Subject: In Memory of Brauch Yitzchak ben Yirmiyahu
From: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
Date: 4/28/2017, 4:32 AM
To: Heath Berkin <heath.berkin@gmail.com>
BCC: menachem@alonsystems.com
The last of the four types of people which the Mishna in Avos mentions (5;11) is someone who is easy to anger and difficult to appease. The Mishna calls this person a "wicked" person.
Obviously we know that anger isn't a good characteristic trait but does this qualify a person to be called a wicked person? I mean s/he is not refined in their character but wicked? Wicked is a person who lies, steals, murders etc.
By understanding another statement of our Sages we can explain why he is considered wicked. Our Sages say that when a person gets angry it is as if he worships idols. Why is this? The reason is because when a person is in a fit of anger the can lose all control and rationale. Even if this person is normally a wise and reasonable person, when they are overcome with anger they can do the stupidest most irrational things. Their actions can extend to the worst sins in the world making them truly wicked. In this sense it isn't the characteristic of anger itself which makes a person wicked but the results of their anger will lead them to be a wicked person. We can all relate to this by reflecting on times when we may have been angry or seen other people angry. Our words/actions may have been totally inappropriate and we may very well have done (or at least said) things that in a rational state we would agree were truly wicked.
When a person uses his/her wisdom to contemplate the severity of anger and what it can lead to it should help them settle down and remove the anger from their hearts.
