תפלת המנחה ז

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos Bircas HaShacharHalacha 5 — Part A (§1–9)

Hilchos Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving] — Halachah 6 Part 1 (§§ 1–10 / Oaseyos א–י) COMPLETE · Based on LM I:24 ( Amtza'isa D'Alma )

§ 1 — Performing the Mitzvah with Joy: The Nine Chambers

Based on LM I:215 — The Twenty-Four Types of pid'yoanoas 1

Based on the Torah " Amtza'isa d'alma " ( LM I:24 ). He explains there the supreme virtue of performing the mitzvah with joy — through which one merits raising the Shechinah from her exile, etc., ascending ever higher until one merits grasping the light of the Ain Sof in the aspect of mati v'lo mati [reaching and not reaching]. This light is above nefesh, ruach, neshamah , etc.; see all this there very well. Especially what he explains regarding the nine chambers that are not illuminated, etc. — which are fashioned through the tikunim and ascents merited through performing the mitzvah with joy. One ascends ever higher until the Arranger and Settler of the mental faculties is blessed — the aspect of Keser , etc. Then through the pursuit and the obstructer, the mental faculties are struck by the Settler and Arranger, and the nine chambers that are not illuminated are fashioned, etc. — "none can stand within them, they do not cling and are not known" etc.; see there.

You, the student, must know and believe that everything stated there is accomplished through every single Jew when he merits strengthening himself to perform the mitzvah with joy. For "it is not in heaven" — the Torah was not given to those who ascend to heaven, etc. — for "the matter is very close to us" etc. This is not the place to elaborate on this.

Based on what is explained in Siman 215 [LM I:215] regarding the twenty-four types of pidyonos [redemptions]. See there, where he wrote that Moshe is constantly engaged in converting gairim, etc. For he departed on Shabbos at Minchah, in the Ra'ava d'Ra'avin [the Will of Wills], from which is drawn the all-encompassing pidyon that includes all twenty-four types of pidyonos, etc. For Moshe stands between sh'mad [spiritual destruction/forced conversion] and ratzon [will/desire (for Hashem)], and elevates from sh'mad to ratzon, etc. See there — this wondrous revelation, for it is a wonder. 2

§ 2 — The Obligation of Thanksgiving: Joy Rectifies the Exile of the Shechinah

This is known in the Kisvai [writings of the Arizal]: the secret of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin is a hidden, sealed, and concealed secret from the eyes of all. Even Moshe Rabbeinu did not attain it except at the time of his holy histalkus, when he departed to there on Shabbos at Minchah. As it is written in the Zohar HaKadosh regarding this matter: "Zaka'ah chulakah d'Moshe" — "Fortunate is the portion of Moshe." Therefore it is said of him: "V'lo yada ish es kevuraso" — "No man knows his burial place" — for there is the aspect of the tachlis hayedi'ah d'la neida — "the ultimate knowledge is that we do not know." 3

This is the aspect of the obligation of thanksgiving upon all who emerge from distress — the four who must give thanks: wilderness-travelers, etc., those released from prison, the sick who are healed, and sea-travelers when they come up from there.

Therefore, from there is the great pidyon and hamsakah [sweetening] that sweetens all types of judgments in all twenty-four basai dinim [courts of judgment]. For it is above all wisdoms and all knowledge. Every pidyon and hamsakah needed to sweeten some din is through chochmah and saichel [wisdom and intellect] — which is the root of that din, for "kula b'machashavah is'b'riru" — "everything is clarified through thought" — as brought in the Torah "Chadi Rabbi Shimon" (LM I:61); see there. 4

All troubles, Rachmana litzlan , are the aspect of the exile of the Shechinah — for "in all their affliction, He is afflicted," as is known. The essential exile of the Shechinah is the overpowering of sadness upon the hearts of Israel, in the aspect of "He was grieved in His heart," as explained in the above Torah . From there come all the desires — particularly the desire for relations and the desire for money — which come only from sadness. From there all troubles come, Rachmana litzlan .

But this pidyon and hamsakah drawn from the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin is above all intellects and wisdoms. It is the upper root of all wisdoms. It is the aspect of the ultimate knowledge — that we do not know — the aspect of "v'lo yada ish," etc., as above. Therefore it sweetens everything, to the extent that on high they use this pidyon to elevate from sh'mad to ratzon — to nullify the power of the charon af [fierce anger], from which comes the power of avodah zarah, which is the all-encompassing root of all evil inclinations drawn from dinim — to nullify and break them and elevate them from there to the aspect of ratzon, etc. As explained there in the Torah; see there well. 5

Therefore, when Hashem helps and one emerges from the distress, one must bring a korban Todah [thanksgiving-offering]. Now, when we have no korban , one must give thanks verbally with all his heart — which is the aspect of joy. For the essential joy is thanksgiving to Hashem — the essential ultimate joy of the future, when we will engage only in todah and thanksgiving to Hashem with immense joy: "give thanks to Hashem with the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre sing to Him" — the aspect of the ten types of melody. As it says: "a psalm for thanksgiving: call out to Hashem, all the earth; serve Hashem with joy" etc.

This is the aspect of the awakening from sleep. The essential awakening is at chatzos lailah [midnight]. This point of chatzos is very difficult to perceive — to the extent that our Sages said (brachos 3b) that even Moshe did not know the exact moment of chatzos, and he said (Shemos 11): "Kachatzos halailah ani yotzai b'soch Mitzrayim" — "around midnight." At that very moment and point of chatzos was the geulah through Moshe. From there is the secret of the prohibition of chametz on Pesach, which depends only on a mashehu [the slightest amount] — for the difference between chametz and matzah is only a mashehu, as our Sages said. 6

This is the essential tikun of the todah and thanksgiving one is obligated to give when emerging from distress — to rectify the damage from which the troubles came, which is the sadness, as above. So that henceforth we merit being saved from all troubles through the intensity of joy — until we merit all the above tikunim , grasping the above-mentioned light, the essential purpose, as explained there. Therefore "all the korbanos will be nullified except the korban Todah" (Midrash Rabbah, Vayikra, Parshah 27).

At that moment, He distinguished between a drop of a firstborn and a drop of a non-firstborn, and distinguished between the firstborn of Mitzrayim and the firstborn of Yisrael, and passed over the houses of bnay Yisrael, separating them from the Mitzrim. Through this was the geulah of Pesach. All this was commanded in the parashah of "HaChodesh hazeh lachem rosh chodashim" — for all this is also the secret of Kiddush HaChodesh [sanctification of the new month], regarding which Moshe had difficulty. For it is hard to align the secret of the point at which the month is sanctified — when the moon (the secret of Kneses Yisrael) is at its ultimate minimum. Specifically then it is filled from its blemish and sanctified — which is the aspect of the sweetening of the dinim, as is known: all the dinim take hold in the blemish of the moon, etc. And conversely, when the moon is filled through Kiddush HaChodesh, all the dinim are sweetened. Therefore this point of Kiddush HaChodesh was difficult to perceive even for Moshe, for it is the secret of all the above — very difficult to perceive. 7

§ 3 — The Four Types of Bread: Ten Loaves = Ten Types of Melody

On this depends the entire kedushah of every Yid. For all Yisrael are included in Moshe, who is the aspect of the true tzaddik in every generation — who includes within him the neshamos of Yisrael. For "Ispashtatusa d'Moshe b'chol dara v'dara" — "the extension of Moshe is in every generation." And in every single Yid there is a nekudah tovah [good point] which is the aspect of Moshe — as written (LM II:72): Moshe Rabbeinu is clothed within every single Yid, in every limb, etc. 8

For this reason one brings in the korban Todah four types of bread, each consisting of ten loaves. The essential sadness clings to the bread, in the aspect of: "in sadness you shall eat it"; "by the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread." Conversely, the essential tikun of eating is through joy: "eat your bread in joy," in the aspect of "eating and drinking and rejoicing" etc. Therefore there are ten loaves of each type — corresponding to the ten types of melody, which are the source and totality of all joys.

This nekudah — the aspect of Moshe — clothed within every person, stands between sh'mad and ratzon — between the Sitra Achra and the kedushah. Through this is all his power to prevail and emerge every time from evil to good — which is the aspect of from sh'mad to ratzon. Therefore, in truth, the entire essential kedushah of every Yid is through drawing close to true tzaddikim, who are the aspect of Moshe — who includes all Yisrael and stands between sh'mad and ratzon to elevate the nefashos from evil to good, from sh'mad to ratzon. 9

§ 4 — The Four Types of Bread in Detail: The Tikunim of the Todah

For certainly a person on his own does not have the power for this. For it is known that every person is in great danger at every moment, as our Sages said (Kiddushin 30b): "A person's yetzer renews itself against him every day, and if not for HaKadosh Baruch Hu helping him..." etc. The essential help and assistance from above is through the true tzaddik — the aspect of "tzaddik moshel b'yiras Elokim" — as explained in many places. For it is brought in the sefarim that between kedushah and the Sitra Achra is like a thread-thin line, etc. Therefore a person is in great danger at every moment, in the aspect of what Dovid said (Shmuel I 20): "k'fesha baini oovain hamaves" — "just a step between me and death," and it is written (Tehillim 73): "Va'ani kim'at natyu raglai" — "as for me, my feet had almost slipped," and it is written (ibid. 94): "loolay Hashem ezrasah li, kim'at..." 10

One can also allude, in specific detail, to the four types of bread brought in the korban Todah : they correspond to the tikunim fashioned through the joy of the mitzvah , which is the aspect of the korban Todah , as above.

As explained in the above Torah : through the joy of the mitzvah , Malchus rises from among the klipos . When a person performs a mitzvah , the mitzvah has the power to go and arouse all the worlds to serve Hashem, etc. This is the aspect of Malchus clothing Netzach-Hod-Yesod , the instruments of walking, etc. Through the walking, blessing is drawn to all the worlds. This is the aspect of Netzach-Hod-Yesod clothing Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes — the hands, from which all blessings come, etc. The essential blessing flowing from the hands is intellect, etc. This is the aspect of Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes clothing Chochmah-Binah-Da'as , etc. Through this the Arranger is set in order, etc. — the aspect of Keser , etc.; see there.

Therefore, in truth, in every generation, the essential tzaddikim and yirei Shamayim of that generation are those who have drawn close to and are called by the name of the true tzaddik of the generation. As our Sages said (Sotah 22a): "Even one who has read and studied — if he has not served talmidai chachamim, he is an am ha'aretz," etc. For the essential power to be saved at every moment from what one needs to be saved is only through the tzaddik — the aspect of Moshe — who stands between sh'mad and ratzon, as above. 11

This is the aspect of the four types of bread brought in the korban Todah (= the joy of the mitzvah , as above) — corresponding to the above four aspects of tikunim fashioned through the joy of the mitzvah :

This is the aspect of awakening from sleep at chatzos, which is the aspect of the geulah. For galus is the aspect of the darkness of night, the aspect of sleep, as it is written (Tehillim 126): "B'shuv Hashem... hayinu k'cholmim" — "we were like dreamers," and it is written (ibid. 78): "Vayikatz k'yashain Hashem" — "Hashem awakened as one from sleep." 12

Chalos Matzos [loaves of matzah] — the aspect of Malchus , called chalah , whose measure is 43 eggs, the aspect of "gam zos" [also this], as brought in Rabbainu's words zichrono livrachah in the Torah " Abba Shaul " ( LM I:55 ). This is the aspect of: "and even also this — when they are in the land of their enemies" [i.e., even in exile]. The essential exile is sadness, as above. When one performs a mitzvah with joy, he raises her from her exile, as above — the aspect of Malchus rising from the klipos , as above. This is accomplished through the chalos matzos brought in the korban Todah , which is the aspect of the joy of the mitzvah , as above.

Rekikin [wafers] — the aspect of the tikun of Netzach-Hod-Yesod , the legs, subduing the klipos whose hold is in the legs: "the iniquity of my heels surrounds me" etc. — who want to overpower, chas v'shalom : "it devoured and crushed, and the remainder it trampled with its feet" (Daniel 7). But the tzadikim , who are the aspect of Mashiach , who perform mitzvos with joy and merit Israel to do likewise — they will subdue and crush them: "it shall crush and destroy all these... and it shall stand forever" (ibid. 2). The rekikin [wafers] allude to this crushing [ hadakah ]: "like mud in the streets I shall crush them" etc., which is associated with rekikin , as brought. Therefore it says of them "anointed with oil" — alluding to Mashiach , who will crush the klipos that seek to crush everything, whose hold is in the legs, as above. The essential battle of Mashiach is in the aspect of the legs, as is known: "his feet shall stand on that day" etc.

Murkeves b'roschin [scalded in boiling water] — the aspect of the blessing of intellect, which is like a fire confined in the heart (as explained in the Torah " Abba Shaul ," LM I:55 ). Murkeves has the same letters as m'varkes [blessing] — the aspect of the blessing of the hands, which is the blessing of intellect.

Therefore one must bless: "HaNoasain lasechvi vinah l'havchin bain yom oovain lailah" — when he hears the voice of the rooster. This is drawn from the upper awakening that occurs at chatzos — all of which is drawn through the tzaddikim, the aspect of Moshe, who sweeten all the dinim through the aspect explained above: the secret of the point of chatzos, when the geulah was through Moshe. Through their power, the dinim are sweetened so greatly that the din itself is transformed to rachamim — to the point where the power of din strikes against the wings of the rooster, which calls out in a great voice to awaken to serve the Creator. 13

All the above three come as matzah . Additionally, one must bring in the Todah ten loaves of chametz , as it says: "upon loaves of leavened bread." This is the awesome wonder of the korban Todah — it differs from all korbanos in which chametz is forbidden: "for any leaven... you shall not burn" etc. Only in the korban Todah is chametz brought. For chametz , at its holy root, derives from the aspect of the power of the Arranger and Settler of the mental faculties — the aspect of Keser , the aspect of waiting. When one asks a person some intellectual question, he says: "Wait until I settle my mind," etc. See there well in the above Torah — the entire essential tikun is through the tikun of the Arranger and Settler, through which one merits grasping the above nine chambers through the pursuit and the obstructer, etc.; see there very well.

As written in Perek Shirah: in all its callings it cries: "Awaken, sleepers!... Lift up your heads, O gates!" etc. For all the powers of the yetzer hara — from which comes sleep, the withdrawal of the mochin — all from the power of the dinim, from which all the yetzer hara comes, as above. And now at chatzos, the din is sweetened so greatly that it itself awakens to the service of the Creator — which is the aspect of the voice, as above. 14

This is the aspect of chametz at its holy root. Chametz comes through waiting. (As explained at length in Hilchos Nefilas Apayim, Halachah 4, based on the above Torah ; see there well.) The mind and da'as are drawn according to the eating that sustains a person — the essential vitality is wisdom and intellect: "wisdom gives life," as explained in our writings many times.

Therefore, our Master and Teacher z"l wrote that chatzos is auspicious like a pidyon. For chatzos is the aspect of pidyon — the sweetening of the dinim, as above. 15

When one has not rectified the Arranger and Settler (= Keser ), chametz is forbidden with an exceedingly severe prohibition — the aspect of the prohibition of chametz on Pesach . On Pesach we left the exile of Egypt, and it is explained in the above Torah that the essential exile is the exile of the Shechinah — the overpowering of sadness upon the heart of the Jewish person. When one overpowers with joy, this is the essential ge'ulah from exile: "for with joy you shall go out" etc. Then one merits all the above tikunim , until even the Arranger and Settler is rectified, etc. — through which one grasps the light of the Ain Sof in the aspect of mati v'lo mati , through the above nine chambers.

But it is impossible to merit all this except through the aspect of mi yaimar [who will say?], explained there — entering the Chambers of Exchange, the place of the klipos , and raising the holiness from there in the aspect of ketores , as explained there. That is: through overpowering with joy, one raises the Shechinah (= Malchus ) from her exile among the klipos , meriting all the above tikunim , as above.

This is the aspect of all the Bircas HaShachar [morning blessings]: upon awakening from sleep, one must bless Hashem for each and every kindness in specificity — that He opens the eyes of the blind, clothes the naked, etc., and releases the bound, etc. For during sleep, one was like a blind person and a captive in bondage from the force of the dinim. Now everything has been sweetened, for all the sweetening is through the upper ratzon. Therefore one must bless upon each thing, for all the berachos are for His great Name — as it is written (Nechemyah 9): "Vivar'chu Shaim Kvodecha... l'hodos l'Shaim kadshecha..." 16

But in Egypt, where the klipos had a very strong hold, it was exceedingly difficult to merit this. The ge'ulah was only through His abundant mercy and kindness — illuminating upon them with an immense illumination of the mental faculties, not in gradual stages, through an is'arusa d'l'aila [arousal from Above]. For they did not have a proper is'arusa d'l'sata [arousal from below] to be worthy of ge'ulah , as explained in the writings of the Arizal and brought in our writings many times. Therefore the Arranger and Settler (= Keser ) was not rectified then. The Arranger and Settler can only be rectified through achieving a complete is'arusa d'l'sata — descending into the Chambers of Exchange and raising the holiness from there, etc. — the aspect of mi yaimar , as above. Therefore they had to leave in haste. For this reason, eating chametz on Pesach is forbidden with an exceedingly severe prohibition — it is forbidden to leaven the mind at all as long as the Arranger and Settler of the mental faculties has not been rectified, since the mind follows the eating, as above.

Especially since at the ge'ulah from Egypt they needed to rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon — whose sin was in eating, eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil: forbidden eating. Through this one damages the da'as greatly, entering knowledge and investigations that are forbidden to enter, transgressing the boundary of holiness — the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, etc. Since on Pesach this needed rectification, the essential holiness of Pesach pertains to eating: one must eat matzah , and chametz is exceedingly severely forbidden — for the Arranger and Settler has not yet been rectified, and it is forbidden to leaven the mind at all. Then chametz is in the aspect of the damage of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — through which was decreed: "in sadness you shall eat it" — sadness and melancholy clinging to eating, the essential exile, as above. Therefore one must eat only matzah , the bread of the mighty, the aspect of man [manna], the food of angels who have no is'arusa d'l'sata — for then the food is drawn from Above through the immense illumination of mental faculties drawn in the aspect of is'arusa d'l'aila . But we are forbidden to leaven our minds at all with these lofty mental faculties that descend temporarily for the sake of the ge'ulah , as is known.

His Name has the numerical value of ratzon [will], as is brought — for His Name is His will. Therefore one must bless upon each thing, for His Name — for from there, from the aspect of ratzon which is the aspect of His Name, are all the sweetenings through which the awakening from sleep occurred — through which his eyes were opened and he was released from his bonds, etc. 17

Therefore chametz is forbidden until after the splitting of the Yam Suf , when the tikun of Keser began through the Sefirah [counting of the Omer], etc. Afterward, on Shavuos — when the essential tikun of Keser is accomplished, as is known — then we bring the Two Loaves specifically from chametz . (As explained at length in Hilchos Nefilas Apayim; see there.)

Therefore the Todah , brought when one emerges from distress (= exile, whose essential tikun is through joy, as above), through which one merits the tikun of the Arranger and Settler, etc. — therefore one brings chametz bread. When the Arranger and Settler is rectified through the overpowering of joy, chametz is rectified at its holy root — the aspect of waiting, etc., as above. Then through chametz bread specifically, a wondrous tikun is accomplished — the aspect of the Two Loaves of Shavuos that come specifically from chametz , because then one merits Keser , the tikun of the Arranger, etc. As explained at length in Hilchos Nefilas Apayim; see there.

This is the aspect of Bircas HaTorah [the blessings over the Torah], regarding which our Sages warned (Nedarim ch. 1) very strongly. And as also written in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 47): one must be very careful with Bircas HaTorah. For the essential Bircas HaTorah is to bless Hashem "asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim v'nasan lanu es Toraso" — "Who chose us from all the nations and gave us His Torah." This is the aspect of segulah [a treasure] and makif [surrounding light] that is impossible to perceive — as explained in the Torah "Atika" (LM I:21). 18

§ 5 — The Four Who Give Thanks Correspond to the Four Types of Bread

This is the aspect of the four who must give thanks: wilderness-travelers, etc. These four correspond to the above four aspects, which in turn correspond to the four types of bread of the Todah , as above. Each of the four who must give thanks encompasses all of them — therefore each must bring all four types of bread in the Todah , and each needs all the tikunim explained in the above Torah . Nevertheless, each of the four who must give thanks corresponds specifically to one of the four above tikunim , which corresponds to one type of bread from the four types. (I also saw in the Alshich, according to his holy approach, that he explains in Parshas Todah that the four types of bread correspond to the four who must give thanks, even though each one is obligated to bring all four types; see there. This is a general principle everywhere: every aspect encompasses all the aspects, yet each has its own distinct aspect. Even in revealed matters this is so — for example, the four elements, where each is a distinct force: earth is cold and dry, fire is hot and dry, etc., yet each encompasses all. How much more so in all the wisdoms of Kabbalah , as explained in the writings of the Arizal and brought in our writings.)

This is the aspect of the secret explained above: the holy nekudah that encompasses all the good points of Yisrael — which is the aspect of Moshe standing between the Sitra Achra and the kedushah, between the seventy nations and the kedushah of Yisrael, which is between sh'mad and ratzon. Through this, he is engaged in converting geirim — elevating them from the aspect of sh'mad (the evil of the seventy nations) and bringing them into the kedushah of Yisrael, which is the aspect of ratzon. 19

The four who must give thanks are explained in Mizmor " Hodu ," as stated in the Gemara — from which we learn these four must give thanks. They are wilderness-travelers: "they wandered in the wilderness" etc. This corresponds to Malchus emerging from exile through the joy of the mitzvah , which is the aspect of todah and thanksgiving, as above. Initially, when a person is in distress, chas v'shalom — and the essential distress and exile is sadness, as above — this is the aspect of wilderness-travelers: "they wandered in the wilderness on a desolate path" etc.

These four who must give thanks allude to every person specifically in this exile — what passes over every person at every time in the aspect of all the above four, as explained elsewhere. Hashem saves him at every moment. A person is obligated to thank Hashem every day for all the miracles and wonders He does for him every day — the many things one can see and understand, how Hashem saves him every day, for one who pays attention to his ways. And vastly more that he does not know at all — for "the one who experienced the miracle does not recognize his miracle," as our Sages say. For this our Sages established many blessings and thanksgivings every day, especially in Birchas Modim , recited three times daily: "we give thanks to You" etc.; "for Your miracles that are with us every day, and for Your wonders and kindnesses at every time — evening, morning, and afternoon" etc. And likewise in Nishmas recited on Shabbos , and much more.

There is the secret of the havdalah between kodesh and chol, between Yisrael and the nations. Every individual Yid must give thanks for his portion every day — that he merited to go from sh'mad to ratzon, from the contamination of the nations to the kedushah of Yisrael. For through giving thanks to His Name, one awakens one's good nekudah to be included in His Name, which is His ratzon, as above. 20

Only Birchas HaGomel with Hashem's Name and Malchus is recited only when one of the above four actually passes over a person physically. But vastly many miracles and wonders pass over every person, akin to the above four — for which one is obligated to give much thanks every day with joy. The essential thing is to overpower with joy — to look upon the kindnesses and wonders of Hashem that He does for him every day, within the distress itself, to trust in His kindness and rejoice in His salvation. (As explained at length in our writings on the Torah " the days of Chanukah are days of thanksgiving ," LM II:2 , in Hilchos Kilai Behaimah and Hilchos Perikah U'Te'inah; see there.)

This is what our Sages said (Nedarim ch. 1) on the verse (Yirmeyah 9): "Al mah avdah ha'aretz..." — "Why was the land destroyed?" — This matter was asked of the Sages and the prophets, and they could not explain it, until HaKadosh Baruch Hu Himself explained it, etc. And they concluded that the essential destruction was because they did not bless the Torah first. 21

This is the aspect of wilderness-travelers. When one is in the aspect of wilderness-travelers and emerges from there, he must give thanks with joy — thereby raising Malchus from among the klipos , the first of the above tikunim . Initially he was in the aspect of one walking in the wilderness itself: "they wandered in the wilderness on a desolate path; they found no inhabited city; hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them." Through crying out to Hashem, He saved him, and he must give thanks with joy. This is Malchus rising from the klipos — the aspect of the desolate wilderness and barren path. Through thanksgiving with joy, he merits leaving them entirely — the above-mentioned ascent of Malchus from among the klipos .

There is also the aspect of one released from prison — corresponding to the second tikun : the tikun of the legs, by the joy of the mitzvah going to arouse everything to Hashem, etc., as explained there. Correspondingly, the opposition seizes the aspect of the legs, the aspect of prison — the damage of the legs, not allowing him to go forth: "He has fenced me in and I cannot go out" ; "prisoners of affliction and iron" ; "He placed my feet in the stocks." This is the aspect where even after one has left the desolate wilderness and is in settled territory — he has drawn close to true tzadikim and upright people of the generation who guide him on a straight path: "He guided them on a straight path to go to an inhabited city" — yet when he wants to lift his legs to walk in Hashem's ways (= the tikun of Netzach-Hod-Yesod , the instruments of walking), the Sitra Achra opposes the holy legs, seeking to imprison him as if in an actual jail, not allowing him to go to shuls and batai midrash to pray and study — all the more to walk spiritually in Hashem's ways and arouse others to His service. This is: "those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, prisoners of affliction and iron" — the aspect of those imprisoned. When he is saved from there, he must give thanks with joy — through which the above tikun of the legs is drawn (= Malchus clothing Netzach-Hod-Yesod , as explained there).

There is also the aspect of the sick person who is healed — the tikun of the hands (= Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes ). The essential power is in the hands, where the pulse is — upon which all types of illness and healing depend. Through the hands, the blessing of intellect is drawn, as explained there — from which comes all vitality: "wisdom gives life." When one damages this, illnesses come, chas v'shalom — the corruption of vitality, the damage of the hands. When healed, one must give thanks with joy — the aspect of the tikun of the hands, through which the blessing of intellect is drawn, as above.

For the essential corruption was that they fell so greatly in their understanding that they entered into investigations that are impossible to perceive — to the point that they did not know how to distinguish between the kedushah of Yisrael and the contamination of the nations. They did not bless the Torah first — which is "asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim" — for they did not believe in this, since they knew the extent of their own corruption. Therefore they said: "Let us be like the nations" — as it is written: "Va'asher amartem nihyeh kagoyim..." 22

Sea-travelers in ships — the aspect of the tikun of the mental faculties in completeness, through the Arranger and Settler being rectified, etc. — the essential tikun of the mind. As long as the Arranger and Settler has not been rectified, it is impossible to achieve any perception due to the overabundance of light — one is in the aspect of sea-travelers upon whom the stormy wind overpowers, etc.

Those tzadikim and upright people who merit, through performing the mitzvah with joy, all the above tikunim , until their mental faculties pursue to grasp the light of the Ain Sof , etc. — they are in the aspect of those who go down to the sea of wisdom in ships, doing work in great waters (= the waters of da'as ). Only they see and know how great are Hashem's works and wonders: "they" specifically "saw the works of Hashem and His wonders in the deep."

But sometimes the stormy wind overpowers, chas v'shalom : "He spoke and the stormy wind arose, raising its waves; they ascend to the heavens, they descend to the depths" etc. This comes from the Arranger and Settler of the mental faculties not being properly rectified — the screen that obstructs the mental faculties during their pursuit to grasp. Then it is impossible to reach their desired haven, for the mind becomes confused like a drunkard due to the overabundance of light. They are then in the aspect of "they ascend to heavens, they descend to depths" — the ascent is not in proper order, and through this one is cast down to the depths. As Rabbainu zichrono livrachah explains elsewhere on this verse ( LM I:163 ).

In truth, this blemish is greater than all blemishes, for this is the essential blemish of emunah — wanting to understand and perceive the ways of Hashem. All of this was because they distanced themselves greatly from true tzaddikim, as it is written (divrai HaYamim II 36): "Vayihyu mal'ivim b'mal'achai Elokim u'mesa'ta'im binvi'av..." — "They mocked the messengers of G-d and belittled His prophets." They did not nullify their understanding to them — who are the aspect of Moshe, who elevate from sh'mad to ratzon, distinguish between kodesh and chol, between Yisrael and the nations, and know how to find the nekudah tovah in every single Yid even if he has fallen as far as he has fallen, Rachmana litzlan. Through this, all can rise. 23

The tikun of the mental faculties in completeness — essentially through the Arranger and Settler — is possible only through the aspect of mi yaimar , descending to the place of the klipos , to the Chambers of Exchange, to sort the holiness from there, etc. Therefore, whoever wishes to approach the holy and merit all the above must be in the aspect of entering and exiting. The descent must precede the ascent — this is the aspect of what passes over every person, small and great. Even the most lowly in level, even the small and the young — everything that passes over them, that their mind is small in the aspect of mochin d'katnus , and all desires and youthful follies overpower them — all derives from this aspect of mi yaimar : the Chambers of Exchange, the klipah that precedes the fruit, which passes over every person in the world. From there come all the descents that precede the ascents of every person. The more one strives to achieve some ascent in holiness, the more the Chambers of Exchange overpower with desires, fantasies, confusions, and reversed reasonings, etc. One needs great exertion and closeness to tzadikim until he merits sorting the holiness from there and ascending in peace. The essential thing is through performing mitzvos with great joy, as above — through which one raises the holiness from the Chambers of Exchange, ascending through all the above ascents until the Arranger and Settler is rectified (the essential thing). Then through the pursuit of the mental faculties and the obstructer, one merits the above nine chambers, until one grasps, etc.

The essential point: through instilling in every Yid that he should bless and give thanks for his portion — that he is from the seed of Yisrael, and "shelo asani goy," etc. — as explained in the Rebbe's words extensively. But they blemished this by not blessing the Torah first, as above. Therefore through this specifically, the land was destroyed, etc. And therefore this matter was asked of the Sages and prophets and they could not explain it — for this secret is impossible to perceive, as above, for it is the aspect of the ultimate knowledge — that we do not know. Only Hashem Himself explained it to the tzaddikim and prophets, so that the tzaddikim would know from then on to teach Yisrael how to strengthen themselves in the nekudah of their holy Yahadus that they have by virtue of their lineage — that they are from the seed of Yisrael. For this is more precious than everything. And they should give thanks and bless Hashem for this always — which is the aspect of Bircas HaTorah. Through this, they will go from sh'mad to ratzon always, and be included in His Name and His ratzon forever. 24

But when one has not properly sorted the holiness from the Chambers of Exchange — and therefore has not rectified the Arranger and Settler — one is in the aspect of "they ascend to heavens, they descend to depths" ; "they reel and stagger like a drunkard, and all their wisdom is swallowed up." All his wisdom is swallowed and confused like a drunkard — because he lacks the power of the Arranger and Settler, through which the essential tikun of the mental faculties' perception is accomplished, as above. When he merits being saved from this, he must give thanks with joy — the aspect of the tikun of the Arranger and Settler, as above: the aspect of the chametz bread of the Todah , as above.

This is the aspect of: "He stills the storm to calm, and their waves are hushed" — stated regarding the tikun of sea-travelers. Their tikun is through the tikun of the Arranger and Settler (= Keser ), where the secret of silence resides: "a fence for wisdom is silence" — the aspect of Keser , as explained elsewhere. The screen (= Keser ) that obstructs the mental faculties: "wait until I settle my mind" — this is the aspect of silence: one is hinted, "Be silent and do not be hasty to respond; rather, be silent in your thought until you settle" — through which the essential proper perception is accomplished. Fortunate is one who merits this. Therefore it concludes there: "they rejoiced when they were stilled, and He guided them to their desired haven." The essential thing is through joy — through which one merits the tikun of Keser , the aspect of silence, as above.

Therefore, after Kri'as Yam Suf, chametz was permitted. For the essential prohibition of chametz is not to "leaven" the mind with the investigations whose root is from the secret of the nekudah — the aspect of the mashehu — from which all the investigations and difficulties descend. On Pesach — the beginning of Yisrael's drawing close to their Father in heaven, when Yisrael were chosen from the seventy nations for His ratzon and His Name — it is impossible to guard against leavening the mind in this regard except by separating from chametz even a mashehu. This is the secret of the Eitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa, from which one must be very guarded now — through the holiness of eating matzah, which is the asvasa [remedy], and being careful with chametz even a mashehu. 25

§ 6 — "His Kindness and His Wonders to the Children of Men"

But after Kri'as Yam Suf — when the geulah of Mitzrayim was completed, and there was truly a great tumult on high on account of this difficulty, as our Sages said on the verse "v'lo karav zeh el zeh kol halailah" — that it was difficult before Him, the splitting of the sea, because of the great kitrug [accusation]: "How are these different from those? These are idol worshipers and those are idol worshipers!" etc. — but Hashem in His mercy sweetened the din and the kitrug, and illuminated the secret of the nekudah — the secret of the havdalah between Yisrael and the nations. 26

This is: "let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness and His wonders to the children of men." "His kindness" — the aspect of the illumination of the mental faculties through the blessing of the hands (= Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes ). The essential is Chesed , for "Kel is the light of wisdom, and it is the day that goes with all the days" : "by day Hashem commands His kindness," as brought in the holy writings and in our writings. "His wonders" — the aspect of Keser , the Arranger and Settler. Keser is called Peleh [wonder], as is known.

This is the aspect of what is explained in the Zohar HaKadosh: "Mah titz'ak eilai — b'Atika talyah..." — "Why do you cry to Me? — The matter depends on Atika," etc. Atika is the aspect of the pidyon and hamsakah — the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, as is known. Through this the waters were split and the geulah of Yisrael was completed. Therefore afterward chametz was permitted — for it had already been sweetened through the illumination of the hamsakah, and it no longer had the power to leaven the mind. Since Hashem Himself had already nullified the kitrug, and all saw the great hand, etc., and "vaya'aminu baHashem u'v'Moshe avdo" — "they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant" — for certainly Hashem is righteous and we are His chosen children. And whoever wishes to draw close to His holiness must come to Him — to Moshe and to Yisrael — who elevates everything from sh'mad to ratzon, until it will be fulfilled: "Ki az ehpoch el kol ha'amim safah v'rurah likro chulam b'Shaim Hashem u'l'avdo shechem echad" — speedily in our days, Amein. 27

The essential thanksgiving is for Hashem helping one emerge from all the above troubles of the four — through the above tikunim , until one merits the tikun of the mental faculties (= chesed ) and the tikun of Keser (= peleh [wonder]). This is: "let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness" — regarding chesed it says "to Hashem" ; regarding "His wonders" it says "to the children of men." This is the aspect of the tikun of the pursuit and the obstructer. The mental faculties pursue to grasp the light of the Ain Sof , wanting to ascend to Hashem. According to their pursuit, one would be absorbed there, nullified from existence, and the world would be nullified — people would not know His greatness and wonders, for which He created everything. Therefore the tikun of the obstructer is needed — the aspect of Peleh , Keser , which obstructs the mental faculties from their pursuit. Through this, the above nine chambers are fashioned, through which one grasps the light of Ain Sof in the aspect of mati v'lo mati . From there come all the perceptions and knowledge of the true tzadikim — through which they know how to contract the light of their perception until they can make known to us His awesome wonders. This is: "let them give thanks to Hashem for His kindness and His wonders to the children of men" — chesed is the pursuit of the mind, pursuing toward Hashem to grasp His light. But this alone is not completeness — one would be nullified from existence and people would not know His greatness. Through the aspect of Peleh , one can make known the wonders of His greatness to the children of men. This is: "His wonders to the children of men," as above.

This is: "Chatzos lailah akum l'hodos lach al mishpitai tzidkecha" (Tehillim 119) — "At midnight I arise to give thanks to You for Your righteous judgments." "L'hodos l'cha al mishpat tzidkecha" — to give thanks for Your righteous judgment — this is the aspect of Bircas HaTorah, where we bless and give thanks to His Name — "asher bachar banu mikol ha'amim v'nasan lanu es Toraso" — which are His righteous judgments. 28

This is the aspect of all the verses urging us to tell His wonders and speak of them — "wonders" specifically: "speak of all His wonders" ; "I shall speak of the words of Your wonders" ; "tell among the nations His glory, among all peoples His wonders" ; "I shall give thanks to Hashem with all my heart; I shall tell all Your wonders" (Tehillim 9); "to hear the voice of thanksgiving and tell all Your wonders" (ibid. 26); "until now I shall tell Your wonders" (ibid. 71); and many more. The essential greatness and glory of Hashem is to make known to the children of men His might and awesome wonders — especially to those very far away, as explained ( LM I:10 ): the essential greatness of Hashem is that even the idol-worshippers and those exceedingly far away know Him. Therefore He mentions "wonders" every time — the essential ability to speak and tell His greatness to the children of men is through the aspect of the Supernal Peleh , the aspect of Keser , the Arranger and Settler that strikes the mental faculties and obstructs their pursuit. Through this the above nine chambers are fashioned — vessels to perceive what is perceived, through which specifically one can know and make known and tell His wonders to the children of men, as above — the essential glory and greatness of the Creator, as above.

This is the aspect of "chatzos lailah akum l'hodos l'cha" — for kimas chatzos and Bircas HaTorah are one aspect. Through them one awakens the nekudah tovah within him from the kedushah of Yisrael — the aspect of Moshe — through which he is separated from the nations and from their evil, and ascends and is included in the kedushah of Yisrael, which is the aspect of ratzon, etc., as above. Therefore they are connected to one another. 29

Therefore the obligation of thanksgiving is specifically in public, as our Sages say: "one must give thanks before ten" : "let them exalt Him in the congregation of the people" etc. — for this is the essential greatness, as above. This is: "my feet stood on level ground; in assemblies I shall bless Hashem." "My feet stood on level ground" — the tikun of the legs, the beginning of the tikun through performing the mitzvah with joy, through which the mitzvah goes to arouse everything to Hashem. Through this one merits all the above ascents until the Arranger is rectified, etc. — through which one can tell His wonders to the children of men, as above. Therefore adjacent to this: "in assemblies I shall bless Hashem" — specifically through "my feet stood on level ground" (= the tikun of the legs through performing the mitzvah with joy), through which the obstructer (= Keser ) is rectified, as above — through this, "in assemblies I shall bless Hashem" : one can bless and thank Him in assemblies, in public, in congregations of myriads of people — which is the essential thing, as above. This is the aspect of: "show wonders with Your kindness" — "wonders" and "kindness" specifically: the aspect of "His kindness and His wonders," as above.

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos Bircas HaShacharHalacha 5 — Part B (§10–16)

§ 7 — Before Ten, Two of Them Torah Scholars: The Pursuit and the Obstructer

Based on LM I:215 — The Twenty-Four Types of pid'yoanoas (continued) 1

This is why one must give thanks before ten, two of them Torah scholars. Ten — corresponding to the ten types of melody, the source of all songs, praises, thanksgivings, and hymns, all encompassed in the Book of Tehillim composed by David HaMelech — "the sweet singer of Israel" — who encompasses the ten types of melody, as is known. This is the aspect of the great virtue of a minyan of ten from Israel — then specifically we recite Bor'chu and Kedushah , etc. Wherever there are ten from Israel, the ten types of melody are aroused.

All of this is the aspect of Pesach — the prohibition of chametz and the mitzvah of eating matzah. As explained above regarding the statement of our Sages: "The difference between chametz and matzah is only a mashehu." The mashehu is the aspect of the holy nekudah — the aspect of Moshe who stands between sh'mad and ratzon. For it is brought in all the sefarim that chametz on Pesach is the aspect of avodah zarah, ail achair, kefiros — which is the aspect of sh'mad, the aspect of the contamination and tumah of Mitzrayim, which is the aspect of the totality of the seventy nations. And Yisrael were chosen from among them at that time as a treasured nation and were included in His Name, which is the aspect of ratzon — which is the aspect of matzah. 2

Two of them Torah scholars — who are masters of da'as and mental faculties. Therefore they are two — corresponding to the pursuit and the obstructer. When there are two Torah scholars, there is certainly the aspect of pursuit and obstruction — the virtue of studying with a companion: one asks his fellow because his mind pursues to grasp and understand the matter properly, and his fellow responds: "Wait until I settle my mind" — as this matter is explained in the above Torah . Likewise in the roots of their souls in the perception of G-dliness — through which the nine chambers are grasped, the essential thanksgiving, the aspect of joy, as above.

§ 8 — Training Oneself Every Day in Joyful Thanksgiving

Therefore one must accustom himself very much, every day and at every moment, to give thanks and praise to Hashem for all the good He has bestowed upon us. Even in the intensity of the soul's distress, Rachmana litzlan — even when one has descended and become distant however he has become distant, however he is — let him turn everything to gladness and joy: "gladness and joy shall they attain" etc., as explained elsewhere. For despite everything, one still merits reciting Krias Shma and unifying His Name twice daily, believing in Hashem and in Moshe His servant — the true tzadikim in every generation — etc. "How many good stages has the Omnipresent bestowed upon us" etc. "Were our mouths filled with song" etc.

For the essential exile of the soul is the sadness, as understood from this Torah ; see there. The more sadness overpowers, the more desires overpower — especially the madness of the all-encompassing desire — and it cycles back, chas v'shalom , compounding with the desire for money and the distraction of livelihood: "in sadness you shall eat it" etc. As explained in the Torah " U'v'Yom HaBikkurim " ( LM I:56 ) regarding "sadness of the hands" etc. — until his soul nearly expires, chas v'shalom , were it not for Hashem helping us, illuminating upon us from afar through the power of the true tzadikim , to gladden our souls through the deep counsel-paths of the true tzadikim .

Therefore on Pesach — at the beginning of Yisrael's drawing close to their Father in heaven — chametz is prohibited with an extremely severe prohibition of bal yaira'eh u'val yimatzai. After Kri'as Yam Suf, chametz was permitted. And on Shavuos — the time of the giving of our Torah — they specifically brought chametz as a korban in the Shtai HaLechem. 3

Every person must force himself greatly with all his strength to draw joy upon himself. Therefore he must be very accustomed to joyful thanksgiving, as above — as explained at length in our writings on the Torah " the days of Chanukah are days of thanksgiving " (Hilchos Kilai Behaimah 4 and Hilchos Perikah U'Te'inah 4; see there well).

§ 9 — Mizmor Hodu on Erev Shabbos : The Exile of This World and Shabbos the Ultimate Purpose

For the essential geulah from Mitzrayim and from all the exiles, and all of Yisrael's drawing close to Hashem, is through the aspect of pidyonos — the sweetening of the dinim — through which He redeemed us from Mitzrayim, as it is written (Devarim 13): "v'hapod'cha mibais avadim" — "Who redeemed you from the house of slaves." Through this He redeems us even now from all troubles, as we say every day: "Podainu u'matzilaynu mai'olam Hu Sh'mecha..." And we hope that He will redeem us from this bitter galus with a complete geulah, for the sake of His Name — as it is written (Tehillim 130): "V'Hu yifdeh es Yisrael..." and: "u'maivi Go'ail livnai v'naihem l'ma'an Sh'mo..." 4

All the matters of the four who must give thanks pass over every person at every time — sometimes literally in the physical, but mostly through the various upheavals passing over a person every day, especially in the matter of the soul's exile, as explained above (in ois heh). Therefore it was established in these generations to recite Mizmor " Hodu " every Erev Shabbos , at the onset of Shabbos . The six weekdays are the aspect of this world, called Erev Shabbos : "one who toiled on Erev Shabbos" etc. Shabbos is the aspect of the World to Come.

The essential pidyon is the upper all-encompassing pidyon — through the aspect of the histalkus of Moshe — through the aspect of eis ratzon, Ra'ava d'Ra'avin — through which all the dinim are nullified and sweetened, as above. But this hamsakah and pidyon in ultimate completeness will only be at the coming of Mashiach, who is Moshe, of whom it is said: "V'ad Atik Yomin meta, l'vusheih ki'sleg chivar..." — for there is the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, as is known. 5

It is known that this world is full of troubles and pains: "all his days are anger and pain" ; "man is born to toil." As brought in the Midrash (Beraishis Rabbah 13): "man was created only for toil — if he merited, he toils in Torah; fortunate is he" etc. All our vitality and sustenance is only the aspect of Shabbos — the World to Come. This alone is our entire purpose. Man did not come to this world to endure such toil, sorrow, and various troubles impossible to describe — as each person knows in his soul. The wise who examine the world in general know the entire world is full of sorrows, anger, and pains, as stated in the above Midrash: man was created only for toil. Even the wise of the nations investigated this and speak of it extensively, as brought in Sefer Mivchar HaPeninim: man in this world is like one surrounded by wild beasts and enemy ambushes at every exit and entrance — if he escapes some, the rest will tear him apart, etc. (As explained in our writings elsewhere at length.)

For this reason Moshe refused his mission repeatedly and said (Shemos 4): "Sh'lach na b'yad tishlach" — "Send through whomever You will send" — for "I know that I am not the one who will redeem them in the future," as Rashi explains, from the words of our Sages (Pirkay d'Rabbi Eliezer ch. 40). He knew he could not complete this pidyon in ultimate perfection except after his histalkus — when he would depart to there. And through this there would be all the exiles and troubles, Rachmana litzlan, from the force of the dinim, through kefiros and avodah zarah, etc. — for they had not yet fully emerged from sh'mad to ratzon. 6

Therefore, certainly Hashem did not create man with such wondrous and awesome wisdom just to endure such toil and anger in this world. His intention is certainly only for good, as explained in all the sefarim : He created the entire world and all it contains for the sake of man, to show His goodness, kindness, and compassion, as stated at the beginning of the Eitz Chaim (and in the Torah " Bo El Paroh ," LM I:64 ). The essential creation of man, for whose sake everything was created, was for the sake of the purpose — Shabbos , the purpose of the creation of heaven and earth (as explained in LM II:39 ).

But Hashem compelled him to go and assured him that nonetheless He would redeem Yisrael and they would merit to receive the Torah on Shavuos, as it is written: "B'hotzi'acha es ha'am miMitzrayim ta'avdun es haElokim..." This was the assurance that they would receive the Torah on Shavuos and then merit the illumination of the ratzon. As Rashi explains (Mechilta, Parashas bishalach): on Shavuos He appeared to them as an elder full of mercy — the aspect of the eis ratzon, the aspect of the Yud-Gimmel Tikunay Dikna [thirteen rectifications of the Beard], as brought in the Idra Rabba and the Kavanos — that on Shavuos they ascend there. For the essential drawing close of Yisrael to Hashem was at the time of Mattan Torah, when they drew close like geirim being converted — as Rashi explains there: they were converted like geirim through sprinkling and immersion, etc. The essential drawing close of geirim is through the aspect of the pidyon — through which they ascend from sh'mad to ratzon — through Moshe, through whom they were converted and received the Torah. 7

This is all our consolation for all the troubles and sorrows each person endures: "this one shall comfort us from our deeds and from the sadness of our hands" — said regarding Noach, who is the aspect of the tzadik , the aspect of Shabbos (as explained in LM II:2 ) — the aspect of the World to Come.

However, at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim — before receiving the Torah — it was not possible to ascend to there, as understood in the Kavanos. And the contamination of Mitzrayim was clinging to them greatly. Therefore the geulah was very difficult. But Hashem illuminated upon them great and mighty mochin in an exceedingly wondrous illumination — not in the usual order — and through this they were redeemed. 8

As stated in the above Midrash: man was created only for toil — if he merited, he toils in Torah; if not, he toils in the earth. Fortunate is the one who toils in Torah. Our Sages also say in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 99): "all bodies are porterage-bearers; fortunate is one who merited to be a porterage-bearer of Torah."

Nevertheless, they still had not ascended to the level of the Dikna Kadisha — the aspect of the eis ratzon — until Shavuos. Rather, the geulah was through the enormous illumination of all the mochin, etc. Meaning: the geulah was through the aspect of the twenty-four types of pidyonos mentioned above — only that they were all drawn through a wondrous illumination. For all the pidyonos and geulos — which are through the sweetening of the dinim — are all through the illumination of the mochin, as is known. And the more the mochin illuminate in greater abundance and more intense illumination, the more the dinim are sweetened. 9

But how does one merit this? The ba'al davar and his forces overpower and spread so much over every person, not allowing him to pay attention to this. All from the profusion of troubles in this world — through which melancholy and sadness overpower, through which one cannot settle his mind as to what he is doing in this world, etc. (As explained in LM II:10 .)

Therefore one must overpower very, very greatly to draw joy upon himself — by looking toward the end, the ultimate World to Come, the aspect of Shabbos , when everything will be turned to good. Even the most lowly in Israel, the worst of the worst — there is no measure to all the delightful wondrous good he will merit then. As the true tzadikim strengthened us in many expressions regarding this: "on that day the sin of Israel will be sought and it will be gone" — as brought ( LM I:22 ): they will seek and search for the sins of Israel, etc. — for they will be transformed into merits. As stated on the verse: "my spikenard gave its fragrance" ; and in many verses. Through this one can gladden himself even now, in everything passing over him: "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" — as explained ( LM II:23 ): one must seize the sorrow and sighing and transform them to joy, etc.

Therefore at the time of Yetzias Mitzrayim — although they did not ascend to the Dikna from which comes the upper all-encompassing pidyon, and the geulah was through the twenty-four types of pidyonos — nevertheless they were drawn through a wondrous and immense illumination through the sheer abundance of mochin, etc. — until the contamination of Mitzrayim was nullified and they were redeemed. Therefore chametz was then prohibited even in a mashehu — for at that point one must nullify and destroy the chametz completely. 10

§ 10 — "Who Will Say?": Drawing the Geulah into the Present Through Joy

For chametz and matzah are the aspects of teva [nature] and hashgachah [divine providence]. Matzah is the aspect of hashgachah — the aspect of man [manna], bread from heaven — as Rashi explains (Kiddushin 38a): the dough that Yisrael brought out of Mitzrayim had in it the taste of man. For it was baked in haste without elaborate measures to leaven and flavor the dough as they do with chametz bread. Matzah is the aspect of bitachon in His hashgachah alone, without any enterprise or labor — as it is written (Shemos 12): "They baked the dough... cakes of matzos, for it did not leaven... and also provisions they did not make for themselves." 11

This is the aspect of what is explained in the above Torah : the elders of the academy said to him, "mi yaimar" — who is the one who will enter the Chambers of Exchange, the place of the klipos , and raise the holiness from there, etc. He answered them: "aisu ashli u'moshchu" — the essential raising of holiness is through joy, and in the future the joy will be immense and through it we will leave the exile, etc.; see there.

At first glance this is difficult: the gist of Rabbainu's words there is that he answered them that in the future, when we leave the exile, the joy will be very great, and through this the klipos will be nullified, etc.; see there. If so, it is difficult — we still do not understand what we should do now, in the depth of this exile, where the essential exile is the sadness, etc. How will we merit now to gladden our souls, to subdue the klipos , to leave the exile of the soul — the sadness that overpowers every day?

But chametz is the aspect of teva — the aspect of dinim drawn from the name Elokim, which equals the numerical value of teva [nature], as is brought. From there come all the desires for money — the aspect of (Tehillim 71) "mikaf m'avel v'chometz" — leading to robbery through excessive desire for money, which is through kefiros: saying "kochi v'otzem yadi asah li" — "my power and the might of my hand made this for me," etc. They "leaven" their minds all their days about how to obtain money through some scheme or stratagem, as if it were within their power — when in truth it is the opposite: "Ki lo mimotza umima'arav... ki Elokim shofait..." 12

It is known that the essential thing is to draw upon ourselves even now the aspect of the ge'ulah : "draw close to my soul, redeem it," as they say in the name of the Baal Shem Tov zichrono livrachah . All the words of the tzadikim — especially the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi zichrono livrachah — are all counsel to revive our souls now, even now, each and every one wherever he is.

The essential hold of nature (the aspect of chametz) is from dinim, as is known — from which descends the hold of avodah zarah and kefiros. But when the dinim are sweetened completely through the upper all-encompassing pidyon, then the middas hadin is transformed into rachamim. Then nature is included within hashgachah — in the aspect of "Hashem Hu HaElokim" — for one merits complete emunah that even the conduct of nature is only through His hashgachah. We simply do not understand His ways. 13

If so, we must contemplate his above words: what shall we do now? How does one leave the Chambers of Exchange — through joy. How shall we merit joy now, in this bitter exile where sadness overpowers both generally and individually, upon every Jewish soul?

Therefore, even one who engages in business and earns money — which appears to be through nature — in truth it is all through His hashgachah. As we see: many toil and exhaust themselves with immense exertion and gain nothing from their labor — on the contrary, they lose their money through it, as is visibly evident at all times. Therefore every person must believe that all livelihood and money reaches a person only through His hashgachah alone. The need for some business activity is among His wondrous ways that are impossible to understand. 14

But it is according to the above. As Rabbainu zichrono livrachah explains elsewhere ( LM I:250 ): when the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to save Israel, He draws hashgachah from the ultimate end, etc.; see there. So too here: Rabbi Yehoshua ben Chananya answered them that at the ultimate end, when Israel leaves the exile, the joy will be very great — the aspect of "aisu ashli u'moshchu" etc., as explained there. He hinted with this that through this very thing, each and every Jewish soul is extracted from its exile even now. The essential exile is sadness, as above. The counsel is: let one remind himself of the ultimate end — that in the end of all ends, Hashem will certainly save Israel, both generally and individually, as above. Through this one can gladden himself even now. Through this one leaves his exile, from the Chambers of Exchange, and sorts the holiness from there — until one merits grasping the light of the Ain Sof , etc., as above.

For certainly the ways of Hashem cannot be perceived. Hashem Who created the world yaish mai'ayin — something from absolute nothing — and even now causes grass to grow for the animals, etc., and grows such a great tree from a single seed, etc. — He could create and grow the tree without man's planting, and cause the grain to grow without man's plowing and sowing. But Hashem created everything for man's sake and willed that man specifically should engage in some activity for the growing of grain and trees, and similarly do some business for livelihood. But certainly everything is through His will and His hashgachah alone. 15

✦ End of Part 1 (§§ 1–10 / Oaseyos א–י) · Continues in Part 2 ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman

In truth, the entire essential toil of man in agriculture and business, etc. — all of it was from the sin of Adam HaRishon, upon whom was decreed: "B'zai'as apecha tochal lechem, b'itzavon tochalenah" — "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, in sorrow shall you eat." For Adam blemished the hashgachah — the aspect of matzah, which is the Ilana d'Chayai, the Eitz HaChaim — and ate from the Eitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa, which is the aspect of chametz, as is brought. Through this was decreed upon him "b'itzavon tochalenah" — from which all the above toils. But Yisrael who stood at Har Sinai — their contamination ceased. Therefore, whoever accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah — the yoke of kingship and the yoke of worldly occupation are removed from him. For one must fulfill: "hevai m'ma'et b'aisek va'asok baTorah" — "minimize your business and occupy yourself with Torah" — for all livelihood is from Him alone. 16

Hilchos Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving] — Halachah 6 Part 2 (§§ 11–23 / Oaseyos יא–כג) COMPLETE · Based on LM I:24 ( Amtza'isa D'Alma )

This is merited through the aspect of Shavuos — the receiving of the Torah — when the eis ratzon is drawn. Through this, the dinim are sweetened completely until the din is transformed to rachamim, until nature is included within hashgachah — which is the sweetening of the chametz completely. Therefore at that time they bring chametz specifically as a korban — for the din is sweetened so greatly through the upper pidyon that one believes the truth: that nature itself — the business activity — is only His hashgachah. Then even the business one engages in is in great kedushah — the aspect of masa u'matan be'emunah [business conducted with emunah], the aspect of "tov Torah im derech eretz, she'yegi'as sh'naihem mashkachas avon" — "Torah combined with worldly occupation is good, for the toil of them both causes sin to be forgotten." 17

§ 11 — Mizmor Hodu on Erev Shabbos: Drawing Shabbos-Joy into the Weekdays

For in truth, the essential purpose of business activity is only for this: to cause sin to be forgotten. For everyone knows how thoughts pursue him every day, etc. And there is no remedy to escape them except through the Torah, which is the essential salvation and cure — as our Sages said (Kiddushin 30b): "I created the yetzer hara, I created the Torah as its antidote." And as it is written: "M'zimah tishmor alecha..." But it is impossible for a person to study Torah every day continuously — especially the common people. Therefore Hashem arranged in His wondrous ways that a person should need to engage in some business for livelihood — in order to cause the sin to be forgotten, as above. But in truth, all livelihood is from Him alone, through His hashgachah alone. 18

Therefore, upon entering Shabbos — when one must pass from the mundane to Shabbos , from the bitterness of troubles and exile clinging to the six weekdays, to merit the holiness of Shabbos (= freedom) — we recite Mizmor " Hodu ," which discusses the four who must give thanks. The purpose is to draw upon oneself the joy of thanksgiving from the aspect of Shabbos , the World to Come, so that through this we merit leaving the exile of the six weekdays and attaining the holiness of Shabbos (= freedom). The essential freedom is through joy: "for with joy you shall go out." One depends on the other: the more the exile overpowers, chas v'shalom , the more sadness overpowers — the essential exile is sadness overpowering the hearts of Israel, not allowing them to rejoice. The more sadness overpowers, the more exile overpowers, as above. Therefore one must overpower to gladden his soul through all kinds of counsel, as explained in Rabbainu's words zichrono livrachah .

Therefore one must constantly remind himself of the holiness of Shabbos , the world of freedom, in order to draw Shabbos -joy into the weekdays, as explained elsewhere. This is the aspect of "from the first day of the week toward Shabbos" — one must draw upon himself Shabbos -joy even during the weekdays, as above.

Therefore on Pesach, chametz is prohibited with an extremely severe prohibition. For as long as the sweetening of the upper pidyon has not yet been drawn, the Sitra Achra and the kefiros cling to the chametz greatly, and it is impossible to transform it to kedushah. Only through the holiness of the abundant mochin drawn on Pesach can one nullify and destroy it completely. 19

This is the aspect of the Song of the Day, where we specifically mention Shabbos every single day: "Today is the first day toward Shabbos ; today is the second day toward Shabbos ," etc. Then we recite the Song of the Day that was recited in the Bais HaMikdash . For song is the aspect of joy — we remind ourselves of the holiness of Shabbos , which is the aspect of song, thanksgiving, and joy. The essential song and thanksgiving (= joy) is on Shabbos : "a psalm, a song for the day of Shabbos; it is good to give thanks to Hashem... upon the ten-stringed... for You have gladdened me, Hashem, with Your works" etc. From there all the songs the Levi'im would recite in the Bais HaMikdash every day are drawn. Therefore we mention Shabbos specifically alongside the Song of the Day — to draw Shabbos -joy into each day.

But after Kri'as Yam Suf — when the geulah was fully completed and the kedushah of Yisrael was revealed — the essential splitting of the sea was through the aspect of Yosef, who also departed at the eis ratzon on Shabbos at Minchah. Through him was the essential geulah, as it is written (Shemos 13): "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo..." — "Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him." This is the aspect of what is written in the Zohar HaKadosh: "Mah titz'ak eilai — b'Atika talyah milsa" — for then the eis ratzon began to illuminate more greatly through the bones of Yosef. 20

Then we recite the song the Levi'im would say in the Bais HaMikdash — all in the above aspect: we recall even now the song of the Bais HaMikdash (= joy), all to draw from the aspect of Shabbos , from the ultimate end when the Bais HaMikdash will be rebuilt and joy will be immense. Through this we gladden ourselves even now with this hope — for in the end of all ends everything will be rectified, sins will be transformed to merits, everything will turn to good, as above. All this he hinted in his answer: "aisu ashli u'moshchu" etc. — reminding them of the great joy of the future, through which we can gladden ourselves even now, as above. Through this we merit leaving the Chambers of Exchange they mentioned there, alluded to in the question "mi yaimar" etc., as explained there.

And because Yisrael had already begun to prepare themselves during the six days of the Sefirah for receiving the Torah — therefore the din was sweetened even more, and the chametz was sweetened through the eis ratzon until one could eat it afterward. Also, because they had already received the asvasa [remedy] — the matzah — as written in the Zohar HaKadosh. Through eating matzah and destroying chametz, they merited emunah in hashgachah so strongly that afterward, even when they eat chametz, it does not harm them. Meaning: even when they engage in some business for livelihood, they do not fall into the kefiros of nature, chas v'shalom, to say "kochi v'otzem yadi," chas v'shalom. Rather, they believe in Hashem — that all causes are from Him alone, and the conduct of nature itself is through His hashgachah alone. 21

§ 12 — The Chambers of Exchange: How the Sitra Achra Reverses Everything

Throughout the days of the Sefirah, the dinim are sweetened until on the holy day of Shavuos — the time of the giving of our Torah — the eis ratzon is drawn in greater completeness, and the din is sweetened so greatly that the aspect of chametz (the aspect of teva) rises as a korban — for nature is completely included within hashgachah, as above. 22

The Sitra Achra and the klipos — the forces of the yetzer hara and his armies — are called the Chambers of Exchange. Their entire evil power is through exchanges: swapping evil for good and good for evil, in the aspect of: "woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who make darkness into light and light into darkness" etc. (Yeshayah 5). From there come all the confusions, all the desires, all types of dispute, enticements, seductions, and false reasonings, etc. The essential thing is through sadness — through which the mind and intellect become confused, as explained in the above-mentioned Torah ( LM II:10 ). The essential confusion is that they confuse the da'as , exchanging and reversing everything: "your reversal" (Yeshayah 29); "they rebelled and grieved His holy spirit" (Yeshayah 63). All language of rebellion and defiance ( sorer u'moreh ) is on account of the exchanges, from which many are brought to actual bitterness, Rachmana litzlan : "today it tells him 'do this,' tomorrow it tells him 'do that,' until..." etc. — all through false reasonings and exchanges.

Therefore it was established in many prayers and confessions from the early ones to say: "What You made stringent, I treated lightly; what You treated lightly, I made stringent; what You forbade, I permitted; what You permitted, I forbade" — and much more (as brought in the confession of Tikun Erev Rosh Chodesh ). Even their stringencies cause much harm, and likewise their mitzvos — for usually the ba'al davar [adversary] garbs himself in mitzvos (as brought in LM I:1 ). All this is the aspect of exchanges and reversals.

This is why one brings money for a pidyon to the tzaddik. For money is the aspect of dinim. When the tzaddik takes the money for his livelihood and eating, the money ascends to the root of livelihood — which depends on mazala, as our Sages said — meaning the train mazalin d'Dikna Kadisha [the two mazalos of the holy Beard], which is the aspect of the eis ratzon, as understood in the Kavanos. Through this, the dinim are sweetened through the upper pidyon — which is the essential — for even when making an individual pidyon, one needs to receive some illumination from there, as explained elsewhere. 23

This is the aspect of fallen fears, Rachmana litzlan . One should fear only Hashem alone: "Hashem is with me, I shall not fear" etc. When one fears some person, ruler, or wild animal, etc. — this is the aspect of fallen fears, exchanging fear of Hashem for fear of flesh and blood. Yet even when it seems he fears Hashem — that He will punish him (which is a good fear, as our master, teacher, and rabbi zichrono livrachah wrote that the essential thing is fear of punishment — see elsewhere what he writes about this: even though it is found in sefarim that they disparage fear of punishment, nevertheless in truth the essential thing is fear of punishment, for even tzadikim need fear of punishment, etc.; see there) — as it says: "G-d has made it so that they fear Him," and as Rashi explains: G-d brought many punishments, as in the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, etc., so they would fear Him, fear the punishments, etc. — yet even a good fear, the ba'al davar 's way is to exchange and reverse it: he tends to bring a person to melancholy and sadness through this fear, until he distances him from Hashem through it. This affliction is well known in many people.

This is the aspect of the Bizas Mitzrayim and Bizas HaYam [the plunder of Egypt and the sea], regarding which Hashem urged them greatly — in order to fulfill His promise to Avraham Avinu: "V'acharai chain yaitz'u bir'chush gadol" — "afterward they shall go out with great wealth." For when Yisrael took the wealth and property from Mitzrayim and it came into their hands — into the domain of kedushah — this was the aspect of the pidyon: money coming into the hand of the tzaddik. For Yisrael — relative to the idol worshipers and the Mitzrim — are all called tzaddikim, as it is written: "V'amaich kulam tzaddikim..." Therefore, when the wealth came into their hands, the aspect of the pidyon was drawn. And all was through the power of Moshe, who took the bones of Yosef with him — who also departed on Shabbos at Minchah, etc. 24

Even fear of punishment and all good fears must be received only for good and not for ill: "fear of Hashem is for life" — to draw closer to Hashem through the fear, from wherever it comes, and not to become distant, chas v'shalom . Specifically through fear of punishment one should come to joy: "rejoice with trembling" — through the fear and trembling from the great punishments, Rachmana litzlan , specifically through this one should come to joy: that at least he is among Israel, close to tzadikim , through which he will be saved from thousands and myriads of punishments. If he trusts in the power of the tzadikim and strengthens himself with joy, his end will certainly be good and everything will turn to good — sins transformed to merits, as brought above regarding LM I:22 on the verse "on that day the sin of Israel will be sought and it will be gone" etc. (See Hilchos Pesach 9, Hilchos Bechor Behaimah Tehorah 4, and elsewhere where we elaborated on this somewhat.)

Now, how beautiful and pleasant are the words of our Sages who said (Sotah 13a): "Chacham laiv yikach mitzvos (Mishlay 10) — this is Moshe. For all Yisrael were busy with the plunder, while he was occupied with the bones of Yosef." This means precisely as above: specifically through the holiness of the bones of Yosef — through which the ratzon is drawn — the tikkun accomplished by Yisrael through taking the plunder was made possible. Therefore, precisely when they were busy with the plunder, precisely then Moshe was occupied with the bones of Yosef — for it is all the aspect of the pidyon: money coming into the hand of the tzaddik who can draw the eis ratzon, as above. 25

Beyond this, a person must understand on his own not to let the fear turn, chas v'shalom , into distancing — lest it become "if he did not merit, it becomes a potion of death" : "transgressors shall stumble in them" — all deriving from the Chambers of Exchange that exchange and reverse everything, as above, beyond what can be described or explained.

Therefore one must draw close to the truly G-d-fearing and draw joy upon himself with all his strength — through all the good points he still finds in himself, etc., as explained on the verse "I shall sing to my G-d while I yet live" ( LM I:282 ), brought in our writings many times. Through seeking and finding great expansiveness within the troubles themselves: "in distress You expanded for me" — as explained extensively in the above Hilchos Kilai Behaimah. Through looking toward the ultimate end, etc. — the aspect of "aisu ashli u'moshchu" etc. — until he reverses and exchanges everything for good: the aspect of "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" ( LM II:23 ): one must specifically seize the sorrow and sighing and transform them to joy. Whatever the Chambers of Exchange want to use to cast him down and distance him, chas v'shalom , through their reversing and falsifying reasonings, as above — let him reverse everything for good.

This is the aspect of the Korban Todah [thanksgiving offering], which is the choicest of all korbanos. As our Sages said (Midrash Rabbah Tzav 89): all korbanos will be nullified except the Korban Todah. For the Todah contained both chametz and matzah — unlike all other korbanos. This is the essential perfection: when the din is sweetened so greatly that chametz is included within matzah — nature included within hashgachah, etc. — as above. 26

On the contrary: this itself is the intensity of my joy — that someone as distant as I, so very far as he knows within himself, nevertheless wraps himself in tzitzis every day, goes to the mikveh , gives tzedakah , etc. — the entire world is not worth even the light of a single point of any mitzvah ! Especially what he merited in drawing close to true tzadikim , etc. — as explained at length in our writings, especially in Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah 3. Until he draws joy upon himself and performs the mitzvos with joy — through which specifically he ascends from the Chambers of Exchange, etc., until he merits the tikun of the Arranger, etc. (= Keser , where the source of joy resides), whose tikun is specifically through the aspect of mi yaimar — descending into the Chambers of Exchange and ascending from there through the power of the tzadikim , by overpowering to seize the sorrow and sighing and transform it to joy, as above. Through this comes the essential ge'ulah and redemption of the future — through which one redeems his soul from its exile even now, as above.

This is merited when one emerges from a tzarah — for then one brings a Todah. When one emerges from trouble, it is only through the aspect of the pidyon. Therefore, chametz and matzah are then included together — this is the aspect of Shavuos, when they bring the Shtai HaLechem from chametz specifically. And as is brought: the Shtai HaLechem of Shavuos are in the aspect of a Korban Todah — as above. 27

This is the aspect of: "the redeemed of Hashem shall return... and eternal joy upon their heads" — "upon their heads" is the aspect of Keser (which is upon the head), where the source of joy resides, as above. Adjacent to this: "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" — seizing the sorrow and sighing and transforming it to joy, as above. Specifically through this one leaves the Chambers of Exchange and ascends through all the above ascents, meriting Keser (= "eternal joy upon their heads" ), where the essential redemption and ge'ulah resides: "the redeemed of Hashem shall return" etc.

Therefore, most of the time Parashas Tzav is read on Shabbos HaGadol — the Shabbos before Pesach. For the essential miracle and geulah of Pesach was through the aspect of Shabbos, when the essential illumination of the eis ratzon shines, as is known. Therefore the Shabbos before Pesach is called "Shabbos HaGadol" — for the essential miracles and wonders of Pesach, which are called "great" — as it is written: "Saprah na li es hag'dolos she'asah Elisha" — were all through Shabbos, as above. Therefore they then read Parashas Tzav, which speaks of the Todah — for the essential purpose and tachlis of the miracles of Pesach is to merit Shavuos, which is in the aspect of the Korban Todah, as above. 28

§ 13 — The Todah with Chametz: Sins Transformed to Merits

This is the aspect of the Todah that comes with chametz , brought when one emerges from distress. No one emerges from distress until all his sins are forgiven, as our Sages say. Then the sins are transformed to merits, and joy is drawn — through which comes the essential tikun to leave the distress. All the cries and outcries one must make during troubles, chas v'shalom , are all to merit having the da'as illumine upon him even within the trouble, until he can gladden his soul, as above — through which specifically one leaves the trouble and exile, as above.

Therefore chametz is brought in the Todah . It has already been explained that through the tikun of Keser (= waiting), chametz is in great holiness — the aspect of the chametz of the Todah , merited through the transformation of sorrow to joy (= sins transformed to merits, the tikun of Keser ), as above.

See the Idra Rabba, Parashas Naso, where it is explained: there is metzach [forehead] and there is metzach, etc. The metzach of Ze'ir Anpin: twenty-four supreme dinim are found there, etc. When this metzach is revealed, all the masters of din are aroused, etc., against the wicked of the world. This is the meaning of: "U'metzach ishah zonah hayah lach..." — "You had the forehead of a harlot." 29

This is the aspect of the saying: "in the future all korbanos will be nullified except the korban Todah." All korbanos come to atone — and that will not be needed in the future, for everything will already have been atoned. But Todah — thanksgiving, to tell of Hashem's kindnesses and wonders to the children of men, how everything was turned to good: specifically through having been in this world, each person enduring what he endured, many stumbling greatly in their sins — and now everything is transformed to good: "on that day they will seek and search for the sin of Israel, and it will be gone" etc. This is the aspect of the korban Todah brought with matzah and chametz , as above — this will never be nullified. For this will be every person's portion of the World to Come — what he merited through the toil of this world specifically: the aspect of "gladness and joy shall they attain" etc. This will be fulfilled completely in the future: "the redeemed of Hashem shall return... gladness and joy shall they attain" etc. But each person according to how much he merited drawing close to tzadikim and upright people and fulfilling this counsel in this world, amidst the bitterness of troubles in body, soul, and finances, transforming everything to joy, etc. — through this he will merit this in completeness in the future: the aspect of the korban Todah , as above.

§ 14 — The Essence of All Exiles: Sadness; the Counsel: Joy Through Every Means

This is the aspect of the great severity of the prohibition of chametz on Pesach. For the force of the din of this metzach — from which the Sitra Achra and kelipos take hold — cannot be sweetened except through the revelation of the Metzach HaRatzon [forehead of Will]. As it is brought there: "Except at that time when the tefillos of Yisrael ascend before Atik Yomin, and He wishes to have mercy upon His children — He reveals the Metzach d'Ra'ava d'Ra'avin," etc. 30

The principle: the essential exile — whose core is the exile of the soul, as is known — the essential thing is the sadness overpowering every Jewish soul at every turn. Especially as long as one has not yet been purified and he strives to return, and what happens to him happens: the ba'al davar provokes him greatly, and his essential provocation is through sadness. Every person must search and seek all kinds of counsel to gladden himself in whatever way possible — whether through milai d'shtusa [silly things], since for the most part one cannot gladden himself except through these, as explained extensively elsewhere (especially in Hilchos Nefilas Apayim based on this Torah ; see there); whether through "I shall sing to my G-d while I yet live" etc.; whether through other Toros and holy conversations, wondrous and awesome, that we heard regarding this matter — many are explained in our sefarim ; see there. Until one overpowers to seize the sorrow and sighing specifically to transform it to joy (as explained on the verse "gladness and joy shall they attain" etc., LM II:23 ; see what is explained there in Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah 3; see there well).

Therefore, on Pesach — when we do not yet have the power to draw the pidyon completely through the revelation of the Metzach HaRatzon — we must destroy the chametz entirely, and its prohibition is extremely severe: bal yaira'eh u'val yimatzai. For "chametz" shares the letters of "metzach" [in rearranged order] — for its hold comes from the chain of severe dinim of the metzach. Now, on Pesach, one must nullify and destroy it completely, for we do not have the power to sweeten it and transform it to kedushah. Only through the immense illumination of all the mochin that enter at once on Lail Shimurim [the night of guarding] — through this we have the power to nullify and destroy it completely, so that it is neither seen nor found in our borders at all. But not to transform it to kedushah — for the chametz at that time is the aspect of "metzach ishah zonah," the force of the contamination of Mitzrayim, the nakedness of the land, the aspect of sh'mad/eil acheir/kefiros. For immorality and kefiros depend on one another, as brought elsewhere. 31

Especially on Shabbos and Yom Tov , and every day before tefilah — one must overpower even more to pray with joy and receive Shabbos and Yom Tov with great joy, until he extends the joy of Shabbos into the six weekdays, as above. And to perform all mitzvos with joy — this is what we are engaged in through this Torah , which in His kindness He revealed to us: everything a person merits through performing the mitzvah with joy. The essential ascent, from level to level and from world to world, endlessly unto the Ain Sof — everything through the joy of the mitzvah , through which one ascends from the Chambers of Exchange, from the depths of the klipos , in the aspect of ketores , ascending, etc. — until one merits the nine chambers that are not illuminated, etc.

But through the mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer — counting six days until the seventh of Pesach, having already begun to prepare for receiving the Torah — an illumination and sweetening is drawn upon them from the Metzach HaRatzon, the aspect of Atik that is then revealed. From there was the splitting of the sea — in the aspect of "Mah titz'ak eilai — b'Atika talyah," etc., as above. Therefore afterward chametz was permitted — sweetened through the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon. 32

We have already written that his holy intention applied to every single Jew, even the worst of the worst, etc. Every person wherever he is — as long as the name "Israel" is called upon him and he engages in some mitzvah (such as in the morning wrapping himself in tzitzis ) — has the power to gladden his soul from within his extreme distance, etc., and all he went through until that hour. For after all of this, nevertheless, he now merits at this very moment to wrap himself in tzitzis ! In the end, nothing will remain of him except this Torah and mitzvos that he seizes every day.

Every Jew — especially one who has a scent of Torah and looks into holy sefarim — can understand from afar the awesome, wondrous, extraordinary holiness of every mitzvah , such as tzitzis : how extensively our Sages extolled the merit of tzitzis , as brought in the Gemara, Midrashim, etc. — and likewise every mitzvah . Therefore he must remind himself of the supreme virtue of the mitzvah , which ascends infinitely, and gladden his soul with this greatly. Whatever the Sitra Achra and the ba'al davar want to use to confuse him with great sadness from the profusion of his flaws and worries, etc. — on the contrary, through all this let him gladden his soul more and more: nevertheless I wrap myself in tzitzis ! How greatly His kindness has prevailed over us — that even I, after everything I have done, now wrap myself in tzitzis ! So may my soul, spirit, and neshamah wrap themselves in the light of the tzitzis , etc.

And on Shavuos — through receiving the Torah, which is the essential revelation of the Metzach HaRatzon — therefore it is then a mitzvah to bring chametz specifically as a korban, as it is written: "chametz tai'afenah" — "they shall be baked as chametz." And this entire holy festival is named after the Shtai HaLechem that come from chametz, as it is written: "B'hakrivchem minchah chadashah laHashem b'Shavuosaichem." For then the Metzach HaRatzon is revealed, and the chametz — which shares the letters of "metzach" — draws its sustenance from the Metzach HaRatzon. Through this are all the sweetenings, the aspect of the upper pidyon, through which they ascend from sh'mad to ratzon and geirim are converted — all of which is the aspect of Shavuos, as above. Therefore they then bring chametz specifically as a korban, as above. 33

It is impossible to explain to each person how much he needs to strengthen himself with joy at every moment, anew, wherever he is. The wise man has eyes in his head to understand many things from our words here and from what we have written elsewhere on this subject. "All are upright to the one who understands" etc.

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos Bircas HaShacharHalacha 5 — Part C (§17–22)

§ 15 — Lech Lecha : Avram's Journey = The Soul Leaving Sadness for Joy

Based on LM I:215 — The Twenty-Four Types of pid'yoanoas (continued) 1

This is the aspect of: "Hashem said to Avram: Go for yourself from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house" etc. Avram is the neshamah , as stated many times in the holy Zohar on these parshiyos . He lacks the letter heh — the aspect of joy, as our Sages say regarding the mitzvah to gladden the bride and groom: the five voices — "voice of joy and voice of gladness... voice saying: 'Give thanks to Hashem'" (Yirmiyah 33). Therefore Avram does not bear children — the essential holy birth is from the joy of bride and groom: "one who has no children should gladden his wife" etc. (as brought in LM II:81 ).

"Go for yourself from your land" — the aspect of sadness drawn from the land, from the element of earth, where sadness clings: "cursed is the ground for your sake; in sadness you shall eat it" etc., as explained in several places in Rabbainu's words zichrono livrachah (see what he writes on "and you shall eat dust" etc., and elsewhere). "From your birthplace" — from the sadness that comes from the side of birth: "behold, in iniquity I was formed" etc., for this desire is the aspect of wailing and sadness, Rachmana litzlan , as is known. "From your father's house" — from the sadness drawn from one's family and relatives, etc., among whom he was raised, whose way is to sadden a person. Especially when he wishes to enter the paths of holiness — their way is to grieve and pain and prevent him, through the profusion of their changing opinions and reversed reasonings drawn from the Chambers of Exchange, as above. All types of suffering contrary to a person's will are called sadness: "they provoked Him in the wilderness" ; "all day long His words grieve me" (Tehillim 56); "He was grieved in His heart" (Beraishis 6). And much more.

This is the aspect of (Pesachim 2a): "Or l'arba'ah asar bodkin es hachametz l'or haner" — "On the night preceding the fourteenth, one searches for chametz by the light of a candle." This is also the aspect of the Siman for the Seder of Pesach: it begins with "Kadesh" and ends with "Nirtzah." 2

"To the land" — this is Eretz Yisrael , where the source of joy resides: "that You bring us up in joy to our land" — for there is the Bais HaMikdash , where all the service of the korbanos (= joy) takes place: "you shall rejoice in all that your hand accomplishes" etc. As the holy Zohar states: the service of the Kohain must be with great joy, etc. That is: Hashem exhorts every Jewish soul — all encompassed in Avraham Avinu — to overpower with all his strength to leave all types of sadness, whether coming from the physical body rooted in dust, etc., or from one's father, family, city, etc. From all of them, let him overpower to leave — until he arrives at Eretz Yisrael , where the source of joy resides, as above. He hinted to him that through joy he would leave the Chambers of Exchange (= "your land and your birthplace" etc.), whose essential overpowering is through sadness, as above. He must raise his soul from there through overpowering with joy — and through this rectify all the above tikunim .

This is: "Go for yourself from your land" etc. — he should raise the aspect of his portion in Malchus , called Avram, and go and raise it from there, rectifying the instruments of walking (= Netzach-Hod-Yesod , as above). Through the walking: "I shall make you a great nation" — he will make His G-dliness known in all the worlds, especially in this world, making known to all people His might and the glory of His majesty: "with our young and with our old we shall go" etc., as explained there. All will gather and assemble to him until he becomes a great nation.

The general principle is this: although it is explained in the Torah [LM I:215] that there is an individual pidyon that sweetens the din from some particular beis din among the twenty-four batei dinim, and there is an all-encompassing pidyon that sweetens all the dinim in all twenty-four batei dinim — through the aspect of eis ratzon, the Metzach HaRatzon — nevertheless, one must know that all the pidyonos and sweetenings of dinim in the world — which is the essential avodah of every Yid collectively and individually, as is known and understood in the true sefarim — all have their essential root in the Metzach HaRatzon, which is Ra'ava d'Ra'avin. For if this aspect did not illuminate at every moment, the world could not endure from the force of the dinim in the lower metzach — as brought in the Idra Rabba and other places. 3

"I shall bless you" — through the walking one merits drawing blessing to all, the aspect of hands, as explained there. The essential blessing is the blessing of intellect. "I shall make your name great" — the name is the soul, the vitality: "a living soul — that is its name." The essential vitality is the mind and intellect: "wisdom gives life" — that he should merit enlarging the mind, the essential blessing, the blessing of intellect. Also He hinted: "I shall make your name great" — the letter heh would be added to his name (= da'as and intellect, the heh of da'as , as explained elsewhere). He merited this through joy — the aspect of the five voices. For joy and da'as (= vitality) are one aspect: "in the light of the King's face is life" ; "fullness of joys is Your countenance" — as explained elsewhere.

The distinction is only this: the Metzach HaRatzon always illuminates into the lower metzach in a state of great concealment and immense contraction. One who knows how to make a pidyon properly draws an illumination from there downward in greater revelation — nullifying a din from a particular beis din among the twenty-four. If he has greater power, he can nullify din from multiple batei dinim — according to the strength of his pidyon, according to the illumination he draws from the Metzach HaRatzon downward, etc. — through the Names, unifications, and kavanos pertaining to this; according to his power in good deeds (which is the essential); and according to his intensification in tefillah and supplications (which surpasses everything). 4

"And you shall be a blessing" — the aspect of the blessing of intellect having endurance, that he should merit grasping through it what he grasps — this is the essential thing. This is the aspect of the blessing of the Arranger and Settler, etc. — through which the essential endurance of the blessing of the mind is accomplished, so they are not nullified entirely through the excess of their pursuit. Through the blessing of the Arranger, etc., who obstructs them — the mind is sustained and grasps the light of the Ain Sof in the aspect of mati v'lo mati . This is the essential eternal endurance of the blessing: "and you shall be a blessing" (= endurance), as above.

There is also a distinction between times. For even on weekdays, through the tefillah of Yisrael, some illumination is drawn from the Metzach HaRatzon to the lower metzach, etc. — all according to the power of the tefillah. But on Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim — and primarily on Shabbos at Minchah — then "Atika Kadisha reveals His ratzon," and the Metzach HaRatzon is revealed in wondrous revelation. Then all the worlds and all the neshamos of Yisrael ascend there, etc. And then "Ra'ava d'Ra'avin is found, in which Moshe, Yosef, and Dovid departed." All this is impossible to explain fully; a little of it the wise person will understand on his own. 5

"I shall bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I shall curse" etc. — all this is impossible to attain except through the aspect of mi yaimar : descending to the Chambers of Exchange, etc., raising the holiness from there. There one must sort good from evil — the aspects of blessing and curse. He promised him He would help bless his blessers (= the good sparks that will cling to him from there) and curse his cursers (= the evil that wants to prevent him). Until "through you all families of the earth shall be blessed" — they will all convert and return to Him.

Therefore you must know that all the geulos and yeshuos — both for Klal Yisrael collectively and for each individual — are all through the sweetening of the dinim through the pidyonos of the tzaddikim, who toil and labor on our behalf to sweeten all the dinim from upon us and to redeem us from all the troubles and sufferings at all times — collectively and individually. 6

Thus this parshah alludes to the entire order of tikunim accomplished through performing the mitzvah with joy; see there very well in the above Torah , and then our words here will become clear with Hashem's help. Everything that happened with Avraham afterward — the famine in the land, his descent to Egypt, Lot going with him, Sarah taken to Pharaoh's house, his ascending from there with cattle and silver and gold (= many holy sparks raised from the Sitra Achra ) — all in the aspect of mi yaimar , descending into many Chambers of Exchange in various aspects and raising the holiness from there (= Malchus of holiness), etc. Also the war with the four kings (= the four kingdoms encompassing all exiles, as is known), whose essential exile is sadness, as above. He vanquished them all and rescued Lot — to sort from him specifically the soul of Mashiach hidden there (as is known), the source of joy: "then our mouths will be filled with laughter" etc.

But certainly there is a great distinction between those who draw close to the tzaddik and those who do not — all the more so, one who opposes him, chas v'shalom. Even though the true tzaddik in his great goodness prays for them as well and sweetens dinim from upon them to redeem them — as Dovid HaMelech said (Tehillim 35): "Va'ani b'chalosam l'vushi sak... u'sfilasi al chaiki sashuv" — "When they were ill, my garment was sackcloth... and my prayer returned upon my own bosom" — nevertheless, the distinction between those who draw close and those who oppose, etc. — everyone can understand on their own. 7

§ 16 — The King's Chambers: The Nine Chambers and the Kodesh Kadashim

This is: "the King has brought me to His chambers" — said regarding the Bais HaMikdash — "we shall exult and rejoice in You." "His chambers" — the above nine chambers, merited through "we shall exult and rejoice in You," as above. This is the aspect of the Kodesh Kadashim — the tenth level of holiness, which is "do not enter": "he shall not come at all times into the Holy" ; "only with this shall Aharon enter" etc. — on Yom Kippur specifically. The Haichal is the ninth level of holiness, where the nine above chambers are encompassed. Beyond there it is forbidden to enter except through the tikun of Keser (= the Arranger and Settler, etc.) — the aspect of Yom Kippur , the tikun of Keser , as is known. Therefore it is forbidden to enter from the Haichal onward to the Bais Kodesh Kadashim , to perceive there what one would perceive, at the place of the Aron and the Keruvim — except the Kohain Gadol on Yom Kippur , through the ketores that gladdens the heart, etc. — to rectify through all this the Keser (= the Arranger and Settler), then specifically meriting the light of the Ain Sof , etc.

This was the damage of Nadav and Avihu: "when they drew near before Hashem and they died" — they entered without the tikun of the Arranger, etc. This is the aspect of excess light: "when they drew near" etc.; "lest they break through to ascend to Hashem" etc. (See Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah 4 based on this Torah ; see there. Also see below. And the matter of the Paroches that separates, etc. — this is the aspect of the Prisah , etc.; see there.)

Regarding this the navi cried out (Hoshea 7): "Va'ani efdaim v'haimah dib'ru aleye k'zavim" — "I redeem them, yet they speak lies about Me" — meaning: I am constantly engaged in redeeming them through the aspect of the pidyon, yet they, etc. Through this they delay the geulah, for the essential obstruction is through machlokes and accusation among the talmidei chachamim and throughout the world — as our Sages said. 8

§ 17 — Yitzchak: The First Holy Birth Named for Joy

Let us return to our subject. On Pesach — at the beginning of the geulah of Yisrael from Mitzrayim, whose essential power was through an illumination from the pidyon, from Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, etc. — but this could not be drawn in completeness until Shavuos, as above. And the contamination of Mitzrayim clung to them greatly. Therefore the essential geulah was through drawing upon them the illumination of all the mochin simultaneously in an immensely powerful illumination, not in the usual order, etc. — which does not occur at any other time, not even on Shabbos or Shavuos. 9

Therefore the first holy birth in Israel to come into the world is called Yitzchak — the first born in holiness from Avraham and Sarah. He was called Yitzchak for joy: "G-d has made laughter for me." This is the essential aspect of the holiness of Israel — joy. Therefore he was not born until the names Avraham and Sarah were enlarged with the addition of heh — the aspect of joy, the five voices of the joy of bride and groom, whose essential one is "the voice saying: 'Give thanks to Hashem'" — todah and thanksgiving to Hashem in joy. From there comes the essential holy birth of Israel, as above.

Nevertheless, on Shabbos and Shavuos they ascend to an even higher level — for then they ascend to the Dikna, the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin, from which comes the essential upper all-encompassing pidyon — as understood and explained in the Kavanos of the Arizal; see there well. 10

§ 18 — Yaakov vs. Esav: The Battle of Joy Against Sadness

Because on Pesach the aspect of Ra'ava d'Ra'avin was not yet revealed as it is on Shabbos and Shavuos — therefore chametz is prohibited, as above: it must be destroyed and nullified completely through the force of the illumination of the great mochin drawn on Pesach. But all the power of the mochin is drawn from Ra'ava d'Ra'avin — for all the sweetenings in the world, which are through drawing some mochin and chochmah according to the person and time, etc. — all are drawn from the Metzach HaRatzon. 11

This is the aspect of the entire battle between Yaakov and Esav. The essential joy is the aspect of the holiness of Yaakov, whose bed was complete: "let Yaakov exult, let Israel rejoice" ; "let Israel rejoice in its Maker." Esav is Edom, from whom all exiles come — his essential overpowering is through sadness, as above: "when you shall be aggrieved, you shall cast off his yoke" etc. — "aggrieved" specifically (a word of wailing and sadness); then "you shall cast off his yoke," as above.

Therefore, the essential power to destroy the chametz and the se'or on the fourteenth of Nisan is through the illumination drawn in concealment from the Metzach HaRatzon. The essential Metzach HaRatzon will be revealed in wondrous completeness in the future, when Mashiach Tzidkeinu comes — of whom it is said: "V'ad Atik Yomin meta..." — for Mashiach will encompass all three tzaddikim who departed in Ra'ava d'Ra'avin — Yosef, Moshe, and Dovid. 12

This is the aspect of the blessing and the birthright that Yaakov strove to take from Esav. The blessing is the blessing of intellect merited through joy — the aspect of the birthright, the service of korbanos that was then vested in the firstborn. The service of korbanos is the aspect of joy, as above. Therefore the event occurred when Yaakov Avinu was engaged in comforting his father Yitzchak from his mourning over Avraham, as it says: "Yaakov cooked a stew" etc., as our Sages say. Then "Esav came from the field, exhausted" — from murder, adultery, and idolatry (= anger and sadness).

In the geulah of Mitzrayim — the aspect of Dovid had not yet been revealed, for he was not yet born. The entire geulah was essentially through Moshe and Yosef — in the aspect of: "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo." Therefore the illumination of Dovid was not yet revealed — and therefore the Metzach HaRatzon did not yet shine properly, as above. Therefore, one must destroy the chametz — the letters of "metzach" — so that the dinim of the lower metzach of Ze'ir Anpin do not prevail, etc. 13

Yaakov was then engaged in the meal of consolation for his father, to comfort him from mourning. The essential consolation is: "You have turned my mourning into dance" — the aspect of "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee," as above: one must transform sorrow and sighing to joy: "I shall turn their mourning to gladness and comfort them and gladden them from their sorrow."

