diff --git "a/json/Chasidut/Breslov/Likutei Moharan/English/Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012.json" "b/json/Chasidut/Breslov/Likutei Moharan/English/Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012.json" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/json/Chasidut/Breslov/Likutei Moharan/English/Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012.json" @@ -0,0 +1,2649 @@ +{ + "language": "en", + "title": "Likutei Moharan", + "versionSource": "https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL01", + "versionTitle": "Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012", + "status": "locked", + "priority": 2.0, + "license": "CC-BY-NC", + "versionNotes": "", + "versionTitleInHebrew": "ליקוטי מוהר\"ן בתרגום משה מיקוף, המוסד לחקר ברסלב, כרכים 12-15, 1986-2012", + "purchaseInformationImage": "https://storage.googleapis.com/sefaria-physical-editions/a3d3b80c0e9984d07fa8caa724942c6b.png", + "purchaseInformationURL": "https://books.breslov.org/product/likutey-moharan-set-volumes-1-15/", + "actualLanguage": "en", + "languageFamilyName": "english", + "isBaseText": false, + "isSource": false, + "direction": "ltr", + "heTitle": "ליקוטי מוהר\"ן", + "categories": [ + "Chasidut", + "Breslov" + ], + "text": { + "Introduction": [], + "A Pleasant Song": [], + "Go See": [], + "": [], + "Part II": [ + [ + [ + "“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, at the time appointed for our festive day.” 2 (Psalms 81:4)", + "The Jew is created to have memshalah (dominion) over the angels. This is Israel’s ultimate purpose and destiny, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: The section of the righteous is destined to be inward of that of the ministering angels, as it is written (Numbers 23:23), “at that time it will be said to Yaakov and to Israel, ‘What has God wrought?’” (Yerushalmi, Shabbat 6:9). When the angels will want to know what God has wrought, they will need to inquire of Israel.", + "Every [Jew] must see to achieve this ultimate purpose: having dominion over angels. Yet he has to guard himself carefully and see that he has the ability to maintain this dominion without being cast down, God forbid, through the angels’ envy. This is because the angels are extremely jealous of such a person who has dominion over them. Thus we find that our Sages, of blessed memory, taught regarding a number of eminent individuals: “the ministering angels sought to push him away” (Chagigah 15b)." + ], + [ + "2. The solution for this is to bind oneself with the Jewish souls and through this attachment be protected from [the angels]. This is as in “He allows him to grab onto the front of the throne” (Job 26:9). A person has to attach himself to the roots of the souls, which are hewn from beneath the Throne of Glory, “the mother of all living things” (Genesis 3:20).", + "This corresponds to what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: When Moshe ascended on high, the ministering angels said, “[Master of the Universe!] What is someone born of woman doing among us?” [God] replied, “He came to receive the Torah.” They said, “[Would it not be better] that You bestow Your majesty upon the heavens?” (Psalms 8:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, “Give them an answer.” [Moshe] said, “I am afraid to, lest they burn me with the breath of their mouths.” [God] said to him, “Grab onto the throne of My Glory [and then answer them]” (Shabbat 88b). In other words, God advised him to grab hold of and attach himself to the roots of the souls—i.e., the Throne of Glory, “the mother of all living things”—as this would protect him from the angels’ jealousy.", + "This is the meaning of: “The Lord God fashioned the rib that He took from the man [into a woman, and He brought her to the man]” (Genesis 2:22). “VaYiVeN (He fashioned)” is an acronym for U’tekativ Yated B’makom Ne’eman (I will affix him as a peg in a trusted place) (Isaiah 22:23). This alludes to dominion, as in Targum Yonatan’s rendering of this verse: I will appoint him as a trusted officer serving in an enduring position.” In other words, the dominion will be enduring.", + "And this is “the rib.” It refers to Chavah, “the mother of all living things,” corresponding to the Throne of Glory, the souls’ roots, through which one has the ability to maintain this dominion, as discussed above.", + "And this is “that He took from the man”—i.e., Supernal Man, as it is written (Ezekiel 1:26), “and upon the throne there was a form resembling a man.” “And He brought her to the man”—namely, to lower man. Through this, lower man has the ability to maintain this dominion.", + "This is also the meaning of what Rav Amram Chasida answered the angel: <Even though> I am bisra (flesh) and you are fire, I am more powerful than you (Kiddushin 81a). BiSRA is an acronym for Shishim Rebo B’kareis Echad (six-hundred thousand in a single womb)—i.e., the roots of the souls. Through this he has the ability <to maintain dominion> over the angels, as in “I am more powerful than you.”" + ], + [ + "3. Now, in order to bind oneself with the Jewish souls’ roots one has to know the source of the souls and the source of their life-force, from which each soul receives its vitality.", + "Most importantly, one has to know all the renowned figures of the generation. This is because if he cannot know and bind himself to each individual soul, he has to bind himself to all the renowned figures and leaders of the generation, under whom the souls are grouped. Each renowned figure and leader of the generation has a certain number of individual souls for which he is responsible. When a person binds himself to the renowned figures, he is bound to all the individual Jewish souls.", + "However, one has to be able to know and distinguish [between] renowned figures, because there are many renowned figures who are imposters. Their [renown] derives solely from arrogance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Impudence is kingship without a crown (Sanhedrin 105a)." + ], + [ + "4. The way to recognize which of the renowned figures owe their position to arrogance is through building Yerushalayim, which is the concept of the heart. YeRuShaLayiM corresponds to YiRah ShaLeM— i.e., the perfection of fear, which is dependent upon the heart. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Of those things that are given over to the heart, it is said, “And you shall fear your Lord!” (Kiddushin 32b).", + "However, there are three traits that destroy Yerushalayim/the heart, undermining fear, which is dependent upon the heart. The three traits are craving wealth, craving food and craving sexual pleasure. These three traits are [centered] in the heart and so [have the power to] undermine the fear in the heart.", + "Wealth is rooted in the heart, as in “God’s blessing enriches, and no sadness is added to it” (Proverbs 10:22), and “and it saddened Him in His heart” (Genesis 6:6).", + "Food is the concept of “and bread sustains the heart of man” (Psalms 104:15).", + "Sexual desire, too, is in the heart, because the desire stems mainly from the passion produced by the blood in the heart’s ventricle.", + "And because they are [centered] in the heart, they undermine the fear in a person’s heart, which is Yerushalayim.", + "This is the explanation of: The night consists of three watches. [At each watch, the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion, as it says: “God roars from on high…” (Jeremiah 25:30) . The sign [for each watch] is as follows: The first watch, a donkey brays; the second, dogs bark; the third, an infant nurses from its mother’s breasts and a woman converses with her husband] (Berakhot 3a).", + "“Night” connotes darkness—i.e., obstacles. These are the three watches, the three traits.", + "And this is: “The first watch, a donkey brays.” This corresponds to the craving for wealth, as in “Yissakhar is a strong-boned donkey” (Genesis 49:14), which Onkelos renders as “[Yissakhar is] rich with possessions.”", + "“The second, dogs bark.” This connotes the craving for food, as it is written: “The dogs are brazen, they are never satiated” (Isaiah 56:11).", + "“The third, an infant nurses from its mother’s breasts and a woman converses with her husband.” This connotes <the craving for> sexual pleasure, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “They saw her conversing…” (Ketuvot 13a).", + "And this is the meaning of “an infant nurses from its mother’s breasts,” because this desire is related to nursing. If an infant suckles milk from an immodest woman, this desire becomes stronger within him, because “the blood decomposes and turns into milk” (Bekhorot 6b). Therefore, when she is immodest, the milk produced by the decomposition of her blood is harmful to the infant, generating passion in his heart, which strengthens this craving. Conversely, when he suckles milk from a modest woman, his heart is hollow within him and he has only as much passion as is necessary for [fulfilling] the commandments of the Creator, blessed be His Name.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Avodah Zarah 4b) : David was not suited for that deed, as it is stated (Psalms 109:22), “and my heart is hollow within me.” The initial letters of Lebee Chalal B’kirbi (“my heart is hollow within me”) spell ChaLaV (milk). In other words, because of the modest woman’s milk, his heart is hollow within him and this desire does not dominate him. Therefore David, who had attained this level, was not suited for that deed. Conversely, the milk of an immodest woman generates excessive passion <in the heart>, corresponding to “Cham Lebee B’kirbi (My heart is hot within me)” (Psalms 39:4), the initial letters of which spell ChaLaV, [in the manner] explained above.", + "And this is the meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: At each watch, the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars like a lion (Berakhot, op. cit.)—i.e., over the undermining of fear, as in “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” (Amos 3:8). This is because the three traits, which are the three watches, undermine the building of Yerushalayim—i.e., the perfection of fear, which depends upon the heart." + ], + [ + "5. Now, the way to rectify these three traits is through unitive knowledge and awareness of God (daat). It is necessary to draw this unitive knowledge and awareness into the heart, as in (Deuteronomy 4:39), “Know it today and ponder it in your heart.” One has to draw the daat into the heart and thereby rectify the three traits.", + "For daat corresponds to the three mentalities, the three regions of the brain. These also correspond to the Three Festivals.", + "Each festival signifies a renewal of the mentalities, as a new intellect is drawn to rectify these three traits. In other words, on each of the Three Festivals one of the three traits is rectified. We must therefore take great care to honor the Three Festivals and celebrate them fittingly, because it is through the mitzvot of the Three Festivals that we merit rectifying these three traits.", + "On Pesach the craving for wealth is rectified, as it is written (Exodus 12:36), “God granted the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, who lent them”—against their will (Berakhot 9b). The [Jews] did not want to <receive> anything, because the craving for wealth had at that time been rectified.", + "On Shavuot the craving for sex is rectified, as in “the blood decomposes and turns into milk.”", + "On Sukkot the craving for food is rectified, because Sukkot is called “the Festival of the Ingathering” (Exodus 23:16), when one gathers in all types of food. This is rectifying the craving for food, for “there is no similarity between one who has bread in his basket and one who does not” (Yoma 74b).", + "And this is the meaning of “those called up to meeting, men of name” (Numbers 16:2). “Men of name” refers to the three traits, as each one has the concept of name applied to it.", + "Wealth—as it is written, “in every place I permit My Name to be mentioned I shall come to you and bless you” (Exodus 20:21). This is as in “God’s blessing enriches….”", + "Food—as it is written, “and call a name in Bet-Lechem (lit., the House of Bread)” (Ruth 4:11).", + "Sexual desire—this is as in “unless the king desired her, and she was called by name” (Esther 2:14).", + "The fear in the heart likewise has the concept of a name applied to it, as in “to fear this glorious name” (Deuteronomy 28:58).", + "Thus this is the meaning of “those called up to mo’eid (meeting), men of name.” It is necessary to call up the mo’adot, namely, the Three Festivals, in order to rectify the three traits, which are “men of name.”" + ], + [ + "6. And by building Yerushalayim—i.e., the rectification of perfect fear in the heart—an angel is created that instills the vessels of prophecy with prophetic inspiration. Prophecy stems from the concept of the cherubs, as in “he heard the Voice… from between the two cherubs” (Numbers 7:89). Cherubs have a child’s face (Zohar I, 18b). They receive inspiration from the angel, as in (Genesis 48:16), “May the angel who redeems me from all evil bless the children”—i.e., “a child’s face,” the cherubs.", + "This angel’s root is fear, because the letters that spell MaLAKh (angel) are the initial letters of “Ki Ain Machsor Li’reiav (for those who fear Him lack nothing)” (Psalms 34:10). Prophetic insight is then drawn, so that even the children can attain prophesy, as in “and your sons and daughters will prophesy” (Joel 3:1)." + ], + [ + "7. Nevertheless, a person must be very careful not to assume a position of authority. In attaining fear one acquires a strong desire to influence others, because “anyone who fears Heaven, his words are heard” (Berakhot 6b). And because his words are heeded, he longs to be in a position of influence. But he must be very careful not to assume such a position, because being in a position of authority snuffs out the prophetic inspiration, namely, the angel created through fear.", + "This is what Yehoshua said to Moshe, when [Moshe] was told “Eldad and Meidad are prophesying in the camp.” [Yehoshua said,] “My master, Moshe, kla’aim (destroy them)!” (Numbers 11:27-28). Rashi interprets [kla’aim] as: burden them with community responsibility and they will perish [of their own accord]. This is because community responsibility, i.e., a position of authority, erodes and snuffs out the flow of prophecy. Thus rearranging the letters of MaLAKh [spells] KLa’AiM." + ], + [ + "8. Even if there is no one to prophesy, prophetic inspiration—its mere presence in the world!—frees prayer from exile and redeems it.", + "Prayer is really very exalted, but people treat it lightly. Even when they stand up to pray, all they want is to be done with it. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “That which is exalted is degraded by the sons of man” (Psalms 12:9)—this refers to those things that stand at the very summit of the universe, yet people treat them lightly (Berakhot 6b).", + "Yet through prophecy, prayer is redeemed from exile, as in “for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you” (Genesis 20:7). Prophecy brings to the perfection of prayer. This is because prayer is the concept of “He creates NiV (the expression) of the lips” (Isaiah 57:19)—i.e., NeVuah (prophecy)." + ], + [ + "9. And when prayer is freed from exile and redeemed, all doctoring falls away, because there will be no need for medicine. All medicines are based on plants, each plant receiving potency from its own particular star and constellation. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Bereishit Rabbah 10:6) : You won’t find a blade of grass that does not have a star and a constellation striking it and telling it, “Grow!”", + "Now, each star and constellation receives power from those higher than it. And the higher one receives from the one higher than it, till they receive power from the ministering angels. This is as is said: All the heavenly bodies borrow from one another; the moon borrows from the sun, etc. (Tikkuney Zohar #44, p.82b). “For there is higher and higher still” (Ecclesiastes 5:7), and they all borrow from one another, till they receive and borrow from the ministering angels. These angels, in turn, receive from those above them, “higher and higher still,” until they all receive from the root of all things, which is the Word of God: “By the Word of God the firmaments were made, and their entire host by the breath of His mouth” (Psalms 33:6). Therefore, when a person merits [perfected] prayer, he has no need for the healing that plants provide, because prayer is the Word of God, which is the root of everything.", + "This is the concept of NaVYE (a prophet), which is an acronym for Bidvar YHVH Shamayim Naasu (“By the Word of God the firmaments were made”). The Alef represents the firmament separating water from water (Tikkuney Zohar #5, p. 19b, and #40, p.80a). * Prophecy is the means to prayer, which corresponds to the Word of God, as discussed above.", + "This is: “He dispatches His word to heal them; He saves them me’shechitotam (from their destruction)” (Psalms 107:20).", + "He dispatches His word to heal them— In other words, all cures are received solely by means of the Word of God, namely, prayer. Thus…", + "He saves them me’shechitotam— [SheChiTotam] alludes to plants, as in “harvest leShaChaT (hay)” (Menachot 71a), because there is no need for the healing that plants provide.", + "And this is the meaning of: “You shall serve God, your Lord, and He shall bless your bread and your water, and I shall remove illness from your midst” (Exodus 23:25). “You shall serve God”—“service” is prayer (Bava Kama 92b)—“and He shall bless your bread and your water, and I shall remove illness….” In other words, you will be healed through bread and water. As a result of their being blessed from the root of everything—i.e., the Word of God/prayer—bread and water will have the same healing power as the plants.", + "The division of the potencies, such that one plant has the power to cure one kind of illness, and another [plant] a different kind of illness, and so on—all this apportioning of their potencies is only in the lower world. But on high, at the root of everything, which is the Word of God, all things are one. Bread and water are no different than plants. By grabbing onto the root—i.e., the Word of God/prayer—it is possible to channel the healing powers into bread and water. Then one will be healed through the bread and water, as in “and He shall bless your bread… and I shall remove illness….”" + ], + [ + "10. However, there are three “services” that undermine the service of prayer. These are three behaviors: [failure to heed the injunction,] “Do not regard anyone with contempt” (Avot 4:3)—for one is not to disparage any personidol worship—and even flawed faith, because faith that is less than perfect is also tantamount to idolatry[failing to] guard the Covenant—in other words, someone who does not maintain proper moral purity", + "Each of these three behaviors is an unholy avodah (service) and undermines the avodah of prayer.", + "Treating people with contempt is an [unholy] avodah, as we find in connection with Yosef’s brothers. They treated him with contempt and did not believe that he would become a ruler. As a result, they fell into avdut (slavery), as they said to him, “We are prepared to be your slaves” (Genesis 50:18).", + "Idol worship [is an unholy service], as it is written, “I am God your Lord Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of avadim (slaves)” (Exodus 20:2). Egypt was full of graven images and avodah zarah (the service of idols), and for that reason is called “the house of slaves,” the concept of avdut.", + "[Failing to] guard the Covenant: someone who violates [the Covenant] is likewise associated with avdut, with the characteristic of Cham, about whom it is said, “Cursed is Kanaan; a slave’s slave shall he be to his brothers” (Genesis 9:25). A person must see to extricate himself from these three services, i.e., the three behaviors. Then one merits the service of prayer and can be cured by any means, even bread and water.", + "This is the explanation of “one is cured by any means”—in other words, it is possible to be cured through anything in the world, provided it is “other than idol worship, illicit relations and murder” (Pesachim 25a). These are the three behaviors, which are the three [unholy] services. Once one extricates oneself from these three behaviors, “one can be cured by any means,” even bread and water. For when he is free of the three services and so merits the service of prayer, he can be cured through anything in the world." + ], + [ + "11. And know! There are different types of illnesses. Some illnesses act in the same manner as vegetation. When a seed is sown in the ground and decomposes, a fatty substance emerges that turns into radicles which steadily multiply and form the root. From this [root] twigs begin to emerge, and from them more twigs, until eventually the fruit blossoms. In the same way, there are illnesses that develop inside a person over the course of years.", + "On the other hand, there are some illnesses that are genetically transmitted from one’s parents, though they only manifest in old age. During the developmental stages of the illness, it is hidden and concealed from all living beings, and nobody knows about it. Even so, weaknesses that are symptomatic of the illness are born in a person while the illness incubates.", + "Likewise, there are differences also in the healing powers of the plants. Some illnesses can be cured by a single plant. Other, more serious illnesses are cured only by medications that are compounds of a variety of plants. Still other [illnesses] require hard-to-get remedies to be cured.", + "And there are illnesses that no medication can cure, because the illness is stronger than the power of the plants.", + "When the illness first began to develop, before it grew and manifested, it would have been possible to easily cure it. However, at that time it was hidden from sight and no one other than God knew of its existence.", + "But when a person is attached to the Word of God, which is prayer, he can be cured by all things in the world, even bread and water. This is as in “one is cured by any means.” He can then be cured even at the time the illness is [just beginning to] develop, while it is invisible to the human eye, since he has no need for any medications other than bread and water. Therefore, even then—when the illness had yet to manifest—he could have likewise been healed by means of the bread and water he ate at that time. {“And He said: If you hearken to the voice of God your Lord, doing what is virtuous in His eyes, giving ear to His commandments and observing all His statutes, I will not bring upon you all the diseases that I brought upon Egypt, for I, God, am your Healer” (Exodus 15:26) . }", + "This is the meaning of “I will not bring upon you all the diseases that I brought upon Egypt, for I, God, am your Healer.” All the commentators ask: If He does not bring [any diseases], what need is there for healing?However, based on what was said above, this is well resolved. The explanation is: “I will not bring upon you all the diseases”—i.e., He will not bring any illness whatsoever upon you, for He will heal you beforehand, while the illness is developing. This is: “for I, God, am your Healer.” Specifically “I, God”—that is, at the time the illness is developing, when no one knows of it except “I, God,” then I will heal you through the Word of God, prayer. It will never reach the stage of illness, because it will be cured before this, while it was developing.", + "All this depends upon the rectification of prayer, which entails extricating oneself from the three “services.”", + "This is the meaning of “And He said: If you hearken… doing what is yashar (right) in His eyes, giving ear to His commandments and observing all His statutes.” This is the rectification of the three [unholy] services.", + "doing what is yashar in His eyes— This is the opposite of treating people with contempt. When one disparages people, it is said (Job 33:27), “Let him go around to people and say, ‘I sinned; I perverted that which was YaShaR (right) …,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Yoma 87a).", + "giving ear to His commandments— This is the rectification of the Covenant, as in (Genesis 21:4), “Avraham circumcised his son Yitzchak at the age of eight days as God had commanded him.”", + "and observing all His statutes— This is the rectification of faith, the opposite of idol worship [and] spoiling faith, about which it is said: “the statutes of the nations are futility” (Jeremiah 10:3).", + "Thus: all the diseases that I brought… for I, God, am your Healer— For prayer is then perfected and it is possible, through the Word of God, to be cured by any means in the world, even before the illness manifests. * This is as in “one is cured by any means.”", + "This is what Chizkiyah said: “and I have done that which is good in Your eyes” (Isaiah 38:3). Our Sages, of blessed memory, taught:", + "He linked redemption to the Prayer and hid away the Book of Remedies (Berakhot 10b). This is all one idea, because by linking redemption to the Prayer—i.e., redeeming prayer from exile—he was able to hide away the Book of Remedies. This is because when prayer is redeemed, all remedies fall away, for one can be healed through the Word of God. Then, all doctors are embarrassed by their remedies, because no medicine has any potency since all the plants have put their power back into prayer, which is the Word of God—their supernal root.", + "Every plant and “every herb of the field” (Genesis 2:5) is obliged to do this. When a person stands in prayer—and thus attains the Word of God, their supernal root—[the plants] put their power back into the prayer, which is their supernal root. And so when a person prays over some illness, those plants which have the potency to heal that illness are obliged to put their power back into the prayer, since it is their root, the Word of God.", + "This is the meaning of “Yitzchak went out laSuaCh (to speak) in the field” (ibid. 24:63)— his prayer was with the SiaCh (herbs) of the field. All the herbs of the field put back their potencies and instilled them in his prayer, which is their root." + ], + [ + "12. And this corresponds to the shining forth of Mashiach. For all things are distinguishable from one another by their appearance, taste and scent. This is why that which causes all vegetation to grow is called MaTaR (rain): the initial letters of Mareh (appearance), Taam (taste) and Reyach (scent).", + "The most essential [of these] is scent, because the soul has pleasure only from scent, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: From what does the soul derive pleasure but the body not? You have to say it is fragrance (Berakhot 43b). And the essence of prayer is from the soul, as in (Psalms 150:6), “Let every soul praise God.”", + "Mashiach receives all the prayers, because Mashiach signifies the nose, as in (Lamentations 4:20), “The RuaCh (breath) of our nostrils is the m’shiach (anointed) of God.” He receives all the ReyChot (scents), i.e. the prayers, because prayer, which is from the soul, is sustained by the scent. This is as in “and My praise is that eChToM (I restrain My anger) for your sake” (Isaiah 48:9)— i.e., ChoTeM (the nose).", + "This is the reason he is called MaShIaCh, because he nourishes and receives Me ’SIaCh (from the herbs) of the field—that is, [from] all the reychot that come into the prayer, which is the chotem, as in “and My praise is that echtom.” And Mashiach receives them: “The ruach of our nostrils is the m’shiach of God.”" + ], + [ + "13. And this is the concept of finding favor, as in “yet Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her” (Esther 2:15)—to each person [she] appeared as a member of his own nation (Megillah 13a). This Master of Prayer attains the Word of God, the supernal root from which all the forces and all the host of heaven receive. Therefore, each of the host of heaven and all the ministering angels imagine him to be a member of his own nation—i.e., he finds favor in their eyes. And it seems to each one that he is concerned with him alone, for they all receive from him.", + "As a result, he can recognize the renowned figures who owe their position to arrogance, because their arrogance disappears in his presence. When a person merits prayer—which is the Word of God, the supernal root—so that all the ministering angels and all the host of heaven receive their power from him, they all become his debtors, as in “All the stars borrow from one another….” It follows that they are all borrowers, up till the supernal root/the Word of God—i.e., the Master of Prayer, who is thus the Great Lender. All the host of heaven and all the powers are in debt to him, as in “and the heavenly host bows to you” (Nehemiah 9:6). All the heavenly host bow down and humble themselves before their root/the Word of God—i.e., the Master of Prayer.", + "This is: U’tzva Hashamayim Lekha Mishtachavim (“and the heavenly host bows to you”), the initial letters of which spell MaLVeH (lender). They are all borrowers, this one from that one and that one from this one, up till the Great Lender. He is the Master of Prayer, the Great Lender, because he has attained the supernal root, which is the Word of God.", + "He can therefore recognize those who are renowned only on account of arrogance. The reason is that a person will not act impudently toward his creditor (Bava Metzia 3a). Their arrogance therefore disappears in the Master of Prayer’s presence, because he is the Great Lender and they are all in debt to him.", + "And this is the meaning of “for you have found favor in My eyes, and I have known you by name” (Exodus 33:17). Through finding favor—which corresponds to “and the heavenly host bows down to you,” because they all receive and borrow from him, and as a result he finds favor in their eyes, as in “to each person he appeared as a member of his own nation,” as discussed above—through this, “and I have known you by name.” You are able to know and recognize all the renowned figures, the masters of name. This is because someone of renown whose name is a result of arrogance will be humbled in his presence.", + "In addition, “and I have known you by name” alludes to the souls, as in “a living soul is its name” (Genesis 2:19). By means of the renowned figures he binds with all the souls. This is the meaning of “He allows him to grab onto the front of the throne”—i.e., binding to the roots of the souls, which are the Throne of Glory, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "14. It is then possible to implement Rosh HaShanah. When a person sits down to talk about another person, it is “Rosh HaShanah,” which is the Day of Judgment—for he sits in judgment of his fellow man. A person must be very careful about this. He has to take a good look at himself and ask if he is fit to pass judgment on his fellow man. “For judgment belongs to God” (Deuteronomy 1:17). The Blessed One alone is fit to judge a person, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place (Avot 2:4).", + "Who can understand and project himself into another’s place, other than God? For He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place (Bereishit Rabbah 68:9). Each and every person has a place with God, and so He alone can judge a person. God is the Master of Compassion and in regard to us does surely “judge every person favorably” (Avot 1:6).", + "We see His compassion in that, for our benefit, He specified that Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, should fall on the New Moon. This is really a great kindness, for how could we be so presumptuous to ask for forgiveness from God? He was therefore kind to us and set the Day of Judgment, Rosh HaShanah, on [the day of] the New Moon, when God Himself, as it were, seeks forgiveness, as in “Bring an atonement offering on My behalf,” which was said in connection with the New Moon (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught; Shavuot 9a). And so we are not embarrassed to ask for forgiveness on the Day of Judgment, since He Himself asks for forgiveness then.", + "Moreover, because God Himself, as it were, comes to the point where He must say, “Bring an atonement offering on My behalf”—that is, He did something for which He is obliged to feel remorse and say, “Bring�� on My behalf”—consequently we are not embarrassed to bring our sins before Him, to ask for forgiveness and feel remorse over them. For God, too, did something which caused Him to feel remorse. We thus see His great compassion.", + "Therefore, God alone is fit to judge the world, because He knows each person’s place inasmuch as all the places are with Him—for He is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place.", + "Even though we find places that were inspirited by the Divine Presence, such as the Holy Temple, the intent is not that His Godliness was restricted to there, God forbid. This is as Shlomo said (1 Kings 8:27), “Why, neither heaven nor the heavens of heaven can contain You, how much less this House….” God channeled His Holiness there only because of the beautiful things that were there, for the Holy Temple contained depictions of the works of Creation and depictions of the Garden of Eden (see Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.13a). But as for God, the world is not His place. Rather, He is the Place of the world.", + "Therefore, God is able to implement Rosh HaShanah, the Day of Judgment, because He fulfills: “Do not judge your fellow man until you have reached his place”—for He is the Place of the world.", + "And this is the meaning of “Your House, the Holy Dwelling; O God, for the length of days” (Psalms 93:5). That is, God channeled only His Holiness into the Holy Temple, on account of the beautiful things that were there. But as for God Himself, the world is not His place; rather, He is the Place of the world. Thus, “O God, for the length of days”—that is, He can implement Rosh HaShanah, which is one long day.", + "Thus, someone who grabs onto the Kisey HaKavod (Throne of Glory), the roots of the souls, is also the place of the world, as in “He endows them with a kisey kavod (seat of honor)—for the pillars of the earth are God’s; He has founded the world upon them” (1 Samuel 2:8). In other words, by means of the Throne of Glory, the roots of the souls, he becomes the place of the world, as in “He has founded the world upon them,” and so can implement Rosh HaShanah, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "15. This is the explanation [of the opening verse]: “Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, [at the time appointed for our festive day].”", + "TiK’u— This alludes to the aforementioned dominion, as in “u’TeKativ (I will affix him) as a peg in a trusted place,” as discussed above.", + "the moon’s renewal— This alludes to renewing the mentalities associated with the Three Festivals, as in “He made the moon for festivals” (Psalms 104:19)—because all the festivals and holidays are dependent on the renewal of the moon.", + "ShoFaR— This alludes to the heart, which is nourished from ShuFRa d’ShuFRa (the choicest of the choice) (cf. Zohar III, 216b and 221b; Tikkuney Zohar #21, p.49b). Shofar also signifies fear, as in “If a shofar is sounded in a city, are the people not frightened?” (Amos 3:6). Shofar also signifies prophecy, as in “Lift up your voice like a shofar” (Isaiah 58:1). Shofar also symbolizes prayer, as in “From out of narrowness I called out to God; [God answered me with expansiveness]” (Psalms 118:5)—this being the narrow end and wide end of the shofar.", + "[Shofar] also alludes to the “herbs of the field” putting their power back into the prayer, as in “Yitzchak went out to pray in the field,” as discussed above. This alludes to the shofar, as in “upon an extended blast with the horn of the yovel (ram)” (Joshua 6:5). [The letters of the word YOVeL] are the initial letters of the words “Vayeitzei Yitzchak Lasuach Basadeh (Yitzchak went out to pray in the field).”", + "And as a result of all these concepts: at the time appointed for our festive day— This refers to Rosh HaShanah, because through this it is possible to implement Rosh HaShanah, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "16. There is a difficulty with regard to the aforementioned subject of prophecy. The angel that instills prophecy—as in “May the angel who redeems…,” as discussed above—corresponds to a lower level than the seat of prophecy. That angel is the Divine Presence, as is brought. She is beneath Netzach and Hod, from which prophecy comes. Nevertheless, there is something deeper to this, because when She ascends above them, She is specifically the one who instills prophecy. However this is not the topic we are dealing with at present." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Yemey Chanukah (The Days of Chanukah) are days of thanks-giving, as it is written, “And they established these eight days of Chanukah for thanksgiving and praise….” (Amidah Prayer)", + "“Days of thanksgiving” is the delight of the World to Come, for the essence of the delight of the World to Come is thanking and praising God’s great name. It is < knowing > and acknowledging God, through which we come nearer and closer to Him. For the more we know and acknowledge God, the nearer we are to Him..", + "In time to come everything else will be of no consequence whatsoever, as in “All the sacrifices will be abolished other than the thanksgiving-offering” (Vayikra Rabbah 9:7, 27:12; see there). <Of all the hitKaRVut (closeness),> the only one that will remain then <is the thanksgiving- KoRBan (offering). This is the closeness achieved through> thanksgiving and expressing gratitude. Giving thanks and praise and knowing <and acknowledging> God, as it is written (Isaiah 11:9), “for the earth will be filled with daat (unitive knowledge and awareness) of God, as water covers the seabed”—this is the entire delight of the World to Come." + ], + [ + "2. Giving thanks, which is the delight of the World to Come, is the concept of halakhot. The Torah laws a person studies—especially when someone ascertains new insights in them—are the delight of the World to Come, as in “Whoever studies halakhot every day is assured that he is destined for the World to Come” (Niddah 73a). Ascertaining a new legal ruling generates new intellect and daat, the unitive knowledge and awareness of God that is the essential delight of the World to Come.", + "This is as in “Four are obliged to give thanks” (Berakhot 54b)—i.e., express gratitude. [The four] are elucidated in Psalm 107, which concludes: “Whoever is wise will take note of these things, and they will comprehend the kindnesses of God” (verse 43). “The kindnesses of God” alludes to halakhot , as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Ketuvot 96a) : Whoever prevents his student from serving him, it is as if he denied him kindness, as it is written (Job 6:14), “to one who withholds kindness from his friend.”", + "Attending Torah scholars is the concept of Torah laws, which are “the kindnesses of David” (Isaiah 55:3), because the law conforms to his opinion. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “and God is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18)—the halakhah conforms to his opinion (Sanhedrin 93b). This is the meaning of “and God is with him.” He is near and close to God, which is the delight of the World to Come/ halakhot.", + "And this is why thanksgiving is called halakhah. We bring a thanksgiving-offering when we emerge from danger. When a person falls into trouble, God forbid, the trouble primarily affects the heart. It is the heart that knows and feels the trouble most of all, as it is written, “The heart knows its own bitterness” (Proverbs 14:10). For “the heart understands” (Berakhot 61a), and so it experiences the trouble most of all.", + "And then, at the time of trouble, all the blood gathers and rises to the heart. It is similar to trouble striking some place, God forbid. All the people converge on the local sage to obtain his advice. Similarly, all the blood gathers and rises to the heart in search of advice and a solution to the trouble. In doing so, [the blood] floods the heart, and then the heart is in great trouble and distress. Not enough that the heart itself worries—for it feels the danger more than all the others—but the blood also floods it, causing it great distress!", + "Therefore, when a person experiences troubles, God forbid, his heart pounds. Seeking to shake them off and rid itself of them, it pounds when trouble strikes, God forbid. But afterwards, when one emerges from danger, the blood’s coursing through the body’s arteries returns to normal. The thanksgiving that ensues when one emerges from danger is known as HaLaKhah, on account of the taHaLuKhot (coursing) of the blood <returning to flow> normally <through the body’s arteries> when one emerges from danger." + ], + [ + "3. Through this, giving birth is made easy. When a woman assumes the birthing position, her thighs become cold (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught ; Sotah 11b), and this facilitates the delivery. When the blood rises, the area tenses and [the blood] then pushes the child out. Afterwards, the blood returns to its place. This is thanksgiving/ halakhah, the coursing of the blood that returns to flow normally, as discussed above.", + "The reason is that halakhah, too, signifies birth. Initially, those who support the Torah by giving money to those who study it are diminishing their own wealth. Giving money to a Torah scholar leaves them short. This is as in “her thighs become cold,” because damim implies two things (Megillah 14b). But afterwards, through their money used to support the Torah scholar, halakhot /kindness are born. This influx of kindness then restores and fills all that was lacking.", + "And this is the delight of the World to Come, as in “The light of the moon will be as the light of the sun” (Isaiah 30:26), which refers to the time to come. The moon is by nature cold, indicating lack and frigidness. In time to come it will be made complete, with its light as that of the sun. This filling of the lack signifies birth/ halakhot, which are the delight of the World to Come.", + "This is the meaning of (Genesis 2:4) “These are the offspring of heaven and earth B’HeBaRAM (when they were created)”— B’ AVRaHaM (Bereishit Rabbah 12:9). It alludes to kindness, because birth is brought about by halakhot /kindness.", + "And this is also the meaning of “A psalm le’todah (of thanksgiving): Hareeu l’Adonai kol haaretz (Sound a note to God, all the earth)” (Psalms 100:1). Le’TODaH has the same letters as TOLaDaH (birth). The initial letters of Hareeu L’adonai Kol Haaretz spell HaLaKhaH, as is brought. This is because halakhot /thanksgiving signifies birth.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Asa was stricken in his legs because he pressed Torah scholars into service (Sotah 10a). By pressing Torah scholars into service he suspended the study of halakhot, and on this account was stricken in his legs. Halakhot are the remedy and support of the feet, because halakhot signify the coursing of the blood that returns to flow normally, as discussed above. Asa, who blemished this by suspending the Torah scholars’ study of halakhot, was duly stricken in his legs." + ], + [ + "4. And when a person merits thanksgiving/ halakhah, the light of truth is revealed and illuminates [his] speech. At first, when the blood flooded the heart, truth was blemished, as in “Bloodthirsty men despise the innocent” (Proverbs 29:10). But afterwards, when he emerges from danger—this being thanksgiving/ halakhah—the truth shines, as in “Ascribe truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham” (Micah 7:20). “Kindness to Avraham,” i.e., halakhot, causes the truth to shine and perfects speech. Perfection in speech comes primarily through truth. For truth stands… (Shabbat 104a), and even falsehood is perpetuated only because of truth (as in Rashi’s explanation of the verse “and it does indeed flow with milk and honey”; Numbers 13:27).", + "It follows that speech is founded and perfected by means of truth, which illuminates speech through three Holy Names, as in “El Elohim YHVH (Almighty, the Lord, God) spoke” (Psalms 50:1). These three Holy Names are the source of truth, and through them truth illuminates speech—namely, in fourfold speech, the four categories of speech.", + "Speech is fourfold. When the Jewish people were in exile, and the faculty of speech, too, was exiled, it is said of Moshe: “I am not a man of words, also not since yesterday, also not since the day before yesterday, also not since You first spoke to Your servant…” (Exodus 4:10). This alludes to fourfold speech, the four categories of speech.", + "There is charitable speech, as in “Who speaks with charity” (Isaiah 63:1). This alludes to the faculty of speech that makes man superior to the other living creatures and classifies him as a human being. It also alludes to charity; that he does kindness for people. This defines him as human, whose nature is to do kindness, which is not the case for animals. This is why it is written: “naASeh (let us make) the human” (Genesis 1:26), and “The name of the man with whom ASiti (I did) today…” (Ruth 2:19). Just as [the subject] there is charity, here, too, it is charity (Zohar, Introduction, p.13b). By giving charity he is called “human,” because charity, from which speech is derived, is the definition of a human being. This is the significance of “I am not a man of words.” It refers to charitable speech, as in “Good is the man who is gracious and lends; he arranges his words” (Psalms 112:5)—i.e., benevolence and charity.", + "There is penitential speech, as in “Take words with you and return to God” (Hosea 14:3). This is the significance of “also not since yesterday,” which is penitential speech, as it is written (Psalms 90:3-4), “and You say, ‘Repent, O sons of man.’ For in Your sight a thousand years are like yesterday.”", + "There is also the speech of affluence. This refers to the wealthy, who are close to malkhut (the government). They correspond to “the three SaRIGIM (tendrils)” (Genesis 40:10), which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded as “three SaReI GeiIM (prominent officials)” (Chullin 92a) —i.e., the wealthy, who are close to the government (as Rashi explains there). They possess the faculty of speech, as in “his speech is gracious, he has the Melekh (King) for his companion” (Proverbs 22:11) —i.e., the speech of those who are close to malkhut. This is the significance of “also not since the day before yesterday,” which refers to the three sarigim —i.e., the speech of the wealthy who are close to malkhut.", + "And there is the speech of Malkhut, as in “Malkhut is the mouth” (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.17a). This is the significance of “also not since You first spoke,” as in “Your throne stands firm from the first” (Psalms 93:2).", + "Truth illuminates fourfold speech by means of the three Holy Names: El, Elohim, YHVH, which signify prayer, Torah and matchmaking/marriages.", + "El corresponds to prayer. This is because El connotes strength; that [God] is powerful and omnipotent. And through prayer, Israel is called “El, ” as in: How do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, called Yaakov “El ”? It is stated (Genesis 33:20), “and called him El.” (Megillah 18a). Through prayer we take God’s strength for ourselves, as it were, and so can nullify His decrees. This shows that we have strength. The Jewish people are therefore called “El, ” on account of prayer, which signifies strength.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “ El is not a man, that He should be false” (Numbers 23:19)—it was not a mortal that made the words of God as if they were false (Yerushalmi, Taanit 2:1). Through prayer we nullify God’s decrees, and then Israel is called “ El.” This causes speech to shine, as in “and because of Your might they will speak” (Psalms 145:11). In other words, strength and might—namely, El, which connotes strength—induce speech to radiate with truth. For prayer is only through truth, as it is written (ibid., :18) : “God is near… to all who call to Him in truth.” {“He will serve as your spokesman to the people; and it will be that he will serve as your mouth, and you will be for him an elohim (lord)” (Exodus 4:16).}", + "Elohim corresponds to Torah, as it is written, “and you will be for him an elohim,” which in Targum is rendered as “rabbi.” This is the meaning of “he will serve as your mouth.” Elohim /Torah illuminates the mouth—namely, speech—because the rabbi teaches his student an unswerving path in His Torah. This is “if you extract the precious from the vile, you will be like My mouth” (Jeremiah 15:19). It also signifies truth, as in “The Torah of truth that was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6).", + "YHVH corresponds to matchmaking, as in “From YHVH this thing has come” (Genesis 24:50), and “an intelligent woman comes from YHVH” (Proverbs 19:14). It also corresponds to truth, as in “Who guided me on a true path” (Genesis 24:48). Through this [truth] speech is perfected. This is because: Ten measures of speech descended to the world. Women took nine portions and the entire world took one (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught; Kiddushin 49b). As long as there are no marriage bonds, speech lacks perfection. But when marriage bonds are made, the categories of speech are combined and completed.", + "It follows that truth perfects speech by means of the three Holy Names— El, Elohim and YHVH, which correspond to prayer, Torah and matchmaking. As discussed above, it is particularly fourfold speech that is perfected through truth." + ], + [ + "5. Now, perfected speech is the concept of the Holy Tongue. All the languages of the nations are lacking. They are imperfect and are called “the tongue of stammerers” (Isaiah 32:4). Perfection applies only to the Holy Tongue.", + "And the Holy Tongue is linked to Shabbat, as in “nor speak of [weekday] matters” (Isaiah 58:13)—[that is,] your conversations on Shabbat should not resemble your weekday conversations (Shabbat 113b). This is as in “Thus shall you bless” (Numbers 6:23)—with the Holy Tongue (Sotah 38a). The Holy Tongue encompasses blessing and sanctity, for it is linked to Shabbat, which is called blessed and holy, as it is written (Genesis 2:3), “[God] blessed [the seventh day] and sanctified it.” And therefore, because the Holy Tongue is linked to Shabbat through perfected speech, which is the Holy Tongue, we draw the joy of Shabbat into the six weekdays.", + "The weekdays are the concept of gloominess. Even the mitzvot we perform during the weekdays have the quality of heaviness. This is because the weekdays are ruled by Metat (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p.34a), who, as “servant,” signifies gloominess.", + "But Shabbat is “son,” and there is rest then for those above and those below. Joy is awakened, and as a result all the mitzvot of the six weekdays are lifted up and raised out of the ATZVut (gloominess and heaviness). They are filled with meNuChah (rest) and joy, as in “and he begot a son. He named him NoaCh, saying: ‘This one will bring us relief from our work and from the ITZVon (toil) of our hands’” (Genesis 5:28-29). This refers to Shabbat, which is the concept of son and NoaCh— NaiCha (rest) for those above and those below (see Tikkuney Zohar #70, p.131a; Zohar I, 58b). He relieves and cheers all from [their] gloominess, as in “This one will bring us relief….”", + "And when a person merits the Holy Tongue, which is linked to Shabbat, he causes the sanctity and joy of Shabbat to be drawn into the six weekdays. This is because the Holy Tongue is linked to Shabbat, and so Shabbat joy is channeled into the six weekdays through him. Thus “EL ELoHIM YHVH DiBeR (spoke)” {together with the number of words} has the same numerical value as SiMChaH (joy). For the perfection of speech, which is the Holy Tongue, brings joy." + ], + [ + "6. Drawing the sanctity of Shabbat into the six weekdays causes the simple unity of God to be revealed.", + "The six weekdays are [days of] diverse phenomena, for on each day a different phenomenon was created. Yet the idea that all diverse phenomena stem from the Blessed and Exalted One’s simple unity runs counter to human reasoning and defies comprehension. The human mind cannot apprehend this.", + "However, by means of Shabbat—the great gift that God gave us, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Shabbat 10b) : “I have a precious gift in My treasure-house. Shabbat is her name”—the simple unity is revealed. Shabbat teaches faith in God’s Oneness: our belief that all the diverse phenomena stem from God’s simple unity; that He created them all during the six weekdays and ceased [creating] on Shabbat. It follows that through Shabbat, God’s simple unity is revealed.", + "This revelation of the simple unity is extremely precious, even to God. This is as we find: [In disputes between] an individual and a majority, the law follows the majority (Berakhot 9a and 37a). The reason for this is that they are a majority. Each one has a distinct outlook—this being the concept of diverse phenomena. In arriving at a common opinion, the diverse phenomena become a simple unity. God values this greatly, and the law therefore accords with them.", + "This also keeps disputes from proliferating in Israel. Without this [principle], every individual would assert his own opinion and there would be no resolution to any matter. Dissention would spread in Israel (see Bava Metzia 59b). This is not God’s will. His sole desire is simple unity, because when simple unity is revealed in this world, it is revealed also on high. This is as in “You are One and Your Name is One; who is like Your people Israel, one nation on earth” (Shabbat Minchah Prayer). The revelation of Israel’s unity in this world causes God’s simple unity to be revealed on high.", + "This aligns with the story of Rabbi Eliezer the Great and the Akhnai- Oven, [where it is taught] that the halakhah accords with Rabbi Eliezer in every instance (Bava Metzia, op. cit.). He wanted to prove that he had attained perfected speech—i.e., the perfection of fourfold speech one merits through halakhah.", + "This is why he said: “let the carob tree prove it… let the stream of water prove it… let the walls of the house of study prove it… let the Heavenly Voice prove it.” These four things correspond to fourfold speech, i.e., the four categories of speech. This is because the righteous are “mighty ones who do His word” (Psalms 103:20)—as the Holy Zohar brings (Zohar I, 90a) : through the faculty of speech they do and lead as they please. This is why Rabbi Eliezer wanted to prove that he possessed perfected fourfold speech and that through speech could do as he pleased—i.e., alter nature in whatever way he chose to by means of his perfected speech. He showed this in four things, corresponding to fourfold speech.", + "“Let the carob tree prove it” alludes to the speech of charity. The carob tree signifies charity because it is planted only for posterity, as the Talmud relates: “I found a world with carob trees. Just as my ancestors planted for me, so too, I am planting for my children” (Taanit 23a). Thus the carob tree is only for posterity and is just like charity, which is only for posterity, as Rabbi Chiya said: “When a pauper approaches, be quick to offer him bread, so that others will be quick to offer bread to your children.” …[For poverty] is a wheel that turns round in the world (Shabbat 151b).", + "“The stream of water” alludes to repentance, as in “pour out your heart like water before God” (Lamentations 2:19).", + "“KoTLei (The walls of) the house of study” alludes to the wealthy. They are K’TeL (like the mound) to which everyone turns (cf. Zohar II, 116a), because “the rich man has many friends” (Proverbs 14:20), since everyone turns to the wealthy. This is also the significance of “the walls of the beit miDRaSh (house of study),” as in “DoRShei (those who seek) God will not lack any good” (Psalms 34:11). This refers to the righteous, “those who seek God”; “any good” stems from them. However, the merit of the righteous benefits the world, not themselves (Chullin 86a). The righteous themselves have nothing, but draw good to the world. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa (ibid.) : All the world is sustained on account of Chanina, My son, yet Chanina, My son, suffices with a [mere] measure of carobs. The wealthy are thus called “kotlei the house of study,” for they are like the tel to which everyone turns on account of their wealth. And whatever good they have stems from the beit hamidrash, as in “dorshei God will not lack any good.” All bounty is derived from them.", + "“The Heavenly Voice” alludes to Malkhut. The voice emerges from the six rings of the windpipe, which is Malkhut, as in (1 Kings 10:19), “The throne had six steps” (see Zohar III, 121b; Tikkuney Zohar #22, p.63b).", + "Thus, with these four things Rabbi Eliezer showed that he possessed perfected fourfold speech—i.e., the aforementioned four categories of speech. But even so, they paid no attention to this, because [in disputes between] an individual and a majority, the law follows the majority. This is precious in God’s eyes, because it is the revelation of the simple unity that underlies diverse phenomena, which is the concept of Shabbat, as discussed above. And this is the meaning of what the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “My sons have defeated Me!”—their element of “son” was victorious. As discussed above, the fact that a group arrives at a consensus is the concept of Shabbat/son.", + "{“Serve God with joy, come into His presence with joyous song. Know that God, He is the Lord” (Psalms 100:2-3) .} This is also the meaning of “Serve God with joy”—i.e., channeling joy into servant/Metat/six weekdays, as discussed above. And this is: “Know that God, He is the Lord”—this signifies the simple unity, i.e., that all diverse forms are one. This is revealed when Shabbat joy is channeled into the six weekdays/servant, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "7. Now, this is the concept of Chanukah. The days of Chanukah are days of thanksgiving. They are the delight of the World to Come and halakhot, through which one merits perfected speech via the revelation of truth, as discussed above.", + "This is the idea behind the oil of the Chanukah lights, as in “Let Your tumim and urim be with Your man of kindness” (Deuteronomy 33:8). Through the kindnesses/ halakhot, the light of truth is revealed, as in “Your truth (tumim) and your light (urim).” This alludes to the oil, which is the light of truth, as in “Send forth Your light and Your truth” (Psalms 43:3).", + "In addition, one is required to place [the Chanukah lights] adjacent to the opening [of one’s house]. This corresponds to “the openings of your mouth” (Micah 7:5)—i.e., speech. Truth radiates its light into the words, as in “The opening of Your words illuminates” (Psalms 119:130), and then the joy of Shabbat is drawn into the six days of the week by means of the Holy Tongue, perfected speech.", + "This is ChaNUKaH : ChaNU KaH. [Chanu] signifies the rest of Shabbat, to which the Holy Tongue is linked. [KaH is] “KoH (Thus) shall you bless”—with the Holy Tongue, as discussed above.", + "The joy of Shabbat illuminates the six weekdays, which are also identified with ChaNuKah: ChaNoKh/Metat/servant. His rule is during the weekdays, as in “This one will bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.” This alludes to the joy of Shabbat being drawn into the six days of the week, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "8. And this is the meaning of: “And it happened at the end of two years of days” (Genesis 41:1).", + "at the end of— This refers to “the end.” It alludes to halakhot, the delight of the World to Come, which is at the end.", + "And this is: two years of days— As in the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, concerning that “one day yeshiva student.” He was dejected until Rabbi Yochanan applied to him the following exposition: “Yet Me they seek day, day” (Isaiah 58:2)—one day of the year is considered an entire year (Chagigah 5b). This is the meaning of “two years’ of days.” Study of halakhot causes the days to be reckoned as years, as in “they seek day, day.” {We did not merit hearing the completion of the exposition of this verse based on the above lesson.}" + ], + [ + "9. Now, when the heart experiences stress, the lungs do as well. The lungs keep the body alive by maintaining the phlegm and supplying its moisture to the body. Movement dehydrates, and so the body’s movements dry it out. It stays alive mainly because of the lungs, which supply it with moisture. But when the heart experiences stress, so that the blood rises and floods it, and the heart pounds, the lungs then breathe deeply. This parches the lungs, and as a result the body dehydrates, God forbid. Oil, it is commonly said, is a remedy for the lungs, because oil moisturizes. This relates to the aforementioned concept of oil, which is a remedy for trouble, as discussed above.", + "At first, while the righteous person experiences pain and suffering, numerous souls, in this world and the next, lament and grieve his anguish. The Divine Presence laments, too, for the Divine Presence laments even over the blood of the wicked, and so certainly over the blood of the righteous, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Sanhedrin 46a). But once he is healed, everyone is consoled and experiences joy, as in “I will heal him… and bring comfort to him and to those who grieve for him” (Isaiah 57:18). His healing brings comfort—i.e., joy—to all those who grieved." + ], + [ + "10. And know! reciting the Psalm of Thanksgiving (Mizmor Le’todah) is a segulah for a woman who has a difficult labor. This is because Mem Lamed, the initial letters of Mizmor Le’todah, signify the seventy screams of a woman about to give birth.", + "This psalm has KaSaCh letters. In the Atbash cipher, KaSaCh is CheSeD (kindness). Through kindness/ halakhot, the birth is made easy, as discussed above.", + "And there are forty-three words in this psalm. A difficult labor is caused by the presence of an evil spirit which says, “Cut! GaM (neither) mine GaM (nor) yours” (1 Kings 3:26). It does not want [the child] to come out into the air of the world. Counteracting this are the Mem-Gimel words of this psalm, which neutralize the aforementioned GaM. This psalm is thus a segulah for a woman having a difficult labor." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When Rabbi Eliezer the Great took ill, he said to Rabbi Akiva: “There is fierce anger in the world” (Sanhedrin 101a). This was because there was no one who could mitigate the strict judgment. In order to mitigate the judgment, a redemption was needed, but there was none forthcoming. For, in fact, treating the sick with remedies is appropriate only after the mitigation and redemption. Only then, once there has been a redemption and mitigation, does a doctor have license to cure.", + "For, in truth, how can a doctor undertake to cure a patient with remedies and drugs? He has no idea which medicine is required in order to cure that particular person! There are many medicines that are effective for curing a disease, yet undoubtedly this sick person can only be cured by the specific medicine designated to heal him, as decreed on high.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: It is decreed on high that he will be cured by such and such a medicine, and by the hand of such and such a person, on such and such a day (Avodah Zara 55a). That being so, how can a doctor presume to administer treatment when he does not know which medicine was decreed on high?", + "But after the mitigation and redemption, [the doctor] can cure. The reason that one is cured only by a specific medicine and a specific person is due to the Attribute of Din (Judgment), which decrees that the illness must last until a specified time and day. Consequently, it is decreed that he can be cured only by these means—a specific medicine and a specific person—so that the illness should last until the specified day. The required duration of the illness determines the means that are decreed for his healing. This is to ensure that he cannot be cured until these conditions coincide: the particular medicine and the particular person, so that he will not be cured until the particular day.", + "However, when a redemption is effected and the strict judgment is mitigated, the decree is cancelled. In the interval before another judgment can be issued—for when one judgment is mitigated, another judgment is decreed—after the first judgment is mitigated and before a second judgment is imposed, the doctor can use medicines to cure the patient. For at that moment there is no strict judgment, and [the patient] can be cured by any medicine. He does not need a specific medicine and so on, since there is no strict judgment in force.", + "It follows, that [effecting] a redemption is the prerequisite for a doctor to cure. A redemption must be made beforehand to mitigate the strict judgment, and only then does a doctor have license to cure.", + "This is the meaning of “V’RaPO YeRaPeI (and he shall thoroughly cure him)” (Exodus 21:19). {Adding two for the words themselves,} they have the same numerical value as PiDYON NeFeSh (soul redemption). Essentially, the healing comes about specifically through a redemption, through mitigating the strict judgment.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: It is from here that the Torah granted a doctor license to cure (Berakhot 60a). Specifically “from here”—that is, after the redemption. Only then is a doctor permitted to administer treatment. Prior to the redemption, a doctor has no permission to administer treatment, because [the patient] must be cured by a particular medicine, and so on. Only after the redemption and the mitigation does he have license to cure." + ], + [ + "2. This is also [hinted at by] the difference in the punctuation between rapo and yerapei. Whereas rapo is [vowelized] with a cholam, yerapei is with a tzeirei. The cholam signifies mitigation. This is as is brought in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory: ChoLaM has the same numerical value as three times YHVH, which mitigate the three Elohim in the throat. These [three] are the constricted mentalities that descend to the throat, and are mitigated by the three YHVH, the numerical value ChoLaM.", + "Then, after the mitigation, it is yerapei, with a TZeiReI, as in “Is there no TZaRI (balm) in Gilead? Is there no healer there?” (Jeremiah 8:22). This alludes to healing. Only after the mitigation, which is rapo with a cholam, can one cure using medicines, which is yerapei, with a tzeirei." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“On the day of the first fruits, when you bring an offering of new-meal to God on your Shavuot Festival, you shall observe an occasion proclaimed sacred; you shall not do any mundane work.” (Numbers 28:26)", + "“V ’et HaOrvim Tziviti LeChalkelekha (And I Have Commanded the Ravens to Feed You)” (1 Kings 17:4)—this alludes to charity. Initially, when a person begins donating charity, he has to break his heartlessness and turn it into compassion. This is the essential devotion of charity. When someone naturally compassionate gives charity purely out of his compassionate instinct, it is not an act of devotion—there are <also animals> that are compassionate by nature. Rather, the essential devotion is transforming cruelty into compassion.", + "This is the meaning of “And I have commanded the ravens to feed you.” The raven, cruel by nature, turned compassionate in order to feed Eliyahu. It must be the same with charity. And even those who are benevolent—all who are generous must first undergo this process of “And the ravens.” In other words, in order to donate charity they first have to break their heartlessness—their initial tendency to be cruel—and turn it into compassion." + ], + [ + "2. Beginning the devotion of charity is very difficult and demanding. All devotions and all acts of repentance—whatever act one wants to carry out in service of God—must be preceded by many cries of “Oy vavoy!” and many groans, genuflections and gesticulations {i.e., the contortions which the God-fearing make during their devotions}. This is mainly at the beginning, for it is very difficult then, because all beginnings are difficult (Mekhilta: Bachodesh 2). One needs many cries and sighs, etc., before <giving birth to any act>.", + "Afterwards as well, after the beginning, service of God does not come easily. As mentioned above, it takes much effort and many contortions, before one can do something in an exemplary manner. Nevertheless, the beginning is extremely difficult. The reason is that good deeds are the primary progeny of the righteous (Midrash Tanchuma, Noach 2). It follows that mitzvot, good deeds and all devotions to God signify a birth. Before the birth, how many times does a woman cry out, how many labor-pangs and contractions does she have until she bears the progeny!", + "This is especially so for a first-time birth, because a woman’s first delivery is very difficult for her, as it is written, “in anguish, like she that gives birth for the first time” (Jeremiah 4:31). This is a beginning, <which is very difficult, as in,> “all beginnings are difficult.”", + "And charity is always a beginning, as in (Deuteronomy 15:8), “open, you shall open [your hand to him].” Even where an opening and a beginning already exist, charity opens more and more, widening the opening further. When a person wants to embark upon a particular path and devotion in worshipping God, he needs to make an opening in order to enter that path. This is as in “all beginnings are difficult,” because at the beginning one must break through and open a new entrance. It is therefore very difficult. Yet the remarkable power of charity is that it can widen and open the opening more and more. When we make an opening in some devotion and give charity, the charity opens and widens the opening more and more. This is because charity is the beginning of all beginnings, for it opens and widens all the entrances.", + "And in charity itself there is also a beginning. This is when one begins to give charity, which is “And I have commanded the ravens.” Beginning the devotion of charity is therefore very difficult and demanding, for it is the beginning of all beginnings." + ], + [ + "3. Nevertheless, the benefit of giving charity is extremely great, as charity helps always. The body’s needs are numerous. Even the essentials—<such as> eating, drinking, clothing and shelter—are numerous and vast. One can spend all one’s days and years on the necessities alone, and they considerably hinder a person’s service of the Creator.", + "This is so even though [all our efforts in pursuit of these needs] are themselves the service of God. They are the concept of an arousal from below, for through an act below there is an arousal on high. Whatever labors and works people engage in awaken the supernal form of that work in the Act of Creation. It also brings vitality and illumination to the supernal form of that work associated with the Act of Creation on high, which parallels that labor and work a person engages in below, in this world.", + "The labors and works that we engage in create “the Tabernacle.” All works are included in the thirty-nine-works, namely, the primary works. “Primary” implies that there are “derivatives” (Bava Kama 2a). All the types of work and labor that people engage in are included in the thirty-nine-works. These [thirty-nine] are the primary ones; the rest are derivatives.", + "And the thirty-nine-works correspond to the works of the Tabernacle, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: What do the forty-less-one primary works parallel? They parallel the works of the Tabernacle (Shabbat 49b), for the forms of the Tabernacle resembled the forms of the Act of Creation (see Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.13a). A nd [they parallel] the human <who does> the work, for the form of the [human] body resembles the form of the Tabernacle (ibid.). It follows that by a person engaging in work and labor, a Tabernacle is created. When he performs the work and labor fittingly, the way he should, he gives vitality to the Act of Creation and illuminates it, and [his labor] is the world’s mainstay. It follows that this, too, is the service of God.", + "Even so, if He were to pour His lovingkindness upon us, we would have no need for all this. For how did God create the entire world out of the absolute nothingness, when there was no existent through which to effect an arousal from below? Yet He created worlds such as these, and did so entirely by means of His lovingkindness, without any arousal from below whatsoever, as in “The world is built on lovingkindness” (Psalms 89:3).", + "Considering that God could have created worlds such as these solely by means of His lovingkindness, without any arousal from below, He can certainly sustain and perpetuate the worlds solely by means of His lovingkindness. Then we would not have had to engage in any labor or work whatsoever, as even the [work for one’s] necessities would be done by others, as it is written (Isaiah 61:5-6), “Foreigners will stand and pasture your flocks, and the sons of the stranger will be your ploughmen and your vineyard workers. And you will be called ‘priests of God.’” Specifically “priests of God,” which is the concept of lovingkindness, as in “The world is built on lovingkindness.” In other words, they will be called “priests of God”/<God’s> lovingkindness, for they will not have to engage in any <labor or> work. The world will sustain itself solely by His lovingkindness. But when the lovingkindness is held back <with God>, God forbid, so that He does not bestow His lovingkindness upon us, it is necessary to act to effect an arousal from below.", + "This is the meaning of “Yours, O God, is lovingkindness, for You pay each man commensurate with his deeds” (Psalms 62:13). When the lovingkindness is held back with God, that is, “Yours, O God, is lovingkindness,” for the lovingkindness is held back with God and He does not bestow it upon us—then “for You pay each man commensurate with his deeds,” i.e., God repays <him> commensurate with his actions and labors. His actions must be specifically <in order to effect an arousal>, because the lovingkindness is held back with God and He does not bestow it upon us. If, however, He would bestow the lovingkindness upon us, we would not have to act at all. Then, “for You pay each man as if his deeds” would be fulfilled—it would be as if he acts, for we do not have to do anything when He bestows His lovingkindness." + ], + [ + "4. However, one has to take in the lovingkindness gradually. This is because it is impossible to receive lovingkindness in abundance, as this would cause one to cease to exist—[as in:] They cannot bear an abundance of good (Taanit 23a). One has to create a container and a conduit through which to receive the lovingkindness. This is accomplished through fear of Heaven, which makes a ChaKiKah (engraving) and a conduit through which to take in the lovingkindness, as in “and a m’ChoKeK (lawgiver) from between his feet” (Genesis 49:10). “Feet” alludes to fear of Heaven, which signifies the end, as it is written “In the end, all things having been considered: Fear the Lord” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In other words, fear of Heaven, which corresponds to the feet, creates an engraving and conduit in order to receive the lovingkindness.", + "This is the meaning of “and behold! the staff of Aharon of the house of Levi had blossomed” (Numbers 17:23). The lovingkindness, Aharon’s trait, has to be received by the container, which conceptually is fear of Heaven, the side of Levi, as in “with the saving strengths of His right arm” (Psalms 20:7)." + ], + [ + "5. Fear of Heaven comes about mainly through the revelation of Ratzon (Divine Will), as in “Divine Will creates the God-fearing” (Psalms 145:19)—the revelation of Divine Will creates fear of Heaven. In other words, fear of Heaven is produced by revealing that everything is governed through the Will of God—that God created everything through His Will, without any obligation to do so, and He gives life and sustains everything through His Will, without any determinism at all. For then there is reward and punishment, and fearing Heaven applies, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “Yaakov was filled with fear”—he said: “Perhaps the sin has caused [me to lose my protection]” (Berakhot 4a).", + "But when Divine Will is concealed and people presume that there is determinism, God forbid—as if everything is governed by the laws of nature, God forbid—fear of Heaven has no application. This is because there is no reward and punishment, God forbid, since everything is determined by nature’s dictates, God forbid. It follows that fear of Heaven is mainly the result of the revelation of Divine Will—<that everything is governed solely by God’s Will>." + ], + [ + "6. Now, revelation of Ratzon is through the festivals. Each festival announces, proclaims and reveals Divine Will—that everything is governed solely by His Will—as in “an occasion proclaimed sacred” (Leviticus 23:7). The festival calls out and proclaims Divine Will. On each festival God performed awesome miraculous signs on our behalf; contradictions of nature that reveal Divine Will—that everything takes place through His Will and there is no determinism at all.", + "Pesach recalls the exodus from Egypt; that God took us out through awesome miraculous signs.", + "Shavuot recalls the giving of the Torah; that He gave us the Torah through awesome miraculous signs.", + "Sukkot recalls the envelopment in the Clouds of Glory. Thus each festival announces and proclaims Divine Will, as in “an occasion proclaimed sacred.” The festivals are therefore called “regel ,” which signifies fear of Heaven. Through the festivals, which reveal Divine Will, fear of Heaven is created.", + "However, we do not always hear the festival’s proclamation, through which Divine Will is revealed. This can be sensed in the joy of the festival. Each person experiences the joy of the festival commensurate with the degree that he feels and hears the festival’s proclamation calling out and proclaiming Divine Will.", + "When Ratzon—that everything takes place through God’s Will—is revealed, then people know that God will take revenge against the nations for all the servitude and exile and all the adversities we suffered at their hands, and He will redeem us from their hands.", + "But if we think that everything is determined by the laws of nature, God forbid, revenge against them has no application, since everything is governed solely by the dictates of nature, God forbid. {“The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge, he will bathe p’amav (his feet) in the blood of the wicked one. Men will say, ‘There is, indeed, reward for the righteous; there is, indeed, a God Who judges the land” (Psalms 58:11-12) .}", + "This is as in “The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge, he will bathe p’amav (his feet) in the blood of the wicked one.” Specifically P’ AMav—i.e., by means of “three P’AMim (times) in the year” (Deuteronomy 16:16). This refers to the festivals through which Divine Will is revealed. As a result, “The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge.”", + "This is also as it is written, “Men will say: There is, indeed, reward for the righteous; there is, indeed, a God Who judges the land.” <When> it is revealed that there is a God who judges as He wills, and that there is “reward for the righteous” and He will take revenge against [those that afflicted] them, <then> “The righteous one will rejoice.” This is the joy of the festivals—i.e., the revelation of Divine Will, revealed on the festival through the proclamation, for the festival announces and proclaims Divine Will.", + "However, not everyone hears the festival’s proclamation, on account of the wild animals that claw at and tear apart their prey. These are the deterministic scientists who demonstrate through their erroneous ideologies that everything is caused by the laws of nature, as if there is no Divine Will <whatsoever>, God forbid. Even the awesome miraculous signs that God has performed on our behalf, they associate with nature. These scientists are like wild animals; they prey upon many of our fellow Jews, who mistakenly follow them and think like them, as if [it were true that] everything is determined by the dictates of nature, God forbid. And when they grow strong, the roaring sound <of those wild animals> drowns out the festival’s proclamation, which proclaims Divine Will. As a result, the joy of the festival ceases, God forbid, because the main joy of the festival comes about through the revelation of Divine Will.", + "This is the meaning of “Your enemies roared inside Mo’ADekha (Your meeting place), they made their signs for signs” (Psalms 74:4). The roar of the enemies—i.e., the sound of the wild animals, i.e., the deterministic scientists—literally penetrates the Mo ’ED (festival), namely their proclamation, which announces and proclaims Divine Will. The roar of the enemies literally enters them, so that they roar loudly <and demonstrate> that everything is determined solely by the laws of nature, God forbid, according to the order of the heavenly signs. This is “they made their signs for signs”—they turn the heavenly signs into signs, saying that everything is caused by the heavenly signs as determined by nature, God forbid. <This is the reason that not everyone is able to hear the festival’s proclamation.>" + ], + [ + "7. Overcoming these wild animals, the deterministic scientists, is through a great and holy sage. He is able to bind all wills to the root of Divine Will, which conceptually is the level at which Moshe passed away, as is known (Zohar II, p.88b). This is the Brow of Ratzon, as in “and it shall be on his brow <always> to bring them ratzon” (Exodus 28:38). He must bind all the wills of this world to the root of Divine Will. This strengthens <and empowers the lower will by means of the root of Divine Will>, and it overcomes and refutes the ideology of the deterministic scientists who heretically deny Divine Will.", + "However, opposing [the Brow of Ratzon] is the Serpent’s Brow, which is the root of determinism. For everything has its root, and the root of determinism is MeTZaCh haNaChaSh (the Serpent’s Brow). This is alluded to in what was said of Goliath: “[He had] MiTZChat NeChoShet (greaves of copper) on his legs” (1 Samuel 17:6)—i.e., the aforementioned concept of the Serpent’s Brow. Goliath was a heretic. He wanted to demonstrate that all causality is dictated by nature, God forbid, this being the concept of the Serpent’s Brow.", + "“His legs” alludes to causes, as it is written (Genesis 30:30), “God blessed you at my feet”— because of me. For that is the explanation there: Yaakov told Lavan that God had caused [Lavan] to be blessed through and because of him. It follows that the foot/leg alludes to causes. Whereas Yaakov attributed all causes to God, as discussed above, Goliath would attribute all his causes to Metzach haNachash (Serpent’s Brow)—i.e., the dictates of nature, “a mitzchat nechoshet on his legs,” as discussed above.", + "Now, there are times when the influence of the Serpent’s Brow becomes the more dominant. Some individual draws his wisdom from the Serpent’s Brow, the root of determinism, and demonstrates through his wisdom that everything is due to natural causality, God forbid. Occasionally, the Serpent’s Brow, the root of determinism, enters [the mind of] the holy sage. This wisdom of the Serpent’s Brow begins to engage him in the analysis of one deep issue after another, until he enters into a particularly subtle analysis such that it threatens to blemish the root of Divine Will, God forbid, and introduce heresy there, God forbid, as if there is no Divine Will at all, God forbid." + ], + [ + "8. And know! the Serpent’s Brow is nourished by the generation’s elders, when those of the generation with length-of-days lack wholeness. This [lack] sustains the Serpent’s Brow, because “an elder is one who has acquired wisdom” (Kiddushin 32b). The older a person gets, with each additional day of his life that passes he must ensure that he gains additional light of holiness and daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God). This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Elderly Torah sages—the older they get, the more settled their mind becomes (Kinnim 3:6). With each passing day we have to increase our holiness and daat, as it is written “and the Lord called the light ‘Day’” (Genesis 1:5)—that each day has to radiate more.", + "But when the generation’s elders, those with length-of-days, spoil their days by not gaining additional light of holiness and daat each day, this sustains the Serpent’s Brow, the <root of> determinism. {This is because the Serpent’s Brow/determinism feeds off the fallen days of the elders whose minds are not becoming more settled.