On Shabbat Mattot — which always falls during the days of The Three Weeks, in which we mourn the destruction of the Temple — we read of the anger of Moses and of the error that came in its wake. In the note us there is a contemplation of how the anger and error of “the man of God” before have a root in the Name Elokim (אֱלֹקִים), the attribute of judgment that punishes the sinners — something that found special expression in the destruction of the Temple. A short and sharp contemplation — with a sweetening at its end — for the days of mourning over the destruction.
The Error of “the Man of God”
“One who comes to anger comes to error”[1] (בָּא לִכְלַל כַּעַס בָּא לִכְלַל טָעוּת). This statement was said of Moses, “the choicest of mankind.”[2] The error is “an error in judgment [shikul hada’at].”[3] Anger removes the da’at, the mind (Moses is the da’at of the totality of the souls of Israel[4]).
Now, Moses is “the man of God [Elokim]”[5] — “from his midpoint downward, he is ‘man,’ and from his midpoint upward, he is ‘Elokim.’”[6] Anger comes from “his midpoint downward,” from his “man” aspect, and this relates to the fact that “man” (אִישׁ) is cognate with “fire”[7] (אֵשׁ) and is therefore prone to anger.[8]
Yet the Zohar[9] interprets his “man” aspect in “the man of God” as “the husband of the Queen” (בַּעְלָהּ דְּמַטְרוֹנִיתָא). Thus, the “man” aspect in Moses is the husband, the bestower, and “the Elokim” aspect is his queen, his woman who receives from the man. The “queen” or woman here designates the sefirah of kingdom, the Shechinah (Divine Presence), also known as the Congregation of Israel (Knesset Yisrael), which receives from the sefirah of foundation, which is above her. Accordingly, it would seem that it is the Elokim aspect of Moses that is prone to anger for Elokim is the attribute of judgment,[10] from which the sefirah of kingdom is constructed[11] following the rule that “the law [judgment] of the kingdom is law” (דִּינָא דְּמַלְכוּתָא דִּינָא).[12]
How to Rectify the Sinner?
In any event, we learn from this that the rule that “one who comes to anger comes to error” holds also with regard to “Elokim” in the plain sense. What is the “error” of Elokim? The error, so to speak, is that He punishes the one with whom He is angry!
And should you say that the punishment is in essence a rectification (and not vengeance[13]), we shall reply: our master the Ba’al Shem Tov taught us[14] that there is another way to rectify the sinner — not the way of “the left hand pushes away”, through punishment, but rather precisely the way of “the right hand draws [the other] near”[15] — to draw the sinner ever closer; for example, to appoint him as an important minister in the government. Precisely through this drawing-near of the sinner, he will come to recognize the greatness of the King, “Havayah, the God of Israel, is King”[16] (הוי׳ אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֶלֶךְ), and will surrender before Him. Then he will rejoice and weep as one — the perfection of man’s Divine service in general and of the service of repentance to God in particular: “weeping is lodged in my heart on this side, and joy is lodged in my heart on that side”[17] (בְּכִיָּה תְּקִיעָא בְּלִבַּאי מִסִּטְרָא דָּא וְחֶדְוָה תְּקִיעָא בְּלִבַּאי מִסִּטְרָא דָּא). To be “lodged” means a firm fixing of the mind upon the greatness of God,[18] upon His kindness, and upon His abundant mercies.
The Destruction of the Temple
Now note that the value of, “one who comes to anger comes to error” (בָּא לִכְלַל כַּעַס בָּא לִכְלַל טָעוּת) is the same as “the Holy Temple” (בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ). What a mistake it was to destroy the Temple (out of anger[19])!
And should you say that the destruction was of the sort where one “razing in order to rebuild”[20] a better building,[21] we shall reply: even into the First and Second Temples (and even into the Tabernacle of Moses—his handiwork is eternal[22]) — which were constructed by human effort[23] — God could have brought down, in “fire from heaven,” the supernal Temple,[24] vesting it like a soul in a body within the physical building.[25] Then, by the supernal revelation emanating from this upgraded Temple all would return to God with a whole heart.
But there is none among us who knows what the profound intention of God is.[26] How is it that the terrible length of the bitter exile is worthwhile for us, in order to elevate all of humanity, together with all the mineral, vegetable, animal, and speaking [creatures], to see the revelation of His very essence, in the future to come,[27] when the entire world will be a Temple — a dwelling place in the lower realms[28] for the Holy Blessed One.
The Uvechein: Applied Torah
- Anger comes from “his midpoint downward, he is a man” and man (אִישׁ) is cognate with fire (אֵשׁ) and thus prone to anger.
- What is the “error” of God? That He punishes the one with whom He is angry!
- “One who comes to anger comes to error” (בָּא לִכְלַל כַּעַס בָּא לִכְלַל טָעוּת) is numerically equal to the Temple (בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ), 861 — what an error, to destroy the Temple (out of anger)!
[1]. Sifrei, Numbers 31:21.
[2]. See Maimonides’ Commentary on the Mishnah on Perek Chelek, in the seventh principle (and in the introduction to the Beit Yosef).
[3]. Sanhedrin 6a; 33a.
[4]. Sha’ar HaPesukim, Shemot.
[5]. Deuteronomy 33:1; Joshua 14:6; Psalms 90:1; Ezra 3:2; 1 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 30:16.
[6]. Devarim Rabbah 11:4.
[7]. See Radak’s Sefer HaShorashim, s.v. אִישׁ.
[8]. See Sotah 17a; Yayin Mesame’ach, vol. 4, sha’ar 6, in the teaching "Esh MiMayim" ("Fire from Water").
[9]. Zohar 1:6b.
[10]. See Bereishit Rabbah 12:15 (cited in Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 1:1); Rabbeinu Bachya on Genesis 2:4.
[11]. Eitz Chaim 25:2; Ibid. 34; Ta’amei HaMitzvot, Beha’alotecha; Siddur im Dach, s.v. Barukh Merachem al HaAretz.
[12]. Bava Kama 113a.
[13]. Hilchot Shabbat 2:3 (and elsewhere); Brit HaLevi, ch. 1; Shem MiShmuel, Ki Teitzei 5677, s.v. "BaMidrash Rabbah Shale’ach Teshalach"; Beit HaLevi, vol. 3, derush 13.
[14]. Keter Shem Tov (Kehot edition), §108.
[15]. Sotah 47a; Sanhedrin 107b; Zohar 3:177b.
[16]. Musaf for Rosh Hashanah.
[17]. Based on Zohar 3:75a. Tanya, ch. 34 and Iggeret HaTeshuvah, ch. 11.
[18]. A common locution in Chassidic teachings. See, for example, Or HaTorah, Bereishit, vol. 4, p. 691b.
[19]. See Jeremiah 7:20 and 32:31. Lamentations 2:1.
[20]. Shabbat 31b.
[21]. See Likkutei Sichot, vol. 29, for Parashat Devarim-Chazon, §5.
[22]. See Sotah 9a.
[23]. Zohar 3:221a.
[24]. Rashi on Sukkah 41a; Rosh Hashanah 30a; Menachot 68a. Tosafot on Shevuot 15b, s.v. "Ein" (in the name of the Tanchuma — see Tanchuma, Ki Tissa 13; Pekudei 11; and Tanchuma Buber, Bereishit 17). And so is implied in Zohar 3:221a (and see also 1:21a; 1:28a; 2:59a; 2:108a).
[25]. See Malbim on Ezra 6:16 (and the sources cited in El Givat HaLevonah, ch. 5, §7).
[26]. Based on Psalms 74:9.
[27]. Isaiah 40:5.
[28]. Tanchuma, Naso 16. Tanya ch. 36.
