פריקה וטעינה א

Likutay Halachos – Choshen Mishpat II – Laws of Unloading and Loading (Perikah u'Te'inah)

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This is the aspect of the mitzvah of perikah u’te’inah [unloading and loading], the aspect of “When you see the donkey of one who hates you crouching beneath its burden, and you would hold back from helping him — you shall surely help with him” (Exodus 23:5). For it is explained in the Torah [discourse] mentioned above that the tzadik, through his great power, elevates and raises up through the aspect of ibbur [spiritual gestation] even those souls that are very distant — those who have not yet left from the profane to the holy even a hairsbreadth. This is the aspect of “Go out and see the might of your Master” etc. [i.e. that even the lowest depths are reached], see there. And this is the aspect of “When you see the donkey of one who hates you crouching beneath its burden.” And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: “one who hates you” — this refers to one whom you saw transgress a sin, etc. And this is “crouching beneath its burden” — meaning that it is difficult to elevate him and raise him up because of the greatness of the burden placed upon him, which is the aspect of the burden of sins, in the aspect of “as a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me” (Psalms 38:5). And therefore it could be that it would enter your mind to hold back from helping him, in the aspect of “and you would hold back from helping him,” for it would seem to you that it is too difficult to raise him because of the greatness of the burden upon him. But Hashem, may He be blessed, is merciful and gracious, and His compassion is exceedingly great. Therefore He warned in His mercy: “you shall surely help with him” — that even such a soul, one must help and endeavor with all one’s strength to elevate and raise it up, for the tzadik has such power, as mentioned above. And this is “with him” precisely, as our Sages of blessed memory expounded: “One might think even if he [the owner] sits down and says, ‘since you have a mitzvah [to help]’” etc.? “Therefore it says: ‘with him.’” That is to say, certainly it is a great mitzvah to occupy oneself with him and to help him also to elevate and renew his soul. However, all this is “with him” — meaning, when he himself also wants to engage in this, to have compassion on himself, to endeavor in the rectification of his soul, to remove the great burden that is upon him, only that he cannot do so by himself and he is waiting for someone who will help him in this. Then it is a great mitzvah to help him with all one’s strength, to occupy oneself with him, to raise him up. For there is the power to renew his soul as well, if he himself has some genuine desire for this, to engage in the rectification of his soul. But if he wants to exempt himself entirely and does not want to endeavor in rectifying his soul at all, but rather wants the tzadik himself to do everything for him while he does nothing at all and does not engage in this at all — then certainly the tzadik need not occupy himself with him, for it is impossible to help him when he does not want to engage in his own rectification at all, as mentioned above. And as our Master, our Teacher and our Rebbe, of blessed memory, said to someone: “You without me cannot do anything at all” (i.e. to rectify his soul by himself), “but I too without you cannot do a thing” — meaning, if you yourself do nothing at all, certainly it is impossible for me to do everything for you. For a person has free will, and it is impossible to raise him up unless he has some arousal from himself. And this is: “One might think even if he sits down” etc.? “Therefore it says: ‘with him,’” etc., as mentioned above. This is also the aspect of the mitzvah of perikah u’te’inah in its simple, literal sense. For the fact that one’s donkey crouches beneath its burden and one has such distress and weariness on the road — this derives from the aspect of “by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread” (Genesis 3:19), the aspect of “in sorrow shall you eat of it” (Genesis 3:17). For from there come all the suffering and weariness that a person has in the pursuits he engages in for his livelihood. And it is impossible to rectify this and be saved from it except through the rectifications stated in the Torah [discourse] mentioned above — namely, through breaking the desire for money by means of tzedakah. Through this, one merits to nullify the aspect of “by the sweat of your brow,” etc., and through this one merits da’as [holy knowledge]. Through this, one can gather nefashos [souls] and draw forth Torah, etc. Through this, hashgachah shelaimah [complete providence] is drawn down, as explained there. And when hashgachah shelaimah