חול המועד א

And the matter of this hiskashrus (bonding) is a wondrous counsel that we heard from his holy mouth, of blessed memory: that when desires and hirhurim (impure thoughts) overpower a person, as they do, chas v'shalom — one must bind oneself together, as mentioned. But the essential aspect of the tikkun of the Chariot — which is the essential tikkun hamishpat, the tikkun of thoughts of adultery, the tikkun of the fallen loves — one cannot merit except through the power and merit of the tzaddik who merited tikkun hamishpat in completeness through the great wonder of his t'mimus and p'shitus mentioned above. And even more so after his histalkus — which is the aspect of a long sleep, during which he engages in this tikkun more and more, as mentioned — raising the mishpat and the fallen loves from the most profound, bottommost depths.

For it is known to many that there are now people whose fall is deep unto the abyss — as many know in their own souls what passes over them — to the point that many have despaired of Hashem, blessed be He, through this, Rachmana litzlan. But in truth, the great cry of [Rabainu], of blessed memory, has already been made known among us: that there is no despair in the world at all! For all the true tzaddikim who dwell in the dust draw the aspect of the tikkun of the bond of the Chariot down to the very abyss, and raise the mishpat and the fallen loves from there. And whoever truly holds onto them can find counsels and salvations even in the lowest depths and below — to bind himself even there, to gather the scattering of his thoughts, to return them to holiness from the very lowest depths. And through this specifically one raises the holiness of mishpat from the abyss. For this is exceedingly precious before Hashem, blessed be He — when a person draws himself from such a deep fall to Hashem, blessed be He. Through this specifically one rectifies and raises many holinesses, as is brought elsewhere.

And this is the aspect of: "the descent is the purpose of the ascent." For specifically through the great descent — when one has gone very far astray — when one overcomes even there and draws oneself to the ways of t'mimus and p'shitus of the true tzaddik, and does not despair of oneself in any way whatsoever, and gathers the scattering of his thoughts even there, and turns to Hashem, blessed be He — through this specifically a wondrous tikkun is made each time, until in the very end one will merit to ascend from there and everything will be rectified. And it is all through the power of the true tzaddik, who lowered himself so much and rolled himself in all manner of mud and mire for the sake of His will, blessed be He — that is, he engaged with people who were very soiled and sullied in their deeds, Rachmana litzlan. As our Master, Teacher, and Rebbe, of blessed memory, said of himself: "And my hands are soiled with blood and with the fetal sac and the placenta, in order to," etc.

And through this power, even one who is in the midst of mud and mire, even in the most filthy places, in the depths of the sea in the lowest abyss — even there he can draw upon himself the aspect of the hiskashrus mentioned above, which is drawn from the aspect of the tikkun of the bond of the Chariot of the true tzaddikim. Through this, the mishpat and the fallen loves are raised from the abyss. For this is the essential tikkun of this last, long, bitter exile, which is called "t'hom" (abyss) — as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded on the verse: "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness upon the face of the deep" — these are the four kingdoms, and this last exile is called "t'hom." For through our many sins we have fallen to the abyss, the aspect of: "and she descended wondrously (va'taird p'la'im)" — which is the aspect of the descent of mishpat, the aspect of: "when a matter for judgment is too wondrous (yipalai) for you." And the essential tikkun is through true t'mimus and p'shitus, and casting away all wisdoms, etc. — which is drawn from the t'mimus of the true tzaddikim, which is the aspect of holy shainah. Through this they merited to raise the mishpat from the lowest depths and to rectify it in completeness, as mentioned.

And therefore the n'si'im (princes) brought wagons and cattle to carry the Mishkan when they dismantled it. For this is the essential tikkun. For the Mishkan is the aspect of the tikkun of the Chariot, the aspect of: "His chariot (merkavo) is purple (argaman)" — which was said regarding the Mishkan, as mentioned. And therefore the n'si'im, who engage in tikkun hamishpat — which is the tikkun of the Chariot — engaged in its dedication, as mentioned. But the essential tikkun was through the wagons and cattle that they brought in order to carry the Mishkan at the time of its dismantling. For this is the essential tikkun hamishpat: that even at the time of the great destruction, we should have the power to draw the aspect of tikkun hamishpat. This is what Moshe Rabainu, alav hashalom, drew down through the constructions of the Mishkan — that he erected it and dismantled it.

And for this reason they would erect the Mishkan each time during their encampment and dismantle it at the time of their journeying. This is the aspect of: "These are the reckonings of the Mishkan — Mishkan." And our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: "Mishkan in its construction, Mishkan in its destruction." For Moshe Rabainu drew a wondrous tikkun: that even when the Bais HaMikdash would be destroyed — which is the aspect of "Mishkan in its destruction" — even then we can draw upon ourselves the aspect of tikkun hamishpat mentioned above, through the power of the true tzaddikim, as mentioned. And this was drawn through their dismantling the Mishkan at each time of their journeying, and loading it on the wagons and cattle that the n'si'im donated, and journeying by the word of Hashem in the four camps of the banners. For all of this is the aspect of the bond of the Chariot — since the four banners are the aspect of the four creatures of the Chariot. And in this is the tikkun: that even at the time of the dismantling of the Mishkan, they would draw the aspect of the bond of the Chariot. Through this he drew a tikkun for all generations: that even in the aspect of "Mishkan in its destruction" — when the Bais HaMikdash will be destroyed and the tzaddikim will pass away, which is harder than the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash — even then we can draw the aspect of the bond of the Chariot through the power of the true tzaddikim, as mentioned.

And this is: "What do you see in the Shulamis, like the dance of the two camps?" — which was said regarding the camps of the banners. Adjacent to this: "How beautiful are your footsteps in sandals, O daughter of the noble; the curves of your thighs are like jewels," etc. — that they bore down to the very abyss. And our Master, Teacher, and Rebbe, of blessed memory, explained this regarding the raising of the mishpat from the abyss, from the aspect of "Your judgments are a great deep," etc. — see there. For the raising of mishpat from the abyss is through the aspect of the camps of the banners that traveled with the Mishkan when they dismantled it, as mentioned.

And therefore on Erev Rosh HaShanah we go even more to the graves of tzaddikim, for then we need the aspect of tikkun hamishpat even more, for then HaKadosh Baruch Hu sits on the Throne of Judgment. And then is the essential tikkun of the blemish of justice that they blemished through the sin of the calf, as mentioned — which is rectified during the last forty days from Elul until Yom Kippur. And mainly on Rosh HaShanah, which is the first of the Ten Days of Teshuvah, which is the Day of Judgment. And then is the essential tikkun of Rosh Chodesh, for it is "the festival on which the month is concealed," as it is written: "Blow the shofar at the month's [renewal], at the concealment, for the day of our festival." And our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: "Which is the festival on which the month is concealed?" — that is, which falls on Rosh Chodesh — this is Rosh HaShanah, which is itself on Rosh Chodesh. For then is the essential tikkun of Rosh Chodesh — which is the tikkun of the moon's blemish, which comprises all the tikkunim mentioned above through tikkun hamishpat mentioned above. And this is: "For it is a statute for Yisrael, a judgment for the G-d of Yaakov" — as mentioned.

And therefore we go on Erev Rosh HaShanah to the graves of tzaddikim even more, for the essential tikkunim mentioned above — especially the completion of the tikkun, which is tikkun hamishpat — one cannot merit except through the power of the tzaddikim who dwell in the dust, as mentioned.