} Determinism, the denial of Divine Will, grows more influential, God forbid, due to the fallen daat and days of unworthy elders, those with length-of-days, as discussed above.", + "And this is the meaning of “short-lived and sated with vexation” (Job 14:1)—i.e., the previous two concepts. “Short-lived” alludes to the unworthy elders who do not gain additional holiness and daat each day, which is the essence of old age and length-of-days. Thus when the elders spoil their days without extending them through holiness and daat, that is “short-lived.” From this the Serpent’s Brow, the antithesis of the Brow of Divine Will, draws sustenance. This is “sated with vexation”—the antithesis of Ratzon.", + "However, when the elders are worthy, as in “an elder is one who has acquired wisdom,” the revelation of Divine Will increases. This is as in “the elder and the man of esteem” (Isaiah 9:14)—through the holy elder, Ratzon, which is esteem, grows more influential. Esteem signifies Ratzon (Divine Favor), as in Elisha’s remark to Yehoram: “Were it not for the presence of Yehoshafat… whom I esteem, I would not look at you or notice you!” (2 Kings 3:14). Elisha did not want to show Yehoram any favor. It was only his esteem for Yehoshafat that caused him to be favorably inclined toward [Yehoram]. It follows therefore that esteem signifies Ratzon, as in “an elder and a man of esteem.”" + ], + [ + "9. Charity is beneficial in this regard. Giving charity rectifies and reverses the harm caused by the fallen days and daat of elders, those with length-of-days who are unworthy. The Serpent’s Brow feeds off this [lack of wholeness]. This is as in “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it” (Ecclesiastes 11:1)—the power of charity is found “after many days,” namely, with those who have length-of-days. Giving charity reverses and rectifies the blemish they engender.", + "This is the meaning of “Cast your bread upon the waters”—i.e., give charity. The verse guarantees that the money you lose by giving liberally to charity, you will regain and find “after many days”—in those with length-of-days. This is because giving charity reverses the blemish of the fallen daat of those with length-of-days, from which the Serpent’s Brow feeds. We remove all sustenance and vitality from the Serpent’s Brow/determinism, and so the Brow of Divine Will grows stronger.", + "As discussed above, the essential devotion of charity is “And I have commanded the ravens [to feed you],” i.e., the initial need to break cruelty and transform it into compassion. From this itself Divine Will grows more influential, for from the very forest itself comes the ax (Sanhedrin 39b). By overcoming one’s instinctive heartlessness and turning it into compassion, vexation is turned into favor.", + "And then, once the Serpent’s Brow is overcome and the Brow of Divine Will is revealed, the sound of the wild animals <is quieted> and the festival’s proclamation, the revelation of Divine Will, is heard, as discussed above. The revelation of Divine Will then leads to the fear of Heaven, as discussed above. Fear of Heaven makes it possible to receive lovingkindness, as discussed above. And when lovingkindness descends, we will not have to engage in any labor or work. “Foreigners will stand and pasture your flocks… And you will be called ‘priests of God’” will then be fulfilled, as discussed above. All this is achieved by giving charity. It follows, that the benefit of giving charity is very great." + ], + [ + "10. And this is why, when Yaakov wanted to gain Esav’s favor, he said: “accept this offering from my hand; for I have seen your face as one might see the face of a Divine being, and you were favorably inclined toward me” (Genesis 33:10).", + "Even what we give to non-Jews is considered charity, as <it is written (Isaiah 60:17) >: “and [God will make] your taskmasters charity” (Bava Basra 9a). And giving charity creates favor. Thus [Yaakov] said to him, “then accept this offering from my hand”—i.e., charity, as in “presenters of an offering of charity” (Malachi 3:3).", + "“For I have seen your face as one might see the face of a Divine being”—i.e., like seeing the face of God, as in “three times each year, all your males shall thus appear before the face of God” (Deuteronomy 16:16). This refers to the festivals, through which Ratzon is revealed {primarily by means of charity}. Similarly, [Yaakov] would gain his ratzon through charity, this being: “you were favorably inclined toward me.” {This is because the offering and the gift which he gave to Esav was literally considered charity, as in “your taskmasters charity,” it follows that Divine Will on high, which is revealed through charity, is revealed. And from there Ratzon devolves below and also creates favor in Esav.}" + ], + [ + "11A. This relates as well to the battle between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17).", + "Goliath wanted to use his wisdom to demonstrate that everything transpires according to the laws of nature. He drew sustenance from Metzach haNachash , as in “a mitzchat nechoshet on his legs,” so that he attributed all causes to the inevitability of nature, which corresponds to the Serpent’s Brow, as discussed above. Thus, “he has defied the maARKhot (battalions) of the Living God” (ibid. v.26). [Goliath] wanted to demonstrate that everything takes place according to the maAReKhet (alignment of) the heavens, as dictated by the laws of nature, God forbid.", + "But David was a man of valor and stood up to him, saying that he had once had an incident like this: {“David said to Saul, ‘ Your servant was a shepherd for his father’s flocks, and when the lion and the bear came and carried away a sheep from ha’eider (the flock), I went after it, and struck it, and rescued [the sheep] from its mouth. Then it attacked me, and I grabbed it by the zakan (beard) and struck it down and killed it. Your servant has slain both lion and bear; and that uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the battalions of the Living God! …[David] took out a stone and slung it. It struck the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank into his brow, and he fell face down upon the ground” (1 Samuel 17:34-36, 49) .}", + "and when the lion and the bear came— This refers to the wild animals that claw and tear apart their prey. These are the deterministic scientists, as discussed above.", + "and carried it away from ha’ eider— That is, from the absolute he’eder (nothingness); he carried away and removed it from the absolute nothingness. In other words, he denied that, following the absolute nothingness, God created everything through His Will, [claiming] instead that everything takes place according to the dictates of nature, God forbid.", + "I went after it, and st ruck it— I would overpower him; I overcame and humbled him.", + "Then it attacked me— Afterwards, he again came against me.", + "and I grabbed it by the zakan— That is, I understood that all his strength and sustenance stems from the Serpent’s Brow, which feeds off the unworthy ZiKNei (elders of) the generation, as discussed above. This is why “I would grab it by the ZaKaN��—I grabbed hold of and seized the source of his sustenance, the elders of the generation.", + "and st ruck it down and killed it— I defeated and humbled the deterministic scientists/wild animals by grabbing hold of their zakan, the source of their sustenance.", + "Therefore, and that Philistine shall be like one of them— For he, too, is exactly like this. All his strength is from Metzach haNachash, as in “mitzchat nechoshet….” He is therefore like them, and so I am able to defeat and <humble him>.", + "This is as it is written: the st one sunk into his brow— This alludes to the Serpent’s Brow, which he <humbled> by means of < Ratzon, > as in “a perfect stone is His ratzon” (Proverbs 11:1)—i.e., <the root of ratzon, the Brow of Divine Will>.", + "And this is what Yishai warned David as he headed for there: “and redeem their ARuBah (pledges)” (1 Samuel 17:18). This alludes to the OReV (raven), charity. The essential devotion of charity <is> to be like the raven, as in “And I have commanded the ravens….” By giving charity he takes away the vitality of the Serpent’s Brow, which feeds off the elders of the generation.", + "And know! even after a person has successfully defeated and refuted the ideologies of the deterministic scientists and has humbled them, if the revelation of Divine Will is not powerful and firm—if any doubt remains about Divine Will such that it is not decisively clear that everything is governed solely by <God’s> Divine Will—then even though the determinism has been defeated, nonetheless, since Divine Will is not yet [sufficiently] influential, there is the possibility, God forbid, that the Serpent’s Brow/determinism will reawaken and return to its original strength. This, too, requires the power of charity, because charity is always beneficial and always counters the Serpent’s Brow.", + "11B. This is the explanation of: Rav Yehudah the Ethiopian related: Once we were traveling by sefinta (ship), and [in the water] we saw a precious stone that was being circled by a sea serpent. A bar-amorai (diver) descended to bring it. The sea serpent approached, wanting to swallow the ship. A Pushkantza bird came and chopped off its head. The water turned blood red. Another sea serpent came, took [the precious stone] and hung it on [the dead sea serpent] and returned it to life. It again came wanting to swallow the ship. Again the { Pushkantza } bird came and chopped off its head. [The diver then] took the precious stone and threw it intothe ship. We had with us m’lichei (salted) birds [for eating. When the diver] put the stone on top of them, [the birds returned to life,] took the stone and parchu (flew off) with it (Bava Batra 74b).", + "Once we were traveling by sefinta— This alludes to the root of Divine Will. That is where Moshe, who passed away in the root of Divine Will, is buried, as discussed above. This is the significance of SeFiNta, as in “for there the lawgiver’s plot is SaFuN (hidden)” (Deuteronomy 33:21).", + "we saw a precious st one— This is as in “a perfect stone is His ratzon,” alluding to the aforementioned Divine Will.", + "that was being circled by a sea serpent— This refers to the Serpent’s Brow, which envelops and overpowers Divine Will, as discussed above.", + "A bar-AMoRai descended to bring it— This alludes to the holy sage, as in “EMoR (Say) to wisdom: You are my sister” (Proverbs 7:4). The holy sage wants to increase his efforts and elevate will, to bind it to its root.", + "The sea serpent approached, wanting to swallow the ship— In other words, the Serpent’s Brow, the root of determinism, came and wanted to swallow the sefinta, the root of Divine Will, as in “for there the lawgiver’s plot is safun.” The Serpent’s Brow wanted to also overpower the root of Divine Will and inject blemish and heresy there, God forbid.", + "A Pushkantza came— This refers to a raven.", + "and chopped off its head— The explanation is: The raven—which conceptually alludes to charity, since the essential devotion of charity is to be like the raven, as in “And I have commanded the ravens…”—comes to transform the instinct of cruelty into compassion. Through this we triumph over the Serpent’s Brow/deterministic ideology, because from the very forest itself comes the [handle of] the ax, as discussed above.", + "This is the meaning of “A Pushkantza came”—i.e., a raven/charity—“and chopped of its head.” It cut off <and defeated> the head of the serpent. This refers to the Serpent’s Brow, which it defeated and killed by means of charity.", + "The water turned blood red— In other words, overcoming the Serpent’s Brow, the root of determinism, defeats and quiets the roaring of the wild animals that prey upon many of our fellow Jews. Then, the festival’s proclamation, which is the revelation of Divine Will, is heard. And then, “The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge…,” as discussed above.", + "“The water turned” alludes to the roaring of the wild animals, as in “my roaring pours forth like water” (Job 3:23). “Blood red”—this is as in “The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge, he will bathe his feet in the blood of the wicked one.” By quieting the roar of the <enemies>/wild animals, “The righteous one will rejoice when he sees revenge…,” for the festival’s proclamation is heard, as discussed above.", + "Another sea serpent came, took it and hung it on [the dead sea serpent] and returned it to life— The Serpent’s Brow came and “took it,” the precious stone. It took the precious stone, as in “a perfect stone is His ratzon.” “And hung it”—i.e., it raised doubt about it. This is “and hung it,” as when something hangs in doubt. It raised doubt about Ratzon, the “perfect stone.” Through this it “returned it to life”—determinism/the Serpent’s Brow was revived. Determinism returned and gained influence on account of the doubt raised about Divine Will, as discussed above.", + "And this is: It again came wanting to swallow the ship— The sea serpent/Serpent’s Brow again came “to swallow the ship”—<i.e., to blemish> the root of Divine Will, <God forbid>.", + "Again the Pushkantza bird came and chopped off its head— In other words, the raven/charity came back “and chopped off its head.” It killed the Serpent’s Brow and defeated it, because charity always defeats the Serpent’s Brow, as discussed above.", + "He took the precious stone and threw it into the ship— After completely subduing the Serpent’s Brow/determinism, he took the precious stone/Divine Will—“a perfect stone is His ratzon.” “And threw it into the ship”—he threw it into the root of Divine Will, in which all the wills are bound.", + "We had with us m’lichei birds. [When the driver] put the st one on top of them, [the birds returned to life,] took [the st one] and parchu (flew off) with it— The explanation is: “We had with us m ’lichei birds”—this alludes to the souls of Israel, our fellow Jews who mistakenly followed after the deterministic scientists, those wild animals that prey upon many of our fellow Jews, as discussed above.", + "This is the meaning of “m’lichei birds,” for they are “as birds trapped in a snare” (Ecclesiastes 9:12). M’LiChei (salted) connotes meMuLaCh, i.e., confused. They, too, were confused by the aforementioned wild animals and mistakenly followed after them. However, now “they flew off” and emerged safely as a result of the precious stone—i.e., Divine Will that has now been revealed <through charity>, as discussed above.", + "And when Divine Will is revealed, it leads to fear of Heaven, through which we are able to receive lovingkindness, as discussed above. PaRChu (flew off) alludes to this as well, as in “and behold! the staff of Aharon the Levite PaRaCh (had blossomed).” This refers to the bestowal of lovingkindness produced by the fear of Heaven when Divine Will is revealed." + ], + [ + "12. This also relates to healing because it is a cure for all wounds. This is because all these concepts signify healing.", + "Charity is healing, as in “charity, with healing in its wings” (Malachi 3:20). “An elder is one who has acquired wisdom” alludes to healing, as in “the tongue of the wise heals” (Proverbs 12:18). Ratzon signifies healing, as it is written “God… has sent me to bind up the wounded of heart…. To proclaim a year of ratzon (favor)” (Isaiah 61:1-2). The work of the Act of Creation is healing, as it is written “the repair work went well in their hands” (2 Chronicles 24:13).", + "Healing a wound entails a number of steps. To begin with, the mouth of the wound has to be opened. Then a purgative must be [applied] in order to draw out and remove the pus and infected blood from inside the wound. After that, all the blood has to be cleansed until no infections or impurities are left, so that the blood can flow and circulate, coursing regularly without any obstruction. For when the blood that flows and circulates through the <body’s arteries> reaches an area that is dysfunctional, i.e., the location of the wound, its flow is retarded there, and all the impurities and infections in the blood collect at that spot. That is what generally happens: all the different kinds of impurities and infections in the blood collect at the point of dysfunction, so that the blood is retarded there and cannot circulate in the manner which it ordinarily flows. For the blood courses in a regular manner, circulating through the body so many times an hour, and the like. But when there are impurities in the blood, it is blocked at the point of dysfunction, and is unable to circulate normally. It is therefore necessary to cleanse and purify [the blood]. Finally, we have to close the mouth of the wound.", + "Each of these steps of healing—<i.e., firstly, opening the mouth of the wound, then purging it of the pus, then purifying and cleansing the infected blood, and finally sealing the mouth of the wound>—is accomplished by means of the concepts discussed above [in the lesson].", + "Giving charity causes the wound to open, as in “open, you shall open.”", + "<“An elder is one who has acquired> wisdom” is the purgative, as in “the drawing of wisdom [is more precious] mePeNiNiM (than pearls)” (Job 28:18)— meliPhNai u’meliPhNiM (from the innermost recesses). {As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught on the verse “She is more precious than peninim”— meliphnai v’liphnim (see Yerushalmi, Shabbat 69b on Proverbs 3:15) .} Wisdom purges the dysfunction from the innermost recesses, from all the deepest places.", + "The festival is the revelation of Ratzon, through which the blood is cleansed and purified so that it can circulate regularly. This is the significance of ReGeL (festival), as in “the Spring of RoGeL” (1 Kings 1:9), which Rashi there interprets as “the Spring of Cleansing.” In other words, through the regel and holiday, which reveals Divine Will, the blood is cleansed and purified and can then circulate regularly. This is why the festival is called ChaG, which connotes circulation, as it is written “It is He Who sits above the ChuG (circumference) of the earth” (Isaiah 40:22)—above the circling of the earth, because cleansing and purifying the blood causes it to circulate regularly.", + "The Act of Creation—as in “The world is built on lovingkindness.”", + "Through the aforementioned concepts we merit the bestowal of lovingkindness; His lovingkindness sustains the world, as in “And you will be called ‘priests of God,’” as discussed above. Through the concept of priest, [the embodiment of] lovingkindness, the mouth of the wound is closed, as in “and the priest shall close up the wound” (Leviticus 13:4). Through lovingkindness/the priest, the wound is entirely closed and completely healed." + ], + [ + "13. This is the explanation [of the opening verse]: {“On the day of the Bikkurim (first fruits), when you bring an offering of new-meal to God on your Shavuot Festival, you shall observe an occasion proclaimed sacred; you shall not do any mundane work.”}", + "On the day of the BiKkuRim— This is the concept of beginning, as in “in anguish, like maVKiRah (she that gives birth for the first time).” Which beginning is this?…", + "when you bring an offering of new-meal to God— This alludes to charity’s beginning, when one begins to give charity anew. This is the meaning of “an offering of new-meal”—it alludes to new charity, beginning charity, because “an offering” signifies charity, as it is written “presenters of an offering of charity.” And charity rectifies the concept of elder, as discussed above. This is:", + "on your Shavuot Fe st ival— This is the concept of Elder, for at Sinai God appeared to them as an elder (Rashi, Exodus 20:2). Through the new-meal offering, the beginning of charity, the concept of an elder/Shavuot is rectified. This ends the Serpent’s Brow feeding off the unworthy elders of the generation. Then the festival’s proclamation revealing Divine Will is heard, as discussed above. And this is:", + "you shall observe an occasion proclaimed sacred— This alludes to the festival’s proclamation, the revelation of Divine Will, which is “an occasion proclaimed sacred.” It is heard now <because the roar of the enemies, the wild animals sustained by the Serpent’s Brow, has been defeated> through charity, which defeats the Serpent’s Brow/determinism. This brings to <the revelation of Divine Will>.", + "<And> revealing Divine Will produces fear of Heaven, through which <it is possible to receive lovingkindness, so that> the world <is sustained> through His lovingkindness, as in “The world is built on lovingkindness.” As a result, <we have no need to engage in any labor or work.> “Foreigners will stand and pasture your flocks…. And you will be called ‘priests of God’” <will be fulfilled>. And this is:", + "you shall not do any mundane work— We do not have to engage in any work and labor whatsoever, because the world is sustained through His lovingkindness, as in “And you will be called ‘priests of God.’”" + ], + [ + "14. There is a difference between the wild animals and the Serpent’s Brow. The deterministic scientists likened to wild animals are those scholars who adhere to determinism for personal benefit. It is the pleasure they get from this [ideology] that causes them to hold fast to their point of view and falsehood and the like. But the scholar who is likened to the Serpent’s Brow is wicked and heretical without any personal benefit. He gets no pleasure from his wisdom. On the contrary, he is {a “devout” villain, because he is} wicked and heretical without any ulterior motive." + ], + [ + "15. All the concepts of this lesson are one and entirely interconnected. Any act of charity is very difficult at the beginning; nevertheless, the benefit of charity is extremely great. Giving charity means not having to engage in any work or labor, because the world is then sustained through His lovingkindness. For charity keeps the Serpent’s Brow from drawing sustenance from the elders of the generation, and, as a result, the festival’s proclamation that reveals Divine Will is heard. This, in turn, reveals fear of Heaven, which essentially comes about through the revelation of Divine Will. Fear of Heaven then creates a container and conduit for receiving the bestowal of lovingkindness. Without this container and conduit it is impossible to receive the lovingkindness. Only through fear of Heaven, the conduit and container, can the lovingkindness be received, so that the world is then sustained through His lovingkindness. And then, we have no need to engage in any work, because “Foreigners will stand and pasture your flocks…” will be fulfilled, as discussed above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day. For it is a statute for Israel, a mishpat unto the Lord of Yaakov.” 2 (Psalms 81:4-5)", + "The main thing is emunah (faith). Every person has to search within himself and strengthen himself in faith.", + "There are those who suffer from the most astounding afflictions, and the only reason they are ill is because of the fall of faith. This is as in “God will make your plagues astounding, great and relentless plagues, terrible and ne’emanim (faithful) illnesses” (Deuteronomy 28:59). Specifically ne’EMaNim, because they are generated by a blemish of EMuNah. The fall of faith brings to astounding afflictions, for which neither medicines, nor prayer, nor ancestral merit helps.", + "For all medicines are based on plants, and these grow only on account of faith. This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Taanit 8a) : The rains fall only in the merit of faith, as it is written (Psalms 85:12), “Truth springs forth from the earth; righteousness peers down from heaven.” When there is faith, rain falls, plants grow, and then there are medicines. But when faith is lacking, there is no rain, and then there is no healing.", + "In addition, the essential healing power of each plant depends on the natural order of the plant kingdom, as determined by place and time. The healing powers of certain plants are present only when they are cut before reaching a third of their maturity; after this, they have no power to heal. Other plants are potent only when they reach full growth and fall on their own. The same is true of all plants, each according to its own timetable. Likewise, there is an order determined by place. One location is suited for growing one kind of plant, while another location is suitable for growing different plants. Their healing powers entirely follow the order [of the plant kingdom] as determined by time and place.", + "And the order of the plant kingdom is contingent on faith, as in: Emunah—this is the Order of Seeds (Shabbat 31a). Faith maintains the temporal and spatial order of the plant kingdom, thus providing [the plants] with the power to cure. Therefore, on account of the fall of faith, medicines are of no avail.", + "Prayer is similarly a matter of faith, as it is written “and his hands were faith” (Exodus 17:12), which Onkelos renders: “[his hands were] spread out in prayer.”", + "And ancestral merit, too, is revealed only through faith, as in “The first blossoms have appeared in the land” (Song of Songs 2:12). “The first blossoms” are the Patriarchs, as it is brought in the holy Zohar (Introduction, p.1b). They appear and are revealed “in the land,” which alludes to faith, as it is written “dwell in the land and tend to faith” (Psalms 37:3) ; corresponding to “earth is the vessel for them all” (Tikkuney Zohar #70, p.132a).", + "Therefore, on account of the fall of faith, neither medicines, nor prayer, nor ancestral merit can avail him, because all these are linked to faith.", + "Neither is the sick person helped by the sound of his sighs and groans. There are times when such sounds help the sick person by arousing mercy for him. But on account of the fall of faith, this, too, does not help, since these groans and sighs are a voice without words. Voice corresponds to the Patriarchs, because the voice is comprised of fire, water and air (Tikkuney Zohar #69, 104b), which are the three Patriarchs. Yet they appear and are revealed only by means of faith, as in “earth is the vessel for them all.” Therefore, because of the fall of faith, these sounds are of no help to him.", + "This is precisely the reason that medicine is of no avail. Healing essentially entails bringing balance to the elements. There are four elements: fire, water, air and earth. It requires a great expert who, through {medical knowledge}, knows how to balance the elements contained in each of the different plants in order to produce the remedy this particular patient needs, given the particular element which is damaged and weakened in his case. {Emitting the voice, too, involves the balancing of the elements.} Therefore, when faith is blemished, which in turn brings blemish to the four elements—since all of them are revealed only through the earth element, which is “the vessel for them all”—he has no cure." + ], + [ + "2. To remedy this it is necessary to dig deep and find the waters that nurture faith. These waters are the concept of counsels, which promote the growth of faith, as in “I will give thanks to Your Name, for You have done wonders, [providing] counsels from afar, fostering faith” (Isaiah 25:1). Counsels make it possible for faith to grow.", + "[These] counsels are the depths of the heart. When faith is so blemished and fallen that even the cries, the wordless screams, are of no avail, one has to cry out from the heart alone, as in “Let their heart cry out to God” (Lamentations 2:18). This is the heart alone crying out, without the voice, as in “Out of the depths I call out to You, O God!” (Psalms 130:1)—from the heart’s depths. And the depths of the heart are counsels, as in “The counsels in man’s heart are deep waters” (Proverbs 20:5).", + "Therefore, when crying out is of no help because faith has fallen, it is necessary to cry out from the heart alone; soundlessly, solely from the depths of the heart. This is how counsels are revealed, corresponding to “The counsels… are deep waters.” And through the counsels that are revealed in the world {i.e., each person knows from within what he must do} faith is able to grow, as in “counsels from afar, fostering faith.” Then, all the aforementioned concepts can be again set right.", + "This is because counsels are “wonders,” as in “I will give thanks to Your Name, for You have done wonders, counsels from afar….” This makes it possible to remedy and heal the astounding afflictions, corresponding to “God will make your plagues astounding.”", + "Prayer, too, is “wonder,” as in “awesome in praises, doing wonders!” (Exodus 15:11). And the same is true of ancestral merit, as in “He performed wonders in the sight of their fathers” (Psalms 78:12).", + "This is the meaning of:", + "{“I tirgalti (trained) Ephraim [to walk, and sent a leader] who took them in his arms; yet they did not realize that it was I Who healed them” (Hosea 11:3) .} “I tiRGaLti Ephraim” is the concept of counsels, as in “the people b’RaGLekha (at your feet)” (Exodus 11:8)—those who follow your counsel (Rashi). “Who took them in his arms” is an allusion to the merit of the Patriarchs, for they are “the arms of the world” (Deuteronomy 33:27). “Yet they did not realize that it was I Who healed them”—for in fact, this brings healing.", + "And this parallels the creation of the world: at first darkness, and afterwards light. Darkness signifies the absence of advice, as in “Who is this who darkens counsel with words?” (Job 38:2). But afterwards, when counsels—i.e., depths/“deep waters”—are revealed, this is “revealing deep things out of the darkness” (ibid. 12:22). And the more that the light, i.e., counsel, is revealed, and darkness, the absence of counsel, is dispelled, the stronger faith grows.", + "For it is essentially in accord with the principle of “and Your faith in the nights” (Psalms 92:3) that faith grows. In other words, the more a portion of the night is dispelled, and the closer it gets to the light of day, the stronger faith becomes. And the more the night is dispelled and the day draws closer, the more [faith] continues growing bit by bit, until with the light of day, faith is complete, as in “Renewed in the mornings; great is Your faith” (Lamentations 3:23).", + "It is then, in the light of day, that healing burgeons forth, as in “Then your light shall burst forth as the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly” (Isaiah 58:8). It follows, that as counsel is revealed and the light shines forth out of the darkness—i.e., the dark/night is dispelled and the light/day is revealed—faith grows and healing is effected, as in “Then your light shall burst forth as the dawn, and your healing….”", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: What is the reason that the ezei (goats) walk at the head [of the flock] and afterwards the imrei (sheep)? … This is consistent with the creation of the world: at first darkness, and afterwards light (Shabbat 77b).", + "EZei— This alludes to faith, as in “God is clothed, He has girded Himself with OZ (strength)” (Psalms 93:1), and “Righteousness will be the girdle of his loins, and faith the girdle [of his waist]” (Isaiah 11:5).", + "And afterwards come the imrei— IMRei alludes to healing, as in “AMaR (said) God, ‘and I will heal him’” (Isaiah 57:19). AMaR is an acronym for Aish Mayim Ruach (fire, water, air), from which healing comes. In other words, why is healing essentially dependent on faith, so that one must first begin with faith and then afterwards merit healing? And he replied:", + "This is consistent with the creation of the world: at first darkness, and afterwards light. That is to say, this corresponds to the world’s creation, where first there was darkness…. For faith grows mainly through counsel, which is the concept of “revealing deep things out of the darkness.” This is because faith grows whole only through the light of day. And this is why healing can come only by means of faith, for healing springs up only in the light of day, as in “Then your light shall burst forth as the dawn…,” as discussed above." + ], + [ + "3. Now, it takes an understanding individual to draw out and reveal the water—i.e., the counsel, as in “The counsels in man’s heart are deep waters, yet a man of understanding can draw them out.” This is the meaning of what is written: “For they are a nation devoid of counsel, and there is no understanding among them” (Deuteronomy 32:28). This is because when there is no understanding, one’s counsel is lost, for counsel is revealed by means of an understanding individual.", + "An understanding individual is someone who has a soul, as in “the soul from Shadai (the Almighty) enables them to understand” (Job 32:8). It is necessary to refine and burnish the soul. This is accomplished by drawing Godly spirit into constrictions, the concept of Shadai, which is itself an aspect of constriction: Shadai—on account of His having said to the world, “Dai! (Enough!)” (Chagigah 12a). Through this, one burnishes the soul. This is the meaning of “the soul Shadai enables them to understand.” Through the concept of Shadai—i.e., drawing Godly spirit into constrictions—one burnishes the soul and becomes an understanding individual.", + "This is because drawing Godly spirit into constrictions—i.e., into physical forms—causes one’s livelihood to multiply and increase. Drawing Godly spirit into constrictions/physical forms is the concept of creation. At the moment Godly spirit is joined with the physical form and constriction, a new creation is made. This is the essence of the creation. And then, as soon as something is created, God immediately gives it livelihood. For God nourishes [everything] “from the horns of the oryx to the eggs-of-lice” (Avodah Zarah 3b).", + "As soon as a thing is created, God immediately provides livelihood. For the soul alone has no need of livelihood, and likewise the body alone has no need of livelihood. The primary need for livelihood is only when the soul binds with the body. That is to say, with the partnering of soul and flesh, livelihood becomes necessary. Therefore, drawing Godly spirit into constrictions and physical forms—i.e., creation, the partnering of soul and flesh—increases and multiplies one’s livelihood. This is because as soon as there is a creation, God provides livelihood. {Anyone who makes the name of Heaven a partner in his distress, they double his livelihood for him, as is stated (Job 22:25): “When Shadai is in your distress, then double money is yours” (Berakhot 63a).}", + "And this is the meaning of “Anyone who makes the name of Heaven a partner in his distress”—in other words, he draws Godly spirit and partners it with the constriction, which is the concept of distress—“they double his livelihood for him”—because this increases livelihood, “as is stated: ‘When Shadai is [included] in your distress, then double money is yours.’” Shadai signifies constriction, the drawing of Godly spirit into the constriction—as in “[he] makes the name of Heaven a partner in his distress.” As a result, “then double money is yours”—i.e., increased livelihood, as discussed above.", + "And through livelihood he burnishes his soul, for the tzaddik eats only for the sake of his soul, as it is written “A righteous man eats to satiate his soul” (Proverbs 13:25). Satiating the soul is the concept of Tzachtzachot— that he burnishes (tzachtzei’ach) his soul through his eating, as in “He will satiate your soul with Tzachtzachot (Splendors)” (Isaiah 58:11).", + "And when a person burnishes his soul, he becomes an understanding individual, as in “the soul Shadai enables them to understand.” This reveals counsel and causes faith to grow, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "4. And know! the fall of faith creates and strengthens false beliefs—[i.e.,] idolatrous faith and the like. This is as it is written, “I will be filled; she has been laid waste!” (Ezekiel 26:2)—when one rises, the other falls… (see Megillah 6a). For false beliefs exist and are strengthened mainly through the fall of holy faith.", + "But elevating fallen faith makes converts. For by restoring and refining fallen faith, which is the sustaining force of [idolatrous] faith, their faith is weakened. They then come over to our holy faith and so become converts.", + "Sometimes they become converts in potentia and sometimes they become converts in actu. That is to say, either they actually become converts—idol worshipers come and convert; or, this happens only potentially—as a result of fallen faith being elevated and their faith being weakened, holy faith is revealed to them in their place. There, in their place, they believe that there is the One Primordial God. This is the concept of “in every place offerings are burnt and presented to My name” (Malachi 1:11).", + "This depends on the strength of the original false belief. If the false faith started out strong, then afterwards—once it is broken and fallen holy faith is elevated from there—the converts that are made are then actual converts. But if the false faith did not start out all that strong, then when it is broken and turned toward holiness, it produces only potential converts." + ], + [ + "5. Now, the rule is that elevating fallen faith makes converts, but because these converts stem from the restoration of fallen faith, they are harmful to the Jewish people, as in “Converts are as harmful to the Jewish people as a sore on the skin” (Kiddushin 70b). “A sore on the skin” is the concept of “plagues,” the aforementioned astounding afflictions caused by the fall of faith. And because these converts are made by the restoration of fallen faith, they are as harmful as skin sores.", + "And these converts instill pride in Israel, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “My soul will weep in hidden places because of [your] haughtiness” (Jeremiah 13:17)—because of the Jewish people’s grandeur, which was transferred to idol worshipers (Chagigah 5b). It follows, that the Jewish people’s holy grandeur fell to them. Therefore, when idolaters recant and convert, they bring with them the grandeur that was in their possession, and so instill pride in the Jewish people.", + "This enables the leaders of the generation to wield the sword of pride, undeservedly exalting themselves over the people. For there are leaders who impose their rabbinic authority and rule “over a destitute people,” undeservedly exalting themselves over the generation. Having been appointed not by Heaven but purely through their own arrogance, they obtain the sword of pride—as in “the Sword of your grandeur!” (Deuteronomy 33:29)—by means of the converts who instill pride in the Jewish people. They undeservedly rule over “a destitute people” and can even punish those who do not wish to bow to their rule—all through the sword of pride. In truth, the correct term for this is not “punish” but “damage,” because they are a scourge to the world.", + "This is the meaning of “converts are as harmful to the Jewish people as SaPaChat”—alluding to SePhiChim (weeds), which grow of themselves. On account of the converts, the leaders of the generation—who grow of themselves and undeservedly exalt themselves over the people without any appointment by Heaven—assume grandeur. This is the reason [converts] are called GeiRim, as in “yaGiRuhu (they drag him) by the sword” (Psalms 63:11). For the sword of pride comes about through converts." + ], + [ + "6. And the haughtiness of these leaders of the generation increases people’s desire for illicit relations, as in “the adulteress traps the haughty soul” (Proverbs 6:26). Haughtiness increases lust, which is the ChoTeM (seal) of the Other Side, as in “his flesh heChTiM (becomes stopped up) because of his discharge” (Leviticus 15:3). The reason is that desire for illicit relations is quashed through the sword of holy pride, as in “Gird your sword upon your thigh” (Psalms 45:4). But on account of the sword of pride that the leaders receive from converts, this desire increases, God forbid." + ], + [ + "7. The way to be saved from this is through the guardians of the generation. These Guardians of the Earth protect us and save us by subduing the seal of the Other Side that pride creates. This is as in “His pride is in the strength of his shields; a seal closed tightly” (Job 41:7)—they close and subdue the seal of the Other Side, the desire created by haughtiness.", + "Their subduing this desire, the seal of the Other Side, creates the concept of tefilin, the intellects. These correspond to the seal of Holiness, as in (Song of Songs 8:6) : “Place me like a seal upon your heart, like a seal upon your arm” (see Tikkuney Zohar #1, p.18a).", + "And the intellects are rectified primarily by breaking the desire for illicit relations. This is because the body’s fluids are essential to the brain. The brain is like a lit lamp. The body’s fluids rise to the brain and become oil for the brain. It follows, that because the body’s fluids and fatty substances are essential to the intellects, therefore, subduing the desire for illicit relations, so that the body’s fluids and fatty substances are preserved, causes the fluids to rise to the brain and become oil, the essential element of the intellects.", + "Therefore, by subduing this desire, the guardians create the concept of tefilin /intellects. They elevate the body’s fluids from the level of “his flesh becomes stopped up” and turn them into intellects, the concept of tefilin, because tefilin are the intellects’ shining radiance.", + "And this is why tefilin are called “honor,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “and honor” alludes to tefilin (Megillah 16b). Tefilin are created through the rectification of the desire for illicit relations, which corresponds to “the adulteress traps the haughty soul.” This is why tefilin are called Pe’ER (glory), because they come about through the rectification of the pride and hitPaARut (self-glorification) which converts bring about.", + "And this is the meaning of “Moshe was a shepherd” (Exodus 3:1). Moshe signifies daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God), the concept of intellects/ tefilin. He is the holy ro’eh (shepherd), the opposite of “ro’eh (he keeps company with) harlots” (Proverbs 29:3). This is also the concept of the Seven Holy Shepherds, as in “Moshe was a shepherd”—the concept of tefilin, [whose] shin of three heads and shin of four heads correspond to the Seven Shepherds.", + "This is also the concept of the Shadai of tefilin, the concept of constriction. Every person has to reign in his mental faculties, not allowing the mind to go beyond his limit. This is so that the mind does not roam where it has no permission to go according to his level, as in: Do not inquire into that which is too wondrous for you; into that which is concealed from you do not investigate (Chagigah 13a). This is Shadai /constriction: ShaDaI—in Whose Godliness yeSh DaI (there is enough) for every creature (Rashi, Genesis 17:1). In other words, every created being has his dai and limit in His blessed Godliness. One is permitted to extend one’s intellectual pursuits only up to that boundary, no further. For the limit and restriction of each person’s intellectual pursuit is according to his measure [of worthiness]. Even in the realms of holiness, one is forbidden to go beyond one’s limits, as in: Do not inquire about that which is too wondrous for you…; the idea of “lest they break through to God in order to see…” (Exodus 19:21).", + "And this is the meaning of “I will put you in the cleft of the rock” (Exodus 33:22), which was said about Moshe at the time he merited seeing and entering into the mystery. In other words, God promised to shield him. He would be concealed in the rock’s cleft—i.e., the constriction—so that the mind would not roam beyond his limit." + ], + [ + "8. This creates proper words to revive and restore the fallen souls. There are fallen souls that need to be revived and restored by means of all types of maT’AMim (tasty treats) that restore the soul, as in “Sustain me with dainties, drape me in [the fragrance of] apples, for I am love-sick” (Song of Songs 2:5). Through the rectification and refining of the intellects by the Guardians of the Earth, pure words are made to revive them.", + "This is because the mind is revealed primarily in speech, as it is written “from His mouth come daat and discernment” (Proverbs 2:6). Therefore, when the intellects are refined, proper words are made with which to restore the fallen souls, as in “seven who respond with good counsel” (ibid. 26:16). In other words, the tefilin /intellects, which are the Seven Shepherds, create the “seven meShiVei TaAM (who respond with good counsel)”—i.e., the proper words with which meShiVin (one restores) the fallen souls, as in “Seven times a righteous man falls and gets up” (Proverbs 24:16).", + "This is also the meaning of “The words of God are pure words… refined sevenfold” (Psalms 12:7). This refers to the pure words made by refining the intellects—i.e., the concept of tefilin /Seven Shepherds that create the “seven who respond with good counsel.” This is the meaning of “refined sevenfold.”" + ], + [ + "9. And this is the concept of a dream mediated by an angel. For these pure words are the concept of an angel, i.e., a dream mediated by an angel. This is because the spoken word is the vestige of the mind. That which is imprinted and concealed in the mind is engraved and imprinted in speech. Thus, when the intellects are refined, so that pure words are made, then even when the conscious mind departs during sleep and the only thing that remains is the mind’s vestige, which is speech, the vestige, too, is refined. This is the concept of a dream mediated by an angel.", + "This is the reason that after Moshe’s passing the commander of God’s host came and said: “Now I have come!” (Joshua 5:14). Moshe’s passing signifies the departure of daat, which is analogous to sleep, at which time daat departs and all that remains is the vestige. Therefore, “He said, ‘… I am the commander of God’s host’”—i.e., an angel—“Now I have come!” What remains then is the vestige, the concept of angel—i.e., a dream mediated by an angel.", + "And this is the meaning of “The Lord gives the word; the heralds are a great host” (Psalms 68:12). “The Lord gives the word” corresponds to pure words, the vestige of the mind, which is the concept of an angel. Thus this is the meaning of “the heralds are a great host”—i.e., the angels.", + "This also relates to what is brought in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, that tzevaot is the hidden element of Shadai. As explained there, the “hidden” [letters] of shIN daLeT yOD, with one added for the word itself, has the same numerical value as TZeVAOT. In other words, the hidden element of Shadai signifies the departing of Shadai /intellects during sleep. All that remains is the vestige, Shadai’s hidden element. Therefore, this vestige, being the hidden element of Shadai, corresponds to tzevaot, an angel.", + "This is the meaning of “The hair of His head is like clean wool” (Daniel 7:9). “The hair of His head” alludes to the intellects’ shining radiance. This is because the hair emerges from the intellects. When the intellects are clean and refined, then the vestige itself becomes the concept of an angel. This is the meaning of “like clean amar (wool).” AMaR is an acronym for “Oseh Malakhav Ruchot (He makes the winds His angels)” (Psalms 104:4), alluding to the angels created by the vestige when the intellects are clean and refined. However, when the intellects are not clean and refined, the Se’ARot (hairs) become “and Se’IRim (goats) will dance there” (Isaiah 13:21)—the concept of a dream mediated by a demon.", + "This corresponds to the human level and the animal level—conceptually, a dream mediated by an angel and a dream mediated by a demon.", + "A dream mediated by an angel is synonymous with the human level, as in “Let us make the human in our image, after our likeness” (Genesis 1:26). “After our likeness” refers to the power of imagination, which is “in our image,” the concept of an angel���i.e., a dream mediated by an angel. During sleep the conscious mind departs and the only thing that remains is the power of imagination. Now, when the intellects are refined, the remaining power of imagination, too, is the concept of an angel. This is as in ‘after our likeness, in our image’: the power of imagination is “in our image,” in the concept of an angel—i.e., a dream mediated by an angel. This corresponds to the human level, as it is written: “Let us make the human…”", + "But a dream mediated by a SheiD (demon) corresponds to the animal level, as in “and the ShoD (pillaging) of animals will destroy you” (Habakkuk 2:17).", + "And this is: {“Men do not abide in honor; they are comparable to the animals nidmu (in their likeness)” (Psalms 49:13) .}", + "Men do not abide in honor”—this alludes to a person who does not abide and sleep “in honor,” in the concept of tefilin, as discussed above. In other words, when he fails to refine the intellects, the concept of tefilin, then “comparable to the animals niDMu”—the power of the meDaMeh (imagination) corresponds to the animal level, a dream mediated by a demon, which is synonymous with the animal level.", + "Thus the letters of MaLAKh (angel) are the first letters of “Ki LeiElohim Mageeney Eretz (for the Guardians of the Earth belong to God)” (Psalms 47:10). By rectifying the intellects and the tefilin, the Guardians of the Earth create the concept of an angel, which in turn results in a dream mediated by an angel." + ], + [ + "10. However, foods, too, play a role in a dream. Foods produce vapors that ascend to the brain, where they are formed into dreams during sleep. It is therefore necessary to strengthen the angel, so that the foods do not blemish the dream. For when the angel lacks strength, the foods mar the dream, making it a dream mediated by a demon, God forbid.", + "For [the earth] has seven regions, each with an angel appointed over it, as in “seven are the eyes of God—they range over the whole earth” (Zechariah 4:10). Each region therefore grows different produce, consistent with its appointed [angel]. This is why they are divided into seven regions, corresponding to the Seven Shepherds, the concept of tefilin from which angels are created.", + "Now, when an influx of bounty descends, the first to receive it is the angel in charge there. After that it descends via the demons that reside in the air. They receive the bounty only in transition, sapping from it only enough to ensure their existence. Finally, the bounty descends below, to that place and field for which the bounty is headed.", + "And then the king receives the bounty, as in “It is you, O king…,” which is said there about the tree that “there was food for all in it” (Daniel 4:18-19). This is the meaning of “[Even] a king is beholden to the field” (Ecclesiastes 5:8), for the king receives bounty from the field. In other words, when the bounty descends below, then the king receives it.", + "All of these receive from the concept of Shadai, and for that reason they all get their name from Shadai. SheiD (demon) is etymologically similar to ShaDai, and so too is SaDeh (field). One who works the field is likewise named after Shadai, as in “breaking up veSaDeid (and furrowing) his land” (Isaiah 28:24).", + "Now, when the angel is strong, the demons receive bounty only in transition, sapping from it only enough to ensure their existence. But when the angel is weakened, God forbid, [the demons] take the angel’s power for themselves. Then, because they have literally ingested the angel’s power, the foods that grow because of them have the demon’s power mixed into them. It follows, that when the foods grow, the demon’s power is one of the ingredients which promotes their growth. Thus, when these foods are eaten, they produce a dream mediated by a demon, God forbid.", + "What’s more, they are also capable of defiling a person during sleep, by means of the well-known defilement, God forbid. This is because the angel is the concept of fire, as it is written “[The creatures] had the appearance of fiery coals, burning like the appearance of torches” (Ezekiel 1:13). Thus, when the angel is weakened and the demons then take the angel’s power for themselves, they use this fire to sexually excite and pollute a person with the aforementioned defilement, God forbid.", + "And so it is necessary to strengthen the angel. This fortifying is accomplished through joy, as in “A joyous heart makes a good countenance” (Proverbs 15:13), which alludes to an angel, as in “and so an angel of His countenance delivered them” (Isaiah 63:9)—it is fortified through a joyous heart. This is why the abode of the angels is called SheChaKim, on account of the S’ ChoK (laughter) and joy, because the angels are mainly strengthened through joy.", + "This relates to the joy associated with tefilin. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Rabbi Yirmiyah was exceedingly buoyant… and said: “I am wearing tefilin” (Berakhot 30b). In other words, the concept of an angel is created through tefilin /intellects, and so joy is required in order to strengthen the angel.", + "Therefore, when a person has a bad dream, the rectification is a fast, because a taANniT (fast) is synonymous with joy, as it is written (Psalms 90:15), “Give us joy for as long as ENiTanu (You have afflicted us).” Fasting brings joy, and through joy we fortify the angel, thus rectifying and subduing the bad dream—i.e., a dream mediated by a demon, which occurs when the angel lacks strength.", + "This is why when someone does not want to fast over the dream, his well-wishers say to him: “Go, eat your bread with joy” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). His eating should be with joy, so that it strengthens the angel and lays low the demons that cause dreams to be blemished through the foods.", + "And angels are strengthened mainly in the month of Nissan, because Nissan is the new year for kings (Rosh HaShanah 2a). Everyone’s appointment is renewed at that time, and all the angels are given their appointment as well. And it is then that Divine Will is renewed, as in “He does as He wishes with the host of Heaven” (Daniel 4:32). This is because they are all given their appointment then, according to God’s Will, and so the angels rejoice and are strengthened.", + "The reason for this is that Nissan is the time of redemption, for in Nissan they were redeemed (Rosh HaShanah 11a). And it is known that the Egyptian exile was primarily to rectify the sin of the first man, whom the demons sexually excited and he begot demons… (Eruvin 18b; Bereishit Rabbah 20:11). As discussed above, sexual excitement is caused by the weakness of the angel. This led to the Egyptian exile. But they were redeemed in Nissan, at which time the first man’s sin was rectified. It follows, that the angels are strengthened in Nissan, paralleling the rectification of the first man’s sin in Nissan, at the time of the redemption from Egypt.", + "This is as it is written (Exodus 7:4) : “I shall take out My hosts”—this alludes to the angels. They went out and were redeemed in Nissan, because they were strengthened and rectified then. And so the main renewal of Divine Will—i.e., “He does as He wishes with the host of heaven”—is in Nissan, for that is the time of their rectification and strengthening.", + "Nevertheless, also throughout the year, it is possible to renew Divine Will by means of joy. This is because joy strengthens the angels. Then joy is awakened in the angels, as if Divine Will were renewed—i.e., “He does as He wishes with the host of heaven”—on that very day; as if they received their appointment on that very day. But the primary renewal of Divine Will is in Nissan, and so that is when they get their main strengthen. Thus, by rights that aforementioned defilement should be entirely eliminated in Nissan, since the angel’s power has been rectified and strengthened." + ], + [ + "11. However, there are times when the aforementioned defilement stems from another source. Know! when unfitting rabbis and judges pervert mishpat, it brings to this defilement, God forbid. This is because when mishpat—i.e., “thrones of mishpat” (Psalms 122:5)—is perverted, “loves” fall from the Chariot. Holy love is consigned to the “thrones of mishpat,” i.e., the Chariot, as in “its chariot of purple, suffused with love by the maidens of Yerushalayim” (Song of Songs 3:10). But when the Chariot/“thrones of mishpat” is blemished on account of perverted mishpat, the fallen loves that devolve from there bring to sexual excitation and defilement, God forbid.", + "Perverted mishpat comes about through the concept of bad tefilin. At times, tefilin /intellects contain dross. This is because the tefilin /intellects are created by elevating the body’s fluids and fatty substances from “his flesh hechtim” to a chotem of Holiness, i.e., tefilin /intellects. Now, certain fluids need to emerge, as with the drop of Esav and Yishamel. When these fatty substances are raised from the level of “his flesh becomes stopped up” to the brain, the dross becomes mixed into the intellects and the tefilin.", + "{“For the wicked man encircles the righteous man, therefore mishpat emerges me’ukal (crooked)” (Habakkuk 1:4) .} This leads to the corruption of mishpat, as in “the wicked man encircles the righteous man.” In other words, when raising the drop of Esav and Yishmael to the brain causes the dross to penetrate and surround the mind, mishpat becomes corrupted. This is the meaning of “therefore mishpat emerges crooked”—i.e., the corruption of mishpat. For mishpat is a product of the mind, as it is written of Shlomo: “for they recognized that he had within him Godly wisdom to execute mishpat” (1 Kings 3:28). Therefore, when the mind is blemished, mishpat is corrupted.", + "And corrupting mishpat, as in “mishpat [emerges] crooked,” brings, God forbid, to the aforementioned defilement. This is [hinted at by the word] Me’UKaL (crooked), whose letters spell AMaLeK, through whom there is this defilement, as in “that he polluted you on the way” (Deuteronomy 25:18).", + "{“He saw Amalek, and he took up his parable and said: Amalek is the first among nations, but its fate is eternal destruction. He saw the Kenite, and he took up his parable and said: Secure is your dwelling; set in the rock is your nest” (Numbers 24:20-21) .} This is the meaning of “He saw the Kenite,” “He saw Amalek.” They are juxtaposed in the Torah because the aforementioned defilement, the defilement associated with Amalek, comes about through converts, as has been fully clarified above.", + "And this is the concept of mareh (a nocturnal emission) during a dream {since they call this defilement “maren”}. MaREH is an acronym for “Rasha Makhtir Et Hatzaddik (the wicked man encircles the righteous man).” By perverting mishpat, this [encircling] brings about this defilement, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "12. And when the perversion of mishpat brings about the aforementioned defilement, the only way to rectify this is by assembling the Chariot. It is necessary to assemble the Chariot, as in “its chariot of ARGaMaN (purple)”—referring to the angels of the Chariot, Refael, Gavriel, and so on, as is brought. One has to bind them together in order to rectify the blemish of the Chariot, from which the fallen loves come.", + "This is the reason the early sages instituted reciting the “Assembling of the Chariot” before going to sleep: “To my right, Mikhael; to my left, Gavriel….” By assembling the Chariot, one is spared from the aforementioned defilement." + ], + [ + "13. This relates conceptually to tekiah, teruah, shevarim :", + "TeKiAh is the concept of “If the shofar is TaKA (sounded) in a city, do the people not tremble?” (Amos 3:6). This alludes to the body’s trembling, a cool spirit, as in “and the cool spirit of an understanding individual” (Proverbs 17:27). It brings to the rectification of faith by means of “an understanding individual.”", + "teRuAH is the concept of “Moshe was a RoEH (shepherd)”—i.e., tefilin—the opposite of “ro’eh harlots.”", + "SheVaRim is the concept of accurate and true dreams. This is as in “the recounting of the dream and ShiVRo (its interpretation)” (Judges 7:15)—i.e., accurate and true dreams.", + "SheVaRim also signifies the rectification of mishpat, as in “A heart that is niShBaR (broken)” (Psalms 51:19). This refers to dousing the heart to extinguish its excitation, because the heart is like a burning flame, as in “the wild beasts yiShB’Ru (quench) their thirst” (Psalms 104:11).", + "For when mishpat is corrupted, the fallen loves devolve, and as a result they excite the heart and cause defilement, God forbid, as discussed above. For the heart is the place of mishpat, as it is written, “Aharon bore the mishpat of the Israelites on his heart” (Exodus 28:30). Thus, when mishpat is corrupted, the fallen loves excite the heart and it becomes necessary to douse the heart in order to extinguish the excitation. This is the shevarim, “a heart that is nishbar (broken),” as in “the wild beasts yishb’ru (quench) their thirst”—i.e., the heart is doused and the excitation is extinguished, this being the rectification of mishpat." + ], + [ + "14. This is also conceptually related to Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret:", + "Rosh HaShanah is synonymous with the rectification of faith, as in “Your faith, too, in the assembly of the holy ones” (Psalms 89:6). For that is when all the holy communities gather. As a result, all the facets of faith are gathered together and collected, as in “Your faith, too, in the assembly of the holy ones,” and this brings to the rectification of the intellects. This is the meaning of Rosh HaShanah—specifically rosh (head), referring to the intellects that are made and rectified.", + "This relates to the five senses of the brain, all of which correspond to Rosh HaShanah. The brain has five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. They all stem from the brain, from which nerves extend to each of these senses. All these senses are also related to Rosh HaShanah, which corresponds to the head and intellects.", + "The sense of sight with regard to Rosh HaShanah is as in “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). At the beginning of the year judgment is issued concerning what will be at its end, because on Rosh HaShanah [God] sees and supervises the entire year, what will be at its end. This is the sense of sight.", + "Hearing is the concept of God compassionately listening to the sound of the cries, prayers and shofar blasts of His people Israel.", + "Smell corresponds to “He will breathe of the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:3), as in: “And so, O God our Lord, instill dread of You into all Your works, and awe of You into all that You have created” (High Holiday Liturgy).", + "Taste corresponds to “Then prepare a tasty dish for me, the way I love it” (Genesis 27:4)—[namely,] from the positive commandments (Tikkuney Zohar #21, p.51a ff). In other words, the sense of taste corresponds to God tasting on Rosh HaShanah all the good deeds of the Jewish people.", + "Touch is with the hands. Thus it is written about idol worship: “They have hands, but cannot touch” (Psalms 115:7)—for taction is by means of the hands. This is the meaning of: His hand is outstretched to accept those who repent, from Rosh HaShanah until Yom Kippur (cf. Rosh HaShanah 18a). This is the sense of touch.", + "It follows, that Rosh HaShanah is the rectification of the intellects.", + "And rectifying the intellects creates the concept of tefilin that cover the mind, because tefilin are the intellects’ shining radiance. This corresponds to the Ten Days of Repentance, for repentance is the idea of “If you extract yakar (the precious) from the vile” (Jeremiah 15:19). This alludes to tefilin, which are called yekar, as is stated: “and yekar” alludes to tefilin, as discussed above. { Tefilin are made through the rectification of the intellects, which is in turn achieved by rectifying and elevating them from “his flesh hechtim” to chotem of Holiness, i.e., intellects/ tefilin. This corresponds to “If you extract the preciousfrom the vile,” which signifies repentance. Understand this; [so] it seems to me.}", + "And Yom Kippur is when the seal of Holiness is completed. This is the concept of tefilin, the opposite of the seal of the Other Side, as in “and on the Fast of Yom Kippur they are sealed” (Yom Kippur Liturgy). In other words, during the Ten Days of Repentance the tefilin are rectified, and on Yom Kippur their rectification is completed. For it is then that the rectification of the seal of Holiness—i.e., the concept of tefilin—is completed.", + "Sukkah signifies the rectification of the angel, for SUKkaH has the same numerical value as MaLAKh (angel), alluding to a dream mediated by an angel on account of the intellects’ rectification. This is the reason Sukkot is “the season of our rejoicing”—alluding to the joy associated with tefilin, which strengthens the angel so that the foods cannot cause harm by corrupting dreams. Sukkot is “the Festival of Ingathering” (Rashi, Exodus 23:16), when all types of foods are gathered in. Therefore, joy is needed then to strengthen the angel, which is the rectification of the foods. And so it is “the season of our rejoicing.”", + "Shemini ATZeRet corresponds to Malkhut, as in “this one yaATZoR (will rule) My people” (1 Samuel 9:17), which was said of a king. It is the rectification of mishpat, as in “O Lord, endow the king with Your mishpat” (Psalms 72:1)—i.e., the rectification of mishpat, as explained previously, through which the aforementioned defilement is eliminated. This is the meaning of what is brought in the holy writings, that on Shemini ATZeRet the feminine principle OTZeRet (retains) the drop of seed. This refers to the rectification of defilement. The aforementioned concepts rectify “his flesh becomes stopped up,” so that the drop of seed is retained in holiness instead of being wasted, as happens when “his flesh becomes stopped up,” God forbid." + ], + [ + "15A. And this is conceptually related to a teacher with disciples. A true teacher with [his] disciples brings to and rectifies all the concepts mentioned previously.", + "When disciples gather around the teacher, the facets of faith are gathered together and collected. This is the reason the studying of a teacher with disciples is called yeShiVah, on account of the gathering together of the facets of faith. This is the concept of “a land noShaVet (inhabited)” (Exodus 16:35), as in “dwell in the land and tend to faith”; the opposite of “an unsown land” (Jeremiah 2:2), which alludes to a blemish of faith. For the teacher supervises each one’s facets of faith, gathering and elevating them, as in “My eyes are upon the faithful of the land, lashevet (that they should dwell) with Me” (Psalms 101:6). “LaSheVet with Me” alludes to yeShiVah, “a land noShaVet.”", + "This is why those who convert as a result of the gathering of faith, as explained previously, are identified with yeShiVah, as it is written: “He saw the Kenite… and said: Aytan moShaVekha (Secure is your dwelling)” (Numbers 24:21). And this is the meaning of AYTaN—“TaNYA that supports you,” as is brought in the Tikkuney Zohar (#21, p .44a). Yeshivah study is support for converts, because the concept of yeshivah brings them to convert. Through a teacher with [his] disciples, i.e., yeshivah, the facets of faith are gathered together and collected, and so people convert. It follows, that a teacher with [his] disciples rectifies faith.", + "15B. The mind, too, is renewed and rectified. The teacher rectifies and renews the minds of the disciples, and the disciples renew the mind of the teacher, as [the Sages] said: “… but from my students most of all” (Makkot 10a).", + "Now, the main time for gathering is on Rosh HaShanah, which, as “head,” corresponds to the rectification of the intellects, as discussed above. And each one illuminates and strengthens the other. In other words, all five senses of the brain are present also in the teacher with [his] disciples when they gather together.", + "The sense of sight parallels seeing the teacher, as in “your eyes will see your teacher” (Isaiah 30:20), which is a great thing.", + "Hearing is the concept of “He opened their ears to discipline” (Job 36:10)—i.e., each one hearing the reproof of the teacher.", + "Smell parallels the exertion and effort each person expends in trekking to reach the teacher. This is synonymous with smell, as in “and the fragrance [in] APeikh (your nose)” (Song of Songs 7:9), and in “APh (Also), my wisdom remained with me” (Ecclesiastes 2:9). Wisdom that became mine through the aph remained with me (Kohelet Rabbah 2:13)—i.e., on account of the exertion and effort. For the only way to receive from the teacher is through exertion and effort. This corresponds to the sense of smell.", + "Taste parallels each one tasting and experiencing the sweetness in the teacher’s pleasing words.", + "Touch signifies the hands, as discussed above. This alludes to the expenditures each person has, that he must spend his earnings in order to reach the teacher. This is the sense of touch, the hands—i.e., the labor of his hands.", + "It follows, that here, too, as on Rosh HaShanah, the five senses are rectified. And each one illuminates and strengthens the other. There are times when the five senses associated with Rosh HaShanah are weak, and are strengthened by these five senses of a teacher with [his] disciples. So, too, the other way round. And the concept of tefilin , the seal of Holiness, too, is rectified through them, as in “seal the Torah in [the hearts of] My disciples” (Isaiah 8:16).", + "This corresponds to that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught:", + "When the Rabbis stood up after Rav Huna’s discourses, they shook out glimyhu (their cloaks) and the ananei (clouds) rose [so high] that they obscured the day {i.e., the sun} (Ketuvot 106a ; see there) .", + "In other words, when the disciples would stand up from the yeshivah of their teacher, Rav Huna, they shook out their cloaks . This refers to clothing, which signifies pride, as in “God reigns, He is clothed in grandeur” (Psalms 93:1)—i.e., they shook out and removed haughtiness. This is because the yeshivah of the teacher with the disciples rectifies the seal of Holiness, which is the antithesis of haughtiness, as discussed above.", + "And this is: GLiMYhu— [The letters that spell] GaLMY are an acronym for “YHVH Malakh Gei’ut Lavesh (God reigns, He is clothed in grandeur),” the concept of haughtiness. They subdued and removed it.", + "And this is: and the clouds rose— This alludes to rectifying the Covenant by removing “his flesh becomes stopped up” and elevating it to the concept of tefilin /intellects, as discussed above. This is the meaning of “the clouds rose,” as in “When the rainbow is in the cloud” (Genesis 9:16), which alludes to rectification of the Covenant.", + "And this is: ANaN (cloud)— An acronym for “N’divei Amim Ne’esafu (The nobles of the nations gathered)” (Psalms 47:10), which alludes to converts. For the rectification of converts brings to the rectification of the Covenant, as discussed above. And when the Covenant is rectified—i.e., when “his flesh becomes stopped up” is elevated to the level of intellects—the concept of tefilin that cover the mind is created (see Tikkuney Zohar #69, p.115b).", + "And this is: they obscured the day, i.e., the sun— This alludes to the concept of tefilin that cover the mind, which corresponds to the sun. This is Moshe, as in: Moshe’s face is like the face of the sun (Bava Batra 75a), for Moshe is synonymous with daat, as discussed above.", + "15C. {“Sweet is the sleep of the working man (Metukah shnat ha’oveid), whether he eats little or much” (Ecclesiastes 5:11) .}
And when the mind is rectified to the level of Moshe/ tefilin, then even when Moshe passes away, i.e., when the intellects depart, the vestige that remains, which is the concept of sleep, is also very good. This is as in “Metukah Shnat Ha’oveid (Sweet is the sleep of the working man)”—the first letters of which spell MoSheH.", + "Because the intellects are not permanently fixed, there are times when the teacher experiences a departure of the intellects. The same is true of the disciples. The period of departure corresponds to the passing of Moshe/ daat, the concept of sleep. But when the intellects are rectified by means of yeshivah, then even the departure of daat, which is Moshe passing away and sleep—even the sleep is sweet and good, as in “Sweet is the sleep of the working man.” This is because rectifying the intellects/Moshe rectifies sleep, corresponding to a dream mediated by an angel, as discussed above.", + "This is the meaning of “Sweet is the sleep of the working man”—specifically “sweet,” alluding to concept of sweet waters. This refers to the rectification of the Covenant, which is sweet waters (see Likutey Moharan I, 50:1), the opposite of a blemished Covenant, which is bitter waters, i.e., the blemish caused by the aforementioned defilement, God forbid. But by rectifying the intellects, sleep becomes sweet—the concept of sweet waters, rectification of the Covenant.", + "And this is the meaning of “whether he eats little or much”—i.e., he is not harmed by eating, which brings to the aforementioned defilement in a dream, God forbid, as discussed above. This is because rectification of the intellects rectifies the concept of sleep. Rectifying the intellects causes sleep, which is the departure of daat , to likewise be very good and sweet.", + "In truth, it is particularly necessary to set aside the mind. People have to discard all sophisticated ideas and serve God with simplicity. A person’s practices should exceed his scholarship (Avot 3:9) ; action is the main thing, not the study (ibid. 1:17). It is therefore necessary to set aside all wisdom, and to worship God with simplicity, without any sophisticated ideas. This is obviously so for the foolish “wisdom” of the average person, but even applies to genuine wisdom. When it comes to serving God, even someone who in truth has a great mind, must discard all sophisticated ideas and serve Him with simplicity.", + "It may even be necessary to behave in ways and do things that seem mad in order to serve God, as in “you will be insane with love of her always” (Proverbs 5:19). On account of people’s love for God, they have to [be willing to] do things that seem crazy in order to fulfill His commandments and carry out His Will. They have to [be willing to] roll around in all sorts of mud and mire for the sake of His worship and His mitzvot. This does not apply only to an explicit mitzvah. Anything that bears God’s Will is called a mitzvah. For there are six hundred thirteen commandments, and these six hundred thirteen commandments have many branches. Thus anything that bears God’s Will, through which one pleases his Father in heaven, is a mitzvah, and one must throw oneself into all sorts of mud and mire to give God a bit of pleasure and nachat.", + "And so, when one’s love for God is so strong that he sets aside all his wisdom and throws himself in mud and mire for His worship and to give Him a bit of nachat, it benefits the intellects. This is because he then merits entering into the mystery of even that which is beyond the intellects, that which even Moshe could not enter into the mystery of in his lifetime—namely, the concept of “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper” (see Berakhot 7a). This suggests a perversion of mishpat, for it appears to be a miscarriage of the law, God forbid, and even Moshe failed to enter into the mystery of this while he was alive.", + "In other words, even when the mind is intact and not set aside, which signifies Moshe while alive—for departed intellects/sleep corresponds to Moshe-departed, as discussed above, whereas existent intellects, when the intellects are present and do not depart, correspond to Moshe-alive—even then one cannot enter into the aforementioned mystery, i.e., the reason why the righteous suffer…. But, because his love for God is so strong that he throws himself in mud and mire and rolls around there in order to serve God, and he literally serves like a slave for the sake of His love, he can then enter into the mystery of what even those with Moshe-alive/existent intellects cannot—namely, “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper.”", + "For there is the concept of “son,” one who searches in the King’s treasuries as would a son (see Zohar III, 111b), and there is the concept of “slave,” one who serves merely as he is told to, and is forbidden to inquire after the reasons for his toiling because he is obliged to do his duty, i.e., the work he has been given to carry out.", + "But then there is a son who loves his father so much that, because of his love, he serves like a slave, doing what a lowly slave must do. He jumps onto great siege-mounds, into the thick of the battle, and rolls in mud and mire to please his father, things which not even a lowly slave would do.", + "And when his father sees that his love is so strong that he is willing to reduce himself to total enslavement for the sake of his love, he reveals to him that which is not even disclosed to a son. Because even a son who searches in the royal treasuries is forbidden entry to certain places, i.e., there are mysteries that even the son cannot enter into. But when the son sets aside his wisdom and reduces himself to slavery, his father shows him compassion and reveals to him that which is not disclosed even to a son—i.e., the concept of “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper” is revealed to him, which even Moshe could not enter into the mystery of in his lifetime.", + "{“I will have mercy on them the way a man has mercy on his son who serves him. Then you will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him ” (Malachi 3:17-18) .} This is the meaning of “I will have mercy on them the way a man has mercy on his son who serves him.” Specifically “who serves him”—i.e., the concept of a son who reduces himself to slavery, setting aside his wisdom and acting like a slave. This is the meaning of “his son who serves him”—he behaves like a slave, and so “I will have mercy on him.” For when God sees that his love is so strong, He has compassion for him and He shows and reveals to him the concept of “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper.” This is the meaning of “Then you will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked”—i.e., through this he merits entering into the mystery of “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper.”", + "15D. And this is the rectification of mishpat, because he merits entering into the mystery of “the righteous suffer and the wicked prosper,” which appears to be a perversion of mishpat. But now that he merits entering into the mystery of and understanding this, it is a rectification of mishpat.", + "It follows, that a true teacher with [his] disciples brings to and rectifies all the concepts mentioned previously." + ], + [ + "16. And this is conceptually related to the lungs. When the lungs are healthy, all the concepts mentioned previously are likewise brought about. For the lungs are cool and moist. Cool corresponds to “the cool spirit of an understanding individual,” the rectification of faith by means of an understanding individual, as discussed above. Moist corresponds to the fluids and fatty substances that rise to the brain and become the concept of tefilin, as discussed above.", + "Healthy lungs also correspond to the rectification of sleep. Sleep is generated by the lungs, because the lungs are cool and moist, which are essential to sleep. Therefore, the time for sleep is when it rains, since a person finds it very pleasant to sleep then. This is because the rains, being cool and moist, [fill the air with] coolness and moisture. In the morning, too, sleep is pleasant. The dew descends then and as a result [the air] is cool and moist. Thus sleep is pleasant then as well. It follows, that the lungs, which are cool and moist, correspond to the rectification of sleep.", + "In addition, RaY’Ah (the lung) is so named because it me’IYRat (brings light to) the eyes, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Chullin 49a). This alludes to joy, as in “That which brings light to the eyes gladdens the heart” (Proverbs 15:30)—i.e., the rectification of joy, which is the strengthening of the angel, as discussed above.", + "Healthy lungs also correspond to the rectification of mishpat. For the heart is the place of mishpat, as it is written, “Aharon bore the mishpat of the Israelites on his heart.” Thus, when mishpat is corrupted, causing the fallen loves to devolve from the Chariot, the heart becomes excited, as discussed above. It follows, that the heart’s excitation is the corruption of mishpat. But the lungs fan the heart and cool the excitation—this being the rectification of mishpat.", + "This is the meaning of “He blows His wind, the waters flow” (Psalms 147:18). In other words, the lungs blowing wind on the heart and cooling the heart’s excitation rectifies mishpat. This is the meaning of “the waters flow,” as in “Let mishpat cascade like water” (Amos 5:24), which alludes to the rectification of mishpat.", + "This is also the meaning of “ray’ah is so named because it me’iyrat the eyes.” It corresponds to: A judge has only what his eyes see (Sanhedrin 6b)—this being the rectification of mishpat. This is Me’IYRaT: an acronym for “Tokho Ratzuf Ahavah Me’bnot Yerushalayim (suffused with love by the maidens of Jerusalem).” It refers to the rectification of mishpat, the rectification of the Chariot, to which holy love is consigned, as in “its chariot of purple, suffused with love by the maidens of Yerushalayim,” as discussed above.", + "This is as in “can your mishpat, [as] light, emerge?” (Hosea 6:5), and as we say: “and bring forth our mishpat, as light” (Rosh HaShanah Liturgy). In other words, by means of the lungs—i.e., bringing light to the eyes— mishpat is rectified, as in “and bring forth our mishpat, as light.”" + ], + [ + "17. This is the explanation of: Rav Ashi taught: Huna bar Natan told me [the following story]: Once, we were going in the wilderness and we had with us atma d’bisra (shank meat). P’tachna (We cut it open) and nakrina (porged it) and placed it on herbs [for roasting]. While we were bringing tzivey (wood), the shank chalim (recombined), u-t’vinan (and we roasted it). When we returned after twelve months of the year, we saw that those same coals were still glowing. When I came before Ameimar [and related this story], he said to me: “Those herbs were samatrei; those coals were of ritma (broom)” (Bava Batra 74b) .", + "In other words, he related that he was once going in the wilderness . This alludes to the rectification of faith, as in “your having followed Me into the wilderness, into an unsown land” (Jeremiah 2:2). “An unsown land” alludes to a blemish of faith, on account of which the seeds are ruined, as discussed above. But “your having followed Me into the wilderness” is the rectification of faith, for they had faith in God and followed Him in the wilderness, thus rectifying the concept of “an unsown land”—i.e., the fall of faith.", + "and we had with us atma d’bisra— Atma bisra (shank meat) alludes to converts, who are “uncircumcised basar (flesh)” (Ezekiel 44:7). Through them comes the concept “his flesh hechtim (becomes stopped up),” as discussed above. This is the meaning of ATMei meat: it alludes to “uncircumcised flesh,” as in “his flesh heChTiM.” For elevating fallen faith makes converts, through whom the seal of the Other Side is strengthened, God forbid—the concept of “his flesh becomes stopped up,” as discussed above.", + "u’PaTChinan — We rectified the concept of “his flesh hechtim,” and this made the chotem of Holiness, the concept of “PiTuChey chotem (seal engravings): ‘Holy to God’” (Exodus 28:36)—i.e., the rectification of the intellects, as discussed above.", + "v’NaKRinan — This is as in “I will put you b’NiKRat (in the cleft of) the rock,” which alludes to constricting the intellects so that they do not go beyond the boundary, as discussed above.", + "and placed it on herbs— “Herbs” alludes to all manner of food, as it is written “like the green herbage, I have given all to you” (Genesis 9:3). It follows, that “herbs” connotes the generality of foods. This is “and placed it on herbs”—i.e., after rectifying the intellects, we applied ourselves to the herbs, namely, the foods, in order to rectify them and keep them from causing harm and blemishing the dream, God forbid. This rectification—i.e., the rectification of the foods—is achieved by strengthening the angel, which is strengthened through renewing Divine Will, through joy, as discussed above. And this is:", + "While we were bringing TZiVeY— This is as in “He does khmiTZV’Yeh (as He wishes) with the host of Heaven,” namely, the renewal of Divine Will. In other words, we wanted to bring Divine Will, the renewal of which strengthens the angel and thus rectifies the foods.", + "And this is: While we were bringing tzivey, [the shank] chalim— While we were occupied with rectifying the foods through the renewal of Divine Will, we dreamed a dream. This is ChaLiM, which is etymologically similar to ChaLoM (a dream). Chalim also connotes binding and combining, because the dream was a combination of two forces—the power of the angel and the power of the demon—since the foods had yet to be rectified.", + "And this is: u-t’ vinan — This connotes fasting. We fasted, because fasting brings joy, this being the rectification of the dream, as discussed above.", + "When we returned after twelve months of the year— That is, we returned and came to the month of Nissan, which is after the twelve months of the year because Nissan is the beginning of the months and the new year for kings. And it is then that the angel is strengthened, as discussed above.", + "Nevertheless, we saw that those same coals were still glowing— Even after the twelve months of the year, which is Nissan, all the same, the coals were still burning. This alludes to the excitation of the heart that brings to the aforementioned defilement, God forbid. In actual fact, the angel is strengthened in Nissan, and by rights that defilement should be entirely eliminated.", + "When I came before Ameimar, he said: “Those herbs were samatrei”— In other words, the foods/herbs were sam trei (two potions), a combination of two forces: the potion of life and the potion of death—i.e., the power of the angel and the power of the demon, as discussed above. This is because before the foods are rectified, the demon’s power is mixed into them. They are then the concept of samatrei : sam trei, for they are comprised of two forces, the angel’s power and the demon’s power. This is the meaning of “That herb was samatrei.”", + "those coals were of ritma— As Rashi explains, RiTMa is RoTeM (broom). This alludes to the rectification of the Chariot, as in “R’ToM (Firmly assemble) the chariot” (Micah 1:13). In other words, Ameimar informed him that the excitation comes from the Chariot being blemished by the perversion of mishpat, as discussed above. The only way to rectify this is by assembling the Chariot, as in “Firmly assemble the chariot.” And this is:", + "RiYTMA— It is an acronym for Tokho Ratzuf Ahavah Me’bnot Yerushalayim—that the aforementioned excitation stems from the fall of this love, and rectification is only through the concept of “R’tom the chariot,” i.e., assembling the Chariot, as in “its chariot of purple, suffused with love by the maidens of Yerushalayim,” as discussed above." + ], + [ + "18. And this is the meaning of [the opening verses]: “Tik’u (Sound) vachodesh shofar (the shofar at the moon’ s renewal), [bakeseh (when [the moon] is covered over) on our festive day. For it is a chok (statute) for Israel, a mishpat unto the Lord of Yaakov.]”", + "TiK’U — This is “If a shofar is TaKA (sounded) in a city, are the people not frightened?” It alludes to the body’s trembling, “the cool spirit of an understanding individual”—i.e., the understanding individual through whom faith is rectified, as discussed above.", + "vaChoDeSh shofar — with self-glorification ChaDaSh (new); that is, the self-glorification and new pride which is revealed. This refers to the converts made by elevating fallen faith, who instill pride in the Jewish people. And this is:", + "bakeseh on our festive day— baKeSeh alludes to the tefilin, which are m’KhaSin (cover) the mind. The aforementioned pride is transformed into tefilin by the Guardians of the Earth who rectify and elevate the blemish of haughtiness, “his flesh becomes stopped up,” and turn it into a seal of Holiness/ tefilin, as discussed above. And this is:", + "on our festive day— Rosh HaShanah, which is rosh and intellects. All the aforementioned concepts are achieved then.", + "For it is a chok for Israel— The word chok denotes sustenance (Beitzah 16a), alluding to the rectification of the foods, as discussed above.", + "a mishpat unto the Lord of Yaakov— This alludes to the rectification of mishpat, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "19. This relates above, to the verse: “I will have mercy on them [the way a man has mercy on his son who serves him].”", + "It is truly a very great thing to discard all one’s sophisticated ideas and conduct oneself with simplicity, serving like a slave in order to serve God with purity, without any sophisticated ideas. This relates to the mysteries of Torah, in which the Torah is hidden and concealed. In actual fact, the simple acts one performs certainly contain very exalted Torah, though this is not known. It follows, that the Torah they contain is hidden and concealed—i.e., the concept of Torah mysteries.", + "{“How lovely are your steps in sandals, O daughter of nobility! Your rounded thighs are like chala’im (ornaments), the work of a master’ s hand” (Song of Songs 7:2) .} The Torah’s mysteries are “your rounded thighs”—just as the thigh is kept concealed, so too, the words of Torah are kept concealed, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Sukkah 49b). This is the rectification of mishpat, as in “your rounded thighs are like ChaLa’im”—these are the shitin (caverns), which are meChoLaLin (hollow) and descend to the depths (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in Sukkah 49a). This is as in “Your mishpat, a great deep” (Psalms 36:7)—i.e., mishpat, which has fallen to the depths.", + "But by means of the aforementioned acts of service—which are Torah mysteries/“your rounded thighs”/the shitin, which are hollow down to the depths—they break through, descending to the depths and raising the mishpat from its fall, from “Your mishpat, a great deep.”", + "This is as in “Deep calls to deep” (Psalms 42:8), and as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: When the water libations are poured during the festival, one deep says to another, “Let your waters gush forth” (Taanit 25b). In other words, the deeps call to one another to return the mishpat that has fallen to them. This is so that the mishpat might be restored and rectified, as in “Let mishpat well up like water.”", + "This is the meaning of “Let your waters gush forth,” as in “Let mishpat well up like water.” In other words, they should gush forth and return the mishpat that has fallen to them, so that it might be rectified, as in “Let mishpat well up like water.” It follows, that performing deeds and acts of service with simplicity rectifies mishpat." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "A good sweat {as when one sweats over a holy task} brings to joy. This is as in “You shall rejoice on your festivals” (Deuteronomy 16:14)—i.e., the joy of yom tov (a holiday). {Nor is this necessarily referring to an actual yom tov (literally: a good day), but any day (yom) that is in the category of good (tov) is a yom tov .}", + "The reason is that joy depends on [the state of] the blood. Depression stems from the spleen, [which filters] the impurities in the blood. An excess ofblood impurities in the spleen causes illness, God forbid. When the blood’s impurities in the spleen are within normal limits, then, on the contrary, the spleen’s receiving them is beneficial, because the blood is left pure. But when the blood’s impurities in the spleen become overwhelming, illness results, God forbid.", + "The cure is to sweat. Sweating eliminates the toxins of the contaminated blood which cause a person to fall ill, God forbid, and the blood is left pure. One can then come to joy. This is because depression is essentially a product of the spleen, i.e., the impurities in the blood. But now that the blood’s impurities have been exuded through the sweat, joy is generated….", + "Thus, the letters that spell ZeYAH (sweat) are an acronym for “Zeh Hayom Asah YHVH – This is the day God has made” (Psalms 118:24). This alludes to the yom tov joy brought about by a good sweat.", + "We see this empirically, that as soon as a sick person sweats, he feels happy—because sweating generates joy, as discussed above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Vayehi Mikeitz (And it was at the end of) two years of days that Pharaoh dreamed ….” (Genesis 41:1)", + "“For he with compassion for them will lead them” (Isaiah 49:10). In other words, one who has compassion can be a leader.", + "And one has to know how to act with this compassion. It is forbidden to show compassion for the wicked, or for murderers and thieves. In addition, someone who does not know how to exercise compassion might “pity” a four-day-old infant by feeding it foods suitable for an adult, and not for such an infant. Such an infant must be nourished specifically on milk. It is therefore necessary to know how to act with compassion. Compassion for an infant such as this requires giving him specifically milk; and for an adult, [giving him] the food that he needs. Likewise, it is necessary to show compassion to each person as is suitable for him." + ], + [ + "2. Only Moshe Rabbeinu had such compassion. He was the leader of the Jewish people and he will be the leader in the future, for “That which was is what will be” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).", + "Moshe Rabbeinu had genuine compassion for the Jewish people. He sacrificed himself for them and cast aside his life, showing absolutely no concern for himself. Although God said to him, “and I will make you into a great nation” (Exodus 32:10), he paid no attention whatsoever to this, but said, “If You would, forgive their offense” (ibid. :32) . This is because he was compassionate and a true leader.", + "And [Moshe] engaged in settling the world, so that it should be inhabited by human beings. The essential human element is daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God). Someone without daat is not part of the human race and does not deserve to be called human. He is nothing more than a beast with the appearance of a human being.", + "Moshe Rabbeinu had compassion and engaged in settling the world so that it should be inhabited and filled with human beings—i.e., people with daat. He was the one who unfolded the light of daat for us , as it is written (Deuteronomy 4:35), “It was you who disclosed the daat that YHVH (God) is the Elohim (Lord).” Moshe unfolded daat and revealed to us that there is Elohim, Ruler of the earth." + ], + [ + "3. The main compassion is when the Jews, the holy people, succumb to sin, God forbid. May the Compassionate One spare us. There is no greater compassion than this. This is because all the terrible suffering in the world is considered naught in comparison to the heavy burden of sin, God forbid. For when Israel succumbs to sin, God forbid, it is a very heavy burden, one that is impossible to bear, as in “like a burden which is heavy, they are too heavy for me” (Psalms 38:5).", + "Anyone who knows Israel’s holiness—their source—and discerns their spirituality and refinement, knows that Israel is totally distant from sin. [He knows,] too, that, on account of the great measure of their innate holiness and their great refinement and spirituality, they have no connection whatsoever to sin. Therefore, all the suffering in the world is not considered a burden in comparison to the heavy burden of sin, God forbid. May the Compassionate One spare us.", + "And even when a person endures suffering, if it doesn’t include sin, it is not at all reckoned as suffering. This is as in “There is no suffering without sin” (Shabbat 55a). If no sin is present, it is not suffering, because suffering is only when one succumbs to sin, God forbid. Thus, the essence of compassion is to show compassion for Israel, the holy people, by releasing them from the heavy burden of sin.", + "This is why whenever Israel succumbed to any sin, Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, would sacrifice himself for them and pray for them, as happened with the spies and the like. He knew that, on account of their holiness and refinement, they are distant from sin and completely incapable of bearing sin’s heavy burden.", + "And, in fact, what is the genesis of sin, God forbid? It is nothing other than one’s lack of daat. This is because “A person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him” (Sotah 3a). Thus, this is the greatest compassion of all: One has to show him compassion by instilling him with daat. This is as in “Praiseworthy is he who imparts wisdom to the poor” (Psalm 41:2), because poverty is nothing other than a lack of daat (Nedarim 41a). One has to show him compassion by instilling him with daat." + ], + [ + "4. Even when a person’s time comes to pass away and the soul ascends and attaches itself to the place to which it ascends in the upper worlds, remaining on high is not the soul’s ultimate purpose and perfection. Rather, the soul is most perfect when at the same time that it is above, it is also below. One therefore has to leave behind a blessing, a son or a disciple, so that at the time of his ascent on high his daat also remains below.", + "As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “who have no replacement” (Psalms 55:20)—one opines that it refers to a son, and the other opines that it refers to a disciple (Bava Batra 116a). For the disciple receives the daat of the teacher. The son, too, because it is certainly no advantage to leave behind a wicked son, God forbid. The main thing is to leave behind a son who is also a disciple, who receives from him his wisdom and his daat.", + "As for the other one, he maintains that a disciple is sufficient because the main thing is to leave behind one’s daat in the world. Consequently, even just a disciple is sufficient because the ultimate perfection is that one’s daat remains in the world at the time of passing, when the soul ascends on high.", + "Anyone with even a bit of knowledge of the Blessed One knows that nothing gives God greater pleasure and delight than our exalting and sanctifying His Holy Name from this lowly world. This is God’s greatest pleasure and delight, as it is brought (cf. Mussaf of Yom Kippur), “You desire praise from mounds of dust, from lumps of clay.” God has seraphim, chayot, ofanim, and supernal worlds that serve Him. Even so, His greatest pleasure and delight is when the service of this lowly world rises to the realms on high. One therefore has to leave behind a son or disciple, so that his daat remains below to enlighten the inhabitants of this lowly world. For when his daat remains below through a son or disciple, it is reckoned as though he himself has literally remained in the world.", + "Producing disciples is something every person can accomplish. When two people discuss the fear of Heaven and one says something that enlightens his friend, his friend is considered the aspect of disciple vis-à-vis him. And occasionally, the reverse happens. That is, when he later hears something from his friend, he becomes the aspect of disciple in relation to his friend.", + "And every person has to work conscientiously at this, because “He did not create it for emptiness; He formed it for habitation” (Isaiah 45:18). Everyone has to engage in settling the world, to fill it with human beings, as it is written (Genesis 1:28), “and fill the earth.” The essence of settling the world is when it is filled with human beings—i.e., people with daat, because someone without daat is not at all human.", + "{In other words, just as a person is commanded to beget children to perpetuate the world’s existence, so, too, he is commanded to instill daat and fear of Heaven into his sons and disciples. This is the essence of the mitzvah: he is commanded to produce offspring for the world to exist. It is essential that he produce offspring of the human kind, and not of the species of animal or beast with the appearance of a human being.", + "Therefore, as long as people are not enlightened by daat, so that they do not know and experience His Godliness and dominion, they are not classified as human. This is because they lack the daat to know God, which is the defining element of a human being. The world is thus considered “empty and void” (Genesis 1:2). And about this it is said: “He did not create it for emptiness; He formed it for habitation.” One has to settle the world, so that it is inhabited specifically by human beings—i.e., people with daat, who know God.", + "This is also the mitzvah of “and fill the earth.” We have to fill the world with human beings. In other words, every person is commanded to speak with his friend about the fear of Heaven in order to instill his friend with daat. This is the essence of settling the world—that it be inhabited by human beings, i.e., people with daat, who know God.}", + "Thus, everyone has to engage in this—instilling daat and fear of Heaven into his friend, through which his friend becomes the aspect of disciple vis-à-vis him. Then, when his days are complete and the time for him to pass away arrives, he becomes embodied in that teaching which he instilled into his friend. It is considered as if he himself literally exists in this world, as in “who have no replacement”—one opines that this refers to a son, and the other opines that this refers to a disciple. It follows, that when he leaves behind a son or a disciple, he has chaliphot—i.e., he has a replacement because his daat remains behind through a son or disciple, as discussed above.", + "The main thing is daat. When his daat remains behind through either a son or a disciple, it is considered as if he literally continues to exist in the world. Thus, [the letters that spell] ChaLIPhOT are the initial letters of Pi Yedaber Chakhmot V’hagut Leebee Tevunot (“My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be understanding”) (Psalms 49:4). For the main thing is daat, which is the concept of “My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.” This is the primary legacy and replacement that a person leaves behind—i.e., that he spoke wisdom and understanding with his friend and instilled in him true daat and fear of Heaven. Therefore, the initial letters of Pi Yedaber Chakhmot V’hagut Leebee Tevunot spell ChaLIPhOT, for this is one’s main replacement and legacy.", + "Actually, a son and a disciple are one and the same. This is because a son is also a disciple. And a disciple is akin to a son, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Whoever teaches his friend’s son Torah, it is as if he made him (Sanhedrin 99b). It is considered as if he made also the disciple’s body, because earlier he did not deserve to be called human, since he lacked daat and so only resembled a human being. It follows, that by studying Torah with him and instilling him with daat, he became a human being. Therefore, it is considered as if he made him, literally. Thus, the disciple, too, is akin to a son." + ], + [ + "5. However, one who wants to discuss fear of Heaven with his friend must himself possess fear of Heaven. This is so that his words make an impression on his friend, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Any person who fears Heaven, his words are heard (Berakhot 6b).", + "It is also so that his words stay with his friend. For there are times when a person says something to his friend, but the words instantly pass through the other’s heart and depart, without staying with him at all. Therefore, this requires that he possess the fear of Heaven. Anyone whose fear of sin precedes his wisdom, his wisdom will endure (Avot 3:9)—i.e., his words will stay with his friend. It follows, that anyone wishing to instill his friend with daat must possess fear of Heaven, in order for his words to be accepted and endure.", + "This is the meaning of “who have no replacement and they fear not God.” In other words, when a person does not leave behind his daat through a son or disciple—this being the concept of “replacement”—it is a sign that “they fear not God,” because fear causes his daat to remain behind." + ], + [ + "6. Speaking with friends to instill them with daat and fear of Heaven and to produce disciples brings to the internalization of the lights of the makifim (transcendent perceptions). In other words, one becomes worthy of understanding and knowing what initially one neither understood nor knew. That which a person understands and grasps with his intellect is immanent, for that perception penetrates his intellect. But that which cannot penetrate his intellect—i.e., which is impossible for him to understand—is transcendent. It surrounds his intellect and he cannot internalize it because, for him, it is transcendent, since he is incapable of understanding it.", + "But as a result of his engaging in speaking with people and instilling his daat into them, his mind becomes emptied of his previous perceptions and daat, and through this the transcendent perception penetrates. This is because emptying his mind by instilling his daat into his friend brings to the internalization of that which was transcendent, and he merits understanding the transcendent perception—i.e., he understands that which originally he could not.", + "Now, there are many levels of makifim. This is because what for one person is transcendent, for his friend on a higher level is immanent. And so on, higher and higher. It can also be that a perception which for one person is transcendent, for another person is even less than immanent, because the latter is on a much greater level than he. Thus, when a person speaks with his friend about the fear of Heaven and instills his daat into him , his own makif becomes internalized. And so on, higher and higher; commensurate with his aspect and level, each person’s transcendent perception becomes immanent when he speaks with his colleague or disciple and instills his own daat into him.", + "This is the meaning of “For it is something exceedingly close to you, in your mouth and in your heart, to do it” (Deuteronomy 30:14).", + "For it is something exceedingly close to you— In other words, so as to bring close to you that thing which is “exceeding”—the concept of the makifim, which are hidden and exceedingly distant from a person. Bringing them closer to you and making them immanent depends on “in your mouth and in your heart, to do it.”", + "in your mouth and in your heart— This is as in “My mouth will speak wisdom and the meditation of my heart will be understanding.” In other words, he should reveal his wisdom and understanding to his disciples, as discussed above. This is:", + "to do it— This is “as if he made him,” as mentioned above. Through this he is able to internalize the transcendent perceptions and bring them close; making that which is “exceeding,” immanent.", + "Highest of all are the makifim of the generation’s leading sage, who is its teacher. When this teacher-sage of the generation speaks with his disciples and instills his daat in them, his own transcendent perceptions become internalized. His makifim are the concept of length-of-days and -years. This is because his makifim correspond to the World to Come, which, being beyond time, is a day that is eternally long (Kiddushin 39b).", + "For all the time of this entire world, past and future, is absolutely naught in comparison with a single day, and even a single moment, of the World to Come, which is a day that is eternally long. Time is non-existent there because [the World to Come] is beyond time. Rather, the continuum of experience there is ordered in correspondence with attaining the makifim. Some maKiFim are associated with days, while other maKiFim are associated with years, as in “teKuFot (cycles) of days” (1 Samuel 1:20) and teKuFot of years (see Exodus 34:22 and 2 Chronicles 24:23). Thus, it is these makifim which are the order of time there. Attaining these transcendent perceptions are the main pleasure and delight of the World to Come. Happy is he who merits attaining them.", + "And this is the culmination of knowledge. For the culmination of all knowledge is when one realizes that one knows nothing. This is because attaining these makifim, the delight of the World to Come, is the concept of “How abundant is Your good that You have stored away for those who fear You” (Psalms 31:20). They are the abundant good that is stored away, concealed and hidden from all eyes. This is the meaning of “Mah (How) abundant is Your good”—specifically mah. For these [perceptions] are the concept of mah, as in “Mah (What) did you see? Mah did your investigating achieve?” This is: The culmination of all knowledge is when one realizes that one knows nothing.", + "It is also synonymous with the influx of Keter, because KeTeR signifies encircling, as in “KiTRu (They encircled) the Benjaminites…” (Judges 20:43)." + ], + [ + "7. Now, the sage who merits these makifim, the influx of Keter, must possess the attribute of kol, as in “for kol (all) that is in heaven and on the earth” (1 Chronicles 29:11)—which Targum renders as: he unites heaven and earth. He has to uphold and sustain two worlds, the upper world and the lower world, namely, heaven and earth. The tzaddik-sage must uphold both of them, sustaining each one through its own aspect.", + "This is because there are those who “dwell above” and those who “dwell below,” namely, the upper world and the lower world, the concept of heaven and earth. The tzaddik has to show those who dwell above that they really know nothing about the Blessed One. This is the insight of mah, as in “Mah did you see? Mah did your investigating achieve?”—the concept of “Ayeh (Where is) the place of His glory?”", + "Conversely, he has to show those who dwell below that, on the contrary, “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). For there are those who “dwell in the dust,” who are sunk in the lowest levels, to whom it seems as if they are very distant from the Blessed One. The tzaddik has to rouse and wake them, as in “awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust” (ibid. 26:19). He must reveal to them that God is with them, and that they are close to Him, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” And he must encourage and rouse them so that they do not despair, God forbid, for they are still with God and close to Him, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.”", + "This is the attribute kol which the tzaddik possesses, as in “for kol that is in heaven and on the earth”—he unites heaven and earth. In other words, he upholds and sustains two worlds. He upholds and sustains the upper world with the concept of mah: “where is the place of His glory?” And he sustains the lower world with the concept of “the whole earth is filled with His glory.”", + "{See below (Likutey Moharan II, 68), where this same matter is explained in somewhat greater detail. The principle is that ultimate perfection for the tzaddik is when he possesses both of the aforementioned concepts—i.e., he knows how best to speak with, teach and shine into each person individually, into those who dwell above as well as those who dwell below, in the upper as well as the lower, “in heaven and on the earth.” These correspond to the great and small. For those whose level is great, the spiritual elite, who dwell above, the tzaddik must be able to show and reveal to them that they as yet know nothing about God—“What did you see? What did your investigating achieve?” This is the teaching and insight that he must shine and instill into those whose level is great, who dwell above.", + "Conversely, there are those who are extremely sunk in the lowest level and would utterly give up on themselves, God forbid, for it seems to them that they are very distant from God, and that all ‘their strength and expectation from God is gone.’ The tzaddik must be able to rouse and wake them, so that they never despair, no matter what the situation, be what may! And he must show them and shine into them that God is still with them, near and close to them. Even inside the earth itself—even if one has fallen to the nethermost pit of Hell, God forbid—still and all, the Blessed One’s glory is found particularly there, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.”", + "Thus, this is the attribute of kol which the tzaddik possesses.}" + ], + [ + "8. In addition, this sage of the generation must know which of the makifim he is meant to draw down and which not. For this reason, there are things which he may not reveal to the disciples, because if he does, his intellect will internalize other makifim, and sometimes he is not meant to internalize these transcendent perceptions.", + "Take, for example, the teacher who, while explaining to his student some Talmudic passage and its commentators, encounters a difficult question. Initially, that difficulty was a transcendent perception for him, for he was unaware of it. But as soon as the difficulty comes to mind he tells it to his student, and as he explains the difficulty, a solution falls into his mind. As a result, he comprehends another transcendent perception, this being the solution to the difficulty, which he then relates as well to the student. But when he reveals also the solution to the student, he internalizes yet another transcendent perception and this current perception restores the original difficulty. On the contrary, the difficulty is now stronger and more comprehensive than originally. It emerges, that by revealing the solution to the student, he internalized another transcendent perception, a new perception, which caused the difficulty to return with greater force, because it is now stronger and more comprehensive than originally.", + "Likewise, there are insights which contain things that one is forbidden to reveal, because revealing this solution to the disciple causes a new transcendent perception to be internalized, through which the difficult question becomes stronger and more comprehensive than originally. Eventually, this can lead him to makifim which are beyond time—there is not enough time to clarify the difficulties and solutions that are there, for they are beyond time. This is because for each perception, difficulty or solution that he reveals, a new transcendent perception is internalized. Thus, if he is not careful with his words, being particular about what to reveal and what not, he will become involved with difficulties and solutions for which not enough time exists to clarify them, on account of their being makifim which are beyond time.", + "The sage must therefore make a fence for his words. He must be particular and careful about what to reveal and what not to reveal, so that he attains only those makifim he is meant to attain and not those he is not meant to attain.", + "This is the meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: When Moshe ascended on high, he found the Holy Blessed One affixing crowns to the [Torah’s] letters. “Master of the Universe! Who compels this of You?” he asked. “In the future, a man by the name of Akiva the son of Yosef will stand up and derive countless laws based on each crown,” He answered. “Master of the Universe!” he said, “would it not be fitting to give the Torah through him?” “Be silent!” He answered. “Thus has it arisen in thought” (Menachot 29b).", + "This seems difficult. Why did God tell him “Be silent!” after he had already voiced the question? And what is the point of this silence after his having asked what he asked? However, as soon as Moshe gave voice to the difficulty, the solution immediately came into his mind. But if he were to articulate the solution, a different transcendent perception would be internalized and this would bring him to a stronger and more comprehensive difficulty than he began with. God therefore told him, “Be silent!” In other words, he should be silent and not reveal the solution, so that he does not come to a stronger and more comprehensive difficulty than he began with.", + "This is the meaning of “Thus has it arisen in thought.” In other words, as soon as a person reveals the immanent perception, another transcendent perception is internalized and a new perception arises in thought. It is therefore necessary to be silent, so as not to approach the makifim that one is not meant to attain. This is the meaning of “Be silent! Thus has it arisen in thought.”", + "And this is the explanation of: Be deliberate in judgment; produce many disciples; and make a fence for the Torah (Avot 1:1).", + "Be deliberate in judgment— The aforementioned sage must be deliberative, knowing how to speak with each individual. To those who dwell above he reveals the insight of mah, as in “Mah did you see?…” And to those who dwell below he reveals the insight of “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” This is the concept of judgment, of justice, as in “The Lord is judge, He brings down one and lifts up another” (Psalms 75:8). [The sage] must lower the lofty and show them that they know nothing about the Blessed One. But the small, those who “dwell in the dust,” he must lift up; he must rouse and wake them, so that they never despair, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” And this is:", + "produce many disciples— When a person merits such an insight, so that he enlightens both great and small, he is certain to produce many disciples. This is because everyone needs him, on account of his ability to study with all of them, as discussed above. And this is:", + "and make a fence for the Torah— As in: Silence is a fence for wisdom (Avot 3:13). He must make a fence for his words, at times being silent, as in “Be silent! Thus has it arisen in thought.” By producing many disciples he merits attaining the makifim—i.e., he grasps and understands that which he originally could not grasp. He must therefore make a fence for his words and at times keep silent, so as not to become occupied with makifim that are beyond time, for which there is not enough time to clarify the difficult questions and solutions they contain, as discussed above.", + "Now, these two concepts, those who dwell above and those who dwell below—i.e., the insight of mah, and the insight of “the whole earth is filled with His glory”—are synonymous with the insight which is the concept of son and that which is the concept of disciple.", + "And even though a son and a disciple are one and the same, as discussed above—since a son is also a disciple, and a disciple is also akin to a son, for it is considered as if he made him, as discussed above—nevertheless, there is a distinction between a son and a disciple. A son who is also a disciple is superior to a mere disciple because, from head to toe, he is derived from the father. There isn’t a hair on him that is not derived from the father’s mind. Consequently, the insight of the son is of a greater level than the insight associated with the disciple.", + "And this is the difference between the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu and that of the other prophets. Moshe gazed into a mirror that shines, whereas they gazed into a mirror that does not shine (Yevamot 49b). This is precisely the difference between the insight of those who dwell above and those who dwell below, the concepts of son and disciple. Moshe attained the level of “for no human shall see Me and live” (Exodus 33:20). This is the insight of mah, as in “Mah did you see?…,” which is the insight of those who dwell above, a son. But Yeshayahu, who was on a lower spiritual level than Moshe, said: “I beheld the Lord” (Isaiah 6:1). This is the insight of those who dwell below, a disciple, as in “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” Although Yeshayahu knew that there is an insight which is the concept of mah, he spoke consistent with his own level—i.e., with the insight of “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” as in “I beheld the Lord.”", + "It follows, that son and disciple are synonymous with those who dwell above and those who dwell below. In other words, the insight of mah, as in “Mah did you see? Mah did your investigating achieve?”—as in “Where is the place of His glory?” and “for no human shall see Me”—is the insight of the son, of those that dwell above. And the insight which is “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” as in “I beheld the Lord,” corresponds to the insight of the disciple, of those that dwell below. For the son is derived entirely from the father’s mind and so merits his father’s insight exactly—i.e., the concept of mah, which is the insight of the teacher-sage of the generation, as discussed above. But the disciple receives only the insight of those who dwell below, which is “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” as discussed above." + ], + [ + "9. And one has to mesh together the worlds, the upper with the lower and the lower with the upper. The son should incorporate the element of disciple, and the disciple should incorporate the element of son, in order that they should possess fear of Heaven.", + "This is because the son is synonymous with the insight of mah, as in “Mah did you see?…” That being the case, he will not have any fear of God, since he is never witness to the Blessed One’s glory. The son must therefore incorporate an element of disciple; to reveal to the concept of son also a bit of the disciple’s insight, i.e., that “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” in order that he should possess fear of God.", + "The same applies to the disciple, whose insight is “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” That being the case, he is in danger of ceasing to exist. It is therefore necessary to show him a bit of the son’s insight, i.e., the concept of mah , so that he does not cease to exist but instead possesses fear of God." + ], + [ + "10. By meshing together son and disciple it is possible for a person to experience the revelation of Desire which comes at the time of eating—provided he is a stalwart, and not the opposite {a shlimazel}. The light of Desire shines into him while eating, so that he greatly yearns and longs for God with a boundless desire, knowing not at all what it is that he desires!", + "This is the concept of “and You give them their sustenance in its time” (Psalms 145:15). “In its time” alludes to the aforementioned revelation of Desire, as in “at that time it will be said to Yaakov and to Israel, ‘What has God wrought?’” (Numbers 23:23). This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: The partition of the righteous will in the future be inward of that of the ministering angels (Yerushalmi, Shabbat 6:9). “Partition” corresponds to makifim, which are the partitions of the intellect. In the Future, the partitions of the makifim of the righteous will be higher than the makifim of the ministering angels. Their insight will then be on the level of mah— “Mah (What) has God wrought?”", + "This revelation of mah is the revelation of Desire, which is higher than all else. It manifests at the time of eating, as in “and You give them their sustenance in its time.” Specifically “in its time,” which corresponds to the revelation of Desire, which is mah, as in “at that time it will be said to Yaakov and to Israel, ‘ Mah (What)….’” This corresponds to the aforementioned makifim, as they [too] are the concept of mah, i.e., the revelation of Desire.", + "As for why one experiences the revelation of Desire particularly at the time of eating—know! anyone who would gird his loins to assume the role of provider, to supply livelihood for those dependent upon him, must be a stalwart, not the opposite {a shlimazel}, because he needs to have a certain amount of authority. This is because all livelihood is drawn from Malkhut (Kingship), as it is written of the king: “The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong… in which there was sustenance for all… It is you, O king” (Daniel 4:17-19).", + "Consequently, anyone wanting to obtain livelihood must have a measure of authority, in order to have some connection with Malkhut. This is the meaning of “at mealtime, ‘Come over halom (here)’” (Ruth 2:14). Halom refers to nothing other than malkhut. A person must have authority/ Malkhut “at mealtime,” as this is the means for drawing livelihood.", + "Therefore, when a husband girds himself to take responsibility for his wife and obligates himself to provide for her—as stated in the marriage contract: I will cherish, honor and support…—he is granted a measure of authority, as it is written, “and he shall rule over you” (Genesis 3:16). This authority is what enables him to draw livelihood.", + "The same is true of all officials; anyone who needs to provide greater livelihood for the many dependent upon him. He must have greater authority in order to be able to draw down livelihood through Malkhut.", + "Now, Malkhut receives the livelihood from the hands that are in the Sea of Wisdom. This refers to the hints, which correspond to the hands, as it is written (Proverbs 1:24), “I extended my hand and no one paid heed”—and Rashi explains: this refers to hints. For there are times when, in revealing his wisdom, the sage says something through which he hints to his students—i.e., that which cannot be explained explicitly. Only through the hints in the words are they able to understand his intention. These hints are the concept of hands, of “I extended my hand.” This is also the concept of the hands that are in the Sea of Wisdom, as in “This is the sea, vast and broad-handed” (Psalms 104:25).", + "And from these hands Malkhut receives the livelihood, as in “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psalms 145:16)—i.e., the livelihood is drawn from the aforementioned concept of the hands. This is the meaning of “and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” It alludes to the revelation of Desire, which manifests within the livelihood, as in “and You give them their sustenance in its time.” As a result of Malkhut receiving the livelihood from these hands in the Sea of Wisdom, the light of the makifim is revealed within the food and the livelihood. This is the revelation of Desire, because the makifim shine into the Sea of Wisdom that the sage reveals. {“This is the sea, vast and broad-handed ; crawling things are there beyond number, creatures small and great. There go the ships, and this Leviathan that You formed l’sachek (to sport) with. All of them look to You to give them their food in its time” (Psalms 104:25-27) .}", + "And this is: “This is the sea, vast and broad-handed… this Leviathan that You formed to sport with.” “Leviathan” alludes to Malkhut, as it is written, “Leviathan, the bolt serpent… Leviathan, the twisting serpent” (Isaiah 27:1)—and Rashi explains: this refers to Malkhut.", + "This is the meaning of “l’SaCheK with.” It alludes to SheChaKim (“Mills”), since that is where they mill the manna (Chagigah 12b)—i.e., livelihood. In other words, Malkhut /Leviathan receives the livelihood from the hands that are in the Sea of Wisdom, the concept of “This is the sea, vast and broad-handed,” as discussed above. And when the livelihood reaches Malkhut, it is milled and ground there so that each person can be given a befitting ration of livelihood.", + "And this is “l’sachek with”—the concept of Shechakim, where they mill the manna. For the livelihood, the manna, is milled and ground up in Malkhut /Leviathan, which receives the livelihood from the concept of “This is the sea, vast and broad-handed”—i.e., from thehands in the Sea of Wisdom, namely, the concept of hints, as discussed above.", + "This is also “All of them look to You to give them their food in its time.” This is because everyone looks and hopes for livelihood. Malkhut collects and gathers all the trust of all the people in the world—their looking and hoping for livelihood—and with this trust Malkhut ascends to receive livelihood from the aforementioned hands. This is “All of them look to You.” As a result of the trust, that everyone looks to Him, hoping and looking for livelihood, the livelihood is drawn through Malkhut.", + "And this is “to give them their food in its time.” Specifically “in its time,” which corresponds to the revelation of Desire that manifests within the livelihood—the concept of “at that time it will be said to Yaakov and to Israel, ‘What has God wrought?’”/“and You give them their sustenance in its time”/“You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing,” as discussed above.", + "And this is “but Your right hand and Your arm, and the light of Your face—for You favored them” (Psalms 44:4). “Your right hand and Your arm” alludes to the aforementioned hands, through which the light of the makifim, namely, the revelation of Desire, becomes manifest. And this is “and the light of Your face—for r’tzitam (You favored them).” The makifim are the Light of the Face. This is “for R’TZitam,” because [the makifim] are the revelation of RaTZon (Desire/Favor).", + "This is also “Happy are you, O land whose king is a free man and whose ministers dine at the proper time” (Ecclesiastes 10:17). Freedom corresponds to yovel (jubilee), which signifies the meshing together of son and disciple, because [the letters of the word] YOVeL are the [initial] letters of V ’chol Banayikh Limudei YHVH (“And all your sons shall be students of God”) (Isaiah 54:13)— i.e., the meshing together of son and disciple. “Your sons” refers to son; “students of God” refers to disciples. Malkhut receives the livelihood from the meshing together of son and disciple, the concept of yovel /freedom.", + "And this is “Happy are you, O land whose king is a free man”—that Malkhut receives the livelihood from the concept of freedom/ yovel , etc. And this is “and whose ministers dine at the proper time.” “At the proper time” alludes to the revelation of Desire that manifests at the time of eating, the concept of “at that time it will be said…,” as discussed above.", + "This is also the principle: One should not talk during a meal (Taanit 5b). For it is then, during a meal, that the revelation of Desire manifests. This is synonymous with the light of the makifim, which are the concept of silence: “Be silent! Thus has it arisen in thought,” as discussed above." + ], + [ + "11. And this is the concept of Chanukah. Know! the idea of Chanukah is that each person experiences Chanukah according to how effective he is in beseeching [God] on Yom Kippur—i.e., pleading, “Please forgive!” This is because “Please forgive!” brings to “Chanukah.”", + "For it was on account of the sin of the spies that Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded: “Please forgive the iniquity of this people” (Numbers 14:19). And it was the sin of the spies that caused the destruction of the Holy Temple. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: God said to them, “You wept without cause; I shall institute for you a weeping for generations” (Taanit 29a). For that night was the evening of Tisha b’Av, on which the Holy Temple was destroyed. It was over this that Moshe Rabbeinu pleaded “Please forgive!” For all transgressions are linked to this sin and fault, since it was on account of this fault that the Holy Temple was destroyed.", + "Now, when the Holy Temple stood, we were clean of sin, as it is written, “righteousness dwelt in her” (Isaiah 1:21)—and Rashi explains: the daily-offering of the morning brought forgiveness for nighttime sins, and the daily-offering of the afternoon brought forgiveness for daytime sins. The Jewish people are a holy nation. The great measure of their innate spirituality and their great refinement make it impossible for them to bear the burden of sin for even a single day. We therefore have need of the Holy Temple to atone for us, daily. But ever since the Holy Temple’s destruction we have not been able to cleanse ourselves of sin, for we have no one to atone for us.", + "Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, knew all this, and so sacrificed himself for the Jewish people. He pleaded: “Please forgive the iniquity of this people…,” because he knew that the Temple’s destruction was on account of this all-encompassing sin. Thus, achieving his request resulted in the consecration of the Temple, namely, Chanukah, the reverse of the Temple’s destruction.", + "The same holds true for every person. To the extent that a person is effective in his pleading “Please forgive!” on Yom Kippur, through which the fault of the Temple’s destruction is rectified, he commensurately brings to the consecration of the Temple, the theme of Chanukah. It follows, that Chanukah is brought about through “Please forgive!” Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, hinted to the spelling of Chanukah in the verse “Please forgive…,” because the first letters of “Please forgive the iniquity of haam Hazeh K’godel Chasdekha, V’khaasher Nasasah” are ChaNUKaH. For Chanukah is brought about through “Please forgive!”", + "So, too, are all the aforementioned concepts encompassed in the Holy Temple. The Holy Temple comprises the concepts of son and disciple. For our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why is it called Mount Moriah? It is because from there horaah (instruction) went out for the Jewish people (Taanit 16a). This is the concept of disciple. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why is [the Temple Mount] known as “the Bedroom”? Because in its merit the Jewish people are fruitful and multiply (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 1:16:3). This is the concept of son.", + "And this is why the Holy Temple was [built] on the site of a threshing floor (see 2 Samuel 24:18-24), as this suggests livelihood, which is drawn by meshing together son and disciple. This corresponds to the lechem hapanim (showbread) in the Holy Temple. It represents the food and livelihood drawn by meshing together son and disciple. Through this, the lights of the makifim, namely, the Light of the Panim (Face), are revealed, as discussed above. For the Light of the Face is the concept of the ShA (370) lights, as is known. And ShA is twice HeKeF, as is brought.", + "This is the concept of “oil brightens the face, and bread sustains the heart of man” (Psalms 104:15). That is, the revelation of the makifim—i.e., the Light of the Face as in “oil brightens the face, and bread…”—manifests while eating. Thus the mitzvah of Chanukah involves oil, because the theme of Chanukah is the consecration of the Temple, through which livelihood is drawn and the Light of the Panim is revealed. This corresponds to the lechem hapanim , the concept of “oil brightens the panim, and bread…”", + "This is also the concept of “May God make His face shine upon you viychuneka (and grant you grace)” (Numbers 6:25)— viyChuNeKa alludes to ChaNuKah, through which the Light of the Face is revealed, as in “May God make His face shine….”", + "Thus, by sacrificing himself for the Jewish people and empathetically observing their suffering, Moshe Rabbeinu merited the inner meaning of Chanukah, for he was compassionate and a true leader, as discussed above. And the Jewish people’s greatest suffering is the burden of sin, God forbid, as discussed above. He therefore pleaded on their behalf, “Please forgive.” And this brought to the concept of Chanukah, the consecration of the Holy Temple, on which rectification of all the aforementioned concepts depends.", + "{“Vayar YHVH Ki Sar Lirot (When God saw that he had turned aside to see), God called to him from out of the bush and said, ‘Moshe! Moshe!’ And he said, ‘ Here I am!’” (Exodus 3:4) .} And this is ChaNUKaH: ChaNU Kaf Heh—i.e., the 25th of Kisleiv. KiSLeIV is an acronym for Vayar YHVH Ki Sar Lirot. Moshe Rabbeinu empathetically observed the Jewish people’s suffering, this being the meaning of “sar to see”—it connotes “sar and upset” (1 Kings 21:4). And their greatest suffering is the burden of sin, God forbid.", + "Thus, when God saw that he empathized with them over this, He called to him and said: “‘Moshe Moshe!’ And he said, ‘Here I am!’”—which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded as: “Here I am” for the priesthood, “Here I am” for kingship (Shemot Rabbah 2:6).", + "“Here I am for the priesthood” alludes to the consecration of the Temple, for Moshe served during the Eight Days of Inauguration, as it is written (Psalms 99:6), “Moshe and Aharon were among His priests.” In addition, the priest signifies the meshing together of son and disciple. Of the priest it is stated “l’horot (to teach) the Children of Israel” (Leviticus 10:11). L’horot is etymologically similar to horaah (instruction), which is the concept of disciple. L’horot is also etymologically similar to heirayon (pregnancy), the concept of son.", + "“Here I am for kingship” alludes to the aforementioned concept of Malkhut, which draws the livelihood in which the Light of the Face is revealed, as discussed above. This is the meaning of “Malkitzedek king of Shalem brought out bread and wine; he was priest to God Most High” (Genesis 14:18). “MaLKitzedek king of Shalem” alludes to MaLKhut; “brought out bread and wine” alludes to livelihood drawn by Malkhut; “he was priest” alludes to the priesthood, i.e., the meshing together of son and disciple, through which livelihood is drawn by Malkhut." + ], + [ + "12. This is also the concept of healthy lungs. When the lungs are healthy, they comprise all the aforementioned concepts. This is because the lungs brighten the eyes, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Chullin 49a). This corresponds to the disciple, whose insight is the concept of “I beheld the Lord.”", + "The lungs also bring on sleep. The insight of the son—namely, the insight of mah, as in “Mah did you see?…”—is synonymous with sleep, as in “no eye has seen it but You, O Lord” (Isaiah 64:3).", + "The ruach- of-life inside the lungs corresponds to the makifim, the concept of “the ruach (wind) goes round and round” (Ecclesiastes 1:6) ; and of “A ruach (spirit) swept over my face” (Job 4:15), which alludes to the Light of the Face.", + "Now, when the lung’s “oils” are balanced, the Light of the Face shines, as in “oil brightens the face.” In other words, it is the lung’s “oils” that cause the Light of the Face, the makifim, to shine.", + "And the Light of the Face/ makifim, which is the revelation of Desire, is revealed in the aforementioned hands that are in the Sea of Wisdom, as in “You open Your hand…,” as discussed above. This is the concept of ChaTaKh—the last letters of poteiaCh eT yadeKha (“You open Your hand”) and the Holy Name associated with livelihood, as is brought. ChaTaKh is twice the numerical value of RUaCh. In other words, it is in the aforementioned hands that the makifim— the concepts of “the ruach goes round and round” and “A ruach swept over my face”—are revealed.", + "And this is the meaning of “Human hands were under their wings” (Ezekiel 1:8). This alludes to the lobes of the lungs, where the ruach circulates, the concept of makifim, from which the light of the hands is drawn, as discussed above.", + "This is also the meaning of “Man’s ruach (spirit) sustains him in his illness” (Proverbs 18:14). “Man’s ruach” alludes to the aforementioned ruach -of-life, the concept of “the ruach goes round and round”/ makifim, from which livelihood and sustenance are drawn down, as in “sustains….”" + ], + [ + "13. Therefore, when people study and discuss some new insight taught by the sage of the generation, fear of God comes over them. Reviewing the new insight stirs up and reveals the Sea of Wisdom from which Malkhut receives the livelihood, so that Malkhut then comes to draw livelihood.", + "And fear of God is mainly in Malkhut, which is the source of this fear, as [the Sages, of blessed memory,] taught: Were it not for the fear of the malkhut (government) (Avot 3:2). Then the God-fearingness of the sage who revealed this new insight is awakened, because everything depends upon fear. He must himself possess fear of God in order for his words to be heeded and in order for them to endure, as discussed above. Therefore, by reviewing the new insight, which results in Malkhut—i.e., the concept of the fear of God—coming to receive livelihood from there, the sage’s fear is awakened and fear comes over the person who studies the new insight." + ], + [ + "14. This is the explanation of:", + "Maaseh (There is a story) about Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua travelling by sefinah (ship). Rabbi Eliezer was sleeping, and Rabbi Yehoshua was awake. Rabbi Yehoshua trembled and Rabbi Eliezer woke up. “Mah (What) is this, Yehoshua?” he asked him. “Why did you tremble?” “I saw a great light in the sea,” he answered. “Perhaps it was the eyes of Leviathan that you saw,” he said. “For it is stated: Its eyes are like the glimmer of the dawn” (Bava Batra 74b) .", + "Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua— This is the concept of son and disciple.", + "Rabbi Eliezer is the concept of son, whose insight is mah, as in “Mah did you see?…,” as in “for no human shall see Me and live” and “no eye has seen it but You, O Lord,” as discussed above. This alludes to Rabbi Eliezer, because [the letters that spell] ELIEZeR are the first letters of Ayin Lo Raatah Elohim Zulatekha Yaaseh (“no eye has seen it but You, O Lord, Who acts”), which is the concept of son, as discussed above.", + "Rabbi Yehoshua is the concept of disciple, whose insight is “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” as in “I beheld the Lord.” This is the insight of those who dwell below. One has to rouse and waken them so that they do not give up on themselves, as in “awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust,” as discussed above. And, one has to show them that “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” This alludes to Rabbi Yehoshua, because [the letters that spell] YeHOShuA are the first letters of “May Your dead come to life, may my corpses Yekumun; Hakitzu V’ranenu Shokhnei Ahfar (arise; awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust).”", + "And Moshe Rabbeinu signifies the sage of the generation who enlightens both son and disciple, as discussed above. He therefore had a son whose name was Eliezer, and a disciple whose name was Yehoshua. Moshe’s son Eliezer is the aspect of the aforementioned Rabbi Eliezer the Great, as the Midrash notes on the verse (Exodus 18:4), “And the name of the one was Eliezer”—the one and the only (Bamidbar Rabbah 19:7). For Moshe Rabbeinu requested that Rabbi Eliezer be among his descendants, and so it was.", + "This is: Maaseh about Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua….", + "MaASeH— is MaH ShA, as is brought in the writings [of the Ari, of blessed memory]. This alludes to the makifim, which are the ShA (370) lights of the Light of the Face, the concept of mah, as discussed above. This is:", + "they were travelling by sefinah— That is, Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua, the concept of son and disciple, were travelling in the Sea of Wisdom, in which the lights of the makifim are revealed. This is the meaning of SeFiNah, which connotes SaFuN (hidden) and concealed. It alludes to the makifim, which are hidden and concealed from all sight {the concept of “How abundant is Your good that You have stored away for those who fear You,” as discussed above}. And this is the meaning of “She is like the ships of a socher (merchant)” (Proverbs 31:14)—i.e., s’chor s’chor (round and round), the concept of makifim / sefinah.", + "And this is: Rabbi Eliezer was sleeping, and Rabbi Yehoshua was awake. The insight of Rabbi Eliezer/son is the concept of sleep, corresponding to “no eye has seen it…,” and to mah, as in “Mah did you see?…” But the insight of Rabbi Yehoshua/disciple/those who dwell below is the concept of awake, corresponding to “I beheld the Lord,” and to “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” and to “awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust.” This is the meaning of “Rabbi Eliezer was sleeping and Rabbi Yehoshua was awake.”", + "Rabbi Yehoshua trembled and Rabbi Eliezer woke up.", + "Rabbi Yehoshua trembled— This alludes to meshing together son and disciple. It is necessary for the son to mesh with the disciple, to reveal the disciple’s insight to the son, in order that he possess fear of God, as discussed above. And this is:", + "and Rabbi Eliezer woke up— In other words, Rabbi Eliezer, who signifies son/sleep, is incorporated into the disciple, whose insight is the concept of awake.", + "“Mah (What) is this, Yehoshua?” he asked him— Specifically mah, the insight of a son, who is the concept of mah. This alludes to meshing together disciple and son. It is necessary for the disciple to mesh with the son, who is the concept of mah, in order that [the disciple] possess fear of God, as discussed above. This is “mah (what) does God your Lord ask of you? Only that you fear [Him]” (Deuteronomy 10:12). Specifically “mah,” because he has to mesh with the concept of mah in order to possess fear. This is: “Mah is this, Yehoshua?” In other words, Rabbi Eliezer brought Rabbi Yehoshua to the insight of mah, so that Rabbi Yehoshua, the disciple, meshes with the son, as discussed above.", + "“Why did you tremble?” “I saw a great light in the sea,” he answered— He saw a great light in the Sea of Wisdom.", + "“Perhaps it was the eyes of Leviathan that you saw,” he said— “Leviathan” alludes to Malkhut, the concept of “this Leviathan that You formed to sport with. All of them look to You…,” as discussed above. In other words, he answered him that he had seen Leviathan’s eyes—i.e., that Malkhut collects and gathers all the trust of all the people in the world, whose eyes are looking and hoping for livelihood. Malkhut /Leviathan gathers all this trust and enters with it into the Sea of Wisdom in order to receive the livelihood from there. It was because of this that “Rabbi Yehoshua trembled,” for fear of God had come over him as a result of his having entered the Sea of Wisdom where Malkhut, which had come to receive livelihood, is revealed. This is “the eyes of Leviathan,” which brings to fear of God, for Malkhut is the source of this fear, as discussed above." + ], + [ + "15. And this is: “And it was at the end of two years of days that Pharaoh dreamed….”", + "two years of days— This alludes to the abovementioned tekufot of days and tekufot of years—i.e., the World to Come, which is a day that is eternally long, beyond time; where makifim, which are the entirety of the pleasure and delight of the World to Come, are the order of time, as discussed above.", + "that PhaRAoh— This alludes to yovel, as is brought in the Zohar (I, 210a) : for all the lights become PRAa (uncovered) and revealed through her. (He did not explain the rest.)" + ], + [ + "16. Moshe’s burial place, too, is the concept of makifim, which are hidden from all sight. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught regarding Moshe’s burial place: “To those above it seemed that it was below, while to those below it seemed that it was above” (Sotah 14a).", + "This corresponds to the abovementioned attribute of kol, as in “for kol (all) that is in heaven and on the earth.” The tzaddik who attains these makifim must possess the attribute of kol in order to show those who are above that they are below, that they really know nothing about the Blessed One, as in “What did you see?…”; and conversely, “to those below it seemed that it was above,” because they attain the insight that “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” as in “I beheld the Lord.”" + ], + [ + "17. This [lesson] contains many additional hidden ideas. [The Rebbe] explained only a small part, a few of the main points.", + "Moshe Rabbeinu was a humble person, and humility is the greatest [attribute] of them all, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Avodah Zarah 20b).", + "The spelling of ChaNUKaH is hinted at also in the verse “Yehoshua the son of nuN was filled with ruaCh (the spirit) of wisdom, because samaKh mosheH et yadaV (Moshe had laid his hands) upon him” (Deuteronomy 34:9). The last letters in combination spell ChaNUKaH, because all the concepts of the above lesson are hinted at in this verse. “Filled” alludes to “and fill the earth,” which is clarified above, as is “ruach of wisdom, because Moshe had laid his hands….” All this is clarified above, in the lesson.", + "[There are hidden ideas here] as well regarding the topic of the fear of God. For there are five severities, which are the five fears enumerated by our Sages, of blessed memory (see Shabbat 77b). There are also the 1,405 severities referred to in the holy Zohar (III, 137b). For these severities are intermingled with those, for a total of 1,405.", + "[Rebbe Nachman] did not clarify any of these ideas, because they were said…." + ], + [ + "18. This teaching addresses all ten of the sefirot: the influx of Keter, Chokhmah and Binah, the hands, and fear. In addition, our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Whoever withholds a halakhah from the mouth of a pupil is as if he denies him kindness and casts off from him the fear of Heaven (Ketuvot 96a and Sanhedrin 91b). Son and disciple, too. [Of] the son we find in the holy Zohar (II, 79b) : “What is his name?” signifies Chokhmah; “what is the name of his son?” signifies Tiferet. Disciples, “students of God,” signifies Netzach and Hod; kol signifies Yesod; and Malkhut is mentioned above. The lungs are the inner organs. And some of the sefirot are addressed a number of times. {Happy are the ears that hear such things; happy is the nation for whom this is so….}" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day. For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov.” (Psalms 81:4-5)", + "Although tokhachah (moral guidance and reproof) is extremely important, and it is incumbent upon every Jew to reprove his fellow Jew when he sees him acting incorrectly, as it is written (Leviticus 19:17), “You shall surely reprove your fellow,” nevertheless, not everyone is fit to offer moral guidance. As Rabbi Akiva said: I doubt if there is anyone in this generation who is capable of giving reproof (Arakhin 16b). And if Rabbi Akiva said this in his era, then it is all the more so now, in this current era.", + "When the one who gives moral guidance is unfit to give it, not only does he not help with his reproof, but he even causes the souls which hear it to raise a bad odor. For his reproof arouses the stench of the wicked deeds and bad traits of the people he reproves.", + "This is akin to when something that has an unpleasant odor is at rest. As long as we don’t move the object, the foul odor is undetected. But when one starts to move that object, the stench is stirred up. Likewise the reproof given by someone who is unfit to give it; it moves and stirs the stench of the wicked deeds and bad traits of the people he reproves. He causes them to raise a bad odor and, through this, weakens their souls. Consequently, the flow of bounty is suspended from all the worlds which are dependent upon these souls.", + "This is because the soul mainly nourishes from scent, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: From where is it derived that we recite a blessing over fragrances? It is stated: “Let every soul praise God” (Psalms 150:6). From what does the soul derive pleasure but the body does not? You have to say it is fragrance (Berakhot 43b). Therefore, on account of this reprover who causes them to raise a bad odor, the souls, whose nourishment is from scent, are weakened. The flow of bounty to all the worlds which are dependent upon them is then automatically suspended.", + "But when the one giving the moral guidance is fit to give it, then, on the contrary, he enhances and gives the souls a pleasant scent through his reproof. This is because the reproof must resemble Moshe’s reproof of the Jews over the incident of the [Golden] Calf. Through his reproof he gave them a pleasant scent, as in “my nard gave forth its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12), which was said in reference to the incident of the Calf. It does not say “leave behind” but “gave forth,” as Rashi expounds there and as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in the Talmud (Shabbat 88b).", + "Moshe’s reproof over the incident of the Calf gave them an added pleasant scent, which is sustenance for the soul. For the soul nourishes mainly from scent. Through his voice, the one fit to offer moral guidance gives the souls a pleasant scent, i.e., spiritual sustenance.", + "There is sustenance for the soul and sustenance for the body. The body’s sustenance weakens the soul’s sustenance. This is because the body’s sustenance—i.e., through eating and drinking—raises the heel of the Other Side, as in “eating my bread has raised the heel over me” (Psalms 41:10). Through eating, the heels and the feet are strengthened, as in “Eat well and it will be noticeable in the feet” (Shabbat 152a). And then, as a result of the aikev (heel) of the Other Side growing strong, God forbid, the aikev of holiness—the aspect of “Aikev (the end product of) humility is fear of God” (Proverbs 22:4), which corresponds to scent, as in “He will be imbued with the scent of the fear of God” (Isaiah 11:3), namely, spiritual sustenance—becomes weak, God forbid.", + "The rectification for this is brought about through the concept of voice. For the voice waters the garden in which all the scents and fears grow, as in “A river issues from Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:10). “A river issues from Eden” alludes to the voice, as in “the rivers raise up their voice” (Psalms 93:3). And this is the concept of “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). It is this voice watering the garden that causes all the scents/fear of God—i.e., sustenance for the soul—to grow there.", + "This voice subdues the heel of the Other Side, for it is the concept of “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” (Genesis 27:22). Yaakov therefore attained the concept of scent, as in “See, my son’s fragrance is like the scent of a field” (ibid. :27). This was said of yaAKoV, who subdues the AKeiV of the Other Side, as in “his hand holding on to Esav’s akeiv (heel)” (Genesis 25:26).", + "And this voice is the voice of the fit reprover, as in “raise your voice like a shofar and tell My people of their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). One who would reprove the Jewish people and tell them of their transgression and wrongdoing must possess this voice so as not to cause them to raise a bad odor by arousing their sins. He must therefore possess this voice, because through this voice—which waters the garden and causes all the scents to grow—he enhances them and gives them a pleasant scent.", + "This is the meaning of “raise your voice ka’shophar (like a shofar).” Specifically “like a shofar,” because this voice which waters the garden, the aspect of “A river flows from Eden,” corresponds to the voice of the melody of the song destined to burst forth in the Future when He renews His world—i.e., the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song. This is Ka’ShoPhaR, the first letters of Pashut-Kaful-Sh’loosh-Ravua. This is the Song of the Future, the voice that waters the garden; the specific voice through which he is able to give reproof. Thus, this is “raise your voice like a shofar”—specifically ka’shophar.", + "And this is the meaning of “they draw a thread of lovingkindness over him,” which is said in reference to one who is fit to offer moral guidance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Tamid 28a) : Whoever reproves his fellow Jew for the sake of God, they draw a thread of lovingkindness over him, as it is stated: “He who reproves a person will later find favor” (Proverbs 28:23).", + "“A thread of lovingkindness” signifies that strands have been wound and twisted and made into a thread. These are the strings upon which this melody and Song of the Future will be played. They number seventy-two, corresponding to the Holy Name Y-YH-YHV-YHVH—the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song, as brought in the Tikkunim (Tikkuney Zohar # 21, p.51b)—which [likewise] has a total value of seventy-two. And the Song of the Future, when He renews His world, will be played upon these strings, as in “The world will be built on lovingkindness” (Psalms 89:3), for the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song is destined to burst forth then.", + "Thus, this is the meaning of “a thread of lovingkindness” mentioned in connection with the fit reprover; it refers to the thread made from the strings upon which this song will be played when the world is renewed, the concept of “The world will be built on lovingkindness.” And this is the meaning of “a thread of lovingkindness is drawn over him.” The drawing signifies drawing on and plucking the strings in order to play the aforementioned song on them. It follows that with his voice, the one fit to offer moral guidance gives the souls a pleasant scent, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. The only way to attain this aforementioned voice is through prayer. The essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty (as explained in Avot 2:13). And compassion depends mainly upon daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God), as it is written, “They will do nothing evil or destructive anywhere on My sacred mountain, for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed” (Isaiah 11:9). In the Future, daat will increase. There will then be no destruction or cruelty, for daat will bring to the proliferation of compassion, which depends primarily upon daat.", + "But sometimes, when [evil forces of] the Other Side feed on the compassion, they draw it to themselves and thereby diminish our compassion. And even the little compassion which remains is an aspect of cruelty. As a result of their feeding on the compassion, it spoils and turns into cruelty, for “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty” (Proverbs 12:10). Consequently, even the little compassion we retain resembles cruelty, having been spoiled as a result of the Other Side’s feeding on compassion, God forbid.", + "{“Even sea-serpents offer ShaD (the teat) to suckle their young; [but] the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches of the wilderness” (Lamentations 4:3) .} This is the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—alluding to the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “like ShoD (disaster) from ShaDai (the Almighty)” (Isaiah 13:6). ShaDai signifies holy compassion, as in “May El Shadai (God Almighty) grant you compassion” (Genesis 43:14). This refers to prayer, which is SiDuD (rearrangement) of the celestial order. But on account of “ShoD from ShaDai”—i.e., the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—“my people has become cruel.” Because they feed on compassion, even the little compassion we retain becomes flawed and turns into cruelty.", + "And when compassion spoils and turns into cruelty, daat becomes flawed, as in: Whoever gets angry, his wisdom leaves him (Pesachim 66b). Daat diminishes, and turns into constricted mentalities. Then, the Other Side feeds on the flawed daat, God forbid, as in “Now the Serpent was cunning” (Genesis 3:1). This refers to daat of the Other Side. It feeds on the fallen holy daat, which has become flawed on account of cruelty and anger.", + "This, in turn, leads to immoral desire, God forbid. For the mind is a barrier deployed against this desire. Thus, a person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him (Sotah 3a) [and flaws his daat, God forbid]. But when the mind and daat are whole, this protects against this desire.", + "For there are three mentalities, each one a barrier deployed against this desire. And from these three mentalities three types of compassion are generated. For there are three types of compassion, as alluded to by that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught concerning the verse: “that you will not deal falsely with me, or my children, or my grandchildren” (Genesis 21:23)—thus is the extent of a father’s compassion for a child (Bereishit Rabbah 54:2 and Rashi on the verse). These allude to three types of compassion, which are generated from the three mentalities, because the mind of the son derives from the mind of the father (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p. 35a).", + "This is also the concept of the three daily prayers. Each of the prayers corresponds to a specific one of the three mentalities. These are the three types of compassion that are dependent upon the mind, because, as mentioned above, the essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty. Therefore, when daat becomes flawed, God forbid, it brings to immoral desire, God forbid.", + "And when compassion and daat are flawed, offering prayers in the form of compassion and entreaty is impossible. At such a time, prayer is in the category of judgment. And when prayer is in the category of judgment, the Other Side swallows it, God forbid. This is because the Other Side primarily feeds on strict judgments, i.e., the constricted mentalities, which correspond to Elohim, as is known. Therefore, they grab hold of this prayer in the category of judgment and swallow it, God forbid." + ], + [ + "3. And then, when prayer is in the category of judgment, a master of great strength who can pray a judgment-prayer is needed; someone like Pinchas when he acted zealously in the Zimri affair, as it is written (Psalms 106:30), “Pinchas stood up vayePhaLeL (and disputed),” and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: He engaged in P’LiLot (judicial dispute) with his Creator (Sanhedrin 44a)—i.e., a judgment-prayer.", + "[Pinchas] acted zealously in the Zimri affair, which is the concept of “For that is licentiousness; that is a sin for p’lilim (judicial sentencing)” (Job 31:11). In other words, it is a sin that necessitates a judgment-prayer, namely, P’LiLim, the concept of “Pinchas stood vayePhaLeL.” Wherever there is the flaw of immoral desire, God forbid, so that prayer is in the category of judgment and the Other Side swallows it, God forbid, a master of great strength is needed to pray a judgment-prayer, as at the time of the Zimri affair, when Pinchas was obliged to offer a judgment-prayer.", + "When this master of strength offers a judgment-prayer, the Other Side attempts to swallow it, because it always swallows the prayers in the category of judgment. But when it attempts to swallow the master of strength’s judgment-prayer, this prayer sticks in its throat, as in “Strength resides in its neck” (Job 41:14). In other words, the aforementioned prayer of the master of strength, which is the concept of a “staff of strength,” sticks “in its neck,” the throat, forcing it to vomit. The Other Side is compelled to vomit out all the holy elements of the daat, compassion and prayers which it swallowed, as in “He swallowed wealth and vomits it out” (ibid. 20:15).", + "And not only does it vomit out all the holiness which it swallowed, but it is also compelled to vomit out its very life-essence. This is as in “God flushes it out of his innards” (ibid.)—i.e., it vomits out its very life-essence. This corresponds to those who convert. They were previously part of the very substance of the Other Side. But now they revert to holiness, because the Other Side is compelled to vomit out its very life-essence. This is the concept of converts.", + "And this is the concept of “God will send forth from Zion the staff of your strength; R’Dei (rule) within your enemies” (Psalms 110:2). Specifically “within,” corresponding to “God flushes it out of his innards.” The staff of strength, i.e., the aforementioned prayer of the master of strength, literally yoReDet (descends) within it and causes it to vomit out its very life-essence from within its innards, the concept of “God flushes it out of his innards.”", + "This is also the concept of “With Your might You drove back the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water” (Psalms 74:13). By means of the aforementioned staff of strength he smashes “the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” This refers to the Other Side, the Serpent, which would feed on the compassion and daat, the concept of “as water covers the seabed,” and “Now the Serpent was cunning,” as mentioned above. By means of the aforementioned staff of strength—i.e., the prayer of the master of strength, the concept of Pinchas—he extracts the holy elements of the daat and the prayers which [the Other Side] swallowed, and he smashes “the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” For the master of strength’s prayer—which is a judgment-prayer, as in “Pinchas stood vayephalel”—sticks in the Serpent’s throat and compels it to vomit out everything.", + "Thus the letters that spell VaYePhaLeL are an acronym for V’hashlekh Lifnei Pharoh Yehi L’tanin (“and fling it down in front of Pharaoh; it will be a sea-serpent”) (Exodus 7:9). It is necessary to fling down the staff of strength, i.e., the aforementioned prayer, for the sea-serpent, as in “and fling it down in front of Pharaoh; it will be a sea-serpent.” One should intentionally fling down the staff of strength in front of the Other Side in order that it will be for the sea-serpent—i.e., in order that the sea-serpent should swallow this prayer. Through this, one extracts from it all the holy elements it swallowed, because [the staff/prayer] sticks in its throat, as mentioned above.", + "This is also “Then Yitro heard”—What news did he hear on account of which he came? The splitting of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek (Zevachim 116a). Amalek had defiled Israel through the flaw of immoral desire, as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:18), “that he polluted you on the way.” This refers to nocturnal emissions, God forbid, which are brought about by the concept of Amalek. For Amalek feeds on daat, as in “Head among the nations is Amalek” (Numbers 24:20), which corresponds to “Now the Serpent was cunning.” It is this that leads to the defilement associated with this desire, God forbid, as mentioned above—i.e., “the war with Amalek.”", + "The rectification for this is “the splitting of the Red Sea,” the concept of “With Your might You drove back the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” This alludes to the aforementioned staff of strength, through which one extracts from [the Other Side] the waters of daat which it swallowed from the realm of holiness.", + "And as a result, “Then Yitro heard”—this alludes to converts. The staff of strength is the concept of “the splitting of the Red Sea,” and of “With Your might You drove back the sea…,” which rectifies and triumphs in “the war with Amalek.” This leads to people converting, the concept of “Then Yitro heard,” because it extracts also its life-essence, which is the concept of converts, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "4. And this is the concept of thunder. As mentioned above, making converts through the aforementioned staff of strength compels the Other Side to return all the holy elements which it swallowed, together with its life-essence. This magnifies and exalts the glory of God, as in “Bring to God families of the peoples, bring to God glory and might” (Psalms 96:7).", + "This is the concept of thunder, as in “the God of Glory thunders; God is upon vast waters” (Psalms 29:3). “Vast waters” alludes to the waters of daat, the concept of “for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed.” These are the waters of daat that emerge from the Other Side and revert to holiness, making converts. God’s glory is exalted, which is the concept of thunder and “the God of Glory thunders.” For the uproar brought about by people converting and the public attention this calls to God’s glory are the concept of thunder, which is “a great roaring sound” (Ezekiel 3:12).", + "For our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: What is thunder? It is clouds pouring water into one another (Berakhot 59a). “Clouds pouring water” alludes to the Other Side, which is the concept of “You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer should pass through” (Lamentations 3:44). This alludes to the forces of evil that impede prayer. When they return and pour out the waters of daat they swallowed, that is “clouds pouring water.” Then God’s glory is revealed, as in “God’s glory appeared in the cloud” (Exodus 16:10)—the concept of thunder.", + "Thus the letters that spell GeiRIM (converts) are an acronym for Raam Gevurotav Mi Yitbonan (“Who can comprehend the thunder of His mighty deeds?”) (Job 26: 14), for converts are the concept of thunder." + ], + [ + "5. And via the revelation of the glory [of God] comes the spread of prophecy. This is because prophecy stems from the root souls of Israel. These are the seventy souls, as in B’shivim Nefesh Yordu Avotekha (“With seventy souls did your fathers go down”) (Deuteronomy 10:22)—the first letters of which spell NaVYE. And the root of the souls is glory, as in “Let my soul not enter their plot, let my glory not be included in their assembly” (Genesis 49:6). Therefore, the revelation of the glory, the root of the souls, brings to the spread of prophecy.", + "This is the concept of: Prophecy rests only upon someone who is wise, strong and wealthy (Nedarim 38a). All these qualities relate to glory, from which prophecy is drawn. Wise, as in “The wise will inherit glory” (Proverbs 3:35). Strong, as in “Who is this king of glory? God, the mighty and strong” (Psalms 24:8). Wealthy, as in “and from what belonged to our father he achieved this glory” (Genesis 31:1).", + "And this is: Woe is to Me, for I have destroyed My House, I have burned My Sanctuary, and I have exiled My children among the nations of the world (Berakhot 3a). “I have destroyed My House” alludes to flawed prayer, as it is written, “for My House will be a house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). “I have burned My Sanctuary” alludes to flawed glory, the concept of “in His Sanctuary, all declare: ‘Glory!’” (Psalms 29:9). “And I have exiled My children” alludes to the elimination of prophecy which stems from the souls of the Children of Israel, the concept of “With seventy souls did your fathers go down to Egypt.” For the exile of the Children of Israel signifies the elimination of the prophecy that stems from their souls, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "6. This also corresponds to healing, because all the aforementioned concepts relate to healing. Glory’s revelation corresponds to the shining of the sun, as in “and the glory of God has shone upon you!” (Isaiah 60:1). And the sun’s rays bring healing, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: When the sun is lifted, sickness is lifted (Bava Batra 16b), as it is written, “And for you who fear My Name, a benevolent sun with healing will shine upon you” (Malachi 3:20).", + "This is because the spirit of prophecy that spreads via the revelation of the glory corresponds to the healing produced by the shining of the sun, as in “Man’s spirit sustains him in his illness” (Proverbs 18:14). And the glory is revealed mainly through prayer, which causes the clouds—which are the Other Side and the forces of evil—to dissipate. When this happens, people convert and the glory of God is revealed, as mentioned above.", + "And this corresponds to the forgiving of sin, which comes when, on account of the increase of the prayers, the sun shines and brings healing. For sin is analogous to a cloud that darkens the light of the sun, because darkness is inherent in sin, as it is written, “whose deeds are done in darkness” (Isaiah 29:15). This is also the concept of sickness, which stems primarily from sin, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: There is no suffering without sin, as is stated (Psalms 89:33), “I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their sin with plagues” (Shabbat 55a). For sins are analogous to clouds that darken the light of the sun through which there is healing.", + "But through prayer, sins are atoned. This is because prayer is in place of sacrifice, and so it atones, as it is written, “I will bring them to My sacred mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer; their burnt-offerings and feast-offerings.”", + "And when sin is atoned, the clouds dissipate, as in “I have wiped away your transgressions like a thick mist and your sins like a cloud” (Isaiah 44:22). Then, the sunshine engenders healing—because the essence of sickness is sin, i.e., a cloud and darkness, which darkens the light of the sun/healing. But when sins are forgiven, the clouds disperse, the sun shines and healing comes. All this is accomplished through prayer, which atones for sin, as mentioned above.", + "And the main prayer through which sin is forgiven and one is saved from sickness is produced when a neighbor is added from the Jewish people. With each neighbor that is added from the Jewish people, the prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded. This is the concept of a gathering of Jews. The more the number of Jewish souls that gather together increases, the more the House of Prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded. This is because three stones build six houses; four stones build twenty-four houses; five, one hundred twenty houses, and so on, until the mouth cannot speak nor the heart fathom, as is brought in Sefer Yetzirah. It follows, that with each additional stone the houses increase and grow factorially.", + "The souls are the concept of stones, as in “the hallowed stones have been poured out” (Lamentations 4:1), and the houses are the concept of “for My House will be a house of prayer.” It follows, that with each soul that is added and increases the gathering of Jews, the House of Prayer is greatly multiplied and expanded. This is because when one more soul is now added to the gathering, very many other, new permutations are made, increasing their number factorially. Therefore, when a neighbor is added from the Jewish people—for example, when yet another neighbor is added to an existing Jewish community—the prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded as a result of this one soul that is added to the gathering. And via the increase of prayer, sin is forgiven—this being the concept of healing, as mentioned above.", + "{“No neighbor will say, ‘ I am sick’; the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne” (Isaiah 33:24) .