Sha'ar HaEmunah VeYesod HaChasidut, Entrance to the Gate of Beit Yaakov 18

ממשיך לבאר, שעוברי רצונו אינם רואים איך נעשה על ידיהם שליחות ה', ואין להם שום חלק והשארה, מהכבוד שמים שנתגדל על ידם. Rebelling against G-d – truth or illusion
In the previous chapter, the author wrote that when a sinner relates to God haphazardly; that is, he denies the totality of Divine providence, then God actually acts toward him haphazardly, and he is subject to the vagaries of existence. However, as the author explains here, this is only from the sinners perspective. In reality, even in their rebellion, they are secretly being directed by G-d for purposes beyond their comprehension. Nonetheless, inasmuch as they consciously rebel, they will not receive any benefit nor eternal reward for the good that ultimately derives from their evil deeds. On the other hand, as the author states at the end of the chapter, when an individual firmly believes that God directs all reality, then reality itself tends to his favor, in both subtle and miraculous ways.

וזה שאמר הכתוב (תהלים קמ) זממו אל תפק ירומו סלה וכדאי' במדרש רבה (פ' תבוא) כל מי שלומד דברי תורה ואינו מקיים עונשו חמור ממי שלא למד כל עיקר וכו' מנין שנא' (ישעיהו כ״ו:י׳) יוחן רשע בל למד צדק, אבל אם למד ולא קיים אינו נחנן. והיינו ששאל אותו אולי רשעתו מפני שלא למד צדק, וכדאי' במגילה (דף ו ע"א) ואמר רבי יצחק מאי דכתיב יוחן רשע בל למד צדק אמר יצחק לפני הקב"ה יוחן עשו אמר לו רשע הוא, אמר לו בל למד צדק שבזה רצה ללמד זכות על עשו, לפי שעקר תלוי לפי השגתו בהיקף גבול תפיסתו. והשיב לו הש"י בארץ נכוחות יעול, שבמקום שידוע לו נוכח פניו דברים נכוחים, שם עושה עוולות בעברת זדון, אמר לו א"כ בל יראה גאות ה'. וענין בל יראה גאות ה'. היינו אף שהש"י עושה שליחותו ע"י הכל ואפילו ע"י עוברי רצונו כעשו הרשע, בכל זאת הוא עצמו אינו רואה איך נעשה על ידו שליחות הש"י, וזהו שאינו רואה גאות ה', אף מה שנעשה על ידו, וכמו שמצינו שנתגדל שם שמים ע"י פרעה כדאי' במכילתא (פ' ח) מי כמכה באלים ה' אמר פרעה. וכן ע"י המן בשעתו כדאי' במס' מגלה (י:) והיה לה' לשם אלו ימי פורים, לאות עולם לא יכרת זה מקרא מגלה, והם בעצמם אין להם שום חלק בהכבוד שמים שנתגדל ונתרבה על ידם. וכדאי' במס' מגלה (ו.) אל תתן ה' מאוי רשע זממו אל תפק ירומו סלה (תהלים קמ) אמר יעקב לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע אל תתן לעשו הרשע תאות לבו זממו אל תפק זו גרממיא של אדום וכו' יעו"ש איך שמטרידין את דעתם. וזהו ירומו סלה שהש"י מנהג עמם מרומם למעלה מהשגתם, שאין להם מצדם שום השארה מהכבוד שמים שנתגדל על ידם: The Psalmist said (Tehillim, 140:9), “Do not further his evil plan, lest he go and laud himself because of this.” This is as it is written in the Midrash Rabbah (Tavo), “One who learns Torah and does not fulfill it receives a greater punishment than one who did not learn it at all. From where do we derive this? It is written (Yeshayahu, 26:10), ‘Favor will be shown to the wicked, who did not learn righteousness.’⁴¹³The Midrash is freely interpreting this verse. The literal reading is: “Even if an evil person is shown favor, he will still not learn righteousness..” Whereas, if he learned the Torah and does not fulfill its commandments, he is not shown favor.” It may be asked, “Perhaps a person is wicked because he did not learn the path of righteousness?” This question is addressed in the Talmud (Megillah, 6a): Rav Yitzhak also said: What is the meaning of the verse, “Favor will be shown to the wicked, who did not learn righteousness”? Yitzhak Avinu said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the Universe, show mercy upon Esav.” God replied. “He is wicked.” Yitzhak said to Him, “He did not learned righteousness!”