מאבד ממון חבירו ומוסר א

Likutay Halachos - Choshen Mishpat - Hilchos Maabeid Mamon Chaveiro UMasur 1-4

And therefore Yitzchak wanted to bless Eisav by means of his going out to the field and bringing him delicacies to eat, as it is written: "And go out to the field and hunt me game, etc., and bring it to me, that I may eat, so that my soul may bless you" (Beraishis 27:3-4). For Eisav deceived his father until he thought he was not wicked. And therefore Yitzchak wanted to send Eisav to the field specifically, to bring him food from there, in order that he should bring the abundance and the eating from outside to inside, and through this he would be worthy of receiving the blessings. For in truth, one who is an upright man and believes in the tzadikim and supports them — then sometimes it is a great merit when he goes out to the field to engage in work and business. For his entire intention is not to be "a man of the field," G-d forbid. Rather he goes out only temporarily for the sake of livelihood, in order to bring the abundance and the sustenance from outside to inside — by giving the tzaddik to eat. And then he is certainly worthy of blessing. For it is impossible to bring the sustenance from outside to inside except through the aspect of bris and Shabbos, which is emunah. And emunah is the source of the blessings that completes all blessings, etc., as is explained there.

And therefore Yitzchak thought that Eisav was in this aspect. And therefore he said to him, "Go out to the field" — that he should go out only temporarily. "And hunt me game" — that his entire intention should be only for his father, the tzaddik, in order to give the tzaddik to eat. For the eating of the tzaddik is in the aspect of lechem hapanim. And whoever goes out to the field and engages in business and brings the tzaddik to eat and sustains him — certainly fortunate is he, and he is certainly worthy of all the blessings. For specifically through this he brings the abundance from outside to inside, since he sustains and feeds the tzaddik, whose eating is in the aspect of lechem hapanim, through which the abundance is brought inside, as is explained there.

And this is what Yitzchak said to Eisav: "Take, I pray, your weapons [kaylecha], your hung-sword [tal'y'cha], and your bow [v'kasht'cha]" (Beraishis 27:3). This is a hint to tikun habris and emunah, through which one brings the abundance from outside to inside. "Your weapons" [kaylecha] — this is the aspect of emunah. For emunah is the aspect of a k'li [vessel] that receives all the blessings and all the abundances and all the lights and perceptions of Elokus. For it is impossible to receive any perception and any blessing and abundance, whether physical or spiritual, except through emunah, which is the aspect of malchus, which is the last midah, which is the aspect of a vessel included of everything, through which all abundances and blessings are drawn. As is explained in the Torah teaching mentioned above — that emunah completes all the blessings, for all of them are drawn through it, for it is the aspect of a vessel that holds blessing [k'li machazik brachah]. In the aspect of: "The Holy One, blessed be He, found no vessel that holds blessing except peace" — and peace is the aspect of emunah, as is explained elsewhere, in the Torah teaching "Vayaseiv" in siman 62 — in the aspect of Shabbos shalom.

And this is: "Take your weapons" [sa na kaylecha]. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "Check your knife and slaughter properly, so that you do not feed me a n'vailah [improperly slaughtered animal]." For sh'chitah [slaughter] is for the purpose of raising the souls from the level of animal to the level of human, as is known. For there are many souls reincarnated in animals and beasts, as is known — and they need to be raised and sifted through the mitzvah of sh'chitah. And all the reincarnation of souls is drawn from the aspect of "there is a vanity that is done on the earth," explained in the Torah teaching mentioned above — that through evil yearnings, evil souls are made and they undergo reincarnation, etc., until they can cause others to sin, G-d forbid. And when they do not do t'shuvah, they are compelled to be reincarnated in animals and beasts according to the blemish of the yearnings and souls, and they need to be sifted and repaired through the sh'chitah.

And because Yitzchak thought that Eisav could bring the abundance from outside to inside, from field to house — which is impossible except through tikun habris and emunah, through which he is a ba'al nefesh [a master of the soul] who makes and repairs good souls, through which one brings the abundance from outside to inside, as is explained there — therefore he mentioned to him all these aspects. And this is: "Take your weapons" [sa na kaylecha] — "Check your knife," etc. — which is the tikun of sh'chitah, which is the tikun of the souls, as above. And this is: "Check your knife and slaughter properly." For the knife with which one slaughters to raise the soul must be complete with great perfection, without any blemish whatsoever, G-d forbid. For the perfection of the slaughter-knife is impossible except through emunah, which is the completeness of all things, as above. It emerges that "take your weapons" hints at the completeness of emunah, which is the essential vessel that holds blessing, which is itself the completeness of the slaughter-knife, through which one raises the souls, as above. And this is: "your hung-sword and your bow" [tal'y'cha v'kasht'cha]. This is the aspect of tikun habris, which includes two aspects — bris ila'ah and bris tata'ah, that is, tikun habris kodesh and the lamdan in issur v'heter. And both of them are called in the language of weapons — sword and bow. For sh'miras habris is called a keshes [bow], in the aspect of the rainbow of the covenant [keshes habris]. And it is also called in the language of a sword, etc., as it is written: "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one" (Tehillim 45:4) — for there is the essential battle, to be a mighty one who conquers his inclination. And likewise the lamdan in Torah is also called in the language of holding swords and weapons, to fight the battle of Torah, as it is written: "All of them holding swords, trained in war" (Shir HaShirim 3:8) — the war of Torah. And therefore he said in the language of "your hung-sword" [tal'y'cha] — this hints at the aspect of the lamdan, who must sift all the laws of the Torah, to resolve and clarify all the doubts and difficulties [s'faikos v'iba'yos]. And this is "tal'y'cha" — which is the aspect of the doubts and difficulties that are hanging [t'luyim] in doubt. And this is the essential exertion of study: to clarify all the matters that are hanging in doubt, in order to clarify all the laws of issur v'heter, etc., thoroughly. And "your bow" [v'kasht'cha] — this is the aspect of tikun habris, which is called a keshes. That is, Yitzchak hinted to him all the tikunim needed in order to bring the abundance from outside to inside, from field to house — which are tikun habris in both aspects, which are the aspects of tzaddik and lamdan, and tikun ha'emunah, which is the completeness of all the blessings. Through all of this one makes and repairs good souls, through which one merits to bring the abundance and the sustenance from outside to inside, as above. And this is the aspect of: "And go out to the field and hunt me game and bring it to me, that I may eat" — that he should go to the field, to the outside, in order to bring sustenance and eating to the tzaddik, as above. And then he would certainly have been worthy of receiving the blessings, all of which are completed and drawn through emunah, which depends on tikun habris, as above. But in truth, Eisav was far from this in the extreme. For Eisav was truly "a man of the field" — he was only on the outside and did not want to enter inside, into holiness, at all. And therefore it is written: "And Eisav went to the field to hunt game" (Beraishis 27:5) — "to bring even from robbery," as our Sages of blessed memory said. And this is that Yitzchak said to him: "And go out to the field," etc. And regarding Eisav it is written: "And Eisav went to the field." For Yitzchak said to him "go out" [tzai] to the field — as though his entire dwelling and permanent place was inside, and he should only go out to the field temporarily. And therefore he used the expression of "going out" [y'tzi'ah]. But regarding Eisav it is written: "And Eisav went [vayailech] to the field" — an expression of "going" [halichah]. For in truth it was not considered by him as "going out" at all, but rather as "going" — for there in the field was his essential place. And therefore the verse used regarding him the expression of "going" and not "going out" — for it was not considered by him as "going out," since that was his place, for he was truly an outsider [chitzoni mamash]. And therefore in truth he did not receive the blessings, for he did not desire blessing and it was far from him. Only Yaakov received the blessings, for he was "a wholesome man, dwelling in tents" [ish tam yosheiv ohalim]. "A wholesome man" [ish tam] specifically — for he merited complete emunah, which is the aspect of ish tam, the aspect of wholeness and completeness [t'mimus ush'laimus]. For the essential completeness of all things and all blessings is emunah, as above. And therefore it is said regarding Yaakov at the time he received the blessings: "See, the fragrance of my son is as the fragrance of a field which Hashem has blessed" (Beraishis 27:27). "Like the fragrance of a field" specifically — which is the aspect of a field of holiness, the aspect of the field of Gan Aiden, which is the aspect of chakal tapuchin kadishin [the field of holy apples], which is the aspect of the holiness of Shabbos, when one raises from field to house. All of this is the opposite of the field of Eisav, who was "a man of the field." For Yaakov merited sh'miras habris and emunah, the aspect of Shabbos, through which he merited to receive the blessings. For he merited to bring the abundance from outside to inside. Therefore, immediately following "like the fragrance of a field which Hashem has blessed" is placed: "And may G-d give you of the dew of heaven," etc. (Beraishis 27:28) — which are the blessings he received through the tikun of the field specifically. For when one merits to repair the aspect of the field, to raise from field to house — which is the aspect of kabalas Shabbos, the aspect of "come, my beloved, let us go out to the field" — then through this specifically one merits to receive all the blessings that are drawn from Shabbos emunah, which is the source of blessing, as above. And as is brought in the kavanos of Shabbos, that there is a field of the Sitra Achra and there is a field of holiness, etc. — see there. Based on the Torah teaching "Is lan beira" mentioned above, the matter of Korach will be explained. For it is explained there that one needs, for the service of the Creator, blessed be He, to be both a tzaddik and a lamdan. For "an am ha'aretz cannot be a chasid," etc. And conversely, a lamdan without being a chasid and a tzaddik is certainly nothing. For "if he did not merit, it becomes for him a potion of death" [lo zachah na'asis lo sam maves] — for he configures the letters of the Torah in reverse, etc., as is well explained there. And this is the aspect of the four who entered the Pardais, etc. — see there, it is explained there that one who is only a lamdan alone and is not a chasid and a tzaddik at all, he is in the aspect of Acher, who chopped the plantings, etc. — see there. And this is the aspect of the blemish of Korach, which is the aspect of the dispute [machlokes] of the misnagdim [opponents] against the true tzadikim and chasidim — whose entire strength is because of their study, that they studied Torah. Some of them study Gemara with the commentary of Tosafos, and some also study Kabalah and the Writings [k'savim]. But their deeds are not proper, and some of them are completely corrupted, may the Merciful One save us. And some do not know of their corruption so much, but at the very least they are lax in the service of Hashem, and they do not pray with kavanah and exertion. And they pursue the vanity of money and honor and self-aggrandizement and the like. And they provoke the upright and G-d-fearing people, the wholesome of the way, who walk in the Torah of Hashem in truth, who engage in prayer and good deeds with strength and with the intention of their heart for the sake of Heaven. And they stand at every turn and dispute them with many kinds of persecutions and mockery without limit. And this is the aspect of the congregation of Korach. For Korach was a great scholar and lamdan, and his essential blemish was that he wanted to separate the lamdan from the tzaddik, as though the essential virtue is the aspect of lamdan alone. And this is what they said: "For the entire congregation, all of them are holy," etc. (Bamidbar 16:3). And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "All of them heard at Sinai 'I am Hashem your G-d,'" etc. That is, they said: since all of them heard "I am" [Anochi] and all the Ten Commandments, which are the general principle of the Torah — then Moshe and Aharon have no special virtue or elevation, as it is written there: "Why do you exalt yourselves over the congregation of Hashem?" (Bamidbar 16:3). And this is the aspect of the aforementioned blemish — that they relied on study alone and denied the essential truth. For the essential virtue and the true elevation of each person of Yisra'ail over his fellow is only through good deeds. For "the exposition is not the essential thing, but rather the deed" [lo hamidrash hu ha'ikar ela hama'aseh]. And as our Sages of blessed memory said: "A person should not study and read and kick against his teacher and his father and one who is greater than him," etc. For if they had believed in the truth that the essential thing is the fulfillment of the Torah, they would not have said "Why do you exalt yourselves," etc. For it would have been fitting for them to understand the truth — that the holiness of Moshe and Aharon is exceedingly, exceedingly exalted, while they themselves were still immersed in the desires of this world, as our Sages of blessed memory said on the verse: "The fire-pans of these sinners," etc. (Bamidbar 17:3). "They sinned against their own souls," etc. But they wanted to separate the aspect of lamdan from tzaddik, as though the essential thing is the lamdan, etc. And this is: "And Korach took" (Bamidbar 16:1). And Onkelos translates: "And Korach separated" [v'isplig Korach] — for he separated the lamdan from the tzaddik, as above. And therefore Moshe said to him: "Take for yourselves fire-pans," etc. (Bamidbar 16:6) — that they should offer k'tores [incense]. And as Rashi explained: "Here is incense for you, which is the most beloved of all," etc. That is, Moshe said to them: I will show you who is beloved before Hashem, blessed be He. For