In this chapter there will be explained the issur of revenge and grudge-bearing, and the greatness of the reward of him who guards himself against them.
More than this. If it happens that one's friend conducts himself with him improperly in something, in spite of this, he must take care not to avenge himself of him and to bear hatred against him. But he must wipe the thing from his heart and do good to him in all ways, as to all other Jews, as if there were no hatred between them, as it is written: "Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, and you shall love your friend as yourself." Come and see, in the holy Zohar, Parshath Miketz, how great is the man who repays bad with good:
"Come and see [how] Joseph [conducted himself]. Not only did he not return evil to his brothers, but he accorded them good and truth, as is the way of tzaddikim always, wherefore the Holy One Blessed be He has compassion for them always, in this world and in the world to come."
And in order to set one's mind at rest in this, I have thought it fit to introduce an exalted thought here which is rooted in the Yerushalmi adduced by Semag, that if one were walking on the road and struck one of his feet with the other and, in doing so, fell to the ground and hurt his body, his face and also that foot — aside from the fact that it would never enter his mind to take revenge of that foot by [desisting] from healing it, he would also harbor no hatred whatsoever against it. For what is the foot and what are his body and his face — they all are one [body], but divided into organs. Rather, he would reason that his sins caused this. Here, too, if it happened that his friend did not benefit him with a certain good that he asked of him, or even if he grieved or insulted him in some way, he should not avenge himself and harbor hatred against him. For who is his friend and who is he? Both are from one root, as it is written (I Chronicles 17:21): "And who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?" And it is written [Bereshith 46:27): "All of the soul of the house of Jacob that came etc." It is not written "souls," to teach us that all the souls of Israel above are reckoned as one soul. It is just that each one is an entity in itself. As with a man in his entirety — even though, as a whole, he is one man, still, he has organs which are "heads" to him, like the head and the heart; and there are those beneath these, like the hand and the foot. And it is also into one rest that all of Israel will gather in the end — under the Throne of Glory — as it is written (I Samuel 25:29): "And the soul of my lord will be bound in the bond of life with the L-rd your G-d, etc." It is just that because in this world, where everyone is clothed in his own matter by himself, and because each of his affairs and undertakings is an entity in itself that a man imagines himself to be a distinct person and not "one" with his fellow Jew at all — but this is not so.
And that is why we find many times in the words of Chazal that if one transgresses, G-d forbid, he thereby harms all of Israel, for they [he and all the rest] are like one body. And if one has a great pain in one organ, the other organs, too, even though their pain is not so great, still feel a "vibration" of that pain. As we find in Vayikra Rabbah 84: "(Jeremiah 50:17): 'A scattered lamb is Israel.' Israel is compared to a lamb. Just as a lamb, if it is hurt in one of its organs, all of them feel it, so Israel — one sins and all feel it. R. Shimon b. Yochai said: 'This may be compared to [an instance of] men sailing in a boat. One of them takes a drill and starts drilling under him. His friends say to him: "Why are you doing this?" He answers: "What business is it of yours? Am I not drilling under me?" And they say: "But you are flooding the boat on us!"'"
Therefore, my brother, take great care not to avenge yourself and not to bear a grudge against your brother. For it is yourself against whom you are taking revenge and bearing a grudge! Think only that Heaven is causing all this to happen to you, because of your sins. And what difference does it make whether this suffering comes upon you by the one or by the other? And if I accept all this upon me [resignedly] in truth, all of my sins will be pardoned thereby. As David said to Avishai ben Tzeruyah when he wanted to take revenge on his [David's] behalf, of Shim'i ben Gera, for having shamed and vilified David and cursed him with a dire curse — David did not allow him [Avishai] to do so, saying: "The L-rd told him to curse!" And Chazal have said that because of this the Heavenly tribunal designated David to be the fourth leg of the Divine Chariot, as we shall explain at length below, please G-d.
[To set one's mind at rest not (even) to think of taking revenge and bearing a grudge) I have adduced my interpretation of (Vayikra 19:18): "And you shall love your friend as yourself; I am the L-rd," viz.: How are we to understand the juxtaposition of "I am the L-rd" with the beginning of the verse? I have said that the intent of Scripture here is to elucidate the beginning of the verse: "You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people." ("And you shall love, etc.") For, ostensibly, that is to be wondered at. If one is very pressed for time and he asks his friend to do him a favor, and the latter is in a position to grant the favor and refuses, especially if he grieves him in the process — how can he not take umbrage, and even love him as himself?
