due to this, his punishment is as severe as one who denies the whole torah". end quote
For if he recognized this matter, he would realize that there are no small things. Because one who understands the root of man, just how far is his portion, for man is a "sapling planted" (netzer matai) in the World to Come, then he would realize that all his deeds have lofty and supernal effects according to their roots in Olam Haba.
This is a sign that he has no portion and no connection with spiritual matters in Olam Haba and he is cut off from his root and separated from there. His residence is only in this world.
This explanation applies to all other cases which our sages stated the punishment of "has no portion in the world to come" such as embarrassing someone publicly, or honoring oneself through putting others down, etc. etc.
They are light in his eyes because he has no portion there in the world to come...
We learn from this that all of a man's toil is to be always cleaving to spiritual concepts (iyunim). Through this he will distance from the murgash (physical appearance which deceives).
And in Daat Chochma u'Mussar chelek beit, 71:
For why in truth does he not understand the greatness of man (haAdam biyakar)? Certainly it is because he does not recognize the greatness of the matters. "the severe matters appear light to him" (chamurot domot alav k'kalot). This is because his portion is only in the physical world. And from the physical world perspective, man's speech has no importance. For in the physical world, there is no (spiritual) greatness or importance. Thus everything is light and lowly by him.
But in the spiritual world, it is the opposite. Light things look important. There it is certainly already understood that man's speech literally splits Heavens (bokeah reki'im).
This is what our sages said: "Eighteen curses did Isaiah pronounce upon Israel, yet he was not pacified until he pronounced upon them this verse: The youth shall behave insolently against the older, and the lowly against the honorable" (Chagigah 14a). For the final curse which Isaiah cursed the Jews was: "the lowly against the honorable" - "Let one come of whom the severe appears light and acts insolently on one of whom the light appears severe".
This is the main point which encompasses our generation of the "footsteps of the Messiah" (ikvatei d'mashichei). For in our times all greatness and severity of matters has been lost.
Maharal - he brought five things here. For G-d created the world with the Name: Yud-Heh (see Isaiah 26:4). The Olam Haba was created with the Yud and this world was created with the Heh of G-d's great Name (Menachot 29b, i.e. the Tetragramaton).
Therefore, there are five things whose level is above this whole world, corresponding to this Heh of G-d's Holy Name. From it comes five holy divine things, namely, these five things [in our mishna]..
Thus, one who sins in these five holy things of this world, sins in the "Heh",and then the Heh is separated and lost from the Yud, the letter from which Olam Haba was created. For when there is no Heh of the great Name, then the Yud loses its use. This is known to the men of understanding.
One should understand that these five things are the five qualities (maalot) in the world.
One, the Kodashim (sacrifices). For since holiness can be on an animal which exists in this lower world, then this [holiness] is attributed to this lower world.
The holidays which are counted by the luminaries (sun, moon) are attributed to the world of the Galgalim (upper spheres).
The milah (circumcision) is on man's body. For man is composed of two parts. G-d gave the milah on his flesh and it is called "the covenant of flesh" (Sanhedrin 99a), as we say "on Your covenant which You sealed on our flesh" (Grace after Meals). This is the part from the aspect of man's being from the lower creations.
"pales the face of his fellow" - this is from the aspect of the second part of man. Namely, that of his being from the upper [realms]. And man has a special quality over all the upper realms, namely, this "image of G-d" (Tzelem Elokim). For man was created in the "image of G-d" (Gen.1:26).. And this quality and holiness is not in all the creations, not even in the supernal angels, as will be explained with G-d's help (in mishna 14). Thus, this is the highest level in the world. Only the torah [is higher].
On this, he said: "one who pales the face of his fellow". For the Tzelem (image of G-d) is in the face. This is the second part of man.
"one who distorts torah" - the torah and the commandments were given from the [higher] world which is completely above (elyon l'gamrei).
Thus, these five things are all the divisions of the world which are also five. For the world is comprised of the lower, middle, upper and man who is a world by himself. Man has two parts. For he is of the lower and of the higher.
Each of these five parts has holiness from on high. For they receive from the letter "Heh" which the world was created with. Thus, one who sins in these five things is lost from the world... (see there for more).