תלמוד תורה א

§§9-11: Tzedakah = vessel for no'am. Rosh HaShanah: shofar = melody = no'am; pekidas akaros; ten malchuyos, zichronos, shofaros = ten utterances. Yericho conquered by shofar; kinnor na'im = Kena'an. 5

The general principle is: the fiery flame-light [lehavi'us] of the heart of a Jewish man is of the aspect of Ein Sof [the Infinite], for there is no end and no limit to his longing; and from the greatness of the light that blazes unto infinity, it is impossible to arrive at the midos [character traits / the Divine attributes]. Therefore, it is necessary to tzamtzem [contract / concentrate] the light until a chalal [hollow / vacant space] is formed within the heart — corresponding to the verse "and my heart is hollow [chalal] within me" [Psalms 109:22]. And within this hollow that is formed through the tzimtzum [contraction], His actions and good attributes are revealed. And through the good attributes that are revealed within the hollow of the heart, it becomes manifest that he [the person] accepts upon himself a complete sovereignty of Heaven.

And all of this is the aspect of the bri'as ha'olam [the creation of the world]: for the light was Ein Sof, and He blessed be He — as it were — contracted the light to the sides, and the chalal hapanui [the vacant hollow] was formed. And within this vacant hollow, His attributes were revealed — and they are the worlds [themselves]. And through this His blessed sovereignty was revealed. And all of this takes place within every individual of Israel, as mentioned.

And the essence of the creation was through chochmah [wisdom], as it is written: "All of them [You made] with wisdom" etc. [Psalms 104:24]. And therefore, when a person thinks good thoughts about how to serve Him blessed be He — then this is the aspect of the creation of the world, which was through wisdom in the heart. And conversely, when one thinks evil thoughts — then he introduces foolishness and stupidity into his heart, and thereby clogs up the hollow of the heart, in which resides the aspect of the formation of all the worlds and attributes. And this is the aspect of arlas lev [the foreskin of the heart], whose translation [in Targum Onkelos] is "tipshus libchon" — the dullness / foolishness of your heart. For the foolishness is the corruption of the creation, for the hollow of the heart is clogged — the hollow in which the entire creation is revealed, namely all the worlds and all the attributes. And then the malchus [sovereignty / kingship] is in the aspect of the letter ד [dalet] — the aspect of poverty and destitution [dallah va'aniyah] — for His blessed sovereignty is not revealed, as it were, through the corruption of the creation that comes through the foolishness. For through this, the attributes are not revealed, and thereby His blessed sovereignty is not revealed, G-d forbid. For the essence of the revelation of His blessed sovereignty is through the aspect of the attributes and the worlds. But when one introduces holiness — that is, wisdom, namely good thoughts — into the heart, then this is the aspect of the creation of the world as mentioned, the aspect of the revelation of the attributes. And then His blessed sovereignty is revealed. And then the malchus is in the aspect of the letter ה [hei] — and then there are two batim [houses] upon it: baisa ila'ah [the upper house] and baisa tata'ah [the lower house] — the aspect of "Who is this [mi zos] ascending... Who is with her [mi im zos] ascending" etc. [see Likutay Moharan I, §49]. And through this one merits the revelation of Orayta d'Atika Stima'ah [the Torah of the Hidden Ancient One], which is the aspect of Oneg Shabbos [the delight of the Sabbath], etc. See there the entire matter carefully and understand it well, for it is of extraordinarily profound depth. And this is the aspect of milah — for it is the aspect of the revelation of the malchus. For the bris [covenant, i.e., bris milah — the covenant of circumcision, the male organ of holiness] is the aspect of malchus, as is well known. And the essence of the milah is to reveal the atara [crown / corona of the male organ], which is the aspect of malchus, as is well known — for the orlah covers over the holy bris. And the essence of the orlah that covers the holy bris derives from the aspect of arlas lev — the foolishness of the heart. For through the foolishness of the heart — which is the aspect of the corruption of the creation — through this the hollow of the heart is clogged, and the good actions and good attributes are not revealed, which is the aspect of the corruption of the creation as mentioned. Through this, as it were, the aspect of the malchus is concealed and covered — for the essence of the revelation of the malchus is through the aspect of creation, namely through the revelation of the worlds and the attributes. But when the attributes and worlds are not revealed, because he corrupts the creation G-d forbid through the foolishness of the heart — then His blessed sovereignty is not revealed. And then a kelipah [husk of impurity] is drawn from the aspect of arlas lev and covers over the holy bris — this is the aspect of the orlah d'chafya al bris [the foreskin that covers over the covenant]. Through it, the atara upon the holy bris — which is the aspect of malchus — is covered; that is, His sovereignty, as it were, is covered and hidden. And therefore we are commanded to circumcise — to cut the orlah, and to perform fri'ah and reveal the atara — in order to nullify and break this kelipah that covers [the atara] and prevents the revelation of His blessed sovereignty, so that His blessed sovereignty — for the sake of which all the worlds were created — should be revealed. And this is the rectification [tikun] that we specifically must perform. Now, at first glance this still seems difficult, and I am pondering it: why did it come forth from before Him blessed be He to create man [and everything] lacking rectification — to the extent that we ourselves are required to rectify everything? Could He not certainly have created everything in perfection, so that nothing would be lacking any rectification?! But according to what was explained above — that we must cut the orlah in order to reveal His blessed sovereignty — and this must necessarily be accomplished specifically by us, for the essence of the orlah derives from arlas lev, the foolishness of the heart, through which the hollow of the heart is clogged and corrupted. This is the aspect of the chalal hapanui, and from there the kelipos come forth, which conceal His blessed sovereignty — which is the aspect of the orlah d'chafya al bris. And the essence of the arlas ha-lev, the foolishness of the heart, comes about through the shviyas keilim [the shattering of the vessels], which came about through the abundance of light, as is well known. And from there came forth the kelipos, which are the aspects of foolishness and dullness. And then the light returned to its root — to the aspect of Ein Sof — and the vessels remained without vitality. And then the hollow of the heart was clogged, etc. — as is well known and understood by those who know [the teachings of] grace [yod'ei chein]. And through this, as it were, the aspect of the malchus was hidden, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of Adam the first man's eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — which is the aspect of introducing foolishness into the heart. For eating sustains the heart, as [the Talmud teaches:] pita sa'ada d'liba [bread sustains the heart]. And when one eats in holiness and purity, then wisdom and da'as [knowledge] are brought into the heart — corresponding to the verse: "and he ate and drank and his heart was glad" [Ruth 3:7]. And this is the aspect of the rectification of the creation. And conversely, when one eats without holiness — and all the more so something forbidden, G-d forbid — then foolishness enters the heart and the hollow of the heart is clogged. For the wisdom of the heart is according to the eating, as is brought in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory in many places. And therefore regarding the eating of impure things specifically, this verse is stated: "and you shall become impure [v'nitmatem] through them" — and our Sages of blessed memory expounded: do not read וְנִטְמֵאתֶם [v'nitmatem — 'impure'] but rather וְנִטַּמְטֵם [v'nitamtem — 'clogged / dulled']. For eating without holiness — and all the more so eating impure things, G-d forbid — clogs the hollow of the heart, for foolishness of the heart enters, which is the aspect of arlas lev as mentioned. And this is the aspect of Adam the first man's eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, through which he caused a blemish — for this is the aspect of the eating through which the da'as [knowledge] was blemished, and then foolishness entered the heart and clogged the hollow of the heart — which is the corruption of the creation. This is the aspect of the shviyas keilim. And likewise it is stated in the holy writings [the Ari z"l] that Adam the first man, through the blemish of eating from the Tree of Knowledge, thereby renewed and re-caused the aspect of the shviyas keilim, as mentioned. And through his eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, arlas lev was drawn forth — for the hollow of the heart was clogged, which is the corruption of the creation, a blemish of all the worlds and attributes, as mentioned. Through this His blessed sovereignty was hidden, as mentioned. And from this was drawn and derived, G-d forbid, the orlah d'chafya al bris — which covers, conceals, and hides the revelation of His blessed sovereignty, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of: "Adam the first man had his foreskin drawn [mashuch b'arlosо]" [Sanhedrin 38b]. For through arlas lev as mentioned, the arlas basar [the foreskin of the flesh] was drawn — that is, the orlah d'chafya al bris — for His blessed sovereignty was hidden, as it were, through the corruption of the creation that came about through the foolishness of the heart, as mentioned. And all of this derives from the aspect of the abundance of light [ribui ohr], through which the shviyas keilim came about — from which the kelipos derived, drawn from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. For when Hashem blessed be He created the worlds, He then contracted the light, etc., as mentioned — as all of this is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory in the teaching beginning "Hareni Kaporas Mishkavo" [Likutay Moharan I, §64]. And then the vessels could not receive the light, and there was the aspect of the shviyas keilim — from which came the foothold of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and from there the foothold of the kelipos. And the essence of the rectification of the shviyas keilim is through man, when he merits to rectify his deeds — through this the aspect of the shviyas keilim is repaired. And through Adam the first man's eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — through this he sinned, caused a blemish, and corrupted the hollow of the heart, and blemished the aspect of the vessels and attributes that are formed within the hollow of the heart, which is the aspect of the chalal hapanui as is known. And therefore the vessels and attributes were corrupted, as it were, and could not receive the light, having been blemished. And through this he renewed and re-caused the aspect of the shviyas keilim through his sin, as is brought [in the holy writings]. And through this the aspect of the orlah d'chafya al bris was drawn — the aspect of the concealment of His blessed sovereignty, as mentioned. It is thus found that the essence of the orlah covering the bris — derived from the aspect of arlas lev — comes about through the aspect of the abundance of light, through which the shviyas keilim was brought about, as mentioned. And the essence of the abundance of light was because at the time of the creation of the world there was no aspect of is'arusa d'lesata [arousal from below]. And therefore it was not possible for complete vessels to be formed to receive the light in measure. For the essence of the formation of vessels to receive the light in measure comes about specifically through the lower [creatures] — through the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata. And since there was no is'arusa d'lesata at the time of the creation of the world, it was therefore not possible for complete vessels to be formed. And therefore there was the aspect of the shviyas keilim through the abundance of light — for the vessels could not receive the light, not being complete vessels, because there was no is'arusa d'lesata. For there was not yet any world and not yet any human beings to accept His sovereignty — through which the vessels to receive the light in measure would have been formed, as mentioned. And through this there was the aspect of the shviyas keilim, and from this came the aspect of the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge, etc. And through this arlas lev was drawn, and from there arlas basar [the foreskin of the flesh] was drawn — [through which] His blessed sovereignty was hidden, as it were, through the orlah d'chafya al bris, as mentioned. And therefore it is impossible to rectify this — to subdue and nullify the orlah d'chafya al bris — except specifically by us. And therefore man requires rectification, as stated in the abovementioned Midrash — for it cannot be rectified except by us, through the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata. For it is not possible that [man] should be born already circumcised from Heaven, that is, that there should be a revelation of the atara — which is the aspect of the revelation of the malchus — from Heaven. For the essence of the revelation of the malchus is only through the arousal of those below, through whom the vessels are formed to receive the light gradually and in measure — through which His blessed sovereignty is revealed, as mentioned. But from Above alone it is not possible, as it were, to reveal His blessed sovereignty — for it would be in the aspect of an abundance of light since there are no complete vessels. For the essence of the formation of the vessels through which the light is received in measure — through which His blessed sovereignty is revealed — comes only through is'arusa d'lesata, as mentioned. And therefore it is necessarily the case that man is born uncircumcised — this being a sign that at the beginning of his creation the orlah chafya al ha-bris, for then the aspect of the malchus is still hidden, as it were. This derives from the aspect of the abundance of light through which there was the shviyas keilim — from which the orlah derived, because there were no vessels to receive the light, since there was no is'arusa d'lesata. And afterward we specifically circumcise him. For when we rectify him, then through it the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata is rectified — through which the vessels are formed to receive the light in measure, through which His blessed sovereignty is revealed. And therefore we have the power to circumcise him — that is, to cut and break the orlah d'chafya al bris and to reveal the atara, which is the aspect of the revelation of the malchus, as mentioned. And through this — through the cutting of the arlas basar, namely the orlah d'chafya al bris — through which His blessed sovereignty is revealed as mentioned, through this the arlas halev, the foolishness of the heart, is automatically circumcised as well. For the essence of the blemish of knowledge, namely the foolishness of the heart, came about through the aspect of the abundance of light, etc., as mentioned — because there was not yet the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata, for there was not yet any world and not yet any human beings to accept His sovereignty. And through this there was the shviyas keilim, and from there came the arlas halev, the foolishness of the heart. And from there the orlah derived, as mentioned. And therefore now we begin from below to above — for in the beginning it was the opposite: at first He contracted the light, as it were, and His attributes were revealed within the hollow, etc., and through this His blessed sovereignty was revealed — for there was no other way possible, since there was not yet any world, as mentioned. And because of this there was the aspect of an abundance of light, etc., as mentioned. And now we do the opposite — from below to above — for first we reveal His blessed sovereignty. And this is the aspect of the milah: that we circumcise and cut the orlah d'chafya al bris and reveal the atara, which is the aspect of the revelation of the malchus, as mentioned. And then, when we reveal His blessed sovereignty and accept upon ourselves the yoke of His blessed sovereignty — through this we have the power to form vessels to receive the light gradually and in measure, through which His blessed sovereignty is revealed more and more. And through this — that we now have this power, through the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata, to contract the light and receive it in measure as mentioned — through this the arlas lev is automatically circumcised: the timtum halev [the dulling / clogging of the heart] that was drawn through the aspect of an abundance of light, because there were no vessels to receive the light, because there was no is'arusa d'lesata. For now we have the power to form vessels through the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata, through having already accepted upon ourselves the yoke of His sovereignty in a general way — which is the aspect of the milah, as mentioned. It is thus found that through the milah, the arlas lev and the arlas basar are both circumcised — for both are one aspect, as mentioned, since one depends on the other, as mentioned. For through arlas lev — through which the creation is corrupted in the aspect of the collective attributes within the hollow of the heart — through this the aspect of the malchus is hidden, as mentioned — which is the aspect of the arlas basar, as mentioned. And through the circumcision of the arlas basar, the arlas lev is circumcised, as mentioned. For through our revealing His blessed sovereignty, through this is'arusa d'lesata is enacted and vessels are formed to receive the light; and then the arlas lev is circumcised, as mentioned. For both are one aspect, since the essence of knowledge and wisdom in the heart is according to the rectification of the bris — which is the aspect of milah — through which one subdues the orlah d'chafya al bris, that is, through which one subdues and repairs the blemish of the bris, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of milah and fri'ah — which correspond to the two aspects mentioned above: the aspect of arlas lev and the aspect of arlas basar. For the milah [the cutting] is the aspect of arlas basar — for the orlah is the aspect of a thoroughly impure kelipah, the aspect of the malchus ha-resha'ah [the kingdom of wickedness], which stands opposite to the malchus d'kedushah [the kingdom of holiness]. And the fri'ah is the aspect of