I have explained the verse by an apt analogy, viz.: Reuven hated Shimon and stirred up a quarrel with him. Afterwards, Yehudah came along, who was held by Shimon and by all men to be a man of truth and told Reuven: "Shimon, whom you hate, and who you told me is dishonest and despicable — I saw him a few days afterwards with one of the great men of this generation, renowned as a Gaon and a tzaddik and a peerless sage. And that Gaon honored him greatly and showed him tokens of love in many ways. You were greatly mistaken in this, my brother." And when Reuven heard this, he was astounded and said: "You have placed a doubt in my heart. It is possible that the truth is with R. Shimon and that only because 'all the ways of a man are just in his eyes' that I thought that the din was with me — or perhaps, in truth the din is with me, but this Shimon is a deceiver and "smooth-talked" this great man until he thought him to be an honorable man; but, nevertheless, I will no longer speak [evil] of him because of the doubt you raised in my heart."
A few days after that, Yehudah, whom Reuven holds to be a man of truth, comes to him and says: "I have seen an even more wonderful thing. The man that you told me that you still had doubts about, that he might be a deceiver and dishonest — I saw him afterwards, meeting with the early sages of the generation, and they, too, honored him greatly and showed him tokens of love in the presence of all. And about the great man of the generation that I told you about in the beginning, — you may have thought that Shimon deceived him; but about men like these it is impossible to say this." When Reuven hears this he immediately replies: "You are right. The yetzer deceived me in the very essence of the thing." Yehudah continues: "Don't I know about Shimon that he met with the early sages of Israel, R. Meir, R. Yehudah, and Rabbi, who redacted the Mishnayoth, and his colleagues, whose company Eliyahu would frequent, as is well known; and they, too, lauded and praised him. And Eliyahu the prophet told these tannaim that this R. Shimon was "spoken of on high" and he heard from the mouth of the Holy One Blessed be He that He loved R. Shimon.
And when Reuven hears this, he recoils and falls on his face and says: "Woe unto me for what I thought at first, that I am the tzaddik and he, the rasha. For from what I see now, this is not so. For the Holy One Blessed be He, who is the Root of all and knows what is done in darkness and in light, whose work is perfect and all His ways just — when He loves a man, certainly His love is not in vain. As far as what passed between me and the honored R. Shimon, I can see this now in several ways. First that the din is with him in principle itself, but, because I was personally involved and I did not know Shimon, it seemed to me that truth and rightness was with me, and this is what I consider most likely. Or, it is possible that Shimon was unwitting in what he did and that he sorely regretted it [thereafter], and it is possible that he yet intends to conciliate me. Or, there may be other reasons that I am not acquainted with. In any case, I have greatly sinned in speaking against a man whom the Holy One Blessed be He, Himself, said that He loved, whose soul-root on high must be exceedingly holy and awesome — publicizing him as "dishonest," "despicable" and "deceitful." I greatly regret this and bear no hatred towards him, since the Holy One Blessed be He, Himself is his Lover.
And this is the intent of the verse "You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people. And you shall love your friend as yourself — I am the L-rd." If you say: "How can I make myself not have anything against him and even love him?" the verse itself provides the answer — "I am the L-rd." As per (Malachi 1:2): "'I have loved you,' said the L-rd," and (Devarim 14:1): "You are sons to the L-rd your G-d" — you, too, can love him. And, in truth, the matter is simple. For since a man looks "downwards" at his friend, seeing him clothed in physical matter, he [his friend] is not very significant to him, especially, if he is against him in some matter, in which instance he "nullifies" him completely. Not so the Holy One Blessed be He, who knows, in essence, that the root of the holiness of the soul of Israel is exceedingly great and awesome, as it is written in the holy Zohar in several places, that the root of the holiness of the soul of Israel on high is in an extremely awesome sphere, wherefore their eminence and His love for them, accordingly, are extremely great.]
בּוֹ יְבֹאַר אִסּוּר נְקִימָה וּנְטִירָה וְגֹּדֶל שְׂכַר הָאָדָם, שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵר עֵצְמוֹ מִזֶּה.
In this chapter there will be explained the issur of revenge and grudge-bearing, and the greatness of the reward of him who guards himself against them.
