CLD #723

It is simple common sense why being around people with positive and successful influences cause us to be optimistic and fortunate people. However, sometimes we fall into this cloudy and gloomy thought process that confuses us to believe that being around negative people who are spiritually awkward will not influence us for the bad. These people are called Resha’im, or wicked people. A Wicked Person, as Orhot Tzadikkim says, is an individual who lies and spreads rumors about ‘Kosher’ people who are following the ways of Torah or one who steals his/her friend’s money.

The Orhot Tzadikkim lists four major reasons why simply connecting to a Rasha, a wicked person, causes one to receive punishment from Shamayim (the Heavens). We tell ourselves: I am friendly with this wicked person, he/she will not change me and I am not publicizing to the world of my friendship with them and on top of that I am only on a friendly basis with them.

The first problem with this is that Righteous people, Tzadikkim, are disgusted by evil people. Connecting with evil people is simply not the way of Hashem. The reason is because a wicked person does things against The Creator, Hashem, and a loyal servant (us Jews to G-d) are not supposed to support or even become friends with people that go against our master, G-d. The second one, which is the shortest reason that is discussed by the Orhot Tzadikkim is that the individual simply learns from this person’s behavior and start acting like him/her. It does nto matter what we think, we are influenced by the people around us.

The third issue is that by one individual (me) connecting or networking with this Rasha (wicked person), I cause others to connect with him.her and they will also learn from his/her actions and follow them as well. The Orhot Tzadikkim also explains that we need to care about the Rasha him/herself, that we should help them do teshuva (repentance) and by becoming friends with them and avoiding to rebuke them, they do not return from their evil ways and think what they are doing is okay.

The fourth major problem with connecting to a sinner is the boldest issue. When one becomes friends with a spiritually misdirected person, they must lessen in their spirituality, faith and overall service of Hashem. For example, when someone is in front of a group of people, even when only one individual there is not keeping Shabbat or not keeping Kosher, it almost becomes uncomfortable to say a Beracha (blessing) on food or a beverage in front of them.

Therefore, he ends beautifully the section of his book by saying one should constantly connect him/herself to people who have real Fear of Heaven, Yirat Shamayim, because as it says in Tehillim: Reshit Hochma Yirat Hashem, The Zenith of Wisdom is Fear of Heaven. One can only understand what this means by living it.

Judaism=Think.

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