ז וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (משלי ט״ז:י״ד): חֲמַת מֶלֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי מָוֶת, כִּי חֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא – בִּשְׁבִיל הַמַּלְכוּת שֶׁהִשְׁפִּיל עַל־יְדֵי עֲווֹנוֹתָיו; וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת תַּלְמִיד חָכָם, בְּחִינַת מֹשֶׁה, הוּא יְכַפֵּר לוֹ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (מיכה ז׳:י״ח): וְעֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִית – לְמִי שֶׁמֵּשִׂים עַצְמוֹ כְּשִׁירַיִם (ר"ה יז). 7. {“The King’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man can pacify it” (Proverbs 16:14).} And this is the explanation of the verse: “The King’s wrath is a messenger of death.” For the wrath of the Holy One is on account of Malkhut <that has been demeaned among the nations>. “… but a wise man can pacify it”—i.e., the aspect of Talmid Chakham /Moshe, who will atone for [the sinner]. As it is written (Micah 7:18), “[The Lord] forgives the transgression for the remnant <of His inheritance>”—for the sake of the one who considers himself as remnants (Rosh HaShanah 17a).
נִמְצָא, כְּשֶׁבָּא לִפְנֵי תַּלְמִיד חָכָם וּמוֹצִיא כָּל צֵרוּפָיו לִפְנֵי הַתַּלְמִיד חָכָם, וְהַתַּלְמִיד חָכָם הוּא בְּחִינַת מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁמֵּשִׂים עַצְמוֹ כְּשִׁירַיִם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר י״ב:ג׳): וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד; וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִקְרָא אִישׁ חָכָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (איוב כ״ח:י״ב): וְהַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא (ע' סוטה כא:). וּבָזֶה יֵשׁ כֹּחַ לַתַּלְמִיד חָכָם לְכַפֵּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה: We find, then, that when he comes before a Torah scholar and expresses all his letter-combinations in a Talmid Chakham’s presence…. The Torah scholar is an aspect of Moshe-<Mashiach,> who considered himself as “remnants,” as is written (Numbers 12:3), “The man Moshe, however, was very humble.” This is the reason he is called a wise man, as is written (Job 28:12), “Wisdom comes from Ayin (Nothingness).” Through this the wise man has the power to appease, as is written, “but a wise man can pacify it.”
וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה כְּשֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל מֹשֶׁה עַל חֵטְא הָעֵגֶל, אָמַר (שמות ל״ב:ל״ב): אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם, וְאִם אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא; כִּי זֶה מִן הַנִּמְנָע, שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לְאָדָם אֵיזֶה גַּדְלוּת, כְּשֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ שֶׁמְּסַפְּרִין שִׁבְחוֹ, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן כְּשֶׁמֶּלֶךְ גָּדוֹל מְשַׁבֵּחַ וּמְפָאֵר אֶת הָאָדָם, אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי מִן הַנִּמְנָע, שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא לוֹ אֵיזֶה גַּדְלוּת. אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לָזֶה בִּטּוּל כָּל הַרְגָּשׁוֹתָיו וְחָמְרִיּוֹתָיו, אֲזַי יָכוֹל הָאָדָם לִשְׁמֹעַ שִׁבְחוֹ, וְלֹא יָבוֹא לוֹ שׁוּם גַּדְלוּת, כְּמוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ, שֶׁרָאָה כָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה: וַיְּדַבֵּר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה, וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל מֹשֶׁה; וְיִשְׂרָאֵל קוֹרְאִין בְּכָל יוֹם בַּתּוֹרָה שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, וְהוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ מְסַפֵּר לָהֶם שְׁבָחָיו, וְלֹא הָיָה לְמֹשֶׁה שׁוּם הִתְפָּאֲרוּת וְגַדְלוּת מִזֶּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד, וּבְוַדַּאי עַל־יְדֵי עַנְוְתָנוּתוֹ הָיָה כֹּחַ בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה לְכַפֵּר עֲווֹן־הָעֵגֶל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה. This is why when Moshe prayed that the sin of the Golden Calf [be pardoned], he said (Exodus 32:32), “If You would, forgive their sin. But if not, please blot me out [from the book that You have written]!” It is impossible for a person not to feel some pride when he hears himself being praised. All the more so, when a great king praises and lauds the person; then, it is certainly impossible that he would not be moved to some feelings of self-importance. However, this necessitates the negation of all one’s emotions and corporeality. Then, a person can hear himself being praised and not come to any pride. This was the case with Moshe Rabbeinu, who saw it written in the Torah: “God spoke to Moshe,” [and] “God said to Moshe.” Each day, the Jewish people read in the Torah [God’s] praise of Moshe. What’s more, he himself related his praise to them. Yet Moshe had no feelings of haughtiness or pride from this, as is written, “The man Moshe, however, was very humble.” And, certainly, by means of his humility Moshe had the power to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf, as is written, “… but a wise man can pacify it.”
וְזֶה שֶׁטָּעַן מֹשֶׁה: וְאִם אַיִן, הַיְנוּ אִם לֹא תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם, בָּזֶה אַתָּה מַרְאֶה, שֶׁאֵין לִי כָּל כָּךְ עֲנִיווּת, שֶׁאוּכַל לְכַפֵּר לָהֶם עֲווֹן הָעֵגֶל, בְּכֵן בַּקָּשָׁתִי: מְחֵנִי נָא, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא אֶכָּשֵׁל בְּגַדְלוּת, שֶׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה וְשׁוֹמֵעַ בְּכָל עֵת סִפּוּר שְׁמִי וְשִׁבְחִי בַּתּוֹרָה, כִּי מִי יוּכַל לַעֲמֹד בָּזֶה, שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע סִפּוּר שִׁבְחוֹ וְלֹא יִתְגָּאֶה, אִם לֹא עָנָו גָּדוֹל; וְאִם אֲנִי עָנָו, צָרִיךְ לְךָ שֶׁתִּשָּׂא חֲטָּאתָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְעוֹבֵר עַל פֶּשַׁע לִשְׁאֵרִית וְכוּ': This was Moshe’s argument: “But if not”—i.e., if You do not forgive their sin, You are demonstrating that I do not possess the humility needed to atone for the sin of the Golden Calf. This is why I requested, “please blot me out,” so as not to be tripped up by pride. For I constantly see and hear the recounting of my name and praise in the Torah. Who can stand up to this—hearing his praise recounted and not become haughty—if not a very humble person? And, if I am humble, You must pardon their sin, as is written, “[The Lord] forgives the transgression for the remnant….”
וְזֶה: (דברים ל״ג:ה׳) וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ, הַיְנוּ שֶׁמַּלְכוּת עָלָה לְשָׁרְשָׁהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים ל״ז:י״א): וַעֲנָוִים יִרְשׁוּ אָרֶץ, וְאֶרֶץ הִיא דִּינָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (איוב כ׳:כ״ז): וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לוֹ: This is (Deuteronomy 33:5): “There was a MeLeKh (king) in Yeshurun”—indicating that MaLKhut had risen to its source, as it is written (Psalms 37:11), “But the humble will inherit the earth.” “Earth” is dina d’malkhuta (the law of the government), as is written (Job 20:27), “Earth rises up against him.”