All diburim (words) are the aspect of gevurot (severities), as it is written, “and of Your gevurah (strength) yedaberu (they will speak)” (Psalms 145:11). And as is written in the holy writings: The five gevurot in daat break through and emerge from the mouth, where they become the five articulators (Etz Chaim, Shaar TaNTA, Chapter 3). Thus it is that all spoken words are the aspect of severities that one has to mitigate. Their mitigation is by means of Torah study and the good words that people speak. Through this we mitigate the diburim, which are the aspect of severities.
Know, too, that there are times when fierce severities emerge, God spare us, which in this world affect the generation’s leaders since their daat is great. Therefore, when fierce severities emerge, God forbid, they enter the daat of the leaders. There, they break through and emerge from the mouth, to be turned into words, as explained above. Then the words are the aspect of fierce severities that one must be certain to mitigate.
When people do not mitigate the fierce severities, God forbid, it is either because they lack the ability to mitigate them, or cannot mitigate them since they are then on a low level due to some blemish or sin they committed. For even great tzaddikim occasionally blemish and err in some matter, [as in,] “For there is no man on Earth so righteous [that he does good and never sins]” (Ecclesiastes 7:20), and because they are then in that aspect, they do not mitigate the fierce severities, which are the words.
And when they fail to mitigate the words which are the fierce severities, then with these words they begin to speak evil about people generally and about specific individuals. Alternatively, they speak about the tzaddik of the generation. Then all their words, which are fierce severities, affect and beset the tzaddik of the generation, God forbid.
Thus the tzaddik of the generation must see to mitigate these fierce severities, which are the aforementioned words. By virtue of his judging [these people] positively in this that they speak about him, we may conclude that he inclines toward chesed (lovingkindness). With this, he mitigates them. Or, by virtue of his accepting with love the suffering that stems from their speaking about him, he likewise mitigates their words, which are the fierce severities, as explained above.
However, if the tzaddik of the generation lacks the ability to mitigate them, God forbid, then he can fall greatly from his level because of the aforementioned severities that affect him. Or, this might cause him to pass away altogether, God forbid. Then, through his passing, his soul mitigates these aforementioned fierce severities.
It was from this that the Baal Shem Tov passed away. For he said he would pass away because of the episode of Shabbatai Zvi, may his name be obliterated. Among the followers of Shabbatai Zvi, may his name be obliterated, there were a number of the generation’s leaders and outstanding scholars whom he deceived, as is widely known. They disassociated themselves from the community and spoke evil of the entire Oral Law. This was because they were affected by fierce severities, which they did not mitigate due to the aforementioned aspect. They therefore spoke evil words about the people generally, and these words beset the leader of the generation. The Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, was then the generation’s leader, and he passed away from this. This is as they say in the Baal Shem Tov’s name; he said that he had two holes in his heart as a result of the episode of Shabbatai Zvi, may his name be obliterated. And it was from this that he passed away, as explained above.
For speaking against the Oral Law and speaking against the tzaddik of the generation himself is literally one and the same thing. This is because the essence of the Oral Law is dependent upon the tzaddik of the generation, as it is written: “The Shekhinah (Divine Presence) resides between two tzaddikim” (Zohar I, 153b) ; [the Shekhinah ] being the Oral Law, as is brought elsewhere. Likewise, the Torah scholar is himself the Torah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Makkot 22b): How foolish people are. They rise for a Torah scroll [but not for a Torah scholar].
However, when the tzaddik mitigates their words, he thus transforms their words into Torah, as is brought elsewhere. He then creates Torah of lovingkindness, namely, [Torah] for teaching others, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning the verse (Proverbs 31:26), “the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue”—this is someone who studies in order to teach (Sukkah 49b). For when he transforms these words into Torah, he is certainly able to teach it to others. From this we may conclude that it is Torah of chesed, with which he mitigates them.
כָּל הַדִּבּוּרִים הֵם בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּגְבוּרָתְךָ יְדַבֵּרוּ (תהילים קמ״ה:י״א), וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּכְּתָבִים, שֶׁהַה' גְּבוּרוֹת שֶׁבַּדַּעַת בּוֹקְעִין וְיוֹצְאִין בְּהַפֶּה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה מֵהֶם ה' מוֹצָאוֹת הַפֶּה; נִמְצָא שֶׁכָּל הַדִּבּוּרִים הֵם בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, וְצָרִיךְ לְהַמְתִּיקָם. וְהַהַמְתָּקָה הוּא עַל־יְדֵי לִמּוּד הַתּוֹרָה וְדִבּוּרִים טוֹבִים שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה מַמְתִּיקִין הַדִּבּוּרִים שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת הַגְּבוּרוֹת:
All diburim (words) are the aspect of gevurot (severities), as it is written, “and of Your gevurah (strength) yedaberu (they will speak)” (Psalms 145:11). And as is written in the holy writings: The five gevurot in daat break through and emerge from the mouth, where they become the five articulators (Etz Chaim, Shaar TaNTA, Chapter 3). Thus it is that all spoken words are the aspect of severities that one has to mitigate. Their mitigation is by means of Torah study and the good words that people speak. Through this we mitigate the diburim, which are the aspect of severities.
וְדַע, שֶׁלִּפְעָמִים יוֹצְאִין גְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, וְהֵם בָּאִים בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם לִגְדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר מֵחֲמַת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם דַּעַת גָּדוֹל, עַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁיּוֹצְאִין, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, גְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, בָּאִים בְּדַעַת הַגְּדוֹלִים, וְשָׁם בּוֹקְעִין וְיוֹצְאִין מֵהַפֶּה, וְנַעֲשֶׂה מֵהֶם דִּבּוּרִים כַּנַּ"ל. וַאֲזַי הַדִּבּוּרִים הֵם בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, וְצָרִיךְ לִרְאוֹת לְהַמְתִּיקָם,
Know, too, that there are times when fierce severities emerge, God spare us, which in this world affect the generation’s leaders since their daat is great. Therefore, when fierce severities emerge, God forbid, they enter the daat of the leaders. There, they break through and emerge from the mouth, to be turned into words, as explained above. Then the words are the aspect of fierce severities that one must be certain to mitigate.
וּכְשֶׁאֵין מַמְתִּיקִים הַגְּבוּרוֹת הַקָּשׁוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם כֹּחַ לְהַמְתִּיקָם, אוֹ שֶׁהֵם אָז בְּמַדְרֵגָה קְטַנָּה, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַמְתִּיקָם, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁפָּגְמוּ אָז בְּאֵיזֶה פְּגָם וָחֵטְא, כִּי אַפִלּוּ צַדִּיקִים וּגְדוֹלִים לִפְעָמִים הֵם פּוֹגְמִים וְשׁוֹגִים בְּאֵיזֶה דָּבָר, כִּי אֵין צַדִּיק בָּאָרֶץ וְכוּ' (קהלת ז׳:כ׳), וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁהֵם אָז בִּבְחִינָה זוֹ, אֵינָם מַמְתִּיקִים הַגְּבוּרוֹת הַקָּשׁוֹת, שֶׁהֵם הַדִּבּוּרִים,
When people do not mitigate the fierce severities, God forbid, it is either because they lack the ability to mitigate them, or cannot mitigate them since they are then on a low level due to some blemish or sin they committed. For even great tzaddikim occasionally blemish and err in some matter, [as in,] “For there is no man on Earth so righteous [that he does good and never sins]” (Ecclesiastes 7:20), and because they are then in that aspect, they do not mitigate the fierce severities, which are the words.
וַאֲזַי כְּשֶׁאֵינָם מַמְתִּיקִים הַדִּבּוּרִים, שֶׁהֵם גְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, אֲזַי מַתְחִילִין לְדַבֵּר בְּאֵלּוּ הַדִּבּוּרִים דִּבּוּרִים רָעִים עַל הַכְּלָל אוֹ עַל הַפְּרָט, אוֹ שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִין עַל צַדִּיק הַדּוֹר, וַאֲזַי כָּל הַדִּבּוּרִים שֶׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁהֵם גְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, בָּאִים וְנוֹפְלִים עַל צַדִּיק הַדּוֹר, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם.
And when they fail to mitigate the words which are the fierce severities, then with these words they begin to speak evil about people generally and about specific individuals. Alternatively, they speak about the tzaddik of the generation. Then all their words, which are fierce severities, affect and beset the tzaddik of the generation, God forbid.
וְהַצַּדִּיק הַדּוֹר צָרִיךְ לִרְאוֹת לְהַמְתִּיק אֵלּוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, שֶׁהֵם הַדִּבּוּרִים הַנַּ"ל, וְעַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהוּא דָּן אוֹתָם לְכַף זְכוּת בָּזֶה שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים עָלָיו, נִמְצָא שֶׁהוּא מַטֶּה כְּלַפֵּי חֶסֶד וּבָזֶה מַמְתִּיקָם, אוֹ עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁמְּקַבֵּל הַיִּסּוּרִים שֶׁהֵם מְדַבְּרִים עָלָיו, מְקַבְּלָם בְּאַהֲבָה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הוּא מַמְתִּיק גַּם כֵּן דִּבּוּרִים שֶׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁהֵם הַגְּבוּרוֹת הַקָּשׁוֹת כַּנַּ"ל.
Thus the tzaddik of the generation must see to mitigate these fierce severities, which are the aforementioned words. By virtue of his judging [these people] positively in this that they speak about him, we may conclude that he inclines toward chesed (lovingkindness). With this, he mitigates them. Or, by virtue of his accepting with love the suffering that stems from their speaking about him, he likewise mitigates their words, which are the fierce severities, as explained above.
אֲבָל אִם אֵין כֹּחַ, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, בְּצַדִּיק הַדּוֹר לְהַמְתִּיקָם, אֲזַי יוּכַל לִפֹּל מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ מְאֹד, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עַל־יְדֵי אֵלּוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת הַנַּ"ל שֶׁבָּאִים עָלָיו, אוֹ שֶׁיִּסְתַּלֵּק, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, וְאָז עַל־יְדֵי הִסְתַּלְּקוּתוֹ נִשְׁמָתוֹ מַמְתֶּקֶת אֵלּוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת הַקָּשׁוֹת הַנַּ"ל.
However, if the tzaddik of the generation lacks the ability to mitigate them, God forbid, then he can fall greatly from his level because of the aforementioned severities that affect him. Or, this might cause him to pass away altogether, God forbid. Then, through his passing, his soul mitigates these aforementioned fierce severities.
וּמִזֶּה הָיָה הִסְתַּלְּקוּת הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב, כִּי אָמַר שֶׁיִּסְתַּלֵּק מִמַּעֲשֵׂה הַשַּׁ"צ יִמַּח שְׁמוֹ, כִּי אֵצֶל הַשַּׁ"צ יִמַּח שְׁמוֹ הָיוּ כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלֵי הַדּוֹר וְלוֹמְדִים מֻפְלָגִים, שֶׁהִטְעָה אוֹתָם, כַּמְפֻרְסָם, וְהֵם יָצְאוּ מִן הַכְּלָל וְדִבְּרוּ רָעוֹת עַל כְּלַל תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה, וְזֶה הָיָה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁבָּא לָהֶם גְּבוּרוֹת קָשׁוֹת וְלֹא הִמְתִּיקוּ אוֹתָם מֵחֲמַת בְּחִינָה הַנַּ"ל, וְעַל כֵּן דִּבְּרוּ דִּבּוּרִים רָעִים עַל הַכְּלָל, וְאֵלּוּ הַדִּבּוּרִים נָפְלוּ עַל גְּדוֹל הַדּוֹר, וְהַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה הוּא הָיָה אָז הַגְּדוֹל הַדּוֹר, וּמִזֶּה נִסְתַּלֵּק, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים בְּשֵׁם הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, שֶׁאָמַר, שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לוֹ שְׁנֵי נְקָבִים בְּלִבּוֹ עַל־יְדֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל הַשַּׁ"צ יִמַּח שְׁמוֹ, וּמִזֶּה נִסְתַּלֵּק וְכַנַּ"ל.
It was from this that the Baal Shem Tov passed away. For he said he would pass away because of the episode of Shabbatai Zvi, may his name be obliterated. Among the followers of Shabbatai Zvi, may his name be obliterated, there were a number of the generation’s leaders and outstanding scholars whom he deceived, as is widely known. They disassociated themselves from the community and spoke evil of the entire Oral Law. This was because they were affected by fierce severities, which they did not mitigate due to the aforementioned aspect. They therefore spoke evil words about the people generally, and these words beset the leader of the generation. The Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, was then the generation’s leader, and he passed away from this. This is as they say in the Baal Shem Tov’s name; he said that he had two holes in his heart as a result of the episode of Shabbatai Zvi, may his name be obliterated. And it was from this that he passed away, as explained above.
כִּי כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים עַל תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה, אוֹ כְּשֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים עַל הַצַּדִּיק הַדּוֹר בְּעַצְמוֹ, הוּא דָּבָר אֶחָד מַמָּשׁ, כִּי עִקַּר תּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה הוּא תָּלוּי בְּצַדִּיק הַדּוֹר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (זוהר ויצא דף קנג:): שְׁכִינְתָּא בֵּין תְּרֵין צַדִּיקַיָּא יָתֵבָא, שֶׁהוּא הַתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה, כַּמּוּבָא בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (עיין בהתורה תהילה לדוד בסימן י"ב). וְכֵן הַתַּלְמִיד־חָכָם הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ הַתּוֹרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מכות כב:): כַּמָּה טִפְּשָׁאֵי וְכוּ דְּקָיְמִי מִקַּמֵּי אוֹרַיְתָא וְכוּ';
For speaking against the Oral Law and speaking against the tzaddik of the generation himself is literally one and the same thing. This is because the essence of the Oral Law is dependent upon the tzaddik of the generation, as it is written: “The Shekhinah (Divine Presence) resides between two tzaddikim” (Zohar I, 153b) ; [the Shekhinah ] being the Oral Law, as is brought elsewhere. Likewise, the Torah scholar is himself the Torah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Makkot 22b): How foolish people are. They rise for a Torah scroll [but not for a Torah scholar].
אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהַצַּדִּיק מַמְתִּיק דִּבּוּרִים שֶׁלָּהֶם, אֲזַי הוּא חוֹזֵר וְעוֹשֶׂה מֵהַדִּבּוּרִים תּוֹרָה, כַּמּוּבָא בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (שם בסימן י"ב), וַאֲזַי עוֹשֶׂה תּוֹרַת חֶסֶד, הַיְנוּ לְלַמֵּד לַאֲחֵרִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סוכה מט:) עַל פָּסוּק: וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ – זֶה הַלּוֹמֵד עַל־מְנָת לְלַמְּדָהּ, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂים תּוֹרָה מִדִּבּוּרִים אֵלּוּ, אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְלַמֵּד אֲחֵרִים עִמָּהּ, וְנִמְצָא שֶׁהוּא תּוֹרַת חֶסֶד, וּבָזֶה מַמְתִּיקָם:
However, when the tzaddik mitigates their words, he thus transforms their words into Torah, as is brought elsewhere. He then creates Torah of lovingkindness, namely, [Torah] for teaching others, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning the verse (Proverbs 31:26), “the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue”—this is someone who studies in order to teach (Sukkah 49b). For when he transforms these words into Torah, he is certainly able to teach it to others. From this we may conclude that it is Torah of chesed, with which he mitigates them.