R. Abba introduced this portion with a discourse on the text: Hearken to me, ye obstinate of heart who are far from righteousness (Is. 46, 12). He said: ‘How obstinate is the heart of sinners who see the paths and ways of the Torah and pay no heed to them, but harden their hearts and do not return in repentance to their Master, wherefore they are called “obstinate of heart”. Also “far from righteousness”, because they keep themselves far from the Torah.
R. Hizkiah says, that it is because they keep themselves far from God; they refuse to draw near to God and therefore they are far from righteousness. And because they are far from righteousness, therefore they are far from peace, and they have no peace, as it is written. “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Is. 48, 22). The reason is that they are far from righteousness.
See now, Abraham sought to draw near to God, and he succeeded. So it is written, “Thou didst love righteousness and hate wickedness” (Ps. 45, 8), and it is further written, “Abraham who loves me” (Is. 41, 8), i.e. Abram is said to have “loved God” because he loved righteousness; this was Abram’s love of God, in which he excelled all his contemporaries, who were obstinate of heart and far from righteousness, as has been said.’
לֶךָ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו'. רַבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו מ״ו:י״ב) שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי אַבִּיִרִי לֵב הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְדָקָה. שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי אַבִּירֵי לֵב, כַּמָּה תַּקִּיפִין לִבַּיְיהוּ דְּחַיָיבַיָא, דְּחָמָאן שְׁבִילֵי ואָרְחֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא ולָא מִסְתַּכְּלָן בְּהוּ, ולִבַּיְיהוּ תַּקִּיפִין דְּלָא מְהַדְּרִין בִּתְיוּבְתָּא לְגַבֵּי מָרֵיהוֹן, וְאִקְרוּן אַבִּירֵי לֵב. הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה דְּמִתְרַחֲקֵי מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא.
R. Abba introduced this portion with a discourse on the text: Hearken to me, ye obstinate of heart who are far from righteousness (Is. 46, 12). He said: ‘How obstinate is the heart of sinners who see the paths and ways of the Torah and pay no heed to them, but harden their hearts and do not return in repentance to their Master, wherefore they are called “obstinate of heart”. Also “far from righteousness”, because they keep themselves far from the Torah.
רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אָמַר דְּמִתְרַחֲקֵי מִקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאִנּוּן רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרוּן אַבִּירֵי לֵב. הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה דְּלָא בָּעָאן לְקָרְבָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּגִין כָּךְ אִנּוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה, כֵּיוָן דְּאִנּוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה רְחוֹקִים אִנּוּן מִשָּׁלוֹם דְּלֵית לוֹן שָׁלוֹם. דִּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ח:כ״ב) אֵין שָׁלוֹם אָמַר יְיָ לָרְשָׁעִים. מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּאִנּוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה.
R. Hizkiah says, that it is because they keep themselves far from God; they refuse to draw near to God and therefore they are far from righteousness. And because they are far from righteousness, therefore they are far from peace, and they have no peace, as it is written. “There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked” (Is. 48, 22). The reason is that they are far from righteousness.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם בָּעֵי לְקָרְבָא לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאִתְקָרַב. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים מ״ה:ח׳) אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק וַתִּשְׂנָא רֶשַׁע. בְּגִין דְאָהַב צֶדֶק וְשָׂנָא רֶשַׁע אִתְקָרַב לִצְדָקָה, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״א:ח׳) אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבִי. מַאי טַעְמָא אוֹהֲבִי, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק. רְחִימוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ אַבְרָהָם מִכָּל בְּנֵי דָרִיהּ דְּהֲווּ אַבִּירֵי לֵב וְאִנּוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.
See now, Abraham sought to draw near to God, and he succeeded. So it is written, “Thou didst love righteousness and hate wickedness” (Ps. 45, 8), and it is further written, “Abraham who loves me” (Is. 41, 8), i.e. Abram is said to have “loved God” because he loved righteousness; this was Abram’s love of God, in which he excelled all his contemporaries, who were obstinate of heart and far from righteousness, as has been said.’