י"ג אלול – אגרת הקודש פרק י"ג

The Rebbe begins by stating that every Jew—כל איש ישראל—needs to be comprised of both of these qualities. That is, within each person, there must be an inclusion of both Chesed—kindness and expansiveness—and Gevurah—strength and limitation.

This means that no one is meant to be entirely one-sided. Even if a person's soul is rooted more in one attribute, he must still possess, at least in a concealed way, the other attribute as well. The Rebbe is emphasizing that the ideal is a combination—a balance—of both qualities within every individual.

The Rebbe brings a saying from Pirkei Avos: אין לך דבר שאין לו מקום—there is nothing that does not have its place. This teaches us that every aspect, every quality, has a role and a space within the world and within a person.

Just because someone is primarily associated with one attribute, such as Gevurah, does not mean that Chesed has no place in him. Every level, every trait, has its own space and function. The Rebbe uses this to reinforce the idea that both qualities must be present in every Jew, even if one is more dominant.

Therefore, the Rebbe points out that we actually find many cases where the rulings of Beis Shammai are lenient and those of Beis Hillel are stringent. This is surprising, since we usually associate Beis Shammai with Gevurah—strictness—and Beis Hillel with Chesed—kindness and leniency.

The fact that sometimes their rulings seem to swap roles teaches us something fundamental: that even those whose souls are rooted in one attribute are not exclusively defined by it. There is always an inclusion of the other quality as well. This is a practical demonstration of the principle that every trait has its place and that no one is entirely one-sided.

The Rebbe explains that even Beis Shammai, whose soul-root is from the שמאל העליון—the Supreme Left, which represents Gevurah—would therefore generally rule strictly. Their nature was to be stringent in all prohibitions of the Torah, always seeking to safeguard and uphold boundaries.

This is because their spiritual source is in the attribute of Gevurah, which is associated with limitation, discipline, and restraint. As a result, their rulings tended to be more restrictive, reflecting their inner spiritual makeup.

On the other hand, Beis Hillel were rooted in the ימין העליון—the Supreme Right, which is Chesed. Their approach was to teach merit and to be lenient, often permitting what Beis Shammai would prohibit.

The Rebbe explains that when something is permitted—מותרים—it means it can be elevated into Kedusha. The word איסור—prohibition—means something is tied down, bound to the klipah, and cannot be uplifted. מותר—permitted—means it is untied, released from its restriction, and can be brought up into holiness.

Thus, Beis Hillel's leniency was not just about making things easier, but about enabling more things to be elevated and included in the realm of holiness.

Nevertheless, the Rebbe points out that in several matters, Beis Shammai were actually the ones who ruled leniently. This seems to contradict their general tendency toward stringency and Gevurah.

This observation sets up the explanation that follows: the presence of both qualities within each group, even if one is dominant, allows for exceptions and a more nuanced approach to halacha and spiritual life.

The reason for this, the Rebbe explains, is because the root of their souls—שרש נשמתם—is also comprised of the right side, meaning Chesed. Even though Beis Shammai's main attribute is Gevurah, they also possess an element of Chesed within them.

This inclusion of both qualities within their spiritual root allows for moments when their rulings reflect leniency and kindness, rather than strictness alone. It is this inner blend that makes such exceptions possible.

Similarly, the Rebbe says, the root of the souls of Beis Hillel—שורש נשמת ב"ה—also contains an aspect of the left, meaning Gevurah. Even though their primary attribute is Chesed, there is an inclusion of Gevurah as well.

This explains why sometimes Beis Hillel would rule stringently. Their rulings were not simply a reflection of pure kindness, but rather a balanced approach that included both qualities, depending on the situation. This interplay is essential to the way the holy attributes function, as the Rebbe will elaborate further.

The Rebbe explains a fundamental principle about the path and measures of the Supreme Holiness—דרך ומדות קדש העליון. In the realm of holiness, there is no such thing as absolute separation or division. The Zohar says לית תמן קיצוץ ופירוד ח"ו—there is no cutting off or separation, G‑d forbid. This means that even when we speak about different middos—divine attributes—such as chesed and gevurah, they are never found in isolation.

Rather, all the middos are included one within the other—כל המדות כלולות זו מזו. There is always an inter-inclusion, a blending. Even when a soul or a spiritual force is primarily rooted in one attribute, it still contains within itself aspects of the other attributes. This is a core idea in Chassidus: in holiness, nothing is completely separate or exclusive. Every quality is balanced and complemented by its counterpart.

Because of this principle, the middos are united with one another—הם מיוחדות זו בזו. They are not just mixed, but actually form a unity, each one containing and being connected to the others.

The Rebbe adds that this is known to those who know khein—כידוע לי"ח. Here, khein refers to the hidden wisdom, the secrets of Torah, which reveal how all the divine attributes are intertwined. This is not just a theoretical idea, but something that is understood by those who are familiar with the inner teachings of Torah.

To illustrate this, the Rebbe brings the example of Avraham Avinu. The Torah describes Avraham as the embodiment of chesed—kindness and love. Yet, when Hashem tested him with the Akedah, the binding of Yitzchak, the verse says: “Now I know that you are a G‑d-fearing man”—עתה ידעתי כי ירא אלהים אתה. This shows that Avraham was able to express yirah—awe and fear of G‑d—as well.

How did Avraham achieve this? The Torah tells us that he "dressed himself in the attribute of gevurah"—he took on the quality of strength and self-restraint. As the verse says, “He bound Yitzchak his son and took the knife…”—ויעקוד את יצחק בנו ויקח את המאכלת כו'. Avraham, whose nature was love and kindness, was able to act with the utmost discipline and awe when the situation demanded it. This demonstrates the principle that even someone whose primary quality is chesed still contains gevurah within him.

This leads to a question: If both Avraham and Yitzchak possess both qualities—chesed and gevurah, love and fear—why does the Torah refer to Avraham as “Avraham Ohavi”—my beloved, the one who loves Me, and to Yitzchak as “Pachad Yitzchak”—the fear of Yitzchak?

In other words, if both of them have both middos within them, why does each one get labeled with only one attribute? Why is Avraham always associated with love, and Yitzchak with fear, when in truth, both qualities exist in both of them?

The answer, the Rebbe explains, lies in the difference between what is revealed and what is hidden. The distinction between Avraham and Yitzchak is not that one possesses only chesed and the other only gevurah. Rather, it is a matter of which quality is in a state of revelation—בבחי' גילוי—and which is concealed—בבחי' העלם.

Each of them contains both middos, but in Avraham, chesed is the dominant, outwardly expressed trait, while gevurah is present in a more hidden, inner way. For Yitzchak, it is the opposite: gevurah is revealed, and chesed is concealed. This is the key to understanding why the Torah refers to them by these specific attributes.

Specifically, in the case of Yitzchak, fear—פחד—is in a state of revelation. That is the quality that is openly expressed in his service of Hashem. On the other hand, love—אהבה—is present, but it is concealed—מסותרת—hidden and covered over, not apparent on the surface.

This means that Yitzchak’s avodah was characterized by awe and restraint, but beneath that, there was also a deep love for Hashem, even if it was not visible to others. The love was there, but it was in a state of concealment and hiddenness—העלם והסתר.

And the opposite is true for Avraham Avinu. In his case, chesed—love and kindness—was the quality that was revealed and openly expressed. Gevurah—strength and awe—was present as well, but it was hidden, not apparent in his outward behavior.

This further clarifies why the Torah refers to Avraham as the one who loves, and Yitzchak as the one who fears: it is a matter of which middah is revealed and which is concealed in each of them.