צדקה

4 דִּרְשׁוּ יי וְעֻזּוֹ בַּקְּשׁוּ פָנָיו תָּמִיד And in it will be explained the topic of Pesach

And in it will be explained the topic of Pesach: According to what our Rebbe of blessed memory wrote on the verse, "Ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places; indeed, my inheritance is beautiful to me" (Psalms 16:6), in the Torah that begins: "Know, that there are mochin [mentalities/consciousness] of Eretz Yisra'ail, and there are mochin of chutz la'aretz [outside the Land]" — see there well (Likutay Moharan II, Torah 71).

Deershoo Adoanuy vi-oozoa bakishoo funuv tumeed. And the summary of the Torah in brief is: Through blemishing the kavod — that is, when one blemishes the honor of Hashem, blessed be He — through this one falls from mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail to mochin of chutz la'aretz. And mochin of chutz la'aretz are the aspect of machlokes [dispute].

Turn to the LORD, to His might; seek His presence constantly.

And the primary kavod is through holadah [birth/procreation] — when people are born and multiplied — through this comes the primary kavod. For the primary kavod depends on man. And the primary holadah is through the flow of the no'am ha'elyon [supernal pleasantness], which is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail — which are called no'am. For mochin of chutz la'aretz are the aspect of chovlim [destructive forces]. And one needs to make a vessel to receive the flow from the no'am ha'elyon. For the no'am ha'elyon flows constantly, but one needs a vessel to receive the flow. And the vessel is through tzedakah, which is generosity of the heart — through which the heart is opened and becomes a vessel to receive shalhobim d'rechimusa [flames of love] from the no'am ha'elyon. Through this comes the holadah, through which His glory, blessed be He, is magnified. And then, when there is the vessel through tzedakah and the no'am ha'elyon flows, then the mochin of chutz la'aretz — which are the aspect of chovlim — also come and fall into the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, which are the aspect of no'am. For they want to be rectified as well. And sometimes, they cause, G-d forbid, blemish even to the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail through this etc. — see there well the entire topic explained well. And the root of the entire creation is the kavod, for "everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created — He created only for His glory." And there is a particular kavod for each utterance, for "in ten utterances the world was created." And each utterance was revealed only for the sake of His glory, blessed be He. It turns out that each utterance has an aspect of kavod, since it is its root — for everything was for the sake of His glory, blessed be He, so that His glory would be magnified through the creation. And all the kavod depends on man. And therefore the creation had no completeness until man was created — for His glory, blessed be He, is primarily revealed through him etc.; see there all this well. And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of honoring father and mother. For in truth the primary kavod depends on them, for the primary kavod is through the holadah — when the children of Israel are born and multiplied, for His glory, blessed be He, primarily depends on them, as mentioned above. And to explain the matter more: In truth, the primary kavod is through holadah specifically. For the root of the creation is the kavod, for everything that Hashem, blessed be He, created — He created only for His glory, as our Rebbe of blessed memory wrote there. And the primary kavod is the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata [arousal from below]. For through the fact that we, the people of the children of Israel, serve Him, blessed be He, and fulfill His mitzvos, blessed be He — through this His glory, blessed be He, is magnified. And through this, the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata is created, as is known. And this is the primary completeness of the creation, for which purpose Hashem, blessed be He, created the entire creation. And whenever there is no is'arusa d'l'sata, G-d forbid, then His glory is not complete, G-d forbid, as it were, and then the world totters. For this reason the world was initially created with the attribute of judgment, in the aspect of "In the beginning, G-d (Elokim) created the heavens and the earth" — as our Sages of blessed memory said. For when there is no is'arusa d'l'sata, G-d forbid, then it is the aspect of din [judgment], G-d forbid, as is known and as is explained in the holy Zohar. But at the beginning of the creation of the world, when it was not possible for there to be is'arusa d'l'sata, He created the world through His kindness — He joined the attribute of mercy etc., as our Sages of blessed memory said. And the primary world was entirely dependent on Adam HaRishon — on his holadah. For Adam HaRishon himself was created without is'arusa d'l'sata. And since he himself was created without is'arusa d'l'sata, it turns out that the kavod is not complete through him, for the primary kavod is the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata. And therefore the primary completeness of the kavod is when it ascends from the lower beings who are distant from Him, blessed be He. And therefore His glory, blessed be He, primarily depends on this lowly, physical world. For the more the worlds descended in the chain of descent and became more distant, as it were, from the beginning of the creation — when those distant worlds serve Him, blessed be He, and magnify His glory, blessed be He — this is the primary glory, blessed be He. For the primary kavod is from those who are far. And as is understood from the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory, in several places: for those close to Him, blessed be He, are in the aspect of unity with Him, and their service is not considered service — for it is considered as if He, blessed be He, as it were, serves Himself. And the primary service and kavod is when those who are distant from Him, blessed be He, serve Him and magnify His glory, blessed be He. For this purpose the creation descended through many types of descent until this lowly world — upon which all the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He, depends, as mentioned above. And therefore Adam HaRishon — who was the handiwork of the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, without is'arusa d'l'sata at all — the kavod could not ascend in completeness through him, since he was created by Him, blessed be He, Himself, without is'arusa d'l'sata at all. Therefore he could not magnify His glory, blessed be He, in completeness — which is the sustaining of the world, the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata — since he himself was created without is'arusa d'l'sata and was still in the aspect of unity with Him, blessed be He, for he was the handiwork of His hands, blessed be He, as mentioned above. And therefore the entire world was dependent on his holadah. For if he had begotten in holiness — children — then they would have magnified His glory, blessed be He. For these children who are born through is'arusa d'l'sata — upon them depends the primary kavod, which is the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata. Since they are more distant, as it were, from Him, blessed be He — therefore when afterward they serve Him, they magnify His glory, blessed be He, and are included in His unity, blessed be He — and this is the primary glory, blessed be He. And therefore the primary blemish of Adam HaRishon was that his zivug [marital union] was not as fitting — for he did not wait until Shabbos, as is brought [in the Sages' teachings]. For the primary kavod, which is the sustaining of the entire world, for which purpose all the worlds were created, depends on the holadah specifically — for the holadah is the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata. And therefore this person who is born through is'arusa d'l'sata — upon him depends the primary kavod, which is also the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata, as mentioned above. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory warned very much, and it is explained in all the holy books, that one must be very, very careful to sanctify oneself greatly at the time of the zivug. For upon this everything depends — the entire world depends on this. For the entire world was created for this: that His glory, blessed be He, should be magnified through the people who are born through father and mother, through the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata. For the primary kavod depends on them specifically, as mentioned above. And therefore when one sanctifies oneself then and intends to beget a son who will magnify His glory, blessed be He, then a spirit of holiness is drawn upon the child. And one merits that one's children are kasher, and His glory, blessed be He, will be magnified through them — and then he sustains the world through this. And conversely, G-d forbid, then children who are not worthy are born, and His glory, blessed be He, is not magnified through them — on the contrary, they blemish His glory, blessed be He. And therefore one who did not sanctify himself then and caused all this is destroying the entire world, for the primary sustaining of the world is through the kavod, as mentioned above, and the primary kavod depends on the holadah specifically, as mentioned above. And therefore the Torah commanded to honor father and mother. For the primary kavod is drawn from them, for the primary kavod depends on holadah specifically, as mentioned above. And this is what is brought in the writings of the Ari z"l regarding the secret of this mitzvah: that from father and mother are drawn garments (levushim) for the children, and all the mitzvos are performed through these garments. And for this reason one must honor them; see there. For all the mitzvos that one performs are the aspect of the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He. And all the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He, depends on the person who is born from father and mother specifically, through the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata, as mentioned above. And therefore all the mitzvos, which are the aspect of His glory, blessed be He, are performed through the assistance of father and mother — that is, through their garments. For the primary kavod depends on them specifically, as mentioned above. And this is "Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be lengthened upon the land that Hashem your G-d gives you" (Exodus 20:12). That is, the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, the aspect of no'am. For arichas yamim [length of days] is the aspect of mochin, as is brought in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory — in the aspect of "Wisdom gives life" (Ecclesiastes 7:12) etc. And this is "so that your days may be lengthened" — that is, mochin. "Upon the land that" etc. — that is, mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, the aspect of no'am. For through honoring father and mother — which is the aspect of the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He, as our Sages of blessed memory said: "The Makom [G-d] compared them to His own honor" — for all His glory, blessed be He, as it were, depends on them specifically — therefore through this one merits the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, the aspect of "so that your days may be lengthened upon the land" etc. For the primary mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail are merited through the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He, which depends on kibud av va'aim, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt and the topic of Pesach, and the topic of matzah and the prohibition of chametz, and the rest of the topics of Pesach. For the primary exile of Egypt was that they fell to mochin of chutz la'aretz because of the blemish of the kavod. As is known, the exile of Egypt was that the da'as was in exile in Egypt, as is well known. That is, Egypt is the primary contamination of chutz la'aretz, for Egypt is the exact opposite of Eretz Yisra'ail, as is known — for it is "the nakedness of the land" (Genesis 42:9). And when the da'as fell to the exile of Egypt, this is the aspect of falling to the da'as and mochin of chutz la'aretz — which is the aspect of Egypt, the opposite of Eretz Yisra'ail. And mochin of chutz la'aretz are the aspect of machlokes and kushyos [difficulties/questions], as our Rebbe of blessed memory wrote there. And this is the aspect of "and they embittered their lives with hard labor" (Exodus 1:14) — with kushya [difficulty] etc., as is found in the Tikunim (Tikun 18, 28a). That is, the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of kushya and machlokes, as mentioned above. And all this was because of the blemish of the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He, which is the sustaining of the world. For the primary blemish of His glory, blessed be He, is through the blemish of the bris [covenant], G-d forbid — which is the primary blemish of His glory, blessed be He. For there is the primary kavod, as is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory in many places. For the opposite of kavod is bushah [shame], and "there is no shame except in the place of nakedness." And especially according to what is explained in this aforementioned ma'amar: that the primary kavod depends on the holadah, which is the aspect of shmiras habris [guarding the covenant]. For the primary guarding of the covenant is to beget kasher children in holiness and purity, from whom kavod to Hashem, blessed be He, will come. And this is the primary glory, blessed be He — through the children born through father and mother whose union was with great holiness. For there the primary kavod depends, as mentioned above. And one who blemishes the holadah, G-d forbid — this is the primary blemish of the kavod. And this is the aspect of the exile of Egypt, which was on account of the blemish of the bris, as is known. That is, the blemish of the kavod that depends on the blemish of the bris, as mentioned above. And especially since it is known that the exile of Egypt was to rectify the blemish of the sin of Adam HaRishon and the blemish of the Generation of the Flood — for "all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth" (Genesis 6:12). And they blemished the holadah, upon which the primary kavod depends. For from those drops of the mind, they could have begotten holy neshamos in holiness. For those drops that went out in vain — through their corrupting their way — were very exalted neshamos. And had they come into the body of people through holadah, His glory, blessed be He, would have been magnified through them — for the primary kavod is through holadah, when people are born, as mentioned above. But they corrupted their way and blemished His glory, blessed be He, as it were — for they nullified the kavod that was due Him, blessed be He, through the children who should have been born, whom they destroyed. And therefore this sin is very, very severe — may the Merciful One save us, may the Merciful One deliver us — and it is the greatest sin in the Torah, as is written in the Shulchan Aruch, besides what is explained in all the sefarim. For in truth it is the greatest sin in the Torah — for this sin, G-d forbid, blemishes the entire Torah. For the entire Torah and the mitzvos were given only for the sake of His glory, blessed be He — so that His glory, blessed be He, should be magnified upon the lower beings. And all this depends on people specifically — and primarily on the people born through father and mother, through the aspect of is'arusa d'l'sata. It turns out that upon the holy zivug depend all the worlds — for everything was created for the sake of His glory, blessed be He, and the primary kavod depends on the holadah and the zivug specifically, as mentioned above. And one who blemishes this, G-d forbid — and especially when one blemishes completely, G-d forbid, and destroys and wastes the holy drops entirely so they go out in vain, G-d forbid, and a human being — upon whom the primary kavod, which is the sum total of the entire Torah, the sum total of all the worlds, depends — is not made from them — behold, he is destroying an entire world and blemishing the entire Torah. May the Merciful One save us. For even the holy zivug — even if it does not result in physical holadah — it is also the aspect of holadah in holiness, for from it are born the neshamos of converts and the like, for "no zivug is in vain," as is brought. And His glory is magnified at any rate through this when the zivug is in holiness, even if it does not result in holadah. But one who blemishes the bris — and especially the sin of the Generation of the Flood who corrupted their way — this is the primary blemish of the kavod, the blemish of all the worlds, the blemish of the entire Torah. For he blemishes the holadah upon which the primary kavod depends. And through him, G-d forbid, are created destroyers who diminish His glory, G-d forbid. May the Merciful One save us from this punishment. And through this was the exile of Egypt. And for this reason they fell to mochin of chutz la'aretz — which is the aspect of the exile of Egypt — because of the blemish of the kavod through the blemish of the bris that the Generation of the Flood blemished by corrupting their way — which is the primary blemish of the kavod, as mentioned above. And this was the sin of Adam HaRishon who ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — which is the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of machlokes, the aspect of good and evil with no unity and peace between the opposites. For all the machlokos are drawn from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as is brought. He also blemished the bris, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And because of this he fell from mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail — and this is the aspect of "And He drove out the man from Gan Aidyn" (Genesis 3:24). For Gan Aidyn is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, which are the aspect of the no'am ha'elyon — and this is the aspect of "a river goes out from Aidyn to water the garden" (Genesis 2:10), which is the aspect of oneg Shabbos [the delight of Shabbos]. For then the no'am ha'elyon shines upon us, in the aspect of "And may the pleasantness (no'am) of Hashem our G-d be upon us" (Psalms 90:17), which we say on Shabbos. And therefore Adam HaRishon, who blemished the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail through the blemish of the bris — which is the blemish of the kavod — for he drew upon himself mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of chovlim, the aspect of machlokes, the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And therefore he was driven from Gan Aidyn — which is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, as mentioned above. And therefore "Shabbos protects him," for Shabbos is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, the aspect of the no'am ha'elyon, as mentioned above. It turns out that the exile of Egypt was that they fell to mochin of chutz la'aretz through the blemish of the kavod, as mentioned above. And for this reason the matter rolled around: through Avraham's blemish, when he said, "By what shall I know that I shall inherit it?" (Genesis 15:8) — and through this he blemished the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, for he said "by what shall I know that I shall inherit it." It turns out that he blemished the da'as and the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. And through this our forefathers descended to Egypt — which is the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz. And therefore the primary decree was: "Know surely that your seed shall be a stranger in a land not theirs" (Genesis 15:13). For the primary decree was that they needed to fall to mochin of chutz la'aretz, which is the aspect of "a land not theirs." And this is "know surely" (yado'a taida) — that is, da'as and mochin — meaning, the blemish is in the da'as, and this is the primary exile. "In a land not theirs" — that is, they fell to mochin and da'as of chutz la'aretz, as mentioned above. And therefore the redemption was through Moshe — who is the aspect of the supernal da'as, the aspect of the no'am ha'elyon. For Moshe is the aspect of 184 + 161 — which are Abba and Imma [the supernal Father and Mother aspects]. And this is the aspect of no'am ha'elyon. For no'am equals 161 in gematria, and Abba is invested there, as is known and as is brought in the Kesavim [writings of the Ari z"l]. And therefore they did not leave Egypt until He struck the Egyptians with ten plagues — which is to subdue the eser kisrin d'mesaavusa [ten crowns of impurity]. For the blemish of the kavod is a blemish of the Ten Utterances through which the world was created, whose root is the kavod — for everything was created for His glory, as our Rebbe of blessed memory wrote there in the aforementioned ma'amar. And therefore, through the blemish of the kavod — through which the aspect of the Ten Utterances were blemished — then, G-d forbid, the aspect of their ten levels of the sitra achra nurse from this. And therefore He struck the Egyptians with ten plagues — to subdue and nullify their ten crowns. For through the plagues, His glory, blessed be He, was magnified, as it is written by each plague: "So that you shall know that the earth belongs to Hashem"; "For there is none like Hashem our G-d"; and similar statements. And it was then an aspect of the renewal of the world, for He overturned the natural order through the plagues. For it was necessary to renew the world, since through the blemish of the kavod — the blemish of the Ten Utterances — the entire world was blemished, for its existence is through the Ten Utterances by which it was created. And therefore it was now necessary to renew the world. And this was through these ten plagues — through which His glory, blessed be He, was magnified, as mentioned above, and the ten crowns of impurity were nullified and fell — which are the diminishment of His glory, blessed be He, as it were. And then the world was renewed, as mentioned above. For through this itself — that His glory, blessed be He, was magnified — the world was renewed. For the primary renewal of the world and its sustaining is through His glory, blessed be He, as mentioned above — for everything He created for His glory, as mentioned above. And therefore, when they left Egypt they merited the aspect of matzah, which is the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. For matzah is very great mochin, as is brought [in the kabbalistic sources]. That is, the aspect of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. For matzah is the aspect of "so that you shall suckle and delight from the radiance of her glory" (Isaiah 66:11). And this is the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the primary supernal delight — the aspect of oneg Shabbos, the aspect of "How beautiful and how pleasant — love among the delights" (Song of Songs 7:7). And this is "so that you shall suckle and delight from the radiance of her glory" — that is, through the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the aspect of matzah, as mentioned above — through this the kavod stirs and approaches. For the primary coming-into-being of His glory, blessed be He, as it were, is through the holadah that comes through the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, as is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory there. And this is "so that you shall suckle and delight from the radiance (ziz) of her glory" — that you shall suckle and have delight from the no'am ha'elyon, from which the kavod stirs (zaz) and approaches. For the primary kavod comes into being from there, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of matzah. And chametz is the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are chovlim — the aspect of machlokes, the aspect of dinim [judgments]. And this is the aspect of mochin d'katnus [immature consciousness], which is the aspect of chametz and se'or [leaven], as is brought. For chametz is the aspect of "for my heart was embittered (yischametz)" (Psalms 73:21) etc. — an expression of anger and hatred, the aspect of machlokes, which is the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, as mentioned above. And the primary mochin of chutz la'aretz are through the blemish of the kavod, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of chametz, the aspect of "soiled garments" (chamutz begadim) (Isaiah 63:1) — that is, dirtied garments. This is the aspect of the blemish of the kavod. For Rabbi Yochanan called his garments "mechabdusa" [my honorers] (Bava Kamma 91). Also, Rashi explains chamutz begadim as "from blood." And this is the aspect of chametz, which is the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz — the aspect of machlokes and anger and hatred — the aspect of the blemish of the kavod, which is the aspect of damim [blood/bloods]. For the primary kavod is through the aspect of adam [man], as is explained there in the aforementioned ma'amar. And the main thing is when the aspect of adam is in completeness. And the primary completeness of the aspect of adam is through the alef in adam — for "there is no adam without an alef" (Tikunei Zohar, Introduction, 7). But when the alef departs, G-d forbid, then dam [blood] remains. That is, the aspect of the overpowering of the bloods — which is the aspect of the blemish of the bris, the blemish of the kavod — the aspect of "soiled garments — from blood". That is, the garments, which are the aspect of kavod, are dirtied, G-d forbid, through the overpowering of the bloods — which are the aspect of dam niddus [the blood of impurity], through which speech departs, in the aspect of "I was mute in silence, I was still from good" (Psalms 39:3), as is brought. And this is the aspect of the blemish of the kavod. For the primary kavod is through speech — which is the defining characteristic of man — as our Rebbe of blessed memory wrote elsewhere. And this is the primary aspect of Pesach and the Exodus from Egypt: that one must rectify and subdue the aspect of the bloods — the aspect of dam niddus, which are ten types of bloods whose nurture is from the blemish of the kavod, which is the aspect of ten levels. For there are ten aspects in the kavod, since there is a particular kavod for each utterance of the Ten Utterances through which the world was created, as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar; see there. And therefore, when they left Egypt, they needed to eat matzah — which is the aspect of no'am, the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. For this is the primary Exodus from Egypt — to leave from the mochin of chutz la'aretz and to come to the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. As it is written, "And He brought us out from there in order to bring us to the land that He swore to our forefathers" (Deuteronomy 6:23). And this is the aspect of the severe prohibition of chametz on Pesach. For in truth, when the no'am ha'elyon flows for the sake of holadah — through which His glory, blessed be He, is revealed — then the chovlim, which are the mochin of chutz la'aretz, also come to be rectified, in the aspect of "ropes (chavalim) have fallen to me in pleasant places (ne'imim)", as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar; see there well. But the primary flow of the no'am ha'elyon is when there is a vessel to receive its flow. And the vessel