(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כׇּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ג) אִ֣ישׁ אִמּ֤וֹ וְאָבִיו֙ תִּירָ֔אוּ וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ד) אַל־תִּפְנוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ם וֵֽאלֹקֵי֙ מַסֵּכָ֔ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (ה) וְכִ֧י תִזְבְּח֛וּ זֶ֥בַח שְׁלָמִ֖ים לַה' לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֖ם תִּזְבָּחֻֽהוּ׃ (ו) בְּי֧וֹם זִבְחֲכֶ֛ם יֵאָכֵ֖ל וּמִֽמׇּחֳרָ֑ת וְהַנּוֹתָר֙ עַד־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י בָּאֵ֖שׁ יִשָּׂרֵֽף׃ (ז) וְאִ֛ם הֵאָכֹ֥ל יֵאָכֵ֖ל בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י פִּגּ֥וּל ה֖וּא לֹ֥א יֵרָצֶֽה׃ (ח) וְאֹֽכְלָיו֙ עֲוֺנ֣וֹ יִשָּׂ֔א כִּֽי־אֶת־קֹ֥דֶשׁ ה' חִלֵּ֑ל וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מֵעַמֶּֽיהָ׃ (ט) וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶם֙ אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֔ם לֹ֧א תְכַלֶּ֛ה פְּאַ֥ת שָׂדְךָ֖ לִקְצֹ֑ר וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִֽירְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תְלַקֵּֽט׃ (י) וְכַרְמְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תְעוֹלֵ֔ל וּפֶ֥רֶט כַּרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י ה' אֱלֹקֵיכֶֽם׃ (יא) לֹ֖א תִּגְנֹ֑בוּ וְלֹא־תְכַחֲשׁ֥וּ וְלֹֽא־תְשַׁקְּר֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ בַּעֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ (יב) וְלֹֽא־תִשָּׁבְע֥וּ בִשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְחִלַּלְתָּ֛ אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י ה'׃ (יג) לֹֽא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִגְזֹ֑ל לֹֽא־תָלִ֞ין פְּעֻלַּ֥ת שָׂכִ֛יר אִתְּךָ֖ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃ (יד) לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י ה'׃ (טו) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃ (טז) לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י ה'׃ (יז) לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃ (יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י ה'׃
(1) Ad-nai spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to all of the community of the children of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, Ad-nai your God, am holy. (3) A man, your mother and your father you shall hold in awe, and My Shabbatot you shall keep: I, Ad-nai, am your God. (4) Do not turn to idols or make molten gods for yourselves: I, Ad-nai, am your God. (5) When you sacrifice an offering of well-being to Ad-nai, sacrifice it so that it may be accepted on your behalf. (6) It shall be eaten on the day you sacrifice it, or on the day following; but what is left by the third day must be consumed in fire. (7) If it should be eaten on the third day, it is an offensive thing, it will not be acceptable. (8) And one who eats of it shall bear the guilt for having profaned what is sacred to Ad-nai; that person shall be cut off from kin. (9) When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. (10) You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I, Ad-nai, am your God. (11) You shall not steal; you shall not deal deceitfully or falsely with one another. (12) You shall not swear falsely by My name, profaning the name of your God, I am Ad-nai. You shall not defraud your fellow [Israelite]. You shall not commit robbery. The wages of a laborer shall not remain with you until morning. (14) You shall not insult the deaf, or place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God: I am Ad-nai. You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kin fairly. (16) Do not go about as a talebearer among members of your people. Do not stand upon the blood of your fellow: I am Ad-nai. (17) You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart. Reprove your kin but incur no guilt on their account. (18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against members of your people. Love your fellow [Israelite] as yourself: I am Ad-nai.
Kedoshim opens with a series of mitzvot. How do you classify them?
~ Do you sense the "chorus"? Why should this reading have this constant call?
~ How does this reading "feel" to you? What is its basic calling?
~ How do you understand the reading, should you substitute the NAME for "Living Presence"?
Speak to all of the community of the children of Israel (Lev. 19:2). It seems that we can explain that behold, the complete tzadikim are called Israel, and the tzadikim that are not complete are called Children of Israel, and the Holy One of Blessing commanded "speak to all the children of Israel" and the explanation is that all are equal in goodness for this level, "be holy" that is a great level, "because I, Ad-nai, am holy" etc - the explanation is that the essence of holiness is to align oneself at all times with the Godliness that "I am Ad-nai", and from that aspect all, every single one, can be holy.
