ערך ברית

[See also Likutay Halachoas, Hilchos Netilas Yodayim L'seudah, Halacha 4, note 6, and Hilchos Devorim HaNoge'im B'seudah, Halacha 4, note 6 — and you will understand further.] The primary intensification of the yetzer hara in every person is in the blemish of the bris. And after all the enormous efforts and the great self-sacrifice that the truly righteous Tzaddikim sacrifice themselves literally in each and every generation for the repair of the souls of Israel — the soton [adversary] and the yetzer hara still dance among them and stir up strife against Israel — and primarily in this matter. As we find in the days of Moshe Rabbainu himself, peace be upon him — all the efforts he expended for the repair of the souls of Israel — and at the end of his days Bilaam the wicked, may his name be blotted out, came and caused them to stumble in the blemish of the bris. And sometimes the Tzadik is compelled to depart and to die — and to die — for the sake of this. For given the very extent of the spread of the sitra achra, it is impossible for him to complete the repair fully during his lifetime — only after his passing. And from this blemish come all the obstacles and confusions and battles and controversies that prevent a person from drawing close to holiness, and that hold him back from bringing his holy vitality forth completely from potential into actuality. For all the obstacles to drawing close to holiness come from the impurity of keri [seminal emission] — G-d protect us — for keri is a term of obstruction [lashon meni'ah], as Rashi explains in the portion of Bechukosai on the verse: "If you walk with Me with keri" — and: "And I too will walk with them with keri". That is, through the blemish of keri, G-d protect us, through this He brings upon them enormous obstacles, which are likewise called keri. And from this come all the afflictions and all of the exile — G-d protect us — and this is: "And I will bring them into the land of their enemies" [Leviticus 26:41]. For through this, all enemies and adversaries of holiness intensify greatly — from whom come all the obstacles. And the essential repair to shatter all the obstacles and enemies is through the ratzon [will] and the holy desire — through which one merits to shatter all obstacles. And this is what concludes [the verse]: "And then they will accept the iniquity" [Leviticus 26:41] — that is, that all the sins from which all the obstacles come will be transformed into ratzon. And through this: "And I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, etc." [Leviticus 26:42] — that is, G-d will arouse and remember the merit of the great Tzaddikim who dwell in the dust, through whom the essential repair of this sin is achieved. For great are the Tzaddikim in their death more than in their lifetime — and therefore specifically after their passing they complete the repair of this sin, which is the essential repair of the souls of Israel.

The essential punishment of being clothed in begodim tzo'im [soiled garments], G-d forbid, comes only through the blemish of the bris — as it is written: "And Yehoshua was clothed in soiled garments" [Zechariah 3:3]. And our Sages of blessed memory said: this was because his sons had married gentile women — for the blemish of the bris is visible in the garments, in the aspect of: "Even in your skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocent poor" [Jeremiah 2:34] — which is the aspect of the blemish of the bris, which is as if one has shed innocent blood, G-d forbid, as is brought [in the sources]. And likewise, the essential repair of the garments — that they should be in the aspect of white garments — depends on the repair of the bris, as is known.

One must be very careful to sanctify oneself during [marital] union [sha'as hazivug]. For the entire world depends on this — for the entire world was created only for His blessed honor. And the essential revelation of His blessed honor is through offspring — through the birth and multiplication of human beings, in whom the essential honor resides. Therefore, when one sanctifies himself at that time and intends to beget a son who will magnify His blessed honor — a spirit of holiness is drawn upon the child, and he merits that his children should be upright, who will magnify His blessed honor through them. And thereby he upholds the entire world through this. And conversely, G-d forbid, children who are not worthy are born, through whom His blessed honor is not magnified. And therefore the one who did not sanctify himself at that time and caused all of this — he is as if he destroys the entire world. For the essential sustaining of the world is through the honor aforementioned, and the essential honor depends specifically on offspring, as above.

When one unlawfully touches the money of his fellow — which is the aspect of the blemish of justice [mishpat], the aspect of: "one who makes himself rich but not through justice" — through this he comes to the blemish of the bris. [The bris.]

The essential desire for licentiousness [na'of] is drawn through the theft of the baal davar [the accusing force] — who steals and burrows into a person's thoughts through many strategies and schemes and thefts, until he brings him to improper thoughts, G-d forbid. And therefore "You shall not commit adultery" [lo tin'of] is placed adjacent to "You shall not steal" [lo tignov] — for the essential licentiousness comes through the aspect of the theft of the baal davar. And this is the aspect of: "If you see a thief, you run with him — and with adulterers is your portion" [Psalms 50:18] — that is, the verse rebukes: if you saw the thief — which is the yetzer hara — and you ran with him, then through this: "and with adulterers is your portion." For in truth you should have been extremely careful of this thief. For one must guard his thoughts very much — not to be caught in the net of this thief. And you — not only did you not guard yourself from him, but moreover: "you ran with him" — you consented to follow after him, G-d protect us — and through this: "and with adulterers is your portion," as above. Therefore a person must be careful and guard himself very much — not to be drawn after the evil thoughts that the yetzer hara introduces into his mind through his thefts and strategies. Rather, he should strive with all his strength to banish and uproot the thief from within himself. For in truth, the choice is in the person's hand to banish him — for the thought is in the person's hand to direct it as he wishes, and therein lies the essential free will. Fortunate is he who guards his thoughts well — he shall be called holy.

And likewise, the essential repair of the garments — that they should be in the aspect of white garments — depends on the repair of the bris, as is known.