Thursday, August 10, 2017

halacha - Embarrassing a Baal Teshuva


Be'er Hagolah at the end of Yoreh Deah 334 says that one of the things that are considered Cherem D'Rabeinu Gersom is not to embarrass a Baal Teshuva regarding his previous lifestyle.


Yet when you look in Bava Metzia 58b the Gemara counts it as Onaas Devarim.



Why then was there a need for this Cherem?



Answer



As I heard Rav Schacter say, many of the cherems of Rabbenu Gershom are already forbidden deOraysa. For example, to divorce a woman against her will is a betrayal that he cast as deOraysa of onaas devarim. (in this shiur, at 5:50 mark and on for a while). But, a cherem is an expression of the wish that the person should die because of this sin.


So, it is a chizuk of an existing prohibition, adding teeth to the issur.


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