הַשְׁמָטָה

The Jewish man was created to have dominion over the angels — and this is the purpose and end of Israel. And every person must see that he comes to this purpose. But the angels are very jealous of a person who has dominion over them. Therefore one must guard oneself greatly and see that one has the strength to stand in this dominion — so that the angels not bring him down — G-d forbid — through their jealousy. The counsel for this is to bind oneself with all the souls of Israel. And behold all the souls of Israel are divided under all the leaders of the generation — for every leader of the generation has particular souls that belong to his portion. Therefore one must bind oneself with all the leaders of the generation. And through this one is automatically bound with all the particular souls of Israel. And through this one will be saved from the jealousy of the angels and one's dominion over them will be sustained. [Said the transcriber: From this it appears that the angels have no power to fight against a single soul of Israel — but against the totality of the souls of Israel — for whom the entire world was created as is known — they have no power at all.] But one must know and recognise the leaders. For there are many leaders whose entire greatness and dominion come only through brazenness — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Sanhedrin 105a]: ""brazenness is a kingdom without a crown."" And the counsel for this is to merit the building of Jerusalem — the aspect of complete fear [yir'ah sh'laymah]. That is, the completeness of the fear of Hashem Yisborach that depends on the heart. As our Sages of blessed memory said: ""a matter entrusted to the heart is stated with 'and you shall fear your G-d'"" [Kiddushin 32b]. And when one merits the completeness of fear — their brazenness falls before him. And then one can bind oneself with the leaders under whom all souls of Israel are divided. And automatically one will be bound with all souls of Israel. And through this one's dominion over the angels will be sustained. Through the desire for money, the desire for immorality, and the desire for food — whose root is in the heart — the fear in the heart is corrupted and blemished. The desire for immorality is proportional to the milk one suckled in childhood. Therefore one must guard the infant very much — that it suckle from a worthy woman. For when the infant suckles from a brazen woman — the desire for immorality is strengthened in it — G-d forbid — which destroys the fear of Hashem Yisborach. And likewise in reverse — when it suckles from a worthy woman — it has no heat for this desire. Only the minimum necessary for the Creator's commandment, may He be blessed. When a person falls — G-d forbid — into the three desires above — through which the fear is corrupted — then the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and roars over this like a lion. Through honouring the three pilgrimage festivals properly — with food and drink and fine garments according to one's ability — and with the holiness and purity of thought and joy and gladness of heart — and with prayer with devotion and the like — all the other matters of holiness and joy of the festival — and especially through the holy commandments particular to each festival — through this a person merits to know Hashem and to draw this knowledge into the heart. And through this — one rectifies and purifies the heart from the three evil desires above. And merits complete fear which depends on the heart — which is the essence of everything. For one thereby arrives at the purpose of the Jewish man — that one's dominion over the angels be sustained. At each festival one of the three desires above is rectified. That is — at Pesach — the desire for money is rectified. At Shavuos — the desire for immorality is rectified. At Sukkos — the desire for food is rectified. (And therefore "sukkah" in gematria equals "ma'achal" [food].) Therefore one must be very very careful regarding the commandments of each festival — and honour each festival greatly as above — in order to merit thereby to go out from the three evil desires above. Which is the entire essence of Judaism — to fear the Glorious Name — and to be saved from the jealousy of the angels — so they not bring him to sins — G-d forbid — and that his dominion over them be sustained. This all depends only on the rectification of these three evil desires as above. Through the rectification of the completeness of fear in the heart — one merits to draw the influence of prophecy. But one must be very careful from the desire to be appointed and to rule over the people of Israel. (The opposite of the holy dominion that one needs to merit — to have dominion over the angels.) For the appointment destroys the prophetic influence. Through the prophetic influence — a person merits to prayer in completeness. For prayer is now in exile — due to our many sins. For prayer is very exalted — and people belittle it. And when standing to pray — they wish to discharge the prayer from themselves. But through complete fear — coming through the rectification of the three attributes above — until one merits through it to draw the prophetic influence — even though now there is no one who actually prophesies — nevertheless through this the prayer is at any rate redeemed from exile. And then the prayer is in utmost completeness — in the aspect of prophecy — the aspect of the word of Hashem. That Hashem Yisborach Himself opens