סימני עוף טהור ד

Whoever engages in building and maintaining the BHM with intent for his own kavod — damages greatly. Especially when machlokes erupts through each person's pursuit of kavod — each wanting to be among those called up to the Sefer Torah, to receive shishi, etc. (as is common in our many sins). All the more so when they dispute with the truly G-d-fearing people found in every BHM — those who strive to pray with kavvanah, raising their voices to arouse concentration — while the rest of the people not only don't exert themselves in tefillah (being preoccupied during davening with all kinds of foolishness, business concerns, etc., as they know in their hearts) → they also gnash their teeth and rebuke those striving to pray with kavvanah, disturbing their concentration. They engage in idle talk and mundane conversation during tefillah and Kri'as HaTorah → disrupting the tefillah. Furthermore they brazenly claim that these G-d-fearing ones raising their voices in tefillah are disturbing them from their confused evil thoughts! 5

This corresponds to the aspect of worms, whose primary prohibition applies when they are רוֹחֲשִׁים וְשׁוֹרְצִים בַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ — crawling and teeming in the dust of the earth — for there is the primary seat of their power. That place of dust represents the lowest rung of all the lower rungs; there is the main stronghold of their grip, the aspect of "And the serpent — dust shall be his bread" (וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ). For it is there, in the aspect of dust, that the principal damage reaches, as explained above in the laws of בָּשָׂר שֶׁנִּתְעַלֵּם מִן הָעַיִן (meat that was hidden from sight, Halacha 2) — for worms, vermin, and creeping things are the very core of the serpent's filth (זֻהֲמַת הַנָּחָשׁ); they are that filth itself in the most literal sense.

And therefore they have no upright posture whatsoever, not even as animals have; they have no legs at all, only crawling upon the earth in the aspect of "Upon your belly you shall go" (וְעַל גְּחוֹנְךָ תֵּלֵךְ). They are pressed and cleaved most closely to the dust of the earth, where the primary grip of the serpent's filth rests, as stated.

Therefore their prohibition is exceedingly severe, and many negative commandments apply to them — for they are repulsive and abominable things, utterly the filth of the serpent, which defile the soul of man most greatly. They are the direct opposite of the soul's holiness, for the root of all souls of holiness is honor (כָּבוֹד) — as our Rebbe, may his light shine, stated in Torah 67, which corresponds to the perfection of the Holy Tongue (שְׁלֵמוּת לְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ), the aspect of guarding the covenant (שְׁמִירַת הַבְּרִית), wherein lies honor — as explained in his words in many places. The aspect of "Honor Hashem from your wealth" (כַּבֵּד אֶת ה׳ מֵהוֹנֶךָ) corresponds to the perfection of the Holy Tongue, as explained there.

All such people and their like are among the destroyers of the BHK and BHM. Therefore not all Batay K'nessiyos are equal, nor are all who engage in their building equal — for some are among the destroyers. The essential churban of the BHM was through sinas chinam [baseless hatred] → multiplied through the pursuit of kavod → the entire length of the galus (LM I:11). But the average kosher Jews mostly intend for good. However in our many sins there are Batay K'nessiyos truly for evil — those recently innovated... Hashem have mercy. Especially those whose foul smell is heard from afar, who have completely thrown off the yoke... who themselves testify that this never existed before, only beginning some twenty years ago (called kircheh) — even most of their rulers despised them. Regarding all such Batay K'nessiyos for evil, the holy Zohar states (B'raishis 25b) they are among the Bonay HaMigdal [builders of the Tower] — all of whom denied emunas chiddush ha'olam (the source of all their errors). They said: "Havah nivneh lanu ir umigdal v'rosho vaShamayim" — the opposite of all the above tikkunim. They gather and build a city from their evil batim, from their evil ideas → building a tower reaching heaven to rebel against the Makom → to deny the foundation. "Vay'hi chol ha'aretz safah achas ud'varim achadim" — Rashi: "sharp words" = k'firos in chiddush ha'olam. They were not fools who literally planned war against the Creator — rather their intent was to build with their evil ideas against the true ideas of emunas chiddush ha'olam → wanting to remove His Sh'chinah from the lower worlds, that His Name not be remembered, chas v'shalom. "HaChoshvim l'hashki'ach es Sh'mi." Therefore they said: "V'na'aseh lanu shaim" — drawing the name and kavod to themselves, damaging the Name of Hashem (= His kavod: "Uvaruch shaim k'vodo l'olam"). 6

But vermin and crawling things are exceedingly abominable and repulsive things — the direct opposite of honor. They are the ultimate filth of the comprehensive evil, the filth of the serpent, as stated — which is the utter opposite of the perfection of the Holy Tongue. For worms represent the aspect of עֵשָׂו (Esav) — as cited in the Kabbalistic writings in the Kavanos of the Parashas HaTamid — and he is the core of the serpent's filth, of whom it is said: "Greatly despised are you" (בָּזוּי אַתָּה מְאֹד), for therein lies the essence of disgrace and contempt — the opposite of honor, the opposite of the perfection of the Holy Tongue, the guarding of the covenant, the holiness of the soul, as stated.

All this is alluded to in the Sages' statement (Shabbos 11): it is forbidden to raise one's house higher than the Bais HaK'nesses. One's house = one's kavod: "Ki yirbeh k'vod baiso" (Tehilim 49); "K'siferes adam lasheves bayis" (Yeshayahu 44). It is forbidden to raise one's house (= one's kavod) higher than the BHK → wanting to elevate one's kavod above the kavod of the BHK → all his engagement in the BHK is for his own kavod = he is among the Bonay HaMigdal. One must raise only the BHK to be higher than all houses in the city → surrendering all kavod to the BHK → nullifying all one's kavod before the BHK and BHM. The essential tikkun of BHK/BHM = the increase of k'vod Hashem through the kibbutz of neshamos → emunas chiddush ha'olam → uprooting the views of the Bonay HaMigdal = the essential kedushas Yisrael. 7

And this is what our Sages taught: "בָּזוּי אַתָּה מְאֹד" — that they (the kingdom of Esav-Edom) have neither script nor language. That is, he represents the very extreme and ultimate of the serpent's filth, in which there is no good at all. For in every script and language, even in the languages of the seventy nations, there is also some good mixed in — albeit very little. As our Sages said (Menachos 34): "Tat in the Kitfi language means 'two'; pat in the Afriki language means 'two'" — and as explained in our Rebbe's words (Torah 33). But Esav-Edom is called "greatly despised," as stated, having no script and language whatsoever. The holy letters that give him vitality are constricted to the absolute minimum, and the filth overwhelms so greatly that holiness is concealed and obscured there to the extreme — until they have no script and language at all, making them the ultimate opposite of the Holy Tongue, as stated. Therefore he is called "greatly despised." This is the aspect of worms that come from there, as stated — that they defile the soul of man greatly, for they are loathsome and repulsive, the aspect of בָּזוּי מְאֹד as stated; the filth of the serpent — the utter opposite of the Holy Tongue, having neither script nor language, as stated. Therefore worms crawl and teem everywhere and in all kinds of food and drink they teem therein. They attach themselves and cling to everything, for they are the aspect of the ultimate filth of the serpent that winds and clings and wraps around every holy thing — and they are those that destroy and rot and ruin everything in the world when things are not guarded from them well. They are the aspect of the filth of the יֵצֶר הָרָע (Evil Inclination) that is foolish, dim-witted, and contaminated — the lowliest aspect of the Evil Inclination, as cited in our Rebbe's words (Torah 72). It wraps and clings and entangles itself in every holy matter, and it weighs down greatly with sadness and laziness (עַצְבוּת וְעַצְלוּת) — all of which corresponds to the aspect of vermin and creeping things, the filth of the serpent, in the aspect of "The serpent — dust is his bread" — for dust is the aspect of sadness and laziness, as our Rebbe explained (Torah 189). As one sees in practice: vermin and creeping things are in the ultimate state of laziness and sadness, their vitality being less than any other living thing. One must guard himself greatly from this aspect of the Evil Inclination. But with a little attention, awareness, and some quickness, one can separate oneself from them and subdue them — for their vitality is very little and they have no strength; it is very easy to kill them and break them quickly. It is only because they crawl and teem everywhere and cling and entangle themselves and wrap around every holy matter that at first it seems to a person that it is very difficult and burdensome to leave them and break them. But with a little awareness and some quickness, one can kill them by the thousands and tens of thousands each moment — for they have no strength at all, as one sees in practice. The main thing is to guard oneself very greatly at their beginning — when they start to emerge and crawl in the fruit or in anything. For before they have separated, they are permitted. And after they have separated, they are forbidden. For everything comes to be through thought — thought is the essential thing, for without thought nothing can come to be. When the mind crawls and thinks about a holy matter — in the aspect of "My heart stirred a good word" (רָחַשׁ לִבִּי דָּבָר טוֹב) — then the worm, which is the essential adversary of holiness as stated, is wrapped there and seeks a place to crawl and teem in that thought. One must guard the fruits of the intellect very greatly — that they should not become corrupted, Heaven forbid — not allowing it a place to crawl and teem there, Heaven forbid. And even if, Heaven forbid, one's mind has become corrupted and an evil thought begins crawling in his mind, he must guard himself greatly not to allow it a place to go out and separate — Heaven forbid — in the aspect of "Rebuke the beast of the reed" (גְּעַר חַיַּת קָנֶה), as written in our Rebbe's words there. The חַיַּת קָנֶה is the aspect of Esav, the aspect of the worm mentioned — that immediately when an evil thought begins to crawl in one's mind, one must rebuke it, flee from it instantly, not giving it any foothold, Heaven forbid, to crawl as stated. For as long as they have not yet separated, they are still permissible to eat — and one must hasten to eat them before they separate and become forbidden. For at the beginning of an evil thought's crawling, one can turn it to good — if one guards oneself not to sour one's mind, not allowing it to crawl and separate, Heaven forbid. Therefore Elisha — who possessed the perfection of the Holy Tongue in the aspect of "Let there be please a double portion of your spirit upon me" (וַיְהִי נָא פִי שְׁנַיִם בְּרוּחֲךָ אֵלַי), as our Rebbe wrote there — merited that no fly was ever seen upon his table. For flies, which are vermin (שְׁקָצִים), are the opposite of the perfection of the Holy Tongue, as stated. And this is what the Shunammite woman said: "A holy man of God passes through us always" — for she never saw a fly upon his table nor a seminal emission upon his linen, for these two things depend on each other. What protects from seminal emissions is through the perfection of the Holy Tongue — as our Rebbe stated there. And from this very thing, no fly was seen, etc., as stated. And this is also what our Sages learned from this very verse: that the hospitality of Elisha was equivalent to the offering of the daily sacrifice (תְּמִידִין) — as our Sages said: "A holy man, etc. — whoever brings in, etc." — for the תָּמִיד (daily offering) subdues the worm-aspect, from which all flies and vermin come, as stated. And through welcoming a Tzaddik in the aspect of Elisha, one is saved from the worm — for he embodies the offering of the Tamid. See the discourse "Beni Lan Baisa" (Torah 28). Based on what was explained above in the laws of Signs of the Kosher Animal and Beast (Halacha 2) — that pure and impure species depend on whether the illumination of the Tzaddik has already begun to shine within that species. The Tzaddik's illumination is the aspect of the rectification of the worlds — he animates and illuminates both those who dwell above and those who dwell below. The illumination of those who dwell below is the aspect of "The whole earth is filled with His glory" (מְלֹא כָל הָאָרֶץ כְּבוֹדוֹ) — the aspect of "Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust" (הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר) — namely, that he awakens and animates the sparks (נִיצוֹצוֹת) that have descended below and been clothed in animals, beasts, and other species, so they should not despair, for "the whole earth is filled with His glory," etc., as stated. Therefore those species in which this illumination has already begun to shine are pure species. But those species in which this illumination has not shone — and they are in the literal aspect of שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר (dwellers in dust) — and the illumination of the Tzaddik, the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust," has not reached them — they are impure species. For