Therefore he cooked lentils then — with which mourners are consoled. Lentils contain both mourning and joy, as stated in Midrash Rabbah on this parshah . They allude to the wheel that revolves in the world — a hint to the Resurrection, the essential consolation. Because of this, death is very good: "and behold, very good" etc. — the aspect of the wheel revolving in the world. For all the wondrous and awesome changes through which Hashem governs His world are in the aspect of the revolving wheel, rooted in the transmigration of souls, for whose sake everything was created and is sustained. Hashem revolves wondrous and awesome cycles with the souls, beyond reckoning: "Hashem kills and gives life, brings low and also raises up, impoverishes and enriches, brings down to the grave and raises up" etc. (Shmuel I:2). From there come all the revolutions of the spheres — the sun, moon, twelve constellations, etc. — through which Hashem governs His world. All for the sake of the ultimate purpose of the souls of Israel, who come to this world and undergo many exiles, causes, and transmigrations — all ultimately dying and returning to life in the Resurrection. Then everyone will see and understand the works of Hashem and His awesome deeds in this world, through all the causes and cycles of each and every person.

On Shavuos, the aspect of Dovid illuminates more greatly — for Dovid died on Atzeres [Shavuos]. Therefore they read Rus then — from whom Dovid came forth. And she was a giyores [female convert] — for from there is the essential power of geirim, as above: ascending from sh'mad to ratzon through the Metzach HaRatzon, which illuminates more greatly when all three tzaddikim — Moshe, Yosef, and Dovid — are included together. The essential completion of the geulah will be through the aspect of Dovid — the aspect of Mashiach ben Dovid. 14

This is what Rashi explains: "you are all standing today" — "like this day that darkens and brightens, so He will darken and brighten for you" etc. — as above, for it is all one. This is what the lentils hint at, consoling the mourner: the wheel revolves and in the future he will return to life in the Resurrection — the essential consolation, through which everything is transformed to joy, as above.

This is: "Or l'arba'ah asar bodkin es hachametz" — and it is brought in all the holy sefarim that fourteen [arba'ah asar] alludes to the aspect of Dovid, whose name has the numerical value of fourteen [daled=4, vav=6, daled=4], etc. See there where they elaborate on this, though they did not explain well how far the matter reaches. According to our approach, it is easily understood by the wise — for the essential power to destroy chametz before Pesach is through the concealed illumination of Dovid Mashiach. Through him, the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon is completed, as above. Through this we draw upon ourselves the force of the great and mighty illumination of the mochin drawn on Pesach — through which chametz is destroyed on the fourteenth of Nisan, "kad ismalyah sihara" — when the moon is full — which is the aspect of Dovid. Understand this well. 15

But Esav denied the Resurrection at that very moment — specifically because Avraham died, as stated in the Midrash on this parshah : he said, "The attribute of justice struck this elder," etc. He committed many transgressions then, all drawn from the klipah of sadness. Therefore he said: "Pour into me from this red, red" — the might of harsh judgment (= sadness). For the eating of the tzadikim is the aspect of joy: "to eat and drink and rejoice" ; "you shall eat before Hashem your G-d and rejoice" — said regarding the eating of korbanos , the eating of the tzadikim , whose eating is always in the aspect of korbanos . Therefore "their table atones like the altar," as our Sages say. But the eating of Esav and his ilk is the essential sadness — the contamination of the serpent: "in sadness you shall eat it" etc. This is what Esav the wicked brought upon himself then: "pour into me" etc. — gorging, gross eating — the damage of eating (= sadness, as above).

This is why the Siman for the Seder of Pesach begins with "Kadesh" and ends with "Nirtzah." "Kadesh" is the aspect of the force of the abundant mochin drawn on Pesach — all of which are called kodesh, as is known. Then "U'r'chatz," "Karpas," etc. — all the awesome tikkunim accomplished through the entire Seder of Pesach. The essential tachlis and kavanah is to merit Shavuos — when the Metzach HaRatzon illuminates in completeness. And even now, the power to destroy chametz and to receive all the holy mochin is drawn from there. 16

Therefore Yaakov rightly said to him at the opportune time: "then sell me today your birthright." The service vested in the firstborn is the aspect of joy — therefore, since you choose transgression and eating of the Sitra Achra (= sadness), the birthright (= joy) does not belong to you. Therefore Esav immediately agreed: "behold, I am going to die" — our Sages say he denied the Resurrection then. "Why do I need a birthright?" — certainly one who denies the Resurrection (the essential ultimate purpose of the service) finds no joy in the service of korbanos or any mitzvah -service. The essential joy is our knowing and believing that the service of korbanos and mitzvos is our entire purpose and eternal hope. So he said fittingly: "I am going to an eternal death — why do I need the birthright?" — and "he sold his birthright to Yaakov" etc.

Through this Yaakov later merited receiving the blessings from his father — by feeding him holy eating (= joy). Therefore he brought him wine: "he brought him wine" — and Esav did not bring wine, as stated in the Midrash. Wine in holiness is the aspect of joy: "wine gladdens the heart of man." Especially since it was Pesach night, as our Sages say — when Israel drinks four cups of wine, going out to freedom from the exile of Egypt (encompassing all exiles), whose essential exile is sadness, as above. Therefore Yaakov brought him wine (= joy), as above. Therefore he received the blessings then — for the essential blessings are received through joy, as above.

This is why it concludes with "Nirtzah" — Nirtzah specifically — the aspect of the upper Ratzon, through which Moshe grants us merit to ascend there, elevating everything from sh'mad to ratzon. This is the essence of the geulah of Mitzrayim, as above — for the entire geulah from beginning to end is all from the aspect of the Ratzon, until we merit through the tikkunim of Pesach, etc., to ascend there on Shavuos in completeness, when the Metzach HaRatzon is revealed as on Shabbos at Minchah. 17

§ 19 — Chanukah: Days of Thanksgiving = Joy

It follows that the totality of the Seder of Pesach is the aspect of Nirtzah — the aspect of the upper Ratzon. Therefore "Nirtzah" has the numerical value of "Moshe" — for everything is through Moshe, etc., as above. 18

This is the aspect of Chanukah . Chanukah is the aspect of todah -thanksgiving: "they established these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name" — the aspect of joy, as above. This is the aspect of the Ner Chanukah . The holy anointing oil is the aspect of the mind, whose essential perception is through the "striking," etc., in the aspect of "crushed for illumination" — from which the pure olive oil is received, to kindle the eternal lamp that illuminates all the worlds from above to below and from below to above: "a lamp for my feet is Your word" ; "he dips his foot in oil" (Devarim 33). The light of the lamp illuminating through the oil is the aspect of joy — for light gladdens everything: "the light of the eyes gladdens the heart" ; "who arranged luminaries that gladden His world."

Similarly, it is understood and explained in the words of our Sages in the Midrash: all geulos are drawn from the illumination of the final geulah that will be through Dovid Mashiach. As they said in Midrash Rabbah on Parashas Vayeishev, on the verse (Bereishis 38): "Vayhi ba'ais hahi vayaired Yehudah..." — "It was at that time, and Yehudah went down..." — "Magid mairaishis acharis..." — "He tells from the beginning what the end will be..." Before the first exile even began, the final Redeemer was already created, etc. This means as above: the essential power of all geulos is through Dovid, who is the essential aspect of Mashiach. 19

The essential light of all lights in the world is drawn from the great tzadikim , who are the aspect of Mashiach : "the light of the righteous rejoices" ; "light is sown for the righteous, and for the upright of heart — joy." The essential complete light will be revealed through Mashiach , who will come speedily in our days: "I have prepared a lamp for My anointed." Even now, in the bitterness of exile, all our sustenance is only through his great light illuminating within us in concealment, through the great tzadikim who are the aspect of Mashiach .

The essential name Mashiach derives from the oil with which he is anointed — the anointing oil, the aspect of Keser : "the crown of his G-d is upon his head." From there he receives the perception of the mind, called the holy anointing oil, through the "striking" — the striking of the mind against Keser : "like the good oil upon the head" (= Keser upon the head), "descending upon the beard" — "beard" in the sense of "kanah chochmah" [acquired wisdom]: the perception of wisdom and da'as received from there through the striking, as above. This is the aspect of the thirteen tikunai dikna , encompassing all the mind, as known from the holy writings — the thirteen midos through which the Torah is expounded, encompassing all the wisdoms of Torah, its expositions and novellae: the essential perception of the mind. This is "the beard of Aharon" — the chief Kohain , with whom all blessings reside, etc., as above — "descending upon the collar of his garments." The oil (= wisdoms of the mind) — their entire completeness is to bring them down to the very lowest, to all a person's midos , illuminating them all, bringing them from darkness to light, raising them from the Chambers of Exchange (= darkness and the shadow of death, where the extreme darkness causes the reversal and exchange of everything). The more one overpowers and draws the light there, emerging from darkness to light — this is Malchus ascending from among the klipos , from the Chambers of Exchange. The essential light is joy, as above. Then one returns and ascends, receiving the blessings, ascending until the nine chambers, etc. — and so it cycles back for good.

Similarly it is understood and explained in the words of our Master and Teacher z"l, on the verse (Yechezkel 7): "Kaitz ba hakaitz" (Siman 250) [LM I:250] — that the essential geulos and yeshuos are drawn through an illumination drawn from the final keitz; see there. This means as above. 20

This is: "like the dew of Chermon... for there Hashem commanded the blessing" — for there is all the blessing, whose essence is the blessing of intellect, etc., as above.

§ 20 — Every Day, Every Person, Every Level: The Essential Thing Is Through the Tzadikim

This is the aspect of what was explained above (§15): the essential geulas Mitzrayim was through the power of Shabbos — therefore the Shabbos before Pesach is called Shabbos HaGadol. This is as above: for the essential geulah is through the Metzach HaRatzon that illuminates on Shabbos. 21

All of this is accomplished every day through the order of tefilah and the daily service — likewise every week, every month, every year, and with every person according to his level, according to the time and season, and according to the holiness of the times ( Shabbos , Yom Tov , Yom Kippur , etc.), as understood from the above Torah , which explains the order of all the ascents of tefilah ; see there and understand. Both collectively for all Israel and individually for each person.

This is what is brought in the holy sefarim: the second letters of "se'or" spell "Shabbos" [shin-alef-vav-reish → the second letters being beis-tav-shin = Shabbos]. Through this, the se'or in the dough is nullified — the aspect of "v'lo yaira'eh l'cha se'or." For the essential nullification of chametz and se'or is through the aspect of Shabbos, when Ra'ava d'Ra'avin is revealed — and primarily on Shabbos at Minchah, when Moshe, Yosef, and Dovid departed. 22

The essential thing is through the great power of the tzadikim , the aspect of Mashiach , who illumine through their power the point of joy even in the most lowly and fallen. This is the secret of what was boasted by the one without hands — that he could play all ten types of melody (= joy), the healing of the King's daughter, etc. Therefore the one who had great and awesome power in his hands boasted of this (as brought in Sipurai Ma'asiyos, the tale of the Seven Beggars). The essential blessing is in the hands (= the blessing of intellect, etc.), through which the nine chambers are perceived, etc. — where the source of joy resides: "eternal joy upon their heads" etc. From there they draw, through the very essence of their power, wisdom and awesome counsel into the hearts of all who are exceedingly weak — to gladden their souls as well.

Through them are all the geulos. Only, in specifics: the first geulah was essentially through the aspect of Yosef and Moshe, as above — while the aspect of Dovid and Mashiach illuminated in concealment, through which was the essential power to sweeten the din and redeem them, as above. But the final geulah — the keitz is still sealed and hidden — until we merit through Mashiach Tzidkeinu, who will be the aspect of Dovid, who is Mashiach himself, and will encompass Moshe and Yosef and all three Avos and all true tzaddikim. Then will be fulfilled: "V'ad Atik Yomin meta..." — and the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon will be revealed in a wondrous illumination the likes of which has never existed. Through this He will redeem us with an eternal geulah, a complete geulah with no exile after it — speedily in our days, Amein. 23

Each person, according to how much he strengthens himself to draw close to these tzadikim , incline his ear and heart to their words well, and believe in them, until he brings the joy into his heart — correspondingly he leaves the Chambers of Exchange each time through the power of the above tzadik . This is a great principle: all the tikunim in the world are accomplished only through the great tzadikim , the aspect of Mashiach . Nevertheless, they themselves cannot accomplish their desire to benefit every single Jew except according to each person's closeness to them — for there must be some is'arusa d'l'sata , as is known.

This is what the Tanna wrote (brachos 17a): "Galui v'yadu'a l'fanecha she'r'tzoni la'asos r'tzoncha, u'mi m'akaiv — s'or she'ba'isah..." — "It is revealed and known before You that my will is to do Your will, and what prevents me? The se'or in the dough..." For the se'or in the dough is the opposite of the upper Ratzon, and it cannot be sweetened and nullified except through the illumination of the Metzach HaRatzon, as above. 24

§ 21 — Chanukah: Drawing Joy from the Ultimate End

Therefore, in truth, our Master and Teacher z"l warned very, very strongly that a person should strive greatly to always have good retzonos [good desires/yearnings] and strong kisufin [longings] for Hashem — for the essential thing is the ratzon, etc. — as explained in his words in places without number. And even more than this, he spoke with us extensively: as long as a person does not despair of himself — even whatever he may be — and strengthens himself with good retzonos for Hashem and His Torah, etc. — through this he adds more power to the true tzaddikim who are constantly engaged in drawing the Metzach HaRatzon, through which they elevate from sh'mad to ratzon, etc. Understand this well. 25

All this is the aspect of Chanukah — days of thanksgiving (= joy), drawing joy from the ultimate end, from the completeness of the ge'ulah that will come through Mashiach Tzidkainu , when the joy will be immensely great — the aspect of "aisu ashli u'moshchu" etc. (as above, ois yud, etc.).

This itself is what the Tanna engaged in — speaking before Hashem: "It is revealed and known that my ratzon is..." For through this very act of pleading before Hashem, he drew strong retzonos for Hashem upon himself. Through this very act, he illuminated upon himself the illumination of the Ratzon — to nullify the se'or in the dough that prevents him from doing His will. 26

This is the aspect of the Ner Chanukah . The wicked kingdom provoked Israel, wanting to abolish the Bais HaMikdash service where the essential joy and all the above tikunim reside. Therefore there were ten levels of holiness there, the Haichal being the ninth — where the nine chambers illuminate. The Paroches separating between the Holy and the Holy of Holies is the aspect of the above Prisah . Therefore it is forbidden to enter beyond there except for the Kohain Gadol on Yom Kippur — the tenth day of the Ten Days of Teshuvah , corresponding to the above ten levels of holiness (see below).

All of this is the matter of hisbodedus — conversation between oneself and one's Creator — regarding which our Master and Teacher z"l warned us immeasurably. For the entire matter of this conversation is the aspect of strengthening the ratzon — through which the illumination of the upper pidyon is drawn upon him. One must be exceedingly, immeasurably strong in this — and then, in the end, he will certainly merit that everything will be sweetened through the power of the tzaddik who is engaged in the all-encompassing pidyon. Then everything will be transformed to good — for there, everything is rectified. 27

There in the Bais HaMikdash was all the korbanos -service, performed with joy, as above. The oil of the menorah and the ketores gladden the heart: "oil and incense gladden the heart." They provoked this, wanting to abolish all of it, chas v'shalom , and also wanted to abolish all the mitzvos — all our joy.

Therefore the miracle was through oil specifically. The oil of the menorah was kindled in the Haichal , in the Ohel Mo'ed , outside the Paroches (= the above Prisah ), to draw the light — the light of mental perception — from the innermost, through the striking against the Prisah and the obstructer, as above. Therefore they attacked this oil especially and defiled all the oils (= all the intellects and minds). For they are the aspect of the Chambers of Exchange that exchange and reverse everything, overpowering a person with the sadness of livelihood and the profusion of desires. The more sadness overpowers, the more the mind (= the holy anointing oil) is corrupted — and so it cycles, until nearly all hope is lost, chas v'shalom .

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos Bircas HaShacharHalacha 5 — Part D (§23–29)

But the miracle was through oil sealed with the seal of the Kohain Gadol — who was anointed with the anointing oil encompassing all the tikunim , with which all the vessels of the Mishkan and Bais HaMikdash , all the Kohanim , and the Davidic monarchy of Mashiach were anointed. With the Kohain Gadol reside all blessings, etc., as above. Therefore, through this small amount of holy anointing oil, all the lamps were rekindled — a wondrous and awesome miracle was performed physically and spiritually. Physically, there was only enough to burn one day, yet it burned eight days. Spiritually likewise: it could only have illuminated a little, temporarily. But the tzadikim (= the Kohain ) overpower through the very essence of their power, until the small amount of oil-light of one day illuminates through all seven days (= the seven midos ), until eight days of Chanukah are made — the inauguration of the Bais HaMikdash , the totality of da'as : "whoever has da'as..." etc.

Through the small amount of oil, they illuminate with their wisdom in the heart of every Jew to gladden his soul, etc., as above. Through this point of joy, they raise him according to his level up to the above nine chambers — from where the joy shines upon him from the source of joy drawn from there, as above. Then, as the joy shines more, he returns and ascends more and more from the Chambers of Exchange, ascending higher toward the above nine chambers, to the source of joy — and so it cycles for good. This is the aspect of: "the Ner Chanukah increases, adding each day" — the essential thing is the beginning, and each day it increases and adds, through the illumination of joy received each time from the source of joy, by having initially overpowered to draw joy upon himself wherever he is, in the intensity of his soul's exile.

Based on LM I:215 — The Twenty-Four Types of pid'yoanoas (continued) 1

This is the aspect of kindling the Ner Chanukah below ten tefachim — the aspect of the very lowest places. There specifically this holy and awesome light is drawn — rooted in the light of the tzadikim who merited the perception of the nine chambers, etc., as above. Through this one merits todah and thanksgiving with joy, reciting Hallel , etc., with joy — and the light of joy increases. Therefore on the second day of Chanukah it increases: two candles, for the light has increased. The third day, etc. — increasing each day, as above.

This is what is brought in the Kavanos regarding Pesach: then the illumination of Leah enters Rachel. This is the secret of the destruction of chametz on the night of the fourteenth, which is the secret of the completion of the moon, etc. — and is the destruction of chametz. Therefore, all the kavanos of the night of Pesach are in Rachel, not in Leah. 2

Through the holiness of kindling the Ner Chanukah , one draws this throughout the entire year — accustoming himself every day and at every moment to draw joy upon himself through the deep, true counsel the tzadikim revealed, drawn from a very lofty source — the above nine chambers — until he merits raising his soul from wherever it is, from the Chambers of Exchange, ascending, etc., as above.

For Rachel is the aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef, who came forth from her. And Leah is the aspect of Mashiach ben Dovid, who came forth from Yehudah, born of Leah. The entire aspect of Pesach — Yetzias Mitzrayim, the first geulah — was essentially through the aspect of Yosef, who is from the seed of Rachel. This is the aspect of: "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo" — "Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him." 3

§ 22 — The Menorah Was the First Commandment After the Mishkan

Therefore, immediately after commanding the construction of the Mishkan in Parshas Terumah , the kindling of the oil of the menorah was commanded — before all the korbanos -service: "and you shall command... they shall take to you pure olive oil" etc. The entire construction of the Mishkan (= the Bais HaMikdash ) was to rectify the sin of the Golden Calf — the essential overpowering of the Chambers of Exchange: "they exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox" (Tehillim 106); "how often they defied Him in the wilderness, grieved Him in the wasteland" (ibid. 78) etc.

Therefore the Mishkan service began with the lamps of the menorah , kindled in the Ohel Mo'ed outside the Paroches — where the totality of the pursuit and the obstructer resides. When they began engaging in the Mishkan service and gave their donations with a good heart and great joy, joy was drawn upon them — and through this they began ascending through the above ascents. They completed the Mishkan and immediately kindled the lamps of the menorah with the holy anointing oil — through which the light of joy is drawn from the source of joy, as above. Therefore the parshah of the menorah -lighting was placed immediately after the Mishkan -construction. Likewise Parshas B'Ha'alosecha is placed immediately after the inauguration of the altar — as above.

But the illumination of Mashiach ben Dovid cannot be revealed now in completeness, for the kaitz has not yet come. On the contrary — one must conceal and hide the illumination of Leah, for the dinim take hold in the aspect of Leah more greatly, as is brought regarding (Bereishis 29): "V'ainai Leah rakos..." — "And the eyes of Leah were tender." But upon this the entire geulah depends: when we merit to sweeten the force of the dinim in Leah. This will not be completed fully until the coming of Mashiach ben Dovid, who came forth from her. 4

Therefore even now, after the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash , of all its services nothing remains for us except the aspect of the light of the menorah -oil — the aspect of the Ner Chanukah . Even now, in the intensity of our exile, we draw upon ourselves the light of joy from the ultimate end, in the aspect of "aisu ashli u'moshchu," as above — through the power of the great tzadikim . Through this we leave the Chambers of Exchange, etc., until we merit leaving the exile entirely and merit the joy of the future. For "by Your holy Name You swore to him that his lamp shall never be extinguished, forever."

But now — since the aspect of Dovid/Mashiach ben Dovid is not yet revealed in completeness — the force of the miracle was that the illumination of Leah was concealed and included within Rachel. The illumination of Mashiach ben Dovid shines in concealment within the aspect of Mashiach ben Yosef who came from Rachel. Through this, the essential geulah of Pesach was through the aspect of Yosef who came from Rachel. Therefore all the kavanos on the night of Pesach are in the aspect of Rachel. Nevertheless, the aspect of Leah — the aspect of Dovid — shines there in concealment. As we wrote above: the essential power of all geulos, even that of Pesach, etc. — everything is drawn from the illumination of the final kaitz, from the aspect of Mashiach ben Dovid. Only it is in concealment, and the essential revelation now is through the aspect of Moshe and Yosef — "Vayikach Moshe es atzmos Yosef imo" — "Moshe took the bones of Yosef with him," as above. 5

§ 23 — "He Dips His Foot in Oil": Drawing Light to the Lowest Places

This is: "he dips his foot in oil" (Devarim 33) — one must draw the light of the oil to illuminate the feet, where their essential hold is, extracting them from the Chambers of Exchange: "a lamp for my feet is Your word," as above. Through this: "iron and copper are your shoes" — clothing the feet in shoes of copper and iron so they cannot approach us, etc.

Therefore, when Yehudah was born — from whom came forth Mashiach ben Dovid — Leah said (Bereishis 29): "Hapa'am odeh es Hashem" — "This time I will give thanks to Hashem." Therefore she called his name Yehudah — from the word todah [thanksgiving] and hoda'ah [acknowledgment]. 6

Therefore it immediately speaks in praise of Israel, magnifying their joy: "there is none like G-d, Yeshurun" etc., until "fortunate are you, Israel" etc. And: "as your days, so shall your flowing [wealth]" — Rashi explains: all lands will pour silver and gold to you — the essential blessing, the blessing of the hands, as above.

"There is none like G-d, Yeshurun" — the essential concealment of His perception: no thought can grasp Him at all: "there is none like G-d" — there is no thing, no name or title to call Him or liken to Him: "to whom will you liken Me and I shall be equal?" All the Names are only after the tzimtzum [contraction], drawn through the pursuit and the obstructer — when the nine chambers are perceived in the aspect of mati v'lo mati , and even they do not know and do not cling, etc. But afterward, from there, His holy Names and titles are drawn, etc.

This is: "there is none like G-d, Yeshurun" — even though there is none like G-d and it is impossible to grasp Him with any thought, nevertheless — "He rides the heavens to your aid." Hashem is called "Rider of the heavens" because He is above the heavens — the aspect of the firmament separating water from water, between the upper waters of da'as (in which we have no grasp) and the lower waters, etc. Hashem gave us the power to draw the perception of da'as specifically through the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer (= the Prisah , the firmament separating between Him and us). He in His mercy — He who rides the heavens, above the Prisah (= the upper firmament), above the heads of the Chayos , from where all aspects of firmament, heavens, and heavens of heavens derive (all aspects of the Prisah between every level and world, ascending ever higher), He is above them all (= Rider of the heavens) — He aids us to illuminate for us from there His infinite light in the aspect of mati v'lo mati , through the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer (= the heavens), as above.

This is: "and in His majesty, the upper skies" — there they grind man [manna] for the tzadikim . Man is the aspect of da'as , as is known. In the upper heavens (= shechakim [upper skies]) they grind man — the food of the tzadikim , the upper da'as containing all the flavors. This is drawn through the firmaments (= the prisos that separate, etc.) — in every world and at every level there are firmaments that separate, etc., and all perception of da'as is specifically through them.

This is: "the dwelling of the G-d of old" — through this the nine chambers are fashioned, a dwelling and abode for the G-d of old. Through them one grasps His infinite light in the aspect of mati v'lo mati — His dwelling, the aspect of "a dwelling You have been for us" etc.

"And from beneath, the arms of the world" — the arms and overpowering of the Sitra Achra fall through the overpowering of the holy hands and arms, where all blessings reside, etc., as above. Through this: "He drives out the enemy before you" etc. — they will fall without recovery: "He measured them with a line, laying them to the ground" etc., as above.

This is: "fortunate are you, Israel; who is like you, a people saved by Hashem" etc. — the conclusion and summation of all the blessings Moshe blessed them with, concluding with "fortunate," as our Sages say. For the essential thing to merit all this is through "fortunate are you, Israel" — the aspect of "fortunate are we — how good is our portion" etc., recited every day, through which one must draw great joy upon himself, as above. Through this come all the above tikunim — for the essential tikun is through the joy of the mitzvah — the aspect of "fortunate are you, Israel" etc.

With this, David opened Tehillim: "fortunate is the man" etc. — as our Sages say: Moshe concluded with "fortunate" and David began from there. David is Mashiach , the joy of Israel, whose entire engagement is todah and hallel — the aspect of Tehillim, encompassing all ten types of melody: all our vitality. All of this is drawn through the aspect of "fortunate" — "fortunate are you, Israel" ; "fortunate are we" etc. — one must gladden himself with this every day, at every moment, at every hour. Fortunate is he who merits this. Amain , so may it be His will.

✦ End of Part 2 (§§ 11–23 / Oaseyos יא–כג) · Continues in Part 3 ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman

Hilchos Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving] — Halachah 6 Part 3 (§§ 24–36 / Oaseyos כד–לו) COMPLETE · Based on LM I:24 ( Amtza'isa D'Alma )

§ 24 — Yaakov's Dream at Bais Kel: The Ladder, the Stone, and the Obstructer

"He encountered the place" — the aspect of the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer, the aspect of Keser , called "place," as explained in the above Torah on the verse "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place." From there is the essential root of all places in the world, drawn forth and coming into being through many tzimtzumim . This is the aspect of what is explained ( LM II:83 ): the ultimate knowledge is that we do not know — the aspect of "the Place of the world," etc.; see there.

"He lodged there, for the sun had set" — the setting of the sun is the aspect of the withdrawal and prevention of the light through the obstructer. The sun is the light of intellect pursuing to grasp the light, but the obstructer prevents it, as above. Therefore "he lodged there" — the essential sleep is this aspect. By day, through tefilah , Torah, and mitzvos with joy, the mental faculties are drawn through the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer, etc. But from the exertion they must withdraw after tefilah — only a residual impression remains. Afterward, toward evening, they withdraw completely, as explained in the kavanos of the Arizal. This is: "he lodged there, for the sun had set" — Yaakov saw it was impossible now to perceive the mental faculties in completeness, for the sorting from the Chambers of Exchange had not yet been completed. Therefore "he lodged there."

"He lodged there" also alludes to the exiles, as our Sages say. From there all exiles come — through the corruptions of the generations who do not properly sort from the Chambers of Exchange, many causing damage, Rachmana litzlan . Because of this, even the great tzadikim , the forefathers, cannot perceive as they wish. Therefore he was compelled to lodge — the aspect of sleep and cessation — until he sorts properly. This is: "one who comes to purify is told: wait!" — said regarding every Jew wanting to purify himself, as explained ( LM I:6 ). And likewise regarding the tzadik laboring to purify Israel.

"He took from the stones of the place and set them at his head" — he took and sorted from the stones of the place: the sorting of letters and sparks — holy stones fallen into the Chambers of Exchange (= stumbling-stones): "the holy stones are poured out" etc. The tzadik sorts the good stones (= holy stones, the letters of Torah) from the Chambers of Exchange, and "set them at his head" — binding them into the head and intellect.

"He lay down in that place" — he fell asleep amidst words of Torah. This alludes to every person: when one sees he is being prevented as he is being prevented, he must bind words of Torah in his thought, remove his thought from evil musings, and bind words of Torah in his thought until he falls asleep amidst words of Torah — the essential sorting from the Chambers of Exchange. This is the aspect of teshuvah of corresponding weight — the essential tikun of the damage of the bris (= the damage of thought), whose entire tikun is specifically through this, as brought regarding the teaching of our Sages (in LM I:27 , the Torah " R'tzitzah "; see there).

This is: "he lay down in that place" — "that place" specifically, where he encountered (= the obstructer). There specifically he bound his thought with a strong bond until he slept. Every person must do likewise: even though he sees his thought is being obstructed as it is obstructed, he must do his part — to flee from evil thoughts and bind his thought to the aspect of "the Place of the world." Even though he cannot yet perceive or understand anything from there, his thought should remain bound there through the stones of the place (= the letters of Torah), until he falls asleep amidst words of Torah — the aspect of "he lay down in that place," as above.

"He dreamt, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth, its top reaching the heavens" etc. He saw this is the totality of man's service in this world: one must descend to this physical earth where the Chambers of Exchange cling, sort from there, and ascend through all the above ascents by means of this ladder whose top reaches the heavens — the aspect of the upper Prisah (= Keser ), through which all perception of the nine chambers is accomplished, as above.

Sulam [ladder] alludes to this, for sulam in gematria equals kol [voice] — the aspect of "the voice is the voice of Yaakov." Through this comes all the Jew's overpowering against all the Sitra Achra and Chambers of Exchange, all encompassed in Esav: "when the voice is the voice of Yaakov, the hands are not the hands of Esav" — he has no power.

"The voice is the voice of Yaakov" — two voices. The essential completeness is joy, through which all perception of the Ain Sof light, as above. The essential joy is voices: the above five voices — "voice of joy and voice of gladness" etc.; "the joy of Hashem is your strength" — "He gives His voice a voice of strength" etc. But due to the overpowering of exile (whose core is the exile of the soul, essentially through the overpowering of sadness, from which all troubles come, Rachmana litzlan ) — one must cry out greatly every day. The essential voice of crying out is to merit leaving sadness, from sorrow to joy: "they cried out" etc., "they rejoiced when they were stilled" etc. (in Mizmor Hodu ). One must cry out greatly to merit joy, which is the essential thing.

