Lo Tachanifu
Gemarah Eiruvin 18b ואמר רבי ירמיה בן אלעזר מקצת שבחו של אדם אומרים בפניו וכולו שלא בפניו מקצת שבחו בפניו דכתיב (בראשית ז) כי אותך ראיתי צדיק לפני בדור הזה כולו שלא בפניו דכתיב (בראשית ו) נח איש צדיק תמים היה בדורות
see Rashi and Maharsha.
Question: how can one be Machnif to hkb"h and why is "Libo Gas" any better?
Parshas Masei Perek 35 pasuk 31-33 see Rashi "Lo Sachanifu" Lo Tarshiu-see Onkelus
See Ramban there "Inyan Hachanifa" that Chanifa is doing the opposite than what appears should be done. And the Ramban continues quoting the Sifri "Azhara Lachanfin".
The Ramban is really going Lishitaso. The Ramban argues on the Rambam at the end of Shoresh 5 in Sefer Hamitzvos and says that the Issur of "Lo Tachanifu" should have been counted in the Minyan Hamitzvos because it is not only a reason for "Lo Tikchu Kofer" but actually a forbidden act of flattering a murderer.
The Gemara in Sota 41A tells a story of King Agripas and how the Israelites were punished because they flattered him (She'hechinifu lo Le'Agripas)
The Gemara in Sota continues תנא משמיה דרבי נתן באותה שעה נתחייבו שונאי ישראל כלייה שהחניפו לו לאגריפס אמר ר' שמעון בן חלפתא מיום שגבר אגרופה של חנופה נתעוותו הדינין ונתקלקלו המעשים ואין אדם יכול לומר לחבירו מעשי גדולים ממעשיך דרש ר' יהודה בר מערבא ואיתימא ר' שמעון בן פזי מותר להחניף לרשעים בעולם הזה שנאמר (ישעיהו לב) לא יקרא עוד לנבל נדיב ולכילי לא יאמר שוע מכלל דבעולם הזה שרי ר' שמעון בן לקיש אמר מהכא (בראשית לג) כראות פני אלהים ותרצני ופליגא דרבי לוי דאמר רבי לוי משל של יעקב ועשו למה הדבר דומה לאדם שזימן את חבירו והכיר בו שמבקש להורגו אמר לו טעם תבשיל זה שאני טועם כתבשיל שטעמתי בבית המלך אמר ידע ליה מלכא מיסתפי ולא קטיל ליה אמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה מביא אף לעולם שנא' (איוב לו) וחנפי לב ישימו אף ולא עוד אלא שאין תפלתו נשמעת שנאמר (איוב לו) לא ישועו כי אסרם: סימן א"ף עוב"ר גיהנ"ם ביד"ו ניד"ה גול"ה: ואמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה אפילו עוברין שבמעי אמן מקללין אותו שנא' (משלי כד) אומר לרשע צדיק אתה יקבוהו עמים יזעמוהו לאומים ואין קוב אלא קללה שנא' (במדבר כג) לא קבה אל ואין לאום אלא עוברין שנא' (בראשית כה) ולאום מלאום יאמץ ואמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה נופל בגיהנם שנא' (ישעיהו ה) הוי האומרים לרע טוב ולטוב רע וגו' מה כתיב אחריו לכן כאכל קש לשון אש וחשש להבה ירפה וגו' ואמר רבי אלעזר כל המחניף לחבירו סוף נופל בידו ואם אינו נופל בידו נופל ביד בניו ואם אינו נופל ביד בניו נופל ביד בן בנו
Tach It is hard to understand how the Gemara can say that something that the Torah explicitly forbids is permitted even if "Lo Tachanifu" is not included in the Taryag mitzvos it is still forbidden??
Tosfos on the Sugya in Sota is also hard to understand. Tosfos in D"H "Oto Hayom" asks what was the flattery to Agripas if he in fact was Jewish because his mother was Jewish, Tosfos answers that that to be a king there is a Din "Mikerev Achecha" which would make a king more stringent than a regular Jew and necessitates his being of a Jewish father too. Tosfo goes further to say that even if they couldnt protest the king for fear of their lives they should have at least remind silent and not flattered him and the punishment for flattery is that Aveira of fearing the King rather than fearing God who does not allow an non-Jewish king. What does Tosfos mean when he says the "Aveira of Chanifa"? Furthermore when the Gemara says later that if you flatter your fellow man you will eventually fall before him, Tosfos explains that this is only when the flatterer is not in danger however when he is in a dangerous situation he may flatter the other person. This seemingly contradicts Tosfos here that says that the whole Aveira of Flattery is when he fears the person instead of fearing God?
It seems obvious that there must be two dinim/Halachos of the issur of Chanifa.
1. The issur De'oraysa of Chanifa or as translated "Flattery" as the Chofetz Chaim writes in his forward to his book Chofetz Chaim that if one speaks ill of another in order to find favor in his friends eyes he is transgressing the issur of "Lo Tachanifu". This issur is obviously not going to apply if one is in a danger situation and he needs to flatter to survive. This issur is also brought down in the sefer Yireim 55 and is listed in the Yire'ims minyan hamitzvos and he writes there that this issur does not apply in a "Makom Sakana" and this is mentioned in the Magen Avraham in a halachik context that there is no issur of Lo Tachanifu if the flatterer is endangered. This is more of an issur like "nekama" where it is only forbidden if you are doing it for the specific purpose of flattering a person that is non-deserving of your flattery for that purpose alone but if you have other motivations or if you are in danger as just mentioned then there is no issur.
2. There is another issur of Chanifa which is really the issur of being "Machzik yedei Overei Aveira" giving support to sinners through flattery. This issur applies even out of fear in a dangerous situation. The machlokes of the Amoraim is in this halacha if it is in fact applicable even in a "makom Sakana". This is the issur discussed in Sota regarding king Agripas. (this issur can possibly explained as the anti-Hocheoch Tochiach, where you are actually supporting bad deeds rather than protesting them).
The issur of מקצת שבחו that one must only say partial praise of a person when he is in his presence is if he mentions that persons full praise that would be considered flattery or forbidden because it is as if he is being flattered (kind of a de'rabanan vs the issur de'oraysa of non-deserved flattery), this issur would apply even to Hkb"h. with regard to the Maharsha in Eiruvin.
אמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה אפילו עוברין שבמעי אמן מקללין אותו שנא' (משלי כד) אומר לרשע צדיק אתה יקבוהו עמים יזעמוהו לאומים ואין קוב אלא קללה שנא' (במדבר כג) לא קבה אל ואין לאום אלא עוברין שנא' (בראשית כה) ולאום מלאום יאמץ
oThis first din of Chanifa that we said is De'oraysa is more a din of Middos between a person and hisself in that he is allowing himself to be misled for some ulterior purpose. This is the reason that even facing Hkb'h it is assur and we say the din of miktzas shvacho. A fetus is in a certain sense on the same level. Generally when an ubar is mentioned in Chazal (Maharal) it is referring to man who has the ultimate potential. (he learns all of torah etc) even the ultimate man realizes that flattery is wrong, not because he is not worthy of the praise but because the flatterer has no business voicing it to make himself liked by others.
The sefer Shaarei Teshuva 181 also quotes the gemara with the story of Agripas and states that it is assur even in a dangerous situation to flatter. The Shaarei Teshuva brings Agrippas and not the pasuk because he is referring to the second din of Chanufa that we discussed above.
see Rashi and Maharsha.
Question: how can one be Machnif to hkb"h and why is "Libo Gas" any better?
Parshas Masei Perek 35 pasuk 31-33 see Rashi "Lo Sachanifu" Lo Tarshiu-see Onkelus
See Ramban there "Inyan Hachanifa" that Chanifa is doing the opposite than what appears should be done. And the Ramban continues quoting the Sifri "Azhara Lachanfin".
The Ramban is really going Lishitaso. The Ramban argues on the Rambam at the end of Shoresh 5 in Sefer Hamitzvos and says that the Issur of "Lo Tachanifu" should have been counted in the Minyan Hamitzvos because it is not only a reason for "Lo Tikchu Kofer" but actually a forbidden act of flattering a murderer.
The Gemara in Sota 41A tells a story of King Agripas and how the Israelites were punished because they flattered him (She'hechinifu lo Le'Agripas)
The Gemara in Sota continues תנא משמיה דרבי נתן באותה שעה נתחייבו שונאי ישראל כלייה שהחניפו לו לאגריפס אמר ר' שמעון בן חלפתא מיום שגבר אגרופה של חנופה נתעוותו הדינין ונתקלקלו המעשים ואין אדם יכול לומר לחבירו מעשי גדולים ממעשיך דרש ר' יהודה בר מערבא ואיתימא ר' שמעון בן פזי מותר להחניף לרשעים בעולם הזה שנאמר (ישעיהו לב) לא יקרא עוד לנבל נדיב ולכילי לא יאמר שוע מכלל דבעולם הזה שרי ר' שמעון בן לקיש אמר מהכא (בראשית לג) כראות פני אלהים ותרצני ופליגא דרבי לוי דאמר רבי לוי משל של יעקב ועשו למה הדבר דומה לאדם שזימן את חבירו והכיר בו שמבקש להורגו אמר לו טעם תבשיל זה שאני טועם כתבשיל שטעמתי בבית המלך אמר ידע ליה מלכא מיסתפי ולא קטיל ליה אמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה מביא אף לעולם שנא' (איוב לו) וחנפי לב ישימו אף ולא עוד אלא שאין תפלתו נשמעת שנאמר (איוב לו) לא ישועו כי אסרם: סימן א"ף עוב"ר גיהנ"ם ביד"ו ניד"ה גול"ה: ואמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה אפילו עוברין שבמעי אמן מקללין אותו שנא' (משלי כד) אומר לרשע צדיק אתה יקבוהו עמים יזעמוהו לאומים ואין קוב אלא קללה שנא' (במדבר כג) לא קבה אל ואין לאום אלא עוברין שנא' (בראשית כה) ולאום מלאום יאמץ ואמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה נופל בגיהנם שנא' (ישעיהו ה) הוי האומרים לרע טוב ולטוב רע וגו' מה כתיב אחריו לכן כאכל קש לשון אש וחשש להבה ירפה וגו' ואמר רבי אלעזר כל המחניף לחבירו סוף נופל בידו ואם אינו נופל בידו נופל ביד בניו ואם אינו נופל ביד בניו נופל ביד בן בנו
Tach It is hard to understand how the Gemara can say that something that the Torah explicitly forbids is permitted even if "Lo Tachanifu" is not included in the Taryag mitzvos it is still forbidden??
Tosfos on the Sugya in Sota is also hard to understand. Tosfos in D"H "Oto Hayom" asks what was the flattery to Agripas if he in fact was Jewish because his mother was Jewish, Tosfos answers that that to be a king there is a Din "Mikerev Achecha" which would make a king more stringent than a regular Jew and necessitates his being of a Jewish father too. Tosfo goes further to say that even if they couldnt protest the king for fear of their lives they should have at least remind silent and not flattered him and the punishment for flattery is that Aveira of fearing the King rather than fearing God who does not allow an non-Jewish king. What does Tosfos mean when he says the "Aveira of Chanifa"? Furthermore when the Gemara says later that if you flatter your fellow man you will eventually fall before him, Tosfos explains that this is only when the flatterer is not in danger however when he is in a dangerous situation he may flatter the other person. This seemingly contradicts Tosfos here that says that the whole Aveira of Flattery is when he fears the person instead of fearing God?
It seems obvious that there must be two dinim/Halachos of the issur of Chanifa.
1. The issur De'oraysa of Chanifa or as translated "Flattery" as the Chofetz Chaim writes in his forward to his book Chofetz Chaim that if one speaks ill of another in order to find favor in his friends eyes he is transgressing the issur of "Lo Tachanifu". This issur is obviously not going to apply if one is in a danger situation and he needs to flatter to survive. This issur is also brought down in the sefer Yireim 55 and is listed in the Yire'ims minyan hamitzvos and he writes there that this issur does not apply in a "Makom Sakana" and this is mentioned in the Magen Avraham in a halachik context that there is no issur of Lo Tachanifu if the flatterer is endangered. This is more of an issur like "nekama" where it is only forbidden if you are doing it for the specific purpose of flattering a person that is non-deserving of your flattery for that purpose alone but if you have other motivations or if you are in danger as just mentioned then there is no issur.
2. There is another issur of Chanifa which is really the issur of being "Machzik yedei Overei Aveira" giving support to sinners through flattery. This issur applies even out of fear in a dangerous situation. The machlokes of the Amoraim is in this halacha if it is in fact applicable even in a "makom Sakana". This is the issur discussed in Sota regarding king Agripas. (this issur can possibly explained as the anti-Hocheoch Tochiach, where you are actually supporting bad deeds rather than protesting them).
The issur of מקצת שבחו that one must only say partial praise of a person when he is in his presence is if he mentions that persons full praise that would be considered flattery or forbidden because it is as if he is being flattered (kind of a de'rabanan vs the issur de'oraysa of non-deserved flattery), this issur would apply even to Hkb"h. with regard to the Maharsha in Eiruvin.
אמר רבי אלעזר כל אדם שיש בו חנופה אפילו עוברין שבמעי אמן מקללין אותו שנא' (משלי כד) אומר לרשע צדיק אתה יקבוהו עמים יזעמוהו לאומים ואין קוב אלא קללה שנא' (במדבר כג) לא קבה אל ואין לאום אלא עוברין שנא' (בראשית כה) ולאום מלאום יאמץ
oThis first din of Chanifa that we said is De'oraysa is more a din of Middos between a person and hisself in that he is allowing himself to be misled for some ulterior purpose. This is the reason that even facing Hkb'h it is assur and we say the din of miktzas shvacho. A fetus is in a certain sense on the same level. Generally when an ubar is mentioned in Chazal (Maharal) it is referring to man who has the ultimate potential. (he learns all of torah etc) even the ultimate man realizes that flattery is wrong, not because he is not worthy of the praise but because the flatterer has no business voicing it to make himself liked by others.
The sefer Shaarei Teshuva 181 also quotes the gemara with the story of Agripas and states that it is assur even in a dangerous situation to flatter. The Shaarei Teshuva brings Agrippas and not the pasuk because he is referring to the second din of Chanufa that we discussed above.
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