Tomer Dvorah ~ ethics and re-creation of one's Self ~ Third class

Who is a God like You,

Forgiving iniquity

And remitting transgression;

Who has not maintained His wrath forever

Against the remnant of His own people,

Because He loves graciousness!

He will take us back in love;

He will cover up our iniquities,

You will hurl all our sins into the depths of the sea.

You will keep faith with Jacob,

Loyalty to Abraham,

As You promised on oath to our fathers

In days gone by.

(9) In all their troubles He was troubled, and the angel of His Presence delivered them, in His love and pity He Himself redeemed them, raised them, and exalted them forever.

(1) The fourth - "To the remnant of His inheritance" - behold, the Holy One of Blessing, acts with Israel in this way, to say, "What can I do with Israel, [as] they are My relatives - relation of flesh do I have with them?" This is because they are the spouse to the Holy One of Blessing and God calls them, "My daughter" and "My sister," "My mother." This is how they, may their memory be blessed, explained (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 3:11:2): "And it is written (Psalms 148:14), 'Israel, God's close (kerovo) nation' - God has actual closeness (kurvah) with them, they are God's children. And that is [the meaning of] the remnant of (she'erit) His inheritance" - it is an expression of relation (she'er) of flesh; and in the end, they are His inheritance. "And what shall I say? If I punish them, behold the pain is upon Me; as it is written (Isaiah 63:9), 'In all their distress, the distress was to Him.'" And [to Him (lo)] is written with a [letter,] alef, to say that their pain reached the Highest Wonder (wonder, peleh, being composed of the same letters as the spelling of alef, and representing Keter) - and all the more so, the two Faces through which is the central running [of the world] - but it is written with a [letter,] vav, [to mean that] the distress is to Him. And it is written (Judges 10:16), "and His soul could not bear the travail of Israel" - as He does not bear their pain and their disgrace, because they are "the she'erit [of] His inheritance."

(2) So is it [regarding] a person and that person's fellow: All Israel are relations of flesh, these with those because all of their souls are bound together, this one has a share in that and that one has a share in this. And that is why we can't compare when the many do the commandments [to when they are only done by individuals]. And all of this is because of their being bound together. And our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, explained (Berakhot 47b) about the person who is counted from the first ten in the synagogue - [that] even if a hundred come after that person, that person receives the reward that corresponds to all of them. Since the ten are included - these in those - behold, they are ten times ten, one hundred. And [so] each one of them is composed of a hundred [parts]. If so, even if one hundred come [afterwards], he has the reward of a hundred. As so from this reason, Israel are guarantors for each other. Since each one actually has a part of one's fellow - when the one sins, one damages both oneself and the part that one's fellow has in oneself. It comes out from the side of that part that one's fellow is one's guarantor. If so, they are the relation, one of the other. And hence it is fitting that one be desiring of the good of one's fellow and one's eye be good towards the good of the fellow, and that the fellow's honor should be as beloved to the person as the person's [own] - as the fellow is literally the person's [self]. And from this reason were we commanded (Leviticus 19:18), "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." And it is fitting that a person desire the propriety of one's fellow and not speak about the fellow's disgrace at all. And the person [should] not want it, in the same way that the Holy One of Blessing does not want our disgrace nor our pain - from the reason of relation. So too [should] a person should not want the disgrace of one's fellow nor a fellow's pain, nor the fellow's corruption. And it [should] be bad for the person on account of [the fellow], as if the person was actually experiencing that pain, or [good for for the person from] that good [that the fellow experiences].

The fifth - "He does not hold on to His anger forever" - this is a different trait: that even if a person holds on to that person's sin, the Holy One of Blessing does not hold on to God's fury. And if God holds on to it, it is not forever. Rather, God nullifies God's anger, even if the person does not repent. As we found in the days of Yerovam the son of Yoash, that the Holy One of Blessing brought back the boundary of Israel [from occupation] and they were [still] worshiping calves - God had mercy upon them, but they did not repent. If so, why did God have mercy? For the sake of this trait, that God does not hold on to his anger forever. Just the opposite, God's anger weakens - even as the sin is still in existence, God does not punish, but rather God expects and has mercy that they may repent. And that is [the meaning of] "He will not contend forever, or begrudge for all time" (Psalms 103:9). Rather, the Holy One of Blessing acts with softnesses and harshnesses, all for the good of Israel. And this is a trait that is fitting for a person to practice with one's fellow. Even if the person is permitted to rebuke the fellow or the person's own children with upbraiding and they [accept it], it is not because of this that the person [should] increase one's rebuke. And one [should] not hold on to one's anger - even if one got angry - but rather nullify it. And one [should] not hold on to one's rage forever, even if it is a [rage] that is permitted to a person, similar to that which they explained: "When you see the donkey of the one you hate lying under its burden and would refrain from setting it free, you must nevertheless set it free with him" (Exodus 23:5); and they explained (Pesachim 113b) what is this anger - that the person saw the fellow transgressing a sin, but [the one seeing] is [alone, such that] one may not testify; and [so] one hates the fellow for the matter of the sin. And even so, the Torah states, "you shall surely set it free with him" - set free/let go that which is in your heart; rather it is a commandment to bring him close with love. [As] perhaps it will be beneficial [to act] in this way. And this is exactly the trait of, "God does not hold on to God's anger forever."

(8) The fifth: His eyes [should] not gaze at any disgraceful thing at all. Indeed, they [should] always be open to survey and have mercy upon all the despondent, according to his ability. And when he sees the distress of a poor person, he [should] not shut his eyes at all. Rather, he [should] contemplate about him in his mind - according to his ability - and arouse mercy upon him in front of the Heavens and in front of the creatures. And he [should] distance himself from all observation of evil, in the way that the Highest Eye is open and gazes immediately at the good.

(9) The sixth: That there [should] never be burning fury (literally, fury of the nose) from his nostril at all. Rather, that there always be life, good will and patience (literally, duration of nose) in his nose. And he [should] always want to fulfill the will [of others], to satisfy every request and to sustain every downtrodden one; and always extract forgiveness of iniquity and (stopping) [passing over] of transgression from his [breath]. And he [should] not get angry with one who sins against him, but rather always be appeased and desire kindness, to create a pleasantness of spirit for all.

(10) The seventh: His face [should] always be shining and he [should] receive every person with a pleasant countenance. As so it is stated about the Highest Crown, "There is life in the light of the face of the King" (Proverbs 16:15); and no redness (harshness) or judgement enters there at all. So [should] the light of his face not be changed; anyone who gazes at him will only find joy and a pleasant countenance. And no cause [should] disrupt him from this at all.

(11) The eighth: His mouth [should] only bring out good; and the crafting of his statements be Torah and the causation of good will. And he [should] not bring out a disgraceful thing, a curse or the fury of anger from his mouth at all. And he [should] be similar to that Highest Mouth that never closes at all, and never prevents the good. And therefore, he must not be silent from speaking good about everything, and to always bring out goodness and blessing from this mouth.