בית הכנסת ו

For the essential aspect of avodah zarah and sh'mad is the aspect of the desire for money and the burden and bitterness of earning a livelihood — through which the Satan causes every person to fall in his da'as toward naturalism, wanting to distance him from emunah in hashgachah and the upper Ratzon. Because of this, one constantly worries about money and livelihood — seeing that his sustenance has diminished. And some have much money but desire more and more. All of this is drawn from the kefiros in the Ratzon and hashgachah, which is the aspect of sh'mad and avodah zarah — for all avodah zarah is rooted in money, as written in the Torah "Tzivisa tzedek..." .

The tikkun for this is the aspect of the Mishkan — tzedakah to worthy, truly upright poor people. For the thirty-nine forbidden labors of Shabbos are derived from the Mishkan, and all commerce and craftsmanship are included in the thirty-nine labors. Every person must give abundantly in tzedakah and intend to draw upon himself the kedushah of the Mishkan that Moshe made with such tikkunim — to rectify for all generations the cheit ha'Aigel (avodah zarah, the aspect of the desire for money). For the Mishkan contained all the supernal colors clothed in silver, gold, copper, techailes, argaman, etc. — which at their root are very exalted, the essential glory of the Creator. But below they have fallen greatly, until most people's distancing from Hashem is through the burden of money and possessions — all included in silver, gold, copper, etc.

One who binds himself to the true tzaddikim of the generation, the aspect of Moshe, and gives abundant tzedakah for the sake of heaven (not for self-glorification) — through this the illumination of the Ratzon shines upon him from the aspect of Moshe, until it illuminates for him in every kind of darkness to rise from there, as above. For the Mishkan was made with such kedushah that even in its destruction it protects Yisrael — the aspect of : "Aileh f'kudai haMishkan — Mishkan" — "Mishkan" repeated: the Mishkan in its building and in its destruction. The aspect of : "Mah tovu ohalecha Yaakov, mishk'nosecha Yisrael" — "How goodly are your tents, Yaakov; your dwelling places, Yisrael" — which our Sages expounded: even when they are destroyed, they protect Yisrael.

For this reason they erected the Mishkan each time and dismantled it themselves, and traveled with it from place to place in the wilderness — a place of darkness and gloom, a place of serpent, fiery snake, and scorpion, etc. — and afterward erected it again. This was to teach for all generations: even when the Mishkan is dismantled and destroyed, it protects them. If they constantly bind their ratzon to the kedushah of the Mishkan and the Beis HaMikdash and its vessels — all through the power of the true tzaddikim who are engaged in building the Mishkan in every generation, as explained in the Torah "Azamrah..." — through this they can pass through all the wildernesses safely, through every kind of darkness and shadow of death, even when passing, chas v'shalom, through a place of serpent, fiery snake, scorpion, and thirst, etc. One who wishes to approach holiness must inevitably pass through these places — especially one who has already stumbled in what he stumbled, and wishes to return. He must inevitably pass through these places — as the Rebbe z"l said regarding the statement of our Sages: "B'haynu d'a'al..." — "this one who entered..." (see the Torah "R'tzitza," Siman 27 [LM I:27]). From all of them Hashem will save us through the intensity of the holy ratzon — which one merits through binding to the true tzaddikim, as above.

Therefore He mentions first the making of the Menorah after the making of the Mishkan — for the Menorah and its lamps are the essential light of the Ratzon that illuminated in the Mishkan and Beis HaMikdash. Through this one rises from every kind of darkness in the world — the aspect of : "Ki atah ta'ir nairi..." — "For You illuminate my lamp..." — as above.

For this reason Moshe found the making of the Menorah exceedingly difficult, as our Sages said — and it is explained at greater length in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas B'ha'aloscha Ch. 16, and cited in the Yalkut Reuveni, Parshas Terumah. He found it extremely difficult. Even when Hashem revealed it to him, he forgot how to make it when he descended. He went back up and asked, and it was explained to him, and he forgot again — and so on several times. Until HaKadosh Baruch Hu said to him: "Go to Betzalel and he will make it immediately," etc. Betzalel made it at once. Moshe began to marvel and said: "I was shown it by HaKadosh Baruch Hu many times and I could not manage to make it — and you, who never saw it, made it from your own understanding? Betzalel — you must have been standing in the shadow of God when HaKadosh Baruch Hu showed me how to make it!"

Every observer is astounded by this: how can it be that Moshe did not know and struggled many times, while Betzalel made it immediately? And if it was because he stood in the shadow of God when Hashem showed Moshe how to make it — surely Moshe himself was standing there, and Hashem Himself taught him and revealed its making to him time after time, and still he struggled so greatly! And Betzalel, who only stood off to the side in the shadow of God, managed to make it at once?

But what is possible to understand from afar — for we are obligated to strive and explain the holy, exceedingly profound words of our Sages — is this: Certainly Moshe struggled greatly, many times, with the making of the Menorah — the aspect of making such a holy and awesome vessel that could illuminate the illumination of the holy ratzon in all Yisrael, in every single person through whatever passes over him all the days of his life — that in every kind of darkness and every kind of descent and fall, the intensity of the ratzon would illuminate for him to rise from them all. For certainly it is very difficult to attain the making of such a wondrous vessel. Especially since Moshe had already seen with his own eyes what happened in this world: after all the awesome signs in Yetzias Mitzrayim, Kri'as Yam Suf, and Mattan Torah — they did what they did. He understood and saw how exceedingly difficult it is to help a being with free choice. Therefore he could not grasp and take into his da'as the making of the Menorah — the illumination of the Ratzon through such wondrous tikkunim as are hinted in the seven branches of the Menorah, the eighteen flowers, the nine bulbs, and the twenty-two cups — which all total forty-nine, corresponding to the forty-nine days of the Sefirah after which they received the Torah on the fiftieth day, as explained in the kavanos of the Arizal. It is brought that this is the root of the Torah — the fiftieth gate, the root of the Torah that Moshe did not attain during his lifetime but only at the time of his histalkus. For there is the aspect of the upper Ratzon, the Ratzon of retzonos, that instills the intensity of the holy ratzon in the heart of all Yisrael so that it illuminates for them in every kind of darkness. Therefore he struggled greatly, greatly over this.

But Betzalel — the aspect of the worthy student — understood and saw "in the shadow of God": that the reason Moshe struggled so much was precisely because of his great humility. He was exceedingly humble and did not wish to credit himself — as explained elsewhere in the Ra'aya Mehemna, Parshas B'ha'aloscha. Because of his humility he struggled so greatly and could not understand how he could make a Menorah with such tikkunim that the Ratzon would illuminate forever. For he understood that the matter depended on him — that he would need to be so included in the upper Ratzon that he could instill the Ratzon forever in all Yisrael. And in his humility, he could not fathom having such power. Therefore he struggled enormously.

But Betzalel, his student, perceived from afar the greatness of his master Moshe — that on the contrary, precisely because of his great humility, he was included in the ultimate bittul in the upper Ratzon. For there one cannot be included in completeness except through the ultimate humility and bittul, like Moshe. Therefore Betzalel — the aspect of the student — was able to grasp how to make it immediately. For he said: "I am confident in the power of the Elder — Moshe Rabbainu — that I will certainly make it and complete it properly. For I believe in the power of my master, who will certainly complete and complete and instill the illumination of the Ratzon in this world, until it illuminates for them in every kind of darkness." For the true tzaddik cannot know his own greatness — from the greatness of his bittul and humility — as well as the aspect of the student can perceive it from afar. For the student understood that precisely because Moshe struggled so much over its making (which was because of his humility) — through this very thing the tikkun of the Menorah would be completed: the illumination of the Ratzon. Therefore specifically Betzalel made it properly — all through the power of Moshe his master, as above.

This is the aspect of the vision of the Menorah of Zechariah — the haftarah for Parshas B'ha'aloscha and Shabbos Chanukah. He saw the Menorah, and : "U'shnayim zaisim alehah, echad miyamin v'echad mism'ol" — "Two olive trees upon it, one on the right and one on the left." He asked: "Mah aileh adoni?" — "What are these, my lord?" The angel replied: "Halo yadata mah aileh?" — "Do you not know what these are?" He answered: "Lo yadati" — "I do not know." Zechariah too struggled greatly over the matter of the tikkun of the Menorah. For he saw that two olive trees were upon it — two trees, one from the right and one from the left — the aspect of the Tree of Life and the Tree of Death, the side of kedushah and the Sitra Achra that opposes it, which overpowers each time: evil opposite good. Therefore he asked "Mah aileh?" twice — for he could not grasp how one could conquer such a mountain, given that the Sitra Achra overpowers so greatly against every person, each time more and more.

The angel answered him : "Lo b'chayil v'lo b'choach, ki im b'Ruchi, amar Hashem Tz'vakos" — "Not by might and not by power, but by My spirit, says Hashem of Hosts." This is the aspect of ratzon, which is called the spirit of Hashem, as it is written : "Ha'olah al ruchachem" — "That which arises upon your spirit [i.e. your will]." Through the intensity of the holy ratzon — drawn from the spirit of Hashem through the true tzaddikim, the aspect of Moshe — each person will prevail: not by might and not by power, but through the intensity of the ratzon.

This is : "Mi atah har hagadol lifnai Z'rubavel l'mishor" — "Who are you, O great mountain, before Zerubavel? [You shall become] a plain!" Even the great mountain — the aspect of the great enemies and obstacles (as Rashi explains there) — before Zerubavel it becomes a plain. For they will all be nullified before the true tzaddik, the aspect of Zerubavel, who is the aspect of Mashiach — through the intensity of the ratzon that will illuminate in Yisrael, as above.

This is what our Master and Teacher z"l wrote in the Seifer HaAlef-Bais: through the kindling of the nair tamid [the eternal lamp], one is saved from the decree of sh'mad. For the nair tamid is the aspect of the ratzon — through which the aspect of sh'mad is nullified, for one rises from sh'mad to ratzon, as above.

This is the aspect of the greatness of the holiness of Chanukah — when each person draws into his home the kedushah of the lamps of the Menorah. Through this the wicked kingdom is subdued each year — that kingdom which sought to make them forget His Torah and decreed many sh'mados upon Yisrael, as our Sages said . All of this is nullified through the kedushah of the Chanukah lamp — the aspect of the kedushah of the lamps of the Menorah, the aspect of the illumination of the Ratzon.

This is what is brought in the holy sefarim regarding the awesome holiness of Chanukah — the aspect of the kindling of the lamps of the Menorah: even in the days of Noach, immediately after the Flood, the dove came "v'hinai alai zayis teref b'fiha" — "and behold, an olive leaf freshly plucked in her mouth" — hinting at the oil of the Menorah, the aspect of Chanukah that saves from the raging of many waters, from the flood-waters that overpower in every generation, each time threatening to destroy the world, chas v'shalom. But the essential tikkun is through the olive leaf — the aspect of the oil of the Chanukah lamp, the aspect of the oil of the Menorah, the aspect of the illumination of the Ratzon that illuminates in every kind of darkness, even in the darkness of the flood-waters, chas v'shalom. For everything is nullified through the illumination of the Ratzon — hinted at by the olive leaf that the dove brought toward evening, hinting at the era of ikvos M'shicha [the heels of Mashiach], the aspect of : "V'hayah l'ais erev yihyeh or" — "And it shall be: toward evening there shall be light."

Therefore it is indeed explained in the Midrash HaNe'elam on this verse — "V'hinai alai zayis" — that were it not for the lamps of the Menorah, the aspect of the Chanukah lamp, the remnant of Yehudah would have already perished from the world. For our essential survival now is through the illumination of the Ratzon — the aspect of the lamps of the Menorah, as above.

— Chapter headings for Hilchos Pesach, connected to Hilchos Bircas HaShachar, follow, based on the Torah that "Moshe stands between sh'mad and ratzon." —

Chapter Headings for Hilchos Pesach, connected to Hilchos Bircas HaShachar Based on LM I:215

This is the aspect of Pesach and Shavuos. For on Pesach was the beginning of Yisrael's drawing close to their Father in heaven — when they left the impurity of the idol-worshipping nations, the aspect of sh'mad [forced apostasy; spiritual destruction — here used as a Kabbalistic term for the state of being cut off from holy ratzon], to draw close to Him and be included in the upper Ratzon [Divine Will — the supreme desire/will of the Creator, which is the core concept of this entire Torah]. This is the aspect of the upper all-encompassing pidyon [redemption — both the spiritual act of sweetening harsh judgments and the practice of bringing a monetary redemption to a tzaddik], for the geulah [redemption from exile] of Mitzrayim [Egypt — also a Kabbalistic term for spiritual constriction and bondage] is the aspect of pidyon, as it is written : "V'hapod'cha mibais avadim" — "He redeemed you from the house of slaves."

But this pidyon is through the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin [Aramaic: "the Will of wills" — the supreme, all-encompassing Divine pleasure that is revealed at the time of Shabbos Minchah; the highest root of ratzon] — the aspect of the Yud-Gimmel Tikkunai Dikna [the Thirteen Rectifications of the Beard — Kabbalistic configurations of Divine mercy flowing from Arich Anpin, through which harsh judgments are sweetened at their root] — which is merited only on Shavuos, kabbalas haTorah [the receiving of the Torah]. Then Yisrael were converted — as Rashi explains: they entered through sprinkling and immersion like a gair [convert], etc. Therefore on Shavuos He truly was revealed as an Elder full of mercy — the aspect of the Tikkunai Dikna that Moshe drew down, the aspect of the pidyon. But at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim [the Exodus from Egypt] it was difficult to draw this upper pidyon. Therefore Yetzias Mitzrayim was very difficult — which is why Moshe initially refused the mission, saying : "Sh'lach na b'yad tishlach" — "Please send through whomever You will send." For he knew he did not have the power to draw this aspect in completeness. Therefore they would certainly corrupt afterward, and whatever would happen would happen. The essential geulah would be through Mashiach — who is Moshe himself, who specifically after his histalkus [passing from this world] ascended there, etc. — and he extends in every generation through all the true tzaddikim who are the aspect of Mashiach, until he completes the geulah through the upper pidyon.

