חלק ב — תורה 8

“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day. For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov.” (Psalms 81:4-5)

Although tokhachah (moral guidance and reproof) is extremely important, and it is incumbent upon every Jew to reprove his fellow Jew when he sees him acting incorrectly, as it is written (Leviticus 19:17), “You shall surely reprove your fellow,” nevertheless, not everyone is fit to offer moral guidance. As Rabbi Akiva said: I doubt if there is anyone in this generation who is capable of giving reproof (Arakhin 16b). And if Rabbi Akiva said this in his era, then it is all the more so now, in this current era.

When the one who gives moral guidance is unfit to give it, not only does he not help with his reproof, but he even causes the souls which hear it to raise a bad odor. For his reproof arouses the stench of the wicked deeds and bad traits of the people he reproves.

This is akin to when something that has an unpleasant odor is at rest. As long as we don’t move the object, the foul odor is undetected. But when one starts to move that object, the stench is stirred up. Likewise the reproof given by someone who is unfit to give it; it moves and stirs the stench of the wicked deeds and bad traits of the people he reproves. He causes them to raise a bad odor and, through this, weakens their souls. Consequently, the flow of bounty is suspended from all the worlds which are dependent upon these souls.

This is because the soul mainly nourishes from scent, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: From where is it derived that we recite a blessing over fragrances? It is stated: “Let every soul praise God” (Psalms 150:6). From what does the soul derive pleasure but the body does not? You have to say it is fragrance (Berakhot 43b). Therefore, on account of this reprover who causes them to raise a bad odor, the souls, whose nourishment is from scent, are weakened. The flow of bounty to all the worlds which are dependent upon them is then automatically suspended.

But when the one giving the moral guidance is fit to give it, then, on the contrary, he enhances and gives the souls a pleasant scent through his reproof. This is because the reproof must resemble Moshe’s reproof of the Jews over the incident of the [Golden] Calf. Through his reproof he gave them a pleasant scent, as in “my nard gave forth its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12), which was said in reference to the incident of the Calf. It does not say “leave behind” but “gave forth,” as Rashi expounds there and as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in the Talmud (Shabbat 88b).

Moshe’s reproof over the incident of the Calf gave them an added pleasant scent, which is sustenance for the soul. For the soul nourishes mainly from scent. Through his voice, the one fit to offer moral guidance gives the souls a pleasant scent, i.e., spiritual sustenance.

There is sustenance for the soul and sustenance for the body. The body’s sustenance weakens the soul’s sustenance. This is because the body’s sustenance—i.e., through eating and drinking—raises the heel of the Other Side, as in “eating my bread has raised the heel over me” (Psalms 41:10). Through eating, the heels and the feet are strengthened, as in “Eat well and it will be noticeable in the feet” (Shabbat 152a). And then, as a result of the aikev (heel) of the Other Side growing strong, God forbid, the aikev of holiness—the aspect of “Aikev (the end product of) humility is fear of God” (Proverbs 22:4), which corresponds to scent, as in “He will be imbued with the scent of the fear of God” (Isaiah 11:3), namely, spiritual sustenance—becomes weak, God forbid.

The rectification for this is brought about through the concept of voice. For the voice waters the garden in which all the scents and fears grow, as in “A river issues from Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:10). “A river issues from Eden” alludes to the voice, as in “the rivers raise up their voice” (Psalms 93:3). And this is the concept of “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). It is this voice watering the garden that causes all the scents/fear of God—i.e., sustenance for the soul—to grow there.

This voice subdues the heel of the Other Side, for it is the concept of “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” (Genesis 27:22). Yaakov therefore attained the concept of scent, as in “See, my son’s fragrance is like the scent of a field” (ibid. :27). This was said of yaAKoV, who subdues the AKeiV of the Other Side, as in “his hand holding on to Esav’s akeiv (heel)” (Genesis 25:26).

And this voice is the voice of the fit reprover, as in “raise your voice like a shofar and tell My people of their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). One who would reprove the Jewish people and tell them of their transgression and wrongdoing must possess this voice so as not to cause them to raise a bad odor by arousing their sins. He must therefore possess this voice, because through this voice—which waters the garden and causes all the scents to grow—he enhances them and gives them a pleasant scent.

This is the meaning of “raise your voice ka’shophar (like a shofar).” Specifically “like a shofar,” because this voice which waters the garden, the aspect of “A river flows from Eden,” corresponds to the voice of the melody of the song destined to burst forth in the Future when He renews His world—i.e., the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song. This is Ka’ShoPhaR, the first letters of Pashut-Kaful-Sh’loosh-Ravua. This is the Song of the Future, the voice that waters the garden; the specific voice through which he is able to give reproof. Thus, this is “raise your voice like a shofar”—specifically ka’shophar.

And this is the meaning of “they draw a thread of lovingkindness over him,” which is said in reference to one who is fit to offer moral guidance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Tamid 28a) : Whoever reproves his fellow Jew for the sake of God, they draw a thread of lovingkindness over him, as it is stated: “He who reproves a person will later find favor” (Proverbs 28:23).

“A thread of lovingkindness” signifies that strands have been wound and twisted and made into a thread. These are the strings upon which this melody and Song of the Future will be played. They number seventy-two, corresponding to the Holy Name Y-YH-YHV-YHVH—the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song, as brought in the Tikkunim (Tikkuney Zohar # 21, p.51b)—which [likewise] has a total value of seventy-two. And the Song of the Future, when He renews His world, will be played upon these strings, as in “The world will be built on lovingkindness” (Psalms 89:3), for the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song is destined to burst forth then.

Thus, this is the meaning of “a thread of lovingkindness” mentioned in connection with the fit reprover; it refers to the thread made from the strings upon which this song will be played when the world is renewed, the concept of “The world will be built on lovingkindness.” And this is the meaning of “a thread of lovingkindness is drawn over him.” The drawing signifies drawing on and plucking the strings in order to play the aforementioned song on them. It follows that with his voice, the one fit to offer moral guidance gives the souls a pleasant scent, as mentioned above.