~ What is the Noam Elimelech's understanding of human beings?
~ What are the levels he presents, regarding being righteous?
~ Is it possible for you to be a tzadik?
וזהו "וישא עיניו וירא והנה איל אחר נאחז בסבך בקרניו", דצריך האדם להסתכל תמיד רוממות אל שהוא אלקינו כנ"ל, וזאת ג"כ צריך להסתכל בשפלותו, והנה עקידת יצחק עפרו צבור לזכור עקידת יצחק לזרע ישראל, ואברהם אבינו ע"ה היה רוצה לתקן עוד לישראל דבר אחד שיהא להם לזכות כמו אילו של יצחק, וזהו "וישא אברהם וירא והנה איל אחר" ר"ל זאת ועוד אחרת תיקן לישראל שיהא כמו זכות האיל של יצחק, דהיינו "נאחז בסבך בקרניו" פי' שיאחוז במידה זאת להסתכל בשפלותו שיהא שפל ונבזה בעיניו כמו קוץ ודרדר, "בקרניו" פי׳ גם במידה זו להסתכל ג"כ רוממות אל וגדולתו. קרניו לשון שררה וגדולה. וק"ל.
And this is [also the explanation for] "and he raised his eyes and behold, another ram, was seized by its horns on the thicket" (Genesis 22:13) that a person needs to align oneself at all times with the greatness of the Holy One, that God is our God, as explained above, and also one needs to align oneself with one's smallness, and behold, the binding of Isaac [text?] is to remind the seed of Israel of the binding of Isaac, and our father Avraham PBUH wanted to fix another thing to Israel, that would be a merit to them just as the ram of Isaac, and this is "and Avraham lifted his eyes, and saw, and behold, a ram, behind/another" (Gen. 22:13) meaning, another thing, that is, "seized by its horns by the thicket". Meaning, that one should seize this trait, of aligning oneself to one's smallness, that one should see oneself as small and low, like thorns and thistles, but "by its horns", meaning, that also in this trait of aligning oneself with God's greatness and importance, as "its horns" are an expression of rulership and greatness. And this is straight forward.
~ Besides the obvious reading of the binding of Isaac, the Noam wants us to see yet another teaching. What is it? What is the extra "merit"?
~ How important is for a person to have a view of their smallness? Why is this attitude fundamental to being human? To being Jewish?
(א) עֲקַבְיָא בֶן מַהֲלַלְאֵל אוֹמֵר, הִסְתַּכֵּל בִּשְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים וְאִי אַתָּה בָא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה. דַּע מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן. מֵאַיִן בָּאתָ, מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה, וּלְאָן אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ, לִמְקוֹם עָפָר רִמָּה וְתוֹלֵעָה. וְלִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:
(1) Akabyah ben Mahalalel said: mark well three things and you will not come into the power of sin: know from where you come, and where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning. From where do you come? From a putrid drop. Where are you going? To a place of dust, of worm and of maggot. Before whom you are destined to give an account and reckoning? Before the Ruler of the rulers of rulers, the Holy One of Blessing
(ד) רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶן חֲכִינַאי אוֹמֵר, הַנֵּעוֹר בַּלַּיְלָה וְהַמְהַלֵּךְ בַּדֶּרֶךְ יְחִידִי וְהַמְפַנֶּה לִבּוֹ לְבַטָּלָה, הֲרֵי זֶה מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ:
(4) Rabbi Hananiah ben Hakinai said: one who wakes up at night, and/or walks on the way alone and/or turns one's heart to idle matters, behold, this person is mortally guilty.
~ The Noam Elimelech will deal with this pieces of Pirkei Avot.
~ What do you think of the first mishnah? What is its basic teaching?
~ What is difficult in the second mishnah?
או יאמר דבר אל כל עדת בני ישראל, ונקדים לפרש משנה באבות, ר׳ חנניא בן חכינאי אומר הנעור בלילה כו׳, דהנה כבר כתבנו בזה כמה פעמים דהצדיק צריך לעבוד את הבורא ב"ה וב"ש בשני מדריגות, לראות תמיד לחשב רוממות אל וגדולתו, ולחשוב ולראות תמיד בשפלותו, וזהו פי׳ המשנה "עקביא בן מהללאל אומר הסתכל בשלשה דברים כו׳ דע מאין כו׳ מאין באת מטיפה סרוחה כו׳", ולכאורה היה לו לתנא לקצר ולומר הסתכל דע מאין באת מטיפה סרוחה כו׳, ולמה לו לכפול את דבריו. אך האמת שהתנא הורה לנו את דרכי ה׳ כנ"ל, שאנחנו חייבים להסתכל תמיד את רוממות אל ושפלותינו, ורמז תחילה באמרו "דע מאין באת" פי׳ ראה והסתכל וחשוב מחצבתך שנחצבת משם ממקום גבוה מתחת כסא הכבוד, "ולאן אתה הולך" פי׳ ותחשוב שצריך שתחזור נשמתך למקום שלוקחה למחצבה הראשון בלי שום פגם, וצריך אתה לזכך ולצחצח וללבן את נשמתך מכל סיג, "ולפני מי אתה עתיד ליתן דין", והשלש האלה הם רוממות האל, והזהיר התנא בלשונו הזך והטהור. ואח"כ פי׳ לנו התנא שנחשוב בשפלותיגו, והמה "מאין באת כו׳ ולפני מי כו'" ואיך תשא פניך לעמוד לפני מלך גדול ונורא בהסתכלך בשפלותך כזה שאתה הבל וריק וצל עובר, לכן יהיה תמיד נגד עיניך ותהיה תמיד בתשובה על עווניך ופשעיך, שהשפל כזה יכעיס שמו הגדול והנורא, ותראה תמיד את רוממות האל ואחדותו ליחד שמו הגדול באמת, ותדאג תמיד על צרות ישראל ולהתפלל עליהם על טובתם והשפעתם, שישפיע להם השי"ת ב"ה כל טוב, ולבטל מעליהם כל הגזירות.
Or say - Speak to all of the community of the children of Israel (Lev. 19:2), And we need to begin by explaining what is read in mishnah Avot: "Rabbi Chanania ben Chakinay says: one who wakes up at night, or walks on the way alone and turns one's heart to idle matters, behold, that person is mortally guilty" (Avot 3:4). And see, we wrote about this a few times: the tzadik needs to serve the Creator, Blessed be and of Blessed Name, in two levels. One, to always see and think of God's greatness and importance; and two, to think and see always one's smallness, and this is the explanation of the mishnah "Akavia ben Mehalelel says: 'align yourself with three things and you will never come to sin: know from where you came, ... from a putrid drop (Avot 3:1). And from the outset, the tanna should have shortened his words, and say "align yourself with that you came from a putrid drop". And why should have he repeated his words? However, in truth, the tanna is teaching us the ways of Hashem, as explained, that we should align ourselves always with God's greatness and our smallness, and the first hint is that he said "know from where you came" - meaning, see and align yourself and think that you were hewn from a high and lofty place, from under the very seat of Glory, "and to where you are going", meaning, and think that you need to return your soul to the place from where it was taken, from its first hewning place, without any defect, and you need to remember, and scrub and whiten your soul from any restriction/slag: "and in front of Whom you will give judgment". And the three of those are the greatness of God, and the tanna warned in his clear and pure language. And after that the tanna explained to us that we should think about our smallness, and that is "where are you going etc and in front of Whom etc". And how could you raise you face in front of the Ruler of it all, Great and Mighty? Align yourself with your smallness: you, who are just breath and emptiness, and a passing shadow, you should always look towards this [reality] and always be trying to do teshuvah on sins and misdeeds. How can someone so small can enter God's great and awesome Name, and see at all times God's greatness and importance, and God's unity, so [you can] truly unify God's name? And you should always worry about the difficulties and sufferings of the people Israel, and always pray towards their good and that the Flow [comes down] to them, that the Holy Blessed One will flow all good to them, and that all harsh decrees should be nullified.
~ Given that he established that everyone can (and is) a tzadik, what is the tzadik's basic function?
~ Even if you are a tzadik, or precisely because you are, you have to see your true size. What is amazing about wat your prayers can accomplish, versus your size?
