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Why does hidur mitzvah (מצוה) limit beautification to one-third beyond the mitzvah's cost, when most mitzvos demand up to a fifth of one's wealth? The Gemara (גמרא)'s conclusion that Hashem (ה׳) "pays back" hidur expenses reveals that hidur creates a better mitzvah, not mere aesthetic effort. The Rambam (רמב"ם) applies this only to mitzvos "l'shem HaKeil HaTov"—offerings given directly to Hashem like korbanos, tzitzis, and bris milah—which receive something from the beautification itself.
This shiur analyzes the Gemara (גמרא)'s principle of hidur mitzvah (מצוה) ad shlish (beautifying a mitzvah up to one-third additional cost) and the Rambam (רמב"ם)'s treatment of this halacha (הלכה). The central question is: if hidur mitzvah is a genuine mitzvah commanded by the Torah (תורה) ("zeh ke'li ve'anveihu"), why should the expenditure be limited to one-third of the mitzvah's cost, when other mitzvos obligate up to one-fifth of one's wealth (chamish be'oso)? The Gemara in Bava Kamma initially suggests that hidur mitzvah requires spending up to a third of one's wealth (shlish be'oso), but rejects this because it would impoverish a person. Instead, the Gemara establishes "shlish be'mitzvah"—one-third beyond the mitzvah's base cost. But this itself requires explanation: why limit beautification to a third? The shiur proposes that the original limitation stems from the understanding that beauty (yofi) shouldn't be disproportionate to the mitzvah itself. If one spends $100 to beautify a $1 mitzvah, the priorities are distorted—beauty has become more important than the mitzvah's fulfillment.
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Bava Kamma 9a-b
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