"O land of buzzing wings"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yitzchak says that when God created the world He wanted to reveal matters of depth from among concealed matters, and so light came forth from darkness, evil came forth from good, Judgment came from Mercy, all were intermingled and interdependent. Thus when the world is judged, judgment is tempered with mercy, otherwise the world could not survive.

Creation Darkness Evil Good Inclination Light White

7. "You shall be holy: for I Hashem your Elohim am Holy" (Vayikra 19:2). Rabbi Yitzchak commenced: "O (also: 'Woe') land of buzzing wings..." (Yeshayah 18:1). HE QUESTIONS: Just because it is a land of buzzing wings, is that such a cause for alarm that the verse writes, "Woe land?" HE ANSWERS: As Rabbi Yitzchak explained, at the time the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world and wanted to reveal matters of depth from among concealed matters, and light from darkness, these terms were intermingled. For this reason, from darkness came light, and concealment departed and became known as the depth. And this resulted from it. So from good came evil, from Mercy came Judgment. All intermingled, the Good Inclination with the Evil one, right and left, Yisrael and other nations, white and black. Each thing was dependent on the other.

7. קְדוֹשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי יְיָ.' רִבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח, הוֹי אֶרֶץ צִלְצַל כְּנָפָיִם וְגוֹ.' וְכִי בְּגִין דְּהִיא אֶרֶץ צִלְצַל כְּנָפָיִם, קִנְטוּרָא בֵּיהּ אִשְׁתְּכַח, דִּכְתִּיב הוֹי אֶרֶץ. אֶלָּא אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּרָא עָלְמָא, וּבָעָא לְגַלָּאָה עֲמִיקְתָא מִגּוֹ מְסַתְּרָתָא, וּנְהוֹרָא מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא, הֲווֹ כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא, וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מִגּוֹ חֲשׁוֹכָא נָפַק נְהוֹרָא, וּמִגּוֹ מִסְתְּרָתָא נָפַק וְאִתְגַּלְיָיא עֲמִיקָא, וְדָא נָפְקָא מִן דָּא. דְּמִגּוֹ טַב, נָפִיק בִּישׁ. וּמִגּוֹ רַחֲמֵי, נָפִיק דִּינָא. וְכֹלָּא אִתְכְּלִיל דָּא בְּדָא. יֵצֶר טוֹב וְיֵצֶר רָע, יְמִינָא וּשְׂמָאלָא, יִשְׂרָאֵל וּשְׁאָר עַמִּין, חִוָּור וְאוּכָם, וְכֹלָּא חַד בְּחַד תַּלְיָא.

Earth Judgment

8. We learned that Rabbi Yitzchak said on behalf of Rabbi Yehuda: The whole world appears as if in one composition kept together with its own web, MEANING THE QUALITY OF JUDGMENT AND THE QUALITY OF MERCY, BEING MALCHUT AND BINAH, ARE LINKED AND INTERWOVEN WITH ONE ANOTHER. And so, when the world is judged, it is judged with Judgment tempered with Mercy, WITH MALCHUT INCLUDED IN BINAH. Were it not so, the world could not survive even one moment. We established this matter, as it is written, "for when Your judgments (lit. 'justice') are on the earth," NAMELY MERCY, CALLED 'JUSTICE,' "the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness" (Yeshayah 26:9). THEY WERE CAPABLE OF RECEIVING THE JUDGMENT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, BEING MALCHUT, DUE TO ITS CONNECTION TO THE ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY.

8. תָּאנָא אָמַר ר' יִצְחָק אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, כָּל עָלְמָא כֻּלְּהוּ לָא אִתְחָזֵי, אֶלָּא בְּחַד עֲטִירָא דְּקוּטְפָא בְּקִיטְרוֹי כַּד אִתְּדָּן עָלְמָא בְּדִינָא כָּלִיל בְּרַחֲמֵי אִתְּדָּן. וְאִי לָ-ו, לָא יָכִיל עָלְמָא לְקַיְּימָא, אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לָאָרֶץ צֶדֶק לָמְדוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי תֵּבֵל.

Earth Evil Purification Righteous

9. (A) We learned at that time when Judgment is suspended over the world, and righteousness, MALCHUT, is crowned with Judgment, many winged ones are stirred against the beings of Harsh Judgment, so as to rule the world. They spread their wings from one side, then from the other, to keep watch over the world. Then they raise their wings to spread and join in the Harsh Judgment, and to fly across the earth to do evil. Then it is written, "Woe land of buzzing wings."

(B) Rabbi Yehuda said: I see Mankind insolent, except for the truly righteous. For this reason, everything is in such a condition, so to speak. He who comes to purify is helped. He who wishes to defile is as we established, "that you should be defiled by them" (Vayikra 11:43).

9. (א) וְתָאנָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּדִינָא תַּלְיָא בְּעָלְמָא, וְצֶדֶק אִתְעַטְּרָא בְּדִינוֹי, כַּמָה מָארֵי דְּגַדְפִּין מִתְעָרֵי, לָקֳבְלֵי מָארֵי דְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּעָלְמָא. פַּרְסִין גַּדְפִּין מֵהַאי סִטְרָא, וּמֵהַאי סִטְרָא, לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בְּעָלְמָא. כְּדֵין מִתְעָרִין גַּדְפִּין לְמִפְרַס לוֹן, וּלְאִשְׁתַּאֲבָא בְּדִינָא קַשְׁיָא, וְשָׁאטִין בְּעָלְמָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, הוֹי אֶרֶץ צִלְצַל כְּנָפָיִם.

(ב) א"ר יְהוּדָה, חַמִינָא בְּנֵי עָלְמָא בְּחַצִיפוּתָא, בַּר אִינוּן זַכָאִי קְשׁוֹט. ובג"כ, כִּבְיָכוֹל, כֹּלָא הָכִי אִשְׁתָכַח, אָתָא לְאִתְדַכָאָה, מְסַיְיעִין לֵיהּ. אָתָא לְאִסְתָאַבָא, כַמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא, וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם.