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Based on the Torah teaching "Tefillas l'Chavakuk" (Likutay Moharan I:19) — see there the entire teaching carefully. The general principle: through the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh (the Holy Tongue), one subdues the desire for immorality, which is the encompassing evil of all seventy nations. The perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is the bechinas Chavah — woman — which is the bechinas holy speech through which the world was created. Through this, Hashem blessed-be-He elevated us above all tongues. The essential perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is through Lashon Targum (the Aramaic translation-tongue), as in the verse: "Hashem cast a deep sleep upon the man, and he slept, and He took one of his ribs" — for it was then that the woman was built, as it is written: "Hashem built the rib into a woman" — meaning that Chavah, the woman, who is bechinas fear of Hashem and bechinas perfection of Lashon HaKodesh, has her essential building through tardaimah (deep sleep) — whose numerical value equals that of Targum. For the essential perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is through Lashon Targum, which is the intermediary between Lashon HaKodesh and the tongues of the seventy nations. Lashon Targum is the bechinas Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, bechinas Nogah, the place of the scales where the essential free choice, weighing, and trial of the person occurs. One who merits to break his desires and conquer his yetzer thereby clarifies the good within Targum, and then Targum — bechinas Nogah — is included in holiness, in bechinas Lashon HaKodesh. The reverse, Heaven forbid, for one who does not merit. One who merits to perfect Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum — all his eating and drinking is then from the sparkling of the letters within the thing he eats and drinks, for in everything in the world there are letters through which that thing was created. These are the letters of Lashon HaKodesh through which the world was created. And one who merits to perfect Lashon HaKodesh as above, merits that the letters within every thing will sparkle and illuminate through him — and then all his eating and drinking is only from the sparkling of the letters within the thing he consumes, in the bechinas of "He will send your help from the Sanctuary, and from Zion sustain you" — see there the entire teaching carefully.

This is the bechinas of the prohibition of chodosh — the prohibition against eating of the new grain, which is the essential eating, until the Omer is offered, and it comes specifically from barley. For Israel, a holy nation, must have all their eating be in the bechinas described above — to be sustained only from the sparkling of the letters within the thing they eat — and this is the essential perfection and rectification of holy eating. This cannot be attained except through the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, as above. This is the bechinas of the barley Omer — which is the bechinas of the rectification and perfection of speech, as brought in the kavanos of the Ari of blessed memory: that barley (se'orah) is the bechinas twice Mantzpa"ch, from which the essential speech derives. For the five letters Mantzpa"ch are the five outlets of the mouth, as brought in the writings many times. That is: barley is the bechinas of Lashon Targum, through which the essential building and perfection of the speech of Lashon HaKodesh — through which the world was created — is accomplished. For the essential speech, which is the bechinas of the twenty-two letters of Lashon HaKodesh, is the bechinas of wheat — for wheat (chitah) has the numerical value of twenty-two, as brought in this same Torah teaching: it is the bechinas of "He made it like a storehouse of wheat" — see there. And barley is the bechinas of Lashon Targum — which is the bechinas of deep sleep and slumber, through which the essential building and perfection of Lashon HaKodesh, which is the bechinas Chavah, the woman, is accomplished, as above. For barley is the feed of animals — which is the bechinas of the absence of da'as — which is the bechinas of deep sleep and slumber, which is the withdrawal of da'as. And deep sleep and slumber are the bechinas of Lashon Targum, as above. [And so it is brought in another place in the Torah: "Rebbe Shimon opened" (I:60) — that animal feed is the bechinas of sleep, which is the withdrawal of da'as, the withdrawal of the Face — see there. For the essential perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is to merit through it illuminating Faces, bechinas "Face to face Hashem spoke with you" — see well in that Torah teaching, Tefillas l'Chavakuk.] Therefore the Omer must be brought specifically from barley, immediately after the first day of Pesach, and only then is the new bread permitted to eat, and then the counting of Sefiras HaOmer begins — so that the souls of Israel may be purified from their contamination, to emerge from the contamination of Egypt and merit receiving the Torah on Shavuos. For at the time of the Exodus from Egypt, on the first night of Pesach, we merited the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh through which the world was created — for then at the Exodus we were elevated above all tongues. For that was the beginning of Israel's drawing close to their Father in Heaven. For He took us out from the exile of Egypt — which encompasses all the exiles of all seventy nations, wherein lies the essential impurity: the desire for immorality, which is the encompassing evil of all seventy nations. Egypt is composed of all of them, for the Egyptians are the children of Cham, steeped in licentiousness — they are "the nakedness of the land", as is brought. And Hashem blessed-be-He in His mercy took us out then from Egypt, from the forty-nine gates of impurity — from the desire for immorality, which is the essential impurity of all seventy nations. Then He began to choose us from all peoples and to elevate us above all tongues, for then the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — the word of Hashem through which the world was created — was revealed. For at the Exodus, He shattered the natural order and altered nature with great and wondrous signs and wonders — and through this the renewal of the world was revealed: that Hashem created the world and governs His world according to His will, and He chooses His people Israel for whose sake He created and sustains all. All the world saw this with their own eyes through all the ten plagues that came upon the Egyptians with wondrous signs and an extraordinary alteration of nature, and Israel was saved from them — all in order to compel Pharaoh to send Israel His people out of Egypt. Therefore then the word of Hashem was revealed — which is the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh through which the world was created — for then it was revealed that "by the word of Hashem the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth all their hosts." For since it was then revealed that Hashem created the world, it was certainly revealed then the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — the word of Hashem through which the world was created — through which we were elevated above all tongues and drawn close to Him then. Yet even though we merited then the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, and a wondrous and mighty illumination shone upon us — nevertheless the Lashon HaKodesh was still not complete. For it was only in the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh coming from above, which still lacks completion in this world, and has no completion except when it is completed in this world from below through Lashon Targum — that is, through striving to clarify the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is bechinas Nogah, which is bechinas Targum — for that is when the essential perfection of Lashon HaKodesh occurs, as above. For at the time of the Exodus everything was still in the bechinas of is'arusa dil'ayla (arousal from above), as is brought. For Israel was not yet worthy to be redeemed through their deeds alone, as is brought — rather Hashem blessed-be-He, as it were, was compelled to take them out immediately so they would not sink further there, as it is written: "they could not tarry", as is brought. For in Egypt, before the receiving of the Torah, it was impossible to complete Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum — for this clarification of the bechinas of Lashon Targum is impossible except through Torah, which encompasses the bechinas of shnayim mikra v'echad targum (reading the parasha twice and once in Targum), which is the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum. For Torah is the bechinas Tree of Life — the rectification of the Tree of Knowledge — and the essential rectification and clarification of good from evil is through Torah, which encompasses the Written Torah and the Oral Torah: which is the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum. For the Written Torah is the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — all of Torah, Prophets, and Writings are in Lashon HaKodesh — and the Oral Torah is the bechinas of Lashon Targum, which is the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, bechinas Nogah. This is the bechinas of the Six Orders of Mishnah — which are the bechinas of valid and invalid, impure and pure, forbidden and permitted — that is, the bechinas of good and evil, as is brought. Through the bechinas of the Six Orders of Mishnah — which are the entirety of the Oral Torah — one clarifies good from evil: one clarifies the valid from the invalid, the impure from the pure, and so forth — which is the bechinas of clarifying the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the bechinas of clarifying Lashon Targum, through which the essential perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is accomplished, as above. And therefore the essential Oral Torah was written in Lashon Targum — which is the Gemara, which our Sages of blessed memory arranged in Lashon Targum, wherein the essential clarification of all the legal rulings of Torah — valid and invalid, and so forth — occurs. Also the Written Torah itself encompasses Lashon HaKodesh and Targum, as our Sages of blessed memory said: "From where is Targum derived from Torah?" For the totality of Torah is the bechinas of the holy speech of Hashem blessed-be-He through which He created the world — which is Lashon HaKodesh, as above. "With the Torah, the Holy One blessed be He created the world" — and Torah sustains the world. And the essential sustaining of the world through Torah is through the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum — that is, through Israel, a holy nation, being tested and refined in this world of choice, conquering their yetzer, breaking their desires, distancing from immorality, and fulfilling the mitzvos of the Torah — thereby clarifying the good in Targum, the good in the Tree of Knowledge, and perfecting Lashon HaKodesh in the bechinas of its perfection through Lashon Targum. But in Egypt, before receiving the Torah, it was impossible to fully clarify good from evil, and they were unable to clarify Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum. And therefore Israel did not have the power to subdue the contamination of Egypt and to leave. Only Hashem blessed-be-He in His mercy had compassion on us in His kindness and in the merit of our forefathers, and He leaped over the end of days and took us out Himself in the bechinas of is'arusa dil'ayla — which is bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh alone, before it was perfected through Lashon Targum — which is the perfection that is completed from below by us in this world. Rather, He Himself completed Lashon HaKodesh with a wondrous illumination from above, and revealed to all eyes that He blessed-be-He created His world through speech, and He also rules now through His speech, and gives power to the tzaddikim to alter nature as He wills — and through this He took them out of Egypt with wondrous signs, as above. But even though a wondrous and mighty illumination shone upon us then, nevertheless this is still not the ultimate perfection, because it was only in the bechinas of is'arusa dil'ayla and was not yet in the bechinas of the perfection completed from below by us — which is the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, as above. Therefore that illumination lasted only for a brief time on the first day. After it immediately departed, from the second day we must begin again anew to complete the holiness — namely, Lashon HaKodesh — through us, to complete the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum from below, as above — for that is the essential perfection, as above. This is the bechinas of the barley Omer that we must bring on the second day of Pesach — for barley is the bechinas of the clarification of Lashon Targum, which is the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, as above. For barley encompasses both the food of man and the food of animals — barley is fed to animals, but one can also clarify it and make human food from it — while wheat, its entire eating is only human food. Wheat is the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, which is the bechinas of the holiness of Israel who are called adam. But barley encompasses both — bechinas Lashon HaKodesh, which is the bechinas adam, and bechinas the tongue of the seventy nations, which is the bechinas behaimah — for it is both human food and animal food. For it is in the bechinas of Lashon Targum, which is the intermediary between Lashon HaKodesh and the tongues of the peoples, as above. Therefore through it is the essential clarification — which is the essential building and perfection of Lashon HaKodesh in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, as above. Therefore the Omer must be brought specifically from barley, as above. This is what is written in the Tikkunim and the Zohar — that the barley Omer is the bechinas of minchas kena'os (the meal-offering of jealousy), which is the bechinas of the korban of the sotah (suspected wife) — which was from barley — through which it was determined whether she had been unfaithful to her husband, or whether she was pure. And as the Zohar writes there: "she is the testing of the Woman of Valor" — see there. This is as above: for the barley meal-offering is the bechinas of the clarification and refinement of Lashon Targum, wherein lies the essential examination, trial, and refining of the rectification of the bris — which is the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh. For it is in the bechinas Nogah — sometimes included in holiness and sometimes, Heaven forbid, the reverse — all according to the deeds of the person. If he does not merit, Heaven forbid, then Nogah is included in impurity — which is the bechinas of Lashon Targum becoming included in the tongues of the nations, Heaven forbid. But when he does merit, Nogah is included in holiness — Lashon Targum is included in Lashon HaKodesh — and then the essential perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is achieved precisely through this, as above. This is the bechinas of the barley minchas sotah — she is examined by it whether she is in the bechinas of the Woman of Valor, the bechinas of a woman who fears Hashem, the bechinas of rectification of the bris, the bechinas of perfection of Lashon HaKodesh — or the reverse, Heaven forbid. And so the entire community of Israel must bring the barley meal-offering on the second day of Pesach — through which they clarify the bechinas of Targum and perfect Lashon HaKodesh in the bechinas of its perfection through Lashon Targum, as above. And then precisely the new bread is permitted to eat — for then, when they merit to perfect Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, they bring an illumination and sparkling to all the letters within every thing through which it was created, as above. And then all eating and drinking is only from the sparkling of the letters within the thing, as above — which is the essential holiness of Israel's eating. And as long as Israel has not perfected their food in this bechinas, it is not fitting as their food — therefore they are forbidden to eat chodosh until they bring the barley Omer, through which their food is completed in this bechinas: that all their food should be from the sparkling of the letters alone, as above. This is the bechinas of the prohibition of chametz on Pesach. For since on Pesach, at the time of the Exodus, everything was in the bechinas of is'arusa dil'ayla — the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh coming from above before it was perfected from below through Lashon Targum, as above — therefore then, chametz is forbidden with a very severe prohibition of bal yeira'eh u'val yimatzeh (it shall not be seen and not be found), and we must eat only matzah. For it is brought that chametz is the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — meaning that chametz can only be eaten when one clarifies the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, as above. But on Pesach, when it was in the bechinas of is'arusa dil'ayla in the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh coming from above, and we had not yet clarified the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, the bechinas of Lashon Targum — therefore then we must flee and distance ourselves from chametz to the utmost degree. For then through chametz, Heaven forbid, all the evil of the seventy nations would be aroused and they would suckle from holiness through chametz — which is the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, through which they ascend to suckle from holiness whenever the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, the bechinas Targum, is not clarified. Therefore then we must be very careful about chametz and eat only matzah and completely destroy the chametz. For matzah is the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh and chametz is the bechinas Targum — for matzah spelled with a Heh is the bechinas of the five outlets of the mouth, which is the speech of Lashon HaKodesh — the essential speech. And chametz spelled with a Ches is the bechinas behaimah (as brought in the teaching: "they asked Rabbi Yossi ben Kisma", I:57) — the bechinas of absence of speech, for the tongues of the nations are the bechinas of the tongue of the stammerer and are not in the category of human speech. Therefore on Pesach, when we do not yet have the power to clarify the chametz — which is the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, as above — chametz is then included in the tongues of the nations, which are the bechinas behaimah, the absence of speech. Therefore chametz is forbidden with a very severe prohibition — and all our eating is matzah, which is very great mochin — the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh in the wondrous and mighty illumination coming from above, as above. But immediately on the second day of Pesach we bring the barley Omer and then begin the rectification described above — to complete Lashon HaKodesh from below through Lashon Targum, as above — and then we begin counting Sefiras HaOmer, to go from impurity to purity. And through this we clarify the holiness step by step, day by day, until we merit on Shvi'i shel Pesach (the seventh day of Pesach) to fully subdue and nullify the contamination of Egypt — for that was when the definitive downfall of Egypt occurred, at the splitting of the Reed Sea. And then chametz was permitted after Pesach, for then at the splitting of the Reed Sea the bechinas of rectification of the bris was revealed — the bechinas of Yosef, the bechinas of "the sea saw and fled, it went out" — which is the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, which Yosef merited through withstanding his trial, as brought in that Torah teaching. And therefore then the handmaid at the Sea saw what Yechezkel the prophet did not see, as our Sages of blessed memory taught. For then was the bechinas of the clarification of the Tree of Knowledge — which is the bechinas of the staff of Moshe, which at first transformed from staff to serpent and from serpent to staff, and now was completely included in total good, and revealed Hashem's Divinity in the world — through splitting the Sea and casting Egypt, the encompassing evil, into the raging waters, and Israel passed through the Sea on dry land. Then the bechinas of the evil handmaid was subdued, and then the illumination for receiving the Torah shone — for they were immediately commanded afterwards several laws and statutes, as it is written: "there He placed for him a statute and ordinance, and there He tested him." Then shone upon them the bechinas of the clarification of the Six Orders of Mishnah — which clarifies valid and invalid, and so forth — subduing the evil handmaid and then also the handmaid was included in holiness, as is explained in the Tikkunim — see there. Therefore then the handmaid at the Sea saw, and so forth. And because then was the bechinas of clarifying the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum — therefore after Shvi'i shel Pesach chametz was permitted. For after the clarification described above, chametz is included in holiness, and then through it is the essential perfection of holiness — in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum, as above. See in the Torah teaching Tefillas l'Chavakuk at its end, in the appendices — where it explains the verse "His word-doers, to hear the voice of His word" — that when Lashon HaKodesh comes from above it still lacks perfection until it is completed from below in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum. And this is the secret of the kavanos of the mitzvah of milah and so forth — for everything Hashem created requires rectification, see there carefully. And all this is the bechinas of what we have explained here regarding Pesach and Sefiras HaOmer: that Pesach is the bechinas of is'arusa dil'ayla — the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh coming from above — but then, for the sake of the redemption, the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh was drawn down from above with a wondrous and mighty illumination so that they could be redeemed. For at the time of the Exodus, the revelation that Hashem created the world was revealed in a wondrous and awesome manner, and this revelation of the renewal of creation is the bechinas of perfection of Lashon HaKodesh through which the world was created, as above. Nevertheless the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh was still not completed from below in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Targum — and therefore we must immediately on the second day begin this rectification through bringing the barley Omer, as above. Then we begin counting Sefiras HaOmer — in which we purify ourselves day by day in the bechinas of is'arusa dil'tata (arousal from below). And therefore we count towards the Omer specifically — for the barley Omer is the bechinas of Lashon Targum that completes Lashon HaKodesh, as above — which is the bechinas of the perfection through which holiness, the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, is completed from below. Therefore we count towards the Omer the days — which is Sefiras HaOmer — which is the bechinas of is'arusa dil'tata, through which we draw holiness down upon ourselves each day through the mitzvah of Sefiras HaOmer — to go out from the forty-nine gates of impurity to the forty-nine gates of holiness — to merit to fully complete Lashon HaKodesh from below, in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum — which is the bechinas of the perfection through which Lashon HaKodesh is completed from below, as above. And therefore on Shvi'i shel Pesach — when we have already counted six days — then great mochin are drawn down (bechinas of reshimu d'gadlus d'Abba, as brought in the kavanos): we draw great holiness upon ourselves through us, through the bechinas of is'arusa dil'tata. Therefore then is the splitting of the Reed Sea, and then the Egyptians — who are the encompassing evil, as above — are fully subdued. For then Lashon HaKodesh is perfected in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum — through our having already counted six days of Sefiras HaOmer. For then the bechinas of rectification of the bris is revealed — the bechinas of Yosef, the bechinas of Yesod, the bechinas of "the sea saw and fled, and went outside". Therefore then immediately after Shvi'i shel Pesach, chametz is permitted — for chametz can only be eaten through the rectification of the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is rectified through Lashon Targum when one merits to clarify it and complete Lashon HaKodesh through it — which is attained on Shvi'i shel Pesach, as above. See the Torah teaching Tefillas l'Chavakuk and understand the matters well. This is the bechinas of the story of Bilaam — that Hashem blessed-be-He showed us extraordinary kindness and was unwilling to listen to Bilaam, and Hashem reversed it, and Hashem blessed-be-He glories in this great kindness He did for us in saving us from wicked Bilaam — as it is written: "My people, remember what Balak king of Moav counseled, and what Bilaam answered him." And this is the bechinas of the opening of the mouth of the she-donkey — that Hashem blessed-be-He performed such a miracle that He opened the mouth of the she-donkey and it spoke and rebuked him — all for the sake of saving Israel. For the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh is the bechinas of Ruach HaKodesh — the bechinas of "let there be a double portion of your spirit upon me", the bechinas of Ruach HaKodesh speaking thus — as explained well in this Torah teaching above. And it is impossible to merit the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh, Ruach HaKodesh, except for one who merits rectification of the bris — for then one merits perfecting Lashon HaKodesh in ultimate perfection, in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum. For the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh, which is Ruach HaKodesh, and the rectification of the bris are interdependent, as explained there — see there. Therefore it is impossible to attain prophecy, Ruach HaKodesh, through the path of holiness, except for one who merits rectification of the bris in ultimate completeness. Therefore Moshe Rabeinu, who is the master of all prophets — as it is written: "There arose no prophet again in Israel like Moshe" — was therefore holy with the holiness of the bris to the ultimate degree of holiness and perishus (separation), as it is written: "But you, stand here with Me." Likewise all of Israel's prophets were all very holy and pure in the holiness of the bris. Only because they did not attain the holiness of Moshe — therefore their prophecy was through a dim lens (aspaklaryah she'ainah me'irah) — only Moshe merited the ultimate perfection of prophecy through a bright lens (aspaklaryah hame'irah). For it is impossible to attain prophecy — which is Ruach HaKodesh, the bechinas of the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh — except through rectification of the bris, as above. But "this opposite that, Hashem made" — Hashem gave the power of free choice to man, and the essential free choice is in the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — bechinas Nogah, bechinas Lashon Targum — which is the intermediary between the side of holiness (Lashon HaKodesh) and the side of impurity (the tongues of the seventy nations). And there, in the bechinas of Targum, bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, bechinas Nogah — there is where the essential choice and weighing occurs. One who wishes to elevate holiness and merit Lashon HaKodesh in perfection — which is the bechinas of Ruach HaKodesh — can only do so by powerfully mustering himself to conquer his yetzer and break all desires, and especially to break the desire for immorality. And in accordance with how much he breaks his desire, so does he clarify the good in the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the good in Targum, and perfect Lashon HaKodesh — the bechinas of Ruach HaKodesh. And the more he perfects Lashon HaKodesh, the more power he gains through the speech of Lashon HaKodesh to subdue the encompassing evil and nullify the desire mentioned. And so it cycles around until he merits the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh and the rectification of the bris in completeness, as above. For the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh and the rectification of the bris are interdependent, as above. And we have already explained elsewhere that with things that are interdependent one does not know from where to begin. The truth is that one must begin from both of them — and from whichever bechinas of them one starts first, it is good, provided one's intention is for the sake of Heaven, to merit the side of holiness. That is: there is one whose beginning is from the breaking of the desire described above — and in proportion to his breaking of this desire, he merits the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh, as above. And there is one whose beginning is from the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh — that is, he sanctifies his speech with great holiness and engages much in holy speech: words of Torah, prayer, and hisbodedus (personal secluded prayer) — which is the essential bechinas of the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh (as is explained in the Likutay Aytzos). And the more he increases in Torah and prayer — which are the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh — through this he merits to break the desire mentioned above. And in proportion to how much he merits breaking that desire, so does he merit yet more to the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh — and so it cycles around, as above — until he merits rectification of the bris and perfection of Lashon HaKodesh in ultimate completeness, and then he merits Ruach HaKodesh. For Ruach HaKodesh is the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, which depends on the rectification of the bris, as above. Therefore it is impossible to receive the spirit of prophecy from above through the path of holiness except when one rectifies and clarifies the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — which is the bechinas Targum — for then precisely does one complete the holiness, the bechinas Lashon HaKodesh, and fully subdue the encompassing evil, and then receive the spirit of prophecy through the path of holiness in completeness, like Moshe Rabeinu and all the prophets, as above. For as long as there is any hold of the evil of the Tree of Knowledge — the bechinas Targum — upon him, he cannot receive the spirit of prophecy from holiness, because the bechinas of deep sleep, the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, and so forth are still confused and mixed within him. And then if he wishes to ascend to holiness to receive the spirit of prophecy, the evil of the Tree of Knowledge will seize him and confuse him with false prophecy, as is explained in the writings. And even if he is clean from transgressions, but has not broken the desire properly in a permissible manner — still he cannot merit true prophecy in completeness, because he has not yet properly clarified the bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge, the bechinas Targum — which is the essential perfection of holiness, and through which one ascends and is included in holiness in the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, the bechinas Ruach HaKodesh, as above. But the wicked sorcerers — Bilaam and his associates — go in exactly the opposite direction, for they do the complete reverse. For Bilaam was sunken in the encompassing evil to the ultimate degree of filth — as our Sages of blessed memory said regarding the verse "are you familiar with the she-donkey?": that he performed the act of intimacy with the she-donkey. And yet he sought to draw upon himself a spirit from above — the bechinas of the spirit of prophecy — through Targum, which is the Tree of Knowledge, which is Aramaic, through which he ascended to suckle from holiness — in the bechinas of "From Aram Balak, king of Moav, led me" — "from Aram" specifically — that is, through Aramaic, Lashon Targum, through which the kelipos ascend to suckle from holiness, in the bechinas of "the Aramean sought to destroy my father" — as all this is explained well in that Torah teaching. For Hashem created the world only for the sake of free choice, as is known — therefore He gave free choice enormous power. And just as the tzaddikim have the power to clarify the Tree of Knowledge, the bechinas Targum, and to perfect Lashon HaKodesh and thereby fully subdue the encompassing evil, and to merit the spirit of prophecy through the path of holiness as above — so correspondingly Hashem gave power to Bilaam and his associates who do not wish to break their desires and subdue the evil of the Tree of Knowledge: not only did they not break their evil and not clarify the Tree of Knowledge, the bechinas Targum — but their wickedness strengthened within them to such a degree that they asserted themselves through the force of their evil to ascend through the Tree of Knowledge, through Targum, to suckle from holiness — to draw the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, the bechinas of the spirit of prophecy, to their places — to draw the spirit of prophecy upon themselves through the path of impurity, the path of the evil of the Tree of Knowledge — the opposite of the tzaddikim who clarify the Targum bechinas of the Tree of Knowledge and perfect holiness, subduing the encompassing evil completely and meriting the spirit of prophecy through the path of holiness, as above. And he went in the opposite direction entirely — to ascend through Targum to suckle from holiness and to draw the spirit of prophecy — the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — upon himself through the path of impurity, to strengthen the encompassing evil over Lashon HaKodesh, to strengthen, Heaven forbid, the dominion of the nations who are the encompassing evil over Israel, Heaven forbid — who are elevated above all tongues, in the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — the opposite of the tzaddikim. And he became ever more powerful in the opposite direction to ascend through Targum to suckle from holiness and draw the spirit of prophecy — the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — upon himself through the path of impurity, to empower the encompassing evil over Lashon HaKodesh — Heaven forbid — as above. All this is explained well in the Torah teaching "when evildoers approach me" (I:36), on the verse "behold, I have received a blessing, and blessed" — see there. And Hashem blessed-be-He, as long as He desires the world's continuity, does not wish to nullify the power of free choice — for the world was created for its sake. Rather, through His wondrous strategies, He took and extracted speech from him through his own choice. For Israel, a holy nation — whoever feels within himself that he is not holy as he should be — humbles and nullifies himself before Hashem blessed-be-He, and does not wish to venture into great and wondrous things beyond him, to draw upon himself the spirit of prophecy in the bechinas of Ruach HaKodesh — for he knows he is far from this. And if he were to seek to draw visions and dreams upon himself, he could damage himself even more, as many have stumbled in this. Rather, he goes in simplicity and asks Hashem to help him emerge from his lowliness and to merit to sanctify himself properly — and then if he merits and becomes worthy of receiving Ruach HaKodesh through the path of holiness, Hashem who is good will do with him as He wills. But Bilaam and his students do the opposite, as above — steeped in all the impurities and mustering themselves to draw upon themselves through the path of impurity the supernal spirit — for the person who has free choice has the power to draw it upon himself as he wishes according to his choice — to good or, Heaven forbid, the reverse, as above. And Hashem blessed-be-He, as long as He desires the world's continuity, does not wish to nullify the power of free choice — for the world was created for its sake — rather through His wondrous strategies He took and extracted speech from him through his own free choice. And this is the bechinas of the opening of the mouth of the she-donkey — that Hashem performed such a miracle, opening the mouth of the she-donkey that spoke with him and rebuked him, and he could not withstand her rebuke — and through this was the essential cause of his downfall. As our Sages of blessed memory said: "It is a great disgrace to him — he goes to destroy an entire nation through his speech and yet he cannot withstand the she-donkey." For certainly now he could no longer withstand her — since Hashem had already arranged through his own deeds and choice that speech be drawn to the she-donkey, as above. Therefore he no longer had dominion over speech. For even though speech was now in a very low and filthy place — by the she-donkey — nevertheless since the she-donkey has no free choice, Hashem could easily extract the speech from there and elevate it to its root. For what is essentially difficult in His eyes blessed-be-He is to break the power of free choice, which has great power as above. And it was because of this that Israel was in great danger, as above — for Hashem desires justice and does not wish to nullify the power of free choice — for this was the entire reason the world was created, as above. But now that Hashem had taken speech from him and transferred it to the she-donkey according to justice and law as above, and opened the mouth of the she-donkey — the power of speech through his free choice was already lost. Therefore he had no power against Israel — on the contrary, he was compelled to speak according to the will of Hashem and to reverse the curse into a blessing. As Rashi explains on the verse "return to Balak and speak thus": the speech was like a bridle in his mouth. And he was compelled to reverse the curse into a blessing, as above. For the power of dominion over speech had already been taken from him — having been transferred to the she-donkey by just law through his own free choice, as above. And from there, Hashem blessed-be-He clarified it easily, since she has no free choice. And then the power of dominion over speech returned to Hashem blessed-be-He, and he was compelled to speak according to the will of Hashem — to bless Israel, as above. The general practical lesson and counsel that emerges from all this — a person must know that he has free choice, and that free choice has very great and mighty power, as explained above. And certainly the attribute of good is abundant above its opposite — and if so, a person should learn an a fortiori argument from them: if Bilaam, who was so wicked and impure, and so utterly distant from holiness and from Lashon HaKodesh — nevertheless through the power of his mighty free choice he was able to ascend through Targum to draw Lashon HaKodesh, the bechinas Ruach HaKodesh, to himself and attain prophetic visions within his impurity, like Moshe Rabeinu in holiness — as our Sages of blessed memory taught: "in Israel there arose no prophet like Moshe, but among the nations of the world one arose — and that is Bilaam" — and all this because the free choice of man has great power, and a person has the power to strengthen his mind to such an extraordinary degree that he can draw upon himself whatever he wishes, provided the mind be very strong and powerful in its inner and outer dimensions — as is explained in the teachings of Rabeinu and elsewhere. How much more so — an a fortiori argument a thousand times over — when a Jew wishes to draw holiness upon himself, the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, in his place where he is — and his intention is for the sake of Heaven, that through this he may merit to return and restore his holiness. Certainly he has the power for this always, at every time and every hour — even if he has fallen through his sins to very shameful places, may the Merciful One protect us, as is common now in these generations because of our many sins. And even if he is still caught in what he is caught in, Heaven forbid — nevertheless his free choice has the power to strengthen himself even in his low place and so forth, wherever he is, to draw upon himself the bechinas of the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh. That is, even though the person is as he is, Heaven forbid — nevertheless if he will be strong in his resolve always to speak holy speech — words of Torah, prayer, and hisbodedus — which are all the bechinas of the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh — and his intention is to thereby subdue and break his evil, in order that he may return to Hashem — certainly it is good for him. For certainly no word of holiness is ever lost — and in the course of days Hashem will have mercy on him, and all the words of holiness he has brought forth from his mouth, which are the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh, will be gathered together. And through this he will subdue and nullify the encompassing evil. The essential thing is to be very strong in this — for days and years — even if much passes over him. For free choice is always free — and the essential power is through speech, in the bechinas of "mighty in strength who do His word". For one must know: even though the Torah teaching described above states that the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh and the rectification of the bris are interdependent — and that whoever blemishes the bris does not merit the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh — if so, one might be bewildered: for according to this, the bread fell into the well! What then have the Sages helped us with their guidance, having revealed to us the counsel to subdue the encompassing evil through the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh? Is not the one contingent on the other — and whoever has not yet emerged from the encompassing evil does not merit the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh? From where then will his help come? But truly, "the ways of Hashem are straight, and the righteous shall walk in them." For certainly to merit ultimate completeness it is only possible when one merits both together — the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh and the rectification of the bris, which are interdependent. But as long as one has not yet merited this, a person must begin from wherever he begins — and from whichever bechinas he begins, even with a single good point in the world, it is good for his soul and spirit. For certainly no word of holiness is ever lost — and even if he is as he is, he has the power in his free choice to strengthen himself with words of holiness, which are the bechinas of the perfection of Lashon HaKodesh. And if he multiplies holy words of Torah, prayer, and hisbodedus — ultimately they will be gathered and help him in this world and the next world. And likewise no moment of conquering his yetzer is lost — for even though he has not yet fully merited the rectification of the bris — nevertheless everything he has sometimes merited in striving against his yetzer and working to pull himself away from evil is never lost at all, even if it did not fully succeed as it should — as is explained in the teachings of Rabeinu on the verse "when their waves rise, You still them." And all this cannot be fully explained in writing — only each one who truly wishes and will not deceive himself will understand many things from these words of ours. And this is: "Take words with you and return to Hashem" (Hoshea 14:3). "With you" specifically — in the place where you are, even in very low and coarse places. Nevertheless "take with you" specifically — "words" — and through this you will return to Hashem. For as long as words are with you, certainly you always have hope to return to Hashem. As the Midrash says on this verse: "I ask of you nothing but words." And as is brought in the teachings of Rabeinu on the verse "whenever I speak of him I remember him greatly" (I:78) — see there. For Bilaam and his associates mustered through the force of their wickedness to draw holy speech to themselves in exile — to strengthen evil over good, Heaven forbid, as above. And he had the power for this from the strength of free choice, as above. Were it not that Hashem was with our help — but because his intention was to do evil, certainly his end was to be cut off, as our Sages of blessed memory taught. But a Jew, whose intention is for good — who strengthens himself in the depth of his falling, Heaven forbid, to speak holy words in the bechinas of Lashon HaKodesh — certainly he always has the power for this, as above. And since his intention is for good — to return to Hashem and to make a pleasing spirit before Him — then the tzaddik who has already merited the ultimate perfection of Lashon HaKodesh, he elevates and clarifies his holy words which are in the bechinas of Targum as above, and completes through them Lashon HaKodesh in the bechinas of perfecting Lashon HaKodesh through Lashon Targum. And this is: "Return, O Israel, to Hashem your G-d, for you have stumbled through your iniquity" — that the iniquities will be reckoned as inadvertent sins, as our Sages of blessed memory taught. And this is: "take words with you" — as above: that even in your place where you are, you should speak holy words — which is the bechinas of Targum, as above — which is the bechinas of inadvertent sins, as explained in that Torah teaching on the verse Tefillas l'Chavakuk al shigionos (prayer of Chavakuk concerning errors) — which Rashi explains as "according to its Targum." See there. And since through the holy words one speaks in his place where he is, the iniquities are transformed into inadvertent sins — afterwards the complete tzaddik easily elevates them to total good, as above. And this is: "say to Him: forgive all iniquity and accept the good" — that afterwards we ask Hashem to bear and forgive all the iniquity completely — in the bechinas of "forgive all iniquity", which Rashi explains to mean "all iniquity forgive" — that is, that all the iniquity be borne and forgiven completely, as above. And this is: "and accept the good" — that it be transformed into complete good, as above.