Rachamim (רחמים) — Compassion / Mercy

Core definition

Rachamim is Yackov's middah — Tiferes, the hachra'ah (deciding) between Chesed and Gevurah: "the middah of rachamim is the middah of Yackov our father" [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: עמוד 7]. In the Zohar's mapping: "'El' — this is Yackov; 'Shaddai' — this is Yitzchak; 'rachamim' — this is Yackov" [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: עמוד 7]. Rachamim is "an inheritance without borders": its flow never stops [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: עמוד 14].

How the Rebbeim develop it

The maamar's core is the distinction between Chesed and rachamim. Chesed flows because the recipient is deemed worthy — the ish hachesed sees only good in everything; Gevurah withholds through exactness ("hein bikdoshov lo ya'amin"). Rachamim agrees with din that the recipient is unworthy, yet flows from the giver's side — so Gevurah too agrees, and the flow has no opponent and no limit [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: Summary]. "The flow of middas harachamim is without limit, for the Gevurah was overturned to good and there is no opponent. In the Almighty's kindnesses: whoever pities — though man is limited — arouses measure for measure that they pity him, though above it is without limit" [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: עמוד 14].

Rachamim is the middah of Emes: "this is the middah of Emes, whose matter is having no interruption" [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: עמוד 8] — "titein Emes l'Yackov." Two modes of hamtakah (sweetening) are contrasted: bitul b'rov — erech apayim, rav chesed — where the din remains, weakened but standing; and his'hapcha — rachamim — where the din itself becomes good, as Bilam's curse was overturned and the kateigor becomes saneigor [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: Summary]. "Middas harachamim is without limit — it never stops" [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: עמוד 9].

The joining (shituif) of middas harachamim with middas hadin is "Havayah Elokim": on Rosh Hashanah, the shofar sweetens the gevuros, drawing Chesed — the joining of the attribute of mercy — nullifying concealments and prosecutions, filling mercy for Yisrael and drawing revealed light into the souls [58846/maamar_006 :: Summary]. The thirteen attributes of mercy are "against the ten sefiros and three worlds — Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah," drawn from the Kesser's innerness through the avodah of those worlds [58835/maamar_017 :: עמוד 109].

Applied to tzedakah: "Kol hamerachem al habriyos, merachamim alav min hashamayim" — the poor is of chelek hadin; giving charity sweetens the dinim above measure-for-measure, arousing unlimited rachamim. And though "sechar mitzvah b'hai alma leika," charity — the greatest birur, enclothing the whole nefesh hachiyunis — lets one eat its fruits in this world; "gadol hame'aseh yoser min ha'oseh" [31685/maamar_011_kol_hamerachem :: Summary].

Key distinctions

Related concepts

Tiferes, Yackov, chesed, gevurah/din, the thirteen attributes of mercy, tzedakah, erech apayim, his'hapcha.

Sources