מעקה ושמירת הנפש א

And this is the aspect of kinyan sudar [acquisition through a cloth], which is effective for every matter. And formerly in Yisroel the kinyan was through a shoe, as it is written: "V'zos l'fanim b'Yisroel, al hag'ulah...shalaf ish na'alo v'nasan l'rai'aihu, v'zos hat'udah b'Yisroel" ["Now this was formerly the practice in Yisroel regarding redemption...a man would draw off his shoe and give it to his fellow, and this was the attestation in Yisroel"] (Rus 4:7). For garments and shoes are very lofty things, and they are in the aspect of guarding the emunah, in the secret of the Chashmal [the protective spiritual envelope], as is known. And they are drawn from the aspect of the ruach in the heart — which is the aspect of the ruach of the tzaddik described above. For from the aspect of the ruach in the heart — which enlivens the hands and feet and subdues the k'firos and illuminates the emunah, as above — from there goes forth the aspect of the illumination outward, in the aspect of garments, in the aspect of the Chashmal, in order to guard the emunah so that it not be blemished by the Sitra Achara, chas v'shalom. And because the main guarding is needed for the feet, as above, therefore there one needs shoes, which are an extra guarding — so that the feet not stumble through k'firos, chas v'shalom, which is the aspect of the turning aside of the feet, the aspect of the stumbling of the feet. For shoes are a very lofty aspect, and their root is from a supernal place, from the aspect of the ruach in the heart (for Binah is in the heart, and from there is the aspect of garments, in the secret of the Chashmal, and the shoes — for na'al [shoe] has the gematria of 151, etc., as is brought in the Writings [of the Arizal], in the aspect of "just as t'fillin, so too shoes." And therefore one recites a special b'rachah upon them: "She'asah li kol tzarki" ["Who has provided me all my needs"]. And therefore Chazal were very careful about them, as Chazal said: "A person should always sell everything he has and buy shoes for his feet" [Shabbos 129a]. For the main thing is to guard the emunah, and the main thing is to guard the feet, as above.) And this is the aspect of shoes — which are drawn from the ruach in the heart that blows through the feet, and from there go forth the shoes, which are a guarding for the feet, as above.

And therefore when they wished to strengthen the emunah in order to establish a business dealing — so that one's fellow would not change the trust of his word — they would practice establishing every matter through the shoe. One would draw off his shoe and give it to his fellow. And through receiving the shoe from his fellow, through this he would receive from his fellow the vitality and guarding of the emunah, as above. And through this the emunah was strengthened and he could no longer change against his fellow — since from him he received the strengthening of the emunah through the aspect of the shoe. Therefore the matter was established through this and he could no longer change. And so too now, the practice is to establish every matter through a kinyan sudar, which is also the same aspect. For garments are the guarding and vitality of the emunah, as above, and through this the emunah is strengthened and established and it is no longer possible to change, as above.

And therefore a guarantor at the time of the giving of money does not need any kinyan at all; rather, through speech alone he becomes obligated. For at the time of the giving of money — meaning at the time of the bestowal of kindness — then the ruach n'divah flows, which is the aspect of the ruach in the heart that enlivens the emunah, that blows through the hands and mainly through the feet, as above. And the main illumination of the ruach n'divah in the heart is aroused through the guarantor, upon whom [the lender] relies and lends. And through this loan, the ruach in the heart illuminates the hands and feet, as above. And therefore the guarantor too, at the time of the loan, receives vitality and illumination from the aspect of the ruach in the heart that blows mainly through the feet — and the guarantor is the aspect of feet, as above — and receives vitality and illumination from the ruach n'divah in the heart of the lender that illuminates through him in the feet, as above.

And therefore the guarantor becomes obligated immediately — meaning that he must fulfill his promise and it is forbidden to change further. For his emunah has been strengthened through the aforementioned ruach n'divah that blows through the feet, as above. And therefore it is no longer possible to change — as though he had received a kinyan, for the main element of a kinyan is only for this purpose: to revive and strengthen the emunah. And now the emunah has been strengthened and revived of its own accord, even without a kinyan, through the ruach n'divah that was aroused through this guarantor and illuminates the feet, as above.