Sefer HaMiddot, Mitigating Judgment, Part I/ספר המדות·המתקת דין·חלק ראשון

1The afflictions dispatched against a person are made to take an oath that they will begin only on a set date and end only on a set date, and at a set time, and [carry out their mission] only through the designated means. Nevertheless, repentance, prayer and charity have the power to nullify their oath.

2Despair, that is to say, depression, opens a person to bad fortune, and through bad fortune the attribute of severe judgment rules.

3Reciting the Torah chapters about the choshen (Exodus 28:15-30; 39:8-21) is a rectification for harsh judgments.

4A person who suffers affliction should give charity. This charity will be like a fee paid to a judge for his services, which, if accepted, invalidates the judge’s verdict. The person’s severe judgments are thus mitigated.

5What is the least amount of suffering [that can still be considered suffering]? [See Arakhin 16b: “Even just reaching into one’s pocket for three coins and coming up with only two is a form of suffering.”]

6Whoever goes forty days without suffering has already been given his share of the World to Come. Misfortune is on the way.

7One who rebukes a fellow Jew for the sake of Heaven has a thread of lovingkindness drawn over him.

8There are three things that call to mind a person’s sins: a shaky wall, expectation in prayer, and an informant who brings judgment upon another.

9There are four things which abolish harsh decrees against a person: giving charity, crying out to God, changing one’s name, and improving one’s conduct.

10Crying out to God helps an individual only prior to the final decree.

11A final decree accompanied by an oath is not abolished, even for the sake of an entire community.

12Fasting during a year of hunger saves a person from an unnatural death.

13When judgments are decreed against a person, they are decreed for a specific place. This way, he can save {himself} by changing his place.

14When one feels pain in his eyes or intestines, clearly harsh judgments have settled upon him.

15A person should tell others about his anguish so that they will pray for mercy on his behalf.

16When there is some harsh judgment against Israel, God forbid, the Holy One informs the Tzaddikim of this so that they should pray for the Jewish people. Whoever does not pray for them incurs God’s anger.

17Seeing that he has been beset by harsh judgments, a person should talk about his enemies and justify their actions.

18Appointing worthy judges eliminates suffering.

19God punishes a person who makes a vow and does not carry it out. Then, if he remains silent, it is considered as if he fulfilled his vow.

20Accepting suffering with love is like bringing a sacrifice.

21When a person falls while walking, it is a sign that on high he has been designated for a downfall.

22Immersing in a mikvah relieves suffering and brings salvation.

23As long as a harsh decree against a person has not yet become public knowledge, it can be easily overturned.

24Whoever falls from faith should know that he is being judged on high.

25A person suffering from harsh judgments should regularly gaze at the heavens.

26The Holy One exonerates a person who teaches righteousness to the wicked.

27Through truth one receives God’s lovingkindness undisguised by judgments.

28The Holy One hides His face from you because of the heresy that you have within.

29Trust in God mitigates judgment and draws down lovingkindness.

30Through faith it is possible to convince God to follow your will.

31Charity turns justice and judgment into lovingkindness.

32When a person has no faith, clearly God has removed His lovingkindness from him.

33When lovingkindness is dear and scarce, you should know that crying helps for this. (Reb Noson adds: “When I transcribed this from the Rebbe, I heard from his holy mouth that this aphorism is alluded to in the verse, ‘How dear is Your lovingkindness, God; therefore the children of man take shelter under the shadow of Your wings’ (Psalms 36:8). ‘How dear is your lovingkindness’—that is, lovingkindness is dear and scarce since harsh judgments are prevalent, God forbid. The solution then is for ‘the children of man [to] B’tzail K’nafekha Yechesayun (take shelter under the shadow of your wings).’ The first letters spell Be’KhY (crying), since crying helps for this.”)

34Daat draws down lovingkindness.

35Giving charity to a worthy person enables you to draw lovingkindness also upon your loved ones.

36A person who does not accept rebuke will experience suffering.

37To mitigate harsh judgments, recite Psalm 39.

38A person who girds himself and makes many preparations before praying is relieved from suffering, even if in the end he does not pray as he should.

39To mitigate harsh judgments, recite the Mishnayot of the tractate Zera’im.

40There are times when the Holy One will put an end to a father’s suffering so that his son finds peace.

41A vow forestalls God’s wrath.

42To mitigate harsh judgments, recite Psalm 77.

43Whoever binds himself to the quality of faith at night mitigates the harsh judgments that are upon him.

44Haughtiness causes lovingkindness to depart heavenward.

45Reciting Tikkun Chatzot mitigates harsh judgments.

46Remaining awake throughout the night saves a person from harsh judgments.

47From the suffering that he experiences, a person can determine and understand his sins.

48Visiting the Tzaddik is in itself sufficient to mitigate harsh judgments.

49Likewise, giving charity to the Tzaddik is in itself sufficient to mitigate harsh judgments.

50When a person is depressed, on high they consider ways to cause him harm.

51A person’s accusers are beaten off by the study of Torah.

52Falling down while walking sometimes nullifies a sentence of death that has been issued against a person.

53When the nations issue an evil decree against the Jews, Psalm 62 should be said.

54Remaining underwater in the mikvah until you can no longer hold your breath mitigates harsh judgments.

55There are times when drinking wine will arouse harsh judgments.

56Whoever gives his bread to someone with no daat will experience suffering.

57A person who lacks daat will in the end be exiled.

58Postponing harsh judgments causes them to be nullified.

59Whoever studies Torah for its own sake brings peace to the Divine agencies of both heaven and earth.

60One who recites a Torah verse at its appropriate time brings good to the world.

61There are certain times and places that are designated to have good things happen in them. The opposite is also true, [as there are times and places designated for bad].

62There are times when harsh judgment can be staid by the leader of the generation, and other times by the people of the generation.

63From one’s enemies it is possible to determine the harsh judgments that are on high.

64When hearing a fellow Jew speak of his suffering, one must listen wisely so that this suffering does not then befall him.

65When a person studies Torah at night, the Holy One draws a thread of lovingkindness upon him during the day.

66One should give money to charity for a pidyon.

67As long as it is possible to save yourself with money, don’t make use of the power of prayer.

68Whenever there is a dispute on high over some matter, the final decision follows the opinion of the Tzaddik who is alive in this world.

69When a person is judged on high, he is judged by his name, it sometimes happens that the heavenly messengers substitute another’s name, so that the decree of death or suffering falls upon someone else.

70Whoever does not plead for mercy on behalf of his generation is punished.

71If you have someone sick or suffering in your home, go to a sage so that the sage will plead for mercy on his behalf or will bless him.

72Those who hear accusations against the Jewish people must speak well of them and endeavor to find their good points.

73The Holy One removes His wrath when He sees His honor jealously defended.

74The best time for a pidyon or for prayer is only during the day.

75Not everyone is sufficiently worthy of performing a pidyon.

76A person who wants to mitigate harsh judgments should not drink wine that entire day.

77Through humility we appease the Holy One.

78In times of harsh judgment, a person should pray fervently.

79Building a stone house is mortally dangerous.

80Charity mitigates harsh judgments.

81Immersing in a mikvah mitigates harsh judgments.

82Once the final decree has been passed, it is necessary to veil one’s prayer in stories.

83By opening a Torah scroll, harsh judgment is mitigated and returned to its place of origin.

84Silence mitigates harsh judgments.

85Fasting and donning sackcloth are a segulah for nullifying a decree.

86To mitigate harsh judgments, recite the Torah sections about the eleven curtains of goat-skin (Exodus 26:7-14, 36:14-19), the incense-offering (Exodus 30:34-38), the eleven blessings that Moses blessed the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 33:6-25), and the Vision of the Chariot in Ezekiel (Chapter 1).

87Also, recite the Torah section on vows (Numbers 30), and the Mishnayot of the tractate Shavuot.

88Humbleness nullifies harsh judgment.

89Reciting the Song of Songs mitigates harsh judgment.

90A person who can study Torah but does not, experiences suffering.

91Studying the tractate Ohalot is a segulah for mitigating harsh judgment.

92A person who raises dogs arouses harsh judgment.

93There are times when God will bring suffering upon a wicked person so that he should turn to the Tzaddik to pray on his behalf.

94Harsh judgments can be mitigated by drawing lots, as was the case with the Azazel (see Leviticus 16). (Reb Noson writes that he heard the following explanation from Rebbe Nachman’s holy mouth at the time of transcribing this aphorism: “A person should take two coins and draw lots—one for God and the other for Azazel. The coin that is designated for God should be given to charity; the other one, designated for Azazel, should be thrown away. This will mitigate harsh judgments.”)

95Sometimes, the leading Tzaddik of the generation will get angry at you in order to mitigate harsh judgment.

96When a new king or minister rises to power among the nations, harsh judgment is aroused.

97When a person stubbornly refuses to repent, he brings irreparable harm upon himself.

98It is not good for two people with the same name to live in the same apartment.

99Depression arouses harsh judgment.

100Accepting embarrassment mitigates harsh judgment.

101A person should let others know of his suffering.

102When permission has been granted to the powers of destruction to act, no distinction is made between the righteous and the wicked. Indeed, the Tzaddik is the first to suffer.

103A change of place eradicates a decree of judgment.

104Being merciful mitigates harsh judgment.

105There are times when a person dies from fright or some other cause of sudden death. You should believe that his time had come.

106Humility enables a person to nullify a decree of judgment.

107Tending to the needs of the Tzaddikim mitigates harsh judgment.

108In reward for having visited the sick, a person dies without suffering.

109Once judgment has been passed against a person on high—even prior to its going into effect—it can be detected through the flies in the house.