But Hashem compelled him to go and redeem them, and promised He would be with him so that he could draw down the illumination and sweetening even now. Still, the essential illumination was at Mattan Torah [the Giving of the Torah at Sinai], as above. But now, at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim — before Mattan Torah — it was very difficult to draw the pidyon. However, Hashem had compassion on us and illuminated upon us an illumination beyond the normal level, not according to the order — which is the aspect of Pesach: He "skipped" over the order of levels, etc., as explained in the kavanos [Kabbalistic meditations of the Arizal] and in our writings many times. Even though they had not yet merited through an awakening from below the aspect of the pidyon, Hashem illuminated upon them from above a wondrous illumination through which they were redeemed.

Therefore we are obligated to eat matzah — the aspect of mahn, bread from heaven without any labor or toil at all — the aspect of : "V'gam tzaidah lo asu lahem" — "They did not even prepare provisions for themselves" — as stated in the passage: "Vayofu es habatzaik... ugos matzos..." — "They baked the dough... cakes of matzos..."

For chametz is the aspect of the labors and toil through which people exert themselves to draw their livelihood — as though there is some way of nature. In truth this is falsehood and lies, for there is no nature at all. Even one who toils in commerce or craftsmanship to earn a livelihood — the livelihood does not come through nature at all, as it is written : "V'zacharta es Hashem Elokecha, ki Hu hanosain l'cha koach..." — "You shall remember Hashem your God, for He is the One who gives you strength..." — "Arai yahiv l'cha aitzah l'miknai nichsin" — "He gives you counsel to acquire possessions." For: "Ki lo mimotza umima'arav..." — "Not from the east nor from the west..." — "Ki Elokim shofait" — "For God is the judge" — there is no poverty from one's craft, nor wealth from one's craft, as we see with our own senses.

Rather, the essential toil of livelihood is drawn from the sin of Adam HaRishon, when it was decreed: "B'zai'as apecha tochal lechem" — "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread" — from which the thirty-nine labors are drawn. The tikkun is through Shabbos, as it is written : "Shaishes yamim ta'aseh m'lachah, u'vayom hash'vi'i... Shabbos..." — "Six days shall work be done, and on the seventh day... Shabbos..." Shabbos is the aspect of bittul — the aspect of the pidyon — through the ais ratzon that shines on Shabbos. From there kedushah is drawn to the six weekdays, so that even when engaged in commerce and labor, one remains holy with the kedushah of Shabbos — not absorbed in them, saved from the aspect of "Shatu ha'am v'laktu" — "the people went about and gathered" — in foolishness, etc.

Therefore one brings money to the tzaddik for a pidyon — for the sweetening of the dinim [harsh Divine judgments]. The essential dinim are in money — the aspect of the thirty-nine labors, the aspect of a person's eating and livelihood that was corrupted through the eating of the eitz hada'as [Tree of Knowledge]. Therefore one must bring money specifically. When the tzaddik eats and sustains himself from this money — and his eating is in the aspect of : "V'hisbia b'tzachtzachos nafshecha" — "He will satisfy your soul in radiance" — from which is the root of the pidyon — through this all the dinim are sweetened through the pidyon.

This is the aspect of the mitzvah of eating the three Shabbos meals. Specifically through the eating of Shabbos — especially the third meal — the pidyon is drawn, for then is the ais ratzon [time of Divine favor]. This is the aspect of eating matzah — the aspect of oneg Shabbos, as brought: the aspect of : "L'ma'an tamotzu v'hisanagtem..." — "So that you may suckle and delight..." — the aspect of mahn — the aspect of pure trust without any labor at all.

But after Kri'as Yam Suf — when the aspect of Yosef was awakened (he too departed on Shabbos at Minchah), and for this reason "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef" — "Moshe took the bones of Yosef" — and this was when Yisrael were engaged in the Bizas HaYam [the spoils of the sea], which was a great tikkun, for they fulfilled a great mitzvah that Hashem commanded them : "Dabair na v'yish'alu..." — "Please speak, and they shall borrow..." — in order to fulfill: "V'acharai chain yaitzu birchush gadol" — "And afterward they will go out with great wealth" . For the wealth itself that Yisrael took from Mitzrayim is the aspect of the pidyon — the money the common person gives to the tzaddik — through which specifically the din is sweetened. In the collectivity of Yisrael, they are all tzaddikim — and when they brought the money and wealth from the contamination of Mitzrayim into the kedushah of Yisrael (who are the aspect of tzaddikim), this is the aspect of pidyon. But all of this was through the power of the great true tzaddik who ascends to Ra'ava d'Ra'avin.

Therefore, even though the Bizah was a great mitzvah — nevertheless, "Chacham laiv yikach mitzvos" — "The wise-hearted takes mitzvos" — this is Moshe, who then took the bones of Yosef who departed there. For specifically through this power can one sweeten the dinim through the upper pidyon via the Bizah and wealth they took. But the essential revelation of the kedushah of Yosef HaTzaddik was at the time of Kri'as Yam Suf, as it is written : "Hayam ra'ah vayanos" — "The sea saw and fled," etc. By then they had already counted six days of the Omer [the forty-nine-day counting period between Pesach and Shavuos] — and the omer of barley is the aspect of the sweetening of the dinim, as is known. They were grasped in livelihood more intensely, and one must count seven weeks "mimochoras haShabbos" — "from the day after the Shabbos" — to draw the kedushah of Shabbos. The essential thing: even when engaged in worldly occupation — commerce and labor — it should be in the aspect of the kedushah of Shabbos. And then afterward, the chametz is permitted — since we have already received the remedy.

This is the aspect of the Korban Todah [thanksgiving offering] — which is precious and important above all other korbanos, for all others will be nullified in the future except the Korban Todah. It contained both chametz and matzah. For the todah is brought when one emerges from trouble and din — through the pidyon. Then one brings chametz and matzah: first, three types of matzah, and afterward, loaves of chametz bread. For the essential beginning — both in general and in particular — is the aspect of matzah: one need not do anything at all — the aspect of "V'gam tzaidah lo asu lahem" — "They did not even prepare provisions." Afterward one engages in some occupation — the aspect of "Tov Torah im derech eretz" — "Torah is good with worldly occupation." But the essential thing is the Torah — the aspect of : "The Torah was given only to the eaters of the mahn" — the aspect of matzah.

Even in the Torah and mitzvos themselves, one needs both aspects: one need not do anything, for what are we? — as our Sages said : "Lo alecha ham'lachah ligmor" — "It is not upon you to complete the work." For the essential thing is the ratzon. But afterward, one does. This secret will be fully revealed only in the future — which is the aspect of the todah that will remain in the future. For everything will be nullified and nothing will remain except todah — thanksgiving — to give thanks to His Name always: that He did not make us a gentile, that He separated us from those who err, and chose us from among the nations as a treasured people.

Therefore on Shavuos one brings the Shtai HaLechem [Two Loaves] — specifically from chametz. This is the aspect of the todah. For Pesach and Shavuos are bound to one another — "mimochoras haShabbos" until "mochoras haShabbos" — and the matzah of Pesach and the chametz of Shavuos are included together, which is the aspect of todah.

Then we read Megillas Rus — she being a convert, from whom came Dovid Mashiach, who also departed at the ais ratzon — through whom the pidyon will be completed in fullness, and through whom He will redeem us from galus [exile] with a complete geulah, as it is written : "V'ad Atik Yomaya m'ta..." — "He reached unto the Ancient of Days..."

Therefore we stay awake on the night of Shavuos — for then the pidyon is completed, which is the aspect of the awakening from sleep, as above. Now, all our vitality is through Moshe, who stands between sh'mad and ratzon, elevating every person each day from whatever passes over him — especially regarding money and livelihood, for when one blemishes in this, it is the aspect of sh'mad. From there he elevates each time through the above aspect.

Therefore we must eat maror [bitter herb] on Pesach — a remembrance of "Vaymar'ru es chayaihem ba'avodah kashah" — "They embittered their lives with hard labor" — the bitterness of the toil and burden of livelihood and money, the aspect of the bitterness of the world. This cannot be sweetened except through salt — the aspect of dipping. Now we dip in charoses — "chas Rus" — "Hashem had mercy on Rus" — that the Merciful One has compassion on us through the power of the tzaddik, the aspect of Mashiach who came forth from Rus the convert.

For the essential sweetening is drawn through the Torah, which is expounded through the thirteen rules — the aspect of the Yud-Gimmel Tikkunai Dikna, from which the pidyon is drawn. Similarly, tefillah — which is the essential sweetening — is in the aspect of the thirteen: for we say the thirteen rules by which the Torah is expounded; and the thirteen praises in Yishtabach; and the Thirteen Middos of Mercy, etc.

The essential order of tefillah and the entire order of the day is berachos and thanksgiving — the aspect of todah. For we make a berachah on everything — this is the aspect of Bircas HaShachar and all other berachos and thanksgivings of tefillah and of blessings on food, etc. For the essential thing is todah — thanksgiving, as above.

This is the aspect of : "Vayikbor oso bagai mul Bais P'or" — "He buried him in the valley opposite Beis Peor." Whenever Peor [a notorious form of avodah zarah] wants to be aroused, chas v'shalom, Moshe stands against it to subdue it — as brought in Tosafos, Sotah 14a, in the name of the Midrash. For Moshe was buried in the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, from which the pidyon is drawn — through which he elevates from sh'mad, from the aspect of Peor, to the aspect of ratzon.

"U'Moshe alah el ha'Elokim" — "And Moshe ascended to God." "Moshe" has the same letters as "mashehu" [something, the slightest amount] — the aspect of the nekudas hamashehu [the infinitesimal point] between chametz and matzah. This is the aspect of the kutz'a of the letter daled of "Echad" — through which one elevates from sh'mad to ratzon. For this reason he is called Moshe — "Ki min hamayim m'shisihu" — "For I drew him from the water." (See below.)

This is the aspect of the mitzvah of Kri'as Shma — the essential emunah, the opposite of avodah zarah [idol worship]/ail achair, the aspect of sh'mad. The essential unity is the kutz'a of the letter daled — the aspect of the tzaddik, the nekudah of Moshe who elevates, etc. This is: "Hashem Elokainu Hashem Echad" — the aspect of "Hashem Hu ha'Elokim" — "Hashem, He is God" — that the hashgachah [Divine Providence] and the occupation, etc. — all are one. For nature (the aspect of Elokim) is included in hashgachah. This is "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed" — the aspect of Yichuda Tata'ah [the lower unification]: even in this lower world where the error of nature exists, we know the truth — that in all the lowest worlds and all the lower levels, blessed and praised is the Name of His glorious kingship forever and ever.

In the Idra Rabbah it states: "There is a metzach and there is a metzach." "Metzach" [forehead] — its letters reversed spell "chametz." This is the aspect of : "U'metzach ishah zonah hayah lach, mai'ant hikalaiim" — "You had the forehead of a harlot; you refused to be ashamed" — which is cited in the Idra Rabbah. One must destroy it completely on Pesach. But on Shavuos, when we ascend to the Dikna — the aspect of the Metzach HaRatzon [the Forehead of Divine Will — the Kabbalistic "higher forehead" that radiates pure ratzon, in contrast to the metzach hanachash (forehead of the serpent) that radiates denial of ratzon] from which the sweetening of the all-encompassing pidyon is drawn — then the essential sweetening is specifically through chametz, in the Two Loaves.

Shma and Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed contain forty-nine letters — twenty-five and twenty-four — the aspect of the forty-nine days of the Sefirah [the counting of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuos]. The essential thing is to draw the twenty-five letters of the Yichuda Ila'ah (Shma, etc.) to the twenty-four letters of Baruch Shaim — of which it is said in galus: "Al yashuv dach nichlam" — "Let not the oppressed turn back in shame." This is the upper pidyon, whose essence is through the nekudah — the kutz'a of the letter daled of "Echad" — which is the totality of all twenty-five letters of the Yichuda, to sweeten all the twenty-four courts, to nullify the poverty and galus — the aspect of dach [oppressed, impoverished].

This is the aspect of the omer of barley — the aspect of dinim — upon which the sweetening is drawn through the waving to six directions, as in the daled of "Echad" upon which one concentrates. Then one counts the forty-nine days, as above. Therefore the twenty-four thousand students of Rabbi Akiva died during the days of the Omer — twenty-four specifically — for they did not sweeten the twenty-four courts. The essential reason: they lacked ahavah [love] — which equals "echad" in gematria. For it is impossible to be included there except through love and unity among Yisrael. The unity of Yisrael is His unity — the aspect of "Atah Echad v'Shimcha Echad, u'mi k'amcha Yisrael goy echad ba'aretz" — "You are One, Your Name is One, and who is like Your people Yisrael, one nation in the land" — said on Shabbos at Minchah, when the Metzach HaRatzon is revealed.

Therefore specifically Rabbi Akiva said: "V'ahavta l'rai'acha kamocha — zeh k'lal gadol baTorah" — "'Love your fellow as yourself' — this is a great principle of the Torah" . Rabbi Akiva was also a descendant of gairim — as our Sages said .

