אפטרופוס א

Blessed is Hashem forever, Amen and Amen. 42 The matter of the four guardians [arba’ah shomrim]:

1) Based on the Torah teaching “Chadi Rabbi Shimon” in siman 61 — see there.

This halacha is built on Likutay Moharan I:5 (“With Trumpets and the Sound of the Shofar”), which teaches that one who performs mitzvos with such joy that he desires no reward other than another mitzvah enters Hashem’s own joy — the aspaklaryah ham’irah (luminous lens) of Moshe Rabainu. To arrive at this joy one needs “thunder” — the powerful voice of prayer — which requires two prerequisites: a purified brain (free from chametz = alien thoughts) and rectified fear (elevating fallen fears to their supernal root). 43

And what emerges from there for our matter is that one must do teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim [faith in the sages]. And through this, many holy books are multiplied — for all of them are needed by the world, etc. And through this the Torah is completed and the Torah becomes incorporated in the aspect of the Luchos HaEven [Tablets of Stone], in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah [Foundation Stone], Kodesh Kodashim [Holy of Holies] — which is the aspect of Chochmah Ila’ah [Supernal Wisdom]. For the saichel is called “holy” [kodesh], and Chochmah Ila’ah, the aspect of the saichel hakolail [all-encompassing saichel] from which the Torah goes forth [d’mitaman Oraisa nafkas] — is the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, etc. And through this, all the contractions [tzimtzumim] and all the judgments [dinim] in the world are sweetened. For the essential sweetening of every din is through the saichel that pertains to it, etc. But through the saichel hakolail, all types of dinim in the world are sweetened. And even when one sweetens the din through the individual s’chaliyim [intellects], one also needs to receive from the aspect of the saichel hakolail, etc. And this is the aspect of the twelve stones of Yaakov, which were incorporated into a single stone — in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah, etc. And this is the aspect of Rosh HaShanah, when all the souls come, each one with its contraction and its saichel, and they are incorporated into the true Tzaddik — who is the aspect of the saichel hakolail, etc. — where all types of dinim in the world are sweetened, etc. Therefore these souls must be very, very careful that there be great love and peace among them, so that they may be incorporated together, etc. And through this, joy is drawn, etc. — in the aspect of: “The light of the righteous rejoices,” etc. (Mishlai 13:9). And this is the aspect of “Chadi Rabbi Shimon” [Rabbi Shimon rejoiced], etc. He opened and said: “Hashem, I have heard Your report and I feared” (Chavakkuk 3:2) — there it was fitting to fear, etc. For this verse is said regarding Rabbi Akiva and his students, who passed away because there was no love and peace among them, etc. “We — upon love it depends,” etc. — as above. See there, all of this, very well. And this is the aspect of the guardians [shomrim]. For the guardian must guard the thing from deficiencies and damages. And all the damages come from the dinim, which come from the contractions when one does not merit to sweeten them through the s’chaliyim that are drawn through all the rectifications mentioned above. That is, through the blemish of emunas chachamim. For emunah is the aspect of Shamor [Guard], as is brought — for it is the aspect of the attribute of night, the aspect of: “and Your faithfulness in the nights” (Tehillim 92:3) — when guarding is needed. And therefore one then blesses: “Who guards His people Israel forever” [Shomer amo Yisroel la’ad]. For the essential guarding is through the aspect of emunah. And therefore the essential power of all the guardians to guard the thing from damages and deficiencies is through emunah — that is, emunas chachamim, which is the foundation of the emunah, as it is written: “And they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant” (Shemos 14:31). For through emunas chachamim, the books of the holy Torah are multiplied, and the Torah is completed, and all the contractions and all the dinim are sweetened, etc. And then, when all the dinim are sweetened, certainly the thing is guarded from all the damages and deficiencies that come from the dinim, as above. For the Torah guards everything, and as our Sages of blessed memory said: Torah scholars do not need guarding [n’tirusa], for the Torah guards them. Therefore the essential guarding of the entire world, with all their wealth and possessions — all is drawn through emunas chachamim. Through believing in completeness in the true Torah scholars who are constantly engaged in innovating in the Torah and multiplying holy books in the Torah, to complete the Torah so that it will become incorporated in the aspect of Chochmah Ila’ah, the saichel hakolail — through which all types of dinim in the world are sweetened, through which everything is guarded from all types of damages and deficiencies, as above. But for this there must be great love and peace among Israel, so that all the souls may be incorporated together in the true Tzaddik, who is the aspect of the saichel hakolail. For each and every one is an aspect of an individual saichel [saichel p’rati], and when they join together in love and peace and are incorporated in the true Tzaddik — who is the all-encompassing sage [chacham hakolail], the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim — through this all the dinim are sweetened through the saichel hakolail, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: “And you shall love your fellow as yourself — Rabbi Akiva said: this is a great principle in the Torah” (Vayikra 19:18; Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4). For certainly love and peace among Israel is a great principle in the Torah, for through this all the souls are incorporated together in the aspect of the saichel hakolail, the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim — from which the entire Torah goes forth. Through this the Torah is completed, as above. It emerges that all the completeness and the endurance of the Torah is through this — through Israel loving one another. Therefore “you shall love your fellow,” etc. — is a great principle in the Torah, as above. And this is the aspect of the distinctions of law among the four guardians. For the shomer chinam [unpaid guardian] is exempt from everything. And conversely, the sho’ail [borrower] is liable for everything, even for acts of G–d [onsin]. And the shomer sachar [paid guardian] and the sochair [renter] are liable for theft and loss but exempt for acts of G–d. For the essential guarding is through the sweetening of the contractions, through all the above — the essence of which depends on love and peace among Israel, through which they are incorporated together in the saichel hakolail, from which all the sweetenings derive, as above. And therefore the shomer chinam is exempt from everything. For the shomer chinam is obligated only to guard the thing properly, without negligence. And if even so some damage or deficiency befell the deposited thing, we do not attribute the damage to him — since he is an unpaid guardian who obligated himself to guard his fellow’s property for free, without any payment, only out of love and friendship for his fellow. And so it should be — that every person of Israel should love his fellow truly, and the property of his fellow should be dear to him as his own, as our Sages of blessed memory said: “Let the property of your fellow be as dear to you as your own,” etc. It emerges that from his side there is no damage, since through this guarding he fulfilled the mitzvah of “you shall love your fellow as yourself” — for he guarded the property of his fellow without payment, only out of love alone. And therefore, from his side, he would certainly have been incorporated in the saichel hakolail, where all types of sweetenings are found, etc. — through which all the damages are nullified. And therefore from his side there is no harm and no damage, and therefore the shomer chinam is exempt from everything. And similarly, conversely, the sho’ail is liable for everything. For we attribute all the damages to the borrower, and not to the lender [mash’il] who lent his vessels and possessions to his fellow without receiving any payment, only out of love of friendship — for every person of Israel is obligated to do good and to bestow kindness upon his fellow. It emerges that this lender fulfilled the love of friends as it should be, and therefore from his side there is no damage, as above. Therefore we do not attribute any damage to the lender, but rather to the borrower, for all the benefit was his — since he received the entire benefit of the object from his fellow for free. And indeed, his fellow fulfilled through this transaction the mitzvah of love of friends as it should be, and from his side all the damages are nullified. But regarding the borrower, we did not see that he yielded anything to his fellow out of love and inclusiveness. Therefore we attribute all the liability for the damages to the borrower and not to the lender, as above. And therefore the shomer sachar and the sochair are liable for theft and loss but exempt for acts of G–d. For the shomer sachar and the sochair are both partners with the owner of the object in their benefit — for the shomer sachar guards his fellow’s object, but not for free, rather for payment. And likewise the sochair — his fellow gave him his object to use, but it was for payment. Therefore they share the liability for the damages, and therefore the Torah imposed upon them the damage of theft and loss, while upon the owner himself of the object, the Torah imposed upon him the liability for acts of G–d. And this too will be explained well, with the help of Hashem, according to the Torah teaching mentioned above. For it is explained there that there are two types of sweetening of the dinim. For there are those that sweeten each individual din through the individual saichel that pertains to it, etc. — and this too is through the individual saichel receiving from the saichel hakolail, as is explained there. But there are dinim that are sweetened through the aspect of the saichel hakolail itself, where all types of dinim in the world are sweetened, etc., as above. And this is known and already explained: that all types of damages, G–d forbid, are drawn from the dinim. And therefore the shomer sachar and the sochair are liable for theft and loss. For theft and loss are drawn from the dinim that can be sweetened through the individual saichel that pertains to each thing. For theft and loss derive only from the diversion of attention [hesach hada’as] — that is, from not drawing the saichel well into the thing being guarded. And therefore we attribute this damage to the shomer sachar and the sochair, who received benefit from the object, and therefore the guarding that comes through the sweetening of the individual s’chaliyim falls upon them, since they received individual benefit from the object. But the damages of acts of G–d, which come through wild beasts and armed bandits — which are the aspect of harsh and mighty dinim that can be sweetened and nullified only through the saichel hakolail, where all the harsh and mighty dinim of the world are sweetened and nullified, as is explained there in the Torah teaching mentioned above — this liability of rectifying these damages, we attribute only to the owner himself of the object, whose entire object in its totality is his. For only he can receive and draw the sweetening from the “master of the house” of the entire world — who is the aspect of the saichel hakolail, who is the true Tzaddik sage — from whom all must receive all the sweetenings and all the guardianship. For this true sage, who is the aspect of the saichel hakolail, is the aspect of the “master of the house” of the entire world, for all receive vitality from him, as is known. And whoever has any wealth and possessions and vessels must receive the guarding from him, for from him are all the sweetenings of all the dinim, from which are all the guardianship. Therefore the liability for acts of G–d, which comes from harsh dinim, we do not attribute to the shomer sachar and the sochair who received individual benefits from the object, but rather to the owner himself of the object — who is the essential “master of the house” of the object, for only he needs to receive and draw the sweetening from the “master of the house” of the entire world — who is the aspect of the saichel hakolail, who is the true Tzaddik, as above. And therefore Yaakov Avinu, who needed to transmit the Torah to his children, as it is written: “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is the heritage of the congregation of Yaakov” (Devarim 33:4) — therefore he was a guardian, for he guarded the flock of Lavan. For through him is the essential guarding, which comes through the supernal sweetening mentioned above — through all the contractions being incorporated in the saichel hakolail, in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah. And this is the aspect of the twelve stones of Yaakov that were incorporated into a single stone, etc., as is explained there. And so too Dovid HaMelech, peace be upon him, who needed to find the place of the Bais HaMikdash — and the essential thing was to find the point of the Even Sh’siyah, the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim — therefore he was a guardian. And he prevailed against all types of acts of G–d in the world, as it is written: “And the lion came, and the bear,” etc. (Shmuel I 17:34). For he merited to sweeten and nullify all the harsh dinim, which are the aspect of acts of G–d, through the aspect of the saichel hakolail, the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim — which he toiled all his days with great exertions to incorporate there, as it is written: “Remember, Hashem, for Dovid all his afflictions,” etc. “I will not give sleep to my eyes,” etc. “until I find a place for Hashem” (Tehillim 132:1,4–5) — which is the place of the Even Sh’siyah, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the Sefirah and Shavu’os, which is the receiving of the Torah. For the essential receiving of the Torah on Shavu’os, each and every year anew, is the aspect mentioned above — to merit to multiply holy books in the Torah, to complete the Torah so that it will be in the aspect of the Luchos HaEven, until it becomes incorporated in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah, Kodesh Kodashim, the aspect of the saichel hakolail — where all types of dinim in the world are sweetened and nullified, etc., as above. And this is the essential receiving of the Torah anew each day, as it is written: “Each day they shall be in your eyes as new” (Rashi on Devarim 26:16). And especially on Shavu’os, when the essential time of receiving the Torah anew is, each and every year. For the Torah we have already received, but every person in every generation must accept upon himself the aspect of the receiving of the Torah each time anew. That is, he must strengthen himself to fulfill the Torah — which is the essential thing. That is, he must strengthen himself until he merits to derive just judgments and upright practices of conduct in every place that he learns, etc. — as is explained there at the beginning of the Torah teaching mentioned above, which one merits through emunas chachamim, etc. — see there, the connection of the entire Torah teaching mentioned above. And this is what one engages in during the days of the Sefirah and Shavu’os. For during the Sefirah one engages in drawing the individual s’chaliyim to sweeten the contractions and the dinim that are drawn from them — for it is known that the days of the Sefirah are days of din, which are drawn from the aspect of the contraction mentioned above. And on each and every day of the days of the Sefirah, one draws a mind and a saichel according to the day, as is explained well in the kavanos. And through each mind and saichel, one sweetens the contraction and the din of that day. And this mind and saichel of each and every day of the days of the Sefirah is the aspect of the individual saichel mentioned above, which sweetens an individual contraction and din, etc., as above. Until on Shavu’os one merits to be incorporated in the supernal saichel, the saichel hakolail mentioned above — which is the aspect of Chochmah Ila’ah, from which the entire Torah goes forth. For Shavu’os is the fiftieth day, the aspect of the fiftieth gate [Sha’ar HaChamishim] — which is the aspect of Chochmah Ila’ah, the aspect of the supernal, all-encompassing saichel — through which all the dinim in the world are sweetened. For then is the essential receiving of the Torah — when one merits that the Torah becomes incorporated in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah, the aspect of the Luchos HaEven, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the pure waters [mayim t’horim] that are drawn on Shavu’os — the aspect of the mikveh of Shavu’os, the aspect of: “And I will sprinkle upon you pure waters and you shall be purified,” etc. (Yechezkel 36:25) — as is brought in the kavvanah of the mikveh of Shavu’os, which is the aspect of the mikveh of the fiftieth gate. That is, as above — for the completeness of the Torah in the aspect mentioned above is through the aspect of the pure waters mentioned above, as is explained there well in the Torah teaching mentioned above — see there. And therefore the days of the Sefirah are called by an expression of sefer [book]. For according to the mind and saichel that one draws on each day of the days of the Sefirah, so is the aspect of “book” in the Torah multiplied — to complete the Torah, until one merits on Shavu’os to receive an illumination from the saichel hakolail. And this is the essential aspect of Shavu’os, as above. And all of this one merits through teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim. For through this [blemish] one is judged with excesses [mosoros], until the putrid fumes ascend to the brain and warp and distort one’s mind, etc. From there are all the corruptions — and this is the essential aspect of the idolatries of Mitzrayim [gilulai Mitzrayim], from which we engage in purifying ourselves during all the days of the Sefirah. For the entire exile of Mitzrayim was through the sin of Adam HaRishon, as is known — who blemished the emunah, as is brought. And the essential blemish was in the aspect of emunas chachamim. For even though he was created alone, and there were not yet any sages in the world except himself alone — even so, he needed emunas chachamim all the more. That is, to believe in himself, as is explained in the Torah teaching mentioned above — that when one does not believe in oneself, it is the aspect of the blemish of emunas chachamim. And so it is explained in siman 86 of Likutay Tinyana, on the verse “because of shortness of spirit and hard labor” (Shemos 6:9). For if a person would believe in himself — that his soul is very, very exalted, for even the soul of the least of Israel is very exalted, and upon it depend all the upper and lower worlds — certainly he would never transgress any transgression and would never blemish any blemish. Especially Adam HaRishon, who was alone — for whom all emunas chachamim