לזכות אבי מורי ואמי מורתי שליט"א
לזכות ידיד נפשי הרב חיים שרעק וכל ב"ב
לזכות ידיד נפשי הרב איתן פלדמן שליט"א וכל ב"ב
Says the pasuk [Vayikra 19-33]
"וְכִי יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר בְּאַרְצְכֶם לֹא תוֹנוּ אֹתוֹ"
If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not hurt him.
Rashi:
לא תונו אותו – אונאת דברים, לא תאמר לו: אמש היתה עובד עבודה זרה, עכשיו אתה בא ללמוד תורה שניתנה מפי הגבורה.
[AND IF A STRANGER LIVES WITH YOU IN YOUR LAND], YOU SHALL NOT VEX HIM – This implies vexing him with words (cf. Rashi on Exodus 22:20) — do not say to him, "Yesterday you were an idolator and now you come to study the Torah which was given from the mouth of the Almighty!" (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8 2; Bava Metzia 58b, 59b.)
This idea was stated in the Gemara [Bava Metzia 58b] on the pasuk in Behar [25-17] "ולא תונו איש את עמיתו". The Gemara says that this is talking about אונאת דברים and explains that one may not say to a convert who comes to learn Torah that "a mouth that ate neveilos and treifos is now coming to learn Torah that was given by Hashem?!" But based on what Rashi says here that idea was already expressed by the pasuk here so how why would the Torah repeat itself if we already learned it here?
However, if you look carefully you will see that Rashi here is saying differently than the Gemara based on the later pasuk. There the issue is that the mouth that ate unkosher should learn a holy Torah given by Hashem. Here the issue is not the mouth and the כלים used to learn but rather the very learning Torah that has no place with someone who previously served idols. Therefore the Gemara based itself on the pasuk in Behar and not on the pasuk here.
But that itself needs understanding - how do we know that the pasuk HERE is talking about telling someone that he previously served idols and now is coming to learn Torah and not the pasuk in Behar?
We also have to understand the pasuk here. How do we know that the pasuk is talking about learning Torah and not just to tell him that he was an idol worshipper. That is quite offensive in and of itself!?? Where is the הכרח [necessity] to say that we are talking about learning Torah?
What needs even more understanding is that in Rashi's source here in Toras Kohanim it doesn't say anything about learning Torah that came from Hashem but that you shouldn't say to him that yesterday he he served idols and now he is entering under he wings of the שכינה and the topic of Talmud Torah is not even mentioned?? So what compelled Rashi to say that the means to tell us that the vexation is that he is now coming to learn Torah??! A פלא!!
We also have to understand what it says here "וכי יגור אתך גר בארצכם". The pasuk opnes with "אתך" which is לשון יחיד and then concludes "בארצכם" which is לשון רבים?! [See Alshich, Ohr Hachaim and Malbim]. The Alshich also asks why the pasuk has to say "וכי יגור אתך גר" - "'when a Ger lives with you". Why was it not enough to say "וכי יהיה גר בארצכם" - When there is a Ger in your land"? The Gemara expounds the pasuk but we want to know according to פשוטו של מקרא.
We also have to understand what it says here "וכי יגור אתך גר בארצכם". The pasuk opnes with "אתך" which is לשון יחיד and then concludes "בארצכם" which is לשון רבים?! [See Alshich, Ohr Hachaim and Malbim]. The Alshich also asks why the pasuk has to say "וכי יגור אתך גר" - "'when a Ger lives with you". Why was it not enough to say "וכי יהיה גר בארצכם" - When there is a Ger in your land"? The Gemara expounds the pasuk but we want to know according to פשוטו של מקרא.