This is what our Sages said regarding Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed — concluding with the parable of the princess who smelled the fragrance of the spiced pot [tzikai k'dairah]. For Yaakov wished to reveal the kaitz [the predetermined end-time of the exile], etc. — until he opened and said: "Baruch Shaim Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Va'ed." For he now saw that even though they were strong in His unity with complete emunah, it was still not possible to reveal the sealed kaitz. For one must draw the upper Yichud — the aspect of Shma Yisrael — to draw the wondrous light and sweetening to the Yichuda Tata'ah, where all the twenty-four courts reside — the aspect of the twenty-four letters of Baruch Shaim. Through this one elevates from sh'mad to ratzon — by drawing the wondrous sweetening downward, until the dinim are clarified, the complete waste falls below, and whatever good can be clarified is clarified and ascends from sh'mad to ratzon. These are the aspect of the gairim who are elevated through this — the aspect of the secret of Havdalah that is made adjacent to Minchah of Shabbos, etc.

Therefore Moshe did not say it explicitly in the written Torah — even though he knew of it and transmitted it to us orally to say in Kri'as Shma. He did not state it openly in the Torah, because it is a concealed and hidden secret — the aspect of the secret of the tzikai k'dairah [fragrance of the spiced pot]: to elevate the holiness that has fallen very, very far — the aspect of the gairim who are elevated from such disgraceful places, from sh'mad to ratzon. This is accomplished by first illuminating upon them a wondrous illumination from the pidyon — from the upper Ratzon.

Chapter Headings for Hilchos Pesach (continued) & Conclusion Based on LM I:215

The twenty-four types of pidyonos [redemptions — the practice of bringing a monetary redemption to a tzaddik to sweeten harsh judgments] that sweeten the twenty-four courts [batai dinim — channels of Divine judgment through which all harsh decrees flow] — this is the aspect of the twenty-four priestly gifts. For the kohain [priest] is the aspect of the rav and tzaddik [the righteous leader], to whom one must give from everything as a pidyon — and they are twenty-four. This is the aspect of the twenty-four books of the Torah; the aspect of the twenty-four adornments of the bride, etc.; the aspect of "v'chadah al shichmah" — "her pitcher upon her shoulder" — mentioned in the Zohar HaKadosh. This is the aspect of the twenty-four chapters of Maseches Shabbos. From the intensity of the dinim [harsh Divine judgments] in the twenty-four, the grasp of the twenty-four species of impure birds is derived — those from which Hashem commanded us to separate. This parshah is read on Pesach, for then is the Seder of Sh'mini.

This is the aspect of : "V'samti kadchod shimsho'sayich" — "I will set your windows of rubies" — mentioned in the Zohar HaKadosh regarding the aspect of the twenty-four. This is also the aspect of the twenty-four priestly and Levite watches; and the twenty-four hours of the day — which are the aspect of the twenty-four permutations of the Name A-d-n-y, sweetened through the twelve permutations of the Tetragrammaton of the day and twelve of the night (see Likutai Torah of the Arizal on Yeshayahu 13b). All of this is the aspect of the forty-nine days of the Sefirah [Sefiras HaOmer — the forty-nine-day counting period between Pesach and Shavuos], as above.

The essential Sefirah begins with the waving of the omer and counting — to draw the mochin [Kabbalistic intellective lights — channels of holy consciousness] in orderly fashion, level by level, in order to merit ascending to the holy Dikna [the Divine "Beard" — Kabbalistic configurations of supreme mercy], the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin [Aramaic: "the Will of wills" — the supreme, all-encompassing Divine pleasure revealed at Shabbos Minchah; the highest root of Ratzon] on Shavuos [the festival of the Giving of the Torah]. Each day an illumination and sweetening is drawn from there — for the way is that whenever one prepares oneself to ascend to a certain level, an illumination is immediately drawn from the ultimate summit of that level. This is the aspect of : "Magid mairaishis acharis" — "He declares from the beginning the end."

Therefore there are seven weeks, seven times seven — to elevate all those who have fallen from sh'mad [forced apostasy; spiritual destruction — here a Kabbalistic term for the state of being cut off from holy Ratzon] to ratzon [Divine Will — the supreme desire/will of the Creator, the core concept of this entire Torah]. This is what the gairim [converts] and those very far away need — and likewise every person according to his level, his ascents and descents, needs this at every time, as above. As explained in the name of the Baal Shem Tov z"l on the verse "V'sartem va'avadtem..." — "You will turn aside and serve..." Therefore one must work to elevate from the aspect of : "Sheva yipol tzaddik v'kam" — "The righteous one falls seven times and rises" — in which all the falls and descents of every person are included. One must sustain them through the seven restorers of reason — binding them to the Torah, the aspect of : "Chatzva amudehah shiv'ah" — "She has hewn her seven pillars" — comprised of all seven middos [character traits / Divine attributes], the seven days of building, the seven days of Beraishis [Creation].

All through the power of the true tzaddikim who are comprised of the Seven Shepherds — the last of whom is Dovid, who is Mashiach [the ultimate Redeemer], who will be comprised of all of them. Through him is the essential hope, and all strengthening even now comes from there. Therefore Dovid equals fourteen in gematria [the numerical value of Hebrew letters] — twice seven — the aspect of "sheva yipol," the aspect of "sheva so'avos b'libo" — "seven abominations in his heart" , the seven chambers of Gehinnom, the seven lands, etc. — all aspects of the seven of descent. One must elevate from there to the Torah — "Chatzva amudehah shiv'ah" — and the aspect of : "Sheva bayom hilalticha" — "Seven times a day I praise You" — said regarding Bircas Kri'as Shma. One transforms the descent into ascent — the aspect of : "Imros Hashem amaros t'horos... m'zukak shiv'asayim" — "The words of Hashem are pure words... refined sevenfold."

Therefore Dovid said : "K'fesa baini..." — "There is but a step between me [and death]..." This is the aspect of twice twenty-four — the aspect of Ka"D Ko"D — totaling forty-eight. This is the aspect of the forty-eight things by which the Torah is acquired — which subdue the aspect of Cham [=48 in gematria], the aspect of Mitzrayim. Then the Torah is acquired — comprised of forty-nine facets. Through this one merits on the fiftieth day, which comprises all, to ascend to Ra'ava d'Ra'avin — the Yud-Gimmel Tikkunai Dikna [the Thirteen Rectifications of the Beard — Kabbalistic configurations of supreme mercy through which harsh judgments are sweetened] — studied on Shavuos in the Idra Rabbah [a section of the Zohar]. From there is the pidyon — the fiftieth gate, the aspect of Shavuos.

Now we merit this, etc. — but the essential completion will be through Mashiach. All of this is the tikkun [rectification] of the Airev Rav [the Mixed Multitude — the insincere converts who left Mitzrayim (Egypt) with Yisrael] who blemished the upper da'as [holy knowledge/awareness], the enlarged daled of "Echad," as brought in the Likutai Torah of the Arizal, Parshas Bo, on Parshas Kadaish. The prohibition of chametz on Pesach is the aspect of the blemish of the Airev Rav. He Who said to His world "Enough!" shall say "Enough!" to our troubles — the aspect of : "Kaitz sam lachoshech" — "He has set a limit to the darkness" — and: "Asher samti chol g'vul layam" — "I have set sand as the boundary for the sea." All through the aspect of Dovid, whose gematria is Dai [=14, "enough"] — for he is the aspect of Mashiach who will say "Enough!" to our troubles and redeem us. So too now for every individual — that there be a limit to the troubles of his soul, to redeem him through the pidyon. "Ki im Hashem hachesed, v'harbai imo f'dus, v'Hu yifdeh..." — "For with Hashem is lovingkindness, and abundant redemption is with Him, and He will redeem..." — "Podeh u'matzil, hapodainu miyad m'lachim..." — "He redeems and saves, He who redeems us from the hand of kings..." — "Ki fadah Hashem es Yaakov u'g'alo..." — "For Hashem has redeemed Yaakov and rescued him..." These are said every day. "Baruch Podeh u'Matzil, Baruch Sh'mo" — which in gematria equals "Ratzon" — as above.

The general principle: the tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe, who works to elevate from sh'mad to ratzon — this is also needed by every person according to his level. For even upright people, when they turn aside from Hashem, this is considered avodah zarah [idol worship] — the aspect of sh'mad, rachmana litzlan — as brought in the name of the Baal Shem Tov z"l on the verse "V'sartem va'avadtem elohim achairim." Even one who has fallen and become exceedingly far, however he may be — upon all of them the mercy of the tzaddik reaches to awaken and elevate him from sh'mad to ratzon. This is essentially through the power of the pidyon — through the Metzach HaRatzon [the Forehead of Divine Will — the Kabbalistic "higher forehead" that radiates pure Ratzon, in contrast to the metzach hanachash (forehead of the serpent) that radiates denial of Ratzon]. The tzaddik, through the greatness of his power, draws chesed [lovingkindness], rachamim [mercy], and wondrous ratzon from there — until the ratzon illuminates downward, even in all the lowest levels, even in the ten crowns of impurity. The holy ratzon reaches all the nefashos [souls] that have fallen there — until even there they are aroused each time with a strong ratzon and good yearnings for Hashem.

For those who have fallen so greatly cannot be revived and brought back except through ratzon — illuminating upon them from above, from the upper Ratzon, from the Metzach HaRatzon — down to the very lowest level, until even those who fell through the intensity of the dinim to the aspect of "metzach ishah zonah" are also aroused with a good and strong ratzon for Hashem, and elevated from sh'mad to ratzon. For it is known that the lower one has fallen, the higher the place from which mercy must be aroused upon him.

This is the aspect of Sefiras HaOmer — waving the omer of barley, which is the aspect of animality, the minchas k'na'os [jealousy offering] of the sotah [the suspected adulteress] — the blemish of licentiousness that comes through a ruach shtus [spirit of foolishness], through the metzach ishah zonah [the "forehead of the harlot" — brazen impurity]. Now we begin to draw an illumination from the summit of the ascent — that we will merit on Shavuos, the Metzach HaRatzon. Through this power we wave the omer of barley to sweeten the dinim and nullify the spirit of foolishness — the animalistic behavior, the aspect of barley which is animal food — elevating everything to Hashem through the kohain who waves it in the Beis HaMikdash [the Holy Temple] in all six directions, declaring that all belongs to Hashem. This is the daled of "Echad" — where we proclaim His sovereignty in all six directions. In these lowest levels one can only be aroused through ratzon. Then one begins to count seven weeks to purify oneself from the contamination of Mitzrayim and merit drawing upon oneself each day holy mind and da'as — the aspect of the kedushah of kabbalas haTorah [the receiving of the Torah]. All of this is explained in the Torah "V'es ha'orvim tzivisi" , spoken on Shavuos — there it is explained about the metzach of the nachash [the "forehead of the serpent" — the root of atheistic/naturalistic thinking that denies Divine will], the root of the wisdom of nature, which must be subdued through tzedakah [charitable giving]. Through this one rectifies the blemish of the long-lived elders of the generation who lack completeness, and through this strengthens the Metzach HaRatzon. For a person must add kedushah and da'as each day all the days of his life — this is the essential meaning of long life. See there well. All of this is the aspect of the Sefirah — counting the days of the Omer — through which one draws each day holy mind and intellect, as explained well in the kavanos [Kabbalistic meditations] of the Arizal. But all this power is drawn from the tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe, who stands between sh'mad and ratzon, elevating from the contamination of Mitzrayim [Egypt — also a Kabbalistic term for spiritual constriction] (full of kefiros [heretical denials of God] and licentiousness — all the aspect of sh'mad) to ratzon.

The essential tikkun is through all three tzaddikim who departed on Shabbos at Minchah in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, the Ratzon of retzonos — Yosef, Moshe, and Dovid. For this reason we say "Tzidkas'cha" three times then. Mashiach will be comprised of all of them, and through him will be the essential tikkun. For the tikkun of everything depends only on the true tzaddikim who are the aspect of Mashiach — the aspect of these three tzaddikim. The essential tikkun is through the illumination of the Ratzon, as above — and as our Master and Teacher z"l spoke abundantly about this: that the essential thing is the ratzon, as explained in our writings at length.

For there are young people who are still upright and have not yet corrupted — and even they must be awakened to merit arichas yamim [long life] of kedushah, adding kedushah and da'as each day. This is the aspect of Yosef — the aspect of additional kedushah (tosefes). For Yosef conquered his inclination and stood in the test, and through his power all who truly wish to do so can also conquer their inclination and constantly strengthen themselves with a strong ratzon for Hashem — adding kedushah and da'as each day.

But there are many who have already corrupted greatly — some exceedingly so, rachmana litzlan — and this is very common, especially now. They need to be elevated. This is the essential work of Moshe Rabbainu, who is always engaged in elevating from sh'mad to ratzon. Moshe is called by this name because "Ki min hamayim m'shisihu" — "For I drew him from the water" — hinting at the future: Moshe descends into the depths of the treacherous waters of Mitzrayim and draws up the fallen nefashos that have fallen into the waters of the Flood itself, rachmana litzlan. For Moshe is the tikkun of the waters of the Flood — as brought in the writings on the verse "B'shagam hu vasar" — "B'shagam" has the same letters as "Moshe." The galus [exile] of Mitzrayim was to rectify the sin of the generation of the Flood — for this reason they threw the children into the river, and Moshe too had to descend there. He emerged through Bas Pharaoh herself, who converted then. For this he is called Moshe — to hint that through the greatness of his power (to elevate from sh'mad to ratzon), when he was born and descended into the river of Mitzrayim, not only could the river not swallow him, but through his power he instilled thoughts of teshuvah [repentance; return to God] in Bas Pharaoh until she converted — the aspect of elevating from sh'mad to ratzon — until she herself drew him physically from the river. So too now, all his work is always to draw all the fallen from the treacherous waters, from the waters of the Flood — all through the power of the sweetening drawn from the upper Ratzon to which he ascended.

When these nefashos are elevated — whether b'nai Yisrael returning in teshuvah or gairim converting — he raises them to the Metzach HaRatzon and constantly strengthens them not to err, chas v'shalom, after the wisdom of nature drawn from the metzach of the nachash — from which comes all desire for money, in which all avodah zarah is rooted, the aspect of sh'mad.

This is a general principle: all the middos — whether good or bad — are all interconnected, as brought elsewhere. "Mitzvah goreres mitzvah, va'avairah goreres avairah" — "One mitzvah leads to another, and one avairah leads to another." Therefore when one falls, chas v'shalom, and the desire for money overpowers — chasing vanity with tremendous exertion to earn money (usually unsuccessfully, and if sometimes earning, it is never enough, especially nowadays) — then all the other desires return and overpower: envy, desire, honor — especially the general desire, which is the root of the evil inclination. For the blemish of the bris [the covenant — referring to sexual purity] and the blemish of the desire for money are interconnected, as brought in the Torah "Tzivisa tzedek aidos'cha" .

Therefore, even when these nefashos have been elevated and the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon shines upon them, the adversary still lies in ambush constantly — renewing himself against every person each day, as our Sages said — especially against those who have already stumbled. He schemes to cause them to fall again, chas v'shalom. The essential cause is that the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon is not yet strong enough within them, as explained in the Torah. Then one must return and strengthen himself by giving abundant tzedakah to strengthen the ratzon.

This is the aspect of Dovid — the essential aspect of Mashiach, Mashiach ben Dovid — who waged a great war against the metzach of the nachash (the aspect of Golyas, as explained there). Now the essential hope is through him — he fights against the metzach of the nachash so that emunas haRatzon not weaken (from which come all the falls, chas v'shalom) — strengthening every single person each day, however he may be, to renew himself each day with strong retzonos for Hashem — even if whatever passed over him has passed. All through the power of tzedakah. And if one cannot give tzedakah properly, it has already been revealed that when one is zealous with the jealousy of Hashem Tz'vakos, it is considered like tzedakah, and through this one sweetens the charon af [Divine wrath] — the aspect of Pinchas: "Haishiv es chamasi mai'al b'nai Yisrael b'kan'o es kin'asi b'socham" — "He turned back My wrath from upon b'nai Yisrael by being zealous with My jealousy among them."

He engages in this constantly — strengthening the ratzon each time through wondrous tikkunim — until the holy ratzon illuminates in every person however he may be, elevating him each time from doubts, etc. This too is the aspect of elevating from sh'mad to ratzon. He has completed, and he will complete. Therefore Dovid in gematria equals Dai — the aspect of Sha-dai — the aspect of : "V'Ail Shadai yitain lachem rachamim, v'shilach es achichem achair..." — "May God Almighty give you mercy, and send your other brother..." — hinting at the end of this geulah [redemption from exile]: He Who said to His world "Enough!" shall say "Enough!" to our troubles. This applies both collectively and individually: collectively — that He say "Enough!" to our troubles, for the servitude has already lasted so long and the galus has extended exceedingly. Certainly, ultimately He will say "Enough!" and hasten to redeem us with an everlasting geulah, as it is written : "Lo yosif l'haglosaich" — "He will no longer exile you." And individually — for each person, especially those who have already begun somewhat and the true tzaddik has already elevated them from where he elevated them (as each one knows in his own soul) — and yet what passes over them each day continues to pass. They must trust in the power of the elders of kedushah who work to strengthen the ratzon and draw upon us the aspect of Dovid Mashiach — who will say "Enough!" to the troubles of every individual soul. "Ki kaitz sam lachoshech" — "He has set a limit to the darkness" — and certainly He will not contend forever. The essential thing is to strengthen oneself through the power of the tzaddikim.

Thus these three tzaddikim — Yosef, Moshe, Dovid — who departed in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin at the ais ratzon [time of Divine favor] — accomplish three tikkunim: (1) Yosef: to elevate and strengthen those who are still upright — that they not fall, not turn aside, chas v'shalom, in the aspect of "V'sartem va'avadtem" — but constantly strengthen themselves with a strong ratzon for Hashem. (2) Moshe: to further elevate those who have already fallen to wherever they have fallen — actually raising them up. (3) Dovid: the essential aspect of Mashiach, Mashiach ben Dovid — whose essential work is to complete the geulah, both collectively and individually: even those already elevated from sh'mad to ratzon must be strengthened not to fall again through whatever passes over them. Through this the geulah will be completed and He will say "Enough!" to our troubles, speedily in our days, amain.

This is what is written in the sefarim: the essential sweetening of the dinim is to transform "tzarah" into "r'tzai" [same letters rearranged: from "trouble" to "desire/will"]. For the essential tikkun is through the aspect of r'tzai — the aspect of the upper Ratzon — as above.

This is the aspect of what we say every day after Bircas HaTorah: the Mishnah of "Elu d'varim sh'ain lahem shi'ur" — "These are the things that have no measure: pe'ah, bikurim, r'ayon, g'milus chasadim, and Talmud Torah." For it has already been explained that the essential thing is the ratzon — through which one merits Torah, etc. — and all good. The holy discourse is already printed in Sipurai Ma'asiyos regarding the greatness of the ratzon — which is the main thing.

This is the aspect of "these things that have no measure" — for they are all mitzvos through which one merits the illumination of the Ratzon. Therefore they have no measure — for the holy ratzon has no measure, because it is effective at every level, for every person in the world. Even one at an exceedingly low level benefits from the good ratzon — for through the good ratzon everything can be elevated. Conversely, even one at a very exalted level still needs ratzon — to strengthen himself with ever-newer ratzon for Hashem, for "ligdulaso ain chaiker" — "His greatness is unsearchable." Therefore the ratzon is in the aspect of "without measure."

Pe'ah and Bikurim are the aspect of tzedakah given from the produce and seven species to the kohain and to the poor — through which one merits ratzon, subduing the metzach of the nachash and strengthening the Metzach HaRatzon. Pe'ah and bikurim must be given immediately at the beginning of the produce: pe'ah at the time of harvest immediately, and bikurim as soon as the fruit begins to ripen. This is the aspect of the beginning of tzedakah — which is very precious — through which one merits ratzon, as explained in the Torah. The produce and fruits need to be rectified most from the sin of Adam HaRishon, which took hold especially in work of the land, as it is written : "Arurah ha'adamah ba'avurecha, b'itzavon tochlenah..." — "Cursed is the ground because of you; in suffering shall you eat of it..." From there come all the toils of the thirty-nine labors. The Torah therefore commanded that immediately upon harvesting, one give pe'ah to the poor — to purify the produce from the contamination of the nachash and draw upon it the illumination of the Ratzon, drawn essentially through tzedakah. Bikurim are even more precious — for they are brought to the Beis HaMikdash, where the illumination of the face of Hashem (the aspect of the upper Ratzon, the aspect of panim) essentially shines. Their primary time is Shavuos — Yom HaBikurim — kabbalas haTorah, whose essence is through the ratzon. Therefore on Shavuos He appeared as an Elder — the aspect of an Elder of exalted countenance — the aspect of ratzon, as explained there.

R'ayon is the mitzvah : "Shalosh p'amim bashanah yairah'eh chol z'churcha es p'nai Hashem Elokecha" — "Three times a year all your males shall appear before the face of Hashem your God" — on the three regalim, which are the Mikra'ai Kodesh that call forth and reveal the Ratzon. Therefore one must then ascend and be seen in the Beis HaMikdash before the face of Hashem — to receive there the illumination of the Ratzon that is the aspect of the face of Hashem, shining in the Beis HaMikdash most intensely. Therefore r'ayon too has no measure — for the ratzon has no measure.

G'milus chasadim is the totality of all forms of tzedakah — whose essential purpose is for the sake of the ratzon — and therefore it has no measure. All of this is in order to merit kabbalas haTorah anew each day. Therefore Talmud Torah also has no measure — for the essential kabbalas haTorah is through the completeness of the ratzon, which has no measure.

Therefore we say this Mishnah every day after Bircas HaTorah — for each day one must draw upon himself the aspect of kabbalas haTorah anew, as it is written : "Bayom hazeh ba'u midbar Sinai" — "On this day they came to the wilderness of Sinai" — and Rashi explains: each day it should seem in your eyes as though today you are standing at Har Sinai. As it is written : "Asher Anochi m'tzav'cha hayom" — "That I command you today" — each day they should seem like new. Therefore we make Bircas HaTorah every day, saying: "Baruch Atah Hashem, nosain haTorah" — "Blessed are You, Hashem, Who gives the Torah" — in the present tense, for He gives us the Torah anew each day. The essence of this is through the renewal of the ratzon that must be renewed each day — as our Master and Teacher z"l said in the holy discourse: no person is alike to his fellow, and no day is alike to its fellow, regarding the renewal of the ratzon.

Thus each and every day — especially in the morning, when the neshamah is renewed in the aspect of "Chadashim lab'karim" — one must strengthen himself with a new holy ratzon. This is the essential kabbalas haTorah each day — for which we make Bircas HaTorah. Therefore we then say this Mishnah — "These are the things that have no measure" — the aspect of the illumination of the Ratzon that has no measure: the essential kabbalas haTorah anew each day.

This itself is the aspect of Bircas Kohanim — said immediately after Bircas HaTorah. For the essential tachlis is that through the ratzon one merits the aspect of : "V'amdu zarim v'ra'u tzon'chem... v'atem kohanai Hashem tikaraiu" — "Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks... and you shall be called priests of Hashem" — that you will not need to engage in any of the thirty-nine labors, etc.

"Y'varechecha Hashem" — "May Hashem bless you" — with money, etc. Through the ratzon one merits yir'ah — a vessel to receive chesed — through which one needs no occupation at all. This is: "Y'varechecha Hashem" — with money — parnasah and wealth of kedushah, needing no occupation — the money and livelihood drawn through His kindness alone, the aspect of : "Bircas Hashem hi sa'ashir" — "The blessing of Hashem — it enriches." "V'yishm'recha" — "May He guard you" — from harmful forces, the aspect of fallen fears — that one be guarded from them and merit instead holy fear, the attribute of shamor [guarding]. Through yir'ah one merits the chesed through which one merits parnasah without toil, as explained there.

"Ya'air Hashem panav ailecha vichuneka" — "May Hashem illuminate His face upon you and be gracious to you" — the aspect of illumination of the face, the illumination of the Ratzon. "Yisa Hashem panav ailecha" — "May Hashem lift His face upon you" — the aspect of tzedakah, through which the essential lifting of the face occurs, the aspect of : "Ani b'tzedek echezeh fanecha" — "I in righteousness shall behold Your face." "V'yasaim l'cha shalom" — "May He grant you peace" — the aspect of "marbeh tzedakah, marbeh shalom" — "one who increases tzedakah, increases peace." For the essential tikkun is through tzedakah — through which one merits ratzon — through which one merits yir'ah — which is a vessel for chesed — through which one merits Hashem's blessing. All of this is contained in Bircas Kohanim — for kohanim specifically must deliver this blessing, being the aspect of chesed: "Olam chesed yibaneh" — "The world is built on chesed" — the aspect of "V'atem kohanai Hashem tikaraiu," as explained in the Torah. Therefore we engage in all this immediately after Bircas HaTorah — for the essential kabbalas haTorah each day anew is through the ratzon — the aspect of Bircas Kohanim and the Mishnah of "Elu d'varim sh'ain lahem shi'ur."

[Connected above, to the matter of the upper all-encompassing pidyon:]

Therefore, when the great true tzaddik makes a pidyon and the person has not yet seen his salvation — chalilah to entertain doubts about him. For certainly it is for a wondrous good: the pidyon was used for a much higher purpose — to make gairim, etc., as above. And certainly great good will come to the one who brought the pidyon as well. In the course of time, his salvation that he needed will also sprout — only he must wait a little. For in truth every person needs this upper pidyon — and through it we live and endure. Especially in this long, bitter galus, our essential survival is through these true tzaddikim who can at all times draw the ais ratzon.

For in truth, the essential salvation and mercy is to return to Hashem and be saved from sins — this is the essential mercy, as explained elsewhere . Every person needs this. According to his situation, every person needs a great salvation at all times — drawn from the pidyon — to be elevated from sh'mad to ratzon. When the tzaddik performs the upper pidyon and it is used above for a higher purpose — making gairim and ba'alai teshuvah through the sweetening of the charon af via the drawing of the upper Ratzon — certainly all salvations in the world are contained there, both physical and spiritual. For all troubles, chas v'shalom, come from the hiding of Hashem's face — the aspect of charon af. Through the pidyon, everything is sweetened and all salvations are drawn. Only one must wait, for "hama'amin lo yachish" — "the believer does not rush."

This is : "B'or p'nai melech chayim, u'r'tzono k'av malkosh" — "In the light of the king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud of the late rain." This is said regarding the drawing of the Ratzon (as understood in the kavanos — the Tikkunai Dikna). At first glance, the comparison seems difficult — for clouds are difficult for a person, as our Sages said: "Kasheh yoma d'iva" — "A cloudy day is difficult." Why compare the wonderful good of His ratzon to a cloud of late rain? But according to the above: the cloud is difficult at first, but afterward when the rain descends through it, it certainly revives, for all blessings and bounty are drawn through rain and water, as it is written: "Yiftach Hashem l'cha es otzaro hatov lasais m'tar artzecha b'ito u'l'varaich es kol ma'asai yadecha" — "Hashem will open for you His good treasury to give rain for your land in its time and to bless all the work of your hands." The malkosh [late rain] comes with a delay — therefore His good ratzon is compared to a cloud of late rain. The salvation that comes from there is a complete salvation forever — only it comes with some delay. Understand this well.

