For Your Inspiration
The Mitzvah Of Kiruv
For Your Inspiration
We are obligated to show compassion for their material possessions and their physical well-being, let alone their souls.
An excerpt from the Chofetz Chaim's Chomas Hadas, translated by Shmuel Elchonon Brog.
The Torah writes, "If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray you shall surely bring it back to him again." 1 In Tayzay it adds, "You shall not see your brother's ox his lamb go astray and withdraw yourself from them: you shall surely bring them back again unto your brother." 2 The Rambam explains: "...the second verse adds the word needochim [go astray]. Toe'eh [the word meaning 'go astray' that is used in the first verse] refers to one that has wandered from its path but can be returned without much difficulty, whereas needochim means that is fled from him to a far away place. [The passage] also mentions the lamb because it easily becomes bewildered when it gets lost."
If the Torah in this passage manifests such compassion for the money of a Jew, even his donkey or his lamb that has wandered far from its path and which needs great effort to be returned, how much more compassion must be shown for the Jewish soul that has wandered, even if it demands a tremendous effort to see that he returns!
Everyone is familiar with the comment of our sages on the passage. "You shall surely bring them back again unto your brother"3: "Keep returning it, even a hundred times." From here we learn that in our case, too, we must try, if necessary a hundred times, to return the one who has strayed to the way of God.
Actually, in our day even those engrossed in sin are usually not found to be spiteful, God forbid. They have gone astray because of certain poshim4 [deliberate transgressors] who have mislead them, and they are literally like the bewildered lamb who does not know how to return to its master's house. Therefore, it is a tremendous Mitzvah to have compassion upon them and to teach them, as it says, "And you shall make known to them the path which they should follow."5
There are men amongst the Torah scholars who God gave wisdom and understanding and who are worthy of the title, Shepherds of Israel. They have the power to heal the wounds of our people, to teach them the well-trodden path to God, and therefore, at a time like this they have no right to keep silent. Because of their silence, those sheep that have been strayed will in due time be lost entirely and they will be held responsible.
Concerning this, the Prophet Ezekiel said (Ez. 34:1-10): "Son of man prophecy concerning the shepherds of Israel; prophecy and say unto them, unto the shepherds, thus hath the Lord Eternal. Woe to the shepherds of Israel who do feed themselves! Should not the shepherd feed the flocks? The fat you eat and with the wool you clothe yourselves, those that are well fed you slaughter; but the flock you heed not. The diseased have you not strengthened, and the sick have you not healed, and that which had a limb broken have you not bound up, and the strayed have you not brought back again, and what was lot have you not sought for... I will ask for my flock from their hand..." (1) (See the introduction to my work, The dispersed of Israel, where this passage is explained in detail.)
Everyone knows that the leaders of the congregation are called the "eyes" as it says, "If it be unknown to the eyes of the congregation."6 Thus, if the leaders neglect teaching them the way of God, the members of the congregation are like the man who walks in the street with his eyes closed and who is bound to endanger his life by falling into some pit. But this is literally the case today. The multitudes are apt to meet with mortal danger, God forbid, because of the sins which bring koras and the like. The implications of this are contained in what I quoted at the end of the second essay, in the name of the Tana D'vai Eliyahu.
However, just the opposite is true if the leader looks after the affairs of his people and keeps them from becoming ensnared in the traps of the Yetzer Hora. His reward is very great because there is a very special compensation for the leaders of Israel in the Future World. See the Sifri Parshas Pinchus. It is quoted by the Rashi on the passage "And he took Joshua."7 ["He took him with words; he told him about the reward for Jewish leaders in the Future World," Sifri.]
GLOSS (1): Actually, the matter we are now discussing is similar to the case of a man who sees his friend drowning in a river, or in some other imminent danger, and is commanded to save him. He is forbidden to stand idly by because it says, "Do not stand idly by your brother's blood."8 If he cannot personally save him, he is obligated to hire others to save him, and if he is lax in this he transgresses the injunction, "Do not stand idly..." (Chosen Mishpat, Chap. 426). It is obvious that the same rule applies if he sees that his friend is taken seriously ill and because of his delirium wants to eat food which will bring about his death, God forbid. One is undoubtedly obligated to stop him with all the means in his power. Similarly, when we see men who, because they are so confused and so occupied with temporary things, have forgotten the Torah of God and their great obligation to fulfill His commands, and because of this come to violate matters which will sever their souls from the land of the living, it is certain that we are forbidden to be lax in alerting them to fulfill the Word of God to prevent the Divine Anger form overtaking them. Although the Almighty is patient, He ultimately collects his due.
Furthermore, just as we are obligated to find men who can swim well and pay them, if necessary, to save someone we see drowning in a river, so, too, are we obligated to find excellent orators who are God-fearing men, and who know how to attract the hearts of Israel to their Father in Heaven.
1) Shmos 23:4.
2) Dvorim 22:1.
3) Ibid.
4) Poshim - This term refers to those defiant evildoers who maliciously seek to rebel again the Dominion of God. (See HaKsav v'Hakabalo, Shmos, 22:18.) For an elaboration on their motives, see Chomas Hadas, Chap. 14, Footnote I, and Mesilas Yesharim, Chap. 6.
5) Ezekial 18:20.
6) Vayikra 4:13.
7) Bamidbar 27:22.
8) Vayikra 19:16.
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