The preceding chapter concluded by mentioning how yeshus can lead to strife and hatred, and that hatred can be compounded by envy. The Rebbe Rashab begins this chapter by explaining that although generally envy is an undesirable quality, there are also positive expressions of it.
וַהֲגַם שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַעֲלָה בְּעִנְיַן הַקִּנְאָה בְּרוּחָנִיּוּת
When envy is focused on spiritual attainments, it can lead to a virtue,
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב קִנְאַת סוֹפְרִים תַּרְבֶּה חָכְמָה,
as our Sages state,1 “Envy among scribes (i.e., scholars) increases knowledge,”
וְכִדְאִיתָא בְּמִדְרָשׁ רַבָּה עַל פָּסוּק וַתְּקַנֵּא רָחֵל בַּאֲחוֹתָהּ,
and as the Midrash2comments on the verse,3 “And Rachel envied her sister,”
שֶׁקִּנְּאַתָּה בְּמַעֲשֶׂיהָ הַטּוֹבִים,
“She envied her good deeds.”
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב אַל יְקַנֵּא לִבְּךָ בַּחַטָּאִים כִּי אִם בְּיִרְאַת ה' כוּ'.
Similarly, Scripture states,4 “Let not your heart envy sinners, but rather [envy] the fear of G‑d.”
זֶהוּ כְּשֶׁהַקִּנְאָה הִיא מִצַּד שֶׁחָפֵץ מְאֹד בְּמַעֲשֶׂה הַטּוֹב אוֹ בְּחָכְמָה וְכַדּוֹמֶה,
This envy is only positive when one strongly desires good deeds, wisdom, and the like,
לָזֹאת מְקַנֵּא בְּמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ הַרְבֵּה חָכְמָה וּמַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים,
and therefore envies someone who possesses abundant wisdom and good deeds,
וַהֲרֵי זֶה פּוֹעֵל עָלָיו גַּם כֵּן לְהִשְׁתַּדֵּל הַרְבֵּה בָּזֶה
This envy influences him to exert himself as well,
עַד שֶׁבָּא גַם כֵּן לְמַעֲלָה וּמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ כוּ'.
until he, too, attains similar levels.
וְהַיְנוּ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַקִּנְאָה מַגִּיעַ בְּעֹמֶק מְאֹד בִּפְנִימִיּוּת נַפְשׁוֹ
The rationale for this motivation is because envy reaches to the very depths of his soul.
וְלָזֹאת הֲרֵי זֶה מְגַלֶּה וּמֵבִיא אֶת הַכֹּחוֹת הַנֶּעֱלָמִים שֶׁבַּנֶּפֶשׁ
Therefore, it can reveal and evoke the soul’s hidden strengths,
עַד שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְמַעֲלָה וּמַדְרֵגָה עֶלְיוֹנָה מְאֹד.
enabling the person to reach very great heights.
וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר
A similar concept has been explained elsewhere in Chassidus,5
בְּעִנְיַן הַכֹּחַ דְּאוֹר חוֹזֵר
concerning the strength of or chozair (lit., “reflected light”).
שֶׁמֵּבִיא מֵהֶעְלֵם אֶל הַגִּלּוּי אֶת הַכֹּחוֹת הַנֶּעֱלָמִים
Such light brings a person’s hidden powers into revelation
בְּיִתְרוֹן הַרְבֵּה מִכֹּחַ אוֹר יָשָׁר כוּ',
to a much greater degree than the strength of or yashar (direct light).
As explained in Chassidus,5 or yashar reveals light according to the ordinary pattern of revelation. As such, the light descends and contracts itself as it extends outward, adapting itself to the existing structures of the realm in which it shines. Or chozair, by contrast, does not shine forth naturally. Rather, effort is necessary to evoke it. When it is called forth, it reflects energies that lie within the core of the light and are therefore not bound by the ordinary patterns of revelation.6
וּכְמוֹ כֵן הוּא בְּעִנְיַן הַקִּנְאָה בִּקְדֻשָּׁה כוּ'.
The same applies to the envy in holy matters. It has the potential to call forth and motivate one’s deepest energies.
וְכָל זֶה הוּא כְּשֶׁיַּחְפֹּץ אֶת הַטּוֹב,
All this applies, however, only when one desires the good traits of his fellow and has a positive motivation.
The Rebbe Rashab proceeds to speak about a situation in which a person lacks positive motivation. He describes one who lives in a setting where avodah, the service of G‑d, is valued, and therefore fancies himself as one who seeks to advance in that realm. However, he has not made an inner commitment sufficient enough to undertake the effort and struggle to truly refine himself. Therefore, he is constantly comparing himself to others and feels challenged when confronted with a person who has truly advanced himself.
אֲבָל כַּאֲשֶׁר בֶּאֱמֶת אֵינוֹ חָפֵץ לִהְיוֹת בְּמַעֲלַת הַפְּרִישׁוּת וְהַטָּהֳרָה וְכַדּוֹמֶה
However, if, in truth, one does not desire to be on a level of piety, purity, and the like,
רַק שֶׁמְּקַנֵּא בַּחֲבֵרוֹ לָמָה הוּא עוֹמֵד בְּמַעֲלָה וּמַדְרֵגָה זוֹ
he will look at others involved in such service and envy the other person for having elevated his spiritual standing and level;
וּמֵחֲמַת זֶה הוּא שׂוֹנֵא אוֹתוֹ,
due to this envy, he will hate the other.
זֶהוּ דָבָר קָשֶׁה וְגָרוּעַ מְאֹד מְאֹד כוּ'.
Such envy and the hate it produces are very severe and difficult flaws.
וְהַיְנוּ מִצַּד הַיֵּשׁוּת שֶׁלּוֹ כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל,
They stem from the person’s yeshus, as previously mentioned.7
וְלָכֵן הוּא שׂוֹנֵא דַוְקָא לְעוֹבְדֵי ה',
Therefore, such a person will specifically hate those who devote themselves to Divine service,
וְיַרְאֶה אַהֲבָתוֹ וְהִתְחַבְּרוּתוֹ לַאֲנָשִׁים פְּשׁוּטִים דַּוְקָא
and will show affection and kinship only towards simple people.
וְיָכוֹל לְדַמּוֹת בְּנַפְשׁוֹ וּלְרַמּוֹת אֶת עַצְמוֹ
He may delude himself, tricking himself into thinking
שֶׁזֶּהוּ מִצַּד הַשִּׁפְלוּת שֶׁלּוֹ
that this is due to his humility,
מִשּׁוּם זֶה יִתְחַבֵּר וְיֶאֱהַב לַאֲנָשִׁים פְּשׁוּטִים,
which motivates him to lower himself to bond with and show love to simple people.
אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת זֶהוּ מִצַּד הַיֵּשׁוּת שֶׁלּוֹ דַּוְקָא.
However, in truth, the real source is his yeshus.
דְּלִהְיוֹתוֹ מִכְּלַל עוֹבְדֵי ה'
Since he prides himself on being among the ovdim, those who serve G‑d,
לָכֵן כָּל שִׂנְאָתוֹ הוּא לְמִי שֶׁהוּא בְּאֵיזֶה מַעֲלָה וּמַדְרֵגָה בַּעֲבוֹדָה
his hatred is focused entirely on those who have reached some level or rung of Divine service,
שֶׁזֶּהוּ הַמְנַגֵּד לְיֵשׁוּת שֶׁלּוֹ.
for this challenges his yeshus. He envies them because he also desires to advance in avodah, but feels threatened because he has not sufficiently developed himself.
אֲבָל אֲנָשִׁים פְּשׁוּטִים שֶׁאֵינָם עוֹמְדִים בְּאֵיזֶה מַדְרֵגָה יֶאֱהַב אוֹתָם
However, he will love simple people, who have not at all begun to ascend the ladder of Divine service, for they pose no threat to him. They do not threaten his self-esteem, so he shows them love
מִצַּד שֶׁצְּרִיכִים לֶאֱהוֹב אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל כוּ'.
because one should love his fellow Jew.
Ahavas Yisrael lies within the heart of every Jew. Therefore, even one who has not refined himself has the potential to express this quality.
וּמִי שֶׁהוּא גַס וְיֵשׁ יוֹתֵר
Moreover, someone who is even more coarse and possesses more yeshus
יָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת שֶׁאַהֲבָתוֹ וְהִתְקָרְבוּתוֹ אֲלֵיהֶם
may show love and closeness to such people
הוּא מִצַּד שֶׁשָּׁם מִתְפַּשֵּׁט יֵשׁוּתוֹ,
merely because among them, he has the opportunity to expand his yeshus,
כִּי מְכַבְּדִים אוֹתוֹ בְּעֵינָיו
for he feels they honor him
וּמְקַבְּלִים וּמְיַקְּרִים אֶת דְּבָרָיו כוּ'.
and accept and cherish his words.
In the first instance, the love is sincere and genuine, stemming from a Jew’s fundamental nature. In the second instance, the love is merely external, meant to promote one’s own self.
קִצּוּר.
Summary:
מַעֲלַת הַקִּנְאָה דִקְדֻשָּׁה.
The chapter begins by highlighting the virtue of the envy of holiness.
However, it also speaks about the negative expressions of envy and how
יֵשׁוּת גּוֹרֶמֶת שִׂנְאָה לְבַר מַעֲלָה
yeshus prompts one to hate someone who has achieved a high level.
וְיָכוֹל לִהְיוֹת בְּאַהֲבָה לַאֲנָשִׁים פְּשׁוּטִים.
However, such a person can still show love to simple people.
טַעַם הַדָּבָר.
The reason for this: either because of the fundamental obligation to love another Jew, or — if a person is fundamentally oriented to yeshus — because the simple people enable him to express his yeshus.