This is : "Yachail Yisrael el Hashem, ki im Hashem hachesed, v'harbai imo f'dus" — "Let Yisrael hope in Hashem, for with Hashem is lovingkindness, and abundant redemption is with Him." He certainly does chesed — but "v'harbai imo f'dus" — He has many redemptions and salvations that He needs to bestow, redeeming from many kinds of troubles, physical and spiritual. Therefore one's lack cannot be filled immediately — one must only hope in Hashem, for He greatly redeems, and one must wait until He redeems from the trouble even greater than this one, and then this one too will be saved. "Ain ba'al hanais makir b'niso" — "The one who experiences a miracle does not recognize his miracle." The essential thing is that He redeems Yisrael through the upper pidyon of the tzaddikim — from all their sins — the aspect of making gairim. This is: "V'Hu yifdeh es Yisrael mikol avonosav" — "He will redeem Yisrael from all his sins" — through the pidyon. Therefore one must wait — the aspect of "Yachail Yisrael el Hashem." As written before: "Nafshi laShem mishomrim laboker, shomrim laboker" — "My soul [waits] for Hashem, more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning" — "Kivisi Hashem kivs'ah nafshi" — "I hoped in Hashem, my soul hoped" — hope upon hope.

This is : "Chasdai Hashem ki lo samnu, ki lo chalu rachamav... Tov v'yachil v'dumam lishu'as Hashem" — "The kindnesses of Hashem — that we are not consumed, for His mercies are not exhausted... It is good to wait in silence for the salvation of Hashem." The kindnesses of Hashem are the abundant mercies drawn from the upper Ratzon through the upper pidyon — where there is the aspect of abundant mercies and chesed, as is known. But one must wait — the aspect of "Tov v'yachil v'dumam." The more one strengthens himself to hope in Hashem without forcing the hour, the closer his salvation draws. For through the hoping and trust itself, his salvation sprouts near.

[Connected to Kri'as Shma:]

Therefore there are twenty-four words in the two daily recitations of Kri'as Shma — said every day, evening and morning — to sweeten all the twenty-four courts through the kutz'a of the letter daled, etc. For Kri'as Shma is the aspect of devaikus and bittul to the Ratzon of Ain Sof — the aspect of "Shma Yisrael" — "sh'mi'ah b'liba talya" — "hearing depends on the heart."

For each day has twenty-four hours — twelve hours of day and twelve hours of night. The tzaddikim and the God-fearing concentrate the twelve permutations of the Tetragrammaton in the twelve hours of the day, and similarly in the twelve hours of night. Through this they sweeten the twenty-four permutations of the Name A-d-n-y — the aspect of the twenty-four courts — sweetening the dinim that are grasped there.

The essential sweetening is drawn from Shabbos, when the ais ratzon primarily illuminates. Three days follow Shabbos and three days precede Shabbos: in the three days after Shabbos, the residual impression of the previous Shabbos illuminates; in the three days before Shabbos, the illumination of the coming Shabbos is drawn, as is brought. For all the vitality of the six weekdays comes from Shabbos, when the illumination of the Ratzon shines, sweetening and enlivening everything. In three days there are three times twenty-four hours — and three times twenty-four equals seventy-two, the aspect of chesed, as brought much in the writings of the Arizal regarding three times twenty-four; see there.

All of this is the aspect of Sefiras HaOmer — the aspect of "t'mimos tihyenah" — "they shall be complete" — for through them one sweetens the dinim by drawing upon oneself an illumination from the coming Shavuos, when the ais ratzon shines. Therefore they must be complete — to sweeten all the twenty-four hours of each and every day through the Sefirah.

For certainly, when one merits through the pidyon to ascend from sh'mad to ratzon and to draw the illumination of the Ratzon in the world — through which teshuvah is accomplished, gairim are made, etc. — then of course everything is automatically rectified even in the physical. As stated regarding "V'shaklaih l'saltai v'anchaih b'chavsa d'rakia" — when things are rectified in the spiritual . And similarly in many places: as in the Torah "Pasach Rabbi Shimon" — that through awakening people from sleep, etc., yir'ah is drawn, through which tremendous wealth is drawn; and in this Torah "V'es ha'orvim" — through the ratzon one merits "V'amdu zarim v'ra'u tzon'chem..." Only one must sweeten, as above.

For "Hakol bidai shamayim chutz miyir'as shamayim" — "Everything is in the hands of heaven except the fear of heaven" — and nevertheless Hashem helps each day, for "Ilmalai HaKadosh Baruch Hu ozro..." — "Were it not that HaKadosh Baruch Hu helps him..." . The essential help from above is the strengthening of the ratzon. When a person receives the illumination of the Ratzon properly, constantly directing and preparing his heart to bind his ratzon to Hashem's ratzon — the aspect of : "Batail r'tzoncha mipnai r'tzono" — "Nullify your will before His will" — never abandoning the good ratzon however things may be — through this certainly everything will be rectified. As he spoke about this at great length in many holy discourses and hints without limit.

Therefore one must inevitably wait until the ratzon accomplishes its effect. Every person should direct his ratzon to bind himself to the aspect of Moshe, and especially to give abundant tzedakah — every single person, even one whose sustenance is limited, as our Sages said — or to be zealous with the jealousy of Hashem Tz'vakos, which is also considered tzedakah. The essential thing is to direct that one's tzedakah reach the aspect of Moshe who is engaged in the pidyon — so that the illumination of the upper Ratzon be drawn in the world until gairim are made from it — and to direct one's ratzon so that the Ratzon reach him too. And certainly it will reach him greatly — since he is the one who brings the tzedakah and pidyon, for HaKadosh Baruch Hu does not withhold the reward of any creature. Then everything will automatically be rectified. Even the fact that one must wait a little is a great good — for afterward the salvation will be complete.

This is : "Im shamo'a tishma... kol hamachalah... lo asim alecha, ki Ani Hashem rof'echa" — "If you diligently hearken... all the sickness... I will not place upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer." For there are doctors who heal an illness temporarily — for an hour or a year — but then the sickness returns. But Hashem is a faithful Healer — through the illumination of the Ratzon, through which one draws close to Hashem. When one is healed this way, the sickness does not return — the aspect of "all the sickness... I will not place upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer."

This is : "Bitzdakah tikonaini, rachaki mai'oshek..." — "In tzedakah you shall be established; distance yourself from oppression..." Adjacent to this are verses about gairim: "Hain gur yagur... mi gar it'ach alayich yipol" — "Behold, converts will gather... whoever sojourns with you shall fall to your side." "Bitzdakah tikonaini" — this is the language of permanence and endurance forever, as in : "S'fas emes tikon la'ad" — "Lips of truth are established forever." "Rachaki mai'oshek" — distancing from the desire for money, the aspect of sh'mad. "Ki lo sir'i" — "For you shall not fear" — the fallen fears will be nullified, and one will merit holy fear through the ratzon drawn through tzedakah. "Hain gur yagur efes mai'osi" — the gairim who converted not for the sake of heaven but for greatness and honor — "efes mai'osi" — "not from Me" — they will not endure. "Mi gar it'ach" — but whoever converted during your poverty and disgrace and nevertheless did not abandon the ratzon — "alayich yipol" — "shall fall to your side" — they will endure forever.

Therefore "Bitzdakah tikonaini" is adjacent to "V'chol banayich limudai Hashem, v'rav shalom banayich" — "All your children shall be students of Hashem, and great shall be the peace of your children" — for all of this is merited through tzedakah. See Yeshayahu Chapter 54, where all these verses appear — "B'shetzef ketzef histarti fanai rega mimaich, u'v'chesed olam richamtich..." — "In a brief moment of anger I hid My face from you, and with eternal lovingkindness I have had mercy on you..." — leading to "Bitzdakah tikonaini..." and there too appears the verse "V'samti kadchod shimsho'sayich" — hinting at the wondrous tikkun drawn through the pidyon that sweetens all the twenty-four courts, as brought in the name of the writings of the Arizal. Understand well to connect the matter.

[Note in the original: "From §49 until here it is not well-organized, and some things are repeated, for it was not written in order — only chapter headings."]

This is the aspect of the dispute of Korach. For Korach denied the Ratzon — as our Sages said : Korach was a heretic. He and his assembly were originally great tzaddikim — for he was one of the bearers of the Aron [the Holy Ark], and his assembly were "k'ru'ai ha'aidah" — "those summoned to the assembly," etc. But they were in the aspect of the elders who lack completeness. And not only did they not suffice with this, but the evil inclination overpowered them and incited them to dispute Moshe — who was always included in the upper Ratzon. So it is in every generation: there are elders and prominent people who dispute the tzaddik who is greater than them, which is an astonishing novelty. All of this is from the above aspect — because they are in the aspect of the blemished elders who, although they are upright and righteous, because they did not add kedushah each day, the metzach of the nachash draws from the fall of their days, until the metzach of the nachash itself provokes them and causes them to fall further (for such is the way of the adversary — he is the inciter, etc.) — until he incites them to dispute the tzaddik who renews himself constantly and adds light and kedushah each day — the aspect of the elder of kedushah, the aspect of "zakain — zeh kanah chochmah" — "an elder — one who has acquired wisdom."

This is the aspect of the sin of the Meraglim [spies], etc. Therefore adjacent to it is Parshas Challah — the aspect of tzedakah. Challah is tzedakah upon tzedakah, for it is given last — after terumah and ma'aser — in order to strengthen the ratzon and nullify the doubts. Therefore challah is a word meaning tefillah [prayer] — for the essential tefillah is through ratzon, the aspect of : "Va'ani sefilasi l'cha Hashem ais ratzon" — "And my prayer is to You, Hashem, at a time of will"; and : "B'ais ratzon anisicha" — "In a time of will I answered you."

Therefore Korach erred and relied upon the twenty-four Levite watches that he saw from afar would descend from him. But he erred greatly, as our Sages said . For the twenty-four Levite watches correspond to the twenty-four courts (and all the aspects of twenty-four above) that require a great sweetening through the pidyon — drawn only through the aspect of Moshe, who is included in the upper Ratzon. Therefore all twenty-four Levite watches — all their sweetening and tikkun — is through the twenty-four priestly watches. For it is known that Levi is the aspect of dinim and Kohain is the aspect of chesed. Even all the twenty-four priestly watches must receive the essential sweetening from the aspect of Moshe — the aspect of the Ratzon. For only Moshe drew into the world the kedushah [holiness] of the kehunah [the priesthood] and the l'viyah [the Levite service]. "Y'karah hi mip'ninim" — "She is more precious than pearls" — mip'ninim = more than the Kohain Gadol who enters lifnai v'lifnim [into the Holy of Holies]. The true tzaddik, the aspect of Moshe, is more precious even than the Kohain Gadol — for all their kedushah and all their sweetenings derive from him.

Korach blemished all of this — disputing Moshe and relying on the twenty-four Levite watches themselves. Through this, the intensity of the dinim provoked him — for when the dinim grasped from the side of Levi are not sweetened, the Sitra Achra [the "Other Side" — the forces of impurity] draws from there, chas v'shalom, grasping from the chain of the twenty-four courts. This is "Vayikach Korach" — "Korach took" — "V'ispalag Korach" — "Korach separated" — he wanted to separate the twenty-four courts (the twenty-four Levite watches) from Moshe (the upper Ratzon) and from Aharon the Kohain. Therefore: "Vayikach Korach ben Yitzhar ben K'has ben Levi" — and "ben Yaakov" is not mentioned, for Yaakov pleaded regarding this . For Korach blemished very greatly, casting a blemish on the Ratzon until he blemished the kedushah of his own forebears, who were great tzaddikim and drew the illumination of the Ratzon from generation to generation. He blemished them all — wanting to overturn all their good and true da'as. The blemish reached as far as Levi. But the adversary wanted to provoke further — blemishing even the kedushah of Yaakov, who comprised all twelve tribes and all seventy souls, and all three tzaddikim included most in the Ratzon (Yosef, Moshe, Dovid — who all came from him). For the metzach of the nachash that grasped Korach wanted to cast a blemish even on the root of the Ratzon. But Yaakov pleaded for mercy — that his name not be mentioned in their dispute — so that they would have no power to blemish there, chas v'shalom.

Therefore he joined Shimon and Levi together and prayed : "B'sodam al tavo nafshi" — "Into their council let my soul not enter" — regarding the deed of Zimri, who was from the tribe of Shimon; "U'v'kahalam al taichad k'vodi" — "In their assembly let my honor not be united" — for Shimon too was provoked by the intensity of the dinim of the twenty-four courts. Therefore twenty-four thousand died through the deed of Zimri — twenty-four specifically, as above. Therefore he said : "Achalkaim b'Yaakov va'afitzaim b'Yisrael" — "I will divide them in Yaakov and scatter them in Yisrael" — that the b'nai Shimon would be impoverished, receiving tzedakah, and the b'nai Levi would receive all the forms of tzedakah — terumos and ma'asros, etc. In this he hinted at the tikkun for all the above — which is through tzedakah.

— End of Hilchos Bircas HaShachar, Halacha 5 —

Tefillah — Chapter Headings (continued) Based on LM I:215

This is the aspect of tefillah [prayer] — for the essential aspect of tefillah is the revelation of the Ratzon [Divine Will — the supreme desire/will of the Creator, the core concept of this entire Torah], the aspect of : "Va'ani sefilasi l'cha Hashem ais ratzon" — "My prayer is to You, Hashem, at a time of favor"; the aspect of : "B'ais ratzon anisicha" — "At a time of favor I answered you"; the aspect of : "Yih'yu l'ratzon imrai fi" — "May the words of my mouth find favor..."

This is the aspect of s'michas geulah l'sefillah — placing the blessing of Redemption adjacent to the Amidah — derived from this very verse: "Yih'yu l'ratzon imrai fi... Hashem Tzuri v'Go'ali" — "May the words of my mouth... Hashem, my Rock and my Redeemer" — immediately followed by : "Ya'ancha Hashem b'yom tzarah" — "May Hashem answer you on a day of trouble." As our Sages said: all of this is the aspect of the pidyon [redemption — the spiritual act of sweetening harsh judgments]. For the way of the true tzaddikim [righteous leaders] who know how to perform a pidyon is that they first do the pidyon through their holy kavanos [Kabbalistic meditations] — sweetening all the dinim [harsh Divine judgments] in all the twenty-four courts and drawing the illumination of the Ratzon — and afterward they pray their tefillah for whatever is needed: the ill person, and the like. This is the general order of the daily tefillah: first, through Kri'as Shma [the recitation of "Hear O Israel"] and its blessings, one ascends to the upper Ratzon and draws the illumination of the Ratzon — through which the pidyon is accomplished, the sweetening of the dinim. This is the essential purpose of the entire order of tefillah: the Korbanos [passages about the Temple offerings], Pesukei d'Zimrah [Verses of Song], Kri'as Shma and its blessings — all serve to sweeten the dinim and illuminate the Ratzon, until one reaches the blessing of Emes v'Yatziv [the blessing affirming "True and firm"], the aspect of Bircas haGeulah [the blessing of Redemption] — concluding "Ga'al Yisrael" — "He who redeemed Yisrael." This is the aspect of pidyon — redemption and geulah [redemption from exile].

Therefore it is explained in the kavanos that in the blessing of Emes v'Yatziv one ascends to the Haichal HaRatzon [the Palace of the Divine Will] — for there is where the essential geulah and pidyon take place. Then, immediately, one must place the geulah adjacent to the tefillah — for immediately after the pidyon, having sweetened all the dinim and ascended to the Haichal HaRatzon, one must pray at once. Through the tefillah, the Ratzon is revealed in wondrous completeness — for all of Hashem's Ratzon in creating His world and sustaining it is for the sake of the awesome kedushah [holiness] of Yisrael's tefillos. HaKadosh Baruch Hu created the entire world and all that fills it only for the sake of Yisrael — and the essence is that Yisrael should be tzaddikim who govern the world and direct it according to their will. The essential instrument is tefillah — through which they have the power to alter the entire heavenly array and change the entire order of nature. Although the natural order itself is also directed by His will, the Ratzon is not openly visible there. But when Yisrael pray and alter nature according to their will — then all see that there is no nature at all, only His will governing everything. He entrusted everything to Yisrael and their tzaddikim, to direct the world through their tefillah.

As we saw through Moshe Rabbainu, who split the sea and brought down the mahn — and the tzaddikim after him: Yehoshua who stopped the sun; Eliyahu and Elisha; Daniel, Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah; and all the tzaddikim who followed, performing awesome wonders and altering nature through their tefillah. This is the aspect of the condition HaKadosh Baruch Hu stipulated with the sea — that it split for Yisrael. The commentators struggled to explain these aggados rationally, but in truth the matter is straightforward: Hashem created the world to be governed by His will through this natural order — yet He charged the angels who manage nature that whenever Yisrael pray and seek to alter it, they must comply with their will — turning sea to dry land, stopping the sun, preventing fire from burning and lions from attacking, etc. Since these great miracles were already performed, the Sages mentioned them — and in truth, in every generation the true tzaddikim have the power through their tefillah to alter nature as they wish, for this is the condition HaKadosh Baruch Hu made.

This is the aspect of what is stated in the kavanos: at the beginning of the tefillah one enters the Haichal Kodshei Kodashim [the Palace of the Holy of Holies]. For the Ratzon is the aspect of kodesh [holiness] — as explained regarding the verse "Mikra Kodesh" — the aspect of calling forth and revealing the Ratzon. When it is revealed that everything is governed only by His will and there is no nature whatsoever — this is the aspect of kodesh, the essential kedushah of Hashem. But when Yisrael stand to pray and nullify nature — then it is revealed all the more that everything is His will alone. This is the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim — an addition of kedushah upon kedushah — for the essential revelation of His kedushah is when all see the power of Yisrael's tefillah. They are the crown of Hashem, as our Sages said — and as it is written : "V'Atah Kadosh yoshaiv t'hilos Yisrael" — "And You are holy, enthroned upon the praises of Yisrael" — the essential kedushah being the tefillos and praises of Yisrael.

Therefore the essential Kedushah [the responsive prayer of "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh"] is recited during the tefillah — specifically during the Chazaras HaShatz [the repetition of the Amidah by the prayer leader] in a minyan [quorum of ten] — and it is greater than the Kedushah of Yotzer [recited during the morning blessings before Shma], which even an individual may say (called Kedushah d'miyushav). For the Kedushah of Yotzer describes the order of the angels' sanctification — how they sanctify His Name in awe and fear, revealing that He governs His worlds by His will, as it is written: "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" — and the Targum: "Holy in the heights above... holy upon the earth..." — His kedushah is above and below. This is the aspect of the three times "Kadosh" — corresponding to the three regalim [the three pilgrimage festivals: Pesach, Shavuos, Sukkos], the Mikra'ai Kodesh [Holy Convocations that call forth the Ratzon].

But the Kedushah recited within the tefillah is far higher — said only in a minyan. For this Kedushah is the aspect of the revelation of His kedushah through Yisrael's tefillos — that they have the power to alter nature, doing His will as their will. This is the essential kedushah — the aspect of "V'Atah Kadosh yoshaiv t'hilos Yisrael." Therefore, in the Kedushah of Yotzer, one does not say the verse "Yimloch Hashem l'olam..." — "Hashem shall reign forever" — whereas in the Kedushah of the tefillah one does say: "Yimloch Hashem l'olam, Elokayich Tziyon, l'dor vador..." — for the essential revelation of His kingship forever, from generation to generation, comes through Yisrael's tefillah. This will be most fully revealed when He rests His Shechinah [Divine Presence] in Tziyon — for then all will see the greatness of Yisrael, who direct the world through their tefillah. As our Sages said : "In the future the tzaddikim will revive the dead," etc.

Therefore in the tefillah we mention the three Avos [the three Patriarchs: Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov] — for they are the aspect of the holy elders who bind all the retzonos to the root of the Ratzon. All the Avos are called "elders," as it is written : "V'Avraham zakain ba..." — "And Avraham was old..." — and likewise of Yitzchak and Yaakov, as explained in the Midrash and in Yoma 28. Therefore they are three Avos — three holy elders comprised of all the holy elders — corresponding to the three regalim that reveal the Ratzon in the aspect of Mikra Kodesh. For the regalim are the aspect of the three Avos, as is brought. See Hilchos Kri'as HaTorah, Halacha 3, on this Torah.

This is the aspect of the story of Balak and Bilaam. For Balak and Bilaam are the aspect of the wild beasts and the metzach hanachash [the "forehead of the serpent" — the root of naturalistic thinking that denies Divine Will] — who seek at every turn to overpower Yisrael, the holy nation, because Yisrael are strong in emunas haRatzon [faith in the Divine Will]. Their nourishment comes from the elders of the generation who lack completeness — for through those incomplete elders came all the corruption, all the blemishes that Yisrael inflicted on His Name through the ten trials in the wilderness.

Balak is the aspect of the wild beasts who rip and devour — they are the wise men of nature. Bilaam is the aspect of the root of the wisdom of nature — the metzach hanachash itself. For it is explained at the end of this Torah that the metzach hanachash is the aspect of "rasha yarai" — a wicked person who appears God-fearing — and Rabbainu said then, in Yiddish: "Azoy vi a frummer rasha" — [literally: "Like a pious villain"]. Anyone who observes the followers of the philosophers in our times sees that the great majority of them cast off the yoke of the Torah and the mitzvos, as is well known. Yet even among them there appear to be, outwardly, two types: many heretics walk openly in their ways — going about with licentious women, patronizing their theaters and circuses, desecrating Shabbos and Yom Tov — and yet all their words are supposedly in pursuit of truth, and the word "truth" never leaves their lips, claiming they seek only to guide Yisrael in the path of truth, as is known to anyone who glances at their books and their evil publications that they now spread among Yisrael — may the Guardian of His people Yisrael protect us and our children from them forever.

Were these the only ones, it might still be possible to break their teeth and expose their falsehood and their recklessness. But there are also found among them a few who are in the aspect of the metzach hanachash — the root of the wisdom of nature — who are more cunningly wicked. They present themselves as upright — as if they don't desire the abominations of their students — even though in truth everything comes from their evil teachings. They inject philosophical speculations and evil reasoning of natural wisdom — contrary to the true ways of the Torah — while presenting themselves as speaking with innocence and yir'ah [fear of God], as though for the sake of truth. All their words pierce like the thrust of a sword — for they reveal faces of the Torah contrary to the halachah, and twist the words of the living God into their fabricated, counterfeit speculations. Anyone somewhat familiar with them knows this. These deniers are in the aspect of the metzach spoken of above. And in truth they too have already defiled themselves with all the vile abominations — for most of them were bachelors until thirty and forty years of age and did what they did — only they are hypocrites who concealed their abominations.

This is the aspect of Balak and Bilaam. Balak, our Sages expound, came to "lick up the blood of Yisrael" — the aspect of wild beasts who rip and devour, who come to shed blood — the aspect of the inciters and misleaders who walk in the ways of their abominations in adultery and all evil desires, yet still speak their evil wisdom and urge others to follow their path. For all desires, especially the general desire, come from the muddying of the blood — therefore they are in the aspect of Balak who came to "lick up the blood of Yisrael," to corrupt their blood through their many abominations, dressing themselves in empty wisdom.

And Bilaam was even more profoundly impure — more cunning — concealing his wickedness. All his power was in his mouth — he knew sorceries and Names of impurity in abundance, and all the philosophies of the natural scientists of all the thinkers of our time are subsumed in him. With all of this he sought to conceal and obliterate all the ways of the Torah from beginning to end. Therefore he is called Bilaam — for he seeks to "swallow" (livlo'a) and conceal everything. As brought in Rabbainu's words: Bilaam is a kelipah [husk of impurity] standing against the entire Torah given through Moshe Rabbainu — for the bais is against the bais of "Beraishis" (the Torah's first word), the lamed against the Torah's final lamed, the ayin against the seventy faces of Torah, the mem against the forty days in which the Torah was given, as explained in the Torah "B'Krov Alai Merai'im" . This impure kelipah seeks to conceal and obscure wondrous and awesome revelations found in the Torah in its revealed and hidden dimensions — from the bais of Beraishis to the lamed of "l'ainai kol Yisrael" — that all who see them are astounded and stand trembling, for everyone sees and understands (anyone who has a brain in his skull) that it is impossible to reveal such holy and awesome Torah except from Heaven, through face-to-face prophecy of Moshe Rabbainu — and all the more so the vast secrets that the Tanna'im and the early tzaddikim began to reveal, which cause a man's hair to stand on end. One sees plainly that the spirit of Hashem spoke through them, for it is impossible to reveal such things through any human intellect, but only through Divine inspiration. Yet they seek to conceal and overturn, chas v'shalom, such lofty edifices — this shall not be in Yisrael!

[The text includes a bracketed passage noting that recently these same people have exposed their own depravity to all — publishing pamphlets denying the entire Zohar HaKadosh and all the ways of Kabbalah, claiming brazenly that the Zohar and its Tikkunim did not originate from Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his circle — whereas anyone with understanding sees that the Zohar's revelations can only have come through the holy spirit of the highest order resting upon so great and holy a tzaddik, who sat in a cave for thirteen years, etc. And likewise the writings of the Arizal, as stated in the introduction to the Eitz Chaim — that no human intellect could discover such revelations. Yet they seek to uproot and demolish such awesome edifices.]

Therefore, when Balak saw that Yisrael were prevailing in ways beyond nature — and he himself lacked the power to defeat them — he sent for Bilaam, who is the metzach hanachash, the root of the wisdom of nature, hoping that through his power he might defeat them, chas v'shalom. For it is written in the holy sefarim that Balak's work was through physical practice — through some impure body, etc. — whereas Bilaam's work was only through his mouth. For Balak is the aspect of wild beasts who overpower through bodily desires — and through this they introduce the ways of their heresy into the world, so that they can pursue their evil desires (as our Sages said: "Yisrael did not worship avodah zarah except to permit forbidden relations to themselves publicly"). Bilaam was far more profoundly impure — more cunning, concealing his wickedness. All his power was in his mouth — he knew sorceries and all the philosophies of every current thinker subsumed within him. With all of this he sought to conceal and obliterate all the ways of the Torah from beginning to end — the aspect of the metzach hanachash. Therefore it was truly a time of great distress for Yaakov, as it is written : "Ami z'chor na mah ya'atz Balak melech Mo'av, u'mah anah oso Bilaam ben B'or..." — "My people, remember now what Balak king of Moav devised, and what Bilaam son of Beor answered him..."

This is the aspect of : "Vayomer Moav el ziknai Midyan" — "And Moav said to the elders of Midyan." Rashi explains: were they not always enemies of one another? What prompted Moav to take counsel from Midyan? Once they saw Yisrael prevailing in ways contrary to the natural order, they said: "The leader of these people — his power is in his mouth." They responded: "Then we too shall come against them with a man whose power is in his mouth."

For this is a great principle: the entire world was created only for the sake of b'chirah [free choice]. Therefore b'chirah has exceedingly great power, as explained in many sefarim and in our writings numerous times. The essential power of b'chirah comes from the fact that Hashem concealed His Ratzon behind great concealments and obscurities — yet gave power and knowledge to man so that he would understand from his own mind that he must spend all his days seeking and searching for Hashem's Ratzon, nullifying all his own desires before the Divine Will.

For it is known and understood by all that this world is nothing — vanity of vanities, with no substance. As Koheles opened his book: "Hevel havalim..." — "Vanity of vanities..." And Dovid said : "Adam lahevel damah, yamav k'tzail ovayr" — "Man resembles a breath; his days are like a passing shadow" — and as our Sages explained : not even the shadow of a palm tree, but the shadow of a bird in flight. All the sages of truth cry out about this in countless formulations, and even the wise men of the nations agree — for we see with our own eyes that our days are fleeting and man dies each day: the hour and the day that he has lived will never return, and therefore the day of death begins from the day of birth. Nevertheless, one still needs to speak about this endlessly and review it with oneself and with one's companions — for "Gam es ha'olam nasan b'libam" — "He has also placed the world in their hearts" — which our Sages explained as a word of concealment and forgetting. In His deep wisdom, Hashem placed a forgetting in the human heart — for the sake of b'chirah — giving the adversary the power to conceal and obscure and cause forgetting. But the power of truth is certainly the greater: anyone who sincerely examines his eternal purpose cannot deny that this world is vanity of vanities, and nothing remains of it and its desires and its gold and silver — only what one labored and toiled for the eternal purpose: to fulfill Hashem's will.

Therefore all the true tzaddikim who walked in this path and examined their eternal purpose all their days attained the understanding that Hashem's will is to distance oneself from all evil desires — not only from the superfluous but even from what seems necessary — sanctifying and purifying oneself each time, until even the essential necessities are performed in kedushah and purity, for the sustaining of the world (which is His will), and not for one's own desires at all. Because they examined the truth honestly and carried it out — withdrawing and sanctifying themselves each day with ever-greater kedushah, ascending from level to level — Hashem had mercy upon them and revealed His will to them. The first was Avraham Avinu, who walked in this path with total integrity — the first to attain Hashem's will in the way of the Torah that was transmitted to us. As our Sages said : "We find that Avraham Avinu fulfilled the entire Torah." For although there were great tzaddikim before him — Noach, Mesushelach, Chanoch — they did not merit to reveal Hashem's Godliness and His will as Avraham did.

From him began our good inheritance in which we take pride daily, saying: "Ashrainu, mah tov chelkainu, u'mah na'im goralainu, u'mah yafah yerushasainu! Ashrainu she'anu mashkimim..." — "How fortunate we are! How good is our portion, how pleasant our lot, how beautiful our inheritance! How fortunate we are that we arise early..." In his holy path walked his children — Yitzchak and Yaakov and all the holy tribes — until Moshe Rabbainu came and gave us, upon this foundation, the holy Torah in writing and orally. From the day we merited kabbalas haTorah [the receiving of the Torah] — from Moshe to Yehoshua, from Yehoshua to the Elders, etc. — until this very day, we must walk in their footsteps: seeking and searching for His will, as it is written : "Dirshu Hashem v'uzo, bakshu fanav tamid" — "Seek Hashem and His might; seek His face always" — and: "Yismach laiv m'vakshay Hashem" — "The heart of those who seek Hashem rejoices."

Even now — although the Torah has already been given and we know His will clearly: to observe the Torah and mitzvos, to turn from evil and do good — we still do not know how we will merit this, for the evil inclination overpowers a person each day. Therefore even Dovid HaMelech pleaded many entreaties: : "Lamdaini la'asos r'tzonecha" — "Teach me to do Your will"; : "Ad anah ashis aitzos b'nafshi..." — "How long shall I take counsel in my soul..."; : "Achalai yikonu d'rachai lishmor chukecha" — "Would that my ways be directed to keep Your statutes." The entirety of Sefer Tehillim is founded upon this. But the essential foundation of the entire Torah is that we must walk and hold fast to the ways of our fathers — Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, Moshe Rabbainu, and all the tzaddikim who follow in their path. Even if we do not merit to be like them completely — to shatter all desires as they did — we still merit the eternal purpose through our closeness to them and to their holy ways. As our Sages extolled greatly the merit of those who cleave to the Torah scholars and the true tzaddikim. And over the course of many days, as we strive and yearn to walk in their ways completely, we can merit to fulfill His will properly. For the b'chirah is always free. These perfect tzaddikim merited, through the greatness of their kedushah, the power through their tefillah to nullify nature and reveal that everything is His will — and the power to bring about His will as their will, in the aspect of : "Asai r'tzono kir'tzonecha, k'dai she'ya'aseh r'tzoncha kir'tzono" — "Make His will like your will, so that He will make your will like His will." Through this they reveal and illuminate the Ratzon in wondrous revelation.

However: "Es zeh l'umas zeh asah Elokim" — "This opposite that, God has made" — and He gave power also to the Sitra Achra [the "Other Side" — the forces of impurity], able to twist itself like an ape before a man, so that even the sorcerers and magicians can perform feats through impure Names — as explicitly described in the Torah regarding Pharaoh's magicians who mimicked Moshe's wonders. But the truth of kedushah is always supreme — Moshe's hand always prevailed: "Vayivla matteh Aharon es matosam" — "Aharon's staff swallowed their staffs" — and several signs the magicians could not replicate, until they were compelled to confess: "Etzba Elokim hi" — "It is the finger of God." Though Pharaoh still hardened his heart, in the end he was forced to admit that Hashem is the righteous one, and to send them out himself — then he regretted and pursued them to the sea, where Hashem showed His great hand and split the sea.

From all these awesome events and from all that is explained in the holy sefarim, we see the greatness of the power of b'chirah that Hashem gave man in this world of action. The essential b'chirah is through the concealment of His Ratzon — He does not reveal His secret except to His servants the prophets, who pursue and labor to attain His will. These prophets and true tzaddikim reveal His will through their holy tefillah, performing wonders and awesome signs — and the greatest of all was Moshe Rabbainu, master of all the prophets, who performed signs and wonders unprecedented in all the earth. Everything he accomplished was through tefillah — as it is written : "Vayitz'ak el Hashem" — "He cried out to Hashem." And likewise of Elisha, our Sages said : "Everything Elisha did, he did through tefillah."

But if so, b'chirah would be nullified and the entire world would cease to exist, since it was created solely for b'chirah. Therefore, throughout the world's existence there must be b'chirah. Hence, through His wondrous ways, Hashem gave power also to the Sitra Achra to perform certain minor wonders temporarily, through sorcery and impure Names. The greatest of these was Bilaam HaRasha, who had power in his mouth corresponding to Moshe in kedushah — and from there flow all the heresies, rachmana litzlan. The root of the error of all the idol-worshippers of the early generations was drawn from this — for they were not complete fools (as the masses suppose, and certainly not their leaders — Balak, Bilaam, the magicians of Egypt, the wise men of the East). Their error was that they claimed one could draw the Ratzon however one wished — that each person could direct and perform feats through his mouth as he pleased. Therefore they did not wish to acknowledge that Hashem chooses Yisrael — and wants Yisrael — and desires those who fear Him — for they said: "We too can do wonders through our mouths, like Moshe" — and therefore claimed there is no Ratzon at all, chas v'shalom. But in truth all their works are emptiness — for all the nations are as nothing before Him, and there is no comparison between the wonders of Moshe and the tzaddikim and the deeds of Bilaam and the magicians. As brought in Rabbainu's words : for every act of the tzaddikim there is a corresponding act of the wicked — Pinchas flew through the air, and Bilaam flew through the air — but in the end Pinchas defeated Bilaam, cast him down upon the sword, and slew him.

Now, in the early days — in the generations of Moshe Rabbainu and the prophets who followed — the revelation of Hashem's Godliness was very great through prophecy, ruach hakodesh [the holy spirit], and their awesome wonders. Therefore "this opposite that" — those attached to the desires of this world also had the power to perform some minor wonders through sorcery and impure Names — so that b'chirah would exist. But after the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdash [the Holy Temple], prophecy had already ceased from Yisrael — "ososainu lo ra'inu, v'ain od navi" — "our signs we have not seen, and there is no prophet" — therefore Hashem gave the Men of the Great Assembly the power to kill and nullify the evil inclination of avodah zarah [idol worship], as our Sages said . Then the great majority of the knowledge of sorcery, demons, and impure Names was nullified. Likewise, from Yisrael's side the knowledge of the holy Names and the ability to perform open miracles that override nature greatly diminished — except for the elite, the great leaders of each generation, to whom the secrets of Kabbalah were transmitted face to face and partially written in hidden scrolls. But then began to sprout the affliction of Greek and Roman wisdom — the wisdom of nature — which destroyed the Beis HaMikdash through this. All this natural wisdom they inherited and received from the wise men of the East, as explained in many sefarim — for Bilaam and the wise men of the East knew everything, being expert in the impure Names and all the secrets of the wisdom of nature. Now that the knowledge of sorcery and demons is largely forgotten and the natural philosophers have grown dominant, they seek to deny demons and sorcery entirely — and through this they brazenly deny all the secrets of Kabbalah and all the holy Names, etc. — things with which the entire Torah, Gemara, Mechiltos, and Midrashim are filled.

All of this is due to the greatness of b'chirah. The essential power of b'chirah in all its depth can be seen in this very parshah of Bilaam — in his pursuit of cursing Yisrael, chas v'shalom, and how Hashem conducted matters with him. For his evil desire to go was very strong. He said to the messengers, "Stay here tonight" — for although he revealed that everything is in Hashem's hands, he pursued his own path, seeking to draw the Ratzon according to his own will. But Hashem had compassion on Yisrael and told him explicitly: "Do not go with them." And even so he did not turn back from his wickedness entirely, saying, "Hashem has refused to let me go with you" — hinting (as Rashi explains) that they should send greater and more distinguished officers, for he thought that perhaps with an intense enough will he could force the upper Ratzon to bend to his will, chas v'shalom, and curse Yisrael. When the second delegation came and Hashem saw the intensity of his impure will to go, He said: "Rise, go with the men, but only the word that I shall speak..." And nevertheless Bilaam went — thinking, "Perhaps I can entice Him and He will consent." Then his donkey halted three times, pressed by the angel who came out to block him — and he paid no attention. Even after Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey and it spoke to him and rebuked him — and afterward revealed the angel standing before him with drawn sword, saying explicitly that the path was adverse to him — even then he would not nullify his will, saying: "V'im ra b'ainecha ashuvah" — "If it displeases You, I will return" — defiantly, as our Sages said. And Hashem answered him according to his will: "Go with them." All this because of b'chirah — as our Sages said regarding this parshah: "B'derech she'adam rotzeh lailaich, molichin oso" — "In the way a person wishes to go, he is led." Anyone who gives thought to this parshah can understand well the immensity of b'chirah. Every person must understand from this, even now — for His dominion endures in every generation — that even now Hashem governs His world in this deep wisdom, both collectively and individually.

This is the entire matter of the wild beasts and the metzach hanachash — the wise men of nature and the root of the wisdom of nature — who overpower at every turn now. All who follow their path are led astray: their hearts become thick and calloused, until they convince themselves by their own methods that their evil view is correct — twisting known falsehoods into truth and claiming that theirs is the truth and their intention is only for the truth. They claim this is the way of the holy Torah — to interpret it through their evil methods — when all can see plainly that they cast off the yoke entirely, and their only aim is to annul and obliterate the Torah, chas v'shalom. Anyone drawn after them is very difficult to bring back — for "Kol ba'ehah lo y'shuvun" — "All who enter there do not return." All of this is because of the greatness of b'chirah.

The essential thing is that everything depends on the person's ratzon — for "Ha'aretz nasan livnai adam" — "The earth He has given to the children of man" — meaning Hashem entrusted the b'chirah to man. Just as one has the power to pursue evil desires, chas v'shalom, or conversely to shatter and flee from them, turning from evil and doing good — so too one has the power to strengthen his will until, as it were, one compels the Divine Will to fulfill his desires and evil will. Astonishing wonders of the Perfect in knowledge are seen here by anyone who pays attention — as our Master and Teacher z"l said : "Thought has great power," and he said there are many hidden aspects to this, and even what he heard and understood he could not fully explain, all the more so what he only hinted at briefly. And so we see tangibly: for example, when one wants to travel for something holy — to Eretz Yisrael or to a true tzaddik to learn the path of Hashem — there are many enormous obstacles, each person according to his situation. The more he strengthens himself to break them, the more they strengthen and expand against him. The greater the thing desired, the more the obstacles spread — until it seems impossible to overcome them. Especially for a great undertaking like traveling to Eretz Yisrael — one sees he has no money for the expenses, there are dangers of the road, especially in times of war, chas v'shalom — and many hold back because of this. But one who truly sets his heart on his purpose and strengthens himself with a strong, firm will and never abandons the ratzon — yearning each time with powerful desires to reach there, expressing his yearnings aloud — through this Hashem works wonders for him and orchestrates matters in astonishing ways, until he merits arriving there through wondrous Providence, entirely beyond the natural order. Even if no open miracle happens to him as it did for Elisha, Eliyahu, and Rabbi Pinchas ben Ya'ir who split the waters with their garments — nevertheless, one who pays attention to the wondrous orchestrations of Providence that Hashem arranged for him sees miracles and wonders almost greater than the splitting of the sea — for that was only momentary, whereas these providential arrangements occur nearly every day and every week.

And likewise regarding a person's parnasah [livelihood] — the believer sees the wonders of Hashem at every moment: how his sustenance comes through wondrous Providence alone. Even if he engages in some occupation or trade, he sees that often he does not succeed at all — yet when Hashem wills it, He orchestrates his sustenance in a wondrous way, sending him profit through a miracle clothed in nature — suddenly profit arrives that never crossed his mind. It is impossible to elaborate on all this at length — for sheets of parchment would not suffice — but the believer who desires truth understands all this well.

However: "this opposite that" — one who goes to pursue a sin, chas v'shalom, or who wishes to destroy his own world by going far away to learn what our Sages forbade (the external wisdoms), walking in the stubbornness of his evil heart — even among these there are many who lack the means for such distant travel, and there are enormous obstacles that seem impossible to overcome naturally. Yet they strengthen themselves with a fierce will, and Hashem orchestrates matters for them until they arrive at what they sought — uprooting them from both worlds — for "in the way a person wishes to go, he is led." The ratzon has enormous power. The difference between these two is one that anyone can understand: the upright person's entire intention and will is for the eternal purpose — accustoming himself from his youth to examine his final end, as it is written: "U'z'chor es Bor'echa bimai b'churosecha" — "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth" — and: "HaChacham ainav b'rosho" — "The wise man's eyes are in his head" — seeing from the beginning of his world what will be at its end. Whereas the opposite person directs all his ambitions and will toward the desires of this world and the stubbornness of his evil heart. And "in the way a person wishes to go, he is led" — as our Sages said : "Haba l'itahair m'say'in lo; haba l'itamay pos'chin lo" — "One who comes to purify himself is assisted; one who comes to defile himself — they open the way for him." Hashem arranges for each person the circumstances, reasons, and rationalizations in his own mind so that he can do as he wills — giving the one who disputes and denies the power to devise empty rationalizations and philosophies to mislead himself and others from the truth, claiming the truth is with him. But the truth testifies for itself — and one who desires truth sees where the truth truly lies.

Tefillah — Chapter Headings (continued) Based on LM I:215

This is the aspect of : "What is the difference between the students of Avraham Avinu and the students of Bilaam HaRasha?" etc. Everyone finds this teaching puzzling, as the commentators explain. But according to what was discussed above, their holy words are somewhat understood. First, the Mishnah clarified the difference between the students of Avraham Avinu — whose traits are a good eye, a humble spirit, and a modest soul, meaning they are not attached to jealousy, desire, and honor (which are comprised within these words: a "good eye" is the opposite of jealousy; a "modest soul" is the opposite of desire — the opposite of Bilaam's "expansive soul," as our Sages said that his soul was expansive with desire for wealth, "a house full of silver and gold," etc.; and a "humble spirit" is the opposite of the pursuit of honor, which is arrogance and a haughty spirit). All these good traits, comprised of all goodness, are found in the students of Avraham Avinu. Conversely, the students of Bilaam HaRasha possess an evil eye, an expansive soul, etc. — pursuing jealousy, desire, and honor.

The Tanna then asked: "What is the difference between them?" — meaning: how can one know which path is true and which is the straight path a person should choose? For we see that just as Hashem fulfills the desires of the good ones (the students of Avraham), so too He fulfills the desires of the wicked (the students of Bilaam who pervert the ways of uprightness) — as it is written : "For You behold trouble and spite, to repay it with Your hand" — as Rashi explains there. If so, one "falls into a pit" — not knowing which way to go! To this the Tanna concluded: certainly it is hard to clarify the truth, for those who contend refuse to accept the truth, and whatever clear truth is told to them, they twist everything to match their counterfeit "truth." But the distinction is in the end — for the students of Avraham Avinu inherit in this world and inherit the World to Come, whereas the students of Bilaam HaRasha descend to the pit of destruction. For even in this world, everyone sees that only one who has emunah [faith] — his life is truly life. But one who lacks emunah, who is in the aspect of Bilaam's students — his life is no life at all, even in this world, as is written in the Sefer HaSippurai Ma'asiyos [Rabbainu's Book of Stories]. And we heard from their own mouths explicitly — they themselves admit that the essential true life is holy emunah. All the more so in the World to Come, where certainly all will see the difference between them — as it is written : "You will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him."

This is also the meaning of what our Sages said : "'Light' — these are the deeds of the tzaddikim; 'Darkness' — these are the deeds of the wicked. Yet I still do not know in which of them He desires. Therefore it says: 'And God saw the light, that it was good.'" The wicked turn darkness into light and light into darkness, falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood — until one cannot know in which Hashem desires. Therefore it says "God saw the light, that it was good" — and our Sages said He saw the world was unfit to use it, so He hid it for the tzaddikim in the future. One who wishes to know the path — in which deeds Hashem desires — should draw close to the tzaddikay emes [tzaddikim of truth], for with them the good light is hidden. One should walk in their paths, examining his eternal purpose from youth to old age, and then he will know the truth.

See also Sanhedrin 65b: Rabbi Akiva, when he reached the verse about one who starves himself to receive an impure spirit, would weep: "If one who starves himself for an impure spirit to rest upon him — it does rest upon him, then one who starves himself for a pure spirit, how much more so! But our sins have caused it..." Rava said: "If the tzaddikim wished, they could create a world." Rabbi Chanina and Rabbi Hoshaya used to create a calf, etc. All of this relates to the immensity of b'chirah [free choice]. And see Perek HaNechnekin: Rabbi Yosi HaGelili says: "The Torah reached the depths of the minds of idolaters — therefore the Torah gave authority: even if he makes the sun stand still in the middle of the sky, do not listen to him!" — showing how far b'chirah extends.

[Note: §80 is embedded within §79 in the source text:]

This is the meaning of : "Ki hikisani zeh shalosh r'galim" — "For you have struck me these three regalim [times/pilgrimage festivals]." Our Sages expounded : "You seek to uproot a nation that celebrates three regalim each year!" It specifically invoked the merit of the three regalim — for they are the Mo'adai Hashem, the Mikra'ai Kodesh [Holy Convocations], which call forth and reveal the Ratzon [Divine Will]. He sought to nullify this and deny the Ratzon, chas v'shalom — for he was the aspect of the metzach hanachash [forehead of the serpent — root of naturalistic denial of Divine Will].

This is the aspect of the opening of the donkey's mouth — Hashem opened the mouth of the donkey, and she herself rebuked him — a miracle without precedent. Through this, Hashem showed him the source of his impure power. For he had drawn such filth upon himself through the desire of adultery in so abominable a form (with an animal) that through this he gained power from the Sitra Achra [forces of impurity] in his impure mouth. This is how Hashem governs His world: one who wishes to accomplish things in kedushah [holiness] must be exceedingly holy and separated, like Moshe Rabbainu — and if he had lapsed even slightly in his kedushah, he could not have acted properly. Conversely, in the realm of impurity, Bilaam's power came specifically because he defiled himself so greatly — as brought in the Zohar HaKadosh regarding his feats through extreme impurities involving emission near the mountains of darkness, rachmana litzlan.

Therefore Hashem showed him what he had wrought: he had drawn the power of speech into the realm of impurity through his act with the donkey, until the speech was drawn to the donkey itself and she opened her mouth and rebuked him — revealing before all the officers the source of his power. For she said: "HaHaskain hiskanti" — "Have I been accustomed..." — hinting at the act of intimacy, as our Sages said . Through this Hashem showed him that his impure power was not his own — everything is by Hashem's Ratzon, who established a law that man has the power through b'chirah to draw upper forces. But even so, everything is in Hashem's hand like clay in the potter's hand — for there is none beside Him. As our Sages said regarding sorcery: He gives them power temporarily for b'chirah's sake, but afterward His hand prevails. "One who desecrates the Name in secret — retribution is exacted publicly" — and "minai u'vai, abba naizil bai narga" — "from it and within it, let the axe come from it." The very donkey with whom he had defiled himself, from which his impure power derived — Hashem drew speech to her, opened her mouth, and she rebuked him and announced to all what he had done. Since from there he drew his evil power of speech, Hashem showed him that from this very thing the speech was drawn to shame him — in the aspect of : "Evil slays the wicked" — and : "Your wickedness shall chastise you, and your backslidings shall reprove you."

And nevertheless he persisted in his wickedness and did not turn back — until he advised Balak to cause them to stumble through fornication, saying: "The God of this people despises licentiousness" . This is very puzzling: if Hashem despises licentiousness, and through it some of Yisrael will fall — then surely Balak and his daughters and Bilaam himself will fall even more catastrophically, since they caused it all and defiled themselves!

And what is the language "the God of these people" — was he a fool, claiming Yisrael has one God and they have another? Rather, everything follows from the above: he erred in thinking that however a person wishes to draw Hashem's Ratzon, he can. Therefore he said: Yisrael, who draw close to Hashem's Ratzon through Moshe Rabbainu's path of kedushah — when they sin through fornication they will certainly fall. But he and his company, who drew their forces specifically through this impurity — as they had seen many times that they performed feats through this very filth — said the licentiousness would not harm them but only Yisrael. This is what he meant: "The God of these" — specifically these, meaning Yisrael who drew His Godliness through Moshe's kedushah — He despises licentiousness from them. But this hatred is only toward "these" — not toward those impure like himself.

But "a boor does not know, and a fool does not understand" — "when the wicked bloom like grass" — it is only "to be destroyed forever." Hashem giving them power is only temporary, for b'chirah's sake. In the end, Hashem prevails — as we saw: Balak, the daughters of Midyan, and Bilaam himself all fell irreversibly, slain by the sword through Pinchas and Yisrael — for "You are exalted forever, Hashem."

This is : "And Moav said to the elders of Midyan... and Balak ben Tzippor was king of Moav." Balak, king of Moav, is the aspect of the wild beasts who rip and devour. He is specifically "king of Moav" because the essential power of these forces is through the desire of adultery — the aspect of Moav, drawn from the metzach ishah zonah [forehead of the harlot], the story of Lot's daughters. They sought to trip Yisrael through the daughters of Moav — for the essential error of the philosophers is that they are profoundly attached to this desire, as brought in the Torah "Abba Sha'ul" .

They took counsel from the elders of Midyan — the aspect of the elders of the generation who lack completeness — through whom din [strict judgment] and anger intensify, the opposite of the Ratzon. They are called "elders of Midyan" — Midyan being a term of din and anger. For the holy elders — the aspect of "zakain — zeh kanah chochmah" [an elder — one who has acquired wisdom] — renew themselves each day in the aspect of "tischadaish kannesher" — "renewed like the eagle." They strive to add kedushah and da'as [holy knowledge] each day, beginning their avodas Hashem [Divine service] anew — the essential completeness of avodas Yisrael, in the aspect of "each day they should be in your eyes as new." Through this they draw new retzonos [holy desires] and fresh chassadim [kindnesses] each day, in the aspect of : "Chasdai Hashem ki lo samnu... chadashim lab'karim, rabbah emunasecha" — "The kindnesses of Hashem never cease... new each morning; great is Your faithfulness."

For the essential power of the yetzer hara [evil inclination] is from dinim [harsh judgments] and anger — each day a person's inclination overpowers him. One who does not fight back adequately begins to think hope is lost — that he has grown old in his ways and habits. For the yetzer hara is called "an old and foolish king." Therefore Rabbainu z"l warned very strongly and cried out in a great voice: never to become old! — as explained in the Sefer Sippurai Ma'asiyos. It belongs to this Torah in which we are engaged. But those close to the true tzaddik — the holy elder — never fall into "old age." However things go each day, they believe each new day is entirely new — for Hashem in His goodness renews Creation each day constantly. Certainly "lais yom d'lais bai tov" — "there is no day without good" — only it has a wall on the outside, as explained in the Zohar HaKadosh. They believe in His great Chesed [lovingkindness] that never ceases — drawing fresh new chassadim each day, in the aspect of "Chadashim lab'karim." Through this, with Heavenly assistance, they add light, kedushah, and da'as each day — illuminating the Ratzon more and more.

But the opposite — the incomplete elders — are the aspect of ziknai Midyan, intense din and anger. From them Balak and Moav — the wild beasts, the wise men of nature — took counsel. Our Sages said: "Were they not always enemies?" — for these incomplete elders, though they lack completeness, are still upright people. They do not desire the external wisdoms and they argue against them — they are always enemies. Yet they make peace with each other to conspire against the upright Jews who cleave to the holy elder of kedushah.

This is : "Atah y'lachchu hakahal es kol s'vivosainu, kilchoch hashor es yerek hasadeh" — "Now this congregation will lick up all around us, as the ox licks up the grass of the field." They feared that the holy congregation of upright Yisrael — who illuminate the Ratzon anew each day — will "lick up" and uproot all their evil "surroundings," in the aspect of : "The wicked walk round about."

"Kilchoch hashor" — "as the ox licks" — the ox is the aspect of a powerful kelipah [husk of impurity], a worm seeking to overpower each day, as brought in the kavanos [Kabbalistic meditations] of Parshas HaTamid [the daily offering]. The ox is the aspect of the cheit ha'Aigel [the sin of the Golden Calf] — the blemish of the Ratzon, in the aspect of : "They exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox that eats grass." This damaging ox — the wild beasts, the wise men of nature — their essential attack is upon the youth and children of Yisrael, to educate them from their youth in their ways, chas v'shalom. They have already ripped and uprooted so very many who departed from the faith entirely — anyone who emerged from their evil institutions, as is publicly known.