Chasidut su Isaia 26:10

The Psalmist said (Tehillim, 140:9), “Do not further his evil plan, lest he go and laud himself because of this.” This is as it is written in the Midrash Rabbah (Tavo), “One who learns Torah and does not fulfill it receives a greater punishment than one who did not learn it at all. From where do we derive this? It is written (Yeshayahu, 26:10), ‘Favor will be shown to the wicked, who did not learn righteousness.’⁴¹³The Midrash is freely interpreting this verse. The literal reading is: “Even if an evil person is shown favor, he will still not learn righteousness..” Whereas, if he learned the Torah and does not fulfill its commandments, he is not shown favor.” It may be asked, “Perhaps a person is wicked because he did not learn the path of righteousness?” This question is addressed in the Talmud (Megillah, 6a): Rav Yitzhak also said: What is the meaning of the verse, “Favor will be shown to the wicked, who did not learn righteousness”? Yitzhak Avinu said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the Universe, show mercy upon Esav.” God replied. “He is wicked.” Yitzhak said to Him, “He did not learned righteousness!”⁴¹⁴Meaning, Esav did not learn Torah, and thus should not be requited for his evil deeds. God replied (with the continuation of the verse), “Even in a land of uprightness (nekhochut), they continue doing evil.” Yitzhak said, “If so, ‘let him not behold the majesty of God.’” When Yitzhak said, “He has not learnt righteousness,” he sought to judge Esav favorably. He argued that Esav’s actions were determined by the limits of his understanding. God answered Yitzhak, “Even in the land of the nekhochut (“uprightness,” or “presence”) he will continue doing evil.” That is to say, even if Esav were in the presence of God, he would still not act righteously, but use his elevated consciousness to deliberately and knowingly sin. This being the case, Yitzhak said, “Let him not behold the majesty of the God.” ⁴¹⁵Yitzhak asks G-d to show compassion on his brother, Esav, the sinner. He argues that Esav is unaware of the greater context of his actions. Like one who sins withough having learned Torah (Torah, here, being synonymous with an awareness of G-d’s plan.) Esav’s sins are only in terms of his own, constricted consciousness. From G-d’s perspective, even in sinning, he is fulfilling G-d’s will. However, G-d responds that even if Esav saw things from the higher perspective, he would still intent to rebel against G-d. If so, Yitzchak replies, then do not let him see Your Glory; that is, do not let him see how he is fulfilling Your will through his sins. What does it mean to not see the majesty of God? It means that even though God uses his entire creation, including the wicked, for His own purposes and to achieve His desired ends, nonetheless, the wicked cannot see how God is using them as an agent of His design. This is, “he shall not see the majesty of God,” even when it is actualized through him. Similarly, we find that the glory of God was revealed through Pharaoh. The Mekhilta (Ch. 8) has Pharaoh saying, “Who is like You among the powers O God!” (Shemot, 15:11) This was also true with Haman in the days of Purim. The Talmud says (Megillah, 10b), “‘And it shall be to God for a name’ (Yeshayahu, 55:13)⁴¹⁶Just before this the verse said, “and from under the brier shall sprout the myrtle tree (Hadas, in Hebrew.) The point is that Hadas is another name for Queen Ester. – this refers to the days of Purim. (The verse continues) ‘For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off’ – this refers to the reading of the Megillah.” Though Pharaoh and Haman were used as God’s agents to perform miracles and reveal the Glory of Heaven in the world, they themselves had no portion whatsoever in that sanctification of God’s name that came about through them. This is as it is written in the Talmud (Megillah, 6a), “What is the meaning of the verse (Tehillim, 140:9), ‘O God, do not grant the desires of the wicked, do not further his evil plan, lest he go and laud himself because of this?’ Yaakov said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Master of the Universe, Do not grant the evil Esav the desire of his heart.’ ‘Do not further his evil plan,’ this refers to Germamia of Edom (an evil king that would descend from Esav).” Study this passage in greater depth, and see how God confounded them.⁴¹⁷This passage in the Talmud continues, “this refers to Germamia of Edom, for should they but go forth they would destroy the whole world. Rav Khama ben Khanina said, ‘There are three hundred crowned heads in Germamia of Edom and three hundred and sixty-five chieftains in Rome. Every day one goes forth to meet the other, one of them is killed, and they have all the trouble of appointing a new king.” The words, “lest they praise themselves (pen yaroomu),” could also mean, “they shall be raised above.”⁴¹⁸The verse from Tehillim would then read: “Do not further his evil plan, for [Your hidden purposes] are far above him [above his comprehension].” This means that God leads them in a place far above their ability to comprehend, and they themselves take no credit from the Glory of God which is magnified through them.