עירובי תחומין ה

And therefore Purim permits the performance of labor [melachah] and has no sanctity of yom tov at all — for Purim is the bechina of the illumination of the very highest holiness, and due to the immense power of the holiness, no holiness is visible there. And this is analogous to what Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote [as is explained in Likutay Moharan §243]: "All the songs are holy, and Shir HaShirim is the holy of holies" [Mishnah Yadayim 3:5] — and yet in the very book of Shir HaShirim there are no words of holiness and purity at all. [See there and understand well.] For all the festivals — which are the bechinas good days — contain many levels of holiness by which the good days are sanctified: through Kiddush [the sanctification blessing], the prohibition of labor, and the like. For they are the bechinas good days corresponding to evil days — and therefore many levels of holiness must be practiced in them in order to draw forth and strengthen the good days and to subdue the evil days. And if one performs, G‑d forbid, some weekday labor on yom tov — then the evil days, which draw their sustenance from weekday labors, as is known, can gain strength. Therefore labor is forbidden. But on Purim — when the root of evil has been completely subdued and nullified, and the hidden light has been revealed — the light of ahavah shebada'as, which is above the yamim and middos — therefore no holiness is needed to subdue the evil days so that they should not prevail, G‑d forbid, for they have no dominion at all then. And therefore even if one performs weekday labors, the evil has no dominion or hold over them whatsoever — for then the evil has been completely subdued and nullified at its very root. So that even if one performs weekday labors, it [the evil] has no dominion or hold over them, as stated — for then the hidden light is revealed: the light of ahavah shebada'as, which is above time, above the yamim and middos, above all holiness, as stated.

For all the travels and displacements come from the aspect of the sin of Adam HaRishon, which is the aspect of the corruption of the seal of the feet — through which came nidas, the contamination of the serpent — through which came expulsion and displacement in the world, as above, the aspect of “va’y’garesh es ha’adam.” And all this is only during the weekdays, when they have a hold, as above. And then one needs great exertion to return the feet to holiness. And therefore then there are displacements from place to place, which are the aspect of the aforementioned expulsion. But on Shabbos, the two seals are repaired — the seal of the hands and the seal of the feet, as above. Therefore all the expulsions and displacements are nullified, for Shabbos is the rectification of the sin of Adam HaRishon — for Shabbos protects them, as is brought. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of techumin — meaning, that it is forbidden to go out on Shabbos from place to place beyond the t’chum Shabbos. For on Shabbos there is no displacement or travel, which is the aspect of expulsion, as above — for then the seal of the feet is repaired, as above. And this is t’chum Shabbos — for “t’chum” has the same letters as “chosam,” as above. For the seal is itself the boundary. For since the seal of holiness shines on Shabbos, as above — because of this it is forbidden to go beyond the boundary. For then all the expulsion and displacement — the corruption of the seal — is nullified, for then the seal of holiness is repaired, which is the aspect of the t’chum, as above.

And this is the aspect of t’chum Shabbos of 2,000 amos. For the main t’chum, which is the aspect of the seal, as above, is drawn from the two aforementioned crowns, which are na’aseh and nishma, as above. The two crowns are two alafin, for a crown is the aspect of “aleph,” which is the first of all the letters. And this is the aspect of the thousand lights that are received on Shabbos, as above. For the main addition is only one thousand lights, since the main addition is only that one receives the “nishma” — the hidden — and makes from the nishma a na’aseh. And then one has a higher nishma. It emerges that the main reception of the additional illumination is only what was the nishma, the hidden, that one merits to have revealed as na’aseh. And therefore the main reception is only the aspect of one crown — the crown of na’aseh — meaning what one merited to have become na’aseh from nishma. For the nishma that one has now is still hidden from him. And therefore the main reception of tosefes Shabbos is only one thousand lights, the aspect of one crown, as above. But in truth, on Shabbos one merits two crowns — nishma and na’aseh — only the main reception and perception is only the aspect of one crown, the aspect of na’aseh, the aspect of one thousand lights. And from these two crowns, as above, which are the aspect of two alafin, two thousand lights — from them are made the aforementioned seals, which are the aspect of t’chum Shabbos of 2,000 amos, as mentioned above.

Likutay Halachos – Techumin V'Eruvay Techumin 5

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Likutay Halachos – Orach Chaim

Hilchos Techumin V’Eruvay Techumin – Halacha 5

Based on the Torah “Tik’u Emunah” in Likutay Tinyana, Siman 5

And herein will be explained the subject of Shavu’os.

Based on the Torah “Tik’u Emunah” in Likutay Tinyana, siman 5 — see there well, the entire Torah.

And the general principle for our subject is that the main thing is emunah, and each person must seek and strengthen himself in emunah, etc. And the rectification for raising emunah from its fallen state is that one must dig and find the waters from which emunah grows. And these waters are the aspect of aitzos [counsel], from which emunah grows, in the aspect of “odeh shimcha ki asisa peleh, aitzos mai’rachok emunah omen” [“I will praise Your Name, for You have done wonders; counsels from afar, faithful and true”] (Y’shayahu 25:1) — that through the aitzos, emunah grows. And aitzos are the aspect of the depth of the heart — meaning, when emunah is damaged and falls, etc., then one must cry out from the heart alone, in the aspect of “tza’ak libam el Hashem,” etc. — “mima’amakim k’rasicha Hashem” [“From the depths I call to You, Hashem”] — from the depth of the heart. And the depth of the heart is the aspect of aitzos, in the aspect of “mayim amukim aitzah b’lev ish” [“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water”] (Mishlei 20:5), etc. And through the aitzos that are revealed in the world, emunah grows, etc., and then everything is repaired, etc. For the aitzos are the aspect of peleh [wonder], etc. And to draw and reveal the aforementioned waters — that is, the aitzos — one needs an “ish t’vunos” [a man of understanding], etc. And an ish t’vunos is one who has a n’shamah, etc. And one must polish and refine the n’shamah. And this is done through drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions [tzimtzumim], etc. And the general principle is that through drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions — that is, into bodies — through this, one’s livelihood is doubled and increased. For when one draws spiritual G-dliness into constrictions — that is, into bodies — this is the aspect of creation, for a new creation is now made through the joining of spiritual G-dliness with the body and the constriction, which is the main essence of creation, etc. And through this, livelihood is drawn, etc., as is explained there — see there. And through the livelihood, one polishes one’s soul, for the eating of the tzaddik is only for the sake of the n’shamah, as is written: “tzaddik ochail l’sova nafsho” [“A righteous man eats to satisfy his soul”] (Mishlei 13:25). And the satisfaction of the soul is the aspect of the polishing with which one polishes one’s n’shamah through one’s eating, in the aspect of “v’hisbi’a b’tzachtzachos nafshecha” [“And He will satisfy your soul with radiance”] (Y’shayahu 58:11). And then, when one polishes one’s n’shamah, then one is an ish t’vunos, in the aspect of “v’nishmas Shakai t’vineim” [“And the spirit of the Almighty gives them understanding”] (Iyov 32:8). And through this, the aitzos are revealed, as above, and from them emunah grows, as above — see there all of this well. And through raising the fallen emunah, gairim [converts] are made, etc. And the gairim are difficult for Yisrael like a scab, etc., for the gairim introduce ga’avah [pride] into Yisrael. Through this, the sword of pride is taken by the leaders of the generation who lord over the generation for nothing, etc. And through this they intensify the desires of ni’uf [immorality] in the world, etc. And to be saved from this is through the leaders of the generation, etc. For there are maginay eretz [shields of the land] who subdue the seal of the sitra achra, the aspect of “hechsim b’saro” [“sealed in his flesh”]. And they raise from the aspect of “hechsim b’saro” to the aspect of the seal of holiness, the aspect of t’fillin, the radiance of the mochin, etc. — see there all of this very well.

Aleph

And this is the aspect of Shavu’os, the aspect of Matan Torah. For the main essence of receiving the Torah and the mitzvos is emunah, which is the foundation of the entire Torah and the mitzvos, as is written: “kol mitzvosecha emunah” [“All Your commandments are faithful”] (T’hillim 119:86). And as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Makkos 24a): “Chavakuk came and established them upon one — ‘v’tzaddik be’emunaso yichyeh’ [‘And the righteous shall live by his faith’].” And therefore the first word of Hashem that He spoke with Yisrael is “Anochi Hashem Elokecha,” etc. — which is the main essence of emunah, to believe in Hashem, yisbarach, and to nullify false beliefs, the aspect of “lo yih’yeh l’cha elohim achairim, lo sa’aseh l’cha fesel,” etc. For this is the main beginning, the purpose, the foundation, and the essence of the entire Torah. For the main thing is emunah, as above. To raise emunah, one needs to dig the waters from which emunah grows, which are the aspect of aitzos, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the 613 counsels of the Torah [taryag itin d’Oraisa], which is the totality of the Torah included in the Ten Commandments that are received on Shavu’os. For the totality of the Torah is called aitzah, as is written: “li aitzah v’sushiyah, ani vinah,” etc. (Mishlei 8:14) — the aspect of the taryag itin d’Oraisa. For the main essence of all the mitzvos of the Torah is the aspect of holy counsels, which are the aspect of “mayim amukim aitzah,” etc. — through which emunah grows. For the main purpose of the Torah is emunah, to reveal holy emunah in the world — “l’ma’an da’as kol amay ha’aretz ki Hashem hu ha’Elokim,” etc. — as above. And therefore He gave us the taryag itin d’Oraisa, which are the 613 mitzvos called aitzos. For through the aitzos, emunah grows, which is the main essence of everything, as above.

It emerges that on Shavu’os one needs to dig and reveal the deep waters, which are the aitzos — the aspect of the totality of the Torah, the taryag itin — in order to reveal emunah, as above. And for this, one needs an ish t’vunos who polishes his n’shamah through drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions, through which livelihood is drawn, etc. — through which one polishes one’s n’shamah, through which one can dig the aforementioned waters from which emunah grows, as above.

And this is the aspect of the Omer of barley and the counting of the Omer, which is a preparation for Shavu’os, in order to leave the impurity of Mitzrayim and merit receiving the Torah on Shavu’os. For the main impurity and contamination of Mitzrayim is the heresy and false beliefs of Mitzrayim and Par’oh, which is the main impurity and contamination, the aspect of the contamination of the serpent. For Mitzrayim was full of idols and avodah zarah, and as Par’oh said: “Mi Hashem … lo yadati es Hashem,” etc. And the main essence of the exodus from Mitzrayim and receiving the Torah — both then, in the generation of Moshe, when there was the actual exodus from Mitzrayim, etc., and in every generation, when this illumination is drawn upon Yisrael every year on Pesach and Shavu’os — the main thing is that one leaves the impurity of Mitzrayim, meaning, one leaves the heresy and false beliefs drawn from the contamination of the serpent that was drawn through the sin of Adam HaRishon, because of which was the main exile in Mitzrayim — in order to finish off this contamination and merit leaving from there. Meaning, to leave the heresy and false beliefs and merit the holy emunah in Hashem, yisbarach, which is the main holiness, the main essence of receiving the Torah on Shavu’os, as above. And because one needs then to raise the fallen emunah that fell through the sin of Adam HaRishon and through the sins in each generation — which is the main exile of Mitzrayim and all the exiles, for all the exiles at their root come only because of the blemish of emunah, as is explained in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, many times, and as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: “Yisrael were only exiled because men of faith ceased from among them” — therefore, on Pesach and Shavu’os, one must leave the exile of Mitzrayim, which includes all the exiles (as is explained in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory). Meaning, one must subdue and nullify the heresy and false beliefs, which are the main essence of every exile, and raise emunah from its fallen state. Therefore one then needs all the rectifications explained in the aforementioned Torah — meaning, one needs to dig the waters, which are the aitzos, from which emunah grows, which is accomplished through the ish t’vunos who polishes his n’shamah through drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the Omer of barley and the counting of the Omer, which are the preparation for Shavu’os — which is receiving the Torah, whose main essence is the revelation of emunah, as is written: “kol mitzvosecha emunah,” as above.