his mouth and sends him holy words to pray before Him. In the aspect of: ""O Lord, open my lips"" [Psalms 51:17] that is said before prayer. And this is the secret of joining redemption to prayer — that is: to redeem the prayer from exile. [Said the transcriber: Through this the Talmud's question in Berachos 4a is answered — how is it possible to join redemption to prayer — for does not Rabbi Yochanan say that first one says "O Lord, open my lips"? And the answer is: ""since the Rabbis established it — it is like an extended prayer."" According to the words of this teaching it is understood — for that is precisely why it is not an interruption at all. For the entire secret of joining redemption to prayer is so that the prayer shall be in the aspect of the word of Hashem — ""O Lord, open my lips.""] When the prayer is redeemed and liberated — one needs no healing through physicians and doctors. For one can be healed through everything one eats — even through bread and water — as through medicines. Sometimes the illness is still hidden in the person and has not been revealed — and then no physician or doctor can heal it — for they do not know the illness at all. But when one merits the rectification of the three desires above and complete fear and prayer in completeness — one can be healed even when the illness has not yet been revealed. And one is healed before the illness sprouts — and does not come to illness at all. But there are three bad attributes that destroy prayer: (a) Do not despise any person — not to despise any person — even in thought — and when one is not careful in this — prayer is blemished. (b) Corruption of faith — that the faith is not complete — which is the aspect of idolatry. (c) Blemish of the "bris". And when one merits to go out from these three bad attributes above — one merits prayer in completeness. And then one needs no healing — for one can be healed through everything one eats — even through bread and water. And this is the secret of Chizkiyahu who joined redemption to prayer — for he redeemed the prayer from exile as above — and also hid the book of remedies. When one merits to redeem the prayer from exile in the aspect of joining redemption to prayer — it is the aspect of the glimmering of Mashiach. [Said the transcriber: From this you will understand the root of the words written in Likutay Tinyana §102 — that the secret of Boaz and Ruth is the secret of joining redemption to prayer — see there. For they were the glimmering of Mashiach as is known.] When a person merits prayer in completeness through all the rectifications above — through the holiness of the three festivals through which the three evil desires for money, food, and immorality are rectified. And then one merits fear and to draw the prophetic influence and prayer in completeness and healing — and also goes out from the three bad attributes above that destroy prayer — through all this — all the hosts of heaven and all the stars and constellations and all the supernal ministers — all of them are subdued beneath him. And he finds favour in their eyes. And all things are in the aspect of debtors to him — for all of them borrow and receive their power from him. And he is the aspect of the great creditor. And therefore then one can recognise the leaders whose entire dominion is only through brazenness — for their brazenness falls before him — in the aspect of: ""no person is brazen before his creditor."" And then one knows the true leaders under whom the souls of Israel are divided. And through this one can bind oneself to them. And automatically one will be bound with all the souls of Israel. And through this one will be saved from the jealousy of the angels and one's dominion over them will be sustained. When a person sits and speaks about his fellow — this is the aspect of Rosh Hashonah which is a day of judgment. For he sits and judges his fellow. And one must be very careful of this and look well at oneself — whether one is worthy to judge one's fellow. For the judgment belongs to G-d. As our Sages said [Avos 2:4]: ""do not judge your fellow until you have reached his place."" And who can know and reach his fellow's place? Only Hashem Yisborach alone — Who is the Place of the world and the world is not His place. And every person has a place by Him, may He be blessed — He alone can reach the place of every single one — and judge all to the scale of merit. One who merits to bind oneself with all the souls through all the rectifications above — is also in the aspect of the Place of the world. And can make Rosh Hashonah and judge all to the scale of merit. Rosh Hashonah is a great kindness from Hashem Yisborach. For how could we lift our faces to ask forgiveness from Him, may He be blessed? Therefore He did us a kindness — on the day of judgment He set the day of judgment Rosh Hashonah on the first of the month. When — as it were — He, may He be blessed, Himself regrets and asks for atonement. In the aspect of: ""bring atonement over Me for having diminished the moon"" — from which all sins flow. Therefore we have no shame on the day of judgment to regret and ask forgiveness for all our deeds. For then Hashem Yisborach also regrets and asks for atonement. The shofar is the aspect of fear. Also it is the aspect of the prophetic influence. Also it is the aspect of prayer that is redeemed from exile. Also it is the aspect of all the grasses of the field returning their power into prayer — through which one can make Rosh Hashonah.