ערב ב

For the essential tikkun is through the great Sages who know the secret of the intercalation — who know how to intercalate years and establish months, and can make two days of Rosh Chodesh and two days of Yom Tov. Even though according to our understanding, on one of them it is certainly not Yom Tov and not Rosh Chodesh — nevertheless Hashem, blessed be He, entrusted to them such power that they can establish Rosh Chodesh and Yom Tov as they wish, as mentioned. For upon this depends all the holiness of Yisrael — since the entire Torah depends upon the Exodus from Egypt, regarding which the festivals were established that depend on Rosh Chodesh, for they are a remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt. And in particular it is explained in the words of Rabainu, of blessed memory, in Siman 10, that the entire root of teshuvah is Rosh Chodesh, etc. — see there. It comes out that all teshuvah and the entire Torah depend on Rosh Chodesh and Yom Tov, and everything depends on the true tzaddikim who know the secret of the intercalation to establish Rosh Chodesh as they wish — to the point that in this exile they make for us two days of Rosh Chodesh. 120

Based on Likutay Moharan I:15, "V'Atem Tihyu Li Mamleches Kohanim" ["And You Shall Be for Me a Kingdom of Priests"].

And from all this we see the greatness of the tzaddikim, that the entire Torah depends upon them. And therefore, when we believe in them and draw close to them, we can return and emerge from all the confused paths in which we have gone astray, and from all the types of divided counsel in the world. For however one acts and however one conducts oneself in his service — from all of them one can return to Hashem, blessed be He, even if whatever happens to him should happen. In the aspect of: "If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in the grave, behold You. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell at the end of the sea — even there Your hand will guide me, and Your right hand will hold me," etc. "Even darkness does not darken from You, and the night shines like the day," etc. For the true tzaddik can transform everything for good, however things may be — provided one holds onto him with all his strength, always, all the days of his life, in everything that passes over him. And as we see in the matter of kiddush hachodesh, which is the generality of the Torah — that everything depends upon them, as mentioned. 121

The matter of harsha'ah [power of attorney].

And this is the juxtaposition of the verses mentioned above — "If I ascend to Heaven… if I make my bed in the grave," etc.; "If I take the wings of the dawn," etc. — to which is juxtaposed: "I will thank You, for I am fearfully and wondrously made; Your works are wondrous, and my soul knows this very well." For certainly it is awesome and wondrous, wonder of wonders that are impossible to comprehend — for "my soul knows very well" what passes over me, and it would have been impossible to endure were it not for the power of the great tzaddikim who hold my hand through their deep counsels. Through which one is strengthened in all the ways and counsels in the world, the aspect of: "If I ascend to Heaven," etc.; "if I make my bed in the grave, behold You," etc. 122

According to what Rabbeinu z"l [of blessed memory] wrote in the Torah beginning "V'Atem tihyu li mamleches kohanim" etc. — "Whoever wants to taste the taste of the or haganuz [hidden light]" etc. — see there, Siman 15. And the general principle for our purposes: Through mishpat [judgment], one elevates the fallen yiros [fears] to their root. For when there is no mishpat and no din [judgment] below, there is din Above, chas v'shalom. And when a person is judged with mishpat from Above, then the din clothes itself in all things, and all things become agents of the Makom [G-d] to execute upon this man "mishpat kasuv" ["written judgment"] (T'hilim 149:9), as Chazal said: "'L'mishpatecha amdu' ['All stand for Your judgment'] — then 'hakol avadecha' ['all are Your servants']" (T'hilim 119:91), to execute din upon this person.

And this is: "My unformed substance (galmi) Your eyes saw, and in Your book they are all written." This is the aspect of the abundance of the holy s'farim, which are all included in His book, blessed be He — which is the holy Sefer Torah that is completed through the abundance of s'farim, as is explained there. Through which one merits good counsel in every place where one is, as mentioned — for all the dinim are sweetened, for they are included in the aspect of the Holy of Holies, etc. 123

But through mishpat where the person judges himself — meaning, when a person secluded himself between himself and his Maker and considers his ways and examines his deeds and judges himself on every single matter: whether it is fitting for him to act this way and to spend his days, chas v'shalom, in such deeds — and he judges himself on his own — through his judging himself, he nullifies the din from Above so that it should not come upon him. For when there is din below, there is no din Above. And then the yirah [fear] and din do not clothe themselves in anything to arouse the person, because he himself has been aroused.

And this is: "Days were formed, and not one of them [was lacking]." And our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: this is Yom HaKipurim — for on Yom Kippur everything is included in the aspect of the Holy of Holies, to which the Kohen Gadol enters on behalf of all Yisrael, with the incense of fine spices, ground exceedingly fine, to atone for all of them. For all of this is the aspect mentioned above: that everything is included in the aspect of the Holy of Holies through emunas chachamim — the true [Sages] — which is merited through the abundance of the holy s'farim, etc., as mentioned. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said. 124

And therefore through this, the yirah ascends from the k'lipah [husk]. That is, through the aforementioned mishpat — for at first the yirah was clothed in the k'lipah, meaning that a person fears some officer, or thieves, or other fears — this is the yirah clothed in that thing, etc. And all of this is because he did not judge himself, through which there is din from Above that clothes itself in all things, as above. But through mishpat, when he judges himself, through this there is no din Above, and then the din and yirah do not clothe themselves in anything. And then the fallen yirah ascends to its root, etc. And the root of yirah is da'as [knowledge], etc. And through the yirah ascending to its root, which is da'as, the da'as is completed. And through this one merits Torah sheb'nigleh [the revealed Torah]. And through Torah sheb'nigleh one merits t'filah [prayer] with m'siras nefesh [self-sacrifice]. And through t'filah one merits Torah sheb'nistar [the hidden Torah], which is the or haganuz [hidden light], etc. See there.

And this is: "And to me, how precious are Your companions, O G-d; how mighty are their heads." This is said regarding the holy, true tzaddikim — that is, as mentioned above: that all this tikkun is through the holy tzaddikim, in whom one merits to believe through all the holy s'farim being esteemed in one's eyes, as is explained there, and as mentioned. 125

And this is the aspect of ko'ach v'harsha'ah [power of attorney]: That one who has a din and mishpat against his fellow due to some claim, and he cannot sue him to mishpat himself, due to the distance of the way or some other reason — he has the ko'ach [power], as the claimant who has the mishpat, to make a mursheh [authorized agent], to transfer the din and mishpat to his fellow, and his fellow will sue him to mishpat through the ko'ach v'harsha'ah that he has from him.

And to explain more of the Torah "Chadi Rabbi Shimon" mentioned above, and to connect more what is explained there: that through emunas chachamim — through which s'farim are increased, etc. — through this all the blemishes are rectified, as he wrote there at the beginning, regarding the hands of s'michah and the hands of writing and the secret of the intercalation and the division of counsel, etc. — for everything is rectified through the abundance of holy s'farim that are increased through emunas chachamim, as mentioned. 126

That is, exactly the matter explained above: As long as there is no mishpat, the mishpat has the ko'ach to clothe itself in all the things in the world, in the aspect of "l'mishpatecha amdu, azo hakol avadecha" as above. And therefore the claimant who has the mishpat has the ko'ach to transfer his mishpat and claim to whoever he wishes and give him ko'ach v'harsha'ah. And then [the agent] has his ko'ach, for this is the law of mishpat — that it has the ko'ach to clothe itself in every person and in all things in order to execute mishpat, as above.

For in the early generations, they did not write down the Oral Torah at all, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "Matters that are oral — you are not permitted to write them down," etc. For it is impossible to write down all the details of the reasonings and distinctions that exist even in the laws of what is forbidden and permitted, and certainly in monetary law — all the more so in the matter of fulfilling the Torah, etc. Therefore the Torah was transmitted only orally, through the s'michah that they conferred upon one another. And they were all compelled to receive from the first Rebbe, who is the first one to confer s'michah — Moshe Rabainu, who conferred s'michah upon Yehoshua, etc. For the essential purpose of s'michah is for the Oral Torah — for through s'michah with his hands, he drew into him his exceedingly deep wisdom, the aspect of: "And Yehoshua bin Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moshe had laid his hands upon him." 127

And therefore one can give ko'ach v'harsha'ah for all claims in the world, even for the claim of a loan where the fellow denies [the debt]. Even though through the law of haknayah [formal acquisition], one cannot convey such a claim to his fellow through any kinyan [act of acquisition], as is explained in the poskim — nevertheless, in the form of ko'ach harsha'ah, he can authorize him, as is explained there in the Sm"a and Shach.

And this itself is the aspect of filling the blemish of the moon — for "the face of Yehoshua was like the face of the moon," etc. And the essential wisdom that one needs to receive — to give counsel in all the detailed laws and reasonings of the Oral Torah, which is the completion of the Written Torah — and in particular regarding the guidance of the world, of those subject to him, to know how to guide each person at every time in everything that passes over him. This is the aspect of: "a man in whom there is spirit" — who knows how to go against the spirit of each and every one. And the essential thing is in the service of Hashem — and in particular to draw close those who are very, very far, who even when they draw close still undergo what they undergo, etc. 128

And the main point is as above: All of this is the ko'ach of the mishpat as above. For in truth, it is fitting that every person should judge himself, as above. And one who constantly judges himself on every matter will certainly never need to come to din before a bais din [court] to have money extracted from him by din, for he will certainly be the first to pay his fellow what he owes him according to the truth. For certainly it is fitting for every person to judge himself on every matter, especially in monetary matters — when he knows he has in his possession some money belonging to his fellow — he should judge himself on his own and pay his fellow before being sued to din. Similar to what Chazal said on the pasuk "Sonai vatza" ["haters of [unjust] gain"] (Sh'mos 18:21): "A judge from whom money is extracted by din is not a [proper] judge" (Bava Basra 58b). And the same is fitting for every person.

It turns out that this one who is a defendant and did not pay his fellow on his own before coming to mishpat — he has blemished the mishpat. And when there is no mishpat — meaning, the person does not judge himself — then the mishpat has the ko'ach to clothe itself in all the things in the world, as above. And therefore the claimant has the ko'ach to transfer his mishpat to whoever he wishes and give him ko'ach v'harsha'ah, even for something that he cannot convey to his fellow as a complete haknayah. Nevertheless, through the law of mishpat, he can authorize him so that he can sue his fellow. And [the defendant] cannot say to him, "You are not my litigant," for in truth every person is his litigant when he receives ko'ach from the claimant. For this is the aspect of the ko'ach of mishpat — that it has the ko'ach to clothe itself in all things, in the aspect of "l'mishpatecha amdu, azo hakol avadecha," as above. And therefore every person is his litigant, even though he did not acquire the claim with a complete kinyan — nevertheless he is his litigant to sue him through the ko'ach v'harsha'ah that he received from the ba'al hamishpat [the owner of the claim], for the mishpat can clothe itself in all things, as above.

And so the Torah was transmitted from generation to generation — from Yehoshua to the Elders, etc., until the Men of the Great Assembly, etc. — all of which is the aspect of the s'michah that existed then. For one was not permitted to be a Rebbe and a leader except through s'michah. And from there the hands of writing received [their illumination], as is explained there. For even the Written Torah itself — all its completeness is through the Oral Torah, which is drawn through s'michah, as mentioned. Therefore from there the hands of writing also received [their power] regarding all the laws between one Jew and another — that everything would be upheld through the writing of Yisrael. And through this they merited the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, as is explained there: that through the hands of writing, the air is sanctified with the holiness of Eretz Yisrael. And through this they merited the secret of the intercalation, as is explained there — which is the aspect of the holiness of Rosh Chodesh. 129

And this is what Chazal said (Shabbos 63a): "'Va'asher lo tov asah b'amav' — this is one who comes with a harsha'ah." For one who comes with a harsha'ah — this is the aspect of the mishpat clothing itself in him. And when the mishpat clothes itself in something, this is the aspect of the fallen yiros, as above, from which comes the hold of the chitzonim [external forces]. And therefore all those in whom the mishpat is transferred and clothed to execute din upon a person are called chitzonim and mazikay alma [damagers of the world], for since the yirah of Above has fallen through the blemish of the mishpat and clothed itself in external things, the k'lipos [husks] have sustenance, chas v'shalom, from this, for the main sustenance of the k'lipos is from fallen holiness, as is known. And because of this very thing, a person must have mercy on himself and guard himself very, very much — to judge himself on his own, so that the din should not need, chas v'shalom, to clothe itself in whatever it would clothe itself. For then they will prevail, chas v'shalom. And chas v'shalom, there would be a cruel din, chalilah, for they are cruel and will not have mercy. And therefore one must guard himself greatly to judge himself, so that the din should not be transferred to whoever it would be transferred to, chas v'shalom, as above. And therefore one who comes with a harsha'ah, even though in truth he has the ko'ach to receive the ko'ach of the mishpat from the claimant and to sue the defendant and to execute mishpat upon him according to the law — nevertheless it is called "lo tov asah" ["not good he did"]. For certainly it is "not good," since the mishpat was transferred and chained down to another, which is the aspect of the fallen yirah, which is the aspect of the hold of the chitzonim, the mazikay alma, whose entire power is from the fallen yiros, as above. Therefore it is called "lo tov asah," as above. For there is no good except one [i.e., unity], as is brought in the words of Rabbeinu z"l many times — that the essential good is the aspect of echad [one], as Chazal said (P'sachim 50a) on the pasuk, "Bayom hahu yihyeh Hashem echad u'Sh'mo echad" ["On that day Hashem will be one and His Name one"] — that Chazal said that then it will be entirely good, that they will recite the b'rachah "HaTov v'HaMaitiv" ["Who is good and does good"] over everything. And all the troubles, evils, and decrees, chas v'shalom, are all drawn only from being distant from echad [the One]. For Hashem Yisbarach is good and does good to all, and the main hold of evil is only from the chaining-down and distance from echad, from which comes the main hold of the chitzonim — whose hold is from the aspect of "bikshu chishbonos rabim" ["they sought many calculations"] (Koheles 7:29), as Rabbeinu z"l wrote elsewhere, Siman 51. And therefore the main tikkun of the mishpat is when a person judges himself between himself and his Maker and requests of Hashem Yisbarach mercy and supplications that He should lighten His judgments and sentences upon him, and he justifies the din upon himself and says, "V'Atah tzadik al kol haba alainu, ki emes asisa" etc. ["And You are righteous regarding all that has come upon us, for You have acted in truth"] (Nechemyah 9:33), "L'cha Hashem hatz'dakah v'lanu boshes hapanim" etc. ["Yours, Hashem, is the righteousness, and ours is the shame of face"] (Daniel 9:7), and the like, and he prostrates himself and beseeches before Him Yisbarach that He act with him lifnim mishuras hadin [beyond the letter of the law]. And then, when he judges himself and the din from Above does not need to clothe itself in other things, then [the chitzonim] have no sustenance at all. And then Hashem Yisbarach judges him with mercy, with compassion and grace, or forgives him completely, for Hashem Yisbarach is gracious and merciful and abounds in doing good. But when one does not judge himself, then there is din Above, and then, chas v'shalom, the din clothes itself in other things, and from Above they give ko'ach v'harsha'ah to whomever they give, to execute upon him "mishpat kasuv." And the more the din and mishpat descend and clothe themselves, from this [the chitzonim] have more sustenance, chas v'shalom. And then, since the destroyer has been given permission, chas v'shalom — may Hashem Yisbarach have mercy and save all of Yisroel from such judgments, Rachmana litzlan, Rachmana lishaizvon [may the Merciful One save us, may the Merciful One rescue us]. And this is what David HaMelech, alav hashalom, requested: "Shafaini Hashem...milfanecha mishpati yaitzai" ["Judge me, Hashem...from before You let my judgment go forth"] (T'hilim 35:24, 17:2). And elsewhere he says, "Al tavo v'mishpat es avdecha" ["Do not come in judgment with Your servant"] (T'hilim 143:2). And as Chazal raised the contradiction. But according to the above, it is resolved well and correctly. For David HaMelech, alav hashalom, requested that his mishpat should be from Hashem Yisbarach Himself, as it is written, "Shafaini Hashem, milfanecha mishpati yaitzai" etc. And then certainly the mishpat will be with mercy and great compassion, and the mishpat will not clothe itself, chas v'shalom, in other things, as above. And this is: "Al tavo v'mishpat es avdecha" — which is the aspect of Hashem Yisbarach coming in a clothed manner, in the aspect of "Hinai Anochi ba ailecha b'av he'anan" ["Behold, I come to you in the thickness of the cloud"] (Sh'mos 19:9) — the aspect of clothing. For in truth, Hashem Yisbarach — "m'lo chol ha'aretz k'vodo" ["the whole earth is full of His glory"] (Y'shayah 6:3), and "lais asar panuy minai" ["there is no place devoid of Him"]. And when a person remembers Hashem Yisbarach and does not forget Him even for a brief moment, he is always close to Hashem Yisbarach and he judges himself at all times before Hashem Yisbarach Himself. And then his mishpat goes forth only from Hashem Yisbarach Himself, and then certainly he is saved from all judgments and sentences, as above. And this is what David HaMelech, alav hashalom, requested: "Milfanecha mishpati yaitzai" etc., as above. But when a person does not seclude himself between himself and his Maker to consider his ways and to judge himself on every matter, it turns out that Hashem Yisbarach is far from between his eyes, and he forgets, chas v'shalom, before Whom he will eventually give a din v'cheshbon [judgment and accounting]. And as he distances himself from Hashem Yisbarach, so too, kiv'yachol, Hashem Yisbarach distances Himself from him, chas v'shalom, for "yom ta'azvani yomayim e'ezveka" ["a day you forsake Me, two days I will forsake you"]. And then, at the time the mishpat reaches him, then, kiv'yachol, Hashem Yisbarach clothes Himself and comes to him in din and mishpat like one who comes from afar and clothes himself in other garments, so that the person does not recognize him. Similarly, Hashem Yisbarach, Who has been distanced from him through his deeds — because he did not consider his ways and did not judge himself at all times — He Yisbarach comes to him in mishpat, like one coming from afar, in the aspect of "Hashem b'mishpat yavo" ["Hashem will come in judgment"] (Y'shayah 3:14). That is, the mishpat clothes itself in other things, as above, and then it is difficult to recognize Him. And one must then look well to recognize Him Yisbarach. For in truth, even if a person did not merit to examine his deeds and judge himself beforehand — before the din came upon him, chas v'shalom — he must, at least afterwards, return to the One Who struck him and elevate all the fallen yiros to Hashem Yisbarach. That is, he should contemplate that there is nothing that can frighten and terrify him or bring din and suffering upon him, chas v'shalom, except through the mishpat from Above, through the Divine vitality clothed in that thing — which is the aspect of the exalted yirah that descended from its throne due to his sins and clothed itself in those things from which he has fear and suffering, chas v'shalom. And then, when he contemplates all of this well, in truth and sincerity, and examines his deeds and judges himself now at least, and repents fully to Hashem Yisbarach — then he merits to elevate all the fallen yiros to their root, as above. But in truth, it is very difficult then to elevate and sort them, except with great effort and abundant mercy. As Chazal said (Sanhedrin 17[=44b]): "One should always precede t'filah before trouble" etc. And especially, who knows if he will merit to be aroused then to repent in truth. For sometimes, even when suffering comes upon a person, chas v'shalom, nevertheless he does not merit to return to Hashem Yisbarach. And sometimes the suffering distorts his heart further from Hashem Yisbarach, chas v'shalom, for they are the aspect of the fallen yiros from which comes the hold of the chitzonim, as above. And therefore, sometimes, if he does not merit to prevail, they mislead and distort his heart even more, chas v'shalom. Therefore it is good for a man to hasten to judge himself beforehand, as above, so that the din should not need to clothe itself, chas v'shalom. And this is: "Al tavo v'mishpat es avdecha" — that the mishpat should not come, meaning, that it should not clothe itself in other things distant from Him Yisbarach. For then certainly "lo yitzdak l'fanav kol chai" ["no living being will be justified before Him"]. But when one is close to Hashem Yisbarach and the mishpat is from Him Yisbarach Himself — through the person's judging himself — then the mishpat is only mercy, compassion, and grace, for "mishpat hu rachamay" ["mishpat is mercy"], as it is stated in the holy Zohar. And this is the aspect of Bain HaMetzarim [the Three Weeks], during which we mourn the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash from the seventeenth of Tamuz until the ninth of Av. For the main destruction of the Bais HaMikdash was through the blemish of the mishpat, as it is written, "Hahofchim lala'anah mishpat" ["Those who turn justice to wormwood"] (Amos 5:7). And as it is written in many p'sukim. And as Chazal said that the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash was due to the delaying of din and the perversion of din, etc. For the Bais HaMikdash was comprised of all the aforementioned aspects spoken of in the aforementioned Torah. For in the Bais HaMikdash was the main tikkun of mishpat, for there the Great Sanhedrin sat, from whom mishpat tzedek went forth for the entire world. And through this, the yirah ascends, which is the aspect of the Bais HaMikdash, which is called yirah, as it is written, "Vayikra Avraham shaim hamakom hahu, Hashem yireh" etc. ["And Avraham called the name of that place 'Hashem will see'"] (B'reishis 22:14). And as Yaakov said, "Mah nora hamakom hazeh" ["How awesome is this place"] (B'reishis 28:17). And for this reason Yerushalayim is called "yirah shalaim" ["complete fear"], as Chazal said. And through yirah one merits da'as, which is the aspect of the Bais HaMikdash, for "whoever has da'as, it is as if the Bais HaMikdash was built in his days," as Chazal said (B'rachos 33a). And through da'as one merits Torah sheb'nigleh, for the main revelation of the Torah was in the Bais HaMikdash, from which went forth Torah "between judgment and judgment and between blood and blood," as it is written, "V'kamta v'alisa el hamakom...al pi haTorah asher yorucha v'al pi hamishpat asher yomru l'cha ta'aseh" ["And you shall rise and go up to the place...according to the Torah which they teach you and according to the judgment which they tell you, you shall do"] (D'varim 17:8–11). And through Torah sheb'nigleh one merits t'filah in its completeness, which was in the Bais HaMikdash, for there was the main t'filah, as it is written, "Ki vaisi bais t'filah" ["For My house is a house of prayer"] (Y'shayah 56:7). And through there all t'filos ascend, for one who prays must direct his heart toward the Bais HaMikdash, as Chazal said. And through t'filah one merits Torah sheb'nistar, which is the aspect of the Bais HaMikdash, the aspect of kodesh [holiness], which is "sisray Oraysa" ["the secrets of Torah"], as is explained there in the aforementioned Torah on the pasuk "Har zeh kansah y'mino" ["This mountain His right hand acquired"] (T'hilim 78:54), see there. It turns out that the Bais HaMikdash was comprised of all the aforementioned tikkunim. And all the aforementioned aspects all depend on the mishpat, upon which everything depends, as was explained above — that the main beginning is from mishpat, meaning hisbod'dus [seclusion] between himself and his Maker etc., as above. Through this, the yirah ascends, for the fallen yiros are nullified. And through this one merits da'as and all the aforementioned aspects. And therefore, because they blemished the mishpat as above, through this the Bais HaMikdash was destroyed and all the aforementioned aspects were nullified, for the din and yirah clothed themselves in the wicked kingdom of Bavel [Babylon], and they were given permission to destroy it. And everything was through the blemish of the mishpat, as above. And this is what is written, "M'kom hamishpat shamah haresha" etc. ["The place of mishpat — there is the wicked one"] (Koheles 3:16). That is, as above — for the wicked one comes in the place of the mishpat. For because they did not make mishpat and blemished the mishpat, the mishpat clothed itself in the wicked one — N'vuchadnetzar and his fellows — and "in the place of mishpat, there is the wicked one." For he comes in the place of the mishpat, with the ko'ach v'harsha'ah that he received from the mishpat, just like one who comes with a harsha'ah who comes in the place of the claimant — so too, he comes in the place of the mishpat, for the mishpat clothed itself in him, as above. And this is why they decreed four fasts over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. Also, the custom is to mourn during Bain HaMetzarim and to say chatzos [the midnight lamentation] to weep over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, and to practice abstinence from meat and wine and the like, each person according to his custom. For all the fasts and self-afflictions that the G-d-fearing practice are all in the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat — that they judge themselves before the din from Above comes, chas v'shalom — in order to nullify the din from Above through the mishpat by which one judges himself, as above. For sometimes a person sees that words alone are not enough, through which he judges himself. And then he himself gives a mishpat upon himself — that he should fast and afflict himself such-and-such for his deeds that he did. And even though in truth, certainly this does not suffice, not even one part in a thousand, against what he blemished — for all our days would not be enough to fast and afflict ourselves for the blemish of a single foreign thought or hirur [improper musing], for one who believes in the enormity of the blemish that reaches the place that it reaches, as above — how much more so one who committed some avairah, chas v'shalom, how much more so one who did very much damage, chas v'shalom, as is common now in these generations, b'avonosainu harabim [due to our abundant sins]. And if so, seemingly, what will these fasts and afflictions help him against his deeds? Yet nevertheless, he can merit atonement for his sins through them. For the main tikkun is the mishpat — meaning, that he himself judges himself. And therefore, since he himself judges himself and does not wait for the din from Above, through this he can nullify the din from Above through his fasts and afflictions. Since he himself judges himself — for when there is din below, there is no din Above, as above. And this is the aspect of how a person can be saved through a single affliction or fast from very harsh and bitter judgments. And also merit through them the life of the World to Come. For it is taught that all the suffering in the world — if it were all gathered upon one person for all seventy years, chas v'shalom — it is nothing compared to a single moment, compared to a single burn of Gehinnom. How much more so when they judge a person twelve months in Gehinnom. How much more so when there are sins, chas v'shalom, for which they descend and never ascend. How much more so when there are many types of harsh and bitter punishments worse than the suffering of the severe Gehinnom, as is brought in the s'farim. And nevertheless, for everything, t'shuvah is effective in this world. And the main t'shuvah is the aspect of the aforementioned mishpat — for through a person secluding himself between himself and his Maker and judging himself on all his deeds and arousing himself to the service of Hashem Yisbarach each time — through there being mishpat below, there is no din Above, as above. And especially if he merits to be aroused to the point that he actually makes mishpat upon himself — meaning, he fasts and afflicts himself, even though it does not amount to anything compared to his deeds, as above — nevertheless, since he himself executes the din on himself, through this he nullifies all the judgments from Above, even though he did thousands and myriads more, without measure or estimate — nevertheless he nullifies them all through his mishpat by which he judges himself, as above. For when there is din below, there is no din Above, as above. And this is the aspect of the fasts and mourning — that one afflicts oneself with fasts and abstinence from meat and wine and washing, etc., on account of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. For the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash was due to the blemish of the mishpat, as above. Therefore we now do t'shuvah and rectify this, and we execute mishpat upon ourselves and fast and afflict ourselves in order to nullify the din from Above, as above. For the main tikkun of a fast is the aforementioned mishpat — meaning, that one should consider his ways and judge himself on every matter, as above. As it is written, "Halo zeh tzom evcharaihu, patai'ach chartzubos resha, hatair agudos motah" etc. ["Is this not the fast that I choose: to loosen the chains of wickedness, to untie the bands of the yoke"] (Y'shayah 58:6). That is, the main purpose of the fast is to judge oneself and to loosen and untie all the knots and chains of the wickedness hidden within him, which is the main aspect of the aforementioned mishpat — to judge himself on every matter, as above. And therefore the practice on a fast day was to say divrai kibbushin [words of chastisement and arousal] to the people, and to examine and oversee the rectification of all the problems in the city, and to search whether there are, chas v'shalom, any sins and transgressions in the city, to rectify them — as Rashi explained on the pasuk "Karu tzom" ["they proclaimed a fast"] in the matter of Navos (M'lachim Alef 21:9). For this is the main tikkun of a fast. And similarly, every person must do the same every single day, and especially on a fast day — to judge himself on every matter, which is the main tikkun of a fast, as above. Source: Likutay Halachos, Choshen Mishpat, Laws of Power of Attorney, Halachah 3, §§1–8. Based on Likutay Moharan I:15, "V'Atem Tihyu Li Mamleches Kohanim." Translated from the Hebrew. Part 1 of 3. הלכות כח והרשאה, הלכה ג Based on Likutay Moharan I:15, "V'Atem Tihyu Li Mamleches Kohanim." For during Bain HaMetzarim, dinim [judgments] prevail, chas v'shalom, which is the aspect of the fallen yiros, as above. And therefore Chazal said that one must be very careful not to go out alone from the fourth [hour] until the ninth, as is explained in the Shulchan Aruch, for all of this is the aspect of the fallen yiros. And therefore one must then strive especially to elevate these fallen yiros, and this is through the aforementioned fasts and through the recitation of chatzos [the midnight lamentation], through which one mourns the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash. And the main [purpose of] the recitation of chatzos is the aspect of mishpat, as is explained elsewhere (in Siman 149), as it is written, "Chatzos laylah akum l'hodos lach al mishp'tai tzidkecha" ["At midnight I arise to thank You for Your righteous judgments"] (T'hilim 119:62). For the main mourning is to mourn over one's deeds, for they caused the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, since "whoever in whose days the Bais HaMikdash was not rebuilt, it is as if it was destroyed in his days," as Chazal said. And one must mourn over one's sins and weep over them very, very much, and judge himself and examine his deeds and rectify them from now on. And through this he will merit the building of the Bais HaMikdash, for "all who mourn over Yerushalayim merit to see her joy," for through the mourning that one mourns over Yerushalayim and examines his deeds and attributes the destruction to himself — for every person, according to his sins, has a share in every generation in the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash — and likewise, each person, according to how much he judges himself and merits to rectify his deeds, has a share in the building of the Bais HaMikdash that will be built in the future, speedily in our days, through the rectification of the deeds of each and every one of Yisroel. For the main building of the Bais HaMikdash is through mishpat, as it is written, "Tziyon b'mishpat tipadeh" etc. ["Tziyon will be redeemed through judgment"] (Y'shayah 1:27). For the main destruction was through the blemish of the mishpat, as above. And therefore through the tikkun of the mishpat, the Mikdash will return to its foundation. And this is what Chazal said (Shabbos 129b): "A Jew who has a lawsuit with a non-Jew should avoid it before Tisha B'Av" etc. For then are the days of the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash, which is the blemish of the mishpat, and then the mishpat and din have fallen to them, as above. Therefore it is then difficult for Yisroel to succeed in mishpat against the nations, since the mishpat of k'dushah has fallen and clothed itself among the nations, as above. And therefore we then need great effort through fasts and practices of mourning, through which we afflict ourselves from meat and wine etc., in order to elevate the mishpat and the fallen yirah to its root, as above. And therefore one mourns the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash for specifically three weeks, for the main tikkun of all the above is through Shabbos Kodesh. For on Shabbos, all the fallen yiros ascend — which are all the dinim and troubles that frighten a person, chas v'shalom — for on Shabbos all the dinim are sweetened and nullified, in the aspect of "v'chol shultanay rugzin umaray d'dinin kulhu arkin v'is'abru minah, v'lais shultana achora b'chulhu almin" etc. ["all rulers of wrath and masters of judgment all flee and are removed from it, and no other dominion [exists] in all the worlds"] (Zohar). For then no destroyer or damager has permission to frighten or execute any din at all. For then, on Shabbos, all the dinim — which are the aspect of the fallen yiros — are nullified, and then the yirah ascends to its root, which is da'as. For on Shabbos there is the completeness of da'as, as is brought, that Shabbos is the aspect of da'as. For then the yirah ascends to the root of da'as, through which the da'as is completed, as above. And as Rabbeinu z"l wrote elsewhere (in Likutay Tinyana, Siman 17). And therefore the main tikkun of the building of the Bais HaMikdash — which is the elevation of the yirah etc. as above — is through Shabbos, as it is written, "Es Shabsosai tishmoru umikdashi tira'u" ["My Shabbosos you shall guard, and My Mikdash you shall revere"] (Vayikra 19:30). For on Shabbos, all the dinim and all the fallen yiros are nullified, and then the yirah ascends to the root of da'as, which is the main aspect of the building of the Bais HaMikdash, as above. And this is the aspect of the Kiddush over a cup of wine on Shabbos. When one wishes to leave the six weekdays and enter the holiness of Shabbos, to draw upon us the k'dushas Shabbos [holiness of Shabbos], one must make Kiddush over a cup of wine. For the cup of wine is the aspect of yirah, the aspect of malchus [kingship], as Rabbeinu z"l wrote elsewhere — that yirah is the aspect of malchus, as they said, "Were it not for the fear of the government" [people would swallow each other alive] (Avos 3:2). And this is the aspect of the cup of wine of Kiddush, as is brought in the kavanos [mystical intentions], for kos [cup] has the gematriya [numerical value] of Elokim — this is the aspect of "Elokim yira" ["fear G-d"], the aspect of yirah, the aspect of malchus. And this is the aspect of yayin [wine], the aspect of red wine, as it is written, "Al taireh yayin ki yis'adam" ["Do not look upon wine when it is red"] (Mishlei 23:31) — which is the aspect of din, the aspect of yirah. That is, upon the entrance of Shabbos, when one goes from the weekdays to Shabbos, the main beginning to draw the k'dushas Shabbos Kodesh is through immediately upon the entrance of Shabbos elevating all the fallen yiros to their root in the da'as, which is called kodesh. For da'as is called kodesh, as is known. And this is the aspect of Kiddush over the cup of wine — that one elevates and raises the aspect of the kos, the aspect of yayin, which is the aspect of yirah, elevating it to its root, which is the da'as that is called kodesh. And therefore one must receive the kos with both hands, for the hands are the aspect of mishpat, which is the amuda d'emtza'isa [the middle pillar], which is comprised of three — which are the body and the hands, as is known. And this is the aspect of "v'so'chaiz b'mishpat yadi" ["And My hand grasps judgment"] (D'varim 32:41). And these hands, which are the aspect of mishpat, receive the kos and elevate it — which is the aspect of the elevation of the yirah, as above. And therefore one holds the kos opposite the navel of the heart, for there is the main [place of] yirah, which is a matter entrusted to the heart, as is explained in the aforementioned Torah. And then one recites the Kiddush and testifies that Hashem Yisbarach created everything in the six days of Creation and rested on Shabbos. Through this, all the fallen yiros and all the fears are nullified, for "Hashem li, lo ira, mah ya'aseh li adam" ["Hashem is with me, I will not fear; what can man do to me?"] (T'hilim 118:6). For since one knows that Hashem Yisbarach created everything and everything is in His domain, why should I fear any master or anything in the world? For without His permission, who can do anything to me? For everything is in His domain alone, and I have nothing to fear except the Master of the domain, Who is the singular Creator, Yisbarach. And therefore it is called Kiddush [sanctification], for through this the yirah ascends to the da'as, which is the aspect of kodesh, as above. And there, when the yirah is included in the holy da'as, through this one ascends and is included in the ultimate, supernal holiness, which is the aspect of the or haganuz [hidden light], sisray Oraysa [the secrets of the Torah], which is called kodesh, as above in the aforementioned Torah, see there. This is the main aspect of the k'dushas Shabbos, which is a semblance of the World to Come, when we will merit the or haganuz that will be revealed in the future. And this is the aspect of the taking of permission that is received before the blessing over the wine of Kiddush, when they say "Savri" ["With your permission"] or "Birshus" ["By your leave"] — in order to receive permission from all those present. For when one wishes to nullify the fallen yiros and elevate the yirah to its root, which is the da'as, the aspect of kodesh as above, all the r'shuyos [domains/permissions] must be gathered together in order to be included in Echad [the One], where everything is good, everything is kodesh, as above, and where all the dinim are nullified, as above. For the main hold of the dinim and the fallen yiros is only from being distant from Echad, as above. And therefore, when Yisroel sinned with the Aigel [Golden Calf] and sought many r'shuyos [authorities], chas v'shalom, afterwards Hashem Yisbarach said to Moshe, "Hinai Anochi sholai'ach l'fanecha mal'ach" etc. ["Behold, I am sending before you an angel"] (Sh'mos 32:34) — that He handed over His authority, kiv'yachol, to the angel to lead Yisroel. And therefore Moshe did not desire this, as it is written, "Im ain Panecha holchim al ta'alainu mizeh" etc. ["If Your Presence does not go, do not bring us up from here"] (Sh'mos 33:15). For as soon as authority was given to another, even to a holy angel, nevertheless — since the authority chained down and became distant from Echad — from this they have a hold, chas v'shalom, and the destroyer, chas v'shalom, can come to have authority — the fallen yiros that have permission to harm, chas v'shalom — only through the multiplication of authorities and kingdoms, when they are multiplied through sins, chas v'shalom, in the aspect of "b'fesha eretz rabim sareha" ["through transgression, a land has many rulers"] (Mishlei 28:2). For from there is the main hold of the k'lipos and the yaitzer hara [evil inclination], whose main hold is from heresies that are drawn only from the fact that sometimes Hashem Yisbarach gives authority to an agent and angel, from which chains down the hold of heresies and dinim — where they say, chas v'shalom, "there are two authorities," as Chazal said about Acher [Elisha ben Avuyah] who erred through this, as it is stated there in Chagigah (15a): "Acher — what did he see? He saw Metatron who was given authority" etc. "He said, 'Infer from this...'" etc. And therefore, when Hashem Yisbarach wished to send an angel and give him authority to lead Yisroel, He warned Yisroel to be very careful not to err, chas v'shalom, through this, as above. And this is what is written there: "Hinai Anochi sholai'ach mal'ach l'fanecha...hishamer mipanav...al tamer bo" ["Behold, I am sending an angel before you...be careful of him...do not rebel against him"] (Sh'mos 23:20–21). And Chazal expounded: "al t'mireni bo" — "do not exchange Me for him." For you must be careful — since authority was given to him — that you should not err, chas v'shalom, into heresy, as Acher erred. "For My Name is within him" — for in truth he has no authority on his own, chas v'shalom, at all. Rather, everything he does is by My authority and My mission, "for My Name is within him," as above. It turns out that the more authority chains down — even in holiness, even to holy angels — nevertheless, from this their hold chains down, chas v'shalom, as above. And therefore before the K'dushah [in the prayer service], the angels gather their authorities together so that they can be included in Echad, which is the ultimate holiness, as above. And this is what is written: "V'nosnim b'ahavah r'shus zeh lazeh l'hakdish l'Yotzram...K'dushah kulam k'echad onim" etc. ["And they lovingly give permission, one to another, to sanctify their Creator...the K'dushah — they all respond as one"] etc. For through all their authorities being gathered together and the many authorities being nullified, through this all the chitzonim and all the fallen yiros are nullified. For no destroyer has any authority, since all the authorities are included in Echad. And then the yirah ascends to its root, which is da'as, which is the aspect of kodesh. And therefore, when they give permission one to another and are included together in Echad as above, then "they all respond as one and say b'yirah — Kadosh" — "b'yirah" [with fear/awe] specifically, for then the yirah is in its completeness and is included in kodesh, which is the da'as, which is the root of the yirah, as above. And this is the aspect of the taking of permission before the Kiddush, for then the fallen yirah ascends. Therefore all the authorities must be gathered together, through which all the fallen yiros are nullified, as above. And through this the yirah ascends to its root, to the aspect of kodesh, which is the da'as. This is the aspect of the Kiddush, as above. And this is the aspect of the three times "Elokim" and three times "sh'vi'i" ["seventh"] that are said in the Kiddush. This is the aspect of the three aforementioned aspects, which are the main k'dushas Shabbos that is drawn through the Kiddush — namely, yirah, mishpat, and da'as. For the yirah ascends through the mishpat to the da'as — these are three aspects, which are the aspect of three times sh'vi'i and three times Elokim in the Kiddush. For it is stated in the kavanos that the three times sh'vi'i and Elokim as above correspond to the three ascents of the malchus, which ascends through Netzach-Hod-Y'sod, and through Chesed-G'vurah-Tiferes, and through Chochmah-Binah-Da'as, which is called kodesh — see there. And these are the three aforementioned aspects. For malchus is the aspect of yirah, as above. And at first, during the weekdays, when the fallen yiros prevailed, then the sparks of malchus were among the chitzonim. And now all the holinesses that were clothed in the fallen yiros ascend and are included in the holy yirah, which is the malchus of k'dushah. And at first, when the yirah is included in k'dushah, it is in the aspect of Netzach-Hod-Y'sod, which is the aspect of raglim [feet/legs], for there is the place of yirah and malchus — called eretz [earth], as is explained in the aforementioned Torah. And eretz is the aspect of raglim, in the aspect of "v'ha'aretz hadom raglai" ["and the earth is My footstool"] (Y'shayah 66:1), the aspect of Netzach-Hod-Y'sod as above. And the main elevation of the yirah is through mishpat, which is the aspect of yadayim [hands], the aspect of "to'chaiz b'mishpat yadi," the aspect of the amuda d'emtza'isa, the aspect of Chesed-G'vurah-Tiferes. And this is the aspect of the ascent of malchus through Chesed-G'vurah-Tiferes. And through the mishpat, the yirah ascends to its uppermost root, which is the yirah ila'ah [supernal fear], whose root is in da'as, which is the aspect of kodesh. And