On Second Thought: Delving Into the Sugya with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer
An unwanted thought can disqualify an Offering. Why? What is the power of thought and what is its importance in the world of action?
Menachot 12-16
Sources:
זבחים כ״ו ב
Disqualified by the improper intent מִשּׁוּם דִּפְסִיל בְּמַחְשָׁבָה But doesn’t Rava say: Intent is effective to disqualify an offering only when it is expressed by one who is fit for the Temple service, and with regard to an item that is fit for the Temple service, and in a place that is fit for the Temple service? Here, the one collecting the blood is unfit.
משנה תורה, הלכות פסולי המוקדשין י״ד:א׳-ב׳
[With regard to the intent that could disqualify a sacrifice:] The only intent that is significant is that of the person performing the Temple service. The intent of the person bringing the sacrifice is of no consequence. Even when we heard that the owner had an intent which would cause the sacrifice to be considered as piggul, if the person performing the Temple service had the proper intent, the sacrifice is acceptable.
משלי כד ח – מְחַשֵּׁ֥ב לְהָרֵ֑עַ ל֝֗וֹ בַּעַל־מְזִמּ֥וֹת יִקְרָֽאוּ׃
One who lays plans(calculates) to do harm Is called a schemer.
RaShi – He who plots to do evil He plans strategies of wickedness.
שערי תשובה לרבנו יונה
וְלֹא תָתֻרוּ אַחֲרֵי לְבַבְכֶם וְאַחֲרֵי עֵינֵיכֶם (במדבר ט”ו:ל”ט). הֻזְהַרְנוּ בָּזֶה שֶׁלֹּא לַחְשֹׁב לַעֲשׂוֹת עֲבֵרָה וְעַל כָּל דְּבַר פֶּשַׁע וְחֵטְא. כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי כ”ד:ח’) מְחַשֵּׁב לְהָרֵעַ. וְשֶׁלֹּא לְהַרְהֵר בְּדִבְרֵי הַמִּינִין. פֶּן יִכָּשֵׁל וְיִמָּשֵׁךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם. וַאֲשֶׁר יָשִׁיב אֶל לִבּוֹ כִּי הש”י בּוֹחֵן לֵב וְחוֹקֵר כְּלָיוֹת. אֵיךְ יָעִיז פָּנָיו לְטַמֵּא לִבּוֹ וּדְבַר בְּלִיַּעַל יָצוּק בּוֹ. וְאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם (משלי כ”ד:ט’) זִמַּת אִוֶּלֶת חַטָּאת. עוֹד אָמַר (משלי ו’:ט”ז-י”ח) שֶׁשׁ הֵנָּה שָׂנֵא ה’ וְשֶׁבַע תּוֹעֲבוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ לֵב חֹרֵשׁ מַחְשְׁבוֹת אָוֶן.
“So that you do not follow your heart and your eyes” (Numbers 15:39). We were warned with this not to think to do a transgression (or upon any) [or any] prohibition or sin – like the matter that is stated (Proverbs 24:8), “He who thinks to do evil” – and not to think about words of heresy, lest one stumble and be drawn after them. And when he places upon his heart that God, may He be blessed, examines the heart and investigates the kidneys (understood as the seat of wisdom), how can he dare to defile his heart and [have] a ruffian matter lodged upon it?
פירוש המלבים
מחשב – ופעל חשב כשבא בפעל מורה על מחשבות בלתי ראויות, כמו מחשבות פגול בקדש.
And the verb “thought” when used in the verb “thought” indicates inappropriate thoughts, such as the thoughts of a pagan in the sanctuary.
משפטי עוזיאל, חלק ט, אבן העזר א׳:כ״ו
וכולם אמרו דבר אחד, שהרהור עבירה אעפ״י שאין מענישין עליו בבית דין, מכל מקום חמור הוא באיכותו מעבירה עצמה,
And they all said one thing, that contemplating a crime, even though it is not punishable in court, is in any case more serious in its nature than the crime itself.
משנה תורה, הלכות פסולי המוקדשין י״ח:א׳-ב׳
Anyone who has an incorrect intent [while performing] sacrificial service violates a negative commandment, for [Leviticus 7:18] states: “He may not intent this.”
According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that included in this prohibition is not to cause sacrificial offerings to be disqualified through thought, for this is comparable to causing a blemish in sacrificial animals. Nevertheless, [a transgressor] is not punished by lashes, for thought is not considered as deed.
