In our many sins, there are many men who are very heedful of observing the Torah according to the din, but who make light of the issur of theft, cheating people with all kinds of stratagems, being habituated to this and not knowing that it strikes at their very being and that they thereby leave the category of "your neighbor" and "your fellow," in addition to invalidating themselves from giving testimony. A proof: Our sages of blessed memory have said that grazers of small cattle, [who are used to grazing in the field of others] "are not pulled out and are not put down." That is, if they have fallen into a pit, they are not to be taken out, even though for other Jews there is a negative commandment against this, viz. (Vayikra 19:16): "Do not stand [idly] by the blood of your neighbor," one being obliged to pull him out and even to hire others to do so. But, in this instance, because of his wickedness, he is not to be taken out.
We shall expand somewhat on the severity of theft, which, when one reflects upon it, will make him tremble. The Midrash writes: "Lest you say that I have given you the Torah for your evil — I have given it to you only for your good." Now this obviously presents a question: How could one [even] suspect that the Holy One Blessed be He, the source of good and lovingkindness could give us the Torah for our evil? But the explanation is as follows. There are in the Torah several sections on punishing sinners — with death, stripes, or monetary payment — which might lead one to believe that the Holy One Blessed be He is angry with the sinner, wherefore He prescribed these punishments for his evil. But, in truth, this is not so. The Holy One Blessed be He brings punishments upon him to cleanse him. For our sages have said (Makkoth 23a) about one who is liable to stripes because he has transgressed a negative commandment of the Torah: (Devarim 25:3): "And your brother shall be demeaned before your eyes" — "Once he has been demeaned [by receiving stripes], he is like your brother." And, similarly, even with one liable to the death penalty, we tell him: "Confess, for all who confess have a share in the world to come." And this serves as a paradigm for all such things in the Torah, as in the instance of a thief (Shemoth 22:2): "If he lacks [the money to return], he should be sold for his theft," in order to return the money to the owner, so as to cleanse himself of the sin of theft, even though through this he descends from his sanctity. For ab initio, a Jew is forbidden by negative commandment to wed a handmaid, it being written (Devarim 23:18): "And there shall be no harlot from the sons of Israel"; but after he is sold by beth-din he descends from his sanctity and weds a handmaid, and his children are slaves forever. In any event, the Torah descends to "the end of the matter," that this is preferable for him rather than having the sin of theft remain upon him and returning and coming to Gehinnom as a gilgul [(a reincarnation)].
הִתְעוֹרְרוּת גְּדוֹלָה בְּחֹמֶר עְוֹן גֶּזֶל.
Great awakening to the severity of the sin of theft
בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים יֵשׁ אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁזְּהִירִין בְּכָל עִנְיְנֵי דַּת הַתּוֹרָה כַּדִּין, וְאִסּוּר גֶּזֶל קַל בְּעֵינֵיהֶם לְהוֹנוֹת לִבְנֵי אָדָם בְּכָל אָפְנֵי תַּחְבּוּלוֹת וּכְהַאי גַּוְנָא, וּמֻרְגָּלִין בָּזֶה מְאֹד וְלֹא יֵדְעוּ כִּי בְּנַפְשָׁם הוּא, וְיוֹצֵא עַל יְדֵי זֶה מִכְּלַל רֵעֲךָ וַעֲמִיתֶךָ, מִלְּבַד מַה שֶּׁהוּא פָּסוּל לְעֵדוּת עַל יְדֵי זֶה. וּרְאָיָה מִמַּה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: רוֹעֵי בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה [שֶׁמֻּרְגָּלִין לִרְעוֹת בִּשְׂדוֹת אֲחֵרִים] לֹא מַעֲלִין וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין, וְהַיְנוּ שֶׁאִם נָפְלוּ בְּתוֹךְ הַבּוֹר אֵין לְהַעֲלוֹתָן, אַף שֶׁבִּשְׁאָר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל יֵשׁ עַל זֶה לָאו מְיֻחָד: לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ; שֶׁמְּחֻיָּב לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ וְגַם לִשְׂכֹּר אֲנָשִׁים לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ (כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין דַּף ע"ג.), אֲבָל בָּזֶה, מִפְּנֵי רִשְׁעוֹ אֵין לְהַעֲלוֹתוֹ.
In our many sins, there are many men who are very heedful of observing the Torah according to the din, but who make light of the issur of theft, cheating people with all kinds of stratagems, being habituated to this and not knowing that it strikes at their very being and that they thereby leave the category of "your neighbor" and "your fellow," in addition to invalidating themselves from giving testimony. A proof: Our sages of blessed memory have said that grazers of small cattle, [who are used to grazing in the field of others] "are not pulled out and are not put down." That is, if they have fallen into a pit, they are not to be taken out, even though for other Jews there is a negative commandment against this, viz. (Vayikra 19:16): "Do not stand [idly] by the blood of your neighbor," one being obliged to pull him out and even to hire others to do so. But, in this instance, because of his wickedness, he is not to be taken out.
וְנַעֲרִיךָ עוֹד לִפְנֵי הַקּוֹרֵא הַחֹמֶר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּאִסּוּר גֶּזֶל, שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְבּוֹנֵן הָאָדָם יִזְדַּעְזַע בָּזֶה. וְהוּא, כִּי הִנֵּה בַּמִּדְרָשׁ אִיתָא: שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמְרוּ: לְרָעַתְכֶם נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה? לֹא נָתַתִּי אֶת הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא לְטוֹבַתְכֶם. וְהִנֵּה לִכְאוֹרָה הוּא מֻקְשֶׁה מְאֹד, אֵיךְ נַחֲשֹׁד לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹר הַטּוֹב וְהַחֶסֶד, שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָנוּ הַתּוֹרָה לְרָעָתֵנוּ? אֶלָּא בֵּאוּר הָעִנְיָן הוּא כָּךְ: יֵשׁ בַּתּוֹרָה כַּמָּה פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת בְּעִנְיְנֵי הֲלָכוֹת, אֵיךְ לְהַעֲנִישׁ הַחוֹטְאִים, בְּמִיתָה אוֹ בְּמַלְקוֹת אוֹ בְּמָמוֹן. שֶׁיַּחְשֹׁב הָאָדָם, שֶׁאֵלּוּ הָעִנְיָנִים בָּאִים בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כּוֹעֵס עַל הַחוֹטֵא, וְעַל כֵּן הֵבִיא עָלָיו הָעֳנָשִׁים לְרָעָתוֹ, אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא כֵן הוּא. הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵבִיא עָלָיו הָעֳנָשִׁים כְּדֵי לְנַקּוֹתוֹ, שֶׁכֵּן אָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בַּמְחֻיָּב מַלְקוֹת (מכות כ"ג.), מִפְּנֵי שֶׁעָבַר עַל לָאו דְּאוֹרַיְתָא עַל הַפָּסוּק (דברים כ"ה ג'): "וְנִקְלָה אָחִיךָ לְעֵינֶיךָ", כֵּיוָן שֶׁנִּקְלָה, הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאָחִיךָ. וְכֵן אֲפִלּוּ בִּמְחֻיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ: הִתְוַדֵּה, שֶׁכֵּן כָּל הַמִּתְוַדֶּה, יֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. וּמִזֶּה נִלְמַד לְכָל עִנְיָנִים הַכְּתוּבִים בַּתּוֹרָה, כְּגוֹן בְּגַנָּב, שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות כ"ב ב'): "אִם אֵין לוֹ, וְנִמְכַּר בִּגְנֵבָתוֹ". שֶׁהוּא כְּדֵי לְהָשִׁיב הַגְּזֵלָה לִבְעָלָיו, וְהוּא יִנָּקֶה מֵעֲוֹן גֶּזֶל, אַף שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יוֹרֵד מִקְּדֻשָׁתוֹ, שֶׁמִּתְּחִלָּה יֵשׁ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל לָאו גָּמוּר שֶׁלֹּא לִשָּׂא שִׁפְחָה, כְּדִכְתִיב (דברים כ"ג י"ח): "וְלֹא יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל". וְאַחַר שֶׁמְּכָרוּהוּ בֵּית דִּין, יוֹרֵד מִקְּדֻשָּׁתוֹ וְנוֹשֵׂא שִׁפְחָה, וּבָנָיו יִהְיוּ עַבְדֵי עוֹלָם. מִכָּל מָקוֹם יָרְדָה הַתּוֹרָה לְסוֹף הַדָּבָר, שֶׁזֶּה כְּדַאי לוֹ יוֹתֵר מִשֶּׁיִּשָּׁאֵר עָלָיו עֲוֹן גֶּזֶל, וְיִצְטָרֵךְ עַל יְדֵי זֶה לַחֲזֹר וְלָבוֹא בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם בְּגִלְגּוּל.
We shall expand somewhat on the severity of theft, which, when one reflects upon it, will make him tremble. The Midrash writes: "Lest you say that I have given you the Torah for your evil — I have given it to you only for your good." Now this obviously presents a question: How could one [even] suspect that the Holy One Blessed be He, the source of good and lovingkindness could give us the Torah for our evil? But the explanation is as follows. There are in the Torah several sections on punishing sinners — with death, stripes, or monetary payment — which might lead one to believe that the Holy One Blessed be He is angry with the sinner, wherefore He prescribed these punishments for his evil. But, in truth, this is not so. The Holy One Blessed be He brings punishments upon him to cleanse him. For our sages have said (Makkoth 23a) about one who is liable to stripes because he has transgressed a negative commandment of the Torah: (Devarim 25:3): "And your brother shall be demeaned before your eyes" — "Once he has been demeaned [by receiving stripes], he is like your brother." And, similarly, even with one liable to the death penalty, we tell him: "Confess, for all who confess have a share in the world to come." And this serves as a paradigm for all such things in the Torah, as in the instance of a thief (Shemoth 22:2): "If he lacks [the money to return], he should be sold for his theft," in order to return the money to the owner, so as to cleanse himself of the sin of theft, even though through this he descends from his sanctity. For ab initio, a Jew is forbidden by negative commandment to wed a handmaid, it being written (Devarim 23:18): "And there shall be no harlot from the sons of Israel"; but after he is sold by beth-din he descends from his sanctity and weds a handmaid, and his children are slaves forever. In any event, the Torah descends to "the end of the matter," that this is preferable for him rather than having the sin of theft remain upon him and returning and coming to Gehinnom as a gilgul [(a reincarnation)].