והוגד לך ושמעת ודרשת היטב והנה אמת נכון הדבר נעשתה התועבה הזאת בישראל… (שופטים יז:ד)

The Pri Megadim—Reb Yosef Teumim zt”l spent a Shabbos Parshas Shoftim in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). During that Shabbos, a Maggid (itinerant preacher) presented a lecture in Shul and peppered his listeners with many halachos (Jewish law) and Torah insights, delivering the speech as if he came up with these intricate thoughts and wisdom—making it out as if they were all his own.

After the speech, the Pri Megadim approached the Maggid and said: “You spoke about many of the pessukim in our parsha and interpreted them quite nicely.  Now, I want to interpret one passuk of the parsha”.

The Pri Megadim proceeded to interpret our passuk as follows:

“והוגד לך” – when you say a Dvar Torah (Torah insight)

“ושמעת” – that you heard from another person

“ודרשת הטוב” – and you inspired the crowd with your insightful Divrei Torah

“והנה אמת נכון הדבר” – even if your words are valid 

However – finished the Pri Megodim with his words of rebuke: “Since these words of Torah are not your own – you are not the one who composed them. Still, you presented them as if they were your own,

“נעשתה התועבה הזאת בישראל” – you transgressed and didn’t behave correctly!”