דברים היוצאים מן החי א

Therefore the water must come through ko'ach gavra [human force] (Shulchan Aruch OC 159:7) — to draw the aspect of "Ko'ach ma'asav" through which kedushas Eretz Yisrael is drawn = the essential tikkun of n'tilas yadayim. 12

The essential points for our topic are in sections (os) 3, 4, 5, and 6 of that teaching. The general principle relevant to us is as follows: To subdue the foolishness of the intellect, one needs the aspect of the Altar, which corresponds to eating in holiness — for "the table atones like the altar," etc. The rectification of the Altar, which is the rectification of eating, comes about through the making of converts (gairim). And the merit to draw converts is attained through the charity (tz'dakah) that one gives to worthy poor people, and especially to the tzaddikim of the generation who encompass within themselves many souls — for through charity, love, friendship, and peace are drawn forth. Through this, a tranquil and pure atmosphere is created, and through this, the words of faith of the true Tzaddik are heard from afar. For when the atmosphere is tranquil and pure, the speech of the Tzaddik travels and is heard at great distances, and it is written down and engraved in the books of the nations — until they find in their own books the opposite of their [former] faith, and through this they convert.

For there is a suppressed goodness held captive among the nations in a great exile, and this goodness consists of Jewish souls — for the entire creation exists for their sake, etc. But because this goodness is suppressed and rests in a lowly place, among the nations or the wicked or those enslaved to desires, it therefore forgets its great elevated stature — that it came from a holy, sublime, and most awesome place. At first it would remember its awesome stature, but afterward, the [forces of impurity] overcome this goodness and press it under their hand until it is captured and bound among them — until the very goodness itself forgets its stature. But through the words of the Jewish Tzaddik described above — which travel and are heard and are written into their books through the power of charity that makes the atmosphere tranquil and pure — this captive goodness finds this holy speech in their books, and it is heard to its ears and enters its heart deeply. Then this goodness remembers its great stature — in the sense of "I am a tiny creature of the sea" (אֲנָא בְּרִיָּה קַלָּה שֶׁבַּיָּם) and "it had a cloven hoof" (וַהֲוֵינָא שִׁין פַּרְסָה, an Aramaic phrase from the Talmud) — meaning that this goodness remembers its great stature: that it is from the souls of Israel which are above all the worlds, for "Israel arose first in thought," and the Holy One Blessed be He consulted and took counsel with them when creating His world, in the sense of "they are the artisans and dwellers of plantings with the King in His service" etc.

Therefore one who feeds another does not need n'tilas yadayim — only the eater needs n'tilas yadayim (Shulchan Aruch OC 163:2). The essential n'tilas yadayim = drawing kedushas Eretz Yisrael → needed specifically by the eater, whose eating must be in kedushas EY → accomplished through the mitzvah of n'tilas yadayim. This does not apply to the one feeding another. Therefore the Sages instituted the mitzvah of n'tilas yadayim specifically for the eater — so that his eating be kodesh, as if eating in Eretz Yisrael. 13

Now it [this captive goodness] goes toward destruction and loss, Heaven forfend. Then this goodness begins to grieve and have compassion for itself, and returns in teshuvah, and through this, converts are made and baalei teshuvah are formed. And through the converts and the baalei teshuvah, the Altar is completed — which is the aspect of the rectification of holy eating — and through this, the light of the intellect is opened, and one merits to see the great light of the true Tzaddik which illuminates all the worlds, and certainly in this world etc. But due to the turbidity of deeds and the foolishness of the intellect, his great light is dimmed — and even one who is near him cannot taste and benefit from his light. All of this is because of the turbidity of deeds and the foolishness of the intellect. But through the charity described above — through which the atmosphere is made tranquil and pure — through this, the holy speech is heard from afar, and through this converts and baalei teshuvah are made, through which the Altar is completed (which is the rectification of eating in holiness), and through this the foolishness of the intellect is subdued and annulled, and then one merits to see the great light of the true Tzaddik — and through this one merits to fear and love [of G-d], for the essence of fear and love can only be received through the Tzaddik of the generation who searches for and finds the will-expressions (רְצוֹנוֹת) within Israel and finds them through the glorification that he finds in Israel etc. (See there all of this carefully.)

Likutay Halachos — Hilchos Bais HaK'nessesHalacha 6 – Part A (§1–7)

This is [the deeper significance of] the signs of a kosher animal and beast: "every animal that has a split hoof, etc., that brings up its cud" — the quality of chewing the cud in an animal, "that one you shall eat." For the rectification of eating in holiness — that the food should be fit — is through converts, as explained above. And this is [expressed by] the two signs of the kosher animal: split hoof and chewing the cud. For eating in holiness proceeds in two aspects. One aspect corresponds to the lower level of understanding, and the second corresponds to a higher, more interior level.

Based on LM I:8 — "Tik'u Tochachah"Building BHK · Tzerufim · Kavod · Bais HaMidrash · Sefarim 1

For the principal sign is the chewing of the cud, because it is the more internal sign. The split hoof is also a sign, but the animal that has only a split hoof without chewing the cud, like the pig — is forbidden. And the animal that chews the cud without a split hoof, like the camel — is also forbidden. The two signs must be present together. But the main inner sign is the chewing of the cud, for through it the animal rumbles and regurgitates the food it previously swallowed and chews it again. This is the aspect of the purification and clarification of the food — that through chewing the cud, one clarifies and elevates the food more and more. And this corresponds to the aspect of tz'dakah: that through tz'dakah one clarifies and elevates fallen holy sparks from their captivity among the nations and the wicked — through the holy speech of the Tzaddik that travels afar, as explained. And all of this is through tz'dakah, which makes the pure tranquil atmosphere, as described. This corresponds to the Sefirah [Counting of the Omer] and Lag BaOmer. For throughout the days of the Sefirah we must go from impurity to purity in order to merit receiving the Torah on Shavuos. That is, we must work to clarify and elevate ourselves from the forty-nine gates of impurity (מ"ט שַׁעֲרֵי טֻמְאָה) to the forty-nine gates of holiness (מ"ט שַׁעֲרֵי קְדֻשָּׁה), corresponding to the forty-nine days of the Omer. But who is capable of bringing about this purification from impurity to holiness during the days of Sefirah? This is achieved only through the true Tzaddik, through whose holy speech the suppressed goodness hidden among the nations and the wicked is awakened and roused — through the charity that creates pure and tranquil air, enabling the Tzaddik's words to travel far, as mentioned above. For through this, converts are made and sinners repent, and through this, the rectification of the Altar is accomplished — which is the rectification of holy eating — and through all of this, the intellect is illuminated and the foolishness is subdued, and one merits to go from impurity to holiness, from the forty-nine gates of impurity to the forty-nine gates of holiness, in order to receive the Torah on Shavuos. And for this reason, on the day of the waving of the Omer (הֲנָפַת הָעֹמֶר) was the greatness of Mordechai and the downfall of Haman — as our Sages of blessed memory have said. And the main cause of his downfall was through the Omer, for Haman said: "Their god's blessing comes only from baked bread, whereas mine comes from a tree" — and the reference to the tree alludes to the gallows that he prepared for Mordechai, in the sense of: and what Haman prepared for Mordechai, they did for him. For through the elevation of the Omer, which is barley — animal fodder — the hidden goodness that is suppressed among the nations was elevated, and through this Mordechai was glorified and Haman fell. And for this reason we count the days of the Omer — to connect each and every day to the holiness of the waving of the Omer, in order to merit each day to hear the holy speech of the Tzaddik as described. For just as we count "Today is such-and-such a day of the Omer," we thereby bind and attach that day to the holiness of the waving of the Omer. And through this, just as the waving of the Omer aroused and elevated the suppressed goodness hidden among the wicked — and through this, Mordechai's greatness was revealed and Haman fell — so too each day of the Sefirah draws the illumination of the holy speech of the Tzaddik further, until the complete purification at the fiftieth gate of Shavuos. And this corresponds to Lag BaOmer — the thirty-third day of the Omer — which is the aspect of Hod she'b'Hod, the aspect of "feet within feet" (רַגְלַיִן שֶׁבְּרַגְלַיִן). For the main illumination of the holy speech described above needs to be drawn down to this lowly level — to the level of the "feet," the very lowliest place — where the suppressed goodness lies captive among those entirely given over to desires and impurity. For precisely the "feet" level is where the holy speech must reach and be heard, to awaken and stir the captive goodness there. And this corresponds to the Hilula [joyous celebration] of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai on Lag BaOmer. For the students of Rabbi Akiva died up until Lag BaOmer because of discord — there was no peace among them. And Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai was the most outstanding of Rabbi Akiva's students, and through him the Torah was preserved among Israel. For it was he who illuminated and revealed the deepest inner secrets of the Torah — the Torah of the Zohar — to the world, so that the words of faith of the true Tzaddik would be able to travel afar to the suppressed goodness hidden among the nations, for this is primarily through the revealed hidden wisdom of the Torah (תּוֹרַת הַנִּסְתָּר) whose main vessel is the holy Zohar. And the main obstacle that prevented the holy speech from traveling afar was discord and lack of peace, as was the case with Rabbi Akiva's students. For through discord and controversy, the air becomes turbid and disturbed, and the holy speech cannot travel at all. But through peace and love among Israel, the atmosphere becomes tranquil and pure, enabling the words of the Tzaddik to travel and be heard afar — and through this the suppressed goodness is awakened to repent, as explained. And therefore, on the day of Lag BaOmer, which is the Hilula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai — through whom the illumination of the Torah travels afar — on this very day the dying of Rabbi Akiva's students ceased, for on this day peace was restored and the turbulent air was calmed and the holy speech could again travel afar. And this is the joy and celebration of Lag BaOmer. It follows that throughout all the days of the Sefirah, one is engaged in making heard, to the suppressed goodness [in captivity], the words of the true Tzaddikim — so that it will purify itself of the contamination of exile and return to Hashem Yisboraych. This is the aspect of the purification from the forty-nine gates of impurity, in order to merit receiving the Torah on Shavuos. And all this is accomplished through the charity that creates the tranquil and pure air, through which the holy speech travels afar — as has been explained. And this corresponds to the drawing of the bow on Lag BaOmer. For words of slander (לָשׁוֹן הָרָע) that create discord are in the aspect of "They have prepared their arrow upon the string" etc. — for through speech that is turbid and impure, the holy speech cannot travel and the bow cannot be drawn. But on Lag BaOmer — the day of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and the day peace was restored — the bow is drawn to send the holy speech afar, in the aspect of "If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous man do?" — meaning: when the foundations are in place, the righteous man's speech can fly like an arrow far and wide. And this [is the meaning of]: "For behold, the winter has passed, the rain is over and gone" etc., "and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" (Song of Songs 2:11-12). For in Nisan [springtime] the air is tranquil and pure — whereas in the winter months, stormy winds are prevalent and the air is turbid and disturbed. And when the spring arrives and the stormy air calms down, the voice of the turtledove — [symbolizing] the holy speech of the Tzaddik — can be heard in our land. For the voice of the turtledove alludes to the speech of the Tzaddik that travels and is heard afar when the atmosphere is calm and pure. And this is [the meaning of]: "Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak" (הַאֲזִינוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם וַאֲדַבֵּרָה) etc. — and the stormy wind shall not confuse and disrupt the words etc. "Ask your father and he will tell you" etc. — and hear their words well etc. And all of this is through "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest" (כְּנֶשֶׁר יָעִיר קִנּוֹ) etc. — through the Tzaddik who hovers like an eagle over his children and stirs them from below, so that his words reach them and they hear and receive his teaching. For the eagle, unlike other birds, does not land directly on its chicks but hovers over them so that its wind fans them — this is the subtle, penetrating manner in which the true Tzaddik's holy speech reaches the hearts of Israel from afar. And this corresponds to the Omer of barley (עֹמֶר שְֹעוֹרִים). Barley is animal fodder — that is, it pertains to the vitality of the animal. For first one must rectify the animal-level vitality (חַיּוּת שֶׁל הַבְּהֵמָה), which is the suppressed goodness hidden among the nations in the aspect of the animal-soul, as explained above. And this is achieved through the waving of the Omer of barley on the sixteenth of Nisan — immediately after the liberation of Passover — for through the liberation of Israel from Egypt, and through the tz'dakah and gifts of Passover, the atmosphere is purified and the holy speech of Mordechai — the true Tzaddik — travels and reaches the suppressed goodness [among the nations], and its animal-level vitality begins to be elevated and rectified. For this is the meaning of the Omer: the word "Omer" connotes speech (אֲמִירָה), as in "And he said" (וַיֹּאמֶר). The waving of the Omer sends forth the holy speech of the Tzaddik to travel afar — like a wave that travels across water — and through this it reaches the captive goodness. And this is the inner meaning of counting the Omer: through the Omer-counting we connect each day to this holy waving-and-sending-forth, so that each day the holy speech reaches further into the depths of exile to elevate the suppressed goodness. And this corresponds to the abundant charity of Purim — in the aspect of "gifts to the poor" (מַתָּנוֹת לָאֶבְיוֹנִים). For regarding Purim it is said: whoever extends his hand to take [charity], one gives to him — so as to draw forth the holiness of Mordechai, in the aspect of "and there was a Jewish man" (וַיִּמְצָא) etc. [alludes to the finding of good in everyone]. For the abundance of tz'dakah on Purim creates the very purest atmosphere — enabling Mordechai's holy speech to travel throughout the world and awaken all the suppressed goodness, as it did when Mordechai "proclaimed in the city" and his words reached everywhere, even to Haman's own household. And this [corresponds to the verse]: "The words of Hashem are pure words, like silver refined in an earthen furnace, purified seven times" (Psalms 12:7) — "silver refined" corresponds to the aspect of "wealth adds many friends" (הוֹן יוֹסִיף רֵעִים רַבִּים), which is the aspect of tz'dakah (as is explained there in the Torah teaching). For silver alludes to tz'dakah, which draws love and friendship and peace — and through this, the pure tranquil air, through which the holy speech travels to illuminate the hearts of Israel scattered throughout the world. And the "seven refinings" correspond to the seven weeks of the Sefirah — seven times seven — through which the holy speech purifies and elevates the suppressed goodness level by level, until the complete elevation on Shavuos, the fiftieth day. And this corresponds to the Counting of the Omer — "Sefirah" literally. In the aspect of "Hashem will count when He writes the peoples" (ה' יִסְפֹּר בִּכְתוֹב עַמִּים, Psalms 87:6) — "will count" (יִסְפֹּר) precisely — as cited in the Torah teaching mentioned above. For this verse means: "Hashem counts when He writes the peoples" — meaning that Hashem, as it were, counts and enumerates even those among the peoples of the world in whom good is hidden, and writes them to be counted among those who will return. For through the writing and engraving of the holy speech into the books of the nations — as described — Hashem "writes" and "counts" the captive souls toward their redemption. And this also corresponds to the "counting" in the verse (Psalms 22:18): "I count all my bones; they look and stare upon me." For the tzaddik who is able to "count" and enumerate the hidden good in each and every Jew — even in the most fallen — and speak of each one's praise before Hashem: this is the essential act of the Sefirah-counting. For through this counting and enumeration of the good, the atmosphere becomes pure and the holy speech reaches the farthest reaches of exile. And the Sefirah is also in the aspect of "sapphire" (סַפִּיר), for the counting shines and illuminates like the brilliance of a sapphire — for through counting the good in each Jew, the divine image within them is restored to its full luminosity. And this counting is also "the writing of peoples" by Hashem Himself — for every act of tz'dakah, every charitable deed, every uplifting word of the Tzaddik, is as if the Holy One Himself is "writing" these souls into the book of life and redemption. And indeed it says "Hashem counts" — for ultimately it is Hashem who performs the rectification, only He uses the Tzaddik as His instrument of counting and elevation. And thus, throughout the forty-nine days of the Sefirah we count day by day, connecting each day to the holiness of the Omer-waving and to the holy speech of the Tzaddik — so that each day we elevate ourselves and those captive sparks a little further, until the complete elevation of the fiftieth gate on Shavuos. And this corresponds to Shavuos — the fiftieth day — which is the aspect of the Fiftieth Gate (שַׁעַר הַחֲמִשִּׁים) as is well known. For during the forty-nine days of the Sefirah, we purify ourselves and emerge from the forty-nine gates of impurity — each of the seven weeks corresponding to one of the seven emotional attributes (Sefirot), and within each week we work through the seven sub-aspects of that attribute. And on the fiftieth day — Shavuos — we receive the Torah at the fiftieth gate. For the Torah is given precisely at the level of the Fiftieth Gate — which transcends all of the forty-nine levels of understanding — for the Torah cannot be received through ordinary intellect alone, but only through a transcendent illumination from above. And this transcendent illumination is drawn down specifically through the tz'dakah and the holy speech and the purification of the Sefirah-counting as described. For when all the suppressed goodness has been elevated and all the baalei teshuvah have returned and all the converts have come in — then the complete rectification of holy eating is achieved, the Altar is fully repaired, the intellect is opened fully — and one can receive the Torah at the Fiftieth Gate. And the key to all of this is the true Tzaddik, for he is the "Moses" of the generation who receives the Torah at the Fiftieth Gate and transmits it to Israel. Just as Moses was the conduit for the original Giving of the Torah, so in every generation the true Tzaddik receives the illumination of the Fiftieth Gate and draws it down to all of Israel through his holy teaching and through the elevation of all the captive souls. "The counsel of Hashem endures forever, the thoughts of His heart throughout all generations" (Psalms 33:11) — and "You, Hashem, are exalted forever" (Psalms 92:9). And as it is written: "More than the sounds of many waters, mightier than the waves of the sea, mighty on high is Hashem" (Psalms 93:4). As Rashi explains there [on this verse]. For even the mighty waves — the most powerful forces of evil and opposition — cannot ultimately prevail against the counsel of Hashem which endures forever. And even when the stormy spiritual winds blow and turbid the air and disrupt the transmission of holy speech, the divine plan continues to be carried out through hidden channels — until in the end, all the captive goodness is redeemed and all the baalei teshuvah return. All the previous exiles came from the aspect of the kelipot [husks of impurity] which have a grip on the forty-nine gates of impurity — and they have a number and an end. Therefore each of the prior exiles had an end and a fixed time. But this exile — the present one — is different, for it comes from a place that is beyond number, beyond fixed time, in a place that transcends the forty-nine gates. And therefore we do not know the fixed time of its end — it depends entirely upon our teshuvah, upon our tz'dakah, upon our connection to the true Tzaddik, upon the purification of the Sefirah-days. When we complete the rectification through these