אמת ואמונה

And I called the name of this book Aitzoas Yesharoas — and they are proper counsels in the ways of G-d, and a wondrous strengthening — to draw upon oneself the three aforementioned things, and to be awakened within them to see that there is no despair in the world whatsoever, and even if one has fallen however he has fallen, G-d protect us — even so, G-d is with him, as is brought in Likutay Halachoas, Hilchos Netilas Yadayim, Halacha 6, note 82. And I noted alongside each and every letter of this work its source of origin — and if the reader wishes to look further, let him look there and he will understand the matter more fully. And I arranged them according to the Alef-Bais. And may we merit to fulfill them in truth, until we merit to return in complete teshuvah, to do the will of G-d with a full heart — Amen, so may it be His will. The essential bridge upon which to cross through this world is emes [truth]. For a person must cross through this world upon a narrow bridge — and the essential thing is not to be afraid at all. And to merit this — to cross upon the narrow bridge of this world — it is through truth. As people say: that with truth one can cross the entire world. For the essential thing is truth — upon which the entire world and its fullness stands. And all the confusions and obstacles a person has in the service of G-d — whose root is primarily the obstruction of the mind [moach] — the essential counsel to cross through them is truth, which shows a person the way to cross through everything. In the spirit of: "Send out Your light and Your truth, they will lead me" [Psalms 43:3]. And as it is written: "I walk in Your truth" [Psalms 26:3]. For truth is the bridge of holiness, through which one passes through all the rushing waters and is saved from all of them. This corresponds to the kriyas Yam Suf [splitting of the Red Sea] — where they walked on dry land within the sea, in the merit of Yaakov, who is the aspect of truth. And this is what Rashi explains on the verse: "And he crossed the ford of Yabok" [Genesis 32:23] — "He made himself like a bridge" — for Yaakov is the aspect of truth, which is the bridge upon which to cross in peace.

One whose intention is toward truth, and who girds himself for battle for the sake of truth, always prevails — for whatever action he performs for the need of this mitzvah-battle, he is victorious in it immediately, since his intention is sincerely toward Heaven. Therefore, even if he does not merit to win the battle completely, even so — in this itself: that he holds the weapons of battle in his hand to fight against the enemies of G-d, which are the yetzer hara [evil inclination] and its forces, etc. — in this itself he is already called victorious. For every act and every slight movement by which a person strengthens himself in order to do the will of the Blessed One is exceedingly precious in the eyes of G-d, and immediately he has triumphed greatly — a true and eternal victory. For this alone is the essential true victory, for this victory will endure forever — for lais re'usa tava d'is'avad [no good intention is ever lost]. And this is alluded to in the holy Zohar regarding the four species of the lulav, where it says: "Who has won? He who holds the weapons of battle in his hand." For the moment one seizes the weapons of battle to fight against those who obstruct him from the point of truth, in this itself he has already triumphed greatly, as above.

