בית יעקב כי תישא (יג מדות)

ה ה׳ אל רחום וחנון וגו (ר״ה י״ז) ה׳ ה׳ אני הוא קודם שיחטא האדם ואני הוא לאחר שיחטא ויעשה תשובה. ושניהם הם של רחמים רק הראשון הוא יותר רבותא שהוא של חסד ביותר שהש״י משפיל א"ע מכתרא לכתרא ומנזרא לנזרא עד תפיסת האדם לישב עם ב״ו בנר היינו שיסייע השי״ת את הנר של אדם. זה הוא חסד גדול שהשי"ת ישפיל א״ע כל כך שישכון עם האדם במשכן עורות עזים

The thirteen Midos of Rachamim, which are the central point of Selichos begin with the phrase “Hashem, Hashem.” The Gemara explains that this means, “I am Hashem before the time that you sinned, and I am also Hashem after you sinned, and do Teshuva.” Both names mean that Hashem has mercy on us, only the first one is an expression of even more kindness, as Hashem  “lowers” Himself to the point that man can begin to think about Him, and that He dwells with us and comes into our lives.

 

. ולצמצם שכינתו לירד בעוה״ז שעומד במקום טומאה זה הוא חסד ביותר שזה החסד הוא אצל השי״ת פחיתות גדול שמה יתרון יש להשי״ת מזה.

Hashem contracts his presence to be in this world,  to dwell in this impure world, and this is only through Hashem’s kindness, because what could He possibly get out of it?

 

 

 שהשי״ת הוא כשה״כ (איוב ל״ז ) שדי לא מצאנוהו שגיא כח

            Despite the fact that we may not understand Him, we can grasp what He does, and try to emulate it.

 

. אכן כך הוא המדה כשאדם מצמצם את עצמו עבור כבודו ית׳ בחסד וגבורה בעוה״ז שעומד במקום טומאה. עושה א״ע מחצית השקל כנ״ל אז במקום גדולתו שם אתה מוצא ענוותו.

Therefore we see in our lives attribute that a person restrains themselves for Hashem’s honor. The person makes themselves a “half shekel” (which begins the parsha of Ki Sissa, where the 13 attributes are found)  Making yourself a half shekel means to understand that despite your talents, self confidence and abilities, you constrain yourself to do only what Hashem asks of you; your greatness is the place of your humility.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. שהשי״ת מוריד א״ע בחסדו ושוכן בתוך פעלותיו של אדם.  שבאדם היא רק נר כמשה״כ  (משלי כ) נר ה׳ נשמת אדם והשי״ת מוריד א״ע מאבוקה שלו אור לנר כדאיתא בגמרא (פסחים ח ) שאור השי״ת דומה לאבוקה. ואיתא (שם) למדנו מציאה ממציאה וחיפוש מנר זה הוא חסד ביותר

Hashem lowers himself into each person’s world, as a person’s soul.  Despite the fact that Hashem’s presence is incredibly overwhelming, He hides in such a way that we have only a little glimpse of his light. The Gemara tells us that that this comparison could best be compared to the difference between a candle and a torch, clearly a torch is much brighter. The בית יעקב calls to our attention the fact that the Gemara which makes this comparison, also tells us that candle of Hashem, the soul of man is the right size to search, meaning that Hashem’s presence in our lives is just the right amount to be able to get perspective in our own lives. If there was too much of His light, then we couldn’t choose, we’d be overwhelmed, and too little of His light, and we’d never find Him.  .

 

 

וה׳ השני אינו כ״כ רבותא שכאן שורת הדין מהשי״ת לירד ולהראות שזה טוב כדאיתא בזוה״ק (בשלח נ״ד) כל שכן השתא דבעי קוב״ה ישרא לעקימא שהאיך שייך לומר במקים ששכן השי״ת שזה הי׳ רע ח״ו ע״כ משפט השי״ת לבוא . רק הראשון הוא יותר גדול בחסד:

The second Hashem in the 13 Midos, that tells us that Hashem returns to a person after they do Teshuva. It is not as great Chesed as the first Midah of Hashem, it makes sense that since Hashem wants the person to do Teshuva, why wouldn’t he return to them?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

מסרת איזביצא  The Izhbitzer Tradition

 

 

 

So many times, the Rebbe is trying to teach us to see another side  to things that we so often miss, as we are used to seeing things in a certain way. We always think of the 13 midos in terms of the power of Teshuva, and rightly so. But we fail to see the Brachos in our status quo, the good in way things are now, before the something occurs which will force us to do Teshuva. The more we see them, the less we’ll need the second “Hashem” in these Midos.

 

Practical Advice

           

How many times do we over look the good in our lives? How often do we fail to see the Chasadim of Hashem every day, and then when (Lo aleinu) something happens, we are upset at what we have lost, and try to get it back. Try to see the good Hashem gives to us and to everything as the good before “a person sins and loses.”  When saying the 13 Midos of Rachamim, think about the first “Hashem” and how He comes into our lives every day, and how it is such a tremendous Chesed for us.

 Additionally, act in imitation of Him, to constrain yourself to being a “half shekel,” consider how much of yourself Hashem wants you to present in a situation, and how much you should withdraw.