Gimmel

For the main thing is emunah, which is the aspect of the mitzvah of K’rias Sh’ma. For we are obligated to unify His Name, yisbarach, twice daily, to accept upon ourselves the holy emunah, to believe in Hashem, yisbarach, in truth and with a whole heart, as we say: “Sh’ma Yisrael, Hashem Elokainu, Hashem Echad.” It emerges that the main essence of the totality of the Torah is the aspect of the mitzvah of K’rias Sh’ma, which is emunah — which is the main essence of everything, as above. And it is brought in the P’ri Aitz Chaim, in the Sha’ar Ha’K’rias Sh’ma, and the general principle that emerges from there is that the main kavanah of K’rias Sh’ma is to unify the Upper Unification, in order to draw down mochin from there, in order to give birth to n’shamos. However, it is impossible to unify the Upper Unification, which is the unification of Chochmah and Binah, except through the raising of mayin nukvin [feminine waters]. But it is impossible to raise mayin nukvin unless the mochin receive illumination from the Upper Unification, so that they should be fit to raise mayin nukvin. And if so, at first glance this is difficult: how is this conceivable? For since this depends on that — it is impossible to unify except through the raising of mayin nukvin, and it is impossible to raise mayin nukvin except through the unification — then where is the beginning? But the matter is: know that in the zivugim [unions] Above, in Abba and Imma, there is a first type to sustain the worlds and maintain their necessary existence. And this union is constant and never ceases, for if it were to stop for a single moment, all the worlds would be nullified. The second union is to give mochin to Za’ir and Nukva, in order to give birth to n’shamos in the world — which is the inner dimension of the worlds, as is known. And this union is not constant, etc. — see there in the Sha’ar Ha’K’rias Sh’ma, perek 5, and in the other chapters. And the general principle is that there is an external union that does not require the raising of mayin nukvin through our good deeds, for it happens on its own — for it is a constant union that never ceases, for the sustenance of the worlds. And from this union, we draw during K’rias Sh’ma, when we say “Sh’ma Yisrael,” an illumination to the mochin, so that they should be able to ascend in the secret of the raising of mayin nukvin. And afterward, they ascend in the secret of mayin nukvin through m’siras nefesh [self-sacrifice] for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name. And then one unifies the Upper Unification in the aspect of the inner union, for the purpose of drawing down n’shamos. And through this, complete mochin are drawn during K’rias Sh’ma and t’fillah. And through this, they unify to give birth to n’shamos, etc. — see there in the kavanos where all this is explained well. And behold, even though we have no involvement in hidden matters, to understand the secret of the kavanos of the Ari, of blessed memory, to their full depth, nevertheless, whatever our hand can find to understand from them — hints and counsel for the service of Hashem, yisbarach — based on the pathways of the introductions that Rabbainu, of blessed memory, the holy and awesome one, dug and revealed to us — how good and how pleasant! For Rabbainu, of blessed memory, already informed and hinted to us that all the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, are included in his Torah. And one who has a heart to understand in truth can merit to explain all the writings of the Ari very well, based on the words of his holy Torah, as is explained in another place.

Daled

And now we shall come to explain, through His great kindness and His awesome and wondrous salvation. And the general principle is that the main thing is emunah, as above, and the entire Torah depends on emunah, as above. And since the entire Torah and the mitzvos depend on emunah, certainly a person must have free choice [b’chirah] regarding this. For it is known that the main Torah was given specifically in this world, to human beings, because they possess free choice. And since the main essence of the Torah is emunah, then certainly a person must have free choice regarding emunah. And the main free choice regarding emunah is drawn from the aspect of the aforementioned kavanos of the Ari. For from the aspect of the Upper Unification that never ceases, constant life-force is drawn to all the worlds for the sustenance of the worlds. And the main life-force and sustenance of the worlds is emunah, as is written: “v’chol ma’asaihu be’emunah” [“And all His works are in faithfulness”] (T’hillim 33:4). And therefore the life-force that is constantly drawn from Above without cessation, for the sustenance of the worlds, is the aspect of the illumination of emunah that is drawn from the supernal intellects — from Chochmah and Binah Ila’in. Through this illumination, power is drawn into a person’s heart to believe in Hashem, yisbarach. For emunah is the aspect of Malchus, as is known. And the aspect of Malchus-emunah has its root in the Supernal Intellect, in Chochmah Ila’ah, as is written: “Hashem b’chochmah yasad aretz” [“Hashem founded the earth with wisdom”] (Mishlei 3:19). And “eretz” [earth] is the aspect of emunah, as is written: “sh’chon eretz u’r’ay emunah” [“Dwell in the land and nourish faithfulness”] (T’hillim 37:3), and as is brought. And this is the aspect of “l’cha amar libi bakshu fanai” [“To You my heart says, ‘Seek My face’”] (T’hillim 27:8), etc. — that a person’s heart tells him to seek His face, yisbarach. And this is the aspect of the Upper Arousal that is drawn from the aforementioned aspect — from the life-force drawn for the sustenance of the worlds. From there, an illumination and awakening is drawn into a person’s heart, informing and illuminating in his heart a spark of His G-dliness, yisbarach. There comes upon a person’s heart an understanding and recognition to understand the truth — that there is a Singular, Primordial, Necessary Existent, who is the Creator, yisbarach, who is Sovereign and Ruler. The main purpose is to believe in Him, yisbarach, and to seek His face always. And in this lies the main free choice of a person. For this aforementioned illumination is drawn constantly without cessation to the totality of the worlds, for the sustenance of the worlds, whose main life-force and sustenance is emunah, as above. And as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote in another place, that the main life-force is emunah, which is the aspect of the light of the face, the aspect of “b’or p’nay melech chayim,” etc. And it is brought in the writings of the Ari in another place that from this life-force drawn for the sustenance of the worlds — which is drawn from the external union, as above — from there come the n’shamos of the angels. But the n’shamos of Yisrael are much higher, for they are drawn from the inner union, which is a union that is not constant — for it is impossible to unify this inner union except through one’s good deeds, and therefore it is not constant. And therefore one must first receive an illumination to the mochin from the external union that never ceases — from which comes the life-force of the angels and all the worlds — in order to have the power to ascend in the secret of mayin nukvin through good deeds and m’siras nefesh for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name. And through this raising of mayin nukvin, one causes the inner unification and union, from which complete mochin are drawn to give birth to the n’shamos of tzaddikim, drawn from the inner union that is not constant — only according to the deeds of those below. This is the main secret of the kavanos of K’rias Sh’ma, as above.

Meaning, all the life-force and sustenance of the worlds and all the angels and s’rafim, etc., is emunah, in the aspect of “v’chol ma’asaihu be’emunah,” as above. And it is known that the difference between the tzaddik and the angels is the free choice — through which the light of the n’shamah of the tzaddik and his perception is elevated above the light of the n’shamah and perception of the angels and s’rafim, etc., because they are called “standing” and have no free choice. Meaning, this aforementioned illumination drawn from the external Upper Unification that never ceases — even though it is called “external” relative to the inner, which is higher than it, nevertheless it is an Upper Unification — exalted, awesome, and exceedingly lofty, for it takes place in the supernal attributes above the structure — in Chochmah and Binah, as is known. And therefore the illumination drawn from there, which is the illumination of emunah — when it is drawn into the upper worlds, which are the angels and s’rafim, etc., who are spiritual, holy, and pure — they have the power to receive this illumination with great completeness, and they immediately are aroused with great trembling to sanctify His Name, yisbarach, with great awe and fear. And therefore they are called s’rafim — that they are burned and inflamed from the great light of His G-dliness that illuminates upon them constantly. For they are holy and pure and have no physicality or free choice, and therefore this illumination suffices for them. And through this they know of His G-dliness with complete emunah and are inflamed with great enthusiasm to do the will of their Creator in awe and fear. But when this illumination reaches this murky, physical world — the world of Asiyah, which is physical to the ultimate degree — then it is impossible to receive this great illumination, but only a small spark. What is drawn from this illumination is a spark in the heart of a person, which arouses the person to seek His face, yisbarach — to yearn for His emunah, yisbarach, in the aspect of “l’cha amar libi bakshu fanai,” etc., as above. And then a person has great free choice.

