Sugiyot Class #5 Anger, Money and Spirituality

(1) 5. This is also the explanation of “I will give them, in My House and within My walls, a yad (monument) and a name better than sons or daughters” (Isaiah 56:5). Specifically “a yad and a name”—in the merit of keeping “My Sabbaths,” i.e., the aforementioned circle and square. “A yad” is the aspect of a square/ mishpat, in the aspect of “and My Yad (Hand) lays hold of mishpat” (Deuteronomy 32:41). “A name” is the aspect of IGuLa (a circle), in the aspect of “He leads me on maAGLei (paths of) righteousness for the sake of His Name” (Psalms 23:3) .

(2) “A yad” alludes to a person’s ability to produce worthy students and instill in them the spirit of wisdom, as it is written (Deuteronomy 34:9), “Yehoshua son of Nun was filled with a spirit of wisdom, because Moshe had laid his hands on him.” One acquires this ability from the House of God, since ‘the fountain of wisdom emerges from God’s House’ (cf. Joel 4:18), and “A house is built by wisdom” (Proverbs 24:3) .

(3) “And a name” alludes to meriting a good name such that all the souls long to be rooted in his name. For the name is the soul, in the aspect of “a living soul is its name” (Genesis 2:19). They long to be rooted in his soul, in the aspect of “Your Name and Your remembrance are the longing of the soul” (Isaiah 26:8) .

(4) They merit this name due to the aspect of a wall. The aspect of a wall is the aspect of patience, of controlling one’s temper. This is because wealth and controlling anger are a single aspect and are called a wall. Someone who mars the wall of wealth procures for himself anger and rage; he turns ChoMaH (wall) into CheiMaH (rage).

(5) This is because both are from the left side, as it is written (Jeremiah 1:14), “The evil will come forth out of the north”; and it is written (Job 37:22), “gold emerges from the north.” And wealth is a wall, as it is written (Proverbs 18:11), “The rich man’s wealth is his stronghold, it is like a reinforced wall in his abode.” And of anger it is written (ibid. 25:28), “Like an open city without walls is a person with an unrestrained spirit.”

(6) When a person acquires wealth, he has a wall, and the wall of wealth restrains his anger. Yet occasionally, when his temper takes over and he mars the wall of wealth, then the anger proves damaging to wealth. Thus, when a person is provoked to anger by the evil inclination, he should know that at that moment they would grant him a sum of money from on high, and the evil inclination wants to ruin this bounty.

(7) In the main, the way to guard the name, which is guarding the soul, is only by guarding against anger. This is because anger blemishes one’s soul, in the aspect of “He tears apart his soul with his anger” (Job 18:4). However, when a person guards against anger and enhances the wall of wealth, through which he enhances his name and soul as well, then all the souls long to be encompassed in his soul. This is because all souls are rooted in wealth, in the aspect of “his soul depends on it” (Deuteronomy 24:15) .

(8) Because of this, when someone steals money from a Jew, it is like stealing his soul (Bava Kama 119a), in the aspect of “and rob the soul of those who rob them” (Proverbs 22:23). This is the reason that everyone longs to get close to a rich person, since the root of their soul is there.

(9) Thus it is that someone who merits producing Torah scholars and having many people’s souls encompassed in his soul, this is certainly “better than sons or daughters.” For sons and daughters are few, while these are many, and they all receive life-force from him, as though he fathered them.

(10) This is the explanation of “I will bless you and enhance your name” (Genesis 12:2). Rashi comments: “I will bless you”—with money. This is because the name and the soul are enhanced mainly through wealth, as explained above.

(11) All this is accomplished by means of the aforementioned throne and mishpat, since, by ‘ordering his devarav with mishpat, ’ he can teach his wisdom to students and it will not harm them. Teaching is dependent mainly on this, that he order his words with mishpat, as it is written: Scholars, be cautious with your words… and the students who follow you drink… (Avot 1:11) .

(12) And, as a result of glory being enhanced, the soul that enhances glory is enhanced. This is because the soul resides in glory, in the aspect of “Let my soul not enter their plot, [let my glory not be included in their assembly]” (Genesis 49:6). Then, as a result of his name and his soul being enhanced, all the souls long to be encompassed in his soul and name, as mentioned above.

(13) This is the explanation of “A house and riches one inherits from one’s forefathers” (Proverbs 19:14). “A house and riches” is the aspect of “in My House and within My walls”… This ability one receives from forefathers, since the Patriarchs would make converts.

(14) As it is written concerning Avraham, “the souls they made.” Likewise, it is written (Genesis 37:1), “Yaakov settled in the area of his father’s megurey (dwelling)”; and the Midrash states: This teaches that Yitzchak would make GeiRim (converts)—this is “his father’s meGuRey” (Bereishit Rabbah 84:4). And of Yaakov it is written (Genesis 35:2), “Yaakov said to his family and to those who were with him”—i.e., the converts—“Get rid of the alien gods.”

(1) 6. And know! there are certain wicked people whom it is forbidden to bring under the wings of His service, since they cause the one who brings them closer to descend from his level. As we find concerning Moshe, that he attracted the mixed multitude and then later, as a result of this, the Holy One said to him: “Go down, for your people have become corrupt” (Exodus 32:7). There is not enough power in the aforementioned mishpat to subdue their evil. And when mishpat is lacking, this brings great harm to the angels made by mishpat, as explained above, as well as to the aforementioned circle and square. {Why are the Tarmodians’ eyes weak?… Because where they reside they are surrounded by cholot (sand) (Shabbat 31a).}

(2) This is the explanation of: Why are the Tarmodians’ eyes weak? “Tarmod” is the aspect of wicked people who are not accepted as converts. {As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: We do not accept converts from the Tarmodians (Yevamot 16a-b) .}

(3) Whoever brings them closer, their eyes become weak. This is the aspect of marring ShaBbaT— Shin is the three colors of the eye; BaT is the bat (pupil) of the eye (Tikkuney Zohar #70)—the aspect of marring the aforementioned wall and house, which are the aspect of the eyes.

(4) For the eyes connote wisdom, as it is written (Genesis 3:7), “Then the eyes of both of them were opened.” And of the soul it is said (Ecclesiastes 6:9), “Better is the feasting of the eyes than the soul’s pursuit.” And this is the aspect of the blemish of anger, the aspect of “My eyes are dimmed by anger” (Psalms 6:8). It is likewise the aspect of wealth, the aspect of “As prosperity increases, so do those that consume it. What, then, has its possessor gained other than feasting his eyes?” (Ecclesiastes 5:10) .

(5) Thus, they asked Hillel the Prince: Why are their eyes weak?—That is, [why are] all the aforementioned aspects of the eyes marred when those who are undeserving, such as the Tarmodians, are brought close?

(6) And Hillel answered: Because where they reside they are surrounded by cholot—In other words, the success of these wicked people is so dominant that the power of mishpat is incapable of subduing their evil. This is: “His ways yachilu (prosper) at all times; he is impervious to Your mishpat” (Psalms 10:5). Thus, this is the meaning of “surrounded by ChoLot,” the aspect of yaChiLu, the aspect of their success making them impervious to mishpat .

(7) That mishpat is required, is known, as explained above. But, because they are impervious to mishpat, the aspect of the eyes is marred.

(8) {Until here is leshon Rabbeinu z’l .139}

(9) {Lesson #58, “Tlat Nafkin Meichad (Three Emerge from One),” and this teaching, “Heikhal HaKodesh (A Chamber of Holiness),” were delivered as a single teaching on the verse, “Happy is the people that knows the shofar’s blast” (Psalms 89:16). However, afterwards, when [the Rebbe] recorded them, he separated them into two lessons. Thus, when he gave me the written texts of these teachings, he said, “I separated them into two.” I understood that he had a definite intention with this, one which God alone knows.}