We learn in Psalms (16:2) in the verse associated with my late father’s Hebrew name, Elimelech: “Say unto God, You are my Lord: My prosperity is not Your charge. But for the holy ones who are in the earth and the heroes in whom all my longing dwells.”
In this verse we pray that in merit of the holy ones who are in the earth, may God show mercy and save us. Let us understand why the verse says “who are in the earth,” when the essential sanctity and piety is that of their souls, which are in heaven and not in the earth.
In his sacred writings (Divrei Elimelech, p. 440) my father, of blessed memory, added the following to the talmudic discussion (Sotah 43a) of those who were considered unfit for military duty. The Talmud notes: “Whoever has fears concerning the sins in his hands, moves back from the front lines.” My holy father said that if someone worships God only in order to fulfill his own requirements—whether for fear of punishment or love of reward—then he fears only his own sins. He does not fear the sins of his friends, as he will not be punished for them. Such a person is unfit for military duty. Someone, however, who worships solely to fulfill the will of God also fears the sins of his friends, for they also are contrary to the will of God, and the worshipper’s only desire is to fulfill the will of God. Therefore, he whose fears are only for the sins that he holds in his own hands, and who does not fear the sins of his friend, moves back from the front lines.
A person whose intention is to fulfill the desire of God fears the sins of other Jews, and also fears the suffering of Jews, God forbid, because the Jewish people are (Deut. 9:26) “Your people and Your portion.” They are the children of God, as it is written (Exodus 4:22): “So says God: ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn.’ ” Such a person is in pain when, God forbid, the Jewish people suffer pain.
In the writings of my holy father, of blessed memory, we also learn, regarding self-sacrifice, that while a person who loves the king will give his life for the king, someone who loves the king even more powerfully will also give his life for the son of the king. Similarly, a person who really loves God powerfully is willing to give his life for Jews, and certainly suffers when he sees Jews in pain. This is true not just when they are in spiritual distress, but when they are in physical pain as well—when another Jew is in poor health, God forbid, or has nothing to eat or drink, nowhere to live, and nothing to wear, etc.
God said to Moses (Exodus 23:20–21), “I will send an angel before you to safeguard you on the way, and bring you to the place that I have prepared. Be careful in his presence and heed his voice. Do not rebel against him, since My name is in him. He will not bear your sins.” Rashi (ibid.) explains: “ ‘The angel will not bear your sins,’ because angels belong to a class of beings who never sin, and are therefore unaccustomed to sin.” In view of what was just said, we can propose another reason for the angel’s lack of forbearance. It might be due to a misapprehension on the angel’s part. Angels may be of the opinion that abandoning the body and ascending to a more spiritual world is a great boon. Therefore, “he will not bear your sins,” because of his belief that it is preferable to die and be elevated beyond the physical. But He, God, reigns everywhere; His sanctity can also be found in all things physical. The truth is actually quite contrary to the angel’s perception. Angels are unable to conceive of the fact that the Torah always combines with physical things and permeates them. This is why we learn in the Talmud (Shabbath 88b): “The angels said to God about the Torah: ‘That hidden treasure, which was hoarded nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created, You desire to give to flesh and blood?’ ”
It may be that this is hinted at in the verse (Numbers 20:15) “Our fathers migrated to Egypt, and we dwelt there a long time. The Egyptians mistreated both our fathers and us.” Rashi (ibid.) explains: “From this verse it may deduced that the Patriarchs suffer in their graves when punishment meets the Jewish people.” Why does Rashi specify that they suffer “in their graves,” when the souls of holy persons dwell Above? Only their holy bodies are buried in graves, together with the spirit of their bones, those parts of the personality below the level of the mind, as is discussed in the works of R. Isaac Luria, of blessed memory. From what was said earlier it can be explained thus. If Rashi had said only that the Patriarchs feel pain when we are in pain, we might have understood it to mean that the souls of the holy ones suffer when souls of the Jewish people are in pain. But then I might not have inferred that the Patriarchs feel pain over the physical pain experienced by people, or over physical needs that are not met, for even when they were alive the holy ones had transcended their physical needs, and they rose even higher after their deaths, ascending beyond the scope of any physicality. Therefore, Rashi wrote that the Patriarchs suffer in their graves. The only things remaining in the grave are their holy bodies, which endure pain over the physical pain of Jews. Even though the holy ones are in heaven, they know that all the greatness they achieved in this world was achieved through their physical, holy bodies. We have a tradition that when we who are alive in the world study the teachings of those who are dead, their lips move in their graves. In the Garden of Eden and in the Academy of Heaven, their souls continue learning the Torah, but for their lips to continue mumbling Torah in the grave, it is necessary for Jews to inhabit corporeal bodies in this world. Therefore, their bodies in the grave also suffer over the physical pain of the Jewish people.
God said of the angel, “He will not bear your sins,” because, “My name is in him.” But God “carries sins and passes over transgressions,” (Micah 7:18) so how can the reason why the angel “will not bear your sins” be “My name is in him”? The verse may be hinting, to us in our situation, at the following. It is well known that in the matter of the sephirot (Divine Apparel) there are two different categories: circles and lines. With circles, the larger encircles the smaller, extending outward as far as God, who encircles everything. The world we inhabit, the universe of Assiya (Action), is at the center of all circles. In the category of the straight line, however, the shortest line includes the longer, up to the level of the line stretching from infinity, which is at the very center. The line representing the universe of Assiya is the outermost garment, as is mentioned numerous times in the book Etz Chayim. It is also well known that the fundamental origin of kelim (vessels), receptacles of the Divine Light, is the void created by the absence of the Infinite Light that encircles everything, as is taught in the book Etz Chayim (1st gate, 2nd section; see notes supra. II).
We learn that the root of all things physical is in the circle that surrounds everything, where the greater always encircles the lesser, and He, God, surrounds everything, for, as the Midrash teaches (Genesis Rabbah 68:9), “He is the Place of the world.” Everything exists within Him. The soul, however, is in the category of the straight line, in which the lesser clothes the greater, and the line stretching from Infinity is the innermost. This is what the verse is hinting at with “He will not bear your sins, for My name is in him.” Unlike a human being, the angel does not have a body at a much lower level than his soul. The whole angel is a soul, which is in the category of the straight line that houses the Divine, as was said, “My name is in him.” The body of the angel surrounds the Infinite Light because the soul, and not the body, is the principle thing. Therefore, “He will not bear your sins,” because, for the angel, the divesting of the body and the ascension of the soul are the only important factors.
Our teacher Moses prayed (Exodus 32:13–14), “Remember Your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob . . . Remember the holy ones suffer in their graves,” over the physical suffering of the Jewish people, as we said above. Thus Moses, by mentioning the Patriarchs, prayed that God grant the Jewish people life and physically rescue them. This is the meaning of “My prosperity is not Your charge. But for the holy ones who are in the earth and the heroes in whom all my longing dwells.”—that is, not just for the sake of their souls in heaven but also for the bodies in the earth, because they suffer in the grave at the physical pain of the Jewish people. “Save us,” we pray, “in these physical matters too,” so that we may serve God from abundance. Amen, may it so be Your will.
*On the yahrzeit of the death of my father, his holiness R. Elimelech of Grodzysk, of saintly blessed memory.