This is "the voice is the voice of Yaakov" — two voices: the voice of joy and the voice of crying to merit joy. One is deficient [in spelling] and one is full, as is known. The voice of crying is deficient — not completeness; the essential completeness is the voice of joy. But one must cry over his troubles (= deficiencies, whose source is the deficiency of joy). Therefore "the voice is the voice of Yaakov" — one deficient, one full. All this is alluded to in the ladder Yaakov saw (= kol in gematria ) — the aspect of voices, whose essence is the voice of joy, through which comes the essential ascent from earth to heaven: "a ladder set upon the earth, its top reaching the heavens," as above.

"Behold, angels of G-d ascending and descending on it" — the tzadikim : "bless Hashem, all His angels" etc. (holy Zohar). Ascending and descending — one must ascend and descend many times: entering and exiting, running and returning. The work is not for one day or one year. One must ascend and descend many times, each according to his level, until he merits the nine chambers. Therefore one needs every day hisbodedus , conversation, many cries, etc. The essential thing: to overpower every day and at all times with joy, as explained extensively, and as explained ( LM II:25 ) and elsewhere regarding hisbodedus — concluding: "the rest of the day he should be in joy" — as above.

"Behold, Hashem was standing over him" etc. — only through this one perceives His G-dliness (= the Ain Sof light perceived through the nine chambers merited through joy). "I am Hashem, the G-d of Avraham... the land upon which you lie — to you I shall give it and to your seed" — the essential attainment is only in Eretz Yisrael , where the Bais HaMikdash is — encompassing all ten levels of holiness (= the nine chambers, the totality of the mind, with Keser , the tenth level, the Kodesh Kadashim ). "Your seed shall be like the dust of the earth" — the dust of the earth is the totality of the physical place in its utmost physicality. Its root is the Supernal Place (= the obstructer, "the Place of the world"), from which this physical place derives — where all trial and free will reside. Due to the corruptions, the Chambers of Exchange clung to the physical place: "cursed is the ground for your sake; in sadness you shall eat it." All the forefathers labored in this tikun . But Avraham and Yitzchak — their beds were not complete (Esav and Yishmael came from them, from whom all exiles come = sadness), the earth not yet purified. But Yaakov's bed was complete — therefore he was blessed: "your seed shall be like the dust of the earth" specifically; "you shall burst forth to the west and east and north and south" — an inheritance without boundaries, as our Sages say. He merited rectifying the sin of Adam HaRishon most — the final Bais HaMikdash will be in the aspect of Yaakov, as our Sages say. He raises the dust of the earth to the root of the Place (= "the Place of the world"). Therefore he was told: "your seed shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall burst forth" etc. Wherever Israel descends, he will sort and raise them: "if your outcasts are at the end of the heavens, from there He will gather you." All this alludes to the righteous redeemer who will emerge from him — illuminating in every generation, in all the seed of Israel, to gladden and strengthen them with his great power and deep counsel, until he raises them from all terrible places. From all of them he will gather, raise, and rectify: "you shall burst forth to the west and east" etc. — "let the redeemed of Hashem say so... from the lands He gathered them," as above. "Through you all families of the earth shall be blessed, and through your seed" — the above blessings received by sorting from the Chambers of Exchange through joy (= voice, the ladder). "Behold, I am with you" — the ascent of Malchus , His Shechinah , which was in exile in the Chambers of Exchange. Through his service, he sorted from there. Hashem told him: "I am with you" — always with him wherever he is. Through this comes the power to sort and raise His Malchus — by knowing Hashem is with him even in the outer places, chas v'shalom : "even when I walk in the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me." "I shall guard you wherever you go" — guarding the feet, the instruments of walking. "I shall return you to this land" — from all descents and ascents, returning to Eretz Yisrael (where the Bais HaMikdash is, where the nine chambers are perceived). "I shall not abandon you" etc. — our Sages expound: He promised regarding livelihood: "I have not seen a righteous person abandoned" (Midrash Rabbah, Beraishis 69). He promised the blessing of the hands (= livelihood that Yaakov received from Yitzchak: "G-d shall give you from the dew of the heavens" ). For the great tzadikim it is all one: through the blessing of livelihood they receive the blessing of intellect — their eating and livelihood is in such holiness that it itself is the blessing of intellect, receiving mind and intellect through their eating, as explained elsewhere. "Yaakov awoke from his sleep and said: 'Surely Hashem is in this place, and I did not know.'" "I did not know" — the ultimate knowledge that we do not know (= the Place, Keser , the Arranger and Settler, the obstructer). Through this specifically comes the essential perception of His G-dliness — through the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer. Yaakov said: specifically through "I did not know" (= the obstructer), he perceived His G-dliness: "Hashem is in this place." Specifically through the obstructer — the prevention of knowledge until one settles — one grasps the Ain Sof light. This is: "the Torah is sustained only in one who makes himself as if he does not know." Specifically through the absence of knowledge (= the obstructer), one merits the perception of Torah (= the mind). (This is Rabbainu's zichrono livrachah way: each time he would say he knows nothing at all, then afterward achieve awesome perceptions — many times throughout his life, as brought in Hilchos Tefillin 5 and elsewhere.) At every knowledge and perception there is the ultimate knowledge that we do not know. Afterward, specifically through having nullified himself and known he knows nothing — he perceives what he perceives, from the absence of knowledge to knowledge: "wisdom is found from nothing" — from nothing specifically. Everything through the joy of the mitzvah . "He was afraid and said: 'How awesome is this place!'" — at the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer, there is the essential supernal yirah : "Moshe hid his face, for he was afraid to gaze." When the mind pursues to perceive, fear falls upon it from the obstructer. This is: "fear of Hashem is the beginning of knowledge" ; "the beginning of wisdom is fear of Hashem" — Keser , the obstructer, above the mind, obstructing it — the aspect of fear. Through this comes the essential perception of wisdom: "the beginning of wisdom is fear of Hashem; good understanding" — specifically through the fear one perceives good understanding. "This is none other than the house of G-d" — the Bais HaMikdash . He understood it is impossible to complete these perceptions except when the house of G-d is built — the final Bais HaMikdash , built in his merit, as our Sages expound. He said "this is not" — alluding to the destructions, as our Sages say. Even though he now perceives and sees — this is still not the ultimate perception, but only the house of G-d, the final Bais HaMikdash . Then everything will be rectified, the Chambers of Exchange sorted, and we will merit immense joy: "for with joy you shall go out." "Yaakov rose early in the morning" — like the light of day, when all the above ascents are accomplished through tefilah . "He took the stone... and poured oil upon its top" — the holy anointing oil (= the mind), from which the menorah -oil is drawn (= the Ner Chanukah ). All lights and perceptions ( "the lamp of Hashem is the soul of man" ) are drawn only through the pursuit and the obstructer. The obstructer is the aspect of a stone — appearing to obstruct like a stone, preventing light. But in truth, through it comes the essential light: "He made darkness His hiding place" (= Keser , the obstructer). Our Sages expound: "lest you say there is no light within — 'from the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed'" etc. Even physically, all fire-light is generated through striking specifically — Hashem gave understanding to Adam HaRishon on Motza'ai Shabbos to take two stones, etc. This is: "a tree that does not catch fire — they strike it" etc. All deriving from the striking of the pursuit against the obstructer, from which the nine chambers are fashioned — not illuminated, etc. — higher than all lights, and specifically from there all lights in the world are drawn. Therefore the essential kindling of the lamps is at the time of the ketores : "oil and incense gladden the heart." "If G-d will be with me" — Malchus : "G-d is my King from of old" — the above ascent of Malchus . "He will guard me on this way" — guarding Netzach-Hod-Yesod , the instruments of walking. "He will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear" — the blessing of the hands (= the blessing of intellect clothed in livelihood). "Bread" alludes to the bread of Torah; "garment" is the chaluka d'Rabbanan , garments of the soul — all one for the tzadikim . "I shall return in peace to my father's house" — av in wisdom. "I shall return" specifically — from wherever he may be, he will return in peace to the intellect and wisdom (= "my father's house" ). Whether descending to the Chambers of Exchange — sorting and ascending to the intellect in peace. Or whether the intellect pursues — he will not break through, chas v'shalom ; through the Arranger and Settler, he returns in peace to the intellect, perceiving the Ain Sof light in mati v'lo mati . "Hashem shall be my G-d" — these perceptions are the essential drawing of His G-dliness. "This stone... shall be the house of G-d" — encompassing all nine chambers with the Prisah , where His G-dliness rests — in totality the ten levels of holiness (= the root of the Ten Utterances = the Ten Commandments). "All that You give me, I shall tithe" — the secret of ma'aser and ma'aser min hama'aser . All for the blessing of intellect: from all bounty Israel receives, they must tithe to the Kohanim and Levi'im . The Kohanim , with whom all blessings reside — through their service in the Bais HaMikdash with joy, aroused by the Levi'im engaged in song (= the ten types of melody, drawing joy), through which all the above tikunim are accomplished. Therefore tithes flow through them to all Israel — the essential blessing being the blessing of intellect, encompassed in ten. This is stated in the Midrash HaNe'elam: "ascending and descending on it, as it is said: 'we shall exult and rejoice in Him'" — the ascending and descending is according to the joy in Him, through which all the above tikunim are accomplished. § 25 — Yaakov's Battle with the Angel of Esav: Seizing Sorrow to Transform to Joy This is Yaakov's battle with the angel of Esav: "a man wrestled with him" etc. Our Sages say this was the angel of Esav. Their entire battle was about the exiles — the man sought to prolong the exiles, wanting to overpower until, chas v'shalom , it would be impossible to leave. Since the end of the ge'ulah is exceedingly hidden, they claim they will overpower until all hope is lost. Their essential overpowering is the exile of the soul — overpowering every Jewish soul, from which the general exile lengthens. The essential overpowering of the klipos is through sadness. It was impossible to overpower them because one depends on the other: the more sadness overpowers, the more desires overpower; conversely, the more desires overpower, the more sadness overpowers. According to their overpowering, it is impossible to engage in tefilah properly, ascending where the source of joy is. We would have nearly perished were it not that Hashem sends in every generation true tzadikim who fight on our behalf. This is Yaakov's battle — from whom the essential holiness and joy of Israel begins: "let Yaakov exult, let Israel rejoice." Yaakov is truth: "grant truth to Yaakov." Truth is the light of the face — life, joy, as explained ( LM I:23 ). The essential joy is through the point of truth in the Jewish heart — his soul knowing the holiness of Israel's faith, all our joy: "I shall rejoice in Hashem" ; "in Him our hearts rejoice" ; "let Israel rejoice in its Maker." Every person, if he reminds himself he is of the seed of Israel, can gladden himself wherever he is. But the ba'al davar provokes exceedingly on this point — first enticing to sin, distracting with money and livelihood, then overpowering with melancholy, especially when one is aroused to return to Hashem. As explained ( LM II:48 ): "as soon as a person wants to draw close to Hashem, it is a great sin to have sadness." The essential exile of Israel, the exile of the Shechinah , is sadness. "He saw he could not prevail against him" — against Yaakov himself he had no power, for he was exceedingly holy in guarding the bris — the very essence of joy, the very essence of truth. But due to our many sins he "touched the hollow of his thigh" — affecting his children, the later generations (= the feet, ikvesa d'Meshicha ). Their essential overpowering is in the feet where the klipos cling — sadness, the side of death: "her feet descend." From this derives: "the children of Israel do not eat the sciatic nerve" — the aspect of Tisha B'Av , the destruction caused by needless weeping: "the people wept that night" — "you wept for nothing; I shall establish a weeping for generations." "He said: 'Send me away, for dawn has risen.' He said: 'I shall not send you unless you bless me.'" The man supposed: since he touched Yaakov's thigh, Yaakov would release him. But Yaakov said: "I shall not send you unless you bless me" — as Rabbainu zichrono livrachah writes on "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" : the sorrow and sighing want to flee when one overpowers with joy, but one must seize them and force them into the joy. The angel of Esav wanted to leave when dawn arose — seeing every Jew seizing tzitzis and tefillin with joy, reciting Pesukay d'Zimrah and praises with joy. Through this, the tzadikim 's power raises holy sparks from the Chambers of Exchange. He said: "send me away — my time to sing has arrived." All the angels sing with joy — their entire vitality. But many angels accuse man: "what is man..." — unworthy of singing because sunken in this world of desires (= sadness). But they do not know that on the contrary: this is the essential song and joy of Hashem — when joy ascends from this World of Action full of sadness, when people transform sorrow specifically to gladness and joy. Therefore Yaakov told him: "I shall not send you" — "You want to ascend and sing (= joy), while here you want to cast my children into sadness? I seize you against your will — 'unless you bless me' (= joy). 'The blessing of Hashem enriches, and He adds no sadness with it.' I seize you to transform you to joy — you yourself shall gladden them": "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" ; "when Hashem favors a man's ways, even his enemies make peace with him" ; "they shall bring all your brethren as an offering to Hashem" — the nations themselves transformed to gladden Israel. Seizing sorrow and sighing to transform to joy: "I shall not send you unless you bless me." It is brought: "Now you cannot sing until Israel sings first": "when the morning stars sing, then all the angels shout" — Israel first. "My holiness has begun — from now on you cannot sing until my children sing first. I seize you until you bless me — you yourself will transform to gladden my children." This is the essential complete sorting — exchanging evil for good, transforming sorrow to joy. Through this one walks and makes His G-dliness known in all worlds — the tikun of Netzach-Hod-Yesod (= the songs and praises of Israel) — ascending to Keser , where Yaakov ascends. When Israel sings with joy, then the angel can sing too. Specifically through transforming sorrow to joy — "I shall not send you unless you bless me." § 26 — The Name Yisrael = Shir Kel : Song to G-d "Your name shall no longer be Yaakov, but Yisrael, for you have striven with G-d and with men, and prevailed." He conceded: "No longer Yaakov" (implying battle with the feet: "his hand grasped Esav's heel" ), "but Yisrael" — he already won: "you have striven with G-d and with men, and prevailed." Through the joy of the mitzvah one ascends to Keser . The mind strikes the Prisah , perceiving the nine chambers — but only through mi yaimar , descending to the Chambers of Exchange. "You have striven with G-d" — the supernal tzimtzum , Keser (also called Elokim , per the Arizal). When the pursuit strikes the obstructer — yet he overpowers, drawing the nine chambers: like a battle. "And with men" — Esav and Lavan (= the Chambers of Exchange) — "and you prevailed." Impossible to strive with G-d except by striving with men — overpowering to sort holiness from there. The name Yisrael is shir Kel — song to G-d — song and joy. The essential prevailing is through joy. § 27 — "The Sun Rose for Him": The Hidden Light "The sun rose for him — to heal him from his limp." Our Sages say the future sun illuminated for him: "the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing" — the hidden light (holy Zohar). This is the light perceived through the joy of the mitzvah (= Yaakov's holiness). One ascends to Keser , perceiving light in mati v'lo mati . This is the hidden light; all intellectual lights derive from there. The great tzadikim merit this even now. One depends on the other: more joy of the mitzvah = more lights; more lights = more joy. Yaakov merited the sun in its full force — the hidden light — until healed from his limp (= his descendants in later generations, where sadness overpowers). Through the intensity of this light, he healed his descendants — their healing through joy drawn from the source of joy ( "eternal joy upon their heads" ). All our strength in the depth of exile is only through the point of joy the great tzadikim draw upon us — "the sun rose for him to heal his limp." This is "aisu ashli u'moshchu" — drawing joy from the source that will be revealed in the future. This is the boast: he could heal the King's daughter through joy. Yaakov went back for small vessels — small sparks to raise and sort. The essential perception is through mi yaimar — sorting sparks from the Chambers of Exchange. § 28 — The Small Flask: The Anointing Oil and the Chanukah Miracle The pach [flask] alludes to the flask of oil — "he poured oil upon its top" : the tzapachas hashemen that will not be depleted, the anointing oil in which blessing resided. From it were anointed Kohanim , kings, and vessels of service — all enduring for the future. All this is the Chanukah -oil: the miracle — oil for one day burning eight days, for the above blessing resided in it. Yaakov labored to draw upon Israel this blessing of the oil (= the blessing of intellect). The angel grew jealous and provoked him — Yaakov vanquished him, compelling him to bless: he himself transformed to blessing (= joy), until the above light shone (= the hidden light). § 29 — The Kavanos of Chanukah: Ehyeh × Ehyeh = Emes This is the kavanos of Chanukah : intend each night the Name Ehyeh × Ehyeh (= Emes ), arousing one midah from the thirteen Mechilin d'Rachamay , up to Notzair [Guards (Chesed)]; the Name Ehyeh in a unique permutation each night — three Ehyeh 's with yuddin , heh 's, alephs ; see there. The essential kavanah : draw the joy of the mitzvah from the World to Come into this world. Remember the ultimate World to Come — nothing will remain except the point of the mitzvah . Therefore, when performing any mitzvah , overpower to do it with immense joy — only this is eternal vitality. Even if he did what he did — rejoice even more. On the contrary: he should rejoice that he too, in his lowliness, merits wrapping in tzitzis , donning tefillin , giving tzedakah : "gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" — seizing sorrow and bringing it into joy (Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah 4). All drawn through kindling the Ner Chanukah — drawing Shabbos -joy into the weekdays ( LM II:2 ). All merited through truth (= Yaakov, the essence of joy). The truth in the heart knows nothing will remain except the mitzvah . Ehyeh × Ehyeh = Emes . Ehyeh is Keser — the Arranger and Settler. There is the source of joy: "eternal joy upon their heads." There is the root of the oil-light — Keser : "the crown of his G-d upon his head." From there all oil-lights are drawn — the light of Mashiach . He illuminates in concealment through the great tzadikim — implanting truth so we rejoice in mitzvos even now. The Chanukah -oil light derives from the Kohain Gadol anointed with the anointing oil. (Even though in the Second Bais HaMikdash the anointing oil was hidden — the Kohain Gadol 's holiness derives from Aharon who was anointed.) "Send Your light and Your truth — they shall guide me; bring me to Your holy mountain" (= the Bais HaMikdash , the nine chambers); "I shall come to the G-d of my joyful exultation" — meriting joy. All through the light of truth (= the light of Mashiach ). The Chanukah -oil light illuminates the point of truth in the heart — drawing the holiness of the nine chambers, where the source of joy is. "I shall thank You" — thanksgiving. The three permutations of Ehyeh total chosam [seal] in gematria — the seal on the Chanukah -oil, sealed with the Kohain Gadol 's seal. The essential seal is truth: "the seal of the Holy One is truth." Ehyeh is the Prisah and obstructer — a seal sealing off the mind, obstructing until it settles; through this specifically the essential perception. The essential totality of all perceptions is truth — the essential wisdom is truth, especially in perceiving G-dliness. Every person's essential perception is the ultimate knowledge that we do not know — only drawing emunah (= truth). By seeing the tzadikim 's perceptions, truth and emunah are strengthened in every Jewish heart. The essential light (= menorah -oil, the Chanukah miracle) is drawn through the seal (= the obstructer). Therefore the miracle was through oil sealed with the Kohain Gadol 's seal. Ehyeh is Ana zamin l'mehevay [I am prepared to be] — the joy in the heart: in the end, certainly some being will emerge from me. All existence now is emptiness — especially since one must die. This is no existence. Only: "Ana zamin l'mehevay" — I am destined for eternal existence. As I heard from his holy mouth zichrono livrachah regarding strengthening with joy. All that endures is the point of the mitzvos . This is Ehyeh — the essential joy. "What are we, what are our lives" etc. — everything is emptiness, no existence except the point of Torah and mitzvos . Therefore we say: "fortunate are we" — the joy of Israel's holiness, unifying His Name daily: the joy of mitzvos , for "all Your commandments are faith." The unique permutation each night — to rectify the Chambers of Exchange, overpowering with lies, reversals, and exchanges (evil musings). Each time through Ehyeh × Ehyeh in a unique permutation (each equaling Emes ). According to the overpowering of their changes, one must draw truth — through good counsel, various changes for good: Torah, tefilah , conversation — all from the permutations of Ehyeh (= truth). One must transform everything for good. According to the sadness of the Chambers of Exchange, transform everything to joy — sins transformed to merits: "on that day the sin of Israel will be sought, and it will be gone." Each day unique permutations of Ehyeh (= truth) according to the sorting needed. Truth is one, but from the receivers' side — many variations for good ( LM I:251 ). The Ner Chanukah (= the light of truth) requires a unique permutation each day. This is intending to draw the thirteen Mechilin d'Rachamay . Through the thirteen midos of mercy, sins are transformed to merits (= joy): "gladness and joy shall they attain" — the Chanukah miracle: the tzadikim transform everything to joy, and every person can draw this light — the Ner Chanukah . § 30 — Kindling from Nightfall Until "the Foot Ceases": The Moon's Blemish The Ner Chanukah is kindled from the stars' emergence until the foot ceases from the marketplace. The essential sadness — the exile of the Shechinah — derives from the moon's blemish. The luminaries are joy; originally both were great; through the moon's accusation it was diminished: "let there be luminaries" [deficiently]. From this the sustenance of sadness is drawn: "'luminaries' — this is Lilis" — all wailing, sadness, and melancholy (= darkness). Israel labors to fill the moon's blemish — through mitzvos with joy. Specifically through the joy of the mitzvah , the moon's blemish is repaired. The custom is to sanctify the moon with great joy — dances at Kiddush Levanah : "joyful and glad to fulfill." Kiddush Levanah fills the moon's blemish, sanctified with joy — the essential tikun . Israel counts by the moon — the lesser luminary: "you are the fewest" — "you diminish yourselves when I bestow good" — the praise of the tzadikim , each called small: "Yaakov the small, David the small." The essential joy is through smallness, lowliness, and humility: "the humble shall increase joy in Hashem." The nations' joy is through pride — attaining wealth, they become haughty. Their joy is no joy — always mixed: "of laughter — madness; of joy — what does it accomplish?" No joy in worldly affairs. Their joy is the laughter of the fool — sadness (holy Zohar; LM I:23 ): "the end of joy is sorrow." No one fulfills desires through wealth: "no one dies with half his desires." Through greatness — no joy; all turns to sorrow. But the joy of the tzadikim — the joy of Israel — is through smallness. So small that whatever they receive, they rejoice. Even with suffering, they rejoice — thanking Hashem in good and severity: "in Hashem I shall praise the word; in G-d I shall praise the word." They rejoice in their portion, knowing even the little is undeserved kindness. Their eternal joy — the joy of mitzvos . The smaller they are, the more they overpower to rejoice: despite everything, he merits a mitzvah — "gladness and joy shall they attain." Hashem comforted the moon: "tzadikim will be called by your name." Her consolation is joy — tzadikim called small in her name, all their joy through smallness, enduring forever. He gave her the stars: "those who bring the many to righteousness — like the stars" — the tzadikim who merit the many by implanting joy, finding good points in each person: "yet a little while and there is no wicked person" — "I shall sing to my G-d while I yet live." Stars — illuminating points gladdening Israel, filling the moon with light. The Ner Chanukah is kindled from the stars' emergence — "those who bring the many to righteousness — like the stars" — until the foot ceases from the marketplace: the essential tikun through joy — raising the feet from the Sitra Achra 's hold (= sadness). Through joy, Malchus is raised, the mitzvah arouses all worlds — the ascent of the feet from the Sitra Achra 's sustenance. § 31 — David's Dance Before the Ark: Smallness = True Joy David's reply to Michal: "how honored was the king of Israel today!" (Shmuel II:6) — he humbled himself greatly, leaping and dancing with immense joy when bringing the Ark. He answered: "before Hashem who chose me over your father... I shall become even more abased." On the contrary — this is the intensity of my joy, because I am truly so small in my eyes. Through this Hashem chose me as king. As our Sages say (Yoma 22): "a leader is not appointed unless a basket of vermin hangs behind him." Shaul's kingship did not endure — he had no blemish. The essential ascent of holy Malchus is through joy — specifically through humility, like David: "I am a worm and not a man." In this he would gladden himself — that despite everything, Hashem bestowed such kindnesses. So every Jew — the more they distance him from joy because of his lowliness, the more he must strengthen himself to be joyful through this specifically. Despite everything, I am clothed in tzitzis , I recite Krias Shma every day. This is filling the moon's blemish — the kingship of David enduring forever. During Kiddush Levanah we exclaim: "David King of Israel lives and endures." The essential eternal vitality is joy — merited through closeness to tzadikim : "You shall make known to me the path of life; fullness of joys is Your countenance." David is the totality of Israel's joy, the badcha d'malka (holy Zohar), who merited the ten types of melody. The essential tikun of the moon's blemish is through joy — David, who merited holy Malchus forever. Our Sages say: "even if Israel merited nothing more than greeting their Father in Heaven once a month, it would suffice." This is the essential holiness of Israel — in this transient world, rejoicing in the joy of holy emunah — Kiddush Levanah . All the more since we perform many mitzvos daily and unify His Name twice daily. § 32 — Yaakov, Yosef, and the Flame That Consumes All Obstacles "Yaakov settled in the land of his father's sojournings" ; "these are the generations of Yaakov — Yosef." Our Sages (Midrash Rabbah): "sojournings" = converts — Yaakov converted converts. It is brought ( LM I:228 ): "Yaakov sought tranquility — the fury of Yosef leaped upon him." One who converts converts will have suffering and dispute. So every person — those returning to Hashem through the tzadik face dispute, suffering, and provocation: impossible to draw close without this ( LM I:72 ). The tikun : Yosef himself. Rashi: "the flax-dealer — his camels entered laden with flax. The coal-seller wondered. A clever one: one spark from your bellows burns all the flax. 'The house of Yaakov fire, the house of Yosef flame, the house of Esav straw' — one spark from Yosef consumes everything." Yosef is the true tzadik who gladdens every Jewish heart, transforming sorrow to joy — igniting hearts to Hashem ( LM II:9 ): "a man in whom there is spirit" — blowing the dust (= sadness) from the Jewish heart. This is Yosef: "can there be found such a man, in whom the spirit of G-d resides?" Yosef descends into all the Chambers of Exchange, extracting every soul — whoever wishes to cling to him. (One who does not wish — impossible to help: "speak not in a fool's ears." ) But whoever desires life — the tzadik can extract him. Yosef descended: "sold as a slave" — slavery (= sadness), from the contamination of the serpent. He had immense trials, was imprisoned for years. He passed through all the Chambers of Exchange, emerged in peace — meriting immense additional holiness: Yosef [= addition]: "a wise man hears and adds." Rachel's prophecy at his birth: "G-d has gathered my shame" — through the tzadik , all disgraces are nullified. "May Hashem add another son" — he transforms disgraces to honor, sorrow to joy: good deeds gladdening the heart ( "a wise son gladdens a father" ; "the offspring of the righteous are good deeds" ). Through the disgraces specifically — adding joy. This is Yosef: "G-d sent me for sustenance" ; "you intended evil; G-d intended good, to sustain a great people." It is stated: "fortunate are the ba'alay teshuvah — G-d sent them for sustenance" — the descent for the sake of ascent, everything transformed to joy. "Yaakov settled" — the Arranger and Settler (the intellect = Yaakov). "In his father's sojournings" — converting converts (= mi yaimar ). But each time they provoke him. The tikun : "the generations of Yaakov — Yosef" — the tzadik gives birth to Yosef — additional holiness each time, never falling into the old age of the Sitra Achra . "The house of Yosef a flame" — igniting Yaakov's fire. "A man in whom the spirit of G-d resides" — blowing dust from every Jew. One spark from Yosef burns all the chieftains of Esav — all obstacles, sadness, and provocation. Through one spark of truth implanted in the Jewish heart — all obstructers consumed. § 33 — "A Son of Old Age": Yosef Conquers the Old Age of the Sitra Achra "Israel loved Yosef more than all his sons, for he was a son of old age to him" — "old age" in the plural. He constantly overpowers the holy old age over the old age of the Sitra Achra — which works to make a person fall into old age (= weakening his mind). Rabbainu zichrono livrachah warned: "it is forbidden to be old." Subdued through the old man of holiness — "an elder who acquired wisdom" (= Yosef, adding holiness each time; see Hilchos Tefillin 5). "A son of old age" — in the plural: each time adding holy old age upon holy old age: "fear of Hashem adds days" — subduing the Sitra Achra 's old age. David prayed: "do not cast me away in old age." One must renew each time: "those who hope in Hashem shall renew their strength" — Yosef the tzadik , named for adding holiness and da'as (= vitality) each time. § 34 — Yaakov and Yosef = 13 × Havayah : The Thirteen Midos of Mercy Yaakov and Yosef together equal thirteen times the Name Havayah . The kavanos of Chanukah draw the thirteen Tikunai Dikna (= the thirteen midos of mercy). The root of the three unifications equaling Ner is the supernal unification Havayah - Ehyeh (Peri Eitz Chaim). The foundation of all Names is the Name Havayah — the very essence of truth: "the truth of Hashem is forever." All unifications through mitzvos correspond to sorting holy sparks from the klipos (= mi yaimar ). The essential thing: strengthening in truth and emunah in Hashem, His Torah, and His true tzadikim — who reveal the holiness of every mitzvah (our life and eternal sustenance), until we merit performing the mitzvah with joy. Through this — the ascent of the Shechinah from exile until the nine chambers are fashioned. The essential thing is the point of truth — Ehyeh × Ehyeh = Emes . To draw this truth requires the Name Havayah unified with Ehyeh . Accomplished through the true tzadikim (= Yaakov and Yosef), illuminating truth in every Jewish heart, blowing away the dust (= sadness) until the heart burns for Hashem. The root of this holy fire is Yaakov: "the house of Yaakov fire." The inflaming through Yosef: "the house of Yosef flame" — burning for Hashem: "sparks of fire, a flame of G-d" — until "many waters cannot quench the love." "If a man would give all his wealth for love" — trying to divert from truth through wealth (where sadness clings: "more possessions, more worry" ) — "they would utterly despise him." For he has tasted the pleasantness of truth through the true tzadikim . All this in the eight days of Chanukah : kindle each night, drawing the holy fire from Yaakov and Yosef. Yaakov began drawing the holy anointing oil (oaseyos kaf-daled, kaf-ches). Yosef is Mashiach ben Yosef — descending into the depths of the klipos , meriting the nine chambers where the oil's root resides. Yaakov and Yosef equal thirteen times Havayah — the power of the great mercy. Havayah is the essence of mercy: "Hashem, Hashem, G-d compassionate and gracious." Their drawing upon us is through the true tzadikim , illuminating truth — Ehyeh × Ehyeh = Emes . In the kavanos : each night, one Ehyeh and one midah of the thirteen Tikunai Dikna . Until the eighth night — Notzair [Guards (Chesed)] (after v'Emes ), where the remaining tikunim through v'Nakeh are encompassed. The essence of truth is Yaakov: "grant truth to Yaakov." Yaakov equals seven times Havayah — seven Tikunai Dikna through v'Emes , the seventh tikun . The eighth — Notzair [Guards (Chesed)] — is Yosef, who inflames truth. When one reaches the eighth night (= Yosef's tikun , the inflaming of truth), all remaining tikunim are encompassed — no further open kindling needed. The essential engagement was drawing Yaakov's truth until reaching Yosef who inflames it. The remaining tikunim encompassed in concealment. § 35 — Yosef = Mashiach : The Completion Cannot Yet Be Revealed Yosef is Mashiach , who will complete the ge'ulah (= truth): "send Your light and Your truth." But the complete revelation of truth cannot