Shaarey
Tzaddik, Vol. II
By Rabbi
Gedaliah Aharon Kenig, zatzal
Excerpt from
Letter 57
Translation with
explanatory remarks by Dovid Sears
In memory of our
dear friend Rabbi Yehudah (ben Avraham) Lichter, zal, a devoted talmid of Reb
Gedaliah and a founding member of the Monsey Breslov community, who was niftar on
20 Shevat, 5779 / 2019. May he be a Melitz
Yosher for his family and for Klal Yisrael.
It is known that
the Thirteen Principles of Torah Interpretation correspond to the Thirteen
Attributes of Divine Mercy that are written in the Torah.
Those Thirteen
Attributes of Divine Mercy were revealed to Moshe Rabbeinu after the Sin of the
Golden Cal; see Exodus 34:6-7.
And each
principle in the order presented in the Beraisa of Rabbi Yishmael is more
wondrous and novel than its predecessor.
A Beraisa is
a Tannaitic teaching outside the canon of the Mishnah. It is customary to
recite this particular Beraisa at the conclusion of the Korbonos / Sacrifices at
the beginning of the Shacharis prayer.
Similarly, this
is the case with the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy: whichever attribute
is written later in the Torah instructs us regarding a greater and loftier
degree of mercy than its predecessor. The last of the Thirteen Principles of
Torah Interpretation, which is the most profound and wondrous [of the series],
hints to the last of the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy—“vi-nakeh…
and He purifies.” This denotes an even greater expression of mercy, which is
extremely lofty, of the highest order, as we shall explain with G-d’s help.
The first of the
Thirteen Principles of Torah Interpretation is “kal vi-chomer”
(extrapolating from a minor to a major issue). This is a great and wondrous
concept, to infer something from one’s study and then apply it from one case to
another, despite the fact that this was not explicitly stated. Nevertheless,
every intelligent person plainly understands that we must ascribe to the major
case what is true of the minor case. If a ruling applies in a minor case,
surely it does in a more serious matter.
This principle
corresponds to the first of the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy, which is
simple mercy, as readily understood by all. That is, if one has pity on
someone who is devoid of Torah, mitzvos and good deeds—how much more should one
have pity on someone who does possess Torah, mitzvos and good deeds.
The second of
the Thirteen Principles is “gezerah shavah,” which means extrapolating
from a verse that has a certain word to a related verse with the same word.
This principle is even more profound and innovative than the first. For this
teaches us how it is possible to link two subjects when the principle of kal
vi-chomer does not apply; rather, they are equivalent due to one word
alone, according to the principle of gezerah shavah.
Therefore, this
corresponds to an even greater degree of mercy, namely, that it is fitting to
confer mercy upon another, even when he lacks the level of the first, but is
merely similar to him; i.e., just as one shows mercy to the former for a given
reason, so should one show mercy to the latter, whose case shares that reason.
The following
paragraph in parentheses is that of Reb Gedaliah:
(And perhaps
this is why a person may not make a gezerah shavah of his own accord,
but only if he received [that specific gezerah shavah] from his teacher,
as Chazal state (Pesachim 66a, Niddah 19b), and as the Rebbe
discusses in Likutey Moharan I, 54. [Rebbe Nachman teaches that] the Master
and the Disciple are aspects of Chokhmah Ila’ah (Higher Wisdom) and Chokhmah
Tata’ah (Lower Wisdom), as explained in Likutey Moharan II, 91. Therefore,
a person may make a kal vi-chomer on his own, for kal vi-chomer
is an aspect of Chokhmah Tata’ah (Lower Wisdom), the aspect of the Disciple.
However, a gezerah shavah represents a loftier level of intellect, being
an aspect of Chokhmah Ila’ah (Higher Wisdom), the aspect of the Master. So a
person may not formulate a gezera shavah on his own, but must receive it
from his teacher.)
Thus may the Thirteen
Principles of Torah Interpretation be explained one by one, to find their
precise correspondences to the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy as written
in the Torah; study this until we reach the thirteenth rule by which the Torah
is interpreted, which is “two verses that contradict one another…” This is a
most wondrous matter, containing a most profound and lofty perception. This
teaches us that there is such wisdom as this, through which one may resolve and
reconcile two opposites, represented by the two verses that contradict one
another; through [this principle], both are upheld, and not only this alone,
that [we come to understand] they don’t contradict each other, but they support
each other. And it is necessary that both are written as they are written, for
each one teaches us a new and unique halakhah, which is not found in its
counterpart, and that which one lacks, the other discloses.
