593. One Should Not Appease One’s Neighbor When He Is Angry

One should not appease one’s neighbor when he is angry because once he becomes angry, he is erring and cannot understand anything without erring.

“The Lord will lift up His face to you [favor you].” Another verse says, “Who will not lift up the face [be biased].” Here, it is when we do His will, and here it is when we do not do His will (Midrash Rabbah, Nasso, 11:7). This is perplexing: Why is bias required when we do His will?

We should interpret “doing His will.” It is known that the Creator’s will is to bestow. When the lower ones perform acts of bestowal, it is considered that they are doing His will, and then there is the matter of equivalence of form. At that time, the Creator can give them the lifting of the face, called “revelation of His face.” That is, the Tzimtzum [restriction] and concealment that were on them are lifted.

But when they do not do His will, meaning when they do not exert in the matter of wanting to bestow, which is the Creator’s will, there is no equivalence of form here, and then there must be concealment and hiding. This is called “Who will not lift up the face,” but the Achoraim [posterior], which does not shine for them.

Also, we should interpret concerning help from the Creator, to whom He helps—to those who do the Creator’s will. We should interpret that “doing” means like exerting, meaning that his work is that he exerts to have the desire of the Creator, meaning he tries to obtain the desire to bestow. At that time, the Creator lifts up His face to him, to help him achieve the desire to bestow. This is called “He who comes to purify is aided.”

But when their work is not to do the Creator’s will, when all their work is only in the will to receive, it is said, “Who will not lift up the face,” meaning he does not receive help from above that the will to receive will not control them. Rather, as it is written, “He who comes to defile, it is opened for him,” and not “is aided.” This is called “who will not lift up the face,” meaning that He does not help them.