Shoftim - Chumash with Likutey Halachos

They Shall Judge the People with Righteous Judgment (Deuteronomy 16:18) All judgments between the Children of Israel, concerning matters between one person and another, are an aspect of teshuvah when righteous judgment is rendered between them, for the matter is returned to its place and root. One person sought to rob another, removing the object from its root and bringing it into the external domains through the transgression of robbery and denial. When a true and righteous judgment is rendered and the law is clarified truthfully, the money or object returns to its place and root. This is an aspect of teshuvah.

Judgment is therefore called an aspect of “a judgment of peace,” as it is written: “Judge truth and the judgment of peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16). The principal purpose of judgment is to make peace between the claimant and the defendant, although at first “let the law pierce the mountain.” Afterward, peace is made between them through true judgment. When peace is made between claimant and defendant through righteous judgment, this itself produces an aspect of supernal unification, for an awakening from below arouses an awakening above.

The claimant and defendant—for example, lender and borrower—are aspects of the upper point and the lower point. The lender, who bestows and claims what is owed to him, is the aspect of the sun and the upper point; the borrower, who receives, is the aspect of the moon and the lower point. When denial and strife arise between them, this is an aspect of separation, God forbid, between these two aspects. Judgment is therefore exceedingly great, and the world stands upon it: through judgment peace is made between them, and then, as it were, the unification between sun and moon and between the upper and lower points is also aroused above. This is because judgment is an aspect of teshuvah. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Agency and Power of Attorney 2:2)

Our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Courts do not judge at night, but only by day. Day and night are aspects of truth and emunah, as is known. Falsehood and the sitra achara principally take hold within the aspect of night, which is the aspect of emunah. Emunah is therefore constricted at night and grows in the light of day, in the aspect of “They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23), as brought elsewhere, in Teaching 35. Emunah is principally rectified through truth, as Rabbeinu wrote in Likutay Moharan I, Teaching 7: “When righteousness is joined to truth, emunah is produced”; see there.

The principal time for judgment is therefore by day, which is the aspect of truth, for through truth emunah is elevated and rectified. Truth and emunah are then unified; they are the aspects of evening and morning, in the aspect of “There was evening and there was morning, one day” (Genesis 1:5). This unification is accomplished through true judgment, concerning which it is written: “All the people stood over you from morning until evening” (Exodus 18:14). The principal purpose of judgment and law is to rectify the fallen emunah that was damaged among the litigants, for one of them is certainly not conducting his business faithfully. Through true judgment emunah is elevated and rectified, and truth and emunah—evening and morning—are unified.

The principal time for judgment is therefore by day, as it is written: “Administer justice in the morning” (Jeremiah 21:12), for truth then shines; through it emunah is rectified and enlarged, in the aspect of “They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). This is the aspect of “They shall judge the people with righteous judgment” (Deuteronomy 16:18): when righteousness is joined to truth, emunah is produced. Judgment is the aspect of truth, as it is written: “The judgments of Hashem are true” (Psalms 19:10), as brought in the words of Rabbeinu, of blessed memory. This is “righteous judgment”: the principal purpose of the judges’ sitting in court is to rectify emunah through truth, so that righteousness and judgment—truth and emunah—will be joined. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Judges 2:5)

You Shall Not Distort Judgment or Recognize Faces (Deuteronomy 16:19) When two litigants come to court and contradict one another, one of them is certainly making a false claim. This is an aspect of damaged emunah, for he should have conducted his business faithfully, as the Sages asked: “Did you conduct your business faithfully?” (Shabbos 31a). When he denies his fellow’s claim and speaks falsely, he possesses no trustworthiness. Thus, when they come to court, emunah has been damaged, and emunah must be rectified and clarified so that it may be determined with whom the truth lies. Yet flesh and blood cannot know with whom the truth lies, for falsehood covers the truth, and it is difficult to distinguish the truthful claimant from the false one. How, then, can the judge bring forth a completely true judgment?

The counsel and rectification for this are analogous to what is stated concerning prayer, which is likewise an aspect of emunah: the judge must take care to speak words of truth. The judgment he seeks to issue concerning the litigants must be truthful, without any inclination toward either side, as it is written: “You shall not distort judgment; you shall not recognize faces” (Deuteronomy 16:19), and as the Torah and our Sages, of blessed memory, repeatedly warned, for this is the essential matter. When the judge guards this exceedingly and all his words are solely truthful—according to the truth apparent to his understanding under the law of our holy Torah, or according to his discernment when he perceives a fraudulent case, as explained in the Shulchan Aruch—and he inclines toward neither side, then “God stands in the congregation of judges” (Psalms 82:1) is fulfilled. Hashem, blessed be He, stands in the congregation of worthy judges whose words are truthful, for truth is, as it were, the light of Hashem, blessed be He, Himself, and His principal longing is solely for truth.

The truthful speech, which is, as it were, the light of Hashem, blessed be He, then shines for the judge. He merits seeing with which litigant the truth lies, and the judgment becomes completely clarified for him, because the judge’s truthful speech illuminates and reveals the truth from within the darkness and falsehood of the one who speaks falsely. This is the aspect of our Sages’ statement concerning “one who renders a true judgment according to its ultimate truth.” The commentators examined the additional phrase “according to its ultimate truth”; in light of the above, it is exact. A judge might render a judgment that is true according to Torah and the parties’ claims, yet nevertheless hold liable the person who is truly innocent. But when the judge takes exceeding care that all his words be truthful, without any inclination, truth—which is, as it were, the light of Hashem, blessed be He, Himself—shines for him, and he merits seeing the truth in its ultimate truth. Light is revealed from within darkness through truthful speech; this is specifically “one who renders a true judgment according to its ultimate truth.” (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Judges 1:2)

Righteousness, Righteousness Shall You Pursue, So That You May Live (Deuteronomy 16:20) The judges must elevate malchus from its fall. The dispute between the litigants is an aspect of malchus having fallen among them, for the law of malchus requires people to conduct themselves uprightly, so that no one wrongs another, but peace and tranquility prevail between them. As the Sages said: “Pray for the welfare of the government, for were it not for fear of it, people would swallow one another alive” (Avos 3:2). The litigants failed to conduct themselves uprightly under the law of malchus until dispute and litigation arose between them; malchus thus fell among them. Their mitzvah is therefore to approach the court before the judges, who remove the blemish of fallen malchus from between them, issue judgment, and make peace.

