סימן כ"ח-בני לן ביתא

There — Letter Beis — "for the tolah [crimson worm] is the aspect of faith… and it is the aspect of Avraham." In my humble opinion — as a possibility — this alludes to what is written in the kavvanot of the daily offering [korban tamid] — on the matter of: "the burnt offering [olah] has the numerical value of ABG YTZ" — which is the aspect of kindness [chesed] — in the secret of: "and Avraham rose early in the morning" [Genesis 22]. And this is the secret of: "fear not — O worm of Yaakov" [Isaiah 41]. And it is written there in the gloss of Pri Etz Chaim: for tolah has the numerical value of the Name shkutzis — and so on. [And see in Likutay Torah, portion Terumah.] And it is known that this Name is in Malchus — which is the aspect of faith. For faith — the aspect of Malchus — and kindness [chesed] are tied to one another. [See Siman 30 — Mishrah — for as long as there is idolatry in the world — there is wrath in the world — and when faith is completed — kindness flows — as is also elaborated in Siman 10 and Siman 13.] And as it is written: "My faithfulness and My kindness are with him." And in this discourse he also brings at the beginning: "and when the G-d-fearing have shaming and humiliation" — and the counsel for this is: "I am a worm and not a man" — and so on. And this is what is written afterwards: "for tolah is the aspect of faith" — meaning: the aspect of the above-mentioned Name which is in Malchus — the aspect of faith. And its numerical value equals tolah. And it is the aspect of Avraham — who is the aspect of kindness — meaning: the Name ABG YTZ which is in kindness — and its numerical value equals tolah [crimson worm]. For the two are tied to one another as above. Therefore Avraham was the head of believers and was the man of kindness. And through this he breaks and nullifies idolatry and heresy — and overcomes enemies — and through this kindness he rectifies the fallen alpin [the fallen letters].

There — Letter Gimmel — "for one who brings Torah scholars as guests into his house — it is as though he brought the daily offering." This means: for the intention of the daily offering is the nullification of idolatry — and the secret of the aspect of the Name of kindness in Gevurah — and the aspect of the alpin above. Therefore also through bringing a Torah scholar as a guest into his house — and he is subordinate under his teacher's hand — and attends on him — this too brings about the above rectification. And see there what he wrote. And through this very attendance — standing over them and attending on them — one merits the above-mentioned kindness. It is possible that this alludes to what is written regarding Avraham at the time of hospitality: "and he was standing over them."

And see in Likutay Halachos, Laws of Grace After Meals [Birchas HaMazon], Halacha 4 — where it is elaborated: that all the wanderings of Israel — in particular those of the Tzaddikim and Torah scholars — who are sometimes restless and wandering on the roads — all of this is only to clarify and elevate the fallen Torah-teachings [alpin nefolin] — the aspect of the air of the world [avira d'alma]. This being the aspect of the going of Israel in the wilderness with the Tabernacle and the Ark and the Tablets — and there specifically they clarified all the commandments of the Torah — the aspect of: "and when the Ark set out — Moshe said… and when it rested he said: 'Return, Hashem, to the myriads of thousands of Israel'" [Numbers 10] — meaning: the fallen alpin that had been clarified returned and came back and rested in their place in peace. And therefore this Torah scholar and Tzaddik who wanders on the road — wherever he goes the Shechinah and Torah go with him — as is elaborated in the holy Zohar. And all his wandering is only for the clarification of the above-mentioned alpin. Therefore one who merits to bring this holy guest into his house — gives a true place of rest to the aspect of the fallen Torah-teachings that were clarified through him as above. Therefore through this specifically he rectifies and elevates the fallen alpin — for they are literally one and the same. See there further — wondrous matters on this above discourse.

There — in the above discourse — "alef beis… heh vov zayin khes" — meaning: the cries and quarrels and shaming and humiliations that flow from the fallen Torah-teachings of the Torah scholar who is a shed Yehudi [a Jewish demon] — this being the aspect of the above-mentioned impure worm — the aspect of: "to pervert a man in his cause" [Lamentations 3] — as is elaborated in the above kavvanot. "Tes — the good of Tuviyah is hidden within it [Toviyah ganiz b'goyah]" — meaning: through bringing Torah scholar guests into one's house — one merits to extract also the good hidden within the above-mentioned Torah-teachings — in the aspect of: "he ate its inside and threw away its shell [tochoh achal kliposo zarak]." And through this one rectifies the above-mentioned alpin — which is the aspect of yud.