Mishnah
Mishnah

Chasidut for Pirkei Avot 4:22

הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, הַיִּלּוֹדִים לָמוּת, וְהַמֵּתִים לְהֵחָיוֹת, וְהַחַיִּים לִדּוֹן. לֵידַע לְהוֹדִיעַ וּלְהִוָּדַע שֶׁהוּא אֵל, הוּא הַיּוֹצֵר, הוּא הַבּוֹרֵא, הוּא הַמֵּבִין, הוּא הַדַּיָּן, הוּא עֵד, הוּא בַעַל דִּין, וְהוּא עָתִיד לָדוּן. בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאֵין לְפָנָיו לֹא עַוְלָה, וְלֹא שִׁכְחָה, וְלֹא מַשּׂוֹא פָנִים, וְלֹא מִקַּח שֹׁחַד, שֶׁהַכֹּל שֶׁלּוֹ. וְדַע שֶׁהַכֹּל לְפִי הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן. וְאַל יַבְטִיחֲךָ יִצְרְךָ שֶׁהַשְּׁאוֹל בֵּית מָנוֹס לְךָ, שֶׁעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה נוֹצָר, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה נוֹלָד, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה חַי, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה מֵת, וְעַל כָּרְחֲךָ אַתָּה עָתִיד לִתֵּן דִּין וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן לִפְנֵי מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא:

He was wont to say: The born, to die [i.e., one who has been born is already destined to die], and the dead, to live [they are destined to live and to arise for the day of judgment — these for eternal life and these for shame and for eternal infamy], to know [from others], to apprise [others], and to affirm [within themselves] that He, the Almighty, is the Artisan, [all of the world being in His hand like matter in the hand of the artisan, for] He is the Creator, [who created the entire universe ex nihilo, wherefore He can do with it as He pleases], He is the Understander [of all the deeds of men, wherefore] He is the (optimum) Judge [and He brings them into judgment before Him], He is the Witness, He is the Prosecutor [of the sinners], and He is destined to judge them [for the world to come]. Blessed is He, for there is before Him no wrong, and no forgetting, and no favoritism, and no taking of graft, for all is His (and there is nothing to bribe Him with). [He shows no favoritism even to an absolute tzaddik, not (refraining from) punishing him for even a slight transgression that he may have committed and not taking the "graft" of a mitzvah to overlook a sin. But He rewards for a mitzvah and punishes for a transgression. (Thus, Rambam)]. And know that all comes to an account. ["A p'rutah (a small coin) and a p'rutah add up to a great sum." In the same way, slight transgressions, when there are many of them, add up to a great sum.] And let your (evil) inclination not delude you into thinking that the grave is your refuge. For, perforce were you formed [The soul resists leaving the pargod (the Divine partition, a pure sphere where the souls reside) to enter a woman's womb, an impure abode, but an angel comes and removes it forcibly and places it there], and perforce were you born, [being forced by an angel to leave the womb], and perforce do you live. [Sometimes a man is so steeped in afflictions that he wants to die — but he cannot], and perforce are you destined to render judgment and accounting before the King of the kings of kings, the Holy One Blessed be He.

Mareh Yechezkel on Torah

And I have said that there is a hint to this in that which is written (Deuteronomy 1:1), “These are the words that Moses addressed to all Israel on the other side of the Jordan – through the desert, in the Aravah facing Suf.” The understanding is that at first he must study Torah, which is called a desert, as it is written (Numbers 21:18), “from the desert (homiletically interpreted as a reference to Torah) to Matanah”. And afterwards, he should recite Shema, as it is written (Mishnah Berakhot 1:1), “From when do we recite Shema at night (arvit)?” And then it will be effective to remind himself and face the end (sof), meaning the end of a person. And that is the meaning of that which is written (Avot 4:22), “And do not let your [evil] impulse assure you that (thought he conjunction can also mean, since) the netherworld is a refuge for you.” The understanding is that you should not let it reassure you that you will be saved on the day of judgement, because you [will claim that you] were not able to subdue your evil impulse, as it is stated (Psalms 37:32), “The evildoer (here understood as the evil impulse, see Kiddushin 30b) watches for the righteous.” About this, it said to him, “Was not the netherworld – meaning death – a refuge for you?” As by reminding yourself of the day of death, you are able to be saved from the evil impulse. However it is certainly not effective without Torah [study first]. And I have been lengthy in this [discussion].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse