And in truth the aspect of teshuvah is the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes — for teshuvah is the aspect of Yom Kippur, the aspect of binah, which is alma d'iskasya [the concealed world], the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes. For since one has transgressed the words of the Torah, how can repentance avail, and how can one rectify this? But then one is obligated to ascend through teshuvah and rectify oneself through the aspect of this chessed chinam — which is the Torah hane'elemes that was sustaining the world even without Torah-observance. And through this one rectifies [oneself] and returns to Hashem blessed be He.

And this itself is [the meaning of] the fact that the Land of Israel was first in the hand of Cana'an, and afterward given to Israel — for it is all one. The Land of Israel and the Torah are entirely one — for the primary observance of the Torah is in the Land of Israel, as it is written: "He gave them the lands of nations... so that they might keep His statutes and observe His Torah" etc. [Psalms 105:44–45]. And as is written in the Torah many times: "And you shall keep this covenant" etc. "in the land which you shall inherit" — and similar to this in many verses.

And therefore, had Hashem blessed be He given the Land of Israel to Israel immediately at the time of the creation of the world — and had [the land] never been under the dominion of the akum [idolaters / the nations] at all from the start — and had the holiness of the Land of Israel been revealed immediately — then immediately when Israel would sin, G-d forbid, the land would vomit them out and its holiness would be hidden, and it would no longer be possible to ever again reveal its holiness. And therefore it was absolutely necessary that the kelipah [husk] precede the fruit [ha'kelipah kodemes la'pri] — that the Land of Israel should be in the hand of Cana'an for so many years. And in truth, even then, when the Land of Israel was in the hand of Cana'an, the Land of Israel was already in its holiness just as it is now — for the holiness of the Land of Israel is fixed and established forever [kevia u'kayma l'olam] — only that its holiness was deeply hidden in great concealment [be'helem gadol], and no one at all knew of its holiness, until our father Avraham came and placed it in the balance [u'tikil b'tikla] etc., until it was revealed to him. For specifically Avraham was able to begin to reveal its holiness — for Avraham was a man of kindness [ish ha'chessed], and his attribute was kindness — and therefore he was able to perceive the hidden holiness in the Land of Israel, which is the aspect of chessed chinam, the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes that was sustaining the world prior to the giving of the Torah. For this chessed was hidden within the Land of Israel, for the Land of Israel and the Torah are entirely one, as mentioned.

And therefore specifically through this chessed one goes and conquers the Land of Israel from the akum as mentioned — as is explained in the aforementioned discourse — as it is written: "In the beginning G-d created..." etc., and Rabbi Yitzchak said: the Torah need not have begun etc., but rather so that if they say "you are robbers," they [Israel] answer: He created it, in His will He gave it to them and in His will He took it from them and gave it to us. It is thus found that through knowing that Hashem blessed be He created the world through the ten utterances — in which the entire Torah is hidden — which is the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes, the aspect of chessed chinam as mentioned — through this it is possible to conquer the Land of Israel as mentioned.

And it was therefore absolutely necessary that the Land of Israel first be in the hand of Cana'an and then be given to Israel. For had it been in Israel's hand from the start — then when Israel would have sinned and gone into exile, and the land would have been delivered to the akum, it would have been impossible to take the land back from them — for they would have said: "You are robbers!" [seeing that it had been taken from Israel through sin]. But now, Hashem blessed be He revealed [the answer] and began the Torah with "Bereishis," in order to make known that even from the very beginning, when the land was in their [the nations'] hands — it was all by the will of Hashem blessed be He. For He blessed be He created it, and in His will He gave it to them. And since He blessed be He gave it to them of His own will — it is found that even then, when the land was in their possession, His blessed will — which is the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes, the aspect of chessed chinam as mentioned — was clothed and hidden and concealed there. For "in His will He gave it to them" — in His will specifically — which is the aspect of chessed chinam, the hidden Torah, as mentioned. And since even then His blessed will was clothed and hidden there in the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes, it is therefore certainly possible for us to reconquer the land from them — for "in His will He gave it to them, and in His will He took it from them and gave it to us." For in truth, even when it was in their possession, the holiness was hidden there in the aspect of the Torah hane'elemes — only it was in great concealment; and now we merely reveal its holiness and bring it forth from concealment to revelation. Understand this well.

Therefore after the parshah of Korach comes the aforementioned parshah of Terumah etc., for through this the aspect of the three aforementioned hands is rectified, through which all the judgments are sweetened and the left is included within the right. This is the aspect of the rectification of all the worlds, the general principle of the entire Torah — which is the opposite of the blemish of Korach, as mentioned.

And this is what the Torah was precise about in the parshah of Terumos: kadagan min hagoren v'chamelea min hayekev [like grain from the threshing floor and like the fullness from the wine vat]. Goren [threshing floor] and yekev [wine vat] allude to the aforementioned rectification: that the Elokim of the garon [throat] are sweetened through the Name Havayah blessed-be-He as mentioned. Goren is the aspect of the garon [throat] as mentioned, which is sweetened through the Name Havayah as mentioned — this being the aspect of yekev, which are the letters of yibuk as brought in the holy writings, which in gematria equals Havayah Elokim, as is known. That is, the Name Havayah sweetens the judgments of the Name Elokim — this being the aspect of shalay"v as mentioned, which is three times yibuk, that is, three times Havayah and three times Elokim. And the root of the sweetening is the Name yibuk which is Havayah Elokim, the aspect of yekev which sweetens the aspect of goren, as mentioned.

§ Dalet

And this is the aspect of covering the blood with earth (Yoreh De'ah, Siman 28). This is the aspect of shifilus [lowliness/humility], the aspect of "dust and ashes" — which Avraham Avinu [our father Abraham] said (Bereishis 18:27) — the aspect of humility. Through this, Yisrael merited the "dust of covering," as our Sages of blessed memory said. For the essential rectification of the soul is through humility, as mentioned above.

Section 5

And this is the aspect of shehiyah [pausing/delay] in shechitah, which is invalid (Yoreh De'ah, Siman 23). And likewise, derasah [pressing] is forbidden (ibid., Siman 24). For the shechitah must be performed in completeness and with alacrity, without interruption. For because the soiled garments, from which all the obstacles [derive], grow stronger and obstruct greatly, therefore it is forbidden to make any pause or interruption, so that the obstacles — which are the soiled garments — should not overpower, G-d forbid. For they are liable to obstruct and ruin, as mentioned above. And therefore the shechitah must be performed with great alacrity, without any shehiyah, even the slightest amount.

However, even so, derasah is invalid. For even though one must be very swift in the shechitah — that is, in the aspect of when one wants to elevate the soul, to strip it from the soiled garments as mentioned above — nevertheless, it is impossible for it to be in the manner of derasah. For one must necessarily endure the exertions and the obstacles, to pass through and go through all the obstacles until one strips from it all the soiled garments — which are the obstructors — and it is impossible to subdue them all at once in the manner of derasah (as explained elsewhere).

And this is the aspect of chaladah [burrowing/concealment] (Yoreh De'ah, Siman 24) — that the shechitah must be exposed and revealed completely, that the knife should not burrow beneath the skin or between one siman [sign, i.e. trachea/esophagus] and the other. The soiled garments must not interpose above the knife — for this is the aspect of the obstacles and interpositions of the soiled garments, which are the aspect of the hide of the animal, as mentioned above. For the essence of the shechitah is through the aspect of yirah, as mentioned above, and the yirah is the aspect of pischa ila'ah [the upper opening/gateway]. And therefore, the opening of the shechitah must be entirely open, without any obstruction or interposition.

Section 6

And this is the aspect of the slaughter of the simanim [signs] by their majority (Yoreh De'ah, Siman 21:1). For the souls, before their rectification, are in the aspect of palga [incompleteness/halves] (as explained there). And therefore, their essential rectification is through ascending to yirah, which is the aspect of completeness. For their essential rectification is to elevate them from the aspect of palga and deficiency to the aspect of complete yirah.

Laws of Excommunication and Ban

And this is: “Days were formed, and not one among them” (Tehillim 139:16) — this is Yom HaKippurim, which is included from all the days. For then the Kohen Gadol enters the Bais Kodesh Kodashim, and then all the variations are incorporated together in the aspect of the saichel hakolail. Through which everything is sweetened — all types of dinim in the world — from which is the atonement and the forgiveness for all the sins and the iniquities of the world, as above.

Therefore at the time of the Exodus from Egypt — where the kelipos had great grip, as is known, the aspect of Egypt's sorcerers who drew from the fallen Toros — it was impossible to leave until Hashem Himself was revealed, kivyachol: "and I will pass through the land of Egypt — I am Hashem. I and not an angel, I and not a seraph, I and not an emissary. I am Hashem — I am He and no other."

And this is the aspect of “refined seven times over” (Tehillim 12:7) — seven times seven, the aspect of Shabbas Shabboson [a Shabbas of Shabbosos] — namely, that one does t’shuvah upon t’shuvah, until one makes a Shabbas for the seven Shabbosos, just as the first Shabbas was for the seven days, as above. And this is the ultimate refining and purifying, the ultimate t’shuvah, as above.

• • •

Belongs to [the section] above:

And therefore, regarding the ultimate redemption, it is written: “For not in haste shall you go out… for Hashem goes before you, and the G-d of Yisrael gathers you in” (Yeshaya 52:12). For in Egypt, when the tikkun was not yet in its completeness, and the Egyptians and the Sitra Achara still pursued them, they needed to go out in haste — to flee and escape from there quickly. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of chametz — not to leaven the mind, as above.

And therefore one takes leave from tzaddikim and important people. For Hashem Yisbarach has placed His authority and will in the hands of Yisroel, for they govern the world, in the aspect of "tzaddik moshel" ["the tzaddik rules"] (Sh'muel II 23:3), in the aspect of "Yisroel mamsh'losav" ["Yisroel — His dominions"] (T'hillim 114:2), as is explained in the words of Rabbainu z"l elsewhere. For Yisroel are "achidan b'Malka" ["grasped in the King"] and are included in His Unity, Yisbarach.

If for your spouse He provided for you — as it is written: 'Let it happen before me today' [Genesis 24:12]. And it is written: 'And he saw, and behold, camels were coming' [Genesis 24:63]. Then for your food, how much more so!"

And this is wondrous at first glance, for at a superficial level it seems a refutable kal vachomer [a fortiori argument] — for certainly to save Yitzchak from the judgment of the slaughter of the Akeidah, and likewise to provide him with his spouse, is a greater salvation than providing him with food for the moment. But according to all the above, the Midrash will be well understood, and it will come as a proper argument and will be very pleasing to your soul, with Hashem's help.

For specifically the merit of the Akeidah and the finding of his spouse he mentioned at the time when [Yaakov] wanted to receive the blessings. For he was saying: Was it not for the sake of the offering of the Akeidah — which was to sweeten your gevuros — that Hashem made the ram happen? And likewise, to provide your spouse Rivkah — who is the aspect of prayer, which sweetens the aspect of mishpat and gevurah of Yitzchak — Hashem, blessed be He, helped in a wondrous way, even though it was very difficult to find your spouse due to the immensity of your gevuros, as mentioned above? Nevertheless, Hashem had mercy and provided her for you. And everything was for my sake — so that Yisrael would emerge from me. And now, for your food — that I wish to feed you in order to receive the blessings, so that Yisrael will be able to endure in the world and to sustain themselves throughout all the severity and prolongation of the bitterness of their exile — how much more so will Hashem, blessed be He, provide for me!

It emerges that this Midrash is very beautifully connected. For specifically through the sweetening of the Akeidah and through his spouse Rivkah — the aspect of prayer, as mentioned above — through this he received the blessings, as mentioned above. (And this is what is written in Sefer HaAlef-Beis, Letter Zayin: that the eating of the tzadikim is greater than offerings and than their marital unions, etc. Understand well.)

— 45 —

And afterward, when he merits to have his request answered before Hashem Yisborach and his prayer is accepted — and he merits to reach [that level] and to fulfill all the words of the Torah and the commandments he prayed for — then the Nishma becomes Na'aseh, Toras Hashem becomes Toraso, prayer becomes Torah. And then he has a yet higher Nishma, etc. — meaning he now prays to attain the mysteries and deeper intentions within the commandments, and so on from level to level. [(Thus everything is one — for what was written "to make from the Torah a prayer" refers to the Torah he has not yet merited to fulfill or attain, which is itself what was described in this teaching as making from the Nishma a Na'aseh and from prayer Torah — for the Torah he has not yet merited to fulfill, etc., is in the bechinas prayer, etc. — and it is all one.)]

And therefore on Rosh Hashanah — which is the beginning of creation — the Written Torah itself is in the bechinas prayer, for we are then beginning to recognize Hashem Yisborach, and at that point we must pray that Hashem grant us the merit of the first Na'aseh v'Nishma, which is the bechinas writing the Torah, the bechinas Written Torah, as above. And therefore we make from the verses of the Written Torah a prayer — for they are still for us in the bechinas prayer, the bechinas concealed, as above.

And this is what we pray on Rosh Hashanah: "And therefore place Your awe, Hashem our G-d, upon all Your works, and Your dread upon all You have created, that all creatures fear You…" [High Holiday liturgy] — that is, we pray that the Nishma become Na'aseh, for the Nishma is the bechinas awe (yirah) — the bechinas beraishis yoray boashes [the primal awe-shame], as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And therefore we beseech Hashem Yisborach that His awe and dread be drawn upon all the deeds (ma'asim) — the bechinas Na'aseh — so that the Nishma should be revealed upon all the Na'aseh, and the Na'aseh will be made from the Nishma, as above.

And this is the bechinas Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofros. Malchuyos — that is the bechinas Nishma, which is the bechinas prayer, the bechinas Malchus — for the Nishma, which is the concealed that we wish to attain, is the bechinas Malchus of the higher level: the lowest aspect of the higher level, for the general principle is that one can only grasp from level to level the lowest aspect of the higher level, as is explained elsewhere.

Zichronos — that is the bechinas Na'aseh: drawing from the Nishma into the Na'aseh — the bechinas writing — as above; which is the bechinas Zichronos, the bechinas "Write this as a remembrance in the Book" — drawing and revealing from the Nishma into the Na'aseh until it is written in a Book for remembrance, so that we remember Him always. For in truth no thought can grasp Him at all — but we must believe in Him Yisborach and attach our thoughts to Him always — which is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas prayer, the bechinas bitul and deveikus to the Infinite — until we merit that some attainment and knowledge of His Torah should be revealed to us, which is His oneness — for "the Torah and the Holy One Blessed is He and Israel are all one" — and through this we know something of Him from His greatness and exaltedness and glory Yisborach. And we must bind this knowledge in our heart to remember it forever — in the bechinas writing, in the bechinas "Write them upon the tablet of your heart" [Proverbs 3:3] — so that we never forget Him. Thus when one makes the Nishma into a Na'aseh, this is the bechinas remembrance — the bechinas "Write this as a remembrance in the Book" — as above. And this is the bechinas Zichronos said on Rosh Hashanah.

Thus Malchuyos and Zichronos are the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma. And through Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits joy, and through joy one merits holy boldness — the bechinas holy voices. And this is the bechinas Shofros — and this is the bechinas shofar-blast on Rosh Hashanah alongside Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofros. For the sound of the shofar is the bechinas holy boldness — the bechinas "He gives His voice a mighty voice" [Psalms 68:34] — as explained in the aforementioned teaching: that this is attained through Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above. And through holy boldness — the sound of the shofar — one enters into holiness and draws near to the totality of the Seven Shepherds who draw down holy faith to Israel — for this is the essential service of Rosh Hashanah: to merit complete faith, as stated in the Rebbe's words in many places.

Section 5

And this is the bechinas Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur. For afterward, one must ascend each time from level to level in order to attain a yet higher Nishma. And this depends upon teshuvah [repentance] — for when one wishes to ascend from this Na'aseh v'Nishma to a yet higher one, there must be a descent before the ascent — for "the descent is for the sake of the ascent" [Likutay Moharan I, 22]. As our Sages said: "Dovid was not suited to that act, nor were Israel suited, etc. — but only in order to teach the path of repentance" [Avodah Zarah 4b] — see all of this in the aforementioned teaching.

And when one merits the ascent through the descent — that is, when one merits to attain the Nishma and the concealed — then the descent is transformed into an ascent: all the transgressions [avonos], which are the bechinas descent, are transformed into merits and the transgressions become Torah. And this is what is alluded to there in the aforementioned teaching — the matter of the verse: "On that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" [Jeremiah 50:20] — that in the future, Israel's transgressions will become Torah; and they will search and seek Israel's transgressions in order to find more iniquity, in order for more Torah to be made from it — for they will all be included in the Infinite, in the bechinas "there shall be none" — they will all be absorbed into the Ayin [Nothingness], etc. — see there. For when one merits to attain the Nishma and the concealed, ascending from level to level, one is then included in the Infinite — for the Nishma is the bechinas Infinite, as understood from the aforementioned teaching — and then the descent is transformed into ascent and all transgressions are transformed into merits.

And all of this one merits through teshuvah — for teshuvah is very lofty and transcends the Torah in the bechinas secrets of Torah — the bechinas Nishma — the bechinas prayer. And one who has fallen into some fall from the service of Hashem — and even if at times, G-d forbid, one fell into an actual great fall of transgressions, G-d forbid, Heaven have mercy — must strengthen himself greatly, greatly, never to despair, G-d forbid, as is explained by us many times. And when he does not despair and strengthens himself and returns to Hashem with his whole heart — then through that very repentance he merits a great ascent specifically through that fall, for "the descent is the ultimate purpose of the ascent," since through the fall he merited repentance through which he merited the Nishma and the concealed — to ascend from level to level, from this Na'aseh v'Nishma to a higher one. And then he is included in the Infinite and all transgressions are transformed into merits.

And this is the bechinas Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur — for on Rosh Hashanah is the beginning, and on Yom Kippur is the conclusion. For all our service in these days is to "saw" [separate and build] the Malchus [Kingship] — and Malchus is faith (emunah) — for the essence is faith: we must reveal the faith in the world, which is the bechinas revelation of His sovereignty. For through faith one knows that He Yisborach is King over all the earth — and this is the essence of our request on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as we say: "And therefore, Hashem our G-d, place Your awe upon all Your works…" and "…that You alone, Hashem, will reign over the entire world in Your glory…" and "…let every creature know that You made it…" and "…and everything that has a soul in its nostrils shall say: 'Hashem G-d of Israel is King and His sovereignty rules over all.'" And similarly many [prayers] — for our entire intention and longing and prayers are that His faith and sovereignty be revealed to all the world's inhabitants. For this is the bechinas "sawing" of the Malchus — that the Malchus and the faith should not remain hidden within Him Yisborach, at which point nothing of Him Yisborach can be known at all — for no thought can grasp Him at all, and He Yisborach can only be known through holy faith.

Therefore in these days we engage in repentance — for they are the Ten Days of Repentance. And through each and every repentance performed on each day of the Ten Days, one merits to ascend from level to level and to attain a yet higher Nishma — in the bechinas "descent for the sake of ascent" — for the transgressions are turned into merits through repentance. And according to the level of Na'aseh v'Nishma attained each day, so too does one merit holy boldness — the bechinas kolos — and likewise one merits to draw down holy faith into the world, as all this is explained and understood clearly in the aforementioned teaching.

Section 6

The essential conclusion is on Yom Kippur — for then is the essential forgiveness and atonement, and one merits complete repentance, and Hashem Yisborach forgives the transgressions of His people Israel, and all the transgressions are transformed into merits. And therefore the essential receiving of the Torah is on Yom Kippur — for then Hashem Yisborach was appeased with Moshe and said to him "I have forgiven" for the sin of the Golden Calf, and then Moshe descended with the Tablets — which are the bechinas two witnesses made from Na'aseh v'Nishma — for the Tablets encompass both Written and Oral Torah, which are the bechinas two Tablets in his two hands — right hand and left hand — which are Written and Oral Torah as is known — the "writing hand" and the "sealing hand." For on Yom Kippur "it is sealed" — for then the judgment is concluded, the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma is completed in full, which are the bechinas Written and Oral Torah, as above.

For on Yom Kippur one merits the highest Nishma — for one is then included in the Infinite with utter bitul, as it will be in the future — for Yom Kippur is the bechinas World to Come, which has neither eating nor drinking, as is known. And therefore on this holy day, all sins, transgressions, and iniquities committed throughout the entire year are confessed — for now they become Torah from all the transgressions, for they all become merits through the complete repentance done then. And therefore specifically through the confession of transgressions one merits the highest Nishma attained on Yom Kippur — which is the most sublime secrets of Torah — in the bechinas "descent for the sake of ultimate ascent," as above — for the transgressions are transformed into merits and from them the most sublime Torah is made — the secrets of Torah.

And then on Yom Kippur is fulfilled: "On that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" — "shall be sought" specifically, as above. And therefore on Yom Kippur the fullness of prayer is attained — one merits five prayers — for then one attains the highest Nishma, which is the bechinas prayer, as above. And therefore on Yom Kippur faith is completed and shines with an exceedingly great light — for then one merits Na'aseh v'Nishma in perfect completeness, through which one merits complete faith, as above.

And this is the bechinas five immersions (tevilos) that the High Priest immerses on that day each time he changes from the golden vestments to the white vestments and from the white vestments back to the golden vestments. At first glance it is difficult: for immersing when changing from golden to white vestments — i.e., from the outer service to the inner service — is understandable, since he is entering a higher level of holiness; but when changing from white to golden vestments — from the inner to the outer — why must he immerse? But in truth, according to the above explanation, this is well understood — for the "outer" and "inner" are the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma, the bechinas revealed and concealed. And therefore, immediately when the High Priest entered into the innermost chamber, the place of the Ark, and performed the inner service — and thereby attained the Nishma that is the bechinas concealed — and made from the Nishma a Na'aseh — then he merited a yet higher Nishma. And when he came out to the outer, he performed the outer service from the level of the bechinas Nishma he had at the beginning — for now he had attained a higher Na'aseh v'Nishma. Therefore he certainly must immerse even when going from inner to outer — for each time he is ascending to a higher level of Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above.

Section 7

And this is the bechinas holy voices (kolos) one merits on Yom Kippur — for the five afflictions (inuyim) correspond to five holy voices, as stated in the holy writings — for through Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits voices which are the bechinas holy boldness, as above. And therefore the essential illumination of Yom Kippur is the bechinas kolos, as is known — for then is the essential receiving of the Torah in the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above — through which one merits holy boldness, which is the bechinas kolos, as above. And therefore during all Ten Days of Repentance the holy voices are awakened, and we say each day: "From the depths I have called You, O Hashem — Hashem, hear my voice…" [Psalms 130:1–2] And through this the Malchus — which is the bechinas faith — is "sawn": for the essential faith is received through the voices, which are the bechinas boldness — through which one draws near to the Seven Shepherds, through whom one merits the holy faith, as above. And this is what we say: "If You preserve iniquities, etc., for with You is forgiveness, so that You shall be feared." [Psalms 130:3–4] — For through the forgiveness of transgressions — through which the transgressions are turned into merits — and "the descent is the ultimate ascent" — then one merits to make the Nishma a Na'aseh, etc., as above. And the Nishma is the bechinas awe (yirah) — the bechinas beraishis yoray boashes — as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And this is: "for with You is forgiveness, so that You shall be feared" — for through the forgiveness of transgressions, through which one merits to attain the Nishma, one thereby merits awe, for the Nishma is the bechinas yirah, as above.

Section 8

And this is the bechinas Sukkah, made after Yom Kippur. For the essential element of the Sukkah is the sechach [the roof-covering] — the bechinas "mother who shelters over her children" (Imma d'mesakchas al benin). And the essential sechach is from the waste of the threshing floor and winepress (psoles goren v'yekev). And in this we demonstrate the greatness of our power and the immensity of Hashem's kindness — for here we see that He Yisborach has forgiven us all our transgressions, and all the transgressions have been transformed into merits, and from Israel's transgressions Torah has been made. For this we see through the mitzvah of Sukkah — that specifically from the psoles [refuse, remnants] the Sukkah is made — which is the bechinas Israel's transgressions being transformed into merits.

For when the transgressions are transformed into merits and from them Torah is made, this Torah is specifically the secrets of Torah (sispray Torah) — the bechinas Nishma, as above — the bechinas teshuvah, which transcends the Torah. And this is the bechinas Sukkah — for Sukkah is very lofty and is the bechinas secrets of Torah, the bechinas teshuvah, the bechinas Imma d'mesakchas al benin — "and call understanding a mother" [Proverbs 7:4] — which is the bechinas secrets of Torah.

Thus the Sukkah is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas secrets of Torah. And it is specifically made from the refuse of the threshing floor and winepress — which are the bechinas chaff and straw — which are the husks that cover the grain — which are the bechinas transgressions — and specifically from them is the Sukkah made. For all this we merit on Yom Kippur — when Hashem Yisborach forgives our transgressions until the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above. And therefore from the psoles specifically the Sukkah is now made — which is the bechinas secrets of Torah, etc., as above.

And in this Sukkah we sit all seven days, and we receive the Seven Shepherds in the Sukkah — for now we merit to receive the Seven Shepherds through whom the drawing of holy faith to Israel is primary — and all our service on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur was for this purpose, as above. And in this holy Sukkah we sit, and the Sukkah shelters and guards us from all enemies and pursuers who wish to distance us, G-d forbid — for through the power of the Sukkah we are confident in Hashem Yisborach that we will remain supported and cleaving to Him always, forever and ever, and nothing can distance us from Him.

And in the future the Sukkah will specifically protect from Gehinom [the fires of punishment], as it is written: "And there will be a Sukkah, etc., and as a shelter and refuge from the flood and from rain — He rains down upon the wicked fiery coals, etc." [Isaiah 4:6] For the light of the Sukkah is drawn from such a lofty place that there all transgressions are transformed into merits. And therefore the Sukkah shelters and saves from Gehinom — which is the punishment for transgressions, G-d forbid, Heaven have mercy — for the Sukkah transforms transgressions into merits, as above. And therefore we make the Sukkah after Yom Kippur, as above.

Section 9

And this is the bechinas: "And Hashem said: I have forgiven as you have spoken [kidvorecho]." [Numbers 14:20] — "Kidvarecha" specifically — for the Nishma, which is the secrets of Torah, is the bechinas divray Torah [the "words" of Torah] — the matters that surround the commandment — the bechinas "And Hashem spoke to Moshe, etc." — as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And the bechinas Nishma — which is the bechinas divray Torah — is the bechinas deveikus to the Infinite, where transgressions are transformed into merits when one merits to attain the Nishma, which is the bechinas divray Torah — for then the descent is transformed into ascent and from transgressions merits are made, as above.

And this is what Hashem Yisborach said to Moshe: "Solachti kidvorecho" — "I have forgiven as you have spoken" — specifically kidvorecho: according to your words of Torah, so is the forgiveness — for Moshe merited to attain the bechinas secrets of Torah, which are the bechinas divray Torah — the bechinas Nishma — through which the forgiveness occurs, for the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above.

And this is the bechinas: "These are the words that Moshe spoke in the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc." [Deuteronomy 1:1] — and Rashi explained: wherever it says devarim [words], it refers to words of rebuke — for there in the scripture it counts all the places where they angered G-d in the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc. For it is taught in the words of the Rebbe of blessed memory that it is forbidden to speak rebuke — that is, to mention Israel's transgressions and rebuke them for it — except for one who can rebuke in the manner of Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him: that through his rebuke he imbued them with a good fragrance — in the bechinas "my spikenard gave forth its fragrance" [Song of Songs 1:12] — "gave" is not written, but rather "gave forth" specifically. Thus Moshe Rabbainu, through his rebuke in which he mentioned Israel's transgressions, specifically gave forth a good fragrance from within them — for he had the power to transform transgressions into merits, having merited to Na'aseh v'Nishma in perfection — for he had attained the bechinas divray Torah, which is the bechinas Nishma, through which the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above.

And therefore the rebuke is called "divray" specifically. And this is: "Ayleh ha'devarim asher diber Moshe" — "devarim" specifically — the bechinas divray specifically — the bechinas divray Torah — which is the bechinas Nishma — through which specifically he could rebuke Israel and mention their transgressions in the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc. — for through the bechinas devarim, the bechinas divray Torah, the bechinas Nishma, he transformed all the transgressions into merits — and therefore he mentioned all their transgressions, for they were all transformed into merits through the bechinas ha'devarim asher diber Moshe — the bechinas divray Torah, the bechinas Nishma that he attained — through which all transgressions are transformed into merits, as above — so that then specifically one could rebuke Israel, as above. And so it was with all the tzadikim who rebuked Israel — their rebuke is called "divray" — the bechinas "the words of Koheles" [Ecclesiastes 1:1], etc., as Rashi explained there — for they all rebuked Israel only in the bechinas rebuke of Moshe, which is the bechinas divray Torah — the bechinas Nishma — through which transgressions are transformed into merits — and through that specifically they could rebuke, as above.

Section 10

And this is the bechinas: "And this song shall testify before Him as a witness, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants." [Deuteronomy 31:21] — for Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him, saw until the end of all generations — that in the future, Israel at the end of days would descend to a very great depth in the era of ikvessa d'Meshicha [the footsteps of the Messiah] — in the bechinas "and she descended wondrous low" — as is written there: "For I know, etc. — and I will utterly conceal My face in that day, etc." [Deuteronomy 31:18] And therefore he wrote the Shiras Ha'azinu [the Song of Haazinu] which speaks of rebuke — for the entire song is words of rebuke, rebuking Israel for their deeds, as it is written: "For they are a generation of reversals, etc." [Deuteronomy 32:20] and the entire portion.

And at first glance it is difficult: if so, why is it called a shirah [song]? What praise and song is this? And also: how is it that through this rebuke — the Shiras Ha'azinu — Israel merits that the Torah will never be forgotten from their mouths, as in "it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants"? But in truth, Moshe Rabbainu rebuked them in the manner described above — for he merited the highest Na'aseh v'Nishma — where all transgressions are transformed into merits, and everything he rebuked them for and the evil deeds he mentioned becomes Torah and mitzvos. This is the bechinas "on that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" — as above. And through this bechinas, Israel has continuity even through all the descents and falls of the world.

And therefore this rebuke is called a shirah [song] — for the transgressions are transformed into merits and from them song and praise and joy are made — for the essential nature of song is made from the clarification of the good from the evil, as the Rebbe of blessed memory wrote elsewhere — which is itself the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits, where the evil is transformed into good.

And therefore through the power of this song — the Shiras Ha'azinu — in which Moshe Rabbainu demonstrated before his death the immensity of his power and attainment, that he merited to ascend to the very highest level — where transgressions are transformed into merits — to the point where he could take rebuke over evil deeds and fashion from it a shirah: therefore through this power he assures Israel that they will never be entirely distanced from Hashem Yisborach, even if they do what they do — even in the intensity of the concealment-within-concealment — in the bechinas "And I will utterly conceal My face" — "yet this song shall testify before Him as a witness, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants" — for through this song we see that there is no despair and no fall in the world — for if they merit, all transgressions will be transformed into merits. As we see that Moshe merited to fashion from a rebuke of evil deeds a song and joy, as above. And therefore we can always return to Hashem — only that we must never despair of crying out to Hashem always, as the Rebbe of blessed memory said, as printed at the end of Sefer Ha'Maasiyos — see there.

And therefore in these days of the Ten Days of Repentance and Sukkos we occupy ourselves and read Shiras Ha'azinu — for then are the days of repentance and the transgressions become merits in the bechinas "solachti kidvorecho", as above. And all of this is the bechinas Shiras Ha'azinu, as above. And therefore the song concludes: "And He will atone for the land of His people." [Deuteronomy 32:43] — For this song is the bechinas forgiveness of transgressions — the bechinas "on that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" — for from Israel's transgressions Torah is made, etc., as above.

Section 11

And therefore on the last day of Sukkos — Hoshana Rabbah — the Book of Ayleh Ha'devarim [Deuteronomy — Mishneh Torah] is read — for during Sukkos we demonstrate the power we wrought on Yom Kippur — that from Israel's transgressions Torah is made — to the point that we sit in the holy shade and we make from the refuse of the threshing floor and winepress a holy Sukkah — the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits, as above.

And therefore at the end of Sukkos, on Hoshana Rabbah — when we must complete the seals, the seal within the seal — which all depend on the faith drawn through the Seven Shepherds, the ushpizin [holy guests] who entered the Sukkah, whom we merit to approach through holy boldness (azus d'kedushah) — which is the bechinas kolos — and one merits this holy boldness through the joy that comes from Na'aseh v'Nishma, which leads to the highest Na'aseh v'Nishma through the descent that is the ultimate ascent, for the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above — as all this is explained clearly in the aforementioned teaching, see there.

And therefore at the end of Sukkos, at the completion of the seals, we read the book Ayleh Ha'devarim asher diber Moshe — which is the bechinas divray Torah described above, the bechinas highest Na'aseh v'Nishma — which is the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits, as above. And through this Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits joy, etc. — through which the seals are rectified, the seal within the seal, as above.

Section 12

And therefore immediately after Sukkos, Simchas Torah [the Rejoicing of the Torah] is celebrated — the bechinas "and eternal joy upon their heads." [Isaiah 35:10] — For through the Na'aseh v'Nishma that we merited in all these days, as above — which is the very essence of the receiving of the Torah — through this we merit the joy of the bechinas Simchas Torah, the bechinas "and eternal joy upon their heads" — said of the two crowns which are the adayim [crowns] with which Israel was crowned at Chorev through Na'aseh v'Nishma.

