גביית מלוה א

And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: Haman said: "Your Omer came and conquered my ten thousand talents of silver." "Silver" specifically. For the essential strengthening of Haman was through the ten thousand talents of silver — that is, he gathered great wealth in which were all the holy sparks, as is explained there. And this is what is written (Esther 3:9): "And ten thousand talents of silver I will weigh" etc. "into the treasuries of the king — against the Jews" etc. That is: he sought to give power to the wicked kingdom through the silver he gathered, as mentioned above. But through the Omer, which is the aspect of the Torah, the aspect of the Sh'ma d'Kudsha B'rich Hu — through which one reveals the concealment — through this, the wicked kingdom is subdued. And then the power of the wealth is subdued, for all the sparks are extracted from it, in the aspect of "The wealth he swallowed, he shall vomit up," as mentioned above. And this is what [Haman] said: that the Omer conquered the ten thousand talents of silver — the power of the wealth, as mentioned above. 70

Based on the teaching beginning "One who wishes to draw people close to the service of Hashem Yisborach" etc., in the first Likutay, Siman 59; see there the entire teaching.

And this is the aspect of the prohibition against entering the borrower's house to take the pledge. And it is also forbidden to pledge him except through bais din. For the essential poverty comes from the blemish of mishpat [judgment/justice] that is explained in the aforementioned teaching. For it is explained there that there is a bayis [house] and a chomah [wall] — which are the aspects of yad [hand/monument] and shaim [name] — which are the aspects of mishpat and kisei [throne], as above — the aspects of ribu'a [the square] and igula [the circle], as above — whose essential sustenance is through the aspect of mishpat, as above.

For one who wishes to draw people close to Hashem Yisborach is building the heichal hakodesh [the holy sanctuary]. Which is the aspect of kavod [glory], the aspect of kisei kavod [the throne of glory], as is explained there. But he must guard himself that the evil of those souls he is working to draw close should not attach itself to him. For those souls are in the aspect of "This is Yerushalayim — in the midst of the nations I have placed her" (Ezekiel 5:5) etc. Yerushalayim is the heichal hakodesh that dwells among the nations and the k'lipos.

And the counsel for this is through mishpat — that this person who draws souls close and builds from them the heichal hakodesh, the aspect of Yerushalayim the holy city — he must be very careful to judge himself at all times, and to search his deeds, and to consider his ways, and to judge himself at all times regarding all the things he does — whether it is fitting to do so.

And through the mishpat that he judges himself — through this the fire of mishpat is aroused, and it burns the evil of those souls he is drawing close, preventing it from attaching to him. And it also burns the evil from those very souls he is drawing close — so that the evil will no longer attach even to the souls themselves, which are the aspect of the heichal hakodesh, as above, the aspect of the kisei kavod, as above.

It emerges that the essential building and sustenance of the aspect of the heichal hakodesh, the aspect of the kisei, as above — is through mishpat. Through which [the evil] is driven out and burned from the aspect of Yerushalayim the holy city, the heichal hakodesh — so that the evil should not, chas v'sholom, destroy Yerushalayim. For through mishpat, he burns the evil from the souls, through which the heichal hakodesh is sustained — the aspect of Yerushalayim, the aspect of the kisei, as above. And through the kisei, as above — the aspect of the heichal hakodesh, the aspect of Yerushalayim, the aspect of igula, as above — which is the aspect of kavod, as above in the aforementioned teaching — through this the wall of wealth is sustained, which is the root of the souls. As is explained at the end of the aforementioned teaching: the wall of wealth — which is the aspect of nefesh — is drawn through the kavod that is magnified through the aforementioned person who draws souls close to Hashem Yisborach, who builds the heichal hakodesh, as above. It emerges that the essential wealth is through the aforementioned mishpat — through which the heichal hakodesh is built and sustained, from which the essential wealth [flows], as above. For without mishpat, chas v'sholom, the evil attaches itself, chas v'sholom, and the heichal hakodesh is destroyed, chas v'sholom — which is the aspect of wealth, as above. And this is the aspect of: "He who amasses wealth without justice — in the midst of his days it will leave him" (Jeremiah 17:11). For the essential sustenance of wealth is through mishpat specifically, through which the heichal hakodesh is sustained, from which wealth [flows], as above. And this is [the meaning of] what immediately follows that verse: "A throne of glory, exalted from the beginning" (Jeremiah 17:12) etc. For the essential holy wealth is from the aspect of the kisei kavod etc., as above — whose sustenance is through mishpat, as above. For one who wishes to conduct business and earn money and wealth — he must be very careful to consider his ways and to judge himself at all times, and to search his deeds at all times. For through the aforementioned mishpat specifically, he can conduct business in holiness and succeed in it. For one who conducts business is in the aspect of one who draws souls close to Hashem Yisborach. For within the business transactions are very exalted holy sparks that need to be clarified through the business, as is explained in the words of Rabbeinu, zichrono livrachah, many times. And those sparks that are clarified through the business transactions and returned to holiness — they are the aspect of the aforementioned converts and ba'alai t'shuvah. For one elevates and brings the souls and sparks of the business from the outside inward, into holiness. It emerges that one who engages in business faithfully, in holiness, as is fitting — he is converting converts. Also, through the business he earns money and wealth, which magnifies the nefesh — through which the souls desire to be encompassed in his name and in his soul, as is explained in the aforementioned teaching. It emerges that through the business — through which he earns money — through this he draws souls close to Hashem Yisborach. And therefore, one who engages in business must guard himself very carefully, that the evil that clings to those sparks and souls that he is clarifying and elevating through the business should not attach to him. For it is known that the holinesses and souls clothed in the business transactions are in the aspect of the exile of the Sh'chinah, and they dwell among the nations and the Sitra Achara, in the aspect of "This is Yerushalayim — in the midst of the nations I have placed her" etc., as is explained in the words of Rabbeinu, zichrono livrachah, many times. Therefore, one who engages in business must guard his soul very carefully, that the evil clinging to those sparks that he is clarifying through the business should not attach to him. And from this comes the fact that those who go out to the marketplace and engage in business sometimes stumble and become distanced from the service of Hashem Yisborach. For this is because of the aforementioned evil that clings to the sparks of the business, as above. But in truth, business is a very great thing — only that one must guard himself, as above. And therefore he needs the aforementioned mishpat: that he should judge himself at all times, and seclude himself, and pour out his conversation before Hashem Yisborach, and search his deeds, and judge himself regarding all the things he does — whether it is fitting for him to do so and to spend the days of his life in such activities. And through this mishpat, the fervor of the heart is aroused — which is the aspect of fire. And through this fire, the evil is burned so that it does not attach to him, and also so that it does not attach to those sparks and souls that he is working to clarify through the business, as above. And then he merits to magnify the glory of Hashem Yisborach through this, and he builds the aspect of the heichal hakodesh through the business. And then he merits great wealth — for the wealth is drawn through the aforementioned kavod, through the aspect of the heichal hakodesh, as above. But when there is no mishpat, then, chas v'sholom, the evil attaches itself, and then he cannot clarify the sparks and build the heichal hakodesh, and then he has no wealth. For the wealth is ruined through the anger that the yaitzer [evil inclination] brings upon him. For anger is the evil inclination in the heart, as it is written: "Remove anger from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh" (Ecclesiastes 11:10). Therefore one needs the aforementioned mishpat, to burn the evil — and then anger is eliminated, and then one merits the wealth that is drawn through the heichal hakodesh, which is built through the souls and sparks that are clarified through the business, as above. And this is the aspect of: the thirty-nine m'lachos [categories of labor forbidden on Shabbos] (Shabbos 49b) — we derive them from the Mishkan. And this is the aspect of Moshe's blessing to Yisroel at the time the Mishkan was completed: "May it be the will... and the work of our hands" — and he said "the work of our hands" twice: so that blessing should rest upon the construction of the Mishkan, and so that blessing should rest upon the work of their hands, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said. For the thirty-nine m'lachos are the aspect of business — for all business affairs and transactions are all included in the thirty-nine m'lachos. And they are one aspect with the construction of the Mishkan, which is the aspect of the heichal hakodesh. For through business, the heichal hakodesh — which is the dwelling-place of His glory — is built, as above. It emerges that the thirty-nine m'lachos and all business are actually the aspect of the construction of the Mishkan itself, which is the heichal hakodesh. And therefore the thirty-nine m'lachos are derived from the Mishkan. And therefore he blessed them at the time of the completion of the erection of the Mishkan: "May it be [His] will that the Sh'chinah rest in the work of your hands." For they are one aspect, as above. And this is: "Torah is good together with derech eretz, for the exertion of the two of them causes sin to be forgotten" (Avos 2:2). For the Torah in its entirety is called mishpat, as it is written: "The judgments of Hashem are true" (Psalms 19:10) etc. And similarly in many verses. That is: it is impossible to engage in derech eretz — which is business — except through the Torah, which is the aspect of mishpat. Through which the evil that clings to the sparks clarified through the business is burned, as above. And this is [the meaning of] "the exertion of the two of them causes sin to be forgotten." And avon [sin] is the evil that is forgotten and eliminated through the exertion of the two of them. That is, through the Torah, which is the aspect of mishpat, which burns the evil from attaching to his heart — in the aspect of "for with fire Hashem judges" (Isaiah 66:16). And likewise the evil is burned and eliminated and cannot attach also to the sparks of the business itself — which are in the aspect of the kisei kavod, the aspect of the heichal hakodesh, in the aspect of "and the glory of Hashem is like a consuming fire" (Exodus 24:17), as is explained in the aforementioned teaching. It emerges that mishpat and the kisei, as above — which are the aspects of Torah and derech eretz — the two of them cause avon, which is the evil, to be forgotten and eliminated. For they burn the evil and eliminate it through the fire of the fervor of the heart that is aroused through mishpat, as above. It emerges that the essential sustenance of money and wealth is through the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And therefore the essential mishpat is in monetary laws [dinai mamonos]. For all monetary laws are called mishpat, as it is written: "And these are the laws [mishpatim] that you shall place before them" (Exodus 21:1) — which speaks of monetary laws. And likewise the entire Choshen Mishpat is only about monetary laws. For the essential money and wealth is through the aspect of mishpat, as above; see below at the end of this teaching. For the essential destruction of the Bais HaMikdash was through the corruption of mishpat, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Yerushalayim was not destroyed except because they perverted justice in it" etc. And as it is written: "For you have turned justice into wormwood" (Amos 5:7). And similarly many verses. For the destruction of Yerushalayim and the Bais HaMikdash — which are the aspect of the heichal hakodesh — is through the blemish of mishpat. For then the evil attaches itself, chas v'sholom, and the heichal hakodesh is destroyed, chas v'sholom — which is the aspect of the destruction of Yerushalayim and the Bais HaMikdash, as above. And therefore the essential ge'ulah [redemption] is through mishpat, as it is written: "Tziyon through justice shall be redeemed" (Isaiah 1:27). And it is written: "And I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice" (Hosea 2:21) etc. For the building of Tziyon and Yerushalayim — which is the aspect of the heichal hakodesh, as above — is through mishpat, as above. It emerges that the essential wealth — which is the aspect of the chomah [wall] — is drawn from the aspect of mishpat, which is the aspect of the bayis [house], as above. And this is the aspect of "the wealth of his house" [hon baiso] (Song of Songs 8:7). For the hon — which is the aspect of the chomah, as is written in the aforementioned teaching — is drawn from the aspect of the bayis, which is the aspect of mishpat, as above. And the essential poverty — which is the opposite of wealth — is through the blemish of mishpat, chas v'sholom. Through which the heichal hakodesh is blemished and the aforementioned chomah is ruined. And then he has no shefa of wealth, and from there poverty comes, chas v'sholom — through which one person needs to borrow from his fellow. And therefore the Torah warned Yisroel very strongly that one should help his fellow with tz'dakah and gemilas chesed [acts of loving-kindness]. And gemilas chesed is greater than tz'dakah, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Sukkah 49b). For the essential greatness of tz'dakah and gemilas chasadim is through mishpat. For the essential poverty is from the blemish of mishpat, as above. For mishpat depends on da'as, as is written in the aforementioned teaching. And the poor man — his da'as is confused, like a drunk, as is written in Seifer HaAlef [Seifer HaMidos] (letter Mem, Mamon, Siman 75). For through poverty, the da'as is confused — in the aspect of "the wisdom of the poor man is despised" (Ecclesiastes 9:16). And because of the corruption of the da'as, mishpat is corrupted. And this is the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Poverty causes a person to transgress the will of his Maker". For the poor man, because of the greatness of his poverty and his distress, chas v'sholom, he complains against the ways of Hashem Yisborach, chas v'sholom. As is explained in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory, [who relate] several stories of poor people who would complain etc. And the complaining that he complains, chas v'sholom, against His ways — this is the aspect of the blemish of mishpat. For in truth, every person ought to judge himself and understand that Hashem is righteous in all that comes upon him — and that Hashem Yisborach is still treating him very well, considering his deeds. Even in the greatness of his distress and poverty, chas v'sholom — even if he has, chas v'sholom, the harshest afflictions of poverty, chalilah — even so it is fitting for him to understand that according to his deeds, Hashem Yisborach is still treating him well and lightening His judgment upon him with kindness and great mercy. For "righteous is Hashem and upright are His judgments" (Psalms 119:137). But because of the deficiency and confusion of the da'as of the poor man, chas v'sholom, he harbors doubts about His ways, as though, chas v'sholom, He is not conducting Himself with him justly. It emerges that he blemishes mishpat. And because of this, the poverty intensifies even more, chas v'sholom. For the essential wealth is through the rectification of mishpat, as above. And the more the poverty intensifies, chas v'sholom, the more the blemish of mishpat intensifies, chas v'sholom. And so it can continue in a vicious cycle, chas v'sholom. And therefore: "poverty pursues the poor man". Therefore Hashem Yisborach warned us very strongly, many times, to have great compassion on the poor and to help him with all one's strength, in every possible way. And through having compassion on the poor and giving him tz'dakah — through this his da'as is broadened. And then he understands the righteousness of Hashem — that His judgments are upright. For this is the way of the poor man: afterward, when he is given [something] and he has a bit of relief — then he gives thanks and praise to Hashem Yisborach, and he justifies Hashem Yisborach greatly regarding everything that comes upon him. And he judges himself that he is not worthy or deserving of all the kindnesses that Hashem Yisborach does with him each day, at every time and every hour. It emerges that through the tz'dakah that one gives to the poor, the aspect of mishpat is illuminated within him. For in truth, this money that one gives to the poor — its root is the aspect of mishpat, from which all money and wealth [come]. And therefore, through this money that one gives to the poor — in which the aspect of mishpat that is its root is clothed — through this, the aspect of the rectification of mishpat is illuminated and drawn to the poor man. And then even the poor man merits the aspect of mishpat, from which shefa is drawn. And therefore it can sometimes happen that helping the poor through giving to him can rescue him from poverty entirely from now on. For through meriting the aspect of mishpat — through the broadening of da'as, as above — through this he can be rescued from the poverty. For through mishpat one merits wealth, as above. And therefore mishpat is juxtaposed with tz'dakah many times, as it is written: "Justice and righteousness in Yaakov — You have made" (Psalms 99:4). And as it is written: "And they shall keep the way of Hashem, to do righteousness and justice" (Genesis 18:19). And similarly in many verses. For the essential tz'dakah is through mishpat, as above. And this is the aspect of the Torah's warning: "Let your heart not be grieved when you give to him" (Deuteronomy 15:10) etc. For an evil heart — this is the aspect of the blemish of mishpat, which depends on the heart, as Rabbeinu, zichrono livrachah, wrote elsewhere. And through mishpat in the heart, through this the evil in the heart is subdued, as above. And therefore the Torah warned to give tz'dakah with all one's heart, and his heart should not be grieved — which is the aspect of the blemish of mishpat. For the essential rectification of tz'dakah is through mishpat, which is the opposite of an evil heart, as above. That is: the wealthy man should judge himself and understand that certainly Hashem Yisborach is doing him a great kindness that he does not deserve at all — giving him an abundance of money and wealth — while many people, Tzadikim and better than him a thousandfold, their lives hang in the balance and they have no livelihood at all, and in their house there is neither bread nor a garment, and they endure great distress, Rachmana litzlan. Certainly the law does not allow me to be ungrateful toward Hashem Yisborach. And certainly it is fitting for me to do the will of Hashem Yisborach, Who has given me all this wealth, and in Whose hand it is to diminish or add as He wills. Therefore it is certainly an obligation to give Hashem Yisborach His portion, which He has warned us to give — His portion to the poor. For in truth everything is His. And in truth, if a person sets his heart and da'as well, in complete truth, and remembers well all these things and more — certainly he will give tz'dakah abundantly, with both hands, with a pleasant countenance and with great joy, and his heart will not be grieved at all when he gives to the destitute. For he will understand that he is not giving anything at all to the poor man; on the contrary, everything belongs to Hashem Yisborach. Only Hashem Yisborach had mercy and did not burden him to give four parts to the poor and one-fifth to himself. For certainly that would be the [proper] measure. For a person who does hard labor for his fellow and brings in great profit for him — even so, [his employer] does not give him even a fifth as wages for his work — only some fixed salary each week, barely enough for his sustenance. How much more so a person before Hashem Yisborach — everything is from Hashem Yisborach, for "He is the One Who gives you the strength to make wealth" (Deuteronomy 8:18), and we are His and everything we have is His. And He also promises us to give us blessing twofold in the merit of tz'dakah. And also in the World to Come our reward will not be withheld. And we need His kindness and goodness and salvation at every moment. Certainly it is fitting for us to return the deposit to its Owner and to distribute all that one earns to tz'dakah — only taking for himself his sustenance in a minimal fashion, as it is written: "Good is the man who is gracious and lends; he conducts his affairs with justice" (Psalms 112:5). Which Rashi explains there: he gives tz'dakah with great generosity, and the needs of his household he manages with mishpat [justice] and frugality. How much more so, since Hashem Yisborach lightens [the obligation] even more — that we should give at least a tenth or a fifth — certainly it is fitting to give the portion of Hashem Yisborach to the poor with great joy, if one considers his ways and judges himself in truth. And then he will merit to subdue the evil of the heart through mishpat, as above, and he will fulfill: "Let your heart not be grieved when you give to him." And then the tz'dakah is in completeness. For then the aspect of mishpat shines within the tz'dakah, through which one can rescue the poor from poverty entirely — through the aspect of mishpat that was illuminated within him, as above. And this is the Torah's very strong warning about the mishpat of the poor in particular, as it is written: "You shall not pervert the justice of your destitute one in his dispute" (Exodus 23:6). And similarly many [such verses]. For the poor man needs the rectification of mishpat most of all — for through this, poverty is eliminated, as above. And this is what is said regarding Mashiach: "And he shall judge the poor with righteousness" (Isaiah 11:4). And it is written (Psalms 72:2–4): "He shall judge the poor of the people... Give Your judgments to the king, and Your righteousness... He shall judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice." For through mishpat, the poor are rescued from poverty. For the essential wealth is through the aspect of mishpat — through which the heichal hakodesh is built. And this is the essential ge'ulah that will come through Mashiach, who will build Yerushalayim and the Bais HaMikdash, which are the aspect of the heichal hakodesh — all of which is accomplished through mishpat, as above. And therefore gemilas chesed is greater than tz'dakah. For when one gives tz'dakah, he gives only a small amount, according to the gift of his hand. But a halva'as chain [gracious loan] — he lends him a significant sum. And through lending it to him for a time, through this the money is now considered as [the borrower's] own. And then, because of this money of the loan that he has, which is considered as his own — for "a loan is given for spending" [milveh l'hotza'ah nitnah] — through this, this borrower receives the aspect of mishpat that is clothed in this money, which is its root, as above. And through this mishpat that he merits, through this he can broaden his hand to be rescued from poverty entirely — through the lender having bestowed upon him some measure of wealth that is considered as his own, as above. And therefore the Torah warned: "You shall not be to him as a creditor" (Exodus 22:24) — not to be upon the borrower like a creditor. Rather, as though he gave it to him as a gift — so that this money will be considered as his own, so that through this he will merit the aspect of mishpat, as above, so that through this he can broaden his hand. For he can merit wealth through this, as above. And this is the aspect of: "Good is the man who is gracious and lends; he conducts his affairs with mishpat" (Psalms 112:5) — specifically. That the essential goodness and kindness of the loan to the poor is the aspect of mishpat that it illuminates within him through this — through which one can rescue him from poverty entirely, as above. For this is the essential mitzvah of the loan to the poor: to see to it to help the poor in a way that he will be rescued from poverty entirely, as it is written: "And if your brother becomes impoverished with you — you shall support him" (Leviticus 25:35) etc. And as Rashi explains there: "Do not let him fall" etc., for as long as he has not fallen, one person can raise him up etc. And all of this is accomplished through the aspect of mishpat, as above. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of ribbis [interest/usury]. For the essential prohibition is that [the lender] takes payment for his money that he lent him. For in truth, one must lend to him in the manner of a gift that is to be returned — as it is written: "You shall not be to him as a creditor." Rather, as though he gave him this money as a complete gift — only that afterward the borrower will return and repay him when the time of repayment arrives. But during the entire duration of the loan, the money belongs entirely to the borrower, and it is forbidden to be as a creditor — how much more so to take from him payment for his money, chas v'sholom — that is, ribbis. For when he is not as a creditor upon the borrower, then the money is considered as [the borrower's] own, and he can merit through this the aspect of mishpat — through which he will be rescued from poverty entirely. And this is the essential mitzvah of tz'dakah and gemilas chesed: to eliminate poverty from Yisroel entirely — through tz'dakah and mishpat, as above. Based on LM I:59 "Mi SheRotzeh L'Kareiv." The core structure: one who draws souls close to Hashem builds the heichal hakodesh (= Yerushalayim = kisei kavod). But the evil of those souls can attach to him. The defense = mishpat (self-judgment — "yishpot es atzmo b'chol ais"). This fire of mishpat burns the evil away. The heichal hakodesh → kavod → chomah of wealth → nefesh. So: wealth flows from mishpat. Os 2 applies this to business: masa umatan = m'kareiv nefashos (holy sparks in commerce dwell among the k'lipos). The businessman must judge himself constantly → fire of mishpat burns evil → builds heichal hakodesh → wealth. The 39 m'lachos are derived from the Mishkan because all business = building the Mishkan. "Tov Torah im derech eretz" = Torah (= mishpat) + business (= derech eretz) together cause sin to be forgotten. Os 3: Churban Yerushalayim = p'gam hamishpat; ge'ulah = "Tziyon b'mishpat tipadeh." All dinai mamonos = mishpat; the entire Choshen Mishpat is about this. Hon baiso = hon (chomah) drawn from bayis (mishpat). Os 4: Poverty → confused da'as → blemished mishpat → more poverty (vicious cycle: "basar anya aniyusa azeil"). Tz'dakah → broadens da'as → poor man judges himself → recognizes Hashem's righteousness → mishpat restored → wealth. Extended mussar passage: the wealthy man must judge himself — he's undeserving, everything is Hashem's, he should give joyfully. Tov ish chonain u'malveh y'chalkel d'varav b'mishpat (Tehilim 112:5). Mashiach = "v'shafat b'tzedek dalim" — ge'ulah through mishpat. Os 5: Gemilas chesed > tz'dakah because a loan = significant sum considered as borrower's own (milveh l'hotza'ah nitnah) → mishpat clothed in the money → can rescue from poverty entirely. "Lo sih'yeh lo k'nosheh" = treat as gift → money = his → mishpat shines. Issur ribbis: taking interest contradicts the entire framework — the money must be fully "his" during the loan period. Based on Likutay Moharan I:59 "Mi SheRotzeh L'Kareiv B'nai Adam La'Avodas Hashem Yisborach" And this is the aspect of: "You shall not enter his house to seize his pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:10). For the bayis [house] is the aspect of mishpat, as is understood from the aforementioned teaching on the verse "And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name" (Isaiah 56:5); see there. And therefore one must have compassion on the borrower — even when he cannot pay and must give a pledge — one must have compassion so as not to uproot the pledge from his house. For the object of the pledge — which is the money of the borrower, whose root is the aspect of mishpat, which is the aspect of bayis — through the small amount of mishpat that he still has, he still hopes that Hashem Yisborach will help him and broaden his hand and rescue him from poverty. And therefore, now that he is compelled to give his possessions as a pledge — the lender is forbidden to enter his house to pledge him, so as not to uproot his money from the root of its vitality, which is the aspect of bayis, the aspect of mishpat. So that it should not be like uprooting a tree from its root, after which it can no longer grow. Rather, one must have compassion on the borrower and leave the root of the vitality of the pledge in his house. Rather: "You shall stand outside" etc. — so that the root of his vitality remains inside, in the house, which is the aspect of mishpat. Perhaps Hashem Yisborach will help, and wealth will sprout and grow for him again — through the root of mishpat, which is the aspect of bayis, as above. And this is the aspect of: "You shall not take the garment of a widow as a pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:17). For it is explained in the teaching "G'zelah" (Siman 69) — which is connected to the aforementioned teaching — that the essential mamon is in the aspect of the ishah [wife/woman], which is the aspect of nefesh, the aspect of shaim [name] etc.; see there. And she is the aspect of the tree — whose vitality comes through the money and wealth that her husband provides to her. He draws the watering of the tree, for he draws to her all the shefa of wealth, which is her vitality. And as long as her husband is alive, he draws to her the shefa of wealth constantly anew — which is her vitality. For the root of the vitality of the wife depends on her husband. And the essential point is through the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. For the husband is the aspect of mishpat, for the essential aspect of mishpat depends on him alone — for a woman is disqualified from judging. And she is in the aspect of shaim, the aspect of nefesh, the aspect of wealth, the aspect of chomah, the aspect of kisei, the aspect of heichal hakodesh — as is known and understood, all of this, from the aforementioned teaching. And the man is the aspect of mishpat, for he rules in his house and judges all the members of his household and those who depend on him. And through this he has the power to draw wealth — which depends on mishpat — which is the vitality of the wife, as above. But when she becomes a widow, chas v'sholom, then she has no one to draw to her the aspect of the illumination of mishpat, from which wealth [flows]. And she has no vitality except from the wealth that her husband left her in her k'subah [marriage contract]. And therefore it is forbidden to pledge the widow. For when one takes a pledge from her, he takes all her vitality — for she has no one anymore to draw to her the aspect of the illumination of mishpat, through which there would be hope to push away the poverty and repay the lender, as above. For the essential [purpose of the] pledge that one takes is that one waits for the borrower until Hashem broadens his hand. And therefore it is forbidden to take the pledge from his house, or to take a widow's garment as a pledge — so as not to blemish mishpat, as above. For K'nesses Yisroel [the Congregation of Israel] in exile is called a almanah [widow], as it is written: "She has become like a widow" (Lamentations 1:1). For our Holy Temple was taken from us because of our sins, in the aspect of a mashkon [pledge] — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: this is why the Bais HaMikdash is called Mishkan, because it was taken as a pledge [nismashkein] for the sins of Yisroel. For the holy wealth of Yisroel and the Bais HaMikdash, which is the heichal hakodesh — they are one aspect, as above. And therefore, in the merit of fulfilling "you shall not take the garment of a widow as a pledge" — Hashem Yisborach will have compassion on the poor of His people, and will "establish the border of the widow" (Proverbs 15:25), and will return to us the pledge that He took from us, and will return and rebuild for us our Holy Temple and our glory — through the rectification of mishpat, as above, as it is written: "Tziyon through justice shall be redeemed, and those who return to her — through righteousness" (Isaiah 1:27). Speedily in our days, Amein. Based on the above: it emerges that the essential sustenance and building of the Bais HaMikdash, which is the heichal hakodesh, is through the aspect of mishpat, as above — which is the aspect of ribu'a [the square]. Through which the igula [the circle] is sustained. And this is the aspect of the guarding of Shabbos — for then there is the elimination of evil, which is the aspect of mishpat that eliminates the evil, as is explained in the aforementioned teaching. And this is why Shabbos is juxtaposed with the construction of the Mishkan many times, as it is written: "My Sabbaths you shall keep, and My sanctuary you shall revere" (Leviticus 19:30). For the essential building of the Bais HaMikdash — which is the aspect of the heichal hakodesh — is through the holiness of the guarding of Shabbos, as above. And this is the aspect of the juxtaposition of the passage (Isaiah 56): "Keep justice and do righteousness... Praiseworthy is the man... who guards the Shabbos from desecrating it... For so says Hashem to the barren ones who guard My Sabbaths... And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name" etc. And it is brought in the holy Zohar: "the barren ones who guard My Sabbaths" — these are those who make themselves barren and do not have marital relations except from Shabbos to Shabbos etc. For holy marital union is in the aspect of yad [hand] and shaim [name], as above — which is mishpat and kisei, as above — which are the aspects of husband and wife, as above. For the essential tikkun hab'ris [rectification of the covenant] is