The judges must therefore investigate the law with their intellect each time, in order to elevate malchus, for its principal ascent is to the intellect, from which it receives its vitality, as brought in Likutay Moharan I, Teaching 30; see there. This is specifically “Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue, so that you may live” (Deuteronomy 16:20). Through a worthy court, which elevates malchus to the light of the face from which it receives its vitality, vitality is also drawn below, for everyone receives vitality through malchus. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Judges 1)

The mochin of Eretz Yisrael are an aspect of the Torah’s pleasantness and an aspect of peace, whereas the mochin of the Diaspora are an aspect of destroyers and dispute. Through tzedakah, and particularly tzedakah associated with Eretz Yisrael, a vessel is formed to receive the influence of this pleasantness. Procreation is drawn from the supernal pleasantness, and a person merits children through whom His blessed glory is revealed more fully, for Hashem’s blessed glory is principally revealed through the human being. Through the revelation of glory, the mochin of the Diaspora can be rectified, since all their corruption came through blemishing glory.

However, when, God forbid, the mochin of the Diaspora are greatly damaged because His blessed glory was extensively blemished, they cannot be rectified. On the contrary, they also damage the mochin of Eretz Yisrael, which are the aspect of peace, and dispute then arises. This is the aspect of “Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20): your intention in giving tzedakah must be solely for the sake of righteousness, in order to fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah according to His blessed ratzoan, and not at all for your own honor. When this is blemished and one’s tzedakah is intended for personal honor, God forbid, the destroyers possess the power to blemish the pleasant ones, until they too become corrupted. Then, God forbid, “in the place of righteousness, there was wickedness” (Ecclesiastes 3:16): the destroyers, the aspect of wickedness, overpower the pleasant ones that were drawn through righteousness—that is, through tzedakah.

The verse therefore warns: “Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue”—your intention in tzedakah must be solely for the sake of righteousness. Righteousness will then remain perfectly in its place; indeed, righteousness will also rectify the destroyers. This is likewise the significance of the doubled expression “righteousness, righteousness”: even the destroyers are transformed into righteousness when one’s intention in tzedakah is truthful and one gives tzedakah solely for the sake of tzedakah. This is “so that you may live and inherit the land” (Deuteronomy 16:20), for through this one merits Eretz Yisrael, where the principal influence of pleasantness is found. “So that you may live”—for vitality principally derives from pleasantness, as it is written: “You will make known to me the path of life; fullness of joys in Your presence, pleasantness at Your right hand forever” (Psalms 16:11). Specifically “pleasantness at Your right hand forever”: the pleasantness will remain eternally, and the destroyers will be unable to corrupt it, God forbid. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Afternoon Prayer 6:6; see also the abridged Likutay Moharan II, Teaching 71)

If a Matter of Judgment Is Hidden from You… You Shall Arise and Ascend (Deuteronomy 17:8) When a person wishes to walk in the ways of teshuvah, he must be expert in halachah. Two forms of expertise are required: expert in advancing and expert in retreating, expert in entering and expert in departing. This is the aspect of “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there” (Psalms 139:8)—continually holding fast to Hashem, blessed be He, both in ascent and in descent. This is the principal perfection of the ways of teshuvah.

Although the essence of this expertise is truly simplicity and wholeheartedness, attaining this very simplicity and wholeheartedness and firmly implanting them in people’s hearts is exceedingly profound and wondrous. Concerning this it is written: “If a matter of judgment is hidden from you, between blood and blood,” and so forth, “you shall arise and ascend to the place” (Deuteronomy 17:8)—to the Beis HaMikdash. There the law was principally clarified, for the Great Sanhedrin, the kohanim, and the elders sat there and clarified all halachoas. The principal meaning of clarified halachah and clarified Mishnah is to attain halachoas that bring Torah into actual fulfillment, for “study is not the principal thing, but action” (Avos 1:17). Everyone seeking and searching for the ways of Hashem and His blessed service therefore had to ascend there and receive from them.

Now that the Beis HaMikdash has been destroyed because of our many sins, the principal rectification comes through the true tzaddikim, who are the aspect of Moshe and the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash; for concerning anyone who possesses understanding, it is as though the Beis HaMikdash was built in his days. Yet one must endure great humiliation and bloodshed before meriting to draw close to them, and afterward as well. All the more must one endure the anger and strictness of his master, the tzaddik, when he sometimes becomes angry with him, for all this is for his benefit. He then merits expertise in the halachah described above: continually holding fast to Hashem, blessed be He, wherever he may be, even in the lowest Sheol and beneath it, without end or limit.

This study is exceedingly profound and wondrous. One must diligently attend the doors of the study hall of the people of truth who engage in it, until one merits fulfilling it genuinely. The exile is prolonged principally because people do not exert themselves to draw close to true tzaddikim and receive this expertise from them. One must search and seek extensively for a Rebbe who understands this expertise, for not every great person or leader merits knowing it. Through exertion, petition, and the search for the true tzaddik—and through the humiliation and bloodshed endured for this purpose—one merits complete teshuvah by receiving from him the expertise in halachah described above. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Blessings over Fruit 5:13; following Otzar HaYirah, “Tzaddik,” 49)

Although the true tzaddikim have departed, their Torah insights—the halachoas they revealed—remain with us. Likewise, although the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, all the Torah and halachoas studied in the Beis HaMikdash, in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, remain with us. All the Torah’s halachoas that we know today were received from the Beis HaMikdash, as it is written: “For Torah shall go forth from Zion” (Isaiah 2:3), and: “If a matter of judgment is hidden from you… you shall arise and ascend” (Deuteronomy 17:8). It was impossible for all the halachoas we received from Moshe Rabbeinu to be completely clarified for us until the Beis HaMikdash was built, where the Great Sanhedrin sat and clarified all the halachoas for us, “to keep us alive as on this day” (Deuteronomy 6:24).

The enemy therefore did not gain control over the gates of the Beis HaMikdash, because they accorded honor to the Ark, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. The revelation of halachoas is an aspect of gates, for halachoas open the gates of wisdom and holy awareness through which one knows and recognizes Him, blessed be He. Concerning this our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Hashem loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob” (Psalms 87:2)—Hashem loves the gates distinguished through halachah. It is likewise written: “They shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies at the gate” (Psalms 127:5), which our Sages, of blessed memory, interpreted concerning Torah scholars engaged in Torah.

The enemy therefore did not gain control over the gates of the Beis HaMikdash; rather, “her gates sank into the earth” (Lamentations 2:9). This teaches that the enemy did not control the gates—the aspect of the halachoas revealed in the Beis HaMikdash—for those halachoas alone remain with us. Although the gates sank into the earth, the true tzaddikim in every generation, who are the aspect of the head of the house, elevate and reveal for us in every generation all the gates—the halachoas. The gates sank into the earth and were not delivered into the enemy’s hand so that anyone who desires to reveal them and raise them from the dust would possess the power to do so. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Division of Partnership Property 5:13)

You Shall Not Deviate from the Matter They Tell You, Right or Left (Deuteronomy 17:11) In truth, one must petition and plead extensively before Hashem, blessed be He, to merit knowing how to conduct oneself regarding the constriction of fervor. One must certainly strengthen oneself greatly to yearn and long for Hashem, blessed be He, continually and with immense longing; nevertheless, one must constrict that fervor so that it does not exceed one’s level. It is therefore impossible to be a genuine Jew unless one merits drawing close to true tzaddikim. They will instruct him concerning the path he should follow and the deed he should perform, so that his fervor and longing will be properly graduated and measured.

