מלמדים ות"ת ד'

Based on the teaching that begins in [Likutay Moharan,] Torah 22 — the fifth chapter of Sifra de'Tzniusa: "Beraishis bara — Beraishis: a whole utterance; bara: half an utterance — Father and Son, concealed and revealed, etc." — Know that there is a chosom [seal], etc. — see the entire teaching there carefully.

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Behold, the general principle is: through [declaring] Na'aseh v'Nishma ["We will do and we will hear" — Exodus 24:7] one merits simchah [joy]. And Na'aseh v'Nishma are the bechinas crowns with which Israel was crowned at Chorev [Sinai], and they are the bechinas concealed and the revealed — which are the bechinas Toras Hashem and Toraso ["the Torah of Hashem" and "his Torah" — Psalms 1:2], the bechinas Torah and prayer. For the Na'aseh [We will do] is the bechinas revealed — the bechinas Torah and Toraso; and the Nishma [We will hear] is the bechinas prayer, the bechinas Toras Hashem, the bechinas concealed.

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And every person must go from level to level — striving to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from prayer Torah, from the concealed the revealed, etc. For in every world and at every level there is the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma, and the bechinas Nishma at this level — for this person — is already the bechinas Na'aseh, the bechinas revealed, for another person or at a higher level. And so on, from level to level, from world to world. And when one makes from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from the concealed the revealed — then there is a higher Nishma awaiting him, and so on from world to world, without end — see all of this there carefully.

And through Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits joy, and through joy one merits holy boldness (azus d'kedushah) in the form of holy voices (kolos), and through holy boldness one enters into holiness and draws near to the Seven Shepherds (shivas ha'ro'im), who are the totality of Israel's faith — they draw faith down to Israel, and through this one fills the hands and draws illumination from the Seven Shepherds, and one merits the seal of the hands — which is the seal of faith — and through this one merits the two seals. For everything depends on faith, etc. — see there carefully. This, then, is the bechinas mitzvah of writing the Sefer Torah — that every individual in Israel must write a Sefer Torah for himself, or at minimum correct a single letter in one, which is likewise considered as if he himself wrote it entirely. But one who merely purchases a Sefer Torah — it is as one who snatches a mitzvah from the marketplace — for every individual in Israel must receive the Torah anew, as it is written: "which I command you today" [Deuteronomy 6:6], and our Sages expounded [Sifrai]: "Let them be in your eyes each day as if they were new." The essential receiving of the Torah in every person and at every time is through the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma described above. For every single person in Israel, from the smallest to the greatest — each according to his own bechinas — has his own bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma: what he knows and understands — that is his bechinas Na'aseh, the bechinas revealed, the bechinas Torah, etc., as above; and what is hidden and concealed from him — that is his bechinas Nishma, the bechinas prayer, as above. And every person must strive to receive the Torah at all times anew — that is, to merit each time to attain and understand what was previously concealed and hidden from him, and to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from the concealed the revealed, etc., as above. And then he will have a yet higher Nishma. And thereafter he must continue further, from level to level, to make from that Nishma a Na'aseh — and then an even higher Nishma awaits him — and so he shall go always, from level to level, emerging each time from this Na'aseh v'Nishma into a yet higher Na'aseh v'Nishma, and so on forever. This is the bechinas writing the Sefer Torah — for the script of the Sefer Torah is the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma: drawing the bechinas Nishma down into the lower realm and making from it a bechinas Na'aseh. For one must write the Sefer Torah lishmah [for its own sake] specifically — for if one did not write it in the name of the holiness of the Sefer Torah, it is disqualified, for holiness has not descended upon it; and one must likewise write all the [Divine] Names in it in the name of the holiness of the Name. The intention the scribe must have — to write it lishmah, for the sake of the holiness of the Sefer Torah and the holiness of the Name — this intention is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas prayer, which is the bechinas deveikus [cleaving] and bitul [self-nullification] to the Infinite, for from there all holiness is drawn. And the scribe must, prior to writing, attach his thought to Hashem Yisborach — which is the bechinas Nishma as above — in order to draw from there the holiness: that he write it for the name of Hashem Yisborach, for the holiness of the Sefer Torah, and for the holiness of the Name. And with this intention he must write the Sefer Torah. And then, as he writes the letters of the Torah with the intention directed toward Hashem for the sake of holiness, he draws the bechinas Nishma — the bechinas concealed, the bechinas light of the Infinite — into the letters that are inscribed in the Sefer Torah, which are the bechinas Na'aseh, the bechinas physical doing. Thus he draws from the Nishma into the Na'aseh — from Toras Hashem into Toraso, etc., as above. And this