More Discussions for this daf
1. Why was Reish Lakish criticized for putting someone into Niduy? 2. Sinning in private 3. "...and do what his heart desires"
4. Shamta on a dog's tail 5. Why was Reish Lakish criticized for putting someone into Niduy? 6. Ula's Ruling
7. כיון דכל המשמרות שוין ברגל
DAF DISCUSSIONS - MOED KATAN 17

Barry Leff asked:

Here we have a Rashi saying that we should take R. Ilai's words at face value: if you feel compelled to sin, do it in private. On the other hand, I remember a teaching that was the opposite: it said that if you were going to sin, you shouldn't conceal it, because if you conceal it you are saying that the opinion of other people is more important to you than the opinion of God. Any thoughts on the reconciliation of these two seemingly opposite principles?

The Kollel replies:

The Gemara that you are referring to is in Bava Kama (79b), where the Gemara says that the reason why a Ganav (a thief who steals clandestinely) receives a more severe penalty than a Gazlan (a thief one steals openly, in front of other people), is because the Ganav cares that other people not see him, while he does not care that Hash-m not see him ("making the honor of the servant greater than the honor of the Master"), while a Gazlan does not care whether Hash-m or people see him (he at least "equates the honor of the servant and the honor of the Master"). (See also Berachos 28b.)

That Gemara, though, does not contradict the words of Rebbi Ila'i in our Gemara (who says that sinning in private is less severe than sinning in public), because there is a difference between a sin committed against another person, and a sin committed against Hash-m. One who sins against another person hides his deeds because he fears being seen, lest he be caught. He does not take to heart, though, that Hash-m still sees him. This manner of sinning is indeed most repugnant.

The Gemara here, though, is referring to a sin committed against Hash-m (and not against other people). When one commits such a sin in private, it is clear that he is not doing so in order to avoid being caught and because he does not think Hash-m sees, but rather he is doing so in order to prevent a Chilul Hash-m, and he knows that Hash-m sees what he is doing.

After writing the above, I realized that you were referring to another Gemara, the Gemara in Chagigah 16a which actually asks on Rav Ila'i from the statement that "One who sins in private [acts] as if he is pushing the legs of the Shechinah off the earth." The Gemara there answers that when a person can stop himself from sinning, sinning in private is a great Chutzpah before Hash-m, but when he cannot stop himself, he should do as Rav Ila'i suggested (to minimize the Chilul Hash-m). I think that is more or less what I wrote above.

Kol tuv,

Mordecai