ראש השנה לא

Rav Zvi Hirsch was once informed that one of his community members had eaten a stuffed hen on a תענית ציבור.  The רב said that this is a Jew who strives to do מצוות.  The community members were stunned.  What was the רב talking about?  The רב explained:  “On a תענית, we are commanded ועיניתם את נפשותיכם.  That’s what this man was doing.  He is an extreme tightwad. No one is more miserly than him. All year, he starves himself so as not to spend a penny more than absolutely necessary.   So how is he to fulfill the מצוה of ועיניתם את נפשותיכם? He does it by eating an expensive stuffed hen.”  A community member asked the רב, if so, let him also drink a bottle of fine, expensive wine with his meal?   The רב responded: להתענות הוא חייב; אבל למסור את נפשו אין הוא חייב.”

05/10/2021