is "Black fire upon white fire" — which is the bechinas writing the Sefer Torah. For the Nishma — which is the bechinas concealed — is the bechinas black fire, for the Nishma is called "black" because it cannot be grasped, as in "He set darkness as His concealment" [Psalms 18:12] — the secrets of the Torah are called bechinas darkness and blackness, due to the depth of the attainable, as stated in the words of the Rebbe of blessed memory in the aforementioned teaching — "Whoever wishes to taste the flavor of the hidden light, etc." [Torah 15]. And one must draw the concealed — which is the bechinas black fire — into the bechinas revealed — which is the bechinas white fire — and this is the bechinas writing the Sefer Torah: black fire upon white fire. That is, making the concealed revealed — for when the black fire is drawn into the white fire, meaning when the letters of the Torah are drawn from their root downward until they are inscribed upon the Sefer, then we can understand and grasp them somewhat, and then the concealed becomes revealed, the Nishma becomes Na'aseh. Thus the writing of the Sefer Torah is the bechinas making the Nishma into the Na'aseh. And therefore every person must specifically write for himself his own Sefer Torah — for every person has his own Na'aseh v'Nishma unique to him and his level. And certainly one cannot fulfill [the obligation] with the Sefer Torah written by someone else — for one must attain and receive his own specific Nishma: for another person has a different Na'aseh v'Nishma — either higher or lower than his. If the other is higher, he certainly cannot receive his [friend's] Nishma. And if the other is lower than him — then how can he fulfill [his obligation] with that person's Sefer Torah, which was made from a lower Nishma into a Na'aseh, since he has already surpassed that level and needs a yet higher Nishma? Therefore one must specifically write the Sefer Torah for himself, in order to attain and receive the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma appropriate to his level — and this is the bechinas writing the Sefer Torah lishmah, as above. This is the bechinas Written Torah and the Oral Torah. Hashem Yisborach transmitted His Torah in writing — comprising both Na'aseh v'Nishma — but the person must go each time from level to level and attain new things continually, and emerge from this Na'aseh v'Nishma to a yet higher one. Therefore He did not wish to write and to clarify the entire Torah in writing alone; rather He transmitted the Torah in written and oral forms — for the Written Torah in general is the bechinas Na'aseh — since writing is the bechinas asiyah — and the Oral Torah, which is the bechinas malchus, the bechinas prayer, is the bechinas Nishma. For the essence of the Oral Torah is what the true sages innovate in every generation — whom we are commanded to heed, as it is written: "You shall not deviate from the word, etc." [Deuteronomy 17:11] — and all the innovations and elucidations that the sages derive and introduce in the Torah through the thirteen hermeneutical principles, which are the bechinas Oral Torah, are the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma: making from the Nishma a Na'aseh — for at first they did not understand the Torah's exposition and its innovations, and now through their clarification and innovation the meaning is revealed — what had previously been concealed from us. Thus the Oral Torah is the bechinas Nishma. And therefore the Torah was given both in writing and orally, and every person must engage in both the Written and the Oral Torah — for every person must engage in Na'aseh v'Nishma and ascend at all times from level to level, to innovate in the Torah and to attain the concealed within the Torah and to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh — which is the very essence of the Oral Torah, as above. This is the bechinas Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkos. For Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma — the bechinas Written Torah and the Oral Torah — which are the bechinas "writing hand" and the "sealing hand," as stated in the Tikunim [Tikun 18, folio 33]: "The 'writing hand' — that is the Written Torah; the 'sealing hand' — that is the Oral Torah." For Rosh Hashanah is the bechinas Written Torah — the "writing hand" — since on Rosh Hashanah "it is written" [in the books of life and death]. And therefore on Rosh Hashanah we engage with the Written Torah — for in the prayer we say Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofros [Sovereignties, Remembrances, and Ram's-horn blasts] which consist of verses from the Written Torah — for "This day is the beginning of Your works" [High Holiday liturgy]. For on this day the first Man (Adam ha'Rishon) was created, and the essential purpose of the creation of Man was for the receiving of the Torah, which is the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma. But at the very beginning of creation, one can only attain the first Na'aseh v'Nishma, which is the bechinas Written Torah — where the Na'aseh is the body of the Torah text, and the Nishma is its explanation and commentary. And thereafter, when one has merited to know some explanation and commentary, one must proceed from level to level to attain an even higher explanation and innovation — and so on further, until one attains the secrets within secrets of the Torah — rozin and rozin d'rozin [mysteries and mysteries of mysteries] — but at the start, the Na'aseh v'Nishma is in the bechinas Written Torah, as above. And therefore on Rosh Hashanah, which is the beginning of creation, it is the bechinas Written Torah as above, and therefore in the prayer we say many verses from Torah, Prophets, and