ס"ת ג

And this is what our Sages derived: that one not make his da’as haughty — that is, that one not reveal beyond measure and be silent where one must be silent — from the verse meisharim tishpetu b’nei adam. For the illumination of son and student is the aspect of ki Elokim shofeit etc., the aspect of meisharim tishpetu etc. For it is impossible to illuminate da’as in son and student to teach them da’as and Torah of Hashem except when one merits to the aspect of silence, which is the aspect of Keser, as is known — which is the aspect of the uppermost makifin, the aspect of arichas yamim v’shanim, the aspect of Raishis HaGez that is given to the Kohen etc., as explained there. For precisely this wise man who merits the abundance of Keser — which are the uppermost makifin which are in the aspect of silence — he precisely can illuminate in son and student, which is the aspect of ki Elokim shofeit, the aspect of meisharim tishpetu, as mentioned. And so it is hinted at the end of the words of our Rebbe, may his memory be for a blessing, there: that everything depends on humility (anavah), for humility is greater than all. For humility is the aspect of silence, the aspect of Keser, the aspect of the aforementioned uppermost makifin.

Preamble. According to the teaching "Anochi Hashem Elokecha" [I am Hashem your God] etc., in Likutay Moharan the First, Siman 4 — see there the entire teaching in full, from its beginning to its end. And the general principle: through viduy devarim [verbal confession] before a Torah scholar, through this one returns the Malchus [Kingship] to its root. And through this, the Malchus — which is the bechinas of Elokim, the bechinas of judgment — ascends and returns to its root in Hashem blessed be He, to the bechinas of the Havayah [the Name of Mercy], the bechinas of chesed. And then Havayah-Elokim — which are chesed and gevurah — become altogether one. And then one knows that all the events of his life are entirely for his good. And this bechinas is a foretaste of the World to Come, etc. And through returning the Malchus to its root — that is, through viduy devarim before a Torah scholar: that one does teshuvah for all his transgressions and breaks all the desires and all the evil character-traits that are drawn from the four elements, etc., as explained there — and one confesses by verbal confession before a Torah scholar, through which one returns the Malchus to its root as above — through this, one becomes included within Ein Sof [the Infinite]. And this is the bechinas of zarka d'izdrikkat la'atar d'itnatal mitamman [Aramaic: the arrow that was hurled to the place from which it was taken] — that one returns the Malchus to Ein Sof, which is the Will that is within all wills. For the Malchus — which is the bechinas of the letters of speech — every single letter has clothed within it the will of Hashem blessed be He: for it was Hashem's will that this letter should have such a shape, and that another letter should have a different shape. It is thus found that the wills — that is, the shapes of the letters — are the manifestation of His Kingship blessed be His Name. And all these wills — that is, the shapes — are drawn from the will of Ein Sof, which contains no shape. And all things and all existence in the world come from the letters — that is, from the Malchus — for existence is because of the Malchus: for the Holy One blessed be He willed that His Kingship be revealed in the world, and therefore He created the world from ayin [nothingness] to yesh [existence]. And all the wills — that is, the shapes — and all existence, the bechinas of Malchus — receive their vitality from the will of Ein Sof, as they have said: "In every place where you find His greatness," etc. And this is the bechinas of hispashtus hagashmiyus [the stripping away of physicality] — for when one wishes to be included within the will of Ein Sof, one must nullify one's own existence. And this is the bechinas of the departure of Moshe on Shabbos at Minchah time — when there is a revelation of ra'ava d'ra'avin [Aramaic: the will of wills], which is the bechinas of the will of Ein Sof from which all the wills receive their vitality — and this was because Moshe nullified all his existence, as it is written: "And we — what are we?" etc. And this is what we observe: that sometimes a person becomes inflamed within the prayer — and all of this is through Hashem's compassion upon him, that the light of Ein Sof is opened for him, etc. And in the moment when he becomes nullified toward Ein Sof, he is then in the bechinas of "and no man knew" — that even he himself does not know himself at all. But this bechinas must be in the mode of ratzo vashov [running and returning] — in order that his existence be sustained. For the Holy One blessed be He desires our service, as it is written: "You desire the praise of those formed from dust, kneaded from clay." And therefore it must not remain thus permanently — only until the Holy One blessed be He Himself comes and takes his soul. But while he lives, the hispashtus hagashmiyus must be in the bechinas of ratzo vashov. It is thus found that when he is in the bechinas of shov [returning], he must then manifest also to his own mind. For at first, in the moment of dveykus [cleaving] to Hashem, the mind becomes nullified, as it is written: "and no man knew." And when he is in the bechinas of shov — when he returns to his mind and to his existence — then he returns to his mind. And when he has returned to his mind, he then knows the unity of Ein Sof and His goodness. And then there is no distinction between Hashem and Elokim, between the attribute of judgment and the attribute of mercy — for in Ein Sof, Heaven forbid, no change of will is applicable: for changes exist only in the change of shapes. But through a person's dveykus to Ein Sof, where there is no change of will — for there the will is simple — afterwards there remains within him a reshimu [impression] from this unity. And then, having returned to the mode of shov, the reshimu shines upon the mind, so that he knows that everything is good and everything is one. And this is the bechinas of: "You have been shown to know that Hashem, He is the God," etc. — see there, all of this well.

And therefore our Sages of blessed memory derived the prohibition of making one’s da’as haughty, heaven forbid, in words of Torah — which is one who speaks beyond measure and reveals what need not be revealed, heaven forbid — which is the aspect of arrogance (gasvus haruach), the opposite of humility which is the aspect of silence, as mentioned. And they derived this from the verse meisharim tishpetu b’nei adam. For it is impossible to judge with equity — that is, to each one according to what he needs, which is the aspect of the illumination of son and student, the aspect of ki Elokim shofeit etc. — except through humility which is the aspect of silence, the aspect of seyag lachochmah shtikah, as mentioned.

And therefore the Sages are called in Yeshayah (3) chacham charasim [skilled craftsman] and nevon lachash [expert in incantation], and similarly in Yirmiyah they are called hecharash v’hamasger [the craftsman and the locksmith], who are the wise men of Yisrael. For the essential source of their great wisdom is through the aforementioned silence, as mentioned. And this is the aspect of hacharesh va’aalefcha chochmah [be silent and I will teach you wisdom].

Section 15 — Chalitzah (Yibum and the Removing of the Shoe)

And this is the aspect of chalitzah. For this one who departs [this world] without children, heaven forbid, has blemished in the aspect of the illumination of son and student, as mentioned. For son and student are the replacements (chalifyos) that one must leave after oneself as a blessing — that sons and worthy students should remain from him to continue drawing down holy da’as in this world even after his passing, as explained very well in the aforementioned discourse. And this one who departed without sons did not merit to leave a remnant in the land (she’eris ba’aretz), and blemished in the aspect of da’as which is the illumination of son and student, as mentioned. And the essential blemish is drawn from the blemish of the aforementioned silence, which is the essential rectification — through which he did not merit to leave any trace in the world. For when one does not strive to leave one’s da’as after oneself through sons and students, it turns out that he wants to depart, heaven forbid, from the world entirely — to ascend only upward and leave nothing below at all, heaven forbid. Which is the aspect of ribui or [excess of light], for he does not constrict the light in gradation and measure to draw it below as is proper, which is the essential sustaining of the world. This is the aspect of lo sohu bera’ah lasheives yetzarah [He did not create it a wasteland, He formed it to be inhabited] — for each one according to his aspect must strive to make vessels that receive the light of da’as, so that the world be filled with people, which is the aspect of u’mil’u es ha’aretz [and fill the earth] etc., as explained there. Which is the aspect of sons and students that one must leave after oneself — which is the essential completeness of the soul. For there is no completeness for the soul, even if one is a very great tzaddik and merits to ascend very far above, except when one’s da’as also remains below through sons and students, as explained there.

And this one who did not merit to this — it turns out that he wants to depart only upward, which is the aspect of ribui or, heaven forbid, since he has no vessels to receive. For all the vessels are made through silence which is the aspect of the constriction of light, through which sons and students are made as vessels to receive the light of da’as in gradation and measure. And therefore this one who departs without children, heaven forbid, is measure for measure. For since he did not merit to leave any trace in the world — thinking that he would depart only upward, as mentioned — therefore his punishment is that he cannot ascend at all and does not merit to enter before the King’s curtain (pargoda d’malka). For it is impossible to ascend above except when something of oneself remains below, as mentioned. And therefore he must be rectified through his brother who performs yibum [levirate marriage] with his wife — and then the light of his soul is diminished and further constricted. For itteta immeh [the woman is his mother] — it turns out that he descends and is greatly constricted in a very great contraction. And this is his essential rectification and ascent. For the essential rectification is through the constriction of the light, as mentioned. It turns out that his brother the yavam rectifies the soul of the deceased and establishes his name upon his inheritance and continues his remnant below, as mentioned.

And therefore if [the yavam] does not wish to perform yibum and cannot draw down the illumination of son and student — which is the aspect of the rectification accomplished through yibum, as mentioned — then v’chaltzah na’alo me’al raglo [and she removes his shoe from his foot] etc. And our Sages of blessed memory said: he is like a mourner and like an excommunicated one. For since he has no da’as to rectify the soul of the deceased by returning and drawing down the illumination of son and student in the world — therefore he has no shoes. For the essential shoes are made through the silence that constricts and rectifies the speech and the da’as etc., as mentioned. And one from whom da’as has departed, like a mourner and an excommunicated one, heaven forbid, is obligated in the removal of shoes, as mentioned. And through the act of his wife removing the shoe of the yavam, the soul of the deceased is clothed in that shoe. For the soul of the deceased was bound to the foot of his brother, as stated in the holy Zohar. For the essential rectification of the deceased is through the constriction of light that must now be constricted to the utmost constriction, which is the aspect of the shoe — which is the ultimate constriction, for it is a thick garment covering the feet — and its root is drawn from the secret of the uppermost silence, as mentioned. And therefore his rectification is through the shoe of chalitzah, as mentioned.

And therefore the yavam inherits the estate of his [brother’s] father, and the essential rectification of yibum is to establish the name of the deceased upon his inheritance — upon his inheritance precisely. For the inheritance is the wealth and parnasah [livelihood] of the person. And one who merits to be a man of valour through the totality of son and student merits the illumination of will (he’aras haratzon) through parnasah precisely — in the aspect of v’atah nosein lahem es achlam b’iso [and You give them their food in its time], as explained in the aforementioned discourse. And therefore the yavam must rectify the inheritance where the illumination of will resides — which is the aspect of silence, which is the essential illumination of son and student — which is the essential rectification of yibum, as mentioned.

Section 16 — Megilas Rus and the Rectification through Yibum

Section 1. And this is the bechinas of the prohibition of kil'ayim — for the essential purpose of Creation was for this end: that the entire Creation should return and be included within Ein Sof. This is the essential purpose of all created beings in the world — that they return to their first root. For Hashem blessed be He brought forth the entire Creation from ayin to yesh for the sake of Israel, the holy nation — so that through their service and their dveykus to Him blessed be He, all created beings should ascend and the whole be returned to its first root: that the whole should return and be included within Ein Sof. But for as long as the world continues to exist, this bechinas must of necessity be in the mode of ratzo vashov — for Hashem blessed be He desires the world's continuity, so that we may serve Him blessed be He specifically in this lowly world below, which is His entire delight and pleasure, as above. And this is the bechinas of: "And every plant of the field had not yet been in the earth, and every herb of the field had not yet sprouted — for there was no man to work the ground" [Bereishis 2:5]. For in truth the growth and rise of all the plants in the world is nifl'os temim de'im [the wonders of the Perfect of Knowledge] — for thereby we see at all times the wonders of the Creator blessed be He, Who works wonders at every moment: from a single grain of seed there grow many sheaves, and the essential growth is after the grain has decomposed in the earth and become as nothingness and void — then what was sown returns and grows from it, whether trees or grain or the like. And therefore it is impossible for anything to grow and sprout except through sowing specifically in the earth. For the essential power of growth and sprouting is through the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof blessed be He in the bechinas of hispashtus hagashmiyus mentioned above. For growth and sprouting is a bechinas of a new creation — and therefore it is impossible except through sowing the grain in the earth. And the earth is the bechinas of lowliness, the bechinas of ayin [nothingness] — and there the grain decomposes until it becomes as nothingness and void, with only a trace remaining. Then the sown thing becomes included within Ein Sof — through having decomposed and been stripped of its physicality — and then it returns and comes back from there, from ayin to yesh, and returns and is renewed with greater abundance. Until it emerges and grows and sprouts into a great tree or the like. But it is impossible for anything to return and ascend to its first root — to become nullified in the light of Ein Sof and be renewed there in the bechinas of ratzo vashov as above — except through the human being. For everything was created for the human being, and adam [man] in gematria equals mah [forty-five, the bechinas of nullification]. And Hashem blessed be He placed power and wisdom within the human being — for he has the power through his free will to strip himself of all physical materiality and to cleave to Hashem blessed be He, until he becomes nullified and included within the light of Ein Sof in ratzo vashov throughout all the days of his life. And through this, the entire world in its totality is included with him within Ein Sof — for everything depends upon him, as above. And therefore every plant of the field and every herb of the field had not yet sprouted and had not yet come out into the open air of the world — until the first man came and prayed for rain, as Rashi explains there. For prayer is the bechinas of dveykus and bitul toward Ein Sof — and through this he elevated all the seeds and returned them to their root in Ein Sof, and through this he drew back from there the blessing and the supernal bounty which are the rains — and through this all the plants and all the grasses sprouted. And so it is now: it is impossible for any plants to grow except through the human being, and the essential means is prayer. For rain falls only through the prayers of Israel, as it is written [Iyov 36]: "and He commanded it with His intercessors." For prayer is the bechinas of dveykus and bitul toward Ein Sof. For the essential perfection of prayer — to bring about rain through it — is only when one prays with mesirus nefesh [self-sacrifice] in the bechinas of hispashtus hagashmiyus, as the early Chassidim would pray with hispashtus hagashmiyus. And therefore they were always answered in their prayers and rains fell through their prayers immediately — as many such accounts are cited in tractate Ta'anis. And through this specifically the plants grow — for the essential growth is through the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof in ratzo vashov, which is the bechinas of prayer, as above. Section 2. And by this is resolved the difficulty of why the Torah wrote the rewards and recompenses of the commandments in terms of the falling of rain — as it is written: "If you walk in My statutes," etc., "and I will give your rains in their proper time," etc. And similarly many such passages. For the falling of rains — through which the earth gives its produce — indicates the completeness of their service at its ultimate level: that they have merited to attain the ultimate perfection through fulfilling the Torah and the commandments, until they have merited to become nullified within the light of Ein Sof. And through this they merit to draw down rains and to cause all the earth's vegetation to grow — for the essential growth is through this, as above. Section 3. And therefore when the first man sinned through the Tree of Knowledge, the earth was cursed on his account. For the essential purpose of the creation of man was for this end: that he merit to become nullified and included within the light of Ein Sof and His unity blessed be He — as it will be in the Future. And had he not eaten from the Tree of Knowledge, man would have merited this end in perfection even while alive in his body: to cleave and be included within the light of Ein Sof while still in his body, as it will be in the Future after the Resurrection. And he would have known that everything is entirely good, entirely one — as it will be in the Future, as above. And therefore Hashem blessed be He warned him: "and from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, do not eat from it," etc. For He warned him not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge through which one knows good and evil — meaning one knows the distinction between good and evil, that there is a distinction between good and bad events. And therefore He warned him not to eat this eating — for man was created to merit the complete knowledge in which there is no distinction between chesed and judgment, for all is good, all is one: attained through bitul toward Ein Sof, as above. And therefore since man damaged in this regard, the earth was cursed on his account, as it is written [Bereishis 3]: "In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread," etc. For now man requires great effort before he draws sustenance and livelihood — for now it is impossible to become nullified toward the light of Ein Sof in ratzo vashov to draw from there sustenance: which is the bechinas of the growth of grain and bread from the earth, whose growth is only through bitul toward Ein Sof as above. And now this is impossible except through great and immense effort — because of the contamination of the serpent that attached itself to man. And therefore man requires great effort to break all the desires and character-traits — and then he will merit to this bitul. And through that person who merits to this, specifically through him do all the plants grow and all livelihood is drawn to the world. Section 4. And this is the bechinas of the prohibition of kil'ayim — for each thing differs in its form and likeness, and all these forms are according to the letters which are the bechinas of Malchus clothed within that thing: which are the bechinas of the wills drawn from the will of Ein Sof that contains no form at all — for His will blessed be He was that this letter should have this shape, and through it this thing should be created in this form and this order. And so it is with all the details of Creation, as explained above in the Torah teaching mentioned. And all these wills and forms of all things in the world are drawn from the will of Ein Sof that contains no form at all, etc., as above. And it is impossible for things to be included in Ein Sof except through hispashtus hagashmiyus and bitul hayeshus [nullification of existence]. And then the wills clothed within the forms are included within the simple will of Ein Sof that contains no form — from which all the wills and all the forms are drawn. And therefore it is impossible for them to return and be included within Ein Sof except when one is careful not to change Hashem's will blessed be He — that each thing should stand in the shape and form that the Creator blessed be His Name fixed for it. And this is the bechinas of the prohibition of kil'ay zera'im [mixed seeds] and kil'ay hakerem [vineyard mixture] — for the sowing and the sprouting is the bechinas of bitul within the light of Ein Sof in ratzo vashov, as above. And this is impossible except when one does not change the forms from Hashem's will blessed be He clothed within all the wills that are within all the forms — for then all the wills within all the forms can return and go back to their root: to become nullified within the simple will from which their form and shape were drawn. But when one mixes the seeds, Heaven forbid, and sows kil'ayim, Heaven forbid — the forms become intermingled. And through this, the wills clothed within them are, as it were, uprooted from Hashem's will of Ein Sof, since the forms have been changed not according to their kind. And then they are unable to return and be included within Ein Sof or to draw from there the supernal will — and this is the corruption of Creation. For the essential purpose of Creation is that it should return and be included within Ein Sof, as above. And this is impossible except when one guards against mixing the forms — rather, each thing should stand in its form and shape. For then the particular will clothed within each individual form is connected to the will of Ein Sof that contains no form. And then one can strip the thing of its physicality so that it returns and is included within Ein Sof, as above. But when one mixes the seeds and sows kil'ayim and the forms are thereby intermingled — through this one uproots them from the simple will, and they are unable to return and be included within Ein Sof or to draw from there the supernal will. And this is the essential damage of all transgressions — and therefore it is impossible to be included within Ein Sof except through viduy devarim, as above. For the essential damage of a transgression, Heaven forbid, is that one damages the Malchus — the letters of speech, which are the wills and the forms — and changes them and uproots them from their root, drawing them to the Other Side, Heaven forbid. And therefore the essential repair is through viduy devarim — for through this one returns and elevates the utterances, the bechinas of Malchus, the bechinas of wills, to their root: through having returned and repaired the combinations of the letters — which are the wills — in their proper order, as explained in the Torah teaching mentioned. And this is the bechinas of the prohibition of kil'ayim: that one mixes and changes the forms and the wills — and through this uproots them from their root, so that they are unable to be included within the will of Ein Sof that contains no form at all, as above. Section 5. And therefore the Torah was stricter regarding the prohibition of kil'ay hakerem [vineyard mixture] — which is more stringent than all other kil'ay zera'im and ilan [tree mixtures]. For wine has two aspects: "If he merited — it becomes rosh [head/leading]. If he did not merit — it becomes rash [poor/destitute]. If he merited — it gladdens him. If he did not merit — it devastates him" [Yoma 76b]. For there is wine that gladdens and there is wine that intoxicates. When one merits to drink wine with holiness as is proper, the wine then elevates his mind and gladdens his heart — the bechinas of "and wine gladdens the heart of man" [Tehillim 104] — and then his mind is exalted and he merits to know that Hashem He is the God: which is the essential perfection of the mind. For as above: to know that Havayah and Elokim are entirely one, as above — this is the essential joy, the bechinas of "and wine gladdens the heart." For when one merits to this knowledge and knows that everything is for the good — certainly he is constantly in joy. And this is the bechinas of the Future joy — when then the joy will be great, as it is written [Tehillim 126]: "Then our mouths will be filled with laughter," etc. — meaning we shall be joyful, for then we will merit to this knowledge that all is good. And therefore that will be a world of joy. And this is the bechinas of the joy of wine — the bechinas of the wine that gladdens — the bechinas of "and wine gladdens." For through the wine of holiness one's mind is elevated until one merits to the knowledge mentioned above, which is beyond human intellect. And then one knows that all is for his good, for all is entirely good — through which joy increases greatly. And this is the bechinas of the preserved wine [yayin hashamur] that we will merit in the Future in the World to Come, when all will be entirely good, etc., as above. But there is wine that intoxicates, Heaven forbid — and one who does not merit: through the drinking of wine he entirely loses his mind. For this bechinas of bitul mentioned above is not attained by everyone — not everyone who wishes to take the Name may take it. And it is impossible to merit the bechinas of bitul mentioned above except when one first sanctifies oneself and breaks all the character-traits and desires drawn from the four elements, and returns in complete teshuvah and confesses by verbal confession before a Torah scholar — then specifically can one be included within Ein Sof. And even then it is impossible to become completely nullified — for Hashem blessed be He desires our service. Therefore the bitul must be in the bechinas of ratzo vashov, as above. But one who is still immersed in physical desires — certainly it is impossible for him to merit the bechinas of bitul. And even if there sometimes flickers in him [an impulse] and he wishes to rise and be included within Ein Sof more than is fitting for him according to his level — he can damage through this, Heaven forbid: which is the bechinas of "lest they break through to come up to Hashem." And even with great tzaddikim we find with the four who entered the Pardes — that only Rabbi Akiva entered in peace and emerged in peace. Therefore one must ask greatly of Hashem blessed be He to merit this bitul according to one's level — in holiness and purity — so that the abundance of light should not harm him, Heaven forbid. For the abundance of oil causes the lamp to be extinguished, Heaven forbid. All the more so through the drinking of wine — although one's mind is elevated through the wine — but when one does not merit, his mind becomes entirely confused and he falls into intoxication. For the bitul mentioned above toward Ein Sof is the bechinas of the mind being stripped and departing from the vessels of the brain-faculties and being included within Ein Sof — for certainly the vessels of the brain-faculties cannot receive the light of Ein Sof. And afterwards when he returns from the bitul, there remains within him only the reshimu [impression]. And then the reshimu illuminates the mind — to know that Hashem He is the God and all is entirely good, as above. Therefore the vessels of the brain-faculties must be holy and pure in order to be able to receive the light of the reshimu of the bitul. And this is the bechinas of wine — through which the mind is elevated beyond the vessels of the brain-faculties. And therefore the vessels of his brain-faculties must be strong enough to receive the expansion of the mind that comes through the wine — and then he can know through this a complete knowing: in the bechinas of chamra v'reichanei pachkin [Aramaic: wine and fragrances open the mind], in the bechinas of "and your palate is like the good wine, flowing to my Beloved in uprightness" [Shir haShirim 7] — meaning that he goes and cleaves to his Beloved in love and brotherhood and friendship, in the love of mishor [uprightness], in the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof — which is his Beloved and his Friend, as it is written [ibid. 5]: "This is my Beloved and this is my Friend." But when one does not merit and his brain-faculties vessels are not strong — then they are unable to receive the expansion of the mind that comes through the wine. And then the abundance of oil causes the lamp to be extinguished: his mind and brain become entirely confused. That is the bechinas of the wine that intoxicates — the bechinas of "he did not merit — it devastates him" — for he becomes utterly astounded from the abundance of the mind. And this is the bechinas of the sin of the first man who ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — which was wine — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "she pressed the grapes and gave it to him." And also Noach damaged in this, as is brought — as it is written: "And Noach, the man of the earth, began and planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine and became drunk," etc. And the essential damage of both of them was that they looked above their level — which is the bechinas of the wine that intoxicates, as is brought in the holy books. And this is the bechinas of the sin of Nadav and Avihu — as our Sages of blessed memory said: that they entered the Sanctuary while intoxicated with wine. And this is what is written: "When they approached before Hashem and they died." For it is all one: "when they approached before Hashem" — meaning they peeked and drew close more than was fitting, above their level. That was the essential damage of theirs — and this is itself the bechinas of those intoxicated with wine, as above. Section 6. And therefore one must guard the wine greatly from the touch of non-Jews — that it not be damaged, Heaven forbid, and not become, Heaven forbid, the bechinas of the wine that intoxicates. And therefore the Torah was stricter with the prohibition of kil'ay hakerem — for wine requires greater guarding against kil'ayim, so that the planting may be included in its root and the wine may be drawn from its root in holiness: which is the bechinas of the wine that gladdens — which is the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof, from which all the seeds and all the plantings grow when they are each according to their kind, as above. But when one mixes kil'ayim in the vineyard, Heaven forbid, the wine is damaged and becomes the wine that intoxicates — for it is unable to receive the light of Ein Sof, since the forms and the wills have been intermixed and changed through the mixing of the kil'ayim in the vineyard, as above. For wine requires greater guarding than all the seeds against kil'ayim — because wine is the bechinas of the expansion of the mind, which is the essential bechinas of bitul. And therefore it requires additional guarding, as above. Section 7. And therefore the essential drinking of wine is only on Shabbos and Yom Tov, over the cup of Kiddush. For on Shabbos and Yom Tov the light of Ein Sof shines more — for this is the essential holiness of Shabbos and Yom Tov: that the light of Ein Sof is opened then. And therefore through the wine one draws the holiness of Shabbos and Yom Tov through the cup of Kiddush — for through the cup of wine of Kiddush one merits to become nullified and included in the light of Ein Sof and to draw the holiness from there, as above. And this is the bechinas of the cup of wine of Havdalah — for when Shabbos or Yom Tov departs, one must then draw the reshimu of the bitul so that it illuminates the mind. For Shabbos and Yom Tov is the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof, which is opened then, as above. And after Shabbos and Yom Tov — this is the bechinas of returning from the bitul. And then through the cup of wine of Havdalah one draws the reshimu of the bitul so that it illuminates the mind — also during the six weekdays: that one merits to know also then that Hashem He is the God, that all is entirely good, as above. And therefore Kiddush and Havdalah are recited specifically over the wine, as above. Section 8. And this is the bechinas of: one who plants kil'ayim in a vineyard renders forty-five grapevines forbidden — specifically mah [45]: the bechinas of mah mentioned above — which is the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof. For through this one draws from mah to a hundred [me'ah], as explained there in the Torah teaching mentioned, regarding the saying of our Sages of blessed memory: "and it was filled from one orbit of the eye — three hundred jugs of oil" — see there. But when one plants kil'ayim in the vineyard, thereby damaging the bechinas of mah — the bechinas of bitul mentioned above — therefore he renders forty-five grapevines forbidden — specifically mah [45]. For this too is in the bechinas of mah, the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof, as above. Section 9. And this is the bechinas of prayer — which is the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof, as above in the Torah teaching mentioned. And therefore there are four aspects in prayer, corresponding to the four worlds Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah — as is known: namely, the Korbanos [sacrificial readings], Pesukay D'Zimrah [verses of praise], Birkas Krias Shma [blessings surrounding the Shma], and the Sh'moneh Esray prayer, etc., as is known. For first one must repair the four elements — which in their root are the bechinas of the four letters of the Name, which is the bechinas of the four worlds Atzilus, Beriah, Yetzirah, Asiyah mentioned above — for it is impossible to merit the bechinas of bitul mentioned above except when one repairs all the character-traits drawn from the four elements, which are the bechinas of the four worlds mentioned above, as is known. And therefore in prayer one must arrange the four aspects mentioned — namely Korbanos and Pesukay D'Zimrah, etc. — in order to clarify and repair the four elements, the bechinas of the four worlds mentioned above. And then one merits the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof — which is at the conclusion of the Sh'moneh Esray, corresponding to the world of Atzilus where the essential bitul toward Ein Sof is. And the essential bitul is after the Sha'liach Tzibbur [prayer leader] completes the Sh'moneh Esray — for then one falls upon one's face and commits one's soul to Hashem, which is the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof. And therefore viduy [confession] is recited before Nefilas Apayim [falling upon the face] — which is the bechinas of bitul. For it is impossible to merit the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof except through viduy devarim, as above in the Torah teaching mentioned. And this is the bechinas of the Kaddish recited between world and world — between Korbanos and Pesukay D'Zimrah, and likewise between Yishtabach and Yotzer [the blessing before Shma]. For we must repair all four worlds — which are the bechinas of the four elements — that they all become holy and pure, so that they all ascend and are included above, higher and higher, and are all nullified within the light of Ein Sof. And then we will know that Hashem He is the God, as above — which is the bechinas of the World to Come. And this is the bechinas of Kaddish — which is the magnification of His great Name blessed be He: the bechinas of Yisgadal v'Yiskadash Sh'may Rabbah [may His great Name be magnified and sanctified]. For the essential magnification of His Name blessed be He is the bechinas of Hashem-Elokim — which is the complete Name, the bechinas of the great Name — as it is written [Tehillim 104]: "Hashem my God — You are very great." Meaning: the Name Hashem-Elokim is very great. For this Name, when it is unified and included together — the bechinas of Hashem He is the God — this is the essential greatness and exaltedness of His blessed be He: the bechinas of the magnification of His Name blessed be He — as it will be in the Future when Hashem will be One and His Name will be One, as explained there in the Torah teaching mentioned. And therefore the essential intention of Kaddish is to unify and join three Names of Elokim with three Names of Havayah — that is, the bechinas mentioned above: the bechinas of Hashem He is the God. And therefore through Kaddish, one world becomes included within the world above it, etc. For the essential inclusion is in this bechinas — the bechinas of Hashem He is the God — the bechinas of all is entirely good: to know that all one's experiences are for his good. For all the ascending and inclusion from level to level and from world to world — all this is the bechinas of bitul. And then, according to the ascent and the inclusion, so too does one merit to know — that is, to expand one's mind continually and to understand that all is for his good: the bechinas of Hashem He is the God. And this is the bechinas of Kaddish between world and world — through which one ascends from world to world. For Kaddish — which is the magnification of His Name blessed be He, the bechinas of Hashem He is the God — this is the