The
Felons
of
Israel
Article
No.
33,
1985
“Rish
Lakish
said,
‘The
felons
of
Israel,
the
light
of
Hell
does
not
govern
them,
much
less
from
the
altar
of
gold,
etc.
The
felons
of
Israel
are
full
of
Mitzvot
[commandments/good
deeds]
like
a
pomegranate,
as
it
is
written,
‘Your
Temple
is
like
a
slice
of
a
pomegranate.’
Do
not
pronounce
it
Rakatech
[your
Temple],
but
Reikanin
[empty]
in
you
are
full
of
Mitzvot
like
a
pomegranate,
all
the
more
so”
(end
of
Hagigah
[Masechet]).
Concerning
the
felons
of
Israel,
we
should
understand
with
respect
to
whom
they
are
called
the
“felons
of
Israel”:
1)
Is
it
with
respect
to
the
Torah,
2)
or
with
respect
to
the
whole
of
Israel
that
they
are
regarded
as
the
felons
of
Israel,
3)
or
with
respect
to
the
individual
himself?
That
is,
he
sees
and
feels
about
himself
that
he
is
the
felons
of
Israel.
Superficially,
it
is
difficult
to
see
how
one
can
be
full
of
Mitzvot
like
a
pomegranate,
yet
be
regarded
as
the
felons
of
Israel.
If
we
interpret
this
with
respect
to
the
person
himself,
we
can
say
and
interpret,
“Although
they
are
full
of
Mitzvot
like
a
pomegranate,”
he
sees
that
he
is
still
the
felons
of
Israel.
We
should
interpret
Rimon
[pomegranate]
from
the
word
Rama’ut
[deceit].
That
is,
he
sees
that
he
is
deceiving
himself,
meaning
that
although
he
is
full
of
Mitzvot,
namely
sees
that
he
has
nothing
more
to
add
in
quantity,
and
according
to
his
efforts,
he
should
certainly
have
been
Israel
by
now,
meaning
Yashar-El
[straight
to
the
Creator],
where
everything
is
for
the
Creator.
Yet,
after
his
self-scrutiny,
he
sees
that
he
is
deceiving
himself,
that
the
main
reason
he
engages
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
is
self-love,
and
not
in
order
to
bestow
contentment
upon
his
Maker,
which
is
called
Yashar-El,
meaning
that
all
his
work
goes
straight
to
the
Creator.
Since
he
saw
that
all
his
work
was
only
in
order
to
receive,
he
saw
that
he
was
a
felon
with
regard
to
Israel.
That
is,
he
does
not
want
his
work
to
be
for
above,
called
“in
order
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator.”
Rather,
all
his
work
is
on
the
basis
of
keeping
everything
below,
which
is
regarded
as
a
receiver
because
the
receiver
is
regarded
as
being
of
inferior
importance,
and
the
giver
is
of
superior
importance.
This
extends
from
the
root.
Since
the
Creator
is
the
giver,
He
is
regarded
as
“above.”
The
creature,
who
receives
from
the
Creator,
is
regarded
as
being
of
inferior
importance.
Hence,
if
his
work
is
in
order
to
receive,
he
is
regarded
as
wanting
his
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
to
remain
below,
meaning
in
reception.
This
is
called
“transgressing
in
the
aspect
of
Israel,”
for
instead
of
serving
the
Creator,
where
he
wants
to
work
to
bestow
upon
the
Creator,
he
does
the
opposite—wanting
the
Creator
to
serve
man.
And
since
they
said
that
nothing
is
given
for
free,
but
the
reward
is
given
according
to
the
labor,
as
is
done
in
the
physical
world,
this
is
how
he
wants
to
labor.
He
works
for
the
Creator
on
condition
that
the
Creator
will
pay
for
his
labor.
Otherwise
he
will
have
no
strength
to
make
any
move
without
reward.
However,
how
can
one
come
to
see
the
truth,
that
he
is
deceiving
himself
concerning
the
quality
of
the
goal,
and
cannot
do
the
holy
work
in
truth?
Our
sages
said
in
that
regard
that
one
cannot
see
the
truth
before
one
has
light.
That
is,
one
sees
that
he
is
doing
many
Mitzvot,
meaning
that
he
is
full
of
deeds
and
sees
no
place
where
he
can
do
more
deeds
that
will
help
him
become
“Israel,”
meaning
only
to
bestow,
without
any
need
for
self-love.
He
does
not
see
that
he
will
ever
achieve
this
by
himself
unless
he
has
help
from
above,
and
it
is
impossible
that
man
will
be
able
to
do
this.
It
follows
that
the
Mitzvot
he
has
done
caused
him
to
see
the
truth,
that
thus
far
he
was
fooling
himself
thinking
that
a
person
can
obtain
the
force
that
changes
to
the
intention
to
bestow
by
himself.
Now
he
has
come
to
realize
that
this
is
not
the
case.
Now
we
can
interpret,
“even
the
empty
ones
among
you
are
full
of
Mitzvot
like
a
pomegranate.”
It
means
that
even
though
they
are
full
of
Mitzvot,
they
feel
that
they
are
empty
because
they
see
that
they
are
like
a
pomegranate,
from
the
words,
“I
called
to
my
lovers;
they
deceived
me”
(Lamentations,
1),
meaning
deceit,
whose
work
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
was
only
for
their
own
benefit
and
not
to
benefit
the
Creator.
But
who
caused
him
to
know
this?
It
is
precisely
that
he
is
full
of
Mitzvot.
This
caused
him
to
see
that
he
should
not
fool
himself
into
thinking
that
he
can
become
“Israel.”
Instead,
now
he
sees
that
he
is
the
“felons
of
Israel.”
It
turns
out
that
it
is
impossible
to
obtain
real
knowledge
of
one’s
degree
in
spirituality,
unless
he
is
full
of
Mitzvot.
At
that
time
he
sees
his
state,
that
until
now
he
was
in
deceit,
and
now
he
is
in
the
degree
of
the
“felons
of
Israel.”
But
without
Mitzvot
is
regarded
as
being
without
light,
and
then
one
cannot
see
the
truth,
that
he
needs
the
Creator
to
help
him
become
“Israel.”
However,
we
should
know
that
saying
that
if
he
is
full
of
Mitzvot
then
he
sees
that
he
is
as
a
pomegranate
comes
with
a
stipulation:
It
is
said
specifically
when
he
is
a
person
who
is
seeking
the
truth.
At
that
time
it
is
said
that
one
who
seeks
the
truth
still
cannot
see
the
truth
before
he
is
full
of
Mitzvot,
but
not
before.
Hence,
this
requires
two
things:
1)
On
the
one
hand
he
needs
to
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
as
much
as
he
can,
without
any
criticism
whether
it
is
on
the
path
of
truth
or
not.
Only
after
the
fact
can
he
criticize,
but
not
while
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
for
at
that
time
he
needs
to
feel
himself
in
wholeness,
as
our
sages
said,
“One
should
always
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
because
from
Lo
Lishma
we
come
to
Lishma
[for
Her
sake].”
Thus,
for
now
it
is
unimportant
how
he
is
engaging
because
in
any
manner
of
engagement
he
is
keeping
the
words
of
our
sages.
2)
After
the
fact
he
must
criticize
himself
to
see
if
his
actions
were
for
the
Creator,
or
if
something
else
was
involved
in
it.
From
the
two
of
them
he
can
come
to
being
“as
a
pomegranate,”
according
to
what
we
explained
above.
By
this
we
will
understand
the
words
of
our
sages
(Avoda
Zara,
p
17):
“Our
sages
said,
‘When
Rabbi
Eilezer
Ben
Parta
and
Rabbi
Hanina
Ben
Tardion
were
caught,
…
‘Woe
unto
me
for
I
was
caught
for
one
thing
and
I
am
not
saved.
You
engaged
in
Torah
and
good
deeds,
and
I
engaged
only
in
the
Torah.’
It
is
as
Rav
Huna
said,
‘Anyone
who
engages
only
in
Torah
is
as
one
who
has
no
God,
as
it
was
said,
‘and
many
days
for
Israel
without
a
true
God,
without
a
teaching
priest,
and
without
Torah.’
What
is
‘without
a
true
God’?
Rav
Huna
said,
‘Anyone
who
engages
only
in
Torah,
it
is
as
though
he
has
no
God.’’”
We
should
understand
why
if
he
does
not
engage
in
good
deeds
he
is
as
one
who
has
no
God.
Another
perplexity:
why
specifically
the
Mitzva
[commandment]
of
good
deeds?
After
all,
there
are
other
Mitzvot
that
need
to
be
observed,
so
why
specifically
good
deeds
is
akin
to
being
without
a
true
God?
It
is
as
though
by
good
deeds
it
is
possible
to
tell
if
the
Torah
he
is
learning
is
without
a
true
God.
According
to
what
we
learn,
all
our
work
is
in
order
to
achieve
equivalence
of
form,
regarded
as
“as
He
is
merciful,
so
you
are
merciful.”
For
this
reason,
during
the
study
of
Torah
one
must
not
criticize
his
Torah,
meaning
whose
Torah
he
is
learning,
and
then
he
can
learn
even
Lo
Lishma,
which
is
also
a
Mitzva,
as
our
sages
said,
“One
should
always
engage
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot,
even
Lo
Lishma
[not
for
Her
sake],
since
from
Lo
Lishma
he
will
come
to
Lishma
[for
Her
sake].”
This
is
so
when
he
tests
himself,
his
situation
with
regard
to
equivalence
of
form,
how
remote
he
has
become
from
self-love,
and
how
close
he
has
become
to
love
of
others,
which
is
the
meaning
of
“cleaving
to
His
qualities.”
This
is
why
he
makes
the
precision
that
the
main
thing
to
know
is
to
test
himself
through
the
quality
of
Hesed
[mercy],
how
much
he
engages
in
it,
exerting
for
it,
and
contemplating
various
tactics
and
tricks
to
achieve
equivalence
of
form,
or
he
will
not
reach
the
path
of
truth.
It
follows
that
at
that
time
he
does
not
have
a
“true
God,”
for
“true”
means
as
is
explained
(The
Study
of
the
Ten
Sefirot,
Part
13),
“The
seventh
correction
of
the
thirteen
corrections
of
Dikna
is
called
‘and
truth.’”
He
interprets
there
in
“Inner
Reflection”:
“At
that
time
appears
the
quality
of
the
Creator,
who
has
created
the
world
with
the
intention
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
since
at
that
time
appears
the
Ohr
Hochma
[Light
of
Wisdom],
which
is
the
light
of
the
purpose
of
creation,
when
everyone
feels
the
delight
and
pleasure.
At
that
time
everyone
says
with
clear
cognizance
that
this,
meaning
the
goal,
is
true.”
It
follows
that
if
he
does
not
engage
in
good
deeds,
which
is
the
power
that
can
bring
to
love
of
others,
by
which
he
will
acquire
vessels
of
bestowal,
as
the
upper
abundance
is
drawn
only
into
these
vessels,
and
if
he
has
no
vessels
of
bestowal
he
cannot
acquire
the
delight
and
pleasure
that
the
Creator
created
in
order
to
delight
His
creatures.
It
follows
that
in
that
state
a
person
is
regarded
as
being
“without
a
true
God.”
That
is
the
reality
of
His
guidance,
which
is
to
do
good
to
His
creations,
is
God
forbid
untrue.
This
is
called
“without
a
true
God.”
This
can
be
obtained
precisely
by
engaging
in
good
deeds.
However,
without
Torah,
it
is
impossible
to
know
one’s
state,
meaning
where
he
is,
since
without
light
it
is
impossible
to
see
anything.
Rather,
to
see
that
he
is
a
felon
of
Israel
he
needs
to
be
full
of
Mitzvot,
meaning
both
Mitzvot
of
learning
Torah
and
the
rest
of
the
Mitzvot.
The
test
is
that
after
some
time
of
engaging
in
Torah
and
Mitzvot
he
needs
to
examine,
but
not
during
his
work.