For because this illumination cannot be clothed in this world except through many constrictions, therefore at first nothing is drawn from it into a person’s heart except a mere spark, to hint to the person to be drawn after Him, yisbarach — like one who signals to another with his hands from afar. And then a person has free choice. For the wise one who understands, who truly desires truth — he is immediately aroused through this spark and begins to pursue, to attain this emunah completely. And he strives to constrict in his heart this illumination through many constrictions. And this is the aspect of drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions. And then he draws upon himself a greater illumination from this illumination. And through this illumination that is added to his mochin, he is aroused with flames of love [shalhovin d’r’chimussa] to give over his soul with all his heart for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name. And then he ascends in the secret of mayin nukvin and causes the inner Upper Unification. And then a higher life-force is drawn from there, which is the life-force of the n’shamos of Yisrael. Through this, emunah is revealed in its completeness, with great revelation, to all who come into the world. For in this world, which is the lowest and most physical, it is impossible to reveal emunah in its completeness except by drawing life-force from the highest and most exalted Unification. For the lower and more physical the world and level, the more one must clothe the light of His G-dliness in extra garments and constrictions — one must draw a higher and higher light. For one needs an intellect that is more and more exalted and high, that can clothe the light of His G-dliness in such a physical world and level. As is understood from the Torah “Maysh’ra d’Sakina” (siman 30) and in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory, that the kailim [vessels] are made from a higher light, etc. — see there and understand. And therefore in this world, the life-force drawn from the external union, which is the life-force of the angels, does not suffice. For this life-force and light and intellect, even though it is very exalted, still does not have the power to fix emunah completely in a person’s heart — only some illumination and spark reaches from it, so that one should be aroused to His emunah, yisbarach, as above. And the main emunah in its completeness is drawn through the true tzaddikim. For as soon as this aforementioned illumination and spark reaches them, they immediately draw this illumination — which is the aspect of spiritual G-dliness — into constrictions. And through this, illumination is drawn to their mochin, and they polish their n’shamos. And through this, they ascend in the secret of mayin nukvin with m’siras nefesh for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name. And through this, they cause the inner unification, from which a higher life-force is drawn, which is the life-force of the n’shamos of tzaddikim. Through this higher life-force, the tzaddikim can reveal emunah in the world with great completeness. And this is the aspect of “moshchaini acharecha narutzah” [“Draw me, we will run after You”] (Shir HaShirim 1:4). And Rashi explains: “I heard from Your messengers that You want to draw me, and I will run after You,” etc. Meaning, as above — that the holy Yisrael, as soon as this aforementioned illumination shines upon them, hinting to them to be drawn after Him, yisbarach — they immediately run after Him with great yearning and m’siras nefesh. And then they cause the inner unification, through which a very exalted illumination is drawn, revealing to them the secrets of His hidden treasures. This is the aspect of “hevi’ani ha’melech chadarav” [“The King brought me into His chambers”] (Shir HaShirim 1:4) — the aspect of the King’s treasures hidden in the innermost chambers, which are revealed to the tzaddikim through the aforementioned process of “moshchaini acharecha narutzah” — that as soon as a spark enters their hearts to be drawn after Him, yisbarach, they run after Him with m’siras nefesh for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name, as above. And this is the aspect of “dodi shalach yado min ha’chor, u’may’ai hamu alav” [“My beloved sent his hand through the opening, and my innards stirred for him”] (Shir HaShirim 5:4). “Dodi shalach yado min ha’chor” — this is the aspect of the aforementioned spark that is drawn from the external unification that never ceases, which is the aspect of hints, like one who extends his hand and signals to his fellow to follow him. And I immediately — “u’may’ai hamu alav” [my innards stirred for him] — to pursue after Him with m’siras nefesh, as above. And this is the aspect of “oznayim karisa li … az amarti hinay vasi” [“You have opened ears for me … then I said, ‘Behold, I come’”] (T’hillim 40:7–8). “Oznayim karisa li” — this is the aspect of the aforementioned hints, as is understood from Rashi’s commentary there. “Az amarti hinay vasi” — for I am prepared to serve You with m’siras nefesh, as above. And therefore I indeed merited that “bisarti tzedek b’kahal rav … tzidkas’cha lo kisisi b’soch libi, emunas’cha u’s’shu’as’cha amarti,” etc. (T’hillim 40:10–11). Meaning, at first there was only an awakening and a spark of emunah concealed within the heart alone, which could not be spoken of at all. But through saying “hinay vasi” and giving over my soul for Your sake, to follow You into the wilderness, into an unsown land — I merited receiving the Torah and drawing upon myself a wondrous illumination from the inner unification, until through this I can proclaim righteousness in a great assembly and publicize emunah fully, through the power of the holy Torah that I received, in the aspect of “emunas’cha u’s’shu’as’cha amarti” — that through the Torah received through the aforementioned process, one can reveal emunah fully to all who come into the world, as above.

And in this we are much higher than the angels, who are “standing” — who only receive the life-force of His G-dliness, each one, from the external union. And even though they receive this illumination in a very great, wondrous, and awesome light — much, much higher than the illumination drawn from there to those below, as above — nevertheless, they do not have the power to cause the inner unification, to renew emunah with an extra and wondrous illumination. But we, the holy nation — on the contrary, precisely because the initial illumination of emunah comes to us in this world in a constricted manner, only in the aspect of a spark and hints, and through this we have free choice — when we merit to choose the truth and the good, to pursue and run after Him, yisbarach, with m’siras nefesh, as above — then we merit causing the inner unification, from which a wondrous illumination is drawn upon us, in the knowledge and yearning of His emunah, yisbarach, which the angels do not know. For we have the power to renew emunah with a wondrous renewal, in the aspect of “chadashim chadashim la’b’karim, rabah emunasecha” [“They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness”] (Aichah 3:23) — through the aforementioned process, as above.

And this is the distinction between Yisrael and the nations of the world. For this aforementioned illumination drawn from the external unification for the sustenance of the worlds — from which comes into a person’s heart a spark and hints to run after Him, yisbarach — this illumination and life-force is drawn also upon all the nations of the world. For Hashem, yisbarach, sustains them too, in His mercy, with the life-force drawn from there, and He wants to draw them too to His holy emunah. But when this illumination, spark, and hints come upon them, they turn their back and refuse to listen, for they do not want to cast away their evil desires and give over their souls for His sake, yisbarach. And this is the aspect of “Hashem mi’Sinai ba, v’zarach mi’Say’ir lamo,” etc. (D’varim 33:2) — which teaches that HaKadosh Baruch Hu offered the Torah to all the nations but they did not want to accept it; only Yisrael [accepted it]. Meaning, the aforementioned aspect — that through the life-force and spark of G-dliness, HaKadosh Baruch Hu hinted to them that they should be drawn after Him and accept the Torah, but they turned their back and did not want to give over their souls, cast away their desires, and accept the Torah. And then, not only did they not merit to cause the inner unification — from which comes the main revelation of emunah in extra wondrous light, which is the main essence of receiving the Torah, as mentioned above — but even the light that is constantly drawn from the external unification, as above — even this they corrupted through their evil deeds, and from it were drawn to them heresy and false beliefs.

For this is the main aspect of free choice that human beings have in this physical world: when the illumination and spark of G-dliness reaches them, drawn from the external unification that is constant, for the sustenance of the worlds — which is the aspect of the life-force of the angels, as above — then human beings have the power to choose life, meaning, to cleave to the truth and yearn for His emunah with great yearning, and cast away all desires and give over one’s soul for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name, for the sake of Hashem, yisbarach. For through this spark alone, a person knows in his soul that it is fitting to cast away all physical desires in order to pursue and run after the perception of this wondrous ultimate purpose — to attain the yearning for His holy emunah. For the heart of an upright person who has not yet corrupted his deeds knows on its own and understands that to attain this purpose — to recognize Him, yisbarach — one must cast away all desires and give over one’s soul for the sanctification of Hashem’s Name, and endure all afflictions and suffering for the honor of His Name, yisbarach. And one who merits to choose life and be aroused through this spark to give over his soul for the sake of Hashem, yisbarach — as the Patriarchs and the true tzaddikim who follow them — then one merits through this to cause the inner unification. And through this, complete mochin are drawn upon them from there — the aspect of the life-force of the n’shamos of tzaddikim, which is a higher and more exalted life-force — through which emunah is revealed in the ultimate completeness, as above.

But the fools who refuse to listen — when this spark reaches them and they do not pay attention to it, and like a deaf viper they stop their ears from hearing the awakening and hints drawn from there — then not only do they not cause the inner Upper Unification, etc., as above, but even that illumination itself is corrupted for them and becomes false beliefs and avodah zarah and heresy. For because of the physicality and murkiness of this world, it is impossible to receive this great illumination in this world except as a spark and mere hints. Because the illumination is not revealed openly in this world as in the world of the angels, but only as hints and a spark, as above, therefore human beings have free choice — for good or the opposite, as above. When one merits, as above, one draws life-force from the inner unification, and then specifically one draws upon oneself emunah in its completeness, as above. For because of the physicality of the world, the illumination from the external unification that illuminates and sustains the angels does not suffice for us. For because this world is lower, one needs life-force and illumination drawn from a higher place, so that it should have the power to be clothed in this world, that the physicality of this world should not be able to conceal it, as is explained in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in another place, as above. But this higher life-force from the inner unification, as above, one must draw upon oneself through one’s own arousal from below — that a person is aroused through the illumination and spark drawn upon him from the external unification, etc., as above. And therefore the fools who choose evil, who do not want to pursue and run after Him, yisbarach, with m’siras nefesh, as above — the life-force drawn from the external unification is corrupted for them and becomes heresy and false beliefs. For because of the physicality of this world, they cannot receive this light, as above, and through this, avodah zarah and false beliefs and heresy are made for them.

And this is the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “In every place, incense and offerings are brought to My Name — they call Him ‘the G-d of gods.’” That even the idolaters who serve avodah zarah acknowledge Hashem, yisbarach — only they err in false beliefs and avodah zarah. And from where is this drawn? It is drawn from the aforementioned aspect — from the external unification that never ceases, from which life-force is drawn to all the worlds, even to the nations of the world. And the main life-force is emunah, for without emunah there is no life-force at all in the world, in the aspect of “v’chol ma’asaihu be’emunah,” as above. But for the nations of the world, who do not want to give over their souls for the sake of Hashem, yisbarach, this illumination is corrupted for them and becomes heresy and false beliefs. But in any case, most of them are compelled to acknowledge the existence of Hashem, yisbarach, and His unity, yisbarach — only each one was led astray to wherever he was led astray, to some heresy and false beliefs, because this illumination was corrupted for them, as above. And this is the distinction between the angels and human beings: for the angels, the aforementioned illumination from the external unification is in open revelation, in a wondrous light, and therefore they have no free choice, and they have this illumination constantly, and they always know of Hashem, yisbarach. But they cannot ascend from level to level to renew their knowledge and emunah. But human beings, if they choose good, have an advantage over the angels — for they merit causing the inner unification, through which they renew emunah and merit recognizing Him, yisbarach, with extra recognition. And conversely, chas v’shalom, the idolaters are much, much worse than the life-force of the angels, for this life-force is corrupted for them until they come to false beliefs. And all this is because of the physicality of this world, as above. And therefore even the philosophers and heretics — most of them acknowledge the existence of Hashem, yisbarach, and all this is drawn from the aforementioned aspect. Only because they did not cast away their desires for the sake of Hashem, yisbarach, and they want to investigate with their intellect alone without breaking desires and m’siras nefesh for the sake of Hashem, yisbarach — therefore they were led astray to wherever they were led astray, as above.

Zayin

And this is the aspect of Shavu’os, the aspect of receiving the Torah. For the entire aforementioned subject is the aspect of what Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote in the aforementioned Torah — that to raise fallen emunah, one must dig the waters from which emunah grows, which are the aspect of aitzos drawn from the depth of the heart — by calling out to Hashem, yisbarach, from the depth of the heart, etc. And this is impossible except through an ish t’vunos, who polishes his n’shamah by drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions, through which livelihood is drawn, through which he polishes his soul, and through this he is an ish t’vunos and merits to draw counsel from the depth of the heart, through which emunah grows, as above. And all this is the aspect of the kavanos of K’rias Sh’ma, as above. For at first one needs to draw spiritual G-dliness into constrictions, in order to draw livelihood for all the worlds, in order to polish the n’shamah — which is the mochin — through this. And from where, and through what power, will one merit this — to draw spiritual G-dliness into constrictions? This is drawn from the aspect of the aforementioned external Upper Unification, from which life-force is constantly drawn to all the worlds. And we do not need to arouse this unification through our deeds, but only to draw upon ourselves and upon all the worlds the life-force drawn from there, as is explained in the kavanos of the Ari, of blessed memory. And this is the aspect of what one needs to do at first — to draw the spiritual G-dliness drawn from there into constrictions, so that it can be clothed in this world. For this we need to do: to draw this life-force into constrictions, in order to draw abundance, life-force, and livelihood in great measure, to sustain all the worlds.

For even the life-force that is drawn constantly — even though it is drawn always without lower arousal, as above — nevertheless, we must strive to draw it properly into holy vessels and constrictions, so that it should not be corrupted, chas v’shalom, in this world through excess light, chas v’shalom — that it should not, chas v’shalom, be drawn from this life-force into the mire and mud of the k’lipos and the sitra achra. Therefore, a person must, as soon as the aforementioned illumination — which is the aspect of spiritual G-dliness — reaches him, strive to draw it upon himself in holiness and purity. And this is done through the aforementioned arousal — that one immediately arouses oneself to Hashem, yisbarach, when this spark and illumination reaches him, as above. For through arousing oneself to Hashem, yisbarach, and beginning to prepare oneself to sanctify and purify oneself, and yearning to serve Hashem, yisbarach — even though one does not yet know any counsel or any way to serve Him, yisbarach — nevertheless, through the arousal, yearning, and preparation alone, one makes vessels and constrictions, and draws spiritual G-dliness into constrictions. And not only does one sustain all the existing creations, but one also immediately creates new holy creations, which are the aspect of the joining of spiritual G-dliness with the constriction, which is the aspect of a body, as is explained in the aforementioned Torah. And through this, one draws the life-force, abundance, and livelihood in great measure to the side of holiness alone. And through this, one polishes one’s n’shamah, as above — meaning, the aforementioned aspect: that extra illumination is added to the mochin, which is the n’shamah, so that one can ascend in the secret of mayin nukvin, as above. And then one can cry out from the depth of the heart, until one digs and reveals the aitzos from which emunah grows — meaning, as above: that through this, one ascends in the secret of mayin nukvin with m’siras nefesh, which is the aspect of the crying out from the depth of the heart, the aspect of “tza’ak libam el Hashem,” which is the aspect of m’siras nefesh, the aspect of “ailecha Hashem nafshi esa” [“To You, Hashem, I lift my soul”] (T’hillim 25:1). And Rashi explains: “My heart I shall direct.” And through this, one causes the inner Upper Unification, and then one draws life-force from the deepest depths, the aspect of “mayim amukim aitzah,” etc. — from which emunah grows. Meaning, one draws the life-force of the n’shamos, which is the aspect of holy counsels, the aspect of the taryag itin d’Oraisa. All of this is drawn from the inner unification, through which comes the main raising of emunah in its completeness, as above.

And this is the aspect of eruvay techumin — that in the place where one places the measure of a meal, from there the t’chum Shabbos begins. For the main t’chum Shabbos, which is the aspect of the seal, as above, is drawn only through emunah, as above. For through emunah, the seal of the feet is guarded, through which the expulsion and displacement from place to place is nullified — which is the aspect of t’chum Shabbos, that one does not go from place to place, as above. It emerges that the main thing is through the emunah that is drawn through the boldness of holiness that is merited on Shabbos, as above. And all this is received through eating on Shabbos, the aspect of “az tis’aneg al Hashem,” which is the aspect of boldness of holiness, the aspect of “ichlu mash’manim … ki chedvas Hashem hi ma’uzchem,” the aspect of “u’r’ay emunah,” etc., as above. And therefore the main t’chum Shabbos, which is the aspect of the seal, begins from the place of the meal. For from there is the main repair of the aspect of the seal, which is the aspect of the t’chum, as above.

And this is the aspect of Shavu’os, which is the receiving of the Torah. Before this, one offers the Omer of barley, which is the aspect of the totality of the constrictions. For “s’orah” [barley] is the aspect of twice m-n-tz-p-ch, which is the totality of all the constrictions, as is known. Through this, one draws spiritual G-dliness into constrictions. And then one begins to count the counting of the Omer. For afterward, one is involved in this throughout all 49 days of the Omer, drawing spiritual G-dliness into the days and the attributes through the counting of the Omer — all of which is the aspect of drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions. And through this, livelihood is drawn, and one merits holy eating, the aspect of “tzaddik ochail l’sova nafsho,” etc. And therefore eating was not permitted until the offering of the Omer, for it is forbidden to eat any bread — which is the main eating — until the offering of the Omer has passed. For the livelihood and eating of Yisrael must be drawn specifically through drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions, which is the aspect of the offering of the Omer of barley, so that through this holy livelihood and eating they can polish their n’shamos, in order to merit digging the waters from the deepest depths on Shavu’os — in order to receive the taryag itin d’Oraisa, which is the totality of the Torah, drawn from the deepest depths, the aspect of the aforementioned deep waters. And this is the aspect of the secret of the great holiness of the mikvah of Shavu’os, which is the mikvah of the 50th gate. For the entire Torah, which is the aspect of counsel, the aspect of the taryag itin, is all drawn from the aforementioned waters, which are the aspect of the 50th gate. This is the aspect of a mikvah of water, the aspect of the mikvah of Shavu’os, which is the aspect of “b’air mayim chayim v’nozlim min L’vanon” [“A well of living waters and streams from Levanon”] (Shir HaShirim 4:15), the aspect of “mayim amukim aitzah,” as above.

And this is the aspect of Purim, the aspect of Mordechai and Esther, who are the two crowns, the two aforementioned ornaments — the aspect of nishma and na’aseh, hidden and revealed — through whom the two seals, as above, are repaired. For Haman the wicked wanted to overpower Yisrael, to damage the two seals, chas v’shalom. For Haman is the contamination of the serpent, as is brought — the aspect of the blood of nidas, which is the aspect of the corruption of the seal of holiness. And his main empowerment was through the blemish of emunah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said that he made himself avodah zarah — meaning avodah zarah, the blemish of emunah. For he was of the seed of Amalaik, who was a great heretic, as is explained elsewhere. And his main empowerment was through the overpowering of the brazenness of the sitra achra, which is the brazenness of the body, as above. For Haman was exceedingly brazen-faced, who brazened his face against Mordechai his master — for he had been sold to him as a slave. And he removed the shame from his face and was insolent with such brazenness that he made himself a god, and demanded that all bow and prostrate to him, and that even Mordechai his master should bow to him, chas v’shalom. All of this was the intensity of the brazenness of the sitra achra, which is the aspect of “malchusa b’lo saga” [“royalty without a crown”], the aspect of “v’ha’k’lavim azay nefesh” [“And the dogs are brazen of soul”] (Y’shayahu 56:11).

And therefore the main manna began to descend for Yisrael during the days of the S’firah. For on the 15th of Iyar the manna descended for them. For the main holy livelihood is drawn through drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions, which is the aspect of the counting of the Omer, as above. And this is what we say after the S’firah: “eretz nasnah y’vulah, y’var’chainu Elokim,” etc. (T’hillim 67:7). For the main blessing and livelihood is drawn from there, as above, through which one merits receiving the Torah on Shavu’os, as above.

And therefore they wanted then to bring Vashti the queen before the king unclothed on Shabbos, before all the officers and peoples — a thing unheard of in the world — to commit such brazenness, to completely remove the shame from their faces. But they wanted then to strengthen, chas v’shalom, the brazenness of the sitra achra in the world. And the main brazenness is in this desire, as above. And they wanted then to completely remove the shame and to strengthen the intensity of the brazenness of the sitra achra. And therefore they commanded to bring her unclothed on Shabbos — for Shabbos is the aspect of “u’voshes panim l’Gan Eiden” — the aspect of boldness of holiness, as above. And they wanted, chas v’shalom, to blemish the aspect of holy shame, the aspect of the holiness of Shabbos, and to strengthen the intensity of the brazenness of the sitra achra — a thing unheard of in the world. And behold, she too intended for a sinful purpose, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. But it did not succeed in her hand or in theirs, for Hashem, yisbarach, in His mercy did not allow them to complete their evil thought in those days. For Gavriel came and made her a tail, etc., as our Sages, of blessed memory, said — so that their evil plan to strengthen the brazenness of the sitra achra in the world should not succeed. And the reverse occurred, for Vashti the wicked was herself the main brazenness of the sitra achra, the aspect of the aforementioned desire. And therefore she would strip the daughters of Yisrael naked and make them work on Shabbos — all to strengthen the brazenness of the sitra achra through blemishing the holiness of Shabbos, as above. And therefore she made them work unclothed, to strengthen the brazenness of the sitra achra specifically on Shabbos, as above. And Hashem frustrates the plans of the cunning, and it was decreed upon her that she should be killed unclothed on Shabbos. For Shabbos itself took vengeance upon her and subdued her and killed her through the brazenness of the sitra achra itself. And “from itself the ax-handle is formed,” for the brazenness of the sitra achra itself killed her and took vengeance upon her — for her downfall was through the brazenness of the sitra achra that had intensified through her so much, until they commanded to bring her unclothed on Shabbos. And she too intended for sin and desired it greatly. But Hashem did not allow the completion of their plan, and she was killed through this. It emerges that her main downfall was through the brazenness itself. For such are the ways of Hashem, yisbarach — “ki fo’al adam y’shalem lo” [“For the deed of a man shall be repaid to him”] (Iyov 34:11) — the transgression itself takes vengeance on the person, as is brought. And then was the sprouting of the salvation of Yisrael, for from then He began to prepare the remedy before the blow. For “tachas ha’sirpad ya’aleh hadas” [“instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle”] (Y’shayahu 55:13) — for instead of Vashti, Esther became queen, who was the opposite of her in every way, from one extreme to the other. For Esther the queen was exceedingly modest, exceedingly, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “In the merit of the modesty of Rochel,” etc. It emerges that the entire chain of Esther’s lineage were all greatly modest, and she herself was exceedingly modest — and modesty is the aspect of shame of face. And Esther guarded the Shabbos exceedingly, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “v’sheva ha’n’aros,” etc. — for she counted through them the days of the week. It emerges that Hashem arranged in His mercy that the intensity of the brazenness of the sitra achra was subdued, and the intensity of holy shame of face and modesty of holiness was strengthened — until Esther became queen in place of Vashti, etc., as mentioned above. And the main empowerment of Haman was because Yisrael stumbled with foreign women at that time, as is brought in the holy writings. For the blemish of the bris, particularly the category of nashgaz [niddah, shifchah, goyah, zonah — i.e. forbidden relations], chas v’shalom — this is the main aspect of the brazenness of the sitra achra. For there is the main brazenness of the sitra achra, as above. For the nations are themselves the brazenness of the sitra achra, the aspect of “v’ha’k’lavim azay nefesh” [“And the dogs are brazen of soul”], “v’af hi k’chelev” [“and she too is like a dog”]. And therefore the blemish of the bris, chas v’shalom, particularly nashgaz — this is the main intensity of the brazenness of the sitra achra, for they are the main brazenness, as above. And this itself is the aspect of the blemish of the seal, the aspect of nidos, for they are called nashgaz. And because this blemish intensified greatly at that time, therefore Haman the wicked — who was of this aspect, of the brazenness of the sitra achra, the contamination of the serpent, the blood of nidas — was empowered. And therefore he wanted to overpower Yisrael, chas v’shalom, to completely destroy them — “l’hashmid la’harog” [“to destroy, to kill”], etc. — the aspect of the intensification of bloodshed in Yisrael, the aspect of “y’daichem damim malai’u,” meaning the intensification of blood through the corruption of the seal. And because the seal was then damaged exceedingly, he wanted to intensify the aspect of bloodshed to kill them entirely, chas v’shalom. And this is the aspect of “v’nachtom b’taba’as ha’melech” [“and it was sealed with the king’s signet ring”] (Esther 3:12) — the aspect of the blemish of the seal of holiness, through which the seal of the sitra achra was empowered, chas v’shalom. And in truth, Yisrael were then in exceedingly great danger, the likes of which had never been, as is brought in the holy writings. But Hashem, yisbarach, in His mercy sent then the two tzaddikim — Mordechai and Esther — whose greatness was very exalted, exceedingly. For Mordechai and Esther are the aspect of the two crowns, as above — the aspect of nishma and na’aseh, hidden and revealed. For Esther is the aspect of the hidden, and Mordechai is the aspect of the revealed, as is brought in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in another place (siman 10). And through them was the great miracle, and the matter was reversed from one extreme to the other. And they merited then the acceptance of the Torah, as is written: “kimu v’kiblu” [“They upheld and accepted”] (Esther 9:27), as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded. And through this, Purim was made — named after the “pur” [lot] — joy and feasting and a holiday, etc. “V’ha’yamim ha’aileh nizkarim v’na’asim b’chol dor va’dor, mishpachah u’mishpachah, m’dinah u’m’dinah, v’ir va’ir” [“And these days are remembered and observed in every generation, every family, every province, and every city”]. For this is the main avodah of every Jewish person in every generation, in every person and in every time — that one must serve Hashem in Torah and t’fillah until one merits the aspect of receiving the Torah at every moment. Meaning, that one should merit each time the aspect of na’aseh and nishma anew — that what was the nishma, the hidden, should become na’aseh, the revealed, and one should merit a higher nishma. And so each time, as is explained well in the aforementioned ma’amar. And this is the aspect of receiving the Torah each time, for we must always receive the Torah every day, as is written: “asher anochi m’tzav’cha ha’yom” [“Which I command you today”] — every day they should be in your eyes as new. And before one merits a higher level — meaning a higher na’aseh and nishma, as above — there must be a descent before the ascent. And the descent itself is the purpose of the ascent. It emerges that afterward, when one merits the ascent through the descent, the descent itself becomes Torah. And therefore the Torah is called a “stumbling,” as is written: “v’ha’michshaila ha’zos tachas yadecha” — “these are words of Torah, which a person does not stand upon unless he first stumbles in them,” etc., as is explained well in the aforementioned ma’amar — see there well. And this is the main aspect of all the trials and refinements that a person undergoes in this world at all times. For a person must always make renewal in Torah and avodah — which is the aspect of receiving the Torah each time, the aspect of na’aseh and nishma anew, ever higher. For even one who does not merit to actually produce novel Torah insights and perceptions — which are the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, as above — nevertheless, the avodah itself of the Jewish person, when he is truly an upright person, when he merits each time to be aroused more in the service of Hashem, yisbarach, in truth with a new awakening — this too is the aspect of receiving the Torah anew, the aspect of na’aseh and nishma anew. For he accepts upon himself to fulfill the Torah anew — “All that Hashem spoke, we will do and we will hear.” And as is understood from the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in another place. And through this itself he can merit actual perceptions, through his simplicity and his sincerity — that he conducts himself with such uprightness in truth, with a new awakening each time, until he merits the actual aspect of receiving the Torah, the aspect of na’aseh and nishma in truth — meaning, that he should merit to perceive and understand what was previously hidden from him. And so from level to level, endlessly — which is the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, etc., as above. But a person does not merit a higher level except through a descent before the ascent, etc. And this applies to every person, at every time, at every level — even one who needs to merit some small level, even a new awakening, must first have some descent according to his level. And the descent is the aspect of the trials and refinements that he has before ascending from level to level. And behold, in truth, at the time of the descent that is before the ascent — which is the aspect of receiving the Torah anew, the aspect of na’aseh and nishma ever higher, as above — then at the time of the descent, the person is truly in great danger. For many have fallen through their descents, Rachmana litzlan. And one must then be like a mighty warrior who will not be moved. And one also needs Heavenly assistance to hold himself during the descent so as not to fall completely, chas v’shalom — but rather to hold himself with all his strength until he merits to break and nullify what he needs to, according to his descent, until he merits, through His mercy, yisbarach, the aspect of the ascent. And then one merits that the descent is transformed into an ascent, for the descent is the purpose of the ascent, as above. And this aspect applies to every person, at every time, in general and in particular — both to the collective of Yisrael and to every individual person of Yisrael, each time one needs to leave one level of na’aseh and nishma for a higher one, as above. And Amalaik has always been a rod of chastisement for Yisrael. And before the giving of the Torah, Amalaik came to wage war with Yisrael, as is written: “va’yavo Amalaik va’yilachem” [“And Amalaik came and fought”] (Sh’mos 17:8), etc. For he is the great enemy who lies in ambush against Yisrael always, in general and in particular. And similarly, always, in every generation, at every time — every time Yisrael need to ascend from level to level, meaning from one na’aseh and nishma to a higher one, as above — when there must be a descent before the ascent — then, at the time of the descent, when the person is truly in danger, as above — he lies in ambush against Yisrael. And with the intensity of his wickedness and his fierce hatred of Yisrael, he comes specifically then to wage war with Yisrael, the aspect of “va’yavo Amalaik va’yilachem im Yisrael bi’R’fidim” — with weakness of the hands [rifyon yadayim], that their hands weakened from the Torah. For then it was before the receiving of the Torah, and before that there must be a descent, as above — and this is the aspect of the weakness of the hands from the Torah, the aspect of “v’atah ayaif v’yagaia v’lo yarai Elokim” [“And you were weary and exhausted and did not fear G-d”] (D’varim 25:18). “Fear of G-d” — this is the aspect of “B’raishis — yarai boshes,” which is the complete utterance, the aspect of nishma, in which everything is included, as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar. And before the person merits this — the aspect of yirah, the aspect of “B’raishis,” the aspect of na’aseh and nishma — before this, the person is weary and exhausted, the aspect of the descent before the ascent. Then specifically “va’yavo Amalaik,” as above. And this is why the Torah especially commanded to remember the deed of Amalaik, etc., and “milchamah la’Shem ba’Amalaik mi’dor dor” [“Hashem’s war against Amalaik from generation to generation”] (Sh’mos 17:16) — for this occurs in every generation, every time one needs to ascend from one na’aseh and nishma to a higher level. Then one must fight the war of Amalaik at the time of the descent before the ascent, etc., as above. For it is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar that nishma and na’aseh, which are hidden and revealed, are the aspect of “B’raishis bara — an utterance and a half-utterance, father and son,” etc. And this is “mi’dor dor” [“from generation to generation”] — meaning, when the Torah goes from generation to generation, from father to son, from nishma to na’aseh, from hidden to revealed, the aspect of “v’hoda’tam l’vanecha v’livnay vanecha yom” [“And you shall make them known to your children and to your children’s children, the day”] (D’varim 4:9), etc. For the Torah must be revealed from father to son, from generation to generation, etc., as above — the aspect of “dor l’dor y’shabach ma’asecha” [“Generation to generation shall praise Your deeds”] (T’hillim 145:4) — that one must reveal the deeds of Hashem, the aspect of na’aseh, from generation to generation, from father to son, from nishma to na’aseh, etc., as above. For the aspect of the na’aseh of the father is the aspect of nishma, the hidden, relative to the son, as is understood from the aforementioned teaching. Understand this. And this is the aspect of Purim. For Haman was of the seed of Amalaik, who lies in ambush against Yisrael always at the time of the descent before the ascent, before they merit na’aseh and nishma anew — which is the aspect of receiving the Torah, as above. And at that time, in those days, Yisrael needed to merit returning to Eretz Yisrael, to Yerushalayim the holy city, and to build the second Bais HaMikdash anew. And Yerushalayim is the aspect of “yirah shaleim” [complete fear], which is “B’raishis” — the complete utterance, the aspect of nishma and na’aseh, as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar. And there in Yerushalayim is the Bais HaMikdash, from which Torah goes forth, as is written: “al pi ha’Torah asher yorucha … min ha’makom ha’hu” [“According to the Torah that they shall teach you … from that place”] (D’varim 17:10–11); “ki mi’Tziyon taitzai Torah u’d’var Hashem mi’Yerushalayim” [“For from Tziyon shall go forth Torah, and the word of Hashem from Yerushalayim”] (Y’shayahu 2:3). And this is the aspect of “ki yipalai mimcha davar la’mishpat” [“If a matter of judgment shall be hidden from you”] (D’varim 17:8), etc. — meaning, when one does not know a certain law in the Torah, this is the aspect of not meriting to perceive the hidden from him according to his level, which is the aspect of nishma relative to him. And then, when one does not merit to perceive nishma and na’aseh, the seal is not in completeness, as above, and then one cannot distinguish between blood and blood — one cannot differentiate between pure blood and the blood of nidos — because the seal is blemished, for from it nidas is made, as above. And then the rectification is: “v’kamta v’alisa … el ha’makom ha’hu” [“And you shall arise and go up … to that place”] (D’varim 17:8). For Tziyon and Yerushalayim are the aspect of seal within seal, as is brought. For from there Torah goes forth — for there sits the Great Bais Din, and they reveal everything that is hidden and concealed from each individual, as is written: “al pi ha’Torah asher yorucha … v’al pi ha’mishpat … ta’aseh” [“According to the Torah they shall teach you … according to the judgment … you shall do”]. It emerges that they repair and make from the nishma a na’aseh. For there is the place of t’fillah, as is written: “ki vaisi bais t’fillah” [“For My house is a house of prayer”] (Y’shayahu 56:7) — and t’fillah is nishma. And therefore the Great Bais Din sits there and makes from the t’fillah Torah, from the nishma na’aseh, and reveals to Yisrael everything hidden from them, the aspect of “ki yipalai … al pi ha’Torah asher yomru l’cha,” etc., as above. It emerges that the building of the Bais HaMikdash, Tziyon and Yerushalayim, is the aspect of nishma and na’aseh, the aspect of receiving the Torah — for from there Torah goes forth, etc., as above. And because at that time, in the days of Achashveirosh, it was the end of the exile and they needed to return to Yerushalayim and build the Bais HaMikdash — which is the aspect of attaining anew the aspect of the Torah, the aspect of nishma and na’aseh — therefore they were compelled to have a descent before the ascent. And because they needed then a great ascent — to build the Bais HaMikdash anew, which was for the sake of the collective of Yisrael — therefore the descent intensified then greatly, and the sitra achra intensified until they stumbled greatly with the foreign women. And then Haman-Amalaik, may his name be erased, lay in ambush against them and wanted to overpower them then greatly. And therefore they were then in exceedingly great and intense danger, the likes of which had never been, as is brought. For he overpowered them at the time of their great descent, the aspect of “v’atah ayaif v’yagaia,” etc. For they were then weary and exhausted in the ultimate exhaustion, because it was the end of the exile before their return to their place — and then the sitra achra intensifies even more, when it sees that soon they will return to their place. Especially since they were truly caught then in the great sin, as above, Rachmana litzlan. Therefore it was then a time of great trouble for Yaakov, etc. But “u’Mordechai yada es kol asher na’aseh” [“And Mordechai knew all that had been done”] (Esther 4:1). For he knew all this and illuminated in Yisrael that they should not despair of mercy. For this is the main thing: when a person, chas v’shalom, falls into any descent, however it may be, even if he stumbled greatly, chas v’shalom — nevertheless, it is forbidden for him to despair of mercy. As Mordechai did then, and all of Yisrael with him: “va’yaitzai b’soch ha’ir va’yiz’ak z’akah g’dolah u’marah” [“He went out into the midst of the city and cried a great and bitter cry”], etc. And likewise all of Yisrael, everywhere that the king’s command and his decree reached, etc. And Hashem, yisbarach, heard the voice of their great outcry and weeping through Mordechai. And then the descent was transformed into a great ascent, and from this Purim was made. And they merited receiving the Torah anew, the aspect of “kimu v’kiblu.” And all this was through Mordechai. For “Mordechai yada es kol asher na’aseh” — he knew and perceived the aspect of na’aseh from beginning to end. For he knew and perceived the aspect of the highest na’aseh. For one must make from nishma a na’aseh each time — meaning, one merits each time a new revelation and knowledge, which is the aspect of a higher na’aseh, as above. And so from level to level, up to the beginning of Atzilus, as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar. And Mordechai knew all that had been na’aseh, to the highest of the high, to the ultimate height. And because of this he was able to illuminate even below, below, to the ultimate depths of the descent. For this is understood and explained in the words of Rabbainu in another place: that the higher the tzaddik’s perception, the greater the level he merits, he can illuminate in a lower level even further. It emerges that each time the tzaddik merits a higher na’aseh — meaning a greater revelation, as above — he can illuminate further below. And because of this the revealed aspect is called “na’aseh” — for through the revelation from nishma to na’aseh, through the greater perception, he can illuminate in the aspect of asiyah [the lowest world] even more. And this is: “u’Mordechai yada es kol asher na’aseh” — from beginning to end, from Ein Sof to the furthest extreme. Therefore he was able to illuminate in Yisrael even at the ultimate depth of their descent — that they should not despair of mercy — until they merited through him that everything was reversed from one extreme to the other. And the ultimate descent became the ultimate ascent, the aspect of “v’nahafoch hu,” etc. And they merited then an exceedingly great perception — the receiving of the Torah anew, the aspect of “kimu v’kiblu.” And they merited to establish from this these days of Purim — meaning, that this illumination should be drawn down in every generation, every year. That in every generation and every year, this great illumination of the aspect of Mordechai should shine upon us — through which we should have strength every year to emerge from all the descents in the world and to transform all the descents into the ultimate ascent, the aspect of “v’ha’yamim ha’aileh nizkarim v’na’asim b’chol dor va’dor, mishpachah u’mishpachah,” etc. For Hashem, yisbarach, in His abundant mercy planned from afar for our ultimate benefit. For Hashem, yisbarach, gazes and looks until the end of all generations, and He saw that in these generations, in the footsteps of Moshiach, at the end of the exile, before we return to Yerushalayim and there is eternal redemption — and before that, the sitra achra would certainly intensify greatly, and there would first be a very great descent, exceedingly. Therefore He benefited us in advance and gave us these days of Purim through Mordechai and Esther, so that this great and mighty illumination of Mordechai should shine upon us every year. For this is an exceedingly great illumination, through which one can transform all descents into ascents. And as is brought in the holy writings, that the illumination of Mordechai shines to the very end of Asiyah, and this illumination of Purim is not found at any other time, etc. And then all the descents are transformed into ascents, for it is the purpose of the ascent, as above. And this is the aspect of “v’ha’yamim ha’aileh nizkarim v’na’asim b’chol dor va’dor.” “Nizkarim v’na’asim” [“Remembered and observed”] — this is the aspect of nishma and na’aseh. “Nizkarim” [“Remembered”] — this is the aspect of nishma, for memory depends on the heart, as is brought, and there hearing depends — for hearing depends on the heart, as is brought elsewhere. And this is: “v’ha’yamim ha’aileh nizkarim v’na’asim” — for then, in these days, one merits receiving the Torah, the aspect of “kimu v’kiblu,” etc., as above — which is the aspect of “nizkarim v’na’asim,” the aspect of nishma and na’aseh, etc., as above. And this is “b’chol dor va’dor” [“in every generation”] — meaning, this thing occurs in every generation, every time one needs to draw the perception of Torah from nishma to na’aseh — which itself is the aspect of “b’chol dor va’dor” — from father to son, generation to generation — which is the aspect of “milchamah la’Shem ba’Amalaik mi’dor dor,” etc., as above. And then on Purim one merits the perception of nishma and na’aseh, which is the aspect of father and son, the aspect of generation to generation, as above. And then all descents are transformed into ascents, as above. And this is the aspect of all the types of laughter and jest that are done on Purim, to hint that now, in these days of Purim, all types of descents and smallness are elevated. Everything is now transformed, and from it Torah is made. For the descent is transformed into an ascent, in the aspect of “the descent is the purpose of the ascent,” as above. For the great tzaddik who has great da’as sometimes intentionally lowers himself to matters of smallness and foolish talk, in the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment,” as is explained in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in another place (siman 78, Likutay Tinyana). And this is also the aspect of the descent before the ascent. For because he sees that his mind is weary and he can no longer proceed further in his mind, he is compelled to lower himself to matters of smallness and foolish talk and the like. And as is brought in the Holy Zohar regarding Rav Hamnuna Sava, that they would arrange before him three chapters of foolish talk. And afterward, through this descent, one merits the ultimate ascent — in the aspect of the descent being the purpose of the ascent, the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded on the verse: “Ais la’asos la’Shem, haifairu Torasecha” [“It is a time to act for Hashem; they have voided Your Torah”] (T’hillim 119:126). And this is: “Ais la’asos la’Shem” — specifically the aspect of nishma and na’aseh. And the nishma corresponding to the na’aseh is the aspect of “Toras Hashem,” the aspect of nullification into the Ein Sof, etc., as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar. And this is: “Ais la’asos” — when the time arrives to make the aspect of na’aseh; “la’Shem” — the aspect of nishma, the aspect of “Toras Hashem,” nullification into the Ein Sof. Then “haifairu Torasecha” [“they have voided Your Torah”] — then one needs, before the ascent, the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment,” the aspect of “haifairu Torasecha,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded. For the descent is the purpose of the ascent, as above. And this is the aspect of Purim, as above. And on account of this it is called Purim. For then one does all types of laughter and smallness and foolish talk. For then one merits the ultimate ascent, an exceedingly great perception and illumination — the illumination of Mordechai HaYehudi, whose illumination was exalted beyond measure. And then all the descents, all the nullifications, and all the foolish talk are transformed into the ultimate ascent, as above. And this is the aspect of the name “Purim” — named after the “pur,” related to “haifairu Torasecha.” For the root of the word “Purim” and the root of the word “haifairu” are the same root, as is known to one who has some familiarity with this. For the main subject of Purim is in this aspect — the descent being the purpose of the ascent, the aspect of “v’ha’michshaila ha’zos tachas yadecha — aillu divray Torah she’ain adam omaid alaihem ela im kain nichshal bahem,” etc. See there. Which is the aspect of “Ais la’asos la’Shem, haifairu Torasecha,” as above. And this is the aspect of “u’ma’amar Esther kiyam divray ha’Purim ha’aileh, v’nichtav ba’saifer” [“And the decree of Esther upheld these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book”] (Esther 9:32). “Ma’amar” — this is the aspect of the complete utterance, which is the aspect of yirah, the aspect of Esther, which is the aspect of the hidden, the aspect of nishma, the aspect of the complete utterance. And this is the aspect of “l’kachah Mordechai lo l’vas” [“Mordechai took her to him as a daughter”] (Esther 2:7) — do not read “l’vas” [daughter] but “l’bayis” [house], the aspect of the “bais” of “B’raishis” — which is the complete utterance, which is the aspect of Esther, as above. And this is: “u’ma’amar Esther” — the aspect of the complete utterance — “kiyam divray ha’Purim ha’aileh.” “Kiyam” — this is the aspect of standing, the aspect of t’fillah. And this is: “divray ha’Purim ha’aileh” — “divray” specifically — the aspect of words of Torah, which are the aspect of nishma, as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar — see there well. And this is: “v’nichtav ba’saifer” [“and it was written in the book”] — “nichtav” [“written”] — this is the aspect of na’aseh, for the written book is the aspect of asiyah, as is brought in another place. Meaning, the aspect of the complete utterance, etc., is made into the aspect of na’aseh, the aspect of “v’nichtav ba’saifer,” etc., as above. See well in the aforementioned ma’amar. And this is the aspect of reading the Megillah. For the Megillah is exceedingly exalted, as is brought in the holy writings. For it is in the aspect of the aforementioned words of Torah, the aspect of “divray ha’igeres ha’zos” [“the words of this letter”]. For in truth, in the Megillah there are written only two or three mitzvos — mishloach manos [sending portions of food], matanos la’evyonim [gifts to the poor], simchah and feasting, etc. — yet the Megillah itself is very long, recounting the entire story of Achashveirosh and Haman and Vashti, etc. And all this is the aspect of words of Torah. For the narratives of the Torah are higher than the Torah itself — meaning, higher than the mitzvos of the Torah themselves — for they are the aspect of words of Torah, the aspect of nishma, as above in the aforementioned ma’amar. And this is the aspect of the Megillah, as above. And then on Purim we merit to read the Megillah, and we make from the aspect of words of Torah, the aspect of nishma, etc. — we make from this the aspect of na’aseh, the aspect of “l’kayaim es y’may ha’Purim ha’aileh … biz’manaihem,” etc. — the aspect of “al kol divray ha’igeres ha’zos,” etc. — the aspect of “lih’yos osim es sh’nay ha’yamim ha’aileh,” etc. And this is the aspect of “biz’manaihem” [“in their times”] — many times, as our Sages, of blessed memory, learned from this verse that the Megillah is read on the 11th, the 12th, etc. For there are several times for the aspect of reading the Megillah — which is the aspect of making from the nishma a na’aseh. For each person has their own nishma and na’aseh according to their level, as above. And therefore, the villagers [b’nay ha’k’farim], who do not have the power to make from the nishma a na’aseh on their own and need another to read for them and illuminate within them this illumination — they need to come early to the day of gathering, to enter the city [k’rach] where there are ten batlanim [men dedicated to Torah study]. And they [the city dwellers] read for them the Megillah early. For even though the days of Purim themselves — which are the main perception of na’aseh and nishma, the aspect of “v’ha’yamim ha’aileh nizkarim v’na’asim” — have not yet arrived, nevertheless, the city dwellers where there are ten batlanim who are free and engaged in Torah and merit higher perception — they can illuminate in the villagers the aspect of reading the Megillah, the aspect of the perception of nishma and na’aseh, even some days before Purim. For the na’aseh that the city dwellers have before Purim is, relative to the villagers, the aspect of nishma, the aspect of the illumination of Purim. And therefore they hear the Megillah early from the city dwellers, so that they should be free on the days of Purim to provide food and drink for the city dwellers. For the Purim itself of the city dwellers — the villagers cannot attain that perception, for their perception of nishma is very high and great. The villagers can only be a vehicle for them on the days of Purim, to provide for them for the joy of Purim. And this is what the Sages, of blessed memory, said: “What is a k’rach? Any [city] that has ten batlanim.” “Batlanim” specifically — for they are called batlanim because their main perception is always from level to level, which one merits only through the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment,” the aspect of “Ais la’asos la’Shem, haifairu Torasecha” — which is the aspect of Purim, as above. And therefore they are called batlanim. And they specifically know how to read the Megillah in its time, to attain the perception of Purim in its time. But relative to the villagers, who do not have ten batlanim and do not merit this perception of the city dwellers, as above — they [the city dwellers] can illuminate and read the Megillah for them even before Purim, as above. For each person has their own nishma and na’aseh according to their level, as above. And this is the aspect of: “v’ha’yamim ha’aileh nizkarim v’na’asim b’chol dor va’dor, mishpachah u’mishpachah, m’dinah u’m’dinah, v’ir va’ir” — meaning, that every family and every province and every city — each one merits on this day to receive the illumination of Purim, each and every one according to his level. For each one has na’aseh and nishma — which is the aspect of “nizkarim v’na’asim” — according to his level, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of “m’vatlim talmud Torah lishmo’a mikra Megillah” [“One interrupts Torah study to hear the reading of the Megillah”]. Meaning, for the aspect of Purim is in the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment” — that all the descents and nullifications are transformed into the aspect of ascent, etc., as above. And this is: “one interrupts Torah study to hear the reading of the Megillah” — for the reading of the Megillah, which is the illumination of Purim, is drawn from the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah,” etc., as above, the aspect of “one interrupts Torah study,” etc., as above. And this is the aspect of Parshas Parah, which is read after Purim. For Parshas Parah Adumah [the Red Heifer] is a great novelty that is impossible to comprehend, as is written: “amarti echk’mah v’hi r’chokah” [“I said I would be wise, but it is far from me”] (Koheles 7:23), etc. And specifically through it one is purified from the impurity of the dead. For the main life is the aspect of nishma and na’aseh. For nishma, the aspect of the hidden, is the aspect of the n’shamah, which is impossible to perceive. And na’aseh is the aspect of the body. And when one merits to draw down the nishma and make from it na’aseh, through this the n’shamah connects with the body and illuminates the body — and this is the main life. For the main life is the da’as, the aspect of “v’ha’chochmah t’chayeh” [“And wisdom gives life”] (Koheles 7:12), etc. — meaning, to know and to perceive what was hidden from him, which is the aspect of the nishma, as above. And had Adam HaRishon not sinned, people could have lived forever — meaning, to merit perceiving the ultimate nishma and na’aseh, the highest, while still alive. For they would have gone from level to level until they would have been included in the Ein Sof, in the aspect of “Toras Hashem” and “t’filas Hashem” — which are the aspect of na’aseh and nishma that exist there — while still in the body, the aspect of “v’achal va’chai l’olam” [“And he shall eat and live forever”] (B’raishis 3:22). But through the sin of Adam HaRishon, it is impossible to come to the ultimate — to the aforementioned na’aseh and nishma — except through death, when the soul departs from the body. And then one merits afterward the resurrection of the dead, and then one will merit the main ultimate — the nishma and na’aseh that one could not perceive in one’s lifetime, the aspect of “v’simchas olam al rosham,” about which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded that HaKadosh Baruch Hu will return it to us in the future. For the na’aseh and nishma, which are the aspect of “simchas olam,” are the main delight of Olam Ha’ba. And each person must depart and return to the dust before meriting what he will merit. And death and departure — this is the aspect of the descent being the purpose of the ascent. For certainly there is no descent like death, when one returns to the dust literally, and the soul departs, and one remains with only a kista d’chayusa [tiny residue of life], which is the very least. But the main life-force departs, and one becomes free from all the mitzvos. It emerges that this is a very great descent. And then one truly becomes impure with all impurities, etc. But nevertheless, death is “very good,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. For it is in the aspect of the descent being the purpose of the ascent — for specifically through returning to the dust, which is the ultimate descent, through this one merits the ultimate ascent afterward — to return and rise for the resurrection of the dead, and to merit afterward the eternal joy, the aspect of the nishma and na’aseh that one could not merit before, as above. And therefore it is impossible to purify from the impurity of the dead except through the aspect of the Parah Adumah, which is a statute of the Torah that is impossible to comprehend in any way. And it is the aspect of the highest nishma, the aspect of the most elevated hidden — which even Sh’lomoh HaMelech, alav ha’shalom, did not perceive, as is written: “amarti echk’mah,” etc. And specifically through this aspect, which is a very lofty Torah, the aspect of the highest nishma — specifically through this one can purify from the impurity of the dead, from the ultimate descent. For the greater the descent, the higher the nishma that must be drawn down — for through the greatness and height of the perception of nishma, one can illuminate further below. And therefore, specifically through the aspect of the Parah Adumah, which is something exceedingly hidden and concealed — specifically through this one can purify from the impurity of the dead, which is the ultimate descent, etc., as above. And therefore all the actions of the Parah are done outside the camp, and it renders impure all who are involved in it. For the Parah Adumah is such a wondrous novelty, drawn from such a high place, that it can illuminate to the very end of Asiyah, even outside the camp. And therefore it renders the pure impure and purifies the impure. For all who are involved with the Parah are impure until evening, because they lower themselves to such a descent, to the aspect of outside the camp, to extract and purify all those who fell and became impure with the impurity of the dead. And this is the aspect of: “Dovid was not fit for that deed, except to teach teshuvah” — which is the aspect of the descent being the purpose of the ascent, as is written in the aforementioned ma’amar. And this is the aspect of “va’ani yadai m’luchlachos b’dam shfir v’shilya, k’day l’taher ishah l’ba’alah” [“And my hands are soiled with the blood of the placenta, in order to purify a woman for her husband”] — as we heard from our master Rabbainu, of blessed memory, who said this about himself: that he was constantly involved in extracting people from great descents, to raise them and bring them close to Hashem, yisbarach. It emerges that the greatest tzaddik, the aspect of Dovid HaMelech, alav ha’shalom, sometimes has a descent in order to raise and elevate and purify Yisrael to their Father in Heaven. And at the time of his descent, when he goes down to such places, he is in the aspect of “my hands are soiled with blood,” etc. And this is the aspect of the Parah Adumah rendering impure all who are involved with it — because its service is outside the camp, etc., as above. But the impurity and the soiling are only temporary, for one is impure only until evening. But through this, one raises and purifies the impure among Yisrael from great impurity — the aspect of the impurity of the dead. And this is the aspect of the Parah Adumah rendering the pure impure and purifying the impure — the aspect of “my hands are soiled with blood, etc., in order to purify a woman for her husband,” who are the congregation of Yisrael to their Father in Heaven, as above. And therefore Parshas Parah is read immediately after Purim, for this is the main aspect of Purim, as above. And this is the aspect of: “One interrupts Torah study for the reading of the Megillah, for taking out the dead, and for bringing in the bride” — for they are all one. For the reading of the Megillah is the aspect of the perception of nishma and na’aseh, which is the aspect of Purim, as above. And for this one needs the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment,” the aspect of “one interrupts Torah study,” etc., as above. And this is “for taking out the dead” — for the nullification is for the sake of taking out the dead, in order to subdue the sitra d’mosa [side of death]. For through the tzaddik lowering himself to the lowly places, through this he raises from there those who fell there, and through this he subdues the side of death. And then the descent is the purpose of the ascent. And then he purifies “a woman for her husband,” through this, in the aspect of “va’ani yadai m’luchlachos,” etc. And this is: “for taking out the dead and for bringing in the bride” — meaning, to purify a woman for her husband, etc., as above. For all of this, one interrupts Torah study — the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment,” the aspect of the descent being the purpose of the ascent, the aspect of “Ais la’asos la’Shem, haifairu Torasecha.” And Rashi explains: “What shall those who have voided Your Torah do when they wish to do teshuvah?” — see there. For those who voided Your Torah and transgressed what they transgressed — their main rectification is through the tzaddik who fulfills “Ais la’asos la’Shem, haifairu Torasecha” — meaning, who nullifies himself and lowers himself to their place, in the aspect of “the nullification of the Torah is its fulfillment.” And he merits to perceive a higher nishma and na’aseh, and then the descent is transformed into the ultimate ascent. And then the sins of Yisrael are made into Torah, in the aspect of “Ba’yom ha’hu y’vukash avon Yisrael v’ainenu.” And through this he raises them to their root, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of mishloach manos ish l’ray’aihu [sending portions of food, a man to his fellow]. For each person has nishma and na’aseh according to his level. And each person must illuminate from his own nishma and na’aseh to his fellow. And this is the aspect of mishloach manos. For from the illumination of nishma and na’aseh, which is the perception of the Torah, the holy eating is drawn — which is the aspect of the Shabbos meal, the aspect of “ichlu ma’adanim … ki chedvas Hashem ma’uzchem,” as above. And this is the aspect of “v’Torascha b’soch may’ai” [“And Your Torah is within my innards”] (T’hillim 40:9), the aspect of “l’chu lachmo b’lachmi u’sh’su” [“Come, eat of my bread and drink”] (Mishlei 9:5). For eating is the aspect of Torah. For through the Torah that one receives, the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, one can eat in holiness. For eating connects the n’shamah and the body. And therefore, through the nishma and na’aseh, through which one merits boldness of holiness and then the n’shamah can illuminate in the body — therefore one can then eat in holiness, meaning that the n’shamah and body connect through eating and the n’shamah illuminates the body, which is the main life, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the Shabbos meal, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the Purim meal, the aspect of joy and feasting and a holiday. For then one merits simchah, the aspect of “ki chedvas Hashem hi ma’uzchem,” as above. And then the eating is in holiness, the aspect of “ichlu mash’manim u’sh’su mamtakim ki chedvas Hashem hi,” etc., as above. It emerges that within the holy eating, which is the aspect of the Purim meal, the illumination of the Torah shines — the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, the aspect of “v’Torascha b’soch may’ai,” as above. And this is the aspect of mishloach manos ish l’ray’aihu. For each person has na’aseh and nishma according to his level. And therefore each person sends from his illumination to his fellow, for each one must illuminate in his fellow from his illumination and perception. And this is: “ichlu ma’adanim u’sh’su mamtakim v’shilchu manos l’ain nachon lo … ki chedvas Hashem hi ma’uzchem” (Nechemyah 8:10). For when one merits the aspect of “chedvas Hashem,” etc. — the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, etc. — and this illuminates within the eating — this is the aspect of Purim — then one must send portions, to illuminate each one in his fellow, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of matanos la’evyonim [gifts to the poor]. For the abundance of holy wealth is the aspect of boldness of holiness, the aspect of “ashir ya’aneh azos” [“A rich man answers with boldness”], the aspect of “ha’kesef ya’aneh es ha’kol” [“Money answers everything”] (Koheles 10:19). “Ya’aneh” [“answers”] — this is the aspect of voices, which is the aspect of boldness. And one must have mercy on the poor person. And this is the aspect of what is written in the aforementioned ma’amar, that one must have mercy on the flesh of the body. For the body and the soul are the aspect of rich and poor. And “all who have mercy on the creatures, mercy is shown upon them,” etc. Meaning, just as one has mercy on the poor and draws down to him abundance and sustenance — which is in the aspect of boldness of holiness, from which sustenance is drawn, in the aspect of “g’vuros g’shamim” [“the might of rain”] — so too mercy is shown upon him, and he is given da’as to be able to have mercy on the flesh of his body, to illuminate it from all illuminations and perceptions, the aspect of “u’mi’b’sarcha al tis’alam” [“And from your own flesh do not hide yourself”] (Y’shayahu 58:7) — which is literally the aspect of giving charity to a poor person. And therefore on Purim, when one merits eternal joy, etc., the aspect of “chedvas Hashem hi ma’uzchem,” one must illuminate this illumination to the body, that the body too should know of this. And this is the aspect of matanos la’evyonim — that one illuminates the abundance of wealth, which is the aspect of boldness of holiness, as above, to the poor. For the abundance of wealth itself is drawn from the perception of the Torah, from which all bounty flows, and one draws this illumination to the poor. And similarly, the illumination of the Torah, the aspect of boldness of holiness, is drawn from the n’shamah to the body — that the n’shamah should have mercy on the body and reveal to it from all the illuminations and perceptions that it perceives, so that the body too should know of them, as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar. And this is the aspect of “chayav inash livsumai b’Puraya ad d’lo yada bain arur Haman l’varuch Mordechai” [“A person is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he does not know the difference between ‘cursed is Haman’ and ‘blessed is Mordechai’”]. For then the descent is transformed into the ultimate ascent, and one merits the aspect of eternal joy, the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, which is the perception of the World to Come, when there will be complete teshuvah, and then the sins of Yisrael will be made into Torah, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of “ad d’lo yada” [“until one does not know”] between “cursed is Haman” — which is the aspect of all the sins drawn from the contamination of the serpent, the aspect of “arur atah” [“Cursed are you”], etc. — and “blessed is Mordechai.” For the sins too become merits, and from them Torah is made through teshuvah, the aspect of “Ba’yom ha’hu y’vukash avon Yisrael v’ainenu,” as above. And this is the aspect of Mordechai — marai d’chaya [pure myrrh], the aspect of the good fragrance of the anointing oil, through which all the vessels of the Mishkan were sanctified and entered from the mundane into the holy — which is the aspect of the rectification of the sin of the golden calf, which includes all sins. It emerges that through Mordechai, who is the aspect of “mor d’ror” [pure myrrh] — the head of the spices of the anointing oil — through him one enters from the mundane into the holy, and all the sins, which are the aspect of the sin of the golden calf, are sweetened and repaired. And from this is made the aspect of the Mishkan, from which Torah goes forth, as above, as is written: “v’no’adti l’cha sham v’dibarti it’cha” [“And I shall meet with you there and speak with you”] (Sh’mos 25:22), etc. And this is the aspect of Purim, which is the illumination of Mordechai, etc., as above, the aspect of “ha’duda’im nasnu raiach” [“The mandrakes have given their fragrance”] (Shir HaShirim 7:14) — the two “duda’im” — even the basket of bad figs that cannot be eaten because of their badness — even they give a good fragrance, through the aspect of Mordechai, who is the aspect of the good fragrance, the aspect of “b’samim rosh, mor d’ror,” etc., as above. And then the two seals are repaired — the seal of the hands and the seal of the feet, as above. And therefore afterward the seal was given over to Mordechai, and “va’yachtom b’taba’as ha’melech” [“it was sealed with the king’s signet ring”] to erase the memory of Amalaik. This is the aspect of the seal of holiness that subdues the blood of nidos, which is the aspect of Amalaik, the contamination of the serpent, as above. And therefore at the time of the decree, it is said: “va’tischalchal ha’malkah m’od” [“And the queen was greatly distressed”] (Esther 4:4) — that she became a niddah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded. Meaning, as above — because the seal of Haman had been empowered, which is the aspect of the blemish of the seal of holiness, and then from the seal was made nidas, chas v’shalom, as above. But afterward, they merited repairing the seal of holiness through Mordechai and Esther. And then the king’s signet ring — the aspect of the seal of holiness — was given to the hand of Mordechai. “Va’yachtom b’taba’as ha’melech” to erase Haman-Amalaik, etc., as above. For Mordechai and Esther are the aspect of hands and feet, as is explained elsewhere (siman 10) — the aspect of seal within seal. And this is the aspect of “v’yadai nat’fu mor v’etzb’osai mor ovayr al kapos ha’man’ul” [“My hands dripped with myrrh, and my fingers with flowing myrrh, upon the handles of the lock”] (Shir HaShirim 5:5). This is the aspect of Mordechai — mor d’ror — who is the seal of the hands, the aspect of “v’yadai not’fos mor,” etc. And this is “al kapos ha’man’ul” — in the sense of a seal, the aspect of “gan na’ul, ma’ayan chasum” [“A locked garden, a sealed spring”] (Shir HaShirim 4:12). And therefore cities that were walled from the days of Yehoshua bin Nun read [the Megillah] on the 15th. For in Shushan, where Mordechai and Esther themselves were and where the main miracle took place — there one merits the illumination of Purim in the most complete measure, more than the entire world. Meaning, there one merits the highest na’aseh and nishma. For there the illumination of Mordechai and Esther shines the most. And therefore they observe Purim on the 15th, because on the 14th — which is Purim for us — they were still fighting the war of Amalaik. And their illumination and perception of Purim is afterward, on the 15th, for they merit a higher na’aseh and nishma on the 15th, in the completeness of the full moon. And therefore walled cities from the days of Yehoshua were given the honor of also reading on the 15th like Shushan, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. For “walled from the days of Yehoshua” — this is the aspect that the illumination of the seal was drawn to them, for “chomas” [wall] has the same letters as “chosam” [seal], as is brought. And this was drawn from the days of Yehoshua, who was the first to conquer Eretz Yisrael and fight the wars of Amalaik, as is written: “Tzai hilacheim ba’Amalaik” [“Go out and fight with Amalaik”] (Sh’mos 17:9). As is brought in another place, Yehoshua was specially designated for this — to fight the war of Amalaik. And therefore through him the aspect of a wall was drawn, which is the aspect of a seal, which is achieved by subduing the brazenness of the sitra achra, which is Amalaik, who was exceedingly brazen-faced — a parable to a bathhouse, etc. — that one scoundrel jumped into it, etc. — for he was the most brazen-faced, to attack Yisrael then. For Amalaik is the contamination of the serpent, the aspect of the brazenness of the sitra achra, as is brought in another place. And through subduing Amalaik, the brazenness of the sitra achra is subdued, and one merits boldness of holiness. And through this the seal of holiness is repaired, which is the aspect of the wall, etc., as above. And all this is drawn from the aspect of “chedvas Hashem hi ma’uzchem,” the aspect of na’aseh and nishma, etc., as above. And therefore walled cities from the days of Yehoshua merit the perception of Purim in the most supreme completeness — the aspect of the highest na’aseh and nishma. And therefore they read on the 15th, like Shushan, where one merits a higher perception of nishma and na’aseh, etc., as above.

And therefore the Omer is offered specifically from barley, which is animal food. And it is brought in the Holy Zohar that the Omer of barley is the aspect of the minchas k’na’os [meal-offering of jealousy], which is the examination of the aishes chayil, etc. — see there. For at the beginning of the rectification, one must offer specifically animal food. For the aforementioned life-force drawn from the external union for the sustenance of the worlds, etc., as above — when it comes to this physical world, it is in the aspect of animal food. For Above, in the upper worlds where there are holy angels and s’rafim, they receive the life-force spiritually, according to their holiness. But in this world, which is very physical, when this life-force comes to this world, at first it is in the aspect of animal food. Only human beings have the power to draw this life-force upon themselves and add illumination to the mochin until they ascend in the secret of mayin nukvin and the inner Upper Unification is made. And from there descends the life-force of the n’shamos of human beings. And then specifically is the main refinement of the foods — that they are refined from the aspect of animal food to human food. For this world of Asiyah, in its totality, is in the aspect of animal — the absence of da’as relative to the upper worlds. And therefore “b’haimah” [animal] has the gematria of “b’n” [52], as is brought, which is the aspect of Asiyah, as is known. And therefore all the exalted life-force, when it is drawn to this world before human beings refine and repair it, is in the aspect of the life-force and food of an animal, as above. And there is the main free choice and test.

For the main free choice is in the aforementioned aspect — that when the exalted life-force descends to this world, from which he receives a spark of G-dliness and hints in his heart from Hashem, yisbarach, to draw close to His emunah, then he has the power to run after Him, yisbarach, as above, or the opposite, chas v’shalom, as above. And one who merits to be immediately aroused and choose life and run after Him, yisbarach, with m’siras nefesh, until one merits to cause the inner unification and draw from there aitzos from which emunah grows, and raises emunah from its fallen state — then one constantly ascends from level to level. For “mitzvah goreres mitzvah” [one mitzvah leads to another], for “all beginnings are difficult.” At first, before one merits to know any counsel or any mitzvah — like the Patriarchs who lived before Matan Torah — when the aforementioned illumination that is constantly drawn without cessation reaches them, one needs great exertions to make constrictions to receive it in holiness and purity, which is the aspect of drawing spiritual G-dliness into constrictions. For then one needs great exertion because one’s mind is still in great smallness, and one has no vessel yet to draw upon oneself the aforementioned illumination. And therefore one truly cannot draw from the inner unification the life-force of the n’shamos from the highest place, but only from a lower place. For according to the illumination one receives in one’s mochin from the external unification, and according to the m’siras nefesh through which one ascends in the secret of mayin nukvin, one accordingly causes a more exalted inner unification, and accordingly draws the life-force of the n’shamos from a higher level. For even though the life-force from the external unification is drawn constantly without cessation, not through our deeds, nevertheless there are great differences on the part of the recipients. For certainly the life-force drawn to a human being is not comparable to the life-force drawn to an animal, nor between an animal and a plant and an inanimate object. And even among human beings themselves, they all differ from one another in their abilities and their minds, etc. And the life-force drawn during the day is not comparable to the life-force drawn at night, for in one there is light and in the other darkness. And so too the changes between all the days of the earth — seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, etc.