Chesed Of Avraham Tempers Judgment

בפסוק המכסה אני מאברהם כו'.

On the verse, "Shall I conceal from Avraham?" etc. (Bereishis 18:17).

The Sefas Emes opens with Hashem's deliberation over whether to hide from Avraham His plan for Sedom.

וכתב זה בתורה שלא להרהר אחר מדת דינו של הקב"ה שכל מה שעושה נמלך באבות ומכש"כ עתה שגדולים צדיקים במיתתן יותר מבחייהם.

And this was written in the Torah so that one should not question the attribute of judgment of the Holy One, blessed is He — for everything He does, He "consults" with the Avos; and all the more so now, for tzaddikim are greater in their death than in their lifetime.

The Torah records that Hashem "consults" Avraham to teach that His judgments are tempered through the Avos, who, especially after their passing, continue to mediate on behalf of Bnei Yisrael.

ולכן כל פורעניות שלא תבוא על בני ישראל הכל בהסכמת אברהם עמוד החסד.

Therefore, any retribution that might come upon Bnei Yisrael is all with the consent of Avraham, the pillar of chesed.

No punishment befalls Bnei Yisrael without first passing, as it were, through Avraham, the embodiment of kindness — ensuring it is measured with mercy.

ותפלה זו שפעל אאע"ה אם יהי' עשרה צדיקים בעיר הוא הנהגה לדורות וגם בכל איש פרטי שנקרא עיר קטנה ויש בו רמ"ח ושס"ה ואם עשרה מהם צדיקים ניצול כל האדם.

And this prayer that Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, accomplished — that if there be ten tzaddikim in the city [it would be spared] — is a guidance for the generations, and also within every individual, who is called a "small city" and contains 248 [limbs] and 365 [sinews]; and if ten of them are righteous, the whole person is saved.

Avraham's plea for Sedom sets an eternal principle, applying even to the individual: a person is a "small city" of 248 and 365 (corresponding to the mitzvos), and if even ten parts are sound, the whole person can be rescued.

גם פרשת העקידה הכל הי' לטובת בנ"י כמ"ש נפלאותיך ומחשבותיך אלינו.

Also the passage of the Akeidah was entirely for the good of Bnei Yisrael, as it is said, "Your wonders and Your thoughts are toward us" (Tehillim 40:6).

Even the Akeidah was ultimately for the benefit of Bnei Yisrael — Hashem's "thoughts toward us."

כי מסר הקב"ה את יצחק תחת יד אברהם להיות מדת החסד גובר על מדת הדין.

For the Holy One, blessed is He, placed Yitzchak under the hand of Avraham, so that the attribute of chesed would prevail over the attribute of din.

By having Yitzchak (din) bound by Avraham (chesed), Hashem established kindness as dominant over strict judgment.

והנה לאברהם נאמר לך לך כו' התהלך בארץ לארכה ורחבה כי מדת החסד הוא צריך להתפשט ביותר כמ"ש רש"י להודיע טבעך בעולם.

Now, to Avraham it was said, "Go for yourself... walk about the land, its length and breadth" (Bereishis 13:17), for the attribute of chesed must spread out as much as possible, as Rashi says, "to make your nature known in the world."

Chesed is expansive by nature; Avraham was told to traverse the whole land precisely because kindness is meant to extend and publicize itself everywhere.

ומדה"ד צריכין רק להעלותה אל השורש ששם נמתק הדינים לכן כתיב והעלהו כמ"ש בזוה"ק בענין תנופת זהב כי מדה"ד צריכין להניף ולהרים והניף את הלוים כו'.

But the attribute of din one need only elevate to the Root, where the judgments are sweetened; therefore it is written, "and bring him up [as an offering]" (Bereishis 22:2), as is stated in the Zohar regarding the "waving of gold," for the attribute of din must be waved and lifted up — "and he shall wave the Leviim," etc. (Bamidbar 8:11).

Whereas chesed spreads outward, din is handled by raising it up to its source, where harsh judgments are sweetened — hence "ha'aleihu" at the Akeidah and the lifting/waving associated with gold and the Leviim, who also embody din.

וכ"כ שמאלו תחת לראשי.

And so it is written, "His left hand is under my head" (Shir HaShirim 2:6).

The "left hand" (din) is positioned beneath and supporting, lifted up rather than spread out.

ועתה בעוה"ז צריכין להשען במדת אברהם אבינו.

And now, in olam hazeh, one must lean upon the attribute of Avraham Avinu.

In this world, our support and protection come through the midah of chesed embodied by Avraham.

ולעתיד נאמר על יצחק אתה אבינו כמ"ש בגמ'.

And in the future it will be said of Yitzchak, "You are our father," as is stated in the Gemara (Shabbos 89b).

In the time to come, the Gemara teaches, it is Yitzchak who will be addressed as "our father."

כי יצחק נתעלה להיות עולה תמימה קדוש מרחם כמ"ש עליו קידש ידיד מבטן ובאמת בו נתקיים מי יעלה לנו השמימה שהי' ראשון הנימול לשמונה.

For Yitzchak was elevated to be a perfect olah (burnt-offering), sanctified from the womb, as it is said of him, "the Beloved was sanctified from the womb" (from the liturgy); and in truth, the verse "Who shall ascend Heavenward for us?" (Devarim 30:12) was fulfilled in him, for he was the first to be circumcised at eight days.

Yitzchak, offered as a flawless olah and sanctified from birth, achieved a true "ascent Heavenward"; he was also the first to receive bris milah on the eighth day, the gateway to the supernal root above nature.

ולמעלה בשורש נמתק גם מדה"ד ומזכה אותנו.

And above, at the Root, even the attribute of din is sweetened and confers merit upon us.

At the supernal source, even strict judgment is transformed into a source of merit and blessing for Bnei Yisrael.

אבל בעוה"ז חסד יבנה ונשענין בזכות אברהם אע"ה וז"ש בך חותמין שמדתו של אברהם אע"ה מתפשט עד סוף כל דרגין כמובן למשכילים:

But in olam hazeh, "the world is built on chesed" (Tehillim 89:3), and we lean on the merit of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him. And this is the meaning of "with you they conclude [the blessing]" — that the attribute of Avraham Avinu spreads out to the end of all levels, as is understood by the discerning.

This world stands on chesed, so we rely on Avraham's merit; that is why the first blessing of Shemoneh Esrei seals with "Magen Avraham" — his quality of kindness reaches and protects all the way down through every level of existence.

Summary: Hashem's "consulting" Avraham teaches that His judgments are mediated through the Avos, so no retribution reaches Bnei Yisrael except through Avraham, the pillar of chesed. Avraham's plea for Sedom — that ten tzaddikim could save a city — applies even to the individual, a "small city" of 248 and 365. Chesed (Avraham) is meant to spread outward, while din (Yitzchak, the Akeidah) is elevated to its Root and sweetened. In this world we lean on Avraham's kindness, "Magen Avraham," which extends to every level; in the future it is Yitzchak, the perfected olah, who will be called "our father."