ירמיהו ו יט
שִׁמְעִ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י מֵבִ֥יא רָעָ֛ה אֶל־הָעָ֥ם הַזֶּ֖ה פְּרִ֣י מַחְשְׁבוֹתָ֑ם כִּ֤י עַל־דְּבָרַי֙ לֹ֣א הִקְשִׁ֔יבוּ וְתוֹרָתִ֖י וַיִּמְאֲסוּ־בָֽהּ׃
Hear, O earth! I am going to bring disaster upon this people, The outcome of their own schemes; For they would not hearken to My words
רד”ק
פרי מחשבותם. אינו אומר שיענישם על המחשבה לבד אלא על מעשיהם שהם פרי מחשבותם
He does not say that they will be punished for their thoughts alone, but for their actions, which are the fruit of their thoughts.
ליקוטי מוהר”ן קצ״ג:א׳:א׳-ב
דַּע, שֶׁהַמַּחֲשָׁבָה יֵשׁ לָהּ תֹּקֶף גָּדוֹל, וְאִם יְחַזֵּק וִיגַבֵּר מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ עַל אֵיזֶה דָּבָר שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, יוּכַל לִפְעֹל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָךְ, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יְחַזֵּק מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ מְאֹד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ מָמוֹן – בְּוַדַּאי יִהְיֶה לוֹ, וְכֵן בְּכָל דָּבָר.
It is a fact that thought has great power, and if he strengthens and strengthens his thought about any matter in the world, he will be able to make it happen, and even if he strengthens his thought so much that he will have wealth – he will certainly have it, and so on in every matter.
שני לוחות הברית, שער האותיות, אות ת’ תשוקה י״ז
Silence in the heart also belongs. I want to say that his heart should not rush to put his thought into action, because just as speech is forbidden, so contemplation is forbidden. And he should be silent in his heart about harmful things. I want him to remove his contemplation of them, and then he will eliminate from his heart envy and hatred and lust and pride and the contemplation of sin, which is more serious than sin.
ירמיהו ט׳:ז׳ בְּפִיו שָׁלוֹם אֶת רֵעֵהוּ יְדַבֵּר וּבְקִרְבּוֹ יָשִׂים אָרְבּוֹ
They speak to their fellows in friendship, But lay an ambush for them in their hearts.
ישעיהו כ״ט:י״ג בְּפִיו וּבִשְׂפָתָיו כִּבְּדוּנִי וְלִבּוֹ רִחַק מִמֶּנִּי:…
Because that people has approached [Me] with its mouth And honored Me with its lips,
But has kept its heart far from Me
משלי יז, ג “…וּבֹחֵ֖ן לִבּ֣וֹת ה’׃
[peoples’] hearts—the Holy One, blessed be He, purifies them and tests them and knows their thoughts.
חובות הלבבות,– אחרי הלבבות נמשכים המעשים The Actions follow the Heart
The Heart follow the Actions ספר החינוך אחרי המעשים נמשכים הלבבות
מלאכי ג׳:ט״ז
אָ֧ז נִדְבְּר֛וּ יִרְאֵ֥י ה’ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֑הוּ וַיַּקְשֵׁ֤ב ה’ וַיִּשְׁמָ֔ע וַ֠יִּכָּתֵ֠ב סֵ֣פֶר זִכָּר֤וֹן לְפָנָיו֙ לְיִרְאֵ֣י ה’ וּלְחֹשְׁבֵ֖י שְׁמֽוֹ׃
In this vein have those who revere GOD been talking to one another. GOD has heard and noted it, and a scroll of remembrance has been written at God’s behest concerning those who revere GOD and esteem that name.
ברכות ו׳ א
מַאי ״וּלְחֹשְׁבֵי שְׁמוֹ״? אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: חָשַׁב אָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוָה, וְנֶאֱנַס, וְלֹא עֲשָׂאָהּ — מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִילּוּ עֲשָׂאָהּ.
With regard to this verse, the Gemara asks: What is the meaning of the phrase, “And that think upon His name”? Rav Ashi said: If a person intended to perform a mitzva, but due to circumstances beyond his control, he did not perform it, the verse ascribes him credit as if he performed the mitzva, as he is among those that think upon His name.
בראשית רבה א׳:ד׳
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים, שִׁשָּׁה דְבָרִים קָדְמוּ לִבְרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם, יֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ, וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁעָלוּ בַּמַּחֲשָׁבָה לְהִבָּרְאוֹת.
“In the beginning, God created” – six items preceded the creation of the world; some of them were [actually] created, and some of them God contemplated creating