Sometimes a person can fall, G-d forbid, through truth itself — for he knows in his soul that he has truly corrupted and damaged much, and that even now he is as he is. And therefore the baal davar [the accusing force] incites him to push himself away entirely, G-d forbid, through his own truth — as is common on the lips of many people, and many have left their world entirely because of this "truth." But the true Tzaddikim of truth have already revealed to us that the truth in its truth is not so. For every person must strengthen himself in G-d at all times and fulfill the aspect of: "If I ascend to the heavens, there You are; and if I make my bed in the abyss, behold You are there" [Psalms 139:8]. That even in the lowest depths, G-d forbid, he should know and believe that he is still close to G-d — and there is no despair in the world whatsoever — and one can return even from there and draw close to G-d in truth. For certainly one must guard oneself from sin, and even from the slightest blemish — but even so, even if one has stumbled however he has stumbled, even thousands and tens of thousands of times, G-d forbid — even so, at every time and moment the chassadim of G-d are not exhausted, and one can draw close to G-d at any time and from any place he finds himself, for His greatness is beyond any reckoning. And through teshuvah, and crying out, and prayer, and abundant supplication, everything can be transformed for good — in the spirit of "sins are transformed into merits." And this is the essential truth in its truth. And likewise, all the controversy against the true Tzaddikim — whether the controversy from the pious and the upright, and especially from the philosophers [mehakarim] who incline toward the ways of heresy, G-d protect us — all of it stems from their fabricated "truth." For truth has become [split into] flocks and flocks, and each one says that his is the truth. And therefore in most books of the philosophers they cry out only about truth — woe to them and to their counterfeit truth, which is the ultimate falsehood and heresy, G-d protect us. It is thus explained that truth itself requires superior guarding, lest one err, G-d forbid, through — [through] — truth itself. And this is the aspect of "He who guards truth forever". And this is the aspect of "a seal within a seal." For the essential seal is truth — in the aspect of "the seal of the Holy One, blessed be He, is truth" — yet the seal itself requires yet another seal, for truth itself requires great guarding as above. And this is the essential wholeness of teshuvah, which is in the aspect of "expert in entry, expert in exit" [baki b'ail, baki b'nafak], the aspect of: "If I ascend to the heavens, etc., and if I make my bed in the abyss, etc." — as explained elsewhere — which is the aspect of the two seals aforementioned. For certainly one must seal oneself and walk in the way of truth in proper order, not to deviate right or left — rather, on the contrary, he should go from level to level [madrega l'madrega] in his service of the Blessed One, until he merits at every stage a greater degree of attainment — which is the aspect of teshuvah upon teshuvah. But all this truth is still only in the aspect of the first seal. For if, G-d forbid, some descent should pass over him — G-d forbid — which is the aspect of "exit" [nafak] — then he could fall entirely because of this truth. For not only did he not merit to ascend further to enter into the inner depths of holiness — but he has also descended and fallen and gone outside of holiness, G-d forbid. Therefore this seal requires yet another seal — which is the aspect of the truth-in-its-truth of the "expert in exit" aforementioned — and to fulfill: "and if I make my bed in the abyss, behold You are there." For necessarily a person will pass through many ascents and many descents — but the essential thing is that he strengthen himself and never abandon his place. This is the aspect of the completion of the seal — the aspect of "seal within a seal" as above. And this is the essential wholeness of the paths of teshuvah — through which one eventually merits complete teshuvah, and to make teshuvah upon teshuvah at every stage as above. And teshuvah is the aspect of אֶהְיֶה [Ehyeh], as explained in the inner teachings. And אֶהְיֶה times אֶהְיֶה in gematria equals אֱמֶת [Emes = 441] — that is, the aspect of the complete teshuvah and the truth-in-its-truth aforementioned. And all this is what we engage in from Rosh Hashanah until Hoshana Rabbah, when the aspect of "seal within a seal" is repaired, as explained in the inner teachings.

The essential compassion that one must have for Israel is to bring truth into them — and through this to draw them out from their sins, and to bring them close to G-d. And this is the aspect of: "Give truth to Yaakov, chesed to Avraham" [Micah 7:20] — for the essential chesed of Avraham that G-d performs with us is what He gives: truth to Yaakov.

Through making one's soul like dust — through this one merits to gaze upon the truth in its truth, so that the light of truth is revealed to him, until through this he is strengthened with such a powerful desire and holy will that he shatters all obstacles and merits to draw close to holiness.

Every person must pray before G-d and implore before Him — since we are all children of Yaakov, who is the very substance of truth, as it is written: "Give truth to Yaakov." It is thus found: we are all children of Yaakov, the seed of truth. Therefore, in the merit of Yaakov, may G-d have compassion upon us as well — that we merit to gaze only upon the truth, and to reveal truth in the world. Through this we will merit the strengthening of the holy will, and to shatter all obstacles, and to draw close to holiness, as above, etc.

From every place one can return to G-d through truth — that is, when one knows the truth in its truth and every person recognizes his own place. For the essential blemish comes through falsehood — the aspect of the heichalos ha'temurah [palaces of substitution], which exchange good for bad and bad for good — which is the aspect of "one who acts like Zimri and requests the reward of Pinchas." But when one recognizes his own place and makes his soul like dust and sees his lowliness in truth, and the great distance between himself and G-d — even though in truth it is so — even so, through this he can return and come back to G-d.

