תּוֹרָה ו - עַל־יְדֵי זֵעָה טוֹבָה

One who is compassionate can be a leader of Israel. And the primary compassion is when the holy people Israel fall — G-d forbid — into sins — G-d have mercy. For this is the greatest compassion of all types of compassion. For all the harsh afflictions of the world are not considered at all against the heavy burden of sins — G-d forbid. For Israel is a holy people — according to the greatness of their holiness from their root and the greatness of their spirituality and refinement — they cannot at all bear upon themselves the heavy burden of sins — even for one day. And the true leader is very compassionate — and has compassion on the holy people Israel — to take them out of sins. And in truth — from where do sins come? It is only because the person has no knowledge that there is a G-d who rules the earth. For: ""a person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him"" [Sotah 3a]. Therefore all the compassion of the true leader for Israel is to introduce knowledge and fear of Heaven into them — in order to take them out of sins — G-d have mercy. And he is the one who is occupied with the settlement of the world — that the world should be settled by human beings — that is — by people of knowledge. For the essence of the human being is knowledge [da'as]. And one who has no knowledge is not in the category of settled humanity — and is not called a human being at all — only an animal in human form. And even when one's time comes to depart and one's soul ascends to where it ascends — this is not the purpose and completeness — that the soul cling only above. Rather the primary completeness of the soul is that while it is above — it should also be below. Therefore one must leave behind a blessing — a son or student — so that one's knowledge remains below as well — when one departs above. For through the holy knowledge that remains after one in one's sons and students — one saves Israel from sins for generations upon generations. For one who knows something of knowing Him, may He be blessed — knows that even though Hashem Yisborach has seraphim and living creatures and "ofanim" etc. who serve Him, may He be blessed — even so the primary delight and pleasure of Him, may He be blessed — is only that we from this low world magnify and sanctify His Name, may He be blessed. And therefore one strives to leave one's holy knowledge in children and students — who will illuminate one's knowledge in the world for generations upon generations — in order to save Israel from sins forever. And through this it is considered as if one oneself literally remains in the world. And every person is obligated to fulfil this — to have compassion on Israel to take them out of sins. To know and make known that there is a G-d who rules the earth — and that there is no purpose in this world except to do His will, may He be blessed. For nothing remains of a person after departure except the knowledge that one illuminated in one's fellows. And when one speaks with one's fellow in the fear of Heaven — and illuminates in him one's holy knowledge received from one's teacher — in some word that one speaks to one's heart to return one from sins — then one's fellow is considered a student with respect to oneself. And likewise in the opposite direction — when one's fellow illuminates in oneself — then oneself is considered a student with respect to one's fellow. And then when one's time comes to depart from the world — one will clothe oneself in the word with which one illuminated one's fellow. And it will be considered as if one literally remains alive in the world. And this is the primary completeness of the soul. And every person is obligated to strive in this — for: ""He did not create it a void — He fashioned it to be inhabited"" [Isaiah 45:18]. And just as a person is commanded to establish children in the world for the continuation of the species — so too is one commanded to introduce knowledge and fear of Heaven into people. For without this one is not at all in the category of a human being as above. When one wishes to speak with one's fellow in the fear of Heaven — one must also have compassion on oneself — to go out from sins. And that one has fear of Heaven — so that one's words will be heard. And also so that one's words will be sustained in one's fellow — so the words not pass from one's fellow's heart immediately. Through occupying oneself to speak with one's fellow in the fear of Heaven — through this one merits to attain the surrounding lights [oros ha-makifim]. That is — one merits to attain and understand what one could not attain and understand before. And likewise one merits to attain — each time according to one's level — increasingly higher surrounding lights. And above all are the supernal surrounding lights of the sage of the generation. And when this sage of the generation introduces his knowledge into his students — and occupies himself to speak with them in the fear of Heaven — through this he attains his surrounding lights — which are the aspect of the World to Come. For the World to Come is above time. For all the time of all this entire world — what has been and what will be — is all nothing and naught compared to one day — and even compared to one moment — of the World to Come. Which is the day that is entirely long. And there — above time — there is no time at all. Rather the order of times there is the aspect of attainments of surrounding lights — for there are surrounding lights that are the aspect of days — and surrounding lights that are the aspect of years. And these attainments of surrounding lights are the primary delight and pleasures of the World to Come. And they are the aspect of: ""how great is Your goodness that You have hidden for those who fear You"" [Psalms 31:20]. Fortunate is one who merits to attain them. The sage and Tzadik who merits to these above-mentioned surrounding lights — must be able to learn with the inhabitants of above and the inhabitants of below. That is — to show to those who are high in level — who do not know at all of His knowledge, may He be blessed — in the aspect of: ""what have you seen, what have you examined"" etc. And in the opposite direction — to the inhabitants of below who are laid in their sins deep in the earth in the extreme of descent — one must show them that Hashem is still with them and near them and close to them. And to strengthen and encourage them — so they not despair — G-d forbid — in any manner at all. And the true Tzadik is not called by the name Tzadik — except when he has this power — to learn with the inhabitants of above and inhabitants of below as above. Also to include them together — to show the inhabitants of below also from the learning of the inhabitants of above. And likewise to show the inhabitants of above also from the learning of the inhabitants of below. And to sustain all of them in the greatness of one's power — so that they will have fear (see the main text). Also this sage of the generation must know how to speak with each person individually — and make a fence for his words — to be silent where needed — to be silent so that the listeners not enter into questions and answers that it is forbidden to enter into (see the main text). Through the hints that the true teacher hints to his students with his hands — for when the teacher learns with his students and introduces knowledge and fear of Heaven into them — there are matters that it is impossible to explain to them explicitly. And one makes a fence for one's words as above. And hints to them the matters through hints which are the aspect of hands — gesturing to them with one's hands. Through these hints — livelihood is drawn. One who wishes to draw livelihood to those dependent on oneself — must be a person of valour and not the opposite (which they call an unlucky one). For one must have some dominion. And through this one can draw livelihood. The kingship receives the livelihood from the above-mentioned hands and hints that are in the sea of wisdom — from the sage's occupying himself to hint to his students. And since in these hints the surrounding lights illuminate — for in them the supernal intellect of the sage is hinted — which he is not permitted to reveal explicitly to his students — lest he draw supernal surrounding lights that should not be drawn. And the above-mentioned surrounding lights are the aspect of the ultimate of knowledge that we cannot know. Therefore whoever is also a person of valour receives from him this livelihood. And through this one can merit — at the time of eating one's livelihood — to the illumination of the will. That specifically at the time of eating — an extraordinary will illuminates for one — to desire and yearn and long for Hashem Yisborach with an extraordinary and unmeasured will — without any knowledge. Until one does not know at all what one desires — only a simple will with total soul-yearning to Him, may He be blessed. For all one's eating flows from the surrounding lights — which are also the aspect of the ultimate of knowledge that we cannot know. And all this one merits through the true Tzadik and his students who drew from his holy knowledge. Therefore every person must have compassion on oneself and beseech Hashem Yisborach with tears — to merit to find such a true compassionate one who can take one out of sins and merit one to all the above. For one who merits to find him — fortunate is he. Israel is a holy people — according to the greatness of their spirituality and refinement — they cannot bear the burden of sins even for a single day. For this reason they need the Temple. For the morning Tamid offering would atone for the sins of the night. And the afternoon Tamid offering would atone for the sins of the day. And for this reason Moshe our Teacher, peace be upon him, sacrificed himself for Israel — to ask Hashem Yisborach to forgive their sins. For he knew that Israel cannot bear the burden of sins at all — even for one day. And therefore one who stumbles — G-d forbid — in some sin — must repent — [on that same day] — and ask forgiveness and atonement from Hashem Yisborach. For the sin is a heavy burden for the soul of Israel — which cannot bear such a burden even for one day. Each person — proportional to what one merits to accomplish on Yom Kippur — through asking forgiveness etc. — so one merits to the holiness of Chanukah — which is the aspect of the Temple. And the primary holiness of the Temple drawn on Chanukah is to merit the holy knowledge — to know and make known that Hashem is the G-d. For: ""one who has knowledge — it is as if the Temple was built in his days."" And to merit through this knowledge to go out from sins as above. And to draw this knowledge in children and students for generations to eternity. And to merit through this to the attainment of the holy surrounding lights — which are the primary delight of the World to Come. Which are drawn through the lighting of the holy oil of the Chanukah candle. And to merit through the lighting of this holy oil to the livelihood drawn from the source of will — through which one can merit at the time of eating to the illumination of the extraordinary will — to yearn and long for Hashem Yisborach with an extraordinary will without measure. And by itself a person will understand that to such a Chanukah it is impossible to merit except through drawing close to the teacher and leader who is the true compassionate one as above. Fortunate is one who merits to find him. When one contemplates and speaks from some innovation that the sage of the generation innovated — the sea of wisdom is awakened and revealed. From which the kingship receives the livelihood. And kingship is the source of fear. And through this the fear of the sage who innovated this innovation is awakened — for through it his words were heard and sustained for generations. And through all this — a great fear and dread of Hashem Yisborach falls upon the one contemplating the innovation.