our eating must come from the illumination of the בֵּן וְתַלְמִיד (son and student), which is the illumination through which מַלְכוּת (sovereignty/kingship) receives its sustenance, as explained there. This is the aspect of the prohibition of eating vermin and creeping things — which are forbidden specifically as שֶׁרֶץ הַשּׁוֹרֵץ עַל הָאָרֶץ (the creeping thing that creeps on the earth), for that is the core of their prohibition. These creeping things that crawl on the earth are the actual filth of the serpent — and therefore they crawl on the earth in the aspect of "the serpent — dust is his bread." For the earth was cursed on account of Adam's sin, which came through the serpent's filth, and it produced these species. As Rashi explained on the verse, "Cursed is the ground on your account" — it will bring forth cursed things for you. Therefore the prohibition of worms applies specifically when crawling on the earth, or if they have separated — for that too is called crawling on the earth, since there is the core stronghold of the serpent's filth, in the aspect of "the serpent — dust is his bread," as stated. Since they are the aspect of the core filth of the serpent, no rectification (תִּקּוּן) reaches them — for absolute evil is not rectified; it remains below. Therefore they are forbidden for eating, since we cannot rectify it — we must rather separate from it entirely, since it is absolute evil and the Tzaddik's illumination, which is the aspect of rectification, does not reach it as stated. For in truth, the core illumination of the Tzaddik — that he awakens and animates those who dwell below, i.e., the sparks that have fallen below as stated — is primarily to rectify and elevate them from the aspect of dust where the serpent's bite resides in the aspect of "the serpent — dust is his bread." Therefore the Tzaddik illuminates them and awakens them in the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust" — שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר specifically. For these sparks fell and descended to the bottom, to the realm of the קְלִפּוֹת (outer shells/husks), and the serpent's filth gripped them — therefore they are called "dwellers in dust." And so the Tzaddik animates and awakens them, calling out: "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust" — שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר specifically — for he awakens and rouses them and brings them out from the dust, from the serpent's filth. He reveals to them that "the whole earth is filled with His glory," that even in earthliness and dust — though the סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא (Other Side) grips there — even so, even there one can find Hashem Yisborach, for "the whole earth is filled with His glory and His kingship rules over all." Therefore those species that have signs of purity — which are signs that this illumination has begun to shine within them — are pure. As explained above, see there. For everything came from the dust, and therefore all require rectification. This is the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust." But these vermin and creeping things — the creeping thing that creeps on the earth — are the aspect of the serpent's actual filth, cursed to "go upon your belly," their primary growth in the dust in the aspect of "dust is the serpent's bread" — they are in the very aspect of literal שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר upon whom no rectification has arrived, since they are the aspect of absolute evil, the full force of that filth — therefore they are forbidden for eating. But worms that develop in fruit while it is detached — as long as they have not separated, they are permitted for eating. For they came into being from the body of the fruit itself, which is the aspect of the above-mentioned rectification. For the body of the fruit came into being through that rectification, as stated. Therefore the worms that develop within it are also permitted, since the illumination of the rectification is in them — since they came into being inside the fruit that grew through the rectification of the Tzaddik in the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust." But if the worms separated, they then bear the name of שֶׁרֶץ הַשּׁוֹרֵץ עַל הָאָרֶץ and are then forbidden. Likewise when fruit became infested while still attached to the ground — they are also forbidden on account of the creeping thing that creeps on the earth, since while the fruit was still attached to the ground it imbibed from the earth, which is the root of the creeping things' grip — the filth of the serpent — as stated. Therefore they are forbidden. But once the fruit has been detached from the ground and completely severed, the worms then crawl only from the body of the fruit alone — therefore they are permitted for eating, for the body of the fruit is pure, for the fruit's coming into being is from the aspect of the rectification, in the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust," which corresponds to the falling of rain, as stated. Worms that develop in slaughtered animals after slaughter are also permitted — for the living creature has already been rectified through the slaughter, and slaughter is also the illumination of that rectification (as explained in the laws of Shechitah, see there). Therefore the worms that develop in the meat after slaughter are also permitted. But if they developed before slaughter, they are forbidden — for even a kosher species requires slaughter, since a living creature requires a greater rectification, having vitality within it. Therefore worms that slaughter does not benefit are forbidden. But if they developed after slaughter in the meat, they are permitted — since the illumination of the rectification already shone through the slaughter, as stated. This corresponds to the rain that falls from the heavens to the earth and strikes the earth and brings forth vegetation — which is the aspect of the sparks that had been laid in the earth. For rain is the aspect of the waters of knowledge (מֵימֵי הַדַּעַת) that illuminates the sparks laid in the earth, striking them and awakening them in the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust." And this is what is written: "And it shall be on that day, I will answer the heavens and they will answer the earth" — which Rashi there explains refers to rain. "They will answer" specifically — for they call out in a great voice to the earth to bring forth vegetation; that is, the rains call out powerfully upon the earth: "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust" — meaning that the sparks lying in the earth's dust should awaken and sprout. This is why the growth and sprouting of all vegetation and fruits comes about in this manner — for they begin to sprout and rise from the earth when the Tzaddik's illumination, the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust," shines upon them, which corresponds to the falling of rain. For the rains correspond to the resurrection of the dead (Taanit 7), as cited in our Rebbe's words, and therefore they were established in the blessing of מְחַיֵּה הַמֵּתִים (Who revives the dead) — for they actually revive the dead, animating the sparks that fell below, which are the aspect of the actually dead. Therefore our Sages said: "Great is the day of rains like the day of the ingathering of the exiles" — for the ingathering of exiles is the aspect of gathering the scattered and fallen sparks, the aspect of "He gathers the dispersed of Israel" (נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְכַנֵּס). This too is the aspect of rains — for through rain there is also the gathering and ascent of the sparks in the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust." Therefore the primary sustenance comes through the illumination of the son and student, as cited there in the above discourse. For from there come the rains, in the aspect of "As the rain comes down from the heavens" — heaven being the aspect of the מַקִּיפִים (encompassing lights), the aspect of גַּלְגַּלִּים (spheres). And therefore through rain comes sustenance. With this we can resolve what is difficult for all the commentators: why did the Torah link reward for the commandments to the falling of rain — as it says, "If you walk in My statutes... I will give your rains in their season", and similarly, "If you diligently listen... I will give the rain of your land in its time"? But in truth, the falling of rains alludes to the actual reward of the World to Come — for the falling of rains is the illumination of the מַקִּיפִים, through which the Tzaddik illuminates those who dwell below, in the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust," which corresponds to rain. And this is a foretaste of the World to Come, for the essence of the World to Come is the illumination of the מַקִּיפִים, the aspect of "As it will be said to Jacob and to Israel: What has God wrought?" (כָּעֵת יֵאָמֵר לְיַעֲקֹב) — which is the aspect of מַקִּיפִים, the aspect of מַה (What). And this is "I will give your rains in their season" — בְּעִתּוֹ specifically, the aspect of כָּעֵת (as at the time), as explained in our Rebbe's comment on the verse "And You give them their food in its time", see there (Likutay Tinyana 7). It thus emerges that all vegetation and all fruits come into being through the illumination of the above-mentioned rectification — the aspect of "Awake and sing, dwellers in dust" — for through this they emerge from the earth and grow and sprout. Therefore the Torah forbade us no fruit for eating — all fruits are kosher for eating, for they all came into being through the illumination of the above rectification, and from that flows the permission to eat, as stated. Therefore even worms that develop in detached fruit are permitted for eating as long as they have not separated — for they came into being from the body of the fruit itself, which is the above-mentioned rectification. And therefore even those worms that develop in them are permitted — since there is the illumination of the rectification in them, since they came into being inside the fruit that grew through that rectification. But once the worms have separated, they bear the name of שֶׁרֶץ הַשּׁוֹרֵץ עַל הָאָרֶץ and are forbidden — for the core prohibition of worms is when they are in the category of "the creeping thing that creeps on the earth," where the primary grip of the serpent's filth resides, as stated. The essential principle is: even when one falls greatly, Heaven forbid — falling into doubts and troubled thoughts, even thinking disturbed thoughts about Hashem Yisborach — nonetheless one can still return to Hashem Yisborach. For the fall and descent is the ultimate purpose of the ascent (הַיְרִידָה הִיא תַּכְלִית הָעֲלִיָּה). For the root of all creation is honor (כָּבוֹד) — for "the whole earth is filled with His glory," since in all Ten Utterances through which the world was created, His glory Yisborach is clothed. And there is a boundary for each level of honor clothed in each utterance, that it not spread to outer places — the aspect of "My glory I will not give to another" (וּכְבוֹדִי לְאַחֵר לֹא אֶתֵּן). But from where do the impure places receive vitality? There is a מַאֲמָר סָתוּם — a sealed/concealed utterance — and through the greatness of the hiddenness and concealment, they receive vitality from there. This sealed utterance is the aspect of אַיֵּה (Where?), the aspect of בְּרֵאשִׁית — the sealed utterance. Therefore when a person falls, Heaven forbid, to such places — the impure places — and sees himself as far from Hashem's glory, and since he is far from His glory Yisborach it seems there is no place there, for such impure places have no name of "place" at all (as below) — then he begins to distress himself, to yearn and seek and search: "Where is His glory's place?" Because he sees himself far from His glory Yisborach. And then, though he has in truth fallen to the place he has fallen — Heaven forbid — to the impure places, etc., nonetheless since he is searching and seeking: אַיֵּה (Where?) — the place of His glory — through this very thing, the descent is the ultimate purpose of the ascent. For through this very thing he ascends to the supreme sanctity, to the aspect of אַיֵּה — the sealed utterance — to above the level of "place." And this is: "Where (אַיֵּה) is the lamb for the burnt offering?" — for the impure places are the aspect of the heart's crookedness (עַקְמוּמִיּוּת) and troubled thoughts, the aspect of "My heart reels." And for this one needs to bring a burnt offering. And through the aspect of אַיֵּה mentioned above, this is rectified — for the descent becomes the ultimate ascent, and from this becomes a burnt offering to atone for sins of the heart's troubled thoughts, etc., as stated. Now, all worms and vermin and creeping things are the aspect of impure places — for they are loathsome, repulsive, filthy things, which come into being from the filth and corruption of all things, as one sees with one’s own senses: when something rots and decays greatly, worms swarm within it. Therefore the Torah forbade us to eat such things, since these things are far from His glory Yisborach — for all our eating and all our actions must be entirely only for the sake of His glory Yisborach (as mentioned above in the teaching cited). And all things that are far from His glory Yisborach — from them we must distance ourselves, as stated. Yet nevertheless, worms found in detached fruit are permitted as long as they have not separated. Our Sages, of blessed memory, derived this from the verse: “All the creeping thing that creeps upon the earth” — that the prohibition applies only when it creeps upon the earth, meaning when it has separated outward. And in this the Torah hinted to us the abovementioned matter: that even worms, which are disgusting and loathsome — being the aspect of impure places, meaning that the corruption in the fruit has become so overpowering that worms have formed within it — even so, we may still eat them as long as they have not separated. For as long as the corruption is inside the fruit and is not separating outward, there is still rectification for it. For in truth, even in the impure places — even in the aspect of vermin and creeping things — there is His vitality Yisborach within them, for without the vitality of Hashem Yisborach they could not exist at all. But they receive their vitality from the aspect of אַיֶּה, from the aspect of the sealed utterance, etc., as stated — which is the aspect of “And where (אַיֶּה) is the lamb for the burnt offering?”, etc., as stated. And therefore תּוֹלָע (worm) has the same letters as עוֹלַת (burnt offering) — as is brought in the Kabbalistic intentions of the Parasha of the Tamid — meaning that the vitality of the worms, which are the aspect of impure places, their vitality comes from the aspect of “אַיֶּה — where is the lamb for the burnt offering?”, as stated. And this is what the Torah hinted to us through the laws of worms — the abovementioned matter: that when a person falls, Heaven forbid, to such places, then as long as he is still searching for the place of His glory, there is still hope for him, etc., as stated. And therefore even the worms in fruit, which are the aspect of impure places, are still permitted for eating as long as they have not separated outward — for when they separate outward they are forbidden on account of “the creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” For the prohibition of the worm is when it separates from the fruit outward and creeps upon the earth. For in truth: the fullness of all the earth is His glory — “the fullness of all the earth” specifically — for the primary revelation of His glory is through the aspect of the earth, as it is written: “and the earth illuminated from His glory.” For eretz (earth) is the aspect of Malchus, which is the aspect of kavod (glory) (as explained elsewhere), and there all Ten Utterances through which the world was created are revealed — for the root of them all is glory. And the Ten Utterances are the aspect of the ten kedushos (sanctities) encompassed within the earth — for the principal of the earth is Eretz Yisroel, where all ten sanctities reside. And so too in every place where there is any holiness, it is a mikdash me’at (minor sanctuary) and has the aspect of those ten sanctities, which are the aspect of the Ten Utterances, in which His glory Yisborach is clothed, as in “the fullness of all the earth is His glory.” But in the impure places — there His glory Yisborach cannot clothe itself, for “My glory I shall not give to another.” Rather, their vitality comes only from the aspect of the sealed utterance, etc., as stated. And when a person falls there, Heaven forbid, then when he merits to have compassion upon himself and sees that his place is far from His glory Yisborach — and since he is far from His glory Yisborach, he is not called by the name of makom (place) at all — for impure places are not called by the name of makom at all, as it is written: “for all the tables are filled with vomit and filth — without makom”, and as it is written: “and in the absence of makom”, etc. For the very essence of makom is where there is the resting of holiness — for it is on that account that it is called makom, named after His sanctity Yisborach, for He Yisborach is called Makom, and therefore He Yisborach is addressed by the name HaMakom, as one says: HaMakom yerachaym alecha — “May the Place have compassion upon you,” etc. Therefore only in places where there is some resting of holiness is it called by the name makom — but the impure places are the aspect of b’li makom, without place, as stated. For they were not worthy of being created at all — for even Hashem Yisborach, as it were, regrets having created them. And therefore when a person falls there, Heaven forbid, and sees within himself that he has no place whatsoever — for in these places there is no name of His glory Yisborach and they are not called by the name of makom at all, as stated — and he asks and searches and seeks: אַיֶּה מָק&#x05D5ֹם כְּב&#x05D5ֹד&#x05D5ֹ — “Where is the place of His glory?” For as long as a person is in such places, Heaven forbid — meaning in the outer places, etc. — truly he has no place whatsoever and he is a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth, as Kayin said: “Behold, You have banished me today from upon the face of the earth, and from Your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a wanderer and a fugitive upon the earth,” etc. — for when a person sins, Heaven forbid, and distances himself from the glory of Hashem Yisborach, it is as though he returns the entire world to tohu vavohu (formlessness and void), and as though he destroys the entire world utterly. And therefore he has no place whatsoever. But when he merits at the very least to know the truth and to see his great damage and ruin — that he has destroyed the entire world, and on that account he has no place whatsoever, for in the outer places there is no place at all, as they are b’li makom, as stated — and when he sees and knows and believes all of this and begins to look upon himself and has compassion upon himself, and asks אַיֶּה מָק&#x05D5ֹם כְּב&#x05D5ֹד&#x05D5ֹ — then he ascends to the ultimate ascent and rises to the supreme holiness above all holinesses, to the aspect of אַיֶּה, for this aspect is in truth above place, for the aspect of אַיֶּה is above place. It emerges, then, that the descent is the ultimate ascent — for the descent through which he fell so low that he had no place at all, being in the aspect of tohu vavohu which is below place, is now reversed, and through this he ascends to the supreme level — to the aspect above place, which is the aspect of אַיֶּה, etc., as stated. And therefore the worms in fruit — as long as they have not separated outward to creep upon the earth — are permitted for eating. For as long as the corruption is within the fruit and does not separate outward, but remains in its place, there is still hope for it through the aspect of אַיֶּה — which is the vitality of those places, as stated. But when it begins to separate outward to creep upon the earth — meaning when it wants to make a place for itself on the earth in its filth and impurity — as there are, Heaven forbid, so very many who have gone completely outside through their falling and descending, who wished to make a dwelling for themselves upon the earth — like those who said they would go and enjoy this world, Rachamana litzlan (may the Merciful One save us). This came upon them on account of their great fall, that they fell and distanced themselves from His glory Yisborach. And since they saw that they were distant from His glory Yisborach, they went completely outside and wished to creep upon the earth to enjoy this world. Woe unto them, woe unto their souls! And immediately when they wish to spread themselves out in this world, the contamination intensifies within them more and more — for in this world, in a place where there is no holiness, the contamination of the serpent intensifies, in the aspect of “and dust is the serpent’s food.” And this is what the Torah hinted to us: that the worm — which is the aspect of the contamination of the serpent, the aspect of the impure places — as long as it is within the fruit and has not separated outward to creep upon the earth, it is still permitted for eating. For it can still be returned to holiness — raised to its root, to the aspect of אַיֶּה, which is the aspect of “אַיֶּה — where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” — the aspect of the olas tamid, the perpetual burnt offering, which has the same letters as תּוֹלָע (worm) — and it is possible to transform from the aspect of תּוֹלָע (worm) to the aspect of עוֹלַת (burnt offering), which is the aspect of אַיֶּה, the sealed utterance, etc., as stated. But when it separates outward to creep upon the earth — then it is an impure creeping thing and is forbidden to eat, for upon the earth one may eat only things in which His holiness and glory Yisborach are present. But the aspect of impure places — there the contamination of the serpent grips the earth all the more, in the aspect of “and dust is the serpent’s food,” as stated. And it cannot be rectified except by lifting it from the earth, from the aspect of place entirely — meaning when one merits to discern within oneself and know that one has no place whatsoever, etc., as stated, and asks and beseeches: “אַיֶּה מָק&#x05D5ֹם כְּב&#x05D5ֹד&#x05D5ֹ — where is the place of His glory?” in the aspect of “and from there you shall seek Hashem your G-d” — misham, from there, specifically (as has been taught in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory) — meaning from the very place where one is, without separating outward, Heaven forbid. And then the descent is reversed into ascent, etc., as stated. And therefore: as long as they have not separated, it is permitted — meaning as long as one does not separate outward to creep upon the earth to make a place for oneself upon the earth, Heaven forbid, etc., as stated — but rather seeks Hashem Yisborach from one’s place, in the aspect of “and from there you shall seek Hashem your G-d, and you shall find — misham, from there — specifically,” etc. For one sees that one has no place upon the earth, etc., as stated — then one merits to ascend to the ultimate ascent, for one merits the aspect of אַיֶּה, the sealed utterance, etc., the aspect of “and where (אַיֶּה) is the lamb for the burnt offering?”, etc., as stated. Therefore we recite the Parashas HaTamid (the passage of the daily offering) before prayer in the morning — when rectifying the World of Asiyah (Action), as is known — for through the עוֹלַת תָּמִיד (daily burnt offering) one elevates the sparks from the depths of the husks and raises them to holiness. And all this is through the above aspect — the aspect of "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" through which one elevates all the sparks from the depths of the husks to the supreme holiness, to the aspect of אַיֵּה, as stated. This is the aspect of the עוֹלַת תָּמִיד which is the same letters as תּוֹלָע (worm) — transforming from the aspect of תּוֹלָע, the impure places of the outer forces, to the aspect of עוֹלַת, as stated. And therefore the ascent of the offerings reaches to אֵין סוֹף (Infinity) — for the sparks are elevated from the depths of the husks, from the impure places, through the aspect of descent-as-ultimate-ascent, rising to the aspect of אַיֵּה — the sealed utterance — which is the aspect of אֵין סוֹף. This is the aspect of "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" — that is, the lamb of the עוֹלַת תָּמִיד, as stated. And this is: "Though your sins be like crimson... and though they be red as the worm (כַּתּוֹלָע), they shall be as wool" — for through the above-mentioned repentance — not despairing from any fall whatsoever, but always seeking and searching after His glory, however things may be — through this one merits to ascend to the utmost height, to the aspect of אַיֵּה, the sealed utterance, etc. And through this all one's sins are forgiven — for from the aspect of אַיֵּה comes the primary forgiveness and pardon for all sins, in the aspect of "For with You is forgiveness" (כִּי עִמְּךָ הַסְּלִיחָה) — עִמְּךָ specifically. For the sealed utterance of אַיֵּה is the aspect of כֶּתֶר (Crown), as is known — the aspect of the thirteen Tikkunim of the Dikna (beard), which are the thirteen attributes of mercy, from which comes the primary pardon and forgiveness — the aspect of "Bearing iniquity and transgression." And the תִּקּוּנֵי דִּיקְנָא are the aspect of צֶמֶר (wool) — as is known, they are the same letters as מֵצַר (constriction/straits) — the aspect of "From the straits I called out to God" (מִן הַמֵּצַר קָרָאתִי יָהּ), as explained in the Kabbalistic works. And this is: "Though they be red as the worm (כַּתּוֹלָע), they shall be as wool (כַּצֶּמֶר)" — for even if one falls into tremendous sins, which are the aspect of תּוֹלָע, the impure places as stated — nonetheless through the seeking and searching for "Where is His glory's place?" and not wanting to leave one's place and separate outward — which is the harshest and most severe of all things: when one despairs, Heaven forbid, and separates oneself entirely, which is the aspect of "one who sins repeatedly and separates is hardest of all." But as long as one does not abandon one's place — in the aspect of "if the spirit of the Ruler rises against you, do not leave your place" — however things may be; even though one sees himself truly flawed and corrupted and very far from His glory, nonetheless one has compassion upon oneself and always asks, seeks, and searches: "Where is His glory's place?" — for certainly, truly, there is no place to flee from before Him, as it says "Where can I go from Your spirit?" — then through this very thing one merits to ascend to the aspect of אַיֵּה, the sealed utterance, etc., as stated. And through this one is pardoned for all transgressions — as stated, from that place comes the primary forgiveness. And thus: "Though they be as the worm (כַּתּוֹלָע), they shall be as wool (כַּצֶּמֶר) specifically" — which are the aspect of the תִּקּוּנֵי דִּיקְנָא, drawn from the aspect of אַיֵּה — which one merits through transforming תּוֹלָע into עוֹלַת through the seeking and searching, etc., as stated. This is the aspect of אַיֵּה — which is the aspect of wool, the aspect of the תִּקּוּנֵי דִּיקְנָא, the thirteen attributes of mercy, through which the Holy One Blessed Be He forgives all the sins of His people Israel with mercy, Amen and Amen. Therefore Cain — who said "You have driven me out this day... and from Your face I shall be hidden" — did teshuvah, as cited in the holy Zohar: וְכַד תָּב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא (when he returned in repentance), etc. For Cain sinned greatly — the filth of the serpent gripped him mightily, the aspect of קֵינָא דִּמְסָאֲבוּתָא (the bird of impurity), the aspect of impure places. And he saw himself as very far from His glory Yisborach. Therefore he said he has no place in the world, etc., as stated — for those places are the aspect of "without place" as stated. He therefore said "You have driven me out," for he has no place in the world. And this is "from Your face I shall be hidden" — he is far and hidden from His glory. And through this very thing — that he looked at himself and saw that he is far from His glory Yisborach, etc., as stated — through this he merited the aspect of אַיֵּה, etc. And this is what is written: "Hashem set a sign for Cain" (וַיָּשֶׂם ה׳ לְקַיִן אוֹת). Our Sages expounded: a horn shone for him (זָרַח לוֹ קֶרֶן) — the aspect of the קֶרֶן הַשּׁוֹפָר (horn of the Shofar), which is the aspect of the Shofar of Yitzchak's ram — the aspect of "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?", as stated. And this is what is written in the Tikkunim: וְכַד תָּב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא כְּדֵין וַיָּשֶׂם ה׳ לְקַיִן אוֹת — "When he returned in repentance, then: Hashem set a sign for Cain." For the seeking and searching of אַיֵּה — the place of His glory — as stated, this is the essence of repentance, as explained in the above discourse. And through this he merited to ascend to the ultimate height, to the aspect of אַיֵּה, the sealed utterance, as stated — which is the aspect of that sign, the aspect of the horn of the Shofar of Yitzchak's ram, the aspect of "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?", as stated. Let us first explain somewhat the sparkling that sparkles in my mind — some hints in the wondrous tale of the sixth of the Seven Beggars, of the one born without hands who boasted of the extraordinary wonders of the power in his hands. See the entire tale there — about the King's Daughter whom the King seized, and he saw in a dream that she would kill him, and he deliberated over what to do with her, etc. Through this their love was disrupted and she fled from him into a palace of water that has ten walls of water. And he chased after her with all his armies and shot all ten types of arrows at her, and they reached her, and she fled inside all the ten walls of water and became weakened. And it is he who is born without hands who heals her — for he has such power in his hands that he can remove all ten types of arrows; he can enter inside all the walls of water; he knows all ten types of pulse; and he can play all ten types of melody which are her cure. (See all of this there carefully.) The secret of this tale is concealed from all the worlds. Yet nonetheless each of us has permission to search and seek in it for whatever hints we may find, as I understood from his words. The matter is: the King's Daughter is the aspect of the souls of Israel, called the King's Daughter — the aspect of "Hearken, O daughter, and see" (שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי), the aspect of "All the glory of the King's Daughter is inward" (כָּל כְּבוּדָהּ בַּת מֶלֶךְ פְּנִימָה). The King who seized her is the Evil Inclination — the aspect of "an old and foolish king." He saw in a dream that she would kill him — for he himself sees and understands that ultimately the souls of Israel will overpower him and kill him and remove him from the world, the aspect of "I will remove the spirit of impurity from the land." And through this the love between them was disrupted and she fled from him — into the aspect of Torah, the ten walls of water. The ten types of arrows he shot at her correspond to his intensified attack and provocation — for he provokes the scholar who studies Torah most intensely of all. As our Sages said: he leaves the entire world and provokes only Israel; and more than that — he leaves all of Israel and provokes only Torah scholars. As written: "Because he has greatly enlarged his doing" — he extended his hand against the great ones. She fled inside all ten walls of water — Torah — and weakened from the poisoned arrows. And he who is born without hands heals her — through ten types of melody (נְגִינָה), which are the aspect of joy (שִׂמְחָה), as our Rebbe stated — for the main power of the arrows is through sadness (עַצְבוּת), the aspect of "the serpent — dust is his bread," and dust is the aspect of sadness and laziness, as our Rebbe stated (Torah 189, Likutay part 1). The main power of the Evil Inclination is through the blemishing of the covenant (פְּגַם הַבְּרִית), and the main draw toward lust and blemish of the covenant comes through sadness. And therefore our Rebbe instituted the ten Psalms of the תִּקּוּן הַכְּלָלִי (General Rectification) as a rectification for the covenant — for they are the ten types of melody, the aspect of joy — since the main blemish of the covenant comes through sadness. Our Rebbe's words in this tale speak on both general and particular levels. On the general level: the בַּת מֶלֶךְ is the מַלְכוּת דִּקְדֻשָּׁה (Kingdom of Holiness) — the root of all souls, the root of all worlds. All were created to reveal His Kingship through this lowly human being specifically. The King who took her is the evil kingdom (מַלְכוּת הָרְשָׁעָה) that wants to overpower the Kingdom of Holiness and obscure His Kingship from the world. She fled into the waters — the aspect of "The earth was formless and empty and darkness..." — the aspect of the broken worlds from which the evil kingdom draws its strength. "And the spirit of God" — this is the spirit of the Mashiach; the Kingdom of Holiness which is the Kingdom of Mashiach — "hovered over the face of the waters," the ten walls of water. Water here is the aspect of שֵׁם מַ״ה — the new light of מַ״ה, the World of Rectification (עוֹלַם הַתִּקּוּן). For it is known in the writings of the Ari z"l that the four fundamental elements — fire, wind, water, earth — correspond to the four names: ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, ב״ן — which correspond to the four worlds of Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah. The Sheviras HaKeilim (Breaking of the Vessels) occurred primarily in the aspect of ב״ן, which is the aspect of earth/dust. And the rectification came through the aspect of water, which is מַ״ה. Therefore water purifies from all impurities. This is the aspect of the Splitting of the Reed Sea — the aspect of "And the waters were a wall unto them" (וְהַמַּיִם לָהֶם חוֹמָה) — drawn from the aspect of the ten walls mentioned above. All of Israel is the aspect of the בַּת מֶלֶךְ — the Kingdom of Holiness that comprises the souls of Israel. The King who seized her is Pharaoh, King of Egypt, whose power derives from the סַמֵּ״ךְ מֵ״ם, the heavenly minister of Egypt. And this is the secret of why Sarah was taken to Pharaoh's house and to Avimelech's house — all this alluded to the exile in Egypt. For the evil kingdom saw from afar that Israel would ultimately overcome it — therefore it devised schemes, until ultimately they fled, the aspect of "It was told to the King of Egypt that the people had fled." And they came to the palace of water and entered all ten walls, the aspect of "And the waters were a wall for them." And they crossed the sea safely. But Pharaoh and his army who pursued them drowned in the sea. And he shot all ten arrows after them — the aspect of "And the angel of God... went behind them." Rashi explains: they received all the arrows and sling-stones of Egypt. And the ten trials with which our ancestors tested the Holy One Blessed Be He — the Golden Calf, the spies, etc. — these are the ten trials that were drawn from the ten types of arrows that he shot at them into the ten walls of water. And we have not yet been healed from them. And from these come all the ailments of the Congregation of Israel in her exile, as she cries: "Support me with flagons... for I am sick with love" — the aspect of "His arrows have sunk into me". Yet Hashem Yisborach prepared the cure before the wound — He helped her flee into the ten walls of water, which is Torah. For the Torah is the primary life and cure: "The Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul." And ultimately the true Healer shall come — he who has the power in his hands — and shall heal her completely. And this is the Shirat HaYam (Song at the Sea), drawn from the ten types of melody. "Az Yashir Moshe" — "sang" is not written, but "will sing" — for the perfect song will only be at the time of Mashiach, when all ten types of melody are awakened. And therefore they concluded: "Hashem shall reign forever and ever" — in the future tense, for the revelation of His Kingship, which is the cure of the King's Daughter, will be in the future, when "Hashem shall be King over all the earth." When you examine the tale carefully, you will find that our Rebbe spoke of four things, each comprising ten: (1) ten types of arrows; (2) ten walls of water, which are the ten types of tzedakah; (3) ten types of pulse, which are the ten measures of wisdom; (4) ten types of melody, which are the ten types of walls. (See the entire tale there.) A person of understanding will readily see that they hint at the four worlds of אֲצִילוּת, בְּרִיאָה, יְצִירָה, עֲשִׂיָּה — and all the aspects of the four that I brought above: the aspects of טַ״נְתָּ״א — Teamim, Nekudos, Tagim, Osiyos — which are the aspects of the four divine names: ע״ב, ס״ג, מ״ה, ב״ן, which are the root of the four worlds. The ten arrows correspond to the World of Asiyah — for there is the primary grip of the husks and the Other Side, from which come all the arrows that afflict the Shechinah. The ten walls of water correspond to Yetzirah — the aspect of מַ״ה, the aspect of the element of water, from which rectification flows. The ten types of pulse correspond to Beriah — the aspect of ס״ג, the aspect of nekudos (vowel points). The ten types of melody correspond to Atzilus — the aspect of ע״ב, the aspect of teamim (cantillation), for the teamim are the aspect of the ten types of melody, the cantillation of the melody. Everything from all these must be drawn to heal the King's Daughter and save her from the old foolish King — for the entire unfolding of all the worlds from beginning to end was all for the sake of Kingship, to reveal His Kingship, as is known. It thus emerges: the World of Asiyah corresponds to the aspect of dust — there is the primary grip of the above-mentioned arrows, i.e., the power of the husks and the Other Side. Therefore the closer something is to the earth, the greater the grip of the filth in it. And therefore worms that crawl on the earth — being closer to the earth than all living creatures, literally crawling and creeping on the earth — they are all forbidden, with no kosher species among them, for they are all forbidden on account of "the creeping thing that creeps on the earth" — הַשּׁוֹרֵץ עַל הָאָרֶץ specifically — for there the grip of the Other Side is greatest, the aspect of "the serpent — dust is his bread." And from there come all the ten types of arrows, as stated. Therefore they are all forbidden. But worms in detached fruit that have not separated — not being in the category of "crawling on the earth" — are permitted. For the core prohibition of worms is because they crawl on the earth, where the grip of the Other Side is greatest — the aspect of the arrows, as stated. This is the aspect of the passage of the Korban HaTamid recited in the morning — to purify and rectify the World of Asiyah, as is known. The primary purpose is to subdue the husk called תּוֹלָע through the עוֹלַת תָּמִיד, as cited in the Kabbalistic writings. For in Asiyah is the primary grip of the תּוֹלָע husk — an exceedingly hard husk from which flow all worms that crawl on the earth, the full force of Asiyah's filth — and their subjugation comes through the offerings, the aspect of the Korban HaTamid, for the offerings are very lofty and have the power to purify the full force of Asiyah's filth, as explained in the Kabbalistic writings. For it is explained in the tale that he possessed such power in his hands that when he shoots an arrow he can bring it back, etc. Through this he could heal the King's Daughter. The slaughter of the offerings — with sword and knife, which are the aspect of arrows — is the sweetening of judgments at their root, and from this it removes from her all the evil arrows, healing her. This is the aspect of the knife of slaughter in the forward-and-back motion: as our Sages said, the measure of the knife is so that it goes forward and back — for slaughter is specifically through forward and back, the aspect of shooting and returning the arrows, i.e., the sweetening of judgments at their root. And this is: fish and locusts do not require slaughter — our Sages learned from the verse "Every living thing that swarms in the waters" — that locusts are equated with fish, and therefore do not require slaughter. For the water fortress of the tale hints to the wisdom and intellect present in the vacated space (חָלָל הַפָּנוּי) that came about through the צִמְצוּם (contraction/withdrawal). For it seemed that there is no light of wisdom there — yet in truth even in the vacated space itself there is His light Yisborach, which is wisdom and intellect — only that this intellect, concealed and hidden in the contraction of the vacated space, cannot be attained now, until the Future to Come when it will be revealed that the vacated space is like the silkworm whose garment is from itself and within itself — the aspect of "And my righteousness will answer for me on the morrow" (וְעָנְתָה בִּי צִדְקָתִי בְּיוֹם מָחָר). The aspect of "I clothed myself in righteousness" (צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי) — as explained in the Torah Bo el Paroh (Torah 64), see there. Therefore fish, whose root is from the World of Rectification that will be revealed in the Future — they do not require slaughter. Therefore the Tzaddikim are compared to fish — they are the aspect of Mashiach, drawing forth in each generation wondrous rectifications from the aspect of the rectification to be revealed in the Future — the aspect of the ten walls of water. And the primary maintenance of these walls of water is through the merit and power of the mitzvah of צְדָקָה (charity), as explained in the tale. Therefore the signs of fish are fin and scale — the scale (קַשְׂקֶשֶׂת) corresponding to tzedakah, the aspect of "He clothed himself in righteousness as armor, a coat of scale-mail" (שִׁרְיוֹן קַשְׂקַשִּׁים), as explained above in the laws of Fish, see there. For tzedakah is the aspect of the intellect of the vacated space that will be revealed in the Future — for it is like the silkworm whose garment is from itself — the aspect of "my righteousness will answer for me," etc. Therefore tzedakah is the aspect of the ten walls of water — the aspect of the World of Rectification, the intellect of the vacated space that will be revealed in the Future — which is the aspect of tzedakah. Likewise locusts are equated with fish and exempt from slaughter — for locusts too are from the aspect of the Rectification that will be revealed in the Future, the aspect of the vacated space like the silkworm דִּלְבוּשֵׁיהּ מִנֵּיהּ וּבֵיהּ, as explained in the Torah Bo — this is the aspect of "Behold I am bringing locusts tomorrow into your borders." Therefore locusts are equated with fish and exempt from slaughter — for their root is from the Rectification that will be revealed in the Future. Therefore they certainly do not require slaughter — for the essence of slaughter is the sweetening of judgments at their root, to draw the rectification from the intellect that will be revealed in the Future at the beginning of the contraction, etc. And since fish and locusts themselves were drawn from that aspect — they certainly do not require slaughter. All of the Torah and commandments are to clarify the sparks remaining from the Breaking of the Vessels, as is known — through which the arrows are removed from the King's Daughter, as stated. And this is the aspect of slaughter — the sweetening of judgments at their root, as stated — which is the aspect of the power-holder in the tale who shoots arrows and returns them. The entire Torah is this sweetening and clarification. The essence of sweetening judgments at their root is through drawing illumination from the World of Rectification — from the intellect of the secret of the contraction that will be revealed in the Future. Through this the judgments are sweetened at their root — for the root of all judgments is in the beginning of the contraction, as is known, from which all judgments unfolded. And when one who can enter there knows and grasps that even there, in the beginning of the contraction, Hashem Yisborach is concealed and hidden — and draws illumination from the knowledge and rectification that will be revealed in the Future — through this all judgments that drew sustenance from that contraction and concealment are cancelled and sweetened. And so it emerges that the essence of slaughter is the sweetening of judgments at their root — drawing and awakening the root of judgment, which is the beginning of the contraction, and knowing that even there Hashem Yisborach is hidden. And since we fulfill Hashem's commandment with this knife and slaughter as He commanded us — we are revealing that even in the full force of judgment, the knife and sword, His wisdom and compassion are hidden there too. For in truth, slaughter is great compassion for the living creature, since it is its ultimate eternal rectification. Therefore through the commandment of slaughter we sweeten the judgments at their root, clarify good from evil, spirit of man from spirit of animal — which is the absence of דַּעַת (knowledge), the aspect of the residue of judgments. We clarify them and sweeten and rectify them through the knife of slaughter — the sweetening of judgments at their root. And therefore fish and locusts do not require slaughter — for their root is from the Rectification that will be revealed in the Future. Since they themselves were drawn from that aspect, they certainly need no slaughter. The walls of water stand through the winds. And the essence of the cure of the King's Daughter comes through the ten types of melody — for he who can create a scale for all ten types of winds merits the ten types of melody. For the walls of water — the intellect of the vacated space — this cannot be grasped except through melody, as explained in the Torah Bo. The essence of the rectification is through melody — this is the aspect of "Then Moshe will sing" — "Come from the head of Amanah" (תָּבוֹאִי תָשׁוּרִי מֵרֹאשׁ אֲמָנָה). For in truth all four aspects of the tale — the four aspects of טַנְתָּ״א — are all bound together and ascend and are rectified one through the other, as understood from the tale: she fled from the arrows into the walls of water, and the walls of water themselves stand through the winds, which are the aspect of the pulse and melody — for the spirit of melody animates the spirit of the pulse, as explained in Likutay Tinyana. For the four aspects of טַנְתָּ״א all depend on each other, and the ultimate perfect rectification comes through the aspect of טְעָמִים (cantillation) — the aspect of the melody of the cantillation — for that is the root of all and the rectification of all. And understand all this well. Halacha 1 establishes worms as the physical embodiment of זֻהֲמַת הַנָּחָשׁ — the primordial filth of the serpent. Their particular loathsomeness derives from their direct contact with the ground, the aspect of וְנָחָשׁ עָפָר לַחְמוֹ. They represent the utter absence of כָּבוֹד and the perfection of the Holy Tongue. Halacha 2 maps the laws of worms directly onto the Tzaddik's role in illuminating sparks trapped in the earth. Fruits and produce that grow through the Tzaddik's illuminating influence — the aspect of הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שֹׁכְנֵי עָפָר — partake of the rectification, permitting even worms within them until they separate. Halacha 3 reveals the deepest mystical layer: תּוֹלָע (worm) and עוֹלַת (burnt offering) are the same letters. Even from the deepest fallen state, the search for אַיֵּה מְקוֹם כְּבוֹדוֹ transforms the worm into the offering — the descent becomes the ultimate ascent. No despair is ever justified. Halacha 4, the most expansive, weaves the entire structure around the tale of the handless beggar and the King's Daughter. The Shechinah in exile, assailed by ten arrows of impurity, flees into the ten walls of Torah-water and awaits the Tzaddik of the generation who alone can heal her with the ten melodies — drawing from the hidden wisdom of the חָלָל הַפָּנוּי that will be fully revealed only at the time of Mashiach. Fish and locusts — exempt from slaughter — hint at this future rectification already present within them.