ביצים ד

Parshas Parah — which is the aspect of rebuke, through which one merits repentance, as mentioned — this is the aspect of the son who does not know how to ask (she'aino yode'a lish'ol), who is the aspect of Yishmael who repented, as is said there.

And this is the aspect of kosher and non-kosher fish. For it is stated that fish are in the aspect of eyna p'kicha — the single eye of compassion — which is the aspect of ra'ava d'ra'avin, the aspect of the forehead of the will, as described. And therefore fish need no slaughter at all — their being gathered is their purification. For the essential slaughter of all living creatures is to subdue the animalistic spirit — which is the aspect of natural science, the aspect of foolishness (kesilos), the aspect of a beast that has no knowledge — against Torah wisdom which is the essential true wisdom, the aspect of the human being (adam). As stated in the teaching "Dirshu" (Likutay Moharan 1, Torah Lesson 37): external wisdoms compared to the wisdoms of Torah are in the aspect of beast compared to human. Therefore Israel who are bound to Torah are called "human" (adam), while the nations who engage in external wisdoms — natural science — are called "beast" (behemah), as our Sages said: "you are called adam and the nations are not called adam." It follows that all animals, beasts, birds and the like — which lack human knowledge — are all in the aspect of natural science, the aspect of animalistic foolishness. For only the definition of the human being is da'as — Torah. For only the wisdom of Torah is true wisdom and knowledge, and all other external wisdoms of the natural scientists are complete foolishness — the aspect of animality — compared to Torah wisdoms. Therefore we are forbidden to eat any living creature while it is alive, only through slaughter — for through this we subdue the animalistic spirit and elevate the living creature to the speaking creature (midaber), which is the essential intention of slaughter: subduing the vitality of natural science wisdoms and elevating and clarifying them to the aspect of adam — the true wisdom of the holy Torah — for the essential vitality is wisdom, as it is said: "wisdom gives life" (הַחָכְמָה תְּחַיֶּה).

But there are kosher species and non-kosher species. For in truth nature itself is Hashem's providence — Hashem Blessed be He created nature and He governs nature with His will. It follows that nature itself is providence — only this is the secret of free choice (bechira): Hashem created nature in the world so that human beings can err, Heaven forfend, as if nature were primary. And when they uproot nature from providence — then they deny the living G-d, Heaven forfend. But if one wishes to choose life in truth: one connects nature to providence, knowing and believing that everything is in His providence alone — even nature itself is governed by His providence. It follows that nature and providence are entirely one: "Hashem is G-d" (ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹקִים). Hashem — this is the attribute of compassion, the aspect of providence. Elokim — this is the attribute of justice, the aspect of nature. For Elokim numerically equals hateva (nature). And we must unify them in complete unity — knowing that Hashem is G-d: that nature and providence are entirely one. This is the essential aspect of Israel's eating in holiness — the aspect of "the Tzaddik eats to satisfy his soul" (צַדִּיק אוֹכֵל לַשֹּבַע נַפְשׁוֹ) — to connect body and soul together. For through eating the person's vitality is sustained: body and soul connect together, for without eating the soul departs. And body and soul are the aspect of external wisdoms and Torah wisdom — for external wisdom, natural science, is the aspect of body and animality, foolishness, compared to Torah wisdom which is the aspect of soul, the aspect of adam, the aspect of true knowledge. One must subdue the body and matter before the soul — subduing and nullifying natural science before Torah wisdom, connecting everything to the holy Torah. The essential faith is the essential rectification and clarification of all foods: knowing and believing that even nature itself is His providence and He gives life to all, and all comes from Him. Therefore there are kosher and non-kosher species — kosher species are those species we have the power to connect to holiness, to clarify from the living to the human. Non-kosher species are those we have no power to clarify from the living to the human. And even kosher species we can only eat through slaughter — for through this we subdue the animalistic spirit and elevate from beast to human.

And therefore slaughter is at the throat — to subdue the evil voices of the natural scientists who are the aspect of the living creature, the aspect of evil beasts. For the voice issues from the throat, in the aspect of "they speak insolence from the throat" (יְדַבְּרוּ בְצַוָּאר עָתָק) — these are the natural scientists who speak insolently against Hashem and His anointed and are the aspect of beasts and wild animals. And one subdues their voice and throat through the slaughter knife. Therefore the ritual slaughterer must receive the slaughter knife from the sage of the generation — as our Sages said: the slaughterer must show his knife to the sage. For the wise man in holiness has the power to connect all wills to the root of the will in holiness. Through this he subdues the knowledge of the natural scientists. Through this, fear is generated — the aspect of "He fulfills the will of those who fear Him" (רְצוֹן יְרֵאָיו יַעֲשֶֹה). And this fear is the aspect of the double-edged sword, the aspect of malchus, the aspect of the slaughter knife. Therefore one must receive the slaughter knife — which is the double-edged sword, the aspect of fear — in the aspect of "be wary of the sword" (גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב) — one must receive it from the wise man in holiness. For the essential fear is generated only through the revelation of the will that is revealed through the wise man in holiness: through his connecting all wills to the root of the will. And through this blade — which is the fear generated through the revelation of the will — one subdues the animalistic spirit which is the aspect of natural science.

And therefore fish require no slaughter — for fish are in the aspect of the root of the will (שֹׁרֶשׁ הָרָצוֹן), the aspect of eyna p'kicha. Therefore there they require no slaughter — for they are themselves in the aspect of the root of the will from which their vitality comes. For the waters cover fish — which is the aspect of the waters of knowledge, the aspect of providence, the essential da'as — and the evil eye has no power over them: that is, the views of the natural scientists who are the aspect of the evil eye. For "eyes" is an expression for wisdom, as it is written: "the eyes of them both were opened" — and Rashi explained: for the name of wisdom it is said. And the evil eye is the aspect of evil views — the bad wisdoms of the natural scientists — and they have no power over the fish in the sea whose vitality comes from the root of the will. For the waters of knowledge which are the aspect of providence cover them. And therefore the seed of Yosef was blessed with the verse "and let them multiply like fish" — for Yosef is the aspect of the elder of holiness, the aspect of the root of the will which is the thirteen attributes of the beard (yud-gimel tikkunay dikna), as is known — all of which depends on guarding the covenant. Therefore it is said of Yosef: "for he was the son of his old age" — for since he guarded his covenant, he therefore merited even in his youth, when he was seventeen years old, to be called "son of old age." For he was in the aspect of the elder who is the aspect of the root of the will, the aspect of the forehead of the will. And therefore fish being gathered purifies them. This is the aspect of holy will, the aspect of "when He gathers to Himself his spirit and breath" (רוּחוֹ וְנִשְׁמָתוֹ אֵלָיו יֶאֱסֹף) — which is the aspect of the passing of the Tzaddikim, of whom it is said geviya and asifa (gathering), who connect their soul, spirit, and divine soul at the time of passing to the root of the will. This is the aspect of the passing of Moshe etc. That is: fish return to their root immediately upon leaving the water — which is the aspect of the root of the will from which their vitality comes. Therefore they require no slaughter at all, for the aspect of evil beasts etc. has no grip on them — they are in the aspect of the root of the will. Yet even so, there are kosher and non-kosher fish — for opposite the root of the will, the forehead of the will, there is the aspect of the forehead of the serpent. This is the aspect of non-kosher fish opposite kosher fish: kosher fish are the aspect of eyna p'kicha, the root of the holy will; non-kosher fish are opposite them in the aspect of the forehead of the serpent which is opposite the forehead of the will. And the sign of kosher fish is scales — this is the aspect of the power of charity one receives: through this the forehead of the serpent is subdued and has no power to overpower against the forehead of the will. For the garment of scales is drawn from the aspect of charity, in the aspect of "a coat of mail of scales is his garment" — and this is the aspect of charity: "justice I have put on and it has clothed me" (צֶדֶק לָבַשְׁתִּי וַיִּלְבָּשֵׁנִי), the aspect of "he put on righteousness like armor" (וַיִּלְבַּשׁ צְדָקָה כַּשִּׁרְיָן). The scales protect the fish so that the forehead of the serpent has no grip on them — for scales are the aspect of charity which subdues the forehead of the serpent. And this is the aspect of "cast your bread upon the face of the waters" (שַׁלַּח לַחְמְךָ עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם) — said regarding charity. "Upon the face of the waters" specifically — for there, in the waters, in the fish that are in the water, there one finds the power of charity: protecting the fish which are in the aspect of the forehead of the will — protecting them through the garment of scales from the forehead of the serpent. And Goliath wanted to draw to himself, Heaven forfend, the power of charity as well, to undermine the power of charity that subdues the forehead of the serpent — since his vitality came from the forehead of the serpent. Therefore it is said of Goliath: "a coat of mail of scales is his garment" — for he wanted to draw to himself the power of charity. But in truth his charity had no power whatsoever. "Charity elevates a nation" — these are Israel. "But the kindness of nations is sin" — these are the nations, for all the goodness they do, they do for themselves. For the essential power of charity is only in the aspect of "I have commanded the ravens to feed you" — that is: transforming anger to compassion, breaking one's nature of cruelty and transforming it to compassion. And through this specifically we have power to subdue the forehead of the serpent, to subdue nature which is the aspect of anger, to transform it to compassion and the aspect of will. But the nations and the wicked who give charity naturally, from their natural compassion, or for their honor — and all the more so when they give with wicked intentions: such charity is counted against them as sin, and they have no power from it. Therefore King David subdued Goliath despite his coat of mail of scales — through the stone he cast at