"You shall certainly rebuke your neighbor"

Synopsis

We learn of the precept to rebuke someone who has sinned and to show him that he is loved, so that he should not be punished but repent. God rebukes people in secret unless they will not repent, in which case he rebukes them publicly. We also learn of the gentle allusions that should be made to someone who is too shy to be rebuked openly. One should never mention another's sin in public since God is concerned about the honor of every person, even the evil-doers.

Hatred Love Precepts

100. Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd). "You shall not hate your brother in your heart: you shall certainly rebuke your neighbor..." (Vayikra 19:17). This precept is to rebuke one who sinned and to show him that he loves him, in order that THE REBUKER should not be punished. With regard to the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, "for Hashem reproves him whom He loves" (Mishlei 3:12). Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, does in rebuking those whom He loves, so should man learn from this practice and rebuke his neighbor WHOM HE LOVES. With what does Holy One, blessed be He, rebuke man? He rebukes him with love, in secret. If he accepts HIS REBUKE, it is well. If not, He rebukes him openly among his friends. If he accepts that, then all is well. If not, He rebukes him publicly, before all. If he accepts, all is well. If not, He deserts him and does not rebuke him ANYMORE; He leaves him to go and do as he pleases.

100. (רעיא מהימנא) לֹא תִשְׂנָא אֶת אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְגוֹ.' פִּקּוּדָא דָּא, לְאוֹכָחָא לְהַהוּא דְּחָטֵי, לְמֵחֱזֵי לֵיהּ רְחִימוּ סַגִיא, דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְעֲנָשׁ אִיהוּ. דְּהָא בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּתִיב, כִּי אֶת אֲשֶׁר יֶאֱהַב יְיָ' יוֹכִיחַ. וּכְמָּה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבֵיד וְאוֹכַח לְמַאן דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ, הָכִי יוֹלִיף ב"נ מֵהַהוּא אָרְחָא, וְיוֹכַח לְחַבְרֵיהּ. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּמַאי אוֹכַח לב"נ. אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בִּרְחִימוּ בְּסִתְרָא, אִי יְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ יָאוּת. וְאִי לָא, אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בֵּין רְחִימוֹי. אִי יְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָא, אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּכֹלָּא. אִי יְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו, שָׁרִי לֵיהּ, וְלָא אוֹכַח לֵיהּ, וְשָׁבִיק לֵיהּ יֵיזִיל וְיַעְבִיד רְעוּתֵיהּ.

Deeds Point Priests Repentance Sin

101. He EXPLAINS HIS WORDS. At first, He informs him privately to rebuke him, to alert him in order that no other person should know about this. This is between them. If he accepts HIS REBUKE, it is good. If not, He informs him among his friends. When there was a High Priest in the world, He would place upon him an illness that confined him to bed. Then the friends of the Holy One, blessed be He, would come, inform him that if he had a sin he should repent, and review his deeds. If he accepted, all would be fine. If not, He would warn him publicly that HE WOULD PUNISH HIM, in his money and his children, so that everyone would whisper about him and come to him TO ENCOURAGE HIM TO REPENT. If he accepts these conditions, all is fine. If not, his Master begins to do as he wishes and does not attack him anymore. Like this one should rebuke his friend: in the beginning, privately, then among his friends, and later publicly. From this point on, leave him be and let him do whatever is his desire.

101. בְּקַדְמֵיתָא אוֹדַע לֵיהּ בְּסִטְרָא, בְּגִין לְאוֹכָחָא לֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְעֲרָא לֵיהּ, דְּלָא יִנְּדַע בֵּיהּ ב"נ. וְדָא אִיהוּ בֵּינֵיהּ לְבֵינֵיהּ. אִי מְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו, אוֹדַע לֵיהּ בֵּין רְחִימוֹי, בְּזִמְנָא דְּכַהֲנָא רַבָּא הֲוָה בְּעָלְמָא, יָהִיב לֵיהּ מַרְעִין בְּעַרְסֵיהּ, וְאָתוּ רְחִימוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאוֹדְעָן לֵיהּ, אִי אִית בֵּיהּ חוֹבָא דְּיֵיתוּב מִנֵּיהּ, וּלְעָיֵין בְּמִלֵיהּ. אִי מְקַבֵּל יָאוּת, וְאִי לָאו אוֹכַח לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, בְּמָמוֹנֵיהּ, בִּבְנוֹי, דְּכֹלָּא מְלַחֲשָׁן עָלֵיהּ, וְיֵיתוּן לְגַבֵּיהּ. אִי מְקַבֵּל יָאוּת. וְאִי לָאו שָׁארִי לֵיהּ מָארֵיהּ לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ, וְלָא יַתְקִיף בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְאוֹכָחָא לְחַבְרֵיהּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא בְּסִתְרָא. לְבָתַר בֵּין רְחִימוֹי. לְבָתַר בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה יִשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ וְיַעְבִּיד רְעוּתֵיהּ.

Point Sin

102. Therefore it is written, "you shall certainly rebuke (lit. 'rebuking you shall rebuke')," MEANING that "rebuking" REFERS to this being done privately, so no one knows. ."..You shall rebuke..." MEANING between friends and lovers, "your neighbor," NAMELY in public. Therefore, it does not write at the outset, "you shall rebuke," MEANING AMONG FRIENDS, but rather, "rebuking," SECRETLY. Another explanation for, "you shall rebuke" is that if the individual is shy, one should not tell him his fault and should not rebuke him even privately. Instead, one should speak to him as if talking about other things, and in the course of the conversation, mention to him that if someone commits such a sin, he is such and such, in order that he himself will understand what is going on and will desist from such sin. Therefore, "rebuking;" if it is not helping, then, "you shall rebuke;" if that does not help, then publicly "your neighbor," AS MENTIONED BEFORE. From that point on, it says, "and not suffer sin on his account," MEANING, DO NOT REBUKE HIM ANYMORE.

102. וְעַ"ד כְּתִיב הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ. הוֹכֵחַ: בְּסִתְרָא, דְּלָא יִנְּדַע בֵּיהּ ב"נ. תּוֹכִיחַ: בֵּין חַבְרוֹי וּרְחִימוֹי. אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ: בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. וְעַ"ד לָא כְּתִיב בְּקַדְמֵיתָא תּוֹכִיחַ, אֶלָּא הוֹכֵחַ. תּוּ הוֹכֵחַ, אִי אִיהוּ ב"נ דְּיִכְסוּף, לָא יֵימָּא לֵיהּ וְלָא יוֹכִיחַ לֵיהּ אֲפִילּוּ בְּסִתְרָא, אֶלָּא יֵימָּא קַמֵּיהּ, כְּמָאן דְּמִשְׁתָּעֵי בְּמִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין. בְּגוֹ אִינּוּן מִלִּין, יִדְכַּר מַאן דְּעָבֵד הַהוּא חוֹבָא הוּא כַּךְ וְכַךְ, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ יְדַע בְּגַרְמֵיהּ, וְיִשְׁתְּבִיק מֵהַהוּא חוֹבָא. וְעַ"ד הוֹכֵחַ. וְאִם לָאו, תּוֹכִיחַ. וּלְבָתַר אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא.

Sin

103. Another explanation for, "and not suffer sin on his account," is that if one man rebukes another, and it so happened that he rebuked the other publicly, he must not mention before him the sin he committed. That is surely prohibited. He must speak in general, and not mention the sin he committed in public, nor ascribe the sin to him, since the Holy One, blessed be He, is concerned about the honor of every person, even the evil-doers. End of Ra'aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd).

103. ד"א וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא, דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּב"נ אוֹכַח לְחַבְרֵיהּ, וְאִזְדְּמַן לְאוֹכָחָא לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָא, לָא יְסַלֵּק קַמֵּיהּ הַהוּא חוֹבָה דַּעֲבֵיד, דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ וַדַאי, אֶלָּא יֵימָּא סְתָם, וְלָא יְסַלֵּק עֲלוֹי הַהוּא חוֹבָא בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא, וְלָא יַרְשִׁים עֲלוֹי חוֹבָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָס עַל יְקָרָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, אֲפִילּוּ בְּחַיָּיבַיָא. (ע"כ רעיא מהימנא)

Shofar