"Hashem shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace"

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba says that for one who observes the Sabbath, it is as though he observed the whole Torah, since the Sabbath is the delight of everything. One should invite the Sabbath in, like a guest. On the Sabbath secular speech is forbidden because it stimulates secular things above, and the Sabbath becomes blemished. When Pharaoh was coming to do battle with Yisrael, "Hashem shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace;" this meant that the arousal took place from above - the children of Yisrael did not need to arouse anything from below.

Rabbi Yosi wonders why, if Hashem is always a connotation of Mercy, there seemed to be no mercy in the act of drowning the Egyptians. Rabbi Yehuda quotes Rabbi Shimon as saying that the Judgment had been tempered with Mercy since God had desired their honor that they be buried in the ground, and He had stretched out his hand so the earth would accept them. If Yisrael had aroused from below, Judgment would not have been executed with Mercy. Even though Hashem does Judgment, He is still compassionate for His creations.

Love Peace Shabbat Torah

70. "Hashem shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (Shemot 14:14). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion, saying: "If you restrain your foot because of the Shabbat, from pursuing your business on My Holy Day" (Yeshayah 58:13). Fortunate are Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires them and wishes to join with them more than all the nations of the world. Because of His love for them, He brought them close to Him and gave them the Torah and the Shabbat, which is holier than all the other days. And IN IT is rest from everything, and the joy of everyone. Shabbat is equal to the entire Torah, and one who observes the Shabbat is as though he observed the whole Torah.

70. יְיָ יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן. רִבִּי אַבָּא פָּתַח אִם תָּשִׁיב מִשַּׁבָּת רַגְלֶיךָ עֲשׂוֹת חֲפָצֶיךָ בְּיוֹם קָדְשִׁי. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בְּהוֹן, לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהוּ, מִכָּל שְׁאַר עַמִּין דְּעָלְמָא, וּמִגּוֹ רְחִימוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, קָרִיב לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְיָהַב לוֹן אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיָהַב לוֹן שַׁבָּת, דְּאִיהוּ קַדִּישָׁא מִכָּל שְׁאַר יוֹמִין, וְנַיְיחָא מִכֹּלָּא, וְחֶדְוָה דְּכֹלָּא, וְשָׁקִיל שַׁבָּת, לָקֳבֵל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא, וּמַאן דְּנָטִיר שַׁבָּת, כְּאִילּוּ נָטִיר אוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא.

Atonement Body Food Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Shabbat Soul, The Table Yom Kippur

71. "And call the Shabbat a delight" (Ibid.). NAMELY, delight of all, delight of the soul and the body, delight of those above and those below. "And call the Shabbat." HE ASKS, What does "call" mean? HE ANSWERS, ITS MEANING IS that he should invite it, as it is written, "holy gatherings (lit. 'callings of holiness')" (Vayikra 23:4), which means invited FROM THE HOLINESS, as when inviting a guest to his home. And, "And call the Shabbat a delight," is that you should call and invite it as you invite a guest with a set table, with a house which is in order as it should be, with proper food and drink, more than on the other days. "And call the Shabbat," meaning beforehand, THAT YOU SHOULD ADD FROM THE WEEKDAY TO THE HOLY. "The holy day of Hashem, Honorable" (Ibid.) is Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), and they are two that are one, BECAUSE YOM KIPPUR AND SHABBAT ARE ONE. THEREFORE, IT SAYS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THEM, "And you shall honor it, not doing your own ways" in the singular, as we explained.

71. וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עוֹנֶג, עִנּוּגָא דְּכֹלָּא, עִנּוּגָא דְּנַפְשָׁא וְגוּפָא עִנּוּגָא דְּעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת, מַאי וְקָרָאתָ. דְּיַזְמִין לֵיהּ. כד"א, מִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ, כְּלוֹמַר, זְמִינִין, כְּמָה דִּמְזַמִּין אוּשְׁפִּיזָא לְבֵיתֵיהּ. וְע"ד וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת עֹנֶג, דְּיַזְמִין לֵיהּ, כְּמָה דִּמְזַמְנִין אוּשְׁפִּיזָא, בְּפָתוֹרָא מְתַקְּנָא, בְּבֵיתָא מְתַקְּנָא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, בְּמֵיכְלָא וּבְמִשְׁתְּיָא כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, יַתִּיר עַל שְׁאַר יוֹמִין. וְקָרָאתָ לַשַּׁבָּת מִבְּעוֹד יוֹם. לִקְדוֹשׁ יְיָ' מְכוּבָּד: דָּא יוֹם כִּפּוּרִים. תְּרֵי דְּאִינּוּן חַד. וְכִבַּדְתּוֹ מֵעֲשׂוֹת דְּרָכֶיךָ, כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא.

Shabbat

Evil Shabbat

73. תָּא חֲזֵי הַהוּא מִלָּה דְּנָפִיק מִפּוּמֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ, סַלְּקָא וְאִתְּעַר אִתְעָרוּתָא לְעֵילָּא, אִי לְטָב, אִי לְבִישׁ. וּמַאן דְּיָתִיב בְּעִנּוּגָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא, אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְאִתְּעָרָא מִלָּה דְּחוֹל, דְּהָא פָּגִים פְּגִימוּ בְּיוֹמָא קַדִּישָׁא. מַאן דְּיָתִיב בְּהִילּוּלָא דְּמַלְכָּא, לָא יִתְחָזֵי לְמִשְׁבַּק לְמַלְכָּא, וְיִתְעַסֵּק בְּאַחֲרָא.

Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Shabbat

Hebrew Letters Holy Name Judgment Mercy Merit Patriarchs Peace Pharaoh, The Tetragrammaton War Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

75. Come and behold, when Pharaoh approached to do battle with Yisrael, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not want Yisrael to awaken from below at all, because the Patriarchs preceded and caused this awakening from above. And their merit stood before Him. The Holy One, blessed be He, did not want Yisrael to arouse from below at all. This is the meaning of, "Hashem shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." Assuredly, you shall hold your peace, and do not arouse what is not needed by you. THE REASON IS MENTIONED LATER, and here the Holy Name is included in imprinted letters, YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH INDICATE MERCY, FOR IT SAYS, "HASHEM SHALL FIGHT FOR YOU," EVEN THOUGH YUD HEI VAV HEI IS MERCY AND WAR IS JUDGMENT. The friends have already commented on this, AS IS DISCUSSED LATER ON.

75. תָּא חֲזֵי, הָכָא כַּד אִתְקְרִיב פַּרְעֹה לְאַגָּחָא קְרָבָא בְּהוּ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, בְּהַהִיא זִמְנָא, לָא בָּעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּיִתְּעֲרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְעָרוּתָא לְתַתָּא כְּלָל, דְּהָא אִתְעָרוּתָא לְעֵילָּא הוּא, דְּהָא אֲבָהָן אַקְדִּימוּ וְאַתְּעֲרוּ אִתְעָרוּתָא דָּא לְעֵילָּא, וּזְכוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן קָאֵים קָמֵיהּ, וְלָא בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְּעָרוּן לְתַתָּא כְּלָל. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן. תַּחֲרִישׁוּן וַדַּאי, וְלָא תִּתְעֲרוּן מִלָּה, דְּלָא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְכוּ, וְהָכָא אִתְכְּלִיל שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּאַתְוָון רְשִׁימָן, וְהָא אִתְעֲרוּ בֵּיהּ חַבְרַיָּיא.

Judgment Mercy

76. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וַדַּאי תָּנִּינָא, יְיָ,' בְּכָל אֲתָר רַחֲמֵי, וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּאַגָּח קְרָבָא, וְעָבֵיד דִּינָא, הַהוּא דִּינָא בִּרְחִימוּתָא הוּא. וְהָכָא חֲמֵינָא, דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם, וְלָא אִתְחָזֵי בְּהַהוּא דִּינָא רַחֲמֵי כְּלָל, דְּהָא כְּתִיב לֹא נִשְׁאַר בָּהֶם עַד אֶחָד.

Earth Ground Judgment Mercy Seas

77. He said to him, This subject I heard from Rabbi Shimon, for he said that there was Judgment with Mercy even here, because the sea covered them over, they perished, and afterwards the sea ejected them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, desired their honor, that they should be buried in the ground. The earth did not want to accept them until the Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out His right hand to her, and she accepted them. This is the meaning of, "You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Shemot 15:12). And because of this, this Judgment was tempered with Mercy.

77. אָמַר לֵיהּ, מִלָּה דָּא שְׁמַעְנָא מֵרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן דְּאָמַר, דַּאֲפִילּוּ הָכָא דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה, דְּחָפָא עָלֵיהוֹן יַמָּא וּמִיתוּ, וּלְבָתַר אַפִּיק לוֹן יַמָּא, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא בִּיקָרֵיהוֹן, וְאִתְקְבָרוּ בְּאַרְעָא, וְלָא בָּעָאת אַרְעָא לְקַבְּלָא לוֹן, עַד דְּאוֹשִׁיט לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יְמִינֵיהּ, וְקַבִּילַת לוֹן, הה"ד, נָטִיתָ יְמִינְךָ תִּבְלָעֵמוֹ אָרֶץ. וּבְגִין דָּא, הַאי דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה.

Judgment Mercy Peace

78. For that reason, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not want the children of Yisrael to arouse anything in the world FROM BELOW. For if the children of Yisrael had aroused something FROM BELOW, the name of Mercy would not have been aroused, and Judgment would not have been executed with Mercy. This is what is written, "Hashem shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace." You should not arouse anything, because the name of Mercy must be aroused upon them in order to do the Judgment with Mercy. Therefore, it is necessary not to make a blemish and arouse something else; NAMELY, JUDGMENT WITHOUT MERCY. AN AWAKENING FROM BELOW WOULD CAUSE THE ACTIVATION OF ONLY JUDGMENT.

78. וְעַל דָּא, לָא בָּעָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִתְּעָרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִלָּה בְּעָלְמָא, דְּאִי יִתְעָרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מִלָּה, לָא יִתְעָרוּן שְׁמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, וְלָא יִתְעֲבִיד דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב יְיָ' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן, דְּלָא תִּתְעֲרוּן מִידִי. דְּהָא שְׁמָא דְּרַחֲמֵי בָּעֵי לְאִתְּעָרָא עָלַיְיהוּ, לְמֶעְבַּד דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי. וְעַל דָּא בָּעֵי, דְּלָא תַּעַבְדוּן פְּגִימוּ, וְתִתְעֲרוּן מִלָּה אַחֲרָא.

Death Death and the Afterlife Flesh Judgment Mercy

79. He said to him, But it is written, "Then shall Hashem go out, and fight against those nations" (Zecharyah 14:3). Was this Judgment with Mercy?! He said to him, Certainly, the Judgment was with Mercy because their death was not like the death of the other people of the world. Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, had Mercy on them, so that their deaths should not be like those of the other people of the world. For they were slain gently, without pain, NAMELY, "HIS FLESH WAS CONSUMED AWAY WHILE HE STANDS UPON HIS FEET" (IBID. 12). Hence, the Judgment contained Mercy.

79. אָמַר לֵיהּ, וְהָא כְּתִיב, וְיָצָא יְיָ' וְנִלְחַם בַּגּוֹיִם הָהֵם. אִי הָכִי דָּא דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי הֲוָה. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָכִי הֲוָה וַדַּאי, דִּינָא הוּא בְּרַחֲמֵי, דְּמוֹתָא דִּלְהוֹן לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח כְּמוֹתָנָא דִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא חָס עָלַיְיהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא יְהוֹן כְּמוֹתָנָא דִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּקָטִילוּ לוֹן, אֶלָּא בְּנַחַת בְּלֹא צַעֲרָא, הָא דִּינָא בְּרַחֲמֵי אִיהוּ.

Garments Judgment Mercy War

80. This Name always refers to Judgment with Mercy, except for one place, as written, "Hashem shall go forth like a mighty man..." (Yeshayah 42:13). HE ASKS, IS HASHEM ONLY like a mighty one, but not ACTUALLY mighty? HE SAYS, rather, He will change His garments and don other garments; THAT IS, HE WILL CHANGE HIS TRAIT OF MERCY AND DON THE GARMENT OF JUDGMENT. "Like a man of war" (Ibid.) shall He change his weapons FROM MERCY TO JUDGMENT. SO WE SEE THAT IN THIS PLACE, THE MERCY WAS CHANGED TO BECOME JUDGMENT.

Jacob Judgment Mercy Peace War

81. And with all this, ONLY the Judgment is HERE more THAN MERCY, yet there is some Mercy here, as it is written, "like a mighty man," and not AN ACTUAL mighty man, WHO IS COMPLETE JUDGMENT. "Like a man of war" (Ibid.), and not literally a man of war, WHO IS COMPLETE JUDGMENT. Even though He does Judgment, He is still compassionate for His creations. And therefore, "Hashem shall fight for you," most certainly, "and you shall hold your peace," IN ORDER THAT YOU SHALL NOT AROUSE JUDGMENT ALONE, AS MENTIONED EARLIER. Blessed is the portion of Yisrael that the Holy One, blessed be He, has selected them for His portion and His legacy, as it is written, "For the portion of Hashem is His people, Jacob is the lot of His inheritance" (Devarim 32:9).

81. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, דִּינָא הוּא יַתִּיר, אֲבָל רַחֲמֵי בֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב, כַּגִבּוֹר, וְלֹא גִּבּוֹר. כְּאִישׁ מִלְחָמוֹת, וְלֹא אִישׁ מִלְחָמוֹת. דְּוַדַּאי אַף עַל גַּב דְּעָבֵיד דִּינָא, חָס עַל עוֹבָדוֹי, וְעַל דָּא, יְיָ' יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וַדַּאי וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרִיר לוֹן לְחוּלָקֵיהּ וְאַחֲסָנְתֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב כִּי חֵלֶק יְיָ' עַמּוֹ יַעֲקֹב חֶבֶל נַחֲלָתוֹ.