כט

And the man who denigrated him exceedingly in Istanbul (-see above article 9) passed away immediately upon his arrival home. And the aforementioned man that was with him asked Rabbainu o.b.m.: "Does it not say (Proverbs 17:26), 'Also punishment is not good for the tzadik (-Rashi in Tractate Sanhedrin 105b explains that it isn't becoming of the tzadik to have people punished on his account, i.e. even if they are guilty and culpable, so why did Rabbainu bring about this man's demise)'?" And he answered him with a parable regarding this: That there was a king, and h e loved one of the children of the nobility, and he showed him affection, and drew him close with all types of love and affection. And afterwards when he grew up, he was brazen against the king. And the king said: "Know, that even though I love you very much, even still it is impossible for me to disregard the law and ordinance of the kingdom. And your judgement is decisively for death. And immediately the king commanded to restrain him in iron fetters, And put him in prison.

And this son of nobility began to picture in his mind the suffering that he will have from the death, and he saw that his pain would not be drawn out a long time, just until he was killed. However, when he began to picture in his mind the pain of the king, he saw that the pain of the king would be very great because the pain of the king would be always. Because he knows that the king loves him very much and he will have great yearning after him, and great anguish forever. And he had more pity on the king's pain than on his (own) pain. And he contemplated contemplations how to save the king from his pain. And he came to the following resolution: Behold embarrassment is considered to be like death (Bava Metzia 58:).

And he instructed the administrator of the prison to admit him in before the king. And he said to the king: "I know the truth, that your pain is greater than my pain, however, it is impossible for you to disregard the statute and law of the kingdom. Therefore this is the advisable recourse, bring about with ruses, that someone will embarrass me in public, and the shame is considered like death. Therefore, see to it to take from the captives a thief who is to be sentenced to be killed, and I will intimidate him until he gets mad at me, and denigrates me, and hits me in public, and I will be incurred great embarrassment, and it will be considered like death. And afterwards take the thief who is liable of death regardless (of this) and kill him as is his penalty. And the world (-everyone) will think that because he denigrated the cherished servant of the king he was killed, and the honor of the kingdom and his servant shall not be profaned.

Thus, sometimes someone denigrates that tzadik, and in reality he does a great favor for the tzadik, because he brings atonement to him for what he was liable to pass away, exchanging it for this embarrassment. But even still it isn't the honor of Heaven not to exact revenge from this person who denigrated the servant so beloved to the king. But to punish this person who denigrated the tzadik for what he did, is also not pleasing before Him, because "also punishment on account of the tzadik isn't becoming." Therefore, He blessed He "turns around stratagems (Job 37:12)," and stands up against the tzadik such a person that is already culpable of death and punishment. "And He summons both of them to the same inn (Makos 10b, regarding bringing about the punishment of someone who killed unintentionally unnoticed)," and this person denigrates the tzadik, and the tzadik is thereby exonerated from his penalty as mentioned above. And this person is punished afterwards, and the Name of Heaven is sanctified, because (ostensibly) on account of the honor of the tzadik he was punished. And in reality "he killed a dead man (Bava Kama 41a)," because he was already liable for his punishment previously. "And the ways of Hashem are straight (-just, upright) (based on Hosea 14:10)," "and there is no injustice in Him (Psalms 92:16)."