⁴¹⁴Meaning, Esav did not learn Torah, and thus should not be requited for his evil deeds. God replied (with the continuation of the verse), “Even in a land of uprightness (nekhochut), they continue doing evil.” Yitzhak said, “If so, ‘let him not behold the majesty of God.’” When Yitzhak said, “He has not learnt righteousness,” he sought to judge Esav favorably. He argued that Esav’s actions were determined by the limits of his understanding. God answered Yitzhak, “Even in the land of the nekhochut (“uprightness,” or “presence”) he will continue doing evil.” That is to say, even if Esav were in the presence of God, he would still not act righteously, but use his elevated consciousness to deliberately and knowingly sin. This being the case, Yitzhak said, “Let him not behold the majesty of the God.” ⁴¹⁵Yitzhak asks G-d to show compassion on his brother, Esav, the sinner. He argues that Esav is unaware of the greater context of his actions. Like one who sins withough having learned Torah (Torah, here, being synonymous with an awareness of G-d’s plan.) Esav’s sins are only in terms of his own, constricted consciousness. From G-d’s perspective, even in sinning, he is fulfilling G-d’s will. However, G-d responds that even if Esav saw things from the higher perspective, he would still intent to rebel against G-d. If so, Yitzchak replies, then do not let him see Your Glory; that is, do not let him see how he is fulfilling Your will through his sins. What does it mean to not see the majesty of God? It means that even though God uses his entire creation, including the wicked, for His own purposes and to achieve His desired ends, nonetheless, the wicked cannot see how God is using them as an agent of His design. This is, “he shall not see the majesty of God,” even when it is actualized through him. Similarly, we find that the glory of God was revealed through Pharaoh. The Mekhilta (Ch. 8) has Pharaoh saying, “Who is like You among the powers O God!” (Shemot, 15:11) This was also true with Haman in the days of Purim. The Talmud says (Megillah, 10b), “‘And it shall be to God for a name’ (Yeshayahu, 55:13)⁴¹⁶Just before this the verse said, “and from under the brier shall sprout the myrtle tree (Hadas, in Hebrew.) The point is that Hadas is another name for Queen Ester. – this refers to the days of Purim. (The verse continues) ‘For an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off’ – this refers to the reading of the Megillah.” Though Pharaoh and Haman were used as God’s agents to perform miracles and reveal the Glory of Heaven in the world, they themselves had no portion whatsoever in that sanctification of God’s name that came about through them. This is as it is written in the Talmud (Megillah, 6a), “What is the meaning of the verse (Tehillim, 140:9), ‘O God, do not grant the desires of the wicked, do not further his evil plan, lest he go and laud himself because of this?’ Yaakov said before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Master of the Universe, Do not grant the evil Esav the desire of his heart.’ ‘Do not further his evil plan,’ this refers to Germamia of Edom (an evil king that would descend from Esav).” Study this passage in greater depth, and see how God confounded them.⁴¹⁷This passage in the Talmud continues, “this refers to Germamia of Edom, for should they but go forth they would destroy the whole world. Rav Khama ben Khanina said, ‘There are three hundred crowned heads in Germamia of Edom and three hundred and sixty-five chieftains in Rome. Every day one goes forth to meet the other, one of them is killed, and they have all the trouble of appointing a new king.” The words, “lest they praise themselves (pen yaroomu),” could also mean, “they shall be raised above.”⁴¹⁸The verse from Tehillim would then read: “Do not further his evil plan, for [Your hidden purposes] are far above him [above his comprehension].” This means that God leads them in a place far above their ability to comprehend, and they themselves take no credit from the Glory of God which is magnified through them.

