מצרנות ג

Then shall I know that You are pleased with me: when my enemy cannot shout in triumph over me.

Choshen Mishpat — Laws of Fraud (Onaah)

13 וַאֲנִי בְּתֻמִּי תָּמַכְתָּ בִּי וַתַּצִּיבֵנִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם Based on the discourse beginning with, “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests” etc., Likutay Moharan I, Torah 34. It is written: “Disgrace has broken my heart” etc. [Psalms 69:21] For the essence of dominion belongs to the tzaddik [righteous one], who is the all-encompassing point [nekudah klallis] of all Israel, and he has the power to arouse the heart of Israel and to subdue the disgraces and the breakages that rest upon the heart, in the aspect of: “And Yosef — he is the ruler” etc. [Genesis 42:6] And similarly, within every individual of Israel there is an aspect of a nekudah [point], an aspect of tzaddik, as it is written: “And Your people are all tzaddikim (righteous)” [Isaiah 60:21]. And each person must receive from his fellow, from the nekudah that belongs to him, in the aspect of: “and they receive one from another” etc.; see there. And the general principle is that within all the nekudos [points], which are the aspect of “Tzaddik, foundation of the world” [Proverbs 10:25], there dwells holy love [ahavah dikdushah], for the light of chesed [loving-kindness] remains in the yesod [foundation] of Atzilus [the World of Emanation]. And through this — through connecting the heart to the nekudah that pertains to one’s heart at this time — through this the disgrace and breakage resting upon the heart are nullified, which are the lusts and evil loves; for through the light of holy love the breakage is nullified etc.; see there and understand, for “love covers over all transgressions” [Proverbs 10:12] etc.; see there.

Vaannee bisoomee tumachtu bee vatatzeevainee lifunechu li-oalum. And this is the aspect of masa umattan [commerce / business transactions], whose essential purpose is to elevate the thing to its root, as explained above many times — that is, to nullify the disgrace and breakage resting upon the thing, which is the hold of the chitzonim [external forces / kelippos] that exist within the thing; to refine it and elevate it from them, to bind it to holiness. And this is the essence of masa umattan, as already explained many times.

You will support me because of my integrity, and let me abide in Your presence forever.

And therefore the essence of masa umattan is through the aspect of the tzaddik, who is the aspect of the nekudah as mentioned above. For through the nekudah one elevates and connects the thing to its root, because through this the breakages and disgraces — which are the aspect of the hold of the kelippos [husks / impure shells] — are nullified, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of: “And Yosef — he is the ruler” — that is, the aspect of the tzaddik, who is the aspect of the nekudah as mentioned above — “he is the provider (mashbir) to all the people of the land” [Genesis 42:6]. For specifically through the aspect of Yosef — that is, the aspect of tzaddik, the aspect of the nekudah as mentioned above — specifically through him are all the transactions [masa umattan] accomplished, in the aspect of: “he is the mashbir to all the people of the land,” for specifically through him are all the transactions accomplished, as mentioned above.

And this is the aspect of the prohibition of onaah [fraud / price deception] and mekach ta’us [a mistaken transaction]. For the essential light of the nekudah, the aspect of Yosef the tzaddik mentioned above, is drawn only from chochmah and binah [wisdom and understanding], which is the da’as [knowledge / awareness], as is well explained there in the aforementioned discourse. And therefore it is impossible to finalize the transaction except with settled da’as and with goodwill [ratzon tov]. For through da’as, the nekudah shines, and there holy love dwells — which is the aspect of the goodwill whereby the buyer and the seller come to agreement with each other. And through this they are able to elevate and refine the transaction between them, in the aspect of: “love covers over all transgressions” [Proverbs 10:12].

14 בָּרוּךְ יי אֱ-לֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵהָעוֹלָם וְעַד הָעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן But when one deceives the da’as [misleads the awareness] of his fellow — it turns out that the transaction was made without complete da’as, and therefore the illumination of the nekudah is not drawn down. For the essential illumination of the nekudah, the aspect of Yosef, is specifically through da’as, as mentioned above. But when one deceives his fellow and his da’as is not complete, the nekudah does not shine, and therefore the transaction is void. For without the illumination of the nekudah, the transaction cannot endure, because the essential endurance of the transaction is specifically through the nekudah — which is drawn from da’as, where holy love dwells — through which the disgraces and breakages are nullified, and the thing is elevated to holiness; and this is the essence of masa umattan, as mentioned above.

Burooch Adoanuy Eloahay Yisru-el maihu-oalum vi-ad hu-oalum umain vi-umain. And therefore the measure of onaah is a sixth [shetus]. For it is explained there in the aforementioned discourse that the nekudah, the aspect of tzaddik, is the aspect of י [yud], the aspect of: “My mouth speaks wisdoms” [Psalms 49:4]; and the heart is the aspect of ו [vav], the aspect of: “and the meditation of my heart is understanding” [Psalms 49:4]; see there regarding this matter at length. And the tzaddik together with the world is also the aspect of י ו [yud-vav], for the world was created in the six days of creation — the aspect of ו [vav, whose numerical value is 6] — and the tzaddik is the aspect of י [yud] etc.; see there, all of this, well.

It turns out that the totality of all things in the world that need to be elevated from the breakage of the heart, as mentioned above, are the aspect of ו [vav] as mentioned above — which are elevated and rectified through the nekudah, the aspect of י [yud], as is written there; see there. And therefore the masa umattan, whose essential purpose is to elevate the thing to its root — that is, to elevate and refine the transaction, which is the aspect of ו, the aspect of the six days of creation, for the masa umattan is the aspect of asiyah [action / the world of Action], the aspect of the six days of creation, as is explained elsewhere; also, all masa umattan is the aspect of “the hooks (vavay) of the pillars” [Exodus 27:10], which is the aspect of money [mamon], which is the aspect of tamchay Oraisah [supporters of Torah], as is explained there in the aforementioned discourse.

Blessed is the LORD, G-d of Israel, from eternity to eternity. Amen and Amen.

It turns out that all masa umattan is the aspect of ו, and therefore the essential rectification and refinement of masa umattan is through the aspect of the nekudah mentioned above, the aspect of tzaddik, which is the aspect of י [yud], as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of: “conducting business with faithfulness” [masa umattan be’emunah], in the aspect of: “and a tzaddik lives by his faith” [Habakkuk 2:4] — that is, the essence of masa umattan is through the aspect of the tzaddik, the aspect of Yosef, as mentioned above, in the aspect of: “And Yosef — he is the ruler; he is the provider to all the people of the land,” as mentioned above.

Psalm 42 · פרק מב

And this is the aspect of what is required: to connect the masa umattan to the Torah, as has been brought many times already. For the Torah is the aspect of י [yud], the aspect of the nekudah, as is explained there in the aforementioned discourse; and the masa umattan is the aspect of ו, as mentioned above. And the essential rectification and elevation of the masa umattan is through the Torah, the aspect of the nekudah, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of Yissachar and Zevulun. Yissachar is the Torah, the aspect of the nekudah, as mentioned above; and Zevulun is the supporter of Torah [tamchay Oraisah], who engages in commerce — the aspect of ו as mentioned above. And through the Torah-study of Yissachar, the aspect of the nekudah as mentioned above — through this Zevulun engages in commerce, as is brought in Rashi’s commentary [on Deuteronomy 33:18]. For the essential rectification of the masa umattan — the aspect of ו, the aspect of the heart — is through the nekudah, which is the aspect of the Torah, as mentioned above.

And therefore the measure of onaah is a sixth. For through onaah of a sixth, the aspect of the ו [vav] is impaired, and one cannot connect the masa umattan — which is the aspect of ו — to the nekudah; for the nekudah does not shine, because he deceived his fellow etc., as mentioned above. For the nekudah itself is also the aspect of י ו [yud-vav], the aspect of the vowel melupum [cholam, which is comprised of י and ו], as is well explained in the aforementioned discourse. And through deceiving his fellow with onaah of a sixth, the nekudah does not shine upon the ו. And therefore the measure of onaah is a sixth.

Lamnatzai-ach maskeel leevnay koarach.

And this is the aspect of: less than a sixth — forgiveness (mechilah); more than a sixth — the transaction is void (bitul mekach); exactly a sixth — he has acquired [the item] but must return the overcharge (onaah).

For the leader. A maskil of the Korahites. For the nekudah is the aspect of melupum, the aspect of י ו; and relative to the world it is merely the aspect of a nekudah [point] alone, for the world — as contrasted with the nekudah, that is, as contrasted with the tzaddik and the Torah — is the aspect of ו, and the Torah and the tzaddik are the aspect of a nekudah. However, in truth, the nekudah itself — that is, the tzaddik and the Torah — they are also the aspect of י ו, the aspect of melupum, as is explained and understood well in the aforementioned discourse. For the nekudah shines into the ו, which is the aspect of the six days of creation; and on each and every day of the six days of creation, the aforementioned nekudah shines, and the illumination of each and every day is different from that of its fellow, for certainly not all days are equal, for “the Holy One, blessed be He, apportioned boundaries in His world” and each and every day has its own boundary according to the illumination it receives from the nekudah — which is the aspect of י ו — that shines on each and every day according to its particular quality.

And this is the aspect of what is required: to rectify all the corruptions and blemishes on that very day in which one blemished, G-d forbid, before the next day enters, as is brought in all the holy books — that one must confess every night specifically regarding everything one did, for each day’s activity is different from that of its fellow, and each has its own boundary in its own right, as mentioned above. And the essential rectification of all blemishes is through the aspect of the nekudah mentioned above, for all sins come from the aspect of the breaking of the vessels [shviras hakaylim], from fallen loves. And therefore the essential rectification is through the illumination of the nekudah, the aspect of tzaddik, through which one rectifies and elevates the aspect of the breaking of the vessels, as is well explained there in the aforementioned discourse.

And this is the aspect of vidui devarim [verbal confession] — that one must confess with the mouth regarding everything one did — for the illumination of the nekudah is the aspect of: “My mouth speaks wisdoms” [Psalms 49:4], as is explained in the aforementioned discourse. And therefore one must confess with the mouth, in the aspect of: “Take with you words and return to Hashem” [Hosea 14:3]; for through this the nekudah shines — the aspect of “my mouth speaks wisdoms” — and elevates and rectifies the sin, which is the aspect of breakage of the heart, as mentioned above.

And therefore one must confess on that very day specifically, for the illumination of each day is different from that of its fellow, as mentioned above, and therefore it is impossible to rectify the blemish completely except on that very day — while the nekudah that pertains to that specific day is still shining. And this is hinted at in the words of our Rebbe [Rabbainu], of blessed memory, at the beginning of the aforementioned discourse, where he wrote that each person must rectify the disgrace resting upon his heart through the nekudah that pertains to his heart “at this time”; see there. “At this time” specifically — and as explained above. For on the next day it is impossible to rectify completely what was blemished yesterday, because the illumination of the nekudah on the morrow is different from that of yesterday, as mentioned above, and the essential rectification is through the nekudah, as mentioned above.

2 כְּאַיָּל תַּעֲרֹג עַל-אֲפִיקֵי-מָיִם כֵּן נַפְשִׁי תַעֲרֹג אֵלֶיךָ א-ל It turns out that on the following day, when one seeks to rectify the blemish of the preceding day, one needs a building of the world anew [binyan olam maychadash] — to completely renew the day that passed, to draw down now the illumination of the nekudah of yesterday, through which the essential rectification occurs, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of changing the acts of creation [shinui maaseh beraishis], and therefore the rectification is exceedingly difficult. But on that very day, since the nekudah of that day is still shining, one can rectify easily, as mentioned above.

Ki-a-yul taaroag al afeekay muyeem kain nafshee saaroag aillechu Eloaheem. And this is the aspect of the measure of onaah mentioned above. For the masa umattan is the aspect of ו, the aspect of the six days of creation, as explained elsewhere and as mentioned above. And therefore: when the onaah is less than a sixth — it is mechilah [forgiveness / the transaction stands]. For since it is less than a sixth, the illumination of the nekudah still remains, and therefore it is mechilah, for “love covers over all transgressions” as mentioned above. For the masa umattan is comprised of the six days of creation, and therefore the measure of onaah is a sixth. For when a sixth portion is impaired, the blemish reaches the aspect of one full day of the six days of creation. And when the aspect of one day’s portion of the six days of creation is impaired, through this the aspect of the ו mentioned above is impaired, for each day is comprised of all six days, as is known.

Like a hind crying for water, my soul cries for You, O G-d;

However, the essential impairment is when the onaah is more than a sixth — this is the aspect of the illumination of the nekudah having been completely removed from the aspect of one day, until the illumination of that portion and day has departed completely, until the blemish enters further — into the aspect of the illumination and portion of the following day. And then certainly it is bitul mekach [void transaction], since the illumination of the nekudah has completely departed from one portion of six — which is the aspect of the illumination of the nekudah, which is the aspect of י ו, from one entire day, until it enters further, more than a sixth — therefore it is bitul mekach. For the essential endurance of the transaction is through the nekudah, as mentioned above.

But less than a sixth is mechilah, since there still remains the aspect of the illumination of the nekudah even in the aspect of the day and the one-sixth portion; and at the nekudah holy love dwells, and therefore it is mechilah, for “love covers over all transgressions,” as mentioned above.

But exactly a sixth — he has acquired [the item] and returns the onaah [the overcharge]. For this is the aspect of one day of six having been completely impaired, only the blemish has not yet entered further and has not yet entered into the boundary of the portion and day that follows. And then return [chazarah] is still effective — to return the onaah; and then one can still connect to the light of the nekudah and sustain the transaction. For as long as it has not entered the aspect of the boundary of the second day, one can still easily rectify through return — which is the aspect of teshuvah [repentance] etc. — and as mentioned above.

But when it enters further, into the aspect of the boundary of the second day, return is no longer effective, and it is bitul mekach [void transaction] completely. This is the aspect of: more than a sixth — bitul mekach. For then one needs the aspect of a building of the world anew, as mentioned above. And therefore — even though regarding teshuvah for one’s sins, teshuvah certainly always avails — nevertheless one needs an entirely new construction, as mentioned above. And therefore, regarding the aspect of masa umattan, it is bitul mekach; for the illumination of the nekudah has already completely departed from one-sixth, and then the transaction is void — its essential endurance being through the nekudah, as mentioned above — and it cannot endure except through new appeasement, that the other party should again consent. But the original transaction is completely void, since the illumination of the nekudah has departed etc., as mentioned above. For the essence depends on the illumination of the nekudah in one portion of six, which is the aspect of the illumination of one day of the six days of creation. And when it is completely impaired and this illumination departs, until it enters into the boundary of the portion that follows it — this is the aspect of the complete departure of the illumination of the nekudah. For the nekudah is the aspect of י ו and is comprised of six, corresponding to the six days of creation in which it shines; and when the aspect of one of the six is impaired, it is as if it is completely impaired, for each day is comprised of all of them, as mentioned above.

Tzumi-uh nafshee lailoaheem li-ail chuy mussay uvoa vi-airu-eh pinai Eloaheem.my soul thirsts for G-d, the living G-d; O when will I come to appear before G-d!

And this is the aspect of the Ner Chanukah [Chanukah lights]. For one must subdue the wicked kingdom of Greece [Yavan], which is the Sitra Achara [the Other Side] and the kelippos, whose essential hold comes from the aspect of the breaking of the vessels, as is known. And therefore they constantly strive to nullify the illumination of the aforementioned nekudah, so that they can overpower, G-d forbid. And this is the aspect of what is stated: that they arose against Your people Israel “to make them forget Your Torah” etc. — which is the aspect of the nekudah mentioned above, as mentioned above. And therefore the miracle was performed with the oil — which is the Ner Chanukah — which alludes to the illumination of the nekudah, in the aspect of: “a candle is a mitzvah, and Torah is light” [Proverbs 6:23]. And this is the aspect of the illumination of the tzaddik, who is the aspect of the nekudah as mentioned above, for the tzaddik is called “light,” as it is written: “Light is sown for the tzaddik” etc. [Psalms 97:11] And through the illumination that one draws down by means of the Ner Chanukah — which is the aspect of “Torah is light”, the aspect of tzaddik as mentioned above — through this one nullifies and rectifies the aspect of the breaking of the vessels, and through this one subdues the wicked kingdom etc., as mentioned above. And therefore the miracle was performed through the Kohanim [priests]. For Kohen corresponds to the aspect of holy love that dwells at the nekudah — and this is the essence of the rectification, as is explained there in the aforementioned discourse; see there. And this is the aspect of the lights of the Menorah in the Bais HaMikdash [Holy Temple], where the aspect of Chanukah is hinted at, as it is brought that the passage of Behaaloscha [Numbers 8:2] alludes to Chanukah. For the Bais HaMikdash is the aspect of the nekudah of the entire world, the aspect of the Even Shesiyah [Foundation Stone], which is the nekudah of the entire world. And this is why it is called “Bais HaMikdash” [the House of Holiness] — on account of the nekudah, which is the aspect of kodesh [holiness], as is written in the aforementioned discourse. And therefore, there in the Bais HaMikdash, the nekudah shines. And this is the aspect of the middle lamp of the Menorah, toward which all the other lamps shine, as it is written: “toward the face of the Menorah shall the seven lamps give light” [Numbers 8:2]. For the other six lamps are the aspect of ו that face toward the face of the Menorah — which is the middle lamp, which is the aspect of the nekudah, the aspect of י [yud] that shines into the ו, into all the six lamps. And through this, the entire world is rectified, for through this one elevates and rectifies the aspect of fallen loves that come from the breakage, as mentioned above. And therefore it is done through the Kohen, who is [the aspect of] holy love that dwells at the nekudah, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the Hallel of Chanukah. This is the aspect of: “My mouth speaks wisdoms” — which is the aspect of tefillah [prayer], for one must pray with the mouth specifically in order that the nekudah should shine, as is explained there in the aforementioned discourse; see there. And this is the aspect of Hallel, which is the aspect of prayer, the aspect of: “My mouth speaks wisdoms”, the aspect of the illumination of the aforementioned nekudah, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the tzedakah [charity] that is customarily given on Chanukah. For tzedakah is the aspect of chesed [kindness]. For this is the essence of the aspect of Chanukah — to arouse the aspect of the love of chesed that dwells at the nekudah, through which the essential rectification occurs, as is explained there in the aforementioned discourse; see there. Based on the Torah-teaching: “And Hashem said to Moshe: ‘Call Yehoshua’” etc., “and I will command him” — in Likutay Moharan I, Torah 6; see there the entire Torah-teaching. And what emerges from there for our matter is that teshuvah [repentance] is the aspect of Keser [Crown — the highest sefirah], the aspect of: “I am prepared to come into being” [ana zamin lemehevay]. For before teshuvah, one does not yet have any existence [havayah], as if one had not yet come into being in the world, for: “it would have been better for him had he not been created than to have been created” [cf. Eruvin 13b]. And when one comes to purify oneself and to do teshuvah, then one is in the aspect of Ehyeh [“I Will Be” — a Name of G-d] — meaning, that one will have existence in the world; meaning: ana zamin lemehevay [I am prepared to come into being] etc. And one must always hold onto the attribute of teshuvah, for “who can say: I have purified my heart, I have been cleansed of my sin?” [Proverbs 20:9] etc. And even if a person knows within himself that he has done a complete teshuvah, even so, he must do teshuvah upon the first teshuvah. For initially, when he did teshuvah, he did so according to his level of perception at that time; and afterward, certainly when he does teshuvah, he certainly comes to recognize and perceive Hashem, blessed be He, more deeply. It turns out that according to his present perception, his earlier perception is in the aspect of materialism [gashmiyus]. It turns out that he must do teshuvah upon his earlier perception — for having materialized the exaltedness of His G-dliness. And this is the aspect of the World to Come, which will be entirely Shabbos — meaning: entirely teshuvah etc. etc. And when a person wants to walk in the ways of teshuvah, he must be proficient in the halachah [Jewish law — but here also implying the spiritual “path”], and he must possess two types of proficiency: proficient in running forth [baki beratzoh] and proficient in returning [baki beshov], as it is written: “Praiseworthy is he who enters and exits” [zakah man de’ayil venafik] [cf. Zohar]. And this is the aspect of: “If I ascend to heaven, You are there” — this is the aspect of entering, the aspect of baki beratzoh. “And if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” [Psalms 139:8] — the aspect of exiting, the aspect of baki beshov etc. And this is the secret of the kavanah [intention] of the month of Elul etc. And through this, a person becomes fit to sit upon the Throne, and a unification is made between the sun and the moon, between Moshe and Yehoshua etc.; see there, all of this, well. And this is the aspect of: Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh [“I Will Be That Which I Will Be”] [Exodus 3:14] — meaning, the aspect of teshuvah upon teshuvah. For teshuvah is the aspect of Ehyeh, the aspect of ana zamin lemehevay; for before teshuvah one did not yet have any existence in the world at all, as mentioned above. And when one begins to do teshuvah, then one is in the aspect of Ehyeh, for one begins to prepare oneself to have existence in the world — the aspect of ana zamin lemehevay, as mentioned above. But even afterward, when one does teshuvah and merits the aspect of Ehyeh — for one has already prepared oneself to have existence in the world — even so, one must do teshuvah upon the [first] teshuvah. And therefore one must begin anew each time; and even though one has already done teshuvah, one must afterward begin completely anew — to begin to prepare oneself to have existence in the world, as if one never yet had any existence in the world. And this is the aspect of the second Ehyeh — the aspect of: Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh. For the entire first teshuvah is considered as nothing compared to the second teshuvah that one does upon the first teshuvah, until each time one regards oneself as if one never yet had any existence in the world, and begins each time to prepare oneself to have existence in the world — and this is the aspect of the second Ehyeh, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the first redemption and the final redemption. For the first redemption from Egypt was followed by exile, whereas the final redemption — may it come speedily in our days — will not be followed by any interruption. For regarding these two redemptions it is said: Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh, as Rashi explains there [on Exodus 3:14]: “Ehyeh — I will be with them in this trouble; Asher Ehyeh — I will be with them in the subjugation of the [future] kingdoms” etc. Moshe said: “Master of the Universe, it is enough for the trouble to be dealt with in its time” etc. For it is known that the essence of all the redemptions and all the salvations is nothing but the salvation and redemption of the soul from the exile of evil desires that come from the Sitra Achara and the yetzer hara [evil inclination], which are the essence of the troubles and exile of Israel. And they are the aspect of the kelipah of Egypt and the kelipah of the other kingdoms, which overpower in every generation the soul of the Israelite and seek to hold it in heavy and bitter exile, and do not wish to allow it to leave the exile of the desires and to draw close to our Father in Heaven — and this is the essence of the troubles and exile of Israel. And the essence of all the redemptions — in the spiritual and in the physical, in the general and in the particular — are through Moshe Rabbainu, who is the aspect of the true tzaddikim in every generation, for “the extension of Moshe exists in every generation” [cf. Tikkunay Zohar 69], in the aspect of: Mah SHeHayah Hu SHeYihyeh [“That which was, is that which will be” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) — the initial letters spelling משׁה, Moshe]. For he was the first redeemer and he will be the last redeemer — who is Moshiach Tzidkaynu [our righteous Messiah], who will come speedily in our days. And he also redeems Israel in every generation from all their troubles, and saves them at every time — to bring each and every one of Israel out of the exile of the evil inclination and the desires, which is the essential exile and trouble of Israel. For in truth, everything is vanity, and all the troubles and sufferings and all the exiles are considered as nothing compared to the exile of the soul, which is in exile among the Sitra Achara and the desires, G-d save us. For the Torah applies to every person and every time, and each and every one of Israel — whoever wants to enter the Israelite path in truth, on the holy path, on the true path — all the exiles and all the wars and narratives that are explained throughout the entire Torah, in the Prophets and in the Writings, pass over him. For each and every one of Israel is comprised of the entire Torah, and all the wars and all the exiles must pass over him — the aspect of the exile of Egypt and its redemption, and all the other exiles and their redemptions, and the war of Amalek, and the war of the thirty-one kings, and all the other wars that Israel endured as described throughout the entire Tanach — everything must pass over each and every one of Israel, until one merits the aspect of a complete redemption, which is the aspect of a redemption that is not followed by any interruption. That is, when one merits to establish oneself on the holy path with a great, fixed permanence, like a firm stake that will never be moved, and one merits to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, truly as is fitting, and redeems one’s soul from all the desires and from all the vanities of this world completely — in the aspect of a complete redemption that is not followed by any interruption. And this is the essence of redemption in particular for each and every one of Israel, as is brought in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, of blessed memory, in the aspect of: “Draw near to my soul, redeem it” [Psalms 69:19]. And when one city or one synagogue will merit such a teshuvah, which is the aspect of a complete redemption, then we will merit the coming of the righteous Redeemer who will redeem us speedily, for “everything depends on teshuvah” etc., as it states in the holy Zohar. And the general principle is that when a person wants to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, and to return in teshuvah, he must have thousands upon thousands of ascents and descents without measure. And he must be a strong and mighty warrior to fortify his heart each time, never to leave his place on account of any descent in the world. And all these ascents and descents that pass over each and every Israelite are the aspect of the totality of all the wars and troubles that passed over the collective of Israel from the beginning of time, as mentioned above. And the general principle and the essential foundation is: strengthening oneself [hischazkus] — to always strengthen oneself, even if one is as one is; to believe with complete faith that there is no such thing as descent in the world, for in every place one can find Hashem, blessed be He, as is explained in the aforementioned Torah-teaching. For one who wants to walk in the ways of teshuvah must be proficient in the halachah, and must have two types of proficiency: baki beratzoh and baki beshov — the aspect of entering and exiting, the aspect of: “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” [Psalms 139:8]. That even when one falls to the lowest depths, even so, one must always strengthen oneself and never despair, for there too Hashem, blessed be He, is to be found — in the aspect of: “and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there.” And this is the essential general principle and foundation in the service of Hashem, upon which everything depends: never to fall in one’s resolve, no matter what passes over one. And all the tzaddikim from the beginning of time who merited what they merited — fortunate are they, fortunate is their portion — all of them did not come to their completeness except through this quality: through the fact that they never despaired. For in truth, many have entered the service of G-d, for most of Israel yearn for Hashem, blessed be He, and begin His service in every generation; yet even so, few are those who merit to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, as is fitting. However, the essential distinction is only on account of the matter mentioned above — that most of those who enter His service, blessed be He, and serve Him, blessed be He, truly for some period of time, long or short — but afterward, when they begin to attack him and to cast him down from his service, he turns back and falls from the service of Hashem, blessed be He, and remains below. And therefore they do not merit what they need to merit. But the true tzaddikim merited to become wise and to prevail — never to fall on account of any descent or fall in the world; rather, they strengthened themselves each time, even though what passed over them passed over them. And through their self-strengthening [which is called “der haltin zich” (in Yiddish: “holding on”)] they merited what they merited — fortunate are they. And the essential strengthening — that one should merit to remain standing on one’s ground forever, to fulfill: “If I ascend to heaven, You are there; and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” — to hold onto Hashem, blessed be He, always, through all the falls and descents in the world, and even in the lowest depths never to despair in any manner whatsoever — is through tefillah [prayer]. For the essence of teshuvah is tefillah. For according to the Torah [strict law], the sinner had no remedy whatsoever, as is explained in the words of our Sages, of blessed memory. But Hashem, blessed be He, is One Who desires kindness, and He desires teshuvah, and He preceded teshuvah to the world [i.e., teshuvah was created before the world]. And teshuvah is above the Torah, for there — in the dimension of teshuvah — everything is transformed to good, and willful transgressions are transformed into merits. And the essence of teshuvah is tefillah, for tefillah too is above the Torah, as is explained in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, in several places. For tefillah is “a matter that stands at the pinnacle of the world”, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Berachos 6b] — which is the aspect of the hidden dimensions of the Torah, above the Torah, as is written in the Torah-teaching Chosam Besoch Chosam [“A Seal Within a Seal”], Likutay Moharan I, Torah 22; see there. And therefore, whoever wants to return to Hashem, blessed be He, in truth — the essence of complete teshuvah is through tefillah. That is, that one should always pray to Hashem, blessed be He, that He have mercy upon him from now on and save him from sin. For in truth, every person is in great and enormous danger in this world — and especially the baal teshuvah [penitent], who has already stumbled in whatever he has stumbled — how shall he merit to return? For every day a person’s inclination overpowers him etc., as our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Sukkah 52a]. And whatever a person wants to overpower the baal davar [the Adversary], it overpowers him even more — for “whoever is greater than his fellow, his inclination is greater than his”, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Sukkah 52a]. And as one sees tangibly — for it is like two people wrestling with each other: when one sees that his opponent is overpowering him, he exerts himself even more. And if so, how shall one merit teshuvah? For as soon as one wants to prevail over what one needs to prevail over, they overpower him even more! Therefore, the essential thing is tefillah and hisbodidus [secluded personal prayer] — that one must accustom oneself to seclude oneself every single day, between oneself and one’s Maker, and to pour out one’s supplication before Hashem, blessed be He, Who is full of mercy, at every time — that He should grant one the merit to return in complete teshuvah in truth. And even if one sees that one’s prayer is not accomplishing anything — for they are still overpowering one even more — even so, one should do one’s part and pray always to Hashem, blessed be He; perhaps He will take pity, perhaps He will have mercy, as it is written: “Hope to Hashem” etc. [Psalms 27:14] And Rashi explains: “And if your prayer was not accepted — strengthen and fortify your heart, and again hope to Hashem.” And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “If a person sees that he prayed and was not answered, he should return and pray again, as it is said: ‘Hope to Hashem; be strong and let your heart take courage, and hope to Hashem’” [Psalms 27:14; Berachos 32b]. And as long as a person is not firm in his resolve that he will always hope to Hashem and entreat Him even if whatever passes over him passes — his teshuvah is not yet complete. For who knows what a day may bring? Perhaps a test or stumbling will come upon him etc., and who knows if he will stand firm in the thick of battle? But if a person is firm in his resolve that even if, G-d forbid, he does not withstand the test, and even if things are however they are, he will nevertheless always hope to Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of: “and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there” — then he is assured that he will certainly merit complete teshuvah. For ultimately he will return to Hashem, blessed be He, since he is firm in his resolve never to fall from any thing in the world. And as we heard from the mouth of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, himself, who told us explicitly: “Just as you see me” [meaning: you know my great holiness, that I am a complete tzaddik etc.], “even so — if I were right now to commit a great transgression, I would not fall in my resolve at all. Rather, I would be a proper person after the transgression just as before. Only afterward I would do teshuvah.” And therefore the first redemption was followed by an interruption, but the final redemption will not be followed by any interruption. For the first redemption is the aspect of Torah, for then Israel merited to receive the Torah. And the final redemption is the aspect of tefillah, for the essential weapon of Moshiach is tefillah, as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote, Likutay Moharan I, Torah 2. For Moshiach will build for us the Bais HaMikdash, which is the place of prayer, as it is written: “for My house is a house of prayer” [Isaiah 56:7]. And this is the aspect of Moshiach ben David, for David is the aspect of the totality of all the prayers that the upright of Israel pray to Hashem, blessed be He — that they should merit to return to Him in truth. For he is “the sweet singer of Israel” [II Samuel 23:1], and all prayers are called by his name. For the entire Book of Psalms that King David, peace be upon him, composed was founded upon this matter — that we should merit to return to Him, blessed be He, from all the falls in the world. For there is no wisdom and there is no understanding and there is no counsel to stand against the baal davar except through tefillah; and through this one merits all the counsels and all the modes of salvation — to merit to leave the exile of one’s soul and to draw close to Him, blessed be He. And this is what King David, peace be upon him, said: “In return for my love, they accuse me — but I am prayer” [Psalms 109:4]. That the more I love Hashem, blessed be He, and want to draw close to Him, blessed be He, the more they attack me — for “whoever is greater than his fellow, his inclination is greater than his,” and if so, how shall I merit to draw close to Him, blessed be He, since each time they overpower and attack me more? However: “But I am prayer” — I will pray always to Hashem, blessed be He, that He bring me out of the lowest depths. No matter what — I will pray always to Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of: “But I am prayer.” And as it is written: “But I will always hope, and I will add to all Your praise” [Psalms 71:14] — that I will add each time to say Psalms and supplications and requests; perhaps He will have mercy. And therefore no person found the location of the Bais HaMikdash until King David, peace be upon him, came — who toiled and labored greatly until he found a place for Hashem, which is the point of the Even Shesiyah [Foundation Stone], the location of the Bais HaMikdash, as it is written: “Remember, Hashem, for David, all his affliction; that he swore to Hashem” etc., “until I find a place for Hashem” etc. [Psalms 132:1–5] For until King David, peace be upon him, tefillah was not in completeness, for all prayers are called by his name, as mentioned above. For he composed five books of Psalms, which are comprised of all the prayers of Israel, corresponding to the Five Books of the Torah. For all of David’s prayers — which are the Book of Psalms — were all for the purpose of meriting to fulfill the Torah completely, which is comprised of the Five Books of the Torah; and therefore he composed correspondingly five books of Psalms. For all of Tehillim is only for the purpose of meriting to fulfill the Torah — and these were all of David’s prayers, as mentioned above. And because of this — because all of David’s service was prayer — and therefore he merited what he merited — he was specifically the one who found the location of the Bais HaMikdash, which is the place of prayer, which had been hidden from all eyes, until David came and toiled greatly, as it is written: “I will not give sleep to my eyes, nor slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for Hashem” [Psalms 132:4–5]. For as long as a person does not merit tefillah in completeness, he does not yet have a place for Hashem and he is still wandering and displaced. And even if he studies Torah, he is still not assured that he will remain standing on his ground, for who knows what will pass over him. As we have seen so many people who studied Torah with great diligence for many years, and afterward fell greatly and became completely distanced from the Torah. And especially since there are many people who have fallen to whatever they have fallen — until some have fallen into great transgressions, G-d save us — and they are immersed in the miry clay, in the muddy depths, and they look forward and yearn to emerge from their filth and impurity, but there is no one to save them and bring them out. Therefore, the essential place and standing of holiness is tefillah. For through tefillah one merits to remain standing on one’s ground always, no matter what. For when one merits only Torah alone — even though this is very good and it is the essential purpose, for “they are our life and the length of our days” — even so, afterward when one falls, G-d forbid, from the Torah, one has nothing with which to revive oneself. But when one merits tefillah, one has hope forever, no matter what passes over one. For sometimes a person falls into a deep descent where there is no foothold at all; and especially in these generations, where many of Israel have fallen greatly, until in their own eyes they are completely beyond hope. And regarding them did King David, peace be upon him, prophesy: “I have sunk in the miry depths and there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters and the flood sweeps over me” [Psalms 69:3]. For regarding this exile it is said: “and she descended astonishingly, with none to help her” [Lamentations 1:9]. And the magnitude of the compassion that one must have for such people — who drown in the miry depths with no foothold — is beyond estimation. May the Omnipresent have mercy on them. And with what can one revive oneself and remain standing in such a fall and descent, G-d save us — since there is no foothold there, for one has become distanced from all holiness and sinks and drowns daily in whatever one drowns? Therefore, the essential thing is tefillah and crying out and sighing to Hashem, blessed be He. And as David said there, after he elaborated on the magnitude of the soul’s troubles that exist for each and every Israelite according to his situation — in the aspect of: “I have sunk in the miry depths and there is no foothold” etc., “I am wearied from calling” etc., “more numerous than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause” etc. [Psalms 69:3–5] — afterward he said: “But as for me — my prayer is to You, Hashem, at a time of favor” etc. [Psalms 69:14] That I will hold myself forever in prayer and supplication to Hashem, blessed be He; perhaps He will have mercy. For tefillah is the aspect of a foothold and a place — even in the miry depths where there is no foothold at all. For tefillah is called amidah [standing], for “there is no ‘standing’ except prayer,” as our Sages, of blessed memory, said [Berachos 6b]. And as it is written: “Our feet were standing in your gates, O Yerushalayim” [Psalms 122:2]. For Yerushalayim — there is the Bais HaMikdash, which is the house of prayer — there is the essential aspect of standing. For through tefillah, one can always draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, no matter where one is. For even though one is distant from all holiness and from all Torah and cannot revive oneself with anything — even so, if one lifts one’s eyes heavenward and prays to Hashem, blessed be He, from wherever one is, one still has hope. And therefore, whoever wants to be a true Israelite must hold onto both of them — Torah and prayer. For “both of them together are good” [cf. Ecclesiastes 4:9] — such that if one falls, G-d forbid, the one will raise up its fellow. And this is the aspect of: “There is no onaah [fraud] regarding karka’os [land / real property].” For the yetzer hara [evil inclination] and the Sitra Achara are the aspect of onaah [fraud] — for they defraud and deceive people. For there is no greater fraud in the world than the fraud of the yetzer hara, which defrauds and deceives a person into exchanging an everlasting world for a transient world, G-d forbid, and it defrauds and deceives him with all manner of cunning and craftiness and confusions — with all manner of deceptions and delusions without measure or estimation — in order to prevent him from the path of life, from eternal life, from the good life, from the long life, from the true life; and it seeks to bring him down and cast him into the lowest depths, G-d forbid, and to uproot him, G-d forbid, from both worlds — from this world and from the World to Come — for nothing whatsoever. For it is known that there is no pleasure whatsoever from all the pleasures of this world — for anyone who has a brain in his skull and is somewhat familiar with the nature of this world and its desires and pleasures — for they are all mingled with anger and pain and sorrows, and “its end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword” [Proverbs 5:4], even in this world, aside from the World to Come, where certainly all the affairs of this world are bitter beyond all forms of bitterness and beyond all forms of troubles and suffering in the world. And as it states in the holy Zohar: “Praiseworthy is one who derived no benefit from it [this world] at all.” It turns out that the baal davar [the Adversary] defrauds and deceives a person enormously. And as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, said (and it is brought in Sichos HaRa”N [Words of Rabbi Nachman], page 14): “The world deceives us greatly, for there is no person who has a good ending from this world.” And therefore, when the prophet rebuked Israel, he called them “the defrauding city (ha’ir hayonah)” [Zephaniah 3:1] — a term of onaah [fraud], as is brought in Metzudas Tziyon there — because they allowed themselves to be defrauded and did not endeavor to be saved from his [the yetzer hara’s] deception. And therefore the Sitra Achara and the nations are called monim [defrauders — from the root אנה, to defraud], as it is written: “And I will feed your defrauders (monayich) their own flesh” [Isaiah 49:26]. And Rashi explains: a term of onaah. And as Rashi explains at the beginning of Parashas Chukas [Numbers 19:1]: “Because the Satan and the nations of the world taunt (monim) Israel: ‘What reason is there for this commandment?’” etc. — for they seek to defraud and deceive Israel, to distance them from the Torah and the mitzvos because they do not know the reasons for the mitzvos etc. Therefore one must answer them: “It is a decree I have decreed; a statute I have enacted — you have no right to question it,” for the Torah in its entirety is also called a chukah [statute], as it is written: “These are the mitzvos and the statutes” etc. And as Rashi explains there — such as wearing shaatnez [mixed fabrics] and eating pig etc. It turns out that the yetzer hara and the Sitra Achara are called onaah [fraud]. And this is the aspect of: “There is no onaah regarding karka’os.” For karka’os [land / ground] correspond to the aspect of tefillah, which is the aspect of emunah [faith], which is called eretz [land], as it is written: “Dwell in the land and tend to faith” [Psalms 37:3], as is brought in the words of Rabbainu, of blessed memory, many times. For the essential standing and support in the world is the aspect of tefillah, upon which everything stands, in the aspect of: “there is no standing except prayer,” and in the aspect of: “and the earth endures forever” [Ecclesiastes 1:4]. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: “Until Chavakkuk came and established them upon one [principle]: ‘And the tzaddik lives by his faith’” [Habakkuk 2:4; Makkos 24a]. Emunah — this is the aspect of tefillah, as it is written: “And his hands were emunah” [Exodus 17:12]. And its Aramaic translation is: “spread out in prayer.” As Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote elsewhere, Likutay Moharan I, Torah 7. That is: when one merits tefillah as explained above — meaning, that one is strong and resolute in one’s conviction to always pray to Hashem, blessed be He, that He bring one close to His service in truth, no matter what, in the aspect of: “But I will always hope” [Psalms 71:14] and as mentioned above — then certainly the yetzer hara will not be able to defraud and deceive one any further, in any manner whatsoever, in the aspect of: “There is no onaah regarding karka’os.” For tefillah is the aspect of the final redemption that is not followed by any interruption, as mentioned above, in the aspect of semichas ge’ulah litefillah [joining the redemption to prayer — a halachic requirement]. For the essential proximity and support for redemption — in the general and in the particular — is through tefillah. For the essential hope and support for complete redemption speedily in our days, in the general and in the particular, is through tefillah, as mentioned above. For no matter what, as long as one fortifies and strengthens one’s heart to still pray to Hashem, blessed be He, that He return one to Him, and one spreads one’s hands to Hashem, blessed be He, from wherever one is — even though many years pass in one’s corruption, each according to one’s situation in which one is caught, even if one is caught in whatever one is caught — one still has support and hope and standing through prayer and supplication and petition, even in the “miry depths where there is no foothold,” as it is written: “I hoped and hoped for Hashem, and He inclined to me and heard my cry. And He brought me up from the pit of raging waters, from the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock, establishing my steps” etc. [Psalms 40:2–3] — that through my crying out to Hashem, blessed be He, always, with hoping upon hoping, through this I merited: “and He brought me up from the pit of raging waters, from the miry clay” — that I arose from terrible and defiled places that are called “the pit of raging waters” and “miry clay,” where there is no foothold at all when one falls there, and G-d forbid, one can drown there, as it is written: “I have sunk in the miry depths and there is no foothold.” And in truth, many people have drowned there and been driven out of the world. But I, who hoped to Hashem, blessed be He, with hoping upon hoping, and cried out to Hashem, blessed be He, always — through this He brought me up from the pit of raging waters, from the miry clay, as mentioned above — “and He set my feet upon a rock, establishing my steps.” For the essential standing and rising and support is upon prayer to Hashem, blessed be He. For through prayer and crying out and petitioning Hashem, blessed be He, one can stand even in a place where there is no foothold at all, as mentioned above. For the essential onaah [fraud] applies to mitaltelin [movable goods], which are the aspect of the six directions [of physical space]; and therefore the onaah is a sixth. For the essential onaah is in the aspect of the six days of the weekday, which are the aspect of Matatron [the angel associated with the natural order], who is comprised of the six orders of the Mishnah, which are in the aspect of: kosher and invalid, pure and impure, permitted and forbidden. And there is the essential hold of onaah; and one must guard oneself greatly that the baal davar should not defraud and deceive one through his cunning. But regarding karka’os, which are the aspect of tefillah, the aspect of emunah, the aspect of Shabbos — which is the aspect of emunah (as is explained elsewhere in the words of Rabbainu, Likutay Moharan I, Torah 31) — there is no onaah whatsoever, as mentioned above. For as long as a person does not merit tefillah in completeness — even though he studies Torah, which is the essential purpose — even so, he is still not secure from the deception and delusion of the baal davar; for “if he did not merit, it becomes [poison] for him” etc. [Yoma 72b] And who knows how many nets the baal davar spreads over him? But when one merits tefillah as mentioned above, one is secure from all deceptions and delusions forever. For regarding everything one will pray to Hashem, blessed be He, always, no matter what, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the final redemption that is not followed by any interruption, as mentioned above. Halachah 4 — in Hilchos Mekach Umimkar, Halachah 4, paragraph 15. Halachah 5 — in Hilchos Sheluchin, Halachah 5, paragraph 37. Onaah 2 explains the halachic measures of price-fraud through the lens of Likutay Moharan I:34. The core teaching: every commercial transaction (masa umattan) must be elevated to its holy root. The tzaddik — the holy nekudah (point) — shines the light of da’as (holy awareness) and sacred love into the world. The world = ו (vav = 6 = the six days of creation); the nekudah = י (yud = the point of holiness). When fraud occurs, the nekudah cannot illuminate the ו. Hence: less than 1/6 — love covers it (forgiveness); exactly 1/6 — the point of one day is impaired but can be restored through return (repentance); more than 1/6 — the light has departed completely, voiding the transaction (requiring complete rebuilding). This parallels the need to confess and repair sins on the same day they occur. The section concludes by connecting all this to Ner Chanukah — the Chanukah lights that restore the holy nekudah against the forces of Greece, through the Kohen (holy love), Hallel (prayer), and tzedakah (charity/kindness). Onaah 3 expounds the ruling that land is exempt from fraud-laws, based on Likutay Moharan I:6. The teaching reveals that teshuvah is the aspect of Ehyeh ("I Will Be") — coming into existence. One must always do teshuvah upon teshuvah (Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh). The yetzer hara is the ultimate onaah — fraud — deceiving man into exchanging eternity for vanity. But tefillah (prayer) is the aspect of karka (land) — firm, immovable ground. Through prayer one can stand even in the deepest abyss where there is no foothold. Prayer is above Torah, it is the weapon of Moshiach, the final redemption without interruption. Therefore: "There is no fraud regarding land" — when a person holds onto prayer, no deception can touch him. ONAAH 2 — The Measure of Fraud ONAAH 3 — No Fraud Regarding Land Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman