מליחה א

The general principle: the kisufin v'hishtokakus d'kedushah [holy longing and yearning] are exceedingly, exceedingly precious. For through the kisufin with which one longs and yearns for something holy — to draw near to Hashem Yisborach in truth — through this, nefashos [souls] are made. And see also on the matter of kisufin (in Likutay Moharan p. 44) the Torah-teaching beginning, "Zivugon v'hitstorfusan shel osiyos…" — see there. For there too it speaks of this same matter. But it is not sufficient for a person to have yearning alone — rather, he must bring forth with his lips the longing and yearning. And then the nefesh [soul] goes out from potential into actuality. And through this, vowel-points [nekudos] are made for the letters of the Torah, and they are formed for good. For letters without vowel-points are like a golem — like a body without a soul. And through the kisufin, nefashos are made, and they are the aspect of the nekudos [vowel-points]. And through this, the letters of the Torah are joined and paired and formed — to perform their work in proportion to the kisufin, and so on.

Therefore the mitzvah of speaking Torah is juxtaposed with the mitzvah of writing tefillin (which shares the same laws as writing a Sefer Torah): "V'dibarta bam b'shivt'cha b'vaisecha uv'lecht'cha vaderech uv'shochb'cha uv'kumecha, uk'shartam l'os al yadecha... uch'savtam" — the Torah admonishes: speak Torah always, not idle talk — "V'dibarta bam — and not in idle matters" (Yoma 19). Speak so much Torah — sitting, walking, lying down, rising — that the body is nullified before the dibbur, becoming like the klaf of a Sefer Torah, tefillin, and m'zuzos, where letters and klaf are literally one. Therefore: "Ma'alin baKodesh v'lo moridin" — the nitzotzos must ascend higher and higher through birur after birur until reaching the pinnacle of kedushah (= kedushas Sefer Torah, where klaf is bound and nullified before the Torah's letters = the essential completeness of kedushah = shalom and unity). 22

And this is: "We will make for you circlets of gold with studs of silver" [Song of Songs 1:11].

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos Bais HaK'nessesHalacha 5 – Part A (§1–7)

And this is the aspect of gilgulei ha-nefashos [transmigrations of souls]. For the essence of speech is that the organs of speech strike the air, and that air encounters the air adjacent to it, and the adjacent strikes the one adjacent to it, until it reaches his fellow, and so on. And these holy longings and yearnings are of the aspect of ahavah v'chesed [love and lovingkindness], which one merits through shemiras ha-bris [guarding the covenant]. (As is explained there.)

Based on LM II:78 — "Hanhagos HaPsheetus"Otzar Matnas Chinam · Chesed Chinam · The Path to Eretz Yisrael 1

And through shemiras ha-bris — emunah [faith] is complete. And emunah is the completion of all things — the completion of tzedakah [righteousness], which governs all the celestial spheres, and so on. And through this comes the rectification of all roads [tikun kol ha-derachim]. For all the tribulations a person experiences on the roads come entirely from a flaw in the movement of the celestial spheres, which comes from a flaw in emunah and tzedakah — and all of this depends on the rectification of the bris, and so on. And this is the aspect of the sun on Shabbos — tzedakah for the poor — for Shabbos is the aspect of emunah, and so on.

The principle for our purposes: the essential path to Eretz Yisrael is through the Otzar Matnas Chinam [treasury of free gift] = Chesed Chinam [gratuitous kindness] that sustained the world before Mattan Torah. Through this, the great tzadik sustains himself in his times of pshitus [simplicity/constriction], and through this he sustains all the simple people in the world — even those lying wherever they lie, even those in the very lowest level, even in sh'ol tachtiyos literally. For there is no despair in the world at all (see there well). 2

And one who is a baal nefesh [a master of soul] — that is, of the level of Avraham — who merited to this lovingkindness, to the aspect of love and longing and holy yearning, and through this made souls. And whoever is of this aspect, then all his eating and all his meals are of the aspect of Lechem ha-Panim [the Showbread]. And then all the stars and constellations and all the nations that are beneath them all labor for his sustenance — of the aspect of: "Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies your footstool" [Psalms 110:1], and so on. (See there all of this very well, very well.)

And this is the aspect of Pesach, which is of the aspect of chesed [lovingkindness], the aspect of Avraham — as is known — that is to say, the aspect of love and longing and holy yearning. For Pesach is the beginning of Israel's drawing-near to their Father in Heaven, for at that time it is still before the giving of the Torah. And at the beginning of drawing-near, the essence is only the yearning and holy longing — for they do not yet know at all what to do, since they have not yet received the Torah. And so at that time the essence is only the yearning and holy longing. And through these holy yearnings and longings — which are the aspect of chesed, the aspect of Avraham, the aspect of Pesach — through this, the nekudos ha-kesef [silver vowel-points] are made, and through this the letters of the Torah are formed for good. And therefore through this one merits afterward receiving the Torah on Shavuos, for it is impossible to receive the Torah except when the letters of the Torah are first formed for good through holy longing. For previously the letters of the Torah are like a golem and have no form at all. Only through holy longing — through this the letters of the Torah are paired and formed and joined. And then one is able to receive the Torah. And it is for this reason that the Torah was not given for twenty-six generations until Moshe Rabbainu came with his generation and they received the Torah. For it was impossible to receive the Torah until the letters of the Torah were first formed and joined through holy longing. And all the ancient tzadikim who lived before the giving of the Torah were all engaged in this — they had longing and holy yearning for Hashem Yisborach, and this was the very essence of their divine service. And this is the aspect of the twenty-six [repetitions of] "Ki l'olam chasdo" ["For His kindness is eternal"] said regarding the twenty-six generations before the giving of the Torah — as our Sages of blessed memory have taught — for at that time the world was sustained only by His lovingkindness alone. That is to say: by the love and longing and holy yearning that the tzadikim of each generation had then. And therefore the essential beginning of the revelation of the Torah began from Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him — who was the head of all believers and the head of all those who are circumcised, and who began to reveal the Divinity [Elokus] in the world. And he fulfilled the entire Torah before it was given. For Avraham's attribute was chesed — that is to say, the aspect of love and longing and holy yearning. And therefore through him was the essential beginning of the revelation of the Torah, for the essential revelation of the Torah is through longing and holy yearning, through which the letters of the Torah are formed for good, and so on, as above. And through Avraham Avinu was the essential beginning — the letters of the Torah began to be formed for good. And likewise the rest of the Patriarchs and the Tribes were all forming and joining the letters of the Torah for good through their holy longings. Until Moshe Rabbainu came — who was wholly good — with his generation, who were all tzadikim. Through their longing and holy yearning the entire Torah was completed, for they merited to form and join all the letters of the Torah for good. And through this they merited to receive the Torah, for it is impossible to receive the Torah except through longing and holy yearning — through which one builds and joins and forms the letters of the Torah for good. And then the letters have vitality and one is able to receive it. And this is the aspect of Pesach, which precedes Shavuos — which is the giving of the Torah. For beforehand one needs the aspect of chesed, which is the aspect of Pesach — that is to say, love and longing and holy yearning, which is the aspect of "chesed l'Avraham" [lovingkindness to Avraham], as above — in order to form the letters of the Torah for good. And through this specifically one is able to receive the Torah, as above. And likewise for every person and at every time — every single individual before he merits some revelation in the Torah or some aspect of the divine service of Hashem Yisborach, each one according to what he is — this is the aspect of receiving the Torah for him. For every one of Israel, even the least of the least, must receive the Torah in every generation — as our Sages of blessed memory have expounded on the verse: "Which I command you today" [Deuteronomy 6:6] — "each day they should be in your eyes as new." And as it is written: "This day you have become a people". And Rashi explained: it should be in your eyes as if today you entered into covenant with Him. That is to say: each person of Israel, to the extent that he accepts upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven — who accepts upon himself from this moment onward to renew, like the eagle, his days that have passed in darkness, and who wishes henceforth to enter into Torah and divine service in truth — this is the aspect of receiving the Torah for him. And it is impossible to merit this except through the lovingkindness described above — the aspect of Pesach — that is to say, through the longing and holy yearning. For he must accustom himself very greatly to have holy longing and yearning, to long and yearn and pine very greatly always for when he will merit to draw near to Hashem Yisborach in truth, to leave his low and lowly level and to enter into holiness in truth, to return to Him Yisborach. And one must bring forth with the mouth the above-described holy longings and yearnings and pining [kisufin v'hishtokakus v'ga'agu'im d'kedushah]. And then one merits to form the letters of the Torah for good. And then one merits the aspect of receiving the Torah — in proportion to the longing and holy yearning that he had. That is to say, he merits afterward in truth that his will be fulfilled, that he merit to receive the Torah — meaning, to fulfill all the words of the Torah in truth — for this is the essential aspect of receiving the Torah, as above. And therefore the essential aspect of Pesach is through the rectification of the bris [covenant], through which they were redeemed. For on the night of the Exodus from Egypt they all circumcised themselves, as it is written: "And no uncircumcised person may eat of it". For through the rectification of the bris one merits those holy longings and yearnings — which are the aspect of chesed that is revealed at pum d'amma [the source-point of the covenant] — which is the aspect of Pesach, as above. And therefore Pesach is called the aspect of peh sach [a mouth that speaks], as is known. For one must bring forth the longings with the mouth specifically — to speak and to converse with the mouth specifically all the holy longings that are in his heart, as above. And through the rectification of the bris that they then merited, as above — through this they merited emunah [faith]. And this was the essence of the Exodus from Egypt: that they believed in Hashem and went out after Him into the wilderness. As our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "Worthy are they — and the faith with which they believed in Me and went out," and so on. And this is the aspect of: "I remember for you the lovingkindness of your youth, the love of your bridal days — your going after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown" [Jeremiah 2:2]. This was said regarding the Exodus from Egypt — that they believed in Hashem and went after Him in the wilderness, and so on. And all of this one merits through the rectification of the bris that they then merited, as above. Through which one merits chesed and love — the aspect of holy longing, as above. And this is the above-mentioned lovingkindness and love — which is the aspect of longing and holy yearning — which is the aspect of Pesach, the aspect of "chesed l'Avraham", as above. And this is: "your going after Me in the wilderness", and so on. For through emunah, through this the roads are rectified. For through this the stars and constellations shine, and through this one is saved from the obstruction of the road, as above. And this is "your going after Me in the wilderness" — "lechtaych" [your going] specifically. For through this very thing itself — that they believed in Hashem and went after Him in the wilderness — through this they merited the rectification of the road, and Hashem Yisborach illuminated for them the road to go in the wilderness, as it is written: "I will also make a way in the wilderness" [Isaiah 43:19], and so on. And as it is written: "And Hashem was going before them by day to guide them on the way" [Exodus 13:21], and so on. For the rectification of the roads is through emunah, as above. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "In the merit of four things they were redeemed — that they did not change their names, and did not change their language, and were guarded from sexual immorality, and from idolatry." (Let the attentive reader not be surprised, for one finds in a number of places in the words of our Sages of blessed memory that it is explained that they were not guarded from idolatry — while here it is explained to the contrary. However, it is found in Midrash Rabbah, Bamidbar, Chapter 3, on the verse "Who brings forth the prisoners with harmonies" [Psalms 68:7] — that in the merit of the righteous among them who did not worship idolatry, they were redeemed; see there. It emerges, then, that both these and those are words of the living G-d — that they were also redeemed in the merit of those who were guarded from idolatry.) "That they did not change their names" — this is the aspect of longing and holy yearning, through which souls are made, as above. And the name is the soul [nefesh], as it is written: "A living soul — that is his name". As Rabbainu of blessed memory explained in another place (Siman 59). And one must bring forth the longings with the mouth. And this is "they did not change their language" — that is to say, the Holy Tongue [leshon ha-kodesh], which is the aspect of the sanctity of language. That is to say: what one speaks with the mouth, the words of holiness — which are the longing and holy yearning — this is the aspect of the Holy Tongue, which is the language of Israel, the holy people. For the very essence of speech and language of Israel is only the holy longing and yearning — what Israel longs and pines for always toward Hashem Yisborach — which they must bring forth with the mouth. This is the very essence of the sanctity of language, the aspect of the Holy Tongue of Israel. And this is "they did not change their names" — which is the holy soul that is made through holy longing, as above. And "they did not change their language" — that is to say, that they always spoke in the Holy Tongue, which is the aspect of the sanctity of speech. That is to say, that they spoke with their mouths their holy longings, which is the aspect of the Holy Tongue, as above. And all of this one merits through shemiras ha-bris, through which one merits emunah, as above. And this is "and they were guarded from sexual immorality and from idolatry" — namely, rectification of the bris and rectification of emunah. Through which they merited to longing and holy yearning. And through this was the essential Redemption — the aspect of Pesach, which is the aspect of "chesed l'Avraham", as above. And through the longing and holy yearning — through which souls are made — through this the eating is of the aspect of Lechem ha-Panim [the Showbread]. And this is the aspect of matzos [unleavened bread] that one must eat on Pesach. And this is the aspect of the Lechem ha-Panim — which came [in the Temple] as matzah. For the Lechem ha-Panim is warm bread — lechem cham d'argeih d'Avraham [the warm bread of Avraham's level] — the aspect of "k'chom hayom" [like the heat of the day] (as is explained in the above-mentioned Torah-teaching). For Avraham merited to this aspect — the aspect of "like the heat of the day" — through the rectification of the bris, through the commandment of milah [circumcision]. For at that time, after he was circumcised, it is said of him there: "like the heat of the day." For the Holy One Blessed be He removed the sun from its sheath at that time — as our Sages of blessed memory explained — just as it will be in the future when the sun will be revealed in its full strength. (As is explained in the above-mentioned Torah-teaching.) And then on that same day he baked matzos, as it is written there in the passage: "Quickly [knead] three seahs…knead and make cakes". Rashi explained: It was Pesach, and so on. For matzos is of the aspect of Lechem ha-Panim — which one merits through shemiras ha-bris, as above — which is the aspect of warm bread of Avraham's level, the aspect of "like the heat of the day," when Avraham then baked matzos, as above. And this is the aspect of Sefiras ha-Omer [the Counting of the Omer]. For the essence of the Counting is the aspect of longing and holy yearning — in that every individual longs and yearns and pines to merit receiving the Torah on Shavuos. And this is the aspect of counting, which is the aspect of longing and pining. Like one who counts the days because he pines and longs and yearns very greatly for something — because of this he counts the days, waiting for when he will merit to attain that thing. For on Pesach the essential Redemption was through longing and holy yearning, as above. But at that time everything came through the is'arusa d'le'eila [arousal from above] alone, as is known. But afterward we ourselves must be aroused — from ourselves — of the aspect of is'arusa d'lisata [arousal from below]. And this is the aspect of the Counting — that we ourselves must be aroused, to long and yearn and pine, to draw near to Him Yisborach. This is the aspect of the Counting, as above. And therefore at the time of the Counting there is a great awakening and an intensely sharp yearning for Hashem Yisborach. For the essence of the Counting is the aspect of longing and holy yearning, as above. And this is the aspect of what we count toward the Omer. For the waving of the Omer of barley [se'orim] is the aspect of clarifying and making souls from the air through holy longing — through bringing forth the holy longings with the mouth. (As is explained in the above-mentioned Torah-teaching — see there carefully on the matter of gilgulei ha-nefashos [the transmigration of souls], see there, and on p. 45.) For se'orim [barley] is the aspect of "kish'irim alei desha" [like mist upon the grass] [Deuteronomy 32:2] — the aspect of ruach se'arah [stormy wind]. And from there one must clarify speech — from which souls go forth — of the aspect of: "ruach se'arah oseh devaro" [the stormy wind that does His word] [Psalms 148:8]. For the essence of speech is made from the air, as above. For the five places of articulation [chameshes motza'os ha-peh] strike the air and cut speech from it. And the air is the vitality of a person — for it is impossible to live without air — and it is the aspect of the breath of life [ruach ha-chaim], the aspect of souls. And through speaking holy words — of the aspect of holy longing and yearning — through this holy souls of holiness are made from it, which are of the aspect of holy speech, the aspect of the stormy wind that does His word. And this is the aspect of the Omer of barley, as above. For se'orim is the aspect of the five letters מַנְצְפַ"ךְ (as cited in the kabbalistic intentions) — from which is the root of souls. For from these five letters of מַנְצְפַ"ךְ come the five places of articulation of the mouth, from which souls go forth, as above. And all of this comes about through holy longing, as above. For barley is the feed of animals. For before one draws near to Hashem Yisborach, before one merits the aspect of receiving the Torah, one is of the aspect of beheimah [animal] — for: "This is the Torah: a man…", "You [Israel] are called 'Adam' [human beings]", and so on. And as it is in the Zohar. Therefore they then bring the Omer of barley. And then — before drawing-near, when one is of the aspect of animal — the essence at that time is only the longing and holy yearning, of the aspect of: "As a deer yearns for streams of water, so my soul yearns for You, O G-d" [Psalms 42:2], and so on. And through this one merits to form and join the letters of the Torah for good, and merits receiving the Torah. And then one rises from the level of animal to the level of human. For the essential definition of the human being is speech. And through the words that one makes from the stormy wind — that is to say, clarifying and purifying the stormy wind and making holy words from it — through this one clarifies and elevates from animal to human, and merits receiving the Torah, as above. And this is the aspect of seven Sabbaths. For the essence of will and holy longing — from which souls are made — is on Shabbos. For Shabbos is will and holy longing [ratzon v'kisufin d'kedushah], as we pray: "with love and goodwill You gave us [Shabbos as an inheritance]." And then the ra'ava d're'avin [will-of-wills — will within wills] is revealed. And therefore on Shabbos one merits the nefesh yeseirah [extra soul], as it is written: "For on it He rested and was refreshed". And the essential nefesh yeseirah one merits on Shabbos through longing and holy yearning — of the aspect of: when Shabbos departs, "Woe! A soul is lost!" — that one pines after the departed soul. And through this one merits the nefesh yeseirah. (As Rabbainu of blessed memory wrote — see there and on p. 45.) For Shabbos encompasses all the above-mentioned aspects. For Shabbos is of the aspect of the rectification of the bris, as it is written: "An eternal covenant between Me and the Children of Israel". And then it is the aspect of emunah in its completeness. For Shabbos testifies to the renewal of the world. (As is explained in the above-mentioned Torah-teaching.) And then one merits to make souls through longing and holy yearning. And this is the aspect of the nefesh yeseirah that one merits on Shabbos through longing and yearning and holy will — the aspect of ra'ava d're'avin, will within wills, that is revealed on Shabbos. And through this one merits that eating will be of the aspect of Lechem ha-Panim, as above. And therefore the essential Lechem ha-Panim is on Shabbos — when it is arranged and set out. For on Shabbos all the above-mentioned aspects are accomplished, through which one merits the Lechem ha-Panim, as above. And therefore one must count seven complete Sabbaths [sheva Shabbosos temimos] — so that all seven days of Creation be included in Shabbos, so that each and every day be included in Shabbos — in order to receive from Shabbos the illumination of will [he'aras ha-ratzon], which is the aspect of holy longing, through which souls are made, through which is the essential receiving of the Torah, as above. And this is the aspect of the forty-nine days. For through holy longing one merits the aspect of Lechem ha-Panim — which is warm bread — the aspect of the future: the Holy One Blessed be He is destined to bring the sun out from its sheath (as is explained in the above-mentioned Torah-teaching). And then will be fulfilled: "And the light of the sun will be sevenfold" [Isaiah 30:26] — which is seven times seven — which is the aspect of the seven weeks of the Counting of the Omer, during which one longs and yearns for Hashem Yisborach. Through this one merits the sevenfold light of the sun, and so on — the aspect of: "And a sun of righteousness will rise for you who revere My name, with healing in its wings" [Malachi 3:20]. For all of this one merits through holy longing, which is the aspect of the Counting of the Omer, as above. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of blood [isur dam]. For blood is the soul [nefesh]. And therefore the essential Exodus from Egypt was through holy longing, as above — through which holy souls are made. And through this was the essential rectification of the bloods [tikun ha-damim], upon which the essential Redemption depended — through the rectification of the bloods, as is known — of the aspect of: "And I said to you: in your blood, live! And I said to you: in your blood, live!" [Ezekiel 16:6]. And through holy longing — through which souls are made — through this the bloods are clarified and rectified. For blood is the soul. And then blood ferments and becomes milk [Talmud, Bechorot 6b] — which is the aspect of the nekudos ha-kesef [silver vowel-points], the aspect of mocha chivarsa k'kaspa [the white brain like silver]. From there the whitening of the bloods flows — the aspect of blood fermenting and becoming milk. And therefore it is forbidden to eat blood — for therein is the nefesh ha-behemiyus [animal soul]. It cannot be eaten except when one clarifies and purifies the soul from animal to human through holy longing. Through which the letters and vowel-points are paired — of the aspect of zivugay ha-nefashos [the pairing of souls] — through which blood ferments and becomes milk. And then specifically the blood is clarified and purified and from it milk is made. And then it is permitted to eat. For the essential rectification of Israel's holy eating is through holy longing — through which souls are made — through which one merits that all eating be of the aspect of Lechem ha-Panim. This is the essential rectification of holy eating. But blood itself is forbidden — for it is the aspect of the animal soul which is forbidden to eat before it is rectified and clarified and purified from blood into milk. This is the essential aspect of Pesach and the Exodus from Egypt — when blood ferments and becomes milk, as is known. And this one merits through holy longing, as above. And this is the aspect of melichah va'hadachah [salting and rinsing]. For the essential rectification of the soul — which is the blood — is through holy longing, as above. And this one merits through the rectification of the bris specifically (as is explained there well) — for through shemiras ha-bris, chesed is revealed: love and longing and holy yearning, through which souls are made, and so on. And through this the letters of the Torah are formed for good, and so on — see there. And shemiras ha-bris is the aspect of melach [salt] — the aspect of bris melach olam [an eternal covenant of salt], as is known. And for this very reason the tzadik — who is of the aspect of shemiras ha-bris — is called by the name "bris melach." Because through this he merits holy longing, through which souls are made. For holy longing is the aspect of salt — which causes thirst [tzima'on] — the aspect of soul-thirst [tzima'on ha-nefesh] — that is, holy longing and yearning, through which souls are made. The aspect of: "My soul thirsts for You, my flesh pines for You, in a dry and weary land without water" [Psalms 63:2]. The aspect of: "My soul thirsts for G-d…" [Psalms 42:3], and so on. And therefore through salt — which is the aspect of the covenant of salt, the aspect of shemiras ha-bris, the aspect of soul-thirst, holy longing — through this the flesh is rectified and purified from the blood of animal-nature, which is the animal soul, the aspect of the longings of the other side [kisufin d'sitra achra]. For through salt — which is the aspect of shemiras ha-bris — one merits holy longing, the aspect of the soul's thirst for Hashem. Through this holy souls are made, and one subdues and nullifies and expels the souls and longings of the other side, which are the aspect of the animal blood. For the tzadik, who is of the aspect of the covenant of salt, expels all the evil bloods — which are the evil souls and evil longings. For through the covenant of salt one merits the holy longing — the soul's thirst for Hashem — through which holy souls are made, as above. And this is the aspect of the rinsing with water [ha-hadachah b'mayim]. For holy longing is the aspect of chesed, which is the aspect of love and yearning (as above in the Torah-teaching cited above). And then the bloods — which are the souls — are subdued and rectified, and the blood — which is the aspect of judgment [din] — is sweetened and turned into water, which is the aspect of chesed — of the aspect of the great tzadikim who transform the attribute of judgment into the attribute of compassion (as Rashi explained, Genesis 8). For the holy longing for Hashem Yisborach — which is the aspect of chesed, the aspect of love and yearning — is the aspect of water. The aspect of: "Pour out your heart like water before the face of Hashem" [Lamentations 2:19]. This is the aspect of longing and holy yearning — that the heart longs for Hashem Yisborach until it pours itself out like water before the face of Hashem. And then the heart of stone is transformed into a heart of flesh — soft as water — the aspect of: "He who turns the rock into a pool of water" [Psalms 114:8]. That is, the aspect of "the rock of my heart" [Psalms 73:26] — the heart of stone transforms into water, the heart is softened to the aspect of a heart of flesh, until they pour out their hearts like water before Hashem. And all of this one merits through holy longing — the aspect of: "As a deer yearns for streams of water, so my soul yearns for You, O G-d — my soul thirsts for G-d…" The aspect of: "My soul thirsts for You, my flesh pines for You, in a dry and weary land without water." For "there is no water but Torah" — as our Sages of blessed memory said. And it is impossible to merit Torah — that is, to form the letters of the Torah for good — except through holy longing. Through which souls are made — the aspect of the silver vowel-points — through which the letters of the Torah are formed and joined for good, as above. It emerges: that through holy longing, one merits Torah — the aspect of water. And through the Torah itself — which is the aspect of water — through it the soul's thirst that comes from the covenant of salt is quenched. For the soul is very thirsty for Hashem Yisborach, and it is impossible to quench the soul's thirst except through water. And the water comes into being through the thirst itself — for through the soul's thirst, through this very thirst, souls are made — the aspect of vowel-points — and through this the letters of the Torah are formed and joined for good. And then one merits the revelation of the Torah, which is the aspect of water — the aspect of "He who turns the rock into a pool of water" — from which the waters of the Torah flow forth through the longing of the heart, as above. And from those very waters — which are the aspect of the revelation of the Torah merited through the soul's thirst, through holy longing — from those very waters the soul's thirst is quenched. The aspect of: "Ho, all who are thirsty — come to the water!" [Isaiah 55:1]. (And see something resembling this in the words of Rabbainu in another place, concerning afflictions, G-d forbid, in the Torah-teaching "Va-yomer Bo'az el Rus", Siman 65 — see there.) For it is impossible to quench the very great thirst of the soul for Hashem Yisborach except through Torah, which is the aspect of water. And the revelation of the Torah — the aspect of water — one merits through the thirst itself, which is the aspect of holy longing, and so on, as above. And this is the aspect of the rinsing of the meat in water [hadachas ha-basar b'mayim]. For the salt is the aspect of the covenant of salt, the aspect of soul-thirst, the aspect of holy longing — which expels the evil bloods: the blood of animal-nature, the animal soul, that is, the animal longings and desires, as above. For through the aspect of the covenant of salt one merits holy longing, and so on, as above. And afterward one rinses it in water — which is the aspect of the Waters of Lovingkindness [maimei ha-chesed] — the aspect of the waters that are revealed through the soul's thirst, through holy longing. For the essential purification of the soul and its rectification — to be completely purified from evil bloods, from the animal soul — is through the aspect of water: the aspect of Torah that one merits through the soul's thirst. This is the essential completion of purification. For Torah purifies a person — as our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "Like streams they are spread out" [Numbers 24:6] — just as streams elevate a person from impurity to purity, so do words of Torah elevate a person from impurity to purity. And therefore at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, Hashem Yisborach struck them with the first plague — blood — in that for the Egyptians the water was turned to blood. For the wicked transform the attribute of compassion into the attribute of judgment. For the Egyptians are the opposite — they are the nakedness of the land [ervas ha-aretz]: blemish of the bris, longings of the other side. And therefore among them there was an overpowering of the bloods — the aspect of the animal soul — the aspect of the overpowering of the blood in the left ventricle of the heart, from which come all evil desires and evil longings. And therefore among them the water was turned to blood. For water has two powers — as Rashi explained on the verse: "For by them He will judge peoples, He will give food to the multitude": when He wished to exact punishment from the generation of the Flood, He brought upon them a flood of water; when He wishes to give sustenance, He gives it through water — the parable of the baker, and so on. And this is the aspect of what is in the Zohar Terumah: "water belongs to the left side," and so on — see there — that they comprise both right and left, as above. And therefore their ultimate downfall came through water — at the Splitting of the Sea of Reeds — for they were drowned in the waters of the Sea of Reeds. And before Israel the waters split. For the essential Exodus from Egypt was through the rectification of the bloods as above — the rectification of souls through holy longing, as above. And through this the waters flow in the aspect of chesed — for blood was transformed to water, as above — which is the aspect of blood fermenting and becoming milk. And for the Egyptians it was the reverse: even the water turned to blood for them — the aspect of judgment. And retribution came upon them for what they had blemished — through evil longings, which are the aspect of the overpowering of blood, the aspect of the animal soul, as above. And therefore Israel drew near to Hashem Yisborach through haza'ah [sprinkling] and tevilah [immersion]. For the sprinkling of the blood of the sacrifices is the aspect of clarifying the good that is within the blood of animal-nature. For in every place good is intermixed. And the essential rectification is to clarify the good within the animal blood, within the animal soul. And then the bloods are rectified and sweetened, and the blood is transformed from blood to water. And this is the aspect of tevilah b'mikveh [immersion in the ritual bath], for the waters of the mikveh purify from all forms of impurity. They are the aspect of the impurity of Egypt — the impurity of evil bloods — from which all impurities come. That is, the aspect of evil longings, from which come all impurities: when a person longs and yearns — G-d forbid — after evil desires. And one must subdue the desires of his heart, to accustom himself always to long and yearn with holy longing for Hashem Yisborach and His service. And this is the very essence of purification. For through this one is transformed from blood to water. And this is the aspect of the purity of the mikveh — the aspect of the Waters of Lovingkindness made from holy longing, as above — which purifies from all impurities, as above. And this is the aspect of the Shavuos mikveh. For Shavuos is the giving of the Torah. And the essential receiving of the Torah on Shavuos one merits through holy longing — by longing and yearning for Hashem Yisborach all the days of the Counting. For this is the essential aspect of Sefiras ha-Omer — the aspect of longing and yearning for Hashem Yisborach, as above. Through this one is purified from the impurity of Egypt, from the blemish of bloods, from the blemish of souls, as above. And one merits to make holy souls, through which the letters of the Torah are formed for good, and one merits receiving the Torah on Shavuos, as above. And therefore the Shavuos mikveh is of exceedingly, exceedingly high and precious holiness — as Rabbainu of blessed memory said in another place (Siman 56). For then the Waters of Lovingkindness are drawn forth — which is the aspect of mikveh — which is the aspect of the Torah that comes into being through holy longing, as above. And this is the aspect of Lag Ba'Omer. For then the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying — among whom there was strife [machlokes]. For Rabbi Akiva and his students needed to draw down and reveal Torah in the world. For every tzadik draws down and reveals Torah in the world — especially Rabbi Akiva, of whom our Sages of blessed memory said: "He was deserving that the Torah be given through him," and so on. And the essential drawing-down of the Torah is through chesed — the aspect of love and holy yearning, as above. But among them there was strife — the aspect of judgments [dinim], the aspect of the overpowering of the bloods — and therefore it was impossible for the Torah to be revealed through them. And they all died from Pesach until Atzeres [Shavuos]. And on Lag Ba'Omer they stopped dying. And then is the great hillulah [celebration] of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who was also among the students of Rabbi Akiva. And he and his colleagues were the rectification of those [who had died], as is known. As our Sages of blessed memory said (Yevamos 62b): "The world was in darkness until Rabbi Akiva came and taught it to our teachers in the south" — and they are: Rabbi Shimon, and so on. And Rabbi Shimon was keshes ha-bris [the rainbow of the covenant], as our Sages of blessed memory said — for the rainbow was not seen in his days, and so on. And therefore he merited holy longing, as above — through which the letters of the Torah are formed for good, as above — through which is the essential revelation of the Torah, as above. And therefore Rabbi Shimon merited to reveal hidden mysteries of the Torah in the world — which had not been revealed for many generations — for laih yahavei reshusa [permission was given to him], and so on. For the essential revelation of the hidden mysteries of the Torah is through holy longing. For the hidden mysteries of the Torah that the tzadikim attain are the aspect of the four hundred shekels of silver — d'mitamman yarti tzadikaya tav [arba'as me'os] almin d'kisufin…[from there the tzadikim inherit the letter tav (= four hundred) worlds of longing], and so on. And therefore it is impossible to merit them except through holy longing for Hashem Yisborach. And this one merits through shemiras ha-bris — through which specifically one merits the hidden mysteries of the Torah: the aspect of four hundred worlds of longing, and so on. And through this he sweetened and rectified the overpowering of the bloods — the aspect of judgments — that had seized the students of Rabbi Akiva. For he merited to bring forth and reveal the Waters of Lovingkindness [maimei ha-chesed] that are revealed through holy longing, as above. And this is the aspect of Lag Ba'Omer — the aspect of water — the aspect of guloseilyos v'gulosesachtiyos [upper springs and lower springs] — the aspect of: "Uncover my eyes that I may behold wonders from Your Torah" [Psalms 119:18]. The aspect of: "And he rolled the stone from the mouth of the well" [Genesis 29:10]. For there was a great stone upon the mouth of the well — the aspect of the heart of stone placed upon the mouth of the supernal well. Through this — through a person's failure to remove his heart of stone, G-d forbid — one cannot draw living water from the supernal well. And it is impossible to roll the stone from the mouth of the well except through holy longing and yearning — to long and yearn and pine always for Hashem Yisborach and His service. And Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai merited this — the aspect of "and he rolled the stone from the mouth of the well." For he merited to reveal the hidden mysteries of the Torah [sitrei oraisa] which flow forth from the well of living waters. And this is the aspect of Lag Ba'Omer, as above — the aspect of "and he rolled the stone…" — the aspect of the upper springs — the aspect of "uncover my eyes…," and so on, as above. And the early authorities gave a sign: on whatever day of the week Purim falls, so shall Lag Ba'Omer fall. And the sign is: פֶּלֶג (as is explained in the Shulchan Aruch) — the aspect of: "Peleg Elohim malei mayim" [the river of G-d is full of water] [Psalms 65:10], as above. And this is what Rabbi Shimon said at the beginning of the Idra: "Hashem, I have heard Your report, I was afraid" [Habakkuk 3:2] — "Tamman ya'us havei l'midchal; anan b'chavivusa talya" ["There it would be fitting to tremble; but for us, it depends on love"]. "There it would be fitting to tremble" — his intention was regarding the students of Rabbi Akiva, regarding whom this verse was expounded, as our Sages of blessed memory taught. And it is cited in the words of Rabbainu of blessed memory (Siman 61). That is to say: the essential flaw of the students of Rabbi Akiva was because there was not among them ahavas chesed [love of lovingkindness] — which is the aspect of longing and yearning — through which is the essential drawing-down of the Torah that they needed to draw from Rabbi Akiva their teacher, who was of the aspect of the revelation of the Torah, as above. And therefore Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: "anan b'chavivusa talya" — "for us it must depend on great love, for this is the very essence." And as is cited regarding the students of the Ari of blessed memory: the Ari of blessed memory warned them many, many times that there be great love among them. And once he said that he was prepared to come to Jerusalem and that the Redemption would come through them. But it was ruined by the small amount of strife that arose among the colleagues through their wives (as is explained in Shivchei ha-Ari). For the essential drawing-down of the Torah is through love and lovingkindness — which is the aspect of longing and holy yearning — through which one merits to receive the Torah and all good, as above. Reb Noson unifies the entire Pesach–Omer–Shavuos calendar under one master-key drawn from Likutay Moharan 1:31: holy longing (kisufin d'kedushah). Every halacha discussed — the prohibition of blood, salting, rinsing, the mikveh — becomes a face of this single spiritual reality. The blood/water transformation runs through every section: blood (= animal soul, din) → kisufin d'kedushah (= chesed) → milk / water (= Torah). Salt draws out evil blood; water (Torah) completes the purification. Lag Ba'Omer / Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai is the culminating revelation: rolling the stone from the well, releasing the hidden waters of Torah — maimei ha-chesed — made possible only through the covenant of love.