Accentuate The Positive
By R’ Mordechai Young
A bachur once wanted to discuss something with Rav Avigdor Miller as they walked outside. The Rav said that while he walks, he collects rubber bands that he finds on the sidewalk, so he asked the bachur to help him find some as they walked for a while. At the end, the bachur told Rav Avigdor Miller that he only found a few. Rabbi Miller said he didn’t need the rubber bands, but looking for them as he walks is a great way to keep his eyes averted so he doesn’t accidentally see something inappropriate. The bachur saw that this was a great eitzah on how to steer away from bad influences.
In this week’s parashah, Mishpatim (Sh’mot 23:13), it states, “Concerning all that I have said to you, you shall guard [your mouth], and the name of the deities of others you shall not mention; it shall not be heard through your mouth.” Rashi explains this pasuk comes to give every positive commandment the stringency of a prohibition [i.e., negative commandment], for every exhortation to beware or guard (shemira) in the Torah is a prohibition instead of a negative expression.
The Gemara Makkos teaches that Rabbi Avin said that one of the words that creates a mitzvah not to do (Mitzvot Lo Taaseh) is hishamer (guard). The Sifsei Chachamim states, based on the Rashi, that we can understand the rule throughout the Talmud that a mitzvah asei pushes off a mitzvah lo ta’aseh. For example, we can’t wear shatnez; however, while performing the mitzvah of tzitzis, it’s allowed. The mitzvah of tzitzis pushes off the aveirah of shatnez.
The Ramban argues with Rashi. He starts off with a question: If it were true that every positive mitzvahhas a negative one as well, then a person who neglects to perform a mitzvah should get malkot. This we know is not true. He proposes an answer (for Rashi). The mitzvah will be considered a positive mitzvah, which attaches a prohibition to it in a generalized way.
This is called lav she’bichlalos, a negative commandment that forbids multiple things. There are two types of lav she’bichlalos and each is counted as a single mitzvah. For example, Sh’mot 12:9 forbids eating the korban Pesach (Passover sacrifice) raw or cooked in water. This is one mitzvah: “don’t eat it raw or cooked in water.” (Similar to this are the prohibitions against bringing leaven or honey on the altar, marrying an Ammonite or a Moabite, etc.) The lav she’bichlalos is a prohibition encompassing many things without mentioning the specific prohibition by name at all. For this type, Ramban says everyone agrees there is no malkot. It’s interesting that the Ramban did not comment whether it’s an aveirah without doing an action; the person just neglected to do the mitzvah, but didn’t do anything. Therefore, we hold there is no malkot. Maybe because Rebbi Yehuda (Gemara Makkos 4b) holds one can get malkot for an aveirah that didn’t involve action.
We understood the rule of a mitzvah asei pushing off a prohibition based on Rashi’s understanding. According to the Ramban, how would he explain this rule? I was wondering this and remembered learning a different explanation. After looking I found the other explanation is actually given by the Ramban and I was super happy! In Perek 20:7, he explains that a mitzvah asei is greater than a prohibition. Just like love is stronger than fear. Doing a positive mitzvah represents love of Hashem, while refraining from doing a prohibited action shows fear of Hashem. That’s why the mitzvah asei pushes off a prohibition. Rav Tzadok HaKohen taught that not doing a mitzvah is called an aveirah. He brought a beautiful proof from the first Mishnah, which states that the earliest time to say Shema at night is when the stars come out. The latest time is an argument. The Chachamim hold you can say Shema the whole night. They said you have till chatzos. Why did they say till chatzos when they hold you have the whole night? The Mishnah answers that it was in order to distance a person from sin. If a person knows he has the whole night, he will procrastinate and can end up not saying Shema. Rav Tzadok said the Mishnah called it a sin to not say Shema. So, missing out on a mitzvah is called a sin. Maybe according to Rashi, we understand it well because every mitzvah asei has a prohibition attached to it like an aveirah.
As a play on words, maybe we can say the story with Rabbi Miller was like an asei doche lo sasei, the positive idea to find rubber bands pushed off the prohibition of looking at things that are not proper. Good advice we can learn from this is to be involved in positive actions and thoughts to push away the negative ones. Like an asei pushes off a prohibition.
Have a Great Shabbos!
R’ Mordechai Young can be reached for comments at [email protected].
