קריאת התורה ד

One must distance himself greatly from partnership with idolaters — lest they overpower, chas v'shalom, claiming everything is theirs (for they constantly contest the sanctification of external places = conquering Eretz Yisrael = business). Through partnership they could overpower until one transgresses "the name of other gods," giving sustenance to their false beliefs. During business one must strengthen himself with extra emunah — believing Hashem created all with the esrim ush'moneh asvan d'Ma'aseh B'raishis [28 letters of the creation narrative] = the Asarah Ma'amaros. The Torah warns: "V'amarta bilvav'cha kochi v'otzem yadi asah li" — "Lest you say in your heart: my power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth" (D'varim 8). Rather: "V'zacharta es Hashem Elokecha ki Hu hanosain l'cha ko'ach la'asos chayil" — "Remember Hashem your God, for He gives you power to make wealth." Onkelos translates: "to acquire property." "Ko'ach" specifically = 28 = the 28 letters of Ma'aseh B'raishis = the Asarah Ma'amaros with which Hashem created the world in His chesed. Through this emunah = the essential sustenance and tikkun of business.

Based on LM I:215 — The Twenty-Four Types of Pidyonos (continued)

The principle: all avodah zarah of earlier generations and the chet ha'aigel = damage to the Ratzon = the denials of the chachmai hateva who deny the Ratzon and say everything follows the arrangement of the constellations (= natural compulsion, chas v'shalom). Through this the middle forty days were in anger (= the opposite of Ratzon). But in the last days Moshe sweetened the anger → Hashem was appeased → days of Ratzon. In them Moshe restored the illumination of the Ratzon and subdued the denials of the chachmai hateva (= the damage of the chet ha'aigel). Therefore Monday and Thursday = days of Ratzon → we read Torah on them to strengthen the revelation of the Ratzon revealed through tefillah.

This is the aspect of Hagbahas HaTorah [raising the Torah] after the reading — when we raise the Torah and the custom is to purchase this honor at great cost (Shulchan Aruch, Siman 147:1). As explained in the above Torah: even after connecting all r'tzonos to the root of the Ratzon, sometimes the Maitzach HaRatzon is overpowered, chas v'shalom (= the matzach hanachash [forehead of the serpent]) → the evil chayos (= foreign opinions of the chachmai hateva) strengthen again. For this one needs tzedakah — through tzedakah one extracts the chiyus from the matzach hanachash (which draws its chiyus from the elders of the generation who lack completeness) → the Maitzach HaRatzon strengthens again → the voice of Yom Tov's calling that reveals the Ratzon is heard.

This is Hagbahah after Kri'as HaTorah — purchased at great cost. After reading Torah (connecting all r'tzonos to the root of the Ratzon), we still need the tikkun that the matzach hanachash should not overpower. Therefore we raise the Torah, showing its writing to the people, and all call out and testify: "This is our holy Torah!" — "V'zos haTorah asher sam Moshe" — to know and make known that the root of the Ratzon (= root of Torah) is from Hashem Himself → subduing and uprooting the matzach hanachash that casts doubt and denial into the very root of the Ratzon.

The Hagbahah is done with the hands — a tikkun for the damage of the chet ha'aigel (= damage to the Ratzon), about which it says: "Vayashlaich Moshe miyadav es haLuchos" — "Moshe cast the Luchos from his hands" — they became heavy due to their denial of the Ratzon (Tanchuma, Aikev ch. 11). Now we rectify this by raising the Torah with our hands, calling out and making known that the Torah was given by Hashem. We testify to the root of the Ratzon (= Torah) coming from Hashem → connecting all r'tzonos to the root of the Ratzon. Therefore the golail (the one who raises the Torah) is equivalent to all the others (Megillah 32) — for this is the essential tikkun of the entire Kri'as HaTorah: through Hagbahah, the matzach hanachash is subdued and the Maitzach HaRatzon revealed. The custom to purchase this mitzvah at great cost = the tzedakah that subdues the matzach hanachash.

