Zohar on Tehillim 49 – When Sins Surround the Heels
Zohar on Tehillim 49 – When Sins Surround the Heels
Tehillim 49:6
Rabbi Elazar said: “Lama ira bimey ra, avon akevai yesubeni” – (Why should I fear evil days? My sins surround my heels). (Tehillim 49:6)
The sages said: Look, there are three situations in which people experience fear without knowing why. These are people who have sinned and paid no attention to it. They are unaware of their sin, yet they fear the “evil days.”
The question is: What are these “evil days”?
These are days associated with the level called ra—evil, or the yetzer hara. It has specific days when it is permitted to lead astray all those who defile their ways through the wasteful emission of seed. For impurity is drawn to one who renders himself impure. The angels appointed to punish the sins that people “trample underfoot” are called evil Days.
Look: a great multitude of angels guides a person along precisely the path he wishes to follow; one who wishes to purify himself has many helpers. However, destructive angels come to one who defiles his days and render him impure.
For we have learned that when a person rises in the morning, he must perform the ritual washing of his hands from a cup. The person who pours the water for him must already have washed his own hands by that time. And we emphasize that it must specifically be a נטלא—a natla, the special cup used for washing the hands.
We have also learned that first the left hand must pour water over the right, that is, serve it, in order to establish the authority of the right line over the left—so that the yetzer hara will have no power at all.
Explanation.
The impure force, as is known, clings to the left line, but not to the right. If the authority of the right line is established over the left, the impure force will be unable to cling even to the left line.
Look: when harsh judgments prevail, they do not withdraw until they have caused harm. The Angel of Death is given permission to destroy, and he does not distinguish between the righteous and the wicked; then even the righteous suffer harm. However, when the right line rules over idolatrous nations in order to break them, the Almighty takes pity on them and does not destroy them. You can see the great difference between the mercy of the right line and the judgments of the left line.
Therefore, all those who have sins that people “trample underfoot” without realizing that they have sinned are always afraid.
King David was always careful not to commit such transgressions. Before going out to war, he would repent, searching himself for even traces of such deeds. Thus, he went to war without fear.
Look, there were four kings. Each asked for something the others did not ask for.
David said: רדוף אויבי ואשיגם ולא אשוב עד כלותם – “I will pursue my enemies and overtake them, and I will not turn back until they are completely destroyed.” David had every right to speak this way because he was protected by the strictness with which he treated sins that people “trample underfoot.”
In this way, he did not allow his enemies to defeat him or rule over him. He always ensured that he was the one pursuing the enemy, rather than the enemy pursuing him. Because he could not be accused of such sins, he never fell into their hands.
King Asa had more reason to be cautious. He was not on David’s level, despite also being strict with himself and repenting of his sins. He was ready to wage war against his enemies, but he asked the Almighty to destroy them rather than doing so himself. And so it was, as it is written: וירדפם אסא – “And Asa pursued them.”
It is further stated: ויגוף ה' את הכושים לפני אסא – “and the Almighty struck down the Cushites before Asa.” Whereas concerning David it is written: “David struck them from morning until the following evening, but Asa merely pursued the enemies, while the Almighty struck them down before his eyes.”
King Yehoshaphat of Judah asked: “I cannot pursue the enemy, nor can I kill him. I will sing Your praises, while You destroy him.” This was because he was less concerned with atoning for his sins than Asa was. The Almighty fulfilled his request, as it is written: When they began to sing and praise, the Almighty… and struck them down.
And Hezekiah, King of Judah, relied on himself even less, and therefore said: “I can neither sing, nor pursue, nor strike down the enemy.” All this was because he feared those sins that people “trample underfoot.” It is written: “And it came to pass that night that an angel of the Almighty went out and struck the camp of the Assyrians—one hundred and eighty-five thousand. When they arose in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.” Hezekiah remained at home while the Almighty crushed the enemy camp.
If these righteous men were so afraid of such transgressions, then surely ordinary people must beware of them. A person must be wary of these sins and search them out within himself, so that the “evil Days” spoken of—of which it is said that they will show him no mercy—will not rule over him.
Joseph recognized his brothers—ויכר יוסף את אחיו.
When the brothers came under Joseph’s authority, he took pity on them because he was a perfect man. והם לא הכירוהו – but they did not recognize him. They—Shimon and Levi—emanate from the side of harsh judgments, and therefore, in their time, they did not take pity on him. All those who carry harsh judgments show no mercy to people who fall into their hands. In other words, these people are at the level of the evil Days, in which there is no mercy.
Therefore David said: “Why do I fear the evil Days?” It does not say “he feared,” meaning that he was always afraid. And he said: “I must always fear these evil Days.” עון עקבי יסוביני – “my sins surround my heels.”
The question is: What are these heels?
And he answers: This is the secret of faith and holiness, as it is written: “And his hand was holding Esau’s heel.” Esau’s heel is the secret of faith and holiness, since Jacob held onto it. This is the same place referred to by the words: “My sins surround my heels.” These are the akevot, which always turn their gaze toward those sins that a person “tramples underfoot.”
Explanation.
The kelipot called akev are intermingled with holiness, as it is written: “And his hand was holding Esau’s heel.” These kelipot must watch over and punish a person for the transgressions that he “tramples with his heels.” This is what David meant when he said: “My sins surround my heels”—that they surround him and watch him to see whether he has sins that people “trample with their heels.” This is what David always feared.
Look at what is written: הוי מושכי העון בחבלי השוא וכעבות העגלה חטאה – “Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of futility; as with cart ropes, so is their transgression.” בחבלי השוא refers to a sin that a person “tramples” and pays no attention to. Eventually, this sin takes root and becomes as thick as a cart rope. The sin grows stronger and leads a person astray, both in this world and in the higher world.
Fortunate are the righteous who know how to guard themselves from sin. They examine all their deeds so that no accusation may arise against them in this world, nor any denunciation in the higher world. Only the Torah determines the paths and pathways of life for them, which they are to follow. As it is written: “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.”
(Zohar on Miketz, Sulam, translated by Tzvi Nisan-zon)
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