תּוֹרָה סט - חֹמֶר אִסּוּר גְּזֵלָה

Torah 629

The prohibition of robbery is very severe. For when one robs one's fellow of money — one robs him of children. That is, the robber takes children from the robbed person. And if this robbed person had not yet had children — the robber can rob him of having them. And even if the robbed person already has children — the robber can harm him so that his children die — G-d forbid — through the robbery he committed against him of money.

Through robbing one's fellow — one comes to immoral thoughts. For through the money he took from him — one becomes attached and drawn to his fellow's wife.

Also sometimes the robber loses his own life-partner through the robbery. And sometimes the robber can rob from the robbed person — the life-partner of the robbed person.

It is also possible that a person has robbery-money — even though he has robbed nothing with his own hands. For even through coveting and desiring and longing for one's fellow's money — through this alone one can rob him. And this is the severe prohibition of ""you shall not covet."" For the covetousness itself is a very severe prohibition. For even through covetousness there is power to rob one's fellow of his money and the souls of his sons and daughters — just like one who actually robs.

Through charity one can rectify robbery-money one has — that is, which was robbed through covetousness. But actual robbery has no rectification until one returns the robbery. Or if one robbed the public — where it is impossible to return it — one should use it for public needs — as our Sages of blessed memory said.

If a person sees that his sustenance is constricted — he should give charity from it. For through charity one rectifies one's money — so that one will have money and livelihood in abundance.

One who marries a woman for money [l'shem mamon] is a fool and an idiot. And one blemishes and destroys one's mind. And through this one has children who are unworthy — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Kiddushin 70a].

Through the desire for money — enemies are made. And according to the growth of the desire for money — so the growth of enemies. And when the desire for money grows very strong — through this gratuitous enemies [son'ay chinam] are made.

Through the desire for money — one's brain becomes turbid and confused — and one becomes a fool. And likewise the more one desires money — the more the brain becomes turbid.

Every person has surplus of the brain [moasroas mochim] from which the hairs go forth. And the wise person and the Tzadik — even though he also has surplus of the brain in the aspect of hairs — his surplus of brain is the aspect of "sha'ar" [gate] — with a "yud" on the right on the letter "shin" — that the surplus of his brain is the aspect of gates [sh'arim] — through which he opens the gates of wisdom and knowledge for the service of Hashem Yisborach. For since his brain itself — it is impossible for the world to bear receiving from its light — he must clothe himself and lower himself to small and lowly matters — so that the world can receive from him — in order to open for them the gates of wisdom and knowledge — to bring them close to Hashem Yisborach.

The brain of the Tzadik is the aspect of "tefillin". And what the Tzadik sometimes lowers himself to small and lowly matters so that the world can receive from him — which is for him the aspect of the surplus of the brain as above — this is the aspect of the straps of the "tefillin".