The tzaddik is obliged to repent on behalf of the Jewish people. In other words, when someone steps out of line and throws off the yoke, the tzaddik must then repent on his behalf.

By way of a parable: Once, two people were travelling [in a wagon pulled] by a frightened and crazy horse. The horse lifted and tossed them from the wagon. One got up and began punching the horse, striking it repeatedly. The second one laughed at him, and said, “You’re just injuring your hand. How does all this hitting help the horse? Instead, you have to take the riding crop, which people use for striking horses, to strike it. The other went and did this. He took the riding crop and began striking the horse. The horse got up and bolted in great panic. As it ran, it lifted and tossed them into the muck and mire. The horse fled further on. It turns out that this, too, was not good advice. So they advised him to do the following: He should take a proper rope and tie the horse to some tree. He should then strike the horse repeatedly; that way he would teach it to behave. He did this. He hit the horse repeatedly and tired himself out. But he saw that this, too, was not good advice, because the whole horse was not worth the effort and aggravation he had from beating [it]. And so there was no solution for such a horse except to shoot it with a gun. But this pained him.

It is similar when one steps out [of line] and behaves improperly. One cannot find a solution for him. It would be possible to punish him directly or through a third party or by some other means, but all the punishments harm the tzaddik himself. This is as we find of God, that “in all their troubles, He is troubled” (Isaiah 63:9). For they are “a portion of God on high” (Job 31:2), and so when they are troubled, God forbid, He is troubled, as it were.

This is so for the tzaddik as well, because “Punishment is not good also for the tzaddik” (Proverbs 17:26). For the punishment he metes out to an individual harms the tzaddik himself. This is because man is comprised of four elements (yesodot): fire, air, water, earth. Each of these four yesodot stems from the simple yesod, namely, the concept of the tzaddik: “the tzaddik is the yesod (foundation) of the world” (ibid. 10:25).

The tzaddik is the concept of the simple element, from which all the four elements are derived, as in “Now a river issues out of Eden to water the garden and from there separates into four heads” (Genesis 2:10). “Now a river issues out of Eden” corresponds to “the tzaddik is the foundation of the world,” the simple element. “From there it separates”—which refers to the four elements, the concept of “four heads.” It follows, that they all stem from the tzaddik. Therefore, if he punishes someone, it will harm the tzaddik himself. Hence, “Punishment is not good also for the tzaddik.”

2. This is as the masters of musar (ethics) teach: When a person comes to the tzaddik and sees him, as in “and your eyes will see your teacher” (Isaiah 30:20), it is right that he find himself within the tzaddik. Seeing the tzaddik’s face will lead to introspection, to see where he stands in the various facets of his character.

This is because all character traits stem from the aforementioned four elements, as is brought. Therefore, when he sees the tzaddik, who is the concept of the simple element, from which the four elements are drawn, he ought to examine and sense where he stands in the various character traits. For they come from the four yesodot, which stem from the tzaddik, namely, the concept of the simple yesod .

Thus, the first letters of “and then Ainekha Ro’ot Et Morekha (your eyes will see your teacher)” are an acronym for Eish Ruach Mayin Ahfar . These are the four yesodot from which all the traits stem, for they all stem from the tzaddik. Therefore, when a person sees the tzaddik—i.e., the concept of “and then your eyes will see your teacher”—he looks within, to see where he stands in the various character traits, which come from the four elements—fire, air, water, earth—which are derived from the tzaddik, as mentioned above.

3. This is why people call the day after Yom Kippur “God’s Name.” This is because after Yom Kippur the concept of God’s Name is revealed. And this is why right after Yom Kippur they were commanded concerning Shabbat, because on the day after Yom Kippur God was reconciled with the Jewish people and cautioned them concerning the work of the Tabernacle. Then Moshe assembled them and cautioned them concerning Shabbat, so that they would not mistakenly say that the construction of the Tabernacle overrides Shabbat (as is brought in Rashi on Exodus 35:2). It follows, that immediately after Yom Kippur they were cautioned concerning Shabbat. And Shabbat is the Name of the Blessed Holy One (Zohar II, 88b), because then, after Yom Kippur, the concept of God’s Name is revealed.

For when they punish a person, they uproot him from the source of his life-force. Thus, conceptually, even other punishments are called death, as it is written (Exodus 4:19), “for all the men seeking your life have died”—and our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: they became paupers (Avodah Zarah 5a). The name is the life-force, as in “a living soul is its name” (Genesis 2:19). And His name is associated with our name, as it were (Yerushalmi, Taanit 2:6). Therefore, whenever Israel suffers some punishment, God forbid, it harms the Blessed One Himself, as it were. This is because punishment primarily harms the life-force, which is the name—and His Name is associated with ours.

And so, when Moshe said: “But if not, please wipe me out” (Exodus 32:32), God answered him: “He who has sinned against Me, I will wipe him out” (ibid. :33). Moshe requested that God do it for the sake of His Great Name, which is associated with our name. And since God’s Name is associated with ours, it follows that when He punishes them, He harms Himself, as it were. Therefore, our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: He does not rejoice… (Megillah 10b), because He harms Himself, as it were, for His Name is associated with our name.

It follows, that when God was reconciled with the Jewish people on Yom Kippur and said “I have forgiven, according to your word,” then His Name, which is associated with our name, was exalted, as it were. Therefore, immediately after Yom Kippur they were commanded concerning Shabbat, as mentioned above. For Shabbat is the name of the Blessed Holy One, as mentioned above. And this is why the day after Yom Kippur is called “God’s Name.” As a result of the pardoning and forgiveness that is effected on Yom Kippur, God’s Name is exalted.