חזקת קרקעות ב

And this is the aspect of Chol HaMo'ed, which is forbidden in some melachos and permitted in many melachos. And our Sages said that the laws of Chol HaMo'ed were entrusted to the Sages, that they should do as they see fit — to permit certain melachos and to forbid certain melachos as they see fit. And the entire essential basis of the permission to do melachah on Chol HaMo'ed is on account of davar ha'avaid (a matter of loss), as the Tanna began the first Mishnah of Maseches Mo'ed Katan: "One may irrigate a field requiring irrigation" — which is on account of davar ha'avaid. And for this reason the matter was entrusted only to the Sages. For davar ha'avaid alludes to those who are lost and cast away in their sins, whom one must also rectify. But their entire tikkun is only through the true Sages, and that they should fulfill their words regarding everything they say, "for this is it." For even though everyone must fulfill the words of the Sages, nevertheless there is no mitzvah that is entrusted to the Sages alone, to do according to their judgment, except the laws of Chol HaMo'ed. And the essential reason is on account of davar ha'avaid — the aspect of the lost souls and sparks, who cannot be rectified except through the Sages. And this is the secret of the sanctification of the month, which is entrusted to the Sages. And therefore Chol HaMo'ed and Rosh Chodesh — their laws are equal regarding the Torah reading: on Rosh Chodesh four are called up, and on Chol HaMo'ed four are called up. For they are one and the same aspect — entrusted only to the Sages. 259

Likutay Halachos, Choshen Mishpat. Based on Likutay Moharan I:9 ("T'homos Y'chasyumu"). Translated from the Hebrew.

We do not divide a courtyard until there is in it enough for four amos for this one and for that one. And also four amos for each and every entrance, to unload his burden there.

And this is alluded to in the Mishnah: "One may irrigate a field requiring irrigation on the festival [week], both from a spring that issued forth initially and from a spring that did not issue forth initially." And all of this is on account of the "lost matters" — the aspect of the lost and cast away in their sins, whose entire tikkun is through the aspect of the tzaddik who knows how to give them to drink as well. This is: "One may irrigate a field requiring irrigation" — it is called sh'lachin on account of "and water sent upon the surface of the outdoors." This is the aspect of the great tzaddikim who can give to drink also to those who are entirely outside — in the aspect of: "Let your wellsprings spread outward" — "outward" specifically (Siman 14, Likutay Part I). And this is: "both from a spring that issued forth initially and from a spring that did not issue forth initially." Meaning, not only can they send water upon the surface of the outdoors to the very distant, to make known to them as well of His G-dliness and to extract them from the very outer places. And not only can they give to drink from a spring that already existed but became corrupted. Rather, even from a spring that did not issue forth initially — where no wellspring of wisdom had ever emerged. But when one believes in the tzaddikim and does everything they say — they can rectify him as well. For the tzaddikim continually dig and excavate new wellsprings — and the essential purpose is for the lost souls, to send them water upon the surface of the outdoors, even those who are entirely outside. And this is what the holy Tanna alluded to at the beginning of Maseches Mo'ed Katan. 260

For it is stated in the Torah that begins "T'homos y'chasyumu," etc. (Siman 9) — on the verse "Tzohar ta'aseh lateivah," etc. ["A window shall you make for the ark"]; see there. And the rule is that when a person is sunk in darkness and cannot get out, then his main remedy is that he should draw himself to the truth. And he should look only at the truth in its truest sense.

(The following pertains to section 53 above, regarding the dispute of Bais Shammaye and Bais Hillel:) 261

And likewise in t'filah — when a person stands to pray, and then the k'lipos surround him and confuse him very, very much, as it is written: "Saviv r'sha'im yis'halachun," etc. ["The wicked walk round about"] (T'hilim 12:9) — then his main counsel is that he should see to say the words of the t'filah in truth, at whatever level he is. At the very least, let him say the words in truth, in simplicity.

For Bais Shammaye hold that one should not begin except with elders and tzaddikim who serve Hashem, to illuminate upon them the entire light — as was the practice of several great ones who did not accept into the yeshivah except tzaddikim. This is the opinion of Rabban Gamliel: "Any student whose interior is not like his exterior," etc. And afterward one decreases and goes — for afterward one diminishes the great light so that one can illuminate also in those of lesser level. But Bais Hillel say the opposite — for he was exceedingly humble and said that the essential thing is to begin from every good point one can, and to begin the main effort with the little ones and the youth — in the aspect of: "From the mouths of babes and sucklings" — who are soiled — "You have established strength." This is the aspect of the glimmer of Mashiach, about whom it is said: "He will have compassion on the poor and destitute"; "humble and riding on a donkey." For Hillel converted very distant converts, as our Sages said, and he responded to each one, as our Sages said (in Maseches Shabbos 31). 262

And then this true word will illuminate for him to get out from within the darkness. For emes is the light of Hashem Yisbarach Himself, as it were — the aspect of "Hashem ori" ["Hashem is my light"] (T'hilim 27:1). For Hashem Yisbarach is the essence of the truth, etc. And therefore through the emes, Hashem Yisbarach illuminates for him, and he merits to see the entrances — how to get out from the darkness. For in truth there are many entrances there, within the darkness and the Sitra Achara, etc. Only that one does not see them. And through the emes, the emes illuminates for him to see the entrances to get out from within the darkness. And through this he merits t'filah. And through t'filah he merits parnasah, etc.; see there. And this is the aspect of the four amos that one needs to give before the entrance. For a person has four amos in every place, as Chazal said. And these four amos acquire for him all the acquisitions, as Chazal said: "A person's four amos acquire for him in r'shus harabim [the public domain]" (Bava M'tzia 10a). For the main element of all the merits and the acquisitions of a person is through the sparks that he refines. For in every thing there are holy sparks. And the main element of the commerce is to refine sparks. And according to the sparks that one refines, so one merits one's acquisitions and goods. But because these sparks that are within the goods of the commerce are lying scattered among the k'lipos and the Sitra Achara, in great darkness — therefore it is difficult to refine them from there. And therefore the main tikkun of the commerce is through emes, as Chazal said: "Nasasa v'nasata be'emunah?" ["Did you conduct your business faithfully?"] (Shabbos 31a). And emunah is emes, as is brought in the words of Rabbainu, zichrono livrachah, from the statement of the holy Zohar: "[Tzedek —] when emes joins with it, it becomes emunah." Meaning, when a person enters into the commerce — where there is great darkness that surrounds the fallen k'dushos, which are the holy sparks that are within the commerce — to the point that from the greatness of the darkness it is very difficult to see how to refine the holy sparks. And also it can be that, chas v'shalom, he himself will become sunk within the commerce, and he will forget Hashem Yisbarach and become distant from His service through the preoccupation of the commerce. And all of this is from the greatness of the darkness that is there, as above. Therefore the main tikkun and the counsel for this is emes. That he should see to be very, very careful to conduct the commerce in emes and in emunah. And he should guard himself very much not to exchange and not to change his word at all. Rather, all his words and all his dealings in the commerce should be emes and tzedek. And then through the greatness of the emes that he will have in the commerce, this emes will illuminate for him to see the entrances that are within the great darkness that surrounds the holy sparks that are imprisoned there. For from the greatness of the darkness they cannot get out from there. But through the emes in the commerce — which is the aspect of the light of Hashem Yisbarach, as above — through this he will merit to see the entrances that are there. And through this he will merit to bring out all the holy sparks from there. And through this he will merit great profit, parnasah, and wealth. For through the birur of the sparks one merits all the acquisitions and the wealth, as above. And likewise Rabbainu, zichrono livrachah, wrote elsewhere that through commerce in emunah one merits parnasah, etc.; see there. It emerges that the main tikkun of the commerce is through the emes — which is the aspect of emunah. Through which one sees the entrances, to refine and to bring out the holy sparks that are in each and every item of the commerce. And through this one does not become sunk oneself within the commerce. For the emes illuminates for him all the entrances — how to get out from the darkness that is there, and to draw close to Hashem Yisbarach. And this is the aspect of: "A person's four amos acquire for him in r'shus harabim." For r'shus harabim is the domain of the Sitra Achara, where the Chitzonim have their hold, as is known. But even when a person enters into r'shus harabim — where the Chitzonim have their hold — also there he has four amos. And these four amos are the aspect of the four letters of the Name Havayah, as is brought. Meaning, for in every person there is in him the Name Havayah, Baruch Hu, as is stated in the holy Zohar: "There is no limb in which the Name Havayah does not dwell." And this Name of Hashem — this is the aspect of the light of the emes, the aspect of "Hashem ori." For "emes Hashem l'olam" ["The truth of Hashem is forever"] (T'hilim 117:2). For in every person, in every place that he is — even in the lowest level, even in r'shus harabim, which is the aspect of the places of the Chitzonim — also there he certainly still has some good point that is rooted in him. And this point is the aspect of the Name Havayah, Baruch Hu, that is rooted in every person — which is the aspect of the light of the emes. And from the aspect of this point — which is the aspect of the Name of four letters, as above — the aspect of the light of the emes, as above — from this light are drawn the four amos that every person has in r'shus harabim, which are corresponding to the four letters of the Name, as above. And this is the aspect of the four amos that every person has in every place — to show that even if a person is in whatever place he is, even in the places of the Chitzonim, in the aspect of r'shus harabim — also there he has a place, and there is no obstruction or nullification in the world. For even in r'shus harabim, in the places of the Chitzonim, he has a place — the aspect of four amos — which are drawn from the light of the emes that extends up to four amos, and gives him a place even in r'shus harabim. And therefore these four amos acquire for him all the acquisitions. For through these four amos — which are the aspect of the light of the emes — through this he sees the entrances that are within the darkness, within the aspect of r'shus harabim. And then when he sees the entrances, then he can bring out and refine all the holy sparks that are sunk there within the Sitra Achara and the darkness. And through refining the sparks, through this he acquires all the acquisitions, as above. And this is the aspect of the four amos that are given before the entrance to unload his burden there. For the main element of all the acquisitions and the goods of a person are in his house, for there is a guarded place, and there they are in his domain. But all his wealth and the fortune of his house — he needs to receive and to draw from outside to inside. For he needs to go out to the outside, to the marketplace — which is r'shus harabim — to conduct commerce there, and to refine the wealth there, and to bring it from outside to inside. And therefore the commerce is called "your going out" [tzeischa], as it is written: "S'mach Z'vulun b'tzeisecha," etc. ["Rejoice Z'vulun in your going out"] (D'varim 33:18). And everything is for the sake of the birur of the holy sparks that fell to the places of the Chitzonim — to the aspect of r'shus harabim. Therefore it is impossible to draw the wealth except through going out somewhat to the outside, to r'shus harabim, to conduct commerce, to refine the sparks there, and to bring everything that he profits there from outside to inside. And therefore we give him four amos before the entrance. For the main birur and tikkun of all the holy sparks is when they merit to enter into the entrance. For the main ambush of the Sitra Achara and the k'lipos is at the entrance of k'dushah. For there they crouch and lie in wait and guard, in order not to allow entry into the entrances of k'dushah. For the k'lipos are called "n'turay tar'a" [guardians of the gate] who stand at the entrance, not to allow entry from outside to inside — until one merits to break them. And this is the aspect of: "Lapesach chatas roveitz" ["At the entrance sin crouches"] (B'raishis 4:7). For the sin — which is the Sitra Achara — crouches at the entrance. And as it is written (Mishlai 14:19): "Ur'sha'im al sha'aray tzaddik" ["And the wicked at the gates of the righteous"]. For the wicked — which are the k'lipos — stand at the gates of the righteous, which are the gates of k'dushah, and do not allow entry. And the main subduing of them is through the emes, as above. For through the light of the emes one sees the entrance to enter from outside to inside, as above. For one who is not worthy to enter — the "n'turay tar'a" darken before him until he does not see the entrance. For in truth there is no obstruction at all. Rather, the main obstruction is the darkness — which is called an "obstruction," as it is written: "V'lo chasachta," etc. ["And you did not withhold"] (B'raishis 22:12). Meaning, they deceive the person with confusions and follies, and darken before his eyes with an illusion of the eyes — until it seems to the person that there is no entrance before him to draw close to Hashem Yisbarach. But in truth the path of life is given before every person in the world. And even in the lowest depths one can draw close to Hashem Yisbarach, as Rabbainu, zichrono livrachah, wrote many times. Only that the person is blind and does not see the entrance, because of the k'lipos that are called darkness — which are the main obstructions. For they darken the light of a person's eyes until he does not see the entrance — in the aspect of: "V'es ha'anashim asher pesach habayis hiku basanvairim...vayil'u limtzo hapasach" ["And the men who were at the entrance of the house they struck with blindness...and they wearied themselves to find the entrance"] (B'raishis 19:11). For one who is not worthy to enter — they darken his eyes, which is the aspect of blindness, until he wearies of finding the entrance. And therefore "there is no wisdom and no understanding and no counsel" to stand against them, except through the emes. For in every place that he is, he needs to look only at the truth in its truest sense, and to draw himself only to the emes wherever he is. And to speak words of emes in his t'filah and his supplication, according to what he is. Even though he cannot pray and speak between himself and his Creator at all — nevertheless, let him see at the very least to speak the words that he speaks in truth. For example, that he should say: "Ribono Shel Olam, hoshi'aini!" ["Master of the World, save me!"] And let him say these words in truth, at the very least. And likewise with other words — at the very least let him say them in truth, even though he cannot bring them out with vitality and enthusiasm as is proper. At the very least let him say them in simplicity, in truth. And then the emes will illuminate for him, and he will merit to see the entrance. And then he will certainly merit to enter into the k'dushah. For there is no obstruction in the world, as above. And immediately when one sees the entrance, one enters into the k'dushah securely. And this is the aspect of what we give four amos before the entrance to unload his burden there. For the four amos are the aspect of the light of the emes that is drawn from the Name of Hashem — which is the aspect of the m'zuzah that is at the entrance, which is the Name of Hashem. For the main fixing of the m'zuzah is in order to drive away the Chitzonim who dwell at the entrance, as above. And therefore the m'zuzah is a segulah for wealth, as Rabbainu, zichrono livrachah, wrote in the discourse "Tzivisa Tzedek," etc. (Siman 23). For the main wealth is through bringing the holy sparks from outside to inside — from r'shus harabim into the house, as above. And this is the aspect of all the commerce, as above. And this one merits only through the mitzvah of m'zuzah. For the main element is to bring them into the entrance, for there is the main battle with the Sitra Achara that crouches at the entrance specifically, as above. And therefore through the m'zuzah — through which one drives them away from the entrance — then one can bring many sparks from outside to inside. Therefore one merits through this great wealth. For the main wealth is from the birur of the sparks, as above. And therefore we give each one four amos before the entrance that is obligated in a m'zuzah. For a house that is not obligated in a m'zuzah — we do not give four amos to its entrance. For these four amos are the aspect of the light of the emes that is drawn from the Name of Hashem — which is the aspect of the m'zuzah that is at the entrance. For one needs to extend the light of the emes to the outside — which are the aspect of the four amos that are given to him — so that he can see the entrance to enter into it, and to bring into it his burden — which is the wealth that he refined outside. For it is impossible to bring it inside, into the entrance, except through the light of the emes, as above. And this is what Chazal said — that these four amos before the entrance are given to him to unload his burden there. Meaning, the burden — which is the wealth that he refined outside. And as long as he has not brought it inside, it is called a burden — because it is still not completely guarded. For the Chitzonim still hold on to it and lie in wait for it. And they are called a "burden" [masoi] — which is the aspect of sins, which are the aspect of the k'lipos, as it is written: "Ki avonosai avru roshi k'masa kaveid yichb'du mimeni" ["For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me"] (T'hilim 38:5). Also, the k'lipos are the aspect of "eil acheir" [a foreign god] — denials, which are called a burden, as Rabbainu, zichrono livrachah, wrote (in Sichos HaRa"N) — that the denials are called "masa," as it is written: "Masa'achem." And Rashi explains: "This teaches that they were heretics," etc. And therefore one needs four amos before the entrance to unload his burden there. For in these four amos the light of the emes shines from the Name of Hashem, as above. Through which one unloads the burden from upon himself. For through this one nullifies the hold of the Chitzonim, through the light of the emes — which is the aspect of the four amos, as above. Through which one can bring his goods from outside to inside, through the light of the emes that illuminates for him to the outside up to four amos. Through which he sees the entrance. Through which is the main completeness of the birur and the tikkun of all the holy sparks — which are the aspect of the wealth — to bring them from outside to inside, as above. And this is the aspect of the four amos in r'shus harabim that a person has on Shabbos — that in these four amos one is permitted to carry as in r'shus hayachid [a private domain]. And this is the aspect of the four amos that a person has even when he goes out beyond the t'chum [boundary]. For even in r'shus harabim — which is the place of the hold of the Chitzonim, where it is forbidden to carry on holy Shabbos — and even when one goes out beyond the boundary of k'dushah — nevertheless he has four amos in every place. For these four amos have the law of r'shus hayachid that is surrounded by partitions — which is the aspect of the domain of the Yachid [Singular One] of the world, whose height is ten [t'fachim] and whose width is four [t'fachim] — which is the aspect of the Name Havayah, as is stated in the Tikkunim. For the light of the emes — which is the Name of Hashem — illuminates for a person in every place that he is. Even if he went out, through his sins, beyond the boundary of k'dushah — nevertheless there is still no despair in the world. For in every place he has four amos — which is the aspect of the light of the emes, as above. For through the emes he has a place in every place that he is, even beyond the boundary of k'dushah. And also from there he can attach himself and return to Him, Yisbarach. And the main element is through the emes, which is the light of Hashem — which is the aspect of the four amos that a person has in every place, as above.