bp-p116-m01 · bereishit 20:6
האמת לאמיתו הוא רק כשאדם נקי מתאוות והאמת של העלם הוא לדעת שהוא רחוק מהאמת
Truth in its fullest sense exists only when a person is free of desires; the truth of the world is to know that one is far from the truth.
״גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹאת״
“I too knew that you did this in the integrity of your heart.”
וגו׳
etc.
(כ, ו)
(20:6)
זֶה בְּחִינַת מַה שֶּׁאָמַר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹאת וָאֶחְשֹׂךְ וְכוּ׳. וּפֵרֵשׁ רש״י אֱמֶת שֶׁלֹּא דִּמִּיתָ מִתְּחִלָּה לַחֲטֹא, אֲבָל נִקְיוֹן כַּפַּיִם אֵין כָּאן.
This is the aspect of what the blessed God said to Avimelech: ‘I too knew that you did this in the integrity of your heart, and I withheld,’ etc. And Rashi explained: It is true that you did not initially think to sin, but there is no cleanliness of hands here.
כִּי עִקַּר הָאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִזְכּוֹת כִּי אִם כְּשֶׁהוּא נָקִי וָזַךְ לְגַמְרֵי מִכָּל הַתַּאֲווֹת. וְהָעִקָּר מִתַּאֲוָה הַכְּלָלִיּוֹת. כִּי שְׁמִירַת הַבְּרִית הוּא בְּחִינַת אֱמֶת בְּחִינַת כֻּלּוֹ זֶרַע אֱמֶת, וְכַמְבֹאָר בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר. כִּי עִקַּר הַשֶּׁקֶר הוּא עַל יְדֵי עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּהַתְחָלַת הַתּוֹרָה הַנַּ״ל, שֶׁשֶּׁקֶר אִי אֶפְשָׁר לוֹמַר כִּי אִם שֶׁמְּעַכֵּר אֶת דָּמָיו וְכוּ׳, עַיֵּן שָׁם. וְכָל הַתַּאֲווֹת, בִּפְרָט תַּאֲוָה הַכְּלָלִיּוֹת הוּא עַל יְדֵי עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים. עַל כֵּן כְּשֶׁהַבַּעַל דָּבָר מַסִּית אֶת הָאָדָם לְהַטְעוֹתוֹ לְאֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ לֹא טוֹב עַל יְדֵי הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, בִּפְרָט כְּשֶׁמְּסִיתוֹ לְהַחֲזִיק בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת מֵחֲמַת הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, צָרִיךְ לְהִסְתַּכֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ אִם הוּא זַךְ וְנָקִי מֵהַתַּאֲווֹת, בִּפְרָט מִתַּאֲוָה הַנַּ״ל.
For one cannot attain truth in its fullest sense unless one is entirely clean and pure of all desires, and principally of the all-inclusive desire. For guarding the covenant is an aspect of truth, the aspect of ‘wholly a seed of truth,’ as explained elsewhere. For falsehood arises principally through the clouding of the blood, as explained at the beginning of the above teaching: one cannot tell a lie unless one clouds his blood, etc.; see there. And all desires, particularly the all-inclusive desire, arise through the clouding of the blood. Therefore, when the adversary entices a person, misleading him onto some bad path by means of his own truth, particularly when he entices him to persist in controversy because of his own truth, he must examine himself to see whether he is pure and clean of desires, particularly of the above desire.
וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁאֵינוֹ נָקִי, אֵיךְ אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְהַעֲמִיד עַל הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלּוֹ, בִּפְרָט לִרְדֹּף אַחַר אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן אַחַר רַבִּים. כִּי הָאֱמֶת הַבָּרוּר בְּחִינַת אֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ אֵין זוֹכֶה כִּי אִם הַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת נְקִי כַּפַּיִם בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁהוּא נָקִי מִכָּל הַתַּאֲווֹת, בִּפְרָט מִתַּאֲוָה הַכְּלָלִיּוֹת לְגַמְרֵי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם עֲכִירַת הַדָּמִים, וְרַק הוּא זוֹכֶה לָאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ. וּשְׁאָר הָעוֹלָם עִקַּר הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלָּהֶם הוּא לֵידַע שֶׁהֵם רְחוֹקִים מֵהַשָּׂגַת הַדַּעַת הָאֲמִתִּי, רַק צְרִיכִין לְהִתְחַזֵּק בֶּאֱמוּנָה וְכַנַּ״ל.
And since he knows within himself that he is not clean, how can he insist upon his own truth, particularly to persecute a Jewish person, all the more so many people? For only the true tzaddik attains clear truth, the aspect of truth in its fullest sense: he is truly of clean hands, clean of all desires, particularly entirely free of the all-inclusive desire, so that he has no clouding of the blood whatsoever; only he attains truth in its fullest sense. And the rest of the world's essential truth is to know that they are far from attaining true understanding; rather, they must strengthen themselves in faith, as above.
