Musar do Izajasza 1:34

Modesty is indeed a good quality and is the opposite of arrogance. And he who possesses this quality has already turned away his soul from all sorts of evils, and he who has reached this honored lofty degree performs a precept and receives his reward according to the greatness of his humility. For Modesty is the root of Service to God, and a small deed done with Modesty is received by God, Blessed be He, a thousand times more readily than a great deed performed with arrogance. And thus did our Sages say: "The one who sacrifices much and the one who sacrifices little have the same merit, provided that the heart is directed to heaven" (Berakoth 5b Menahoth, 110:a). But a work done with arrogance is not welcomed by God, Blessed be He, for it is an abomination to His Spirit, as it is said: "Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 16:5). "And because of this he cries and is not answered, as it is said: "Yea, when ye make many prayers I will not hear" (Isaiah 1:15). And a man of arrogance may perform the precepts and they tear them to pieces before his eyes, as it is said: "Oh, that there were even one among you that would shut the doors (of the Temple so that the arrogant would not presume to serve Me!)" (Mal. 1:10). And when an arrogant person brings a sacrifice it is not received, as it is said: "Who hath required this at your hands, to trample My courts?" (Is. 1:12). And, it is said: "Add your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices and eat ye flesh" (Jer. 7:21). (That is to say. "Don't offer your burnt offerings to Me; I do not want them.")

And what really is modesty? It is humility and lowliness of the spirit, regarding oneself as nothing. And a man must feel this constantly — to be low in his own eyes, humble of soul, tender of heart, and broken in spirit. The root of modesty is that he shall consider, while he is at peace and quiet, healthy and rich, that the Creator, Blessed be He, has done much good to him, and that he is undeserving of all that God has given him. And he should think about the greatness of God and the exaltation of His glory, and should consider, "What am I? Am I not a small humble creature and I am in a lowly transitory world." And he should further think, "All the good deeds that I am able to do are nothing but a drop in the ocean in contrast with what I ought to do." And he must do all of his deeds for the honor of Heaven, and not to flatter any man, or for the sake of pleasure, but he must do everything for the sake of God's Great Name. This is the root of modesty

King Solomon, peace be upon him, also said (Proverbs 15:30-31) "What brightens the eye gladdens the heart; good news puts fat on the bones. He whose ear heeds the reprimand of life lodges among the wise." And every wise-hearted person should know that it is not likely that King Solomon, peace be upon him, composed idle words like these [in the middle of] words of reproof and fear of God for nothing - since Scripture has already testified about him (I Kings 5:11), "He was the wisest of all men." Rather this is the understanding of the thing: "What brightens the eye gladdens the heart" - the eye is a very esteemed organ, for they will see all the events that gladden the heart with it. But more esteemed than it is the ear, for they will hear good news, that puts fat on the bones, through it. For [the ear] has no feeling and it will not be fattened from the light of the eyes, unless it is a special enjoyment. And so did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Bava Kamma 85b) that the ear is more esteemed than the other organs. For if one blinded his eye, he must pay for the value of his eye; but if he makes him deaf, he pays all of his value. And truly a person is obligated to serve, God, may He be blessed, with his limbs. And they were all formed for His service - as it is written, (Proverbs 16:4), "The Lord made everything for His sake." Even with the esteemed limbs that He formed in him, is he obligated to serve their Maker. And the great punishment is even much greater if he prevents them from doing His commandments, he does not do the service with them and he does not pay back the good that is done through them. For with his esteemed senses, God gave him a great kindness; and He crowned him with beauty and glory through them. Therefore he prefaced to mention one of the virtues of the ear in order for you to see the greatness of the obligation of its service. And afterwards, he explained that the service of the ear should be in listening to reprimand; and he said "He whose ear heeds the reprimand of life lodges among the wise." Its explanation is [that] it is fitting to dwell among the sages, since he can [then] listen to their reprimands. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Shemot Rabbah 27:9), If a man falls from a roof and all of his limbs are broken, he needs a bandage and a plaster for every one of his limbs and his bones. And a sinner who has sinned with all of his limbs is considered as if he received a great wound on all of his limbs - from the sole of his foot to his crown, as it is stated (Isaiah 1:6), 'From head to foot, no spot is sound.'" But behold the Holy One, blessed be He, heals all of his limbs with one bandage. And that is the listening of the ear, as it is stated (Isaiah 55:3), "Incline your ear and come to Me; hearken, and you shall be revived."

“You shall not profane My holy name” (Leviticus 22:32). This is among [the sins for which] one is liable for excision, as will be explained. And know that, is not the (greatest) damage and destruction found among the souls of the masses on the lips of the tongue? For they mention [God’s] name for nothing, and they also mention it without reverence. And about this matter did our Rabbis explain (Leviticus Rabbah 27) that which it is written (Isaiah 1:3), “Israel did not know.” And they are also not exacting about the cleanliness of the place and cleanliness of [their] palms.

מועדי ה' אשר תקראו אותם מקראי קודש אלה הם מועדי . The thrust of the legislation is that the בית דין proclaims the dates when the various festivals are to be observed (23,2). You determine when to rejoice, when to eat festive meals. These festive meals should serve a spiritual purpose, just as did the delicacies Isaac ordered before blessing his son. When one approaches the חגים, Holidays, in this spirit, the second half of the verse אלה הם מועדי, "These are My festivals," will be true. If, however, these days are observed only as days when you fill your stomachs, indulge your body, then they are not "My festivals," but are vomit, excrement, concerning which the prophet has quoted G–d as saying: מועדיכם שנאה נפשי, "My soul hates your festivals” (Isaiah 1,14). I have discussed this at greater length in my treatise about the laws applicable to festivals.

"We can infer from this the punishment of one who forsakes the Torah, about whom Isaiah has written (Isaiah 1:28): 'And the forsakers of the L-rd shall perish!' Woe to that shame! Woe to that humiliation! What will he do on the day of visitation? Is there an end to his punishment? According to the greatness of the reward [of one who studies it] is the greatness of the punishment of one who separates himself from it!

I have already called to your attention that the evil inclination is constantly at war with the intellect, and therefore in every one of the affairs of man, if there should arise a war between the two of them, and you see a man going about his affairs in a righteous way, know that the intellect has conquered the evil inclination and subdued it. Therefore, it devolves upon us in every occupation to help the intellect in its war, for the intellect and the evil inclination are two mighty forces at war with each other. But because of the cruelty and the hardness of the evil inclination and because of the pleasantness of the intellect and the refinement of its nature, the evil inclination is mightier than the intellect. At times, they are equal in strength, and if a man helps one of them, he renders the opponent weak and easily driven out. Therefore, we must help the intellect, since both are equal in strength, and on this subject it is said (Deuteronomy 30:15), “See, I have set before thee life and good”— That is the intellect—“… and death and evil”—That is the evil inclination. Thus Scripture has informed us that the strength of one is like the strength of the other. Therefore, it commands us to help the intellect, as it is said (ibid., 30-19), “Therefore choose life.” That is why our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Berakhot 33b), “Everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven.” Because in the war between the intellect and the evil inclination their strength is equal. The Creator, blessed be He, has given man the power to be drawn after whichever side of the two he desires. But if a man finds favor in the eyes of the Creator, and he nevertheless wishes to be drawn after the evil inclination and help it, then restraints, obstacles, and troublesome things will occur, and the Creator will not let him help the evil inclination. The Creator will act thus to a man because of the pious deeds of his fathers, or because he sees in his heart that he is faithful, or because he discerns that in the end, this man will become a completely pious person, and will be among those who merit seeing the face of the Creator, and will be among those who are near to Him. Since the Creator recognizes what the future of this man will be, he desires that he should be pure and holy at the time that he repents of this evil conduct, and, therefore, we say in our prayer, “Cause us to return, O our Father to Thy Torah,” for in this way we pray that no adversary may chance to restrain us. As for those who do not find favor in the eyes of God by their intention to do good, the Creator allows them to go on in the stubbornness or hardness of their heart. On this subject, it is said (1 Kings 18:37), “For Thou didst turn their heart backward.” Therefore, when one of these should desire to repent of his wickedness and the Creator recognizes that he will not repent with a complete heart, things happen to him which restrain him and trouble him, as it is said (Isaiah 1:12), “When ye come to appear before Me, who hath required this at your hand to trample my courts?” This is the meaning of, “Thou didst turn their heart backward”: when the wicked desire to do away with transgression, nothing occurs to restrain them so that the wickedness which is in their heart should go forth into a deed, as it is said (Ezekiel 14:5), “… that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart.” Therefore, the prophet, of blessed memory, said (Isaiah 63:17), “O Lord, why dost Thou make us to err from Thy ways?” What he means is: “Do not cause us to err in our hearts, lest the happenings occur which will restrain us from serving thee.”

Every addition of holiness to our status has a mystical connection with the Additional Sacrifices and furthermore contains allusions to a future time. The Torah says in connection with ראש חודש: "This month shall be to you the first (head) of the months" (Exodus 12,2). It means that the Jewish people's calendar is patterned after the lunar cycle. Shemot Rabbah 15,26, comments on this that the great achievements of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham to that of King Solomon spanned 15 generations during which they rose to ever greater stature. At that point, when the light of the moon is at its most potent, "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord" (Chronicles 1,29,23). Just as the light of the moon diminishes progressively from the fifteenth of the month onwards until it is totally extinct at the end of the month, so the generations of the Jewish people after Solomon progressively declined in greatness until, after another fifteen generations, the last Jewish King, Zedekiah was totally blinded, as stated in Kings II 25,7: "He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah." In the future, however, a new light will shine upon Zion, "and the brightness of the moon will match the brightness of the sun" (Isaiah 30, 26). The "light of the sun" referred to in that verse is the mystical dimension added by the offering of the מוסף-sacrifices on the days we celebrate the appearance of the New Moon. The mystical dimension provided by the Sabbath is the concept of a world which is constantly wrapped in the holiness represented by the concept of the Sabbath. The mystical dimension provided by the Passover sacrifice is that it is the anniversary of our original redemption from the bondage in Egypt, which is also the date of the month on which the redemption of the future will occur. (Rosh Hashanah 11) The scriptural source for this opinion is found in Michah 7,15: "I will show miracles as in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt." Israel will then become endowed with an additional level of רוח הקודש, Holy Spirit, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G–d. The festival of Tabernacles, devoted to our reposing in "shade" i.e. the shade offered by the covering of the huts being the spiritual equivalent of sitting under G–d's direct protection- will provide an even greater amount of the Holy Spirit. New Year's Day, of which it says in our מוסף prayer: "This day is the day that recalls the beginning of Your handiwork, a reminder of the first day of Creation," will become the date on which the work of Creation will be renewed once it will resume the direction envisioned by G–d originally. At that time G–d will truly enjoy His works (Psalms 104,31). יום כפור, of course, represents the day in the future when all sins will have been atoned for, and the time of which the prophet Jeremiah 50,20, says: "The sins of Israel shall be sought and there shall be none; the sins of Yehudah, and none shall be found; for I shall forgive those I allow to survive." In the future then these are "My holidays." As long as Israel was steeped in sin, however, we are told in Isaiah 1,16: "Your new moons and holidays fill Me with loathing; they have become a burden to Me." In contrast with this, they will be called: "Holy Convocations," proclaimed by a holy congregation, at a time when we shall have merited eternal life. At that time body and soul will have achieved the mystical union hinted at by the words אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש, in Exodus 12,16. "Eating" is a dimension of the body's needs. The word נפש in that verse describes a dimension of the soul. The "food" (nourishment) of that element of man then is "knowledge of the Lord," as we know from Isaiah 11,9. The verse in Exodus hints at a time when even the body, i.e. "secular" matter, will be filled with such knowledge of the Lord. At that time we will experience fulfilment of the promise or commandment "שאו את ראש," in Numbers 26,2, which is a moral imperative to the Jewish people to elevate themselves to the highest moral/ ethical level they are capable of. The people who were counted at that time were rightly described by our sages as דור דעה, a generation which possessed knowledge (of G–d). This count took place "after the plague," after all those involved in the sin of בעל פעור had died. The term "אחר המגפה" can be understood more broadly as also referring to that time in the future of which it is said in Isaiah 25,8: "He will destroy death forever." During the first count of the people in the desert, the attribute of Justice predominated over the Jewish people, seeing they were all going to die during their trek through the desert, and would not be found worthy to enter the Holy Land. [That count had taken place after the episode of the golden calf, Ed.] Of this latter count, however, it states: "To these (the people to be counted now) the land will be distributed as an inheritance" (26,53). The prophet Isaiah (60,21), has already said of this future ועמך כולם צדיקים, לעולם יירשו ארץ "And your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for all time." The story of Pinchas is an allusion to this point in the future.

Every addition of holiness to our status has a mystical connection with the Additional Sacrifices and furthermore contains allusions to a future time. The Torah says in connection with ראש חודש: "This month shall be to you the first (head) of the months" (Exodus 12,2). It means that the Jewish people's calendar is patterned after the lunar cycle. Shemot Rabbah 15,26, comments on this that the great achievements of the Jewish people from the time of Abraham to that of King Solomon spanned 15 generations during which they rose to ever greater stature. At that point, when the light of the moon is at its most potent, "Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord" (Chronicles 1,29,23). Just as the light of the moon diminishes progressively from the fifteenth of the month onwards until it is totally extinct at the end of the month, so the generations of the Jewish people after Solomon progressively declined in greatness until, after another fifteen generations, the last Jewish King, Zedekiah was totally blinded, as stated in Kings II 25,7: "He blinded the eyes of Zedekiah." In the future, however, a new light will shine upon Zion, "and the brightness of the moon will match the brightness of the sun" (Isaiah 30, 26). The "light of the sun" referred to in that verse is the mystical dimension added by the offering of the מוסף-sacrifices on the days we celebrate the appearance of the New Moon. The mystical dimension provided by the Sabbath is the concept of a world which is constantly wrapped in the holiness represented by the concept of the Sabbath. The mystical dimension provided by the Passover sacrifice is that it is the anniversary of our original redemption from the bondage in Egypt, which is also the date of the month on which the redemption of the future will occur. (Rosh Hashanah 11) The scriptural source for this opinion is found in Michah 7,15: "I will show miracles as in the days when you departed from the land of Egypt." Israel will then become endowed with an additional level of רוח הקודש, Holy Spirit, and the earth will be filled with the knowledge of G–d. The festival of Tabernacles, devoted to our reposing in "shade" i.e. the shade offered by the covering of the huts being the spiritual equivalent of sitting under G–d's direct protection- will provide an even greater amount of the Holy Spirit. New Year's Day, of which it says in our מוסף prayer: "This day is the day that recalls the beginning of Your handiwork, a reminder of the first day of Creation," will become the date on which the work of Creation will be renewed once it will resume the direction envisioned by G–d originally. At that time G–d will truly enjoy His works (Psalms 104,31). יום כפור, of course, represents the day in the future when all sins will have been atoned for, and the time of which the prophet Jeremiah 50,20, says: "The sins of Israel shall be sought and there shall be none; the sins of Yehudah, and none shall be found; for I shall forgive those I allow to survive." In the future then these are "My holidays." As long as Israel was steeped in sin, however, we are told in Isaiah 1,16: "Your new moons and holidays fill Me with loathing; they have become a burden to Me." In contrast with this, they will be called: "Holy Convocations," proclaimed by a holy congregation, at a time when we shall have merited eternal life. At that time body and soul will have achieved the mystical union hinted at by the words אך אשר יאכל לכל נפש, in Exodus 12,16. "Eating" is a dimension of the body's needs. The word נפש in that verse describes a dimension of the soul. The "food" (nourishment) of that element of man then is "knowledge of the Lord," as we know from Isaiah 11,9. The verse in Exodus hints at a time when even the body, i.e. "secular" matter, will be filled with such knowledge of the Lord. At that time we will experience fulfilment of the promise or commandment "שאו את ראש," in Numbers 26,2, which is a moral imperative to the Jewish people to elevate themselves to the highest moral/ ethical level they are capable of. The people who were counted at that time were rightly described by our sages as דור דעה, a generation which possessed knowledge (of G–d). This count took place "after the plague," after all those involved in the sin of בעל פעור had died. The term "אחר המגפה" can be understood more broadly as also referring to that time in the future of which it is said in Isaiah 25,8: "He will destroy death forever." During the first count of the people in the desert, the attribute of Justice predominated over the Jewish people, seeing they were all going to die during their trek through the desert, and would not be found worthy to enter the Holy Land. [That count had taken place after the episode of the golden calf, Ed.] Of this latter count, however, it states: "To these (the people to be counted now) the land will be distributed as an inheritance" (26,53). The prophet Isaiah (60,21), has already said of this future ועמך כולם צדיקים, לעולם יירשו ארץ "And your people, all of them righteous, shall possess the land for all time." The story of Pinchas is an allusion to this point in the future.

Know that anyone who wishes to know if his God is pleased with him should weigh within himself, as we have said, his merits and deficiencies. If he sees that he inclines to evil lusts and the pursuit of wealth, the lust of women, immoral profit, robbery, and pleasures more than he inclines to the service of God and to prayer, charity, and good deeds, let him know that he is wicked and that God does not accept his actions. But if he inclines to good deeds more than he inclines to things which are bad, let him know that he has been noted for good. If a man wishes to do a worthy deed or fulfill a commandment, and this deed happens to be close at hand and nothing restrains him from doing this deed, then let him know that he has found favor in the eyes of his God. But if he sees that when he wishes to do a sinful thing, nothing happens to interfere or restrain him, and that when he wishes to do a worthy deed or observe a commandment, there are certain things which do interfere and restrain him, let him know that the Creator rejects him and does not love his deeds. It is said (Isaiah 1:15), “And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you.”

A person should always worry whether or not his service is acceptable to God, Blessed is He, and perhaps he may be numbered among those whom God has rebuked : "Who hath required this at your hand to trample my courts" (Is. 1:12).

These three פרשיות are always read in the three weeks of mourning culminating in the fast of the Ninth of Av; their content is most appropriate at that time. The reason we have lost the Temple and have been sent into exile is because we were guilty of violating those Torah's laws designed to perfect our soul, body and financial dealings. Our sages have said that during the period of the first Temple Israel sinned by worshiping idols and by engaging in sexual licentiousness and murder (Jerusalem Talmud Yuma 1,1). Ever since the destruction of the first Temple, the damage done by committing these sins has not been repaired, not even when the second Temple was built. This is why five important manifestations of G–d's Presence [proof of a high spiritual level of the Jewish people], were missing during all the years that the second Temple functioned. Our sages found this alluded to in the defective spelling of the word (ה)ואכבד in Chagai 1,8: עלו ההר והביאו עצים ובנו בית, וארצה בו ואכבד אמר השם. "Go up to the mountain, get timber and rebuild the House; then I will look on it with favor and I will be glorified-thus said the Lord." The missing letter ה was the prophet's way of telling Israel that the second Temple would be inferior to the first in five respects (Yuma 21b). The sin of worshiping idols is essentially one of the soul; the very thought that there are other deities beside the Lord G–d is prohibited. Sexual licentiousness and perversion, is, of course, a sin committed by the body. There is no other sin that involves as many of one's limbs and organs simultaneously as engaging in sexual intercourse. Murder also involves all parts of the body; all the organs and limbs of the victim are rendered useless. Jerusalem had been guilty of that sin also, since the hands of the Jerusalemites are described as "filled with blood" (Isaiah 1,15). That same generation had also been guilty of unfair dealings in monetary matters, as described by Isaiah 1,23: "Your rulers are rogues and cronies of thieves; all of them greedy for bribes." The making of vows, or the failure to honor them, also involves one's soul. The immediate cause of Nebuchadnezzar's attack on Jerusalem was King's Zedekiah having broken his solemn oath to the king of Babylonia not to rebel against his rule (Kings II 25,1). This is why the elders of Zion are reported as having put dust on their heads and having lowered their heads to the ground (Lamentations 2,10). Eichah Rabbah 2,14 relates that the members of the Jewish Supreme Court at the time of King Zedekiah were executed as punishment for violation of their נדרים, vows. According to the Midrash the oath of loyalty had been taken on the golden altar, i.e. in the Sanctuary.

Similarly, before Israel received the gift of the Holy Land, they underwent a period of tiresome wandering in the desert dependent on the largess of G–d on a daily basis. The desert experience was a sample of the sanctity of ארץ ישראל. Our sages said that the Tabernacle itself was also called מקדש, Temple (Eruvin 2a). This may account for the fact that whenever the Israelites sinned, punishment followed at once. In line with this is the statement that no one was allowed to spend the night in Jerusalem while in a state of sin, i.e. his sin had to be atoned for before nightfall through immediate יסורים, afflictions of some kind (Bamidbar Rabbah 21). Isaiah 1,21, says of Jerusalem: "צדק ילין בה," righteousness would spend the night there. What is meant is "justice and righteousness" should prevail there, but G–d collected His debt only in installments, a little at a time in order to fulfill His promise of רק אתכם ידעתי מכל משפחות האדמה, על כן אפקוד עליכם על כל עונותיכם, "Only you I have singled out from all the families of the earth; therefore I will call you to account for all your iniquities" (Amos 3,2).

Similarly, before Israel received the gift of the Holy Land, they underwent a period of tiresome wandering in the desert dependent on the largess of G–d on a daily basis. The desert experience was a sample of the sanctity of ארץ ישראל. Our sages said that the Tabernacle itself was also called מקדש, Temple (Eruvin 2a). This may account for the fact that whenever the Israelites sinned, punishment followed at once. In line with this is the statement that no one was allowed to spend the night in Jerusalem while in a state of sin, i.e. his sin had to be atoned for before nightfall through immediate יסורים, afflictions of some kind (Bamidbar Rabbah 21). Isaiah 1,21, says of Jerusalem: "צדק ילין בה," righteousness would spend the night there. What is meant is "justice and righteousness" should prevail there, but G–d collected His debt only in installments, a little at a time in order to fulfill His promise of רק אתכם ידעתי מכל משפחות האדמה, על כן אפקוד עליכם על כל עונותיכם, "Only you I have singled out from all the families of the earth; therefore I will call you to account for all your iniquities" (Amos 3,2).

These three פרשיות are always read in the three weeks of mourning culminating in the fast of the Ninth of Av; their content is most appropriate at that time. The reason we have lost the Temple and have been sent into exile is because we were guilty of violating those Torah's laws designed to perfect our soul, body and financial dealings. Our sages have said that during the period of the first Temple Israel sinned by worshiping idols and by engaging in sexual licentiousness and murder (Jerusalem Talmud Yuma 1,1). Ever since the destruction of the first Temple, the damage done by committing these sins has not been repaired, not even when the second Temple was built. This is why five important manifestations of G–d's Presence [proof of a high spiritual level of the Jewish people], were missing during all the years that the second Temple functioned. Our sages found this alluded to in the defective spelling of the word (ה)ואכבד in Chagai 1,8: עלו ההר והביאו עצים ובנו בית, וארצה בו ואכבד אמר השם. "Go up to the mountain, get timber and rebuild the House; then I will look on it with favor and I will be glorified-thus said the Lord." The missing letter ה was the prophet's way of telling Israel that the second Temple would be inferior to the first in five respects (Yuma 21b). The sin of worshiping idols is essentially one of the soul; the very thought that there are other deities beside the Lord G–d is prohibited. Sexual licentiousness and perversion, is, of course, a sin committed by the body. There is no other sin that involves as many of one's limbs and organs simultaneously as engaging in sexual intercourse. Murder also involves all parts of the body; all the organs and limbs of the victim are rendered useless. Jerusalem had been guilty of that sin also, since the hands of the Jerusalemites are described as "filled with blood" (Isaiah 1,15). That same generation had also been guilty of unfair dealings in monetary matters, as described by Isaiah 1,23: "Your rulers are rogues and cronies of thieves; all of them greedy for bribes." The making of vows, or the failure to honor them, also involves one's soul. The immediate cause of Nebuchadnezzar's attack on Jerusalem was King's Zedekiah having broken his solemn oath to the king of Babylonia not to rebel against his rule (Kings II 25,1). This is why the elders of Zion are reported as having put dust on their heads and having lowered their heads to the ground (Lamentations 2,10). Eichah Rabbah 2,14 relates that the members of the Jewish Supreme Court at the time of King Zedekiah were executed as punishment for violation of their נדרים, vows. According to the Midrash the oath of loyalty had been taken on the golden altar, i.e. in the Sanctuary.

Then there is one who does not listen and loses. That would be the children of Israel, for it is said : "Yet they hearkened not unto Me, nor inclined their ear" (Jer. 7:26). And what did they lose ? "Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword" (Jer. 15:2). And it is said in Isaiah : — "If ye be willing and obedient, Ye shall eat the good of the land" (Is. 1:19).

Every person who wishes to enter into the very essence of piety and into the profundity of contemplating the Unity of God in order to know the Lord, may He be Blessed, cannot do so unless he is wise and understanding and has a gracious soul, free from anger. It is written "Now therefore, ye children, hearken unto me; For happy are they that keep my ways" (Prov. 8:32). The Creator, Blessed be He, said to Israel "I want nothing else from you but that you should listen willingly and if you do listen to me, I will fulfill what the prophets prophesied "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land" (Is. 1:19). And it is written, "Happy is the man that hearkeneth to me" (Prov. 8:34).

There is nothing as good in all the world as listening, — and thus said our Sages : "If a man fell from a roof and his limbs were broken, he needs medicated applications and bandages for every single limb and for every bone, however the one who has sinned with all of his limbs, as it is said "From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it" (Is. 1:6), the Lord, may He be Blessed, heals all of his limbs with one medicated bandage. And what is this bandage? Listening carefully as it is said "Incline your ear, and come unto Me, hear, and your soul shall live" (Is. 55:3) (Exodus Rabbah 27).

First of all let me explain that there is a difference between the meaning of the word טוב when it is spelled with the vowel חולם and when it is spelled with the vowel שורוק. The former spelling is employed when the visible "good" i.e. the נגלה, only is revealed. When the word is spelled with the vowel שורוק, however, the good that is meant is also the intrinsic good, that which is not visible. We observe this principle when checking the spellings of these three "gifts." When referring to Torah, Psalms 119,72, we have טוב לי תורת פיך מאלפי זהב וכסף, "The Torah of Your mouth I prefer to thousands of pieces of gold and silver." The word טוב in this case is spelled with the vowel חולם. On the other hand, six verses earlier in Psalms 119,66, we find טוב טעם ודעת למדני, "teach me good sense and knowledge," and the word טוב is spelled with the vowel שורוק. Similarly we find ארץ ישראל described as ארץ טובה, with the vowel חולם, on occasion (Exodus 3,8), whereas in Isaiah 1,19, we read "אם תאבו ושמעתם, טוב הארץ תאכלו," "if you agree and listen, you will eat of the good of the land." In this case the word טוב is again spelled with the vowel שורוק. Concerning this verse our sages have said that Isaiah speaks of "the world which is totally good," since they could not understand what other justification there could be for the different spellings. They concluded that in that distant future there will no longer be a difference between the hidden aspects of טוב, and the part which is visible to all. At that time, a blessing will no longer contain also those elements that are not good. A reference to something intrinsic is appropriate only if the same gift described contains both external and internal features. This is why they described that future as one that is כלו טוב, i.e. "totally good."

The subject of the three gifts the Jewish people received must be understood on two levels. One level is the manifest one, i.e. נגלה, a gift which everyone can see as having been received. The other level is what we call the נסתר the hidden aspect of these gifts. We find that the word Tov is spelled with different vowels on different occasions. Most of the time it is spelled with the vowel חולם i.e. Tov, whereas sometimes it is spelled with the vowel שורוק i.e. Tuv.

The following is a quote from the commentary of the Rekanati on the subject of צדקה: "It is well known that a great many commandments are bound up with the commandment to give charity. The matter is similar to the number of organs in man's body which all depend on the soul for his survival. Some of man's organs more than others depend on the health of the central life-sustaining force. Were it not for the dispensation of charity, the poor would be forced to engage in thieving, robbery and a host of other transgressions. We have pointed out on numerous occasions that when good deeds are performed "down here" in our world, positive forces are created in the Celestial Regions. Even a small coin donated to charitable causes in our world is called צדקה. This enables the צדיק to unite with the emanation צדק [otherwise known as מלכות. Ed.] and to establish harmony with it. This is the meaning of Isaiah 32,18: והיה מעשה הצדקה שלום, ועבודת הצדקה השקט ובטח עד עולם, "For the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness calm and confidence forever." The prophet Hosea 10,12 also states: זרעו לכם לצדקה, קצרו לפי חסד, "Sow righteousness for yourselves; reap the fruits according to goodness." We have other verses such as וצדקה תציל ממות, "And (the performance of) righteousness saves from death" (Proverbs 10,2). When people sin and the earth dies out (as a result), then the "feet" of the emanation מלכות descend towards "death" and anyone who causes any damage [in the sense of spiritually undermining the basis. Ed.] to the feet of this "מלכות" will die without mercy and pity. Woe to such a time! When someone, however, causes the צדיק to be united with צדק, beneficial rainfall for the earth will result bringing life in its wake. From this we learn that he who donates to charity in our world causes acts of righteousness to be performed in the Celestial Regions. This is the mystical dimension of the statement in Proverbs 10,2 that "righteousness saves from death." Were it not for the union established with the emanation מלכות, anyone who would do something prejudicial to it would die. This is the meaning of Proverbs 16,12: כי בצדקה יכון כסא, "For a throne is firm if based on righteousness;" we have other verses in the same sense such as Isaiah 1,27: ושביה בצדקה, that the repentant sinners will be redeemed through righteousness. A similar thought is expressed in Isaiah 54,14: בצדקה תכוננו, "You shall be established through righteousness." The secret of domestic peace and harmony is also anchored in the practice of צדקה.

Great is charity — it is this quality for which the Holy One, Blessed be He, will be praised when he brings salvation to Israel, as it is said, "I that speak in victory, mighty to save" (Is. 63:1). Great is charity — it brings honor and life to those who practice it, as it is said "He that followeth after righteousness and mercy, findeth life, prosperity and honour" (Prov. 21:21). Great is charity — with this quality, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will redeem Israel, as it is said, "Zion shall be redeemed with justice and they that return of her with righteousness" (Is. 1:27). Great is charity — with this quality Abraham, our father, was praised, as it is said, "And he trusted in God and He reckoned it to him for righteousness" (Gen. 15:6), and it is said further, "For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice" (Gen. 18:19). Great is charity — with this quality, David, King of Israel, was praised, as it is said, "And David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people" (II Sam. 8:15). Great is charity — with this quality King Solomon was praised, as it is said. "Blessed be the Lord thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel; because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made He thee king, to do justice and righteousness" (I Kings 10:9). Great is charity — it reaches up to the very Throne of Glory, as it is said, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Thy throne" (Ps. 89:15). Great is charity — through it Israel was praised, as it is said, "And it shall be righteousness unto us" (Deut. 6:25). Great is charity — with it, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will in future be praised on the Day of Judgment, as it is said, "But the Lord of hosts is exalted through justice, and God the Holy One, is sanctified through righteousness" (Is. 5:16). Great is charity — it accompanies those who practice it at the hour of their departure from the world, as it is said, "And thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward" (Is. 58:8). Great is kindness — with it the world was built, as it is said, "The world on mercy is built" (Ps. 89:3). Wherefore a man should cleave to the quality of generosity which brings about all these good things (Mekhilta on Ex. 15:13).

Whenever it is spelled as Tov the reference is to the manifest good. When it is spelled Tuv the reference is to the hidden good. [The author discussed this in Parshat Ba'halotecha, in connection with Moses' offer to Yitro to join the Jewish people. Ed.] In connection with Torah we find the word spelled טוב with both the vowels חולם such as in Proverbs 4,2: כי לקח טוב נתתי לכם, as well as in Psalms 119,72: טוב לי תורת פיך. It is also spelled with a שורוק as in Psalms 119,66: טוב טעם ודעת למדני. In connection with ארץ ישראל we find ארץ טובה in Deut. 8,7 spelled with the vowel חולם, whereas in Isaiah 1,19 we are promised by the prophet "טוב הארץ תאכלו," spelled with the vowel שורוק. With respect to עולם הבא, we find in Deut. 5,16: למען ייטב לך, which our sages (Kidushin 39b) explain as a reference to a world which is totally good.

We have now learned that the three parts of the Tabernacle correspond to the three parts of the universe concerning which King David said in Psalms 103,20: "Bless the Lord, O, His angels, mighty creatures who do His bidding, ever obedient to His bidding. Bless the Lord all His hosts, His servants who do His will; bless the Lord all His works, through the length and breadth of His realm." David's son Solomon also adopted his father's outlook when he alluded to this in three consecutive verses in Song of Songs 5,13-15. Three different parts of the human body form the subject of those verses, each one representing a different aspect of the universe and how man's composition reflects this division of the universe into three constituent parts. I (Rabbenu Bachyah) have explained this in detail when I discussed Jacob's dream of the ladder." Thus far the quotation from Rabbenu Bachyah.

We will explain part of the mystical dimension of the concept of reincarnation, in order to clarify the concepts זווג ראשון and זווג שני which are mentioned in Sotah 2a. Once we understand these concepts we will also understand the deeper meaning of the יבום and חליצה legislation. The Zohar, commenting on the reason why the corpse of a person hung after execution (21,23) [and the same applies to anyone who dies from natural causes Ed.] must be buried within less than 24 hours, writes as follows: Rabbi Yehudah derives from this law that if a body were allowed to remain unburied for a period of 24 hours this would cause a deterioration in the שאברי המרכבה. [I believe the term refers to man's distinction as compared to the animal to serve as the carrier of the entourage of the Divine Presence, שכינה. Ed.] Non-burial would reduce man to the level of the animals as per Psalms 49,13 that "man must not be allowed to remain unburied overnight, lest he be like an animal." All of this is connected to the fact that man was created in G–d's image and form. Were this deterioration to occur it would on occasion prevent G–d from assigning the soul of that body to transmigrate to another body He had singled out for it. The soul of the departed must appear before the Heavenly Tribunal before it can be transferred to another body. Until the body that this soul inhabited has come to burial, the soul does not appear before the Heavenly Tribunal. The Rekanati connects the subject of transmigration to the mystical dimension of man's creation and hence his burial. He writes that one must not imagine that G–d sets out to create a human being and has great plans for such a human being only in order to forsake it. The very reason that G–d ordered the prompt burial of a human being is so that He need not delay carrying out His decrees. Transmigration of the soul of the departed to another body is impossible as long as burial has not taken place. The matter is similar to a husband whose wife has died and who would not remarry until his first wife had been interred. The urgency of the burial is determined by the possibility that G–d has another body on hand waiting to receive the soul of the person recently departed. Rekanati finds support for his theory in the fact that immediately after the passage requiring the burial of the corpse of a legally executed sinner the Torah legislates the concern that must be shown for an animal that has lost its way home (22,1). The passage has an allegorical meaning above and beyond the immediate legislation. If G–d is concerned with restoring lost animals or objects to their owner, it follows that G–d is at least as concerned in providing an opportunity for even a sinner who had to be executed to "find" his way back and cleave to G–d and His commandments. This can be accomplished by גלגול נשמות. The aforementioned helps us to understand the expression נדחים, "outcast," which the Torah uses in our verse, in contradistinction to the end of the passage (verse 3) where the Torah simply refers to אבדה, "a lost object." Rekanati concludes by referring to his own comment in this vein on the סוד העבור on Ruth 4,7.

How excellent is the quality of repentance. Last night this one was separated from the Lord, the God of Israel, Blessed be He. As it is said, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Is. 59:2). He cried and he was not answered, as it is said, "Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear" (Is. 1:15). And he fulfilled precepts and they were torn up before his face, as it is said, "Who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts" (Is. 1:12), and, "Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors" Mal. 1:10), and, "Hold your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices and eat ye flesh" (Jer. 7:21). Yet today he is closely attached to the Divine Presence, as it is said, "But you, who hold fast to the Lord your God" (Deut. 4:4). He cries out and is answered at once, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer" (Is. 65:24). He fulfills the commandments and they are received with pleasure and with joy, as it is said, "For the Lord hath already accepted thy works" (Eccl. 9:7). Moreover, his commandments are desired, as it is said, "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in days of old and in ancient years" (Mal. 3:4).

How excellent is the quality of repentance. Last night this one was separated from the Lord, the God of Israel, Blessed be He. As it is said, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Is. 59:2). He cried and he was not answered, as it is said, "Yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear" (Is. 1:15). And he fulfilled precepts and they were torn up before his face, as it is said, "Who hath required this at your hand, to trample my courts" (Is. 1:12), and, "Oh that there were even one among you that would shut the doors" Mal. 1:10), and, "Hold your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices and eat ye flesh" (Jer. 7:21). Yet today he is closely attached to the Divine Presence, as it is said, "But you, who hold fast to the Lord your God" (Deut. 4:4). He cries out and is answered at once, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer" (Is. 65:24). He fulfills the commandments and they are received with pleasure and with joy, as it is said, "For the Lord hath already accepted thy works" (Eccl. 9:7). Moreover, his commandments are desired, as it is said, "Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord, as in days of old and in ancient years" (Mal. 3:4).

I have found an allusion along these lines in the portion dealing with expansionary wars in Deut. 20,1-9, participation in which is restricted to certain categories of people outlined there. It is clear that the paragraph speaks about מלחמת רשות, a permissible expansionary kind of war, as distinct from מלחמת חובה, an obligatory war against the seven Canaanite nations in which no potential soldier of military age was exempt. In connection with this מלחמת חובה, the Torah writes: לא תחיה כל נשמה, "you must not allow any soul to survive" (Deut. 20,16). The sequence of the paragraphs dealing with the capture of a physically attractive woman prisoner (Deut. 21,11), followed by the paragraph of a man who has two wives and wishes to appoint the first-born of his more beloved wife as his principal heir, though the son in question is junior to another son from his first wife whom he grew to hate in the meantime (Deut. 21,15), is intriguing. The two wives which the Torah describes as האחת אהובה, והאחת שנואה, may be understood as referring to the "harlots" mentioned in the Zohar. The אהובה, refers to מחלת, the happy and beautiful one. The שנואה refers to לילית, the melancholy one. When the Torah speaks about a beautiful woman whom you see in captivity, this is a woman captured during a מלחמת רשות in one of the surrounding countries where the קליפות are permanently at home. The duty to subjugate these קליפות is part of the injunction to do good. This has to be done in one of two ways. In order to defeat and humble Lilith, harsh measures are required. Prayer "a la" Lilith, has to originate from a crushed heart, has to be accompanied by tears. Lilith can only be rehabilitated in this way. In order to be successful, the process of subjugating and rehabilitating Machalat, the happy-go-lucky one of these two harlots, needs to be handled differently. We have to demonstrate to Machalat the joyful aspects of Judaism, the Sabbath days, the holidays, the joy experienced in helping the less fortunate, etc., as well as to convey some of our knowledge about the goodness and grandeur of G–d. As long as we are exiled from our homeland all our joy on holidays is subdued due to the קליפות surrounding us on all sides. It is extremely difficult to totally defeat the קליפות of Machalat in such circumstances. When the Torah refers to the beautiful woman prisoner as: וראית בשביה אשת יפת תואר, this is to tell us that under conditions of exile, i.e. שביה, the קליפה מחלה continues to exist. We have only succeeded in eliminating the קליפה לילית. When the Talmud teaches that all gates are sometimes closed except the gates of tears, this is a hint that at least the קליפה לילית can be overcome at all times.

To sum up: The merit of cheerfully accepting G–ds judgment, may help us to experience the redemption sooner.