Musar untuk Yesaya 45:7

“The fear of Hashem is hatred of evil, pride, arrogance and the evil way. (Mishlei 8)” This verse was mentioned by King Solomon, peace be upon him, in the name of Wisdom, says the Wisdom that one who possesses fear of Hashem will hate an evil person. “Hatred of evil” means hatred of an evil person, just as “And I am prayer” means a person of prayer. Since he is an evil person, it is a mitzvah to hate him, and that's why David said: “Do I not hate those who hate You, Hashem? (Tehilim 139)”, And Solomon said: “Those who forsake the Torah praise the wicked, but those who guard the Torah contend with them. (Mishlei 28)” For the righteous and the wicked are opposites; each hates the other. Every kind loves its own kind and hates its opposite. And Solomon said: “Men of blood hate the innocent. (Mishlei 29)” And he said: “The upright in way is an abomination to the wicked.” An evil person includes the evil traits mentioned: pride, arrogance, an evil path, and a perverse mouth. He mentioned the trait of pride first, for it is the most difficult of all traits, and whoever holds onto it is called an abomination of Hashem. The prophet Isaiah called it “a fading blossom,” as it says: “Woe to the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading blossom of his glorious beauty. (Isaiah 28)” The verse explains: Woe to one who crowns pride; Israel held onto it and were intoxicated with it. This was said about the Ten Tribes who were at ease during the time of the Temple. He was prophesying punishment upon them. He called this trait a “fading blossom,” meaning a plant destined to fall. He said such a crown is fit to be trampled underfoot. “With feet shall be trampled the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim." The reason the trait is repeated “pride and arrogance”, may be explained as follows: pride has two aspects. One person is proud of his wisdom, of the uprightness of his conduct, of his good character traits, and of whatever superiority he believes he has over the people of his generation. Another is proud of his evil traits and of all acts of oppression and corruption. Both of these types are despised by the sages. It goes without saying that one who prides himself on deeds driven by the evil inclination is despised. But even one who prides himself on good deeds is included among those hated by the sages. This is the meaning of “pride and arrogance”: pride from the side of good, which is hatred of evil, and arrogance from the side of evil, which is the evil path, all of it I hate. For even if a person is righteous, and all his conduct is upright, and he performs all his deeds according to intellect and wisdom, it is not fitting for him to become proud of this; rather, he should humble himself. As it is said in the Midrash: Why were Israel compared to a vine? Just as a vine has large and small clusters, and the larger the cluster, the lower it bends, so too are Israel. It may also be said that this is the meaning of the verse stated regarding the Holy One, blessed be He: “For He has triumphed gloriously”, for they sang praise that He exalts Himself over good and exalts Himself over evil. He was a wall for Israel and a wall against Egypt. Pride is fitting for no one except Hashem alone, as it says, “Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty. Since the root of good and evil is one, the prophet therefore said, “He makes peace and creates evil,” and “I am Hashem Who does all these,” in order to remove from the hearts of heretics who claim that it is impossible for good and evil to emerge from one source. Therefore, the verse adds, “all these. He mentioned perversities because pride that stems from the evil path brings a person to speak twisted things. That pride forces him to deviate from the path of truth until he says things that ought not to be said. Our sages taught: Anyone who possesses arrogance deserves to be cut down like an Asherah tree. It is written here, “The tall of stature shall be cut down,” and it is written there, “You shall cut down their Asherim.” They further taught: Anyone who has arrogance, the Divine Presence laments over him, as it says, “And You know the haughty from afar.” Elsewhere they taught that leprosy is the punishment for the arrogant, as it says, “for swelling and for a scab,” and “swelling” implies elevation, as it says, “and upon all the high hills.” So too we find with Naaman, who was punished with leprosy because he was arrogant, as it says, “Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man before his master”, meaning that he was haughty before his master. The severity of the prohibition of pride that we mentioned applies to a person’s conduct in speech and in actions between himself and his fellow. In speech, when he speaks haughtily, as it says, “He who raises his doorway seeks destruction.” The mouth is referred to as a doorway, for it is the entrance of the body as a gate is to a house. It is known that destruction is the punishment of the proud, as it says, “Before destruction comes pride,” and “A man’s pride shall bring him low. In actions, when he conducts himself in matters beyond his level, as David said, “I have not walked in great matters or in things too wondrous for me.” Needless to say, if one is proud regarding mitzvot between himself and the Omnipresent, honoring himself in some act of service, such as boasting of going to the synagogue with his lulav in hand and the like, thinking to honor himself while belittling other mitzvot whose transgression is more severe, the sin is grave and the punishment bitter. As we find with Shebna, who was a great official in the house of Hezekiah. He was proud in his performance of mitzvot and despised the sacrifices. According to our sages, he was a priest, as implied in the verse, “I will clothe him with your tunic.” Because he despised the sacrifices, he was punished, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, killed him. Regarding him it says, “The peg fastened in a secure place shall be removed. We also find with Issachar of Kefar Barkai, upon whom the Temple courtyard cried out because he was arrogant, honored himself, and desecrated sacred things. As our sages expounded in Pesachim, chapter “Makom Shenahagu,” that there were four cries that the courtyard cried out: First: “Depart from here, sons of Eli, who defiled the Sanctuary of Hashem. Again the courtyard cried: “Depart from here, Issachar of Kefar Barkai, who honors himself and desecrates the holy things of Heaven. Again the courtyard cried: “Lift up your heads, O gates, and let Ishmael ben Pabi, the disciple of Pinchas, enter and serve in the High Priesthood.” Again the courtyard cried: “Lift up your heads, O gates, and let Yochanan ben Narbai, the disciple of Barkai, enter and fill his belly from the sacred offerings.” The punishment of Issachar of Kefar Barkai is explained explicitly. Our sages said: The king and queen were sitting. The king said, “Kid meat is superior,” and the queen said, “Lamb is superior.” They said, “Let the High Priest decide, for he offers sacrifices all day.” They brought Issachar. He indicated with his hand that lamb is superior, for if kid were superior it would be offered as the daily offering. The king said, “Since he shows no fear of the monarchy, cut off his right hand.” Issachar gave a bribe, and they cut off his left hand. The king heard and said, “Let them return and cut off his right hand.” Rav Yosef said, “Blessed is the Merciful One who repaid Issachar in this world,” meaning it was better for him to receive his punishment in this world than in the World to Come.

Come and see how great is the power of peace. For in the beginning of the creation of the universe the Holy One Blessed be He employed Himself in the creation of an instrument of peace, as it is written (Bereshith 1:3): "And G-d said: 'Let there be light' — and there was light." And how do we know that light is peace? For it is written (Isaiah 45:7): "He fashions light and creates darkness; He makes peace and creates evil." On this basis, our teachers of blessed memory ruled (Shabbath 23b): "As between a candle for his house and wine for kiddush, to sanctify the Sabbath [if he can afford only one], a candle for his house takes precedence because of the peace of his household." What is more, our sages enacted many ordinances in pursuit of the paths of peace, viz. (Gittin 59a): "They declared the following in pursuit of the paths of peace: 'The Cohein reads first [in the Torah], then the Levite, then the Israelite, because of "the paths of peace."'" An eruv [a halachic enabling device] is placed in an old house, because of "the paths of peace." The pit nearest the irrigation canal is filled first because of "the paths of peace."'" And so is it written (Proverbs 3;17): "Its [Torah's] ways are ways of pleasantness and all of its paths are peace." And thus did our sages of blessed memory say in the aggadah (Bamidbar Rabbah 15:13, Tanchuma Beha'alothecha 11): "There are thirteen things that the Holy One Blessed be He loved, and of all of them, He "doubled" [in profusion of love], only "peace." They [(the thirteen)] are: Cohanim, Levites, Israel, Sanhedrin [the high court], the first-born, the offerings of the tabernacle, the sacrifices, the oil of anointment, the Land of Israel, Jerusalem, the Temple, the kingdom of the house of David, and the silver and the gold. The Cohanim — (Shemoth 28:41): "And they shall be priests unto Me." the Levites (Numbers 3:41): "And I shall take the Levites unto Me." Israel — (Shemoth 19:6): "And you [Israel] shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests." Sanhedrin — (Numbers 11:16): "Gather unto Me seventy men." The first-born — (Shemoth 13:2) "Sanctify unto Me every first-born." The offerings of the tabernacle — (Ibid. 25:2): "And they shall take unto Me an offering." The sacrifices — (Numbers 28:2): "You shall heed to sacrifice unto Me in its appointed time." The oil of anointment — (Shemoth 30:31): "The holy oil of anointment shall this be unto Me for your generations." The Land of Israel — (Ibid. 19:5): "For unto Me is all the land." Jerusalem — (I Kings 11:36): "The city that I have chosen unto Me." The Temple — (I Chronicles 17:12): "He shall build unto Me a habitation." The kingdom of the house of David — (I Samuel 16:1): "For I have seen in his sons a king unto Me." The silver and the gold — (Chaggai 2:8): "Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold." But, of all of these, none was doubled [in profusion of love] but "peace," as it is written (Isaiah 27:5): "Or let him take hold of My strength. He shall make peace unto Me; peace shall he make unto Me." Great is peace, which takes precedence to praise of the Blessed One Himself. For when Yithro came to Moses, immediately (Exodus 18:7): "And each made inquiry of the other's peace," whereas only afterwards (Ibid. 8): "And Moses related to his father-in-law all of the miracles that the Holy One Blessed be He had wrought for Israel." What is more, for all of the mitzvoth that the wicked perform in this world, the Holy One Blessed be He gives them their reward in this world — such as wealth, property, years, honor, and the like — except peace, which He does not give them, as it is written (Isaiah 57:21): "There is no peace, says my G-d, for the wicked." And, what is more, the Holy One Blessed be He gives peace as a reward to the righteous, as it is written (Ibid. 32:17): "And the reward for righteousness shall be peace…" What is more, it is with peace that He draws near to Him converts and penitents, as it is written (Ibid. 57:19): "He creates the utterance of the lips: 'Peace, Peace,' for the far and the near, says the L-rd, and I will heal him." Great is peace, for in regard to all of the journeyings in the desert it is written "And they journeyed and they rested," journeying in strife and resting in strife. But when they came to Mount Sinai, they made one great "resting," as it is written (Shemoth 19:2): "And Israel rested there, before the mountain." (Vayikra Rabbah 9:9): "The Holy One Blessed be He said: 'The time has now arrived for Me to give Torah to My children.'" For as long as they are at peace with one another, the Shechinah is among them. And thus is it said (Devarim 33:5): "And He was a King in Yeshurun when the heads of the people were gathered, together with the tribes of Israel." When does the kingdom and the Shechinah of the Blessed One abide in Israel? When they are all gathered together as one. Come and see how great is the power of peace; for it is through the power of peace that the world endures. For thus have our sages of blessed memory said (Avoth 1:18): "On three things does the world stand: on judgment, on truth, and on peace, as it is written (Zechariah 8:16): 'Truth and a judgment of peace shall you judge in your gates.'" What is more, when there is peace among men, there is blessing in their fruits, as it is written (Ibid. 12): "For as the seed of peace, the vine shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give its dew, and I shall bequeath all of these to the remnant of this people." And thus is it written (Psalms 147:14): "He makes peace on your borders and sates you with the fatness of wheat." Our sages have said (Vayikra Rabbah 9:9): "Great is peace, for if one erases one letter of G-d's name, he transgresses a negative commandment, as it is written (Devarim 12:3): 'And you shall wipe out their [the idols'] name from that place,' followed by (Ibid. 4): 'You shall not do so to the L-rd your G-d.' Yet to make peace between a man and his wife, the Torah says (Numbers 5:23): 'And the Cohein shall write these curses [containing G-d's name] in a book and erase them into the bitter waters.' The Holy One Blessed be He says: 'Let My name, which was written in holiness, be erased by the waters.'" And Chazal have said further (Vayikrah Rabbah 9:9): "Great is peace, for all of the goodly blessings and consolations that the Holy One Blessed be He convokes upon Israel conclude with "peace." The Shema — "He spreads a canopy of peace." The Amidah — "He makes peace." The priestly blessing — "And He shall repose peace upon you." "Therefore, my sons, be circumspect in this trait — to love peace and to pursue peace. For there is no end to the reward for loving peace and pursuing peace." Until here, the language of Ma'aloth Hamiddoth.

On 12,6 "Abraham traversed the land," Rashi comments נכנס לתוכה, "he entered into it." This is most appropriate, since Abraham began to understand the inner significance of ארץ ישראל. Later on we read in 12, 10 that Abraham descended (into Egypt) and subsequently (13, 1) that he ascended from Egypt. The Torah teaches that one does not recognise the advantage of light over darkness until one has experienced the latter. This was Abraham's experience in Egypt, [when he came from Charan his arrival in the land of Canaan is described only as "Abraham went…..they came to the land of Canaan (12,4/5), not a word about an עליה, an ascent. Ed.]. Egypt was considered a secondary מרכבה, as is alluded to in Genesis 41,43 when Joseph rides in מרכבת המשנה, "Pharaoh's number two state coach." Our sages understand these words as referring to the fact that next to the land of Israel, Egypt serves as an alternate מרכבה for G–d's Presence. The Zohar (Sullam edition Parshat Mikeitz page 23) describes it thus: G–d has a מרכבה עליונה and a מרכבה תחתונה. The latter one is called מרכבת המשנה, "the secondary carrier." Abraham utilized all the great wisdom he had acquired while he was in Egypt. Afterwards he ascended "southward" (13,1). Our sages have taught us the principle that "anyone who wishes to acquire wisdom should turn southward" (Baba Batra 28). Thus when Abraham returned to the "South" of the land of Canaan he began to learn the "real" wisdom, an appreciation of Jewish theology. It was then that he began to appreciate the real advantage of spiritual light over spiritual darkness.