As our Sages teach: “the word He commanded for one thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8)—God wanted to give the Torah after a thousand generations, but He saw that the world could not survive so He gave it after twenty-six generations…. He rose and implanted them [in each and every generation]. These are the brazen-faced of the generation (Chagigah 14a).
Hence the brazen were not included in the receiving of the Torah, for they were part of the nine hundred seventy-four generations that were not worthy of receiving the Torah. Similarly, our Sages teach: Whoever is brazen-faced, it is certain that the feet of his ancestors did not stand at Mount Sinai (Nedarim 20a). We find therefore that the brazen-faced person has no share in the Torah.
Likewise, a man who is lowly and abject, without any holy boldness, also has no share in the Torah. As our Sages teach: Why was the Torah given to Israel? Because they are bold (Beitzah 28b). For it is necessary to possesses holy boldness. As our Sages teach: Be bold as a leopard (Avot 5:20).
Through the holy AZut (boldness) which he possesses, he receives holy boldness from God. This corresponds to (Psalms 68:35, 36), “Give OZ (strength) to God…. The God of Israel, He gives oz and might to the people.”
“Give strength to God” corresponds to an arousal from below. By virtue of our having the holy boldness to oppose all those who rise against us to prevent us from our service, Heaven forefend, we overpower them with great boldness, i.e., holy boldness. As a result, we give strength and power Above, so to speak. This corresponds to, “Give strength to God.”
Through this, the aspect of holy boldness is aroused Above and is bestowed upon us, corresponding to, “The God of Israel, He gives strength and might to the people.” The Holy One bestows upon us holy boldness and gives us strength and might to oppose the brazenness of the Other Side, of all the brazen of the generation. For it is only possible to oppose them through holy boldness. This is because when a person has no holy boldness, the adversaries will certainly thwart his Torah study and service. Thus, a person has no share in the Torah when he lacks holy boldness, as above.
Yet a person must measure his ways, how [best] to behave with the boldness so that it does not become brazenness, God forbid, which is a very evil trait. He should, nevertheless, possess holy boldness.
Moreover, humility is entirely another matter. And the essence of humility is when one is on a level where he can write of himself as did Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory: “But the man Moshe was extremely humble” (Numbers 12:3). This is the ultimate level of humility. Likewise, we find of the Amoraim that Rabbi Yosef said (Sotah 49b), “… Do not include humility, because I am here.”
כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמִּי שֶׁהוּא עַזּוּת פָּנִים אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק בַּתּוֹרָה,
Just as a person who is brazen has no share in the Torah, [so the person who lacks holy boldness has no share in the Torah].
כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (חגיגה יד): דָּבָר צִוָּה לְאֶלֶף דּוֹר, שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא לִתֵּן הַתּוֹרָה לְאֶלֶף דּוֹרוֹת, רָאָה שֶׁאֵין הָעוֹלָם מִתְקַיֵּם וּנְתָנָהּ לְעֶשְרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה דּוֹרוֹת, וְעָמַד וּשְׁתָלָן וְכוּ', וְהֵן הֵן עַזֵּי פָנִים שֶׁבַּדּוֹר.
As our Sages teach: “the word He commanded for one thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8)—God wanted to give the Torah after a thousand generations, but He saw that the world could not survive so He gave it after twenty-six generations…. He rose and implanted them [in each and every generation]. These are the brazen-faced of the generation (Chagigah 14a).
נִמְצָא, שֶׁהָעַזֵּי פָּנִים אֵינָם בִּכְלַל קַבָּלַת הַתּוֹרָה, כִּי הֵם מֵהַתתקע"ד דּוֹרוֹת שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ רְאוּיִים לְקַבֵּל הַתּוֹרָה. וְכֵן אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (נדרים כ): מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ עַזּוּת בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁלֹּא עָמְדוּ רַגְלֵי אֲבוֹתָיו עַל הַר סִינַי, נִמְצָא שֶׁהָעַזּוּת פָּנִים אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק בַּתּוֹרָה.
Hence the brazen were not included in the receiving of the Torah, for they were part of the nine hundred seventy-four generations that were not worthy of receiving the Torah. Similarly, our Sages teach: Whoever is brazen-faced, it is certain that the feet of his ancestors did not stand at Mount Sinai (Nedarim 20a). We find therefore that the brazen-faced person has no share in the Torah.
כְּמוֹ כֵן, מִי שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ שָׁפָל וְנִבְזֶה וְאֵין בּוֹ שׁוּם עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, אֵין לוֹ גַּם־כֵּן חֵלֶק בַּתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ביצה כה:): מִפְּנֵי מָה נִתְּנָה תּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן עַזִּין. כִּי צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בּוֹ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (אבות פ"ה): הֱוֵי עַז כַּנָּמֵר.
Likewise, a man who is lowly and abject, without any holy boldness, also has no share in the Torah. As our Sages teach: Why was the Torah given to Israel? Because they are bold (Beitzah 28b). For it is necessary to possesses holy boldness. As our Sages teach: Be bold as a leopard (Avot 5:20).
וְעַל־יְדֵי עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ, הוּא מְקַבֵּל עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְהוּא בְּחִינַת (תהילים ס״ח:ל״ה): תְּנוּ עֹז לֵאלקִים, אֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא נוֹתֵן עֹז וְתַעֲצוּמוֹת לָעָם.
Through the holy AZut (boldness) which he possesses, he receives holy boldness from God. This corresponds to (Psalms 68:35, 36), “Give OZ (strength) to God…. The God of Israel, He gives oz and might to the people.”
תְּנוּ עֹז לֵאלקִים – זֶה בְּחִינַת אִתְעָרוּתָא דִּלְתַתָּא, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַקָּמִים עָלֵינוּ לִמְנֹעַ אוֹתָנוּ מֵעֲבוֹדָתֵנוּ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְאָנוּ מִתְגַּבְּרִין בְּעַזּוּת גָּדוֹל כְּנֶגְדָּם, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אָנוּ נוֹתְנִין כִּבְיָכוֹל עֹז וְכֹחַ לְמַעְלָה, בִּבְחִינַת: תְּנוּ עֹז לֵאלֹקִים.
“Give strength to God” corresponds to an arousal from below. By virtue of our having the holy boldness to oppose all those who rise against us to prevent us from our service, Heaven forefend, we overpower them with great boldness, i.e., holy boldness. As a result, we give strength and power Above, so to speak. This corresponds to, “Give strength to God.”
וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִתְעוֹרֵר לְמַעְלָה בְּחִינַת עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, וְנִשְׁפָּע עָלֵינוּ, בִּבְחִינַת: אֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא נוֹתֵן עֹז וְתַעֲצוּמוֹת לָעָם – שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלֵינוּ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, וְנוֹתֵן לָנוּ עֹז וְתַעֲצוּמוֹת, לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגֶד הָעַזּוּת דְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא שֶׁל כָּל הָעַזֵּי פָּנִים שֶׁבַּדּוֹר, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַעֲמֹד כְּנֶגְדָּם, כִּי־אִם עַל־יְדֵי עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה. כִּי כְּשֶׁאֵין לוֹ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, בְּוַדַּאי יְבַטְּלוּ אוֹתוֹ הַמּוֹנְעִים מִתּוֹרָתוֹ וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ, כִּי אֵין לָאָדָם חֵלֶק בַּתּוֹרָה כְּשֶׁאֵין לוֹ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה כַּנַּ"ל:
Through this, the aspect of holy boldness is aroused Above and is bestowed upon us, corresponding to, “The God of Israel, He gives strength and might to the people.” The Holy One bestows upon us holy boldness and gives us strength and might to oppose the brazenness of the Other Side, of all the brazen of the generation. For it is only possible to oppose them through holy boldness. This is because when a person has no holy boldness, the adversaries will certainly thwart his Torah study and service. Thus, a person has no share in the Torah when he lacks holy boldness, as above.
וְצָרִיךְ לְפַלֵּס דְּרָכָיו אֵיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג עִם הָעַזּוּת, לִבְלִי לִהְיוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עַזּוּת פָּנִים, כִּי הִיא מִדָּה רָעָה מְאֹד כַּנַּ"ל, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן יִהְיֶה לוֹ עַזּוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה.
Yet a person must measure his ways, how [best] to behave with the boldness so that it does not become brazenness, God forbid, which is a very evil trait. He should, nevertheless, possess holy boldness.
וּמִדַּת עֲנָוָה הוּא עִנְיָן אַחֵר לְגַמְרֵי, וְעִקַּר מִדַּת הָעֲנָוָה – כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּמַדְרֵגָה שֶׁיּוּכַל לִכְתֹּב עַל עַצְמוֹ כְּמוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם (במדבר י״ב:ג׳): וְהָאִישׁ מֹשֶׁה עָנָו מְאֹד, זֶהוּ מַדְרֵגַת הָעֲנָוָה בְּתַכְלִית, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בַּאֲמוֹרָאִים, שֶׁאָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף (סוטה מט:): לָא תִּתְנֵי עֲנָוָה דְּאִיכָּא אֲנָא:
Moreover, humility is entirely another matter. And the essence of humility is when one is on a level where he can write of himself as did Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory: “But the man Moshe was extremely humble” (Numbers 12:3). This is the ultimate level of humility. Likewise, we find of the Amoraim that Rabbi Yosef said (Sotah 49b), “… Do not include humility, because I am here.”