"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."
Who Pardons Iniquity
This Attribute is greater than the previous one, for when a person transgresses, a destructive creature is created. As stated in the Mishnah, "He who commits a single transgression acquires against himself a single accuser" who stands before the Holy One, Blessed is He, and states, "So and so made me."
Nevertheless, the Holy One, Blessed is He, bears the sin and endures it, and just as He sustains the entire world, He sustains this destructive creature until one of three things happens:
- The sinner repents, destroying or nullifying the destructive creature by his acts of penance.
- The righteous Judge nullifies it through the suffering or death of the sinner.
- The sinner descends to Gehinnom to pay his debt.
This is the explanation of Kayin's plea, "Is my sin too great to bear?" (Bereishit 4:13), which Chazal (our Sages) interpreted as: "You bear and desire and nourish and sustain the entire world! Is my sin so severe that You cannot sustain it (i.e., the destructive creature) until I repent and rectify the sin?"
It is with tremendous tolerance that G-d nourishes and sustains the evil creatures created by the sinner until he repents. From this, man should learn to what extent he, too, should be tolerant and bear the yoke of his fellow and his sin. He should tolerate one who sinned against him until the sinner mends his ways or the sin disappears of its own accord.
Hitbodedut: "HaShem, please help me to remember that this harm is Your Will and that it is good, sent for my ultimate growth and development. Please help me to be tolerant of the situation and use it to improve myself and remove the negativity that I have created."
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