It’s All About Love

July 12, 2017 Moshe Delerb

What is the most efficient way to drive out negativity from the world as a whole? Doesn’t overly focusing on just refuting negativity feel dispiriting? In Part Three of the ma’amer “Bila Hamoves Lanetzach” (find Parts One and Two here), the Rebbe sheds light on the idea of negating evil by analyzing how we respond to the negativity that’s within our consciousness. The best way to understand the world’s relationship with G-d is by understanding our relationship with Him.
Let’s understand the difference between the era of Shlomo HaMelech and the era after Moshiach comes. The G-dly expression which prevailed in the times of Shlomo HaMelech was such, that evil had no power, but still existed and had an identity.		ג) וּבִּיאוּר הַחִילוּק בֵּין הַגִילוּי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵי שֱׁלֹמֹה (שֶׁמִצַד גִילוּי זֶה הָיָה עַדַיִין מָקוֹם לִינִיקַת הַחִיצוֹנִים, מִבְּחִינַת אַחוֹרַיִים עֲל כָּל פָּנִים) לְהַגִילוּי דְלְעָתִיד לָבֹא (שֶׁמְצַד גִילוּי זֶה לֹא יִהְיֶה לָהֶם יְנִיקָה כְּלַל),
The G-dly expression that will be after Moshiach comes is such, that evil won’t even exist.
The Rebbe Maharash explains the difference in his ma’amer Ravto Es Rivom. He explains that the difference between these two forms of G-dly expression, these two forms of reality, is parallel to the difference between those who refrain from evil and those who are disgusted by evil.		מְבַאֵר בְּהַמַאֲמָר(22), שֶׁהוּא עֲל דֶרֶךְ הַחִילוּק (בַּעֲבוֹדַת הָאָדָם) בֵּין הָעַבוֹדָה דְסוּר מֵרָע לְהָעַבוֹדָה דְמוֹאֵס בְּרַע.
In this ma’amer, the Rebbe contrasts the complete tzaddik to the incomplete tzaddik. The incomplete tzaddik serves G-d consistently, completely and entirely in his thought, speech, and action. Nevertheless, the incomplete tzaddik doesn’t hate evil—in fact, deep down, he may still long and desire to do things which are against G-d’s Will. Evil is defined simply as that which is against G-d’s Will. The complete tzaddik, on the other hand, does mitzvos out of joy and an abounding love for G-d. This abounding love for G-d translates into a natural disgust of evil. In general, this has been the difference between the service of the tzaddik and the beinoni. However, in many sichos and ma’amorim, the Rebbe stressed that in our generation, mitzvos, learning Torah—even self-control and discipline must be done with joy and motivated by pleasure derived from mitzvos. It seems that the beinoni is no longer the best we can become. In other words, nowadays we can relate to G-d, Torah, and mitzvos like a complete tzaddik. Later on, the ma’amer hints this idea—that we can serve G-d like a tzaddik.
Refraining from sin means suppressing evil, but not hating the notion of evil.		דְסוּר מֵרַע הוּא שֶׁמַדְחֶה אֶת הָרַע אַבָל אֵינוֹ שֹונֵא אֶת הָרַע בֱּעֶצֶם.
Naturally, although the incomplete tzaddik (one who refrains from sin) succeeds in suppressing evil, he can still personally relate to evil.		וּבְּמֵילָא, אַף שֶׁבְּפּוֹעֵל הוּא מַדְחֶה אֶת הָרַע, נִשְׁאָר אֶצְלוֹ עַדַיִין נְתִינַת מָקוֹם לְהָרַע,
Since the incomplete tzaddik still relates to evil to some extent, it is entirely possible that a smidgen of love for evil might remain. See the definition of the incomplete tzaddik in Tanya.(23)		וְעַד שֶׁבְּהֶעֱלֶם יֵשׁ לוֹ אֵיזֶה שֶׁמֶץ אַהֲבָה לְרַע, כְּמְבוּאָר בְּתַּנְיָא (23) בְּדַרְגַת צַדִיק שֶׁאֵינוֹ גָמוּר.
On the other hand, a person who utterly hates evil (a complete tzaddik), has no relation to evil whatsoever.		מַה-שֶׁאֵין-כֵּן כְּשֶׁהוּא מוֹאֵס בְּרַע, הַיְינוּ שֶׁהוּא מוֹאֵס בְּרַע בְּתַּכְלִית (דַרְגַת צַדִיק גָמוּר), אֵין אֶצְלוֹ שׁוּם נְתִינַת מָקוֹם לְרַע, שֶׁהַרֵי אַדְרַבָא, הוּא שֹונֵא אֶת הָרַע וְמוֹאֵס בּוֹ בְּתַּכְלִית הַשִֹנְאָה וְהַמִיאוּס.
This is the difference between the era of Shlomo HaMelech and the era after Moshiach comes.		וְעַל-דֶרֶךְ-זֶה הוּא הַחִילוּק בֵּין הַגִילוּי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה לְהַגִילוּי דְלְעָתִיד לָבֹא,
In the era of Shlomo HaMelech, although all the enemies of the Jews and Holiness were completely non-existent, nevertheless, the possibility for the kingdoms to turn against the Jews did exist.		דְהַגִילוּי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה, עִם הֱיוֹת שֶׁגַם לְגַבֵּי גִילוּי זֶה מִתְבַּטְלִים כָּל הַמְנַגְדִים (בְּדוּגְמַת שֶׁגַם בְּהָעַבוֹדָה דְסוּר מֵרַע הוּא מַדְחֶה אֶת הָרַע), מִכָּל מָקוֹם, יֵשׁ עַדַיִין מָקוֹם לִינִיקַת הַחִיצוֹנִים (מִבְּחִינַת אֲחוֹרַיִים דְקְדוּשָׁה עַל-כָּל-פָּנִים).
This is similar to the avoda of the incomplete tzaddik: the one who refrains from sin yet can still relate to evil in his core.
In the era after Moshiach comes, however, no trace of evil will remain. This can be compared to the avoda of the complete tzaddik.		מַה-שֶׁאֵין-כֵּן הַגִילוּי דְלְעָתִיד לָבֹא הוּא דוּגְמַת הַמוֹאֵס בְּרַע בְּתַּכְלִית הַמִיאוּס, שֶׁאֵין בֹּו שׁוּם נְתִינַת מָקוֹם לְעִנְיָן דְהֵיפֶּךְ הַקְדוּשָׁה.
Furthermore, we should know, that the hate a person has towards evil is commensurate to the love one has for G-d.		וְיֵשׁ לְהוֹסִיף, דְעֲל-פִּי הַמְבוּאָר בְּתַּנְיָא(23) שֶׁגוֹדֶל הַשִׂנְאָה לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא וְהַמִיאוּס בְּרַע הוּא כְּפִי עֶרֶךְ גוֹדֶל הָאַהֲבָה לַהַוַיֶ’,
The more we love G-d, the more we hate evil. When we love someone, we naturally begin to love what they love and not love what they hate. As the love grows, the things our beloved hates become what we hate. Eventually, when there is no more evil and nothing to hate, there will just be love.
Therefore, avoda is not just about hating, suppressing and negating evil: avoda is about loving G-d. (Hating evil is just an outcome of loving G-d.)		הַחִילוּק בֵּין סוּר מֵרַע לְמוֹאֵס בְּרַע הוּא (לֹא רַק בְּנוֹגֵעַ לְאוֹפֶן שְׁלִילַת הָרַע, אֶלָא גַּם) בְּגוֹדֶל וְאוֹפֶן אַהֲבָתוֹ לַהַוַיֶ’.
We don’t need to use up our energy on trying to hate evil. Rather, we should focus on our innate passion for G-d, and as a result, we’ll naturally be appalled by the evil.
Now the parallel fits even more: The difference between the incomplete tzaddik (who merely refrains from sin) and the complete tzaddik (who utterly hates evil) is parallel to the G-dly expression of the era of Shlomo Hamelech and that of the era after Moshiach.		וְעֲל-פִּי-זֶה תּוּמְתָּק הָהַשְׁוָואָה דְחִילוּק זֶה (שֶׁבֵּין סוּר מֵרַע לְמוֹאֵס בְּרַע) לְהַחִילוּק שֶׁבֵּין הַגִילוּי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵי שְׁלֹמֹה לְהַגִילוּי דְלְעָתִיד לָבֹא,
We see that the difference between the two types of tzadikim is in their relationship towards evil. The same is true about the two different types of G-dly expression: the era of Shlomo HaMelech and the era after Moshiach comes. The incomplete tzaddik may be a successful master of himself and servant of G-d, but can still relate to evil. So too, in the era of Shlomo HaMelech, although there was peace, evil still existed, and naturally, the potential for other nations to become our enemies (evil) did too. The complete tzaddik loves G-d so much he can’t even begin to relate to evil. So too, after Moshiach comes, the world will be so filled with G-dly expression, evil won’t even exist. Nowadays, we can have a taste of this era. We can do mitzvos by will, out of joy, and motivated by the love for G-d. When we do mitzvos while motivated by love, evil just dissipates. For example: when you turn on a light, darkness ceases to be.
The difference lies in how evil was and will be suppressed. In the days of Shlomo HaMelech, just as with the incomplete tzaddik’s avoda, evil wasn’t completely eradicated. After Moshiach comes, evil won’t exist because of the abounding G-dly expression. So too, the complete tzaddik—his love of G-d is so full and whole, evil has no place in his heart.		דְהַחִילוּק שֶׁבֵּינֵיהֶם בְּאוֹפֶן שְׁלִילַת הָרַע (שֶׁבְּהַגִילוּי שֶׁהָיָה בִּימֵֵי שְׁלֹמֹה יֵשׁ עַדַיִין נְתִינַת מָקוֹם לִינִיקַת הַחִיצוֹנִים מַה-שֶׁאֵין-כֵּן בְּהַגִילוּי) הוּא מְצַד הַחִילוּק שֶׁבָּהֶם בְּדַרְגַת וְאוֹפֶן הָאוֹר וְהַגִילוּי.
Summary: The contrast between an incomplete tzaddik and a complete tzaddik can be used as a model to understand the G-dly revelation and thereby suppression of evil in Shlomo HaMelech’s days and when the era after Moshiach arrives. An incomplete tzaddik’s love for G-d is incomplete and therefore can still relate to evil. So to, in the days of Shlomo HaMelech, the G-dly revelation was limited, and as a result, the notion of evil still existed, it just wasn’t present. A complete tzaddik’s love for G-d is perfect; he, therefore, cannot fathom the notion of evil. So too when after the Moshiach era arrives, the revelation will be such, it won’t even exist. In other words, just as one’s repulsion of evil is a result of his sincere love for G-d is, so too, the eradication of evil in the world as a whole is an outcome of G-d expressing His true Self.

22. ד”ה רבת את ריבם הנ”ל (ע’ מב).

23. פ”י (טו, א)

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