Vayetze: Chapter 40

"He withdraws not his eyes from the righteous"

Synopsis

As the rabbis travel, the discussion continues. Quoting scripture, Rabbi Yesa asserts that the wicked will perish and the righteous will prevail. They meet a man with a child on his shoulders, fleeing the wicked. The man says people can achieve merit by giving him alms. The rabbis give him alms and food to eat.

Relevance

Acts of charity have the power to remove decrees of death against us. Often, before a judgment is executed against us, the Light will send us an opportunity to share and truly go outside of ourselves so that we can sweeten the judgment. The Evil Inclination, however, blinds us to these opportunities and we remain in our selfish, uncaring ways. The wisdom and foresight to recognize opportunities to give charity is aroused in our consciousness. Moreover, the strength to take the initiative and perform charitable contributions is also stirred within our souls. We just have to listen to the whispers arising from words of this portion.

Eyes Job Righteous Throne Wicked Wickedness

364. Rabbi Yesa opened the discussion with the verse, "He withdraws not His eyes from the Righteous, but with kings on the throne He establishes them forever, and they are exalted" (Iyov 36:7). Come and behold, when the wicked lose their power and perish from the world, the Righteous then rules the world. This is the meaning of the verse, "He preserves not the life of the wicked, but gives to the poor their right" (Ibid. 6), THAT IS, THE WICKED WILL PERISH FROM THE WORLD. It is then written, "He withdraws not His eyes from the righteous," which is similar to the verse, "The eyes of Hashem are towards the righteous" (Tehilim 34:16).

364. פְּתַח רִבִּי יֵיסָא וַאֲמַר, לֹא יִגְרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו וְאֶת מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא וַיֹּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּד חַיָּיבַיָא לָא שָׁלְטִין בְּעַלְמָא, וְאִתְאֲבִידוּ מִינֵיהּ, כְּדֵין צֶדֶק אִיהוּ שַׁלִּיט בְּעַלְמָא, הה"ד לֹא יְחַיֶּה רָשָׁע וּמִשְׁפַּט עֲנִיִּים יִתֵּן, מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ, לֹא יִגְּרַע מִצַּדִּיק עֵינָיו, מַהוּ עֵינָיו, כד"א עֵינֵי יי' אֶל צַדִּיקִים.

Nukva Throne

365. The verse, "but with kings on the throne," refers to the ruling kings, settled upon the throne; "He establishes them for ever" means that they sit upon their throne firmly; and "they are exalted" in order to rule the world and so that the throne shall be established on its supports. Another explanation for the phrase, "and they are exalted," is that they take the throne, THE NUKVA, place it up high, IN THE PLACE OF BINAH, and put it in its proper place.

365. וְאֶת מְלָכִים לַכִּסֵּא, אִלֵּין אִינוּן מְלָכִין שַׁלִּיטִין, דְּאִתְאַחֲדָן לַכִּסֵּא, וַיּשִׁיבֵם לָנֶצַח, דְּאִתְקַיְימוּ בְּכָרְסְיָיא, בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים. וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, אַמַּאי וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, לְשַׁלְטָאָה בְּעַלְמָא, וְיִתְקַיֵּים, כָּרְסְיָיא עַל סַמְכוֹהִי. דָּבָר אַחֵר וַיִּגְבָּהוּ, דְּנָטְלֵי כָּרְסְיָיא, וְזָקְפִין לָהּ לְעֵילָא, לְאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּאַתְרֵיהּ כִּדְקָא יָאוֹת, וּכְדֵין כֹּלָּא יִחוּדָא חָדָא.

Children Merit World to Come, The

366. While they were walking, they saw a man with a child riding on his shoulders. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Surely this man is Jewish and has come to help people attain merit, THAT IS, HE IS COMING TO RECEIVE CHARITY AND ALLOW PEOPLE TO MERIT THE WORLD TO COME. Rabbi Yesa said, Let us be the first to receive merit from him.

366. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, חָמוּ חַד בַּר נָשׁ, דַּהֲוָה אָתֵי, וְחַד יְנוּקָא עִמֵּיהּ, רְכֵיב עַל כִּתְפֵיהּ, אֲמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, וַדַּאי הַאי בַּר נָשׁ יוּדָאי אִיהוּ, וּבְגִין לְזַכָּאָה לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא קָא אָתֵי. אֲמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא, נִזְכֶּה אֲנַן בְּקַדְמֵיתָא בֵיהּ.

Alms Children Food Merit

367. When he reached them, Rabbi Yesa asked, Where is YOUR bag of food? RABBI YESA SAW THAT THE MAN CARRIED NOTHING SAVE THE CHILD ON HIS SHOULDERS. He replied, I HAVE NOTHING, so that people can achieve merit BY GIVING ALMS TO ME. I had two sons, but the army came into town and took them captive. Now I am walking to afford people the opportunity to earn merit BY GIVING RANSOM MONEY. And they did, by giving him ALMS AND food TO EAT.

367. כַּד מָטָא לְגַבַּיְיהוּ, אֲמַר רִבִּי יֵיסָא אָן קִיסְתָא דִּטְרִימָא בְּקִירְטוֹי דְּאוֹרְחָא, אֲמַר בְּגִין דְּיִזְכּוּן בְּנֵי נְשָׁא, דְּהָא תְּרֵין בְּנִין אִית לִי, וַאֲתָא טוּרָנָא לְמָתָא, וְאִשְׁתַּבּוּ, וְהָאִידְנָא אָזִילְנָא, בְּגִין דְּיִזְכּוּן בְּהוֹ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. זָכוּ בַּהֲדֵיהּ, וְיַהֲבוּ לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל.

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