We know that
Yitzchok sent Eisav to bring him food. The Halacha is that a Mumar for Avodah
Zorah is not trustworthy. How could he trust a Rasha to bring food to him? All
the Meforshim say that Yitzchok knew that Eisav was not a Tzaddik. The question
is how can he have such a Ne’emanus?
I would like to
suggest an answer based on an Igros Moshe Yoreh Dai’a Teshuva 54 which is a
Yesodosdika Teshuva. This is a Teshuva that came to me in a very interesting
way.
There were many
cases in Russia before Rav Moshe left, that the children
were communists and the parents were Frum. Rav Moshe was asked by one of these
elderly couples, whether they can trust their communist children in matters of
Kashrus. The question was posed as follows. The children are not religious and
they do not believe in G-d. However, the parents know that the Kibbud Av is
wonderful and that they would never do anything that went against the interest
of the parents. They knew from experience that the children who do not care
about Kashrus are careful about Kashrus for their parents. Still the Shulchan
Aruch says that they are not trustworthy. What to do?
Rav Moshe says a
Chiddush. He says the question of trustworthiness is only when there is a
Sofeik to a person about a fact. If a
person knows something and has a Yidia that doesn’t enter into the question of
Ne’emanus. Rav Moshe brings a beautiful Mekor from a Gemara in Maseches Kesuvos
Daf 85a ההיא איתתא דאיחייבא שבועה בי דינא דרבא אמרה ליה בת רב חסדא ידענא בה דחשודה אשבועה אפכה רבא לשבועה אשכנגדה זימנין הוו יתבי קמיה רב פפא ורב אדא בר מתנא אייתו ההוא שטרא גביה א"ל רב פפא ידענא ביה דשטרא פריעא הוא א"ל איכא איניש אחרינא בהדי' דמר א"ל לא א"ל אע"ג דאיכא מר עד אחד לאו כלום הוא א"ל רב אדא בר מתנא ולא יהא רב פפא כבת רב חסדא בת רב חסדא קים לי בגווה מר לא קים לי בגוויה.
The Gemara tells
us that Rava was doing a Din Torah and his Psak in the Din Torah was that one
side would have to swear. Rava’s wife who the Gemara refers to as Bas Rav
Chisda, came and said don’t let that man swear because he is a liar. Rava then
went back to the Din Torah and said this man can’t swear because he is not
trustworthy, we will let the other side swear and if he does swear he will win
the Din Torah. Rava changed it because of his wife.
Later in the
Gemara a similar incident happens and Rava is ready to give a Psak when Rav
Pappa a contemporary of Rava tells him that the person is not trustworthy. Rava
says to Rav Pappa you are one witness and one witness is not believed. The
Gemara then asks, Rav Pappa is not even treated like Bas Rav Chisda? When it
came to Rav Pappa who was trustworthy by reputation why did he not change the
Psak?
Rav Pappa is no
more worthy than any Eid Echad (one witness). His wife he really knew. When you
have a Yidia B’rura you don’t have a question of Ne’emanus. So here where Rav
Moshe was asked by the Frum parents in Russia if they could trust their children who
were communists, the answer is if you know than it is not an issue of
Ne’emanus.
We had a Shaila many
years ago of parents who came from Russia who had children who were living at
home. At that time they asked the Shaila can they trust their parents for
Kashrus. Their parents were trustworthy people but not for Kashrus. According
to the Shulchan Aruch they are not Ne’emanim.
At that time, I
asked Rav Belsky the question and he showed me the Teshuva. He remarked that a
generation before it was the other way around and the parents were Frum and the
children were not Frum. The question was can the parents trust the children.
Rav Moshe said this Chiddush. A generation later, it was the parents who were
not Shomer Shabbos and it was the children who were Frum. It was the same Psak.
It would be incredible in Shamayim if somehow these people who live in Brooklyn now, are the descendents of the original
Shoalim who asked Rav Moshe in Russia.
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