שומר שכר ד

But when they sinned with the Golden Calf, and Moshe saw that the compelling force had the power to distance so greatly, etc. — therefore Hashem, blessed be He, had mercy and commanded him to make a Mishkan, which is the aspect of the holiness of the Bais HaMikdash. Namely, He made such a wondrous tikkun that there would be the power to cause the drawing force to prevail even in the wilderness — through erecting the Mishkan each time. Even though it stood upon the earth of the wilderness, which is the place of “serpent, fiery serpent,” etc. — nevertheless, such holiness was made there that even there, all the holiness of the Bais HaMikdash was drawn, which is the drawing force of holiness. For this reason it is called “Mishkan” — the aspect of “Draw me [mosh’chaini]” (Shir HaShirim 1:4), as explained there. 12

One who rents a field from his fellow, and it was consumed by locusts or was struck by blight: if it was a regional plague [makas m'dinah], one deducts from his rent. And if it was not a regional plague, one does not deduct, even though all of the landlord's [nosain's] fields were struck. But if it was a regional plague — where the law would be to deduct from his rent — if most of the renter's [chochair's] fields were struck, one does not deduct from his rent.

The matter of why the damage is attributed to the renter [chochair] more than to the landlord [nosain]: for regarding the renter, when most of his fields were struck, one does not deduct for him even though it was a regional plague, and the damage is attributed to the renter. But this is not the case regarding the landlord, for one never attributes it to him — even if all the landlord's fields were struck, one still does not deduct for him if it was not a regional plague.

The matter is explained according to the teaching that begins "Ki Saitzai LaMilchamah," etc.: "Behind and before You have formed me [achor vaKedem tzartani]" (in Likutay Moharan Tinyana, siman 82). This is the aspect of kasaider [in order] and shelo kasaider [not in order]. Kedem [before/in front] is the aspect of kasaider, the aspect of the Aleph-Bais in order. And achor [behind/backward] is the aspect of Tashrak [the alphabet in reverse order], shelo kasaider. And this is the aspect of Adam and Chavah — kasaider and shelo kasaider. The Name Havayah in the milui of alephin has the gematriya of Mah [45], [which equals] Adam. And Chavah is the aspect of Malchus — "Mouth, and Torah SheBa'al Peh [the Oral Torah], we call her," etc. For the Malchus is called Dibur [speech], etc.

And from this, he drew a wondrous tikkun to show that even now, in the bitterness of the exile — when we are so far from Eretz Yisrael, and even in Eretz Yisrael we have no Mikdash — nevertheless, we have the power even now to cause the drawing force to prevail over the compelling force, even in this great distancing, in the aspect of “From afar Hashem appeared to me” (Yirmiya 31:2). And this is the aspect of the greatness of the synagogue and bais midrash that Yisrael make in exile — they are the aspect of a “miniature Mikdash,” as it is written: “Although I have scattered them among the nations” (Yechezkel 11:16), etc. And all the more so the bais midrash of the true tzadik, who is truly in the aspect of earth — who is the essential drawing force, as above. 13

It emerges that this aspect of Malchus-Chavah, when she is connected to Adam, to the aspect of Mah — that is, to the Holy One, blessed be He — then she has completeness and vitality, etc. But one who separates the aspect of Chavah-Malchus for himself, who says "I shall reign" — in this he separates and divides her from the Holy One, blessed be He. Then she is not in completeness, for her essential vitality is Mah — that is, the intellect [saichel], etc. And then things go for him shelo kasaider, for he is within the aspect of shelo kasaider — that is, Malchus, etc. But when this aspect of Chavah is connected to Adam — that is, to the Holy One, blessed be He — then things go for him kasaider. For "in the place where the male is present, the female is not mentioned there." It emerges that the aspect of Chavah, shelo kasaider, is nullified through Adam, kasaider. And the aspect of kasaider is called Yud, for Malchus, which is called Dales, has nothing of her own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, draws to her the vitality of Chochmah, which is called Yud. And this is Yud-Vav-Dales, etc. And this is "Your palms [kapecha]" — Yud in gematriya equals Kaf [20], etc.

And this is the aspect of the greatness of the graves of the tzadikim. For they dwell in earth, and even in their lifetimes they were “neighbors of earth,” as our Sages said: “One who became a neighbor of earth in his lifetime” — how much more so now after his departure, when is the essential strengthening of the drawing force, which is the holy earth that is the tzadik’s burial place, where is the aspect of Eretz Yisrael, as it is written: “The tzadikim shall inherit the earth” (Tehillim 37:29). 14

And when a person sees that things are going for him shelo kasaider, he should know that he has gadlus [grandiosity/arrogance] — that is, "I shall reign," etc. And he should do t'shuvah, etc. And the way of t'shuvah that Moshe made is this: that Moshe bound himself even with the lowest of the low, for there is the aspect of Elokus even in the lowest level, to fulfill "and His kingship rules over all" (Tehillim 103:19) — see there, all of this well.

And this is what is written after the verse “And it was on the eighth day”: “Take for yourself a calf, a young ox, for a sin-offering” (VaYikra 9:2). And Rashi explains: to atone for the sin of the [Golden] Calf. For now the compelling force was reversed and ascends as a sacrifice. This is the aspect of elevating specifically a calf, a young ox, as a sin-offering. For from there — from the aspect of the ox and calf — from there itself was the chain of sustenance of the idolatry of the Calf, which grew strong from the left side, as is known: that the root of the yetzer hara is from the left side, which is the aspect of the ox and calf, as it is written: “And the face of an ox from the left” (Yechezkel 1:10). And Hashem commanded to elevate specifically the calf as a sin-offering — to turn the compelling force toward holiness. For afterward, when they repent, a wondrous tikkun is made through this specifically, as above. (First edition; and see further in the second edition below, where this is explained well.) 15

And the general principle is: when one binds his thought to the Holy One, blessed be He, to the Name Havayah, blessed be He, in the aspect of Mah, then one draws vitality from the Holy One, blessed be He, from the aspect of kasaider, to the aspect of Malchus, which is the aspect of shelo kasaider. And then, "in the place where the male is present, the female is not mentioned there." And then the aspect of shelo kasaider is nullified and everything becomes kasaider, and then everything goes for the person kasaider.

But when one separates his thought from the Holy One, blessed be He, and does not draw vitality from the Holy One, blessed be He, from the aspect of Mah, from the aspect of kasaider, to the aspect of Malchus, the aspect of shelo kasaider — then, as it were, the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider is separated from the Holy One, blessed be He, from the aspect of kasaider. And then it literally becomes, G-d forbid, the aspect of shelo kasaider, and then things go for the person shelo kasaider, for he is within the aspect of shelo kasaider, as above. And the essential blemish is through gadlus [grandiosity], which is idolatry — which is the aspect of "I shall reign," meaning that one separates the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider from the Holy One, blessed be He, etc., as above.

And this is the aspect of the distinction between Shabbas and Yom Tov. For all the labors that are included in the 39 melachos must be sanctified in the aspect of the labor of the Mishkan, as our Sages said: “These 39 labors — we derive them from the Mishkan.” For all of them were drawn through the sin of Adam HaRishon, when it was decreed: “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread, until you return to the ground, for you are earth” (B’raishis 3:19). For all the exertions of the labors are for the purpose of purifying eating and livelihood, in the aspect of “All of man’s toil is for his mouth” (Koheles 6:7). 16

And this is the essential service of man: to draw vitality from the Holy One, blessed be He, to the aspect of Malchus, which is the aspect of the governance of the world, so that the aspect of Malchus will be connected to the Holy One, blessed be He. And then everything returns kasaider, as explained above — and understand there well.

For eating connects the nefesh and the body, which are in the general aspect of the compelling force and the drawing force. The nefesh is always drawn toward its root — for it descended into this world under compulsion, placed within the body that has the compelling force that compels it to remain there. And His intention, blessed be He, is for good: so that the wondrous craft should be completed through this specifically, as above. 17

And this is the aspect of working the field. For the field is the aspect of Malchus, in the aspect of "for he found her in the field" (Devarim 22:27), as is brought. And this is the aspect of: "A king is subject to the field" (Koheles 5:8). For the field is in the aspect of Malchus, which is Chavah, the aspect of shelo kasaider. And the essential work of the field is in order to draw vitality from the Holy One, blessed be He, which is the aspect of Shamayim [heaven], as it is written: "And You shall hear from heaven" (Melachim I 8:32) — to the aspect of Eretz [earth], through the rain, which is the aspect of the vitality and abundance that flows from heaven to earth, from Adam to Chavah. For heaven and earth are the aspect of Adam and Chavah, as is known.

And the essential connection and craft is through eating, in the aspect of “and works wondrously” (Birchas HaMazon) — as Rashi explains there, that He binds [the soul to the body], etc. Therefore, eating must be in holiness, in a manner where everything is in a wondrous balance so that the two forces operate properly. And this is the aspect of the blemish of eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — he ate an eating through which the two forces can no longer be bound and conducted properly, and through this, death was decreed. 18

And this is the great importance of rainfall, as is brought in the words of our Sages of blessed memory. As it is written: "If you walk in My statutes," etc.; "then I shall give your rains in their season," etc. (Vayikra 26:3-4). And conversely: "And you will turn aside and serve other gods," etc.; "and He will shut the heavens, and there will be no rain," etc. (Devarim 11:16-17). It emerges that the Torah made reward and punishment dependent on the rain. For in truth, the rain that descends from heaven to earth hints at the shefa [abundance] that flows from the aspect of Adam-Mah — that is, from the Holy One, blessed be He — to the aspect of Malchus, as above.

And then all the 39 labors were decreed — all of which are purifications to purify and rectify the food in wondrous craft, in a manner that can bind and conduct the two forces in proper measure and balance, so that what the person needs to accomplish and rectify in this world can be completed. And therefore, “the 39 labors we derive from the Mishkan” — for there the drawing force was in its proper state, as above. 19

And this is the essential tikun of all the Torah and mitzvos, as is known. And as is brought in the holy Zohar, that the essential rain comes when they return to being face-to-face [anpin b'anpin], as it is brought in the Zohar in the account of when they came to Rabi Shimon [bar Yochai] regarding rain — see there. For the essential rain is when the aspect of Adam-Mah-kasaider bestows upon the aspect of Chavah, etc. And then everything returns kasaider, and then it is the aspect of face-to-face, and then the abundance of rain descends from heaven to earth, which are the aspect of Adam and Chavah, as above. And therefore through the blemish of idolatry, through which there is the aspect of hester panim [concealment of the Face], then one separates the shefa from the Holy One, blessed be He, to the aspect of Malchus. For this is the aspect of: "A slanderer [nirgan] separates the Chief [Aluf]" (Mishlai 16:28) — Havayah in the milui of alephin. And then: "He will shut the heavens, and there will be no rain," as above. And the essential labor of the ground — that one needs many efforts and difficult labors to work the field — this is because of the sin of Adam HaRishon, through which the ground was cursed on his account. As it is written: "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread," etc. (Beraishis 3:19). That is, one needs many labors to work in the field before one eats bread. For the essential sin of Adam HaRishon was in the aspect mentioned above, in the aspect of "a slanderer separates the Chief," etc., as above. For Adam HaRishon denied the essence [kafar ba'ikar], as our Sages of blessed memory said, and separated the vitality from the Holy One, blessed be He, to the aspect of Malchus. For Adam was named after the supernal Adam, and he had the power to draw the vitality mentioned above — the aspect of Mah — to the aspect of Malchus, etc., as above. And through his sin he blemished this and made a separation, as it were. And had he drawn the vitality — the aspect of Mah — to the aspect of Chavah-Malchus, everything would have been kasaider, as above. And through his sin, by separating the vitality, as it were, from the aspect of Malchus, through this everything reverted to shelo kasaider. And through this the ground was cursed, and all things were cursed, for everything was made in the aspect of shelo kasaider, because he separated the vitality from the aspect of kasaider, as above. And the essential damage was to the ground, as it is written: "Cursed is the ground," etc. (Beraishis 3:17). For the ground is the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider, as above, where the essential blemish is, as above — through not drawing the vitality from the aspect of kasaider to the aspect of shelo kasaider, as above. And because of this, the field needs many efforts and labors, in the aspect of "by the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread," as above. And through these labors, the ground is brought out from its curse. For through the labors of the field, the field is rectified, and rain descends upon it, which is the aspect of shefa and vitality from heaven to earth. And then everything returns kasaider, as above. And this is the aspect of the time when the grain is completed being called Aviv, as it is written: "Guard the month of the Aviv," etc. (Devarim 16:1). Aviv is the aspect of Aleph-Bais kasaider [in order], as is brought. For in Tishrai one sows — Tishrai is the aspect of Tashrak [reverse alphabet order], and then it is still before the tikun of the field, and then it is still in the aspect of shelo kasaider. And afterward, all the labors and tikunim that are done in the field, and rain descends upon it all the days of the rainy season — through this the aspect of shelo kasaider is rectified and receives vitality, that is, the shefa of rain from the aspect of kasaider. And then, at the time the grain is completed, everything is rectified and everything returns kasaider. And therefore then it is the aspect of Aviv — kasaider, as above. For there are several mitzvos practiced with the land from the time of plowing and sowing until the grain is finished and becomes bread, as is written in the Tur, Orach Chayim, siman 167. And through these mitzvos, the sin of Adam HaRishon is rectified — for the essential blemish was in the aspect of the ground, which is the aspect of Malchus, as above, in the aspect of "cursed is the ground," etc. And therefore they are ten mitzvos [yud mitzvos], in order to draw the vitality from the aspect of kasaider, which is the aspect of Yud, to the aspect of Malchus, which is the aspect of the field — so that everything should return kasaider. And this is the aspect of: "The earth has yielded its produce; may G-d, our G-d, bless us" (Tehillim 67:7). For at the time the grain has ripened, the aspect of Aviv-kasaider, then the curse of the ground that was drawn from the aspect of shelo kasaider, as above, is nullified. And then blessing is drawn, in the aspect of "may G-d bless us," etc. And this is the aspect of the ten words in Birchas HaMotzi [the blessing over bread], corresponding to the ten mitzvos practiced with the grain from the time of plowing, etc., as above, as is explained there in the Tur and Shulchan Aruch. And similarly, it enumerates there several verses that speak of parnassah [sustenance] which contain ten words. For the essential tikun of the bread that comes from the ground is through the aspect of Yud mentioned above, which is the aspect of kasaider, as above. And this is why one must stress the Hai of "HaMotzi." For the Malchus is the aspect of Dales, as above. And when one draws to her vitality from the Yud, then a Hai is made from the Dales, as it is brought in the holy Zohar: "a Hai she was [a Dales]," etc. And this is the essential tikun of the grain and the bread that comes from the field, as above — through receiving vitality from the aspect of kasaider, which is the aspect of Yud. And then the bread and grain that comes from the field, which is the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider, the aspect of Dales, the aspect of impoverished and poor, which was cursed through the sin of Adam HaRishon, etc., as above — now the vitality is drawn again from the aspect of Yud-kasaider, and then a Hai is made from the Dales. And this is the aspect of the Hai of HaMotzi. And then everything becomes kasaider, and wealth and shefa and great blessing are drawn, in the aspect of: "And I will pour out for you blessing without limit [ad b'li dai]" (Malachi 3:10). And this is the aspect of t'rumah [priestly tithe] and ma'asair [Levitical tithe] that are given to the Kohain, and the gifts to the poor that are all given from the grain — all for the sake of the tikun mentioned above, so that the vitality should be drawn from the aspect of kasaider, the aspect of Mah, the aspect of Yud, to the aspect of Malchus, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of t'rumah to the Kohain — t'rumah specifically, the aspect of Mah. For through the t'rumah to the Kohain, one elevates the grain to the aspect of Mah and receives from there vitality, as above. And therefore the t'rumah g'dolah [great t'rumah] has no fixed measure. For in the aspect of Mah there is no aspect of measure, because it is the aspect of Mah [What?]. But the Sages gave it a measure — the Sages specifically. For the Sages are the aspect of Torah SheBa'al Peh [the Oral Torah], the aspect of Malchus — "Mouth, and Torah SheBa'al Peh, we call her." And when the vitality is drawn from the aspect of Mah-kasaider to the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider, a measure is made in her, in the aspect of "do not read Mah but rather Mai'ah [one hundred]," as is known and as is brought elsewhere. And therefore the Sages, who are the aspect of Torah SheBa'al Peh, the aspect of Malchus — they specifically gave a measure to the t'rumah, which is the aspect of Mah, as above. For in the aspect of Mah, measure is not relevant except through the aspect of the Sages, Torah SheBa'al Peh, as above. And the measure is two from a hundred [t'rai mimay'ah]. And it is brought that t'rai mimay'ah is the aspect of Tiferes and Malchus, which are the aspect of Adam and Chavah, as is known. They are the aspect of two from a hundred sockets [adanim] that are made and drawn from the aspect of Mah to a hundred, in the aspect of "do not read Mah but rather Mai'ah," as above. And this is the measure of t'rumah — t'rai mimay'ah — in order to unite and connect and elevate the aspects of shelo kasaider and kasaider, Adam and Chavah, etc., as above. For they are the aspect of t'rai mimay'ah, for through them the aspect of Mai'ah is made from the aspect of Mah, through the vitality being drawn from Adam to Chavah, from the aspect of Mah to the aspect of Malchus. And then Mah becomes Mai'ah, as is known. For Mah is the aspect of Yud, as above, and when the vitality is drawn to the aspect of Malchus, as above, then it also becomes the aspect of Yud — for Vav-Dales, which is the aspect of drawing the vitality to the aspect of Malchus, is also the aspect of the lower Yud, as is known, the aspect of Yud in gematriya Kaf, as brought in the teaching mentioned above, the aspect of "ten and ten the ladle" [asarah asarah hakaf], as is known. And Yud times Yud is a hundred [Mai'ah]. And therefore the t'rumah is given to the Kohain. For the Kohain is the aspect of Chesed, the aspect of Avraham, the aspect of Brachah [blessing] — which is the aspect of kasaider, which is the aspect of Chesed-Brachah. And afterward, ma'asair is given to the Laivi. The Laivi is the aspect of G'vuros [harsh judgments] and Dinim [judgments], the aspect of shelo kasaider. And one gives him ma'asair — the aspect of Yud — in order to draw the Yud mentioned above to the aspect of shelo kasaider, which is the aspect of the Laivi. And afterward, one returns and gives t'rumas ma'asair — a tithe from the tithe — to the Kohain. For when the aspect of shelo kasaider receives from the aspect of kasaider, which is the aspect of Yud, then everything returns and becomes kasaider, for "in the place where the male is present, the female is not mentioned there," as above. And this is the aspect of returning and giving t'rumas ma'asair to the Kohain — for one returns and connects everything to the Kohain, the aspect of kasaider, so that everything should be kasaider. For "in the place where the male is present," etc. That is, when the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider — meaning the totality of the worlds — receives vitality from the Holy One, blessed be He, from the aspect of Mah, they return and become connected to Him, blessed be He, in the aspect of face-to-face, and then everything becomes kasaider, as above. And this is the aspect of t'rumas ma'asair to the Kohain. For first one elevates everything to the aspect of Kohain through the t'rumah, and everything is included in the aspect of kasaider, in the aspect of Kohain. And afterward, one draws the vitality in the aspect of Yud mentioned above also downward, to the aspect of the worlds, to the aspect of shelo kasaider — which is the aspect of ma'asair to the Laivi. And afterward, one returns and connects to the Kohain, to the aspect of kasaider, through t'rumas ma'asair — one from a hundred — so that the aspect of shelo kasaider should always be connected to the aspect of kasaider, so that everything should be made kasaider, for "in the place where the male is present," etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the gifts to the poor — leket [gleanings], shikchah [forgotten sheaves], and pai'ah [corner of the field] — that are given from the field. For the essential shefa that is bestowed from the aspect of kasaider, the aspect of Yud, to the aspect of Malchus, etc., is through tz'dakah [charity], as is brought, in the aspect of: "Tzedek [righteousness] shall go before him" (Tehillim 85:14) — the aspect of Panim [face], the aspect of Kedem [before/in front], which is the aspect of kasaider. That is, through tz'dakah one elevates the Malchus to the aspect of kasaider, the aspect of Panim, and Tzedek becomes Tz'dakah, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of what our Sages of blessed memory said: that the grain is not established for tithes until it "sees the face of the house." For one must sift and elevate the grain from the aspect of the field, which is the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider, to the aspect of the house [bayis], which is the dwelling of Adam, the aspect of kasaider. And this is the aspect of the Bais [the letter] of "Beraishis," which is the beginning of the Torah, which is the aspect of Adam-Mah, the aspect of Chochmah, in the aspect of: "This is the Torah: Adam" (Bamidbar 19:14). And therefore when the grain "sees the face of the house" — "the face of the house" specifically, the aspect of Panim, the aspect of Kedem mentioned above, which is the aspect of Panim — that is, when the grain enters from the field to the house, meaning from the moment the tikun of the grain begins, ascending from the aspect of shelo kasaider to the aspect of kasaider — then it is established for t'rumah and tithes, in order to complete the tikun and to draw the vitality from the aspect of kasaider to the aspect of shelo kasaider, etc., as above. It emerges that the essential work of the field is in order to sift it and rectify it, to draw to it vitality from the aspect of kasaider, to the aspect of the field, which is the aspect of shelo kasaider. And therefore all the tikunim of the field — that is, the labor of the ground — is for the most part done through a m'kabail [contract worker] or chochair [renter]. For the landlord [nosain] and the m'kabail or chochair are the aspect of Adam and Chavah, which are the aspect of one who gives and one who receives, as is known. And when the landlord and the m'kabail or chochair conduct themselves properly — that the landlord gives the m'kabail's share in completeness, and the m'kabail does not take for himself anything more than what is coming to him — through this the tikun and yichud mentioned above is accomplished, that the shefa is drawn from Adam to Chavah, which are the aspect of one who gives and one who receives, as above. And through this the labor of the ground and the tikun of the field is accomplished in completeness, for the essential tikun of the field is through this, as above. For when the landlord does not give the m'kabail his share in completeness, in this he blemishes below and, as it were, also above — the vitality is not bestowed in completeness from the aspect of the one who gives to the aspect of the one who receives, from Adam to Chavah. And similarly, when the m'kabail takes for himself more than is proper — this is the aspect of what is written in the teaching mentioned above: the blemish of one who takes the aspect of Malchus for himself, who says "I shall reign." Through this, things go for him shelo kasaider. And this is the aspect of the m'kabail who takes for himself from the field more than is proper — it emerges that he takes the aspect of Malchus for himself. And in truth, one must bind and connect it to the aspect of Adam, to the aspect of kasaider, as above. And similarly below, one must hand over and connect everything to the one it belongs to — to the aspect of the landlord, who is the aspect of Adam, as above — and not to take for himself except what is coming to him, no more, in order not to blemish the aspect of Malchus by taking for himself more than is proper, which is the aspect of "I shall reign." For through this it literally becomes shelo kasaider, as above — that then things go for him shelo kasaider. But when the landlord and the m'kabail conduct themselves properly, etc., as above — then the tikun and yichud mentioned above between the aspects of Adam and Chavah, etc., is accomplished, as above. And through this is the essential tikun of the field, which is Malchus-shelo-kasaider, which must be worked and rectified and have vitality drawn to it from the aspect of kasaider, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the distinction between the landlord and the renter: that regarding the landlord, the damage is not attributed to him even if most of his fields were struck (only when there is a regional plague). But regarding the renter, the damage is attributed when most of his fields were struck — for then, even though there is a regional plague such that the law would require deducting from his rent, nevertheless one does not deduct for him, etc., as above. For the landlord is in the aspect of kasaider, and the renter is in the aspect of shelo kasaider, as above. And all the damages that come to the field, G-d forbid, are all from the aspect of shelo kasaider, as above. And therefore the damage is always attributed more to the m'kabail — that is, to the renter — than to the landlord. For the essential damage comes from the aspect of shelo kasaider, as above. And this is the aspect of the matter of Bil'am, that Hashem turned the curse into a blessing, as it is written: "And Hashem your G-d turned for you the curse into a blessing, for Hashem your G-d loves you" (Devarim 23:6). For Bil'am intended to curse Yisra'ail, G-d forbid, on account of the sin of the [Golden] Calf, as it is written: "And he set his face toward the wilderness" (Bamidbar 24:1), as Rashi explained. For through idolatry, one separates the vitality that is drawn from the aspect of kasaider, from the aspect of Mah. And then things go shelo kasaider, and then the curse, G-d forbid, could take hold. For the essential hold of the curse, which is dinim [judgments], is through the aspect of shelo kasaider. And this is the aspect of the curse with which they were cursed from the sin of Adam HaRishon, as above. And everything depends on the Dibur [speech], which is the aspect of Malchus-shelo-kasaider. For all of the aspect of shelo kasaider comes about through being separated from the aspect of kasaider through the sin of idolatry, the aspect of "a slanderer separates the Chief," as above. Then one can turn the Dibur into a curse, G-d forbid. But Hashem, blessed be He, had compassion on Yisra'ail and turned the curse into a blessing, as it is written: "And Hashem turned," etc. — "turned" specifically [vayahafoch]. For in His compassion He had mercy on Yisra'ail and drew vitality from the aspect of Mah-kasaider to the aspect of shelo kasaider. And through this, everything was turned kasaider, in the aspect of face-to-face. And this is "vayahafoch" specifically — that the aspect of shelo kasaider, from where the chain of the hold of the curse, G-d forbid, extends, was turned to the aspect of Panim, to the aspect of blessing, as above. And all of this was through Moshe. For it is brought there in the teaching mentioned above, that Moshe was able to bind himself with the lowest of the low, for there is the aspect of Elokus even in the lowest level, etc. It emerges that through Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him, all of Yisra'ail are always close to Hashem, blessed be He. And even when they sin, G-d forbid, He does not conceal His face from them, for Moshe binds them to Hashem, blessed be He, always. For he finds Elokus even in the most insignificant of the insignificant, and through this he binds him to Hashem, blessed be He. And all of this Moshe opened — a paved road — in the last forty days of the receiving of the Torah, as is brought there. For through the holy Torah that Moshe drew to Yisra'ail, through this Yisra'ail are connected forever to Him, blessed be He. For even the sinners of Yisra'ail are full of mitzvos like a pomegranate. And "the Torah of Hashem is perfect, restoring the soul" — from the paths of death to the paths of life. For the Torah makes the simple one wise. And even one who has fallen to wherever he has fallen and is very far from Hashem, blessed be He, through his evil deeds — nevertheless he can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, easily through studying the holy Torah. For the holy Torah descends even to one who is in the depths of the k'lipos, in the lowest depths, G-d forbid. And it arouses him and draws him close to Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of: "Destruction and death said: With our ears we have heard its report" (Iyov 28:22). That is, even one who is in the lowest level, G-d forbid, in the dwelling of the k'lipos, which are the aspect of destruction and death — they too hear the report of the Torah, which gives the simple ones cunning. For the Torah proclaims constantly: "How long, O simple ones, will you love simplicity?" etc. (Mishlai 1:22). And the general principle is that the holy Torah descends even into the deepest abyss to arouse even the lowest of the low to Hashem, blessed be He. And through engaging in Torah, one can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, even from the lowest depths, G-d forbid. As our Sages of blessed memory said: "The words of Torah do not receive impurity." And therefore even the zavim [those with bodily emissions] and the m'tzora'im [those with skin afflictions], etc., engage in Torah, etc. This is a hint that even those who are in the sitra dim'sa'avusa [the side of impurity] — they too must engage in Torah. For the Torah will draw even them close to Hashem, blessed be He. As it is written: "And I will hide My face," etc.; "and now, write for yourselves this song... for it shall not be forgotten from the mouth of its seed" (Devarim 31:18-21). That is, even when Yisra'ail sin, G-d forbid, and through this they would be distanced from Hashem, blessed be He, in the aspect of hester panim, G-d forbid — but the Torah will draw them close, even when they are rebuked and distant, G-d forbid, on account of their deeds. Nevertheless the Torah will descend with them to the place where they are, and from the place where they are, it will draw them close to Hashem, blessed be He, and return them in t'shuvah, in the aspect of: "And this song shall speak up... for it shall not be forgotten," etc. And this is what is written: "When you walk, it shall lead you; when you lie down, it shall watch over you" (Mishlai 6:22). And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "When you lie down — in the grave." That is, even when you are lying in the sitra d'mosa [the side of death], G-d forbid, even then the Torah will watch over you and draw you close to Hashem, blessed be He, as above. And as all of this is explained well in the teaching "Ani Hashem Hu Sh'mi," etc. (siman 11) — that through the words of Torah, one can ascend from a lowly and base level to a very exalted level. For the words of Torah illuminate for him, for they are the aspect of "a bird that stands up to its ankles in water," in the aspect of "and she uncovered his feet," etc., "and its head reaches," etc. — see there. It emerges that from the day we merited, through Hashem's compassion, to receive the Torah through Moshe Rabbainu, peace be upon him — from that day there is no distance for Yisra'ail from the Holy One, blessed be He, ever. For they are always close to Hashem, blessed be He, through the Torah, which descends and ascends with them, as above. And this is the essential purpose of the giving of the Torah to Yisra'ail. For even before the giving of the Torah, the great Tzaddikim served Hashem, blessed be He, at a very exalted level — such as the Avos, etc. And "that which was is that which will be" — and certainly even now there are great Tzaddikim at an exalted level in every generation, the aspect of b'nai aliyah [those who ascend], who even if the Torah had not been given would also have been able to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, and serve Him in truth. And the essential, greatest quality of the giving of the Torah is that through the Torah, even the lowest of the low can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, from wherever he is, as above. And all of Yisra'ail merit to draw close to Him through the holy Torah. And although certainly for those who are great in level, the giving of the holy Torah is also a great merit, in the aspect of: "Let the wise man hear and increase his learning" (Mishlai 1:5) — nevertheless, the essential compassion and kindness of Hashem, blessed be He, in giving the holy Torah, is in the aspect mentioned above: that the Torah is a paved road through which even the lowest of the low can draw close from wherever he is to Hashem, blessed be He. And therefore through the giving of the holy Torah, the curse, G-d forbid, has no power to take hold upon Yisra'ail, even though they sinned with idolatry and separated the vitality from Adam to Chavah, to the aspect of Malchus, which is the aspect of shelo kasaider — from where the chain of the hold of the curse, G-d forbid, extends, as above. Nevertheless, the Torah connects them always to Hashem, blessed be He, as above. For this is the aspect of the paved road that Moshe made, as above. And since Hashem, blessed be He, is with them always through the holy Torah, which is His unity, blessed be He — therefore the curse never has the power to take hold upon them, G-d forbid. For the Torah is the aspect of Chochmah, for "the Torah came forth from the supernal Chochmah" — that is, the aspect of Mah, as above. For the Torah is the aspect of Adam, in the aspect of: "This is the Torah: Adam" — the aspect of Adam-Mah. And through the holy Torah, the vitality is always bestowed from the aspect of Mah-kasaider to the aspect of shelo kasaider, even when they sin before Him, as above. And therefore the curse has no power to take hold upon them, G-d forbid, in any way, as above. And this is what Bil'am said, after he set his face toward the wilderness: "Mah tovu ohalecha Ya'akov" [How goodly are your tents, O Ya'akov] (Bamidbar 24:5) — Mah specifically. For he blessed them from the very substance of the curses he wanted to curse them, as our Sages of blessed memory said. That is, he said that the aspect of Mah, from where all the good and blessing come — the aspect of kasaider — always bestows upon them through "your tents, O Ya'akov." That is, through the tents [ohalim] in which they engage in Torah. For through this they are always connected to Him, blessed be He, in the aspect of Mah, which is the aspect of the Torah. And through this they are always in the aspect of kasaider, for the aspect of shelo kasaider is turned to the aspect of kasaider, even when they are at the lowest level, through the holy Torah, which is the aspect of Mah, as above — through which the curse is turned into a blessing, "turned" specifically [nihafaich], as above. And this is what he said there: "As streams that are spread out, as gardens by the river" (Bamidbar 24:6) — as our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "Just as streams elevate a person from impurity to purity, so do the words of Torah elevate a person," etc. That is, as above: the Torah draws a person close even from the depths of impurity, G-d forbid, and purifies him and draws him close to Hashem, blessed be He, as above. And this is "as gardens by the river" — for through the Torah they are always close to Him, blessed be He, as above, and are never disconnected from Him, blessed be He, ever. Like a garden that is beside a river, whose water irrigates it constantly and is never cut off from it — so too they are connected to Him, blessed be He, always, through the Torah. And always the vitality is drawn to them from the aspect of Mah-Adam, which is the aspect of the Torah, as above. And this is the aspect of what Rashi explained on the verse: "And Bil'am rose in the morning" (Bamidbar 22:21). And Rashi explained: "Wicked one! Avraham already preceded you," as it is said: "And Avraham rose early in the morning" (Beraishis 22:3). For Avraham rose early in the morning to bind [la'akod] his son Yitzchak. And the Akaidah [Binding] is the aspect of the sweetening of judgments. For Avraham is the aspect of Mah, as is brought, the aspect of Chesed-kasaider, as above. And Yitzchak is the aspect of G'vuros, the aspect of shelo kasaider. And Avraham, through the Akaidah, bound and tied the aspect of Yitzchak, the aspect of shelo kasaider, to the aspect of Avraham, the aspect of Mah-kasaider. And through this, shelo kasaider was included in the aspect of kasaider, for Yitzchak was included in Avraham through the Akaidah. And this Akaidah stands for Yisra'ail always, to atone for them every time they become distant from Hashem, blessed be He, G-d forbid, through their sins, G-d forbid. For through the aspect of the Akaidah, the aspect of shelo kasaider, the aspect of Yitzchak, is sweetened and included in kasaider. And through this, no judgment rests upon Yisra'ail, G-d forbid, as above — through the vitality always being drawn from the aspect of kasaider-Mah, the aspect of Avraham, to the aspect of Yitzchak, etc., as above. And therefore through this, the curse is nullified and turned into a blessing, as above. And this is what Rashi explained: "Wicked one! Avraham already preceded you," as it is said "And Avraham rose early," etc. For through the Akaidah, shelo kasaider is sweetened and included in the aspect of kasaider, in the aspect of Mah. And through this, all the blessings are drawn to Yisra'ail forever and ever. Baruch Hashem l'olam, Amain v'Amain. Halacha 3 in Hilchos Sochair, Halacha 3, Os 4. Halacha 4 in Hilchos Umnin, Halacha 4, Os 30. And Halacha 5 in Hilchos Pikadon, Halacha 5, Os 45. נְנַח נַחְמָא נַחְמָן מֵאומָן