תּוֹרָה כ - תִּשְׁעָה תִּקּוּנִין

Torah 1411

All the commentators on the Torah receive from the soul whose every word is like burning coals — in the aspect of: ""is not My word like fire"" [Jeremiah 23:29]. And this soul is afflicted with suffering: ""eat bread with salt and drink water by measure — this is the way of Torah"" [Avos, chapter 6]. And when this soul falls from the aspect of ""My word is like fire"" as above, and its words become cold — then it departs. And then the Torah commentaries that flow through it depart as well. And the above-mentioned commentators can no longer attain any Torah commentary — and then strife comes upon the Tzadikim. And from this comes the primary dispute in the world — that the commentary is lacking, which is the resolution [tayruts] to difficulties and quarrels.

One who wishes to draw down Torah commentaries must first draw upon himself words that are warm as burning coals as above — and this speech flows from the supernal heart in the aspect of: ""the rock of my heart"" [Psalms 73:26]. And one must pour out his speech in prayer before Hashem Yisborach first — and through his prayer the compassion of Hashem Yisborach is aroused toward him and the supernal heart is opened. For the primary compassion resides in the heart — and from there warm words flow down — and through this the speech draws down Torah commentaries from there as well. Therefore every Torah commentator must first pray before Hashem Yisborach — to arouse the supernal heart to bestow upon him words like burning coals — and afterwards he should begin to explain.

When the true Tzadik expounds publicly [doreish b'rabbim], before the exposition he binds himself with their souls and pours out his speech and prayer before Hashem Yisborach. Then his prayer is the prayer of the many [t'filas rabbim] and is certainly accepted — as it is written: ""behold, G-d is mighty, He does not despise"" [Job 36:5]. And through the prayer, holiness is added Above and it arouses the supernal heart — and through this the Torah commentary that he speaks to them is drawn down. Thus each one present there has a share in the Torah that is revealed to them then. For the more people there are present, the more the wise man's prayer — which he binds to their souls — emerges from more souls, and adds yet more holiness Above, and arouses the supernal heart even more, and more revelation is drawn from there — all in proportion to the multitude of people. And this is the distinction between one who studies from a book and one who hears from the wise man himself — for the listener is certainly bound in soul to the soul of the wise man at the time of his prayer as above, and has a share in this commentary as above. Moreover, all the people standing there at the time of the discourse — their wickedness is subdued through the goodness of the wise man who is expounding. And in proportion to the subduing, so are the enemies subdued — that is, the husks [klippos] that dwell around the supernal heart. And through this they are brought out from under the authority of the Other Side and brought under the authority of holiness.

When praying before the discourse, one must pray with supplication — and beseech the Holy One, blessed be He, for a free gift [matnas chinam] — and not rely on one's own merit. Even though one's staff of strength in one's service has now been aroused — this staff is not for pride, G-d forbid, but rather to subdue the evil within the congregation. For among the many there are good and evil — and one must subdue the evil in the wicked as above. But before Hashem Yisborach one should stand like a pauper and a beggar — speaking supplication — and not rely on any merit.

And for this reason a person should not force himself regarding anything — but should request with supplication. If Hashem Yisborach gives — He gives; and if not — not. And he should not insist that Hashem Yisborach fulfil his will specifically.

Through the merit of the Torah that is drawn down, one merits the Land of Israel. And likewise through being present at the Tzadik at the time he draws down Torah and expounds publicly, one also has a share in the Torah the Tzadik draws down. And through this one also merits to come to the Land of Israel — as it is written [Psalms 105:44]: ""He gave them the lands of the nations etc.""

But the Land of Israel is one of three things that come through suffering [Berachos 5a] — and it is impossible to come to the Land of Israel except through suffering. And the primary suffering consists of the obstructors — the wicked who slander the Land [motz'ee dibas ha-aretz]. And through drawing down the Torah as above, one merits to subdue all the obstacles and sufferings. And in proportion to the completeness of the Torah one merits to draw down with greater rectification — so does one merit to subdue the obstructors and the wicked — and to come to the Land of Israel.

One who wishes to be a true Jew — that is, to ascend from level to level — this is impossible except through the holiness of the Land of Israel. For all the ascents one must make toward holiness are only through the Land of Israel — and likewise all the ascents of prayer are only in the Land of Israel.

And in order to go to the Land of Israel one must first subdue the wicked who slander the Land — and punish them with the sword and with killing. And this power must be received from Edom — which is appointed over all punishments and the sword — as it is written: ""and by your sword you shall live"" [Genesis 27:40]. And through the letters of the Torah one has innovated, spiritual forces are created. And these are actual angels who receive the power from Edom as above. And these forces are in proportion to the renewal of the Torah and its illumination — which increase in proportion to the increase of holiness added Above, as above. And in proportion to the abundance of Torah, so is the abundance of angels — and conversely: when holiness is diminished, the angels created from Torah innovations are weak in power, insufficient to receive the above-mentioned power — able only to subdue the wicked and instill terror in their hearts.

And sometimes even to subdue them they have no power — only to arouse the power of the nations against them — as is the case now in exile, when we have no power to punish the wicked ourselves. And sometimes Hashem Yisborach brings about obstacles, suffering, and strife from the wicked who stand against the upright men of truth — and they have no power to stand against them except through the courts of the nations. And since Torah law also obligates this — then it is a great commandment to go to their courts and to exert all possible effort and money to humble them — so that through this the holy judgment may ascend from the husks and the Other Side — in the aspect of: ""therefore judgment comes forth perverted"" [Chavakuk 1:4] — which comes out and is straightened from its distortion.

And sometimes even this power they do not have — only to silence the wicked slanderers of the Land so that they do not speak disparagingly before us and in the ears of the common people. And sometimes even this power they do not have — all according to the diminution of holiness.

For blemishing the bris, the sword comes — in the aspect of: ""a sword that exacts the revenge of the covenant"" [Leviticus 26:25].

Crying out aloud [tz'akah b'kol] is a rectification for the bris — and one merits the revelation of da'as. For originally when the bris was blemished, the da'as was blemished.

And for this reason we recite the "Haggadah" of Pesach in a loud voice — for the redemption came through voice — in the aspect of: ""and He heard our voice"" [Numbers 20:16]. And for this reason it is called by the name "Haggadah" — to indicate that it is a rectification of the bris — in the aspect of: ""and He declared to you His covenant"" [Deuteronomy 4:13]. And the primary commandment is with wine — to indicate the rectification of da'as — in the aspect of ""wine and fragrant spices sharpen the mind"" [Sanhedrin 70a]. For the exile of Egypt came through blemishing the bris, as is known — which is the blemishing of da'as. And also the wine of the four cups is the rectification of da'as — which is the rectification of the bris.

The Holy One, blessed be He, is exacting with the Tzadikim to a hair's breadth [Yevamos 121b] — and when they blemish to a hair's breadth, they then have no power to draw down the above-mentioned Torah.

When one attains the aspect of the Land of Israel, one is then called a mighty warrior [gibor takif]. For before coming to the aspect of the Land of Israel — ""let not the one who girds on his armour boast like the one who takes it off"" [I Kings 20:11]. But afterwards, when one is victorious, one is called a man of war. (And therefore even in this time, the primary victory of battle is simply to come to the Land of Israel — as Israel who travel there now to the houses and dwellings that are found there. And they must be willing to come there even in crowded conditions and even on foot — as it is written: ""go for yourself"" [lech-l'cha] — in the aspect of going specifically on foot.)