is drawn down, then everything is rectified in completeness. For all the suffering and distress and weariness, etc. — all of it is because one is distant from Hashem, may He be blessed, namely from the Torah. Through this distance, one does not merit hashgachah shelaimah, and from there come all the lack of livelihood and the withholding of shefa [abundance], and all the suffering and weariness that one has in matters of livelihood. For all livelihood and shefa flow from the eyes of His providence, may He be blessed. But when one is distant, G–d forbid, from the Torah, so that the hashgachah does not reach him in completeness, etc., as explained there — then the shefa that flows from His providence, may He be blessed, is scattered, G–d forbid, and goes to the place where it goes, G–d forbid, and does not reach him. And from this comes all the difficulty of livelihood, may the Merciful One save us. For because one is distant from the Torah, G–d forbid, and distant from complete hashgachah, the shefa flows to the place that it flows to, as mentioned above — namely, to the outer [impure] places, and the nations of the world and the great wicked ones who are connected there receive all the shefa, while Israel is sustained from the dregs. For Israel clings to Hashem, may He be blessed, and they need to receive the shefa specifically from the aspect of hashgachah shelaimah. And this is what is written regarding the Land of Israel: “Constantly, the eyes of Hashem your G–d are upon it” (Deuteronomy 11:12). “Constantly” precisely — this is the aspect of hashgachah shelaimah, that His eyes, may He be blessed, gaze constantly upon the Land of Israel. For the eyes of His providence reach there in the aspect of a striking [of the gaze] until it returns and is depicted in His eyes, and therefore His eyes are attached there constantly. For the hashgachah shelaimah is in the aspect of “and the chayos were running and returning” (Ezekiel 1:14), as explained there — meaning that at every moment the hashgachah runs and returns from above to below and returns from below to above, and so it cycles continuously at every moment in the aspect of “running and returning.” This is the aspect of hashgachah shelaimah, the aspect of the Land of Israel, the aspect of “constantly the eyes of Hashem your G–d are upon it” — “constantly” precisely. For the Land of Israel is near to Him, may He be blessed, more than anywhere in the world, for there is the essential drawing of the Torah, as is known. And therefore, one whose donkey crouches beneath its burden and has such weariness — which derives from the blemish of the desire for money, from the aspect of “by the sweat of your brow,” etc., from the aspect of the blemish of hashgachah shelaimah, whose essential rectification comes through returning and renewing his soul through the aspect of ibbur, through which hashgachah shelaimah is once again drawn upon him, as mentioned above — therefore it might enter your mind that it is impossible to help such a person, since he has fallen so far. And therefore the Torah warned: “You shall surely help with him” — for in truth one must share in his suffering and help him with all one’s strength. And through helping him physically and fulfilling the mitzvah “you shall surely help” and “you shall surely raise up,” through this kindness that one does with him, one subdues and nullifies from him the aspect of “by the sweat of your brow,” etc. — which is the aspect of the blemish of the desire for money — and one draws upon him the aspect of hashgachah shelaimah. For upon each and every one of Israel this matter is incumbent: to endeavor in rectifying one’s fellow both physically and spiritually, and to fulfill with one’s fellow “you shall surely help” and “you shall surely raise up.” For even though one’s fellow is very distant from Hashem, may He be blessed, nevertheless one can help him too through the power of the true tzadik, who has the power to elevate even his soul in the aspect of “Go out and see the might of your Master,” etc., as mentioned above. See there well what is brought there: “And the wave cries out to its fellow: ‘Is there anything in the world?’” etc., “Go out and see the might of your Master,” etc. See there. It emerges that each and every one must arouse and remind his fellow in yiras shamayim [the fear of Heaven], even though they are as they are. Nevertheless, through the power of the tzadik, they can all ascend, as mentioned above. And therefore the Torah warned to help even the sonay [the “enemy”] — i.e. one whom you saw transgress a sin — for even him one must help greatly, for there is the power to elevate him as well through the power of the great tzadik who is engaged in this, in the aspect of “Go out and see the might of your Master,” etc., as mentioned above.