Vaeschanan - Chumash with Likutey Halachos

I Entreated Hashem at That Time, Saying (Deuteronomy 3:23) “Va’eschanan” denotes a gratuitous gift. “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness” (Deuteronomy 3:24)—specifically “to show”: to show and reveal what had previously been exceedingly hidden, for the kindnesses that Moshe Rabbeinu drew down had not been revealed since the days of the world. Therefore he said, “Let me cross, I pray,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:25), for there is the principal revelation described above. But Hashem, blessed be He, said to him, “It is enough for you,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:26), because the time for this had not yet arrived, and so forth. “Show us Your kindness, Hashem, and grant us Your salvation” (Psalms 85:8). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Gifts 5, introductory outline)

A person must pray with great deveikus to Hashem, blessed be He. Yet if at times he is unable to pray with deveikus, he must not say: I shall not pray at all, since I cannot direct my intention properly and pray with deveikus, and the prayer is not accepted. Our Sages, of blessed memory, similarly related concerning Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa, who would pray, and so forth. They asked him, and so forth. He said to them: “If my prayer is fluent in my mouth, I know that it is accepted; and if not, I know…” (Berachos 34b). This accords with what we have said: when one prays with deveikus, the prayer is fluent and pleasing in his mouth and is accepted; otherwise, God forbid, the reverse may be true.

Nevertheless, a person must not speak this way; rather, he must always pray. If he cannot pray with proper deveikus, he should pray with all his strength. When he later prays with proper deveikus, all the earlier prayers will ascend together with that prayer which he prayed properly. This is, “I entreated Hashem” (Deuteronomy 3:23)—continually, whether with deveikus or without deveikus. “At that time, saying” means: at the time when I merit praying with deveikus, the aspect of “my prayer is fluent in my mouth.” This is “at that time, saying”: when the words are spoken fluently and pleasingly in his mouth because he is praying with deveikus, all the prayers he offered until then ascend, as stated above. (Likutay Moharan I 99)

I Entreated Hashem… Let Me Cross, I Pray, and See (Deuteronomy 3:23–25) One must guard memory most carefully so that it does not fall into forgetfulness—that is, one must always remember the World to Come. He must then extend memory into particulars: he must enlarge his awareness within every thought, word, and deed, and carefully observe and contemplate all the circumstances and matters that Hashem, blessed be He, arranges for him and brings about with him each and every day. For each day contains thought, word, and deed different from those of another day. You must know that Hashem, blessed be He, constricts His Godliness from that which is without end and without limit down to the central point of the physical world upon which the person stands. For every person He arranges thought, word, and deed according to the day, the place, and the person, and within them He clothes hints intended to draw that person near to His service. One must therefore look into all this and enlarge one’s awareness and intellect, so as to understand the hints by which Hashem, blessed be He, signals to him to draw near to Him each time, from whatever place he may be. Yet one must be careful to circumscribe one’s awareness and not delve into this excessively, lest one leave the bounds of holiness. That is, one must not thereby allow one’s thought to roam into investigations and confusions. Rather, one should enlarge one’s awareness and thought in this only in accordance with one’s human intellect, and one should likewise not look into what lies above one’s spiritual level.

To guard the memory described above, one must protect oneself from falling under an evil eye, which is the death of the heart. Through this, forgetfulness comes, memory is impaired, one’s heart dies within him, and he does not remember his eternal purpose. This must be remembered every day, and one must attach one’s thought to the World to Come; but through the evil eye, one pays no attention to any of this. For this reason Moshe pleaded extensively to enter Eretz Yisrael, so that he might draw the memory described above upon all Israel. As explained within the teaching, the principal locus of memory is Eretz Yisrael, where the Temple stands.

This is: “I entreated Hashem,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:23)—“Hashem God,” the aspect of the full Name, which is remembrance of the World to Come. “You have begun to show Your servant” (Deuteronomy 3:24)—the hints described above, through which one recognizes His blessed greatness from everything in the world. This is the aspect of “Hashem my God, You are exceedingly great” (Psalms 104:1), as explained in the teaching “And It Came to Pass at the End—Memory” (Likutay Moharan I 54). Thus, “Your greatness” is the aspect of “You are great”; “and Your strong hand” is the aspect of “exceedingly,” which is the aspect of constriction, the aspect of holy gevuroas, and the aspect of the strong hand, as is known. “For who is a power in heaven or on earth” (Deuteronomy 3:24) is the aspect of above and below, without end and without limit. “Who can perform according to Your deeds,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:24), means that in the wonders of His compassion He constricts Himself from the height of all levels to the end of all levels, in order to signal hints to every individual, as described above. Therefore I plead: “Let me cross, I pray, and see this good Land” (Deuteronomy 3:25), which is Eretz Yisrael, where the principal locus of memory is found, as described above. For had we merited that Moshe enter Eretz Yisrael then, he would have drawn the memory of the World to Come upon all Israel; they would not have sinned, and the redemption would have endured forever, without any subsequent destruction.

But because of our sins, we did not merit this: “Hashem became angry,” and so forth; “and He said… Do not continue,” and so forth; “Ascend to the top of the summit, lift your eyes… and see,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:26–27). For you to merit entering Eretz Yisrael yourself and immediately bringing everything to complete rectification cannot be accomplished now. Yet this you shall accomplish: your prayer will ascend, and you will see all Eretz Yisrael from afar; through the sight itself you will rectify and subdue the evil eye. With this power, “Command Yehoshua, strengthen him, and fortify him,” and so forth, “for he shall cross… and he shall cause them to inherit,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:28). The evil eye will be unable to withstand him because of the great holiness of your sight, with which your holy eyes gazed upon all Eretz Yisrael. Through this you subdued the evil eye and drew forth the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, which is the holiness of memory, the aspect of “and I shall remember the Land” (Leviticus 26:42). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Judges 5:5; see also the abridged Likutay Moharan I, teaching “And It Came to Pass at the End—Memory,” section 54)

Who Can Perform According to Your Deeds and Mighty Acts? (Deuteronomy 3:24) Throughout Parshas Devarim, Moshe Rabbeinu labors to illuminate holy awareness: to make known to Israel the greatness of His blessed compassion upon them—that although they did what they did, Hashem is nevertheless still with them, and so forth. He strengthens them with this and tells them, “You shall not fear them,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:22). Parshas Vaeschanan likewise speaks extensively of this matter: the higher beings below and the lower beings above, which is the essence of awareness (as brought in Likutay Moharan II 7). One must know that the principal revelation of the greatness of Hashem, blessed be He, occurs specifically through the human being who is in this world; for the angels do not know Hashem, blessed be He, and they do not possess power like the tzaddikim in this world.

This is: “I entreated Hashem at that time,” and so forth; “You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness,” and so forth; “For who is a power in heaven or on earth who can perform according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts?” (Deuteronomy 3:23–24). An angel is an aspect of el, “a power,” for angels are called elim, “powers” (Tikkunay Zohar 123a). This is “who is a power”—the aspect of the angels—“who can perform according to Your deeds and according to Your mighty acts?” No angel can perform according to Your deeds and mighty acts, and specifically among them none can do so. But among the lower human beings, who dwell below, there indeed are those who can perform according to Your deeds and mighty acts: the tzaddikim, who rule over the world and can create worlds. Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded the verse, “And to say to Zion, ‘You are My people’” (Isaiah 51:16): Do not read it ammi, “My people,” but immi, “with Me”; just as I made heaven and earth through My speech, so can you (Zohar I 5a). This is stated in many places. Our Sages, of blessed memory, similarly expounded the verse, “For among all the wise men of the nations… there is none like You” (Jeremiah 10:7): but among Israel there are those like You (Zohar I 9b).

Therefore I plead, “Let me cross, I pray, and see the Land,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:25)—to enter Eretz Yisrael, for there is the principal integration of the worlds, and there, in the Temple, the principal greatness of Israel is seen, and so forth. He multiplied very many prayers for this; nevertheless, he did not accomplish his request, until Hashem, blessed be He, said to him, “It is enough for you; do not continue speaking,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:26). This is the aspect of “a safeguard for wisdom is silence” (Avos 3:13). He revealed to Moshe that notwithstanding all he had attained—which no angel or seraph can attain—there nevertheless remained transcendent levels so high that he could not attain them during his lifetime, and for their sake he was compelled to depart. Specifically through this power, he would illuminate within his disciple Yehoshua the aspect of attaining “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3), to the point that it was specifically his disciple Yehoshua who would bring them into Eretz Yisrael by Moshe’s power, while Moshe himself could not enter Eretz Yisrael.

All this is an aspect of the awesome wonders of the awareness described above: Hashem, blessed be He, performs great wonders and abundant, immense kindnesses in order to make His mighty acts known to human beings—to make known to all who dwell below that “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” and so forth (Isaiah 6:3). He likewise reviews with them the entire account of the Giving of the Torah, and so forth, for all of it occurred in order to illuminate this holy awareness in the world. Thus it is written there, “You were shown in order to know that Hashem is God; there is nothing else besides Him,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:35). He continues to explain this throughout the entire account, as it is written: “For inquire now concerning the former days… Has there ever been anything like this great thing?” and so forth; “From heaven He caused you to hear His voice,” and so forth; “and you heard His words from within the fire,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:32–36); “Face to face Hashem spoke with you,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 5:4). Through all this, he reminded them and reviewed it with them so that they would remember the great power of this human being in this world, who can merit speaking with Hashem face to face, and so forth—something no angel merits. This is the aspect of the higher beings below and the lower beings above, and so forth. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Washing the Hands for a Meal and Breaking Bread 6:84)

This Good Mountain and the Lebanon (Deuteronomy 3:25) All the good points that are found within every member of Israel are an aspect of the radiance of Mashiach, for the essence of good is Mashiach. Through this comes the principal sustenance and building of the world; and through this will come the principal construction of the Temple and the offering of sacrifices and incense. This is the aspect of “this good mountain and the Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25), which is said concerning the Temple. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Rising in the Morning 1:8; from Otzar HaYirah, “Mashiach and the Building of Jerusalem”)

It Is Enough for You; Do Not Continue Speaking to Me About This Matter (Deuteronomy 3:26) Therefore Moshe Rabbeinu yearned so intensely for Eretz Yisrael and multiplied prayers for it exceedingly. For Moshe is the first true Rebbe, who occupied himself with illuminating awareness, which is the integration and interconnection of the worlds (as brought in Likutay Moharan II 7; see the entire discussion there). He therefore burned with such longing for Eretz Yisrael and the Temple, because the principal locus of awareness and the integration of the worlds is in Eretz Yisrael and the Temple. Yet the principal impediment arose through the dispute at the waters of Merivah; because of it, it was decreed upon him that he would not enter Eretz Yisrael, as it is written, “Hashem became angry with me because of you,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:26).

This is the aspect of “It is enough for you; do not continue speaking to Me further about this matter” (Deuteronomy 3:26). “Do not continue speaking,” and so forth, is the aspect of “a safeguard for wisdom is silence” (Avos 3:13). In truth, this matter cannot be understood or attained. Even Moshe Rabbeinu found it exceedingly difficult to apprehend: why would he not merit entering Eretz Yisrael, and why did he not accomplish his request through such a profusion of prayers? As is related extensively in the Midrashim, Moshe prayed exceedingly over this. Through his prayer he succeeded several times in saving all Israel from destruction, God forbid, although they had in fact sinned greatly. He himself had not sinned at all, apart from a subtle error at the waters of Merivah; and even this came about through them, as it is written, “Oppression confounds the wise” (Ecclesiastes 7:7), and as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in Midrash Rabbah. Nevertheless, even so many prayers did not avail him to accomplish his entry into Eretz Yisrael.

Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in the Sifrei concerning the verse “You have begun,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:24), as Rashi cites there. Moshe said: I learned from You to pray, for You said, “And now, leave Me,” and so forth (Exodus 32:10). Was I holding onto You, and so forth? The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore answered him: “It is enough for you; do not continue speaking.” In truth, this belongs to the aspect of silence—“Do not continue speaking to Me further about this matter”—for it is an aspect of exceedingly high makifim that cannot be attained. Moshe was of the aspect of mah, on an exceedingly exalted and sublime level. What occurred with him was therefore the aspect of “do not continue speaking,” the aspect of silence, and the aspect of “Be silent; thus it arose in the Divine thought,” which was the answer given concerning the death of Rabbi Akiva (Menachos 29b). For the matter of Rabbi Akiva was also of this aspect, as explained in the teaching cited above; see there.

This is why the following immediately adjoins it: “Command Yehoshua, strengthen him, and fortify him, for he shall cross before this people,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 3:28). Likewise, in several places where Moshe reproves them because he was compelled to depart on their account, this is followed by Hashem’s assurance that Yehoshua would bring them into Eretz Yisrael. Thus it is written later in this parsha, “Hashem became angry with me because of your words and swore that I would not cross,” and so forth; and, “Yehoshua is crossing before you; strengthen him,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:21; 31:3, 7). The same occurs in many places. This is among the wonders of the One perfect in knowledge and cannot be apprehended at all: specifically through Moshe’s departure, as he ascended higher and higher, Yehoshua received the power to bring Israel into the Land.

For it has already been explained that the more the tzaddik ascends to a higher level, into the aspect of more exalted makifim, the more fully he can illuminate among those who dwell below the awareness that “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Therefore, because of the tremendous multitude of Israel’s blemishes—and especially their numerous complaints and disputes, which are worse than everything else—it was impossible to bring them into Eretz Yisrael, where the principal revelation of the awareness that the whole earth is filled with His glory occurs, except through Moshe’s departure. He was compelled to ascend to so great an elevation that it cannot be attained in this world at all except through an actual departure. He departed at ra’ava d’ra’avin, in the aspect of the exceedingly exalted mah. Specifically through this he could illuminate within his disciple Yehoshua the radiance of “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” which is the disciple’s attainment, the aspect of Yehoshua, as explained in the teaching cited above.

Through this Moshe accomplished something for all generations: even when sins intensify, the Temple is destroyed, and Israel is utterly exiled from its land—as has already occurred twice because of our many sins—and although the final end remains concealed and exceedingly wondrous beyond every eye, awesome tzaddikim will nevertheless be found even in the footsteps of Mashiach, at the final end. They will attain exceedingly profound perceptions and illuminate within Israel that “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3), and that there is no despair in the world at all. Although the adversary, the sitra achara, and their forces spread and intensify as they will—afflicting each individual in particular, and in general producing a proliferation of dispute and grave accusation among Torah scholars, as has now occurred because of our many sins, which constitutes the principal birth pang of Mashiach, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Kesubos 112b; see Rashi to Shabbos 118a)—He will nevertheless hurry and hasten to redeem us through the illumination of their holy awareness in the world.

For although the sitra achara will intensify so greatly that the true tzaddikim, who are an aspect of Moshe, will be compelled to depart from the world, nevertheless the salvation and redemption will come through this, and their mourning will be transformed into joy. The departure and concealment of the tzaddikim is the greatest and bitterest of all afflictions, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: the departure of the tzaddikim is twice as grievous as the destruction of the Temple, and so forth. Yet this too will be transformed into goodness and consolation. Specifically by departing higher and still higher, and so forth, they will ascend to the aspect of such exalted and sublime makifim that specifically from there they will illuminate more fully within their disciples—who are an aspect of Yehoshua—the awareness that “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” So it will continue from generation to generation, until they accomplish and complete what they began: illuminating the awareness described above in the world, so that everyone will know that the whole earth is filled with His glory and will truly return to Hashem, blessed be He. Through this the redemption will come.

Because of the multitude of blemishes and sins, they were compelled to ascend to elevations so great that they could not ascend there while clothed in a body in this world. All this is understood from his holy conversations. This is the aspect of the death of tzaddikim atoning for the sin of the generation, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Moed Katan 28a). Specifically then they ascend so high that they can illuminate within their disciples, the aspect of Yehoshua, that “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” and so forth; thereby they can bring Israel back in teshuvah, remove them from sin, and atone for their former sins, and so forth. For tzaddikim are greater in their death than in their lifetime. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Washing the Hands for a Meal and Breaking Bread 6:81)

Command Yehoshua, Strengthen Him, and Fortify Him (Deuteronomy 3:28) It is taught in the Midrash: From the course of our discussion we learn that only the already zealous are urged onward, and only the already strong are strengthened. At first sight this is astonishing: if so, from where does the beginning come? Yet we have already discussed elsewhere that several matters depend upon one another, while no one knows where the beginning lies (as explained in Likutay Moharan I 19). In truth, this is among the wonders of the One perfect in knowledge and among the wondrous mysteries of free choice, which is the greatest wonder among all the wonders of the Creator, blessed be His Name. It cannot be apprehended, for in truth no one knows where the beginning lies.

In truth, however, our entire beginning, end, and middle—and our entire ultimate purpose—come through the true tzaddik in every generation. He is an aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu, the first Rebbe of all Israel. From him comes the beginning, and with him rest our entire purpose and hope. For “what has been is what shall be” (Ecclesiastes 1:9), as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught. The beginning of the true tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe himself, is altogether beyond our comprehension; nor may we speculate at all about how one born of woman merited such an attainment, and so forth.

But now that we have merited receiving the Torah from Moshe Rabbeinu and drawing his holy awareness into every generation through the true tzaddikim of each generation, we therefore—thanks to God—have a point from which to begin. From our youth we are raised in the holiness of Israel: when an infant is born, he is circumcised immediately on the eighth day; afterward, when he begins to speak, people begin speaking with him in the holy tongue and teaching him Torah, and he is promptly clothed in tzitzis, and so forth. We therefore certainly possess that through which to strengthen ourselves, with the help of Hashem, blessed be He.

Our Master, Teacher, and Rebbe, of blessed memory, therefore spoke precisely in teaching 7 of Likutay Moharan II. He said that through the awareness of a son and disciple, anyone who is a valiant person and not a shlimazal can receive the illumination of ratzoan while eating. A person must first be strong within himself; then he will be strengthened further, until he merits the illumination of ratzoan. The two depend upon one another: the stronger he is, the more fully he can receive the illumination of ratzoan; and the more his ratzoan expands and grows, the stronger he becomes, and so forth. Where the beginning lies cannot be known. In truth, however, our principal beginning comes from Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, and from the true tzaddikim in every generation, as described above; for only those already strong are strengthened.

Nevertheless, a person must strengthen himself greatly and not be a shlimazal. He certainly retains free choice in every generation and on every day, according to the time, the person, and the ordeals and events that pass over him. Some free choice must necessarily remain to him, for he was created in this world only for the sake of free choice. One who is truly strong can strengthen himself through ratzoan, because ratzoan is forever free. This cannot be nullified in any manner by any obstacle in the world. For despite everything, I desire and yearn with a strong ratzoan for the absolute truth. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Redemption of the Firstborn 5:33)

You Who Cleave to Hashem Your God Are All Alive Today (Deuteronomy 4:4) The essence of holy wisdom is to elevate and connect all things to the Source of life. We do this by following the ways of our holy forefathers and believing that all things are connected to the Living One who gives life. For He, blessed be He, created them by His will ex nihilo, and He gives life to and sustains them at every moment, as it is written, “You give life to them all” (Nehemiah 9:6). But the heretics—the naturalist philosophers who seek to make the wisdom of nature prevail in the world—thereby seek to uproot all things from the source and root of their vitality. They are therefore called dead even during their lifetime, since according to their outlook and evil folly they draw no vitality from the Source of life. Consequently, they are impure and impart an exceedingly severe impurity, for they belong to the aspect of the sitra d’mosa, the side of death, which is the ultimate source of impurity. But concerning Israel it is written: “You who cleave to Hashem your God are all alive today” (Deuteronomy 4:4). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Damages 4:33; following Otzar HaYirah)

You Are All Alive Today (Deuteronomy 4:4) “You are all alive today” (Deuteronomy 4:4)—specifically today, for one must renew one’s vitality each and every day, as though one were beginning to live today. This is “You are all alive today”—specifically “today.” (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Tefillin 5:25)

Whether one is a tzaddik, an intermediate person, or a wicked person—as long as the name Israel is applied to him, he must begin anew each day, and so forth. This is the aspect of “You who cleave to Hashem your God are all alive today” (Deuteronomy 4:4)—specifically “you are all alive today,” for one must renew one’s vitality each and every day, as though one were beginning to live today. This is “You are all alive today”—specifically “today,” as described above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Tefillin 5:25)

For It Is Your Wisdom and Your Understanding (Deuteronomy 4:6) “For it is your wisdom and your understanding” (Deuteronomy 4:6). Our Sages, of blessed memory, said: this refers to calculating the seasons and constellations—that is, determining the months (Shabbos 75a). This means that the moon’s deficiency will be filled, no diminution will remain in it, and “the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun,” and so forth (Isaiah 30:26). That is, emunah will be filled and perfected completely, without any blemish or diminution whatsoever, but will be like the light of the sun. A person will be so strong in his emunah, which is the aspect of the moon, that in matters his intellect cannot attain or understand, he will possess such strength that they will shine within his mind as though he actually saw and understood them intellectually. This is the principal perfection of emunah: it appears to him as though he actually sees with his own eyes. This is the aspect of “the light of the moon will be like the light of the sun.” (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Rosh Chodesh 6:1)

Like Hashem Our God Whenever We Call to Him (Deuteronomy 4:7) “Like Hashem our God whenever we call to Him” (Deuteronomy 4:7)—to Him, and not to His attributes. For His Name is His unity and His blessed essence, as it were. In all our forms of worship and thanksgiving, and so forth, our intention is directed only to Him, blessed be He—to the One exalted above everything, who constricted Himself, designated Himself by these Names, and granted us permission to call Him by them. Although He is exalted and raised above them, ultimately, when we call Him by His blessed Names, our intention is directed to Him alone, blessed be He.

This is the aspect of “They shall bless Your glorious Name, which is exalted above every blessing and praise” (Nehemiah 9:5). That is, when we bless His glorious Name, our intention is directed to the One who is exalted above every blessing and praise. Hashem Himself, blessed be He, is certainly exalted and raised, as it were, above all names and appellations, all blessings and thanksgivings, and every form of worship in the world; in truth, however, this cannot be apprehended. He granted us permission to call Him by His blessed Names, which He transmitted to us through Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him. When we call Him by these Names, we reach Him Himself, blessed be He, as it were. This is exactly like calling a person by name and speaking about him: we are not speaking about the person’s name itself; our intention in our speech is directed toward the person about whom we are speaking. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Morning Blessings 3:34)

Only Guard Yourself… Lest You Forget the Things (Deuteronomy 4:9) Hashem, blessed be He, is exceedingly exalted, elevated, and sublime, above all worlds and all thoughts, for no thought can grasp Him at all. Knowledge of Him, blessed be He, is possible only when a person completely nullifies himself from the appearance of this world, with ultimate self-nullification; he then merits being incorporated within Him, blessed be He. Yet while he is nullified and incorporated within the Infinite, this is not called knowledge, for there he is above every aspect of awareness. The principal knowledge comes when he returns from self-nullification and merits drawing Torah from the radiant light of the reshimu left by that self-nullification; this is the essence of awareness.

Through this comes the principal revelation and attainment of His blessed Godliness for all who enter the world. Most people do not merit the aspect of self-nullification described above; their knowledge comes only through the Torah that the true tzaddikim draw for them from that reshimu. The attainments of all the prophets and sages, the entire holy Torah we received from Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, and every revelation of Torah disclosed by the true tzaddikim in every generation—all are drawn from the sparkling light of this reshimu. From there come all the attainments and ruach hakoadesh of every true sage, for the principal knowledge of His Godliness comes from there, and this is the principal ultimate purpose of the World to Come.

The principal matter is memory, as it is written: “Only guard yourself and guard your soul exceedingly, lest you forget the things your eyes saw… the day you stood before Hashem your God at Chorev,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:9–10). Because the light of attaining His Godliness is exceedingly high, sublime, and exalted—and no thought can grasp Him except above thought, in the aspect of ultimate self-nullification—there a person merits that the light of the Infinite shine and radiate for him according to what he merits; fortunate is he. Therefore, when he returns from self-nullification, he must guard memory most carefully. That is, he must sanctify the vessels of his mind so that they become fit vessels to receive the radiant light of the reshimu, enabling him to receive Torah from there; through this comes the principal attainment of His Godliness, as described above.

Because of the tremendous intensity of the light, it cannot enter the vessels unless they are fit for it; then, God forbid, this great light is forgotten by him. This is the aspect of “lest you forget the things your eyes saw” (Deuteronomy 4:9). Although during self-nullification he saw with his eyes what he saw, afterward he can nevertheless easily forget what he himself saw with his own eyes. Scripture therefore warns emphatically that memory must be guarded. He must sanctify the vessels of his mind and awareness so that he can receive Torah through the light of the reshimu, and thereby remember well the radiant and sparkling light of self-nullification; through this comes the principal attainment of His blessed Godliness, as described above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Evening Prayer 4:5; following Otzar HaYirah, “Attainment of Godliness,” 14)

Lest You Forget the Things… Make Them Known to Your Children and Grandchildren (Deuteronomy 4:9) The totality of the Torah and mitzvoas is an aspect of memory: attaching one’s thought to the World to Come. For the reward of a mitzvah is not present in this world, but in the World to Come, which is entirely good and entirely enduring. This is also the principal means of sustaining the Torah and mitzvoas. When a person merits guarding memory well and attaching his thought to the World to Come, his heart will certainly not be bound after desires, and he will certainly occupy himself only with Torah and mitzvoas throughout his life. The Torah therefore warned most emphatically that we must not forget any of the words of this Torah, for the principal matter is the memory described above, through which the Torah is principally sustained.

One must therefore be especially diligent in teaching Torah to one’s sons specifically, for sons are an aspect of the memory described above. This is why a male is called zachar, for through him the father’s zecher—his remembrance—remains for generations. One merits this by guarding that memory well: remembering and firmly attaching one’s thought to the World to Come, which is the eternal world and endures forever, and subduing the imaginative faculty, which is an aspect of animalistic desires. This is accomplished principally through the holiness of marital union and rectification of the covenant; through this one merits sons. The father is then obligated to teach Torah to his sons, in order to subdue the imaginative faculty within them as well and truly instill sacred memory within them—attaching their thought to the World to Come, which is the totality of the Torah, as described above.

The memory described above, which is the aspect of a son, must be refined through refinement after refinement. First one must guard oneself from the aspect of the evil eye; afterward it must be refined still further by subduing the imaginative faculty, which blemishes the eyes and thereby impairs this memory. This is the aspect of the fact that only Yaakov Avinu, peace be upon him, had a complete bed—all his children were righteous. At first, memory, the aspect of bearing holy sons, had to be refined from the aspect of the klipa of Esav and Yishmael. The complete refinement is therefore found in the aspect of the father, son, and grandson, corresponding to the three Patriarchs. They merited refining this memory completely, until their sacred remembrance remained for all generations, as it is said, “I shall remember My covenant with Yaakov,” and so forth (Leviticus 26:42). All this came through the holiness of the complete bed established by Yaakov.

A father is therefore obligated to study Torah with his son and grandson, in order to refine memory completely, which is the totality of the Torah. This is what is written: “Guard yourself, lest you forget,” and so forth; “and make them known to your children and your children’s children,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:9). The principal purpose of making them known to one’s son and grandson is to guard memory well. Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said: when a person is a Torah scholar, and his son and grandson are likewise Torah scholars, Torah will no longer cease from his descendants (Bava Metzia 85a). The principal refinement of memory, which is the totality of sustaining the Torah, comes through studying Torah with one’s son and grandson, as described above. This is why Tosafos explain that this applies specifically when they see one another, for the principal refinement of this memory depends upon rectification of the eyes, as described above and explained within the teaching. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Teachers and Torah Study 3; following Otzar HaYirah, “Torah Study and Torah Reading,” 52)

Make Them Known to Your Children and Your Children’s Children (Deuteronomy 4:9) The root of the Torah is drawn from the aspect of Atik Yomin, the Ancient of Days; the aspect of the elder; and the aspect of avoha d’abba, the father of the father. Afterward, the aspect of garments must be drawn forth. These are the aspect of vessels and constrictions that receive the mochin within them; this is the aspect of the garments that a father draws forth for his son, as explained elsewhere. A son is therefore especially suited to receive his Torah and wisdom from his father and grandfather, and they bear a particular obligation in this respect, as it is said: “Make them known to your children and your children’s children” (Deuteronomy 4:9). Our Sages, of blessed memory, therefore said: when a person is a Torah scholar, and his son and grandson are likewise Torah scholars, Torah will no longer cease from his descendants (Bava Metzia 85a). For this is the manner in which Torah is drawn and progressively transmitted from its root, which is in the aspect of Atik, down to the grandson, as described above. Every aspect of Torah is therefore threefold, the aspect of oryan telisa’i, “a threefold Torah,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Shabbos 88a). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Teachers and Torah Study 1; following Otzar HaYirah, “Torah Study and Torah Reading,” 50)

Which Hashem Your God Apportioned to All the Peoples (Deuteronomy 4:19) Concerning idolatry it is written, “which He apportioned to them” (Deuteronomy 4:19), for idolatry is drawn from their portion and root. Their portion and root lie in the physicality of action, from which idolatry derives its hold. This enables us to understand what our Sages, of blessed memory, taught concerning the verse “which He apportioned to them.” They asked: Did Hashem, blessed be He, apportion these beings to them so that they should worship them? Are they not also warned against worshipping idols? Our Sages therefore interpreted “which He apportioned to them” to mean “to give light to them” (Avodah Zarah 55a). At first sight, however, their interpretation is difficult: were these beings given to illuminate them alone? Do we not also need the sun and moon, and so forth, to illuminate us? On the contrary, was not the entire world and all it contains created only for us?

In truth, however, since the nations’ principal hold is only upon the physicality of the world, from which idolatry derives its hold, idolatry is therefore called “their portion.” Their portion and root come from the aspect of physicality, from which idolatry derives its hold. This is “which He apportioned to them”—to give light to them: the physical aspect of the illumination of all the hosts of heaven was certainly not given as our portion at all, but as theirs alone. For our portion is only Hashem, blessed be He, as it is written, “For Hashem’s portion is His people” (Deuteronomy 32:9); “Hashem is the portion of my share and my cup,” and so forth (Psalms 16:5); and “Hashem is my portion, says my soul,” and so forth (Lamentations 3:24).

Even in all physical things, we must cleave to Hashem, blessed be He, and elevate the source of their vitality to Hashem alone. We have no portion in the physicality of anything, but only in its spirituality and vitality. For this reason we are altogether distant from idolatry, which takes hold only in physicality and the refuse of action. Concerning Israel it is therefore said, “gods they had not known and He had not apportioned to them” (Deuteronomy 29:25). We certainly have no portion whatsoever in idolatry, which takes hold only in material physicality; for Israel is an aspect of soul, an aspect of spirituality alone, whereas the nations’ hold lies in the physicality of the world. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Idolatry 2:6)

At their root, Israel is of the aspect that transcends time, the aspect of “Israel is not subject to mazal” (Shabbos 156a). The entire order of time is governed through the stars and constellations, whereas Israel is above the stars and constellations, above time. This is the aspect of what was said to Avraham: “Look, please, toward the heavens,” and so forth; “So shall your offspring be” (Genesis 15:5). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that He raised Avraham above the stars (Bereishis Rabbah 44:12). This is “He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be’”: Israel, who descend from him, will partake of this aspect—above the stars and constellations, above time. The nations of the world, however, are beneath time, for they are immersed in all the desires and vanities of this world, all of which lie beneath time.

This is the aspect of what is said concerning the sun, moon, and stars: “which Hashem your God apportioned to all the peoples” (Deuteronomy 4:19). Our Sages, of blessed memory, interpreted “which He apportioned to them” as “to give light to them” (Avodah Zarah 55a). At first sight this is astonishing: do they give light only to the nations and not to us? On the contrary, the principal purpose of their illumination is Israel, for all the works of Creation were neither created nor continue to exist except for Israel, as is known.

In truth, however, Israel is above time, above the stars and constellations. We do not receive any of the light drawn to us through the sun, moon, and stars from those bodies themselves, God forbid. We know the truth: they possess no light of their own. They receive all their power to illuminate from that which is above them, one higher level from another, until they all receive from the light of Hashem, blessed be He—the Light of all lights—who shines within the sun and moon, and so forth. We therefore bless Hashem each day for creating these luminaries and giving them the power to illuminate the earth; and all this is for our sake.

The sun and moon themselves possess no light whatsoever. On the contrary, we, the Children of Israel, illuminate within them. By blessing each day over the creation of the luminaries, we thereby give them the power to illuminate the earth. Everything is created, sustained, and governed only through Israel, who serve Hashem, blessed be He, through everything and praise Him. They thereby connect each thing to its root, from which its particular power is drawn. So it is with the luminaries: by blessing Hashem for their creation, we connect them to their root, the root of the supernal light of the sun, moon, and stars; through this they shine. We connect all time, which is governed through the sun, moon, and stars, to its supernal root above time, where the root of everything is found. It follows that we are above mazal, above all the stars and constellations, as described above.

But the nations and the wicked, who pursue the vanities of this world that lie beneath time, are described by the verse: “They do not regard the work of Hashem, nor have they seen the work of His hands” (Isaiah 5:12). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that they do not recite the blessing “Who forms the luminaries” in the morning or “Who brings on evenings” at night. They are therefore beneath the stars: the stars shine upon them, whereas they do not illuminate within the stars. Concerning them it is therefore said, “which He apportioned to them”—specifically chelek, a separated portion—for with them the light of the stars is divided, severed, and separated from its supernal root, the aspect above time. Israel is the reverse: they connect all the luminaries to their root and thereby illuminate within all the luminaries. The entire power of all the luminaries to illuminate the earth comes through Israel blessing Hashem for the luminaries; for this purpose everything was created and continues to exist, as described above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Circumcision 4:16; following Otzar HaYirah, “Light and Darkness,” 36)

He Is a Consuming Fire… You Heard His Words from Within the Fire (Deuteronomy 4:24, 36) The defining characteristic of the human being is speech, and it corresponds to the element of fire, as is known. Although every element contains all four elements, the speaking human being nevertheless derives from the aspect of the fire within the fire of the four elements, as is taught. In this lies the principal arena of human free choice, for which man alone was created: to turn away from the evil and impure fire that burns toward all desires, may the Merciful One save us, and to merit recognizing and knowing Hashem, blessed be He, who is of the aspect of “a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24).

Yet even in the matter of drawing near to Hashem, blessed be He, one must exercise great care that the holy fire in one’s heart not burn beyond its proper measure. This is the aspect of the warning “lest they break through” (Exodus 19:21), with which Israel was warned at the Giving of the Torah. As soon as people truly desire to draw near to Hashem, blessed be He, they must be exceedingly careful not to break through and not to force the hour, God forbid. Most ordeals, falls, and estrangement experienced by most people arise solely through this.

It is known that everyone desires to fear Your Name. Even the lowest of the low certainly desires and yearns greatly to return to Hashem, blessed be He. The principal impediment is that everyone would very much prefer to seize all goodness at once and immediately enter and draw near to holiness in complete perfection, all at once and in the very first hour. In truth, however, one must wait a long time, multiply prayer and supplication, strengthen oneself exceedingly through everything that passes over him, and look expectantly for Hashem’s salvation until he merits drawing near to Hashem in perfection. Because of this, many have been unable to withstand this trial. They become negligent in attending to their eternal lives, until they drift as far away as they do, may the Merciful One save us.

For this reason one must be exceedingly careful to strive to draw near to the true tzaddikim. This is the work of the true tzaddikim: to ignite the hearts of the Children of Israel so that they blaze toward Hashem, blessed be He, with flashes of a Divine flame and exceedingly great yearning. Yet they are most careful concerning the aspect of a storm wind, lest the fire burn excessively in the aspect of breaking through, God forbid, as explained elsewhere. One must be exceedingly cautious not to force the hour even when drawing near to holiness. Although one certainly must urge and hasten himself exceedingly to save his soul—especially one who has already stumbled and become caught in whatever has ensnared him, may the Merciful One save us—he nevertheless cannot force the hour.

One must wait and wait, until “Hashem looks down and sees from heaven” (Lamentations 3:50), while multiplying prayer and supplication before Him, blessed be He. Even here one may not force the hour and demand that his request be fulfilled immediately. Rather, one must fulfill the aspect of “Hope in Hashem; be strong, and let your heart take courage; and hope in Hashem” (Psalms 27:14). As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: if your prayer was not accepted, return and pray again (Berachos 32b). He must continue to multiply prayer and pour out his speech before Him, blessed be He.

Nor may one force the hour in the practice of personal speech and prayer itself, expecting immediately to begin speaking words hot as fiery coals, with great arousal toward Hashem, blessed be He, and otherwise becoming altogether negligent, God forbid, even in prayer and supplication—as commonly occurs among most people. Even if for the present he has no words and no arousal whatsoever, he should stand before Hashem, blessed be He, as one poor and destitute, “like a mute person who does not open his mouth” (Psalms 38:14). He should look expectantly, yearn, and long for words to be bestowed upon him from heaven, so that he merits properly expressing his personal prayer before Hashem. Specifically through this waiting, silence, and hopeful anticipation, he afterward merits speaking before Hashem words hot as fiery coals, with great holy arousal. This is the aspect of chashmal within the holy chariot. (See Hisbodedus, section 47)

Every person must draw the holiness of the chariot upon himself, for he must make himself a chariot for the Shechinah. One cannot enter the inner holiness of the chariot without first passing through three entirely impure klipoas: “a storm wind, a great cloud, and a flashing fire” (Ezekiel 1:4). The storm wind fans the flashing fire, which is the aspect of the fire that burns toward all desires, may the Merciful One save us; and the great cloud darkens one’s vision so that he cannot see the root of the light of holy fire. Afterward one must pass through the aspect of noagah, which is intermixed good and evil, the aspect of “with a radiance surrounding it” (ibid.).

One must therefore draw upon himself the light of chashmal, from which the holy chariot begins, in the aspect of “and from its midst, something like the appearance of chashmal” (Ezekiel 1:4). The holiness of chashmal is principally drawn through the aspect described above, as explained within the teaching. One then merits drawing near to the holy fire, which is the aspect of the holiness of the chariot. The chariot is an aspect of fire, as it is written, “Like the appearance of fire… it moved among the living beings” (Ezekiel 1:13). There His blessed Godliness is revealed, the aspect of “For Hashem your God is a consuming fire” (Deuteronomy 4:24). Through this, the fire of the sitra achara is burned and consumed, in the aspect of “They emerged from the fire, and the fire shall consume them” (Ezekiel 15:7). One then merits receiving the Torah in perfection, in the aspect of “and you heard His words from within the fire” (Deuteronomy 4:36). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Robbery 5:22–25, 28; introductory outline following Otzar HaYirah, “Fear and Divine Service,” 166)

From There You Shall Seek Hashem Your God, and You Shall Find Him (Deuteronomy 4:29) “From there you shall seek Hashem your God, and you shall find Him” (Deuteronomy 4:29)—specifically “from there”: from the place where you are and from everything that passes over you. Every person must be exceedingly careful not to question His blessed judgments, but always to know and believe that Hashem is righteous and His judgments are upright, and that everything passing over him is entirely for his benefit. If a person entertains any question, God forbid, concerning His blessed judgments, this is the principal blemish of judgment.

It is known that everything was created for the human being who possesses free choice, and free choice exists principally for the sake of judgment: so that a person will receive his reward justly and will not in the future eat unearned “bread of shame.” Yet the judgment of Hashem, blessed be He, is exceedingly, exceedingly deep, for He loves righteousness and judgment. The world could not have endured by strict law and judgment; He therefore gave precedence to the attribute of compassion, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught. Nevertheless, the world—which was created for the sake of free choice—cannot endure without any judgment at all, for all the worlds depend upon this.

A person must therefore know that everything passing over him each and every day throughout his life is governed by righteousness and judgment, kindness and compassion, for His blessed judgments are upright. His free choice exists specifically within the manner in which Hashem conducts Himself toward him each day. In His compassion, Hashem, blessed be He, weighed and determined that one person’s principal free choice would arise when he possesses extraordinary wealth, while another person’s principal free choice would arise through poverty and severe hardship; the same applies to all other ordeals, and so forth. Everything is for the sake of free choice, which is the aspect of judgment described above.

Most people err in this respect, for each one says: If I had a livelihood, I would serve Hashem. According to his words, however, the Holy One, blessed be He, is making an unreasonable claim against him, God forbid, and imposing a false charge upon him—demanding that he occupy himself with Torah and Divine service although the pressure of earning a livelihood makes him unable to do so. He is thus questioning Hashem’s judgments, as though, God forbid, He were perverting judgment against him. This is an especially grave blemish, for it is the principal aspect of blemishing judgment, from which all corruption comes, may the Merciful One save us.

Anyone who truly desires to have compassion upon himself must therefore be most careful not to speak this way. Rather, he must know and believe that his free choice depends specifically upon the manner in which Hashem, blessed be He, conducts Himself toward him. He must believe that everything is for his benefit and accustom himself to say, “Everything the Merciful One does, He does for the good” (Berachos 60b). There is certainly a path by which he can draw near to Hashem specifically through the hardship, suffering, and confusion.

If he finds it difficult to accept and endure the suffering and hardship, he should cry out and pray to Hashem, blessed be He, to save and help him. There is no counsel or strategy against all the troubles, ordeals, and pressures of livelihood that pass over a person at every moment except to cry out, call aloud, and supplicate before Hashem, blessed be He, and to weep before Him like an infant weeping before his father to fill his need. When a person follows this path, he will always gain abundant true and eternal profit. In most cases he will accomplish much through his request, for Hashem, blessed be He, hears the prayer of every mouth.

Even if at times, God forbid, his prayer is not accepted—for there are times when it is heard and times when it is not heard, as explained in the holy Zohar—he has nevertheless gained by drawing himself nearer to Hashem through it. Nothing brings a person near to Hashem and causes him to cleave to Him like prayer.

But when a person says, “If He conducted Himself toward me in such-and-such a way, I would occupy myself with Torah,” and so forth, this is no counsel at all. On the contrary, he causes great damage through it, as explained above. Every person must seek Hashem, blessed be He, from the place where he is, as it is written: “From there you shall seek Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 4:29)—specifically “from there,” from the place where you are and from everything that passes over you. This is cited in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Rosh Hashanah 6:11; following Otzar HaYirah, “Money and Livelihood,” 22)

From There You Shall Seek Hashem Your God… If Your Banished One Is at the End of Heaven (Deuteronomy 4:29; 30:4) The writings of the Arizal teach (Pri Etz Chaim, Gate of Kreyas Shima, chapter 3), in the kavanoas for “Bring us in peace from the four corners of the earth,” and so forth: wherever in the world a single Jew is driven in exile, among the four corners of the earth, it is considered as though all Israel were exiled there. Through this he refines sparks from that place, and through this they come to Eretz Yisrael. See the extended discussion there. This is the mystery underlying Israel’s present dispersion in exile among places exceedingly distant from holiness.

This matter is exceedingly hidden and concealed and cannot be understood. We see that in countries remote from settled Jewish communities, such as the lands of Moscow, small numbers of Jews were driven there and live as a tiny minority among many non-Jews. There are even more remote cities where only one or two Jews are found in a large city. We see with our own eyes that most of the Jews living in such places—nearly all of them—are not tzaddikim at all; would that they were intermediate people, for they are exceedingly distant from Hashem, blessed be He. One cannot elaborate upon this, lest one speak against any Jew, God forbid, for even the transgressors of Israel are filled with mitzvoas like a pomegranate (Eruvin 19a). If so, how can it be understood that through such people the sparks are refined from the depths of such klipoas? In truth, however, this is among the wonders of the One perfect in knowledge and cannot be understood.

The general principle is that the essence of exile is exile and estrangement from Eretz Yisrael, which encompasses holiness. The principal purpose of exile is to refine those who have been driven away—the sparks cast into the depths of the klipoas. This is the aspect of the teaching: Israel was exiled among the idolatrous nations only so that converts would be added to them (Pesachim 87b). This is the aspect of the sparks refined from the depths of the klipoas.

At first sight, the matter of exile is truly difficult to understand. Because Israel sinned in Eretz Yisrael, He exiled them from there to the lands of the nations until they would become rectified, return to Him, and He would bring us our righteous redeemer. But this is exceedingly difficult: what hope is there that Israel will return while outside the Land? If in the place of our vitality and holiness—Eretz Yisrael, the Holy Land, where the principal holiness of Israel is found—the evil inclination overpowered Israel until it caused them to sin, what hope is there that outside the Land, in the lands of the nations with their impure atmosphere, Israel will become rectified and return? If so, God forbid, there would be no hope.

Hashem, blessed be He, desires our rectification and does not desire to take vengeance upon us. All exiles and afflictions exist only for rectification, as it is written: “From there you shall seek Hashem your God, and you shall find Him,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:29). Yet how can this be? In Eretz Yisrael we did not seek, search for, and inquire after Hashem, blessed be He; but outside the Land, in the lands of the nations, we will inquire after and seek Him? In truth, however, all this is among the wonders of the One perfect in knowledge and the concealed mysteries of His wonders.

This is the aspect of all the descents and falls that pass over every Jew according to his aspect and level. Many have fallen into the deepest abysses, until it appears to them, God forbid, that no hope remains—especially now, at the end of the exile, in these final days, in the footsteps of Mashiach, when every person knows within his own soul the afflictions and pains of his heart. Nevertheless, in the end they will all be rectified, and not one of them will be lost. For Hashem, blessed be He, devises means so that no one driven away shall remain banished from Him (II Samuel 14:14). In truth, there are times when specifically upon reaching a place exceedingly low and distant from holiness, a person is aroused there with a great awakening toward Hashem, blessed be He. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Blessing over Fragrance and the Blessing of Thanksgiving 4:45)

When You Are in Distress… at the End of Days (Deuteronomy 4:30) Our Rebbe, of blessed memory, taught that time exists principally because awareness is incomplete. The more awareness is diminished, the more it appears that time exists; but when awareness is present, time is nullified. The more awareness grows, the more one knows that time does not exist at all, until through the ultimate perfection of awareness one can merit the aspect that is altogether above time.

Therefore, during sleep, when awareness has altogether departed and only the imaginative faculty remains, it appears to a person that several years pass within a quarter of an hour, as occurs in a dream. A quarter of an hour is then seventy years, for because awareness is lacking, even a quarter of an hour appears to be a long time. Afterward, upon awakening from sleep, one sees that the span that appeared in the dream to be many years was in truth only a quarter of an hour. It follows that time is diminished through awareness.

The same applies higher and still higher: the greater the awareness, the more even the span that appears long to us while awake is diminished. There, where awareness is greater, time is diminished still further; and so it continues higher and higher, until the ultimate perfection of awareness, where one is altogether above time, and so forth. See the full explanation in Likutay Moharan II 61. It follows that time exists principally in the aspect of deficient awareness; conversely, time is nullified through perfected awareness.

Deficient awareness is an aspect of judgments, for the more awareness is perfected, the more kindness and compassion increase, as explained many times in the teachings of our Rebbe, of blessed memory. This is the aspect of what is brought in the introductory outline to Likutay Moharan II 79 concerning the verse: “When you are in distress,” and so forth; “at the end of days,” and so forth; “and you shall return,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:30). “The end of days” is an aspect of time, for only within time is it applicable to speak of an end of days; and there lies the principal hold of judgments, God forbid, as described above.

This is: “When you are in distress and all these things find you… at the end of days” (Deuteronomy 4:30)—specifically “at the end of days,” the aspect of time at its greatest intensity. This is the aspect of the departure of awareness, which is the aspect of gevuroas and judgments, God forbid—the aspect of “when you are in distress.” One must then perform teshuvah in order to merit the aspect above time, which is attained through teshuvah, as brought in the teaching cited above (Likutay Moharan II 79). Through this, time is sweetened and ascends above time; all judgments, the aspect of “when you are in distress,” are then sweetened through the awareness that has grown, which is the aspect above time, as described above. Thus, specifically “when you are in distress… at the end of days,” then “you shall return to Hashem your God and listen to His voice” (Deuteronomy 4:30). That is, you shall perform teshuvah, then merit the aspect above time and merit hearing the voice; everything will then be sweetened. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Rosh Hashanah 5:2)

You Were Shown in Order to Know That Hashem Is God (Deuteronomy 4:35) A person’s principal legacy after his death consists of the children who remain after him and fill his place. The principal matter is awareness: when he merits leaving children who received his holy awareness from him. Every Jew possesses a portion in holy awareness, for the essence of awareness is to know Hashem, as it is written: “You were shown in order to know that Hashem is God,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:35). Every Jew is a portion of God above, and his soul is rooted in this holy awareness, which is the root of all souls. For wisdom is the root of everything, as it is written: “You made them all with wisdom” (Psalms 104:24). Therefore, according to each Jew’s hold upon holy awareness and according to his good deeds, knowledge of His blessed Godliness is revealed through him. This is his principal legacy after his death: what he made known to his children and his command that they guard the way of Hashem. This awareness is his principal legacy. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Deathbed Gift 3:2)

The principal purpose of Creation is “so that He may be known,” for “He did not create it for emptiness; He formed it to be inhabited” (Isaiah 45:18). The world is principally settled when those in the world know of Him, blessed be He, as explained in teaching 7 of Likutay Moharan II; see there. His blessed Godliness is principally revealed through the awareness illuminated within a son and disciple: the attainment of “Where is the place of His glory?” and the attainment of “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” These two attainments must be integrated so that they possess fear, as described above.

In truth, it is impossible to know and believe in Hashem, blessed be He, except through both aspects of attainment together: the attainment of “Where?” and of “filled,” which are the attainments of the son and disciple. Hashem, blessed be He, is, as it were, concealed and revealed: concealed in respect to Himself and revealed in respect to His actions. Concealed and revealed correspond to these two attainments. Concealed is the aspect of “Where is the place of His glory?”; revealed is the aspect of “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” Both must be integrated, for this is the principal knowledge of Him, blessed be He.

One who separates these from one another, God forbid, fulfills “a contentious person separates the Master” (Proverbs 16:28): he separates the Master of the world. From this are drawn all denial and heresy, false beliefs, and idolatrous worship. Through the aspect of “Where?” alone, a person can fall into complete denial and heresy, because he sees that Hashem cannot be attained in any manner. All denial and heresy are drawn from this aspect, when “Where?” is separated from “the whole earth is filled with His glory.”

Conversely, through attaining “the whole earth is filled with His glory” alone, false beliefs and idolatrous worship are drawn, God forbid, arising from an excess of light, and so forth. Because people know that the whole earth is filled with His glory and that Hashem, blessed be He, is present within everything, they thereby fall into the folly of idolatry and worship wood and stone. All this comes from separating the aspect of “Where?” from the aspect of “the whole earth is filled with His glory.”

In truth, these two attainments must be integrated: one must believe that the whole earth is filled with His glory, while He nevertheless remains concealed and hidden in ultimate concealment and cannot be attained or known at all. We are forbidden to worship anything other than Hashem alone. His blessed Godliness is principally revealed when these two attainments are integrated, as described above. This is the aspect of the awareness Moshe illuminated within Israel: “You were shown in order to know that Hashem is God” (Deuteronomy 4:35).

“Hashem is God” is the aspect of integrating the two attainments described above. “Hashem” is the aspect of “Where is the place of His glory?” for the blessed Name Havayah is concealed and hidden in ultimate concealment, in the aspect of “This is My Name forever” (Exodus 3:15). Our Sages, of blessed memory, interpreted l’olam, “forever,” as though written l’alem, “to conceal” (Pesachim 50a), for He is concealed and hidden, the aspect of “Where is the place of His glory?” “God” is the aspect of kingship, as is known, which is the aspect of “the whole earth is filled with His glory.” They must be integrated, for this is the principal knowledge of Him, blessed be He, the aspect of “You were shown in order to know that Hashem is God” and “Hashem shall be One and His Name One” (Zechariah 14:9). This is the ultimate unification we effect through all mitzvoas and good deeds. Through integrating these two attainments, His blessed Godliness and kingship are principally revealed in the world; then it becomes possible to know of Him and believe in Him, blessed be He. This is the principal purpose of Creation: “so that He may be known,” as described above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Presumptive Ownership of Movable Property 3:9, 11)

You Shall Know Today and Return It to Your Heart (Deuteronomy 4:39) The principal matter is to connect awareness to the heart. This is accomplished through Torah and original explanations, by means of which the sparkling illumination of the mochin is constricted with great intellect and great craftsmanship, in the aspect of “with wisdom, understanding, awareness, and every craft” (Exodus 35:31), until the original teaching and explanation being revealed are constructed from them.

The tefillin of the arm therefore have a single compartment. When one wishes to draw Torah explanations from the sparkling illumination of the mochin, the principal innovation and explanation consists of bringing that illumination into one compartment—that is, into a single exposition. For words of Torah may be poor in their own place and rich elsewhere (Jerusalem Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 3:5). The principal explanation and exposition is formed by joining Torah wisdom from many distant places and combining it into one exposition and explanation, which is one compartment. Initially, the sparkling illuminations of the mochin occupy numerous compartments: each moach is drawn into a distinct compartment, four in total, corresponding to the four compartments of the head-tefillin. Because of their intense sparkle and illumination, they cannot be received within one compartment, but require four. Afterward they are constricted into one compartment, into one exposition, for this is the essence of explanation and exposition. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Tefillin 6:14)

Through his own knowledge and wisdom, a person can fall into grave errors, God forbid, and his wisdom can cause him to deviate altogether from the ways of Hashem, God forbid. One may not rely upon one’s own knowledge and wisdom alone, as explained many times in the teachings of our Rebbe, of blessed memory. The principal perfection is that whenever one’s awareness increases and he recognizes more of the greatness of Hashem, blessed be He, he should seek to draw that awareness into the heart, in the aspect of “You shall know today and return it to your heart” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

Awareness must be drawn into the heart. I heard our Rebbe, of blessed memory, say: the nations of the world also possess knowledge and wisdom, but theirs is knowledge without a heart. The principal matter is to draw awareness into the heart, in the aspect of “You shall know today and return it,” and so forth. That is, when a person merits some awareness, he must draw it into the heart and examine himself carefully: do his actions accord properly with his wisdom? Is his heart whole with Hashem, so that every desire and craving of the body—everything the human heart covets—is nullified before Him, blessed be He? He should possess no desire or craving whatsoever except for Hashem, blessed be He.

This is what properly accords with the awareness he has now merited of His blessed greatness. He should now strive to serve Hashem through practical mitzvoas and holy forms of service, so that his deeds exceed his wisdom; for “study is not the principal matter, but action” (Avos 1:17). As explained in teaching 5 of Likutay Moharan II, one must cast aside all sophistication and serve Hashem, blessed be He, with complete simplicity.

It follows that whenever a person merits greater knowledge and a greater recognition of His blessed greatness, he repeatedly draws that awareness into the heart and body, striving to perform good deeds and holy service in accordance with the awareness he has now attained. The more awareness he possesses, the more he serves and performs good deeds for Hashem, blessed be He, with complete simplicity and without sophistication. He does not follow his wisdom only to remain with wisdom alone, God forbid, without Divine service, God forbid. Rather, the principal expression of his wisdom is to cast aside sophistication. The more wisdom he merits and the more fully he recognizes Him, blessed be He, the more he strives each time to serve Him with simplicity, through acts of service without sophistication. For this is the essence of His service, and he therefore casts aside his sophistication each time for the sake of serving Him. He thus draws all his wisdom into the heart and body—that is, into holy service and action, which are the principal matter. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Yom Kippur 2:3)

Our Rebbe, of blessed memory, said that one book discusses the proof brought by philosophical works from the verse “You shall know today and return it to your heart,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 4:39), claiming that one must know Him, blessed be He, through philosophical investigations. This interpretation belongs to the Karaite sect, who interpret the verse to require knowledge of Him through investigation. The truth, however, is not so. In truth, the principal way of knowing Him, blessed be He, is only through complete emunah; specifically through this one afterward merits great knowledge and attainment in knowing the exaltedness of His blessed Name. Thus it is written, “I shall betroth you to Me with emunah, and you shall know Hashem” (Hosea 2:22). See Likutay Halachos, Yoreh Deah, Laws of Shaving, where it is thoroughly explained that knowledge comes principally through emunah; see there.

In truth, the principal plain meaning of these verses warning us to know Him, blessed be He—such as “You shall know today and return it,” and so forth; “Know the God of your father and serve Him” (I Chronicles 28:9); and “Know that Hashem is God,” and so forth (Psalms 100:3)—is simply a warning to know and remember Him, blessed be He, continually at every moment, and never to forget Him, blessed be He, God forbid. By analogy, kings and masters customarily warn their servants to know that a ruler stands over them. Soldiers of kings are particularly trained to know who their king and emperor is, so that his fear will remain before them and they will perform their service perfectly. It is likewise customary to tell a servant: know that you have a master and ruler over you. The intention is that he keep this constantly in mind and not forget, so that he will do nothing against his master’s will. So too—distinguishing the sacred from the mundane—in the Kingdom of Heaven, which warns us, “Know the God of your father,” and so forth: know this with certainty and never forget it. The same applies to “You shall know today and return it to your heart that Hashem is God,” and so forth, and “Know that Hashem is God.” (Sichos HaRan 217)

You Shall Know Today and Return It to Your Heart… There Is Nothing Else (Deuteronomy 4:39) One cannot merit truth in perfection unless one is not dependent upon other people; specifically then is truth complete. At first sight, however, this is difficult. Most people depend upon others, for most must receive benefits from one another. Since a person needs another for something, does he not fall within the category of one dependent upon people? The same applies to all the great tzaddikim, whose entire livelihood comes from what they receive from the general public. According to this, would they be distant from truth, God forbid?

In truth, however, the principal goal is to know that “there is nothing else besides Him” (Deuteronomy 4:35)—literally nothing else. Nothing exists in the world except Him alone, blessed be He. Thus it is written: “You shall know today… that Hashem is God… there is nothing else” (Deuteronomy 4:39)—literally nothing else. Nothing whatsoever exists in the world except Him alone, blessed be He; before Him everything is truly considered as nothing, for all existence is literally nullified before Him, blessed be He.

Therefore, when a person receives a livelihood or another benefit from someone, he receives it from Him Himself, blessed be He, since he knows that everything is nothing and naught and that the effect is included within its power. He then receives only from the First Power—that is, from the Creator, blessed be His Name. This is the principal meaning of our request, “Do not make us dependent upon gifts from flesh and blood” (Grace after Meals): that we should not err and think we receive from flesh and blood itself, but should know that even when one receives a benefit from another person, he receives only from the First Power, the Creator, blessed be His Name. He is then certainly not dependent upon people, although he receives through them.

This itself is the aspect of truth, for the principal truth is to know that the effect is bound to its power and that nothing exists besides Him, blessed be He; all is one. Specifically then does one merit truth, for truth is only one, as explained elsewhere. That is, one knows that everything is nothing before Him—literally nothing—and that after Creation it is exactly as before Creation, for the effect remains bound to the power in complete unity. This is the aspect of truth. This matter cannot be explained; each person apprehends it according to what his heart can estimate. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Deathbed Gift 2:5; following Otzar HaYirah, “Truth,” 67)

Face to Face (Deuteronomy 5:4) The disciple and teacher are aspects of the moon and sun. If the disciple possesses a countenance—that is, the aspect of anpin nehirin, an illuminated countenance—he can receive the light of the teacher’s face until the light of the teacher’s face is actually visible upon his own, just as the moon receives the sun’s light. This is the meaning of receiving the countenance of a Torah scholar: literally receiving the teacher’s countenance into one’s own face. But if the disciple has no countenance—that is, he is of the aspect of anpin chashochin, a darkened countenance, because he is immersed in the desire for money—the teacher’s face is not visible within him. Likewise, one who is brazen-faced does not possess a holy countenance and cannot receive the teacher’s face within his own, as described above.

This is what is written: “Face to face Hashem spoke with you,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 5:4). At the Giving of the Torah, Israel was of the aspect of anpin nehirin and could receive a holy countenance, so that a holy countenance became visible within them, as described above. This is “face to face”: the holy countenance was within their faces, the aspect of receiving a countenance. This is “Hashem spoke with you”: the speech spoke with every individual and emerged from every member of Israel, since a holy countenance had been incorporated within him. But one who is brazen-faced has no holy countenance and cannot receive a countenance, as described above. Our Sages, of blessed memory, therefore said: concerning anyone who possesses brazenness, it is known that his ancestors’ feet did not stand at Mount Sinai (Nedarim 20a). (Likutay Moharan I 153, together with the corresponding abridgment in Kitzur Likutay Moharan)

Would That Their Hearts Remain This Way, to Fear Me (Deuteronomy 5:26) Our Sages, of blessed memory, taught concerning “Would that their hearts remain this way, to fear Me,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 5:26): Moshe said to Israel, “You are ungrateful,” and so forth. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Would that,” and so forth, they should have answered, “You give it,” and so forth. Even Moshe did not intimate this to them until forty years later, and so forth. From this they learned that a person does not fully comprehend his teacher’s intention until forty years have passed (Avodah Zarah 5a); see Rashi and Tosafos there.

All this demonstrates how strongly our Sages, of blessed memory, exhort us concerning hisbodedus: expressing one’s personal prayer before Hashem, blessed be He, and asking Him to give us yiras Shamayim so that we will not sin. Although everything is in the hands of Heaven except yiras Shamayim (Berachos 33b), everything is nevertheless in His hand, and we must specifically ask Him, blessed be He, for this, as the Maharsha explains there.

From the words of our Sages cited above, we must also learn how extensively we must engage in this, in order to comprehend the full intent of our Sages, of blessed memory, who warned us about it. The adversary greatly weakens every person’s resolve, as though our Sages did not intend him, because of the sullied state of his deeds and his stubbornness, and so forth. In truth, however, this is not so. Hashem, blessed be He, wants us to understand His full intent ourselves: His will and desire are that we continually ask Him, “You, blessed be He, give us a good and upright heart to fear Your Name!”

See Tosafos there: Moshe himself did not direct his attention to this so fully because he did not need it, for he was a great tzaddik. Israel, however, who were not on that level, should all the more have taken it to heart and discerned Hashem’s intent: they should ask Him to guard them from transgressions and give them yiras Shamayim, the aspect of “You give it.” Tosafos thus explicitly teaches the reverse of the opinion of those who invert the truth and claim that only great tzaddikim should practice hisbodedus and express their personal prayer before Him, blessed be He, but not young people and especially not materially oriented individuals, and so forth. Tosafos explains precisely the reverse. Moshe Rabbeinu did not need this so greatly because he was a great tzaddik; but the criticism was directed specifically against Israel. Since they knew their level, for that very reason they needed to strengthen themselves in hisbodedus and understand the full intent of Hashem, blessed be He.

Although He Himself says, “Would that,” which appears to imply that the matter is not in His hand, as it were—just as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, “Everything is in the hands of Heaven except yiras Shamayim”—He nevertheless desires that we ask Him, “You give it!” This is the meaning of hisbodedus: expressing one’s personal prayer privately between oneself and one’s Creator, pleading and asking Him for one’s soul, that in His compassion He grant him yiras Shamayim so that he will no longer sin. In absolute truth, everything is in His blessed hand, as numerous verses and teachings of our Sages indicate; but His blessed will is specifically that we ask Him for this. This itself is the intention of “Would that their hearts remain this way”: they must direct their hearts well to this, continually asking and pleading before Him, blessed be He, and saying, “You give it,” and so forth. Hashem, blessed be He, will then certainly grant them yiras Shamayim and every good. (See the adjacent page in Laws of Shabbos; following Otzar HaYirah, “Hisbodedus,” 48)

You Shall Walk upon the Entire Path That Hashem Your God Commanded You (Deuteronomy 5:30) There is a wondrous tree, exceedingly holy and awesome. It is the aspect of the Tree of Life, in which there is nourishment for all; beneath it every wild creature takes shelter, and in its branches all the birds of heaven dwell. The magnitude of the delight found there cannot be estimated. The soul principally receives its reward when it merits reaching this tree, the Tree of Life that is above place. There the soul ascends by way of the Tree of Life to delight in Hashem, “to behold the pleasantness of Hashem,” and so forth (Psalms 27:4). Fortunate is one who merits this. This Tree of Life is the root of the Torah, which is called “a Tree of Life to those who grasp it” (Proverbs 3:18). But one cannot reach this Tree of Life without first walking upon the path that leads to it. That path is the aspect of the totality of the Torah’s mitzvoas, which are called a “path,” as it is written: “You shall walk upon the entire path that Hashem your God commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:30), and likewise in many verses. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of a Torah Scroll 3:2; following Otzar HaYirah, “Torah Study and Torah Reading,” 67)

Hear, Israel: Hashem Is Our God, Hashem Is One (Deuteronomy 6:4) All our vitality and holiness are of the aspect of the faculty of hearing, for we are obligated to heed the voice of our holy forefathers, who transmitted the holy Torah and holy emunah to us from generation to generation. This is the aspect of “Hear, Israel, Hashem is our God,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 6:4), for knowledge of holy emunah is principally an aspect of hearing that depends upon the heart. This is the aspect of “Her husband is known at the gates” (Proverbs 31:23)—each person according to what his heart can estimate. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Procreation 3:16; following Otzar HaYirah, “Emunah,” 188; see also “Music,” 11)

Kreyas Shima is an aspect of self-nullification into the ultimate purpose, as we say: “Hashem is our God, Hashem is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4). This is the aspect of “on that day,” and so forth (Zechariah 14:9), as Rashi explains. It is the aspect of everything being good, the aspect of “Hashem is God,” as it is written: “Through Hashem I shall praise the word… through God I shall praise the word” (Psalms 56:11). This is “Hashem is our God, Hashem is One”: everything is one and everything is good.

This explains why our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that Kreyas Shima may be recited in any language: “Shima”—in any language that you understand (Berachos 13a). Since one must nullify oneself into the ultimate purpose, where everything is one, everything is good, and no evil exists at all, the evil within the languages falls away and is nullified, leaving only the good clothed within that language. Every language certainly contains good concealed within it, but evil covers that good. It is therefore ordinarily proper not to recite a sacred text in other languages. Kreyas Shima, however, is the aspect of self-nullification in which everything is good, as described above; it may therefore be recited in any language, for the evil falls away and is nullified, leaving only the good.

Kreyas Shima specifically therefore contains an allusion that good exists within every language. Thus it is written: “They shall be totafos between your eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:8), and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: tat means two in the Katpi language, and pas means two in the Afriki language (Menachos 34b). This is an aspect of the good of the holy tongue clothed within the languages of the nations, as our Rebbe wrote (Likutay Moharan I 33). It teaches that through Kreyas Shima, the aspect of self-nullification described above, the good is revealed—that is, the letters of the holy tongue clothed within the other languages of the nations.

This resolves the legal difficulty raised by the halachic authorities: why did our Sages, of blessed memory, interpret “when you lie down and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7) so that the nighttime Shima may be recited throughout the entire night, the whole period of lying down, whereas the daytime Shima may be recited only during the time of rising—at the beginning of the day, but not throughout the day? The principal aspect of Kreyas Shima, which is self-nullification, applies at night. It is the aspect of closing the eyes, for then people rest and do not pursue this world so intensely. As our Rebbe wrote elsewhere (Likutay Moharan I 52), self-nullification principally occurs at night.

Night is also an aspect of judgments, which are an aspect of suffering; through this one comes to self-nullification, as our Rebbe wrote there. This is the aspect of “Though I sit in darkness, Hashem is light for me” (Micah 7:8): specifically “though I sit in darkness,” then “Hashem is light for me.” It is the aspect of “the advantage of light over darkness” (Ecclesiastes 2:13)—specifically from darkness. Specifically when darkness, judgments, and suffering intensify, God forbid—whether in Divine service or in physical matters—the principal counsel is to close one’s eyes and nullify oneself into the ultimate purpose, which is entirely good. Through this all suffering is nullified.

This is the aspect of sleep, which specifically occurs at night. Sleep is an aspect of self-nullification, the aspect of “Into Your hand I entrust my spirit” (Psalms 31:6), as is taught. It occurs with closed eyes, for self-nullification principally occurs through closing the eyes. Sleep therefore principally occurs at night: because of the judgments described above, people close their eyes and nullify themselves into the ultimate purpose, which is the aspect of sleep. Kreyas Shima upon the bed is therefore recited beforehand, for Kreyas Shima is the aspect of self-nullification, as described above.

Kreyas Shima therefore applies principally at night, and its time extends throughout the night, for night is the aspect of self-nullification described above. By day, however, the time for Kreyas Shima extends only through the period of rising—that is, before the world spreads out in pursuit of this world, which still retains the aspect of closed eyes. Afterward, the time for Kreyas Shima has ended. Our Sages, of blessed memory, therefore established its time for as long as some people in the world are still sleeping—that is, until the hour when princes rise from their beds (Berachos 9b). The entire world has not yet awakened then, and the world is still resting from its pursuit of this world. But after three hours, when everyone has risen, the time for Kreyas Shima has ended. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Kreyas Shima 1)

Our Sages, of blessed memory, derived two teachings from the word “Shima.” They expounded “Shima” to mean: cause your ears to hear what your mouth utters (Berachos 15a). They also expounded “Shima” to mean: in any language that you understand (ibid. 13a), permitting Kreyas Shima to be recited in any of the seventy languages. The two teachings are one. Reciting Kreyas Shima aloud—the aspect of causing one’s ears to hear—is intended to publicize His Godliness before all who dwell below. This itself is the aspect of “Shima” in any language: His blessed Godliness can be revealed even through all the languages of the nations, for “the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

This is the aspect described above: the attainment of those who dwell below, the aspect of “Awaken and sing, you who dwell in the dust” (Isaiah 26:19), so that they will not despair. Even when a person falls wherever he falls, God forbid—the aspect of the languages of the nations, which correspond to all evil desires, and so forth—His Godliness can nevertheless be revealed there as well, in the aspect of “Awaken and sing, you who dwell in the dust.” This is the aspect of reciting Kreyas Shima aloud, as described above, the aspect of “cause your ears to hear,” and so forth. This itself is the aspect of “Shima” in every language, for “the whole earth is filled with His glory,” and no place is devoid of Him, and so forth. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Kreyas Shima 3:10)

Every person must prepare himself and strive with all his strength and intention to accept holy emunah upon himself anew each day, in the aspect of “They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said: every day they should appear new in your eyes. This is the aspect of “Hear, Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4), which introduces the principal declaration of emunah in Divine unity. It resembles a person who wishes to tell his companions something new and wondrous and says to them: Listen now to what I shall tell you—something altogether new!

So it is here. Although we have long been strong in our holy emunah from ancient years, for it is our inheritance from our holy forefathers, it is nevertheless not something old, God forbid. In truth, it is altogether new each and every day, for no day resembles another. A person cannot recount the greatness of the blessed Creator even to himself from one day to the next, for His blessed greatness is beyond investigation. Every person must follow this path and fulfill it: renewing himself in our holy emunah anew each day, for this is the foundation and principal element of the entire Torah.

Even if a person is on the lowest level, God forbid, amid intensifying desires and confusion—the aspect of the languages of the nations, within which all evil desires and traits take hold—he too can nevertheless feel His blessed Godliness anew within his heart at every moment, if he carefully inclines his ear and heart to the declaration of emunah in Divine unity that his mouth utters each day. For this is the principal mitzvah of Kreyas Shima every morning and evening. This is the aspect of “Hear, Israel”—cause your ears to hear, and so forth. Our Sages, of blessed memory, likewise expounded: “Shima”—in any language that you understand (Berachos 13a, 15a). The two are one.

Through everything that passes over a person, he must continually remind himself of Him, blessed be He, and remind himself that he is a Jew who believes in the living God and eternal King. Thus it is written: “When my soul fainted within me, I remembered Hashem” (Jonah 2:8). He will then be able to bind himself to Him, blessed be He, from wherever he is, even if he is in the lowest depths, God forbid. Every person in the world must take care to follow this path, for it is the foundation of everything. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Kreyas Shima 5; following Otzar HaYirah, “Emunah,” 15)

You Shall Love Hashem Your God with All Your Heart (Deuteronomy 6:5) “With all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5)—with both your inclinations, the good inclination and the evil inclination (Berachos 54a). The good inclination is the aspect of the force that draws a person toward Hashem, blessed be He, and the true tzaddikim, and so forth. The evil inclination is the reverse: the aspect of the opposing force that intensifies in order to sever him from them, God forbid. The principal human task is to merit loving Hashem with both inclinations—that is, to transform even the opposing force into a force drawing him toward Hashem, blessed be He. This is the aspect of love, as it is written: “With human cords I shall draw them, with bonds of love” (Hosea 11:4). When one merits causing the drawing force to prevail over the opposing force, the opposing force itself becomes a great benefit. Specifically through it, the light can be received gradually and in proper measure, enabling one to be drawn after Hashem as is fitting. If no opposing force existed, the drawing force would be altogether nullified, for it would dissolve completely within the light. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Presumptive Ownership of Movable Property 4:12)

“With all your heart”—with both your inclinations (Berachos 54a). The principal arena of every person’s free choice and trial is that he must prevail over the evil within the blood, which corresponds to the seventy idolatrous nations. It is not enough to subdue and nullify this evil within the blood and perform mitzvoas and holy acts—and certainly not to fulfill one’s desire or commit transgressions, God forbid. He must also prevail over the blood until he transforms it from one extreme into its opposite. That is, he must transform all the heat and boiling of the blood into holiness, performing the mitzvah and holy act with great holy warmth of heart and enthusiasm. This warmth and enthusiasm are drawn from the blood within the 365 sinews, which he has merited subduing and transforming into holiness.

This is the principal perfection of the mitzvah and Divine service. When someone performs a mitzvah without any vitality or enthusiasm of the heart, this is not perfected service, for it is merely “a commandment of men learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13). The principal perfection of service is to prevail and strive to perform every mitzvah with warmth and enthusiasm of the heart. This comes specifically through nullifying obstacles: numerous obstacles drawn from the blood intensified against him, and he prevailed over them until he transformed them into holiness, ultimately performing the mitzvah with great joy and enthusiasm.

This is the aspect of “You shall love Hashem your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5)—with both your inclinations, the good inclination and the evil inclination. The principal perfection of Divine service is to transform the evil inclination—the aspect of the boiling blood—into holiness and holy love: the aspect of “You shall love Hashem” with both inclinations. When the boiling blood is transformed into holiness, the heart burns with flames of love for Hashem, blessed be He. The left is then incorporated into the right, and the gevuroas are incorporated into kindness, in the aspect of love.

Divine service is principally perfected when a person merits loving Hashem, blessed be He, and performing mitzvoas—which are aspects of love and kindness—with both inclinations, in the aspect of “You shall love” with both your inclinations. The love then possesses great enthusiasm, the aspect of flames of love; the left is incorporated into the right, which is the principal perfection, as is known. This is the aspect of “For love is strong as death; jealousy is harsh as the grave; its flames are flames of fire,” and so forth (Song of Songs 8:6): love for Hashem, blessed be He, becomes an aspect of fiery flames. This is drawn from the boiling blood transformed into holiness, the aspect of loving Hashem even with the evil inclination, as described above. This is “love is strong as death”: love’s principal perfection comes through the evil inclination, which belongs to the side of death, when it is transformed into holiness. As our Rebbe, of blessed memory, wrote in Likutay Moharan II 49, it is a great distinction when a person possesses an evil inclination, and so forth. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Non-Jewish Wine 3:1)

Most people do not regard eating, drinking, and the body’s other desires as labor at all, whereas they regard mitzvoas and good deeds as labor and exertion. This is an aspect of an exchange, in which the king’s child was exchanged for the servant’s child. The same exchange has occurred within them: the soul’s desire—the soul truly being a princess—is regarded as labor, whereas the body’s desire—the body being an aspect of a servant—is specifically not regarded as servitude at all, as though, God forbid, the body were king over the soul. In truth, the matter is precisely the reverse. The soul is truly the monarch, and the body is the servant. Just as a servant is obligated to serve his master and fulfill his will, the body is obligated to serve the soul and nullify its own will before the soul’s will.

As long as the body still retains some trace of bodily desire and a person merely breaks his desire for the sake of the soul’s will, which is the will of Hashem, blessed be He, while continually serving Him—although this too is exceedingly good, fortunate is he, for through it the servitude of the sitra achara, the aspect of the serpent’s contamination, is nullified, and he merits freedom, in the aspects of “Whoever accepts the yoke of Torah upon himself,” and so forth (Avos 3:5), and “No one is free except one who occupies himself with Torah” (Avos 6:2)—his service nevertheless remains an aspect of holy servitude. Since serving Hashem is still experienced by him as labor and exertion, and the body’s will does not incline toward it but is merely nullified before Him, blessed be He, he remains an aspect of a holy servant.

The principal perfection, however, is to nullify the body so completely before the soul that it is literally transformed into the soul’s nature. A person then possesses no other desire and no other will except what the soul desires—that is, to fulfill the will of the blessed Creator. This is the aspect of “You shall love Hashem your God with all your heart” (Deuteronomy 6:5)—with both inclinations, so that the body too loves Hashem and fulfills His will out of love. When a person merits this, he is called a son of Hashem, blessed be He, the aspect of “You are My son,” and so forth (Psalms 2:7). This is the principal perfection. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Morning Blessings 3:18–19; following Otzar HaYirah, “Fear and Divine Service,” 7)

These Words That I Command You Today Shall Be upon Your Heart; You Shall Teach Them Diligently to Your Children (Deuteronomy 6:6–7) “You shall teach them diligently to your children” adjoins “which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7), for the two are one. “Which I command you today”—specifically “today”—warns that each and every day one must prevail with renewed strength to fulfill the Torah and mitzvoas. A person’s inclination literally renews its assault upon him each day, because each day new refinements must be accomplished through Torah and Divine service. Surrounding every refinement are numerous klipoas and forces of the other side, for the holy sparks fell into the deepest depths of the klipoas. Since new refinements must be extracted from those depths each day, the adversary renews his attack and provocation against a person every day.

The Torah therefore warns: “which I command you today”—specifically “today.” Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: every day they should appear new in your eyes. Words of Torah are literally new each day. Words of Torah, which are the aspect of elevating souls, are renewed every day because new refinements must be accomplished each day, as described above. “You shall teach them diligently to your children” therefore immediately follows: one must teach Torah to one’s children in order to reveal His blessed Godliness and the holiness of His Torah from generation to generation, thereby completing the refinement of the sparks and souls belonging to every generation, until Mashiach comes.

It therefore adjoins “which I command you today,” for the two are literally one. The sparks and souls must be refined anew specifically each day and likewise anew in every generation, for each day is an aspect of a new generation: the aspect of “The sun rises and the sun sets” (Ecclesiastes 1:5), and “A generation goes and a generation comes,” and so forth (ibid. 1:4). The sparks and souls are principally refined for the sake of His blessed glory, for glory is the root of everything; everything was created for His glory, “so that He may be known.” Knowledge of the glory of His Godliness and His blessed greatness is revealed each day through a new revelation, in the aspect of “The heavens recount the glory of God,” and so forth, and “Day to day expresses speech,” and so forth (Psalms 19:2–3). This is the aspect of “Days shall speak” (Job 32:7), for each day expresses and speaks the glory of His blessed Godliness according to the refinement of the sparks belonging to that day. This is the aspect of the daily renewal of the work of Creation. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Ritual Slaughter 4:3)

Which I Command You Today (Deuteronomy 6:6) “Which I command you today” (Deuteronomy 6:6)—words of Torah should appear new in your eyes every day. It follows that each day one must draw upon oneself a renewed receiving of the Torah. Sleep is an aspect of self-nullification, and from there one must receive the Torah’s renewal, in order to nullify the judgments and impurities, and so forth, that seek to provoke a person with particular intensity then. Fortunate is one who merits this perfectly and produces true Torah innovations each day.

Yet even ordinary people who do not merit this must at least strengthen themselves to study Torah in the morning upon awakening from sleep. As explained in all the sacred works, one should rise during the night watch to study Torah, thereby quenching the soul’s thirst—that is, expelling all suffering, judgments, the sitra achara, and every form of confusion through Torah. Therefore, even one who does not merit literally producing Torah innovations must at least strengthen himself each and every day to study Torah with new desire and new vitality, so that its words appear literally new in his eyes. This too is an aspect of the Torah’s renewal, as explained elsewhere (Likutay Moharan I 159). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Morning Handwashing 4:2)

You Shall Teach Them Diligently to Your Children (Deuteronomy 6:7) A person must be exceedingly careful to educate his children in the path of holy emunah as we received it from our forefathers. Thus we are warned in the passage of Kreyas Shima: “You shall teach them diligently to your children,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 6:7), and “You shall teach them to your children,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 11:19). In particular, he must distance them in every possible way from the harmful factions that arose in those generations to lead the youth of the Children of Israel away, God forbid, from the foundations of the holy religion. They established institutions of folly to teach the Children of Israel secular disciplines, and so forth. Although at first they deceive the children’s fathers and claim that they also teach them the holy Torah, it is all hypocrisy and falsehood. The small amount they teach consists only of Scripture accompanied by their harmful interpretations and explanations, produced by notorious, complete heretics.

He must therefore be exceedingly careful to distance his children from them in every possible way, as described above, and guide them only in the path of holy emunah, the ancient path of our forefathers, who spent their days solely upon Torah and prayer, studying Hashem’s Written and Oral Torah, the Talmud, and halachic authorities. Their reward will then be exceedingly great, for they thereby add holy souls to the sacred community of Israel’s holiness. Through this, holy households increase in a tremendous and extraordinary multitude, as explained within the teaching. Through this the redemption will come, as it is written: “The smallest shall become a thousand, and the youngest a mighty nation”—that is, through the multitude of households added even by the smallest and the youngest. Through this: “I, Hashem, shall hasten it in its time” (Isaiah 60:22). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Procreation 5:3; following Otzar HaYirah, “Teaching Schoolchildren,” 6; see also “Emunah,” 4–5)

When You Sit in Your Home and When You Walk upon the Road (Deuteronomy 6:7) The home is a private domain, the aspect of the domain of the One of the world, as stated in the holy Zohar. His blessed unity is revealed there more fully. The Torah begins with the letter beis in Bereishis, which can be read as rosh bayis, “the beginning of the house,” and through Torah one is incorporated into His blessed unity. Outside, however, is the public domain, where the external forces possess a hold. The outside therefore corresponds to the aspect after Creation, whereas the home corresponds to the aspect before Creation, since it is the aspect of the private domain, as described above.

The principal perfection, however, is to incorporate the aspect after Creation into the aspect before Creation, so that all external places are likewise incorporated into the holiness within. The Torah therefore warned that one must always remember Hashem, blessed be He, and the Torah, both in one’s home and outside one’s home upon the road, as it is written: “You shall speak of them when you sit in your home and when you walk upon the road,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 6:7). The road, which lies in external places, must be integrated with the home, the aspect of incorporating what is after Creation into the One. This is the principal purpose.

The Torah therefore placed “when you sit in your home and when you walk upon the road” within the passage of Kreyas Shima: “Hear, Israel: Hashem is our God, Hashem is One,” and so forth, followed by “You shall speak of them when you sit in your home,” and so forth (Deuteronomy 6:4, 7). This accords with the explanation above, for incorporation into the One principally occurs when the road is incorporated into the home. One knows that all roads outside the home and all external places are included within, because they all extend from the blessed One and He gives life to them all. Through this, the aspect after Creation is incorporated into the One, as it was before Creation.

This is “when you sit in your home, when you walk upon the road, when you lie down, and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7). Daylight is the aspect of the light of providence, through which even after Creation everything is one. At night the light is darkened; this is the aspect of concealed knowledge of providence, corresponding to the aspect after Creation, where free choice exists. One must strengthen oneself with complete emunah, in the aspect of “Your faithfulness in the nights” (Psalms 92:3), truly believing that even at night—in the aspect after Creation—His blessed providence continually shines there as well. For “Even darkness does not obscure from You, and night shines like day” (Psalms 139:12). This is the aspect of incorporating the quality of day into night and the quality of night into day within the blessings of Kreyas Shima, in order to know and make known that everything is one: after Creation and before Creation, corresponding to day and night, home and road—the aspects of “when you sit in your home, when you walk upon the road, when you lie down, and when you rise.” Everything is one, for “Hashem is our God, Hashem is One.” (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Agents 3)

The principal locus of holiness is within a person’s home. Nevertheless, in truth, one cannot remain enclosed within one’s home forever, for one must necessarily leave it from time to time. It would actually appear proper for a person always to remain within his home, since the principal holiness is found there while the outside is the reverse. He should therefore seemingly remain there continually. Nevertheless, a person is compelled to go outside and repeatedly enter and leave.

A person must necessarily at times leave holiness to some degree. We see directly that every person experiences actual ascents and descents each day and cannot remain continually upon one level. This occurs because the lower levels and all external places must also be elevated into holiness. When a person merits maintaining himself properly then, he merits elevating all the external places and lower levels into holiness. This is the aspect of descent for the sake of ascent, as is known. It is the aspect of the recurring necessity to leave one’s home, as we plainly observe. When he leaves the home, he refines the external places and raises everything into holiness. A person must therefore go outside, although the principal holiness lies within the home, as described above.

This is the aspect of “when you sit in your home and when you walk upon the road” (Deuteronomy 6:7). A person must recognize Hashem, blessed be He, both within his home, where the boundary of holiness lies, and when he leaves his home and walks upon the road. Although the external forces possess a hold there, God forbid, he must nevertheless remember Hashem there as well and cleave to Him even outside. For “His kingship rules over everything” (Psalms 103:19), in the aspect of “You give life to them all” (Nehemiah 9:6), and the aspect of “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” (Psalms 139:8). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Rosh Hashanah 4:7)

You Shall Write Them upon the Doorposts of Your Home and upon Your Gates (Deuteronomy 6:9) The principal purpose of the mitzvah of mezuzah is to remember Hashem, blessed be He. This is the principal aspect of remembering the World to Come, for the principal delight of the World to Come is that they will know Him, blessed be He. This remembrance—remembering Hashem, blessed be He, which is remembrance of the World to Come—requires particular care when building a house. One who builds a house seemingly forgets the World to Come and establishes a permanent dwelling for himself in this transient, vanishing world.

If a person contemplates deeply the permanence of life in the World to Come and the rapid disappearance of this world—which passes like a fleeting shadow and a vanishing cloud, and so forth—there is certainly no greater madness than wishing to build oneself a house for so brief a moment, when one is unquestionably prepared to depart from here swiftly and soon. Yehonadav ben Rechav therefore actually commanded his children to dwell in tents and not build houses, and so forth (Jeremiah 35:7). One who builds his house without awareness and forgets the World to Come is certainly worse than insane. Concerning this it is said: “Woe to one who builds his house without righteousness,” and so forth (Jeremiah 22:13), along with many similar verses.

Upon entering the home, one must therefore take great care immediately to remember the World to Come, where the true home and true permanence are found. The house one builds in this world must likewise be only for the sake of the World to Come, so that within it he can serve Hashem, blessed be He, through Torah study, prayer, hospitality, honoring Shabbos, and so forth. When building his house, every person must intend that it become a house of Torah, a house of prayer, a meeting house for sages, a home opened generously, with poor people treated as members of his household (Avos 1:4–5). His home then becomes a house of Hashem. Concerning this it is said, “Through wisdom a house is built,” and so forth (Proverbs 24:3). It is then certainly a great mitzvah to build a home for the sake of Hashem.

A mezuzah must therefore be affixed so that immediately upon entering the home one remembers the unity of His blessed Name, which is the aspect of remembering the World to Come. Specifically then is the house fit to be built and endure. He does not forget the World to Come, God forbid, in order to establish permanence for himself in this passing world, God forbid. On the contrary, he builds his house specifically for the sake of remembering the World to Come, which is the unification of His blessed Name.

His home is then built through the tzaddikim who sustain the world. They occupy themselves with building many houses, until the 310 worlds are formed from them. They build these houses of the 310 worlds from dispute—that is, from the peace they establish among those in dispute. This is the aspect of domestic peace, as explained within the teaching, and from there his home is built. For the principal purpose of building a home is peace. Outside is the aspect of dispute: each person is divided unto himself, for they are scattered and separated and do not gather together. Within the home, however, gathering and assembly occur together, in the aspect of peace and unity—the aspect of domestic peace. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Mezuzah 4; following Otzar HaYirah, “The Home and Dwelling,” Outside)

So That It Will Be Good for You, and You Shall Come and Inherit the Good Land (Deuteronomy 6:18) All the holiness of Israel is Eretz Yisrael. To the degree that a person sanctifies and purifies himself and serves Hashem, blessed be He, he repeatedly conquers some portion of Eretz Yisrael and occupies himself with rectifying the path to Eretz Yisrael. This explains the many places in the Torah where Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, warned them to fulfill the Torah and mitzvoas so that they would merit entering and conquering Eretz Yisrael, where the principal holiness is found. Thus it is written: “So that it will be good for you, and you shall come and inherit the Land” (Deuteronomy 6:18); “so that you shall live,” and so forth, “and inherit the Land” (Deuteronomy 4:1); and many similar verses.

Yet because the sitra achara intensely opposes this and seeks to seize the holiness of Eretz Yisrael from their hands, the accusers charge him: “You are robbers, for you conquered a land that was not yours.” This accords with the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, that the Torah begins with Bereishis for this reason, because “He declared the power of His deeds to His people,” and so forth (Psalms 111:6; Rashi to Genesis 1:1). Consequently, a person must sometimes interrupt his Torah study and also engage in derech eretz, ordinary worldly occupation, as our Sages taught. Through this, by means of the great tzaddik, he draws forth the gratuitous kindness that sustained the world before the Giving of the Torah. This nullifies the accusation described above. Moreover, the accusers themselves ultimately come, convert, and draw near to holiness and Torah through this. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Synagogue 5:8, 11; following Otzar HaYirah, “Eretz Yisrael,” 5)

It Shall Be Righteousness for Us When We Guard Ourselves to Perform This Entire Commandment before Hashem Our God, as He Commanded Us (Deuteronomy 6:25) Through dispute, the thoughts of wicked people—which are thoughts of denial—fall upon upright people. The rectification is to remain silent and entrust the battle to Hashem. A person of truth performs every mitzvah with all its precise details privately between himself and his Creator exactly as he does before other people, with no difference whatsoever. He contains no element of falsehood that would cause him, God forbid, to make any gesture in his Divine service for the sake of people. Such a person draws to himself the power of all acts of righteousness, and through this he nullifies the thoughts of denial described above.

This is what is written: “It shall be righteousness for us when we guard ourselves to perform this entire commandment before Hashem our God, as He commanded us” (Deuteronomy 6:25). That is, when we possess the aspect of truth: carefully performing every mitzvah before Hashem alone, with all its precise details, exactly as one does before other people. This is the aspect of truth described above. This is “when we guard ourselves to perform this entire commandment before Hashem our God, as He commanded us”—specifically “before Hashem our God.” We guard ourselves to perform every mitzvah before Hashem alone, privately between ourselves and our Creator, with all its precise details and particulars.

This is “as He commanded us”—with every precise detail, exactly as Hashem, blessed be He, commanded us. This is the aspect of truth described above: even when a person performs the mitzvah before Hashem alone, he is meticulous in every detail, and so forth. Then “it shall be righteousness for us”—specifically “for us”: we draw all acts of righteousness to ourselves, for righteousness is naturally drawn to truth, as described above. It follows that when this person of truth draws righteousness to himself, the opposing forces possess no power of righteousness, and their thoughts have no power to endure. (Likutay Moharan I 251, together with the corresponding abridgment in Kitzur Likutay Moharan)

For You Are the Smallest among All the Peoples (Deuteronomy 7:7) “For you are the smallest among all the peoples” (Deuteronomy 7:7)—you diminish yourselves when I bestow goodness upon you, as Rashi explains. When Hashem, blessed be He, illuminates them with a sparkling radiance of His blessed Godliness, they do not rush to investigate through inquiries, knowledge, and wisdom. Rather, they strengthen themselves with emunah and immediately run after Him, in the aspect of “Draw me; we shall run after You” (Song of Songs 1:4). As soon as Hashem, blessed be He, begins drawing them toward Him, they immediately run after Him. Thus Rashi explains there: I heard from Your emissaries that You wished to draw me toward You, and I immediately ran after You, and so forth.

As soon as Israel begins running after Him, blessed be He, Hashem makes Himself, as it were, like one who flees, concealing and hiding Himself, in the aspect of “Flee, my Beloved,” and so forth (Song of Songs 8:14), and the aspect of “I opened for my Beloved, but my Beloved had slipped away and passed on,” and so forth (ibid. 5:6). Afterward one must begin Divine service gradually, serving Him consistently, running after Him and seeking Him through good deeds performed with joy, until we merit finding Him through an increasingly wondrous revelation.

This is the aspect of “Everything Hashem has spoken, we shall do and we shall understand” (Exodus 24:7). Everything Hashem speaks, we shall perform immediately, without any question or investigation whatsoever; afterward comes “we shall understand,” in the sense of hearing and comprehension. By performing the mitzvah with emunah, wholehearted simplicity, and joy, one afterward merits understanding and attaining great and awesome perceptions. The idolatrous nations and heretics, however, seek to place “we shall understand” before “we shall do.” They are immersed in every evil desire and trait and wish immediately to attain philosophical investigations into His blessed Godliness and the reasons for His holy mitzvoas. Only then might they perhaps agree to perform some mitzvah, if they could see the light of the mitzvah at its root, where it illuminates all the worlds. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Nefilas Apayim and Kedushah D’Sidra 4:13; following Otzar HaYirah, “Emunah,” 17)