1. Punishment as a means for love – After demotion comes elevation, and after punishment for sin comes comforting:

It states in scripture that “and the left hand is under my head and the right hand embraces me.” Although this verse refers to the upper world, and how God’s acts with them, in truth there is also a deep inner message behind this statement with regards to how Hashem acts with the Jewish people, His chosen nation. Whenever the Jewish people are treated with God’s left hand, which is severity of punishment due to the actions of the lower beings, then afterwards God raises his right hand to help save them and on the contrary elevates them even higher then where they were before. This is the inner meaning behind the verse “Ki Sisa Es Rosh Bnei Yisrael Lipikudeihem.” The word Lipikudeihem derives from the word Pekida which means occurrence, and in this context refers to bad occurrences due punishment or retribution which may happen to the Jewish people as a result of their sins God forbid. This concept can be found in the statement of our sages who say that “There is no Pekida, punishment for bad behavior, which does not occur also as a result of the sin of the golden calf.” Now, with this understanding of the term Lipikudeihem we can now understand the message behind the verse, following the same theme that we explained above. Even after bad occurrences, Lipikudeihem, happen to the Jewish people Hashem promises us that He will raise and elevate us. This is hinted to in the opening words of Sisa Es Rosh Bnei Yisrael which literally means that he will raise our heads. The reason that God acts in this manner to always comfort and elevate and raise the individual after punishment is because to begin with the punishment was never intrinsically the sake of punishing and hurting the person causing the pain, heading forbid. In truth even God’s left hand of punishment and bad occurrences that happen to a person are part of His general goal of Yemin Mikareves, hugging the Jew and bringing him close to Him. The pushing away of the Jew with the left hand is not a complete pushing away.

• The Divine lesson #1: There are so many lessons that can be learned from the above teaching both personally in our service of God and as parents and educators. First and foremost is the core of the message which is that we have to stop looking at God, as some mistakenly portray Him, as a vengeful and angry father and master who will not stand for any disobedience amongst his subjects and will give them fierce and painful punishment for their deeds in order to exact vengeance against them. God forbid to think of God in such a manner. While it is true that there are dictators who use persecution and torture to exact revenge against their enemies and those who disobey them, and it is likewise unfortunately true that there are parents who hit their children out of sheer anger and desire to inflict pain on them, this is not God! Aside for Hashem being merciful and compassionate to His creation and having much patience before exacting punishment on them, furthermore, the punishments that eventually are given are never done out of vengeance and anger, to quench His thirst of payback and revenge. Rather, they are part of a general rehabilitation program for the individual which requires some pain, and then some gain. Some tough love [i.e. the left-hand] which will cause the Jew to wake up and repent from his ways, and then real love of embrace and comfort [i.e. the right hand]. The entire purpose of the punishment is for the embracing. Having this correct perspective will allow us to see our challenges and difficult times in a much different light, and view them as God stretching out His hand to us to bring us close, rather than as God distancing Himself from us. The more, perhaps having this perspective can help hasten the ceasing of God’s left-hand and bring the use of God’s right hand which is an embrace from God. We find a most interesting teaching by the Tzemach Tzedek^[1], quoting from the Alter Rebbe in the name of previous Tzadikim, that after a fire [or any other calamity^[2]] comes wealth. [In fact, the numerical value of burnt/Saraf in Hebrew is the same numerical value as the word wealth/Ashir in Hebrew as both equal 580.^[3]] Meaning, that if God forbid a person’s property was destroyed due to a fire he should not lose hope, as God will bless him with wealth afterwards. The reason for this, he explains according to Kabbalah, is because in the order of the divine attributes mercy and compassion follow severity and hence after a person received a revelation of the actuator severity he will then receive a revelation of the attribute of compassion. Furthermore, this revelation will be much greater than revelation he originally received from attribute of kindness, as the attribute of compassion is much greater than the attribute of kindness as is known that our forefathers Jacob corresponds to Tiferes, and his level has no limit.

[1] Derech Mitzvosecha 198b; Letter printed in Meiah Shearim p. 36; Beis Rebbe p. 150; Igros Kodesh Admur Hazakein p. 189; Yahal Or p. 97; Igros Kodesh Tzemach Tzedek p. 362; Or Hatorah Nach 2:907; Likkutei Sichos 6:356

[2] Rebbe in Hearos on Derech Mitzvosecha p. 210b; See Beis Rebbe ibid where this similar statement was made by the Alter Rebbe to a Hasid who had his ship sunk

[3] Rebbe in Hearos on Derech Mitzvosecha p. 210b