Now,’ he asked, ‘it is written: “And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15, 6). Does it mean that the Holy One counted it to Abraham, or that Abraham counted it to the Holy One? I myself’, he said, ‘that it means that the Holy One counted it to Abraham, but this does not satisfy me.’ Said R. Abba: ‘It is indeed not so. Observe that it is written, “and he counted it” (vayahsh’veha), but not “and he counted to him” (vayahshov lo). This assuredly means that Abraham counted it to the Holy One, blessed be He. It has been taught on this point as follows. It is written: “And he brought him forth abroad” (Ibid. 5), to wit, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham in effect :1v. T. B. Shabbath, 156a. Give up thy astrological speculations; this is not the way to cquire a knowledge of My Name. Thou seest, but I see also. Abram, it is true, is not to beget children, but Abraham will beget children. Henceforth follow another direction. “So (KoH) shall thy seed be” (Ibid.). The word KoH is expressive of the tenth sacred Crown of the King by which His Name may be known; it is the Crown through which rigorous judgements are set in motion.
At that moment Abraham became filled with joy, inasmuch as the good tidings came to him through the medium of KoH, for although rigorous judgements are stirred up thence, yet “Abraham counted it”, -to wit, the Crown, source of Rigour-“for righteousness”: that is, he realized that the very Rigour was turned for him into Mercy.
מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית ט״ו:ו׳) וְהֶאֱמִין בַּיְיָ וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לוֹ צְדָקָה, אִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֲשָׁבָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם, אוֹ אַבְרָהָם לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וַאֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חֲשָׁבָהּ לְאַבְרָהָם, וְלָא אִתְיַשְּׁבָא בְּלִבָּאִי. אָמַר לֵיהּ הָכִי אוֹקִימְנָא, וְלָאו הָכִי הֲוִי. תָּא חֲזֵי, וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ, ויַחְשׁוֹב לוֹ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ, אַבְרָהָם ודַּאי חֲשָׁבָהּ לְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. דְּתַנְיָא, כְּתִיב (בראשית ט״ו:ה׳) וַיּוֹצֵא אוֹתוֹ הַחוּצָה, אָמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, צֵא מֵאִצְטַגְנִינוּת שֶׁלְּךָ, לָאו הַהוּא אוֹרְחָא לְמִנְדַּע שְׁמִי, אַת חָמֵי, וַאֲנָא חֲמֵינָא, אַבְרָם אֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד, אַבְרָהָם מוֹלִיד. מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, אִשְׁתְּדָלוּ בְּאָרְחָא אַחֲרָא, כֹּ"ה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ. מַאי כֹּ"ה. הִיא כִּתְרָא עֲשִׂירָאָה קַדִּישָׁא דְּמַלְכָּא, לְמִנְדַּע שְׁמֵיהּ, וְהִיא כִּתְרָא דְּדִינִין מִתְעָרִין מִנָּהּ.
Now,’ he asked, ‘it is written: “And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness” (Gen. 15, 6). Does it mean that the Holy One counted it to Abraham, or that Abraham counted it to the Holy One? I myself’, he said, ‘that it means that the Holy One counted it to Abraham, but this does not satisfy me.’ Said R. Abba: ‘It is indeed not so. Observe that it is written, “and he counted it” (vayahsh’veha), but not “and he counted to him” (vayahshov lo). This assuredly means that Abraham counted it to the Holy One, blessed be He. It has been taught on this point as follows. It is written: “And he brought him forth abroad” (Ibid. 5), to wit, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham in effect :1v. T. B. Shabbath, 156a. Give up thy astrological speculations; this is not the way to cquire a knowledge of My Name. Thou seest, but I see also. Abram, it is true, is not to beget children, but Abraham will beget children. Henceforth follow another direction. “So (KoH) shall thy seed be” (Ibid.). The word KoH is expressive of the tenth sacred Crown of the King by which His Name may be known; it is the Crown through which rigorous judgements are set in motion.
וְתָאנָא, כֹּה יִהְיֶה זַרְעֶךָ מַמָּשׁ. בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא חַדֵּי אַבְרָהָם, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא וּלְמִנְדַּע שְׁמֵיהּ, וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בֵּיהּ, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִתְבְּשַׂר בְּכ"ה, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּדִינִין מִתְעָרִין מִנָּהּ, חֲשָׁבָהּ אַבְרָהָם לְהַהוּא כִּתְרָא, אַף עַל גַּב דְּהִיא דִּינָא, כְּאִלּוּ הִיא רַחֲמֵי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ. מַאי וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ. לְהַהוּא כִּתְרָא. צְדָקָה רַחֲמֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כֹּ"ה כִּתְרָא עֲשִׂירָאָה הִיא, וְאִתְקְרֵי צֶדֶ"ק, וְדִינִין מִתְעָרִין מִנָּהּ, וְאַבְרָהָם אַף עַל גַּב דְּיָדַע דְּדִינִין מִתְעָרִין מִנָּהּ מֵהַאי צֶדֶק. הוּא חֲשָׁבָהּ צְדָקָה, דְּדִינִין לָא מִתְעָרִין מִנָּהּ, בְּגִין דְּהוּא רַחֲמֵי.
At that moment Abraham became filled with joy, inasmuch as the good tidings came to him through the medium of KoH, for although rigorous judgements are stirred up thence, yet “Abraham counted it”, -to wit, the Crown, source of Rigour-“for righteousness”: that is, he realized that the very Rigour was turned for him into Mercy.