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And this is the essential distinction between adam [man] and behaimah [animal] — that is, between Israel and the nations. For “You are called ‘adam’” (Yevamos 61a), etc. For even the animal has a voice, but it has no speech. But the defining characteristic of man is that he is a speaker. That is, man — the aspect of Israel — is able to make from the voice, words, and to unify and connect the voice with the speech, which is the essential thing, as above. And this is the aspect of Pesach — peh sach [the mouth speaks]. For it is a mitzvah upon us to tell the story of Yetzias Mitzrayim, and whoever tells at length about Yetzias Mitzrayim, etc. For we need to bring out the voice and the minds from the narrows of the throat, and to bring them and introduce them into holy words — to speak of all His wonders — to connect the voice with the speech. Through this is the essential revelation of His G–dliness and His kingship upon us. This is the essential aspect of Yetzias Mitzrayim — “so that all the peoples of the earth shall know that Hashem is G–d, there is none else” (Melachim I 8:60). And this is the aspect of the Korban Pesach [the Paschal offering] that each person must bring on Pesach, at the beginning of the drawing close to Hashem, blessed be He. For the general concept of the korbanos is to clarify the spirit of man from the spirit of the animal, in the aspect of: “Who knows if the spirit of man ascends upward and the spirit of the animal descends?” (Koheles 3:21), etc. This is the aspect of the clarification of the voice of melody from the Sitra Achra to the side of holiness — to clarify the voice from the air of the world and to make holy melodies, to connect oneself through this to Hashem, blessed be He. As is understood from the words of our master, our teacher, and our rabbi, of blessed memory, in the Torah teaching: “Take of the song of the land in your vessels,” etc., in siman 63 of Likutay Tinyana, and in many places. And therefore each person must bring a korban on Pesach, for then one needs to clarify the voice of the melody, which is the aspect of the korban, as above. And this is the aspect of Pesach, matzah, and maror. For matzah is a food of holiness that is guarded from the air of the world, so that the aspect of the voice of melody of the Sitra Achra should not take hold in it, as above. And after the receiving of the Torah, the essential clarification of the voice of melody is through the study of Gemara, as above. But now we have not yet merited this, for we have not yet received the Torah. Rather, Hashem, blessed be He, in His mercy, illuminated upon us the aspect of the voice from above, as above. And therefore we must eat matzah, as above. And therefore we must eat maror [bitter herbs] with the matzah, in memory of the fact that the Egyptians embittered the lives of our fathers in Egypt, as it is written: “And they embittered their lives with hard labor,” etc. (Shemos 1:14). That is, the maror alludes to the study of Gemara, through which is the essential tikkun of the voice, through which is the essential redemption, as above. That is, one must endure great bitterness before one clarifies the voice of holiness. This is the aspect of the study of Gemara, which is the aspect of darkness and bitterness, in the aspect of: “In darkness He has set me” (Aichah 3:6) — this is the Talmud Bavli, which is the aspect of: “They embittered their lives with hard labor” — with kushya [a difficult question]; “with mortar” [b’chomer] — with the chumra [stringency] of the sugya; “and with bricks” [u’v’levainim] — this is the libun hilchesa [the clarification of the halacha] — as it is taught in the holy Zohar. But now we are not yet meriting to clarify the voice by ourselves through the study of Gemara, for it is still before the receiving of the Torah. Rather, we eat maror to allude to and remember this. It emerges that maror is the aspect of the study of Gemara, through which one clarifies the voice and subdues the voice of the Sitra Achra, which is the aspect of chametz — in which the air of the world dominates, which is the aspect of the voice of melody of the Sitra Achra. And one merits the voice of holiness, which is the aspect of matzah, which is guarded from the air of the world. For “we answer upon it many things,” which are the holy voices. And this is the aspect of “devarim harbeh” [“many things”] specifically — an allusion that this tikkun is drawn from the study of Torah for its own sake — that is, through much study of Gemara, as our Sages of blessed memory said: “Whoever studies Torah for its own sake merits many things [devarim harbeh].” And through all of this