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Kedushas Levi · Parshas Toldos · Maamar יד From the Torah ofRebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchevרבי לוי יצחק מברדיטשובProfile ›

A Hidden Blessing: Slipping Past the Attribute of Judgment

Name a tzaddik: tap for who he wasTitle a sefer

Bereishis 27:30
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה יִצְחָק לְבָרֵךְ אֶת־יַעֲקֹב וַיְהִי אַךְ יָצֹא יָצָא יַעֲקֹב מֵאֵת פְּנֵי יִצְחָק אָבִיו וְעֵשָׂו אָחִיו בָּא מִצֵּידוֹ
And it was, when Yitzchak had finished blessing Yaakov, and Yaakov had only just gone out from the presence of Yitzchak his father, that Esav his brother came in from his hunt.
19a“And it was, when Yitzchak had finished blessing Yaakov.” Why did Yitzchak not want to bless Yaakov from the outset? The Ramban gives the reason: so that the blessings would be given unknowingly. But what does that mean?1 To understand it, we begin with a ruling of the Gemara. The translator, who rendered the Torah reading aloud into Aramaic for the congregation, may not raise his voice above the reader's. The Gemara learns this from the verse “Moshe would speak, and God would answer him with a voice”: with the voice of Moshe.2 Tosafos objects that this verse proves the opposite.3 There, as it were, the Creator, blessed be He, is the reader and Moshe is the translator, so the Gemara should have learned the reverse: the reader may not raise his voice above the translator's.
וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלָּה יִצְחָק לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יַעֲקֹב (בראשית כז, ל). וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין לָמָּה לֹא רָצָה לְבָרֵךְ יִצְחָק תֵּיכֶף אֶת יַעֲקֹב. והרמב"ן ז"ל כָּתַב הַטַּעַם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁלֹּא לָדַעַת וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין אֶת זֹאת. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּהִנֵּה אָמְרִינַן בַּגְּמָרָא (ברכות מה.) אֵין לְהַמְּתַרְגֵּם לְהַגְבִּיהַּ קוֹלוֹ יוֹתֵר מִן הַקּוֹרֵא, וְדַיְיקִינַן מִן הַפָּסוּק (שמות יט, יט) מֹשֶׁה יְדַבֵּר וְהָאֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶנּוּ בְקוֹל בְּקוֹלוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה. וְהִקְשׁוּ הַתּוֹסָפוֹת, כִּי מִן הַפָּסוּק הַזֶּה הַדִּיּוּק הוּא לְהֵיפֶךְ דְּהָתָם כִּבְיָכוֹל הַבּוֹרֵא בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַקּוֹרֵא וּמֹשֶׁה הוּא הַמְתַרְגֵּם וַהֲוֵי לֵיהּ לְדַיֵּיק אִפְכָּא שֶׁאֵין לְהַקּוֹרֵא לְהַגְבִּיהַּ קוֹלוֹ יוֹתֵר מִן הַמְתַרְגֵּם.
  1. Editor's note: The Berditchever answers in three steps: why the Gemara learns the translator's rule from Moshe, why a blessing next to another needs no mention of Hashem's kingship, and the Arizal on “a time when man rules over man.” He ties only the third step to Yitzchak's blessing; it seems the first two lay the ground for it. ↩
  2. Berachos 45a, in the name of R' Shimon ben Pazi; Shemos 19:19. ↩
  3. Tosafos on Berachos 45a, s.v. Bekolo shel Moshe. ↩
In shortThe Ramban explains that Yitzchak held back from blessing Yaakov at once so the blessings would be given unknowingly; explaining this starts from Tosafos' objection to the translator's rule.
19bThe explanation lies in another ruling of the Gemara: “Any blessing that does not contain malchus,” the mention of Hashem's kingship, “is no blessing,” and “any blessing next to another blessing does not need malchus.”4 But why does a blessing next to another not need it? It seems that Avraham Avinu was bound to the Name Kel, and through this Name he brought kindness down to the lower world. Yitzchak was bound to the Name Elokim, which is judgment and fear, as the verse says, “and the Fear of Yitzchak was with me.”5 Yaakov was bound to the Name Havayah, which alludes to compassion. The judgment must be sweetened through two Names, Kel and Havayah. The Arizal wrote that Atah, “You,” alludes to the Name Kel. So when we begin, “Baruch Atah Hashem, Blessed are You, Hashem,” baruch is a word for drawing down: we draw down kindness through the two Names, Atah, which alludes to Kel, and Hashem. With those two Names at the start, we sweeten the judgment that Elokeinu, “our God,” alludes to. That is why a blessing next to another needs no malchus: the judgment was sweetened at the start, it stays sweetened through all the blessings we say, and there is no need to sweeten it again.
וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא, דְּהִנֵּה אָמְרִינַן בַּגְּמָרָא (ברכות יב.) כָּל בְּרָכָה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ מַלְכוּת אֵינָהּ בְּרָכָה, וְכָל בְּרָכָה הַסְּמוּכָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אֵין צָרִיךְ בָּהּ מַלְכוּת. וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין מִפְּנֵי מָה בְּרָכָה הַסְּמוּכָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אֵין צָרִיךְ בָּהּ מַלְכוּת. וְנִרְאֶה, דְּהִנֵּה אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ הָיָה לוֹ אֲחִיזָה בְּשֵׁם אֵל שֶׁבָּזֶה הַשֵּׁם מֵבִיא חֲסָדִים לָעוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן וְיִצְחָק הָיָה לוֹ אֲחִיזָה בְּשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים שֶׁהוּא מִשְׁפָּט וְיִרְאָה כְּמַאֲמַר הַכָּתוּב (בראשית לא, מב) וּפַחַד יִצְחָק הָיָה לִי, וְיַעֲקֹב הָיָה לוֹ אֲחִיזָה בְּשֵׁם הוי"ה שֶׁהוּא מְרוּמָּז עַל הָרַחֲמִים וְצָרִיךְ לְהַמְתִּיק הַדִּין עַל יְדֵי שְׁנֵי הַשֵּׁמוֹת א"ל הוי"ה והאר"י ז"ל כָּתַב שֶׁאַתָּה מְרוּמָּז עַל שֵׁם אֵל לְפִיכָךְ אִם אָמַר בַּתְּחִילָּה בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' וּבָרוּךְ הוּא לְשׁוֹן הַמְשָׁכָה שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיךְ חֶסֶד עַל יְדֵי שְׁנֵי הַשֵּׁמוֹת אַתָּה ה' שֶׁאַתָּה מְרוּמָּז עַל שֵׁם אֵל אֲזַי מַמְתִּיק הַדִּין, דְּהַיְינוּ אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁהוּא מְרוּמָּז עַל הַדִּין אֲנַחְנוּ מַמְתִּיקִין הַדִּין עַל יְדֵי שְׁנֵי הַשֵּׁמוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּחִלָּה, לְפִיכָךְ בְּרָכָה הַסְּמוּכָה לַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אֵין צָרִיךְ בָּהּ מַלְכוּת מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּמְתַּק הַדִּין מִתְּחִלָּה הוּא הוֹלֵךְ כָּךְ בְּכָל הַבְּרָכוֹת שֶׁאָמַר וְאֵין צָרִיךְ עוֹד לְהַמְתִּיק:
  1. Berachos 12a. The first is R' Yochanan's rule (Berachos 12a, 40b); the second appears in Berachos 49a. In “Blessed are You, Hashem our God, King of the universe,” the words “King of the universe” are the malchus. ↩
  2. Bereishis 31:42. ↩
In shortA blessing next to another needs no mention of Hashem's kingship, since “Blessed are You, Hashem” at the start has already sweetened the judgment in “our God” for all that follow.
20aLet us now explain the Gemara's inference about the translator, which at first seems to run the wrong way. We see plainly that Moshe Rabbeinu was the father of the sages and prophets who came after him, and yet his prophecy is easier to understand than that of all the later prophets. Why? Because the Shechinah spoke from Moshe's throat. The other prophets prophesied only what they had seen in a vision, and afterward they had to use parables and images to make their prophecies understood; Moshe needed none of this. So the Gemara's inference holds: the one who makes the words understood is the translator, and here the Holy One, blessed be He, is Himself the translator [and Moshe is the reader]: He answered “with the voice of Moshe,” not above it.
וּנְבָאֵר הַדִּיּוּק שֶׁל הַגְּמָרָא הנ"ל, שֶׁלִּכְאוֹרָה הוּא לְהֵיפֶךְ. הַכְּלָל הוּא, דְּהִנֵּה עֵינֵינוּ רוֹאוֹת שֶׁמֹּשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם הָיָה אָב לַחֲכָמִים וְלַנְּבִיאִים הַבָּאִים אַחֲרָיו וַאֲפִילּוּ הָכֵי נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם קַל לְהָבִין יוֹתֵר מִכָּל הַנְּבִיאִים אַחֲרוֹנִים. אֶלָּא שֶׁמִּפְּנֵי כָּךְ הוּא קַל לְהָבִין נְבוּאַת מֹשֶׁה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה מְדַבֶּרֶת מִתּוֹךְ גְּרוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, אֲבָל הַנְּבִיאִים לֹא הָיוּ מִתְנַבְּאִים אֶלָּא מַה שֶׁחָזוּ בְּחֶזְיוֹן וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִצְרִיכוּ לְהַמְשִׁיל מְשָׁלִים וְדִמְיוֹנוֹת כְּדֵי לְהָבִין הַנְּבוּאוֹת שֶׁאָמְרוּ אֲבָל מֹשֶׁה לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לְכָל זֶה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַשְּׁכִינָה מְדַבֶּרֶת מִתּוֹךְ גְּרוֹנוֹ. נִמְצָא שֶׁהַדִּיּוּק אָתֵי שַׁפִּיר, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ הַמְתַרְגֵּם.
In shortMoshe's prophecy is the easiest to understand because the Shechinah spoke from his throat: Hashem Himself was the translator, so the Gemara's inference holds.
20bAnd what did mean when he wrote that the blessing was given unknowingly? The Arizal wrote on the verse “a time when man rules over man, to his harm”6 that when the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to give a holy soul to the lower world, He must first give it to a place of impurity. Were He to give it directly into this world, the attribute of judgment would, Heaven forbid, hold it back. But when He first gives it to a place of impurity, the forces there think that the holy soul will, Heaven forbid, be among them, and the attribute of judgment does not hold it back. The truth is otherwise. Afterward the horn of the tzaddik is raised up,7 and he breaks all the forces of impurity. So it was with Avraham: he was first given to Terach, and afterward he broke all the idols.8 So it was with Dovid, whose soul was in Lot [his ancestor]; that is why Avraham Avinu pursued the kings and killed them, to rescue the soul of Dovid that was in Lot.9
וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִין מַה שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב"ן שֶׁהַבְּרָכָה הִיא שֶׁלֹּא לָדַעַת, דְּהִנֵּה האר"י ז"ל כָּתַב עַל פָּסוּק (קהלת ח, ט) עֵת אֲשֶׁר שַׁלִּיט אָדָם בְּאָדָם לְרַע לוֹ, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא כְּשֶׁרוֹצֶה לִיתֵּן נְשָׁמָה קְדוֹשָׁה לְעוֹלָם הַתַּחְתּוֹן צָרִיךְ לִיתֵּן מִקּוֹדֶם אֶל מְקוֹם טוּמְאָה שֶׁאִם יִתֵּן תֵּיכֶף בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם אֲזַי מִדַּת הַדִּין חַס וְשָׁלוֹם מְעַכֵּב אֲבָל כְּשֶׁנּוֹתֵן תְּחִילָּה אֶל מְקוֹם טוּמְאָה סְבוּרִים הֵם שֶׁחַס וְשָׁלוֹם הַנְּשָׁמָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה יִהְיֶה בֵּינֵיהֶם אֲזַי אֵין מִדַּת הַדִּין מְעַכֵּב. אֲבָל הָאֱמֶת אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן, אֶלָּא שֶׁאַחַר כָּךְ נִתְרוֹמֵם קַרְנוֹת צַדִּיק וּמְשַׁבֵּר אֶת כָּל כּוֹחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁנָּתַן לוֹ תְּחִלָּה לְתֶרַח וְאַחַר כָּךְ שִׁבֵּר כָּל הַצְּלָמִים וְכֵן הָיָה בְּדָוִד שֶׁהָיָה הַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁלּוֹ בְּלוֹט לָזֶה רָדַף אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ אַחַר הַמְּלָכִים וְהָרַג אוֹתָם כְּדֵי לְהַצִּיל נִשְׁמַת דָּוִד אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בְּלוֹט.
