A new rav found that two members of his orthodox congregation were driving to shul on Shabbos. He spoke to both of them and they both gave essentially the same answer: they didn't feel strong/healthy enough to confidently make the walk, and they surely were not going to miss t'fila b'tzibur just because of that! One was also in the first year of mourning for a parent, and since he had never missed saying kaddish on Shabbos, he certainly wasn't going to start now. During the conversations, the rav became absolutely convinced that the subtleties of transgressing a capital offense versus a darn nice thing would be lost on these congregants. Another approach was needed.
The rav, after much thought, came to an ingenious solution: He found there was a non-Jew with a horse drawn carriage service. (We have them in downtown Chicago; quite romantic, I am told. I've never been in one and -- just fyi -- this story did not occur in Chicago.) Now, driving a carriage yourself is, of course, just as bad as driving (perhaps even worse -- driving any animal is an undisputed Torah prohibition, whereas ignition and electricity is a matter of some dispute just how bad it is.). On the other hand, sitting in a carriage that is being driven by a non-Jew is "only" an undisputed Rabbinic prohibition. Cool! The carriage driver was happy to transport these two gentlemen to and from shul on Shabbos (for a price); the gentlemen were happy to use the carriage (even though it cost them some money), since it made the rabbi happy.
What could go wrong?
As is the case with many, many ingenious ideas, this was a very bad idea. As is essentially always the case when one does not consult his rav before doing something is not usually done, this idea was particularly disastrous. That Shabbos, the non-Jewish carriage driver made his appointed rounds, the two erstwhile Shabbos desecraters were now only desecrating Shabbos at a Rabbinic level. One tiny, unforeseen problem; a glitch in the otherwise idyllic landscape of happiness and tranquility.... there were two more riders. Those two riders had been walking and the rav was shocked. The were surprised by the rav's reaction... after all, the told him, they were just using the rabbi's Shabbos pick up service! So this new rav had thought he was turning down the fires for gehinom for two Jews, had actually just plunged two new Jews into a whole new level of gehinom.
But that was actually the least of the damage he had caused. Before we talk about that, though, let's get some perspective. Imagine a woman who is estranged from her husband. She doesn't even want to talk with him. Moreover, she has another friend who has been very supportive of her in general and lauds her decision to ignore her husband. She feels very close to this new friend and decides she wants to have an affair with him. Her mind is made up. She has, though, an adviser/counselor who tells her to at least "use protection". That way, the adviser figures, she is at least protected from any physical diseases.
In fact though, that adviser had actually plunged the lady into something much worse with regard to her marriage. First, what should be a beautiful act of intimate sharing has been horrifically transformed into a simple vehicle for self-gratification. Worse (if you can imagine that), though, is that what had started as a "crime of passion" has been transformed into premeditated murder of her marriage.
Transgressing a Rabbinic prohibition -- whose entire existence is nothing but to protect the sacred and inmate relationship between a Jew and his Creator -- in order to save transgressing a Torah prohibition, is to destroy the entire relationship and render it nothing more than a vehicle for self-gratification. It is nothing short of a חילול השם... the worst possible sin; worse than any murder or sexual immoral act.
The rav, after much thought, came to an ingenious solution: He found there was a non-Jew with a horse drawn carriage service. (We have them in downtown Chicago; quite romantic, I am told. I've never been in one and -- just fyi -- this story did not occur in Chicago.) Now, driving a carriage yourself is, of course, just as bad as driving (perhaps even worse -- driving any animal is an undisputed Torah prohibition, whereas ignition and electricity is a matter of some dispute just how bad it is.). On the other hand, sitting in a carriage that is being driven by a non-Jew is "only" an undisputed Rabbinic prohibition. Cool! The carriage driver was happy to transport these two gentlemen to and from shul on Shabbos (for a price); the gentlemen were happy to use the carriage (even though it cost them some money), since it made the rabbi happy.
What could go wrong?
As is the case with many, many ingenious ideas, this was a very bad idea. As is essentially always the case when one does not consult his rav before doing something is not usually done, this idea was particularly disastrous. That Shabbos, the non-Jewish carriage driver made his appointed rounds, the two erstwhile Shabbos desecraters were now only desecrating Shabbos at a Rabbinic level. One tiny, unforeseen problem; a glitch in the otherwise idyllic landscape of happiness and tranquility.... there were two more riders. Those two riders had been walking and the rav was shocked. The were surprised by the rav's reaction... after all, the told him, they were just using the rabbi's Shabbos pick up service! So this new rav had thought he was turning down the fires for gehinom for two Jews, had actually just plunged two new Jews into a whole new level of gehinom.
But that was actually the least of the damage he had caused. Before we talk about that, though, let's get some perspective. Imagine a woman who is estranged from her husband. She doesn't even want to talk with him. Moreover, she has another friend who has been very supportive of her in general and lauds her decision to ignore her husband. She feels very close to this new friend and decides she wants to have an affair with him. Her mind is made up. She has, though, an adviser/counselor who tells her to at least "use protection". That way, the adviser figures, she is at least protected from any physical diseases.
In fact though, that adviser had actually plunged the lady into something much worse with regard to her marriage. First, what should be a beautiful act of intimate sharing has been horrifically transformed into a simple vehicle for self-gratification. Worse (if you can imagine that), though, is that what had started as a "crime of passion" has been transformed into premeditated murder of her marriage.
Transgressing a Rabbinic prohibition -- whose entire existence is nothing but to protect the sacred and inmate relationship between a Jew and his Creator -- in order to save transgressing a Torah prohibition, is to destroy the entire relationship and render it nothing more than a vehicle for self-gratification. It is nothing short of a חילול השם... the worst possible sin; worse than any murder or sexual immoral act.
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