is made through tzedakah, which is generosity of the heart — through which a vessel is made to receive shalhobim d'rechimusa [flames of love] from the no'am ha'elyon. Through this comes the holadah, through which the kavod is revealed. And then the mochin of chutz la'aretz can also be rectified, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as is explained there; see there well. But in Egypt, Israel could not make a complete vessel to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon — which is the aspect of the very exalted supernal lights that Hashem, blessed be He, bestowed upon them at the time of the Exodus, beyond the normal measure, as is brought. For they could not fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah in the simple sense, since they were all in poverty in the exile. Also, the primary tzedakah is when there is Torah. For the primary greatness of tzedakah is that through supporting one of Israel and sustaining him — and this poor person who receives serves Hashem and magnifies His glory, blessed be He — it turns out that through sustaining a nefesh of Israel, one thereby magnifies the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said: "Whoever sustains a nefesh of Israel — it is as if he sustained an entire world." For the sustaining of the entire world is through the kavod of Hashem, blessed be He, which depends on the sustaining of the nefesh of Israel, as mentioned above. And so, when one gives tzedakah and sustains a nefesh of Israel — thereby causing His glory, blessed be He, to be magnified — then through this giving to the poor person for the sake of the magnification of His glory, blessed be He, through this, through the is'arusa d'l'sata, there is an arousal above as well, and the flow of the no'am ha'elyon is awakened. And through this very act of giving to the poor person, a vessel is made to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, as mentioned above. And all this is only when there are Israel and there is Torah — for then there is tzedakah. For through the tzedakah given to Israel, His glory, blessed be He, is magnified, as mentioned above — and this is the primary greatness of tzedakah, as mentioned above. And therefore the primary completeness of tzedakah is to give to a worthy poor person from whom kavod to Hashem, blessed be He, will come — for this is the primary greatness of tzedakah, as mentioned above. But before the giving of the Torah, the tzedakah had no completeness, since there was not yet anyone who would magnify His glory, blessed be He — for His glory, blessed be He, primarily comes through the Torah and the mitzvos. But before the giving of the Torah, when His glory, blessed be He, had not yet been revealed, certainly the tzedakah had no completeness — for to whom would they give tzedakah, since they had not yet received the holiness of Israel and the Torah? For the primary tzedakah is to give to a nefesh of Israel who magnifies His glory, blessed be He, through the mitzvos of the Torah. And therefore the entire Torah is called tzedakah, as it is written, "Justice and tzedakah in Ya'akov — You have done" (Psalms 99:4). For tzedakah is the aspect of the magnification of His glory, blessed be He — and this is the aspect of the totality of the Torah, which was given for the sake of His glory, blessed be He, as mentioned above. And this is what is written: "And it shall be tzedakah for us, when we are careful to do" (Deuteronomy 6:25) etc. For the entire Torah is the aspect of tzedakah, as mentioned above. It turns out that the primary tzedakah is for the people of Torah and mitzvos. But before the giving of the Torah, tzedakah in completeness does not apply. And therefore, when they left Egypt and did not yet have any Torah and mitzvos, they could not make a complete vessel to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. And this is the power of the miracle and the illumination of Pesach — that Hashem skipped (pasach) over all the levels and bestowed upon them a very great and awesome light, beyond the normal measure, as is brought. That is, He bestowed the light of the no'am ha'elyon even though they did not have a complete vessel as fitting. And Hashem, blessed be He, did wonders with them and gave them the mitzvah of Pesach so that they would engage in it — so that they would have some merit to go out with. That is, so that they would have some vessel to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. As they said in the Midrash, brought in the commentary of Rashi: "Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya said: 'And I passed over you' etc. — therefore He gave them two mitzvos: the blood of the korban Pesach and the blood of the milah, so that they would engage in them" etc. That is, certainly it was not sufficient through these mitzvos alone to be redeemed through them. That is, in truth it did not create from this a vessel in completeness as fitting, to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon — through which comes the primary redemption. Rather, Hashem, blessed be He, did a great kindness with them and bestowed upon them a very great light — the aspect of the no'am ha'elyon — even though the vessel was not fitting to receive such a great light. For Hashem skipped and did with them beyond the normal measure. And this is the aspect of the korban Pesach, which is the aspect of tzedakah — which is generosity of the heart. And this is the aspect of a korban, which is neder and nedavah [vow and free-will offering] — the aspect of generosity of the heart. Through this, a vessel is made to receive shalhobim d'rechimusa from the no'am ha'elyon. And then the chovlim, which are the mochin of chutz la'aretz, also come to be rectified, as mentioned above. And therefore the korban atones. For one who sinned and blemished some blemish in His glory, blessed be He — and this is the aspect of all the sins, G-d forbid, which are the blemish of His glory, blessed be He — and then he falls to the mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of chovlim, the aspect of machlokes. And from there the yetzer hara is drawn — from which all the sins come. For the primary nurture of the yetzer hara and the sitra achra is from the aspect of machlokes. And therefore, one who sinned and blemished His glory, blessed be He, and fell to mochin of chutz la'aretz — the aspect of chovlim, as mentioned above — he brings a korban, which is the aspect of generosity of the heart. And through this, a vessel is made to receive shalhobim d'rechimusa from the no'am ha'elyon. And this is the aspect of the fire from on High that descended from heaven to receive the korban — that is, the aspect of shalhobim d'rechimusa that flow from the no'am ha'elyon through the generosity of the heart that becomes a vessel to receive etc., as mentioned above. And then, when the no'am ha'elyon flows — through there being a vessel made through the generosity of the heart, as mentioned above — then the mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of chovlim, also come to be rectified, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places" etc. And this is the aspect of: "Even though there is a fire from on High, it is a mitzvah to bring fire from a commoner." The fire of a commoner — this is the aspect of shalhobim d'esha [flames of fire] that come from the aspect of chovlim, which become intermingled with the fire from on High, which is the aspect of shalhobim d'rechimusa from the no'am ha'elyon. For even the mochin of chutz la'aretz — the aspect of chovlim — are also rectified when the no'am ha'elyon flows, when there is a vessel through the generosity of the heart, as mentioned above. And through this, he atones for the sin — for the chovlim, which are the mochin of chutz la'aretz, are rectified. And this is the primary blemish of sin, as mentioned above — for the primary blemish of sin is that one fell to mochin of chutz la'aretz, as mentioned above. And now the mochin of chutz la'aretz are rectified, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as mentioned above. But also, the completeness of the korban certainly could not be in Egypt, in chutz la'aretz. For the primary completeness of the korban is only in Eretz Yisra'ail, in the Bais HaMikdash — where the no'am ha'elyon flows. For the primary flow of the no'am ha'elyon is only in Eretz Yisra'ail, and especially in the Bais HaMikdash, which is the supreme chosen holiness of Eretz Yisra'ail — and there is the completeness of the korban. Also, there need to be Kohanim in their service and Levi'im on their platform and Israel at their station — and then the korban is in completeness, and one can make a vessel through it to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. And then the chovlim are also rectified through falling into the pleasant places, as mentioned above. But in Egypt, which is the contamination of chutz la'aretz, with no Temple and no Kohain and no musical instruments etc. — certainly the korban is not in completeness. But Hashem, blessed be He, did kindness with them and commanded them to offer the korban Pesach in Egypt. And then, when they engaged in the korban Pesach, Hashem, blessed be He, was revealed to them, as it is written regarding the korban Pesach: "And I will pass through the land of Egypt" etc. And the Targum translates: "And I will be revealed." That is, when they engaged in the korban Pesach, then the light of Hashem was revealed to them, as it were — which is the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the revelation of His light, blessed be He, as it were. For Hashem, blessed be He, wondrously bestowed His kindness upon them and did with them beyond the normal measure, and skipped over all the levels and bestowed upon them a very great and awesome light — that is, the flow of the no'am ha'elyon — even though they were not worthy. That is, even though they did not have a vessel in completeness as fitting — for certainly they could not make through their korban that they offered in Egypt before the giving of the Torah a vessel in completeness as fitting, as mentioned above — especially to receive such an exalted and awesome light. And for this reason the korban is called by the name Pesach — for the fact that Hashem skipped (pasach). For Hashem skipped over the levels and accepted the korban as if it were a fitting vessel to receive the light of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, as mentioned above. And behold, the light that was revealed in Egypt was in truth a very exalted and awesome light — the aspect of the flow of light from the no'am ha'elyon itself. And as is explained in the sefarim, the enormity of the great illumination of the revelation of G-dliness that was revealed in Egypt. And in truth it was a great kindness, for the primary flow of the no'am ha'elyon is in Eretz Yisra'ail. Also, one needs a complete vessel for this — that is, tzedakah, the totality of the Torah which is called tzedakah, as mentioned above. And in Egypt there was no fitting place and no fitting vessel for this great light. Rather, Hashem, blessed be He, acted in His kindness — in order to take them out from the depths of the exile, He did with them beyond the normal measure. For it was not possible otherwise, as is known. But nevertheless, because of this very thing, it is forbidden to eat chametz on Pesach. And its prohibition is very severe — even a mashehu [the tiniest amount] is forbidden. For chametz is the aspect of chovlim, the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, the aspect of machlokes, as mentioned above. And in truth, when the no'am ha'elyon flows — that is, when there is a complete vessel through tzedakah — then also the chovlim come and fall into the no'am and are rectified as well, as is explained in the aforementioned ma'amar. But it is brought there, in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory, in the aforementioned ma'amar, that sometimes, G-d forbid, through the chovlim falling into the ne'imim [pleasant places], they sometimes cause blemish, G-d forbid, even to the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. And machlokes is made there, in Eretz Yisra'ail also. And this is the aspect of the machlokes that exists in Eretz Yisra'ail also, now; see there. And behold, according to my humble understanding (l'fi aniyus da'ati), all this depends on the rectification of the vessel in completeness. For the no'am ha'elyon flows constantly, as is explained there. Rather, the main thing depends on the rectification of the vessel through tzedakah, as is explained there. And therefore, if one rectifies the vessel in completeness, then one receives the flow of the no'am ha'elyon in its fitting completeness, in a manner that even the chovlim, when they fall there, are rectified as well, as mentioned above. But when the vessel is not in completeness as fitting, G-d forbid, then the chovlim can cast blemish even upon the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, G-d forbid, through falling into them, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the severe prohibition of chametz on Pesach — that it is forbidden specifically on Pesach, but the rest of the entire year it is permitted. For on Pesach, then the no'am ha'elyon is flowing, and Israel merits receiving this supernal light even though they did not have a complete vessel as fitting, as is known and as mentioned above — only through His great kindness, as mentioned above. And since their vessel — that is, the is'arusa d'l'sata — is not in completeness as fitting, through this, even though they merited receiving this supernal light, the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, as mentioned above, nevertheless they did not have the power to rectify at that time also the aspect of the chovlim, which are the mochin of chutz la'aretz. And if the chovlim would have fallen then also into the ne'imim — that is, if the mochin of chutz la'aretz would have also come to be rectified, as mentioned above — they would have been completely blemished, G-d forbid. For the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail would have been blemished, G-d forbid, also through this, as mentioned above — since the vessel is not in completeness, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the severe prohibition of chametz on Pesach. For now, on Pesach, when the no'am ha'elyon is flowing, one must drive out the chametz and destroy it completely — in bal yira'eh and bal yimatzai [it shall not be seen and it shall not be found]. For we must now flee completely from the aspect of the mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of chovlim, the aspect of chametz. For we do not have the power to rectify these mochin now — since the vessel is not in completeness, as mentioned above. For if, G-d forbid, even some mashehu of the aspect of chametz would become mixed into the matzah — which is the aspect of the mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of chametz, the aspect of chovlim, falling into the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, which are the aspect of matzah, the aspect of no'am — then it could blemish, G-d forbid, also the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail through this, as mentioned above. And therefore chametz on Pesach is forbidden even in a mashehu. For even a mashehu of these mochin of the aspect of chametz, the aspect of chovlim, causes now very, very great blemish. For we must flee from them completely, for they can ruin everything completely, G-d forbid. For the primary thing needed now is to leave Egypt — from the mochin of chutz la'aretz — and to come to Eretz Yisra'ail, to the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. And when there mixes in at that time, G-d forbid, mochin of chutz la'aretz — the aspect of chametz, the aspect of chovlim — and we do not have the power for them to be rectified as well, as mentioned above, then on the contrary, the mochin of chutz la'aretz will be strengthened even more and will cast blemish even upon the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. And then the sitra achra, whose nurture is from the aspect of chametz, from the aspect of chovlim, will be able to be strengthened even more, G-d forbid — since they would nurse, G-d forbid, also from the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, since the chovlim were not rectified. On the contrary, they blemished, G-d forbid, also the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, as mentioned above. And therefore chametz is forbidden on Pesach, and its prohibition is very, very severe. For we must now flee from chametz completely — from the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of how Israel needed to leave Egypt in great haste and could not delay — and this itself is the aspect of the prohibition of chametz, as is brought. And as is stated explicitly in the verse: "And they baked the dough" etc., "cakes of matzos, for it was not leavened (chametz), for they were driven out of Egypt and could not delay" (Exodus 12:39) etc. For certainly they needed to leave in great haste, for they could not leave until the light of the no'am ha'elyon was revealed upon them — which is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, and this is the primary redemption, as mentioned above. And immediately when the no'am ha'elyon flows, then the chovlim also come and fall into the ne'imim, for they seek rectification for themselves. And when they are not rectified — because the vessel is not in completeness, G-d forbid — then the blemish becomes even greater, G-d forbid, as mentioned above. And therefore now, at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, when this supernal light — the aspect of no'am ha'elyon — is being revealed in a very great revelation, then certainly the mochin of chutz la'aretz also come to be rectified, as mentioned above. But we do not have the power to rectify them. On the contrary, if they would come, G-d forbid, now and fall into the no'am, then the blemish would become even greater, as mentioned above. Therefore, immediately when this light was revealed in Egypt, they needed to flee and leave in great haste — so that the aspect of the chovlim should not come, G-d forbid, to fall into the ne'imim. For through this, the blemish of the mochin would be strengthened even more, G-d forbid, as mentioned above — since they cannot be rectified, as mentioned above. And this itself is the prohibition of chametz on Pesach, as mentioned above. And therefore one must eat on Pesach only matzah alone and no chametz at all. For eating is the aspect of mochin and da'as, for according to the eating, so is the mind — as is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory elsewhere. And therefore on Pesach we must eat and be nourished only from mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail — the aspect of no'am, the aspect of matzah — and not from mochin of chutz la'aretz at all, as mentioned above. And this is the topic of why chametz is permitted after Pesach. For in truth, the matter of the great illumination of Pesach — the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon in a very great revelation, not in a gradual way — was only temporary, on the first night alone, for the need of the redemption. For it was not possible otherwise, since they were sunk in the depths of the exile. And had they delayed until they rectified themselves and made vessels to receive the light in a gradual and measured way, they would have sunk there completely, G-d forbid. Therefore it was necessary, as it were, to bestow upon them a great light — the aspect of the no'am ha'elyon — not in a gradual and measured way. And because of this, they could not rectify the aspect of the chovlim, the aspect of the blemished mochin. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of chametz, as mentioned above. But immediately after the first day of Pesach, this great revelation and flow was withdrawn, and they returned to receiving the light in a gradual and measured way, according to how they purify and refine themselves each day. And this is the aspect of the Sefirah [counting] that they begin to count immediately after the first day of Pesach, as is brought. That is, for in truth we certainly must rectify specifically the aspect of the blemished mochin — the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz — through the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as mentioned above. For one must rectify the blemish of the mind and clarify all the nitzotzos [sparks] that fell through this. But at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, it was not possible to rectify the mochin of chutz la'aretz, as mentioned above. Therefore, immediately after the first day, this great light was concealed, in order to receive the light afterward in a gradual and measured way, in order to rectify also the aspect of the mochin of the aspect of chovlim. And this is the aspect of Sefiras Ha'Omer, which is in order to purify oneself — each person — from the aspect of dam niddus [the blood of impurity], which is the aspect of the blemish of the kavod, the blemish of the bris, as mentioned above. And therefore we count seven weeks — corresponding to the seven days of niddah, which correspond to the seven days of Beraishis in which the world was created through the Ten Utterances, which were blemished through the blemish of the kavod, which is their root, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the omer of barley (se'orim) that they wave immediately after the first day of Pesach. For barley is animal food, as is brought in the holy Zohar regarding this. And beheimah [an animal] is the aspect of the absence of da'as, for the primary da'as is the aspect of adam [man], which is the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. That is, beheimah is the aspect of the blemish of the da'as and the mochin — the aspect of the blemished mochin of chutz la'aretz, which are the aspect of machlokes, the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, from which comes the nurture of the sitra achra and all the desires — which are the aspect of beheimah, the aspect of animalistic desires. And all this is because of the blemish of the kavod, which is the blemish of the aspect of adam. For the primary kavod depends on adam, and the blemish of the kavod is the aspect of beheimah. And now they wave the omer of barley, which is animal food. That is, for we now want to lift and wave these mochin of the aspect of chutz la'aretz — which are, relative to the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, the aspect of beheimah — and now we want to wave them toward holiness and to rectify them. And therefore we immediately begin to count Sefiras Ha'Omer — which is to purify us from dam niddus, from the blemish of the kavod, as mentioned above. All of it in order to rectify the aspect of the chovlim, the mochin of chutz la'aretz, that were created through the blemish of the kavod. And all this we do for the sake of the receiving of the Torah, which is the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon from which the Torah comes, in the aspect of "Her ways are ways of pleasantness (no'am)" (Proverbs 3:17) etc. And then, at the time of receiving the holy Torah, we receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon through a vessel — through the aspect of tzedakah, which is the aspect of the totality of the Torah which is called tzedakah, as mentioned above. And as is found in the holy Zohar: "Those who are far from tzedakah are far from Torah." For then we receive the light through vessels — which are the aspect of all the 613 mitzvos, which are holy vessels to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, as mentioned above. And then on Shavuos, at the time of the giving of the Torah, we rectify also the chovlim, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places." For this verse was said regarding the giving of the Torah — that then He chose us as His portion and lot, and then was fulfilled "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places." For then the chovlim were also rectified — through the no'am ha'elyon flowing through a vessel in completeness, as mentioned above. And therefore, Israel who stood at Har Sinai — their contamination ceased, the contamination of the Serpent. For the primary contamination of the Serpent is from the blemish of the da'as that Adam HaRishon blemished through the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Through which he fell to the blemished mochin of chutz la'aretz, from which comes the nurture of the sitra achra — the aspect of the contamination of the Serpent. For their primary nurture is from the blemish of the da'as, G-d forbid. And therefore, Israel who stood at Har Sinai — when the blemished mochin of chutz la'aretz were then rectified, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as mentioned above — therefore then the contamination of the Serpent ceased, which had been nursing from there, from these blemished mochin, as mentioned above. And therefore we count beforehand Sefiras Ha'Omer, in order to purify from dam niddos — to rectify the blemish of the bris. Through which the mochin were blemished and fell to mochin of chutz la'aretz. For we need to rectify first the blemish of the mochin, so that they will be able to be rectified when they fall into the ne'imim. For also because of this, the chovlim could not fall into the ne'imim at the time of the Exodus from Egypt — because they were very blemished, and they had not yet begun to purify and refine them at all. Therefore, if they had come and fallen into the ne'imim, they would have blemished the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, G-d forbid, also, and they would have sunk there in Egypt, G-d forbid. And as is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory in the aforementioned ma'amar: that when the mochin of chutz la'aretz are very blemished, then they can blemish also the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail when they fall into them to be rectified; see there. And therefore, now that we want to merit rectifying also the chovlim at the time of the giving of the Torah, as mentioned above — therefore we begin beforehand to count Sefiras Ha'Omer, in order to purify and refine these blemished mochin that come from the blemish of the kavod, the blemish of the bris, which is the aspect of dam niddos, as mentioned above. And then, when we purify and refine these mochin throughout all the days of the Sefirah, then they can receive rectification in completeness at the time of the giving of the Torah, when the no'am ha'elyon flows, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as mentioned above. For then they will not be able to blemish, G-d forbid, the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail — since they have already been refined and purified throughout all the days of the Sefirah, as mentioned above. Therefore, on the contrary, they now receive a complete rectification, as mentioned above. Also because the no'am ha'elyon flows through a vessel in completeness, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the seventh day of Pesach and the splitting of the Reed Sea. For the splitting of the Reed Sea is the aspect of the sea of wisdom being split — and they merited a very great perception, as is brought. As our Sages of blessed memory said: "A maidservant saw upon the sea" etc. That is, they merited a flow of mochin, a flow of the no'am ha'elyon, in a very great abundance. And this is the aspect of "and the waters split, and the children of Israel came into the midst of the sea on dry land" (Exodus 14:21-22). For in truth, the no'am ha'elyon flows constantly, but because of the abundance of the light one cannot receive it. And this is the aspect of the sea of wisdom — that one cannot enter into it, for one drowns in it, G-d forbid, because of the abundance of light. But through the mercy of Hashem, blessed be He, the sea of wisdom was split, and the pathways of the intellect and da'as — which are the pathways of the sea — were revealed to them. And they merited receiving the flow of the no'am ha'elyon and merited a great perception. And this is the aspect of the splitting of the Reed Sea. And this was on the seventh day of Pesach, which is the sixth day of the Sefirah — when the aspect of Yosef is revealed, as is brought. For through him was the splitting of the Reed Sea, as it is written, "The sea saw and fled" (Psalms 114:3) — as our Sages of blessed memory expounded [that it fled because of Yosef's coffin]. For Yosef is the aspect of tikkun habris, tikkun hakavod — in the aspect of "G-d has gathered (asaf) my shame" (Genesis 30:23). And Yosef is included within the aspect of Ya'akov, for Yosef and Ya'akov are considered as one, as is brought. And therefore Yosef sustained his father and his brothers, as it is written, "And Yosef sustained his father and his brothers" (Genesis 47:12) — and this is the aspect of tzedakah. For Yosef is the aspect of the holadah that is drawn from the no'am ha'elyon through tzedakah, as mentioned above. And therefore, through this aspect of Yosef was the splitting of the Reed Sea — the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. For the primary flow of the no'am ha'elyon — the aspect of mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail — is through tzedakah, through tikkun habris, tikkun hakavod. And all this is the aspect of Yosef, as mentioned above. And then, at the time of the splitting of the Reed Sea, Israel were in great distress. For the Egyptians overtook them, camped by the sea. And the splitting of the Reed Sea was difficult before Him, blessed be He. For there was a prosecution: "How are these different from those?" etc. — as our Sages of blessed memory expounded in the Midrash. For then, because Israel left Egypt in haste — because they could not subdue the sitra achra in completeness, because they could not rectify the chovlim, which are the blemished mochin from which the sitra achra nurses — therefore afterward the Egyptians chased after them. And when they overtook them, they were in great danger. For it is impossible to subdue them except by rectifying the aspect of the chovlim, the aspect of the blemished mochin. For then they will clarify from them all the nitzotzos [holy sparks] that fell into them, and then they [the forces of impurity] will fall — for their primary vitality is from the holy nitzotzos that fell into them, as is known. But Israel did not have the power to rectify the chovlim, since they could not yet make a complete vessel to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon — through which one can rectify the chovlim, as mentioned above. And therefore there was the prosecution: "How are these different from those?" — that is, they still did not have merits in completeness, and did not have the power to make a vessel to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, through which they would rectify the chovlim and the Egyptians would fall, as mentioned above. And since they did not have this power — why should they be saved from them? But Hashem, blessed be He, had compassion on them and acted through the merit of Yosef — who is the aspect of tikkun hakavod, the aspect of tzedakah — and also through the merit of Avraham, who did tzedakah and chesed with the entire world. And through this, the sea of wisdom was split for them, and they merited the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. And then they received this flow and perception in great completeness, until the aspect of the chovlim also began to be rectified. And then the chovlim fell into the ne'imim [pleasant places]. And this is the downfall of the Egyptians, who drowned in the sea. For the good rose to holiness and was rectified. And then the evil — which is the Egyptians themselves, who had nurture from there — fell and died. For their primary vitality is only from the holy nitzotzos that fell among them. And this is the aspect of "and the Egyptians came after them into the sea" (Exodus 14:23). That is, when the sea of wisdom was split and the no'am ha'elyon flowed — through the merit of Yosef — then the Egyptians also — who are the aspect of the mochin of chutz la'aretz — came also after them. And then the good that was in them — which they had nurture from, through the fact that the mochin were blemished in the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, through which the good fell to them — and now the chovlim were rectified in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places" — therefore the good was clarified and rose and was included in holiness, within the pleasant places. And then, when the good rose and was clarified from them, they fell and died. For their vitality is only from the holiness, and when the holiness is raised and clarified from them, they fall and die, as is known. And therefore it was then a time of great distress and great danger. For then the prosecution was greater than at the time of the Exodus from Egypt. For then, at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, they left in haste and did not rectify the chovlim. And therefore in truth not all [the forces of impurity] fell then. Therefore they were able to receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon even though the vessel was not in completeness as fitting, as mentioned above. But now, when they [the Egyptians] chased after them and they were forced to rectify the chovlim in order that they [the Egyptians] should have their downfall — and this is not possible except when one receives the light of the no'am through a vessel in completeness — and they still did not have sufficient merits — therefore they were then in great danger. Until Hashem, blessed be He, had compassion on them, through the merit of Yosef etc., as mentioned above. And then, at the time of the splitting of the Reed Sea, they then began to rectify also the aspect of the chovlim, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as mentioned above. And through this was the downfall of the Egyptians — through the chovlim being rectified and the good being clarified from them. And this is the aspect of the spoils of the Sea (bizas hayam), which were greater than the spoils of Egypt (bizas Mitzrayim). For then they clarified all the good and all the holy nitzotzos from them — through the chovlim being rectified, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of "a maidservant saw upon the sea" etc. For the maidservant is the aspect of chutz la'aretz. For Eretz Yisra'ail is her mistress — the aspect of "a woman who fears Hashem" (Proverbs 31:30). And chutz la'aretz is the aspect of the maidservant, from which comes the nurture of Egypt — in the aspect of "unto the firstborn of the maidservant" — as is brought in the holy Zohar. And now that the chovlim were also rectified — that is, the mochin of chutz la'aretz, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places" — that even the mochin of chutz la'aretz were included within the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail — therefore "a maidservant saw upon the sea" etc. For even the mochin of chutz la'aretz — the aspect of the maidservant — were also rectified. And they saw and perceived through the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the aspect of the splitting of the Reed Sea — when the sea of wisdom was split, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of how Ya'akov Avinu married the maidservants and begot from them shivtei Kah [tribes of G-d]. For Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him — the contamination had not yet been purified from him until Yishma'ail came out from him — therefore by him the aspect of maidservant was still from the sitra achra, from which came Yishma'ail — who is the contamination of the mochin, the aspect of blemished mochin, the blemished mochin of chutz la'aretz. But Ya'akov Avinu — his bed was complete, for the contamination of the Serpent had already been fully purified. Therefore even the aspect of the maidservant — the aspect of chutz la'aretz, the mochin of chutz la'aretz — was by him in holiness. Therefore he also begot from the maidservants the tribes of G-d. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory were precise to say: "She saw" etc. — "what Yechezkel the prophet did not see." "Yechezkel the prophet" specifically — for Yechezkel the prophet saw prophecy in chutz la'aretz. And our Sages of blessed memory asked: "Is it not so that prophecy only rests in Eretz Yisra'ail?" — that is, the flow of prophecy, the holy spirit, the aspect of the flow of mochin, the flow of the no'am, is only in Eretz Yisra'ail. And they answered: "The word of Hashem was already (hayo hayah)" — it already had been. For he had already prophesied first in Eretz Yisra'ail, and therefore he was able to attain prophecy also in chutz la'aretz. That is, since he had already merited the flow of mochin, the flow of the no'am, in Eretz Yisra'ail — through this he merited also in chutz la'aretz. For when the no'am ha'elyon flows, then the mochin of chutz la'aretz are also rectified. And therefore one can see prophecy also in chutz la'aretz when one first merits seeing it in Eretz Yisra'ail, as mentioned above. It turns out that Yechezkel the prophet merited this aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places" — which is the aspect of the prophecy of chutz la'aretz, through the prophecy of Eretz Yisra'ail, as mentioned above. But certainly the revelation of this aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places" that took place at the splitting of the Reed Sea was greater than this aspect of "ropes" etc. that Yechezkel the prophet had. For then [with Yechezkel] it was during the exile and was only for an individual. But at the splitting of the Reed Sea it was during the redemption, and then there was a very great revelation. And they all merited this aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places" — that the mochin of chutz la'aretz were also rectified, and also through these mochin they saw and perceived as well. And this is "a maidservant saw upon the sea what Yechezkel the prophet did not see" — specifically. For the perception of the mochin of chutz la'aretz — which are the aspect of the maidservant — that were included in the mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail, and saw and perceived as well from the sea of wisdom — this aspect was greater than the perception of Yechezkel the prophet, who also merited perceiving through the mochin of chutz la'aretz the perception of prophecy etc., as mentioned above. But the aspect of this perception at the time of the splitting of the Reed Sea was greater, as mentioned above. It turns out that at the time of the splitting of the Reed Sea, on the seventh day of Pesach, they then began to rectify the chovlim as well. And therefore immediately after the seventh day of Pesach, chametz is permitted. For afterward we can eat chametz as well, for now we have the power to rectify also the aspect of chametz — which is the aspect of mochin of chutz la'aretz, the aspect of chovlim. For the rectification of the aspect of the chovlim had already begun at the time of the splitting of the Reed Sea, when the Egyptians fell and the sitra achra was completely subdued. And therefore one can rectify also the aspect of the chovlim, as mentioned above. And therefore on Shavuos, one offers a korban from chametz specifically. For then is the primary completion of the rectification of the chovlim, through the flow of the no'am at the time of the giving of the Torah. And therefore then one must specifically bring chametz — in order to rectify the aspect of chametz as well, which is the aspect of chovlim. For the primary rectification of the chovlim — the aspect of chametz — is on Shavuos. Only, even now, after the seventh day of Pesach, we have permission to eat it, for we already have the power to rectify it — since the rectification of the chovlim had already begun at the time of the splitting of the Reed Sea, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of what is found in the holy Zohar: that through receiving the asvasa [remedy/healing] — that is, matzah — one can afterward eat chametz. For through eating matzah during the seven days of Pesach — which is the aspect of being nourished from the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the aspect of matzah, as mentioned above. For the eating of matzah itself is also the aspect of tzedakah, through which one can receive the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. And for this reason it is called lechem oni [bread of poverty / bread of the poor], lachma anya. For in truth, the eating of the tzadik is the aspect of tzedakah — for he does tzedakah and chesed with his holy nefesh, in the aspect of "he who rewards his own soul is a man of kindness" (Proverbs 11:17) — in the aspect of "the tzadik eats to satisfy his soul" (Proverbs 13:25). And as Hillel said: "I shall do kindness with my soul." And therefore, through the eating of the tzadik, he merits receiving the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, in the aspect of "and He shall satisfy your soul with radiance (tzachtzachos)" (Isaiah 58:11) — which is the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, which is the aspect of tzachtzachos. It turns out that the eating of the tzadik — which is holy eating — is the aspect of tzedakah, and through it one merits receiving the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. And this is the aspect of eating matzah — which is holy eating, through which one merits receiving and delighting from the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, in the aspect of "so that you shall suckle and delight" etc., as mentioned above. And this is why it is called lechem oni — for it is the aspect of tzedakah, as mentioned above. And this is why we say "All who are hungry, let them come and eat" etc. For the primary aspect of matzah is through tzedakah, as mentioned above. And so our Rebbe of blessed memory wrote elsewhere that matzos [מצ"ת] is an acronym for "tzedakah tatzil mimaves" — "tzedakah saves from death". It turns out that through eating matzah, one is nourished and receives the flow of the no'am ha'elyon. And then, when one merits receiving the flow of the no'am ha'elyon during the seven days of Pesach, afterward one can eat chametz. For afterward one can rectify also the chovlim, which is the aspect of chametz, in the aspect of "ropes have fallen to me in pleasant places," as mentioned above. And this itself is the aspect of the asvasa mentioned above, as stated in the holy Zohar: that through the asvasa — that is, matzah — one can eat chametz afterward. That is, as mentioned above — and understand. And this is the reason for the custom to give ma'os chittin [wheat money] to the poor before Pesach. For the primary aspect of matzah — the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon — one needs to receive through tzedakah, as mentioned above. Blessed is Hashem forever, amain and amain. And this is the aspect of the Song at the Sea, which is the aspect of "the pleasant one of the songs of Israel" (II Samuel 23:1), as is explained at the end of the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory in the aforementioned ma'amar. That is, the aspect of the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, whose primary purpose is that His glory, blessed be He, should be revealed. And this is the aspect of shirah [song] — the aspect of songs and praises with which they praise and glorify Him, blessed be He, and magnify His glory, blessed be He. For this is the reason the no'am ha'elyon flows. And this is the aspect of "the pleasant one (ne'im) of the songs of Israel" — for the primary flow of the no'am ha'elyon is for the sake of the songs of Israel, which are the aspect of His glory, blessed be He. And this is the aspect of the Song at the Sea — for then they merited receiving the flow of the no'am ha'elyon, and then His glory, blessed be He, was magnified through the song. And this is the aspect of "the pleasant one of the songs of Israel," as mentioned above. Core concept (LM II:71): There are mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail (= no'am ha'elyon, pleasantness, unity, holiness) and mochin of chutz la'aretz (= chovlim, machlokes, judgments). Blemishing kavod causes one to fall from the former to the latter. Kavod depends on holadah (birth through is'arusa d'l'sata). Kibud Av va'Aim (§2-4): Parents = source of kavod. The kavod of Hashem depends on people born through is'arusa d'l'sata. Adam HaRishon was created directly by Hashem (no is'arusa d'l'sata), so kavod through him was incomplete — it depended on his holadah. Blemish of the bris = primary blemish of kavod. The Torah commands honoring parents because all kavod flows through them. Galus Mitzrayim (§5): Egypt = falling into mochin of chutz la'aretz through blemish of kavod/bris. The sin of Adam HaRishon, the Generation of the Flood (corrupting their way), and Avraham's question "bamah aida" all led to this exile. Geulah came through Moshe = the aspect of no'am ha'elyon (Abba/Imma). Pesach (§6-12): Ten plagues = subduing ten crowns of impurity corresponding to ten utterances. Matzah = no'am ha'elyon / mochin of Eretz Yisra'ail. Chametz = mochin of chutz la'aretz / chovlim. The korban Pesach = tzedakah/nedivas lev, creating a vessel for the no'am. Hashem "skipped" (pasach) and gave great light beyond their vessel's capacity. Checking for chametz by candlelight = using the great light itself to find the chovlim. Chametz is permitted after Pesach because the chovlim began being rectified at the Sea; on Shavuos, chametz itself becomes a korban. Krias Yam Suf (§13-16): The sea of wisdom split open. The maidservant saw more than Yechezkel because at the Sea, even the mochin of chutz la'aretz (= maidservant) were fully rectified and perceived — while Yechezkel's chutz la'aretz prophecy was during galus and for an individual only. Matzah = Tzedakah (§17): Matzah = lechem oni = tzedakah. Eating of the tzadik = tzedakah with one's nefesh. Through matzah-eating during seven days, one receives the asvasa (remedy) to handle chametz afterward. Ma'os chittin = tzedakah before Pesach to receive the no'am. Shiras HaYam (§18): Song = ne'im zemiros Yisra'ail = the kavod that is the purpose of the no'am ha'elyon.