כבוד רבו ות"ח א

Likutay Halachos – Yoreh Daya – Hilchos Kevod Rabo v'Talmid Chacham (cont. of Kibud Av 3)

And therefore specifically while standing in the water they inform him, for it is stated that the soul (neshamah) cannot return except through immersion — and therefore when he is in the water, when he must receive the aspect of neshamah, then they inform him and illuminate within him the illumination of the n’kudah as above, and he receives the neshamah there through the immersion, for the n’kudah is the neshamah, as above.

And therefore the milah must precede the immersion, for it is impossible to receive the illumination of the n’kudah except through milah. For the n’kudah dwells in the place of bris shalom [the covenant of peace], as cited in the teaching “v’atem tih’yu li…”, see there. For the orlah is in the aspect of cherpah [disgrace], in the aspect of “for it is a disgrace to us” [Yehoshua 5:9], which is the aspect of “disgrace has broken my heart” [Tehillim 69:21] — which is the aspect of blemishing the n’kudah, see there. And therefore originally, when he was a gentile, he was uncircumcised, for all nations are uncircumcised, as explained in the Mishnah. For the sustenance of the seventy nations is from the sh’viras ha-kailim [the shattering of the vessels], from which the grip of the k’lipos [husks/shells] draws, which is the aspect of orlah, the aspect of cherpah, as above. And therefore when he wishes to enter the faith of Israel he requires milah to remove the disgrace, to take him out from the aspect of sh’virah [shattering], and the aspect of bris shalom is revealed — where the light of the n’kudah dwells among Israel. And then he receives the light of the n’kudah from the court of three Israelites while standing in the water, as above. And then he is truly renewed, as above — that is, he goes out from the aspect of sh’virah to the aspect of tikun [rectification], which is the aspect of a truly new creation (b’riyah chadashah mamash), as is known.