  1. Koheles 8:9. ↩
  2. The phrase echoes Tehillim 75:11. ↩
  3. The story of Avraham breaking his father's idols is in Bereishis Rabbah 38:13. ↩
  4. Bereishis 14. Lot was the father of Moav (Bereishis 19:37), and Dovid descends from Rus the Moabite. ↩
In shortTo slip past judgment, a holy soul is first given to a place of impurity; afterward the tzaddik breaks its forces, as Avraham broke Terach's idols.
20cThis, wrote, is the intent of the verse “a time when man rules over man”: at first the ruler thinks he rules over everything, and in the end it is “to his harm,” to the harm of that very man, for the tzaddik breaks all the forces of impurity belonging to the one who ruled at first. Here, then, is the hint of why Yitzchak did not want to bless Yaakov from the outset. He wanted the attribute of judgment to think the blessing would rest upon it, so that it would not, Heaven forbid, accuse and hold the blessing back; that is why he wanted first to bless Esav. But in truth the main blessing rests on Yaakov, for he breaks all the forces of impurity. May Hashem, blessed be He, grant goodness and blessings. Amen.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁכָּתַב האר"י ז"ל כַּוָּונַת הַכָּתוּב עֵת אֲשֶׁר שַׁלִּיט אָדָם בְּאָדָם, דְּהַיְינוּ מִתְּחִילָּה סָבַר שֶׁהוּא שַׁלִּיט עַל הַכֹּל וּלְבַסּוֹף הוּא רַע לְאוֹתוֹ אָדָם שֶׁמְּשַׁבֵּר כָּל כּוֹחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ אָדָם שֶׁהָיָה שַׁלִּיט מִתְּחִילָּה. וְזֶה הָרֶמֶז שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל כָּךְ לֹא רָצָה יִצְחָק לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יַעֲקֹב תֵּיכֶף כְּדֵי שֶׁמִּדַּת הַדִּין יִסְבּוֹר שֶׁהַבְּרָכָה יִהְיֶה עָלָיו וְלֹא יְקַטְרֵג חַס וְשָׁלוֹם וִיעַכֵּב הַבְּרָכָה וּלְפִיכָךְ רָצָה מִתְּחִילָּה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת עֵשָׂו. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת עִיקַּר הַבְּרָכָה הוּא שׁוֹרָה עַל יַעֲקֹב כִּי הוּא מְשַׁבֵּר אֶת כָּל כֹּחוֹת הַטּוּמְאָה וְיִתֵּן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרֵךְ טוֹבָה וּבְרָכוֹת אָמֵן:
In shortYitzchak first meant to bless Esav for the reason a holy soul is first given to impurity: so that judgment would not accuse and hold the blessing back, which in truth rests on Yaakov.
Takeaway

Each time we begin a blessing with “Blessed are You, Hashem,” we draw down kindness that sweetens the judgment, for that blessing and for the ones that follow. Holiness sometimes has to arrive hidden, so that judgment does not stand in its way, as Yaakov's blessing at first seemed meant for Esav. When a blessing in our own lives seems at first to be heading elsewhere, we need not lose heart: it may be reaching us hidden, as the main blessing came to rest on Yaakov.

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Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzYaakov from Esav: Bringing the Bad into HolinessGood and bad come to us mixed together, and in exile our work is not to make the bad vanish but to draw out the good within it, serving Hashem with the very desire and longing…Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzAlways Going, Truly Humble: Yitzchak's GreatnessWe came down to this world not to receive a gift we have not earned, but to perfect ourselves, and for that we need two things together. Like Yehoshua setting out the benches for…Lehavas David · Rav Dovid Matisyohu RabinowitzGrowing Greater through Wealth: Yitzchak's AvodahThe Torah tells of the Avos' wealth to show that they kept walking upward in avodas Hashem even when prosperity made the yetzer hara strong against them. Yitzchak's mesirus nefesh…

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