טריפות א

Halachos of Giluach (Shaving) — Complete Translation

And this is the aspect of the eighteen traifos [categories of organic defects in an animal's vital organs that render it non-kosher, lit. "torn"]. For they are the aspect of tikkun habris [rectification of the holy Covenant], which is the aspect of "Tzadik Chai Almin" [the Righteous One Who sustains the worlds]. For a traifah does not live, and on account of this it is forbidden to eat, as it is written: "This is the living creature [zos hachayah] that you may eat" (Vayikra 11:2). As our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "That which lives [chayah] you may eat; that which does not live you may not eat." For the sitra d'mosa [the side of death] rests upon it, which is the aspect of the flaw of the bris. And this is the aspect of "zos hachayah" — "zos" specifically, the aspect of the completeness of lashon hakodesh [the Holy Tongue], which is the aspect of zos, as it is written: "and this [v'zos] is what he spoke" (Devarim 33:1) (as Rabbeinu said there). That is, Yisrael are only permitted to eat "zos hachayah" specifically — that which is from the sitra d'chayai [the side of life], which is the aspect of zos, the aspect of the completeness of lashon hakodesh, the aspect of tikkun habris, as mentioned above. Therefore, it is forbidden to eat the eighteen traifos, in order to merit the aspect of life, the aspect of "Tzadik Chai Almin," as mentioned above. And this is what is written (Shemos 22:30): "And flesh torn in the field [traifah] you shall not eat; to the dog you shall cast it." "To the dog" specifically — for to it is given over the aspect of the flaw of the bris, as it is written: "The leech has two daughters: 'Give! Give!'" (Mishlei 30:15), as Rabbeinu wrote in the discourse "Hatzilah MeCherev Nafshi, MiYad Kelev Yechidasi" (Siman 50). For when the animal is slaughtered properly through the aspect of the above-mentioned "sword," which is the aspect of the completeness of lashon hakodesh, and it is found kosher upon inspection — that it has no tarfus [defect rendering it traif] whatsoever — then it is in the aspect of a korban [offering], as mentioned above. And then it is in the aspect of: "the lion descends to eat and consumes the offering" [aryeh nachis l'maichal v'achail kurbana; i.e. the holy "lion" on the mizbe'ach consumes it]. But when the animal is found to be traif and the sitra d'mosa rests upon it — which is the aspect of the flaw of the bris — then it is fit for the dog specifically, as mentioned above, in the aspect of "the dog descends" [kalba nachis; the unholy counterpart], which is the opposite of the "double-edged sword" of holiness, as mentioned above. For it is the aspect of the marah [bile; the gallbladder] that has "two mouths," etc.; see there. And this is what is written regarding traifos as well: "And you shall be men of holiness to Me; and flesh torn in the field [traifah]," etc. (Shemos 22:30). For it is the aspect of holiness, the aspect of guarding the bris, as mentioned above. And this is why all the traifos are subsumed in the Shulchan Aruch under eight categories of traifos — corresponding to the aspect of tikkun habris, which is the aspect of the eighth [sheminis], as mentioned above (in the above-mentioned Laws of Shechitah). And this is why, in their details, there are found seventy traifos, as the Rambam enumerated them (Hilchos Shechitah 10:9) — corresponding to the seventy nations. And one must guard against the seventy traifos in order to be saved from the encompassing evil of the above-mentioned seventy nations. And therefore, the essential traifah depends upon the lungs [rai'ah]. For there resides the essential ruach [wind/spirit] that cools the heat, through which the essential rectification of the da'as [knowledge/awareness] occurs (as is brought in the words of Rabbeinu, Likutay Moharan Part II, 8, 12). And the rectification of the da'as is the rectification of the bris, as mentioned above. And therefore, the five lobes — the lungs have [lobes] corresponding to the Five Books of the Torah (as Rabbeinu said) — corresponding to the heh [the Hebrew letter ה, numerical value five] of da'as, for there the essential da'as depends, as mentioned above. And therefore, one does not need to inspect any other [organ] for tarfus; only the lungs require inspection, because tarfus is commonly found there (as is written in the Shulchan Aruch). For this is a principle: the essential intensification of the Sitra Achara [the "Other Side," i.e. the forces of impurity] is only in a place where there is extra holiness. And therefore, in the lungs — where the essential ruach chayyim [spirit of life] and the sustaining of the da'as reside — there they intensify themselves to cause tarfus in it. And therefore, tarfus is commonly found there. And therefore, if the spleen [t'chol] is removed, [the animal] is kosher. For the t'chol is the opposite of the lungs. The t'chol suckles from the murkiness of the blood, from the derangement of the da'as [tairuf hada'as], and it is the sitra d'mosa [side of death]. Therefore, the vitality does not depend upon it, and therefore [the animal] is kosher if it is removed. For traifah is the aspect of the flaw of the bris, the flaw of the da'as, as mentioned above. And on account of this it is called traifah, from the language of tairuf hada'as [derangement of the mind]. For traifah is the aspect of the flaw of eating, from which the foolishness and the derangement of the da'as mentioned in the discourse "VaYehi Heim Merikim Sakeihem" (Siman 17) suckle — and from there the idolatry suckles (as is explained there). And this is the aspect of the t'chol, whose essential suckling and intensification is through the derangement of the da'as — the aspect of tarfus mentioned above. For the t'chol is the foolishness, the aspect of "the laughter of the fool" (Koheles 7:6) — idolatry, eil acher [a foreign god] — as is found in the holy Zohar and is brought in the discourse "Tzivisa Tzedek" (Siman 23). For the essential intensification of the t'chol is through the flaw of eating, as it is written: "in sorrow shall you eat of it" (Bereishis 3:17). This is the aspect of the intensification of the t'chol, which is sadness and marah shechorah [black bile, i.e. melancholy], idolatry, anpin chashuchin [darkened countenance], sadness and bitterness of livelihood (as all of this is explained in the discourse "Tzivisa Tzedek" mentioned above). And all of this comes about through the flaw of eating. For "in sorrow shall you eat of it" was decreed on account of the flaw of eating, as it is written: "Have you eaten of the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?" (Bereishis 3:11). And through this was decreed "in sorrow shall you eat of it" — which is the intensification of the t'chol, as mentioned above. For conversely, when the eating is in a kosher manner — that is, when one guards oneself from tarfus — then it is the subduing of the foolishness, which is the aspect of the t'chol, as mentioned above. And then there is livelihood in abundance, in the aspect of: "He has given sustenance [teref] to those who fear Him" (Tehillim 111:5), as Rabbeinu wrote (in Siman 17). That is, when Yisrael guard themselves from traifah, then "He has given sustenance," etc. For the essential livelihood depends upon the completeness of the da'as and the guarding of the bris (as Rabbeinu wrote in several places). And therefore, most types of tarfus — such as perforation, severance, and removal — do not disqualify in the t'chol, for the vitality does not depend upon it. For on the contrary, it is the sitra d'mosa — foolishness, idolatry. However, nevertheless, some tarfus does apply to it — namely, that a small amount of it must remain if it was perforated at somchei'h [its supporting tissue, i.e. its thick part] — that is, the thickness of a gold dinar. For the foolishness, too, is part of the sustaining of the edifice [of the world], and one must give it some suckling and vitality in a contracted measure as well, as is brought. And as is implied in the discourse "VaYehi Heim" mentioned above — that this is the sustaining of the da'as: when one gives the foolishness some suckling as well, only that it should be in a great contraction — just enough for its sustenance. Therefore, a small minimum of vitality depends upon the t'chol, which is the foolishness, and a small amount of it must remain — just enough for its sustenance, in a contracted measure. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory measured: that its [minimum] measure of vitality is the thickness of a gold dinar. For from there is its suckling and vitality, in the aspect of "and dust of gold" (Iyov 28:6). This is the aspect of "and dust you shall eat all the days of your life" (Bereishis 3:14). This is the aspect of the t'chol, which is the sadness and worries of livelihood — "in sorrow shall you eat of it" — mentioned above. This is the aspect of "the laughter of the fool" — namely, the craving for money (as all of this is brought in the holy Zohar and explained well in the discourse "Tzivisa Tzedek" mentioned above): "Earth is cold and dry; so too the spleen," etc.; see there. And the principle is: the t'chol is the aspect of the craving for money, which is the aspect of "dust of gold," the aspect of foolishness, idolatry (as is explained there). And even though this is the opposite of vitality, nevertheless a small amount of it must remain for its sustenance in a contracted measure — for one must give vitality even to the foolishness, and it too is part of the sustaining of the edifice, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the ruach tzafon [the northern wind/spirit] that was left lacking in the building of the world — in order to give them a place, for there is their place and their vitality, in the aspect of: "from the north shall evil break forth" (Yirmeyahu 1:14). And this is the aspect of "dust of gold" mentioned above, as it is written: "from the north gold comes" (Iyov 37:22). And therefore, the korbanos [offerings] that were brought in order to subdue the foolishness, as mentioned above — nevertheless, the aspect of foolishness would also receive vitality from the mizbe'ach [altar] (as Rabbeinu wrote there). And this is the smoke of the korbanos, as is brought. And therefore, the smoke would bend toward the north side, in order to give them a portion — the aspect of "from the north shall evil break forth," etc.; the aspect of "from the north gold." And this is the aspect of the t'chol — the aspect of "dust of gold," foolishness, etc. And one must give it, too, its sustenance in a contracted measure, as mentioned above. Traifos 1 is a compact two-section halachah built upon Likutay Moharan I:19 ("Tefillah LaChavakuk"). Its axis is tikkun habris (rectification of the Covenant) and its relationship to kosher eating. Section 1: The eighteen traifos = tikkun habris = Tzadik Chai Almin. A traifah does not live; the side of death rests upon it = the flaw of the bris. "Zos hachayah" = the completeness of lashon hakodesh. A properly slaughtered, kosher animal = a korban consumed by the "lion" of holiness; a traifah is given to the "dog." Eight categories of traifos correspond to sheminis (tikkun habris); seventy detailed traifos (per the Rambam) correspond to the seventy nations. Section 2: Tarfus mainly affects the lungs — seat of the cooling ruach and thus the da'as. The five lobes = five Books of Torah = the heh of da'as. The Sitra Achara attacks wherever holiness is greatest, hence tarfus is common in the lungs. The spleen (t'chol), by contrast, is the opposite: it suckles from murkiness, foolishness, marah shechorah, idolatry, and the craving for money. Removing it does not render the animal traif. Yet a minimum must remain ("thickness of a gold dinar"), because even the foolishness plays a role in sustaining the world's edifice — like the ruach tzafon left open in creation. The smoke of the korbanos bending northward = giving the kelipah its contracted measure of sustenance. When eating is kosher, the t'chol/foolishness is subdued, and livelihood flows: "teref nasan li'rai'av."

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