Mishnah
Mishnah

Kabbalah for Pirkei Avot 3:15

הַכֹּל צָפוּי, וְהָרְשׁוּת נְתוּנָה, וּבְטוֹב הָעוֹלָם נִדּוֹן. וְהַכֹּל לְפִי רֹב הַמַּעֲשֶׂה:

All is seen. [Whatever a man does in his innermost chamber is revealed to Him.], and permission is given [to him to do good or evil, as it is written (Deuteronomy 11:26): "Behold, I set before you this day, etc."], and the world is judged by good, [by the attribute of mercy, notwithstanding which not all are alike in respect to this attribute, for] all is according to the abundance of deed. [One who is profuse in good deeds is given a profusion of mercy, and to one who is sparse in good deeds, the Holy One is sparse in mercy. Alternately, "And all is according to abundance of deed": A man is judged according to the majority of his deeds. If the majority are merits, he is innocent; if the majority are sins, he is guilty. Rambam explains: "All is seen": All the deeds of a man, both what he has done and what he is destined to do — all is revealed before Him. And do not say: If the Holy One Blessed be He knows what a man will do, if so, he must be compelled in his deeds to be righteous or wicked! (Do not say this, for) permission is given him to do either good or evil and he is under no compulsion whatsoever. And, this being so, he is judged by the Good One of the world, to exact (punishment) of the wicked and to grant reward to the righteous. For the sinner, who sinned by his will, deserves to be punished; and the righteous one, who was righteous by his will, deserves to be rewarded. "And all is according to the abundance of deed": In accordance with one's increasing and persisting in the doing of good will be the abundance of his reward. For there is no comparison between one who distributes a hundred gold pieces to charity at a hundred different times, to one who gives them (all) at one time. This is the reading of Rambam. "And all is according to the abundance of deed," and not "according to the deed."]

Or Neerav

If the spirit which rules all fails and they prophesy, my words will be fulfilled on those who rise against me (Ps. 92:12). Is Saul also among the prophets? (I Sam. 10:11). This you will answer, And who is their father? (I Sam. 10:12). These things go after the intention of the heart. I, in my innocence (Ps. 26:1), plead before my judges: Let him judge all the words of this epistle leniently in its quantity and quality. If my soul does not speak from worry (Josh. 22:24), consider me as one who mentions and reminds the enlightened ones of my bountiful nation (Song 6:12). “Dear is man, who was created in [God’s] image” (Avot 3:15). Speaking as a righteous company (Ps. 58:2), He will judge righteousness. For my heart is not haughty (Ps. 131:1), all my senses are in me (Job 20:2), and my eyes are not haughty (Ps. 131:1) before the God of Sinai (Ps, 68:9). I have not walked in greatness or wonders (Ps. 131:1) with the King, the Lord of Hosts (Isa. 6:5). For the maidservant has seen7The reference is to the midrash which states that a maidservant at the parting of the Red Sea saw more than the prophet Ezekiel in his visions. Cf. Mekhilta, Shirta 3. and is more righteous than I (Gen. 38:26). I am lighter [in consequence] than she is (II Sam. 6:22). I am lower than the earth (Isa. 29:4). I speak in honor of our God, who dwells in Zion (Josh. 4:21). And He, being merciful, will forgive [my] sin (Ps. 78:38).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse