26a (כ״ו:א׳)

And in the answer the sea gave, it spoke truth (וּבַתְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁהֵשִׁיב הַיָּם אָמַר אֱמֶת), for the intention is that even though sea and earth are within the measure of Kenesset Yisrael (שֶׁהַכַּוָּנָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיָּם וָאָרֶץ הֵם בְּמִדַּת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל), nevertheless the Torah is not with them, for it was given down below - to the earth, to Yisrael (עִם כָּל זֶה הַתּוֹרָה אֵינָהּ עִמָּהֶם אֶלָּא לְמַטָּה לָאָרֶץ נִיתְּנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And we cannot attribute to the sea that it spoke falsehood (וְלֹא נוּכַל לְיַחֵס לַיָּם שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁקֶר), and the earth also did not speak falsehood, for she already said: “Elohim understood her way” (וְאֶרֶץ גַּם כֵּן לֹא אָמְרָה שֶׁקֶר שֶׁכְּבָר אָמְרָה ״אֱלֹקִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּה״).

If so, in their answers they made peace with The Holy One Blessed Be He and Yisrael and the Satan (אִם כֵּן בִּתְּשׁוּבוֹתֵיהֶן הִשְׁלִימוּ עִם הקב״ה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְהַשָּׂטָן). “Abaddon and death said: With our ears we have heard a report” (״אֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת אָמְרוּ: בְּאָזְנֵינוּ שָׁמַעְנוּ שִׁמְעָה״) - that the Torah was given amidst voices and flames (שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה נִתְּנָה בְּקוֹלוֹת וּלְפִידִים). And The Holy One Blessed Be He came in the quality of judgment to hint that He gave permission to the quality of judgment over those who do not guard the Torah properly (וּבָא הקב״ה בְּמִדַּת הַדִּין לְרַמֵּז שֶׁנָּתַן רְשׁוּת לְמִדַּת הַדִּין עַל אוֹתָם שֶׁשֶׁאֵינָם שׁוֹמְרִים הַתּוֹרָה כָּרָאוּי), as the verse says: “And the sound of the shofar grew louder and louder” etc., “and Elohim answered him with a voice” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״וְהָיָה קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר הוֹלֵךְ וְחָזֵק מְאֹד״ וְגוֹ׳, ״וְהָאֱלֹקִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְּקוֹל״). “The voices” - so that Abaddon and death would hear (הַקּוֹלוֹת - לְשֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֲבַדּוֹן וָמָוֶת), and “Elohim” - a hint to what was said: “Elohim understood her way” (וְ״אֱלֹקִים״ - רֶמֶז לְמַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אֱלֹקִים הֵבִין דַּרְכָּה״). And the discourse also said (וְאָמַר עוֹד הַמַּאֲמָר): “Master of the world, I searched the whole earth and did not find it” (״רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, חִפַּשְׂתִּי בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא מְצָאתִיהָ״). He said to him: “Go to the son of Amram” (אָמַר לוֹ: ״לֵךְ אֵצֶל בֶּן עַמְרָם״). He went to Moshe and said to him: “The Torah that The Holy One Blessed Be He gave you - where is it?” (הָלַךְ אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה, אָמַר לוֹ: ״תּוֹרָה שֶׁנָּתַן לְךָ הקב״ה - הֵיכָן הִיא״). He said to him: “And what am I, that The Holy One Blessed Be He should give me the Torah?” (אָמַר לוֹ: ״וּמָה אֲנִי שֶׁיִּתֵּן לִי הקב״ה תּוֹרָה״). The Holy One Blessed Be He said to Moshe: “Moshe, are you a liar?” (אָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה לְמֹשֶׁה: ״מֹשֶׁה, בַּדַּאי אַתָּה״)

It appears that even Moshe denied receiving the Torah for the reason we explained - to preserve merit for Yisrael (נִרְאֶה שֶׁגַּם מֹשֶׁה הָיָה מַכְחִישׁ שֶׁלֹּא קִבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה לַסִּיבָּה שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ - לִשְׁמוֹר זְכוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל). And when The Holy One Blessed Be He saw his intention, that it was for the good of His children - about whom it is said “My firstborn son is Yisrael” (וּכְשֶׁרָאָה הקב״ה כַּוָּנָתוֹ - שֶׁהִיא בִּשְׁבִיל טוֹבַת בָּנָיו - שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֲלֵיהֶם ״בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל״) (Exodus 4), He did not blame Moshe for having denied receiving the Torah (לֹא נָתַן אָשָׁם לְמֹשֶׁה בְּמַה שֶׁכִּחֵשׁ קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה), and He accepted the answer he gave Him (וְקִבֵּל תְּשׁוּבָתוֹ שֶׁהֵשִׁיב לוֹ): “Master of the world, a hidden treasure You have, with which You delight every day - shall I take credit for it myself?” (״רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, חֶמְדָּה גְּנוּזָה יֵשׁ לְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה מִשְׁתַּעֲשֵׁעַ בָּהּ בְּכָל יוֹם, אֲנִי אַחֲזִיק טוֹבָה לְעַצְמִי״). The Holy One Blessed Be He said to Moshe: “Since you have diminished yourself, it shall be called by your name,” as it says: “Remember the Torah of Moshe My servant” (אָמַר לוֹ הקב״ה לְמֹשֶׁה: ״הוֹאִיל וּמִעַטְתָּ אֶת עַצְמְךָ - תִּקָּרֵא עַל שִׁמְךָ״, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי״) (Malachi 3).

Behold, the conclusion of the discourse is in saying that we should remember the Torah (הִנֵּה שֶׁסִּיּוּם הַמַּאֲמָר הוּא בְּאָמְרוֹ שֶׁנִּזְכֹּר הַתּוֹרָה), for the Satan did not seek it in order to fulfill its commandments (שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן לֹא הָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ אוֹתָהּ כְּדֵי לְקַיֵּם הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁבָּהּ), but to accuse Yisrael and stand against them when they do not keep the Torah (אֶלָּא לְקַטְרֵג עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלִהְיוֹת כְּנֶגְדָּם כְּשֶׁאֵינָם שׁוֹמְרִים הַתּוֹרָה), and to strengthen the sword of Esav, which is in the measure of Gevurah that supervises the paths of the Torah and afflicts those who distance from it (וּלְחַזֵּק חֶרֶב עֵשָׂו שֶׁהִיא בְּמִדַּת גְּבוּרָה הַמַּשְׂגַּחַת עַל דַּרְכֵי הַתּוֹרָה וּמְיַסֶּרֶת לְאוֹתָם שֶׁהֵם נִרְחָקִים מִמֶּנָּה).

And because this power was given to Esav, it is said: “Bless me, also me,” and the blessing was in the sword (וּמִצַּד כִּי נִתַּן זֶה הַכֹּחַ לְעֵשָׂו נֶאֱמַר: ״בָּרֲכֵנִי גַּם אָנִי״, וְהַבְּרָכָה הָיְתָה בַּחֶרֶב), therefore The Holy One Blessed Be He said to Yisrael: “And I shall afflict you, also I,” to hint at the sword of Esav (לְזֶה אָמַר הקב״ה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל: ״וְיִסַּרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם גַּם אֲנִי״ לְרַמֵּז עַל חַרְבּוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו).

And therefore it says afterward: “A sword of vengeance, vengeance of the covenant” - which is the Torah (וּלְזֶה אָמַר אַחַר זֶה: ״חֶרֶב נְקָם נְקַם בְּרִית״ - שֶׁהִיא הַתּוֹרָה) (Leviticus 26), and so it is said: “And you shall be given into the hand of the enemy,” which is Esav, who is the enemy of Ya'akov (וְלָזֶה אָמַר ״וּנְתַתֶּם בְּיַד אוֹיֵב״ - שֶׁהוּא עֵשָׂו שֶׁהוּא אוֹיֵב לְיַעֲקֹב) (Leviticus 26).

And in the fourth it says: “And I shall afflict you, even I, sevenfold for your sins” (וּבָרְבִיעִי אָמַר ״וְיִסַּרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אַף אֲנִי שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם״) (Leviticus 26). And you will find that in the first and the fourth it says “for your sins” and uses the language of affliction (וּתִמְצָא שֶׁבָּרִאשׁוֹן וּבָרְבִיעִי נֶאֱמַר ״עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם״ וְאָמַר לְשׁוֹן מוּסָר), and in the second and third it said “a blow” (וּבַשֵּׁנִי וּבַשְּׁלִישִׁי אָמַר ״מַכָּה״).

But the intention is to begin with affliction and end with affliction (אֲבָל הַכַּוָּנָה - לְהַתְחִיל בְּמוּסָר וּלְהַשְׁלִים בְּמוּסָר), to hint that the evils Hashem brings upon Yisrael are not intended to destroy them, but to afflict them (לְרַמֵּז שֶׁהָרָעוֹת שֶׁמֵּבִיא הקב״ה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין הַכַּוָּנָה לְכַלּוֹתָם, אֶלָּא לְיַסְּרָם), as the verse says: “As a man chastens his son, so Hashem your Elohim afflicts you” (כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: ״כִּי כַאֲשֶׁר יְיַסֵּר אִישׁ אֶת בְּנוֹ - ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ מְיַסְּרֶךָּ״) (Deuteronomy 8), and in the place of afflictions and troubles which they receive from those four winds we mentioned - which give power to the seven stars - they shall receive joy and gladness (וּבִמְקוֹם הַיִּסּוּרִים וְהַצָּרוֹת שֶׁהֵם מְקַבְּלִים מֵאֵלּוּ הָאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ - שֶׁהֵם נוֹתְנִים כֹּחַ לַשִּׁבְעָה כּוֹכָבִים - יְקַבְּלוּ שָׂשׂוֹן וְשִׂמְחָה). And now I will reveal to you a great secret, where this is alluded to (וְעַתָּה אֲגַלֶּה לְךָ סוֹד גָּדוֹל, הֵיכָן רָמוּז זֶה).

Know that the place where the sword of Esav is strengthened is Gevurah (דַּע, כִּי הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁבּוֹ מִתְחַזֵּק חֶרֶב עֵשָׂו - הוּא גְּבוּרָה), and Gevurah is the middah of Yitzchak (וּגְבוּרָה הִיא מִדַּת יִצְחָק). And since the sword received strength from the four winds we said - to bring affliction to Yisrael (וּלְפִי שֶׁהַחֶרֶב קִבֵּל כֹּחַ מֵהָאַרְבַּע רוּחוֹת שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ לָתֵת צָרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל), you will find that in twenty-four [books] “Yitzchak” is written four times with a shin (תִּמְצָא שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בְּהָאַרְבָּעָה וְעֶשְׂרִים - אַרְבַּע פְּעָמִים ״יִשְׂחָק״ בְּשִׁי״ן). The first in Yirmeyahu: “To the seed of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov, for I will return their captivity and have mercy upon them” (הָרִאשׁוֹן בִּירְמְיָהוּ: ״אֶל זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם יִשְׂחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, כִּי אָשִׁיב אֶת שְׁבוּתָם וְרִחַמְתִּים״) (Jeremiah 33). And it is written “I will return” to hint at the return of Job’s captivity, as we said (וְנִכְתַּב ״אָשִׁיב״ לְרַמֵּז עַל שְׁבוּת אִיּוֹב שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ). And two in Amos - one: “And the high places of Yitzchak shall be desolate and the sanctuaries of Yisrael…” (וּשְׁנַיִם בַּעָמוֹס: הָאֶחָד - ״וְנִשְׁמוּ בָּמוֹת יִשְׂחָק וּמִקְדְּשֵׁי יִשְׂרָאֵל״) (Amos 7) and the second: “Do not prophesy upon the house of Yitzchak” (וְהַשֵּׁנִי: ״וְלֹא תַּטִּיף עַל בֵּית יִשְׂחָק״) (Amos 7).