תּוֹרָה לד - וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ לִי מַמְלֶכֶת כֹּהֲנִים

Torah 1597

The general principle is that the power is in the hand of the Tzadik to perform deeds as he desires — as our Sages of blessed memory said: ""the Tzadik rules"" etc., ""who rules over Me? — the Tzadik"" [Mo'ed Koton 16b]. And the primary power is to illuminate and arouse the hearts of Israel to the service of Hashem Yisborach. Therefore the primary thing is to attach oneself to the true Tzadikim and to speak with them about the service of Hashem Yisborach — and from them to receive strength, illumination, and arousal toward Hashem Yisborach — until one returns to Hashem in truth.

And this is the aspect of: ""and Yosef — he was the ruler"" [Genesis 42:6] — and he is the general root of the souls of Israel — and they are his branches who receive from him. And he is the aspect of melofilm [the vowel holam] — for the Tzadik guards his covenant as is proper. And the bris is the chariot [merkavah] to the "Yesod" — whose divine Name is vowelised with melofilm — which is the letters "maleh fum" [full mouth] — to indicate that the Tzadik's mouth is full of the divinity of Hashem Yisborach — and his words are certainly in their completeness and fullness. Therefore he can draw down the blessing to Israel — as it is written: ""and He will bless you as He has spoken to you"" [Deuteronomy 1:11] — that is, according to the speech so is the blessing. For thought alone is insufficient — even though the Holy One, blessed be He, knows thoughts — one must pray with a full mouth specifically. For speech is the vessel of the blessing. And if speech is in its completeness and fullness — then one can receive great blessing within it. Therefore one must pray for everything a person lacks in material and spiritual matters specifically with verbal speech — so as to draw the blessing through it.

And every single Jew possesses the aspect of: ""the Tzadik rules"" [II Samuel 23:3] — the aspect of "melo fum" [fullness of mouth] — as it is written: ""and your entire people are Tzadikim"" [Isaiah 60:21]. For in every Jew there is a precious thing that is the aspect of a point that his fellow does not have — as in the story of Abayei and Abba Umana [Ta'anis 21b] — where they replied to him: ""you cannot do as the deed of Abba Umana."" And this aspect that he has more than his fellow — he illuminates and shines and arouses the heart of his fellow. And his fellow must receive the arousal and this aspect from him — as it is written: ""and they receive from one another"" [Targum Yonasan, Isaiah 6:3]. Before the giving of the Torah the power was in the hand of Hashem Yisborach — in the aspect of: ""I am Hashem your G-d who brought you up from the land of Egypt"" [Psalms 81:11] — where everything was "Anochi" [I]. And after the giving of the Torah: ""open your mouth wide and I will fill it"" — this is the aspect of melofilm — the aspect of Yosef — the ruler — who gave the power into the hand of all Israel — each one according to his aspect.

And melofilm is the aspect of a point with a "vav" — that is, wisdom [chochmah] and understanding [binah]. For the point is the aspect of wisdom — the aspect of "yud" and a spring [ma'ayan]. And "binah" is the river that flows from the spring — and it is like a "vav". And the aspect of melofilm exists in the general and in the particular. For the Tzadik is the "yud" — for the Tzadikim are called the wise of the congregation. And Israel are the aspect of "vav" — who are the supporters of the Torah and are called the pillars of the columns. And for every individual Jew there is also the aspect of "yud" and "vav": "yud" on account of the mouth — as it is written: ""my mouth speaks wisdoms"" [Psalms 49:4]. And "vav" on account of ""and the meditation of my heart is understandings"" — the aspect of "binah liba" [understanding is the heart] as above. And the heart is the aspect of the Tablets — which are "vav" — for ""their length was six and their breadth was six"" [Bava Basra 14a] — the aspect of: ""a tablet of your heart"" [Proverbs 3:3].

And when the heart is immersed in evil loves — this is the aspect of fallen and broken love. For the evil inclination and the husks are drawn from the breaking of the vessels [sh'viras ha-kailim]. And it is brought in "Eitz Chayim" [in the Palace of the Points, Gate of the Breaking of the Vessels] that the breaking of the vessels of chesed fell to "Binah" of "Beriah" — that is, "binah liba". And the light of chesed remained in "Yesod" of "Atzilus" — which is the aspect of the Tzadik — the foundation of the world [Tzadik yesod olam]. It is found that evil loves come from the breaking of the vessels of chesed. Therefore Onkelos translates: ""who has a foreskin — for it is a disgrace to us"" [Genesis 34:14] as ""chisuda hi lana"" [it is a shame to us] — for the disgrace — that is, the foreskin of the heart — evil loves — comes from the breaking of the vessels of chesed. And as is apparent in direct experience: ""for chesed covers all transgressions"" [Proverbs 10:12] — for even if one transgresses against his fellow he does not shame him — for his love covers the transgressions. But when the covenant of love between them breaks — the aspect of the breaking of the vessels of chesed — then he shames him — for from the above-mentioned breaking comes the shame. And this shame is the aspect of the foreskin of the heart — in the aspect of: ""shame has broken my heart"" [Psalms 69:21] — which is the aspect of the broken Tablets. And the rectification for this is to bind the heart — the aspect of "vav" — to the "yud" — that is, the point — the aspect of the Tzadik. For in "Yesod" of "Atzilus" — the aspect of the Tzadik — the foundation of the world — the light of chesed remains — where holy love dwells. And one must illuminate the point to the "vav" — the aspect of the heart. And then the evil loves — the aspects of shames and disgraces — are nullified. For chesed covers all transgressions. It is found that every person must speak greatly between himself and his Creator — in order to illuminate the aspect of the point — the aspect of ""my mouth speaks wisdoms"" as above — to the "vav" — which is the aspect of: ""and the meditation of my heart is understandings"" [Psalms 49:4] — through which one binds oneself to the point belonging to his heart at this time — and breaks the shame that rests upon his heart — which breaks the heart.

And every person also needs to speak with his fellow about the fear of Heaven — in order to receive arousal in his heart from the point that his fellow possesses more than him. For the point is the aspect of Tzadik relative to his fellow — and illuminates the heart of his fellow — which is called "vav".

And all the above-mentioned points are branches of the Tzadik — who is the general point — the aspect of Moshe — who is the point of the totality of the souls of Israel. Therefore everyone must first receive from this Tzadik — for before everything the primary thing is attachment to the Tzadikim and speaking with them about the fear of Heaven. And they will illuminate and arouse his heart through their holy general point. And afterwards one must also speak with one's fellow about the fear of Heaven as above — to receive from one another. And so each one receives from within and around — through each person speaking between himself and his Creator as above. And through these three aspects the shames are nullified — that is, the evil loves — the foreskin of the heart. And this is ""for chesed covers all transgressions"" — for the evil desires are nullified through the holy love that dwells there — which is called "Kohen" [priest]. For the priesthood was given to Avraham who loved Me [Nedarim 32a]. And it dwells in the place of the covenant of peace [bris shalom]. Therefore Israel is called a kingdom of priests. And when the priesthood was given to Pinchas it was said to him: ""behold I give him My covenant of peace"" [Numbers 25:12] — for the priesthood — the aspect of love — the aspect of Avraham — dwells in the place of the covenant of peace — that is, the Tzadik — the foundation of the world — as above — where the light of chesed remains in "Yesod" of "Atzilus".

And sometimes one receives the point from his fellow through speaking idle conversation [siyas chulin] with him. And then one can receive light and arousal toward the service of Hashem Yisborach from this point — through the clothing in which it clothes itself in these words.