When there are troubles, God forbid, whether public or private troubles, it is impossible to dance. For when judgments exist, they are given over to emissaries of judgment—called “runners” (Zohar I, 43a)—who are the aspect of feet. Then, the feet are heavy, because of the blood that extends to there—i.e., the judgments.
For blood is an aspect of judgment. And when the judgement is “born,” at that point the blood departs from the feet. Thus, at birth, the blood departs from the woman’s feet and her feet grow cold, as our Sages teach (Sotah 11b).
Now, the essence of birth is when the blood departs from the feet—i.e., the judgments depart from the feet. This is because the period of pregnancy is an aspect of judgment. As our Sages teach: At the time that You are filled with wrath against them like a pregnant woman (Berakhot 29b).
We find therefore that pregnancy corresponds to judgment, and birth corresponds to mitigating judgment. For then, at the time of birth, the blood departs from the feet—this being the essence of birth, as mentioned.
Therefore, at a time of judgment and trouble, God forbid, it is impossible to dance. It is then impossible to raise up the feet, for the feet are heavy at a time when the judgments abound. This is because the blood, which is an aspect of judgment, is drawn to the feet, as above. But when the blood/judgment departs from the feet, namely, when the judgments are mitigated, then the feet grow light. In that case, joy is able to extend to there, until one dances from joy.
2. Now, the way to mitigate judgment is by a person judging himself. That is, in whatever he does, he himself should judge and evaluate himself in every aspect: was that the appropriate way for him to behave? He should search his ways and properly rectify them, according to the judgment and law of the Torah.
Through this that a person judges and evaluates himself, he mitigates and eliminates the judgment Above. For when there is judgment below, there is no judgment Above (Devarim Rabbah 5:4).
3. And this is [the explanation of the opening verse]: {“And it will be in the wake of your listening to these laws, safeguarding and doing them….”} V’hayah (And it will be) ekev (in the wake of) your listening—“V’hayah” connotes joy; “ekev” alludes to the feet. That is, to be worthy of joy—to the point where the EKEVayim (the heels), which are the feet, hear the joy—this is achieved by:
these mishpatim (laws), safeguarding and doing them—You should safeguard doing the mishpatim (evaluations) and judgments by yourselves. Through this, the judgment from Above is eliminated, as mentioned.
4. In addition, I found the following: This corresponds to, “… then God will safeguard the Covenant for you.” For when you merit to joy, then God Himself will safeguard the brit for you. That is, He will assist you in guarding the holy brit. This is because the main blemish of the brit is through sadness, as is known.
Therefore, the main guarding of the brit is merited through joy. This is because through joy one merits to have God Himself assist him in guarding the holy brit, as above.
וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן אֵת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם (דברים ז׳:י״ב):
“V’haya Ekev Tishma’un (And it will be in the wake of your listening) to these laws, safeguarding and doing them….” (Deuteronomy 7:12)
כִּי כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ צָרוֹת, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, הֵן צָרוֹת בִּכְלָלִיּוּת אוֹ בִּפְרָטִיּוּת, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְרַקֵּד, כִּי כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ דִּינִין, מוֹסְרִין אוֹתָן לִשְׁלוּחֵי הַדִּין, וְהֵם נִקְרָאִים רָצִים (זוהר בראשית דף מג), וְהֵם בְּחִינַת רַגְלִין, וַאֲזַי הָרַגְלִין כְּבֵדִים מֵחֲמַת הַדָּמִים שֶׁנִּתְפַּשְּׁטוּ לְשָׁם, הַיְנוּ הַדִּינִין,
When there are troubles, God forbid, whether public or private troubles, it is impossible to dance. For when judgments exist, they are given over to emissaries of judgment—called “runners” (Zohar I, 43a)—who are the aspect of feet. Then, the feet are heavy, because of the blood that extends to there—i.e., the judgments.
כִּי דָּמִים בְּחִינַת דִּינִים. וּכְשֶׁנּוֹלָד הַדִּין אֲזַי יוֹצְאִין הַדָּמִים מֵהָרַגְלִין, כִּי בִּשְׁעַת לֵדָה יוֹצְאִין הַדָּמִים מֵרַגְלֵי הָאִשָּׁה, וְעַל כֵּן נִצְטַנְּנִין רַגְלֶיהָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סוטה יא:).
