Rachamim (רחמים) — Mercy

Core definition

Rachamim — mercy, compassion — is in the corpus primarily the middah of Tiferes: "the middah of Tiferes, the middah of mercy that includes Chesed and Gevurah together" — "called 'mercy,' for it effects the inclusion of Chesed and Gevurah" [15962/maamar_007 :: §342, §70]. It is also "the middah of Yackov our father" (Tanya, ch. 45): "There is yet a straight path before a man, to occupy himself with Torah and mitzvos for their own sake — through the middah of Yackov our father, peace be upon him, which is the middah of mercy"; and "Yackov, in his supernal middah — the middah of mercy in Atzilus — is what arouses mercy upon him" — upon the souls of Israel, "which is in the secret of Rachel, in general" [15962/maamar_007 :: §73–75].

How the Rebbeim develop it

Mercy belongs to the broken. "The concept of mercy belongs only upon one who is steeped in judgments and Gevurah — like the poor or suffering one, Heaven save us"; "upon a rich man the concept of mercy does not fall, only Chesed" — as the Sages said, gemilus chasadim is for both the poor and the rich [15962/maamar_007 :: §343–346]. "Chesed — chas d'leis" (kindness: pity the lacking): the matter of chesed and mercy is specifically for one who lacks — "being lacking, he has mercy and is kind with him" [15966/maamar_009 :: §190].

Mercy falls on the left line. "The middah of mercy falls only upon the left line specifically" — i.e., upon Gevurah's side, the side of judgment and lack; "and it is found that it is the inclusion of Chesed and Gevurah — and this is (seemingly) without boundary" [15962/maamar_007 :: §347–348].

Mercy's boundary. "But in truth mercy has a boundary too: there are those upon whom mercy does not fall at all — like the murderer, upon whom mercy does not belong" — as in the teaching, "one does not have mercy in judgment" (Sanhedrin 33b). "At first glance, the concept of mercy is specifically upon one already judged; in truth the main concept of mercy is specifically when he is fitting for this — but when the judgment is already decided, mercy does not belong upon him" [15962/maamar_007 :: §350–356].

Mercy within judgment. Yet the boundary is not absolute: "there is chesed and mercy even in din — not to effect so harsh a din. Though 'ein merachamim badin' (there is no mercy in din), nevertheless in the effecting of the din there is also the level of chesed" — except in the Flood's din ("Havayah lamabul yashav") [15966/maamar_009 :: §208–210].

Above the middos. "Tiferes, the concept of mercy, is still in boundary, since it is in... middos." The true boundlessness is "in Atika, the inwardness of Keter — there is the level of 'in the light of the king's face is life'": the light of the king's face itself is life and Chesed — not in the aspect of middos, the clothing in the details of how to decide the judgment [15962/maamar_007 :: §357–363].

The thirteen middos harachamim. The thirteen attributes of mercy "bear iniquity even for the unfitting" — beyond Chesed's rule, which bestows only upon the fitting: tov bestows upon all, even the unfitting [15966/maamar_009 :: Summary].

Key distinctions

Rachamim vs. chesed. Chesed bestows upon the fitting, abundantly beyond desert but never upon the unfitting; rachamim answers lack specifically ("chas d'leis") and falls on the left line. Chesed is a branch of chochmah — intellectual obligation, hence limited; but the middah of mercy in Tiferes includes both [15966/maamar_009 :: Summary; 15962/maamar_007 :: §345].

Rachamim vs. the thirteen middos. Ordinary rachamim has a boundary (not for the murderer, not after the judgment is decided); the thirteen middos harachamim bear even the unfitting [15962/maamar_007 :: §350–356; 15966/maamar_009 :: Summary].

Mercy in din. "Ein merachamim badin" — yet within the effecting of the din there is chesed: the din is softened, not so harsh [15966/maamar_009 :: §208–209].

Related concepts

Sources