one is able to eat the Korban Pesach, in the aspect of: “Upon matzos and bitter herbs shall they eat it” (Bamidbar 9:11). For the essential clarification of the voice in its completeness is the aspect of the korban, which comes from an animal that has a voice — but it is an animal voice. And through its being offered as a korban, one clarifies the voice from animal to man, from the aspect of the nations to Israel, from the aspect of wicked cantors and musicians to worthy and righteous musicians. And this is: “You shall not slaughter upon chametz the blood of My offering” (Shemos 34:25). For it is impossible to offer the Korban Pesach, which is the aspect of the clarification of the voice of holiness, as long as one has chametz in his house — which is the aspect of the voice of the Sitra Achra, for the air of the world that has not yet been clarified by us takes hold in it, as above. And this is the aspect of: “Kohanim in their service, Levi’im in their song and music, and Israel at their posts” (Ta’anis 26a). For at the time of the service, the Levi’im must engage in song and music to clarify the voice of holy melody — for this is the essential aspect of the korban, as above. And this is the aspect of “Israel at their posts” — who were engaged at that time in Torah study, in order to draw and connect and unify the voice with the speech. For this is the essential completeness of the tikkun of the voice — when one connects the voice to the speech — that is, to the words of the Torah, as above. And this is the aspect of the four cups of wine on Pesach. For “we do not recite song except over wine” (Berachos 35a). And now the essential tikkun is to clarify the voice of song and melody, as above. And this is the aspect of krias Yam Suf [the splitting of the Sea of Reeds], when the redemption and the freedom from Pharaoh and Egypt were completed. For until Shevi’i shel Pesach [the seventh day of Pesach], they pursued after them. And on the seventh day of Pesach the Sea split, and then Pharaoh and Egypt fell completely, and Israel were completely redeemed from them. For krias Yam Suf is the aspect of the clarification of the voice of holy song and melody from the voice of the song and melody of the Sitra Achra. For all voices are in the aspect of mayim [water], as it is written: “And His voice is like the voice of many waters” (Yechezkel 43:2). And there are voices of the Sitra Achra, which are the aspect of: “From the voices of many waters, mighty” (Tehillim 93:4) — which are the aspect of the voice of melody of the Sitra Achra, from where Pharaoh and Egypt suckle, who suckle from the throat, as above. And therefore the miracle was in the water — that the Sea split before them. And the essential miracle was through the aspect of voices, as it is written: “The voice of Hashem is upon the waters; the G–d of glory thunders; Hashem is upon many waters” (Tehillim 29:3). And Rashi explained there: “The voice of Hashem upon the waters” — upon the Sea of Reeds. “He thundered in the heavens, and the Most High gave forth His voice,” etc. — that is, the waters, which are the aspect of voices, split. And the insolent waters, which are the aspect of the voices of the Sitra Achra — the aspect of “the voices of many waters, mighty” — were driven away. And the waters of wisdom and da’as, which are the aspect of holy voices — the aspect of: “the voice of Hashem upon the waters” — were revealed to them, as above. And therefore “a maidservant at the Sea saw” (Mechilta, B’shalach), etc. For then the waters of da’as were opened, which are the aspect of holy voices, which are the aspect of mochin and da’as of Malchus d’kedushah, as above. And therefore they then merited Shiras HaYam [the Song at the Sea]. For they merited the voice of holy song and melody. This was the essential miracle of krias Yam Suf, as above. And this is: “My strength and the song of Hashem — and He was my salvation” (Shemos 15:2) — for the essential salvation and miracle was through the “song of Hashem” — through the song and melody of holiness, which was clarified from the melody of the Sitra Achra. Through this was the essential overpowering of Malchus d’kedushah over the Malchus of the Sitra Achra. For the voice of holy melody is the mind and vitality of Malchus d’kedushah. And conversely, the voice of melody of the Sitra Achra is the mind and vitality of the Malchus of the Sitra Achra, as is explained in the Torah teaching mentioned above — see there well. And therefore they concluded the Song: “Hashem shall reign forever and ever” (Shemos 15:18). For through Shiras HaYam, which is the voice of holy song and melody, through this His kingship will be revealed forever and ever, as above.