(Numbers 30:2) ‘Ko [thus]’ alludes to something that is seen from very far away, as Rashi explained in Parashas Mattos: Moshe prophesied with ‘ko,’ and all the prophets prophesied with ‘ko’; Moshe was superior to them in that he also prophesied with ‘This is the matter.’ For all the prophets prophesied through an aspaklaria that does not shine, so that they saw their prophecy from very far away. Moshe, however, also prophesied with ‘This is the matter,’ which is the aspect of seeing the prophecy with a beautiful and clear vision. Nevertheless, Moshe also prophesied with ‘ko,’ for there were a number of prophecies that even he was compelled to see from very far away. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Gifts 5:47)

(Numbers 30:2) All the things in the world receive vitality through the Torah, for certainly nothing has any vitality except from Him, blessed be He; and Kudsha Brich Hu [the Holy One, blessed be He] and the Torah are entirely one. Because of this, it is possible to serve Hashem, blessed be He, through all the things in the world, as it is written, ‘In all your ways know Him’ (Proverbs 3:6), for the Torah is clothed, as it were, in all of them. Therefore, it is possible to bind everything to the Torah and to make Torah out of every thing. This is what the holy Torah revealed to us through the mitzvah of vows and oaths: through this mitzvah it is possible to make Torah and mitzvoas out of all the things in the world. Through this Hashem, blessed be He, revealed to us that there is Torah and avodah in every thing in the world, for they all receive vitality from the Torah, as stated above.

Therefore, the sage uproots the vow from its inception, for the entire matter of a vow and an oath depends upon the sage and the great leader of the generation. The matter of a vow and an oath is the revelation that all things receive vitality from the Torah, and so forth. But this depends only upon the great man and sage of the generation. As Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, wrote in the teaching ‘VaEschanan’ (Likutay Moharan II, Torah 78), all the simple people require an exceedingly great ‘simple man,’ through whom they all receive vitality; study that teaching well.

For in truth, an ordinary person of low stature—that is, one of the masses—certainly does not sustain the world through the Torah, since he is not a master of Torah. Even one who engages in Torah does not necessarily merit to sustain the entire world; only unique individuals do so, in the aspect of a singular expert. All the more so, not everyone merits to attach himself to the Torah that is concealed within every thing and to sustain himself with the aspect of the Godly vitality that sustains and upholds the world prior to the Giving of the Torah. This is an exceedingly elevated aspect: to find and reveal, as it were, His blessed Godliness that is concealed within every thing in the world.

Therefore all the simple people—the masses—must receive vitality from the great ‘simple man,’ namely, the exceedingly great tzaddik. At times he is a simple man and suspends his Torah study; then he sustains himself from the concealed Torah, and through this he sustains all the simple people, as explained well in the teaching cited above; see there. Thus, the essential power of a vow or oath—the ability of a person to make Torah out of every thing in the world through a vow or oath—depends only upon the great leaders of the generation. During their periods of simplicity, when they suspend Torah study, they sustain themselves from the concealed Torah, as stated above; all the more so when they are engaged in Torah, when they sustain all the things in the world through their Torah. All the masses also receive vitality from these great leaders of the generation, and from them the power is extended even to the masses, enabling them to make Torah out of every thing in the world through a vow or oath. For this essential power to make Torah out of every thing in the world—which is the aspect of a vow and an oath—is drawn only from the great leaders of the generation, as stated above.

This is why the Torah began the section of vows, ‘Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes,’ something not stated regarding the Torah’s other mitzvoas. Only here, in connection with vows, are ‘the heads of the tribes’ mentioned—specifically the heads of the tribes—for this mitzvah of vows and oaths depends principally upon the heads of the tribes, who are the great leaders of the generation, as stated above. Therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, learned from this that a sage uproots a vow from its inception. Since the essential power of the vow is drawn from the sage of the generation, he certainly possesses the power to release it and uproot it, for all the essential power of the vow is drawn from him, as stated above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Vows 2:3, 8; according to Oatzar HaYirah, Vows and Oaths 5)

Parashas Mattos speaks about vows. Through this mitzvah of vows we see and understand the immense power of speech: immediately when a person gives expression with his lips, he must fulfill everything that proceeds from his mouth. In truth, the matter of vows is an exalted wonder, in the aspect of ‘If a man shall pronounce a vow of a nazirite’ (Numbers 6:2). They are in the aspect of wonders of wisdom, as brought in the teaching ‘They Asked Rabbi Yosi ben Kisma’ (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 57). For through this we see the greatness of man, the possessor of free choice, who has the power in his mouth to make new mitzvoas for himself that he was not commanded. For example, when by his mouth he forbids himself something that is permitted, the permitted thing immediately becomes forbidden to him by a Torah prohibition. This is wondrous.

In truth, the thing has no prohibition whatsoever in its root. Nevertheless, as soon as he says with his mouth that the thing shall be forbidden to him—even without mentioning Hashem’s Name—it immediately becomes forbidden to him by a severe Torah prohibition. Through this we see the great power of man, the possessor of free choice. The principal power is in his mouth and his heart: when his heart longs to sanctify himself with some holiness, abstinence, or the like, and he expresses his longing and will with his mouth, Torah is thereby made, for the thing is then forbidden to him by a Torah prohibition. In truth, the soul of a Jew in its root is a portion of God above and is itself an aspect of the Torah, for Kudsha Brich Hu, the Torah, and Israel are entirely one, as stated in the holy Zohar (Acharei Mos 73a).

Therefore he has the power in his mouth to make a vow and to make mitzvoas for himself according to his soul. The principal purpose of vows is to sanctify oneself and separate oneself from desires, in the aspect of ‘Vows are a safeguard for abstinence’ (Avos 3:13); it is a mitzvah to make vows of this kind. They likewise said, ‘It is permitted for a person to make a vow in order to spur himself on’ (Nedarim 8a). The essence of the vow is when he expresses it with his mouth.

Through this we see the great power of a person’s speech and the utterance of his lips. Through speech he can prevail more strongly and separate himself even from what is permitted, as they said, ‘Vows are a safeguard for abstinence.’ We observe this tangibly among those who want to accustom themselves to some holiness or abstinence: many make a vow or oath concerning it—for example, to fast on a certain day, not to eat animal products for a certain period, to give charity beyond their means, or the like.

At first glance this is perplexing. Either way: if he has the power to overcome his inclination, he can overcome it without a vow or oath; and if he fears that his inclination will overpower him, what will the vow accomplish? Yet through this we see the great power of the vow in its root, especially when he expresses it with his mouth. Through the vow he then ascends to the aspect of the wonders of wisdom, where free choice is rooted; and from there, through expressing the vow with his mouth, he receives the power to overcome what he must overcome. Certainly, even after making a vow, free choice still has the power to turn him aside, God forbid, for free choice possesses very great power. Therefore the Torah warned him strongly to take care to fulfill his vow and to do everything that proceeds from his mouth.

The main point, however, is that through the vow he has far greater power to overcome his inclination. Thus we find that Boaz said, ‘As Hashem lives, lie down until morning’ (Ruth 3:13), and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: he swore against his inclination (Ruth Rabbah 6:4). This indicates that without the oath there was reason to think that the evil inclination might overpower him; through the oath he withstood the trial and subdued his inclination. We similarly find this among a number of upright people and tzaddikim. I also heard from Rabbeinu’s holy mouth that he said he was very accustomed to vows for the sake of holiness and abstinence (Shivchay HaRan 15). (Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim, Laws of the Morning Blessings 5:90)

(Numbers 30:3) Through a vow and an oath one merits to attach one’s thought to the World to Come. This is the principal aspect of a vow and an oath, for they ascend as far as the aspect of the World to Come. This is the aspect of annulling vows on Yom Kippur, which is an aspect of the World to Come, where there is neither eating nor drinking, as is known. For this is the principal aspect of a vow and an oath: to attach one’s thought to the World to Come—that is, to merit understanding the holy allusions that exist in every thought, word, and deed in this world, for everything is only an allusion through which to draw near to His blessed service. This is the principal aspect of the feet of holiness that are clothed in this world. We see this most clearly through a vow and an oath, because through them we can make Torah and mitzvoas out of all the things in the world. Even things that are permitted and optional can be made, through a vow or oath, into a prohibition or an obligation like the Torah’s other matters and mitzvoas. All this is because every thing in the world contains Godly vitality and holy allusions from the aspect of the World to Come. This is the aspect of, ‘To Him shall you cleave, and by His Name shall you swear’ (Deuteronomy 10:20), for a true oath made in order to spur oneself on, or the like, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, is an aspect of cleaving to Hashem, blessed be He—an aspect of attaching one’s thought to the World to Come. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Presumption of Ownership of Movable Property 2:4, 6; according to Oatzar HaYirah, Vows 19)

(Numbers 30:3) Vows are exceedingly elevated. They are in the aspect of the roots of the Torah, the aspect of teshuvah, which is above the Torah, and from there all forgiveness of sins is drawn. This is accomplished principally through the true tzaddikim, the aspect of Moshe, from whom all the heads of the tribes receive power. They are in the aspect of a singular expert who can release a vow. Indeed, the release of vows is an even greater novelty and wonder: even after a person has ascended to the place of the vow and forbidden something to himself, so that it becomes forbidden to him by a Torah prohibition, he still has the power to regret his vow, come before the sage, and have the sage release his vow.

All the souls of Israel are included in Moshe, who is the aspect of the tzaddik of the generation. From him all the experts receive the power to release a vow, either through one expert or through three ordinary men. Every release of vows is through the power of Moshe Rabbeinu, who was the first to give us the Torah and to whom Hashem, blessed be He, revealed the secret of vows and their release through expressing regret before the sage. This is the secret of teshuvah, whose essence is regret.

Therefore the Midrash states, concerning the verse ‘He saw their burdens’ (Exodus 2:11), that Moshe Rabbeinu took the suffering of Israel in exile to heart, and Hashem, blessed be He, then told him that through this he would merit the section of vows. This is exceedingly wondrous and perplexing: what specific connection does the section of vows have to the bitterness of the exile? Moshe saw the bitterness of the exile and took it to heart. He saw that the exile was principally caused by the sins of Israel and that the essential remedy is teshuvah. The main obstruction to teshuvah is the dispute of those who oppose the tzaddik and rise against him intensely, as it is written, ‘Indeed, the matter is known’ (Exodus 2:14). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that the secret of the exile became known to him: it was because of those who engage in strife and inform upon their brethren. Moshe understood that he had the power to bring Israel back in teshuvah, for the great multitude of Israel would listen to him. The principal obstruction, however, came through the aspect of Dasan and Aviram, who opposed him repeatedly. As our Sages said, wherever Scripture speaks of men ‘contending’ or ‘standing,’ they are none other than Dasan and Aviram. So it is in every generation.

When Hashem, blessed be He, saw that Moshe took this to heart, suffered over their distress, saw their burdens well, and perceived how exceedingly difficult it was to repair and redeem them, He revealed to him the secret of the section of vows. Through this He showed him the power of the tzaddikim and upright people of Israel in every generation, who are in the aspect of those zealous with Hashem Tzevakos’ zeal, the aspect of Pinchas. For vows are in the aspect of one who is zealous with Hashem Tzevakos’ zeal, which is also an aspect of charity.

For example, one who makes a vow for the sake of abstinence sees that his inclination wishes to overpower him. He therefore leaps up and swears or makes a vow, forbidding himself even what is permitted for the sake of abstinence, and through this he has greater power to prevail. The same is true of one who is zealous with Hashem Tzevakos’ zeal, like Pinchas. He saw the magnitude of the corruption then, when there was no one able to stand against the twenty-four thousand and, most of all, against their head and prince, Zimri—as it is written, ‘They were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting’ (Numbers 25:6). Pinchas then girded himself on his own initiative and did something concerning which he had not been explicitly commanded. He arose and prayed, took a spear, and so forth; he was zealous with Hashem Tzevakos’ zeal and saved all Israel. It was accounted to him as charity, as it is written, ‘It was accounted to him as charity’ (Psalms 106:31).

This, too, is an aspect of charity. The money is already in the wealthy person’s possession, and through his free choice he can do with it whatever he wants. Yet he overcomes himself, gives charity from his own pocket, breaks the cruelty in his heart, and transforms it into goodwill. Through this he gives Hashem, blessed be He, great satisfaction, and it is considered as though he lent to the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written, ‘One who is gracious to the poor lends to Hashem’ (Proverbs 19:17). In all this we see the great power of free choice. Certainly Hashem, blessed be He, has the power to sustain the poor and grant them wealth. Our Sages, of blessed memory, brought the challenge of those who asked: if the Holy One, blessed be He, loves the poor, why does He not sustain them? The principal purpose is that man, the possessor of free choice, should draw kindness into the world through the charity that he gives by choice. After the money has entered his pocket, he believes that everything is from Hashem’s blessed will, fulfills Hashem’s blessed will, breaks his cruelty, and gives charity to the hungry through his free choice. This is exceedingly precious to Hashem, blessed be He.

Therefore the section of vows is juxtaposed to the section of Pinchas. Vows are in the aspect of charity, as in, ‘You shall observe and perform what has gone forth from your lips, according to what you vowed’ (Deuteronomy 23:24)—‘that which has gone forth from your lips’ refers to charity (Rosh Hashanah 6a). This is the aspect of zeal for Hashem Tzevakos, the aspect of Pinchas. Therefore these sections are juxtaposed, for all of it is one aspect. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Morning Blessings 5:91)

Faith in the sages is drawn through a vow, and so forth, as explained in Likutay Moharan I, Torah 57. This is the aspect of a husband’s annulling his wife’s vows. All the vitality and structure of the woman comes through her husband, as brought in the teaching that a woman is blessed only from the fruit of the man’s womb, and so forth. Her structure is built principally through the vow, for her vitality comes from there. Faith in the sages, the Oral Torah, malchus [kingship], and ‘a woman who fears Hashem’ (Proverbs 31:30)—its structure and vitality come from the place of the vow, as is known. The entire root of her vitality, which is the aspect of a vow, is drawn through him, for he is included in both aspects: the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, since the Oral Torah, too, is rooted in the Written Torah.

It follows that the root of her vitality, which is the aspect of a vow, is also drawn through him, for she receives vitality only through him. Therefore, as soon as a husband marries a woman, he acquires the right to annul her vows. The vows, from which her root and vitality come, are all drawn through him; consequently, he has the power either to uphold or annul them. This is why the Torah concluded the section of vows with, ‘These are the statutes that Hashem commanded Moshe between a man and his wife’ (Numbers 30:17). Vows are the matters between a man and his wife, for her vitality is drawn from there through her husband. This is the meaning of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: because of the sin of vows a person’s wife dies, God forbid (Shabbos 32b). For the essential endurance of faith in the sages, the aspect of ‘a woman who fears Hashem’ (Proverbs 31:30), is through a vow, as stated above. Therefore, when Yaakov went to take a wife, he made a vow, for the verse ‘Yaakov made a vow’ (Genesis 28:20) was stated when he went to Lavan’s house to take a wife. (Likutay Halachos, Even HaEzer, Laws of Yibum 3:3)

The blessings were entrusted to the kohanim, for they are in the aspect of the guardians of the covenant, as it is written, ‘They shall teach Your ordinances to Yaakov … and they shall guard Your covenant’ (Deuteronomy 33:10, 9). The sons of Levi did not err with the Golden Calf, which was an aspect of blemishing the covenant, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Israel served idolatry only in order to permit public immorality to themselves. For all desires—and especially the desire for sexual immorality, which is the comprehensive evil of all desires—come from the shattering of the vessels of chesed, as is known. From this came into being the desires that derive from fallen loves. The kohen is in the aspect of a man of chesed, the aspect of the perfection of the supernal loves, as Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, explained regarding the verse, ‘Disgrace has broken my heart’ (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 34); see there.

Because they are in the aspect of repairing the covenant, they can draw down the blessings, for their vessel is whole. They are the opposite of the wicked Bilam, who wanted to draw down a curse through damaging the vessel because he was deeply immersed in this desire, as Rabbeinu explained regarding the verse, ‘When evildoers approach me’ (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 36). Therefore Bilam was killed specifically through Pinchas. Pinchas was in the aspect of repairing the covenant, and through this he merited the kehunah, because he was zealous with Hashem Tzevakos’ zeal concerning the blemish of the covenant. Consequently, specifically through him Bilam—who was his complete opposite—was killed. (Likutay Halachos, Orach Chaim, Laws of the Priestly Blessing 1:1)

Our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning Bilam: he seized their craft, for Israel’s power is only in the mouth; therefore they seized his craft and killed him with the sword. Israel’s power is only in the mouth—that is, prayer, which is an aspect of compassion and supplication—whereas the principal power of the nations is through the sword, an aspect of judgment. Bilam had a source of nurture from da’as, as brought in the teachings. He wanted to draw nurture from compassion, the aspect of prayer, and through this he wanted to overpower Israel with sexual desire, God forbid, as it is written, ‘Behold, these caused the Children of Israel, through the counsel of Bilam…’ (Numbers 31:16). For the principal intensification of this desire is through their drawing nurture from compassion, God forbid, as brought in Likutay Moharan II, Torah 8; see there.

Israel therefore came against him with the aspect of judgment. Bilam’s subjugation—that is, the subjugation of sexual desire, God forbid—came through Pinchas, who prayed a prayer in the aspect of judgment. Thus, even physically, Pinchas killed Bilam with a sword, as it is written, ‘They killed Bilam son of Beor with the sword’ (Numbers 31:8), and our Sages, of blessed memory, said that Pinchas killed him. Pinchas first subjugated him through the prayer in the aspect of judgment that he prayed, in the aspect of ‘Pinchas stood and prayed’ (Psalms 106:30). Through this he removed all holiness from the sitra achra, which is the aspect of its subjugation, and Bilam was then subjugated in his root. Afterward Pinchas subjugated him completely below as well and killed him with an actual sword, an aspect of judgment, for this was the principal means of his subjugation.

The principal means by which they overpower us, God forbid, is when they draw nurture from compassion, which belongs to our side. We must then come against them with the aspect of judgment, which belongs to their side—that is, with prayer in the aspect of judgment, which is the aspect of a double-edged sword. Through this we remove all the holiness from them and subjugate them. This is the aspect of, ‘The praises of God are in their throats and a double-edged sword is in their hands, to execute vengeance upon the nations’ (Psalms 149:6–7). Through the powerful master’s prayer in the aspect of judgment, which is a double-edged sword, they are subdued and vengeance is executed upon them, for all holiness is removed from them. (Likutay Halachos, Yoreh Deah, Laws of Idolatry 1:3)

The principal intensification of the evil inclination within every person concerns the blemish of the covenant. After all the immense exertions and the abundant self-sacrifice with which the true tzaddikim literally sacrifice themselves in every generation for the sake of repairing the souls of Israel, the Satan and the evil inclination still dance among them and provoke Israel—principally concerning this matter. We find this even in the days of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him. After all his exertions for the repair of the souls of Israel, at the end of his days the wicked Bilam—may his name be blotted out—came and caused them to stumble in the blemish of the covenant. At times the tzaddik is compelled to depart and die because of this, for owing to the immense spread of the sitra achra he cannot complete the repair in its entirety during his lifetime, but only after his departure. From this blemish come all the obstacles, confusions, wars, and disputes that prevent a person from drawing near to holiness and hinder him from bringing his holy vitality fully from potential into actuality. For all obstacles to drawing near to holiness come from the impurity of keri, may the Merciful One save us; ‘keri’ denotes obstruction, as Rashi explained in Parashas Bechukosai regarding, ‘If you walk with Me with keri’ (Leviticus 26:21). (Oatzar HaYirah, Covenant 23; based on Likutay Halachos, Yoreh Deah, Laws of Kashering Vessels 4:15–17)

Know that the words of a wicked person who possesses da’as generate sexual immorality within the listener, for unions are drawn from da’as, as it is written, ‘Adam knew Chavah his wife’ (Genesis 4:1), and, ‘Every woman who has known a man’ (Numbers 31:17). There are two kinds of unions. A holy union—attachment to the tzaddikim, to the Torah, and to Hashem, blessed be He—is drawn from holy da’as; forbidden unions are drawn from the da’as of the klipa. Speech is the revelation of da’as, for what is in a person’s da’as is known only through speech, as it is written, ‘Night to night expresses knowledge’ (Psalms 19:3): ‘expresses’ denotes speech, for speech expresses what is in the da’as.

When a wicked person speaks and emits vanities from his mouth, he generates poisonous airs of sexual immorality. One who hears his words and draws breaths takes these airs into his body. Bilam was the aspect of the da’as of the klipa, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded concerning, ‘No prophet arose in Israel like Moshe’ (Deuteronomy 34:10): in Israel none arose, but among the nations one arose—and who was he? Bilam. Moshe is da’as, and therefore his generation was called the Generation of Knowledge. Thus, when Moav sought counsel from Midian, they told them, ‘His power is only in his mouth,’ for the mouth is the revelation of da’as. Moav said, ‘We, too, shall come against them with a man whose power is in his mouth,’ for he, too, was the da’as of the klipa, in the aspect of, ‘God made the one corresponding to the other’ (Ecclesiastes 7:14).

This is the meaning of, ‘He knows the knowledge of the Most High’ (Numbers 24:16). Our Sages expounded that Bilam knew the moment when the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes angry. When da’as is unsettled there is anger, as our Sages said, ‘Whoever becomes angry—his wisdom departs from him.’ Therefore, when Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, became angry with the men of the army returning from Midian, his da’as departed, and Elazar had to state the laws of immersing vessels. When da’as is complete, there is no anger, as it is written, ‘They shall neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with knowledge’ (Isaiah 11:9). Bilam gazed into the da’as of the klipa, which is the refuse of supernal da’as; when it changed, he knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry. Bilam was thus the da’as of the klipa, and through his speech he generated poisonous airs of sexual immorality.

Therefore, when they returned from the war against Midian, it is written, ‘Moshe became angry with the officers of the army … and he said, “Have you kept every female alive? Behold, these caused the Children of Israel, through the counsel of Bilam…”’ (Numbers 31:14–16). ‘Through the word’ is precise: through his words, which were the revelation of his da’as, he generated sexual immorality in Midian. Consequently, after the war with Midian, it is written, ‘The officers approached Moshe … and they said, “We have brought an offering to Hashem … to atone for our souls before Hashem”’ (Numbers 31:48–50). Our Sages expounded that they said: although we escaped the actual transgression, we did not escape sinful thoughts. (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 43)

Therefore, gentile utensils used for a meal, in which Jewish food is to be eaten—through which the spirit of life is drawn—first require kashering by fire: either purging in boiling water or heating white-hot in fire, in order to expel the forbidden absorption from them, and afterward immersion in water. Through kashering by means of fire, the aspect of the downfall of the wicked in this world is drawn down. The expulsion of the forbidden absorption through fire is the aspect of expelling and casting the wicked outside, for the wicked are in the aspect of the prohibited substance, which is the klipa. Their principal subjugation and downfall—the aspect of expelling the forbidden absorption—is through fire. For the principal downfall of the wicked in the future, on the great and awesome Day of Judgment, will be through fire, as it is written, ‘For with fire Hashem will enter into judgment’ (Isaiah 66:16), and, ‘Behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven’ (Malachi 3:19), and, ‘They came forth from fire, and fire shall consume them’ (Ezekiel 15:7). They heated themselves with the fire of desires; and not satisfied with this, they also kindled within themselves the fire of jealousy against the true tzaddikim and the upright of Israel and persecuted them with every kind of persecution. Therefore their downfall will be through fire, as stated above.

This is the aspect of kashering vessels to expel their forbidden absorption through fire: the wicked, who are in the aspect of the forbidden substance, are cast down through fire, as it is written, ‘Everything that comes into fire you shall pass through fire’ (Numbers 31:23). The manner in which it was used is the manner in which it must be purged. In the same manner that the forbidden substance—the aspect of the wicked person—became attached through fire, it must be expelled and cast down through fire. It follows that kashering vessels through fire is an aspect of the downfall of the wicked, through which speech is perfected.

This is the aspect of, ‘Only the gold and the silver…’ (Numbers 31:22). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that the rust must first be removed from the metal. This alludes to the fact that the downfall of the wicked, which is the expulsion of the forbidden substance, can be drawn down only through truth. This is as explained above.

This is the aspect of removing the rust: the rust must first be removed from the gold and silver, leaving only the gold and silver as they truly are, as Rashi explained there. This is the force of the word ‘only’: no rust is to remain; only the metal itself is to remain. This is an aspect of truth—the thing remains as it is and is not covered by rust that damages the gold and silver and conceals them until gold can no longer be distinguished from copper. That is the aspect of falsehood, which covers the truth until truth is no longer recognizable; through a person’s many alien thoughts and ulterior motives, the truth is covered and concealed until truth cannot be distinguished from falsehood. Therefore, expelling the forbidden substance—the aspect of the downfall of the wicked—is possible only by first removing the rust, which is falsehood covering truth, so that only the thing as it is remains, which is the aspect of truth.

Truth is one, as explained elsewhere in the teaching ‘Rabbi Akiva Said’ (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 51); see there. Truth can say only one thing: gold is gold and silver is silver. Falsehood, however, is manifold, for one can say falsely that gold is copper, tin, or the like. This is the aspect of, ‘Only the gold, the silver, the copper…’ (Numbers 31:22)—all the kinds of metal, which are the comprehensive colors of money and whose root in holiness is exceedingly elevated, for they are in the aspect of supernal colors, as may be understood from Rabbeinu’s words in several places. But when a person falls into the desire for money and honor and becomes dependent upon others, this is the aspect of the fall of these colors, in the sense that when a person becomes dependent upon others his face changes to many colors. This is what occurs when falsehood covers some truth. It contains many colors drawn from the fall of the supernal colors that are in silver and gold, for most of a person’s ulterior motives concern money, as is known. The verse therefore alludes to the nullification of falsehood: ‘Only the gold’—only the gold as it truly is shall remain, so that the supernal colors in gold and silver remain as they are and he does not alter them, God forbid, because of ulterior motives and falsehoods born of the desire for money. Through such motives he blemishes and falsifies the supernal colors. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Kashering Vessels 4:43)

‘They came forth from fire, and fire shall consume them’ (Ezekiel 15:7). Once the forbidden substance—the impurity—has already been absorbed into a vessel, all of which is drawn from the aspect of nature, namely disbelief, from which all impurities and prohibitions are drawn, the vessel can be purified only through fire. Fire is the aspect of the root of nature, for fire is the aspect of the force of judgment drawn from nature. Therefore fire was created after Shabbos through Adam HaRishon striking two stones together, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. This alludes to nature, through which Divine providence is concealed, for nature is the aspect of, ‘My power and the might of my hand made me this wealth’ (Deuteronomy 8:17). This is the aspect of fire’s creation through human action, and therefore the principal hold of nature, which is the force of judgment, is there: ‘They came forth from fire,’ and so forth.

When, however, the forbidden substance has not yet been absorbed into the vessel, but the vessel has merely left the domain of a gentile—that is, it has left his da’as and authority—then immersion in a mikveh is sufficient. A person’s principal authority is his da’as, through which he acquires all objects into his domain, in the aspect of, ‘If you have acquired da’as, what do you lack?’ (Nedarim 41a). For the essence of a person is da’as. Therefore, when the vessel leaves the gentile’s domain—that is, the domain of gentile da’as, which is the aspect of nature—it suffices to immerse it in a mikveh. The mikveh is an aspect of the World to Come, from which the aspect of Divine providence is received and drawn down in order to break and nullify nature. Through this one leaves impurity for purity, the domain of the nations for the domain of Israel, who are above nature. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Morning Netilas Yadayim 2:15)

‘But it must be purified with the water of sprinkling’ (Numbers 31:23). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded from this that vessels require immersion like a niddah. The immersion of vessels is literally in the aspect of a niddah’s immersion. Menstrual blood came through Adam HaRishon’s sin with the Tree of Knowledge; through it the decree was issued, ‘In sorrow shall you bear children’ (Genesis 3:16), which is menstrual blood. Therefore the niddah requires immersion to repair and purify the aspect of sorrow—the aspect of sadness, melancholy, darkened countenance, death, and the blemish of the covenant—which is the aspect of Adam HaRishon’s sin, as it is written, ‘On the day you eat from it…’ (Genesis 2:17).

This itself is the aspect of the immersion of vessels: to purify metal vessels that have left the authority and possession of the seventy nations from the blemish of idolatry, which takes a particularly strong hold upon kinds of metal because they are the root of money. They must be purified from idolatry, which includes all forms of alien worship and is the aspect of the desire for money, as brought in Likutay Moharan I, Torah 23. This is the aspect of, ‘In sorrow shall you eat of it’ (Genesis 3:17). It follows that it is literally in the aspect of a niddah’s immersion. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said, a person’s sustenance is twice as difficult as childbirth, for there it is written ‘in sorrow,’ whereas here it is written ‘with sorrow’; this is brought in the teaching cited above. Thus they are one aspect, and the teaching there states that the desire for money is an aspect of menstrual blood; see there.

The immersion of a niddah and of metal vessels is the aspect of, ‘A river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from there it separated’ (Genesis 2:10). Separation begins only after the river waters the garden; from there separation begins through the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil that is within the garden. Therefore, to repair and purify oneself from menstrual blood, which comes through the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge from which separation begins, one returns to the root. This is immersion: one returns and immerses in a gathering of water, the aspect of the river that goes forth from Eden, the aspect of teshuvah, which is entirely good, prior to separation. There everything is repaired. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Kashering Vessels 1)

What a person speaks privately between himself and his Creator is an aspect of ruach hakodesh. King David, peace be upon him, whose stature was exceedingly great, founded the Book of Psalms from this. Likewise, each person according to his aspect possesses an aspect of ruach hakodesh, as it is written, ‘My heart said to You’ (Psalms 27:8). Rashi explained: ‘To You’—on Your behalf and as Your emissary—‘my heart said to me.’ All the things that the heart says are literally the words of Hashem, blessed be He, and this is an aspect of ruach hakodesh. A person must always originate anew, seeking each time with new supplications and words of appeasement.

To merit this, purification of the heart is necessary. The purification of the heart comes when a person’s heart becomes impassioned and burns for Hashem, blessed be He; through this the heart is purified. Corresponding to the passion and burning that he experienced for a transgression or an evil desire, God forbid, through which his heart became impure, he must become impassioned and cause his heart to burn for Hashem, blessed be He. Through this his heart will be purified, as it is written, ‘Everything that comes into fire you shall pass through fire’ (Numbers 31:23). When he has purification of the heart, he merits speaking new words each time, which is an aspect of ruach hakodesh. This is the meaning of, ‘Create for me a pure heart, O God’ (Psalms 51:12); then, ‘Renew a steadfast spirit within me’—he will merit originating new words, which are an aspect of ruach hakodesh, as stated above. (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 156)

The Midrash states: because Moshe said to the children of Gad, ‘A brood of sinful men’ (Numbers 32:14), he was punished in that his grandson served Michah’s idol. The matter is difficult: what connection does the expression ‘a brood of sinful men’ (Numbers 32:14) have with his punishment that his grandson would serve idolatry? The answer is that our Sages said, ‘Whoever dwells outside the Land is as though he has no God’ (Kesubos 110b), and, ‘One who suspects the innocent is afflicted in his body’ (Shabbos 97a). Moshe suspected them of wanting no portion whatsoever in Eretz Yisrael; it followed that they had no God. Therefore he was punished through a grandson who had no God. In truth they were innocent in the matter, for they wanted to take a portion in the Land as well, as brought in the teachings. (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 104)

(Numbers 32:14) The Gemara states: ‘Whoever withholds a halachah from a disciple is as though he robs him of his ancestral inheritance, as it is written, “Moshe commanded us the Torah, an inheritance…”’ (Sanhedrin 91b). When Moshe saw that the children of Reuven and Gad were discouraging the Children of Israel from their ancestral inheritance, he therefore called them ‘a brood of sinful men,’ which Onkelos translated as ‘disciples of sinful men.’ You received this conduct from your teachers: your teacher robbed you of halachoas, and halachoas are the ancestral inheritance, as stated above. Now you, too, follow the ways of your fathers and wish to rob Israel of their ancestral inheritance.

The first chapter of Bava Basra (8b) expounds, ‘Those who bring merit to the many are like the stars’ (Daniel 12:3)—these are teachers of children. Now that Moshe saw that they were causing the many to become guilty by discouraging the heart of the Children of Israel, it followed that their teachers, too, were not among those who bring merit to the many but among those who cause the many to become guilty. Therefore he called them ‘a brood of sinful men,’ which Onkelos translated as ‘disciples of sinful men.’ (Likutay Moharan I, Torah 103)

Parashas Mattos teaches that the power of speech, vows, prayer, and faith in the tzaddikim is drawn from the Torah’s roots. Speech can create a Torah obligation, direct free choice, repair the covenant, subdue the sitra achra, and purify the heart and vessels.

Speech and will → vow or oath → attachment to the Torah’s root → power to prevail and repair → purification of heart, covenant, and deed