תּוֹרָה סז - וַיִּבֶן ה' אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַצֵּלָע

Torah 822

When some new honour comes to a person — he must be greatly afraid. For sometimes honour comes to him due to the departure of his soul — G-d forbid. Therefore one must be careful to receive the honour in great holiness for the sake of His Name alone — and not to use the honour for one's own needs and pleasure at all. So that the honour does not harm him — G-d forbid — and take his soul. For the soul is very precious — and one must be very careful and guarded with it. And one must pray much to Hashem Yisborach that the honour not harm him — that his soul not depart through it — G-d forbid. For honour is the root of all souls — and when the soul departs — it departs into the honour — which is its root.

But for the most part — honour comes for good. For when a new soul comes to a person — it comes clothed in honour. Therefore when one merits to receive the honour properly — one can receive a new soul through the honour that has come to him.

Through the food desire — the honour is blemished — and one blemishes His honour, may He be blessed. And then it is the aspect of the hiding of the face — and judgments grow stronger — G-d forbid. And then the honour falls to the brazen-faced ones of the generation — who take all the honour. And all the leadership, kingship, dominion, and honour belongs to the nations and the wicked and the brazen-faced. And therefore when Israel need to exercise some forceful authority for the sake of maintaining our holy religion — we must receive the power from them. But when the food desire is broken — then the holy honour is elevated. And then there is no appointment, authority, designation, or honour for the brazen-faced ones. And then it is the aspect of the lifting of the face [n'si'us panim] — which is the nullification of judgments.

Through charity — kindnesses and the nullification of judgments are drawn. And one rectifies the blemish of honour that causes the hiding of the face as above. And one elevates the honour and sovereignty from the Other Side. And one rectifies the blemish of the food desire. And the honour returns to those of understanding knowledge [m'vinay mada] — who are the true leaders.

Therefore one gives charity at the words: ""and You rule over all"" [I Chronicles 29:12] — in order to elevate the honour and dominion from the Other Side to holiness as above.

When the honour returns to those of understanding knowledge — that is, to the true leaders — then at the beginning of their dominion conflict arises.

Through the separation that exists between the enemies of the above-mentioned people of understanding knowledge — through this they have greater endurance. But when the enemies unite together — then they quickly drain the surplus of the brain [moasroas she-ba-moach] from which they draw their vitality — and fall quickly.

When new honour comes to a person — and within it is clothed a holy soul as above — one must strengthen oneself in the attribute of fear and in the attribute of love. And through this one merits to give birth to and raise the new soul that comes to him through the honour as above (see the main text).

One must pray with all one's heart until one feels the words of prayer in all one's bones. But when one prays without heart — then the soul distances from its root. And then his soul is weary and his bones are startled — and he has no vitality in his soul or his bones. Also — through praying without heart — G-d forbid — one causes the departure of wisdom from the elders and the wise.

Through honouring an elder who has forgotten his learning — through this one draws cool waters — the aspect of the waters of da'as — to revive his weary soul. That is, one rectifies the blemish of those who pray without heart — through which the soul is weary.

Through true Tzadikim — the aspect of cool waters — the waters of da'as — is drawn. And they revive his weary soul. And then one merits to pray with all one's heart with great devotion — until all one's bones hear well all the words of prayer. And then one's prayer is in the aspect of: ""all my bones shall say"" etc. [Psalms 35:10] — praying with all one's power and all the mind in one's bones. Which is the primary completeness of prayer.

This is the distinction between one who learns from a book and one who hears from the mouth of true Tzadikim. For one who learns from a book does not know the measure one must learn in order to revive one's soul. But when one hears from the mouth of the Tzadik — then he influences one with the aspect of cool waters according to what is appropriate for one's level.