Author: Rabbi Milder

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Bamidbar – Flags of Love

For Food for Thought in Spanish: Haga clic aquí para leer en español. Please share this with your Jewish Spanish speaking family, friends, and associates.

Flags and banners are used to represent a nation or group of people; a country, state, city, university, or even a sports team. There is usually a lot of symbolism put into making a flag which represents what the group stands for.

This week we start the fourth book of the Torah, Bamidbar. In this parsha, besides the census, Hashem sets up how the Jewish people will travel and encamp in the desert. He also gave each one of them a flag, with the color of the flag corresponding to the stone each tribe was represented by on the choshen of the kohen gadol. Each flag also had it’s own unique emblem; for example Yehuda had a lion, representing his kingship; Yissachar had a sun and moon sewn on their flag because they were experts in astronomy; Zevulun had a boat on their flag representing the sea trade they were destined to do on the coasts of Israel; Menashe had a bull; Ephraim had an antelope; Binyamin had a wolf; etc. Each emblem embodied a unique characteristic about each tribe which was hinted to by Yaakov in his blessings to his children before he did.

The Medrish Tanchuma (Bamidbar, 10) presents a novel reason why Hashem gave each tribe a flag. The pasuk says “Each man by his flag…,” “אִ֣ישׁ עַל־דִּגְל֤וֹ” (Bamidbar 2:2), this is what the pasuk refers to when it says “Let us sing praises for your salvation, and let us assemble in the name of our G-d” “וּבְשֵׁם־אֱלֹהֵ֥ינוּ נִדְגֹּ֑ל” (Tehillim 20:6).  “Let us sing praises of your salvation as it says, “Hashem saved” (Shemos 14:30). “And let us assemble in the name of our G-d,” The Blessed Be He’s name is like our name, and He made for us flags as it says, “Each man by his flag with signs.”   Hashem showed an immense amount of love towards the Jews by making flags just as the angels [had when they came down by the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai, which the Jews coveted,] in order to recognize the children of Reuvain, the children of Shimon etc.individually. How do you know this is a show of love? For it says, “He brought me to the house of wine, and his attraction to me [was symbolic of his] love,” “הֱבִיאַ֨נִי֙ אֶל־בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י אַֽהֲבָֽה” (Shir HaShirim 2:4). Rebbe Abahu said, how do we learn from the pasuk “and his attraction to me was love,” for “He brought me to the house of wine.” What is this compared to? To a wealthy person who had a cellar filled with wine. He entered one day to check on the wine and he found that everything had turned into vinegar. On his way out of the cellar he found one barrel of good wine. He said that this barrel is the most beloved in the entire cellar. So to Hashem created 70 nations but he only enjoyed the Jewish people as it says, “He brought me to the house of wine.” בֵּ֣ית הַיָּ֔יִן 2 yuds equal 20 and the nun equals 50 which all equals 70, referring to the 70  nations and from all of them He only loved the Jews as it says, “and his attraction to me was love.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
The Medrish is telling us that Hashem gave us  flags as a show of love towards his children so that he can easily recognize them. But why does each tribe need a flag? Also, how does this fit with the parable which had only one love? There was only one barrel of wine which did not spoil, which is the one that the wealthy person cherished. So too Hashem loves the Jewish people more than any other nations of the world because we chose to stay good and accept Hashem’s guide book for mankind, the Torah, to follow and live by it, where as all the other nations chose to reject the Torah and spoil their lives with whatever they chose to do. So why should there be 12 flags? One flag for the Jewish people should be enough for Hashem to show his love and to give recognition of the Jewish people’s unique status?

It would seem that a true show of love is not made through just a general symbolic gesture like giving a gift or banner as recognition of that love; but rather individualizing that love, letting the one receiving the love show his or her shining colors in their own unique way, and capturing that uniqueness by showing how much you appreciate it. That is a better expression of love. Which is why Hashem wanted every tribe, with their own unique personality and character, to have their own unique flag, tailored made for them, so that Hashem will recognize and love them for being the individuals they are.

Later in the medrish it gives another interpretation of the pasuk in Shir HaShirim: “and his attraction to me was love,” Hashem says that even if a person is sitting, involved in Torah, from Torah to Torah, halacha to halacha, pasuk to pasuk, for me this is love and I cherish him, and his attraction to me was love.

The Etz Yosef explains that instead of reading the pasuk, “וְדִגְל֥וֹ עָלַ֖י” the medrish switches the lamed and gimel to read “וְדְִל֥גוֹ עָלַ֖י” which means skipping, this means to say that a person shouldn’t say, “How can I learn Torah if there are many areas which are to hard to understand, and I have to skip them,” Hashem says “Nevertheless I love you.”
What a powerful message of encouragement for of all of us! Even though the Orchos Tzadikim in the Chapter on Remembrance, 5th reminder says, “The fifth thing to remember is the mercy of God, who has shown mercy to him by giving him His pure Torah. Now if a king of flesh and blood had sent him a letter and he read it through and there was something in it that he did not understand, what anguish he would feel because he did not understand what the king was commanding him. And there is no doubt that if there was in the vicinity even a very insignificant person who knew how to explain that which he did not understand, he would hasten to go to him and would not be ashamed at all to inquire. How much more, then, should he be grateful for the Torah of our God (which explains everything).” One might think that if he is having difficulty understanding something of such magnitude he might as well give up then to skip around, that is a disgrace to Hashem and his Torah! Hashem responds I still love you even if you skip around. Do not give up entirely it is better for you to learn what you can and skip the hard part, and I still love you for doing that. Certainly, if one toils and sweats over understanding every detail of Hashem’s Torah, Hashem will be overjoyed but if you do not give up Hashem still loves you for whatever you do learn.

Hashem sets the bar for such detail one must appreciate andhow to express love for another.

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SeferChofetz Chaim chapter 5 halacha 4

Today learned the severity of lowering the respect of someone in the eyes of others. If a person is looked at as an upstanding individual in his community with good character and a Torah scholar then one can’t tell the community leaders that where this individual use to live back in the day he was not of such stature. This might belittle the individual in the eyes of the community or even cause him to lose his job.

If it is a rav of a congregation even if it is true that he is not as big of a scholar then what people think he is, it is still a lack f respect to the Torah and this Rav’s own dignity to belittle him in the eyes of his congregants. It might cost him his job and the standard of Torah observance might be lowered. He is at least trying to help people observe Torah and any really difficult questions he hopefully sends to other Rabbis who might have answers.

Also many times people don’t like hearing rebuke and will decide not to like rabbis or yeshiva students who try to help them go on the proper Torah path so they will unfortunately spread rumors about them in the next place they live. This is based on a gemara in Kesubos 105b. The episode in the Gemara Bava Kama 117a where Rebbe Yochanan calls Rav Kahana a fox after Reish Lakish told Rebbe Yochanan that the lion came back from Bavel and Rav Kahana did not understand Rebbe Yochanan’s shiur as well. Calling him Rav Kahana a fox in front of Reish Lakish did not constitute lashon hara because everyone saw he was not able to answer Rebbe Yochanan’s questions and was sent back from the first row to the last row of the shiur, so by calling him a fox instead of a lion he did not lose any respect which was not lost beforehand. Rebbe Yochanan was also teaching a lesson to stay in Israel because the air of Israel makes you smarter and able to learn learn better then outside of Israel.

This is also true for a newlywed who just got married and is learning in Kollel. To say he is not as serious of a learner then he looks like will eventually get back to his in-laws and they won’t respect him as much and it will trickle down to his wife and kids eventually.

The same thing is true about any professional, to say he is not as much of an expert then people think can cause him to lose his livelihood. Even if he is a novice, he must start somewhere, and he will learn and get better on the job so if people think he can do a good job let him do it.

When you do know there can be a serious problem, for example a community is looking to hire a rabbi, or elect and official and you know if they do so it will be a big mistake, then divulging information in order to avoid potential problems will be discussed at length in Hilchos Rechilus chapter 9, b’ezras Hashem.

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Torah Riddles Test #113

  1. Question: Why should you bury the dead and then eat the yom tov meal on second day yom tov if he or she died the night before, or everything was ready quickly if the person died in the morning but on the eve of Pesach you should first eat then bury the dead?

Background:

  1. Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 526:12) says when a person dies on the night of the second day of yom tov they should get up early and bury the person before they daven. If the person dies in the morning they should bury the person after they eat the yom tov meal. The Mishna Berura (52) adds that nevertheless if everything is ready, the hole is dug and the rags he is buried in are ready so it’s possible to bury the person before eating without stopping the joy of yom tov, then it is better to bury before eating because a Medrish on the verse “don’t eat on the blood” says that it is forbidden to eat a set meal before burying the dead.
  2. The Mishna Berura (443:6) points out that on Erev Pesach it says it is not appropriate to eat a meal and then bury the dead. It does not say it is forbidden, and if there is no time to eat chometz before the time it becomes forbidden then certainly, they can eat before burying the dead. The Shaar Hatzion (9) explains there that it is not a disgrace to the dead person if they eat before burial, why not?

Answer: . There is no disgrace to eat chometz before erev Pesach before burying the dead because if they bury the dead first they might be in more of a rush because they would be concerned about eating chometz too late, or it might actually happen that they eat chometz when they aren’t supposed to because they buried the dead first which is more of a disgrace. This problem does not exist on yom tov itself, even if they might rush to finish in order to enjoy there meal, that isn’t a concern because they have the whole day to eat, they aren’t timebound as by chometz on erev Pesach.

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Torah Riddles Test #112

  1. Question: Why does the Shulchan Aruch hold on the second day of yom tov one can cut a branch off a myrtle tree to place the branch on a coffin for a burial but one cannot tear his shirt over the dead until after yom tov?

Background:

  1. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 526:4) holds that on the second day of yom tov which is only rabbinic, Jews can bury the dead because the rabbis didn’t enact the yom tov when the mitzvah and respect of burying the dead is required. The Rema holds that if at all possible, the burial should be done by non-Jews, whatever they can do, with Jews just directing what should be done, anything else the non-Jew can’t do the Jews can do.
  2. The Mishna Berura (18) in regard to the myrtle branch says that in places where there is a custom to place a myrtle branch on the coffin, even though it is not part of the main mitzvah of burial, but because it is an honor to the dead it’s allowed.
  3. The Shulchan Aruch says in 526:11 that one should not tear kriah over the dead on the second day of yom tov, even his relatives.

Answer: The Mishna Berura (50) says that tearing clothes over the dead is not for the need of the dead. It is for the mourners to grieve whereas breaking off the myrtle branch to place on the coffin is an honor for the dead and therefore can be done as part of the burial.

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Behar/Bechukosai – Distribution of Money

For Food for Thought in Spanish: Haga clic aquí para leer en español. Please share this with your Jewish Spanish speaking family, friends, and associates.

Hashem clearly intended for some people to be wealthy and others to be poor, with a certain purpose in mind. Believe it or not, Rebbe Yehoshua taught: “the poor does more for the rich than the rich do for the poor” (Vayikra Rabba, parshas Behar 34:8). The Etz Yosef there explains that when one gives tzedakah to a poor person, the poor person accepts it from him, and the giver accepts [reward] from Hashem. The Yefe Toar adds that this reward is in this world, for through supporting the poor person Hashem blesses his money and puts life into him. (Click here for Hebrew text.)

In the first portion of the double Torah portion of Behar and Bechukosai which concludes Sefer Vayikra, we find the mitzvah of supporting your fellow Jew in need: “If your brother becomes destitute and his hand falters beside you, you shall support him [whether] a convert or a resident, so that he can live with you” (Vayikra 25:35).

The Medrish Tanchuma brings a similar pasuk from Mishley related to this pasuk in our Torah portion. “Do not rob a poor man because he is poor, and do not crush the poor man in the gate. For Hashem will fight for their cause and rob those who rob them, of life” (Mishlei 22: 23, 24). Hashem said to the Jewish people ‘do not rob a poor man because he is poor, for I made him poor, and who ever steals from him or mocks him insults The One that made him that way, as if you mock Me, as it says “He who oppresses a poor man blasphemes his Maker, but he who favors a poor man honors Him” (Mishlei 14:31). What does it mean when it says, “Do not rob a poor man,” do people rob from the poor? What is he stealing; he is poor? Rather, he would regularly support him, and one day he retracted support and says ‘how much longer must I support him.’ You refuse to give him, you should know that you are stealing from him, and that’s what it means when it says, ‘Do not rob a poor man;’ rather you should support him for he is not getting it from any place else. “And do not crush the poor man in the gate,” for I will not stop Heaven for you, for they are also called a gate as it says, “And this is the gate of Heaven” (Breishis 28:17). “For Hashem will fight for their cause,” I will fight against you, for I made him poor and you rich, I will switch the broken shard and I will make him rich and you poor, as it says, “A rich man and a poor man were visited upon; the Lord is the Maker of them all’ (Mishlei 22:2). Why does Hashem fight their fight? For you are causing him to lose his life if you do not support him, therefore, “and [I] rob those who rob them, of life.” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Hashem protects the destitute and avenges those that mistreats them, for He decides who shall be poor and who shall be rich. It is an insult to make fun of or to attack those who are poor, hurling affronts of, ‘Why don’t they just work harder,’ ‘they are filthy, and crazy,’ or ‘they deserve what’s coming to them because they are the dregs of society, those bums.’ But insulting them is insulting The Creator who made them like that. And on the contrary, not helping them by giving them alms when they were constantly supporting them is akin to stealing, and possibly even killing them.

But why is it fair for a hardworking businessman, who has his own family to take care of, also needs to take care of those stricken with poverty? He earned his wealth! Why does he have to spend it on something or someone who is of no use to him? One could understand that a person would, for a while, be willing to do someone a favor and, because it is within his mean, he will continually support the poor person and perhaps his family; but why should he be obligated, to the point that it would be stealing if he discontinued the charity taken from his hard earned money?

The answer is that it is not in fact your money. The money is only deposited with you by Hashem; He can take it back at any moment. The fact  that Hashem blessed you with wealth is so that you can be the beneficiary of helping others in their times of need. Chaza”l say that “Man is born to toil.” The simple understanding of this is that, in fact, it is natural for a person to work hard and put a lot of effort into his job. However, the tasks that he does for others is no more than a kindness. Just like Hashem provides and sustains us, so too we must emulate Hashem, or in fact act as Hashem’s messengers to help other people fulfill their needs and desires. The payment we receive for our jobs are just the money we are rewarded with for helping others. It is only deposited with us by Hashem in order to provide the essentials for ourselves and our family, as well as to reinvest into the world where it is needed; meaning it is not rightfully yours to just keep and collect. (See also the 19th reminder inOrchos Tzadikim chapter of remembrance.)

One is expected to fulfill his potential in life. Everyone is given certain strengths that they are provided with by Hashem and they should hew them and thereby maximize one’s potential and success in sharing them with the public in order to walk in the ways of Hashem by doing acts of mercy and kindness. Whatever is received in return is just a blessing from Hashem for helping others.

With this attitude it will be much easier to give tzedakah. But there are times when those who seek charity are dishonest, and there is a lesson to be learned even with those type of people, for the Medrish Rabba says that one must show gratitude towards tricksters, for if not for them, if a person would ask for money and one hesitates or refuses to give he really deserve to die (Vayikra Rabba 34:10). The Etz Yosef explains that the actuality of the matter is that many people turn away from giving to the poor, and the punishment isn’t so great; therefore it must be because there are many dishonest people who try to collect money, but when they don’t need it, people are more hesitant to give in general. (Click here for Hebrew text.)

But even so they should be giving, since the money is not really theirs; it is all Hashem’s, and not giving to those that do need it is stealing. Therefore we have an obligation to show gratitude to these swindlers for saving us from  bigger trouble that should have been coming to us.. 

Bottom line everything comes from Hashem and we must show gratitude and use what you have wisely.

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Sefer Chofetz Chaim chapter 5 halacha 3

Name calling is worse than other forms of lashon hara like telling others about sins a person did. For example, calling someone stupid. People will listen to the name caller it seems to be human nature. But when a person talks about the actions someone else did the people listening make up excuses for what they heard or don’t believe that is really what happened even if it is true, but maybe it was taken out of context.

The Chofetz Chaim does say there is one instance where name calling is allowed and even a mitzvah! When two people are in a fight over what someone said or did to the other and you go over to the one it was done to and say, ‘He wasn’t acting malicious he is just stupid.’ If that will ease the tension and dissipate the fight, then it’s a tremendous mitzvah!

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Torah Riddles Test #111

2.    Question: Why does the Kaf HaChaim say in one halacha that if one asks, is today the 8th of the Omer and it really is then he can still say a blessing and count the Omer but if he was learning the halacha in the evening before he counted and reads “on the eighth day one should say ‘today is the 8th day which is one week and one day of the omer’” then there is an argument whether you fulfilled the mitzvah at that point and you should count without a blessing?

Background:

A. The Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 489:4 says that if one asks you by twilight what is tonight’s count of the Omer, tell him yesterday’s count, for if you say today is so and so you will not be able to count with a blessing. The Mishna Berura (20) adds that even if you say it in your own language. But if you don’t say “today is” rather just the number that is fine because the main mitzvah of counting is to say, “today is so and so”.

B. The Kaf HaChaim says that if on the night of Lag B’omer one tells his friend ‘Do not say tachanun the next day because today is Lag B’omer’ he has no intention of saying the day’s count, rather he is just saying that today is a day we don’t say tachanun, therefore he has not fulfilled his mitzvah yet and he can declare the 33rd day of the Omer with a blessing.

 Answer: It is not the way to count by asking a question therefore it doesn’t count and you can definitely still count with a blessing but when you read the count of the day in your learning then there is a question of whether you did the mitzvah because you read it the normal way you would declare that day. (See Dirshu Mishna Berura 489:4:20:56)

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Torah Riddles Test #110

1.    Question: Why are there some poskim who hold that if one isn’t sure whether he fulfilled the mitzvah of Omer or not he should still say a blessing and count the Omer for that night but they would also hold that a tumtum should not say a blessing upon putting on tzitzis?

Background:

A. A tumtum is a person born without clear signs of genitalia, it might be the person has to much fat or skin in the area to make a judgment whether it is female or male therefore there is a halachic doubt whether it is obligated in the mitzvah of tzitzis, so he should wear the tzitzis in doubt but should not say a blessing because, safek brachos lihakel, we are lenient to not say a blessing when in doubt lest we might say Hashem’s name in vain.

B. Shouldn’t this opinion, also be concerned that the person might have said the Omer already and saying a blessing potentially again might constitute saying Hashem’s name in vain so when in doubt don’t make the blessing?

Answer: This opinion holds that when there is a doubt of whether there is a mitzvah to begin with then one should not say a blessing but by this case of the Omer there was a definite obligation the only question is whether it was fulfilled yet or not therefore he holds a blessing should still be said since a definite obligation exists.(See Dirshu Mishna Berura footnote 41 on Be’ur Halacha 489:1 “moneh viholech”)

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Emor – Tapping into the Miracles and Wonders of the Almighty


Our Father In Heaven, Hashem Almighty, yearns and desires to share his wonders and miracles with His children. But we are only befitting and compatible to accept and see open and direct Divine intervention when it is suited and deserving for us to receive it. The Torah in this week’s portion of Emor relates several mitzvos that are related to the sacrificial service at the end of perek 22: “And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: When an ox or a sheep or a goat is born, it shall remain under its mother for seven days, and from the eighth day onwards, it shall be accepted as a sacrifice for a fire offering to the Lord. An ox or sheep you shall not slaughter it and its offspring in one day. And when you slaughter a thanksgiving offering to Hashem, you shall slaughter it so that it should be acceptable for you. It shall be eaten on that day; do not leave it over until morning. I am the Lord. You shall keep My commandments and perform them. I am the Lord. You shall not desecrate My Holy Name. I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel. I am the Lord Who sanctifies you, Who took you out of the land of Egypt, to be a God to you. I am the Lord” (Vayikra 22:26-33).
The Sforno has a lengthy commentary on the connection of each of these mitzvos, as well as the mitzvos discussed at the beginning of the portion discussing blemishes that prevent an animal to be offered on the alter: “’A bull or sheep,’ after mentioning the various types of blemishes which invalidate sanctified animals from being offered on the alter, even though at times the perfect animal may be worth a sela while the blemished one, because of size and fat, is worth two; and at times the blemish may even be considered an advantage, as when brought as a gift to a human king; still it is invalid as a sacrifice to Hashem because ‘The Rock His work is perfect’ (Devarim 32:4). He desires the perfection and completeness of the offering and of the one who offers it; the offering must possess its natural completeness and the one offering it must possess Divine completeness, to be like his Creator as much as possible. Now the Torah says similarly, regarding the limits of time which Hashem established, that one is not permitted to add or subtract from them. (A) The Torah mentions the prohibition of sacrificing an animal without waiting the minimum [of 7 days] period from birth, (B) the prohibition of slaughtering a cow and its young on the same day, (C) and the prohibition against intending to eat the sacrifices after the allotted time (pigul), which includes even sacrifices of lesser sanctity. (D) The Torah then mentions the thanksgiving offering, for even though it is included in the category of the peace offering, its time limit for consumption is only one day and one night, not two days and one night as is true by other peace offerings. ‘You shall sacrifice it, that you may be accepted… On the same day it shall be eaten.’ It must be your will and intention at the time you bring the sacrifice that it be eaten that day, and this is because ‘I am Hashem.’ I perform My deeds with perfection and set a limit to completeness without tolerating anything more or less. ‘And you shall not profane My Holy Name.’ Since you see the completeness of My work, therefore you who are sanctified to walk in My ways, ‘do not profane My Holy Name through faulty and disgraceful deeds, similar to, ‘And when they came to the nations, into which they came, they profaned My Holy Name’ (Yechezkel 36:20). ‘And I
will be sanctified among the Children of Israel’ to perform wonders for them as I vowed, saying, ‘Behold I make a covenant, before all your people I will do marvels’ (Shemos 34:20); the reason for this is because indeed, ‘I am Hashem Who sanctifies you. Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your G-d’ to lead you without any intermediary, as is the rule with those ‘separated from corporeality’, providing you walk in My holy ways, as it says, ‘Learn not the ways of the nations and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven’ (Yirmiyahu 10:2). ‘I am Hashem’ Who is unchangeable, and I will act towards you as in the past as long as your sins do not create a barrier between you and your G-D, as it says, ‘As in the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show him marvelous things’ (Michah 7:15).” (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Hashem, who is eternal and perfect, only expects perfection to be offered to Him, which mean an animal may not have a physical blemish. Though it might be less valuable, or the blemish might even be pleasing to some human beings who are even kings. Also, a lack of perfection in time, be it late or early, can disqualify a sacrifice. Even if this is an inconvenience to the one offering it; maybe he was in a rush and felt he had to bring a sacrifice which was born a couple of days ago instead of waiting the seven days before the animal is old enough to be sacrificed, or maybe after the sacrifice was performed and the rest is eaten by him or the kohen he wanted to share his holy food with more friends who would be coming in a few days but that would be beyond the allotted time of eating the offering. Either way, adding or detracting from the exact time Hashem, with His all knowing completely Divine knowledge, calculated and set, is a sin. Because it detracts from perfection, and Hashem by definition is perfect, and our goal must be to emulate Him and strive for perfection. We have to be very careful, for even when we are not just involved in Divine Holy service but we “see,” realize, and appreciate the value of following Hashem in His perfection, we still have to be extremely careful to not fall into the trap of being attracted to foreign influences. Though they might make sense andmight even be good intentions, it still by definition falls short of perfection since they are only using their finite understandings and beliefs to live their lives. They are not being guided by the Holy and Divine principles of perfection supplemented by the Torah. What is very important to note however, is that Hashem is unchanging. He is ready and yearning to show His wonders and inner secrets with those who are on the same wavelength, so to speak, as Him. If we act within the boundaries of holiness and not sin, Hashem will reveal Himself and his miraculous deeds at greater length towards us. Indeed, the opposite is true as well, as the Chovos Halevavos in the beginning of the introduction to his chapter on Trust in Hashem says: “The benefits in religious matters: Among them, peace of mind, and trusting in G-d as a servant must trust in his master. Because if one does not place his trust in G-d, he will place his trust in something else, and whoever trusts in something other than G-d, the Al-mighty will remove His providence from such a person, and leave him in the hands of the one he trusted…” Therefore one must expect that the more holy one is, meaning the greater trust one has in
Hashem, and the more careful he is to follow Hashem’s Torah and mitzvos, the more Hashem will “reveal” Himself to that person. But if one is not careful with his holiness, and he profanes Hashem’s name by sinning and not trusting in Hashem to the utmost, then Hashem puts him, or lets him fall into, the hands of those people or ideologies he chooses to follow. If one is seeking miracles and Divine interventions, or to know his prayers are answered with crystal clear clarity then one should strive for holiness and perfection, in order to be in synch with his Creator but if not… as it says in Makkos 10b, בדרך שאדם רוצה לילך בה מוליכין אותו “along the path a person wishes to proceed, He leads and assists him.”

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Sefer Chofetz Chaim perek 5 halacha 2

The Chofetz Chaim reemphasizes very strongly how severe of a problem it is to speak badly about someone whether it is true or not true. To put down someone in front of others because he has a character flaw, whether he is not smart or strong or wealthy or any other flaw, even if it is true, if there is no positive gain in telling other’s about it constitutes lashon hara on a Torah level because since by speaking in this way you are hurting someone in some fashion, be it monetarily, physically, or emotionally by embarrassing him, making him depressed or even scaring him. For example if you say this person isn’t so rich then people might not be willing to invest with him or partner in a business with him. If you say someone is nit strong people might take advantage of him or bully him etc. etc. 

The Chofetz Chaim says the worst insult one can give a person is to say he is not smart. To call a Rabbi, Rav, Rebbe, or Posek not smart is incredibly bad because not only might he lose his job and you are ruining him and his family if he is ran out if town, but you are degrading the honor of Torah because people won’t listen to him if he is trying to correct others who are not observing the Torah correctly since people will say why should we listen to him, he does not know what he is talking about. What will result is in people not observing the Torah correctly.