ערך אכילה

Sections 2 through 6 · Continuing the Alef-Bais Through separating challah [the portion of dough set aside for the kohen] one merits that the bread and the food should be in the aspect of mazonah d'nishmasa — nourishment of the soul — in the aspect of the eating of the Tzaddikim, the aspect of: "A Tzadik eats to the satisfaction of his soul" [Proverbs 13:25].

There are truly righteous Tzaddikim who are holy in truth and who have broken the desire for eating completely — to the point that they cannot eat except the very slightest amount, and even this small amount that they eat is in awesome holiness — to the point that all their food and nourishment is not the food and nourishment upon which the [rest of the] world is sustained. For their food is in the aspect of the mon [manna] — which is lechem abirim, the bread of mighty ones, the food of the angels. And a person can merit that all his food and his meal should be in the aspect of the lechem hapanim [the showbread in the Temple]. And there are Tzaddikim who have merited that all their food is only from the sparkling of the holy letters [osiyos kedoshos] that are within the thing he eats and drinks — it is thus found that such Tzaddikim do not eat and drink the food and drink of other human beings at all; rather they eat and drink holy letters, etc. But one must guard oneself very much — for there are hypocrites and liars who make themselves resemble [another, like] a monkey before a human being. And they accustom themselves to eat little on account of pride and arrogance of spirit, in order to be honored and esteemed through this — because they see that this matter is considered important nowadays, and they think that on account of this they will be accepted as a rebbe and leader. Even though they have not yet begun to break any desire or character trait whatsoever, and have not even begun to break the desire for eating at all — they merely eat little for the sake of honor, as above.

One who is careless, G-d forbid, about the washing of hands [netilas yodayim] and eats without washing — this is in the aspect of the blemish of eating from the Tree of Knowledge, which encompasses all the sins in the Torah. And from there is the primary hold of the sitra d'mesava [the impure side], the defilement of the serpent. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said that he is liable to death — in the aspect of: "For on the day you eat from it, etc." [Genesis 2:17]. But through washing the hands one draws upon himself purity from the aspect of: "And a river goes out from Eden" [Genesis 2:10] — which is the aspect of the sea of wisdom [yam hachochmah]. And then his eating is in the aspect of: "From every tree of the garden you may surely eat" [Genesis 2:16] — the aspect of eating in holiness, the aspect of the mon, in which the illumination of the ratzon [Divine will] shines, as above.

Through prayer, one thereby strengthens and repairs his soul and purifies his blood — within which the soul is clothed — and he can afterwards eat and thereby repair the souls that are clothed within the food. This is not the case before prayer. And therefore it is forbidden to eat before prayer.

The essential repair of eating in holiness is through tzedakah [charity]. And therefore one must set aside for tzedakah before eating, and to invite a poor person to one's table — as is explained in the holy books. And this is because through tzedakah one becomes a vessel [keli] to receive the flow of the supernal delight [no'am ha'elyon] — which is the essential repair of eating: to bind the taste and pleasantness of the food and drink to its root, to the aspect of the supernal delight, as above.

All manner of treifos [forbidden foods] derive from the aspect of the blemish of the bris. And therefore there are seventy categories of treifah — corresponding to the encompassing evil of the seventy nations, all of whom are deeply sunk in this desire. And through eating b'kashrus [in ritual fitness] — that is, being perfectly guarded from nevailos [improperly slaughtered animals] and treifos, etc. — through this, foolishness [kesiluth] is subdued, and one merits the repair of da'as [knowledge/awareness] and the repair of the bris, and livelihood with ease.

The essential act of birurim [extraction of the holy sparks] occurs most of all in the eating of meat — which is of the animal kingdom, within which there are vitality and souls. Therefore certainly it is impossible to eat meat properly except through attachment [hiskasherus] to Tzaddikim, through whom we have the power to extract [levorar]. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said — [said]: "An am ho'oretz [unlearned person, one unattached to Torah sages] is forbidden to eat meat." For an am ho'oretz — as our Sages of blessed memory said — is even one who has read Torah and studied Mishnah but has not attended upon Torah scholars [shimesh talmidei chachamim]. That is: one who is not attached to the truly righteous and wise — certainly it is impossible for him to eat meat, since he has no power to extract the souls and holy sparks [nitzotzos] that are within the meat, as above.

Through one's not being careful about the foods of gentiles [akum] and wine that a gentile has touched — through this the encompassing evil clings to him, and he can come through this to a very serious blemish of the bris, G-d forbid. And through being careful about their food and their wine — through this he merits the repair of the bris and the revelation of Torah secrets.

It is not fitting to drink wine and intoxicating beverages except in small measure to broaden the mind [l'harchiv da'as] — and even this, specifically on Shabbos and Yom Tov and at a seudas mitzvah [a meal in honor of a commandment]. And even this only when one has merited to be attached to the truly righteous Tzaddikim who have already merited the holiness of the bris to the ultimate degree of perfection — and through them every person can draw upon himself the holiness of the bris, which is the aspect of the holiness of Shabbos, the aspect of the seventy faces [shivim panim], the aspect of the seventy souls of the house of Yaakov. And then, specifically, one can drink a little wine on Shabbos and Yom Tov to gladden his soul and broaden his mind — so that he can awaken himself to feel more deeply the sweetness and the pleasantness and the agreeableness of the holiness of Torah, the holiness of Israel, the holiness of Shabbos, which is drawn upon us through the power of the truly righteous Tzaddikim, as explained in the inner teachings. And even then one must be extremely careful to drink in measure — [in measure] — and in proper weight, to merit that it be in the aspect of the wine that gladdens [yayin hamesamaich], to merit through the joy of holiness to cleave to G-d, to Torah, and to the Tzaddikim, and to feel more deeply the greatness of G-d and of Torah and of the Tzaddikim — each person according to what he measures in his own heart. But those who establish themselves habitually with wine even on weekdays [yemei hachol] — and not only is all of this not sufficient for them, but through it they come to mockery [leitzanus] and controversy, and dispute with the truly righteous Tzaddikim — and even those people who are somewhat upright, who are not stirred by the drinking of wine toward outright mockery, but rather who err through it — for through the drinking he errs and misleads himself, until he inverts the truth and speaks perversely against those who truly fear G-d, because it seems to him that they have deviated from the truth, G-d forbid — and all of this error comes to him through excessive drinking of wine — regarding this it is said: "Whoever errs through it will not become wise" [Proverbs 20:1]. And their blemish and ruin through this is very great, as explained in the inner teachings.

The essential eating in holiness is commensurate with the repair of the bris. For: "A Tzadik eats to the satisfaction of his soul" [Proverbs 13:25] — and a Tzadik is defined as one who guards the holy bris [man d'natur bris kadisha], as is known.

Through blemished eating — especially through eating that which is forbidden, G-d forbid — through this the yirah [fear of G-d] is greatly blemished, and the fallen fears [yiros hanefilos] grow stronger — outer fears — which are the aspect of the husk of Amalek, may his name be blotted out.

It is not fitting to drink wine and intoxicating beverages except in small measure to broaden the mind [l'harchiv da'as] — and even this, specifically on Shabbos and Yom Tov and at a seudas mitzvah [a meal in honor of a commandment]. And even this only when one has merited to be attached to the truly righteous Tzaddikim who have already merited the holiness of the bris to the ultimate degree of perfection — and through them every person can draw upon himself the holiness of the bris, which is the aspect of the holiness of Shabbos, the aspect of the seventy faces [shivim panim], the aspect of the seventy souls of the house of Yaakov. And then, specifically, one can drink a little wine on Shabbos and Yom Tov to gladden his soul and broaden his mind — so that he can awaken himself to feel more deeply the sweetness and the pleasantness and the agreeableness of the holiness of Torah, the holiness of Israel, the holiness of Shabbos, which is drawn upon us through the power of the truly righteous Tzaddikim, as explained in the inner teachings.