The last mishnah in Peah compares the bitachon of a poor person who refuses tzedakah to that of a judge who adjudicates truthfully. What does this mean? To answer, we must understand what bitachon is.
Interesting take. Not sure I agree with you on this one. The position that you're adopting is that of the Chovos halevovos and sefer hachinuch. Others disagree (notably Rabeinu Chananel and Ohr hachayim), maintaining that free will concerns dictate that people can indeed be harmed by other folks even when undeserving of it (God will somehow make it right), see https://musingsonthetorah.blogspot.com/2023/02/can-people-intentionally-harm-other_16.html where I've explored some of the sources and implications of this wide ranging argument. If, purely out of strong religious conviction, one tightens ones belt/acts courageously rather than taking advantage of other peoples largesse/be intimidated into distorting the law as such has God ordered his economic circumstances/despite knowing that one can very well be unreservedly harmed by a disgruntled baal din, I for one think that the argument can be made that one is on an even higher level religiously than someone that's convinced that God has got everything covered, as the latter person has the emotional comfort to make the decision to abide by the Torahs ideals/laws that much easier. Shabbat shalom
Ah, my friend, you are not taking into account my shitah on what it means to be harmed, as I speak about at length in The Stoic Jew Podcast. I'll just quote Marcus Aurelius 4:8: "What does not make a man worse than he was, neither makes his life worse than it was, nor hurts him without or within." והמבין יבין.
I think I'm generally familiar with the stoic worldview in that true value only inheres in bettering ones personal virtues; all else, eg health, wealth, children and what have you, aren't really the highest good and therefore any deficiency in them isnt really cause for grief if one truly understands what is real and enduring. I think Rambam writes similarly in his discussion on pain and suffering in the Guide. I've always had a hard time wrapping my head around it. Feels like it negates a large part of the human experience. I guess I'm not a meivin yet 😉, feel free to enlighten me!
Interesting take. Not sure I agree with you on this one. The position that you're adopting is that of the Chovos halevovos and sefer hachinuch. Others disagree (notably Rabeinu Chananel and Ohr hachayim), maintaining that free will concerns dictate that people can indeed be harmed by other folks even when undeserving of it (God will somehow make it right), see https://musingsonthetorah.blogspot.com/2023/02/can-people-intentionally-harm-other_16.html where I've explored some of the sources and implications of this wide ranging argument. If, purely out of strong religious conviction, one tightens ones belt/acts courageously rather than taking advantage of other peoples largesse/be intimidated into distorting the law as such has God ordered his economic circumstances/despite knowing that one can very well be unreservedly harmed by a disgruntled baal din, I for one think that the argument can be made that one is on an even higher level religiously than someone that's convinced that God has got everything covered, as the latter person has the emotional comfort to make the decision to abide by the Torahs ideals/laws that much easier. Shabbat shalom
Ah, my friend, you are not taking into account my shitah on what it means to be harmed, as I speak about at length in The Stoic Jew Podcast. I'll just quote Marcus Aurelius 4:8: "What does not make a man worse than he was, neither makes his life worse than it was, nor hurts him without or within." והמבין יבין.
I think I'm generally familiar with the stoic worldview in that true value only inheres in bettering ones personal virtues; all else, eg health, wealth, children and what have you, aren't really the highest good and therefore any deficiency in them isnt really cause for grief if one truly understands what is real and enduring. I think Rambam writes similarly in his discussion on pain and suffering in the Guide. I've always had a hard time wrapping my head around it. Feels like it negates a large part of the human experience. I guess I'm not a meivin yet 😉, feel free to enlighten me!
Typo corrections: being as opposed to be; undeservedly vs unreservedly.