Did Someone Hurt You? The Ramak, One of the Great Kabbalists, Explains How to Respond

Rabbi Moshe Cordovero in his wonderful book "Tomer Devorah" explains the 13 attributes of mercy of Hashem, and elucidates how one can cleave to the Creator by following His ways.

The verse in Micah: "Who is a G-d like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy," contains the 13 attributes of mercy of Hashem.

For an explanation of the first attribute "Who is a G-d like unto thee," click here.

The second attribute is "pardoneth iniquity." The Ramak explains that this is a remarkable attribute of mercy, where Hashem nourishes the destructive forces created by man's sins. As he says: "This is greater than the previous, for no man commits a sin without creating a destructive force, as it is said (Pirkei Avot 4:13) 'He who transgresses a sin acquires for himself one prosecutor.'"

The Ramak continues to explain that the prosecutor created by the sin seeks sustenance. He comes before Hashem and asks for his nourishment: "And behold, this prosecutor stands before Hashem and says: 'So-and-so created me'; and no creature can exist in the world except through the abundance of Hashem. 'I do not nourish destructors, let him go to the one who made him and be sustained by him,' and the destroyer would immediately descend to take his soul, or cut him off, or he would be punished for it according to his punishment, until that destroyer would be annulled."

This is according to the attribute of judgment, but Hashem, the merciful one, does not do so. "And Hashem does not do so," the Ramak explains, "but He carries and endures the sin, and just as He nourishes the whole world, He nourishes and provides for this destroyer."

Until when does Hashem in His mercy sustain the destroyer, created by man's sin? The Ramak explains until one of three things happens: "Either the sinner repents and eliminates and annuls it through his afflictions, or the righteous judge annuls it through sufferings and death, or he goes to Gehinnom and there he repays his debt."

Ramak concludes: "Therefore, this is a great attribute of patience, that He will nourish and provide for the wicked creature that the sinner created until he repents."

The Ramak turns to us and explains the path by which a person can cleave to the ways of the Creator: "A person should learn how much he needs to be patient to bear the burden of his friend and his wrongdoings until such time that his wrongdoing will still exist against him - and he will endure until he corrects his friend or until he annuls it by himself, and so on."