זה מה שאמר הקב״ה לאבימלך
This is what the Holy One, blessed is He, said to Avimelech.
וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לַאֲבִימֶלֶךְ, ״גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי וְכוּ׳״. כִּי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ הָיָה צַדִּיק בְּעֵינָיו לְגַמְרֵי כְּאִלּוּ הוּא אִישׁ אֱמֶת וְאַבְרָהָם הִטְעָהוּ בְּשִׁקְרוֹ שֶׁאָמַר אֲחוֹתִי הִיא, וְעַל כֵּן נִדְמֶה לוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ טַעֲנָה גְּדוֹלָה נֶגֶד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ שֶׁהִכָּה אוֹתוֹ בְּחִנָּם, עַל כֵּן טָעַן וְאָמַר הֲגוֹי גַּם צַדִּיק תַּהֲרֹג, הֲלֹא הוּא אָמַר לִי אֲחוֹתִי הִיא וְכוּ׳ בְּתָם לְבָבִי וּבְנִקְיוֹן כַּפַּי עָשִׂיתִי זֹאת.
And this is what the blessed God said to Avimelech: ‘I too knew,’ etc. For Avimelech was wholly righteous in his own eyes, as though he were a man of truth and Avraham had misled him with his lie, saying, ‘She is my sister.’ Therefore it seemed to him that he had a great complaint against the blessed God for striking him without cause. Therefore he argued and said, ‘Will You kill even a righteous nation? Did he not tell me, “She is my sister,”’ etc., ‘in the integrity of my heart and with the cleanliness of my hands I did this.’
נִמְצָא שֶׁלְּפִי דִּבְרֵי אֲבִימֶלֶךְ הוּא אִישׁ אֱמֶת, וְאַבְרָהָם הוּא שַׁקְרָן חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. הֵשִׁיב לוֹ הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ גַּם אָנֹכִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי בְתָם לְבָבְךָ עָשִׂיתָ זֹאת, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי הָאֱמֶת אַתְּךָ שֶׁעָשִׂיתָ זֹאת בֶּאֱמֶת בְּתָם לְבָבְךָ, אֲבָל נִקְיוֹן כַּפַּיִם אֵין כָּאן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רש״י וְכַנַּ״ל. כִּי אִם הָיִיתָ נְקִי כַּפַּיִם דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא הָיִיתָ בַּעַל תַּאֲוָה כָּזֶה, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא הָיִיתָ בָּא לְמִכְשׁוֹל כָּזֶה.
It follows that, according to Avimelech's words, he is a man of truth, while Avraham is a liar, God forbid. The blessed God answered him: ‘I too knew that you did this in the integrity of your heart.’ For the truth is certainly with you, that you genuinely did this in the integrity of your heart, but there is no cleanliness of hands here, as Rashi explained and as above. For had you been of clean hands—that is, had you not been such a man of desire—you certainly would not have come to such a stumbling block.
כִּי מֵעִקָּרָא דִּינָא פִּירְכָא, מַה לְּךָ לִשְׁאֹל אֶת אַבְרָהָם אִם הִיא אִשְׁתּוֹ אוֹ אֲחוֹתוֹ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהֵשִׁיב אַבְרָהָם בֶּאֱמֶת כְּשֶׁשָּׁאַלוֹ ״מַה רָאִיתָ כִּי עָשִׂיתָ וְכוּ׳״. הֵשִׁיב לוֹ, ״כִּי אָמַרְתִּי רַק אֵין יִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים בַּמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה״. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ רש״י, אַכְסְנַאי שֶׁבָּא לָעִיר עַל עִסְקֵי אִשְׁתּוֹ שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ וְכוּ׳. וּמֵאַחַר שֶׁאַתָּה בַּעַל תַּאֲוָה כָּזֶה וְאֵינְךָ נְקִי כַּפַּיִם, הִכְשִׁילְךָ הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלְּךָ עַד שֶׁלָּקַחְתָּ אוֹתָהּ לְךָ וּכְשֶׁבָּא עָלֶיךָ הַמַּכּוֹת אַתָּה צוֹעֵק שֶׁאַתָּה צַדִּיק וְאַבְרָהָם הִכְשִׁילְךָ בְּשִׁקְרוֹ וְאֵין אַתָּה מֵשִׂים לֵב שֶׁעֲכִירַת דָּמֶיךָ הִכְשִׁילְךָ לִטְעוֹת מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ וְלְבַלִּי לְהַשִּׂיג הָאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ, אַךְ מֵאַחַר שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי כֵּן כַּוָּנָתְךָ לֹא הָיָה לְאִסּוּר גָּדוֹל, עַל כֵּן ״וָאֶחְשֹׂךְ גַּם אָנֹכִי אוֹתְךָ מֵחֲטוֹא לִי וְכוּ׳״.
