26- Who Will Not Lift Up the Face

In the verse, “who will not lift up the face or take a bribe,” we should understand the meaning of the words, “who will not take a bribe.” How can the Creator be bribed, for the verse tells us that He “will not take a bribe”?

The thing is that all the qualities we attribute to the Creator are in fact those of man. If a person is used to receiving a bribe, meaning for his own delight, he has no ability to adhere to Him, since it is “cling unto His attributes.”

It follows that the meaning of the verse, “who will not take a bribe” is that a person must not take a bribe when he wants to scrutinize some matter in a manner of truth and falsehood, for if there is some intention there for his own pleasure, he can no longer see the truth, “for bribe blinds the eyes of the wise,” since the light of Hochma [wisdom] can expand only where there are Kelim [vessels] that are completely cleansed of self-reception.

Conversely, Hassadim [mercies] can be done even while he is not completely cleansed, since while performing Hassadim, he cannot blemish because the act is one of giving. However, when the light of Hochma expands, it is knowing and receiving, and therefore it is possible to blemish. For this reason, as long as one is not purified of self-love, there is a correction that he cannot see anything of the quality of Hochma.