For on Simchas Torah: "then a crown is placed upon the head of every tzadik" — as stated in the Tikunim — see there. That is, the aforementioned crowns made from Na'aseh v'Nishma — they are the essential joy of Simchas Torah, the bechinas "and eternal joy upon their heads", as above.

And this is why on Simchas Torah the Torah is concluded and immediately begun again from the start — for every year one must begin the Torah anew — that is, every year one must strive to attain a yet higher Na'aseh v'Nishma — for there are seventy facets to the Torah. And it is stated in the words of the Rebbe [Likutay Moharan, Torah 60] that these correspond to seventy years — for every year one must attain new facets of Torah from the seventy facets, which is the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma anew — to attain the concealed aspects of the Torah each time more and more, as above.

And we occupy ourselves with this throughout the entire year — to attain each day, each week, each month, a portion of the Torah in the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma — to attain each time the bechinas Nishma of the Torah, the bechinas concealed — until at the conclusion of the year, Israel as a whole attains a new Nishma, and from the Nishma a Na'aseh is made — and then they must attain a new, yet higher Nishma. And this is the bechinas concluding the Torah and immediately beginning again.

For the completion represents that they have now attained the Torah this year and made from the Nishma a Na'aseh — which is the totality of the Torah from Beraishis to "before the eyes of all Israel" [Deuteronomy 34:12]. For Beraishis is the bechinas complete utterance — the bechinas Nishma — for at the beginning of the Torah it is still in the bechinas Toras Hashem, the bechinas Nishma. And then one toils in it and devotes oneself to it until one attains it from Nishma to Na'aseh — and then it becomes Toraso. And this is the bechinas Torah's conclusion: "before the eyes of all Israel" — the bechinas making the Nishma a Na'aseh until all Israel attains it eye to eye.

And this is: "and all the great terror that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Israel." [Deuteronomy 34:12] The "great terror" — that is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas yirah — the bechinas beraishis yoray boashes — as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And this is: "that Moshe performed" — "performed" specifically — the bechinas Na'aseh — "before the eyes of all Israel" — for he revealed to the eyes of all the house of Israel the secrets of the Torah and made for them from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from the concealed the revealed.

Thus the Torah's conclusion alludes to the attainment of Torah from Nishma to Na'aseh. And therefore immediately upon concluding the Torah one must return at once and begin from Beraishis, etc. — for as soon as one merits to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh — the "eyes of all Israel" — immediately one has a new Nishma, which is the bechinas Beraishis — and one must immediately strive and toil to make from this new Nishma a Na'aseh. And therefore they begin from Beraishis immediately — which is the new Nishma they now merit — for this year we must begin to attain the new Nishma from Nishma to Na'aseh, from the concealed to the revealed, from Beraishis — which is sealed and concealed — until "before the eyes of all Israel" — which will be revealed before the eyes of all Israel in the bechinas revealed, as above.

Section 13

And therefore the men of the ma'omod [the lay representatives who accompanied the Temple service] would occupy themselves with the portions of Beraishis and Ha'azinu — for the sacrifices atone and from transgressions merits are made, which is accomplished through the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma — which is Torah and prayer, as above. And therefore in the Holy Temple there was Torah and prayer — for the Temple's essential name is Bais Tefillah [House of Prayer], as it is written: "and I shall gladden them in My House of Prayer" [Isaiah 56:7] — for all prayers ascended there, and all the sacrifices are in the bechinas prayer — standing in place of the sacrificial offering. And therefore there in the Temple sat the Sanhedrin engaging in Torah — for they made from prayer Torah, from the Nishma a Na'aseh, as above.

And therefore the men of the ma'omod would engage in the portion of Beraishis — which is the bechinas Nishma — to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from prayer Torah — through which is the essential forgiveness of transgressions, as above — which is the bechinas Shiras Ha'azinu, the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits through the power of Moshe who attained the highest Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above. And therefore they are called "ma'omod" — for there is no amidah [standing] but prayer. And as the Rebbe wrote there regarding the Talmudic statement: "In the days of Rabban Gamliel they would learn Torah while standing" — see there — for the men of the ma'omod would stand over the sacrifices and engage in Torah, and they made from the Nishma — from the bechinas prayer, the bechinas sacrifices, the bechinas standing (amidah) — Torah. And through this was the essential forgiveness of transgressions through the sacrifices, as above.

Halacha 2 — Summary: Through Na'aseh v'Nishma — "We will do and we will hear" — the eternal declaration at Sinai, we find the entire structure of spiritual growth. The Na'aseh (doing) is the revealed dimension, and the Nishma (hearing) is the concealed. The entire yearly cycle from Rosh Hashanah through Simchas Torah enacts this dynamic: Rosh Hashanah begins with the written, revealed layer; Yom Kippur transforms transgressions into Torah; Sukkos demonstrates this transformation visibly; and Simchas Torah celebrates the crowns won from the cycle. The writing of a Sefer Torah is the personal expression of this dynamic — each person drawing the hidden light of Torah into a physical, written, tangible reality. And just as no two people share the exact same Na'aseh v'Nishma, no person can fulfill his obligation through another's Sefer Torah.

Laws of the Sefer Torah – 3

It is a positive commandment upon every man in Israel to write a Sefer Torah for himself — and even if his fathers left him a Sefer Torah, if he took it without having corrected anything in it, he is considered as one who snatched a mitzvah — for one must write it himself or at minimum correct something in it.

Section 1

Based on the awesome story of the Fifth Day [in Sipuray Maasiyos — the Tales of Rabbi Nachman] — the one in which the hunchback (ba'al chatotaros) boasted of the immensity of his greatness in the matter of "the small containing the large" (me'at machzik es ha'merubeh) — surpassing all the attainments of each and every one who had achieved some level in this matter of me'at machzik es ha'merubeh — for he is above them all, for he attained the bechinas me'at machzik es ha'merubeh at the very edge of place, beyond which there is no place at all. And therefore he specifically is able to lift and elevate from the bechinas makom [place/space] to the bechinas l'ma'alah min ha'makom [above space], and to bring [others] to the holy and awesome tree that is above space — which has three roots: the first root is emunah [faith], the second is yirah [awe], and the third is anavah [humility]; and emes [truth] is the trunk of the tree; and from it branches extend, etc. — see there the entire awesome and sublime matter from beginning to end, carefully. And also the matter of the group that researched the tree, etc. — see there.

Section 2

And this is the mitzvah of writing the Sefer Torah — that every individual in Israel is commanded to write a Sefer Torah for himself. For the writing of a Sefer Torah is in order to merit to ascend from the bechinas makom to the bechinas l'ma'alah min ha'makom — to reach the holy tree described above — which is the Aytz Chaim [Tree of Life] — wherein lies the essential delight of the World to Come that tzadikim merit through their good deeds. For the tree above is the bechinas Aytz Chaim and sustenance — "and under it all the beasts of the field rest in its shade, and in its branches the birds of the sky dwell" [Daniel 4:9] — as described in the aforementioned story: that beneath the tree all the animals dwell in its shade, and on its branches all species of birds nest — see there. And the delight that exists there is beyond measure, etc. — see there.

The essential receiving of the soul's reward is when it merits to come to the aforementioned tree — which is the Aytz Chaim that is above space — where the soul ascends through the Aytz Chaim to delight in Hashem and to behold the pleasantness of Hashem, etc. Fortunate is he who merits this. And this Aytz Chaim is the root of the Torah — which is called "a tree of life to those who hold fast to it" [Proverbs 3:18]. But it is impossible to reach the Aytz Chaim — the holy tree above — except by going on the path that leads to the Aytz Chaim — the bechinas "the path of the Tree of Life" [Genesis 3:24]. And this path consists of all the commandments of the holy Torah, which are called "path" — as it is written: "in all the path that I command you, you shall walk" [Deuteronomy 5:30] — and similarly in many verses.

However, because of the breaking of the Tablets, forgetfulness arose, and through this, disputes multiplied among Israel to the point that there is no clear halachic ruling nor clear Mishnah in one place. And from there unfolded all the absolute disputes in the entire world — between Israel themselves and between Torah scholars — especially in these times, when disputes have multiplied due to our many sins. As our Sages said: "In the footsteps of the Messiah, insolence will increase, etc.; a man's enemies are the members of his own household, etc.;" and "rivalry among Torah scholars" [Sotah 49b], etc.

And all the disputes and hatreds in the world are rooted in disputes within holiness — the disputes of the Tannaim and Amoraim over the laws and ways of the Torah. And all of this is the bechinas dispute that existed among the group mentioned in the aforementioned story — regarding the path to the tree: some said the path goes eastward, and others said the path goes the opposite way, westward, etc. But all of this stemmed from the fact that they had not yet merited to reach the roots of the aforementioned tree — which are the bechinas shoreshay ha'Torah [the roots of the Torah] — which are the holy character traits of the tree: faith, awe, humility, and truth. And all the disputes in the world stem from the distance from these holy traits — for they are not attained in perfection. But in truth, when the group toiled and labored until they did attain these character traits in perfection — then they all came to one single true agreement — that the path is exactly as it truly is — see there.

Section 3

And for this reason King Dovid, peace be upon him, opened the Sefer Tehillim [Book of Psalms] — which corresponds to the Torah, for five books of Psalms correspond to the Five Books of the Torah — opening with the Psalm "Ashray ha'ish" [Psalms 1:1–3] — which speaks of the holy tree above, from its three roots of faith, awe, and humility, and from the trunk of the tree which is truth.

— 51 —

And this is the aspect of the intensity of the miracle of Chanukah. For the wicked kingdom wished to make them forget Your Torah, etc. — and to destroy the Beis HaMikdash before its time. For they wished to uproot the holiness of Yisrael entirely, G-d forbid — through which the world would have reverted to chaos and void, for the world cannot endure without the Torah. For the Sitra Achra — the aspect of the wicked kingdom — saw and understood that this Second Temple would not endure and was destined to be destroyed. For even then, during its construction, their hand was strong over Yisrael. Therefore they wished to destroy it immediately, in order to intensify the darkness greatly — to darken, G-d forbid, the eyes of Yisrael, so that they would despair completely of the complete redemption.

For the essential creation of the world was only for the sake of Yisrael, for the sake of the Torah, and for the sake of the Beis HaMikdash, as it is written: "In the beginning G-d created the heavens and the earth" [Genesis 1:1]. And our Sages of blessed memory said: "For the sake of 'reishis' — which is Yisrael, and the Torah, and the Beis HaMikdash — which are called 'reishis'", etc. But: "And the earth was tohu and vohu, and darkness upon the face of the deep" [Genesis 1:2] — which are the aspects of the four kingdoms, as our Sages of blessed memory expounded. And it is explained in their words, of blessed memory, that the wicked kingdom of Greece is the aspect of "darkness," and the kingdom of Edom — which is the present exile — is the aspect of "the deep" (t'hom).

It emerges that the wicked kingdom of Greece that ruled then is the aspect of "darkness upon the face of the deep" — the darkness that covers the face of the deep, which is this exile that is compared to a deep. And when one falls into a deep in broad daylight, it is already very bitter and difficult to ascend; how much more so when the darkness intensifies over the face of the deep! And this was the intent of the wicked kingdom of Greece then — which is the aspect of the darkness upon the face of the deep — who wished to intensify the darkness greatly, to join the exiles together, that the Temple should be destroyed immediately, so that the darkness would overpower the face of the deep, so that Yisrael would not be able to ascend and emerge, G-d forbid.