} This is also the concept of “No neighbor will say, ‘I am sick.’” The addition of a neighbor saves people from sickness, for “the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne.” As a result of the neighbor, prayer is multiplied and there is then forgiveness for sin. This, in turn, brings healing, and sickness is eliminated. {And know! there are times when sin is borne because of the gathering, but other times when, God forbid, there is the concept of “Surely it was our sickness that he bore” (Isaiah 53:4). For when the members of the gathering are not worthy, they do not merit having their sins forgiven. The tzaddik is then compelled to accept suffering upon himself for the sake of the Jewish people. Everyone else is saved from sickness, but not the tzaddik, God forbid, because he accepts suffering for the Jews, the concept of “Surely it was our sickness….” But when they are worthy and their prayer is proper, it is the concept of “the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne,” and then the tzaddik, too, is saved from sickness, as in “No neighbor will say, ‘I am sick’; the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne.”}" + ], + [ + "7. Also through the spread of prophecy the imaginative faculty is refined and rectified, as in “by the hands of the prophets I am imagined” (Hosea 12:11). For the imagination is primarily rectified and refined when in the hands of the prophets. And when rectified, the imagination rectifies true holy faith, and false beliefs are eliminated.", + "This is because faith primarily depends upon the imaginative faculty. For in matters which the intellect comprehends, faith does not apply. Essentially, faith is only in a place where the intellect is suspended and a person cannot comprehend the matter with his mind. It is there that one requires faith. And when he cannot comprehend the matter intellectually, all that is left [to him] is the imaginative faculty, and there one needs faith. It follows, that faith is essentially associated with the imagination. Thus, when prophecy spreads and, consequently, the imagination is refined and rectified, as a result the true faith of holiness is rectified.", + "For prophecy is comprised of ten levels. They correspond to the Ten DiBRot (Commandments), which are the concept of ten levels of prophecy, as it is written (Deuteronomy 5:4), “Face to face God DiBeR (spoke) to you.” “DVaR (the word) of God” refers to prophecy, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Shabbat 138b).", + "Therefore, through prophecy/ten levels/Ten Commandments one merits faith in God—to believe that God created everything with Ten Utterances. It follows, that the main rectification of holy faith is through the spirit of prophecy." + ], + [ + "8. This is why one has to do one’s utmost to seek and search after a true leader, to draw close to him. Every leader has an element of the spirit of prophecy. Even in our time, when prophecy has ceased, a leader necessarily possesses “a different spirit” (Numbers 14:24), one not found among the rest of the people, by virtue of which he deserved to become a leader. For without this, what is it that makes this person deserving to be a leader and not someone else?", + "However, in truth, each and every Jewish leader possesses “a different spirit,” because a leader is “a man in whom there is spirit,” “who will lead them out and in” (Numbers 27:17,18). The leader who leads the Jews out and in certainly possesses “a different spirit” on account of which he, in particular, became their leader. And this “different spirit” which the leader possesses is a form of holy spirit, a spirit of prophecy. Even though at present the prophetic spirit, actual holy spirit, is not extant, he must certainly nevertheless possess “a different spirit” drawn from holiness, one not found among the rest of the people and which is also holy spirit. Although it is not actual holy spirit through which to know the future, it is nevertheless a form of holy spirit, a spirit of prophecy.", + "And through the aspect of holy spirit/prophetic spirit of the true leader, the true holy faith of all those who draw close to him grows stronger and is rectified. This is because when anyone merits getting close to a true leader, his drawing closer to him causes the leader’s prophetic spirit to rectify and refine that person’s imaginative faculty. For the imagination is primarily rectified through the spirit of prophecy, as mentioned above. And rectifying the imagination rectifies and refines holy faith, as mentioned above. Therefore, all who draw close to a true leader merit virtuous holy faith.", + "But in fact, a person has to do his very utmost to seek and search after such a true leader. And he has to plead with God a great deal to merit drawing close to a true leader in order to attain perfect true faith. This is because drawing close to a false leader, God forbid, brings to false beliefs, God forbid. A false leader is analogous to a false prophet, the concept of “a lying spirit” (1 Kings 22:22). In that case, on the contrary, the imagination is marred and one comes to false beliefs. For faith is rectified primarily through the true leader’s spirit of prophecy, which, by refining the imagination, rectifies faith. But without the concept of prophecy, the imagination lacks refinement and rectification, and so it confounds and confuses a person with false beliefs.", + "This is the concept of the Serpent’s pollution. For the confounding and confusing of the imagination through false beliefs corresponds to the pollution of the NaChaSh (Serpent). All m’NaChaShim (diviners) and sorcerers exist because the imaginative faculty is unrefined and unrectified. It confounds and confuses them with false beliefs of foolishness and lies—i.e., the Serpent’s pollution.", + "Therefore, Israel, who stood at Mount Sinai, their impurity ceased (Shabbat 146a). This is because everyone attained prophecy there, on account of Moshe Rabbeinu, master of all the prophets. He was their true leader, and this lead to the refining and rectifying of their imagination, so that they merited perfect faith in God. Thus their impurity—the Serpent’s pollution, i.e., false beliefs—ceased, because they merited perfecting virtuous holy faith by refining the imagination through the spirit of prophecy, as mentioned above.", + "And this is the concept of the Heh of Ha-shishi mentioned in the account of Creation, as it is written, “and there was evening and there was morning, yom ha-shishi (the sixth day)” (Genesis 1:31). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: The entire universe hung in the balance until the sixth of Sivan, when the Jewish people accepted the Torah (Shabbat 88a).", + "The essence of chidush haolam—i.e., knowing that the world is ex nihilo and that God created it by an act of His Will—is dependent upon faith. For it is impossible to intellectually comprehend the origination of the world. And because the intellect cannot comprehend it, unbelievers refuse to believe it. The essence of the chidush of the world is only through faith: our faith in God that He created the world ex nihilo. For, in truth, the world’s origination occurred through faith, as it is written, “and all His work is done with faith” (Psalms 33:4). It follows, that the essence of the world’s renewal depends upon faith.", + "The universe therefore hung in the balance until the receiving of the Torah. It was then that the spirit of prophecy brought them to perfect faith, as mentioned above. Thus, it was specifically then that the chidush of the world was revealed, because the essence of the world’s renewal is dependent upon faith." + ], + [ + "9. And through faith the world will be renewed in the Future.", + "For the gathering of the kindnesses—by means of which the world will be renewed, as in “For I said: ‘The world will be built on lovingkindness’”—comes about through faith, as in “To proclaim Your kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness in the nights” (Psalms 92:3). “Your faithfulness in the nights” alludes to faith, which is dependent upon the imaginative faculty, which itself corresponds to night, the concept of a nighttime dream produced by the imagination. And by virtue of this, “To proclaim Your kindness in the morning”—this alludes to the aforementioned concept of lovingkindness, through which the world will be renewed in the Future.", + "And this is the concept of “They are renewed in the mornings; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). “Great is Your faithfulness”—namely, faith—will bring to the renewal of the world, the concept of “They are renewed in the mornings,” and “To proclaim Your kindness in the morning…,” as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "10. And when the world is renewed in the Future, it will be governed by wonders—i.e., solely through Divine providence, which is the concept of miracles, the supernatural.", + "This is because renewal of the world in the Future will be through the attribute of the Land of Israel, which in essence is the concept of “He informed His people of His powerful works…” (Psalms 111:6). This is as Rashi explains the verse “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Genesis 1:1). Rashi explains that this is the reason Scripture begins with “In the beginning”: because “He informed His people of His powerful works, to give them the heritage of the nations.” In order to keep the world’s nations from saying, “You are thieves…,” Scripture therefore began with “In the beginning,” [to make known] that God created it. It follows, that the Land of Israel is in essence the product of “His powerful works”—through knowing that God created the world.", + "And in the Future, the Holy Blessed One will renew the entire world through this attribute of the Land of Israel. It will be revealed then that God created everything, and then the entire world will be renewed through the attribute of the Land of Israel.", + "Now, the essence of the Land of Israel’s holiness derives from the continuous presence there of God’s Divine providence, as in “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). Thus, in the Future, when the entire world will be renewed through the attribute of the Land of Israel, it will then be governed solely by means of Divine providence, just like the Land of Israel. The natural order will then be voided altogether, and the world will be governed solely through Divine providence, the concept of miracles, the supernatural.", + "And then a new song will burst forth, the concept of “Sing to God a new song, for He has worked wonders” (Psalms 98:1). This alludes to the song destined to burst forth in the Future, a song of Divine providence/wonders, because the world will then be governed through Divine providence and miracles.", + "For there is a song that corresponds to the natural order, the concept of “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (Psalms 19:2). This is the melody and song of the natural order, the properties of the heavens—i.e., the songs and praises with which we extol God for the present manner of governance which directs the world through the natural order.", + "But in the Future, a new song—the concept of miracles/Divine providence—will burst forth, because the governance will be solely through Divine providence. This new song that will burst forth in the Future is the concept of the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song, whose numerical value of seventy-two is the concept of lovingkindness, through which the world will be renewed in the Future, as in “The world will be built on lovingkindness.” This song is also the concept of the aforementioned voice that waters the garden; the voice that enables one to give reproof, as in “raise your voice Ka’ShoPhaR (like a shofar),” as mentioned above.", + "It follows, that through prayer one attains the aforementioned concepts which bring to the voice that enables one to give reproof, as mentioned above. This is because prayer makes converts and reveals the glory of God, and this causes prophecy to spread. And through prophecy one merits faith, which, in turn, leads to the renewal of the world in the Future. Renewal of the world is through the attribute of the Land of Israel—i.e., by means of Divine providence, just like the Land of Israel. And then the song of Divine providence—namely, the concept of the aforementioned voice—and miracles will burst forth.", + "And this is:", + "“But he saw that the resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he set his shoulder to the load and became l’mas oveid (an indentured servant)” (Genesis 49:15) .", + "the resting place— This alludes to prophecy, as it is written in connection with Barukh the son of Neriyah: “and I have found no rest” (Jeremiah 45:3)—which refers to prophecy, as our Sages, of blessed memory, explained (Mekhilta, Bo, Introduction).", + "the land— Namely, the Land of Israel.", + "so he set his shoulder to the load— This alludes to melody, the aforementioned new song, the concept of “on their shoulder yisa’ u (they did carry)” (Numbers 7:9)—concerning which our Sages, of blessed memory, explained: yiSA’U is nothing other than song, as is stated (Psalms 81:3), “SA’ U (Raise up) a song and sound a timbrel” (Arakhin 11a). And by means of the melody/new song, scent is rectified, as mentioned above. This alludes to Mashiach, the concept of “The breath of our nostrils is m’shiach (the anointed) of God” (Lamentations 4:20). And this is:", + "and became l’mas oveid— This alludes to Mashiach, as it is written, “Blessed is God, Who has not denied you a redeemer…. They named him Oveid” (Ruth 4:14, 17). And this is “l ’MaS”—this is MiSmus, dissolving an object that has a fragrance so that its scent is diffused. For by means of the aforementioned concepts, scent, the concept of Mashiach, is rectified, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "11. This is also the concept of Rosh HaShanah. On Rosh HaShanah, prayer is in the category of judgment, for “the judgment is the Lord’s” (Deuteronomy 1:17). And through this we extract all the life-essence of the Other Side that fed upon daat and the Jewish people’s prayers.", + "This is the concept of “For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov” (Psalms 81:5). The word “statute” denotes sustenance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded on this verse (Beitzah 16a). In other words, all the sustenance and life-essence is extracted from the Other Side, which is compelled to vomit out everything by means of the concept of “a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov”—i.e., by means of the judgment-prayer, which is the staff of strength that causes it to vomit out all the holiness which it swallowed from the daat and the Jewish people’s prayers.", + "And this is Tishrei, the concept of “With Your might You drove back the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” The first letters of Yam Shebarta Rashei Taninim (“the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents”) in combination spell TiShReI. And when it returns the holy elements of the daat which it swallowed, then the daat and mind are whole. This is the concept of Rosh HaShanah, specifically rosh (head)—rectification of the head and mind by means of the aforementioned staff of strength.", + "And when we extract from the Other Side what it swallowed, we extract also its life-essence—this being the concept of converts. This corresponds to Tishrei, the concept of “for you know eT nefeSh ha’geR kI (the soul of the convert, because) you were strangers…” (Exodus 23:9)—the last letters of which spell TiShReI. Through converts, the glory of God is revealed, prophecy spreads, holy faith is rectified, and false beliefs are eliminated.", + "This is the concept of tekiah, teruah, shevarim. TeKiAh signifies the revelation of God’s glory, as in “u’ TeKAtiv (I will affix him) as a peg in a secure place, and he will be a throne of glory” (Isaiah 22:23). Teruah signifies the spirit of prophecy. This is as in “God, their Lord, is with them, the King’s teruah -blast in their midst” (Numbers 23:21), which Targum renders as “their King’s Divine Presence in their midst”—i.e., the indwelling of the Divine Presence, namely, prophecy. SheVaRim signifies the elimination of false beliefs. This is as in “ShaBeR t’ShaBeR (utterly shatter) their monuments” (Exodus 23:24)—i.e., the elimination of false beliefs and rectification of holy faith, the concept of “Everyone’s eyes y’SaBeiRu (look to You with hope)” (Psalms 145:15). And through faith, the world merits renewal.", + "This is also the concept of Tishrei. For the world was created in Tishrei (Rosh HaShanah 10b), and the world will be renewed through the attribute of the Land of Israel, i.e., Divine providence—this being the concept of Rosh HaShanah, as in “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously, from the beginning of the year….” And then a new ShIR (song) will burst forth, as mentioned above. This, too, is the concept of TiShReI, as in “Come, TaShuRI (gaze) from the head of Amanah” (Song of Songs 4:8)." + ], + [ + "12. And this is conceptually related to the lungs. When the lungs are healthy, all the concepts mentioned previously are present.", + "The aforementioned master of strength—who by praying a judgment-prayer extracts all holiness from the Other Side, the concept of “Pinchas stood vayephalel”—is “a faithful messenger to those who send him,” because he sacrifices himself for the sake of the Jewish people. This is the concept of the lungs, as in “Like the coldness of snow on a harvest day is a faithful messenger to those who send him” (Proverbs 25:13). Cold and coolness are representative of the lungs, which cool off the heat of the body, for if not for the lobes of the lungs fanning the heart, the heart would consume the entire body (Tikkuney Zohar #13, p.28a).", + "The aforementioned perfected daat is conceptually related to the lungs. This is because the daat and the mentalities are mainly produced by the body’s fatty substances. The breathing of the lungs raises these fatty substances to the brain, enabling the intellect to burn like a lit lamp. Breathing also maintains all the body’s fatty substances, which are essential for the intellect’s existence. The mentalities are therefore referred to as the soul, as in “the NeShaMaH (soul) from the Almighty enables them to understand” (Job 32:8). For more than anything else, it is NeShiMaH (breathing) that ensures the proper functioning of the mind and daat. This is the concept of “The soul of man is the lamp of God” (Proverbs 20:27). The intellect is a lamp lit by means of the body’s fatty substances, which are maintained and raised to the mind through the breathing of the lungs. It follows, that daat’s existence is due primarily to the lungs.", + "The aforementioned converts are the concept of “hevel descends, hevel ascends,” which is said about the lungs, as is brought (Tikkuney Zohar #69, p.105b). For there are havalim in the world that are the concept of “They are hevel (futility), the work of delusion” (Jeremiah 51:18)—i.e., the futilities of foolishness. But when one inhales this hevel and infuses it into Torah study and prayer, so that it becomes a hevel of holiness, that is the concept of converts. This is because “hevel, the work of delusion” turns into the holy hevel of Torah study and prayer—i.e., the concept of converts. This is “hevel descends, hevel ascends,” which is said about the lungs, because they take in hevel and expel hevel. This alludes to converts, who are made by one’s taking in the hevel of the world—i.e., “They are hevel, the work of delusion”—and through Torah study and prayer elevating it to hevel of holiness.", + "The aforementioned revelation of the glory is the concept of “Glorify God with your wealth” (Proverbs 3:9)—do not read “from honkha (your wealth),” but “from gronkha (your throat)” (Pesikta Rabbati #25). And the throat emerges from the lungs.", + "The aforementioned spread of prophecy is the ruach (air) of the lobes of the lungs, which is the ruach (spirit) of prophecy, the concept of “The ruach of God has spoken through me” (2 Samuel 23:2).", + "Rectification of the imaginative faculty is conceptually related to the lungs. This is because sleep and imagination are dependent upon the lungs. Coolness and moisture are essential for sleep and imagination, which is why people are sleepier when it rains. Thus the lungs, because they are cool and moist, conduce to sleep and imagination—i.e., the fantasies that visit a person while sleeping, namely, the imaginative faculty.", + "The world’s renewal is conceptually related to the lungs. This is the concept of “You will send Your ruach—they will be created; You renew the face of the earth” (Psalms 104:30), which alludes to the ruach of the lobes of the lungs. And the world will be renewed through Divine providence, the attribute of the Land of Israel. This corresponds to the lungs, as in that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why is it called Rei’AH (lung)? Because it me’IRaH (brings light to) the eyes (Chullin 49a). This is “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously…,” which was said in reference to the Land of Israel—i.e., the concept of Divine providence, as mentioned above.", + "The aforementioned melody and new song are conceptually related to the lungs. This is the concept of “Cry out from the throat, without restraint; raise your voice like a shofar.” The throat is the lungs, as mentioned above. [The throat] is also associated with melody, which is the concept of Ka’ShoPhaR (like a shofar), as mentioned above.", + "Rectification of scent and fear [of God]—namely, sustenance for the soul—which are rectified through all the concepts mentioned previously, are conceptually related to the lungs. This is because the letters that spell ReI’AH (lung) are the final letters of YHVH ro’I lO echsoR (“God is my shepherd, I do not lack”) (Psalms 23:1). “God is my shepherd, I do not lack” alludes to sustenance for the soul. This is the meaning of “I do not lack”—the concept of “for those who fear Him lack nothing” (Psalms 34:10), i.e., fear of God/scent, which is sustenance for the soul." + ], + [ + "13. This is the explanation of the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, about King Og of the Bashan: [Og] said : How big is the Israelite camp? It is three parsei (parasangs). I will go and uproot a three-parasang mountain and cast it upon them. He went and uprooted a three-parasang mountain and set it on his head. [But the Holy One, blessed be He,] brought kumtza (ants) onto [the mountain] and they bore a hole through it, so that [the mountain] dropped on his neck. He tried to remove it, but shinei (his teeth) extended downward on this side and the other [and he could not]. … How tall was Moshe? Ten cubits. He took an ax that was ten cubits long, jumped ten cubits, and struck [Og] on his ankle and killed him (Berakhot 54b) .", + "Og’s hold was on the right side, as is brought (Zohar 184a). He fed on the daat of holiness, because from the right side comes a mind as white as silver (Tikkuney Zohar #70, p.129a). He therefore sought to overpower the Jewish people, and so said: “How big is the Israelite camp? It is three parasangs.”", + "the Israelite camp— This alludes to the holiness of the Israelite camp, the concept of “Your camp must therefore be holy” (Deuteronomy 23:15). The essential sanctity of the Israelite camp stems from guarding against immoral desire, i.e., against a nocturnal emission, God forbid, as discussed in that section. And the primary means for guarding against this desire is the “three parasangs”—i.e., the three mentalities, each of which is a separate barrier deployed against this desire, as mentioned above. And this is:", + "How big is the Israelite camp? It is three parasangs— In other words, the essence of the Israelite camp’s sanctity—their keeping separate from this desire, from a nocturnal emission, God forbid—is produced by the “three PaRSei”—i.e., the three mentalities, which are a barrier PRuSah (deployed) against that desire, as mentioned above.", + "I will go and uproot a three-parasang mountain and cast it upon them. “A mountain” alludes to prayer, as in “I will bring them to My sacred mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer.” This is the meaning of “a three-parasang,” because prayer, too, is drawn from the three mentalities, the deployed barriers from which three types of compassion—namely, the three daily prayers—are drawn, as mentioned above.", + "In other words, Og is the concept of the Other Side that feeds on daat, God forbid. It wants to uproot the prayers of the Jewish people, to draw them to itself and swallow them, God forbid, as mentioned above. This is what [Og] said, “and cast it upon them.” [The Other Side’s] greatest desire is to draw the Jewish people’s prayers to itself and grab hold of them. But afterwards, once it has them, God forbid, it is pleased to return [them] and cast them upon the Jews. For once it has already sustained itself on them, then even if it returns them and throws them to the Jews of its own accord, the flaw induced by its sapping the sustenance remains. This is because “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty,” as mentioned above. Therefore, when [the Other Side] feeds on the Jewish people’s compassion and prayers, even though it returns them to the Jews of its own accord, they nevertheless are flawed as a result of its hold on them. This is what [Og] said: “and cast it upon them,” because when [the Other Side] afterwards uproots and swallows them, God forbid, it wants to return them and throw them to the Jews, for it has already damaged them. {Since the Other Side has not been subdued, but returns [the prayers] to Israel of its own accord, they remain flawed. But when they are removed from it against its will, by means of the staff of strength, as mentioned above, then the Other Side is entirely defeated and returns absolutely everything to the realm of holiness. Understand this; [so] it appears to me.}", + "He went and uprooted a three-parasang mountain and set it on his head— In other words, it overpowered and uprooted the prayers of Israel, which are “a three-parasang mountain.” “And set it on his head”—it drew the prayers, which are daat and compassion, into its head and mind. This is the concept of “Now the Serpent was cunning,” as mentioned above.", + "brought KuMTZa (ants)— This alludes to the master of strength’s prayer, which is KiMuTZ (constricted) and judgment, the concept of the aforementioned staff of strength.", + "and they bore a hole through it— This is the concept of “With his own staff You bore through the head of his arrayed troops” (Habakkuk 3:14). Through the aforementioned master of strength’s constricted judgment-prayer, which is a staff of strength, he subdues and defeats [the Other Side], because it sticks in its throat, as in “Strength resides in its neck.” And this is:", + "[the mountain] dropped on his neck— It stuck in its neck, as in “Strength resides in its neck.” And this is:", + "He tried to remove it— It is compelled to vomit out all the holy elements of the prayers and daat which it swallowed, as in “He swallowed wealth and vomits it out,” as mentioned above. And this is:", + "shinei extended downward— Not only does it vomit out the holy elements of the Jewish people’s prayers, etc., but also “God flushes it out of his innards”—i.e., it is compelled to expel its life-essence, this being the concept of converts. This is the meaning of “ShINei (his teeth) extended downward,” the concept of “its innards are sparkling SheIN (ivory)” (Song of Songs 5:14). In other words, it is compelled to expel its life-essence from within its innards, as in “God flushes it out of his innards,” the concept of “r’dei (rule) within your enemies,” as mentioned above.", + "How tall was Moshe? Ten cubits— “Moshe” signifies prophecy, because he was the master of all the prophets. “Ten cubits” alludes to the ten levels of prophecy. By means of the aforementioned staff of strength, through which the glory is revealed, one attains prophecy, as mentioned above.", + "He took an ax that was ten cubits long— “Ax” signifies the tools of the Act of Creation. This is the meaning of “that was ten cubits long”—it alludes to the Ten Utterances with which the world was created, which are the tools of the Act of Creation. Through prophecy one merits faith, which corresponds to the Ten Utterances/tools of the Act of Creation. Faith brings to believing in the creation of the world; that God created everything with Ten Utterances, as mentioned above. And through faith one merits the renewal of the world in the Future, when the aforementioned new song will burst forth. And this is:", + "jumped ten cubits— This alludes to the Song of the Future, the simple-[twofold-threefold-fourfold] song of ten letters, the concept of “ten cubits.” “Jumped” is the concept of “skipping over mountains, jumping over hills” (Song of Songs 2:8). “Mountains” and “hills” allude to scents, as in “I will take me to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense” (ibid. 4:6)—i.e., the scents that grow in the garden by means of the voice of the melody, which waters the garden, as mentioned above.", + "This is the meaning of “skipping over mountains, jumping….” It alludes to the aforementioned melody which enhances the scents—i.e., the concept of mountains and hills. This is “skipping…”—it refers to the notes of the melody, the masin, which are played by skipping and jumping across the strings of the instrument. This is the meaning of “jumped ten cubits.” It alludes to the aforementioned melody, which is “skipping over mountains….” For it is through the aforementioned concepts that one attains the melody, and this melody is the aforementioned voice—i.e., the voice of yaAKoV, who subdues the AKeiV of the Other Side. And this is:", + "and struck [Og] on his ankle and killed him— He struck and subdued the heel of the Other Side by means of the aforementioned voice of the melody. This is the voice of Yaakov, who subdues the heel of the Other Side, as in “his hand grasping Esav’s heel,” as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "14. This is the explanation [of the opening verses]: {“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar bachodesh (at the moon’s renewal), [when (the moon is) covered over on our chag (festive day). For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov].”}", + "TiK’u— This alludes to the revelation of God’s glory, the concept of “u’TeKAtiv (I will affix him) as a peg in a secure place, and he will be a throne of glory.”", + "BaChoDeSh— This alludes to the ChiDuSh (renewal) of the world, the aforementioned new song. And this is “shofar,” the concept of “raise your voice like a shofar,” as mentioned above.", + "Then [the verse] further explains how revealing God’s glory/ tik’u warrants renewal of the world/a new song—i.e., “the shofar at the moon’s renewal.”", + "And this is: when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day.", + "When [the moon is] covered over— This alludes to prophecy, the concept of “Shall I conceal from Avraham what I am about to do?” (Genesis 18:17). This alludes to prophecy, the concept of “The Lord God does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets” (Amos 3:7).", + "on our chag— This refers to Rosh HaShanah. This is faith, which is rectified through the rectification of the imaginative faculty, namely, the concept of ChaG, as in “and with a m’ChuGah (compass) ye’taareihu (he marks it out)” (Isaiah 44:13). “ye’TaAReihu” alludes to T’ ARim (attributes, depictions) and praises—i.e., the imaginative faculty. All the depictions and praises with which we envisage God are products of the imagination.", + "For at the most abstract level, God is completely dissociated from all praises and depictions. It follows, that all praises and attributes are products of the imagination. Therefore, when the imagination is refined and rectified, it is possible to formulate praises and depictions of God. For if the imagination lacks rectification, no one knows how to depict God with praises and attributes, as it were, because all praises and attributes are products of the imagination.", + "Thus, this is the concept of chag /“with a m’chugah ye’taareihu.” And through this [praising and depicting God], faith is rectified, which is the concept of Rosh HaShanah. For the essence of Rosh HaShanah—which is when the world is renewed, because the world was created in Tishrei—is dependent upon faith, as mentioned above. And this is:", + "when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day— Imagination and faith are rectified primarily through prophecy, as mentioned above. Therefore, the essence of Rosh HaShanah/faith depends upon the month of Sivan, namely, receiving the Torah, through which faith is rectified, as mentioned above. And by rectifying the imagination and faith—which are rectified through prophecy, the concept of “when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day”—we merit renewal of the world/a new song, which is “the shofar at the moon’s renewal.” And this all stems from the revelation of the glory, the concept of Tik’u. For the revelation of God’s glory warrants the spread of prophecy, and so on, as mentioned above.", + "And the totality of these concepts is achieved through the concept of For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov. As mentioned above, this alludes to a staff of strength, through which all the aforementioned concepts are achieved." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Wherever the ruach was to go, they went.” (Ezekiel 1:12)", + "In the Tikkuney Zohar we find: All the heart’s arteries are governed by the ruach, as it is written (Ezekiel 1:12), “Wherever the ruach (spirit) was to go….” This refers to the ruach (air) that emerges from the lobes of the lungs; for “if not for the lobes of the lungs fanning the heart, the heart would consume the entire body” (Tikkuney Zohar #13, p.28a).", + "Ruach (wind) both extinguishes and lights a candle. As observed empirically, at times the blowing ruach extinguishes a candle, whereas other times an extinguished candle is lit by the ruach blowing on it. A candle is extinguished when ash covers the candle and the elemental components of fire in [the flame] separate and become incapable of burning. Therefore, when we blow on the candle, the ruach blows away the ash from it and the components of fire reunite and rebind and begin to burn. {Similarly, occasionally one extinguishes a candle with ruach, which blows and separates the fire from the candle.}", + "Now, the leaders of the generation are the concept of ruach, as it is written” (Numbers 27:18), “a man in whom there is ruach”—who knows how to deal with the ruach of each individual. And Israel is synonymous with the heart, for the Jews are the heart of the entire world (Zohar III, 221b).", + "The leaders of the generation must blow their ruach on every Jew, the heart of the world. They have to blow away from them the ash—i.e., the depression that overcomes them and prevents a Jew, who conceptually is the heart, from burning and being inflamed for God.", + "There are also wicked individuals, who conceptually are the mixed multitude. When they assail the heart—i.e., Israel—that, too, is the concept of ash through which it is prevented from being fired up.", + "This is the reason the leaders of the generation have to blow away the ash from the heart—i.e., from every Jew—so that the components of fire in each Jew reunite, and Israel unites and becomes the concept of heart. Each Jew becomes the heart for that place which needs the concept of heart, as he again becomes fired up for God, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. However, at those times when a stormwind blows, it causes the fire to burn out of control. Similarly, there are times when a stormwind blows inside a person and causes him to burn out of control. This is the concept of harisah (destruction), as in “lest y’ harsu (they break through) toward God…” (Exodus 19:21). As [the Sages teach]: Do not inquire into that which is too wondrous for you (Chagigah 13a). It is forbidden to break through to ascend to God in a manner unsuited to one’s [spiritual] level. Therefore, when a person sees that he is excessively passionate, beyond measure, he knows that this [stems from] the concept of a stormwind.", + "Eliyahu was able to subdue this [passion] (see Zohar III, 227b; Zohar Chadash, Ruth, p.103a). This is why he is called “The man who rode fiery horses in a stormwind” (Liturgy). He would ride and tame the fiery horses in a stormwind—i.e., the passion burning out of control as a result of the stormwind. Eliyahu would ride this and tame it. For the ruach has to blow with control, so that the heart’s passion ignites within measure, in a balanced manner." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The sole reason that people are distant from God and do not draw closer to Him is that they lack yishuv ha-daat and fail to settle their mind. It is essential that a person strive to reflect on the purpose of all the desires and distractions of this world. This includes the desires which are bound up with the body and also the non-physical desires, such as [for] honor. Then he will surely return to God." + ], + [ + "2. But know! depression makes it impossible to direct the mind the way one wants. It is therefore difficult for a person to attain yishuv ha-daat. Only joy enables him to direct the mind as he pleases and attain yishuv ha- daat. This is because joy is the realm of freedom, as in “For through joy you will go out” (Isaiah 55:12). Through joy a person becomes free and goes out of exile.", + "Therefore, by binding the mind to joy, a person’s mind and daat are then free and he is not conceptually in exile. As a result, he can direct his mind as he pleases and attain yishuv ha-daat, since his mind is free and not in exile. For exile unsettles the mind, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught regarding the Ammonites and Moabites. Their minds were settled because they were never exiled, as it is stated (Jeremiah 48:11) : “Moab has been at ease from his youth on… and never gone into exile. Therefore, its fine flavor has remained…” (Megillah 12b)." + ], + [ + "3. The way a person achieves joy is by finding in himself at least some good point, as in the explanation of the verse “I will sing to God with the little I have left” (Psalms 146:2; Likutey Moharan I, 282). See there.", + "No matter what, a person can rejoice that he is privileged to be from the seed of Israel—“for not having made me a gentile”—and as we say: “Blessed is our God, Who created us for His glory, separated us… and gave us the Torah of truth….” It is fitting that he be happy about all this and similar such things in order to gladden his mind.", + "This is the meaning of “of a jovial mind” (Shabbat 77b), which is a great thing. It refers to his binding joy to his mind and daat, so that with the mind set free he attains yishuv ha-daat. And also on high, a great unification is made by his being “of a jovial mind.”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! when a person prays in the fields, all the flora enters into the prayer, helping him and strengthening his prayer. This is the reason prayer is called SiChah (conversation), the concept of “SiaCh (shrub) of the field” (Genesis 2:5). All the shrubs of the field empower and assist his prayer.", + "This is the concept of “And Yitzchak went out laSuaCh (to converse) in the field” (ibid. 24:63)—his prayer was with the help and power of the field. All the flora of the field empowered and assisted his prayer, on account of which prayer is called SiChah.", + "Therefore, the Curse includes the statement: “and the soil will not yield its produce (yevul)” (Deuteronomy 11:17). For all the earth’s produce must empower and assist the prayer. But when this is impeded or delayed, it thus states: “and the soil will not yield its produce.”", + "Now, even when a person does not pray in the fields, the earth’s produce—i.e., whatever is near the person, such as his food and drink and the like—aids his prayer. But when he is in the field, because he is particularly close to these things, all the flora and all the soil’s yevul (produce) empower his prayer.", + "And this is YeVUL—the first letters of Vayeitzei Yitzchak Lasuach Basadeh (“And Yitzchak went out to converse in the field”). All the produce of the field prayed together with him.", + "(This matter is thoroughly explained in Likutey Moharan II, 1:11, “Sound the Shofar at the New Moon”; see there.)" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a person follows his own intellect and cleverness, he can fall into many mistakes and pitfalls, and come to great evil, God forbid. There are those who have caused tremendous damage, like the famous outstanding villains who have led the world astray—all on account of their cleverness and intellect.", + "The essence of Judaism is to conduct oneself solely with innocence and simplicity, without any sophistication. A person has to ascertain that God is present in whatever he does, without any concern whatsoever for his own esteem. He should do it only if it brings glory to God; but if not, not. This way he will certainly never stumble.", + "And even when he falls into doubts, God forbid—and one’s descent can be extremely great, may the Merciful One spare us, so that one falls into doubts and heretical thoughts and even questions God—even so, the downfall and descent is for the sake of the ascent [that follows].", + "Know! glory is the root of the entire creation. For whatever God created He did so solely for His glory, as it is written (Isaiah 43:7), “Everything that is called by My Name, for My glory have I created it…” (Yoma 38a). And since everything has been created for the sake of God’s glory, it follows that His glory is the root of the entire creation.", + "Now, although it is all one, creation is nevertheless comprised of parts, and each individual part of the creation contains its own unique aspect of glory, which is its root. This is the meaning of: With ten utterances the world was created. Could it not have been created with a single utterance? However, it was created with ten utterances for the sake of reward and punishment (Avot 5:1). And each utterance contains its own unique aspect of glory, which is its root, for glory is the root of all things.", + "This is the meaning of “and in His Sanctuary, everything declares: ‘Glory!’” (Psalms 29:9). Enclothed in each utterance is God’s glory, through which the world was created, for “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).", + "And even in transgressions and evil things, God forbid…", + "God’s glory is not present, as in “I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 42:8). For glory has a limit beyond which it will not spread, so that even though “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” there is nevertheless a limit when it reaches the aforementioned places, such that it will not extend out to there, as in “I will not give My glory to another.” Thus each [aspect of] glory enclothed in each one of the Ten Utterances has its limit that keeps it from spreading to the “outside” places.", + "… but know! despite this, indubitably they too receive life-force from God. Even the “filthy places” and temples of idolatry also need to obtain life-force from God.", + "However, know that they receive it from the concept of the Hidden Utterance. This is Bereishit—a sealed utterance, which includes all the others and all of them receive their life-force from it. The glory associated with the Hidden Utterance is sealed and hidden in the utmost concealment. It is from there that they obtain life-force. For it is impossible for them to receive life-force from the revealed utterances and glory, as in “I will not give My glory to another,” as mentioned above. It is only from the Hidden Utterance, which is concealed in the utmost concealment, that they receive life-force. This matter is incomprehensible, and it is forbidden to ponder it at all.", + "Therefore, when a person falls into places of this sort, God forbid—i.e., into the “filthy places,” falling into doubts, heresy and great confusion—if he then begins examining himself and sees that he is very far from God’s glory—and as a consequence of his seeing himself far from His glory, having fallen into such places, God spare us, he asks and seeks, “Where is the place of His glory?”—this, this, is the essence of his rectification and ascent, as in the concept brought in the writings: “The descent is for the sake of the ascent [that follows].”", + "For “Ayeh (Where) is the place of His glory?” alludes to the supreme glory of the highest utterance, i.e., the Hidden Utterance/ Bereishit , from where the life-force for these places is drawn. And so, when a person seeks and searches “Ayeh is the place of His glory?”—through this itself he returns and ascends to the supreme glory, the concept of Ayeh, which, by virtue of its great concealment and hiddenness, gives life to those places. Thus now, by having fallen there and consequently sought “Ayeh is the place of His glory?” he re-connects himself to there, and so instills vitality into his downfall and rises up to the highest heights.", + "And this is the concept of the olah sacrifice, which comes to atone for the heart’s heretical thoughts. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: It is written (Ezekiel 20:32), “that which OLeH (rises up) into your mind”—that the OLaH (burnt-offering) atones for thoughts (VaYikra Rabbah 7:3).", + "This is the concept of “My heart is s’charchar (surrounded)” (Psalms 38:11). For there is a kelipah (an evil force) that contorts and surrounds the heart with much crookedness, contortion and confusion. This is the kelipah of nogah. It is therefore said to be S’ChaRChaR—S’ChoR S’ChoR, the Aramaic translation of “surrounded,” as in “with a nogah (brightness) surrounding it” (Ezekiel 1:4). For [nogah] is the concept of Aramaic translation, as is brought (see Likutey Moharan I, 19). Scripture thus uses the Aramaic.", + "Thus, when a person falls into there—namely, the “filthy places”—and consequently seeks and cries out “Ayeh is the place of His glory?”—that in itself is his rectification, for he returns and comes back to the supreme glory, the concept of Ayeh, as mentioned above.", + "This is also the concept of the olah (burnt-offering), as in “but ayeh (where) is the lamb for the olah?” (Genesis 22:7). [Asking] “Ayeh?” is itself the concept of the lamb for the olah to rectify and atone for those thoughts in the heart that stem from the “filthy places.” For it is through the concept of Ayeh that a person is rectified and oleh (ascends) from there, as mentioned above.", + "This is what is brought at the end of the Tikkuney Zohar (Addendum #2, p.139a) : BeReIShiYT—BaRA TaYiSh. This alludes to “the lamb for the olah,” which comes about through Ayeh, the concept of Bereishit, the Hidden Utterance, as mentioned above.", + "This is also the concept of repentance. The essence of repentance is when a person seeks and searches for the glory of God, and, seeing for himself that he is far from His glory, yearns for it and asks in frustration, “Ayeh is the place of His glory?” This in itself is his repentance and rectification, as mentioned above. Understand this well.", + "There is much more to this. For when a person goes on a journey, or when he travels along spiritual paths, the Torah goes before him, as in “When you walk, it will guide you” (Proverbs 6:22). For there are many aspects to this, because each person [goes] according to his Torah. And prior to each [revelation of] Torah there are the aforementioned types of doubt, as, for example, with Torah novellae. Prior to originating a new insight, a person experiences many uncertainties and confusions before he properly elucidates and clarifies the matter. These uncertainties are the concept of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is the concept of nogah. But when he arrives at the Torah itself, that corresponds to the Tree of Life…." + ], + [ + "2. The following relates to the above: And this is the concept of: If someone should ask you, “Where is your God?” tell him, “In the great walled city of Rome” (Yerushalmi, Taanit 1:1, p.3a). There too! Although it is filled with graven images and idolatry, the Blessed One is even there, concealed!", + "This is the rule: When a person falls into there, God forbid, then when he consequently begins to ask, “Ayeh is the place of His glory?” he thereby revives himself with the life-force of holiness. For the life-force of the kelipot comes only from the concealment, from the fact that God is so thoroughly concealed there that people are completely unaware of Him.", + "But the moment a person asks, “Ayeh is the place of His glory?” it indicates that he at least knows that God exists; only that He is concealed and hidden, and this is why he inquires, “Where is the place of His glory?” And with this in itself he revives himself in the place to which he has fallen.", + "For Ayeh corresponds to the Hidden Utterance, from where [the kelipot] obtain life-force. However, the life-force of the kelipot derives from the concealment, whereas he revives himself in the place of his fall with the life-force of holiness, by seeking and searching “Where is the place of His glory?”", + "Then afterwards, he merits ascending from there entirely, to holiness itself—i.e., to the place where God’s glory is revealed. For the revelation of His glory is the essence of holiness.", + "Blessed be God forever. Amen. Amen." + ], + [ + "3. {This teaching and the lesson that begins “Those who boast…” (Lesson #15), as well as all that which was taught while on the road… such as “It was asked…” (Lesson #16), are all one. For all these lessons are interconnected. And they are alluded to and concealed within the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, in the very amazing aggadah (homiletic story) about what Rabbi Zeira asked Rabbi Yehudah when the latter was in a humorous mood and so [would answer] if he were asked about any of the phenomena in the world (Shabbat 77b). [Rabbi Zeira] asked him a number of very odd questions, such as: What is the reason that an ox has a long tail?… What is the reason that a rooster’s lower eyelid closes upwards?… All the questions raised [in that story] are extremely puzzling, and all the aforementioned concepts are hinted at and concealed there. Also that which is brought earlier regarding joy and a humorous mood relates as well to this and is hinted at in the aforementioned aggadah, which was told when [Rabbi Yehudah] was in a humorous mood.", + "Also that which is brought in this lesson concerning the verse “but ayeh is the lamb for the olah?” is hinted at in the aforementioned aggadah, which states: “if he were to ask him about any of the ChaLaLei (phenomena) in the world.” This is the mystery of the ChaLaL Hapanuy (Vacated Space), which is, so to speak, empty of His Godliness. In actual fact, it is certainly impossible for God not to be there as well, for if so, from where would it get its life-force? However, this is the aforementioned concept of receiving life-force from the Hidden Utterance/ BeReIShiYT.", + "Also related to here is that which is brought further on concerning the fear of God, YaReI ShaBbaT. This is because every type of fear has its [corresponding] utterance, and there is one utterance which includes them all, as mentioned above.", + "Also that which is brought further on concerning Divine providence relates here, to the aforementioned aggadah: What is the reason a rooster’s lower eyelid closes upwards? However, we did not merit hearing the explanation of all this.}" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When people oppose a person, they are, in effect, pursuing him. As a result, he time and again runs to God. And the more they oppose him, the closer they bring him to God. For God is everywhere, as in “If I ascend to heaven—You are there; and if I make my bed in hell—here You are” (Psalms 139:8). It follows, that wherever it is, he is running to God.", + "This is the concept of “Then Pharaoh hikriv (drew close)” (Exodus 14:10)—he brought Israel closer to their Father in heaven (Shemot Rabbah 21:5). As a result of his chasing after them, they drew even closer to God." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“For many are my adversaries, O Most High!” (Psalms 56:3)—that is, he has enemies in the World Above, on high.3 This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Just as there are tormentors in the World Below, there are tormentors in the World Above (Sanhedrin 44b and 103b)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "There are those who falsely boast of extraordinary accomplishments and miracles, as if they are capable of everything and there is nothing they cannot do. Some among them are even leaders of the generation. Note! in the main their strength and sustainment come from none other than the great tzaddikim.", + "For there are true tzaddikim of extremely high levels, whose mouths are holy, whose way it is to speak of extraordinary accomplishments and miracles. And indeed they are capable of worshiping God with all things in the world: eating, drinking, or any other thing. This is as is brought in the Kavanot (Kabbalistic Meditations), that sometimes judgments are sweetened through eating and drinking. Thus, there are true tzaddikim who can effect a redemption through their eating and the like.", + "Yet the pride that emerges from the holy mouths of these great tzaddikim gives rise to charlatans, who impersonate them just as an ape [imitates a human]. They vaunt themselves with the very same expressions of pride that emerge from the holy mouth of the true tzaddik. This is similar to what we find of the prophets: Yirmiyahu would prophesy in the upper marketplace (Jeremiah 49:35), “Behold, I am going to break the might of Eilam,” and Chananiah ben Azur, a false prophet, would use precisely the same language to prophesy the reverse (Sanhedrin 89a). The same thing happens nowadays, as mentioned above.", + "Nevertheless, in the main their sustainment comes from none other than tzaddikim such as those whose way it is [to speak of] great accomplishments and miracles. For from the ordinary tzaddikim—those who worship God simply, through Torah, prayer and good deeds—they gain no strength. This is because these tzaddikim do not speak of extraordinary accomplishments, but conduct themselves with simplicity and unaffected worship. Therefore, the falsehood and self-importance of [the charlatans] have hardly any attachment to them. And although it is also possible to find a few charlatans of this sort—e. g., those charlatans who sit wrapped in tallit and tefilin all day long—even so, their ability to deceive people is considerably less than those who boast of extraordinary accomplishments.", + "For know! the aforementioned true tzaddik receives the speech of his holy mouth from those who are genuinely charitable. This is the meaning of “Please favorably accept the generosity of my mouth, O God” (Psalms 119:108). The tzaddik receives the speech of his mouth from the benevolent of heart, namely, those who are genuinely charitable.", + "Now, charity is synonymous with water, as in “Who turns the rock into a pool of water” (Psalms 114:8). “The rock” corresponds to “the rock of my heart” (Psalms 73:26), for there is “a heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26)—i.e., “the hardhearted, who are far from charity” (Isaiah 46:12). Thus, this is the meaning of “Who turns the rock into a pool of water.” In other words, the heart turns soft, as in “pour out your heart like water before God” (Lamentations 2:19)—i.e., a soft heart able to give charity generously. This is the reason that charity is referred to as water, as it is written (Amos 5:24), “charity like an unfailing stream.” This is also the concept of “Cast your bread upon the waters” (Ecclesiastes 11:1), which is said in regard to charity.", + "And it is through charity that the holy mouth of the tzaddik is made, as mentioned above. This is the concept of “b’PhIkha (with your mouth)” (Deuteronomy 23:24)—this refers to charity (Rosh HaShanah 6a). The mouth of the tzaddik is made by charity. As for the tzaddik himself, he is the concept of “The firstborn of his oxen, grandeur is his” (Deuteronomy 33:17). And the firstborn takes PI shnayim (“a double portion”). In other words, the speech of his holy mouth carries a double connotation. It is this that enables the aforementioned charlatans to gain strength and sustainment from them, turning [the tzaddik’s] words into their falsehood, since the holy speech is itself ambiguous, the concept of “a double portion.”" + ], + [ + "2. However, in actual fact, the true tzaddikim benefit from the existence of these charlatans who impersonate them. For there are wicked people who give charity to the tzaddikim, and charity creates the concept YaBoK—Yichud (unification), Berakhah (blessing), Kedushah (holiness). Each of these three concepts is mentioned in connection with water, which corresponds to charity, as mentioned above. Unification, as it is written (Genesis 1:9), “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered into one area.” Blessing, as it is written (ibid. 1:20), “Let the waters swarm with the swarm of living creatures.” Holiness, as it is written (Numbers 5:17), “the holy water.”", + "This is the reason there are people who are genuinely charitable yet are adulterous. They sustain themselves from the aforementioned concept of Yabok. In the realm of holiness, Yabok is synonymous with a union of holiness. But in their case this sustainment has been corrupted, and so for them turns into immoral desire; may the Merciful One spare us. Therefore, their charity is detrimental for the tzaddik. For the tzaddik receives the speech of his holy mouth from charity. But when in their case it becomes corrupted, it mars the speech of the tzaddik’s mouth, which he receives from there.", + "And so, it is a good thing that there are the aforementioned charlatans, because the wicked who give charity turn to them and give to them. This is as the prophet Yirmiyahu stated: “Make them stumble by [sending them] people who are unworthy,” as expounded by our Sages, of blessed memory (Bava Kama 16b). As a result, the true tzaddik is saved from the harm caused by their charity.", + "Nevertheless, the aforementioned charlatans’ main sustaining power comes from none other than these great tzaddikim whose way it is [to speak] of great accomplishments. But from those who constantly study Torah and conduct themselves simply, they gain no sustenance and strength, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "3. This is the meaning of what Rabbi Zeira asked Rabbi Yehudah: What is the reason that a gamla (camel) is short-tailed and an ox is long-tailed?", + "Gamla— This alludes to the ordinary tzaddik, as in “nor did I pursue things too great or too wondrous for me… like a nursing child at its mother’s side” (Psalms 131:1, 2). For he conducts himself with simplicity and does not boast of great accomplishments All his devotions are the concept of silence, because he does not speak of great accomplishments and wonders, but instead is “like a GaMuL (nursing child) at its mother’s side”—i.e., the concept of GaMLa.", + "is short-tailed— This alludes to that which is written (Isaiah 9:14), “the prophet who gives false instruction, he is at the tail.” This refers to the charlatans, the concept of false prophets, whose attachment is solely to the great tzaddikim, as mentioned above. But to the ordinary tzaddikim, who are the concept of gamla, they have hardly any attachment. This is the meaning of “is short-tailed.” And this is:", + "an ox is long- tailed— This alludes to the great tzaddikim, the concept of “The firstborn of his oxen, grandeur is his,” as mentioned above. “Is long-tailed”— in other words, the main sustainment of “the prophet who gives false instruction,” namely, “the tail,” is from no one but them.", + "This is the meaning of what [Rabbi Yehudah] answered: Because it eats thorns. These ordinary tzaddikim, who are the concept of gamla, “eat thorns”—they eat and consume the thorns and thistles which surround the Supernal Rose. A “rose” represents holy speech, the concept of “his lips like roses…” (Songs 5:13). For [these tzaddikim] are occupied with Torah study and devotions day and night, consuming all the thorns so that they cannot sustain themselves from holy speech. They are unable to sustain themselves from the simple, unaffected devotions, as mentioned above, because they cannot impersonate them or practice their deception through them, since [these tzaddikim] conduct themselves solely with innocence and simplicity.", + "An ox is long-tailed because it resides in agamey (swamplands) and needs [a long tail] to swat at the bakey (gnats).", + "resides in agamey— That is, they receive their holy speech from the genuinely charitable, from the concept of “Who turns the rock into an agam (pool) of water,” as mentioned above. And this is:", + "it resides in swamplands and needs [a long tail] to swat at the BaKeY— This is the aforementioned concept of YaBoK. One has to expel the Yabok of charity given by the wicked, because in their case the Yabok is corrupted, and is deleterious for the tzaddik who receives his speech from them, as mentioned above. It is therefore a great benefit that “the prophet [who gives false instruction],” namely, “the tail,” draws sustenance from them. Through this, [the great tzaddikim] remove the wicked from themselves. They cause them to stumble by means of the aforementioned charlatans, because [the wicked] turn to them and give them the charity, thus saving the tzaddikim, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "They asked: Why is it that when a person seeks livelihood, Heaven does not provide it immediately, but only through causes? Each person receives in accord with his cause. One person has to plant grain, plough and harvest, etc; another has to travel elsewhere to find the livelihood he needs, or through something similar. Why is it not given to him immediately ready, as soon as he requests his livelihood?", + "The answer is: Know! Israel has to obtain all its livelihood through the King, as it is written about the king (Daniel 4:17-19), “The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong… there was sustenance for all in it…. It is you, O king.” And kingship is a product mainly of humility, as in “and before honor, humility” (Proverbs 15:33)—whatever glory and prominence a monarch possesses is specifically on account of humility.", + "For such is the manner of kingship: each time, humility must necessarily precede its glory and grandeur. This is analogous to what happens each day when [a king] gets out of bed. He is as yet in a state of constriction, dressed in simple clothes, and his face, too, is not refreshed and bright until he washes up. But afterwards, he fixes himself and dresses in distinguished clothing, radiating his dignity as is a king’s wont.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: What is the reason Shaul’s reign did not endure? It was because he was without fault. For we do not appoint a leader over the community unless he has a checkered background; should he become arrogant we can say to him, “Turn to what’s behind you” (Yoma 22b). This is because kingship is mainly a product of humility, and the greater the king’s humility, the further his rule extends." + ], + [ + "2. And when sustenance is drawn through the King, it undergoes refinements. Grain, for example. Animals eat much of it. Then it is refined further, and non-Jews will eat it. Finally, further refinement makes it [fit] for Jews. In the act of eating, too, there are refinements. Ultimately, [the kernels of grain] are refined and transformed into “beautiful words”—namely, the blessings we make over them, before and after, and the prayers we recite and the devotions we perform with the energy gained from eating.", + "This is the concept of “From Asher—his bread will be rich, and he will provide kingly delicacies. Naphtali is a hind let loose, which brings forth beautiful words” (Genesis 49:20-21). “His bread will be rich”—this refers to livelihood, which is the concept of “kingly delicacies” since it is received through the King. Therefore, immediately after this it is written: “Naphtali… which brings forth beautiful words”—this refers to the “beautiful words” of blessings, prayers and the like, which are made out of the refinements of the “kingly delicacies.” And these refinements are the concept of incense, as is known, for incense is the concept of refinement.", + "Now, from these “beautiful words” produced by the “kingly delicacies” a crown is made for the King. It is also possible to see this crown. This is the concept of “O maidens of Zion, go forth and gaze upon King Shlomo, upon the crown wherewith his mother crowned him on his wedding day, the day of his heart’s rejoicing” (Song of Songs 3:11)—in other words, to see the crown of the King made on his wedding day. For the bond which unites the “beautiful words” with the King is the concept of a wedding, as in “he whose speech is gracious has the king for his companion” (Proverbs 22:11). Gracious speech—namely, the “beautiful words”—and the King unite as companions, i.e., “on his wedding day.”", + "And this is the meaning of “the day of his heart’s rejoicing.” This is the concept of incense, as in “Oil and incense gladden the heart” (Proverbs 27:9). For the refinements from which “beautiful words” are made, out of which the crown is made, are the concept of incense.", + "This is the meaning of “wherewith his mother crowned him”—this alludes to Chavah, who was “the mother of all living things” (Genesis 3:20). ChaVaH is an acronym for Hameatreikhi Chesed V’rachamim (“Who crowns you with kindness and mercy”) (Psalms 103:4). This refers to the aforementioned crown,which is made by means of “Who satisfies you with fine delicacies” (ibid. :5)—in other words, the concept of “kingly delicacies,” as mentioned above. (The crux of this is missing.)" + ], + [ + "3. The rule is: One should see the King in the aspect of “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty” (Isaiah 33:17)—that is, when He is “in his beauty” and grandeur, and not at a time of constriction. Thus, if they were to give a person his livelihood immediately, as ready bread, it might result in his seeing the King at a time of constriction, such as when [a king] humbles himself and thinks of himself as having a checkered background and the like, as mentioned above.", + "But now that livelihood is provided through causes, it follows that it arrives at specific times. For each cause necessarily has its specific time, until the livelihood comes forth to him. Therefore, he will not happen to see the King in his constriction, but only “in his beauty,” because they don’t give him livelihood immediately, but at a specific time, so that he sees Him only in His beauty, as in “the king in his beauty….” For through livelihood, one sees the King adorned with a crown, as mentioned above.", + "This mystery is hinted at in the verse: “Everyone’s eyes look to You with hope, and You give them their food in its time. You open Your hand [and satisfy the desire of every living thing]” (Psalms 145:15-16). “Everyone’s eyes…”—this is the aforementioned question. In other words, “Everyone’s eyes look to You with hope, and You give them their food in its time”—i.e., they request livelihood and it is not given immediately, only “in its time,” as mentioned above. And the answer is: “You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.” (But he did not conclude.)" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "A person should be very careful to be joyous and happy on Shabbat. For the advantages and [levels of] holiness of Shabbat are exceptionally great and precious. This is brought [in many places in our sacred literature], especially in Reishit Chokhmah, at the beginning of Shaar HaKedushah (“the Gate of Holiness”). See there.", + "It is fitting and right to study the aforementioned section of Reishit Chokhmah, and to pay close attention to everything mentioned there concerning the sanctity and advantages of the holy Shabbat. There are many valuable points about Shabbat’s holiness and advantages, as each topic and advantage mentioned there in connection with Shabbat is itself a separate point. One should understand well [the teaching] there, so that his heart will be inspired to accept Shabbat with great and powerful joy, as is fitting.", + "And as a result, fear of God is perfected—i.e., it includes daat. During the week, this fear can include foolishness, as in “Surely, your fear is your foolishness” (Job 4:6). And at the heart of foolishness is the servitude present during the weekdays. Due to the servitude, daat is lacking. This is as it is written about Moab (Jeremiah 48:11), “Moab has been at ease from its youth… and never gone into exile. Therefore, its flavor has remained…”—and as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Megillah 12b), for servitude and exile confuse the mind.", + "But Shabbat is freedom. And when freedom exists, and servitude and exile do not, then daat is perfected. And the delight and joy of Shabbat are the main way to freedom, as in “Then you will delight in God” (Isaiah 58:14), which is said about Shabbat. And this begets freedom, as in “For through joy you will go out” (ibid. 55:12), because through joy one goes free.", + "And when there is freedom, daat is perfected, and so fear of God is as it should be. This is the concept of YaRAi ShaBbaT (Tikkuney Zohar #9, p.24b), when fear of God is without the foolishness present during the week. For the foolishness is primarily on account of servitude, as mentioned above. But through this we raise the “fallen” fears, namely, the fear that we occasionally feel of an official and the like. We elevate these [fears] through daat, which is greatest on Shabbat, when joy produces freedom and daat is consequently perfected, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. This is the rule: A person has to behave very joyously on the holy Shabbat, never displaying even a hint of depression or anxiety. Rather, he should delight in God and treat himself to all kinds of Shabbat delights���food, drink, clothing… whatever he can afford. Shabbat eating is purely spiritual. It is entirely holy and rises to a place which is totally different from that of weekday eating, as explained elsewhere. (See Likutey Moharan I, 57:5 and 277:4; see also Zohar II, 218a and Mikdash Melekh there.)." + ], + [ + "3. God’s way is to always focus on the good which people do. Although there is also some not good mixed in with it, He pays no attention to this, as it is written (Numbers 23:21), “He does not look at wickedness in Yaakov.” Certainly, therefore, it is forbidden for a person to look negatively at his fellow man, to find specifically that which is not good and to search for the shortcomings in the other’s religious devotions. On the contrary, he is obligated to focus only on the good.", + "This is the great advantage in there being both nature and Divine providence.", + "When a person does good, [God] directs his [life] by Divine providence. But when he is not good, [if God] were to direct his [life] by Divine providence, not even a shred of good could come his way. Consequently, [God] leaves him to nature, so that there is a possibility that good will come his way by the dictates of nature.", + "For if there was nothing but Divine providence, Divine providence might itself be entirely eliminated [from that person]! This is because when God would see a person conducting himself improperly, He would become angry and remove Divine providence altogether. Now, however, He leaves him to the dictates of nature. Then, when he returns to good, He guides him with Divine providence.", + "The fact is we are incapable of comprehending nature and Divine providence. For, in reality, nature too is God’s providence. It is impossible for a human being to comprehend this paradox—namely, that nature is actually Divine providence." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "It is very dangerous for a person to be renowned and a leader of people. This goes without saying in the case of one who is totally unfit and assumes a mantle which is not his. But even those who genuinely serve God and tower above their contemporaries are in grave danger when leading people.", + "It is most unlikely for an ordinary person, even one lacking in piety, to be guilty of murder, because he has no desire for it. And even if, God forbid, he does feel this desire—may the Merciful One protect us!— the opportunity does not present itself or he encounters many obstacles. And even if he does commit the crime, it is but rarely; most likely no more than once in his entire life.", + "But when a person leads others, or originates new insights in Torah—each time and at every moment there is a real danger that he will be guilty of theft, sexual misconduct and murder; may the Merciful One protect us!" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The ultimate goal and perfection is nothing other than to serve God with absolute simplicity, without any cleverness whatsoever.", + "There are philosophers who maintain that the ultimate goal and the World to Come are nothing other than to know each thing as it is; for example, knowing the star as it is—knowing its innate nature and why it is positioned where it is.", + "For there is the knower, the known and the knowledge—i.e., the ability of the knower, the intellect itself, and the known object. For [the philosophers,] it is this which is the ultimate goal and the World to Come: that the knower, the known and the knowledge become one. They spend all their days in this world on this, engaging in philosophical enquiry to attain the necessary truths, which they regard as the ultimate goal. In their opinion, this itself is the World to Come. Notwithstanding that in this world, enclothed as they are in corporeality, the delight which they have from this philosophical enquiry is minimal, in the World to Come, where they will strip away the body, they will have great delight from this. Thus, according to their nefarious ideas, the ultimate goal is primarily attained by means of their philosophy and secular wisdoms.", + "However, in fact, we regard the attainment of the ultimate goal to be essentially only through faith and applied mitzvot—worshiping God based on the Torah, with simplicity and straightforwardness. And through this itself we merit that which we merit, “no eye has seen it…” (Isaiah 64:3), as it is written (Psalms 111:10): “The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God.” The main genesis and preface to wisdom is nothing but the fear of God. One must make certain that the fear precedes the wisdom.", + "And you should know that the matter is not as they maintain, God forbid. For if it were so, then only very, very few—namely, the intellectually elite philosophers—would attain the ultimate goal. Then what of the ordinary folk, who lack the mind for engaging in philosophical enquiry to know the necessary truths? They are the majority and the nucleus of the world. How would they attain the ultimate goal?", + "But in fact, attainment of the ultimate goal is specifically through simplicity—i.e., fear of God, and [fulfilling] the applied mitzvot with total straightforwardness. This is the meaning of “Ultimately, all things having been considered: Fear the Lord and keep His commandments! For this is [the sum of] all mankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13). In other words, King Shlomo, of blessed memory, teaches us that the attainment of the ultimate goal, the concept of “Ultimately,” is essentially only by means of simplicity and straightforwardness—to fear God and observe His mitzvot straightforwardly.", + "And this is: “Ultimately, all things having been considered: Fear the Lord and keep His commandments!” This is the concept of simplicity and straightforwardness; to fear God and fulfill his mitzvot, with deeds… with straightforwardness. Thus, he concludes: “For this is all mankind”—in other words, this is something all mankind can fulfill and through it attain the ultimate goal, because the main thing is “Fear the Lord….” Every person can therefore attain the ultimate goal, because this is something all mankind can fulfill." + ], + [ + "2. In truth, being a philosopher or studying the texts of secular wisdom, God forbid, is a very serious prohibition. Only a very great tzaddik can immerse himself in this, to study the seven wisdoms.", + "For anyone who enters into these wisdoms, God forbid, is in danger of falling there. This is because each type of wisdom contains a stumbling block, i.e., the concept of Amalek. On account of this stumbling block one is in danger of falling, God forbid. For Amalek was a philosopher and a rationalist. And he denied God’s existence, as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:18), “and they did not fear God”—that is, he is guided by wisdom and has absolutely no fear of God.", + "But when the tzaddik delves into these seven wisdoms, he holds firm and remains steadfast by means of faith, as in “the tzaddik lives by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). “For a tzaddik can fall seven times and get up” (Proverbs 24:16). In other words, the great tzaddik travels these seven wisdoms. And even though there is the possibility that one will slip and fall on account of the stumbling block/Amalek, nevertheless, [if] the tzaddik falls seven times, he gets up by means of faith.", + "And this is shevA yipoL tzaddiK vakaM (“a tzaddik can fall seven times and get up”), the last letters of which spell AMaLeK, the stumbling block of the seven wisdoms that causes people to fall, God forbid. Yet [if] the tzaddik falls seven times, he gets up by means of faith.", + "This is what is written about Moshe Rabbeinu during the war with Amalek (Exodus 17:12) :“thus his hands were faith.” Through faith he weakened Amalek, i.e., the wisdoms and the philosophical enquiries, as mentioned above. And this is “and his hands were faith.” “His hands” alludes to the applied mitzvot, which correspond to faith, as it is written (Psalms 119:86), “All Your mitzvot are faith.”Through faith and applied mitzvot, which are the antithesis of Amalek, he weakened him.", + "And faith is prayer, as Onkelos renders [“were faith”] as “spread out in prayer.” For prayer alters the natural order so that the wisdoms and philosophical enquiries, which are based on the natural order, are negated.", + "For us, it is this which is the essence of the ultimate goal: that the prayer should be encompassed in God’s Oneness, as in “He is your praise and He is your Lord” (Deuteronomy 10:21)—prayer and God are one, as it were. For, in truth, this is the ultimate goal." + ], + [ + "3. But the philosophers and nonbelievers explain the entire Torah according to their wisdoms and heresies. They interpret everything, the entire Torah and even the applied mitzvot recorded in the Torah, based on abstraction and logic. Not only is this the case with the stories recorded by Scripture, which they say refer solely to allegory and form—i.e., their intellectual concepts—but even the applied mitzvot specified in the Torah. They interpret everything as alluding solely to their intellectual concepts and wisdoms, and deny the straightforward meaning entirely.", + "This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Amalek would cut off circumcised penises and throw them upwards (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 9). For circumcision is the first mitzvah which our patriarch Avraham, the first of the believers, was commanded. But Amalek, who symbolizes the philosophers and the nonbelievers, denies all the mitzvot and interprets everything only as referring to intellectual concepts, as mentioned above.", + "This is the meaning of “cut off circumcised penises and throw them upwards”—they deny the mitzvah of circumcision and throw it upwards, to the intellect. For they interpret everything as referring to intellectual concepts and deny the practical application of the mitzvot. Fortunate is the one who knows nothing at all of them.", + "Therefore, [Amalek] is subdued mainly through faith, the concept of “and his hands were faith,”… as mentioned above. {I did not hear this lesson directly from Rebbe Nachman’s holy mouth. See the excerpts concerning this.}" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The quarreling that exists in the world causes people to become famous before their time.", + "That is, when a person begins to serve God, he has to wait and hold back before becoming well-known in the world. But on account of the flaw which quarreling generates, he becomes famous before his time. Thus through this [quarrel], they cause this person harm and loss—he and possibly even the path of serving God that he wants to reveal in the world gain prominence prematurely. As a result, those who engage in quarrel die. Or, sometimes, if the flaw is not that great, it brings to poverty.", + "{“When two men fight and shove a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry, if there is no fatal injury, then one must pay a penalty… as the judges determine. But if there is a fatal injury, then you must award a life for life” (Exodus 21:22-23) .} This mystery is clarified in the Torah, in the verse: “When two men fight and shove a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry….” When a person sets out on some path, it is the concept of pregnancy. He has to conceal himself there, in the concept of gestation. For this path has not yet been revealed in the world. He has only just entered there in order to reveal it. And so this is the concept of pregnancy, as in “In the path of wisdom horaysikha (I instruct you)” (Proverbs 4:11)—alluding to heirayon (pregnancy). He has to wait and hold back there, warming himself there like a fetus in the mother’s womb, until the time comes for him to come out into the air of the world, to reveal this path in the world. Thus when he comes out before his time, it is the concept of a miscarried fetus. This flaw is produced by quarreling.", + "This is the meaning of “When two men fight”—it refers to quarreling, on account of which “[they] shove a pregnant woman, causing her to miscarry.” This alludes to the people who become famous prematurely and so are analogous to a miscarried fetus. Their punishment is either death or poverty, depending upon the extent of the flaw, as mentioned above.", + "And this is “if there is no fatal injury,” which Rashi explains as referring to the woman. In other words, they do not lose or corrupt the path of wisdom itself, which is analogous to a pregnant woman, as mentioned above. Rather, they lose the miscarried fetuses—i.e., the people themselves who became famous and came out into the world before their time. This is similar to when they shove a pregnant woman and she miscarries. There are two possibilities. Sometimes she loses only the fetuses; through their emerging prematurely she miscarries them. Other times the pregnant woman is herself harmed by this and she passes away.", + "The same applies to the aforementioned concepts. Sometimes, having gained prominence too soon and so become the concept of miscarried fetuses, the people themselves are lost. However, the path of wisdom itself has not yet departed, only the miscarried fetuses. Thus others can become implanted there—i.e., the aforementioned concept of heirayon— as in the example of the pregnant woman.", + "But other times, also the path of wisdom itself is lost. In that case, not even another person can enter there in the concept of heirayon, to reveal this path and bring it out to the world. This corresponds to the aforementioned death of the woman.", + "And the punishment is commensurate with the flaw. As is explained in the Torah, “if there is no fatal injury” to the woman, “he shall surely be punished” with money—i.e., poverty, as when the flaw is not that great. “But if there is a fatal injury” to the woman, so that they caused the path itself to be lost, in that case “you must award a life for a life”—i.e., death, as mentioned above. May God spare us." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When we originate new Torah insights, there are these infamous ones who observe and wait for this. It is necessary to post sentries in front and in back of them, so that no stranger can get close.", + "This is accomplished by studying the Codes. A person should study the Codes before the new insight that he originates and also afterwards. This creates sentries in front and in back. Then the Torah descends and travels securely between them, because the sentries are armed and those aforementioned are unable to get close." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "People are very much mistaken with regard to the issue of meekness.", + "Do we not exhaust ourselves in devotions and prayer in order to go from constricted consciousness to expanded consciousness? That being the case, it is impossible that meekness is meant literally. For if that were so, a person would enter into constricted consciousness. It must therefore be that this involves daat.", + "Consequently, not every person can be properly humble; only Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, who was “very humble, more so than any other person on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).", + "Our Sages, of blessed memory, called improper humility “flattery.” This is as the Sages taught concerning the prophet Yirmiyahu. He displayed humility in the presence of the false prophet Chananiah, and in meekness said to him, “Amen! May God do so!” Our Sages, of blessed memory, said of this: Anyone who flatters [his fellow]… eventually falls into the hand of his son… (Sotah 41b)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of simchah.", + "An analogy: Sometimes, when people are happy and dance, they grab someone standing outside [the circle] who is depressed and gloomy. Against his will they bring him into the circle of dancers; against his will, they force him to be happy along with them.", + "It is the same with happiness. When a person is happy, gloom and suffering stand aside.", + "Yet greater still is to gather courage to actually pursue gloom, and to introduce it into the joy, such that the gloom itself turns into joy. A person should transform gloom and all suffering into joy. It is like a person who comes to a celebration. The abundant joy and happiness then, transforms all his worries, depression and gloom into joy. We find that he has grabbed the gloom and introduced it, against its will, into the joy, as in the aforementioned analogy.", + "This is the concept of “They will attain gladness and joy, as sadness and sighing flee” (Isaiah 35:10). The sadness and sighing flee and run from joy. For at a time of joy, it is the nature of sadness and sighing to stand aside. Yet one actually has to pursue them, and to catch-up with and reach them, in order to specifically introduce them into the joy.", + "This is the meaning of “They will attain gladness and joy…” Gladness and joy will catch-up with and seize the sadness and sighing as they flee and run from joy, in order to introduce them, against their will, into the joy.", + "For there are types of sadness and sighing that are [from] the Other Side. They do not want to be a vehicle for holiness, and so they flee from joy. Consequently, one needs to force them into the holiness, i.e., the joy, against their will." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "It is a great mitzvah to always be happy, and to make every effort to determinedly keep depression and gloom at bay.", + "All the illnesses that afflict people are due only to flawed joy. For there are ten types of song, which are synonymous with joy, as in “Upon a ten-stringed instrument… For You caused me to rejoice by Your deeds…” (Psalms 92:4–5).", + "And these ten types of song enter into the ten different pulses, giving them life. Therefore, if there is a fault or flaw in the joy, which is synonymous with the ten types of song, the ten different pulses become irregular due to the fault in the ten types of song/joy, giving rise to illness.", + "For all the different types of illness are contained within the ten types of pulses. Similarly, all the different types of song are contained within the ten types of song. The illness that arises corresponds to the flaw in the joy and the song. Eminent physicians, too, have spoken at length about this—that all illness is the product of gloom and depression.", + "And joy is a great healer! In the Future, joy will increase tremendously. For this reason our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “The Blessed Holy One will head the choleh (circle) of the tzaddikim in the time to come” (Yerushalmi, Megillah 2:4). That is, He will form a machol (circle dance) for the tzaddikim, and He, the Blessed One, will be at the circle’s head.", + "For the Divine Presence hovers above the head of the choleh (one who is ill), as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Nedarim 40a) : As it is stated, “God sustains him [from] upon the sickbed” (Psalms 41:4). For the sick person has no vitality at all; it is only the Divine Presence that gives him life.", + "Thus, in the Future, all sickness will be remedied through joy. And then God will head the ChoLeh (circle)—i.e., be head of the maChoL (circle dance)—because joy is the remedy for the ChoLeh (one who is ill). This is the reason that joy and dance are called ChoLeh, because they are the remedy for ChoLaat (illness)." + ], + [ + "2. The rule is that a person has to be very determined and put all his strength into being nothing but happy at all times. For human nature is to draw itself to gloom and depression on account of life’s vicissitudes and misfortunes. And every human being is filled with suffering. Therefore, a person has to exercise great effort in forcing himself to be happy at all times, and to bring himself to joy in any way he can—even with silliness.", + "And though contrition, too, is very good, nevertheless, that is only for a brief period. It is right to set aside for oneself some time in the day for feeling remorse and speaking one’s piece in the presence of the Blessed One, as is brought in our works. But the entire [rest] of the day one needs to be happy. For contrition more easily leads to depression, than erring through joy, God forbid, leads to some sort of frivolity, God forbid. For this is the more likely: that contrition will lead to gloom.", + "One should therefore always be happy, and only at the designated time have a broken heart." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Hitbodedut is the highest asset and greater than everything. That is, to set aside for oneself at least an hour or more for secluding oneself in some room or a field, and, using claims and excuses, speak one’s piece with one’s Maker; using words that evoke favor, placate and conciliate in order to entreat and plead with God that He bring one closer to Him—to genuine Divine worship.", + "This prayer and conversation should be in the language one normally uses, one’s native tongue, because it is difficult for a person to say everything he wants to say in the Holy Tongue. Also, being unfamiliar with that language, one’s heart is not moved by the words, as we are not accustomed to speaking Hebrew. But in our native tongue, in which we normally speak and converse, it is much easier and so more likely for one to feel contrition. This is because the heart is drawn to a person’s native tongue and closer to it, on account of his familiarity with it.", + "And in one’s native tongue one can express oneself fully. Everything that is in his heart he should express and tell to God: be it remorse and repentance for the past, or pleas to genuinely merit drawing closer to God from this day forward, or the like; each individual according to his level.", + "One should be very careful to make this a daily practice, at a scheduled time. But the rest of the day one should be happy, as mentioned above.", + "The benefit of this practice is extraordinarily great. It is an extremely good path and guideline for drawing closer to God, because it is a universal guideline that encompasses everything.", + "No matter what a person is lacking in worshiping God—even if he is totally and absolutely distant from God’s service—he should speak about it all and ask it of God, as mentioned above.", + "Even if occasionally a person’s words are sealed and he cannot open his mouth to say anything at all to God, this itself is nonetheless very good. That is, his readiness and his presence before God, and his yearning and longing to speak despite his inability to do so—this in itself is also very good.", + "Moreover, it is possible to make a conversation and prayer out of this itself. A person should cry out and plead to God about this very thing, that he has become so distant he is unable to even speak. He should beg God for compassion and grace, that He take pity on him and open his mouth so that he will be able to express himself before Him.", + "And know! many, many renowned tzaddikim have related that they attained their high spiritual level only through this practice. The perceptive individual will understand by himself the great benefit of this practice, which rises higher and higher. Furthermore, it is a practice that is accessible to all people, from the least to the greatest. For anyone can make use of this practice and thereby come to a high level. Fortunate is the one who grabs holds of it." + ], + [ + "2. In addition, it is good to turn the Torah into prayer. That is, when one studies or hears some Torah discourse from the genuine tzaddik, he should make it into a prayer. He should beseech God and plead with Him concerning each point mentioned in the discourse: When will he, too, be worthy of all this? How distant he is from it! And he should ask God to make him worthy of achieving all that is mentioned in the discourse.", + "The wise person who desires truth, God will lead on the path of truth. And, understanding on his own one thing from another, [he will know] how to put this into practice in such a way that his words will evoke favor and be well-argued, placating God so that He will draw him closer to genuine Divine worship.", + "This manner of conversation rises to a very high place, especially when one turns Torah into prayer, which results in very great delight on high." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "A person has to avoid drunkenness and take care not to drink more than he can handle, so as not to become intoxicated. Yet a bit of drink, when called for, is good for expanding one’s daat.", + "And know! daat is garbed in the chasadim (benevolences). When a person drinks in measure, commensurate with his ability, his daat expands and his mind is elevated. Then, the chasadim increase tremendously on account of the drinking. This is because when daat is elevated, the chasadim are elevated and increase, because daat is garbed in the chasadim.", + "This is the meaning of what the Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “Anyone who can be appeased by his wine possesses the daat of his Creator” (Eruvin 65a). Specifically “appeased”—which is the aspect of chasadim, because the wine causes the chasadim to increase. This is the meaning of “appeased,” that on account of the increase of the chasadim he is appeased and pacified. Although ordinary chasadim would not appease him, and can possibly become rage, the increased chasadim on account of the wine appease him.", + "But when someone drinks more than he should and becomes drunk, then, on the contrary, the ferocity of the gevurot increases, creating anger and rage. Occasionally, the gevurot of the Other Side increase, and this can lead to misfortune, etc., God forbid." + ], + [ + "2. And know! drunkenness causes one to forget all the mitzvot and prohibitions commanded by Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory. This is because Moshe is embodied in every single Jew, in each and every limb. He reminds each limb to fulfill the mitzvah particular to it.", + "For the 248 mitzvot correspond to the 248 limbs. This is the reason Moshe is called M’ChoKeK (lawgiver) (Deuteronomy 33:21), which has a numerical value of 248, for he reminds about the 248 mitzvot. But drunkenness causes one to forget them, as in “lest he drink and forget M’ChuKaK (what has been ordained)” (Proverbs 31:5). Drinking and drunkenness cause one to forget the 248 mitzvot of Moshe.", + "And Moshe’s embodiment in the limbs is the very same concept as the garbing of daat in the chasadim, as mentioned above. This is because Moshe is daat, and the limbs are 248, corresponding to “Avraham is a man of chesed (lovingkindness),” whose numerical value is equal to the 248 limbs." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a community official or leader governs properly and fairly—making certain that the burden he puts on each person is appropriate, having fairly assessed each one such that he puts the greater obligation on this one and eases the obligation of that one—he eliminates the four evil measures: idolatry, immorality, bloodshed and slander.", + "The esoteric reason for this is as follows: A person who makes a vow must see to fulfill it immediately. Someone who delays in fulfilling his pledge brings about these four measures. This is brought in the Midrash (Vayikra Rabbah 37:1), whichlearns this from Yaakov. Because he delayed fulfilling his vow, he came to the aforementioned four things: [i] idolatry: as it is stated, “Get rid of the alien gods” (Genesis 35:2); [ii] immorality: “And Dinah went out…” (ibid. 34:1) ; [iii] bloodshed: in Shekhem (see ibid. 34:25-26) ; [iv] slander: “And he heard the words of Lavan’s sons” (ibid. 31:1).", + "It is brought, too, that because Moshe saw the Israelites’ suffering, as it is written (Exodus 2:11), “and he saw their afflictions”—i.e., he took note of the afflictions with which [the Egyptians] oppressed them by making the women do men’s work, and vice versa, and, observing this, Moshe reversed the matter, assigning each person appropriate work, that which was suitable for a man, etc., and also among the men themselves he saw to task each one befittingly—God informed Moshe that on account of this he would merit annulling vows, about which, too, it is stated “between a man and his wife” (Numbers 30:17).", + "It follows, that by making certain to appropriately assess each person, [leaders] merit annulling vows, and through this people are saved from the abovementioned four measures. Understand this well." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! there are differences between Torah lessons. There is Torah which was not given even to be expounded. There is also Torah which was given to be expounded, but was not given to be written down. And there is [Torah] which was given to be written down. This is as the Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Gittin 60b) : Teachings communicated orally may not be transmitted in writing….", + "Anyone who knows how to distinguish and discern between the Torah lessons—which was given to be written down and which was not given to be written down—has the ability to discern the Jew among the gentiles. Even if a single Jew is standing among many gentiles, he is able to recognize him.", + "This mystery is hinted at in the verse (Hosea 8:12), “Many of My Torah teachings I have written for him; they have been regarded as something alien.” In other words, when one writes down “Many of My Torah teachings”—many more than is fitting, i.e., that which ought not be written down—then, “they have been regarded as something alien.” In other words, he is unable to recognize the Jew. He regards him as alien, because he appears to him to be a stranger and a gentile. And conversely, he might mistake the gentile for a Jew.", + "For that which mainly separates Jew from gentile is an aspect of that which was given not to be written down, the concept of the Oral Torah. As it is brought: This is why the Oral Torah was given. It was because [God] foresaw that the Jewish people would be in exile, and that the nations would reproduce the Written Torah for themselves. He therefore gave us the Oral Torah, which they cannot reproduce because it is oral.", + "It follows, that the main difference and advantage which the Jewish people has over the nations is in the aspect of the Oral Torah, which was not given to be written. And every single Jew has a portion in the Oral Torah, which was not meant to be written. Therefore, someone who can discern the Torah lessons given to be written down from those which were not given to be written down, is able to discern Jew from gentile—since this is their main difference." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a halakhic question arises in a person’s home regarding a permitted substance that has become mixed with a prohibited substance, and the permitted is insufficient to offset the prohibited, he is being shown through this that he has blemished some supernal unification. This is because all yichudim (unifications) and unions are the concept of nullifying prohibition.", + "This is the meaning of “Who prohibited us betrothed women, and permitted us women who are married [to us]” (The Marriage Service; Ketuvot 7b). It follows, that the prohibited becomes permitted. For initially she is ARUSah (betrothed), and thus was ASURah (prohibited). But afterwards, through marriage, she becomes permitted.", + "{“The Lord gathers yechidim (the solitary) into a home; He sets free asirim (those bound) bakosharot (at suitable times)” (Psalms 68:7) .} Therefore, it is said also of the lower union of this world: “The Lord gathers the yechidim into a home”—i.e., unions, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded this verse in connection with the marriage union (Sotah 2a). Then, “He sets free ASiRim baKoShaRot”—i.e., the ISsuR (prohibited) is made KoSheR and permitted; the concept of nullifying the prohibition.", + "Therefore, when the prohibition is not eliminated and the questionable object is proscribed, it is a sign that he has blemished some supernal yichud, because unification is the concept of nullifying the prohibition." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a new book comes into the world—and it is explained in our teachings that there are original insights which are produced through tears (as is brought in Likutey Moharan I, 262)—then the tears of the original insights which form this new work counter the evil decrees of the nations and eliminate them.", + "This matter is clear, because all their strength derives from the tears of Esav. Therefore, where there are these aforementioned tears, they counter them and cancel them out.", + "This is alluded to in the letters that spell B’ KhiYaH (crying), which are the first letters of “B’nei Yisrael K’chol Hayam.” Just as the sand protects against the waves and prevents them from flooding the world, crying and tears protect Israel from the evil decrees of the nations.", + "This is “The mispar (number) of the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea.” MiSPaR alludes to MiSePheR (from the book), which was mentioned previously. Because of it—i.e., the crying and tears of the original insights in the book, which protect them—“the people of Israel will be like the sand of the sea.”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "From the song [he sings] it is possible to tell if a person has accepted upon himself the yoke of Torah.", + "This is the import of “on their shoulder yisa’u (they did carry)” (Numbers 7:9). Concerning this our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: yiSA’U is nothing other than song, as is stated (Psalms 81:3), “SA’U (Raise up) a song and sound a timbrel” (Arakhin 11a). This verse appears in connection with the undertakings of the Kehatites, who hoisted the Ark onto their shoulders—this being the concept of the yoke of Torah." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "There are hidden tzaddikim who, despite knowing the face of the Torah, are obliged to conceal their teachings. This is as in the story told of the Baal Shem Tov and the preacher.", + "And sometimes it happens that he, too, knows a teaching with a face, i.e., the face of the Torah, but is obliged to conceal it and so does not deliver it. Other times, he does not even write it down. And sometimes he writes it down and later burns it. Had it actually been put into writing, it would have formed a book and circulated. In addition, such writings contain Holy Names—the concept of “My Name, which was written in holiness”—but people spoil this, and so it is necessary to conceal and burn them.", + "Even so, the concealing and burning of these teachings and books is beneficial for the world. For there are also many books that were made and have been erased and lost to the world. The great tzaddikim of yore, the Tannaim and Amoraim and the like, certainly produced many books, but they have been lost.", + "Nevertheless, this is beneficial for the world, for if this were not the case, it would be utterly impossible for us to get close to God. This is because there are very many heretical books which, if they were disseminated, God forbid, it would be utterly impossible to get close to God. For example, Yeravam ben Nevat made two golden calves and said, “This is your God, O Israel!” (1 Kings 12:28), leading all the Jews to stray after them. Is it even conceivable that he could mislead so many people with such foolishness as the worshipping of calves? Rather, this surely involved an extremely profound heresy. And so if, God forbid, God forbid, may the Merciful One spare us, a single page of those books was extant, God forbid, people would be greatly distanced from God and it would be utterly impossible to get close to Him. This is why it is beneficial that the aforementioned holy books disappear or are burned." + ], + [ + "2. For a book is the concept of God’s Name, as in “The Name of God is a tower of strength into which the tzaddik runs and is fortified” (Proverbs 18:10), and in the Zohar (I, 37b) it is brought: “the Name of God” is synonymous with a book. This is because SeFeR (a book) has the same numerical value as SheM (name), as is brought. A book is the concept of “My Name, which was written in holiness” and has spread in the world, making a name.", + "And know! each person must safeguard his personal aspect of Mashiach. For each person, commensurate with his holiness and his purity, possesses a personal aspect of Mashiach. He must be extremely vigilant to keep his aspect of Mashiach from becoming ruined. And the aspect of Mashiach primarily depends on guarding against immorality.", + "For Mashiach is the concept of nose, as in “The RuaCh (breath) of our AF (nostrils), m’shiach (the anointed) of God” (Lamentations 4:20). And immorality is contingent on the nose, as it is written (Exodus 20:13) : “You shall not TiN’AF (commit adultery)”—and the Midrash teaches: You shall not T’haNeh AF (pleasure the nose)” (Bamidbar Rabbah 10:2). Thus a person has to guard himself from even the Rei’aCh (scent) of immorality, for it blemishes his personal aspect of Mashiach, which is the concept of nose.", + "Now, the aspect of Mashiach resides upon the faces of Torah—i.e., the holy books which reveal the Torah’s face. It is there that the spirit of Mashiach hovers, as in “and the ruach (spirit) of God hovering over the water’s surface” (Genesis 1:2). “The ruach of God”—this alludes to the ruach of Mashiach (Zohar I, 240a). It hovers “over the water’s surface,” and water connotes Torah, as is brought." + ], + [ + "3. And know! “the ruach of our nostrils, m’shiach of God” becomes a spirit of jealousy that grows increasingly more zealous. Wherever it finds immorality, [this ruach] becomes a jealous spirit and, on account of its considerable sanctity and purity, zealously protests it. Sometimes, [the ruach] zealously protests “and she had become defiled, or a spirit of jealousy may come over him… but she had not become defiled” (Numbers 5:14). Because of its tremendous holiness and purity, even if she has not become defiled, it zealously protests solely on account of the seclusion, which is considered a blemish relative to the jealous spirit’s tremendous purity. And on occasion this leads to divorce.", + "This is why the divorce document is called “a sefer of separation” (Deuteronomy 24:1), because it is produced by the sefer (book) upon which the spirit of Mashiach, the spirit of jealousy, resides. Alternatively, he makes her drink the “bitter waters,” which examine “if she has become defiled…” (Numbers 5:27). But if not, then, on the contrary, “she shall be proven innocent and she will bear seed…” (ibid. :28)." + ], + [ + "4. And know! there is a lower unification in this world which is carried out with such great virtue, sanctity and purity that the upper unification is dependent upon it. The couple, i.e., the man and the woman, are so virtuous—she is very virtuous and without a shred of spiritual deficiency, and he too is very virtuous—and their coupling is with such virtue and sanctity that the upper unification is dependent upon it. This is because: If iYsh (a man) and ishaH (a woman) are worthy, the Divine Presence resides in their midst (Sotah 17a). He contains a Yod, and she contains a Heh. These are [the letters of] the upper rectification. This particular coupling and lower unification is extremely valuable, since in this world a lower unification is carried out with such great sanctity that the upper unification is dependent upon it.", + "Now see, the spirit of jealousy, i.e., the concept of the spirit of Mashiach, which zealously protests immorality—what relevance does it have here being that they are very holy and pure? But know! here, the spirit of jealousy is for the sake of love. For it is brought in the Zohar (I, 245a) : Love unaccompanied by jealousy is not true love. This is as it is written: “for love is as fierce as death, jealousy as hard as the grave” (Song of Songs 8:6). For jealousy is an indication of love. On account of his great love he protests zealously concerning her. “Do not seclude yourself” so that the love will not be ruined, God forbid. This is what the aforementioned spirit of jealousy accomplishes here for the love.", + "However, because the lower unification is nonetheless in this world, the spirit of jealousy has the power to ruin their marital harmony, God forbid. Although the jealousy is for the sake of love, it has the power to instigate strife as a result of his jealousy for her." + ], + [ + "5. Know, therefore, that this is why the great tzaddikim are obliged to conceal their teachings, to burn and destroy them, as mentioned above. This is in order to dismiss the spirit of jealousy, so that it does not ruin the aforementioned couple’s marital harmony, God forbid.", + "For their lower unification is very valuable, and if their marital bliss was ruined by the spirit of jealousy, it would be a very great loss. This is why the aforementioned teachings and books have to be destroyed—it is in order to dismiss the spirit of jealousy. For the spirit of jealousy is the spirit of Mashiach that resides upon the faces of Torah—i.e., the books, as explained above. It follows, that when books are burned and destroyed, the spirit of jealousy, the spirit of Mashiach that resides upon the books, is dismissed automatically.", + "And this is the mystery of “My Name, which was written in holiness, should be erased.” For the book is the concept of God’s Name, the concept of “My Name, which was written in holiness,” as explained above. Yet the Torah states that [the Name] should be erased and destroyed in order to instill marital harmony between a man and his wife—i.e., the aforementioned holy couple, for whose marital bliss the books, which are the concept of “My Name, which was written in holiness,” are erased and destroyed.", + "Then an a fortiori argument is employed on high: If about “My Name, which was written in holiness,” i.e., the aforementioned holy books, the Torah states “[it] should be erased” in order to induce marital harmony… how much more so should the books of heretics, which instigate enmity and discord between Israel…, be erased, destroyed and uprooted from the world—people’s recollection of them should be erased and uprooted. It follows, that the loss of the holy books results in benefit, for the books of the heretics are destroyed and uprooted and it is then possible to draw closer to God. Amen." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Va’yiChaD Yitro (And Yitro exulted) over all the good….” (Exodus 18:9)", + "And our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: [Yitro’s] flesh became covered in ChiDudin (goose bumps) . (Sanhedrin 94a)", + "All rejoicing is transient. For example, the joy of a wedding or a brit is only at the moment. If one considers the end, there is nothing in the world to rejoice over, for “Man’s end is…” (Berakhot 17a). Yet, if one considers the end of the end, he should be extremely joyous. This is because the final end—i.e., the ultimate goal—is very good.", + "Now see, this is only from the soul’s perspective, since from its perspective death is very good. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “now see, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31)—this refers to… (Bereishit Rabbah 9:10). It is very good, because through it one comes to the ultimate good.", + "Nevertheless, when someone is a tzaddik, such that his body is clean and very holy, he can rejoice also with his body, even if he considers the end, since his body too is pure and holy. This is as it is written (Psalms 56:5), “In the Lord I trust… what can mortal flesh do to me?”—“mortal flesh,” i.e., the body, cannot cause him any harm. And as it is written (ibid. 16.9), “even my flesh rests securely.” The tzaddik is certain that it will be very good also for the body. Therefore, even when he considers the end, he can rejoice also with his body.", + "But [this cannot be said of] someone whose body is not all that holy, particularly a convert, for although his soul is extremely lofty, his body was formed from impure seed—and how is it possible to change this? It follows, that it is impossible for this person whose body is not all that holy, particularly a convert, to rejoice with his body when he considers the ultimate goal.", + "Thus, this is “Va’yichad Yitro over all the good.” Yitro rejoiced over all the good—meaning: even when he considered beyond the good. And this is “over all the good”—above and beyond the good. Although he considered this—i.e., beyond the good, namely, to the end—he was nevertheless extremely joyous. This is because from the soul’s perspective, even when one considers the end, it is very good, as mentioned above.", + "But “his flesh became covered in goose bumps”—specifically, “his flesh,” i.e., the body. On account of his being a convert, when he considered the end, his joy was not with his body. And this is: “his flesh became covered in chidudin”—specifically, “his flesh.”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Va’yichad Yitro (And Yitro exulted) over all the good”", + "The average person does not rejoice in all the types of good at once. There are very many distinctions in the matter of joy. For example, when attending a wedding, one person rejoices in the food he eats—fish, meat and the like—another rejoices in the music, and another rejoices in some other such thing. Others rejoice in the wedding itself, such as the in-laws, who do not focus on the food and drink, but are happy about the wedding itself. And there are other such distinctions.", + "However, no person rejoices in all the types of joy simultaneously. Even someone who rejoices in all the aforementioned things, does not rejoice in them all together but in each thing separately, one after the other. And there is even an individual who has no joy whatsoever, not from the food or drink or any of the other things. On the contrary, he feels envy and pain, because he is jealous of the match, that this one made a match with that one.", + "However, the perfection and magnitude of the joy is when a person merits rejoicing in all the good things at once. And this is only possible when he directs his attention above, “over all the good”—i.e., to the root from which all the good is drawn. There, at the root, everything is one, and so he rejoices in all the types of good simultaneously.", + "Then, the joy is very great and radiates with a very great light. This is because the intermingling of one joy with its companion increases the magnitude of their light.", + "And the more that the numerous types of joy intermingle, the brighter and brighter the light of the joy grows and the more and more it increases. For the light of the joy grows brighter and increases as a result of each joy shining into its companion. And the more the types of joy that intermingle, the brighter the light shines. Therefore, when the joy in all the good things are merged together, the light of the joy is then very bright on account of the shining from this one to that one, and from that one to this one.", + "This is the meaning of “va’YiChaD Yitro (And Yitro exulted) over all the good.” His joy was from all the good things b’YaChaD (together). And this is “over all the good.” He directed his attention up above, over all the good—i.e., to the root, where everything is one and where all the types of joy are united. He was therefore joyous over all the good things together." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "It is fitting that students of Torah know the future. This is as it is written (Psalms 119:152), “KeDeM (Of old) I gained kn o wledge”—I gained knowledge me’KoDeM (in advance) of what will be. From where? “From Your testimonies”—i.e., from the Torah." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "As soon as very lofty and remarkable Torah teachings are put into book form, there are covers and concealments which obscure and hide their clear and amazing light. The book cover alone obscures…." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“From those who die by Your hand, O God, from those who die of old age [—those whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure fills their bellies; they are sated with children and leave their excesses to their young]. As for me, in righteousness, I will behold Your face; [I will be sated, upon awakening, by Your image].” (Psalms 17:14-15)", + "The rule is: The ultimate goal is nothing other than to serve and go in God’s ways for His sake, in order to merit recognizing God and knowing Him. This is the ultimate goal and it is God’s Will that we recognize Him. Nor is it fitting for a person to have any other intention in his service to God, other than to fulfill His Will; that He declared and His Will was done.", + "For one person works throughout his life and pursues the desires of this world in order to fill his belly with worldly pleasures. Another works hard at serving God in order to merit the World to Come. This, too, is called filling the belly; he wants to fill his belly and desire with the World to Come.", + "This is the concept of “those whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure fills their bellies.” “Those whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure”—i.e., those who choose as “their portion in life” to satisfy their desires with the life of this world, and also those who choose the abundant good that is concealed, namely, the World to Come. This is “Your concealed treasure”—they choose the concealed good, i.e., the World to Come. Both of these are the concept of filling the belly.", + "And this is “whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure fills their bellies.” These two groups, those who choose this world as well as those who serve God to attain the World to Come—the concept of “whose portion is in life” and “Your concealed treasure”—are both in the category of “fills their bellies.” They want to fill their bellies and their desires; one, with this world, and the other, with the World to Come.", + "Just that the one who chooses the World to Come is smarter, because he chooses a world which is permanent—it is everlasting and it is eternal—and he disdains this world, which is fleeting and perishes. And though it is actually certainly much better to serve God even for the sake of the World to Come, nevertheless, it, too, is called filling the belly.", + "And this is “they are sated with children”—their satiation is children. All their effort is in order to leave an inheritance for their children.", + "In fact, a person who lacks holiness and pursues pleasures and leaves his money for his children is like someone who soils himself with filth and then takes [more] filth to cover the filth. For, in truth, money that is associated with holiness is very lofty and manifests many very exalted and holy aspects, as is explained elsewhere. Nevertheless, the money associated with worldly pleasures is extraneous matter. What remains of a person after satisfying his appetite in this world is extraneous matter. The extraneous matter remaining after all his pleasures is the money he leaves behind.", + "So, too, are the children not born in holiness. They are also quite literally extraneous matter, because they stem from the mind’s extraneous matter, fetor and turbidity, which emerge. This produces children, the concept of “a fetid drop��� (Avot 3:1)—literally, fetor. This is the reason the children are called olelim (young), which connotes filth, as in Rashi’s interpretation of olel (Psalms 8:3)—“filth and dirt,” and as mentioned above.", + "And when someone leaves such children, it is a disgrace and an embarrassment. This is because conceptually they are extraneous matter and filth. Consequently, he wants to mask and beautify them with the money, which is also entirely extraneous matter that remains after all the pleasures, as mentioned above. This is the inheritance he leaves them after his death. It follows, that he covers filth with filth. This is the meaning of “they are sated with children”—their satiation is children, for whom they waste their lives. “And leave their excesses to their young”—they mask the young in extraneous matter, who are likewise synonymous with extraneous matter. This is the inheritance which they leave their children, for which they waste their lives." + ], + [ + "2. But I choose for myself neither of the aforementioned two groups, but to merit “to behold the pleasantness of God” (Psalms 27:4). And this is “As for me, in righteousness, I will behold Your face.” King David, may he rest in peace, said that in merit of his righteousness he chose nothing for himself other than to behold the face of God and recognize the blessed Creator.", + "And even the children he wishes to leave over, his intention is only for God, in order to complete, as it were, “the image of His likeness” (Sheva Berakhot Liturgy). For the children of holiness are very lofty. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Whoever does not engage in procreation is regarded as if he has diminished the Divine likeness (Yevamot 63b). This is because with each additional child born into the world, an additional image of the Lord is born, as it were, and so “the image of His likeness” is [more] complete.", + "This is the meaning of “I will be sated”—i.e., the satiation from children, as in “they are sated with children,” is only “upon awakening, by Your image.” In essence, his satiation from children is derived only from awakening and rousing the Blessed One’s image, the concept of “the image of His likeness.”" + ], + [ + "3. {“From those who die by Your hand, O God, from those who die of old age—those whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure fills their bellies; they are sated with children and leave their excesses to their young. As for me, in righteousness, I will behold Your face; I will be sated, upon awakening, by Your image.”} And this is “From those who die by Your hand, O God….” There are those who die a natural death. Born with a constitutional vigor and other similar properties allowing for a certain number of years, they go on living all those years until their moisture and vitality are depleted and they die of old age—the concept of “those who die of old age.”", + "And there are others upon whom God decrees premature death, as punishment, this being “From those who die by Your hand, O God….” Having died before their time, they are deserving of the World to Come. But those who die of old age are denizens of this world. They have no portion in the World to Come because they go on living in this world without any punishment, until they die of old age.", + "Thus King David, may he rest in peace, said that from the aforementioned two groups, the denizens of this world and the denizens of the World to Come:", + "From those who die by Your hand, O God, from those who die of old age— that is, from those whom God puts to death and so have the World to Come, and from those who die of old age, i.e., the denizens of this world. And this is:", + "whose portion is in life, and Your concealed treasure— that is, the two groups, both of whom are aspects of fills their bellies— that is, filling the belly with either this world or the World to Come. And this is:", + "are sated with children and leave their excesses to their young— as mentioned above. And even someone who chooses the World to Come and wants to leave his merit for his children, that, too, is “are sated with children and leave their excesses….”", + "But for myself, rather than either of the aforementioned two groups, I choose in righteousness, I will behold Your face— that through all my righteousness I merit beholding the face of God, be sated, upon awakening, by Your image, as mentioned above.", + "Despite all this, it is very good even if a person serves God for the sake of the World to Come. It is also good to leave one’s merit for one’s children. As is brought, a person should not receive his entire reward, but instead leave some over for his children.", + "However, the perfect tzaddikim, those who genuinely love God, such as David and those like him, do not choose any of this. They have no interest in this world, or the World to Come, or in leaving their merit and righteousness to their children—but only to fulfill the Will of the Blessed One, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Sometimes the greater person goes and travels to the smaller one, and sometimes it is the reverse. In other words, sometimes the tzaddik travels to the provinces to enlighten his disciples, and other times the disciples come to him.", + "And know! this practice, of the greater person traveling to the smaller one, is the greater one. This is extremely great. For it is obvious that the smaller person ought to come to the greater one, as he needs to receive from him. However, occasionally the greater person’s light is so exceptionally great, that it is impossible for the smaller person to receive from the greater one when the latter is in his place. The light is then too great. The greater person must therefore lower and subordinate himself in relation to the smaller one and travel to where he is, in order that the light will be somewhat diminished and less refined. This is so that the smaller person will be able to receive it. It follows, that when the greater person must go to the smaller person, it is on account of his extremely lofty level.", + "Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, was on such a lofty level that he had to diminish himself in the presence of even great people and subordinate himself to them. This is as it is written (Numbers 12:3), “But the man Moshe was very humble, more so than any other person….” That is, even though others, such as Yehoshua and Aharon, were also very great, Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, was on such an extremely lofty level that he was forced to diminish himself and subordinate himself to them so that they would be able to receive his light. This is the concept of (Megillah 31a) : Wherever you find His greatness, there you find His humility.” Wherever there is exceptional greatness, precisely there humility and diminution are required in order for others to receive the light.", + "Now see, that when the KaTaN (smaller person) comes before the GaDoL (greater person) in order to receive from him, and the greater person shines his light into him, the primary purpose is to turn mentalities of KaTNut (constriction) into mentalities of GaDLut (expansion). In other words, he shines light into the smaller person in order to expand his mind, so that he grows out of his smallness and becomes great—i.e., he attains great-mindedness . This is the concept of mitigation.", + "Sometimes [the greater person] enlightens [the smaller person] through the light and reassurances in his expression, by smiling at him with a beaming face—[the concept of] “a glowing face.” But sometimes [the smaller person] is incapable of receiving through this means, and so is subject to the principle “when a log won’t light, they strike it” (Zohar III, 168a). It is necessary to enlighten him through suffering; it is necessary to cause him to suffer and to embarrass him, so that by reducing his ego he is able to receive.", + "And know! although the greater person has to lower himself and set aside a bit of his greatness in order for the smaller person to receive [from him], this temporary voiding of his light is not considered a shortcoming or loss for the greater person against the rectification which this engenders in the smaller person, whom he rectifies and raises. The voiding and diminution of the greater person is only temporary, as, afterwards, he returns to his level. Yet he rectifies and raises up the smaller person completely." + ], + [ + "2. And the ways in which the greater person diminishes and subordinates himself to the smaller one, so that the latter might receive his light, are varied. It all depends on the situation. Sometimes, it takes a mere motion. Other times, he has to go and travel to him. It all depends on the situation. It is like a candle that blew out. We know empirically that as long as there is a bit of a glow, it is still possible to light it just by bringing it somewhat closer to a burning candle, i.e., by holding it down below, near the lit candle. This is because it still has a bit of a glow. However, when the glow is completely gone, one cannot light it from a distance but has to bring it right next to the fire; or the reverse…." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Go and see the works of God, Who has placed devastations on the earth” (Psalms 46:9).", + "Actually, this is a very amazing and awesome matter—that the Blessed One created the entire creation in which there are any number of very many amazing and awesome things. ‘How many are the works of God!’ (cf. Psalms 104:24). Even in this world alone, God’s wonders are countless. He created inanimate objects and vegetation, and so on. Who can fathom the greatness of God contained in the creations of this world, all the more so the other worlds?! And every single thing was created solely for the sake of the Jewish people.", + "And the Jewish people themselves were created primarily for the sake of Shabbat, which is the ultimate purpose. Shabbat is the ultimate purpose for which heaven and earth were created, namely, the concept of the World of Souls (Zohar, Introduction p.1b; ibid. II, 136b), which is a world that is entirely Shabbat. There, they will perceive God properly, without any barrier and without any hindrance. For an absolute unity will manifest then, and, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Each one will point with his finger [and say], “This is God, in Whom we trusted” (Taanit 31a). This is the ultimate purpose, on account of which the Blessed One created the entire creation.", + "Thus, everything created in the world certainly contains an aspect of the ultimate purpose. This is because each thing has a beginning and an end. The beginning is the place from which it devolves until it materializes and comes into being in that image and form. And it also contains the concept of ultimate purpose and end, for which sake it was created. That [ultimate purpose] is so that the Jewish people are able to study deeply, know and comprehend the details of the creation—the gestalt of each thing’s parts, shape, structure and form, etc.—and perceive in them God’s greatness and serve Him through this.", + "And so, too, all the way up to the ultimate purpose, where that thing approaches the ultimate purpose. For each thing has a hold in the ultimate purpose, which is its raison d’être, such that through this thing one can perceive God and serve him up to its ultimate purpose, where that thing ends and approaches the ultimate purpose. And each person has to deepen his study of this, to know and recognize God in each thing—in its gestalt and form, in the details of its parts, structure and the like—and serve Him through this, until he arrives at that thing’s ultimate purpose, i.e., the concept of Shabbat, the World of Souls, etc.", + "Now see, the intellectually gifted, by virtue of their considerable intelligence, are capable of this. But [what of] those of lesser stature, such as we nowadays, who are on a most inferior level, the concept of feet? How is it possible for us to attain this knowledge? We therefore have to greatly long, yearn and pine—if only we had a leader of the generation, a faithful shepherd, with this power to shine the aforementioned knowledge and perception even into us, who are the concept of the feet, so that we might attain the ultimate purpose.", + "The example is Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace, whose exceptional loftiness enabled him to illuminate even the least of the least, even a maidservant. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: A maidservant at the Red Sea saw what the prophet Yechezkel did not (Mekhilta, Beshalakh 3; Rashi, Exodus 15:2). Thus even Yechezkel, who was such a great prophet, could not see what a maidservant saw in Moshe’s day. This was entirely due to the exceptional loftiness of the leader.", + "For Moshe Rabbeinu was that leader. He could illuminate even those who correspond to the feet, so that although they are far from the mind, the feet, too, could nonetheless attain and know the ultimate purpose through “the works of God” which He created in this lowly world, as mentioned above. This is because the leader’s greatness enables him to draw down the mind even to the feet. And then it is possible that these feet are greater than a different mind.", + "This is the meaning of: {“Go and see the works of God, Who has placed shamot (devastations) on the earth.”} Go and see— Specifically “Go,” the concept of the feet, which are the instruments of ambulation. They, too, will “see the works of God, Who has placed devastations on the earth”—i.e., the works of God placed on this earth, namely, in this lowly world. Through the works of God on this lowly earth it is possible to know and attain the ultimate purpose. And this is:", + "Who has placed ShaMOT on the earth— In other words, the ultimate purpose is the concept of SheiMOT (names), an acronym for Takhlit Maaseh Shamayim Vaaretz (the ultimate purpose for which heaven and earth were created). This is as in “each living soul, that is its name” (Genesis 2:19); and as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Do not read ShaMOT but SheiMOT (Berakhot 7b). In other words, the World of Souls, which is the ultimate purpose, is enclothed in and taken hold of through this lowly earth. By means of this lowly world—specifically by this means—must the ultimate purpose be attained, as mentioned above.", + "Actually, this is a very amazing and awesome original insight; that attaining the ultimate purpose, namely, such a sublime thing as perceiving the Blessed One, depends specifically on the creations of the lowly world. Thus all the souls are obliged to traverse this world in order to attain the ultimate purpose, because Mashiach the son of David will not arrive until all the souls are emptied from The Guf (Yevamot 62b). They must all enter this lowly world so as to attain the ultimate purpose through it. It follows, that all of them are the concept of “needing creations”—they are in need of the creations of this world, to attain the ultimate purpose through them.", + "By rights we should cry and shed bitter tears when saying this. [We should] cry and long, beg and plead with God: When will we merit having this awareness so that can know and recognize the Blessed Creator from the minutest details of all the things of this world; until [we can attain] the ultimate purpose? And considering our current inferior level and that all our faces are without any beauty, we need God to take pity on us, to give us a leader, a faithful shepherd, who can shine into us the aforementioned knowledge so that we might serve God properly and arrive at the ultimate purpose, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. The Six Days are the beginning, in which everything was created. Shabbat is the end and ultimate purpose…. And there certainly are distinctions between the creations, because there certainly are differences between that which was created before and that which was created on Day Six, which is closer to Shabbat. Thus it is brought in the holy books: “six days God made heaven and earth” (Exodus 31:17)—that also the Six Days themselves were created. Kabbalistically, they are [points that form] a circle around an inner point, which is Shabbat (Zohar II, 204a). Even so, there are distinctions." + ], + [ + "3. [Regarding] that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: It would have been preferable for a person to have not been created than to have been created (Eruvin 13b) ; and also that which is written, “and better than both are those who have not yet come into being” (Ecclesiastes 4:3). The matter is perplexing, since, in that case, what is the reason he was created?", + "Now, this was certainly said only from the standpoint of this world. Considering the adversities of this world and the afflictions which each and every person suffers here, it certainly would have been better to have not been created at all. But from the standpoint of the World to Come, it certainly is better to have been created, because specifically through this one attains the ultimate purpose, as mentioned above. And even in this world: Better one hour of repentance and good deeds in this world than the entire life of the World to Come (Avot 4:17)." + ], + [ + "4. Nissan—the new year for kings (Rosh HaShanah 2a). It is then that all the kings are appointed on high, and gifts are surely given to each one who is enthroned. May God give us as well a king and a leader, a faithful shepherd, who can shine into us…, as mentioned above.", + "It is we who are “the people at your feet” (Exodus 11:8)—who follow your counsel (Rashi). We follow in the ways of the leader. If only we had a leader such as Moshe Rabbeinu, may he rest in peace…, as mentioned above. {All this belongs with Lesson #39.}" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Whoever knows of the Land of Israel, has really tasted the Land of Israel, can recognize in another whether he was by a tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, and whether that tzaddik’s spiritual level is great or small, and whether he is a genuine tzaddik or not; or [even] whether [that other person] is himself a tzaddik.", + "For the taste of the Land of Israel can be described to someone who knows the taste of intellect, which only someone who is a boor is incapable of knowing. But whoever knows of the intellect—such as students of Torah, who taste a bit of intellect in the straightforward meaning and difficult questions, which they are wont to study; or experts in other wisdoms who experience the taste of intellect—can understand the taste of the Land of Israel, because “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise” (Bava Batra 158b).", + "Although the taste of wisdom and intellect is certainly very precious, what primarily makes the Land of Israel’s holiness great is nothing other than Divine providence—on account of God constantly eyeing the Land of Israel, as it is written, “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). On account of this, the Land of Israel is sanctified and its air makes wise, because the eyes connote wisdom. For the opening of wisdom is referred to as the concept of eyes, as it is written (Genesis 3:7), “Then the eyes of both of them were opened”—and Rashi comments: This is said in reference to wisdom. And because God’s eyes are upon the Land of Israel, for He eyes it continuously, therefore “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise.”", + "However, from where does this, the concept of eyes of providence, derive and develop in relation to God? It comes about through the souls of the Jewish people, in whom God takes pride, as in “Israel, in whom etPa’ER (I take pride)” (Isaiah 49:3). This pride creates the concept of tefilin, which are called Pe’ER (grandeur) (Sukkah 25a). The tefilin are the concept of intellects. They enter within and burst out through the eyes, and from this is created Divine providence, as it were, producing the Land of Israel’s holiness—the concept of “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise.” This is the reason it is called “the Land of Israel,” for it receives its sanctity from the concept of “Israel, in whom I take pride.”", + "However, Israel’s closeness to God is certainly not the same at all times. Sometimes, one person grows distant from God, Heaven forbid, and then, on the contrary, the Divine Presence screams: “I am burdened by My head! I am burdened by My arm!” (Sanhedrin 46a). Her scream is that the concept of pride has been ruined and blemished, so that [God] cannot take pride in them, and the concept of tefilin, which is made from the pride, has become blemished. This is: “I am burdened by My head! I am burdened by My arm!”—specifically “by My head” and “by My arm,” the concept of tefilin (which are worn on the head and arm).", + "But when a single Jew draws closer to God, that is one more Jew who wants to serve Him. And the more the number of Jews who want to serve and draw closer to Him increases, the more God’s pride grows and expands, for God takes pride in His people Israel drawing closer to Him. This pride produces tefilin -intellects, and from this comes the Land of Israel’s holiness, the concept of “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise” as a result of the eyes of His Divine providence, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. Moreover, whoever can see this pride which God takes in His people Israel receives the concept of grandeur and intellects from the pride which he sees. They become the concept of tefilin also for him, entering within and bursting out through the eyes, as mentioned above. And then his eyes, too, become the concept of the eyes of God. Then, wherever he gazes and sees, that place too becomes the concept of “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise,” because the holiness of the Land of Israel is essentially only from the aforementioned concept of eyes.", + "But who is it that can see God, who is capable of seeing the Blessed One’s pride?! Still, whoever sees the true tzaddik, that he brings people closer, to serve God, and that he is Israel’s primary closeness to their Father in heaven, and so is himself the pride which God takes in His people, since he is the cause of all the closeness and pride—", + "Whoever looks at him then—especially at the time of the kibbutz (gathering), when the people who come to hear the word of God gather around him; and all the more so on Rosh HaShanah, which is the time of the great kibbutz, and the coming together of so many people who desire closeness to God causes the pride to be extremely great—then [sees] the tzaddik’s grandeur and beauty grow and expand, since he himself is the pride, as mentioned above.", + "Whoever honestly looks then at this true tzaddik also receives from this pride, and, as mentioned above, the concept of tefilin -intellects are made also for him. Thus his eyes, too, are the concept of the eyes of God, so that wherever he looks becomes the Land of Israel, the concept of “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise.” By looking with his eyes, which are made from the pride, as mentioned above, he instills wisdom into the air.", + "{“Your eyes will behold a king in his beauty; [your eyes] will see a faraway land” (Isaiah 33:17) .} This is the explanation of “Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty.” That is, when you merit seeing “the king in his beauty”—i.e., the tzaddik in his beauty and glory, at the time of the kibbutz , which is his beauty and glory—as a result, “[your eyes] will see a faraway land.” This refers to the Land of Israel, the concept of “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise.” For wisdom is called “faraway,” as it is written (Ecclesiastes 7:23), “I thought I would be wise, but it is far away.” In other words, as a result of seeing the tzaddik in his beauty and glory, wherever your eyes look becomes the concept of “the air of the Land of Israel makes wise.” And this is “[your eyes] will see a faraway land.”" + ], + [ + "3. It follows, that whoever desires and yearns for the Land of Israel, particularly someone who has tasted the real taste of the Land of Israel, when he meets and speaks with a person who was by a true tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, he will of necessity experience that taste of the Land of Israel. This is because through that man, that air, too, becomes the Land of Israel, as mentioned above. And it is right that he now becomes aroused with longing and yearning for the Land of Israel, each person according to his level—the main thing being that it is with sincerity and unassumingness." + ], + [ + "4. There is more to this. For no man dies with even half his desires satisfied (Kohelet Rabbah 1:34). It follows, that he never satisfies his desire and hankering with money, since he never has enough. However, there is a concept of twofold bounty, the concept of “and money will fly to you” (Job 22:25), connoting a double amount. It follows, that with such bounty, since it is two-fold, his desire is satisfied. (Rebbe Nachman did not conclude [this thought].)" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Occasionally, God works miracles through the master decisors of Halakhah, as in “His miracles and His pronouncement of judgments” (1 Chronicles 16:12). “His pronouncement of judgments”—his issuing a ruling that it should be so—brings about a miracle.", + "Having been recognized as an adjudicator, his opinion is accepted when he issues a ruling in matters of prohibited-and-permitted and the like. It is the same when he issues a decision on any matter. His opinion is accepted and miracles are performed through him.", + "This relates to the miracles which people tell about the leading sages of previous generations." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“Ki Ani YHVH Rofekha (for I, God, am your Healer)” (Exodus 15:26). The first letters stand for Amen, Kein Yehi Ratzon (Amen, may it be His Will).", + "(See elsewhere for an explanation of this matter.)" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The heart’s meekness causes it to be beset with fears.", + "The mighty person is afraid of nothing, and strength is mainly in the heart. In other words, whoever is strong-hearted is not afraid of anything. He charges into the thick of the battle and is victorious on account of the strength and courage of his heart.", + "And the reverse is also true. The fainthearted are fearful. This is as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:8), “the man who is fearful and fainthearted.” Rashi comments: “who is fearful”—he is fainthearted, and therefore is afraid." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Faith is dependent upon a person’s mouth, as in “I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth” (Psalms 89:2).", + "In other words, the mouth speaking about faith is itself faith! It also brings to faith. On account of this, one must be extremely careful not to speak words of Godlessness and heresy, even if he is not saying them from the heart—i.e., he himself is a believer and not a heretic, God forbid. Rather, he is repeating the atheistic words which he heard in the name of others, who are heretics, and he is mocking them. Even so, he has to be extremely careful about this as well, because these heretical words are damaging to faith. It is also an absolute prohibition, because concerning the Blessed One, it is forbidden to speak derisively, even in jest.", + "Now, it has already been explained in holy books, and in various places in our teachings, that one has to stay very far away from any study of the works of the philosophers. One has to greatly distance oneself even from the philosophical works authored by leading figures among our Jewish brethren. Such works are very damaging to faith. For our faith, which we received from our holy ancestors, is enough for us. This is a major rule and a fundament and the essence of serving God: To be simple and upright…, to serve God with simplicity, without any cleverness or philosophical speculation—none at all.", + "And one has to also greatly distance oneself from the cleverness associated with the service of God itself. This is because all the cleverness of those people who are just entering into and beginning in the service of God is not cleverness at all. It is nothing but great illusion, foolishness and befuddlement. Such cleverness greatly undermines a person’s service of God—i.e., that he wonders, examines and over-scrutinizes whether what he does is satisfactory. Because he is human, it is impossible for him to perfectly fulfill his religious duty, and the Holy One, Blessed be He, does not purposely seek fault… (Avodah Zarah 3a). Nor was the Torah given to ministering angels (Kiddushin 54a).", + "Moreover, concerning those who are exacting and unnecessarily strict it is said: “and live through them” (Leviticus 18:5), and not to die by them (Yoma 85b). For they have no vitality whatsoever and are always depressed, because it seems to them that they fail to meet their religious duties with the mitzvot they perform. And on account of their exactitude and depression they have no vitality from any mitzvah {whereas [the Rebbe] himself did not practice any stringency}.", + "And in fact, ensuant of all the cleverness, even someone who is genuinely wise must, after all the cleverness, discard all the cleverness and serve God with absolute simplicity and straightforwardness, without any cleverness at all. This itself is the greatest cleverness of all: Not to be at all clever. For, in fact, there is no one at all in the world who is clever, and ‘There is neither wisdom nor understanding… against God’ (cf. Proverbs 21:30). The main thing is this: The Compassionate One desires the heart (Zohar III, 281b)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Concerning those people who want to travel to the true tzaddik and prepare themselves again and again [to do so,] but afterwards encounter obstacles and so desist…", + "Know! Shabbat is the inner point. From it, all six weekdays draw sustenance. They are the concept of the circles around the point, as is written in the Zohar (II, 204a) and as is brought.", + "The forces of evil lead the wicked around the point, as in “The wicked go round about” (Psalms 12:9), preventing them from coming close to the inside, to the inner point. Now, as long as they are inside the circles, they still have hope of getting close. Even a Jewish sinner—as long as he has not gone out from the circles altogether, God forbid, he still has hope of getting close to the inner point. But someone who has already gone out completely from the circles, God forbid, such as an apostate, cannot possibly get close at all.", + "And the tzaddik is the concept of Shabbat, the concept of the inner circle from which everything draws sustenance, as is brought." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Soul-sacrifice is something each Jew does every hour of every day.", + "An example of this is giving one’s money to charity. Money is the soul, for “he gives his soul for it” (Deuteronomy 24:15). In other words, to earn the money he first sacrifices his soul in the struggles and dangers. Yet, afterwards, he takes the money and gives it away for the sake of God. It follows, that he is sacrificing his soul.", + "The same is true of prayer. In Midrash HaNe’elam (Zohar I, 124b) we find that [prayer] is the concept of “For Your sake we are slain all day long” (Psalms 44:23)—i.e., soul-sacrifice. It takes great struggle and great battle with the thoughts and distractions, and stratagems to flee and escape them. Concerning this it is stated: “For Your sake we are slain…,” as brought in the Midrash HaNe’elam. It follows, that this and similar things are soul-sacrifice." + ], + [ + "2. And know! each person has obstacles in service of the Creator, may His Name be blessed, such as traveling to the true tzaddik, and the like. And each person imagines that his obstacles are greater than his fellow’s, and that it is difficult to endure them.", + "Know! each person’s obstacles are only commensurate with his abilities, according to what he can endure and handle—provided he wants to. And, in truth, there are no obstacles whatsoever, because God is enclothed even in the obstacle itself, as is explained elsewhere (Likutey Moharan I, 115).", + "And the greatest of all obstacles is the obstacle of the mind—i.e., that his intellect and heart are divided concerning God or the tzaddik. Then, even when he breaks his obstacles to traveling to the true tzaddik and comes there, if his mind is divided, so that he has difficult questions concerning the tzaddik, and there is crookedness in his heart with regard to the tzaddik, this obstacle stands in his way more than any other." + ], + [ + "3. The same is true of prayer. Initially, there are many obstacles to prayer. And afterwards, when a person overcomes them and comes to pray, if his heart is twisted and turned away from God, this is the greatest obstacle of all.", + "This is the concept of “My heart is S’ ChaRChaR (surrounded)” (Psalms 38:11) ; “surrounded” in Targum is S ’ChoR S’ChoR. In other words, his heart is surrounded, enveloped and twisted by crookedness, questions and heresies concerning God. This is the concept of “They made their lives bitter with KaShah (hard) work…” (Exodus 1:14). And in the Tikkunim we find: with KuShya (difficult questions)… (Tikkuney Zohar #13, p.28b)—i.e., the difficult questions in his heart, the greatest obstacle of all.", + "And so he must cry out loudly, from the depths of his heart, to his Father in heaven. God will heed his voice and turn to his cry. And it may even happen that from this itself all the aforementioned questions and obstacles will collapse and be eliminated. In any case, God hears his voice—which is his salvation. Thus the letters of KuShYA are an acronym for Shma YHVH Kolee Ekra (“O God, hear my voice when I cry out”) (Psalms 27:7). When overcome by difficult questions and heresy, he need only cry out to God." + ], + [ + "4. This is akin to the parable told in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, may the memory of the holy man and tzaddik be a blessing, about a king who placed a great treasure in a certain place and, using the power of illusion, enclosed the treasure within many walls. When people came to these walls, it seemed to them that the walls were real, and difficult to breach. Some immediately turned back. Others broke through the first wall and reached the second one, but could not breach it. A few broke through further, but could not breach the rest. Finally, the prince arrived, and said, “I know that all the walls are only an illusion, and in reality there isn’t any wall at all!” He proceeded confidently until he had passed through them all.", + "One who is wise will understand the parable on his own, as referring to all the obstacles, lures and enticements, which conceptually are walls surrounding the treasure of God-fearingness. In reality, they are nothing.", + "The main thing is a mighty and courageous heart, as then one has no obstacles, especially the physical kind, such as on account of money; or those his wife, children, father-in-law or parents put in his way; or something similar. They are all completely nullified when one’s heart is mighty and courageous for God. And even a warrior’s strength stems only from the might and courage of the heart; his heart’s exceptional might enables him to charge into the thick of the battle, as is brought in the holy books." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "It is very dangerous to teach a Torah lesson. It takes great effort and abundant skill to be able to weigh one’s words so that each listener hears only what he has need of and no more.", + "Thus, although everyone hears the entire Torah lesson he delivers, each person hears solely what he needs to. This is as is brought concerning the verse “And Yitro heard” (Exodus 18:1)—but surely the whole world heard? However, Yitro heard… (Zohar II, 68a). Yitro’s hearing alone is considered hearing, in that it entered his ears. The hearing of the rest of the world is not considered hearing at all.", + "Now, whoever cannot deliver a Torah lesson in this fashion is forbidden to teach Torah. This is because when each person comes to the tzaddik to hear Torah, his evil comes along with him—i.e., the kelipot (evil forces) created through sin, God forbid. They are the ones who crowd people and create disarray and a great crush at the time the Torah lesson is being given, because each person’s evil seeks to confuse. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: That crowding at public lectures is due to them (Berakhot 6a)—i.e., from each one’s evil, namely, the kelipot.", + "And these kelipot, too, seek to sustain themselves from the Torah lesson. But their sustainment is only from the excesses—i.e., that which someone hears which is too much or too high for his mind and comprehension. This is the concept of excesses, and they sustain themselves from there. It is also the concept of the Torah’s secrets being given over to the external forces. For their sustainment is from the Torah’s esoteric teachings—i.e., from that which is beyond a person’s mind, each according to the extent of his comprehension.", + "Therefore, the sage who teaches Torah must possess the aforementioned skill, so that not one of the listeners hears what is unsuitable for his mind and comprehension—which is not relevant to him—so as not to enable [the kelipot] to sustain themselves, God forbid.", + "And know! there is a subtle kelipah which is close to holiness. This subtle kelipah is capable of sustaining itself from even the body of the Torah lesson itself, even if it contains no excesses. The remedy for this is talking of Jewish salvation, as then that subtle kelipah flees.", + "This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Yitro came and left before the Giving of the Torah (Zevachim 116a). Yitro is the concept of the subtle kelipah that flees when it hears of Jewish salvation.", + "And when the true tzaddik teaches Torah, he has greater awe than the awe associated with Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a person begins serving God, the way is that they show him rejection. It seems to him that he is being rebuffed from on high and they are altogether preventing him from entering into the service of God. In reality, all distancing is nothing but being brought near.", + "And so one needs very, very great encouragement to keep from dejection, God forbid, when he sees the passing of many, many days and years, and despite his great exertion in serving God, he is yet very distant and has not in the least begun to enter the gates of holiness. He sees that he is still riddled with crudeness and materialism, and with powerful untoward and confusing thoughts. And whatever holy matter he wants to accomplish in the service of God, they thwart him. It seems to him as if God is completely ignoring him and has no desire whatsoever for his service, because he sees that he repeatedly screams and begs and pleads for God to assist him in his devotions, and despite this he is still very, very distant. It therefore seems to him as if God is completely ignoring him and not turning to him at all, because He, God, does not want him at all.", + "Surely, concerning all this and matters like it one needs great encouragement. A person has to encourage himself very, very much and pay no attention whatsoever to all this, for in truth all distancing is nothing but being brought near.", + "And all the aforementioned happened to all the tzaddikim, as we heard explicitly from their mouths. It seemed to them that God was not paying any attention or turning in their direction at all, because they saw that despite spending much time pleading, seeking and devotedly serving God, they were still very, very distant. Had they not encouraged themselves very much to ignore this, they would have remained at their original place, and not merited that which they merited.", + "And so the rule, my beloved brother, is to be very strong and courageous. Get a grip on yourself with all it takes to remain steadfast in your devotions. Do not be concerned about or pay any attention whatsoever to all the aforementioned, or matters like it.", + "And if you are very, very distant from God, and it seems to you that you are literally always sinning against Him—even with all this, know that, on the contrary, each and every movement which such a materialistic person makes to detach himself just a bit from his materialism and turn to God, is extremely great and precious. Even if the shift from his materialism toward God is miniscule, in the upper worlds he runs many thousands of miles through this, as you will understand well from the story brought in our teachings of the tzaddik who was overcome with depression….", + "He should greatly rejoice over this and constantly encourage himself with happiness, because depression is very, very harmful.", + "And know! once a person wants to enter into the service of God, his becoming depressed, God forbid, immediately becomes a great sin. This is because depression is the Other Side (Zohar I, 71a), and God despises it." + ], + [ + "2. And a person has to be extremely stubborn in the service of God, not to desert his place—i.e., the little bit of the service he has begun—no matter what comes his way. Remember this well, because you will have much need of it when you begin even a bit in the service of God.", + "A person needs tremendous determination to be strong and courageous, to hold on and maintain his position even if they cause him to fall time and again, God forbid. For there are times when they cause a person to fall from the service of God, as is known. Nevertheless, it is incumbent upon him to do his, to do whatever he can in the service of God, and not allow himself to fall entirely, God forbid. This is because one must surely experience all these falls, descents, confusions and so on before entering the gates of holiness. And the true tzaddikim, too, underwent all this.", + "And know! an individual can already be at the entrance to holiness yet turn back on account of the aforementioned confusions. Alternatively, when he gets close to the entrance, then the Other Side/Satan overwhelms him with very, very great and awesome power, may the Merciful One spare us, and does not allow him through the entrance. On account of this he turns back, God forbid. For such is the way of Satan/the Other Side. When it sees that a person is close, really close, to the gates of holiness and is about to enter, then it mounts a very, very powerful assault against him, may the Merciful One spare us. Accordingly, one needs great encouragement to counter it.", + "And so we heard from a true tzaddik who said: “Had anyone, no matter whom, told me when I first began serving God: ‘Brother! Be strong and hold on!’ I would have run and been very quick in serving God.” For [that tzaddik], too, experienced all the aforementioned, yet did not hear any encouragement, from anybody.", + "Therefore, whoever wants to enter into the service of God will remember this well. Give yourself much encouragement, and do what you can in serving God. Then, with the accruement of the days and years, with God’s help, you will surely enter into the gates of holiness. For God is full of compassion and wants your service very much.", + "And know! each time you detach and shift just a bit from materialism to His service, all the movements and changes accumulate, combine and bind together, and come to your aid at a time of need—i.e., when there is, God forbid, any trouble or misfortune.", + "Know, too! a person must cross a very, very narrow bridge. The main rule is: Do not be frightened at all!" + ], + [ + "3. And know! there is a tree on which leaves grow, with each leaf taking a hundred years to mature. This tree, found in the orchards of the nobility, is called in their language “One Hundred Years.” And most likely, when it grows for one hundred years, it endures what it endures. Then afterwards, at the end of the hundred years, it emits a blast, similar to a cannon, called an ormatya. Understand the parable well." + ], + [ + "4. Now, it is fitting to go with that which is taught in the lesson “Azamra (I Will Sing) to My God with the Little I have Left” (Likutey Moharan I, 282) ; that is, to seek and search to find in oneself some merit and some good point. And with this little bit of good which a person finds in himself, let him rejoice and encourage himself. He should not desert his place, even if he has fallen into what he has fallen, may the Merciful One spare us. Notwithstanding, he should encourage himself with the modicum of good he still finds in himself, until he merits returning to God through this, and all the willful transgressions transform to merits (see Yoma 86b).", + "[Remember,] too, what the Baal Shem Tov, may the mention of a tzaddik bring blessing, did at sea when Satan instigated against him, etc. Understand from this the extent to which you need to encourage yourself and, come what may, never give up on yourself, God forbid.", + "And the main thing is to always be happy. A person should bring himself to joy in any way he can, even with silliness—playing the fool and doing silly and comical things, or jumping and dancing in order to be happy, which is a very great thing." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Considering God’s greatness and the magnitude of His exaltedness, the slightest motion or glance unbefitting His glory would warrant that a person suffer commensurately, God forbid! God forbid!", + "However, God is full of compassion, and the entire world is filled with compassion, and He very much wants the world. Therefore, a person has to give himself great encouragement in his own service of God by every possible means, even if he is as he is. And he should rely on His limitless mercy, because He will surely not abandon him even if he has transgressed as he has. The past is gone, so the main thing is that from here on he does not repeat his actions. At the very least, let him do no wrong, neither in thought nor deed. For the thoughts of such people are also actions, because also in the World of Action there is thought. Thus one has to refrain from acting in deed and thought. And as for what happens to him on its own, let him not be concerned or pay any attention to it." + ], + [ + "2. And know! the essence of complete repentance is when a person passes through the exact same places he was before repenting, each one according to what he experienced in earlier days. And when he passes through the exact same places and situations as originally, but now turns his back on them and subdues his inclination, so that he refrains from repeating what he did—this is the essence of complete repentance. This alone is called repentance." + ], + [ + "3. Now, it is a great advantage when a person still has an evil inclination. He is then able to serve God specifically with the evil inclination—i.e., to take all the excitation and passion and instill it in the service of God, so that he prays and pleads with fervor and enthusiasm and the like. But if a person is lacking an evil inclination, his service of God is not at all whole.", + "Now, the main thing is to stop and restrain the passion at the moment of desire, and to unleash it during prayer and the service of God. That is where he should place his passion and excitement—into serving God.", + "And sometimes even someone who is not devoted to God happens to pray with enthusiasm. This, too, stems from the passion of his evil inclination, but he is not rewarded for this. However, for someone who desires to devote himself to God, still having an evil inclination is a great advantage." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Thought is in a person’s control to direct to wherever he wishes. And, as explained elsewhere, it is utterly impossible for two thoughts to be simultaneous.", + "Thus even if his mind occasionally flies off and wanders in other, foreign matters, a person has the power to direct it back, against its will, to the straight path, to think what is proper.", + "It is exactly like a horse that strays from the path and turns to another one. We grab hold of it by the reins or something similar, and bring it back, against its will, to the correct path. It is exactly the same with thought. It is possible to grab it against its will and bring it back to the proper path." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The evil inclination continually comes against a person and arouses him to what it arouses him. And even if a person does not listen to it, but turns his back on [the evil inclination], it nevertheless comes against him a second, third and fourth time, and more. But if a person is strong-willed and determined in opposing the evil inclination, and does not turn to it in the least, then the evil inclination leaves him and goes on its way.", + "The same is true of prayer; in regard to thoughts that come to distract, it is exactly the same. The thought comes a number of times, time after time, in order to confuse. One has to be strong, so as not to pay attention to it under any circumstances. And in this way, it leaves. See elsewhere regarding this." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Of necessity, tzaddikim are the subject of difficult questions. This is because the tzaddikim emulate their Creator, as is brought. Thus, just as difficult questions are raised about God, difficult questions are of necessity raised about the tzaddik, who corresponds to the Blessed One.", + "Concerning the difficult questions raised about God, [the Rebbe] often said: On the contrary, that is precisely how it should be. There should be difficult questions concerning God. Given His greatness and exaltedness, it is fitting and becoming to Him. His prodigious greatness and exaltedness tower far above our minds. It is therefore certainly impossible for us to understand and comprehend His conduct intellectually. And so inevitably there will be difficult questions concerning God. For it is fitting and becoming the Creator that He tower above and be elevated beyond our minds, on account of which difficult questions arise. But if His conduct was as our minds prescribed, His mind would resemble ours, God forbid." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The great value of thought has now become known to me. For thought is extremely precious. Entire things are literally made from it, [things] which will exist for as long as the worlds exist, the entire time that God….", + "Yet, wisdom is even more valuable. This is because thought is solely that which rises in one’s mind, but wisdom is that with which one erects constructs in one’s intellect. This is very precious.", + "The main thing is that it be truth. And even the simple Torah interpretation that one originates is also very great. It, too, must be truth. Conversely, when it is without truth, things are also made from it, to the contrary." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Free will is the ability a person has to act as he wishes. Even [in] all things, a Jew has the power to behave entirely as he wishes—in the manner he chooses.", + "The Jewish people have free will at their disposal with regard to everything in the world. For others, there are matters in which they are compelled. But for a Jew, whatever he does, such as traveling to some place and so on, involves service [of God], and so he has free will with regard to everything." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The profit of this world is inestimable—i.e., what a person can earn in this world. It is not even necessary for him to invest anything of his own for it. Just from what God has prepared for him he can spend generously and profit enormously. “No eye has seen it….”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a person has a heart, place has no relevance whatsoever. On the contrary, he is the “place” of the world…. This is because Godliness is in the heart, as it is written, “Rock of my heart” (Psalms 73:26). And with reference to God it is stated: “See, there is a place with Me” (Exodus 33:21)—He is the Place of the world; the world is not His place.", + "It follows, that it is inappropriate for someone with a Jewish heart to say that a particular place is unpleasing to him. This is because place has no relevance for him at all. On the contrary, he is the place of the world, and the world is not his place." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! when a great true tzaddik reveals wonderful and awesome original Torah insights, it is beneficial for those on a lesser level. Through this, a lesser level [tzaddik] gains prominence, such that everyone runs and comes to him.", + "In the Other Side, too, there is one who gains prominence in this way. We find this of Bilaam. When God gave the Torah to the Jewish people, all the nations came to Bilaam (as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught; Zevachim 116a).", + "It follows, that as a result of the Torah being given to the Jews, Bilaam gained prominence and the entire world came to him, whereupon he delivered a Torah lesson based on some verse. For when they came to him, they asked what they asked—“God sat enthroned at the Flood” (Psalms 29:10)—and he, basing himself on Scripture, answered them: “God [will give] strength” (ibid: 11).", + "And the same is true of the Jews themselves, who are holy and would not come to Bilaam or anyone like him, God forbid. But when a great true tzaddik reveals original Torah insights, and as a result there is a great uproar that he is revealing such awesome original insights, everyone then gathers and comes to someone of a lesser level. They assemble by him to hear from him, on account of the uproar created by the great tzaddik’s original insights, and he bases himself on some verse and says to them what he says." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Some people say that when the tzaddik is on a high spiritual level, his greatness prevents him from supervising and keeping an eye on the inhabitants of the world, because He is distant from the world. Actually, it is not so. On the contrary, when the tzaddik is very great, he is able to supervise and keep an eye on the world even more.", + "We find this in connection with Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai. He was certainly on a very, very high spiritual level, far, far greater than present day tzaddikim, and even so said: “Woe is me if I say it! Woe is me if I do not!” (Keilim 17:16). It follows, that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai was so schooled in the ways of the world that he dreaded delivering a Torah lesson, lest deceivers learn from him. You see, he was so fluent with the world that, on the contrary, he feared lest they learn deception from him. For, in fact, the greater the tzaddik, the greater his ability to supervise and keep an eye on the world. Isn’t God far more sublime and exalted than the world? Nonetheless, He supervises the entire world into the finest detail.", + "In truth, whoever is “something” cannot be ubiquitous. This is because anything that has corporeality, when it is located here, it is not there. For example, when he is in the midst of a devotional practice, he cannot be keeping an eye on the world. But whoever is “nothing,” there is nowhere that he is not. This is because he has no hereness at all.", + "Therefore, the more the tzaddik is encompassed in nothingness, the more he is able to supervise and keep an eye on the world. It is not relevant to say of him that he is in a lofty place, distant from the world, for he has no hereness at all. This is as is brought in our teachings (Likutey Moharan I, 162), in the name of the Magid, concerning “He who wants to become wise, let him face south…” (Bava Batra 25b). See there." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Some are quick and profit; some are quick and suffer loss (see Pesachim 50b).", + "For know! one mitzvah drags another (Avot 4:2). It follows, that the mitzvah drags its companion. There is certainly some element between the mitzvot; that which is between mitzvah and mitzvah, which connects one mitzvah to its companion so that, as a result, the mitzvot are dragged one after another. In fact, this element itself, i.e., that which is between the mitzvot, is also extremely precious.", + "Therefore, someone who is righteous from an early age and has walked the upright path from his first days, from level to level—as it is written of Avraham (Genesis 24:1), “Avraham was old, well advanced in days”; Avraham reached his level through the days, as is brought in the Zohar (I, 129a), for he recognized his Maker at the age of three (Nedarim 32a) and progressed constantly, from level to level—such a person suffers loss as a result of acting quickly. For when he is very quick and quickly runs from mitzvah to mitzvah, he thereby loses the element of holiness, that which is between mitzvah and mitzvah. On account of this quickness he bypasses and skips over this element. This is because the mitzvah itself is coming toward him, since it is being pulled and dragged in his direction by the first mitzvah, which drags the second one, as mentioned above. Thus, when he also runs quickly toward the mitzvah, he might skip over and bypass the aforementioned element—i.e., that which is between the mitzvot. He is therefore one who acts quickly and suffers loss. But if he waits a bit, he can in the meantime attain also the element between the mitzvot, as mentioned above.", + "All this applies to someone who has consistently walked in God’s ways from a young age. But someone who needs to repent must actually be extremely quick, to hasten and run swiftly in order to save his soul. He is forbidden to delay at all, to stand and settle in. This is because a penitent does not go from level to level at all, and between him and the sacred there is none of the aforementioned element. Instead, he must start anew. He has to run and leap towards holiness. As is brought, the penitent must skip over that which he must skip over and jump toward holiness with great quickness. Such a person is one who is “quick and profits,” as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. An example of the element between the mitzvot is: “And God spoke to Moshe, saying: ‘You shall make.’” Now, there is surely a devotional practice in these words as well, in that they precede the mitzvah. For the core of the mitzvah itself is stated afterwards in the Torah, following the words “you shall make.” Yet, it is certainly true that the aforementioned verses between one mitzvah and the next also contain devotional practice. This is the aforementioned element, that which is between mitzvah and mitzvah.", + "There is more to this. See elsewhere (Likutey Moharan I, 22:9) regarding this subject, that there is actually devotional practice also in the verse “And [God] spoke….”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When there are wars in the world, reason dictates that there will be higher prices. This is because the curse of Kayin—“When you work the land, it will no longer yield its strength to you” (Genesis 4:12)—is precipitated by the bloodshed in the world. This curse was issued on account of bloodshed, for the earth must [respond] this way when blood is spilled. For rain is produced by the vapors that rise up from the earth, as it is written, “An eid (mist) rose up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the earth” (ibid. 2:6). From the vapors which rise up from the earth, rain is created.", + "But when there are wars and bloodshed, the aforementioned vapors become spilled blood. This is as it is written, “and you caused [the blood of] the Children of Israel to stream forth by the sword at the time of EiDaM (their calamity)” (Ezekiel 35:5)—i.e., the aforementioned EiDiM (mists), through which there is bloodshed. The same is true of a number of nations: Egypt, Ammon and Moab. When [the seer] prophesied their downfall, it is stated there: “at the time of eidam”—the aforementioned concept of eidim, which brings to bloodshed.", + "Therefore, whenever there are wars and bloodshed, the land gives its strength to there. The vapors which rise up from her become bloodshed, and so rain does not fall. This is because the rains are made from the vapors, but now the vapors have become something else—namely, bloodshed. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: In a time of rain, even armies cease [marching] (Taanit 8b). Thus, when it rains, the armies and wars are halted." + ], + [ + "2. Related to this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught. When Rabbi Akiva was imprisoned, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said to him: “My master, teach me Torah. If not, I will speak to [my] father Yochai to hand you over to the government” (Pesachim 112a). These words are extremely baffling, that Rabbi Shimon would say such things to his teacher; that he would hand him over to the government. Also, it is most likely that when his teacher, Rabbi Akiva, refused to teach him, his intentions were certainly positive. Besides, he was already imprisoned! What further could he hand him over?" + ], + [ + "3. But know! rainfall is also held back when someone who teaches Torah publicly is heard by unworthy students. This is because rain comes about through honoring the Torah, as in “God’s glory appeared in the cloud” (Exodus 16:10), and the cloud brings rain. This is the concept of “the God of Glory thunders; God is upon vast waters” (Psalms 29:3)—i.e., the rains, which come on account of God’s glory, the glory of the Torah.", + "But whoever teaches Torah to an unworthy student, our Sages, of blessed memory, said: He is like one who throws a stone to Markulis (Chullin 133a). And our Sages expounded that MaRKuLiS means MaR KiLuS—i.e., the reverse of glory. It follows, that when he teaches Torah to an unworthy student, it is the opposite of glory, and therefore brings to drought, the reverse of glory, which brings the rains.", + "This is the concept of “like rain at harvestime, so honor is unfitting a fool” (Proverbs 26:1). In other words, when he teaches Torah to an unworthy student—which corresponds to “gives honor to a fool” (ibid. :8)—it is giving the Torah’s glory to a fool/an unworthy student. As a result, he corrupts the rains. This is: “like rain at harvestime”—i.e., the corruption of the rains, which fall untimely. For, on the contrary, rain in the harvest season is harmful. “So honor is unfitting a fool”—for this itself causes a corruption of the rains." + ], + [ + "4. This is what Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said to Rabbi Akiva: “Teach me Torah. If not, I will speak….” Rabbi Akiva was wont to assemble groups of people and lecture in public. Rabbi Shimon reasoned that the cause of [Rabbi Akiva’s] being jailed was that he lectured publicly and was heard by unworthy people.", + "This is because revealing original Torah insights draws down Godliness, as it were. As it is written (Exodus 25:2), “and let them take for Me a donation”—that is, when you want to take and draw Me down, it is possible only through the Torah. Through the Torah we draw Him down, as it were. And to where is Godliness drawn? Into the mind of the listener, even though this is captivity, so to speak, as in “a king is bound in the ReHaTim (tresses)” (Song of Songs 7:6)—in the RaHaTei (rafters) of the mind (Tikkuney Zohar #6, p.21b). Specifically “bound”; that His Godliness is drawn down, so to speak, into the compartments of the mind is the concept of captivity, corresponding to “you took a captive” (Psalms 68:19). Nonetheless, it pleases God that He is drawn down, so to speak, through the Torah, even though it is akin to captivity.", + "But when one teaches Torah to an unworthy student, and draws down His Godliness into his mind, that is actual captivity. His punishment is therefore captivity. And so Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai reasoned that this was why Rabbi Akiva was caught in captivity, as mentioned above. Imprisonment rectifies, and so the words he instilled in unworthy students are refined, as in “you will be imprisoned, so that your words may be tested” (Genesis 42:16). Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai therefore urged Rabbi Akiva to teach him Torah. By now teaching Torah to Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, the aforementioned blemish of teaching Torah to unworthy students would be rectified." + ], + [ + "5. “If not, I will speak…”—specifically, “I will speak.” In other words, Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Akiva that if he did not want to teach him Torah, then “I will speak”—[say] Torah.", + "Thus, this is “I will speak to father Yochai.” Through all the original Torah insights that people reveal they uncover ChaSaDim (benevolences), as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Ketuvot 96a) : Whoever prevents his student from serving him, it is as if he denied him CheSeD (kindness), as it is stated (Job 6:14), “to one who withholds kindness from his friend.”", + "Now, in each person there are chasadim and gevurot. The chasadim are from the side of the father…. But Rabbi Akiva did not have chasadim from his father’s side because he was a convert and so lacked ancestral merit. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: They did not want to appoint Rabbi Akiva as president because he lacked ancestral merit (Berakhot 27b). Thus, Rabbi Shimon reasoned that Rabbi Akiva did not want to teach Torah due to his lack of chasadim from his father’s side. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, on the other hand, certainly did have ancestral merit from the side of his father, Rabbi Yochai {who was a prominent Jew}. Therefore, Rabbi Shimon said: “If not, I will speak to father Yochai”—i.e., I will speak that Torah which is the concept of “father Yochai,” the chasadim from the father’s side. It is from there that the Torah is revealed, for the revelation of the Torah is the uncovering of the chasadim, as mentioned above.", + "And this is [the meaning of] “to hand you over to the government.” Rabbi Shimon said that Rabbi Akiva’s reason for not wanting to teach Torah and reveal the chasadim—and through the revelation of the chasadim brought about by the Torah that Rabbi Akiva would now teach he would rectify the aforementioned blemish of teaching Torah to unworthy students, but Rabbi Akiva did not want to reveal original Torah insights and so uncover the chasadim because he had no fatherly chasadim—Rabbi Shimon said that this was due only to Rabbi Akiva’s humility. On account of his humility, Rabbi Akiva’s humility led him to believe that he could not reveal Torah because he lacked chasadim from the father’s side and so was incapable of rectifying the aforementioned blemish except through imprisonment, since captivity is the rectification and refinement of the words, as mentioned above.", + "But, in reality, Rabbi Akiva was such a great teacher that he possessed chasadim in his own right and needed no ancestral merit whatsoever. Rabbi Akiva was capable of revealing Torah just through chasadim he had in his own right, and via this rectify the aforementioned blemish.", + "Therefore, Rabbi Shimon said: “I will speak….” That is, I will speak Torah, for I have chasadim from the father’s side. Through this, he would bring Rabbi Akiva into a state of expanded consciousness, so that he would be compelled to teach Torah. In truth, Rabbi Akiva certainly could have revealed Torah even without ancestral merit, because Rabbi Akiva was so great that he could have revealed Torah through chasadim he had in his own right, were he not humble. But by Rabbi Shimon, his student, who possessed chasadim from the father’s side, revealing Torah, Rabbi Akiva would be brought into a state of expanded consciousness, forcing him, against his will, to teach Torah.", + "This is “If not.” Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Akiva: If you refuse to teach Torah on account of your humility, then “I will speak to father Yochai”—i.e., I will speak Torah, because I do possess chasadim from the father’s side. “To hand you over to malkhut (the government)”—I will bring you and hand you over, against your will, to malkhut, to the state of expanded consciousness, so that you will be compelled to reveal Torah, which is the uncovering of the chasadim, as mentioned above. By Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, his student, teaching Torah, Rabbi Akiva would be brought, against his will, to a state of expanded consciousness. He would then be forced to teach Torah, which is the uncovering of the chasadim , which in turn is the rectification of the aforementioned blemish.", + "{Rebbe Nachman did not explain how, through the revelation of Torah which uncovers the chasadim, the aforementioned blemish is rectified. He also did not explain how, when a student with ancestral merit reveals Torah, his teacher will thereby be compelled to enter into expanded consciousness and teach Torah.}", + "Thus, this is “to hand you over to malkhut.” “Handing over” implies against his will, as it is written (Numbers 31:5), “So they were handed over from the thousands of the Children of Israel.” Rashi explains: they were handed over against their will. By teaching Torah, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai would bring Rabbi Akiva, against his will, to a state of expanded consciousness, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "God is beyond time, as is brought. This matter is, in truth, very amazing and mysterious. It is impossible for the human mind to comprehend it.", + "But know! time essentially stems from nothing but our deficient comprehension—i.e., because our intellects are limited. For the greater the intellect, the more time contracts and is nullified.", + "This is why in dreams, since the intellect departs and one has only the power of imagination, it is then possible for a full seventy years to elapse in a quarter-hour. While dreaming, it seems that many seasons pass quickly, in an extremely short while. Then afterwards, when one awakes from sleeping, one sees that all these seasons and the seventy years which passed in the dream were, in reality, a very brief period. The reason for this is that, afterwards, while awake, the intellect returns to him. For the intellect, all these seventy years which passed in the dream are only a quarter-hour. Only an actual seventy years is seventy years for our intellect as well.", + "In reality, to the intellect which is on a higher plane than ours, that which we consider to be an actual seventy years is also a quarter-hour or less. Just as we see that it is possible for seventy years to elapse in a dream, and afterwards our intellect knows that it was actually only a quarter-hour, so too, exactly, what our intellect considers to be an actual seventy years is, to a higher plane intellect, only a quarter-hour. It is just that we do not comprehend this.", + "For also in a dream, if someone would come to a person during the dream and tell him that all the days and years which seem to him to be passing are, in reality, nothing—the whole thing is only a quarter-hour—he surely would not believe him at all, since, according to the fantasy of the dream, it seems to him that actual days and years are passing. It is exactly the same thing; although to us, according to our intellect, it seems that this is a period of seventy years, to a higher intellect it is only a quarter-hour.", + "So too, from level to level. To the intellect that is higher still, that time [which seems genuine] to the intellect [immediately] higher than ours, is reckoned as nothing to that higher intellect, only as a minutely brief period. And so on, higher and higher, up to that intellect which is so lofty that all time is of no consequence whatsoever. On account of the intellect being so very great, the entirety of time is utterly non-existent and naught. Just as for us the seventy years that pass in a dream are really only a quarter-hour, as mentioned above, likewise, there are ever higher levels of intellect, until time is nullified completely." + ], + [ + "2. Therefore, Mashiach, who has endured what he has endured ever since the creation of the world, and suffered what he has suffered, after all this, God will in the end say to him: “You are My son. I gave birth to you this day” (Psalms 2:7).", + "At first glance this matter is very perplexing and amazing. However, it is all due to the great power of Mashiach’s intellect. According to the great level he will have grasped then, and on account of the tremendous power of his intellect which will increase immensely then, all the time which passed from the creation of the world till that time will literally be totally non-existent and naught. It will be exactly as if he was born that day. All of time will be nullified within his intellect, which will be extremely great. Therefore, God will say to him: “I gave birth to you this day”—literally, “this day,” because all the time which passed will be utterly non-existent and naught." + ], + [ + "3. We see the same with regard to space. A powerful individual can cross a large area in a short time. It follows, that for him all that space is small, whereas for the weak it is considered a large space, and it takes them a considerable amount of time to cross it. So too, from level to level. The greater the strength, the more the space contracts for him.", + "The same is true higher and higher, until space is nullified completely. It is just that with our intellect we cannot comprehend all this. Just as it is impossible to comprehend the truth in a dream—that all that time which seems to exist in a dream is in reality nothing—similarly, it is impossible for us to comprehend that up above, in the higher intellect, all our time is nothing, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“These are the journeys of the Children of Israel.” (Numbers 33:1)", + "The Midrash teaches: The “journeys of the Children of Israel”—i.e., the travels which the Jews take from place to place—atone for “These are your gods, O Israel” (Exodus 32:4)—i.e., for the blemish of idolatry.", + "For even if there is no actual worshiping of idolatry, there is the blemish of idolatry. This is because a marring of faith is also the concept of idolatry. This is as is brought (in the name of the Baal Shem Tov) on the verse “you will stray and worship other gods” (Deuteronomy 11:16)—as soon as one turns from God, it is the concept of idolatry. But through the travels of the Jews it is atoned.", + "And “as long as there is idol worship in the world, there is Divine wrath in the world” (Sifri, Deuteronomy 13:18). It follows, that when the blemish of idolatry is atoned, Divine wrath is mitigated and compassion is evoked.", + "And the main compassion is when “God Almighty will give to you compassion” (Genesis 43:14)—specifically, “to you.” In other words, that God will give us the compassion; He will put it in our hands. From God’s perspective, it can be that even the most serious illness and all [other kinds of] affliction are His compassion, since certainly everything which God sends a person, even terrible suffering, is nothing but compassion.", + "We, however, request that He give and put the compassion in our hands, because we cannot comprehend His compassion and are unable to bear it [when] His compassion [is in the form of suffering]. Rather, [we ask] that God put the compassion in our hands so that we ourselves might show ourselves compassion. And for us, the compassion is straightforward: to be healed of the illness and the like.", + "Thus, YiSRaEL is an acronym for “El Shadai Yitein Lakhem Rachamim (God Almighty will give to you compassion),” because the compassion comes about through the journeys of the Children of Yisrael,” as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "{“Take from the choice products of the Land in your pouches, and bring down to the man as tribute some balsam and some honey, and gum, resin, pistachio nuts and almonds” (Genesis 43:11).} Know! when our forefather Yaakov sent his sons, the ten tribes, to Yosef, he sent with them a melody of the Land of Israel. This is the deeper meaning of “Take from the ZiMRot (choice products) of the Land in your pouches…”—the concept of ZeMeR (song) and melody, which he sent through them to Yosef. This is as Rashi comments: me’zimrat—it connotes zemer ….", + "For know! each and every shepherd has his own special melody, according to the grasses and specific location where he is grazing. This is because each and every animal has a specific grass which it needs to eat. He also does not always pasture in the same place. Thus, his melody is dictated by the grasses and place he pastures. For each and every grass has a song which it sings. This is the concept of Perek Shirah. And from the grass’s song, the shepherd’s melody is created.", + "This is the deeper meaning of the verse “And Adah bore Yaval; he was the father of tent dwellers with cattle. His brother’s name was Yuval; he was the father of all who play harp and flute” (Genesis 4:20-21). As soon as the world had a shepherd of cattle, there were musical instruments. Therefore, because King David, may peace be upon him, was “a skilled musician” (1 Samuel 16:18), he was “a shepherd” (ibid. :11). {We find, too, that the patriarchs were all shepherds.}", + "And this is the concept of “From the end of the earth we heard song” (Isaiah 24:16)—i.e., songs and melodies emerge from the end of the earth, because melody is produced through the grasses which grow in the earth, as mentioned above. And because the shepherd knows the melody, he instills the grasses with energy, and so the animals have what to eat.", + "And this is the concept of “The first blossoms have appeared in the Land, the time of ZaMiR (singing) has arrived” (Song of Songs 2:12). In other words, the “first blossoms” grow in the Land as a result of their particular ZeMeR and melody, as mentioned above. It follows, that through the song and melody which the shepherd knows, he instills the grasses with energy and there is pasture for the animals.", + "The melody is also beneficial for the shepherd himself. Because the shepherd is constantly in the company of animals, it could happen that they draw and drag him down from the category of human-spirit to animal-spirit. The shepherd might end up grazing himself, as in “they went to pasture their father’s flock…” (Genesis 37:12), which Rashi explains as: they went to pasture themselves.", + "But through the melody he is saved from this. For melody is the refinement of the spirit, separating human-spirit from animal-spirit, as in “Who knows that it is the spirit of the human being which ascends on high and the spirit of the animal which descends below” (Ecclesiastes 3:21). This is the essence of melody—gathering and selecting the good ruach, as explained elsewhere. The melody therefore saves him from animal- ruach, because through the melody the human- ruach is separated from animal- ruach ." + ], + [ + "2. And there are many distinctions with regard to melody. There is a whole melody. And there is a melody of various sections, which can be separated into sections and themes.", + "And know! the king has all the melody, in its entirety. But the ministers have only a part of the melody, each according to his station. Therefore, Daniel said to Nevuchadnezzar: “The tree—it is you! … there was food for all in it” (cf. Daniel 4:17-19). Nevuchadnezzar was a king and had the entire melody, and so all the food was drawn through him, because the food is drawn via the melody, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "3. Thus, our forefather Yaakov—not knowing then that it was Yosef, but only what the tribes told him about Yosef’s conduct—sent him a melody suitable for such a minister, based on what he heard from his sons about his ways and conduct. Through the melody Yaakov wanted to get from him what he needed. He therefore sent him that melody of the Land of Israel.", + "This is the meaning of what he said to his sons: “Take from the zimrot of the Land in your pouches”—i.e., they should take the aforementioned concept of melody, which is the concept of “zimrot of the Land,” in their pouches. “And bring down to the man as tribute some balsam and some honey, and gum, resin, pistachio nuts and almonds.” These are the concepts of the melody’s scale and rhythm, because the melody is created out of what grows in the Land, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "We see that the super-wealthy, almost without exception, are real eccentrics. As we observe empirically, anyone who is [super-]wealthy has a great mishegaas .", + "Know! the money makes him crazy. This is because the money stems from the fallen wealth of the prophets. For all the prophets were wealthy (Nedarim 38a). When the prophetic spirit came over the prophet, it was as if he was mad. As Rashi explains: “and he prophesied” (1 Samuel 18:10)—he spoke deliriously.", + "In the case of the aforementioned super-wealthy, the money creates genuine insanity. Consequently, their wealth makes them eccentric." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When one avenges “the vengeance of the God of Hosts,” it is reckoned as charity.", + "This is as the Tosafot wrote in Chapter HaShutafin, concerning that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Bava Batra 10b) : {“Charity exalts a people, but the kindness of nations is a sin” (Proverbs 14:34).}", + "“Charity exalts a people”—this refers to Israel—“but the kindness of nations is a sin”—this refers to idolaters, whose every kindness…. They brought proof from Nevuzaraddan; see there.", + "And the Tosafot wrote there: Nevuzaraddan performed charity then by taking revenge on behalf of God. It follows, that “the vengeance of the God of Hosts” is akin to charity." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "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." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "(Connecting the Torah’s start with its end.)", + "Bereishit (“In the beginning”)—l’einei kol Yisrael (“before the eyes of all Israel”)", + "There are clouds which cover the eyes. As is brought, these are Greater Rome and Minor Rome (Zohar III, 252a). And this is the concept of “The clouds return after the rain” (Ecclesiastes 12:2)—this refers to eyesight, which is weakened as a result of weeping, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Shabbat 151b). On account of weeping, the light of the eyes weakens and fades away.", + "And this is the concept of the light going down in the West. For the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It follows, that “west” signifies the descent of the light. This is all on account of weeping, which causes the light of the eyes to fade away—namely, the concept of the light going down.", + "MaARaV (West) is thus an acronym for “Rachel M’vakah Al Banehah (weeps for her children)” (Jeremiah 31:15; as brought in the teachings of the Ari). For the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) is in the West (Bava Batra 25a), and the Shekhinah weeps and moans, as it were, over the Jewish people, as in “Rachel weeps for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children, who are gone.” She weeps over the suffering of the Jewish people, who are dispersed among the nations and are gone from their place.", + "Therefore, the light’s descent is in the west. For weeping causes the light of the eyes to fade away, which is the concept of the light going down, as mentioned above.", + "This is also the concept of the Kotel HaMaaravi (Western Wall), which is where the Shekhinah weeps and moans over the destruction of the Temple, for there, in maarav , “Rachel weeps for her children,” as mentioned above.", + "Now, there are “luminaries of light” and “luminaries of fire” (Zohar I, 20b). They are opposites, such that when the luminaries of light are strong, then the luminaries of fire are subdued. And, so too, in reverse, God forbid; when the luminaries of light are subdued and removed, God forbid, then the luminaries of fire become powerful. This is the concept of the Holy Temple’s destruction, the concept of “From on high He sent a fire into my bones” (Lamentations 1:13). The luminaries of fire grew powerful due to the removal of the luminaries of light, as in “Rachel weeps over her children,” for the weeping is the departure of the luminaries of light, and then, God forbid, the luminaries of fire become powerful, the concept of “From on high He sent a fire…,” as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2A. Now, this is the concept of concealment, the disappearance of the beauty and splendor of the entire world. For there is a tzaddik who is the beauty, splendor and grace of the entire world, as in “And Yosef was beautiful in appearance and beautiful to look at” (Genesis 39:6) ; the concept of “a most beautiful sight, joy of all the earth” (Psalms 48:3). This true tzaddik, who is the concept of Yosef, is the majesty and the beauty of the entire world.", + "And when this beauty and splendor is revealed in the world—i.e., when this tzaddik who is the beauty and splendor of the entire world becomes renowned and important in the world—then people’s eyes are opened. Whoever is encompassed in the genuine grace of that tzaddik who is the grace and the beauty of the world—i.e., he gets closer to him and becomes included in him—his eyes are opened and he can see.", + "And the main thing is that he examines himself. This is as was explained above (Lesson #66), that [a person comes to introspection] by getting close to a true tzaddik. For he is the concept of “the tzaddik is the yesod (foundation) of the world,” the simple yesod (element) from which the four elements derive, 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” is the concept of “the tzaddik is the yesod of the world,” the simple yesod, “and from there it separates into four heads,” i.e., the four yesodot, which derive from the tzaddik. Thus, when a person gets close to him, it is right that it lead him to introspection, to see where he stands in the various facets of his character. This is because all the character traits stem from the four elements, as is known. And the four elements derive from the tzaddik.", + "Therefore, when this tzaddik, who is the world’s grace and beauty, is revealed, the eyes of whoever draws close and is encompassed in this genuine grace are opened. He examines himself and sees where he stands in the various character traits, which derive from the four yesodot , which in turn derive from the tzaddik, as mentioned above. And he can also see and look at God’s greatness, and at the world, as a result of his eyes being opened by the revelation of the true tzaddik’s splendor.", + "For when this tzaddik is revealed and becomes renowned in the world, it is the concept of “a name”—i.e., he becomes famous and has a name in the world. And enclothed within this name of the true tzaddik and associated with it is God’s Name, because His name is associated with our name (Yerushalmi, Taanit 2:6). It follows, that when the tzaddik’s name becomes important, God’s Name is made great. And the more significant the tzaddik’s name becomes, the greater God’s Name becomes, as it were, since His name is associated with ours.", + "Now, God’s Name is the concept of “God is One and His Name is One” (Zechariah 14:9). For His Name, may it be blessed, is a simple unity. However, below, the concept of the four elements devolves from His Name. This is because “His Name is One” refers to the four letters of the Name. Therefore, below, the concept of the four elements devolves from His Name.", + "What initially devolves from the four letters of the Name is the concept of the three colors of the eye and the pupil. After that, [His Name] devolves to become the four elements. But before that, it devolves as the aspect of “the tzaddik is the yesod of the world,” for it is from him that all the four yesodot derive.", + "This is the meaning of “See, God called by name Betzalel” (Exodus 35:30). Specifically, “See”—as a result of the name “Betzalel” being revealed and important, “See,” because through this the eyes are opened and people see, as mentioned above. This is “God called by name Betzalel”—i.e., because God is in Betzalel’s name, for His name is associated with our name, and as a result “See.” For vision, too, derives from the concept of the Name, i.e., the four letters from which the three colors of the eye and the pupil derive.", + "And this is the concept of ShaBbaT—Shin BaT. Shin alludes to the three colors of the eye; BaT ayin (the pupil) (Tikkuney Zohar #70, p.126b). For Shabbat is the Name of the Blessed Holy One (Zohar II, 88b). The tzaddik, too, is the concept of Shabbat, as it is written: You are the Shabbat of all the days (Zohar III, 144b). And this is “See that God has given you the Shabbat” (Exodus 16:29). Specifically, “See”—because Shabbat, which is the Holy One’s Name, is the concept of vision: three colors of the eye and the pupil, as mentioned above.", + "This is why wherever the Holy Temple’s construction is mentioned, Shabbat is mentioned, as it is written, “My Shabbats you shall keep and My Sanctuary you shall revere” (Leviticus 19:30). So, too, wherever He cautioned concerning the construction of the Tabernacle, He first cautioned concerning Shabbat. This is because Shabbat illuminates the Holy Temple, for the Temple is also the concept of eyes, as it is written (Ezekiel 24:21), “the pride of your strength, your eyes’ delight” (Bava Batra 4a). Shabbat is the concept of the colors that shine in the Holy Temple. For Shabbat is the concept of vision, the three colors of the eye and the pupil that illuminate the Holy Temple, the concept of eyes.", + "This is also the concept of mentalities. Initially, from the concept of God’s Name, which is comprised of four letters, the four mentalities are made. This is the concept of “And I filled him with the spirit of the Lord in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in every craft” (Exodus 31:3). “Wisdom,” “understanding,” “knowledge” and “every craft” are the concept of the four mentalities (as brought in the Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.13b) . They are made from the concept of God’s Name, as it is written, “See, God called by name Betzalel…. And I filled him… in wisdom and in understanding….” Then later, the concept of the three colors of the eye and the pupil is made, followed by the four elements, as mentioned above.", + "2B. It is on this account that the tzaddikim are called “the eyes of the congregation” (Numbers 15:24; see Bava Batra 4a), because it is through them that the eyes are opened, as mentioned above.", + "And so, when the true tzaddik’s splendor and beauty are revealed, and his name becomes important—this being the concept of making the Blessed One’s Name great, as it were, through which the mentalities and vision are created, and the eyes are opened—then the world has a master-of-the-house who watches over it. This is the concept of BeReIShYT—ROSh BaYiT (Tikkuney Zohar #3, p.18b). Rosh (head) alludes to the mentalities. BaYiT (house) alludes to the BeYT hamikdash (Holy Temple), whose existence depends primarily on the concept of the mentalities, the concept of the three colors of the eye and the pupil/Shabbat, which illuminates the Holy Temple, as mentioned above.", + "Bayit is also the concept of the batim (compartments) of the tefilin, where the mentalities are housed, the concept of “And I filled him with the spirit of the Lord, with wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and with every craft.” Specifically “And I filled”—the concept of the compartments which the mentalities fill. And thus there is a master-of-the-house, the concept of rosh bayit (head of the house), who administrates the bayit’s repairs, for it is through this that the Beit HaMikdash is repaired, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "3. However, the exact opposite happens, God forbid, when someone in whom God’s Name is completely absent becomes renowned, God forbid. And when this one’s name becomes famous and important, God’s Name is diminished and concealed, as it were. Then name-diviners and Kedars, who are known as Tatars, become important in the world, and things come into existence, God forbid, which depend upon the names of impurity. All this is the opposite of the Name of God, for God’s Name has become concealed, God forbid.", + "And then, the luminaries of light—which are the concept of the light of the eyes, the three colors of the eye and the pupil which derive from God’s Name—are removed and subdued, God forbid. And when the luminaries of light are subdued, the luminaries of fire become stronger. This leads to fires becoming prevalent in the world, God forbid—on account of the names of these false leaders becoming predominant and important, which causes God’s Name to be concealed, God forbid, so that the luminaries of light are subdued and the luminaries of fire become stronger, as in “From on high He sent a fire.” This is the concept of the burning of the Holy Temple, which likewise came about due to the departure of the luminaries of light, which in turn causes the luminaries of fire to become stronger." + ], + [ + "4. {“God vented all His fury, poured out His fierce wrath; He kindled a fire in Zion which consumed its yesodot (foundations)” (Lamentations 4:11).} This is the concept of “He kindled a fire in Zion which consumed its yesodot .” “Its yesodot” alludes to the four yesodot (elements), which derive from the luminaries of light—from the three colors of the eye and the pupil. They were consumed and burned when “He kindled a fire in Zion”—through the luminaries of fire becoming stronger, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "5. Now see, that which has passed is no longer, for our Holy Temple has already burned down. However, at this time, with God looking forward to returning to us and rebuilding our Holy Temple, we ought not obstruct its building, God forbid, but instead exert ourselves in its construction. This is why a person has to be very careful to get up at midnight in order to mourn the Holy Temple’s destruction. For perhaps in the first incarnation he was responsible for its destruction. Even if not, it could still be that he is now obstructing the building of the Holy Temple, and so is regarded as if he caused its destruction.", + "Therefore, a person has to be very careful to get up at midnight in order to greatly mourn the Holy Temple’s destruction. And God has promised anyone who mourns for Zion “to place for the mourners of Zion splendor instead of ashes” (Isaiah 61:3). Specifically, “Pe’ER (splendor) instead of EiPheR (ashes).” “Splendor” alludes to the concept of mentalities/tefilin/ rosh bayit /the spectrum of colors/three colors of the eye and the pupil/luminaries of light/Shabbat, which shines into the Holy Temple, as mentioned above. “Instead of ashes”—“ashes” alludes to luminaries of fire {the opposite of the aforementioned}. In other words, the luminaries of fire, through which the Holy Temple was burned down, are subdued, and the luminaries of light, which preserve the Holy Temple, become powerful. This is the meaning of “splendor instead of ashes.”", + "{“Lo T’vaaru Aish B’khol Moshvoteikhem (You shall not kindle fire in any of your dwelling places) on the Shabbat day” (Exodus 35:3).} It follows, that by virtue of one’s mourning the Holy Temple, he subdues the luminaries of fire, and the luminaries of light, which are the concept of Shabbat, become powerful. This is MiTABeL (mourns)—an acronym for Lo T’vaaru Aish B’khol Moshvoteikhem. Because of people’s mourning, the luminaries of fire are subdued, as mentioned above. And this is “on the Shabbat day,” for as a result the luminaries of light shine—the concept of Shabbat/three colors of the eye and the pupil, which shine into the Holy Temple, as in “My Shabbat you shall keep and My Sanctuary you shall revere,” as mentioned above.", + "And this is as it is written, “to do the Shabbat l’DoRotam (for their generations)” (Exodus 31:16)—concerning which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: it is spelled l’DiRatam, connoting DiRah (a dwelling) (Zohar III, 243b; Tikkuney Zohar #24, p.70a). In other words, Shabbat, which is the concept of luminaries of light, brings to dirah—i.e., the concept of the Holy Temple, whose existence is engendered by Shabbat, as mentioned above. It also alludes to a literal dwelling, because through Shabbat/luminaries of light, the luminaries of fire are subdued and people are saved from fires, as mentioned above. It follows, that Jewish dwellings are preserved through Shabbat, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "6. And this is BeReIShYT—ROSh BaYiT. It refers to the world’s master-of-the-house, namely, the true tzaddik, who is the beauty and the splendor of the world. He is the concept of Yosef, as in “As for Yosef, he was the regent, he was the provider…” (Genesis 42:6), the concept of rosh bayit, the world’s master-of-the-house. For it is due to him that the Beit HaMikdash and Jewish houses and dwellings are preserved, as mentioned above. Thus, when the name of this tzaddik, who is the rosh bayit, becomes important, the eyes of the Jewish people are opened, as mentioned above.", + "Thus, this is Bereishit (“In the beginning”)—l’einei kol Yisrael (“before the eyes of all Israel”). “Bereishit” refers to rosh bayit, the aforementioned tzaddik, who is the splendor of the world, as mentioned above. Through him, “the eyes of all Israel” are opened, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "7. This is also the concept of a eulogy for the passing of the tzaddik. This is because Bereishit is a eulogy for Noach—i.e., the preceding teaching on Bereishit is a eulogy for the passing of the tzaddik, who is the concept of Noach. It speaks of the concept of concealment, the disappearance of the Jewish people’s splendor—i.e., that the tzaddik, who is the Jewish people’s splendor, is removed and concealed.", + "Now see, the tzaddik who passed away loses nothing on account of his being concealed and removed. For even though he becomes concealed and removed from here, he is great and splendid there, in the World to Come, the concept of “Noach walked with God” (Genesis 6:9). But it is a very great pity on the orphaned generation that remains behind and on the offspring, i.e., the children who remain behind. Of them it is said, as if lamenting: “These are the offspring of Noach” (ibid.). It is like one who laments, saying: “These are the offspring and the children of the tzaddik”—the concept of Noach—“who has passed away, and these are the offspring, the orphans who remain behind.”" + ], + [ + "8. For know! all the generations derive from the tzaddik who is the head, the concept of rosh bayit, the world’s master-of-the-house, as in “Who proclaims the generations from the rosh (start)” (Isaiah 41:4)—for all the generations derive from the rosh, i.e., the aforementioned tzaddik.", + "And so, when there is such a tzaddik who is the rosh bayit, there is the concept rosh and also the concept bayit. And then all of us—i.e., everyone in the generation—are the concept of members-of-the-house. But when this rosh, who is the splendor/God’s Name, is removed and concealed, then the names of impurity of the external forces become overpowering, God forbid. This is the concept of false leaders, as mentioned above.", + "{“Oh how the gold has become dull. The finest gold has been defaced. The hallowed stones have been strewn about at the head of every chutzot (street). The precious children of Zion, once valued as gold, alas, they are accounted as earthen jugs, the work of a potter’s hands” (Lamentations 4:1-2) . They are also the concept of the rosh of the Other Side, which is the antithesis of the aforementioned rosh of holiness, the concept of “the head of every ChuTZot,” which is the rosh of the Other Side/false leaders/the name of impurity of the ChiTZonim (outside forces), God forbid. And then there is no house, and people stray about ChuTZot, God forbid. Thus it is called “the rosh of every chutzot,” because, God forbid, the rosh bayit has vanished, and so there is no house and people stray about outside, God forbid.", + "Concerning this it is said: “Hallowed stones have been strewn about at the head of every street. The precious children of Zion, once valued as gold….” In other words, the holy people Israel stray about, God forbid, “at the head of every chutzot,” because the rosh bayit—i.e., the true tzaddik—has been removed and concealed. And [his] opposite, who is the concept of the impure name of the ChiTZonim, and “the rosh of every ChuTZot,” has become powerful, God forbid.", + "Thus the prophet Yirmiyahu would lament and cherish the Jewish blood which had been spilled, and he would share in their suffering. He saw the Jewish people being led in chains, their hands bound behind them and the millstone around their necks, and joined them. And for every drop of Jewish blood he lamented: “The precious children of Zion, once valued as gold…. Hallowed stones have been strewn about….”", + "This is also: “These are the offspring of Noach”—as if lamenting the offspring who remain, as mentioned above. And this is: “Noach, a tzaddik, he was perfect”—i.e., he was, but passed away…, as mentioned above.", + "Now see, all the generations derive from the tzaddik who is the rosh, the concept of “proclaims the generations from the rosh,” as mentioned above. And this is the concept of “These are the offspring of Noach”—all the offspring, i.e., the generations, derive from Noach, who is the tzaddik, the concept rosh, as in “proclaims the generations from the rosh,” as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "9. And know! the etrog’s beauty, too, derives from the aforementioned rosh. This is the meaning of “proclaims HaDoRot (the generations) from the rosh,” the concept of the etrog’s HiDuR (beauty) , which also derives from the aforementioned rosh—i.e., the aforementioned tzaddik, who is the head, splendor and hidur of the world, as mentioned above.", + "Now see, the main beauty is Israel. For although Cham and Yefet are also Noach’s offspring, Israel, who stems from the descendants of Shem, is the main beauty. This is the concept of “beautifying a mitzvah is up to a third” (Bava Kama 9b)—this alludes to Shem, who was the third of the three sons of Noach (see Sanhedrin 111a), who is the main beauty and splendor. He is also the concept of shem (name). Specifically, shem—the Holy Shem (Name), the concept of splendor and beauty, as mentioned above.", + "(Understand well how to tie in all of this with what has been explained in the above lesson, “Bereishit,” and in Lesson #66, because it is all connected. Carefully study there.)" + ], + [ + "10. This relates above: “Rachel weeps over her children”—the concept of a beautiful maiden who has no eyes (Zohar II, 95a). For “Rachel was beautiful in appearance and beautiful to look at” (Genesis 39:6). Therefore, the begetting of offspring by the tzaddik—who is the concept of Yosef, who was “beautiful in appearance and beautiful to look at,” the splendor and beauty of the world, as mentioned above—stems primarily from Rachel. But now, in exile, following the destruction, she is in the aspect of “Rachel weeps over her children” and so is “a beautiful maiden who has no eyes,” because weeping causes the light of the eyes to depart. Understand this well.", + "This unites well the aforegoing lesson, which starts with the topic of “Rachel weeps over her children” and then speaks of concealment, the disappearance of the tzaddik, who is the splendor and the beauty, the concept of Yosef, as in “Yosef was beautiful in appearance….” For it is all one matter, because the begetting of offspring by the tzaddik, who is the concept of Yosef, etc., stems primarily from Rachel, etc., as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The essence of the tzaddik’s perfection is that he is able to be above and below—that he is able to show whoever is above and considers himself to be on a high level that it is the reverse; and inversely, he shows whoever is far below, on the lowest level, in the earth itself, that on the contrary, he is very close to God.", + "This is the perfection which the tzaddik must have, and without this he is not a tzaddik at all. For he has to show whoever is far below, on the absolute bottom level, that he is still actually close to God, so to speak. And he has to rouse him, and reveal to him: God is with you. Fear not; do not be afraid or frightened, for the Blessed One is with you, near you and right next to you, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).", + "Therefore, even if, God forbid, a person falls to where he falls, may the Merciful One spare us, and he is on the absolute bottommost level—from there, too, he can attach himself to God and return to Him, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.”", + "Now, we have already addressed this, that when a person is situated entirely below, and he sees that he is on the bottom level, God forbid, very distant from God, he ought to revive himself with this itself. In other words, this itself is closeness—since he now recognizes his distance! Prior to this he was so far away that he had no awareness whatsoever of his distance. But now that he at least knows that he is distant, this itself is closeness, and with this itself he ought to revive himself and return to God." + ], + [ + "2. And the inverse is also true. The tzaddik must show whoever is very lofty that he is utterly distant from God; “What have you seen? What do you know?…”", + "Thus, this is the tzaddik’s perfection, as in “for kol (all) that is in heaven and on the earth” (1 Chronicles 29:11), which is the concept of the tzaddik, as is known, because he unites heaven and earth. That, as mentioned above, he should be above and below, showing whoever is above, the concept of “heaven,” that it is the reverse—that he is very distant and knows nothing at all of Godly Knowledge; the concepts of “What have you seen? What do you know?” because there, above, in heaven—specifically there, they ask “Where is the place of His glory?” And inversely, he shows whoever is genuinely below, in the earth, that God is with him, because “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” Thus, this is the essence of perfection, being above and below.", + "And this is the concept of the sons and disciples which one has to leave behind in the world. On the face of it, the matter is puzzling. Is not the essential thing that a person must dissociate himself completely from physicality? That being so, why is it that when a person ascends on high entirely, i.e., after passing away, he has an obligation to leave behind sons in this physical world, who will take his place in the world? On the contrary, is it not better to ascend on high entirely?", + "However, in fact, genuine perfection is to be above and below, in heaven and on the earth. This is because when he is in just one world, it is not perfection. Only the two together, above and below—that is a complete world. A person is therefore required to leave behind “a remnant on earth” (Genesis 45:7), a son or a disciple, so that when he is above, after passing away, he will also be below, in this world—i.e., he leaves below a son or a disciple who stems from him.", + "And the essence is the mind; that some of his mind should remain below. Therefore, he has to leave behind a son or a disciple, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded the verse: “who have no replacement” (Psalms 55:20)—one opines that it refers to a son, and the other opines that it refers to a disciple (Bava Batra 116a). For the disciple stems from the mind of the teacher, and likewise, the son too stems from the mind of the father. Thus, Rabbi Yochanan, because he had no sons, maintained that it refers to a disciple. In the case of the disciple, the mind is entirely removed from physicality, whereas in the case of the son the mind is encompassed in the drop of seed. Nevertheless, this, too, is needed." + ], + [ + "3. The rule is that a person has to leave behind sons and disciples, and the disciples should enlighten other disciples. And likewise onward; the disciples, too, should be fruitful and multiply, making other disciples, and the disciples of his disciples will make additional disciples. And likewise onward and onward, so that his mind remains also below, forever.", + "Similarly, the sons, too, have to leave their legacy for ensuing generations, children and children’s children, etc. For this is the essence of the tzaddik’s perfection, that he is above and below, as in “for all that is in heaven and on the earth” (1 Chronicles 29:11)—he unites heaven with earth.", + "(See Likutey Moharan II, 7, “Vayehi Mikeitz—For He with Compassion for Them will Lead Them,” where this matter is thoroughly explained.)" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Regarding the custom of giving a blessing to the sommelier or to the wine waiter at a wedding and the like. The basis for this is what is written in the Zohar (II 242a), that there are various things which are carried and carry. Listed there are various things which are carried—i.e., people carry them—and, in truth, these things are the ones doing the carrying. The Chariot, for example, is carried and carries. So, too, the Ark; they would carry it, and it carried its carriers… (Sotah 35a).", + "This is the concept of giving [drink to recite] a berakhah (blessing), as mentioned above. The letters of BeRaKhaH are an acronym for Ki Ruach Hachayah B’ophanim (“for the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels”) (Ezekiel 1:20). This is the concept of being carried and carries. The wheels carry the living creatures and the living creatures carry them, “for the spirit of the living creatures is in the wheels.” It is the same with regard to the entire Chariot. The wheels carry the living creatures, and the living creatures carry the Chariot. But, actually, the Chariot carries everything.", + "Therefore, we give the one who carries the drink to make a blessing, which corresponds to “for the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels”—namely, the concept of carries and is carried. He carries the drink, and now the drink carries him.", + "{Alternatively, this leads to being broken, because drink extinguishes and also somewhat inflames. But Rebbe Nachman did not explain this matter at all.}" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The greater the person, the farther he must go in search of what he seeks.", + "We see, for example, that plant life has what it seeks right next to it, because it grows from the ground which is literally adjacent. What an animal seeks is also on the ground, but a bit farther away than that of plant life. This is because an animal is on a higher level than plant life. A human being, however, has to go much, much farther than an animal in search of what he seeks.", + "Thus, Moshe Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, who was on a very lofty level, had to go exceedingly far in search of what he sought. This is why he had to seek a wife in Midian. On account of his greatness, that which he sought was far away." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! there are mentalities of the Land of Israel and mentalities of the Diaspora.", + "And the mentalities of the Diaspora, too, receive from and sustain themselves on the mentalities of the Land of Israel. This is because the quintessence of enlightenment and wisdom is in the Land of Israel, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in the Midrash: There is no wisdom like the wisdom of the Land of Israel… (Bereishit Rabbah 16:4).", + "And every single Jew has a share in the Land of Israel, with each one receiving from and sustaining himself on the mentalities of the Land of Israel according to his portion in the Land of Israel. It follows, that all the mentalities are conceptually Land of Israel mentalities. This is because they all receive from there, since the quintessence of enlightenment and wisdom is there, in the Land of Israel.", + "But even so, Diaspora mentalities do exist. This comes about through a blemish of the glory, God forbid. When someone, God forbid, blemishes the glory of God, then, due to the blemish of God’s glory, it becomes impossible to receive and draw from the mentalities of the Land of Israel. And in proportion to the blemish one makes in God’s glory, one is unable to receive and draw from the mentalities of the Land of Israel. The mentalities thus remain actual Diaspora mentalities. And when [people’s] mentalities are conceptually Diaspora mentalities, their minds cannot agree.", + "Conceptually, this is the discord which exists in the world, since the Diaspora mentalities cannot bring themselves to agree. Although it would be fitting that discord exist only outside the Land, in reality, we see that there is discord also inside the Land of Israel." + ], + [ + "2. But know! these Diaspora mentalities, which come about due to a blemish of glory, as mentioned above, seek rectification for themselves. And the rectification of these Diaspora mentalities occurs when Supernal Pleasantness is flowing. This leads to the revelation of the glory. That is the time of rectification for these Diaspora mentalities.", + "This is because glory is the rectification of the world. The entire world was created for the glory, as it is written (Isaiah 43:7), “for My glory I created it” (Yoma 38a)—i.e., for the sake of God’s glory. There is a separate glory [of God] for each and every utterance of the Ten Utterances with which the world was created; that this utterance, through which such-and-such a portion of the creation was created, was for the sake of that glory.", + "It follows, that each and every utterance has a separate glory [of God], for which sake that utterance came to be. This utterance, through which that particular portion of the creation was created, was for the sake of this glory, so that this glory would be ascribed to God. Likewise, a different utterance, through which a different portion of the creation was created, was for the sake of a different glory, so that that glory would be ascribed to God. So, too, all the utterances—they were all solely for the sake of God’s glory, which is the reason that the world was created, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "3. Therefore, when any Jew merits seeing within himself some revelation of the glory—i.e., that he has [received] some glory—then he has to know from which utterance that glory came into existence; that that utterance, through which a portion of the creation was created, was for the sake of this glory, as mentioned above.", + "Now, certainly not every person merits this, to sense within himself a revelation of God’s glory. However, when those who are in the King’s Chamber receive some glory, they take none of it for themselves, but elevate all the glory to God. This is so that His glory will be magnified and exalted, in order for there to be rectification of the world, as mentioned above. And from the glory they perceive through which utterance it came into existence; that that utterance, through which a portion of the creation was created, was for the sake of this glory, as mentioned above.", + "And this is the concept of “and in His Chamber, everything utters ‘Glory!’” (Psalms 29:9). That is, for those who are in the King’s Chamber, the glory is “everything utters”—i.e., everything is an utterance. This is because the glory which they have is solely for the sake of [determining] the utterance which came into existence for the sake of this glory, [and] through which a portion of the creation was created, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "4. This is the concept of “and who have the koach (stamina) to stand in the king’s chamber” (Daniel 1:4). KoaCh alludes to the Khaf-Chet (28) letters of the Act of Creation (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p.40a), the concept of the Ten Utterances with which the world was created. In other words, by means of the glory, as mentioned above, those in the King’s Chamber reveal and illuminate the aforementioned twenty-eight letters.", + "Thus, this is “and who have the koach to stand….” According to the straightforward meaning of the verse this literally refers to koach, because they certainly must have stamina and strength to stand in this—that they merit being in the King’s Chamber, where the glory is “everything utters,” the concept of the Khaf-Chet (28) letters of the Act of Creation." + ], + [ + "5. Now, the essence of God’s glory is revealed by none other than human beings. This is because humanity is the ultimate purpose of all the creations. The creation was in essence for the sake of humanity. Thus, the revelation of God’s glory is primarily through humans beings.", + "Therefore, through the begetting of offspring, when human beings are born and multiply greatly, His glory is greatly revealed. For the revelation of glory is primarily through human beings." + ], + [ + "6. And know! the mentalities of the Land of Israel are the concept of Pleasantness, whereas the mentalities of the Diaspora are the concept of Damagers, as it is written, “one I called ‘Pleasantness,’ and the other I called ‘Damagers’” (Zechariah 11:7). And our Sages, of blessed memory, teach: “Pleasantness” refers to the Torah scholars in the Land of Israel, who are pleasant towards one another in [debating] Halakhah. “Damagers” refers to the Torah scholars of the Diaspora, who assault one another in [debating] Halakhah (Sanhedrin 24a).", + "Now, the begetting of offspring primarily results from the concept of Supernal Pleasantness. This is because Supernal Pleasantness arouses flames of love, which in turn bring to the begetting of offspring, as in “you were most pleasing to me. Your love was more wonderful to me than women’s love” (2 Samuel 1:26). On account of Supernal Pleasantness, love is aroused, the concept of flames of love, which bring to the begetting of offspring." + ], + [ + "7. Now, Supernal Pleasantness flows continuously. Nevertheless, one must have a vessel with which to receive the influx of Supernal Pleasantness. And know! the vessel with which to receive flames of love from Supernal Pleasantness is forged through charity. For charity is the generosity of the heart, as it is written (Exodus 25:2), “from every person, as his heart urges him, you shall take My donation.” Generosity is that the heart is open and benevolent. As a result, the pathways of the heart open and become a vessel for receiving the flames of love drawn from Supernal Pleasantness, as mentioned above.", + "Now, there is charity of the Land of Israel and there is also charity of the Diaspora. Yet, the essence is the charity of the Land of Israel, through which a vessel is forged for receiving from Supernal Pleasantness, which in turn leads the begetting of offspring, as mentioned above. This is the concept of “Sow for yourselves [by giving] to charity” (Hosea 10:12), because the begetting of offspring comes about primarily through charity, as mentioned above.", + "And this is the concept of “These are the offspring of Yaakov—Yosef” (Genesis 37:2). That is, the begetting of offspring comes about primarily through Yaakov and Yosef. Yaakov is the concept of charity, as it is written, “You execute justice and charity in Yaakov” (Psalms 99:4). And the begetting of offspring is primarily through charity, {the vessel for receiving the influx of Supernal Pleasantness. And, as will be explained below, Yosef is the concept of Pleasantness}." + ], + [ + "8. Then through the begetting of offspring—i.e., that human beings are born and multiply—God’s glory is greatly revealed, as mentioned above. This is the concept of “All seed of Yaakov, glorify Him!” (Psalms 22:24). Through the begetting of offspring that comes about via the concept of Yaakov, who is the concept of charity—“glorify Him,” for on account of this His glory is magnified, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "9. And so, when Supernal Pleasantness flows by means of the vessel forged through charity for the sake of begetting offspring, as mentioned above, and also Supernal Pleasantness/mentalities receives and is further influenced from higher still, as is known—then the Diaspora mentalities/Damagers, too, fall into the Land of Israel mentalities, the concept of Pleasantness, in order to be rectified through this. For that is when these Diaspora mentalities can be rectified. This is because the main blemish and marring of the Diaspora mentalities is due to the blemish of glory, on account of which they cannot draw from the mentalities of the Land of Israel. They are then the concept of actual Diaspora mentalities, and this is their marring, as mentioned above.", + "And this is the concept of “He who mocks a word will be damaged thereby” (Proverbs 13:13). “He who mocks a word”—i.e., humiliation, the opposite of glory—“will be damaged thereby”—namely, the Diaspora mentalities, which conceptually are Damagers. Due to the blemishing of glory, the mentalities remain in the category of Damagers, which are the mentalities of the Diaspora, as mentioned above. It follows, that the marring of the Diaspora mentalities results mainly from the blemish of glory.", + "Therefore, when the vessel forged through charity for the sake of begetting offspring causes Supernal Pleasantness to flow, thus bringing to a revelation of the glory, as mentioned above—that is when the Diaspora mentalities can be rectified. Now that a revelation of the glory has been triggered, they can be rectified through it, since their marring was primarily due to the blemishing of glory, as mentioned above. Therefore, when Supernal Pleasantness flows for the sake of begetting offspring, the Diaspora mentalities/Damagers come and fall into the Land of Israel mentalities/Pleasantness in order to be rectified through this, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "10. { Chavalim (Parcels) have fallen to me in pleasant places; my inheritance is shafra (lovely) indeed” (Psalms 16:6).} This is the concept of “Chavalim have fallen to me in pleasant places.” “ChaVaLIM”—i.e., the Diaspora mentalities, which are the concept of ChoVLIM (Damagers). They fall into the “pleasant places,” the mentalities of the Land of Israel, which are the concept of Pleasantness, in order to be rectified through this, as mentioned above.", + "And this is “my inheritance is lovely indeed.” “Inheritance” alludes to Yaakov, as in “Yaakov, the parcel of His inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9), the concept of charity. “Lovely” alludes to Yosef, as in “Yosef was beautiful in appearance…” (Genesis 39:6). And “beautiful in appearance” corresponds to the depiction of David as beautiful in appearance; and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded “a man of appearance” (1 Samuel 16:18)—who displays the faces of Halakhah (Sanhedrin 93b). This refers to the mentalities, the concept of Pleasantness—they are pleasant in [debating] Halakhah, as mentioned above. And through these two concepts, Yaakov and Yosef, as in “inheritance is lovely,” there is the begetting of offspring, so that the Damagers then fall into the “pleasant places,” as mentioned above.", + "And this is “Yaakov the chevel (parcel) of His inheritance.” “CheVeL” is the concept of the aforementioned ChoVLim, which are rectified through the concept of Yaakov/charity, which brings to the begetting of offspring through which the chovlim /Diaspora mentalities are rectified.", + "And this is the concept of CheVLey leydah (birth pangs), the aforementioned ChoVLim, which are rectified through the birth. It is also the aforementioned concept of ShaFRa (“lovely”), which corresponds to ShaFiR (amniotic sac) and placenta, the concept of begetting offspring." + ], + [ + "11. And on account of the Diaspora mentalities/Damagers assaulting one another in [debating] Halakhah because their opinions cannot concur, they fall into the Land of Israel mentalities/Pleasantness in order to be rectified. Occasionally, as a consequence of people blemishing a great deal, God forbid, they cannot be rectified. On the contrary, they cause blemish to the mentalities of the Land of Israel as well. Then, also the Land of Israel mentalities cannot bring themselves to agree, on account of their having been blemished, God forbid, through the blemished Diaspora mentalities which have fallen into them. This is the concept of the discord which also exists inside the Land of Israel." + ], + [ + "12. The sum of the matter is that all the creations and begetting of offspring are only for the sake of revealing God’s glory. And the begetting of offspring comes about primarily through charity, which forges the vessel for receiving from Supernal Pleasantness. This brings to the begetting of offspring, through which God’s glory is revealed and magnified, as mentioned above.", + "These are the letters of TeRUMaH—they are the final letters of lachazoT b’noaM YHVH u- levakeR b’heikhalO (“to gaze upon the pleasantness of God and to visit in His Chamber”) (Psalms 27:4). For terumah—i.e., charity, the heart’s generosity—is the concept of “from every person, as his heart urges him, you shall take My donation.” Through this the vessel is forged for receiving from Supernal Pleasantness, which in turn engenders a revelation of God’s glory, namely the concept of “and in His Chamber, everything utters ‘Glory!’”", + "Thus, this is lachazoT b’noaM YHVH u-levakeR b ’heikhalO. The final letters spell TeRUMaH .", + "This is also the concept of the Song, as in “the pleasant songs of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1). {[Rebbe Nachman] did not reveal more.}", + "Happy is the person who merits sensing the pleasantness of the Torah. For there indeed is pleasantness in the Torah, and this is the main thing: to merit sensing the Torah’s pleasantness.", + "{“Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Proverbs 3:17). So it appears to me." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! merely exchanging gazes with the true tzaddik is also a great thing. Certainly, it is even better when one merits hearing Torah from his mouth. But even when one does not hear Torah, just the seeing—that one merits exchanging gazes with the tzaddik—is also very good.", + "By exchanging gazes with the true tzaddik one receives greatness. And the essence of greatness is lowliness, as we find of God: Wherever you find the Blessed Holy One’s greatness, there you find His humility (Megillah 31a). This is because the essence of greatness is lowliness. And in the Resurrection destined for the future, when people will be resurrected and live eternally, it will essentially be each person’s lowliness that is restored to life and resurrected. For each person’s lowliness will be restored to life in the future and be resurrected, as in “Awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust” (Isaiah 26:19), and as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: someone who became a dweller in the dust in his lifetime (Sotah 5a). Essentially, it will be nothing other than the lowliness which will be resurrected—that each person’s lowliness will in the future be restored to life and resurrected.", + "At present, it is impossible for people to attain the delight of the World to Come. This is because presently we are finite, and anything which is subject to limitation cannot attain the spiritual delight of the World to Come. Thus, also [of] Shabbat delight, which is a foretaste of the World to Come, our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Whoever delights in the Shabbat is granted a boundless inheritance (Shabbat 118a)—i.e., without limit. This is because Shabbat delight, which is a foretaste of the World to Come, is the concept of boundlessness.", + "Therefore, the eternal life destined for the future, the concept of the delight of the World to Come, will primarily be only for each person’s lowliness. This is because lowliness and humility are boundless, the concept of nothingness, literally. One [who acquires these traits] is not subject to limitation, because he is at the ultimate level of humility, and the eternal life of the World to Come is only [for one] with this type of boundlessness. This is why it is said of Shabbat, which is a foretaste of the World to Come: “those who taste her merit life” (Shabbat Mussaf Prayer). For whoever tastes the delight of Shabbat merits life, the concept of eternal life, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. And know! every single person merits receiving greatness commensurate with the shining of his mentalities, as in “a Melekh (King) bound in the ReHaTim (tresses)” (Song of Songs 7:6)—inside the RaHaTei (rafters of) the mind (Tikkuney Zohar #6, p.21b). In other words, the concept of Malkhut (Kinship)—i.e., greatness—is bound and tied in the compartments of the mind, so that he receives greatness commensurate with the shining of the mentalities.", + "Now, the mentalities and daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God) are the concept of building the Holy Temple, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: For someone with daat, it is as if the Holy Temple was built in his day. For daat and the Holy Temple are each positioned between two Divine Names… (Berakhot 33a). Therefore, each person, commensurate with his mind and daat, and to the extent he immerses himself in daat—the more he occupies himself with expanding his mind and daat—he likewise occupies himself with construction of the Holy Temple. This is because, conceptually, the Holy Temple is constructed primarily with daat .", + "There is one whose mind is quick and sharp, who is constantly occupied with expanding his mind and daat. Conceptually, this is engaging in the Holy Temple’s construction. And to the extent that his daat and mind become greater, he merits greatness. This is the concept of “If you see a man quick in his work—he will attend upon kings” (Proverbs 22:29). “A man quick in his work” alludes to one whose mind is quick and sharp. He is “quick in his work”—i.e., in the construction work of the Holy Temple. For the work of constructing the Holy Temple is commensurate with his mind, as mentioned above, and as a result “he will attend upon M’LaKhim”—i.e., he merits greatness, the concept of MaLKhut. This is because the greatness is commensurate with the shining of the mind, as in “a melekh bound in the compartments,” as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "3. Now, there is a universal mind and there are individual minds. All the individual minds receive from the all-inclusive mind, namely, the [leading] sage of the generation. This is the benefit of meriting exchanging gazes with the true tzaddik, who is the sage of the generation, the concept of the all-inclusive sage. As a result of that all-inclusive sage seeing and gazing at him, a person’s mind shines. And on account of his mind shining he receives greatness, because greatness is primarily produced by the mind’s shining, as mentioned above. This is because “eyes” refers to wisdom, as it is written (Genesis 3:7), “Then the eyes of both of them were opened”—and Rashi comments: This was said with respect to wisdom.", + "Therefore, when this sage, who is the all-inclusive mind, gazes at a person, he shines into him wisdom and intellect, so that his mind shines and he receives greatness. For each person has some measure of mind and daat, commensurate with his level. However, each person’s mind and daat are mired in constriction and fail to shine. But when the generation’s sage, who is the all-inclusive mind, gazes at him, this causes each person’s mind to shine commensurate with his mind’s level. And as a result of the mind’s shining, each person receives greatness commensurate with the level of his mind, because greatness is primarily a product of the mind’s shining, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "4. Moshe Rabbeinu, may peace be upon him, was the all-inclusive daat of all of Israel. Therefore, merely through his seeing, through gazing into each person, he could apportion greatness and authority to each one as was appropriate for the level of [that person’s] mind.", + "This is the concept of “As for you, you shall see from among all the people… and you shall appoint over them captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds…” (Exodus 18:21). Specifically “As for you, you shall see,” because through Moshe Rabbeinu’s seeing alone—that he would see and gaze at each and every person—each one’s mind would shine. And through this, each one received greatness and authority commensurate with his worthiness, as was appropriate for the level of his mind—i.e., the concept of “captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds….”", + "Thus, this is “As for you, you shall see… and you shall appoint over them captains of thousands….” As a result of Moshe seeing and gazing at the people, through this itself he appoints them “captains of thousands….” This is because as a result of his gazing at them, each one receives his greatness through the shining of his mind, which shines on account of the sage of the generation, the concept of Moshe, gazing at him, as mentioned above.", + "And Moshe could also dictate that this one would be a captain of a thousand, and that one a captain of a hundred, and so on. Through his gazing at them, he knew the greatness which each one deserved, because through his gazing he knew the shining of each one’s mind—since the greatness which he deserves is commensurate with the mind’s shining, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "5. And so, each person receives the greatness which is genuinely appropriate for him, according to the level of his mind, on account of there being a true leader, a “Moshe,” who merely by gazing is able to apportion to each one the greatness befitting him. Thus, each of Israel’s captains and leaders knows how to originate Torah insights which are genuinely appropriate for him, in concert with the level of his mind—not lower and not higher. Now that each person has the standing genuinely befitting him—i.e., his authority and greatness are genuinely appropriate for him, as mentioned above—therefore, based on his greatness and appointment, each one knows how and how much he has to originate in Torah, and to how many people he should address [his] Torah lesson. The one appointed over a thousand Jews, namely, a captain of a thousand, must address Torah to a thousand people; and in a similar manner, all of them." + ], + [ + "6. Now, every person possesses the element of spirit. And the true leader of all the Jews, i.e., the concept of Moshe, is the all-inclusive spirit, as in (Numbers 27:18), “a man in whom there is spirit”—and Rashi expounds: who knows how to deal with the spirit of each individual. For the true leader is the concept of the all-inclusive spirit. He knows how to deal with each and every spirit because they all receive from him. For he is the all-inclusive ruach (spirit), the concept of “Thus says God: Come from the four ruchot (winds), O ruach !” (Ezekiel 37:9).", + "And this spirit is “the spirit of the Lord,” which is itself the concept of mentalities, as in “And I have filled him with the spirit of the Lord in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in every work” (Exodus 31:3)—i.e., the mentalities, which conceptually are the construction work of the Holy Temple, as mentioned above.", + "And according to “the spirit of the Lord”—which is Divine inspiration, the spirit of prophecy—that each person possesses, he merits originating in Torah. This is because this spirit of the Lord resides upon the face of the Torah, as in “and the spirit of the Lord hovering over the water’s surface” (Genesis 1:2)—i.e., on the face of the Torah, which is called “water,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded. Therefore, through this spirit of the Lord one merits originating in Torah, because the spirit of the Lord resides upon the face of the Torah.", + "And so, on account of the true leader—who conceptually is Moshe/all-inclusive daat /all inclusive-spirit—the mind of every person shines. This is itself the spirit of the Lord which he draws down for each one, because the spirit of the Lord is itself the mentalities, as mentioned above. Therefore, through this, original Torah insights are drawn to each person. For original Torah insights come about via the spirit of the Lord that resides upon the face of the Torah, which is itself the concept of mentalities—all of which stems from the leader, a “Moshe”/all-inclusive daat /all inclusive-spirit, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "7 . However, this leader must be a great ascetic, with great holiness, since only then is he able to be a leader of the Jewish people. For it is his great abstinence and holiness which enables him to see and gaze at every Jew and apportion greatness to each one merely by gazing at him, as in “As for you, you shall see,” as mentioned above. For this gazing is dependent upon holiness and great abstinence. Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu, who was holy, and exceedingly abstinent by Divine fiat, as it is written (Deuteronomy 5:28), “As for you, you shall remain here with Me,” was able to see and gaze at Israel and apportion greatness to them through this.", + "And this is the meaning of “As for you, you shall see.” Specifically “you,” since only Moshe, who was a very great ascetic, with great holiness, merits this [power of] gazing. For this gazing, the concept of “As for you, you shall see (techezeh),” depends solely on holiness and abstinence from this desire.", + "This is the concept of “and they washed HaZoNoT (the harlots)” (1 Kings 22:38)—and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: to clarify two CheZyoNoT (visions) (Sanhedrin 39b). That is, to the extent that a person washes himself of this desire, the concept of “and they washed hazonot”—i.e., they washed themselves of this desire—he likewise clarifies and burnishes two chezyonot: the concepts of “As for you, techezeh,” [and] “Chazita (If you see) a man quick in his work…”—i.e., the aforementioned concept of gazing. For the aforementioned gazing primarily comes about through holiness and abstinence from this desire. This is because this desire is a blemish of the eyes, as it is written (Numbers 15:39), “You shall not stray… or after your eyes, after which you go whoring.”", + "Therefore, [a true leader] must sanctify himself to a very high degree, with great abstinence from this desire, as then he will have the pure eyes with which to see and gaze and to apportion appropriate greatness to each one merely by gazing at him, as mentioned above. And specifically then he will be able to be a leader of the Jewish people, as mentioned above.", + "But when the Jews lack such a leader and guide, everyone is genuinely mixed up and confused. Whoever wants notoriety takes it, as is presently the case on account of our numerous transgressions. For the Jewish people must have a guide to supervise and ensure that each one has the standing genuinely appropriate for him. And this guide must be an ascetic and very holy, analogous to the holiness and abstinence of Moshe. He will then be able to lead the Jews and, merely by gazing, give each one the greatness appropriate for him, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "8. And this leads to returning to God, because repentance is mainly generated by embarrassment. Thus, on account of the leader who is a “Moshe,” who gazes into each person and causes his mind to shine, so that he merits Torah interpretations, i.e., original Torah insights—through this, embarrassment is drawn to each person.", + "Each person then perceives his own shame and humiliation, for transgression is certainly very embarrassing. This is because sin is totally inappropriate for a Jew, and it is certainly entirely unbecoming for a Jew to transgress, God forbid.", + "But also a mitzvah—when a person wants to perform some mitzvah, he ought to also feel greatly embarrassed. What right does he have to perform the mitzvah? How does he dare to enter the Chamber of the King to perform the mitzvah? He should reflect on the greatness of the One before Whom he performs the mitzvah, and also the significance of the mitzvah itself. For the mitzvah itself is very precious, incomprehensibly so. And so certainly a person ought to be flooded with great embarrassment when he is about to perform a mitzvah, when he looks at himself and sees that he is very distant from God and has no merit that would make him worthy of performing it.", + "A person who felt embarrassment would be ashamed even to take the food to put into his mouth, because whoever eats what belongs to another is embarrassed to look him in the face (Yerushalmi, Orlah 1, p.6a). And now that he hasn’t any merit to have food, he consequently eats what is not his and is embarrassed to look into another’s face. Thus, he should certainly be ashamed to even put the food into his mouth.", + "Yet, mainly, the embarrassment is drawn through the aforementioned leader, the concept of Moshe, who draws Torah interpretations to each one. Through this he draws embarrassment upon each one, as during the Giving of the Torah, when Moshe drew the Torah to the Jews. It is stated there: “and in order that His fear be upon your face, so that you do not sin” (Exodus 20:17)—and as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: this is embarrassment (Nedarim 20a). And this is “so that you do not sin”—i.e., they should feel shame so as not to commit an unintentional- or an intentional-sin, God forbid.", + "And also even “so that you do not sin,” when not committing a transgression, His fear must be on one’s face—i.e., shame. For even when a person performs a mitzvah, he must also feel great embarrassment, as mentioned above. How can he come and snatch the tefilin, the very crowns of the King, and suddenly put them on his head? He certainly ought to feel great embarrassment when about to perform some mitzvah. This embarrassment is drawn through the Torah interpretations, by means of the aforementioned leader, as it was during the Giving of the Torah, as mentioned above.", + "Therefore, when the Torah was given, the entire Jewish people merited holiness and abstinence, as it is written (Exodus 19:15), “Ready yourselves for three days. Do not go near a woman.” They all sanctified themselves by means of abstinence, through Moshe, who was holy and exceedingly abstinent. He drew the Torah to them through this, and so holiness and abstinence, too, were drawn over them.", + "And when people merit feeling embarrassment, each person then perceives his distance from God—how he is very far from Him. He is flooded with great shame, and as a result of the shame, repents. For repentance is mainly generated by embarrassment. And, conceptually, repentance is life, the concept of “Return, and live” (Ezekiel 18:32). This is the concept of the eternal life of the World to Come/Shabbat, the concept of “those who taste her merit life.”", + "This is also BeReIShiYT—YaReI BoSheT (fear, embarrassment), YaReI ShaBbaT (fear, Shabbat) (Tikkuney Zohar #7, p.24a; ibid. #9, p.24b). Fear and embarrassment—i.e., the concept of repentance—correspond to Shabbat, the eternal life of the World to Come. And essentially, what will live is each person’s lowliness, because it is that lowliness which will be restored to life and resurrected, as mentioned above. Therefore, by virtue of the repentance/eternal life of the World to Come, the lowliness of Moshe Rabbeinu, which is in every Jew, within each and every limb, returns to life and is resurrected.", + "Know! each and every limb of every single Jew has Moshe Rabbeinu’s lowliness within it. The Jews merited this at the revelation at Mount Sinai, as then Moshe drew his lowliness into each and every limb of every single Jew. But that Moshe-lowliness which is rooted in every single Jew lies dormant in each one, in the aspect of sleep and death. This is because for each person this lowliness is concealed. It does not rouse or reveal itself in him.", + "However, through repentance, which is the eternal life of the World to Come, each person’s lowliness will be restored to life. This is because the Resurrection will essentially be of the lowliness; the lowliness will be restored to life and resurrected, as mentioned above. Through this, Moshe’s lowliness, which is rooted in every limb of every single Jew, is restored to life. Previously, this lowliness lay dormant, concealed and covered in him, in the aspect of death. But now, through repentance, which is the eternal life of the World to Come, that lowliness reawakens and returns to life, as mentioned above.", + "For eternal life, the resurrection that will take place in the future, will in essence be of nothing other than the lowliness—each person’s lowliness will be restored to life and resurrected. And when his lowliness—that Moshe-lowliness which is within each and every limb—is restored to life, each person then perceives and feels his lowliness, now that the Moshe-lowliness within each and every one of his limbs has returned to life and been revealed." + ], + [ + "9. This is the explanation of: “The b’er (well) which captains chafaruha (dug), which n’divei (the nobles) of the people excavated, with a m’chokek (scepter), with their staff. And from the wilderness, a gift” (Numbers 21:18).", + "B’ER— This alludes to Bei’URei (the interpretations of) Torah which the “captains” of the Jewish people merit on account of a “Moshe” gazing at them. As a result of this, each one receives the greatness appropriate for him, through which they merit Torah interpretations, the concept of original Torah insights, as mentioned above. As a result of the Torah interpretations they are worthy of shame and repentance, as mentioned above.", + "And this is: The well which captains chafaruha.", + "ChaFaRuha— This alludes to shame, as it is written (Isaiah 24:23), “The moon ChaFRah (will be ashamed), the sun will be embarrassed.” By virtue of the aforementioned Bei’URei Torah, the concept of B’ER, one merits embarrassment, as mentioned above. And this is:", + "which captains dug— That is, the aforementioned captains, the concept of “captains of thousands, [and] captains of hundreds…,” as mentioned above. And this is:", + "which n’divei of the people excavated— “N’DiVei of the people” alludes to repentance, as Rashi expounds the verse “when the people hitNaDeiV (offered)” (Judges 5:2)—when they offered their heart to repentance. And this is:", + "with a m’chokek, with their st aff— “M’chokek” is Moshe, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (see Bava Batra 15a). In addition, M ’ChoKeK has a numerical value of 248—alluding to Moshe’s lowliness which is in every single Jew, in his 248 limbs, within each and every limb, as mentioned above. “With their staff” alludes to resurrection, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded the verse “each man his staff in his hand” (Zechariah 8:4)—the tzaddikim are destined to resurrect the dead… (Pesachim 68a). Thus, this is “with a m’chokek, with their staff”—i.e., Moshe’s lowliness, which is within all the 248 limbs of each and every person, will be restored to life as a result of repentance. And this is:", + "And from the wilderness, a gift— “Wilderness” alludes to lowliness; that a person trains himself to be a wilderness, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Eruvin 54a). As a result of this “a gift”—i.e., Shabbat, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: I have a precious gift in My treasure-vault. Shabbat is her name (Shabbat 10b). This is because the delight of the World to Come—the concept of Shabbat/eternal life—will primarily be only for each individual’s lowliness, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "10. And this is as it is written: {“Does the eagle soar by your command, building its nest up high, dwelling on the rock and lodging there, upon the crag and fortress? From there chafar (it searches) for food; its eyes look out to the distance” (Job 39:27-29).} dwelling on the rock and lodging— “Rock” is the B’ER, the concept of Bei’URei Torah, the concept of “The b’er which captains chafaruha” as mentioned above. And this is:", + "From there chafar for food— This is the aforementioned concept of embarrassment, for through Torah interpretations one merits embarrassment, as mentioned above. This is the meaning of “From there chafar for food,” because he is ashamed to put the food into his mouth on account of the feeling of embarrassment which comes over him, as mentioned above. And this is:", + "its eyes look out to the di st ance— In other words, he perceives and looks at how distant he is from God, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "11. Therefore, it was Yitro in particular who said to Moshe, “As for you, you shall see.” Moshe was his son-in-law, so Yitro was aware of his great holiness and abstinence, and so it was specifically he who said to Moshe, “As for you, you shall see.” Specifically “As for you,” because Yitro was aware of his great holiness; that he could see and gaze at each one, and apportion to them the greatness and authority with a mere gaze, as mentioned above.", + "Moreover, Yitro was a convert. Converts come from the sanctified marital relations of the tzaddikim, as it is written (Genesis 12:5), “and the souls which they made in Charan.” And it is brought (Zohar III, 168a) : During the time that Avraham and Sarah were barren, their marital relations bore the souls of converts. Therefore, Yitro, who was a convert and so came from the sanctity of the marital relations of tzaddikim, knew the great value of their holiness—that by virtue of their great holiness their marital relations produce the souls of converts, [and] all the more so the holiness of their abstinence. He therefore knew that by virtue of Moshe’s great holiness and abstinence he was able to gaze at the people and, through his gazing alone, give them the greatness, as mentioned above. Therefore, Yitro in particular said to Moshe, “As for you, you shall see…,” as mentioned above.", + "Thus, the letters YiTRO are the final letters of “V’rabim me’y’sheineY admaT ahfaR yakitzU (Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake)” (Daniel 12:2). For Yitro in particular said to Moshe, “As for you, you shall see.” And through the concept of “As for you, you shall see” people merit greatness and Torah interpretations, and via this attain embarrassment and repentance. And through repentance, which is the concept of eternal life, each person’s lowliness returns to life. For the Resurrection will essentially be of the lowliness, as in “awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust,” as mentioned above.", + "And all this comes about particularly through Yitro, because Yitro in particular said to Moshe, “As for you, you shall see,” due to which all the aforementioned concepts come about. It is therefore hinted at in the letters of YiTRO—“V’rabim me’y’sheineY admaT ahfaR yakitzU,” the last letters of which spell Yitro. For through Yitro, who said, “As for you, you shall see,” is drawn the concept of life/resurrection/“awake and sing out, you who dwell in the dust”/“Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake.” Specifically “those who sleep in the dust of the earth”—i.e., the concept of lowliness.", + "And this is “Of those who remain in Zion and notar (are left) in Jerusalem, ‘Holy,’ will be said of him” (Isaiah 4:3). “And nOTaR in Jerusalem” alludes to yiTRO, through whom in particular “‘Holy,’ will be said of him”—of the tzaddik. For Yitro, a convert, was aware the holiness of the tzaddik, as mentioned above. He therefore said to Moshe, “As for you, you shall see,” because [Yitro] was aware of his holiness, the concept of “‘Holy,’ will be said of him.”" + ], + [ + "12. The principle which emerges from all that has been mentioned above is that whoever comes to a true tzaddik and hears Torah from his mouth ought to be infused with very great embarrassment and lowliness. This is a sign that he was with a true tzaddik, when embarrassment and lowliness come over him as a result of his having heard some Torah teaching from his mouth. For on account of the Torah which a true tzaddik draws, embarrassment is drawn, as was the case during the Giving of the Torah, as mentioned above.", + "And as a result of the embarrassment, which is repentance, the lowliness of Moshe in every single person, within each and every limb, returns to life. Of necessity, each person then genuinely feels his lowliness. However, whoever comes to some false leader and hears Torah from his mouth, and as a result becomes haughty… {the reverse is automatically understood}.", + "Nevertheless, we have no idea at all what true lowliness is. For the goal is certainly not to be of low self-esteem, contemptuous and pathetic, someone whom people call “an unfortunate” {in Yiddish, a schlimazel}. For lowliness is the essential life within each and every limb, and it is the entire delight of the World to Come, as mentioned above. And it is certainly not the purpose of the World to Come that one should be contemptuous and pathetic…, God forbid. Therefore, the only thing one has to do is ask God to help him merit genuine humility and lowliness, which is the essence of life and the primary delight of the World to Come, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Whoever wants to merit returning to God should recite Tehillim (the Book of Psalms) regularly, because reciting psalms is propitious for repentance.", + "For there are fifty gates of repentance. Forty-nine of these gates can be entered and attained by anyone. But the fiftieth gate is the concept of the repentance of God Himself, as it were, for we find the concept of repentance also in connection with God, as it is written, “Return to Me and I will return to you” (Malachi 3:7).", + "And these forty-nine gates of repentance correspond to the forty-nine letters in the names of the Twelve Tribes of God. For each and every gate is associated with a letter from the tribes’ forty-nine letters. Now, see, everyone desires to be God-fearing. However, not everyone merits repenting. There are those individuals who are not in the least motivated to repent. And even someone who is motivated to repent, does not [necessarily] merit reaching the letter and repentance gate pertinent to him. And even if he reaches there, it is possible that the repentance-gate is closed. On account of any of these, a person is not privileged to repent. But by reciting psalms, even someone without any motivation whatsoever to repent awakes to repent. And through the Psalms he also merits reaching his gate and letter, and opening the gate. It follows, that through Tehillim he merits repenting.", + "{“These are the last words of David and the words of the man who was established ol (on high), the anointed of the God of Yaakov and the sweet singer of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1).} This is the meaning of “the words of the man who was established OL (on high),” which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded as: he established OoLah (the benefit) of repentance (Moed Katan 16b). “And the sweet singer of Israel.” Through the concept of “the sweet singer of Israel”—i.e., the Book of Psalms which he compiled—he established the benefit of repentance. This is because through Tehillim one merits repentance.", + "And this is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: David was not suited for that deed. However, it was in order to teach individuals repentance (Avodah Zarah 4b). It follows, that the primary teaching of repentance came through King David. And King David’s primary repentance is Tehillim, which he recited with such great inspiration and Divine spirit that everyone—as he is—is able to find himself in the Book of Psalms and merit repentance by reciting psalms." + ], + [ + "2. Now, the main refinement of the Twelve Tribes of God—who are the forty-nine letters, corresponding to the forty-nine gates of repentance—occurred in MiTZRayim (Egypt), the concept of MeiTZaR (narrow) of the throat, which corresponds to upper repentance (as brought in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory; see there and understand well). Therefore, after they were refined in Egypt and merited to depart from there, they counted the forty-nine days of the Omer Counting, which correspond to the forty-nine gates of repentance, the aforementioned forty-nine letters. Then, on the fiftieth day, “God descended on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20). This is the concept of “and I will return to you,” the repentance of God Himself, as it were, which corresponds to the fiftieth gate, as mentioned above.", + "And this is: v’eileH shemoT bneI yisraeL haba’iM mitzraymaH eT yaakoV iSh u-beitO (“And these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt; with Yaakov, each man and his household”), the final letters of which spell TeHiLlIM and TeShUVaH. Through Tehillim one merits teshuvah (repentance), the concept of “the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt….” For the forty-nine gates of teshuvah are the forty-nine letters in the names of Israel’s sons. They came to Egypt in order to be refined there." + ], + [ + "3. Thus we see empirically that during the days of repentance, i.e., Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance, all Jews are occupied then with reciting psalms, since reciting psalms is propitious for repentance, as mentioned above. It is therefore a very great thing to constantly recite psalms, for the Psalms are a very, very great awakening to God. Praiseworthy is he who adopts this practice." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "After Purim we read the Chapter of Parah, which is a preparation for Pesach. The Chapter of Parah is read so that people will be alerted to purify themselves from the impurity of a corpse, in order to be ritually pure for offering the Pesach sacrifice.", + "It begins as the concept of pur (lottery), for PuRim is named after the PuR (Esther 9:26). But afterwards it becomes PaRah (cow), because Purim, too, is certainly an approach and path to Pesach.", + "This is the meaning of “His lips, roses dripping with flowing myrrh” (Song of Songs 5:13). “His lips” is the concept of PeSaCh—Peh SaCh (a mouth that speaks) (as is brought). Shoshanah (rose) is Esther (as is brought in the holy Zohar and the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory). “Dripping with flowing myrrh” alludes to MoRDeKhaI—MoR D’ror (Chulin 139b), which connotes freedom, the freedom of Pesach.", + "Therefore, the letters which spell Purim are hinted at in the verse about Pesach: “seven days you shall eat matzahs as I have commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of the standing grain, for in it you exited from Egypt, and you shall not appear in My presence empty-handed” (Exodus 23:15). The first letters of MeMitzraim V’lo Yeira’u Panai Reikam (“from Egypt, and you shall not appear in My presence empty-handed”) spell PURYM. This is because Purim is the path to Pesach, so that it is possible to be on the alert against chametz. {The Rebbe stopped in the middle of this idea and did not reveal more.}", + "For, initially, all beginnings were from Pesach. This is why all the mitzvot are “a commemoration of exiting Egypt.” But now… {the Rebbe did not complete this}." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Merely seeing the face of the tzaddik is also a very great thing. For our Sages, of blessed memory, said that a Torah sage is greater than the Torah, as they taught: How foolish are those other people. They stand up for a Torah scroll but not for a great person (Makkot 22b). It follows, that a Torah sage is greater than the Torah.", + "Regarding the Torah, we find that our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: The light it contains betters him (Eikhah Rabbah, Introduction 2). All the more so the light of the tzaddik. Merely gazing at him greatly enhances holiness. Of course, being privileged to speak with him is better still. But even just gazing at him is also a great thing." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Jews become masters to their masters, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Wherever they go they become princes to their masters (Sanhedrin 104a). This is because wherever they go in exile, initially they are subjugated. But afterwards, they become masters to their masters, because afterwards they conquer that place to which they have been exiled. For Israel raises and elevates all the low and fallen places. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Megillah 6a) : The amphitheaters and arenas are destined to have Torah publicly taught in them, as it is stated: “and then he too will remain for our God” (Zechariah 9:7). See there.", + "Israel elevates and raises all the fallen places. This is why, in exile, Israel is called “children of the Diaspora.” Although they afterwards become masters, and they lift, raise and elevate everything, initially they are in exile—since, nevertheless, they wander in exile. But afterwards they elevate and raise everything, and so are called “children of the golah (Diaspora).” GOLaH is an acronym for V’nishar Gam Hu L’Eloheinu (“and then he too will remain for our God”). This is because afterwards they elevate and raise everything, as in “and then he too will remain for our God,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: The amphitheaters and arenas are destined to have Torah publicly taught in them…." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! every Jew, even a great tzaddik, necessarily experiences some suffering every day. Moreover, the greater a person’s daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God), the greater his suffering, as in “he who increases daat increases anguish” (Ecclesiastes 1:18).", + "The sweetening comes about through eating in holiness and with fear of Heaven. In other words, eating in holiness produces mitigation so that the suffering does not become overpowering, God forbid. It also prevents a devolution from the suffering devolving to the Other Side, God forbid—this being harsh judgment, God forbid.", + "And through this, i.e., through eating in holiness, which brings about mitigation, the mouth assumes the aspect of human status, as in “Who makes a mouth into a man?” (Exodus 4:11)—i.e., it makes and gives the mouth human status. This is because anyone whose eating lacks holiness, God forbid, his mouth is literally an aspect of an animal. But when he eats in holiness, he makes the mouth human—the mouth assumes human status.", + "The reason is that fear of God comes to a person mainly while eating, as in (Ruth 2:14), “at mealtime, ‘Come halom (over here)’” {as we have discussed elsewhere (above, in Likutey Moharan II, 7:10)}—halom is nothing other than Malkhut (Zevachim 102a), which conceptually corresponds to the fear of God, as our Sages stated: Were it not for the fear of malkhut (the government)… (Avot 3:2). It follows, that fear comes to a person while eating. {This is explained in the lesson “Vayehi Mikeitz – For He with Compassion will Lead Them,” that sustenance and livelihood are drawn mainly from Malkhut (Kingship), which corresponds to fear of God. Study there well.}", + "Therefore, when a person eats in holiness and draws upon himself the fear of God that is accessible to him at the time of eating—i.e., he eats with fear of Heaven, in proper holiness and purity—he brings the concept of Malkhut /fear of God into the mouth. The mouth assumes human status, as in “Who makes a mouth into a man?” For when a person does not eat in holiness and with fear of Heaven, the fear accessible at the time of eating stands afar and does not enter into him. But when he eats in holiness and with fear of God—i.e., he draws upon himself the aforementioned holy fear—then the concept of fear/ Malkhut enters his mouth and his mouth assumes human status.", + "In reward for this—that he eats in holiness and with fear of Heaven, and makes the mouth human—he merits an even greater ascent. From the aforementioned human status he is elevated to the aspect of Supernal Man, as in “and upon the Throne there was a form in appearance like a man on it from above” (Ezekiel 1:26). This refers to Supernal Man, the concept of the Shekhinah speaks from within his throat. It corresponds to “Adonoy (O God), open my lips” (Psalms 51:17), for with the opening of his mouth he is the aspect of Adonoy, of the Shekhinah speaks from within his throat. That is, when he makes the mouth human, he is in the category of “speaker,” for speech is the defining element of a human being. But afterwards he merits the mouth being elevated to the aspect of Supernal Man, the concept of the Shekhinah speaks from within his throat, as in “Adonoy, open my lips.”" + ], + [ + "2. This that eating in holiness mitigates the suffering—know! this relates to the devolved suffering being greater for someone with daat, as in “he who increases daat increases anguish,” as mentioned above. On the face of it, this is perplexing: Why should it be so, that whoever increases daat increases suffering, God forbid? But know! this is the concept of the maabarta (passageway) of the tefilin, because “Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Psalms 111:10), and where there is no fear of God, there is no wisdom (Avot 3:17). Therefore, whoever merits some wisdom and daat, also has fear of God pass over him, because each one depends on the other.", + "This is the concept of the maabarta of tefilin. Tefilin signifies mochin (mentalities). The retzuah (strap) signifies fear of God. For an evil strap is fallen fear (Zohar, Introduction, p.11b), and holy fear is likewise a strap, [but] of holiness. Thus this is the concept of the strap which passes through the maabarta of tefilin—i.e., the strap/fear of God passes through the mentalities and the tefilin, because “Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.”", + "Therefore, every Jew who merits mochin /tefilin each day also has fear of God pass over him—the concept of the strap which passes through the passageway of tefilin. And from this some suffering devolves and comes to each person every day. And so whoever has greater daat experiences greater suffering. This is because the suffering devolves from fear of God, and fear of God is commensurate with the intellect and daat .", + "Thus although suffering is due to holy fear, its devolution, God forbid, results in the suffering being from the concept of fallen fears, the evil strap. Even a Jew, when he is lacking merit, God forbid, suffers from the evil strap, God forbid.", + "But by eating in holiness—that he eats in holiness and as he eats draws upon himself holy fear which approaches him and makes itself accessible then—through this he mitigates the suffering and judgment which stem from the evil strap, God forbid. This is because he draws upon himself holy fear, through which the fallen fears—which are the concept of the evil strap, God forbid—ascend and are mitigated.", + "3. This is the meaning of the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory.", + "A retzuah (st rip) extended from the portion of Yehudah into the portion of Binyamin. That tzaddik anguished over it each day, and hoped to swallow it up. He was thus privileged to become ushpizkhan (ho st) to the Shekhinah (Megillah 26a) .", + "Binyamin represents daat, the concept of mochin /tefilin. This is because the Holy Temple was in the portion of Binyamin (Sifri, Vezot HaBerakhah 11, and Rashi there), and the Holy Temple corresponds to daat , as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: For someone with daat, it is as if the Holy Temple was built in his day (Berakhot 33a). For daat and the Holy Temple are each positioned between two Divine Names.", + "Yehudah represents Malkhut, the concept of fear of God. This is:", + "retzuah (strip) — This alludes to the aforementioned retzuah (strap), which corresponds to fear of God, the strap of the tefilin.", + "it extends from the portion of Yehudah into the portion of Binyamin— That is, the retzuah (strip) comes from the concept of Yehudah’s portion, the concept of fear, and enters into Binyamin’s portion, i.e., into the tefilin/ mochin. This is the concept of the retzuah (strap) which passes through the maabarta of the tefilin, as mentioned above. And this is:", + "That tzaddik was anguished over it each day— For from this strap suffering comes to each Jew every day, especially to the tzaddik, who has greater daat, as mentioned above. And this is:", + "and hoped to swallow it up— That is, through eating he constantly hoped and sought to remedy and mitigate the suffering that comes from the aforementioned retzuah, as mentioned above.", + "He was thus privileged to become ushpizkhan to the Shekhinah— In other words, he merited mitigating the suffering by eating in holiness and with fear of Heaven, as mentioned above. Through this he became host to the Shekhinah—i.e., the mouth assumed human status.", + "This is the meaning of ushpiza (“host”). For when Rabbi Yose bar Assyan would speak wittily, he would refer to an ushpiza (innkeeper) as a “man of this mouth” (Eruvin 53b)—i.e., ish pi zeh, as Rashi explains there. This is the concept of “Who makes a mouth into a man?”—that the mouth assumes human status, i.e., the concept of ish pi zeh; that the mouth becomes the concept of a man, of human status.", + "This is the meaning of “become ushpizkhan to the Shekhinah.” Through the aforementioned mitigation which results from eating in holiness, through which one merits making the mouth human, one afterwards merits the aspect of Supernal Man, the concept of the Shekhinah speaks from within his throat. This is the meaning of “become host to the Shekhinah”—he merited the concept of the Shekhinah speaks from within his throat, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of the true tzaddik’s simple devotions:", + "At times, the true tzaddik is a genuinely ordinary person (called prustik), comporting himself in the ways of simplicity. He does not reveal any Torah teachings, but engages in everyday conversations and the like, and so then resembles a genuinely ordinary person." + ], + [ + "2. Know! the Torah is the essence of life, as it is written, “for it is your life and the length of your days” (Deuteronomy 30:20). Anyone who separates from the Torah it is as if he separates from life (Zohar I, 92a). Therefore, on the face of it, the matter is puzzling and amazing. How is it possible to separate oneself from the Torah even for a short while? In fact, it is unavoidable; it is impossible to be constantly attached to the Torah, day and night, without a moment’s interruption. Every Torah devotee, including the scholar who studies Talmud and its commentators, and the like—each one commensurate with his level, according to the subject matter he studies—must absent himself from the Torah for some time during the day. The same is true also of one with deep mystical insight, and also of one who is much, much loftier. Even so, he must interrupt and set aside his perceiving for a while, because it is impossible to continuously cleave to Torah or mystical perception, without interruption. Of necessity one must stop for a while, to engage in some business or the like, because one must also care for the body’s needs.", + "The rule is that it is absolutely impossible to cleave to the Torah and mystical perception without any interruption, and of necessity one must break for a while. During that time he is absent from the Torah, this scholar or mystic is a genuinely ordinary person (i.e., a prustik).", + "On the face of it, this is very perplexing: How can a person separate himself from the Torah even for a short while? Why, it is our life…. Who would want to separate himself from life for even a brief moment? Thus, although our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Setting aside Torah perpetuates it (Menachot 99b), still, who would want this—to be absent from the Torah even though this is its perpetuation? Cleaving to the Torah, which is life and length of days, is nevertheless certainly even better. Which person wants to separate from life even for a single moment, particularly someone who is fortunate to love the Torah and is extremely diligent in Torah and much attached to it? More so someone who has merited feeling some sweetness in Torah, originating some insight, even a straightforward explanation of Talmud and its commentaries? And even more so a mystic, particularly one who has merited entering the King’s treasury, a privilege the mind cannot fathom. Thus, how can he want to separate from the Torah for even a short while?", + "In truth, as mentioned above, it is impossible to continuously cleave to Torah study, because of necessity one must break and stop for a while. If so, from what do people draw life during the time they are absent from Torah? Why, the essence of life is from the Torah, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "3. But know! during the time the true tzaddik is an ordinary person, he draws life from the road which leads to the Land of Israel. For know! all these ordinary people—i.e., the scholar while he is absent from Torah, at which time he is an ordinary person; likewise a genuinely ordinary person who, although not a scholar, is a religious and God-fearing person and certainly receives life-force from the Torah; and likewise even those of lower station, and even the nations of the world, as they, too, certainly receive life-force from the Torah—all these ordinary people must have an extraordinarily ordinary individual over them, so that they might all receive life-force through him. This is because all the aforementioned ordinary people have to receive some life-force from the Torah, which is the essence of life. However, in reality, they are far from the Torah, for they are ordinary people (called prustakes). Therefore, they need an extraordinary ordinary individual over them, through whom they all receive life-force from the Torah." + ], + [ + "4A. Know! all the aforementioned ordinary people—whether a scholar who engages in Torah study for its own sake, {because when one engages in Torah st udy not for its own sake, his st udy does not contribute to settling the world. Study not for its own sake is solely a personal need, but even in this there are levels. Only when one engages in study for its own sake is he engaging in settling the world.} who when he sets aside his studies is a genuinely ordinary person, or the other ordinary types—each one, commensurate with his connection to Torah, draws life while in a state of simplicity from the concept of the world’s existence prior to the receiving of the Torah.", + "For prior to the receiving of the Torah, the world existed solely through His kindness. There was as yet no Torah and no mitzvah performance through which to perpetuate the world. The world essentially existed through His kindness alone. The tzaddik, while in a state of simplicity, separate from the Torah, receives life-force from that element [of kindness].", + "This is the concept of the Treasury of Unearned Gifts. For there is a treasury with unearned gifts. Someone with no merit at all receives from there (Shemot Rabbah 45:6). This Treasury is surely not prepared for the wicked. If it were, the wicked person would be greater than the tzaddik, since the wicked person certainly has no merit whatsoever. Should he, on account of this, receive from the Treasury of Unearned Gifts? However, in reality, the wicked person definitely does not receive from there. Rather, this Treasury of Unearned Gifts is for the tzaddik alone, that is, at the time the tzaddik is an ordinary person, as mentioned above. He then receives from this Treasury of Unearned Gifts.", + "This corresponds to prior to the receiving of the Torah, when the world existed solely through unearned kindness, as in “for His kindness is everlasting,” which refers to the era before the Giving of the Torah. {As is brought in the Talmud, Pesachim (118a) : To what do those twenty-six “for His kindness is everlasting” correspond? They correspond to the twenty-six generations….} For then there was no Torah at all, and people were occupied solely with settling the world and derekh eretz (worldly occupation), as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in the Midrash: Greater is derekh eretz, for it preceded the Torah by twenty-six generations (Vayikra Rabbah 9:3). The world essentially existed then through unearned kindness alone.", + "4B. In truth, the Torah surely existed then as well, prior to the receiving of the Torah, because the Torah is eternal. However, then, before the Giving of the Torah, the Torah was hidden and concealed. That is, the entire Torah is encompassed in the Ten Commandments, and so, before the Giving of the Torah the Ten Commandments were hidden within the Ten Utterances through which the world was created. It follows, that the entire Torah was hidden and concealed within the settling of the world, which was created through the Ten Utterances.", + "Thus in all the words of the world and all the deeds and works—whether of a woodchopper or some other occupation—the Torah is hidden in all of them, for everything was created through the Ten Utterances in which the Torah was hidden and concealed before the Giving of the Torah. And the tzaddik, at the time he separates from the Torah and corresponds to an ordinary person, receives life-force from this aspect of before the Giving of the Torah.", + "And this is the concept of the aforementioned derekh (road) to the Land of Israel from which the tzaddik draws life while in a state of simplicity. This is because the power of the Land of Israel’s sanctity is in essence produced by the concept of “He informed His people of the power of His acts, to give them the heritage of the nations” (Psalms 111:6). This is as Rashi comments on the verse Bereishit: The reason Scripture begins with “In the beginning” (Genesis 1:1) is to prevent them from saying, “You are robbers….” Scripture therefore began with “In the beginning,” [to make known] that God created everything, and by His wish He gave it to them, and by His wish…. It follows, that the Land of Israel’s power in essence stems from the Ten Utterances through which the world was created, which are the concept of “the power of His acts.” Through this Israel was able to go and conquer the Land of Israel.", + "4C. And here, too, in the Diaspora, this concept applies. There are instances when Israel, the holy nation, comes to places which were extremely distant from the sanctity of Israel, for example, a place which originally belonged to idolaters and even now is ruled by one who is very distant from Israel’s sanctity. Jews come there, conquer the place and sanctify it, making it a Jewish place. This, too, is the concept of the Land of Israel, and they could have said, “You are robbers. You conquered this place which is not yours.” However, through “the power of His acts,” the concept of Ten Utterances, we are permitted to conquer the entire world and sanctify it with the sanctity of Israel, because God created it and of His own will gave it to us.", + "It follows, that the Ten Utterances enclothed in worldly occupation—namely, in settling the world, since the world was created through them—are the road to the Land of Israel. Thus, through the concept of the Ten Utterances it is possible to conquer the Land of Israel. This is the concept of derekh eretz (worldly occupation). It is the derekh (road) and path to eretz—i.e., to Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel). This is because derekh eretz, which is settling the world that was created with the Ten Utterances, is itself the road and path to the Land of Israel, as mentioned above. This is derekh eretz—it is the derekh to Eretz Yisrael .", + "And through this derekh eretz, namely, the derekh of the Land of Israel—i.e., the Ten Utterances with which the world was created, in which the Torah is hidden and through which the world existed on His kindness during the twenty-six generations that preceded the Giving of the Torah—through this itself the tzaddik vitalizes himself while in a state of simplicity, not studying Torah. He then vitalizes himself through the concept of the Torah hidden within the world, in all the words and all the works which were created through the Ten Utterances, where the Torah is hidden, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "5. Therefore, the great tzaddik is forced to descend and fall into simplicity, and to be a genuinely ordinary person for some time. Through this he gives life to all the aforementioned ordinary people, no matter who they are, even the nations of the world. He vitalizes himself from the Torah hidden in the Ten Utterances enclothed within the world, and all the aforementioned ordinary people receive life-force from him. And the closer a person is to holiness and the aforementioned tzaddik, the more exalted the life-force he receives from him." + ], + [ + "6. {“And I pleaded with God at that time, leimor (saying)” (Deuteronomy 3:23).} And so, when Moshe Rabbeinu, may peace be upon him, begged to enter the Land of Israel, he requested an unearned gift, as it is written, “And I pleaded with God”—the concept of an unearned gift. And this is “at that time, saying.” That is, his prayer was with the power of the concept of “at that time, saying”—i.e., the power of that time when the world existed through the Ten Utterances. This was before the Giving of the Torah, when the world existed through the Ten Utterances in which the Torah was hidden. The world’s existence was then the result of an unearned gift. And with this power of the world’s existence prior to the Giving of the Torah—i.e., the concept of unearned gifts, the aforementioned Ten Utterances—one merits coming and conquering the Land of Israel, as mentioned above. Moshe therefore used this concept in begging to enter the Land of Israel.", + "Thus, this is the meaning of: And I pleaded with God— That is, an unearned gift.", + "at that time, lEiMoR—That is, with the power of that time when the world existed through the maAMaRot (utterances) alone. The world existed then through the concept of an unearned gift, which allows coming to the Land of Israel, as mentioned above. Moshe therefore begged to enter the Land of Israel using this concept. This is the meaning of “at that time.” “That” alludes to hidden and concealed, because at that time, prior to the Giving of the Torah, the Torah was hidden and concealed within the Ten Utterances, etc., as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "7. The rule is: It is forbidden to despair. Even someone who is perfectly ordinary and unable to study at all, or is in a place where it is impossible for him to study, and the like—even so, also at the time of his simplicity he has to strengthen himself with fear of God and simple devotion according to his level. This is because then, too, he receives life-force from the Torah, as mentioned above, via the extraordinarily ordinary individual—i.e., the great tzaddik who gives life to everyone, who is at times an ordinary person.", + "And even someone who, God forbid, God forbid, is on the absolutely lowest level, may God spare us; even if he is situated in the lowest pit of Hell, may God spare us, should nevertheless keep himself from despair. He should fulfill “I cried out from the belly of Hell” (Jonah 2:3), and encourage himself with whatever he can, because he, too, can return and repent and receive life-force from the Torah via the aforementioned tzaddik.", + "The main thing is to encourage oneself in every way possible {for there is no such thing as despair! (What he said was: Kein yiush iz gor nit fahr-handin !) He drew out these words Kein yiush…, and said them emphatically and with very amazing and awesome depth, in order to instruct and hint to each and every person throughout the generations not to despair under any circumstances, no matter what happens to him.} And be what may, even if one has fallen to where he has fallen, God spare us, since he encourages himself with something, he still has hope of repenting and returning to God.", + "Yet, even an ordinary person must have fear of Heaven. There are a number of kinds of fear. Previously, we spoke of the concept of derekh eretz—i.e., the derekh to Eretz Yisrael. However, the Land of Israel itself also contains the concept of ten sanctities, for there are ten types of holiness there, one loftier than the other. They correspond to the Ten Utterances, as each maAMaR (Utterance) is associated with an element of fear, the concept of “Fulfill for Your servant IMRatekha (Your promise), which is for those who fear You” (Psalms 119:38). For there are higher and higher levels of fear. {The Rebbe did not finish explaining this matter.}", + "And in whatever way he can he has to encourage himself with fear of Heaven also while in a state of simplicity. He can then attain great joy through his simplicity and his faith. For sophistication is altogether unnecessary; only faith, straightforwardness and simplicity, without any sophistication whatsoever. This is because sophistication is very harmful for a person, and sophisticated individuals get caught in their own sophistication. For sophistication leads him astray, from one sophisticated idea to the next, and from that sophisticated idea to another, and likewise to more and more sophisticated ideas until he becomes trapped and is led astray by his own sophistication, as in “He traps the sophisticated by their own cleverness” (Job 5:13). Specifically “by their own cleverness”—i.e., by the cleverness and sophistication which they themselves possess, He traps them. Praiseworthy is the one who follows the path of simplicity." + ], + [ + "8. And we have to plead a great deal with God to be worthy of drawing near to the true tzaddik. Fortunate is the one who, while still alive, is privileged to get closer to the true tzaddik. Fortunate is he, fortunate is his lot. {For afterwards (i.e., after death), it is then very hard to get closer. Thus one has to pray a great many prayers and supplications to merit, while he is still alive, getting closer to the true tzaddikim.}", + "Presently, the evil inclination has made this its mission, to confuse the world, because the Jewish people are now very close to the End. The Jews now have great longing and yearning for God, the likes of which never existed in earlier times. Each one has great yearning for God. The evil inclination therefore roused, and it instigated conflict among the tzaddikim. It established many false leaders in the world, and also instigated great conflict among the true tzaddikim, such that no one knows where the truth is. Therefore, we have to plead a great deal with God to be worthy of drawing near to the true tzaddik." + ], + [ + "9. {The following was copied from a manuscript penned by the Rebbe, of blessed memory, which we found among his possessions. It lists the topic headings of the foregoing lesson and also includes additional concepts which he did not explicitly clarify. One who studies these topic headings will understand from them that the foregoing lesson contains many additional similar concepts, yet we were not privileged to explicitly hear any more than the above.}", + "“And I pleaded” ☛ an unearned gift ☛ chinam, incestuous relations ☛ a blemish of daat ☛ Moshe, daat /abstinence ☛ “stand here by Me” ☛ the creation, an unearned gift ☛ “The world will be built on lovingkindness” ☛ the creation before the Giving of the Torah ☛ “It is a time to do for God”—i.e., the doing (creation) of the world—“they have voided Your Torah”—the setting aside of Torah ☛ “at that time, saying,” through the Ten Utterances ☛ “that,” the hiddenness ☛ “He informed His people of the power of His acts.”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "We found another manuscript penned by the Rebbe, of blessed memory, containing the topic headings of an amazing teaching: “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” ☛ a declaration ☛ Esav, “And he raised his voice” ☛ Yitzchak, time, kuf tzaddi, sleepers, etc. ☛ “you shall return to God your Lord and heed His voice” ☛ “Yitzchak the son of Avraham,” time unites ☛ “Avraham who loved Me” ☛ “in his eyes but a few days because of his love” ☛ “the remnant who returns is your son” ☛ “If you return, I will take you back” and you will stand before Me.", + "“For the sun had set” ☛ time contracted ☛ “vayishkav (and he lay down) in that place” ☛ yesh khaf-bet ☛ “Take words with you and return” ☛ “of the stones of the place,” stones – letters ☛ “at his head,” the mind purifies all.", + "“And Yaakov sent angels,” time-based mitzvot, he performed many mitzvot, many angels were created ☛ “before him” ☛ repentance ☛ “I will take you back” ☛ “in the land of Seir” ☛ N-D-T -H-R ☛ “let me assign” ☛ sukkah, repentance ☛ “Tesukkeini (You covered me) in my mother’s womb” ☛ birth ☛ “the remnant who returns is your son.”", + "“And Yaakov dwelled in the land,” to fulfill honoring one’s parents, to void the power of Esav’s honoring ☛ “These are the offspring,” disqualifies Esav’s progeny ☛ Yosef, repentance ☛ adding to tzaddikim ☛ In the place where penitents stand ☛ “the House of Esav for straw,” “the House of Yosef a flame.”", + "“At the end of two years” ☛ the End of Days ☛ “Pharaoh dreamed” ☛ the Other Side gains strength ☛ “and, look, he was standing,” he was silent ☛ “the river,” repentance, “He dammed up the river’s depths” ☛ “the rivers raise up their voice.”", + "“Then Yehudah approached him,” a drawing near of king to king, they united through mitzvot ☛ “Behold, the kings,” then “they passed over” all the destroying angels ☛ “let [your servant] speak [a word] in the ear,” that they not confuse my voice ☛ “let your wrath not flare,” “When you are in straits” ☛ “like PhaRAoh,” repentance ☛ “b’phroa praot (when vengeance was inflicted,) when they offered themselves” ☛ “for you are like Pharaoh” ☛ commensurable repentance ☛ Yosef hid away my shame.", + "“The days drew near for Yisrael to die” ☛ the unification of time ☛ “to die” is: “When you are in straits…,” in the End of Days ☛ “and he called for his son, for Yosef” ☛ repentance, “the remnant who returns is your son” ☛ hid away my shame ☛ “do not bury me in Mitzrayim,” in the meitzar (narrow) of the throat ☛ at the time of “When you are batzar (in straits).”", + "“And these are the shemot (names)” ☛ “Go and see the works… shamot (devastations),” works – mitzvot ☛ shamot, separation between the mitzvot ☛ “All the souls were… seventy souls” ☛ unity ☛ through “and Yosef was already in Mitzrayim (Egypt),” “asaf (has taken away) my shame.”", + "“And I appeared to Avraham… as El Shadai,” time and the bounds of exile ☛ “but by My Name YHVH,” when they will knock on the doors of mercy ☛ prior to the End ☛ this is the nearing of the times ☛ “I have also established My covenant… to give them the land of their sojournings,” their dwellings, repentance, “And also I have heard the groaning of the Israelites” ☛ this is voice ☛ “sojournings,” the gathering up of the sparks through repentance ☛ to the Land of Israel ☛ “the builder of Jerusalem” ☛ “He gathers in the outcast of Israel.”", + "“Come to Pharaoh” ☛ Moshe, the concept of uniting the times, “Mah shehayah, hu sheyihiyeh (What was, will be)” ☛ Pharaoh, “its voice like a snake slithering away” ☛ “I have hardened his heart, so that I might set My signs” ☛ “if they do not believe… the voice of the sign” ☛ “in his midst” ☛ the load with which He burdened Israel in order to rouse them to repentance ☛ “And Pharaoh drew near.”", + "“And Yitro heard” the splitting of the Red Sea and the war against Amalek ☛ splitting the Red Sea, this is the nullification of the times ☛ “and God looked out over the camp of Egypt through a pillar of fire and cloud, and He confused them” ☛ “a pillar of fire” is night and “cloud” is day, and the Blessed Holy One mixed them together and nullified the times ☛ the war against Amalek is repentance ☛ “Moshe, Aharon and Chur”; Rashi comments: they were fasting ☛ because of this “And Yitro heard”—he heard the voice. {Until here is leshon Rabbeinu, may his memory be for a blessing.}" + ], + [ + "2. We found all this in a manuscript penned by Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, and copied it letter by letter. Now see, the words are hidden and sealed from every eye; “no one leaves or enters.” Nevertheless, because of our strong desire to understand and comprehend whatever we can of the beauty of his wondrous holy insights, I labored and found a miniscule amount, as “one peeking through the cracks.” Behold, “I am the seer.” For [the Rebbe] wrote these down in the form of topic headings, general hints, as memory aids, yet after investigation I understood some of the introductions which he had in mind, around which this entire subject revolves. I found a tiny part of it, not the entirety, since, apparently, he certainly had some additional introductions in mind which I was not privileged to ascertain. On account of this it is impossible to clarify and explain the matter well, so that all his words might be understood. Nevertheless, that which can be somewhat understood based on the introduction, that which I succeeded in comprehending from his words, I said I would elucidate. Perhaps, through this “the wise will hear and gain erudition,” and, deriving a further insight from my words, properly elucidate the remainder.", + "It was to this that God illuminated my eyes: Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, wants to reveal that repentance and beyond-time—i.e., nullification of the times—are a single concept, through which one merits hearing the voice of holiness and subduing the voice of the Other Side. This is likewise clarified in The New Aleph-Bet, under the letter Tav: Teshuvah 1. He states: “The day a person repents is beyond time and elevates all the days beyond time. Yom Kippur, too, is beyond time.” It follows from this that repentance is beyond time.", + "In my humble opinion, that is what [the Rebbe] wants to clarify with these verses, combined with some additional introductions which I was not privileged to ascertain, as mentioned above. Now, come and see, and understand a bit of his words. We will begin with an example from the end of his holy words, to wit:", + "{“And Yitro heard” (Exodus 18:1) the splitting of the Red Sea and the war against Amalek ☛ splitting the Red Sea, this is the nullification of the times ☛ “and God looked out over the camp of Egypt through a pillar of fire and cloud, and He confused them” (ibid. 14:24) ☛ “a pillar of fire” is night and “cloud” is day, and the Blessed Holy One mixed them together and nullified the times ☛ the war against Amalek is repentance ☛ “Moshe, Aharon and Chur” (Exodus 17:10) ; Rashi comments: they were fasting ☛ because of this “And Yitro heard”—he heard the voice.} “And Yitro heard” the splitting of the Red Sea…. Splitting the Red Sea, this is nullification of the times, “and God looked out…”— The explanation is: Through this he wants to clarify and prove, with incredible conciseness, that splitting the Red Sea is the concept of nullification of the times, because concerning the splitting of the Red Sea it is written:", + "“and God looked out over the camp of Egypt through a pillar of fire and cloud, and He confused them.” “A pillar of fire” is night, and “cloud” is day, and theBlessed Holy One mixed them together and nullified the times. It follows, that splitting the Red Sea is the concept of nullification of the times. He goes on to clarify the aforementioned introduction, that nullification of the times and repentance are a single concept, etc.", + "And this is as he wrote: the war again st Amalek is repentance. “Moshe, Aharon and Chur”; Rashi comments: they were fa st ing— The explanation is: [The Rebbe] proves that the war against Amalek is repentance, because Moshe, Aharon and Chur were then fasting, which conceptually corresponds to repentance. It follows, that splitting the Red Sea and the war against Amalek are the concept of nullification of the times and repentance, which depend one on the other. And as a result “And Yitro heard”—he heard the voice. This is as mentioned above, that through repentance, which is nullification of the times, one hears the voice of holiness.", + "Using this approach, go back and consider all of the topics listed above, and you will find delightful ideas in them. Now, let us return to the beginning of his words:", + "{“The voice is the voice of Yaakov” (Genesis 27:22) ☛ a declaration ☛ Esav, “And he raised his voice” (Genesis 27:38) ☛ Yitzchak, time, kuf tzaddi, sleepers, etc. ☛ “you shall return to God your Lord and heed His voice” (Deuteronomy 4:30) ☛ “Yitzchak the son of Avraham” (Genesis 25:19) , time unites ☛ “Avraham who loved Me” (Isaiah 41:8) ☛ “in his eyes but a few days because of his love” (Genesis 29:20) ☛ “the remnant who returns is your son” (Isaiah 7:3) ☛ “If you return, I will take you back and you will stand before Me” (Jeremiah 15:19).} “The voice is the voice of Yaakov,” a declaration. Esav, “And he raised his voice”—That is, one must raise “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” over the voice of the Other Side, which is the concept of Esav, of whom it is stated, “And he raised his voice.” He strengthens himself in order to drown out Yaakov’s voice, God forbid. And so it is necessary for us to overpower and subdue Esav’s voice in order that we merit hearing the voice of Yaakov. One merits this through repentance, which is nullification of the times, as mentioned above.", + "And this is: Yitzchak, time, kuf tzaddi, sleepers, etc. That is, Yitzchak alludes to time, because the letters YiTZChaK spell KeiTZ ChaY, as is brought. KeiTZ connotes time, which is the concept of the End of Days, as is brought further on: “miKeiTZ (at the end of) two years,” the End of Days. Hence the letters kuf tzaddi, sleepers, etc., allude to time, as explained elsewhere. For the essence of time is in the concept of sleep {as explained above, in Likutey Moharan II, 61}.", + "“you shall return to God your Lord and heed His voice”—That is, through repentance one merits hearing God’s voice, i.e., the voice of holiness. This is because repentance is the nullification of time, on account of which one hears the voice, as mentioned above.", + "And now, [the Rebbe] goes on to clarify that repentance corresponds to the nullification of time—i.e., that time unites, namely, that it ascends, binds and is encompassed in the concept of beyond-time.", + "And this is what he clarifies with his holy words: “Yitzchak the son of Avraham,” time unites. “Avraham who loved Me,” “in his eyes but a few days because of his love.” “The remnant who returns is your son”…. That is, he explains that Avraham is the concept of beyond-time. This is because Avraham’s trait is love, as it is written, “Avraham who loved Me,” and love corresponds to the unification of time, as it is written, “in his eyes but a few days because of his love.” And this is the concept of repentance, which is alluded to by the word “son,” as it is written, “the remnant who returns is your son.” For repentance is beyond time, as it is written, “If you return, I will take you back and you will stand before Me,” and before Him is certainly beyond time, because God is beyond time, as is known.", + "It follows, that “Yitzchak the son of Avraham,” alludes to the unification of time through repentance. Through the concept of son/repentance, Yitzchak, who is the concept of time, as mentioned above, ascends to unite and become encompassed in the concept of Avraham, who corresponds to love/beyond-time. As a result, Yaakov’s voice overcomes Esav’s voice, etc., as mentioned above. For through repentance, which is the nullification of time, one hears the voice of holiness, which is the voice of Yaakov, as mentioned above.", + "{“For the sun had set” (Genesis 28:11) ☛ time contracted ☛ “vayishkav (and he lay down) in that place” ☛ yesh khaf-bet ☛ “Take words with you and return” (Hosea 14:3) ☛ “of the stones of the place,” stones – letters ☛ “at his head,” the mind purifies all.} And this is: “For the sun had set”—time contracted. The sun set prematurely for Yaakov’s sake and time contracted, which is the concept of nullification of time. And this is: “vayishkav (and he lay down) in that place.” Hence the word vaYiShKaV alludes to YeSh Khaf-Bet—i.e., the twenty-two letters of the Torah (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p.34a), from which all words derive. This alludes to repentance, the concept of “Take words with you and return.”", + "And this is: “of the stones of the place”—stones, letters. This refers to the letters of the words, which are the concept of repentance, the concept of “Take words with you and return.”", + "And this is: “at his head”—the mind purifies all. Repentance effects rectification mainly through the sanctity of the mind, which purifies and rectifies all blemishes, for “they are all purified in the mind” (cf. Zohar II, 254b). It follows, that the verse “vayishkav (and he lay down) in that place… for the sun had set, and he took one of the stones of the place and put it at his head”—all this indicates that repentance is the concept of beyond-time.", + "Use this approach to thoroughly analyze all the aforementioned ideas, which were written as hints, in the form of topic headings, and you will understand and discover the aforementioned introductions in each and every topic. You will see only a tiny part of it, not the entirety, because several of the introductions which he had in mind here are still missing, as I have still not merited ascertaining them.", + "In addition, those introductions which, praise God, we have already found in his words are still in need of broader clarification, because, in fact, the main task is to bind and nullify the concept of time, to elevate and merge it into the concept of beyond-time.", + "This is the concept of time-based mitzvot ; in order to merit having time unite via time-based mitzvot, and to elevate it to the concept of beyond-time. And all the suffering and judgments and the grip of the Other Side apply only within time, this being specifically the concept of “When you are in straits… in the End of Days,” which is the concept of time. Then, “you shall return to God your Lord”—that is, we will merit repenting and through this merit nullifying time, as mentioned above. And then, all the suffering and judgments and the grip of the Other Side will be nullified, and we will merit hearing the voice of holiness, the concept of “you shall return to God your Lord, and heed His voice.”", + "All this is clarified from the words of the Rebbe, of blessed memory, in these topic headings. “Impart [wisdom] to the sage, and he will grow wiser,” so as to somewhat understand, through the aforementioned approaches, the majority of the Rebbe’s words written here. Understand this well." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "{In earlier times, whoever wanted to remove [the ash from] the Altar, toreim (removed it). In the event that they were many, they would run and ascend the ramp of the Altar, and whoever came ahead of his colleague into the four cubits secured the privilege. If two of them were even, the [Temple] official would say to them [all]: “Put out a finger!” And what did they display? One or two, but they did not display a thumb in the Temple. It once happened that two were even as they ran and ascended the ramp, and one of them pushed his colleague who fell and broke his leg. When the Court saw that this exposed them to danger, it decreed that selecting the toreim for the Altar should be done only by payis (lot). Four lots were cast there [in the Temple each day], and this was the first lot.} It is brought in Chapter 2 of tractate Yoma (22a) : In earlier times, whoever wanted to perform terumat hadeshen, toreim (removed it), etc. The explanation is: Earlier generations were righteous, and on account of this whoever wanted to secure prominence—which is called DeSheN, as it is written (Psalms 23:5), “D’ShaNta (You anointed) my head with oil”—“toreim (volunteered),” and became leader of the generation.", + "In the event that they were many, ratzin (they would run) and ascend the kevesh (ramp of the Altar), and whoever came ahead of his colleague into the four cubits secured the privilege. In other words, when “they were many, RaTZin .” Each one would say, “I RoTZeh (wish) to lead the generation.” “Ascend the KeVeSh”—i.e., the KiVShon (mysteries) of the world (see Chagigah 13a). In other words, the one who knew and perceived more of the Torah’s mysteries was the one they would appoint community leader. This is the meaning of: “whoever came ahead of his colleague into the four cubits”—i.e., the four cubits of Halakhah (Berakhot 8a)—“secured the privilege”—he secured the terumat hadeshen, the concept of “You anointed [my head] with oil,” etc.", + "If two of them were even, the official would say to them: “Hatzbiu! (Put out a finger !).” And what did they display? One or two, but they did not display a thumb in the Temple. The explanation is: When two were equal in perception of Torah—through which they would secure prominence, as it is written, “Through me kings rule” (Proverbs 8:15)—and each one wanted the prominence, then the official, i.e., evil inclination, would incite them by saying, “haTZBIU!” In other words, [each one] should display some TZVIUt (religiosity) to the common people so that people would favor him and accept his authority. The official, i.e., the Inclination, lured each one into affected piety, and made it easier for them by saying to them:", + "And what did they display? One or two. The explanation is: It said, “And what did they”—that is, what sin is there in this, that you display religiosity once or twice and then afterwards, once the common people take you for a tzaddik, revert to your righteousness and authentic self? However, these tzaddikim did not display any affected piety and paid no heed to the evil inclination’s counsel. This was on account of their abundant recognition of God’s greatness, that “the whole earth is filled with His glory (Isaiah 6:3) and He sees and knows everything. Thus, they were too embarrassed in God’s presence to exhibit any religiosity. And this is:", + "but they did not display a thumb in the Temple. This refers to their intellect, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Anyone with knowledge, it is as if the Holy Temple was built in his day (Berakhot 33a).", + "It once happened that two were even as they ran and ascended the ramp, and one of them pushed his colleague who fell and broke his leg. When the Court saw that this exposed them to danger, they decreed that selecting the toreim should be done only by lot. “Broke his leg” alludes to heresy, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Makkot 24a) : Chabakkuk came and stood them on one: “A tzaddik lives by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). He was jealous of his colleague, for they were equals in Torah perception and his colleague pushed him. As a result, he denied the existence of God. Yeravam, too, said: “Who will be at the head?” (Sanhedrin 102a). It is like we find in this generation, that several individuals fell from their faith on account of having seen their peers rise to prominence. Certainly, it was arrogance which pushed him to seek prominence for himself, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Impudence is kingship without a crown (ibid. 105a).", + "they decreed that selecting the toreim should be done by payis (lot). That is, in earlier times people wanted prominence for the sake of Heaven. However, nowadays, since prominence is for self-aggrandizement, they decreed that no person pursue prominence. Rather, one should flee from prominence, “and toreim is done only by PaYiS .” The explanation is: No person should want prominence unless all the people come and plead with him to accept authority. Then, he should accept. But without PiYuS (coaxing), he should not accept, and he should not pursue prominence, for we have not found in the present generation someone whose motive is for the sake of Heaven.", + "This is similar to what we find (Horayot 13b), that Rabban Gamliel ordained honor for himself, honor for the Nasi, and honor for the Chief of the Court. Afterwards, when Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Natan noticed, they took counsel to annul the practice. Their intention was certainly not for the sake of their own honor, God forbid, but for the sake of God’s glory." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a person cheers himself with the joy of mitzvah, and the joy is so great that it reaches down to his feet—i.e., he dances for joy—this concept is called “and a prophet to a heart of wisdom” (Psalms 90:12). The feet are Netzach and Hod, the concept of prophets. They ascend to the concept of the heart through the joy in the heart, because the joy elevates them. This is the dance—that he keeps picking up his feet.", + "Thus, when he studies Torah or performs a mitzvah with such great joy that the joy reaches down to his feet and raises his feet up—through this all those who support Torah, who are called “supporters of truth,” are elevated. This is the meaning of “tzedek (righteousness) called to his feet” (Isaiah 41:2), because Torah and mitzvah are called tzedek, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: “You should be speaking tzedek” (Psalms 58:2) …. And as it is written, “for all Your mitzvot are tzedek (righteous)” (ibid. 119:172).", + "Evil speech, too, is called ReGeL (foot), as it is written, “He that did not RaGaL (slander) with his mouth” (ibid. 15:2). It, too, is raised up.", + "A person is also raised up by money, which is called “foot,” as it is written, “and all the subsistence at their feet” (Deuteronomy 11:6).", + "Also, all the lower levels, which are referred to as “feet,” are elevated through the joy of Torah and mitzvah, as it is written, “tzedek called to his feet .” Torah and mitzvah call on those lower levels to ascend.", + "And this is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: One who has no sons should make his wife happy in the mitzvah (Bava Batra 10b). For a wife is called “foot,” as it is written, “He safeguards the feet of His pious ones” (1 Samuel 2:9). It follows that through the joy he elevates and binds her to the concept of tzedek, which is called heh. That is the source of seed, as it is written, “Heh (Here) you have seed” (Genesis 47:23).", + "Also, a son is the leg of his father (Eruvin 70b).", + "Faith, too, is called “foot.” As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Chabakkuk came and stood them on one… (Makkot 24a).", + "{Similarly,} everything that is called “foot” is elevated." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“When you go out to war…” (Deuteronomy 21:10).", + "It is written: “Back and front You formed me” (Psalms 139:5)—this is the concept of order and disorder. “Front” is the concept of order, the aleph-bet in order. “Back” is the concept of TaShRaK, reverse order.", + "This also corresponds to Adam and Chavah, order and disorder. HaVaYaH filled in with the letter aleph has a numerical value of forty-five, ADaM. Chavah is the concept of “Malkhut, mouth—She is called Oral Torah” (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.17a). ChaVaH thus connotes speech, as it is written (Psalms 19:3), “and night to night yeChaVeH (speaks out) knowledge,” namely, “Malkhut, mouth.” Malkhut is called “speech,” because there is no king unless there are subjects. For the people do not know what he wants unless the king reveals his thoughts and desires via his words. It follows, that the primary execution of his kingship is through nothing but speech. This is the meaning of “Malkhut, mouth.”", + "We see that sometimes things go unorderly for a person. The perfection of all things is only when they are united with and bound to God. The reason is that the completion and fullness of a thing is its life-force. Thus, a limb from which the life-force has departed is then considered missing. And life-force is the mentalities and intellect, as it is written, “wisdom keeps alive…” (Ecclesiastes 7:12). ChoKhMaH (wisdom) is the concept of MaH—KoaCh MaH— “MeH is our life? MaH KoCheinu (is our strength)?” And MaH is ADaM, because there is no ADaM without an Aleph (Tikkuney Zohar, Introduction, p.7a)—i.e., HaVaYaH filled in with the letter aleph. In other words, the Blessed Holy One is the life-force of all things, as it is written, “You keep them all alive” (Nehemiah 9:6).", + "It follows, that when this concept of Malkhut /Chavah is bound to Adam, to the concept of MaH, i.e., the Blessed Holy One, She is then perfect. This is because through the intellect which the Blessed Holy One invests in the implementation of His Kingship He keeps Her alive, as it is written, “wisdom keeps alive.” This is also “The earth is to God, and all its fullness” (Psalms 24:1). When “the earth”—i.e., the concept of Chavah/ Malkhut—is bound “to God,” it is then in its fullness and is complete.", + "But whoever splits off the concept of Chavah/ MaLKhut for himself, by saying, “I eMLoKh (will rule)”—with this he splits off and separates Her from the Blessed Holy One, and She is then incomplete. For Her main life-force is MaH, namely, the intellect. This is “since among all the sages of the nations and in all their malkhut (kingdom) there is none like You” (Jeremiah 10:7). The explanation is: Their intellect is not great enough to keep their malkhut alive. Thus, when he splits off Malkhut for himself, things go unorderly for him because he is smack in the concept of disorder—i.e., Malkhut /Chavah/ TaShRaK. But when the concept of Chavah is bound to the Adam—i.e., the Blessed Holy One—things then go orderly for a person. This is because wherever the masculine is present, the feminine is not mentioned there (Zohar III, 183b). It follows, that the concept of Chavah/disorder is eliminated through the Adam/order." + ], + [ + "2. Now, the concept of order is called yod. Malkhut, which is called Dalet, has nothing of Her own. The Blessed Holy One draws into Her the life-force of wisdom, which is called YOD, namely Yod Vav Dalet. This is also “Back and front You formed me, and You laid kapekha (Your palm) upon me”—do not read KaPekha but KaPhekha (Your [letter] kaph). This alludes to YOD, whose numerical value is kaph. But when one splits off the Dalet for himself, drawing life-force from Her to himself, things then become chaotic for him, davoy—YOD becomes DaVoY. This is “and every heart is davoy (sick)” (Isaiah 1:5), for when things don’t go as planned, that is heartache, as it is written, “Extended longing…” (Proverbs 13:12).", + "Thus, when a person sees within himself that things aren’t going for him as planned, he should know that he possesses haughtiness—i.e., “I will rule.” He should repent and humble himself, and be the concept of MaH, as it is written, “And we are MaH (what)” (Exodus 16:7). Then Chavah is restored to the concept of Adam/ MaH and becomes order, that is, “Back and front….”—i.e., KaPekha, namely, YOD ." + ], + [ + "3. Primary repentance is in the month of Elul because [its days] are days of favor, when Moshe ascended to receive the latter Tablets and opened a beaten path in which to go. Now, the path which Moshe made is this: Moshe bound himself with even the least Jew, and gave his life for them, as it is written, “But if not, please blot me out!” (Exodus 32:32). This is also the meaning of: “And Moshe assembled…” (Exodus 35:1)—that Moshe would gather, unite and bind himself with all of Israel, even with the least of the least. This is the meaning of “They have entirely withdrawn; together” (Psalms 53:4). Even when I see a Jew who has totally withdrawn from God, I nevertheless need us to be “together”—I must unite and bind with him, just as Moshe did.", + "For an aspect of Godliness exists even in the lowest level, even in the Ten Crowns of Impurity, in fulfillment of “His Malkhut rules over everything” (Psalms 103:19). This is the concept of chirik, as it is written: And as a chirik, to draw it down below, to enthrone Her over those below (Tikkuney Zohar #10, p.25a). It follows, that the least Jew certainly possesses some Godliness, and through it I am able to be united with him. This is: “They have entirely withdrawn; together.”", + "In addition, Moshe had another quality. No matter how high the level to which he ascended, he found God there, as it is written, “And Moshe went up to the Lord” (Exodus 19:3). We see in the physical world that a person who is down-and-out serves God and acknowledges Him, but when he moves up, becoming affluent, he then forgets about God.", + "King David said: “If I ascend to heaven—You are there!” (Psalms 139:8). Even in heaven, God is there. With each and every ascent he must find God there. Yet we find that Elisha-Acher ascended on high through a Divine Name, and even so denied the essence of God (Chagigah 14b- 16a).", + "This is perplexing, because, on the contrary, the further a person ascends, the closer he surely is to God. For all which is good is Godliness, as it is written, “God is good for all” (Psalms 145:9). Yet we see the reverse, that when a person comes to wealth, to good, he then forgets about God.", + "But know! this is the concept of “his eyes grew dim and he could not see” (Genesis 27:1). On account of his getting too close to the light of Godliness, the light then dims his eyes and harms him. It is like when a person looks directly at the sun. The sun’s light harms his eyes. However, there is the concept of segol, as it is written: It is a segol when it is between the two arms of the King (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p .32b).", + "{“And [Moshe] said, ‘Show me, please, Your glory.’ [God] said, ‘I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you….’ And He said, ‘You shall not be able to see My face, for no human can see Me and live’…. ‘And so when My glory passes over, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and I will shield you with My palm until I have passed over. And I shall remove My palm and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen’” (Exodus 33:18, 20, 22-23) . This is the concept of “and I will shield you with My palm.” Without this, the power of the glory’s light would have harmed Moshe, as it is written, “for no human can see Me and live… and you will see My back….” This is also what David requested: “and receive me after glory,” (Psalms 73:24). Bring me closer with the closeness of Moshe. He requested of You, “Show me, please, Your glory,”and You showed him the aft of Your glory, as it is written, “and I will shield you… and you will see My back.”" + ], + [ + "4. Now, when things don’t go for a person as planned, this is opposed will: I want it to be like this, but it is the opposite, [it is] unorderly. This is the concept of warfare, for all war is opposed will, the concept of disharmony.", + "{“When you go out to war against your enemies and God your Lord delivers them into your hand, and you take some of them captive.} This is: When you go out to war— when things go for you not as planned, i.e., opposed will.", + "and God your Lord delivers them into your hand—that all wills are eliminated in face of your will, so that things go for you as planned, in accord with your will. When is this? It is when…", + "and you take some of them captive—it is when you attain the concept of MaH, when you draw Godliness to yourself—HaVaYaH filled in with the letter aleph. And this is the meaning of MaChaShaVaH (thought)—ChaShoV MaH (Zohar I, 24a; Tikkuney Zohar #69, p.112b), when you constantly bind His Godliness in your thoughts. And this is the concept of “a King bound in the ReHaTim (tresses)” (Song of Songs 7:6)—inside the RaHaTei (rafters) of your mind (Tikkuney Zohar #6, p.21b).", + "Thus, this is “and you take some of them captive.” You should draw MaH into your thoughts, binding His Godliness in your thoughts. For anything which is drawn down from a high place is called “captive,” as it is written, “You ascended on high, you took a captive” (Psalms 68:19). As a result all wars and all the wills opposed to your will are eliminated.", + "This esoteric teaching is alluded to in Etz Chaim, in the Introduction : Principle #19, and in the Kabbalistic meditations for Rosh Chodesh Elul." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Through rectification of the brit, which is a bow, it is possible to shoot the arrows, which are prayer—i.e., prayer’s eighteen blessings, which are three vavs, corresponding to arrows. Their place is in the brit, as in “My brit shall remain faithful to him” (Psalms 89:29). Faith is the concept of prayer, as in “and so his hands were faithful” (Exodus 17:12).", + "And then the ray of Mashiach begins to shine, as in “I will cause a ray to shine forth for David” (Psalms 132:17), and “Rays from His hand are upon them” (Habakkuk 3:4). “His hand” is the concept of prayer. There are three prayers, for the Mashiach is encompassed in the Patriarchs. In other words, MaShIaCh, who is the speech with which one prays—the concept of “MeiSIaCh (generates speech in) the mute” (Shabbat Morning Liturgy)—is derived from fire, water, wind." + ], + [ + "2 . As a result, one becomes a free man—i.e., he acquires the sanctity of Shabbat, when work is forbidden. For ShaBaT is Shin BaT. Shin symbolizes three colors: fire, wind, water. Bat is prayer, the blessings, the concept of: He had a bat (daughter), and Bakol was her name (Bava Batra 16b), as in “and God had blessed Avraham bakol (with everything)” (Genesis 24:1)." + ], + [ + "3. And the sanctity of Shabbat is the concept of the takhlit (culmination) of knowledge. For the takhlit of knowledge is not-knowing. This is the reason Shabbat is called takhlit of heaven and earth. And this takhlit is the concept of “I thought I would be wise, but it is far from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23). In other words, this is the essence of wisdom: one’s realizing that wisdom is far from him." + ], + [ + "4. This takhlit is the essence of physical space—i.e., the Place of the world. For this takhlit is what encircles the entire world, which was created with wisdom, as it is written, “You created them all with wisdom” (Psalms 104:24). This is also the concept of one who sets a place for his prayer (Berakhot 6b). For that is the essence of physical space, as in, “no man shall go out of His Place on the seventh day” (Exodus 16:29)." + ], + [ + "5. And then he sheds his leprous body, which is from the skin of the snake, and dons Shabbat garments—i.e., a holy body from the Garden of Eden. For place is a key factor, as in “Take off your shoes… for the place…” (ibid. 3:5). On account of this holy body he is called ShaBbat, as in “look, ShaVah (it returned) to be like his own flesh” (ibid. 4:7)—he was healed of his leprosy and clothed in a holy body from the Garden of Eden, which is called “flesh,” the concept of “flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23)." + ], + [ + "6. And then his mazal—which is flesh-of-his-flesh—ascends, and he merits wealth, as in “God’s blessing enriches” (Proverbs 10:22). Thus, his good inclination—i.e., “a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26)—gains power. A good inclination is “one who has found a wife has found good” (Proverbs 18:22).", + "And this is the meaning of “the sound of the shofar growing more powerful” (Exodus 19:19)—“the sound of the ShoFaR” which emerges from the aforementioned body of ShaPiRa (beauty). This sound is also the aforementioned concept of prayer. “Growing more powerful” refers to money (Berakhot 54a). His mazal and good inclination grow stronger, as mentioned above, and so depression and sarcasm, which stem from black bile, are eliminated. This is because depression is the result of stress and poverty, while sarcasm is “the levity of the fool” (Ecclesiastes 7:6), the concept of “the spleen laughs” (Berakhot 61a). They are eliminated by the mazal of wealth and the good inclination, which are the concept of “A wise man’s heart is at his right” (Ecclesiastes 10:2)." + ], + [ + "7. And through this right side he raises those who succumb to evil loves and fears. He raises them up to holy loves and fears, as in “Every soul will praise YaH (God)” (Psalms 150:6). This is because his right side removes the darkness from their eyes, and then their eyes see wonders, as in “Uncover my eyes, that I might see wonders” (Psalms 119:18). These wonders are the concept of Pesach, which is the right side, the concept of “I will show you wonders, like at the time you went out from Egypt” (Micah 7:15). And Pesach is Peh SaCh (a mouth that speaks), the concept of “The Torah of truth was in his mouth” (Malachi 2:6). It is considered as if he created the world, for it is written there “Let there be luminaries” (Genesis 1:14), and the darkness, which covered the deep, disappeared." + ], + [ + "8. The light of the eyes also elevates all the requests and supplications which are prayed in the direction of the Holy Temple, for all the requests ascend there. And from there the light of the eyes emerges, as in “My eyes and My heart will be there” (1 Kings 9:3).", + "And the light of the eyes awakens redemption, which depends upon the heart, as in “For a day of vengeance is in My heart” (Isaiah 63:4), because His eyes and heart are there. This is the concept of “[God] called the light ‘Day’” (Genesis 1:5). The light of the eyes awakens the “day of vengeance” in the heart, to eliminate the leaven and chametz, the human heart’s inclination for evil, which remains from his youth.", + "The leaven and chametz in the human heart are what instigate a person to think negatively of the generation’s Torah scholars, and to say: “This one is suitable and that one is unsuitable,” as in “Libam (Their hearts) are divided” (Hosea 10:2). LiBaM alludes to the ayin bet (72) tzaddikim of the generation. This is also “the light of the fourteenth” (Pesachim 2a)—i.e., the light in the aynayim (eyes). Through the eyes, which contain two sets of seven coatings, one searches for the chametz ." + ], + [ + "9. Then, the heart can be impassioned by Torah study, through the flames of love. Many waters, namely, the external loves and fears, are unable to extinguish this passion, as in “Many waters cannot extinguish the love” (Song of Songs 8:7). The Divine Presence uses Her wings to cover the blood of Israel with this love, so that the wicked seed, being the concept of the Floodwaters, should not rule over them.", + "And this is: Whoever sins and is embarrassed by it is forgiven… (Berakhot 12b), for “love covers over all transgressions” (Proverbs 10:12). Through embarrassment his blood is spilled, and then the Divine Presence covers his blood with love, as in the mitzvah of covering-the-blood. Through this covering all his transgressions are automatically covered over. {From the beginning of this lesson until here is leshon Rabbeinu, may his memory be for a blessing.}" + ], + [ + "10. Now, when the Holy Blessed One wants to sample a taste of the positive mitzvot performed by a Jew who is a tzaddik, that corresponds to the limb of a living creature, which may not be eaten and requires ritual slaughter to permit it. A person therefore has to experience embarrassment, which is spilled blood, a form of ritual slaughter, which makes a living creature’s limb fit for consumption. God can then taste his positive mitzvot, be it a single positive mitzvah or many mitzvot. For the mitzvot are called “a tasty dish,” as it is written, “Then prepare a tasty dish for me, the way I love it” (Genesis 27:4)—from the positive mitzvot, as is brought (Tikkuney Zohar #21, p.51a). And when his blood is spilled through embarrassment, he must then be careful to keep the known external forces who would draw energy from this spilled blood from doing so. It must therefore be covered—the Divine Presence covers Israel’s spilled blood with this love, the concept of “the way I love.” This is the concept of covering-the-blood." + ], + [ + "11 . Now, the topic of Israel’s spilled blood contains many lofty and hidden matters, be it blood spilled through embarrassment or other, actual spilled blood. For there are very many fallen souls which have no elevation except through the spilled blood of Israel; [that] of a great individual. In some cases, they have no elevation except through actual spilled blood.", + "This is the concept of “willful-transgressions become like merits” (Yoma 86b) ; that through the embarrassment or spilled blood, the Divine Presence covers their blood with the aforementioned love. And this is the concept of “love covers over all transgressions,” as mentioned above. The willful-transgressions become like merits, and the fallen souls, which correspond to transgressions, are raised up. They are elevated and transformed into merits through the aforementioned covering blood with love (see Tikkuney Zohar, Tikkun #21)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! connecting and cleaving to God is mainly through prayer. For prayer is a gate through which we enter into [the presence of] God and it is from there that we can know Him. This is because prayer is Malkhut, as it is written (Psalms 109:4), “but Ani (I) am prayer.” And TeFiLah (prayer) connotes connectedness, as it is written (Genesis 30:8), “naFTuLei (with bonds) Divine niFTaLti (have I been bound)”—which is rendered as connoting connectedness." + ], + [ + "2. It is on account of this that often when a person prays he is beset by thoughts of self-importance. This is because prayer—i.e., the concept of Malkhut / Ani—is in exile within Malkhut of Evil, as it is written (Ezekiel 1:1), “while Ani (I) was among the exiles.” And when She wants to leave, Malkhut of Evil, namely, self-importance, takes hold of Her. For self-importance stems from Malkhut of Evil, which seeks to gain prominence and rule. But through intense praying, one instills prayer with the power to overcome Malkhut of Evil, to depart from exile. This is: “Ascribe might to the Lord, for Its pride is upon Israel” (Psalms 68:35). When pride—i.e., Malkhut of Evil—overpowers Israel, the remedy for this is praying with intensity and strengthening the Lord—i.e., the concept of Ani ." + ], + [ + "3. {“Then you will remember God your Lord, for it is He Who gives you power laasot chayil (to make wealth), in order to hakim (establish) His brit (covenant) that He swore to your forefathers, as this day” (Deuteronomy 8:18).} And this is: “And you will remember God your Lord, for it is He Who gives you power to make chayil (wealth).” The explanation is that through the power one remedies the woman of chayil (valor), the concept of Malkhut. This is the explanation of l’miknei nikhsin {that is, the rendering into Aramaic of laasot chayil as l’miknei nikhsin (“to acquire possessions”)}. The explanation is: When Malkhut is in exile, She says: “Do not look at me for I am black” (Song of Songs 1:6). For She is clad in garments of black, in garments of evil forces, and is concealed by them.", + "And then: “Like a bird wandering from the nest is a man who wanders” (Proverbs 27:8), for She is His nest. Thus, when a person prays with intensity and releases Her from Her exile, from Her concealments, She becomes a nest for the Blessed Holy One. This is the explanation: “l’miKNei (to acquire)” connotes a KeiN (nest); “niKhSin (possessions)” connotes KiSuyin (concealments). Your main intention should be to rectify the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) in order to unite Her with Her Husband." + ], + [ + "4 . And this is the explanation of “in order to hakim (erect) His brit (covenant).” Erecting the brit (male organ) alludes to marital union. For initially there must be an arousal from below, namely, rectification of the Shekhinah .", + "And when the Shekhinah dons radiant garments—white, red and yellow, corresponding to the Patriarchs—She is the concept of Sh’VuAh (an oath), the concept of ShiVAh (seven). It is as if the oath was made to the Patriarchs at this moment. This is: “that He swore to your forefathers, as this day”—specifically “as this day.” It follows, that through intense prayer the oath to the Patriarchs is renewed." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Luzim nuts hint to the concept of Leah. She is at the back of the neck, the first wife. Then afterwards one enters the Holy Temple, which is the concept of Yaakov called it Beit-El (the House of God) (Pesachim 88a).", + "This is as Rashi explains, that through luz one enters Beth-El (see Judges 1:24).", + "This is “Nachamu, nachamu (Console, oh console)” (Isaiah 40:1), [as] twice NaChaMU has the same numerical value as KaDKoD (fontanel)—which is the concept of the back of the neck through which one enters the House of God." + ], + [ + "2. And this is the Three Weeks, namely the twenty-one days of Between the Straits. Among trees, the counterpart to this is the luz. This is the reason it is customary to eat an egg for the meal before the fast of Tisha b’Av. For an egg matures in twenty-one days, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: A hen lays her egg after twenty-one days. Among trees, the counterpart to this is the luz (Bekhorot 8a). This is also the luz bone at the back of a person’s neck. It will remain after the body decays, and from it the body will be built anew at the time of Resurrection of the Dead.", + "And that is our main consolation, the concept of “Nachamu, nachamu,” as mentioned above. For about the body it is stated “lie down until morning” (Ruth 3:13). This refers to the time of the Resurrection. “And when the morning came, look, she is Leah!” (Genesis 29:25)—i.e., the aforementioned luz bone through which the body is rebuilt." + ], + [ + "3. And because Yaakov’s entire focus was Rachel, it is said of Rachel’s sons: of Yosef—“on the kadkod of one set apart from his brothers” (ibid. 49:26) ; and of Binyamin it is written—“and between his shoulders He dwells” (Deuteronomy 33:12). This is a clue that it is the concept of Leah, who is the first, which enables one to attain the concept of Rachel. “Kadkod” and “his shoulders” allude to the aforementioned luz ." + ], + [ + "4. The numerical value of ORePh (back of the neck) is Shin Nun (350), the first letters of Shabbat Nachamu; alluding to that which was mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! because people are of little faith they need fasting—i.e., difficult devotions. For it is certainly known that it is possible to serve God with all things, because the Blessed Holy One does not make unreasonable demands of His creations (Avodah Zarah 3a).", + "Nevertheless, when difficult devotions are necessary, it relates to what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Sanhedrin 74a-b) : In a time of religious oppression, even to change one’s shoelaces is a matter of “be killed rather than transgress.” It follows, that although it is actually not right that he be killed for this, nevertheless, it is a time of religious oppression, and they are powerful and in particular want to cause him to leave religion and bring him to heresy, God forbid. He must therefore give up his life even for something minor.", + "Idolatry and atheism are the concept of “nor is there any ruach (breath) in their mouths” (Psalms 135:17)—they have no ruach (spirit) in them whatsoever. Those of little faith correspond to “shortness of spirit,” which resembles a middle ground. In other words, they lack complete faith, which corresponds to extending one’s ruach, as brought elsewhere; even so, they are not complete heretics, who have no ruach whatsoever. Rather, they resemble a middle ground. Their ruach is short, the concept of “because of a shortness of spirit.”", + "This is the meaning of “because of a shortness of ruach and avodah kashah (hard labor)” (Exodus 6:9). Because they conceptually correspond to “shortness of ruach,” on account of their being of little faith, they therefore need avodot kashot (difficult devotions) and fasting, as mentioned above. Just as in a time of religious oppression, which is the utter corruption of faith, one even has to actually give up his life even for something minor, so too when there is “smallness” and blemished faith, one has to perform difficult devotions.", + "Now, there are many levels of little faith. There are even tzaddikim of little faith, as our Sages, of blessed memory, interpreted the verse: “For who has despised the day of small things” (Zechariah 4:10)—who caused the tzaddikim…? (Sotah 48b)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Know! the Kabbalistic meditations for Elul are a rectification for the blemish of the brit. For the deeper theme of Elul’s Kabbalistic meditations is “Who makes a way in the sea” (Isaiah 43:16; and as is brought in The Kavanot of the Ari, of blessed memory)—to shine the concept of derekh (“way”) into the sea. This derekh is opened in the month of Elul (see The Kavanot for all the Kabbalistic meditations for Elul).", + "Now, the blemish of the brit is primarily in this concept of DeReKh. One should have shone the concept of the Reish -Khaf-Dalet (224) lights into the concept of sea, i.e., faith, but turned away from this and blemished the concept of derekh, as in “for all flesh had perverted its derekh (way)” (Genesis 6:12). For a wife is called derekh, as is brought in the teachings of our Sages, of blessed memory (Kiddushin 2b). But there is another derekh, the concept of “the derekh of a promiscuous woman” (Proverbs 30:20) . The rule is that the blemish is primarily in the concept of derekh, that one did not shine the derekh into the sea.", + "And, occasionally, as a result of this blemish it is possible to lose one’s zivug. Having turned away from his soul mate, it is difficult for him to find her. And even if he finds his soul mate, she will oppose him and not incline to what he wants, because he turned away from her instead of shining into her. This leads to her wanting something different, opposing him. [As the Sages said:] And then, if he is not worthy, she opposes him (Yevamot 63a).", + "And the month of Elul is when it is possible to rectify this and to shine the derekh into the sea. {The Kabbalistic meditations for Elul are therefore a rectification for this.} And so when he rectifies this, he finds his zivug and, rather than opposing him, [she wants] what he wants.", + "Now, there is an amazing hidden teaching in this. Know! Avraham imparted this secret to his servant Eliezer when he sent him to seek his son Yitzchak’s soul mate. This is the deeper theme of the Kabbalistic meditations for Elul, which are propitious for rectifying the brit, because they are the means for finding one’s zivug. This is because the aforementioned rectification creates within her a desire for him. Previously, she would not incline to what he wants because she turned away from him, and as a result he cannot find his zivug. And even if he found her, she would not incline to what he wants, as mentioned above. However, through the Kabbalistic meditations for Elul, which are a rectification for this, a desire for him is created within her.", + "This hidden teaching is explained in the Torah, in the chapter about Eliezer, for Avraham imparted this secret to him. And this is what Avraham said to Eliezer: “And if the woman is not willing to go after you (V’im Lo toveh ha’ishah Lalekhet Acharekha)” (Genesis 24:8). Look and see the wonders of our Torah, for the initial letters of the [first two and last two] words of this verse spell ELUL, and in the middle are the words “the woman is willing.” Through the concept of Elul, i.e., the deeper theme of Elul’s Kabbalistic meditations, the woman is willing, since this makes her want him.", + "It follows, that in these very words which Avraham spoke to Eliezer regarding the concern that the woman might not be persuaded to follow him—in other words, that which he said to him: “V’im Lo toveh ha’ishah Lalekhet Acharekha”—with these very words he revealed to him the secret of the rectification for this, namely, the deeper theme of Elul hinted at in the initial letters. It is the rectification for this, because through this the woman is willing.", + "There are additional very awesome hidden teachings in this.", + "Study as well the lesson which begins “Then God said to Moshe, ‘Summon Yehoshua’” (Likutey Moharan I, 6), which speaks of the Kabbalistic meditations for Elul. It is a rectification for the blemish of the brit, as mentioned above. In other words, study that lesson, merit understanding it, and use it to perform some devotion in the service of God—this will rectify the blemish of the brit ." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "One must be very careful to never eat fruit which has not fully ripened. Just as it is forbidden to cut down a tree before its time, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Bava Batra 26a), it is likewise forbidden to pick or eat a fruit before it ripens. Eating a fruit before it is fully ripe can be very damaging to a person’s soul. He might lose his soul because of this.", + "This is because so long as the fruit still needs to grow, it has a pulling power. It needs vitality in order to grow, and so it definitely has a pulling power which draws its nourishment and vitality. When one picks it prematurely, before it has as yet ripened sufficiently, it still has the pulling power. For when it ripens sufficiently, the pulling power terminates, because it no longer needs to draw in vitality. But when it has to ripen more, it still has the pulling power. Therefore, the one who eats it before it ripens fully enables the fruit to draw to itself his life-force. Since the fruit still has a pulling power it can draw his life-force to itself and he can lose his life.", + "Nevertheless, by making the blessing over the fruit with concentration and fear of Heaven, one can be saved from this. Furthermore, if he is exceptionally strong in his service of God, he can even take out more vitality from the fruit and find lost things there.", + "For there are things which have been lost. This involves wondrous matters, hidden and very awesome mysteries; exalted secrets. The main thing is that a person has to be very careful of this, not to eat fruit before it has ripened sufficiently.", + "And know! Even cooking the fruit in one’s home does not help for this. However, if the fruits which have not ripened sufficiently on the tree are set aside for a while, until they ripen on their own after being picked—this does help, and it is permitted to eat them. This is like a person who is overexerted and so gasps a great deal until he calms down. The same is true of these fruits which were picked before they ripened sufficiently. One has to wait until they settle down from their gasping. Then one has permission to eat them. The matter is inscrutable." + ], + [ + "2. Know, too, there is an angel with many deputies, all of them holding shofars. Standing and digging constantly, always searching for lost things, they blow a tekiah, a teruah, and then again blow a tekiah. And when they find something which was lost, it creates great tumult and joy.", + "For there are many lost things—i.e., the many things which people lose as a result of desires, as in “The desire of the wicked shall be loss” (Psalms 112:10).", + "Even someone who is a tzaddik also occasionally loses, as in “There is a tzaddik who loses through his righteousness” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). And even the tzaddikim who search for and seek out lost things also occasionally lose, as in “they will search and lose” (Psalms 83:18) that even those who search for lost things occasionally lose in turn, this being the concept of “a time to lose” (Ecclesiastes 3:6).", + "And this is “Taavat Resha’im Toveid (The desire of the wicked shall be loss),” the initial letters of which stand for Tekiah teRuah Tekiah. The angels who look for lost things—they being the concept of Taavat Resha’im Toveid—hold shofars in their hands and blow TaRaT (tekiah teruah tekiah), as mentioned above.", + "He also mentioned then that it is extremely difficult to be a receiver. And he also mentioned then that jealousy between scholars increases wisdom (Bava Batra 21a). Yet he did not clarify any of this, for they are inscrutable and sealed matters. Moreover, some of it has been forgotten, because I did not record them at the time, except as brief notes (as printed in the first edition).", + "And he said that all the aforementioned—i.e., the Kabbalistic meditations for Elul, which are a rectification for a blemish of the brit—and the above teaching concerning the fruit, and this teaching about the angel, etc.—are all one [idea]. This involves deep mysteries." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Daat is the maker of all matches. For every match is of a pair of opposites, and daat is the mediator between two opposing elements. Therefore, all the matches in the world come about through the individual with daat in the world. And so it is sometimes difficult to find one’s zivug (soul mate). This is because sometimes the two sides of the match are far apart, a pair of extreme opposites, and so it is difficult to find one’s mate.", + "The remedy for this entails coming to the one with daat to hear Torah from his mouth. This enables one to find one’s match. This is because so long as the daat is in potential, it is sometimes impossible to bring together the two sides of the match. When they are strong opposites—for sometimes they are very strong opposites—it is then impossible for the daat, so long as it is in potential, to bring them together. It is therefore necessary to hear Torah from his mouth, for then the daat emerges, as in “from His mouth come daat and discernment” (Proverbs 2:6). And then, when daat emerges from potential to actual, it can then match them up, even if they are strong opposites.", + "{“For the priest’s lips shall keep daat (Ki siftei kohen yishm’ru daat), and Torah (v’torah) they should seek from his mouth” (Malachi 2:7).} This is [hinted at by] the letters which spell ShIDUKh (a match), which are the first letters of “Ki Siftei Kohen Yishm’ru Daat V’torah .” And this is the meaning of “they should seek from his mouth.” One has to seek the Torah specifically from his mouth, in order to bring the daat from potential to actual, as mentioned above.", + "It is therefore necessary to hear specifically Torah from his mouth. Although the casual words of the one with daat also contain daat , it is nevertheless necessary to hear specifically Torah. For the Torah is called a bride, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Do not read MORaShaH (heritage), but M’ORaSaH (betrothed) (Pesachim 49b). And it, too, contains a pair of opposites, because it has in it two types of letters.", + "And when the tzaddik teaches Torah, he is the concept of matchmaker. This is because the words of Torah are “poor” here, but “rich” elsewhere (Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah 3:5, p.17a). One has to bring together the words of Torah, from one place to another. By bringing together the words of Torah from scattered, far apart sources and uniting them, this creates the insight which we originate. It follows, that when the tzaddik who is the one with daat teaches Torah, he engages in matchmaking. It is therefore necessary to hear from his mouth specifically Torah. And through this it is possible to find one’s zivug, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The reason for breaking an earthenware dish at the time of an engagement is twofold.", + "Actually, one needs to be extremely careful not to divorce one’s wife, for our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Three types of people do not see the face of Gehinnom… and someone with a bad wife. What difference is there in [knowing] this? So that we should accept [these tribulations] with love (Eruvin 41b). And the commentaries explain that this is why it did not state here the previous distinction. For prior to this it is brought: Three things cause a person to violate his own will and the Will of his Maker. What difference is there in [knowing] this? So that we should plead for mercy. Yet, here, it did not make this distinction. This is because for those three one must specifically accept them with love, since on their account one does not see the face of Gehinnom.", + "This is the concept of breaking an earthenware dish at the time of an engagement. For the Gate of Potsherds {where they would throw the earthenware shards, as Rashi explains there} was in Jerusalem. And this gate stood opposite the entrance of Gehinnom, as it is written, “You shall go out to Gei Ben-hinnom, at the entrance of the Gate of Potsherds” (Jeremiah 19:2). “Gei Ben-hinnom” alludes to Gehinnom, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: There are two palm-trees in Gei Ben-hinnom, and smoke rises from between them. And this is the entrance to Gehinnom (Eruvin 19a).", + "Thus, this is why we break an earthenware dish at the time of an engagement. It is to hint to [the groom] two things through this. That is, we hint to him that if she is a bad wife, he should be careful not to betray her, but accept it with love: Because on account of this you will not see the face of Gehinnom. And if she is a good wife, know and remember that Gehinnom exists. Do not be led by your desires, but sanctify yourself as is fitting. Remember well that Gehinnom exists.", + "We hint all of this to him by breaking an earthenware dish, which alludes to the Gate of Potsherds, i.e., the entrance of Gehinnom. Therefore, by breaking an earthenware dish we hint to him the two aforementioned concepts." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "“And the Lord spoke all these words, saying.” (Exodus 20:1)", + "Know! genuine attachment to true tzaddikim is very, very beneficial. Through this we merit complete repentance and forgiveness for sin. Judgments are sweetened and eliminated entirely, and through this the Blessed Holy One is united with His Shekhinah (Divine Presence).", + "Thus, it is brought in the holy Zohar (I, 206b) : “Behold, the kings assembled” (Psalm 48:5)—two sacred worlds, the upper world and the lower world. … When they are joined together, at that time all countenances are shining and all sins are passed over…. See there.", + "For know! there are two aspects of wisdom, upper wisdom and lower wisdom. Lower wisdom derives from upper wisdom, and it draws and receives from there. This is akin to a master and a disciple. For that which the master teaches his disciple and the disciple receives from him, that is the concept of upper wisdom and lower wisdom. Upper wisdom—i.e., that which the master teaches the disciple—corresponds to a yod. And that which the disciple receives from the master, which is lower wisdom, corresponds to a lamed. [A lamed ] is a tower that floats in the air (Chagigah 15b, and see Rashi there), for the heart floats in the air and listens to what the master is saying. This enables the person listening to understand.", + "This is because the disciple’s understanding depends mainly on the heart. The master must say things which settle upon the heart, and the disciple must apply the heart to contemplate that which the master said, as it is written, “to acquire wisdom when the heart is lacking?” (Proverbs 17:16). Therefore, that which the disciple receives is the concept of lamed, a floating tower. And the concept of LaMeD connotes a disciple who LaMeiD (learns) from the master. It follows, that the master and the disciple—namely, the concepts of upper wisdom and lower wisdom—are the concept of lamed yod .", + "And know! the entirety of the holy Torah is the concept of upper wisdom. And the entirety of worldly wisdom extends from lower wisdom. When worldly wisdom, which draws from lower wisdom, becomes separated from Torah and God, from the concept of upper wisdom—like a disciple who does not want to understand what the master says—this is the concept of the moon waning and exile of the Shekhinah .", + "For every person, as he is, must bind his intellect from his level to the Torah and to God, namely, [to] the concept of upper wisdom. But if, God forbid, he detaches his intellect and wisdom from God, that is the concept of “and the complainer separates a leader” (Proverbs 16:28)—he detaches [from] the Leader of the World and brings to a blemish of the moon, God forbid, by not binding lower wisdom with upper wisdom. That is, he fails to bind all the wisdom of the world to God and the Torah, which is upper wisdom, as mentioned above." + ], + [ + "2. The true tzaddikim, however, bind lower wisdom with upper wisdom. This is because the conversation of true tzaddikim, their shmoozing and chatting, is very, very precious. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: The chat of Torah scholars requires study (Avodah Zarah 19b). For the true tzaddik rebuilds destroyed worlds and elevates lower wisdom, binding it to upper wisdom by chatting and schmoozing with the common folk. This is because the intellect of the common people, who do not bind it to God, is detached from upper wisdom. But the true tzaddik binds the common people’s intellect—even the intellect and the wisdom of the wicked man—to God.", + "This is the matter of tzaddikim talking with unworthy individuals or even with idolaters. {However, when he talks with an idolater, the tzaddik extracts the good in him and the idolater is left spent and empty, this being the deeper reason for Moshe killing the Egyptian.} For as the tzaddik talks with wicked individuals, and the tzaddik elevates his intellect and binds it to God, he is elevating and binding their minds to God from their level. This is because the true tzaddik contracts his intellect and converses with them using amazing wisdom and great craft to bind all the words to God. Through this he brings them to repentance.", + "And this is the meaning of “They TuKu (placed themselves) at Your feet, accepting Your word” (Deuteronomy 33:3). Our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: These are the Torah scholars, who KiTetu (pound) their feet going from city to city… accepting and giving the words of the Omnipresent (Bava Batra 8a). For the true tzaddikim sometimes talk with wicked individuals and chat with them about the news of war and, similarly, about the news of the world. However, he enclothes in this the great light of the Torah. For he garbs the Torah’s light in various different garments, until he garbs it in these words, so that the Torah’s light enclothes itself in other permutations.", + "For if the tzaddik had straightaway spoken explicit Torah with the wicked man, he might have become more heretical and so become more wicked. This is because “the righteous walk in them whereas the sinners stumble in them” (Hosea 14:10). If one is deserving, the Torah becomes an elixir of life for him. But if one is not deserving, it becomes a fatal poison for him (Yoma 72b). And so, if they would reveal to him Torah as it is, he would become more heretical. In his case it would be a fatal poison, God forbid, because he is distant from the Torah.", + "Therefore, it is necessary to enclothe the Torah for him in other permutations. This is as we find in connection with King Ptolemy, when he designated seventy-two elders and God put into each one’s heart to enclothe the Torah in other permutations, so that they wrote: “The Lord created in the beginning” (Megillah 9a) ; and as Rashi explains there. For if they had written the Torah as it is, he would have become more heretical….", + "And so, the true tzaddikim have to engage the common folk in chit-chat in which they enclothe the Torah. Through these words they bind [the people] from their level, for they are not distant from these words and the stories which the tzaddik tells them. And through this he binds them and elevates them to God. This is the concept of his nosai (accepting) and giving the words of the Omnipresent—i.e., that he speaks with each one according to that person’s place, at his level. He nosai (raises up) those words and gives them to God, for he binds them to their root, the concept of upper wisdom. It follows, that the true tzaddik binds lower wisdom with upper." + ], + [ + "3. It is on account of this that when, God forbid, the tzaddik passes from the world, God is greatly pained. This is because God does not desire the death of the wicked, but rather their benefit—that they merit returning in repentance, and the tzaddik would bind them and elevate them to God, bringing them back in repentance; for he binds lower wisdom with upper wisdom, as mentioned above.", + "This is what is brought in the Midrash (Devarim Rabbah 11:10; and in Sotah 13b) : When Moshe our teacher passed away, the Blessed Holy One screamed, “Woe! ‘Who will rise up liy (for Me) against evildoers?’ (Psalms 94:16) .” Specifically LiY, the concepts of upper wisdom and lower wisdom, which correspond to Lamed Yod, the concept of liy.", + "In other words, who will raise and elevate and bind the concepts of LiY—i.e., lower wisdom with upper wisdom—“with evildoers”? That is, he elevates the lower wisdom from all the evildoers in the world, binding them to God. And he elevates it to upper wisdom—this being the concept of LiY, the concept of binding lower wisdom with upper wisdom. For Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, was certainly very capable of this, to elevate the concept of lower wisdom from all the evildoers and wicked people in the world.", + "And so, the main thing is to bind oneself to true tzaddikim, because the tzaddik raises and binds lower wisdom to upper wisdom, as mentioned above. As a result, the blemished moon becomes a full moon.", + "And this is the meaning of “Behold, the kings assembled, they passed over together.” When the kings met in united will, then… all the enforcers of judgment were subdued and removed from the world… (as brought in the aforementioned Zohar). It is thus the concept of “Shlomo’s wisdom grew greater” (1 Kings 5:10). This is rendered into Aramaic as “the moon became great,” i.e., the moon’s lack is filled. As a result, all the judgments are sweetened, and all the sins forgiven.", + "{As brought in the aforementioned Zohar and a number of places, that, primarily, the sweetening of judgments, forgiveness of sin and perfection of all the lights, the filling of the moon’s lack and the rectification of all the worlds—they are all the result of the lower world joining with the upper world, namely, the concepts of lower wisdom and upper wisdom, as mentioned above.}", + "And all this is through the tzaddik. He binds lower wisdom with upper wisdom through his conversation, which enclothes the light of the Torah in chit-chat." + ], + [ + "4. And this is the meaning of “And Elohim (the Lord) spoke et [all these words, leimor (saying)].”", + "spoke— This connotes cohabitation and binding, as in “They saw her speaking” (Ketuvot 13a).", + "Elohim et— This alludes to lower wisdom and upper wisdom. “Elohim” is the concept of lower wisdom, as is known. “Et” is the concept of upper wisdom, the concept of “et the heavens” (Genesis 1:1). That is, the way to unite and bind lower wisdom with upper wisdom is through…", + "these words, leimor— In other words, as a result of the tzaddik enclothing “these words,” i.e., the words of Torah which he enclothes in chit-chat. And this is the meaning of “lEiMoR”—it connotes enclothing, as it is written (Lamentations 2:17), “He carried out EMRato (His word),” which means “clothing.” And as a result of the tzaddik enclothing the Torah’s light in chit-chat he binds lower wisdom with upper wisdom, as mentioned above.", + "Blessed be God forever. Amen. Amen." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The rectification for a nocturnal emission, God forbid, is to recite ten psalms, as explained in Part I (Likutey Moharan I, 205) ; see the [discussion of this] topic there.", + "For ten psalms parallel the ten types of song that constitute the Book of Psalms (Pesachim 117a; Zohar III, 101a and 223b; Tikkuney Zohar #13, p.27a). These are: berakhah, ashrei, maskil, etc. For the aforementioned ten types of song have the power to eliminate the power of the aforementioned kelipah (force of evil) and the blemish, because they are the antithesis of that kelipah and blemish, as explained there in Part 1.", + "And know! this matter of the ten types of song, which counter the blemish, is alluded to in the following verses:", + "BeRaKhah: “aVaReiKh (I bless) God for having advised me; even in the night…” (Psalms 16:7).", + "Ashrei: Ashrei (Happy) is he whose offense is forgiven, whose transgression is covered over” (ibid. 32:1).", + "MaSKiL: “but a woman MaSKaLet (of intelligence) comes from God” (Proverbs 19:14).", + "ShIR: “in the night ShIRo (His song) is with me” (Psalms 42:9).", + "NiTZuaCh: “For the meNaTZei’aCh (Conductor): A plea not to be destroyed” (ibid. 59:1).", + "NiGuN: “During the night I recall N’GiNati (my song)” (ibid. 77:7).", + "TeFiLah: “Can TaFeL (bland food) be eaten without salt?” (Job 6:6).", + "HODu: “Lest you give HODekha (your praise) to others” (Proverbs 5:9).", + "miZMoR : “Who ordained ZeMiRot (chanting psalms) in the night?” (Job 35:10).", + "HaLleLuyah: “a God-fearing woman, she titHaLlaL (is to be praised)” (Proverbs 31:30).", + "Understand well these allusions.", + "And know, these are the ten psalms which one has to recite on the same day that one experiences an impure emission, God forbid:", + "“Mikhtam l’David - Of David, a precious psalm” – Psalm 16;", + "“l’David maskil - Of David, an enlightening psalm” – Psalm 32;", + "“Ashrei maskil el dal - Happy is he who is wise enough to help the poor” – Psalm 41;", + "“K’ayal taarog - Like a hind cries longingly” – Psalm 42;", + "“Lamenatzeach al tashkheit - For the Conductor: A plea not to be destroyed” – Psalm 59;", + "“Lamenatzeach al yedutun - For the Conductor, on the sufferings” – Psalm 77;", + "“Tefilah l’Moshe - A prayer of Moshe” – Psalm 90;", + "“Hodu l’YHVH kir’u vi-Shmo - Give praise to God; call out in His Name” – Psalm 105;", + "“Al naharot Bavel - By the rivers of Babylon” – Psalm 137;", + "“Halelu El b’kadsho - Praise God in His holy place” – Psalm 150.", + "These ten psalms are a very, very great rectification for the aforementioned matter. One who merits reciting them on the same day need never again be troubled at all by the terrible blemish caused by the emission, God forbid, for it has certainly been rectified through this.", + "And in the merit of rectifying this sin, our righteous Mashiach will come to gather in all our dispersed, as it is written (Psalms 147:2), “God builds Jerusalem. He gathers in the outcast of Israel.” May it happen speedily, in our times. Amen." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Regarding the opposition raised against Rebbe Nachman, I heard it said in his name:", + "The matter is related to the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory: “that which is exalted is degraded by the sons of man” (Psalms 12:9)—these are things which stand at the very summit of the universe, yet people take them lightly (Berakhot 6b). What might that be? Tefilah (prayer). Therefore, [people dismissed him,] because everything he did pertained to tefilah .", + "The Rebbe spoke to his followers on the matter of prayer on many occasions. He exhorted them over and over to constantly engage in prayer and hitbodedut -conversation with God, as clarified in his holy works. More than this, he gave us endless personal encouragement to engage in much tefilah and hitbodedut .", + "People therefore dismiss and degrade the Rebbe and raise opposition against him. His entire focus was prayer, which is one of the things which stand at the very summit of the universe, yet people take them lightly. Understand this." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "I heard from the Rebbe’s holy mouth that he had written a lesson on the topic of Rosh HaShanah, showing that it is imperative to travel to tzaddikim for Rosh HaShanah.", + "Explained there are the three roshim (heads) which come together on Rosh HaShanah when one merits being by the tzaddik.", + "The tzaddik is the concept of rosh, for he is “rosh b’nei Yisrael (the head of the Children of Israel).”", + "Rosh HaShanah is also the concept of rosh, because it is the rosh (head) of the year.", + "And each person comes with his intellect and brain to the tzaddik, and binds the brain and intellect inside his head—which is also the concept of rosh—to the tzaddik—who is “the rosh of the Children of Israel” (Exodus 30:12)—on Rosh HaShanah.", + "Thus it is that the three roshim come together.", + "[The Rebbe] had an entire lesson on this, but I did not merit receiving it." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of hitbodedut- conversation with God and the reciting of psalms, supplications and entreaties:", + "It is best when one merits reciting them with genuine wholeheartedness, until one merits crying to God, like a son who cries to his father.", + "However, the Rebbe said, if when reciting the supplications and prayers a person thinks about and anticipates crying—that is not a good thought. It also confuses his mind, such that he cannot recite the prayers with perfect wholeheartedness. This is because at the time he recites the supplications and entreaties a person has to remove from himself all the different extraneous thoughts which exist. Rather, he has to concentrate on the words he is saying to God, as when one speaks to a friend. Then, his heart will of itself be easily aroused, until he genuinely bursts out crying.", + "But when he thinks about and anticipates crying, he ends up with neither, because, as a result, the words themselves become confused, as mentioned above. His thinking about and expecting to cry is likewise an extraneous thought which muddles concentration so that he cannot pay close attention to what he is saying.", + "For the most important thing is to say the words to God honestly, without any other thoughts whatsoever. If he merits genuine tears, good; but if not, not. He should not confuse his saying the words on this account, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman said more on the topic of hitbodedut. The Rebbe, of blessed memory, avidly encouraged the regular practice of hitbodedut, speaking with God each and every day.", + "He said: Even when one cannot speak at all, or says only a single thing—it is also very good!", + "He also said: Even if a person can only say one thing, he should be resolute and say that thing over and over again, endlessly. And even if he spends many, many days saying nothing but this thing—that, too, is good! He should be strong and courageous, and continue to say that thing countless times until God takes pity on him and opens his mouth, enabling him to elaborate his words.", + "The Rebbe also said: The spoken word is very powerful. Why, with a whisper it is possible to prevent a gun from firing. Understand this.", + "At the time he spoke about this, he spoke a great deal about hitbodedut. He went on for a long while, with an amazing discussion that took many different approaches. He encouraged and exhorted us tremendously in this—that we be strong and practice much hitbodedut -conversation with God.", + "He also said he wanted for us that the whole day be entirely hitbodedut, that we should spend the entire day on it. However, not everyone is capable of this, and so he was forced to instruct people to practice hitbodedut at least some part of the day. This, too, is very good!", + "Nevertheless, anyone whose heart is firmly committed to God and honestly wishes to accept upon himself the yoke of Divine service, the Rebbe wanted for him that the whole day be hitbodedut. He mentioned then the statement of our Sages, of blessed memory: Would that a person pray all day long (Berakhot 21a)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "I heard another thing in Rebbe Nachman’s name regarding the value of conversation with God. He said: All the damagers and accusers already know about the formal prayers, supplications and entreaties. They lie in wait on the routes of these prayers, because they are already familiar with them.", + "This can be likened to murderers and thieves, who always lurk on well-traveled public thoroughfares because these roads are already known to them. But when a person travels via a new path or route, one as yet unknown, it does not at all occur to them to set their ambush there.", + "It is the same with the aforementioned matter. A person’s private conversation with God is a new pathway and a new prayer, which he utters from his heart anew. Consequently, it is uncommon for the accusers to lie in wait there.", + "Even so, the Rebbe cautioned about also reciting the other supplications and entreaties, as is explained many times in our teachings." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Additionally, on the topic of strengthening one’s hitbodedut practice and reciting supplications and entreaties Rebbe Nachman said:", + "The act of speaking is very effective for spiritually rousing a person. Even if it seems to him that he has no feelings, when he speaks many inspirational words, supplications, entreaties, and the like—the very act of speaking is the concept of revealing and rousing his heart and soul for God. This is as in (Song of Songs 5:6), “My soul came forth when he spoke”—the speaking is itself a revelation of the soul and the heart.", + "Thus, sometimes, as a result of a great deal of speaking, even when it is without any feeling, one’s heart and soul are afterwards greatly inspired. The principle is that the act of speaking in itself has great power." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman said: The essence of perfected hitbodedut -conversation with one’s Maker is when a person speaks to God so extensively that his soul is close to departing, God forbid; until he just about expires, God forbid; until, because of the intensity of his genuine pain and longing and yearning for God, his soul is tied to his body by no more than a thread.", + "This is clarified in the teachings of our Sages, of blessed memory, who said: A person’s prayer is not accepted unless he puts his life in his hands (Taanit 8a), as mentioned above.", + "And the Rebbe said: Indeed, when God assists one’s hitbodedut, hitbodedut is like a conversation between friends." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "They told me Rebbe Nachman said that, from great to small, it is impossible to be a sincerely religious Jew except through hitbodedut. He mentioned many famous tzaddikim, and said that all of them attained what they did only through hitbodedut .", + "The Rebbe also chose a simple individual from the grandchildren of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, and said: He, too, speaks and cries a lot to God all the time.", + "And the Rebbe said: The Baal Shem Tov’s offspring are especially accustomed to this practice. The reason is that they are descended from King David, of blessed memory. He was always doing this, always being very brokenhearted before God. This is the essence of the Book of Psalms which he compiled, as explained elsewhere." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman said: By reciting Tikkun Chatzot, the Midnight Lament, a person can speak his heart out to God just as through hitbodedut. This is because in all likelihood we do not recite Chatzot over the past. The primary focus while reciting Chatzot is that which is presently happening to a person. When a person recites Chatzot in this manner, he can find everything assailing his heart within the words of the Midnight Lament.", + "The same is true of reciting Tehillim (the Book of Psalms) and the like. A person should endeavor to find himself within all the psalms, and within all the supplications, entreaties, penitential prayers and the like. And easily, simply, without any sophistication, he can find himself within all the supplications and entreaties, and especially in Tehillim, which was composed on behalf of the Jewish people—on behalf of each and every one personally.", + "Each person—every battle he has against the evil inclination and whatever happens to him—it is all clarified and explained in Tehillim. This is because it primarily applies to the battle against the evil inclination and its troops, which are a person’s main enemies and foes. They would keep him from the path of life and force him down into the netherworld, God forbid, if he fails to protect himself from them.", + "It was solely about this battle that the Book of Psalms was compiled. For the chief principle, root and foundation of all advice for getting close to God is nothing other than reciting psalms, and other supplications and entreaties, and hitbodedut—speaking to God, pleading with Him to draw one closer to His service. Only through this is it possible to win the battle. If he is very strong and courageous in always beseeching, praying and pleading with God, come what may, then he will certainly triumph. Fortunate is he.", + "This is what we understood from the talks of the Rebbe, of blessed memory.", + "For although there is much good counsel in Rebbe Nachman’s works, which are full of guidance for getting closer to God, more often than not it is difficult for a person to fulfill the advice itself. Therefore, the main thing is prayer, supplication and entreaty. Come what may, he should say something, and constantly plead with God to transport him from darkness into the light, and to genuinely bring him back in perfect repentance. “Nor should he allow Him any silence,” until He answers him.", + "And even if a person has been calling and shouting out to God for an extremely long time and is still very, very distant, if he persists and perseveres in the prayers and supplications, ultimately God will certainly answer him. And He will certainly and without any doubt genuinely bring him closer to His service, as long as he remains strong and courageous. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Berakhot 32b) : Prayer requires encouragement, as it is written, “Hope to God! Be strong, and He will give you courage. And hope to God!” (Psalms 27:14). Rashi explains: And if your prayer is not accepted, go back and hope. And keep on doing this forever, “until God looks down from heaven and sees” (Lamentations 3:50).", + "Now, this has already been explained many times in our teachings. Yet it is necessary to repeat this again and again and to recall it daily, because there are countless things which dampen and confound it, more than the mouth can express or the heart estimate. A person therefore has to repeat this thousands of times, so that he will be strong and courageous; so that, come what may, he will remain steadfast, to constantly pray and plead to God to bring him closer to His service.", + "“Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in heaven” (Lamentations 3:41).", + "“For God will not forsake His people or abandon His inheritance” (Psalms 94:14).", + "“God’s acts of kindness have not ceased, His mercies have not been exhausted” (Lamentations 3:22)." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Once, I came to Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, and he told me of a recent visit he had had from a certain rabbi. The Rebbe had spoken with him and taught him a Torah lesson. But I was not worthy of having him repeat that teaching to me. The only thing I heard from his holy mouth was that he told me he spoke on the topic of Boaz and Ruth.", + "Esoterically, Boaz and Ruth are the juxtaposition of “redemption” with “prayer.” Boaz represents the concept of redemption, as it is written, “For I am the redeemer…” (Ruth 3:12). Ruth represents the concept of prayer. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why was she named RUth? It was on account of her descendant, David, who ReVah (saturated) the Blessed Holy One with songs and praises (Berakhot 7b). It was clear from the Rebbe’s words that he had revealed a very lofty teaching on this topic, but I wasn’t privileged to hear it.", + "I also heard the Rebbe said then that he considers all the very lofty insights he attains inconsequential in comparison with any teaching he reveals to the world. This is because all the worlds, the higher and the lower, are dependent upon each and every word he reveals in public.", + "{To explain: The insights he does not reveal are certainly countless thousands of times loftier than what he does reveal in public, as has been explained elsewhere many times. Yet, even so, in his eyes such an insight is not all that significant and consequential since he makes the Jewish people only barely more meritorious through it. The most important thing for him is when people merit hearing some teaching from him, because through each and every word…, as mentioned above.}" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When a person prays, as long as he still hears someone else then—i.e., he hears and senses that another person is standing there during his prayer—it is not good. This is because while praying every person must picture in his mind that there is no one there—“it is just me and God.”", + "The lesson “Abba Shaul… Once, while chasing after a deer…” (Likutey Moharan I, 55) explains an even greater nullification during prayer. During prayer a person is obligated to nullify himself to such a degree that he does not even notice himself then; just God alone. For then, at the time of prayer, a person is standing in the King’s Chamber, etc. See what is written there (in section 7) : “Who is he? Why, his corporeality has been nullified, so that there is nothing here but the King Himself….” See there." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman greatly loved the simple devotions of ordinary people, the uncomplicated, religious folk. He particularly loved anyone who could recite the many supplications and entreaties found in the thick prayer books, as is the way of the religious masses.", + "The Rebbe would also repeatedly urge and exhort us to sing the Shabbat songs. And he would be stern and annoyed with anyone who considered himself wise and so would not make the effort to sing the Shabbat and motza’ei Shabbat songs, or perform other simple devotions. For the essence of Jewishness is conducting oneself with complete straightforwardness and simplicity, without any sophistication, as has been explained in our teachings many times.", + "In fact, before contracting the severe illness from which he passed away, the Rebbe himself, of blessed memory, always sang a great many songs each Shabbat and motza’ei Shabbat." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "I heard from one of Rebbe Nachman’s followers that the Rebbe exhorted him to study his Torah lessons deeply and endeavor to produce some original idea {just as he exhorted many of his followers}.", + "And the Rebbe said to him: If you merit ascertaining the substance of what I intended with my lesson, good. But even if you cannot ascertain my intention, it is still very good when you merit originating something in Torah, because it is a great remedy for immoral thoughts. This is because all immoral thoughts are the product of the medameh (imagination). Thus, by originating something in Torah—which is the concept of medameh (likening) one thing to another—one rectifies the blemish caused by the immoral thoughts which stem from the imagination.", + "I, myself, heard this from the Rebbe’s holy mouth many, many times. He greatly stressed originating [insights] in Torah, saying that it was a very, very great rectification for the past. He said, too, that articulating even just a single original idea is also very good, because it is a very great remedy.", + "He also said that it is a favor for the souls of one’s forebears who have already passed on." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "It is proper to meditate on words of Torah during marital relations. One can conceive a child even with one’s mind bound to thoughts of Torah. It is very good for a person to train himself in this." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Once, Rebbe Nachman spoke about detesting and distancing oneself from the universal desire—i.e., sexual desire.", + "He stated emphatically: See, eating at least provides a person with additional energy and vitality. This desire, however, does just the opposite. It greatly diminishes and damages vitality, and seriously weakens a person’s strength. Other than for procreation, we certainly have no need for it whatsoever." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Once, while talking about human behavior, Rebbe Nachman declared: For the sake of a single, insignificant pleasure of a quarter hour, a person can forfeit and lose all of this world and the World to Come.", + "He said this in Yiddish: “A mench foon ein taanugl vegen foon a fertel shaah, kun ehr un veren gor dem oilem hazeh mit dem Oilam Habah.”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "The Rebbe spoke with me about the gravesite of the Baal Shem Tov, may the mention of the tzaddik and holy man bring blessing; that it was very good to be there, at his grave.", + "The Rebbe said that this is because “The righteous shall inherit the land” (Psalms 37:29). In other words, the true tzaddikim inherit the Land of Israel—they merit that their place of internment possesses the sanctity of the Land of Israel, literally.", + "And the Land of Israel is a rectification for a blemish of the brit ." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "I heard that someone asked Rebbe Nachman about the nature of free will. The Rebbe responded matter-of-factly, that free will is in a person’s hands, simply: If he wants, he does, and if he doesn’t want, he doesn’t do.", + "I recorded this because it is crucial. Many people are very perplexed by this. Having become creatures of habit, following the same old patterns of behavior since childhood, people think that they no longer have any free will, God forbid, and that they are incapable of changing the way they act. In fact, this is not the case. For without a doubt, every individual has free will—always, and in all matters. A person does what he wants!", + "Understand this well." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Someone asked Rebbe Nachman about the practices which bring a person closer to God. The Rebbe instructed him to study Torah….", + "“How?” he asked him. “I am unable to study.”", + "“Everything can be attained through prayer,” the Rebbe answered. “Everything good—Torah, worship, and all the holiness, devotions and good in all the worlds.”", + "The Rebbe once said: If a dead person were allowed to return to this world to pray, he would certainly pray very beautifully, with all his might." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of hitchazkut (encouragement)—that a person should not fall into despair on account of the many blemishes and harm his actions caused—the Rebbe declared: If you believe it is possible to destroy, believe it is possible to repair!" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "When someone who has experienced even just a glimmer of God does only a single thing that is less than perfectly proper, God forbid {that is to say, although there is not a suggestion of sin in his action, God forbid, nor is it marked by any full-fledged material desire, just that he does not genuinely do it with absolutely perfect sanctity}, his soul ought to expire totally on account of the remorse and embarrassment." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "I was once speaking with the Rebbe, of blessed memory, and perceived that he very much wanted to reveal to me some perception he had attained, as he was wont to do. However, it was hard for him. I walked with the Rebbe in silence, because he said nothing at all to me. Even so, as we walked, the following words emerged from his holy mouth: “Se hatt a punim az mi mooz zikh foon a hirhur zei’er heatten – It appears that we must guard ourselves very carefully from immoral thoughts.”", + "From the holy language he used and the holy motions he made when saying this I could tell that an awesome insight had been revealed to him about the severity of an immoral thought, God forbid. It causes terrible harm; may the Compassionate One spare us.", + "However, it is impossible to put this into writing." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman spoke of the great hitchazkut (encouragement) he had in serving God and how he would not allow himself to get at all confused.", + "The Rebbe’s way was to choose some upright path to follow in serving God and proceed to conduct himself in those practices and that path he had chosen for himself. He would continue those practices for a period of time. Whenever other thoughts would come up to distract him from that conduct with some other conduct, he would ignore them completely. He would push those thoughts from his mind and not entertain them in any manner. Instead, he was extremely resolute and single-minded, and would carry on for some time with the path he had chosen.", + "However, subsequently, after many weeks had passed, thoughts of his having to follow a different path would return. And so, since considerable time had already passed, he would settle his mind and choose some other path and schedule, one that seemed appropriate then. But he would not allow himself to become confused all the time, [by switching] from one devotion to another, or from one path to a different path. Rather, he was firm in carrying on with a single path for a long time, as mentioned above." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman related that when he was in the Land of Israel, he spoke with distinguished figures there who had originally been from this locale and settled in the Land of Israel, as is known. They told him that before being in the Land of Israel, they could not picture for themselves that it was located in this world. Considering the way the holy books depict the great sanctity of the Land of Israel, they assumed it was in an entirely different world. Its sanctity is described in our holy Torah numerous times, and the Torah itself specifies all its boundaries on account of its loftiness and sanctity, which are extremely immense and awesome. Therefore, they could not picture for themselves, with their own eyes that the Land of Israel exists in this world, until they came there and saw that it is actually in this world.", + "For, in fact, the Land of Israel is exactly like these lands, and in look and appearance its soil is exactly like that of these lands. Although people occasionally bring white soil from there, that is only from particular locations, and even in this land white soil and natron are found in some places. However, the majority of the soil in the Land of Israel is exactly like the soil of these lands. The fact is that in outward appearance there is no difference at all between the Land of Israel and other lands, l’havdil. Nonetheless, it is extremely holy, supremely sanctified by an immense and awesome holiness. Praiseworthy is he who merits taking even four steps there…—as our Sages, of blessed memory, and all the holy works say in extolling its immensely great and awesome holiness." + ], + [ + "2. The Rebbe, of blessed memory, related this because it is crucial in many areas about which people’s misapprehensions leave them perplexed. There are those who mistakenly think that one should be able to recognize the tzaddik, or anything holy, from his face, image or appearance—that he should be especially distinctive in his appearance and mannerisms.", + "In reality, it is not so. In appearance and image the tzaddik resembles all men. There is nothing different about him, and, even so, he is something entirely different. In actual fact, other people do not resemble him at all. As the Rebbe, of blessed memory, taught: A sincerely religious Jew may appear to have the same innards as everyone else, yet he is something altogether different.", + "Likewise, the Land of Israel; in all its elements and aspects it is entirely distinct and separate from the other lands. The Rebbe, of blessed memory, said that the Land of Israel has a different sky than the rest of the world, as the Zohar brings on the Chapter of Terumah. Even so, the human eye sees no physical difference whatsoever between the Land of Israel and other lands. Only someone who merits believing in its holiness can somewhat tell them apart.", + "The same applies to the tzaddik and those who are more sincerely religious than the rest of the world. In reality, all their mannerisms and their appearance and image are like everyone else’s. The human eye cannot tell them apart physically. And yet, in actual fact, we believe that they are entirely separate and distinct. For a sincerely religious Jew is something altogether different, as mentioned above, and all the more so the genuine tzaddikim. This is crucial for many areas. Understand this well." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Regarding the confusion a person experiences when he enters a higher level of holiness; as, for instance, when he begins to come closer to the true tzaddik, and the like. [How is it that] right then he experiences some form of impurity, God forbid?!", + "This has already been explained elsewhere {that when a person enters holiness, the evil inclination increases its attack against him, because with each further advance in holiness he has a new evil inclination, greater than the earlier one; see Likutey Moharan I, 72 and elsewhere}.", + "Actually, this confusion is foolishness, no matter how we view the situation. If what happened to him was the result of an immoral thought, whose fault is it? He should not complain at all, since he brought it upon himself. And if it is not the result of an immoral thought, then it is certainly in no way a bad sign. For if it was something bad, our Sages, of blessed memory, would not have taken it as a good sign for someone who is ill. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: A seminal discharge is “a good sign for a sick person” (Berakhot 57b).", + "In fact, it is just the opposite. It is on account of his coming closer to a very exalted holiness that he experienced this, because, as the Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Whoever betters himself below is judged more strictly on high, as it is stated: “and as is your fear, so is your wrath” (Taanit 8a).", + "It follows, that when a person betters himself and enters holiness, they hold him to a stricter standard, and so accusations and judgments are raised against him, God forbid. And from the devolution of the judgments, the evil inclination is created, as is brought elsewhere (in the aforementioned lesson, Likutey Moharan I, 72). Therefore, he should not complain at all about this. On the contrary, it is because he has entered such a high level of holiness that the evil inclination, through the devolution of the judgments, provokes him.", + "This is why the Sages, of blessed memory, considered it a great miracle when the high priest did not experience a seminal emission on Yom Kippur, as they taught (Avot 5:5). By the high priest entering such a lofty holiness on Yom Kippur—to the Temple’s innermost sanctum—many accusations and judgments were certainly raised against him. This produced the evil inclination, as mentioned above. It was therefore considered miraculous that the high priest was spared from a seminal emission on Yom Kippur.", + "Now, look here and understand. How can this matter confuse a person? Can he complain that a miracle was not performed on his behalf as it was for the high priest on Yom Kippur?", + "Know, too, that there are times when a person possesses a hidden impurity, which due to its concealment and hiddenness is precluded from being rectified. Consequently, what he experienced as a result of his coming closer to holiness was in fact beneficial. It caused the hidden impurity to emerge. Once it emerges, it becomes possible to find a rectification for it, which was not the case previously, while it was still hidden. This is the reason Avraham did not father Yitzchak until he had first fathered Yishmael. Likewise, Yitzchak fathered Esav and only then Yaakov, in order to first remove the feculence, as is brought." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of original Torah insights: There are prominent individuals who are praised for their ability to deliver a Torah lesson without prior contemplation or study. Rebbe Nachman said that this did not make them so exceptional. A person can certainly deliver a Torah lesson extemporaneously, because it is possible to bind one’s thought and speech to God and then deliver a Torah lesson without prior contemplation and study.", + "However, it is better when one contemplates Torah. Is this not what even God does? We find in the Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 24:5 ; Shemot Rabbah 40:1) that when God wants to reveal Torah, He reviews it four times before speaking it. They derived this from the verse “Then He saw it and told it; He prepared it and also explored it” (Job 28:27). Four aspects are recorded here: “He saw it and told it….” God sees, tells, prepares and explores the words of Torah, as it were; four times before speaking. Then, afterwards, He reveals it to the world. All the more so a human being; he first has to contemplate, study, research and clarify well in his mind the words of Torah, before he speaks." + ], + [ + "2. Rebbe Nachman also said that, nowadays, it is easy to produce new Torah insights, on account of the wide circulation of many holy works of the tzaddikim of our era. In accordance with the parlance and revelations that have spread widely in our times, it is very easy to originate in Torah.", + "The Rebbe also spoke about that which the holy Zohar brings: “Rabbi Yitzchak opened by saying…,” and similar statements about others of the holy fellowship. He said: “Rabbi Yitzchak opened”—all he did was open his mouth, and immediately he began speaking and revealing Torah. Nevertheless, it has already been explained that better still is to study and contemplate (called trakhtin) Torah." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman spoke with us a number of times about the pain of this world (olam hazeh), that absolutely everyone in the world is plagued by suffering. There is not a one who has Olam HaZeh. Even the very wealthy and the privileged have no Olam HaZeh at all, because all their days are frustration and grief. They are all full of troubles, worries, misery, sadness and aggravation—always! Each one with his particular woes. And so, of all the rich and the privileged there is not a one for whom everything is always in order and as he would have it. They are all as one constantly full of suffering and worry. This is clear and known to anyone who is somewhat familiar with them and their ways.", + "We spoke of this a number of times and would see it all with our eyes. Even someone who seems to have Olam HaZeh completely, with all its pleasures—wealth, possessions, esteem, great riches, enormous palaces, amazing vessels and jewelry, and the resources of kings—if they would look at him closely, [they would see that] he, too, is always full of much frustration and grief in many different ways and matters. This is empirically obvious, and there is no need to explain it to anyone who has a brain in his head and honestly observes them a bit. It is as King Shlomo, of blessed memory, said: “Also all his days [bring] frustration and grief…” (Ecclesiastes 2:23). And it is written: “But a man is born to toil… he is short-lived and sated with anxiety” (Job 5:7 and 14:1).", + "This includes every human being in the world, from the smallest to the greatest, because all are born to toil and so are full of anxiety and suffering. Nor is there any advice or ploy through which to be spared from this toil and sadness, except by fleeing to God and being occupied with Torah.", + "This is as the Midrash brings: “But a man is born to toil”—fortunate is he whose toil is in Torah (Bereishit Rabbah 13:7). In other words, since every person is born to toil and it cannot possibly be avoided, even if he owns all the riches in the world he will certainly experience much toil, suffering and worries. And so, “a wise man has his eyes ahead of him” (Ecclesiastes 2:14). He turns the toil into the toil of Torah, which is the reason he was born—to toil in Torah. Then, fortunate is he, because he is spared the toil of this world and merits life in the World to Come." + ], + [ + "2. The Rebbe, of blessed memory, declared: Look! Everyone says there is this world and the World to Come. Now, we believe there is a World to Come. And it is possible that an Olam HaZeh exists in some universe. But here it looks more like Gehinnom, because everyone is full of great suffering—always!", + "The Rebbe also said: “There is no Olam HaZeh at all!”" + ] + ], + [ + [ + "One of our group told me that, as was his way, he was discussing serving God with Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory. The Rebbe understood that he was concentrating on some kavanot (Kabbalistic meditations) while praying. The Rebbe was very firm with him and told him not to continue the practice. He was not to pray with Kabbalistic meditations, but rather to concentrate on the straightforward meaning of the words. {Although it was at Rebbe Nachman’s behest that this individual studied the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, the Rebbe did not want him to pray with kavanot at all.}", + "Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, also said to him that when one who is not fit to pray with kavanot does so, it is like sorcery. Of the black arts it is said: “you shall not learn to do” (Deuteronomy 18:9). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: “You shall not learn [in order] to do,” but you may learn [in order] to understand and rule (Shabbat 75a). The same applies to the Kabbalistic meditations, l’ havdil. The only reason to learn them is to understand and issue rulings, but not to use them—i.e., to concentrate on them while praying if one is not fit to do so.", + "The Rebbe also said: The essence of prayer is attachment to God. It would thus be better to pray in one’s native tongue. When a person prays in his native tongue, the heart is very close and bound to the words of prayer, and he can better attach himself to God. However, the men of the Great Assembly have already established the prayer liturgy for us {because not everyone is able to format the prayer liturgy on his own, as is brought}. We are therefore obligated to pray in the Holy Tongue, as they formatted the liturgy for us. Yet the main thing is to concentrate on the straightforward meaning of the words. For this is the essence of prayer: We pray to God for each and every thing, and through this we draw closer to God and become attached to Him.", + "Now, whoever always converses in the Holy Tongue, such as a Jerusalemite, is not required to think about the meaning of the words. Instead, he should pay attention to what he is saying, and this is the focus of his concentration while praying.", + "And for the spiritually advanced true tzaddikim, all the kavanot of the Ari, of blessed memory, etc., are the meaning of the words. That is, the way they mean the words includes all the Kabbalistic meditations." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman would encourage his followers who bemoaned to him that they were very far from prayer and that it was very hard for them to pray. He would encourage and console them in numerous ways so that they would not despair on account of this.", + "The Rebbe said: A convert considers it a great merit when he is worthy of knowing how to recite the words just till Barukh Sh’amar . One should therefore console himself and rejoice that he is at least privileged to recite the words of the [entire] service.", + "I also heard that he spoke about prayer with a certain ordinary person who had great difficulty praying. The Rebbe gave him advice and told him to think to himself that he needs to pray only till Barukh Sh’amar, since perhaps in this incarnation he has to rectify only this section of the service. It is possible that already in a previous incarnation he prayed the rest of the service with proper concentration, so that now, in this incarnation, all he has to pray with proper concentration is this section until Barukh Sh’amar . Consequently, he should invest all his energy into this modest amount, praying with proper concentration until Barukh Sh’amar. Then, afterwards, when he reaches Barukh Sh’amar, he should think that he may have to rectify from Barukh Sh’amar to Va’yevarekh David and so also recite that section with proper concentration, and so on.", + "The rule is that a person should not frustrate himself at the outset [by thinking] about the entire service, because it will then be difficult and burdensome for him. Rather, each time he should determinedly recite just a little with proper concentration—because a small amount can be said with proper concentration—and then afterwards, a little more, etc." + ], + [ + "2. Also, it has already been explained that, actually, most people cannot pray the entire service with proper concentration, only a small part of it. For each person recites some section of the service commensurate with his level. There are “masters of the hands,” and “masters of the feet,” as explained elsewhere." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of extraneous thoughts during prayer:", + "It is already known that each thought is a complete structure, as is brought. The Rebbe said: When a person stands and prays in ordered fashion, paying no attention to extraneous thoughts, he vanquishes them and removes them from himself. {This is as explained elsewhere, that a person ought not focus on them in the least, but instead proceed in ordered fashion with his prayer without looking over his shoulder at all, as a result of which the extraneous thoughts automatically depart.} Consequently, as he proceeds with his prayer he defeats them, cutting off the hand of one and the foot of another, and so too the other limbs.", + "This can be illustrated with the example from war, when a person has to proceed and infiltrate many killers and ambushers. When he is mighty and passes through them, on the way he defeats them. As he proceeds he cuts off this one’s hand and defeats him, and that one’s foot…, and so on.", + "It is exactly the same with regard to prayer. When one’s praying is ordered, with no attention paid to extraneous thoughts, so that he rejects and defeats them, then as he proceeds in his prayer he cuts off this one’s hand and that one’s foot, etc. This is because each extraneous thought is an evil force and a complete structure, as is brought. Thus, when a person strengthens himself to pray in an ordered fashion and to ignore extraneous thoughts, he kills them or cuts off their various limbs." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "Rebbe Nachman said: Mikvah is not the least bit harmful. Any doctor who says it is, is no doctor at all.", + "On the contrary, immersing in a mikvah is very beneficial for the body’s health. This is because there are many small pores in the human body, sweat pores, through which the perspiration leaves a person. They need to be open, because if the sweat pores are blocked a person can become weak and fall ill, God forbid.", + "Immersing in water opens the sweat pores, which is very beneficial for the body’s health. This is so long as the water is not excessively cold, because in that case water closes up the aforementioned pores. But when not very cold, immersing in the water is very beneficial.", + "It has also already been explained that devotions and self-mortification (called horivani) cause no harm. Whomever the devotions or the self-mortification does harm, it is only because of pride." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "I heard it said in Rebbe Nachman’s name that on those occasions which a person has a thought of repentance or a yearning for God in a certain place, there, right in that place, he should reinforce that thought of repentance or that yearning. For example, he should recite there some words of supplication and entreaty, or utter words of heartfelt yearning as the matter calls for. He should not wait or budge from where he is, even if the site is inappropriate for it, as, for instance, a place not dedicated to Torah and prayer, but where he just happens to be walking, or the like. The reason is that should he move from his place, it may cease.", + "We saw such behavior numerous times from the Rebbe himself, of blessed memory. There were occasions when he would remain standing in the middle of the house to speak with us. He would reveal a wonderful Torah lesson or engage in a very beautiful conversation, and disclose marvelous ways to serve God and reach great spiritual inspiration, etc. And he was unwilling to move from his place until he had completed what he wanted. This happened numerous times." + ] + ], + [ + [ + "On the topic of reciting Tehillim (the Book of Psalms):", + "Rebbe Nachman told a person with whom he spoke that the main thing in reciting Tehillim is to say all the psalms as referring to oneself, finding oneself in each and every chapter. The man asked the Rebbe, of blessed memory, how one does this, and the Rebbe briefly explained: All the battles from which King David, may peace be upon him, entreated God to save him—a person has to apply them all to himself, as referring to the battle against the evil inclination and its forces. Likewise, with the other chapters (as explicated above, in Lesson #101).", + "And the man asked him how it was possible to apply to himself those verses in which King David, may peace be upon him, praises himself, for example: “Guard my soul, for I am devout” (Psalms 86:2), and similar such statements. The Rebbe answered him: This, too, one must apply to himself, because a person has to judge himself favorably. He has to find in himself some merit and good point, that in this good point he is considered devout and the like.", + "The Rebbe, of blessed memory, also said to him: Is it not written of Yehoshaphat that “His heart was elevated in the ways of God” (2 Chronicles 17:6)—that he prided himself a bit in the ways of God and in serving Him?", + "The Rebbe, of blessed memory, further said to him: Do we not say at the start of the morning: “What are we? What is our life?…” We belittle ourselves a great deal, but then say: “Nevertheless, we are Your people, members of Your Covenant…” That is, afterwards we encourage and boost ourselves, and speak of our greatness. And we pride ourselves in being His people, members of His Covenant, the offspring of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov…. This is how we need to conduct ourselves in the service of God.", + "Study this further in Likutey Moharan I, 282, on the verse “Azamra (I will sing) to God with the little I have left” (Psalms 146:2).", + "Chazak! Chazak! Chazak!" + ] + ] + ], + "Additions from Manuscript": [] + }, + "schema": { + "heTitle": "ליקוטי מוהר\"ן", + "enTitle": "Likutei Moharan", + "key": "Likutei Moharan", + "nodes": [ + { + "heTitle": "הקדמה", + "enTitle": "Introduction" + }, + { + "heTitle": "שיר נעים", + "enTitle": "A Pleasant Song" + }, + { + "heTitle": "לכו חזו", + "enTitle": "Go See" + }, + { + "heTitle": "", + "enTitle": "" + }, + { + "heTitle": "תנינא", + "enTitle": "Part II" + }, + { + "heTitle": "כתבי יד", + "enTitle": "Additions from Manuscript" + } + ] + } +} \ No newline at end of file