Daf Insights - Berachos 4

The Shel"a HaKadosh writes (שבועות צ) that one is not called a posek if he is strict in his rulings for other people when that is not the Halachic imperative; for himself he can be as strict as he wants. We seen in Berachos (4a) that it says that King Dovid's hands were filthy with blood in order to declare a woman ritually pure for her husband. It does not say to determine if she was pure or impure. He toiled to find a way in which she was undoubtedly Halachically pure and not God forbid declare her impure and unnecessarily cause people to refrain from marital relations, God forbid. Undoubtedly a posek must be careful not to give a ruling that will lead people to sin, but the point is that finding a leniency is much greater than being strict.So, too, with all Halachic rulings, even for ones self. It is meritorious to be strict when there is room for strictness. But if there is no room for strictness, but he is being strict out of ignorance, but if he would learn and clarify the topic he would see that there is no room for strictness, and he is yet strict, he is a Chosid Shoteh.

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With regards to the the contrast found in the Gemara

between the state of the Jewish Nation when they arrived in Israel for the first time as compared to when they returned by the building of the Second Temple, Rav Kook explains that there was an inherent difference. At the first arrival the people were internally very holy and the Schechina dwelt among them openly. At the time of the Second arrival they lacked such an open presence of God but their actions increased as indicated by the actions of the Men of the Great Assembly and the Rabbinic Mitzvos that were instituted.

This is why our sages explain that by the first destruction since the sins of the people were revealed, the end of the exile was revealed. By the second destruction, since the sins of the people were not revealed the end of the exile was also not revealed. This is saying that the people at the time of the first destruction were lacking in proper actions, a lack which is clearly visible, but internally they were fine. In such a state it is easy to fix things. But the later generation had wonderful actions and what they were lacking was internal, they did not have the same degree of internal holiness. This is much more difficult to rectify and requires much time and effort.

This is how the Gemara is explaining the meaning of the pasuk עמך השם, your nation God, refers to the first arrival that had God with them inherently, עם זו קנית, the nation you have acquired, refers to the second arrival when the connection had to be forged with actions.

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