Chasidut zu Bereschit 28:21
וְשַׁבְתִּ֥י בְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־בֵּ֣ית אָבִ֑י וְהָיָ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י לֵאלֹהִֽים׃
Wenn ich in Frieden heimkehre in meines Vaters Haus, wenn der Ewige mir Gott sein wird,
Kedushat Levi
Leviticus 19,32. “you shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old, you shall fear your G’d.” Seeing that we have pointed out that the principal element in what is called “fear of the Lord,” is the awe with which we should relate to His sublimity and awesomeness, רוממות, a title which stems from the fact that He is the Originator of all the phenomena that we can perceive with our senses as well as the ones we cannot perceive, He deserves our utmost respect. When a human being has attained that level of insight he is called בן אהוב למקום, “a beloved son of G’d.” When a mortal father has a son whom he loves beyond all else in life, that son will be most careful not to cause his father any grief whatsoever. Conversely, this son will go out of his way to cause his father only pleasure and satisfaction. Paraphrasing this example, our sages in the Zohar III,7 state that Israel provides parnassah, sustenance, for the Almighty. This sustenance consists of their studying Torah, serving Him with prayers and by performing charitable deeds for their peers, as well as keeping the other commandments of the Torah. If they were, G’d forbid, to fail to do all this, our sages in Chagigah 15 lament, “what would become of the Shechinah”?
The wording in the Talmud describing the Shechinah’s reaction to Israel’s failing to serve the Lord and to observe His commandments, is קלני מראשי, “I feel that my head is confused, wobbly.” In other words, our misconduct causes G’d the equivalent of physical pain and confusion.
A tzaddik will worry all his life that he should not cause his father in heaven any grief or pain. He constantly endeavours to only be the cause of his Father in heaven feeling well and satisfied with His creatures.
The condition known as יראת שמים, when applied to the tzaddik, is his fear of the attribute of Mercy, i.e. that G’d would have to apply that attribute when judging him in order that he would not come to harm. [When Yaakov awoke from his dream of the ladder he vowed that if he would return to his father’s home safely, he would tithe all his acquisitions henceforth, and that he was henceforth ready to be judged by the attribute of Justice instead of having to hope for the attribute of Mercy dealing with his shortcomings. (Compare Genesis 28,21). Ed.] Ordinary people generally are afraid of the attribute of Justice dealing with their transgressions.
The tzaddik’s philosophy is not limited to his personal relationship with G’d, but he hopes that his meticulously observing G’d’s commandments without his looking for reward, will encourage G’d to increase the flow of His largesse to the Jewish people and that as a result these will benefit in all spheres of life from that largesse. He is aware that nothing pleases the Lord as much as having an excuse to direct an ever increasing flow of this largesse to His people. The termsזקן as well as שיבה, are synonyms for the attribute of mercy as we know from Pessikta Rabbah 21 where G’d is perceived as having appeared to the Jewish people at the revelation in the guise of a bearded old man, one who is full of compassion. Keeping this in mind, we can understand the commandment to treat the aged and old with deference and respect as an exhortation to relate to G’d with such feelings. The words: והדרת פני זקן, may therefore be understood as a command not to cause the Shechinah to call out in pain קלני מראשי, “my head is in turmoil.” Instead, we should ensure that the verse speaking of הוד והדר לפניו עוז וחדוה במקדשו, that “glory and majesty are before Him and strength and splendour in His Temple.” (Compare psalms 96,6)
The wording in the Talmud describing the Shechinah’s reaction to Israel’s failing to serve the Lord and to observe His commandments, is קלני מראשי, “I feel that my head is confused, wobbly.” In other words, our misconduct causes G’d the equivalent of physical pain and confusion.
A tzaddik will worry all his life that he should not cause his father in heaven any grief or pain. He constantly endeavours to only be the cause of his Father in heaven feeling well and satisfied with His creatures.
The condition known as יראת שמים, when applied to the tzaddik, is his fear of the attribute of Mercy, i.e. that G’d would have to apply that attribute when judging him in order that he would not come to harm. [When Yaakov awoke from his dream of the ladder he vowed that if he would return to his father’s home safely, he would tithe all his acquisitions henceforth, and that he was henceforth ready to be judged by the attribute of Justice instead of having to hope for the attribute of Mercy dealing with his shortcomings. (Compare Genesis 28,21). Ed.] Ordinary people generally are afraid of the attribute of Justice dealing with their transgressions.