וּבְיוֹתֵר מִזֶּה, אִם אֵרַע לוֹ שֶׁהִתְנַהֵג עִמּוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה דָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא כַּהֹגֶן, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן צָרִיךְ לְהִזָּהֵר, שֶׁלֹּא לִנְקֹם מִמֶּנּוּ וְלִנְטֹר אֶת הַשִּׂנְאָה עָלָיו, אֶלָּא צָרִיךְ שֶׁיִּמְחֶה הַדָּבָר מִלִּבּוֹ וּלְהֵיטִיב עִמּוֹ בְּכָל הָעִנְיָנִים כְּמוֹ לִשְׁאָר אִישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִי, וּכְאִלּוּ לֹא הָיָה בֵּינֵיהֶם שׁוּם שִׂנְאָה, כַּכָּתוּב (ויקרא י"ט י"ח): "לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמְּךָ, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ". וְלֵךְ נָא רְאֵה בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ פָּרָשַׁת מִקֵּץ גֹּדֶל מַעֲלַת הָאִישׁ, שֶׁמְּשַׁלֵּם טוֹבָה תַּחַת רָעָה וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ:
More than this. If it happens that one's friend conducts himself with him improperly in something, in spite of this, he must take care not to avenge himself of him and to bear hatred against him. But he must wipe the thing from his heart and do good to him in all ways, as to all other Jews, as if there were no hatred between them, as it is written: "Do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge against the sons of your people, and you shall love your friend as yourself." Come and see, in the holy Zohar, Parshath Miketz, how great is the man who repays bad with good:
תָּא חֲזֵי, יוֹסֵף לָא דַי דְּאִיהוּ לָא שַׁלֵּים בִּישָׁא לַאֲחוֹי, אֶלָּא דַּעֲבַד עִמְּהוֹן טִיבוּ וּקְשׁוֹט, וְכָךְ אוֹרְחֵיהוֹן דְּזַכָּאֵי תָּדִיר, בְּגִין דָּא קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא חָיֵיס עֲלַיְהוּ תָּדִיר בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי
"Come and see [how] Joseph [conducted himself]. Not only did he not return evil to his brothers, but he accorded them good and truth, as is the way of tzaddikim always, wherefore the Holy One Blessed be He has compassion for them always, in this world and in the world to come."
בֹּא וּרְאֵה, יוֹסֵף לא דַּי שֶׁהוּא לֹא שִׁלֵּם רָעה לְאֶחָיו, אֶלָּא שֶׁעָשָה עַמָּהֶם טוֹב וֶאֱמֶת, וְכָךְ דַּרְכֵיהֶם שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיקִים תָּמִיד, מִפְּנֵי כָּךְ הַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חָס עֲלֵיהֶם תָּמִיד בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
וּמֵבִיא שָׁם מַעֲשֶׂה בַּאֲרִיכוּת בְּבַר נָשׁ אֶחָד, שֶׁנִּצַּל מִמִּיתָה בְּדֶרֶךְ נֵס עֲבוּר מִדָּה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה הַזּוֹ.
וּכְדֵי לְהַשְׁקִּיט אֶת הַדָּבָר בְּדַעְתּוֹ, אָמַרְתִּי לְהַעְתִּיק רַעְיוֹן אֶחָד נִשְׂגָּב, מַה שֶּׁנִּמְצָא שָׁרְשׁוֹ בִּירוּשַׁלְמִי הֵבִיאוֹ הַסְמָ"ג. כְּמוֹ שֶׁאִם הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ בַּדֶרֶךְ וְנִגְּפָה רַגְלוֹ הָאַחַת בַּשְּׁנִיָּה וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נָפַל לָאָרֶץ וְנִפְצַע גּוּפוֹ וּפָנָיו וְגַם הָרֶגֶל הַהִיא, מִלְּבַד שֶׁאֵין עוֹלֶה בְּדַעְתּוֹ לִנְקֹם מֵאוֹתָהּ רֶגֶל מִלְּרַפְּאוֹתָהּ, אַף אֵין לוֹ שׁוּם שִׂנְאָה עַל הָרֶגֶל הַהִיא, כִּי מִי הִיא הָרֶגֶל וּמִי הוּא גּוּפוֹ וּפָנָיו, הַכֹּל עִנְיָן אֶחָד, אַךְ שֶׁהוּא מִתְחַלֵּקּ לְאֵיבָרִים. רַקּ שֶׁהוּא חוֹשֵׁב בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁעֲוֹנוֹתָיו גָּרְמוּ לוֹ. כֵּן הַדָּבָר, אִם אֵרַע שֶׁלֹּא הֵיטִיב עִמּוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה טוֹבָה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ מֵאִתּוֹ, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁצִּעֲרוֹ וְגִדְּפוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה דָּבָר, שֶׁלֹּא לִנְקֹם וְלִנְטֹר אֶת הַשִּׂנְאָה עָלָיו, כִּי מִי הוּא חֲבֵרוֹ וּמִי הוּא, הַכֹּל מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ אֶחָד יָצְאוּ, כַּכָּתוּב (דברי הימים א' י"ז כ"א): "וּמִי כְּעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל גּוֹי אֶחָד בָּאָרֶץ", וּכְתִיב (בְּראשית מ"ו כ"ו): "כָּל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבָּאָה לְבֵית יַעֲקֹב" וְגוֹ' וְלֹא כְּתִיב נְפָשׁוֹת לְהוֹרוֹת לָנוּ שֶׁכָּל נַפְשׁוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַעְלָה הֵם כְּמוֹ נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת, אַךְ שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד יֵשׁ לוֹ בְּחִינָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, כְּמוֹ הָאָדָם בִּכְלָלוֹ, אַף שֶׁבְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל הוּא אִישׁ אֶחָד, מִכָּל מָקוֹם יֵשׁ לוֹ אֵיבָרִים שֶׁהֵם רָאשִׁים לוֹ כְּמוֹ הָרֹאשׁ וְהַלֵּב וְיֵשׁ שֶתַּחְתֵּיהֶם כְּמוֹ הַיָּד וְהָרֶגֶל. וְגַם לְשֹׁרֶשׁ אֶחָד יֵאָסְפוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבַסּוֹף, וְהוּא תַּחַת כִּסֵּא הַכָּבוֹד וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א' כ"ה כ"ט): "וְהָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אֲדוֹנִי צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֵת" וְגוֹ' וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל (בשבת קנ"ג): רַק בְּזֶה הָעוֹלָם, מִצַּד שֶׁכָּל אֶחָד מְלֻבָּשׁ בְּחֹמֶר בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, וְעִנְיָנָיו וַעֲסָקָיו שֶׁל כָּל אֶחָד הוּא עִנְיָן בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ, מְדַמֶּה הָאָדָם בְּדַעְתּוֹ שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ פְּרָטִי, וְאֵינוֹ שַׁיָּךְ לַחֲבֵרוֹ הַיִּשְׂרָאֵל כְּלָל, אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לֹא כֵן הַדָּבָר.
And in order to set one's mind at rest in this, I have thought it fit to introduce an exalted thought here which is rooted in the Yerushalmi adduced by Semag, that if one were walking on the road and struck one of his feet with the other and, in doing so, fell to the ground and hurt his body, his face and also that foot — aside from the fact that it would never enter his mind to take revenge of that foot by [desisting] from healing it, he would also harbor no hatred whatsoever against it. For what is the foot and what are his body and his face — they all are one [body], but divided into organs. Rather, he would reason that his sins caused this. Here, too, if it happened that his friend did not benefit him with a certain good that he asked of him, or even if he grieved or insulted him in some way, he should not avenge himself and harbor hatred against him. For who is his friend and who is he? Both are from one root, as it is written (I Chronicles 17:21): "And who is like Your people, Israel, one nation in the land?" And it is written [Bereshith 46:27): "All of the soul of the house of Jacob that came etc." It is not written "souls," to teach us that all the souls of Israel above are reckoned as one soul. It is just that each one is an entity in itself. As with a man in his entirety — even though, as a whole, he is one man, still, he has organs which are "heads" to him, like the head and the heart; and there are those beneath these, like the hand and the foot. And it is also into one rest that all of Israel will gather in the end — under the Throne of Glory — as it is written (I Samuel 25:29): "And the soul of my lord will be bound in the bond of life with the L-rd your G-d, etc." It is just that because in this world, where everyone is clothed in his own matter by himself, and because each of his affairs and undertakings is an entity in itself that a man imagines himself to be a distinct person and not "one" with his fellow Jew at all — but this is not so.
וְלָכֵן מָצִינוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים בְּדִבְרֵי חֲזַ"ל, שֶׁאִם אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, עֲבֵרָה, הוּא מְקַלְקֵל בָּזֶה לִכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵם כְּמוֹ גוּף אֶחָד, וְאִם יֵשׁ לוֹ כְּאֵב גָּדוֹל בְּאֵיזֶה אֵיבָר, גַּם שְׁאָר הָאֵיבָרִים אַף שֶׁאֵין כְּאֵבָם גָּדוֹל כָּל כָּךְ, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן יֵשׁ לָהֶם הַרְגָּשָׁה מֵאוֹתוֹ הַכְּאֵב. וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּוַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה פ"ד: "שֶׂה פְּזוּרָה יִשְׂרָאֵל". נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשֶׂה, מַה דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל שֶׂה, לוֹקֶה בְּאֶחָד מֵאֵיבָרָיו וְכֻלָּם מַרְגִּישִׁים, אַף יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶחָד חוֹטֵא וְכֻלָּם נֶעֱנָשִׁים. תָּנֵי ר' שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי: מָשָׁל לִבְנֵי אָדָם, שֶׁהָיוּ בָּאִים בִּסְפִינָה, נָטַל אֶחָד מֵהֶם מַקְדֵּחַ וְהִתְחִיל קוֹדֵחַ תַּחְתָּיו, אָמְרוּ לוֹ חֲבֵרָיו: לָמָּה אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה כֵּן? אָמַר לָהֶם: מָה אִכְפַּת לָכֶם, לֹא תַּחְתַּי אֲנִי קוֹדֵחַ?! אָמְרוּ לוֹ: מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאַתָּה מֵצִיף עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַסְּפִינָה וְכוּ', עַיֵּן שָׁם, וְהוּא מִטַּעַם הַנַּ"ל.
And that is why we find many times in the words of Chazal that if one transgresses, G-d forbid, he thereby harms all of Israel, for they [he and all the rest] are like one body. And if one has a great pain in one organ, the other organs, too, even though their pain is not so great, still feel a "vibration" of that pain. As we find in Vayikra Rabbah 84: "(Jeremiah 50:17): 'A scattered lamb is Israel.' Israel is compared to a lamb. Just as a lamb, if it is hurt in one of its organs, all of them feel it, so Israel — one sins and all feel it. R. Shimon b. Yochai said: 'This may be compared to [an instance of] men sailing in a boat. One of them takes a drill and starts drilling under him. His friends say to him: "Why are you doing this?" He answers: "What business is it of yours? Am I not drilling under me?" And they say: "But you are flooding the boat on us!"'"
וְלָכֵן אָחִי הִזָּהֵר וְהִזָּהֵר מִלִּנְקֹם וְלִנְטֹר אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ, כִּי אֶת עַצְמְךָ אַתָּה נוֹקֵם וְנוֹטֵר. רַק תַּחֲשֹׁב בְּדַעְתְּךָ, שֶׁמִּן הַשָּׁמַיִם נִסְבַּב כָּל אֵלֶּה עֲבוּר עֲוֹנוֹתֶיךָ, וּמַה לִּי אִם נִסְבַּב הַצַּעַר הַזֶּה עַל יְדֵי זֶה אוֹ עַל יְדֵי אַחֵר? וְאִם אֲקַבֵּל כָּל זֶה עָלַי, בֶּאֱמֶת יִמָּחֲלוּ עֲבוּר זֶה עֲוֹנוֹתַי, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהֵשִׁיב דָּוִד לַאֲבִישַׁי בֶּן צְרוּיָה, בְּעֵת שֶׁרָצָה לִנְקֹם עֲבוּרוֹ מֵאֵת שִׁמְעִי בֶּן גֵּרָא, עַל שֶׁחֵרֵף וְגִדֵּף לְדָוִד וְקִלְּלוֹ קְלָלָה נִמְרֶצֶת, לֹא הִנִּיחוֹ דָּוִד וְאָמַר (שמואל ב' ט"ז י'): "ה' אָמַר לוֹ קַלֵּל" וְגוֹ'. וְאָמְרוּ חֲזַ"ל, שֶׁעֲבוּר זֶה נִמְנוּ בְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁל מַעְלָה וּמִנּוּהוּ לְדָוִד, שֶׁיְּהֵא הָרְבִיעִי מֵרַגְלֵי הַמֶּרְכָּבָה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנַּאֲרִיךְ בָּזֶה אִם יִרְצֶה ה' לְקַמָּן.
Therefore, my brother, take great care not to avenge yourself and not to bear a grudge against your brother. For it is yourself against whom you are taking revenge and bearing a grudge! Think only that Heaven is causing all this to happen to you, because of your sins. And what difference does it make whether this suffering comes upon you by the one or by the other? And if I accept all this upon me [resignedly] in truth, all of my sins will be pardoned thereby. As David said to Avishai ben Tzeruyah when he wanted to take revenge on his [David's] behalf, of Shim'i ben Gera, for having shamed and vilified David and cursed him with a dire curse — David did not allow him [Avishai] to do so, saying: "The L-rd told him to curse!" And Chazal have said that because of this the Heavenly tribunal designated David to be the fourth leg of the Divine Chariot, as we shall explain at length below, please G-d.
הג"ה. [עוֹד אָמַרְתִּי לְהַשְׁקִיט אֶת לֵב הָאָדָם, שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲלֶה בְּדַעְתּוֹ לִנְקֹם וְלִנְטֹר, בַּמֶּה שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי אֶת הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא י"ח י"ט): "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי ה"'. דְּלִכְאוֹרָה מַה סְּמִיכוּת "אֲנִי ה"' לְרֵישָׁא דִּקְרָא? וְאָמַרְתִּי, דְּכַוָּנַת הַכָּתוּב בָּזֶה לְתָרֵץ רֵישָׁא דִּקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב: "לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ" וְגוֹ'. דְּלִכְאוֹרָה יִפָּלֵא, אִם הַזְּמַן דָּחוּק לָאָדָם מְאֹד, וְהוּא מְבַקֵּשׁ מֵאֵת חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁיֵּיטִיב לוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה דָּבָר, וְיֵשׁ בִּיכָלְתּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ דָּבָר זֶה וְאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה, וּבִפְרָט אִם צִעֵר אוֹתוֹ, אֵיךְ יוּכַל הָאָדָם שֶׁלֹּא תִּהְיֶה לוֹ שׁוּם תַּרְעֹמֶת עָלָיו וְאַף יֹאהֲבֶנּוּ כָּמוֹהוּ?
