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Embarrassing Others: Difference between revisions

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In addition to violating the above prohibitions, anyone who embrasses another is also failing to fulfil the Mitzvah of V’ahavta L’reach Kamocha <ref> Vayikra 19:18. </ref>.  
In addition to violating the above prohibitions, anyone who embrasses another is also failing to fulfil the Mitzvah of V’ahavta L’reach Kamocha <ref> Vayikra 19:18. </ref>.  
==Statements on Severity of Embarrassment==
Statements in Talmud
Throughout the Talmud and later Rabbinic sources we find many statements that emphasize how seriously the Rabbis took the prohibition of embarrassing another.
Statements in Talmud
#He who publicly shames his neighbour is as though he shed blood <ref> Bava metzia 58b </ref>
#Verbal wrong is more heinous than monetary wrong <ref> Bava metzia 58b </ref>
#Better it is for man to cohabit with a doubtful married woman  rather than that he should publicly shame his neighbour. <ref> Bava metzia 59a </ref>
#Better to throw oneself into a furnace rather than embarrass another <ref> Bava metzia 59a </ref>
#There was a poor person in the time of the Talmud and Mar Ukva would daily leave coins behind the poor man's door. One day the poor man wanted to find out who had been leaving coins for him. So he waited until Mar Ukva and his wife stopped by and dropped off the coins. The pauper tried to follow them, when Mar Ukva noticed he was being followed he ran with his wife and hid in a hot furnace as to not embarrass the man. <ref> Ketuboth 67B </ref>
Statements from later Rabbinic sources
# Rabbeinu Yonah in his famous work explains that the pain of shame is even worse than death itself <ref> Gates of Repentance 3:139 </ref>.
==Punishment==  
==Punishment==  
There are three opinions about whether someone who embarasses somone else receives the punishment of Malkos (lashes):
There are three opinions about whether someone who embarasses somone else receives the punishment of Malkos (lashes):