"Hashem, righteousness belongs to You"

Synopsis

Rabbi Aba says that Yisrael is blessed because God gave them the Torah of Truth. He tells us that Righteousness is truth, overall light, the illumination of the countenance and the joy of all. Confusion, the Other Side, is shame and the departure of truth. The high priest must have a beautiful and welcoming countenance.

Daniel Face Jerusalem Love Torah

26. Rabbi Aba opened with the verse, "Hashem, righteousness belongs to You, but to us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (Daniel 9:7). Happy are Yisrael, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, has chosen above all the heathen nations. For the love of them, He gave them the Torah of truth, to know the path of the Holy King. Whoever is occupied with the Torah it is as if he is occupied with the Holy One, blessed be He, for the whole Torah is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, whoever deals in the Torah is occupied with His name, and whoever is away from the Torah is far from the Holy One, blessed be He.

26. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, לְךָ יְיָ' הַצְּדָקָה וְלָנוּ בּוֹשֶת הַפָּנִים כְּהַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וּלְיוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַםִ. זַכָּאִין אִינּוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרְעֵי בְּהוּ, מִכָּל עַמִּין עע"ז, וּמִגּוֹ רְחִימוּתָא דִּלְהוֹן, יָהַב לְהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא דִּקְשׁוֹט, לְמִנְדַּע אָרְחָא דְּמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא. וְכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כְּאִלּוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא שְׁמֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא הֲוֵי. ובג"כ מַאן דְּאִתְעַסָּק בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אִתְעֲסַּק בֵּיהּ בִּשְׁמֵיהּ, וּמַאן דְּאִתְרְחַק מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא, רְחִיקָא הוּא מְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.

Face Light Other Side Zeir Anpin

27. Come and see, "Hashem, righteousness belongs to You" resembles the words, "Yours, Hashem, is the greatness and the power" (I Divrei Hayamim 29:11), WHICH ARE HIS ATTRIBUTES, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT. RIGHTEOUSNESS IS ALSO THE ATTRIBUTE OF MALCHUT. What is righteousness? It is a place to which all shining faces are attached, and which is attached to all THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN which dwell in it, THAT IS, MALCHUT, IN WHICH ARE ALL THE SFIROT OF ZEIR ANPIN. "But to us confusion of faces" is the place which all shining faces shy away from, WHICH IS THE OTHER SIDE. Righteousness, MALCHUT, is truth, overall light, the illumination of the countenance and the joy of all. Confusion, THE OTHER SIDE, is shame and the staying away of truth. For whenever one is ashamed it is because truth, which is righteousness, is gone away from him, which is the shying away of all shining countenances.

27. תָּא חֲזֵי, לְךָ יְיָ' הַצְּדָקָה, כד"א, לְךָ יְיָ' הַגְּדוּלָּה וְהַגְבוּרָה. מַאן צְדָקָה. אֲתַר דְּכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין אֲחִידָן בֵּיהּ, וְהוּא אָחִיד בְּכֻלְּהוּ, וּבֵיהּ אִשְׁתְּכָחוּ. וְלָנוּ בּוֹשֶת הַפָּנִים אֲתַר דְּכָל אַנְפִּין נְהִירִין אִתְרַחֲקָן מִנֵּיהּ. צְדָקָה, אֱמֶת קְשׁוֹט, וּנְהוֹרָא דְּכֹלָּא, וּנְהוֹרָא דְּאַנְפִּין חֵידוּ דְּכֹלָּא. בּוֹשֶת, כִּסּוּפָא רְחִיקוּ דִּקְשׁוֹט מַאן דְּאַכְסִיף, בְּגִין דֶּאֱמֶת דְּאִיהוּ צְדָקָה, אִתְרְחַק מִנֵּיהּ. רְחִיקוּ דְּאַנְפִּין נְהִירִין.

High Priest Likenesses Priests

28. Come and see, the supernal priest, THE HIGH PRIEST, needs to be with a beautiful countenance, with a welcoming countenance, and more joyous than anyone. He must not look sad or angry, but in all in the likeness of above. Happy is his portion, as it is written regarding him, "I am your portion and your inheritance" (Bemidbar 18:20), and "Hashem is their inheritance" (Devarim 18:2). Hence he must look whole in every respect, in his person, in his apparel, so as not to discredit himself whatsoever, as we learned.

28. ת"ח, כַּהֲנָא עִלָּאָה בָּעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה בִּשְׁפִּירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, בִּנְהִירוּ דְּאַנְפִּין, בְּחֵידוּ יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא. וְלָא בָּעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה בֵּיהּ עֲצִיבוּ וְרוּגְזָא, אֶלָּא כֹּלָּא כְּגַוְונָא דִּלְעֵילָּא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, דְּעָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, אֲנִי חֶלְקְךָ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ. וּכְתִיב יְיָ' הוּא נַחֲלָתוֹ. וְעַ"ד בָּעֵי לְאִתְחֲזָאָה שְׁלִים בְּכֹלָּא, בְּגַרְמֵיהּ, בִּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ, דְּלָא יַפְגִּים גַּרְמֵיהּ כְּלַל, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמַר.