Jewish Action and Redemptive Power

כָּאן קוֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין, כָּאן לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין! הָכָא נָמֵי בְּיָחִיד. וּגְזַר דִּין דְּיָחִיד תַּנָּאֵי הִיא. דְּתַנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: שְׁנַיִם שֶׁעָלוּ לַמִּטָּה וְחוֹלְיָין שָׁוֶה, וְכֵן שְׁנַיִם שֶׁעָלוּ לַגַּרְדּוֹם לִידּוֹן וְדִינָן שָׁוֶה. זֶה יָרַד וְזֶה לֹא יָרַד, זֶה נִיצַּל וְזֶה לֹא נִיצַּל. מִפְּנֵי מָה זֶה יָרַד וְזֶה לֹא יָרַד, זֶה נִיצַּל וְזֶה לֹא נִיצַּל? זֶה הִתְפַּלֵּל וְנַעֲנָה, וְזֶה הִתְפַּלֵּל וְלֹא נַעֲנָה. מִפְּנֵי מָה זֶה נַעֲנָה וְזֶה לֹא נַעֲנָה? זֶה הִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה שְׁלֵימָה — נַעֲנָה, וְזֶה לֹא הִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּה שְׁלֵימָה — לֹא נַעֲנָה

Here the verse is referring to the time before one’s sentence is issued, when God shows favor and forgives; and there the verse is referring to the time after the sentence has been issued, when He no longer forgives. This implies that after a sentence has been issued, there is no possibility of repentance, which seems to contradict the statement of Rabbi Yoḥanan. The Gemara answers: Here too it is referring to an individual, but a community is granted forgiveness even after its sentence has been issued. § The question of whether or not an individual’s sentence can be rescinded is a dispute between tanna’im, as it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: Two people take to their beds, and their illness is the same, or two people ascend to the tribunal [gardom] for judgment, and their potential sentence is the same; but this one comes down from his bed, while that one does not come down from his bed, and this one is saved from death, while that one is not saved. For what reason did this one recover and come down from his bed, while that one did not recover and come down from his bed; and why was this one saved from death, while that one was not saved? The difference between them is that this one prayed and was answered, while that one prayed, but was not answered. And for what reason was this one answered and that one not answered? This one prayed a prayer with his whole heart and consequently was answered, while that one did not pray a prayer with his whole heart and therefore was not answered.

״אָמַר אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִי דִבֶּר צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹהִים״. מַאי קָאָמַר? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, הָכִי קָאָמַר: אָמַר אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לִי דִבֶּר צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲנִי מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם, מִי מוֹשֵׁל בִּי — צַדִּיק, שֶׁאֲנִי גּוֹזֵר גְּזֵרָה וּמְבַטְּלָהּ. ״אֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת הַגִּבּוֹרִים אֲשֶׁר לְדָוִד יוֹשֵׁב בַּשֶּׁבֶת וְגוֹ׳״. מַאי קָאָמַר? אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, הָכִי קָאָמַר: וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת גְּבוּרוֹתָיו שֶׁל דָּוִד. ״תַּחְכְּמוֹנִי״, אָמַר רַב: אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הוֹאִיל וְהִשְׁפַּלְתָּ עַצְמְךָ תְּהֵא כָּמוֹנִי. שֶׁאֲנִי גּוֹזֵר גְּזֵרָה, וְאַתָּה מְבַטְּלָהּ.

The passage continues: “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, He that rules over men must be righteous, ruling in the fear of God” (II Samuel 23:3). The Gemara asks: What is this verse saying? What does it mean? Rabbi Abbahu said: This is what the verse is saying: The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: Although I rule over man, who rules over Me? It is a righteous person. How is it possible to say that a righteous person rules over God, as it were? As I, God, issue a decree and the righteous person nullifies it. Similarly, the verse states there: “These are the names of David’s warriors; Josheb-Basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite; he raised his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time” (II Samuel 23:8). The Gemara asks: What is this verse saying? Rabbi Abbahu said: This is what the verse is saying: These are the names of the mighty actions of David. These expressions should not be read as names of people but instead as descriptions of David’s good deeds. In this verse, David is described as “a Tahchemonite [taḥkemoni].” Rav said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to him: Since you have humbled yourself, be you now like Me [tehe kamoni]. How so? As I issue a decree, and you, owing to your righteousness, may nullify it.

הָנְהוּ בִּרְיוֹנֵי דַּהֲווֹ בְּשִׁבָבוּתֵיהּ דְּרַבִּי מֵאִיר וַהֲווֹ קָא מְצַעֲרוּ לֵיהּ טוּבָא. הֲוָה קָא בָּעֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר רַחֲמֵי עִלָּוַיְהוּ כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלֵימוּתוּ. אָמְרָה לֵיהּ בְּרוּרְיָא דְּבֵיתְהוּ: מַאי דַּעְתָּךְ — מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב ״יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים״, מִי כְּתִיב ״חוֹטְאִים״? ״חַטָּאִים״ כְּתִיב. וְעוֹד, שְׁפֵיל לְסֵיפֵיהּ דִּקְרָא ״וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם״, כֵּיוָן דְּ״יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים״ ״וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם״? אֶלָּא בְּעִי רַחֲמֵי עִלָּוַיְהוּ דְּלַהְדְּרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה, ״וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם״. בְּעָא רַחֲמֵי עִלָּוַיְהוּ, וַהֲדַרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה.

With regard to the statement of Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, that David did not say Halleluya until he saw the downfall of the wicked, the Gemara relates: There were these hooligans in Rabbi Meir’s neighborhood who caused him a great deal of anguish. Rabbi Meir prayed for God to have mercy on them, that they should die. Rabbi Meir’s wife, Berurya, said to him: What is your thinking? On what basis do you pray for the death of these hooligans? Do you base yourself on the verse, as it is written: “Let sins cease from the land” (Psalms 104:35), which you interpret to mean that the world would be better if the wicked were destroyed? But is it written, let sinners cease?” Let sins cease, is written. One should pray for an end to their transgressions, not for the demise of the transgressors themselves. Moreover, go to the end of the verse, where it says: “And the wicked will be no more.” If, as you suggest, transgressions shall cease refers to the demise of the evildoers, how is it possible that the wicked will be no more, i.e., that they will no longer be evil? Rather, pray for God to have mercy on them, that they should repent, as if they repent, then the wicked will be no more, as they will have repented. Rabbi Meir saw that Berurya was correct and he prayed for God to have mercy on them, and they repented.

לְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם שֶׁיִּרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כָּל הַשָּׁנָה כֻּלָּהּ כְּאִלּוּ חֶצְיוֹ זַכַּאי וְחֶצְיוֹ חַיָּב. וְכֵן כָּל הָעוֹלָם חֶצְיוֹ זַכַּאי וְחֶצְיוֹ חַיָּב. חָטָא חֵטְא אֶחָד הֲרֵי הִכְרִיעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לְכַף חוֹבָה וְגָרַם לוֹ הַשְׁחָתָה. עָשָׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת הֲרֵי הִכְרִיעַ אֶת עַצְמוֹ וְאֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת וְגָרַם לוֹ וְלָהֶם תְּשׁוּעָה וְהַצָּלָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי י כה) "וְצַדִּיק יְסוֹד עוֹלָם" זֶה שֶׁצָּדַק הִכְרִיעַ אֶת כָּל הָעוֹלָם לִזְכוּת וְהִצִּילוֹ.

וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי כִּי הַבּוֹטֵחַ בֵּאלֹהִים וְאִם יִתְעַסֵּק בְּסִבּוֹת לֹא יִסָּמֵךְ בְּלִבּוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן וְלֹא יְקַוֶּה מֵהֶן תּוֹעֶלֶת וְלֹא נֶזֶק מִבִּלְתִּי רְצוֹן הָאֵל אַךְ מִתְעַסֵּק בָּהֶן לִבְחֹר בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה לְהִתְעַסֵּק בָּעוֹלָם לְיַשְּׁבוֹ וּלְזַיְּנוֹ. וְאִם תַּגִּיעֵהוּ תּוֹעֶלֶת אוֹ יִדְחֶה בָּהֶן הַנֶּזֶק יוֹדֶה הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַדּוֹ עַל זֶה וְלֹא יוֹסִיף בָּהֶן אַהֲבָה וְחִבָּה יְתֵרָה וְלֹא תָּנוּחַ נַפְשׁוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן יוֹתֵר אַךְ יֶחֱזַק בִּטְחוֹנוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים וְיִסָּמֵךְ לִבּוֹ עָלָיו מִבַּלְעֲדֵי הַסִּבּוֹת. וְאִם לֹא יוֹעִילוּהוּ הַסִּבּוֹת יֵדַע כִּי יְבוֹאֵהוּ טַרְפּוֹ כְּשֶׁיִּרְצֶה יְיָ מֵאֵיזֶה עִנְיָן שֶׁיִּרְצֶה וְלֹא יִמְאַס בָּהֶן בַּעֲבוּר זֶה וְלֹא יַנִּיחַ לְהִתְעַסֵּק בָּהֶם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא. וַאֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ בּוֹטֵחַ בֵּאלֹהִים מִתְעַסֵּק בַּסִּבּוֹת לְבִטְחוֹנוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן שֶׁהֵן מוֹעִילוֹת אוֹתוֹ וְדוֹחוֹת הַנֶּזֶק מֵעָלָיו. וְאִם הֵן מוֹעִילוֹת אוֹתוֹ יְשַׁבֵּחַ אוֹתָן וִישַׁבֵּחַ הִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתוֹ בָּהֶן וְיִבְחַר אוֹתָן וְלֹא יִפְנֶה אֶל זוּלָתָן. וְאִם אֵינָן מוֹעִילוֹת לוֹ יַנִּיחַ אוֹתָן וְיִמְאָסֵן וְיָשׁוּב חֶפְצוֹ מֵהֶן כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (חבקוק א טז) עַל כֵּן יְזַבֵּחַ לְחֶרְמוֹ וִיקַטֵּר לְמִכְמַרְתּוֹ.

(3) One who trusts in G-d, even while he is engaging in the means for earning a livelihood, his heart will not rely on them, and he will not hope to receive profit or loss from them unless it is the will of G-d. Rather, he engages in them as part of his service of G-d who commanded us to occupy ourselves with the world, to maintain it and make it more habitable. If these means will yield him profit or help him avoid a loss, he will thank G-d alone for this, and he will not love and cherish the means more for this, nor will he rely more on them on account of this. Rather, his trust in G-d will be strengthened, and he will come to rely on Him and not the means. And if the means do not yield any benefit, he knows that his livelihood will come to him when G-d wants, and through whatever way He wants. Therefore, he will not reject the means because of this, nor abandon employing them, and thus he will serve his Creator (as above - TL). But one who does not trust in G-d, engages in certain means because he places his trust in them, confident that they will yield him a profit and protect him against a loss. If they yield a profit, he will praise them and himself for his exertion in them and choosing of them, and he will not try other means. But if they do not yield him a profit, he will abandon them and reject them, and lose interest in them, as written "Therefore he sacrifices to his net (through which he succeeded in his actions - TL), and he burns incense to his trawl, for through them he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food" (Chavakuk 1:16).

אסור לדיין להתנהג בשררה וגסות על הצבור אלא בענוה ויראה וכל פרנס המטיל אימה יתירה על הצבור שלא לשם שמים אינו רואה בן ת"ח לעולם וכן אסור לנהוג בהם קלות ראש אע"פ שהם עמי הארץ ולא יפסיעו על ראשי עם קודש וצריך שיסבול טורח הציבור ומשאם ומצוה על הציבור לנהוג כבוד בדיין ויהיה אימתו עליהם וגם הוא לא יתבזה ולא ינהוג קלות ראש לפניהם שכיון שנתמנה אדם פרנס על הצבור אסור לו לעשות מלאכה בפני ג' כדי שלא יתבזה בפניהם וק"ו שאסור לו לאכול ולשתות (ולהשתכר טור) בפני רבים: (כל דיין שאין לו מי שישמשנו אסור לו לקבל להיות דיין) (הגה"מ פכ"ה דסנהדרין):

וְהִנֵּה, תַּכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵימוּת הַזֶּה שֶׁל יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, שֶׁהוּא גִּילּוּי אוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי – תָּלוּי בְּמַעֲשֵׂינוּ וַעֲבוֹדָתֵנוּ כָּל זְמַן מֶשֶׁךְ הַגָּלוּת. וְנִמְצָא, כִּי כָּל תַּכְלִית שֶׁל יְמוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים – שֶׁהוּא גִילּוּי כְּבוֹדוֹ וֵאלֹהוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ, וּלְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה מִן הָאָרֶץ – תָּלוּי בְּהַמְשָׁכַת אֱלֹהוּתוֹ וְאוֹר־אֵין־סוֹף בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לַנֶּפֶשׁ הַחִיּוּנִית שֶׁבִּכְלָלוּת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכָל רַמַ״ח אֵבָרֶיהָ, עַל יְדֵי קִיּוּמָהּ כָּל רַמַ״ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה, וּלְהַעֲבִיר רוּחַ הַטּוּמְאָה מִמֶּנָּה, בִּשְׁמִירָתָהּ כָּל שַׁסַ״ה מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁלֹּא יִינְקוּ מִמֶּנָּה שַׁסַ״ה גִידֶיהָ.

This culminating fulfillment of the Messianic Era and of the Resurrection of the Dead, which is the revelation of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, in this material world, depends on our actions and service throughout the duration of the galut. It follows, therefore, that the whole fulfillment of the Messianic Era and of the Resurrection of the Dead—which is the revelation of His glory and G–dliness, blessed be He, and the banishment of the spirit of impurity from the world—is dependent on the suffusion of His G–dliness and of the light of the En Sof, blessed is He, over the vital soul of the community of Israel in all its 248 organs, through its fulfillment of all the 248 positive precepts, and on the banishment of the spirit of impurity from it through its observance of all the 365 prohibitions, so that its 365 veins do not derive nurture from it.