Kabbalah Library

134. It is written, “He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause.” “With a tempest” is Satan, whose way is as a snake, which preys and kills and does not enjoy. And because “He crushes me with a tempest, and multiplies my wounds without cause,” since his way is to harm without cause and kill prey without cause.

135. He does not work without permission, as it is written, “a stormy wind does His word,” and as it is written, “if the snake bites without a hiss,” meaning that the snake does not bite until it is whispered from above. Sometimes, it is whispered from above to put to death a certain person, and the snake does not know who it is, and kills another person. Happy is one who is not known to the serpent and is not registered before it.

136. It is written, “The name of the man Elimelech.” Since his name was registered and known to Satan, he complained about him in the judgment until he killed him, as it is written, “and Elimelech died.” Since the judgment began in him, it also began in his sons. Everything was by the punishment of a judge, for Elimelech was a judge. There is no punishment like the punishment of a judge, so it will not be said that the judge alone is punished, but rather he and his sons, and his entire household are caught in the iniquity of the judgment.

137. The judge should know and persecute the town’s people, and admonish them, since he is caught by their iniquities. The judge should not say, “I must pass judgment between people, and nothing more. Rather, all the deeds of the town’s people are hanging on his neck. If he shuts his eyes from the deeds of the town’s people, he is caught for their iniquities.

138. Elimelech could rise and defend the generation since he was righteous. When the Creator awakened over the world with judgment, He looked at the heads of the people and wanted to cover for Elimelech. In the beginning, it is written simply “man,” and it is not written who he is, for He wanted to cover him. Promptly, the slanderer rose and said, “And the name of the man Elimelech,” registered and known, he, and his entire household.

139. Thus, there is no judge in any generation who is not registered and known above. When judgment awakens over the world, he is sentenced first, as it is written, “when the judges judged,” to judge the judges.