לרפואת תינוקת בת רבקה
לע"נ הרב דוד צבי בן הרב יוסף
לע"נ ר' אהרן בן ר' יעקב שכנא
The gemara relates that Rav Simlai's landlord was a mamzer. Rav Simlai told him that had the landlord asked him in advance before he got married and had children [who are also mamzeirim] he would have advised him to steal. Then, if he couldn't pay it back, he would be sold as an עבד כנעני. He then could have married a שפחה כנענית and had children with her who would then be freed and be purified of their mamzerical status.
The Meforshim go ballistic [if it is permitted to say that]: How is it permitted to steal, even for a higher purpose? Stealing is A-S-S-U-R. It is also forbidden!! It says in Bava Metzia [61] that one may not even steal with the intention of repaying the victim of the theft.
Says the Tosfos Rid:
"והאי דמשיאו עצה לגנוב אין איסור בדבר כיון שבדעתו לשלם ומתכוון להכשיר זרעו"
The Tosfos Rid was bothered by our question and said that it's cool [my word not his:-)] because he intended to pay it back and to purify his seed.
How does that help us?? One is not allowed to steal even with the intention of repaying the theft. And what does it help that he had noble intentions - to purify his seed. אסור is אסור!
1] HaGaon Rav Dovid Mann ztz"l explains at length [באר מרים ח"ג פ"ט ה"ט אות א] that the prohibition against stealing is composed of two parts. 1] It is a morally reprehensible [עי' שו"ת חכם צבי סי' כ"ו מנ"ח מצוה רכ"ד]. 2] It causes a monetary loss to the other person.
Now the Tosfos Rid dances: First he tells us that דעתו לשלם - He intends to repay the theft, so there is no monetary loss. In addition, since his intention is to purify his seed, it is morally sound. So on both ends there is no prohibition.
Ahhhhhhh!! That is my favorite answer.
2] Rav Yehuda Kook Shlita, a chashuv Talmid Chohom from Bnei Brak in his sefer Nofes Tzufim [which is in fact very sweet] suggests [based on the רמב"ם] that the איסור to steal with the intention of returning is only מדרבנן lest he get used to stealing. So in our case where there is a higher purpose, Chazal didn't prohibit. Or, since he would be now sold as an עבד עברי, he wouldn't become accustomed to stealing.
3] Rav Menashe Hakotton ztz"l [בחידושיו לקידושין] wrote:
ולפ"ז נראה לחדש דס"ל להתוס' רי"ד דלענין איסור גניבה צריך ב' דברים, א - שיתכוין לעכב הכסף. ב - אפילו לא יתכוין לעכב הכסף עכ"פ יהי' לו הנאה מהגניבה, אבל כל שאין לו אחד מב' אלו אין זה בכלל גניבה. ולכן כיון דהכא נתכוין להחזיר לו הגניבה וגם אין לו הנאה מהגניבה כלום אדרבה ימכרו אותו ב"ד, ואף דעי"ז ישחרר בניו אין זה הנאה מהגניבה כה"ג ליכא איסורא כיון דמתכוין להכשיר זרעו.
There are other answers such that of as Rav Asher Weiss [Shiur li-Parshas Mishpatim this year]:
נראה בזה לדרכנו דאף שאין לנו מצוה לטהר ממזרים ברור כשמש שאין לך חסד גדול מזה, לשעה ולדורות, עם את אשר ישנו פה ועם אשר איננו פה עמו היום, וכיון שדעתו לשלם ועושה את הטוב והישר בדין הוא להתיר את הגניבה כמבואר.
ועי' עונג יו"ט סי' מ"ח ועוד ועוד.
