הגהה

ומה שכתוב בזהר חלק ג׳ דף רל״א: כל שממועטין עונותיו וכו׳ —

NOTE

As for what is written in the Zohar III, p. 231: “He whose sins are few [is classed as a ‘righteous man who suffers’],”

implying that even according to the Zohar the meaning of a “righteous man who suffers” is one who does have sins, albeit few; and if so, a Beinoni must be one who is in part virtuous and in part sinful,

היא שאלת רב המנונא לאליהו

this is the query of Rav Hamnuna to Elijah.

אבל לפי תשובת אליהו שם הפי’ צדיק ורע לו הוא כמ”ש בר”מ פרשה משפטים דלעיל

But according to Elijah’s answer [ibid.], the meaning of a “righteous man who suffers” is as stated in Ra‘aya Mehemna on Parshat Mishpatim, quoted above,21 i.e., that the “righteous man who suffers” is one whose evil nature is subservient to his good nature.

ושבעים פנים לתורה

And the Torah has seventy facets (modes of interpretation).22

The Rebbe notes that the words, “And the Torah has seventy facets,” help us understand Rav Hamnuna’s query. It is difficult to understand how Rav Hamnuna would even entertain the notion that a “righteous man who suffers” is one who actually sins, inasmuch as all the abovementioned questions clearly lead us to assume the opposite. Rav Hamnuna’s query, however, was prompted only by the fact that “the Torah has seventy facets,” and he thought that this was possibly one of these facets.

END OF NOTE

והא דאמרינן בעלמא דמחצה על מחצה מקרי בינוני ורוב זכיות מקרי צדיק

As for the well-known saying23 that one [whose deeds and misdeeds are] equally balanced is called a Beinoni, while [he who has] a majority of virtues outweighing his sins is called a tzaddik,

הוא שם המושאל

this is only a borrowed name, i.e., a figurative use of the term borrowed from its true usage in order to emphasize a particular point. Thus the names Beinoni and tzaddik, denoting a balance between merits and sins, are in fact but borrowed names

לענין שכר ועונש

used in regard to reward and punishment,

לפי שנדון אחר רובו

because one is judged according to the majority [of his deeds],

ומקרי צדיק בדינו מאחר שזוכה בדין

and he is termed “righteous” in reference to his verdict, since he is acquitted at his trial.

It is only in this legal sense that the term tzaddik is applied to one who performs more good deeds than evil.

אבל לענין אמיתת שם התואר והמעלה של מעלת ומדריגות חלוקות צדיקים ובינונים

If, however, we seek to truly define the distinct qualities and ranks of tzaddikim and Beinonim,

אמרו רבותינו ז״ל: צדיקים — יצר טוב שופטן, שנאמר: ולבי חלל בקרבי

our Sages have remarked that the righteous are “judged” i.e., motivated and ruled, solely by their good nature, as it is written,24 “And my heart is slain within me,”

שאין לו יצר הרע כי הרגו בתענית

meaning that he i.e., David, the author of this verse was devoid of an evil nature, having slain it through fasting.

David extirpated his evil nature through fasting; other ways too are possible.

We thus see from the Gemara that the definition of tzaddik in its true sense applies to the person who has rid himself of his evil nature.

אבל כל מי שלא הגיע למדרגה זו, אף שזכיותיו מרובים על עונותיו, אינו במעלת ומדריגת צדיק כלל

But whoever has not attained this degree of ridding himself of his evil nature, even though his virtues outnumber his sins, is not at all at the level and rank of tzaddik.

In fact, not only has he not reached the rank of tzaddik: he has not yet attained even the level of Beinoni, as has been demonstrated above.

ולכן אמרו רבותינו ז״ל במדרש: ראה הקדוש ברוך הוא בצדיקים שהם מועטים, עמד ושתלן בכל דור ודור וכו׳

This is why our Sages have expounded:25 “The Almighty saw that the righteous were few, so He arose and planted i.e., and spread them in every generation,”

וכמו שכתוב: וצדיק יסוד עולם

[for,] as it is written,26 “The tzaddik is the foundation of the world.”

Thus, in each generation there must be a tzaddik who serves as the “foundation of the world.”

This paucity of tzaddikim (“The righteous were few”) can be explained only if a tzaddik is he who has totally rid himself of his evil nature. Were the term tzaddik to mean one whose good deeds outweigh the evil, why then do our Sages say that “the righteous were few,” when the overwhelming majority of Jews have more good deeds than evil!

FootNotes:

21. Zohar II, 117b.

22. Otiot deRabbi Akiva; comp. Bamidbar Rabbah 14:12.

23. See Rambam, Hilchot Teshuvah 3:1; Rashi on Rosh HaShanah 16b.

24. Tehillim 109:22. See ch. 13 for the comment of the Rebbe on the interpretation of this

verse.

25. Cf. Yoma 38b.

26. Mishlei 10:25.