תּוֹרָה לה - אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה. זַרְקָא

Torah לה - אשרי העם יודעי תרועה. זרקא

Know: teshuvah is to return the thing to the place from which it was taken — the aspect of "zarka" [a cantillation mark indicating an upward throw] [Tikunim 21, 43b] — that is, to return and restore the thing to its root. And the root of all things is wisdom [chochmah] — as it is written: ""all of them You made with wisdom"" [Psalms 104:24]. Therefore every person must guard his wisdom and intellect from external wisdoms — called by the name "the daughter of Pharaoh." "Bas" [daughter] is an allusion to wisdom that is not wisdom — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Menachos 110a]. And "Pharaoh" is the language of nullification — as it is written: ""you are nullifying the people"" [Exodus 5:4] — and Onkelos translates: ""you are causing them to cease"" — that is, null and void wisdoms — which are all the other wisdoms. For the primary wisdom to acquire completeness is only the wisdom of divinity [chochmas elokus] — and all other wisdoms are merely null and void wisdoms and are not wisdom at all.

Therefore every person must guard his intellect and thought greatly — not to introduce into his thought any external thought or any external wisdom or alien thought — and all the more so evil imaginings. For all blemishes and all sins and transgressions, G-d forbid, come only through a blemish in thought as above — that he is not careful to guard it properly so it does not go outside the boundaries of holiness. And when one is careful and properly guards thought — which is the wisdom in the brain — this is the primary rectification and teshuvah for the transgressions — (as it is written: ""let the wicked abandon his way — and the man of iniquity his thoughts — and let him return to Hashem and He will have mercy upon him"" [Isaiah 55:7] — and it elaborates on the matter of thought in this section — which is one of the two aspects of teshuvah [tartay di-t'yuvta]) — that he strengthens himself to drive out all external thoughts from his mind and intellect. For the intellect is the soul — and when he sanctifies his intellect — that is, his soul — through this he elevates and restores everything to his intellect. And this is the primary teshuvah.

And every Jew has a portion of G-d from Above — which is the aspect of wisdom. And on this account they are called "reishis" [beginning/first] — as it is written: ""holy is Israel to Hashem — the first [reishis] of His produce"" [Jeremiah 2:3]. But at the time of birth the intellect is contracted for each individual. And when one begins to use it through contemplation in the service of Hashem Yisborach — then his intellect continues to grow — as it is written: ""and the wisdom of Shlomo increased"" [I Kings 5:10]. But when a person introduces into his holy intellect external thoughts — external wisdoms — then the holiness of his intellect diminishes in proportion to the space taken by the external wisdom. And upon this external intellect all the evil and shameful character traits and desires gather and attach themselves.

Therefore the primary thing is to guard one's thought and brain from external thoughts and wisdoms — upon which rests the entire building of the evil inclination, may the Merciful One spare us — which is the aspect of the primordial serpent — who winds itself after holiness. And on this account it is called a great city [krak gadol] — for it winds [karuch] itself always after the great ones of the generation more than other people — as our Sages of blessed memory said regarding the verse: ""for it has done greatly"" [Sukkah 52a]. For since the Torah scholars and learners have much greater da'as — therefore it winds itself after them to cause them to sin, may the Merciful One spare us. And the primary thing is to guard oneself greatly from evil thoughts as above.

And when a person guards himself from external wisdoms — not only this but he must also renew the intellect at every time. And through this he renews his soul. For the intellect is the soul — as it is written: ""the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding"" [Job 32:8] — and as our Sages of blessed memory said [Berachos 10a] that the soul nourishes and sustains the body. And it is the intellect itself — as it is written: ""wisdom sustains its possessor"" [Ecclesiastes 7:12].

And the renewal of the intellect — that is, the renewal of the soul — comes through sleep — as brought in the holy Zohar [Part I, 19a and Part II, 213b] on the verse: ""new every morning"" [Lamentations 3:23] — ""and the soul is renewed etc. every day"" etc. For when the minds are weary — through sleep they are renewed — as is apparent in direct experience. And during sleep the minds — that is, the soul — enters into faith — in the aspect of: ""new every morning — great is Your faithfulness"" [Lamentations 3:23] as above. And through this his faith increases. And this is what we bless: ""Who gives strength to the weary"" — for they were first weary and now they have been strengthened.

And there are several aspects of sleep. There is physical sleep — which is rest for the minds. And there is also the aspect of study [limud] — which is also the aspect of sleep relative to clinging [devekus] to the Creator — which is the study of the plain meaning of the Torah [pesh'tay oraisa] [holy Zohar Part III, 244b] — as our Sages of blessed memory said: ""He has made me dwell in dark places"" — this is the Babylonian Talmud [Sanhedrin 24a] — in the aspect of faith as above. And a person who cleaves always to the service of the Creator — and his minds become weary from the greatness of the clinging — then let him study the plain meaning of the Torah.

And through faith the minds — that is, the soul — receive from the light of the face — as it is written: ""in the light of the King's face is life"" [Proverbs 16:15]. And there are several aspects of the light of the face. For there are those who receive the intellect from the light of the face of the Torah — for there are seventy faces to the Torah. And there are those who receive from the light of the face of the Tzadikim — when the Tzadik shows him a pleasant face — then he receives a new intellect and a new soul from the light of his holy face. For the primary intellect comes from the light of the face — as it is written: ""a person's wisdom illuminates his face"" [Ecclesiastes 8:1].

And there is also sleep which is the aspect of commerce conducted in faithfulness. And when one engages in commerce in faithfulness — then the minds — that is, the soul — enters into faith. And they are renewed there and strengthened from their weariness — and draw a new intellect from the light of the face. And the primary matter is faith — which one must guard greatly. And when his minds become weary — he renews them within faith through some aspect of sleep. Whether through physical sleep in its simplest sense — when the minds are renewed as is apparent in direct experience — but the primary thing is faith — which one must bind oneself to before sleep. And this is the aspect of the recitation of "Shema" before bed — which is recited before sleep. And one must recite it with devotion — in order to bind one's soul and bring it within faith during sleep. And then his soul is renewed there — in the aspect of: ""new every morning — great is Your faithfulness"" as above. And he will merit through sleep to receive a new intellect and a new soul from the light of the face. And likewise one who has the aspect of clinging — and his brain becomes weary through this — then he needs to engage in the plain meaning of the Torah. And then he must also enter into faith — that is: since his brain begins to be confused and he can no longer cleave to Hashem Yisborach in the aspect of da'as and minds — then he must entirely set aside the da'as and the minds — and bind himself to faith in its simplicity — and engage in the plain meaning of Torah in wholeness and complete faith. For in truth even when the minds are sustained in clinging or in whatever level one is at — even then the primary sustenance of the da'as and minds is through faith — for one cannot rely on the intellect alone (as above in §24). But when the da'as departs — one must enter into faith alone through some aspect of sleep as above. And likewise sometimes commerce is the aspect of sleep to renew the brain as above — and there too the primary thing is faith. And when one conducts commerce in faithfulness — then his soul which is his intellect enters into faith — and is renewed there as above.

And it is impossible to conduct commerce in faithfulness except when one is expert in the monetary laws [dinay mamonos] — so as not to stumble in them. For all monetary laws pertain to commerce. It is found that during commerce one engages in monetary laws.

And when one engages in commerce in faithfulness — one must guard faith greatly so that the external forces not strengthen until one blemishes, G-d forbid, one's faith. Therefore one must strengthen oneself to conduct commerce with such faithfulness as Rav Safra — to fulfil: ""and he speaks truth in his heart"" [Psalms 15:2] — even what was decided in his heart he does not change — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Makkos 24a]. And through this one draws "chashmal" [the numerically equivalent word is "malbush" — garment] — that is, a garment from the world of "Binah". For "Binah liba" [understanding is the heart] — and it is called: ""if you call out to understanding"" [Proverbs 2:3]. And then mother shelters her children — that the heart makes "chashmal" — that is, a garment around the faith — so that the external forces do not suck from it. And through this he guards his brain, his soul, and his faith. And then he can renew his soul and intellect within the faith of commerce as above.

And when a person engages in commerce in faithfulness — this is the aspect of offering the daily sacrifice [korban ha-tamid] and burning the incense [ketores]. For his minds — that is, his wisdom, understanding, and da'as — he then binds to the faith — the plain meaning of Torah — which is the aspect of "Yetzirah". And then faith strengthens to elevate all the holy sparks in the husks — in the secret of the eleven spices of the incense [sammanay ha-ketores]. And through this all the husks and nations and lands surrounding faith — which is called ""Jerusalem — the faithful city"" [Isaiah 1:21] — fall. In the aspect of cutting off the seed of Amalek — which is one of the three commandments Israel was commanded upon their entry into the Land [Sanhedrin 20b] — through the elevation of the holy sparks from them. And through this: when this falls — this rises — which is the commandment to appoint a king — which is the aspect of faith — the aspect of sovereignty. And through this one merits the commandment to build the Temple and Jerusalem — that is, faith as above. And then his brain is renewed and elevated — in the aspect of the building of the Temple — as our Sages of blessed memory said: ""one who has da'as — it is as if the Temple was built in his days"" [Berachos 33a] — in the aspect of the light of the face — which is the aspect of the renewal of the minds and the soul (see §280).

And the above-mentioned "chashmal" is the aspect of the straps of the "tefillin" [r'tzu'os tefillin] — which are the surrounding lights [makifin] of sovereignty — that is, faith. And "r'tzu'ah" [strap] has the numerical value [with the "kollel"] of 370 — to hint that through the "chashmal" — which is the aspect of ""and he speaks truth in his heart"" — the faith and the soul — that is, the minds within it — are guarded. And it receives from the light of the face — which is 370 lights of the supernal face — drawn from "tikun v'emes" [rectification and truth]. For through the straps of the "tefillin" one guards faith as above.

And even one who is not a Torah scholar — and does not himself receive new minds through commerce conducted in faithfulness — since he does not engage in Torah which is the primary brain and intellect — even so he also performs a great rectification through conducting commerce in faithfulness. For through this he does good to his fellow who is from his root — that the minds of his fellow are renewed within his commerce — which is in faithfulness. And his fellow will have new minds for study and for cleaving to the Creator, may He be blessed.

And this is the aspect of the "t'ki'os" [blasts] of Rosh Hashonah. For Rosh Hashonah is the aspect of sleep — as is known — the aspect of commerce conducted in faithfulness as above. And the "t'ki'os" are the awakening from sleep — which is the renewal of the minds — that is, the intellect and soul of each person from the light of the face. And from this comes the reddening of the face of the one who sounds the "shofar" — for lights were aroused from the supernal face. And through this every person according to his aspect will merit to draw a new intellect and a new soul from the light of the face.