Know! there are twenty-four types of redemption, because there are twenty-four courts. Paralleling each and every court is a specific redemption to mitigate the judgment found there.
Therefore, it sometimes happens that the redemption performed proves ineffective. For not everyone knows all the twenty-four redemptions. And even if someone knows them, he does not perform them all. Therefore, if he does not perform the specific redemption for a particular judgment, this causes it to be ineffective.
But know, there is one redemption that is inclusive of all twenty-four courts and that can mitigate all [their judgments]. And for this redemption one needs a time of favor, the aspect of the revelation of the Forehead of Favor, as on Shabbat afternoon, which is the aspect of “But as for me, my prayer… a time of favor…” (Psalms 69:14).
However, even [among] the tzaddikim, not everyone knows this redemption. There is only one in a generation that knows this redemption. There are even occasions when this tzaddik performs the redemption and it is still ineffective. The reason is that Above, as well, they are very much desirous of such a redemption, for it is not very often that such a redemption, which can mitigate [the judgments of] the twenty-four courts simultaneously, comes their way from below. Therefore, when this mitigation comes their way, they use it for some other purpose—i.e., through this redemption and mitigation converts are made.
For as long as there is idolatry in the world, there is fierce anger in the world (Sifri on Deuteronomy 13:18). Yet, when people mitigate the judgment and fierce anger, idolatry is mitigated and converts are made. This was the mission of Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, throughout his lifetime and even after his death; evidenced by the fact that he attempted to draw close the mixed multitude in order to make converts.
[Moshe did this] in death as well; he was buried opposite Beit Pe’or in order to mitigate idolatry, so that [its worshippers] might become converts. Therefore, he passed away on Shabbat afternoon—it being a time of favor—so as to mitigate [the judgments of] the twenty-four courts, as explained above, in order to make converts. For Moshe’s entire mission is to mitigate the fierce anger of idolatry [and transform it] into favor.
Moshe is thus positioned between shmad (apostasy) and ratzon (favor). For the numerical value of MoSheH is midway between the numerical values of ShMaD and RaTZON, because he is constantly ready to mitigate apostasy and transform it into favor, as explained above.
We therefore find in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 70:5), that Rabbi Eliezer the Great converted converts. This is because he was a reincarnation of Moshe’s son. About him it is said (Exodus 18:4), “The name of the one was Eliezer,” as is brought (Bamidbar Rabbah 19:7). Thus, it was with this ability that he converted converts. Similarly, the reason Yitro converted was that he was Moshe’s father-in-law, as it is written (Exodus 18:1), “Then Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard.” The fact that he was Moshe’s father-in-law is what caused him to hear and convert.
דַּע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה מִינֵי פִּדְיוֹנוֹת, כִּי יֵשׁ עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי דִּינִים, וּכְנֶגֶד כָּל בֵּית־דִּין וּבֵית־דִּין יֵשׁ פִּדְיוֹן מְיֻחָד לְהַמְתִּיק הַדִּין שֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁם,
Know! there are twenty-four types of redemption, because there are twenty-four courts. Paralleling each and every court is a specific redemption to mitigate the judgment found there.
עַל־כֵּן לִפְעָמִים אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל הַפִּדְיוֹן שֶׁעוֹשִׂין, כִּי לֹא כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד יוֹדֵעַ כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה פִּדְיוֹנוֹת, וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם יוֹדֵעַ אוֹתָם אֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה כֻּלָּם, וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה הַפִּדְיוֹן הַמְיֻחָד לְאוֹתוֹ הַדִּין, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל.
Therefore, it sometimes happens that the redemption performed proves ineffective. For not everyone knows all the twenty-four redemptions. And even if someone knows them, he does not perform them all. Therefore, if he does not perform the specific redemption for a particular judgment, this causes it to be ineffective.
אַךְ דַּע, שֶׁיֵּשׁ פִּדְיוֹן אֶחָד שֶׁכּוֹלֵל אֶת כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי דִּינִין, וְיָכוֹל לְהַמְתִּיק כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי־דִינִים, וּלְזֶה הַפִּדְיוֹן צָרִיךְ עֵת רָצוֹן, בְּחִינַת הִתְגַּלּוּת מֵצַח הָרָצוֹן, כְּמוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת בְּמִנְחָה, בְּחִינַת: וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי וְכוּ', עֵת רָצוֹן וְכוּ' (תהילים ס״ט:י״ד).
But know, there is one redemption that is inclusive of all twenty-four courts and that can mitigate all [their judgments]. And for this redemption one needs a time of favor, the aspect of the revelation of the Forehead of Favor, as on Shabbat afternoon, which is the aspect of “But as for me, my prayer… a time of favor…” (Psalms 69:14).
אַךְ אֲפִלּוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים, לָאו כָּל אֶחָד יוֹדֵעַ זֶה הַפִּדְיוֹן, וְלֹא נִמְצָא כִּי־אִם חַד בְּדָרָא שֶׁיֵּדַע זֶה הַפִּדְיוֹן, וּפְעָמִים אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁזֶּה הַצַּדִּיק עוֹשֶׂה פִּדְיוֹן, אַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן אֵינוֹ מוֹעִיל, וְזֶה מֵחֲמַת כִּי גַּם לְמַעְלָה תְּאֵבִים מְאֹד לְפִדְיוֹן כָּזֶה, כִּי לָאו בְּכָל פַּעַם בָּא לָהֶם מִלְּמַטָּה פִּדְיוֹן כָּזֶה, שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהַמְתִּיק כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי־דִּינִין בְּבַת־אַחַת, וְעַל־כֵּן כְּשֶׁבָּא לָהֶם זֹאת הַהַמְתָּקָה הֵם מִשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים עִמָּהּ לְצֹרֶךְ דָּבָר אַחֵר, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הַפִּדְיוֹן וְהַהַמְתָּקָה, נַעֲשִׂין גֵּרִים,
However, even [among] the tzaddikim, not everyone knows this redemption. There is only one in a generation that knows this redemption. There are even occasions when this tzaddik performs the redemption and it is still ineffective. The reason is that Above, as well, they are very much desirous of such a redemption, for it is not very often that such a redemption, which can mitigate [the judgments of] the twenty-four courts simultaneously, comes their way from below. Therefore, when this mitigation comes their way, they use it for some other purpose—i.e., through this redemption and mitigation converts are made.
כִּי כָּל זְמַן שֶׁיֵּשׁ עַכּוּ"ם בָּעוֹלָם חֲרוֹן אַף בָּעוֹלָם, וּכְשֶׁמַּמְתִּיקִין הַדִּין וְהַחֲרוֹן אַף, נִמְתָּק הָעַכּוּ"ם וְנַעֲשִׂין גֵּרִים. וְזֶה הָיָה עֲבוֹדַת מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, כָּל יְמֵי חַיָּיו, וְגַם לְאַחַר מוֹתוֹ, כִּי הִשְׁתַּדֵּל לְקָרֵב הָעֵרֶב רַב כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת גֵּרִים,
For as long as there is idolatry in the world, there is fierce anger in the world (Sifri on Deuteronomy 13:18). Yet, when people mitigate the judgment and fierce anger, idolatry is mitigated and converts are made. This was the mission of Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, throughout his lifetime and even after his death; evidenced by the fact that he attempted to draw close the mixed multitude in order to make converts.
וְגַם בְּמוֹתוֹ נִקְבַּר מוּל בֵּית פְּעוֹר, כְּדֵי לְהַמְתִּיק הָעַכּוּ"ם כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ נַעֲשִׂין גֵּרִים. וְעַל כֵּן נִסְתַּלֵּק בְּשַׁבָּת בְּמִנְחָה, שֶׁאָז הוּא עֵת רָצוֹן, כְּדֵי לְהַמְתִּיק כָּל הָעֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה בָּתֵּי דִּינִים כַּנַּ"ל, כְּדֵי לַעֲשׂוֹת גֵּרִים, כִּי כָּל עֲבוֹדַת מֹשֶׁה – לְהַמְתִּיק הַחֲרוֹן אַף שֶׁל הָעַכּוּ"ם לְרָצוֹן,
[Moshe did this] in death as well; he was buried opposite Beit Pe’or in order to mitigate idolatry, so that [its worshippers] might become converts. Therefore, he passed away on Shabbat afternoon—it being a time of favor—so as to mitigate [the judgments of] the twenty-four courts, as explained above, in order to make converts. For Moshe’s entire mission is to mitigate the fierce anger of idolatry [and transform it] into favor.
וְעַל־כֵּן מֹשֶׁה עוֹמֵד בֵּין "שְׁמָד" לְרָצוֹן, כִּי מִסְפַּר מֹשֶׁה הוּא מְמֻצָּע בֵּין מִסְפַּר "שְׁמָד" לְמִסְפַּר רָצוֹן, כִּי הוּא עוֹמֵד תָּמִיד לְהַמְתִּיק הַשְּׁמָד לְהָפְכָהּ לְרָצוֹן כַּנַּ"ל:
Moshe is thus positioned between shmad (apostasy) and ratzon (favor). For the numerical value of MoSheH is midway between the numerical values of ShMaD and RaTZON, because he is constantly ready to mitigate apostasy and transform it into favor, as explained above.
וְעַל כֵּן מָצִינוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ, שֶׁרַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר הַגָּדוֹל גִּיֵּר גֵּרִים (עי' ב"ר ויצא פ"ע ובמ"ר קהלת), וְזֶה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה גִּלְגּוּל בְּנוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה, כִּי עָלָיו נֶאֱמַר: וְשֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֱלִיעֶזֶר, כַּמּוּבָא (מ"ר במדבר פ' יט), וְעַל־כֵּן בְּכֹחַ זֶה גִּיֵּר גֵּרִים. וְכֵן יִתְרוֹ, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה חוֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִתְגַּיֵּר, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שמות י״ח:ב׳): וַיִּשְׁמַע יִתְרוֹ חוֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהָיָה חוֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה, זֶה גָּרַם לוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַע וְנִתְגַּיֵּר,
We therefore find in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 70:5), that Rabbi Eliezer the Great converted converts. This is because he was a reincarnation of Moshe’s son. About him it is said (Exodus 18:4), “The name of the one was Eliezer,” as is brought (Bamidbar Rabbah 19:7). Thus, it was with this ability that he converted converts. Similarly, the reason Yitro converted was that he was Moshe’s father-in-law, as it is written (Exodus 18:1), “Then Yitro, the father-in-law of Moshe, heard.” The fact that he was Moshe’s father-in-law is what caused him to hear and convert.
כִּי כָּל עֲבוֹדַת מֹשֶׁה בְּחַיָּיו, וְעַכְשָׁו לְאַחַר מוֹתוֹ, הוּא רַק לַעֲשׂוֹת גֵּרִים כַּנַּ"ל:
For Moshe’s entire mission, during his lifetime and now, after his death, is only to make converts, as explained above.