Pigs and How to Rebuke

Everyone knows that pigs are not kosher. The source for this is this week’s parsha. It says that all four legged animals need to have two signs: a cloven hoof and chew its cud. When the Torah comes to say that the pig is unkosher it states (Vayikra 11:7), “The pig has cloven hooves but since it does not chew its cud, it is not kosher.” Rav Pam, of blessed memory, says on this verse that we can learn how to rebuke others from how the Torah explains a pig. Take a close look. It talks about the positive side of the pig first. It mentions that it does have cloven hooves and therefore should be kosher. Then it continues and mentions that unfortunately it also does not chew its cud. The Torah does not come out and say that pigs are traif. It talks about the good first and then mentions the bad. Rav Pam says that this is the proper way to rebuke someone. Mention the person’s good that they have done. Then mention that unfortunately they have also done badly.

I had the honor a few weeks ago to hear Rav Shaya Cohen, the Rosh Yeshiva of Far Rockaway, speak. He said an amazing insight about when Hashem told Avraham about Bris Milah. If you look in chapter 17 of Bereshis, you will notice that Hashem does not immediately tell Avraham about the mitzvah of Bris Milah. He begins by stating to Avraham that He has a great reward for him. Hashem will make a very special covenant with Avraham and will grant him a son from Sara. Great things will happen for him. Only after He tells Avraham about the enormous reward does He mention that Avraham will now have the mitzvah of Bris Milah. There is a reason He spoke to Avraham this way. He wanted to announce the good before He told him about something that would not be easy. I’m sure that Bris Milah seemed like a very strange thing for Avraham but he was able to pass this test because of the way Hashem explained it. When you focus on the good, you can get people to act the correct way.

I once heard a drasha from Rav Zev Leff where he mentioned an interesting Da’as Zekaynim. In Shemos 22:30, it mentions that a traif animal should be thrown to the dog. Rav Leff questions this by saying that the dog should get nothing. It is the dog’s fault the animal became traif. This is because the dog is the guard over the other animals on your farm. The wolf sneaks by the dog one time and kills your poor little sheep. The sheep is now traif because the dog did not properly protect from the wolf. Why should you throw the dead sheep to the dog? Rav Leff answers beautifully. He says that you give it to the dog because of all of the times the dog did its job properly. Now that the dog made a mistake, give it a reward for all of the times it did not make a mistake. Yes, the dog did an error, but focus on the positive.

By focusing on the cup being half full, we can properly rebuke. This is the message from our Gedolim and it is the way we should try to live our lives.

Good Shabbos!
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By Rabbi Yaacov Seltzer
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