ערב ג

And therefore the essential digging of wells and their establishment was through Yitzchak. For Avraham Avinu — who is the aspect of chesed — dug wells of water, which are the aspect of the waters of chesed, in order to cut free the malchus, chochma tata'a, and purify it from them. For Avraham was engaged in this greatly, as brought in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. But his wells did not endure, for the Philistines stopped them up after the death of Avraham, as it is written: "And all the wells that his father's servants had dug in the days of Avraham his father, the Philistines stopped them up and filled them with earth," etc. This is because Avraham's chesed had not yet been revealed from within rebuke — which is the aspect of gevuros — until Yitzchak came, who is the aspect of gevuros, the aspect of the above-mentioned rebuke. Then the chesed was revealed from within rebuke, and therefore the essential repair and establishment of the wells was specifically through him — as it is written: "And Yitzchak returned and dug the wells of water that had been dug in the days of Avraham," etc. For the essential revelation of chesed — the aspect of the waters of chesed — is specifically through rebuke, which is the aspect of the gevuros of Yitzchak, as above.

And all the testing of the Sota is through the kohain — the man of chesed — who is in the aspect of Avraham, as it is written: "You are a priest forever" (ata kohen l'olam, Tehillim 110:4). For it is explained there in the above-mentioned Torah teaching that Avraham was greatly engaged in this — cutting free the malchus through chesed, etc., as is explained there. For the Kohanim are the sons of Levi, who is the aspect of gevuros, the aspect of rebuke — that is, the aspect of the chesed revealed through rebuke, through which the malchus is cut free and raised to the or ha-panim, etc., as above.

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

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

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

And the essential sparks that need to be refined from the sin of the first Man are the holy sparks that fell into silver and gold, etc. — that is, into the craving for money (ta'avas mamon). For the craving for money encompasses all seventy forms of idolatry (avoda zara), as is explained well in the Torah teaching "Tzivisso Tzedek Aidosecha," etc. (§23). For it is stated there that there are seventy radiant faces (anpin nehirin), the aspect of joy, the aspect of life, the aspect of "in the light of the king's face there is life," etc. And corresponding to them there are seventy dark faces (anpin chashuchin), the aspect of idolatry, the aspect of death, etc., the aspect of bitter black melancholy (atzvus mara sh'chora), etc. And one who falls into the craving for money is bound to the faces of the sitra achra, to the aspect of the dark faces, the aspect of idolatry, the aspect of bitter black melancholy — which is the aspect of "in sorrow you shall eat it," etc. — see there. But one who breaks the craving for money and rejoices in his portion, etc., is in the aspect of the holy faces, in the aspect of the radiant faces, the aspect of joy, etc. — see there.

And this is: kashin mezonoisov shel adam kiplayim ka'yoledes — "A person's livelihood is as difficult [to obtain] as the splitting of the Red Sea, twice as [hard as] a woman in labor." For one who falls into the craving for money, the Sh'china cries out against him with one hundred and forty voices — two times seventy voices — kalanee meiroshee, kalanee mizro'ee — "I am burdened from my head, I am burdened from my arm," etc. For all forms of idolatry are embedded in money. And one who falls into the craving for money serves all seventy forms of idolatry, which are the aspect of seventy dark faces — the opposite of the seventy radiant faces, which are the aspect of the seventy faces of the Torah, etc. — see there. And it is stated there that the essential repair (tikkun) of the craving for money is only through guarding the covenant (sh'miras ha-bris), etc. For through the blood of the covenant one diminishes and subdues the blood of niddah (menstrual flow), which is the aspect of the craving for money — the aspect of "and their gold has become an impurity (l'nida)" (Yechezkel 7:19) — as it is written: "Also you, through the blood of your covenant, I have sent your prisoners out from the pit," etc. (Zecharya 9:11) — see all of this there carefully.

Thus it emerges that the blemish of the craving for money is the blemish of the entire Torah. For this craving encompasses all seventy forms of idolatry — the seventy dark faces — which correspond to the seventy faces of the Torah, which is the totality of the entire Torah. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: one who worships idolatry is as if he transgresses the entire Torah. And one who falls into the craving for money serves all the forms of idolatry in the world — which means he transgresses the entire Torah. And conversely, one who rejoices in his portion and merits breaking the craving for money is then bound to the seventy radiant faces — the seventy faces of the Torah — and thereby he fulfills the entire Torah. For the entire Torah is entirely for the purpose of refining the sparks that fell through the sin of the first Man, as is known. And most of the sparks are encompassed in silver and gold — in the craving for money — as is understood from the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi (Rabeinu), of blessed memory, in many places. For money at its root is very, very elevated, and there all the supernal colors (gavanin ila'in) are contained. And through the sin of the first Man the klipos seized hold there greatly, and those sparks of silver and gold became greatly intermingled. Therefore he was then cursed: "in sorrow you shall eat it" — which is the aspect of the blemish of the craving for money, as above. And therefore the outsiders seized hold there greatly, for it is known that wherever there is very elevated holiness, when they find a place to seize hold there, they seize hold there specifically with great intensity — the aspect of pashat yado ba-gedolim (he extended his hand against the great). And this is the aspect of what the dross of the sparks of holiness is called: suspita d'dahava — "gold slag" — as brought in the Holy Zohar. And conversely, when the sparks are refined and purified from the dross, they are in the aspect of refined silver (kesef tzaruf), as brought in many places.

For the essential reason the holy sparks became intermingled is only in the aspect of silver and gold — that is, the craving for money, as above. And therefore it is the totality of the entire Torah to break the craving for money, as above. And therefore the essential coming of Mashiach depends on the breaking of the craving for money — the aspect of "and each man shall cast away his silver idols and his gold idols," etc. (Yeshaya 2:20) — as our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote in the Torah teaching "Ashray HuAm Yoda'ay S'ru'ah" (§13) regarding drawing down Providence — see there. For the essential coming of Mashiach depends on the completion of the refinement, as is known. And the essential refinement is through the breaking of the craving for money — for there are all the holy sparks and all the supernal colors, as above. Thus it emerges that the essential task of a person in this world is to break the craving for money in order to refine from there the holy sparks that became most intermingled there, as above. And therefore one must leave behind children, since it is impossible to complete the refinement by oneself — for the sparks can only be refined from generation to generation specifically, as above.

And this is the aspect of: "Generation to generation shall praise Your works" (Tehillim 145:4) — "shall praise" (y'shabach): this is the aspect of raising and elevating the sparks to their root, for that is their praise (sh'vacha dilayhon) and their glory (yekara dilayhon) — the aspect of "when their waves rise, You still them" (b'so'a galav ata t'shab'chaim, Tehillim 89:10). And it is brought in the Holy Zohar that this is their praise and their glory — that they elevate themselves upward — see there. And this is: "Generation to generation shall praise Your works." "Your works" (ma'asecho): this is the aspect of money and commerce, which is called asiya (action / the World of Action), as is understood from the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, in many places — the aspect of "and the work of our hands, establish it for us" (u-ma'asay yadainu kon'nay alaynu, Tehillim 90:17) — that Moshe blessed them that blessing should rest on the work of their hands. For the essential aspect of asiya is money, as is understood from the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, as above — that is, to raise the sparks from money, which is called asiya, the aspect of "Your works" — where the essential sparks are; it is impossible to raise them to their root except from generation to generation specifically, as above. This is the aspect of "generation to generation" specifically as above, "shall praise Your works" as above. And therefore inheritance belongs to children and a son fills his father's place and receives his inheritance — for the essential tikkun of the inheritance (that is, the money) is through the children he leaves behind, who refine the money. For it is impossible to refine it except from generation to generation, as above. And specifically for this reason every person is obligated to leave children in the world in order to refine the sparks that are essentially in the craving for money, as above. Therefore the son stands upon his father's inheritance, as above.

And this is the aspect of what our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, said in the above-mentioned Torah teaching — that the essential repair of the craving for money is through guarding the covenant (sh'miras ha-bris). For through the blood of the covenant one diminishes the blood of niddah, which is the aspect of the craving for money, etc. — see there. For the essential repair of the covenant is to beget children in this world in holiness and purity. For as long as one does not beget children, God forbid — even if he has guarded his covenant perfectly — he is called a "dry tree" (etz yavesh) and is in the aspect of a blemish of the covenant, as is known. For he must be in the aspect of "a fruit tree that makes fruit," etc. — and this is the essential repair of the covenant. For "He did not create it a waste; He formed it to be inhabited" (Yeshaya 45:18) — that is, every person must engage in the settlement and rectification of the world. Therefore one must leave behind fitting children who will be able to refine further the sparks that became intermingled, and the essential sparks are in money, as above. Thus it emerges that through the repair of the covenant — that is, through the children one begets in the world in holiness, which is the essential repair of the covenant — through this the craving for money is diminished: that is, the sparks are refined to their root, through which the craving for money is nullified and diminished. For the essential refinement is through children specifically — for it is impossible to refine them except from generation to generation, as above.

Also the children themselves, who merit to beget in holiness — which is the aspect of guarding the covenant, as above — this itself is the aspect of repairing the craving for money, where most of the holy sparks are, as above. For the essential begetting of children comes through the refinement that is refined, refinement after refinement, in the days of pregnancy and birth. As is known, all the days of pregnancy and birth are in the aspect of refinements, as explained in the holy writings. And the essential refinement is in the aspect of blood that is disturbed and becomes milk (dam ne'echar v'na'aseh chalav) — that is, the blood of niddah is turned over and sweetened and becomes milk. And this is the aspect of the repair and refinement of the craving for money, which is the aspect of the blood of niddah, as above — the aspect of "and their gold has become an impurity (l'nida)" — as above. For there all the holy sparks are, and from there the holy soul of the newborn offspring is refined in the days of pregnancy and birth. Then the soul is refined — whose root is in wealth (ashirus) — out of the craving for money, like the smelting of silver in a crucible — the aspect of "I will refine them as one refines silver, and test them as one tests gold" (Zecharya 13:9), etc. For the essential refinement is in silver and gold, etc., as above. And through this refinement and purification of silver and gold specifically, the soul of the newborn offspring is refined from there — for all souls are rooted in wealth, as is well explained in the Torah teaching "Gizaylah" (§69) — see that entire Torah teaching carefully. And it is explained there that the woman is the aspect of wealth (ashirus), and holy wealth is the essential light of her soul; and the children born from her are suspended like fruits hanging on the branches of a tree, and the branches are the aspect of holy wealth — which is the essential light and completeness of her soul, and there the children are suspended — for the root of the soul is in holy wealth. See there carefully. Thus it emerges that children are born through the refinement of wealth, as above. And therefore through holy children that one begets — which is the essential repair of the covenant, as above — through this the craving for money is diminished. For the essential begetting of children is through the refinement and purification of the craving for money, for this is the essential refinement through which the soul is refined in the days of pregnancy and birth — the aspect of blood that is disturbed and becomes milk, as above — for the root of the soul is in holy money, as above. And this is what our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote: that through the repair of the covenant, the craving for money is repaired, as above.

And this is the aspect of why one needs to beget a son and a daughter — that is, in the above-mentioned aspect: they are the repair of the covenant and the repair of the craving for money. For these two aspects are the totality of the entire Torah, and they are the aspect of right and left, the aspect of man and woman, the aspect of son and daughter. For the repair of the covenant is the aspect of the right, the aspect of chesed revealed through the mouth of the covenant (b'fuma d'amma), the aspect of the male side (sitra didchura) — where the essential repair of the covenant is. And money and wealth are the aspect of the left, the aspect of "from the north gold comes" (mitzafon zahav ye'ehe, Iyov 37:22), as is explained in the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory. And it is the aspect of the woman — for there is the essential wealth, as is explained in the above-mentioned Torah teaching "Gizaylah." And therefore the essential repair of money is through guarding the covenant, for the right sweetens and repairs the aspect of the left, which is money. And this is the aspect of man and woman — for the essential repair of the woman is through the man, that is, through her husband, as is understood from the holy books and as is explained in the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory. And the essential repair of the woman is through the repair of holy wealth — that is, the repair of the craving for money — which depends on guarding the covenant. For in proportion to the man's merit in the aspect of guarding the covenant, so too does he have the power to refine her and repair her, which itself is the aspect of repairing the craving for money — and through this children are born, as above.

And therefore the essential inheritance belongs to sons — and to a daughter in place of a son when there is no son — for the essential repair of the inheritance (that is, the repair of money) is only through the son, who is in the aspect of the repair of the covenant. He has the power, according to his merit, to repair the inheritance and money — which is the essential repair and refinement of the children he leaves in the world. But the daughter, who is from the female side (sitra d'nukva), from which comes the essential wealth — she does not have the power to refine and repair the wealth by herself, but only through her husband, as above. But if he has no son, then the daughter inherits — for even so, she is from his loins, and she too was born through the refinement and repair of the craving for money. For all begetings are through this, as above — the aspect of blood that is disturbed, etc., as above. And therefore, even though she herself still needs repair, as above, nonetheless the repair has already begun through her. Therefore she is considered offspring for inheritance and for exemption from yibum.

And when a person does not merit leaving behind him sons or daughters, God forbid, he is then a dry tree (etz yavesh) and cannot ascend upward. For he has not yet accomplished anything or made any repair in the world — since the essential repair and refinement is to refine the money, and this refinement is only through the children he leaves behind. As above, they themselves are born through this refinement, and they engage after him and fill his place to refine further — for they arise upon his inheritance. For it is impossible to refine except from generation to generation, etc., as above. But when none of his offspring remain after him, God forbid, to fill his place — to engage in the refinement and repair mentioned above — he has still not made any repair, and he cannot ascend upward. For he is in the aspect of artilai — "a naked one" who has nothing in which to clothe himself — as brought in the Holy Zohar. For through the repair of money and holy wealth — which is the essential repair where all the sparks and all the supernal colors are, as above — through this garments are made: the aspect of garments of salvation (bigday yesha), the aspect of "for He has clothed me with garments of salvation" (Yeshaya 61:10). As brought in the Torah teaching "Ach'vai Lan Mana D'la Shavya L'chavala," etc. (§25) — for through the supernal colors that are elevated to their root, through the refinement and repair of money, garments are thereby made: the aspect of the magnificence of the totality of colors. But when one does not merit this — that is, when he does not leave children, God forbid — then he has nothing in which to clothe himself and cannot ascend upward, as above.

Therefore he requires repair through yibum. And the essential repair of yibum is through the spirit that he (ha-baal, the husband) placed within her (ha-ru'ach d'shadai b'gavah), as brought. For the spirit he placed within her in the first union — this is the essential aspect of the repair of the woman that her husband accomplishes, in the aspect of: ain ha-isha koras bris ela l'mi she'asah kli — "a woman forms a covenant only with the one who made her into a vessel" — as is understood from the writings of the holy Ari, z"l. And the essential repair is that he repairs and refines the wealth, through which he completes the light of her soul — for this is the essential source of her vitality, as above. And therefore he immediately gives her a kesubah (marriage contract), as we learn from the verse: "He shall pay silver according to the dowry of virgins" (kesef yishkol k'mohar ha-b'sulos, Shemos 22:16). For the essential kesubah is on account of the first union, as is explained in the poskim (legal decisors). For the essential repair of the woman is through the spirit he placed within her in the first union — and all her repair is only through the repair of wealth, as above. Therefore at that time he must give her a kesubah to draw down for her holy wealth — the aspect of refined and purified silver (kesef tzaruf u-mezukak) — which is the essential source of her repair and vitality. And all the children she births afterward are all born through the above-mentioned vessel — which is the spirit, etc., as above — and all of them receive vitality from there. For the essential source of the children's birth and the vitality they receive from their mother is through wealth — for there is the root of their soul, and there they are suspended like branches of a tree, as above.

And therefore when he leaves no children behind, God forbid, he then does not merit refining the holy wealth — which is the essential repair. For there is no one to stand upon his inheritance and raise up his name — for the essential name, which is the soul (nefesh), is in wealth. Therefore when no children remain after him to refine the wealth and receive his inheritance, then there is no one to raise up his name. For the essential raising of the name — which is the soul — is through the repair of wealth, where the root of the soul is, as above. And then his repair is through his brother who performs yibum with his wife. And the repair is through the above-mentioned spirit, etc., as above — which is the beginning of the repair of wealth, as above — through which all children are born, as above. And therefore this is considered a remnant after him, since the repair and refinement has already begun. And through this his brother — who is from his root — is able to draw his soul back into the world and repair him through this. For the essential closeness of brothers is also through their all receiving from the spirit of their mother — for all of them receive from there. And the essential one is the firstborn, for all of them receive through him; and so too all the brothers receive one after another. Thus it emerges that all of them receive from one spirit, etc. And the spirit of the deceased brother that he placed within the y'vama (the yevama, the deceased's widow) is also drawn according to the aspect of the spirit he received from his mother — for that is his vitality, and from there is drawn the spirit he placed in his wife. Thus it emerges that the spirit of the y'vama is from one aspect with the yavam (the levir), as above. And therefore his brother the yavam has the power to repair him and draw back his soul into the world through that spirit — which is the beginning of the repair of wealth — for this is the essential repair and refinement that a person needs to refine in the world, as above. And therefore the yavam receives the inheritance, as it is written: "He shall arise in the name of his brother to the inheritance" (Devarim 25:6). For this is the essential repair — to repair and refine the inheritance and wealth, through which the essential raising up of his name and his soul is accomplished — for there is the root of the soul, as above.

And this is the claim that the daughters of Tzlofchad made: "If we are considered offspring, give us an inheritance — and if not, let our mother perform yibum." For the essential yibum is only because of the inheritance from the deceased who left none of his offspring to fill his place and raise up his name upon his inheritance specifically, as above — that is, to repair the craving for money, etc., as above. Therefore they argued: if we are not able to receive his inheritance, then certainly their mother is obligated to perform yibum — for the essential yibum depends on this, as above. This passage is linked to what was written above.

The spirit that he placed within her (ha-ru'ach d'shadai b'gavah), which is the essential source of her repair, is the aspect of the repair of wealth. And this is the aspect of the kesubah that he gives her immediately at that time, etc., as above. For the aspect of the above-mentioned spirit is the aspect of Binyamin (Binyamin), as is explained in the holy writings. And Binyamin is the aspect of the repair of holy wealth — the aspect of "in the morning he will devour the prey, and in the evening he will divide the spoil" (baboker yokhal ad v'la'erev y'chalek shalal, Bereishis 49:27) — that is, wealth. For the Holy Temple (Bais HaMikdash) is in the portion of Binyamin, and the Holy Temple is the aspect of the repair of holy wealth. Therefore there were there very great treasuries of silver and gold, as it is written: "the treasuries of the House of Hashem." For in the Holy Temple there was great and exceedingly vast wealth — for there was the repair of money and wealth, which is the totality of all repairs. For in the Holy Temple was the repair and atonement for all the sins and blemishes in the world — all of which are encompassed in the blemish of idolatry, which is the totality of the Torah, namely the craving for money, where all the forms of idolatry are encompassed. And the Holy Temple — being the aspect of holy wealth — was there the repair for all sins and blemishes, all of which are encompassed in the craving for money, as above. And therefore the essential atonement is through the offering (korban) that one brings from the toil of one's hands and one's money. Thus it emerges that Binyamin is the aspect of the repair of holy wealth — and this is the aspect of the above-mentioned spirit. And therefore through this the yavam is able to raise up the name of the deceased upon his inheritance — "upon his inheritance" specifically — for this is the essential repair, as above.

Baruch Hashem l'olam Amen v'Amen.

Based on the Torah "Oovi'Yom HaBikkurim" — Hilchos Gitin, Halacha 1 and the Torah "Tzivisso Tzedek Aidosecha" — Likutay Moharan I, §23

The general principle is that the essential drawing of vitality (hamshachas ha-chayyus) to the malchus is through the Torah — which is the aspect of the Name of the Holy Blessed One (Sh'ma Dikudsha Brich Hoo) — through which the vitality is drawn. That is: the chochma (wisdom) into the vessels (kaylim) and the midos (attributes / character-forces), which is the aspect of the Name (Shem) that amplifies the vitality in measure — see there. And this is the aspect of yibum: to raise up a name for his brother, for "He did not create it a waste; He formed it to be inhabited" (Yeshaya 45:18) — every person is obligated to engage in the maintenance of the world by establishing offspring, in order to raise up a name and that his name not be blotted out, God forbid. That is: the essential drawing of vitality is to draw the vitality into the vessels and midos which are the aspect of the Name. And the more the people of Yisrael multiply, the more the boundary of holiness expands and multiplies, and the vessels to receive the vitality multiply — which is the completion and repair of creation. For the essential wonders and mighty deeds of creation are only in this aspect: that certainly nothing is beyond Him, may He be blessed — only that the essential novelty and wonder is that the vitality from Him, may He be blessed, can, as it were, contract itself (yitzamtzem) into the vessels in the aspect of the Name. And this is the force of the wonders of His creation, may He be blessed — that the infinite vitality (chayyus Ain Sof) can, as it were, be drawn into the aspect of the vessels. Therefore the more holiness descends lower and is drawn through chains of gradation (histalshalus) and channels (tzinoros) further and further, the more it fulfills the intention of creation and sustains the world. For the essential sustenance of the world is that ever more vessels of holiness be made to receive His vitality, may He be blessed — so that the abundance of oil should not cause the extinguishing of the lamp. For that is the aspect of the shattering of the vessels (sh'viras ha-kaylim) caused by excessive light — whence the sitra achra, the sitra dimosa, draws hold — the destruction of the world in the aspect of "and the earth was void and formless (toahoo va-voahoo)" — as is brought.

Therefore every person is obligated to establish offspring in order to raise up the Name — to magnify the aspect of the Name, that is, the vessels and midos, as above. And therefore one who leaves behind a son is as if he did not die, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said — as it is stated: "If a man dies and has no son," etc. (Bamidbar 27:8). For the sitra dimosa (side of death) has no dominion whatsoever once he has raised up the Name through which vitality is drawn in measure — and then the sitra dimosa has no dominion at all. For its hold is only through excessive light — through the shattering of the vessels — which is the aspect of the blotting out of the Name, as above. But one who leaves no offspring behind is called dead — since he did not raise up the Name, since he left no vessel to receive the vitality in the aspect of the Name. Then he is, God forbid, in the aspect of excessive light, etc., whence the sitra dimosa seizes hold, as above. Therefore repair is needed so that his soul not be lost and his world not revert to the aspect of toahoo va-voahoo — since he did not raise up the Name, as above. Therefore his wife must perform yibum (and be repaired through his brother), for the damage reaches her — for the essential blemish is in the aspect of malchus, as above.

And the repair is through his brother from his father — for the completeness of the vitality of the malchus drawn to her, which is the aspect of zivug (union) — since the vitality is the da'as (spiritual knowledge / connection), which is the aspect of bonding — must be in the aspect of "from afar she brings her bread" (meemehrchak tavee lachmah, Mishlei 31:14) — "from afar" specifically. For her vitality specifically is when the vitality is drawn into the midos and vessels in the aspect of the Name, as above. Therefore the further the vitality is drawn and extended through chains of gradation into the vessels of holiness, the more complete and repaired is the vitality — as is known. And this is the aspect of the prohibition of the arayos (forbidden unions) — that the prohibition applies to all near relatives — for since they are close in their root it is impossible through them to draw vitality and the sustenance of the world. For one must draw specifically from afar, so that she can receive the light without the vessels being shattered by excessive light, etc., as above.

Now brothers are very close to one another in their root — for from one root they emerged. And therefore a brother's wife is forbidden, for each of the brothers must draw the vitality through a chain of gradation further down, in a manner that the boundary of holiness becomes more and more distant and expanded — through the aspect of distancing, as above. Therefore brothers must distance themselves from one another, as above. But in the place of the commandment of yibum, the Torah permitted a brother's wife, so that no outcast be lost from him — so that the soul of the deceased not be entirely lost, God forbid, through his not having raised up the Name, as above. For the loss of the soul and its death, God forbid, is when the light returns to its root above — and then the vessels remain in the aspect of broken and dead, and that is his destruction.

And therefore she cannot marry an outsider — for there it is impossible to repair him. For since he died without offspring, the light returned to its root — to his father's house — and it is impossible to repair him except within that family. Therefore his repair is through his brother from his father. For av b'chochma — father is in the aspect of chochma — and chochma is the root of vitality, for "wisdom gives life" (ha-chochma t'chayeh, Koheles 7:12). And "You made them all with wisdom" (kulam b'chochma asisa, Tehillim 104:24), and it is the aspect of the beginning of creation. And there, in the aspect of the father — the aspect of chochma — it is all still one and there is no aspect of tzimtzum and vessel through which creation is made. Only from there does the vitality begin to extend downward into the aspect of the vessels that are formed from there downward.

And now: the aspect of brothers from the father is the aspect of the beginning of the drawing of the channels and tzimtzumim that are drawn from av b'chochma. And each brother — that is, each vessel and channel — must individually draw the vitality further and further into ever more vessels. But when one brother is destroyed and leaves no offspring, it is possible for destruction to occur entirely — that is, for the light to return to its root in the aspect of av b'chochma — and that is the aspect of destruction, the aspect of toahoo va-voahoo. For when the light returns and withdraws entirely from the aspect of the vessels and returns above to its root, the vessels then remain utterly broken and dead, God forbid. (And then one would need to entirely renew the world from the beginning — that is, to again bring forth and give birth to the light from the very beginning of thought, from the aspect of av b'chochma.) Therefore the Torah commanded that his malchus return to his brother from his father — who is from his root, for both of them emerged from one root — and they are the aspect of the beginning of the drawing of channels and tzimtzumim from av b'chochma. And therefore through his brother from his father the soul of the deceased is repaired — the soul that was being lost, God forbid — because the aspect of his Name, the aspect of the vessels, was shattered and destroyed through his not having left offspring, with the light returning to its root, God forbid — entirely — which is his destruction, as above. And now he is repaired through his brother. For brothers are the aspect of the beginning of the tzimtzumim and vessels drawn from their father, through which the soul of the deceased is repaired — the light is drawn back through them into the aspect of the vessels, the aspect of the Name. And this is: "to raise up the name for his brother."

And the repair and salvation that his brother brings him is to subdue the wicked kingdom — which is the kingdom of Amalek — which stands against the kingdom of holiness (malchus dikudsha), as is explained in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. And the kingdom of Amalek is the aspect of the blotting out of the Name (mechiyyas shem), as it is written: "You shall blot out the memory of Amalek" (Devarim 25:19). And its hold draws from the aspect of the shattering of the vessels — which is the aspect of the blotting out of the Name. And therefore its punishment is measure for measure: that its own name and memory be blotted out. And the kingdom of Amalek is the aspect of "Esau is a brother to Yaakov" (Malachi 1:2) — for it is from the seed of Esav. And therefore the commandment of yibum is specifically with a brother — for the brother in holiness saves his soul, so that the aspect of "Esau is a brother to Yaakov" should not strengthen over him, God forbid — which is the above-mentioned wicked kingdom, which would gain strength if, God forbid, there had been a blotting out of the Name, as above.

And therefore Miriam, who blemished the honor of Moshe and whose words were against his having separated from his wife — because she did not grasp that he had merited the supernal union (zivug elyon), the aspect of the union of Moshe (zivuga d'Moshe), which is the aspect of a dispute for the sake of Heaven (machlokes l'shem shamayim). And therefore it was possible for him to be completely separated. And therefore she spoke against him: "Has Hashem spoken only through Moshe? Has He not spoken through us too?" — and yet we have not separated from the way of the world. For on the contrary: the essential da'as is through peace (shalom), as above. And therefore her punishment was: "if her father had spit (yarok yarak) in her face" (Bamidbar 12:14) — whereby Hashem, may He be blessed, alluded to her the commandment of chalitsa in the aspect of "and she shall spit (v'yor'ka) in his face" — as our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote (§21), where the mystery of yibum and chalitsa is alluded to there. For she blemished the honor of Moshe for his having separated — thus she blemished the aspect of a dispute for the sake of Heaven, which is the union of Moshe (zivuga d'Moshe). And the blemish is in the aspect of chalitsa, as above. Therefore it was said of her: "if her father had spit in her face." For there she blemished the aspect of "remove your sandals" (shal n'alecha) — the aspect of "and she shall remove his sandal and spit in his face," as above.

Chaluts in gematria equals matza with the kolel — which is the aspect of a dispute for the sake of Heaven. Hay Echad — the roshei teivos (initials) of "Di'vray Elokim Chayyim" — "the words of the living God." It seems to me that I heard this from his holy mouth, may his light shine.

And this is the aspect of: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and cling to his wife, and they shall be one flesh" (Bereishis 2:24). For not every person merits what Moshe merited — and therefore we are commanded to establish offspring and not to be completely separated. And this is: "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother" — that is, the union of Abba and Imma (zivuga d'Abba v'Imma), which is the aspect of the union of Moshe above. "and he shall cling," etc. — "and they shall be one flesh": that is, the aspect of the union and da'as of peace (shalom) — which is the aspect of "and they shall be one flesh," as above.

Based on the Torah "Sha'alu es Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma" — Likutay Moharan I, §57

The matter of yibum and chalitsa, according to the Torah teaching that begins: "They asked Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma: When will the son of David come? He said to them: When this gate falls," etc. (§57). The general principle is that the essential thing is faith in the Sages (emunass chachamim), and one who blemishes faith in the Sages, God forbid, has no cure for his wound — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said — for all remedies receive their power from the Torah. For the angels receive their power from the Torah, and they have, as it were, hands to receive and to pour down below — for all things grow through the angels appointed over them, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "There is no blade of grass below that does not have an angel above it," etc. And the angels receive their power from the words of Hashem, may He be blessed — that is, the Torah. And the essential Torah was transmitted to the Sages, and they know how to expound it through the thirteen hermeneutical principles by which the Torah is interpreted. And without the Sages, nothing at all of the Torah is knowable. Therefore one who does not believe in their words has no cure for his wound and is compelled to die from it — for he has no source from which to receive healing. For the essential healing is from the Torah, etc., as above, and the Torah is only with the Sages, etc., as above. For all remedies are compounds (harkavos) — they take various herbs and combine them, etc. And these compounds have no power except through faith in the Sages — for the Sages subtract and add, expound and compound, and connect the letters of the Torah from place to place, and expound it through the thirteen principles. Without this, nothing at all of the Torah — no law and no ruling — is knowable. And therefore all remedies — which are all through compounds — receive their power from the Torah, and the essential power comes from the Oral Torah, which is the aspect of faith in the Sages — who compound and connect the letters of the Torah, and from there all the compounds receive their power, etc. See there carefully, at the beginning and end of the Torah teaching, and understand well.

And to arrive at faith in the Sages is through a vow (neder) — which is the aspect of Yaakov, the aspect of "and Yaakov vowed a vow," etc. (Bereishis 28:20) — and through this one merits faith in the Sages. For the vow is the aspect of the wonders of wisdom (pliyos chochma), which is the root of the Sages. And through this one returns to believe in them, etc. — see there. And through this the hands of the above-mentioned angel are repaired. And through this the lights of the Patriarchs shine in him, etc. And through this he ascends and delights in the delight of Shabbos (oneg Shabbos) — the aspect of shin bas shin, the three Patriarchs mentioned above, bas being the aspect of faith (emuna), etc. And the delight of Shabbos is the aspect of eating in holiness — for from Shabbos eating the sitra achra has no portion whatsoever, and one can accomplish through the Shabbos meal what one accomplishes through fasting: that is, to cast down his enemies before him, etc. For through the anger that arises from the liver, etc., the great accuser (mikaterayg gadol) is aroused — which is Esav, which is Edom, etc., who is filled with blood. And from the great accuser, accusers against the angry person are aroused, etc. — and then his shade departs and his face falls, the aspect of "Why are you angry and why has your face fallen?" (Bereishis 4:6), etc. And through fasting and self-affliction this is repaired — for on a day when a person eats, the liver is nourished first, etc. But when one fasts, the brain is nourished first, and then the liver is subdued — which is the aspect of Esav, etc., as above. But when one merits the aspect of Shabbos eating, then one need not fast — for one accomplishes through eating what was accomplished through the fast. For Shabbos eating is holy, and "no stranger shall eat of holy things." Then the liver is subdued, and its power is nullified — the aspect of "all the rulers of anger, they all flee and are abolished from her" — and then there is nothing but love: the aspect of "love with delights" (ahava bitanugim), etc. And in order to increase peace, one must also increase charity, etc. And there is a distinction between the peace of the fast and the peace achieved through the delight of Shabbos — like the distinction between an animal and a speaking being. For one is the aspect of peace that has a mouth (shalom she-yesh lo peh), and the other is the aspect of peace that has no mouth, etc. And this is the aspect of "the lot puts an end to strife" (midyanim yashbis ha-goral, Mishlei 18:18), etc. And this is the aspect of the falling of the gate of Aram three times until Mashiach comes, etc. See all of this there, very carefully.

And this is the aspect of the obligation upon every person to engage in the settlement of the world — that is, to marry a wife and beget children from her. This is the first commandment in the Torah. And one who does not strive for this and does not leave children in the world, God forbid, cannot ascend upward, and requires repair through yibum and chalitsa. For "a woman who fears Hashem" (isha yiras Hashem, Mishlei 31:30) is the aspect of faith, the aspect of malchus, as is known — the aspect of faith in the Sages, which is the Oral Torah. For man and woman are the aspects of the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, as is known. For the person himself is the aspect of the Torah — being composed of 248 limbs and 365 sinews, which are the aspects of the positive commandments and the negative commandments of the Torah. And this is the aspect of "this is the Torah: a man" (zos ha-Torah adam, Bamidbar 19:14) — as brought in the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory. And just as the Written Torah has no completeness without the Oral Torah — which was transmitted to the Sages — and therefore one requires faith in the Sages specifically, for without the Sages, without the Oral Torah, nothing at all of the Torah is derivable, no law and no ruling. For in the written Torah, everything is sealed — the laws of tefillin, for instance, are not explained in writing, whether to make them of silver or of leather, etc., and similarly all the other commandments. The essential Torah is only knowable through the Sages. And so too all the novel teachings of the Torah that the Sages innovate and bring forth from the Torah — as well as the sustenance of the world, and all its influences, and all things in the world — they all receive their vitality from the Torah, which gives life to them all. And their essential vitality, sustenance, and influence comes only through faith in the Sages, which is the Oral Torah — for all the Torah depends on them specifically, as is understood from the above-mentioned Torah teaching. For the Torah was transmitted to them to expound, etc. And according to how they expound the Torah in every generation, so the world is guided. For we see that in every time and moment — literally every single day — great changes occur, and all these changes correspond to what the Sages innovate and expound in the Torah in every generation — the aspect of "and in His goodness He renews each day, always, the work of creation." As our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote elsewhere: "There is no good except Torah," etc., "there is no good except the Tzaddik," etc. For all the innovations of creation that Hashem, may He be blessed, renews each day always — all of this is through the Torah, and the essential depends on the Tzaddikim of the generation, according to how they expound it at every time, etc., as above.

Similarly, the person himself — who is the aspect of the Torah, as above — since the Torah is the aspect of "a fruit-bearing tree that makes fruit" (Bereishis 1:11), one must constantly innovate new teachings of Torah (chiddushim diOraysa) and bring forth from it discourses and novellae. And this is the essential sustenance of the world, as above — and all of this depends on faith in the Sages, the aspect of Oral Torah, as above. For man digarim l'Oraysa l'mehevay y'vaysha — "one who causes the Torah to become dry," etc. — see in the Holy Zohar the greatness of the punishment, may the Merciful One spare us. Therefore faith in the Sages specifically is required, as above. And similarly a person is forbidden to be a dry tree (etz yavesh) — he must bear offspring and multiply and increase in the world. For when a human being is born into the world and a soul is drawn into the world, this is literally the aspect of the renewal of the Torah — for the person is the aspect of the Torah, as above, and this is the sustenance of the world — for "He did not create it a waste; He formed it to be inhabited" (Yeshaya 45:18). For the world subsists only on account of Yisrael, who uphold the Torah in every generation, and they themselves are the aspect of the Torah — for Oraysa vikudsha Brich Hoo viYisrael kula chad — "the Torah, the Holy Blessed One, and Yisrael are all one." And according to the souls in each generation, so are new teachings of Torah innovated in each generation, and accordingly the world is guided in each generation — and this is the essential sustenance of the world, etc., as above.

And therefore it is impossible for a person to beget and draw souls into the world except through the aspect of faith in the Sages — which is the aspect of Oral Torah — which is the aspect of "a woman who fears Hashem." For all the deeds and all the begetings of the person — who is the aspect of Written Torah — can only be accomplished through her, who is the aspect of Oral Torah, the aspect of faith in the Sages. And as brought in the Midrash on the verse "It is not good for man to be alone; I will make for him a helpmate," etc. (Bereishis 2:18): "A man brings wheat from the market — is it possible to chew raw wheat? A man brings flax — is it possible to wear raw flax?" For to refine and repair all things and to make from them a compound until they are fit for food or clothing — for all things in the world are accomplished through compounds. Most foods require the wheat to be sorted, ground, and sifted, and then the flour must be compounded and mixed with water, salt, and other things as desired — and only then specifically is bread or cooked food made from it. And similarly with garments and the like. And all these compounds are accomplished specifically through the woman, whose root and vitality is from the aspect of Oral Torah — as is known — from which all the compounds come, etc., as above. And similarly, begetting itself is also the aspect of a compound — which is the aspect of the transmigration of souls (gilgulim), as brought in the Holy Zohar in the secret of the grafting of trees (sod harkavass ha-ilanos) — for one grafts and joins this nefesh with this ruach, etc. And this refinement and compounding cannot be accomplished except through the aspect of faith in the Sages — Oral Torah — which is the aspect of "a woman who fears Hashem," etc., as above. Therefore every person must strive and marry a wife and beget children from her — to draw souls of Yisrael into the world through a wife who fears Hashem — for this is the aspect of innovations of Torah (chiddushim diOraysa) that are innovated and brought forth from the Torah through faith in the Sages specifically, etc., as above.

Faith in the Sages is drawn through a vow (neder), etc., as above in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. [This section is linked to what was written above there — see there carefully.]

And through the vow (neder) — through which one merits faith in the Sages — through this the lights of the Patriarchs (avos) shine in him. And through this he ascends and delights in the delight of Shabbos (oneg Shabbos), the aspect of eating in holiness. And then the great enemy (ha-shona ha-gadol) is subdued — the aspect of Esav, who is the aspect of the liver (kaved) seething with anger, the aspect of the liver full of blood, etc. — and one merits love, and merits great peace through increasing charity as well.

And therefore the union (zivug) of Torah scholars is on Shabbos — for on Shabbos, Written Torah and Oral Torah unite together. For then one merits faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, as above, and it unites together with Written Torah, which is contained in the Patriarchs — who are the three lines of truth, the aspect of Written Torah, the aspect of Yaakov who encompasses all three Patriarchs. For this is the essential aspect of Shabbos, as is stated in the Holy Zohar: "The mystery of Shabbos — she unites in the mystery of the One, to draw upon her the mystery of the One" — and as it is explained there, "He is One and His Name is One": "He is One" is the aspect of Written Torah, and "His Name is One" is the aspect of Oral Torah — which is known — for they are unified together in the mystery of the One, etc. And then eating is in holiness and the liver — the aspect of Esav — is subdued, and then the union is in holiness in the aspect of the joining of Written Torah and Oral Torah.

And then there is no admixture of impurity in the drop that is drawn — for the drop follows the food one eats. For then eating is in holiness and the sitra achra has no share whatsoever in the Shabbos meal — and then there is no admixture of impurity in the drop from the aspect of the seething liver, etc., which is the essential impurity, as brought in the Holy Zohar. And then all is love, and one merits peace — which is also the aspect of the holiness of the union (kedushah dazivug), as stated in the Holy Zohar. And then one merits begetting children in holiness through the peace one merits through Shabbos and through charity, as above.

For the essential begetting is through the union of two opposites — for man and woman are the aspect of two opposites, as our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote elsewhere. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: the man contributes white (lavan) — from which come bones and sinews, etc. — and the woman contributes red (adom), etc. — and they are two opposites, white and red. And begetting is only possible through the aspect of peace — for the essential peace is that two opposites come together. And therefore the essential begetting is through faith in the Sages — the aspect of isha yiras Hashem — through which one merits Shabbos, which is the time of union (sha'ata dizivuga), and merits the peace through which the essential begetting comes, as above. And this is the essential sustenance of the world — for the essential sustenance, vitality, and abundance of the world is through faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah — the aspect of isha yiras Hashem — the aspect of malchus — which guides the world in the aspect of "she provides food for her household" (Mishlei 31:15) — for all innovations of Torah, all begetings, all abundances — all of which are the aspect of compounds (harkavos) — all come through faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, specifically, etc., as above.

When a person does not merit leaving children in the world, this is the aspect of a blemish of faith in the Sages (emunass chachamim) — the blemish of peace, which is the sustenance of the world, as above. For the fact that he did not merit leaving children is due to one of two aspects: either he did not strive at all to marry a woman and multiply in the world — and this is certainly a blemish of faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, etc., as above — or he did strive, but nonetheless did not merit children. And this too comes from a blemish of faith in the Sages — for he did not merit faith in the Sages completely, and on account of this he did not merit Shabbos, and did not merit peace, and therefore did not merit begetting. For the essential begetting is through peace, which comes according to the completeness of faith in the Sages, as above.

And therefore when he does not merit leaving children behind him, God forbid — he has no garment (levush) in which to clothe himself to ascend above — and his soul is naked (artilayi), God forbid. For the essential garments come from the aspect of faith in the Sages. And therefore they are called chaluka d'rabanan — the robe of the Rabbis — in which the soul clothes itself after its departure from this world, as is brought. For these come specifically through the Sages, the aspect of faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah — for all of Torah depends on them specifically — and through this specifically the garments of the soul are made, the aspect of chaluka d'rabanan, of the Rabbis specifically.

And therefore such a person is called dead, as is brought on the verse "If a man dies and has no son" (Bamidbar 27:8) — for one who leaves no children is called dead, but one who leaves righteous children is called alive even after death. For the essential death comes from the blemish of faith in the Sages, as above in the Torah teaching — in the aspect of dilma chivya dirabanan tarkeih ("perhaps a sage's serpent has bitten him") — for death comes from the sin of Adam the primordial man, who blemished the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, of which it was written: "On the day you eat of it you shall surely die" (Bereishis 2:17). And the essential blemish of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages — for the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is the aspect of a law not yet decided (halacha she-einah pesukas) — not having merited to clarify the law: to distinguish the valid from the invalid, the forbidden from the permitted, etc. — and all of this comes through the blemish of faith in the Sages. For the Sages clarify the forbidden and the permitted, the valid and the invalid, etc. — and this is the essential labor of the Oral Torah.

And one who does not believe in their words — he knows nothing of Torah, no law and no ruling — and then he is in the aspect of the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil that Adam blemished — for then good and evil are intermingled, forbidden and permitted mixed together — for it is impossible to clarify the forbidden from the permitted except through faith in the Sages, etc., as above. And therefore the essential blemish was through the woman — for the essential faith in the Sages depends on her, as above. And therefore the serpent went to her to entice her. And therefore their blemish came through the false argument: just as there is no death in touching, so there is no death in eating — and this is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages, for without them one knows nothing of the conduct and the laws of the Torah.

And one who deviates from the plain truth of Hashem's words and gives them a false interpretation, and expounds the Torah not in accordance with the law (megaleh panim baTorah she-lo k'halacha) — this is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages, for the plain truth depends on the Sages, as above. And in this did Adam and his wife blemish — for they received the commandment from Hashem, may He be blessed, and certainly received it in the aspect of both Written Torah and Oral Torah — for there is no commandment in the world that is not comprised of both these aspects. That is, he had the capacity in his wisdom to interpret the words of Hashem as was right. Yet they followed the counsel of the serpent and deviated from the plain truth of Hashem's words — which is the aspect of faith in the Sages — and they overturned the living word of God and made their false argument, as above.

And therefore death was decreed upon him for all generations — and no person escapes this. For the blemish of faith in the Sages — no remedy in the world avails against it, in the aspect of dilma chivya dirabanan tarkeih — and therefore as long as the sin of Adam the primordial man — which is the blemish of faith in the Sages — is not fully repaired, it is impossible to escape death. But one who leaves children behind — this is a repair for the sin of Adam the primordial man — for the children they beget are the clarification and repair of Adam's sin, as is known. For the children they beget come from the aspect of peace, from the aspect of faith in the Sages, as above — which is the repair of Adam's sin. And they also take his place and are engaged after him in clarifying and repairing the blemish of faith in the Sages, which is the essence of all Torah. And therefore one who leaves children is not called dead. But one who leaves no children, God forbid — he has not merited repairing this blemish, and has left no one after him to be engaged in this repair — and therefore he is called dead. And therefore he has no garment in which to clothe himself — for he has no chaluka d'rabanan, of the Rabbis specifically, as above. And this is the aspect of "for I am naked" (Bereishis 3:10) — said by the primordial Adam after he committed this blemish — that is, the blemish of faith in the Sages — for the essential garments come from there, the aspect of chaluka d'rabanan, as above.

And his repair is through his brother — "through his brother" specifically — the aspect of "a brother is born for adversity" (v'ach l'tzara yivale, Mishlei 17:17). For the essential blemish of this deceased who left no children in the world is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages, which is the blemish of love and peace, as above. And through this he cannot ascend above — for through the blemish of faith in the Sages he did not merit the delight of Shabbos, and then the great enemy and accuser — who is Esav — gains strength, as is explained in the Torah teaching. And he is the enemy and accuser in this world and in the World to Come — and does not let the soul ascend when he did not merit to establish himself in the world, to leave children, and to repair faith in the Sages. For through the blemish of faith in the Sages the above accuser is aroused, as is understood from the Torah teaching.

And the accuser and enemy is Esav — whose hatred was so great that he destroyed his compassion for his brother, and pursued his brother Yaakov. And this is the essential strengthening of hatred that comes from the blemish of faith in the Sages — that even a brother hates his brother — for the great enemy, Esav the brother of Yaakov, is aroused, who pursued his brother. And all of this flows from the sin of Adam the primordial man who blemished faith in the Sages — and through this the contamination of the serpent gained strength, God forbid — and Kayin was born, the impure Kayin (kina dimeso'avusa) — for he came from the contamination of the serpent, and he was the first enemy and murderer who killed his brother Hevel and did not allow him to take root in the world and beget children — from whom all the reincarnations of souls come, for they encompassed all souls. And the essential yibum, which is the aspect of reincarnations of souls, flows from there. And from there hatred spread in the world — for in a world of one there is no hatred or strife, and as long as Adam was alone in the world there was no place for hatred or strife. But when he blemished faith in the Sages, through which he blemished Shabbos, it became impossible to subdue and nullify the hatred, and the great enemy was aroused through the blemish of eating on a weekday, through which the seething liver gains strength, as is explained well in the Torah teaching.

And through this hatred was aroused between the first two brothers in the world — and Kayin killed his brother Hevel. And Esav himself is the aspect of the contamination of the serpent — the aspect of Kayin — and therefore he too pursued his brother. For this is the essential hatred and murder that flows from Kayin, who was the first enemy and murderer that came from the contamination of the serpent, from the blemish of faith in the Sages — to the extent that he had no compassion even on his own brother, and killed his brother Hevel. And from the killing of Kayin's brother Hevel, hatred spread — and the essential hatred is when a brother hates his brother, like Esav who pursued his brother Yaakov. And this is the verse: "You sit and speak against your brother" (Tehillim 50:20) — Scripture rebukes the great degree of hatred — to the extent that one even has hatred for one's own brother and speaks evil against him. And Scripture mentions several times the wickedness of the wicked Esav and his great hatred in pursuing his brother with the sword, and in destroying his compassion: "For the violence against your brother Yaakov, shame shall cover you" (Ovadya 1:10) — mentioning each time that he pursued his brother, for this is the essence of his wickedness and hatred — for this is the essential hatred flowing from the first murderer, Kayin, as above.

And this is the aspect of what is said regarding Yerovam, in whom the contamination of the serpent gained strength — of whom it is written: "for he shall be fruitful among brothers" (ki hu bein achim yafria, Hoshea 13:15) — for this is the essential blemish: the strengthening of hatred between brothers, which is the hatred of Esav for his brother Yaakov. For Yerovam sinned and blemished greatly against faith in the Sages and the Davidic kingdom — for he expounded that the festival of Asif falls in Cheshvan, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said, and the like. And through this he sinned in the entire Torah and denied the essential. And through this the hatred between brothers gained strength — the aspect of "for he shall be fruitful among brothers," as above — for the essential begetting comes through peace, which flows from faith in the Sages, as above.

And therefore brothers born in holiness through the aspect of peace — through the aspect of faith in the Sages — it is fitting that there be great love and peace between them, for this is their root. But when one is born, God forbid, from the contamination of the serpent, from the blemish of peace — then he has great hatred even for his own brother, like Kayin who came from the contamination of the serpent, from the aspect of hatred and strife, and therefore killed his brother. And so too Esav, etc. For the essential peace comes through faith in the Sages — for the Sages are the aspect of Oral Torah, and they clarify the law, the forbidden and the permitted, etc., as above — and through this great peace is made and strife and hatred are nullified, as is explained in the words of our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, elsewhere.

And this is the aspect of Shabbos peace — which one merits through faith in the Sages, as above — for on Shabbos peace is made and the law is clarified. For the six weekdays are the aspect of forbidden and permitted, valid and invalid, impure and pure, as is brought. And through Shabbos the six weekdays are clarified — the forbidden from the permitted — for the essential repair and clarification of the six weekdays is completed on Shabbos. For then peace is made and the permitted is clarified from the forbidden, etc. — for the essential completion of the Oral Torah — that is, the definitively decided law — is on Shabbos, when everything is encompassed in the mystery of the One. And this is what our master, teacher, and rabbi, of blessed memory, wrote in the Torah teaching — that through faith in the Sages one merits Shabbos and merits peace. For "one who prepared on the eve of Shabbos shall eat on Shabbos" (Avoda Zara 3a) — that is, one who merits faith in the Sages, who clarify the six weekdays through the six orders of Mishnah and clarify the permitted from the forbidden, etc. — through this they merit Shabbos, which is the aspect of resting from the clarifications — for then the perfection of the Oral Torah is revealed, the aspect of the definitively decided law, from which all strife flows, as above.

And therefore through the blemish of faith in the Sages — the sin of Adam the primordial man — through this hatred and strife are aroused — for the great enemy who pursued his brother Yaakov gains strength, as above. And therefore the essential blemish of hatred is the hatred of a brother for his fellow — which is the exact opposite of love — which is the aspect of Esav's hatred, who is the great enemy from whom the essential hatred flows. And this is the essential penalty of the deceased without children who blemished faith in the Sages, as above — for through this Esav gained strength — and through him personally comes the punishment after death, as is brought. And on account of this he cannot ascend, etc., as above. And therefore his repair is through his brother specifically — for through the brother's exertion to save and elevate his brother, through this the hatred of Esav who pursued his brother is subdued — for on this the essential repair depends: nullifying his hatred, as above. And therefore the brother specifically has the power to repair his brother — for he subdues the hatred of Esav, the brother of Yaakov — and on this the essential repair depends.

And the essential repair of yibum through which the brother repairs the soul of the deceased is through the aspect of ha-hu rucha d'shadei b'gavah ("that spirit that is cast within her") — as brought in the Sava d'Mishpatim (Zohar, Mishpatim) and in the writings of the Ari, of blessed memory. For ha-hu rucha d'shadei b'gavah — through which she becomes a vessel — is the essential vitality of the wife. As is brought in the writings on the verse "And it came to pass as her soul was departing," etc. (Bereishis 35:18) — this is the aspect of Binyamin, as is explained in the writings. And it is drawn from the aspect of the vow (neder) — for it is known that the vow is in bina, the supernal mother, the aspect of Yom Kippur and repentance, where Kol Nidrei begins, as is known. And from there ha-hu rucha d'shadei b'gavah is drawn — which is the aspect of Binyamin — as brought in the writings in the Sha'ar Krias Shema al HaMita in the Pri Etz Chayyim, see there.

And this is the aspect of the fact that Binyamin — who is the aspect of ha-hu rucha, as above — was not born until Yaakov had fulfilled his vow. And similarly the portion of Binyamin is adjacent to the fulfillment of Yaakov's vow — as it is written in the portion of Vayishlach: "And Yaakov set up a pillar and poured oil on it, and Yaakov called the name of the place 'Beis Ail'" — and then they traveled from Beis Ail, and "Rachail gave birth" — and then specifically Binyamin was born, after the fulfillment of Yaakov's vow specifically. For Binyamin is drawn from the vow — from which ha-hu rucha d'shadei b'gavah is drawn, through which she becomes a vessel. And this is the essential vitality and sustenance of the God-fearing woman (isha yiras Hashem) — the aspect of Rachail — the aspect of Oral Torah — the aspect of faith in the Sages — specifically through the vow, the aspect of "and Yaakov vowed a vow," as explained in the Torah teaching. And therefore Yaakov vowed his vow when he went to marry a God-fearing woman, as above.

And therefore the Holy Temple is in the portion of Binyamin — for the essential Holy Temple flows from the aspect of the vow — that is, from Yaakov's vow. For this very vow of Yaakov was: "and this stone which I have placed as a pillar shall be the house of God" — which is the Even HaShesiya (Foundation Stone), the place of the Holy Temple. And therefore in the Holy Temple all vows and pledges were brought. And similarly the building of the Holy Temple was through vows and pledges — as each person vowed and pledged — for the Holy Temple flows from the aspect of the vow. And therefore it is in the portion of Binyamin, as above — for the essential Holy Temple is the aspect of the repair of faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, in its completeness — which is the repair of all sins that come from the sin of Adam the primordial man, who blemished in this. For in the Holy Temple all sins were repaired and atoned — for they all come from Adam's sin, from the blemish of faith in the Sages, which is the essence of all Torah.

And therefore the Holy Temple is called Har HaMoriya — for "from there instruction goes forth" (horaah, Ta'anis 16a) — for there the Great Sanhedrin sat in the Chamber of Hewn Stone and decided the laws, and there is the essential clarification of the laws, and the essential faith in the Sages depends on them. For of them it is said the essential verse: "You shall arise and go up to the place which Hashem your God will choose — you shall not deviate from the matter they tell you, neither right nor left" (Devarim 17:8–11). And one who rebels against them is a zaken mamre (rebellious elder). And therefore the essential Oral Torah — the aspect of faith in the Sages — depends on the Holy Temple, which David and King Solomon built, who are the aspect of malchus, the aspect of faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, as above. And therefore the essential Holy Temple flows from the aspect of the vow — from Yaakov's vow, etc., as above — for the essential faith in the Sages is through the vow, as above.

And therefore when King David, peace be upon him, wished to find the place of the Holy Temple, he was compelled to ascend to the aspect of the vow. And this is the aspect of: "He swore to Hashem, he vowed to the Mighty One of Yaakov" (Tehillim 132:2) — to the Mighty One of Yaakov specifically — who was the first to reveal the place of the Holy Temple through the aspect of the vow, as above. And this is: "until I find a place for Hashem, a dwelling," etc. (Tehillim 132:5) — meaning, the place of the Holy Temple, which is the repair of faith in the Sages that depends on the aspect of the vow, as above.

Thus the aspect of ha-hu rucha, as above, is the aspect of the vow — the aspect of Binyamin. And therefore through this the yavam (the brother performing yibum) is able to repair the soul of the deceased — for the deceased had already begun to repair the aspect of faith in the Sages through ha-hu rucha, as above, which is drawn from the aspect of the vow, through which the aspect of faith in the Sages — the aspect of isha yiras Hashem — is repaired. For from there is her essential vitality, as above. And therefore through this the yavam repairs the soul of the deceased whose essential blemish was in faith in the Sages — for faith in the Sages is repaired through the aspect of ha-hu rucha that is drawn from the aspect of the vow, the aspect of Binyamin, as above.

"And if the man does not wish to take her," etc., "his sister-in-law shall go up to the gate to the elders," etc., "and his sister-in-law shall approach in the presence of the elders, and remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face," etc. (Devarim 25:7–9). For the sandals are the protection for the feet, and the feet (raglayim) are the aspect of faith (emuna), the aspect of faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, the aspect of malchus — which is the aspect of the feet — the aspect of "righteousness goes before him" etc., as is brought. And this is the aspect of what is brought in the Tikkunim: nal da atta ("a sandal — that is a woman") — for it is in the aspect of faith in the Sages, which is the aspect of isha yiras Hashem, the aspect of the feet, as above.

For the sandal flows and descends from a very high place — from the aspect of bina, where the place of the vow is — for na'al (sandal) equals in gematria kana (= 151), as is brought in the writings. And this is the aspect of what Avraham said: "I raise my hand to Hashem, the Most High God — if from a thread to a sandal strap" (Bereishis 14:22–23) — "raising of the hand" is the aspect of a vow and oath, as Rashi explains there, as is written: "he raised his right hand and his left hand and swore," etc. For from the aspect of the vow and oath the aspect of sandals is drawn — the aspect of the sandal strap (srooch na'al). And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: just as tefillin, so sandals — for sandals flow from the aspect of the strap of tefillin (retzu'a shel tefillin) — as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: in the merit of Avraham saying "to a sandal strap," his descendants merited the strap of tefillin. For tefillin are the aspect of ema al bera ("mother upon son") — the aspect of im l'bina ("mother of understanding"), which is the aspect of the vow (neder), as is known. And from there the aspect of sandals is drawn, as above.

And therefore, since sandals flow from the aspect of the vow — through which the fallen faith is raised up, as above — they are the protection for the feet, as above. And then when one merits such sandals — which are the aspect of faith in the Sages that flows from the aspect of the vow, as above — then Scripture praises: "How beautiful are your footsteps in sandals, O daughter of the noble" (ma yafu f'amaich b'na'alim bas nadiv, Shir HaShirim 7:2) — and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: "barta d'avahan" ("the daughter of the Patriarchs"). For through the sandals — which are the aspect of faith in the Sages that flows through the vow — through this one merits the light of the Patriarchs and merits the delight of Shabbos, which is the aspect of shin bas shin — the three Patriarchs, bas being the aspect of faith — as is explained in the Torah teaching. And this is "daughter of the noble, daughter of the Patriarchs" — the aspect of Shabbos, shin bas. And this is: "the curves of your thighs" — this is the aspect of the feet, the aspect of the Oral Torah, as above. And this is what our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded (Sukka 49b): "just as the thigh is hidden," etc. — this is the aspect of the hidden aspects of Torah (sitrei Torah), the aspect of the wonders of wisdom (pliyos chochma) — which is the aspect of the place of the vow, which is the wonders of wisdom, the aspect of hidden Torah, where the Sages are rooted, and where the essential raising up of faith in the Sages comes from, as is explained in the Torah teaching. And this is how the verse concludes: "the work of a master craftsman" (ma'aseh yedei aman) — and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: "the work of His craftsmanship, the Holy Blessed One." For faith in the Sages — upon whom all of Torah depends — this is the essential artisanry of the Holy Blessed One. For Hashem, may He be blessed, created all the world and all within it through the Torah, as is written: "I was with Him as a craftsman" (Mishlei 8:30). And the essential artisanry was through the aspect of Oral Torah, the aspect of faith in the Sages — for all Torah is in their hands, and all the building and sustenance of the world is through them specifically, etc., as above. And this is: "the work of a master craftsman" — "the work of His craftsmanship" — for His essential artisanry, as it were, is only through the aspect of the Sages, the aspect of Oral Torah, the aspect of faith in the Sages — the aspect of "all His works are in faithfulness" (Tehillim 33:4).

And therefore when one puts on sandals in the morning, one recites the blessing "who has made for me all my needs" (she-asa li kol tzarki). And this seems very puzzling — why does one not recite this blessing over any garment, even an important garment, and over nothing else in the world does one say "who has made for me all my needs" — only over sandals? For truly all of a person's needs are contained in the sandals. For all of a person's needs — everything — flows from the Torah, for she gives life to everything and from her all the abundances of the world flow. But it is impossible to receive any abundance from the Torah except through faith in the Sages, the aspect of Oral Torah. And the sandals are the protection for the feet, and they are in the aspect of faith in the Sages. It follows that all of a person's needs — everything, as one — depend on them. And therefore one recites the blessing over them specifically: "who has made for me all my needs" — for in them specifically all of a person's needs are contained, as above.

And this is why our Sages, of blessed memory, warned greatly about wearing sandals, as is brought in the Talmud. And this is the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "A person should always sell everything he has and buy sandals for his feet" — for they are the essential thing, and everything else a person has is as nothing without sandals. For from the aspect of sandals — which are the aspect of faith in the Sages — from there flows everything a person has and all his needs, as above. And therefore when he has no sandals he must sell everything he has in order to buy sandals — for everything depends on them, as above. And this is the aspect of what our Sages, of blessed memory, said: "A person should always sell everything" — and also "and marry the daughter of a Torah scholar" — for both are one aspect, since nal da atta ("a sandal is a woman"), as above. And the essential thing is to marry the daughter of a Torah scholar, for she is the woman who is the aspect of faith in the Sages, as above. And therefore one must marry the daughter of a Torah scholar, for she is certainly closer to the aspect of faith in the Sages, since she is the daughter of a Torah scholar. Thus the sandals in holiness are a very exalted aspect — the aspect of faith in the Sages flowing from the aspect of the vow, as above.

And therefore on Yom Kippur one removes the sandals (choltzin haminolim) — for Yom Kippur is the forgiveness of transgressions through repentance (teshuva), and then Kol Nidrei begins — for Yom Kippur is the aspect of bina, repentance, the aspect of the vow. And when one ascends there, one does not need sandals — for one ascends to their root. For on Yom Kippur we ascend to the aspect of the World to Come, to the place of the vow, where the root of the chain of derivation of the sandals is. And then sandals are not needed — and this is the aspect of "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place upon which you stand," etc. (Shemos 3:5).

For the essential aspect of sandals came into being after the sin of the primordial Adam — for then sandals are needed, and they are the aspect of the repair of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. For the sandals are in the aspect of the garments of skin (kasnos or) — they are the aspect of the repair of the primordial Adam's sin. For before his sin he was in the aspect of garments of light (kasnos or with an alef) — for he was entirely good, as it will be in the future, in the aspect of "Hashem shall be One and His Name shall be One" — when Written Torah and Oral Torah were contained together in perfect unity. And then no sandals are needed at all — which are the aspect of garments of skin — for then it was the aspect of garments of light (alef), as is known.

For the sandals — which are the aspect of garments of skin (kasnos or) — are the aspect of havdalah (separation) — which is why one looks at the fingernails, which are the aspect of garments of skin, at the time of havdalah at the end of Shabbos. For there is the essential aspect of havdalah: to distinguish between impure and pure, forbidden and permitted, etc. For a leather sandal is the aspect of the repair of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. And through making havdalah between sacred and ordinary, the garments of skin — the aspect of the sandals — are clarified and refined. And then the sandals are the clarification and repair of the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — that is, the repair of faith in the Sages. For because the primordial Adam blemished the Tree of Knowledge, he was compelled to clothe himself in garments of skin — the aspect of the leather sandal — for in skin good and evil are intermingled, as is brought in the writings. And through making havdalah and clarifying them in the secret of havdalah, this is the essential repair of the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge, etc.

And therefore on Yom Kippur — when all transgressions are forgiven, all of which flow from the sin of the primordial Adam — and therefore on Yom Kippur it is the aspect of the repair of the primordial Adam's sin. Therefore it is forbidden to wear sandals then — for then one ascends higher and higher, above them, to the aspect of the World to Come, where the world will be repaired as the primordial Adam was before his sin — when sandals were not needed, for then it was the aspect of garments of light (alef). And similarly in the Holy Temple — which is the aspect of the vow, which is the root of sandals — one may not wear sandals there either. And in the Holy Temple there is also forgiveness of transgressions and repair of the sin of the primordial Adam. And therefore sandals cause a blemish there — for there the hold of evil has no grasp whatsoever; it is entirely good. And this is the aspect of "remove your sandals, for the place" etc.

And conversely, on Tisha b'Av — when the destruction of the Holy Temple occurred — one is also forbidden to wear shoes. For the destruction of the Temple was the opposite aspect: the outer forces gained the upper hand and the Name was blotted out, God forbid — the shattering of the vessels, the aspect of toahoo va-voahoo. For when Yisrael sinned and the blemish of faith in the Sages became prevalent — the aspect of the blemish of the Oral Torah — through this the outer forces gained strength and seized hold, and the Temple was destroyed. For the Temple is the aspect of the fullness of the Name and the repair of all the vessels, as explained above in Yibum 1 — that the Temple is in the portion of Binyamin and represents the repair of holy wealth. And when faith in the Sages was blemished — for the destruction came on account of causeless hatred, which is the opposite of peace and the opposite of faith in the Sages — then the outer forces gained strength through the blotting out of the Name and destroyed the Temple.

And therefore on Tisha b'Av, in mourning for the destruction, one removes the sandal as well — but for the opposite reason from Yom Kippur. On Yom Kippur the removal of the sandal is the aspect of the repair of the outer forces — removing their hold. But on Tisha b'Av, the removal of the sandal is the aspect of mourning — for the outer forces gained the upper hand and seized the sandal, the hold of the lowest level, and it is as though we are barefoot and bereft, stripped of our garment of the lowest level. And this is the difference: on Yom Kippur the removal of the sandal is an act of holiness and repair, while on Tisha b'Av it is an expression of mourning and loss. Yet both are connected to the same root — the sandal as the garment of the lowest level, and whether it has been removed in holiness or seized by the outer forces. And through the mourning of Tisha b'Av and the crying and the fast, we draw the repair — that the removal of the sandal should be transformed from an expression of mourning to an expression of the holiness of Yom Kippur. For Tisha b'Av and Yom Kippur are deeply connected — the aspect of b'Av and k'Av as our Sages alluded — and through the mourning of Tisha b'Av, we draw the repair that the destruction will be turned to joy and the day itself will become a festival, as the verse states: "Your mourning shall be turned to joy."

And this is the aspect of the removal of the sandal of the yevama: for when the yavam does not wish to perform yibum and to raise up the name of his brother — through which the repair of the soul of the deceased would be accomplished through him — then he is abandoning the aspect of raising up the Name, and he is allowing the outer forces to maintain their hold. And therefore the yevama removes his sandal — the aspect of removing the garment of the lowest level from him. For since he refuses to perform yibum and raise up the Name, the hold of the outer forces upon the sandal — the garment of the lowest level — remains with him, and it is appropriate that the yevama removes it from him before the elders. For the elders are the Sages — the aspect of faith in the Sages — and before them the hold of the outer forces upon the sandal is removed. And through this removal before the elders, the yevama is freed from the grip of the outer forces that had held her through the blemish of the deceased, and she is permitted to marry another. For the chalitsa before the elders accomplishes a partial repair of faith in the Sages — even though it is not the full repair of yibum. And therefore through chalitsa she is freed and the outer forces' hold is weakened, even if the full repair of the Name must await another time or another gilgul.

And this is the aspect of "and she shall spit in his face" — the aspect of the green line (kav ha-yarok) that surrounds the world, the aspect of "I set my rainbow (kashti) in the cloud" (Bereishis 9:13) — which is the aspect of the repair of the outer forces through the line of the covenant. And through this spitting the outer forces' hold over him is further weakened and the repair of faith in the Sages is drawn.

And this is the aspect of "and his sister-in-law shall go up to the gate to the elders," etc. (Devarim 25:7) — to subdue the gate of Aram (sha'ar Aram), which is the aspect of the outer forces and the great accuser — for the gate is the place of judgment and the outer forces. And through going before the elders — the Sages — the gate of Aram is subdued. For this is what was asked of Rabbi Yosei ben Kisma: "When will the son of David come?" And he answered: "When this gate falls," etc. — for the falling of the gate of Aram is the prerequisite for the coming of Mashiach. And through the repair of faith in the Sages — through bringing the yevama to the gate before the elders — there is a drawing of the repair that will culminate in the falling of the gate and the coming of Mashiach.

And the essential repair accomplished by repairing faith in the Sages is in order to merit peace — from which children are born, as above. And through peace one merits the delight of Shabbos, and through the delight of Shabbos one merits the peace that has a mouth, which is a higher peace. And through this higher peace one merits to draw souls of Yisrael into the world and to sustain the world through the renewal of Torah novellae, as above. And through this the coming of Mashiach is hastened — for the essential coming of Mashiach is through the completion of all the souls of Yisrael being drawn into the world and the completion of all the Torah novellae being renewed. And all of this depends on faith in the Sages — the Oral Torah — which depends on the vow of Yaakov.

And this is the aspect of Purim — for Haman the wicked stood over Yisrael through the blemish of faith in the Sages. For the blemish of faith in the Sages draws strength to Amalek — who is the great accuser, the aspect of the blotting out of the Name. And Haman was from the seed of Amalek. And the decree of Haman was to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews (Esther 3:13) — the aspect of the blotting out of the Name and the destruction of the world, God forbid. For through the blemish of faith in the Sages the vessels are shattered and the light returns upward, as above. And therefore Mordechai commanded to fast and pray — the aspect of subduing the liver through the fast, as above — in order to repair the blemish of faith in the Sages and to subdue Amalek-Haman. And through the fasting and the prayer and the repentance, Yisrael repaired their faith in the Sages, and Haman was subdued and fell. And through the miracle of Purim the blemish of faith in the Sages was repaired and the Name was raised up — the vessels were rebuilt — and peace was restored between Yisrael and Hashem, may He be blessed.

And this is the essential aspect of the war of Amalek — from whom Haman descended — the aspect of "and Amalek came and fought with Yisrael at Rephidim" (Shemos 17:8). For Rephidim is expounded as rifyon yadayim — the weakening of hands — that Yisrael's hands had become weak in Torah study. For the weakening in Torah is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages — for when they are lax in Torah, the hold of the Sages and the Oral Torah is weakened, and from this Amalek draws strength. And therefore the repair was specifically through Moshe raising his hands — for the hands of Moshe are the aspect of the hands of the angels repaired through the vow and faith in the Sages, as above. And when Moshe raised his hands — the aspect of raising the honor of the Sages and the Oral Torah — Yisrael prevailed. And when his hands dropped — the aspect of a weakening of faith in the Sages — Amalek prevailed. And therefore Aharon and Chur supported his hands — for the repair of faith in the Sages requires communal effort and support.

And therefore Haman the wicked, from the seed of Amalek — the pollution of the serpent (zuhamas ha-nachash), the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — calculated and sought to destroy Yisrael through the lottery (pur). For through the blemish of the Tree of Knowledge — which is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages — comes all confusion and mixture of good and evil. For the Tree of Knowledge is the aspect of the mixture of good and evil — and from this all the heretical views and all the blemishings of faith in the Sages arise. For when good and evil are mixed together, one cannot discern between them, and therefore one falls into doubts and heresies regarding the words of the Sages — for their words appear sometimes contradictory or strange, since one cannot see through the mixture of good and evil to the pure truth that is in them. And Haman sought to use the lottery — which is the aspect of chance and randomness — for the lottery is the opposite of Providence (hashgacha), for the lottery suggests that things happen by chance without divine direction. And through the lottery — through the aspect of randomness — Haman sought to blot out the Name of Yisrael, which is the opposite of Providence: for the Name is the aspect of divine Providence and guidance. For through faith in the Sages one attains the aspect of Providence — as explained in the Torah teaching "Ashray HuAm Yoda'ay S'ru'ah" (§13) — for through faith in the Sages and the Oral Torah one draws divine Providence, and through this the Name is sustained. And Haman sought to undermine this through the lot — the aspect of randomness and the denial of Providence.

And the repair was through Mordechai and Esther who gathered all the Jews to fast and repent — for through repentance and returning to faith in the Sages, the lot was transformed. For the lot — the aspect of chance and randomness — was turned into an aspect of divine miracle and Providence. For pur is the aspect of randomness, and through the miracle of Purim the very lot was revealed as divine Providence. For the lot of Haman fell in the month of Adar — which is the month of Moshe, who is the aspect of the Oral Torah and faith in the Sages — and through this the lot was overturned in their favor. And through the miracle of Purim the belief in Providence was strengthened and faith in the Sages was repaired. For the miracle of Purim was hidden within nature — unlike the miracles of Egypt which were openly supernatural — and therefore Purim specifically requires the aspect of faith: faith that the hidden hand of Providence is directing all events even within the garments of nature. And this is the deepest repair of faith in the Sages — for the Sages expound and interpret the hidden Providence within the natural world, and through faith in their interpretations one sees divine guidance even in what appears to be chance. And this is the aspect of "and Mordechai knew all that had been done" (Esther 4:1) — Mordechai saw the Providence within the events that seemed random. And through making this known — through pirsumay nisa, publicizing the miracle — the faith in Providence and the faith in the Sages is strengthened in all of Yisrael.

And therefore Purim is connected to yibum and chalitsa — for both are aspects of the repair of faith in the Sages and the repair of the Name. For yibum raises up the name of the deceased — the repair of the Name and the vessels — which is the repair of faith in the Sages. And Purim repairs the blotting out of the Name that Haman-Amalek sought to accomplish through the lot-the denial of Providence. And both repairs come through the same root: the vow of Yaakov — faith in the Sages — Oral Torah — peace — children — the sustenance of the world and the coming of Mashiach. And therefore the celebration of Purim through the Purim feast and the reading of the Megillah and the sending of gifts — all of these are aspects of the repair of faith in the Sages through joy and peace and communal unity. For through joy one attains the higher peace — the peace that has a mouth — and through this peace faith in the Sages is strengthened and the name is raised up. And this is the connection between Purim and yibum: both are the repair of the Name through faith in the Sages and through peace.

And therefore when Haman gained power — being the great enemy — they were required to fast, as it is written in the Megillah. For through the fast the liver is subdued and the great accuser — Esav-Haman-Amalek — is weakened. And through the fast of Esther and all of Yisrael they repaired the blemish of faith in the Sages and returned to the aspect of the vow of Yaakov — subduing Esav through the fast and the repentance. And through this repair Haman fell and the decree was annulled. And the three-day fast of Esther corresponds to the three Patriarchs — the lights of the Patriarchs that shine through the vow and faith in the Sages, as above — for through the fasting they drew the lights of the three Patriarchs and through this Haman was subdued.

And this is the aspect of the Purim feast (sudas Purim) — for this is the essential repair accomplished through the power of the miracle that was wrought through fasting. For through fasting one attains the lower level of peace — peace that has no mouth — but after the miracle occurred and Haman fell, the higher repair was accomplished: the aspect of the Shabbos meal — eating in holiness — the peace that has a mouth. For through the miracle, the fast was transformed into joy and feast — the aspect of Shabbos eating — and through this the higher peace was attained. And therefore the Purim feast is a great mitzvah — for through the joy and the feast one attains the higher peace: the peace of Shabbos, the peace that has a mouth, through which faith in the Sages is completed and the Name is raised up fully. And this is the difference between the repair of the fast of Esther and the repair of the Purim feast: the fast achieves the lower peace, while the feast achieves the higher peace. And together they form the complete repair — fast followed by feast — the aspect of "your mourning shall be turned to joy" (Yirmiya 31:12). And therefore Purim is a foretaste of the World to Come, when all the fasts will be transformed into festivals, as the Sages taught.

And this is the aspect of the reading of the Megillah for the publicizing of the miracle (pirsumay nisa) — for one must publicize the miracle in the aspect of the peace that has a mouth (shalom she-yesh lo peh). For the miracle of Purim was hidden within nature, and therefore it requires publicizing — speaking forth the miracle with the mouth. For through speaking the miracle — through the reading of the Megillah — the faith in hidden Providence is spread and strengthened in all of Yisrael. And this is the aspect of peace that has a mouth: for the word of mouth reveals what was hidden, and through this the miracle is completed and the repair of faith in the Sages is spread throughout all generations. For through the reading of the Megillah in every generation, the repair of faith in the Sages is renewed and strengthened. And therefore the Megillah must be read aloud, with the voice — for the voice is the aspect of the peace that has a mouth, through which the hidden becomes revealed and the miracle of Providence is publicized. And through this publicizing, Amalek — the aspect of denial of Providence — is further subdued in every generation. For every time the Megillah is read and the miracle is publicized, the hold of Amalek over the mind is weakened and faith in the Sages and in Providence is strengthened.

And this is the aspect of the reading of the Torah and the reading of the Megillah that our Sages, of blessed memory, enacted — for both the reading of the Torah and the reading of the Megillah are the aspect of publicizing and spreading faith in the Sages through the spoken word. For the reading of the Torah is the aspect of the Written Torah being spoken aloud — and through the Sages enacting this reading, they connected the Written Torah to the Oral Torah. For the public reading of the Torah is itself an aspect of the Oral Torah — it was the Sages who enacted the readings, established the portions, and determined the laws of the reading. And similarly the reading of the Megillah — enacted by the Sages of the Great Assembly — is itself the Oral Torah speaking. And through both readings the peace that has a mouth is drawn — the spoken word of Torah — which strengthens faith in the Sages and subdues the forces of denial and confusion.

And through the aspect of peace that has a mouth, one merits the aspect of matza — as explained well in the above-mentioned Torah teaching. For matza is the aspect of the hasty departure from Egypt — the aspect of redemption coming through the power of faith, even before full preparation. And through the peace that has a mouth — the fully articulate peace — one is able to receive the light of redemption even in haste, even without the dough having time to rise. For the matza is the bread of faith (nahma dimehemnusa), and through the peace that has a mouth — the complete faith articulated through the mouth — one merits the full bread of faith and the full redemption.

And therefore Mordechai merited to wear royal garments, as it is written: "and Mordechai went out from before the king in royal garments" (Esther 8:15) — the aspect of the garments of salvation (bigday yesha). For through the complete repair of faith in the Sages — through which the Name is raised up and the vessels are fully built — one merits the garments of the supernal colors, as explained in Yibum 1. For the supernal colors that are raised to their root through the repair of the Name — these become the garments of salvation. And Mordechai, through his standing firm in faith in the Sages — refusing to bow to Haman — and through his repairing the blemish of faith in Yisrael through the fasting and repentance, merited the full repair of the Name and therefore received the royal garments. For the royal garments are the aspect of the garments of the supernal colors — the aspect of the full repair of the Name and the vessels — which is the complete repair of faith in the Sages.

And therefore from the descendants of Haman, Torah was studied in Bnai Brak — as is brought in the Talmud. For from the very defeat of Haman — from the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages that was repaired — new vessels were built. For the complete repair of the blemish brings forth new sparks of holiness even from the very source of the blemish. And Haman's descendants who chose to convert and study Torah represent the ultimate repair: the sparks that had fallen into Amalek — through Haman's descent from Amalek — were refined and elevated through the repair of Purim. And therefore they studied Torah specifically in Bnai Brak — the city of Rabbi Akiva — for Rabbi Akiva is the aspect of the renewal of Torah novellae through faith in the Sages. And through studying Torah in his city, the repair of faith in the Sages is made complete — even the sparks that had been held by Amalek are now returned to their root through the Torah study of the Sages.

And this is the aspect of sotah — for the sotah blemished faith in the Sages, the aspect of "a God-fearing woman" (isha yiras Hashem) — for she was drawn after the counsel of the serpent, the wicked kingdom, the aspect of the harlot-woman (isha zona), etc. And therefore the essential blemish of the sotah is in the aspect of the thigh of Yaakov (yereich Yaakov) — the aspect of the knees of the Rabbis (birkai d'rabanan) — which is the aspect of the blemish of faith in the Sages, as above. And therefore "her belly shall swell and her thigh shall fall" — as is explained at the end of the Sava of Mishpatim (Zohar, see there).

And therefore she is examined in the Holy Temple (Beis HaMikdash) specifically — which is the aspect of the vow (neder), where faith in the Sages, the aspect of isha yiras Hashem, is repaired, as above. And therefore her husband must bring a korban with her — which is the aspect of the vow — through which the aspect of isha yiras Hashem, faith in the Sages, is clarified and refined from the aspect of isha zona, etc. For there, in the Holy Temple — where the repair of isha yiras Hashem is — when one rises the other falls.

And therefore if she is not pure, she will certainly fall there, through the Holy Temple, through the vow, through the aspect of the repair of faith in the Sages, isha yiras Hashem — for when one rises, etc. And therefore "her belly shall swell and her thigh shall fall," etc., as above. But if she is pure and has not strayed from the path of isha yiras Hashem — then on the contrary: she receives from there, from the Holy Temple, renewed vitality and repair — for in any case she has some blemish through which she came to be under suspicion and requires repair. And then she is repaired there in the Holy Temple, which is the aspect of the vow, where faith in the Sages is repaired, the aspect of isha yiras Hashem, as above. And this is the aspect of "she shall be acquitted and shall conceive seed" — if she had previously given birth with difficulty, she will now give birth easily; and if she had not given birth at all, she will now give birth — for childbearing comes through the peace made through the repair of faith in the Sages, as above, in the aspect of "may you see children's children; peace upon Yisrael" (Tehillim 128:6).

And therefore through her being examined in the Holy Temple and being found pure, faith in the Sages is repaired — the aspect of isha yiras Hashem — and through this the peace is repaired, and from there is the essential source of childbearing, as above. And this is what is written regarding Chana: "And she vowed a vow to Hashem" — and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: "if You will truly look — it will be well; and if not, 'You will see' — for I will conceal myself from Elkanah my husband," etc. — meaning that she said she would be like a sotah, and would be found pure, and would then be compelled to give birth. And therefore she preceded the vow to this: as is written, "and she vowed a vow to Hashem and said, if You will truly look," etc. — for the essential repair of the pure sotah is specifically through the vow, etc., as above.

And therefore her offering is the minchas si'oarim — the barley meal-offering. For this is the aspect of the omer of barley that permits eating of the new grain — the omer of barley is the aspect of sha'ura di'asnai diOraysa (the measure of the Torah's donkey), which is the aspect of lower wisdom (chochma tata'a), the aspect of malchus, the aspect of faith in the Sages (emunass chachamim) — for it is the Oral Torah — for they expound the Torah through the thirteen hermeneutical principles, and teach Yisrael, and contract the supernal wisdom through the lower wisdom in order to attain the knowledge of His blessed divinity through this — which is the aspect of sha'ura di'asnai diOraysa, the aspect of hairs, as is explained at length in the Torah teaching of Meisra deSachina (Likutay Moharan §184). And this is the aspect of the omer of barley — the aspect of sha'ura di'asnai diOraysa — the aspect of "and the omer is a tenth of the ephah" (Shemos 16:36), which is the aspect of malchus, the aspect of faith in the Sages, as is known. And through this Esav — the man of Se'ir — who is the wicked kingdom, the blemish of faith in the Sages, is subdued, as above.

And therefore the offering is specifically from barley, which is animal food (maachal behama) — for this is the essential repair of faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah. For the Sages are constantly engaged in clarifying and repairing the sin of the primordial Adam through the aspect of the Oral Torah, etc., as above. And through this they clarify the aspect of the animal and elevate it from the level of the animal to the level of the human being. For of Adam the primordial man — on account of his sin — it was said: "Adam does not abide in glory; he is likened to the animals that perish" (Tehillim 49:13) — for through his sin he fell from the aspect of the human being to the aspect of the animal. And the Sages — who are the aspect of the Oral Torah — who repair this, are the ones who elevate and clarify from the animal to the human being.

And therefore the beginning of the repair — at the beginning of Yisrael's drawing near to their Father in Heaven — they bring the omer of barley, which is animal food. For the essential receiving of the Torah is in order to repair the contamination of the serpent (zuhamas hanachash) — the sin of the primordial Adam. And therefore they must clarify and repair the aspect of faith in the Sages, which is the essential repair, as above. And therefore on the very first day of the fifty days of the counting of the omer they bring the omer of barley — the aspect of sha'ura di'asnai diOraysa, the aspect of the repair of faith in the Sages, clarifying and refining the aspect of animal food — and then they begin counting the fifty days of the receiving of the Torah. For the essential repair is through the aspect of the fifty days, which are the aspect of the fifty gates of understanding (chamishim sha'aray bina), the aspect of the vow (neder), as above.

And this is the aspect of the waving of the omer (hafanas ha'omer) — for they wave and raise up the omer of barley, the aspect of malchus, the aspect of faith in the Sages, to its root — to the aspect of the fifty days of the counting of the omer, to the aspect of the vow, where the essential repair is, as above. And therefore they wave in all six directions — up and down and the four cardinal directions — for faith in the Sages, the Oral Torah, encompasses all six directions, which is the aspect of the six orders of the Mishnah (shisha sidray Mishna), through which they clarify the pure from the impure, the permitted from the forbidden, the valid from the invalid — which are six categories, as is brought.

And therefore eating of the new grain is permitted only after the waving of the omer — for through the repair of faith in the Sages one merits eating in holiness, the aspect of the delight of Shabbos, as above. And therefore it is forbidden to eat of the five grain species which are the essential food — for the entire meal is called after bread, and one is only obligated in Grace after Meals for bread specifically. And similarly on Shabbos — which is the repair of eating — one is obligated to eat bread specifically, as is written in the Shulchan Aruch. And therefore it is forbidden to eat bread before the waving of the omer — for as long as faith in the Sages has not been repaired, one does not merit eating in holiness. And then the aspect of Esav — the aspect of the liver — can gain strength, God forbid, through one's eating. And therefore it is forbidden to eat bread until the waving of the omer — the repair of faith in the Sages — and then one merits the aspect of Shabbos eating, holy eating, and only then is eating permitted, etc., as above.

And therefore Haman fell on the very day of the waving of the omer, as above. And similarly many and many nations that prevailed against Yisrael fell on that very same day of the waving of the omer, as is brought in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory. For when one rises the other falls — for then the fallen faith is raised up, the faith in the Sages, as above — and then the wicked kingdom falls, whose essential sustenance is from the blemish of faith in the Sages, etc., as above. And therefore through the minchas si'oarim — which is the aspect of the repair of faith in the Sages — through this the sotah is examined.

And therefore, since the sotah blemished faith in the Sages as above — which is the essential aspect of the war of Amalek, as above — it is therefore necessary to write the sotah passage and erase it, as it is written: "And he shall write… and he shall erase…" (Bamidbar 5:23). The Torah declared: My Name, which was written in holiness, shall be erased — in order to make peace, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Shabbos 116a). For the essential repair is for the sake of peace — which is the essential repair of faith in the Sages, as above. And through erasing the passage that was written, one thereby shows her what she has blemished — namely, that her essential blemish is in isha yiras Hashem (a God-fearing woman) in the aspect of faith in the Sages, which is the aspect of Oral Torah. And in truth, faith in the Sages is the entirety of the whole Torah — for it is impossible to know anything of the Torah except through the Sages, through Oral Torah, as has been explained well above. It therefore follows that one who blemishes faith in the Sages — the Oral Torah — even though it may appear that he has only blemished the aspect of Oral Torah, in truth the blemish is in the entire Torah, both Written Torah and Oral Torah together — for they are entirely one, the aspect of "Hashem is one and His Name is one", etc., as above.