ראשית הגז א

This is the aspect of "short of days, sated with rage" (ktzar yamim sva ragaz): from the defect in the elders — which is the aspect of shortness of days — comes the metzach ha-nachash, which is the aspect of rage (ragaz), the opposite of ratzon. But through the holy beard (zaken d'kedusha) one merits ratzon, the aspect of zaken v'nasa panim (an elder of distinguished countenance). Panim (face/countenance) is the aspect of ratzon. See all of this there carefully.

Therefore the Torah has warned us not to destroy the corners of the beard (pe'as ha-zakan), God forbid, and the essential prohibition is specifically with a razor — for the hairs of the beard are truly the aspect of the days of old age, since the hairs of the beard are supernal, very lofty lights that have contracted into the aspect of hairs, which are the aspect of channels and contractions (tzinoros u'tzimtzumim). And this is the aspect of "days" (yamim), for days are the aspect of contractions and measures, as is brought. Therefore a person must, the more he ages — with each day of his life — add each day in holiness and knowledge, so that he merits to draw and illuminate in that day the light of Da'as (Knowledge). And this is the aspect of hairs literally.

Therefore one must not damage, God forbid, and destroy the pe'as ha-zakan, God forbid, so as not to damage the aspect of the beard — so as not to give nourishment, God forbid, to the aspect of the metzach ha-nachash, whose nourishment derives from the fall of the days of old age, which is literally the destruction and fall of the hairs of the beard — for the hairs of the beard are the aspect of the days of old age, as mentioned above.

The essential prohibition is with a razor, which is the aspect of a sword (cherev), which is the aspect of shortness of days — for the sword was created to shorten a person's days, and it is not fitting that the shortener should be raised over the lengthener, which is the holy beard, the aspect of length of days, as mentioned. For a razor and sword are the aspect of Esav, who was blessed with this, as it is said: "And by your sword you shall live" (v'al charbecha tichyeh). And it shortens the days of a person, for the essential shortening of a person's days, God forbid, occurs when he does not add in holiness and knowledge each day of his life, as mentioned above. And this is brought about, God forbid, by Esav, who is the Samech Mem (the Angel of Death), who incites the person away from the ways of life and shortens his days thereby, God forbid, as mentioned.

Therefore he was blessed with the sword, which shortens a person's days, as our Sages of blessed memory have expounded. And from this very thing — from the fact that he shortens a person's days, God forbid, i.e., that he prevents and incites the person from adding in holiness in his days, as mentioned — from this very thing, Esav draws nourishment. He is the aspect of the metzach ha-nachash, the aspect of ragaz (rage), the opposite of ratzon — the force of strict judgment, for he is the aspect of Amalek who came from him, who is the aspect of the metzach ha-nachash, the root of the wisdom of nature (chochmas ha-teva), the force of the intensification of heresy and apostasy, for the essential kefira (denial) and apikorsus (heresy) is the aspect of Amalek, as is elaborated in the teachings of our Rebbe of blessed memory.

It follows that Esav-Amalek is the aspect of "short of days, sated with rage" — for he is the aspect of the sword, the aspect of the sword of the Samech Mem, who shortens days in physical and spiritual terms as mentioned. And from this very thing he draws nourishment — he is the aspect of ragaz, the aspect of the metzach ha-nachash, the root of the wisdom of nature, the opposite of the metzach ha-ratzon, God forbid.

Therefore the essential prohibition of the destruction of the beard is specifically with a razor — for it is not fitting that the shortener be raised over the lengthener. The essential prohibition of destroying the beard is in order not to give nourishment, God forbid, to the metzach ha-nachash, from the defect and fall of the elder's days, which is the aspect of the destruction of the hairs of the beard, as mentioned. Therefore the essential prohibition is with a razor and sword, for through this one damages very greatly, God spare us — for he destroys the holy beard with a razor and sword and gives nourishment, God forbid, to the razor and sword, which is the aspect of Esav, the aspect of the metzach ha-nachash, from the fall of the hairs of the beard, God forbid. Therefore the essential prohibition is with a razor, for this is the essential damage — not to give nourishment, God forbid, to the aspect of the razor and sword, which is the aspect of ragaz, the aspect of the metzach ha-nachash, from the fall of the hairs of the beard, as mentioned.

Through this one explains and it is revealed to the discerning eye why the wisdom of philosophy and heresy has intensified particularly in the land of Ashkenaz and the like — for through our many sins, they were caught in the snares of the Adversary and became widespread in this great sin of destroying the corners of their beard. And in truth, according to the holy writings and sacred books, even destruction through other means that are technically permitted by law is also an extremely great and awesome spiritual damage, God spare us, God save us from this punishment.

For all the hairs of the beard are supremely lofty and awesome conduits (tzinoros), and no one can conceive of or grasp in their mind the true greatness of the holiness of the holy beard. And correspondingly, one cannot imagine, God forbid, the punishment of one who destroys it and raises his hand to ruin such exalted holiness. But through our many sins, as the days went on, many of them broke the fence, and they transgress five prohibitions with a raised hand, actually shaving their beard with a literal razor. Woe to their souls, for they have dealt evil to themselves — and through this, the wisdom of nature gains strength there, for the metzach ha-nachash, which is the root of the wisdom of nature, draws nourishment from the defect and fall of the beard, as mentioned. Understand this.

And this is the aspect of the prohibition of rounding the pe'os of the head. The essential pe'os are near the forehead (padeches), which is the metzach (forehead), for the pe'os are the aspect of yirah (awe) — for pe'ah in gematria equals Elokim, which is the aspect of yirah (as is explained in the Eitz Chaim), as it is said: "Fear Elokim" (es ha-Elokim yira). And the essential yirah comes through ratzon, as mentioned above. Therefore the pe'os are left near the forehead — for from the aspect of the metzach, the ratzon, which is the root of ratzon, from there yirah is created, which is the aspect of pe'os, as mentioned.

But lest the metzach ha-nachash gain strength, God forbid — which is the root of the wisdom of nature, and which casts defect and denial even upon the root of ratzon, upon the metzach ha-ratzon — therefore one must leave the pe'as ha-zakan and not destroy it, God forbid, so that the metzach ha-nachash should not gain strength, God forbid. But through the holy beard, the radiance of ratzon gains strength — for the metzach ha-nachash is subdued and the metzach ha-ratzon, the root of ratzon, gains strength — and then one merits yirah, which is the pe'os near the forehead, as mentioned.

And this is the aspect of the prohibition of shaving the pe'os and the beard — they are part of one matter, for one depends upon the other, as mentioned. Therefore all of Jewish identity (yahudus) depends on this — for this is the essential goal of the Children of Israel and the essence of our service: that we should merit reaching the level of "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks" etc. That is, we should not need to engage in any worldly occupation at all, but only in the service of Hashem all day. And this is impossible unless His Chesed flows upon us, in the aspect of "And you shall be called the priests of Hashem" (v'atem kohanei Hashem tikare'u). And it is impossible to receive the Chesed except through yirah, and yirah is created through ratzon, through the aspect of the metzach ha-ratzon, etc., as all of this is explained in the said discourse — see there carefully.

Therefore the essence of Jewish identity depends on pe'os and beard — for through them the aspect of ratzon is revealed, through the aspect of the beard, as mentioned, in the aspect of zaken v'nasa panim. And then one merits yirah, which is the aspect of pe'os, as mentioned. And when one merits yirah, automatically Chesed flows — for Chesed flows always; one simply needs a vessel and channel through which to receive the Chesed, as is explained there.