Musar su Genesi 6:13

The third level is the negative commandment that is rectified by a positive commandment: Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Chullin 141a) [that] we do not give lashes for a negative commandment that is rectified by a positive commandment - for example (Deuteronomy 22:6), “you shall not take the mother from over the young,” is rectified by a positive commandment, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 22:7), “You shall surely send away.” But even though they would not give lashes through the court [in such a case], there were some with weighty punishments, such that it would reach the heavens and their judgement would be raised to the clouds. For example theft - as it is stated (Leviticus 19:13), “you shall not rob” (Leviticus 5:23) - is rectified by a positive commandment, as it is stated “and returned what he robbed.” Yet they said (Sanhedrin 108a), “The final judgement of the generation of the Flood was sealed only because of robbery, as it is stated (Genesis 6:13), ‘The end of all flesh has come in front of Me, for the earth is filled with extortion.’” And even though sexual immorality is weightier than robbery, it is the characteristic of the punishment of robbery to bring close its day and to quicken the future [consequences] to it. And they [also] said (Vayikra Rabbah 33:2), “[If you have] a seah full of iniquities, there is no prosecutor among all of them like robbery.” And King Solomon, peace be upon him, said about treasures [acquired] from dishonesty and fraud (Proverbs 21:6), “Treasures acquired by a lying tongue are like driven vapor, heading for death.” The explanation is [that] treasuries [acquired from] dishonesty and fraud are vanishing vapor, for their end is destruction. And while they are still in his possession, they are his enemies and seek the life of their master and cause his death - like the matter that is stated, (Habakkuk 2:9-11) “Ah, you who have acquired gains to the detriment of your own house, etc. For a stone shall cry out from the wall.” And in [the case of] robbing the poor, one is liable for death at the hands of the Heavens on account of it, as it is stated (Proverbs 22:22-23), “Do not rob the indigent for he is indigent; and do not crush the poor man in the gate. For the Lord will take up their cause and despoil those who despoil them of life.” Its explanation is, “do not rob from the indigent” because “he is indigent” and has no one to help him; “and do not crush the poor man in the gate,” with shame and disgrace. And “in the gate,” is to say, in public. And it is like the matter that is stated (Isaiah 3:15), “How dare you crush My people and grind the faces of the poor?” “For the Lord will take up their cause,” since they have no support, or someone to argue and take up their cause. “And despoil those who despoil them of life” - since the cry of the indigent has been brought to Him, He will not take money from you in place of the loot that you robbed, but rather God will remove your soul. And it is stated (Job 27:8), “For what hope has the impious man when he is cut down, when God takes away his life?” And it is also stated (Proverbs 1:19), “Such is the fate of all who pursue unjust gain; It takes the life of its possessor.” And one who torments and pains a widow or an orphan - whether with robbery, or fraud or shame or any type of pain - is liable for death at the hands of the Heavens. And likewise the judges who are able to rescue someone robbed from him who defrauded him, and do not judge [the case of an] orphan, have a death sentence upon them - as it is stated (Exodus 22:21-23), “You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do oppress them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me. And My anger shall blaze forth and I will put you to the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.” Its explanation is, “and your wives shall become widows,” corresponding to the oppression of the widow; “and your children orphans,” corresponding to the oppression of the orphan - measure for measure. And even though these punishments are not written [about the following], one who pains any Israelite transgresses a negative commandment - as it is stated (Leviticus 25:17), “A man shall not oppress (tonu) his kinsman.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Bava Metzia 58b) the verse is speaking about verbal oppression. And that is from the contents of pain and torment, like the usage “(Isaiah 49:26), “I will make your oppressors (monayich) eat their own flesh.” And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, [also] said (Bava Metzia 59a), “All the gates [of prayer] have been closed, except for the gates of [one who is praying as a result of his] oppression.” And where Scripture was speaking about financial oppression, it mentioned buying and selling, as it is stated (Leviticus 25:14), “When you sell property to your kinsman.” And they said (Bava Metzia 58b) [that] verbal oppression is greater than financial oppression, for this is upon his body and that is upon his money - and about [the former] it stated (Leviticus 25:17), “but you shall fear your God,” but about [the latter (25:14)], “but you shall fear,” is not stated.

