מַחֲלֹקֶת

There are those who engage in lashon hara [evil speech] and dispute — who are in the dimension of "a tale-bearer separates the closest friend" [Proverbs 17:9] — for they go about spying and speaking gossip and slander, making quarrel and dispute between person and his fellow and between husband and wife; and this is in the physical realm literally. And likewise in the spiritual dimension there is also this dimension — which is the Sitra Achra and the klippos, which strive to entice a person and make a great dispute between his body and his soul, until he is in the dimension of "there is no peace in my bones because of my sin" [Psalms 38:4]. And through drawing close those who are far to the service of Hashem Yisborach — through which His glory, blessed be He, illuminates and returns and rises to its root, which is awe — through this the above-mentioned speakers of lashon hara and gossip are nullified, and peace increases in the world. And likewise through the mitzvah of lighting the Chanukah candle in its proper time, this dimension is also drawn down.

All the Divine flows and blessings come to the world through the true Tzaddik — through his love and awe. And the Tzaddik must conceal and hide his love and awe so that the accusers [mekatregim] should not prosecute and steal the flows. But when the Tzaddik is a very renowned great person — then Hashem Yisborach places it in the heart of another tzaddik to hold controversy against him [l'hachazik alav b'machlokes] — in order to conceal him and enable him to bring down the shefa [Divine abundance]. And this is the dimension of dispute that is for the sake of Heaven. See the inner text.

Dispute lifts and raises the person — like the analogy of rushing waters that carry and lift the log lying on the ground.

When several people bind themselves together and dispute against one person — even if he is more prominent than they are — even so they can bring him down. Only that they should not be wicked, for the binding of the wicked does not count [kesher resha'im eino min ha'minyan]. But if they are not wicked — then they can bring down the one they dispute against through the binding, even though each of them individually is lower than him. Unless the one they dispute against is of a very great level — in which case on the contrary, they are nullified before him. And when someone is brought down — the primary fall that he falls into is the lust for licentiousness, may the Merciful One protect us.

All the things spoken against the true Tzaddik and his followers are very great goodnesses — both physical and spiritual; and they are the very things that establish them.

The Tzaddik of the generation — through judging with the scale of merit those who speak against him, and through accepting with love the sufferings he has from this — through this he sweetens their words, which are in the dimension of harsh severities [gevuros kashus]. But if he has no power, Heaven forbid, to sweeten them — he can then fall from his level, Heaven forbid, through these harsh severities that come upon him; or he may depart [yistalek], Heaven forbid, through this — and then through his departure his soul sweetens these harsh severities.

When people speak, Heaven forbid, against the Oral Torah in general [Torah she'b'al peh], or when they speak against the Tzaddik of the generation himself — these two are literally one and the same thing, for the primary Oral Torah depends upon the Tzaddik of the generation. And the Tzaddik himself is the Torah. See the inner text. But when the Tzaddik sweetens their words — he then turns these words into Torah and teaches it to others; and this is the dimension of the Torah of loving-kindness [Toras chesed] — and through this he sweetens them in completeness.

When there are judgments upon a person, Heaven forbid, and another person comes and stands and disputes against him — then the attribute of judgment [midas ha'din] departs from him, for the person has greater power to take revenge [see the inner text]. And therefore one who is a great tzaddik and watches over the rectification of the world sometimes deliberately disputes against another tzaddik — in order to remove the attribute of judgment from him; but even so he does it with mercy, and does not cause suffering to that tzaddik.

Sometimes there is dispute between two tzaddikim — even though both are from the same root and both are very great in level; only because one of them is in the dimension of chesed d'ispashat l'var [love that spreads outward] — meaning he reveals his Torah to others and teaches his Torah to the many; while the second is in the dimension of tov d'tuveh ganuz b'gavei [goodness hidden within itself] — and does not reveal his Torah to others; and the Torah is in the dimension of fire, and since he does not reveal it and it is constrained in his heart like a burning fire, through this it bursts forth in the dimension of thunder [re'amim] — which is the dimension of dispute. It follows that the dispute between tzaddikim flows from the Torah. But there is dispute of the wicked — which does not flow from the Torah at all. And therefore in truth one must pray to Hashem Yisborach that if it be the will of Hashem Yisborach that there should be persecution and disputes upon him — that it should at least be from the dimension of the dispute of the tzaddikim as above; which is the dimension of "surely goodness and loving-kindness will pursue me" [Psalms 23:6].

In a city where there is a true person of da'as [Divine knowledge] — there is generally dispute and division: some people incline toward and cleave to the person of da'as, and some people dispute against him.

When the Tzaddik must go from level to level — he is tested whether he has the power to stand in the palace of the King [heichal ha'melech]: meaning in the mouth [peh] of the Tzaddik who disputes against him — for his mouth is the dimension of the palace of the King. And if he has the power to stand in the palace of the King — through this he is elevated to a higher level.

The Tzaddik inclines toward kindness [kaf zechus] and judges all who dispute against him with the scale of merit — that their intention in their controversy is for the sake of Heaven: in order to conceal and hide somewhat the light of the Tzaddik so that the world will be able to bear it, and also to sweeten the judgments and prosecutions against him through this. It follows that through this they are doing him a great kindness.

All the words of dispute spoken against the Tzaddik are in the dimension of stones [avanim] — and they are in the dimension of "smooth stones" [chalukei avanim], for they are divided and have no connection. And the Tzaddik takes these stones and makes peace among them — connecting and arranging them one upon the other until he builds a house from them; and from the houses a city is made, until a complete world is made from them. And all the 310 worlds [shin-yud] that the Tzaddik possesses — he builds them from dispute.

One who was a master of dispute [ba'al machlokes] in a previous transmigration [gilgul he'avar] — when he is reincarnated afterward, he becomes left-handed [itter yad].

The true Tzaddik also judges those who dispute against him with the scale of merit — inasmuch as in truth they are not disputing against him at all. For if he had truly said such things and done such deeds as the disputants fabricate — then certainly it would have been fitting in truth to dispute against him. But since he and those close to him know that all the words of the fabricators and disputants are falsehoods and lies that never even entered his mind — if so, they are only disputing against one who did such deeds; but not against the Tzaddik at all. And if they also knew the greatness of the Tzaddik's righteousness and holiness — they would certainly not dispute against him; on the contrary, they would run after him with a wondrous blazing as befitting.

Every Tzaddik, before reaching his level, is inevitably subject to dispute. And therefore the great Tzaddik of the very highest level — who proceeds at all times and every moment from one level to a still higher level — through this he is inevitably generally subject to dispute always.

Sometimes through the dispute that is waged against the person — through this a great good is done for him, for through this he can grow and flourish. Like when some seed is planted in the earth — the earth must split somewhat, so that there is room for the tree to grow.