This is why the Torah commanded: “You shall not deviate from the matter they tell you, right or left” (Deuteronomy 17:11), for only the true Sages and tzaddikim know how to constrict the light properly, by degree and measure, without turning right or left. Although Moshe Rabbeinu already transmitted the holy Torah to us, and the entire Torah is an aspect of holy measures and constrictions through which the holy light of the Infinite may be received, we nevertheless require the Sages of the generation in every generation to interpret the Torah for us through their holy wisdom. Relative to us, the holy Torah is an aspect of the Infinite; only the holy Sages know how to teach us and explain it thoroughly, so that we can receive the Torah’s light by degree and measure appropriate to us, according to the generation and the time. This is the aspect of the protective ordinances and safeguards established by the Sages in every generation; see the full teaching. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Vows 3:4–5; following Otzar HaYirah, “Awe and Divine Service,” 71)

It Shall Be with Him, and He Shall Read from It All the Days of His Life (Deuteronomy 17:19) Kingship principally exists through counsel; therefore every king has advisers, for the structure of kingship is principally built from the aspect of counsel, as is known. The division of the kingdom of the House of David principally came through damaged counsel: Rechavam refused to heed the counsel of the elders and followed the counsel of the young men (I Kings 12:8). The kingdom of Israel is principally sustained through holy counsels—the 613 counsels that comprise the Torah. This is why the mitzvah of the king states: “It shall be with him, and he shall read from it all the days of his life” (Deuteronomy 17:19). For what purpose? “So that he may prolong his days over his kingdom” (Deuteronomy 17:20). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Kashering Utensils 2:7; following Otzar HaYirah, “Counsel,” 21)

So That His Heart Will Not Be Elevated Above His Brothers (Deuteronomy 17:20) Pride is principally broken in relation to money and wealth, which are riches and an aspect of malchus. Authority and prominence are principally found with the wealthy person, for everyone needs him; he must therefore guard himself especially against pride. As it is written: “Your silver and gold increase, and everything you possess increases; then your heart will become elevated and you will forget” (Deuteronomy 8:13–14). Pride and self-exaltation principally take hold in connection with a person’s money and possessions. It is plainly evident that, from small to great, many lose their world through the craving for money, and principally through pride and honor: everyone seeks to conduct himself above the means he possesses, until many lose their world through this, as explained in the full teaching.

The holy Torah therefore warned the king not to increase silver and gold for himself, “so that his heart will not be elevated above his brothers” (Deuteronomy 17:17, 20), for pride takes its strongest hold in money. Money and riches are an aspect of malchus and the pupil of the eye, in which all colors are seen, as is known. Therefore, “money answers everything” (Ecclesiastes 10:19): all the objects in the world are drawn from the supernal colors, which are aspects of the attributes, and all are included in the pupil of the eye, the aspect of riches and malchus. The principal test of pride and honor, which encompasses all the attributes, is therefore found in money. Money is the aspect of the pupil of the eye, specifically opposite which stands the aspect of klipas noagah, where the principal test and free choice are found. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Orlah 5:7; following Otzar HaYirah, “Money and Livelihood,” 64)

You Shall Give Him the First of the Shearing of Your Flock (Deuteronomy 18:4) This is the aspect of the mitzvah to give the first of the shearing to the kohen. The fleece of the flock is an aspect of the Torah’s halachoas, as explained in the teaching “A Psalm of Praise by David” (Likutay Moharan I, Teaching 12), in the aspect of “lambs for your clothing” (Proverbs 27:26) and “like a ewe before her shearers” (Isaiah 53:7), from which halachoas are shorn. This is also an aspect of livelihood and riches, for all riches are drawn from the flock, in the aspect of “the abundance of your flock” (Deuteronomy 7:13), which enriches its owners, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. Riches are drawn from the halachoas shorn from the aspect of the flock, in the aspect of “in her left hand are riches and honor” (Proverbs 3:16), as explained in the teaching cited above.

Since riches are drawn from the aspect of the left, the Tanna is compelled to fall in his study into some subtle aspect of study not for its own sake, which is the aspect of the left, in order to draw livelihood and riches. From this it may follow that the scholar who studies the Oral Torah—these halachoas—opposes the true tzaddikim, for if he does not merit, the Torah becomes a potion of death for him. The opposing scholar sees in Torah only the aspect of study not for its own sake, which is the aspect of Lavan, and his mouth comes to speak arrogantly against the tzaddik, as thoroughly explained in the teaching cited above.

This is the aspect of the first shearing that the Torah commanded be given to the kohen, the man of kindness and the aspect of the right: to clarify, refine, and elevate the fleece of the flock—the aspect of the halachoas—so that they all ascend and become included in the aspect of the right and of study for its own sake. Through the first portion given to the kohen, the entire fleece becomes included in him and ascends to the aspect of the right. We were therefore commanded to hear the halachoas from the kohen, as it is written: “They shall teach Your judgments to Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:10), and: “You shall arise and ascend to the place” and “you shall act according to everything they instruct you” (Deuteronomy 17:8, 10). The kohen is the aspect of the right and merits clarifying the halachoas into the aspect of the right and study for its own sake; this is the principal clarification of halachah according to its ultimate truth.

All kohanim are descendants of Aharon, the first kohen, who merited the kehunah because he did not envy his brother Moshe, who was younger than he. On the contrary, he accepted Moshe as his teacher, as it is written: “He will see you and rejoice in his heart” (Exodus 4:14); through this he merited the kehunah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. Aharon merited being the first and foremost student of Moshe Rabbeinu. As our Sages described the order of instruction: Aharon entered, and Moshe taught him his lesson. Thus Aharon was the first to receive all the clarified halachoas from Moshe Rabbeinu. For all generations, his descendants, the kohanim, merited teaching judgments and halachoas to Israel, for they are the aspect of the right. Their father Aharon never opposed or disputed with the true tzaddik, Moshe; the first of the fleece—the aspect of the halachoas—is therefore given to them, so that the halachoas may be clarified, refined, and elevated to the aspect of the right, the aspect of the kohen. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the First of the Shearing 5:1)

You Shall Give Him the First of the Shearing of Your Flock… for Hashem Your God Has Chosen Him to Stand and Serve in His Name, He and His Sons, All the Days (Deuteronomy 18:4–5) All holy garments are drawn from the aspect of encompassing lights. At their root, these encompassing lights are the aspect of wool and the rectifications of the beard—the great encompassing lights that the tzaddik merits attaining. They are an aspect of Olam HaBa, length of days and years, and the principal aspect of holy old age. Even the tzaddik who engages in drawing these encompassing lights must establish a boundary around his words, for some encompassing lights should not be drawn, so that the light of awareness will not be revealed excessively and become an aspect of excessive light causing the shattering of vessels, God forbid.

When the first of the shearing is given to the kohen, the entire fleece—the wool from which garments are made—is sanctified. One thereby merits properly drawing the garments that derive from the encompassing lights; that is, one receives the light of awareness gradually and in measure, in the aspect of “Do not investigate what is wondrously concealed from you” (Chagigah 13a), without attempting through one’s understanding to attain what lies above one’s level. This is the aspect of “You shall give him the first of the shearing of your flock, for Hashem your God has chosen him from all your tribes to stand and serve in the name of Hashem, he and his sons, all the days” (Deuteronomy 18:4–5).

The kohen merits serving in the Beis HaMikdash, where all sins are atoned for through the kohen’s service with the atoning offerings. The Beis HaMikdash and the kohen are the aspect of awareness, which they draw into a son and student—the aspect of the encompassing lights described above, which are the opposite of sins that derive from a ruach of folly. The first of the shearing is therefore given to the kohen so that one may merit drawing the garments, the fleece of the flock and aspect of the encompassing lights, properly and in holiness. “He and his sons” is the aspect of drawing awareness into a son and student, who are aspects of children, for students too are called children, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded concerning “All your children shall be students of Hashem” (Isaiah 54:13).

“He and his sons, all the days”—specifically “all the days.” Through his service in the Beis HaMikdash, the kohen draws awareness, the aspect of drawing the encompassing lights into a son and student, gradually and in measure, without ascending beyond time. He reveals only what can be attained within days and measures. He draws the encompassing lights into a son and student “all the days”—what can be attained within days and time—and establishes a boundary around his words, not ascending toward what cannot be attained throughout the days, for time is insufficient to explain this awareness. The first of the shearing must therefore be given to him. See Likutay Moharan II, Teaching 7. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the First of the Shearing 3:2–4; following Otzar HaYirah, “Garments,” 24)

You Shall Give Him the First of the Shearing of Your Flock, for Hashem Has Chosen Him to Stand and Serve (Deuteronomy 18:4–5) This is the aspect of the first of the shearing that must be given to the kohen. The kohen is a man of kindness, the aspect of Michael, the great kohen, who continually advocates the merit of Israel. All merits found among Israel are found through the aspect of hairs; through them it is possible to discover merit even in the worst of the worst. Several good hairs are found in everyone—the occasions upon which they draw themselves from evil toward good by a hair’s breadth. This is the aspect of “Your hair is like a flock of goats” (Song of Songs 4:1), which is stated concerning the sinners of Israel. The first of the shearing is therefore given to the kohen from the wool, in order to rectify wool at its root, the aspect of the supernal hairs; that is, to draw kindnesses upon Israel through the good hairs found among them, as each person repeatedly draws himself toward Him, blessed be He, by a hair’s breadth.

This is “You shall give him the first of the shearing of your flock, for Hashem has chosen him… to stand and serve” (Deuteronomy 18:4–5). The kohen’s principal service is with the offerings, to atone for Israel; this atonement is accomplished through the aspects of the hairs described above. Through them Hashem, blessed be He, is reconciled with Israel and forgives their sins, in the aspect of the woolen thread that whitened the sins on Yom Kippur. The kohen, the man of kindness, engages in this; the first of the shearing therefore belongs to him. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the First of the Shearing 4:3)

An Observer of Times, a Diviner, and a Sorcerer (Deuteronomy 18:10) All observers of times, diviners, and sorcerers proceed from a deficiency of counsel: they do not know how to advise themselves concerning their conduct, or whether to perform a particular act. They therefore practice divination and observation of times and seek to obtain counsel through signs. If a deer crosses their path or their bread falls from their mouth, they declare it a bad sign and abandon the business transaction; or they say that a particular time is favorable for beginning. In truth, they are great fools, for complete counsel can never be obtained in this manner.

The principal deficiency exists within the aspect of the world after Creation. In the aspect of the ultimate purpose, which is the aspect of before Creation, everything is one and everything is good; no division of counsel applies there. Only after Creation, where evil also takes hold, is counsel required to know which path to follow. Counsel is therefore called feet, in the aspect of “the earth is My footstool” (Isaiah 66:1). The inability to know counsel stems from uncertainty and from not fully knowing the purpose of each matter. A person acts so that some good purpose will result—for example, purchasing wax or fat to earn a profit—but because he does not know through what he will profit, he remains uncertain which transaction will achieve his intended purpose. The present world is therefore filled with uncertainty concerning counsel.

One who looks toward the final purpose of every matter, and whose principal intention in everything is to attain the final and eternal purpose, certainly merits complete counsel and does not require so many counsels. The final purpose is entirely one and entirely good. One who has compassion upon his soul and directs everything in the world solely toward attaining the delight of Olam HaBa—to recognize and know Him, blessed be He—will reach the good purpose, provided he does not deviate from the words of the holy Torah. This remains so although Divine service itself contains many paths, in the aspect of “Teach me Your way, Hashem; I will walk in Your truth” (Psalms 86:11) and “With Your counsel You will guide me” (Psalms 73:24), if his principal intention is genuinely for Heaven. This is the aspect of “Know Him in all your ways, and He will straighten your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).

Complete counsel can be attained only from the final purpose—the attainment of Hashem, blessed be He—where everything is one and entirely good, and from which all true counsels are drawn. In this world, which is filled with uncertainty and divided counsel, complete counsel is received only by binding it to Olam HaBa: directing all one’s ways toward the ultimate purpose, for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He, and performing every deed for the sake of Heaven. Correct counsels are then drawn into this world from the aspect of before Creation. One who separates this world from the ultimate purpose always has divided counsels and cannot advise his own soul, for this world is a world of separation. Concerning him it is written: “There is no wisdom, understanding, or counsel against Hashem” (Proverbs 21:30). Even if he succeeds temporarily or throughout his life, ultimately “what profit will he have from all his labor with which he labors for the wind?” (Ecclesiastes 5:15), for neither silver nor gold accompanies a person, but only Torah and good deeds.

When one directs oneself toward the ultimate purpose, all paths are good. In worldly affairs one trusts His blessed providence and that everything the Merciful One does is for the good: “Commit your way to Hashem” (Psalms 37:5) and “Cast your burden upon Hashem” (Psalms 55:23). One’s worldly activity is likewise directed toward serving Hashem, and everything follows the intention. Even in Divine service itself, the Merciful One desires the heart, and the Sages said: Whether one does much or little, provided he directs his heart toward Heaven. By binding oneself to the ultimate purpose, where all counsels are rooted, complete counsel is drawn from there. This is the aspect of the 613 counsels of the Torah: Moshe Rabbeinu cleaved to Hashem, blessed be He, and to the ultimate purpose until he merited drawing from there all the holy counsels through which the delight of Olam HaBa is attained.

