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Lehavas David · Parshas Bereishis · Maamar ה

Tohu Vavohu Redeemed: Serving Hashem with Every Power

From the Torah ofRav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitzהרב דוד מתתיהו בן יחיאל יהושע רבינוביץProfile ›
Bereishis 1:1-2
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.
1“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth … And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters.”1 There is another way to connect the end of the Torah with its beginning: “before the eyes of all Israel. In the beginning He created …”2
בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ. וְגוֹ׳. וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם (א, א-ב). בְּאוֹפֶן אַחֵר יֵשׁ לְקַשֵּׁר סוֹף הַתּוֹרָה לִתְחִילָּתָהּ, לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא וְגוֹ׳.
  1. Bereishis 1:1–2. ↩
  2. Devarim 34:12; Bereishis 1:1. “Before the eyes of all Israel” are the Torah's last words; read on, they lead straight into its first words. Earlier maamarim gave other ways of joining the two. ↩
In shortHere is yet another way to join the Torah's last words, “before the eyes of all Israel,” to its first, “In the beginning He created.”
2Let us first cite the Midrash on the verse “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters”: “This is the spirit of King Moshiach.”3 But what does the spirit of King Moshiach have to do with this verse, in the account of creation?
וְנַקְדִּים הָא דְּאִיתָא בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית רבה ב, ד) עַל הַפָּסוּק (א, ב) ״וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם״, זֶה רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וְיֵשׁ לְהָבִין מַה עִנְיַן רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ לְהַנֶּאֱמָר בַּכָּתוּב כָּאן.
  1. Bereishis Rabbah 2:4; Bereishis 1:2. ↩
In shortThe Midrash calls the spirit over the waters the spirit of Moshiach; what does Moshiach have to do with creation?
3The Midrash goes on: “‘And the earth was formless and void’: these are the deeds of the wicked. ‘And God said, Let there be light’: these are the deeds of the righteous. But I do not know which of them He desires, the deeds of these or the deeds of those. Since it is written, ‘And God saw the light, that it was good,’ it follows that He desires the deeds of the righteous and does not desire the deeds of the wicked.”4 Two sefarim ask about this passage: the holy Kedushas Levi of R' Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, and the Toldos Adam of my holy ancestor, zt"l.5 Both say that these words of Chazal cannot be understood at all. Where would anyone get the idea that Hashem desires the deeds of the wicked? And why does the Midrash speak of their “deeds”?
עוֹד אָמְרוּ שָׁם בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (ב, ה), ״וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ״ אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, ״וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹקִים יְהִי אוֹר״ אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, אֲבָל אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵי זֶה מֵהֶן חָפֵץ, אִם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֵלּוּ וְאִם בְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֵלּוּ, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב ״וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב״, הֱוֵי בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים חָפֵץ וְאֵינוֹ חָפֵץ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, ע״כ. וְהִקְשׁוּ בְּסֵפֶר הַקָּדוֹשׁ קְדוּשַּׁת לֵוִי וְכֵן כ״ק זְקֵנִי זצללה״ה בְּסִפְרוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם, דְּדִבְרֵיהֶם ז״ל אֵינָם מוּבָנִים כְּלָל, דְּמֵהֵיכִי תֵּיתֵי לוֹמַר שֶׁחָפֵץ בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים. גַּם צָרִיךְ בֵּיאוּר מַהוּ הַלָּשׁוֹן ׳מַעֲשֵׂיהֶן׳.
  1. Bereishis Rabbah 2:5; Bereishis 1:2–4. “Formless and void” renders the Hebrew tohu vavohu, the formless, empty state of the earth before the light was created. ↩
  2. R' Yehoshua of Ostrova, author of Toldos Adam, father-in-law of the first Biala Rebbe. ↩
In shortThe Midrash links “formless and void” to the deeds of the wicked; how could Hashem be thought to desire them, and why say “deeds”?
4aMy holy ancestor, the Toldos Adam, explained the passage by a well-known principle: it is the way of tzaddikim to hide their good deeds behind actions that look strange. R' Yochanan, for example, used to sit at the gates of the mikveh, which looks like a strange thing to do.6 Several disciples of the Baal Shem Tov, zt"l, likewise did things that looked strange, while inwardly their intentions were lofty and exalted.
