צדקה א

330 COMPLETE_Birchas_HaRaiach_4_Part1 (1).html

This [halacha] corresponds to the aspect of milah [circumcision], in that the infant must endure great pain and anguish at the time when the orlah [foreskin] is cut away from him — for the orlah that chafya al bris [covers over the bris] is the aspect of the zuhamas ha-nachash [the venom of the serpent], from which all the blemishes that cling to the desires of this world are drawn — those which are the aspect of cheyzu d'hai alma [the illusory sight of this world]. For the orlah is the aspect of ananin d'mechasyan al aynin [clouds that cover the eyes]; it is the aspect of the cloud and the darkness of the desires of this world and its vanities, which overpower the eyes so that one's sight is not directed toward the tachlis [ultimate purpose/goal], but rather to look sideways — G-d forbid — at the vapors of this lowly world, which are cheyzu d'hai alma shfalah [the vile illusions of this world]. Therefore, when one must remove this orlah, one must endure great pain and anguish — which is the aspect of the pain and anguish of the milah that the infant suffers — so that through this great pain and anguish, he [the infant] squeezes his eyes shut with great force, as is observably evident; and through this, he is included in the tachlis by shutting and clamping his eyes tightly from the cheyzu d'hai alma. This itself is the aspect of the cutting and severing of the orlah, which is the ananin d'mechasyan al aynin — the aspect of the cheyzu v'zuhama d'hai alma [the illusion and filth of this world], as mentioned above. And as is explained in the Torah-teaching referenced above — study it there thoroughly. And therefore the infant is circumcised on the eighth day — after seven days have passed over him, which correspond to the seven days of Bereishis [Creation], which are the aspect of the shivas yemay ha-binyan [seven days of construction] through which the world was created, encompassing all seven midos [divine attributes/qualities] wherein good and evil are intermingled — for there are seven midos in holiness and likewise their opposites, as is known: "this one corresponding to that one" [Ecclesiastes 7:14] etc. And all the desires and yearnings that are the cheyzu d'hai alma are drawn from the seven midos, as is known, and from there comes the grasp of the orlah, which is the aspect of ananin d'mechasyan al aynin — they are the aspect of shivah gilday ayna [the seven layers of the eye], which are drawn from the aspect of "these seven — the eyes of Hashem that range over the entire earth" [Zechariah 4:10]; regarding which our Sages of blessed memory warned us not to look sideways — G-d forbid — but rather to remember at all times that there is a watching eye, as it is written: "Know what is above you — an eye that sees" etc. [Pirkei Avos 2:1]. And therefore we are admonished: "Let your eyes look straight ahead, and your eyelids look directly before you" [Proverbs 4:25] — that one should direct one's eyes and eyelids to look straight ahead and level, toward the tachlis. And this is the primary trial of a human being who possesses free will, for which purpose he comes into the world — for the entire Torah hinges upon the eyes, as it is written: "and you shall not stray after your heart and after your eyes" etc. [Numbers 15:39]. And therefore the Torah begins with Bereishis, which is the aspect of tlas gevanin d'ayna u-bas ayin [the three colors of the eye and the pupil of the eye], for the entire Torah is drawn solely from the reshimu [imprint/trace, see below] referenced above — the [imprint] of bitul [self-nullification] — as explained in the Torah-teaching above. And it is solely for this that a person comes into this world, which is full of vanities and desires — these being the cheyzu d'hai alma that seek to confuse one's sight. But when a person prevails over them and restricts his sight — not gazing at them — but rather directs his sight to behold the tachlis, through this precisely [dayka] he sees the tachlis in a way that even the angels cannot see and apprehend, for this tachlis cannot be seen and apprehended except through stimu d'aynin dayka [the closing of one's eyes precisely] — meaning precisely when passing through this world of Asiyah [Action] which is exceedingly distant from the tachlis — at the furthest extreme of distance — and there, there, when one prevails to close his eyes as stated above and to direct them toward the tachlis, there precisely can one see and apprehend it — in the aspect of "From afar, Hashem appeared to me" [Jeremiah 31:2] — "from afar" precisely. Therefore it is an absolute necessity that the seven days of orlah pass over the infant — they being the aspect of the shivah gilday ayna etc., as above — and from there precisely must he nullify himself toward the tachlis; this is the aspect of the pain of the milah — through which pain and anguish he shuts his eyes from the cheyzu d'hai alma, and removes from himself the very root of the orlah at its source, which is the zuhamas ha-nachash — ananin d'mechasyan al aynin — and this itself is the aspect of the cutting of the orlah in the physical realm, as above. And this is the aspect of Bain ha-Metzarim [the Three Weeks of mourning], during which we weep over the destruction — for weeping is the aspect of shutting one's eyes and grieving over the enormity of our distance from the tachlis, so much so that even when we wish to look there, it is very difficult — on account of the destruction of our Holy Temple, machmas einainu [the desire of our eyes]. And we have been so distanced from our Father in heaven that out of the immensity of the grief, tears fall — these being portions of sight, (as our Sages of blessed memory said: "and the clouds return" etc. [Ecclesiastes 12:2] — this is the sight that departs after weeping, as cited in his [Rabbainu's] teachings many times). And through this, the blemish of sight pertaining to the cheyzu d'hai alma is expelled outward — for the core of our weeping is over the fact that our sight was drawn after gazing at the vapors of this world, and through this we became so distanced. Therefore, through this very weeping — by which the tears, the portions of sight, are expelled outward — one banishes from oneself the cheyzu d'hai alma and merits to gaze straight toward the tachlis. And this is [the meaning of]: "For these things I weep; my eye, my eye, runs with water, because a comforter is far [rachak] from me" [Lamentations 1:16] — "is far" precisely: for the primary consolation from all troubles is beholding the tachlis. But in our sins, because we looked sideways, "a comforter is far from me" — "far" precisely, as above — for the tachlis is very distant. Only through closing one's eyes etc. as above can one look there. But in our many sins, for having looked sideways, we are distant from consolation, which is the tachlis, as above. And the core of the weeping is over the burning of the Torah [scrolls] that were handed over [to destruction] etc. — for the primary consolation from the bitul [self-nullification] mentioned above is through the Torah that one draws from there etc. And through this, one can at any time easily return, nullify oneself, and look toward the tachlis — for in truth a person must always look there, like the patriarchs of the world etc. However, most people do not merit this; therefore He gave us the Torah, which is drawn from the reshimu [imprint] etc. And therefore, when one engages in Torah truly and sets his eyes and heart upon the Torah, through this his heart can re-ignite to look there — and through this, he will draw and bring forth novel Torah insights [chidushay Torah] from there. And this is the primary aspect of the greatness of [the merit of] thoughts devoted to Torah etc. and so on at all times. But through the destruction, we have lost greatly. And therefore we must weep greatly over this, until the Torah from there is once again drawn — for that is the primary consolation. And this is [the meaning of]: "A voice is heard in Ramah — lamentation and weeping" etc. [Jeremiah 31:14], "Withhold your voice from weeping" etc. "for there is hope for your future" etc. [Jeremiah 31:15–16] — for when one cannot direct one's sight as mentioned above, one must pray and cry out greatly, and one thing depends on the other: for the perfection of prayer comes through the beholding described above, and likewise the beholding described above comes through the words of prayer and Torah. And this is the aspect of iyun tefilah [contemplative / focused prayer] — iyun [contemplation/gaze] precisely [from the root ayin — eye / to see / to gaze]. And this is the greatness of the virtue of making prayers out of Torah-teachings. And therefore: "today is the time to do them — and not tomorrow" [based on Eruvin 22a, expounding Deuteronomy 7:11] — for "among the dead I am free" etc. [Psalms 88:6] — for there in the World to Come one will be nullified into the tachlis without any [special] action, whereas in this world one must bind the reshimu [imprint] with many bonds — this being the aspect of all the practical mitzvos. And the primary one is the binding of the tefillin, which are the essential [embodiment of the] reshimu, and therefore they are the primary means of dveikus [attachment to G-d]. And therefore on Shabbos — which is a foretaste of the World to Come — one does not lay tefillin, for then the reshimu of bitul is maintained without any action, [Shabbos itself serving as] the bond of the tefillin. And this is the aspect of milah performed at its proper time — which precisely overrides Shabbos, for [on Shabbos] all the melachos [labors] that are drawn from the zuhamas ha-nachash are nullified. And therefore the ancient chassidim [pious ones] would wait one hour before prayer so as to focus their hearts toward the [Omnipresent] Place — to behold the tachlis, through which comes the primary perfection of prayer. And afterwards, one hour to draw and bind the reshimu — from which the Torah comes — well [within themselves]. And therefore, through this, their Torah-learning was indeed blessed, as above — for from there comes the primary Torah, as above — and their work [was blessed] etc., for through this all [extraneous] melachos are nullified. And therefore after the milah, a name is called out for the circumcised infant — for the primary consolation from the pain, after returning from the bitul, [is needed precisely] when the pain intensifies most; and then the primary consolation is through the Torah that is drawn from the radiance of the bitul etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the name that is then called for the infant — for the name is the aspect of Torah, for Oraysa sh'ma d'Kudsha Berich Hu [the Torah is the Name of the Holy Blessed One], and from there all the names of the Children of Israel are drawn, for they are all included within the Torah — for Kudsha Berich Hu v'Yisrael v'Oraysa, kula chad [the Holy Blessed One, Israel, and the Torah — all are one]. Therefore, through the name — which is the aspect of Torah — the infant is revived from the pain and anguish, as above. And this is the aspect of: "And I said to you: through your blood, live! And I said to you: through your blood, live!" — twice — [Ezekiel 16:6]. That is, "through your blood" — this is the great pain and anguish endured at the time of the cutting, when his blood flows; and the tikun [rectification] for this is to flee to the tachlis. And this is: "through your blood, live!" — for there [in the tachlis] is the source of life, as it is written: "for with You is the source of life" [Psalms 36:10]. And He repeated and doubled it: "And I said to you: through your blood, live!" — this [the second time] is the aspect of the vitality that is drawn after returning from the bitul, consoling and reviving oneself through the Torah, which is life, as it is written: "for it is your life" etc. [Deuteronomy 30:20]. And therefore it doubles "through your blood, live!" twice: for the first instance instructs [one] to flee to the tachlis from within the surge of blood and judgments from which the greatness of the pain springs — this being: "through your blood, live!" — for there, in the tachlis, is the source of life, as above. And the second "through your blood, live!" instructs [one] to revive oneself through the Torah after returning from the bitul — this being the aspect of the calling of the name for the infant after the milah, as above. And this is the aspect of the mystical kavanah [intent] of the milah: for it is explained in the writings of the Ari [Rabbi Yitzchak Luria] of blessed memory that the intent of the milah is to draw down and reveal the chassadim [acts of lovingkindness] below — so that they should not remain sealed above the chazeh [chest] etc. — as is explained there; see it there. And the matter [is as follows]: it is impossible to reveal the chassadim except through the aspect explained above in the Torah-teaching mentioned — which is: by sealing one's eyes completely from the cheyzu d'hai alma and gazing upon the final eternal tachlis; through this comes the primary perfection of prayer etc. as above. For, seemingly, a difficulty arises: since in truth everything that Hashem blessed-be-He does to a person is entirely for his good — as our Sages of blessed memory said that a person must say, "kol mah d'avdin min shamaya, l'tav avdin" [whatever Heaven does is done for the good] [Berachos 60b] — then why did Hashem blessed-be-He command us to pray concerning trouble, G-d protect us? For surely all the sufferings and tribulations, G-d forbid, are truly great blessings in merit of which one attains eternal life? However, in truth it is certainly so — that whatever Hashem blessed-be-He does for a person is all for the good — and yet, nonetheless, one must pray and request of Hashem blessed-be-He to emerge from the trouble into relief. For the primary purpose of creation was for the sake of the human being who possesses free will — meaning that Hashem blessed-be-He created the world so that everything would be entrusted to the human being: that precisely the human being should make vessels [kailim] and channels [tzinoros] through which to draw His blessed bounty and kindness below. And without the rectification of the vessels made by a person, the flow of chessed cannot descend below — for if the chessed were to descend before the vessels are rectified, it would be like the excess oil that causes the lamp to go out; and then the chessed is reversed into severe judgment, G-d forbid. And the primary rectification of the vessels is through Torah and prayer — primarily through prayer. As it is written: "And every plant of the field was not yet in the earth" etc. "for Hashem had not caused it to rain" etc. "and there was no man" [Genesis 2:5]; and Rashi explained: "there was no man" — [no man] to pray etc. — meaning as stated above. And therefore, before a person prays, certainly everything that befalls him — even suffering, G-d forbid — is a great goodness, for it is all for his benefit; for according to his deeds, no flow or vitality can descend to him except through this, and even this is a great chessed — for if only pure lovingkindness without any judgment were to be poured upon him, it would be — G-d forbid — like an excess of light that causes more harm, as above. Therefore, the primary rectification is through prayer, and the primary aspect of prayer is the sweetening [hamtakas] of the judgments — for through prayer one sweetens the judgments and rectifies the vessels so that one can receive the blessed flow of His kindness; and then precisely can one nullify the sufferings — for then one can receive His blessed kindness and eternal goodness without suffering, but only through the rectification of the vessels accomplished through prayer, as above. Therefore, the primary rectification of prayer is through the aspect mentioned above: by gazing upon the tachlis and incorporating all of prayer into the One [ha-Echad], where all is entirely good, as above — for without this one cannot pray at all, due to the difficulty mentioned above. As the Midrash Rabbah posed: "Do they give a fool or a child what he requests?" For example, when someone is poor, G-d forbid, or bodily afflicted, G-d forbid, and prays that Hashem blessed-be-He grant him livelihood and wealth and physical health etc. — the difficulty posed above applies: how is it relevant to pray, and how will Hashem blessed-be-He hear his prayer to give him livelihood and health etc.? For surely Hashem's blessed intent in giving him poverty etc. is for his good — to purge his sins, which is an eternal good. And perhaps Hashem blessed-be-He's intent [in withholding] is also because He knows that if the person had livelihood — and certainly if he had some wealth — he would corrupt his deeds even more, as one sees perceptibly how many of the wealthy corrupt their deeds, and "wealth stored for its owner to his detriment" [Ecclesiastes 5:12]. And is there a greater evil than when one gives someone a few thousand coins to play with in this world which passes in the blink of an eye, and afterwards the money kills him and uproots him from both worlds, G-d forbid? As it states in the holy Zohar: "They make him rejoice with wealth in this world, and afterwards He kills them — G-d protect us." [Zohar III, 272b (Raya Mehemna)] Therefore, the primary rectification of prayer is through the aspect mentioned above: that one must first become included in the One and look solely toward the tachlis, and know and believe that all is for the good. And then precisely can one pray afterward for whatever is needed — for then one can draw rectifications from the light of the reshimu of the bitul, through which the vessels are made to draw His great bounty and kindness into them; and through this one can receive livelihood, wealth, health, children, life, and sustenance [banay, chayay u-mezonay] etc., and all will be for the good — since one has already properly rectified vessels to receive within them the flow of chessed. And this itself is the matter explained in the Torah-teaching mentioned above: that afterwards, upon returning from the bitul, one quenches the soul's thirst from the suffering through the Torah received from the reshimu, as explained there — study it well. For all the Torah that one receives and draws from there, from the reshimu of the bitul mentioned above, must be drawn through prayer and supplication — as is explained in his [Rabbainu's] blessed teachings in many places: in the Torah "Ra'isi v'hinay Menoras Zahav", no. 8 [Likutay Moharan I:8], on the verse "and a fountain shall come forth from the House of Hashem" [Joel 4:18]; and in the Torah "Tishah Tikunin" [Likutay Moharan I:20] etc. And likewise it is understood from this Torah-teaching, which begins by speaking of making all prayer into One through beholding the tachlis, and concludes that through the beholding of the tachlis Torah is drawn from the reshimu — see it there. But in truth it is all one — for Torah and prayer are interdependent. For the illumination of the radiance of the holy and awesome reshimu mentioned above, which remains from the bitul, must first be drawn upon oneself and properly bound to one's body through prayer — which is the aspect of the root and source of the wellspring drawn from the reshimu mentioned above. Afterwards, the wellspring expands and from it novel Torah-insights are born; and through this the sufferings are cooled and nullified — for through prayer and Torah the vessels are made by which one can receive the flow of His kindness for good, for eternal life, and not for harm or for the death of an eternal death, G-d forbid — through this, as above. And therefore, in truth, no one knows how to pray except the true tzadikim of the generation. As our Sages of blessed memory said: "One who has a sick person in his home should go to a sage" [Bava Basra 116a] — for it is only the true tzadik who can bring [a person] to the tachlis; he is in the aspect of the ba'al ha-sadeh [master of the field] mentioned at the beginning of that Torah-teaching — who looks at all those who are still far from the tachlis and whose prayer is not incorporated into the One, and endeavors to bring them to the tachlis so that their prayer will be included in the One — see it there. And therefore, when Solomon prayed at the completion of the Holy Temple that Hashem blessed-be-He should hear the prayers of Israel who direct their minds toward [Him], he said explicitly: "And You shall render to each man according to all his ways, as You know his heart" etc. [I Kings 8:39]; as Rashi explained there: "If You know that he will use his money to harm his fellow, do not give it to him" — see it there. And therefore in truth there are in this matter wonders known only to "the Perfect in knowledge" [Job 37:16], and no one knows how to pray properly except the true tzadikim, as above. All other people of the world must bind their prayer to these tzadikim, and they [the tzadikim] will elevate their prayer properly — drawing upon them the flow of what they need: children, life, and sustenance etc. — in a manner that will not harm them eternally, G-d forbid. On the contrary — through the flow precisely, they will be rectified and will return to Hashem. And this is what Solomon carefully articulated in his prayer: "for You alone know the hearts of all the children of men — so that they may fear You all the days" etc. [I Kings 8:39] — meaning that he asked Hashem blessed-be-He to fulfill Israel's prayers for what they request, but [only] in a way that would be purely for their good — so that they would thereby merit fear of Him, blessed-be-He, as above. Only for the gentile did he pray differently: "And You shall do according to all for which the gentile calls to You" etc. [I Kings 8:43]; and Rashi explained there: so that he should not complain etc. And it is for this reason that the tzadikim sometimes pray for the wicked and the distant ones who come to them — that they should have wealth — all for the sanctification of G-d's Name, so that they should not complain and corrupt themselves further. And therefore, in truth, there are many wonders and hidden matters in this matter of prayer. And therefore one must truly not be stubborn and force himself concerning anything in his prayer — but rather: if Hashem blessed-be-He gives, He gives; and if not — not; as is explained in the Torah "Tishah Tikunin" [Likutay Moharan I:20], for perhaps it is impossible to fulfill his request even through prayer — since it would harm him more, G-d forbid, when his request is fulfilled, as above. And if one is stubborn and presses in one's prayer, it can come about that one burdens Hashem blessed-be-He until He fulfills the request — for it was for this purpose that He created the human being: that there should be power in his prayer to draw all the influences, as above. But it will not be for his good — for there is no power in his prayer to rectify the vessel needed to receive the flow he desires. It emerges, then, that as long as a person does not pray, his deficiencies are a great good for him, as above. And yet prayer is still necessary — for through prayer one rectifies the vessels properly, through which all his deficiencies can be filled, and the flow will not harm him at all — since the vessels for receiving the flow of chessed have now been rectified. And then precisely, after praying properly, the flow will come to him for good and for blessing, as above. But the primary [intention of] prayer must truly be for the eternal tachlis — for the primary perfection of prayer is only when one gazes upon the tachlis, as above. And this is the aspect of what is stated that the primary [intention of] prayer must be for the sake of the deficiency of the Shechina [Divine Presence], so to speak. And likewise it is written in the Torah-teaching "l'hamshich shalom" [Likutay Moharan II:2] regarding what our Sages of blessed memory said: "v'shakleis l'saltay v'anachay b'chavata d'rakiya" [you take your flour and put it in the windows of heaven] etc. [Yoma 69b] — that the primary [intention of] prayer should be for the need of the soul, which is the tachlis — even [prayers for] "Heal us" and "Bless us" etc. And this itself is what is stated: that the primary prayer should be concerning the deficiency of the Shechina, as above — for all the deficiencies of the soul are the deficiency of the Shechina, because the soul is a portion of the Shechina, so to speak, as is known — meaning as above: that the primary prayer must be for the sake of the tachlis. For example, when one prays for livelihood and wealth, one should pray that Hashem blessed-be-He grant him livelihood or wealth in such a manner that through it he will improve his deeds and be rectified — and not corrupt [them], G-d forbid, through it. And similarly regarding all that one requests and prays for, as above. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory arranged the order of prayer in a wondrous order: that at first one must arrange the praise of the [Omnipresent] Place in the three opening blessings, and afterwards pray for one's needs in the thirteen middle blessings — and one does not begin immediately to pray for one's needs, for first one must arrange the praise of the [Omnipresent] Place and mention in the prayer the immensity of His blessed kindness in the first blessing — in which is the primary intent of prayer, as our Sages of blessed memory said — that is, the aspect mentioned above: that first one praises Him blessed-be-He for the immensity of His kindness, that He blessed-be-He always performs kindness and everything He does is all for the good, as one recites there: "who bestows good deeds of kindness" etc. through "King who helps and saves and shields" — meaning that certainly everything Hashem blessed-be-He does is all great chessed and true and eternal good. And afterwards one begins "Attah Gibor" — which corresponds to the attribute of Gevurah [severity] of holiness, where the primary rectification of the vessels [takes place], as is known; and there His mighty deeds and wonders are mentioned — that He can rectify everything — as one recites there: "You are mighty forever, O Hashem" — which is similar to what Rashi explained on the verse "and You are exalted forever, O Hashem" [Psalms 92:9], where he explained: "forever Your hand is uppermost" — meaning as above, for His blessed intent is always for eternal good. And this is: "You revive the dead". And then [is expressed] the primary eternal tachlis — that everything Hashem blessed-be-He brings about with a person is all for his eternal good after the Resurrection. And this is: "Great is Your power to save" — that Hashem blessed-be-He multiplies salvations for every person at every time. And this is what the particular details of His blessed kindnesses are mentioned: that He sustains the living with kindness, revives the dead etc., supports the fallen, heals the sick, releases the bound, and maintains His faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust etc. — meaning that Hashem blessed-be-He always helps: both in the matter of livelihood and in the matter of healings etc., for He makes salvation flourish etc. Only when the flow of livelihood or of healing etc. is sometimes delayed — all of it is for the good, for His blessed intent is always for good and for eternal kindness. And therefore, the mention of the Resurrection of the Dead is repeated many times in this blessing — for this is the primary essence of the blessing with which it begins and with which it ends: mechayay ha-maisim [who revives the dead]. And if so, one might ask: what relevance do the other particulars of bodily needs in this world — which are livelihood and healing etc. — have to this blessing? However, in truth, according to the above, all is well understood — for it is all one. For the primary tachlis is that every person will merit [eternal life] after the Resurrection. And therefore in the blessing of the Resurrection all the particular kindnesses that Hashem blessed-be-He performs with a person in this world are mentioned, and He repeats and returns each time to mention the matter of Resurrection — to say that all the kindnesses Hashem blessed-be-He performs with a person in this world are all arranged so that through them good and eternal kindness should grow for him after the Resurrection, which is the tachlis. And from this every person will understand that the reason why the flow is sometimes delayed for someone — whether in livelihood or in other needs — is because all of it is for his eternal good after the Resurrection. For He blessed-be-He is certainly omnipotent and can provide for all generously and give every individual great wealth and healing at all times — for He blessed-be-He is "He who sustains the living" etc. and "heals the sick" etc. — but the reason the flow is sometimes delayed is because He sustains the living with kindness in such a way that will lead to the fulfillment of "reviving the dead with great mercy." And likewise He blessed-be-He supports the fallen, heals the sick, and releases the bound in such a way that He will maintain His faithfulness to those who sleep in the dust — meaning, as above. And therefore, the mention of Resurrection of the Dead has been placed adjacent to the matter of livelihood specifically both before and after: as one recites, "You revive the dead" etc. "who causes the rain to fall" [in winter] or "who brings down the dew" [in summer] — which is the drawing-down of livelihood. And likewise immediately afterwards: "who sustains the living with kindness, who revives the dead" etc. For in the matter of livelihood, a person's heart twists most — and it is difficult for him at every moment because of the delay in livelihood; especially in the days of exile, when the livelihood of Israel — especially the livelihood of the God-fearing — has diminished greatly; and also because livelihood is a more pressing necessity for a person every day than the other requests. Therefore, especially adjacent to livelihood, the mention of the Resurrection of the Dead is intensified — to say that Hashem blessed-be-He sustains and provides for every person, but He blessed-be-He, through [His] providential workings, arranges livelihood — sustaining and maintaining the living — in a manner that will revive the dead etc., meaning that [people] will merit the eternal tachlis, as above. And immediately afterwards one recites the Kedushah and the blessing "Attah Kadosh" — which is the aspect of the very essence of the tachlis that Israel will merit after the Resurrection: to sanctify His blessed Name together with all the holy ones "who shall praise You forever — Selah" — happy is one who merits this! And after arranging the three opening blessings — through which one acknowledges and declares that Hashem blessed-be-He always bestows good deeds of kindness, and everything He does is all for the good for the sake of the eternal tachlis, as above — one then begins to pray for one's needs. For only now is it relevant to pray for one's needs, after having already acknowledged that everything is for the good and that He blessed-be-He is omnipotent, as above. Rather, we pray for our needs as He commanded us — so as to make vessels to receive the flow, as above — for our intent in our prayers is also only for the eternal tachlis; only we need to pray with our mouths in order to make the vessels, as above. As is explained in the Torah-teaching "v'Attem tihyu Li" [Likutay Moharan I:34] on the verse: "and He blessed you as He spoke to you" [Deuteronomy 1:11]. And therefore, in the middle blessings, we begin first by requesting knowledge — that He grace us with knowledge from Him etc. — and afterwards we request: "Cause us to return" [i.e., to repentance, and to return] to Him blessed-be-He; and afterwards, forgiveness of sins — for all these prayers are only for the sake of the tachlis. And afterwards we pray for bodily needs — "Heal us" and "Bless us" etc. — for in truth, even for bodily needs, our entire intent in praying is for the sake of the soul: so that through physical health and through the blessing of livelihood etc. we will be able to engage in Torah and fulfill His blessed commandments. For the primary prayer must be only for the eternal tachlis, as above. And therefore we recite Kriyas Shema [the Recitation of Shema] before prayer — for through Kriyas Shema we are included in the One, and then precisely can we pray, as above. And this is the aspect of the kavanah [mystical intent] of the milah mentioned above — that it is to reveal the chassadim [lovingkindnesses] that are sealed above and draw them below to the place of revelation of the chassadim — meaning as above: for through the mitzvah of milah, through which one is included in the One by virtue of the intense pain of the infant — through which he tightly shuts his eyes away from the cheyzu d'hai alma completely, which itself is the aspect of the cutting and removal of the orlah etc. as above — through this, the chassadim are drawn down and revealed below; for then is the primary drawing-down of the chassadim in the world, as is known in the kavanos [mystical intentions]: that as long as the chassadim are sealed above, the chassadim are not drawn in the world; only when one merits to rectify them — until they are drawn to the place of revelation — do they then shine and spread in the world. And seemingly, a difficulty arises: if so, why are they called chassadim the entire time they are sealed? For surely the primary aspect of His blessed kindness is when He performs kindness with His creatures — that being the attribute of Chessed. But as long as they are sealed and not revealed below, and the flow of chessed has not yet spread — why are they called chassadim? However, according to the above, the matter is well understood. For the reason the chassadim are sealed and not spreading below is solely because we have not yet merited to properly rectify the vessels for the reception of the chassadim. And therefore then — on the contrary — this itself is the very essence of chessed: that the chassadim are sealed above and only a tiny trickle flows from them below, as is known — for this is a great good: since there are not yet vessels to receive [them], it is a great chessed that they are sealed and only very little flows from them below, so that the excess flow should not cause harm, G-d forbid, as above. And therefore, through the mitzvah of milah, through which one seals his eyes from the cheyzu d'hai alma — which is the aspect of the removal of the orlah — and is included in the One; and afterwards returns from there in the aspect of ratzo va-shov [running and returning] — which is the aspect of the calling of the name for the infant, the aspect of the drawing-down of Torah, as above — through this the vessels are rectified to receive the flow of chessed. Therefore, the sealed chassadim are drawn down and revealed of their own accord, since the vessels to receive them have now been made, as above. For the primary rectification of the vessels to receive the flow of chessed is through the bitul mentioned above — through which Torah is drawn from the reshimu of the bitul — through which the primary rectification of the vessels [is achieved], as above. And this is what is stated in the holy Zohar: "They bark like dogs: 'Give us food! Give us life!'" etc. [Zohar III, 272b] For the primary prayer for children, life, and sustenance [banay, chayay u-mezonay] etc. must be for the sake of the tachlis, as above. And this is what it concluded there: "v'lo sh'alin al mezona d'Shechinta" [and they do not ask concerning the sustenance of the Shechina] etc. — meaning that one must ask and pray only for the rectification of the soul, which is the tachlis — namely the elevation of the Shechina. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said: "The ancient chassidim would wait one hour and then pray, so as to direct their hearts toward the [Omnipresent] Place" [Berachos 30b] — meaning they would wait one hour before prayer in order to direct their hearts and minds toward Hashem blessed-be-He, to nullify themselves into the Infinite Nothing [b'Ain ha-Ain Sof], in order to incorporate their prayer into the One — which is the primary perfection of prayer, as above. And this is what is stated there in the Gemara: that they would wait one hour before prayer and one hour after prayer — for they also waited one hour after prayer in order to draw and bind the light of the reshimu well within their minds and hearts; through this, all sufferings are cooled and nullified and all deficiencies are filled and completed — for from there comes all the rectification of the vessels to receive all good influences, as above. And this is what was challenged there: Since they spent nine hours on their prayer — when was their Torah study accomplished, and when was their work accomplished?! And they answered: Since they were chassidim, their Torah was preserved and their work was blessed — meaning as above: because they waited one hour before prayer, through which they merited the aspect of bitul mentioned above, through which comes the primary perfection of prayer, as above. And likewise, after prayer they waited one hour in order to draw and bind the light of the reshimu well within their hearts — from which all Torah flows, and from which comes the rectification of all the vessels to receive all blessings and all influences. Therefore, certainly their Torah was preserved — for all Torah flows from there, as above. And through this their work was blessed — for from there flows all the blessing of influence through the rectification of the vessels drawn from there; this being the aspect of: "and He blessed you as He spoke" etc. [Deuteronomy 1:11], as above. And therefore they are called chassidim — after the chessed — for only they know how to draw the chassadim and reveal them below, because they know how to properly rectify the vessels through their bitul in ratzo va-shov [running and returning], as above. This halacha, rooted in Likutay Moharan I:65, unfolds the inner meaning of milah (circumcision) as a pathway to true prayer, the revelation of divine lovingkindness, and the eternal tachlis (ultimate purpose). The core teaching revolves around the concept of shutting one's eyes from the illusory attractions of this world (cheyzu d'hai alma) — represented kabbalistally by the orlah (foreskin) as "clouds covering the eyes." The infant's instinctive clamping of his eyes during the milah pain physically enacts this spiritual dynamic. Key theme: The seven days before circumcision correspond to the seven midos and the seven layers of the eye — each one a potential veiling of true spiritual sight. The eighth-day milah, by causing the infant to clamp his eyes shut, symbolizes nullifying one's vision of this world and turning inward toward the eternal goal. This is the same inner dynamic as the weeping of Bain ha-Metzarim, where tears themselves are "portions of sight" expelled outward. Prayer: The teaching explains a profound tension: if all suffering is G-d's kindness, why pray to be relieved? The answer: prayer creates the spiritual vessels (kailim) to receive blessing without harm. Just as too much oil extinguishes a flame, chessed without proper vessels becomes judgment. The Amidah's entire structure is decoded here: first praise (to acknowledge "all is for the good"), then requests — and the repeated mention of techiyas ha-maisim (Resurrection) throughout the second blessing is explained as affirming that all of G-d's dealings, even delayed livelihood, are oriented toward the eternal tachlis. The Ari's kavanah of milah: Revealed as the drawing down of sealed chassadim (lovingkindnesses). The chassadim remain sealed above not out of withholding, but as a protective act of kindness — they cannot be received safely until proper vessels are made. The milah ritual creates these vessels through bitul (self-nullification) and the subsequent ratzo va-shov — embodied in the giving of the infant's name right after the ceremony, representing the drawing of Torah from the spiritual imprint left by the bitul. The ancient chassidim: Their practice of waiting an hour before and after prayer is the living embodiment of this entire system — bitul before, consolidation of the reshimu after — and explains how both their Torah and their work were supernaturally blessed.