Musar sobre Salmos 2:4

The second section: The one who mocks people because he disdains them in his heart for their lack of reaching virtues or temporal successes regarding honor or power; or he disdains them for their poverty or indigence. And it is pride that brought him to this trait; or much tranquility and pampering, like the matter that is stated (Psalms 123:4), “Long enough have we endured the scorn of the complacent, the contempt of the haughty.” And sometimes the scoffer will mock holy ones and prophets, like the matter that is stated (Jeremiah 20:7), “everyone jeers at me.” And King Solomon, peace be upon him, said (Proverbs 14:21), “He who disdains his fellow is a sinner.” It was also stated (Proverbs 11:12), “He who disdains his fellowman is devoid of sense.” And it was stated (Proverbs 17:5), “He who mocks the poor affronts his Maker; and he who rejoices over another’s misfortune will not go unpunished.” One who mocks the poor shows about himself that he imagines that successes are in the hands of people to surely achieve them with their wisdom - like the matter that is stated (Deuteronomy 8:17), “My own power and the might of my own hand have won this wealth for me.” And it is stated (Isaiah 10:13), “For he thought, ‘By the might of my hand have I wrought it, by my skill.’” And because of this, he mocks the poor; for he says in his heart that he did not reach wealth from lack of intellect and from the lowliness of his [work]. And behold he affronts the One who makes the poor and the rich, because it is all from God, may He be blessed - like the matter that is stated (Proverbs 22:2) “Rich man and poor man meet; the Lord made them both.” And about “he who rejoices over another’s misfortune,” he said, ‘He will not go unpunished” - for even though he did not injure with an action or with speech, “he will not go unpunished.” However the evil of the one that rejoices is not as great as the evil of the one who mocks. And because scoffing is caused by pride - which is the opposite of humility - King Solomon, peace be upon him, said (Proverbs 3:34), “If at scoffers, He scoffs; but to the lowly He shows grace.” Its explanation: “If at scoffers” - truly, God mocks scoffers who mock people, like the matter that is stated (Psalms 2:4), “He who is enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord mocks at them.” And the expression, “if,” is to confirm the matter. And so [is such a usage found] (in Numbers 24:22) “Yet if Kain be consumed”; (Proverbs 23:18) “For if you will have a future.”

This is why when the nations come in the future and say to the Holy One Blessed is He, “Give us Torah as well and we will fulfill it,” He will reply to them, “I have an easy mitzvah called ‘sukkah.’ ” [This mitzvah is called easy because it does not require any monetary outlay].” Instantly they will all go and make sukkos for themselves. But then the Holy One Blessed is He will cause the sun to beat down upon them each one of them will kick down his sukkah and run out. Concerning that moment it is stated, “The One who dwells in Heaven will laugh” (Tehillim 2:4), for the Holy One Blessed is He will laugh on that day as He has laughed on no other occasion. See the Avodah Zarah 3a for the rest of this episode. On the surface it seems puzzling why the Holy One Blessed is He would instruct the nations to fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah specifically, rather than any other mitzvah. However, in light of what I have written above it is very understandable. For although people take the mitzvah of sukkah lightly, in the eyes of the Holy One Blessed is He it is of great significance, because it has a numerical value of 480 and therefore has the power to humble the impure shell of Lilis, whose numerical value is also 480. Now, in the future the Holy One Blessed is He will eradicate from the earth all forms of idolatry, which also derive from Lilis and her cohorts. And He will humble them specifically through the mitzvah of sukkah, after which His name will be complete and His Throne will be complete. This is why we pray, “And spread over us Your tabernacle of peace [sukkas shelomecha],” because at that time there will again be a complete [in the sense of whole] tabernacle [sukkas shaleim]. For once again there will be four hundred and eighty synagogues in Jerusalem and together with the rebuilt Temple there will be a total of four hundred and eighty-one, the value of the word, “filled [melei’asi] with justice.” Then, on that day, “Hashem will be one and His Name will be one” (Zecharyah 14:9).