Making a Path: The Tzaddik Clears the Way

14“Avraham was old, coming into days …” It seems to me that we can understand this through the Gemara: “The whole world is sustained bishvil, for the sake of, Chanina My son …”¹ I have heard it explained that bishvil speaks of a shvil, a path: R' Chanina ben Dosa made a path and a road and opened the channels [of blessing], and through this the whole world is sustained. We may say this also in our own way, about the service of the Creator, blessed be He. We see some tzaddikim who afflict themselves with great self-denial for many years and come to the level of piety. And there are people who do not afflict themselves so much, yet they too are privileged to reach piety and this same wholeness. That comes about through the tzaddik who afflicted himself. He removed the great barrier, the nettles, thorns and briars, the outside forces that keep a person from coming to Hashem's ways, and he made a path and a road in His service. Then it is easy to draw near to holiness and walk in Hashem's ways.

15This clearing of the way is also what the Mishnah means by “the flute plays before them”:² makeh, the word for “plays,” also means “strikes.” Through the mitzvah of bringing the bikkurim, the first fruits, those who brought them struck the chalal, the empty air of the world, which is full of outside forces. They struck them and burned them away through this mitzvah, for chalil, flute, speaks of chalal, empty space and air. And that is “The whole world is sustained for the sake of Chanina My son”: through his holy deeds compassion had already been aroused and the gate of holiness opened, for he had removed that barrier, and it became easy for everyone to serve Hashem, blessed be He. “And for Chanina My son, a kav of carobs is enough.”³ Dai, “enough,” is meant as when a person says, “I have enough,” that is, “I have plenty”: he had plenty of joy and gladness in this, that he had the power to break the “kav of carobs,” the accusers. For kav charuvim (חרובים), a measure of carobs, hints at the charuv (חרוב), the ruined world, and through his holy deeds he turned them into compassion.

16This is the meaning of a story the Gemara tells. R' Chanina ben Dosa was walking on the road when rain began to fall. He said, “The whole world is at ease, and Chanina is in distress!” The rain stopped. When he came home, he said, “The whole world is in distress, and Chanina is at ease!” The rain came.⁴ At first glance this is strange. Was R' Chanina not pleased that the world should be at ease? Why did he say “The whole world is at ease” at all? He should have said only “Chanina is in distress,” so that the rain would stop and he would not suffer on the road. What we have said explains it well. His words were an exclamation of astonishment: how can it be that this is rain of blessing and the whole world is at ease with it, while Chanina is in distress? Everything is for the sake of the tzaddik, as in “for the sake of Chanina My son,” and it is fitting that the ease come first to the tzaddik. Afterward he said in the same astonishment, “The whole world is in distress, and Chanina is at ease?” Can the world be in distress when Chanina is at ease, with the power in his hands to break the accusers and the outside forces and turn them into compassion? Surely the world must be at ease, not in distress.

17That is “Avraham was old, coming into days.” Zaken, “old,” means one who has acquired wisdom.⁵ “Coming into days”: he worked and brought about compassion that would be constant, without pause, for, as we know, “days,” yamim, hint at rachamim, compassion. “And Hashem blessed Avraham bakol, with everything”: for “God has made one opposite the other.”⁶ Among the kelipos, the husks that hide holiness, there is one called kelev (כלב), dog, and one called behemah (בהמה), beast, which also has the numerical value of kelev.⁷ Through the holy Name called bakol (בכל), these kelipos are broken.⁸ So once Avraham Avinu had made his repair and removed the barrier, it was easy for others to come to the service of the Creator. This is the tzaddik's desire and longing, that everyone walk in Hashem's way. And that is “He said to his servant”:⁹ he teaches the way of Hashem to this servant, who serves through him. That is “the elder of his house,” who acquired wisdom through [his master's] house. He tells him, “Place your hand, please, under my thigh,” and the servant binds himself to him. This is easy to understand.