"There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness"

75. He opened with, "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity. There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness" (Kohelet 7:15). I have studied this verse with Rabbi Dustai Saba, who quoted Rabbi Yisa Saba. "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity." HE ASKS, How could King Solomon, the wisest man, speak so, that he saw everything, when he was treading the darkness of the world, THAT IS, IN THE DAYS OF HIS VANITY? For whoever is dealing with the darkness of the world sees nothing, and knows nothing.

76. HE ANSWERS, We learned that during King Solomon's time the moon was full, and Solomon was the wisest among men. He then saw everything and knew everything. What did he see? He saw 'all,' WHICH IS YESOD CALLED 'ALL,' which never goes away from the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT. And the sun shone upon her. This is the meaning of, "All things have I seen in the days of my vanity." What is vanity (also: 'breath')? It is the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, which is included of all, of water, CHESED, fire, GVURAH, and wind, TIFERET, together, as a breath coming from the mouth includes all, WATER, WIND AND FIRE.

77. He saw 'all,' YESOD, in that breath, MALCHUT, which is attached to it. "There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness." Come and see, when there are many righteous people in the world, 'all,' WHICH IS YESOD, is never removed from the moon, MALCHUT. That 'all' receives ointment and strength and joy above, and becomes full, happy and elevated, in order to unite with the moon. It attains ALL THAT for her.

78. When there are many wicked people in the world, and the moon is darkened, the Righteous, YESOD, "perishes in his righteousness." The righteous is not lost but loses. THIS IS BECAUSE he is not seen to the moon, THAT IS, DOES NOT BESTOW PLENTY UPON HER, or take ointment, strength and joy to fill her and unite with her. Hence the righteous loses ALL THAT "in his righteousness," which is the moon. Since the moon is not present to unite with him he loses and does not draw from the SUPERNAL joy, as he used to. Then the whole left side stirs and the wicked live long and peacefully in the world. This is the meaning of, "and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his wickedness." What is "his wickedness?" It is that EVIL Side that cleaved to him.

79. Moreover, "There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness," because when there are many wicked people in the world, and punishment is suspended, "There is a just man who perishes in his righteousness," because he is punished for their sins like my father, who was punished for the sins of his town's people, who were all impudent. But he never admonished them or put them to shame. He stopped us from reproaching the wicked. He used to say to us, "Of David. Fret not yourself because of evil doers, nor be envious against the workers of iniquity" (Tehilim 37:1). His father said, Surely the Holy One, blessed be He, punished me this way, because I could have complained against them but I did not. I did not put them to shame, neither secretly nor openly.