Concerning the idolaters, who did not receive the Torah, it is written: “Devise a counsel, and it will be annulled” (Isaiah 8:10), and “Hashem nullified the counsel of nations” (Psalms 33:10), for they are bound to this world and do not direct themselves toward the ultimate purpose. They therefore cling to the foolishness of observers of times, diviners, and sorcerers and make their counsels dependent upon it. They seek counsel from physical matters in this world—a deer crossing the path, bread falling from the mouth, or a particular hour being favorable for beginning—and make everything dependent upon place and time. Because of their cravings for this world, they separate after Creation from before Creation. This is the principal contamination of the serpent, who enticed Adam to eat from the Tree of Knowledge by saying that the tree was good for food and desirable for gaining wisdom. He turned the matter upside down, as though God ate from the tree and created the world.

In truth, after Creation must be bound to before Creation. This is accomplished principally through emunah, the foundation of the entire Torah: by believing that Hashem, blessed be He, created everything, one binds the entire Creation to Him. The observer of times and diviner seek counsel from the physicality of this world, but physicality contains no counsel; counsel is principally received from the ultimate purpose, the aspect of before Creation, from Hashem, blessed be He. The passage therefore concludes: “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 18:13). When after Creation is not bound to before Creation, there is no wholeness or wholeheartedness, for perfection belongs only to Hashem, blessed be He, and without Him everything is deficient. When one binds oneself and the entire Creation to Hashem, blessed be He, one becomes wholehearted and complete with Him and merits receiving complete counsels from their source. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Observing Times and Divination 3:1–4; following Otzar HaYirah, “Counsel,” 22)

An Observer of Times and a Diviner… You Shall Be Wholehearted (Deuteronomy 18:10, 13) It is forbidden to observe times or practice divination—that is, to say that a particular time is favorable and another time unfavorable—because it is written: “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 18:13). When a person says that one time is favorable and another unfavorable, he grants power and dominion to the unfavorable time. All this depends upon damage to the bris, through which the unfavorable time becomes stronger, God forbid, as explained in the teaching “That Person” in Likutay Moharan I, Teaching 29. “You shall be wholehearted” is therefore juxtaposed to this prohibition. Wholeheartedness is the opposite of observing times and is an aspect of rectification of the bris, which is called wholehearted, as it is written: “Walk before Me and be wholehearted” (Genesis 17:1). Through this, the unfavorable time—the aspect of observing times—is subdued.

“You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God”: “Hashem your God” is the aspect of the World to Come, the aspect of “Hashem, He is God” (Deuteronomy 4:35). In the World to Come, the unfavorable time is completely nullified, for Olam HaBa is above time and measures, entirely good, and contains no aspect of an unfavorable time. One merits this through rectification of the bris, which elevates the mochin—the aspect of awareness and Olam HaBa. Rectification of the bris therefore nullifies the unfavorable time. This is why it is written: “Do not be dismayed by the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed by them” (Jeremiah 10:2). Israel, the aspect of those who guard the bris, need not fear the heavenly signs that indicate times and periods, for guarding the bris nullifies the unfavorable time and grants the aspect of Olam HaBa, which is above time. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Observing Times and Divination 1)

There Shall Not Be Found Among You… an Observer of Times or a Diviner (Deuteronomy 18:10) Israel, a holy people, are above nature. They are not delivered to any celestial ruler and are not governed by the nature of the heavenly order, but by His blessed providence. They are therefore commanded not to inquire into heavenly signs, observe times, or practice divination. These matters depend upon one another: when Israel does not inquire into the falsehoods and deceptive imaginings of observers of times, astrologers, and the like, they subdue the serpent’s contamination and cleave to holy emunah. Through emunah they merit the aspect of the world’s renewal and the aspect of Eretz Yisrael, and are governed solely through providence—wonders above the nature of the heavenly order. They then certainly need not fear heavenly signs, for they are above them and are governed by providence alone. Thus, through the very act of distancing themselves from these practices, they no longer need to fear them.

By contrast, the idolaters who consult observers of times and sorcerers deriving from the serpent’s contamination, and who lack complete emunah in Hashem, blessed be He, are distant from Eretz Yisrael and from the aspect of providence, and are governed according to nature. They must therefore fear the signs of heaven precisely because they inquire into them and possess no holy emunah. This is what is written concerning holy Israel: “Do not be dismayed by the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed by them” (Jeremiah 10:2). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Observing Times and Divination 2; following Otzar HaYirah, “Providence and Nature,” 7)

You Shall Be Wholehearted… for These Nations Whom You Are Inheriting Heed Observers of Times and Diviners, but as for You, Not So (Deuteronomy 18:13–14) Concerning the prohibition against consulting sorcerers and observers of times, it is written: “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 18:13)—specifically “with Hashem your God.” “Hashem God” is the aspect of the complete Name and of Olam HaBa, when “Hashem will be One and His Name one” (Zechariah 14:9), and the aspect of “Hashem, He is God” (Deuteronomy 4:35), entirely good. Nature will then be nullified and the world will be governed solely through His providence. His blessed providence is entirely good and kindness, in the aspect of “The world is built through kindness” (Psalms 89:3). Nature is the concealment of His providence, the aspect of judgment; the numerical value of Elokim equals hateva, “nature.” In truth, nature too is governed through His blessed providence, but providence is hidden and concealed within it in the aspect of judgment.

When providence is revealed, everything is good and kindness. This is the aspect of the world’s renewal and “the world is built through kindness,” for the world will then be governed solely through providence and it will be revealed that everything is one—that nature too is providence. The Name Hashem is the aspect of providence and kindness; Elokim is the aspect of judgment and nature. In the future it will be revealed that “Hashem, He is God”: everything is good and one, and nature will be included within providence. We, a holy people, are commanded even now to attach our thought to Olam HaBa and draw the aspect of Olam HaBa and providence into this world. Our principal service is to include this world within Olam HaBa so that everything becomes one. We are therefore commanded not to consult heavenly signs, diviners, or observers of times, but to believe in Hashem and thereby merit providence and the aspect of Olam HaBa.

This is “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God,” stated after the warnings that no observer of times or diviner be found among you. We are commanded to attach ourselves to the aspect of “Hashem, He is God”—Olam HaBa, providence, complete goodness, and the nullification of nature. Nature, the aspect of Elokim, becomes included in Hashem, the aspect of providence, for everything is one and good. This is the principal wholeheartedness and perfection, containing no deficiency. All deficiencies and judgments exist within the aspect of nature, which draws sustenance from judgment and the aspect of Elokim; but within providence and Olam HaBa there is no deficiency or judgment, for everything is good.

The Torah therefore mentions Eretz Yisrael in this warning and makes conquest of the Land dependent upon it: “For these nations whom you are inheriting heed observers of times and diviners, but as for you, not so” (Deuteronomy 18:14). Eretz Yisrael is principally conquered through separating from the contamination of diviners and observers of times and believing in Hashem. One thereby merits the renewal of the world, the aspect of Eretz Yisrael, by believing in the power of His works—that Hashem created everything through His ratzoan. “Because of these abominations Hashem your God dispossesses them before you” (Deuteronomy 18:12): since they consult these abominations and lack emunah, they are expelled from Eretz Yisrael, which can be attained only through emunah. The passage therefore juxtaposes: “I will establish a prophet for you” (Deuteronomy 18:15), for everything depends upon the true prophet. Through prophecy one merits holy emunah and separation from the serpent’s contamination, the aspect of diviners and observers of times. See Likutay Moharan II, Teaching 8. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Observing Times and Divination 2:2)

You Shall Be Wholehearted with Hashem Your God (Deuteronomy 18:13) This world is filled with deficiencies, and all the sounds in the world arise from deficiencies—each person cries out over what he lacks. The deficiencies of this world principally result from the intensification of cravings and vain forms of wisdom, which are the aspect of excess and of orlah. The more these excesses intensify, the farther a person is from perfection, and he becomes an aspect of one who bears a blemish. Thus our Sages, of blessed memory, said concerning “Walk before Me and be wholehearted” (Genesis 17:1): As long as the foreskin remains upon you, you are blemished before Me. This is the aspect of “whoever adds, detracts” (Sanhedrin 29a), the aspect of the klipoas called excesses. A person is then filled with deficiencies and continually lacks more. When the foreskin—the excesses of this world’s cravings and its vain forms of wisdom—is removed, the deficiency is completed and the person is called wholehearted, for he can then cleave to Hashem, blessed be He, where all perfection is found.

One who desires life in this world can attain it only by being content with the barest minimum of this world, narrowly sufficient for sustaining life. Even regarding this small amount, one’s intention must be solely for the sake of Heaven and in accordance with the holy Torah. To the extent that one distances oneself from this world’s cravings and vanities and binds oneself to Hashem, blessed be He, and His holy Torah, one’s deficiencies diminish and one merits being included within the aspect of perfection—principally through the perfection of holy emunah. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Procreation 3:34–35; following Otzar HaYirah, “Awe and Divine Service,” 169–170; see also ibid., “Circumcision,” 45)

The principal perfection is emunah alone. Emunah is therefore called wholeheartedness, in the aspect of “You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God” (Deuteronomy 18:13). Emunah is wholehearted and complete with ultimate perfection, for “all matters are wearisome; no person can express them; the eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing” (Ecclesiastes 1:8), and even “if the wise person says he will know, he cannot discover it” (Ecclesiastes 8:17). Awareness and Torah therefore attain perfection only through emunah, for no matter can be grasped completely through the intellect except by means of emunah.

Since a person believes in Hashem, blessed be He, in His tzaddikim, and in His mitzvos with complete emunah, he is complete with ultimate perfection. Emunah is boundless, for he believes in the truth that extends without end, although it cannot possibly be grasped through the intellect; emunah encompasses everything without end or limit. Emunah must therefore be complete, without any blemish or defect, in the aspect of “You are entirely beautiful, My beloved, and there is no blemish in you” (Song of Songs 4:7). Through it one then merits great awareness, for complete emunah grants awareness. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of the Firstborn Kosher Animal 3:10)

You Shall Not Move Your Fellow’s Boundary (Deuteronomy 19:14) Every member of Israel has a portion in Eretz Yisrael corresponding to the boundary of his awareness. The principal awareness through which He, blessed be He, is known is found in Eretz Yisrael, where the Beis HaMikdash stands; the holiness of this awareness shines from the Beis HaMikdash and spreads throughout the Land. Therefore the air of Eretz Yisrael makes one wise, and no wisdom equals the wisdom of Eretz Yisrael. There holy awareness is principally found, as the Sages said: Whoever dwells in Eretz Yisrael resembles one who has a God. Each person, according to his root and his service in attaining awareness up to his boundary, receives a portion in Eretz Yisrael. Israel therefore labored to obtain a large inheritance in the Land—in order to attain more of this holy awareness. This is the aspect of “You shall not move your fellow’s boundary… in your inheritance that you shall inherit” (Deuteronomy 19:14), a special warning in Eretz Yisrael not to enter the boundary of another’s awareness, for one might destroy and completely damage his awareness, God forbid.

Although it is a great mitzvah to speak with one’s fellow about awe of Heaven and have compassion upon him by drawing him out of his sins and blemishes, for this is the principal settlement of the world, as explained in the teaching “For He Has Compassion upon Them” in Likutay Moharan II, Teaching 7, one must ensure that this involvement is for good—to rectify and not damage. It must not generate dispute or hatred, God forbid. Most quarrels and baseless hatred arise because each person views his fellow unfavorably and sees so many defects and bad attributes in him that he imagines him unbearable; his fellow then looks back at him in the same way, “as water reflects a face to a face” (Proverbs 27:19). This affliction destroyed our Temple, for the Second Temple was destroyed because of baseless hatred (Yoma 9b), which results from looking too deeply into another person.

In truth, every person must be judged favorably, and the Sages said: “Do not judge your fellow until you reach his place” (Avos 2:4). Who can reach his fellow’s place and the boundary of his awareness, from which his attributes, activities, and deeds developed? One must therefore “make a safeguard for the Torah” and fulfill “the safeguard for wisdom is silence” (Avos 1:1, 17). Silence is principally required regarding investigations and questions concerning His blessed ways that cannot be understood. Hashem, blessed be He, Himself cannot be grasped: “No thought can grasp You at all,” and “none can know You at all.” Permission was granted to speak of His wonders and attributes only to the extent that each person can understand according to the boundary of his awareness.

His blessed ways and attributes likewise can be attained only up to each person’s boundary. If one merits, His blessed Godliness flashes within one’s awareness according to the vessel of that awareness, in the aspect of “Her Husband is known at the gates” (Proverbs 31:23)—each person according to what he estimates in his heart. This flash cannot be related to another; even the person himself cannot recount today his attainment of yesterday, as brought in Sichos HaRan. The Sages therefore said that the Divine Chariot may not be expounded to an individual unless he is wise and understands through his own knowledge (Chagigah 11b), for the attainment of Godliness is the aspect of the Work of the Chariot, and the constrictions through which it is attained are the aspect of the chariot, as explained in Likutay Moharan I, Teaching 30.

Therefore, although speaking with one’s fellow about holy awareness is a great mitzvah, it must proceed in a mode of advance and retreat. One speaks of His wonders, as it is written: “Speak of all His wonders” (Psalms 105:2), thereby strengthening emunah: “From generation to generation I will make known Your faithfulness with my mouth” (Psalms 89:2), and “A father will make Your truth known to children” (Isaiah 38:19). One recounts Hashem’s wonders from the days of Avraham, the Exodus, the giving of the Torah, the signs of Moshe Rabbeinu, and the Torah insights revealed by true tzaddikim in every generation. In this way each person receives emunah from his fellow and implants it in his fellow’s heart; but the flash itself cannot be revealed—“They shall be yours alone, and not for strangers with you” (Proverbs 5:17). One must remain silent and not destroy the boundary, as was stated at the giving of the Torah: “The kohanim and the people shall not break through to ascend to Hashem” (Exodus 19:24). Each person has a unique partition and boundary in his awareness that may not be destroyed. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Partners in Land 5:13)

A Single Witness Shall Not Rise Against a Person for Any Iniquity or Any Sin (Deuteronomy 19:15) The sitra achara begins with union and ends with separation, whereas holiness follows the reverse course, as brought in the holy Zohar. The sitra achara—the serpent and falsehood—begins with union: it claims that the light above is joined as one and cannot be constricted and divided in order to draw it below. It thereby ends in complete separation and absolute denial, for it does not believe that all vitality below is bound and connected above, as though this world were separated, God forbid, from its supernal root.

Holiness, by contrast, begins with separation: thousands are separated and divided into hundreds, and the light is constricted, until the awareness of holy emunah is drawn—that this entire physical world is bound and connected above, for “His malchus rules over all” (Psalms 103:19). This is the principal perfection of unification: knowing that the vitality and governance of every detail of Creation are bound and connected to Him, blessed be He, for He gives life to them all. Holiness thereby ends with union.

This is “A single witness shall not rise against a person for any iniquity or any sin” (Deuteronomy 19:15). Once the serpent’s contamination, from which every iniquity and sin derives, has taken hold and the truth must be clarified from within it, one witness is insufficient. He lacks the power to stand against the sitra achara, which seeks to prevent division of the light so that the light remains above while it rules below—the aspect of the side of death that separates vitality from the body, for death separates. One person alone cannot divide the light from thousands into hundreds; only “by the testimony of two witnesses… shall a matter be established” (Deuteronomy 19:15), for “two are better than one” (Ecclesiastes 4:9). Since their souls are divided below, two witnesses possess greater power to divide the light from thousands into hundreds, through which truth is revealed in the aspect of true testimony. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Testimony 4:10; following Otzar HaYirah, “Emunah,” 126)

By the Testimony of Two Witnesses… Shall a Matter Be Established (Deuteronomy 19:15) The Torah granted two witnesses the power to clarify truth and subdue the falsehood between two litigants contending in court, when it is unknown who speaks truthfully and who falsely. Specifically two qualified witnesses can accomplish this. Since they are two, they are the aspect of after Creation, when, as it were, two things appeared; yet because they are two qualified Jews, they remain the aspect of the beginning of Creation, immediately after Creation and before it developed into “many calculations.” Israel arose first in thought, and the beginning of Creation is still entirely one, good, holy, and true, before the development of the many calculations in which the sitra achara and falsehood take hold.

Israel are therefore the aspect of “entirely a seed of truth,” and it is written: “The remnant of Israel will not commit injustice and will not speak falsehood” (Zephaniah 3:13). Their hold upon their root is in truth, the aspect of Creation’s first ascent in thought. Through their truth, Israel can include after Creation within before Creation even now, for truth includes after Creation within before Creation. This occurs principally when many Jews join together for a holy matter, the aspect of truth: the plurality of after Creation becomes included in before Creation, which is entirely one, through their joining in unity for a holy and truthful matter. They then possess greater power to subdue falsehood, which takes hold in plurality, for judgment is sweetened only at its root. Truth is therefore principally clarified from falsehood specifically through two witnesses.

When a Jew falls into falsehood, God forbid, the blemish is exceedingly great, as though he uproots himself from his root—the root of the souls of Israel that arose first in thought. When two Jews testify falsely, God forbid, the blemish is greater still, as though they grant falsehood a hold at the root. Two people are therefore not presumed to lie, since this matter touches the root of Israel’s holiness most deeply. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Testimony 2:3; following Otzar HaYirah, “Truth,” 54)

Do Not Fear, Panic, or Be Broken Before Them (Deuteronomy 20:3) He answered and said: “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all who hope in Hashem” (Psalms 31:25)—specifically “all who hope.” Even if, God forbid, you merit no holiness or Divine service and possess only hope, nevertheless be strong and courageous, and do not fall because of anything in the world, whatever the circumstances, as explained many times in our teachings. Beyond this, every person must strengthen his fellow so that he does not become discouraged by anything. Even if he knows his own condition to be what it is, he should strengthen his fellow, for it is easier to strengthen another than oneself, since a prisoner cannot release himself; and there is no greater evil than falling.

Concerning physical warfare, our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded “Do not fear, panic, or be broken before them” (Deuteronomy 20:3): Do not fear the clamor of the troops, and do not be broken by the sound of the horns. All these experiences confront one who seeks to enter the service of Hashem: many forms of warfare and fear, the clamor of troops, and the sound of horns confront every person. He must hold his ground, never abandon his place, continually await salvation, and not distance himself or flee from Him, blessed be He, God forbid. As the Sages said concerning war: the beginning of defeat is flight, may the Merciful One save us.

“Where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there” (Psalms 139:7–8), for Hashem, blessed be He, is present everywhere. One must be exceedingly persistent in the service of Hashem. When a person merits not causing his fellow to fall—even though he knows that he himself is distant from Divine service, he instead strengthens his fellow in every possible way, revives him, and restores his soul with soul-restoring words—it is possible that through this he too will afterward merit returning to the service of Hashem. (Sichos HaRan 120)

Shima Yisrael, You Are Approaching Battle Today Against Your Enemies; Let Your Heart Not Become Faint (Deuteronomy 20:3) Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: Even if your only merit is that you say “Shima Yisrael” every day, you are worthy of defeating your enemies. All wars in the world principally allude to the war against the yetzer hara. Even the physical wars a person wages against enemies and adversaries are aspects of the wars against the yetzer hara, as the Sages said: When a person has adversaries below, he likewise has adversaries above (Sanhedrin 44b). The principal war is therefore the war against the yetzer hara.

This is why the kohen warned them before they entered Hashem’s war to defeat the enemies surrounding holiness—the sitra achara surrounding Eretz Yisrael, encompassing all the enemies, preventers, and obstructers of holy matters. When a person enters battle against them, he is in great danger, for many accusations arise against him and seek to cause him to fall completely from his Divine service, God forbid. The principal battle is to strengthen himself and remain standing so that he does not fall from His blessed service; he will then certainly merit defeating, breaking, and nullifying them. His assurance that he will not fall is holy emunah. When he is strong in emunah, he need not fear any war or trial.

This is “Shima Yisrael, you are approaching battle today” (Deuteronomy 20:3)—through the merit of Shima Yisrael alone. That is, through the merit and power of holy emunah, you can approach battle both physically and spiritually. Since you are strong in emunah in Him, blessed be He, you need not fear any war. “Let your heart not become faint; do not fear, panic, or be broken before them” (Deuteronomy 20:3): do not fear the thundering horses, the clamor of the troops, or the sound of the horns—the tactics through which enemies threaten and frighten their opponents. All these aspects exist in the war against the yetzer hara. The adversary and the sitra achara threaten a person, frighten him, and make Divine service seem exceedingly burdensome; because of these threats and burdens, many have refrained even from beginning the service of Hashem.

The principal rule in serving Hashem is that a person not be afraid at all. As Rabbeinu, of blessed memory, wrote: In this world a person must cross an exceedingly narrow bridge, and the principal thing is not to make oneself afraid at all. The strength to cross safely and without fear is holy emunah—the aspect of “Shima Yisrael.” Therefore: “Let your heart not become faint… for Hashem your God is the One Who goes with you to save you” (Deuteronomy 20:3–4). This is “Hashem is for me; I will not fear. What can a person do to me?” (Psalms 118:6): I believe in Hashem with complete emunah, and Hashem is always with me, for His glory fills the whole earth; therefore I will not fear. One who possesses strong emunah will defeat all the wars and will ultimately return to Hashem in truth, in the aspect of “This I will return to my heart; therefore I will hope” (Lamentations 3:21). (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Shaving 3:9)

Shima Yisrael, You Are Approaching Battle Today… Do Not Fear (Deuteronomy 20:3) All suffering that comes upon a person in this world, which is filled with suffering, comes so that he will flee from it toward the ultimate purpose and completely nullify himself to Hashem, blessed be He, repeatedly in advance and retreat. He will thereby merit recognizing and knowing Him, blessed be He, for this is why the entire Creation came into being—that He be known. When a person returns from nullification, the suffering may intensify further; yet consolation comes through Torah insights drawn from the impression that remains from the nullification. Great strengthening is required for this, for not everyone merits it, and some become more distant because of their suffering, God forbid.

The same applies to all obstacles and confusions that prevent a person from serving Him, which constitute his principal suffering. He must overcome them by looking toward the ultimate purpose, particularly when suffering and obstacles come from people who lead him away from truth through evil words, enticements, mockery, and flattering speech, until they can distort even the persecuted person’s thinking and change his ratzoan so that he no longer looks properly toward the ultimate purpose. But when he is exceedingly firm in his understanding, knows the ultimate truth, genuinely nullifies himself to Hashem, blessed be He, and becomes included in His unity, he does not fear even obstacles arising from people: “Hashem is for me; I will not fear. What can a person do to me?” (Psalms 118:6).

Concerning “Shima Yisrael, you are approaching battle today against your enemies” (Deuteronomy 20:3), the Sages said: Even if your only merit is “Shima Yisrael,” let your heart not become faint and do not fear. The merit of Shima Yisrael is emunah in Divine unity and nullification to Hashem, blessed be He, with self-sacrifice. One who is firm in his awareness, continually looks toward the ultimate purpose, and remembers His blessed unity need not fear any enemy or adversary; they will all kneel and fall before him, even when the enemy seeks to turn him aside. Thus David said to Goliath: “You come to me with sword and spear… but I come to you in the name of Hashem” (I Samuel 17:45). The five stones he took corresponded to Shima Yisrael, as brought in the holy Zohar.

A person certainly possesses the power to be saved even from one who has free choice. If people with free choice possess the power to obstruct him, all the more does a worthy person or tzaddik possess the power to be saved from them; one who comes to purify himself is assisted, and Hashem, blessed be He, helps him. The principal fear is that persecution and suffering may weaken the persecuted person’s understanding and distance him from Hashem. When he remains firm in awareness and continually looks toward the ultimate purpose, no enemy can stand against him. Not only can the tzaddik himself withstand enemies who possess free choice; one who genuinely relies upon and accompanies the tzaddik likewise need not fear. Just as David saved all Israel from Goliath, so the true tzaddik in every generation can save those genuinely attached to him from their enemies and persecutors.

Every person must know that even if he is of very low stature and does not reach the ankles of the earlier tzaddikim and God-fearing people, Hashem, blessed be He, will not send him an enemy or obstructer whom he cannot withstand—unless His blessed ratzoan is that he die in sanctification of the Name, for which every Jew is prepared. Ordinarily, it is a trial: will he strengthen himself to stand in truth and emunah and not become discouraged because of his enemies? When he continually looks toward the ultimate purpose, he can withstand them, principally through the power of the true tzaddik, who merited drawing genuine Torah insights from the impression of his great and wondrous nullification, until all kneel and fall before him.

This is the aspect of “I, I am He Who comforts you; who are you that you should fear a mortal who will die?” (Isaiah 51:12). “I, I” alludes to nullification and the impression remaining from it; “who are you” signifies nullification until you no longer know who you are independently. When your intention is solely toward the eternal purpose, how can a person destined to die, whose days pass like a shadow, prevent you? “I am Hashem your God… I have placed My words in your mouth, to plant the heavens and establish the earth” (Isaiah 51:15–16) refers to Torah insights drawn from the impression of nullification, through which new heavens and earth are created and tzaddikim can alter nature. The principal thing is to remain firm in awareness of the ultimate purpose and genuinely bind oneself, for the sake of Heaven, to the true tzaddik who nullifies himself to Hashem in advance and retreat. His insights are wellsprings of salvation, illuminating even the lowest person with a flash from the impression of nullification and helping him withstand those who rise against him physically and spiritually. (Likutay Halachos, Laws of Circumcision 5:19–23, 26–27; following Otzar HaYirah)

Who Is the Man Who Is Fearful and Fainthearted? (Deuteronomy 20:8) Fears fall upon a person through faintness of heart, for courage is principally in the heart, whereas the fainthearted become afraid. This is why it is written: “Who is the man who is fearful and fainthearted?” (Deuteronomy 20:8). Rashi explains “who is fearful,” and so forth: because he is fainthearted, he becomes afraid. (Abridged Likutay Moharan, Teaching 43)

For the Human Being Is the Tree of the Field (Deuteronomy 20:19) Dispute elevates and raises a person, for “the human being is the tree of the field” (Deuteronomy 20:19). A tree lying upon the ground cannot raise itself unless rushing water comes upon it; the water then lifts and carries the tree. Dispute is called water, as it is written: “They surrounded me like water all day long; they encircled me together” (Psalms 88:18). (Likutay Moharan I, Teaching 161)