יום א Date: 17 Adar, 5775 (3/8/15) – Kesuvos#34 {Eliezer}

VIOLATING AGENTS

[34a top] R’ Shimon: A slaughtering that does not permit its meat to be eaten is not termed “slaughtering,” [and therefore one who is assigned to perform such an act on another’s stolen animal would not be liable to pay the extra fine normally imposed (even though in this case there is responsibility by the stealer if someone else slaughters it for him, in almost all other cases there is no such reality as ‘assigning an agent’ to violate a prohibition on one’s behalf)].
Tosephos: “Aiyn Sheliach Bedevar Aveirah,” Normally, when one does a sin on another’s behalf, the actual sinner takes responsibility and get punishment for the sin [unlike with fulfilling positive commandments in which credit can be transferred]. This is because the violator is responsible for his/her own actions.
R’ Tatz: Every time we do a Mitzvah we are adding another brick to our beautiful palaces, and an Aveirah (violation of a negative commandment) knocks what we have built down and our homes crumbles away. We do not get “credit” for not violating Aveiros, we rather just get to keep what we have created. This is why we cannot assign someone to violate a commandment on our behalf, because the messenger has nothing to “give over” to the appointer and rather is just destroying his/her own creations.

D-E-ep Thoughts: The spiritual deeds that we perform are an exact analogy to a marriage. When we listen to our spouses and act in ways they want us to behave we are building our relationships. No one in his/her right mind would ask to be credited for not violating the others’ trust or for not being unfaithful every day! The “reward” we get for not doing bad is in reality the good we maintain that we have worked so hard to create. May we always stay away from evil, not for the sake of needing acknowledgement, but because it helps us connect better to what and who we love.