Chasidut for Bava Kamma 127:9
אמר רבא תנא אחיים קא סמיך ליה וכלל ופרט וכלל קא"ל
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Kedushat Levi
An alternative explanation to the 13 attributes of G’s listed by the Torah in our portion. It is an accepted rule that the written Torah may be studied and understood better by using the 13 principles of Rabbi Yishmael that we recite in our prayers every morning. The 13 attributes of G’d that Moses lists in our portion may be understood as corresponding to this. The exegetical tool described as בנין אב in Rabbi Yishmael’s list (# 3 in that list) is none other than חן, “grace.” We, the Jewish people, enjoy grace in the eyes of the Lord. Let us clarify this by means of a parable. If a young child says something clever, the father is pleased to hear this and he enjoys this even if he is aware that the clever saying had not originated in the mind of the child itself, but reflects something that his mother had taught him. The father, in spite of his intellectual superiority to his child, “lowers” himself to the child’s level in order to enjoy his child’s achievement. The reason he does so is because there exists a bond between a father and child called חן, “grace or charm.” When G’d “restrains Himself,” as we pointed out repeatedly, one of the reasons is also that He relates to His Children of Israel like a father, and this bond of חן exists between them. The reason why the third of the 3 categories of valid exegetical tools in Rabbi Yishmael’s list is called בנין אב, “basic rule,” is that it parallels this “given” (rather than acquired) relationship between a Creator and His derivative, i.e. His child, in this case His brainchild.
Let us now look at Rabbi Yishmael’s fourth category of legitimate exegetical tools, the one known as כלל ופרט, generalities and specifics (or the reverse.) This principle corresponds to the Divine attributes of ארך and אפים, respectively. In order to understand this, we will again resort to a parable. A father, regardless of his son’s intelligence, loves him loyally as his flesh and blood. A similar relationship exists between G’d and His “children,” [seeing He is a partner in any human being, having supplied one third of its components by contributing the soul. Ed.] There is another aspect to this love of father for son; because he loves him he constantly tries to teach him so that he will become more intelligent and more mature mentally. This aspect of parental love is known as כלל ופרט וכלל.
Let us know explain the Divine attribute of ארך, i.e. that G’d loves us regardless of whether we are intelligent enough to realize that we ought to revere Him and to love Him, He does not withdraw His love from us. It follows that the attribute of ארך corresponds to the exegetical tool of Torah exegesis known as כלל ופרט, relating collective terms to specific terms.
The Divine attribute of אפים, is how G’d, out of His love for us, teaches us how to serve Him, so that the combined attributes ארך אפים, correspond to Rabbi Yishmael’s exegetical tool known as כלל ופרט וכלל, establishing harmony between collective terms and specifics, so that they do not contradict one another. This is why the Talmud in Baba kamma 54 describes the latter כלל , as adding an additional element.[I have not understood the Talmud there in that way. Ed.]
Let us now look at Rabbi Yishmael’s fourth category of legitimate exegetical tools, the one known as כלל ופרט, generalities and specifics (or the reverse.) This principle corresponds to the Divine attributes of ארך and אפים, respectively. In order to understand this, we will again resort to a parable. A father, regardless of his son’s intelligence, loves him loyally as his flesh and blood. A similar relationship exists between G’d and His “children,” [seeing He is a partner in any human being, having supplied one third of its components by contributing the soul. Ed.] There is another aspect to this love of father for son; because he loves him he constantly tries to teach him so that he will become more intelligent and more mature mentally. This aspect of parental love is known as כלל ופרט וכלל.
Let us know explain the Divine attribute of ארך, i.e. that G’d loves us regardless of whether we are intelligent enough to realize that we ought to revere Him and to love Him, He does not withdraw His love from us. It follows that the attribute of ארך corresponds to the exegetical tool of Torah exegesis known as כלל ופרט, relating collective terms to specific terms.
The Divine attribute of אפים, is how G’d, out of His love for us, teaches us how to serve Him, so that the combined attributes ארך אפים, correspond to Rabbi Yishmael’s exegetical tool known as כלל ופרט וכלל, establishing harmony between collective terms and specifics, so that they do not contradict one another. This is why the Talmud in Baba kamma 54 describes the latter כלל , as adding an additional element.[I have not understood the Talmud there in that way. Ed.]
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