One who wishes to rescue his soul from the fire of controversy — that is, not to become entangled in controversy, G-d forbid — the essential rescue is through truth.

Even if a person has fallen to wherever he has fallen, G-d forbid, even if darkness surrounds him from all sides — even so, when he believes in G-d in truth, in simplicity [b'peshitus], believing in the One G-d, and cries out to Him in truth: "My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me — [forsaken me]?" — and implores before Him in truth — then truth illuminates him to emerge from darkness to light. And he even merits to open a door for others as well, to draw them out from the darkness and to return them in teshuvah.

The essential blemish of Adam the first and Chava was through the serpent, who lured and misled them from truth to falsehood. And the essential blemish and the incitement was specifically through the woman — who corresponds to the second aspect of truth, which is only in the aspect of a window [chalon] — from which the primary hold of the forces of evil derives, on account of the diminution and compression of the light therein, as above. And therefore our Sages of blessed memory said: "She extinguished the light of the world" — specifically "His light" [nero] — for the essential light is truth. And this is the aspect of the three commandments that were given to women, for through them the blemish is repaired and the light of truth is drawn down, as explained in the inner teachings.

Through false testimony, G-d forbid, one blemishes the two holy Names — which are: ה' [Hashem] and אֱלֹקִים [Elokím]. And through true testimony one unifies these two holy Names aforementioned — in the aspect of: "And ה' אֱלֹקִים is truth" [Jeremiah 10:10]. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said — that the verse: "I am the L-rd your G-d" [Ani Hashem Elokéchem], which comes at the end of the Kriyas Shma, corresponds to the commandment: "You shall not bear false witness."

Is it possible to merit complete truth only when one has no need of other people — for then, specifically, truth is complete? But seemingly this is difficult: for the majority of the world needs other people, as most must receive benefit from one another — and since he needs his fellow for some matter, he is thus in the category of one who depends on other people. And likewise all the great Tzaddikim — all their livelihood is from what they receive from the common people [hamon am] — and so seemingly they are, G-d forbid, distant from truth. But in truth, the essential purpose one must know is: ein od milvado — there is nothing other than Him — there is truly nothing. That is, no thing whatsoever exists in the world — only He, blessed be He, alone. As it is written: "And you shall know this day, etc., G-d — He is the אֱלֹקִים, etc. — there is none other" [Deuteronomy 4:39] — "there is none other" truly. For nothing whatsoever exists in the world — absolutely, absolutely, not at all [klal klal lo] — only He alone, blessed be He. And kela kameh, kela chashiv — truly nothing, for everything is completely nullified in its very existence before Him, blessed be He. Therefore, when one receives from someone sustenance or another benefit, he is receiving from Him, blessed be He, directly — since he knows that all is nothing and void, and the act is subsumed within the force — and he thus receives only from the primary force, which is the Creator, blessed be He. And this is the essence of our petition: "And do not make us dependent upon the gifts of flesh and blood" — that is, not to err and think that he receives from the flesh and blood literally, but rather he should know that even when he receives benefit from his fellow, he receives only from the primary force, which is the Creator, blessed be He. Then certainly he is not dependent upon other people — even though he receives from them. And this itself is the aspect of truth, for this is the essential truth: when one knows that the act is bound to the force, and nothing exists apart from Him, blessed be He — but everything is one [kuloh chad] — then, specifically, one merits truth. For truth is only one. And as is explained elsewhere — when one knows that everything is as nothing before Him, truly nothing, and after creation it is exactly as before creation, for the act is bound to the force in complete unity — this is the aspect of truth. And this matter is impossible to explain — only each person according to how he measures within his own heart.

Truth is the aspect of "the candle of G-d, etc., searches all the inner chambers of the belly" [Proverbs 20:27]. For through it one can search all the inner chambers of the belly and emerge from the darknesses that come in every inner chamber — which are the sum of all the desires and evil character traits, etc. — and truth can illuminate every inner chamber, to find counsel and strengthening to return from all of them to G-d. For even when it seems to a person that he knows the truth — only that the desires overpower him so greatly that he has no strength to stand against them — this too is falsehood. And if he draws himself toward truth, he will certainly find the strength and counsel to escape from them. For the Holy One, blessed be He, does not deal with His creatures with coercion [trunya] — and G-d does not send upon a person a trial, etc., that he cannot withstand. And there is yet much more to say in this — for it is impossible to express the true nature of the truth that a person needs each and every day and hour, according to his own level — and especially in the matter of hischazakus [strengthening oneself].

The primary strengthening of falsehood, evil, and darkness is specifically in the matters of zivug [marital union] and livelihood [parnassah]. For precisely because they contain a very lofty holiness and are of the aspect of truth — therefore the evil and falsehood intensify to completely conceal the holiness and the very essence of truth contained in them. And the essential repair for this is through the true Tzadik, who illuminates the point of truth within the heart of each person of Israel — so that he draws himself at all times only toward the point of the truth-in-its-truth. And through this one merits to emerge from within the darkness into great light, and to merit zivug and livelihood in great holiness.

The essential virtue of gazing upon and beholding the face of the Tzadik — through which one merits all the repairs explained in the inner teachings — is only when it is in truth and in faith. For only then is it called "seeing." For when one sees the face of the Tzadik but does not believe in him — this is not called seeing at all. For in truth he does not see the Tzadik at all, since according to his own understanding the Tzadik is not a Tzadik — as he does not believe in him. It is thus found that he does not see the Tzadik at all.

As long as a person has not merited to know who is the true Tzadik — whom he must draw close to and cleave to — he must believe in and cleave to all Tzaddikim, even though they dispute one another. Not like the scoffers who say: since the Tzaddikim dispute one another, he listens to the words of both of them and disputes both of them — for this is words of mockery [leitzanus], touching upon heresy, G-d protect us. Rather, the truth is the opposite: one must believe in all of them, and not look at all at the disputes between them — since all of them admonish him to fulfill the Torah of Moshe, written and oral. For only from those people — [from those people] — the deniers who walk in the ways of philosophical investigation, who wish to turn away from the Torah of Moshe to teach external wisdoms, etc. — from them one must distance himself completely. But all who conduct themselves according to — [according to] — the Torah, as our holy sages transmitted to us in Gemara, and the Poskim, and the books of fear of G-d founded upon their holy words — to all of them one must cleave — to all of them — as it is written: "And to Him you shall cleave" [Deuteronomy 10:20], and our Sages of blessed memory said: "Cleave to Torah scholars." And this corresponds to yom tov shaini shel galuyos [the second day of Yom Tov in the diaspora]. For just as one is stringent on account of doubt and observes two days of Yom Tov — so too, on account of doubt, one must draw close to all Tzaddikim who walk according to the Torah. For the holiness of Yom Tov is the aspect of the holiness of the Tzadik, as is known.

The essential thing is emunah b'chachamim [faith in the sages]. For the essential thing is the ultimate end [tachlis] — and every person must have consideration for himself and reflect always, each and every day, on his eternal ultimate purpose, and what will be his end, etc. And to merit the truly good ultimate purpose, it is impossible except through faith in the sages. For it is impossible for a person to reach and return to the source of his soul except through — [through] — the truly wise Tzaddikim. For even those who are upright and G-d-fearing and engage in Torah cannot reach their perfection except through the truly wise Tzaddikim. How much more so one who has incurred some blemish — [some blemish] — how much more so one who has transgressed and sinned greatly, G-d forbid, as is common now in our many sins — certainly he cannot be healed in body and soul except through the great and wondrous truly righteous ones, who know how to expound the Torah fully in truth, and know the root-sources of the souls of each person of Israel within the Torah, and know how to explain and clarify all the paths and counsels and trails and strategies that every person in the world requires — one who wishes to approach the holy — so that every person may receive healing for every manner of sickness of soul and body in the world.

The essential foundation of all holy faith is emunah b'chachamim — faith in the sages. For they draw down for us the holy faith in its fullness. For without faith in the truly wise sages, even one's faith in G-d, blessed be He, is not complete.

One must greatly give thanks and greatly praise G-d when one merits faith in the sages — for through this one is saved and escapes from all the afflictions in the world, both in spirituality and in materiality. And this corresponds to Modim d'Rabbanan [the congregational acknowledgment during the Amidah].