according to Korach's view, the essential thing is the study and the wisdom of the Torah, even if one does not fulfill it at all — and furthermore, even if one disputes the true tzaddik, who is Moshe, who gave the Torah and fulfills the Torah with wondrous holiness. Therefore he said to him: here is k'tores for you, which is the most beloved of all. And let all of you enter to offer incense, and we shall see whose word will stand. For Korach was a lamdan and a great scholar also in the wisdoms of Kabalah, and he certainly knew the secret and the kavanah of the k'tores. And therefore he relied on his great wisdom to dispute Moshe and Aharon and to seek the position of Kohein Gadol, since he also knew the kavanah of the offerings and the k'tores. Therefore Moshe said to him: now we shall see the truth — "Take for yourselves fire-pans," etc., "and you and Aharon, each man his fire-pan," etc., "and place fire in them and put incense upon them," etc., "And the man whom Hashem shall choose, he is the holy one" (Bamidbar 16:7). And Korach relied on his wisdom and agreed to this, for he thought his k'tores would be accepted since he was such a great scholar and lamdan and knew the law and kavanos of the k'tores so well. But Moshe warned them and told them that a potion of death is placed within it — that through it Nadav and Avihu were burned — to tell them that it was fitting for them to learn a kal vachomer [an a fortiori argument] from Nadav and Avihu, who were very great tzadikim. Yet nevertheless, since they offered incense not at its proper time, they were burned. For Nadav and Avihu are the aspect of Ben Azai and Ben Zoma — one gazed and was stricken, and one gazed and died — for even though they were great tzadikim, they erred slightly when they entered the Pardais and gazed more than was proper, and were punished. And this is the aspect of the blemish of Nadav and Avihu, for they are one aspect, as is brought. And therefore Moshe hinted to them that they should beware lest they be punished through the k'tores specifically. For even Nadav and Avihu, who were great tzadikim, did not emerge in peace — because they blemished in the aspect of the four who entered the Pardais, as above. All the more so and certainly them! But they did not listen and relied on their wisdom, and they committed the blemish of Acher, who ruined everything and chopped the plantings. For this is the aspect of the blemish of Korach and his congregation, who separated the aspect of lamdan from tzaddik and relied on the wisdom of their study. And this is the aspect of chopping the plantings, the aspect of "and Korach separated" [v'isplig Korach], as above. And therefore their punishment was that they were burned by the fire of the k'tores itself — and this is the aspect of "if he did not merit, it becomes for him a potion of death," by configuring the letters of the Torah in reverse. For the Torah is the aspect of fire, as it is written: "Are not My words like fire?" (Yirmiyahu 23:29). And when one blemishes it and configures the letters in reverse, a conflagration of actual fire intensifies, may the Merciful One save us. For from the fire they emerged and the fire shall consume them. For k'tores is exceedingly, exceedingly exalted, as is explained in the holy Zohar and in the words of our Sages of blessed memory at great length — for there is no offering as beloved before the Holy One, blessed be He, as k'tores. But the essential tikun of the k'tores is when it is offered properly, according to its law, by the Kohein. And then the k'tores atones. For the k'tores raises all the holy sparks that are in the depths of the k'lipos, as is known. And through this is the essential tikun of prayer — that one is able to join together and raise all the sinners of Yisra'ail and to bring them back in t'shuvah, and that their prayer should be included and ascend within the prayer of Yisra'ail, as an acceptable offering above, above, as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Every prayer that does not include the prayers of the sinners of Yisra'ail," etc. And the proof is from the k'tores, which had chel'b'nah [galbanum] among its ingredients, etc. For prayer is the aspect of fragrance [raiach], as is explained elsewhere. And it ascends above through the fragrance of the k'tores. And this is the aspect of: "Let my prayer be set before You as incense" [tikon t'filasi k'tores l'fanecha] (Tehillim 141:2). But one who blemishes the k'tores — for he is a stranger [zar] and wishes to offer k'tores — this is the aspect of: "Incense of abomination it is to Me" [k'tores to'aivah hi li] (Yeshayahu 1:13). And therefore the fire of the Torah itself, which is clothed in the k'tores, burned them and took vengeance upon them. For they did not merit — it became for them a potion of death, as above. And see well in the Torah teaching mentioned above — it is understood there that the tikun of the lamdan who studies Torah is through prayer, through endeavoring to have good yearnings, etc., and expressing them from his mouth in prayer and supplication, etc. Through which he configures the letters of the Torah that he studies for good, etc. And prayer is the aspect of k'tores, as above. And they wanted to offer k'tores through the aspect of the lamdan alone, as above. Therefore they were burned through the k'tores, as above. And this is the aspect of the swallowing of Korach within the earth. For it is explained there in the Torah teaching mentioned above that the letters are the aspect of the body and the n'kudos are the aspect of the soul. And the n'kudos are made through good yearnings, etc. — through which one configures the letters for good. And Korach blemished this, as above. And therefore Korach was swallowed within the earth alive. For earth and heaven are the aspect of body and soul, as our Sages of blessed memory said: "He shall call to the heavens above" (Tehillim 50:4) — this is the neshamah. "And to the earth" — this is the body. Which is the aspect of letters and n'kudos, which is the aspect of the lamdan and the true chasid, as is understood, all of this, in the Torah teaching mentioned above. And all the work of a person in this world is to nullify the body before the soul, so that the body should do the will of the holy soul. For all its vitality is only from the holy soul. And likewise the letters are included within the n'kudos, etc., as is explained there. And likewise the lamdan must nullify himself before the chasid, who is the true tzaddik, as above. And then the earth is included within heaven, which are the aspect of body and soul. But Korach, who wanted to empower, G-d forbid, the aspect of the lamdan over the tzaddik, as above — therefore his punishment was measure for measure: the earth overpowered him and opened its mouth and swallowed him alive, to show that he blemished this. For he gave power to the earth, which is the aspect of the body, to overpower him and swallow him alive — through having configured the letters of the Torah for evil, by saying that the essential thing is study without righteousness and chasidus, as above. And this is: "And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed," etc. (Bamidbar 16:32). For he gave a mouth to the earth, to his detriment, to swallow him — through having configured the letters of the words of the Torah for evil, according to the desires of his body. Through which the combinations of the letters were drawn to evil and empowered the aspect of the body, which is the aspect of the earth, until there was literally a mouth for the earth to swallow him. For from the mouth come forth the words of speech, and he drew the words of the Torah to the aspect of the body, the aspect of the earth. Therefore he was punished with that which he blemished. And this is what they said in Midrash Rabah, parashas Korach: Rabi Yehudah ben Bava says: "The congregation of Korach is destined to ascend. It is written: 'And they were lost from among the congregation' (Bamidbar 16:33). Regarding Dovid it says: 'I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant,' etc. (Tehillim 119:176). Just as the lost one mentioned regarding Dovid is destined to be sought, so too here, a lost one that is destined to be sought," etc. That is, the essential tikun of Korach and his congregation is through this itself — through the aspect of Dovid HaMelech, who composed the Book of T'hilim, and through all who join themselves to him and walk in his ways and engage in the Book of T'hilim and in supplications and requests in great abundance, and in conversations and hisbodedus [solitary prayer] in great abundance between themselves and their Maker, and they cry out at every turn: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep," etc. For whoever has compassion on his soul will understand for himself how much he needs to cry out "I have gone astray like a lost sheep." If Dovid HaMelech, who was such a tzaddik, cried out "I have gone astray like a lost sheep" — all the more so and certainly, thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of a fortiori arguments — how very much we need to cry out such cries as these and as these! Perhaps, perhaps we will be able to find ourselves, etc. And whoever walks in this path repairs the blemish of Korach, who blemished this. For they disputed the good yearnings mentioned above, which is the aspect of the path of prayer and hisbodedus. And this is the essential completeness of the true tzaddik. Therefore, through the aspect of "I have gone astray like a lost sheep" — that is, through the aspect of Dovid and those who join themselves to him, who engage in this, to seek from Hashem, blessed be He, that He should seek them and return their lost possession, etc. — they will certainly merit to be sought, as they said in the Midrash that the lost one mentioned regarding Dovid is destined to be sought. Through this, also the aspect of the congregation of Korach, about whom it is said: "And they were lost from among the congregation" — for very, very many people are lost from both worlds through holding onto the dispute against the upright ones mentioned above. For in every place where there is machlokes, there are there sparks of Korach, Dasan, and Aviram, as is brought. But nevertheless, in the end of ends they are destined to be sought — through the service of those upright ones specifically, who engage in T'hilim and hisbodedus, etc., and cry out at every turn: "I have gone astray like a lost sheep," etc. Through this they certainly are destined to be sought, and also all the disputants and the distant ones will ascend. For they will return to us, and we will not return to them — for the truth of Hashem is everlasting.