דברים היוצאים מן החי א

Likutay Halachos — Things That Emerge From a Living Animal, Halacha 1

And this is the aspect of the first rinsing [hadachah rishonah] and the final rinsing [hadachah acharonah]. For the soul within the living creature that has fallen from its level — from the level of speech [medaber] to the level of the living creature [chai], as above — requires many rectifications, one after another, until it ascends and is rectified completely — to restore it to its root — of the aspect of teshuvah [repentance and return]. For all the rectifications of the meat that one performs are of the aspect of the rectifications of teshuvah. For one must in the same way rectify the soul within the living creature — to restore it to its root — which is the aspect of teshuvah. And therefore, at the beginning, it requires shechitah [ritual slaughter] — to subdue and break the all-encompassing evil [ra ha-kolel], as above. For this is the beginning of teshuvah — to turn away from the above-mentioned evil and to break it. And afterward to proceed and remove all the forbidden fats [chalavin] and all the forbidden veins that are found visibly, within it — so that it not be a case of "immersing while holding a creeping thing in one's hand" [toveil v'sheretz b'yado]. Therefore after one turns away from the all-encompassing evil cited above — which is the very beginning and the start — then one must remove all the evil things from within it. And this is accomplished easily after the shechitah. For the essence of the labor and effort is the shechitah — which is the subduing of the above-mentioned evil — for which an expert and certified craftsman is required — along with the inspection of the knife and the rest of the precautions of shechitah, as above. But afterward, the nikur [removal of forbidden parts] is done with relative ease — as they remove and extract from it all the rest of the evils found therein. And then one merits the aspect of the mikveh of water. And this is the aspect of the first rinsing. And afterward it must be left to rest in its salt, as above. And that is the completion of the rectification — which is the final rinsing. For "one who comes to purify himself is helped" — and they say to him: "Wait" (as is cited in the words of Rabbainu, may his light shine, Siman 6). For it is impossible to enter into teshuvah all at once — and one must wait and tarry and endure much shedding of blood [shfikas damim], in order to subdue the evil blood in the left ventricle of the heart that was strengthened through his sins. And this is the aspect of the waiting period [ha-shehiyah] — that one must wait in its salt and be pressed within the brine [tzir] in a perforated vessel — of the aspect of the above-mentioned "they say to him: Wait." In order to force out the evil bloods that were absorbed into the flesh, that entered into the depths of the body. And therefore it is impossible to rectify the meat with speed. For it is impossible to bring it into teshuvah all at once — until it waits in its salt, which is the aspect of rectification — the aspect of the covenant of salt — in order to sweeten its bitterness and to expel all its bloods, as above. And therefore it is placed between the two rinsings, which are of the aspect of the mikveh of water, as above — in accordance with what is cited in the name of the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory. And it is explained above a number of times: that at the beginning of teshuvah, one is raised from above to a great level — higher than one's own level — and afterward one is brought back down from there in order to be tested and refined and purified. For one must return and pass through all those roads again — of the aspect of teshuvas ha-mishkal [equivalent repentance], as above. And this is the aspect of the first rinsing and the final rinsing — which are of the aspect of the mikveh of water, as above — which are a great ascent and a very great rectification. For this is the essential aspect of teshuvah — when one merits to enter into the aspect of the mikveh of water, which is the aspect of alma d'asay [the World to Come] — the aspect of teshuvah, as above. And at the beginning, one is raised from above to a great level, as above — to the aspect of teshuvah — the aspect of the mikveh of water, as above. And this is the aspect of the first rinsing. And even though one has already merited the ultimate rectification — which is the aspect of the mikveh, as above — afterward one is brought back down from there in order to be refined and purified, as above — of the aspect of "they say to him: Wait," as above. And this is the aspect of the fact that it must wait in its salt for a set period of time — in order to be purified and refined and to expel all its evil bloods that were absorbed within it, as above. And then afterward one merits a second time to complete the rectification in truth. And this is the aspect of the final rinsing — the aspect of the mikveh of water — for one then places it in again, once it has merited to be purified, to expel its evil bloods, as above. And this is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt, which was of the aspect of teshuvah — the aspect of yovel [the Jubilee year], as is known. And at the beginning He raised them to far above their level, as is known. And this is the aspect of milah [circumcision] and tevilah [immersion] that they merited on the eve of Pesach. For immediately after the milah — through which they subdued the all-encompassing evil, which is the aspect of milah — they immediately merited the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt, which was the aspect of teshuvah — which was then far above their level, as is known. And this is the aspect of the mikveh of water that they merited immediately on the eve of Pesach. And afterward He brought them down from their level. And this is the aspect of the Counting [Sefirah], as is known — which is like a woman who purifies herself for her husband. Which is the aspect of "Wait" — that one must wait and tarry in order to purify oneself from the blood of nidah [menstrual separation], as above. And then they merited to complete the rectification on Shavuos. And then they merited to enter into the mikveh — the aspect of a supernal, very exalted mikveh — which is the ultimate rectification. And this is the aspect of the two rinsings — the aspect of the two mikvaos [ritual baths] cited above — which are needed in order to be rectified: namely, at the beginning of the teshuvah and at the end of the teshuvah, as above. And in between is the waiting in salt — which is the aspect of "Wait," as above — in order to expel the evil bloods, as above. And as is explained in the Torah-teaching that speaks of this (Siman 6, Likutay Moharan Vol. 1): that the above-mentioned aspect of "Wait" is the aspect of shfikas damim [shedding of blood] that one must endure, as above. And through this one merits the aspect of teshuvah — which is the aspect of Ekyeh [the Divine Name of pure Being] (as is explained there). And this is the aspect of the mikveh of water — which is the aspect of Ekyeh. For mikveh in gematria [numerical value] equals 151 — which is the numerical value of Ekyeh when spelled out fully — as is known, and as above.

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