now be illuminated in the open: "the heart does not reveal to the mouth." Also, the light should not be inflamed excessively: "lest they break through" ( LM II:9 ), and as in this Torah regarding the Arranger and Settler. At the eighth night — Yosef's tikun (Yosef equaling six times Havayah ) — one draws one Name (after the seven times Havayah = Yaakov in the first seven nights). It is impossible to illuminate further. The remaining Tikunai Dikna are encompassed in concealment — impossible now to reveal more. § 36 — Closing: All Our Vitality Through the Mercy the Tzadikim Draw Upon Us All our vitality and sustenance is through the very essence of the great mercy the true tzadikim draw upon us — through the thirteen midos of mercy (= the thirteen Tikunai Dikna ). Through this they illuminate the point of truth in each person's heart, wherever he is — so he too can be aroused and inflamed for Hashem with sparks of the flame of G-d — until he too gladdens his soul. Through this comes his essential ascent. All this is the aspect of Chanukah . Blessed is Hashem forever, amain and amain . ✦ End of Part 3 (§§ 24–36 / Oaseyos כד–לו) · Continues in Part 4 ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving] — Halachah 6 Part 4 (§§ 37–50 / Oaseyos לז–נ) COMPLETE · Based on LM I:24 ( Amtza'isa D'Alma ) § 37 — Notzair [Guards] = Ratzon [Will]: The Inflaming of Truth Through Desire Notzair [guards/preserves] is the letters of ratzon [will] — for the essential thing is the will, as explained in our writings extensively. This is the essential illumination of the inflaming of truth in the heart: the truth should illuminate and inflame in his heart always, in gradation and measure, until his will is strong always for Hashem, His Torah, and His true tzadikim — this is the essential thing, as above. Therefore, when one reaches the aspect of Notzair Chesed [the eighth of the thirteen midos of mercy], no further open kindling is needed, as above — one cannot illuminate further in the open. The essential tikun is through the strong will, which shines even more through the inflaming of truth — the aspect of Yosef, as above. § 38 — Yosef's True Dreams and Interpreting Others' Dreams: Sleep, Sadness, and Exile Therefore Yosef the tzadik merited true and accurate dreams, and also knew how to interpret the dreams of others during their sleep. Sleep is one-sixtieth of death, and sadness is the side of death. The essential sleep comes from the wearying of the mind. The root of holy sleep (= the sleep of the tzadikim ) derives from the pursuit and obstructer: the mind pursues to perceive, the obstructer obstructs until it settles, etc. — through which the nine chambers are fashioned, and one perceives the Ain Sof light. Even though these nine chambers do not cling and are not known — from there all the holy mental faculties of the true tzadikim derive, for they are the lights of the tzachtzachos [brilliant splendors] — the root of all the midos , from which all mental faculties descend through the tzimtzumim and vessels the tzadikim fashion through their good deeds. However, due to the wearying of the mind through the pursuit and obstructer, one must sleep to give the mind rest. Then specifically, during sleep, the tzadik sorts even more from the Chambers of Exchange, his soul ascends — the mind rising to where it rises, perceiving then what it perceives. This is the aspect of what is explained above (ois kaf-daled) in Parshas Vayaitzai : "he encountered the place... he lodged there... he dreamt" etc.; see there. Therefore one must take care to fall asleep amidst words of Torah, in order to sleep amidst joy — so that one does not taste the taste of death. This is David's plea: "illuminate my eyes, lest I sleep the death." And it was established for every person to say before sleep in Birchas HaMapil : "illuminate my eyes, lest I sleep the death" — as above. This is connected to: "how long shall I set counsel in my soul, sorrow in my heart by day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?" — followed by "look... illuminate my eyes, lest I sleep the death." He cried: since exile overpowers so greatly — its essence being sorrow and sadness ( "sorrow in my heart by day" ) — I plead: "illuminate my eyes, lest I sleep the death" — that Hashem illuminate his eyes so he can gladden his soul, so his sleep will not be in the aspect of the side of death (= sorrow and sadness). The four times "how long" David cried in this mizmor correspond to the four exiles, as Rashi explains. The essence of all exiles is sadness. David cried and prayed that Israel be saved from sorrow and sadness — that their enemies not be exalted over them through this, chas v'shalom , that they not sleep the death. Therefore immediately follows: "but I trusted in Your kindness; my heart shall exult in Your salvation; I shall sing to Hashem" etc. He strengthened himself and all the souls of Israel encompassed in him: he trusts in His kindness, and through this gladdens himself — "my heart shall exult in Your salvation." This is the essential tikun for every person: to strengthen his heart in great trust in Hashem's kindnesses — certainly He will not abandon him — until he rejoices and exults: "my heart shall exult in Your salvation." But those who do not merit this — their sleep is seized by the side of death according to their flaw in the mind, and their dreams are confused, etc. (holy Zohar). Every flaw of the mind and da'as is due to the flaw of the Arranger and Settler — one does not merit the power of the Arranger and Settler of the mind as needed. If one had proper yishuv hada'as [settled mind], certainly he would not pursue follies and unbecoming actions. As explained elsewhere ( LM I:10 ): the essential distancing from Hashem is due to lacking yishuv hada'as . And: the essential yishuv hada'as is through joy, etc.; see there. One depends on the other: because one does not overpower with joy — at least being grateful for being saved, for not being made a gentile, for being separated from those who err in many aspects, etc. — through this the mind is in exile. The more the exile of the mind overpowers, the more sadness overpowers; and so on. From this comes all distancing from Hashem. The tikun is the true tzadik (= Yosef), who knows in the depth of his wisdom how to gladden Jewish souls wherever they are, as above. Therefore he could interpret dreams — he could sort the good from the bad in the Chambers of Exchange, knowing the dream's interpretation even for common people, whose confusion derives from the Chambers of Exchange. He knew how to sort all this, as above. § 39 — Yosef Interprets Pharaoh's Dream: The Seven Fat and Lean Years Therefore Yosef knew how to interpret Pharaoh's dream, and through this emerged from exile and slavery. Pharaoh — king of Egypt, the first exile — derives from the sin of Adam HaRishon, when sadness was drawn (the side of death): "in sadness you shall eat it... until you return to the ground." Pharaoh saw the seven lean cows swallowing the seven fat cows (and the ears of grain, etc.): "they came into their insides and it was not known they had come" — sadness and sorrow overpowering the good, which is the aspect of satiation, blessing, and joy (as Rashi explains on "the meadows are clothed with flocks... they shout for joy, they also sing" — a shout of joy). But the seven years of famine (= the opposite: wailing and sadness, as in Yoel's decree of famine — "weep and wail... wail over the wheat and barley" ) overpower so greatly that they want to swallow and conceal Israel's joy entirely: "it was not known they had come" — the essential prolonging of exile, as above. The essential sadness is in the matter of money, livelihood, and wealth — where the core sadness resides: "in sadness you shall eat it." Even one who has wealth constantly lacks more and worries more than the poor: "the more possessions, the more worry" — "it was not known they had come." Egypt is the aspect of the craving for money, as explained elsewhere. The tikun is Yosef the tzadik , who knows how to draw joy even in the depth of exile, interpreting the dream so we have sustenance: "G-d sent me before you for sustenance, to preserve for you a remnant on earth." All the events between Yosef and Pharaoh, between Yosef and his brothers, etc. — all allude to the length of this exile until the wondrous end, as is known. Therefore it says of Yosef: "can there be found such a man, in whom the spirit of G-d resides?" — who knows how to blow and fan the dust from the Jewish heart, as above. "After G-d has made all this known to you, there is none as understanding and wise as you" — since you can interpret such a dream and rectify it (because you can sort the Chambers of Exchange through overpowering with joy through your deep counsel). As stated in the Midrash (Parshah 86) on "he was a successful man" : the word implies leaping and dancing — even in his slavery in the prison he leaped and succeeded in gladdening his soul. The essential counsel: to gladden oneself with foolish things, as explained in our writings extensively. Therefore Pharaoh said: "after G-d has made all this known to you" — certainly "there is none as understanding and wise as you" — for you certainly merit the blessing of intellect attained through sorting the Chambers of Exchange through overpowering with joy, as above. § 40 — "Only the Throne Shall I Make Greater": The Obstructer Above Even the Tzadik "You shall be over my house, and by your word all my people shall be sustained; only the throne shall I make greater than you." The tzadik (= Yosef), who merits ascending from the Chambers of Exchange through all the above ascents, merits all the above blessings and draws all bounty — physical and spiritual — to all the world: "you shall be over my house; by your word all my people shall be sustained" — all bounty drawn through you. "Only the throne shall I make greater than you" — the aspect of kisa d'miskasia [the concealed throne], Keser , the obstructer: "I shall be greater" — that your thought not pursue excessively; may you merit the Settler and Arranger, who obstructs the mind — Keser , the concealed throne, as explained ( LM I:6 ). This is also: "I am Pharaoh; without you no man shall raise his hand or foot" — raising hands and feet, the totality of all the above tikunim : raising the feet to walk and arouse all worlds to Hashem, drawing blessing (= the hands). But nonetheless — "I am Pharaoh." This parallels "only the throne shall I make greater," as Rashi explains there. All this alludes to what the Torah above explains: one who merits sorting the Chambers of Exchange, ascending, etc. — attaining the blessing of intellect, the mind pursuing to perceive — his essential tikun is through the obstructer (= Keser , "only the throne" ). This itself is "I am Pharaoh," as above. The Midrash (Parshah 90) states: "Raish Lakish said: two passages Moshe wrote us in the Torah, and we learn them from wicked Pharaoh. One verse says: 'you shall be only above' — could it mean like Me? The verse teaches: 'only' — My greatness is above yours. And we learn this from Pharaoh: 'you shall be...' — could it mean like me? 'Only' — my greatness is above yours. Likewise: 'you shall be holy' — like Me? 'For I am holy, Hashem your G-d' — My holiness is above your holiness. We learn this from Pharaoh: 'I am Pharaoh' — my greatness is above yours." This is clear to one who understands and examines the above Torah : even though the tzadik (= Yosef) merited sorting as he merited until attaining the blessing of the mind (the mind pursuing, etc.) — nevertheless, he must not break through to Hashem. His entire tikun is through the obstructer (= Keser , "only the throne" ) — "I am Hashem; My holiness is above..." ; he must not break through. Earthly kingship mirrors heavenly kingship — as the Midrash states: we learn from Pharaoh regarding the awesome holiness of Hashem, as above. § 41 — Avraich : The Tikunim Alluded to in Yosef's Title "They called before him: Avraich." Avraich alludes to the above tikunim . Avraich = "a father to the king" — the tikun of Malchus , as above. Avraich = knees [ birkayim ] (as Rashi explains) — the tikun of the feet. Avraich = blessing [ berachah ] — the blessing of the hands. Avraich = av in wisdom, etc. — the blessing of intellect and wisdom. This is the aspect of Tzafnas Pa'anayach — "revealer of hidden things." He merits the above nine chambers that do not cling and are not known — from which all awesome, concealed secrets and mysteries are perceived. § 42 — "Do Not Be Saddened": Gathering to the Tzadik = Joy "Now, do not be saddened." Since they merited gathering together to the true tzadik (= Yosef), certainly there is no more cause for sadness — only great joy: "when the righteous multiply, the people rejoice." Whoever comes to the tzadik within the gathering is in the category of a tzadik : "your people are all righteous" — with them is the source of joy: "rejoice, tzadikim , in Hashem" ; "sing joyfully, tzadikim , in Hashem." But due to the bitterness of exile (general and personal), the aspect of tzadik within each person is concealed. However, as soon as they gather to the tzadik — "a man in whom there is spirit" — the point of tzadik in each one is illuminated. Through this, joy increases: "the light of the righteous makes glad" (as explained in the Torah " Chadi Rabbi Shimon ," LM I:61 , on this verse). Therefore then: "the spirit of Yaakov their father was revived" — vitality and joy. As it says: "my son Yosef is yet alive — great!" Rashi explains: "great is my joy and gladness" etc. The essential joy — truth and holy emunah — all vitality and joy — comes essentially through the children one begets: through this Israel multiplies, the aspect of "a wise son gladdens a father" ; "may the father rejoice in his offspring." Holy emunah must be revealed from generation to generation — this is the essential joy. "Serve Hashem with joy... know that Hashem is G-d" — the essential joy — concluding: "from generation to generation is His faithfulness." "I shall sing of Hashem's kindnesses forever; from generation to generation I shall make known Your faithfulness." The essential joy in Him — begun by Avraham who first revealed emunah in the world — was primarily revealed through Yaakov, whose bed was complete (twelve tribes, all tzadikim ). With each tribe born, joy increased. But the essential inflaming of joy's light was through Yosef's birth, as above. Yet the ba'al davar provoked greatly — creating dispute among them, a great flaw in joy. The essential joy is through love and peace: "for with joy you shall go out and in peace be led." The essential thing: Israel gathering together to the tzadik (= Yosef) — through which comes the essential joy, as above. § 43 — Binyamin's Portion: The Bais HaMikdash as the Place of Joy Therefore the climax came through Binyamin — the Bais HaMikdash was in his portion, the holy, awesome Place where one can receive this holy light of joy. In truth, the essential completeness of joy is through all the above tikunim — drawn through the true tzadik who gladdens Jewish souls, who sort from the Chambers of Exchange and ascend, etc. — the mind pursuing, the Arranger obstructing, etc. — the nine chambers fashioned through the pursuit and obstructer (= Keser ), where the source of joy resides: "eternal joy upon their heads." But this joy is extremely difficult to bear in this world — it is above nefesh, ruach, neshamah , etc. One needs the awesome Place — the Bais HaMikdash — deriving at its root from "that Place" (= Keser , called Place): "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place" ; "he encountered the place" (Yaakov — ois kaf-daled above). This Place was Binyamin the tzadik 's portion. Though Yosef was born and could gladden Israel, the holy bed was not complete until Binyamin was born in Eretz Yisrael . No place in the world can bear this light of joy — rejoicing in Him, which is beyond expression: each person according to what he can measure in his heart. Only the place of the Bais HaMikdash , where the source of joy is: "the King has brought me into His chambers — we shall exult and rejoice in You." From there joy flows to all Israel, each according to his good deeds — and essentially according to his closeness to the true tzadikim , who can gladden even the very worst, transforming sorrow and sighing to joy. § 44 — In Exile: The Tzadik 's Da'as Replaces the Bais HaMikdash ; Ben Oni / Binyamin Now, in exile with the Bais HaMikdash destroyed, joy is extremely difficult — except through the power of tzadikim with great, wondrous da'as , considered equivalent to the building of the Bais HaMikdash : "whoever has da'as ..." etc. They draw upon us joy in Him so we can survive this bitter exile. Therefore his mother named him Ben Oni [son of my mourning] — Rachel died then and was buried at the crossroads, so Israel could weep at her grave during the destruction, as our Sages say. Rachel, seeing the great destruction that would come before the final end, named him Ben Oni — for the great mourning and weeping needed every midnight over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash . Every person must cry out and weep each day over his flaws that delay the Bais HaMikdash 's rebuilding: "a voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping — Rachel weeps for her children." But his father called him Binyamin — for Eretz Yisrael : Yaakov called him "son of the right" for the ultimate end, when we return to Eretz Yisrael and the Bais HaMikdash is built in Binyamin's portion — where the source of joy resides. Yaakov said: even now he should be called Binyamin (= Eretz Yisrael = joy). Even now in exile, it is forbidden to be in sadness — one must cry out and pour out his heart for some time each day, but the rest of the day be in joy, gladdening his soul through all the counsel. Through joy comes the essential sorting from the Chambers of Exchange — through which one specifically leaves the exile, each according to his level: "for with joy you shall go out," as above. § 45 — The Goblet in Binyamin's Sack: Hidden Mercy in Bitter Sorrow This is the great bitterness when the goblet was found in Binyamin's sack — yet through this specifically, Yosef revealed himself and they were gathered together: "Yosef could not restrain himself" — and joy increased, as above. This is a hint: when a person is in great, bitter distress that twists his heart — let him know and believe that this too is for good. Certainly wondrous mercy is hidden within the bitterness. He must only cry out and pray to Hashem and wait for His mercy. Gavi'a [goblet] in gematria equals yud-gimmel ayin-bais [13 × 72] — the thirteen Mechilin d'Rachamay , the totality of all mercy and great kindness. Specifically through the goblet in Binyamin's sack (which caused such bitter distress), they were gathered together and it was revealed that the goblet is wondrous mercy — thirteen times seventy-two: the thirteen Mechilin d'Rachamay , the totality of all mercy, as above. § 46 — "I Rejoiced When They Said: Let Us Go to the House of Hashem" "I rejoiced when they said to me: let us go to the house of Hashem." The essential joy is in the house of Hashem — the Bais HaMikdash , deriving from "the Place of the world": "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place," as above. "Our feet were standing in your gates, Yerushalayim" — there is the essential standing and sustenance of the feet. The essential thing is to sort the feet, as above — but their complete sorting is when one comes on foot to the Bais HaMikdash (and likewise to the true tzadikim , who are in the aspect of the Bais HaMikdash ), where the essential completeness of joy resides. "Yerushalayim, built as a city joined together; there the tribes ascended, the tribes of G-d, a testimony to Israel, to thank the Name of Hashem." Yerushalayim below corresponds to Yerushalayim above — the above supernal Place ( "he encountered the place" ). There the tribes ascended — to thank [ l'hodos ]: all the ascents through the above tikunim are to ascend to the supernal Place, where the essential todah and thanksgiving in joy resides — "to thank the Name of Hashem." "Pray for the peace of Yerushalayim... peace within your walls... for the sake of my brothers and friends, I shall speak of peace within you." The essential thing depends on peace, as above. Dispute is hatred and anger — sadness from the Chambers of Exchange, which exchange and reverse everything, implanting false reasoning in the heart to hate one's fellow for nothing — even among tzadikim and the upright, multiplying dispute through their reversed reasoning. This is the dispute of the tribes against Yosef the tzadik , selling him as a slave. But in the end, everything is transformed for good through the great tzadikim who know how to draw joy even in the bitterness of exile, extracting from the exile and the Chambers of Exchange, as above. § 47 — Yehudah and Yosef: Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef This is: "Yehudah approached him" — the essential tikun through Yehudah and Yosef uniting — the essence of Mashiach ben David (from Yehudah) and Mashiach ben Yosef . David is the aspect of Tehillim , composed with the ten types of melody (= joy) — the sweet singer of Israel. The inflaming of joy in the heart (= Yosef, "the house of Yosef a flame" ) — its essential revelation is through words of thanksgiving and praise (= David, who satiated the Holy One with songs and praises). Speech has great power — through it the essential revelation of joy: "a man has joy in the answer of his mouth" ; "worry in a man's heart — let him quash it; a good word gladdens it." This is: "lips of song shall my mouth praise" specifically — the aspect of David from Yehudah, named for thanksgiving: "this time I shall thank Hashem." Yehudah said to Yosef: "let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord." Ears are the instrument of hearing; "hearing depends on the heart" — where the root of joy resides: "You placed joy in my heart." This joy is aroused by Yosef, who inflames the heart by blowing away the dust. But the essential revelation and sustaining of joy is through speech (= David from Yehudah). Therefore Yehudah said to Yosef: "let your servant speak a word" — specifically a word: holy words of the joy of holy emunah , as we proclaim daily: "fortunate are we — how good is our portion!" etc. "In the ears of my lord" — "hearing depends on the heart." Rashi: "let my words enter your ears." Through the speech, the words enter his ears and heart until joy shines in completeness and sadness (= anger and judgment) is nullified. "Let not your anger burn against your servant" — anger nullified through the intensity of joy shining through speech, as above. § 48 — Yaakov's Care That Binyamin Be Born in Eretz Yisrael Therefore Yaakov was extremely careful that the holy bed not be completed outside Eretz Yisrael , as stated in the holy Zohar — when Yosef was born he said: "send me away." Had Binyamin been born outside Eretz Yisrael , Yaakov could not have left, as the Zohar states. Binyamin — the completion of the holy bed, the ultimate completeness of joy — through him joy is drawn from "the Place of the world" to the place of this world. The essential holy Place is the awesome place of the Bais HaMikdash . Had he been born, chas v'shalom , in the impure place of Lavan's house outside Eretz Yisrael , joy would have been drawn to the Sitra Achra , chas v'shalom — whose entire overpowering is through drawing joy to themselves: all the joys of worldly vanities (= the laughter of the fool): "of joy — what does it accomplish?" We plead: "let not my enemies rejoice over me." Therefore he ensured the holy bed was completed through Binyamin's birth — so joy would be drawn to its proper place, Eretz Yisrael and the Bais HaMikdash , where holy joy in Him resides. From there we can draw holy joy even now in exile, outside Eretz Yisrael . Wherever Israel is exiled, they draw the holiness of Eretz Yisrael through shuls and batay midrash (= a miniature Mikdash ), and essentially through the power of the true tzadikim , as above. § 49 — David Found the Place: The Ge'ulah Through Mashiach ben David Therefore the essential finding of that awesome Place was through David specifically, who labored and toiled exceedingly to find it: "remember, Hashem, for David all his affliction... if I enter my tent... if I give sleep to my eyes... until I find a place for Hashem." He was the sweet singer of Israel, engaged in words of songs and praises always — through which the awesome Place is essentially revealed, where His G-dliness is revealed, which is all our joy. Therefore the essential ge'ulah will be through Mashiach ben David , encompassing both David and Yosef, as is known. Every Jew must draw upon himself at all times the holiness of joy in Him through holy words, as above. § 50 — Birchas HaNisim : The Blessing over Miracles "In This Place" This is the aspect of Birchas HaNisim — the blessing recited when arriving at a place where a miracle was performed for oneself or for our forefathers, as stated in the Shulchan Aruch (siman 218): one who sees a place where miracles were performed for our forefathers blesses: "blessed is He who performed miracles for our forefathers in this place." When arriving at a place where a miracle was performed for oneself: "blessed is He who performed a miracle for me in this place." Our Sages specified that the place be mentioned in the blessing — "in this place" specifically. All miracles derive from that Place — the place of the Bais HaMikdash , whose awesome holiness derives from the above supernal Place (= Keser ): "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place." From the obstructer (called Place) many tzimtzumim descended until this physical place came into being — the dust of the earth upon which we stand in this World of Action. Here resides all our free will — for which everything was created. For the sake of free will, the Sitra Achra (= the Chambers of Exchange) clings to this physical place — wanting to exchange and reverse everything from good to evil, from truth to falsehood, etc. Man's essential service: to stand the test, not follow the counsel of the wicked who reverse everything through their reasoning, but cling to the true tzadikim and follow their counsel, until he merits his eternal purpose. The essential power of the Chambers of Exchange to mislead is according to the flaw in the Arranger and Settler of the mind (= the obstructer, the aspect of Place) — due to which one lacks the yishuv hada'as to overpower properly, to look at the truth and walk the true path. This derives from not yet meriting the tikun of the supernal Arranger and Settler. In the matter of the pursuit and obstructer — from which one perceives what one perceives — everything depends. Even awesome, great tzadikim flawed in this by not properly rectifying the Arranger and Settler — pursuing excessively and breaking through to ascend to Hashem: the flaw of Nadav and Avihu, "when they drew near before Hashem and died," as above. The aspect of: "he peeked and was stricken; he peeked and died." This was the essential sin of Adam HaRishon, as the holy Zohar states: he gazed at what he had no permission to gaze at. He flawed greatly — following the serpent's counsel, drawn after the desire of eating from the Tree of Knowledge (where the Chambers of Exchange essentially cling: "the flaming, revolving sword" ). Not only that, they gazed above at what they had no permission: "the tree was good for eating, desirable to the eyes, and coveted to make wise" — the serpent enticed them to pursue their desires and gaze at lofty wisdoms and perceptions they had no permission to gaze at, especially after such flaws. This is the flaw of all the philosophers and false-wisdoms of today — pursuing all desires (eating, drinking, immorality, money, honor, anger, contentiousness, etc.) yet wanting to understand, intellectualize, and gaze at His G-dliness and His ways of governance — until they went astray as they went astray. All this is the flaw of the Arranger and Settler of the mind. From this come all troubles and sufferings, chas v'shalom — the Chambers of Exchange overpowering, from which all dangers and troubles, chas v'shalom . When Hashem has mercy and performs a miracle, the essential miracle derives — through the power of the great tzadikim — from that Place where the above nine chambers are perceived (not clinging, not known, etc.) — above the intellect. From there come all miracles — which are above the intellect. Intellect dictates that things should follow nature (the sea remains sea, dry land remains dry land), but when Hashem performs a miracle — splitting the sea into dry land — this is above the intellect. Therefore the philosophers, who do not nullify their minds, do not believe in miracles, laboring to deny them, chas v'shalom — despite our having seen countless miracles and wonders with our own eyes. Therefore all miracles derive from the above nine chambers (from Keser , the tikun of the Arranger, etc. = the aspect of Place). These nine chambers are above the intellect — not clinging, not known. In truth, all miracles derive from the Bais HaMikdash , where ten miracles occurred. The essential holiness of the Bais HaMikdash is the tenth holiness — Keser , the aspect of Place — from which all miracles in the world derive. Therefore when Israel left Egypt with wondrous miracles and the sea was split, they sang: "You shall bring them and plant them on the mountain of Your inheritance" — the Bais HaMikdash , from which the essential miracles of the Exodus and the splitting of the sea derive. The essential purpose was to come there: "He brought us out from there to bring us to..." etc., as explained elsewhere. Therefore when a miracle is performed, one must bless: "who performed a miracle for me in this place" — mentioning the place specifically. The essential miracle in this place derives from the awesome holiness of the root of the Place — the above Arranger, from which the nine chambers (not clinging, etc.) derive — from which all miracles come, as above. ✦ End of Part 4 (§§ 37–50 / Oaseyos לז–נ) · Continues in Part 5 ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving] — Halachah 6 Part 5 (§§ 51–61 / Oaseyos נא–סא) COMPLETE · Based on LM I:24 ( Amtza'isa D'Alma ) § 51 — "Yaakov Lived in Egypt Seventeen Years": True Life Through Transforming Sorrow to Joy "Yaakov lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years." It is explained in our Sages' words (Midrash Rabbah) and especially in the holy Zohar on this parshah that those seventeen years were the essential years of his life — he lived in joy and contentment, as stated there in the holy Zohar. At first glance this is astonishing: when he dwelt in Eretz Yisrael he had no peace, yet in impure Egypt — where the Egyptian exile began and they embittered their lives — specifically there he dwelt in peace! But all this is the aspect of "gladness and joy shall they attain" etc. The essential completeness of joy in Him (= the essential vitality) is when one overpowers to seize sorrow and sighing and transform it to joy — the essential sorting from the Chambers of Exchange, accomplished through joy, essentially through exchanging and transforming sorrow and sighing to joy. The totality of all the forefathers' service was to reveal and make known His G-dliness in the world — the sole purpose of man's existence, and all his joy and vitality. For it is known to all that this world is full of anger, anguish, sorrow, and sighing, ending in death, and the days of our lives are vanity, etc. There is no joy or vitality in the world except through the sparkling of truth and emunah . "Truth is the elixir of life," as our Sages say. The essential truth is Hashem: "the truth of Hashem is forever." To believe in the truth of His existence and to strive and labor all one's days to draw close and cling to Him: "to Him you shall cling" — this is all vitality: "choose life, so that you and your seed may live — to love Hashem your G-d and to cling to Him, for He is your life." But this clinging in completeness is impossible unless one shatters all bodily desires completely — like the forefathers, who merited drawing holy emunah upon themselves each time until they came to great joy through this. Through this they sorted each time from the Chambers of Exchange, ascending through all the above ascents, perceiving the Ain Sof light in mati v'lo mati — each according to his level, for there are many levels in this. The entire order of every Jew's daily service — especially the order of tefilah with tallis and tefillin , etc. — is all the aspect of the above ascents explained in the Torah " Amtza'isa ": raising Malchus from the klipos , Netzach-Hod-Yesod clothing Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes , and Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes clothing Chochmah-Binah-Da'as , etc. — from world to world; see the kavanos and the above Torah well, and a little will sparkle for you. Although the forefathers and great tzadikim shattered the body completely, meriting the essential completeness of this joy in Him ( "rejoice, tzadikim , in Hashem" ; "the righteous shall rejoice and exult before G-d and be glad with joy" ) — their entire labor was to rectify all the world, to draw this holy joy and vitality into the heart of every Jew. Even one who has not completely shattered his bodily desires can also draw close to Hashem through guarding the Torah and mitzvos . Even one who has flawed as he has flawed — whenever he desires and strives to draw close to Hashem, he can gladden and revive his soul through the great power of the tzadikim : by believing that every single good point merited through every mitzvah he performs is beyond measure. Even the good points of the mitzvos performed by the sinners of Israel surpass all the pleasures, wealth, etc. of the entire world — until they greatly gladden their souls that they too merit such true, eternal good: engaging in mitzvos , through which they cling to Hashem, the Life of all lives, the Source of the joy of all joys. As it says: "I shall come to the G-d of my joyful exultation" ; "You shall make known to me the path of life; fullness of joys is Your countenance" — all the aspect of "gladness and joy shall they attain" : seizing sorrow and sighing and transforming it to joy. This is the aspect of all the exiles Israel undergoes — whose essence is the exile of the soul, far from its Father in Heaven, whose essential exile is sadness, as above. Due to the sin of Adam HaRishon and the corruptions of each generation, one must be in exile — until, through the power of the great tzadikim , the sorting from the Chambers of Exchange is accomplished specifically through this. The essential sorting is through joy — transforming sorrow and sighing to joy. This is the aspect of Yosef's sale to Egypt, through which specifically they could survive in Egypt: "G-d sent me before you for sustenance." Yosef is the inflaming of joy through the above aspect, as above. Even Yaakov our father and his holy sons — the totality of Israel's holiness — were compelled to descend to Egypt, and specifically there Yaakov lived in joy and contentment. For then he perceived in completeness that the final ge'ulah would come specifically through this: the tzadikim descending into the very depths of the Chambers of Exchange (= Egypt and all the exiles named after Egypt, as is known), sorting the holiness from there specifically — all through transforming sorrow and sighing to joy: the essential sorting from the Chambers of Exchange. The Chambers of Exchange want the opposite — to exchange and reverse everything, chas v'shalom — their reversed reasoning beyond telling, without end. But the single point of the great true tzadikim surpasses everything — they exchange and reverse for good, transforming sorrow and sighing to joy, as above. § 52 — Yaakov's Burial in Eretz Yisrael : The Lights of the Tzachtzachos and the Resurrection Therefore Yaakov made Yosef swear to bury him in Eretz Yisrael . There is the essential holy Place deriving from the above supernal Place (= the