נזיקין א

Vi-attu Adoanuy teeschak lumoa teelag lichul goyeem. This is the aspect of the great and severe prohibition of striking one's fellow — for even by raising the hand one is called wicked, and if he injured him he is liable in five matters. For one who strikes his fellow blemishes the holy brazenness [azzus d'kedushah], for he has fallen to the brazenness of the sitra achra, which is the aspect of "the brazen-faced go to Gehinnom" — since he has made himself so brazen against his fellow Israelite as to strike him.

And therefore the prohibition is exceedingly severe and he is called wicked — for it is as though he has transgressed the entire Torah. This is truly wicked, for since he has so greatly blemished the holy brazenness, he has certainly blemished the entire Torah in its entirety, which is fundamentally dependent on holy brazenness, as is explained in the Torah mentioned above. And conversely, the brazen-faced of the sitra achra have no share in the Torah, for they are the aspect of the 974 generations that were contracted before their time (Chagigah 14), etc., as is explained elsewhere. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: even by raising the hand one is called wicked — "by raising the hand" precisely, for through blemishing the holy brazenness one blemishes faith [emunah], for one cannot draw close to the seven shepherds [shiva ro'im], who are the aspect of the true righteous ones of the generation. And faith is the aspect of the seal of the hands [chosom ha-yadayim], as is explained there fully. And then one is in the aspect of "your hands are full of blood" etc., as is explained there — that all this is the aspect of the blemish of one who strikes his fellow, who has blemished the holy brazenness as above, such that the primary blemish is in the hands, in the aspect of "by raising the hand one is called wicked" — for through the brazenness of the sitra achra he blemishes in the hands mentioned above, and then he is in the aspect of "your hands are full of blood" — meaning the aspect of striking, which is the aspect of bloodshed, for the primary obligation of the five matters is in a striking that involves injury, that is, where bruising or blood resulted — which is the aspect of "your hands are full of blood," etc., as above.

And therefore he is liable in five matters, for he has blemished the entire Torah in its entirety, which is the Five Books of the Torah [chamisha chumshay Torah] — all of which he blemished through the brazenness of the sitra achra, which is the blemish of the entire Torah, for the whole Torah is dependent on holy brazenness, as above.

And therefore Moshe Rabbainu, who was prepared to give the Torah to Israel, paid great attention to this from the very beginning of his upbringing — when he went out to look upon Israel, and he saw two Hebrew men quarreling, it angered him greatly and he said to the wicked one: "Why do you strike your fellow?" For he knew that upon this hangs the receiving of the Torah — that there should be peace among Israel, and that there should be no quarrels, disputes, and strikings among them, heaven forfend, which are the aspect of the brazenness of the sitra achra, which is the blemish of the entire Torah, as above. And therefore when they answered him with brazenness, he said: "Indeed the matter is known." And Rashi explained: it became known to him why they are delayed so long in exile — that is, as above: for through the brazenness of the sitra achra, the wicked kingdom grows stronger, whose primary rule is through the brazenness of the sitra achra, in the aspect of azzus malchusa b'lo taga [brazen kingship without a crown]. And therefore they are delayed in exile under the wicked kingdom, for the primary redemption from the kingdom of the sitra achra, and the primary receiving and keeping of the Torah, depend on the aspect of brazenness — namely, to strengthen the holy brazenness, to be "bold as a leopard" in the service of the Blessed One, and to stand against the brazen-faced of the generation who are all those who prevent one from the service of the Blessed One, to subdue and nullify their evil brazenness of the sitra achra, as above. And one may suggest an allusion — that this is the aspect of the five matters for which one who injures his fellow is liable, which are: damages [nezek], pain [tza'ar], healing [ripuy], loss of work [sheves], and shame [boshes]. And the Sages were especially stringent regarding shame — for even if he gives him payment, he is not forgiven until he appeases him, as is explained in the Mishnah. For this one who injures his fellow and blemishes the holy brazenness has blemished all the aspects of the rectifications explained in the Torah mentioned above, which are comprised of five rectifications. For it is explained there that there is the aspect of the seal of the feet [chosom ha-raglaim], which is the aspect of peace [shalom], and the seal of the hands [chosom ha-yadayim], which is the aspect of faith [emunah]. And to attain them is through the true righteous ones, who are the aspect of the seven shepherds. And to draw close to these righteous ones is possible only through holy brazenness and nullifying the brazenness of the sitra achra of the brazen-faced. And to merit holy brazenness is through na'aseh v'nishma [we will do and we will hear], which is the aspect of joy [simchah]. These are five aspects: namely, peace — which is the seal of the feet, being the first rectification; faith — the seal of the hands, being the second rectification; closeness to the righteous ones — the third rectification; holy brazenness — the fourth rectification; and joy — the fifth rectification. And in all these rectifications does one who injures his fellow cause blemish, and therefore he is liable in five matters. For corresponding to what he blemished in brazenness he is liable to give shame — for he shamed the face of his fellow, and this is the primary blemish of brazenness, which is the opposite of shame. And through the striking he blemished joy, for strikings and disputes are the opposite of joy, and therefore he is liable to give pain [tza'ar], for pain is the opposite of joy — as it is written: "To whom is woe, to whom is grief, to whom are quarrels, to whom is complaint, to whom are wounds without cause," etc. For quarrels and wounds and strikings are the aspect of pain, the aspect of woe and grief — all of which are the opposite of joy. And corresponding to what he blemished through brazenness in the honor of the true righteous ones, he is liable to give healing [ripuy] — for the true righteous one is the leader and shepherd of Israel who oversees that there be peace among Israel, for this is the very essence of his guidance of Israel: to render righteous judgment of peace between one person and his fellow, as it is written regarding Moshe: "and I judge between a man and his fellow," etc. And this one who struck his fellow and is far from peace thereby blemishes the honor of the righteous one. Moreover, the righteous one is the root of the souls of Israel and is comprised of them all, for all of Israel are like branches that go forth from him — and one who blemishes and strikes one of Israel it is as though he struck the righteous one himself, for every individual of Israel is an aspect and a limb of the righteous one. And corresponding to this blemish that he caused to the honor of the righteous one, he is liable to give healing — for the righteous one is the healer of the broken-hearted and binder of wounds, etc., as it is written (Yeshayah 61): "to bind up the broken-hearted," etc. And conversely, of the false prophets it is written: "they healed the wound of My people cheaply, saying 'peace, peace,'" etc. And it is written: "and the sick you did not heal." But of the true righteous ones it is written: "and a faithful messenger brings healing." And therefore corresponding to the blemish that he caused through the striking in the honor of the righteous one, he is liable to give healing. And loss of work [sheves] — the prevention of the labor of his hands — this corresponds to the blemish he caused in the seal of the hands [chosom ha-yadayim], as above. And damages [nezek] — that he pays for the loss of a limb and the defect he caused in him — this corresponds to the blemish of the feet [raglaim], which is the blemish of peace [shalom]; for peace is the aspect of wholeness [shleymus], and a defect and a loss are the opposite of peace. Therefore, corresponding to the blemish of peace, he must pay damages — for he diminished a limb from him, which is the opposite of peace.