The Ninth Level: Bury the Past
“The Scapegoat (Bury the Past),” illustration of Level 9 by Rebecca Odessa, Courtesy The Wisdom Daily
The Ninth Level: Bury the Past
Translator’s Introduction
The Ninth Level of Mercy addresses a principal common to both Kabbalah and physics: energy never dissipates of its own accord; rather it is redirected and absorbed into something else. If a stone is dropped into the middle of a still lake, the ripples will extend to the shoreline, gradually decreasing in size as the circle of their impact increases. Once they reach the land, the energy represented by the ripples is transferred to the earth itself, shifting the pebbles and grains of sand until the force of the original stone is completely exhausted. The same phenomenon is true of human sin. Sin releases the forces of judgment into the world like a stone dropping into a lake, and the energy of these forces of judgment can only be redirected and absorbed elsewhere. It will not simply stop and return to its source.
The Ninth Level acknowledges God’s mercy as it is expressed in the redirection of forces of judgment. Rabbi Cordovero illustrates the phenomenon with several Biblical examples, including the punishment of Pharaoh (Exodus 4), Haman (Esther 7) the scapegoat (Leviticus 16), and Daniel’s interpretation of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2). The Ninth Level concludes with a treatment of how we may internalize and emulate this aspect of mercy in our own lives.
התשיעית – וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כָּל
חַטֹּאותָם
זוֹ מִדָּה טוֹבָה לְהב”ה שֶׁהֲרֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חָטְאוּ מְסָרָם בְּיַד פַּרְעֹה וְשָׁבוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה לָמָּה יַעֲנִישׁ פַּרְעֹה וְכֵן סַנְחֵרִיב וְכֵן הָמָן וְדוֹמֵיהֶם אֵין הב”ה מִתְנַחֵם לוֹמַר שָׁבוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה אִם כֵּן לֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם עוֹד רָעָה אִם כֵּן יִסְתַּלֵּק הָמָן מֵעֲלֵיהֶם אוֹ פַרְעֹה אוֹ סַנְחֵרִיב זֶה לֹא יַסְפִּיק אֶלָּא יָשׁוּב עֲמַל הָמָן עַל רֹאשׁוֹ וְכֵן פַּרְעֹה וְכֵן סַנְחֵרִיב וְהַטַּעַם לְהַנְהָגָה זוֹ הִיא בְּסוֹד וְנָשָׂא הַשָּׂעִיר עָלָיו אֶת כָּל עֲוֹנֹתָם אֶל אֶרֶץ גְּזֵרָה וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ שֶׁהַשָּׂעִיר נוֹשֵׂא עֲוֹנוֹת מַמָּשׁ, וְזֶה קָשֶׁה מְאֹד וְכִי יִשְׂרָאֵל חָטְאוּ וְהַשָּׂעִיר נוֹשֵׂא. אֶלָּא הַמִּדָּה הִיא כָּךְ הָאָדָם מִתְוַדֶּה וְכַוָּנָתוֹ בַּוִּדּוּי לְקַבֵּל עָלָיו טָהֳרָה כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד הִֶרֶב כַּבְּסֵנִי מֵעֲוֹנִי וְכֵן הוּא אֲמָרֵנוּ מְחוֹק בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים אֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יִסּוּרִים קַלִּים שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה בָּהֶם בִּטּוּל תּוֹרָה. וְזֶה שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אֲבָל לֹא עַל יְדֵי יִסּוּרִים רָעִים וְכָךְ הוּא מְכַוֵּן בִּהְיוֹתוֹ אוֹמֵר וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלַי מַמָּשׁ הוּא מְקַבֵּל יִסּוּרִים בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת לְהִתְכַּפֵּר מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁיִּסּוּרִים מְמָרְקִים אוֹ מִיתָה מְמָרֶקֶת. וְכָךְ הִיא הַמִּדָּה מִיַּד מִתְוַדֶּה בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ וּפֵרְשׁוּ בַּזֹּהַר פָרָשַׁת פְּקוּדֵי שֶׁהוּא חֵלֶק סמאל כְּעֵין הַשָּׂעִיר, מַהוּ חֶלְקוֹ שֶׁהב”ה גּוֹזֵר עָלָיו יִסּוּרִים וּמִיַּד מִזְדַּמֵּן שָׁם סמאל וְהוֹלֵךְ וְגוֹבֶה חוֹבוֹ וַהֲרֵי נוֹשֵׂא הַשָּׂעִיר הָעֲוֹנוֹת שֶׁהב”ה נוֹתֵן לוֹ רְשׁוּת לִגְבּוֹת חוֹבוֹ וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְטַהֲרִים וְהִנֵּה הַכֹּל יִתְגַּלְגֵּל עַל סמאל, וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁהב”ה גוזר עַל עוֹלָמוֹ שֶׁכָּל מִי שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה כֵן יִתְבַּטֵּל, וְזֶה טַעַם וְאת הַבְּהֵמָה תַּהֲרֹגוּ וְכֵן הָאֶבֶן שֶׁל מִצְוַת הַנִּסְקָלִין וְהַסַּיִף שֶׁל מִצְוַת הַנֶּהֱרָגִין טְעוּנִין קְבוּרָה לְבַטֵּל מְצִיאוּתָם וְכֹחָם אַחַר שֶׁניּגְמֹר דִּינָם. וַהֲרֵי בָזֶה מַמָּשׁ סוֹד הַצֶּלֶם שֶׁל נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר נִמְסְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל רֵישָׁא דִּי דַהֲבָא נִכְנַע הַהוּא רֵישָׁא נִמְסְרוּ בְּיַד פָּרַס שֶׁהֵן חֲדוֹהִי וּדְרָעוֹהִי דִּי כְסַף וְכֵן נִדְחוּ אֵלּוּ מִפְּנֵי אֵלּוּ עַד שֶׁיָּרְדוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְרַגְלוֹהִי מִנְּהֵון דִּי פַרְזֶל וּמִנְּהֵון דִּי חֲסַף שמַה יִהְיֶה תַּכְלִית הַכל בַּסּוֹף הב”ה מַעֲמִידָם וְעוֹשֶׂה בָּהֶם דִּין כְּדִכְתִיב חִצַּי אֲכַלֶּה בָם חִצַּי כָּלִים וְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָם כָּלִים בֵּאדַיִן דָּקוּ כַּחֲדָא דַהֲבָא כַּסְפָּא וּנְחָשָׁא וְכוּ’ הִנֵּה בַּהַתְחָלָה כְּתִיב וּמְחָת לְצַלְמָא עַל רַגְלוֹהִי אֵין מִכָּל הַצֶּלֶם אֶלָּא רַגְלָיו שֶׁכְּבָר נִתְבַּטֵּל כֹּחָם וְעָבְרוּ רֹאשׁ וּדְרָעוֹהִי וּמְעוֹהִי וְעִם כָּל זֶה בַּסּוֹף דָּקוּ כַּחֲדָא, עָתִיד הב”ה לְהַעֲמִיד סמאל וְהָרְשָׁעִים שעשו מַעֲשָׂיו וּפְעֻלּוֹתָיו וַיַּעֲשֶׂה בָהֶם הַדִּין. וְהַיְּנוּ וְתַשְׁלִיךְ בִּמְצֻלוֹת יָם כָּל חַטֹּאותָם.
יֵרָצֶה משליך כֹּחַ הַדִּין להפעל עַל יְדֵי אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵם מְצוּלוֹת יָם וְהָרְשָׁעִים כַּיָּם נִגְרָשׁ כִּי הַשְׁקֵט לֹא יוּכָל וַיְגָרְשׁוּ מֵימָיו רֶפֶשׁ וָטִיט אֵלּוּ הֵם הָעוֹשִׂים דִּין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיָּשׁוּב אַחַר כָּל גְּמוּלָם בְּרֹאשָׁם.
וְהַטַּעַם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל קִבְּלוּ הַדִּין הב”ה מִתְנַחֵם אֲפִלּוּ עַל מַה שֶׁקָּדַם וְתוֹבֵעַ עֶלְבּוֹנָם וְלֹא דַּי אֶלָּא אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְעָט וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה.
גַּם בְּמִדָּה זוֹ צָרִיךְ לְהִתְנַהֵג הָאָדָם עִם חֲבֵרוֹ, אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָשָׁע מְדֻכָּא בְּיִסּוּרִין אַל יִשְׂנָאֵהוּ שֶׁאַחַר שֶׁנִּקְלָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאָחִיךָ וִיקָרֵב הַמְּרוּדִים וְהַנֶּעֱנָשִׁים וִירַחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם וְאַדְרַבָּה יַצִּילֵם מִיַּד אוֹיֵב וְאַל יֹאמַר עֲוֹנוֹ גָּרַם לוֹ אֶלָּא יְרַחֲמֵהוּ בְּמִדָּה זוֹ כִּדְפֵרַשְׁתִּי:
Translation
The Ninth Level:
“And cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.”
God expresses goodness in this Level. When the Jewish people sinned, God handed them over to Pharaoh. Why was Pharaoh punished when the Jews repented? The same question may be asked of Sennacherib, and Haman, and their ilk. God does not say, “the Jews repented, and therefore no more evil will befall them,” and simply removing the threat of Haman, or Pharaoh, or Sennacherib. This is not enough. Instead, God causes Haman’s plans to redound upon his own head, and so too Pharaoh, and so too Sennacherib. The principle is based on the secret of and the goat will bear upon itself all their sins to the land of Gezerah. The goat literally bears the sins, a very difficult concept. Should the goat be held responsible for the sin of the Jewish people? Yes, as follows: when a person confesses, the confession is uttered with the intention of attaining purity, as David said “wash me, cleanse me of my sins,” and we say, “erase in Your great mercy.” We pray that our punishments be light, and not cause us to neglect the study of Torah. This is the significance of the continuation of that prayer, “but not through difficult tribulations,” and the intent behind the concluding phrase, “and You are righteous regarding all that happens to me.” There are sins that are nullified by tribulations, while others are nullified by death, and thus one cheerfully accepts atonement through tribulations. As soon as one confesses in prayer, the confession becomes the goat, the portion of Samael, as the Zohar explains in Parashat Pekudei. What is this portion? God visits punishments upon the person, and Samael immediately appears to collect his debt. Samael received permission from God to collect, but the transgression has devolved onto the goat, and thus the Jewish people are purified while Samael receives his due. Ultimately, God’s decree was that anyone who performed this service in the world would be nullified, which is the meaning of and you will kill the animal. Similarly the rock used for stoning and the sword used for execution require burial in order to eliminate both their existence and power after the sentence has been performed. This is precisely the secret of the Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. The Jews were handed over to the King of Babylon, the head of gold. When this head was bowed, they were handed over to Persia, a chest and arms of silver, which was ultimately replaced, until the Jews arrived at the legs of bronze and feet of clay. What will be the final, positive end? God will force them to rise and face justice, as it is written: I will expend My arrows on them. My arrows will destroy, but the Jewish people will not be destroyed. The pieces of iron, clay, brass, silver and gold will be destroyed. The verse begins, and he struck the image to its legs, meaning that the only parts left of the image were the legs, because their power had already been nullified by the destruction of the head, arms and chest. Nevertheless, at the end it is written they will be destroyed as one, meaning that in the future God will force even Samael to stand up along with the wicked people who carry out his various deeds, and God will judge them.
This is the meaning of and cast all their sins into the depths of the sea, meaning God will send the power of justice to bring down all those who are like the depths of the sea—the wicked are like a stormy sea, it cannot be silent and its waters churn up silt and mud. The verse refers to those who execute judgment upon the Jewish people. God will ultimately cause their actions to redound upon their own heads.
Once the Jewish people accept their punishment, God reconsiders even what came before. God demands retribution for the sake of their dignity. Moreover, God says I was but a little angered, but they compounded the evil.
One must employ this level when dealing with others. Even if a wicked person is afflicted by punishments, one should not hate him, for after he is lashed he is like your brother. One should draw close those who rebelled and those who were punished, and have mercy upon them. One should save them from an enemy, and not say, “his sin caused this to happen.” Rather, one should show him mercy with this level, as I have explained.
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