מַאֲמָר ב׳ · תִּקּוּן הַמִּדּוֹת

הָעֲגָלִים הָיוּ עָנָף מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ שֶׁל הָא פַּלְכָא זֶהָא עַבְדָּא,

The calves were a branch from the root of 'this worker serves'.

וְכָל עִקָּר שֶׁהֵבִיא לוֹ לַחֲטֹא,

And the entire essence that brought him to sin,

הוּא רַק דְּחִיקַת הַכָּבוֹד שֶׁלּוֹ,

It is only the pushing away of his honor,

כִּי לֹא יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת יַחַד עִם רְחַבְעָם וְיִהְיֶה הוּא פָּחוּת מִמֶּנּוּ,

For he cannot be together with Rechavam and be less than him,

אֲשֶׁר לָכֵן מָנַע לַעֲלוֹת לָרֶגֶל,

which is why he prevented going up for the pilgrimage,

וְעָשָׂה עֲגָלִים בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְהֶחֱטִיא גַּם אֶת הָרַבִּים.

And he made calves along the way and caused the many to sin as well.

וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכָּל הַחֵטְא עִקָּרוֹ רַק מַה שֶּׁרוֹדֵף אַחַר הַכָּבוֹד,

And since the essence of all sin is only that one chases after honor,

צָרִיךְ בֶּאֱמֶת לָשׁוּב מִשֹּׁרֶשׁ הַזֶּה,

One truly needs to return from this root,

וְלִהְיוֹת יַחַד עִם רְחַבְעָם בָּעֲזָרָה וְרַק אָז תּוֹעִיל לוֹ הַתְּשׁוּבָה.

and to be together with Rechavam in the Azarah, and only then will the teshuvah help him.

וְאִם יָשׁוּב רַק בַּעֲגָלִים לְבַד לֹא יוֹעִיל כְּלוּם,

And if he repents only with calves alone, it will not help at all,

כִּי אִם יַנִּיחַ הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ גַּם הָעֲנָפִים יִגְדְּלוּ מִמֵּילָא,

For if the root is left, the branches too will grow on their own,

וְאִם יָשׁוּב מֵהַשֹּׁרֶשׁ אָז הָעֲנָפִים יִפְּלוּ מִמֵּילָא,

And if one returns from the root, then the branches will fall on their own,

וְעַל זֶה אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: חֲזוֹר בָּךְ וַאֲנִי וְאַתָּה וּבֶן יִשַׁי נְטַיֵּל בְּגַן עֵדֶן.

And concerning this, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Return from your path, and I, and you, and the son of Yishai will stroll in Gan Eden."

כִּי אִם תַּעֲבוֹר עַל מִדּוֹתֶיךָ וְתָשׁוּב לַעֲמוֹד בָּעֲזָרָה,

For if you will transcend your middos and return to stand in the Azarah,

מִמֵּילָא תְּהֵא מַדְרֵגָתְךָ יוֹתֵר גְּבוֹהָה,

Consequently, your madreiga will be higher,

כִּי בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִים אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים יְכוֹלִים לַעֲמוֹד (בְּרָכוֹת ל"ד),

For in the place where baalei teshuvah stand, even perfectly righteous people cannot stand (Berachos 34a).

וְלָכֵן תְּהִי בְּגַן עֵדֶן אַתָּה בָּרֹאשׁ וְאַחֲרֶיךָ בֶּן יִשַׁי.

And therefore, you will be in Gan Eden at the head, and after you, the son of Yishai.

וְעַל זֶה שָׁאַל יָרָבְעָם מִי בָּרֹאשׁ.

And concerning this, Yeravam asked, 'Who is at the head?'

גִּלָּה דַּעְתּוֹ, כִּי בַּדֶּרֶךְ שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בָּרֹאשׁ,

He revealed his opinion, that in the way that the Holy One, blessed be He, desires that he be at the head,

אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לָלֶכֶת בָּהּ, כִּי לְפִי כַּוָּנַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא צָרִיךְ מִקּוֹדֶם לִהְיוֹת יַחַד עִם רְחַבְעָם בָּעֲזָרָה וְיַעֲבוֹר עַל מִדּוֹתָיו,

He does not want to go in it, for according to the intention of the Holy One, blessed be He, he must first be together with Rechavam in the Azarah and overcome his character traits,

וִיהִי' הוּא פָּחוֹת מֵרְחַבְעָם בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה,

And he will be less than Rechavam in this world,

זֶה אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְוַתֵּר כְּלָל,

This one does not want to give up at all,

לָכֵן שָׁאַל לוֹ מִי בָּרֹאשׁ אִם לֹא יַחֲזֹר מִן הַשֹּׁרֶשׁ,

Therefore, he asked himself, 'Who is at the head?' if he will not return from the root,

אֶלָּא מִן הָעֲגָלִים בִּלְבַד, כִּי יָשׁוּב כֵּן אִם יִהְיֶה בָּרֹאשׁ?

Rather, only from the calves, for will it return thus if it will be at the head?

וְעַל זֶה עָנָה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: בֶּן יִשַׁי בָּרִאשׁוֹן.

And regarding this, the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him: 'Ben Yishai' is first.

כִּי אֵין זֶה תְּשׁוּבָה אִם תַּחֲזוֹר רַק מִן הָעֲגָלִים,

For this is not teshuvah if you return only from the calves,

כִּי אִם תִּשָּׁאֵר עַל מִדּוֹתֶיךָ וּמְעַט מִן הַכָּבוֹד יוּכַל לַהֲפֹךְ אֶת כָּל הַקְּעָרָה עַל פִּיהָ וְהַגַּם שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי אֵין מַלְכוּת נוֹגַעַת בַּחֲבֶרְתָּהּ אֲפִלּוּ כְּמְלֹא נִימָא,

For if you remain with your character traits, a little bit of honor can overturn the entire pot, even though I said, 'One kingdom does not touch its fellow, even by a hairsbreadth.'

לֹא רָצִיתָ לְקַיֵּם גְּזֵרָתִי שֶׁאַתָּה תַּעֲמֹד וּרְחַבְעָם יוֹשֵׁב,

You did not want to fulfill My decree that you should stand while Rechavam sits,

מַה יוֹעִיל אִם תַּעֲבוֹר אֶת הָעֲגָלִים אִם בָּעֲזָרָה לֹא תִרְצֶה לִהְיוֹת יַחַד עִמּוֹ,

What will it help if you pass the calves if in the Azarah you will not want to be together with Him,

מִמֵּילָא תְּהֵא מֻכְרָח עַתָּה לַעֲשׂוֹת הָעֲגָלִים שׁוּב,

Consequently, you will now be forced to make the calves again,

כְּדֵי לְבַטֵּל אֶת הָעוֹלֵי רְגָלִים.

In order to nullify the pilgrims.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ בֶּן יִשַׁי בָּרֹאשׁ.

And this is what the son of Yishai said to him at the beginning.

וּכְשְׁמוֹעַ יָרָבְעָם כַּוָּנַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא דַּוְקָא לַחֲזוֹר מִן יְסוֹדוֹ לִהְיוֹת לָהוּט אַחַר מַעֲלָתוֹ וְלַעֲזוֹב דַּרְכּוֹ הָרַע הַזֶּה וּלְוַתֵּר אֶת כְּבוֹדוֹ וְלִהְיוֹת לָהוּט עַל חֶסְרוֹנוֹ לְתַקְּנוֹ,

And when Yeravam heard the intention of the Holy One, blessed be He, specifically to return from his foundation, to be eager after his spiritual level, and to abandon this evil path of his, and to forgo his honor, and to be eager about his deficiency to rectify it,

אָמַר אִי הָכִי לֹא בָּעֵינָא.

He said, 'If so, I do not want it.'

לֹא אָמַר לֹא מָצִינָא, אֶלָּא לֹא בָּעֵינָא,

He did not say, 'I cannot,' rather, 'I do not want to,'

כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין דָּבָר עוֹמֵד בִּפְנֵי הָרָצוֹן,

For truly, nothing stands in the way of the will,

וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל אֵין בִּמְצִיאוּת אֶלָּא יֵשׁ,

And he cannot [say] 'there is no' in reality, only 'there is'.

רַק אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה.

Only he does not want.

וְאִם הָיָה רוֹצֶה יָרָבְעָם לִבְחֹר לְהַרְגִּישׁ הַנְּגִיעָה וְלִבְרֹחַ מִמֶּנָּה כִּבְרֹחַ מִן הַכָּבוֹד,

And if Yeravam would have wanted to choose to feel the touch [of sin] and flee from it, like fleeing from honor,

וְהָלַךְ אַחַר נְגִיעָתוֹ, לָכֵן חָטָא וְהֶחֱטִיא אֶת הָרַבִּים.

And he went after his personal touch, therefore he sinned and caused the many to sin.

וּמִתְּחִלָּה טָעָה בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן כָּשֵׁר וְאַחַר כָּךְ יָרַד עַל יָדוֹ מַטָּה מַטָּה,

And at first he erred in a kosher calculation, and afterwards, through this, he descended lower and lower,

וְאִם הָיָה לָחוּט עַל חֶסְרוֹנוֹ לֹא הָיָה מַרְגִּישׁ מֵעוֹלָם הַחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַזֶּה שֶׁהוּא יִפְעַל עַל הָעָם יוֹתֵר וְלֹא יִהְיֶה דּוֹחֵק לוֹ הַכָּבוֹד כְּלָל כִּי הָיָה סוֹבֵר בֶּאֱמֶת כִּי הוּא פָּחוּת מִמֶּנּוּ וְיֵשׁ לוֹ יִתְרוֹן עָלָיו,

And if he would be concerned about his deficiency, he would never feel this calculation that he will influence the people more, and honor would not pressure him at all, for he would truly believe that he is less than him and the other has an advantage over him,

וְאָז לֹא הָיָה עוֹלֶה בְּדַעְתּוֹ הַחֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹת כָּאֵלֶּה כְּלָל.

And then such calculations would not enter his mind at all.

יַעַן כִּי הַמַּעֲלוֹת שֶׁלּוֹ כְּלֹא הָיָה וְהַחֶסְרוֹנוֹת זוּלָתוֹ כְּלֹא נִמְצָא,

Because his virtues are as if they never were, and his shortcomings, besides him, are as if they never existed,

וְנִשְׁאַר מַרְגִּישׁ רַק מַעֲלַת חֲבֵירוֹ וְחִסָּרוֹן שֶׁל עַצְמוֹ,

and he remains feeling only the good quality of his friend and the deficiency of himself,

אֵיךְ שַׁיָּיךְ כָּאן שֶׁמָּא יֹאמְרוּ הָא מַלְכָּא וְהָא עַבְדָּא,

How is it relevant here, lest they say, 'Here is the king and here is the servant'?

כִּי הוּא בֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה הַמְּלוּכָה,

for he truly does not desire the kingship,

וְלְפִי דַּעְתּוֹ רְאוּיִין כָּל אָדָם לִמְלֹךְ וְכָל אָדָם יוֹתֵר הָגוּן מִמֶּנּוּ,

And according to his view, all people are fit to rule, and every person is more worthy than him,

אֵיךְ יִדְחַק לוֹ מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ עָלָיו כִּי לֹא מַלְכָּא הוּא?

How will it press upon him what they said about him, that 'he is not a king'?

אֶלָּא אִם מָצָא לוֹ מָקוֹם מַה שֶּׁאָמְרוּ לָאו מַלְכָּא הוּא,

Rather, if he found a place for what they said, 'He is not a king,' (meaning, the yetzer hara is not a king over him, he doesn't rule him).

הוּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָיָה לָהוּט אַחַר כְּבוֹדוֹ וְחָס עַל טָעֻיּוֹת אֲחֵרִים עָלָיו וּפָחַד מִן מַלְכוּתוֹ,

It is because he was zealous for his honor, and was protective of others' errors concerning him, and feared his kingship,

לָכֵן מִיָּד פָּעַל עָלָיו הַנְּגִיעָה וְעָשָׂה לוֹ חֶשְׁבּוֹנוֹת רַבִּים,

Therefore, immediately the touch acted upon him and made for him many calculations,

אֲשֶׁר נָפַל עַל יָדָם לְהַחְטִיא גַּם אֶת הָרַבִּים.

that it fell to them to cause the many to sin as well.

וְכַאֲשֶׁר אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַחֲזוֹר מִן הַנְּגִיעָה הַהִיא אָמַר לֹא בָּעֵינָא,

And when the Holy One, blessed be He, told him to withdraw from that touch, he said, "I do not want it."

אֵין אֲנִי רוֹצֶה זֶה, לָכֵן נִשְׁאַר לִהְיוֹת יָרָבְעָם בֶּן נָבָט.

I do not want this, therefore he remained Yeravam ben Nevat.

וְלָאו דַּוְקָא הוּא נִשְׁאַר בְּרִשְׁעוֹ,

And it is not necessarily that he remains in his wickedness,

אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְוַתֵּר מִכְּבוֹדוֹ מְאוּמָה,

Rather, anyone who does not want to give up anything from his honor,

וְדוֹחֵק לוֹ מַה שֶׁהוּא פָּחוֹת מֵחֲבֵירוֹ,

And it is a pressure for him, that which is less than his fellow,

כִּי עָלוּל לְהַחְטִיא גַּם אֶת הָרַבִּים,

for he is liable to cause even the many to sin,

וְלֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁחָסֵר לוֹ יְכֹלֶת לְוַתֵּר אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה,

And not because he lacks the ability to give up, but because he does not want to,

וְאִם הָיָה רוֹצֶה הָיָה לוֹ יְכוֹלֶת לְהַשְׁלִים עַצְמוֹ בָּזֶה.

And if he would want, he would have the ability to perfect himself in this.

וְאָמְנָם אִם נִתְבּוֹנֵן מֵאַיִן יָבֹא הָרָצוֹן לָאָדָם לִהְיוֹת לָהוּט לְתַקֵּן חֶסְרוֹנוֹ וּלְהַפְקִיר כָּל מַה שֶּׁיָּכוֹל לְטוֹרְדוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם,

And indeed, if we contemplate from where comes to a person the will to be zealous to fix his deficiency and to abandon all that can distract him from the world,

שֶׁזֶּהוּ הַהַשְׁלָמָה, הַשָּׁלֵם מִכָּל הַצְּדָדִין שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא רְצוֹנוֹ רַק לְהַשְׁלִים אֶת עַצְמוֹ וּלְבַעֵר כָּל דַּק מֵחֶסְרוֹנוֹ,

For this is the perfection, complete from all sides, that his will should only be to perfect himself and to eradicate every subtle aspect of his deficiency,

אֵיךְ יִרְצֶה הָאָדָם לַעֲשׂוֹת כָּל מַעֲשָׂיו לִשְׁמָהּ לְבַד בְּלִי שׁוּם פְּנִיָּה עַצְמִית וּנְטִיָּה צְדָדִית,

How will a person want to do all his deeds solely for her sake, without any self-serving motive or side inclination,

כִּי נִדְמֶה לוֹ כִּי הוּא צָרִיךְ לְרַחֵק מִן הַחַיִּים לְגַמְרֵי וְלִחְיוֹת בְּעוֹלָם שֶׁאֵין לוֹ שׁוּם צִיּוּר מִמֶּנָּהּ.

For it seems to him that he needs to distance himself from life completely and to live in a world of which he has no conception.

אוֹ הַלְשָׁמָה שֶׁל הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הַשִּׁמּוּר לְשֵׁם מִצַּת מִצְוָה,

Or the completion of the mitzvos, that the guarding should be for the sake of the mitzvah's matzah,

וְכֵן הַלְשָׁמָה שֶׁל הַתְּפִילִּין שֶׁאֵין הַלְשָׁמָה עוֹשָׂה שׁוּם שִׁינוּי בַּדָּבָר,

And so too the 'lishma' of the tefillin, that the 'lishma' does not make any change in the object,

לֹא שִׁנּוּי מַרְאֶה וְלֹא שִׁנּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה,

Not a change of appearance and not a change of action,

אֶלָּא דִּינִים מוּטָלִים עַל הַגַּבְרָא,

Rather, there are judgments placed upon the person,

שֶׁבְּאֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים צָרִיךְ בָּהֶם כַּוָּנַת לִשְׁמָהּ,

that in these matters, one needs in them the intention of 'lishmah' (for its own sake, for Hashem's sake),

וְאֵין מְצִיאוּתָהּ וְהֶעְדֵּרָהּ מוֹסִיף אוֹ מְגָרֵעַ מִן עֶצֶם הַדָּבָר רֹשֶׁם מַה,

And its existence or its non-existence does not add or subtract any impression from the essence of the thing itself,

וְרַק לְדִינָא הוּא לְעִכּוּבָא,

And only regarding the halacha, it is an impediment,

שֵׁם לְשֵׁמָהּ הוּא כָּשֵׁר וְאִם שֶׁלֹּא לְשֵׁמָהּ הוּא פָּסוּל,

A name for its own sake is kosher, but if it is not for its own sake, it is invalid.

וּבְעִנְיַן הַגֵּט הֲרֵי הִיא אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ לְכָל דָּבָר,

And regarding the gett, behold, she is an eishes ish for every matter,

וּבְמִצְוֹת לֹא יָצָא בָּהּ יְדֵי חוֹבָתוֹ.

And regarding mitzvos, he did not fulfill his obligation with it.