סימן ס"ה

The discourse Vayomer Boaz El Rus, Siman 65 — was said in the summer of 5566 — close to the passing of his holy and awesome young son Mohar"r Shlomoh Ephraim — who passed away in the month of Sivan of that year. And then Rabbi Nosson and one other person were standing before him on the upper story that was on Rabbainu's house. And Rabbainu related to them the greatness of his suffering and the great afflictions that he had from every side and sides of sides — and elaborated somewhat on this — as elaborated elsewhere. For he was full of very great and very immense suffering — from within and from without — at all times always. And in the midst of his words — he answered and said: "what do you know of how great and enormous is this shattering that was in the world — the matter of the passing of the above young child. All my heart is shattered and torn from its place." And the holy tears began to flow on his cheeks. And immediately and at once they fled from before him — out of the immense shame that fell upon them — when they saw his weeping before them — until it seemed to them as if the entire world had been overturned and destroyed. [And it has already been elaborated elsewhere — with a brief allusion — in Chayyay Moharan [conversations pertaining to the Torah discourses, Siman 28] — about the great hope that was fitting to come to all of Israel — had the above holy young child not passed away.] And afterwards — on the day after that — which was the sixth day — Erev Shabbas Kodesh — he said to them: that had they not fled immediately — he would have related to them a very beautiful matter. And on this day he said to them this discourse of Vayomer Boaz El Rus — regarding the rectification of souls — and what is needed so much from the master of the field [ba'al hasadeh] who supervises them and rectifies them. And this: one who girds his loins to be the master of the field — very many immeasurable afflictions pass over him — G-d spare us. And with his great power he passes over all of them — and does the work of the field as needed — and so on — as elaborated in the above discourse. And this is related to the account of the afflictions that pass over him — which he related to them the day before as above. And from then on he spoke much about the rectification of the souls. And in particular after he came from Lemberg. And in particular during his journey to Uman. For his entire entry there — and his choosing to pass away there — all of this was on account of this: for the rectification of the souls that need rectification from many hundreds of years. And as elaborated somewhat on this elsewhere. And then when he began to speak about this matter of the master of the field — and from his words it was understood that then he began to know — and primarily he knows now. And the knowledge that he has now in this matter is wondrous and awesome. And so on. See Chayyay Moharan there.

And in general: all his travels and all his journeys — and likewise all the very great and very difficult suffering that passed over him — all of it was for the rectification of the worlds — the rectification of the souls and spirits of the living. And in particular: the souls of the dead. With this he was most occupied in the final period of his life — as elaborated elsewhere [Chayyay Moharan, his journey to and residence in Uman, Siman 7]. And in Uman — one day before the day of his passing — he was lying on his bed in very great weakness. And he answered and said to Rabbi Nosson: "do you remember the story I told you when I entered Uman — namely from the Baal Shem Tov — who came to a certain place where there were very many very fallen souls — that he was compelled to rectify them — and saw that it was impossible to rectify them except by passing away through this?" And as elaborated on this elsewhere. [And also in this above discourse it is elaborated: that there is one who cannot complete the matter except with his passing away — and that for this too one must be a very very great person.] Rabbainu answered and said in these words: "meh hot shoin lang aroys gekukt oyf mir — meh zohl mekh der toppen aher — vos zohl ich eich zogen — alofim revovos revovos revovos" — and drew out the word revovos greatly each time. Meaning: that here in Uman there are tens upon tens upon tens of thousands of souls — very many very many — that are standing now around him for him to rectify them. For this reason he has all these torments and very hard and bitter suffering. And afterwards he turned his face somewhat toward the wall — and spread out his hands somewhat — as if saying: "behold I deliver up my soul — and behold I am ready and prepared to accept everything for His sake." And all of this it is impossible to depict in writing at all. And afterwards — on the night belonging to the third day — which is the fourth day of Sukkos — the last day of his holy life. And then: after midnight — Rabbi Nafftali and Rabbi Shimon stood before him. And then he returned and spoke about the above matter of the souls — what need there is to rectify here very very many souls. And said several judgments — how many holy ones were here. And Rabbi Nafftali answered and said to him: "but you said in the discourse Vayomer Boaz El Rus — that the great and exceedingly lofty Tzaddik can complete the matter in his lifetime." And he answered and said: "I did not say to you except some aspect of this." For it is compulsory to go and pass away for this. And afterwards he took the key of the kammode [cabinet] and gave it to them. And commanded them: that immediately when he passes away — while he would still be lying on the ground — they should take all the writings found there in the kammode and burn them all. And warned them to fulfill his words. And they took the key and stood in consternation — trembling and crawling — and greatly pained hearing all of this — and were whispering to one another — that he was already so preparing himself to pass away. And he answered and said: "what are you whispering? — you are permitted to speak about my passing openly before me — for I am not afraid of this at all." And afterwards he said to them: "perhaps you are speaking about yourselves — what do you have to worry about when I go before you?" What — those souls who never knew me at all — they await my rectifications. Certainly all the more so — you. Those people who died — there is some effort with them — and so on. But you — what do you have to worry — since I go before you — you need not fear at all. And further they heard from him then awesome words such as these — about his passing and about the above matter of the souls. And see this further elaborated in the book Yemei Moharan"as.