וּפֵירֵשׁ כ״ק זְקֵנִי זצ״ל, עַל פִּי הַנּוֹדָע שֶׁדַּרְכָּם שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיקִים הוּא לְהַסְתִּיר אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הַטּוֹבִים עַל יְדֵי עֲשִׂיַּית מַעֲשִׂים תְּמוּהִים, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן דַּהֲוֵי יָתֵיב אַשַּׁעֲרֵי טְבִילָה (בבא מציעא פד, א), שֶׁהוּא מַעֲשֶׂה הַנִּרְאֶה תָּמוּהַּ. וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ זֶה מָצִינוּ בְּכַמָּה מִתַּלְמִידֵי הַבַּעַל שֵׁם טוֹב זצללה״ה שֶׁעָשׂוּ מַעֲשִׂים שֶׁהָיוּ נִרְאִים תְּמוּהִים, אֲבָל הֵם בְּלִבָּם הָיוּ מְכַוְּונִים לִדְבָרִים רָמִים וְנִשְׂגָּבִים.
  1. Bava Metzia 84a. A mikveh is a pool for ritual immersion. The Gemara there explains R' Yochanan's intention: he sat there so that the women coming up from immersing would see him and have children as beautiful and as learned in Torah as he was. ↩
4bThis, the Toldos Adam said, is what the Midrash means by “I do not know which of them He desires.” When a person chooses his path in avodas Hashem, the service of Hashem, which path pleases Him more? One path looks like “the deeds of the wicked”: deeds that are good in themselves but hidden, so that they appear to be the deeds of the wicked. The other is to do “the deeds of the righteous” plainly, deeds that look good to everyone. The Midrash explains that He desires the deeds of the righteous, because the path of “the deeds of the wicked” suits only rare individuals; it is not a path for the people as a whole. Hashem wants the people as a whole to do the deeds of the righteous, deeds that will not seem strange or puzzling to those who see them. Those are the Toldos Adam's holy words. We will now explain the Midrash in a different way.
וְזֶהוּ כַּוָּונַת הַמִּדְרָשׁ, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵי זֶה מֵהֶן חָפֵץ, פֵּירוּשׁ אֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ יוֹתֵר מְקוּבֶּלֶת בְּעֵינֵי השי״ת שֶׁיָּבוֹר לוֹ הָאָדָם בַּעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, אִם הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁנִּרְאֵית כְּ׳מַעֲשֵׂה רְשָׁעִים׳ דְּהַיְינוּ מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בְּעֶצֶם, אַךְ נִסְתָּרִים וְנִרְאִים כְּמַעֲשֵׂה רְשָׁעִים, אוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת ׳מַעֲשֵׂה צַדִּיקִים׳ בִּפְשִׁיטוּת, דְּהַיְינוּ מַעֲשִׂים שֶׁנִּרְאִים טוֹבִים לְעֵינֵי כֹּל. וּמְפָרֵשׁ הַמִּדְרָשׁ, דִּבְמַעֲשֵׂה צַדִּיקִים חָפֵץ, שֶׁכֵּן הַדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁל עֲשִׂיַּית מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים הוּא דֶּרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָה רַק לִיחִידִים, אֲבָל הִיא אֵינֶנָּה דֶּרֶךְ לִכְלַל הָעָם, אֶלָּא חֵפֶץ ה׳ הוּא שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, דְּהַיְינוּ מַעֲשִׂים שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לְפֶלֶא וְלִתְמִיהַּ בְּעֵינֵי רוֹאָיו, עכד״ק. וְנָבוֹא לְיַשֵּׁב דִּבְרֵי הַמִּדְרָשׁ בְּאוֹפֶן אַחֵר.
In shortThe Toldos Adam read “the deeds of the wicked” as tzaddikim's hidden good deeds, a path Hashem prefers less because it suits only rare individuals.
5To do so, let us first cite how my holy father and teacher, zt"l, connected “before the eyes of all Israel” with “In the beginning.” He based it on the Rambam.7 How does a person come to know the Creator and to love and fear Him? By looking upward and reflecting on the creation of heaven and earth. That brings him to faith and to the recognition that the palace has a Master.8 Then he goes on to reflect on the greatness and majesty of the Creator. That is the gist of the Rambam's words. And this, my holy father said, is the meaning of “before the eyes of all Israel. In the beginning He created.” Every Jew must always keep before his eyes the thought of “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” He should always reflect on the creation of the world, and through this come to recognize that the world has a Master and a Creator. Those are my holy father's words.
וְהוּא בְּהֶקְדֵּם מַה שֶׁאָמַר כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה לְחַבֵּר ״לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל״ לְ״בְּרֵאשִׁית״, עַל פִּי מַה שֶׁכָּתַב הרמב״ם ז״ל (הלכות יסודי התורה ב, ב), הֵיאַךְ הַדֶּרֶךְ לְהַכִּיר אֶת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ וּלְאַהֲבָתוֹ וּלְיִרְאָתוֹ, הוּא כַּאֲשֶׁר מִסְתַּכְּלִים כְּלַפֵּי מַעְלָה וּמִתְבּוֹנְנִים בִּבְרִיאַת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, מִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ מַגִּיעִים לֶאֱמוּנָה וּלְהַכָּרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַנְהִיג לַבִּירָה, וּמִתְבּוֹנְנִים בְּגַדְלוּת וְרוֹמְמוּת הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ, עכת״ד. וְזֶהוּ ״לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא״, פֵּירוּשׁ, דִּלְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל צָרִיךְ תָּמִיד לִהְיוֹת הַהִתְבּוֹנְנוּת בְּ״בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹקִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ״, כִּי תָּמִיד צָרִיךְ לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בִּבְרִיאַת הָעוֹלָם, וּלְהַגִּיעַ עַל יְדֵי זֶה לְהַכָּרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַנְהִיג וּבוֹרֵא לְעוֹלָם, עכד״ק.
  1. Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah 2:2. ↩
  2. An echo of the Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 39:1): Avraham saw a palace lit up and concluded that it must have an owner. ↩
In shortThe Rebbe's father, following the Rambam, read the Torah's end and beginning as a call to keep creation before our eyes and know its Master.
6We may explain the Midrash as follows. When a Jew has sinned and caused spiritual damage and then wants to do teshuvah, the yetzer hara comes to hold him back. “How can you return to Hashem?” it says. “You are a sinner, and you have spoiled and damaged so much. How can you possibly stand before the Creator and serve Him?” But that is not true. Quite the opposite: once he does teshuvah, he is called a tzaddik. More than that, from then on he can use even his bad powers in avodas Hashem. Take the passion and the desire he once used to do what is evil in Hashem's eyes. After he returns, he can use those very powers for good and do Hashem's will with them.
וְאֶפְשָׁר לְפָרֵשׁ בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה, כִּי הִנֵּה בְּאִם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל חוֹטֵא וּפוֹגֵם וְרוֹצֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, בָּא לְפָנָיו הַיֵּצֶר הָרַע וּמְנִיעוֹ מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, בְּאָמְרוֹ לוֹ אֵיךְ תּוּכַל לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה, הֲרֵי חוֹטֵא אַתָּה וְקִלְקַלְתָּ וּפִגַּמְתָּ בִּדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה, וְאֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לְךָ לַעֲמוֹד לִפְנֵי הַבּוֹרֵא יִתְבָּרֵךְ שְׁמוֹ וּלְעָבְדוֹ. אָכֵן הָאֱמֶת לֹא כֵן הוּא, אֶלָּא אַדְּרַבָּה, לֹא זוֹ בִּלְבַד שֶׁבְּאִם יַעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה הֲרֵי הוּא נִקְרָא צַדִּיק, אֶלָּא שֶׁמֵּעַתָּה יוּכַל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא אַף בְּכוֹחוֹתָיו הָרָעִים, כְּגוֹן בְּכֹחַ הַחֲמִימוּת וְכֹחַ הַתַּאֲוָה אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה׳, לְאַחַר שֶׁיָּשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה יוּכַל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּאֵלּוּ הַכּוֹחוֹת לְטוֹב, לַעֲשׂוֹת עִמָּם רְצוֹן הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ.
In shortThe yetzer hara tells a sinner he is too damaged to return, but a penitent becomes a tzaddik and can serve with his old passions.