[What had happened to Noach was similar to what happened to the colleague of Rabbi Akiva who investigated the mysteries of the link between G–d and man only to emerge with his mind deranged (Chagigah 14). One must not overestimate one's spiritual capacity, just as one must not underestimate it. Ed.]. In spite of all this, G–d swore not to cause the extinction of the human race again, as had occurred during the deluge. When G–d promised this, He alluded to His previous statement of קץ כל בשר, in Genesis 6,13; this suggests that the present condition of immortality of the species only will continue during the length of mankind's natural history. Only after the arrival of the Messiah will there be a change, and when "G–d will rejoice in His handiwork again" (Psalms 104,31), the state of the universe will revert to what it had been at the time Adam was created. We will return to this later. The "descendants" which are the true descendants G–d had wished to see will not occur till the Messiah; this is indicated in Ruth 4,12 ואלה תולדות פרץ, where we find the word תולדות, descendants, spelled with two letters ו, to indicate that such descendants will correspond to all that G–d has hoped for from mankind. Peretz, of course, is another name for the Messiah.

And in the general scope of cruelty is included him who robs his companion of anything and therefore caused him pain. And there is a great punishment in store for him who robs the poor — and one who does so is deserving of death as it is written: "Rob not the weak because he is weak" (Ibid. 22:22). And it is written: "For the Lord will plead their cause, and despoil of life those that despoil them" (Ibid. 22:23). And even though there be greater and more severe sins than robbery the punishment for robbing is very grievous, as it is written about the generation of the flood, "The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them" (Gen. 6:13). Our Rabbis said, "If there is a box filled with sins — there is no more severe accuser among them than robbery" (Sanhedrin 108a). And he who causes pain to an orphan or a widow through robbing them or shaming them or any kind of malicious pain is worthy of death through the power of Heaven. This is also true of judges who have the power to save them from the hand of their oppressors and do not fairly judge the case of the orphan or the widow — they are deserving of death as it is written: "You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child" (Exod. 22:21). And it is further written: "If you afflict him in any way, for if he comes unto me I will surely hear his cry" (Ibid. : 22). And it is written : "My wrath shall burn and I will slay you with the sword and your wives will be widows and your children will be orphans" (Ibid.:23). Measure for measure: "Your wives shall be widows" for "afflicting widows" and "your sons shall be orphans" for afflicting orphans."

Chazal have said (Reishith Chochmah, Sha'ar Ha'anavah 4): "In three instances the Holy One Blessed be He overlooked idol worship; but He did not overlook machloketh. First, in the generation of Enosh, when men began to serve idols, as it is written: 'Then they began to call [idols] in the name of the L-rd.' But, because there was peace among them, the Holy One Blessed be He allowed them a hiatus. In the generation of the flood, however, because there was machloketh among them, so that they stole and plundered from each other, the Holy One Blessed be He did not relent, as it is written (Ibid. 6:"13): 'Because the earth was filled with violence by them, etc.' Second, in the generation of the desert when the Jews came to make the golden calf, the Holy One Blessed be He forgave them; but when they lapsed into machloketh, the Holy One Blessed be He did not overlook it. For wherever you find 'and they protested' [vayalinu] of machloketh, you find a great smiting, the most extreme instance being the Korach rebellion. Third, the image of Micah. Because there was peace among them, they were given a grace period, as it is written (Judges 18:30): 'And the children of Dan set up the image; and Yehonathan, the son of Menasheh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.' But when the tribes contended with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and there was no peace among them, they became scourges to each other. When the one sinned, the Holy One Blessed be He would bring the other upon him and exact payment from him, as it is written (II Chronicles 13:17): 'And Aviyya and his people slew them with a great slaughter, so there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.' And when the tribes of Judah and Benjamin sinned, the ten tribes came and exacted punishment of them, as it is written (Ibid. 28:6): 'For Pekach, the son of Remalyahu, slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day.'" We are hereby taught that men of machloketh become instruments of destruction, one to the other.

The attribute of Justice is not to be confused with עקא, distress, rather it means that man is to be treated according to his just deserts, be it reward or punishment. The only reason it is a source of distress to be judged by is the fact that we are all unable to measure up to its yardstick. It is thus quite normal that both Jacob and Esau were offspring of Isaac. One of them was destined for oblivion, the other for eternal life. Both are alluded to in the name קצחי. The קץ, "end," part of the name alludes to Esau, the סטרא אחרא to which the Zohar has linked it when commenting on קץ כל בשר בא לפני, "I have decided to put an end to all flesh" (Genesis 6,13). Samael is also referred to as קץ הימים, the end of all days, seeing he puts an end to our "days." The same word is also used to describe חשך, darkness. We read in Job 28,3: קץ שם לחשך, ולכל תכלית הוא חוקר, "He (G–d) sets bounds to darkness, to every limit man probes." Jacob, on the other hand, represents life, i.e. חי as in חי רב פעלים איש, (Samuel II 28,20). The Talmud Taanit 5 makes a point of telling us that יעקב אבינו לא מת, that our patriarch Jacob did not die. We derive all this information from the name קצחי.