חוקות העכו"ם

It is forbidden to dress in their garments on account of the statute of the nations (chukkas ha-akum), and likewise all other similar matters — see there. For Israel is a holy people who were raised above all the seventy nations and merited to draw near to the Blessed Lord. And the essential distinction between Israel and the nations is only through the guarding of the bris (covenant) — as it is written: "And your people Israel are all tzaddikim" (Yeshayahu 60:21). For Israel are called "all of them tzaddikim" in the aspect of the guardians of the bris — for through this comes the essential closeness of Israel to their Father in Heaven, as is explained in the discourse "Hayye man d'azil l'minsav," in §29 of Likutay, Part One — see there. And likewise this teaching is cited in many places in the words of Rabbaynu, of blessed memory — see there.

And therefore Israel must be separate (perushim) and distinguished (muvdalim) from the seventy nations in all matters — whether in eating and drinking, and whether in their garments. And the garments of a person hint at the character traits (middos) of the person, as is cited in the Sefer HaAlef-Beis, letter Begadim (Garments) — for one's clothing corresponds to the tikun (rectification) of the bris of each individual, and upon this all the character traits depend, as is known. See in the discourse §29 cited above, which explains that the essential tikun of garments is that they should be in the aspect of white garments (begadim levanim) — as it is written: "At all times let your garments be white" (Koheles 9:8). And this depends on the tikun of the bris — which is the totality of the sinews (kelaliyus ha-gidin) — see there.

And therefore Israel are distinguished in their garments from all the seventy nations, and they have various commandments pertaining to garments — such as tzitzis and sha'atnez. For the garments of Israel are exceedingly precious — as it is written: "And the fragrance of your garments is like the fragrance of Lebanon" (Shir HaShirim 4:11). For the essential holiness of Israel — which is the guarding of the bris — is dependent upon and visible through the garments, as above. For the garments of Israel are in the aspect of white garments, as above. And therefore Israel merited the tikun of the garments — that is, the commandment of tzitzis — which is the tikun of the garments, and which is in the aspect of white garments, in the aspect of a white tallis (tallis lavan). This is the opposite of the blemish of the bris (pegam ha-bris) — for from the blemish of the bris comes the blemish of the garments. That is: garments made dirty through stains — in the aspect of niddah blood (dam niddos) — which is the aspect of soiled garments (begadim tzo'im). For the essential punishment of being clothed in soiled garments, heaven forfend, comes only through the blemish of the bris — as it is written: "And Yehoshua was clothed in soiled garments" (Zekharyah 3:3). And this came about because his sons had married foreign women — for the blemish of the bris is visible in the garments — in the aspect of: "Moreover, in your skirts (bi-knafayich) is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor" (Yirmiyahu 2:34). For this is the aspect of the blemish of the bris, which is as if one sheds innocent blood, heaven forfend, as is cited.

And this is the meaning of "in your skirts (bi-knafayich)" — specifically "in your skirts," for they are the garments, as above — the opposite of the fringes (kanfay) of the tzitzis, which are the tikun of the garments. That is, white garments — through which comes the tikun of the bris. For tzitzis is the tikun of the bris, as is cited elsewhere. For soiled garments — which are garments made dirty with stains and niddah blood — are in the aspect of a red tallis (tallis odom). And this is the opposite of tzitzis, which is in the aspect of a white tallis, as above. For a red tallis is the aspect of Esav, as is cited in the words of Rabbaynu, may his light shine — as it is written: "And the first came out red, all over like a hairy mantle" (Berayshis 25:25). And Rashi explained: "like a tallis." See the words of Rabbaynu in the discourse "Ra'isi Menoras Zahav" (I saw a golden menorah), in §8 of Likutay, Part One. And Esav is Amalek — who is the essential blemish of the bris, as is cited. And this explains why the Torah included the prohibition of wearing the garments of the nations under the category of their statutes (chukosayhem) — for the chukim (statutes) that belong to holiness, that is, the chukim of the Torah, are in the aspect of guarding the bris. As in: "V'chok b'she'eiro sam, u-tze'etza'av chasom v'khul'" — "and a statute in his flesh He set, and His descendants He sealed, and so on" (from the berachah of Bris Milah). For a chok is a thing that has no reason (ta'am). It therefore turns out that it is in the aspect of emunah (faith) — since the intellect does not obligate this thing, for it has no reason. And the essential emunah depends on the tikun of the bris, as is cited in the words of Rabbaynu, may his light shine, §31. And therefore the tikun of the bris is called by the name chok and chukah — in the aspect of "chukkas ha-Torah" — for through the tikun of the bris one merits to the chukim that belong to holiness, which are in the aspect of emunah, as above. And the nations of the world — who are in the aspect of the blemish of the bris, as above — have false beliefs (emunos kozoyviyos), which are also called "chukim." For they are the blemish and the falling of the emunah and of the chukim of holiness. And therefore they are distinguished in their conduct and in their garments, and they have various customs that follow only a chok without any reason at all — for all of this is in the aspect of their false beliefs, which come to them through the blemish of the bris, as above. And therefore Israel is a holy people, and the essential totality of holiness depends on emunah — and all of this depends on guarding the bris, as above. And therefore they were commanded: "And in their statutes you shall not walk (u-v'chukosayhem lo saylachu)" — as above. "In their statutes you shall not walk. And in their statutes you shall not walk" — and this is the language of the Shulchan Arukh, §178: "One does not walk in the statutes of the nations and does not resemble them, and one does not wear a garment that is specific to them, and one does not grow the hair of one's head like the hair of their heads," and so on. For it is cited in the words of Rabbaynu in the discourse "Achavay lan mana d'lo shavya l'chavala" and so on, in §25 of Likutay, Part One — that the sitra achra (Other Side) is called the koach ha-medame (power of imagination), from which come all the desires and confusions and obstacles that obstruct the levels of holiness and so on — see there. And at every level and every level these imaginings are present — and when one wishes to ascend from level to level they are aroused and so on. And one must subdue and break them. And the essential means of subduing them is through the revelation of the greatness of the Creator, blessed be His Name. And this is accomplished through giving charity to a deserving poor person — for through this the colors (gevonin) that are present in silver and gold are revealed. For the essential colors are found only among Israel — in the aspect of "Israel, in you I take pride (Yisroel asher b'cha espa'ar)" (Yeshayahu 49:3). Pride (hispa'arus) is the encompassing of all the colors and so on. And this is the aspect of: "For He has clothed me in garments of salvation (bigday yesha)" (Yeshayahu 61:10). "Yesha" — "salvation" — is the aspect of "yistaklutha," that all desire to behold it and so on — see there well. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of walking in their statutes. And one must distance oneself from them in all matters — so as not to resemble them in any matter whatsoever in the world. Even though in that particular matter there is no actual prohibition in and of itself — even so it is forbidden to resemble them in any manner in the world. And it is forbidden to dress in their garments and so on. For in this is encompassed the entire Torah in its totality. For in truth, Israel from their very selves — from their root — are utterly and completely distant from all sins, and no transgression is at all relevant to a Jewish man according to his holiness from his root. For Israel are the very essence of goodness (etzem ha-tov) and they are distant from evil in the ultimate distance at their root. And therefore the sitra achra has no grip or relevance to entice any one of Israel, heaven forfend — except only through the power of imagination (koach ha-medame). For the medame misleads a person — for it imagines one thing to be another thing — until it overturns, heaven forfend, and makes evil into good, darkness into light — as it is stated: "Those who make light into darkness and darkness into light, who make bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter and so on" (Yeshayahu 5:20). As one sees tangibly that the power of imagination misleads a person many times even in physical matters — for example, when a person sees something from afar, and especially at night, he imagines a piece of wood standing upright to be a person and is frightened of it — and similarly in many matters in which a person errs through the power of imagination. And exactly the same way, truly, in the matters of a person's opinions and character traits and desires — for in truth the Jewish man is himself utterly distant from all evil things and from all desires and evil character traits. And the essential stumbling of a person, heaven forfend, is only through the power of imagination — which is the sitra achra — which misleads the person and imagines one thing to be another thing, and leads him from thought to thought and from thought to thought, until it brings him to an improper thought, heaven forfend. And likewise to each and every person it brings him to that which it brings him — may the Merciful One protect us. And therefore the Torah has decreed upon us not to walk in their statutes and not to resemble them in any matter — not to resemble them, specifically — in order not to give power, heaven forfend, to the koach ha-medame. For the nations of the world are the evil of all desires and character traits, as is cited in the words of Rabbaynu, of blessed memory. And therefore when one resembles them in any matter — through this the medame is strengthened, heaven forfend — and one can come, heaven forfend, through this to their opinions and views — as it is written: "And they mingled with the nations and learned from their deeds" (Tehillim 106:35). For the essential grip of the sitra achra is in the medame, as above. And therefore one must distance oneself from them greatly, greatly in all matters. Rather, one must resemble in all matters and all customs and all garments the holy people Israel — for the essential grace and true glory and honor (hispa'arus ha-amitis) is found only among Israel — in the aspect of "Israel, in you I take pride" — who are encompassed in many colors (d'klulim bi-gvanin saggin) — and the garments of Israel are in the aspect of garments of salvation (bigday yesha) — the aspect of garments of glory (levushay ha-hispa'arus) — the aspect of "majesty and splendor You have clothed (hod v'hadar lavashta)" (Tehillim 104:1). For in them are all kinds of grace and all kinds of glory. And therefore one must dress specifically in the garments of Israel and resemble in every matter the ways of the true wise men and tzaddikim — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Cleave to Torah scholars (hiddabayk b'talmidei chachamim)" (Kesubos 111b). And as it is written: "One who walks with wise men will become wise (holaych es chachamim yechkam)" (Mishlai 13:20). For through resembling oneself in deeds and conduct to the ways of the true righteous ones — through this one merits to be encompassed within them. And in the end one will truly become like them. For the koach ha-medame is in the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil — the aspect of nogah — which is at times encompassed in the good, and at other times in the opposite. For it is in the aspect of imagination — and wherever it imagines itself, there it is encompassed. And the essential free choice (b'chirah) and trial (nisayon) of a person is through the koach ha-medame. And every person must strengthen himself to clarify (l'varayr) the koach ha-medame — to clarify the good within it so that it should be encompassed in holiness, and to cause the evil within it to fall. And therefore we are commanded to resemble our Creator, blessed be He — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Cleave to His attributes — just as He is merciful, so shall you be merciful, and so on" (Shabbos 133b). And likewise to resemble the Torah scholars and to associate with upright people — for through resembling oneself in character traits to the Blessed Lord and to the tzaddikim and to the truly upright people of the generation, through this one merits to become truly encompassed with them together in the Blessed Lord. For everything depends on the clarification of the medame — which is the essential trial and free choice. And this is the aspect of what is cited in the words of Rabbaynu, may his memory be a blessing, in the conversations of the Ranas (Sichot HaRan) — that through making oneself angry in prayer, through this one merits truly to pray with the warmth and burning enthusiasm of holiness. And likewise through making oneself act as if one is happy — through this one merits to true joy. And similarly in all matters and so on — see there. For this is the aspect of the clarification of the medame (biyur ha-medame) — that the medame is encompassed in holiness — for one imagines oneself to be in matters of holiness, even though at first one does not truly have that quality. Even so one imagines oneself and conducts oneself and accustoms oneself in these qualities and these upright ways of behavior of truly upright people — and through this one merits afterward to all the good truly. And one must be very strong in this matter and a great stubborn one (akshan gadol) — even though it seems to him that it has been a long time that he has been accustoming himself to this and he has still not merited to the good truly — even so, this too is good: that he imagines himself and accustoms himself to the good. For also it is impossible for a person to know truly when he merits to the good — for sometimes it appears to the person that he is very far from good, and this very thing is itself good. And likewise the opposite can be true. Therefore one is always obligated to attach oneself to upright and true people and to walk in their ways and to resemble their deeds — for this very thing is good: that he merits to associate with them — even if, heaven forfend, he would not merit to become like them. But in truth if he is strong, he will certainly merit to become like them and to be encompassed within them, as above. And this is what the Torah warned: "And you shall not show them favor (v'lo s'chanaym)" — you shall not give them grace — for it is forbidden to say "how beautiful is this non-Jew," and so on. For it is forbidden to glorify them in any matter at all. For the essential glory and the colors (gevonin) belong only to Israel — in the aspect of "Israel, in you I take pride." And when one glorifies and praises Israel, and magnifies and cherishes the grace and the ways of the holy people Israel — the chosen nation from all peoples — through this the colors and the glory of Israel are revealed. And through the revelation of the colors — which is the revelation of the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He — through this comes the essential subduing of the medame, as is explained there in the discourse cited above: that the essential subduing of the medame is through the revelation of the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He — which comes through the revelation of the colors. And this is what Rabbaynu, of blessed memory, said: that through the joy by which one rejoices over having merited to be from the seed of Israel and to draw close to the true tzaddikim — through this one breaks the medame — which is the obstacles at every level of holiness and so on — see there. For through rejoicing oneself with the joy of Israel, over having merited to be from the seed of Israel — through this the grace and the glory and the colors of Israel are revealed. Which is the essential greatness of the Creator, blessed be He. And through the revelation of the Creator — through this the obstacles are subdued — which are the koach ha-medame. For in truth they are no obstacles at all — only they appear as obstacles, until it is hard to break them. But through glorifying and praising and cherishing the grace and the importance and the glory of Israel — and rejoicing oneself in this that "He did not make me a non-Jew (shelo asani goy)" — through this the glory of Israel is revealed — the aspect of "Israel, in you I take pride" — which are the supernal colors — which are the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He — and through this comes the essential subduing of the medame, as above. And this is the aspect of the shekalim (half-shekels) — through which was the essential miracle of Purim. As our Sages of blessed memory said: "Wicked one! Our shekalim have already preceded yours" (Megillah 13b). And therefore on the first of Adar they announce about the shekalim. For the essential jealousy of Haman of Amalek against Israel was because of this: because Israel distance themselves in all matters from the conduct and the ways of the nations. And therefore he said: "Their laws are different from every other people" (Esther 3:8). For he was most particular and jealous about this: that they always intend to differ from the nations in all matters and to distance themselves from their customs. And therefore he said: "And ten thousand of silver and so on, I will weigh and so on" (Esther 3:9). For he wished to nullify, heaven forfend, the power of the shekalim of Israel — which are in the aspect of the revelation of the colors encompassed in silver and gold, as is explained in the discourse cited above. And therefore the Blessed Lord preceded the cure to the blow and preceded our shekalim to his shekalim, and commanded us to give on the first of Adar the shekalim — which are in the aspect of tzedakah (charity) — through which the supernal colors that are in silver and gold are revealed, as above. And through this comes the essential subduing of the medame and the kelipas (husks of impurity) — which are in the aspect of Haman-Amalek. For Amalek is in the aspect of the evil of the medame — for they would imagine themselves to be animals, as Rashi explained on the verse "from ox to sheep to animal" (I Shmuel 15:3): that the Amalekites would dress themselves up as animals, as above. And "animal" (behayma) is in the aspect of the koach ha-medame — which is the power of animality (koach ha-bahamisyus) — as is explained above in the discourse cited. And therefore the essential subduing of Haman-Amalek is through the shekalim — which are in the aspect of tzedakah — through which the colors are revealed and so on — which is the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He — and through this they are subdued, as above. And this is the aspect of the half-shekel (machatzis ha-shekel) — a contribution to God (trumah la-Hashem). For the aspect of the medame is the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil — the aspect of nogah — which is the essential scales and trial (matkala v'nisayon). In the aspect of "half" (machatzis) — for the person stands on the scale and the trial: half of him tipping one way and half tipping the other way — like the way of a scale — for it is a mixture of good and evil. And this is "machatzis ha-shekel" — "half-shekel" specifically. And every person must tip the scale toward the good — to raise the medame up to the Blessed Lord — in the aspect of "a half-shekel as a contribution to God." And this is accomplished through the giving of the half-shekel toward the communal sacrifices and toward the donation for the Mishkan (Tabernacle) — which is in the aspect of tzedakah — through which the colors are revealed, as above — and through this the medame is subdued. And then the evil within it falls and the good within it is encompassed in holiness. And therefore the shekalim were taken for the communal sacrifices and for the donation of the Mishkan — for the sacrifices (korbanos) are in the aspect of the breaking of the imagination (sh'viras ha-dimyon) — as Rabbaynu, of blessed memory, explained in the discourse cited above on the verse: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit (zivchei Elokim ruach nishbarah)" (Tehillim 51:19). And this is the aspect of the donation of the Mishkan — which is the aspect of the revelation of the colors — for all the supernal colors were encompassed in the Mishkan: silver and gold and blue (t'chelyas) and purple (argaman) and so on. And this is the aspect of "When you take a count of (ki sisa es rosh) the children of Israel" (Shmos 30:12). "Ki sisa" specifically — in the aspect of nesi'as rosh (elevation of the head) — that is, when they ascend from level to level, and one wishes to elevate Israel that they should ascend from level to level — then "each one shall give a ransom for his soul (kofer nafsho)" — that is, tzedakah — through which the obstacles at every level are subdued. For they come through the medame, as above. And then "and there shall not be among them a plague and so on" — for through this: that the colors are revealed through the shekalim — through this the medame and the kelipas are subdued — which are the sitra d'mosa (side of death) — and one merits to the holy intellect (seykhel d'kedushah) which is in the aspect of life. As it is written: "Wisdom sustains life (ha-chochma t'chayeh)" (Koheles 7:12). For the essential life is the intellect — which is eternal life. For the essential residue of a person after his death is only the attainment of the acquired intellect (seykhel ha-nikneh) — which one merits through the breaking of the imagination — as is explained there in the discourse cited, see there all of this well. And therefore the essential commandment of the shekalim was at the time when they were counting Israel — for the counting of Israel is in the aspect of nesi'as rosh — the aspect of ascent from level to level — in the discourse above. For when they ascend from level to level, then each and every one elevates his fellow. For the inwardness (p'nimiyus) of the lower one ascends to the higher one, and likewise the inwardness of the higher one ascends yet higher, and so upward and upward — as is explained there well, see there. And as Rabbaynu, of blessed memory, said then explicitly: that this is the aspect of haramah — ((in the Lashon Ashkenaz (German-Yiddish): heiben)) — what one lifts his fellow up and so on. And when they count Israel, then they include and lift up and elevate and link one to the other — for this is the essential aspect of the counting: to link them and join them one to the other — so that each one should ascend to the level of his fellow, and his fellow should ascend yet higher — and so upward and upward — so that they should be encompassed one within the other — so that the Shekhinah should rest upon them. And therefore the counting is called nesi'as rosh — as it is written: "When you take a count of (ki sisa es rosh) the children of Israel according to their number (lifkudayhem)" (Shmos 30:12). For through the counting their heads are elevated from level to level and so on, as above. And therefore at every time that Israel needed to ascend from level to level, they were counted. After that when the Mishkan was built and they wished to have the Shekhinah rest upon them, they were counted — as Rashi explained. For all of the above is in the aspect of ascent from level to level — in the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt (Yetzi'as Mitzrayim): when they ascended from the forty-nine gates of impurity (mem-tes sha'aray tumah) to the forty-nine gates of holiness (mem-tes sha'aray k'dushah). And likewise after the incident of the Golden Calf, when they needed to depart and ascend and purify themselves from this impurity and enter into holiness. And likewise afterward when the Mishkan was built and they needed to ascend to the high levels so that the Shekhinah would rest upon them — and therefore they counted them each time — which is the aspect of nesi'as rosh, as above. And when they ascend from level to level — then the medame is aroused even more, as above — which is the sitra d'mosa, heaven forfend, as above. And when they ascend from level to level — then the medame is aroused even more, as above — which is the sitra d'mosa, heaven forfend, as above. [Note: this sentence is written twice in the original — it is intentional.] Therefore at such times one must strengthen oneself even more to subdue the sitra d'mosa — which is the medame. And this is accomplished through the shekalim — which are in the aspect of tzedakah — through which the colors are revealed, as above. And this is the aspect of "ki sisa and so on, and each one shall give a ransom for his soul to God, and there shall not be among them a plague and so on," as above. "Each one who passes through the counting shall give a half-shekel in the sacred shekel. A half-shekel specifically," as above. And this is the aspect of: "When Adar enters, one increases in joy (mishenichnas Adar marbin b'simchah)" (Ta'anis 29a). For then one must subdue the kelipah of Haman-Amalek — which is the medame, as above. And therefore one must increase in joy — for one must greatly rejoice in the fact that we merited to be from the seed of Israel and "He did not make me a non-Jew" — and through this the grace and the glory of Israel are revealed: which is the revelation of the colors — which is the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He — and through this the medame is subdued and one merits to ascend to all the levels of holiness. Amen and Amen. And as is explained there at the end of the discourse cited above: that through the joy by which one rejoices in the Blessed Lord and in His tzaddikim and so on — through this the medame is subdued — which spreads itself through every level — and one ascends to the highest level and so on — see there. The matter of the prohibition of walking in the statutes of the nations, and the prohibition of divination and conjuring and sorcery. According to the Torah "Bo el Par'oh" (Come to Pharaoh), in §64 — see the entire Torah there well. And the general principle is this: There are questions and heresy (apikorsus) that are drawn from the kelipas that came into being through the shattering of the vessels (sh'viras ha-kaylim) — which came through an excess of light — and these are in the aspect of the surplus (mosorohs) and refuse (p'soles) of holiness, and likewise sorcery (kishuf) comes from the surplus and refuse, as is known. And these questions and heresies can be answered — for there are sparks and letters and so on that fell there and so on. But there are heresies and questions that are drawn from the empty space (chalal ha-panui) and so on — from which, as it were, He withdrew His Divinity and His wisdom — and so on — and these are the "wisdoms that are not wisdoms" and so on. And these questions cannot be answered in any way. And regarding them it is said: "All who come to her do not return" (Mishlai 2:19). For these questions cannot be answered in this world — for if they were answered the empty space would be nullified and there would be no place and existence for the world and so on. Therefore it is impossible to answer these questions now in any way whatsoever — except to strengthen oneself in complete emunah alone. And through this one passes over all the wisdoms and over the "wisdoms that are not wisdoms" — which are the questions mentioned above — and so on. See there all of this well. And it is known that the Blessed Lord gave us the entire Torah and all the commandments in order to merit complete emunah in Him, blessed be He — for this is the essential ultimate purpose — as it is written: "All Your commandments are emunah (kol mitzvosecha emunah)" (Tehillim 119:86). And as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Chavakuk came and established them all on one: and the tzaddik shall live by his emunah (v'tzaddik b'emunaso yichyeh)" (Makkos 24a; Chavakuk 2:4). And for this reason there are in the Torah both chukim (statutes) and mishpatim (civil laws) — the mishpatim being those commandments that reason somewhat obligates, which are called mishpatim. And the commandments upon which there is no reason at all, and the nations of the world take Israel to task asking what is the reason for this commandment — these are called chukim. And all these chukim and mishpatim the Blessed Lord gave us in order to merit to emunah — that is, in order to merit through this power to nullify two kinds of questions and heresy (apikorsus) mentioned above. For through the mishpatim — which are the commandments in which there is some intellect and reason — through this the questions that are drawn from the kelipas that came into being through the shattering of the vessels are nullified, as above. For there some intellect and letters are present — though they require great rectification and clarification (tikun u-biyur). And these kelipas are subdued and nullified through the aspect of the mishpatim of the Torah — in which there is intellect. But there are questions for which it is impossible to find any answer through intellect and to settle them, as above — for they are drawn from the empty space (chalal ha-panui), as above. And there it is forbidden to enter into them with any intellect at all — only to strengthen oneself in emunah alone, as above. And corresponding to this the Blessed Lord gave us the holy chukim — which are the commandments in which there is no reason at all — and we fulfill them through emunah alone. Through the power of these commandments emunah is strengthened within us and we have the power to drive out and nullify and expunge from among us all the questions and heresy drawn from the empty space where there is no intellect except in tremendous, wondrous concealment — which it is impossible in any way to understand in this world — and we must only strengthen ourselves in emunah alone, as above. And this emunah — to merit to strengthen oneself in complete emunah, to nullify the heresy mentioned above through emunah alone, as above — this we merit through the chukim that we observe: which are the commandments in which there is no reason at all — and we fulfill them through emunah alone, as above. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of the statutes of the nations (chukos ha-akum) and the prohibition of divination and conjuring and sorcery. For "this corresponds to that" (ze l'umas ze) — for just as in holiness there are in the holy Torah chukim and mishpatim in order to nullify the two kinds of heresy mentioned above — so likewise in the opposite: they have the statutes of the nations that have no reason at all — only they are drawn from the heresy of the empty space where there is no intellect and no reason at all — for they are in the aspect of "wisdoms that are not wisdoms" and so on. As is explained well in the Torah cited above — see there. And the Blessed Lord commanded us to distance ourselves from their statutes with all distances — as it is written: "And in their statutes you shall not walk." And as is cited in the Gemara and the Shulchan Arukh — that one must distance oneself from them in all movements and all garments — as is written in the Shulchan Arukh: "One does not resemble them and one does not wear their garments and so on" — for we must distance ourselves greatly from their statutes which are their ways of conduct that have no reason, so that, heaven forfend, the heresy and denial (k'firah) drawn from the empty space should not take hold among us. For there is no intellect there whatsoever and so on — and from there all their statutes are drawn, as above. And likewise the Torah forbade us to divine and take omens and practice sorcery — so that the kelipas that come from the surplus and from the shattering of the vessels should not be strengthened, heaven forfend. For from there comes all the wisdom of the diviners — from the refuse of holiness (p'soles ha-k'dushah) — as is explained in the Torah cited above. Therefore we must distance ourselves from both of them: from the diviner and so on — which are in the aspect of the kelipas of the shattering of the vessels and so on, as above — and likewise to distance ourselves from the statutes of the nations that are drawn from the aspect of the denials of the empty space, as above. For the Blessed Lord in His great mercy separated us from these wanderers and commanded us to distance ourselves from both of them. And He sanctified us with His holy commandments — in which there are chukim and mishpatim — through which we nullify and drive out the two kinds of heresy and questions and merit to true complete emunah. Amen. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of "not wearing their garments" — which is forbidden on account of the statute of the nations (chukkas ha-akum) — for all garments are drawn from the secret of the empty space (sod chalal ha-panui) — which is in the aspect of garments (levushin) — as is explained in the Torah cited above: that it is like "that silkworm (kamtza) whose garment is from itself and within itself." And from there all the garments in the world are drawn. And therefore Israel were commanded to sanctify their garments through the commandment of tzitzis — in which the entire Torah and all the commandments are dependent — as it is written: "So that you may remember and do all My commandments and so on" (Bamidbar 15:40). For through the sanctity of the garments — through the commandment of tzitzis — through this holy emunah is drawn upon us, to subdue and nullify the heresy that is drawn from the empty space — through the emunah that we believe that even there the Blessed Lord is hidden in wondrous concealment, and that the empty space itself came into being from His wisdom, blessed be He — like "that silkworm whose garment is from itself and within itself" — as is written in the Torah cited above. And therefore one must distance oneself from the garments of the nations — not to wear their garments on account of the statute of the nations. For their garments are drawn from the heresy of the empty space — from which all garments come, as above. But our garments are drawn from holy emunah — for we believe that even in the empty space the Blessed Lord is present in wondrous concealment — which is the aspect of "like that silkworm whose garment is from itself and within itself." And this emunah is the aspect of the tikun of the garments — the aspect of tzitzis — which is emunah, as is known. And as above in Hilchos Purim, Halacha 4, on the verse: "Mi ha-ish he-chofetz chayyim" — "Who is the man who desires life?" (Tehillim 34:13).