then the malchus, which is the yirah, ascends and is included in Chochmah-Binah-Da'as, which is its root. And therefore in the t'filah as well, a threefold K'dushah is recited, and the main [emphasis] is through the yirah, as above, as it is written, "V'nosnim r'shus...onim v'omrim b'yirah — Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh." For through the elevation of the yirah, the K'dushah is threefold in the three aforementioned aspects. And these three aspects are the aspect of the three Avos [Patriarchs], for the main ascent of the malchus on Shabbos is to be included in them. This is the aspect of the three s'udos [meals] eaten on Shabbos, which are the t'las avahan [three Patriarchs], as is known. For Avraham is the aspect of the right, the aspect of the holy da'as, for "misitra diymina mocha chivarta k'chaspa" ["from the right side is the white brain, like silver"] (Zohar). And as is explained in the aforementioned Torah on the pasuk "Har zeh kansah y'mino" — that through Avraham, the aspect of the right, one merits sisray Torah [the secrets of the Torah], the aspect of kodesh, etc. And Yitzchak is the aspect of yirah, the aspect of Pachad Yitzchak [the Fear of Yitzchak]. And the main tikkun is through Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat, as it is written (T'hilim 81:5), "Mishpat l'Eilokay Yaakov" ["Judgment for the G-d of Yaakov"]. For Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat, connects and elevates the aspect of Pachad Yitzchak, the aspect of yirah, to the aspect of Avraham, who is the aspect of da'as, as above. This is the main aspect of the k'dushas Shabbos, as above. And therefore the main Shabbos is in the aspect of Yaakov, as it is written, "V'he'echalticha nachalas Yaakov avicha" ["And I will feed you the inheritance of Yaakov your father"] (Y'shayah 58:14). And as Chazal said, that Yaakov kept the Shabbos. For the main k'dushas Shabbos is through the aspect of Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat that elevates the yirah to the da'as, through which all the fallen yiros are nullified, as above. This is the nachalas Yaakov, which is a nachalah b'li m'tzarim [inheritance without boundaries], as Chazal said (Shabbos 118a). That is, the aspect of the nullification of all the mazikim [damagers], which are the fallen yiros — the main m'tzarai [oppressors of] holiness that oppress Yisroel, chas v'shalom, in the aspect of "kol rod'feha hisigu'ha bain ham'tzarim" ["all her pursuers overtook her between the straits"] (Aichah 1:3). And through the k'dushas Shabbos, all the m'tzarim of k'dushah — which are all the dinim and all the fallen yiros — are nullified. For then "all the rulers of wrath and masters of judgment all flee and are removed" etc. And therefore the main tikkun is through Yaakov. For from Avraham came Yishma'ail, and from Yitzchak came Eisav. And Yaakov — "his bed was complete without any impurity." For as long as Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat, had not yet come, the dominion of the mazikay alma — whose sustenance is from the aforementioned fallen yiros — had not yet been completely nullified. And therefore Eisav and Yishma'ail came from them — the mazikay alma who destroyed the Bais HaMikdash, the place of the holy yirah as above — and all because the mishpat was not yet established, as above. Until Yaakov came, who is the aspect of mishpat, through which the main sweetening and elevation of Pachad Yitzchak to the aspect of da'as, which is the aspect of Avraham, [is achieved]. Through this everything is sweetened. For Yaakov is the b'ri'ach hatichon hamavri'ach min hakatzeh el hakatzeh ["the middle bolt that extends from end to end"] (Sh'mos 26:28), for he decides and includes Avraham and Yitzchak — connecting the aspect of Yitzchak, the aspect of yirah, to the aspect of Avraham, the aspect of da'as, through his middah, which is the aspect of mishpat, as above. And therefore the Mikdash of the future, which will correspond to Yaakov, will never be destroyed, as Chazal said. For the main tikkun of the building of the Bais HaMikdash is through the aspect of mishpat, which is the aspect of Yaakov, as above. And this is what Yaakov said when he saw the place of the Bais HaMikdash: "Mah nora hamakom hazeh, ain zeh ki im Bais Elokim" etc. ["How awesome is this place; this is none other than the House of G-d"] (B'reishis 28:17). And Chazal said (P'sachim 88a) on this pasuk: that Yaakov called it "Bayis" ["House"] — that it would never be destroyed. And now it is well-explained that the end of the pasuk is connected to its beginning. For he merited to attain the yirah in its completeness through the mishpat, which is his middah as above. And therefore he said, "Mah nora hamakom hazeh" — meaning, he expressed the enormity of the completeness of the holy yirah that he attained here. And through the completeness of the yirah, the aspect of "mah nora hamakom," it will never again be destroyed. And this is the conclusion: "ain zeh ki im Bais Elokim" — "Bayis" specifically, the aspect of the Third Bais that will be in the merit of Yaakov, which will never be destroyed. And this is the aspect of "V'zacharti es brisi Yaakov, v'af es brisi Yitzchak, v'af es brisi Avraham ezkor, v'ha'aretz ezkor" ["And I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, and also My covenant with Yitzchak, and also My covenant with Avraham I will remember, and the land I will remember"] (Vayikra 26:42). It counts them in reverse order, beginning with Yaakov. For the main g'ulah [redemption] and the future building is through him, for this pasuk is stated after the tochachah [reproof], where Hashem Yisbarach warned Yisroel: "V'im lo tishm'u...v'im es mishpatai tig'al nafshechem" etc. ["And if you do not listen...and if your soul rejects My judgments"] (Vayikra 26:14–15). Then what will come upon them will come, chas v'shalom. And all these dinim are the aspect of the fallen yiros, from which come all the troubles and decrees, chas v'shalom — all drawn, chas v'shalom, from the blemish of the mishpat, the aspect of "v'im es mishpatai tig'al nafshechem." And therefore at the end, when He comforts them, He promises them that through the merit of the Avos they will be saved from all the troubles, and mainly through Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat — who connects the aspect of Pachad Yitzchak to the aspect of Avraham, which is da'as, through which all the fallen yiros and all the troubles and all the decrees are nullified, as above. And therefore it begins with Yaakov, as above, for the main tikkun is through the aspect of Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat, as above. And this is: "v'ha'aretz ezkor" — the aspect of the elevation of the yirah, which is called eretz, the aspect of "eretz yar'ah" ["the earth feared"] as above. For the main tikkun and sweetening is through the elevation of the yirah, as above. And this is the aspect of the three s'udos of Shabbos. For the s'udah [meal] of the night is the aspect of Pachad Yitzchak, as is brought in the kavanos. And the s'udah of the morning is the aspect of Avraham. And the s'udah sh'lishis [third meal] is the aspect of Yaakov, who is the aspect of mishpat — which is the main tikkun, as above. And therefore, at Minchah of Shabbos, all the dinim are completely nullified and "ra'ava d'ra'avin ishtakach" ["the will of wills is found"]. For during the weekdays, the dinim prevail at Minchah, which is the aspect of Pachad Yitzchak. But on Shabbos at Minchah, it is the aspect of Yaakov, the aspect of mishpat, which elevates all the yiros and all the dinim to their root. And then all the dinim and all the yiros are sweetened and nullified. And therefore then all the dinim are completely nullified — and all through the mishpat, as above. And therefore then "ra'ava d'ra'avin ishtakach" — for then one ascends to the ultimate ascent, to the aspect of nachalah b'li m'tzarim, which is the aspect of the attainment of sisray Oraysa, which is the aspect of Ayin [Nothingness], the aspect of Atik [the Ancient One], to which one ascends during the s'udah sh'lishis, which is the aspect of ra'ava d'ra'avin — which is the aspect of nachalah b'li m'tzarim, without limit, which is the sisray Torah that are not grasped within any limit. As Rabbeinu z"l wrote there in the aforementioned Torah. And therefore then one innovates and reveals chidushay Oraysa [novel Torah insights], for then the sisray Oraysa are revealed through the aspect of mishpat, the aspect of Yaakov — which is the main tikkun. For everything depends on the aspect of the mishpat, through which everything is sweetened and ascends, as above. Source: Likutay Halachos, Choshen Mishpat, Laws of Power of Attorney, Halachah 3, §§9–16. Based on Likutay Moharan I:15, "V'Atem Tihyu Li Mamleches Kohanim." Translated from the Hebrew. Part 2 of 3. Likutay Halachos, Choshen Mishpat. Based on Likutay Moharan I:15. Translated from the Hebrew. Continued from Part 2. And this is the aspect of the three weeks during which we mourn over the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash — for the aforementioned three aspects were destroyed and blemished, namely: the blemish of the yirah, and the mishpat, and the da'as. For the other aspects mentioned there [in the Torah of Rabbainu] — what one merits through the da'as — all of these one merits afterward automatically. And the main thing is to elevate the yirah through the mishpat to the da'as, and then one comes afterward easily to the rest of the aforementioned aspects, which are all considered as one — for they are all included in the da'as, and this is the aspect of "the three upper [s'firos] are considered as one." And for this reason specifically three weeks are required, corresponding to the aforementioned three aspects. For the three weeks contain three Shabbasos, and the main tikkun of the building of the Bais HaMikdash is through Shabbos, as above. And this is the aspect of the three Haftaros that are read on the three Shabbasos of Bain HaMetzarim, which are Dalet-Shin-Ches [acronym of their opening words]: "Divrai" [the words of], "Shimu" [hear], "Chazon" [the vision]. "Divrai" — this is the aspect of yirah, as it is written there in the aforementioned Torah [of Rabbainu]. "Shimu" — this is the aspect of the elevation of the yirah to the heart, which is where the place of yirah is, through the mishpat, as above. And this is the aspect of "Shimu" ["hear"], as it is written regarding Sh'lomoh: "V'nasata l'avd'cha lev shomai'a lishpot" ["And You shall give Your servant a hearing heart to judge"] (M'lachim I 3:9). "Chazon" — this is the aspect of seeing, which is the aspect of da'as, as Rabbainu wrote there in the aforementioned teaching on the pasuk: "Ainai b'ne'emnai eretz" ["My eyes are upon the faithful of the land"] (T'hillim 101:6) — that the eyes are the aspect of da'as, meaning the elevation of the yirah to the da'as. And this is the aspect of: the cup of Kiddush — one must set his eyes upon it, in order to elevate the yirah, the aspect of the cup of wine, to the da'as, which is the essence of the Kiddush, as above. And therefore, at the conclusion of the aforementioned three Haftaros, they conclude on the third Shabbos with: "Tziyon b'mishpat tipadeh" ["Tziyon will be redeemed through justice"] (Y'shayahu 1:27) — for the main redemption and building of the Bais HaMikdash will be through the tikkun of mishpat, as above. [This connects to what was discussed above.] Regarding the matter of S'udah Sh'lishis [the third meal] of Shabbos: Since the main tikkun through the mishpat — which is the aspect of Yaakov — is at S'udah Sh'lishis, therefore then is the main completeness of the da'as. For then is the main nullification of the dinim completely, for then all the fallen yiros are elevated to the ultimate elevation through the aspect of Yaakov, which is the aspect of mishpat, as above. And therefore then the da'as is completed to the ultimate completeness, and therefore one merits then all the aspects explained in the aforementioned Torah [of Rabbainu]. For then one merits the aspect of Torah sheb'nigleh [the revealed Torah]. And this is the aspect of the Torah reading at Minchah — this is the aspect of Torah sheb'nigleh that one merits through the da'as that is completed through the mishpat, as above. And therefore three [people] are called up [to the Torah] then, for this is the aspect of mishpat which is with three — for a bais din is no fewer than three, for they are the three Avos, as is brought. And through Torah sheb'nigleh one merits t'filah with m'siras nefesh [self-sacrifice]. And this is the aspect of the Minchah prayer of Shabbos, when one must surrender his soul for Kiddush Hashem when saying: "V'al m'nuchasam yakdishu es Sh'mecha" ["and upon their rest they shall sanctify Your Name"], as is brought in the kavanos of the Arizal. And through this one merits the or haganuz [hidden light], which is sisray Oraysa [secrets of the Torah] — this is the aspect of chidushay Torah [Torah novellae] that one merits to apprehend and innovate at S'udah Sh'lishis. For then one ascends to Atik, which is the aspect of sisray Oraysa, as is known. And this is the aspect of kinyan b'ma'amad sh'lashtan [acquisition in the presence of all three parties]: When R'uvain has a maneh [a sum of money] in Shimon's hand and he assigns it to Levi in the presence of all three of them — [Levi] acquires it. And this is a halachah without a [stated] reason [hilch'sa b'lo ta'ama]. And specifically when he has a maneh in Shimon's hand. But if there was no maneh in his hand, rather he commanded Shimon to give Levi a maneh of his own [Shimon's money] and he [R'uvain] will reimburse him — [Levi] does not acquire, and each of the three of them can retract. For all kinyanim [acquisitions] are in the aspect of da'as. For the main kinyan is through da'as, in the aspect of: "Da'as kanisa mah chasarta; da'as chasarta mah kanisa" ["If you have acquired da'as — what do you lack? If you lack da'as — what have you acquired?"] (N'darim 41a). And this is the aspect of all the kinyanim that Chazal enacted — that it is impossible to acquire anything except through a kinyan that they enacted, such as m'shichah [drawing], or hagbahah [lifting], or kinyan sudar [acquisition by exchange of a garment], and the like. For in truth, certainly it would be fitting for a person to acquire through his word alone, for certainly it is forbidden to change one's word. But the reason they can retract without a kinyan is because the da'as has not yet been drawn into this sale as long as there has not been a complete kinyan, as is brought in the language of Chazal: "adayin lo samcha da'tei" ["his mind is not yet settled"], for the main kinyan is through da'as specifically, as above. And Chazal gauged through their da'as and apprehension through which kinyan the da'as is drawn to the acquisition, and accordingly they enacted all the kinyanim for each and every matter according to its law — for they gauged that this particular matter is finalized through this particular kinyan, because through it "samcha da'tei" [his mind is settled] and he completes and conveys wholeheartedly and with complete da'as — through which is the main kinyan, as above. It emerges that the main kinyan is through the illumination of the da'as, as above. And therefore ma'amad sh'lashtan acquires without any [formal] kinyan. For since he has money in his fellow's hand and he can extract it from his hand through mishpat, therefore the mishpat has the ko'ach to extract the matter from the borrower and to convey it to Levi in the presence of all three without any conveyance at all. For when R'uvain commands Shimon the borrower to give the money that he has in his hand to Levi, in the presence of all three of them — this is the aspect of the elevation of the fallen yirah to the root of da'as through the aspect of mishpat, through which the da'as is completed, as above. And therefore it is acquired immediately, for all kinyanim are through the completeness of the da'as, the aspect of "da'as kanisa," as above. For one who owes money to his fellow is an "eved loveh l'ish malveh" ["the borrower is a slave to the lender"] (Mishlei 22:7). And as long as he is subjugated to his fellow and owes him some debt — this is the aspect of fallen yirah, from which is the main source of poverty and debts. For one who merits yirah in completeness lacks nothing, in the aspect of: "Ki ain machsor lirai'av" ["For there is no lack to those who fear Him"] (T'hillim 34:10). For through yirah the da'as is completed, as above, and when one has da'as he lacks nothing, as above, in the aspect of: "Da'as kanisa mah chasarta" ["If you have acquired da'as — what do you lack?"]. For all the deficiencies and the poverty and the hardship that a person has are only due to a lack of bitachon [trust in Hashem]. For if he had complete bitachon in Hashem Yisbarach he would not worry at all and he would lack nothing, as it is written: "Baruch hagever asher yivtach baHashem v'hayah Hashem mivtacho, v'hayah k'aitz shasul al palgai mayim...uvishnass batzoress lo yid'ag" ["Blessed is the man who trusts in Hashem and Hashem will be his trust; and he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water...and in a year of drought he shall not worry"] (Yirmiyahu 17:7-8). And the essence of bitachon is the aspect of yirah in completeness — meaning that one is guarded from fallen yiros and has no fallen fear of anything, only of Hashem Yisbarach. Then he certainly trusts in Hashem Yisbarach. For this is the essence of bitachon — that one should not fear or be frightened of anything, only of Hashem Yisbarach alone, in the aspect of: "Evtach v'lo efchad" ["I will trust and not be afraid"] (Y'shayahu 12:2); in the aspect of: "BaHashem batachti lo ira, mah ya'aseh vasar li" ["In Hashem I have trusted, I will not fear — what can flesh do to me?"] (T'hillim 56:12). Meaning, he has complete bitachon in Hashem Yisbarach and has no fallen fear and no fright at all, and does not worry at all what he will eat tomorrow — for that is the aspect of fallen yiros, which is the main source of poverty. For "ain ani ela min hada'as" ["there is no poor person except one who is poor in da'as"]. For one who is poor in da'as — his da'as is not complete, and this is because he has not elevated the fallen yiros to the da'as, as above. And then, when he has fallen yiros, he is certainly truly poor, even if he has all the wealth in the world — for "da'as chasarta mah kanisa" ["if you lack da'as — what have you acquired?"]. For even if he is a great wealthy person, he is full of worries and pain and suffering and fears constantly, and all his days are anger and pain, and he has no comfort or rest or any vitality at all, and he lives a life of pain more than all the poor people in the world. For he is full of worries and fears — by day he does not rest, by night he is not at peace — because every day new worries and fears are generated for him from masters and officials, and the concern of thieves and robbers, and fires and damages, and many types of losses both common and uncommon. And he is also pained at all times over the great expenses of his household, for it seems to him that the expenditure exceeds the income, and similar to this — the worries from various concerns that each and every person has individually are beyond count, every day and at all times and at every hour, and "ain rega b'li pega" ["there is no moment without affliction"]. And as Chazal said (Avos 2:7): "Marbeh n'chassim marbeh d'agah" ["The more possessions, the more worry"]. And all this is due to the fallen yiros, because he does not have complete bitachon in Hashem Yisbarach. For if he had bitachon in Hashem Yisbarach in completeness, he certainly would not be frightened at all. For certainly everything is in the hand of Hashem Yisbarach, "v'ha'osher v'hakavod milfanav" ["and wealth and honor come from before Him"] (Divrai HaYamim I 29:12). And if Hashem Yisbarach wishes that he should be poor, certainly he will be unable to protect himself in any way; and likewise the reverse. Rather, he is obligated to engage in some occupation and business, and Hashem Yisbarach — "hatov b'ainav ya'aseh" ["will do what is good in His eyes"], and "man d'yahiv chayai yahiv m'zona" ["He Who gives life gives sustenance"]. It emerges: when one has bitachon in Hashem Yisbarach and does not worry at all about what he will eat tomorrow, this is the main wealth, in the aspect of: "Aizehu ashir? Hasameach b'chelko" ["Who is rich? One who is happy with his portion"] (Avos 4:1). For he has no worry or fear at all, because he trusts in Hashem Yisbarach, Who certainly will never forsake him. For when he does not worry about what he will eat tomorrow, it emerges that he has no fallen yiros, and then the yirah ascends to its root and the da'as is completed, and then he certainly lacks nothing — for "da'as kanisa mah chasarta," in the aspect of "ki ain machsor lirai'av," as above. It emerges that the main poverty is due to a lack of bitachon, which is the aspect of fallen yiros — because of which he needs to come to debts and loans, and he becomes "eved loveh l'ish [malveh]" and acquires a master for himself. And this is also the aspect of fallen yiros — that one fears a master, as above — for he too has a master, namely the lender, and he fears him constantly lest he come and demand payment from him, as is the way of all who owe debts — that they are full of worries and fear at all times the time of payment that draws near. It emerges that all the loans, which are the aspect of poverty and the aspect of servitude, are the aspect of fallen yiros. And the lender has the ko'ach of mishpat to extract the loan from the hand of the borrower through mishpat, through which he elevates the fallen yirah to its root. And therefore, when the lender — who is the master of the mishpat — commands to give his claim to the third party, the expert, it is acquired immediately in the presence of all three. For all this is due to the ko'ach of mishpat. For the ko'ach of mishpat that the lender has over the borrower — to extract his claim, as above — through this he has the ko'ach through mere words to transfer his claim and debt that is in the hand of the borrower, to transfer it to Levi. For immediately when he assigns it to him, the yirah ascends through the mishpat to the da'as. For this lender is the aspect of the master of the mishpat who has the ko'ach to summon the borrower to judgment. And the borrower who owes the claim — this is the aspect of needing to return and lift and elevate the aspect of the fallen yirah, from which it was drawn that he became a borrower and debtor, as above. And this third party, the expert, to whom the lender conveys [the claim] — he is in the aspect of the da'as. For everything that a person acquires is in the aspect of da'as, in the aspect of "da'as kanisa," as above — for everything that a person acquires, his da'as is uplifted and expanded, as is known from experience. And when one merits to acquire all the kinyanim of k'dushah for the sake of serving Hashem Yisbarach in truth, his da'as of k'dushah is uplifted through this; and vice versa, the opposite, chas v'shalom. It emerges: when the lender — who is the master of the mishpat — conveys his claim to the third party in the presence of all three, the aforementioned dynamic takes place — that the yirah ascends to the da'as through the mishpat, through which the da'as is completed. And perforce it is certainly acquired immediately in the presence of all three without any other kinyan, since this dynamic is the aspect of the completeness of the da'as — through which, specifically, are all the kinyanim in the world, through the illumination of the da'as, as above. And this is the aspect of n'tilas r'shus [taking leave / requesting permission] that one takes from great people when setting out on a journey. For "all roads are presumed dangerous," and all the dangers and fears of the road — these are the aspect of fallen yiros: that one fears lest some trouble befall him, chas v'shalom, from some official or lord, or some wild beast, or thieves and robbers, chas v'shalom — all of which is the aspect of fallen yiros, as above. And therefore one takes leave from tzaddikim and important people. For Hashem Yisbarach has placed His authority and will in the hands of Yisroel, for they govern the world, in the aspect of "tzaddik moshel" ["the tzaddik rules"] (Sh'muel II 23:3), in the aspect of "Yisroel mamsh'losav" ["Yisroel — His dominions"] (T'hillim 114:2), as is explained in the words of Rabbainu z"l elsewhere. For Yisroel are "achidan b'Malka" ["grasped in the King"] and are included in His Unity, Yisbarach. And when one takes leave from Yisroel — and especially from great people and tzaddikim — in this one takes leave from Hashem Yisbarach, kivyachol [as it were]. And through this one is guarded from all the dangers of the road. For the main concern of the danger of the roads — which are fallen yiros from which one fears on the road more [than at home] — is due to the change of r'shuyos [authorities/domains] that occurs when one goes from place to place. For in our many sins, now in galus, the seventy sarim [heavenly ministers] rule, from whom derives the dominion of the seventy nations. And in every place a different sar or official is appointed. But Yisroel have no sar at all — only Hashem Yisbarach alone rules over them, without His authority being clothed in any sar. Except that in our many sins, during the time of galus, [these sarim] rule over us. And from this come all the sins that Yisroel stumble into in galus — this is only because the authority of the nations, which is the authority of the sarim, rules. And even though all their dominion is from Him Yisbarach alone and they have no authority without Him Yisbarach — nevertheless, since the authority has been clothed in them, from this chains down the hold of heresies, from which derives the hold of the yaitzer hara, from which come the sins, chas v'shalom, as above. And therefore, the more a person moves himself about and wanders on the road — and in every place there is a different sar or official, and everything is according to their nourishment from the root Above, where there are also sarim and officials, seconds and thirds, for "malchusa d'ar'a k'ain malchusa diraki'a" ["the earthly kingdom is a reflection of the heavenly kingdom"] (B'rachos 58a) — because of the change of r'shuyos on the road, for this reason is the main danger of the road, which is the aspect of fallen yiros whose nourishment is from the multiplicity of r'shuyos, as above. And therefore when one goes outside the border to an entirely different kingdom, there the authority is changed even more, from which derives their nourishment even more, and therefore the concern of danger from fallen yiros is even greater, as above. Therefore, before setting out on a journey one must "l'amlakha bei b'Kudsha B'rich Hu" ["take counsel with the Holy One, Blessed is He"], as Chazal said, and also receive r'shus [permission] from great people and tzaddikim — with whom is the r'shus of Hashem Yisbarach Himself, kivyachol — to say that he goes by their authority, which is the authority of Hashem Yisbarach alone. "For no authority in the world has any dominion over me except by your authority, you tzaddikim, which is the authority of the Holy One, Blessed is He — I go on the road in peace. And I have no fear or dread of any danger in the world, since I believe with complete faith that everything is by the authority of Hashem Yisbarach alone, and by His authority alone I go on the road. Therefore I have no fear, for 'baHashem batachti lo ira, mah ya'aseh vasar li' ['In Hashem I have trusted, I will not fear — what can flesh do to me?']." And the main reason a person is sometimes compelled to go on a journey is only for this purpose — so that he should clarify and elevate all the fallen yiros that are more prevalent on the road. And when he goes on the road in k'dushah as is proper, and connects himself at all times to Hashem Yisbarach — for one who goes on the road, the Sh'chinah goes before him, as is brought in the holy Zohar — through this he elevates all the fallen yiros to their root. For before one goes on the road, one must "l'amlakha bei b'Kudsha B'rich Hu" — meaning to do hisbod'dus between himself and his Maker, and to search his deeds and judge himself, as above — and through this he elevates all the fallen yiros that are more prevalent on the road, as above. And this is the secret of the journeys of B'nai Yisroel in the Wilderness for forty years. And it was all because of the sin of the Aigel [Golden Calf], for from then this decree was decreed, as Rashi explains there. For then they wished to depart from the authority of the Holy One, Blessed is He, and they sought two authorities, chas v'shalom. And from this chained down a hold for the Sitra Achara and the dinim. And through this was decreed upon them what was decreed — all of which is the aspect of fallen yiros, as above. And because of this they were compelled to wander in the Wilderness for forty years, and they were moved from journey to journey in order to clarify and elevate each time all the fallen yiros that were there in the Wilderness in even greater measure, as it is written: "Hamolichach'cha bamidbar hagadol v'hanora hazeh, m'kom nachash v'saraf v'akrav v'tzimaon" ["Who led you through the great and awesome wilderness, a place of serpents, fiery snakes, and scorpions, and thirst"] (D'varim 8:15) — all of which is the aspect of fallen yiros. And it is taught that Yisroel, in their walking through the Wilderness, trod upon the k'lipos that were situated there. For they, in their great k'dushah — that they merited mishpat of k'dushah at all times, which is the aspect of the receiving of the Torah that they received in every place in the Wilderness throughout all the forty years (for the Torah is called mishpat) — through this they merited to clarify and elevate all the fallen yiros to their root in the da'as. And therefore they were called "dor dei'ah" ["the generation of da'as"]. And through this they subdued all the k'lipos that were there — the aspect of "nachash, saraf, v'akrav" ["serpent, fiery snake, and scorpion"] — which are the aspect of fallen yiros. For they elevated the yirah to its root through the aspect of mishpat, which is the aspect of the Torah that they received then, as above. And this is the aspect of n'tilas r'shus [requesting permission] — that one takes harmana [authorization] and r'shus before saying a d'rush [Torah discourse] or chidush [novella] in Torah. For the main attainment of Torah one merits through the da'as that one merits through the elevation of the yirah, as above in the aforementioned Torah [of Rabbainu]. And therefore one needs n'tilas r'shus, so that all the r'shuyos [authorities] should be included together in one da'as [mind/knowledge], in the r'shus of the Individual — in the r'shus of the One and Only of the world. And when all the r'shuyos are included together, through this all the fallen yiros are nullified, as above, and the yirah ascends to its root — through which one merits the attainment of Torah in both nigleh [revealed] and nistar [hidden], as above. And therefore on Shabbos it is forbidden to carry from r'shus [domain] to r'shus, and the Tanna placed hotza'ah [carrying out] first [at the beginning of Maseches Shabbos]. For this is the main aspect of the k'dushah of Shabbos — to nullify the change of r'shuyos, so that all the r'shuyos should be included together, through which the fallen yiros are nullified etc. — and this is the main aspect of the k'dushah of Shabbos, as above. For during the weekdays, when there is some hold for the fallen yiros that are drawn from the change of r'shuyos — for kivyachol, the r'shus of the One and Only of the world is clothed and concealed and hidden within the many r'shuyos of all the sarim, as above — therefore a person must exert great effort in work and business, and must carry from r'shus to r'shus. And all of this is in order to clarify all the nitzutzos [sparks], in order to elevate and bring everything from r'shus harabim [the public domain] to r'shus hayachid [the private domain]. For even when a person carries something out during the weekday from r'shus hayachid to r'shus harabim, certainly his main intention is to return it and bring it back into r'shus hayachid — where all of a person's affairs are — only that he takes it out now to r'shus harabim, for example to the marketplace to sell and trade, so that he should profit in order to bring in and gather afterward to his home, which is r'shus hayachid, with more and more profit. And everything that he merits to profit more in k'dushah — he is clarifying nitzutzos from r'shus harabim and elevating the aspect of fallen yiros and bringing them into their root in r'shus hayachid, which is the r'shus of the One and Only of the world. And all of this one needs to do during the weekdays, when there is birur [clarification] because there is then a hold for the fallen yiros, as above. But on Shabbos, when the Sh'chinah rests — for then, because of the k'dushah of Shabbos, all the fallen yiros are nullified, for then the yirah ascends to its root, as above — therefore it is forbidden to stir up any change of r'shus. And therefore it is forbidden then, on Shabbos, to carry from r'shus to r'shus. And therefore the Tanna began Maseches Shabbos with this prohibition of carrying from r'shus to r'shus. For on Shabbos all the r'shuyos are nullified completely. For then Hashem Yisbarach "removes," kivyachol, the weekday garments and does not clothe Himself in any [other] r'shus; rather, His sovereignty and authority alone are revealed, without any clothing in any other r'shus at all. And therefore all the dinim — which are the fallen yiros — are completely nullified then. For the yirah ascends to its root, to r'shus hayachid, to the r'shus of the One and Only of the world. For then His yirah is revealed upon all — that one need not fear anyone except Him alone, Yisbarach. Amein v'amein.