Therefore, this
principle corresponds to the thirteenth Divine Attribute of Mercy, which is “vi-nakeh…”
which attests to an extremely great and lofty degree of mercy. With recourse to
this, one can show mercy to a friend or fellow with whom one disagrees, even
when one’s viewpoint seems entirely contrary to that of the other. Despite all
this, it is possible to reconcile and preserve both points of view—that each,
in its own way, points to the truth, and through both viewpoints the [truth of]
matter is upheld. Accordingly, both are equally deserving of mercy, and there
is no [essential] conflict between them whatever. Thus, the thirteenth
Attribute of Mercy is “vi-nakeh…”—because this is an expression of
innocence (nikayon), since this attribute reconciles both viewpoints,
showing that both are innocent and deserving of mercy.
In keeping with
this, we may understand why “vi-nakeh…” alone is listed as one of the Thirteen
Attributes of Divine Mercy. Doesn’t the Torah write “vi-nakeh lo yinakeh…”
(“and cleanses [but] does not cleanse”)? This is because the thirteenth
Attribute of Divine Mercy instructs us regarding the arousal of the outflow (shefa)
of an extremely great and lofty degree of mercy bestowed upon those for whom simple
mercy would be not suffice—those who appear to be unclean and unworthy of
mercy. They are in the category of “lo yinakeh” (i.e., unworthy of being
cleansed). Nevertheless, there are hidden, sublime levels of mercy such as
these, which confer mercy upon them, as well. This is the meaning of “vi-nakeh
lo yinakeh…”—as if to say, “vi-nakeh” (“and cleanses”) also those
who are in the category of “lo yinakeh” (“unworthy of being cleansed”).
Therefore, we only mention the word “vi-nakeh” [when enumerating the Thirteen
Attributes of Divine Mercy during prayer] to allude to the bestowal of those
extremely high levels of mercy.
In addition,
according to this, there is reason to esteem the fact that Chazal refer to the
Torah as “Rachmana” [Aramaic for “Merciful” or the “Merciful One”]—because the
perfection of the Torah is achieved through the holy teachings that the true
sages of every generation taught us, following the Thirteen Principles, this
being the core of the Oral Torah. And those Thirteen Principles correspond to
the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy written in the Torah.
It follows from
the implications of our words that upon this depends the differences in the
spiritual levels of the tzaddikim and sages of the generation: each individual,
according to his having merited to engage in, clarify and be expert in the Thirteen
Principles of Torah Interpretation, is worthy of arousing a corresponding
degree of mercy from the Thirteen Attributes of Divine Mercy. And he is worthy
of becoming a vessel to receive an out flowing of sublime mercy, which descends
from the heavens in the merit of his Torah—and to confer mercy upon the
entire world.
Therefore, in
truth, our holy Rebbe teaches that one should draw close to a true tzaddik of
this kind, who is genuinely a great man of mercy, in an aspect of Moshe
Rabbenu, a”h, according to the secret of “For a merciful one shall lead
them,” as explained in Likutey Moharan II, 7; see there; and also see Sefer
HaMidos (Sefer Alef-Beis), Chelek I, “Tzaddik,” sec. 39.
Likewise,
whoever contemplates his ultimate eternal destiny in truth, and examines
himself honestly, will be able to evaluate how close he is to the Torah, or,
Heaven forbid, the opposite—all according to the arousal and effect of the
traits of mercy that he possesses in truth; and this is sufficient for the
wise.
I have already
presented these matters before many eminent scholars, giants in Torah and fear
of Hashem, here in the holy city, may it be rebuilt and established, and they
praised [my words] as being correct.
Moreover, we can learn an important Mussar lesson from this: that
one should not dismiss the words of any person with whom one disagrees, and not
upset him or be vengeful toward him, directly or indirectly, or seek his harm
for this reason; nor should one let himself be confused or tricked by the
machinations of the Evil Urge (which seeks to kill us), seducing one to think
that on the contrary, it is a great mitzvah to repulse him and persecute him. Rather,
one should always awaken even higher mercy on behalf of the other person, so
that through such sublime mercy, which depends on higher knowledge and consciousness,
you will understand that he too is truly as deserving of mercy as you are.
Understand our words well, so that you will put them into practice.
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