תּוֹרָה י - וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים

Torah 536

Through dancing [rikkudin] and clapping of hands [machoas kaf], the sweetening of harsh judgments [hamtakas ha-dinim] is accomplished.

The primary honour of Hashem Yisborach is when those who are most distant draw themselves close to the service of Hashem Yisborach — for then the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is exalted and glorified above and below [is'alah v'isyakar sh'ma d'kudsha b'rich hu aila v'sata], and His honour, may He be blessed, is greatly magnified and elevated. Therefore every person must strive greatly to draw those who are far close to Hashem Yisborach. And furthermore, no person should despair of drawing close to the service of Hashem Yisborach on account of having been distanced greatly from Hashem Yisborach through his many sins — even if he has done much evil, G-d forbid. For on the contrary — the more distant a person is, the more the honour of Hashem Yisborach is magnified through him when he strives to return and draw close to Him, may He be blessed — for this is the primary honour of Hashem, may He be blessed. However, it is impossible for the distant one to draw close to Hashem Yisborach as is proper, except through the Tzadikim of the generation.

True Tzadikim elevate prayer in great ascents — until they reveal the G-dliness and Kingship of Hashem, may He be blessed, to all who come into the world, even to those who are very, very distant — the wicked and the nations of the world. For this is the primary greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He — that even those who are very distant, and even the nations of the world, should know that there is a G-d Who rules and governs, as brought in the holy Zohar [Yisro 69a]. Therefore: ""Whoever has a sick person or any distress in his home should go to a wise man and ask him to pray for mercy on his behalf"" [Bava Basra 116a] — for the true prayer is known only to the Tzadikim of the generation. And through this one brings great satisfaction [nachas ruach] to Hashem Yisborach — for the Holy One, blessed be He, desires the prayers of Tzadikim and takes pleasure from them.

There are arrogant people who prevent themselves and others from going to Tzadikim to pray for them — and they thereby obstruct the desire [ta'avas] of Hashem Yisborach.

These arrogant people think that they too can pray — since they have fasted and afflicted themselves — and that through this they are Tzadikim. But the truth is not so. For if they would truly examine themselves, they would see that after all their fasts and the like, all their desires still remain bound to their bodies — and furthermore, the contamination of their father's desire from the time of their birth, due to the fact that their father was not sanctified at the time of union, is still bound to their bodies. And when they honestly contemplate this, a great trembling will certainly fall upon them — and they would not be mistaken to think they are Tzadikim who can pray and perform redemptions [pidyonos]. And so should every person think all of this — and not err in thinking he is a Tzadik. And he should strive to bring and return all prayers to the true Tzadikim — for only they know how to pray and raise the prayer as is fitting. And the Holy One, blessed be He, longs for their prayer and sends a fluent prayer [t'filah s'durah] to their mouths — in order to take pleasure from the prayer.

And the well-advised remedy to nullify pride — which is idolatry [avodah zarah], as it is written: ""An abomination of Hashem is everyone proud of heart"" [Proverbs 16:5; see Sotah 4b] — is primarily through drawing close to Tzadikim.

Through drawing close to Tzadikim, pride — which is idolatry — is nullified. And one merits complete faith [emunah sh'leimah] — and all forms of heresy [k'firot] are nullified. And one merits the aspect of the holy spirit [ruach ha-kodesh]. Through this one merits great joy — to the point of arriving at holy clapping of hands and dancing [machoas kaf v'rikkudin d'kedushah]. Through this the harsh judgments are sweetened, and one merits wisdom and life and length of days — and the attainment of Torah in its revealed [niggle] and hidden [nistar] dimensions.

Through the joy of Purim — with clapping of hands and dancing — one draws down the aspect of the receiving of the Torah in its revealed and hidden dimensions, which is the aspect of the wondrous illumination of Mordechai and Esther. And one merits to fulfil the commandment of counting the Omer [sefiras ha-omer] as is fitting. Through this the husks of Haman-Amalek, may their name be erased, are subdued — and pride and idolatry and heresy are nullified. And great faith is drawn down, and holy wisdom, life and length of days — and all harsh judgments are sweetened, and all decrees against Israel are nullified. Amen, may it be so.

Through the nullification of pride, wisdom is restored to its rectification [al tikkuna]. And one merits life and length of days. And the harsh judgments are sweetened. And one merits faith and great joy, and the attainment of Torah in its revealed and hidden dimensions, and the aspect of the holy spirit.

The root [shoresh] of repentance is from Rosh Chodesh [the New Moon]. Therefore on Rosh Chodesh the repentance flows down through all created beings — and a thought of repentance reaches them. And even the wicked in Gehinnom are compelled to some regret on Rosh Chodesh — returning and regretting and confessing and being ashamed. For even though there is no Gehinnom then [as stated in the holy Zohar, Terumah 150a], this very shame and regret is itself their Gehinnom. (And so it is written in section 22 — that the pain of shame is very great, far greater than the punishment of Gehinnom, may the Merciful One spare us.)