תורה 10

4. And this matter of elevating prayer from the levels of mountain and field to that of house and “city of our God,” so that His sovereignty will also be revealed to the idolators in order for them to have an understanding of His Godliness, can only be achieved through the tzaddikim of the generation. As our Sages taught: When a person has someone sick at home, let him turn to a wise man who will arouse mercy for him (Bava Batra 116a).

{“Now hashev (return) aishet ha’ish (the man ’s wife), for he is a navi (a prophet). He will pray for you, and you will live” (Genesis 20:7).} For the essence of prayer is only known to the tzaddikim of the generation. But there are haughty individuals who do not want to go to the tzaddikim. They say that they themselves can pray. They also prevent other people—when they experience suffering and sickness—from turning the tzaddikim. Of such individuals it is said, “return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live.”

This haughty individual is called “Avimelekh.” Avi connotes “desire,”; he desires to m’lokh (rule). Hence, Avi-melekh (I desire to rule). For the truth is that the tzaddik rules through his prayer, as is written (2 Samuel 23:3), “The tzaddik rules….” But [this haughty individual] boasts that he can pray and that rulership is his. This is the reason why he is called “Avimelekh,” for he desires to rule and says, “I will m’lokh.”

And this is the explanation of hashev aishet ha’ish. The letters of AiSheT (wife) are an acrostic for Adonay Sefatai Tiftach, which is the aspect of prayer. In other words, “return the wife”—the aspect of prayer—to the tzaddik, “for he is a prophet.”

For God desires the prayers of the tzaddikim (Yevamot 64a). He sends a well arranged prayer into [the tzaddik’s] mouth, so that He might derive pleasure from his prayer. This is, “… for he is a NaVi,” which denotes NiV sefataim (an expression of the lips). As our Sages taught: “I will create an expression of the lips” (Isaiah 57:19) —if his prayer was fluent in his mouth, [he knew he was accepted] (Berakhot 34b).

And this is HaSheV, the letters of which form an acrostic for Har (mountain), Sadeh (field) and Bayit (house). This alludes to the perfect nature of the tzaddik’s prayer, which he elevates from the levels of mountain and field to the level of house, as explained above.

But these haughty individuals prevent God from having this pleasure. They do not ask the tzaddikim to pray on their behalf. They think that because they fasted and mortified themselves, this has made them into tzaddikim. It is not so. All the fasts they fasted are only like a sack with many holes. Even when the sack is emptied, the holes remain.

And the body is called a sack, as in the words of the Tanna: “Sharp scholar, open your sack” (Shabbat 152a). Were they to look carefully at themselves they would see that even after all the fasting, they still have all their passions tied up in their sack—i.e., their bodies. And, not only are their own passions still bound to their bodies, but also their father’s passion. This has been with them from birth, because their fathers did not sanctify themselves during cohabitation. This, too, is still bound to their bodies. Were they aware of all this, they would undoubtedly be overcome by fright. For they would realize that they are standing on an inferior and very low level.

{“And it happened as they began emptying their sacks, that behold, each one’s bundle of money was [found] in his sack. And when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they became afraid. Avihem (Their father) Yaakov said to them, ‘Otee shekaltem (You’re making me lose my children). Yosef is gone. Shimon is gone. And now you want to take Binyamin! All these things are happening to me!’” (Genesis 42:35, 36).} This is the explanation of, “And it happened as they began emptying their sacks, that behold, each one’s bundle of money was [found] in his sack.” Even after all the fasts—which is “emptying the sack,” the body—“each one’s bundle of KeSeF (money) was found”—his < KiSuFin (desires)> and passions were bound and tied “in his sack” and his body. “And when they and their father saw the bundles of money”—in other words, [they realized that] not only their own bundles of money, their own passions, but also “they and their father,” their father’s passion had also not fallen from them. Thus, “they became afraid”—they were overcome by fright, and so no longer wanted to take power and rule.

This is the explanation of, “Avihem (Their father) Yaakov said to them, ‘Otee shekaltem (You’re making me lose my children). Yosef is gone….’” This is an allusion to the intellect’s rebuke, because the intellect reproves the haughty individuals who seek prominence. For YaAKoV corresponds to intellect, as Onkelos renders YaAKVeiny (“he went behind my back”): “he outsmarted me” (Genesis 27:36).

And this is “AVihem,” because AV (father) indicates wisdom (Megillah 13a). In other words, the SeKheL (intellect) rebukes them, saying, “otee SheKaLtem.” For whenever someone is haughty, his wisdom leaves him (cf. Pesachim 66b).

“Yosef is gone.” This corresponds to making amends. In other words, you have still not rectified that which is awry, and this is a humiliation and a disgrace. You should be ashamed because of this. Because making amends corresponds to yOSeF, as in (Genesis 30:23), “God OSaF (has gathered up) my humiliation.”

“Shimon is gone.” That is, because you do not have the quality of Yosef, you therefore do not have the quality of Shimon. ShiMOn corresponds to, “for God ShaMA (has heard) that I am despised” (Genesis 29:33). But you are not despised because you have not rectified yourself. As such, you certainly cannot rebuke others, for they will say to you: “First adorn yourself…” (Bava Metzia 107b). This is why you are not despised. For the person who gives reproof is despised, as our Sages taught: When the people of a city are fond of a rabbinical scholar, it is not due to his excellence, but because he fails to rebuke them in spiritual matters (Ketuvot 105b). This shows that one who gives reproof is despised.

“And now you want to take Binyamin!” This indicates prominence, as Rashi explains (Genesis 35:18): “BiNYaMIN —he was called this because of the Land of Israel: BeN YaMIN.” And the Land of Israel is higher than all other lands (Zevachim 54b).

In other words, not enough that you lack all these qualities, but on top of this “you want to take Binyamin”—you want to take prominence for yourselves. And this is how the intellect concluded its reproof of them: “All these things are happening to me!” Everything is happening to me, because “whenever someone is haughty, his wisdom leaves him.”