means, the exile will end. And this is [the meaning of] what Rabbi Yosef said (Pesachim 68b): "Were it not for this day, how many Yosephs would be in the marketplace!" For the great Tzaddikim would serve Hashem Yisboraych even if the Torah had not been given — as [we find with the Patriarchs] like the Patriarch Yosef who observed all the Torah before it was given. The greatness of Shavuos and the Giving of the Torah is therefore not simply that it obligated us — but that it illuminated the world with the light of Torah and thereby enabled the holy speech of the Tzaddik to travel and reach all the captive souls in all their levels of exile and impurity, for Torah is the light that penetrates all darkness. "Many are the wonders You have done, O Hashem my G-d, and Your thoughts toward us — none can be compared to You; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too numerous to count" (Psalms 40:6) — this was said in connection with the Giving of the Torah, as is explained in the Torah teaching. For Hashem's wondrous thoughts toward Israel and toward the suppressed captive souls are beyond all counting and enumeration. And the very act of the Sefirah-counting is an attempt to hint at and acknowledge these innumerable wonders — knowing that we can never fully count or enumerate the depth of Hashem's love and care for even the most fallen soul. And the Tzaddik who merits to perceive and speak of Hashem's wonders — the aspect of "were I to speak and tell of them" — his holy speech then travels to the farthest reaches of exile, for through it the captive souls can hear and recognize Hashem's love for them, and through this they return in teshuvah. And thus the "counting" of Hashem's wonders by the Tzaddik is itself the force that drives the Sefirah-purification and ultimately brings all the captive souls to the Giving of the Torah on Shavuos. This is also the meaning of the Omer-measurement: just as the barley-offering was measured in an "omer" (a fixed measure), so the Tzaddik must measure and calibrate each day's holy speech precisely to the level of the souls he is trying to reach — not too much, not too little — so that it can enter their hearts and be absorbed by them according to their individual level and need. And this corresponds to the three [recitations of] "Tz'dakascha" ("Your righteousness") said on Shabbos at Minchah — to draw upon us the power of the three great foundational Tzaddikim who departed [on Shabbos afternoon]: Yosef, Moshe, and David. For these three Tzaddikim embody the three aspects of tz'dakah that make possible the tranquil pure atmosphere, the far-reaching holy speech, and the awakening of captive goodness — respectively corresponding to the aspects of hidden good (Yosef who was hidden in Egypt), of revealed Torah-speech (Moshe who spoke the Torah), and of the kingship of Israel (David who unified the people in love and peace). "My horn is exalted through Hashem" (I Samuel 2:1) — and not "my flask" (not the oil-flask, but the horn). "Horn" (קֶרֶן) precisely — in the aspect of "and he will have a horn" (וַהֲוֵי לֵהּ קַרְנָא), the horn of the Shofar etc. The anointing oil (see above). "There is none holy like Hashem" etc. For the elevation and exaltation — "My horn is exalted" — comes precisely through Hashem, through connecting to Hashem's holiness via the Tzaddik who is the anointed one, the one anointed with the holy oil of Torah and Tzaddik-power. And this exaltation is specifically through the "horn" — the shofar aspect — which is the voice that pierces all barriers and reaches the captive souls even in the deepest exile. "And you shall make the festival of Shavuos... according to the freewill-offering of your hand" (מִסַּת נִדְבַת יָדְךָ) — the aspect of tz'dakah through which the tranquil pure air is made, through which the voice travels afar etc. — for this is the culmination of the Shavuos celebration: the abundant giving of tz'dakah which enabled the entire process of the Sefirah to bear fruit in the complete Giving of the Torah. For the entire Sefirah was powered by tz'dakah — from the tz'dakah of Purim that set it all in motion, through the tz'dakah of Passover that accompanied the Omer-waving, through the daily tz'dakah throughout the forty-nine days — until the tz'dakah of Shavuos itself which completes and crowns the entire process. And this corresponds to the distinction between the chayah (wild kosher animal) and the b'hemah (domesticated kosher animal): the chayah's fat is permitted while its blood requires covering [with earth after slaughter], whereas the b'hemah's fat is forbidden while its blood does not require covering. And the way to identify between the chayah and the b'hemah is through the structure of their horns — as will be explained below. For these two categories represent two different levels of the suppressed good being elevated: the b'hemah represents the lower level, and the chayah represents the higher, wilder level — the goodness hidden at greater depths of impurity and wildness. And the different laws that apply to them — fat permitted vs. forbidden, blood covered vs. uncovered — hint at the different modes of elevation required for each level. The fat (חֵלֶב) represents the inner richness and pleasure-aspect of the elevation of each level, and the blood represents the life-force and vitality. In the b'hemah-level, the inner richness must be entirely elevated to Hashem (fat forbidden for consumption) — for it belongs entirely to holiness — while its blood, once properly slaughtered and elevated, does not need the further elevation of covering (it is fully elevated through the slaughter alone). In the chayah-level, the fat is already in a realm where it can be consumed, while the blood requires the additional act of covering with earth — for its vitality-aspect requires further grounding and refinement. It follows that the essence of truth is its ultimate purpose — that is, one should look at every matter in light of its ultimate truth: that in everything one sees, one should immediately believe that Hashem Yisboraych created it with His will and wisdom, and that His providence extends over everything down to the most minute details. And one should seek in everything its ultimate truth and purpose — rather than judging things by their surface appearance. For the surface of things often seems contradictory and confusing — the b'hemah and chayah appear almost identical yet have very different laws, the covering of the blood seems arbitrary, the distinction between permitted and forbidden fat is obscure. But the one who seeks the ultimate truth sees that all of these distinctions correspond to profound spiritual realities, and through this perspective everything becomes clear and integrated. And this is the aspect of the true Tzaddik who always seeks and sees the ultimate truth in everything — and through this his holy speech conveys the ultimate truth to the captive souls, enabling them to see themselves from the perspective of their true elevated stature rather than from their current lowly state. And it is precisely this vision of ultimate truth that awakens the captive souls and brings them to teshuvah. And this corresponds to the aspect of dust (עָפָר), which is the beginning of all things and the end and ultimate purpose of all things — for everything originated from the dust and everything returns to it etc., as mentioned above. And from there is the root of [the concept of] truth — for dust is the most lowly and humble of all substances, and truth is also connected to humility and lowliness, for only the humble person can see and speak truth without any distortion of pride or self-interest. And the Tzaddik who embodies the aspect of dust — completely nullified and humble, seeing himself as nothing — it is precisely he who can receive and transmit the ultimate truth, and his words of truth can travel to the farthest distances because they carry no impurity or distortion of ego. And this is also the connection to the Omer: "Omer" can also be related to "speech" (אֲמִירָה), and the Omer-offering is brought from barley — the humblest of grains, the food of animals, the aspect of dust. And it is precisely this most humble offering that initiates the entire process of elevation and counting. And