הקדמה

And this is the aspect of what Rabeinu, may his light shine, wrote regarding the verse "I have gone astray like a lost sheep" (Tehillim 119:176), etc., in Siman 206 — that when a person is bewildered and has gone very, very far astray on corrupt paths, chas v'shalom, sometimes he strays so far that he is actually very close to holiness, and through a simple trial he could return to Him, blessed be He. But because he has been distant from Him, blessed be He, for so long, he does not hear the voice of the proclamation; see there. But when there is a great sage as mentioned above, who knows and grasps the aforementioned daas and can discern the moment, he can draw them close specifically then, when they reach the ultimate descent, as mentioned above. For then they are very close to Him, blessed be He; only they do not hear the voice of the proclamation. But through the daas of the aforementioned sage, he reveals the concealment as mentioned above, and then they hear the voice of the proclamation, in the aspect of "the Torah proclaims before them," as mentioned above. 8

Study the Torah-teaching "Chadi Rabbi Shimon" [Rabbi Shimon rejoiced] from its beginning to its end; study it there well (Likutay Moharan, Torah 61). The general principle [is] that everything is bound together, and kula chad [it is all one] — meaning, all of the bechinos [aspects] spoken of there are all one, for they are all within a single bechina. That is: through the completeness of emunas chachamim [faith in the Sages], through this comes proper semicha [rabbinical ordination], through this comes ksav Yisra'el [the script of Israel] in its rectified state, through this the aspect of Eretz Yisra'el is made, and through this great neshamos [souls] are born.

And he [Rabbeinu] concludes there that through the completeness of the aforementioned emunah [faith], through which the aspect of a multitude of sefarim [books] is made — through this, all of the dinim [judgments/harsh decrees] are sweetened, through the Torah SheBichsav [Written Torah] being completed by the Torah SheBa'al Peh [Oral Torah], and [the Oral Torah] receiving from Chochmah Ila'ah [Supernal Wisdom] the seichel hakolel [all-encompassing intellect], [which is] Kodesh Kodashim [the Holy of Holies]. And through this, all of the tzimtzumim [constrictions] and dinim are sweetened — both to sweeten each individual tzimtzum and din through the specific intellect that pertains to it, to which one must draw down [influence] from Chochmah Ila'ah in order that it have the power to sweeten; and also to sweeten, through Chochmah Ila'ah, all the tzimtzumim and dinim from whatever aspect of intellect they may be.

And when the Torah has completeness, they are all sweetened, collectively and individually, through the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah as mentioned above. Through this, the aspect of simcha [joy] is made — through the klaliyus [inclusiveness], that they are all included within the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, the Even Sh'siyah [Foundation Stone], Chochmah Ila'ah as mentioned above; study all of this there well.

And behold, it is all one aspect, for this hamtakah [sweetening] is in the aspect of ksav [writing], the aspect of semicha as mentioned above. For the sweetening [comes] through the tzimtzumim receiving from Chochmah Ila'ah. And this is the aspect of ksav, for the oaseyos [letters] of the writing are the aspect of the tzimtzumim, for every oas [letter] is a constriction, and every single oas has a specific intellect clothed within that form and constriction, as brought there in the aforementioned discourse.

And all of these tzimtzumim and intellects — which are the oaseyos, which are the aspect of Chochmah Tasa'ah [Lower Wisdom], Malchus [Kingship] — need to receive from the Upper Intellect, the seichel hakolel, which is the moach [brain/mind], which is the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah. And when one writes the aspect of ksav Yisra'el in its completeness, then he draws the Upper Intellect into the oaseyos that he writes, and Chochmah Ila'ah that is in the moach becomes joined with Chochmah Tasa'ah that is in the oaseyos, which are tzimtzumim. And through this, all the dinim that are held within them are sweetened, through their receiving from the Chochmah Ila'ah as mentioned above.

And therefore the ksav receives its power from the semicha, for the semicha which the rav [master/teacher] grants to the talmid [student] is also in this same aspect. For rav and talmid are the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah and Chochmah Tasa'ah, Upper Intellect and Lower Intellect, as brought in the beginning of the discourse "Meshra D'Sachina" (Likutay Moharan, Torah 30). And therefore, through the semicha by which the student receives wisdom from the master — that is, the aspect of Chochmah Tasa'ah [receiving] from Chochmah Ila'ah — through this, the writing receives its power, for it too is in this same aspect as mentioned above.

And therefore, through this, the aspect of Eretz Yisra'el is made, as explained there — see there — meaning that the impure air of chutz la'aretz [outside the Land of Israel] is driven out and sweetened, and the aspect of the holiness of Eretz Yisra'el is drawn down. And all of this is through the ksav and the semicha, as explained there. For through this, a sweetening is made — that all the dinim that are held in the tzimtzumim of the oaseyos are sweetened, as mentioned above. And through this, the aspect of the Aretz [Land] is sweetened, which is the aspect of Malchus, as is known. And all the evil is sweetened and clarified from there, until the air of chutz la'aretz is clarified and becomes the aspect of Eretz Yisra'el, through the sweetening of the ksav as mentioned above.

And the ultimate purpose of all the sweetenings is that holy neshamos be born, for holadah [procreation/birth] is the essence of the sweetening, as is known. And all of this is accomplished through emunas chachamim, for emunah is the aspect of Malchus, Chochmah Tasa'ah. And when emunas chachamim is in its completeness, then Chochmah Tasa'ah, [which is] emunah, receives from Chochmah Ila'ah, through one's believing in the Sages. And therefore, through this, the aspect of proper semicha is made, and the aspect of ksav, and the aspect of Eretz Yisra'el. And through all of this, all the dinim are sweetened — through the tzimtzumim, which are in the aspect of Chochmah Tasa'ah, Malchus, the aspect of oaseyos as mentioned above, receiving from the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah as mentioned above.

And this is the aspect of holadah — that great neshamos are born, which is from the aspect of hamtakah as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of nisu'in [marriage], for marriage is [the] sweetening [that comes] through Chochmah Tasa'ah receiving from the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah, as is known. And therefore, the essential mitzvah is to procreate, for that is the essential sweetening as mentioned above.

And this is the aspect of kiddushin [betrothal], the aspect of kodesh [holy], which is the aspect of intellect through which the sweetening [is achieved], as written there in the aforementioned discourse. And this is the aspect of kiddushin through writing — that is, a shtar [legal document] — for the aspect of ksav is the aspect of her completeness, for she is Chochmah Tasa'ah, which becomes complete and sweetened through the aspect of ksav as mentioned above. And therefore, even if he does not betroth her through a shtar, he gives her the kesubah [marriage contract] document, for she receives from him through the aspect of ksav as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of a get krisus [bill of severance/divorce], which is specifically through ksav — for "a document severs her, and nothing else severs her". For after she has been joined and bound to him, and they have become one, it is impossible to separate her and sever her from him except from its root. That is, he must separate and sever her illumination from him at its root, and draw down to her this illumination of the aspect of severance from its root, and through this she becomes separated from him. And this is impossible except through ksav. And this is the aspect of the get krisus — meaning that he returns and draws down her illumination from Chochmah Ila'ah to Chochmah Tasa'ah, through the aspect of a ksav of severance, and through this she is severed from him at its root. And therefore she is forbidden to marry a Kohen, for the Kohen is the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah, as is known — the aspect of keitz [the end/culmination], the aspect of the supernal sweetening that is accomplished through the seichel hakolel, Chochmah Ila'ah itself. For there are two types of sweetenings as mentioned above. That is, there is a sweetening in particular — that the constriction and judgment are sweetened through the specific intellect that pertains to it. And this is the aspect of Levi and Yisra'el, which are the aspect of specific intellects, for Levi and Yisra'el are below the all-encompassing Upper Intellect, as is known. And therefore they are in the aspect of specific intellects. But the Kohen is the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah as mentioned above, which is the aspect of the supernal sweetening through the seichel hakolel. And this sweetening is impossible except through the aspect of klaliyus [inclusiveness/unity], as understood there in the aforementioned discourse — that all the souls, which are the tzimtzumim and the intellects, need to be included together in complete inclusiveness within the aspect of the Even Sh'siyah, the aforementioned seichel hakolel. And then one can sweeten the aspect of this sweetening through the seichel hakolel itself. And this is the aspect of "Love your fellow as yourself" (Vayikra 19:18); Rabbi Akiva said: "This is a great principle of the Torah" (Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4). For the entire Torah is dependent upon this, since the essential completeness of the Torah is [that it] be able to receive from Chochmah Ila'ah, as explained there — for from there the Torah goes out. And this is impossible except through love and inclusiveness as mentioned above. And Oraisah v'Yisra'el kula chad — the Torah and Israel are all one — for the souls of Israel are themselves the oaseyos of the Torah. And therefore, when there is love among Israel, which is the aspect of inclusiveness — that they are included within one another — then they are all included within the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah, and then there is completeness to the Torah as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of great inclusiveness — that they are included and unified with one another, and then they receive from Chochmah Ila'ah, upon which the entire Torah depends, as mentioned above. And therefore, Aharon the Kohen, the man of chesed [lovingkindness], the aspect of the seichel hakolel, Chochmah Ila'ah as mentioned above — he was "a lover of peace and pursuer of peace" (Avos 1:12), in order to create love and inclusiveness among the souls of Israel, so that through this he could sweeten the aspect of the supernal sweetening of the seichel hakolel, which is the aspect of Kohen as mentioned above. And therefore the Torah was primarily given over to the Kohanim, as it is written: "They shall teach Your ordinances to Yaakov" (Devarim 33:10), and as it is written: "And he gave it to the Kohanim" (Devarim 31:9), etc. — for they are the aspect of the seichel hakolel, upon which the Torah primarily depends as mentioned above. And therefore a divorcee is forbidden to a Kohen, for she is in the aspect of hatred, as it is written: "And he hated her, and he wrote her a bill of severance" (Devarim 24:3). And through this she was severed and separated from her husband, who is the aspect of intellect as mentioned above. And therefore she cannot marry a Kohen, for she cannot be included in the aspect of inclusiveness to receive the sweetening from the aspect of the seichel hakolel, the aspect of Kohen, since she already has severance and separation from one of Israel, who is the aspect of intellect as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of a Kohen being forbidden [to marry] a convert and a freed maidservant. For Kohen, Levi, and Yisra'el — up to here is the boundary of holiness, up to here is the compassion of the father upon the son, as mentioned in the words of Rabbeinu, may his light shine (Likutay Moharan, Torah 64), on the verse "And in order that you shall relate in the ears of your son and your son's son" (Shemos 10:2) — up to here is the compassion of the father upon the son. That is, the aspect of compassion, which is the aspect of intellect, extends as far as the son's son, which is the aspect of Yisra'el, who are the boundary of holiness. For Kohen, Levi, and Yisra'el are the aspect of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. For the Kohen is the aspect of Avraham, the man of chesed, as it is written: "You are a Kohen forever" (Tehillim 110:4). And Levi is the aspect of Yitzchak, from whom dinim are aroused, as is known. And Yisra'el is the aspect of Yaakov Yisra'el, who is the son's son of the beginning of holiness, which is Avraham. And up to there the compassion extends, which is the boundary of holiness, for the compassion is the aspect of intellect, the aspect of kodesh, as written there. And every single member of Israel has a root and an actual portion in holiness. And therefore they are all included in one another, and kula chad [it is all one]. And therefore Kohanim, Levi'im, and Yisra'elim are permitted to intermarry with one another, for every single member of Israel has a portion in holiness and they can be included to receive the sweetening from the seichel hakolel itself, without any enclothing. For up to the terminus of holiness, the seichel hakolel itself is clothed without any other enclothing, in the aspect of "You made them all with Wisdom" (Tehillim 104:24). And therefore they are permitted to intermarry with one another. And even a daughter of a Yisra'el can marry a Kohen and can receive the sweetening from him, from the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, the seichel hakolel as mentioned above. And therefore the offspring that is born — which is the aspect of the sweetening as mentioned above — follows the male, and he is also a Kohen. For the sweetening is made in the aspect of the supernal sweetening itself, the aspect of the seichel hakolel, the aspect of Kohen as mentioned above. For wherever there are kiddushin and there is no transgression, the offspring follows the male. For when the kiddushin are according to the Torah, then a sweetening is made through this as mentioned above, and then she is sweetened and transformed to chesed and intellect like him. And the essence of the sweetening is the offspring as mentioned above, and therefore the offspring follows him, for from him comes the sweetening as mentioned above. And when she marries a Kohen, then the sweetening is in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, the seichel hakolel, and therefore the offspring is also a Kohen as mentioned above. And therefore the geirim [converts] and freed [maidservants], who are from the seed of the nations of the world — who are behind the [boundary of] holiness, and there the holiness and the Chochmah is clothed within another enclothing, as is known — and even when they convert, they come under the wings of the Shechinah specifically. And therefore they cannot receive in themselves the sweetening from the seichel hakolel itself, and therefore they cannot marry a Kohen as mentioned above. And they can only join with Levi and Yisra'el, who are the aspect of specific intellects, which are clothed even in the lower worlds, as is known. And they can only receive the sweetening from them. But as soon as they join with Israel and intermingle with them, then afterward they can be included and receive even from the Upper Intellect, the aspect of Kohen. For as soon as they come within Israel and have a hold and a portion among them through one side [being] from Israel, then they can ascend and receive from the Upper Intellect as well, through having become clothed and rooted in Israel. And therefore, with converts, when there is one side from Israel, the offspring is a [full] Israelite for all matters. And this is the aspect of zonah and challalah: she is the aspect of the wicked kingdom, which is called "a harlot woman and a challalah". And even when she returns to holiness and wishes to marry an Israelite permissibly, she can only receive the sweetening from the aspect of the specific intellects, which are Levi and Yisra'el — but not from the seichel hakolel, which is the aspect of Kohen as mentioned above. For she was made into the aspect of the Sitra Achara [the Other Side], and even when she returns and is transformed to holiness, she comes under the Shechinah and cannot receive in herself from above, as mentioned above. For the woman is the aspect of the last level of holiness, and is very close to them [the klipos]. And as soon as she blemishes with the all-encompassing blemish — that is, znus [harlotry] — she leaves the realm of holiness entirely, for she descends from her level, from holiness, and then she immediately comes among them [the klipos]. And therefore she is called a zonah, which Onkelos translates as nafkas bara [she who goes outside], and as Rashi explained — for she goes out to the outside entirely, as mentioned above. And therefore the woman becomes a challalah [desecrated] through znus, but the man does not become a challal, for he does not leave holiness entirely like the woman, since she is close to them as mentioned above. And this is also the aspect of a gerusha [divorcee], whom Scripture equates to a zonah and challalah and forbids her to a Kohen. For since she descends and is divorced from one of Israel, she then descends among them [the klipos], and they seize hold of her. For also, any woman who has no husband — they seize hold of her, as is known. However, she is still not as blemished as the divorcee, since she has not been distanced and does not have hatred and severance from one of Israel, and she is still included among them all. But the divorcee, who has upon her hatred and severance from one of Israel completely — therefore she is close to them [the klipos] even more, to the point that Scripture equates her to a zonah, etc., in several places. And therefore she is forbidden to a Kohen, as mentioned above. And therefore the Second Temple was only destroyed through baseless hatred, as our Sages, of blessed memory, stated. For through this they were not included [in one another], and they could not receive the sweetening from Chochmah Ila'ah, the aspect of the Even Sh'siyah, Kodesh Kodashim. And therefore, through this, the Beis HaMikdash [Holy Temple] was destroyed — which is the aforementioned Even Sh'siyah. And the essence of this sweetening will be at the coming of Mashiach, speedily in our days, in the aspect of (Tehillim 18:51): "And He does kindness to His anointed." For then the sweetening will be in the aspect of the seichel hakolel, which will be revealed then, for "the earth will be full of the knowledge of Hashem, as the waters cover the sea" (Yeshayahu 11:9). For then there will be love and inclusiveness among Israel, for they will be one kingdom and will no longer be divided into two kingdoms. And as it is written: "Efrayim shall not envy Yehudah" (Yeshayahu 11:13), etc. — for there will be love and inclusiveness and unity among them. And then our Holy Temple will be built, and the Ark with the Luchos [Tablets] will return upon the Even Sh'siyah. And then it will be in the aspect of the Luchos of Stone, as explained there — see there. And then the Kohanim will return to their service, etc. And the supernal sweetening will be drawn from the aspect of the seichel hakolel, exceedingly exalted, speedily in our days, Amen. And therefore converts are not accepted in the days of Mashiach, for they will have no place and no hold to enter among Israel, since [Israel] will all be included [in one another] and will all receive from the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah that will be revealed then, as mentioned above. And the convert cannot enter there to receive immediately from the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim as mentioned above, and therefore they will not be able to enter at all into the holiness of Israel. And this is what is written: "Whoever sojourns with you shall fall to you" (Yeshayahu 54:15), which Rashi explains as referring to the converts of this time — that they shall fall within the borders of Israel. And this is [the meaning of] "with you" specifically — that is, as long as you yourself are alone, meaning in this world where Israel is scattered and dispersed and not included together, then it is fitting to accept converts, for they can enter to receive from the aspect of the specific intellects, as mentioned above. But in the future, when [Israel] will be included together and the aspect of the seichel hakolel will be revealed, then converts are not accepted, as mentioned above. And this is itself the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Whoever sojourns with you" — in your poverty, etc. But in the future, when there will be greatness for Israel, converts are not accepted. That is, now, when they are in their poverty and distress, because they cannot yet reveal the aforementioned Upper Intellect, therefore converts are accepted as mentioned above. But in the days of Mashiach, when all the greatness and good will be for Israel — for then the sweetening of the Upper Intellect will be revealed — therefore converts are not accepted then, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of emitting seed in vain, which is the greatest sin in the Torah. And about it, it is said: "Your hands are full of blood" (Yeshayahu 1:15) — which is the aspect of the blemish of the hands, the aspect of the blemish of ksav Yisra'el. For the hands need to receive the aspect of Chochmah from the Supernal Wisdom through the semicha, to draw it into the oaseyos of the writing, which are the aspect of the last level of the Chochmah. And from there, illumination and sweetening are drawn to the aspect of aretz [land], in the aspect of Eretz Yisra'el, through which great neshamos are born — and all of this is the aspect of marriage and conjugal union as mentioned above. And therefore, when one emits the drops of the mind in vain, G-d forbid, it is a blemish in the ksav, a blemish of the hands. And therefore it is said about him "your hands" etc. For the essential blemish of this great sin is in the aspect of emunas chachamim. For this sin is extremely severe, may the Merciful One save us, for it is a blemish in the Supernal Thought, in the aspect of the Chochmah that is in the mind. And consequently, the aspect of emunah, Chochmah Tasa'ah, which receives from Chochmah Ila'ah, is blemished — for she [emunah] clothes the Chochmah Ila'ah. For the Supernal Chochmah extends to the boundary of holiness, which is the aspect of Malchus, emunah, without any other garment. Rather, as it were, the Chochmah itself is clothed there. And there, at the boundary of holiness, the Chochmah Ila'ah clothes itself in the aspect of Chochmah Tasa'ah, Malchus, emunah, and there the Chochmah terminates. For it does not descend below the boundary of holiness, and all the lower worlds — where the Sitra Achara has a hold — receive only through garments, as explained in the writings of the Arizal. And therefore this sin is exceedingly severe, may the Merciful One save us, for one draws down the aspect of the Chochmah itself — that is, the drops of the mind — downward, without any garment. And it is as though one gives them, G-d forbid, sustenance and a hold in the Chochmah itself. And therefore this is the greatest sin in the Torah. For all other transgressions only cause the Sitra Achara to seize and draw sustenance from holiness through the aspect of garments. But through this sin, G-d forbid, it is as though afshit Shechinah malbushaha — one strips the Shechinah of her garments, G-d forbid. For the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah that descends below to clothe itself in Chochmah Tasa'ah — he strips it of its garment, and they draw sustenance, G-d forbid, from the Chochmah itself. And therefore he blemishes the Thought itself. And this is what is written: "Adam the first man sinned in thought" — and this refers to this sin, for he blemished in this, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. For although all sins blemish in thought — since it is impossible to do anything without thought — but here, one blemishes the Thought itself, which is drawn down to them, G-d forbid, without a garment. And this is the aspect of the sin of the Generation of the Flood who corrupted their ways, about whom it is said: "They went naked, without a garment" (Iyov 24:10), as mentioned above. And through this, consequently, emunah is blemished — through having nullified its vitality and distanced the Chochmah from it, for from there [Chochmah] comes its vitality, as mentioned above. And therefore the blemish is in the aspect of emunas chachamim, for the essential completeness of emunah is the aspect of emunas chachamim — that is, that emunah is clothed [in] and receives vitality from Chochmah, as mentioned above. And he blemished this as mentioned above. And therefore, through this, we were exiled from our land, as is brought in the holy books. For the blemish is in the aspect of Eretz Yisra'el, which is blemished through the blemish of the hands — which is the aspect of the blemish of this sin, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash "on account of the hand that was sent forth", etc. For the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash is the aspect of bitza emraso [He carried out His word] (Eicha 2:17), baza purpira dileih [He tore His royal garment], the aspect of d'afshit malbushaha [stripping of its garments] through this, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of what is written there — that through this, the secret of ibur [gestation/reincarnation] was taken from us, for one cannot beget great neshamos — see there. For through this sin, G-d forbid, one likewise cannot beget great neshamos, for they are oppressed there, for the souls that are oppressed through this are very great neshamos, as is known. And through this, one has no complete counsel, for he is judged with mosoros [surplus/excesses], measure for measure. Through having stripped the garments of the mind and drawn the drops of the mind downward without garments — through this, the mosoros, which are the Sitra Achara, ascend and clothe and surround his mind, measure for measure. And through this he has no complete counsel, for the counsel is blemished — which is the aspect of the drops of the mind, in the aspect of "the kidneys advise" (Berachos 61a), for they are the organs of procreation that refine the drop, as explained elsewhere in the words of Rabbeinu, may his light shine. And therefore his counsel is in the aspect of the counsel of women, whose counsel is not complete, for they [women] are close to the Sitra Achara, as is known. And therefore [the klipos] seize hold of them and confuse their counsel. But the man is not so close to them, and therefore his mind and counsel are not clothed in them, and they do not seize hold of him. Rather, his counsel is clothed in the aspect of emunah, within the boundary of holiness, in the aspect of "counsels from afar, emunah omen" (Yeshayahu 25:1) — that the counsels that are drawn from afar, which is the aspect of Chochmah, as is known, are clothed within emunah as mentioned above. But when he blemishes and does not clothe his counsel — which is the aspect of the drops of the mind — in the aspect of emunah, but rather draws them downward, to the outside, G-d forbid — through this, they [the klipos] clothe them, G-d forbid, and his counsel becomes the aspect of the counsel of women, as mentioned above. And its rectification is through the aspect of purifying waters, the aspect of "And I will sprinkle upon you purifying waters" (Yechezkel 36:25), etc. — which is the aspect of the mikveh elyonah [supernal mikveh], Chesed Elyon [Supernal Lovingkindness] and great Da'as [Knowledge]. For through this, abundant shefa [spiritual influx] is drawn down to rectify this blemish, since the essential rectification of this sin is through the Da'as Elyon [Supernal Knowledge], for the blemish reached up to there, as mentioned above. And so it is brought in the discourse "U'v'Yom HaBikurim" (Likutay Moharan, Torah 56) — that the purifying waters mentioned in the verse "And I will sprinkle" cited above are the aspect of the supernal mikveh of great Da'as and Chesed Elyon, the aspect of the mikveh of Shavuos, which is the receiving of the Torah. And this is in the aspect of man [manna] and the aspect of matzah — which is the cake that they brought out of Egypt, etc. — which is the aspect of machlokes l'shem Shamayim [dispute for the sake of Heaven], etc.; see there. It emerges that the aspect of the supernal mikveh is made through machlokes [dispute] that is in holiness, specifically — which is the aspect of matzah as mentioned above. And the mikveh rectifies this matter, for the essential [function of] immersion is for ba'alay keri [those who have had a seminal emission], most especially, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Ezra instituted immersion for ba'alay keri" (Bava Kama 82a), specifically. It emerges that the mikveh is the rectification of this matter. And this is the aspect of the purifying waters spoken of here — which are the aspect of May Merivah [the Waters of Strife] that come from dispute — meaning, the aspect of the supernal mikveh that is made from the aspect of machlokes in holiness, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the mikveh of the receiving of the Torah, for its essence is through the completeness of the Torah — that the Written Torah is completed through the Oral Torah, through the dispute, as explained there. For this matter is rectified through machlokes in holiness, specifically — which is the aspect of tikkun habris [rectification of the covenant], d'afrish bein mayin ila'in l'sata'in [that separates between the upper waters and the lower waters], the aspect of the dispute between Shammai and Hillel, as brought in the Holy Zohar. And through the rectification of this machlokes in holiness, the machlokes of the Sitra Achara is rectified and sweetened — which is the aspect of the overpowering of the impure waters over the pure waters, the aspect of the blemish of the Eitz HaDa'as Tov V'Ra [the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]. This is the aspect of the blemish of this sin, where good and evil become intermingled, and the machlokes of the Sitra Achara overpowers, G-d forbid. For in this, Adam the first man blemished through the Tree of Knowledge, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Sanhedrin 38b): "Adam the first man was drawn in his foreskin". And therefore it is said of him: "And they knew that they were naked" (Beraishis 3:7). For this is the essential blemish of this sin — that one becomes, as it were, naked without a garment, as mentioned above. And through this machlokes of the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the impure waters overpower, in the aspect of "and the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth" (Beraishis 7:19) — which are the waters of the Flood that came on account of this sin, as mentioned above. They overpower, G-d forbid, until "all the high mountains were covered" — ascending, G-d forbid, to the Mochin [the brains/minds], which are the aspect of high mountains, and they cover and surround them, in the aspect of "the wicked encircles the righteous" (Chavakuk 1:4), in the aspect of the mosoros [surplus], which is the Sitra Achara that ascends to the mind, as mentioned above. This is the aspect of a crooked judgment, where the judgment is not clear, for one cannot clarify the judgment and the law due to the overpowering of the machlokes of the Sitra Achara that seizes the Da'as, as mentioned above. This is the aspect of counsel that is not complete, which is split in two — this way and that — and one cannot incline it to one side. For it is the aspect of the machlokes of the Sitra Achara that does not submit, and is always split and divided, for it does not desire resolution, as is known. And therefore its rectification is through machlokes in holiness, for "judgment is not sweetened except at its root." And therefore, through machlokes in holiness, the aspect of May Merivah, the machlokes of the Sitra Achara is sweetened — which is the aspect of impure waters, mosoros. And therefore the May Merivah purify the mosoros; see there well. And this is also the aspect of what Rabbeinu, may his light shine, said in the discourse "BaChatzotzros" (Likutay Moharan, Torah 5), and these are his words: "And believe that all the disputes and quarrels that exist among the complete, true tzadikim are only for your sake" — in the aspect of "An ear that hears the reproof of life shall abide among the wise" (Mishlei 15:31). [The word] "shall abide" [תָלִין] is an expression of complaint and strife — that when one hears the complaints and disputes that are among the wise, one must believe that it is for his sake, in the aspect of "reproof of life" — to rebuke him for having blemished the drops of his mind, about which it is said: "And they shall not discern the paths of life" (Mishlei 5:6), etc.; see there. And it emerges from there that specifically the machlokes in holiness among the tzadikim is for the purpose of rebuke and rectification for the blemish of the drops of the mind, in the aspect of "reproof of life." It emerges that machlokes in holiness is the rectification of this sin, in the aspect of May Merivah, as mentioned above. And through this, a multitude of sefarim [books] are made, in the aspect of "of making many books there is no end [keitz]" (Koheles 12:12). And through this, the aspect of "the end [keitz] of all flesh has come before Me" (Beraishis 6:13) is rectified and sweetened — which was said regarding the blemish of the sin of the Generation of the Flood who sinned in this [manner], as mentioned above. And therefore it is sweetened through the aspect of "making many books, there is no keitz" — for from the multitude of books that are made from chiddushay Torah [Torah novellae], from them are made gufin [bodies] for those neshamos of the drops that walk naked, as is brought elsewhere — that from Torah novellae, the aspect of bodies are made for them, as implied in the discourse "Vayehi Mikeitz" (Likutay Moharan, Torah 54). And this is the aspect of chalukah d'rabbanan [the rabbinical garment], the aspect of the Oral Torah, which is the multitude of books. For through the chiddushay Torah that one innovates — through thinking and contemplating words of Torah — through this, one rectifies the blemish of thought, [in] that he thought evil thoughts until he came to this sin. And therefore one must have emunah in the chiddushim [novellas] that he innovates, as written there — in order to connect emunah with Chochmah, in the aspect of emunas chachamim, to rectify what was blemished, as mentioned above. And through this, the supernal sweetening is made, in the aspect of Chochmah Ila'ah — through which this sin is rectified. For the essential rectification of this sin is specifically through Chochmah Ila'ah, since the blemish reached up to there, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of what is brought in the Holy Zohar — that it is impossible to rectify this sin through teshuvah [repentance]: v'chulhu chata'in b'siuvta talyahn, bar me'hai [all other sins are dependent on repentance, except for this one]. For all the others only blemish up to the aspect of teshuvah, which is the aspect of Binah [Understanding], Ima Ila'ah [the Supernal Mother]. For the blemish [of other sins] is only in the lower worlds, which are within the shisha ketzavos [six extremities], where [the klipos] have their hold, and there [the Divine light] is only clothed from the aspect of Binah and below, in the aspect of Ima m'kanenes b'kursa'ya [the Mother nests in the Throne]. Therefore, for all other sins, teshuvah suffices, for the blemish only reached there. But this sin is not dependent on teshuvah, for it blemishes higher than there, and it damages the Thought, as it were, in the aspect of the Chochmah itself, as mentioned above. Therefore, teshuvah does not suffice for it. Rather, its rectification is through the Torah, and primarily through emunas chachamim, which is the aspect of the Oral Torah that is joined with the Written Torah and receives from Chochmah. And then rectification is accomplished in the very place where the blemish occurred, as mentioned above. For the Torah ascends higher than teshuvah, as is brought in the holy books — that Torah is a far greater rectification than all the rectifications of teshuvah. And this is [the meaning of] what we pray: "Bring us back, our Father, to Your Torah… and bring us back in complete teshuvah" (Amidah), etc. We pray that our teshuvah should be through the Torah, for then all manner of sins in the world would be rectified, and even the blemish of the mind through this sin, as mentioned above. And the essence of this supernal sweetening will be accomplished through Mashiach, as mentioned above. For the essential [cause of the] exile is on account of this matter, and through this we are scattered and dispersed among the nations. And Mashiach will come to gather the dispersed. And this is the aspect of: "And the dispersed of Yehudah He shall gather"… "and the envy of Efrayim shall depart, and [the hostility toward] Yehudah" (Yeshayahu 11:12–13), etc. — meaning that the envy and hatred shall be removed, and there shall be love and inclusiveness, which is the aspect of the supernal sweetening, whose essence is through love and inclusiveness, as mentioned above. And through this, "the dispersed of Yehudah He shall gather" — through this sweetening, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of: "And a redeemer shall come to Tzion, and to those who return from transgression in Yaakov" (Yeshayahu 59:20) — [the words] "Go'el Ul'shavay Fesha" — whose initial letters [גוף] spell guf [body], which is the aspect of the rectification of this sin, as brought in the kavanos [mystical intentions]. And then the righteous redeemer shall come to Tzion and sweeten the aforementioned supernal sweetening through the Torah, in the aspect of: "And as for Me, this is My covenant [bris] with them"… "shall not depart from your mouth" (Yeshayahu 59:21), etc. — that through the Torah, the redeemer shall come to Tzion, through the supernal sweetening as mentioned above. For from the very beginning, the birth of Mashiach was [meant] to rectify this sin. For the beginning of the revelation of Mashiach was from Yehudah, who fathered Peretz and Zerach from Tamar, and they were a rectification for the sin of Er and Onan who corrupted their ways, as is known. And therefore Yehudah needed to draw down the aspect of the soul of Mashiach, through which they would be rectified, for the rectification of this sin is dependent on Mashiach, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of David the King, peace be upon him, who is the aspect of Mashiach. He constantly prayed for life, as it is written: "You will make known to me the path of life" (Tehillim 16:11), etc. and the like — for he needed to rectify the blemish of the drops of the mind of the sons of Yehudah, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of (Tehillim 5:5–8): "For You are not a G-d Who desires wickedness; evil shall not dwell with You" — which is said regarding this sin, in the aspect of "And Er, the firstborn of Yehudah, was evil in the eyes of Hashem" (Beraishis 38:7), as is brought in the Zohar. Yet even so, I trust: "And I, in the abundance of Your lovingkindness, shall come into Your house" — in the aspect of the supernal sweetening, which is the aspect of Rav Chesed [abundant lovingkindness]. And this is "I shall come into Your house" — in the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, Kodesh Kodashim, for there is the supernal sweetening, and through this one merits to rectify the aforementioned sin. And this is the aspect of: "You will make known to me the path of life, the fullness of joys…" (Tehillim 16:11). For through the supernal sweetening, which is accomplished through the inclusiveness and love as mentioned above, the aspect of simcha is made, in the aspect of "The light of the righteous shall rejoice" (Mishlei 13:9), as written there. And this is the rectification of the aforementioned sin, about which it is said: "He shall not merit to behold the face of the King". For it is impossible to see the light of the face of the Melech HaChayim [Living King] except through the aspect of levushim [garments], in the aspect of (Tehillim 17:15): "I, in righteousness, shall behold Your face", in the aspect of (Iyov 29:14): "I clothed myself in righteousness." And through this sin, he is naked without a garment as mentioned above, and therefore he does not merit to behold the face of the King. But through the aforementioned sweetening, through Mashiach as mentioned above, through this one merits the light of the Face, in the aspect of (Tehillim 21:7): "You shall gladden him with joy before Your face" — which is said regarding the King Mashiach, as it is written there: "Life he asked of You; You gave it to him", etc. — that he merited to draw down life to rectify the aforementioned blemish. And this is: "You shall gladden him with joy before Your face, for the King trusts in Hashem, and in the lovingkindness of the Most High he shall not falter" — "in the lovingkindness of the Most High" specifically, the aspect of the supernal sweetening, which is Chesed Elyon [Supernal Lovingkindness], exceedingly exalted, through which one merits the aspect of "You shall gladden him with joy before Your face" as mentioned above. And this is (Tehillim 16:8–11): "For He is at my right hand; I shall not falter… You will not abandon my soul… to see destruction" — G-d forbid, referring to the blemish that the sons of Yehudah, the gilgulim [reincarnations] of his soul, "corrupted their ways". For through the Torah: "You will make known to me the path of life" — to return and to attain "the paths of life"; "the fullness of joys before Your face" — to see the light of the Face through the aspect of simcha as mentioned above. And this is: "Pleasantness at Your right hand forever" — the aspect of the supernal sweetening, which is the Supernal Right Hand as mentioned above. And when Mashiach comes, speedily in our days, then we will merit the Oraisah d'Asikah S'sima'ah [the Torah of the Ancient Hidden One], which is exceedingly exalted Chochmah. And then the rectification will be completed in perfection. And specifically, in the very thing that was blemished there, rectification will be accomplished, in the aspect of "transgressions become for him like merits" (Yoma 86b). That is, the blemish was that, as it were, he stripped the Chochmah of its garments. And therefore, the completion of his rectification is that he should merit the Oraisah d'Asikah S'sima'ah, for this Torah is the aspect of Torah without any garment at all, in the aspect of "I am Wisdom; I dwell with cunning [ormah]" (Mishlei 8:12) — the term ormah being an expression of arom [naked], for there is no garment at all to clothe it. For there, leis anavah v'leis boshes taman [there is no humility and no shame there], and there, no garment is needed at all, in the aspect of what is said of Adam the first man before the sin: "And they were both naked and were not ashamed" (Beraishis 2:25). And this is the aspect of "She is more precious than pearls [p'ninim]" (Mishlei 3:15) — which is said about the talmid chacham [Torah scholar], that he is more precious than the Kohen Gadol [High Priest] who enters lifnai v'lifnim [into the innermost sanctum], as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Sotah 4b). For the talmid chacham, through the Torah, ascends higher and higher, up to the Oraisah d'Asikah S'sima'ah, which is above the aspect of the Kohen Gadol who clothes himself in garments and enters the innermost sanctum — for [the talmid chacham] ascends exceedingly high, where there is no aspect of garments at all, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of "The Torah of Hashem is perfect [temimah]" (Tehillim 19:8) — it is the Oraisah d'Asikah S'sima'ah, as Rabbeinu, may his light shine, wrote (Likutay Moharan, Torah 49). "It restores the soul" — from the ways of death to the ways of life, as Rashi explained. For there, [souls] are rectified and they return from the ways of death to the ways of life — which is the rectification of the aforementioned sin in completeness, as mentioned above, in the aspect of "You will make known to me the path of life, the fullness of joys before Your face" — "before Your face" specifically, the aspect of face to face, without garments, as mentioned above. And this is [the meaning of] what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "He who dwells without a wife dwells without joy, without Torah" (Yevamos 62b). For the aspect of the Torah SheBa'al Peh [Oral Torah] is the aspect of emunas chachamim as mentioned above, through which the aspect of the Torah SheBichsav [Written Torah] is completed, as mentioned above, through which the aspect of simcha [joy] [is achieved], as mentioned above. [This section belongs above.] A mikveh is the aspect of "Let the waters under the heavens be gathered to one place, and let the dry land appear" (Beraishis 1:9), as is known — which is the aspect of the resolution of machlokes in holiness, as is brought in the Holy Zohar. It emerges that the mikveh is the aspect of machlokes in holiness that has resolution. And therefore it rectifies the aforementioned blemish, in the aspect of May Merivah, the aspect of purifying waters, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of what is written there: "A talebearer reveals a secret" (Mishlei 11:13) — "reveals" specifically, the aspect of the aforementioned blemish, galei d'chasya [revealing that which is hidden]. "And he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter" — the aspect of the rectification, that one returns to make garments to cover the light of the Chochmah, in the aspect of "With His hands He covered the light" (Iyov 36:32). For there the rectification is needed, in the aspect of the hands, in the aspect of ksav as mentioned above. This halacha, based on Likutay Moharan Torah 61 ("Chadi Rabbi Shimon"), develops a unified conceptual framework linking the Kabbalistic dynamics of Chochmah Ila'ah (Supernal Wisdom) and Chochmah Tasa'ah (Lower Wisdom / Malchus / Emunah) to multiple laws of marriage, priesthood, divorce, conversion, sexual purity, and rectification. The Underlying Mechanism: All these stages are, in truth, a single process — hamtakah (sweetening of judgments) — accomplished when Chochmah Tasa'ah (the oaseyos, the tzimtzumim, Malchus, Emunah) receives from Chochmah Ila'ah (the seichel hakolel, the moach, Kodesh Kodashim, the Even Sh'siyah). David HaMelech's Role (Oas 11): As the soul-root of Mashiach, David embodied the rectification of this blemish throughout Tehillim — repeatedly praying for "the path of life," trusting in Rav Chesed, and aspiring to "behold Your face" through simcha and the Supernal Right Hand. Final Sections (13–15): Marriage itself provides Torah and simcha. The mikveh corresponds to the resolution of holy dispute (yikavu hamayim). And "he who is of a faithful spirit conceals a matter" encapsulates the entire rectification: making garments for the Chochmah through the hands (ksav), covering what was blemished through revelation.