© 2006 by Robert Lepor. All rights reserved.
[In the context of speaking slanderously against the Jewish People, we learn as follows in the] Zohar Chadash[1] 21b: “Rabbi Akiva said, “Even though one would be the most righteous individual in the entire world, [if] he will speak [that which is] evil before The Holy One, Blessed is He, [Meaning: That he will complain, Heaven Forbid, concerning The Holy One Blessed is He], or speak Lashon HaRa about the Jewish People, his punishment is greater than all of their [punishments]. We have not found a righteous individual as great as Eliyahu in every generation, and because he spoke Lashon HaRa against the Jewish People,…, as it is written, [[And he said, ‘I have surely been zealous for HaShem, the G-d of Legions], For the Children of Israel have abandoned Your covenant, they have razed Your altars, and Your prophets they have killed with the sword.’” (Milachim I: 19; 14)] At that moment, [Eliyahu] sinned greatly before [HaShem]. Come and see that which is written [in reference to Eliyahu as a result of his sin]: “And he stared, and behold, next to his head was a cake of cinders…” (Milachim I: 19; 6) Why [is it that he was to eat] cinders? The Holy One, Blessed is He, said, “Such [food made out of cinders], is fitting to feed to one who speaks slanderously against My children…” Rabbi Yitzchak said, Eliyahu did not move from [that spot] until he swore before The Holy One, Blessed is He, that he would constantly demonstrate the merit of the Jewish People, and [concerning] all of those who perform a meritorious [action, Eliyahu] precedes and speaks [of that action] before The Holy One, Blessed is He, [as follows]: "Ploni[2] [just] now performed such-and-such [a meritorious deed]", and [Eliyahu] does not move from [that spot] until they, [in Heaven], will write [down] the merit of that individual, as it is written, [“…and a Book of Remembrance shall be written before him…” (Malachi: 3; 16)]”, up to here is the text of the Zohar Chadash in short.
From all of this [that we have learned], we are able to see the greatness of the caution that each person needs to take with respect to himself, to refrain from arguing for the guilt of the Jewish People, and, on the contrary, he should constantly accustom himself to arouse [Heavenly] mercy [upon them] and to mention their meritorious deeds, and because of this, he will be loved and desired before The Holy One, Blessed is He, as we find in [maseches] Yoma (77a)[3], with regard to [the angel] Gavriel, at the time that he stood outside the partition [in Heaven], and aroused [the] merit of Israel, The Holy One, Blessed is He, responded: Who is this one who argued [for the] merit of My children? As a result of this [action], they brought [Gavriel] up within [the area surrounded by the partition], see over there, [in maseches Yoma][4].
[1] This teaching from the Zohar Chadash is found in the Midrash HaNe’elam, Parshas Noach.
[2] “Ploni” is often used to refer to an anonymous individual.
[3] [Note from "Kol HaLashon: See the Ba”Ch on this gemara].
[4] The gemara discusses of a terrible sin that was being committed at the Beis HaMikdash, for which HaShem commanded Gavriel to have coals taken from the Kiruvim to be thrown on the city of Jerusalem. Gavriel had the Kiruv take the coals first and give them to him, thus allowing the fire of the coal and the punishment of the Jewish People to be lightened. For not following HaShem’s command, Gavriel was punished with sixty lashes of fire and being sent outside the partition in Heaven. Gavriel was permitted back in to the area surrounded by the partition after defending the Jewish People from the request of Dubiel, the angel of Persia who wanted the nations to have dominion over the Jewish scholars. Thereupon, Gavriel was again allowed within the partition.
In the gemara, Rabbi Chana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Chasidah said that the Jewish People would not have had a [surviving] remnant had the coals from the Kiruvim had not been cooled down.
From all of this [that we have learned], we are able to see the greatness of the caution that each person needs to take with respect to himself, to refrain from arguing for the guilt of the Jewish People, and, on the contrary, he should constantly accustom himself to arouse [Heavenly] mercy [upon them] and to mention their meritorious deeds, and because of this, he will be loved and desired before The Holy One, Blessed is He, as we find in [maseches] Yoma (77a)[3], with regard to [the angel] Gavriel, at the time that he stood outside the partition [in Heaven], and aroused [the] merit of Israel, The Holy One, Blessed is He, responded: Who is this one who argued [for the] merit of My children? As a result of this [action], they brought [Gavriel] up within [the area surrounded by the partition], see over there, [in maseches Yoma][4].
[1] This teaching from the Zohar Chadash is found in the Midrash HaNe’elam, Parshas Noach.
[2] “Ploni” is often used to refer to an anonymous individual.
[3] [Note from "Kol HaLashon: See the Ba”Ch on this gemara].
[4] The gemara discusses of a terrible sin that was being committed at the Beis HaMikdash, for which HaShem commanded Gavriel to have coals taken from the Kiruvim to be thrown on the city of Jerusalem. Gavriel had the Kiruv take the coals first and give them to him, thus allowing the fire of the coal and the punishment of the Jewish People to be lightened. For not following HaShem’s command, Gavriel was punished with sixty lashes of fire and being sent outside the partition in Heaven. Gavriel was permitted back in to the area surrounded by the partition after defending the Jewish People from the request of Dubiel, the angel of Persia who wanted the nations to have dominion over the Jewish scholars. Thereupon, Gavriel was again allowed within the partition.
In the gemara, Rabbi Chana bar Bizna said in the name of Rabbi Shimon Chasidah said that the Jewish People would not have had a [surviving] remnant had the coals from the Kiruvim had not been cooled down.
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