תּוֹרָה קצב - מַעֲלַת הַדִּבּוּר שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיק

Torah 1488

One who hears a word from the mouth of the true Tzadik — and in particular when one sees him then — receives the aspect of the Tzadik's face and the aspect of his intellect and his soul. But one must guard oneself from forgetting. For forgetting causes all this to be forgotten from one. And when one merits to remembrance — to remember the Tzadik's words as he said them — or through repeating them a hundred and one times so that one remembers them — then when one says this matter in the name of the Tzadik — the form of the sage's image appears before one. And it is as if the Tzadik himself said it. But the remembrance must be genuine — through the power of true remembrance.

When one hears the innovation from the teacher's own mouth at the time the teacher first innovated it — through this one will remember it well. But when one does not hear it from the teacher's own mouth — or even from his mouth afterwards — not at the time when he first innovated the innovation — then one can forget it easily. [From this will be understood the Gemara's discussion about why Rav Z. avoided Rav Y. when he wanted to ascend to the Land of Israel [Shabbos 41a] — for perhaps through greeting him he would also receive his mind — and through this be prevented from ascending to the Land of Israel.]

In every book there is the image of the form of the sage who innovated those words in this book.

The true word that goes forth from the mouth of the true Tzadik — even in secular matters — is more precious than words of Torah from another Tzadik. For there much mixture is possible. But this word going forth from the mouth of the true Tzadik is only truth alone. And since it is only truth with no mixture whatsoever — there is nothing more precious than it.

Truth is the face of all the holy faces.