Opinion & Comment
Have We Always Dealt with Integrity?

HaRav Avrohom Pam, zt"l, made it very clear that he did not want any hespedim said about him. It is perhaps not too presumptuous to suggest that he would have wanted a discussion of honesty in all one's dealings, since this is a topic that was close to his heart and that he even discussed publicly, at great personal sacrifice, last winter at the annual convention of Agudas Yisroel of America.

The reasons to be honest are intensely compelling, both lishmoh and shelo lishmoh. Theft and dishonesty are primal sins, the first thing that a person is asked about when he faces Heavenly judgment and his ultimate fate is determined, and the first sin that testifies against him or a community. Everyone instinctively knows that honesty is supremely important, and those who are straight in their dealings always enjoy the respect and admiration of all those who come in contact with them.

HaRav Shamshon Rafael Hirsch says that "the art . . . of making the proper, free-willed choice to do good" is "the one skill that is the most difficult and yet the most crucial of all" ("Principles of Education," The Collected Writings of Rabbi Samson Rafael Hirsch, volume VII, p. 48). This is what we must strive to impart to our children and what we must struggle to live up to ourselves. If we are successful, we are beloved Above and below; if we fail chas vesholom, no other achievements can redeem that failure. One who has faith -- emunah -- that Hashem runs the world and apportions to each his proper share, will naturally deal with integrity -- emunah.

HaRav Pam zt"l pointed out last year that institutional dishonesty is no better. It makes no difference whether one is acting as an individual or on behalf of an institution, or whether one is dealing with a Jew, non-Jew or government -- meticulous honesty is the mandate of every Jew and must certainly be the hallmark of every observant Jew. "There is no way to permit the deceiving of non-Jews to preserve Torah institutions. People act lesheim Shomayim, and they are mechalel sheim Shomayim. They seek to maintain Torah using methods which contradict Torah, and they end up disgracing it."

We cannot fathom the ways of Heaven. Yet we think it appropriate to quote parts of the hesped that HaRav Aharon Kotler zt"l said about HaRav Dessler, zt"l. He noted that the gemora in Brochos (32) says that Hashem told Moshe Rabbenu that now that Yisroel sinned, he must step down from his geduloh since He only had given Moshe Rabbenu the geduloh because of Yisroel. "A tzaddik may complete the personal task for which he was sent to this world . . . but since the community needs him . . . Hakodosh Boruch Hu lengthens his days. But if the generation is not worthy and if they do not learn from him, from his Torah and his middos, from his kedushoh and taharoh, then their merit does not postpone the personal gezar din. On the contrary, they are not worthy of benefiting from him." (Mishnas Rebbi Aharon, Ma'amarim Vesichos Mussar, volume 2)

The passing of HaRav Pam zt"l just before Elul can thus provide us with an important inspiration for what to work on in preparing for the upcoming yemei hadin.

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