For blood is an aspect of judgment. And when the judgement is “born,” at that point the blood departs from the feet. Thus, at birth, the blood departs from the woman’s feet and her feet grow cold, as our Sages teach (Sotah 11b).
וְעִקַּר הַלֵּדָה – עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁיּוֹצְאִין הַדָּמִים מֵהָרַגְלִין, הַיְנוּ שֶׁיּוֹצְאִין הַדִּינִין מֵהָרַגְלִין, כִּי בִּשְׁעַת עִבּוּר הוּא בְּחִינַת דִּין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות כט:): בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאַתָּה מִתְמַלֵּא עֲלֵיהֶם עֶבְרָה כְּאִשָּׁה עֻבָּרָה.
Now, the essence of birth is when the blood departs from the feet—i.e., the judgments depart from the feet. This is because the period of pregnancy is an aspect of judgment. As our Sages teach: At the time that You are filled with wrath against them like a pregnant woman (Berakhot 29b).
נִמְצָא, שֶׁעִבּוּר הוּא בְּחִינַת דִּין. וְלֵדָה הוּא בְּחִינַת הַמְתָּקַת הַדִּין, כִּי אָז בִּשְׁעַת לֵדָה יוֹצְאִין הַדָּמִים מֵהָרַגְלִין, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עִקַּר הַלֵּדָה כַּנַּ"ל (וְעַיֵּן מִזֶּה בְּלִקּוּטֵי תִּנְיָנָא, בְּסִימָן ב).
We find therefore that pregnancy corresponds to judgment, and birth corresponds to mitigating judgment. For then, at the time of birth, the blood departs from the feet—this being the essence of birth, as mentioned.
וְעַל־כֵּן בְּעֵת הַדִּין וְהַצָּרָה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְרַקֵּד, כִּי אָז אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְהַגְבִּיהַּ הָרַגְלִין, כִּי הָרַגְלִין הֵם כְּבֵדִים בִּשְׁעַת הִתְגַּבְּרוּת הַדִּינִין, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַדָּמִים, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת דִּינִין, נִמְשָׁכִין אָז לְתוֹךְ הָרַגְלִין כַּנַּ"ל. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁיּוֹצְאִין הַדָּמִים, שֶׁהֵם הַדִּינִין, מֵהָרַגְלִין, דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁנִּמְתָּקִין הַדִּינִין, אֲזַי הָרַגְלִין קַלִּים, וַאֲזַי יְכוֹלָה הַשִּׂמְחָה לְהִתְפַּשֵּׁט שָׁם, עַד שֶׁיְּרַקֵּד מֵחֲמַת הַשִּׂמְחָה:
Therefore, at a time of judgment and trouble, God forbid, it is impossible to dance. It is then impossible to raise up the feet, for the feet are heavy at a time when the judgments abound. This is because the blood, which is an aspect of judgment, is drawn to the feet, as above. But when the blood/judgment departs from the feet, namely, when the judgments are mitigated, then the feet grow light. In that case, joy is able to extend to there, until one dances from joy.
וּלְהַמְתִּיק הַדִּין, הוּא עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁהָאָדָם דָּן אֶת עַצְמוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ עַל כָּל מַה שֶּׁעוֹשֶה, יָדִין וְיִשְׁפֹּט בְּעַצְמוֹ אֶת עַצְמוֹ עַל כָּל דָּבָר, אִם כָּךְ רָאוּי לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת, וִיפַשְׁפֵּשׁ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו וִיתַקְּנֵם כָּרָאוּי עַל־פִּי דִּין וּמִשְׁפָּט הַתּוֹרָה,
2. Now, the way to mitigate judgment is by a person judging himself. That is, in whatever he does, he himself should judge and evaluate himself in every aspect: was that the appropriate way for him to behave? He should search his ways and properly rectify them, according to the judgment and law of the Torah.
וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה שֶׁהָאָדָם דָּן וְשׁוֹפֵט אֶת עַצְמוֹ, עַל יְדֵי זֶה מַמְתִּיק וּמְבַטֵּל הַדִּין שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה, כִּי כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ דִּין לְמַטָּה, אֵין דִּין לְמַעְלָה (וְעַיֵּן מִזֶּה לְעֵיל בְּסִימָן טו).
Through this that a person judges and evaluates himself, he mitigates and eliminates the judgment Above. For when there is judgment below, there is no judgment Above (Devarim Rabbah 5:4).
וְאָז כְּשֶׁנִּמְתָּק הַדִּין, אֲזַי יוֹצְאִין הַדָּמִים מֵהָרַגְלִין, וַאֲזַי יְכוֹלָה הַשִּׂמְחָה לְהִתְפַּשֵּׁט בָּרַגְלִין, עַד שֶׁזּוֹכֶה לְרִקּוּדִין.
Then, when the judgment is mitigated, the blood departs from the feet, in which case the joy is able to extend to the feet until one merits to dance.
וְזֶהוּ: וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן. וְהָיָה – לְשׁוֹן שִׂמְחָה. עֵקֶב – הֵם הָרַגְלִין, הַיְנוּ: לִזְכּוֹת לְשִׂמְחָה עַד שֶׁהָעֲקֵבִים שֶׁהֵם הָרַגְלִין יִשְׁמְעוּ הַשִּׂמְחָה, זֶה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי:
3. And this is [the explanation of the opening verse]: {“And it will be in the wake of your listening to these laws, safeguarding and doing them….”} V’hayah (And it will be) ekev (in the wake of) your listening—“V’hayah” connotes joy; “ekev” alludes to the feet. That is, to be worthy of joy—to the point where the EKEVayim (the heels), which are the feet, hear the joy—this is achieved by:
אֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים הָאֵלֶּה וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם – שֶׁתִּשְׁמְרוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּעַצְמְכֶם הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְהַדִּינִים, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְבַּטֵּל הַדִּין שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה כַּנַּ"ל,
these mishpatim (laws), safeguarding and doing them—You should safeguard doing the mishpatim (evaluations) and judgments by yourselves. Through this, the judgment from Above is eliminated, as mentioned.
וְאָז: וְהָיָה עֵקֶב תִּשְׁמְעוּן – שֶׁתִּשְׁמְעוּ הַשִּׂמְחָה בְּהָרַגְלִין, עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים מִשָּׁם הַדִּינִים כַּנַּ"ל.
Then, “V’hayah ekev your listening.” You will hear the joy in the feet, as a result of the judgments having departed from there.
עוֹד מָצָאתִי, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת: וְשָׁמַר ה' לְךָ אֶת הַבְּרִית. כִּי כְּשֶׁתִּזְכֶּה לְשִׂמְחָה, אֲזַי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ יִשְׁמֹר לְךָ אֶת הַבְּרִית, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּעֶזְרְךָ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ, כִּי עִקַּר פְּגַם הַבְּרִית הוּא עַל־יְדֵי עַצְבוּת כַּיָּדוּעַ,
4. In addition, I found the following: This corresponds to, “… then God will safeguard the Covenant for you.” For when you merit to joy, then God Himself will safeguard the brit for you. That is, He will assist you in guarding the holy brit. This is because the main blemish of the brit is through sadness, as is known.
כִּי פְּגַם הַבְּרִית בָּא עַל־יְדֵי הַקְּלִפָּה הַיְדוּעָה, שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת לִילִית, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמְּיַלֶּלֶת תָּמִיד, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת עַצְבוּת,
For the blemish of the brit comes from the known evil force which is called LiLiT because it always m’yaLeLeT (wails)—the aspect of sadness.
וְעַל־כֵּן עִקַּר שְׁמִירַת הַבְּרִית זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחָה זוֹכִין שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּעַצְמוֹ יַעֲזֹר לוֹ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת הַבְּרִית קֹדֶשׁ כַּנַּ"ל.
Therefore, the main guarding of the brit is merited through joy. This is because through joy one merits to have God Himself assist him in guarding the holy brit, as above.