Din (דין) — Judgment
Core definition
Din — "judgment" — has two faces in the maamarim: the middah of strict judgment, counterpart of rachamim (mercy) and chesed; and the actual judicial process, above on Rosh Hashanah and below in the beis din. As middah, it is the power of limitation and exactness: "the bitter waters themselves, judgment's powers" [31654/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 652], and "the poor man, of the judgment's portions, counted as dead" [31654/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 813]. As process: "Rosh Hashanah is the judgment upon all creatures" [58839/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 46; 65127/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 54] — "Rosh Hashanah's judgment is the body's judgment: whether he shall live, or Heaven forbid, etc." [65127/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 246].
How the Rebbeim develop it
The judgment of Rosh Hashanah is developed as a full courtroom: "the sons of Elokim come to stand upon Havayah, to demand and accuse, Heaven forbid, upon each and every one" [65127/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 201]. It is both general and particular: "The judgment of Rosh Hashanah is not only a general judgment but a particular judgment for each and every one individually — as 'and You remember and count and visit the soul of every living being,' to cut a measure for each soul as is fitting" [58839/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 92–93]. Its order is known: "after the judge hears the claim of the accusers and the defense of the defenders, permission is given to annul the judgment itself" [58839/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 113]. This judgment is distinguished from the judgment after death — "this is the difference between Rosh Hashanah's judgment and the judgment after death, Elokim forbid" [58839/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 186–187].
But the deeper teaching is that din is not ultimate — it is transformed by rachamim. "The mercies' middah giving place to the judgment's middah saying; true, not fit to bestowing; nevertheless, need to have mercy on him and bestow upon him" [31654/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 520–522]. "Their sin not remembered — since in the mercies' middah the judgment and gevurah's middah turning completely, made good and chesed" [31654/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 724] — "in the mercies' middah the judgment's essence turned, made good" [31654/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 725]. The one who judges below must mirror this: the judge "who inclines toward din is not a good man at all" [31643/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 49], and "the hater, who is angry at him and wants to obligate him… is disqualified for judgment" [31643/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 62].
Key distinctions
- Din vs. rachamim/chesed: din is the middah of strictness and limitation; in the mercies' middah its very essence is turned into good and chesed [31654/maamar_012 :: עב׳ 724–725].
- General vs. particular judgment: Rosh Hashanah's din is both a general judgment upon all creatures and a particular judgment for each soul [58839/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 46, עב׳ 92–93].
- Rosh Hashanah vs. after death: the two judgments differ in essence [58839/maamar_016 :: עב׳ 186–187].
- Din of this world vs. the future: the future din is harder; the din before Gan Eden is only refinement [58837/maamar_039 :: עב׳ 44].
- The judge: a judge who inclines toward din, or who hates and wants to obligate, is disqualified [31643/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 49, עב׳ 62] — yet "when it comes to judgment and clarification in seichel, it can be that his seichel obligates to din" [31643/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 77].
- Where din has no place: "because there is no matter of din and gevurah there at all" — above, in the place of pure unity [31643/maamar_017 :: עב׳ 201].
Related concepts
- Mishpat
- Rachamim
- Gevurah
- Rosh Hashanah
- Lifnim mishuras hadin
- Gehinnom
Sources
- 58839/maamar_016 — זה היום תחלת מעשיך: Rosh Hashanah as judgment upon all creatures [עב׳ 46]; general and particular judgment [עב׳ 92–93]; the order of the court [עב׳ 113]; Rosh Hashanah's judgment vs. after death [עב׳ 186–187]
- 65127/maamar_016 — זה היום תחלת מעשיך: Rosh Hashanah as judgment [עב׳ 54]; the accusers [עב׳ 201]; the body's judgment — whether he shall live [עב׳ 246]
- 31654/maamar_012 — Hosafot G–E: the mercies' middah giving place to din [עב׳ 520–522]; din's essence turned to good and chesed [עב׳ 724–725]; bitter waters as din's powers [עב׳ 652]; the poor man of din's portions [עב׳ 813]
- 31643/maamar_017 — Maamar 017: the disqualified judge [עב׳ 49, עב׳ 62]; seichel obligating to din [עב׳ 77]; no din and gevurah above [עב׳ 201]
- 58837/maamar_039 — Sefer HaMaamarim 5689, maamar 39: the future din vs. refinement before Gan Eden [עב׳ 44]