וזהו "הנעור בלילה", פי׳ הצדיק שהוא נעור ולא ינום ולא יישן בגלות המר הזה נקרא לילה, ומתפלל תמיד על שמחת ישראל וגדולתם, "והמהלך בדרך יחידי" פי׳ שהולך בדרך האמת בבדידות בהצנע לכת שלא להראות חסידותו לאחרים, והולך באחדותו ליחד שמו הגדול, "ומפנה לבו לבטלה" פי׳ שפונה לבו מכל עסקיו ועניניו הנוגעים לו ואינו חושב ורואה אלא לבטל כל הגזירות מישראל, וכשתראה צדיק כזה הוי יודע שהוא רואה שפלותו ונאנח ודואג תמיד על עוונותיו, ורואה תמיד חוב לעצמו שמחסר בעבודתו ית"ש, ודומה לו כאילו עדיין לא עבד הבורא ית׳ אף רגע א׳, וזהו "הרי זה" פי' צדיק זה, "מתחייב בנפשו" פי' הוא מחייב את נפשו תמיד כנ"ל. וזהו ודברת בם ודרשינן בגמ׳ ולא בדברים בטלים, פי׳ כשתעסקו בתורה לשמה אז לא תהיה צריך לדבר לבטל דינים, כי ממילא הם בטלים.
And this is "the one who gets up at night", this is the tzadik who wakes up, and does not slumber nor sleep in this bitter exile which is called night. And the tzadik constantly prays for Israel's happiness and greatness. "And the one who walks alone in the way", meaning, one who walks in the way of truth in solitude and in modesty so as not to reveal one's devotion to others, and such a person walks singly to unify God's great name. "And the ones who turns their heart to emptiness" meaning, one who turns one's heart from all one's work, and worries, and personal issues, and does not think nor see anything except to cancel all the decrees against Israel. And when you see such a tzadik, you should know that such a tzadik does see their own smallness, and sighs and worries constantly about their smallness, and always sees their selves as in debt, in lacking in their serving the Holy Exalted Name. And to such tzadik it appears as if they have not served the Blessed Creator even for a moment, and this is "behold, this", meaning, this tzadik, "is guilty in his soul" - meaning, the tzadik sees their own soul in debt, as we explained, at all times. And this is "and you shall speak of them" (Deut. 6:7), and we learn in the Gemara "them, and not empty matters", meaning, if one engages in Torah for its own sake, there is no need to speak in order to cancel the decrees, as they are immediately cancelled.
~ How does the Noam re-read, in a powerfully positive way, the second mishnah?
~ How does he understand the expression מתחייב בנפשו, translated as "mortally guilty"?
~ How is what we are doing, studying without a second intention, like a prayer? What does it accomplish, with the right intention?
And this is "Speak to all of the community of the children of Israel, holy" - meaning, this is the thing that is equal to all souls, to make oneself holy in the holiness of the Creator Blessed Be, "because I AM holy etc" and you are My piece from above, and it is appropriate that all of the community of Israel should be holy, and the Text says "a man, his father and mother you should fear" - meaning, every person will be in awe in seeing the place where they came from, their father and mother, as the tanna says "from where... from a drop etc" and this is when a person aligns with their smallness, and this is what King David PBUH said "in sin my mother conceived me", "and My Shabbatot you will observe" and this is the greatness of God, that this is the renewal of the world, as it is written "and God rested on the seventh day", and two shabbatot: through that you will maintain the lower Shabbat and then you will fix the Upper Shabbat, and this is the doubling of the word Shabbatot, meaning, the Shabbat below and on us it is incumbent to unify one Shabbat with the other.
~ How does awe figure in this reading? How does the Noam re-read father/mother and the word Shabbatot?
"I am Ad-nai your God" - meaning even the attribute of Judgment transforms itself into Compassion, and immediately all the world is filled with good things. And this is "do not turn to other gods" that you shouldn't turn your thoughts from God. "And melted gods don't do for yourselves" since automatically you won't have to worry about silver and gold at all.
~ How does he re-read the constant presence of "I am Ad-nai your God" in our Text?
~ What do those Names indicate about reality?
"קדושים תהיו כי קדוש אני ה׳ אלקיכם" וכו׳. נראה שהאדם צריך לקדש עצמו מלמטה, ולהאמין בשם הוי"ה ב"ה המנהיג העולמות כולם ע"י עשר ספירות, וישראל עם הקודש מאמינים בא"ס ב"ה, אשר השתלשל העולמות כולם ע"י עשר ספירות בהשפעת השם הוי"ה ב"ה המאיר בהם, אבל האומות אינם מאמינים בשם הוי"ה ב"ה, ומכח זה נתפקרו המינים באמרם שהעולם קדמון, מחמת שאינם מאמינים בהשתלשלות העולמות ע"י עשר ספירות בכח השם הוי"ה ב"ה. וזה אומרו "קדושים תהיו כו׳ אני ד׳ אלקיכם" פי׳ שאני מהוה העולמות כולם בכח השם הוי"ה, ו"אלקיכם" ר"ל אלהותכם, פירוש שלכם אבל לא של האומות, כי הם אינם מאמינים בזה, וזה הוא המצוה "קדושים תהיו" שגם האדם למטה יקדש עצמו כהעולמות העליונים הקדושים, כי העולמות מכוונים וכל מה שיש בעולם הזה השפל יש דוגמתו בעולמות עליונים הקדושים, ובכל דבר שאדם עושה צריך לקדש עצמו בשורש הדבר של מעלה הוא כך. וזה "איש אמו ואביו תיראו", למטה יש אב ואם ודוגמתו למעלה יש עולמות הנקראים או"א, זה הוא "ואת שבתותי תשמורו" שהעולמות נקראים שבת ע"ש קדושתן ומנוחתן, "תשמרו" ר"ל בכל מה שתעשו תשמרו במחשבתכם הכוונה בעולמות העליונים וק"ל.
You shall be holy, for I, Ad-nai your God, am holy etc. - it seems that a person needs to make themselves holy below, and trust in the Name Havayah, Blessed, that directs all the worlds through the ten sefirot, and Israel is a holy people, believers in Ein Sof, Blessed, that uncoils all the worlds through the ten sefirot, through the flowing of the name Havayah, blessed, which illuminates them, but the other nations do not believe in the blessed name Havayah, and through this the minim lose themselves, as they say that the world preceded [everything] since they do not believe in the progressive uncoiling of the worlds through the ten sefirot, through the force of the blessed name Havayah. And this is what the Text says "You shall be holy, for I, Ad-nai your God, am holy" meaning, that I present in all the worlds through the force of the name Havayah, and "your God" means "your" God, but not the nations', since they do not believe in this. And this is the mitzvah"you shall be holy": that even the person below will made themselves holy, just as the holy worlds above, since the worlds coincide, and all that exists in this low world has a correspondent in the holy upper worlds, and in every action one takes, one needs to make oneself holy in the root of that corresponding action, above. And this is "a man, his mother and father you shall hold in awe". Below there is mother and father, and the corresponding above are the worlds called Father and Mother. This is also "My Shabbatot you shall guard" that the worlds called Shabbat due to their holiness and rest, "you shall guard" meaning, what you do you will guard in your thoughts is the intention [towards] the higher worlds. And this is straight forward.
~ How does he explain how God relates to the world? What is "holy"?
~ When we talk about "God" what are we talking about? What is the difference between understanding God as relating to the world, and God in God's own terms?
(א) רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֵיזוֹהִי דֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה שֶׁיָּבֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם, כֹּל שֶׁהִיא תִפְאֶרֶת לְעוֹשֶׂיהָ וְתִפְאֶרֶת לוֹ מִן הָאָדָם. ...
(1) Rabbi Said: which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is an honor to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others. ...
~ The word tif'eret is not an easy word to translate.
Here are a few other possibilities besides honor:
beauty, glory, splendor, magnificence; praise; source of pride and joy; balance.
How does each of those words makes for a different understanding of this mishnah?
Speaking of judgment, the Gemara relates that Rav Ami and Rav Asi would sit and study between the pillars beneath the study hall. And each and every hour they would knock on the bolt of the door and say: If there is someone who has a case that requires judgment, let him enter and come before us. The Gemara also relates that Rav Ḥisda and Rabba bar Rav Huna would sit in judgment all day and their hearts would grow weak from hunger. Therefore, Rav Ḥiyya bar Rav from Difti taught them a baraita with regard to the verse: “And it was the next day and Moses sat to judge the people and the people stood over Moses from the morning until the evening” (Exodus 18:13). Does it enter your mind that Moses would sit and judge all day long? If so, when was his Torah study accomplished? Rather, surely the verse is coming to tell you: Any judge who judges a true judgment truthfully, even if he sits in judgment only one hour, the verse ascribes to him as if he became a partner to the Holy One, Blessed be He, in the act of Creation, as by means of a true judgment he upholds the world (Me’iri). This conclusion is derived by means of a verbal analogy [gezera shava]: It is written here: “And the people stood over Moses from the morning until the evening.” And it is written there, in the act of Creation: “And it was evening and it was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5).
~ How is judging truthfully a partnership in God's holiness?
או יאמר קדושים תהיו כו'. נראה לפרש דאיתא בגמ׳ "כל דיין שדן דין אמת לאמתו נעשה שותף להקב"ה", ולכאורה מלת לאמתו הוא מיותר, אך נראה דרז"ל רמזו לנו בזה על הצדיק שהוא מבטל הדינים, והוא הנקרא דיין שכאשר ידין ויגזור כן יקום, שהקב"ה גוזר וצדיק מבטל, והוא אע"פ שקושטא הוא שחלילה שקודשא בדיך הוא יעביד דינא בלא דינא, וגזירתו הוא באמת שהדין הוא שיהיה כך כי הוא היודע האמת, אך הצדיק למראה עיניו ישפוט ואמירתו ונראה לו שכך הוא הדין האמת, והקדוש ברוך הוא ברחמיו וחסדיו מסכים עם הצדיק, וזהו "לאמיתו" דייקא היינו אמיתתו של הצדיק נוטה כך. וזהו פי׳ "איזה דרך שיבור לו האדם כל שהיא תפארת לעושיה ותפארת לו מן האדם" ר"ל תפארת הם הרחמים שזה תפארתו של הקב"ה, והיינו "תפארת לעושיה" ר"ל להבורא ב"ה שברא הרחמים, "ותפארת לו מן האדם" פי׳ שהתעוררות צריך שיבא מן האדם מכחו כנ"ל. וזהו פירוש המדרש "קדושים תהיו יכול כמוני ת"ל כי קדוש אני קדושתי למעלה מקדושתכם", ולכאורה אינו מובן כלל המדרש, ועפ"י דרכנו יבואר היטב, דהנה השפעות הרחמים מהבורא ב"ה הוא בא בהשתלשלות מעולם לעולם, כי אלולי זה לא היה באפשרי לקבל השפע מרוב בהירות, וזהו "דבר אל כו׳ קדושים תהיו יכול כמוני" ר"ל שאתם תרצו להתנהג עצמכם בקדושתכם כמו שאני נוהג עצמי בקדושה שלי, הם ההשפעות שיורדים לכם בהשתלשלות, ותרצו גם אתם לעשות כן ולא תעוררו הרחמים בפעם א׳, "ת"ל כי קדוש אני קדושתי למעלה מקדושתכם" ולכן צריך ההשתלשלות מפני הבהירות הגדול וכנ"ל, וההשתלשלות הוא ע"י שם הקדוש הוי"ה ב"ה וע"י שם "אני" אבל אתם צריכין לעורר הרחמים הכל כאחת וק"ל.
Or say - You shall be holy - we need to explain what is found in the Gemara: "every judge that judges a truly true judgment ... becomes a partner with the Holy Blessed One" (Shabbat 10a), and from the outset the word "truly" is extra. However, our sages of blessed memory wanted to hint through this about the tzadik, who is able to cancel the decrees, and who is called "judge", whose judgments and sentences are upheld. And "the Holy One of Blessing sentences and the tzadik cancels": even though this is truth, how can it be possible that the Holy One of Blessing would transgress a judgment without due process? God's sentence is actually what should be, as God knows the truth, still the tzadik looks and judges and says, and it appears to the tzadik that the true judgment is different, and the Holy One of Blessing because of God's compassion and lovingkindness, agrees with the tzadik. And this is "truly"- the truth of the tzadik tilts what is. And this is the explanation for "which is the straight path that a man should choose for himself? One which is tif'eret to the person adopting it, and [on account of which] honor [accrues] to him from others" - meaning: tif'eret is compassion which is the tif'eret of theHoly Blessed One. And this is "tif'eret to its doer" meaning, the Creator, who created compassion, and "tif'eret to the person from others" meaning, that the awakening needs to come from the strength of the person, as explained. And this is the explanation of the midrash ""you shall be holy" - is it possible that you should be like Me? The learning explains: "because I am holy" - My holiness is higher than yours". And according to our explanation it will be clear: behold the Flows of Compassion from the Blessed Creator comes uncoiling from one world to another, because if it weren't the case, it wouldn't be possible to receive the Flow due to the excess of brightness, and this is "is it possible that you should be like Me?" meaning, that you want to behave with your holiness, just as I behave with My holiness, that are the Flows that come to you in the uncoiling, and should you want to do this, and not awaken compassion in one shot, "The learning explains: "because I am holy" - My holiness is higher than yours" and therefore uncoiling is needed due to the great brightness, as explained. And the uncoiling is through the holy name Havayah, Blessed, and through the name "Ani"- but you need to awaken compassion, all of it in one shot. And this is straightforward.
~ What is the power of the tzadik?
~ How does this relate to holiness?