Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 241

241 - When there are judgments, G-d forbid

When there are judgments [divine decrees of strict justice], G-d forbid, then the attribute of judgment would destroy the person, G-d forbid. But the attribute of judgment has no power to destroy completely, as our rabbis, of blessed memory, said: "My arrows are consumed but they are not consumed" [Sotah 9a meaning divine judgments exhaust but do not fully annihilate]. But the person has power to destroy his fellow completely, G-d forbid. And therefore when there are judgments on one person, G-d forbid, and another person comes and stands and disputes against him, then the attribute of judgment departs from him, because they want more that the person avenge him, because he has power as above. Therefore one who is a great tzadik and oversees the repair of the world, he disputes sometimes intentionally against one tzadik in order to remove from upon him the attribute of judgment as above, because they will rely on him that he will avenge more. But after that he acts with mercy and does not make sufferings to that tzadik. And this is the interpretation: "Pinchas son of Eleazar and so forth turned away My wrath and so forth in his being zealous for My zeal among them and I did not consume" and so forth [Numbers 25:11]. That is, that Pinchas turned away My wrath and removed the attribute of judgment from Israel through that he donned vengeance to avenge them. Therefore the judgments departed as above. And this is because the judgments cannot consume and so forth. Therefore they want more when a person wants to avenge as above. And this: "and I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal". That is, that in this the Torah informs us the greatness of the good that Pinchas did for Israel in his being zealous for His zeal blessed be He and donned vengeance to avenge them, that in this he did for them great good. And the reason is because "and I did not consume the children of Israel in My zeal", that is, that in My zeal in My attribute of judgment, I do not consume the children of Israel because the attribute of judgment has no power to consume as above. But the person when he avenges has power to consume completely, G-d forbid. Therefore Pinchas did a wonderful good for Israel, in that he donned zeal to avenge them because through this the power of the judgments weakened from Israel in their thinking that Pinchas will avenge them more because Pinchas is a person who has power to avenge more to consume completely, G-d forbid, as above. And therefore, through this Pinchas turned away My wrath and removed the attribute of judgment as above. But in truth, Pinchas certainly was merciful and certainly after that he lightened the judgments from upon them.