Part IV; Iggeret HaKodesh, Chapter 25
The whole chapterל וְאַחַר הַדְּבָרִים וְהָאֶמֶת הָאֵלֶּה הַגְּלוּיִם וִידוּעִים לַכֹּל, נַחֲזוֹר לְעִנְיָן רִאשׁוֹן, בְּעִנְיַן הַכַּעַס – שֶׁהוּא ״כְּעוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה־זָרָה״, וְהַיְינוּ – בְּמִילֵּי דְעָלְמָא, כִּי ״הַכֹּל בִּידֵי שָׁמַיִם חוּץ מִיִּרְאַת שָׁמַיִם״, וְלָכֵן, בְּמִילֵּי דִשְׁמַיָּא – לְאַפְרוּשֵׁי מֵאִיסּוּרָא לֹא שַׁיָּיךְ הַאי טַעֲמָא דַּאֲמָרָן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וַיִּקְצוֹף מֹשֶׁה״, וְהַיְינוּ, מִשּׁוּם כִּי ה׳ הִקְרָה לְפָנָיו מִצְוָה זוֹ, לְאַפְרוּשֵׁי מֵאִיסּוּרָא, כְּדֵי לְזַכּוֹתוֹ:
30After these words and this truth,72 manifest and known to all, we shall return to our original subject with respect to anger—that one is as an idolater. This is so with respect to mundane matters, because “Everything is in the hands of Heaven except for the fear of Heaven.”73 Hence, with respect to matters of Heaven, “to warn off from wrongdoing,”74 the reason stated does not apply, and as it is written75: “And Moses was enraged.”76 This is different because G–d caused him to encounter this mitzvah77 of “warning off from wrongdoing” in order to make him meritorious.78
לאאַךְ זֶהוּ כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת בְּקִצְפּוֹ וְכַעֲסוֹ עַל חֲבֵירוֹ, אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאֵין בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת, כְּגוֹן נָכְרִי הַמְדַבֵּר וּמְבַלְבְּלוֹ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, אִם כֵּן מַה זֹּאת עָשָׂה ה׳ לוֹ, אֵין זֹאת, כִּי אִם – כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְגַּבֵּר וְיִתְאַמֵּץ יוֹתֵר בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, בְּעוֹמֶק הַלֵּב וּבְכַוָּונָה גְדוֹלָה כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע דִּבּוּרֵי הַנָּכְרִי.
31But this applies (only) when he is able to prevent79 by his wrath and anger against his fellow man.80 However, when he is unable to prevent, as in the case of81 the heathen speaking and disturbing him in his prayer, (the question) then (arises), what that is this that G–d has done to him? It is but in order that he prevail and strengthen himself ever more in his prayer, in the profundity of the heart, and with so great a concentration that he will not hear the words of the heathen.
לבאַךְ, שֶׁלְּמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ צָרִיךְ הִתְעוֹרְרוּת רַבָּה וַעֲצוּמָה.
32However, for such a level one needs a great and immense arousal.
לגוְעֵצָה הַיְּעוּצָה לְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת זוֹ, הִיא מֵעִנְיָן זֶה עַצְמוֹ, כְּשֶׁיָּשִׂים אֶל לִבּוֹ וְיִתְבּוֹנֵן עִנְיַן יְרִידַת הַשְּׁכִינָה כִּבְיָכוֹל, ״וַתֵּרֶד פְּלָאִים״, לְהִתְלַבֵּשׁ נִיצוֹץ מֵהֶאָרָתָהּ, אֲשֶׁר הִיא בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת בְּתוֹךְ הַקְּלִיפּוֹת דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל לְהַחֲיוֹתָם, וְעַתָּה הַפַּעַם, נִיצוֹץ הֶאָרָתָהּ מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת דֶּרֶךְ פְּרָט, בְּדִבּוּר נָכְרִי זֶה, הַמְדַבֵּר דְּבָרִים הַמְבַלְבְּלִים עֲבוֹדַת ה׳, הִיא כַּוָּונַת הַתְּפִלָּה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנִּתְבָּאֵר לְעֵיל, כִּי ״זֶה לְעוּמַּת זֶה וְכוּ׳״, וְדִבּוּר הָעֶלְיוֹן מִתְלַבֵּשׁ בַּדִּבּוּר הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְכוּ׳, וְזֶהוּ מַמָּשׁ ״אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַט הָאָדָם בְּאָדָם לְרַע לוֹ״, דְּהַיְינוּ, שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה מִתְעוֹרֵר הָאָדָם לְהִתְפַּלֵּל יוֹתֵר בְּכַוָּונָה מֵעוּמְקָא דְלִבָּא, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע דִּיבּוּרָיו.
33And the counsel suggested for such an arousal is from the subject matter itself. He should consider and contemplate on the idea of the descent of the Shechinah, as it were: “She descended in wondrous fashion”82 to have a spark of her radiation invested. Thus she is in a state of exile among the kelipot, in a general way, in order to animate them. And now again, a spark of her radiation vests itself in a state of exile, in a particular way, in the speech of this heathen who speaks words that disturb the service of the L–rd, i.e., the devotion of prayer. And as explained above, one opposite the other…, thus the supernal speech vests itself in the nether speech…. Now this is truly “That man rules in man, to his evil”; that is, because of this man is aroused to pray with greater devotion, from the profundity of the heart, until he will not hear his words.
לדוּמַה שֶּׁכָּתַב הַמְלַקֵּט ״שָׁרְתָה״ – לֹא יָדַע לְכַוֵּין הַלָּשׁוֹן בְּדִקְדּוּק, כִּי הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה הָיָה אוֹמֵר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה בִּלְשׁוֹן אִידִישׁ וְלֹא בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקּוֹדֶשׁ, וְרָצָה לוֹמַר ״נִתְלַבְּשָׁה״, וְהַיְינוּ בִּבְחִינַת גָּלוּת. וְזֶהוּ ״וּבִפְרָט אִם הוּא נָכְרִי כוּ׳״. שֶׁאָז הִיא בְּחִינַת גָּלוּת בְּיוֹתֵר.
34As for the compiler83 writing “sharta” (dwelled), he did not know to determine the precise term. For the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, used to deliver Torah discourses in the Yiddish tongue, and not in the sacred tongue. He meant to say: “nitlabsha” (became vested)—that is, in a state of exile. And that is the meaning of “especially if he is a heathen…,”81 for then there is so much more of a state of exile.
להוְאֵין לִתְמוֹהַּ אִם נִיצוֹץ מִן הֶאָרַת שְׁכִינָה נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ״שְׁכִינָה״, דְּהָא אַשְׁכְּחָן, שֶׁאֲפִילוּ מַלְאָךְ נִבְרָא, נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם ה׳ בְּפָרָשַׁת וַיֵּרָא לְפֵירוּשׁ הָרַמְבַּ״ן, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ״וַתִּקְרָא שֵׁם ה׳ הַדּוֹבֵר אֵלֶיהָ וְכוּ׳״, וּכְהַאי גַּוְנָא טוּבָא.
35There is no need to wonder at a spark of the Shechinah’s illumination being referred to as Shechinah. Thus we find that even a created angel is referred to as G–d: in the section of Vayera,84 according to the commentary of R. Moses Nachmanides, and as it is written: “And she called the name of the L–rd who spoke to her…”;85 and many more (passages) like this.
Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org
Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org