Tomer Devorah Lesson a Day

It is proper for man to emulate his Creator, for then he will attain the essence of the Supernal Form in both image (tzelem) and likeness (demus). For if his physical form reflects the Supernal Form, while his actions do not, he falsifies his stature. They will then say of him, “a handsome form whose deeds are ugly.” For the essential aspect of the Supernal image and likeness are His deeds. And what use will it be to him to reflect the Supernal Form physically with the likeness of the shape of his limbs, when his deeds do not emulate those of his Creator? Thus, it is proper that man emulate the functions of keser – which are the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of mercy – alluded to, in the essence of the verses (Michah 7:18-20): “Who is G-d like You, Who pardons iniquity and removes transgression for the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His wrath eternally for He is desirous of kindness. He will again be merciful to us, He will suppress our iniquities, and You will cast into the depths of the sea all of their sins. Grant truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham, as You have sworn to our forefathers from days of old.” Therefore, it is proper that one should contain in himself these Thirteen Attributes. We will now explain the thirteen functions of these attributes.

Who is G-d like You?

This attribute teaches us that the Holy One, Blessed is He, is a forbearing King Who tolerates insult in a manner beyond human comprehension. Without doubt, nothing is hidden from His providence. In addition, there is not a moment that man is not nourished and sustained by virtue of the Divine power bestowed upon him. Thus being, no man ever sinned against G-d without G-d Himself bestowing His existence and the ability to move his limbs, at that very moment. Yet, even though a person uses this very power to transgress, He does not withhold it from him at all. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, tolerates this insult and continues to bestow on him the power to move his limbs. Even at the very moment that person uses this power for transgression, sin and infuriating deeds, the Holy One, Blessed is He, continues to tolerate him. One cannot say, G-d forbid, that He cannot withhold this benevolence, for it is within His power to shrivel up a person’s arms or legs instantly, just as He did with Yaravam (See Melachim A13-4). Yet, even though it is within His power to withdraw the power that he bestowed, and He could maintain, “Since you sin against Me, sin with that which belongs to you, not with that which belongs to Me,” He does not, for this reasoning, withhold His goodness from man; rather, He tolerates the insult and continues to bestow power and benefits man with His benevolence. Behold, this is a degree of insult and tolerance of it that is immeasurable. For this reason, the ministering angels refer to the Holy One, Blessed is He, as the “Forbearing King” (Pirkei Heichalos Chapter 24). This is the meaning of the saying: “Who is G-d like You” – You are G-d Who possesses kindness, Who is benevolent. A G-d Who possesses the power to take revenge and claim what is rightfully Yours, and yet, You are tolerant and forbearing until man repents.

Thus, this attribute of being tolerant, is one that man should emulate. Even when he is insulted to such a degree (mentioned above0, he should still not withdraw his benevolence from the recipient.

2^nd day

Who pardons iniquity

Behold, this attribute is greater than the previous one. For whenever a person commits a transgression, a destructive being is created – as stated in the Mishnah (Avos 4:13), “He who commits a single transgression acquires against himself a single accuser”. And this accuser stands before the Holy One, Blessed is He, and declares, “So and so created me.” Considering that no being in the world exists without the bestowing of life from the Holy One, Blessed is He, then this destructive being which stands before Him, with what sustenance does he exist? The strict measure of justice would justify that the Holy One, Blessed is He, should claim, “I do not nourish destructive beings! Go to the one who made you, and derive your sustenance from him.” The destructive being would then immediately descend and take his life, or cut him off from his spiritual source, or he would receive his deserving punishment until the destructive being would cease to be. Nevertheless, the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not do this. Rather, He bears and tolerates the sin, and just as He nourishes the entire world, He nourishes and sustains this destructive being until one of three things happens: Either the sinner repents, and destroys and nullifies it (the destructive being) through his acts of penance; or the righteous judge nullifies it through the suffering or death of the sinner; or he will descend to Gehinnom to repay his debt there. This is also the explanation of Kayin’s plea, “Is my sin too great to bear?” (Bereishis 4:13), which our Sages (Tanchumah Breishis, Chap 9) interpreted as: “You tolerate the entire world!: meaning – You nourish and sustain. “Is my sin so severe that You cannot tolerate it: - meaning to sustain it (the destructive being), until I repent and rectify the sin?” Thus, that G-d nourishes and sustains the evil creature created by the sinner, until he repents, represents a great quality of tolerance.

From this, man should learn to what extent he should be tolerant. He should tolerate the wrong of his fellow and his harm, even though he harmed him to such a degree, that the harm he caused him continues to exist. He should tolerate this until his fellow rectifies the wrong himself or it (the harm) disappears on its own. And the same applies to other situations.

And removes transgression

This is a very great attribute, for when G-d forgives a sinner, He does not convey His pardon through an emissary. Rather, the Holy One Himself, Blessed is He, grants the pardon, as it is written: “For with You is forgiveness…” (Tehillim 13:4) What is the nature of this forgiveness? He washes away the sin, as it is written: “For G-d has washed away the filth of the daughters of Tziyon…” (Yeshaya 4:4) Similarly, it is written: “And I will sprinkle purifying waters upon you…” (Yechezkel 36:25). This, then, is the attribute of “Removing transgression” – He sends purifying waters, and removes and washes away transgression.

A person should behave in exactly the same manner. He should not say, “Why should I rectify what so and so corrupted or ruined? “ This should not be said, for when man sins, the Holy One, Blessed is He, Himself, not by way of an emissary, rectifies his corruption and washes away the filth of his sins. From this, a person should understand to be ashamed to return to his sinful ways, for the King Himself cleanses the filth of his spiritual garments.

3^rd day

For the remnant (shei’ris) of His heritage

The Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts himself towards Bnei Yisroel in this way: He says, “What shall I do for Bnei Yisroel, who are My relatives? I have with them a family relationship!: for they are the “spouse” of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and He also calls them, “My daughter,” “My sister,” and “My mother,” as our sages (Medash Shiur HaShiurim 3:25) explain. And as it is written “Bnei Yisroel, a nation related to Him” (Tehillim 48:4)), - He has an actual family relationship with them and they are His children. . this, too, is the meaning of the words “shei’ris of His heritage,” implying she’er bassar (a flesh relationship). In the final analysis, they are G-d heritage. And what does He say? “If I punish them, the pain is Mine!” As it is written – In all their pain, He is afflicted” (Yeshaya 63:9). The word lo is actually written with an aleph implying that their pain extends to the level of keser called pelech (aleph has the same letters as peleh – referring to the sefira of keser) and how much more so to the level of the dual visage (tiferes and malchus) through which the world is mainly conducted. For it is read lo tzar with a vav signifying that the pain is His. This is also the intention of the verse that is written, “And His soul could not tolerate the misery of Yisroel” (Shoftim 10:16), for He cannot tolerate their suffering and disgrace, since they are the remnant (shei’ris) of His heritage.

A person should behave this same way towards his fellow, since all Bnei Yisroel are related to each other, being that all souls are united, and each soul contains a part of all others. This is why, nothing can compare to a multitude who do a mitzvah (Toras Kohanim 26:8). The reason being, because they are all united and complement one another. And thus, our Sages explain (Brachos 47b) regarding one who is counted among the first ten to arrive at the Bais Haknesses (synagogue) that even if one hundred come after him, he receives a reward equivalent to them all. “One hundred” is to be understood literally, since the souls of each of the first ten are included in each other, thus there are ten times ten, which equals one hundred. And since each soul includes all of the others, every one of them is a combination of one hundred souls. Therefore, even if a hundred come after him, his reward equals all of the hundred. This is also why “Bnei Yisroel are guarantors thus responsible and liable for one another” (Shevuos 39a), since each Jewish soul actually contains a potion of all the others, and when an individual sins, he blemishes his own soul and also the portion of every other Jew that he possesses within himself. It is this portion that requires his friend to be a guarantor for him. Hence, all Jews are related to one another.

Therefore, it is proper for man to desire the benefit of his fellow, view his neighbor’s good fortune in a positive way, and cherish his friend’s honor as his won – for he (his friend) is actually himself! And for this reason, we are commanded to “Love your fellow Jew as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). Furthermore, it is proper that one should be pleased with the integrity of his fellow, and should never speak ill of him or be desirous of his disgrace, just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, desires neither our disgrace nor our suffering, because of our relationship; so too, a person should not be desirous of his fellow’s disgrace, suffering or downfall. Rather, he should be pained by it as if he himself was actually suffering that same pain or rejoicing in the person’s good fortune as if he were enjoying that same good fortune.

The daily learning of Sefer Tomer Devora is for an aliyah for the neshama of 14 year old Dov Mattisyahu ben Yaffa Yehudis, who was hit by a car in Silver Spring Md on 4 Sivan, 5766 and who was niftar on 12 Sivan, 5766 and for a refuah shelama for 12 year old Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben Devorah Esther who is recovering after being hit by a car 3 Sivan in Chicago 5766 in Chicago and for Reuvain Moshe ben Chana a 4 year old boy who is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Brooklyn on 21 Sivan

4th day

He does not retain His wrath eternally

This is another attribute that even when a person persists in sinning, the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not retain His wrath. And even when He does retain it, it is not forever. Rather, He nullifies His anger even if a person does not repent, as we find in the days of Yaravam ben Yoash, when the Holy One, Blessed is He, restored the orders of the land of Israel (Melachim B 14:26); they were worshippers of idols, but He had mercy on them, thought hey did not repent. If so, why did He have mercy on them? Because of this attribute of not retaining His wrath forever. On the contrary, He deliberately alleviates His wrath. Even thought the sin still exists, He does not punish immediately; rather, He waits hopefully and has mercy on the sinners on the possibility that they will repent. This is the intention of the verse “Not forever will he battle, nor will he bear a grudge for eternity” (Tehillim 103:9). Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts Himself with both tenderness and harshness, all for the benefit of Bnei Yisroel.

This is a fitting attribute with which a person should conduct himself towards his fellows. Even if one is permitted to reprimand his friend or his children severely, and they would accept the rebuke, this is no reason to intensify his reprimand and persist in his anger, though he was angered. Instead, he should nullify it (his anger) and not retain his wrath eternally, even if this is such a wrath that is permissible for man. This idea is comparable to our Sages’ explanation of the verse “When you see the donkey of someone you hate lying under its burden,” (Shemos 23:5). What is the cause of this hatred? He saw him transgress a sin, and being a lone witness, he cannot testify against him in court. Thus, he hates him because of that sin. Even so, the Torah demands, “You shall help along with him,” meaning, abandon that anger which is in your heart. And on the contrary, it is a mitzvah to befriend him with love, for perhaps with this method you will succeed in causing him to repent. This is exactly the attribute of – “He does not retain His wrath eternally.”

For He is desirous of kindness

We have already explained elsewhere (Pardas Rimonim, Shaar Heichalos Chap. 5) that in a certain Heavenly chamber, angels are appointed to receive the grants of kindness that man performs in this world. And when the attribute of strict judgment accuses Bnei Yisroel, these angels immediately display those acts of kindness, and the Holy One, Blessed is He, has mercy upon Bnei Yisroel, since He is desirous of their kindness. And even though they may be guilty, He has mercy on them if they grant kindness to one another. This can be compared to the time of the Destruction of the Holy Temple, when it was said to the angel Gavriel: “Go in between the galgal, beneath the keruvim, and throw them on the city…” (Yechezkel 10:2) For he (Gavirel) is the angel of judgment and strictness, and he was given permission to receive the powers of judgment, from the fire on the Altar, which is between the galgal, below the keruvim. This is judgment according to the strictness of malchus, which became so severe that it sought to destroy everything and uproot the core of Bnei Yisroel, because they had incurred the penalty of annihilation. However, the passage continues “The form of a man’s hand appeared under the wings of the keruvim meaning that the Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Gavriel, “They grant kindness towards one another (Vayikra Raba 26:8). So even though they were guilty, they were saved, and a remnant of them was left. The reason for this is due to this attribute of “He is desirous of kindness,” meaning – the kindness that Bnei Yisroel grant for one another. And He reminds them (the Heavenly court) of this righteous aspect of them, even though, in other aspects, they are not righteous.

Hence it is proper for man to conduct himself with this attribute. Even if one is aware that another person is committing evil against him, and angers him, nevertheless if he has some good redeeming quality – e.g. he is benevolent to others or he possesses some other good trait with which he conducts himself righteously – this good side of him should be sufficient for one to nullify his anger against him and to have a positive feeling towards him and to desire his kindness and say “It is enough for me that he has this good quality.” How much more so does all this apply to one’s wife; as our Sages explained: “It is enough that they raise our children and save us from sin.” So, too, one should say to himself with regard to every man, “It is enough that he has done for me or someone else such and such a favor, or that he has a such and such positive quality, and he should always be desirous of kindness.

The daily learning of Sefer Tomer Devora is for an aliyah for the neshama of 14 year old Dov Mattisyahu ben Yaffa Yehudis, who was hit by a car in Silver Spring Md on 4 Sivan, 5766 and who was niftar on 12 Sivan, 5766 and for a refuah shelama for 12 year old Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben Devorah Esther who is recovering after being hit by a car 3 Sivan in Chicago 5766 in Chicago and for Reuvain Moshe ben Chana a 4 year old boy who is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Brooklyn on 21 Sivan

5th day

He will again be merciful to us

The Holy One, Blessed is He, does not conduct Himself in the same manner as man. For when one is angered by his fellow, when he reconciles with him, the reconciliation is only minimal – not to the extent of the original love between them. But if a person sins and afterwards repents, his stature before the Holy One, Blessed be He, is even greater than before. This is the intention of the statement our Sages made, “At the level where baale teshuvah stand, perfect tzaddikim cannot stand.” The reason for this is, as explained in the Talmud (Menachos 29b) regarding the letter Hei: “Why is it made open like a porch? So that anyone who wants to go astray from His world can do so!” The explanation of this is as follows: The world was created with the letter Hei, for the Holy One, Blessed is He, created the world as such that it is wide-open to evil and sin. There is no direction where earthliness, the evil inclination, and blemishes of the soul are absent! It is just like a porch, which is not fully fenced, rather, it has a huge breach on the bottom toward evil. Anyone who desires to leave His world has many exits; wherever he turns, he will find an aspect of sin or transgression through which he can enter the domain of the Outside Forces. And yet, it also has a gap at the top left corner, symbolizing that if he repents he will be accepted by G-d. The Sages asked, “Why shouldn’t he reenter the same path through which he left? Our Sages answer: Because this way will not help him enough in his repentance.” Meaning, that it is not enough for a repentant sinner to guard himself against sin the same way a perfectly righteous person does. Tzaddikim, since they have not sinned require only a minor barrier, whereas for a repentant sinner, a small barrier is insufficient – he needs a number of strong restraints. The reason being, since this minor barrier was already breached once, if he approaches it, his evil urge will easily seduce him again. Therefore, he must further himself a great distance, and not reenter the porch at the breached side. Rather, he should ascend and enter the narrow gap at the top of the Hei, by engaging in self afflictions, thus mending the breaches.

For this reason, “At the level where baalei teshuvah stand, perfect tzaddikim cannot stand.” – for they did not enter through the same entrance as the righteous such that they should be together with the righteous. Instead, they pained themselves in order to ascend through the upper door, they inflicted penances on themselves, and distanced themselves from sin much more than the righteous. They have therefore ascended and attained the level of Hei, that is the roof of the Hei symbolizing the fifth Palace of Gan Eden, whereas the righteous have entered only through the lower opening of the Hei – the entrance of the porch. Therefore when a person does teshuva – that is to say tashuv Hei – he returns the hei to its proper place, and then the Holy One, Blessed is He, returns His Shechinah upon him. And He will restore His love for the repentant person not only as the original love was, but rather in an even greater measure. This is the explanation of the attribute “He will again be merciful to us”: He will increase His mercy toward Bnei Yisroel, perfecting them and drawing them closer to Himself.

This is also how a person should behave towards his fellow. He should not nurture the hatred born of past anger. Rather, when he sees that his fellow desires his love, he should raise his level of mercy and love toward him much more than before, and say, “He is to me like the baale teshuvah, in whose company even the perfectly righteous cannot stand.”

And he should befriend him to the fullest extent, much more than he would befriend those who are perfectly righteous in their behavior towards him and have never wronged him.

The daily learning of Sefer Tomer Devora is for an aliyah for the neshama of 14 year old Dov Mattisyahu ben Yaffa Yehudis, who was hit by a car in Silver Spring Md on 4 Sivan, 5766 and who was niftar on 12 Sivan, 5766 and for a refuah shelama for 12 year old Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben Devorah Esther who is recovering after being hit by a car 3 Sivan in Chicago 5766 in Chicago and for Reuvain Moshe ben Chana a 4 year old boy who is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Brooklyn on 21 Sivan

6th day

He will suppress our iniquities

Behold, the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts Himself with Bnei Yisroel according to this attribute, which is the essence of suppressing iniquity. For mitzvos are compared to blossoms of a grapevine, sprouting its developing fruit – and it shoots upwards without limit, to enter His blessed Presence. However, sins have no entrance there, G-d forbid. Rather, He suppresses them, denying them entry, as it is written: “Evil will not dwell with You (Tehillim 5:5), which our Sages (Shabbos 149b) interpret as implying that “no evil will dwell in Your dwelling.” Thus, iniquity has no eentry into the Inner Sanctum. For this reason, “there is no reward for mitzvos in this world” (Kiddushin 39b) because they reside in His blessed Presence; therefore, how could G-d grant a spiritual reward in a material world for mitzvos that are present before Him? Behold, the entire world is not worthwhile of a single mitzvah and the spiritual bliss of His Presence.

For the same reason, G-d does not accept mitzvos as bribes. For instance, the Holy One, Blessed is He, does not say “He has fulfilled forty commandments and committed ten transgressions; thus, the reward for thirty commandments remain, for ten are deducted for the ten transgressions!” G-d forbid! Rather, if even a perfectly righteous individual commits a single sin, it is considered to Him as if he has burned the Torah scroll – until he appeases Hashem for his guilt, after which he will receive reward for all of his mitzvos. This is a great kindness that the Holy One, Blessed is He, does for the righteous. He does not deduct from their mitzvos, for mitzvos are very precious and ascend until they come before His blessed Presence – so, how, then, can transgressions be deducted from them? Punishment for transgressions is a portion of that which is most shameful –Gehinom -- while the reward for mitzvos is from that which is so precious, the radiance of the Shechinah. So, how, then, can He deduct one from the other? Rather, the Holy One, Blessed is He, collects the debt due for transgressions and then He pays the reward due for all the mitzvohs. This is the attribute of “suppressing iniquity” meaning that transgressions do not prevail before Him as the commandments do. Rather, He suppresses them, preventing them from ascending and entering His Presence. Although He observes all the ways of man, both bad and good, nevertheless, He does not suppress the good. Rather, it blossoms and rises up, merging with other mitzvos to build a spiritual edifice and form a precious garment. Transgressions don’t have this characteristic – rather, He suppresses them, so they will have no such success and no entry into the Inner Sanctum.

A person should also conduct himself according to this attribute; he should not suppress his fellow’s favor and remember the evil or harm he has done to him. On the contrary, he should suppress the evil, erasing it from his memory and abandoning it, so that no evil will dwell with him, and his favor should be constantly arranged before him. One should always remember the favor of his fellow, allowing it to prevail over all the evil actions he has done to him. He should not subtract from the favor he has done to him in his heart, and say, “Although he did me a favor, he also did me harm,” thereby forgetting the favor. One should not do this! Rather, he should allow himself to be appeased in every possible way regarding the harm, and never overlook the favor. He should turn a blind eye to the harm he has done to him as much as possible, just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, does in suppressing our iniquities, as I have explained above.

The daily learning of Sefer Tomer Devora is for an aliyah for the neshama of 14 year old Dov Mattisyahu ben Yaffa Yehudis, who was hit by a car in Silver Spring Md on 4 Sivan, 5766 and who was niftar on 12 Sivan, 5766 and for a refuah shelama for 12 year old Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben Devorah Esther who is recovering after being hit by a car 3 Sivan in Chicago 5766 in Chicago and for Reuvain Moshe ben Chana a 4 year old boy who is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Brooklyn on 21 Sivan

7th day

And You will cast into the depths of the sea all of their sins

This is an especially good attribute of the Holy One, Blessed is He, For when Bnei Yisroel sinned, He delivered them into the hands of Pharoah and they repented. If so, why should He punish Pharoah, or Sancheriv, or Haman and others like them? Yet the Holy One, Blessed is He, is not content with saying “They repented, so no further evil will befall them, and thus, Haman, Pharoah or Sancheriv will be removed from them.” This is not sufficient; rather, the wickedness of Haman reverts onto his own head, and so too, with Pharoah and Sancheriv.

The reason for this conduct lies in the essence of the verse pertaining to the Temple service on Yom Kippur, where two identical goats were brought, one was sacrificed on the altar, and the other sent to Azazel – pushed down a rugged mountain. “The goat that was sent to Azazel will carry all their sins, to the desolate land” (Vayikra 16:22); meaning that the goat actually bears the punishment for their sins! Now, this is very difficult to understand, for it Bei Yisroel sinned, why should the goat bear their sins? However, the reason for this conduct is as follows: When a person confesses with the intention in his confession to receive a cleansing of his sins – as King David said: “Cleanse me abundantly from my iniquities” (Tehillim 51:4), and so are our words in prayer, “Cleanse my sin with Your great compassion” – he only prays that his afflictions be light so that they will not interrupt his Torah study. As we say in our prayers: “…but not by way of severe afflictions.” This is also the intention when one states, “You are righteous with regard to all that befalls me,” – he actually accepts willingly upon himself afflictions in order that he be vindicated for his sins, for there are sins that can be cleansed only by means of afflictions or death. This is the conduct; immediately when one confesses in prayer, the Holy One, Blessed is He, decrees some sort of affliction upon him for his sins. As the Zohar in Parshas Pikudei (pg 262b) explains, this is the portion of the Satan as portrayed by the ‘goat’ that was sent to Azazel. What is actually his portion? That the Holy One Blessed is He, decrees on him (that is the one who sinned and afterward repented and confessed) afflictions, and then instantly Satan comes by there, and collects his due. And behold, the ‘goat carries the sins,’ meaning that the Holy One Blessed is He, gives him permission to collect his due, and through this, the Bnei Yisroel become cleansed. But, eventually, everything will revert back to Satan. The reason for this is that the holy One, Blessed is He, decreed upon His world that all who do this – bring suffering upon Bnei Yisroel—should be nullified. That is why G-d decreed, “The animal which was involved in human transgression resulting in man’s execution must be killed” (Vayikra 20:15). Similarly, the stones used to carry out the sentence of those condemned to death by stoning and the sword used to carry out the sentence of decapitation must be buried (Sanhedrin 46b) in order to nullify their existence and power after they have been used to carry out the judgment.

Behold, this is actually the essence of the statue of Nevuchadneetzar which he saw in his dream (Daniel 2:32-34): When Bnei Yisroel were given over into the hand of the Babylonian king symbolized by “a head of gold,” this same “head” was eventually subjugated and given over into the hands of Persia, symbolized by “a silver chest and arms,” who was, in turn, expelled by another nation, and so on, until Bnei Yisroel descended to the fourth Kingdom of Edom and Yishmael, symbolized by “legs of iron and clay.” And what will be the final good ending? Eventually the Holy One, Blessed is He, will uplift them (the Bnei Yisroel), and execute justice upon them (those kingdoms). As it is written: “I will use up My arrows against them” (Devarim 32:23), meaning that the arrows will be used up but the Bnei Yisroel will not be annihilated (Sota 9a). “And then the parts of iron, clay, brass, silver and gold will be crushed together” (Daniel 2:32). First, it is written, “And he smote the idol to its legs” (Ibid 2:34), implying that there was nothing left of the idol but its legs; for they had lost all their power symbolized by the way the head, arms and torso were removed. Nevertheless, in the end as it is written “Together they will be crushed” (ibid 2:35), for in the future the Holy One Blessed is He will indict Satan and the wicked who carry out his deeds and actions, and He will visit justice upon them. This is the meaning of the verse (Micha 7:19) “and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”, implying that He will cast the power of judgment, to be executed upon those are likened to the depths of the sea (as the verse states). (Yeshayah 57:20): “The wicked are like the spewing sea, for it cannot rest, and its waters spew mud and mire”. This refers to those who execute judgment on Bnei Yisroel: He will return their evil deeds upon their own heads. The reason for this is, for after Bnei Yisroel receives their judgment, the Holy One, Blessed is he, reconsiders even the initial punishment, and exacts retribution for their insult and suffering. And furthermore, “I was angered only a little, and the nations of the world helped to do more evil than required” (Zechariah 1:15).

This, too, is an attribute that man should use in his behavior toward his fellow. Even if the latter is wicked and crushed through afflictions, do not hate him, for ‘after having been whipped, he is like your brother’ (Makkos 23a). Befriend the rebellious and those who have been punished and have mercy on them. And on the contrary, save them from their enemies, and don’t say – “His own sin caused his suffering.” Rather, have mercy on them in accordance with this attribute, as I have explained above.

8th day

Grant truth to Yaakov

This attribute, represents a quality of Bnei Yisroel, even those individuals of average spiritual stature, who do not know how to go beyond what the Law requires, and are called “Yaakov” (not Yisroel which refers to a higher level), because they conduct themselves solely with the conduct of truth. So too, the Holy One, Blessed is He, possesses the quality of truth, with regard to the reality of the judgment of uprightness. And to those who conduct themselves in this world with uprightness, the Holy One, Blessed is He also conducts Himself toward them with this quality of truth, having mercy on them in a way that is upright and just.

So, too, a person should act towards his fellow in a way that is upright and true, never perverting the justice of his friend. He should have true mercy on him, just as the Holy One, Blessed is He, has mercy on His creatures of average stature, according to this quality of truthfulness, in order to perfect them.

Kindness to Avraham

Those who conduct themselves in this world beyond the requirements of the Law, like Avraham or Patriarch – the Holy One, blessed is He, also conducts Himself towards them in a way that goes beyond the requirements of the Law. That is, He does not deal with them according to the strict letter of the law, not even according to the path of uprightness. Rather, He goes with them beyond the attribute of uprightness, just as they conduct themselves. This is the attribute of ‘kindness to Avraham’: the Holy One, Blessed is He, acts with the attribute of kindness towards those who conduct themselves like Avraham.

So too, man: Although he conducts himself with righteousness, uprightness and justice towards all men, towards those who are particularly good and pious, his conduct should go beyond the requirements of the Law. If towards other people he is a bit tolerant, with these pious men he should be much more so. He should have mercy on them, going with them beyond the requirement of the Law in which he conducts himself towards others. They should be exceedingly precious to him and beloved, and they should be counted among his friends.

The daily learning of Sefer Tomer Devora is for an aliyah for the neshama of 14 year old Dov Mattisyahu ben Yaffa Yehudis, who was hit by a car in Silver Spring Md on 4 Sivan, 5766 and who was niftar on 12 Sivan, and for a refuah shelama for 12 year old Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben Devorah Esther who is recovering after being hit by a car 3 Sivan in Chicago and for Reuvain Moshe ben Chana a 4 year old boy who is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Brooklyn on 21 Sivan

9th day

As You have sworn to our forefathers

Some people are unworthy, yet the Holy One, Blessed is He, has mercy on all of them. The Talmud (Berachos 7a) explains the verse “I shall show favor to whom I choose to show favor” (Shemos 33:19) – The Holy One, Blesed is He, says, “this storehouse is for those who are unworthy” (this means that there is a storehouse of grace, from which the Holy One, Blessed is He, shows favor and grants them an unearned gift. For the Holy One, Blessed is He, says “Behold, they have the merit of the Patriarchs. I made an oath to the Patriarchs, so even if they are unworthy, they will merit, because they are offspring of the Patriarchs, to whom I swore. Therefore, I will lead them and guide them until they are perfected.”

Man should also behave in this same manner. Even if he encounters wicked people, he should not behave cruelly towards them or taunt them and so on. Rather, he should have mercy on them, and say “Ultimately, thay are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov. Thought hey may not be righteous, their forefathers were righteous and worthy. Hence one who despises the sons despises the fathers too. I do not wish their fathers to be despised because of me!” Thus he should conceal their disgrace and help to improve them, as much as is in his power.

From days of old

Behold, this is an attribute with which the Holy One, Blessed is He has conducted Himself towards Bnei Yisroel. When the merit of the Patriarchs and all other merits are exhausted, what can He do for them when behold they themselves are unworthy? He does as it is written, “I recall for your sake, the kindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days, how you followed Me in the wilderness, in an unsown land” (Yirmiyah 2:2). The Holy One, Blessed is He, actually recalls the olden days and the previous love He had then towards the people of Israel, and He has mercy on Bnei Yisroel. With this, He remembers all the mitzvos they have fulfilled since their birth as a nation, and all the favors and good qualities with which the Holy One, Blessed is He, conducts HI s world. From all these, He fashions something especially auspicious with which to be merciful for their sake. Behold, this attribute encompasses all the others, as explained in the Idra (Zohar Naso 134b).

Similarly, man should perfect his conduct towards other people. Even if he cannot find a reason for loving and having mercy on his fellows from amongst those already mentioned, he should say, “There was surely a previous time when they had not yet sinned, and in that time or in their days of old they were righteous.” For their sake, he should recall the good which they did in their youth, and recall for their sake the love of infants who have just been weaned from their mother. This way, he will not find a single person unworthy of benefiting him, praying for his well-being and having mercy on him.