This is what is brought in the Kavanos regarding Pesach: then the illumination of Leah enters Rachel. This is the secret of the destruction of chametz on the night of the fourteenth, which is the secret of the completion of the moon, etc. — and is the destruction of chametz. Therefore, all the kavanos of the night of Pesach are in Rachel, not in Leah. For Rachel is the aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef, who came forth from her. And Leah is the aspect of Mashiach ben Dovid, who came forth from Yehudah, born of Leah. The entire aspect of Pesach — Yetzias Mitzrayim, the first geulah — was essentially through the aspect of Yosef, who is from the seed of Rachel. This is the aspect of: "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo" — "Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him." But the illumination of Mashiach ben Dovid cannot be revealed now in completeness, for the kaitz has not yet come. On the contrary — one must conceal and hide the illumination of Leah, for the dinim take hold in the aspect of Leah more greatly, as is brought regarding (Bereishis 29): "V'ainai Leah rakos..." — "And the eyes of Leah were tender." But upon this the entire geulah depends: when we merit to sweeten the force of the dinim in Leah. This will not be completed fully until the coming of Mashiach ben Dovid, who came forth from her. But now — since the aspect of Dovid/Mashiach ben Dovid is not yet revealed in completeness — the force of the miracle was that the illumination of Leah was concealed and included within Rachel. The illumination of Mashiach ben Dovid shines in concealment within the aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef who came from Rachel. Through this, the essential geulah of Pesach was through the aspect of Yosef who came from Rachel. Therefore all the kavanos on the night of Pesach are in the aspect of Rachel. Nevertheless, the aspect of Leah — the aspect of Dovid — shines there in concealment. As we wrote above: the essential power of all geulos, even that of Pesach, etc. — everything is drawn from the illumination of the final kaitz, from the aspect of Mashiach ben Dovid. Only it is in concealment, and the essential revelation now is through the aspect of Moshe and Yosef — "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo" — "Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him," as above. Therefore, when Yehudah was born — from whom came forth Mashiach ben Dovid — Leah said (Bereishis 29): "Hapa'am odeh es Hashem" — "This time I will give thanks to Hashem." Therefore she called his name Yehudah — from the word todah [thanksgiving] and hoda'ah [acknowledgment]. This hints that the essential kaitz of the final geulah is in the aspect of todah and hoda'ah — which is the secret of Shavuos, when Ra'ava d'Ra'avin is revealed in completeness, and the chametz itself is transformed to good and rises as a korban, for it draws sustenance from the Metzach HaRatzon, as above — through which is the essential final geulah. This is the aspect of the mitzvah of Kri'as Shma, which is the essential holy emunah — the opposite of avodah zarah/ail achair/kefiros, which is the aspect of sh'mad. The essential thing is the kutz'a d'os daled [the thorn of the letter daled] in "Echad" — which is the aspect of the tzaddik, as is brought. This is the aspect of the nekudah of Moshe who elevates from sh'mad to ratzon. For through the kutz'a of the letter daled, one nullifies and subjugates the ail achair and is included in "Echad" — the difference between them being only the kutz'a of the daled. Therefore one must prolong the daled, as is brought — meaning as above: for the kutz'a of the daled is the aspect of the tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe who elevates, etc. This is the aspect of "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed." For it is brought that the verse "Shma Yisrael" — which contains twenty-five letters — is the aspect of Yichuda Ila'ah [the upper unification]. And "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed" — which contains twenty-four letters — is the aspect of Yichuda Tata'ah [the lower unification]. The twenty-four letters of Baruch Shaim are the aspect of the twenty-four batei dinim that must be sweetened through the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon, which is drawn through the tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe. This is the aspect of what Moshe merited us — to say Shma and Baruch Shaim twice daily: to draw the sweetening of the Yichuda Ila'ah (the twenty-five letters of Shma Yisrael, whose essential is the kutz'a of the daled of "Echad" — drawn from the illumination of the upper Ratzon) downward to the twenty-four batei dinim (the twenty-four letters of Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed) — to illuminate from Yichuda Ila'ah to Yichuda Tata'ah. So that below as well, all the dinim in the twenty-four batei dinim are sweetened, until all the kelipos and kefiros in the world are nullified, until all the holy sparks that have fallen very, very far are elevated — until many geirim are converted through this. This is the aspect of the avodah of the tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe who elevates from sh'mad to ratzon. All of this is the aspect of the forty-nine days of the Sefirah — "mimochoras haShabbos" — "from the day after the Shabbos [of Pesach]" — until "mimochoras haShabbos hash'vi'is" — "the day after the seventh Shabbos [i.e. Shavuos]," etc. For during them, one toils to sweeten the force of the dinim through the waving of the omer of barley and through counting the Omer, etc. — as is known. For the forty-nine days of the Sefirah are the aspect of the forty-nine letters in the two passages of Kri'as Shma — Shma and Baruch Shaim — which have twenty-five and twenty-four letters respectively: to draw sweetening from the aspect of the twenty-five letters, regarding which it is said "Ko sevar'chu" — "Thus shall you bless" [the priestly blessing, which has 25 letters in the first verse] — to the aspect of the twenty-four, regarding which it is said in galus: "Al yashuv dach nichlam" — "Let not the oppressed turn back in shame". This is the aspect of the upper all-encompassing pidyon. See Likutei HaArizal, Likutei Yeshayahu, daf 13b. Therefore twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva died during the days of the Sefirah. For Rabbi Akiva was the son of geirim and ascended to the place he ascended — until he merited that his neshamah departed with "Echad." Thus the essential sweetening was through him. But his students — although they were holy and great tzaddikim — blemished by not having love among themselves. Therefore they did not have the power to draw the tikkun that Rabbi Akiva was engaged in: to draw from the kutz'a of the daled, from the twenty-five letters of Yichuda Ila'ah, from the upper Ratzon, from the all-encompassing pidyon — downward to the twenty-four batei dinim. Therefore specifically twenty-four thousand died, specifically during the days of the Sefirah — for the force of the dinim in the twenty-four batei dinim prevailed over them. For it is impossible to draw the sweetening from the upper Ratzon — the revelation of the eis ratzon of Shabbos at Minchah — except through ahavah and achdus [love and unity] among Yisrael. For ahavah equals "echad" in gematria. Therefore at Minchah on Shabbos we say: "Atah Echad v'Shimcha Echad u'mi k'am'cha Yisrael goy echad ba'aretz" — "You are One, Your Name is One, and who is like Your people Yisrael, one nation in the land." For then, on Shabbos at Minchah, one must ascend to the upper Ratzon — for which one needs great love and unity among Yisrael, the aspect of "menuchas shalom v'shalvah, hashkait vavetach" — "rest of peace and serenity, quiet and security..." For division and machlokes, chas v'shalom, is the aspect of the force of dinim — from which all kefiros come, as brought in the Rebbe's words many times. For it is known: the higher the unification one must make, the more souls one must elevate there — and the essential is that they all join and unite in love and achdus. Then they are included in the source of Oneness — for "Kudsha B'rich Hu v'Oraisa v'Yisrael kola chad" — the aspect of "Atah Echad v'Shimcha Echad u'mi k'am'cha Yisrael goy echad," etc. Therefore, because there was no love and achdus among the students of Rabbi Akiva — specifically twenty-four thousand died, specifically during the days of the Sefirah — for they did not sweeten the dinim in the twenty-four batei dinim through the daled of "Echad" to which Rabbi Akiva their master had ascended, etc. This is what our Sages said (Pesachim 56a) regarding Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed — that Yaakov said it before his histalkus. As they expounded on the verse (Bereishis 49): "Vayikra Yaakov el banav vayomer hai'asfu..." — "Yaakov called his sons and said: Gather together..." — he wished to reveal the kaitz, but the Shechinah departed from him. He said: "Perhaps there is a blemish in my bed?" They opened and said: "Shma Yisrael Hashem Elokainu Hashem Echad" — "Just as there is in your heart only One, so too in ours..." Yaakov then said: "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed." They said there: "Shall we say it? But Moshe did not say it [in the Torah explicitly]..." until they established to say it quietly. The parable: like a princess who smelled the fragrance of a spiced pudding, etc. — to say it would be a disgrace for her [since the food is in a lowly place]; not to say it would cause her suffering [for she craves it]. Her servants began to bring it to her quietly. For Yaakov thought he could already reveal the kaitz, since he saw his bed was complete and they were all strong in holy emunah. But when he saw the Shechinah had departed, he thought perhaps there was a blemish. They said: "Shma Yisrael... just as there is in your heart only One, so too..." Yaakov immediately understood: even though his sons were all strong in emunah, nevertheless the time had not yet come to reveal the sealed kaitz. For he saw and understood that the essential delay of the geulah was because one must elevate all the fallen kedushah — until the geirim ascend and all those very far from kedushah, etc. This is only possible by illuminating from the upper Yichud of Shma to the lower Yichud of the twenty-four letters of Baruch Shaim — through which precisely they elevate from sh'mad to ratzon. Therefore Yaakov immediately said "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed" — meaning: His Name of glorious kingship is blessed and praised forever and ever. For even in the lowest levels — His Name of glorious kingship is blessed. And He will certainly complete His work and reveal His glorious kingship to the eyes of all. But because of this very thing — the kaitz of the geulah is delayed. For the kaitz is very, very sealed and hidden; it is impossible to reveal it, since there is a great secret: one must elevate the sparks that have fallen very, very far, which can only be elevated through a wondrous secret, etc. Therefore Moshe did not say it explicitly in the written Torah — even though Moshe certainly knew of it, for he alone revealed and transmitted the secret that Yaakov said it at the time of his histalkus. For we know nothing of what occurred in the days of the Avos except through him. But he did not state Baruch Shaim explicitly in the written Torah, for it is a concealed and hidden secret that cannot be revealed in the written Torah openly. Therefore they established to say it quietly. The parable of the princess who smelled the fragrance of the spiced pudding — these are the aspect of the fragrance of the fallen kedushah that are very far, placed in the most degraded locations. "To say it would be a disgrace" — because they are in such places. "Not to say it would cause suffering" — for despite everything, all her longing is for them, since even from where they are, their good fragrance ascends beautifully. So her servants began to bring it to her quietly. For Moshe saw that he stumbled through accepting the Eirev Rav prematurely, until Hashem said to him: "Lech raid..." — "Go, descend [for your people have become corrupt]..." — until he was compelled to depart because of this. And his ispashtatusa [extension] in every generation is to rectify this — as understood in the Zohar HaKadosh, the Tikkunim, and the Ra'aya Mehemna in many places. This itself is the matter upon which this entire discourse revolves — what our Master and Teacher z"l revealed: that Moshe stands between sh'mad and ratzon to make geirim — to elevate them from sh'mad to ratzon. Even though he did not fully complete it as he wished in his lifetime and was compelled to depart because of it — fortunate is his portion that he departed in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin on Shabbos at Minchah. Through this he will complete the task of elevating all the geirim, etc. Because of this, he did not wish to say Baruch Shaim explicitly in the written Torah — for he saw and understood that one must conceal this secret of elevating the fallen kedushah and making geirim, etc. For the Eirev Rav are in the aspect of the prohibition of chametz — as the Zohar HaKadosh brings: "Vayar ha'am ki voshaish Moshe — who separated between six and seven," etc. And as hinted in the Torah: "They baked the dough... cakes of matzos for it did not leaven, for they were driven from Mitzrayim... v'gam airev rav alah itam" — "and also a mixed multitude went up with them." Therefore they established to say Baruch Shaim quietly — for it is a concealed secret that cannot be said aloud all year. Only on Yom HaKippurim [when we are like angels] — so as not to arouse accusation, chas v'shalom, as our Sages said (Devarim Rabbah ch. 2:36). But each person must know in his soul: Hashem and the true tzaddikim will certainly complete their work. They will elevate everything and reveal and publicize His Name of glorious kingship — that it be blessed forever and ever. See the Likutei Torah of the Arizal, Parashas Bo, on the verse "Kadesh li kol b'chor" — "Sanctify to Me every firstborn" — where it is explained that the blemish of the Eirev Rav was in the large daled of "Echad," from where their upper root derives. Therefore they are in the aspect of the blemish of chametz. Through the histalkus of Moshe in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, etc. — he rectifies this, for he is engaged in elevating from sh'mad to ratzon, and in making geirim once more, etc. Understand well to connect all the above together. See the Zohar HaKadosh, the Tikkunim, and the writings of the Arizal in many places that speak of this. The essential thing is that you should receive from all of them and from our words above true counsel to strengthen yourself always through the power of the true tzaddikim who are the aspect of Moshe, etc. This is the aspect of the Birchos Kri'as Shma, which are seven berachos. As our Sages said (Berachos 11a): in the morning one blesses two before and one after; in the evening, two before and two after. The Birchos Kri'as Shma begin with the berachah of the luminaries. The poskim already wondered: what is the connection between the berachah of the luminaries and Kri'as Shma? But it has already been explained that the essential matter of Kri'as Shma is emunas haRatzon — we unify His Name and believe that everything is through His will. As our Sages said (ibid. 13b): one must prolong the daled of "Echad" — to enthrone Him above and below and in the four directions of the world: to believe that He created everything yaish mai'ayin and conducts everything through His will. Therefore, at that time one must be willing to give one's life al kiddush Hashem — to nullify oneself utterly in the aspect of actual death for the sanctification of His Name — like Rabbi Akiva whose neshamah departed with "Echad" (ibid. 61b). For to be included in His will requires complete bittul — until one is bound and included in the true tzaddikim, the aspect of Moshe, who was included in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin. But to merit this — the aspect of the Metzach HaRatzon, the eis ratzon — one needs the power of the elders of kedushah, the aspect of "zakain v'nasui panim" — "an elder, dignified of countenance" — who subdue the elders of the Sitra Achra: those elders who do not add holy light and da'as each day, etc. — as explained in the Torah "V'es ha'orvim..." (LM II:4); see there very, very well. Their essential subjugation is through tzedakah, etc.; see there. Therefore, before Kri'as Shma, we begin by blessing Him for the luminaries that He created through His will — the berachah of Yotzer Or u'Vorai Choshech. To testify, reveal, and publicize anew every single day that Hashem Himself created the light and the darkness, the day and the night, all the spheres, the sun, moon, stars, and all their hosts. There is no nature at all — contrary to the opinion of the "wise men of nature" who say there is nature and attribute everything to nature and the signs of the heavens, the aspect of (Tehillim 74): "Samu ososam osos" — "They set up their own signs as signs [of fate]." For they speak vanity, falsehood, emptiness, and lies — for all the luminaries and all their conduct are entirely from Him. This is the aspect of the holiness of Yom Tov that calls out and reveals the Ratzon — as explained there [LM I:215]. This is the essential light of day — the aspect of (Bereishis 1): "Vayikra Elokim la'or yom" — "God called the light 'day'" — one must have additional light, kedushah, and da'as shine each day, as explained there. For the essential thing is emunah — emunas haRatzon. The more we testify and publicize that He created and conducts everything through His will, the more light and great kedushah are added upon the person and upon the whole world. For anyone who errs and is led astray, chas v'shalom, after the error of nature — claiming things run by nature — of him it is said (Yeshayahu 13): "Chashach hashemesh b'tzaiso..." — "The sun is darkened at its going forth..." — and (ibid. 5): "V'es po'al Hashem lo yabitu u'ma'asai yadav lo ra'u" — "They do not gaze upon the work of Hashem and do not see the deeds of His hands." As our Sages said (Shabbos 119a): those who do not bless Yotzer Or in the morning and Ma'ariv Aravim in the evening. For it is known: the essential light is the light of true da'as. As it is written: "Yesh yisron lachochmah min hasichlus k'yisron ha'or min hachoshech" — "Wisdom has an advantage over foolishness like the advantage of light over darkness." The essential chochmah and da'as is to know the truth: that everything is conducted through His will. For false and lying da'as is not da'as at all — on the contrary, it is worse than a fool or simpleton, since such a one is wise in his own eyes and is led astray by his wisdom into the pit of denying, chas v'shalom, the will of the Creator. As it is written (Yeshayahu 5): "Hoi chachamim b'ainaihem" — "Woe to those wise in their own eyes"; and (Mishlei 26): "Ra'isa ish chacham b'ainav, tikvah lichsil mimenu" — "Have you seen a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him"; and (Yirmiyahu 9): "Al yis'halail chacham b'chachmaso... ki im b'zos yis'halail hamis'halail haskel v'yado'a osi" — "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom... but rather let him who glories, glory in this: that he understands and knows Me"; and (ibid. 8): "Hinai bidvar Hashem ma'asu v'chochmas meh lahem" — "They have rejected the word of Hashem — what wisdom do they have?" The sum of the matter: the essential light of day is the light of true da'as — the aspect of Bircas Yotzer Or in the morning and Ma'ariv Aravim in the evening. We believe and publicize with full mouth and complete heart that He is Yotzer Or u'Vorai Choshech. Through this, each day shines with additional light — as we say daily: "u'v'tuvo m'chadesh b'chol yom tamid ma'aseh V'raishis" — "In His goodness He renews each day always the work of Creation" — renews literally. Each day, wondrous new things are made that never existed before — as brought in our writings from the Eitz Chaim regarding the changes made at every moment, and as written in the Torah "Vayhi mikaitz," etc. (Siman 54) [LM I:54]. His entire intention is to hint and awaken all people toward His will. We must awaken ourselves daily to bless Him for this, and to say the Birchos Kri'as Shma and Kri'as Shma with full mouth and complete heart, and to pay attention to what we utter — in the aspect of (Berachos 13a): "Hashma l'oznecha mah she'atah motzi mificha" — "Let your ear hear what your mouth is uttering": that we say every day Yotzer Or u'Vorai Choshech... u'v'tuvo m'chadesh b'chol yom tamid ma'aseh V'raishis — renews literally, as above. By attending to this and believing it with complete heart — as explained in our writings on the verse (Eichah 3): "Chadashim lab'karim rabah emunasecha" — "New every morning, great is Your faithfulness" — through this specifically, each day shines with additional light, as above. This is the aspect of the Kedushah said within Bircas Yotzer Or — for this is the essential kedushah: when one publicizes that everything is through His will, the aspect of Mikra Kodesh explained there [LM I:215] — "Kadesh" means ratzon, for this is His essential kedushah. Through the Kedushah mentioned then, a person draws upon himself additional kedushah each day. Through Bircas HaMe'oros, we are included among the elders of kedushah who add light, kedushah, and da'as each day. At the end of the berachah — in "l'Ail baruch n'imos" [the concluding section of Yotzer Or] — we again mention "oseh chadashos" [He makes new things] and conclude: "Ham'chadesh b'tuvo b'chol yom tamid ma'aseh V'raishis" — "He who renews in His goodness each day always the work of Creation." This is the essential praise of the berachah: to believe that He renews the work of Creation each day literally — in wondrous wisdom, in a way that reveals that everything is through His will, for whoever wishes to be included in His will. For free choice remains, and Hashem makes wondrous new things every day, every moment, in a way that should awaken a person to gaze upon the truth. He does not reveal everything completely — so that free choice remains — but in His wondrous wisdom and goodness He renews Creation each day, so that the measure of good is greater, that the illumination of His will is revealed more each time. Each day more and more are awakened to return to His will — until in the end, all will return to Him and the Ratzon will be revealed to the eyes of all. For this reason, after "Ham'chadesh b'tuvo..." we ask: "Or chadash al Tziyon ta'ir..." — "Shine a new light upon Tziyon..." — for then the truth of the Ratzon will be revealed to the eyes of all, as it is written: "Ki chulam yaid'u osi..." — "For they will all know Me..." Meaning: since You renew Creation each day with wondrous new things, and Your entire intention is for the eternal good — to illuminate the illumination of the Ratzon in people's hearts — therefore we ask: hasten to complete this! Shine a new light upon Tziyon — the light of emunas haRatzon that will then shine. This is the essential thing, and may we all merit its light, for this is our essential purpose and hope forever. It follows: through this berachah we draw upon ourselves additional light, kedushah, and da'as — through which we are included among the elders of kedushah, etc. — through which the Ratzon is revealed. Afterward we say Bircas Ahavas Olam — the aspect of receiving the Torah anew each day, as we ask: "V'sain b'libainu binah... lilmod u'l'lamaid lishmor v'la'asos u'l'kayem..." — "Place in our hearts understanding... to learn and to teach, to observe and to do and to fulfill..." For now we must bind all the retzonos to the root of the Ratzon — as written in the Torah [LM I:215]. This is done through the Torah we received through Moshe Rabbeinu, who is engaged in binding all the retzonos to the root of the Ratzon, to the Metzach HaRatzon — as explained there. In His compassion He had mercy on us and gave us His holy Torah — through which each person has the power to engage in binding all retzonos to the root of the Ratzon. For all the Torah and mitzvos are His will — as our Sages said: "Nachas ruach l'fanai she'amarti v'na'asah r'tzoni" — "It is a satisfaction before Me that I spoke and My will was fulfilled." Through fulfilling the mitzvos of the Torah, one binds all the retzonos to the root of the Ratzon — His will — in the aspect of (Avos 2): "Batail r'tzoncha mipnai r'tzono..." — "Nullify your will before His will..." This is the sum of all the Torah's mitzvos that Yisrael fulfill daily: for example, a person's will is to eat immediately in the morning — but he nullifies his ratzon before the ratzon of Hashem and waits until after tefillah. Many go further and fast for words of Torah, studying and saying Tehillim after tefillah. After tefillah he does not eat what the Torah forbids and waits until he washes his hands, etc. So too with all the mitzvos of the Torah — and the God-fearing add further, sanctifying themselves even in what is permitted to them. Thus the sum of the Torah is to bind all the retzonos in the world to the root of the Ratzon. This is the aspect of Bircas Ahavas Olam — where we ask for the fulfillment of Torah: "La'asos r'tzoncha b'laivav shalaim..." — "to do Your will with a complete heart..." — as above. Afterward we say Kri'as Shma — the ultimate bittul and inclusion in the upper Ratzon, as above — for then one is included completely in the root of the Ratzon, in the aspect of the histalkus of Moshe who departed in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin. Then we say Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed (twenty-four letters) — to sweeten the twenty-four batei din and to draw the illumination of the Ratzon to all the fallen, descended, and far-removed souls who fell through the force of the dinim. Their entire rectification is through the illumination of the Ratzon drawn to them from above to below — through the aspect of Moshe who stands between sh'mad and ratzon. In his compassion he illuminates even in them the illumination of the Ratzon — that their ratzon should be strong each time to be included in His will. All of this is the aspect of Baruch Shaim... the aspect of the fragrance of the spiced pudding, etc., as above. After Kri'as Shma we say the berachah of geulah — the berachah of Emes V'Yatziv. There we mention the geulah of Mitzrayim and ask for the future geulah, as it says: "U'f'dai chin'umecha Yehudah v'Yisrael Go'alainu Hashem Tzevakos Sh'mo..." — "Redeem as You have promised; Yehudah and Yisrael — our Redeemer, Hashem of Hosts is His Name..." — and it concludes: "Ga'al Yisrael" — "He redeemed Yisrael." All of this is the aspect of the upper pidyon. Through the illumination of the Ratzon in the Birchos Kri'as Shma and in Kri'as Shma itself — through this the pidyon is drawn, which sweetens all the dinim. Through this is the geulah: He redeems and saves us at all times, as it says there: "Podainu u'matzilaynu mai'olam Sh'mecha..." — "Our Redeemer and Rescuer — from of old this is Your Name..." Through this we are confident that He will redeem us with a complete geulah through Mashiach Tzidkeinu — for the essential completion of the geulah is from there, from the upper Ratzon, the aspect of "V'ad Atik Yomin meta..." — "He reached unto the Ancient of Days..." — as above.