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We do not take responsibility for any errors; Hilchos Birchas HaRaiach v'HaHodaah — Halachah 4 Part 1 (§§ 1–7 / Oaseyos ט–ז) COMPLETE · Based on LM II:8 ( Tik'u Tochachah )

This halachah explains the aspects of Purim and the Four Parshiyos, Pesach and Sefiras Ha'Omer — based on the Torah LM II:8 . See there the entire Torah well, from beginning to end, for the matters are lengthy and exceedingly deep.

§ 1 — Hishtatchis at Tzadik Graves: The Bitul into Ain Sof

This is the aspect of hishtatchis [prostration] at the graves of true tzadikim . The burial place of the true tzadik is the aspect of Eretz Yisrael , in the aspect of "the righteous shall inherit the land." For the true tzadik is the aspect of Moshe, as Rabbainu zichrono livrachah writes in many places. Of Moshe it says: "no man knows his burial place" — even he himself did not know. This is the aspect of the ultimate bitul into the Ain Sof that Moshe merited. Likewise every true tzadik merits, according to his level, bitul into the Ain Sof at the time of his passing.

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When one comes to his grave and prostrates upon it, one is included within him, and thereby included together with the tzadik 's nefesh in the light of the Ain Sof — the aspect of Olam HaBa , the aspect of kulo tov [entirely good]. Through this, all evil is nullified and all sins atoned, as above. Therefore through this one can merit great attainments — one who merits the attachment of spirit to spirit, as brought in Sha'ar HaYichudim . Through the reshima remaining from the bitul (the hishtatchis ), one merits Torah attainment, for the reshima illuminates the da'as , as in the above discourse. Even one who is not on that level and does not know how to attach spirit to spirit — nonetheless, all this is accomplished automatically by coming to the graves of true tzadikim and being included in them sincerely and wholeheartedly, through the many prayers, supplications, and requests one pours out at their graves. Each person, according to what he knows of his heart's ailments in truth, asks, yearns, and longs to return to Hashem and be as Hashem and the true tzadikim desire. Through this he is included in them, and thereby included in the Ain Sof as above — through which all evil is nullified and one merits all good. Amain.

This follows the Torah "Tik'u Tochachah" ( LM II:8 ). It is explained there that the essential war against Amalek is through tefillah in the aspect of din [judgment] of the ba'al koach [mighty one]. Through this, the klipah of Amalek is subdued. This tefillah of the ba'al koach in the aspect of din : when the Sitra Achra wishes to swallow it, it stands in the Sitra Achra 's gullet — the aspect of "the riches he swallowed he shall vomit up." It forces the Sitra Achra to vomit and disgorge all the sanctities, the da'as , the prayers, and the compassion it had swallowed from holiness. Everything must be vomited out through this tefillah . Not only does the Sitra Achra disgorge all it swallowed from holiness — it is even compelled to disgorge its own essential vitality: "from its belly G-d will expel it." This is the aspect of converts who convert — they were originally from the Sitra Achra 's own essence and now return to holiness. Through this, the kavod of Hashem is increased. Through this, prophecy is drawn forth. This is the aspect of healing. Through this, the midameh [imaginative faculty] is sorted. One merits complete emunah . See there well, for these are Rabbainu's words, all of whose words are like fiery coals — descending to the deepest depths to raise souls from the pit of destruction, and ascending above the highest heavens. Who can arrange their praise? Who can recount the awesomeness of their greatness? There is nothing comparable.

Books of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov available in English: § 2 — Ain Yi'ush : Every Descent Can Become the Ultimate Ascent

Character — The Aleph Bet Book of Traits — Sefer Hamidos

Based on these things, the wise person will understand somewhat that there is no despair in the world at all , as Rabbainu zichrono livrachah wrote many times. From all falls and descents one can ascend, and the descent will be the purpose of the ascent. All through the power of the true tzadik who can pray a tefillah in the aspect of din — who is a great ba'al koach . This tefillah stands in the Sitra Achra 's gullet, forcing it to disgorge all the sanctities it swallowed, as above.

The Stories of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov and Saba Yisroel Even though this matter — none can gird his loins to stand in this battle except the true tzadik , exceedingly great in stature, a great ba'al koach who is confident in his strength that the Sitra Achra cannot swallow him, but rather through his tefillah he will extract all sanctities from the Sitra Achra — nonetheless, through the power of the true tzadik , this aspect is found in other people as well. This is what we see: many people who are great resha'im for many years, committing great and severe transgressions Rachmana litzlan , and afterward are aroused in teshuvah and become complete ba'alai teshuvah . Many such stories are brought in the Gemara, Midrashim, and other sefarim — like the story of Reb Eliezer ben Durdaya, and Nasan Tzotzisa, and many similar stories in every generation. At first glance this is very puzzling: doesn't one transgression drag another? The more one sins, the more one falls into the Sitra Achra 's grip! How does he ultimately prevail against the Sitra Achra and do teshuvah ? But it follows from the above. In truth, every Jew has a precious neshamah with great power to stand against the yetzer hara and its forces. If a person had no power to withstand the yetzer hara , the Holy One would not have given him such a yetzer hara — for Hashem does not act tyrannically with His creations. As Rabbainu zichrono livrachah said: no one has obstacles he cannot withstand. As it says: "its desire is toward you, and you can rule over it" — if you wish, you can overcome it (see Rashi). Therefore one must know and believe that certainly every single Jew, even the lowest of the low, is a great ba'al koach to stand against his yetzer hara . The essential cause of all sins and desires one is trapped in, chas v'shalom , is only because of foolishness — not knowing one's own strength. As Rabbainu zichrono livrachah expressed in the beautiful verses printed at the beginning of Likutay Moharan : "Be strong and let us strengthen ourselves — do not be like the great elephant and like the camel..." "All this is because of foolishness — not knowing one's own strength." As Rabbainu writes in the above Torah : the essential desire for immorality (which encompasses all sins, Rachmana litzlan ) comes only from mochin d'katnus [constricted consciousness]. See there. The ba'al davar overpowers until one falls to mochin d'katnus — one's mind shrinks, one's da'as weakens until one doesn't know one's own strength, and it seems impossible to withstand this desire. The essential gevurah [strength] is in the heart, as Rabbainu writes elsewhere. Whoever has a strong heart can overcome all desires in the world, even the desire for immorality — as we have seen many tzadikim and k'shairim who withstood temptation. The essential fall of all who fall into evil desires is only from mochin d'katnus — the mind shrinks until one doesn't know one's strength. The essential strength is through Chochmah in the brain: Chochmah = letters Ko'ach Mah , and Mah = gematria adam — the essential human strength is Chochmah : "wisdom strengthens the wise man more than ten rulers" (Koheles 7). The essential strength to be bold as a leopard against all desires is through true Chochmah — mochin d'gadlus . The mochin are the aspect of machatzos p'rusos [broken halves] against the desire for immorality, as explained in the above Torah . The principle: a person must believe greatly in his own strength and know with complete faith that certainly his intellect and mind have the power to withstand the desire for immorality — the root of the evil inclination. For the brain and intellect are the neshamah : "the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding." The neshamah of every Jew, even the lowest of the low, can certainly stand against the entire world with its desires. § 3 — False Humility Forbidden: One Must Know One's Neshamah 's Greatness It is not the way of humility to diminish one's power and say "I don't have as great a neshamah as the tzadikim and k'shairim " — as if it is not within his ability to be a kasher person or a tzadik . Such humility is forbidden — it is anavah p'sulah [disqualified humility] and is not humility at all but mochin d'katnus , from which one must distance greatly, as Rabbainu writes elsewhere. Rather, one must say in his mind that he has an exceedingly lofty neshamah — for the neshamah of the lowest of the low among Israel is exceedingly, exceedingly lofty. One must say: "It is not fitting for me to pursue desires, chas v'shalom , and all the more certainly not to transgress any avairah , chas v'shalom ." As it says: "his heart was elevated in the ways of Hashem" — one must elevate one's heart in Hashem's ways. Every Jew is exceedingly distant in his root from any avairah , as Rabbainu writes in the discourse "Ki Merachamam Yenahaigaim" . Every Jew is a great ba'al koach to stand against the entire world with its desires — the essential thing is to merit knowing one's own strength. Thus in truth every Jew is a great ba'al koach , but not everyone merits knowing his own strength. According to each person's fall into mochin d'katnus — the degree to which he doesn't know his strength — correspondingly he falls into desires, especially the desire for immorality, root of the yetzer hara . The more one sins, chas v'shalom , the more the Sitra Achra draws sustenance and swallows him further, Rachmana litzlan . Sometimes the Sitra Achra swallows a person so deeply that it reaches the very inner core of his holy Jewishness and strengthens itself to swallow even that point — bringing him to a great avairah , chas v'shalom , to swallow him entirely. But immediately when it tries to swallow the essential inner core of his holiness — that point stands in the Sitra Achra 's gullet. For this point of inner holiness is a great ba'al koach as above, and the Sitra Achra cannot swallow it in any way. Not only can it not swallow it — this good point stands in its gullet until it is compelled to vomit and disgorge all the sanctities it swallowed from this neshamah . From this comes the phenomenon where a person is suddenly aroused in teshuvah after many sins. I also heard from Rabbainu zichrono livrachah that sometimes a sin brings a person to teshuvah — through being ensnared in some great avairah , Rachmana litzlan , his heart is embittered and he awakens in teshuvah until he becomes a complete ba'al teshuvah . All through the above: the Sitra Achra brings him to such a great avairah that it tries to swallow him entirely, and then the inner core-point overpowers — the great ba'al koach . It stands in the Sitra Achra 's gullet, and not only does it fail to swallow this holy point — it is compelled to disgorge all the sanctities it swallowed, as above. § 4 — But One May Not Rely on This: Emunah and Drawing Close to Truth But certainly no one may rely on this, chas v'shalom — "one who says 'I will sin and repent' is not given the opportunity to repent." For who knows if he will have the strength to stand there? Sometimes the Sitra Achra 's dominance is so great that it swallows a person entirely, chas v'shalom — as we find many who committed great sins and never repented. There are endless aspects to this, hidden in the secrets of free will that Hashem gave to every person — no one can fathom them. But after what has already passed, chas v'shalom , one must know and believe that there is no despair in the world at all. Even if one has already tried to strengthen himself a thousand times to be a kasher person and failed, falling into terrible things — even to actual severe transgressions, chas v'shalom — one still has hope as long as his soul is within him. The essential thing is emunah : to have complete faith in Hashem Yisbarach , and strive with all one's might to draw close to a true tzadik , and pour out one's words before Hashem to reveal to him the true tzadik , so that through him one will merit complete emunah . Then certainly one has hope forever, come what may. For the essential strength to stand against the yetzer hara is through emunah , which is the sum total and root of the entire Torah: "Chavakuk came and established them on one: 'the righteous lives by his faith.'" The essential emunah is to believe in chidush ha'olam — that Hashem created everything yaish mai'ayin [something from absolute nothing]. This cannot be grasped by any intellect but only through emunah . Through this there will be chidush ha'olam [renewal of the world] in the future. The renewal will be in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael , for the essential holiness of Eretz Yisrael is through "the power of His works He told His people" — as Rashi explains on the verse "Beraishis." Through knowing that Hashem created the world, in the future He will renew the entire world in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael : then the whole world will know that He created everything, and the whole world will be conducted through hashgachah and wonders like Eretz Yisrael , whose conduct is through hashgachah and wonders: "the eyes of Hashem your G-d are always upon it." Then a new song will be awakened — a song of wonders — the song that is pashut kafol m'shulash m'rubah [single, double, triple, quadruple] — the voice of the true mochaiach [reprover]. Through this he gives a good fragrance to the souls through his rebuke: "my spikenard gave forth its fragrance." Through this, m'zona d'gufa [bodily sustenance] is subdued and one merits m'zona d'nishmasa [soul sustenance], which is the aspect of smell. See all of this there well. § 5 — Purim: Amalek's War in Every Generation; Tefillah B'Din Through Esther This is the aspect of the battle of Amalek in every generation, which is the essential bechirah [free will] of every person. Standing against the yetzer hara is the battle against Amalek — the root of the zuhamas hanachash [serpent's contamination], source of the yetzer hara . This is Purim — the battle against Haman-Amalek. His essential defeat was through Esther being taken to the house of Achashvairosh — the aspect of tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach . For Esther is the aspect of tefillah b'din : tefillah is the aspect of "a woman who fears Hashem." When the tefillah is in the aspect of din , she is called Esther — from the language of concealment ( din ): "I will surely hide [ hastair astir ] My face." When the Sitra Achra tries to swallow this tefillah b'din — "Esther was taken to the house of King Achashvairosh" — the tefillah b'din was taken to the Sitra Achra . But she was a great ba'alas koach : not only was she not swallowed — she stood in their gullet until the Sitra Achra was compelled to vomit. Through Esther's being taken, the essential downfall of the Sitra Achra — Haman-Amalek — occurred. Not only did they fail to swallow Israel as they had planned — Israel emerged from darkness to light, from sorrow to joy. All the sanctities the Sitra Achra had swallowed were returned: "the Jews had light" — this is Torah; "and joy" ; "and honor" — these are tefillin . All the mitzvos and sanctities the Sitra Achra had sought to swallow were returned to holiness. Moreover, Israel merited the rebuilding of the Bais HaMikdash — built by Koresh, son of Esther, who returned all the vessels. Beyond even that, the Sitra Achra was compelled to disgorge its own essential vitality: many converts converted — "many of the peoples of the land became Jews." This is the tremendous power of the miracle of Purim — a wondrous miracle the likes of which had never occurred. As our Sages say, there is no parallel in all miracles until Mashiach Tzidkainu : "all the festivals will be annulled, but the days of Purim will never be annulled." Haman sought to destroy, kill, and obliterate all the Jews. His power derived from their having married foreign women ( pgam of immorality), bowed to an idol ( pgam of emunah ), and enjoyed the feast of that wicked one ( pgam of eating — dominance of m'zona d'gufa , the pgam of eating from the Tree of Knowledge). Through all this, the zuhamas hanachash — klipas Haman-Amalek — was strengthened, as explained in the Torah : all these p'gamos of eating, immorality, and emunah are interdependent. Haman-Amalek's essential defeat was only possible through the tefillah b'din of a great ba'al koach . The essential strength comes from Eretz Yisrael : "in the land that Hashem your G-d gives you... you shall erase the memory of Amalek" — "in the land" specifically. But at the end of the Babylonian exile, Israel was far from Eretz Yisrael and very weak. Haman marshaled all his forces — Zeresh his wife, all his friends, his ten sons (the ten impure crowns) — and sought to overpower Israel with all fifty gates of impurity (the totality of the Sitra Achra from which Amalek derives): he made a gallows fifty amos high. He attacked in their time of great weakness, far from Eretz Yisrael . It was truly a time of unprecedented distress. But Hashem had mercy on His people and sent Mordechai and Esther. Mordechai is the aspect of Mashiach , comprising all the good fragrances drawn through tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach . For Mordechai is the aspect of b'samim rosh mor d'ror [chief spices of pure myrrh], which the Targum renders mari dachi — as our Sages say. He is the head of all the spices and fragrances of the anointing oil. This is Mashiach — named for being anointed with the anointing oil: Mashiach is the essential power of the anointing oil, comprising all the good fragrances in the world. Through the anointing oil, things are sanctified — the Mishkan , the altar, sacred vessels, Kohanim Gedolim , and kings — for all sanctities are received through the good fragrance, the aspect of Mashiach . Through Mordechai's great power of Mashiach , Esther could descend into Achashvairosh's house — the Sitra Achra — the tefillah b'din . Through his great power, not only was she not swallowed but she stood in their gullet until they were compelled to disgorge everything. Haman-Amalek fell greatly and was hanged with his sons on the tree. This is the tremendous joy of Purim. Through all the above, the song that will awaken in the future is aroused — the song pashut kafol m'shulash m'rubah — source of all joys. On Purim, this song is aroused in a wondrous illumination, for then is the emergence of Mashiach — the aspect of Mordechai. Therefore then a great song, joy, and elation flow without end. § 6 — Seudas Purim: Holy Eating = M'zona D'Nishmasa This is the seudas Purim — a great mitzvah to feast abundantly, to eat, drink, and rejoice. For then the eating is holy — the aspect of m'zona d'nishmasa [soul sustenance]. Through the good fragrance drawn via the tefillah b'din , one merits m'zona d'nishmasa , subduing m'zona d'gufa — "his hand grasped Esav's heel." Therefore it is a mitzvah to eat, for then one merits m'zona d'nishmasa , subduing the klipah of Amalek, seed of Esav = m'zona d'gufa . Therefore Esther is called Hadassah — for the good fragrance: through tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach (Esther), one merits good fragrance = life of the neshamah — through which everything is rectified: "my spikenard gave forth its fragrance." § 7 — The Fall of Haman's Ten Sons: Ten Impure Crowns vs. Ten Dibros This is the downfall of Haman's ten sons — the ten impure crowns. Their essential dominance is through heresy, weakening the faith in chidush ha'olam , chas v'shalom . Therefore they are ten, corresponding to the Ten Dibros — ten levels of prophecy through which the essential emunah is attained: to believe in chidush ha'olam , that Hashem created the world with Ten Utterances. They seek to damage all of this, chas v'shalom . But through tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach , one merits the ten levels of prophecy and emunah in chidush ha'olam is revealed — that Hashem created everything with Ten Utterances. Then all ten of Haman's sons — all ten impure crowns — fall together, overcome by the Ten Dibros and Ten Utterances revealed then. This is what our Sages said: on Purim they accepted the Torah anew — "they upheld and accepted." Through tefillah b'din (Esther), one merits prophecy and ruach hakodesh : "Esther clothed herself in royalty" — our Sages: she clothed herself in ruach hakodesh . One merits the ten levels of prophecy = the Ten Dibros = acceptance of the Torah, as explained in the Torah . ✦ End of Part 1 (§§ 1–7 / Oaseyos ט–ז) · Continues in Part 2 (§§ 8–16) ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaRaiach v'HaHodaah — Halachah 4 Part 2 (§§ 8–16 / Oaseyos ח–טז) COMPLETE · Based on LM II:8 ( Tik'u Tochachah ) § 8 — Pesach and Chametz : Yetzias Mitzrayim = Revealing Emunah in Chidush Ha'Olam This is the aspect of Pesach and the prohibition of chametz . On Pesach is Yetzias Mitzrayim , and the essential Yetzias Mitzrayim was to reveal emunas chidush ha'olam [faith in the world's creation]. This was the essential geulah of Egypt: Hashem performed for us great and awesome signs and wonders such as had never been heard or seen in all the earth and among all the nations. Through all this it was revealed that there is a G-d who rules in His world to do therein as He wishes — for He created the world yaish mai'ayin by His will and He conducts the world, and it is in His power to do as He wishes: to change water to blood and blood to water, light to darkness and darkness to light, and so on with all the other wonders. Through all of them the emunah in the truth of His Divinity was revealed — that He renewed everything by His will. As it says regarding the wonders: "so that you shall know that I am Hashem in the midst of the land" ; "so that you shall know that there is none like Hashem our G-d" ; and similar expressions throughout. All the wonders were to reveal His Divinity — emunas chidush ha'olam . One cannot believe in Hashem without believing in chidush ha'olam , as any true thinker understands. The essential Yetzias Mitzrayim was through tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach : "cast it before Pharaoh and it shall become a serpent" — said at the beginning of the geulah , which Rabbainu zichrono livrachah explains as the tefillah b'din , as in the above Torah . Through this tefillah , converts were converted — "also a great mixed multitude ascended with them" — many converts. Through this the kavod of holiness increased; through this, prophecy was drawn — Matan Torah ; through this, emunas chidush ha'olam was revealed = Eretz Yisrael . Through this, the song was awakened — the voice that waters the garden — from which all fragrances and awe grow — through which akev d'Sitra Achra ( m'zona d'gufa ) is subdued and one merits m'zona d'nishmasa . See all this in the Torah there. But at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim , even though they had already received power through tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach — the essential cause of the Exodus — they had not yet merited receiving the Torah. As long as one has not received the Torah, emunas chidush ha'olam is not yet fully revealed. The ultimate completeness of this emunah is through Matan Torah — the ten levels of ruach n'vuah and ruach hakodesh through which the midameh is essentially sorted, and thereby the ultimate completeness of emunah in chidush ha'olam is achieved. Therefore at the Exodus, before Matan Torah , it was impossible to fully sort the midameh . As long as the midameh is unsorted through ruach n'vuah ( Matan Torah ), it is impossible to fully reveal emunas chidush ha'olam . Without this revelation, it is impossible to emerge from the klipah of Egypt — whose essential contamination was through the heresy stemming from those who deny chidush ha'olam . Therefore in truth, Yetzias Mitzrayim occurred through an exceedingly awesome miracle: as explained in the writings of the Arizal, Hashem drew upon them great and awesome mochin not in gradual order — although they had not yet merited ruach n'vuah in completeness ( Matan Torah ), Hashem drew upon them great mochin — ruach hakodesh , sorting of the midameh — so that even before Matan Torah , emunas chidush ha'olam was revealed. Through this, Israel left Egypt — for the essential Exodus is through emunas chidush ha'olam . Therefore they had to leave in great haste — so the klipos (heresies) would not grip them, since they had not yet merited Matan Torah and the midameh was not fully sorted. Their emergence was miraculous: the mochin came not in order, as explained in the Writings. § 9 — Water = Beginning of Creation: Emunah in Yaish Mai'Ayin Therefore one must eat matzah on Pesach, and chametz is forbidden with the severe prohibition of bal yairah'eh and bal yimatzai . The essential prohibition of chametz involves water specifically: the essential guarding of matzah from becoming chametz is precisely from the moment water is placed in the dough. Then one must guard meticulously to not let the dough rest, lest it become chametz through the water. The essential emunas chidush ha'olam is in the aspect of water. Water preceded the world — as our Sages said: at first the world was water within water. Rashi also explains on "Beraishis" that water preceded all creation. The essential emunas chidush ha'olam is only to believe in the beginning of creation — the water. To believe that Hashem created the beginning of creation (water) yaish mai'ayin hamuchlat [something from absolute nothing], and afterward created the entire world and its fullness from them. The essential need to strengthen oneself in emunah regarding chidush ha'olam concerns only the beginning — the creation yaish mai'ayin . What came afterward, yaish miyaish [something from something], is not so novel for people — for we see these renewals constantly. Hashem renews in His goodness every day the act of creation: in the evening the sun sets and darkness comes; in the morning He renews the sun's light. From one grain of wheat sown in the ground, Hashem grows many tall stalks with hundreds of grains. From one seed He grows a great and wondrous tree. From a putrid drop He creates a great person and a great animal. But because all these wondrous creations are yaish miyaish — for so He decreed that from the day of creation onward, all would be created yaish miyaish — therefore even though we see His wondrous innovations constantly, it remains impossible to understand chidush ha'olam through intellect, since the original was yaish mai'ayin . One must strengthen in emunah . And in truth, one with a genuine brain in his skull who gazes at the truth sees no difference between the original chidush ha'olam and the renewals Hashem performs constantly — for just as one cannot understand the original creation yaish mai'ayin , one equally cannot understand through any intellect the renewals Hashem makes at every moment. Certainly, if we hadn't seen with our own eyes that a great tree grows from one tiny seed, no philosopher would believe it possible. How could one picture in the mind that from such a small seed comes a great tree with such branches, leaves, and fruits? Yet we see these wonders constantly. And even now that we see them, it is impossible to picture in the mind or understand how it happens — how intelligence and consciousness derive from a putrid drop, how from such a drop comes a person of stature, form, and intellect. Only: "He spoke and it was; He commanded and it stood." This Creator, who can create a complete tree from one seed, can certainly also create yaish mai'ayin hamuchlat . Since we see yaish miyaish creation every day — even though we don't understand it — we are certainly obligated to believe also in yaish mai'ayin . Only because yaish mai'ayin cannot be seen except by tzadikim who possess ruach hakodesh , it cannot be pictured by intellect and one must rely on emunah alone — drawn through true possessors of ruach hakodesh . Thus the essential strengthening needed in emunah regarding chidush ha'olam concerns only the beginning of creation — yaish mai'ayin . The beginning of creation was from water, which was first, as above. The essential emunas chidush ha'olam thus depends on water. Therefore water has two forces — chesed and din , right and left — as the Zohar states: "water is on the right" (Zohar Va'aira 24). "With it He judges peoples; He gives food abundantly" (Iyov 36). Therefore water purifies from all tum'os — one cannot enter any holiness except through immersion or washing in water: Kohanim could not approach any avodah without immersion and kidush of hands and feet; all Israel entered the covenant through immersion. Conversely, water is susceptible to receiving tum'ah : food is not prepared to receive tum'ah until water comes upon it — "when water is placed upon seed." For all sanctities and purities are drawn according to emunas chidush ha'olam : the essential holiness and purity is holy emunah . Conversely, the essential tum'ah , contamination, and severity of judgment is through heresy. Since the essential emunah ( emunas chidush ha'olam ) is in water — "the righteous shall walk in them" : whoever merits emunah receives through water all sanctities and purities. But "transgressors shall stumble in them" : all their heresy is precisely in the aspect of water — the beginning of creation yaish mai'ayin , where their heresy is focused. Therefore water is susceptible to tum'ah . § 10 — Chametz and Matzah : Ruach Shtus vs. Ruach HaKodesh This is chametz and matzah . The essential guarding from chametz is in water specifically: immediately when water contacts the dough, one must guard meticulously from chametz , not allowing the dough to rest — lest Egypt's heresies, which deny chidush ha'olam , take hold in the water (the beginning of creation yaish mai'ayin , as above). The essential guarding: not allowing the dough to rest and become chametz over time. The essential chametz and se'or [leaven] occurring over time is through the ruach [air/spirit] — as we see tangibly, the dough rises and puffs up when it leavens, through the air and wind. On Pesach one must guard against this meticulously — the essential prohibition of chametz and se'or : not to eat from dough that has risen through puffing up and leavening. For at Yetzias Mitzrayim , the koach hamidameh was not yet fully sorted since Matan Torah had not yet occurred and they had not yet fully merited ruach hakodesh / ruach n'vuah . Therefore then, ruach shtus [spirit of foolishness] still held sway — ruach specifically: impure air and spirit, the aspect of ruach shtus , opposite the holy ruach and air = ruach hakodesh . Therefore one must guard the dough from the moment water is placed, not allowing it to rest — lest the impure ruach ( ruach shtus , the impure spirit of Egypt's sorcerers and diviners through whom the midameh is corrupted and false beliefs and heresies arise) dominate. The heresies concern chidush ha'olam = water, as above. On Pesach — Yetzias Mitzrayim , before Matan Torah — they had not yet fully merited ruach hakodesh , so one must guard that the ruach not dominate the dough from the moment of water, that time not elapse until the ruach leavens the dough. But on Shavuos , when Israel already received the Torah and merited ruach hakodesh in completeness — then one must bring the Shtai HaLechem [Two Loaves] specifically from chametz : the ruach and air are then ruach hakodesh , holy air — through which the midameh is sorted further. Therefore specifically chametz is brought — the ruach and air have ruled over them, for then this ruach is from ruach hakodesh , sorting the midameh further, meriting emunas chidush ha'olam in completeness — the essential purity, the essential Yetzias Mitzrayim . This is the aspect of the two washings at the Pesach Seder — for then one must draw the purifying waters more than ever: emunas chidush ha'olam , through which comes the essential purity, the essential Yetzias Mitzrayim . § 11 — Birchas HaRaiach : All Berachos Reveal Emunas Chidush Ha'Olam Based on the above Torah , the matter of Birchas HaRaiach — reciting a berachah before but not after — is explained. As stated in the Shulchan Aruch : on smell one recites a berachah before but need not recite any berachah after. It is explained in the Torah that the essential emunah is merited through sorting the midameh , which is accomplished by drawing close to the true tzadik — the leader of the generation who possesses ruach hakodesh / ruach n'vuah . See there well. Through this one merits emunas chidush ha'olam , which cannot be grasped by any intellect but only by emunah — for the essential chidush ha'olam was through emunah : "all His works are in faithfulness." The entire world hung in suspense until the sixth of Sivan when Israel received the Torah — for then they merited ruach n'vuah , through which the midameh was sorted and they merited emunas chidush ha'olam . The future chidush ha'olam will also be through emunah , in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael — then the world will be conducted through hashgachah and wonders, not by nature. Then a new song will be awakened — a song of wonders — through which all fragrances and awe grow. This is the voice of the worthy mochaiach . Therefore one needs no after- berachah on smell. All the berachos recited on everything, before and after, are to reveal the holy emunah — emunas chidush ha'olam . Through the berachos on everything, we reveal that Hashem created and renewed the world and all it contains: "Who brings forth bread from the earth," "Who creates the fruit of the tree," "Who creates the fruit of the ground." Through all this we reveal emunas chidush ha'olam — He is the Former, the Creator, blessed be His Name. Therefore one must recite a berachah on everything, first and last. In the first berachah , we reveal emunas chidush ha'olam of the present — the renewal of this world: "Who creates the fruit of the tree" etc. But after eating too, one must recite an after- berachah — to reveal emunas chidush ha'olam of the future. The after- berachah is recited after eating, after the thing eaten has been consumed and passed from the world. Then the essential berachah is in the aspect of emunas chidush ha'olam of the future. Every thing in the world has a beginning and an end. The essential thing is the end — the tachlis — for Hashem did not create anything in vain. Everything must reach its good tachlis — when the future chidush ha'olam occurs. Then everything will be included in its root-source: man, for whose sake all was created. Through the vitality a person receives from something in holiness, purity, with a berachah and proper intent according to holy Torah — through this, the thing ascends to its source and reaches its tachlis in the future chidush ha'olam . Therefore after eating, when the thing has reached its end (consumed and passed from the world), the essential berachah is for the vitality received from the food — so that through this berachah , the vitality ascends to its tachlis and source in the future chidush ha'olam , when the tikkun of all things is completed. Therefore the after- berachah is "Who creates many souls" — the essential after- berachah is in the aspect of the world of souls = the future chidush ha'olam = the world of neshamos . For bread, the essential human sustenance, we recite Birchas HaMazon — whose essence is to bless Hashem for Eretz Yisrael : "you shall eat, be satisfied, and bless Hashem your G-d for the Land, the good." For Birchas HaMazon (after- berachah ) is in the aspect of the future chidush ha'olam , which will be in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael — then the world will be renewed in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael . Therefore the after- berachah is more important than the first — the essential Torah-mandated berachah is the after- berachah ( Birchas HaMazon ). For the future chidush ha'olam is certainly far more important than the present one — the essential tachlis is Olam HaBa . The entire world was created only for Olam HaBa . Fortunate is the one who merits it. § 12 — First Berachah = Present Chidush ; After- Berachah = Future Chidush ; Why Smell Needs No After Thus: first berachah and after- berachah on everything = emunas chidush ha'olam of the present (first berachah ) and emunas chidush ha'olam of the future (after- berachah — elevating the thing to its ultimate tachlis in the future chidush ). Therefore for smell, no after- berachah is needed. The entire essence of smell is drawn from the future chidush ha'olam — as explained in the Torah : all fragrances grow from the voice of the melody that will be awakened in the future when chidush ha'olam occurs. Therefore smell is the life of the neshamah — the essential life of the neshamah is from the future chidush ha'olam , the world of neshamos . All the neshamah 's longing, vitality, and delight is only from there — for the neshamah finds this world repugnant and has life only from the fragrance drawn from the future chidush ha'olam , the life of Olam HaBa . Therefore no after- berachah is needed on smell — to reveal emunas chidush ha'olam of the future — since the entire essence of smell is drawn only from there. § 13 — Why Berachos Must Be Spoken Aloud: Sorting the Midameh Through Speech In truth, the reason we must recite berachos on everything, first and last, to reveal emunas chidush ha'olam — all this is only for the sake of sorting the midameh , through which the essential emunah is achieved. One might ask: why must we recite the berachah aloud to reveal the emunah ? Wouldn't it suffice in thought — to believe in one's mind that Hashem created everything and will renew everything? But the reason we must say all berachos and praises aloud is entirely due to sorting the midameh . Through Adam's sin — and so too through each person's sins — the midameh became confused. This is the zuhamas hanachash , as explained in the Torah : the confusion of the midameh is the zuhamas hanachash . The essential emunah depends on the midameh . According to how each person sorts his koach hamidameh , so he merits emunah . The midameh can only be sorted through ruach n'vuah / ruach hakodesh . Therefore one must say all berachos and tefillos aloud specifically — to sort the midameh . Through the holy speech of berachah and tefillah , the midameh is sorted, for holy speech is the aspect of ruach Hashem / ruach hakodesh : "the spirit of Hashem spoke through me" (Shmuel II 23). Through speaking the holy words of berachos and tefillos aloud — which are drawn from ruach n'vuah / ruach hakodesh — the midameh is sorted, and thereby the essential emunah is achieved. One cannot merit emunah except by speaking words of emunah aloud. As Rabbainu wrote ( LM II:44 ): "emunah depends on the mouth." As it says: "I make known Your faithfulness with my mouth." One cannot merit emunah except through sorting the midameh , which is sorted only through speaking aloud. § 14 — The Koach HaMidameh : Intermediary Between Body and Soul, the Ladder The essential midameh has power only in physical asiyah [action] — there it can confuse, and there the essential sorting is needed. This is what the Writings state: the essential grip of the klipos is in Asiyah . Their grip is through the koach hamidameh = Nogah = the Tree of Knowledge, good and evil — whose essential grip is in physical asiyah specifically, where the essential sorting is needed. Know that the koach hamidameh is the intermediary between physicality and spirituality, between body and soul. The koach hamidameh is the ultimate spirituality of all physical things, and the ultimate physicality of spiritual things. Therefore it is the intermediary connecting physicality and spirituality. All physical things can be pictured in the mind in their exact form — this picturing power is the koach hamidameh . The true inner intellect is exceedingly far and hidden from all physicality — the essential picturing is through the midameh , as explained in the sefarim . The picture of a physical thing in the mind is the ultimate spirituality of that thing; but relative to the da'as , this picture is the ultimate physicality — even though the picture in the mind contains no physicality, since it pictures a physical thing it is considered the ultimate physicality relative to inner da'as . But relative to the physical thing itself, it is the ultimate spirituality — since we elevate a physical thing into the mind and picture only its form without any physicality. Understand this well. Thus the koach hamidameh is the intermediary between physical and spiritual. Only through this power can one convey and make known the picture of a physical thing to the mind and da'as . Therefore it is precisely there, in the koach hamidameh , that the essential trial and free will of every person lies — the essential grip of the Tree of Knowledge = Nogah = the balance, source of trial and free will. For the intellect itself is higher than an angel, certainly distant from all sin, desire, and this world's physicality. Conversely, the physical body is like an animal with no free will, unable to turn from any desire. The essential trial and free will is only from the joining of soul and body — and the essential joining is through the koach hamidameh , which has the power to incline either way. One who merits sorting the midameh merits complete emunah , emunas chidush ha'olam . Then he can ascend through the midameh to the essential inner intellect = the neshamah — meriting the great hidden good: "no eye has seen." For the midameh is the aspect of "a ladder set earthward, its top reaching the heavens." And the reverse: all the falls and descents of everyone who has distanced from Hashem were because they did not sort the midameh by drawing close to true tzadikim — they relied on their own understanding and thereby were lost and expelled from the world. In truth, the understanding and wisdom of all people in the world, even the greatest sages, is only the koach hamidameh , greatly mixed with false fantasies. No one merits true intellect except the prophets, possessors of ruach hakodesh , and other true tzadikim like them — for in every generation there are possessors of ruach hakodesh , even after prophecy ceased, as explained at length in the Arizal's writings and in the above Torah . Whoever wishes to merit true life — complete emunah , the essential life — can only do so by striving to draw close to true tzadikim through whom the midameh is sorted, the essential emunah . This is the essential receiving of the Torah — through believing in Moshe Rabbainu, they merited ruach n'vuah / ruach hakodesh , through which the world was established and emunas chidush ha'olam was revealed. § 15 — Why No After- Berachah on Smell: Once Detached from Physicality, No Sorting Needed Thus the essential grip of the midameh is only in physical asiyah , where the essential sorting is needed. Therefore for smell, one need recite only a first berachah — for then the smell is still attached to a physical thing, and one must recite the first berachah to sort the midameh and reveal emunas chidush ha'olam . But after receiving the smell — when the received smell is no longer clothed in any physical thing and is only the life of the neshamah — one needs no further after- berachah , for no further sorting of the midameh is needed. Since the smell has already separated from physicality, the midameh has no further power to confuse. Therefore smell is immediately included in the life of the neshamah = the future chidush ha'olam — since after smelling, it is no longer clothed in any physical thing and the midameh has no power to confuse at all. This is not the case with other things — even after eating, the physicality of the food remains in the body, and one must sort the inner vitality from the midameh that clings to physicality, to include it in the tachlis = the future chidush ha'olam . Therefore one must also recite an after- berachah to sort the midameh — to reveal through the spoken berachah the future chidush ha'olam . § 16 — Arba Parshiyos : Preparation for Yetzias Mitzrayim This is the aspect of Arba Parshiyos [the Four Special Torah Readings] that we read before Pesach. Pesach, as above, is the essential revelation of emunas chidush ha'olam through tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach . All four parshiyos are aspects of preparation for the Yetzias Mitzrayim -revelation of Pesach, as will be explained with Hashem's help. ✦ End of Part 2 (§§ 8–16 / Oaseyos ח–טז) · Continues in Part 3 (§§ 17–27) ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaRaiach v'HaHodaah — Halachah 4 Part 3 (§§ 17–27 / Oaseyos טז–כו) COMPLETE · Based on LM II:8 ( Tik'u Tochachah ) § 17 — The Road to Eretz Yisrael : Every Step Sorts the Midameh This is the aspect of the road to Eretz Yisrael : one must endure great sufferings before arriving, as our Sages say — Eretz Yisrael is one of the things acquired through suffering. One must undergo many upheavals and traverse many circuitous routes before arriving. Our forefathers too, when they left Egypt to conquer Eretz Yisrael , were led by Hashem on various detours: "G-d did not lead them by way of the land of the Pelishtim, though it was near" (as Rashi explains); "G-d led the people around by way of the wilderness, the Sea of Reeds." This is the aspect of the fifty days of Sefiras Ha'Omer — to merit Matan Torah , through which the midameh is sorted, and one merits emunas chidush ha'olam of the future = Eretz Yisrael . One cannot arrive at Eretz Yisrael except through sorting the midameh . One must travel circuitous routes and endure upheavals in many different places — all according to how much one needs to sort the midameh , depending on one's soul-root and deeds in this incarnation and previous ones. The essential grip of the midameh is in this physical earth — the ultimate physicality. This is the greatness of Eretz Yisrael : a physical land sanctified with such holiness that through its holy physical earth one merits complete emunah in the ultimate perfection. At each place one passes on the journey to Eretz Yisrael — since the inner purpose of traveling through all these places is to reach Eretz Yisrael — one sorts in each place the sparks of emunah that fell through the confusion of the midameh attached there. At every step on the journey to Eretz Yisrael or to any holy matter — especially drawing close to a true tzadik — one sorts the midameh in every place one treads, since one's intention is toward Eretz Yisrael , source of the midameh 's sorting. For this reason the land is called adamah — from the language of dimyon [imagination/likeness], the midameh : "by the hand of the prophets I was likened [adameh]." The essential grip of the midameh is in the earth, the ultimate physicality. For this reason the human is called adam — after the midameh , which is the language of dimyon / midameh . The essential human was created for bechirah [free will], which depends on the koach hamidameh . § 18 — Sefiras Ha'Omer : Counting = Midameh ; the Tzimtzum and the Reshima This is Sefiras Ha'Omer — to purify the souls of Israel from their contamination, the contamination of Egypt = the zuhamas hanachash = the confusion of the midameh . The essential holiness and purity of a Jew is when he merits purifying and sorting the midameh — purification from the zuhamas hanachash . This is the essential human task. Therefore one must count Sefiras Ha'Omer before Matan Torah — to purify from the zuhamas hanachash , the confused midameh . One must count the days, for counting and numbering are in the aspect of the midameh where all likenesses and forms reside. Counting exists only where there are differences and likenesses. Above, at the ultimate source, all is one — no likeness, no counting whatsoever. Counting belongs where the varied forms, likenesses, and images of all creatures differ from each other. All this variety is the koach hamidameh — hence its name: midameh , from dimyon [image/likeness]. The midameh at its root is exceedingly lofty — it derives from the root of the beginning-point of creation, the first tzimtzum [contraction]. Immediately upon the tzimtzum , the root of the midameh began. The midameh is the contraction of intellect — as when a person's intellect withdraws (as in sleep), only the midameh remains, which is the reshima [residual impression] of the intellect. So too Above: the first tzimtzum — the withdrawal of the supernal intellectual light, root of all creation — without which no creation could exist. This tzimtzum is the root of the midameh , whence comes the root of bechirah , as explained in the sefarim and especially in Rabbainu's words: the root of bechirah derives from the first tzimtzum = root of the midameh . This bechirah is the aspect of the koach hayuli [primal matter] mentioned in philosophical works — there, many stumble into strange and confused opinions, and through such investigations many become heretical. In truth, this matter cannot be understood by human intellect at all: "do not investigate what is too wondrous for you." It is the secret of the mysteries of Ma'asai Beraishis . One must rely solely on emunah = sorting the midameh , the true root of creation: "all His works are in faithfulness." This is the essential emunas chidush ha'olam : chidush ha'olam cannot be grasped by intellect because one cannot understand the root of the beginning of creation — whence come all their questions. One certainly cannot understand it, for the root of creation derives from the withdrawal of intellect, from the Chalal HaPanui [vacated space] = the first tzimtzum = root of the midameh = withdrawal of intellect. Only the reshima remains — the root of the koach hamidameh . Through this reshima , one has the power to strengthen in complete emunah if one wishes. But if one wishes to investigate and understand, one will certainly fall with nothing to hold onto — for the intellect has withdrawn from there. Only through the remaining reshima — root of the midameh — does one have the power to believe in truth. This power Hashem left in the reshima after the tzimtzum : that through it, whoever wishes can strengthen in emunah . There is the essential root of bechirah — whose root is emunah , foundation of all mitzvos : "all Your commandments are faithfulness" ; "Chavakuk established them on one: the righteous lives by his faith." From there comes the root of all the Names, titles, epithets, and praises of Hashem — all in the aspect of the holy midameh , as Rabbainu writes at the end of the above Torah on the verse "on the day of our festival." All the praises and epithets we use are in the aspect of the midameh , for in the inner intellect Hashem is stripped of all praises and epithets. Were there no tzimtzum , there would be no creation and no ability to call Him by any Name. Only from His love and mercy, desiring to bestow good, did He contract Himself — withdrawing the intellectual light, clearing a space for creation. Only the reshima remained — root of the midameh = the power of emunah . Through this, all the midos and all creation came into being; through this, He gave us permission to call Him by these Names and praises. There, counting and numbering begin — "before One, what do you count?" The root of counting begins after the tzimtzum = root of the midameh . Thus counting and numbering are in the aspect of the midameh . Through the mitzvah of Sefiras Ha'Omer — sefirah [counting] specifically — the midameh is sorted. We count "for the Omer" : the Omer of barley = sorting the midameh , for the midameh is the animalistic force (animals too have a midameh ), and barley is animal food. By bringing the barley Omer and waving it in all six directions — to Him to whom up and down belong, left and right, to Him to whom the four directions belong — we sort the midameh (the animalistic force) and draw down emunas chidush ha'olam : Hashem created all the six directions. Then we count the days for the Omer — through counting and numbering the days for the Omer , we sort the midameh (= counting/numbering = barley Omer = animal food). We purify ourselves from the zuhamas hanachash (= confused midameh ) and merit Matan Torah — when the sorting of the midameh reaches its ultimate perfection. § 19 — Drawing Close to the Tzadik : The Circular Dependency and HaBa L'Tahair The essential sorting of the midameh is through Matan Torah = ruach n'vuah . But one cannot receive the Torah without first sanctifying oneself by drawing upon oneself the holiness of the midameh 's sorting — which derives from Matan Torah 's holiness itself. This is a general principle: whenever one wishes to achieve some holy thing and its ultimate good, one cannot reach it unless Heaven assists by illuminating upon him — in a hidden way — from the root of that very holiness he seeks. Without this he could never reach it. For example, regarding a single mitzvah — when one wants to acquire a beautiful esrog and its species but faces many obstacles (none available, or too expensive and he is poor): he yearns, exerts himself, and seeks ways to obtain it. Then "one who comes to purify is assisted" — the assistance from Above comes from the root-source of that mitzvah 's holiness. An illumination descends from the root of the esrog 's holiness, strengthening his will against obstacles until he finds it. Without this, no person could withstand the obstacles: "were the Holy One not to help him, he would fall." The help comes from that very holiness itself. Based on this, one understands what the Torah explains: one must strive greatly to draw close to the true tzadik to sort the midameh and merit complete emunah . But one might ask: one cannot draw close to the tzadik without emunah either — for without emunah , questions arise that intellect cannot resolve (since the tzadik is lofty beyond worldly understanding). So the well has fallen into the pit: emunah comes only through the tzadik , and drawing close to the tzadik requires emunah ! This type of circular dependency is found in many places. As Rabbainu zichrono livrachah said: many things depend on each other, and one doesn't know where to begin. In truth, this too is from the secret of bechirah — the power of free will, the most wondrous thing in all creation. No novelty in all creation compares to bechirah . The principle: one must choose only the truth in its truest sense, always yearning for truth. There is a holy point in every Jew — the point of holy emunah — through which, in the depths of his soul, he desires greatly to draw close to the truth = the true tzadik , foundation of the world: "the righteous one is the foundation of the world." When one begins to yearn to draw close, then "one who comes to purify is assisted" — an illumination from the tzadik 's own holiness is drawn upon him, strengthening his yearning. The more one strengthens his desire, the more the tzadik 's holiness is drawn upon him, assisting more to break the obstacles — until one merits drawing close. Then through the tzadik one merits emunah and all good. § 20 — Beginning and End Are One: Tefillah B'Din and Emunas Chidush Ha'Olam This clarifies what we wrote above: the power of the ba'al koach to pray tefillah b'din derives from emunas chidush ha'olam — "the power of His works He told His people." Yet the Torah seems to say the reverse — that through the tefillah b'din one merits all the aspects until emunas chidush ha'olam . Based on the above: in truth, in all holy matters, things depend on each other — the beginning is embedded in the end and the end in the beginning. The ba'al koach who prays tefillah b'din — through which he merits all the above aspects including emunas chidush ha'olam — receives all his power from there, from the root of emunah . Without having already received holiness from there, he would have no power. But since he already received holiness from there, he has power to pray tefillah b'din until he merits revealing emunas chidush ha'olam in completeness. So it is in all holiness. § 21 — Ruach Elokim Hovering over the Waters: Mashiach 's Spirit Sustains in Exile "The earth was formless and void, darkness upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of G-d hovered over the face of the waters." Our Sages: "this is the spirit of Mashiach" (Zohar Vayechi 240). Even at the beginning, when the world was tohu vavohu and darkness, it was immediately sustained through the spirit of Mashiach who will come at the world's end. Hashem "declares the end from the beginning" and draws the world's tikkun during destruction and exile from the final end = the spirit of Mashiach = the essential tikkun at the final end. From there He draws sustenance for the world even during destruction and exile. Without this, we would have no survival, chas v'shalom — especially in this long, bitter exile where we have fallen drastically in body and spirit, each person knowing in his soul where he has fallen. Were it not that Hashem draws upon us even now, in the depth of our fall and exile, a wondrous hidden illumination from the spirit of Mashiach — we would have perished. Our Sages expound this verse on all the exiles hinted at in tohu, vohu , and choshech . But all our survival in exile — especially this exile — is through "the spirit of G-d hovering over the face of the waters" = the spirit of Mashiach , hovering over the waters of the deep so they don't swallow us entirely. Through this alone we have survival: Hashem draws holiness from the ultimate end to give us strength to awaken and return to Him. § 22 — Hashem Prepares the Remedy Before the Blow: Esther Before Haman This is how Hashem prepares the remedy before the blow: "after these things, King Achashvairosh promoted..." — after He had already created the remedy for the blow. In the depth of exile, He draws illumination from the end of the geulah . Yet danger remains great — as in the days of Achashvairosh: even though Esther was already in place, Israel was still in great danger, hanging by a thread, until Mordechai went through the city crying a great and bitter cry. The remedy Hashem prepared in advance was only the initial illumination — drawn when one begins approaching holiness, giving strength for the trial. Without it, one could not withstand. But even so, one remains in great danger during the trial itself. So too with the Purim miracle: the essential danger was spiritual — the soul's exile, far from Hashem through evil deeds. The Sitra Achra ( zuhamas Amalek) overpowered until Israel sinned. Hashem devised plans, prepared the remedy, and Esther was taken to Achashvairosh = tefillah b'din of the ba'al koach . Through this they had strength to awaken in teshuvah and merit geulah . So it is for every person at all times. When Hashem has mercy and sends a hidden illumination from a very high place so one awakens in teshuvah from one's deep fall — one must strengthen like a lion to awaken in teshuvah . Then Hashem will assist further, until one merits returning from wherever one is. For there is no despair in the world. § 23 — Am Segulah : The Unfathomable Mystery of Israel's Choosing "G-d comes from Taiman" ; "Hashem came from Sinai, shining from Sai'ir, appearing from Har Paran." Our Sages: Hashem offered the Torah to all nations, but they refused — He illuminated upon them glimmers of teshuvah from Torah's holiness, but they didn't wish to awaken and return. Therefore He rejected them and came to Israel, who immediately upon receiving that hidden illumination awakened to return. Through this He chose them from all peoples. Since this matter — how Hashem maneuvers with each person to draw him close, the secret of bechirah — cannot be understood by human intellect, Israel is called am segulah [treasured people]: it is impossible to understand why He chose Israel from all nations, as Rabbainu writes in LM I:21 . So too in every generation: one cannot understand why these particular people merited drawing close to the true tzadik more than others. All is segulah — unfathomable. But in truth, "Hashem is righteous in all His ways." He certainly maneuvered with each one in a hidden way. According to each person's awakening, He led him nearer or farther: "on the path a person wishes to go, he is led." But one cannot understand this now with any intellect — hence Israel is called am segulah . § 24 — Parshas Bamidbar and the Nefesh Yisrael : Intermediary Between Creator and Creation Therefore we read Parshas Bamidbar before Shavuos — it discusses counting the children of Israel. Our Sages give the sign: "count and then celebrate Atzeres." The counting of Israel = sorting the midameh = the essential Matan Torah on Shavuos . The essential sorting of the midameh is specifically through the souls of Israel — for Israel who stood at Sinai had their contamination ( zuhamas hanachash = confused midameh ) removed. The sorting of the midameh depends on Jewish souls, for whose sake all worlds were created — they are the root and life-force of all worlds, and all depends on them. As stated in the Writings: there is an intermediary between each level of creation (between inanimate and vegetative, vegetative and living, living and speaking). There is also an intermediary between all the worlds and the Creator — this is the Jewish nefesh , exceedingly lofty in its root, a literal portion of the Divine. It is the intermediary connecting all worlds to the Creator, through which sustenance, life-force, and existence flow to all worlds. Therefore all depends on Israel. All these intermediaries are aspects of the koach hamidameh — the connection between soul and body. The midameh compares one thing to another, connecting two opposites. The root of the midameh in the highest holiness derives from the Jewish nefesh , which connects upper and lower — the intermediary between the Creator and all worlds. In truth, the Jewish nefesh in its root is exceedingly lofty, a literal portion of G-d, included in Him in ultimate unity: the Holy One, Israel, and the Torah are all one. But there is a power within the Jewish nefesh — its final, lowest aspect — the koach hamidameh , connecting physical and spiritual, through which life-force flows to all worlds. Therefore we are commanded to count the children of Israel. Counting is in the aspect of the midameh ; by counting Jewish souls, the midameh is sorted — for the sorting depends on Jewish souls. Therefore this parshah is read before Shavuos ( Matan Torah ) — the essential sorting of the midameh , emunas chidush ha'olam , upon which the entire world hung until the sixth of Sivan. But since the Sitra Achra and klipos grip through the midameh (= zuhamas hanachash = confused midameh = Tree of Knowledge, Nogah ), it is forbidden to count Israel directly — only through the shekalim collected from them, lest the sitra d'mosa [aspect of death] grip through the counting (= midameh , source of the zuhamas hanachash that brought death to the world): "when you take the count of the Children of Israel... each shall give a ransom for his soul... that there be no plague." The shekalim go to the Mishkan 's donations and communal korbanos — all sorting the midameh . Korbanos from animals (= midameh ) sort the midameh and atone for sins — for all sins come from the confused midameh (= animalistic force): all desires are animal behavior = zuhamas hanachash = confused midameh . The Mishkan 's construction — with all its colors, gold, silver, copper, techailes , argaman , woven and embroidered work — was to sort the midameh where all forms and images reside, atoning for the Golden Calf (idolatry and heresy from the confused midameh ). The shekalim are called shekalim because there, in the midameh , is the essential mishkal [weighing/balance] — the essential bechirah and trial. § 25 — Parshas Shekalim : All Beginnings Now Start from Purim Therefore we begin now from reading Parshas Shekalim . Now, the beginning of geulah and tikkun of all worlds starts from Purim — as understood from hints in Rabbainu's holy words when he taught the Torah on "from Egypt, and they shall not see My face empty" [ Mi'Mitzrayim V'Lo Yir'u Fanai Raikam ] — whose initials spell Purim . He said: originally, all beginnings were from Pesach ( Yetzias Mitzrayim ), and now... — and he stopped mid-sentence. From his words I understood: now all beginnings are from Purim — the obliteration of Amalek, the essential geulah of Mashiach : "the first of nations is Amalek" and "war for Hashem against Amalek from generation to generation" until Mashiach 's generation. Hashem saw that in this final bitter exile (the exile of Edom = Amalek), we would have no survival unless He drew upon us a wondrous illumination from the final end = the final geulah of Mashiach . In His great wonders, He prepared the remedy and performed great wonders in the days of Mordechai and Esther when Haman attacked. Not only were Israel saved — Amalek was struck. The illumination drawn through the Purim miracle was from the final geulah . Through it, we have strength to survive in this bitter exile. Even the mitzvos of Pesach (guarding from chametz ) we can only fulfill through Purim, as Rabbainu writes ( LM II:74 ). Therefore now all beginnings are from Purim. The beginning of Purim's celebration starts from Parshas Shekalim (on the first of Adar we announce the shekalim ). The essential Purim miracle was through Israel's shekalim : Haman wanted to nullify their power — "ten thousand silver talents I will pay." The Holy One said: "Wicked one, their shekalim have already preceded yours." Haman-Amalek = the zuhamas hanachash from the Tree of Knowledge ( "Haman — where in the Torah? 'Have you eaten from the tree?'" ); his essential contamination = confused midameh , source of idolatry and heresy. His defeat: through Israel's shekalim = sorting the midameh . On Purim itself, one begins studying the laws of Pesach (as stated in the Shulchan Aruch : thirty days before). Through Purim, one enters Pesach; through Pesach, Matan Torah ; Matan Torah = sorting the midameh = emunas chidush ha'olam , essence of everything. When we arrive at Shavuos ( Matan Torah ), we read Parshas Bamidbar — counting Israel through shekalim = sorting the midameh . The beginning and end are one: beginning from Shekalim , all to sort the midameh and defeat Haman-Amalek, through which we merit Matan Torah . And at the culmination too — Parshas Bamidbar . The end is embedded in the beginning and the beginning in the end — all is one. § 26 — Purim = Acceptance of the Torah; Haman vs. the Fifty Days of Sefirah Therefore on Purim there is acceptance of the Torah: "they accepted it anew in the days of Achashvairosh — 'they upheld and accepted.'" Purim = defeat of the zuhamas hanachash = Haman. Then one merits sorting the midameh = acceptance of the Torah, whose essence is sorting the midameh . Now, acceptance of the Torah begins from Purim. Haman sought to nullify the power of the fifty days of Sefiras Ha'Omer — therefore he made a gallows fifty amos high, as Rabbainu writes elsewhere. Sefiras Ha'Omer = sorting the midameh = defeat of Haman-Amalek. Therefore Haman was hanged on the first day of Sefirah — the day of the Omer 's waving. The mitzvah of the Omer (= sorting the midameh ) defeated Haman (= zuhamas hanachash , confused midameh ). As our Sages said: "your Omer came and defeated him and his sons." The defeat of Amalek — through the mitzvah of the Omer . § 27 — [ Transition ] Parshas Zachor [This ois continues with Parshas Zachor and the remaining Arba Parshiyos , developed in Part 4.] ✦ End of Part 3 (§§ 17–27 / Oaseyos טז–כו) · Continues in Part 4 (§§ 28–36) ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaRaiach v'HaHodaah — Halachah 4 Part 4 (§§ 28–36 / Oaseyos כז–לה) COMPLETE · Based on LM II:8 ( Tik'u Tochachah ) § 28 — Purim = Pur / Goral : The Holy Lot = Sorting the Midameh For this reason he [Haman] cast a pur , which is the goral [lot]. And for this reason they called these days Purim , after the pur . For the holy goral is the aspect of sorting the midameh in holiness. A goral is something that cannot be understood — for wherever it is impossible to understand through da'as and intellect to whom something should go, they cast a goral . Thus the goral is in the aspect of the absence of da'as — which is the aspect of the koach hamidameh , which is the withdrawal of da'as , for then only the midameh remains. And in holiness, the goral is exceedingly lofty. This is the aspect of: "only by lot shall the Land be divided" (Bamidbar 26). For Eretz Yisrael is the essential sorting of the midameh , for there specifically one merits emunas chidush ha'olam , which is the aspect of sorting the midameh as above. For the entire essential holiness of Eretz Yisrael is drawn from there, from the aspect of emunas chidush ha'olam — that we believe that Hashem created the world, and by His will He gave it to them and by His will He took it from them and gave it to us, as all this is explained in the above Torah " Tik'u ." Thus the essential sorting of the midameh is in Eretz Yisrael . Therefore each individual Jew cannot arrive at the point of his portion that he has in Eretz Yisrael except through the goral , which is above da'as , and is in the aspect of the holy midameh , which is the aspect of emunah in Hashem — believing that the goral is from Hashem alone. For since it is impossible for human intellect to understand and grasp the apportioning of Eretz Yisrael — to whom each specific portion belongs, uniquely corresponding to the root of his soul's holiness — for the holiness of Eretz Yisrael is exceedingly lofty, at the ultimate height, and no one can grasp this portion through his intellect — therefore Hashem commanded to divide Eretz Yisrael by goral specifically, which was according to ruach hakodesh , which is sorting the midameh . For the holy goral is the aspect of emunah — believing that the goral is not chance, chas v'shalom , or according to some constellation or astrological arrangement, chas v'shalom — but everything is from Hashem alone. As it says: "the lot is cast into the lap, but its entire judgment is from Hashem" (Mishlai 16). Therefore on Yom HaKippurim , when one must draw forgiveness and atonement for all sins — and the essential atonement and forgiveness is drawn from the aspect of sorting the midameh , which is the subduing of the zuhamas hanachash , which is the confusion of the midameh , from which all sins derive, as above — therefore the Kohain Gadol could not enter lifnai v'lifnim [the innermost sanctum] and draw forgiveness, atonement, and pardon — which is the aspect of sorting the midameh — except through the holy goral of Yom HaKippurim . As it says: "Aharon shall place upon the two goats lots — one lot for Hashem and one lot for Azazel." This is the essential aspect of sorting the midameh that is done on Yom HaKippurim specifically — for then they sort through the goral specifically which is for Hashem and which for Azazel . This is the secret of sorting the Tree of Knowledge, good and evil. Thus the holy goral is the aspect of sorting the midameh . Therefore Haman, who is the zuhamas hanachash , the confusion of the midameh , sought to overpower Israel through the goral specifically — for he sought to damage the holy goral , chas v'shalom . For all the diviners and sorcerers are from the aspect of the zuhamas hanachash , the confusion of the midameh — which is the aspect of Haman, as explained in the above Torah . And all their divinations and sorceries are all the aspect of damaging the holy goral . For their divinations are — l'havdil — like the holy goral : they make signs — "his bread fell from his mouth," "a deer crossed his path," and so on — in which there is no rationale whatsoever. It is only zuhamas hanachash , confusion of the midameh . And because in holiness there is the holy goral , which is the aspect of the holy midameh — from there descends and grips the damage of their divinations and sorceries, which are like an ape before a man compared to the holy goral . Therefore Haman, who is the essential zuhamas hanachash , the aspect of the damage of diviners and sorcerers — for Haman and his household were great sorcerers, as written in the Arizal's Writings — therefore he sought to damage the goral and overpower Israel through the goral specifically. And Hashem thwarted his plan and turned the goral upon him and upon his family, who were obliterated and uprooted on that very day — the thirteenth of Adar. Therefore they called these days Purim specifically, after the pur which is the goral . For the essential miracle is in the aspect of the goral , which is the aspect of sorting the midameh , the aspect of Eretz Yisrael which was divided by goral , as above. For Haman was jealous that Israel wanted to return to Eretz Yisrael at that time, as our Sages say. Therefore he sought to damage the goral , chas v'shalom , which is the aspect of the apportioning of Eretz Yisrael . And Hashem in His great mercy thwarted his counsel. And they merited that the holy goral prevailed, and he and his family fell. And they established the days of Purim after the goral specifically. And they then merited returning to Eretz Yisrael , which is the aspect of the holy goral , as above. § 29 — Bechirah Is Called Goral Therefore bechirah [free will], whose root is in the aspect of the midameh as above, is called goral . As it says: "Hashem is the portion of my share and my cup; You sustain my lot [goral]" (Tehillim 16). And as Rashi explains there, that this is said regarding bechirah : that Hashem placed His hand on the good portion, like a person who says to his son "choose this for yourself," as it says, "and you shall choose life." This is as above — for the bechirah is in the aspect of the midameh , which is in the aspect of goral . And this is: "You sustain my lot" — meaning that Hashem assists him to choose the good goral , the aspect of "choose life," as Rashi explains above. This is as above — for Hashem assists the person with assistance from Above to merit choosing the good, for He prepares the remedy before the blow and draws upon him illumination and assistance from the root of the holiness that he wants to reach, as above. But all this is impossible to understand, just as it is impossible to understand the goral . Therefore the bechirah is called goral , as above. § 30 — Kumah Hashem : Asking Hashem to Get Ahead of the Enemy This is what we pray: "Arise, Hashem! Confront him! Bring him down!" We ask that Hashem get ahead of the ba'al davar [the adversary] to subdue him thereby. This means: that He prepare the remedy before the blow, and that He hasten to send upon us the assistance from Above, from the root of the holiness that we want to reach — so that through this we merit overcoming him and arriving at the holiness, as above. § 31 — The Drunkenness of Purim: Sweetening the Midameh at Its Root This is the aspect of the drunkenness of Purim, as our Sages say: "a person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he doesn't know the difference between 'cursed is Haman' and 'blessed is Mordechai.'" For drunkenness is the withdrawal of da'as , and then only the koach hamidameh remains, in great confusion — as we see tangibly that a drunk has no da'as and is greatly confused. All this is from the withdrawal of da'as and the confusion of the midameh — from which come all the confused dreams, and the confusion of all madmen, and the confusion of the drunk, as explained in the sefarim . But on Purim, one merits subduing the zuhamas hanachash so greatly — from there, sorting the midameh — that through the drunkenness of Purim, which is the aspect of the midameh , one merits sweetening the confusion of the midameh at its root. For then the zuhamas hanachash — which is the totality of the klipos and Sitra Achra — has no dominion to grip in the drunkenness, which is the confusion of the midameh , to draw heresies and false beliefs through this, chas v'shalom . On the contrary — through the drunkenness of Purim, "until one doesn't know" etc., one sweetens and nullifies the damage of the Tree of Knowledge, good and evil. [That damage was] wanting to investigate the root of good and evil — where they are drawn from — which is the essential damage of the confused midameh . And now, through the drunkenness of Purim "until one doesn't know between cursed-Haman and blessed-Mordechai," one sweetens and rectifies this damage. For this midameh is sweetened at its root on Purim, because then is the essential defeat of Haman-Amalek, which is the zuhamas hanachash . And one merits drawing complete emunah through the midameh — which is the essential power of the Purim miracle, as above. § 32 — Shavuos / Matan Torah : One Must Seek the True Tzadik This is the aspect of Shavuos , the aspect of receiving the Torah. For it is explained in the above Torah " Tik'u " that the essential receiving of the Torah is to draw emunas chidush ha'olam , which is the essence of everything. For through receiving the Torah, all Israel merited drawing upon themselves the aspect of ruach n'vuah , ruach hakodesh . This is the aspect of the Ten Dibros , which are the aspect of the ten levels of prophecy, as it says: "face to face Hashem spoke with you." "The word of Hashem" — this is the aspect of prophecy. And through prophecy the midameh is sorted, and through this comes the essential emunah . All this is explained there; see there. Therefore one must see to it and strive greatly to search and plead with Hashem to merit drawing close to the true tzadik of each generation. For every tzadik has the aspect of ruach n'vuah , ruach hakodesh . And even now, when prophecy has ceased, nevertheless every true tzadik of every generation has some aspect of ruach hakodesh . Therefore one must draw close to the tzadik in order to merit complete emunah — which depends on sorting the midameh , which is sorted only through the aspect of ruach n'vuah , ruach hakodesh . But one must search greatly for this tzadik , so that one merits sorting the midameh through him, in order to merit emunah . For there are false leaders, who are the aspect of false prophets, through whom the midameh is damaged further — from which come false beliefs. This is the aspect of all the diviners and sorcerers, which are the aspect of the confused midameh , the aspect of zuhamas hanachash . Therefore one must seek and search greatly for the true tzadik , and plead very, very much with Hashem to merit drawing close to the true tzadik who has the aspect of ruach hakodesh — so that one merits sorting the midameh , so that one merits complete emunah , to believe in chidush ha'olam , which is the foundation of everything. This is the aspect of the entire world hanging in suspense until the sixth of Sivan, when the Torah was given. Meaning: emunas chidush ha'olam was hanging until Matan Torah , which is the aspect of drawing the holiness of ruach n'vuah — through which the midameh was sorted and they merited emunas chidush ha'olam . And through this emunah , there will also be chidush ha'olam of the future. And the chidush ha'olam of the future will be in the aspect of Eretz Yisrael . And the essence of Eretz Yisrael is that there it is the aspect of hashgachah and wonders. And then a new song will be awakened, which is a song of wonders. This is the aspect of the voice of the above-mentioned mochaiach . Through this, all the fragrances grow — which are the aspect of yirah [awe]. Through this, all sins are transformed to merits — for not only does it not awaken the bad fragrance of sins; on the contrary, through the voice of his rebuke, all the sins add and give forth a good fragrance. In the aspect of: "my spikenard gave forth its fragrance" — "'abandoned' is not stated, but rather 'gave forth'" etc. And through this, m'zona d'gufa is subdued and one merits m'zona d'nishmasa , which is the aspect of smell. See all this there well. § 33 — Rabbainu Spoke Face to Face: Why the Tzadik of Each Generation, If Torah Was Already Given Furthermore, beyond what is written there, he spoke with me face to face. And he warned very much to write this matter well: that one must plead with Hashem very much and search greatly to merit drawing close to the true tzadik , in order to merit sorting the midameh through the ruach hakodesh of the tzadik , so that one merits complete emunah , emunas chidush ha'olam , as above. Now, at first glance there is a difficulty with this matter. For Rabbainu zichrono livrachah himself wrote there in the above Torah that at the time of Matan Torah , all Israel merited the aspect of ruach hakodesh , and through this their midameh was sorted and they merited emunas chidush ha'olam , as above. And if so, the difficulty is: why does one need to travel to the tzadik in order to receive from him the sorting of the midameh through his ruach hakodesh ? Israel already merited this at Matan Torah ! This difficulty is close to the question that the world asks: why does one need to travel to the tzadik ? Are the books that already exist not sufficient? Rabbainu zichrono livrachah in the above Torah comes to demolish their question and to explain that one must specifically travel to tzadikim , and that this is the essential holiness of a Jewish person — for all emunah depends on this, for it is impossible to merit emunah except through the tzadik who has the aspect of ruach hakodesh , as above. But at first glance the difficulty still stands in its place — for we already received the Torah, when all Israel merited sorting the midameh , through which they merited emunah , as Rabbainu zichrono livrachah himself wrote there. If so, why must one search for the tzadik and draw close to him? But in truth, the words of Rabbainu zichrono livrachah are the words of the Living G-d. And his words are living and enduring, faithful and beloved forever. And they are all straight for the one who understands. For in truth, the completeness of emunah must be drawn upon oneself every single day anew. For the Holy One, blessed be He, renews in His goodness every day constantly the act of creation. And no day resembles another. For the Holy One, blessed be He, renewed the world yaish mai'ayin hamuchlat in order to reveal His Divinity and His sovereignty — so that they would know that there is a Renewer, a Creator of all. This is the essential purpose of creation, as is known — for the essential creation was b'gin d'yishtamod'un laih [so that they may know Him], as stated in the holy Zohar. But Hashem wanted there to be bechirah for man — for which all worlds were created, for the sake of man the possessor of bechirah , as is known. Therefore He concealed from man's understanding, so that he would not be able to grasp and comprehend chidush ha'olam through his intellect — so that he would strengthen in emunah . This is the essential trial and bechirah of man. For the essential fulfillment of the entire Torah and mitzvos depends on emunah , as our Sages say (Makos 24): "Chavakuk came and established them on one: 'the righteous shall live by his faith.'" And as it says: "all Your commandments are faithfulness." For there is the essential bechirah . The essential thing is emunas chidush ha'olam . For the essential strengthening of emunah is needed in what is impossible to understand through intellect in any way whatsoever. And this is the aspect of emunas chidush ha'olam — for chidush ha'olam is impossible to understand through intellect in any way. On the contrary — whoever wants to enter this matter to investigate and understand through his intellect will fall into great questions and confusions until he can come to complete heresy, Rachmana litzlan — as all the heretics who fell into their heresy through their intellect and understanding, wanting to understand through their minds. Therefore one must strengthen only in emunah , as explained in the words of Rabbainu zichrono livrachah many times. This is the essential trial and bechirah of man — for everything depends on emunah , as above. Hashem wants to bestow good upon His creatures. Therefore He turns and maneuvers with His stratagems, and arranges for every person every day constantly — thought, speech, and action — in a manner through which he can merit strengthening in emunah more. This is the aspect of chidush ma'asai beraishis [renewal of the act of creation] each day. For the Holy One, blessed be He, renews in His goodness every day constantly the act of creation. And He performs wonders at every moment. And many, many changes occur in the world every day and at every moment and at every hour, and no day resembles another. And all this is in order to reveal the holy emunah each time in greater revelation — meaning emunas chidush ha'olam , which is the foundation of everything. For this purpose Hashem renews chidush ma'asai beraishis every day — in order to draw emunas chidush ha'olam every day in greater revelation. This is the aspect of: "new every morning — great is Your faithfulness." The holy emunah is renewed and strengthened every day according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of that day. But "this opposite this G-d has made." Just as Hashem orchestrates causes every day and renews ma'asai beraishis every day in order to reveal the emunah — meaning emunas chidush ha'olam , as above — so too, this opposite this, the Sitra Achra and the klipos intensify to conceal and hide the holy emunah and to inject new heresies and new questions into the heart in order to confuse the holy emunah . For every day one's inclination strengthens against him, as our Sages say. And the essential yetzer hara is the aspect of heresy — from which comes the essential power of the yetzer hara , as explained in our words many times. For this reason one must strive greatly to draw close specifically to the true tzadikim of the generation. And the books that already exist are not sufficient. For we need the true tzadik of the generation who has ruach hakodesh , so that he sorts for us the midameh , so that we merit complete emunah every single day according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of each day. For every single day we need a new sorting — to sort the midameh according to the thoughts that are drawn on that day, according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of that day, which is all for the purpose of strengthening emunah , as above. But the ba'al davar intensifies every day with new confusions to confuse the emunah , chas v'shalom , as above. Therefore one needs the tzadik of the generation specifically. And what we already received — the Torah and the sorting of the midameh and the complete emunah attained then — is not sufficient. For we need to sort the midameh every day anew, in order to strengthen the emunah every day according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of that day — to sort the emunah from the klipah and the Sitra Achra that intensifies against it anew every day, as above. § 34 — The Golden Calf: The Astonishing Power of Bechirah This is the aspect of what we have seen — a frightening and bizarre thing at which every person is astonished. Would it be believed if told? After Israel merited receiving the Torah with such awesome signs, and all of them merited ruach hakodesh — after all this, can such a thing be heard, that they would do such a deed as to err after the Calf? And even though Israel themselves did not do it — only the airev rav [mixed multitude], who afterward misled some of Israel — nevertheless, even those very few who erred in this — what happened to them? And the difficulty applies even to the airev rav themselves — for even the airev rav had very great da'as , as is understood from the Arizal's Writings. And certainly they also had some small amount of good, since they had gone out after Moshe from Egypt and cast aside their families and their father's house and wanted to convert, because they saw from Moshe Rabbainu such awesome signs and wonders in Egypt. And after all these things — after all the awesome wonders they saw with their eyes in Egypt, and the splitting of the Sea, and the war with Amalek, and Matan Torah with such awesome signs and wonders, as it says: "the great trials that your eyes have seen, the signs and the wonders" etc.; "has a nation ever heard" etc. — and after all this, they would do such a deed as to make for themselves a calf as a god! But from all this, every person can understand the extent of man's power of bechirah , and how greatly the ba'al davar attacks man every day. For Hashem created everything for bechirah . Everything was created for man — not for an angel and not for a seraph. And conversely — not for an animal, beast, or plant. Rather, everything was created for man. And the essential distinction and greatness of man — for whose sake all this tumult, that everything was created for him from beginning to end — the essential thing is that man is a possessor of bechirah . Through this specifically, his service is exceedingly more precious than the service of all the angels and seraphs — since they have no bechirah , and man is a possessor of bechirah . For this reason Hashem created everything from beginning to end. Thus everything was created for bechirah . Therefore bechirah has such great power that even Hashem, as it were, cannot nullify bechirah — for then the world would be nullified. As our Sages say: "Everything is in the hands of Heaven except the fear of Heaven." From the great power of bechirah — for which everything was created — the ba'al davar has power to attack anew each time with many kinds of new confusions and incitements. To the point that he had the power to attack Israel after Matan Torah so that they would make the Golden Calf. All this was because Moshe Rabbainu was removed from them then and was not among them. Therefore the Satan confused the world until they made the Calf. As it says in the parshah : "the people saw that Moshe was delayed... arise, make for us gods, for this man Moshe — we do not know what has happened to him." Thus the essential attack of the Satan was because he concealed Moshe from them and implanted in their hearts that Moshe had already vanished. Therefore he incited them to commit the above-mentioned deed. For on that day the Sitra Achra overpowered so greatly that there was no power to nullify it except Moshe himself, had he been there. This is: "the people saw that Moshe was delayed [boshesh]." Our Sages expound: "the sixth hour had come" etc., and that "it was a day of cloud" etc. This is as above — the Satan confused the world so greatly then, according to that day which was a day prepared for calamity. Specifically at that time, after the sixth hour had come and it was a day of cloud — specifically then the Satan had the power to attack with such confusions and heresies, according to that specific day and hour. To the point that there was no power to nullify it through anything except Moshe Rabbainu himself, who was the tzadik of the generation then. And because Moshe was then in heaven, the Satan's scheme succeeded at that hour. But immediately when Moshe descended from the mountain, he subdued and shattered and nullified the Calf. And he went back and received the second Luchos . And he went back and strengthened the emunah . But even then, everything was through the power of the reshima that remained from the secret of the emunah that was implanted in the heart of Israel at the time of Matan Torah , at the time of receiving the first Luchos . For through the foundation of this emunah , every tzadik in his generation has the power to sort for Israel the holy emunah . For through this emunah -foundation, Israel in every generation merit drawing close to the true tzadik — to seek and search for him until they find him. As will be explained below. Therefore one must strive to draw close to the tzadik of the generation specifically, so that he merits sorting for us the holy emunah at every time, according to the day and hour. For even though at Matan Torah , Israel merited emunah through ruach hakodesh as above, and likewise afterward through the tzadikim and prophets of every generation the emunah was sorted each time more and more — nevertheless, we need now, in this generation, to draw close to the true tzadik of this generation, so that he sorts for us the emunah according to the time and era of now. For the emunah must be sorted every single day anew, as above. This is the essential attack of the yetzer hara that intensifies in every generation: to conceal and hide the true tzadik of that generation specifically. As we see tangibly — the essential machlokes [controversy] is on the tzadik of that generation. And afterward, when days have already passed, they acknowledge even this tzadik and say: "This one was certainly a tzadik ." But they dispute the tzadik of the following generation. For in the days of the Arizal, there was a great machlokes on the Arizal, and they did not want to acknowledge that such a novelty could be found in that generation — that someone would have such ruach hakodesh , as is brought in the Arizal's Writings. And afterward, over many generations, the Arizal was accepted. And everyone acknowledges that he was a wondrous novelty, a man of G-d, etc. But they disputed other tzadikim of later generations. Until close to our days there was the Ba'al Shem Tov zichrono livrachah , who was an exceedingly awesome and wondrous light, and upon him there was a great machlokes . And in the days of the Ba'al Shem Tov, most of the misnagdim acknowledged the Arizal, yet disputed the Ba'al Shem Tov zichrono livrachah . And so it is in every generation. And this is already brought in the sefarim (see at the end of Sefer No'am Elimelech , which discusses this). All this is because the essential sorting of the midameh , which is the sorting of emunah , is specifically through the true tzadikim of this generation specifically. For "you have only the judge of your days" — for one must sort the emunah every day anew, according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of that day, as above. And this can only be sorted through this tzadik of that generation specifically. Therefore the ba'al davar devotes himself to this fully, in length and breadth, to conceal and hide this tzadik and to multiply machlokes and questions upon him — so that they not draw close to him, chas v'shalom . Because the essential emunah , which is the essential holiness of Israel, depends on this tzadik specifically, as above. Therefore every person must strive greatly to draw close to the true tzadik of this generation specifically. And the sorting of the midameh through Matan Torah , and through the books of the prophets and tzadikim that already exist, is not sufficient. For one must specifically come to the true tzadik of this generation in order to sort the emunah at every time — according to the sorting needed in this generation, every single day anew, as above. § 35 — What Matan Torah Accomplished: The Reshima That Empowers the Search for the Tzadik But if so, at first glance there is a difficulty: what did the true tzadikim of all the generations before us accomplish — who composed holy books through their ruach hakodesh , all in order to draw emunah into the world? And likewise, what was accomplished by the sorting of emunah that we merited at Matan Torah — since we still need the true tzadik of every generation specifically? But in truth, both together are good. For certainly the essential sorting of emunah in every generation is through the true tzadik of that generation. Therefore one must draw close to him specifically, as above. But the ba'al davar wages war against this tzadik greatly, and intensifies in every generation to distance the world from this tzadik through the magnitude of the questions and machlokes he multiplies upon him. Therefore one must search and seek greatly for the true tzadik , as above. This is the aspect of the great praise and merit of the holiness of receiving the Torah — that Hashem had mercy on us and gave us His holy Torah through Moshe Rabbainu, the faithful one of His household. For Hashem sees what is to come, and He saw in His wisdom that in every generation the azai panim [brazen ones] overpower, disputing the true tzadik of every generation, concealing and hiding him and distancing the world from him. And when they do not merit drawing close to the true tzadik , they do not merit emunah , as above. And if so, chas v'shalom , the world would return to tohu vavohu — for the world endures only through emunah , as above. Therefore Hashem in His mercy prepared the remedy before the blow and gave us His perfect Torah through Moshe Rabbainu. And then all Israel merited ruach hakodesh , until the midameh was sorted for them in great completeness, and they all then merited complete emunah . And even though Hashem knew that afterward the ba'al davar would overpower through his cunning and would seek to damage even this, chas v'shalom — as indeed happened, for he overpowered afterward with the Golden Calf, when the zuhamas hanachash was drawn back into the world (= confused midameh ). And it is impossible to sort and rectify this contamination except through the true tzadikim of every generation, who sort the midameh — which is sorting the zuhamas hanachash — and rectify the sin of the Calf in every generation, and draw emunah into the world, as above. If so, what did G-d accomplish with the sorting of emunah that He granted us through Matan Torah — since in the end we need the true tzadik of every generation specifically, on whom the essential emunah depends, as above? But on the contrary — this is truly the wonder of the Perfect in Knowledge. For through the great holiness drawn upon us at Matan Torah , through this we merit finding the tzadik in every generation and drawing close to him. For without Matan Torah , chas v'shalom , we would not have merited drawing close to the true tzadik of the generation at all, because of the great overpowering of the azai panim in every generation who dispute him and conceal him, as above. But through Matan Torah , we merited the sorting of the midameh and merited such complete emunah — so that even afterward, when the ba'al davar overpowered and confused the emunah through the Golden Calf — nevertheless the reshima remained. Through this we have the power to search for the true tzadik in every generation and draw close to him. Without Matan Torah , we would have had no power at all to search for the tzadik and draw close to him, because of the great overpowering of the azai panim in the generation who dispute him and distance the world from him, as above. This is: "for a commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light, and the way of life is reproofs of instruction." Meaning: the Torah and mitzvos are the aspect of light and lamp, through which we have the power to search for the tzadik and draw close to him. For the foundation of emunah that remains in us from Matan Torah — for Hashem promised Moshe: "and also in you they shall believe forever" — and every true tzadik of every generation is the aspect of Moshe — through this emunah -foundation, we have the power to search and seek the true tzadik , as above. This is what it concludes: "and the way of life is reproofs of instruction." For the tzadik is called chaim [life], as our Sages say: "the righteous, even in their death, are called living." This is: "for a commandment is a lamp and the Torah is light, and the way of life" etc. — the Torah and mitzvah are light and lamp to illuminate for us the way to seek and find the true tzadik who is called chaim . This is: "and the way of life" etc. — the Torah illuminates for us the way to draw close to the true tzadik who is called chaim . This is: "and the way of life is reproofs of instruction" — for through the tzadik one merits emunah , through which there will be the future chidush ha'olam , through which one merits the voice of the melody that will awaken in the future — the voice of the worthy mochaiach , as explained in the above Torah ; see there. This is: "and the way of life is reproofs of instruction," as above — that through the Torah one merits drawing close to the tzadik called chaim , who is at such a lofty level that he has the power to rebuke Israel. This is the aspect of "reproofs of instruction." For this true tzadik who has ruach hakodesh , who has the power to sort the midameh and emunah as above — he merits the voice of the melody that will awaken in the future, through which he has the power to rebuke Israel, as explained there; see there. § 36 — The 974 Generations: Azai Panim Planted in Every Generation This is what our Sages say: "He commanded His word to a thousand generations." The Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to give the Torah after a thousand generations, and He saw that the world could not survive. He arose and gave it to the twenty-sixth generation. And the nine hundred and seventy-four generations — He arose and planted them in every generation, and they are the azai panim [brazen ones] of each generation. At first glance this matter is very puzzling. What was the original thinking? How was it possible for the world to survive without Torah? The entire world was created only for the Torah, as our Sages say! Also, according to our Sages, it appears that because Hashem saw the generations were wicked and the world could not survive through them, He hastened to give the Torah to the twenty-sixth generation. But if the generations had been righteous and upright, He would have upheld His intention to delay the giving of the Torah until the thousandth generation. At first glance this is difficult to understand — for the opposite seems logical! The Torah is fitting to be given to the righteous. If so, if the generations had been righteous, it is obvious that it would have been fitting to give them the Torah immediately. Why then was it Hashem's initial intent to delay the giving of the Torah so long, until a thousand generations? But in truth, we see that there are true tzadikim so great that they knew how to serve Hashem and fulfill the entire Torah even before it was given. As we saw with the Patriarchs, who served Hashem and fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given, as our Sages say in the Mishnah: "We find that Avraham Avinu fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given." And certainly in every generation such great tzadikim are found, as our Sages say: "there is no generation without one like Avraham" etc. Therefore through such tzadikim , the world certainly could have survived without the giving of the Torah — for these tzadikim would have shown us the way in every generation and would have drawn upon us from their ruach hakodesh to sort our midameh . And through this they would have drawn the holy emunah into the world — which is the essential survival of the world, as above. Therefore Hashem wanted to delay the giving of the Torah until a thousand generations. The matter is as follows: from the sin of Adam HaRishon, the zuhamas hanachash was drawn into the world — the confusion of the midameh , the confusion of emunah . And one must sort this contamination in every generation. And this contamination will not be sorted in ultimate completeness until the time of "He will swallow death forever," as brought in the Writings. Only the tzadikim and k'shairim of every generation sort it little by little, until the sorting is completed and the world is rectified in completeness. Hashem wanted to delay the giving of the Torah until the time of the world's complete tikkun . His will was that the tzadikim of every generation — who know how to serve Him without the giving of the Torah, as above — would sustain the world and teach the world da'as and draw emunah into the world and show them in every generation the way they should go, etc. — so that through this, they would sort in every generation and purify the world each time from the dross and refuse, until the sorting was completed in completeness after a thousand generations. And then He would give the Torah in wondrous clarity and in great revelation — as will be in the future, when Oraisa d'Atika S'timah [the hidden Ancient Torah] will be revealed, as it says: "for Torah shall go forth from Me" — as stated in the holy Zohar. For Hashem wanted not to give the Torah until the world was so purified that He would be assured that they would never again violate anything of the Torah, and would never break His covenant. As will indeed be in the future, at the time when Hashem will reveal the secrets of the Torah that will be revealed in the future — which is Oraisa d'Atika S'timah — regarding which it says in Yechezkel: "I will forge with them a new covenant... not like the covenant that I made with them when I took them out of the land of Egypt, which they broke" etc. For this reason Hashem wanted to delay the giving of the Torah so long, until a thousand generations — so that in those generations the world would be sorted each time through the tzadikim of every generation, as above — so that He could afterward reveal the Torah in completeness, as in the future — so that they would never violate or transgress the Torah again, as above. But Hashem saw that the world could not survive. Therefore He arose and gave it to the twenty-sixth generation. Meaning: Hashem saw that, due to our many sins, the azai panim of the generation were overpowering in every generation. They stand and dispute the tzadik and conceal him and distance the world from him. And if so, how can the world survive — since they do not know about the tzadik upon whom the world's essential survival depends? We need him to lead us in the straight path and to draw emunah upon us through his ruach hakodesh , as above. And since the azai panim overpower to the point that it is impossible to know about him and draw close to him, because of the magnitude of the machlokes they multiply upon him through their brazenness and their abundant lashon hara — if so, how can the world survive? Therefore Hashem had mercy on His world and gave the Torah before its time, to the twenty-sixth generation. Even though the sorting was not yet complete — and therefore certainly the ba'al davar would overpower to cause damage afterward, as indeed happened: he overpowered so greatly that they made the Calf; and afterward with the spies, etc.; and after the death of Yehoshua, etc.; and in the days of the Judges and the rest of the generations, he overpowered each time to cause Israel to violate the Torah. And the tikkun each time was through the tzadikim who stood for them in every generation as deliverers — like the Judges and the Prophets and the other tzadikim of every generation — nevertheless: "but You are exalted forever, Hashem" — and Your hand is always supreme (as Rashi explains there). For Hashem is great in counsel and mighty in deed. And His wonders and His thoughts are toward us. For in His abundant mercy He prepared for us the remedy before the blow. For through the giving of the Torah, we merited that we have the power to search and seek the true tzadik of every generation, until we merit finding him. And through this we merit complete emunah and drawing close to Him, blessed be He. Without the giving of the Torah — even if there were tzadikim in every generation who knew the Torah before it was given, and could lead us in the straight path and draw complete emunah upon us and sustain the world — nevertheless the world could not have survived. Because we would not have known about the tzadik at all, due to the overpowering of the azai panim in every generation who dispute him and speak lashon hara about him — to the point that we would have had no power to search for him and seek him at all. But through having already merited receiving the Torah — through which the midameh was sorted and the foundation of the holy emunah was drawn upon us — through this we have the power to search and seek the true tzadik in every generation, until we merit drawing close to him. And through him we merit sorting the midameh in completeness — to sort the emunah according to that time and era, according to that generation, as above. This is what our Sages say there: that the nine hundred and seventy-four generations — He arose and planted them in every generation, and they are the azai panim of each generation. Meaning: the azai panim that exist in every generation, who dispute the true tzadik and speak maliciously about him with arrogance and contempt — they are from the nine hundred and seventy-four generations mentioned above, who were cut short before their time, whom Hashem was forced to remove, hastening to give the Torah before the time He desired. Because He saw that they were azai panim and would dispute the tzadikim — until they would not know about the true tzadikim of every generation, and the world could not survive, as above. Therefore He removed in His mercy these nine hundred and seventy-four generations and gave the Torah immediately. And these nine hundred and seventy-four generations — He arose and planted them in every generation. And they are the azai panim of the generation, who dispute in every generation the true tzadik of the generation, and conceal and hide the tzadik through the magnitude of their machlokes , and distance the world from him. Nevertheless, now the world can survive — for now we already have the power to search and seek the tzadik , through the foundation of emunah that was implanted and rooted in us through Matan Torah that we merited receiving, as above. Through this we merited that we have the emunah -foundation, through which we have the power to search and seek the tzadik . Even if the brazenness of the azai panim reaches the heavens, and even if they overpower as they overpower, due to our many sins, in every generation — their hands shall accomplish nothing. For the mouth of every lying word shall be stopped, and they shall all kneel and fall. For Hashem prepared the remedy before the blow — for we have already received the holy Torah, through which we have the aspect of light and lamp to search through it for the true tzadik until we merit finding him. "The lip of truth endures forever, but the lying tongue is but for a moment." As above. ✦ End of Part 4 (§§ 28–36 / Oaseyos כז–לה) · Continues in Part 5 (§§ 37–43) ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaRaiach v'HaHodaah — Halachah 4 Part 5 (§§ 37–43 / Oaseyos לו–מב) COMPLETE · Based on LM II:8 ( Tik'u Tochachah ) § 37 — Tehillim 75: Matan Torah Empowers the Defeat of Azai Panim This is: "The earth and all its inhabitants were dissolved; I established its pillars, selah" (Tehillim 75). Our Sages expound this verse on Matan Torah — that Israel pride themselves that when the earth and all its inhabitants were dissolving before Matan Torah (for the entire world hung in suspense until the sixth of Sivan when Israel received the Torah), "I established its pillars, selah" — through receiving the Torah that begins with "Anochi," I established its pillars so they would not be destroyed. Immediately following is: "I said to the boasters: do not boast" etc. The verse itself answers the above-mentioned difficulty. For if one were to say: "What do you pride yourselves on — that you established the world so it would not be destroyed through receiving the Torah? The essential survival of the world that you merited through Matan Torah — the essential thing is the emunah that you merited drawing into the world, namely emunas chidush ha'olam , which is the essence of everything, as above." As Rabbainu zichrono livrachah explains there: what our Sages say — that the whole world hung until the sixth of Sivan — the meaning is that emunas chidush ha'olam hung until the sixth of Sivan when they received the Torah and merited ruach n'vuah , ruach hakodesh , through which specifically the midameh was sorted and they merited emunas chidush ha'olam , as above. And in truth both are one. For the survival of the world in the simple sense — that it not be destroyed — which hung until the sixth of Sivan (as is the plain reading of the above teaching), and what Rabbainu zichrono livrachah explains — that the world "hanging" means emunas chidush ha'olam was hanging — these two interpretations amount to the same thing. For everything is one — this depends on that. The essential survival of the world, that it not be destroyed and not return to tohu vavohu , chas v'shalom — this depends on emunas chidush ha'olam . For the essential foundation and survival of the world is emunah , as it says: "all His works are in faithfulness." The Holy One, blessed be He, sustains the world only in the merit of the emunah of all Israel, who believe in chidush ha'olam — which is the beginning of our holy Torah: "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth." All this is understood and explained in the above Torah for one who examines it there. Thus the essential survival of the world — that it not dissolve — which Israel merited at Matan Torah , is the aspect of emunas chidush ha'olam that they merited drawing then. If so, one can raise the above-mentioned difficulty: what did you accomplish with this? You still need to sort the emunah in every generation through the tzadikim of every generation specifically, who alone can sort the emunah according to that time and era, as above. To this the verse itself responds, speaking on behalf of Knesses Yisrael , and says — as if boasting: "Very, very much did I accomplish through the sorting of emunah that I drew upon myself through Matan Torah ! For through this I accomplished that I have the power to fill the mouths of the azai panim with gravel and shatter the jaws of the wicked," as above. This is: "I said to the boasters: do not boast! And to the wicked: do not raise your horn!" For through Matan Torah I have the power to subdue, shatter, and bring down the azai panim , the speakers of lashon hara , the boasters who confuse the world and distance people from the true tzadik . Through the power of the Torah we received at the chosen assembly, we have the power now to search and seek the tzadik until we merit finding him, seeing the truth, and nullifying falsehood, as above. This is: "Do not raise your horn on high; do not speak with an arrogant neck" — they shall no longer have the ability to raise their horn and speak arrogantly against true tzadikim . For the power of emunah we merited through Matan Torah will stand by us as help, that we merit through it to search and seek the true tzadik until we merit drawing close to him. Through this we merit sorting the midameh in completeness according to this generation, according to this time and these days. Through this we merit emunas chidush ha'olam in completeness — through which one merits the future chidush ha'olam , the Eretz Yisrael -mode of governance: hashgachah and wonders beyond the natural order, as explained in the above Torah . This is: "For not from the east nor the west, nor from the desert comes elevation. For G-d is the judge" etc. — there is no nature in the world at all; everything is solely through His hashgachah . All this is drawn from emunas chidush ha'olam merited through Matan Torah and through the tzadikim of every generation, as above. This is what it concludes: "All the horns of the wicked I shall cut off; the horns of the righteous shall be exalted." Through the merit of Matan Torah — which is the aspect of "the earth was dissolving... I established its pillars, selah" — through this power I can search for the tzadik until I merit drawing close to him. All the horns of the wicked — the azai panim , the speakers of lashon hara — I shall cut off and bring down. And the horns of the tzadik shall be exalted, for everyone will see the truth. All through the power of Matan Torah that we already received, as above. § 38 — Shir HaShirim: "Tell Me, You Whom My Soul Loves" — Finding the True Shepherd in the Darkness of Exile This is what Knesses Yisrael requests from the Holy One, blessed be He: "Tell me, you whom my soul loves — where do you graze? Where do you rest at noon?" (Shir HaShirim 1:7). "Why should I be like one veiled among the flocks of your companions?" Rashi explains that "noon" alludes to the intensity of the exile; see Rashi's commentary there, which illuminates our topic well. For Shlomo HaMelech, peace upon him, saw with ruach hakodesh that in the intensity of this bitter exile, in the end of days, the azai panim would overpower greatly, as our Sages say: "In the footsteps of Mashiach, brazenness will increase, and the truth will be absent, and there will be no rebuke" etc. From the great overpowering of the azai panim and speakers of lashon hara , the world becomes exceedingly confused. A great accusation arises among the talmidai chachamim until it is impossible to know where the truth lies. This is the essential chevlai Mashiach [birth-pangs of Mashiach] about which our prophets and Sages prophesied. This is what Knesses Yisrael cries out in a bitter voice: "Tell me, you whom my soul loves — where do you graze? Where do you rest at noon?" — which is the time of the heat of the day, a difficult time for the flock, alluding to the intensity of exile. Knesses Yisrael asks the Holy One, blessed be He, to tell her where He grazes and where He rests His flock at "noon" — at the end of this bitter exile, when most of the world does not know where the true Shepherd is. Therefore Knesses Yisrael asks the Holy One, blessed be He, to reveal the truth to Israel and reveal to them where He grazes His flock — where the true Shepherd is, who shepherds His people and the flock of His pasture in absolute truth and truth, as is fitting. This is: "Why should I be like one veiled among the flocks of your companions?" — Knesses Yisrael , which is the Shechinah , the holiness of Israel that dwells among the tzadikim and k'shairim of the generation — she laments and complains before Hashem: why are the truly upright of the generation — who draw close to true tzadikim , where the Shechinah ( Knesses Yisrael ) dwells — so scorned and distanced with every kind of rejection? For the azai panim have confused the world until many m'fursomim [famous ones] and false leaders arose in the world. And even among the upright leaders, great machlokes has multiplied among them — until most of the world cannot know where the true tzadik is who can lead Israel properly. Moreover, they greatly scorn those who draw close to the true tzadik , turning truth on its head, saying to the tzadik : "you are wicked!" And the G-d-fearing are despised as if they are far, chas v'shalom , from Hashem and the Torah. While the azai panim pride themselves that only they are close to Hashem, saying to the truly upright: "Come close to yourself; don't touch me, for I am holier than you" — as is prevalent now, due to our many sins. This is: "Why should I be like one veiled among the flocks of your companions?" — the Shechinah says that the truly upright — where the Shechinah dwells — appear like mourners and like the rebuked, chas v'shalom , "among the flocks of your companions" — the other leaders who exalt themselves in their rabbinical authority as though they are companions of the Holy One, blessed be He, and He associates with them alone. And the truly upright they distance like the rebuked, chas v'shalom . All this because the truth has been hidden through the machlokes made by the overpowering azai panim , as above. This is what Hashem responds to her: "If you do not know, O fairest of women" — Hashem responds to Knesses Yisrael : if you do not know how to conduct yourself, to whom to draw close — "go out for yourself in the footsteps of the flock." Rashi explains: look at the ways of your good forefathers, and follow after them; "and graze your kids" etc. This is what we said above — for even though now the world is exceedingly confused and no one knows where the truth is, nevertheless Hashem already prepared the remedy: we merited receiving the Torah. We must walk in the footsteps of the flock, in the way of our forefathers, in the way of the Torah that Moshe and our Sages zichronam livrachah transmitted to us from generation to generation. All our Sages and prophets zichronam livrachah composed for us holy and precious books and showed us the ways of Torah. We must walk in their footsteps, and through this we merit searching and seeking and finding the true tzadik of this generation — through whom the essential sorting of emunah is accomplished, as above. This is: "and graze your kids by the tents of the shepherds" — through the power of the Torah (= "go out in the footsteps of the flock," as above), Knesses Yisrael will truly merit grazing her kids by the true shepherds. Through the power of the Torah we already received, we merit finding the tzadik — the true shepherd — and drawing close to him, as above. § 39 — Sefirah : Drawing the Holiness of Emunah onto Every Day of the Year This is the aspect of Sefirah — that one must count the days, seven weeks, before receiving the Torah. Through the Sefirah one sorts the midameh , as above. Therefore one must count the days — for through counting the days, one draws the holiness of sorting the midameh (= the holiness of emunah ) upon every single day of the entire year. For these seven weeks correspond to the seven days of creation, each containing seven — the aspect of the totality of all days. Through Sefirah , we draw upon ourselves the holiness of Matan Torah (= sorting the midameh , sorting the emunah ) in a manner that we merit the emunah -foundation for all the days of the world, for every day to come. Even though the ba'al davar will attack with whatever confusion he attacks with, each day anew — nevertheless we will have the power to sort the emunah through the tzadikim of the generation, to whom we merit drawing close. For we have the power to seek and find them through the holiness of the emunah -foundation that we drew upon ourselves through Matan Torah — through counting the forty-nine days of Sefirah , during which we are purified from the zuhamas hanachash (= confused midameh ) and merit drawing complete emunah every single day. Until we merit sorting the emunah in completeness. The essential holiness we draw upon ourselves for all time is that we merit searching for the tzadik until we find him, as above. § 40 — Tehillim 12: " Hoshi'ah Hashem " — The Tzadik Concealed, Emunah Obscured This is: "Save, Hashem! For the pious one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among men" (Tehillim 12). David HaMelech, peace upon him, cries out before Hashem: "Save, Hashem! For the pious one is gone" — the pious ones and true tzadikim have been removed. Through this, emunah has been damaged, due to our many sins. This is: "for the faithful have vanished from among men" — for the essential emunah is drawn through the true tzadikim and chasidim , as above. "Falsehood each man speaks to his fellow" etc. — David HaMelech laments that even though certainly no generation is orphaned, and certainly true tzadikim are found even in this generation — but the speakers of lashon hara and azai panim confuse the world until no one knows where the truth is, as above. This is: "falsehood each man speaks to his fellow, flattering lips" etc. — the speakers of lashon hara , through whom "the pious one is gone and the faithful have vanished" — for no one knows where the true tzadik is, as above. Regarding this, David himself concludes that Hashem will hear his prayer and cut off all the speakers of lashon hara , the fomentors of strife who seek to conceal the tzadik . This is: "Hashem shall cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that speaks great things. Who have said: with our tongue we shall prevail; our lips are with us — who is lord over us?" — they say they have no lord, they don't want to believe in true tzadikim . The Holy One, blessed be He, will cut them off. "Because of the plundering of the poor and the groaning of the destitute" — the upright poor and destitute who truly want to draw close to true tzadikim , who are plundered and scorned. They groan and cry out to Hashem from the magnitude of their distress, and from their cry Hashem will arise and save them and all Israel. This is: "Because of the plundering of the poor and the groaning of the destitute, now I shall arise, says Hashem; I shall place salvation — He shall speak to him." The verse explains through what the salvation will come — for the truth has been greatly confused! To this the verse concludes: "the words of Hashem are pure words" etc. — for Hashem already prepared the remedy before the blow and gave us the Torah long ago. Through the power of the Torah we received, we have the power to survive even now, and to merit seeking the true tzadik until we find him, as above. This is: "the words of Hashem are pure words" etc. — the Torah — "refined sevenfold." "Sevenfold" specifically — seven times seven, as Rashi explains there. This is the aspect of the forty-nine days of Sefirah , through which we merit drawing upon ourselves the holiness of Matan Torah , the holiness of emunah — until we merit the emunah -foundation for all the days of the world. Even though sorting the emunah every day and at every time requires specifically the tzadik of that time — for which reason the ba'al davar specifically intensifies most against the tzadik of that generation, since the essential sorting of emunah in that generation depends on him specifically, as above — nevertheless, through Matan Torah , when emunah was sorted, we merited through this the power in every generation, for all the days of the world, to search for and find the tzadik and draw close to him, as above. This is the aspect of the forty-nine days of Sefirah , through which we draw the emunah -foundation for all the days of the world — so that we have the power at all times to search and find the true tzadik , as above. This is: "You, Hashem, shall guard them; You shall preserve us from this generation forever." "From this generation" specifically — through the Torah we received after the purification of the forty-nine days of Sefirah (= "refined sevenfold" ), through this: "You, Hashem, shall guard them; You shall preserve us from this generation forever" — that You guard Israel from the opponents and azai panim who overpower against the tzadik of that generation specifically. This is: "preserve us from this generation forever" — that You guard the upright of Israel in every generation from the confusions of that generation specifically — who say it is impossible for such a great tzadik and such a novelty to exist in this generation, as above. They acknowledge previous generations' tzadikim but dispute the tzadik of this generation specifically, as above. This is: "the wicked walk all around, when vileness is exalted among men." The wicked overpower against the tzadik who raises souls from the degradation of exile and returns Israel in teshuvah — which is the aspect of "when vileness is exalted" : he raises them from the degradation of exile. Therefore the wicked opponents walk around and around to conceal and hide the truth through their great machlokes and flattering lips and tongue speaking great things, as above. But the Holy One, blessed be He, will cut them off through the power of the Torah we already received — which is the aspect of "the words of Hashem" etc., "refined sevenfold" — and will preserve us "from this generation," and draw us close to the true tzadik . Through this we merit sorting the midameh (= sorting emunah ) in completeness, as needed now in this generation, at this time, according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of each day, as above. § 41 — Birchos HaM'oros Before Krias Shma : Daily Renewal of Emunah Therefore Birchos HaM'oros [blessings on the luminaries] precede Krias Shma . Even though they seemingly have no connection to the blessing of Krias Shma , as the poskim discuss this difficulty — according to the above it is explained. For Krias Shma is emunas haYichud [faith in the Unity], which is emunas chidush ha'olam — for certainly one cannot believe in His Unity except by believing in chidush ha'olam : that Hashem is the Sole Ancient One before all, who renewed the world by His will, yaish mai'ayin . One who, chas v'shalom , does not believe in chidush ha'olam is a denier of everything — a complete denier of the G-d of Israel, than which there is no greater denial. (Even though some authors of philosophical works have written that emunas chidush ha'olam is not among the fundamentals — nonsense issues from their mouths. There is no need to refute such foolishness, for every true believer understands on his own that emunas chidush ha'olam is emunas haYichud , the foundation of the entire Torah. For this reason Moshe Rabbainu opened the Torah with chidush ha'olam : "In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth." ) One who denies this, chas v'shalom , is the complete apikores — worse than an idolater and an apostate. Therefore, before Krias Shma (= emunas haYichud = emunas chidush ha'olam ), we first say Birchos HaM'oros , which speak in praise of creation — that Hashem renews in His goodness every day constantly the act of creation, and that He performs new things at every moment. As we say: "He performs mighty deeds, makes new things... Master of wonders, who renews in His goodness every day constantly the act of creation" etc. Afterward we say Krias Shma — emunas haYichud = emunas chidush ha'olam , as above. For emunas chidush ha'olam must be drawn upon oneself every day anew, according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of each day, as above. Therefore after Birchos Yotzer HaM'oros we say Birchas Ahavah Rabbah , which speaks in praise of Matan Torah . For the essential emunah (= emunas chidush ha'olam ) is merited through Matan Torah , as above. This is what we say: "Because of our forefathers who trusted in You, and You taught them the laws of life — so too be gracious to us and teach us." For the essential power we have now to draw close to Hashem is through our forefathers, who merited drawing Matan Torah — through them we have light now to search and seek the tzadik who will teach us the way of Hashem and instill in us complete emunah , as above. This is: "And place in our hearts understanding... to learn and to teach, to guard and to do and to fulfill" etc. For we need now to merit such learning that through it we merit guarding, doing, and fulfilling all the words of Torah. We already received the Torah and know all the mitzvos Hashem commanded — yet few merit fulfilling all the words of Torah. Therefore we ask Hashem to merit such learning through which we merit guarding, doing, and fulfilling all His Torah's words in love. The essential thing is emunah , the foundation of the entire Torah: "all Your commandments are faithfulness" ; "Chavakuk established them on one: the righteous shall live by his faith." Therefore one must search for the true tzadik of every generation, as above. This is what we say in Krias Shma : "And these words which I command you today" etc. — "every day they should be in your eyes as new." For Krias Shma , which is emunah , must be every day like new — the aspect of "new every morning — great is Your faithfulness," as above. The holy emunah must be drawn upon oneself every day anew — to strengthen in complete emunah with greater strengthening every day, according to the chidush ma'asai beraishis of each day — which is all for the purpose of drawing emunah into the world every day anew, as above. § 42 — Staying Awake on Shavuos Night: Sleep = Midameh Therefore we stay awake on the night of Shavuos . For then we receive the Torah, through which comes the essential sorting of the midameh , as above. Therefore we stay awake the entire night — for sleep is the aspect of the midameh : during sleep the intellect departs and only the midameh remains, as is known. This is also explained in the above Torah ; see there. The essential purpose of sleep is for the midameh , which is the sorting of emunah . For without sleep, the intellect would become exhausted and greatly confused by the confusion of the midameh . Through sleep, all the confusions of the midameh are removed from the mind. As we see tangibly: after sleep, the mind is clear and pure of all confusions — which all derive from the confusions of the midameh . Therefore through sleep, emunah is sorted, in the aspect of: "new every morning — great is Your faithfulness" (as explained elsewhere). Therefore the tzadik who merits ruach hakodesh — through which he sorts the midameh — sleeps very little, because the midameh is sorted within him. Likewise, each person, according to how much he merits sorting the midameh , proportionally reduces his sleep, as above. Therefore on Shavuos , when we merit Matan Torah (= drawing ruach hakodesh upon all Israel, through which the midameh is sorted, as above), we stay awake the entire night — for sleep is nullified since we merit sorting the midameh through Matan Torah , as above. Birchos Hodaos HaYachid — Connected to the Above § 43 — The Four Who Must Give Thanks: All Miracles Derive from Emunas Chidush Ha'Olam This is the aspect of the four who must give thanks: those who travel through deserts, those released from prison, the sick who were healed, and those who go down to the sea when they arrive at dry land. The mnemonic is: "and all who live [v'chol ha'chaim] shall thank You, selah" — as explained in Shulchan Aruch , siman 219. All these four must give thanks for the miracles done for them. All miracles are hashgachah and wonders of the Creator, blessed be His Name. All derive from the future chidush ha'olam — when the world will be governed in the mode of Eretz Yisrael , whose governance is through "the eyes of Hashem always" — hashgachah and wonders beyond the natural order. From there all miracles and wonders are drawn, even now in this world, as understood from Rabbainu zichrono livrachah 's words in the Torah ( LM I:250 ) on our Sages' teaching: "He sheds two tears into the Great Sea, and His voice is heard from one end of the world to the other" etc.; see there. Therefore regarding all these four — who were saved from the storm of the sea, from illness, etc., through His hashgachah and wonders — it is written about them in Mizmor 107: "Let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness and His wonders to the children of men." "His kindness and His wonders" specifically — this is the future chidush ha'olam -mode of governance, which is the aspect of chesed : "the world shall be built with kindness." Then the world will be governed through wonders and hashgachah , as explained in the above Torah " Tik'u Tochachah ." From this future governance (= chesed , "the world shall be built with kindness" — when the world is governed through wonders), all miracles and wonders in this world for all time are drawn. This is: "Let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness and His wonders" — "His kindness and His wonders" specifically, as above. For all the troubles that befell these four who must give thanks — all derive from damaging the tzadik , which is damaging Eretz Yisrael . For one who merits searching and seeking the true tzadik properly until he draws close — through this he merits complete emunah , as above. Through this he merits the future chidush ha'olam — the Eretz Yisrael -mode of hashgachah and wonders, as above. Thus through the tzadik one merits Eretz Yisrael . Then one merits complete emunah — that Hashem renewed the world yaish mai'ayin and will renew His world, and that He supervises the world at all times with individual hashgachah , as above. But one who damages this — who doesn't strive to draw close to true tzadikim , who doesn't exert himself to search and seek the tzadik constantly until he finds him — through this he damages emunah and Eretz Yisrael , as above. Therefore all the above-mentioned troubles of the four befall him — in which all troubles are included, Rachmana litzlan . For the essential trouble and danger of all four mentioned above — desert-travelers, the sick, etc. — the essential thing is the troubles and dangers of the neshamah , which is far from her Father in Heaven. About this are said all the things in the above-mentioned mizmor , as is understood by every discerning person. This is already brought in the sefarim . And as brought in Rabbainu zichrono livrachah 's words ( LM I:163 ): all these four allude to the soul's troubles — which wanders in a wilderness-desert, on a desolate path, as long as she has not merited drawing close to the true tzadik and walking in his ways. She is like one imprisoned in a dungeon — captive in the exile of desires and bad midos . She is sick — soul-sick, in the aspect of "for I am lovesick." She is like one descending in the sea, in the depths of the deep, ascending to the heavens and descending to the abysses, as it says: "I have sunk in the mire of the deep with no foothold; I have entered the depths of the waters, and the current" etc. — as explained in the above-mentioned siman ; see there. ✦ End of Part 5 (§§ 37–43 / Oaseyos לו–מב) · Continues in Part 6 (§§ 44–47 + Closing Note) ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman