כח והרשאה א

--accent: #8b6914;

הלכות העושה שליח לגבות חובו, הלכה ג

Based on Likutay Moharan I:8, "I Saw a Golden Menorah."

And this is the aspect of "u'Mordechai yatza milifnai hamelech bilvush malchus t'chailes vacur va'ateres zahav g'dolah v'sachrich butz v'argaman" ["And Mordechai went forth from before the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a great golden crown, and a cloak of fine linen and purple"] (Esther 8:15). It enumerates six garments: royal garment — one; t'chailes — two; vacur [white] — three; a great golden crown — four; a cloak of butz [fine linen] — five; and argaman [purple]. Corresponding to the six sidrai Mishnah [orders of the Mishnah], which are in the aspect of the six days of B'reishis [Creation], in which the world was created through the Torah, which is comprised of six aspects: kasher [valid] and pasul [invalid], tamai [impure] and tahor [pure], asur [forbidden] and mutar [permitted]. As long as these are not sorted out, they are in the aspect of a mixture of good and evil, from which comes the hold of the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa [the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil].

And this is the entire avodah [service] of a person — that he must sort the good from the evil by laboring in the Torah until he clarifies the p'sak halachah [legal ruling], sorting the forbidden from the permitted, the impure from the pure, the valid from the invalid. And then from this, holy garments are made for his n'shamah [soul], the aspect of "chaluka d'rabanan" [the garment of the scholars], as is known. And therefore there are six garments, corresponding to the six sidrai Mishnah, which are comprised of the six aforementioned aspects — asur and mutar etc. — as is brought. For after they are sorted, they are all included in k'dushah [holiness], and everything is transformed to good, and from them is made the aspect of the six aforementioned garments. For through knowing which is forbidden and which is permitted — through which one separates from the forbidden — therefore even from the knowledge of the forbidden a holy garment is made, since through this one knows to separate from it, for "one who sits and does not commit a transgression, it is as though he performed a mitzvah" (Kiddushin 39b). And therefore Mordechai, who is the aspect of the rav of k'dushah, rav chesed [abundant kindness], who merits to clarify the p'sak halachah through the abundance of t'filos [prayers] as above — and as Chazal said, that Mordechai was very great in Torah, for he would open with matters and expound upon them, and he was the head of the Sanhedrin, who rule for Yisroel all the halachos — therefore he merited all the aforementioned garments, the aspect of "u'Mordechai yatza" etc. — which are six, corresponding to the six aforementioned aspects. For the main miracle and salvation, to prevail over the rav of k'lipah [master of the husk], the aspect of Haman etc., is through meriting to clarify the p'sak halachah through t'filah etc., as is explained well in the aforementioned Torah, see there well. [This pertains to the above:] The ruach chayim [spirit of life] is the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis [north wind] that blows etc. And therefore in the Bais HaMikdash [the Holy Temple], where the ruach chayim was — for there stood the Aron [Ark] with the Aseres HaDibros [Ten Commandments] — therefore the primary holiness was in the north, as it says: "Kodshei kodashim, sh'chitasan batzafon v'kibul daman bichlai sharais batzafon" ["The holiest offerings — their slaughter is in the north and the receiving of their blood in service vessels is in the north"] (Mishnah Z'vachim 5:1). Eretz Yisroel — there is the ruach chayim, for "avira d'Eretz Yisroel machkim" ["the air of Eretz Yisroel makes one wise"] (Bava Basra 158b). And therefore "lo techsar kol bah" ["you shall lack nothing in it"] (D'varim 8:9) — the aspect of the completion of deficiencies. And therefore it is called Eretz HaChayim [the Land of Life], for there is the holy air that makes wise, which is the main breathing, which is the ruach chayim — the air that makes wise, for "hachochmah t'chayeh" ["wisdom gives life"] (Koheles 7:12). "Kol hakasuv lachayim biYrushalayim" ["All who are inscribed for life in Yerushalayim"] (Y'shayah 4:3). And therefore the primary erasure of Amalaik is in Eretz Yisroel, as it is written, "Ba'aretz asher Hashem...timcheh es zaicher Amalaik" etc. ["In the land that Hashem...you shall erase the memory of Amalaik"] (D'varim 25:19). For all the korbanos [offerings] are the aspect