Avraham the chassid earns enduring supernal chesed

במדרש אנכי מגן לך כו' מנח לא העמדתי מגינים של צדיקים.

In the Midrash: "I am a shield for you, etc." — from Noach I did not establish "shields of tzaddikim."

The Midrash, on Hashem's promise to Avraham "I am a shield for you," contrasts Avraham with Noach: from Noach, Hashem did not raise up "shields of the righteous," but from Avraham He did.

להבין ענין זה.

To understand this matter.

The Sefas Emes sets out to explain the difference between Noach and Avraham implied by the Midrash.

דכתיב נח איש צדיק ואאע"ה נקרא חסיד ועליו נאמר לאיש חסידך כו' האומר לאביו ולאמו לא ראיתיו כדכ' לך לך כו' ואת בניו לא ידע.

For it is written, "Noach was a righteous man (tzaddik)," whereas Avraham Avinu is called a "chassid" (devoted one), and about him it is said, "to Your devoted one (chassid)... who says of his father and mother, 'I have not seen him'" — as it is written, "go forth (lech lecha)..." — "and his children he did not recognize." (Devarim 33:8-9)

Noach is described as a tzaddik, who keeps the law justly, but Avraham reached the higher level of chassid, one who serves with boundless devotion — symbolized by the verse about leaving father and mother and not "recognizing" even his children for Hashem's sake.

בשליחת ישמעאל מעל פניו.

In the sending away of Yishmael from before him.

Avraham's "not recognizing his children" was realized when he sent away Yishmael at Hashem's command.

ובעקידת יצחק.

And in the Akeidah (binding) of Yitzchak.

It was realized even more fully when he bound Yitzchak on the altar, overriding all natural fatherly attachment for Hashem.

שמרו אמרתך ובריתך כו' המילה שניתנה לאאע"ה.

"They guarded Your word and Your covenant, etc." — the milah (covenant of circumcision) that was given to Avraham Avinu.

The verse's praise of guarding Hashem's "covenant" alludes to the bris milah first given to Avraham.

והגם שנאמר על אהרן הכהן ראש הכח של אהרן הוא מאבינו אברהם ע"ה.

And although [this verse, "to Your devoted one"] is said regarding Aharon HaKohen, the root of Aharon's power (kocho) comes from our father Avraham, peace be upon him.

Even though the verse "to Your chassid" is said of Aharon (and the tribe of Levi), the source of Aharon's quality of chesed traces back to Avraham Avinu.

ואיתא איזה חסיד המתחסד עם קונו דאיתא החסד מתגלגל בעולם בשבילו.

And it is brought: who is a chassid? One who acts with chesed toward his Maker (mischasseid im kono) — for it is brought that chesed circulates through the world on his account.

A true chassid is defined as one who does kindness with his Creator; Chazal teach that such a person causes divine chesed to flow through the entire world for his sake.

ולכאורה הוא מילי דסתרי כי חסד הוא בלי זכות המקבל והאיך אמרו בשבילו.

And seemingly these are contradictory matters: for chesed is given without [requiring] merit on the part of the recipient — so how can they say it comes "on his account"?

He raises a difficulty: chesed by definition is unearned grace, yet here it is said to come because of the chassid's own merit — a contradiction.

אך יש גם ע"ז משפט שביכולת החסיד לזכות במעשיו לחסד עליון וזה נקרא מגינים של צדיקים להיות זוכה לחסד עליון ושוב אין לדבר הפסק וכ"כ שומר הברית והחסד לאוהביו כו'.

But there is even regarding this a [principle of] justice (mishpat): that it is within the power of the chassid to earn, through his deeds, the supernal chesed — and this is what is called "shields of tzaddikim," to merit the supernal chesed, and then the matter has no cessation; and so it is written, "Guardian of the covenant and the chesed for those who love Him, etc." (Devarim 7:9)

The resolution: there is a higher mishpat by which a chassid's deeds can actually earn even free-flowing supernal chesed. This earned chesed is the "shield of tzaddikim" — once won, it never ceases, as the verse promises Hashem guards His covenant and kindness perpetually for those who love Him.

וזה החילוק כי עולם חסד יבנה והוא חסד חנם.

And this is the distinction: "the world is built on chesed" — and this is free chesed (chesed chinam).

He distinguishes two kinds of chesed: the original chesed by which the whole world was built, which is freely given, unearned grace.

ואח"כ בא אברהם אע"ה ונעשה כלי לקבל החסד ונקרא חסיד וכביכול בע"כ מתעורר מדת החסד בשבילו.

And afterward Avraham Avinu came and became a vessel (keli) to receive the chesed, and he is called a "chassid," and, as it were, the attribute of chesed is aroused on his account of necessity (b'al korcho).

The second kind: Avraham made himself a fitting vessel for chesed, and by becoming a true chassid he so aligned himself with that midah that the attribute of chesed is drawn out, kivyachol, automatically on his behalf.

ובודאי בשכל אנושי אי אפשר לעשות כן רק במסה"נ שהי' לאברהם אע"ה וכ' מי הקדמני ואשלם.

And surely with human intellect alone it is impossible to do this — only through the mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) that Avraham Avinu had — and it is written, "Who has preceded Me, that I should repay him?" (Iyov 41:3)

Such an achievement is beyond ordinary human reason; it required Avraham's total self-sacrifice. The verse "Who has preceded Me, that I should repay him?" teaches that one who "gives first" to Hashem obligates, as it were, a divine repayment.

ומי שמוסר נפשו שייך בזה כביכול להקדים בחסידותו שיזכה במעשיו למדת החסד ושילם לו באמת הקב"ה תחת כל השמים כדכ' שכרך הרבה מאוד:

And one who gives over his soul (moser nafsho) is able, as it were, to "go first" with his chassidus, so that he merits through his deeds the attribute of chesed; and the Holy One, blessed be He, truly repaid him beneath all the heavens, as it is written, "your reward is very great." (Bereishis 15:1)

Through mesirus nefesh, the chassid "goes first" in devotion and thereby earns the very midah of chesed; Hashem repaid Avraham accordingly — promising him "your reward is very great," the assurance of His enduring shield.

Summary: Noach was a tzaddik, but Avraham rose to the higher level of chassid — one who does chesed with his Maker through total mesirus nefesh, shown in sending away Yishmael and the Akeidah. While the world is built on free, unearned chesed, Avraham made himself a vessel that, through his self-sacrifice, actually earns supernal chesed — the "shield of tzaddikim" that never ceases. Because he "went first" in devotion, Hashem repaid him measure for measure with an enduring, eternal reward.