How Heretical Books are Eradicated from the World
Hashem values shalom so deeply that He is willing to have His name blotted out of existence in order to restore shalom between husband and wife. As R' Yishmael taught (Shabbat 116a): וּמָה לַעֲשׂוֹת שָׁלוֹם בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה: שְׁמִי שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה יִמָּחֶה עַל הַמַּיִם (To make shalom between husband and wife, the Torah said [that] My name which is written in kedushah should be erased into the water). The context is the סוֹטָה [sotah], the married woman suspected of committing adultery, for the pasuk teaches (Bemidbar 5:23): וְכָתַב אֶת־הָאָלֹת הָאֵלֶּה הַכֹּהֵן בַּסֵּפֶר וּמָחָה אֶל־מֵי הַמָּרִים (And the kohen shall write these curses in the book [sefer] and erase [them] into the bitter water).
Rabbi Nachman of Breslov explains in Likutei Moharan 260 that one's name, which is an aspect of one's soul, is synonymous with one's reputation. Having one's reputation ruined or destroyed in the world is like having one's name erased or blotted out. This point is developed at length in relation to holy, righteous Jews who willingly or unwillingly have their reputation ruined in this world. Either way, this brings great benefit—Jewish lives are saved from annihilation—in the principle of life for life [נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ [nefesh tachat nafesh, one soul in exchange for another soul]. When one's reputation has been ruined, it is as if one's soul has been destroyed in this world, which if it happens unjustly, is an aspect of dying for the sanctification of Hashem's name, i.e. al-kiddush Hashem, which not only benefits the individual but more important benefits Klal Yisrael. How so? It mitigates the middat ha-din and helps to bring reconciliation between them and their Father in Heaven. Therefore, since this is true of Jews, how much more so is this true of the Ribono shel Olam. When He lets His name, i.e. His 'life essence' so-to-speak—His reputation—be erased or blotted out in this world, this can lead to reconciliation, in this case, between a husband and his wife.
There is another aspect of this erasure that we learn from the pasuk quoted above—Hashem's name must be erased from a sefer. What is so significant about a sefer? R' Nachman expounds a rather cryptic statement in the Zohar ha-Kadosh Parashat Bereshit 37b (Likutei Moharan II:32): כִּי הַסֵּפֶר הוּא בְּחִינַת שֵׁם השם…כִּי סֵפֶר בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁם כַּמּוּבָא. כִּי הַסֵּפֶר הוּא בְּחִינַת 'שְׁמִי שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדֻשָּׁה' וְנִתְפַּשֵּׁט בָּעוֹלָם וְעוֹשֶׂה שֵׁם (For the sefer is an aspect of Hashem's name…for sefer has the same gematria as name [שֵׁם, shem] as is known. For the sefer is an aspect of 'My name which is written in kedushah' [Shabbat 116a] and disseminated in the world, creating a reputation). In other words, by disseminating holy sefarim, Hashem's name, i.e. His reputation, spreads throughout the world. Therefore, Hashem's name must be erased specifically from a sefer, for a sefer is the vehicle through which Hashem's reputation and renown spread throughout the world. Erasing His name from a sefer is akin to erasing His reputation from the world, chas v'shalom.
But there is a purpose—even a benefit. It can restore a broken relationship between husband and wife. Hashem is willing to have His reputation, His name, destroyed in this world if it can lead to reestablishing shalom between husband and wife.
Now let us return and search for the root of this tension—the lack of shalom between husband and wife. When did it begin? It began when the man instructed his wife not to seclude herself with another man—but she ignored his warning and secluded herself anyway. And it doesn't make a difference whether she defiled herself or not (Bemidbar 5:14): וְעָבַר עָלָיו רוּחַ־קִנְאָה וְקִנֵּא אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהִוא נִטְמָאָה אוֹ־עָבַר עָלָיו רוּחַ־קִנְאָה וְקִנֵּא אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְהִיא לֹא נִטְמָאָה (And a spirit of jealousy passed over him and he became jealous of his wife, and she became ritually impure, or a spirit of jealousy passed over him and he became jealous of his wife, although she had not become ritually impure).
What is this spirit of jealousy, and what are its origins? It is brought down in the Zohar ha-Kadosh (Vayechi 245a): כָּל מַאן דְּרָחִים וְלָא קָשִׁיר עִמֵּיהּ קִנְאָה לָאו רְחִימוּתֵיהּ רְחִימוּתָא, כֵּיוָן דְּקַנֵּי הָא רְחִימוּתָא אִשְׁתְּלִים. מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְקַנָּאָה לְאִנְתְּתֵיהּ בְּגִין דְּיִתְקַשַּׁר עִמָּהּ רְחִימוּתָא שְׁלִים, דְּהָא מִגּוֹ כָּךְ לָא יָהִיב עֵינוֹי בְּאִינְתּוּ אָחֳרָא (Anyone who loves but doesn't connect jealousy to it, his love is not [true] love, but when he is jealous, his love is complete. From here, we learn that a man needs to be jealous of his wife in order that he would be connected to her with complete love, and because of this, he should not look at another woman). Woe to the man who knows that his wife secluded herself with another man but remains silent. If he says nothing and doesn't protest, the Zohar ha-Kadosh teaches us that his love is incomplete. Therefore, the man's jealousy originates from a holy source. It is rooted in his love for his wife, for without love there would be no jealousy.
Now that we have answered the second question—What are the origins of jealousy?—we need to address the first question—What actually is this spirit of jealousy that rests upon the man?
It is written (Bereshit 1:2): וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ וְחֹשֶׁךְ עַל־פְּנֵי תְהוֹם וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל־פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם (And the earth was formless and void, and darkness was upon the surface of the deep, and the spirit of G-d hovered over the surface of the water). What is this spirit of G-d? The Midrash states (Bereshit Rabbah 2:4): וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת זֶה רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ ('And the spirit of G-d hovered'—this is the spirit of the King Mashiach).
R' Nachman explains: וּבְחִינַת מָשִׁיחַ הוּא שׁוֹרֶה עַל אַנְפֵּי אוֹרַיְתָא, דְּהַיְנוּ הַסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁמְּגַלִּין הַפָּנִים שֶׁל תּוֹרָה וְשָׁם מְרָחֵף רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ בִּבְחִינַת 'וְרוּחַ אֱלֹקִים מְרַחֶפֶת עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם.' רוּחַ אֱלֹקִים – דָּא רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ (And the aspect of Mashiach rests upon the faces of the Torah, i.e. the holy sefarim that reveal the faces of the Torah, and there the spirit of Mashiach hovers, in the aspect of 'And the spirit of G-d hovers over the water.' The spirit of G-d—this is the spirit of Mashiach). Not only does the spirit of Mashiach, the spirit of G-d, hover over the waters of creation—over the Torah which is likened to water—but it also hovers over holy sefarim which elucidate the faces of the holy Torah. What are these faces that R' Nachman mentions? The faces [פָּנִים, panim] are the secrets of the Torah, i.e. the sod—the Kabbalah—as in the inner dimension [פְּנִימִיּוּת, penimiyut] of the Torah. Put simply, the spirit of Mashiach hovers over the secrets of the Torah, i.e. the 'deep' [תְהוֹם] that is mentioned in Bereshit 1:2.
Let's now connect this with the spirit of jealousy. The Torah says (Shemot 34:14): כִּי לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר כִּי יְיָ קַנָּא שְׁמוֹ אֵל קַנָּא הוּא (For you shall not bow to another deity, for Hashem's name is Jealous—He is a jealous G-d). Hashem's own spirit—so to speak—i.e. the 'spirit of G-d', which we have just learned is the spirit of Mashiach, is a jealous spirit. They are one and the same. And what is the context of this jealousy? Idolatry—spiritual adultery. It is the jealousy of Hashem as Husband that gets aroused after He warned His beloved wife not to seclude herself with another, but she ignored Him and did so anyway. In the words of R' Nachman: בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁמּוֹצֵא שָׁם נִאוּף הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה רוּחַ־קִנְאָה וּמְקַנֵּא עַל זֶה לְגֹדֶל קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ וְטָהֳרָתוֹ (In every place where one finds immorality [niuf], it [the spirit of Mashiach] becomes a spirit of jealousy, and it gets jealous about this because of the enormous kedushah and purity). So we see that the spirit of jealousy is the spirit of Mashiach, the spirit of G-d that hovers over the deep teachings of the Torah. Continuing in LM II:32: וְהִנֵּה הָרוּחַ־קִנְאָה שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁהוּא מְקַנֵּא עַל נִאוּף, מַה הוּא עוֹשֶׂה כָּאן מֵאַחַר שֶׁהֵם קְדוֹשִׁים וּטְהוֹרִים מְאֹד (And behold, the spirit of jealousy, which is an aspect of the spirit of Mashiach, as mentioned above, is jealous regarding niuf—What is it doing here since they are holy and very pure?)
But why is this jealously aroused even when she didn't actually defile herself? R' Nachman explains: כִּי מָשִׁיחַ הוּא בְּחִינוֹת חֹטֶם (For Mashiach is the aspect of nose). Further, it is written in Eichah 4:20: רוּחַ אַפֵּינוּ מְשִׁיחַ יְיָ (The spirit of our nostrils [literally 'nose'] is the Mashiach of Hashem). What does the nose have to do with anything? The main prohibition against adultery is found in the Ten Commandments—לֹא תִּנְאָ͏ף (Do not commit adultery). Do not get involved in niuf. The Midrash expounds these two words and reveals a deep teaching (Bemidbar Rabbah 10:2): לֹא תֶהֱנֶה הָאַף מִמֶּךָּ (The nose shall not derive pleasure from you). As R' Nachman states: וְנִאוּף תָּלוּי בַּחֹטֶם…וְצָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹר עַצְמוֹ מְאֹד אֲפִלּוּ מֵרֵיחַ נִאוּף כִּי הוּא פּוֹגֵם בְּחִינַת מָשִׁיחַ שֶׁלּוֹ (And niuf depends upon the nose…and one must protect himself a lot, even from the scent of niuf, for it blemishes his aspect of Mashiach). Yes, every Jew has an aspect of Mashiach in him, and it is his duty to protect the sanctity of that spirit, which is an exceedingly jealous spirit when it comes to niuf. As the Rambam writes in his commentary to the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 7:4): וכן אסור להריח בבשמים שעל הערוה וליהנות בראיית העין בצורתה במתכוין להנאה (Likewise, it is forbidden to smell the fragrance of an ervah [i.e. a woman who is forbidden to him] and to derive pleasure in looking at her physical form with intent for pleasure).
R' Natan of Nemerov expressed this same idea (Likutei Tefillot II:26): וְעִקָּר קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ הוּא קְדֻשַּׁת הַבְּרִית כִּי רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ הוֹלֵךְ וּמְקַנֵּא עַל שְׁמִירַת הַבְּרִית, וַאֲפִלּוּ עַל רֵיחַ נִאוּף הוּא הוֹלֵךְ וּמְקַנֵּא לְגֹדֶל קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ וְטָהֳרָתוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לִסְבֹּל שׁוּם פְּגָם מִפְּגַם הַבְּרִית, אֲפִלּוּ דַּק מִן הַדַּק (And the essence of a person's kedushah is the sanctity of his brit for the spirit of Mashiach gets jealous about guarding the brit, and even regarding the scent of niuf it gets jealous because of the enormity of its kedushah and purity).
All of this is introduction to grasp a deep secret. Why do hidden tzaddikim sometimes withhold sharing their novel Torah insights with the Jewish world? And why do they sometimes write them down, but then refrain from teaching them? And why do they sometimes, even after they write them down, hide them or even destroy them in fire?
The Torah of the hidden tzaddikim is an aspect of שְׁמִי שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדוּשָּׁה (My name which is written in kedushah), and it often contains names of Hashem—even secret names of Hashem. Moreover, since their teachings are an aspect of פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם, i.e. the surface [literally, face] of the water of Bereshit 1:2, the spirit of G-d—the spirit of Mashiach—hovers over them. And as we have seen, that spirit is a spirit of jealousy that gets aroused when the woman, i.e. Klal Yisrael, secludes herself with another. Now this spirit of jealousy is a dangerous spirit because, without the law of the sotah, it could lead to divorce, chas v'shalom. Further, who is the 'other' with whom she secludes herself? It is an אֵל אַחֵר, another deity, i.e. false religious systems, heretical ideas, etc. And just as the erasure of Hashem's name from the sefer—which damages His reputation in the world—can restore the damaged relationship between husband and wife, so too can the erasure of Hashem's name in the sefarim of the hidden tzaddikim—which damages their reputation in the world—restore the damaged relationship between Hashem and His beloved wife, Knesset Yisrael.
Therefore, we see that the only way for the spirit of jealousy to leave the world is for Hashem's name to be erased, whether through the application of the law of the sotah, or through the destruction of the holy sefarim of the tzaddikim. Since the spirit of jealousy, the spirit of Mashiach, rests upon the Torah of the hidden tzaddikim, upon their holy sefarim, by withholding or destroying those holy teachings and eradicating them from the world, the spirit of jealousy is lifted from the world, for there is nothing left upon which the spirit can hover. As R' Nachman summarizes (L.M. II:32): כְּשֶׁנִּשְׂרָפִין וְנֶאֱבָדִין הַסְּפָרִים מִמֵילָא נִסְתַּלֵּק הָרוּחַ־קִנְאָה שֶׁהוּא רוּחוֹ שֶׁל מָשִׁיחַ שֶׁשּׁוֹרֶה עַל הַסְּפָרִים (When the sefarim are burned or destroyed, automatically, the spirit of jealousy is removed, which is the spirit of Mashiach, which rests upon the sefarim). Although this is tragic beyond comprehension, it is equally a very great good.
Not only does the destruction of the holy sefarim remove the spirit of jealousy from the world, it also causes the destruction of heretical books, the very books that enticed Knesset Yisrael to seclude herself with the other. Citing the teaching of R' Yishmael that we began with from Shabbat 116a, R' Nachman concludes: וּמָה שְׁמִי שֶׁנִּכְתַּב בִּקְדֻשָּׁה שֶׁהוּא הַסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הַנַּ"ל אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה יִמָּחֶה בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַטִּיל שָׁלוֹם וְכוּ', סִפְרֵי הַמִּינִין שֶׁהֵם מַטִּילִין שִׂנְאָה וְתַחֲרוּת בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכוּ', עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁיִּמָּחוּ וְיֵאָבְדוּ וְיֵעָקְרוּ מִן הָעוֹלָם שֶׁיִּמַח וְיֵעָקֵר זִכְרָם מִן הָעוֹלָם. נִמְצָא שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי אֲבֵדַת הַסְּפָרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים בָּא טוֹבָה שֶׁנֶּאֱבָדִין וְנֶעֱקָרִין סִפְרֵי הַמִּינִין וַאֲזַי יְכוֹלִים לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ אָמֵן (And just as 'My name which is written in kedushah', which are the holy sefarim mentioned above, the Torah said 'it should be erased' in order to impart shalom, etc. all the more so should the heretical books which impart hatred and animosity between Yisrael etc., be erased and obliterated from the world, and their memory should be uprooted from the world. The conclusion is that through the destruction of the holy sefarim comes good—the destruction and uprooting of the heretical books, and then it will be possible to draw close to Him, may He be blessed, Amen).
For do not think that heretical books have little or no power, for R' Nachman reminds us of the incredible power of the heresy of Yarovam ben Nevat which convinced almost the entire nation to worship golden calves. Foolishness? Yes. But very convincing. In his words: וְאִם הָיָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם חַס וְשָׁלוֹם רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, נִמְצָא עַתָּה דַף אֶחָד מִסְּפָרִים הַלָּלוּ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם הָיוּ מִתְרַחֲקִים מְאֹד מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְלֹא הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ כְּלָל (And if it were to happen, chas v'shalom and chas v'shalom, Rachmana litzlan, that one page of those books were to be found now, chas v'shalom, we would be greatly distanced from Hashem, may He be blessed, and it would be impossible to draw close to Him, may He be blessed, at all).