Arranger, called Place), from which the above nine chambers are perceived — the lights of the tzachtzachos [brilliant splendors]. This is the essential perception of the tzadikim , merited in completeness after their passing: "He shall satisfy your soul with tzachtzachos " etc. Death was decreed because Adam HaRishon flawed the Arranger and Settler, as above — for which death was decreed for all generations. Now it is impossible for anyone, even the most complete tzadikim , to attain the lights of the tzachtzachos in their lifetime in completeness; each according to his service perceives what he perceives in this lifetime. Ultimately one must die and return to the dust: "to dust you shall return." There specifically, the body will decompose, be purified, and be transformed to holy dust — the aspect of holy ground (= the above awesome Place). This is the transformation from sadness, sorrow, and sighing to vitality and joy — through which one will rise at the Resurrection of the Dead, when the essential joy will be in completeness: "then our mouths will be filled with laughter" ; "in the future, Hashem will make a dance for the righteous, each one pointing with his finger" etc. — "we shall exult and rejoice in His salvation." Fortunate is one who merits burial in Eretz Yisrael , where the holy Place resides — through which one is encompassed in the above Place ( "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place" ), perceiving the lights of the tzachtzachos (= the nine chambers). Fortunate is one who merits this. § 53 — Yaakov Sought to Reveal the End — and Was Obstructed "Yaakov called to his sons" etc. — he sought to reveal the end of the ge'ulah , but the Shechinah departed from him. The essential ge'ulah is through joy: "for with joy you shall go out." At first Yaakov thought the sorting from the Chambers of Exchange was already complete enough to reveal the end. But the Shechinah departed — the aspect of "into what is wondrous for you, do not seek" : from the obstructer, which strikes the pursuing mind and does not allow it to pursue excessively, especially regarding the end of the ge'ulah — the wondrous end ( "the heart does not reveal to the mouth" ). Therefore he began speaking of other matters: "gather together" etc. — the essential tikun through the gathering of Israel, the aspect of peace: gathering and listening to Yaakov and Yisrael (= the true tzadikim ). Through this, the complete ge'ulah will ultimately come through their awesome power — through transforming sorrow and sighing to joy, as above. § 54 — Yaakov's Rebuke of the Three Tribes: The Flaw of the Arranger and Settler Yaakov rebuked the first three tribes — his essential rebuke was that they flawed the tikun of the Arranger and Settler, from which the errors and mistakes of even great tzadikim derive, as above. "Reuven, you are my firstborn, my strength, the beginning of my vigor" — the tikun of the bris , as our Sages expound. There is the essential joy: "strength and gladness are in His place" — the opposite of the flaw of the bris (= wailing and sadness). Since he was born in such holiness, he deserved "extra dignity and extra strength" (= priesthood and kingship, the above tikunim ). Through joy Malchus is raised — the aspect of oz [strength]: "Hashem — in Your strength the king rejoices" ; and all the above blessings — "extra dignity" : "Aharon raised his hands to the people and blessed them." "But reckless as water — you shall not excel" : he rushed to show his anger — the above flaw. His mind pursued excessively until he came to anger — seeking to overturn the holy knowledge of Yaakov our father who placed his bed in Bilhah's tent. This is the flaw of the mind pursuing excessively through the flaw of the Arranger and Settler. "For then you desecrated my couch; he went up" — the perception of the Ain Sof light that Yaakov merited on his couch in awesome holiness, through properly rectifying the Arranger and Settler, through sorting joy from the Chambers of Exchange (the secret of why he had to raise holy tribes also from the handmaids). The essential above perceptions are merited by the tzadikim through the holiness of their union in ultimate holiness (as explained in Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah 4 and in this Torah " Amtza'isa "; see there well). Reuven flawed greatly in this — seeking to outthink Yaakov's da'as , thereby flawing the Arranger and Settler — and therefore lost the priesthood and kingship (= the above tikunim , through which the Arranger is essentially rectified). Likewise: "Shimon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their wares." When one tries to seize knowledge and perceptions one is unworthy of — this is the aspect of theft, robbery, and anger. "Let my soul not enter their counsel" — "their secret [ sodam ]" specifically: it seemed to them they had already attained all the secrets and perceptions, until they insisted on selling Yosef the tzadik — seeming to them, according to their knowledge, that he strayed from the path of truth. Yaakov said: "let my soul not enter their counsel" — I do not want such secrets. "And in their assembly — of Korach and Zimri — let my honor not be joined" — they flawed even more greatly, drawn after their desires. Zimri wanted to commit adultery and argued with Moshe like a supposed scholar: "if you say this one is forbidden..." etc. Any person of true understanding knows the difference between Moshe Rabbainu's intent and Zimri's — Moshe was a great ascetic who married Yisro's daughter by Divine command, while Zimri followed his desire and brazenly wanted to permit public immorality. Korach desired personal honor, posing as an advocate for Israel: "the entire congregation is holy, and Hashem is in their midst — why do you exalt yourselves?" All this derives from the flaw of the Arranger and Settler of the mind. Even great tzadikim like Shimon and Levi flawed in this subtly — not from desire, chas v'shalom , but from excessive inflaming for Hashem (= the flaw of the Arranger and Settler) — therefore they erred regarding Yosef. But Zimri and Korach flawed in this grossly — flawing the Settler until they lost all shame, brazening their faces as above. Therefore Yaakov pleaded: "in their assembly let my honor not be joined" — "my honor" specifically. Yaakov is the root of Israel's holiness — their essential honor of Hashem through the service of tefilah with songs and praises, raising His honor through the joy of the mitzvah , meriting the tikun of the pursuit and obstructer properly: "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place," as explained in the above Torah — the ultimate completeness of unification. All unifications derive from there: when the pursuit is encompassed in the obstructer in mati v'lo mati properly, thereby begetting perceptions of G-dliness properly. Therefore Yaakov said: "let my honor not be joined" specifically — through their assembly, my honor will not be unified where it must be unified ( "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place" ). This unification is accomplished only through the great tzadikim and through the holy gathering attached to them who nullify their minds before them — not through those who dispute Moshe and Aharon (= the true tzadikim ). Korach and Zimri greatly flawed the Arranger and Settler, from which all holy unifications derive. "Yehudah — your brothers shall thank you" — from him emerged David and Mashiach , who will merit this in completeness, rectifying everything speedily in our days, amain . David made himself all his days like a poor and destitute man: "I am a worm and not a man" ; "Hashem, my heart is not haughty, my eyes not lofty; I did not walk in great matters and wonders beyond me" — concluding: "let Israel hope in Hashem from now and forever." The essential thing: to make oneself like a nursing child, etc. — and hope for Hashem's salvation, increasing songs, praises, prayers, and thanksgivings. Like David, who engaged in this all his days until he merited composing Sefer Tehillim , encompassing all ten types of melody (= the totality of joy in Him). This is the essential tikun through which the complete ge'ulah will come — through Mashiach from his seed, whose ge'ulah is through joy. Therefore he labored greatly to find the place of the Bais HaMikdash , where the light of holy joy is received: "I shall rejoice in Hashem" ; "in Him our hearts rejoice." § 55 — The Twelve Tribes = The Twelve Months: Repairing the Moon's Blemish This is the aspect of the twelve holy tribes Yaakov begot — the totality of Israel's holiness, the totality of joy in Him. They are twelve corresponding to the twelve months, as is known — for the twelve months are the tikun of the moon's blemish, the tikun of "luminaries" [spelled deficiently]. This is accomplished through the holy joy, as above. § 56 — The Birth of Each Tribe = A Tikun of Holy Joy Each tribe's birth was in awesome holiness — the aspect of holy joy, the essential tikun of the bris , the essential tikun of the holy union (as explained in Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah). Therefore all their holy names were called after the above tikunim accomplished through performing the mitzvah with joy. Reuven — named for "see the difference between my son and my father-in-law's son" (= Esav, from whom all exiles come through sadness: "when you shall have cause to grieve," as above, ois yud-ches). Esav sold the birthright to Yaakov (= the holy joy of the sacrificial service — he had no desire for blessing, and it was distant from him). Afterward he grew jealous and pursued — the aspect of all exiles. Reuven is the opposite: he did not sell the birthright to Yosef; nevertheless he saved him — yielding his honor and nullifying himself before Yosef the tzadik (= the essential joy of Israel). Therefore Reuven is the aspect of sorting from the Chambers of Exchange: "see the difference between my son and my father-in-law's son" — Reuven's holiness (the firstborn of Israel's seed) was sorted from the klipah of Esav, through the joy with which he was born from Yaakov in such holiness (for he was the beginning of his vigor — the essential holiness of begetting is through joy). Therefore Reuven was the first to begin teshuvah , as the Midrash states (Beraishis Rabbah 84) — from him Hoshayah the prophet emerged. The essential teshuvah is sorting from the Chambers of Exchange, transforming sins to merits — transforming sorrow and sighing to joy (as explained in Hilchos Periyah v'Riviyah). Shimon — the aspect of the worthy rebuker: "Hashem heard that I am hated." The rebuker is hated (as explained in the Torah " V'Aileh HaMishpatim ," LM I:10 ). This is the aspect of the mitzvah going forth to arouse all to Hashem — the worthy rebuker who arouses the whole world to Hashem. Levi — from him came the Kohanim , with whom all blessings reside: "Aharon raised his hands to the people and blessed them" — the tikun of the hands, Chesed-Gevurah-Tiferes , as explained there. Yehudah — "this time I shall thank Hashem" : the ultimate tikun of todah and thanksgiving, the essential completeness of joy through which one ascends to the Arranger. Then "she stopped bearing" — one must wait, as above. Even though more mental faculties (= holy offspring) must still be begotten, one cannot pursue excessively. Then Rachel grew jealous of her sister: "give me children; if not, I am dead." She saw and understood that more holy offspring of Israel's seed were still needed (= the totality of joy in Him). She said: "if not, I am dead" — without children (= the essential joy), she is surely dead, for sadness is the side of death. "Yaakov's anger burned against Rachel: 'Am I in place of G-d?'" — it is impossible to force the time. She said: "here is my handmaid Bilhah" — she understood through ruach hakodesh that it was impossible to beget further holy offspring unless he descended again to the Chambers of Exchange and sorted the holiness from there. This parallels what Sarah our mother understood — Avraham could not beget Yitzchak without first marrying the handmaid Hagar. But from that union emerged Yishmael, from whom exile (= sadness) comes: "a foolish son is his mother's grief" — his mother was expelled because of him (Midrash). But Yaakov's bed was complete: he merited descending and ascending in ultimate completeness, raising holy tribes even from the handmaids (= joy) — sorting in completeness from the Chambers of Exchange that cling to the handmaids. When Bilhah her handmaid bore a son, she named him Dan : "G-d has judged me and also heard my voice." She boasted that a holy son was sorted from the severity of judgment — sadness (= the severity of judgment) transformed to such joy that a holy tribe was born. Each of the tribes is the aspect of "a wise son gladdens a father." This was through her many prayers ( "also heard my voice" ). Through this, Malchus was sorted from the klipos — the aspect of Dan : "the law of the kingdom is law," as explained elsewhere. Naftali — the tikun of the feet: "Naftali is a hind let loose" ; "in the valley, he sent forth his feet" (Shoftim 5). Gad — the tikun of the hands: "he tears the arm and also the skull" of the Sitra Achra . Through him the hands were rectified — through which the blessing of intellect is received (= the head and skull): "raise your hands in holiness" ; "Aharon raised his hands" — they must be raised to the head to draw the blessing of intellect. Through this he tears the arm and skull of the disputants and idolaters. Leah said: "bagad" [dealt treacherously] — Rashi: "when he came to my handmaid, it was like a man being unfaithful to the wife of his youth" — he descended to the Chambers of Exchange (= the handmaids). But Leah boasted in this, for through this comes the essential tikun . "Ba Gad" — good fortune has come! The essential blessing of mazal tov recited with joy at a birth is specifically through this — through sorting from the Chambers of Exchange. Asher — "in my good fortune, for women have called me fortunate" : the completeness of joy — "fortunate is the man" — with which David began Sefer Tehillim . The aspect of "fortunate are we — how good is our portion!" with which we boast daily. "Fortunate are you, Israel" — with which Moshe concluded his blessings for Asher (in Parshas V'Zos HaBerachah ); all Moshe's blessings parallel Yaakov our father's blessings, as Rashi explains. Then Reuven found the duda'im [mandrakes] in the field — the aspect of "the mandrakes give forth fragrance." Both mandrakes — the good and the bad — both gave forth fragrance, as our Sages say. This is the great power of the tzadikim who gladden all and transform sorrow and sighing to joy, through which comes the essential begetting. Rachel wanted them, and Leah said: "is it a small thing that you took my husband?" — she saw through ruach hakodesh that she still needed to beget holy offspring. Then Yissachar was born — the great Torah scholars, the essential joy: "the statutes of Hashem are upright, gladdening the heart" — the joy of the mitzvah . From the sons of Yissachar came those who understood the times — to intercalate years and fix the months: the essential tikun of the moon's blemish through joy. "To know what Israel should do" — they knew how to gladden each person, teaching him what to do at each time to be saved from the bitterness of exile (= sadness), and to merit the joy of Israel — the totality of holiness. Zevulun — "rejoice, Zevulun, in your going out." Zevulun engaged in commerce to support his brother Yissachar the Torah scholar — the essential tikun of wealth and money, where the essential hold of sadness resides ( "in sadness you shall eat it" ). The tikun is through Zevulun supporting Yissachar: "rejoice, Zevulun." Then: "G-d remembered Rachel" etc. Even though ten holy tribes had already been born who reveal His G-dliness to gladden in Him always — nevertheless, Yosef still needed to be born, through whom comes the essential inflaming of Israel's joy. He is "a man in whom the spirit of G-d resides" — fanning the dust from the Jewish heart each time. Therefore Hashem's mercy was aroused, and He remembered Rachel on Rosh HaShanah — Yosef the tzadik was born, through whom comes the completeness of joy. Then immediately Yaakov said: "send me away" — so the bed would not be completed outside Eretz Yisrael , as above. He merited that Binyamin was born in Eretz Yisrael — the Bais HaMikdash in his portion. After the joy was completed through the birth of the tribes, the Place was still needed — to receive the light of this joy: the awesome Place of the Bais HaMikdash , the source of joy: "eternal joy upon their heads." Rachel was remembered on Rosh HaShanah like Sarah our mother (who bore Yitzchak on Rosh HaShanah ). On Rosh HaShanah the world was created — to reveal His G-dliness in the world, all the joy, the vitality and sustenance of the world: "Hashem shall rejoice in His works." Sarah was remembered and bore Yitzchak — the first holy birth, named for joy. But the essential begetting of the complete bed (= all Israel) was through Yaakov, who begot twelve tribes — the totality of joy: "let Israel rejoice in its Maker." The bed's completion was through Rachel, who bore Yosef and Binyamin — therefore she too was remembered on Rosh HaShanah , when the Creation must be rectified and Adam HaRishon's sin ( "in sadness you shall eat it" — from which all sadness and exiles come) must be repaired. On Rosh HaShanah we engage in this tikun , reading the portion of Hashem remembering Sarah; and Rachel's remembrance (for through her bearing Yosef and Binyamin comes the completeness of joy that began with Yitzchak). On Rosh HaShanah we blow the shofar — encompassing all ten types of melody (= the totality of joy): "fortunate is the people that knows the teruah " ; "in Your Name they shall exult all day" ; "the joy of Hashem is your strength," said regarding Rosh HaShanah . Chanah too was remembered on Rosh HaShanah , bearing Shmuel the prophet — who anointed Shaul and David: the tikun of Malchus , from which Mashiach will emerge to redeem Israel, when all joy will be complete, speedily in our days, amain . This is the aspect of Menasheh and Efrayim . Menasheh — "G-d has made me forget all my toil" : the toil, sorrow, etc. Efrayim — "G-d has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction" : not only was he saved from the slavery (= sadness, toil, and sorrow), and in His kindness "made me forget all my toil" — He even "made me fruitful in the land of my affliction" : the transformation of poverty and sadness to joy. § 57 — "These Are the Names of the Children of Israel Coming to Egypt": Survival Through Joy "These are the names of the children of Israel coming to Egypt, with Yaakov" etc. When the Torah begins telling of the Egyptian exile and redemption, it starts with the names of the children of Israel who came there — to show that all their survival in exile and their redemption derived from the power of the names of the children of Israel: Reuven, Shimon, Levi, etc. — all named for the joy of Israel. Through this they sorted from the Chambers of Exchange, perceiving the Ain Sof light — the essential purpose of the ge'ulah : "you shall know that I am Hashem who brings you out." Hashem arranged that Yaakov and his righteous sons would descend to Egypt first, for through their awesome holiness (the complete bed revealing His G-dliness in the world = the essential joy and vitality), they had the strength to bear the exile's bitterness without being swallowed up there. The essential bitterness of exile is sadness. The more exile is intensified, the more sadness overpowers — and the more sadness overpowers (= the exile of the Shechinah ), the more physical exile and slavery intensify. From where then shall our help come? All survival in exile and hope of leaving comes through the tzadikim — Yaakov and his sons who descended to Egypt — the above-named children of Israel. Through their great power and deep counsel, they can draw His G-dliness, reviving and gladdening every Jewish soul, raising Malchus each time through all the ascents until the ge'ulah : "for with joy you shall go out." "Yosef was in Egypt" — the essential survival and hope is through Yosef the tzadik , "a man in whom there is spirit" — who knows each time to fan the dust (= sadness) from the Jewish heart and inflame it for Hashem in gradation and measure. He knows how to transform all sorrow and sighing to gladness and joy. "All who emerged from Yaakov's thigh were seventy souls" — the seventy faces of the Torah, the seventy shining countenances (= joy): "those who seek Your face — Yaakov" etc. (as explained in the Torah " Tzavisa Tzedek "). "Yosef was in Egypt" — the essential thing through Yosef, whom Hashem sent ahead as a remedy before the affliction. He was sold as a slave (= the bitterness of sadness = slavery), yet he stood the test and strengthened himself even there with joy, as it says: "Yosef was a successful man" — the Midrash explains: leaping and dancing. In the bitterness of exile when sadness intensifies, the essential counsel is to do foolish things to gladden one's soul in such bitterness. As it says of David: he changed his behavior before Avimelech — being in great danger in a great exile, he did seemingly foolish acts: "he scribbled on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard" etc. Therefore, their essential survival in Egypt and their exodus was through "Yosef was in Egypt" — Hashem sent the tzadik ahead, as above. "They embittered their lives with hard labor, with mortar and bricks" etc. The essential bitterness of exile is slavery — drawn from the contamination of the serpent: "in sadness you shall eat it" — the overpowering of sadness. This is the miry clay David cried about: "I sank in deep mire, with no foothold... save me from the mire." The holy Zohar explains: "with hard labor" = with difficult questions; "with mortar" = with the severity of Talmudic argumentation; "and with bricks" = with the clarification of halachah . The essential bitterness of exile confuses the joy in Him (= holy emunah , shining countenances) through the difficulties and confusions — the severity of argumentation and clarification of halachah . The essential "raising a teaching to the level of halachah " is to clarify and whiten true counsel for serving the Creator — to leave the contamination of this lowly world and draw close to Hashem, for "not study but practice is the essential thing." This is why the essential drawing close to Torah scholars and true tzadikim is so important — so they can teach us the way to walk and the deed to do at each time, so each person merits leaving what he must leave and returning to Hashem. But the Sitra Achra — the bitterness of exile (= sadness) — overpowers greatly, embittering Israel's lives with difficulties and confusions of emunah and confusions of counsel, until people do not know how to whiten the halachah — the path and way to return to Hashem. "With all labor in the field" — the craving for money and the burden of livelihood, compelled to leave the tent of Torah and go to the field to engage in livelihood, until one is so burdened with all field-labor and enticed away from even setting fixed times for Torah study. "All their labor was with parech " — our Sages expound: b'feh rach [with a soft mouth]. At first the ba'al davar and Sitra Achra enter with a soft mouth, clothing themselves in mitzvos , saying: "It's impossible to sit in the bais midrash all day; you must go to the field to work and do business. Do you want to die or be a pauper?" etc. — until they cast him into the deep miry clay: the dark countenances of sadness over money ( "in sadness you shall eat it" ). Even when he earns, it never suffices — he always craves more: "the more possessions, the more worry" — "it was not known they had come." They entice him to build Pisom and Ramses — great, tall buildings for themselves: "they call their houses by their names forever" etc. § 58 — Pharaoh's Decree: "Every Son Born — Cast into the River" This is Pharaoh's decree: "every son that is born..." etc.; "if it is a son, kill him; if a daughter, she shall live." A son — the male side (= joy): "a wise son gladdens a father." A daughter — the female side, where the essential hold of sadness resides: "her feet descend to death." Pharaoh wanted to strengthen the female side (= sadness) — the essential force of exile. "The midwives feared G-d and did not do as Pharaoh commanded; they kept the children alive." The midwives are the tzadikim of the generation — who give birth, raising worthy students in Israel (considered as if they birthed them, as our Sages say). They acted opposite to the Sitra Achra (= Pharaoh and Egypt, whose entire agenda is to strengthen sadness through many stratagems — primarily through the burden of money and livelihood, and sometimes through the reversed reasoning from the Chambers of Exchange that cast a person down through improper rebuke, etc.). But the above midwives (= the true tzadikim ) do the opposite: not only do they not cast people down with their words as the Sitra Achra desires, but "they kept the children alive" — reviving their students and those attached to them through their true words, restoring their souls through comforting counsel, gladdening them through their power and deep counsel, as above. Therefore the midwives were named Shifrah and Pu'ah : Shifrah — she beautifies the infant; Pu'ah — she cries out to the infant, etc., as our Sages say. This is how the true tzadikim conduct themselves with the Jewish souls attached to them: they beautify them and make them lovely through all kinds of counsel to revive and strengthen them in every good point found in them, etc. And they cry out to them like to an actual infant — whistling and calling to them not to let themselves fall in any way, but to trust in Hashem's kindnesses that are never exhausted, and in the great power of the tzadikim who will never abandon them: "not according to our sins does He deal with us" ; there is always hope (as explained extensively in the holy sefarim , especially in our writings; see there well). § 59 — The Burning Bush: The Fire of Joy Amidst the Thorns of Exile This is the aspect of the vision of the Sneh [bush] and why Moshe refused his mission for so long. Essentially, he saw through ruach hakodesh the length of the bitter present exile — impossible to fathom its end, for it is the wondrous end. Therefore he did not want to go on his mission, as our Sages say (explained in Rashi on "send, please, by the hand You will send" ): "I know I will not bring them into Eretz Yisrael and will not redeem them in the future," etc. — all because of the great dispute among Israel, until they do not know where the true tzadikim are — the essential prolonging of exile, as is known. "He saw, and behold, the bush burned with fire, yet the bush was not consumed." He was greatly astonished: why is the bush not consumed? The bush alludes to the exile, as our Sages say. He saw the revelation of G-dliness in a flame of fire from within the bush — the inflaming of the Jewish heart burning for Hashem through the power of the true tzadikim ( "a man in whom there is spirit" ) — burning for Hashem from within the bush, from within the bitterness of exile. Yet "the bush was not consumed" — the exile still overpowers, the bitterness of sadness ( "the bush was not consumed" : the thorns and briers surrounding the rose, whose essence is sadness = the exile of the Shechinah ) is not consumed, overpowering each time. Moshe was greatly astonished and said: "let me turn aside and see this great sight — why the bush is not consumed." He wanted to reach the very end — how Israel will merit the complete ge'ulah with no exile after it, consuming the bush (= the thorns and briers) completely. Then: "Hashem saw that he turned aside to look, and called to him... 'Do not come closer... remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground.'" This is the obstructer — the Arranger and Settler who prevents the pursuing mind from breaking through to Hashem, as above. Moshe, the first righteous redeemer, saw he would redeem Israel — he could gladden Israel amidst the exile's bitterness, illuminating within them the sparkling of His G-dliness (= the essential joy): a flame of fire, "its sparks are sparks of fire, a flame of G-d" — revealed from within the bush, from within the exile's bitterness, for he could transform sorrow and sighing to joy. Yet "the bush was not consumed" — they overpower each time with many stratagems without limit. They caused Israel to sin greatly immediately after the giving of the Torah, etc. — the ten trials, etc. — through which all the exiles were decreed until this long, bitter exile. As it says: "on the day I make account..." etc. Moshe wanted to fathom this — the perception of the wondrous end. Hashem said: "do not come closer" — the obstructer, the Arranger and Settler. For Moshe then merited the perception of the above nine chambers through the joy of the mitzvah (= the sparkling of receiving the Torah that began then), perceiving and seeing what he perceived. But he saw the bush was still not consumed and said: "let me turn aside and see" — how to perceive G-dliness with such joy as to consume the bush completely. As explained above: one depends on the other — the more one overpowers with the joy of the mitzvah , the more one merits some sprouting of salvation, raising the Shechinah from exile and ascending through all the above ascents until the nine chambers where the source of joy resides ( "eternal joy upon their heads" ). Then one draws additional joy from the source, and then one can sort even more from the Chambers of Exchange — and then ascend even higher to the nine chambers in greater perception, and joy grows even more, and one can sort even more — and so on. If this had proceeded in order, certainly the end of the ge'ulah (through joy) would have arrived. But our sins have caused this — each time the ba'al davar overpowers, causing Israel to sin and strengthening sadness: "they provoked Him in the wilderness" — confusions of emunah (= idolatry and heresy, called atzabim [idols] for sadness [ atzvus ]: "their idols are silver and gold" ). Through this the exile is prolonged — "Israel was exiled only because faithful people ceased among them" etc. (= sadness itself). But the great tzadikim of every generation labor with their great power to gladden Israel through illuminating holy emunah in their hearts each time. But the essential prolonging of exile is through the dispute that strives to distance Jewish hearts from the true tzadikim . Through this, the ultimate end cannot be fathomed — even Moshe Rabbainu could not, for Hashem told him: "do not come closer" — the Chambers of Exchange have not yet been sufficiently sorted for you to ascend and perceive further. All perception of the Ain Sof light depends on the sorting from the Chambers of Exchange through mi yaimar . "Remove your shoes from your feet, for the place upon which you stand is holy ground" — to here extends the holiness of the above supernal Place (= the obstructer, "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place" ). One needs the removal of shoes — stripping oneself completely from the body of this world, as stated in the holy Zohar. But to go further — to perceive how to consume the bush completely — is impossible now. This too is the aspect of the waiting: one must wait a great deal until we merit such sorting from the Chambers of Exchange that the tzadikim will perceive how to consume the bush completely. Therefore Moshe indeed refused his mission for seven days, saying: "send by the hand You will send," as above. § 60 — Aharon's Joy: "He Saw You and Rejoiced in His Heart" — The Root of the Ge'ulah Until finally: "Hashem's anger burned against Moshe, and He said: 'Is not Aharon your brother the Levi?... He is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.'" "He will rejoice in his heart" specifically — through this comes the essential tikun of the ge'ulah : through the great peace he would have with Moshe, not being jealous at all. On the contrary — rejoicing in his heart. The essential tikun is through joy — raising Malchus from the Chambers of Exchange, etc. — meriting the above blessings: the holiness of the priesthood ( "Aharon raised his hands and blessed" ). Therefore Aharon merited the holiness of the priesthood through "he will rejoice in his heart," as our Sages say. Through this came the Egyptian redemption — for the essential ge'ulah is through joy, and the essential completeness of joy is through peace: "for with joy you shall go out and in peace be led." Hashem revealed to Moshe that he must go on his mission to redeem Israel and give us the Torah — without him, Israel would never be redeemed, as the Midrash states: "if you do not redeem them, no one else will." Specifically because of the length of the present exile — he must go and give the Torah. Had we not received the Torah through Moshe Rabbainu, survival in this long, bitter exile would be impossible. As the holy Zohar states: our essential hope now is that Hashem already provided the remedy before the affliction — we already received the Torah and mitzvos through Moshe. Through this we can gladden ourselves each time through the abundance of mitzvos we merit performing daily (even the simplest person) — essentially through the great tzadikim of each generation who instill in us the joy of the mitzvah -points, etc. — raising the Shechinah each time until the complete ge'ulah . Without the Torah, it would be impossible to gladden our souls now or leave the exile. In Egypt, where the exile of Edom had not yet intensified, the holiness of Yaakov and his sons (especially Yosef the tzadik ) sufficed to sustain and survive the exile. But now, in the crushing pressure of the final exile, survival without the Torah and mitzvos (which are our life and joy: "we shall rejoice in the words of Your Torah and Your mitzvos forever, for they are our life" ; "were Your Torah not my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" ) would be impossible. But the essential power of the Egyptian ge'ulah then was through "he saw you and rejoiced in his heart" — Aharon, who merited the holiness of the priesthood through this (the blessing of the hands, etc. — through which the nine chambers are perceived, from which all perception of G-dliness derives — the essential purpose of the ge'ulah ). The essential delay of the ge'ulah then was through Dasan and Aviram — the heads of the disputants and their followers, from whom all corruptions and trials came, leading to all the destructions (the first and second Bais HaMikdash , all the sufferings, Rachmana litzlan , up to this final exile whose essential prolonging is through dispute, as above). In every dispute there are sparks of Dasan and Aviram, as our Sages say. Nevertheless: "You are eternally exalted, Hashem." Then Aharon the Kohain was found — not jealous of the greatness of Moshe his younger brother. On the contrary: he went out to meet him with joy — through which came the first ge'ulah , and the holiness of the priesthood was drawn. Through the power of Moshe and Aharon the Kohain , there are found now, in every generation, true tzadikim and upright people who attach themselves to the great chosen tzadikim , rejoicing to meet them, heeding their counsel, gladdening their souls in performing every mitzvah . Through this will come the complete ge'ulah : "for with joy you shall go out and in peace be led," as above. § 61 — Birchas SheHechiyanu [The Blessing of Who Has Kept Us Alive]: The Joy of Seeing a Beloved Fellow Jew This is the aspect of Birchas SheHechiyanu [the Blessing of Who Has Kept Us Alive]: when one sees a friend who is dear to him and rejoices at seeing him, he blesses SheHechiyanu [Who Has Kept Us Alive]. This is the essential vitality and sustenance — when one rejoices at seeing a fellow Jew. The essential joy is that two Jews who love each other merited meeting together in peace — through which the joy of Israel is greatly increased. Every Jew has a portion of G-dliness from above — the source of joy: "let Israel rejoice in its Maker." But the klipah that precedes the fruit (= sadness) covers over it, and a great struggle is needed to overpower joy over sadness — a great battle. Therefore, many Jewish souls must join and gather together. The more souls join in love, the more joy increases — the portions of joy are gathered and joined, shining with even greater light: "the light of the righteous makes glad" (ois mem-bais above); "when the righteous multiply, the people rejoice." Therefore, upon seeing a beloved fellow Jew, we bless: SheHechiyanu v'kiy'manu [Who has kept us alive and sustained us] — for this is the essential vitality and sustenance [ hechyah and kiyum ], through joy and peace. This is "he saw you and rejoiced in his heart" — through which came the essential Egyptian ge'ulah : Aharon was not jealous of his younger brother Moshe's greatness. The essential ge'ulah is through joy — essentially through the love of friends who strive to draw close to Hashem in truth: "he saw you and rejoiced in his heart." ✦ End of Part 5 (§§ 51–61 / Oaseyos נא–סא) · Continues in Part 6 ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman Hilchos Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving] — Halachah 6 Part 6 (§§ 62–75 / Oaseyos סב–עה) COMPLETE · Based on LM I:24 ( Amtza'isa D'Alma ) § 62 — SheHechiyanu [Who Has Kept Us Alive]: Time Derives from the Obstructer; Joy Gives Life to Time SheHechiyanu v'kiy'manu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh [Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time] — blessed over every joy that comes from time to time. The essential Birchas SheHechiyanu [the Blessing of Who Has Kept Us Alive] is on the Yamim Tovim . The essential formation of time derives at its root from the aspect of the waiting until it settles, as above. In truth there is no time at all (as explained on "I have this day begotten you," LM II:61 ). All of time exists only for the sake of free will — man must pass through this world for the span of his allotted days in order to bind time to that which is above time. This world is in place and time; man must pass through it to bind the aspects of time and place to that which is above time (see Hilchos Milah 4 on the above Torah ). The essential time derives from the above waiting — the Arranger and Settler of the mind (= the obstructer). The essential tikun is through the joy of the mitzvah , through mi yaimar . Man comes to this world only for this: to know Hashem through the perception of the above nine chambers, through which the Ain Sof light is perceived in mati v'lo mati . All this is impossible except through the Arranger and Settler — the aspect of waiting until it settles. All the days of man's life are only in the aspect of waiting — so he may settle properly in true yishuv hada'as , through which he will perceive what he perceives according to his true service — what even the angels do not merit perceiving. For the angels cannot perceive His Ain Sof light in this manner like man can, because they did not properly rectify the Arranger and Settler — which is only rectified through the power of free will that only man possesses (see Hilchos Nefilas Apayim on the Torah " Amtza'isa "). They burn and clamor to perceive Him, and though their perception is very lofty, it has no comparison to the perception of the righteous man who was in this world and withstood his trials through free will — thereby meriting rectifying the mind. The essential tikun is rectifying the Arranger and Settler (= the waiting), from which all time derives. All of man's time — all the days of his life — are the aspect of waiting: he is told to wait the time of his life, to settle himself each day and each moment. Through this he will merit perceiving at each moment what he perceives, until on his final day he ascends with all the days and time he spent in this world — ascending to where he ascends, perceiving the lights of the tzachtzachos that the tzadikim merit: "He shall satisfy your soul with tzachtzachos " — fortunate are they. The essential thing is merited through performing mitzvos with joy. Joy is the vitality and sustenance of all man's days — for in truth there is no time at all. As we see even physically: they are nothing, for time flies exceedingly — a passing shadow, drifting dust, a fading cloud, etc. The past is gone, the future not yet here, and the present is but an eye-blink (as brought in many sefarim ). "The days of our lives are vanity, vanity of vanities" (Midrash Koheles, Parshah 1) — like the vapor of the seventh vessel, having no substance. Nothing remains of all past, present, and future time except what one snatches from it: some good — Torah, tefilah , tzedakah , good deeds, intense desire and longing for Hashem, closeness to tzadikim and true friends, etc. The essential thing is joy — the point of all mitzvos , the essential vitality and sustenance. Therefore the essential vitality (in time and place) is through the day and time one merits the joy of the mitzvah — rejoicing in Him: "this is the day Hashem has made — let us exult and rejoice in it." Only "this is the day Hashem has made" — when one merits exulting and rejoicing in it. From there comes all vitality and sustenance of the days and times (= the days of man's life). The wicked, who do not merit the joy of the mitzvah , truly have no vitality — therefore our Sages say: "the wicked in their lifetimes are called dead," since they do not merit binding time to that which is above time, receiving vitality from the Source of Life through the joy of the mitzvah . Conversely, even the great tzadikim , if they do not take care to wait until they settle properly and their minds pursue excessively — they cannot live in this world at all: "when they drew near before Hashem and died" ; "he peeked and died." Therefore the essential vitality of the days and times man lives in this world is through the above — meriting the tikun of the Settler and Arranger properly through performing mitzvos with joy. Then he merits coming and ascending with all his days and times to where he ascends: "Avraham was old, coming with his days" — "he was old and entered with his days," as the holy Zohar states. Therefore at every time of joy we bless: SheHechiyanu v'kiy'manu v'higi'anu laz'man hazeh [Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this time] — the essential vitality and sustenance of all our days is through reaching this time of joy: "this is the day Hashem has made." These are the sanctified times of the Yamim Tovim , where His G-dliness is revealed through the great miracles and wonders He performed (= the essential joy), or when one sees a friend and rejoices (= the joy of the mitzvah ). § 63 — SheHechiyanu [Who Has Kept Us Alive] on a New Fruit: All Growth Derives from the Joy of Mitzvos Even on a new fruit we bless SheHechiyanu [Who Has Kept Us Alive], as our Sages say: "I also say the blessing of z'man on a new pumpkin." All the growing and sprouting of fruits is through the joy of mitzvos that sustains the entire world (created for the Torah's sake). As explained in the Torah " Arichas Apayim " ( LM I:155 ): all the power of growth and sprouting is through emunah (= joy). As it says: "the meadows are clothed with flocks, the valleys covered with grain — they shout for joy, they also sing." And in many verses the great joy through the sprouting of fruits is explained: "the blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of singing has arrived." All the growing and sprouting of fruits each year is through the point of mitzvos (= joy in Him). Fruits and grain sustain every living soul — essentially man, whose essential vitality is the holy da'as to know Him — through performing mitzvos with joy. Therefore we bless SheHechiyanu [Who Has Kept Us Alive] over them. § 64 — The Thirty-Day Interval: Repairing the Moon's Blemish Therefore the essential birchas haz'man [blessing of time] requires seeing the thing after at least thirty days — for continuous pleasure is no pleasure (as is known). The essential vitality is through the above waiting — the root of joy. The measure is thirty days (= a month), corresponding to the filling of the moon's blemish. Then is the essential tikun of joy — repairing "luminaries" (deficient), from which all sadness derives (as in ois lamed above) — transforming it to joy. § 65 — Past, Present, and Future: The Threefold Holiness of Time Through Joy One must revive and gladden his soul through Hashem's kindnesses and goodness — what He did for us in the past, what He does in the present, and what He will do in the future: "He was good, He is good, He will be good to us." This is all the vitality and sustenance of time (= the days of man's life), whose essential thing is to bind them to that which is above time. Each person must search and seek to find within himself good points from the mitzvos he merited performing each day from his youth. For we already merited receiving the Torah and mitzvos through Moshe Rabbainu, which are our life and the length of our days (as explained extensively, especially on "I shall sing to my G-d while I yet live" ). Even now, however things are, he snatches some mitzvos every single day — "even the sinners of Israel are full of mitzvos as a pomegranate." The essential thing: to rejoice in this and know the truth — there is no vitality in the world besides this. The essential thing is what we hope for and anticipate — a good end, through the power of the true tzadikim , as all the prophets and true tzadikim (first and last) have strengthened us. "All Israel has a portion in the World to Come." Even if he is as he is — as long as he believes there is no vitality except Torah and mitzvos , strives and yearns for the eternal purpose, draws close to true tzadikim and friends, and strengthens himself to gladden his soul with the mitzvah -points — he will certainly merit a good end. Therefore holiness is tripled in all aspects: "Holy, holy, holy" ; "the threefold light in threefold time." The essential holiness is joy — through three aspects that are the totality of time: past, present, and future. Their entire vitality and holiness is the joy of the mitzvah — through which time is bound to that which is above time, the very purpose for which man comes to the world. § 66 — Shlomo HaMelech in Koheles: The Joy of the Mitzvah Is the Only True Good This is why Shlomo HaMelech warned greatly in his book Koheles about the joy of the mitzvah : "there is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and be glad" — our Sages explain: eating and drinking of Torah and mitzvos , and rejoicing on Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim . This is the essential thing. Shlomo speaks at great length in Koheles about the world's vanity, repeating many times the great futility — so man does not deceive himself. Therefore he says: the essential tikun is the joy of the mitzvah — "there is nothing better for man," etc. He also says: "also every man to whom G-d has given... and to rejoice in his labor" (Koheles 5). "For he shall not much remember the days of his life, because G-d answers him with the joy of his heart" — Rashi explains: Hashem testifies about the joy of his heart — that he rejoiced to do good. This adjoins "he shall not much remember the days of his life" : the verse strongly urges man to strengthen himself in joy all the days of his life. Since his days are few and fly exceedingly ( "not much" ) and Koheles speaks extensively of the world's vanity — therefore: "he shall not much" — his days are very few. Let him remember the days of his life — meaning: let him remember to vivify them with true life and sustenance worthy of being called "the days of his life." This is through holy joy — all the vitality. "G-d answers him with the joy of his heart" — Hashem testifies about his heart's joy that he rejoiced to do good. He settled his mind in this world and knew the truth: there is no true vitality except Torah and mitzvos — "for they are our life" — therefore his heart was glad to do good. This is the entire purpose and true sustenance of all the days of his life. § 67 — Settling the Mind: The Counsel of Joy Against All Sadness The principle: man must settle his mind very well at all times — what is he doing in this passing world? What will be his end? What is the purpose of all worldly pursuits and desires? (as explained in LM II:10 ). The essential obstacle is sadness — every person is full of sadness, worries, sorrow, and sighing: from livelihood, from the great pain of children, etc. — especially from the multitude of sins: "woe is me from my yaitzer ; woe is me from my Maker." Although the mussar books say that sadness over sins is good — the ba'al davar and the Chambers of Exchange overpower through such sadness until one is distanced from Hashem even more. The worry over sins would be good if one returned in teshuvah through it — casting away all worldly pursuits and returning completely to Hashem. But the majority of people, especially in these generations, are distanced even more through excessive sadness (even over sins). The Chambers of Exchange reverse the truth and confuse the mind, implanting, chas v'shalom , despair in the heart — as if there is no more hope to renew his days like the eagle. They strengthen the sadness of livelihood ( "in sadness you shall eat it" ) — the craving for wealth, to conduct one's household extravagantly with fine dwellings, household vessels, silver and gold and jewelry — all far beyond one's means. Whatever Hashem provides is never enough: "the more possessions, the more worry." Especially those whose livelihood is pressed, etc. There are many differences among people, but most are filled with sadness, worries, and sorrows without limit — and this is the greatest damage, for through it one cannot settle his mind as to what he is doing in this world. Therefore one must strengthen himself exceedingly to gladden his soul through all the counsel and ways Rabbainu zichrono livrachah revealed (as explained in the holy sefarim and in our writings extensively). One must remind himself at all times of all the kindnesses, goodnesses, and wonders Hashem has already done for us — collectively and individually: "bless Hashem, my soul, and do not forget all His bounties." This is the mitzvah of remembering the Exodus from Egypt every day: "so that you remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life" ; "remember this day when you left Egypt." For this all the holy festivals were established — to rejoice in them: "you shall rejoice on your festival" — all remembering the Exodus. One must take to heart and remind himself well of all the kindnesses and wonders of the Exodus and the giving of the Torah, through which we have eternal hope (each and every one of us). "In every generation, a person must see himself as if he himself left Egypt" — for certainly it was not for nothing that He bestowed such kindness with such miracles and wonders, taking us out of Egypt, giving us the Torah, and drawing us close to the true tzadikim in every generation. This kindness will certainly endure forever — "the word of our G-d shall stand forever." And even now He performs miracles daily — what we merit snatching each day: many mitzvos — tzitzis , tefillin , Krias Shma , tefilah , Torah study, etc. We trust, wait, and anticipate salvation at all times — in the end it will surely come, it will not delay: "there is hope for your future." § 68 — "Why Do You Leap, O Mountains?": The Foundation of Holiness Can Never Be Destroyed "Why do you leap, you hunchbacked mountains? The mountain G-d desired for His dwelling — Hashem shall dwell there forever." The Sitra Achra — the idolaters and wicked who oppose holiness — arise each time to uproot everything, chas v'shalom , wanting to tear down to the very foundation: "remember, Hashem, against the children of Edom the day of Yerushalayim — who said: raze it, raze it, to its very foundation!" ; "against Your people they scheme, and conspire against Your sheltered ones; they say: come, let us destroy them as a nation, and the name of Israel shall be remembered no more." This is true for every person at all times: "the wicked watches the righteous and seeks to kill him" ; "every day a man's evil inclination renews against him and seeks to kill him" — "but Hashem will not abandon him to his hand." For we already have a strong foundation — we are the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov; we already received the holy Torah; we are strong in our holy emunah and boast in it: "fortunate are we — how good is our portion!" — arising and retiring, unifying His Name twice daily. Therefore every Jew must revive himself through the foundation of emunah within him — the essential foundation upon which everything stands: "Chavakuk came and established them on one — the holy emunah " : "the righteous shall live by his emunah ." Therefore one must remember the Exodus daily — we then saw His G-dliness revealed, eye to eye, through all the awesome signs and wonders: "remember His wonders that He performed." In every generation, great tzadikim come and establish foundations that can never be demolished: "a tzadik is the foundation of the world." This is the foundation of the Bais HaMikdash , for which David labored his entire life until he found its Place and foundation: "remember, Hashem, for David... who swore to Hashem... if I give sleep to my eyes... until I find a place for Hashem." The essential thing is the foundation of holiness — the Place and foundation of the Bais HaMikdash that David found (= Mashiach ). Upon this foundation the Bais HaMikdash was built twice. Though through our many sins the Sitra Achra overpowered and destroyed the Bais HaMikdash twice — their effort was in vain, for the foundation can never be destroyed: "this is My resting place forever; here I shall dwell, for I have desired it." Though it is certainly a great, bitter suffering that the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed (and one must mourn and lament at midnight every night), one cannot lament all day — one must console oneself, as established in Tikun Chatzos and the kinos , concluding with words of comfort. Through sadness and lament alone, life is impossible — the essential vitality is joy. Therefore, one who wishes to work on his eternal end must cry out each day (especially at midnight) over his sins that delay the Bais HaMikdash 's rebuilding — the essential crying being over the obstruction and prevention of joy: "the joy of our hearts has ceased." One must cry and pray until Hashem has mercy, consoling us from our hearts' sadness, gladdening us with His salvation — through what we already merited: receiving the Torah, drawing close to true tzadikim , all the points of Torah and mitzvos we already merited through His kindness and great wonders. The essential thing: the foundation of emunah (= the foundation of the Bais HaMikdash that David found = Mashiach ) — this can never be destroyed. They destroyed only the building above the foundation — the aspect of the roof [ gag ]. The entire building relative to the foundation is the aspect of the roof. "What ails you that you went up entirely to the rooftops?" — the verse says: what do you boast about? — "you went up entirely to the rooftops" : the entire destruction is only the rooftops — the building above the foundation. But the building's foundation (= the essential building) can never be destroyed. "Why do you leap, you hunchbacked mountains?" — gavnunim [hunchbacked] = gav [back] = roof and upper story. David tells the destroyers: why do you leap and dance, you hunchbacked mountains? All your might is only over the gavnunim — you destroyed the back and roof (= the building above the foundation). But the very foundation of holiness — the foundation of the Bais HaMikdash — you can never destroy: "the mountain G-d desired for His dwelling — Hashem shall dwell there forever." The foundation of the Bais HaMikdash that David Mashiach found — this will remain forever, until it is rebuilt speedily in our days as an eternal structure never to be destroyed. This is: "when you build a new house" — alluding to the Third Bais HaMikdash , when a new light will shine upon Tziyon: "behold, I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth." The Third Bais HaMikdash is therefore called a "new house." "You shall make a railing for your roof, that the one who falls shall not fall from it" — each person must now engage in building the future new house. The essential thing: to make a railing for the roof so the building above the foundation is built and fortified well, never to be destroyed again, chas v'shalom . "You shall not place blood in your house, for the one who falls shall fall" — all transgressions are the aspect of "blood" (coming through the intensifying of blood in the 365 sinews corresponding to the 365 negative commandments). Through this the fallen have fallen, Rachmana litzlan , and through this the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed. Therefore one must repair the building: "make a railing for your roof" — building the new house with such tikunim that no more "blood" will be placed in it, no more sinning, no more falling — everyone strengthening themselves to stand firm in their emunah , so the House will endure forever. § 69 — The Length of Exile: Hashem Awaits an Eternal Building This is why the exile is so long — Hashem awaits an eternal building, a complete ge'ulah with no exile after it. This requires the true tzadikim of each generation to make such tikunim that Israel will never again fall from their holiness, never relapse: "I shall remove the heart of stone from your flesh... I shall cause you to walk in My statutes." Therefore it is impossible to fathom the wondrous end — for one with free will it is extremely difficult to help. Yet "Hashem's counsel shall stand forever." In His mercy He consoles and gladdens us through the holy foundations we already merited — the Exodus, the Torah, through which every Jew snatches many mitzvos daily. David already found the place of the Bais HaMikdash ; it was already built twice; they offered ketores and sacrifices; they clarified all the halachos of the Torah in the Lishkas HaGazis . Through all this, the tzadikim established strong foundations for us forever — even in our destruction, these holy foundations cannot be demolished. After the destruction, our G-d did not abandon us. Awesome, great tzadikim arose in every generation — for no generation is an orphan — even now in our generations there were awesome tzadikim who established foundations that can never be demolished: "though I have scattered them among the nations and dispersed them through the lands, I shall be for them a miniature Mikdash " — "these are the synagogues and study halls." Through this we anticipate and await the building of the new House that will never be destroyed. Therefore every person must gladden himself each day through the miracles and salvations of past, present, and future — the foundation of the Bais HaMikdash , established since the days of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov who prayed there (as our Sages say). Moshe Rabbainu stressed this Place many times: "the place Hashem shall choose." David Mashiach merited finding it through immense toil. This is the joy of the past miracles and salvations. The present miracles and salvations: the synagogues and study halls where Torah and tefilah are engaged in daily (= a miniature Mikdash ). The essential joy: through the hope we hold for the Third Bais HaMikdash in the future, which will endure forever — when joy will increase beyond limit: "then our mouths will be filled with laughter." So too each person must gladden his soul through all the good points he has already merited — especially that he was not made a gentile and was separated from those who err, etc. — and what he still merits snatching each day. And through the hope for the future: ultimately every Jew will certainly be rectified — "Hashem will not abandon His people" ; "Hashem did not speak of wiping out the name of Israel" (said even of generations that served idolatry, as explained in Melachim II). All through the power of the true tzadikim in whose shelter we take refuge — through whom everything will be rectified. They are all our joy, vitality, and sustenance forever. § 70 — Three Redemptions, Three Transformations, Three Peaces: Past, Present, and Future This is the aspect of the three p'duyos [redemptions], three hafuchos [transformations], and three sh'lomos [peaces]. They are the aspect of redemption and sweetening of judgments — nullifying sadness (= the severity of judgment, from which all exiles of body and soul, and all suffering, Rachmana litzlan ) — drawing joy and peace (= ge'ulah , freedom, and the nullification of all suffering). Therefore they are recited on Motzaay Shabbos — so sadness and judgments (which awaken during the weekdays) do not overpower. For this reason we recite Vayitain Lecha etc. — many verses of joy, blessing, and peace — to draw the joy of Shabbos into the weekdays, nullifying the sadness that wants to take hold during the week. The three sets of three correspond to the three aspects of past, present, and future — through which one must gladden oneself, as above. The three p'duyos begin: "He redeemed my soul in peace" — past tense: He already redeemed us by choosing us from all nations, giving us His Torah, separating us from those who err — from distress to relief countless times. The second: "the people said to Shaul: 'shall Yonasan die, who wrought this great salvation in Israel?'... the people redeemed Yonasan and he did not die" — alluding to every person's dangers and accusations, Rachmana litzlan . Hashem in His mercy sends into the hearts of the tzadikim to defend him — the kindnesses and goodnesses of the present: what Hashem bestows upon the guilty through the great power of the tzadikim who sustain the world and defend all. The third: "the redeemed of Hashem shall return and come to Tziyon with song; eternal joy upon their heads... gladness and joy shall they attain, and sorrow and sighing shall flee" — the essential hope and joy of the future, when we return to Tziyon and merit eternal joy. The essential thing: to transform all sorrow and sighing to joy. The three hafuchos : First — "You have transformed my mourning to dance; You opened my sackcloth and girded me with joy" — all past tense: the past kindnesses — He performed miracles without number, transforming mourning to dance, from distress to relief countless times. Second — "Hashem your G-d did not wish to listen to Bil'am, and Hashem your G-d transformed the curse to a blessing" — the miracles and salvations in the present: awesome accusations arise each time from the Sitra Achra of wicked Bil'am who wants to uproot Israel, chas v'shalom . Hashem in His great mercy refuses to listen and transforms the curse to blessing — through the great power of Moshe Rabbainu (= the true tzadikim of each generation). Third — "then the maiden shall rejoice in dance... I shall transform their mourning to joy" — the joy of the future. The three sh'lomos : First — "[He] creates the speech of the lips: peace, peace, to the far and near, says Hashem, and I have healed him" — past tense: He already prepared healing (= peace) for the far and near through the true tzadikim who prepared for us elixirs of life and precious, holy remedies in their holy books and words, which restore the soul through comforting counsel. "Taste and see that Hashem is good." Second — "a spirit clothed Amasai... 'peace to you, and peace to your helpers'" — alluding to the war against the true tzadikim in every generation (as is well known from what occurs in our generations and earlier). Hashem in His mercy sends into the hearts of many Jewish souls to look upon the truth — they come to the true tzadikim and those attached to them and say: "peace to you and peace to your helper." Third — "you shall say: thus to life! And you — peace" — alluding to the eternal life of the future, when the wondrous peace will be as explained in many verses. "Hashem will give strength to His people; Hashem will bless His people with peace." The essential completeness of joy and blessing is peace — the vessel that holds blessing. Through peace — many Jewish souls gathering together — the light of joy increases. Through this one can receive the light of the above nine chambers, perceiving the Ain Sof light in mati v'lo mati . Due to the great intensity of this light, it can only be received through many vessels — many Jewish souls gathering together in love and peace around the true tzadikim who merit these lights (the lights of the tzachtzachos that heal and gladden all who are ill in soul, even the very gravely ill). The more gravely ill they are, the more precious the remedies needed — which only the greatest tzadik knows how to draw and heal with (as explained in the Torah " Mishra ," LM I:30 ; see there). The essential thing is through peace: "for with joy you shall go out and in peace be led." § 71 — The Three Sounds of the Shofar : Past, Present, and Future This is the aspect of the three sounds of the shofar : essentially tekiah , teruah , tekiah (our Sages had a doubt about the teruah sound, therefore they established blowing both teruah and shevarim , as explained in the Gemara). The tekiah before is a simple sound, and the tekiah after is a simple sound. These represent the good and kindness He already performed for us at the giving of the Torah — given with the sound of the shofar , a simple sound, for then the crookedness of the heart was completely straightened. They merited great freedom: "freedom from the evil inclination, from the angel of death, and from the subjugation of kingdoms." And in the future: "on that day a great shofar shall be blown, and the lost ones shall come" — a simple sound, for then: "they shall all know Me, from the least to the greatest." All suffering and sadness from the crookedness of the heart will be completely nullified. In between, we blow the teruah — teruah and shevarim : groaning and wailing, as our Sages say. This is what man must do now, in the present, all the days of his life: overpower to transform all kinds of sadness (= groaning and wailing) to joy. Through this comes the essential teshuvah — through yishuv hada'as , which is through joy. The essential thing: through the power of the mitzvah of shofar , we merit truly awakening, implanting holy emunah in our hearts (= all our joy): "fortunate is the people that knows the teruah ; Hashem, in the light of Your countenance they shall walk" — perceiving the light of the countenance, from which all holy da'as to know that Hashem is G-d: "in Your Name they shall exult all day." Until we merit seizing all the sorrow and sighing (from which all sins come) and transforming it to joy — the essential teshuvah : sins transformed to merits. This is the sound of the teruah — the essential thing. § 72 — The Mizmor "Hodu" Before Tefilah : Past, Present, and Future in Songs This is the aspect of the entire mizmor "Hodu LaHashem" recited before tefilah at the beginning of Pesukay d'Zimrah — speaking of past, present, and future. "Remember His wonders that He performed" ; "remember forever His covenant, the word He commanded for a thousand generations, which He made with Avraham" etc. — He gave us the Torah and brought us into Eretz Yisrael , the portion of our inheritance — all speaking of the great past miracles. Then: "sing to Hashem a new song; proclaim from day to day His salvation" — even each and every day He performs wondrous, awesome salvations for us. Then the future: "let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult, let the sea roar and its fullness... then all the trees of the forest shall sing before Hashem" — all said of the future. In all this we must gladden ourselves at all times — especially before tefilah — and thank His Name for the miracles He already performed, what He does now at all times (expanding for us in distress, etc.), and what He will do for us for eternity through the power of the true tzadikim in whose shelter we take refuge. This entire mizmor "Hodu" was recited by David before the Ark when it entered its place (as explained in Divray HaYamim). The essential joy is when the Ark comes to its place — deriving from "blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place" : the source of joy. The essential joy is the Torah — drawn from there. Likewise in all the songs and praises, most speak of past, present, and future — all to gladden our souls in the depth of our long exile of body and soul, so that we merit returning, drawing close, and clinging to Hashem — essentially through joy. § 73 — Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh : "With the Attribute of Mercy I Created, Conduct, and Will Renew the World" This is what is found in Osiyos d'Rabbi Akiva (cited in Yalkut Reuveni, Parshas Shemos ): "Another interpretation: Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh — with the attribute of mercy I created the world, with the attribute of mercy I conduct it, and with the attribute of mercy I will renew it. Another interpretation: with the attribute of good I created the world, with the attribute of good I conduct it, and I will renew it in the future." This is the above: "He was good, He is good, He will be good" — through which comes the essential joy and clinging to Him (= the vitality and sustenance). Ehyeh is Keser , as explained there on "I shall be with you and bless you." Keser (= the Place, the Arranger) is the source of joy — from which comes the ge'ulah from Egypt and all exiles. The passage concludes: "another interpretation: with the attribute of emunah I created the world" — for emunah is the aspect of joy, the foundation of everything. § 74 — The Three Redemptions at Hatavas Chalom : Joy Rectifies Dreams Therefore these three p'duyos etc. are recited at Hatavas Chalom [the amelioration of a dream]. The essential tikun of a dream is through joy — as the Hatavas Chalom concludes: "go eat your bread with joy and drink your wine with a glad heart." As already explained (ois lamed-ches): sleep derives at its root from the wearying of the mind through the pursuit and obstructer; according to the tikun of the mind, so the sleep and the dreams. Therefore the essential tikun of a bad dream is through drawing the joy of the three comforters — through which the essential tikun of the mind comes. Therefore we recite then the three p'duyos , three hafuchos , etc. — through which joy and peace are drawn: the essential redemption from all suffering, nullified through joy. § 75 — Closing Note: "I Shall Rejoice in Hashem" — The Joy of Shma Yisrael See the holy Zohar, Parshas Pinchas (daf 236b), on the verse "Shma Yisrael" etc. The passage states: "Rav Hamnuna Saba said: whoever performs this unification each day — joy is prepared for him from above, from the secret of these letters. Shin-Mem from this side, and Alef-Ches from this side, etc. And the sign: Esmach [I shall rejoice], as it is written: ' Anochi esmach baHashem ' — in Hashem Himself — this is the holy unification, and it is fitting." This is the entire point of all our words in this entire discourse: the inner essence of our words is that every Jew must rejoice in Hashem — " Anochi esmach baHashem " [I shall rejoice in Hashem] — this is the essential ge'ulah and salvation of every Jew. The essential thing: every Jew, however he is, must rejoice in what he merits — at least saying Shma Yisrael twice every day, as we boast: "fortunate are we — how good is our portion!" — arising and retiring, unifying His Name twice daily. This is all our vitality and hope in this world and the World to Come forever. Nothing will remain of man or of fleeting time except the joy of holy emunah , as explained above. The holy Zohar reveals that the letters of Esmach [I shall rejoice] are hinted in Shin-Mem of Shma and Alef-Ches of Echad — for one must rejoice greatly in meriting to unify His Name each day: " Anochi esmach baHashem ." ✦ End of Part 6 (§§ 62–75 / Oaseyos סב–עה) ✦ ✦ Birchas HaHodaah [The Blessing of Thanksgiving], Halachah 6 — Complete ✦ Na Nach Nachma Nachman May'Uman