Writings — which is the Written Torah — which is the bechinas making from Torah a prayer, for we mention many verses of Torah in the prayer at that time. For it is taught in the Rebbe's words — to make from Torah a prayer — as he warned us many times: that whatever quality a person learns, whatever good conduct he encounters, he should pray to Hashem Yisborach that he merit it, to fulfill the Torah that he has learned. And it would seem at first glance that in the aforementioned teaching the opposite is implied — for there it is clarified to make from prayer Torah, as above. But in truth, on the contrary, the aforementioned teaching beautifully clarifies the matter of making from Torahs prayers — for there it is explained that Torah and prayer are the bechinas concealed and revealed, and they are Toras Hashem and Toraso, etc., as above. Behold, prior to the time that a person merits to fulfill the words of the Torah, all of the Torah is in the bechinas concealed for him — for the essential thing is the fulfillment of the Torah, since "not study is primary but action" [Avos 1:17] — and at that point all the Torah that he has not yet merited to fulfill is in the bechinas concealed for him — the bechinas prayer. And then he must make from the Torah a prayer — that is, he must pray to Hashem Yisborach that He grant him the merit to fulfill all the words of the Torah that he has not yet merited to fulfill, which is the bechinas concealed for him, as above. Thus he is making from the Torah a prayer — for the Torah that he has not yet merited to fulfill, which is the bechinas concealed for him, is itself in the bechinas prayer, as above. And afterward, when he merits to have his request answered before Hashem Yisborach and his prayer is accepted — and he merits to reach [that level] and to fulfill all the words of the Torah and the commandments he prayed for — then the Nishma becomes Na'aseh, Toras Hashem becomes Toraso, prayer becomes Torah. And then he has a yet higher Nishma, etc. — meaning he now prays to attain the mysteries and deeper intentions within the commandments, and so on from level to level. [(Thus everything is one — for what was written "to make from the Torah a prayer" refers to the Torah he has not yet merited to fulfill or attain, which is itself what was described in this teaching as making from the Nishma a Na'aseh and from prayer Torah — for the Torah he has not yet merited to fulfill, etc., is in the bechinas prayer, etc. — and it is all one.)] And therefore on Rosh Hashanah — which is the beginning of creation — the Written Torah itself is in the bechinas prayer, for we are then beginning to recognize Hashem Yisborach, and at that point we must pray that Hashem grant us the merit of the first Na'aseh v'Nishma, which is the bechinas writing the Torah, the bechinas Written Torah, as above. And therefore we make from the verses of the Written Torah a prayer — for they are still for us in the bechinas prayer, the bechinas concealed, as above. And this is what we pray on Rosh Hashanah: "And therefore place Your awe, Hashem our G-d, upon all Your works, and Your dread upon all You have created, that all creatures fear You…" [High Holiday liturgy] — that is, we pray that the Nishma become Na'aseh, for the Nishma is the bechinas awe (yirah) — the bechinas beraishis yoray boashes [the primal awe-shame], as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And therefore we beseech Hashem Yisborach that His awe and dread be drawn upon all the deeds (ma'asim) — the bechinas Na'aseh — so that the Nishma should be revealed upon all the Na'aseh, and the Na'aseh will be made from the Nishma, as above. And this is the bechinas Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofros. Malchuyos — that is the bechinas Nishma, which is the bechinas prayer, the bechinas Malchus — for the Nishma, which is the concealed that we wish to attain, is the bechinas Malchus of the higher level: the lowest aspect of the higher level, for the general principle is that one can only grasp from level to level the lowest aspect of the higher level, as is explained elsewhere. Zichronos — that is the bechinas Na'aseh: drawing from the Nishma into the Na'aseh — the bechinas writing — as above; which is the bechinas Zichronos, the bechinas "Write this as a remembrance in the Book" — drawing and revealing from the Nishma into the Na'aseh until it is written in a Book for remembrance, so that we remember Him always. For in truth no thought can grasp Him at all — but we must believe in Him Yisborach and attach our thoughts to Him always — which is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas prayer, the bechinas bitul and deveikus to the Infinite — until we merit that some attainment and knowledge of His Torah should be revealed to us, which is His oneness — for "the Torah and the Holy One Blessed is He and Israel are all one" — and through this we know something of Him from His greatness and exaltedness and glory Yisborach. And we must bind this knowledge in our heart to remember it forever — in the bechinas writing, in the bechinas "Write them upon the tablet of your heart" [Proverbs 3:3] — so that we never forget Him. Thus when one makes the Nishma into a Na'aseh, this is the bechinas remembrance — the bechinas "Write this as a remembrance in the Book" — as above. And this is the bechinas Zichronos said on Rosh Hashanah. Thus Malchuyos and Zichronos are the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma. And through Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits joy, and through joy one merits holy boldness — the bechinas holy voices. And this is the bechinas Shofros — and this is the bechinas shofar-blast on Rosh Hashanah alongside Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofros. For the sound of the shofar is the bechinas holy boldness — the bechinas "He gives His voice a mighty voice" [Psalms 68:34] — as explained in the aforementioned teaching: that this is attained through Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above. And through holy boldness — the sound of the shofar — one enters into holiness and draws near to the totality of the Seven Shepherds who draw down holy faith to Israel — for this is the essential service of Rosh Hashanah: to merit complete faith, as stated in the Rebbe's words in many places. And this is the bechinas Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur. For afterward, one must ascend each time from level to level in order to attain a yet higher Nishma. And this depends upon teshuvah [repentance] — for when one wishes to ascend from this Na'aseh v'Nishma to a yet higher one, there must be a descent before the ascent — for "the descent is for the sake of the ascent" [Likutay Moharan I, 22]. As our Sages said: "Dovid was not suited to that act, nor were Israel suited, etc. — but only in order to teach the path of repentance" [Avodah Zarah 4b] — see all of this in the aforementioned teaching. And when one merits the ascent through the descent — that is, when one merits to attain the Nishma and the concealed — then the descent is transformed into an ascent: all the transgressions [avonos], which are the bechinas descent, are transformed into merits and the transgressions become Torah. And this is what is alluded to there in the aforementioned teaching — the matter of the verse: "On that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" [Jeremiah 50:20] — that in the future, Israel's transgressions will become Torah; and they will search and seek Israel's transgressions in order to find more iniquity, in order for more Torah to be made from it — for they will all be included in the Infinite, in the bechinas "there shall be none" — they will all be absorbed into the Ayin [Nothingness], etc. — see there. For when one merits to attain the Nishma and the concealed, ascending from level to level, one is then included in the Infinite — for the Nishma is the bechinas Infinite, as understood from the aforementioned teaching — and then the descent is transformed into ascent and all transgressions are transformed into merits. And all of this one merits through teshuvah — for teshuvah is very lofty and transcends the Torah in the bechinas secrets of Torah — the bechinas Nishma — the bechinas prayer. And one who has fallen into some fall from the service of Hashem — and even if at times, G-d forbid, one fell into an actual great fall of transgressions, G-d forbid, Heaven have mercy — must strengthen himself greatly, greatly, never to despair, G-d forbid, as is explained by us many times. And when he does not despair and strengthens himself and returns to Hashem with his whole heart — then through that very repentance he merits a great ascent specifically through that fall, for "the descent is the ultimate purpose of the ascent," since through the fall he merited repentance through which he merited the Nishma and the concealed — to ascend from level to level, from this Na'aseh v'Nishma to a higher one. And then he is included in the Infinite and all transgressions are transformed into merits. And this is the bechinas Ten Days of Repentance and Yom Kippur — for on Rosh Hashanah is the beginning, and on Yom Kippur is the conclusion. For all our service in these days is to "saw" [separate and build] the Malchus [Kingship] — and Malchus is faith (emunah) — for the essence is faith: we must reveal the faith in the world, which is the bechinas revelation of His sovereignty. For through faith one knows that He Yisborach is King over all the earth — and this is the essence of our request on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as we say: "And therefore, Hashem our G-d, place Your awe upon all Your works…" and "…that You alone, Hashem, will reign over the entire world in Your glory…" and "…let every creature know that You made it…" and "…and everything that has a soul in its nostrils shall say: 'Hashem G-d of Israel is King and His sovereignty rules over all.'" And similarly many [prayers] — for our entire intention and longing and prayers are that His faith and sovereignty be revealed to all the world's inhabitants. For this is the bechinas "sawing" of the Malchus — that the Malchus and the faith should not remain hidden within Him Yisborach, at which point nothing of Him Yisborach can be known at all — for no thought can grasp Him at all, and He Yisborach can only be known through holy faith. Therefore in these days we engage in repentance — for they are the Ten Days of Repentance. And through each and every repentance performed on each day of the Ten Days, one merits to ascend from level to level and to attain a yet higher Nishma — in the bechinas "descent for the sake of ascent" — for the transgressions are turned into merits through repentance. And according to the level of Na'aseh v'Nishma attained each day, so too does one merit holy boldness — the bechinas kolos — and likewise one merits to draw down holy faith into the world, as all this is explained and understood clearly in the aforementioned teaching. The essential conclusion is on Yom Kippur — for then is the essential forgiveness and atonement, and one merits complete repentance, and Hashem Yisborach forgives the transgressions of His people Israel, and all the transgressions are transformed into merits. And therefore the essential receiving of the Torah is on Yom Kippur — for then Hashem Yisborach was appeased with Moshe and said to him "I have forgiven" for the sin of the Golden Calf, and then Moshe descended with the