תשעה באב ושאר תעניות ב

And this is the bechinas basar she'nisalem min ha'ayin [meat that was lost from sight] — which is forbidden for Israel to eat. For Israel's eating must be holy — it must be in the bechinas tov ayin hu y'vorach, etc., as stated — for the essential [realization of] tov ayin is through eating, as stated. And therefore an animal that died on its own is a nevailah [forbidden carcass] — forbidden to eat — for death is the bechinas ayin ra'ah, as stated. And one must rectify the living [animal] through shechitah [ritual slaughter] — through which the bechinas ayin ra'ah — the bechina of the side of death [sitrah d'mosa] — is subdued, in the bechinas "the face of Hashem is against those who do evil — to cut them off." This is because the chalaf [slaughter knife] is the bechina of the avenging sword — the bechinas "the sword of Hashem" — the bechina of the face of Hashem — which is the bechina of the holy Malchus — the bechinas "in the light of the king's face, etc." [Mishlei 16:15] — which is the bechina of the face of Hashem — the bechinas dina d'malchusa [the law of the kingdom] — the bechinas "the sword of Hashem" — the bechina of the chalaf of shechitah — the bechinas Eretz Yisrael, which is also the bechinas Malchus [Kingship]. Through all this the ayin ra'ah is essentially subdued — and only then is the meat permitted for eating. For Israel's eating must be in the bechina of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael — through which the ayin ra'ah is subdued, as stated. And therefore we are commanded to recite the blessing after eating and to mention Eretz Yisrael in the blessing — as it is written: "And you shall eat and be satisfied and bless Hashem your G‑d for the good land, etc." [Devarim 8:10]. And all the blessings on enjoyments we learn from there — as is explained in the Gemara: "after [eating] one blesses, etc." For the essential blessing is in the bechinas Eretz Yisrael — which is the bechinas tov ayin hu y'vorach — in order to draw the bechinas tov ayin from the bechinas Eretz Yisrael — to subdue the ayin ra'ah so that it not take hold in the eating, G‑d forbid, etc., as stated.

For one needs to elevate the dibbur [speech] and rectify it, for from the p’gam ha’dibbur [damage to speech] a ru’ach s’arah [stormy wind] is made, etc. (see there). And this ru’ach s’arah is a great m’katreig [accuser] from which come all the kitrugin [accusations] and nisyonos [trials], and it is “after the matters,” etc. And one needs to subjugate the Sitra D’Kaitz Kol Basar [the side of “the end of all flesh”], which is the ru’ach s’arah mentioned above, beneath the dibbur di’k’dushah [speech of holiness], etc. And one needs to elevate the dibbur to its shoresh [root], which is the z’roa [arm] — which is the five fingers of the left hand, which are the five g’vuros [severities], which are the aspect of the five motzaos ha’peh [points of articulation of the mouth]. And the beginning of the ascent of the dibbur is from its head — namely, from the choicest emes [truth] that exists in the dibbur, etc. And the tikkun of the dibbur is through the Torah that one learns when in distress — in poverty and hardship — which is the aspect of lailah [night], for then is the dominion of Kaitz Kol Basar. And our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “One who learns Torah at night — a thread of chesed [kindness] is drawn upon him by day.” And chesed is the aspect of boker d’Avraham [the morning of Avraham]. And through this, all the accusers that rule over the dibbur fall. And then the dibbur goes out in shir [song] and shevach [praise] and hallel [acclaim] to HaKadosh Baruch Hu, etc. And when one elevates the dibbur to its root — namely, to the g’vuros — and begins to speak between oneself and one’s Maker in the flame of the g’vuros, and arouses oneself to Hashem, blessed be He, then the or shoresh [light of the root] enters, etc. And one begins to speak with the warmth of the heart — words of emes that are in the heart, etc. — in an awakening of t’shuvah [repentance], and one sees one’s lowliness and the greatness of the Creator. And then a great bushah [shame] enters him over his transgressions, as before a great ruler, etc. And this bushah is not yet in actuality [b’po’al], etc. But afterward, when one does t’shuvah and removes the tipshus [foolishness] from oneself, and one’s seichel [intellect] is increased, then the bushah is revealed upon one’s face, and this bushah is the aspect of the light of the T’fillin, etc. And this is the meaning of: “Then you will understand the fear of Hashem” (Mishlai 2:5), etc., and “All the peoples of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you, and they will fear you,” etc. “And the knowledge of G-d you will find,” etc. And this is the aspect of Rosh HaShanah and the blowing of the Shofar. For on Rosh HaShanah, the great m’katreig goes out — which is the aspect of the ru’ach s’arah mentioned above, the aspect of Kaitz Kol Basar. And one needs to subjugate it beneath the dibbur of holiness, and one needs to elevate and rectify the dibbur. For its main sustenance [y’nikah] is from the dibbur, which is the aspect of Malchus [Kingship]. For all our avodah [service] on Rosh HaShanah is for the sake of revealing His Kingship, blessed be He, which is through the tikkun of the dibbur, which is the aspect of Malchus. For the dibbur, which is the aspect of Malchus, was damaged through the sin of Adam HaRishon [the first man], who damaged through azus [brazenness], which is the p’gam of the dibbur (as is explained in the aforementioned ma’amar further on; see there well). And we need on Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur to rectify the sin of Adam HaRishon (as is brought in the K’savim [writings of the Arizal]). And therefore we need to elevate the dibbur to its root and rectify it, in order to reveal His Kingship, blessed be He, through the rectified dibbur that goes out in song and praise and acclaim to HaKadosh Baruch Hu. And to merit through the dibbur the aspect of bushah, which is the aspect of yir’ah [awe/fear] that is drawn through recognizing the Creator, blessed be He, through the t’shuvah that one merits through the dibbur (as is explained and understood, all this, in the aforementioned ma’amar). And the main elevation of the dibbur is through the Torah that one learns when in distress, in poverty and hardship. And through this one merits chesed, the aspect of boker d’Avraham. And this is the aspect of the kol Shofar [sound of the Shofar]. For the Shofar is the aspect of Mattan Torah [the Giving of the Torah], which was given with the sound of the Shofar. And through the kol Shofar we invoke the merit of the Torah. And through this we draw the chesed of Avraham. For the kol Shofar is the aspect of the Torah that we learn in distress and hardship, in the aspect of “From the narrow place I called to Y-ah” (T’hillim 118) — which is the aspect of the narrow place of the Shofar. And this is the aspect of Mattan Torah, which was with the kol Shofar. For the Torah was given in the midbar [wilderness], in an arid land — which hints that the main Torah is when one upholds it from poverty and hardship, which is the aspect of a wilderness, an arid land. And therefore the Shofar invokes the merit of the Torah that was given in the wilderness, which is the aspect of the Torah that one learns in distress and hardship, which is the aspect of the narrow place of the Shofar, as above. And through this, chesed of Avraham is drawn to subdue the Sitra D’Kaitz Kol Basar — to subdue all the accusers. For all the accusers are subdued through the kol of the Shofar, as is known — namely, through the chesed of Avraham that is aroused through the kol Shofar, which is the aspect of the merit of the Torah that one learns in distress and hardship, as above. And then, when one elevates the dibbur and begins to speak between oneself and one’s Maker in the flame of the g’vuros, etc., words of emes that are in the heart, etc. And this is the aspect of T’kiah, Sh’varim, T’ruah. T’kiah — this is the aspect of chesed of Avraham that is drawn through the kol of the Shofar, as above. Sh’varim — this is the aspect of g’vuros [severities], the aspect of a laiv nishbar [broken heart] — namely, that one speaks between oneself and one’s Maker in the flame of the g’vuros and breaks the heart in an awakening of t’shuvah. And this is the aspect of Sh’varim. T’ruah — this is the aspect of Yaakov, the aspect of emes, as is brought. For the main elevation of the dibbur is from the choicest emes, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the T’ruah, which is the aspect of emes, as above. And through all of this, bushah [shame] is drawn — which is the inclusiveness of all colors [k’laliyus ha’g’vanin]. And this is the aspect of the reddening of the face of the one who blows [his’admus p’nai ha’tokei’a] — this is the aspect of the inclusiveness of all colors, the aspect of bushah, where azal chivra v’asei sumka [the whiteness departs and redness comes]. For the main tikkun is through the bushah (as is explained there in the aforementioned ma’amar). And this is the aspect of the yir’ah [awe] that is drawn through the kol Shofar, as is written: “Is a Shofar blown in a city and the people do not tremble?” (Amos 3:6). For the yir’ah is the bushah, as is explained there. And the yir’ah that is drawn upon all the world through the one who blows the Shofar — this is the aspect of “All the peoples of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you, and they will fear you.” For the reddening of the face of the one who blows is the aspect of the bushah that is revealed upon his face, and through this, bushah and yir’ah are drawn upon all who gaze upon him, in the aspect of “and they will see … and they will fear you” (as is explained there; see there). And the final T’kiah is to draw the mochin [intellect/mentalities] into the panim [face/front]. For at first the bushah is not yet in actuality, but through the t’shuvah, the yir’ah and bushah are revealed upon one’s face, through the additional recognition [hakarah] of the greatness of the Creator, blessed be He, that is gained through the t’shuvah, as above. And this is the aspect of the final T’kiah. For through the Sh’varim-T’ruah, which are the aspect of t’shuvah, as above, through this one merits additional understanding [havanah y’sairah] of His greatness, blessed be He. And therefore all the world is aroused in t’shuvah at the time of the blowing of the Shofar, for the main purpose of the Shofar is for this, as above. And through this, additional understanding is drawn, and then the bushah is revealed upon one’s face. And this is the aspect of the final T’kiah, the aspect of “Is a Shofar blown in a city and the people do not tremble?” — namely, the yir’ah and bushah that is revealed upon one’s face through the additional understanding that is gained through the t’shuvah, which is the aspect of Sh’varim-T’ruah, as above. For the Shofar is the aspect of T’fillin, the aspect of Aim L’Vinah [“Mother of Understanding”]. For the Shofar is the aspect of Binah [Understanding], Alma D’Asai [the World to Come], as is known. And this is the aspect of “Then you will understand the fear of Hashem” (as is explained there; see there well). And this is the aspect of what is found in the Kavanos [the mystical intentions of the Arizal]: that the final T’kiah is to draw the mochin into the panim. For through the Sh’varim-T’ruah, which are the aspect of t’shuvah, as above, through this, additional da’as [knowledge] and recognition of His greatness, blessed be He, is gained, as above. And this is the aspect of the final T’kiah — that the mochin enter — namely, that additional da’as is gained, as above — which one merits through the awakening of t’shuvah that occurs at the time of the blowing of the Shofar, which is the aspect of Sh’varim-T’ruah, as above. And through this one merits additional understanding, as above. And this is the aspect of the final T’kiah — the aspect of the entry of the mochin into the panim, as above. And through this, bushah and yir’ah are drawn. And this is the aspect of “Is a Shofar blown in a city and the people do not tremble?” etc. — the aspect of the final T’kiah, as above. Blessed is Hashem forever, Amain and Amain.