This completes our explanation of the Thirteen Attributes in which a person should emulate his Creator. These are the Supernal Attributes of Mercy, and their quality is, that just as a person conducts himself in this world below, so will he be worthy of opening up the channel of the same Supernal Attribute Above. Exactly according to his conduct, so will he bestow above in the Supernal World the same and he will cause that Supernal attribute to shine here in this world.

For this reason, one should not divert his mind from these Thirteen Attributes or allow these verse to depart from his mouth; so that he should remember them when a situation arises requiring the use of one of these attributes. He should then remind himself and say: “Behold, this action which is required in this situation is contingent on this particular attribute. I will not budge from it, lest this attribute become concealed or disappear from the world.”

10th day

Chapter two

Additionally, for a person to emulate his Creator according to the essence of the attribute of keser, he must possess several mail functions, which are the main conduct of this attribute.

The first and most encompassing, is the trait of humility. It is contingent on the attribute of keser, for it is the most sublime of all the attributes; nevertheless, it does not exalt itself or hold itself in esteem. On the contrary, it always descends, gazing downwards. There are two reasons for this: One reason is that it is ashamed to gaze at its Cause; instead, He from Whom keser emanates watches over it at all times in order to benefit it, while it gazes at those below. Similarly, man should be ashamed to gaze upward in order to hold himself aloof. Rather, he should always lower his gaze, and minimize his self-worth as much as possible. This quality is contingent mainly on the head – for a person holds himself aloof by raising his head upwards, whereas a humble person lowers his head.

Secondly, behold there is none so tolerant and humble as our G-d in His attribute of keser, for His mercy is absolute, and no flaw, transgression or strict judgment enters His sphere. Nor can any other trait prevent Him from watching over man and bestowing bounty upon him constantly. So, too, man should conduct himself in this way; no factor in the world should prevent him from benefiting others, and no transgressions or misdeeds of unworthy people should prevent him from benefiting at every available opportunity all those in need. And just as G-d sits and nourishes all creatures, from the horns of re’eimim (the largest creature) to the eggs of lice (the smallest creature), not disdaining any of them – for if He disdained any creature because of its insignificance, it could not exist for even a moment; rather, He watches over them and grants mercy to all; so, too man should benefit all, not disdaining any creature. Even the lowliest beings should be very important in his eyes, he should show concern for them, and benefit all who require his benefit. This attribute, generally is contingent on the attribute of keser – the essence of the Supernal head.

11th day

The second – One’s thoughts should emulate the thought process of keser. Just as the chochmah of keser never stops thinking good thoughts, and it allows no evil to enter in it because it is absolute compassion, with no severity or harshness found there at all; so too a person’s thoughts should always be void of anything unseemly. And just as it is the essence of chochmah of the Primal Torah where all the secrets of Torah are contained; so, too one should not pay attention to anything other than the thought of Torah or to meditate on the greatness of G-d and His beneficial acts or contemplate how to benefit others or other similar good thoughts. As a rule, no foreign or irrelevant thoughts should enter one’s mind. Such was the elevated level of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his comrades, and when Rabbi Yose’s thoughts once strayed a little from the Torah, note how Rabbi Shimon rebuked him, as related in the Zohar on Parshas VaYakhel (pg 217b).

The third – One’s forehead (,etzach) should not contain any harshness. Rather, one should constantly emulate the Supernal metzach of Willingness, and appease all. Even when he finds people angry at one another, he should appease and pacify them with his good will, for the Supernal metzach of Willingness constantly placates strict judgment and rectifies them. He, too, should appease those intense people who intensify their anger. He should guide them with good will, and compliment this with his great wisdom, to nullify their anger, lest it overstep its boundaries and cause damage, G-d forbid. One should follow the example of the Divine Will, which derives from the wondrous chochman found in the metzach of Atik, whence all strict judgments are appeased. This quality derives from being constantly pleasant towards people, for if his traits are in any aspect harsh towards others, they will not be placated by him. This is the meaning of the Mishnah (Avos 3:13): “Anyone who the spirit of people is pleased with him, the spirit of the Omnipresent is also pleased with him.”

The fourth – One’s ears should always turn to hear good, while false or despicable reports should not enter them at all. Just as in the essence of Supernal “Listening”, any cry for strict judgment or any blemish of evil gossip does not enter there; so, too, one should not listen to anything other than good or of practical use. To other things, which intensify anger, he should not listen at all. And just as the words and speech of the Serpent have no entry Above, so too, no despicable thing should have any entry in him (in his ears). This is the meaning of the phrase “You shall not accept a false report” (Shemos 23:1). How much more so does this apply to other despicable things, which should not enter one’s ears at all; and he should only be listening to good things.

12h day

The fifth – One’s eyes should not gaze at all at anything despicable. Rather, they should always be open to watch over unfortunates and have as much mercy on them as possible. And when he sees the suffering of the poor, he should not close his eyes at all. Rather, he should give as much thought to their predicament as possible, arousing the mercy of both Heaven and man upon them. He should distance himself from noticing evil, just like the Supernal ‘Eye’, which is open and forever sees only good.

The sixth – Regarding the nose, a breath of wrath should never be found in it. Rather, it should constantly contain the breath of life, good will and patience, even toward those who are unworthy. One should always want to fulfill the desire of others, to satisfy every request, and to revive the broken-spirited. He should always breath forth from his nose, forgiveness of iniquity and pardon of transgression. He should not be angry with those who offend him; rather, he should constantly be willing to be appeased, and he should be desirous of kindness, pleasing everyone.

The seventh – One’s face should always shine, and he should receive all people with a cheerful countenance. For regarding the Supernal keser, it says, “In the light of the King’s countenance is life…” (Mishlei 16:15). And just as no flush of anger or strict judgment enters there at all; so too, the light of his countenance should be unchanging, and all who look into his face should find nothing but joy and cheerfulness. No factor should distract him from this at all.

The eighth – One’s mouth should express nothing but good, and the content of his words should be Torah and constant expression of good will. NO despicable words, curses, rage, anger or frivolous talk should escape his mouth. Rather, it should resemble the Supernal ‘Mouth” which is never sealed and never refrains from speaking good at all times. Therefore, one must not silence himself from speaking well of everyone, expressing good words and blessings constantly.

These then are eight good qualities, all of which come under the banner of humility. They all correspond Above to the Supernal ‘Limbs’ of keser. Thus, when a person desires to draw near to the Supernal Worlds and emulate G-d, in order to open His sources to those below, he must be fully perfected in that which was discussed in these two chapters.

13th day

However, we know that it is not always possible to conduct oneself in accordance with these qualities, since there are other qualities one must master, which are from the lower strict judgments, as we will explain. Nevertheless, on certain days, these strict judgments are inactive and man does not need to make use of them –for the Supernal attribute of keser reigns or because these are times that the Supernal attribute of keser is sought. At these times, one must use all the qualities we have mentioned above. But other attributes pertaining to strict judgment – even thought hey are required in Divine service at their proper time – should not be exercised in these times, for the light of keser nullifies them. For example, one should not make use of these harsh attributes on Shabbos, when the world is perfected with the essence of delight and therefore there is no judgment on Shabbos. On this day, one should utilize all of these qualities mentioned above in order to open the Heavenly sources of blessing. For if one concentrates on the lights of keser in his prayers, yet he behaves contrary to them with his actions, how can he open the sources of keser while he literally repels them with his deeds? Is it not all the more so, that if keser does not reside when the Supernal sefiros intensify sacred strict judgment and sacred anger, then keser and its light will surely not rest upon a person who allows the external anger to prevail, even though he does so for the sake of Heaven. This is particularly true since he intends to arouse it (the external anger) over the Supernal attributes, and they will then say, “How much audacity does he have! The light of keser is not revealed in us, because of our judgments that are holy and pure, yet this person desires to reveal it, when he is filled with anger and despicable superficial actions!”

Thus, on festivals, Shabbos and Yom Kippur, and at times of prayer and Torah study – which are not times of strict judgment, but rather on the contrary, are times when the Supernal Will is revealed, man should direct his mind to all these qualities. At other times, he may utilize the remaining attributes in his Divine service, but not despicable ones, for whenever they are in control, it is to man’s disadvantage, as will be explained. Then, when he utilizes these qualities of keser, he will be prepared and assured that the heavenly sources of blessing will open.

14th day

Therefore, every person must accustom himself with these qualities little by little. The main quality he should grasp, the key to them all, is humility – for it is the highest of them all and the foremost aspect of keser, with all the other aspects included in it.

Now, the primary aspect of humility is that one should not find himself worthy at all. Rather he should consider himself like nothing - as Moshe, the humble one, said: “What are we worth that you should complain against us?” (Shemos 16:7) – to the extent that he deems himself in his own eyes as the lowliest of all creatures, exceedingly shameful and loathsome. When a person constantly strives to acquire this quality, all the other qualities of keser will be drawn after it, for the primary quality of keser is to view itself as nothing before the One from Whom it emanates. Likewise, a person should consider himself nothing at all, thinking that his absence would much be better than his existence. Consequently, he will act towards those who despise him as if they are correct and he is the despicable one who is at fault. This will be a means of acquiring all the other good qualities.

I have found a remedy whereby a person can accustom himself to these things little by little , possibly curing himself of the disease of haughtiness and allowing himself to enter the gates of humility. This cure is composed of three ‘potions’:

The first – One should accustom himself to fell as far as possible from honor. For if he accustoms himself to be honored by other people, he will acquire the habit of haughtiness, and by nature he will always desire this. Then, only with great difficulty, will he be able to be healed.

The second – One should accustom his mind to see his shameful side, saying to himself, “Although other people don’t know of my lack of worth, what of it? Aren’t I aware of myself, that I am shameful in such and such a way, whether in lack of knowledge, or in the weakness of my abilities, or in my lowliness by the way I excrete the food I eat, and so on?” until he becomes shameful and despicable in his own eyes.

The third – One should constantly contemplate his sins and desire purification, rebuke and suffering, and ask himself, “Which type of suffering is the best in this world which will not distract me from Divine service? Surely there is none better than these – to be scorned, shamed and cursed,” for these will not deprive him of his power and strength through illness, nor will they deprive him of his food and clothing, or deprive him of his life, or the lives of his children through death. Being so, a person should actually desire these forms of suffering and say to himself “Why should I fast and torment myself with sackcloth and lashes, which weaken my power and ability to serve G-d, and do this to myself with my own hands? It is far better for me to be afflicted with being shamed and scorned by other people, which do not remove my power or weaken me.” Thus, when insults are meted out to him, he will rejoice in them, and contrary to the typical reaction, he will desire them. From these three potions, one should make a balm for his heart, and he should train himself with this approach all his days.

15th day

I have found another excellent potion, although this potion is not as effective as the aforementioned remedy. This is – that a person should accustom himself to two things:

The first – is to respect all creatures, after recognizing in them the superiority of the Creator, Who formed man with His wisdom and that all creatures contain in them the wisdom of the Creator. He himself should realize that they (all creatures) are greatly precious, since He Who fashioned all things – the Wise and Superior Above All – has involved Himself with creating them, and if one despises them, G-d forbid, it affects the honor of their Creator. This is comparable to a wise craftsman who makes a vessel with great wisdom, and when he displays his work to people, one of them begins to disgrace and despise it. How angry will that craftsman be, since, by despising the work of his hands, one is despising his very wisdom. So too the Holy One Blessed Be He, is grieved of one despises any of His creatures. This is the meaning of the verse that is written, “How great are Your works, Hashem.” (Tehillim 104:24) – King David did not say “how magnificent” (mah gadlu), but rather “how great” (mah rabbu), suggesting great importance as in the phrase “rav beiso” (Esther 1:8), meaning – the very important people of the house. The verse continues, “You have made them all with wisdom.” Thus, since Your Wisdom was involved in creating them, Your works are great and magnificent, and it is proper for man to perceive wisdom in them and not despise them.

The second -- One should accustom himself to love his fellow men in his heart – even the wicked, as if they were his brothers. Moreover, he should pursue this quality until love for all people is fixed in his heart. He should even love the wicked in his heart, saying, “I only wish they were righteous, returning in repentance, so that all of them would be great men desired by the Omnipresent.” As Moshe, the faithful lover of all Bnei Yisroel said: “If only all the people of G-d were prophets” (Bamidbar 11:49). And how should he love them? By recalling in his thoughts the good qualities that are present in them, concealing their flaws, and refusing to see their defects; rather, he should look only for the good qualities in them. He should say in his heart: “If this poor, loathsome fellow were very rich, how much would I delight in his company as I delight in the company of so-and-so. If he were dressed in handsome garments like so-and-so, there would be no difference between them. If so, why should he lack honor in my eyes, being that in G-d’s eyes he is more important than me, since he is plagues and crushed with poverty and suffering and therefore cleansed of sin? Why then, should I hate he whom the Holy One, Blessed is He, loves?” In this way, his heart will turn toward the positive aspect of people and he will accustom himself to ponder all the good qualities that we have mentioned.

The daily learning of Sefer Tomer Devora is for an aliyah for the neshama of 14 year old Dov Mattisyahu ben Yaffa Yehudis, who was hit by a car in Silver Spring Md on 4 Sivan, 5766 and who was niftar on 12 Sivan, 5766 and for a refuah shelama for 12 year old Yechiel Yaakov Tzvi ben Devorah Esther who is recovering after being hit by a car 3 Sivan in Chicago and for Reuvain Moshe ben Chana a 4 year old boy who is in critical condition after being hit by a car in Brooklyn on 21 Sivan

16th day

Chapter three

How a person should accustom himself with the attribute of chochmah (wisdom)

Although it is hidden and exceedingly exalted, the Supernal attribute of chochmah is spread out over all that exists. As it says regarding it, “How great are Your works, Hashem; You have made them all with chochmah” (Tehillim 104:24). Similarly, a person’s chochmah should be found in everything, and he should teach in order to benefit other people with his chochman – each and everyone according to his capacity. He should influence others with his chochmah to the best of his ability – letting no factor at all distract him.

Now to the Supernal attribute of chochmah, there are two aspects; The higher aspect – which faces keser and does not face downwards; rather, it receives from above. The second and lower aspect – faces downwards, overseeing the other sefiros, to which it extends it’s chochmah. Likewise a person should have two aspects: The first aspect should be his contemplation in solitude with his Creator in order to increase and perfect his chochmah; the second should be to teach others the chochmah that the Holy One, Blessed is He, has bestowed upon him. And just as the Supernal attribute of chochmah bestows to each sefirah according to its measure and needs, so, too, one should bestow his chochmah to each person according to the measure his intellect can bear, and to what is proper for him and his needs. One should be careful not to give more than the mind of the recipient can contain, so that no harm will result, just as the Supernal sefirah of chochmah does not add on more than the limited capacity of the recipient (sefirah).

17th day

Moreover, it is the nature of chochmah to oversee all of existence, for it is the Supernal Thought which forever thinks about everything that exists. Of chochmah it is said: “For My thoughts are not like your thoughts” (Yeshaya 55:8), and it is written “He gives thought so that he who is exiled is not banished forever” (Shmuel B 14:14), and it is written “For I know the thoughts which I think of you the House of Israel, says the L-rd are thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Yermiyah 29:11). Likewise, man should keep an open eye on the conduct of the Nation of G-d in order to help them. His thoughts should be concerned with bringing near those who have strayed, and with thinking of any good he can do for them. Just as the Divine Mind contemplates how to help all existence, he, too, should contemplate how to help his fellows. He should give good counsel for the sake of G-d and His nation, regarding both individual and communal matters. And concerning one who has strayed from the path of good conduct, he should guide him to the path of proper conduct, serving as his intellect and thought, to direct and lead him to good and upright behavior, just as the Supernal Thought corrects “Adam HaElyon” (the Heavenly form of man).

Furthermore, chochmah instills life into everything. As it is written: “And chochmah instills life into those who possess it” (Koheles 7:12). Likewise, one should instruct the entire world in the ways of life, causing them to attain life in this world and in the World to Come, thus providing them with true life. In general, one should be a constant source of life to all.

In addition, chochmah is the ‘father’ of all existence. As it is written: “How great are Your works, Hashem: You have made them all with chochmah” (Tehillim 104:24). Thus, everything lives and exists from there (from that source). Likewise, one should act as a father to all of the Holy One, Blessed is He’s creatures, particularly to the Bnei Yisroel, for they are holy souls which emanate from there. He should constantly pray for mercy and blessing for the world, the same say that the Supernal ‘Father’ has mercy on all His beings. And he should constantly pray for the salvation of those who are in distress, as if they were actually his own children and he himself had formed them, for this is what the Holy One, Blessed is He, desires. As in the way the faithful shepherd Moshe said: “Did I conceive this nation…that You say to me, ‘Carry it in your bosom’?” (Bamidbar 11:12). In this way, a person should carry all of G-d’s nation as a nurse carries a nursing infant. He should gather the lambs in his arm, lifting them to his bosom, and lead the young nursing ones. He should remember to recover the forgotten, look after the desolate, heal the broken, nourish the incapacitated, and return the lost. One should have mercy on Bnei Yisroel, bearing its burdens cheerfully, just as the Merciful Supernal Father bears all. One should not tire or look away or get disgusted; rather, he should lead each and every one according to his needs. These are the qualities of chochmah – to be like a merciful father toward his children.

18^th day

Furthermore, one’s compassion should extend to all creatures and he should neither despise nor destroy them, for the Supernal chochmah spreads over all of creation: inanimate objects, plants, animals and humans. For this reason, we are warned by our Sages against treating food disrespectfully. This is a proper concept, for just as the Supernal chochmah does not despise anything that exists, since everything is created from it – as it is written, “You have made them all with chochmah” (Tehillim 104:24), so, too, a person’s compassion should be upon all the creations of the Blessed One. For this reason, Rabbi Yehudah “the Holy One” was punished, because he did not have pity on a calf that hid by him under his cloak, in order to evade slaughter, and he said to it, “Go! You were created for this purpose,” (Bava Metzia 85a). Suffering – which derives from the aspect of strict judgment – came upon him. F