And see in the book Chayyay Moharan there — where the above matter is also brought: what he said to them on the night before his passing: "what do you have to worry — since I go before you" — and so on — as above. And Rabbi Nosson concluded there: and likewise even those who did not merit to know Rabbainu in his lifetime — when they will come to his holy grave — and so on — and will lean upon him — and will study his holy books — and will accustom themselves to walk in his holy ways as stated in his holy books — certainly they have that upon which to lean. Praiseworthy are they and praiseworthy is their portion — and all who take refuge in him will not be put to shame. For he already revealed his opinion explicitly and by allusion: that all that he engages in with us is not only for our sakes. But rather: "with he who is here — and with he who is not here" [Deuteronomy 29]. [And as Rashi explains there: also with future generations that are destined to exist.] Until here.

And from all the above: great support for what we elaborated in the discourse Anochi, Siman 4 — where Rabbainu alluded that all the rectifications elaborated there — that are accomplished through drawing close to the Tzaddik — in particular what one merits through confessing before him and relating all his heart before him — and so on. All of this is accomplished also now after his passing. And this matter is somewhat alluded in what he brought there the Sages' teaching: [Makkos 11] that the bones of Yehudah were rolling — until Moshe said: "hear Hashem the voice of Yehudah" — and mentioned the confession that he confessed. And so on — see there. And according to the above this is automatically understood. And if he has the power as a Tzaddik to rectify the generations that were before him — and who never knew him and did not know about him at all. All the more so: he has the power to rectify the coming generations — who lean on his merit and his power and strive to fulfill his words as above. And as elaborated there at some length. And see elsewhere — where the matter of the story of the discourse Vayomer Boaz El Rus above is elaborated — and what Rabbainu began to tell of it but did not complete it.

There — in the discourse Vayomer Boaz above — Letter Alef — "and when one merits to rectify the souls and bring them in — then it is very beautiful and good to pray. For then the prayer for their rectification." This means: as is elaborated afterwards — for the master of the field looks upon each and every one — to bring him to the ultimate aim [tachlis] — meaning: so that the words of his prayer will be in wholeness — as elaborated in the discourse. And also: since the essential prayer is from the soul [neshamah] — in the aspect of: "all the soul shall praise Hashem" [kol haneshama tehallel Yah] — as elaborated in Likutay Torah in the discourse Tik'u Mashalah, Siman 1. And likewise in this very discourse — in Letter Beis and Letter Daled — it is elaborated: that the speech of the prayer goes forth from the soul [nefesh] which is the aspect of the soul [neshamah]. And therefore when the souls are rectified and brought in — then it is very beautiful and good to pray.

There — Letter Beis — "and this is the aspect of Sdeh Vokhim [the weeping field]." It is possible that he alluded in this also to the weeping that he wept the day before as above.

There — Letter Daled — "and when the intellect is in wholeness — then the soul makes fruits." This means: for one merits through this to nullify oneself toward the ultimate aim [tachlis]. And through this merits to speak words that will have wholeness — meaning: that they will be in the aspect of unity — and be connected always to the soul. And as elaborated above in Letter Beis. And it is possible: that these complete words are themselves the aspect of the fruits of the soul — in the aspect of: [Genesis 2] "and the man was [became] a living soul [l'nefesh chayyah]" — "to a speaking spirit [l'ruach memallalah]." For the emergence of speech is from the soul [nefesh]. And the soul is the aspect of a garden — in the aspect of: [Jeremiah 31] "and their soul shall be like a watered garden [k'gan raveh]." And in this garden grow wondrous fruits and roses and flowers and beautiful blossoms — which are the aspect of the holy words — as elaborated in the above Letter Beis. And it is possible: that this is the aspect of: [Genesis 2] "and a river goes out from Eden to water the garden." For Eden is the aspect of the ultimate aim [tachlis] — as elaborated below. From there one draws waters to quench the thirst of the soul — and to water the garden which is the aspect of the soul — and so on as above. And therefore when the souls make fruits — through meriting to look upon the ultimate aim and close their eyes from the sight of this world — then the eyes of the master of the field are illuminated — and he is able to look upon each and every one and bring him to the good ultimate aim as above. But when they do not make fruits G-d forbid — and this is because they did not merit to fully close their eyes from the sight of this world — then the soul is in the aspect of: [Psalms 107] "a fruitful land into saltiness" — meaning: the aspect of the feeling of suffering which is the aspect of saltiness. And also for the master of the field his eyes are darkened — G-d forbid — through the aspect of the weeping — which is the disorder of sight as above in Letter Beis. And this is also the aspect of saltiness. For tears are salty water — which is the aspect of thirst — as elaborated above in the discourse Amar Rabbi Akiva, Siman 51.

There: "Mantzpach — the seers [tzofim] said them." For mantzpach are in the aspect of might and judgments — as is known. And from there is the root of all the suffering. And the letters mantzpach in their closed form come only at the end of the word — for through this they separate between one word and another. And the seers look upon this — to complete the intellect and bring all the souls to the ultimate aim. Through which the suffering is nullified. And one merits to make from all the words of the prayer a single unity.

There: on the explanation of the verse — "and then through looking upon the ultimate aim — the suffering is nullified — and so on — and this is also included in: [Ruth 2] 'l'vilti nig'ach' [so as not to touch you]" — meaning: that the suffering is nullified — which are the afflictions [nega'ei hanefesh] of the soul.

There: "and this is the aspect of the Garden of Eden." This was elaborated above somewhat. And it is possible: that this itself is also the aspect of the field where grow beautiful and lovely trees and herbs — as elaborated in Letter Alef. For even though here it is elaborated that the garden is the aspect of the soul — nonetheless one can say: that the place of the root of the growth of all the souls as a whole — is also the aspect of a garden — as understood also from the holy Zohar.

And see in the additions at the end of the Story Tales — where it is elaborated: that what is said in this above discourse — that one must make one from all the prayer — and so on — and this is the aspect of the ultimate aim which is entirely one — and so on — this was said at the end of the second day of Rosh Hashonoh. And then he said: that echad [one] is the initial letters [roshei teivos] of divrei Elokim chayyim [the words of the living G-d] — and so on. In my humble opinion it seems: for the matter of "both these and these are the words of the living G-d" is also only through the aspect of the above unity — where all is included in a single unity. Even though it appears on the surface as two actual opposites. Or perhaps: when one merits that the words of the prayer are in the aspect of divrei Elokim chayyim [the words of the living G-d] — in the aspect of: [Isaiah 51] "and I placed My words in your mouth" — brought in the discourse Al Asher M'altem, Siman 48. [And see in Likutay Tinyana, Siman 1 — Tik'u Mashalah — and in the conversations at the end of the Story Tales.] And in the aspect of: [Deuteronomy 10] "He is your praise and He is your G-d" — brought in Likutay Tinyana, Siman 19 — and in the conversations. Then one merits that all the words of the prayer will be in the aspect of a single unity — as elaborated in the discourse. Since they are the aspect of the word of Hashem truly — and as our Sages expounded on the verse: [Psalms 62] "one thing G-d has spoken" — and so on — that all the commandments were said in a single utterance.

There: "when the intellect returns from the self-nullification to the brain which is the vessel of the intellect — then the brain cannot receive this intellect — and so on — and because of this the brain feels the pain of the suffering — and so on — then the impression [reshimu] from the self-nullification shows the Da'as — so that it knows that all is good and all is one." One can say: the meaning is: even though one feels the pain and suffering — nonetheless one knows with complete knowledge that this too is for the good. And it seems more correct to say: that here it speaks of the self-nullification that each person merits — to nullify himself toward the ultimate aim — at the time he flees from the suffering and closes his eyes from the sight of this world. And therefore afterwards the brain cannot receive even the light of the impression [reshimu]. Since the self-nullification was only for a moment — through the suffering. But in the discourse Anochi — where he merited to include himself in the light of the Infinite through having returned the Malchus to its root — and so on. Therefore even afterwards the brain and Da'as can receive the light of the impression at any rate. And what is elaborated here about making one from all the prayer — this is a separate matter — and a very lofty level. For this one merits when one truly attains the ultimate aim — that all is one — as brought in the discourse. And the self-nullification toward the ultimate aim through the suffering — is only like a kind of initiation and accustomization to this path. Study the discourse and you will understand.