of the sorting of the ruach chayim — to sort the ruach chayim from animal to man. For an animal has in it ruach chayim, but it is the ruach of animality, which is the aspect of ruach sh'tus [the spirit of folly], which is the aspect of all the desires from which come all the transgressions as above — the animalistic desires, which are the aspect of the ruach and chiyus [vitality] of the rav of k'lipah, the aspect of Amalaik, who made himself comparable to an animal, as Chazal said. And therefore, when a person sins — which is drawn from the ruach sh'tus, as Chazal said (Sotah 3a) — which is the aspect of the ruach of animality — he brings a korban [offering] from an animal, in order to sort the ruach chayim of the person from the animal. And therefore they would offer all four y'sodos [elements] from all the domeim, tzomei'ach, chai, m'dabeir [inanimate, vegetable, animal, human], as is brought in the Kisvai [writings of the Arizal], in order to sort the good from the evil from all the four y'sodos, through which one subdues the wicked and the Sitra Achara [the Other Side]. And therefore the Bais HaMikdash is called "Bais Chayainu" ["the House of our Life"], for there is the main ruach chayim of the entire world, as above. And therefore the primary k'dushah in the Bais HaMikdash was in the north, as it says: "Kodshei kodashim, sh'chitasan batzafon" etc., for there is the main completion of all deficiencies, for tzafon [north] is chasair [deficient], and there one must draw the ruach chayim that is hidden (tzafun) in the heart to complete all the deficiencies that depend on this ruach chayim — which is the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis that blows upon the harp of David, as is explained well at the beginning of the aforementioned Torah. And therefore the L'viyim [Levites] would conduct the music in the Bais HaMikdash, for the main drawing of the ruach chayim is through the aspect of melody and song to Hashem Yisbarach — which is the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis that blows upon the harp of David, through which it would play by itself. And therefore all the nations who wanted to prevail over Yisroel strove most of all to destroy the Mishkan [Tabernacle] and the Bais HaMikdash, as it is written, "Shilchu va'aish mikdashecha...amru b'libam ninam yachad, sarfu kol mo'adai Eil ba'aretz" etc. ["They set fire to Your Sanctuary...they said in their hearts, 'Let us destroy them all together'; they burned all the meeting-places of G-d in the land"] (T'hilim 74:7–8). And as Rashi explained there: "All their rulers had one thought, the first ones like the last ones" etc. — the P'lishtim destroyed Shiloh, N'vuchadnetzar destroyed the first Bais, Titus destroyed the second Bais — because they wanted to nullify, chas v'shalom, the ruach chayim of Yisroel that is in the Bais HaMikdash as above. For through this they could prevail and rule over them, chas v'shalom, for the main dominion and galus [exile] of the nations is according to the weakening of the ruach chayim of Yisroel, chas v'shalom, and according to the strengthening of their ruach, as above. And therefore Haman prevailed at the end of the first galus, and all his overpowering and that of his ten impure sons was first to halt the building of the Bais HaMikdash, as Chazal said — in order to nullify, chas v'shalom, the ruach chayim of Yisroel, as above. And therefore he wanted to prevail in Adar, the month in which Moshe died — who is the rav of k'dushah — and he thought that now there was no one left who could draw the ruach chayim of k'dushah to stand against him. But there is no orphaned generation, for Mordechai was very great, and he was pure and clean to the ultimate degree of purity, so that he was able to descend even into the evil channels of Haman-Amalaik, yimach sh'mam [may their names be erased], to shatter and nullify them. For he was the aspect of "b'samim rosh" ["chief spices"] (Sh'mos 30:23), "mor d'ror" — "marai dach'ya" [master of purity], pure and clean. And this is the aspect of "b'samim rosh," for the main breathing, which is the ruach chayim, is in the nose, as it is written, "Kol asher nishmas ruach chayim b'apav" etc. ["All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life"] (B'reishis 7:22). And the main chiyus of k'dushah, which is the chiyus of the n'shamah, is fragrance, as Chazal said (B'rachos 43b) on the pasuk "Kol han'shamah t'halleil Yah" — "What is it that the n'shamah benefits from" etc. And Mordechai was the aspect of the rosh [chief/head] of all fragrances, which is the main chiyus of the n'shamah. That is, he was the main ruach chayim of k'dushah, which is the chiyus of the n'shamah, which is the aspect of fragrance, and he was pure and clean without any hold of evil whatsoever. Through this he was able to descend even into the evil channels of Haman-Amalaik, yimach sh'mam, to subdue them and cast them down to the ground, as above. And this is the aspect of Parashas Parah, which is read after Purim. For at first it is Pur [lot], and afterwards it becomes Parah [the Red Heifer] etc., as Adoneinu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu z"l [our Master, our Teacher and our Rebbe, of blessed memory] wrote in Likutay Tinyana (in Siman 74). For the Parah purifies from tumas mais [the impurity of death], which is the departure of the ruach chayim that is drawn from the Tzadik. And then the ruach of tumah rules, which is the ruach of the rav of k'lipah, which is the sitra d'mosa [the side of death], for "the wicked in their lifetimes are called dead" (B'rachos 18b). And the Parah purifies from this. And therefore it is adumah t'mimah [completely red], to subdue and nullify the aspect of Eisav admoni [the ruddy one], which is the sitra d'mosa, which is the ruach of k'lipah as above. For "ain hadin nimtak ela b'shorsho" ["judgment is only sweetened at its root"]. For the great Tzadik must descend into the evil middah [trait] of the rasha, which is his tzinor [channel], to subdue and nullify it, as above. This is the aspect of the entire matter of the Parah, and the sa'ir hamishtale'ach [the scapegoat sent to Azazel], and the eglah arufah [the heifer whose neck is broken] — whose procedures are performed outside, meaning they go out to the outside where [the impure forces] have their hold, and they descend into their tzinor. Through this they subdue and nullify the strength of their hold. This is the aspect of the Parah Adumah [Red Heifer] that purifies from tumas mais, which is the primary tumah drawn from the sin of Adam HaRishon. And likewise the eglah arufah, which atones for the dead — the corpse found [in the field]. And likewise the sa'ir hamishtale'ach, which atones on Yom HaKippurim [the Day of Atonement] for the general avonos [sins] of Yisroel. That is, as above. For Haman wanted to blemish, through his pur [lot] and his goral [casting of lots], the goral of Yom HaKippurim, when the Kohein Gadol [High Priest] would place upon the two goats two lots — one lot for Hashem and one lot for Azazel — in order to atone for the avonos of Yisroel through this specifically. For all avonos are drawn from the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa, which is the contamination of the Nachash [Serpent], through which death was drawn into the world. For the main b'chirah [free choice] that a person has is because there is good and evil. But the root of the good and the evil — from where it is drawn — this is impossible to know through human intellect in any manner. Rather, we believe that Hashem Yisbarach, Who is entirely good, contracted Himself, kiv'yachol [as it were], with wondrous wisdom through wondrous and varied contractions, until the root of din [judgment] came into being, which is the root of evil — so that there should be b'chirah for man. For it is impossible to know and recognize Him Yisbarach except through this specifically, as is known. But to understand through intellect how this came about is impossible to understand in any manner. And Adam HaRishon, who wanted to enter into knowing this and ate from the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa — through this he greatly blemished and caused death for [all] generations. And death is the opposite of the ruach chayim that is drawn through the true Tzadik, who is the aspect of the Aitz HaChayim [the Tree of Life], who draws the ruach chayim from its root, from the aspect of t'filah, which is the aspect of Aiden, "ayin lo ra'asah" ["no eye has seen"], which is the root of the wellspring that goes forth from the House of Hashem, from the Holy of Holies — which is "nasiv lo y'da'o ayit" ["a path no bird of prey knows"], which is impossible to attain through any intellect. And one can only receive from there through t'filah and tachanunim [supplications], which is the aspect of emunah [faith]. And then one merits to draw the wellspring of wisdom from there to clarify the p'sak halachah. Through this specifically, one sorts the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa — meaning, one sorts the good from the evil, the permitted from the forbidden etc. For the main sorting is through emunah specifically, which is t'filah, as above. And this is the aspect of the goral of the Kohein Gadol on Yom HaKippurim, which he placed on the two goats that were both equal in their stature and appearance etc., as Chazal said. And it was impossible to sort them out, to know which is for Hashem and which for Azazel, except through the goral, which is above intellect. For through the intellect it is impossible to understand at all from where the good and evil are divided — which are the aspect of the two goats, which at first are both completely equal, and afterwards they are divided, this one to Hashem, to the innermost [sanctum], and this one to the outside entirely, to Azazel. But we believe — even though it is impossible to understand this through intellect — we believe that everything came forth from Hashem Tz'vaos. For "in the bosom the goral is cast, and from Hashem is all its judgment" (Mishlei 16:33) — the goral comes forth from Hashem, who [is designated] for Hashem and who for Azazel, according to His wondrous ways. And through this specifically, the aspect of the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa is sorted — for it is impossible to attain from where the good and evil are drawn, as above. But Haman wanted to blemish this, for he denied and said that the goral is by chance, chas v'shalom, and he was a great sorcerer. And he said he could, through sorcery and names of tumah, direct the goral however he wished, for he said that the ruach chayim could be drawn by anyone according to his will, to whatever he wants. This was the aspect of the sin of the Aigel [the Golden Calf], when the scheme of the Satan succeeded and there was ruach chayim in it, as Rashi explained there. That is, this was the main blemish — that through the great sorcery of the Airev Rav [the Mixed Multitude], they were able to draw the ruach chayim to whatever they wanted, even to inanimate objects and plants. For the ruach chayim of the Sitra Achara was very great in their time, in the aspect of a ruach s'arah [storm wind], a ruach of tumah, to the point that they had the power to draw the ruach chayim to whatever they wanted, temporarily. For Hashem Yisbarach gave them such power for the sake of b'chirah, as it is written, "Ki m'naseh Hashem Elokaichem es'chem" etc. ["For Hashem your G-d is testing you"] (D'varim 13:4). And from the greatness of their evil power to draw the ruach chayim to anything, they deny completely, as if they were in their own domain and could do whatever they wish and fulfill every desire of their evil hearts. This is the entire intent of their evil in all their avodah zarah [idolatry] and in all their types of heresy. And the Parah Adumah atones for all this, for through it we demonstrate that Yisroel have the power to sort the ruach chayim from the strength of the Sitra Achara, which draws sustenance from the strength of din — which is the aspect of adumah t'mimah [completely red], the aspect of Eisav admoni. For the Tzadik of the aspect of Moshe can descend even there and shatter their evil tzinor, which is the aspect of tumas mais, and shatter and subdue it and purify Yisroel through this specifically. For specifically the Parah Adumah purifies from tumas mais. That is, as above — that specifically through their tzinor one subdues them, as above. And therefore they made the Aigel of gold, for "mitzafon zahav ye'eseh" ["from the north gold comes"] (Iyov 37:22), and they wanted to blemish the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis as above. Therefore they made for themselves specifically elohei zahav [gods of gold]. But Moshe shattered and nullified it, mainly through t'filah, as it is written, "Vay'chal Moshe" ["And Moshe entreated"] (Sh'mos 32:11), as above. And through this he returned and drew Kabbalas HaTorah [the receiving of the Torah] anew — meaning, the Luchos Sh'niyos [the Second Tablets]. That is, as above — that the main tikkun [rectification] is through t'filah, through which one clarifies the laws of the Torah in truth. This is the aspect of Kabbalas HaTorah anew, from which is the ruach chayim of k'dushah, as above. And this is the aspect of Parashas HaChodesh, which is read before Pesach. For all the deficiencies in the world are drawn from the deficiency of the l'vanah [moon], from the aspect of "m'oros chasair" [the "luminaries" spelled deficiently]. And Yisroel, through the mitzvah of Kidush HaChodesh [the sanctification of the New Moon], fill and complete the deficiency and blemish of the l'vanah. And through this all deficiencies are completed and filled, for the ruach chayim is drawn from the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis that blows upon the harp of David as above, to fill and complete all deficiencies. For the entire matter of David HaMelech, alav hashalom [peace be upon him], was to complete the blemish of the l'vanah, for his kingship is compared to the l'vanah, as is brought. And in his days "kai'ma siharah b'ashlimusah" ["the moon stood in its fullness"]. And therefore at the time of Kidush HaL'vanah [the sanctification of the moon] — which is the aspect of the tikkun of the blemish and deficiency of the l'vanah — they say then, "David Melech Yisroel chai v'kayam" ["David, King of Israel, lives and endures"], for certainly he lives and endures always, for he constantly draws the ruach chayim to fill all the deficiencies in the world, as above. And therefore they were commanded the mitzvah of Kidush HaChodesh at the time of Y'tzias Mitzrayim, for the entire Y'tzias Mitzrayim was through Moshe's meriting to prevail with the ruach chayim of k'dushah drawn from the Torah he was destined to receive, and through this he prevailed over the ruach chayim of the Sitra Achara of the Egyptians, and through this he subdued and brought them low in the aspect of "Mashpil r'sha'im adei aretz" as above. And therefore they were then commanded the mitzvah of Kidush HaChodesh, which is the tikkun of the blemish and deficiency of the l'vanah, which is the aspect of the completion of deficiencies through the ruach chayim of k'dushah, as above. And therefore the g'ulah [redemption] was specifically at chatzos [midnight], for then the ruach tz'fonis blows upon the harp of David, which is the ruach chayim of k'dushah through which the g'ulah came, as above. And therefore Parashas HaChodesh Hazeh Lachem is placed adjacent to Parashas Kachatzos halaylah ani yotzai b'soch Mitzrayim ["At about midnight I go forth in the midst of Mitzrayim"] (Sh'mos 11:4), for they are one aspect, as above. And this is the aspect of Pesach — the aspect of eating matzah and the four cups — the aspect of Y'tzias Mitzrayim in every generation. For it has already been explained above that the main galus of Mitzrayim, and likewise all the exiles that are called by the name Mitzrayim, is through the prevailing of the ruach chayim of the Sitra Achara, which is the aspect of Eisav and his men, which is the aspect of the rav of k'lipah who prevails against the rav of k'dushah — the ruach chayim of k'dushah of Yisroel that they receive from the Torah through the rav of k'dushah. For the ruach of the Sitra Achara is great in its time, in the aspect of a ruach s'arah [storm wind] etc., as above at length. And every person must see and strive to go out from the galus — meaning, to go out from all the desires and from all the evil middos of all the four y'sodos [elements], which are the main galus. For the main power and sustenance of the nations, who are the aspect of Eisav and his faction, is from the evil of the four y'sodos, which are all the evil middos, which are their evil channels, as above. And every person must pray greatly to Hashem Yisbarach that he should merit to draw close to true Tzadikim, who are the aspect of the rav of k'dushah, who have already merited to sort completely all the four y'sodos, to the point that they can wage war with the Sitra Achara — meaning, descend into all their evil channels and shatter them and bring Yisroel out of their galus, so that all those close to them will also merit to sort the four y'sodos, to go out from all the desires and all the evil middos. And the primary sorting is through Torah — meaning, through the study of poskim [halachic decisors], as is explained there. And it is impossible to merit to clarify the p'sak halachah completely except through t'filah etc., as above. For through t'filah the wellspring is drawn from the House of Hashem to the garden, which is the Torah. Through this "israbiyau ishbin ud'sha'in" ["the grasses and herbs grow"] in the garden — which are the aspect of the n'shamos [souls], the aspect of "r'vavah k'tzemach hasadeh n'satich" ["myriad, like the plant of the field I gave you"] (Y'chezkel 16:7) etc. And through this one merits to sort the good from the evil — meaning, to sort all the four y'sodos, to subdue and nullify the evil in them and to elevate all the good in them — until all the four y'sodos are included in their root, which is the aspect of "v'hayah l'arba'ah rashim" ["and it became four heads"] (B'reishis 2:10), which are the four letters of the Shem Havayah, Baruch Hu [the Name of Hashem, blessed be He], as is explained there, see there. And this is the entire avodah of a person in this world, for man was formed from the four y'sodos, and all middos and desires are all comprised in the four y'sodos, as is explained elsewhere and as is brought in the s'farim. And the entire avodah of a person is to sort the four y'sodos as above until they are in the aspect of the four rashim, as above. And all of this is explained well for one who has eyes, in the parashah of the creation of man. As it is written there: "Vayitzer Hashem Elokim es ha'adam afar min ha'adamah vayipach b'apav nishmas chayim...vayita Hashem Elokim gan b'Aiden mikedem vayasem sham es ha'adam...vayatzmach Hashem Elokim kol aitz nechmad...v'Aitz HaChayim b'soch hagan v'Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa. V'nahar yotzai mai'Aiden l'hashkos es hagan umisham yipareid v'hayah l'arba'ah rashim, shaim ha'echad Pishon...asher sham hazahav...vayikach Hashem Elokim es ha'adam vayanichaihu v'Gan Aiden l'avdah ul'shamrah. Vaytzav Hashem Elokim al ha'adam laimor, mikol aitz hagan...umai'Aitz HaDa'as..." ["And Hashem G-d formed man, dust from the earth, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life...and Hashem G-d planted a garden in Aiden, to the east, and placed there the man...and Hashem G-d caused to grow every pleasant tree...and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden, and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And a river goes forth from Aiden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four heads; the name of the first is Pishon...where there is gold...and Hashem G-d took the man and set him in the Garden of Aiden to work it and guard it. And Hashem G-d commanded the man, saying: From every tree of the garden...and from the Tree of Knowledge..."] (B'reishis 2:7–17). For it has already been explained in the aforementioned Torah, the pasuk "V'nahar yotzai mai'Aiden" etc. as above, explained well according to this Torah — that it is the aspect of the wellspring of wisdom and intellect that goes forth from t'filah to the Torah. For t'filah is the aspect of Aiden, and the Torah is the aspect of the garden etc. And through this one separates the evil from the good from all the four y'sodos, the aspect of "umisham yipareid" ["and from there it divides"]. And through this all four y'sodos are included in their root, in the four letters of the Shem Havayah — this is the aspect of "v'hayah l'arba'ah rashim," see there. And then one merits to draw the ruach chayim of k'dushah from the Torah, to subdue the ruach of the Sitra Achara, which is the aspect of Eisav, as is explained there, see there. And all of this is explained well in the entire aforementioned parashah for one who examines there. For at first the parashah speaks of the matter of the ruach chayim of the person, which is his main chiyus and continued existence, as it is written there, "Vayipach b'apav nishmas chayim" etc. And afterwards it immediately begins to speak of the matter of Gan Aiden and of the aforementioned river, and that He placed man there "l'avdah ul'shamrah" ["to work it and guard it"], and He commanded him not to cling to the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa etc. That is, as above — that the main avodah of a person is that he should strive to draw the wellspring that goes forth from the House of Hashem, which is the river that goes forth from Aiden, in order to water the garden, which is the Torah. Meaning, he should strive and increase every day in t'filos and tachanunim until he draws to himself intellect and wisdom to the Torah, so that he merits to clarify the p'sak halachah etc., as above. Through this he will merit to sort all the four y'sodos until they become the four rashim as above, which are the totality of all the middos — this is the main avodah of a person, as above. And then he will merit that the ruach chayim will be drawn to him at all times in great sh'laimus [completeness], to complete all of his deficiencies. This is the aspect of what is written at the beginning of the parashah: "V'chol si'ach hasadeh terem yihyeh va'aretz...ki lo himtir...v'adam ayin" etc. ["And every shrub of the field was not yet in the land...for He had not sent rain...and there was no man"] (B'reishis 2:5). And Rashi explained: "Because there was as yet no man to pray" etc. That is, as above — that without t'filah, everything is deficient, and no grasses or herbs of the garden grow, until man prays. Then he draws the river that goes forth from Aiden etc., through which the grasses and herbs that grow in the garden sprout, as above. And this is the aspect of the four tzitzis [fringes], the aspect of "mai'arba ruchos bo'i haruach" ["from the four winds, come O spirit"] (Y'chezkel 37:9), the aspect of the sorting of the four y'sodos, as is explained there. And this is the aspect of many mitzvos that are in the aspect of four, such as the four minim [species] of the lulav, and four parshiyos [sections] in the t'filin, and the four parshiyos that are read before Pesach. And this is the aspect of the four cups of wine on Pesach. And this is the aspect of the four rows of stones in the Choshen [Breastplate]. And this is the aspect of the four d'galim [banners/camps], which are the aspect of the four camps of the Sh'chinah [Divine Presence]. And this is the aspect of the four rashei shanim [beginnings of the year]. And all the aspects of four that are enumerated in the piyut [liturgical poem] of Parashas HaChodesh, and more like them — all are corresponding to the four letters of the Shem Havayah, which are the aspect of the four rashim, the aspect of the root of the four y'sodos that are sorted through the mitzvos of the Torah as above. Through this one merits to draw the ruach chayim, which is the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis that blows upon the harp of David. And this is the aspect of the wine of the four cups of Pesach, for the wine of k'dushah is the aspect of the holy g'vuros [severities], which are the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis, which is the ruach chayim, which is the aspect of the nefesh chayah [living soul], whose root is the holy g'vuros, as is explained elsewhere. And therefore "one only recites song over wine," for it is drawn from the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis as above that blows upon the harp of David, from which comes all song and melody and simchah [joy] as above — the aspect of "v'yayin y'samach l'vav enosh" ["and wine gladdens the heart of man"] (T'hilim 104:15). "L'vav" [heart] specifically — for there is the completion of all deficiencies whose main [location] is in the heart. For as long as there is a deficiency, it is atzvus [sadness], chas v'shalom; and when the deficiency is filled and completed, it is simchah. And therefore wine has two powers: "zachah — na'aseh rosh; lo zachah — na'aseh rash" ["if he merits — he becomes a head; if he does not merit — he becomes poor"] (Sanhedrin 70a). For wine is the aspect of the Aitz HaDa'as Tov vaRa, as Chazal said, "She squeezed grapes and gave to him" (B'reishis Rabbah 19:5). And therefore it has two powers. For one who merits — meaning, he has rectified his deeds and already sorted all the four y'sodos from the evil in them until it became four rashim as above — then "na'aseh rosh" — "rosh" specifically, the aspect of the four rashim as above. "Lo zachah" — he has not sorted the four y'sodos — then he cannot complete the deficiency, and "na'aseh rash" — meaning, poverty, which is deficiency, for the poor person is in the aspect of a deficiency, lacking everything, as it is written, "Dai machsoro asher yechsar lo" ["Sufficient for his need, whatever he lacks"] (D'varim 15:8). And therefore on Pesach, when it is Y'tzias Mitzrayim — when one merits to go out from the galus of the desires and the middos of the four y'sodos — therefore then the wine is in k'dushah, in the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis as above, from which comes all melody and simchah, in the aspect of "zachah — na'aseh rosh," the aspect of the four rashim as above, which are the aspect of the four cups of wine on Pesach, as above. And this is the aspect of matzah, the aspect of lechem oni [bread of poverty/affliction]. For on Pesach, since it is still before Kabbalas HaTorah, it is still impossible to draw the ruach chayim completely through the Torah. And therefore one must be careful with the eating, not to eat chamaitz [leavened bread] but only matzah, and chamaitz is forbidden even in the smallest amount. For chamaitz is the ruach of the Sitra Achara, which is great in its time. For the difference between chamaitz and matzah is only in the aspect of the ruach and the air — chamaitz rises with puffing and has much ruach and air in it, whereas matzah is baked immediately, before the ruach and air enter the dough. That is, because at that time the ruach chayim had not yet been sorted through one's deeds, and there was still the hold of the Egyptians upon them — for they left from there by stealth, as it is written, "Derech sh'loshes yamim nailaich" etc. ["A journey of three days we will go"] (Sh'mos 3:18). And they still provoked them to pursue them. Therefore the Torah warned us not to eat chamaitz, in which the ruach of k'lipah that is great in its time takes hold — this is the aspect of chamaitz that rises with puffing, the aspect of "kol tzor'rav yafiach bahem" ["He blows upon all his oppressors"] (T'hilim 10:5). For it is great in its time. And therefore one must then eat only matzah, in which there is no hold of their ruach that is great in its time. And this is the aspect of lechem oni — the aspect of poverty, which is deficiency, as above. That is, through the matzah one now draws the ruach chayim to complete the deficiency, to nullify the poverty. And this is "she'onim alav d'varim harbai" ["that one answers upon it many things"] — meaning that now on Pesach the main tikkun is through t'filah, for it is still before Kabbalas HaTorah, and one cannot yet sort the four y'sodos through our deeds, through the clarification of the p'sak halachah, for we have not yet received the Torah. And all the sorting now is only from Heaven, through the aspect of is'ar'usa dil'aila [arousal from above] that is drawn upon us through His mercy, only through t'filah and tachanunim and through z'chus avos [the merit of the forefathers]. And therefore one breaks the matzah — for "what is the way of a poor person? With a broken piece." The breaking of the matzah is the aspect of deficiency, that we break and diminish the matzah intentionally, like a poor person whose way is with a broken piece — which is the aspect of poverty and deficiency — to show that we do not have the power in ourselves to complete all the deficiencies through our deeds, but only through the mercy of Hashem Yisbarach, through t'filah and crying out to Hashem Yisbarach. This is the aspect of "she'onim alav d'varim harbai" as above. And through this itself the deficiency is completed. And this is the aspect of the Afikoman, which is called "tzafun" — tzafun specifically, the aspect of the ruach tz'fonis etc. as above, which is the completion of deficiencies. And therefore there are three matzos and four cups. For eating matzos alludes to the Torah, which is the aspect of eating. And the drinking of the wine of the four cups is the aspect of t'filah, which is songs and praises, the aspect of "one only recites song over wine." And likewise it is alluded to in the holy conversation of Adoneinu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu z"l, who said, "Fortunate is one who eats several chapters of Mishnayos and drinks several chapters of T'hilim" etc. For Torah is the aspect of eating, and drinking is the aspect of t'filah, the aspect of T'hilim, which is entirely t'filos and songs and praises. And therefore the matzos are three, corresponding to three directions of the world, for tzafon [the north] is chasair [deficient]. And the wine is four cups, corresponding to all four directions, from which comes the ruach chayim, which is the completion of deficiencies, the aspect of "mai'arba ruchos bo'i haruach." That is, for now the main tikkun of the completion of deficiencies is through the aspect of t'filah, which is the aspect of the wine as above. But the Torah, which is the aspect of eating, we have not yet received. And therefore now it is impossible to sort the chamaitz, where the ruach is, to sort it from the k'lipah. And therefore it is forbidden with a very severe prohibition. And the main tikkun is through the matzah, through which we now draw the k'dushah of eating. And therefore in the matzah, the deficiencies are alluded to — the aspect of lechem oni, the aspect of breaking the middle matzah, which is the aspect of deficiency. And therefore they are only corresponding to three directions, for tzafon is chasair — until one merits to recite the Haggadah and to fulfill the mitzvah of sippur Y'tzias Mitzrayim [telling the story of the Exodus] and the other mitzvos of this night. And then one merits to draw the completion of the deficiency, which is the aspect of the portion of the broken matzah that was hidden for the Afikoman, which is called tzafun. That is, one returns and completes the deficiency, which is the aspect of tzafun, through the ruach tz'fonis that is drawn upon us through "she'onim alav d'varim harbai," which is the aspect of t'filah, as above. And therefore chamaitz is forbidden even in the smallest amount. This is the aspect of "dilma shaklis midi minaihu" etc. ["lest you take anything from them"] — meaning, it is forbidden to have any hold whatsoever, even the smallest amount, from their evil middos, as is explained there on the statement of Rabbah bar bar Chanah, see there. And therefore it is forbidden even in the smallest amount. Understand this well.