through the aspect of mishpat. Through which the evil is burned so that it does not attach to the heart. For through every marital union, clarifications are made and souls are born. And these souls — because they are clarified from the k'lipos, as is known — therefore the Sitra Achara clings to them. And therefore one needs great fortitude to subdue his evil inclination — which primarily overpowers regarding this desire, because through this is the essential clarification of souls from the k'lipos, which is the aspect of converts, as is known. And therefore it is impossible to merit the guarding of the b'ris [covenant] except through the aspect of mishpat. That is, that he should judge himself greatly, and seclude himself at all times, and pour out his conversation before Hashem Yisborach, and cry out greatly to Hashem Yisborach. All of which is the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat — through which the fervor of the heart is aroused, which is the aspect of fire, and it burns the evil of the souls that he needs to clarify. And the essential evil is the all-encompassing evil — which is the desire for marital relations — which can only be subdued through the fire of the aforementioned mishpat. For this desire is the aspect of fire, and it is subdued through the fire of the aforementioned mishpat — for "from the fire they emerged, and the fire shall consume them" (Ezekiel 15:7). And this is: "And it shall be, because you heed these laws" (Deuteronomy 7:12) etc. That is, through meriting the aforementioned mishpat, through this: "Hashem your G-d will keep for you the covenant" — that you will merit through this the guarding of the b'ris. For Hashem Yisborach Himself will guard you, through your engaging in the aforementioned mishpat. (Something similar to this I saw among the chaveirim [companions] in the name of Rabbeinu, zichrono livrachah, on this verse.) It emerges that the essential tikkun hab'ris is through the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat, through which the evil is eliminated. And therefore the essential marital union in holiness is only on Shabbos — for then the evil is completely eliminated, as is explained in the aforementioned teaching: that the guarding of Shabbos is the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And therefore one must make oneself barren during the weekdays — for then the evil can, chas v'sholom, attach itself, for its primary attachment is through this desire, as above. Therefore one must be careful not to have marital relations during the weekdays, but only on Shabbos — for then the evil is eliminated, in the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And from now on, the juxtaposition of the entire aforementioned passage is well explained: "Keep justice and do righteousness" — mishpat and tz'dakah, as above. "Praiseworthy is the man... who guards the Shabbos" etc. — for the aforementioned mishpat is the aspect of the guarding of Shabbos, as above. And this is: "For so says Hashem to the barren ones who guard My Sabbaths" — that is, as it is brought in the Zohar, those who make themselves barren from Shabbos to Shabbos. For then the evil is eliminated, in the aspect of the tikkun accomplished through mishpat, as above. And because of this one must make oneself barren during the weekdays — for then the evil can, chas v'sholom, attach itself, for its primary attachment is through this desire, as above. Therefore one must be careful not to have relations during the weekdays, but only on Shabbos — for then the evil is eliminated, in the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And therefore [the passage] concludes with all of this: "And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name." For all of this is merited through the guarding of Shabbos, as above — which is the aspect of the rectification of mishpat, as is well explained in the aforementioned teaching; see there. Connected to the aforementioned teaching. There it is explained that through mishpat, one burns the evil of the souls that one is drawing close — from which the heichal hakodesh is built, which is a garment for the ruach [spirit] that is in the heart. And the essential clothing is for the feet of the ruach; see there in the aforementioned teaching. And this is: "The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice" (Psalms 37:30). That is, mishpat as above — that he speaks between himself and himself, and judges himself. Through this: "The Torah of his G-d is in his heart; his steps do not falter" (Psalms 37:31). "His steps" specifically — that is, the feet of the ruach in the heart, which do not falter and are not blemished, chas v'sholom, through his drawing souls close to Hashem Yisborach. For the fire of mishpat burns their evil, and it cannot attach to his heart. And then: "The Torah of his G-d is in his heart; his steps do not falter" — as above. Connected to the above: And therefore it is forbidden to take the pledge by oneself — only through bais din — so that it should be according to mishpat. For one must illuminate the illumination of mishpat in order to push away the poverty, as above. Os 6: The house = mishpat. Entering the borrower's house to seize the pledge = uprooting the tree from its root (the root of mishpat from which wealth can regrow). "Bachutz ta'amod" = leave the root of mishpat/vitality inside the house, so wealth can perhaps sprout again. Os 7: The widow (almanah). The wife = nefesh = shaim = chomah = kisei = heichal hakodesh; the husband = mishpat (he rules/judges in the house, draws wealth to her). A widow has lost her source of he'aras hamishpat → all she has is what's left from her k'subah → forbidden to pledge her at all. Taking her pledge = taking all her vitality, with no possibility of recovery. Os 8: K'nesses Yisroel in galus = almanah ("hay'sah k'almanah," Eichah 1:1). The Bais HaMikdash was taken as a mashkon (Mishkan = nismashkein). In the merit of "lo sachbol beged almanah" → Hashem will return our mashkon and rebuild the Bais HaMikdash, through tikkun hamishpat = "Tziyon b'mishpat tipadeh." Os 9-10: Shabbos = bittul hara = mishpat. This is why Shabbos is juxtaposed with the Mishkan ("es Shabbsosai tishmoru u'mikdashi tira'u"). Isaiah 56: "shimru mishpat... shomer Shabbos... lasarisim asher yishm'ru es Shabbsosai... v'nasati lahem b'vaisi uv'chomosai yad vashaim." The Zohar: "sarisim" = those who make themselves barren and only have relations Shabbos to Shabbos. Tikkun hab'ris depends on mishpat (self-judgment, hisbod'deidus, crying out to Hashem) → fire of mishpat burns the all-encompassing evil (ta'avas hamishgal). "V'hayah aikev tishm'un es hamishpatim... v'shamar Hashem Elokecha l'cha es hab'ris." Weekdays = evil can attach; Shabbos = evil eliminated through mishpat → holy union only on Shabbos. Os 11: The heichal hakodesh = garment for the ruach shebalev. Essential clothing = for the "feet of the ruach." "Pi Tzadik yehgeh chochmah ul'shono t'dabeir mishpat" → "Toras Elokav b'libo lo sim'ad ashrurav" — "ashrurav" (his steps) = the feet of the ruach in the heart, which don't falter because the fire of mishpat burns the evil. Coda: therefore the pledge can only be taken through bais din = according to mishpat → illuminate mishpat to push away poverty. Based on Likutay Moharan I:59 "Mi SheRotzeh L'Kareiv B'nai Adam La'Avodas Hashem Yisborach" And this is the aspect of: "You shall not enter his house to seize his pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:10). For the bayis [house] is the aspect of mishpat, as is understood from the aforementioned teaching on the verse "And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name" (Isaiah 56:5); see there. And therefore one must have compassion on the borrower — even when he cannot pay and must give a pledge — one must have compassion so as not to uproot the pledge from his house. For the object of the pledge — which is the money of the borrower, whose root is the aspect of mishpat, which is the aspect of bayis — through the small amount of mishpat that he still has, he still hopes that Hashem Yisborach will help him and broaden his hand and rescue him from poverty. And therefore, now that he is compelled to give his possessions as a pledge — the lender is forbidden to enter his house to pledge him, so as not to uproot his money from the root of its vitality, which is the aspect of bayis, the aspect of mishpat. So that it should not be like uprooting a tree from its root, after which it can no longer grow. Rather, one must have compassion on the borrower and leave the root of the vitality of the pledge in his house. Rather: "You shall stand outside" etc. — so that the root of his vitality remains inside, in the house, which is the aspect of mishpat. Perhaps Hashem Yisborach will help, and wealth will sprout and grow for him again — through the root of mishpat, which is the aspect of bayis, as above. And this is the aspect of: "You shall not take the garment of a widow as a pledge" (Deuteronomy 24:17). For it is explained in the teaching "G'zelah" (Siman 69) — which is connected to the aforementioned teaching — that the essential mamon is in the aspect of the ishah [wife/woman], which is the aspect of nefesh, the aspect of sheim [name] etc.; see there. And she is the aspect of the tree — whose vitality comes through the money and wealth that her husband provides to her. He draws the watering of the tree, for he draws to her all the shefa of wealth, which is her vitality. And as long as her husband is alive, he draws to her the shefa of wealth constantly anew — which is her vitality. For the root of the vitality of the wife depends on her husband. And the essential point is through the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. For the husband is the aspect of mishpat, for the essential aspect of mishpat depends on him alone — for a woman is disqualified from judging. And she is in the aspect of sheim, the aspect of nefesh, the aspect of wealth, the aspect of chomah, the aspect of kisei, the aspect of heichal hakodesh — as is known and understood, all of this, from the aforementioned teaching. And the man is the aspect of mishpat, for he rules in his house and judges all the members of his household and those who depend on him. And through this he has the power to draw wealth — which depends on mishpat — which is the vitality of the wife, as above. But when she becomes a widow, chas v'sholom, then she has no one to draw to her the aspect of the illumination of mishpat, from which wealth [flows]. And she has no vitality except from the wealth that her husband left her in her k'subah [marriage contract]. And therefore it is forbidden to pledge the widow. For when one takes a pledge from her, he takes all her vitality — for she has no one anymore to draw to her the aspect of the illumination of mishpat, through which there would be hope to push away the poverty and repay the lender, as above. For the essential [purpose of the] pledge that one takes is that one waits for the borrower until Hashem broadens his hand. And therefore it is forbidden to take the pledge from his house, or to take a widow's garment as a pledge — so as not to blemish mishpat, as above. For K'nesses Yisroel [the Congregation of Israel] in exile is called a almanah [widow], as it is written: "She has become like a widow" (Lamentations 1:1). For our Holy Temple was taken from us because of our sins, in the aspect of a mashkon [pledge] — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: this is why the Bais HaMikdash is called Mishkan, because it was taken as a pledge [nismashkein] for the sins of Yisroel. For the holy wealth of Yisroel and the Bais HaMikdash, which is the heichal hakodesh — they are one aspect, as above. And therefore, in the merit of fulfilling "you shall not take the garment of a widow as a pledge" — Hashem Yisborach will have compassion on the poor of His people, and will "establish the border of the widow" (Proverbs 15:25), and will return to us the pledge that He took from us, and will return and rebuild for us our Holy Temple and our glory — through the rectification of mishpat, as above, as it is written: "Tziyon through justice shall be redeemed, and those who return to her — through righteousness" (Isaiah 1:27). Speedily in our days, Amein. Based on the above: it emerges that the essential sustenance and building of the Bais HaMikdash, which is the heichal hakodesh, is through the aspect of mishpat, as above — which is the aspect of ribu'a [the square]. Through which the igula [the circle] is sustained. And this is the aspect of the guarding of Shabbos — for then there is the elimination of evil, which is the aspect of mishpat that eliminates the evil, as is explained in the aforementioned teaching. And this is why Shabbos is juxtaposed with the construction of the Mishkan many times, as it is written: "My Sabbaths you shall keep, and My sanctuary you shall revere" (Leviticus 19:30). For the essential building of the Bais HaMikdash — which is the aspect of the heichal hakodesh — is through the holiness of the guarding of Shabbos, as above. And this is the aspect of the juxtaposition of the passage (Isaiah 56): "Keep justice and do righteousness... Praiseworthy is the man... who guards the Shabbos from desecrating it... For so says Hashem to the barren ones who guard My Sabbaths... And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name" etc. And it is brought in the holy Zohar: "the barren ones who guard My Sabbaths" — these are those who make themselves barren and do not have marital relations except from Shabbos to Shabbos etc. For holy marital union is in the aspect of yad [hand] and sheim [name], as above — which is mishpat and kisei, as above — which are the aspects of husband and wife, as above. For the essential tikkun hab'ris [rectification of the covenant] is through the aspect of mishpat. Through which the evil is burned so that it does not attach to the heart. For through every marital union, clarifications are made and souls are born. And these souls — because they are clarified from the k'lipos, as is known — therefore the Sitra Achara clings to them. And therefore one needs great fortitude to subdue his evil inclination — which primarily overpowers regarding this desire, because through this is the essential clarification of souls from the k'lipos, which is the aspect of converts, as is known. And therefore it is impossible to merit the guarding of the b'ris [covenant] except through the aspect of mishpat. That is, that he should judge himself greatly, and seclude himself at all times, and pour out his conversation before Hashem Yisborach, and cry out greatly to Hashem Yisborach. All of which is the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat — through which the fervor of the heart is aroused, which is the aspect of fire, and it burns the evil of the souls that he needs to clarify. And the essential evil is the all-encompassing evil — which is the desire for marital relations — which can only be subdued through the fire of the aforementioned mishpat. For this desire is the aspect of fire, and it is subdued through the fire of the aforementioned mishpat — for "from the fire they emerged, and the fire shall consume them" (Ezekiel 15:7). And this is: "And it shall be, because you heed these laws" (Deuteronomy 7:12) etc. That is, through meriting the aforementioned mishpat, through this: "Hashem your G-d will keep for you the covenant" — that you will merit through this the guarding of the b'ris. For Hashem Yisborach Himself will guard you, through your engaging in the aforementioned mishpat. (Something similar to this I saw among the chaveirim [companions] in the name of Rabbeinu, zichrono livrachah, on this verse.) It emerges that the essential tikkun hab'ris is through the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat, through which the evil is eliminated. And therefore the essential marital union in holiness is only on Shabbos — for then the evil is completely eliminated, as is explained in the aforementioned teaching: that the guarding of Shabbos is the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And therefore one must make oneself barren during the weekdays — for then the evil can, chas v'sholom, attach itself, for its primary attachment is through this desire, as above. Therefore one must be careful not to have marital relations during the weekdays, but only on Shabbos — for then the evil is eliminated, in the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And from now on, the juxtaposition of the entire aforementioned passage is well explained: "Keep justice and do righteousness" — mishpat and tz'dakah, as above. "Praiseworthy is the man... who guards the Shabbos" etc. — for the aforementioned mishpat is the aspect of the guarding of Shabbos, as above. And this is: "For so says Hashem to the barren ones who guard My Sabbaths" — that is, as it is brought in the Zohar, those who make themselves barren from Shabbos to Shabbos. For then the evil is eliminated, in the aspect of the tikkun accomplished through mishpat, as above. And because of this one must make oneself barren during the weekdays — for then the evil can, chas v'sholom, attach itself, for its primary attachment is through this desire, as above. Therefore one must be careful not to have relations during the weekdays, but only on Shabbos — for then the evil is eliminated, in the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat. And therefore [the passage] concludes with all of this: "And I will give them in My house and within My walls a hand and a name." For all of this is merited through the guarding of Shabbos, as above — which is the aspect of the rectification of mishpat, as is well explained in the aforementioned teaching; see there. Connected to the aforementioned teaching. There it is explained that through mishpat, one burns the evil of the souls that one is drawing close — from which the heichal hakodesh is built, which is a garment for the ruach [spirit] that is in the heart. And the essential clothing is for the feet of the ruach; see there in the aforementioned teaching. And this is: "The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice" (Psalms 37:30). That is, mishpat as above — that he speaks between himself and himself, and judges himself. Through this: "The Torah of his G-d is in his heart; his steps do not falter" (Psalms 37:31). "His steps" specifically — that is, the feet of the ruach in the heart, which do not falter and are not blemished, chas v'sholom, through his drawing souls close to Hashem Yisborach. For the fire of mishpat burns their evil, and it cannot attach to his heart. And then: "The Torah of his G-d is in his heart; his steps do not falter" — as above. Connected to the above: And therefore it is forbidden to take the pledge by oneself — only through bais din — so that it should be according to mishpat. For one must illuminate the illumination of mishpat in order to push away the poverty, as above. Os 6: The house = mishpat. Entering the borrower's house to seize the pledge = uprooting the tree from its root (the root of mishpat from which wealth can regrow). "Bachutz ta'amod" = leave the root of mishpat/vitality inside the house, so wealth can perhaps sprout again. Os 7: The widow (almanah). The wife = nefesh = sheim = chomah = kisei = heichal hakodesh; the husband = mishpat (he rules/judges in the house, draws wealth to her). A widow has lost her source of he'aras hamishpat → all she has is what's left from her k'subah → forbidden to pledge her at all. Taking her pledge = taking all her vitality, with no possibility of recovery. Os 8: K'nesses Yisroel in galus = almanah ("hay'sah k'almanah," Eichah 1:1). The Bais HaMikdash was taken as a mashkon (Mishkan = nismashkein). In the merit of "lo sachbol beged almanah" → Hashem will return our mashkon and rebuild the Bais HaMikdash, through tikkun hamishpat = "Tziyon b'mishpat tipadeh." Os 9-10: Shabbos = bittul hara = mishpat. This is why Shabbos is juxtaposed with the Mishkan ("es Shabbsosai tishmoru u'mikdashi tira'u"). Isaiah 56: "shimru mishpat... shomer Shabbos... lasarisim asher yishm'ru es Shabbsosai... v'nasati lahem b'vaisi uv'chomosai yad vasheim." The Zohar: "sarisim" = those who make themselves barren and only have relations Shabbos to Shabbos. Tikkun hab'ris depends on mishpat (self-judgment, hisbod'deidus, crying out to Hashem) → fire of mishpat burns the all-encompassing evil (ta'avas hamishgal). "V'hayah eikev tishm'un es hamishpatim... v'shamar Hashem Elokecha l'cha es hab'ris." Weekdays = evil can attach; Shabbos = evil eliminated through mishpat → holy union only on Shabbos. Os 11: The heichal hakodesh = garment for the ruach shebalev. Essential clothing = for the "feet of the ruach." "Pi Tzadik yehgeh chochmah ul'shono t'dabeir mishpat" → "Toras Elokav b'libo lo sim'ad ashrurav" — "ashrurav" (his steps) = the feet of the ruach in the heart, which don't falter because the fire of mishpat burns the evil. Coda: therefore the pledge can only be taken through bais din = according to mishpat → illuminate mishpat to push away poverty. Based on Likutay Moharan I:59 "Mi SheRotzeh L'Kareiv B'nai Adam La'Avodas Hashem Yisborach"