Reply To: YU’s Toeiva Discussion

I have tremendous sympathy for those who struggle with this nisayon, like I have for those who struggle with pedophilia. Yet, we expect those who struggle with the latter nisayon to have a “zero failure rate”, as the cost to society for failure is devastating. The same thing applies to the former category, as both are yehareig ve’al yaavors. I do agree that those who struggle and succeed have nisyonos that many of us cannot imagine, and have sechar that many of us cannot imagine. Dr. Pelcovitz basically stated what Rav Aharon Feldman stated. but to have active baalei toevah speak is what pushes it into unacceptability. We are asked to sympathize with active baalei aveirah, and that is wrong. If they had the event with just Rabbi Blau and Rabbi Pelcovitz, it would have been a completely different event.

Toeva is toeva. Chillul Shabbos is chillul shabbos, even if you have a terrible nocotine craving. Arayos is arayos, no matter how strong the nisayon. “yashav velo avar aveirah” gets tremendous sechar. But I will not celebrate baalei aveirah. “Matzdik rasha umarshia tzadik, Toavas Hashem Gam sheneihem”.