was only in this aspect. For we need emunas chachamim in all the aspects that are explained there: to believe in true tzaddikim, to believe in one’s fellow, and to speak with him in the fear of Heaven — in the aspect of: “Then those who fear Hashem spoke, each man to his fellow, and Hashem listened and heard, and it was written in a book,” etc. (Malachi 3:16). For in each person of Israel there is a good point [n’kudah tovah], which is the aspect of a tzaddik. And more than anything one must strengthen oneself and be resolute to believe in oneself — to believe that even one’s small amount of service and engagement in the Torah is very precious to Hashem, blessed be He. Especially what one has merited in drawing close to true tzaddikim and to true upright people, and to believe in them — this is very, very precious to Hashem, blessed be He. For even if one believes in Hashem, blessed be He, and in the tzaddikim and in one’s upright friends — who are all tzaddikim — but does not believe in oneself — that is, he does not believe that his emunah, by which he believes in the true sages, etc., is very, very precious — this too is a blemish of emunas chachamim. And in a certain way, this blemish is worse than all the others, as is commonly found: the affliction of this rash [nega hamispaschas] in many people who are somewhat upright and begin to draw close to men of truth, to true sages and upright people, but they say about their friends, “They are certainly upright and righteous, but what does it help me, for I know my own deficiency — that I am full of sins and iniquities and blemishes.” And through this he falls, G–d forbid, and distances himself entirely, G–d forbid, and falls from emunas chachamim entirely — until many have become opponents [misnagdim] and disputants through this. It emerges that all his blemish in emunas chachamim was because he did not believe in himself. For one who wants to have compassion on his own life must beseech Hashem, blessed be He, until he strengthens himself in emunas chachamim so much that he believes also in himself. That is, that he believes in the greatness of the power of the righteousness of the true tzaddikim — that they will certainly also rectify him and elevate him ever higher, if he holds onto them to be attached to them all the days of his life. For his emunah itself, by which he believes in the tzaddikim and draws close to them, is very, very precious. For emunah is only in a thing that one does not understand with the saichel, as is explained elsewhere. And therefore one must believe in oneself with emunah — even though according to one’s own saichel and one’s own knowledge of oneself, one is very far from Hashem, blessed be He. Even so, one must believe with emunah that even the few good points that are in him are very precious to Hashem, blessed be He — as I understood all of this from his holy conversation, of blessed memory. And especially Adam HaRishon, who was alone in the world, and all his emunas chachamim depended on this, as above. And especially since the entire blemish of Adam HaRishon was through Chavah his wife, for initially the serpent came upon her with cunning. For she needed to believe in Adam HaRishon — that his words were true, that Hashem, blessed be He, commanded not to eat from the Aitz HaDa’as [Tree of Knowledge]. And the serpent injected into her [contamination] until she denied him and did not believe in his words, and she blemished emunas chachamim through this. And she was lured by the words of the serpent, and afterward she caused — until she introduced denials also into the heart of Adam HaRishon himself — that he fell in his own estimation and did not believe in himself, in the greatness of his own power and level, which was very lofty and exalted — until he ate from the Aitz HaDa’as Tov vi’Ra [Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]. And from then was drawn the contamination of the serpent, from which are all the blemishes of the earlier generations — the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Dispersion, from which the exile of Mitzrayim was drawn, as is known. And all the blemishes of the generations were through the blemish of emunas chachamim, as it is written: “He shall not turn to the way of the vineyards,” etc. — as is explained elsewhere. And therefore the essential blemish of Adam HaRishon was through eating — through eating from the Aitz HaDa’as Tov vi’Ra. For every blemish of emunas chachamim pertains to eating, for one is judged with excesses [mosoros], etc. — and putrid fumes ascend to the brain and distort and warp his mind, etc., as is explained there. And therefore Hashem, blessed be He, warned him about this — that he should not eat from the Aitz HaDa’as, which is the aspect of the kind of eating through which the excesses multiply and ascend to the brain, etc. And he blemished in this himself — for he blemished the aspect of emunas chachamim and ate this eating of the Aitz HaDa’as Tov vi’Ra. And then immediately there was drawn a confusion of the da’as into the world, which is drawn from the excesses mentioned above — from the putrid fumes that come through the excesses, as above. And this is the essential aspect of the decree of death that was decreed then — the aspect of: “On the day you eat from it, you shall surely die” (Beraishis 2:17). For all the death of a person is drawn through eating, through the excesses — through which it is impossible for a person to live forever. And from there was the entire exile of Mitzrayim, as above. And in the days of the Sefirah we engage in purifying ourselves from their contamination and their idolatries, which are drawn from the excesses mentioned above. And therefore the mahn descended for Israel in the days of the Sefirah, on the fifteenth of Iyar. And until that day they ate from the cake [ugah], which is the matzah that they brought out from Mitzrayim, in which they tasted the taste of the mahn, as our Sages of blessed memory said. For the Torah was only given to the eaters of the mahn. For the mahn is the opposite of the blemish of eating mentioned above. For the mahn is the aspect of a food in which there are no waste products or excesses mentioned above — for the mahn was absorbed into the limbs, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And therefore the Torah was only given to the eaters of the mahn. For the essential receiving of the Torah is when one merits to be saved from the excesses of eating mentioned above — and this is the aspect of the eating of the mahn, as above. For then the brain is clear and pure, and one knows how to derive just judgments and upright practices of conduct from every place that one learns, as above. And therefore the mahn descended in Iyar, in the days of the Sefirah, which are a preparation for the receiving of the Torah. For the essential receiving of the Torah is through the aspect of the eating of the mahn, in which there are no excesses, as above. And this is the aspect of: “Hashem, in the heavens is Your kindness, and Your faithfulness reaches to the skies [shechakim]” (Tehillim 36:6). “In the heavens is Your kindness” — this is the aspect of the supernal Chesed, which is very lofty — the aspect of the supernal Chesed that one draws from the saichel hakolail, which is the aspect of Shavu’os, which is a supernal saichel and a very lofty Chesed. And this is: “in the heavens is Your kindness” — for this saichel is called “heavens” [shamayim] because of its extreme loftiness, in the aspect of: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Yeshayahu 55:9). And this supernal Chesed that sweetens everything, one merits through emunas chachamim, as above. And this is: “and Your faithfulness reaches to the skies [shechakim]” — the aspect of emunas chachamim, believing in the true tzaddikim who are the aspect of shechakim — because there the mahn is ground [shochakin] for the tzaddikim, as our Sages of blessed memory said. For the essential righteousness of the tzaddikim is that they are in the aspect of the eaters of the mahn — that all their food is in the aspect of the mahn that is absorbed into the limbs. For their eating is in the aspect of refined food from which no excesses or waste products or putrid fumes ascend to the brain to confuse and warp their minds, G–d forbid. And this is the essential aspect of the eating of the mahn now — the aspect of what our Sages of blessed memory said: “The Torah was only given to the eaters of the mahn.” And it is known that now the mahn does not descend for Israel. Rather, the intent is that the essential receiving of the Torah is merited by the true tzaddikim, whose eating is refined. And even though now there necessarily are waste products and excesses in the eating that must go out — even so, they eat with such great holiness and purity, according to the Torah, to the point that no putrid fumes ascend from the excesses of eating to the brain. Rather, they refine the good purity itself, which is absorbed into the limbs, and the rest of the waste is expelled outward entirely and does not ascend to the brain at all. And therefore their eating is in the aspect of the actual eating of the mahn. On the contrary — now the eating of the great tzaddikim is all the more wondrous — that they eat such physical foods in which there are such excesses, and even so they eat with such holiness that no putrid fumes ascend to their brains, until their eating is in the aspect of actual mahn. And this is the aspect of: “and Your faithfulness reaches to the skies [shechakim]” — the aspect of emunas chachamim — for they are the aspect of shechakim, where the mahn is ground for the tzaddikim, etc., as above. And through this: “Hashem, in the heavens is Your