Perek 87

[Bentzion Meltzer]

The Baal SHem Tov taught:
"Sweetening the harsh judgments at their source," spoken about in the
writings of the Arizal, is accomplished by a transmutation of letters,
for any decree is only letters. This is the deeper meaning of Noah
being instructed to make a window - a tzohar - in the ark: he was
supposed to mitigate the harsh judgments into mercy by transmuting the
letters of misfortune - tzarah - to tzohar.1

This is also alluded to in the verse, "When you go out to war against
an enemy [in Hebrew, ha'tzar], sound a stacatto on the trumpets."2 For
the sound of a stacatto arouses joy, the opposite of the sound of the
shofar, which arouses fear. This means that by accepting the pangs of
battles with joy, the suffering - tzarah - is transformed into Divine
grace - ratzah.

This is accomplished by binding the harsh judgments connected with
Malkut to Binah,3 or by finding within the harsh judgments some
element of kindness to which the judgment can be attributed. Then, the
harsh judgment is mitigated at its source in kindness, and is revealed
to be indeed kindness.4

1 Furthermore, the Hebrew word for ark can also mean a word. Thus the
verse would be explicitly saying, Make the word into tzohar!
2 Numbers 10:9
3 Malkhut is connected with a state of "not knowing," as the Malkhut
is referred to as "having no eyes," while Binah is connected with a
state of understanding. Hence, when one is able to transcend one's not
knowing, to submit one's human understanding to that of G•d, one is
able to mitigate the harsh judgments by accepting them as being G•d's
"better judgment," even if one does not understand it.
4 Toldoth Yaakov Yoseph, Noah #3

Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett and reprinted
with the kind permission of the Baal Shem Tov Foundation. Please visit
www.baalshemtov.com

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