him, which is the aspect of "a whole stone of His will" (אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה רְצוֹנוֹ). For David had the power of charity in holiness. And this is the aspect of fins. Fins are the aspect of will, the aspect of the stone Tablets which were of sappirinon — the aspect of "a whole stone of His will." For the essential revelation of the will is revealed through the Torah, through the stone Tablets — for Torah is Hashem's will through which He governs His world. Therefore fins alone are not a sign of purity as long as there are no scales — for even though something of the aspect of will is revealed in them, we cannot eat them as long as there are no scales: the garment of scales drawn from charity, through which specifically the forehead of the will shines and illuminates. Therefore some fish have fins but no scales — for it is possible that something of the aspect of will is revealed in them, but they have no scales to protect against the forehead of the serpent. Therefore we cannot eat them. But every fish with scales has fins — and scales are the essential sign of purity. For scales are drawn from charity and protect from the forehead of the serpent, and then the forehead of the serpent is subdued and certainly the forehead of the will, the root of the will, is revealed — which is the aspect of fins. And then we may eat them, for our eating must be only in the aspect of the revelation of the will: to merit through our eating to connect all things to the root of the will, to know and recognize and believe that everything is through His will alone and His providence alone — to rectify the damage of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, through which eating the da'as was damaged and the views of the natural scientists strengthened, whose vitality comes only from there. Therefore we must eat in holiness according to the Torah in order to rectify this — to merit through eating to subdue the natural scientists and to connect nature to the will. And this is the aspect of eating on Shabbos and Yom Tov — for then the will is revealed, as described. For all the Yamim Tovim call and reveal the will, and all the Yamim Tovim receive from Shabbos which is "the beginning of the holy gatherings" (תְּחִלָּה לְמִקְרָאֵי קֹדֶשׁ), the root of the will. For on Shabbos the forehead of the will shines — ra'ava d'ra'avin, as is known. Therefore eating is then extremely precious — for then through eating one subdues natural science and connects everything to the will. And therefore we were commanded to bring many sacrifices at the three pilgrimage festivals — for all sacrifices are in the above-mentioned aspect: subduing the animalistic spirit and elevating from beast to human — that is: subduing natural science and connecting nature to the will. Therefore the Torah additionally commanded charity at the festivals, as it is written: "you shall rejoice before Hashem your G-d — you and your son and the stranger and the orphan" — for then charity is even more needed, so that the forehead of the will is revealed and one merits to hear the voice of the calling of the Yom Tov which reveals the will. Then specifically one merits the joy of Yom Tov — the essential joy of Yom Tov being according to one's meriting to hear the voice of the calling of Yom Tov. And Rashi explains on the verse "you shall rejoice": if you bring joy to mine, I bring joy to yours — that is: if you give charity and bring joy to the poor, then specifically I will bring joy to yours. For the essential joy of Yom Tov comes through charity specifically, through which one merits to hear the voice of Yom Tov that reveals the will. And this is what our Sages said regarding the joy of Yom Tov: "there is no joy but with meat from sacrificial animals" — for the essential joy of Yom Tov, which comes through the revelation of the will specifically, through the subduing of natural science — this is accomplished through sacrifices. For through them one subdues the animalistic spirit which is foolishness, the aspect of natural science, and elevates from beast to human, from nature to will and providence — knowing that everything is in His providence. It follows that through the sacrifices natural science is subdued and the will is revealed — this is the essential joy of Yom Tov. Therefore the essential joy of Yom Tov is specifically with the meat of sacrifices. And therefore the above verse — "and you shall rejoice before Hashem you and your son and the stranger and the orphan" — is said regarding sacrifices. For since the sacrifices, especially the Yom Tov sacrifices of the holy gathering, reveal the will — therefore one must give charity from them, to invite upon them the poor and strangers and orphans — so that through this charity the forehead of the serpent is subdued and the forehead of the will is revealed, and through this the voice of the calling of Yom Tov — the holy gathering — is heard, which reveals the will. Then the joy of Yom Tov is "you shall rejoice" — if you bring joy to mine I bring joy to yours, for the essential joy of Yom Tov depends on charity specifically, through which the forehead of the will is revealed and the voice of Yom Tov heard.