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Likutay Halachos — Kesuvos §2

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Based on the Torah "Tzivisso Tzedek Aidosecha" — Likutay Moharan I, §23 and the Torah "Gizaylah" — Likutay Moharan I, §69

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The matter of yibum (levirate marriage) is to raise up the name of the deceased upon his inheritance, as it is written: "When brothers dwell together, etc., and the firstborn" — meaning the eldest of the brothers, etc., as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded — "shall arise in the name of his brother to the inheritance, and his name shall not be blotted out from Yisrael" (Devarim 25:5–6). And it is understood from this that the raising up of the dead man's name through yibum depends specifically on his brother taking the deceased's inheritance together with the wife he marries through yibum — as it is written: "to raise up the name of the deceased upon his inheritance" (al nachalaso) specifically. And as is explained there in the Book of Rus, in the other adjacent verses, that the raising up of the dead man's name depends on taking his inheritance — see there. For there in Rus as well, the matter of yibum is alluded to, as is brought.

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For the essential purpose of a person's creation in this world is to clarify and refine (l'varer) the holy sparks (nitzotzos) that became intermingled through the sin of the first Man, as is known. And these sparks cannot be refined all at once in a single generation, but rather in every generation they are refined little by little until Mashiach comes speedily in our days — and then the refinement will be completed, as all of this is brought in the holy writings. And for this reason every person must leave behind him a lasting blessing of enduring offspring, to leave children in the world so that they will fill his place and refine the sparks in the generation after him. For it is impossible to complete the refinement entirely by oneself, since the sparks can only be refined from generation to generation specifically, as above.

And the essential sparks that need to be refined from the sin of the first Man are the holy sparks that fell into silver and gold, etc. — that is, into the craving for money (ta'avas mamon). For the craving for money encompasses all seventy forms of idolatry (avoda zara), as is explained well in the Torah teaching "Tzivisso Tzedek Aidosecha," etc. (§23). For it is stated there that there are seventy radiant faces (anpin nehirin), the aspect of joy, the aspect of life, the aspect of "in the light of the king's face there is life," etc. And corresponding to them there are seventy dark faces (anpin chashuchin), the aspect of idolatry, the aspect of death, etc., the aspect of bitter black melancholy (atzvus mara sh'chora), etc. And one who falls into the craving for money is bound to the faces of the sitra achra, to the aspect of the dark faces, the aspect of idolatry, the aspect of bitter black melancholy — which is the aspect of "in sorrow you shall eat it," etc. — see there. But one who breaks the craving for money and rejoices in his portion, etc., is in the aspect of the holy faces, in the aspect of the radiant faces, the aspect of joy, etc. — see there. And this is: kashin mezonoisov shel adam kiplayim ka'yoledes — "A person's livelihood is as difficult [to obtain] as the splitting of the Red Sea, twice as [hard as] a woman in labor." For one who falls into the craving for money, the Sh'china cries out against him with one hundred and forty voices — two times seventy voices — kalanee meiroshee, kalanee mizro'ee — "I am burdened from my head, I am burdened from my arm," etc. For all forms of idolatry are embedded in money. And one who falls into the craving for money serves all seventy forms of idolatry, which are the aspect of seventy dark faces — the opposite of the seventy radiant faces, which are the aspect of the seventy faces of the Torah, etc. — see there. And it is stated there that the essential repair (tikkun) of the craving for money is only through guarding the covenant (sh'miras ha-bris), etc. For through the blood of the covenant one diminishes and subdues the blood of niddah (menstrual flow), which is the aspect of the craving for money — the aspect of "and their gold has become an impurity (l'nida)" (Yechezkel 7:19) — as it is written: "Also you, through the blood of your covenant, I have sent your prisoners out from the pit," etc. (Zecharya 9:11) — see all of this there carefully. Thus it emerges that the blemish of the craving for money is the blemish of the entire Torah. For this craving encompasses all seventy forms of idolatry — the seventy dark faces — which correspond to the seventy faces of the Torah, which is the totality of the entire Torah. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: one who worships idolatry is as if he transgresses the entire Torah. And one who falls into the craving for money serves all the forms of idolatry in the world — which means he transgresses the entire Torah. And conversely, one who rejoices in his portion and merits breaking the craving for money is then bound to the seventy radiant faces — the seventy faces of the Torah — and thereby he fulfills the entire Torah. For the entire Torah is entirely for the purpose of refining the sparks that fell through the sin of the first Man, as is known. And most of the sparks are encompassed in silver and gold — in the craving for money — as is understood from the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi (Rabeinu), of blessed memory, in many places. For money at its root is very, very elevated, and there all the supernal colors (gavanin ila'in) are contained. And through the sin of the first Man the klipos seized hold there greatly, and those sparks of silver and gold became greatly intermingled. Therefore he was then cursed: "in sorrow you shall eat it" — which is the aspect of the blemish of the craving for money, as above. And therefore the outsiders seized hold there greatly, for it is known that wherever there is very elevated holiness, when they find a place to seize hold there, they seize hold there specifically with great intensity — the aspect of pashat yado ba-gedolim (he extended his hand against the great). And this is the aspect of what the dross of the sparks of holiness is called: suspita d'dahava — "gold slag" — as brought in the Holy Zohar. And conversely, when the sparks are refined and purified from the dross, they are in the aspect of refined silver (kesef tzaruf), as brought in many places. For the essential reason the holy sparks became intermingled is only in the aspect of silver and gold — that is, the craving for money, as above. And therefore it is the totality of the entire Torah to break the craving for money, as above. And therefore the essential coming of Mashiach depends on the breaking of the craving for money — the aspect of "and each man shall cast away his silver idols and his gold idols," etc. (Yeshaya 2:20) — as our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote in the Torah teaching "Ashray HuAm Yoda'ay S'ru'ah" (§13) regarding drawing down Providence — see there. For the essential coming of Mashiach depends on the completion of the refinement, as is known. And the essential refinement is through the breaking of the craving for money — for there are all the holy sparks and all the supernal colors, as above. Thus it emerges that the essential task of a person in this world is to break the craving for money in order to refine from there the holy sparks that became most intermingled there, as above. And therefore one must leave behind children, since it is impossible to complete the refinement by oneself — for the sparks can only be refined from generation to generation specifically, as above. And this is the aspect of: "Generation to generation shall praise Your works" (Tehillim 145:4) — "shall praise" (y'shabach): this is the aspect of raising and elevating the sparks to their root, for that is their praise (sh'vacha dilayhon) and their glory (yekara dilayhon) — the aspect of "when their waves rise, You still them" (b'so'a galav ata t'shab'chaim, Tehillim 89:10). And it is brought in the Holy Zohar that this is their praise and their glory — that they elevate themselves upward — see there. And this is: "Generation to generation shall praise Your works." "Your works" (ma'asecho): this is the aspect of money and commerce, which is called asiya (action / the World of Action), as is understood from the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, in many places — the aspect of "and the work of our hands, establish it for us" (u-ma'asay yadainu kon'nay alaynu, Tehillim 90:17) — that Moshe blessed them that blessing should rest on the work of their hands. For the essential aspect of asiya is money, as is understood from the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, as above — that is, to raise the sparks from money, which is called asiya, the aspect of "Your works" — where the essential sparks are; it is impossible to raise them to their root except from generation to generation specifically, as above. This is the aspect of "generation to generation" specifically as above, "shall praise Your works" as above. And therefore inheritance belongs to children and a son fills his father's place and receives his inheritance — for the essential tikkun of the inheritance (that is, the money) is through the children he leaves behind, who refine the money. For it is impossible to refine it except from generation to generation, as above. And specifically for this reason every person is obligated to leave children in the world in order to refine the sparks that are essentially in the craving for money, as above. Therefore the son stands upon his father's inheritance, as above. And this is the aspect of what our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, said in the above-mentioned Torah teaching — that the essential repair of the craving for money is through guarding the covenant (sh'miras ha-bris). For through the blood of the covenant one diminishes the blood of niddah, which is the aspect of the craving for money, etc. — see there. For the essential repair of the covenant is to beget children in this world in holiness and purity. For as long as one does not beget children, God forbid — even if he has guarded his covenant perfectly — he is called a "dry tree" (etz yavesh) and is in the aspect of a blemish of the covenant, as is known. For he must be in the aspect of "a fruit tree that makes fruit," etc. — and this is the essential repair of the covenant. For "He did not create it a waste; He formed it to be inhabited" (Yeshaya 45:18) — that is, every person must engage in the settlement and rectification of the world. Therefore one must leave behind fitting children who will be able to refine further the sparks that became intermingled, and the essential sparks are in money, as above. Thus it emerges that through the repair of the covenant — that is, through the children one begets in the world in holiness, which is the essential repair of the covenant — through this the craving for money is diminished: that is, the sparks are refined to their root, through which the craving for money is nullified and diminished. For the essential refinement is through children specifically — for it is impossible to refine them except from generation to generation, as above. Also the children themselves, who merit to beget in holiness — which is the aspect of guarding the covenant, as above — this itself is the aspect of repairing the craving for money, where most of the holy sparks are, as above. For the essential begetting of children comes through the refinement that is refined, refinement after refinement, in the days of pregnancy and birth. As is known, all the days of pregnancy and birth are in the aspect of refinements, as explained in the holy writings. And the essential refinement is in the aspect of blood that is disturbed and becomes milk (dam ne'echar v'na'aseh chalav) — that is, the blood of niddah is turned over and sweetened and becomes milk. And this is the aspect of the repair and refinement of the craving for money, which is the aspect of the blood of niddah, as above — the aspect of "and their gold has become an impurity (l'nida)" — as above. For there all the holy sparks are, and from there the holy soul of the newborn offspring is refined in the days of pregnancy and birth. Then the soul is refined — whose root is in wealth (ashirus) — out of the craving for money, like the smelting of silver in a crucible — the aspect of "I will refine them as one refines silver, and test them as one tests gold" (Zecharya 13:9), etc. For the essential refinement is in silver and gold, etc., as above. And through this refinement and purification of silver and gold specifically, the soul of the newborn offspring is refined from there — for all souls are rooted in wealth, as is well explained in the Torah teaching "Gizaylah" (§69) — see that entire Torah teaching carefully. And it is explained there that the woman is the aspect of wealth (ashirus), and holy wealth is the essential light of her soul; and the children born from her are suspended like fruits hanging on the branches of a tree, and the branches are the aspect of holy wealth — which is the essential light and completeness of her soul, and there the children are suspended — for the root of the soul is in holy wealth. See there carefully. Thus it emerges that children are born through the refinement of wealth, as above. And therefore through holy children that one begets — which is the essential repair of the covenant, as above — through this the craving for money is diminished. For the essential begetting of children is through the refinement and purification of the craving for money, for this is the essential refinement through which the soul is refined in the days of pregnancy and birth — the aspect of blood that is disturbed and becomes milk, as above — for the root of the soul is in holy money, as above. And this is what our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote: that through the repair of the covenant, the craving for money is repaired, as above. And this is the aspect of why one needs to beget a son and a daughter — that is, in the above-mentioned aspect: they are the repair of the covenant and the repair of the craving for money. For these two aspects are the totality of the entire Torah, and they are the aspect of right and left, the aspect of man and woman, the aspect of son and daughter. For the repair of the covenant is the aspect of the right, the aspect of chesed revealed through the mouth of the covenant (b'fuma d'amma), the aspect of the male side (sitra didchura) — where the essential repair of the covenant is. And money and wealth are the aspect of the left, the aspect of "from the north gold comes" (mitzafon zahav ye'ehe, Iyov 37:22), as is explained in the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory. And it is the aspect of the woman — for there is the essential wealth, as is explained in the above-mentioned Torah teaching "Gizaylah." And therefore the essential repair of money is through guarding the covenant, for the right sweetens and repairs the aspect of the left, which is money. And this is the aspect of man and woman — for the essential repair of the woman is through the man, that is, through her husband, as is understood from the holy books and as is explained in the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory. And the essential repair of the woman is through the repair of holy wealth — that is, the repair of the craving for money — which depends on guarding the covenant. For in proportion to the man's merit in the aspect of guarding the covenant, so too does he have the power to refine her and repair her, which itself is the aspect of repairing the craving for money — and through this children are born, as above. And therefore the essential inheritance belongs to sons — and to a daughter in place of a son when there is no son — for the essential repair of the inheritance (that is, the repair of money) is only through the son, who is in the aspect of the repair of the covenant. He has the power, according to his merit, to repair the inheritance and money — which is the essential repair and refinement of the children he leaves in the world. But the daughter, who is from the female side (sitra d'nukva), from which comes the essential wealth — she does not have the power to refine and repair the wealth by herself, but only through her husband, as above. But if he has no son, then the daughter inherits — for even so, she is from his loins, and she too was born through the refinement and repair of the craving for money. For all begetings are through this, as above — the aspect of blood that is disturbed, etc., as above. And therefore, even though she herself still needs repair, as above, nonetheless the repair has already begun through her. Therefore she is considered offspring for inheritance and for exemption from yibum. And when a person does not merit leaving behind him sons or daughters, God forbid, he is then a dry tree (etz yavesh) and cannot ascend upward. For he has not yet accomplished anything or made any repair in the world — since the essential repair and refinement is to refine the money, and this refinement is only through the children he leaves behind. As above, they themselves are born through this refinement, and they engage after him and fill his place to refine further — for they arise upon his inheritance. For it is impossible to refine except from generation to generation, etc., as above. But when none of his offspring remain after him, God forbid, to fill his place — to engage in the refinement and repair mentioned above — he has still not made any repair, and he cannot ascend upward. For he is in the aspect of artilai — "a naked one" who has nothing in which to clothe himself — as brought in the Holy Zohar. For through the repair of money and holy wealth — which is the essential repair where all the sparks and all the supernal colors are, as above — through this garments are made: the aspect of garments of salvation (bigday yesha), the aspect of "for He has clothed me with garments of salvation" (Yeshaya 61:10). As brought in the Torah teaching "Ach'vai Lan Mana D'la Shavya L'chavala," etc. (§25) — for through the supernal colors that are elevated to their root, through the refinement and repair of money, garments are thereby made: the aspect of the magnificence of the totality of colors. But when one does not merit this — that is, when he does not leave children, God forbid — then he has nothing in which to clothe himself and cannot ascend upward, as above. Therefore he requires repair through yibum. And the essential repair of yibum is through the spirit that he (ha-baal, the husband) placed within her (ha-ru'ach d'shadai b'gavah), as brought. For the spirit he placed within her in the first union — this is the essential aspect of the repair of the woman that her husband accomplishes, in the aspect of: ain ha-isha koras bris ela l'mi she'asah kli — "a woman forms a covenant only with the one who made her into a vessel" — as is understood from the writings of the holy Ari, z"l. And the essential repair is that he repairs and refines the wealth, through which he completes the light of her soul — for this is the essential source of her vitality, as above. And therefore he immediately gives her a kesubah (marriage contract), as we learn from the verse: "He shall pay silver according to the dowry of virgins" (kesef yishkol k'mohar ha-b'sulos, Shemos 22:16). For the essential kesubah is on account of the first union, as is explained in the poskim (legal decisors). For the essential repair of the woman is through the spirit he placed within her in the first union — and all her repair is only through the repair of wealth, as above. Therefore at that time he must give her a kesubah to draw down for her holy wealth — the aspect of refined and purified silver (kesef tzaruf u-mezukak) — which is the essential source of her repair and vitality. And all the children she births afterward are all born through the above-mentioned vessel — which is the spirit, etc., as above — and all of them receive vitality from there. For the essential source of the children's birth and the vitality they receive from their mother is through wealth — for there is the root of their soul, and there they are suspended like branches of a tree, as above. And therefore when he leaves no children behind, God forbid, he then does not merit refining the holy wealth — which is the essential repair. For there is no one to stand upon his inheritance and raise up his name — for the essential name, which is the soul (nefesh), is in wealth. Therefore when no children remain after him to refine the wealth and receive his inheritance, then there is no one to raise up his name. For the essential raising of the name — which is the soul — is through the repair of wealth, where the root of the soul is, as above. And then his repair is through his brother who performs yibum with his wife. And the repair is through the above-mentioned spirit, etc., as above — which is the beginning of the repair of wealth, as above — through which all children are born, as above. And therefore this is considered a remnant after him, since the repair and refinement has already begun. And through this his brother — who is from his root — is able to draw his soul back into the world and repair him through this. For the essential closeness of brothers is also through their all receiving from the spirit of their mother — for all of them receive from there. And the essential one is the firstborn, for all of them receive through him; and so too all the brothers receive one after another. Thus it emerges that all of them receive from one spirit, etc. And the spirit of the deceased brother that he placed within the y'vama (the yevama, the deceased's widow) is also drawn according to the aspect of the spirit he received from his mother — for that is his vitality, and from there is drawn the spirit he placed in his wife. Thus it emerges that the spirit of the y'vama is from one aspect with the yavam (the levir), as above. And therefore his brother the yavam has the power to repair him and draw back his soul into the world through that spirit — which is the beginning of the repair of wealth — for this is the essential repair and refinement that a person needs to refine in the world, as above. And therefore the yavam receives the inheritance, as it is written: "He shall arise in the name of his brother to the inheritance" (Devarim 25:6). For this is the essential repair — to repair and refine the inheritance and wealth, through which the essential raising up of his name and his soul is accomplished — for there is the root of the soul, as above. And this is the claim that the daughters of Tzlofchad made: "If we are considered offspring, give us an inheritance — and if not, let our mother perform yibum." For the essential yibum is only because of the inheritance from the deceased who left none of his offspring to fill his place and raise up his name upon his inheritance specifically, as above — that is, to repair the craving for money, etc., as above. Therefore they argued: if we are not able to receive his inheritance, then certainly their mother is obligated to perform yibum — for the essential yibum depends on this, as above. This passage is linked to what was written above. The spirit that he placed within her (ha-ru'ach d'shadai b'gavah), which is the essential source of her repair, is the aspect of the repair of wealth. And this is the aspect of the kesubah that he gives her immediately at that time, etc., as above. For the aspect of the above-mentioned spirit is the aspect of Binyamin (Binyamin), as is explained in the holy writings. And Binyamin is the aspect of the repair of holy wealth — the aspect of "in the morning he will devour the prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoil" (baboker yokhal ad v'la'erev y'chalek shalal, Bereishis 49:27) — that is, wealth. For the Holy Temple (Bais HaMikdash) is in the portion of Binyamin, and the Holy Temple is the aspect of the repair of holy wealth. Therefore there were there very great treasuries of silver and gold, as it is written: "the treasuries of the House of Hashem." For in the Holy Temple there was great and exceedingly vast wealth — for there was the repair of money and wealth, which is the totality of all repairs. For in the Holy Temple was the repair and atonement for all the sins and blemishes in the world — all of which are encompassed in the blemish of idolatry, which is the totality of the Torah, namely the craving for money, where all the forms of idolatry are encompassed. And the Holy Temple — being the aspect of holy wealth — was there the repair for all sins and blemishes, all of which are encompassed in the craving for money, as above. And therefore the essential atonement is through the offering (korban) that one brings from the toil of one's hands and one's money. Thus it emerges that Binyamin is the aspect of the repair of holy wealth — and this is the aspect of the above-mentioned spirit. And therefore through this the yavam is able to raise up the name of the deceased upon his inheritance — "upon his inheritance" specifically — for this is the essential repair, as above. Baruch Hashem l'olam Amen v'Amen.