kindness” — that one merits the supernal Chesed, the aspect of the saichel hakolail, etc., as above. And this is: “Then I said: Behold, I have come — in a scroll of a book [m’gilas sefer] it is written about me,” etc. (Tehillim 40:8) — which is said regarding the giving of the Torah, as Rashi explained there. For it is already explained that a person must derive just judgments and upright practices of conduct from every place that he learns. And this one merits through emunas chachamim in completeness — for then one is not judged with excesses, and his food is pure, through which his mind is lucid and pure, and he can find himself in every place that he learns — deriving from there just judgments and upright practices of conduct, as above. And this is: “Then I said: Behold, I have come” — that is, the aspect of the receiving of the Torah, as Rashi explained there. And this is: “in a scroll of a book it is written about me” — that in every place that I learned, in any book, everything was written about me — for I found myself in every place that I learned, in any scroll of a book. For in every place that I learned, I derived from there just judgments and upright practices of conduct for myself, etc. (And so it is explained in his own words, of blessed memory, on this verse, in siman 121. But now, according to the Torah teaching mentioned above, the continuation of the verses that follow will be explained in a wondrous connection.) And through this I added many books in the Torah, as is explained there — that through emunas chachamim it is considered as if one makes many books. For at first this book was not considered significant in his eyes, and was to him as if nothing and superfluous. And now each and every book is once again considered significant in his eyes, etc. And especially through now meriting to derive just judgments and upright practices of conduct from the books that he learns in — now the books are considered as his own. For at first he was very distant from them, and now each book is considered as his own — for “the essential thing is not the study but the deed.” And as it is written in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas B’Chukosai — that one who learns in order to practice is considered as if he made the words of the Torah. And this is: “in a scroll of a book it is written about me” — that each book is considered as if it was written about me and for my sake. And then certainly: “To do Your will, my G–d, I desire, and Your Torah is within my innards” (Tehillim 40:9). And Rashi explained this regarding the holiness of the eating of Israel, as he explained there — “all my food is according to Your command.” That is, as above. For through emunas chachamim, one merits that his food is pure, in the aspect of the mahn — so that the excesses do not ascend to the brain to confuse, G–d forbid. And this is: “and Your Torah is within my innards” — that the Torah endures within my innards specifically. For one who blemishes emunas chachamim, then the Torah does not endure within him, because of the eating of his innards — for the excesses multiply within him until putrid fumes ascend and warp his mind with inverted reasoning that is the opposite of truth, and he cannot derive true judgments from the Torah. It emerges that the Torah departs and distances itself from him, since he cannot derive from it true judgments. And this is the aspect of what our Sages of blessed memory said: “The Torah of Do’aig was from the lip and outward” — because he was an opponent who disputed Dovid, who was then the true Tzaddik. And through this, all the Torah of Do’aig was through the excesses mentioned above, in the aspect of: “And there was a man from the servants of Shaul, detained before [Hashem],” etc. (Shmuel I 21:8) — as is explained there. And therefore all his Torah was from the lip and outward, for it did not endure within his innards, as above. But one who merits emunas chachamim — and this is the aspect of: “in a scroll of a book it is written about me” — that many books are multiplied in the Torah through him, as above — then: “to do Your will,” etc. — “and Your Torah is within my innards” specifically. For it endures within his innards specifically — for he merits that his eating is in the aspect of the mahn, so that the excesses do not ascend to the brain, until he merits to clarify true judgments — which is the essential endurance of the Torah, as above. And this is what Rashi explained there: “All my food is according to Your command.” For all the mitzvos that pertain to eating — such as terumos and ma’asros and challah, and all the ten mitzvos that pertain to bread, and the prohibition of nevailos and treifos and impure species, etc. — all are in order to sanctify the eating of Israel, so that their food will be pure, without excesses, so that they will be able to derive true judgments from the Torah, as above. And this is the aspect of the eating of matzah, which they were commanded immediately upon their departure from Mitzrayim. For matzah is the aspect of the mahn, as above — the aspect of pure food mentioned above. And therefore after Pesach one eats chametz, for the matzah is a healing [asvasa], as it is taught in the holy Zohar. For the eating of the matzah rectifies the innards of a person, so that even when he eats chametz afterward, he is also able to refine the food so that the excesses do not ascend to the brain, as above. And therefore after the splitting of the Yam Suf, which is on the seventh of Pesach, the chametz was permitted. For at the splitting of the Yam Suf they merited emunas chachamim in completeness, as it is written: “And they believed in Hashem and in Moshe His servant” (Shemos 14:31). For even though before that they also believed, as it is written: “And the people believed,” etc. (Shemos 4:31) — even so, afterward they reverted and fell from the emunah somewhat, as it is taught in the holy Zohar. And at the time of the splitting of the Yam Suf, they returned and believed in completeness in Hashem and in Moshe His servant — which is the aspect of emunas chachamim. Therefore afterward one can eat chametz. For through emunas chachamim one is saved from the excesses, as above — that is, even when one eats chametz, one can refine the food so that the putrid fumes do not ascend to the brain, etc., as above. And therefore the mahn descended in the days of the Sefirah, when they prepare themselves for the receiving of the Torah. For the essential receiving of the Torah is through the aspect of the eating of the mahn, which is absorbed into the limbs and has no excesses, as above. And therefore one prays in the days of the Sefirah for the blessing of sustenance [parnasah], as it is written: “The earth has given its produce; may G–d bless us,” etc. (Tehillim 67:7). For the essential blessing of eating is when one merits that the foods are refined, so that the putrid fumes do not ascend, G–d forbid, to the brain. For from there comes the aspect of famine — because the food does not satisfy the soul as it should. For when the food is refined and no waste ascends to the brain, but only the purity and lucidity of the spirituality of the food ascends to the brain after many refinements (as is explained in the science of anatomy) — then the brain receives vitality through the food, and then abundance and vitality flow from the brain to all the limbs, and this is the aspect of satiation. But conversely, G–d forbid, when the food is not refined and the putrid fumes ascend to the brain, then the brain is confused and has no vitality as it should, and it cannot bestow vitality and satiation upon all the limbs. And this is the aspect of all the blessings regarding eating and satiation that are said in Parshas B’Chukosai and the like, as it is written: “If you walk in My statutes and guard My mitzvos and do them” (Vayikra 26:3) — that is, that you should toil in the Torah. And to know the Midrash of the Sages, as is explained in the commentary of Rashi there — that is, the aspect of emunas chachamim. And this is the aspect of: “and you shall do them” [va’asisem osam] — and as is brought in the Midrash Rabbah cited above, that it is considered as if one made the words of the Torah, as above. And then: “And you shall eat to satiation” (Vayikra 26:5). For then one is not judged with excesses — and this is the essential satiation and blessing in the innards, as above. And this is: “And I will place peace in the land” (Vayikra 26:6). For through making complete teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim, through this many books are multiplied in the Torah, through which the Torah is incorporated in the aspect of Chochmah Ila’ah, the saichel hakolail, etc. — through this the peace is multiplied, in the aspect of “upon love it depends” [ba’chavivusa talya]. For all the souls are incorporated in the soul of the all-encompassing sage, in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, etc., as above. And this is: “Let the property of your fellow be as dear to you as your own, and prepare yourself to learn Torah, for it is not an inheritance to you, and all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven” (Avos 2:12). “Let the property of your fellow be as dear to you as your own” — this is the aspect of the love and the inclusiveness of the souls, as above — that each one should love his fellow as himself, to fulfill in completeness the mitzvah of “you shall love your fellow as yourself,” which is a great principle in the Torah, as above. And the essential warning of love of friends is especially regarding money, for there is the essential jealousy and hatred, as is known to all. And therefore the positive mitzvah of “you shall love your fellow as yourself” is juxtaposed after the warnings in which the Torah warns through several negative commandments not to touch the money of one’s fellow, but on the contrary to be careful to assist him and sustain him, as it is written there in Parshas Kedoshim: “You shall not steal, and you shall not deny,” etc. “You shall not oppress, and you shall not rob,” etc. “You shall not take revenge, and you shall not bear a grudge,” etc. (Vayikra 19:11,13,18). That is, to bestow kindness upon one’s fellow and to be forbearing toward him — that even though his fellow did not lend to him, he should be forbearing and lend to him without casting words — that he should not say to him, “I am not like you,” etc. And afterward it concludes upon all of this: “and you shall love your fellow as yourself.” For the essential endurance of the love among Israel is when they are not particular and do not envy one another regarding their money. And this is the aspect of the connection and bond of the Mishnah mentioned above: “Let the property of your fellow be as dear to you as your own” — this is the aspect of love and inclusiveness of the souls of Israel, as above. Through which they are incorporated in Chochmah Ila’ah, the saichel hakolail — and this is the essential completeness of the Torah, as above. And this is: “and prepare yourself to learn Torah, for it is not an inheritance to you.” And the difficulty is apparent — for is it not explained in the verse that the Torah is an inheritance to us, as it is written: “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is an inheritance” (Devarim 33:4), etc.? But according to the above it is resolved well. For the essential completeness of the Torah is when the Torah is incorporated in its root, in the aspect of the saichel hakolail, Kodesh Kodashim, in the aspect of the Luchos HaEven, as above. And this depends on love among Israel, as above. And this is: “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is an inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov” — “the congregation of Yaakov” specifically. That is, when Israel congregates and gathers together in love and unity among them — for then they are incorporated in the root of the Torah, as above — then the Torah is an inheritance to us. For then specifically one can draw upon oneself the holiness of the Torah, as above. And as is explained there in the passage: “And there was a king in Yeshurun when the heads of the people gathered together,” etc. (Devarim 33:5). And Rashi explained there: “When they gather together in one bundle and there is peace among them,” etc. But when there is no peace, G–d forbid, and there is dispute, then to the degree of the dispute, so is the aspect of the forgetting and the departure of the Torah, G–d forbid. And now it is connected well: “Let the property of your fellow be as dear to you as your own” — that is, the love and inclusiveness of the souls of Israel together. Through this specifically: “and prepare yourself to learn Torah” — for through this is the essential rectification of the soul, to learn Torah. For through this one can be incorporated in the saichel hakolail, etc. — and this is the essential rectification: to draw upon oneself the holiness of the Torah, for there is the root of the Torah, etc., as above. And this is: “for it is not an inheritance to you” — “to you” [l’cha] specifically. That is, to you by yourself, when you separate yourself, G–d forbid, from the souls that are incorporated in the saichel hakolail — then the Torah is certainly not an inheritance to you. For the Torah is an inheritance only to the “congregation of Yaakov” — when they gather together in love and peace, as above — and not to you alone when you separate yourself through jealousy and hatred that come through money, as above. And this is what it concludes: “And all your deeds should be for the sake of Heaven” — “Heaven” [shamayim] is the aspect of the saichel hakolail mentioned above, which is very lofty, the aspect of: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,” etc. That is, whatever you do should be so that you merit to be incorporated in the saichel hakolail mentioned above, which is the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, the aspect of the root of the Torah — where everything is sweetened and rectified, as is explained there in the Torah teaching. And this is: “and your friends will uphold it in your hand, and do not rely upon your own understanding” (Avos 2:13). For the essential endurance of the Torah is through this — through which they are incorporated together, etc., as above. And as the Ari z”l warned very greatly about the love of friends. “And do not rely upon your own understanding” — for “two are better than one, for if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow,” etc. (Koheles 4:9–10) — and this is said regarding the endurance of the Torah, as Rashi explained there. For it is not an inheritance to you by yourself, but only through inclusiveness and peace, as above. And therefore the essential exile was through the baseless hatred [sin’as chinam] that was in the Second Bais HaMikdash, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And the essential redemption will be through Eliyahu coming first and making peace, as our Sages of blessed memory said: “Eliyahu does not come to declare impure or to declare pure,” etc. — “but rather to make peace,” etc. That is, he will not come to clarify for us the halachos about which we are in doubt, as our Sages of blessed memory said — that there is no clear halachah and no clear mishnah in a certain place. Rather, to make peace in the world — and then automatically all the halachos will be clarified. For through the peace and the inclusiveness, through this the Torah is incorporated in its root, in the saichel hakolail, in Kodesh Kodashim — where all the halachos are clarified, in the aspect of: “If a matter of law is too wondrous for you,” etc. “Then you shall arise and ascend,” etc. (Devarim 17:8). For the essential clarification of all the halachos is from the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, where the Luchos HaEven stand — the aspect of the saichel hakolail, etc., as above. It emerges that through this, what is apparently difficult regarding the saying of our Sages of blessed memory mentioned above — that Eliyahu does not come to declare impure or pure, etc. — is automatically resolved. For is it not explained in many places in the words of our Sages of blessed memory that the essential clarification of the halachos that are now doubtful in our hands will be in the future, through Eliyahu and Mashiach? But according to the above, it is explained well. For the essential rectification will be that Eliyahu will make peace in the world, and then automatically all the halachos will be clarified, as above. And this is the aspect of: “All craftsmen [umanin] are paid guardians [shomrai sachar]” (Bava Metzia 80b). For one must believe that all the wisdom of the craft of all the craftsmen in the world — all are drawn, at their root, from the wisdom of the Torah. For the Torah was the tool of craftsmanship [k’li umanuiso] of the Creator of the beginning [Yotzer B’raishis], as it is written: “And I was beside Him as a master craftsman [amon]” (Mishlai 8:30). Do not read amon but rather uman [craftsman] — as is explained in the words of our Sages of blessed memory in many places, and especially in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Beraishis. But Hashem, blessed be He, created the world with the intention that the world would specifically be lacking rectification, and that the person specifically would rectify everything, as it is written: “which G–d created to do [la’asos]” (Beraishis 2:3). That is, Hashem, blessed be He, created the entire world and all that fills it “to do” — that the person should do in every thing many labors and crafts, through which specifically the entire rectification of the creation would come about. And as our Sages of blessed memory said in the Midrash: “The wheat needs to be ground; the lupines need rectification,” etc. And as one sees tangibly — that there is nothing that Hashem, blessed be He, created that we can use for our needs without the person performing in it many workings and labors and rectifications. For example, the wheat — it is impossible to eat except through grinding, sifting, and baking, and for all of this many crafts and labors are needed, with many different stratagems. And so with clothing — it is impossible to wear the flax and the wool except through many, many different labors and crafts. And so with every thing in the world. And in every generation, many, many new wisdoms and stratagems are innovated in the matter of craftsmanship and the tools of craftsmanship — to hasten to bring forth a tool for its work (which is what they make — the many stratagems that are called machines [mashinin]). And all of these crafts and stratagems and their tools, in which there is great wisdom — all are drawn from the wisdoms of the Torah. And all their vitality and endurance is through emunas chachamim. For the true sages in every generation toil and labor each time to complete the Torah — to innovate in it true innovations and to multiply books without end in the Torah, through which is the essential completeness of the Torah, as is explained in the Torah teaching mentioned above. And this is the aspect of: “And he pondered and searched and composed many parables — he made handles for the Torah,” etc. (Koheles 12:9) — as our Sages of blessed memory said, that he tied rope to rope and thread to thread, etc. And there in the Midrash it also brings several more parables for this — that it is impossible to understand from the Torah except through the true sages who expound the Torah and innovate in it true innovations and multiply holy books in the Torah. And the essential ones are the holy, righteous sages who know all the ways of the Torah at its root, until they find and reveal deep counsels and upright paths and true judgments, etc. — in a manner that each person, from wherever he is, can revive his weary soul that had become distant — however distant it had become — to incline him toward life, to awaken him and strengthen him and support him, and to find for him an opening of hope always: that he too will return and draw close to Hashem, blessed be He. For this is the essential thing — for “the essential thing is not the study but the deed.” It emerges that the true righteous sages perform many awesome crafts and labors in the Torah. And from there the power and the vitality are drawn for all the masters of crafts and labors in the physical realm — for all the wisdoms of the crafts and stratagems that they have, all is drawn from the craftsmanship of the true sages who innovate in the Torah, as above. And as it is taught in the Tikkunim regarding the masters of the poskim [halachic decisors] who derive from it many halachos, etc. For the Torah that was given to us from Heaven has no completeness except through the true sages who complete it through their holy books, as above. And therefore the entire creation that Hashem, blessed be He, created through the Torah that was given from Heaven is also lacking rectification, as above. And the holy sages, through their true innovations, through which they complete the Torah, as above — from there the power is drawn for all the masters of crafts and labors to rectify all the details of the creation through many crafts and stratagems, as above. For this is known — that all the vitality in the world, in general and in particular, all is drawn only from the Torah, as it is written: “In the beginning, G–d created the heavens and the earth” (Beraishis 1:1) — “In the beginning” — this is the Torah, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And the generality of the creation, as it was created — its vitality is from the Torah as it was given from Heaven. And the rectification of the creation, which is rectified through many different labors and stratagems, is drawn from the true sages, to whom the Torah was given to expound it and innovate in it, etc. — and this is the essential rectification and completeness of the Torah. For without the true sages, one would not know anything from the Torah. And from there — from the wisdom of truth of the sages, who perform through this many awesome crafts and labors in the holy Torah — from there all the masters of crafts in the physical realm receive their power, to rectify every thing in the physical realm, as above. And this is the aspect of the labor of the Mishkan. For all the labors in the world are contained in the thirty-nine labors [m’lachos], and the thirty-nine labors are derived from the Mishkan. For the labor of the Mishkan is the rectification, endurance, and vitality of all the labors and crafts in the world. For the essential purpose of all the labor of the Mishkan was to rectify the blemish of the emunah that Israel had blemished. And the essential blemish was through the blemish of emunas chachamim — that they did not believe in Moshe, and said: “For this man Moshe, we do not know what has become of him” (Shemos 32:1). And through this they denied also Hashem and made idolatry. And the rectification was through the Mishkan. For through each person bringing the freewill offering of his heart — gold and silver and copper, etc. — that was found with him, through this he rectified the emunah in general. For since he gives what is his to the freewill offering of the Mishkan for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He, it emerges that he believes in Him, blessed be He, Who created all and Who commanded to build the Mishkan. And through all the craftsmen and masters of labors who engaged in the labor of the Mishkan, through this they rectified the aspect of emunas chachamim. For they returned to believe that all the crafts and labors in the world — all of them, at their root, are in the Torah, for they are drawn from the wisdom of the true sages who innovate in the Torah, etc., as above. For in the Mishkan stood the Aron with the Luchos HaEven. And the essential building and holiness of the Mishkan was all from the holy Aron with the Luchos HaEven, which is the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, the aspect of the saichel hakolail — which they merited there, through there being the entire receiving of the Torah in writing and orally. And all of this one merits through teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim, as is explained well in the Torah teaching mentioned above — see there. And this is the aspect of: “Betzalel knew how to combine the letters through which Heaven and earth were created.” For it is all one. For Betzalel was the head of all the craftsmen, with wondrous and awesome wisdom, as is explained in the passage. And all his wisdom in craftsmanship was because he knew the letters through which [Heaven and earth] were created, etc. — and how to combine them properly. And this is the aspect of the level of the holy sages, who know the roots of the letters of the Torah through which everything was created, and know how to combine them and innovate through this awesome innovations. And from there is drawn the rectification of all the masters of crafts, which are contained in the labor of the Mishkan — whose head craftsman was Betzalel, who knew the letters, etc. And it is already explained that the essential guarding of every thing is the emunah, which is the aspect of Shamor. For through the emunah — and the essential thing is emunas chachamim, upon which all the emunah depends — through this the Torah is completed and all the dinim in the world are sweetened. And through this all the damages of all the damagers of the world are nullified, and every thing is guarded from damage and loss. And therefore the craftsmen are paid guardians, who are liable for theft and loss and exempt for acts of G–d. For when some damage and loss befalls, G–d forbid, it is drawn from the blemish of the emunah, as above. And therefore the loss of theft and loss we attribute to the blemish of the emunah of the craftsman. And the loss of acts of G–d, which comes through wild beasts and armed bandits, we attribute to the owner of the object. For theft and loss are drawn from the blemish of the da’as. For theft comes through the diversion of attention — that one did not guard it properly and did not set one’s mind well upon the object to guard it from thieves. And so too the loss — it is certainly through the diversion of attention. Therefore we attribute this damage to the blemish of the craftsman, who blemished emunas chachamim and did not believe that all the wisdom of his craft is drawn only from the power of the true sages who innovate in the Torah, as above. And through this the da’as is blemished, from which comes the damage of theft and loss that comes from the blemish of the da’as, as above. But the damage of acts of G–d, which comes through wild beasts and armed bandits who come without any stratagem, but only with a high arm to cause damage — this we attribute to the owner of the object. For the object itself, as it is before the craftsman rectifies it, is in the aspect of the creation of the thing as it was created — lacking rectification. And its vitality is from the very essence of the Torah as it was given from Heaven, as above. And the very essence of the Torah too — its foundation is emunah, as it is written: “All Your mitzvos are emunah” (Tehillim 119:86). And from there all the objects in the world receive vitality, as they are before they are rectified through the craftsmen. And this emunah is the aspect of emunah in Hashem, blessed be He, Himself, and in the very essence of the Torah — that Hashem, blessed be He, created everything as it is through the Torah. But when one rectifies the thing through the craftsmen, this is the aspect of the rectification that is drawn through emunas chachamim — who innovate in the Torah and complete the Torah, etc., as above. And therefore the damage of acts of G–d, which comes through wild beasts and armed bandits who come by force — this is drawn from the blemish of the emunah in Hashem, blessed be He, and in the very essence of the Torah itself as it was given from Heaven. And this is the aspect of one who denies the essential principle, G–d forbid. And therefore armed bandits and wild beasts come upon him and want to uproot him, for he blemished the essential emunah, as above. And therefore the damage of acts of G–d that comes through wild beasts and bandits we attribute to the blemish of the owner of the object, whose vitality is from the simple emunah, as above. But the damage of theft and loss that comes through the blemish of the da’as, we attribute to the blemish of the craftsman who blemished emunas chachamim, from which is all the wisdom of the craft, as above. And this is the aspect of: “And Moshe wrote their goings-forth according to their journeys, by the word of Hashem; and these are their journeys according to their goings-forth” (Bamidbar 33:2). For all the journeys of Israel are on account of the corruption of the emunah, as he, of blessed memory, wrote (in siman 40) on the verse “These are the journeys of the Children of Israel” — that the journeys of the Children of Israel are on account of “These are your gods, Israel” (Shemos 32:4) — which is the sin of the Golden Calf. And the essential sin of the Golden Calf was the blemish of emunas chachamim, when they said: “For this man Moshe, we do not know,” etc. — as above. Until they said: “These are your gods, Israel” — as if they acknowledge G–d, but they say “these are your gods.” And all of this is the aspect of the blemish of emunas chachamim — that they do not want to walk in the way of the true righteous sages, and they say that they themselves know the way of Hashem, the way of the Torah. Until they come to complete denials, and some of them cast off the yoke entirely — as one sees tangibly in these generations. And on account of this come all the journeys and the upheavals, in general and in particular. And this is the aspect of the exiles — that Israel is exiled and tossed about, etc. — and they have no rest for the sole of their foot. And all of it is because of the corruption of the emunah, whose essential aspect is emunas chachamim, as above. But in truth, the intention of Hashem, blessed be He, is for the good. For all the upheavals and the exiles and the journeys on the roads — all are in order that each one should remember himself through this, to return in complete teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim. And then the journey itself is an atonement and a rectification for the blemish of emunas chachamim, which encompasses all the blemishes, etc., as above. For through the journeys, one raises and elevates all the places that one comes to, to Hashem, blessed be He, through the power of emunas chachamim. And as is understood from his words, of blessed memory, in many places, and in the writings of the Ari z”l — that this is the secret of all the exiles in general and all the journeys in particular of each and every person, as is understood in the kavanos: “and bring us to peace from the four corners of the earth.” And as is understood in our words in the Sefer Sipurai Ma’asiyos regarding the matter of the journeys, etc. — see there. And this is the aspect of what is explained in Likutay Tinyana (siman 76) regarding Israel being called “Children of the Exile” [B’nai HaGolah] — which is the initial letters of “and there remained he too for our G–d,” etc. — see there. And so too what is explained in Likutay Tinyana (siman 56) — that one who has a Jewish heart, in every place he comes, he has a place, etc. And so in many places. And all of it is through the power of the true tzaddikim in whom one believes truly. For certainly a simple person, even if he is an upright person, does not have the power for this — especially since there are places that one comes to that are very, very far from Hashem, blessed be He. Especially since most or all of them are idolaters, and also the people of Hashem who are mixed among them learn from their deeds, as it is written: “And they mingled among the nations,” etc. (Tehillim 106:35) — may Hashem forgive them and return them to the truth speedily. Therefore even the upright person who is exiled and tossed about among them would not have the strength to be resolute — especially to elevate also this place to Hashem, blessed be He, and to His Torah — were it not that Hashem helps him, through the power of the true tzaddikim in whom he believes. And therefore when one is on the road, especially on a long road, especially when tossed about in such places, may the Merciful One save us — then one must strengthen oneself greatly in emunas chachamim and return in complete teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim. And through this one rectifies the blemish of emunas chachamim, and many holy books are added in the Torah, through which the Torah is completed in the aspect of the Luchos HaEven, in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah, Kodesh Kodashim, etc. Through which all the dinim in the world are sweetened through the aspect of Chochmah Ila’ah, the saichel hakolail, which is the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, etc. — which is the aspect of the inclusiveness of all the souls together in the true Tzaddik, who is the aspect of the all-encompassing sage, etc. — in the aspect of “upon love it depends.” And through this itself, all the places to which one was exiled and scattered ascend to their place and their root — which is the point of the Even Sh’siyah, from which the world was founded. And then all the boundaries and the straits [m’tzarim] are nullified — which are the aspect of the contractions and dinim, from which is the essential cause of all the exiles and upheavals, in the aspect of: “All her pursuers overtook her between the straits” (Aichah 1:3). For everything is incorporated in its root, in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah, Kodesh Kodashim, from which the world was founded — from which every boundary of every climate and country and city and every place in the world is drawn. And as Rashi explained on the verse: “And I planted in them a tree of every fruit” — that Shlomo knew the channels to Kush, etc. (Koheles 2:5). But all these boundaries and contractions of every country and every place must return to their root, to Kodesh Kodashim, to the Even Sh’siyah, and be incorporated there together in the ultimate unity — until they are incorporated in their root, in the Creator of all, blessed be He. For when there is dispute and division among them, from there the straits intensify, from which are all the oppressors, may the Merciful One save us — which draw sustenance from the dinim and the contractions when they are not sweetened and incorporated together, G–d forbid. And therefore the essential rectification is through emunas chachamim, which one merits specifically through the journeys — through returning in teshuvah, etc., as above. And then the books in the Torah are multiplied and the Torah is completed, etc. — until they are incorporated there in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah, Kodesh Kodashim, etc., as above. And this is: “And Moshe wrote their goings-forth according to their journeys, by the word of Hashem.” “And he wrote” specifically — for Moshe Rabbainu, in the greatness of his immense power, instilled in Israel such teshuvah regarding emunas chachamim that he wrote within the holy Sefer Torah all the journeys of Israel. It emerges that he made from the journeys of Israel a Sefer Torah, and completed the Sefer Torah all the more — and this is the essential rectification of the journeys, etc., as above. And all of this was through the rectification of the Mishkan that he made, where the Aron stood in the Bais Kodesh Kodashim with the Luchos HaEven. And this holy Aron traveled before them, with the Kohanim and the Levi’im who surrounded it, and all of Israel traveled after it and attached their thoughts to the Aron and the Luchos — the place where all desires are embedded. And they were incorporated at the time of their journeying in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, the aspect of the Luchos HaEven — which is the Aron that traveled before them. And therefore the Aron would go ahead before them, as our Sages of blessed memory said. For through it was the essential rectification of the journeys, as above. And through this they merited that all their journeys became a Sefer Torah — for all the places of their journeying were incorporated in the Torah, in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of: “And Moshe wrote their goings-forth according to their journeys,” etc. — “and he wrote” specifically, as above. And now you will understand and see wonders — that this is the aspect of what our Sages of blessed memory said: that “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” [“And it was, when the Aron traveled”] (Bamidbar 10:35) is considered a separate book [sefer] in its own right. And this is a great wonder — why should this small passage be considered more as one of the books of the Torah, more than all the other passages of the Torah in which there are many mitzvos? For even the Ten Commandments are not considered a separate book, but rather are incorporated in Sefer Shemos or Devarim. But according to the above, the matter is well understood. For the entire Torah is included in emunas chachamim, which they merited to rectify specifically through their journeying — through traveling after the Aron that went before them, etc. Through which many books were added. And therefore in every place they came to, they received much Torah there. And therefore the journeys themselves became a Sefer Torah. And therefore “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” is considered a separate book. For the entire Torah depends on this — that is, on emunas chachamim, which they merited through the journeys, etc., as above. For through the journeys they did teshuvah regarding emunas chachamim, as above — through which books are added to the Torah, as above. And therefore Parshas “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” is a separate book. For through the journeys, which are the rectification of emunas chachamim, a book was made, as above. And this is: “And it was, when the Aron traveled, and Moshe said: Arise, Hashem, and let Your enemies be scattered,” etc. (Bamidbar 10:35). For then, at the time of the journeying, through the power of the holy Aron one must subdue and scatter the enemies and the haters who draw sustenance from the contractions and the dinim that come from the straits — that they should all be nullified through being incorporated in the Luchos HaEven that are in the Aron, etc., as above. And this is: “And when it rested he said: Return, Hashem, the myriads of the thousands of Israel” (Bamidbar 10:36). This is the aspect of the inclusiveness of Israel in love and unity — the aspect of “upon love it depends.” That is, when the myriads and thousands of Israel gather together, then is the essential rectification and rest and tranquility — the aspect of: “Return, Hashem, the myriads of the thousands of Israel” — the aspect of “upon love it depends,” that all the souls are incorporated in the all-encompassing sage, in the saichel hakolail, as above. For there are many types of contractions and variations in many aspects, and they are included in the categories of adam [person], makom [place], and z’man [time]. For there are many differences between one person and his fellow, as our Sages of blessed memory said regarding the blessing of Chacham HaRazim [the Sage of Secrets], etc. — and as one sees tangibly. And so too there are many differences between one place and another, and between the countries and the cities and the climates. And so too there are many differences in time, between one day and the next. And all of them must be incorporated together as one, in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah — and this is the essential rectification. And this is the aspect of the service of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur — when all the places were incorporated in the Even Sh’siyah, on Yom HaKippurim, which is the inclusiveness of all the days, through the Kohen Gadol, who is the inclusiveness of all of Israel, who was sent and chosen by them. (And see elsewhere, where something similar to this is brought with other introductions.) And this is: “And Moshe wrote their goings-forth according to their journeys, by the word of Hashem; and these are their journeys according to their goings-forth” (Bamidbar 33:2). For “their goings-forth” [motza’aihem] is the aspect of the exile and the upheaval, the aspect of going forth into exile [y’tziah bagolah] — which is drawn through the blemish of emunas chachamim, which is the aspect of the blemish of idolatry, regarding which it is said: “Go out, you shall say to it” — as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote. But when one merits to return, as above, and then the upheaval is a rectification — this is the aspect of a “journey” [n’si’ah], the aspect of: “Arise, go on a journey before the people” (Devarim 10:11) — the aspect of “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” — the aspect of “the journeys of the Children of Israel,” regarding which Rashi explained that even the place of rest is called a “journey,” etc. For the journey with the holiness of the Aron — this is the aspect of rest. For through this one rectifies the upheaval, and it is incorporated in the essential rest and inheritance, which is Kodesh Kodashim. And this is: “their goings-forth according to their journeys” — and afterward he wrote the reverse: “their journeys according to their goings-forth.” For so is the matter: that at first the upheaval is in the aspect of “their goings-forth,” in the aspect of going forth into exile. But one must see to return, etc. — until the going-forth into exile becomes incorporated in the aspect of “their journeys,” the aspect of “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” — so that it becomes incorporated in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, as above. And then there is drawn from there, from the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim, rectification and sweetening from the aspect of the saichel hakolail. Through which all the contractions and dinim are sweetened and rectified — and this is the essential rectification of the upheavals that were in the aspect of “their goings-forth,” in the aspect of going-forth into exile. And this is: “and these are their journeys according to their goings-forth” — that “their journeys,” the aspect of the journeys of the Children of Israel, the aspect of “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” — are the rectification and the sweetening for the aspect of “their goings-forth” into exile. For through Moshe writing “their goings-forth according to their journeys,” Torah was made from them, and they were incorporated in their root, in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim. And through this there is drawn from there — from the aspect of “their journeys,” from the aspect of “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron” — rectification and sweetening. For “their journeys,” which were through the aspect of “Vay’hi bin’so’a ha’Aron,” rectified all “their goings-forth” — all their going-forth and their upheaval into exile. For all the straits and dinim were nullified, and everything was elevated to Hashem, blessed be He — in the aspect of: “and there remained he too for our G–d,” as above. And this is: “My unformed mass, Your eyes beheld,” etc. (Tehillim 139:16) — and there it reckons all the three aspects of variations mentioned above, in person, place, and time, as it is written there: “If I ascend to Heaven, You are there; and if I make my bed in the grave, behold, You are there. If I take up the wings of the dawn, if I dwell at the far end of the sea — even there Your hand shall lead me,” etc. (Tehillim 139:8–10). All of this is the aspects of the totality of the variation of places — regarding all of which he gives thanks to Hashem, blessed be He, that all of them are included in Him, blessed be He. And He, in His mercy, strengthens him and holds him with His right hand so that he will not fall and will not turn from Him, blessed be He, through the multitude of variations. For he knows and believes that all the variations, which are aspects of contractions, all are included in Him, blessed be He — the aspect of: “If I ascend to Heaven, You are there,” etc. — to: “even there Your hand shall lead me and Your right hand shall hold me.” For His right hand, blessed be He, the aspect of the kindnesses of Hashem, holds him, so that the dinim that come from the variations and contractions will not overpower him. For when one believes that all are included in Him, blessed be He, everything is sweetened, etc., as above. And it says: “But darkness shall cover me, and the night shall be light about me. Even the darkness does not darken before You, and the night shines as the day,” etc. (Tehillim 139:11–12). This is the aspect of the variation of times — and their essential variation is the difference between day and night. And regarding this he says that all is one before Him, blessed be He — for “the night shines as the day” before Him, blessed be He. And afterward he speaks of the variation within the person himself, and between one person and his fellow, as it is written: “I will thank You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made,” etc. “My unformed mass, Your eyes beheld” (Tehillim 139:14,16) — which is the totality of all human beings, who were all included in Adam HaRishon, as our Sages of blessed memory expounded upon this verse. That is, all the variations among the unformed masses of human beings — “Your eyes beheld” all of them, for all of them are included in You together. And this is: “And upon Your book all of them shall be written” (Tehillim 139:16) — “upon Your book” specifically. For the essential rectification is through the multitude of books that are multiplied in the holy Torah, through which they are incorporated in the aspect of the Luchos, in the aspect of Kodesh Kodashim. And this is: “Days were formed, and not one among them” (Tehillim 139:16) — this is Yom HaKippurim, which is included from all the days. For then the Kohen Gadol enters the Bais Kodesh Kodashim, and then all the variations are incorporated together in the aspect of the saichel hakolail. Through which everything is sweetened — all types of dinim in the world — from which is the atonement and the forgiveness for all the sins and the iniquities of the world, as above. And this is: “Write this as a memorial in a book” (Shemos 17:14) — which is said regarding the obliteration of Amalek. For Amalek is the contamination of the serpent, the aspect of denials — whose essential power intensifies on the road, in the aspect of: “who encountered you on the road,” etc. (Devarim 25:18). And therefore when Moshe merited to prevail against him and to instill teshuvah in Israel — until they subdued him, as our Sages of blessed memory said: they were dwelling in a fast — then afterward it was transformed from one extreme to the other. For through this specifically they merited to add a book in the Torah — the aspect of: “Write this as a memorial in a book,” etc. For specifically through the aspect of the battle with Amalek that was on the road, a book was added to the Torah. For through this they returned in teshuvah — through which books are multiplied in the Torah, as above. And this is: “And place it in the ears of Yehoshua,” etc. (Shemos 17:14) — that he should remember this and transmit it to the generations. For so it is in every generation: that to the degree that the aspect of Amalek intensifies against the holy emunah — and the essential thing is against emunas chachamim — to conceal and hide the truth of truths, Hashem, blessed be He, in His mercy, and the true tzadikim fight against him and instill thoughts of teshuvah in Israel. Until there are found in every generation truly upright people who draw close to the true tzadikim with self-sacrifice, and they return in teshuvah for the blemish of emunas chachamim. And through this, many books are added each time in the Torah — in the aspect of: “And the book that my adversary has written” (Iyov 31:35) — as is explained in the Torah teaching mentioned above. Through which the Torah is incorporated in the aspect of the Even Sh’siyah. Through which everything is sweetened — in the aspect of: “Behold, my sign — Sha–dai shall answer me,” etc. (Iyov 31:35) — as is explained there — see there.