nogah, as is well known — which is the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is held within the heart in the aspect of "my heart is agitated [socharchar]", the aspect of going around and around [sachor sachor], the aspect of "and a brilliance [nogah] surrounding it" [Ezekiel 1:4] — as all of this is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory, Hareni Kaporas Mishkavo [§64]. Meaning: it is the aspect of the arlas lev drawn from the aspect of the abundance of light, from which the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge derives, as mentioned. And therefore there is power to repair it and clarify it — for when one subsequently merits to rectify his deeds and to form complete vessels of holiness as is fitting, through this the aspect of the shviyas keilim is repaired, and then the good is elevated from this kelipah, and it is then included within holiness, as is known. And this is the aspect of the fri'ah: that the skin is not cut at all — rather it is torn and the atara is revealed, and the skin remains alongside the holy bris. For when one tears it and breaks it and reveals the atara — that is, when one reveals His blessed sovereignty — then it is included within holiness, as mentioned. But the second kelipah — namely, the orlah — is entirely evil, and it must be fully subdued and cut completely, for it cannot be included within holiness, as is known. It is thus found that through the cutting of the orlah and the fri'ah — through this the arlas basar and the arlas lev are both circumcised. Yet both of the aforementioned kelipos together cover the holy bris, for the essence of their coming into being is only below, at the bris kodesh [the holy covenant], and they seek to conceal His blessed sovereignty, G-d forbid. For even though the fri'ah is the aspect of arlas lev — nonetheless, there [in the heart] they have no manifestation; they only descend and come into being below to conceal the aspect of the malchus, G-d forbid. And therefore the primary [matter] is to rectify the holy bris — which is the aspect of the mitzvah of milah — namely, to cut the orlah and to uncover the fri'ah, in order to nullify and subdue these two aforementioned kelipos — the aspect of arlas basar and arlas lev — which both cover the holy bris, as mentioned. And through the milah and fri'ah — through which the malchus is revealed and the arlas lev is circumcised — through this there is an ascent for the two houses [baisa ila'ah and baisa tata'ah], the aspect of "Who is this [mi zos] ascending... Who is with her ascending" etc., as mentioned. For baisa ila'ah [the upper house] is the aspect of the light of the heart, which is the aspect of binah liba [understanding — the heart], which is the aspect of baisa ila'ah. And baisa tata'ah [the lower house] is the aspect of malchus. And through the circumcision of the arlas basar and the arlas lev, through this both of them ascend — the aspect of "Who is with her ascending" — as is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory, Hareni Kaporas Mishkavo, in the aforementioned discourse. See there and understand well. And this is the aspect of milah on the eighth [day] — for the eighth is the aspect of binah liba [understanding / the heart], as is well known. For the essence of the rectification is through the revelation of the light of the heart, from which comes the essence of the revelation of the malchus, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of the joy [simchah] of the mitzvah of milah — as our Sages of blessed memory said: every mitzvah that Israel accepted with joy, etc. [Shabbos 130a]. For that [the heart] is the place of joy, as it is written [Psalms 4:8]: "You have placed joy in my heart." And this is the aspect of what is stated in the Tikunim [Tikkunay Zohar]: the verse "מִי יַעֲלֶה לָנוּ הַשָּׁמָיְמָה — Mi ya'aleh lanu ha-shamayma — Who shall ascend for us to the heavens?" [Deuteronomy 30:12]: the initial letters [rashay teivos] spell מִילָה — MILAH and the final letters [sofay teivos] spell יהוה — the Divine Name Havayah "Who shall ascend" — specifically [davka] — for the mitzvah of milah is in the aspect of an ascent from below to above, for it is in the aspect of is'arusa d'lesata [arousal from below] — and it is because of this that specifically we must repair it and circumcise it. And therefore specifically the arlas basar is circumcised — for we wish first to accept the yoke of His sovereignty and to reveal His sovereignty in the world, and afterward to receive the light through the vessels, etc., as mentioned. It is thus found that we ascend from below to above. And therefore it is the aspect of "Who shall ascend for us to the heavens," as mentioned. And therefore the initial letters [spell] MILAH and the final letters [spell] Havayah — for first we must circumcise, cut, and break the orlah d'chafya al bris, that is, to rectify the holy bris. And afterward the supernal light is revealed through the vessels formed through is'arusa d'lesata — through which all the attributes and all the worlds are revealed. And this is the aspect of the Name Havayah, blessed be He — which is the aspect of His supernal light blessed be He that gives life to all the worlds, which is the totality of all the attributes. All of this one merits through the mitzvah of milah, through the aspect of the rectification of the bris, as mentioned. For first one must subdue and break the orlah and rectify the holy bris and reveal His blessed sovereignty — and afterward one merits to receive the light in measure, in the aspect of the Olam ha-Tikun [the World of Rectification], which is the aspect of the Name Havayah. And therefore the initial letters [spell] MILAH and the final letters [spell] Havayah, as mentioned — and understand. For the essence of the rectification of the aspect of the World of Rectification is through the rectification of the bris, as is well known. And therefore the fri'ah is performed with the fingernails — for the fri'ah is the aspect of nogah. And nogah is the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge, whose rectification was [to be] through the aspect of kasnos ohr [garments of skin / light], which is the aspect of the fingernails [tzipornayim] — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "smooth as the nail [tziporen]" etc. [Bereishis Rabbah 20:12, referring to Adam's pre-sin luminous skin-garments]. And therefore the fri'ah is performed with the fingernails. And this is the aspect of the feast [se'udah] made when there is a bris milah. For now the eating is permitted — and now it is a great mitzvah to eat. For the essence of the blemish of the aspect of the orlah d'chafya al bris derives from the aspect of the arlas lev, which came about through Adam the first man's eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — through which the heart was blemished and foolishness was drawn to the heart. For eating sustains the heart, and the [character of the] heart is according to the eating, as mentioned. And as is explained in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory, Hareni Kaporas Mishkavo, elsewhere. And therefore now — when the arlas basar and the arlas lev are circumcised and the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge is repaired — now it is a mitzvah to eat. For now the eating is achilas d'kedushah [eating of holiness], through which wisdom is drawn to the heart — which is the rectification of the creation — corresponding to the verse: "and he ate and drank and his heart was glad" [Ruth 3:7], as mentioned. For the essence of holy eating is according to the rectification of the bris — [corresponding to the verse]: "the tzadik eats to the satisfaction of his soul" [Proverbs 13:25] — and the tzadik is one who guards the holy bris [as the Zohar states: tzadik hu man d'natir bris kadisha — the tzadik is he who guards the holy covenant]. And therefore now, when there is a rectification of the bris through the milah, it is a mitzvah to eat — for through holy eating, the heart is sustained and given life. For through holy eating, wisdom and da'as are drawn [into one], since the brain [moach] is according to the eating, as is brought in the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory, Hareni Kaporas Mishkavo. And wisdom gives life to the heart — for wisdom is the essence of the vitality of all the worlds and attributes revealed within the hollow of the heart, as mentioned — and understand. And therefore now, when there is the rectification of the bris — which is the aspect of the mitzvah of milah — now it is a mitzvah to eat, as mentioned. For the eating of the feast of bris milah is in the aspect of the eating of the Sabbath and Yom Tov, which are called os [a sign / sign of the covenant] — the aspect of the rectification of the bris. And therefore then it is a mitzvah to eat the meals of the Sabbath and Yom Tov. And this is the aspect of the feast of bris milah, as mentioned. [Translator's note: The Hebrew source of this section opens with the letters ם הַסַּכִּין — the initial letters of the opening word appear to have been lost, leaving only a final mem. The word is most likely וְגַם (v'gam — and also), yielding: "And also the circumcision knife..."] And also, the sakin shel milah [the circumcision knife] is the aspect of "a sword of vengeance avenging the covenant [cherev nokemes nikem bris]" [Leviticus 26:25] — the aspect of techeles d'achlei kula v'shatzei kula [the blue-thread / azure that consumes all and destroys all — Zohar]. But the Jewish people who cling to Hashem receive their vitality from there — as all of this is