וזה מאמר צופר הנעמתי (איוב כ׳:ה׳) כי רננת רשעים מקרוב ושמחת חנף עדי רגע וגו' חיל בלע ויקאנו. היינו שאין נשאר בקרבו שום השארה, שאף שבלע חיל מה שהיה נצרך בשעתו שיעשה בכחו וחילו איזה שליחות לרצון הש"י, אבל לפי שלא היה מדעתו ורצונו ורק שנעשה על ידו, לכן לא ישאר ממנו בו שום השארה ויקאנו ומבטנו ירשנו אל. וכמו שמסיים אל ירא בפלגות נהרי נחלי דבש וחמאה, שדבש וחלב רומז על האחרית הטוב המיועד, גמול הטוב לעובדי הש"י ועושי רצונו, אך לפי שאינו נעשה מרצונו ודעת, רק שמתנהג על ידו שלא מדעתו, לא יראה עצמו בטוב המיועד לעושי רצון הבורא מדעתם. ובאמת כל מריו והריסותיו הוא רק בהיקף גבול תפיסתו ושכלו, וכל השחתתו הוא רק לעצמו, שרצון הש"י מתקיים אפילו על ידו, ורק שהוא לדעתו עומד במריו ומרדו. וכדאיתא בתיקוני הזהר הקדמה (דף ב.) מסטרא דיליה שליט עבד ושפחה על עלמא. אבל באמת אין החוטא פוגם בהנהגת השי"ת, רק מסטרא דיליה הוא פוגם ומשחית, היינו שבגבול היקף שכלו ותפיסתו יראה שהשחית בעולם. וכמ"ש (האזינו לב ה) שחת לו, ומתרגם אונקלוס חבילו להון לא ליה: In the twentieth chapter of the book of Iyov, Zofar the Naamite says, “Do you know this from old, since man was placed on earth, that the triumph of the wicked is short, and that the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment? … He has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again.” That is to say, no remnant remains within the wicked. It was necessary at the moment for him to “swallow riches,” meaning that God willed that something in the world had to come about through the power and wealth of a certain sinner. However, this wasn’t the sinner’s intention. Unknowingly, he was being used as an actor in God’s play. Therefore, no remnant remains with the sinner,⁴¹⁹That is, no merit or reward for having fulfilled G-d’s will. “he will vomit it, and God shall cast it out of his belly.” This is as Zophar the Naamite continues, “He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the streams of honey and butter.” Honey and butter represent the good reward God has in store for His servants and those who follow after His will. Yet the wrongdoer has no intention or desire to fulfill God’s will. It happens through him, not by him. Therefore he will not see any reward that is stored away for those who actively intend to magnify God’s glory in the world. Truly, all of his rebellion and destruction exists only within the scope of his limited perception and understanding. He only damages himself, for God’s will is fulfilled even through him. It is only in his limited estimation that he carries out a rebellion. This is as it is written in the introduction to the Tikkunei Zohar (2a): From their own perspective, the slave and the maidservant think that they are ruling the world. God’s management of the world is not actually disturbed by the sinner. It is only from his own perspective that he wreaks destruction. Meaning, within the scope of his own understanding he sees that he is destroying the world. This is as it is written (Devarim, Parshat Ha’azinu, 32:5), “Do they destroy Him? No! The blemish is on His children.” The Aramaic translation of Onkelos reads, “They destroy their own, not His.”

ובזוה"ק בא (דף לג.) ותסיתני בו לבלעו חנם (איוב ב ג) אי הכי לאו בדינא הוה אלא במימר האי מקטרגא דאסית ליה ואסטי ליה אלא כלא בדינא הוה והכי אמר לו אליהוא (איוב לד) כי פעל אדם אדם ישלם לו וכארח איש ימצאנו, והכי הוה כמה דאתמר כמה דאיהו גזר הכי אתגזר עליה. והאי דאמר ותסיתני בו לבלעו חנם ותסיתני לבלעו לא כתיב אלא ותסיתני בו ביה קיימא בדעתיה דאיהו חשיב דהא תסיתני כמה דאמר (שם י) ועל עצת רשעים הופעת כגוונא דא (תהלים עח) ויפתוהו בפיהם ובלשונם יכזבו לו, ויפתוהו ויכזבו לו לא כתיב אלא ויפתוהו בפיהם בפיהם קיימא מלא דא דהא אתפתה. והוא שכמו שהאדם קובע בנפשו אמונת הש"י, כן מנהג עמו הש"י, וכדאי' בזוה"ק (וירא קג:) נודע בשערים בעלה דא קוב"ה דאיהו אתיידע ואתדבק לפום מה דמשער בלביה כל חד כמה דיכיל לאתדבקא ברוח דחכמתא. וכמו שכתבנו בהקדמה בענין השגחת הש"י שהוא כפי אמונת האדם. וכדאי' בתו"כ (בחוקותי) ואם תלכו עמי קרי אף אני אלך וגו' אם תעשו אותי עראי בעולם אף אני אעשה אתכם עראי בעולם. והיינו שמי שמאמין וסובר שהעולם מקרה הוא, כפי אמונתו כן מנהג עמו הש"י, והוא נתון תחת המקרה, וכשיאמין שהש"י משגיח בכל פרט, אז מצדו משגיח הש"י בכל פרט הבריאה לטובתו. וכדאי' יבמות (סג. ומדרש רבה פ' לך) אפילו חביות של יין נסך שהלכו מגליא לאספמיא הוו מתברכין בשביל אברהם ומקשה הרי של יין נסך היו ומתרץ חלא מוזיל חמרא. הרי שלזכותו של אברהם שייטב לו, היה משגיח הקב"ה אף על מקום רחוק, שהיה יכול לצמוח אפילו טובה קטנה מן הקטנה לאברהם אבינו ע"ה אפילו בדרך רחוק ע"י גרמא דגרמא, וכפי זה נמצא שכל כללות הבריאה ופרטותיה היו מושגחים בהשגחה פרטיית בשביל אברהם. ואף שכל סוג ומין לבדו מצד עצמו אין עליו רק השגחה כללית. אכן מצד המאמין גם בכל פרט יש השגחה פרטיית. נמצא שכל אחד יש לו היקף בפני עצמו, ובתוך גבול הקיפו מתנהג כפי ערך הכנתו ואמונתו ואין אחד נוגע לחבירו: It is written in the Zohar (Bo, 33a): “[G-d said to the Accuser, "Have you considered My servant Iyov? There is none like him on earth, a sincere and upright man, God-fearing and shunning