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א תַּנְיָא [בְּסוֹף פֶּרֶק ג׳ דְּנִדָּה]: ״מַשְׁבִּיעִים אוֹתוֹ, תְּהִי צַדִּיק וְאַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע. וַאֲפִילוּ כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ אוֹמְרִים לְךָ צַדִּיק אַתָּה – הֱיֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ כְּרָשָׁע״.

1It has been taught [Niddah, end ch. 3]: An oath is administered to him [before birth, warning him]: “Be righteous and be not wicked; and even if the whole world tells you that you are righteous, in your own eyes regard yourself as if you were wicked.”¹

בוְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין, דְּהָא תְּנַן [אָבוֹת פֶּרֶק ב׳]: ״וְאַל תְּהִי רָשָׁע בִּפְנֵי עַצְמֶךָ״.

2This requires to be understood, for it contradicts the Mishnaic dictum [Avot, ch. 2], “And be not wicked in your own estimation.”²

גוְגַם, אִם יִהְיֶה בְעֵינָיו כְּרָשָׁע – יֵרַע לְבָבוֹ וְיִהְיֶה עָצֵב, וְלֹא יוּכַל לַעֲבוֹד ה׳ בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵבָב, וְאִם לֹא יֵרַע לְבָבוֹ כְּלָל מִזֶּה, יָכוֹל לָבוֹא לִידֵי קַלּוּת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.

3Furthermore, if a man considers himself to be wicked he will be grieved at heart and depressed, and he will not be able to serve G–d joyfully and with a contented heart; while if he is not perturbed by this [self-appraisal], it may lead him to irreverence, G–d forbid.³

דאַךְ הָעִנְיָן, כִּי הִנֵּה מָצִינוּ בַּגְּמָרָא ה׳ חֲלוּקּוֹת: צַדִּיק וְטוֹב לוֹ, צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ, רָשָׁע וְטוֹב לוֹ, רָשָׁע וְרַע לוֹ, וּבֵינוֹנִי.

4However, the matter [will be understood after a preliminary discussion]. We find in the Gemara⁴ five distinct types—a righteous man who prospers, a righteous man who suffers, a wicked man who prospers, a wicked man who suffers, and a benoni (an intermediate person).⁵

הוּפֵירְשׁוּ בַּגְּמָרָא: ״צַדִּיק וְטוֹב לוֹ – צַדִּיק גָּמוּר, צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ – צַדִּיק שֶׁאֵינוֹ גָמוּר״. וּבְרַעְיָא מְהֵימְנָא פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים פֵּירַשׁ: צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ – שֶׁהָרָע שֶׁבּוֹ כָּפוּף לַטּוֹב וְכוּ׳, וּבַגְּמָרָא סוֹף פֶּרֶק ט׳ דִּבְרָכוֹת: ״צַדִּיקִים – יֵצֶר טוֹב שׁוֹפְטָן כוּ׳, רְשָׁעִים – יֵצֶר הָרָע שׁוֹפְטָן, בֵּינוֹנִים – זֶה וָזֶה שׁוֹפְטָן וְכוּ׳. אָמַר רַבָּה: כְּגוֹן אֲנָא בֵּינוֹנִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ אַבַּיֵּי: לֹא שָׁבִיק מַר חַיֵּי לְכָל בִּרְיָּה וְכוּ׳״.

5It is there explained that the “righteous man who prospers” is the perfect tzaddik; the “righteous man who suffers” is the imperfect tzaddik. In Raaya Mehemna, Parashat Mishpatim⁶ it is explained that the “righteous man who suffers” is one whose evil nature is subservient to his good nature,⁷ and so on. In the Gemara, end of ch. 9 of Berachot,⁸ it is stated that the righteous are judged by their good nature…and the wicked by their evil nature, while the intermediate are judged by both, and so on.⁹ Rabbah declared, “I, for example, am a benoni.” Said Abbaye to him, “Master, you do not make it possible for anyone to live,” and so on.¹⁰

ווּלְהָבִין כָּל זֶה בַּאֵר הֵיטֵב, וְגַם לְהָבִין מַה שֶּׁאָמַר אִיּוֹב [בָּבָא בַּתְרָא פֶּרֶק א׳]: ״רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, בָּרָאתָ צַדִּיקִים בָּרָאתָ רְשָׁעִים כוּ׳״, וְהָא ‘צַדִּיק׳ וְ׳רָשָׁע׳ לֹא קָאָמַר!