A person must be careful not to enter into inquiry in areas where he has no permission — in the spirit of: "In what is too wondrous for you, do not seek, etc." [Ben Sira 3:21]. And the moment he perceives confusion — that it is impossible to grasp or understand it — he should flee from there, and rely only upon faith. And one who blemishes this is in the aspect of the blemish of eating meat in milk.

One whose heart is whole with G-d, and whose faith is strong, and who believes that everything is guided solely by the will of G-d — he is in joy always, and has no worry or fear whatsoever about anything in the world.

Immersion and purification in the mikveh is a segula [-propitious means] to grow and to complete one's faith.

It is impossible to completely repair the desire for money as long as one has not merited complete faith. And likewise the reverse: it is impossible to merit complete faith as long as the desire for money has not been nullified. And if so — from where does one begin? Therefore, the essential counsel is only to cry out to G-d at all times. And this is the beginning of all beginnings. And then G-d will help him, so that he merits all the repairs together.

Torah and faith depend upon one another. For it is impossible to fulfill the Torah except through faith, as it is written: "All Your commandments are faith" [Psalms 119:86]. And likewise there is no endurance to faith except through Torah.

Through emunah b'ratzon [faith in the Divine will] — that is, believing with complete faith that everything is guided solely by the will of G-d — through this one merits the illumination of ratzon [will]: that is, one yearns and longs for G-d and for His service with a strong will and great longings [kesuphim gedolim], as explained in the inner teachings.

Through contracting the mind [moach] — so as not to be haughty, wishing to attain more than one's intellect can grasp — but rather to contract one's mind, and to humble oneself like hyssop [ezov] and like a worm, and to rely upon faith — through this, specifically, one merits to purify the ultimate externality and to connect the ultimate externality also to the innermost — which is the aspect of the purification of the parah adumah [red heifer], as explained in the inner teachings.

Through complete faith in the sages — through this the world is preserved, together with all its riches and possessions, from all manner of damages and deficiencies. And for this there must also be great love and great peace among Israel.

The essential subjugation [avdus] and toil of earning a livelihood derives from the aspect of the blemish of faith in the sages. For through the blemish of faith in the sages one falls into subjugation — and his livelihood comes with such great strain that he is forced to hire himself out as a servant to his fellow for the sake of sustenance. But through faith in the sages one merits freedom — to nullify from oneself the subjugation and the toil of earning a livelihood — and his livelihood flows to him with ease and great abundance.

The essential perfection of faith in the sages is when one's money is spread out to support the Torah scholar and to draw close to him.

In everything that passes over a person — whether in livelihood, or in the service of G-d — and it appears to him that it is impossible to serve G-d on account of the strain of livelihood and the multitude of confusions and thoughts that befall him — let him know that all of this derives from the blemish of faith in the sages. And let him remind himself each time through this to return in complete teshuvah for the blemish of faith in the sages — and from now on let him truly believe in all the books of the truly righteous and truly wise sages, until he merits through this to draw nourishment from the encompassing intellect [seichel hakolel] — through which everything is sweetened and repaired.

The falling of miscarriages [nefalim] comes, G-d forbid, through the blemish of faith in the sages.

Regarding the matter of the raging wind, and great cloud, and consuming fire [see Ezekiel 1:4] — which now storms and darkens and blazes very greatly in the world through the sects of the apikorsim [heretics], who grow stronger each and every day, and who knows what the day will yet bring forth, G-d protect us — but G-d has already preceded the healing to the wound for us, through the great truly righteous Tzaddikim, etc.

The essential complete repair of the bris [covenant] is through faith in the sages. (The following is from the translator, not from the original text.) This opening section of Aitzoas Yesharoas on Emes v'Emunah weaves two concepts — truth and faith — that are, in Breslov teaching, ultimately one. The 33 entries cluster around several interlocking pillars:

Through contracting the mind [moach] — so as not to be haughty, wishing to attain more than one's intellect can grasp — but rather to contract one's mind, and to humble oneself like hyssop [ezov] and like a worm, and to rely upon faith — through this, specifically, one merits to purify the ultimate externality and to connect the ultimate externality also to the innermost — which is the aspect of the purification of the parah adumah [red heifer], as explained in the inner teachings.