The tzaddik’s philosophy is not limited to his personal relationship with G’d, but he hopes that his meticulously observing G’d’s commandments without his looking for reward, will encourage G’d to increase the flow of His largesse to the Jewish people and that as a result these will benefit in all spheres of life from that largesse. He is aware that nothing pleases the Lord as much as having an excuse to direct an ever increasing flow of this largesse to His people. The termsזקן as well as שיבה, are synonyms for the attribute of mercy as we know from Pessikta Rabbah 21 where G’d is perceived as having appeared to the Jewish people at the revelation in the guise of a bearded old man, one who is full of compassion. Keeping this in mind, we can understand the commandment to treat the aged and old with deference and respect as an exhortation to relate to G’d with such feelings. The words: והדרת פני זקן, may therefore be understood as a command not to cause the Shechinah to call out in pain קלני מראשי, “my head is in turmoil.” Instead, we should ensure that the verse speaking of הוד והדר לפניו עוז וחדוה במקדשו, that “glory and majesty are before Him and strength and splendour in His Temple.” (Compare psalms 96,6)
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Kedushat Levi
Genesis 28,21. “then Hashem (the attribute of Mercy) will be my G’d,;” (may deal with me on the basis of the attribute of Justice). Many commentators already have dealt with this phrase and the difficulties it presents when one reads it superficially. Firstly, why would Yaakov feel the need to make a vow when G’d had already promised him all that he is asking. We trust we are correct in answering that Yaakov here asked for a detail that G’d had not included in the promise He had made to him. We have mentioned already that at the beginning of a “career” as a servant of G’d, everyone needs an assist from G’d. Yaakov therefore asked for this initial assistance, so that eventually he would be able to stand on his own two feet not only economically but also spiritually. When he spoke about G’d being with him, he meant “immediately,” not only at some time in the future. He also wished for G’d’s continued assistance even after he would have returned safely to his homeland and the house of his father. G’d’s initial promise had been limited to the time when Yaakov would return to Eretz Yisrael.
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Kedushat Levi
A third nuance gleaned from the words: החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים, ראשון הוא לכם; it is generally agreed that at the time of the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, G’d employed His attribute of גבורה, “might,” against the Egyptians while at the same time employing His attribute of חסד, “loving kindness, “ toward the Israelites. This is based on כל בכוריהם הרגת ובכורך גאלת, “While You killed all their firstborn You redeemed Your firstborn.” (quote from the prayer עזרת אבותינו, recited every morning after the kriyat sh’ma. (The phenomenon described here is known to Kabbalists asגבורה שבחסד , “might as a byproduct of kindness.”) The catalyst that triggered G’d to display His might was the loving kindness He felt impelled to show His people. We find that G’d employed two opposing attributes at one and the same time. To the question which of the two attributes G’d gives preference to, the answer is surely: “to the loving kindness,” as we have it on the authority of Micah 7,18 כי חפץ חסד הוא, “for He desires loving kindness.” The expression חפץ חסד הוא, implies that even when G’d is compelled to display the attribute of Justice, another aspect of the term גבורה, He does so only because otherwise His attribute of loving kindness, חסד could not prevail under the existing conditions. By applying the attribute of Justice to the enemies of His people, He can show His people that He deals with them by means of the attribute of loving kindness, חסד. When the Torah speaks in our verse of ראשון הוא לכם, “it is first for you,” G’d informs the Jewish people that as far as they are concerned the “new” element in G’d’s relationship with different parts of mankind is that seeing that they are from now on His people, He will deal with them first and foremost on the basis of the attribute of loving kindness. [The patriarchs did not require this “concession;” in fact Yaakov had volunteered after the dream with the ladder to be henceforth dealt with on the basis of the attribute of justice, and this is why he said “והיה ה' לי לאלוקים, “and Hashem will henceforth be my elokim, Judge." )Genesis 28,21)]
G’d applying the attribute of חסד to the Jewish people in the first instance is reflected in the first verse of the Decalogue, where he introduces Himself with the words: אנכי השם אלוקיך, He is the attribute of Justice only subsequent to being the attribute of Mercy, kindness.
G’d applying the attribute of חסד to the Jewish people in the first instance is reflected in the first verse of the Decalogue, where he introduces Himself with the words: אנכי השם אלוקיך, He is the attribute of Justice only subsequent to being the attribute of Mercy, kindness.
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