6To understand all the aforesaid clearly an explanation is needed, as also to understand what Job said [Bava Batra, ch. 1], “Master of the universe, You have created righteous men and You have created wicked men…,”¹¹ for it is not preordained whether a man will be righteous or wicked.¹²

זוְגַם לְהָבִין מַהוּת מַדְרֵגַת הַבֵּינוֹנִי, שֶׁבְּוַדַּאי אֵינוֹ מֶחֱצָה זְכֻיּוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה עֲוֹנוֹת, שֶׁאִם כֵּן, אֵיךְ טָעָה רַבָּה בְּעַצְמוֹ לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא בֵּינוֹנִי, וְנוֹדָע דְּלָא פָסִיק פּוּמֵיהּ מִגִּירְסָא, עַד שֶׁאֲפִילוּ מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת לֹא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִשְׁלוֹט בּוֹ, וְאֵיךְ הָיָה יָכוֹל לִטְעוֹת בְּמֶחֱצָה עֲוֹנוֹת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם?

7It is also necessary to understand the essential nature of the rank of the benoni. Surely that cannot mean one whose deeds are half virtuous and half sinful, for if this were so, how could Rabbah err in classifying himself as a benoni? For it is known that he never ceased studying [the Torah], so much so that the Angel of Death could not overpower him;¹³ how, then, could he err to have half of his deeds sinful, G–d forbid?

חוְעוֹד, שֶׁהֲרֵי בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה עֲוֹנוֹת נִקְרָא רָשָׁע גָּמוּר [וְאִם אַחַר־כָּךְ עָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה – נִקְרָא צַדִּיק גָּמוּר], וַאֲפִילוּ הָעוֹבֵר עַל אִיסּוּר קַל שֶׁל דִּבְרֵי סוֹפְרִים – מִקְרֵי רָשָׁע, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּפֶרֶק ב׳ דִּיבָמוֹת וּבְפֶרֶק קַמָּא דְנִדָּה.

8Furthermore, [at what stage can a person be considered a benoni if] when a man commits sins he is deemed completely wicked [but when he repents afterward he is deemed completely righteous]? Even he who violates a minor prohibition of the Rabbis is called wicked, as it is stated in Yevamot, ch. 2, and in Niddah, ch. 1.

טוַאֲפִילוּ מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לִמְחוֹת וְלֹא מִיחָה נִקְרָא רָשָׁע [בְּפֶרֶק ו׳ דִּשְׁבוּעוֹת].

9Moreover, even he who has the opportunity to forewarn another against sinning and does not do so is called wicked [ch. 6, Shevuot].¹⁴

יוְכָל שֶׁכֵּן וְקַל וָחֹמֶר, בִּמְבַטֵּל אֵיזוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְקַיְּימָהּ, כְּמוֹ כָּל שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לַעֲסוֹק בַּתּוֹרָה וְאֵינוֹ עוֹסֵק, שֶׁעָלָיו דָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: ״כִּי דְּבַר ה׳ בָּזָה וְגוֹ׳ הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת וְגוֹ׳״. וּפְשִׁיטָא דְּמִקְרֵי רָשָׁע טְפֵי מֵעוֹבֵר אִיסּוּר דְּרַבָּנָן.

10All the more so he who neglects any positive law which he is able to fulfill, for instance, whoever is able to study Torah and does not, regarding whom our Sages have quoted,¹⁵ “Because he has despised the word of the L–rd…[that soul] shall be utterly cut off….”¹⁶ It is thus plain that such a person is called wicked, more than he who violates a prohibition of the Rabbis.

יאוְאִם כֵּן, עַל כָּרְחֲךָ הַבֵּינוֹנִי אֵין בּוֹ אֲפִילוּ עֲוֹן בִּיטּוּל תּוֹרָה, וּמִשּׁוּם הָכֵי טָעָה רַבָּה בְּעַצְמוֹ לוֹמַר שֶׁהוּא בֵּינוֹנִי

11If this is so, we must conclude that the benoni is not guilty even of the sin of neglecting to study the Torah.¹⁷ Hence Rabbah could have mistaken himself for a benoni.

יבהגהה
וּמַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר חֵלֶק ג׳ דַּף רל״א: כָּל שֶׁמְּמוּﬠָטִין ﬠֲוֹנוֹתָיו וְכוּ׳, הִיא שְׁאֵלַת רַב הַמְנוּנָא לְאֵלִיָּהוּ, אֲבָל לְפִי תְּשׁוּבַת אֵלִיָּהוּ שָׁם, פֵּירוּשׁ ״צַדִּיק וְרַע לוֹ״ הוּא כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּרַﬠְיָא מְהֵימְנָא פָּרָשָׁה מִשְׁפָּטִים דִּלְﬠֵיל. וְשִׁבְﬠִים פָּנִים לַתּוֹרָה:

12NOTE: As far what is written in the Zohar III, p. 231: He whose sins are few is classed as a “righteous man who suffers”;¹⁸ this is the query of Rav Hamnuna to Elijah. But according to Elijah’s answer, ibid., the explanation of a “righteous man who suffers” is as stated in Raaya Mehemna on Parashat Mishpatim, which is given above. And the Torah has seventy facets [modes of interpretation].¹⁹

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org