שבת הלכה א

This corresponds to the [law] that one does not recite zimun [the invitation to communal grace after meals] over fruits, because fruits have no fixed status [kevias seudah — the status of a fixed meal], only bread made from the five species [of grain], which alone satisfies and nourishes. As has already been explained in the Laws of Birchas HaMazon (in section 75), that the essence of birchas hazimun [the blessing of invitation] is the aspect of the revelation of ratzon [Divine will/desire], which is revealed at the time of eating specifically, through the generality [kelaliyus] of son and student [ben v'salmid] — which represents the totality of the worlds [kelaliyus ha'olamos] — which each person merits through the holy daas [divine knowledge/consciousness] of the tzadik, the true shepherd [ha'ro'eh ha'emes], who toils to gather in the dispersed of Israel, those who are very far from Hashem, to return them to holiness, etc. It is for this reason that the main birchas hazimun — which is the greatest revelation of ratzon — is when there is some gathering of Israel of at least three. And the primary [revelation occurs] when ten gather at one table, when the zimun is recited with [G-d's] Name, etc. — see there well. Therefore, birchas hazimun applies only to bread, but one does not recite zimun over fruits, because fruits have no fixed status — for it is known and already explained that the taste of all foods and their power to vivify a person is drawn only from the daas and chachma [wisdom], from which all vitality flows, as it is written, "The wisdom gives life" [Koheles 7:12]. And according to the portions of sparks of daas that Hashem drew into each and every food, so does it have the power to vivify and sustain a person — for through this his soul is bound to his body, which is the essence of life — which is the aspect of the totality of the worlds [kelaliyus ha'olamos], etc., as above. Therefore the primary [food] is bread, which alone satisfies and nourishes a person, because in bread is clothed the main totality of daas, which is the aspect of the remozim [allusions/hints] mentioned above. Therefore with bread, even though one does not feel in it as much sweetness of taste as in other fruits and foods, even so it surpasses all foods and is the basis of them all — because all the aspects of the sweetness of daas invested in all the fruits and foods are all included in bread, within which the above-mentioned remozim are hidden, which represent the totality of daas — and therefore in truth, within bread all the flavors of the world are hidden, as above. 1

And this is the aspect of Rosh Hashanah, when all Israel are occupied with this — each person toiling and laboring to come to the holy gathering of Israel, which is the aspect of "I am dwelling among my people" [II Melachim 4:13], said regarding Rosh Hashanah as it states in the holy Zohar. And even from all the villages and distant places, people converge upon the place where there is a gathering of Israel. And the main [thing] is when one merits to come to the true tzadikim, as all Israel customarily travel to tzadikim on Rosh Hashanah — for the main [instrument of] gathering and its sustenance is through the tzadik, the true shepherd, the aspect of Moshe, as above. And this is the aspect of tekias shofar [the sounding of the shofar], which is the aspect of remozim for gathering, the aspect of "And it shall come to pass on that day that a great shofar will be sounded, and those who were lost in the land of Assyria shall come, and those who were dispersed", etc. [Yeshaya 27:13]. And this is through the remozim, because tekias shofar is the aspect of remozim, as stated concerning the trumpets [chatzotzros], which are also the aspect of the shofar — as our Sages, may their memory be for a blessing, said regarding the recitation of the verse "and you shall sound the trumpets" [u'tekasem b'chatzotzros] to complete the verses of shofaros [on Rosh Hashanah] [see Rosh Hashanah 34a], etc. — [Moshe] taught them to understand the remozim of how to gather through the sounds, as it is written, "And you shall sound a teruah and the camps that are encamped to the east shall travel; you shall sound a second teruah and the camps shall travel", etc. [Bamidbar 10:5–6]. "And if one [tekiah] is sounded, they shall gather to you", etc. [Bamidbar 10:4]. Thus they had remozim of how to gather through the signal-sounds. And so too it is the custom in all the tactics of physical warfare (which they [the nations] learned from Israel's arrangement of the banners [degalim], as brought in the holy books — that the main [instrument of] their gathering is through signs that are the aspect of remozim, such as their banner-signs and the sounds of trumpets and drums, etc. — through which they know how to conduct themselves and where to gather, etc.). And this is the aspect of the holy banners of Israel. And it has already been explained above (in section 47) that the banners are the aspect of sustaining the gathering of Israel — that each person must illuminate the holy daas, which is fear of Heaven [yiras shomayim], into his fellow, etc., as explained there. And all this is through the banners, which are the aspect of remozim, as above — they raise a particular banner so that everyone knows which way to turn and go, etc. And this is the aspect of "I will whistle for them and gather them" [Zecharya 10:8] — "I will whistle" [eshrekah] is the aspect of remozim. For the main [instrument of] gathering and sustaining them in this long war of this world is through the remozim, as above. And this is the aspect of the changes of the shofar sounds — tekia, sh'vorim, teruah, tekia; tekia, sh'vorim, tekia; tekia, teruah, tekia — according to the remozim, which are the main mochin [mental/consciousness faculties] that are drawn through the shofar. And the main remozim, which are the perpetual sustaining of daas, are through the Torah of the tzadik, the aspect of Moshe — who is the aspect of "For all that is in heaven and earth" [divrai HaYomim I 29:11] — who can illuminate both the upper worlds and the lower worlds and encompass them together, because the novelties [chidushim] of his Torah are universal [kelaliyus], for they are drawn from the root of the souls of Israel — he takes them and gathers them together before the discourse [drush], in the aspect of "He who takes souls is wise" [Mishlay 11:30, see Likutay Moharan 13] — and through this, "A wise man scaled the city of the mighty and brought down the strength of its stronghold" [Mishlay 21:22] — that being the Torah. Therefore such a true Torah is called "the strength of its stronghold" [oz mivtachah], because his holy teachings and words are living and enduring, etc., forever and for all eternity — and they are a stronghold of strength for all who pay heed to the words of his teachings and his remozim, to remain alive in the battle within the holy gathering in all that befalls them — which is the aspect of what is explained above (in section 51) on the verse "And of the sons of Yissachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel should do" [divrai HaYomim I 12:33], etc. — see there. 4

And this is the aspect of the distinction between eating bread and other fruits and foods: the main satiation, vitality, and sustenance of a person is through bread — but other fruits and foods, even though they vivify and restore the soul, it is only for a time [l'fi sha'ah], and the main manner of eating them properly is only with bread, as is known to all — for all the tastes of foods and their power to vivify a person is through daas, as above. And there are many distinctions concerning daas and wisdom, for there are studies which contain great wisdoms, theories, and innovations, but they are of no use toward the ultimate purpose [tachlis] at all — and there are many which are very harmful to the ultimate purpose, such as most studies of external wisdoms [chachmos chitzoniyos], for even though some of them are needed for this world's crafts and trades, etc., they do not benefit toward the eternal ultimate purpose. And very many of their wisdoms are extremely harmful to all who engage in them and cleave to them — such as their philosophical inquiries into theology [filosofya elokus], which is very harmful, because they arrive at great heresy [kefiros], as is well known — for it is impossible to know Him, blessed be He, except through the Torah of Moshe, the Written and Oral Torah, as interpreted for us by the tanna'im and Amora'im, etc., and the true tzadikim of every generation, as explained in all the holy books and in our own words extensively. And from these wisdoms and studies come the tastes of the foods and materials that are very harmful to a person — such as foods and drinks that are a poison of death, or other harmful foods. 5

But even in the holy studies of the wisdom of the Torah there are several distinctions, because there is one whose study is done with such coarseness and with such a damaged and corrupted mind — and he is very distant from true tzadikim, on the contrary he disputes and opposes them greatly — until it is said about his study: "He who did not merit — it becomes for him a poison of death", as our Sages, may their memory be for a blessing, expounded on the verse, "And you shall set" [v'samtom] [Devarim 11:18]: he who merited — it becomes for him a life-giving medicine; he who did not merit — it becomes a poison of death [Shabbos 88b]. And from such studies many fall into the pit of destruction — to study external wisdoms, as is unfortunately very common among many Torah scholars who engaged in external wisdoms and went astray as they went astray, may G-d have mercy. As the great and bitter outcries about this in many and many holy books. 6