אות - קא

I heard in his name, regarding the verse (Bamidbar 23:21): "He has not beheld iniquity in Yaakov nor has He seen perversity in Israel; Hashem his G-d is with him and the friendship of the King is in him." But I forgot the matter. Yet this I remember — what he explained at the end of the verse: "and the friendship of the King is in him." "Veruath" is an expression of breaking, as it is written (Psalms 2:9): "You shall break them with an iron rod." That is — when one breaks the heresies — then "King is in him" — meaning one finds the King blessed He even within the heresies themselves, for even within the heresies themselves His life-force blessed He is clothed. He also said that the heretical investigators [mecharkim] — their lives are not lives at all even in this world. For immediately when something does not go as they wish — all the more so when they have some trouble — they have no one to turn to, since they attribute everything to nature, Heaven forbid, may the Merciful One protect us, and they have nothing to sustain themselves with at all. But a man of faith who believes in Hashem — his life is very good. For even when trouble passes over him, Heaven forbid, even then he can sustain himself with Hashem Yisburach, for he trusts in Hashem that everything is for the good — either through these sufferings they will deduct from his transgressions, or through this he will merit some great good at the end, and the like — for the intention of Hashem Yisburach is certainly for good. Therefore a man of faith lives a good life always, and it is good for him in this world and in the World to Come (224). But the investigators have no vitality — neither in this world nor in the World to Come. And this is very clear to one who is familiar with them, for they are always full of suffering as is perceptible — for it is impossible that things should go as they wish. And since they choose only this world which is entirely full of suffering and sorrows, may the Merciful One protect us — therefore at all times they have pain and sorrows and worries from the matters of this world that do not go as they wish, and all their days are anger and aches. For it is impossible that anything in this world should go entirely as a person wishes. And since they do not look toward the true and eternal purpose, only toward the desires of this world — therefore they are certainly always full of suffering as mentioned. And also when sufferings and worries and sorrows come upon them, they have nothing to sustain themselves with as mentioned. But an upright person, since he believes in the truth and his essential hope is for the World to Come — therefore his life is very good. For everything that passes over him, he believes that it is all for the good — either to remind him to repent from his transgressions, or as atonement for his transgressions so that he will merit the life of the World to Come and the eternal good, and the like. And even the sufferings an upright person has from the pain of regret when he has committed some blemish or transgression, Heaven forbid — even if, Heaven forbid, he committed an actual transgression, may the Merciful One protect us — afterward when he merits to regret it, even though he has very great pain and great sufferings over having come to stumble or to transgression, Heaven forbid — even so these sufferings too are not sufferings at all. For this pain and suffering he has over having transgressed, Heaven forbid — these sufferings add life to the person in the aspect of (Proverbs 10:27): "Fear of Hashem adds days." And know this general principle: all the fears and all the sufferings that a person has shorten and consume his days of life. And therefore those frivolous people who engage in investigations — their lives are not lives at all, for the sufferings and worries consume their lives as mentioned. But all the fears and all the sufferings that a person has because of fear of Hashem — they add days and life in the aspect of "Fear of Hashem adds days." And also those sufferings a person has because he committed some blemish or transgression, Heaven forbid, and he regrets it and has great pain from this — these sufferings are in the aspect of "Fear of Hashem adds days" — for his sufferings are because he fears Hashem Yisburach, whether from His exaltedness blessed He or from fear of punishment. And however it is — in any case it is included in fear of Hashem, for everything comes from his fear of Him blessed He — and therefore it adds days as mentioned above. Also one who is a man of faith — his repentance is easier (225), for repentance must be "measure for measure" [teshuvas hamishkal] — that is, according to the pleasure he had from the transgression, so too he must have precisely that same pain and suffering (226). And since he has faith — therefore his pleasure was not complete at the time of the transgression, Heaven forbid, may the Merciful One protect us — for it was mixed with sorrow, for he knew that in the end it would be bitter, for he would have harsh and bitter punishment, may the Merciful One protect us. Only he could not overcome his desire. Therefore his repentance is easier — for he does not need to bear the sufferings of repentance as much, since even at the time of the transgression his pleasure was not complete as mentioned. But the investigators who have no faith — their repentance is heavier, for they had no such sufferings at the time of the transgression. For repentance must be measure for measure as mentioned above. And see in the book Shnai Luchos HaBris (227) in tractate Shevuos — there it is explained at greater length the great gravity of the prohibition of looking into the books of the investigators, and it brings there that one who looks in those books has no share in the World to Come (228). And it brings there in the name of several of the earlier great authorities who greatly emphasized the gravity of this prohibition — that it is more severe than all the transgressions of the Torah, and so is explained in many holy books (229). 224. RAK: See Perparos LeChochma 119 at its end. 225. RAK: See Mi HaNachal 2:15. 226. RAK: See Rokach, Laws of Repentance; Kol Bo 67; Sefer Chassidim 167. 227. RAK: Abbreviation for Shnai Luchos HaBris. Composed by Rabbi Yeshayah Horwitz of Prague (5326-5393). 228. RAK: Sanhedrin 90a. 229. RAK: See Responsa of the Rosh 25; Responsa of the Rashba 419; Sefer HaYashar 6:13; and others.