Subject: In Memory of Baruch Yitzchak ben Yirmiyahu (Barry Pessin)
From: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
Date: 4/21/2017, 6:58 AM
To: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
BCC: menachem@alonsystems.com
The Mishna in Avos says (5;11) "One who it is difficult to anger and easy to appease is a pious person".
The Mishna continues telling us about the various types of people and their relationship with the attribute of anger. The most refined person the Mishna tells us is difficult to anger and easy to appease. There is an obvious question with the Mishna's definition of the pious person, the Mishna should state he doesn't get angry at all. Why does the Mishna say he is difficult to anger (which suggest he does get angry just not easily)?
One of the answers given is that even though anger is a very bad trait and people should always try to avoid it, there are nevertheless circumstances when a person should get angry. If this anger is directed at people who belittle the Torah and it's commandments a person should feel anger until the transgression is rectified. His anger is more for the Honor of G-d and not the personal type of anger that is more common. The Mishna therefore says that this person should be easy to appease, meaning as soon as the transgression is rectified and the transgressor has repented his anger should be appeased.
