אנכי מגן לך

(אנכי מגן לך).

"I am your shield."¹ The maamar explains why the first blessing of the Amidah ends "Shield of Avraham": Avraham's boundless kindness needs a "shield" that measures it out.

פירוש מגן אברהם.

This explains "Shield of Avraham" (Magen Avraham).^2[a]

דהנה נודע, שאברהם הוא בחינת חסד גדול עד מאד בלי שום מונע, וכולם טובים בעיניו, והוא רק טוב.

It is known that Avraham is the attribute of chesed (kindness)³ — an exceedingly great kindness with nothing to hold it back. Everyone is good in his eyes, and he is only good.

ולכן אמר: "לו ישמעאל יחיה לפניך", שפירושו שיחיה לעד לפניך, שהוא בחינת אין סוף, בלי גבול.

That is why he said, "If only Yishmael might live before You!"⁴ — meaning, that he should live forever "before You," before the Ein Sof (the Infinite), without limit.^5[b]

ואף על פי שהוא יודע מהו ישמעאל - אף על פי כן, מחמת חסד גדול וטובו הגדול רוצה שיחיה, ולא זו בלבד, אלא שרצה שיחיה בחסד בלי גבול.

Even though he knew what Yishmael was, nevertheless, out of his great kindness and goodness, he wanted him to live — and not only that, but to live through a kindness without limit.

וזהו דאיתא: "לא כאברהם שיצא ממנו ישמעאל", ויצא מחמת רוב חסדו.

This is what our Sages say: "Not like Avraham, from whom Yishmael came out."⁶ Yishmael came out of him because of his abundant kindness.

אבל באמת אין מהראוי כן.

But in truth this is not as it should be.^7[c]

דהנה בביאת משיח אם ירצה השם, כתיב: "בלע המות לנצח". "ואת רוח הטומאה אעביר מן הארץ".

For about the coming of Moshiach, may it be soon, it is written: "He will swallow up death forever,"⁸ and "I will remove the spirit of impurity from the earth."⁹

וצריך לבער כל הרע מן הארץ, ואם יתנהג העולם בחסדו הגדול כנזכר לעיל - לא היה העולם יכולים לבא למדרגה הנזכר לעיל של משיח.

All evil must be removed from the earth. If the world were conducted only with Avraham's great kindness, the world could not reach the level of Moshiach — since the evil, too, would receive boundless life.

ולכן בא יצחק בחינת דין.

Therefore Yitzchak came — the attribute of din (judgment, restraint).¹⁰

ואף יצחק יצא ממנו עשו, מחמת דינו הקשה: "על חרבך תחיה".

Yet from Yitzchak too came Esav, because of his harsh judgment: "By your sword you shall live."¹¹ The extreme of judgment also produces something unworthy.

אך יעקב היתה מטתו שלימה:

But Yaakov's "bed was complete"¹² — all his children were righteous, for Yaakov unites kindness and judgment.^[d]

והנה נודע, כי מגן נקרא דבר המכסה, למשל במלחמה נקרא מגן מה שמכסה בו, שלא ישלוט עליו הקשת.

Now, it is known that a "shield" is something that covers. In battle, a shield is what one covers oneself with, so that the archer cannot strike him.^[e]

והנה כתיב: "כי שמש ומגן ה' אלקים", שכמו שהשמש אם לא היה לו נרתק לא היו יכולים לסבול אורו הגדול, והנרתק הוא המגין שנוכל לסבול.

It is written: "For a sun and a shield is the L‑rd G‑d."¹³ If the sun had no sheath,¹⁴ no one could bear its great light; the sheath is the "shield" that lets us bear it.^[f]

וזהו: "לעתיד לבא הקב"ה מוציא חמה מנרתקה, וצדיקים מתהנים בה, ורשעים נדונים בה".

This is what the Sages say: "In the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will take the sun out of its sheath; the righteous will benefit from it, and the wicked will be judged by it."¹⁵ Without the shield, the same light heals the righteous and judges the wicked.

והנה נודע שבכל בוקר, דאברהם בחינת חסד מתעורר בעולם: "וישכם אברהם בבוקר". וכדאיתא בזוהר הקדוש.

It is known that every morning the attribute of Avraham, chesed, is awakened in the world — "Avraham rose early in the morning"¹⁶ — as the holy Zohar says.^17[g]

והקדוש ברוך הוא רוצה להנהיג את העולם בבחינת חסד.

And the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to conduct the world with chesed.

אם לא היה מגן לבחינת חסד הנזכר לעיל לצמצם חסדו וטובו, ולתת דרך צמצום כמו שצריך, רק להחיות הקליפות מפני שצריכין בשביל סטרא דקדושה, שיהיה אתהפכא חשוכא לנהורא כידוע.

But without a "shield" for this chesed — to contract His kindness and goodness and to give it in measure, as needed — the kelipos (forces of unholiness) would receive more than the bare life they need. They are kept alive only for the sake of holiness,¹⁸ so that "darkness may be turned to light,"¹⁹ as is known.

- ואם לא היה דרך צמצום היה חיותם בלי גבול, ולא היו יכולים לבער הרע מן הארץ.

If there were no contraction, their life would be without limit, and evil could not be removed from the earth.

ולכן בכל בוקר כשמתעורר מדת אברהם מדת חסד כנזכר לעיל, אנו צריכין לברך ברכת, "מגן אברהם". מגין, שיעשה מגין לבחינת אברהם הנזכר לעיל לטובתינו:

Therefore every morning, when the attribute of Avraham — chesed — is awakened, we must say the blessing "Shield of Avraham": that G‑d make a shield for Avraham's kindness, for our good.^20[h]

Summary

Avraham is boundless kindness: he even asked that Yishmael "live before You" without limit, and Yishmael came out of him. But unlimited kindness also gives evil unlimited life, and the world could not reach the time of Moshiach, when evil is removed. Yitzchak, judgment, came next, yet from his harsh judgment came Esav; only Yaakov's "bed was complete." Just as the sun can be borne only through its sheath, the chesed awakened each morning needs a "shield" that gives it in measure, so the kelipos receive only bare life. That is why every morning we bless G‑d as "Shield of Avraham."

Flow of the maamar (where the Alter Rebbe is heading)

a. Here he states the question of the whole maamar: what does "Shield of Avraham" mean, and why does Avraham's attribute in particular need a shield? The answer comes only at the end, in the blessing "Shield of Avraham" said every morning.

b. Why bring up Yishmael? To show how boundless Avraham's kindness is: he wants unlimited life even for one who is unworthy. This sets up the problem explained next: such kindness gives unlimited life to evil as well.

c. Here the Alter Rebbe begins to explain what is wrong with unlimited kindness: when Moshiach comes, evil must be removed from the earth, and that cannot happen if evil receives boundless life.

d. Yitzchak and Yaakov are brought to show that the fix is not judgment alone, since Esav came from that too, but kindness given in measure, as with Yaakov. This is the "shield" he will explain next.

e. Here he returns to the word "shield" from the opening and defines it as something that covers. This prepares the parable of the sun and its sheath that follows.

f. This is the central parable of this maamar: the sheath does not cancel the sun's light; it lets us receive it. So too the shield does not cancel the kindness; it measures it out so that the kelipos do not get boundless life. In the time to come, as mentioned about Moshiach, the sheath will be removed.

g. Now he brings the parable back to Avraham: the attribute of kindness is awakened every morning. This sets up why "Shield of Avraham" is said each morning.

h. Here he returns to the opening question and answers it: "Shield of Avraham" means that G‑d makes a shield and sheath for Avraham's kindness, so that it comes in measure, for our good, and evil can be removed from the earth.

Notes

1. Bereishis 15:1: "Do not fear, Avram; I am your shield; your reward is very great." Rashi: "Do not fear… I am your shield — from punishment."

2. The end of the first blessing of the Amidah (siddur): "King, Helper, Savior and Shield. Blessed are You, G‑d, Shield of Avraham." See Pesachim 117b: the blessing is concluded with Avraham alone.

3. Michah 7:20: "You will give truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham." Avraham is the "chariot" of the attribute of kindness.

4. Bereishis 17:18. Rashi: "If only Yishmael would live."

5. "Before You" — before G‑d, who is infinite; therefore Avraham asked that Yishmael's life be without limit.

6. Pesachim 56a: Yaakov feared, "Perhaps, G‑d forbid, there is someone unfit in my bed, like Avraham, from whom Yishmael came out, and my father Yitzchak, from whom Esav came out."

7. It is not fitting for the world to be run with unlimited kindness alone, since then evil too receives unlimited life, as the maamar goes on to explain.

8. Yeshayahu 25:8.

9. Zechariah 13:2. Rashi: "The spirit of impurity — the evil inclination."

10. Bereishis 31:42: "the Fear of Yitzchak." Yitzchak is the attribute of gevurah, strength and judgment.

11. Bereishis 27:40, from Yitzchak's blessing to Esav.

12. Rashi on Bereishis 47:31: "His bed was complete; there was no wicked one in it." See also Pesachim 56a (note 6). Yaakov is the attribute of tiferes, which includes kindness and judgment together.

13. Tehillim 84:12.

14. A "sheath" (nartek) is a case or covering that holds something inside it.

15. Nedarim 8b: "There is no Gehinnom in the World to Come; rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, takes the sun out of its sheath — the righteous are healed by it and the wicked are judged by it." When the sheath is removed, the great light itself is healing for the righteous and judgment for the wicked.

16. Bereishis 19:27; also 22:3. See Berachos 26b: "Avraham instituted the morning prayer." Morning is the time of Avraham, the attribute of kindness.

17. The Zohar explains that every morning kindness, Avraham's attribute, is awakened in the world, as it says of him, "Avraham rose early in the morning."

18. The kelipos are to be given only the limited life they need, because they must exist for the sake of holiness (sitra dikedushah, "the side of holiness").

19. An expression of the Zohar (is'hapcha chashocha linehora): through refining evil and correcting it, darkness is turned into a greater light.

20. We say "Shield of Avraham" so that G‑d make a shield and sheath for the attribute of kindness, that it be drawn down in measure and contraction; then the kelipos will not receive unlimited life, and evil can be removed from the earth.