תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה

All the Torah a person studies in order to observe and do — all the letters are sparks of souls; and they are clothed within the prayer and are sanctified there in the dimension of ibbur [gestation]; and through this the light of prayer is also completed further. But the primary completeness is through binding and bringing the prayer to the Tzaddik of the generation. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Through the drawing-down of Torah, Divine Providence [hashgachah] is drawn down — for the Torah is ta'amim, nekudos, tagin, osiyos [cantillation marks, vowel points, crowns, and letters] which are the three colors of the eye and the pupil of the eye [tes-lamed-tes gavanim d'eina u'vas ayin]. And therefore when the sage of the generation brings the revelation of the Torah — through this he brings the power of sight of the Divine Providence of Hashem Yisborach upon us. And each person according to his proximity to the Torah — so is the Divine Providence of Hashem Yisborach upon him in the dimension of complete Providence. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

There is a soul in the world through which the Torah's commentaries and explanations are revealed — and it is burdened with suffering: "bread with salt you shall eat and water by measure you shall drink" [Mishnah Avos 6:4] — for this is the way of the Torah. And all commentators on the Torah receive from this soul. And the words of this soul are like coals of fire [ke'gachalei aish] — for one cannot receive from and draw the waters of Torah except from one whose words are like coals of fire — in the dimension of "is not My word like fire" [Jeremiah 23:29]. And when this soul falls from the dimension of "is not My word like fire" and its words cool — then it departs; and when it departs, the commentaries on the Torah that flow through it also depart. And then all commentators on the Torah cannot attain any commentary in the Torah; and then contention against the tzaddikim is stirred up — for the primary dispute in the world is caused by the departure of Torah commentaries, since the commentary is the resolution of questions and disputes. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

When one studies Torah with love and fear of Hashem — through this a world is created from each halachic ruling [halachah]. And when one completes an entire tractate it is in the dimension of the matronisa [queen/Shechinah], and the laws [halachos] are her worlds; and through this the sovereignty [malchus] of Hashem Yisborach is revealed. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

When Hashem Yisborach bestows physical blessings and salvations upon Israel through the vessel that holds blessing for Israel — which is peace — through this one merits also to receive spiritual salvations and blessings: meaning one merits to receive true Torah innovations, which are in the dimension of new teaching [ulpan chadatt] from the Creator, blessed be He — each person according to his level. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Our Rabbis said: "There is no day that has no good in it, and there is nothing good but Torah" [Aramaic: lo tishkach yom d'leis bei tav, v'ein tav ela Torah — Talmud Bavli, Berachos 5a variant] — meaning that in each day there is hidden goodness: the mysteries of the Torah [razin d'oraissa] belonging to that day. But when a person wishes to meditate and think about Torah words — the mysteries of the Torah — and he is not worthy of this, then serpents and scorpions come and confuse his thinking so that he should not enter a place that is not his [Aramaic: d'lo yei'ul l'atar d'lav dilei]; and these are the strange thoughts that come to a person and confuse him. And through the person wishing and desiring intensely to enter the hidden goodness and attaching himself to good character traits — the good character traits are gateways and openings through which one can see and attain through them the hidden goodness of each day. And then each and every day is very great and long for him — for he sees and attains the hidden goodness, the mysteries of the Torah belonging to each and every day. And this is the primary length of days [arichas yamim]. And the primary means by which this is merited is through the attribute of generosity [midas ha'vatranusdelibbo] — that the person is generous with his money; which is the attribute of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him. And through this all the serpents and scorpions — the foreign thoughts that confuse his mind — fall and are nullified; and he becomes clear and pure; and then he can come each day to the hidden goodness belonging to him, as above. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

In every person there is the dimension of illuminated countenance [anpin nehirin] — which is the dimension of the knowledge and attainment of the holy Torah as the elixir of life [sam chayim]: which is the dimension of the holiness of Israel, distant in their root from all lusts and evil attributes. And there is in him also the dimension of the seventy nations of idolaters [ha'ayin ovdei kochavim u'mazalos] — which is the dimension of all the lusts and evil attributes of the idolaters, whose sustenance comes from the dimension of the elixir of death [sam maves] — the dimension of darkened countenance [anpin chashokin], which is the dimension of the darkness and concealment of knowledge. And through the person toiling in Torah for the sake of Heaven — until he merits to attain and understand the wisdom of the holy Torah — through this he goes out from the dimension of darkened countenance to the dimension of illuminated countenance. And then the dominion of the lusts and evil attributes of the seventy nations is nullified from him — for they are the dimension of darkened countenance. And then he is called "man" [adam] in the dimension of this Torah — in the dimension of "you are called man" [Talmud Bavli, Yevamos 61a] — for the primary name "man" is merited through the holy Torah which is the dimension of illuminated countenance; which is the dimension of distancing and breaking of all lusts and evil attributes. And through this he merits that the yoke of the dominion of the nations is nullified from him also physically — as our Rabbis said: "All who accept the yoke of Torah, etc." [Mishnah Avos 3:5]. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Torah is spirituality — and a spiritual thing occupies no space. Therefore one whose deeds and intellect are pure and spiritual can grasp the entire Torah and not forget anything. But one who materializes [megashem] the words of the Torah and makes them into something corporeal — through this comes the forgetting of Torah, Heaven forbid. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

One must take great care when saying Torah in public [b'rabbim] — that one's words should divide: that each person should hear only what he needs, no more. And even though one speaks before all of them equally — even so, only what is relevant to each person and what he needs will enter his heart. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

In the holy Torah there are two powers: fire and water. And likewise a person — when he is engaged and occupied in Torah — vapors and steam come forth from him; and in them there is heat and moisture, which are also the dimension of fire and water. One who merits that his study rises to the Shechinah — from these two above-mentioned powers is made both spiritual abundance and physical abundance. But not every person merits that his study rises to the Shechinah. And then when the Torah goes out and cannot rise to its proper place — meanwhile the law-enforcement officers [gardinei nimusin] who rule at night come and strike upon it, and it falls below and scatters throughout the world. And all people of the world draw from the air which is filled with these Torah teachings that did not merit to rise above and were scattered in the air of the world. Then, for a great and righteous person, or at least for a wholesome and G-d-fearing person — this becomes Torah dew [tal Torah]; and some merit to attain from this Torah insights and innovations. And for smaller ones who cannot attain and innovate — there reaches them from this a new awakening [his'orerus chadash] and intense desire [cheshek nimratz] for the Torah — which is also in its own regard the dimension of innovations. But when unworthy people receive from this — from these Torah teachings is formed for them the thirty-nine labors [lamed-tes melachos]; and they receive through this an intense desire and new awakening for the toils and labors and work of this world — which is the complete opposite of the Torah dew — that is, the thirty-nine labors. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

In every book there is the image [demus deyokano] of the sage who innovated the words in that book. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

There are inner chambers of Torah [chadrei Torah]; and one who merits to them — when he begins to innovate in Torah, he enters the chambers; and from chamber to chamber, etc., and gathers from there treasures and very precious and beloved segulahs. Fortunate is he! But one must take great care not to fool oneself that one has already attained a complete attainment — for there are those who fancy themselves as having already entered the innermost sanctuary in Torah attainments; but in truth they are still standing entirely outside. For even in the truly true holy Torah attainments there are many dimensions. See the inner text. Particularly since there are many many innovations and attainments that seem to the person to be great attainments — but in truth they come only from the palaces of transformation [heichalei ha'temuros]. Therefore one must take very great care not to be misled in this. And the very great Tzaddik — even when he attains truly great holy attainments — even so they are not considered anything in his eyes because of the great intensity of his recognition of the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He. And therefore he strives and strengthens himself each time that Hashem Yisborach begins to show him the light of the Torah — as if he had not yet begun to attain at all throughout his days.

There are vanities in the world that are in the dimension of hevel [vanity] — they are works of delusion [ma'asei ta'tu'im]: the vanities of the foolish world. And when one receives these vanities and introduces them into Torah and prayer — from them are formed holy vanities [havalim d'kedushah]; and this is the dimension of converts [geirim]. And through the breath of the lung — which receives vapor [hevel] and expels vapor — which is the dimension of "vapor descends, vapor ascends" [hevel nachis, hevel salik] said about the lung [Talmud Bavli, Berachos 61b] — and when one merits to expel all the breath of one's breathing only through Torah, prayer, and holy vanities — this is the dimension of true converts; for they receive the vanities of the world which are in the dimension of delusion, and elevate them to the dimension of holy vanity through Torah and prayer. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Before every Torah teaching there are doubts [sefeikosin] — as in Torah innovations: before one innovates there are many doubts and confusions before one clarifies and whitens the matter as it should be. And these doubts are in the dimension of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil [etz ha'da'as tov vara] — which is the dimension of nogah [luminescent twilight]. And when one reaches the Torah itself — this is the dimension of the Tree of Life, etc. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