7This is how the holy sefarim, among them the Be'er Mayim Chaim, explained Dovid HaMelech's words “And my sin is before me always.”9 At first glance the verse is puzzling. The prophet Nasan had already assured Dovid, “Hashem has also removed your sin.”10 Once his sin was atoned for, why must it still be before him always? The answer is that “my sin” means the powers that served him in committing the sin. Now that he has returned, he must always remember those powers and use them in avodas Hashem.
וּבָזֶה בֵּיאֲרוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (באר מים חיים משפטים ד״ה ואם, תזריע ד״ה אדם, ובכמה מקומות) אֶת מַאֲמַר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע״ה (תהלים נא, ה) ״וְחַטָּאתִי נֶגְדִּי תָמִיד״, דְּלִכְאוֹרָה תָּמוּהַּ, הֲרֵי הַנָּבִיא הִבְטִיחוֹ וְאָמַר לוֹ ״גַּם ה׳ הֶעֱבִיר חַטָּאתְךָ״, וְאִם כֵּן מַדּוּעַ עֲדַיִין צָרִיךְ לִהְיוֹת חַטָּאתוֹ נֶגְדּוֹ תָּמִיד, אַחַר שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְכַּפְּרָה לוֹ. אֶלָּא ׳חַטָּאתִי׳ הַכַּוָּונָה עַל הַכּוֹחוֹת שֶׁשִּׁימְּשׁוּ אוֹתוֹ לַעֲשִׂיַּית הַחֵטְא, אֲשֶׁר אַחַר שֶׁשָּׁב, צָרִיךְ תָּמִיד לְזָכְרָם וּלְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳.
  1. Tehillim 51:5; Be'er Mayim Chaim, Mishpatim, s.v. Ve'im, and Tazria, s.v. Adam, and in several other places. ↩
  2. Shmuel II 12:13. ↩
In shortDovid's “my sin is before me always,” said after he was forgiven, means the powers behind his sin, now to be used for Hashem.
8Several sefarim explained a saying of Chazal the same way, among them the Shemuah Tovah, by the author of Kedushas Levi, and the Be'er Mayim Chaim.11 Chazal said: “In the place where ba'alei teshuvah stand, complete tzaddikim cannot stand.”12 At first glance this is beyond understanding. How can ba'alei teshuvah, those who have repented, be greater than tzaddikim who never sinned in their lives? The answer is the one we have just given. The ba'al teshuvah has one advantage over the tzaddik. He can take all the bad middos, the character traits, that he used while he was wicked and use them now as a righteous man, doing mitzvos and good deeds through them with extra vitality and fervor. A complete tzaddik has never in his life tasted sin or a bad middah, so he does not have these powers at hand to use in avodas Hashem. That is why Chazal said that in this respect the ba'al teshuvah is greater than the tzaddik.
וּבָזֶה פֵּירְשׁוּ בַּסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים (שמועה טובה להקדושת לוי אבות ב, ה, באר מים חיים משפטים שם) אֶת מַאֲמַר חז״ל (ברכות לד, ב עיין שם) בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִים אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים יְכוֹלִים לַעֲמוֹד. שֶׁלִּכְאוֹרָה דִּבְרֵי חז״ל הַלָּלוּ נִפְלְאוּ מֵהָבִין, הֵיאַךְ שַׁיָּיךְ דָּבָר זֶה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הַבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עֲדִיפִים עַל צַדִּיקִים שֶׁלֹּא חָטְאוּ מֵימֵיהֶם. אַךְ הָעִנְיָן הוּא כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, שֶׁלְּבַעַל תְּשׁוּבָה יֵשׁ מַעֲלָה יְתֵירָה עַל הַצַּדִּיק, בָּזֶה שֶׁכָּל הַמִּידּוֹת רָעוֹת שֶׁהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם בִּהְיוֹתוֹ רָשָׁע, יָכוֹל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם כָּעֵת בִּימֵי צִדְקוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת עַל יָדָם מִצְוֹות וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים בְּחַיּוּת וְהִתְלַהֲבוּת יְתֵירָה, מַה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן צַדִּיק גָּמוּר, מֵאַחַר שֶׁלֹּא טָעַם טַעַם חֵטְא וּמִידָּה רָעָה מִיָּמָיו, אֵין בְּיָדוֹ כּוֹחוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַשֵּׁם, וְעַל כֵּן אָמְרוּ שֶׁהַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר מֵהַצַּדִּיק בִּבְחִינָה זוֹ.
