"Hearken to me, you stouthearted"

Synopsis

There are people in our world who are hardhearted, stubborn, and set in their evil and selfish ways. The Zohar describes these people as refusing to change the negative aspects of their natures. They seek not to embrace the path of spiritual transformation and the Light of the Creator. All of us, to a certain degree, possess an aspect of these negative traits.

Relevance

The power available to us through these verses cleanses away negative qualities from our essence and being. The Light flowing through this portion helps to soften our resolve in situations where our stubbornness and ego prevent us from embracing spiritual change. The verses arouse a desire to seek a true connection to the Light of the Creator.

Abraham Heart Repentance Torah Wicked Wickedness

1. "Get you, out of your country..." (Beresheet 12:1). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with THIS VERSE AND EXPLAINED THE REASON WHY ABRAHAM MERITED THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WOULD SAY THIS TO HIM RATHER THAN TO ANY OTHER PERSON OF HIS TIME. "Hearken to me, you stout-hearted, that are far from righteousness" (Yeshayah 46:12) MEANS how hard are the hearts of the wicked, who see the paths and the ways of Torah, yet do not observe them. THE PATHS ARE THE INTERNAL ASPECTS; THE WAYS ARE THE EXTERNAL ASPECTS. And the hearts of the wicked are stout, as they do not repent and turn back to their Master. THIS IS THE REASON WHY they are called stouthearted. The verse, "that are far from righteousness," MEANS THAT they keep themselves far from Torah.

1. לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וגו'. ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי אַבִּירֵי לֵב הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְדָקָה. שִׁמְעוּ אֵלַי אַבִּירֵי לֵב: כַּמָּה תַּקִּיפִין לִבַּיְיהוּ דְּחַיָיבַיָא, דְּחָמָאן שְׁבִילֵי וְאוֹרְחֵי דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלָן בְּהוֹ, וְלִבַּיְיהוּ תַּקִּיפִין, דְּלָא מְהַדְּרִין בִּתְיוּבְתָּא, לְגַבֵּי מָרֵיהוֹן, וְאִקְרוּן אַבִּירֵי לֵב. הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה: דְּמִתְרַחֲקֵי מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא.

Peace Wicked Wickedness

2. Rabbi Chizkiyah commented ON THE AFOREMENTIONED VERSE, "Since they draw themselves away from the Holy One, blessed be He, therefore they remain far away from Him. And because of this, BECAUSE THEY KEEP FAR AWAY FROM THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, they are called stout-hearted. AND THE VERSE TEACHES US THAT they "are far from righteousness." FOR WHAT REASON? BECAUSE they do not wish to come closer to the Holy One, blessed be He, AS THEY ARE STOUTHEARTED. And because of this, they "are far from righteousness." Because they are far from righteousness, they are also far from peace - they can have no peace. As it is written, "There is no peace, says Hashem, to the wicked" (Yeshayah 48:22). And why is that so? Because they "are far from righteousness," THEY HAVE NO PEACE!

2. רַבִּי חִזְקִיָּה אֲמַר, דְּמִתְרַחֲקֵי מִקוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִינוּן רְחִיקִין מִנֵּיהּ, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִקְרוּן אַבִּירֵי לֵב. הָרְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה. דְּלָא בָּעָאן לְקָרְבָא לְגַבֵּי קוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. בְּגִין כָּךְ, אִינוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה. כֵּיוָן דְּאִינוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה, רְחוֹקִים אִינוּן מִשָּׁלוֹם. דְּלֵית לוֹן שָׁלוֹם. דִּכְתִיב אֵין שָׁלוֹם אָמַר ה' לָרְשָׁעִים. מ"ט בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה.

Abraham Hatred Love Wickedness

3. Come and behold, Abraham indeed succeeded in his desire to get closer to the Holy One, blessed be He. As it is written, "You love righteousness and hate wickedness" (Tehilim 45:8). Because he loved righteousness and hated wickedness, he therefore came closer to righteousness. Therefore, it is written, "Abraham my beloved" (Yeshayah 41:8). Why IS HE "my beloved?" Because it has been said about him, "You love righteousness." This is the love toward the Holy One, blessed be He, whom Abraham loved more than anyone else of his generation, who were "stouthearted" and "far from righteousness," as has already been explained.

3. תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם בָּעֵי לְקָרְבָא לְקוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאִתְקְרַב. הה"ד אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק וַתִּשְׂנָא רֶשַׁע. בְּגִין דְאָהַב צֶדֶק, וְשָׂנָא רֶשַׁע, אִתְקְרַב לִצְדָקָה, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבִי. מ"ט אוֹהֲבִי, בְּגִין דִּכְתִיב, אָהַבְתָּ צֶדֶק. רְחִימוּתָא דְּקוּדְּשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּרָחִים לֵיהּ אַבְרָהָם, מִכָּל בְּנֵי דָרֵיהּ, דַּהֲווֹ אַבִּירֵי לֵב, וְאִינוּן רְחוֹקִים מִצְּדָקָה, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר.