Musar do Rodzaju 4:7

It is well known that the atmosphere of the world is filled with influences from the Side of Evil. It is especially rife with accusing angels created from the sins and transgressions of human beings hovering about the air of the world, as is mentioned repeatedly in the Zohar (1:190a; 3:196b). Therefore a person must be wary lest they cling to him as he makes his way to the synagogue. He must bear in mind the Zohar’s teaching (3:263b) that to the left of the doorway lurks the Side of Evil. Concerning this was it written, “Sin crouches at the opening” (Bereishis 4:7). The mezuzah, on the other hand, a reminder of the holy Shechinah, is affixed to right. The mnemonic for this is the verse, “The heart of the wise is to his right” (Koheles 10:2). For that is its place. The mezuzah also represents the Divine attribute known as “Rochel.” Were it not for the name Shaddai (inscribed upon the back of the mezuzah) facing him as he exits it would be impossible for a Jew to go out of his house, for the Side of Evil stands to the left of the door. This is alluded to in the acronym of the verse, “Sin crouches at the opening” — Lapesach CHatos Roveitz, which is the exact reverse of the name “Rochel.” Therefore the name Shaddai is needed to subdue it, as it is written, “And Shaddai (the Almighty) will be your fortress” (Iyov 22:25).

The thirteenth principle is that the light sins should be weighty in one's eyes from four angles: The first is that he should not look at the smallness of a sin, but rather at the greatness of the One who commanded it. The second is that the impulse is in control over the light sins, and that may be a cause to do them constantly. And then they will also be considered like weighty ones - when the punishment of all of the times [it is committed] are combined. And they compared it to a silk thread that is loose and weak; but when you combine it many, many times, it becomes a strong rope. And the third is that from his constantly doing the sin, it becomes like something permissible; and he will remove its yoke from upon him. So he will not protect himself against it and he will be considered from those that remove the yoke and are heretics for one thing. And the fourth is that if he defeats the impulse with something small, he will defeat it tomorrow with something big - as our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 105b), "Anyone who breaks vessels in anger should be in your eyes as if he worships idolatry. For this is the way of the evil impulse: Today it says to you thus, on the morrow, it tells you, 'Go worship an idol.'" And it is stated (Genesis 4:7), "Is it not that if you do right, there is uplift, etc." Its explanation [starting with the end of Genesis 4:6] is: "Why has your face fallen? Is it not that if you do right" actions and repent to Me, "there is uplift" - like the usage (in Job 11:15), "Then, free of blemish, you will uplift your head." And it can be understood as an expression of forgiveness. "But if you do not do right, sin couches at the door" (Genesis 4:7): But if you do not repent from that which you sinned, it is not only this iniquity that will lay with you; but rather the impulse crouches at the door to make you sin in all that you do. And it will always defeat you, since it defeated you and trapped you [now] and it also caught you, and you did not repent. "And its urge is toward you," to lead you astray and it ambushes you at every instant. "Yet you can be its master," if you want to overpower it. Therefore you will be punished for the sin, since I gave you the ability to conquer your impulse.

Repentance is also good for the bad, that you [should] not say that repentance is only good for the holy part in man - but rather it also sweetens the evil part in him, similar to this [Higher] trait: Know that Kain was bad and was from the snake, but it was stated to him (Genesis 4:7), "Is it not that if you do good, it will be lifted" - do not think that because you are from the side of evil, that you have no reparation; that is a lie! Is it not that "if you do good" and root yourself in the secret of repentance, "it will be lifted," [such] that you will withdraw to there in the secret of the good rooted there - as all the Highest Bitterness has a sweet root and can enter through its root to better itself. And so these same actions improve a person, and his 'volitional sins are made for him [to be] like merits." As behold, those actions that he did were prosecuting from the 'left side.' [If] he repented with complete repentance, behold, he brings these actions in and roots them to the Above. And all of these prosecutors do not become nullified, but rather improve themselves and root themselves in holiness, similar to the [possible] betterment of Kain. And behold, if Kain had repented and been repaired; behold, the volitional sin of Adam (literally the first man) through which he fathered Kain - who is the nest (kina) of impurity - would have been considered a merit, through the secret of 'a child gives merit to the father' (Sanhedrin 104a). However, he did not want to repent. And hence, all the 'side of the left' is drawn from there. But all of its branches are destined to be sweetened, and they will repent and be sweetened. And this is exactly from the reason that we explained - that a person takes the secret of evil to his own roots and sweetens it and brings it into the good. Hence, a person purifies his evil impulse and brings it into the good, and it becomes rooted in holiness Above.

The lesson we have to derive from all this is that if we do perchance commit a transgression, we should repent immediately and try to repair the spiritual damage such a transgression has inflicted upon us. Failing to do so brings about the great danger that one transgression leads to another, as indicated by the verse we have just quoted. Had Cain heeded G–d's warning to mend his ways (Genesis 4,7) he would not have become the first murderer in history. Having failed once to heed G–d's advice he not only murdered but turned heretic when he responded to G–d's question: "Where is your brother Abel," with the words "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4,8-9), implying that there is neither judge nor justice in this world.

The above is similar to what I have written about elsewhere when I explained Genesis 4,7. There G–d explained to Cain that if he were to be good i.e. אם תיטיב, he could achieve a higher spiritual plateau, שאת. G–d told Cain that the alternative would be לפתח חטאת רובץ, that the חיות described in Ezekiel 1 which are carriers of G–d's throne perspire from their load, and that this perspiration is the river poured over the wicked people in purgatory, (cf. Chagigah 13). The word for perspiration is זיעה, the word G–d used when He told Adam that he would have to earn his livelihood the hard way (Genesis 3,19). [The poisonous nature of perspiration is also described in Bereshit Rabbah 78,1. Ed.] When Israel are free from sin, they act as the carriers of the throne of G–d; in fact they have been created to do just that. They are to occupy an exalted position as personified by the patriarchs who became carriers of G–d's מרכבה. When this idyllic state will have been achieved there will no longer be a purgatory since there will not be any perspiration by the חיות which were described in Ezekiel's vision as the carriers of the מרכבה. This is the vision or promise held out by G–d to Cain, that man has the potential of elevating himself to such a spiritual level. If man fails to achieve this level, the מרכבה will have to be carried by other creatures whose poisonous sweat creates גהנם.

And, in truth, this is a great error. For if so, why did the Torah command this [(abstention from lashon hara)] by a negative commandment? Is it not known that "the Holy One Blessed be He does not deal despotically with His creatures"? The Torah, then, should have included this only in the class of middoth [desirable character traits], like other holy middoth, that are addressed only to unique individuals, [and not as a mitzvah]. But certainly the Creator of man put it in the power of each and every Jew that if he only puts his eyes and his heart to his ways he can avoid this [(speaking lashon hara)]. As we find in Sifrei, Parshath Ha'azinu (Devarim 32:4): "He is a G-d of trust, without wrong." That is, He did not create men to be reshaim, but to be tzaddikim. (For if not so, there is wrong, G-d forbid, in the ordinance of the Blessed One in the punishment that He metes out to them afterwards.) And thus is it written (Koheleth 7:29): "G-d made man just and they sought out many [devious] accountings." And thus is it stated in Tanchuma, Parshath Bereshith 7: "G-d made man just" — The Holy One Blessed be He, who is called "tzaddik and yashar [just]," created man in His image only to be tzaddik and yashar, as He is. And if you ask: "Why, then, did He create an evil inclination, of which it is written (Bereshith 8:21): 'For the inclination of a man's heart is evil from his youth'? You say: 'It is evil. Who can make it good?' The Holy One Blessed be He answers: "You made it evil. You were a child and did not sin. You grew up and you sinned. [That is, a man draws it (the yetzer) upon himself by his acts and by his affairs. For the Holy One Blessed be He gave man the power to withstand it and to make it his servant in many areas for the ultimate end, as it is written (Bereshith 4:17): "And you shall overcome it." And it is written (Mishlei 29:21): "One who indulges his servant from youth, etc." The words lend themselves to much elaboration.] And how many things there are in this world tougher than the yetzer hara and more bitter than it, yet you 'sweeten' them. There is nothing more bitter than lupine, yet you exert yourself to soak it and to season it in water seven times until it is sweet, and so with mustard and caper. Now, if the bitter things which I have created, you season to your needs, the yetzer hara, which is given into your hands, how much more so!"

Before G–d had begun to create the universe, He had already created the instrument called תשובה, as we know from the verse טרם הרים יולדו, "Before the mountains had been born" (Psalms 90,2). The reason is simply because G–d had been aware of how things would develop. By creating the instrument of repentance G–d created an instrument that "overrode" all things created later. This is why G–d had been able to say already to Cain: "Surely, if you do right, there is a lifting up, i.e. rehabilitation" (Genesis 4,7).

The word מגדיל, on the other hand, commences with the vowel Patach suggestive of G–d's outstretched hand, His initiating relations with man. Accordingly, the vowel Chirik in that word occurs later and under the letter ד near the end of the word. A complete treatise dealing with the symbolism of the vowels is found in Pardes Rimonim in the שער הנקודות. Consider also that the spelling מגדול used in Samuel represents a higher degree of sanctity, since the Holy Spirit with which the Books of Prophets have been composed is of a higher order than that of the Hagiographa, which include the Book of Psalms. It makes sense therefore, that on such days as Sabbaths and New Moons, days on which we are suffused with more spirituality than during the week, we should say מגדול rather than מגדיל. Both the Sabbath and the New Moon are days on which we are aware of our ultimate destiny to be worthy of the אור של בראשית, and of a world which is filled with sanctity daily, not only on the Sabbath.