explained well in the aforementioned discourse. For through the circumcision knife, the orlah is cut, broken, and nullified — in the aspect of "a sword of vengeance avenging the covenant," which annihilates and breaks all the kelipos that cover the holy bris — in the aspect of d'achlei kula v'shatzei kula, etc., as mentioned. But the Jewish people who cleave to Hashem receive vitality from it — in the aspect of "And you who cleave to Hashem your G-d are all alive today" [Deuteronomy 4:4], etc. For the infant who is circumcised receives vitality from the circumcision knife — in the aspect of "In your blood, live!" [Ezekiel 16:6], etc. For the essence of vitality is wisdom, as it is written [Ecclesiastes 7:12]: "wisdom gives life," as mentioned. And the essence of the wisdom that is vitality cannot be received except through the rectification of the bris, which is the aspect of the mitzvah of milah. It is thus found that through the circumcision knife — which is the aspect of malchus, the aspect of the avenging sword, the aspect of techeles — through this the orlah is annihilated and broken, in the aspect of d'achlei kula v'shatzei kula. And the one who is circumcised receives vitality from there — in the aspect of "In your blood, live" — in the aspect of "wisdom gives life." And this is the aspect of "And you who cleave to Hashem your G-d are all alive today," as mentioned. Blessed be Hashem forever, Amen and Amen. And therefore milah overrides the Sabbath. For through the milah — through the revelation of His blessed sovereignty — through this one merits the Orayta d'Atika Stima'ah [the Torah of the Hidden Ancient One], which is the aspect of Oneg Shabbos [the delight of the Sabbath], as is explained in the aforementioned discourse. And therefore it overrides the Sabbath — for on the Sabbath it is forbidden to perform any weekday labor, since all the weekday labors are the aspect of the smol [left side], where the foolishness has its foothold — in the aspect of "the heart of a fool is to his left" [Ecclesiastes 10:2]. For the weekday labors are the aspect of "the people went about [shatu] and gathered" [Numbers 11:8] — going about in foolishness [bishtu'ah] — namely, the way people pursue and toil through the thirty-nine labors for livelihood and wealth, which is the aspect of wandering about in foolishness. And this is the aspect of "the heart of a fool is to his left" [Ecclesiastes 10:2]. For livelihood and wealth derive from the aspect of the left side — in the aspect of "and in her left hand, riches and honor" [Proverbs 3:16]. And therefore on the Sabbath it is at rest, and it is forbidden to perform any weekday act — for on the Sabbath the Orayta d'Atika is revealed, and there is no left and there is no wealth there, as is explained in the aforementioned discourse — see there. And therefore on the Sabbath it is forbidden to stir up weekday acts — all of which are for livelihood and wealth, which is the aspect of the left, from which the thirty-nine labors are drawn, as mentioned. And therefore milah overrides the Sabbath — for the labor performed for the sake of milah is for the sake of revealing His blessed sovereignty, without which it is impossible to merit Oneg Shabbos, as mentioned. And therefore the Torah commanded to circumcise on the Sabbath — for, on the contrary, this labor of milah is specifically for the sake of the aspect of Oneg Shabbos, which is the revelation of the Orayta d'Atika Stima'ah. And it is impossible to merit this except through the guarding of the bris, through the aspect of the mitzvah of milah, as mentioned. And therefore the mitzvah of milah is the totality of the entire Torah. And it is the first commandment that Avraham was commanded — for the totality of the entire Torah depends on this. For the totality of the Torah is the totality of the midos [attributes / character traits], all of which are not revealed except through the mitzvah of milah, which is the revelation of His blessed sovereignty — through which one merits to form vessels to receive the light in measure, to reveal the good attributes that are revealed within the hollow of the heart, which are the totality of the entire Torah. All of this is only through milah — through the breaking of the orlah d'chafya al ha-bris, which is the aspect of the rectification of the bris, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of "This is the gate of Hashem, the righteous shall enter it" [Psalms 118:20]. For the mitzvah of milah — [in] the aspect of the rectification of the bris — is the gate of Hashem, through which all the good actions and good attributes are revealed, which are the totality of the entire Torah, the totality of all the worlds, as mentioned. Fortunate is he who merits the guarding of the bris — which is the totality of the entire Torah.