[To set one's mind at rest not (even) to think of taking revenge and bearing a grudge) I have adduced my interpretation of (Vayikra 19:18): "And you shall love your friend as yourself; I am the L-rd," viz.: How are we to understand the juxtaposition of "I am the L-rd" with the beginning of the verse? I have said that the intent of Scripture here is to elucidate the beginning of the verse: "You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people." ("And you shall love, etc.") For, ostensibly, that is to be wondered at. If one is very pressed for time and he asks his friend to do him a favor, and the latter is in a position to grant the favor and refuses, especially if he grieves him in the process — how can he not take umbrage, and even love him as himself?
וּבֵאַרְתִּי אֶת הַכָּתוּב עַל פִּי מָשָׁל נָאֶה וְהוּא: רְאוּבֵן הָיְתָה לוֹ שִׂנְאָה עַל אִישׁ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן וְעָשָׂה מְרִיבָה עִמּוֹ. בָּא לוֹ אַחַר כָּךְ אִישׁ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ יְהוּדָה, וִיהוּדָה זֶה הָיָה מֻחְזָק בְּעֵינֵי שִׁמְעוֹן וּבְעֵינֵי כֹּל, שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ אֱמֶת, וְסִפֵּר לוֹ לֵאמֹר: אֵיךְ שֶׁהָאִישׁ שִׁמְעוֹן, אֲשֶׁר יֵשׁ לְךָ שִׂנְאָה עָלָיו, וְאָמַרְתָּ לִי שֶׁהוּא אָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן, אָדָם בָּזוּי, אֲנִי רָאִיתִי אַחַר כָּךְ בְּאֵיזֶה יָמִים, שֶׁהָיָה אֵצֶל גְּדוֹל הַדּוֹר אֶחָד, הַמְפֻרְסָם לְגָאוֹן וְצַדִּיק גַּם חָכָם גָּדוֹל שֶׁאֵין כְּמוֹתוֹ, וְכִבֵּד אוֹתוֹ הַגָּדוֹל הַהוּא לִמְאֹד וְהֶרְאָה לוֹ אוֹתוֹת אַהֲבָתוֹ בְּכַמָּה עִנְיָנִים, שָׁגַגְתָּ בָּזֶה אָחִי עַד מְאֹד. וּכְשֶׁשָּׁמַע רְאוּבֵן אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה, נִשְׁתּוֹמֵם עַל הָעִנְיָן הַהוּא וְהֵשִׁיב: הִכְנַסְתָּ סָפֵק בְּלִבִּי, כִּי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁהָאֱמֶת עִם ר' שִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל, וְרַק מֵחֲמַת שֶׁכָּל דֶּרֶךְ אִישׁ יָשָׁר בְּעֵינָיו, נִדְמָה לִי שֶׁהַדִּין עִמִּי, אוֹ אוּלַי בֶּאֱמֶת הַדִּין עִמִּי, אַךְ שִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל הוּא אִישׁ מִרְמָה וְהִטְעָה בְּדִבּוּרָיו הַחֲלַקְלַקּוֹת לִגְדּוֹל הַדּוֹר הַנַּ"ל, עַד שֶׁנִּדְמָה בְּעֵינָיו לְאִישׁ נִכְבָּד, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא אוֹסִיף עוֹד לְדַבֵּר עָלָיו מֵחֲמַת סָפֵק שֶׁהִכְנַסְתָּ בְּלִבִּי.
I have explained the verse by an apt analogy, viz.: Reuven hated Shimon and stirred up a quarrel with him. Afterwards, Yehudah came along, who was held by Shimon and by all men to be a man of truth and told Reuven: "Shimon, whom you hate, and who you told me is dishonest and despicable — I saw him a few days afterwards with one of the great men of this generation, renowned as a Gaon and a tzaddik and a peerless sage. And that Gaon honored him greatly and showed him tokens of love in many ways. You were greatly mistaken in this, my brother." And when Reuven heard this, he was astounded and said: "You have placed a doubt in my heart. It is possible that the truth is with R. Shimon and that only because 'all the ways of a man are just in his eyes' that I thought that the din was with me — or perhaps, in truth the din is with me, but this Shimon is a deceiver and "smooth-talked" this great man until he thought him to be an honorable man; but, nevertheless, I will no longer speak [evil] of him because of the doubt you raised in my heart."
אַחַר כָּךְ בְּעוֹד אֵיזֶה יָמִים בָּא אֵלָיו אִישׁ יְהוּדָה זֶה, הַמֻּחְזָק בְּעֵינָיו לְאִישׁ אֱמֶת, וְסִפֵּר לוֹ לֵאמֹר: אֵיךְ שֶׁרָאִיתִי דְּבַר פֶּלֶא יוֹתֵר גָּדוֹל, וְהוּא שֶׁהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ לִי עָלָיו, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְךָ עֲדַיִן עוֹד סָפֵק עָלָיו, שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ מִרְמָה וְאָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן, רְאִיתִיו שֶׁנִּזְדַּמֵּן אַחַר כָּךְ אֵצֶל חַכְמֵי הַדּוֹר הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, וְגַם הֵם נָשְׂאוּ לוֹ פָּנִים עַד מְאֹד וְהֶרְאוּ לוֹ אוֹתוֹת אַהֲבָה לְעֵין כֹּל, וְעַל אִישׁ גְּדוֹל הַדּוֹר אֶחָד, שֶׁסִּפַּרְתִּי לְךָ מִתְּחִלָּה, הֲשַׁבְתַּנִי שֶׁהוּא הִטְעָה אוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל עַל אֲנָשִׁים כָּאֵלּוּ לֹא שַׁיָּךְ לוֹמַר זֶה. וּכְשֶׁשָּׁמַע רְאוּבֵן אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הֵשִׁיב תֵּכֶף: הַדִּין עִמְּךָ, שֶׁהַיֵּצֶר הִטְעַנִי בְּעִקַּר הַדָּבָר. הוֹסִיף עוֹד יְהוּדָה הַנַּ"ל וְסִפֵּר לוֹ עוֹד דָּבָר: הֲלֹא אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ בָּאִישׁ שִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל, שֶׁנִּזְדַּמֵּן אֵצֶל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, ר' מֵאִיר וְר' יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי שֶׁסִּדֵּר הַמִּשְׁנָיוֹת וַחֲבֵרָיו, דַּהֲוָה שָׁכִיחַ אֵלִיָּהוּ גַּבַּיְהוּ (שהיה אליהו מצוי אצלם) כַּיָּדוּעַ, וְגַם הֵם פֵּאֲרוּהוּ וְשִׁבְּחוּהוּ, וְסִפֵּר אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא לִפְנֵי הַתַּנָּאִים הַנַּ"ל, אֵיךְ שֶׁדֻּבַּר אוֹדוֹת ר' שִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל לְמַעְלָה וְשָׁמַע מִפִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא אוֹהֵב לְר' שִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל.
A few days after that, Yehudah, whom Reuven holds to be a man of truth, comes to him and says: "I have seen an even more wonderful thing. The man that you told me that you still had doubts about, that he might be a deceiver and dishonest — I saw him afterwards, meeting with the early sages of the generation, and they, too, honored him greatly and showed him tokens of love in the presence of all. And about the great man of the generation that I told you about in the beginning, — you may have thought that Shimon deceived him; but about men like these it is impossible to say this." When Reuven hears this he immediately replies: "You are right. The yetzer deceived me in the very essence of the thing." Yehudah continues: "Don't I know about Shimon that he met with the early sages of Israel, R. Meir, R. Yehudah, and Rabbi, who redacted the Mishnayoth, and his colleagues, whose company Eliyahu would frequent, as is well known; and they, too, lauded and praised him. And Eliyahu the prophet told these tannaim that this R. Shimon was "spoken of on high" and he heard from the mouth of the Holy One Blessed be He that He loved R. Shimon.
וּכְשֶׁשָׁמַע רְאוּבֵן אֶת הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה נִרְתַּע וְנָפַל עַל פָּנָיו וְאָמַר: אוֹי לִי, בַּמֶּה שֶּׁחָשַׁבְתִּי מִתְּחִלָּה, שֶׁאֲנִי הַצַּדִּיק וְהוּא הָרָשָׁע, כִּי לְפִי מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי רוֹאֶה עַתָּה, לֹא כֵן הַדָּבָר, כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא שֹׁרֶשׁ הַכֹּל וְיוֹדֵעַ מַה שֶּׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בַּחֹשֶךְ וּבַגָּלוּי, אֲשֶׁר תָּמִים פָּעֳלוֹ וְכָל דְּרָכָיו מִשְׁפָּט, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹהֵב לְהָאָדָם בְּוַדַּאי אֵין אוֹהֲבוֹ עַל לֹא דָּבָר. וּבְעִנְיָן שֶׁהָיָה לִי עִם הָאִישׁ נִכְבָּד ר' שִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל, אֲנִי מִתְבּוֹנֵן שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּזֶה כַּמָּה פָּנִים. א. שֶׁהַדִּין עִמּוֹ בְּעֶצֶם הָעִנְיָן. רַק מִצַּד שֶׁהָעִנְיָן נוֹגֵעַ לִי וְלֹא הִכַּרְתִּי לְשִׁמְעוֹן הַנַּ"ל נִדְמָה בְּדַעְתִּי שֶׁהָאֱמֶת וְהַצֶּדֶק אִתִּי, וְזֶהוּ הַקָּרוֹב לִי יוֹתֵר מִן הַכֹּל. אוֹ אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁבִּשְׁגָגָה בָּא הַדָּבָר לְיָדוֹ וְהִתְחָרֵט בְּעַצְמוֹ עַל זֶה מְאֹד, וְאֶפְשָׁר גַּם בְּדַעְתּוֹ לְפַיֵּס אוֹתִי עֲבוּר זֶה, אוֹ שְׁאָר עִנְיְנֵי זְכוּת שֶׁאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ. בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ יֵשׁ לִי עָוֹן גָּדוֹל בְּמַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתִּי עַל אִישׁ, שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אָמַר עָלָיו שֶׁהוּא אוֹהֲבוֹ, וּמִסְּתָמָא שֹׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתוֹ לְמַעְלָה קְדוֹשָׁה וְנוֹרָאָה עַד מְאֹד, קְרָאתִיו וּפִרְסַמְתִּי אוֹתוֹ לְאָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן, אָדָם בָּזוּי, אִישׁ מִרְמָה, מֵעַתָּה אֲנִי מִתְחָרֵט עַל זֶה מְאֹד מְאֹד, וְאֵין לִי שׁוּם שִׂנְאָה עָלָיו מֵאַחַר שֶׁהַקָדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹהֲבוֹ.
And when Reuven hears this, he recoils and falls on his face and says: "Woe unto me for what I thought at first, that I am the tzaddik and he, the rasha. For from what I see now, this is not so. For the Holy One Blessed be He, who is the Root of all and knows what is done in darkness and in light, whose work is perfect and all His ways just — when He loves a man, certainly His love is not in vain. As far as what passed between me and the honored R. Shimon, I can see this now in several ways. First that the din is with him in principle itself, but, because I was personally involved and I did not know Shimon, it seemed to me that truth and rightness was with me, and this is what I consider most likely. Or, it is possible that Shimon was unwitting in what he did and that he sorely regretted it [thereafter], and it is possible that he yet intends to conciliate me. Or, there may be other reasons that I am not acquainted with. In any case, I have greatly sinned in speaking against a man whom the Holy One Blessed be He, Himself, said that He loved, whose soul-root on high must be exceedingly holy and awesome — publicizing him as "dishonest," "despicable" and "deceitful." I greatly regret this and bear no hatred towards him, since the Holy One Blessed be He, Himself is his Lover.
וְזוֹהִי כַּוָּנַת הַכָּתוּב בְּ"לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ". וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר: בְּאֵיזֶה אֹפֶן אוּכַל לִפְעֹל בְּעַצְמִי, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לִי שׁוּם תַּרְעוֹמוֹת עָלָיו וְאַף לֶאֱהֹב אוֹתוֹ? לָזֶה בָּא הַכָּתוּב כִּמְתָרֵץ "אֲנִי ה"', פֵּרוּשׁ: אֲנִי ה' אֲהַבְתִּיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּמַלְאָכִי (א' ב'): "אָהַבְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אָמַר ה"' וְגוֹ', (דברים י"ד א'), "בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם" וְגוֹ', גַּם אַתָּה תּוּכַל לֶאֱהֹב אוֹתוֹ. וּבֶאֱמֶת הַדָּבָר פָּשׁוּט, כִּי הָאָדָם מִצַּד שֶׁהוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל רַק לְמַטָּה בַּחֲבֵרוֹ, שֶׁהוּא מְלֻבָּשׁ בְּחֹמֶר גַּשְׁמִי, אֵין נֶחְשָׁב בְּעֵינָיו כָּל כָּךְ, וּבִפְרָט אִם בְּאֵיזֶה דָּבָר הוּא נֶגְדּוֹ, הוּא מְבַטֵּל אוֹתוֹ בְּרַעֲיוֹנָיו, לֹא כֵן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ בְּעֶצֶם אֶת שֹׁרֶשׁ קְּדֻשַׁת נִשְׁמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהוּא גָּדוֹל וְנוֹרָא עַד מְאֹד, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁשֹּׁרֶשׁ קְדֻשַּׁת נִשְׁמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא לְמַעְלָה בְּמָקוֹם נוֹרָא עַד מְאֹד, לָכֵן חֲשִׁיבוּתָם וְאַהֲבָתָם אֶצְלוֹ הוּא גַּם כֵּן לִמְאֹד].
And this is the intent of the verse "You shall not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the sons of your people. And you shall love your friend as yourself — I am the L-rd." If you say: "How can I make myself not have anything against him and even love him?" the verse itself provides the answer — "I am the L-rd." As per (Malachi 1:2): "'I have loved you,' said the L-rd," and (Devarim 14:1): "You are sons to the L-rd your G-d" — you, too, can love him. And, in truth, the matter is simple. For since a man looks "downwards" at his friend, seeing him clothed in physical matter, he [his friend] is not very significant to him, especially, if he is against him in some matter, in which instance he "nullifies" him completely. Not so the Holy One Blessed be He, who knows, in essence, that the root of the holiness of the soul of Israel is exceedingly great and awesome, as it is written in the holy Zohar in several places, that the root of the holiness of the soul of Israel on high is in an extremely awesome sphere, wherefore their eminence and His love for them, accordingly, are extremely great.]