By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Shmos 35:2 The passuk says that during the six days of the week work should be done but on the seventh day should be holy. The Gemara in Kiddushin 41a tells the story that Rav Safra would cook the head of the animal lichvod Shabbos. Rava would salt the fish. The Chafetz Chaim in Biur Halacha 250 s.v. Ki and it is also brought down in the Shaarei Teshuva 2 they both ask the question of the Chavos Yair. There is a rule that if a zakein finds a lost object and it is not honorable for this zakein to be busy with such a trivial lost object, meaning he would be embarrassed to be seen walking in the public street with this item. If he would not take his own object because of his embarrassment, then he is not obligated to do so for someone else’s lost object based on the Gemara Bava Metzia 30b. The Rosh says that it is forbidden for him to do the hashavas aveida as he is being mezalzel in Kavod HaTorah. How could these Amoraim be mezalzel in their kavod to prepare for Shabbos?
The Biur Halacha adds to the question that even if you would base your opinion on the shittas HoRambam in Hilchos Rotzeach 3 that there is a midas chassidus for a zakein to return a lost object even if it not according to his kavod. How could one say that one is obligated to do for Shabbos even when it is not lichvodo. We can understand that it is a middas Chassidus but to say you are chayev?
There are a few answers. The first answer is from the Chavos Yair that says that since these Amoraim were doing something for Shabbos and it was obvious to anyone that saw them that that was what they were doing, so letzorech Mitzva it would not be a problem. The Pri Megadim agrees that something that is obvious that it is leshem mitzvah then there is no bizayon. It would be meduyak in the words of the Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 250 that a person should be mishtadel to prepare himself something lichvod Shabbos to honor the Shabbos. A person should not say that I will be pogem in my kavod because that is considered kavod for a person when he can be mechabed Shabbos. We find in Gemara in Sotah 41b that the parsha of the king was read at the end of the Shmitta year. Agripas the king read the Torah while standing even though he could have read it while being seated. The Chachamim praised him. The Gemara asks that we know the rule is that a king cannot be mochel on his kavod. How could he be mochel on his kavod? The Gemara answers that for a dvar mitzvah it is different. So long it is obvious it is being done for a mitzvah there is no problem of pechisas HaKavod.
The Chavos Yair klers a shailoh in 205 if a young talmid Chacham who knows how to play an instrument and wants to play before a Chassan and Kallah would he be allowed or is it bizayon HaTorah? He says we cannot bring a raya from Dovid Hamelech that he danced and was mevazeh himself for Hashem as we find in Shmuel 2:6:17. The reason Dovid did it was because it was for a dvar kedusha. So too we find that a Talmid Chacham can build a sukkah which has kedusha as we find in Sukka 9a that a Sukka is compared to a chagigah they both have a sheim kedusha. He does conclude that a Talmid Chacham can play an instrument before a Chassan Kallah from Ksubos 17a that Rav Shmuel the son of Yitzchok would dance before the Kallah with three hadassim and he would juggle them. Rav Zeira criticized him for embarrassing himself but the Pischei Teshuva in Yoreh Deah 244:4 says that he was allowed to do so because it was letzorech Mitzva. The Chavos Yair says that when one does a Mitzvah in public, and it is obvious that he is doing a Mitzvah he can embarrass himself and it would not be a problem of bizayon HaTorah. It is known that Rav Chaim Pinchas Sheinberg used to polish the Chassan’s shoes at the wedding.
A second tirutz could be that we only say the hetter of zakein ve’eino lefi kvodo regarding mitzvos bein adam lechaveiro but regarding bein adam laMakom there is no hetter of zakein ve’eino lfi kvodo. The Kovetz Shiurim Kesubos 17a says the same differentiation and says that when it come to mitzvos bein adam laMakom we say “Ein Chochma … Neged Hashem.” With this point we can also explain why someone needs to get rid of clothing of Klaiim in the street; only when it comes to a question of great bizayon to have to be in the street naked they were mattir al yedei shev ve’al taaseh. But small bizyonos would be acceptable when it is bein adam laMakom.
A third tirutz could be that these Amoraim did not practice this in public. In their house it would not be a bizayon whereas finding a lost object in the street that would be considered a bizayon.
A fourth and final answer is based on the Shaarei Tzion who asks, how were the Amoraim allowed to be mevatel Torah? He answers when it comes to kovod Shabbos it is allowed, since Shabbos is more chamur. Therefore, they would be mevatel Torah ands be mevazeh themselves because of the choimer of Shabbos.
We see the great value of Shabbos and Talmidei Chachamim. Let us learn to respect them both!
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