Similarly, a person who accumulates wealth through dishonest means and then uses this wealth to give charity, perform other acts of kindness, or purchase a lulav and etrog, tefillin, or tzitzit is not serving Hashem. These “good deeds” are not presentable before Hashem but rather serve as blasphemy before Him. Therefore, the Heavenly court asks a person “Have you dealt faithfully?” first and only afterwards does it ask him about the particulars of other mitzvot he may have performed.
Based on this explanation, the Ktav Sofer elucidates the Gemara we cited earlier: “If a man sees that painful sufferings visit him, let him examine his conduct.” This statement relates to the integrity of his daily conduct, the discretionary matters that he engages in for his own pleasure and benefit. If he didn’t perform these honestly, none of the mitzvot he performed will rise as a pleasant fragrance before Hashem. If he thoroughly examines his behavior and finds nothing amiss, let him attribute his suffering to the neglect of Torah study and thus neglecting to perform one of the mitzvot. If this search yields no such neglect, he must attribute his suffering to yesurim shel ahavah – chastenings of love.
The Ktav Sofer notes that succumbing to one’s pain with lament is due to insufficient lack of trust in Hashem. He cites the incident of Joseph in the house of Potifar. Joseph was a man of success and put his trust in Hashem; therefore, the Shechinah did not depart from him, to the extent that he was joyful of heart and soul. This is the meaning of the words in Birkat HaGomel, “hagomel l’chayyavim tovot she’gmalani kol tov – who bestows kindness upon the culpable, for He has bestowed every good to me.” Not only does a person express his thanks for being saved, he also acknowledges that the pain and suffering he endured in this world is also for the good.
King Solomon said (Ecclesiastes 7:20), “Ki adam ein tzadik ba’aretz asher ya’aseh tov v’lo yechetah – For there is no man so wholly righteous on earth that he always does good and never sins.” Our actions in the course of the day are like the actions of one’s hands which our sages said (Berachot 60b) are constant (“hands are constantly busy – askaniot) and seemingly beyond one’s control. That is why we do netilat yadayim, as the Rosh (cited by Beit Yosef, Orach Chayim 4) explains. Now, if just two of one’s limbs are considered beyond one’s control, how much more so the entirety of the person.
(To be continued)
