Know, it happens that two tzaddikim are from the same root and, nevertheless, there to be discord between them. The reason for this is that one of them alters his root-trait. This is the aspect of the conflict between Shaul and David.
For it is written (Psalms 23:6), “May only goodness and lovingkindness pursue me,” and in the Zohar (II, 168b) we find: Isn’t goodness the same as lovingkindness? However, “goodness” is kept within, [whereas] “lovingkindness” flows outward.
This is the aspect of the two tzaddikim who are from the same root, but one is the aspect of goodness, his good remains within him—i.e., he does not reveal his Torah to others—whereas the other one is the aspect of lovingkindness, which spreads outward—he reveals his Torah to others. For this is the aspect of lovingkindness: the aspect of “and the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26). Due to this, there is discord between them.
And this is the aspect of the conflict between Shaul and David. Both were great tzaddikim, yet there was discord between them. This was due to the aforementioned aspect, because one was the aspect of goodness and the other was the aspect of lovingkindness. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Eruvin 53a): Of David, who taught Torah to others, it is written (Psalms 119:74), “Those who fear You will see me and rejoice”; of Shaul, who did not teach Torah to others, it is written (1 Samuel 14:47), “Wherever he turned, he caused vexation.” This is as explained above, for Shaul, who did not teach Torah to others, is the aspect of goodness—his good remains within him. However David, who did teach Torah to others, for he would teach his Torah in public, is the aspect of lovingkindness—it spreads outward, the aspect of “and the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue.” This is why there was discord between them.
For discord is the aspect of thunder, as is brought elsewhere. It is also brought that thunder is produced by the emergence of fiery hot vapors. The clouds draw these hot vapors in large quantities, and when they have drawn more than they can contain, the cloud bursts and this produces thunder.
This is the aforementioned aspect of discord. Since the Torah is an aspect of fire, as it is written (Jeremiah 23:29), “Is not My word like fire…,” it is confined within his heart like a burning fire, because he does not reveal it. As a result, it bursts forth and emerges in the aspect of thunder, which is the aspect of dispute, as explained above.
This is also the aspect of “The conversation of Torah scholars requires study” (Avodah Zarah 19b)—i.e., all the Torah scholars’ conversations in which they talk about and quarrel with one another require study. This is because in the main, discord is the result of a lack of study, for he does not teach his Torah to others, rather his good remains within, as explained above. Thus it is that the discord of the tzaddikim stems from the Torah, as explained above.
However, there is the discord of the wicked, which in no way stems from the Torah. This is David’s remonstration to God (Psalms 119:85), “Deliberate sinners have dug ShiChot (pits) for me, not in keeping with Your Torah”—they meSiChin (talk about) and quarrel with me, not at all based on the Torah. Thus, this is what David pleaded, “May only goodness and lovingkindness pursue me”—that whenever he would be the victim of persecution and discord, the discord should be only from there, from the aspect of “goodness and lovingkindness,” as explained above.
דַּע, כִּי יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי צַדִּיקִים שֶׁהֵם מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ אֶחָד, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם מַחֲלֹקֶת, זֶה מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֶחָד מְשַׁנֶּה מִדָּתוֹ שֶׁבְּשָׁרְשׁוֹ, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁבֵּין שָׁאוּל וְדָוִד,
Know, it happens that two tzaddikim are from the same root and, nevertheless, there to be discord between them. The reason for this is that one of them alters his root-trait. This is the aspect of the conflict between Shaul and David.
כִּי כְּתִיב (תהילים כ״ג:ו׳): אַךְ טוֹב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי; וְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ (תרומה קסח): הַיְנוּ טוֹב הַיְנוּ חֶסֶד, אֶלָּא טוֹב – טוּבֵהּ כְּלִיל בְּגַוֵּהּ; חֶסֶד – דְּאִתְפַּשַּׁט לְבַר.
For it is written (Psalms 23:6), “May only goodness and lovingkindness pursue me,” and in the Zohar (II, 168b) we find: Isn’t goodness the same as lovingkindness? However, “goodness” is kept within, [whereas] “lovingkindness” flows outward.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת שְׁנֵי צַדִּיקִים שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ אֶחָד, רַק שֶׁזֶּה בְּחִינַת טוֹב, שֶׁטּוּבֵהּ כְּלִיל בְּגַוֵּהּ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְגַלֶּה תּוֹרָתוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים, וְהַשֵּׁנִי הוּא בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד, דְּאִתְפַּשַּׁט לְבַר, שֶׁמְּגַלֶּה תּוֹרָתוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים, שֶׁזֶּהוּ בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד, בְּחִינַת: וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יֵשׁ בֵּינֵיהֶם מַחֲלֹקֶת.
This is the aspect of the two tzaddikim who are from the same root, but one is the aspect of goodness, his good remains within him—i.e., he does not reveal his Torah to others—whereas the other one is the aspect of lovingkindness, which spreads outward—he reveals his Torah to others. For this is the aspect of lovingkindness: the aspect of “and the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26). Due to this, there is discord between them.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהָיָה בֵּין שָׁאוּל וְדָוִד, שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם הָיוּ צַדִּיקִים גְּדוֹלִים, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם מַחֲלֹקֶת, הַיְנוּ מֵחֲמַת בְּחִינוֹת הַנַּ"ל, כִּי זֶה הָיָה בְּחִינַת טוֹב, וְזֶה הָיָה בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד, כִּי אָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין נג): דָּוִד דִּגְלֵי מַסֶּכְתָּא כְּתִיב בֵּהּ: יְרֵאֶיךָ יִרְאוּנִי וְיִשְׂמָחוּ; שָׁאוּל דְּלָא גְּלֵי מַסֶּכְתָּא כְּתִיב בֵּהּ: אֶל כָּל אֲשֶׁר יִפְנֶה יַרְשִׁיעַ, הַיְנוּ כַּנַּ"ל. כִּי שָׁאוּל דְּלָא גְּלֵי מַסֶּכְתָּא, זֶהוּ בְּחִינַת טוֹב, דְּטוּבֵהּ גְּנִיז בְּגַוֵּהּ. אֲבָל דָּוִד דִּגְלֵי מַסֶּכְתָּא, שֶׁהָיָה מְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָתוֹ לָרַבִּים, זֶהוּ בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד דְּאִתְפַּשַּׁט לְבַר, בְּחִינַת: וְתוֹרַת חֶסֶד עַל לְשׁוֹנָהּ. וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם מַחֲלוֹקֶת,
And this is the aspect of the conflict between Shaul and David. Both were great tzaddikim, yet there was discord between them. This was due to the aforementioned aspect, because one was the aspect of goodness and the other was the aspect of lovingkindness. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Eruvin 53a): Of David, who taught Torah to others, it is written (Psalms 119:74), “Those who fear You will see me and rejoice”; of Shaul, who did not teach Torah to others, it is written (1 Samuel 14:47), “Wherever he turned, he caused vexation.” This is as explained above, for Shaul, who did not teach Torah to others, is the aspect of goodness—his good remains within him. However David, who did teach Torah to others, for he would teach his Torah in public, is the aspect of lovingkindness—it spreads outward, the aspect of “and the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue.” This is why there was discord between them.
כִּי הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת הוּא בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים, כַּמּוּבָא בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר (בסימן נ"ו), וְאִיתָא שֶׁהָרְעָמִים נַעֲשִׂין עַל־יְדֵי שֶׁיּוֹצְאִין אֵדִים חַמִּים כְּמוֹ אֵשׁ, וְהָעֲנָנִים שׁוֹאֲבִין אוֹתָן הָאֵדִים חַמִּים, וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲבִין אוֹתָם הָאֵדִים הַרְבֵּה עַד שֶׁאֵין יְכוֹלִין לְהַחֲזִיקָם בְּתוֹכָם, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נִבְקָע הֶעָנָן, וּמִזֶּה נַעֲשִׂין רְעָמִים.
For discord is the aspect of thunder, as is brought elsewhere. It is also brought that thunder is produced by the emergence of fiery hot vapors. The clouds draw these hot vapors in large quantities, and when they have drawn more than they can contain, the cloud bursts and this produces thunder.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת מַחֲלֹקֶת הַנַּ"ל, כִּי מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת אֵשׁ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ירמיהו כ״ג:כ״ט): הֲלֹא כֹה דְבָרִי כָּאֵשׁ וְכוּ' – הִיא עֲצוּרָה בְּלִבּוֹ כְּאֵשׁ בּוֹעֶרֶת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְגַלֶּה אוֹתָהּ, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה בּוֹקַעַת וְיוֹצֵאת בִּבְחִינַת רְעָמִים, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת מַחֲלוֹקֶת כַּנַּ"ל.
This is the aforementioned aspect of discord. Since the Torah is an aspect of fire, as it is written (Jeremiah 23:29), “Is not My word like fire…,” it is confined within his heart like a burning fire, because he does not reveal it. As a result, it bursts forth and emerges in the aspect of thunder, which is the aspect of dispute, as explained above.
וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (ע"ז יט): שִׂיחָתָן שֶׁל תַּלְמִידֵי־חֲכָמִים צְרִיכִין לִמּוּד, הַיְנוּ כָּל הַשִּׂיחוֹת שֶׁל הַתַּלְמִידֵי־חֲכָמִים שֶׁמְּשִׂיחִין וְחוֹלְקִין זֶה עַל זֶה, לָזֶה צְרִיכִין לִמּוּד, כִּי עִקַּר הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת הוּא מֵחֲמַת חֶסְרוֹן הַלִּמּוּד, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁאֵין מְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָתוֹ לַאֲחֵרִים וְטוּבֵהּ גְּנִיז בְּגַוֵּהּ כַּנַּ"ל: נִמְצָא, שֶׁהַמַּחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, הוּא נִמְשָׁךְ מֵהַתּוֹרָה כַּנַּ"ל.
This is also the aspect of “The conversation of Torah scholars requires study” (Avodah Zarah 19b)—i.e., all the Torah scholars’ conversations in which they talk about and quarrel with one another require study. This is because in the main, discord is the result of a lack of study, for he does not teach his Torah to others, rather his good remains within, as explained above. Thus it is that the discord of the tzaddikim stems from the Torah, as explained above.
אֲבָל יֵשׁ מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁל הָרְשָׁעִים, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נִמְשָׁךְ מֵהַתּוֹרָה כְּלָל, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁהָיָה קוֹבֵל דָּוִד לִפְנֵי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ (תהילים קי״ט:פ״ה): כָּרוּ לִי זֵדִים שִׁיחוֹת אֲשֶׁר לֹא כְּתוֹרָתֶךָ; שֶׁהֵם מְשִׂיחִין וְחוֹלְקִין עָלַי שֶׁלֹּא עַל־פִּי הַתּוֹרָה כְּלָל: וְזֶה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ דָּוִד (שם כג): אַךְ טוֹב וָחֶסֶד יִרְדְּפוּנִי; שֶׁבְּכָל עֵת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה עָלַי רְדִיפוֹת וּמַחֲלֹקֶת, שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת רַק מִשָּׁם, מִבְּחִינַת טוֹב וָחֶסֶד, כַּנַּ"ל:
However, there is the discord of the wicked, which in no way stems from the Torah. This is David’s remonstration to God (Psalms 119:85), “Deliberate sinners have dug ShiChot (pits) for me, not in keeping with Your Torah”—they meSiChin (talk about) and quarrel with me, not at all based on the Torah. Thus, this is what David pleaded, “May only goodness and lovingkindness pursue me”—that whenever he would be the victim of persecution and discord, the discord should be only from there, from the aspect of “goodness and lovingkindness,” as explained above.