Tomer Devorah - Emulating G-d: Kindness to Avraham

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 · Posted in , , ,


"The righteous will flourish like the date palm..." (Tehillim 92:13)

Tomer Devorah [Palm Tree of Devorah] - an ethical treatise devoted to a Kabbalistic understanding of the commandment to imitate G-d based on the Torah verse "...you shall go in His ways" (Devarim 28:9) and "to go in all His ways" (11:22).  

The Sifri ("Eikev") explains: just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is called 'Compassionate,' you should be compassionate; just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is called 'Gracious,' you should be gracious; just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is called 'Righteous,' you should be righteous; just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, is called 'Pious,' you should be pious."  

Expounding the verse "Follow HaShem, your G-d..." (Devarim 13:5), the Gemara derives the practical implications of this concept:  "Emulate the attributes of the Holy One, Blessed Be He.  Just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, clothes the naked...so should you; just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, visits the sick..so should you; just as the Holy One, Blessed Be He, consoles the bereaved, so should you..." (Sotah 14a)

In Tomer Devorah, the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of Mercy mentioned in Michah 7:18-20 are analyzed in detail.

The following are the words of the holy Sanzer Rebbi, the Divrei Chaim זצ"ל, as heard by his grandson, Rav Moshe Halberstam זצ"ל   from the Satmar Rebbi זצ"ל:

“…the learning from the Sefer Tomer Devorah is a segulah against the terrible sickness…”

It is recommended to learn from the sefer Tomer Devorah once a week or at least once a month, even though this sefer is not easy to understand. This segulah follows the principle of  middah keneged middah (measure for measure). If we emulate G-d’s Attributes and act like He does with patience, compassion, forgiveness, etc, HaShem will act towards us in the manner of middah keneged middah  and be patient, compassionate and forgiving with us.

To be privileged to channel G-d's blessing and benefit into the world, man must emulate his Creator.  It is insufficient that man is created in the Divine likeness - he must constantly, consciously, and willingly cleave to G-d by emulating Him in every way. 

"Who is G-d like You, Who pardons iniquity and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?  He does not maintain His anger forever, for He delights in kindness.  He will again show us compassion, He will vanquish our iniquities, and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.  Show faithfulness to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham, which You have sworn to our fathers from days of old" (Michah 7:18-20)

Consequently, it is proper that these Thirteen Attributes should also be found in man.


Hitbodedut:  "HaShem, I realize that I have no separate existence from you and therefore I yearn to be more like You.  Please help me to rise above my nature and lead me in the path that I wish to go, which is to think, say and do only what is pleasing to You.  May I merit to bring love and mercy to my interactions."





Kindness to Avraham

This Attribute applies to those who conduct goes beyond the requirements of the Law, like Avraham our Patriarch.  Thus, 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 demand the strict execution of justice, not even regarding correctness.  Rather, He goes beyond the letter of the Law, just as they do.  This is the aspect of "kindness to Avraham" - the Holy One, Blessed is He, displays the Attribute of kindness towards those whose conduct is like Avraham's.

So, too, with man.  Although he conducts himself properly and correctly, with justness towards all men, towards those who are particularly righteous and pious, his conduct should go beyond the strict requirements of the Law.  Wherever he displays patience towards all men, with the righteous and pious he should have much more patience, showing them compassion beyond what the Law requires in his dealings with others.  They should be exceedingly important to him and especially beloved, and they should be among his friends.


HitbodedutHaShem, please help me to understand kindness and piousness and to conduct myself with mercy and kindness.  Please help me to stretch myself when in a position to offer kindness, charity or assistance to a pious person.  Help me to establish care and friendship.


RaMaK (Rabbi Moshe Cordovero)

Tehillim 119:15

Tehillim 119:15
בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה וְאַבִּיטָה אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ
befikudeicha asicha veabita orchoteicha
I will meditate in Your precepts, and look at Your paths.


Here, "precepts" are the conceptions derived from the Torah.  "I will meditate in Your precepts, and look at Your paths" of conduct.  Then I will endeavor to walk in your ways.  Even as G-d is merciful, I will endeavor to be merciful (cf. Shemot 33:19, 34:6).

A related reading of asicha is "I will speak," and the corresponding interpretation says: When I speak the precepts of the Torah, I "look at" them with the eye of the intellect in order truly to know them.  I shall not be as one who prattles with his mouth and his heart is not with him (cf. Mishlei 23:7).

The Midrash expounds: "I will meditate in Your precepts."  It is possible to be instructed by the Torah in worldly matters as well.  For instance, from Noach's ark we can infer the (balanced) dimensions of a ship (Bereishit 6).

Tehillim 119:1 - Tehillim 119:2 - Tehillim 119:3 - Tehillim 119:4 - Tehillim 119:5 - Tehillim 119:6 - Tehillim 119:7 - Tehillim 119:8 - Tehillim 119:9 - Tehillim 119:10 - Tehillim 119:11 - Tehillim 119:12 - Tehillim 119:13 - Tehillim 119:14


-MeAm Lo'ez

Tehillim 119:14

Sunday, February 16, 2014 · Posted in , , , , ,

Tehillim 119:14
בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן
bederech edvoteicha sasti keal kol-hon
I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, as much as in all riches.


Even when I am only "in the way" towards observing the mitzvot, I rejoice.  I am as one who is on his way to earn a great fortune; this man does not feel the weariness of the journey.

I rejoice and am glad in the observance of "Your testimonies," like a man who rejoices every time he finds treasure.  I do not rejoice at bodily pleasures, but at having in my possession the treasures of the King.

In this world there is no reward for the observance of a mitzvah, since no material reward is equal to the value of any mitzvah.  But there is reward in this world for the preparation to perform a mitzvah, preparations being the tools for the performance of any mitzvah.  Thus David says here: "In the way of Your testimonies I have rejoiced."

When I studied Torah, David says, I despised all wealth and possessions, for I saw Torah as superior to "all riches."  Similarly, our Sages teach:  A man has silver but he has no gold; he has gold but he has no silver, nor fields, nor vineyards.  But in the Torah there is silver and gold, as it says, "The ordinances of HaShem... More to be desired are they than gold, than fine gold" (v19:10, 11).  There are fields and vineyards, as it says, "Your offshoots are an orchard of pomegranates with luscious friuts" (Shir HaShirim 4:13).

That is to say, it is clear to the student of Torah that he has everything.  For the Torah is superior in value to all possessions in the world.


Tehillim 119:1 - Tehillim 119:2 - Tehillim 119:3 - Tehillim 119:4 - Tehillim 119:5 - Tehillim 119:6 - Tehillim 119:7 - Tehillim 119:8 - Tehillim 119:9 - Tehillim 119:10 - Tehillim 119:11 - Tehillim 119:12 - Tehillim 119:13

-MeAm Lo'ez

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