מתנה ומתנת שכיב מרע א

Likutay Halachos – Choshen Mishpat II – Matanah 5 (Mahadura Basra)

For in truth, everything is chesed and good — for Hashem, blessed be He, is entirely good, entirely chesed. And even the attribute of din [strict judgment] is also a great chesed — in order that there be a vessel to receive the chesed, etc. As is brought regarding this — that this is the aspect of: "With the mighty acts of salvation of His right hand" [Psalms 20:7], etc. And as is brought regarding the verse: "Avraham begat Yitzchak" [Genesis 25:19]. But necessarily, at first the chesed must be in great concealment, and at first glance one sees only the aspect of din. And all of this is drawn from the aspect of: "Originally it arose in [G-d's] thought to create the world with the attribute of din. He saw that the world could not endure — He arose and partnered the attribute of mercy with the attribute of din." But the mercy is in concealment. And this is the aspect of darkness that preceded light. And this is the aspect of: "He made darkness His hiding place" [Psalms 18:12]. And this is the aspect of: "And the earth was formless and void, and darkness" [Genesis 1:2], etc. — "and the spirit of G-d", etc. — "this is the spirit of Mashi'ach", etc. And from there it descended through many chains of descent until the aspect of klipah kodemes la'pri [the shell that precedes the fruit] came into being — from which comes all free choice. And this is the aspect of: "And Moshe approached the thick darkness where G-d was" [Exodus 20:18], etc. And this is the aspect of: the he'der [absence/void] that precedes existence, as is brought in the sefarim. And from there comes the strengthening of falsehood. And this is the aspect of: "And these are the kings" [Genesis 36:31], etc. — "before a king reigned", etc. And from there comes the strengthening of the exile of the present time, before the truth and the chesed are fully revealed, etc. For free choice exists in order to receive the reward through mishpat — so as not to eat nahama d'kisufa [the bread of shame]. But through the aspect of tzedakah and mishpat combined together — which is impossible to understand — from there comes the aspect of matnas chinam, and yet it will not be nahama d'kisufa. And in any case, one will not lose more than if he had never come into the world at all. Through this, everything can be rectified. And everything is through the power of the great tzadik, etc. [Regarding] the son and the servant: The servant receives the wages he toiled for — what is due to him — and yet his reward and his feast does not compare to the delights and feast of the son who receives from his father, even though [what the son receives] is an undeserved gift. But a person in this world does not merit this except through the tzadik who has already performed all the service of a servant with immense self-sacrifice, and merited the aspect of a son in the ultimate completeness. And also afterward, he performed all types of service, as explained regarding the verse "And I had compassion" etc. [Likutay Moharan II:5]. And he is able to give merit to all Yisrael, so that they will be included in the aspect of "you are children" [Deuteronomy 14:1], etc. And then all will merit the feast of the future as a son sitting at his father's table, etc. But certainly, nevertheless, not all will be equal, etc. But even the smallest among them all will profit greatly, greatly, from having been in this world — even though he endured what he endured, and the depths of the sea passed over him, etc. Everything will be transformed to good through the aforementioned aspect, through the aforementioned tzadik. Whether as sons or as servants — na'aseh v'nishma [we will do and we will hear] — from level to level, higher and higher, etc. — until the Toras Hashem and the t'filos Hashem [Torah of Hashem and prayer of Hashem] themselves. But when one wishes to move from level to level, there must be a descent before the ascent, etc. And then even what one had previously attained also descends, etc. And then one must strengthen oneself with the r'shimu [residual impression], etc. And through this one will rejoice in the aspect of: "For the joy of Hashem" [Nehemiah 8:10], etc. And one will strengthen himself with fierce azus [boldness] — specifically against the brazenness of the body, and especially against the brazen-faced ones, etc. And because all his ascents and descents are in a very great state of smallness, in the aspect of: "We have a little sister" [Song of Songs 8:8], etc. — "what shall we do for our sister on the day she is spoken for?" — therefore, the essential thing is through his strengthening himself to hold on to the true tzadik, who has already merited the Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem themselves — from whom comes all the joy and the azus d'kedushah [holy boldness]. And in this matter is the essential [difficulty of] not knowing where the beginning is — for one depends on the other. And as I heard this matter regarding azus d'kedushah especially: for in truth, all the aspects of na'aseh v'nishma, even in the ultimate state of smallness, are all drawn from the lofty na'aseh v'nishma mentioned above. For in truth everything is one, in the aspect of: "Na'aseh v'nishma — they said as one" — for all the Torah and prayer, everything is from Him, blessed be He, etc. And all the strengthening at the time of descent — even if the descent is prolonged in whatever way — everything is through the aspect of matnas chinam, through the power of the aforementioned tzadik. Matnas chinam is the aspect of nishma [we will hear], as will be explained below. And through this one is able to bring the chesed from concealment to revelation — and then precisely the gift is upheld. And from there is drawn what our Sages of blessed memory established, in the very essence of their holy inspiration — that also in the physical realm, a matanta t'mirta [hidden gift] is not upheld, as mentioned above. And one must write: "kisvu'hu b'shuka" — for the essential root of the aspect of a gift is drawn from the aforementioned level — to bring forth the chesed, the aspect of matnas chinam, from concealment to revelation. "Va'eschanan" [Deuteronomy 3:23] — [Moshe prayed with the language of] an undeserved gift. "You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness" — "to show" — specifically — to show and reveal what had previously been very concealed. For the chasadim that Moshe Rabbeinu drew down had not been revealed since the creation of the world. Therefore: "Let me please cross over" [Deuteronomy 3:25], etc. — for there [in Eretz Yisrael] is the essential revelation mentioned above. But Hashem, blessed be He, said to him: "It is enough for you" [Deuteronomy 3:26], etc. — for the time for this had not yet arrived, etc. "Show us, Hashem, Your chesed, and grant us Your salvation" [Psalms 85:8]. The angels prosecuted: "What is man that You are mindful of him?" [Psalms 8:5], etc. — for most of them will not be able to withstand the trial. And Hashem, blessed be He, answered them: "Was it for naught that I am called Gracious and Merciful?" For even though the world was created for the sake of mishpat, nevertheless, His attribute of mercy — the aspect of tzedakah — will also endure. And then the world will endure through these two aspects together, which are impossible to grasp. And everything is through the power of the tzadikim who will withstand the trial and will merit, etc. For the angels' question is like a dilemma: if You conduct [the world] with mishpat, then [people] will not endure; and if with chesed, then it is nahama d'kisufa — and if so, why all this effort of creation? But Hashem, blessed be He, created everything for the sake of the tzadikim, who will merit through mishpat, and they will also draw the aspect of tzedakah, and everything will be included together and the world will be sustained through the aforementioned level. Darkness preceded light, etc. And this is the aspect of the descent that precedes the ascent, and all the sufferings and troubles, may the Merciful One save us — in general and in particular and in the most specific particulars — that precede all the salvations and chasadim, etc. But at first one sees only the sufferings, and from there comes all free choice. And from there come "all his days are anger and pain" [Ecclesiastes 2:23] — for one who does not merit to look each day at the truth to its truest form, to revive himself through the power of the true tzadik, in the aspect of: "Were it not for salt" [i.e., "were it not for the Torah/tzadik as a preservative"], etc. And all of this is from the aspect of the initial tzimtzum [contraction] of the chalal hapanui [the Empty Space] that preceded all the existences of all the worlds. And so it is in every world and at every level of every person. One who gives a gift to his fellow must inform him. "A good gift I have in My treasure house, and Shabbos is its name", etc. Na'aseh v'nishma — Torah and prayer — revealed and concealed — the aspect of mishpat and tzedakah. And the essential root of everything is the aspect of Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem. Every Rosh Hashanah, there takes place what took place at the beginning of Creation, as explained in the writings of the Ari z"l. But certainly, each and every year completely new things take place — similar to what was at the beginning of Creation, only now it is a wondrous renewal that has never occurred before. And the essential renewal is in the aspect of the sweetening of the judgments, through drawing completely new chasadim and mercies that have never been before. For originally it arose in the thought, etc. — and He saw, etc. — and He partnered the attribute of mercy with the attribute of din. And from there comes all free choice — for from there is the root of the evil inclination and its breaking, etc., as explained in [Likutay Moharan I:72] and alluded to in the Holy Zohar and the words of our Sages of blessed memory. But at the beginning of Creation, everything was from within Himself, as it were — which is impossible to grasp at all — and was without any is'arusa d'l'sata [arousal from below]. And now, each year, one must draw the aforementioned attribute of mercy anew — to repair the blemishes and damages and judgments of that year, with wondrous new chasadim and mercies — so that through this, rectification will also be added to the mercies that were already drawn in previous years. And so it is needed each year, until the righteous redeemer comes and completes the rectification in its fullness. And this is the essential rectification of teshuvah [repentance] — which is the aspect of the aforementioned tzedakah, the aspect of teshuvah, the aspect of prayer, the aspect of nishma, etc., as mentioned above. And therefore teshuvah, prayer, and tzedakah are juxtaposed together. And everything is in the aspect of nishma — in contrast to the Torah, which is the aspect of na'aseh, the aspect of mishpat. For according to mishpat, teshuvah should not be effective, G-d forbid — and even if it were effective, it would involve great mishpat, etc. But each year, completely new mercies are needed, so that everything can be rectified through matnas chinam. And all of this is accomplished through the tzadikim who merit the Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem themselves. And understand this well. For even the great tzadik who merits to be included at the beginning of Atzilus [continues ascending], etc. — until he is entirely included in the Ain Sof [the Infinite], etc. And there, the Torah is Toras Hashem literally, and the prayer is t'filas Hashem literally. And there, everything is Ain Sof. And from there the world is renewed each year through his power, from this level. Therefore, through this, the rectification will be completed in its fullness, speedily in our days, Amen. "Blow the shofar at the new moon" [Psalms 81:4], etc. — "For it is a statute for Yisrael" — this is the aspect of the concealed, the aspect of prayer, the aspect of tzedakah. "A judgment for the G-d of Yaakov" — the aspect of mishpat mentioned above, the aspect of Torah, etc. "Blow at the new moon" — "at the new moon" (ba'chodesh) — specifically — the aspect of renewal mentioned above. And this is the essential aspect of the renewal of the mochin and the sweetening of the judgments that takes place through the shofar, which is drawn each Rosh Hashanah completely anew, as mentioned above. In the aspect of: "A testimony He placed in Yehosayf" [Psalms 81:6], etc. — "A language I did not know, I would hear" — the aspect of grasping the nishma mentioned above — that one hears and understands what one had not known before at all. And so it is needed each year. And understand this well. And this is the aspect of: "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it" [Psalms 81:11], etc. And this is the aspect of how one arouses the root of teshuvah, which is on Rosh Chodesh [the new month] — and essentially on Rosh Hashanah, which falls on Rosh Chodesh, etc. And from Rosh Hashanah one must draw the aspect of renewal every single day — for each day the Holy One, blessed be He, renews in His goodness the work of Creation. And therefore each day a person's evil inclination strengthens against him, and the Holy One, blessed be He, helps him. And this is drawn from the aspect of "originally it arose [in the thought]," etc. And therefore, each day one needs completely new chasadim. And everything is drawn from Rosh Hashanah, from the aforementioned level. "He magnifies the salvations of His king" [Psalms 18:51] — He magnifies the salvations without end. "And He performs chesed for His anointed one", etc. — forever, in the aspect of: "and to peace there is no end" [Isaiah 9:6]. "As for the holy ones who are in the earth, they are the nobles" [Psalms 16:3], etc. For in the great abundance of damages, G-d forbid, there is no support except in the tzadikim who dwell in the dust. And therefore we prostrate ourselves upon their holy graves — for then precisely one draws wondrous chasadim, completely new each time — especially on Rosh Hashanah. For "among the dead, free" [Psalms 88:6] — free from the mitzvos — and then there is no more work to be done to earn reward through the aspect of mishpat, except for what they already accomplished in their lifetimes — fortunate are they. But now, their greatest delight is that they draw new chasadim each time, until they complete in fullness what they began. And this is: "He shall come in peace; they shall rest upon their resting places" [Isaiah 57:2], etc. — "And you, draw near here, sons of the sorceress" [Isaiah 57:3], etc. — "Over whom do you take delight?", etc. — "Have I not been silent?", etc. For certainly you have no support from your deeds, as written there: "And your deeds — they will not avail you" [Isaiah 57:12]. Rather: "I will declare your righteousness". And as [the prophet] continues there at length: "And the one who takes refuge in Me shall inherit the land" [Isaiah 57:13], etc. And He said: "Build up, build up, clear the way" [Isaiah 57:14], etc. — to say that certainly, according to your deeds [alone, you would not be worthy]. And as [the prophet] mentions there the matter of their deeds — essentially, the blemish of the bris [covenant] and the blemish of emunah [faith] (as brought in Rashi's commentary on Proverbs, and in many places — and there in its place, where he rebukes them regarding their idolatry, which is the aspect of the blemish of faith, and also rebukes them regarding actual ni'uf [licentiousness], may the Merciful One save us). And therefore, certainly you have no support except through the wondrous new chasadim that the true tzadikim draw — and especially those who dwell in the dust, in the aspect of: "They shall rest upon their resting places", etc. — "and you, draw near here" — through them you too can draw near, if you wish. But when you go, G-d forbid, in your [sinful] ways — "over whom do you take delight?", etc. — and as [the prophet] rebukes them there. And he concluded on a good note. "And the one who takes refuge in Me", etc. And He said: "Build up, build up" — until He concludes with Shabbos: "If you restrain your foot on Shabbos" [Isaiah 58:13], etc. And with this we conclude the haftarah of Yom Kippur. For the essential drawing of the new chesed mentioned above, each time for eternity, is through the holiness of Shabbos, which is established and enduring, which shielded Adam HaRishon. This is the aspect of the good gift mentioned above that He had in His treasure house — for it is the aspect of the greatly hidden chesed, the aspect of the or haganuz [the hidden light], etc. — "and Shabbos is its name — go and inform them." For the essential [purpose] is to inform and reveal the aforementioned chesed — to bring it from concealment to revelation — which is the aspect of from nishma to na'aseh, etc. And the essential [means] is through the aspect of deveikus [cleaving/attachment] and ratzon [will/desire] and bitul [self-nullification] to the truth — which is the aspect of the light of the Ain Sof — from every type of descent in the world. Until, through the power of the tzadik who has merited Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem themselves, even one's descents — and the descents of all who truly desire — will be transformed into great ascents. Even though the exile is prolonged, in general and in particular, very, very much — for "His greatness is beyond investigation" [Psalms 145:3]. And as it is written there: "Thus says the Exalted and Lofty One" [Isaiah 57:15], etc. — "and with the crushed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly", etc. And as it is written: "For the mountains may depart" [Isaiah 54:10], etc. — the aspect of the generality of the world — "but My chesed shall not depart from you" — the aspect of the aforementioned concealed chesed that the angels do not grasp, which is the aspect of the root of the attribute of mercy that He partnered, etc. — which the tzadikim draw each time in wondrous renewal. And this chesed will never depart — in the aspect of: "The chasadim of Hashem have not ended" [Lamentations 3:22], etc. — "They are new every morning" [Lamentations 3:23], etc. And the essential [means] is through the holiness of Rosh Hashanah, which is a wondrous chesed, as explained elsewhere. The angels say first: "The whole earth is full of His glory" [Isaiah 6:3] — this is the aspect of mishpat, the aspect of "the King of mishpat," "the King of glory" — for the essential glory of the King is that He performs mishpat, in the aspect of: "Be exalted, O Judge of the earth" [Psalms 94:2], etc. But the ofanim and chayos hakodesh [holy angelic beings], with a great tumult, rise up towards [the Seraphim] and say: "Blessed is the glory of Hashem from His place" [Ezekiel 3:12] — which is the aspect of "Where is the place of His glory?" — as we say in the kedushah of Keser on Shabbos and Yom Tov. That is, the essential praise and glory of Hashem, blessed be He, is not that His glory — which is the aspect of mishpat — fills the entire world. For through this alone, the world would not endure, as mentioned above. Rather, in truth, no one knows at all where the place of His glory is — for the ways of His mishpat are impossible to grasp, since the mishpat is included within tzedakah — and this is impossible to grasp at all, as mentioned above. And therefore they say this with a great tumult — for they tremble greatly from His awe, blessed be He, at that time, because they understand from afar that there is a very, very wondrous chesed which is the essential greatness of the Creator, blessed be He — which they cannot grasp in any way. Only the tzadikim who were in this world [can grasp it], etc. And therefore they say afterward: "From His place, He shall turn in mercy to His people", etc. — for from there, specifically, He draws new mercies each time, as mentioned above. The Ten Days of Teshuvah correspond to the Ten Martyrs, for only through their power can one return and draw atonement. And therefore we mention them on Yom Kippur. For since the Churban [destruction of the Temple], this chesed is drawn only through those who were killed for the sanctification of His Name, etc. — whose essence and generality are the Ten Martyrs. This is the aspect of the power of the tzadikim who dwell in the dust, mentioned above. For the truly great tzadikim, even when they died in their beds, also died for the sanctification of Hashem — for throughout their entire lives they gave up their lives for the sanctification of the Name in many aspects, all the more so at the very end, at their actual passing. "For Your chesed is great upon me, and You have saved my soul from the lowest depths" [Psalms 86:13]. "And You, Hashem, are a G-d compassionate and gracious", etc. "Grant Your strength to Your servant" [Psalms 86:16], etc. — for of all the requests, he requests azus d'kedushah [holy boldness]. And this is "grant Your strength" — specifically — which is drawn from Your Torah and Your prayer. And understand — for "Hashem, mighty and valiant; Hashem, valiant in war" [Psalms 24:8]. "The G-d of Yisrael gives strength" [Psalms 68:36], etc. — "Ascribe strength to G-d" [Psalms 68:35]. And as is explained elsewhere regarding azus d'kedushah, etc. — that [they] are dependent on each other, etc. "G-d is awesome from Your sanctuaries" [Psalms 68:36] — both in its building and in its destruction — for then one sustains oneself through the mikdash me'at [miniature sanctuary], as our Sages of blessed memory said. And from there: "The G-d of Yisrael gives strength and power to the nation", etc. "My strength — to You I will sing, for G-d is my stronghold, the G-d of my chesed" [Psalms 59:18] — for through the aforementioned chasadim, azus d'kedushah is drawn. "His strength — to You I will guard, for G-d is my stronghold; the G-d of my chesed shall go before me" [Psalms 59:10-11], etc. For that which weakens a person's resolve — this is the aspect of transforming the attribute of mercy into the attribute of din, as is the way of the wicked, as our Sages of blessed memory said. For the Toras chesed [Torah of lovingkindness] warns about punishment in order to return [to good], not in order to distance, G-d forbid. [The wicked one] transforms it to weaken and distance, G-d forbid. But the tzadikim do the opposite — they transform the attribute of din into the attribute of mercy, for they draw new chasadim constantly, until there is fulfilled: "The sin of Yisrael shall be sought, and it is not there" [Jeremiah 50:20] — for the descent is the purpose of the ascent. Because he was in such descents and strengthened himself with such azus d'kedushah against such [spiritual] humiliations, etc. — through the power of the tzadik who merited the aforementioned na'aseh v'nishma — through this, everything is transformed into ascent. For through Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem, everything is transformed to good and chesed. And therefore we begin to rise for Selichos [penitential prayers] immediately after Shabbos. And as we say: "At the departure of [Shabbos] rest, we came before You first." For the essential drawing of the mercies and new chasadim to merit forgiveness is through Shabbos, which is the good gift, etc. For one must inform [the recipient] that he wants to give him a gift, so that the recipient will prepare himself to receive it. And as it is written regarding Shabbos: "And they shall prepare what they bring in" [Exodus 16:5] — for Shabbos, which is the good gift as mentioned above, needs preparation and invitation. "And the paths of Your chasadim You have revealed to him, and informed him", etc. "Hashem reigns; He is clothed in majesty; Hashem is clothed — He has girded Himself with strength" [Psalms 93:1] — the aspect of azus d'kedushah that He bestows upon us — through which precisely: "The world is established; it shall not be moved" — for the essential sustenance of the world is through this, since only through this does one receive and uphold the Torah, as mentioned above. "Your throne is established from then" [Psalms 93:2] — the aspect of Rosh Hashanah, when all these rectifications take place. And this is: "from the world, You are" — for from the beginning of the creation of the world, the Throne was established to sit upon on Rosh Hashanah, when the world was created — that is, Adam HaRishon [was created then]. And the essential azus is the holy voices, as mentioned above. But there are, in contrast, voices of the Sitra Achra — which is the boldness of the Sitra Achra — that thunder and roar with their voice exceedingly. And this is: "From the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea" — of the Sitra Achra — "mightier on high is Hashem" [Psalms 93:4] — for the azus d'kedushah rises above them. For "Your testimonies" — the aspect of the two adornments (adayim) mentioned above — "are very faithful" — in the aspect of: "the testimony of Hashem is faithful" [Psalms 19:8]. And this is: "For Your House, holiness is fitting" [Psalms 93:5] — which is the Beis HaMikdash, from which Torah goes forth, and it is a house of prayer — "Hashem, for length of days." And as Rashi explains there: even though the days have been long [in exile], nevertheless, "Your testimonies are very faithful" — for through Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem, we will merit azus d'kedushah always, to vanquish everything, etc., as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the wondrous Midrash brought on the verse "Blow [the shofar]", etc.: that the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the Satan on Rosh Hashanah: "Bring witnesses!" And [the Satan] brings only the sun. And the Holy One, blessed be He, says: "By two witnesses shall a matter be established" [Deuteronomy 19:15]. And [the Satan] goes to bring the moon, and she conceals herself. And he seeks her and cannot find her. And then the Holy One, blessed be He, rises from the Throne of Din and sits upon the Throne of Mercy. The sun is the aspect of Torah, as Rashi explains on the verse "under the sun" in Koheles [Ecclesiastes]. And the moon is the aspect of the kingdom of David, as is known — the aspect of prayer. And [the moon] receives from the Torah and is higher than the Torah, in the aspect of: "A woman of valor is the crown of her husband" [Proverbs 12:4]. For one makes from the Torah — prayer; that is, from Toras Hashem. And afterward, from the prayer becomes Torah — that is, one's own Torah — which one merits only through prayer. And the essence of prayer is deveikus and bitul to the Ain Sof, and longing and yearning for Him, blessed be He, without end. And through this one merits to pray properly, until one acts upon and creates from this one's own Torah. It emerges that then the prayer is in the aspect of na'aseh — and then one returns and nullifies oneself again with longing, etc., as mentioned above. It emerges that the essential nishma is the aspect of deveikus and bitul and ratzon, etc. And therefore the Satan can only bring one witness — which is the sun, the aspect of Torah — that is, the blemishes of each one who blemished through his deeds. For the crown of na'aseh, Yisrael has lost. But one does not rely on one witness. And [the Satan] goes to bring the moon, and she conceals herself — for the crown of nishma remains with Yisrael, because their longing and yearning can never be nullified. For "all desire to fear Your Name" [Nehemiah 1:11]. And as it is written: "Do not arouse and do not awaken [love]... until it desires" [Song of Songs 2:7]. For the ratzon [will/desire] extends to infinity. And therefore [the Satan] cannot find the moon — for she conceals herself greatly. For the inner longing of each Jew is very hidden from all. And this is itself what is written in Midrash Rabbah: that the crown of nishma remains. For the na'aseh is in a great state of smallness, from the immensity of the descent in exile, in the aspect of: "she has descended wondrously" [Lamentations 1:9]. But the ratzon burns without end. And therefore we say regarding every mitzvah: "as if I have fulfilled it in all its details", etc. And because of this very thing, two witnesses are needed — for they clarify the truth and the emunah. For wherever there are two Jews, they are in the aspect of na'aseh v'nishma, etc. For in every person and at every level, there is the aspect of na'aseh v'nishma. And even though the na'aseh has been lost, certainly the r'shimu [residual impression] remains — for we do still perform and uphold all the mitzvos; only that it is in a state of smallness, etc., as mentioned above. And therefore two [witnesses] are always believed — for through them emunah is built, as mentioned above. And then, while the moon is concealing herself, they blow the shofar — for through the deveikus and ratzon mentioned above, the voices of the shofar are strengthened and aroused — a voice of strength, the voice of a shofar exceedingly strong — to strengthen everyone with azus d'kedushah. And then the Holy One, blessed be He, rises from the Throne [of Din], etc. The early pious ones would wait for one hour before prayer — in the deveikus and ratzon mentioned above. And afterward they would pray and achieve their request — until from [the prayer] the aspect of "his own Torah" would be made. And therefore they would immediately return and wait — in order to make from the prayer the aspect of "his own Torah." And so on forever. And therefore their Torah was preserved. And therefore we always conclude the prayer: "May the words of my mouth be acceptable" — that is, the prayer — "and the meditation of my heart" — the aspect of the aforementioned deveikus. And therefore we say afterward: "He Who makes peace" — which is the completion of the rectification. "And may it be Your will that the Beis HaMikdash be rebuilt speedily in our days, and grant our portion in Your Torah" — which is the generality of all the above. The aforementioned Torah-teaching speaks from head to foot. The two crowns [of na'aseh v'nishma] are the aspect of the head — "and eternal joy upon their heads" [Isaiah 35:10]. Through them one merits the voices that emerge from the mouth — which is the aspect of malchus [kingship], etc. — that is in the head. And through this, azus d'kedushah is strengthened, to subdue the brazenness of the body. And through this, the body of holiness is rectified. And through this, the seal of the hands and feet is rectified — the aspect of the hands and feet. And "its end is embedded in its beginning and its beginning in its end" — like the blood and vitality in the stature of a person, which circulate and run and revolve from head to heel many times. And therefore one can begin from any aspect one wishes — whether from the deveikus and ratzon mentioned above, or from azus d'kedushah, which is the voices, etc. And everything is through the power of the "head" — which is the one who has fully merited the two adornments mentioned above — which are Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem. And boshes panim [shame/humility of face] leads to Gan Eden and saves from nahama d'kisufa mentioned above. And everything is through His wondrous chesed that the angels do not grasp — only the tzadikim who grasp Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem, which are the aspect of mishpat and tzedakah, etc. For boshes panim is the aspect of nishma, as explained there. Also [it is possible] to explain through this the statement of the Holy Zohar: "And then from within the voices and roarings of those mighty warriors of strength", etc. And regarding this it is written: "Mighty in strength, who fulfill His word, to hear the voice of His word" [Psalms 103:20] — the aspect of na'aseh v'nishma mentioned above. The angels said: "Place Your glory upon the heavens" [Psalms 8:2] — for they are "mighty in strength, who fulfill His word, to hear", etc. For they said that they too would fulfill the mitzvos of the Torah with such great intellect that they would afterward also merit to attain the nishma, etc. — from level to level. And Hashem, blessed be He, answered them: "Do you have an evil inclination among you? Did you descend to Egypt?" For it is impossible to ascend from level to level except through the descent that is the purpose of the ascent. And this is not applicable to you. And the essential [point is] that in the very depth of the descent of descents, G-d forbid, in general and in particular, all sustenance is through Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem themselves. And the essential [aspect] is t'filas Hashem, which is the complete statement (ma'amar hashalem) — where everything is included: father and son as one — through which is drawn each time, and especially on Rosh Hashanah, a wondrous new chesed, etc. When one merits the aspect of father and son as one, then precisely one is in the aspect of a son in completeness. And the essential [means of] meriting this level is through [the tzadik] who has merited the above. "On that day, the sin of Yisrael shall be sought, and it is not there" [Jeremiah 50:20], as mentioned above. And the essential seeking [of the sin] afterward — [this is] so that they merit there in the World to Come an even greater ascent, in the aspect of the descent being the purpose of the ascent. And there [in the World to Come], descent is not applicable to them. But by lowering themselves each time from the place where they are, to raise up souls from the depths of weeping, etc. — through this they merit great ascents, etc. And this is: "Fortunate are those who dwell in Your House" [Psalms 84:5] — the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, which is comprised of Torah and prayer, as mentioned above — "they shall praise You forever, Selah" — the aspect of prayer, which is the essential completeness of joy, as explained there. And this is: "Fortunate is the man who has strength in You" [Psalms 84:6] — the aspect of azus d'kedushah. And this is: "pathways are in their hearts" — for through azus d'kedushah, the aspect of joy, one can settle oneself each time, to strengthen oneself and not fall further, G-d forbid, and to fulfill at least: "Do not be exceedingly wicked", as our Sages of blessed memory said, etc. And this is: "Those who pass through the valley of weeping" [Psalms 84:7] — the aspect of the descent — "transform it into a spring" — the aspect of the spring of wisdom, "a spring from the House of Hashem shall go forth" [Joel 4:18] — "also with blessings", etc. — for from there come all the blessings. And through this: "they shall go from strength to strength" [Psalms 84:8] — ascending from level to level, both in this world and in the World to Come, as mentioned above. For this verse is expounded regarding the tzadikim, who have no rest even in the World to Come — that is, as mentioned above. For all our strength is only from them, as mentioned above. And this is why we say throughout the Ten Days of Teshuvah: "the King of mishpat" — even though in truth, at that time He performs much tzedakah and chesed, etc., as mentioned above. But it is known that the chesed cannot be received, from the abundance of light, except through the tzimtzum, which is the aspect of din. And therefore in truth, the din and the gevurah are the aspect of a great chesed. And at all levels, in every aspect of Torah and prayer — which are the aspects of mishpat and tzedakah — even within the tzedakah there is some aspect of mishpat. For at the lofty level [where] this tzedakah — which is the aspect of prayer — is [itself] the aspect of Torah, which is the aspect of mishpat. And understand this well. But at the level of Toras Hashem and t'filas Hashem, there the prayer is chesed chinam [free chesed] alone — which is impossible to receive at all except through the aspect of mishpat, the aspect of Torah. And this is the essential aspect of the Torah study of Hashem, blessed be He, Himself, as it were — who occupies Himself with Torah each day. That is, as it were, He too Himself occupies Himself with making from the prayer — Torah; from tzedakah — mishpat. For when He acts upon Himself through His prayer, to perform chesed with Yisrael — it is impossible to draw it into the world except by clothing it in the Torah, in the aspect of mishpat. For He, blessed be He, through mishpat, specifically, performs tzedakah. For it is truly "the wonders of the One Who is perfect in knowledge" [Job 37:16]. And therefore on Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Teshuvah, when the world was created and He, blessed be He, draws the supreme chesed at the highest level, as mentioned above — which is the aspect of t'filas Hashem literally, the aspect of tzedakah — it is impossible then to mention the name of tzedakah and chesed at all. For this chesed and tzedakah have no graspable existence at all, as mentioned above. And therefore we mention only the mishpat, and say only "the King of mishpat" and "the Holy King" — and we do not mention the Name Kel [a Name denoting chesed], nor the name tzedakah. For this chesed and tzedakah cannot be mentioned at all, except through the aspect of mishpat. For this is the essential chesed and tzedakah — that He clothes such chesed and tzedakah in the aspect of mishpat. Through which, specifically, we are sustained through the wonders of His hidden chasadim, clothed in His good mishpat. And from there it descends and comes down to each person — mercies and chasadim, etc. — which are the chasadim drawn from Yom Kippur through the end of Sukkos, etc. And this is: "Seek Hashem when He can be found" [Isaiah 55:6], etc. — "these are the Ten Days of Teshuvah" — for then a very wondrous chesed is drawn, through the aspect of t'filas Hashem, as mentioned above. And this is: "Let the wicked forsake his way" [Isaiah 55:7], etc. — "and let him return", etc. — "for My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are [your ways My ways]" [Isaiah 55:8], etc. For this chesed is exceedingly lofty — impossible to grasp — for it is the aspect of the supreme concealment, the aspect of t'filas Hashem, as mentioned above. Core Framework: Based on Likutay Moharan II:22 ("Chosam b'soch chosam"). The entire halacha explores the paradox of mishpat (justice/judgment) and tzedakah (charity/free mercy) — two opposites that Hashem combines in a way impossible for even angels to grasp. Everything in Creation is ultimately chesed, but the chesed must be hidden within din to be received. This mirrors the requirement that a gift deed be written publicly (kisvu'hu b'shuka) — the hidden chesed must be brought from concealment to revelation. Na'aseh v'Nishma: "We will do" = Torah = mishpat = the revealed dimension. "We will hear" = prayer = tzedakah = the concealed dimension = deveikus/longing/desire. The crown of na'aseh was lost through sin; the crown of nishma remains forever — because every Jew's inner desire to return can never be extinguished. Rosh Hashanah Renewal: Each year recreates Creation anew. The Satan brings only one witness (the sun = Torah = blemishes in na'aseh). He can't find the moon (prayer = nishma = hidden desire) — so Hashem moves from Throne of Din to Throne of Mercy. The shofar arouses azus d'kedushah (holy boldness) — the essential tool against all spiritual descent. The Tzadikim Who Dwell in Dust: Since the Churban, new chasadim are drawn especially through tzadikim who gave their lives for the sanctification of Hashem's Name. We prostrate at their graves, especially on Rosh Hashanah, to draw wondrous new chasadim. "The descent is the purpose of the ascent." "The King of Mishpat": On Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Teshuvah, we say "the King of Mishpat" — not because there is only judgment, but because the chesed is SO lofty it cannot be named. It can only be received when clothed in mishpat. "Through mishpat, He performs tzedakah" — the ultimate divine paradox.

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