For from the outset the argument is refuted: what business have you asking Avraham whether she is his wife or his sister? And as Avraham indeed answered when he asked him, ‘What did you see, that you did,’ etc., he answered him, ‘For I said: There is simply no fear of God in this place.’ And as Rashi explained: when a guest comes to a town, do they question him about his wife? etc. And since you are such a man of desire and are not of clean hands, your truth caused you to stumble until you took her for yourself. And when the blows came upon you, you cry out that you are righteous and that Avraham had caused you to stumble through his lie; and you pay no attention to the fact that the clouding of your blood caused you to stumble, to stray from the path and not to attain truth in its fullest sense. Yet since, even so, your intention was not to commit a grave prohibition, therefore, ‘I too withheld you from sinning against Me,’ etc.
כִּי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מְרַחֵם עַל הָאָדָם כְּשֶׁרוֹאֶה שֶׁחָפֵץ בֶּאֱמֶת, רַק שֶׁטּוֹעֶה אֶת עַצְמוֹ, הוּא מְרַחֵם עָלָיו וּמְרַמֵּז לוֹ בִּדְרָכָיו הַנִּפְלָאִים שֶׁיָּשׁוּב מִטָּעוּתוֹ, אֲבָל עַל כָּל פָּנִים אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לָשׂוּם עַל לִבְּךָ שֶׁאֵינְךָ נְקִי כַּפַּיִם וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה בָּאתָ לִטְעוֹת כָּזֶה עַל יְדֵי הָאֱמֶת שֶׁלְּךָ.
For the blessed God has compassion upon a person when He sees that he sincerely desires [the truth], but is misleading himself. He has compassion upon him and signals to him, in His wondrous ways, that he should turn back from his error. But at any rate you must take to heart that you are not of clean hands, and for this reason you came to err like this through your own truth.
וְזֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִי יַעֲלֶה בְהַר ה׳ וּמִי יָקוּם בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ נְקִי כַפַּיִם וּבַר לֵבָב אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָשָׂא לַשָּׁוְא נַפְשִׁי וְכוּ׳. ׳נְקִי כַּפַּיִם וּבַר לֵבָב׳ דַּיְקָא, כִּי דַּיְקָא כְּשֶׁהוּא נְקִי כַּפַּיִם, הוּא דַּיְקָא זוֹכֶה לִבְחִינַת בַּר לֵבָב אֲשֶׁר לֹא נָשָׂא לַשָּׁוְא וְכוּ׳, שֶׁהוּא נִצּוֹל מִשָּׁוְא וָשֶׁקֶר וְזוֹכֶה לֶאֱמֶת לַאֲמִתּוֹ, וְרַק הוּא זוֹכֶה לַעֲלוֹת בְּהַר ה׳ וְלָקוּם בִּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ.
And this is what is said: ‘Who shall ascend the mountain of God, and who shall stand in His holy place? One of clean hands and a pure heart, who has not borne My soul toward vanity,’ etc. Specifically, ‘clean hands and a pure heart’: for specifically when one is of clean hands, one specifically attains the aspect of a pure heart, ‘who has not borne toward vanity,’ etc.; he is saved from vanity and falsehood and attains truth in its fullest sense, and only he merits ascending the mountain of God and standing in His holy place.
וְעַל כֵּן הֻכְרַח אַבְרָהָם לְהַעֲלִים הָאֱמֶת וְלוֹמַר שֶׁהִיא אֲחוֹתוֹ, כִּי שָׁרֵי לֵיהּ לְצַדִּיקָא לְסַגּוּיֵי בְּרַמָּאוּתָא עִם רַמַּאי. כִּי הַצַּדִּיק כְּשֶׁרוֹאֶה שֶׁאֵין אֱמֶת בָּעוֹלָם הוּא מֻכְרָח לְהַעֲלִים הָאֱמֶת בְּכַמָּה דְּרָכִים כְּדֵי לְהַצִּיל אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ, וְדַיְקָא עַל יְדֵי זֶה הוּא מַכְנִיס הָאֱמֶת בָּעוֹלָם. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנָּהַג יַעֲקֹב עִם לָבָן וְעֵשָׂו וְכוּ׳.
And therefore Avraham was compelled to conceal the truth and say that she was his sister, for a tzaddik is permitted to deal deceptively with a deceiver. For when the tzaddik sees that there is no truth in the world, he is compelled to conceal the truth in various ways in order to save his life, and specifically through this he brings truth into the world, and as Yaakov conducted himself with Lavan and Aisav, etc.
(הלכות רבית הלכה ה׳ אות ל״ד)
(Halachos of Ribis [Interest], Halacha 5, item 34)
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