Noam Elimelech — Leviticus 5:4

“Or a soul that swears to utter with the lips…” — we will explain the Mishnah: “Oaths are two…” There are two types of righteous individuals: some afflict and discipline themselves, thereby breaking the power of harsh judgments; others eat in holiness and purity for the sake of divine service, thereby drawing down blessing and sustenance to the world. These righteous individuals possess the power to decree and to bind by oath, and as they will, so it is established.

This כוח (power) and dominion, through which they decree and it is fulfilled, is called “an oath.” As the Gemara states that three ruled over the entire world, one of them being Ahab, and it brings proof from the verse “and he adjured the kingdom and the nation”—for if he did not rule over them, how could he adjure them? Thus, through his authority he was able to bind them by oath, and so too the righteous one’s power to decree and establish is termed an oath.

This is the meaning of “Oaths are two”: there are two types of righteous individuals who have the power to decree and establish. “Which are four” hints that both types bring about rectification of the Divine Name (the Tetragrammaton), which has four letters. The Mishnah explains: “two—‘that I will eat’ and ‘that I will not eat,’” alluding to the fact that one righteous person rectifies through eating, while the other through affliction and abstention.

The Sages added two more: “that I have eaten,” meaning that the righteous person who now eats in holiness must remind himself and recall his past eating that was without sanctity, and his heart should burn over this. “And that I have not eaten” alludes to the second righteous type, who afflicts himself and must worry about past afflictions that were not for the sake of divine service.

For sometimes people afflict themselves in harmful ways, weakening their strength with improper intent, not for the sake of Heaven, as it says: “Behold, you fast for strife and contention.” A person must be very discerning about this, as the sages said, “please, do not inherit two Gehinnoms.” The righteous must rectify this, and his heart should burn over previous afflictions that were not for divine service—then the righteous will have the power to rectify everything.

This is the meaning of the verse “or a soul”—hinting to the righteous person. “To utter with the lips” teaches that even the movement of the righteous person’s lips is considered an action, effecting change in the upper worlds. “For harm or for good” refers, as the sages explain, to “I will not eat” (harm) and “I will eat” (good), alluding to the two types of righteous individuals.

“For whatever he utters” refers to all expressions—whether the righteous one through eating or the other through self-denial. “A person in an oath,” as the sages expound, teaches that one must truly be a “person,” meaning a complete righteous individual. This level, called “adam,” is a very high spiritual rank.

This explains “When a person brings from you an offering”—the sages interpret: “from you, and not all of you,” and “among you I have distinguished, not among the nations.” This also hints to our idea: a person who offers himself to God through proper deeds, like a sacrifice. “Not all of you” means not everyone should serve in the same way; rather, there are two types, one who rectifies through eating and one through self-denial, each according to his level.

This is the meaning of “among you I have distinguished”—within Israel there are different types of righteous individuals. This relates to Jacob’s words: “Perhaps my father will feel me… and I will bring a curse upon myself.” At first glance, how could Jacob think Isaac would curse him, when the Divine Presence was with him and Isaac ultimately declared, “he shall also be blessed”?

Rather, we explain that Isaac did not err, God forbid, in intending to bless Esau instead of Jacob. Rather, Isaac intended to bless Jacob with the blessings of the World to Come, and Esau with those of this world. Rebecca saw that if Jacob had no share in this world, his descendants would not endure among the nations, so she sought that Isaac bless Jacob in both realms.

Jacob, however, was uneasy with this, fearing that Isaac might bless him with purely material matters. Even in physical matters there are distinctions, as the world needs both types of righteous individuals. Likewise, in eating there is a difference between one who eats with holy intent and one who eats like an animal.

Thus he said, “perhaps my father will feel me”—the term implies physicality, as tangible things are associated with touch. He feared being blessed only with materiality, which for him would be considered a curse. “And I am a smooth man” he interprets as being divided—needing to embody both modes of service described earlier.

This explains the verse “House of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of God.” The word “come” seems unnecessary, but it hints to the two modes. “House of Jacob” refers to a lower level (as distinct from “Israel”), and it is written: “The house of Jacob shall be fire, and the house of Esau straw.”

This alludes to the level of the righteous who, through their spiritual state, break the power of harsh judgments. “House of Jacob—come” refers to one level, while “let us walk in the light of God” refers to the second level—those who walk in the light of holiness through all worlds. May God grant that we merit to be among them. Amen, may it be His will.