Laws of Tzitzis — Halacha 3

The matter of tzitzis, according to the teaching "Tik'u bachodesh shofar," etc. — which begins at the start of Sefer Likutay Moharan Tinyana. See there the entire teaching from beginning to end.

Some brief introductory principles that emerge from there, in summary: The Jewish person was created to have dominion over the angels, etc. And he needs the strength to stand in this dominion so that the angels should not become jealous and seek to push him away, G-d forbid. And the counsel for this is to grasp onto the Keesai HaKavod [Throne of Glory], which is the aspect of the roots of the souls of Yisrael, in the aspect of: "Mi'achaiz pinay cheesai" [He grasps the face of the Throne] (Iyov 26:9). And the main ones are the mefursamim [the renowned ones — i.e. true leaders], who are the primary roots of the souls of Yisrael, etc. And there are mefursamim shel sheker [false leaders] whose greatness comes only through brazenness, etc.

And for this one needs the aspect of the building of Yerushalayim — namely, to rectify the completeness of the yirah [awe / fear of G-d] in the heart. And this is accomplished by rectifying the three desires: the desire for money, eating, and sexual relations — which are the aspect of the three watches of the night, etc. All three of these desires damage the yirah in the heart. And their rectification is through the Da'as that is drawn through the three festivals [Shalosh Regalim — Pesach, Shavuos, Sukkos]. Through this Da'as, one merits to rectify and escape the blemish of these three desires. And this is the aspect of: "Kree'ay moa-aid anshay shaim" — "the ones called to the festivals, men of renown" — for the three desires mentioned above are the aspect of "men of renown," etc.

And through rectifying these three desires through the three festivals — through which the yirah in the heart is completed — through this, an angel is created that bestows prophecy, the aspect of: "HaMalach hago'el" — "the Angel who redeems," etc. And through this, tefillah is redeemed from exile, and one merits complete prayer, which is the aspect of "devar Hashem" [the word of G-d]. And then one merits healing without any doctors at all — only through "devar Hashem" one can be healed through anything in the world, even through bread and water, etc. And this is the aspect of the sparkling-forth of Mashiach, etc.

However, there are three evil "services" that ruin the service of prayer: idol worship (i.e. blemish of emunah), sexual immorality, and bloodshed (i.e. when one humiliates people and transgresses: "Do not despise any person" (Avos 4:3)). When one escapes these three evil services, one merits prayer, and then all the angels and all the stars are beneath him, etc. And through this, one can grasp onto the roots of the souls of Yisrael that emerge from the Keesai HaKavod, etc., as above.

And then, when one grasps the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, one can make Rosh Hashanah. For one who speaks about his fellow — this is the aspect of Rosh Hashanah, which is yoma d'dina [the day of judgment], for he is judging his fellow. And one must be very careful about this, for "HaMishpat lEi-lokim hu" — "the judgment belongs to G-d" — for only He alone, blessed be He, can judge us. For He, blessed be He, judges everyone favorably, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Avos 2:4): "Do not judge your fellow until you reach his place." And who can reach the place of his fellow? Only He, blessed be He, alone — for He is the Place of the world and the world is not His place. And every single person has a place before Him, blessed be He. And therefore He alone can judge the world favorably, for He, blessed be He, is full of mercy.

And we see His mercy, blessed be He, in that He established Rosh Hashanah, the day of judgment, on Rosh Chodesh, when Hashem Himself, as it were, expresses regret and says: "Bring upon Me an atonement for having diminished the moon." And through this, we then have an opening to come before Him with our sins and to regret them, etc. And this is: "Livaischa na'avah kodesh, Hashem l'orech yamim" — "Holiness befits Your house, Hashem, for the length of days" (Tehillim 93:5). For Hashem is full of mercy, for He is the Place of the world and knows the place of every single person. For although we find places where the Shechinah rested, such as the Bais HaMikdash, the intention is not that His G-dliness was constricted there, G-d forbid, as Shlomo said: "Behold, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain You," etc. (Melachim I 8:27). Rather, because there were beautiful things there — for in the Bais HaMikdash was the form of the act of Creation, and the form of Gan Eiden — therefore He drew His holiness there. But He Himself, blessed be He — the world is not His place; rather, He is the Place of the world. And therefore He, blessed be He, can make Rosh Hashanah, which is the day of judgment, for He fulfills: "Do not judge your fellow until you reach his place," as above. And this is the aspect of: "Livaischa na'avah kodesh" — that Hashem drew only His holiness to the Bais HaMikdash because there were beautiful things there. But He, blessed be He, Himself — the world is not His place; rather, He is the Place of the world. And therefore: "Hashem l'orech yamim" — that He, blessed be He, can make Rosh Hashanah, which is yoma arichta [the long day], as above.

And one who grasps the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, the roots of the souls — he is also the aspect of the "Place of the world," in the aspect of: "Vicheesay chavod yancheelaim, kee laShem metzookay eretz va'yashes alaihem taivail" — "And a Throne of Glory He gives them as inheritance, for Hashem's are the pillars of the earth, and He set the world upon them" (Shmuel I 2:8). Through the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, he becomes the "Place of the world," the aspect of "He set the world upon them." And therefore he can make Rosh Hashanah, as above. See there all of this well.

And this is the aspect of tzitzis. For tzitzis are in the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, the roots of the souls, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Menachos 43b): "Tichailes resembles the sea, and the sea resembles the Keesai HaKavod," etc. For the souls of Yisrael — the Keesai HaKavod — are in the aspect of levushin d'Malka [the garments of the King], as it were. For the Keesai HaKavod and the aspect of garments are one aspect, as is brought, for Rabbi Yochanan called his garments "mechabdusai" (Shabbos 113a). And this is the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod — which covers over His glory, blessed be He — which is the aspect of the totality of the worlds that are subsumed within the souls of Yisrael, which are the aspect of the levushin d'Malka, the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, as above.

And therefore, tzitzis is the totality of the Torah, as it is written: "L'ma'an tizkeru va'asisem es kol mitzvosai" — "In order that you remember and perform all My mitzvos" (Bamidbar 15:40) — for all 613 mitzvos are included in it, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Menachos 43b). For this is the essential general principle of the entire Torah — that through the mitzvos we should be able to come before the Keesai HaKavod, namely, to grasp onto His Throne of Glory so that we should have dominion over the angels, as above. And this is all included in the mitzvah of tzitzis, which is the chaluka d'Rabbanan, the aspect of the levushin d'Malka, which are the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, as above.

And therefore, the beginning of the service each day starts with the mitzvah of tzitzis, which one fulfills immediately upon rising in the morning. And likewise, the initial training of the child begins with tzitzis, for immediately the child is trained in the mitzvah of tzitzis before the other practical mitzvos. For when a person begins the service of Hashem, the essential intention is to come to the tachlis — namely, to have dominion over the angels, for which purpose the human being was created, as above. And therefore one begins with tzitzis, through which one grasps onto His Throne of Glory, blessed be He. And this is the aspect of grasping the tzitzis — the aspect of "me'achaz penei chisei," as above. And through this, we have the strength to engage in the service of Hashem until we merit that we should have dominion over the angels, for they do not have the power to push him away since he has already grasped onto His Throne of Glory, blessed be He, through tzitzis, as above.

And to grasp onto His Throne of Glory, blessed be He, one needs to guard the yirah in the heart, which is the aspect of the building of Yerushalayim. And this is accomplished through rectifying the three desires mentioned above, which are the aspect of the three watches of the night — which are rectified through the Da'as that is drawn through the three festivals. And this is the aspect of tzitzis, which is the aspect of rectifying the yirah in the heart, in the aspect of: "And you shall not stray after your hearts" (Bamidbar 15:39).

And this is the aspect of the 32 threads in the tzitzis [ל״ב = lev, heart] — for they rectify the yirah in the heart. For through the tzitzis, the heart is guarded from the blemish of the desires mentioned above, in the aspect of: "And you shall not stray after your hearts," etc. And through this, the yirah in the heart is guarded, as above. For through the threads of the tzitzis, the Da'as of the three festivals is drawn to rectify the three desires mentioned above, which are dependent upon the heart. This is the aspect of tzitzis, as above.

And therefore, tzitzis does not apply at night, only during the day (Menachos 43a). For the night is the aspect of darkness, the aspect of the blemish of the three desires mentioned above, which are the aspect of the three watches of the night, as above. And each and every day, one must draw the Da'as from the three festivals mentioned above to rectify the three watches of the night, the aspect of the three desires, as above. And this is the aspect of the light of day, which is the aspect of the light of Da'as that is drawn every day from the three festivals, as above. For the festivals are called Yom Tov, and the primary light of day is the aspect of Tov, in the aspect of: "Vayar Elokim es ha'or kee tov" — "And G-d saw the light that it was good" (Beraishis 1:4). For the light is the aspect of Chesed, the aspect of Da'as that is drawn from the aspect of the three festivals, from the aspect of Yom Tov, which rectifies the three desires mentioned above. Through this, the day shines and the darkness of night is dispelled — the aspect of the blemish of the three desires, as above.

And this is merited every day through engaging in Torah at night — namely, through rising at chatzos [midnight] and engaging in Torah. For every person must rise at chatzos to break the night, to break the three watches mentioned above. For chatzos is the aspect of the midpoint of the night, the peak of the darkness of night. And when one breaks the night and rises at chatzos, through this one breaks and nullifies all aspects of the three watches mentioned above, which are the aspect of the three desires, as above. And therefore one engages then in Torah, to draw the Da'as to rectify the three desires, as above.

And therefore, at chatzos, one mourns the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. For the primary Da'as is drawn from the Bais HaMikdash, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Berachos 33a): "Whoever has Da'as, it is as if the Bais HaMikdash was built in his days," and as brought in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, many times. And therefore, on the three festivals one must ascend to the Bais HaMikdash, in order to draw from there the Da'as to rectify the three desires, as above. And therefore, at chatzos — which is the totality of the night, and when one engages in rectifying the three desires mentioned above, which are the aspect of the three watches of the night — therefore one engages then in the building of the Bais HaMikdash, for one mourns then over its destruction. And through this one merits to see its rebuilding, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Ta'anis 30b). It follows that through mourning the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, one engages in its building, and through this one draws then the Da'as to rectify the three watches, the aspect of the three traits, as above. And through this, one merits in the morning the light of day that is drawn from the light of Da'as, which is drawn every day from the three festivals, as above — in the aspect of (Chagigah 12b): "Whoever engages in Torah at night — a thread of Chesed is drawn upon him by day." And Chesed is Da'as, as brought elsewhere many times.

And therefore, immediately in the morning, one draws this light of Da'as through the threads of the tzitzis, which are the aspect of the thread of Chesed mentioned above — which is drawn in the morning through engaging in Torah at night, through breaking the night, which is the aspect of the three traits mentioned above, and engaging in Torah at night to draw the Da'as from the Bais HaMikdash. Through this, one merits in the morning the thread of Chesed — the aspect of the threads of tzitzis — through which one receives the light of Da'as from the three festivals, as above. For tzitzis are in the aspect of the festivals, in the aspect of: "Tzedek lefanav yahalech" — "Righteousness walks before Him" (Tehillim 85:14) — which is the aspect of the three festivals, when one walks to ascend for the pilgrimage, as it is written: "Three times a year he shall be seen," etc. (Shemos 23:17). This is the aspect of: "Righteousness walks before Him, and He sets [His feet] on the path of His steps," as brought elsewhere.

And this is the aspect of tzitzis, the aspect of: "Tzedek lavashti vayalbishaini" — "I wore righteousness and it clothed me" (Iyov 29:14). This is the aspect of the eight threads that are in each of the tzitzis. And each thread must be twisted, and there is no twisting with less than two [strands], as our Sages, of blessed memory, derived (Menachos 38b) from the verse: "HaKanaf pesil," etc. It follows that in each of the tzitzis there are 16 threads — namely, eight twisted threads — corresponding to the days of the three festivals, which are 16 days. For Pesach is seven days, Shavuos is one day, and the eight days of the Festival [Sukkos including Shemini Atzeres] — in the aspect of: "Tain chailek lishivah vigam lishmonah" — "Give a portion to seven, and also to eight" (Koheles 11:2) — which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Eruvin 40b) regarding the festivals. And therefore, the primary tzitzis are eight threads, corresponding to the eight days of the Festival of Sukkos, which is the greatest number of days among the festivals and which includes also the seven days of Pesach and the day of Shavuos. Also, the eight days of Sukkos are the last of the festivals, corresponding to Yaakov who encompasses all the Patriarchs, for then on Sukkos the illumination of all three festivals is completed, and it encompasses them all. And therefore there are eight threads in the tzitzis, as above.

And this is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt that is mentioned in the passage of tzitzis. This is the aspect of the three festivals, which are all a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. For the essential Exodus from Egypt was through the aspect of chatzos, in the aspect of: "Kachatzos haleyelah anee yotzei b'soch Mitzrayim" — "At about midnight I go forth into the midst of Egypt" (Shemos 11:4). That is, through breaking the three watches — the three evil traits mentioned above — which are the aspect of the darkness of night, which is the essence of the exile of Egypt. For the exile of the Sitra Achara overpowers the person through the three traits mentioned above, which are the totality of all desires.

And through the aspect of chatzos, that one breaks the night — through this one exits the exile of Egypt, the exile of the three traits mentioned above — in the aspect of: "At about midnight I go forth into the midst of Egypt," as above. And one merits the aspect of the three festivals, which are a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. And through this, one merits the light of tzitzis, which are garments that cover a person, to save and guard him from the three traits mentioned above, which are the aspect of the blemish of garments — in the aspect of: "V'at eirom v'eryah" — "And you were naked and bare" (Yechezkel 16:7), which was said regarding the exile of Egypt. That is, when one is sunk, G-d forbid, in the blemish of the three traits mentioned above — which is the aspect of the exile of Egypt, as above — then the soul is naked, G-d forbid — the aspect of "and you were naked and bare," in the aspect of: "For it is his covering, it alone; it is his garment for his skin" — da tzitzis u'tefillin [this refers to tzitzis and tefillin] — "in what shall he sleep — in exile," as written in the holy Zohar (Tikunim 91). That is, when one lies in exile, G-d forbid — namely, the blemish of the three traits mentioned above — then it is said: "In what shall he sleep? In exile." For then he is in the aspect of "naked and bare," as above.

For these three traits are the aspect of the blemish of Kavod, which is the aspect of garments — for Rabbi Yochanan called his garments "mechabdusai" (Shabbos 113a). For these three traits are called "anshei sheim," as explained in the teaching mentioned above. And the sheim [name] is Kavod, in the aspect of: "Uvaruch sheim kevod" (Tehillim 72:19), and: "Havu laShem kevod shemo" (Tehillim 29:2). And these desires mentioned above blemish, G-d forbid, the Sheim and the Kavod — for they are called "anshei sheim," as above. For money is called Kavod, as it is written: "Ume'asher l'avinu asah es kol hakavod hazeh" (Beraishis 31:1), in the aspect of: "Rebbi honored the wealthy" (Eruvin 86a). It follows that the root of money is in Kavod, as brought in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, elsewhere. And therefore, through the desire for money one blemishes Kavod. And likewise, the desire for sexual immorality [blemishes] Kavod, for "there is no shame except in a place of nakedness" — and the primary Kavod comes through guarding the bris, as brought elsewhere (Siman 11). And likewise, the desire for eating blemishes Kavod — in the aspect of the royal table, the King of Glory — as also brought elsewhere (Siman 67).

And therefore they blemish the garments, which are the aspect of Kavod, as above. And therefore it is said regarding the exile of Egypt — which is the aspect of the three desires, the opposite of the three festivals, which are the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt — therefore it is said then: "And you were naked and bare," the aspect of "in what shall he sleep — in exile," as above.

And therefore, in the morning, when the day shines — the aspect of the light of Da'as of the three festivals, the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt that shines every day — therefore one then merits the garments of holiness, which are the garments of tzitzis, which cover over the blemish of the desires mentioned above. For they are the aspect of the light drawn from the three festivals, as above.

And through the three festivals, which rectify the yirah in the heart — through this is created the angel that bestows prophecy, the aspect of: "HaMalach hago'el osi mikol ra" — "the Angel who redeems me from all evil," etc. And through this, one merits prayer, which is devar Hashem, etc. — see there. The three festivals that illuminate prayer — this is the aspect of telas gavonin d'eina u'vas ayin [the three colors of the eye and the pupil]. For the three festivals correspond to the three Patriarchs, who are the aspect of the three colors of the eye. And the prayer is the aspect of Malchus of David, who is the fourth foot — the aspect of the bas ayin [the pupil], as is brought.

This is in itself the aspect of the angel who redeems, which is drawn from the three festivals, as above — for the angel is the aspect of the Shechinah, as our Rebbe, of blessed memory, said there at the end of the teaching mentioned above — which is the aspect of Malchus. And therefore, through this angel comes the primary rectification of prayer, which is also the aspect of Malchus, as above.

And this is the aspect of the four tzitzis — the aspect of the three colors of the eye and the pupil, the aspect of: "Ur'isem oso" — "And you shall see it" — which is said regarding tzitzis, for the essential illumination of the three festivals is to illuminate the bas ayin, the aspect of Malchus, which is the aspect of the ד [four] — whose primary ascent is during the three festivals, as our Rebbe wrote elsewhere (Siman 30). And this is the aspect of the four tzitzis: through the three festivals, which are the three colors of the eye that illuminate the pupil, from this emerge the four tzitzis, which are the aspect of Malchus, the aspect of four, as brought and as above.

And therefore, the primary rectification of prayer is through tzitzis. For the tzitzis are drawn from the three festivals that illuminate the bas ayin, the aspect of prayer, as above. And therefore, through this specifically, one can grasp onto the Keesai HaKavod, as explained in the teaching mentioned above. For the three colors of the eye and the pupil — which are the aspect of the three festivals that rectify prayer, which is the aspect of the four tzitzis, as above — they are the aspect of the three Patriarchs and David, who are the aspect of the four feet of the Throne, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. Therefore, through this, one grasps onto His Throne of Glory, as above.

Also, tzitzis rectify the three evil services that ruin the service of prayer — which are idol worship, sexual immorality, and bloodshed — as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Tanna Divay Eliyahu Rabbah 26:19): "L'dorosam" [for their generations] — "l'dor tam" [for a generation that is perfect] — perfect from idol worship, perfect from bloodshed. And this is the aspect of "tam" — "And you shall not stray after your hearts" — this refers to heresy, namely, idol worship. "And after your eyes" — this refers to sexual immorality. It follows that tzitzis save from idol worship and sexual immorality.

And likewise, tzitzis — which are the rectification of garments — save from bloodshed, which is connected to the blemish of garments. This is the aspect of the red cloak associated with Eisav, who was a murderer, as it is said: "Va'yaitzai horeeshoan admoanee kooloa kee'adehress sai'ur" — "And the first one came out ruddy, all of him like a hairy mantle" (Beraishis 25:25). And Rashi explains: "like a cloak" — as mentioned regarding another matter in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory (Siman 8). And therefore, one who blemishes tzitzis, it is said about him: "Gam bich'nafayich nimtz'u dam nafshos evyonim nekiyim" — "Also on your hems is found the blood of the souls of innocent paupers" (Yirmiyahu 2:34), as brought by our Sages, of blessed memory (Shabbos 32b). For the blemish of tzitzis — the blemish of garments — is the aspect of bloodshed, in the aspect of: "Why is there red upon Your garments?" (Yeshayahu 63:2), as brought in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, elsewhere.

But tzitzis is the rectification of garments — the aspect of a white tallis, the opposite of the red cloak of Eisav. And therefore tzitzis save from bloodshed, for then one does not transgress "Do not despise any person" (Avos 4:3) — which is the aspect of bloodshed, as above — in the aspect of: "Eizehu mechubad? Ham'chabed es hab'riyos" — "Who is honored? One who honors the creations" (Avos 4:1). And therefore, tzitzis — which are the primary rectification of garments, which are the aspect of Kavod, as above — then he is honored, and then he certainly honors the creations, and is saved from transgressing "Do not despise any person."

It follows that tzitzis save from the three transgressions mentioned above. For tzitzis are the rectification of prayer. And therefore, tzitzis are conducive to healing, as our Rebbe, of blessed memory, said elsewhere (Siman 7) — as alluded to in the passage: "Heenai bincha Yosef buh ailechuh" — "Behold, your son Yosef comes to you" (Beraishis 48:2) — which is the aspect of tzitzis, as explained in Pri Aitz Chaim. And through this: "Vayischazek Yisrael" — "And Yisrael strengthened himself." For through tzitzis one merits prayer, which is the aspect of devar Hashem, as above. And through devar Hashem, one merits healing from Heaven through anything in the world, even through bread and water — in the aspect of: "Oovairach es lachmecha… v'hasirosi machalah" — "And He will bless your bread… and I will remove sickness" (Shemos 23:25) — in the aspect of "one may heal with anything except…" — as explained there in the teaching mentioned above. See there.

It follows that through tzitzis, the light is drawn from the three festivals to rectify the three traits mentioned above — which is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt. And through this, one merits prayer, devar Hashem. And through this, one can grasp onto the Keesai HaKavod, the roots of the souls of Yisrael — which is the aspect of tzitzis, etc., as above. And then, when one merits grasping onto His Throne of Glory, one can make Rosh Hashanah, which is yoma d'dina — namely, to judge the entire world with mercy, favorably — like Hashem, Who judges everyone with mercy because He is the Place of the world and the world is not His place, etc., as explained well in the teaching mentioned above. See there well, and as brought above.

And this is the essential aspect of tzitzis — which are the rectification of garments, in order to merit grasping onto the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, as above, in order to judge the entire world with mercy, favorably, etc., as above. For the garments themselves are the ones that judge the person, in the aspect of: "Hashem malach gayoos lavaish" — "Hashem reigns, He has clothed Himself in majesty" (Tehillim 93:1), etc. — which is said regarding Rosh Hashanah, when the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on His Throne to judge the world, as it is written there: "Nachon keesacha mayuz" — "Your Throne is established from of old." And as is brought that this verse is said regarding Rosh Hashanah, yoma d'dina, when Hashem, blessed be He, dons the garments of His majesty to judge the entire world. For the garments are the aspect of dinim [judgments], and they judge all who come into the world, as brought in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, elsewhere (Siman 29) — in the aspect of "I wore righteousness," and righteousness is the law of the kingdom, etc. — see there.

And according to the severity of the judgment, G-d forbid, of the aspect of the garments, the world could be consumed, G-d forbid — for "no living being is righteous before You." And therefore we must rectify the garments through the tzitzis, which are the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, as above — through which one becomes the aspect of the "Place of the world." For one who grasps the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod is in the aspect of the "Place of the world," as explained well in the teaching mentioned above. And then one can judge everyone with mercy, favorably — in the aspect of: "Do not judge your fellow until you reach his place," etc. Just as Hashem, when He dons the garments of His majesty on Rosh Hashanah to judge the world — He judges Yisrael with great mercy, for Rosh Hashanah is a great Chesed, that He established the day of judgment on Rosh Chodesh, at the time when Hashem Himself says: "Bring upon Me an atonement," etc. See there all of this well. For He, blessed be He, is the Place of the world and the world is not His place, and He knows the place of every single person. And therefore He judges all of Yisrael with great mercy, etc. See there.

And this is the aspect of tzitzis that hang upon the garments — through which one grasps the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, as above. And then one is in the aspect of the "Place of the world" and can judge everyone favorably, like Hashem, as it were. For tzitzis are in the aspect of the "Place of the world," for they hang on the four corners corresponding to the four directions of the world. That is, all four directions of the world — which are the totality of the place of the entire world — all emerge from the aspect of tzitzis, which are the aspect of the "Place of the world," for they are the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, as above.

And this is the essential aspect of tzitzis — that they elevate and gather and bind the aspect of the place of every single person to the aspect of "above place," which is the aspect of the "Place of the world," where the root-place of every single person is found. And through this, one judges everyone favorably, because one knows his place.

For it is found in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, in the awesome story of the Seven Beggars, which is brought in the Sefer HaMa'asiyos. And it is brought there in the story of the fifth beggar, who was a hunchback, from the matter of "a little that holds a lot" [mu'at machazik es hamerubeh]. And what is understood there partially is that the concept of "a little that holds a lot" is close to the aspect of "above place." And there are many levels in the matter of "a little that holds a lot," one above the other. And every level of "a little that holds a lot" is still within the realm of "place," but it is somewhat close to the aspect of "above place." Until there is a level of "a little that holds a lot" that is very close to the aspect of "above place" — to the point that there one exits entirely from the aspect of "place" to the aspect of "above place." And through this level, one can come to the Tree beneath which all the beasts of the field take shelter, and in its branches, etc. — and this Tree stands completely "above place." See there well, all of this awesome and wondrous matter.

And tzitzis are in the aspect of "a little that holds a lot," and they elevate the person from the aspect of "place" to the aspect of "above place," to the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, the aspect of the "Place of the world" — where everything is sweetened with mercy, as above — in the aspect of: "Vu'esuh eschem al kanfay nishureem vu'uvee eschem ailoy" — "And I bore you on wings of eagles and I brought you to Me" (Shemos 19:4). "Wings of eagles" — these are the wings of a mitzvah — the aspect of: "Kinesher yu'eer keenoa al goazuluv yirachaif" — "As an eagle stirs its nest, hovering over its young" (Devarim 32:11) — which we recite before wrapping in tzitzis. And through this — through the "wings of eagles," the "wings of the mitzvah" — "I brought you to Me" — that Hashem brought us close to Him, from the aspect of "place" to the aspect of the "Place of the world," the aspect of "above place."

For our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded on this verse — "And I bore you," etc. — that this was said regarding the Exodus from Egypt. On the day they came from Ra'amses to Sukkos, it was 120 mil, and they came in one day. And this is the aspect of "above place" — the aspect of kefitzas ha'aretz [the contracting of the land], the aspect of: "Vayifga bamakom" — "And he encountered the Place" — which is said regarding Yaakov, who leaped over the place. And therefore he "encountered the Place" in one day, for Yaakov was able to ascend to the aspect of "above place." And this is the aspect of kefitzas ha'aretz. And this is the aspect of "And I bore you on," etc. — that He elevated them above place. And therefore they came in one day from Ra'amses to Sukkos. And this was accomplished through the aspect of tzitzis, in the aspect of: "And I bore you on wings of eagles and I brought," etc. — the wings of the mitzvos, as above.

And therefore, tzitzis gathers the dispersed from the four corners of the earth, from all the places to which they have been scattered. For every one of the dispersed fell to the place he fell because of his place — for his place caused it — in the aspect of: "Do not judge your fellow until you reach his place," as above. And Hashem, blessed be He, Who is the Place of the world, as above, and Who knows the place of every single person — He judges everyone favorably. For He knows that one's place caused it.

And then, when Hashem, blessed be He, wishes to have mercy upon him in His abundant mercy, He elevates him from that place to the aspect of "above place." And there, everything is sweetened and rectified, as brought above. And this is the aspect of teshuvah, for teshuvah preceded the world — for teshuvah is in the aspect of "above place," the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, which is the aspect of the "Place of the world" — in the aspect of (Yoma 86a): "Great is teshuvah, for it reaches unto the Keesai HaKavod."

For the place of every single person causes his distancing from Hashem, blessed be He. For "place" is the aspect of the intensity of Asiyah, the intensity of tzimtzum — from which comes the primary grip [of impurity], as is known. And one who wishes to come close to Hashem, blessed be He, must constantly seek Hashem in every place where he is, and bind and elevate the aspect of the place where he is to the aspect of "above place," to the "Place of the world" — namely, to Hashem, blessed be He. And then he merits to serve Hashem in truth, and no place prevents him — as brought elsewhere in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory (Siman 33).

And even one who has fallen to some bad place through his sins — even if he has fallen to the place where he has fallen, to a very low and materialistic and filthy place, G-d forbid, may the Merciful One save us — nevertheless, he must remember Hashem, blessed be He, Who is the Place of the world, where the place of every single person exists. And therefore there is no falling in the world at all. For even from there he can return to Hashem, blessed be He, Who is the Place of the world, from all the places to which he has been scattered — in the aspect of: "Uvikashta misham es Hashem Eloakaycha" — "And from there you will seek Hashem your G-d" (Devarim 4:29) — "misham" [from there] specifically — from the place where he is — as brought in the name of the Ba'al Shem Tov, of blessed memory.

And this is the aspect of tzitzis, which are in the aspect of "above place," the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, the aspect of the "Place of the world." That is, tzitzis at their root are in the aspect of "above place," as above. And therefore, even below, the tzitzis are in the aspect of "a little that holds a lot," as it is written: "V'hecheziku asarah anashim mikol l'shonos hagoyim bichnaf ish Yehudi" — "And ten men from all the languages of the nations will grasp the corner of a Jewish man and say: 'Let us go with you,'" etc. (Zechariah 8:23). And our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Shabbos 32b) that in the future, 700 men will grasp one corner of the four corners of tzitzis. It follows that this is the aspect of "a little that holds a lot." And therefore, specifically in the corner they will be able to grasp — 700 men — the aspect of "a little that holds a lot." And through this specifically they will say: "Let us go with you" — to come close to Hashem. For through tzitzis, which are the aspect of "a little that holds a lot" — when one grasps them, one can ascend from "place" to the aspect of "above place." Through this, one is drawn close to Hashem, blessed be He, to the aspect of the "Place of the world," etc., as above — in the aspect of: "And I bore you on wings of eagles and I brought you to Me," etc., as above.

And therefore, tzitzis gathers the dispersed from the four corners of the earth — in the aspect of: "Vihavee'ainoo l'shalom mai'arba kanfos" (this is the nusach of Ashkenaz), etc. [And bring us in peace from the four corners…] — when one then grasps the tzitzis. For the tzitzis — which are the aspect of the Keesai HaKavod, the aspect of the "Place of the world" — they judge everyone favorably, even those who are greatly dispersed through their many sins. And then they elevate and gather all the dispersed from their places to which they have been scattered, to the aspect of "above place," to the aspect of the "Place of the world" — where there is a place for every single person, even for the dispersed. And there, everything is sweetened and rectified, for there everyone is judged favorably, as above.

And this is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt, when Hashem bore them on wings of eagles and drew them close to Him — namely, He elevated them above place. For this is the essential aspect of the Exodus from Egypt: to exit from the straits and the narrowness. For this is the aspect of "place," which is the ultimate tzimtzum — where there is narrowness and constriction. For in the aspect of "above place," there is no narrowness or constriction at all. Only below, in the aspect of "place," is there narrowness and constriction. And therefore, all sufferings are called tzaros [troubles / straits], may the Merciful One save us. For the primary sufferings come from the aspect of tzimtzum, which is the aspect of "place" — where there is narrowness and constriction, from which all sufferings come. For they all come from the aspect of tzimtzumim, which are the aspect of dinim, as is known.

And therefore, when one exits from the trouble and suffering, it is called harchavah [expansion], as it is said: "Batzar hirchavta li" — "In my distress You expanded for me" (Tehillim 4:2). And as it is said: "Min hamaytzar karasi… anani vamerchav" — "From the straits I called… He answered me with expansiveness" (Tehillim 118:5). For the essential salvation, through sweetening the judgment, is the aspect of expanding the tzimtzum — the aspect of exiting from "place," which is the aspect of tzimtzum, to the aspect of "above place," where there is the aspect of expansiveness. For there is no constriction there at all, since there is no "place" there at all; rather, it is above place, as above.

And this is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt. For Egypt is "the nakedness of the land" — a very impure place. It follows that this place of Egypt causes one to sin. And therefore it is called Mitzrayim, for it is the aspect of maytzar [narrowness] and constriction. For every place that is more distant from holiness is the aspect of greater tzimtzum — more in the aspect of "place," more in the aspect of Asiyah. For a place that has holiness is close to the aspect of "above place," to the "Place of the world," which is Hashem, blessed be He. And every place that is more materialistic — there is greater narrowness and constriction, for the further one is distanced from the "Place of the world," the more one is distanced from "a little that holds a lot," and one becomes more and more limited within "place" and Asiyah. And there, narrowness and constriction are greater, and there the grip of the Sitra Achara is greater — for their grip is in the boundaries of "place," the aspect of Asiyah. There is the primary narrowness and constriction, as above.

And this is the aspect of Egypt, which is an impure place, the "nakedness of the land," as above. And therefore it is called Mitzrayim, from the root maytzar, as above. And therefore, when Hashem brought them out of Egypt, He bore them on wings of eagles from Ra'amses to Sukkos in one day — the aspect of elevating them above place, as above. For this is the essential Exodus from Egypt. For through elevating them above place, they exited the exile of Egypt, which is the intensity of "place" most limited within boundaries and tzimtzum, the intensity of Asiyah, as above. And through this specifically they were drawn close to Him, blessed be He — in the aspect of: "And I bore you on wings of eagles and I brought you to Me." For the primary drawing close to Him, blessed be He, is when one merits to exit from "place" to the Keesai HaKavod, to the "Place of the world," which is above place — where everything is sweetened and rectified, as above.

And this is the aspect of Sefiras Ha'Omer — that one brings an omer of barley immediately on the second day of Pesach, and afterward one counts seven weeks, 49 days, in order to exit through this from the impurity of Egypt. For the waving of the omer of barley in all six directions — upward and downward and in the four directions, which are the totality of the boundaries of "place" — this is the aspect of elevating and binding the aspect of "place," the aspect of the six directions, to Hashem, blessed be He, to the aspect of "above place," to the "Place of the world."

For barley is the aspect of the tzimtzum of all the dinim, as brought in the holy books. And this is the aspect of an omer of barley — omer meaning a measure and tzimtzum. And this is the aspect of "place," which is the aspect of tzimtzum, as above. And through waving the omer of barley in all six directions in the Bais HaMikdash, through this one binds and elevates "place" — the aspect of the six directions and all the tzimtzumim — to the aspect of "above place."

For this is the aspect of all the sacrificial services in the Bais HaMikdash. For the Bais HaMikdash is in the aspect of "a little that holds a lot," whose root is from "above place," as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Avos 5:5): "They stood crowded yet prostrated themselves with room. And no person said to his fellow: 'The space is too cramped for me to lodge in Yerushalayim.'" For Eretz Yisrael and Yerushalayim and the Bais HaMikdash and the Kodesh HaKodashim, where all the ten sanctities are — they are closest to "above place." And therefore they are in the aspect of "a little that holds a lot." And therefore no place was cramped in Yerushalayim, as above. And in the Bais HaMikdash, which was holier still, there was even more "a little that holds a lot" — "they stood crowded yet prostrated with room." And between the two staves of the Ark, there was even more "a little that holds a lot" — for all of Yisrael stood between the two staves of the Ark, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse: "G'shu hainah" — "Come close here" (Yehoshua 3:9). And Rashi explains: "He compressed them all between the two staves of the Ark — this is one of the places where a little held a lot."

For the Even Shesiyah [Foundation Stone] that was in the Bais HaMikdash — from it the world was founded — and from it the "place" of the entire world spread forth. And the point of the Even Shesiyah is at the ultimate height of "a little that holds a lot." For there, in that point, the "place" of the entire world is subsumed. For the Even Shesiyah is adjacent to "above place," from where emerged the point of the Even Shesiyah, which is the point of the world's "place" — the aspect of: "Va'yushes alaihem taivail" — "And He set the world upon them" (Shmuel I 2:8) — namely, the Even Shesiyah from which the world was founded.

And therefore Yaakov, when he went to Charan, "encountered that Place" — which is in the place of the point of the Even Shesiyah, the place of the Kodesh HaKodashim — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Sanhedrin 95b) that he experienced kefitzas ha'aretz there specifically — the aspect of "above place," as above. And there, the twelve stones were subsumed into one stone when he lay down in that place — the aspect of "a little that holds a lot."

It follows that the Bais HaMikdash is in the aspect of "above place," the aspect of "a little that holds a lot." And therefore, there in the Bais HaMikdash, the great Sanhedrin sat and judged the entire world. For they were able to judge the entire world favorably, as the Sanhedrin were commanded, as it is written: "Vihitzeeloo ha'aidah" — "And the congregation shall save" — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. And therefore, the primary place of judgment was there in the Lishkas HaGazis. For there in the Bais HaMikdash one can ascend to the "Place of the world" through the point of the Even Shesiyah, as above — through which one can judge everyone favorably, as above. And therefore the Torah commanded: "Lo sasur min hadavar asher yageedoo lecha… min hamakom hahu" — "You shall not deviate from the matter that they tell you… from that Place" (Devarim 17:11) — "min hamakom hahu" specifically. For the Place causes it — in the aspect of: "V'hayah hamakom asher yivchar Hashem" — "And it shall be the Place that Hashem chooses" (Devarim 12:5). For this Place specifically Hashem chose, for it is adjacent to "above place." And there is the primary judgment and law — for there is no one who is worthy to judge the world except one who can ascend and bind himself to the "Place of the world," where everyone is judged favorably, etc., as above. And this was specifically in the Bais HaMikdash, etc., as above.

And this is the aspect of the sacrifices. For the essential aspect of "place" is due to the lack of Da'as. And whoever has greater Da'as is closer to "above place," as understood from the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory (Likutay Tinyana, Siman 61), on the verse: "Ani hayom yelidticha" — "Today I have begotten you" — see there. And therefore, when a person sins, G-d forbid — when a spirit of folly enters him, as our Sages said (Sotah 3a) — then he falls further beneath the physical "place." And therefore, his rectification was in the Bais HaMikdash, through bringing an animal as a sacrifice. For the animal is the absence of Da'as, the aspect of "place." And in the Bais HaMikdash, they would elevate the animal — the absence of Da'as, the aspect of Din and tzimtzum, the aspect of "place" — to "above place." For in the Bais HaMikdash, one can ascend from "place" to "above place." And therefore the Bais HaMikdash was higher than all other lands: "V'kamta v'alisa el hamakom" — "And you shall arise and ascend to the Place" (Devarim 17:8).

For a person, through the completeness of his Da'as — the essential definition of a human being — can ascend to "above place." This was the essential purpose of the creation of Adam HaRishon, who was created from the place of the Bais HaMikdashh and was placed in Gan Eiden during his lifetime. And in Gan Eiden stands the Aitz HaChaim — which has sustenance for all; beneath it all the beasts take shelter, and in its branches [the birds dwell] — this holy Tree is "above place." Through there one ascends from "place" to "above place," as brought in the story mentioned above. And all the souls ascend to the Keesai HaKavod through the Aitz HaChaim.

Adam HaRishon, when created at an exalted level, entered Gan Eiden during his lifetime. Had he not sinned, there would have been no death, and he could have ascended to the Keesai HaKavod — above place — during his lifetime, through the Aitz HaChaim. Through his sin — "Adam bikar bal yalin, nimshal kab'heimos nidmu" — "Man in his splendor does not abide; he is likened to the beasts" (Tehillim 49:13) — he was distanced from Gan Eiden and fell from this Da'as, falling beneath "place." This is the definition of an animal — the absence of Da'as — the essential boundary of "place." From there come all sins, for "place" causes each person. Each person must be tested and stand in the trial in his place. If he does not strengthen himself to purify his place, he can come to sins through his place.

Therefore the primary rectification is through teshuvah, which reaches the Keesai HaKavod — "above place." This is the aspect of the animal sacrifice in the Bais HaMikdash — elevating the animal (absence of Da'as, "place") to "above place," to Hashem. The essential sacrifice is to elevate from "animal" to "human" — "Adam kee yakriv mikem korban laShem min habehaimah" (Vayikra 1:2) — as brought elsewhere — to elevate from "place" to "above place," where everything is sweetened and atoned.

When a person sins, G-d forbid, and falls beneath "place" — he has no place in the world at all, for "place" is cramped for him, as written regarding Kayin: "Hain gairashta osi hayom… v'hayisi na vanad ba'aretz" — "Behold, You have driven me… and I shall be a wanderer and vagabond" (Beraishis 4:14). He falls into tzimtzum — "place" — narrowness and constriction — the exile of Egypt due to Adam HaRishon's sin. His fall is from one extreme to the other: before the sin he was "above place," the "Place of the world" — all places were with him. After sinning, falling beneath "place," he has no place at all.

Because the human being has no place in this world. All animals have a place. But the human being has no place, for he is "above place." If he merits through good deeds, he is the "Place of the world" — that all the places of the world were all with him. And all places yearn for him, for he can elevate them to "above place." And now after sinning, when he falls to beneath "the place," then he has no place at all, because he falls to under the constrained and compressed mentioned above. Therefore they all drive him out — "Behold, You have driven me" — he has no place among them.

Only Hashem sustains the person in His mercy until he returns in teshuvah — "above place." This is what our Sages said (Kiddushin 82a): "Have you ever seen a fox as a shopkeeper?… They are sustained without distress. And I who was created to serve my Creator… but I have acted wickedly and ruined my livelihood." All animals have a place of dwelling without distress. But the human being is a wanderer with great distress — because "I have acted wickedly," through which "place" becomes cramped for him.

It follows that the essential sacrifice in the Bais HaMikdash elevates from "place" to "above place." This is the waving of the omer in the six directions. Barley is animal feed — absence of Da'as, "place" — the aspect of all tzimtzumim. Through waving the omer of barley in all six directions in the Bais HaMikdash, along with the sacrifices offered then, one elevates all "place" to "above place." Therefore one exits the impurity of Egypt — which was because of the "place," the intensity of Asiyah. Through the waving, one elevates all places to "above place."

And this is Sefiras Ha'Omer — counting the days to exit from defilement. All human deeds take place in time and space — the primary grip of the Sitra Achara. But Hashem is, as it were, above place, above time. There — above place, above time — it is entirely good, no grip of the Sitra Achara at all. There everything is sweetened.

This is what is written: "Im esak shamayim sham Atah… anah ailaich mairuechechuh" (Tehillim 139:7–9). David HaMelech said there is no place to flee from Hashem. He is the Place of the world — all places are before Him. In all places and at all the lowest levels, one can find Him. "Place" in its totality is from Hashem, the Place of the world, sustaining all places and levels.

Afterward he mentioned above time: "Yamim yutzaru viloa echad bahem" (Tehillim 139:16) — all days before Him are one. "V'lo echad bahem" — this is Yom HaKippurim (Tanna Divay Eliyahu Rabbah 81). The day a person does teshuvah is above time; Yom HaKippurim is above time (Alef-Bais HeChadash, letter Tav, Teshuvah 1).

Teshuvah is above place — the Keesai HaKavod — and above time. After waving the omer (elevating "place" to "above place"), one begins counting the days. Above time, counting is not applicable. When Hashem created the world — space and time — He counted the days: "And there was evening and there was morning, one day" (Beraishis 1:5). Creation requires time and space — the aspect of counting. Above time and space, everything is one. Therefore one counts the days of the omer to elevate time to "above time." The judgment is only sweetened "at its root." Through the omer of barley (all tzimtzumim, "place") one elevates "place"; through the counting (essential aspect of time) one elevates time. The essential thing is to purify "place," binding it to the "Place of the world." Through this, the days also ascend.

This is alluded to in the teaching mentioned above, on: "Livaischa na'avah kodesh, Hashem l'orech yamim" — Hashem is the Place of the world. He constricted His Shechinah in the Bais HaMikdash only because there were beautiful things there — the form of the Temple was like the form of Creation and Gan Eiden (Hakdamas HaTikunim). But He Himself is the Place of the world. Through this: "Hashem l'orech yamim" — He can judge the world with mercy. He can make Rosh Hashanah, which is yoma arichta.

Rosh Hashanah is yoma arichta — above time, "a day entirely long." Therefore Rosh Hashanah is made from two days into one — yoma arichta, above time. On Rosh Hashanah, when He judges with mercy — knowing the place of each one — He elevates each from distress to expansiveness, "above place": "Min hamaytzar karasi… anani vamerchav" — recited before shofar. This is the essential mercy — expanding from the place of distress — ascending from "place" to "above place." Then yoma arichta is made — above time — for when "place" ascends, time automatically ascends, since "place" is lower.

Therefore one counts 49 days — the aspect of the filling of the moon: "V'hayah or halevanah k'or hachamah, v'or hachamah yih'yeh shiv'asayim" — "The light of the moon shall be like the sun's, the sun's light sevenfold" (Yeshayahu 30:26) — seven times seven, 49. The blemish of the moon — its diminishing and tzimtzum — the opposite of "above place." The accusation: "Impossible for two kings to use one crown." Therefore: "Go and diminish yourself" (Chullin 60b).

"Impossible for two kings to use one crown" — the tzimtzum of "place," as if "place" is too cramped. Above place, no constriction — room for each. Therefore: "Go and diminish yourself" — arousing tzimtzum of "place," it must be diminished. Before the accusation, two great luminaries — "above place," where both can be great.

Through the diminishing — the strengthening of "place" — the grip of the Sitra Achara was drawn; the primary darkness of night through diminishing the moon. Before, "the night would shine like the day" (Tehillim 139:12). Darkness of night is the primary blemish gripping time. This world in time is compared to night; the World to Come, above time, to day. Through the diminishing, Da'as was diminished — unable to bind "place" and "time" upward as before. Therefore, in the days of the Omer, when one elevates "place" and "time" — exiting the impurity of Egypt — one fills the moon's blemish. Therefore one counts 49 days — the filling of the moon.

This is the aspect of seven Shabbasos — each day of the seven days of Creation subsumed in Shabbos. Shabbos is above time, above place — blessed and elevated above all days and times. Our Sages expounded "viloa echad bahem" on Shabbos as well (Rashi there) — above time. And Shabbos is above place — binding all places upward: "Al yaitzai eesh meemikoamoa ba'yoam hashvee'ee" (Shemos 16:29). Each acquires rest where he rested — that place is sanctified with Shabbos holiness: "The place upon which you stand is holy ground" (Shemos 3:5). The "place" ascends to "above place" — on Shabbos all worlds ascend higher and higher.

This is: "Whoever delights in Shabbos is given an inheritance without boundaries" (Shabbos 118b) — "above place," no narrowness — Yaakov's inheritance: "Oofaratzta yama vakaidmah" (Beraishis 28:14). He was above place — "Vayifga bamakom." And above time — "Va'yalen shum kee va hashemesh" — the sun set not in its time — above time (Likutay Tinyana, Siman 79). This is Shabbos.

This is Seudah Shelishis of Shabbos, at Minchah, corresponding to Yaakov. Through this one merits an inheritance without boundaries — Yaakov's inheritance, "above place." Therefore then is the histalkus of Moshe, and ra'ava d'ra'avin is revealed. Moshe and Yaakov are one aspect (Zohar). The burial of Moshe was "above place": "V'lo yada ish es kevuraso" (Devarim 34:6). Our Sages said (Sifrei there): "Those above — it appeared below; those below — it appeared above" — above place. His place is unknown. Therefore then is great ratzon on Shabbos at Minchah — above place, the "Place of the world" — great ratzon and mercy.

Therefore on Shabbos at Minchah, saying "Va'anee sefilasi… eis ratzon," one wraps in tzitzis. Tzitzis are "above place," drawing great ratzon. This is tzitzis of wool — great mercy — the white tallis in which the Holy One wrapped Himself to arrange the 13 attributes of mercy before Moshe (Rosh Hashanah 17b). "Levusheih kis'lag chivar, us'ar raisheih ka'amar neka" — "His garment white as snow, His head's hair like pure wool" (Daniel 7:9) — from which the lights of tzitzis are drawn, the aspect of great mercy. Tzitzis are the Keesai HaKavod, the "Place of the world," drawing mercy and ratzon.

"Chazay havais ad dee chursuvun remeev viAtik Yoamin yiseev, livooshay kislag cheevur" (Daniel 7:9). Tzitzis, the rectification of garments, are the Keesai HaKavod — judging everyone favorably with great mercy. "Im yih'yu chata'aichem kashanim, kasheleg yalbinu; im ya'dimu katola, katzemer yih'yu" (Yeshayahu 1:18) — the thread of tichailes whitening sins on Yom HaKippurim. Tzitzis are the "Place of the world," judging everyone favorably — all sins forgiven.

Therefore at the beginning of Yom HaKippurim, one wraps in tzitzis immediately. The primary Chesed and mercy of forgiveness is through tzitzis — where there is the place of each one, judging everyone favorably, forgiving sins.

This is the 13 chulyos in the tzitzis, corresponding to the 13 attributes of mercy. And: "Heenai makom iti" — "Behold, there is a place with Me" (Shemos 33:21) — said when Hashem wished to wrap in tzitzis to arrange the 13 attributes before Moshe. From this verse our Sages derived (Beraishis Rabbah 68): "The Holy One is the Place of the world, and the world is not His place." This depends upon that — through being the Place of the world, all attributes of mercy are drawn, knowing the place of each one. This is wrapping in tzitzis — the "Place of the world."

This is the knots and windings of tzitzis — to unravel and sweeten all knots of the Sitra Achara. "Place" — Asiyah, tzimtzum, physical matter — is a knot, where the thing is so constricted it becomes gross matter. Therefore chomer [matter] means a knot, as Rashi explains. From "place" — tzimtzum, knot — all knots of the Sitra Achara are drawn. One who is not guarded becomes ensnared in their knots — "Vachavalim parshu reshes" (Tehillim 140:6).

Every place where a person is ensnared in sin — this is a knot: "asirei oni uvarzel". This is issur — all transgressions are called issur, meaning a knot — bound like birds in a trap, may the Merciful One save us. One must beseech Hashem to escape their knots.

This is the knots and windings of tzitzis — many double knots and windings upon windings — to sweeten and nullify all knots of the Sitra Achara. Tzitzis are the "Place of the world" — all places (knots, matter) are found there. Therefore everything is sweetened. Whoever is ensnared, even in the lowest level, bound in multitudes of knots — nevertheless, through tzitzis, the "Place of the world" where all root-knots are found, everything is sweetened. The judgment is only sweetened at its root.

Therefore there are 39 windings — tal oros [39 lights] from the first three letters of the Name — the three Patriarchs, the three festivals — from which tzitzis emerge. The 39 lights are the holiness of Shabbos, opposite the 39 melachos — the defilement of the serpent (Part I, Siman 11). The 39 melachos are knots — labor is knot and tzimtzum: "Vatikasher kol hachomah" (Nechemiah 3:38).

Shabbos is "above place" — all 39 melachos (knots, tzimtzum, physicality of "place") are nullified. The 39 melachos are derived from the Mishkan (Shabbos 49b), for there were all 39 melachos. The 39 melachos of the Mishkan were the aspect of the 39 lights, as our Rebbe wrote (Siman 11). Through the 39 melachos of the Mishkan, all the 39 melachos of the serpent's defilement — tzimtzumim, physicality of "place" — were sweetened and nullified. For the Mishkan, the aspect of the Bais HaMikdash, was "above place," "a little that holds a lot" — there in the Mishkan was the Ark, "a little that holds a lot."

This is the 39 windings in tzitzis — nullifying all windings and knots of the Sitra Achara through the 39 windings, the 39 lights, the "Place of the world." This is what our Sages said (Vayikra Rabbah 21): "A person made bundles and bundles of transgressions — let him make corresponding bundles and bundles of mitzvos." Transgressions are bundles and knots; one must make corresponding bundles of mitzvos — bundles and knots of holiness. This is the windings and knots of tzitzis.

No chulyah is fewer than three [windings], for the essential knot of holiness is the aspect of Yaakov — "V'hachut hameshulash lo bimheirah yinatek" — "The threefold cord is not quickly torn" (Koheles 4:12). He encompasses all three Patriarchs, the three festivals. He is the aspect of "anaf aitz avos" — "a branch of a thick-leaved tree" — and avos is no fewer than three.

This is Sukkos, the third festival, the aspect of Yaakov. Then one takes the four species and binds three species together — the three Patriarchs, Yaakov — illuminating the esrog, the bas ayin, completing the four species. This is the four tzitzis with chulyos, each chulyah three windings. And 39 windings plus five double knots (ten knots) — all together 49, corresponding to the 49 days of the Omer, the filling of the moon through elevating "place" and "time" upward — the aspect of tzitzis.

This is tzitzis of linen. Linen is dinim: "V'ha'ish Gavriel lavush badim" — "The man Gavriel was clothed in linen" (Yechezkel 9:2) — which is flax. It is the aspect of Kayin, who brought from the fruit of the earth — flax seed — bringing from the inferior, judging everyone unfavorably. Linen is judging unfavorably — dinim. Through the mitzvah of tzitzis — the thread of wool, the tichailes, the Keesai HaKavod, the "Place of the world" — even linen is sweetened to judge all favorably, knowing the place of each one.

Tzitzis come through the three festivals illuminating the aspect of the angel. Tzitzis are the aspect of an angel, the aspect of Yetzirah, as is brought. "Choneh malach Hashem saviv leerai'uv vayichaltzaim" — "The angel of Hashem encamps around those who fear Him" (Tehillim 34:8) — the aspect of tzitzis surrounding the person. They are the angel made through the yirah completed through the three festivals — essential prayer completeness.

This is: the beauty of tzitzis — one-third gadil and two-thirds anaf (Shulchan Aruch 11:14). Three thirds in tzitzis corresponding to the three Patriarchs, the three festivals. One-third gadil, two-thirds anaf — the primary knots and windings (gadil) are the aspect of Yaakov, the third Patriarch. The essential holiness knot is three — "anaf aitz avos."

"V'hapishtah v'has'orah nukasah, kee has'orah aviv" — "The flax and the barley were stricken, for the barley was in the ear" (Shemos 9:31). Flax and barley are one aspect — dinim, "place." The essential physical "place" is tzimtzumim and dinim. "The flax and the barley were stricken" — dinim, tzimtzumim, "place." The essential "place" emerges from the striking of lights against each other, as is known. This is nukasah [stricken] — the striking of lights — "place" — the Name הוי״ה in its "striking" equaling makom [place], as is known.

Flax and barley are "place." Through waving the omer of barley and through Sefiras Ha'Omer, one elevates "place" and "time" to their root — "above place," "above time" — and there everything is sweetened, until one merits the fiftieth day, Shavuos, the giving of the Torah. Then Yisrael are above the angels through receiving the Torah — the beloved treasure not given to the angels: "Mah adir shimcha b'chol ha'aretz, asher t'nah hodcha al hashamayim" (Tehillim 8:2). Then we grasp the Keesai HaKavod, the roots of souls, the "Place of the world" — the fiftieth day, the fifty gates of Binah, Yovel, Alma d'Asay — Aim l'veenah, and Imma is enthroned upon the Throne.

On Shavuos one ascends to the Dikna, the aspect of Atik, as is known. Then the 13 Tikunay Dikna illuminate — the 13 hermeneutical rules of the Torah — from which the light of tzitzis is drawn. Through this we grasp the Keesai HaKavod and stand in dominion over the angels merited on Shavuos through the Torah. Through tzitzis on the four corners — the aspect of hairs: "The hair of His head like pure wool" (Daniel 7:9) — the Keesai HaKavod, the tichailes — the dinim in the garments (linen) are sweetened. They ascend to the "Place of the world," the Keesai HaKavod, where everything is sweetened.

On Shavuos, the omer of barley is fully sweetened, and the primary light of tzitzis — the totality of Torah observance — is drawn. Then flax and barley are sweetened: "the flax and the barley were stricken" — the totality of dinim in time and space. Through Shavuos — receiving the Torah, the aspect of tzitzis — one merits "above place," "above time." The verse alludes to the omer of barley, as our Sages expounded (Menachos 68b) that the omer comes from barley: it says here "aviv, roasted by fire," and there "the barley was aviv."

The filling of the blemish of the moon is rectifying "place" — elevating "place" to "above place." This is what he wrote in the teaching: Hashem, the Place of the world, knowing the place of each one, established in His mercy the judgment of Rosh Hashanah on Rosh Chodesh, the rectification of the moon's blemish. Specifically on Rosh Chodesh, when Hashem expresses regret over diminishing the moon — through this a rectification is drawn every Rosh Chodesh for the moon's blemish. The rectification of the moon is rectifying "place" — ascending to "above place."

On Rosh Chodesh — the rectification of the moon — Hashem illuminates "above place," the aspect of teshuvah, the rectification of all sins, as above at length. Therefore it is a great Chesed that He established the day of judgment on Rosh Chodesh, at the time of the moon's rectification. Then "above place" illuminates — the primary rectification. Through this, Hashem judges everyone with mercy according to his place: "Do not judge your fellow until you reach his place." He is the Place of the world. The rectification of the moon is also through "above place," as above.