this [explains what] Bilam said (Numbers 23:10): "Who can count the dust of Yaakov, and the number of a quarter of Israel?" — "the dust of Yaakov" precisely. For Yaakov corresponds to the aspect of truth — as it is said, "Give truth to Yaakov" (תִּתֵּן אֱמֶת לְיַעֲקֹב, Michah 7:20). And "the dust of Yaakov" means: who can count the truth-embodiments of Yaakov — the lowly and humble ones of Israel who are like dust — for their number is beyond counting, as their merit and influence extends to the most distant reaches. And Bilam, though an enemy of Israel, was forced to acknowledge this truth: that the ultimate power of Israel lies precisely in their humble dust-like quality, their ability to nullify themselves before Hashem's truth, and it is this quality that makes them uncountable and unlimited in their power of influence over the world. And this connects back to the counting of the Omer: "Hashem will count when He writes the peoples" — for the counting of Israel, the enumeration of their spiritual worth, can only be done by Hashem Himself, for their true worth is hidden in their dust-like humility and transcends all ordinary measurement. The Sefirah-counting is thus an attempt to honor and acknowledge this transcendent worth of each individual Jew, day by day, level by level. And this corresponds to the dust of the Sotah [suspected unfaithful wife] which clarifies the truth of whether she was defiled or not. For specifically the holy dust from the floor of the Tabernacle could perform this clarification — because the dust embodies both aspects [of truth]: the beginning (purity) and the end (the ultimate judgment of truth). And thus the dust of the Tabernacle floor, which was saturated with the holiness of divine service and sacrifice over many years, could reveal the truth hidden within the most private human actions. For truth is not just an abstract principle — it has a living, active power when rooted in holiness and humility (dust). And this is why the Sotah-waters worked through the dust: for the dust embodied the ultimate truth that penetrates all concealment and reveals what is truly hidden. And similarly, the holy speech of the Tzaddik — rooted in humility and holiness like the Tabernacle dust — penetrates all barriers and reveals the hidden good in even the most fallen souls. And this is what Avraham said: "And I am but dust and ashes" (וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר). For Avraham wished to pray for S'dom to save them — by revealing the hidden good that was within them. And therefore he searched and looked for the good within the people of S'dom — for surely there must be some good there, for Hashem would not destroy even one innocent person, as Avraham understood. And Avraham was able to do this searching because of his quality of "dust and ashes" — his complete humility and nullification before truth — for only one who is truly humble can search for and find the hidden good in others, without the distortion of self-interest or judgment. For the proud person sees only the faults of others and condemns them; but the truly humble person, who sees himself as dust, can see beyond the faults to the hidden spark of goodness within. This is the fundamental quality of the true Tzaddik — his "dust" quality that enables him to see and praise the hidden good in every Jew, no matter how fallen, and through this praise to awaken and liberate that captive goodness. And now how precise is the verse: "Everything came from the dust etc." (Ecclesiastes 3:20) — from beginning to end! For the verse there reads: "Everything goes to one place; everything came from the dust and everything returns to the dust." This verse encapsulates the entire teaching: everything — the highest and the lowest, the most holy and the most fallen — shares the same origin and destination. This shared origin in dust is the ultimate basis for the unity of all things, and the ultimate basis for the possibility of teshuvah and return. For no matter how far one has fallen, one always shares the same origin (dust) and the same destination (return to dust and return to Hashem) as everyone else. And this is the explanation of: "When you raise up the lamps toward the face of the Menorah they shall give light — the seven lamps shall give light; and this is the work of the Menorah, hammered gold etc." (Numbers 8:2-4). The light of the Menorah is the aspect of the light of the Tzaddik — the true illuminator of Israel — and the seven lamps correspond to the seven weeks of the Sefirah, with all their sub-aspects. And "toward the face of the Menorah they shall give light" means that all seven lamps face toward the central lamp — toward the aspect of the Tzaddik who is the center and source of all illumination. And "hammered gold" (מִקְשָׁה) — the Menorah was fashioned from a single piece of gold beaten into shape — alludes to the fact that the Tzaddik's illumination is not composed of separate parts but is one complete unified light that encompasses all seven emotional attributes and their forty-nine sub-aspects. And through this unified light of the Tzaddik, the entire Sefirah-process of elevation and purification is accomplished — for his light reaches into every nook and cranny of the spiritual world and illuminates even the most hidden captive goodness. And this illumination of the Menorah corresponds precisely to the illumination that becomes possible through the tranquil pure atmosphere created by tz'dakah — for just as the Menorah's olive oil must be pure and uncontaminated to give clear light, so the atmosphere must be pure and uncontaminated to allow the Tzaddik's holy speech to travel clearly to all destinations. And this corresponds to the distinction between the chayah and the b'hemah: that the b'hemah's fat is forbidden and its blood does not require covering; whereas the chayah is the opposite — for there are many differences in the matter of the suppressed goodness, corresponding to its many levels of captivity and distance from holiness. For the b'hemah represents the goodness that is hidden at a relatively accessible level — among those who are, so to speak, "domesticated" by their impurity, having fallen into a fixed habitual pattern of sin. For such people, the inner richness (fat) must be entirely consecrated to Hashem — it cannot be merely "consumed" at the human level, for it was entirely corrupted and now must be entirely returned to holiness. But the life-force (blood) — once it is liberated through proper slaughter (teshuvah) — is fully elevated and does not require further covering. Whereas the chayah represents the goodness hidden at a deeper, wilder level — among those who are entirely "wild," given over entirely to their animal drives, seemingly beyond reach. For such souls, paradoxically, their inner richness (fat) is permitted — for it was never truly "tamed" by impurity and thus retains a kind of pristine quality, an untouched freedom — while their life-force (blood) requires the additional humbling act of covering with earth (כִּסּוּי הַדָּם), for it requires a more complete nullification and grounding before it can be fully elevated. And all of this hints at the inexhaustible depths of Hashem's wisdom in the laws of kosher eating — for each law corresponds to a real and precise spiritual reality in the process of elevation and teshuvah. And the Tzaddik who understands these depths is thereby able to guide each person's teshuvah-process with precision, knowing what type of elevation is required for each individual level and situation. And therefore the rectification of the chayah's blood is through covering — specifically covering with earth (לְכַסּוֹת הַדָּם בְּעָפָר) — to cover it precisely. But the b'hemah's blood, when it was rectified through the Temple sacrifices — which is the highest level of rectification — the blood was sprinkled on the Altar. For the Altar-sprinkling was the ultimate elevation of the blood to the highest level of holiness, leaving no need for the additional covering with earth. The covering with earth is a lower-level rectification — for those whose elevation occurs not through the Temple service (the highest level) but through the more ordinary path of tz'dakah and speech and teshuvah described throughout this teaching. And