Behold, it is known that no bounty or blessing can come to the world except by way of the tzaddik. This is because the tzaddik has the hands to receive them. This refers to love and fear, which are the hands for receiving all bounty and all blessing. <For fear and love correspond to ShaMaYiM (heavens)—i.e., aiSh and MaYiM (fire and water), benevolences and severities, which are the hands.>
And such a tzaddik has to hide <and conceal> the love and fear. This is so that the accusatory forces should not <realize it> and steal the bounty from him.
Who covers the shamayim with avim—This alludes to fire and water. In other words [he covers] his love and fear <with AVim (clouds), namely, with something that is AV (dense) and corporeal>. Then,
2. But when the tzaddik is widely known <and not concealed by clouds, as explained above,> then the accusatory forces are aware of him and keep a careful watch over him. They prevent him from drawing down bounty.
Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, motivates the heart of a different tzaddik to foment argument against him <and to accuse him of being false. As a result he is concealed by clouds and is able to> draw down bounty.
This is a “dispute for the sake of Heaven” (Avot 5:20)—i.e., for the sake of the tzaddik, who is called shamayim (heaven) because he possesses love and fear. Hence it is for the sake of Shamayim, the love and fear, <so that he is concealed by clouds> and is able to prepare rain <for the earth>—i.e., bounty and blessing.
הַמְכַסֶּה שָׁמַיִם בְּעָבִים, הַמֵּכִין לָאָרֶץ מָטָר (תהילים קמ״ז:ח׳):
“Who covers the shamayim (heavens) with avim (clouds), Who prepares rain for the earth.” (Psalms 147:8)
הִנֵּה יָדוּעַ, כִּי הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת וְהַבְּרָכוֹת אִי אֶפְשָׁר לָהֶם לָבוֹא לָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי הַצַּדִּיק, כִּי הַצַּדִּיק יֵשׁ לוֹ יָדַיִם בַּמֶּה לְקַבְּלָם, דְּהַיְנוּ אַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה, כִּי הֵם הַיָּדַיִם לְקַבֵּל בָּהֶם כָּל הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת וְכָל הַבְּרָכוֹת.
Behold, it is known that no bounty or blessing can come to the world except by way of the tzaddik. This is because the tzaddik has the hands to receive them. This refers to love and fear, which are the hands for receiving all bounty and all blessing. <For fear and love correspond to ShaMaYiM (heavens)—i.e., aiSh and MaYiM (fire and water), benevolences and severities, which are the hands.>
וְצָרִיךְ הַצַּדִּיק כָּזֶה לִגְנֹז הָאַהֲבָה וְהַיִּרְאָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְקַטְרְגוּ הַמְקַטְרְגִים עָלָיו, וְיִגְזְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ הַהַשְׁפָּעוֹת.
And such a tzaddik has to hide <and conceal> the love and fear. This is so that the accusatory forces should not <realize it> and steal the bounty from him.
וְזֶהוּ:
This is:
הַמְכַסֶּה שָׁמַיִם בְּעָבִים – הַיְנוּ אֵשׁ וּמַיִם. הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁהַצַּדִּיק יָכוֹל לְכַסּוֹת שָׁמַיִם, הַיְנוּ אֵשׁ וּמַיִם, הַיְנוּ הָאַהֲבָה וְהַיִּרְאָה שֶׁלּוֹ, אֲזַי:
Who covers the shamayim with avim—This alludes to fire and water. In other words [he covers] his love and fear <with AVim (clouds), namely, with something that is AV (dense) and corporeal>. Then,
הַמֵּכִין לָאָרֶץ מָטָר – הַיְנוּ שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהַמְשִׁיךְ כָּל הַבְּרָכוֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת מָטָר:
Who prepares rain for the earth—that is, he is able to of draw all the blessings, which correspond to rain.
אַךְ כְּשֶׁהַצַּדִּיק הוּא מְפֻרְסָם גָּדוֹל, אֲזַי הַמְקַטְרְגִים יוֹדְעִים וּמַשְׁגִּיחִים עָלָיו הֵיטֵב, וְאֵינָם מַנִּיחִים לוֹ לְהוֹרִיד הַשֶּׁפַע,
2. But when the tzaddik is widely known <and not concealed by clouds, as explained above,> then the accusatory forces are aware of him and keep a careful watch over him. They prevent him from drawing down bounty.
וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא נוֹתֵן בְּלֵב צַדִּיק אַחֵר לְהַחַזִיק עָלָיו בְּמַחֲלֹקֶת כְּדֵי לְכַסּוֹתוֹ, וְשֶׁיּוּכַל לְהוֹרִיד הַשֶּׁפַע.
Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, motivates the heart of a different tzaddik to foment argument against him <and to accuse him of being false. As a result he is concealed by clouds and is able to> draw down bounty.
וְזֶהוּ מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהוּא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, הַיְנוּ לְשֵׁם צַדִּיק, שֶׁהוּא מְכֻנֶּה בְּשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ אַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה. הַיְנוּ לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, הָאַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה, וּכְדֵי לְהָכִין מָטָר, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת הַשְׁפָּעוֹת וּבְרָכוֹת:
This is a “dispute for the sake of Heaven” (Avot 5:20)—i.e., for the sake of the tzaddik, who is called shamayim (heaven) because he possesses love and fear. Hence it is for the sake of Shamayim, the love and fear, <so that he is concealed by clouds> and is able to prepare rain <for the earth>—i.e., bounty and blessing.