evil. And he still maintains his integrity,] though you incite Me to him, to destroy him without cause” (Iyov, 2:3) If, as God says, there is no reason to afflict Iyov, then the punishment was unjust; the sole reason being the incitement of the Accuser, who wants him to falter. Yet, in reality, it is all according to justice. This is as Elihu said to Iyov (34:11), “For according to the work of a man shall God pay him back, and things happen to man according to his ways.” And so it was. Just as Pharaoh had decreed upon Israel, so did God decree upon him. As for that which God said, “though you incite Me to him, to destroy him without cause,” notice that the verse does not say, “you incite Me to destroy him,” but rather, “you incite Me to him, to destroy him.” That is, to him, to his own mind, it seems that “you incite Me against me.” This is like Iyov said, “[Is it good that You should oppress, despise the work of Your hands,] and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?” In a similar vein it says (Tehillim, 78:36), “They seduced Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues.” For this reason it is not written, “They seduce Him and lie to Him.” But it says, “They seduce Him in their mouths,”⁴²⁰“B’fihem,” in Hebrew, could either mean with their mouths or in their mouths. to show us that their seduction and lies exists only in their mouths (i.e., in their minds, whereas God knows all).⁴²¹The point being, here, that the rebelliousness of the wicked is only from their perspective, but not from G-d’s. On the other hand, just as man fixes the faith in God in his soul, so does God deal with him. This is as it is written in the Zohar (Vayikra, 103b): “Her husband is known in the gates.” (Mishlei 31:23) “Her husband,” is the Holy One, blessed be He. He is “known” and connected to every one according to how much a person estimates God in his heart.⁴²²The word for “gate” – sha’ar is the same letters as the word for estimation – sha’er. Directly corresponding to how much one can cleave himself to God in the spirit of wisdom, so is God known to him. As we have written in the introduction, God’s providence is according to man’s faith. This is as it is written in Torat Kohanim (on Vayikra, 26:21), “‘If you go with me haphazardly,⁴²³B’keri also, “by chance.” Rashi translates this as “in opposition.” That is, they harden their hearts to prevent themselves from coming close to God. The meaning here, however, is “by chance”; that is, if a person imagines that the world runs haphazardly, without supernal direction, then G-d indeed allows the world to run that way for a person, and he lacks divine providence. then I too will only go with you haphazardly.’ If you consider Me to be impermanent in the world, then I will make you impermanent in the world.” That is, if a person believes that the world runs by chance, then God relates to him according to his faith, and his life is subject to chance. However, when one believes that God’s providence extends to every detail of creation, then, from His side, God’s providence extends to every detail of creation for the person’s benefit. This is as it is written in the Talmud (Yevamot, 63a, and Midrash Rabbah on Lekh Lekha 39:11), “Even barrels of impure wine⁴²⁴Yayin nesech – wine used for idolatrous rituals. being brought from Gaul to Spain were blessed in the merit of Avraham Avinu.” You may ask how this could be as they were barrels of impure wine (and thus not worthy of being blessed). The answer is that even vinegar brings down the price of wine.⁴²⁵That is, even good quality vinegar drives down the price of wine – all the more so, wine itself (even if it is non-kosher). In other words, God blesses the efforts of idolatrous wine merchants coming from distant lands, all in order that Avraham receive benefit from the lower prices that result. Here we see that in the merit of Avraham, whom G-d wanted to benefit, He directed the events of even distant places, so that Avraham might derive even a minute benefit, even through a very distant connection, or a lengthy series of causes and effects. In this way, with regards to Avraham, the entire creation and all of its minutiae were intimately led by God’s providence, even though each of those details themselves were only led by general providence. However, to the man of faith, all the minutiae of creation are led by an intimate, individual providence. We find that each person has his own frame of reference, and within the boundaries of his frame, he is led according to his level of preparedness and faith, with no person on the level of any other.⁴²⁶The disbeliever, though led by general providence, could be used for the benefit of the believer, and at this time be influenced by the individual providence of the believer. Thus from the perspective of the believer he is led by individual providence.