therefore the main sign and marker distinguishing the chayah from the b'hemah is in the horns — for the horns are the main strength and power of an animal, as it is said (Amos 6:13): "Did we not by our own strength take for ourselves horns?" For the horn represents the concentrated power and vitality of the animal — its ability to assert itself and overcome obstacles. And it is in this very aspect of power and assertion that the chayah and b'hemah differ: the chayah's horns are structured differently from the b'hemah's — they are branched and separated, whereas the b'hemah's horns are solid and joined. For the "wild" power of the chayah — the power that comes from being utterly untamed, utterly free — expresses itself in separated, branching horns: like the branching and spreading of the holy speech of the Tzaddik that reaches in many directions to many souls simultaneously. Whereas the more contained, concentrated power of the b'hemah — the power that comes from being focused and channeled — expresses itself in solid, joined horns: the direct, concentrated force of a single-pointed elevation. Regarding what is stated there — that specifically through the abundance of falsehood, the truth is afterward revealed. And similarly it is explained in the sacred conversations (שִֹיחוֹתָיו הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת) of Rabainu, of blessed memory, as well. That is: the very abundance of falsehood and confusion that fills the world — the turbid atmosphere, the impurity, the exile — is itself what brings about the eventual complete revelation of truth. For when the falsehood reaches its peak, its very extremity causes it to collapse, and truth bursts forth. And this is a supreme consolation for us in the exile: that the very depth of the darkness is the sign that the dawn is imminent. And this also explains why the covering of the blood with earth corresponds to truth: for the covering hides the blood from view — it conceals it — and through this very concealment the deeper truth of the blood's elevation is accomplished. The act of concealment (covering) brings about a deeper revelation (the elevation of the life-force). And this is the ultimate paradox of the current exile: the very concealment and hiddenness of Hashem's presence in the world is itself the vehicle for the ultimate revelation. Moshe was heavy of mouth (כְּבַד פֶּה) — "and he spoke for you" [i.e., Aharon spoke for Moshe] etc., and "Aharon your brother shall be your prophet" (וְאַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ יִהְיֶה נְבִיאֶךָ). Aharon loved peace (אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם) — the tranquil pure atmosphere — and drew them close to the Torah. And for this reason he was anointed with the oil of anointment — for Aharon's quality of peace-making and love is the essential quality that creates the pure atmosphere through which the holy speech of Moshe (the Tzaddik) can travel and be received by Israel. Moshe himself was beyond ordinary speech — his speech was at a transcendent level that most people could not directly receive. And therefore Aharon served as the transmitter and translator — through his love and peace he made the holy speech of Moshe accessible to all levels of Israel. And this corresponds to the aspects of things that emerge from a living animal which the Torah permitted without slaughter — specifically milk and honey. For all the forbidden and permitted foods — all of them correspond to the [spiritual process of] clarification: separating the good from the bad that fell through the sin of Adam. And specifically these two things — milk and honey — were permitted by the Torah without any act of slaughter or death, for they are already in a clarified state from the moment of their emergence. For milk is a product of transformation: the animal's food is transformed through its body into a life-sustaining substance — representing a natural process of refinement and clarification that Hashem built into the very structure of creation. And honey similarly: the bee takes the raw nectar of flowers and transforms it through its own body into the refined sweetness of honey. Both represent Hashem's built-in channels of clarification — natural processes of elevating the raw material of the physical world into something more refined and spiritually beneficial. And similarly honey was permitted by the Torah — for it is clarified by itself in the very moment of its formation through Hashem Yisboraych Himself. And honey is an even greater innovation than milk — for milk applies to every [nursing] animal in every generation, while honey is a special creation: it comes from the unclean [the bee is not a kosher insect] yet the Torah permitted it without any reservation — for it is clarified so completely by Hashem's own act that no human act of purification is needed at all. And this hints at Hashem's ability to extract complete goodness even from the most impure sources — this is the supreme act of divine clarification that will be fully revealed in the final redemption. For all the commandments that Hashem Yisboraych commanded us to perform according to the holy Torah — all of them are aspects of clarification: to clarify the good from the bad that fell through Adam's sin. For when Adam sinned, good and evil became intermingled in the world, and the work of the human being through Torah and mitzvos is to separate and clarify the good from the evil — to elevate the fallen sparks of holiness back to their source. And each mitzvah corresponds to a specific type and level of clarification. For example: the mitzvah of tz'dakah clarifies and elevates the spiritual dimension of wealth and material blessing — transforming them from a potential source of ego and separation into a vehicle for love and connection. The mitzvah of Shabbos clarifies and elevates time — separating the holy dimension of time from its merely mundane aspect. The laws of kosher food clarify and elevate the act of eating — transforming it from a merely animal act into a holy service. And so with every mitzvah. And the ultimate clarification — the final separation of good from evil that will occur at the end of days — is being built up through all the acts of clarification performed by Israel throughout history. Each mitzvah, each act of tz'dakah, each moment of Torah study and prayer — all of these contribute to the great final clarification that will bring the complete redemption. And the entire Torah depends on this — for the entire Torah depends only on free choice (בְּחִירָה) which derives from the fact that people do not understand this teaching [of clarification]. And this corresponds to (Psalms 62:12): "Achad diber Elohim shtayim zu shomati" — "G-d spoke once; I heard it twice" — for Hashem's one truth speaks simultaneously on two levels: the level of the clarification that occurs through human effort and the level of the clarification that occurs through Hashem's direct intervention. And a person's free choice lies precisely in the gap between these two levels — in the apparent contradiction between human effort and divine action. For if one fully understood that Hashem performs all the clarification, one might despair of human effort; and if one understood only the human effort, one might be overwhelmed. The free choice is sustained by the mysterious balance between the two — which can only be grasped through faith. And this corresponds to the prohibition of meat-with-milk — which is a novellum (חִדּוּשׁ) — for each one separately is permitted, yet together they are forbidden. For meat corresponds to the clarification that occurs through human effort (through slaughter and its attendant processes), and milk corresponds to the clarification that occurs through Hashem's direct action (as explained in section 36 above) — for milk emerges without any human act of separation. And the prohibition of combining them alludes to the prohibition of conflating and confusing these two modes of clarification in one's mind — for they operate on different levels and through different principles, and mixing them creates confusion and ultimately leads to heresy (as explained in section 51 below). And this also corresponds to honey, which the Torah permitted — and honey is an even greater novellum. For honey comes from the impure (the bee is not kosher) yet the Torah permitted it without any purification process. And this is an even greater innovation than milk — for milk at least comes from a kosher animal — for it hints at a level of divine clarification that transcends all categories of pure and impure: Hashem can draw complete goodness even from utterly impure sources. And this represents the ultimate hope for every fallen and impure person — that Hashem can and will extract the complete good from them, no matter how deep their impurity, through channels that transcend ordinary understanding. And therefore teshuvah avails for all sins in the world — even though one has done what one has done and damaged what one has damaged and ruined what one has ruined — nevertheless teshuvah avails for everything. For just as Hashem can draw complete goodness even from honey — from the completely impure — so He can draw complete goodness from any person, no matter how deep their sins. For the very extremity of the fall — the very completeness of the impurity — can become the source of the greatest elevation. For where one has fallen deepest, the hidden spark of holiness is most intensely compressed, and when it is released through teshuvah, it bursts forth with tremendous power. And this is the inner meaning of the teaching that "in the place where baalei teshuvah stand, even the completely righteous cannot stand" (Berakhot 34b) — for the baal teshuvah who has experienced the deepest fall and returned from it has accessed a level of divine light that the one who never fell has not yet reached. For the compressed spark that was held captive in the deepest impurity, when it is finally liberated, shines with a light more brilliant than any spark that was never captured. And with this, Shimshon (Samson) erred. For he saw that Israel was greatly subjugated under the Philistines, and he saw that it was difficult to clarify the good from them to save Israel — and he thought that through the aspect of honey [emerging from the impure] he could draw the good from among the Philistines directly, without the normal process of clarification through kosher eating and Torah. For he thought: just as honey comes from the bee which is impure and is nevertheless permitted, so I can draw the good directly from the Philistines by engaging with them at their own level. But this was an error — for the honey-principle applies only where Hashem directly performs the clarification; it cannot be replicated through one's own deliberate strategy of engaging with impurity. And therefore when Shimshon went to take a wife from the Philistines, he found honey — as the verse says (Judges 14:8): "for from the carcass of the lion he had scooped out the honey." And at the wedding feast he posed the riddle to them: "Out of the eater came something to eat, and out of the strong came something sweet" — alluding to the honey that came from the lion's carcass. For this was his proof that good can be drawn from evil — that sweetness can come from strength and impurity. But the riddle was revealed through his wife's betrayal — showing that his approach was fundamentally flawed, that one cannot extract good from evil through one's own contrived strategy, but only through Hashem's direct intervention. And this is why we customarily eat honey on Rosh Hashanah — for Rosh Hashanah is the first of the Ten Days of Teshuvah, and the essential rectification of teshuvah corresponds to the aspect of honey: that Hashem Himself directly performs the clarification, drawing complete goodness from the most fallen places, through channels that transcend ordinary understanding. And by eating honey on Rosh Hashanah, we affirm our faith in this supreme form of divine clarification — that no matter how deep our sins of the past year, Hashem can and will extract the complete good from us if we but return to Him in teshuvah. "And it shall come to pass on that day that a great shofar shall be blown, and those who were lost in the land of Ashur and those who were scattered in the land of Egypt shall come [and bow to Hashem on the holy mountain in Jerusalem]" (Isaiah 27:13). "Those who were lost in the land of Ashur" — this is the aspect of the total redemption: not just of the captive goodness that is near to the surface, but even of the most deeply lost and forgotten souls — those who were "lost" and "scattered" — will be gathered back through the great Shofar-blast of the final redemption. For the Shofar-blast corresponds to the ultimate expression of the Tzaddik's holy speech — the speech that can reach even the most deeply buried captive souls. And "Ashur" (אַשּׁוּר) alludes to the word "happiness" (אֹשֶׁר) — for even those who were "lost" in their pursuit of false happiness will ultimately be gathered and restored. And "Egypt" (מִצְרַיִם) — from the word "narrow straits" (מֵצַר) — those who were "scattered" in the narrowest and most constricted states of consciousness, cut off from any awareness of holiness, will also be gathered by the great shofar of the true Tzaddik's speech. "Every word of G-d is pure" (כָּל אִמְרַת אֱלוֹקַ צְרוּפָה, Proverbs 30:5) etc. — in the aspect of "You shall not add to the word and you shall not subtract from it" (לֹא תוֹסִיפוּ עַל הַדָּבָר וְלֹא תִגְרְעוּ מִמֶּנּוּ). For one who wants to seek rational explanations for the mitzvos according to his own reasoning — adding to or subtracting from the Torah according to his own intellect — has violated this prohibition. For the Torah is "pure" — perfectly calibrated by Hashem Himself — and any human addition or subtraction distorts its perfect purity. And this is precisely the error of those who seek to rationalize the dietary laws — to understand exactly why milk-and-meat is forbidden, why the pig is forbidden, why this blood must be covered and that blood not. For the moment one begins to rationalize, one begins to distort — for the true reason is beyond human intellect and corresponds to the deep spiritual realities of the clarification-process as described throughout this teaching. And the moment one thinks he understands and begins to add or subtract based on his "understanding," he has broken the chain of transmission and entered into heretical territory. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "Every word of G-d is pure — but what does the Holy One Blessed be He care whether one slaughters from the throat or from the back of the neck?" etc. — meaning: the mitzvos were given only to purify Israel (לֹא נִתְּנוּ הַמִּצְווֹת אֶלָּא לְצָרֵף בָּהֶם אֶת יִשְֹרָאֵל). That is: the specific details of the mitzvos — slaughter from the throat vs. the back of the neck, this blood covered and that not, this fat forbidden and that permitted — are not arbitrary, and they are not within human rational understanding. Their purpose is precisely to purify and clarify Israel — through the very act of accepting them without rationalization, through pure faith. For the act of accepting the mitzvah without seeking to rationalize it — "I slaughter from the throat because Hashem commanded it, and I do not need to understand why" — is itself the act of purification. It is the act of subordinating one's intellect to Hashem's wisdom, which is the essence of the clarification-process. And conversely, the one who must rationalize everything — who cannot accept any mitzvah without first understanding its reason to his own satisfaction — has in effect elevated his own intellect above Hashem's wisdom, which is the root of all impurity and all fall. And therefore one who walks in simplicity (תְּמִימוּת) will never stumble. As it is written: "The one who walks in simplicity walks securely" (הוֹלֵךְ בְּתֹם יֵלֵךְ בֶּטַח). For through simplicity and faith one fulfills the entire Torah properly. For simplicity does not mean ignorance — it means accepting Hashem's Torah and His ways with complete faith, without the distortion of one's own rationalistic agenda. And one who walks with such simplicity — even if he does not understand all the reasons — fulfills the Torah perfectly, because his acceptance itself is the highest form of fulfillment. And conversely, the brilliant rationalist who seeks to understand everything — to rationalize every mitzvah, to explain every divine decree according to his own logic — ends up stumbling. For his very brilliance becomes his obstacle: he "understands" the mitzvah in a way that actually distorts it, and ends up practicing it in a corrupted form or abandoning it entirely. The simple faithful person who follows the Torah without question invariably does it correctly; the "sophisticated" rationalist invariably introduces distortions. And this is particularly relevant to the dietary laws — for it is precisely these laws that most invite rationalization, since they involve physical pleasure and physical disgust. The one who accepts the dietary laws with perfect simplicity — "I eat only what Hashem permits, because He said so, without any further reasoning" — fulfills these mitzvos in their perfect purity and thereby achieves the most complete clarification of his eating. Whereas the one who rationalizes — "I'll eat this because the reason must be hygiene, and modern refrigeration makes it safe" etc. — has left the path of perfect purification entirely. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said, as brought in Rashi's commentary: "Korach who was perceptive — what did he see that led him to this foolishness? His eye deceived him. He saw a great chain emerging from him etc." That is, as explained above: the clarification that occurs through the seed of children [descendants] is an aspect of the higher clarification that Hashem Himself performs — for when the evil overpowers to such an extent that it is impossible to extract the good [through ordinary means], even if one makes known to the captive goodness its great stature (as described above) — then Hashem causes it to emerge precisely through the very intensification of the evil's power, which drives the good deeper into their consciousness, so that the good bursts forth through the seed of children. And even though the good is clarified [through this route], nevertheless the wicked person who overpowered the good and prevented it from emerging [naturally] will certainly be punished — as we see that even from the descendants of Haman they learned Torah, and similarly from the descendants of Sisera and Sancherib etc. — all of which is an aspect of the above: the clarification of the good through the seed of children. For these notorious wicked ones — Haman, Sisera, Sancherib etc. — grew powerful in their wickedness precisely because the hidden good within them was extraordinarily great. For the greater and more exalted the good, the more intensely the evil overpowers and suppresses it — and from this comes the tremendous power of their wickedness. And Hashem whose thoughts are very deep extracted even from them the good through their seed of children — for from their descendants Torah was learned etc. But these wicked themselves will certainly perish and be punished as they deserve — for the ways of Hashem are just and His judgments are straight, as explained above. And this was Korach's error: he saw that the good within him was extraordinarily great and that awesome Tzaddikim would emerge from his seed — Shmuel and his sons and the twenty-four divisions of the Levites etc., upon whom the entire world depends — and he therefore thought that surely he would be saved. But he saw without knowing what he saw — for Hashem would certainly fulfill His plan and those Tzaddikim would certainly emerge from his seed, and yet he himself still stood in his own trial and had his own free choice. And if he had broken his desire and not disputed against Moshe, he would certainly have been blessed and merited that which he could have merited — for Korach was on a very high level, prepared to merit a very exalted spiritual stature. But he erred and became jealous of the leadership of Elitzafan ben Uziel, which [in truth] was beneath him — and he disputed against Moshe and relied on the good that was destined to emerge from him. But he did not know that the ways of Hashem are great, etc. — for the good would emerge from him [through his descendants], and yet he himself fell unsupported into Gehinnom and was punished greatly through the generations. For the ways of Hashem are just and cannot be grasped — as explained above. And this is the meaning of "And Korach took" — and Korach separated himself (וְאִתְפְּלֵג קֹרַח) — he made a division and separation between the two aspects described above [the clarification through human effort and the clarification through divine action], wanting to understand them with his own intellect, rather than relying on faith that in truth both are one. For the sitra achra [forces of impurity] begins with joining and ends with separation — for it desires to understand with its intellect the joining of two opposites [the two kinds of clarification] which appear as contradictions. And it ends in complete separation — for since it cannot join them with its intellect, it arrives at complete heresy and "cuts off the shoots" (מְקַצֵּץ בַּנְּטִיעוֹת) and makes a complete separation between those who are united [in faith]. For in truth everything is one — only it is impossible to understand this with the intellect, but only through faith alone. But the faithful children of Israel guard themselves from entering into such investigations at all — to join these things with their intellect, Heaven forfend — and rather rely on faith: that in truth they are connected and everything is one, only we cannot grasp it, for "As the heavens are high above the earth, so are His ways higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts" — as explained above. And this is [the deeper meaning of] "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk" (לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ). And it is puzzling — why did the Torah write "in its mother's milk"? After all, in truth even with other milk it is forbidden, as our Sages of blessed memory received in the tradition. But through this, the Torah hinted to us the novellum of the meat-and-milk prohibition: that its prohibition is specifically to not join them — so that the kelipah and the sitra achra not overpower [and try] to understand with the intellect the joining of the two aspects described above, which are the confusions that cannot be understood — for in truth they are all one, but they cannot be understood as described. And this is "You shall not cook a kid in its mother's milk" — for even though the kid nurses from its mother's milk and its entire life and existence is through its mother's milk — even so, in this world it is forbidden to join flesh even with its mother's milk. For the meat is in the aspect of the higher clarification [that Hashem performs directly] — for even though in truth both are one, and indeed the kid nurses from its mother's milk and its main life and existence come from there, for both are one — for our clarification too is ultimately from Hashem Yisboraych, "for who has preceded Me that I should pay him?" (Job 41:3) as described above. Nevertheless, it is forbidden for us to join them and cook them — or eat them together — for it is forbidden for us to join in our minds the understanding of these two aspects of clarification together, as described. And therefore the Torah was careful and wrote the prohibition of meat-and-milk in the language of "in its mother's milk" — to teach us that in truth at their root everything is one. And this is the essential prohibition of meat-and-milk — for it causes the kelipah to overpower and try to join them with the intellect, and through this, separation is made between them. For with the intellect it is certainly impossible to understand them, and then one comes to heresy, Heaven forfend, and makes a complete separation — for the sitra achra begins with joining and ends in separation, as described above. And therefore the Torah forbade us to join meat-and-milk — for it is forbidden to join with our intellect the two aspects described above. For they cannot be understood with the intellect — only through faith alone — but the children of Israel who believe are careful not to enter these investigations at all, Heaven forfend, and rather rest in faith: that in truth everything is one, only we cannot grasp it, as explained above. Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן