“And Yehuda drew close to him.” (Bereshit, 44:18) This is as the writings say (Shmuel 2, 23:3, the last words of King David), “God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me [thus], the ruler of man is righteous, ruling in the fear of God.” Our sages have explained this in this way (Moed Katan, 16b), “A Tsaddik rules in the fear of God.” “God of Israel said” means the principles of the Torah, and they are the Rama’ch, 248 positive mitzvot, and the Shas’ah, 365 prohibitive mitzvot, that were given to all of Israel in complete equality. “The Rock of Israel spoke to me”—“to me” refers to the ba’al teshuva, the master of return to the law, to whom God speaks specifically, and gives him vigorous strength after he sinned in thinking that there was no hope from Him. Then he returns to God, and he is given tekifut (holy strength). For this reason does the verse formulate itself the way it does, for first it says “said,” a formulation denoting softness, and with the ba’al teshuva it says “spoke,” denoting strength. Also, first the verse says E-lohei, and later Rock, which is also a term of still greater strength. “The ruler of man is righteous” means if the sin was a result of the decree of the sages (namely desecration of the brit, and the “righteous” refers to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai). On this it says “the ruler of man is righteous,” meaning that the ba’al teshuva rules over them (these sins), for nothing stands in the way of return. “Rules in the fear of God” means if the sin was against the written Torah. On this it says “rules in the fear of God,” meaning that he will also rule over this, and on all of this it is said (Avoda Zara, 5a), “said the man who was raised up (Shmuel 2, 23:1), means who raised an offering of teshuva [return].” For even if words of Torah were delivered with great fear, and several known punishments threatened by our sages, still, only before the sin occurred was it said that you have nothing that stands against teshuva. Yet after one has failed he is not to give up, for in the time to come no sin shall remain in any soul of Israel. The principle of this tekifut that we are discussing is in the tribe of Yehuda, so therefore it said, “Yehuda drew close to him.” Even though it seemed now that he had nothing new to say, yet still we can sense the vigor in his words where he has no doubt that salvation will now emerge. This is the meaning of the verse (Mishlei, 24:21), “Fear God, my son, and rule.” “My son [B’ni]” meaning wisdom (Bina), and this is to say that your fear should be refined and true. “And rule” means that you shall be a king who is vigorous in his great trust in God. (And the verse continues), “and do not mix with the hateful,” meaning as the Gemara says (Sotah, 22a), “those who teach the law out of their hatefulness,” and it is asked of this, “is it so simple? It is taught as one who understands it like Rav Huna, who said (that “the hateful” means) one who transgressed, and then taught that it was permitted to him,” meaning that there exists a place even for this, as is explained [in the Mei HaShiloach on the verse, “you shall have a shovel” (Parshat Ki Teitsei]. And this was tekufut of Yehuda after what had happened to him, saying, “I will be a surety for him [Binyamin],” (Bereshit, 43:9) transgressing what is said (Yevamot, 109b), “be wary against vouching [leaving a pledge],” for nevertheless he was confident that salvation would emerge from this.39And this is, “the Rock of Israel spoke to me,” for dibbur, speaking, meaning that God will lower unto him his explicit word, as it were. This matter has special relevance for the tribe of Yehuda, for this tribe, since its power is awesome, will do things that seem to be like people who are not in a state of devekut (intense cleaving) to God. For example, King David, for whom the principle of his birth was from Ruth, and they did not understand the difference between a male Ammonite and a female Ammonite. Giliyon Mei HaShiloach, R. Gershon Henoch Lainer of Radzin, ZY”A.
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָא. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (שמואל ב' כ"ג,ג') "אָמַר אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִי דִבֶּר צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים". וּכְמוֹ שֶׁבֵּיאֲרוּ ז"ל (מועד קטן ט"ז:) צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל בְּיִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים. "אָמַר אֱלֹקֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל", הַיְינוּ הַכְּלָלִים שֶׁל דִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה וְהֵם הָרְמַ"ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה וְשַׁסַּ"ה מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר נִיתְּנוּ בְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל שָׁוֶה בְּשָׁוֶה. "לִי דִבֶּר צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל", לִי הַיְינוּ לְהַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה, לָזֶה מְדַבֵּר הַש"י בִּפְרָט וְנוֹתֵן לוֹ תַּקּוּפוּת אַחַר חֶטְאוֹ שֶׁנִּדְמָה לוֹ כִּי אָפֵס תִּקְוָה מִמֶּנּוּ וְיָשׁוֹב אֶל ה׳, אָז נוֹתֵן לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא תַּקּוּפוּת. וְלָזֶה נִשְׁתַּנּוּ הַדְּבָרִים, כִּי בַּתְּחִילָה נֶאֱמַר "אָמַר" הַיְינוּ לָשׁוֹן רַכָּה, וְאֵצֶל הַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה נֶאֱמַר "דִבֶּר" הַיְינוּ תַּקּוּפוּת, גַּם בַּתְּחִילָה נֶאֱמַר "אֱלֹקֵי" וְאַחַר כָּךְ נֶאֱמַר "צוּר" אֲשֶׁר הוּא גַּם כֵּן לְשׁוֹן תַּקּוּפוּת וְחִיזּוּק. "מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם צַדִּיק" הַיְינוּ אִם הָיָה הַחֵטְא בְּדָבָר בִּגְזֵרַת חֲכָמִים עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר "מוֹשֵׁל בָּאָדָם צַדִּיק" הַיְינוּ שֶׁהַבַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה מוֹשֵׁל עֲלֵיהֶם, כִּי אֵין לְךָ דָּבָר שֶׁעוֹמֵד בִּפְנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה. "מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים" הַיְינוּ אִם הָיָה הַחֵטְא נֶגֶד תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב עַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר "מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלֹקִים" הַיְינוּ שֶׁגַּם עַל זֶה יִמְשׁוֹל, עַל הַכֹּל נֶאֱמַר (עבודה זרה ה.) "נְאֻם הַגֶּבֶר הוּקַם עָל" שֶׁהוּקַם עוּלָּהּ שֶׁל תְּשׁוּבָה, כִּי אַף שֶׁדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה נִיתְּנוּ בְּיִרְאָה מוּפְלֶגֶת וְעַל כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים שֶׁאִיְּימוּ חֲזַ"ל כַּיָּדוּעַ, זֹאת אֵינוֹ רַק לִפְנֵי הַחֵטְא נֶאֱמַר, אֲבָל נֶגֶד תְּשׁוּבָה אֵין לְךָ שׁוּם דָּבָר שֶׁעוֹמֵד, וּלְאַחַר שֶׁיֶּאֱרַע לָאָדָם מִכְשׁוֹל לֹא יִתְיָאֵשׁ עַצְמוֹ כִּי לֹא יִשָּׁאֵר לֶעָתִיד שׁוּם חֵטְא עַל נֶפֶשׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, וְעִיקַּר זֹאת הַתַּקּוּפוּת נִמְצָא בְּשֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָא, עַל כֵּן "וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָא" אַף שֶׁלֹּא נִרְאֶה עַתָּה חֲדָשׁוֹת בִּדְבָרָיו, אַךְ שֶׁמַּרְאֶה בִּדְבָרָיו גוֹדֶל תְּקוּפָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר בְּלִי סָפֵק נִמְצָא עַתָּה צְמִיחַת יְשׁוּעָה. וְזֶה פֵּירוּשׁ הַפָּסוּק (משלי כ"ד,כ"א) "יְרָא אֶת ה׳ בְּנִי וָמֶלֶךְ". בְּנִי הַיְינוּ לְשׁוֹן בִּינָה וְהוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא יִרְאָתְךָ מְבוֹרֶרֶת וַאֲמִיתִּיּוֹת, "וָמֶלֶךְ" הַיְינוּ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה מֶלֶךְ וְתַקִּיף בְּבִטָּחוֹן גָּדוֹל בְּהַש"י, "וְעִם שׁוֹנִים אַל תִּתְעָרָב", וְאִיתָא בַּגְּמָרָא (סוטה כ"ב.) אֵלּוּ הַמּוֹרִים הֲלָכָה מִתּוֹךְ מִשְׁנָתָן, וּמַקְשֶׁה פְּשִׁיטָא וּמְשַׁנֵּי מַאן דְּאָמַר כְּרַב הוּנָא דְּאָמַר כָּל הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵירָה וְשָׁנָה בָּהּ הוּתְּרָה לוֹ קָא מַשְׁמַע לָן, הַיְינוּ שֶׁבֶּאֱמֶת נִמְצָא אֵיזֶה מָקוֹם גַּם לָזֶה כַּמְּבוֹאָר עַל פָּסוּק "וְיָד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ" [ח"א תצא], וְזֶה הָיָה תַּקּוּפוּת יְהוּדָא אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר אֵירַע לוֹ שֶׁאָמַר "אָנֹכִי אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ", וְעָבַר עַל מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר (יבמות ק"ט:) "הַרְחֵק מִן הָעַרְבוּת" וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיָה בָּטוּחַ שֶׁיּוּצְמַח לוֹ הַיְשׁוּעָה.
“And Yehuda drew close to him.” (Bereshit, 44:18)
This is as the writings say (Shmuel 2, 23:3, the last words of King David), “God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me [thus], the ruler of man is righteous, ruling in the fear of God.” Our sages have explained this in this way (Moed Katan, 16b), “A Tsaddik rules in the fear of God.” “God of Israel said” means the principles of the Torah, and they are the Rama’ch, 248 positive mitzvot, and the Shas’ah, 365 prohibitive mitzvot, that were given to all of Israel in complete equality. “The Rock of Israel spoke to me”—“to me” refers to the ba’al teshuva, the master of return to the law, to whom God speaks specifically, and gives him vigorous strength after he sinned in thinking that there was no hope from Him.
Then he returns to God, and he is given tekifut (holy strength). For this reason does the verse formulate itself the way it does, for first it says “said,” a formulation denoting softness, and with the ba’al teshuva it says “spoke,” denoting strength. Also, first the verse says E-lohei, and later Rock, which is also a term of still greater strength. “The ruler of man is righteous” means if the sin was a result of the decree of the sages (namely desecration of the brit, and the “righteous” refers to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai). On this it says “the ruler of man is righteous,” meaning that the ba’al teshuva rules over them (these sins), for nothing stands in the way of return. “Rules in the fear of God” means if the sin was against the written Torah. On this it says “rules in the fear of God,” meaning that he will also rule over this, and on all of this it is said (Avoda Zara, 5a), “said the man who was raised up (Shmuel 2, 23:1), means who raised an offering of teshuva [return].”
For even if words of Torah were delivered with great fear, and several known punishments threatened by our sages, still, only before the sin occurred was it said that you have nothing that stands against teshuva. Yet after one has failed he is not to give up, for in the time to come no sin shall remain in any soul of Israel. The principle of this tekifut that we are discussing is in the tribe of Yehuda, so therefore it said, “Yehuda drew close to him.” Even though it seemed now that he had nothing new to say, yet still we can sense the vigor in his words where he has no doubt that salvation will now emerge.
This is the meaning of the verse (Mishlei, 24:21), “Fear God, my son, and rule.” “My son [B’ni]” meaning wisdom (Bina), and this is to say that your fear should be refined and true. “And rule” means that you shall be a king who is vigorous in his great trust in God. (And the verse continues), “and do not mix with the hateful,” meaning as the Gemara says (Sotah, 22a), “those who teach the law out of their hatefulness,” and it is asked of this, “is it so simple? It is taught as one who understands it like Rav Huna, who said (that “the hateful” means) one who transgressed, and then taught that it was permitted to him,” meaning that there exists a place even for this, as is explained [in the Mei HaShiloach on the verse, “you shall have a shovel” (Parshat Ki Teitsei]. And this was tekufut of Yehuda after what had happened to him, saying, “I will be a surety for him [Binyamin],” (Bereshit, 43:9) transgressing what is said (Yevamot, 109b), “be wary against vouching [leaving a pledge],” for nevertheless he was confident that salvation would emerge from this.39And this is, “the Rock of Israel spoke to me,” for dibbur, speaking, meaning that God will lower unto him his explicit word, as it were. This matter has special relevance for the tribe of Yehuda, for this tribe, since its power is awesome, will do things that seem to be like people who are not in a state of devekut (intense cleaving) to God. For example, King David, for whom the principle of his birth was from Ruth, and they did not understand the difference between a male Ammonite and a female Ammonite. Giliyon Mei HaShiloach, R. Gershon Henoch Lainer of Radzin, ZY”A.