שמעתי ממורי ביאור פסוקי (תהלים סי' ק"ט) ותפלתו תהיה לחטאה יהיו בניו יתומים ואשתו אלמנה וגו' ינקש נושה לכל אשר לו וגו', והקשה מה זה עונש לרשע שתהיה אשתו ובניו וגו', וביאר על פי דאיתא בש"ס (קדושין ד"מ ע"ב) תלמוד גדול שמביא לידי מעשה וכו' והקשה דמשמע דמעשה גדול וכו', וביאר כי תלמוד יש בו שניהם כי אמרו רבותינו ז"ל (עיין מנחות דק"י ע"א) כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה, אם כן שניהם בידו, מה שאין כן מעשה הוא לבד וכו', והנה נפש הוא מלבוש לרוח, ורוח מלביש הנשמה, אם כן נפש נגד רוח נקרא אשתו, וכן רוח נקרא נגד נשמה אשתו וכו', וכמו שאמרו חכמינו ז"ל (מגילה ד"ו ע"ב) שצדיק ממנו בולע הכי נמי אמר דוד המלך עליו השלום נגד דואג ואחיתופל שלמדו על כל פנים תורה שהוא מיין נוקבין לתפלה, וכמו שכתב מהרש"א שכל התורה הוא הכנה ליראה הנקרא תפלה וכו', ובתפלה משפיעין למתפלל מיין דכרין נגד מיין נוקבין וכשלמד לשמה כמו שהיה מיין נוקבין כך הוא מיין דכורין, מה שאין כן כשלמד שלא לשמה כך משפיעין לו בתפלה ואז תפלתו לחטאה, שמבלבלין אותו בתפלתו מחשבות זרות, ואז אשתו שהוא נפש הוא אלמנה שאינו מלבוש לרוח להיות מיין נוקבין וכו', וגם בניו שהם מעשים טובים הם יתומים, כי התורה שנקרא מעשה כנ"ל אחר שהיה שלא לשמה הם נע ונד דלא פרחית לעילא והם יתומים וגו', ינקש נושה לכל אשר לו, כי היצר הרע מלוה לו להמציא לו איזה מצוה שיעשה כדי להתפאר, או שילמד תורה שנקרא מעשה להתפאר וכך משפיעין לו מיין דכרין מלמעלה, רבות רעות וצרות, ואז היצר הרע נושה שלו בא להפרע מן הלוה, וזהו שאמר הכתוב ינקש נושה לכל אשר לו רחמנא לשיזבן וכו' ודפח"ח: (תוי"י בסופו דר"ח ע"ד).
May his prayer be turned into sin… May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow… May the creditor confiscate all that is his…” (Psalms 109: 7,9,11). Why is the wicked man punished by his wife and children being widowed and orphaned? The Baal Shem Tov explained this with a statement from the Talmud: “What is more important? Torah study or deed?... Study is greater because it leads to deed.”89Kidushin 40b. But this implies that action is greater. Rather, Torah study has two aspects, as our Rabbis have said: “Whoever studies the teachings of the Olah sacrifice, is considered to have offered it.”89Menachos 110a. Therefore, he achieves them both, which is not the case with action alone. Now, the nefesh-soul enclothes the ruach, and the ruach enclothes the neshama. Therefore, the nefesh is the “wife” in relationship to the ruach, and the ruach is the “wife” in relationship to the neshama,89This follows the kabbalistic division of the world into “lights” and “vessels,” which correspond to the archetypes of “masculine” and “feminine.” Lights are always enclosed in vessels (as the soul is enclothed in the body). Thus, that which is outer is feminine to that which it contains. as our Sages have said: “He swallows up a Tzaddik greater than him.”89Megilah 6b: “Rav Huna said, What does it means: ‘Why do You look on when they deal treacherously, and hold Your peace when the wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13)? One who is more righteous than he, he can swallow up, but the perfectly righteous (Tzadik gamur) he cannot swallow up.” The Baal Shem Tov uses this as another example of the paradigm of lights and vessels. In this case, the corrupt “vessel” of the evil man “swallows up” (i.e. covers) the Tzadik. In this sense, the wicked are feminine in relationship to the Tzadik. This was the case of King David and his two enemies: Do’eg Ha’Adomi (a servant of King Saul – I Samuel 22), and Achitofel HaGiloni (who sided with David’s son, Avshalom, during the latter’s rebellion – 2 Samuel 15). Thus, the Baal Shem Tov states that they learned Torah (despite their wickedness), which makes them feminine in relationship to David, who was the embodiment of prayer (that descends from Above). Thus, David was also speaking about89In the verse from Psalms, above. Do’eg and Achitofel, who did learn Torah, which is considered the “feminine waters”89“Feminine waters” or “masculine waters” refer to spiritual influences that either ascend from below, or descend from above, respectively. in relationship to prayer, as the Maharsha writes, that the whole Torah is a preparation for attaining “fear of G‑d,” which is prayer.89This cannot be found in the commentary of the Maharsha. Still, see Rashi on Yoma 72b, s.v. “Va’tirah sh’peiresh.” Then, in prayer, they bestow upon the person “masculine waters,” corresponding to the “feminine waters.” When a person studies Torah selflessly, the masculine waters reflect back the feminine waters,89With pure prayers. but when he studies for personal motives, that becomes reflected back to him in his prayers. Then, his “prayers are turned to sin,” for they confound his prayers with extraneous thoughts. His “wife,” who is his nefesh, becomes a widow, for she does not clothe the ruach, providing it with “feminine waters.” And his “children” which are his good deeds, become orphans. For the Torah is called “deed,” as we mentioned above, and because he studied for ulterior motives, his good deeds wander off and do not ascend. Thus, they are orphans. “May the creditor confiscate all that is his…” This is the evil inclination who “loans” him mitzvos to feel haughty, or to study Torah, which is called “deed,” for the sake of honor. And so will they give him “masculine waters” from above – great evils and troubles. Then his creditor, the evil inclination, comes to collect his loan, as it is written: “May the creditor confiscate all that is his.”89The Baal Shem Tov may mean here, “all the is the creditor’s,” since it was he who gave the person these mitzvos in the first place. Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 108d
שמעתי ממורי ביאור פסוקי (תהלים סי' ק"ט) ותפלתו תהיה לחטאה יהיו בניו יתומים ואשתו אלמנה וגו' ינקש נושה לכל אשר לו וגו', והקשה מה זה עונש לרשע שתהיה אשתו ובניו וגו', וביאר על פי דאיתא בש"ס (קדושין ד"מ ע"ב) תלמוד גדול שמביא לידי מעשה וכו' והקשה דמשמע דמעשה גדול וכו', וביאר כי תלמוד יש בו שניהם כי אמרו רבותינו ז"ל (עיין מנחות דק"י ע"א) כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה, אם כן שניהם בידו, מה שאין כן מעשה הוא לבד וכו', והנה נפש הוא מלבוש לרוח, ורוח מלביש הנשמה, אם כן נפש נגד רוח נקרא אשתו, וכן רוח נקרא נגד נשמה אשתו וכו', וכמו שאמרו חכמינו ז"ל (מגילה ד"ו ע"ב) שצדיק ממנו בולע הכי נמי אמר דוד המלך עליו השלום נגד דואג ואחיתופל שלמדו על כל פנים תורה שהוא מיין נוקבין לתפלה, וכמו שכתב מהרש"א שכל התורה הוא הכנה ליראה הנקרא תפלה וכו', ובתפלה משפיעין למתפלל מיין דכרין נגד מיין נוקבין וכשלמד לשמה כמו שהיה מיין נוקבין כך הוא מיין דכורין, מה שאין כן כשלמד שלא לשמה כך משפיעין לו בתפלה ואז תפלתו לחטאה, שמבלבלין אותו בתפלתו מחשבות זרות, ואז אשתו שהוא נפש הוא אלמנה שאינו מלבוש לרוח להיות מיין נוקבין וכו', וגם בניו שהם מעשים טובים הם יתומים, כי התורה שנקרא מעשה כנ"ל אחר שהיה שלא לשמה הם נע ונד דלא פרחית לעילא והם יתומים וגו', ינקש נושה לכל אשר לו, כי היצר הרע מלוה לו להמציא לו איזה מצוה שיעשה כדי להתפאר, או שילמד תורה שנקרא מעשה להתפאר וכך משפיעין לו מיין דכרין מלמעלה, רבות רעות וצרות, ואז היצר הרע נושה שלו בא להפרע מן הלוה, וזהו שאמר הכתוב ינקש נושה לכל אשר לו רחמנא לשיזבן וכו' ודפח"ח:
(תוי"י בסופו דר"ח ע"ד).
May his prayer be turned into sin… May his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow… May the creditor confiscate all that is his…” (Psalms 109: 7,9,11).
Why is the wicked man punished by his wife and children being widowed and orphaned? The Baal Shem Tov explained this with a statement from the Talmud: “What is more important? Torah study or deed?... Study is greater because it leads to deed.”89Kidushin 40b. But this implies that action is greater. Rather, Torah study has two aspects, as our Rabbis have said: “Whoever studies the teachings of the Olah sacrifice, is considered to have offered it.”89Menachos 110a. Therefore, he achieves them both, which is not the case with action alone.
Now, the nefesh-soul enclothes the ruach, and the ruach enclothes the neshama. Therefore, the nefesh is the “wife” in relationship to the ruach, and the ruach is the “wife” in relationship to the neshama,89This follows the kabbalistic division of the world into “lights” and “vessels,” which correspond to the archetypes of “masculine” and “feminine.” Lights are always enclosed in vessels (as the soul is enclothed in the body). Thus, that which is outer is feminine to that which it contains. as our Sages have said: “He swallows up a Tzaddik greater than him.”89Megilah 6b: “Rav Huna said, What does it means: ‘Why do You look on when they deal treacherously, and hold Your peace when the wicked swallows up one who is more righteous than he?” (Habakkuk 1:13)? One who is more righteous than he, he can swallow up, but the perfectly righteous (Tzadik gamur) he cannot swallow up.” The Baal Shem Tov uses this as another example of the paradigm of lights and vessels. In this case, the corrupt “vessel” of the evil man “swallows up” (i.e. covers) the Tzadik. In this sense, the wicked are feminine in relationship to the Tzadik. This was the case of King David and his two enemies: Do’eg Ha’Adomi (a servant of King Saul – I Samuel 22), and Achitofel HaGiloni (who sided with David’s son, Avshalom, during the latter’s rebellion – 2 Samuel 15). Thus, the Baal Shem Tov states that they learned Torah (despite their wickedness), which makes them feminine in relationship to David, who was the embodiment of prayer (that descends from Above). Thus, David was also speaking about89In the verse from Psalms, above. Do’eg and Achitofel, who did learn Torah, which is considered the “feminine waters”89“Feminine waters” or “masculine waters” refer to spiritual influences that either ascend from below, or descend from above, respectively. in relationship to prayer, as the Maharsha writes, that the whole Torah is a preparation for attaining “fear of G‑d,” which is prayer.89This cannot be found in the commentary of the Maharsha. Still, see Rashi on Yoma 72b, s.v. “Va’tirah sh’peiresh.”
Then, in prayer, they bestow upon the person “masculine waters,” corresponding to the “feminine waters.” When a person studies Torah selflessly, the masculine waters reflect back the feminine waters,89With pure prayers. but when he studies for personal motives, that becomes reflected back to him in his prayers. Then, his “prayers are turned to sin,” for they confound his prayers with extraneous thoughts. His “wife,” who is his nefesh, becomes a widow, for she does not clothe the ruach, providing it with “feminine waters.” And his “children” which are his good deeds, become orphans. For the Torah is called “deed,” as we mentioned above, and because he studied for ulterior motives, his good deeds wander off and do not ascend. Thus, they are orphans.
“May the creditor confiscate all that is his…” This is the evil inclination who “loans” him mitzvos to feel haughty, or to study Torah, which is called “deed,” for the sake of honor. And so will they give him “masculine waters” from above – great evils and troubles. Then his creditor, the evil inclination, comes to collect his loan, as it is written: “May the creditor confiscate all that is his.”89The Baal Shem Tov may mean here, “all the is the creditor’s,” since it was he who gave the person these mitzvos in the first place.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 108d