Tablets — which are the bechinas two witnesses made from Na'aseh v'Nishma — for the Tablets encompass both Written and Oral Torah, which are the bechinas two Tablets in his two hands — right hand and left hand — which are Written and Oral Torah as is known — the "writing hand" and the "sealing hand." For on Yom Kippur "it is sealed" — for then the judgment is concluded, the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma is completed in full, which are the bechinas Written and Oral Torah, as above. For on Yom Kippur one merits the highest Nishma — for one is then included in the Infinite with utter bitul, as it will be in the future — for Yom Kippur is the bechinas World to Come, which has neither eating nor drinking, as is known. And therefore on this holy day, all sins, transgressions, and iniquities committed throughout the entire year are confessed — for now they become Torah from all the transgressions, for they all become merits through the complete repentance done then. And therefore specifically through the confession of transgressions one merits the highest Nishma attained on Yom Kippur — which is the most sublime secrets of Torah — in the bechinas "descent for the sake of ultimate ascent," as above — for the transgressions are transformed into merits and from them the most sublime Torah is made — the secrets of Torah. And then on Yom Kippur is fulfilled: "On that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" — "shall be sought" specifically, as above. And therefore on Yom Kippur the fullness of prayer is attained — one merits five prayers — for then one attains the highest Nishma, which is the bechinas prayer, as above. And therefore on Yom Kippur faith is completed and shines with an exceedingly great light — for then one merits Na'aseh v'Nishma in perfect completeness, through which one merits complete faith, as above. And this is the bechinas five immersions (tevilos) that the High Priest immerses on that day each time he changes from the golden vestments to the white vestments and from the white vestments back to the golden vestments. At first glance it is difficult: for immersing when changing from golden to white vestments — i.e., from the outer service to the inner service — is understandable, since he is entering a higher level of holiness; but when changing from white to golden vestments — from the inner to the outer — why must he immerse? But in truth, according to the above explanation, this is well understood — for the "outer" and "inner" are the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma, the bechinas revealed and concealed. And therefore, immediately when the High Priest entered into the innermost chamber, the place of the Ark, and performed the inner service — and thereby attained the Nishma that is the bechinas concealed — and made from the Nishma a Na'aseh — then he merited a yet higher Nishma. And when he came out to the outer, he performed the outer service from the level of the bechinas Nishma he had at the beginning — for now he had attained a higher Na'aseh v'Nishma. Therefore he certainly must immerse even when going from inner to outer — for each time he is ascending to a higher level of Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above. And this is the bechinas holy voices (kolos) one merits on Yom Kippur — for the five afflictions (inuyim) correspond to five holy voices, as stated in the holy writings — for through Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits voices which are the bechinas holy boldness, as above. And therefore the essential illumination of Yom Kippur is the bechinas kolos, as is known — for then is the essential receiving of the Torah in the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above — through which one merits holy boldness, which is the bechinas kolos, as above. And therefore during all Ten Days of Repentance the holy voices are awakened, and we say each day: "From the depths I have called You, O Hashem — Hashem, hear my voice…" [Psalms 130:1–2] And through this the Malchus — which is the bechinas faith — is "sawn": for the essential faith is received through the voices, which are the bechinas boldness — through which one draws near to the Seven Shepherds, through whom one merits the holy faith, as above. And this is what we say: "If You preserve iniquities, etc., for with You is forgiveness, so that You shall be feared." [Psalms 130:3–4] — For through the forgiveness of transgressions — through which the transgressions are turned into merits — and "the descent is the ultimate ascent" — then one merits to make the Nishma a Na'aseh, etc., as above. And the Nishma is the bechinas awe (yirah) — the bechinas beraishis yoray boashes — as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And this is: "for with You is forgiveness, so that You shall be feared" — for through the forgiveness of transgressions, through which one merits to attain the Nishma, one thereby merits awe, for the Nishma is the bechinas yirah, as above. And this is the bechinas Sukkah, made after Yom Kippur. For the essential element of the Sukkah is the sechach [the roof-covering] — the bechinas "mother who shelters over her children" (Imma d'mesakchas al benin). And the essential sechach is from the waste of the threshing floor and winepress (psoles goren v'yekev). And in this we demonstrate the greatness of our power and the immensity of Hashem's kindness — for here we see that He Yisborach has forgiven us all our transgressions, and all the transgressions have been transformed into merits, and from Israel's transgressions Torah has been made. For this we see through the mitzvah of Sukkah — that specifically from the psoles [refuse, remnants] the Sukkah is made — which is the bechinas Israel's transgressions being transformed into merits. For when the transgressions are transformed into merits and from them Torah is made, this Torah is specifically the secrets of Torah (sispray Torah) — the bechinas Nishma, as above — the bechinas teshuvah, which transcends the Torah. And this is the bechinas Sukkah — for Sukkah is very lofty and is the bechinas secrets of Torah, the bechinas teshuvah, the bechinas Imma d'mesakchas al benin — "and call understanding a mother" [Proverbs 7:4] — which is the bechinas secrets of Torah. Thus the Sukkah is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas secrets of Torah. And it is specifically made from the refuse of the threshing floor and winepress — which are the bechinas chaff and straw — which are the husks that cover the grain — which are the bechinas transgressions — and specifically from them is the Sukkah made. For all this we merit on Yom Kippur — when Hashem Yisborach forgives our transgressions until the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above. And therefore from the psoles specifically the Sukkah is now made — which is the bechinas secrets of Torah, etc., as above. And in this Sukkah we sit all seven days, and we receive the Seven Shepherds in the Sukkah — for now we merit to receive the Seven Shepherds through whom the drawing of holy faith to Israel is primary — and all our service on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur was for this purpose, as above. And in this holy Sukkah we sit, and the Sukkah shelters and guards us from all enemies and pursuers who wish to distance us, G-d forbid — for through the power of the Sukkah we are confident in Hashem Yisborach that we will remain supported and cleaving to Him always, forever and ever, and nothing can distance us from Him. And in the future the Sukkah will specifically protect from Gehinom [the fires of punishment], as it is written: "And there will be a Sukkah, etc., and as a shelter and refuge from the flood and from rain — He rains down upon the wicked fiery coals, etc." [Isaiah 4:6] For the light of the Sukkah is drawn from such a lofty place that there all transgressions are transformed into merits. And therefore the Sukkah shelters and saves from Gehinom — which is the punishment for transgressions, G-d forbid, Heaven have mercy — for the Sukkah transforms transgressions into merits, as above. And therefore we make the Sukkah after Yom Kippur, as above. And this is the bechinas: "And Hashem said: I have forgiven as you have spoken [kidvorecho]." [Numbers 14:20] — "Kidvarecha" specifically — for the Nishma, which is the secrets of Torah, is the bechinas divray Torah [the "words" of Torah] — the matters that surround the commandment — the bechinas "And Hashem spoke to Moshe, etc." — as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And the bechinas Nishma — which is the bechinas divray Torah — is the bechinas deveikus to the Infinite, where transgressions are transformed into merits when one merits to attain the Nishma, which is the bechinas divray Torah — for then the descent is transformed into ascent and from transgressions merits are made, as above. And this is what Hashem Yisborach said to Moshe: "Solachti kidvorecho" — "I have forgiven as you have spoken" — specifically kidvorecho: according to your words of Torah, so is the forgiveness — for Moshe merited to attain the bechinas secrets of Torah, which are the bechinas divray Torah — the bechinas Nishma — through which the forgiveness occurs, for the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above. And this is the bechinas: "These are the words that Moshe spoke in the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc." [Deuteronomy 1:1] — and Rashi explained: wherever it says devarim [words], it refers to words of rebuke — for there in the scripture it counts all the places where they angered G-d in the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc. For it is taught in the words of the Rebbe of blessed memory that it is forbidden to speak rebuke — that is, to mention Israel's transgressions and rebuke them for it — except for one who can rebuke in the manner of Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him: that through his rebuke he imbued them with a good fragrance — in the bechinas "my spikenard gave forth its fragrance" [Song of Songs 1:12] — "gave" is not written, but rather "gave forth" specifically. Thus Moshe Rabbainu, through his rebuke in which he mentioned Israel's transgressions, specifically gave forth a good fragrance from within them — for he had the power to transform transgressions into merits, having merited to Na'aseh v'Nishma in perfection — for he had attained the bechinas divray Torah, which is the bechinas Nishma, through which the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above. And therefore the rebuke is called "divray" specifically. And this is: "Ayleh ha'devarim asher diber Moshe" — "devarim" specifically — the bechinas divray specifically — the bechinas divray Torah — which is the bechinas Nishma — through which specifically he could rebuke Israel and mention their transgressions in the wilderness, in the Arabah, etc. — for through the bechinas devarim, the bechinas divray Torah, the bechinas Nishma, he transformed all the transgressions into merits — and therefore he mentioned all their transgressions, for they were all transformed into merits through the bechinas ha'devarim asher diber Moshe — the bechinas divray Torah, the bechinas Nishma that he attained — through which all transgressions are transformed into merits, as above — so that then specifically one could rebuke Israel, as above. And so it was with all the tzadikim who rebuked Israel — their rebuke is called "divray" — the bechinas "the words of Koheles" [Ecclesiastes 1:1], etc., as Rashi explained there — for they all rebuked Israel only in the bechinas rebuke of Moshe, which is the bechinas divray Torah — the bechinas Nishma — through which transgressions are transformed into merits — and through that specifically they could rebuke, as above. And this is the bechinas: "And this song shall testify before Him as a witness, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants." [Deuteronomy 31:21] — for Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him, saw until the end of all generations — that in the future, Israel at the end of days would descend to a very great depth in the era of ikvessa d'Meshicha [the footsteps of the Messiah] — in the bechinas "and she descended wondrous low" — as is written there: "For I know, etc. — and I will utterly conceal My face in that day, etc." [Deuteronomy 31:18] And therefore he wrote the Shiras Ha'azinu [the Song of Haazinu] which speaks of rebuke — for the entire song is words of rebuke, rebuking Israel for their deeds, as it is written: "For they are a generation of reversals, etc." [Deuteronomy 32:20] and the entire portion. And at first glance it is difficult: if so, why is it called a shirah [song]? What praise and song is this? And also: how is it that through this rebuke — the Shiras Ha'azinu — Israel merits that the Torah will never be forgotten from their mouths, as in "it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants"? But in truth, Moshe Rabbainu rebuked them in the manner described above — for he merited the highest Na'aseh v'Nishma — where all transgressions are transformed into merits, and everything he rebuked them for and the evil deeds he mentioned becomes Torah and mitzvos. This is the bechinas "on that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" — as above. And through this bechinas, Israel has continuity even through all the descents and falls of the world. And therefore this rebuke is called a shirah [song] — for the transgressions are transformed into merits and from them song and praise and joy are made — for the essential nature of song is made from the clarification of the good from the evil, as the Rebbe of blessed memory wrote elsewhere — which is itself the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits, where the evil is transformed into good. And therefore through the power of this song — the Shiras Ha'azinu — in which Moshe Rabbainu demonstrated before his death the immensity of his power and attainment, that he merited to ascend to the very highest level — where transgressions are transformed into merits — to the point where he could take rebuke over evil deeds and fashion from it a shirah: therefore through this power he assures Israel that they will never be entirely distanced from Hashem Yisborach, even if they do what they do — even in the intensity of the concealment-within-concealment — in the bechinas "And I will utterly conceal My face" — "yet this song shall testify before Him as a witness, for it will not be forgotten from the mouth of their descendants" — for through this song we see that there is no despair and no fall in the world — for if they merit, all transgressions will be transformed into merits. As we see that Moshe merited to fashion from a rebuke of evil deeds a song and joy, as above. And therefore we can always return to Hashem — only that we must never despair of crying out to Hashem always, as the Rebbe of blessed memory said, as printed at the end of Sefer Ha'Maasiyos — see there. And therefore in these days of the Ten Days of Repentance and Sukkos we occupy ourselves and read Shiras Ha'azinu — for then are the days of repentance and the transgressions become merits in the bechinas "solachti kidvorecho", as above. And all of this is the bechinas Shiras Ha'azinu, as above. And therefore the song concludes: "And He will atone for the land of His people." [Deuteronomy 32:43] — For this song is the bechinas forgiveness of transgressions — the bechinas "on that day the iniquity of Israel shall be sought, and there shall be none" — for from Israel's transgressions Torah is made, etc., as above. And therefore on the last day of Sukkos — Hoshana Rabbah — the Book of Ayleh Ha'devarim [Deuteronomy — Mishneh Torah] is read — for during Sukkos we demonstrate the power we wrought on Yom Kippur — that from Israel's transgressions Torah is made — to the point that we sit in the holy shade and we make from the refuse of the threshing floor and winepress a holy Sukkah — the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits, as above. And therefore at the end of Sukkos, on Hoshana Rabbah — when we must complete the seals, the seal within the seal — which all depend on the faith drawn through the Seven Shepherds, the ushpizin [holy guests] who entered the Sukkah, whom we merit to approach through holy boldness (azus d'kedushah) — which is the bechinas kolos — and one merits this holy boldness through the joy that comes from Na'aseh v'Nishma, which leads to the highest Na'aseh v'Nishma through the descent that is the ultimate ascent, for the transgressions are transformed into merits, as above — as all this is explained clearly in the aforementioned teaching, see there. And therefore at the end of Sukkos, at the completion of the seals, we read the book Ayleh Ha'devarim asher diber Moshe — which is the bechinas divray Torah described above, the bechinas highest Na'aseh v'Nishma — which is the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits, as above. And through this Na'aseh v'Nishma one merits joy, etc. — through which the seals are rectified, the seal within the seal, as above. And therefore immediately after Sukkos, Simchas Torah [the Rejoicing of the Torah] is celebrated — the bechinas "and eternal joy upon their heads." [Isaiah 35:10] — For through the Na'aseh v'Nishma that we merited in all these days, as above — which is the very essence of the receiving of the Torah — through this we merit the joy of the bechinas Simchas Torah, the bechinas "and eternal joy upon their heads" — said of the two crowns which are the adayim [crowns] with which Israel was crowned at Chorev through Na'aseh v'Nishma. For on Simchas Torah: "then a crown is placed upon the head of every tzadik" — as stated in the Tikunim — see there. That is, the aforementioned crowns made from Na'aseh v'Nishma — they are the essential joy of Simchas Torah, the bechinas "and eternal joy upon their heads", as above. And this is why on Simchas Torah the Torah is concluded and immediately begun again from the start — for every year one must begin the Torah anew — that is, every year one must strive to attain a yet higher Na'aseh v'Nishma — for there are seventy facets to the Torah. And it is stated in the words of the Rebbe [Likutay Moharan, Torah 60] that these correspond to seventy years — for every year one must attain new facets of Torah from the seventy facets, which is the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma anew — to attain the concealed aspects of the Torah each time more and more, as above. And we occupy ourselves with this throughout the entire year — to attain each day, each week, each month, a portion of the Torah in the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma — to attain each time the bechinas Nishma of the Torah, the bechinas concealed — until at the conclusion of the year, Israel as a whole attains a new Nishma, and from the Nishma a Na'aseh is made — and then they must attain a new, yet higher Nishma. And this is the bechinas concluding the Torah and immediately beginning again. For the completion represents that they have now attained the Torah this year and made from the Nishma a Na'aseh — which is the totality of the Torah from Beraishis to "before the eyes of all Israel" [Deuteronomy 34:12]. For Beraishis is the bechinas complete utterance — the bechinas Nishma — for at the beginning of the Torah it is still in the bechinas Toras Hashem, the bechinas Nishma. And then one toils in it and devotes oneself to it until one attains it from Nishma to Na'aseh — and then it becomes Toraso. And this is the bechinas Torah's conclusion: "before the eyes of all Israel" — the bechinas making the Nishma a Na'aseh until all Israel attains it eye to eye. And this is: "and all the great terror that Moshe performed before the eyes of all Israel." [Deuteronomy 34:12] The "great terror" — that is the bechinas Nishma, the bechinas yirah — the bechinas beraishis yoray boashes — as explained in the aforementioned teaching. And this is: "that Moshe performed" — "performed" specifically — the bechinas Na'aseh — "before the eyes of all Israel" — for he revealed to the eyes of all the house of Israel the secrets of the Torah and made for them from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from the concealed the revealed. Thus the Torah's conclusion alludes to the attainment of Torah from Nishma to Na'aseh. And therefore immediately upon concluding the Torah one must return at once and begin from Beraishis, etc. — for as soon as one merits to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh — the "eyes of all Israel" — immediately one has a new Nishma, which is the bechinas Beraishis — and one must immediately strive and toil to make from this new Nishma a Na'aseh. And therefore they begin from Beraishis immediately — which is the new Nishma they now merit — for this year we must begin to attain the new Nishma from Nishma to Na'aseh, from the concealed to the revealed, from Beraishis — which is sealed and concealed — until "before the eyes of all Israel" — which will be revealed before the eyes of all Israel in the bechinas revealed, as above. And therefore the men of the ma'omod [the lay representatives who accompanied the Temple service] would occupy themselves with the portions of Beraishis and Ha'azinu — for the sacrifices atone and from transgressions merits are made, which is accomplished through the bechinas Na'aseh v'Nishma — which is Torah and prayer, as above. And therefore in the Holy Temple there was Torah and prayer — for the Temple's essential name is Bais Tefillah [House of Prayer], as it is written: "and I shall gladden them in My House of Prayer" [Isaiah 56:7] — for all prayers ascended there, and all the sacrifices are in the bechinas prayer — standing in place of the sacrificial offering. And therefore there in the Temple sat the Sanhedrin engaging in Torah — for they made from prayer Torah, from the Nishma a Na'aseh, as above. And therefore the men of the ma'omod would engage in the portion of Beraishis — which is the bechinas Nishma — to make from the Nishma a Na'aseh, from prayer Torah — through which is the essential forgiveness of transgressions, as above — which is the bechinas Shiras Ha'azinu, the bechinas transgressions transformed into merits through the power of Moshe who attained the highest Na'aseh v'Nishma, as above. And therefore they are called "ma'omod" — for there is no amidah [standing] but prayer. And as the Rebbe wrote there regarding the Talmudic statement: "In the days of Rabban Gamliel they would learn Torah while standing" — see there — for the men of the ma'omod would stand over the sacrifices and engage in Torah, and they made from the Nishma — from the bechinas prayer, the bechinas sacrifices, the bechinas standing (amidah) — Torah. And through this was the essential forgiveness of transgressions through the sacrifices, as above.

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