Five Lacking: The Tzaddik Comes Down to Give
Pleading for Sedom, Avraham asks, “Perhaps the fifty righteous will lack five?” Why speak of what is lacking, and not simply ask for forty-five, as Hashem answered? And why should a prayer be heard only when sinners of Israel are counted in it?
Bereishis 18:27–28
וַיַּעַן אַבְרָהָם וַיֹּאמַר הִנֵּה־נָא הוֹאַלְתִּי לְדַבֵּר אֶל־אֲדֹנָי וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן חֲמִשִּׁים הַצַּדִּיקִם חֲמִשָּׁה הֲתַשְׁחִית בַּחֲמִשָּׁה אֶת־כָּל־הָעִיר וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא אַשְׁחִית אִם־אֶמְצָא שָׁם אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה
Avraham answered and said, “Behold, now, I have taken it upon myself to speak to my Lord, and I am dust and ashes. Perhaps the fifty righteous will lack five; will You destroy the whole city for the five?” And He said, “I will not destroy, if I find there forty-five.”
22“Avraham answered … Perhaps the fifty will lack … And He said … forty-five.” Notice the wording “Perhaps the fifty will lack.” Avraham should have said, “Perhaps forty-five will be found,” just as Hashem answered him. It seems the answer lies in this principle: the tzaddik is the one who brings down to Israel these three, children, life and sustenance.1 But when he wants to bring them down, the tzaddik must come down a little from his deveikus, his cleaving to Hashem, and turn himself to see the needs of the world.
וַיַּעַן אַבְרָהָם כּוּ' אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן כּוּ' וַיֹּאמֶר כּוּ' אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה. יֵשׁ לְדַקְדֵּק הַלָּשׁוֹן 'אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן' כִּי הָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר 'אוּלַי יִמָּצְאוּן אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה' כְּמוֹ שֶׁהֵשִׁיב השי"ת. וְנִרְאֶה, דִּכְבָר כָּתַבְנוּ דְּהַצַּדִּיק הוּא הַמַּשְׁפִּיעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת שָׁלֹשׁ אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי, אַךְ בִּרְצוֹתוֹ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ, צָרִיךְ הַצַּדִּיק שֶׁיֵּרֵד קְצָת מִדְּבֵיקוּתוֹ וּלְהַטּוֹת עַצְמוֹ לִרְאוֹת צָרְכֵי הָעוֹלָם.
- The three are named together in a saying of Rava: “Life, children and sustenance do not depend on merit but on mazal” (Moed Katan 28a). ↩
In shortAvraham's wording, “the fifty will lack five,” rests on a principle: to bring blessing down to Israel, the tzaddik must come down a little from his deveikus.
23With this we can give a reason for what Chazal said: “Any prayer that does not include the sinners of Israel is not heard.”2 Why should sinners be to a prayer's credit? What we have said explains it. When the tzaddik is in great deveikus, he cannot break off from it to bring blessing down to Israel. Here poshei Yisrael, “the sinners of Israel,” are those who have sinned in the levels of Israel by falling short of them. Such a one is not a complete rasha, wholly wicked; he has only fallen short at the level called “Yisrael.” When there are such people, they make the tzaddik break off from his deveikus. They lead him to turn himself to the needs of the world, to what must be brought down to them, and then the tzaddik's prayer is heard for them in all their needs. So every prayer needs one of the poshei Yisrael in its minyan, the count of ten, so that through the tzaddik's turning, the flow of blessing comes about.
וְלָזֶה נוּכַל לוֹמַר טַעַם לָמָּה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז"ל "כָּל תְּפִילָּה שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָהּ נִשְׁמַעַת", וְצָרִיךְ לָתֵת טַעַם לְשֶׁבַח עַל זֶה לָמָּה הוּא כָּךְ, אַךְ עפ"י הַדְּבָרִים הנ"ל יְבוֹאַר, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁהַצַּדִּיק כְּשֶׁהוּא בִּדְבֵיקוּת גָּדוֹל אָז בִּלְתִּי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ שֶׁיַּפְסִיק מִדְּבֵיקוּתוֹ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁפָּשַׁע בְּמַדְרֵיגוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַף שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָשָׁע גָּמוּר כִּי אִם שֶׁפָּשַׁע בְּאוֹתָהּ מַדְרֵיגָה הַנִּקְרָא 'יִשְׂרָאֵל', אָז הוּא גּוֹרֵם לְהַפְסִיק הַצַּדִּיק מִדְּבֵיקוּתוֹ, וְגוֹרֵם בָּזֶה שֶׁמַּטֶּה הַצַּדִּיק עַצְמוֹ לְצָרְכֵי הָעוֹלָם מַה שֶׁהֵם צְרִיכִין לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם, וְאָז תְּפִילָּתוֹ נִשְׁמַעַת עֲבוּרָם לְכָל צָרְכֵיהֶם, נִמְצָא בְּכָל תְּפִילָּה צָרִיךְ פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶחָד לְמִנְיַן עֲשָׂרָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּפְעוֹל אֶת הַהַשְׁפָּעָה בִּנְטִיַּית הַצַּדִּיק.
- The saying in the Gemara is said of a fast: “Any fast that does not include some of the sinners of Israel is not a fast” (Kerisos 6b, R' Chana bar Bizna in the name of R' Shimon Chasida). ↩
In shortEvery prayer needs in its minyan of ten one who falls short of the level “Yisrael,” for he draws the tzaddik down to pray for the world's needs.
24That is what Avraham said in his fine choice of words, “Perhaps they will lack”: he was hinting at those who make the tzaddikim fewer. So he said “five”: of fifty, five will surely be lacking, since in every ten there is one at the level of poshei Yisrael. That is why he chose his good words so precisely, “Perhaps they will lack”: do not count these in the number of the fifty tzaddikim, since they are not at the level of complete tzaddikim. Hashem answered him that even though He would not count them, still, “I will not destroy, if I find there forty-five.”
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר אַבְרָהָם בְּצַחוּת לְשׁוֹנוֹ "אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן", וְרָמַז עַל אוֹתָם הַמְּחַסְּרִים הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְלָזֶה אָמַר "חֲמִשָּׁה", פֵּירוּשׁ לַחֲמִשִּׁים בְּוַדַּאי יַחְסְרוּן חֲמִשָּׁה, כִּי לְכָל עֲשָׂרָה יֵשׁ א' שֶׁהוּא מַדְרֵיגַת פּוֹשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָזֶה דִּיֵּיק בִּלְשׁוֹנוֹ הַטּוֹב "אוּלַי יַחְסְרוּן", פֵּירוּשׁ שֶׁלֹּא תָּבִיא אוֹתָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַחֲמִשִּׁים צַדִּיקִים מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֵינָם בְּמַדְרֵיגַת הַצַּדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים, וְעַל זֶה הֵשִׁיב לוֹ השי"ת אַף שֶׁלֹּא אֲחַשֵּׁב אוֹתָם, אעפ"כ "לֹא אַשְׁחִית אִם אֶמְצָא שָׁם אַרְבָּעִים וַחֲמִישָּׁה".
In shortWith “perhaps they will lack,” Avraham set aside from the fifty the one in ten at the level of poshei Yisrael, and Hashem agreed to spare the city for forty-five.
25This is the meaning of the saying “Sunshine on Shabbos is charity for the poor.”3 The main flow of blessing goes through the great tzaddikim, who rise very high, step by step, in great deveikus and in a light that never pauses. Such a tzaddik is called “Shabbos,” for Shabbos hints at the great deveikus and light that rest on tzaddikim. But when the tzaddik is so stripped of this world and always cleaves to the upper worlds, he does not know the world's needs at all, or what to bring down to it. So in His compassion Hashem, Who is good, implanted a quality in this tzaddik: that he should also have some pleasure and desire in this world. He gives him a little physical enjoyment too, so that he will know the world's needs. When the tzaddik is at this level, he is called “sun.” The sun shines bright and is also a pleasure, and people draw enjoyment from it; so this tzaddik stays in his light and also brings blessing down to the world. This is “sunshine on Shabbos”: Hashem, blessed be He, implanted in the soul of the great tzaddik called “Shabbos” that he should at times be like the sun. And it is “charity for the poor”: so that He may show charity to the poor of His people, bringing down all their needs to them through the great tzaddik through whom the flow of blessing passes.
וְזֶהוּ "שֶׁמֶשׁ בְּשַׁבָּת צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים", דְּהִנֵּה עִיקַּר הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת הֵם הוֹלְכִים ע"י הַצַּדִּיקִים הַגְּדוֹלִים בְּהַדְרָגָתָם מְאוֹד בִּדְבֵיקוּת גָּדוֹל וּבְהִירוּת תָּמִיד לֹא יַפְסִיק, וְזֶה הַצַּדִּיק נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם 'שַׁבָּת', שֶׁשַּׁבָּת רֶמֶז לִדְבֵיקוּת וּבְהִירוּת הַגָּדוֹל הַשּׁוֹרָה עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, אַךְ כְּשֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הוּא כ"כ בְּהַפְשָׁטָתוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהוּא דָּבוּק תָּמִיד בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים, אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ צָרְכֵי הָעוֹלָם כְּלָל וּמַה לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם, וְלָזֶה הִטְבִּיעַ הַשֵּׁם הַטּוֹב בְּרַחֲמָיו בְּחִינָה בְּצַדִּיק הנ"ל שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ ג"כ אֵיזֶה תַּעֲנוּג וְרָצוֹן בעוה"ז, וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ קְצָת הֲנָאָה גַּשְׁמִית ג"כ כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּדַע צָרְכֵי הָעוֹלָם, וּכְשֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הוּא בְּמַדְרֵיגָתוֹ כָּךְ אָז נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם 'שָׁמֶשׁ', כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַשֶּׁמֶשׁ הוּא בִּבְהִירוּת וְתַעֲנוּג ג"כ שֶׁבָּא מִמֶּנָּה הֲנָאָה לִבְנֵי אָדָם, כֵּן הַצַּדִּיק הַזֶּה הוּא בִּבְהִירוּתוֹ וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ לְהָעוֹלָם ג"כ, וְזוֹ הִיא "שֶׁמֶשׁ בְּשַׁבָּת", ר"ל מַה שהשי"ת ב"ה הִטְבִּיעַ בְּנֶפֶשׁ הַצַּדִּיק הַגָּדוֹל הַנִּקְרָא 'שַׁבָּת' שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִפְעָמִים בִּבְחִינַת שֶׁמֶשׁ, הוּא בִּשְׁבִיל "צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים", שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה צְדָקָה עִם עֲנִיֵּי עַמּוֹ לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם כָּל צָרְכֵיהֶם ע"י הַצַּדִּיק הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁהַשְׁפָּעוֹת הוֹלְכִין עַל יָדוֹ.
- Taanis 8b, a saying of R' Yitzchak. ↩
In shortThe tzaddik called “Shabbos” lives in deveikus, and Hashem gives him a taste of worldly pleasure, the “sun,” so that he knows the world's needs and brings blessing to the poor.
26aThis is “He lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men …”;4 it too is explained in the same way, and so is why the verse says “he saw” twice. Avraham Avinu lifted his eyes to the “three men,” which hint at children, life and sustenance. “Standing over him”: it was his task to bring them down to Israel. But for this he had to come down from his deveikus, and he was in doubt whether he was permitted to break off from his deveikus for the needs of Israel or not.
וְזֶהוּ "וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים כּוּ'", יְבוֹאַר ג"כ בְּדֶרֶךְ הנ"ל, גַּם מִלַּת 'וַיַּרְא וַיַּרְא' שְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים יְבוֹאַר הֵיטֵב, דְּהַיְינוּ שֶׁאַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ ע"ה הָיָה נוֹשֵׂא עֵינָיו לָזֶה שֶׁ"שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים", ר"ל בְּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי הַמְּרוּמָּז בְּמִלַּת שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים, "נִצָּבִים עָלָיו", ר"ל שֶׁזֶּה מוּטָּל עָלָיו לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא שֶׁלָּזֶה הָיָה צָרִיךְ לֵירֵד מִדְּבֵיקוּתוֹ, וְהָיָה מְסוּפָּק בַּדָּבָר אִם מוּתָּר לוֹ לְהַפְסִיק מִדְּבֵיקוּתוֹ בִּשְׁבִיל צָרְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אוֹ לָאו.
- Bereishis 18:2. ↩
In shortThe “three men standing over him” were children, life and sustenance for Avraham to bring down, but he was in doubt whether he might leave his deveikus to do it.
26bWe may say that Chazal meant this when they said, “When they saw that he was shari ve'asar, at once they withdrew from him.”5 In the plain sense he was loosening and binding the bandage on his circumcision; but the words also mean “permitted and forbidden,” for he was in doubt whether it was permitted to break off or forbidden. “At once they withdrew from him”: this level, of bringing about these three for Israel, withdrew from him, and he could not bring them about. For, as we said, it is impossible to bring blessing down except by breaking off and coming down a little from his deveikus. At once “he saw and ran toward them”: once he saw that he could not do it unless he turned himself to see what the world needs brought down to it, enough for all its needs, he strengthened himself to do so. That is the second “he saw”: he saw what the world needs; “and he ran toward them”: to bring down to them all they need. This is easy to understand.
וְיֵשׁ לוֹמַר שֶׁלָּזֶה כִּיוְּונוּ חז"ל בִּלְשׁוֹנָם "כַּד חָזוּ דְּהָוֵי שָׁרֵי וְאָסַר", ר"ל כנ"ל, שֶׁהָיָה מְסוּפָּק אִי שָׁרֵי לְהַפְסִיק אוֹ אָסוּר, "מִיָּד פֵּירְשׁוּ הֵימֶנּוּ", ר"ל הַמַּדְרֵיגָה הַזֹּאת לִפְעוֹל שָׁלֹשׁ אֵלֶּה הנ"ל לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל פֵּירַשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִפְעוֹל, כנ"ל שֶׁבִּלְתִּי אֶפְשָׁרִי לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ כִּי אִם בְּהִפְסִיקוּ לֵירֵד קְצָת מִדְּבֵיקוּתוֹ. מִיָּד "וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם", ר"ל מֵאַחַר שֶׁרָאָה שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל זֹאת כִּי אִם שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַטּוֹת עַצְמוֹ לִרְאוֹת מַה שֶׁהָעוֹלָם צְרִיכִין לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם דַּי צָרְכָם, לָזֶה הִתְחַזֵּק עַצְמוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן, וְזֶהוּ "וַיַּרְא", ר"ל מַה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לָעוֹלָם, "וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם", ר"ל לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ לָהֶם כָּל צָרְכָם. וק"ל.
- Rashi on Bereishis 18:2, citing Bava Metzia: “When they saw that he was shari ve'asar, they withdrew from him; at once, ‘he ran toward them.’” The Gemara (Bava Metzia 86b) has asar veshari, and Rashi there explains that Avraham was binding and loosening his circumcision; the angels saw that he was in pain and said, “It is not proper to stand here.” ↩
In shortWhile Avraham was in doubt, shari ve'asar, the power to give left him; seeing that only coming down could bring blessing, he ran to provide for the world's needs.
27This is what Dovid HaMelech said: “Hashem is my shepherd; I shall not lack …”6 He was praying, “May Hashem be my shepherd: what it is my task to bring down, may Hashem, blessed be He, do alone, and bring blessing to Israel without me.” And so lo echsar, “I shall not lack”: I will not need to make myself lacking, to come down from my level and my deveikus. Rather, “in green pastures … beside still waters He leads me,” in the upper worlds and in deveikus. This is easy to understand.
וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ ע"ה "ה' רוֹעִי לֹא אֶחְסָר כּוּ'", ר"ל שֶׁהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל ה' יִהְיֶה רוֹעִי, דְּהַיְינוּ מַה שֶׁמּוּטָּל עָלַי לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ, זֶה יַעֲשֶׂה השי"ת לְבַדּוֹ, שֶׁיַּשְׁפִּיעַ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְעָדָיו, וְלָכֵן "לֹא אֶחְסָר", ר"ל שֶׁלֹּא אֶהְיֶה צָרִיךְ לְהַחְסִיר עַצְמִי לֵירֵד מִמַּדְרֵגָתִי וּמִדְּבֵיקוּתִי, אֶלָּא "בִּנְאוֹת דֶּשֶׁא כּוּ' עַל מֵי מְנוּחוֹת יְנַהֲלֵנִי", ר"ל בְּעוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים וּדְבֵיקוּתוֹ. וק"ל.
- Tehillim 23:1–2: “Hashem is my shepherd; I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters.” ↩
In shortDovid prayed that Hashem Himself would bring Israel what it needs, so that he would not have to make himself lacking but could stay beside still waters, in deveikus.
R’ Elimelech starts from the tzaddik’s task: he brings children, life and sustenance down to Israel, but to do it he must come down a little from his deveikus and turn to the world’s needs. So Chazal said a prayer without the sinners of Israel is not heard: one who falls short of the level “Yisrael” draws the tzaddik down to pray for all. Avraham’s “perhaps they will lack” hinted at that one in every ten, five in fifty, not to be counted among the complete tzaddikim, and Hashem spared the city for forty-five. “Sunshine on Shabbos” is the same: Hashem gives the tzaddik called Shabbos a taste of worldly pleasure so he knows what the poor need. Avraham, in doubt whether to leave his deveikus, saw and ran; Dovid prayed that Hashem Himself would provide.
Takeaway
Coming down from our closeness to Hashem to see what others need is how blessing reaches the world, and even those who fall short have a place in the minyan, for they draw the tzaddik down to pray for all. And we may still pray, as Dovid did, that Hashem Himself provide, so that we can stay beside His still waters.
Learn this in the merit of Rebbe Elimelech of Lizhensk. His yahrzeit and life ›
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English translation, notes and summaries © Zechusam.