bechinas of bitul, which is the bechinas of ascent from world to world, as above. And through this all the worlds are purified and sanctified — until one merits afterwards to complete bitul toward Ein Sof, higher and higher. And then one merits to the greatest knowledge in perfection — and knows with complete knowing that all is for his good: which is the bechinas of Hashem He is the God. And this is the bechinas of what one concludes prayer with shalom [peace] — for shalom is the joining of two opposites: that is, chasadim [mercies] and gevuros [severities] — meaning to know that all is for his good. Which is the bechinas of the bitul merited at the conclusion of prayer, as above. And therefore there is no Kaddish between Geulah [the redemption blessing] and Tefillah [the Amidah] — that is, between Beriah and Atzilus. For in Atzilus there is the essential bitul — and there one is included within Ein Sof itself, as it were — which is beyond all knowledge, beyond all the holies. As is understood from the Torah teaching mentioned: that in the very moment of bitul one cannot say that all is for the good — for there one knows nothing of oneself at all, in the bechinas of "and no man knew": even he himself did not know. And therefore Kaddish is not applicable there — which is the expansion of the mind to emerge from mochin d'katnus [small mind] to mochin d'gadlus [large mind], to know that Hashem He is the God and all is for the good. For all this is needed in the lower worlds — where the illumination from the bechinas of Ein Sof must be drawn upon them so they may know that all is for the good. But there in Atzilus — when one merits to bitul itself — there: how could the drawing down of holiness and mind be applicable? For one is entirely nullified, in the bechinas of: even he himself did not know, as above. Section 10. And after Nefilas Apayim — after the bitul — one returns in the bechinas of ratzo vashov. And then the reshimu of the bitul illuminates the mind: to know that Hashem He is the God. And then one knows in perfection that all is for the good. And then all the bounties are drawn — for the essential drawing of abundance is through this knowledge: the bechinas of all is entirely good, the bechinas of "if one has acquired knowledge, what does he lack?" And therefore one recites afterwards the order of Kedushah and Tefillah L'David [prayer of David], etc. — for all this is the bechinas of drawing the abundance from the knowledge mentioned above. And therefore a drunkard is forbidden to pray — for before prayer the worlds have not yet been repaired, and then the wine is the bechinas of the wine that intoxicates, as above. And therefore when one has drunk wine, he cannot become nullified within the light of Ein Sof in holiness and purity as is fitting. And therefore he is forbidden to pray — for one who is not holy and pure and wishes to break through and ascend to Hashem above his level has thereby damaged greatly, as above. And therefore when one is drunk, he is forbidden to pray, for prayer is the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof — his mind would become entirely confused and he could not become nullified in ratzo vashov in a gradual, holy, and pure manner, as above. Section 11. And this is the bechinas of the cup of Birchas HaMazon [Grace after Meals] after the eating — for the eating is from the growths of the earth: specifically bread from the earth, upon which one is obligated in Birchas HaMazon. And the essential growth of plants from the earth is in the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof, as above. And therefore through the eating one merits to become nullified within the supernal will — that is, the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof: which is the illumination of the will that one merits in the time of holy eating — as explained in the teaching Merachamam Y'nahalem, etc. [Likutay Moharan II, Siman 7]: which is the bechinas of "the tzaddik eats to the satisfaction of his soul" — the bechinas of "and He shall satisfy your soul with tzachtzachos [radiant lights]": that in the time of holy eating one merits to the lights of tzachtzachos, as explained in the teaching Tik'u, etc. [Likutay Moharan II, Siman 5] — which are beyond the Sefiros: the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof. And therefore then, after the eating, the wine is in the bechinas of the wine that gladdens — the bechinas of "and wine gladdens the heart of man, and bread sustains the heart of man." And therefore wine during a meal does not intoxicate, as our Sages of blessed memory said — and this is as above. And this is the bechinas of the cup of wine of Birchas HaMazon — for Birchas HaMazon is recited upon satiation. And then there is power to draw the wine of holiness — the bechinas of the wine that gladdens — which is the bechinas of the illumination of the will mentioned above: the bechinas of bitul toward Ein Sof in great holiness, as above.

And this is the aspect of vayehi bimei shfot hashoftim vayehi ra’av ba’aretz vayelech ish miveis lechem Yehudah [and it was in the days when the judges judged, and there was a famine in the land, and a man went from Beis Lechem Yehudah] etc. And then Machlon and Kilyon blemished and died without children. For the blemish was at the time when there was famine in the land precisely — for then they did not merit the illumination of will that is drawn at the time of eating, as mentioned. And therefore the illumination of son and student was then blemished — which is the aspect of the blemish of Machlon and Kilyon who died without children, as mentioned.