  1. Shemuah Tovah on Avos 2:5; Be'er Mayim Chaim, Mishpatim, there. ↩
  2. Berachos 34b, and see there. ↩
In shortBa'alei teshuvah surpass complete tzaddikim in one respect: they can pour the energy of their old bad middos into mitzvos with special fervor.
9We can now understand the saying of Chazal we cited: “‘And the earth was formless and void’: these are the deeds of the wicked.” Chazal mean the deeds and middos of the wicked man when he uses them in avodas Hashem after he has returned and become a tzaddik. That is why they said “the deeds of the wicked”: they mean his powers for doing evil. The Midrash then asks which of them He desires, the deeds of the wicked or those of the righteous. Perhaps, that is, the ba'al teshuvah stands higher than the tzaddikim who never in their lives used the powers of evil. The Midrash concludes: “‘And God saw the light, that it was good’: it follows that He desires the deeds of the righteous.” It is true that when it comes to reward, the ba'al teshuvah's “deeds of the wicked” rank higher, as we saw in the saying “In the place where ba'alei teshuvah stand, complete tzaddikim cannot stand.” Even so, Hashem certainly desires the tzaddik who never sinned more than the ba'al teshuvah. For every sin a person commits leaves a blemish in his body and soul, a mark that is never fully erased, so that someone who has sinned cannot compare to someone who never sinned at all.
וּבָזֶה יְבוֹאַר מַאֲמַר חז״ל הַנִּזְכָּר, ״וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ״ אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, כַּוָּונָתָם בָּזֶה עַל מַעֲשָׂיו וּמִידּוֹתָיו שֶׁל הָרָשָׁע כְּשֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא אַחַר שֶׁשָּׁב וְנַעֲשָׂה צַדִּיק, וְלָזֶה כִּיוְּונוּ בְּאָמְרָם ׳מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים׳, הַיְינוּ כּוֹחוֹת עֲשִׂיַּית הָרַע שֶׁלָּהֶם. וְעַל זֶה מַמְשִׁיךְ הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְאוֹמֵר, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֵיזֶה מֵהֶן חָפֵץ אִם בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים אוֹ שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, הַיְינוּ דְּשֶׁמָּא נֹאמַר דְּמַעֲלַת הַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה גְּדוֹלָה עַל מַעֲלַת הַצַּדִּיקִים שֶׁמֵּימֵיהֶם לֹא הִשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בְּכוֹחוֹת הָרַע. וּמַסִּיק הַמִּדְרָשׁ ״וַיַּרְא אֱלֹקִים אֶת הָאוֹר כִּי טוֹב״ הֱוֵי בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים חָפֵץ, הַיְינוּ כִּי הֵן אֱמֶת דִּלְעִנְיַן קַבָּלַת שָׂכָר, גָּדוֹל יוֹתֵר בְּחִינַת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, וְכַמְּבוֹאָר לְעֵיל עַל מַאֲמָרָם ז״ל בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִים אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים יְכוֹלִים לַעֲמוֹד. אָכֵן מִכָּל מָקוֹם וַדַּאי שֶׁחָפֵץ ה׳ יוֹתֵר בְּצַדִּיק שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא מִיָּמָיו, עַל פְּנֵי הַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּל חֵטְא שֶׁחוֹטֵא הָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה פְּגָם בְּגוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ הָאָדָם, וְנִשְׁאַר בּוֹ רוֹשֶׁם שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִמְחֶה לְגַמְרֵי, וְאֵינוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא כְּלָל.
In short“The deeds of the wicked” are a sinner's old powers turned to holiness; they earn more reward, yet Hashem desires the one who never sinned more.
10In this way we can explain how the end of the Torah connects with its beginning: “before the eyes of all Israel. In the beginning … And the earth was formless and void.” “Before the eyes of all Israel” means that every Jew must always know in his mind, and keep before his eyes, that even after he has caused spiritual damage he can still choose good and return to Hashem. He can take the powers of his soul that he used for evil until now and use them from now on in avodas Hashem. Those powers correspond to “formless and void,” which hints at “the deeds of the wicked.”
וּבָזֶה נְפָרֵשׁ קִישּׁוּר סוֹף הַתּוֹרָה לִתְחִילָּתָהּ, ״לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרֵאשִׁית וְגוֹ׳, וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ״, פֵּירוּשׁ, ׳לְעֵינֵי כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל׳ הַיְינוּ שֶׁכָּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל צָרִיךְ תָּמִיד לֵידַע בְּמַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת נֶגֶד עֵינָיו, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ אַחַר שֶׁפָּגַם עוֹד יָכוֹל לִבְחוֹר בַּטּוֹב וְלָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה, וְלִיקַּח אֶת כּוֹחוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ שֶׁהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם עַד הֵנָּה לְרָע, שֶׁהֵם בִּבְחִינַת ׳תּוֹהוּ וָבוֹהוּ׳ הָרוֹמֵז לִבְחִינַת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים, וּלְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מֵעַתָּה לַעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא.
In shortThe Torah's end and beginning tell every Jew to remember that after sinning he can still return and turn his misused powers to Hashem.
11[This too is included and hinted at in my holy father's words. Even a Jew who has caused spiritual damage can still come to recognize that the palace has a Master, and can set right all his deeds so that they are only for Hashem's honor.]
[וְזֶה נִכְלָל וְנִרְמָז בְּדִבְרֵי קָדְשׁוֹ שֶׁל כ״ק אאמו״ר זצללה״ה, שֶׁאֲפִילּוּ כְּשֶׁפָּגַם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִכָּל מָקוֹם גַּם הוּא יָכוֹל לְהַגִּיעַ לְהַכָּרָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַנְהִיג לַבִּירָה וּלְתַקֵּן אֶת כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו שֶׁיִּהְיוּ רַק לִכְבוֹדוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ].
In shortEven a Jew who has sinned can come to recognize the world's Master and turn all his deeds to Hashem's honor.
12The verse goes on, “And the spirit of God …,” and the Midrash says, “This is the spirit of King Moshiach.” The verse reveals when we will truly reach, in full, the level at which we can use our bad deeds, meaning the powers that did them, and whatever we damaged, in avodas Hashem, devoting all our powers and middos to serving Him. That will happen in the days of Moshiach. That is the connection between the spirit of King Moshiach and this verse, and it answers the question we began with.
וּמַמְשִׁיךְ הַכָּתוּב וְאוֹמֵר ״וְרוּחַ אֱלוֹקִים״ וְגוֹ׳, וְדָרְשׁוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ זֶה רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, שֶׁמְּגַלֶּה לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב אֵימָתַי בֶּאֱמֶת נַגִּיעַ בִּשְׁלֵימוּת לְמִידָּה כָּזֹאת, שֶׁנּוּכַל לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּמַעֲשֵׂינוּ הָרָעִים וּבְמַה שֶׁפִּגַּמְנוּ לַעֲבוֹדַת ה׳, לְיַיחֵד כָּל כּוֹחוֹתֵינוּ וּמִידּוֹתֵינוּ לְעָבְדוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ, זֶה יִתְקַיֵּים בִּימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וְזֶהוּ הַשַּׁיָּיכוּת שֶׁל עִנְיַן רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ, לָזֶה הַפָּסוּק.
In shortThe spirit of Moshiach follows “formless and void” because only in Moshiach's days will we fully turn all our flawed powers to avodas Hashem.
13May Hashem grant that we be privileged to reach the days of Moshiach, truly soon, when we will be able to serve Hashem with all our powers. Amen, may it be His will.
ה׳ יִתְבָּרֵךְ יְזַכֵּנוּ וִיקָרְבֶנּוּ לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ בְּקָרוֹב מַמָּשׁ, וְאָז נוּכַל לַעֲבוֹד אֶת ה׳ בְּכָל הַכּוֹחוֹת, אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן:
In shortThe Rebbe prays that we soon reach the days of Moshiach and serve Hashem with all our powers.
Takeaway

When we have stumbled, the yetzer hara tells us we are too damaged to stand before Hashem. The truth is the opposite: the very passion and desire that drove us to sin can be turned to serve Him with special fervor. Hashem desires even more the one who never sinned, yet whoever has fallen should keep before his eyes that he can always return and give every power to avodas Hashem, a work that will be complete only in the days of Moshiach.

Learn this in the merit of Rav Dovid Matisyohu Rabinowitz. His yahrzeit and life ›

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