מתנה ב

And this is the aspect of kinyan sudar [acquisition through a cloth/garment]: it is impossible to finalize a transaction — and how much more so the gift of a healthy person — except through a kinyan, and most acquisitions are kinyan sudar. For it is impossible to finalize a transaction or any matter except through the aspect of bringing from ko'ach into po'el — which is the essential of our service in this world. And all our mitzvos and actions in this world are entirely in the aspect of bringing from ko'ach into po'el. For in truth, even though Hashem, blessed be He, has already created the entire world — the earth and all that is upon it — nevertheless everything depends on the hands of Yisrael. We must literally each day renew the world and bring it from ko'ach into po'el, through our service with mitzvos and good deeds, in the aspect of: "Who in His goodness renews each day constantly the work of Creation" — "there is no good except the tzadik" — that is, the generality of Yisrael, who are all called tzadikim, as it is written: "And Your people are all tzadikim" [Isaiah 60:21]. Through them Hashem, blessed be He, renews each day constantly the work of Creation. For even though Hashem, blessed be He, has already created the entire world, nevertheless the entire world requires rectification and clarification, as is known — to rectify the world from its corruption that was corrupted through the sin of Adam HaRishon. Therefore one must renew the world each day and bring it from ko'ach into po'el afresh, literally each day — in order to renew it and rectify it and clarify it. This is the essential generality of our service, as is known.

And this is the aspect of the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah [returning a lost object]. For all losses, Heaven forbid, are drawn from the blemish of da'as [knowledge/awareness], which is the aspect of the blemish of all sins — all of which are included in the sin of the Golden Calf, when Yisrael lost the two aforementioned crowns of na'aseh v'nishma, which are the essential mochin [intellectual faculties] and da'as — namely, knowledge of the nigleh [revealed Torah] and the nistar [hidden Torah], etc. This is the essential da'as of a person, for the sake of which he came into the world. And from this great loss — which is the loss of da'as — all the losses in the world are drawn, Heaven forbid, both physically and spiritually. For even physical losses are drawn from the blemish of da'as, in that one did not exert his intellect and awareness to safeguard the thing. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, said regarding an actual shoteh [mentally incompetent person]: Who is a shoteh? One who loses what is given to him.

And it is impossible to renew the world and bring it from ko'ach into po'el afresh except through first connecting the po'el to the ko'ach — to return and raise the end of action to the initial thought. And when the po'el returns to the ko'ach — that is, the entire world returns and is included in its root in the Ain Sof, as it were — then they return and bring forth the entire world afresh from ko'ach into po'el. Then it is renewed and clarified and rectified through this. For this is the essential clarification and rectification: when one raises it to its root, and there it is renewed and rectified, as is known.

This is the essential rectification of prayer, and of tzitzis and tefillin. For initially one clarifies and ascends from Asiyah to Yetzirah, and from Yetzirah to B'riyah, etc. — through tzitzis and hand-tefillin and head-tefillin, and likewise through the order of prayer — Korbanos and P'sukei d'Zimra, etc., as is known. And afterward, when one raises everything to its root in Atzilus — which is the Shmoneh Esrei prayer — then afterward one returns and draws the generality of the worlds from above to below, from Atzilus to B'riyah, etc. — through Ashrei and U'va L'Tzion, etc.

And this is the essential aspect of masa u'matan [commerce/exchange]: a thing passes from one domain to another, and everything is for the sake of clarification. And the clarification that results — the item being clarified — is the aspect of a literal renewal, as if it were created afresh, as above. Therefore it is impossible for a thing to pass from one domain to another except when the thing first returns to its initial root — to the ko'ach, as it were — and from there the thing returns and is drawn into the domain of the other person. Through this the thing is clarified and renewed, as above. For in truth, when the object is in this person's hand, its existence and vitality are through this person — through the portions of nefesh, ru'ach, neshamah of this person in whose hand the object is. And afterward, when it comes into the possession of another, its existence and vitality are through another person — and behold it is as if created afresh, for now the object has a new vitality and existence. For now the essential existence and being of this object is through this person into whose possession it has now come.

Therefore the essential rectification of all losses is through the true masters of da'as, who are the true tzadikim — who are the aspect of Moshe-Mashi'ach — who are the da'as of the entire world. As Adonaynu Moraynu v'Rabbaynu, of blessed memory, wrote (in Lesson 188) that the tzadik searches and finds all the lost objects of the entire world, etc.; see there. For the tzadik is the aspect of Moshe-Mashi'ach who is the da'as of the entire world, through which all losses are rectified — losses that come from the blemish of da'as, as above. For the entire labor of the tzadik is to restore to himself and to all Yisrael the aspect of the two aforementioned crowns of na'aseh v'nishma that Yisrael lost. For Hashem, blessed be He, will in the future restore them to us through Mashi'ach Tzidkaynu, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said on the verse: "And the redeemed of Hashem shall return... and eternal joy upon their heads" [Isaiah 35:10]. And also now, all the true tzadikim labor to rectify all the sins — all of which are included in the sin of the Golden Calf — and to restore to themselves and to all who attach themselves to them the aspect of the two aforementioned crowns, to each and every person according to his exertion and toil in the service of Hashem. And the essential thing is according to his yearnings and longings and good desires and his nostalgic cravings and his abundant conversations and prayers to Hashem, blessed be He, as above. Therefore the essential returning of a lost object is specifically before yi'ush [the owner's abandonment of hope]. For yi'ush is only from da'as — that he despairs in his da'as from [recovering] the lost object — and then one is not required to return the lost object to him. For every thing receives its vitality from the Torah, which is comprised of na'aseh and nishma. Therefore in every thing and in every object there are these two aspects: the body of the object is the aspect of na'aseh — the aspect of physical doing (asiyah gashmis). And the fact that the object is connected to the da'as and intellect of the person — this is the aspect of nishma, the aspect of ratzon [will/desire]. For there, in the da'as of the person, is the essential acquisition of the object. For all the objects that are in a person's possession from which he derives enjoyment — the essential possession is in da'as and ratzon: the da'as knows that he has this object. Therefore all things are called chafatzim, for cheifetz is an expression of ratzon. For the essential thing is the ratzon and the da'as — there is the essential ownership and dominion that the person who acquires the objects has. For the ratzon and the da'as knows that he has these objects. And this ratzon and da'as of the object — this is drawn from the aspect of nishma, which is the comprehension of da'as, corresponding to the physical body of the object which is the aspect of physical doing, the aspect of na'aseh, as above. Therefore even if the object is lost from his possession, as long as he does not despair in his da'as and his ratzon from it, one must return the lost object to whoever finds it. For the essential power of all the halachos of all lost objects — both physically and spiritually — is through the fact that Yisrael lost only the aspect of the crown of na'aseh, but the crown of nishma remained with them, as above. Therefore as long as he does not despair in his da'as from the lost object, it is still in his possession, and there is hope that it will return to him. For even though he lost the body of the lost object — he lost only the aspect of the na'aseh — it is still connected to his da'as and his ratzon, and he has not despaired from it. This is drawn from the aspect of the crown of nishma which they have not yet lost, through which there is hope to restore also the aspect of the crown of na'aseh. As explained above: the essential rectification is through the ratzon and the yearning, which is the aspect of nishma that remained for Yisrael, as above. But when he completely despairs in his da'as from the lost object — which is drawn from the aspect of the blemish of the crown of nishma, in that he does not exert in the da'as with strong desires and longings to restore his lost object — then the lost object is completely lost, and it is not returned to him anymore. For the essential returning of a lost object is through the aspect of nishma that remained for Yisrael, as above. But certainly each person must exert himself exceedingly to hold onto the aspect of the crown of nishma that remains with him — that is, to hold himself very firmly with good ratzon and longings, etc., as above. And as it is found in the Midrash cited above on the verse "And now Yisrael, hear the statutes" [Deuteronomy 4:1] — where He cautioned them greatly that now they should guard well the aspect of the nishma, since they had lost the na'aseh, etc. — meaning as above. And you will understand on your own that all of this applies both physically and spiritually. For in every matter of a person's service in this world, and in all his blemishes, Heaven forbid, and his deficiencies that he lacks in the service of Hashem — all of which are aspects of losses, as above — all his losses he must seek out with the true tzadikim, as above. But the essential thing depends on the ratzon and good longings, which are the aspect of nishma, as above. For as long as he does not despair of the ratzon and the yearning, and from crying out and praying and supplicating before Hashem, blessed be He — he still always has hope that all his losses will be restored to him. For through guarding at least the point of the aspect of the crown of nishma that remains with him — which is the aspect of ratzon — through this he can restore also the aspect of na'aseh that was lost from him, as above. And as it is spiritually, so it is physically regarding the mitzvah of returning an actual lost object. For everything is one — for the root of losses and their restoration is drawn from this, as above. And this is what is written in Yechezkel (34): "And I shall set over them one shepherd — My servant David... The lost one I shall seek" [Ezekiel 34:23,16]. For all the lost things will be restored through David, who is Mashi'ach, as above. And this is the aspect of "for an ox, for a donkey" [Exodus 22:8], etc. And likewise in Parashas Ki Seitzei it is written: "You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep driven away... and likewise you shall do for his donkey" [Deuteronomy 22:1–3]. The ox and the donkey are the aspect of Mashi'ach ben Yosef and Mashi'ach ben David, as brought above in the name of the Midrash — they subdue and nullify the klippos of Esav and Yishmael, which are the aspects of the ox and donkey of klipah, from which all damages and losses [come]. Everything is rectified through the true tzadikim, who are the aspect of the generality of the two Mashi'chin mentioned above. For it is already explained above (in sections 37–38) that Esav and Yishmael are the aspects of the klippos that are opposite the aspects of mishpat and tzedakah, whose essential rectification is when they are included together in completeness — which only Yaakov merited, etc. And mishpat and tzedakah are the aspects of na'aseh and nishma, as above. And when they are blemished, Heaven forbid, through not being included together properly, from this the aspects of the klippos of Esav and Yishmael draw sustenance, Heaven forbid — from which come all the damages and losses. For through them we lost what we lost. And the rectification is through the aspect of the true tzadikim, who are the aspect of the generality of the two Mashi'chin, as above. And this is the aspect of what the Torah enumerated regarding returning a lost object — ox and donkey and sheep and garment and every loss — as it is written: "You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep driven away... and likewise you shall do for his donkey, and likewise you shall do for his garment, and likewise you shall do for every lost thing of your brother" [Deuteronomy 22:1–3]. And likewise in Parashas Mishpatim, where it mentions a lost object, it also mentions all these same aspects, as it is written there: "For an ox, for a donkey, for a sheep, for a garment, for every loss" [Exodus 22:8]. And certainly there are very deep mysteries in this, and whatever we can hint in them it is our obligation to search and seek and find some hint. And the matter according to the above is that the holy Torah hints to us in these things — ox and donkey, sheep and garment and every loss — all the aspects of the rectifications that are rectified through returning a lost object. That is, the corruptions from which the loss came are rectified. For the loss is drawn from the loss of the crowns of na'aseh and nishma mentioned above, which are the aspects of tzedakah and mishpat, etc., as above. And this is the aspect of the ox and donkey, which are the aspect of the two Mashi'chin — Mashi'ach ben Yosef and Mashi'ach ben David — who subdue the klippos of Esav and Yishmael, etc., as above. And when one fulfills the mitzvah of returning a lost object, then the holiness from the aspect of the true tzadikim is drawn upon him — they who are the aspect of the two Mashi'chin who find all the lost things and restore them to their owners. This is the aspect of the rectification of the two aforementioned crowns, as above. And through the aspect of the rectification of the two aforementioned crowns, through this one merits azus d'kedushah [holy boldness], and through azus d'kedushah one merits complete emunah, and through this one merits chosam haraglin [the feet-seal] — which is the aspect of shalom in all its aspects — that is made through the mochi'chei hador [admonishers of the generation], through which banishment and displacement are nullified, etc. And this is the aspect of "for a sheep and for a garment, for every loss." The seh [sheep] is the aspect of azus d'kedushah, which is the aspect of ashirus d'kedushah [holy wealth] — the aspect of the blessings that Yaakov received from Yitzchak in order to subdue Esav, who is the azus of the Sitra Achra, as above. For the essential azus comes through wealth, as it is written: "And a rich man answers with boldness" [Proverbs 18:23]. And it is written: "The wealth of a rich man is his strong city" [Proverbs 10:15]. Therefore Hashem, blessed be He, in His mercy arranged that Yaakov should receive the blessing of livelihood and wealth, so that he would merit azus d'kedushah — the aspect of "The voice is the voice of Yaakov" — through meriting simchah [joy]. For this is the essential rectification of holy wealth, in the aspect of Who is wealthy? One who rejoices in his portion — through which one overpowers the azus of the Sitra Achra, which is the aspect of Esav, as above. And this is the aspect of the seh, which is the aspect of ashirus d'kedushah, the aspect of "and the ashterot of your flocks" [Deuteronomy 7:13] — as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: they enrich (m'ashros) their owners. Therefore they are called ashterot, an expression of strengthening, as in "Ashterot Karnayim" [Genesis 14:5]. Therefore all the wealth of Yaakov was through flocks, which allude to Yisrael, as found in the Midrash cited above. For they are the aspect of ashirus d'kedushah, the aspect of azus d'kedushah — drawn from na'aseh and nishma, which are the aspects of the generality of tzedakah within mishpat that Yaakov merited in completeness, as above. And through azus d'kedushah one merits emunah. And this is the aspect of "for a garment" [salmah], the aspect of "wrapping light as a garment" [Psalms 104:2]. For emunah is the essential light that illuminates, as is explained elsewhere. For the essential emunah is through emes [truth], which is the aspect of the light of the face, etc., as is explained many times elsewhere. And this is the aspect of "Hashem has donned strength, He has girded Himself" [Psalms 93:1], which is the aspect of emunah, as it is written: "And emunah is the girdle of His loins" [Isaiah 11:5]. The emunah is the aspect of garments, the aspect of the salmah mentioned above — drawn from azus d'kedushah, the aspect of "Hashem has donned strength, He has girded Himself," etc., as above. And this is "for every loss," and likewise in Parashas Ki Seitzei it is written: "And likewise you shall do for his garment, and likewise you shall do for every lost thing of your brother," etc. This alludes to the rectification of chosam haraglin, which is the completion of the rectification — accomplished through the admonishers of the generation who make peace between Yisrael and their Father in heaven, and fully atone for the sin of the Golden Calf. For before Him, blessed be He, they minimize the sin and say: "Why, Hashem, should Your anger burn against Your people?" [Exodus 32:11]. And before Yisrael they magnify the sin and return them in complete teshuvah, as it is written: "You have sinned a great sin" [Exodus 32:30]. All of this was said in connection with the sin of the Golden Calf. And through these admonishers of the generation, through this comes the essential completion of the rectification in its fullness. For the entire aforementioned Torah-teaching is embedded — its beginning in its end, and its end in its beginning (as will be explained somewhat further on). And this is the aspect of "for every loss." For the essential rectification of the generality of all losses — which are the forfeiture of ashirus d'kedushah, Heaven forbid — is through the rectification of chosam haraglin, from which all wealth [flows], in the aspect of: "And all the substance that was at their feet" [Deuteronomy 11:6] — which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: This is a person's money, which stands him upon his feet. For through the rectification of chosam haraglin, shalom is made, as above, and the banishment and displacement are nullified — which is the aspect of the blessing of livelihood and wealth, whose essential root is through shalom, in the aspect of The Holy One, blessed be He, found no vessel that holds blessing except for shalom — and the banishment and displacement are nullified, which is the aspect of losses, in the aspect of "I have strayed like a lost sheep" [Psalms 119:176]. It emerges that the holy Torah hinted to us in these things that it mentioned — ox and donkey, and sheep and garment and every loss — all the rectifications that are drawn from hashavas aveidah, as above. And the essential of all the rectifications are drawn through the true tzadikim, who are the aspect of the two Mashi'chin mentioned above, who are the aspect of the ox and donkey. Therefore in Parashas Mishpatim the Torah mentioned only the ox and donkey, as it is written: "If you encounter the ox of your enemy or his donkey gone astray, you shall surely return it to him" [Exodus 23:4]. For there is the essential rectification, as above. And this is: "And Yehudah approached him and said: Please, my lord" [Genesis 44:18], etc. Yehudah is the aspect of Mashi'ach ben David, who emerged from him. Yosef is the aspect of Mashi'ach ben Yosef. As found in the Zohar and Midrashim on this verse — "And Yehudah approached him": This is the drawing near of king to king — as it is written: "For behold the kings assembled; they passed by together" [Psalms 48:5] — "they passed by" — and all the destroyers and harmful ones of the world were nullified, which are included in the klippos of Esav and Yishmael, from which comes the essential of this exile. And the essential rectification that is drawn through them is through the fact that they are constantly laboring with strong desires to make from the nishma a na'aseh, from the prayer — Torah, until they are included in t'filas Hashem and in Toras Hashem literally, until they draw wondrous new chasadim that are the aspect of tzedakah included within mishpat — until all manner of dinim [judgments] and charon af [fierce anger] are nullified from Yisrael, etc., as above. For Yehudah is the aspect of the rectification of nishma, which is the aspect of prayer, the aspect of "This time I shall thank (odeh) Hashem" [Genesis 29:35]. Yosef is the aspect of the rectification of na'aseh, the aspect of Torah, in the aspect of "G-d has gathered (asaf) my disgrace" [Genesis 30:23], the aspect of "Remove from me disgrace and contempt, for I have guarded Your testimonies" [Psalms 119:22]. And it is written: "Remove my disgrace which I have dreaded, for Your judgments are good" [Psalms 119:39]. Mishpat — this is the aspect of Torah, as above. And the essential rectification is when Yehudah is included together with Yosef, which is the aspect of the generality of the two Mashi'chin together. This is the aspect of what is written in the haftarah of Parashas Vayigash: the essential rectification is when the two staves — Yehudah and Yosef — are included together, as it is written there: "And they shall become one in your hand" [Ezekiel 37:17], etc. For the generality of Yehudah and Yosef is the aspect of the generality of nishma included within na'aseh — that from the nishma should become na'aseh, from prayer — Torah — until the tzedakah is included in a wondrous generality within the mishpat, until all the dinim and the charon af in the world are sweetened, as above. And this is the aspect of the ox and donkey that Yaakov boasted: "And I have acquired ox and donkey" [Genesis 32:6] — which are the aspect of the two Mashi'chin, as above. For shor [ox] is the aspect of the rectification of the nigleh, for shor is an expression of seeing and gazing, as it is written: "I behold him (ashurenu) but not near" [Numbers 24:17] — this is the aspect of the nigleh that one sees openly. Chamor [donkey] is the aspect of the nistar, the aspect of chumra d'shma'assa [the difficulty of the teaching] — which is the aspect of the nistar that is hard to grasp except through great exertion. And this is: "And Yehudah approached him" — the aspect of nishma, the aspect of nistar, the aspect of prayer, the aspect of tzedakah — "and said to him" — that is, to Yosef, the aspect of Torah — "Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord." And Rashi explains: "Let my words enter your ears." Davar [word] — this is the aspect of the words of Torah that are explained there in the aforementioned Torah-teaching, which are the aspects of the nistar, etc., as above. And this is "let my words enter your ears" — requesting that the words of Torah, the aspect of the nistar, should enter into the revealed Torah. That is, that he should merit to reveal the nistar — which are the secrets of Torah — and introduce them into the Torah of the nigleh. For there is nothing that is not alluded to in the Torah. And the tzadik, when he grasps hidden secrets, is not satisfied with this until he introduces them into the Torah of the nigleh, so that he can reveal Torah to the public through them. And the essential thing is that he should draw from them counsel and pathways and arousal and strengthening for each person, wherever he may be. This is the essential generality of nishma included within na'aseh, as above (in section 24). And this is the aspect of "Let your servant speak a word in the ears of my lord — let my words enter your ears" — that the words of Torah that are the aspect of the nistar should enter into the Torah of the nigleh, so that each person can hearken to them and hear them and understand them, to extract from them practical counsel. And this is: "And let your anger not burn against your servant" [Genesis 44:18]. For through the generality of nishma included within na'aseh, through this the tzedakah is included within mishpat, through which all manner of charon af and dinim are sweetened and nullified, as above. And this is: "For you are like Pharaoh" [Genesis 44:18] — that the tzedakah is included within mishpat so thoroughly that all the mishpat is only tzedakah and great chesed. And this is "for you are like Pharaoh" — Pharaoh is the aspect of the revelation of the supernal chesed, as found in the Holy Zohar: all lights are revealed from there. That is, the supernal chesed is very greatly included within Yosef — within the aspect of Torah, the aspect of mishpat — in a great generality, until the two are one. Through which all the dinim in the world are nullified, and all the chasadim are drawn upon Yisrael, in the aspect of "And He performs chesed for His anointed one" [Psalms 18:51], as above.