One who has been accepted as a decisor [ba'al posek] — and when he rules on matters of forbidden and permitted and the like, his view is accepted — through this when he rules in some matter his view is sometimes also accepted, and wonders are sometimes wrought through him. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

The true Tzaddik has great awe when he says Torah — more than the awe of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Thought [machashavah] is very very precious — see the inner text. And wisdom [chochmah] is still more precious — for thought is what rises in one's mind alone; but wisdom is when one builds structures in one's intellect through one's wisdom; and this is very precious. And even a simple explanation [peshat] that one innovates is also a very great thing — and very lofty and supernal matters are formed from it. But the essential is that it should be in truth. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Through Torah innovations that are revealed — through this Divinity is drawn, as it were, into the brain of the listeners. And even though this is for Hashem Yisborach like the dimension of grasping [tefisah], as it were — the dimension of "the king is held captive in the tresses" [Song of Songs 7:6] — held captive specifically — in the conduits of the mochin [b'rahitei mochin] — even so, Hashem Yisborach is pleased by this. But when one teaches Torah to an unworthy student and draws His Divinity, blessed be He, into that brain — this is for Hashem Yisborach like the dimension of grasping and literal imprisonment [beis ha'asurim mamash]; and therefore his punishment is imprisonment [tefisah]. And through the imprisonment the words he introduced into unworthy students are rectified and purified — also through afterward teaching Torah with worthy students, through which loving-kindnesses [chasadim] are revealed; through this the above-mentioned blemish is also rectified. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

The revelation of Torah innovations is the dimension of the revelation of loving-kindnesses, as above. And therefore the teacher must have the merit of his ancestors [zechus avos] — for loving-kindnesses come from the side of the father, as is known. Or the teacher must be so great in level that he has loving-kindnesses from his own side — and has no need of ancestral merit for this; and then he can reveal Torah through the loving-kindnesses he himself possesses. And sometimes the teacher holds himself back and does not wish to reveal Torah — due to his humility; and it seems to him that he has no loving-kindnesses from his own side and no ancestral merit. And then when there is a worthy student who has ancestral merit — and he begins to reveal Torah innovations which are the dimension of the revelation of loving-kindnesses — through this he brings the teacher to such a state that the teacher is compelled against his will to reveal Torah which is the dimension of the revelation of loving-kindnesses. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Before the Giving of the Torah — the world engaged only in the settlement of the world [yishuv ha'olam] and in the way of the world [derech eretz]; and then the primary sustaining of the world was through gratuitous lovingkindness [chesed chinam] alone — which is the dimension of the treasury, the free gift [ha'otzar matan chinam]. And in truth certainly even then the Torah existed in the world — for the Torah is eternal; however, the Torah was then in concealment and hiddenness: for the entire Torah is included in the Ten Commandments; and then before the Giving of the Torah, the Ten Commandments were hidden in the ten utterances through which the world was created. It follows that in all the words and deeds and actions of the world — the Torah is hidden within all of them; for everything was created through the ten utterances within which the Ten Commandments are hidden — which are the totality of the Torah. And therefore the Tzaddik — at the time when he parts from Torah due to necessity — and then [§353] he is in the dimension of a simple man — then he receives vitality through Torah from this dimension of before the Giving of the Torah: the above-mentioned hidden Torah — which is the dimension of the world's sustaining through the treasury, the free gift alone. And similarly each and every person — according to his hold on the Torah and according to his proximity to the Tzaddik — so does he merit to receive vitality in his time of simplicity from this dimension of the world's sustaining before the Giving of the Torah. [Translator's note: The cross-reference number 353 (שנג) appears mid-sentence in the source, immediately before 'he is in the dimension of a simple man' — retained here in its correct position. No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Even a single word alone — when one merits to innovate in Torah — this too is very good; for it is a very great rectification. And it is also a benefit for the soul of his ancestors who have already departed. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

One can bind thought and speech to Hashem Yisborach and say Torah innovations without prior thought and reflection. But it is better when one thinks Torah — for one must think and reflect and investigate and clarify Torah words in one's mind well before saying them. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

According to the conversations and revelations that have spread in our days from the holy compositions of the truly true tzaddikim of our generations — it is therefore very easy now to innovate in Torah. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

In every place one studies and does not understand — one must weep greatly before Hashem Yisborach that He should illuminate one's eyes; and through this one will merit to understand — to the point that one can merit through this to understand also the holy Zohar and the writings of the holy Ari, of blessed memory, and all the books of Kabbalah. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

When the Torah sometimes shows love to a person — he does not want the World to Come at all for the sake of Torah study — only he wants the Torah itself. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Also people who hear the Torah of the true Tzaddik and do not understand it — in the future, in the World to Come, they will understand; for the primary Torah is for the souls: that in the World to Come the souls will be expert in and attain well the Torah that the person studied and heard in this world. Fortunate is one who spends his days in much Torah and service. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

It is good to study with speed and alacrity [bimhirus u'vizrizus] — and not to be overly precise in one's study, and not to greatly confuse one's mind during study from matter to matter. Rather one should try to understand the matter in its place in simplicity. For the virtue of studying much surpasses everything — as our Rabbis of blessed memory said: "Let a person first study and then reflect" [Aramaic: ligmar inish v'hadar lisbar — Talmud Bavli, Shabbos 63a]. See the inner text at length. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

It is possible to be a wholesome person and even a Tzaddik even though one is not a Torah scholar at all. But one cannot be a person of true spiritual attainment [ba'al hasagah] except when one is a scholar in Gemara with the commentary of Tosafos. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

There are tzaddikim who say true Torah innovations and introduce them into some verse or saying of the Rabbis — but it does not fit and enter well into the words of Scripture, etc. — only through some allusion and loose association; and this is the dimension of a prophet who prophesies through a non-luminous mirror [aspaklarya she'einah me'irah]. But there are awesome tzaddikim who are in the dimension of Moshe — whose Torah innovations are clear and bright as the sun, and well explained and detailed within the verse or saying of the Rabbis into which they place them; and this is the dimension of the luminous mirror [aspaklarya hame'irah] — the dimension of "this is the matter, etc." [Numbers 30:2]. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

Through truly true Torah innovations one sees the revelation of His Divinity, blessed be He — that He, blessed be He, creates existence from nothingness [mamtzi me'ayin l'yeish]. For at first one did not know this innovation at all — and now one takes it and draws it from the source of wisdom which is the dimension of ayin [nothingness] — in the dimension of "and wisdom, from where is it found?" [Job 28:12]. And not only when one merits to innovate much — but even when one finds only a single word to innovate and with great difficulty — this too is among the wonders of the Creator, blessed be He: for from where does one even take this word? And therefore in truth the holy Torah is faithful testimony about Hashem Yisborach. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

There are tzaddikim who are great in Torah and very well versed in many books — and specifically because of this they cannot innovate: because their great erudition confuses them, and they begin to make many preambles; and through this their words become confused and they cannot bring any fine innovation to light. For when one wishes to innovate Torah innovations — one must concentrate the mind and not immediately run to confuse one's mind with many preambles that are not necessary for one's innovations; and one should make oneself as if not knowing — and then one can bring out much to light and innovate gradually in order. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

One who wishes to innovate in Torah may innovate anything one merits to innovate in one's intellect by way of homiletical interpretation [derush] and esoteric meaning [sod] — as long as one does not derive some new legal ruling [din chadash] from the above-mentioned homilies. See the inner text. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

When one sometimes writes down one's own Torah words or the Torah words of others — or copies some Torah words — all this is also considered study. Meaning: even though writing certainly consumes much time, and during this time one would have been able to study much more — even so, since one is compelled to write, it is also then considered as if one literally studied throughout that entire time. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]

One who is not fit to study Kabbalah and studies it — through this he loses his heart, Heaven forbid; and he is in the dimension of lacking a heart [chasar leiv]: meaning he has no awakening of the heart in prayer and service. But there are many who are greatly obligated to study Kabbalah — therefore one must also pray to Hashem Yisborach about this, that He guide one on the true path in this matter. [Translator's note: No source citation appears for this teaching in this edition.]