The Mystery of the Upright by Rav Gershon Chenoch

Sod Yesharim. Parshat Vayigash
Rabbi Gershon Chenoch Lainer, ZTs”L, the Rebbe of Radzin
Translated by Betzalel Edwards on 7 tevet, 5763, the Yahrzeit of the Mei HaShiloach

It is written in the Zohar (206a), Parshat Vayigash, “For behold, the kings are coming together (Psalm 48), they are Yehuda and Yosef, who were summoned to dispute with one another, this one arguing over Binyamin, and this one arguing over Binyamin.”
Binyamin constantly needed to be strengthened, as did his entire tribe. This is as the Holy Rebbe said (Either his father the Beit Yaakov, or his grandfather the Mei HaShiloach), concerning the Zohar’s statement (Beshalach, 44b), For the one who comes from the side of Nukva (the feminine), death precedes him.” This is why when Binyamin was born, his mother Rachel, who died from the childbirth, wanted to call him, “Ben Oni – the son of my suffering,” whereas his father Yaakov called him, “Ben Yamin – the son of my Right arm, the son of my strength.” Yaakov gave Binyamin assistance from God’s lovingkindness, which is called, “Yamin – the right arm.” Therefore in the account of, “Pilegesh in Giv’ah” in the 20th chapter of the book of Judges, it is said of the army of the tribe of Binyamim, “Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen left handed men; every one could sling stones at a hair, and not miss.” (In other words, it is the nature of Binyamin to express the stern judgments of the left, however, Binyamin’s rectification comes when this power is brought into the right.) In the end of this war, the warriors of Binyamin were decimated. Here Binyamin fell into grave danger, risking total annihilation.
It is taught that Binyamin always comes in to the good attributes from among the nations, and bring them into Yisrael. We find this with the tribe of Mordechai, who entered the attribute of, “mishloach manot,” the gifts sent on Purim, as mentioned in the Mei HaShiloach in his explanation of the tractate Megillah. Mordechai, from the tribe of Binyamin, is called the, “Ish Yamini,” the right handed man. He discerned this attribute by examining the deficiency in the nation of Eylam. This is as the Mei HaShiloach explains in parshat Ci Teytsei, that it is precisely the desire that a nation has for that which it lacks that needs to be entered into Yisrael. The nation of Eylam suffered from a stingy nature, where their true desire was to be generous (study this Mei HaShiloach further).
In order for attributes to be brought into Yisrael, they must undergo great refinement. This was in order that they do not go astray in these attributes. Therefore, this process needed constant help from the aspect of Yehuda, who would always take the deep inner nature of the attribute, and not the external garments of that form of good. Yosef also had a constant need for the tribe of Binyamin, for Yosef would himself descend in order to bring forth the goodness from the nations and enter them into Yisrael. Therefore Yosef always needed the attribute of tsimtsum, constriction and delineation, in order not to go after the expansions of the nations, who receive all of the goodness with a rush of lust and indulgence.

As the Holy Rav (either the Beit Yaakov or the Mei HaShiloach) said, the whole root of Binyamin is - that which he enters into Yisrael, is really the capacity to expand the power of the vessel of Ysrael’s reception. All of the attributes that he enters into Israel are only vessels to receive goodness. This is because the good itself is not among them (the nations) (as said above, it is only their desire to receive). If he (Binyamin) is not illuminated from the attribute of Yosef, then it will seem as if he has no light with which to fill the vessel. He would then bring in vessels that are not appropriate for him. This is why it seemed as if Binyamin stole the chalice, which hints at a vessel of reception.
These were the claims of Yehuda and Yosef against each other. For truly, all their claims were really their disputes before God, even though they were not conscious of this, and the reality that Yosef was alive was hidden from them. Yet their hearts felt the deep roots of their soul, and this produced claims that emerged from the depths hidden within them. This is as the Holy Rebbe, the Mei HaShiloach says, that Yehuda claimed that it was Yosef that caused Binyamin to sin in stealing the chalice (and even though it was orchestrated by Yosef, it expressed a deep truth about Binyamin, and all was revealed to their souls). This is because all the while a person’s deficiency is not connected to an action, he can not be punished for it. So it was Yosef who caused Binyamin to be uprooted from his father’s house and taken on a stressful journey, whereby causing the sin to come into action.
For this, Yehuda claimed that by virtue of his own light and love of God, he could illuminate all of Yisrael, and then achieve an elevation of all of their attributes above all the matters of the physical world. Because of this, Yehuda thought he had a greater and more necessary connection to Binyamin.

“And Yosef said to his steward, Arise, follow after the men… And they said to him … how then should we steal from your lord’s house silver or gold? If any of your servants is found to have it, let him die, and we also will be my lord’s slaves. And he said, Now also let it be according to your words; he with whom it is found shall be my servant…”
All the brothers were Yosef’s servants. For Binyamin held the power of the vessel of reception for all of Israel, as mentioned above, and if he constantly needed Yosef, then if follows that all the brothers are enslaved to Josef. This was so until Yehuda arose in his awesome power and drew from the strength of his of love for God, deep in his heart. For if he exerts himself from his power of prayer, of the love of God, then it is revealed to him that also in this world he is never separated from God’s will, and it would be necessary to reveal that Yosef is alive.
This is as it is written in the Zohar (206b), “when two worlds (Zeir Anpin and Malchut, or Yosef and Yehuda) join together as one, and are summoned together as one, this one can open the treasure house, and this one can gather up that which is in it. Two holy world, the upper world and the lower world, ‘pass through as one.’ (Psalm 48)The secret of this is, when they join together as one, in this way, they, ‘pass through as one,’ for all the sins of the world are not forgiven in atonement until they are brought together as one. This is as it is written in Micha, “He passes over iniquity.’ ”
The source of Yosef is to draw Divine effluence, understanding, and to enter into the attribute of connection for all of Israel by means of that which he illuminates unto them from his attribute of tsimtsum – constriction, for all matters, so as not to expand out more than is proper. Therefore this attribute gives way to a great increase of souls and goodness, for all birth is a product of tsimtsum, and therefore the effluence is brought down with great strength, as it comes from a place of great contractions.
Yehuda receives all the goodness for all of Yisrael. When these two attributes, Yosef and Yehuda, come together, it is the complete zivvug (union)of Yesod and Malchut, and then God effuses all kinds of goodness with great love, with no spirit of accusation whatsoever.
This is the Zohar’s connection with, “passing over iniquity.” In the thirteen rectifications of the Beard of Arik Anpin, the Zohar, in the Idra Rabba, locates this attribute as the vertical path directly under the nose that is free of hair. It is the channel which connects the judgments of the nose down to the holy mouth, which pronounces the words, “I have forgiven.” It transforms “PeSh’A” (iniquity) into “SheF’A” (Divine abundance or effluence) (Same letters). The Eyts Chaiim teaches that the channel from the nose to the mouth is only in order to draw supernal Chochma (wisdom) down through the path of Chesed (Lovingkiness). This is called the light of Abba. This only happens after great clarifications. This is also like the translation of Tsora’at (leprosy) as, “s’geeru” Aramaic for, “closing,” meaning that the affliction is a result of closing off the lights of Chochma, or Abba. This is why the channel must be beneath the nose, which inhales the breath of life. This causes an illumination of the face, for scent is that which is brought close from afar. This is why the sacrifices are called, “reyach nichoach – a sweet savor (scent).”
Then the mouth finishes. The faculty of speech is the completion of any action. When something reaches speech, there is no more room for free choice. If the mouth is connected to that which is above it, then Divine Providence will never be removed from the mouth, and one will not be able to do anything outside of God’s will. Then there will be no room for natural laws, but all will be seen as a product of Divine conduct. Then it follows that there will be no residue of sin.
This is as the Zohar says (206b), R. Hiya said: ‘This is the mystery of the sacrifices, for when a sacrifice is offered up and each section receives exactly that which it needs, then there is a bond of union effected between all, and all faces are illuminated … and they are all brought together to atone for sin.” This is as the Holy Rebbe explained concerning the sacrifices, that a sacrifice brings worlds together, because a man and his property are one. The only difference is a difference in physical space. This is in order that his property can then come to him only by means of his own efforts. The more he refines himself, and arrives at the understanding of the words of Torah that are fixed in his heart, then just how his property is his inheritance and a part of his soul is revealed to him. Therefore, when one sins, it is seen on his possessions. Then when he clarifies the matter, subduing his consciousness before God, he then can bring together all the worlds, to the extent where even in this world he can sacrifice his property to be included in the supernal fire. This is as he explained in parshat Vayikra, that all the worlds come together, since the concealment and the separating veils are revealed.
This is the joining together of Yehuda and Yosef, which brings about a revelation of the depth hidden in all things. But it is only after the concealment, when man meditates on how God’s light is hidden from him because of sin, and then he will return and see how even this was a result of God’s providence. He then sees how God’s light exists in the darkness as it appears to him. He then manages to bring worlds together. He sees that God’s light is included in all places.