סימן ס"ז-בראשית וכו'

And what they answered him about the middle one — that he had cooled and expired and stopped speaking — and they also stopped speaking. This is the aspect of: when this soul falls from the aspect of: "are not My words like fire" — and his words cool — then it is removed. And then the Torah interpretations drawn through it are also removed — and then all Torah commentators can attain no interpretation in the Torah. And then controversy is stirred against the Tzaddikim — this being the aspect of what they ran to the authorities and began to argue with them and wished to kill them. And the holy Torah alludes to us the whole of this matter — according to what our holy and awesome Rabbainu elaborated for us — in the portion of Chukas — in the matter of the wilderness of Tzin — the aspect of cooled speech — where there Miriam died — who is the aspect of the above soul. And then the well was removed — the aspect of the Torah interpretations drawn through her. And then: "and the people gathered against Moshe and Aharon" — they are the aspect of the two holy authorities above. [And it is not for nothing that their essence pleased him greatly.] And: "and the people contended with Moshe…" — the aspect of the controversy that was stirred then — and the arguments the people argued with the above-mentioned authorities — and they wished to kill them — and they fled from them — as it is written: "and Moshe and Aharon came from before the congregation to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting" — and the commentators explained that they came as if fleeing from them. And likewise the Sages said — brought in the Yalkut: "when Moshe and Aharon saw the people's faces as wrathful — they fled to the Tent of Meeting." The beautiful tent is the Tent of Meeting. But the wheat itself also has a shell around it — which is the bran and coarse meal.

And what was cried to the authorities from there — to return backwards and take their merits and go to the hanging candle — is what Hashem said to Moshe: "take the staff" — that is: the staff of strength of their merits — and "speak to the rock before their eyes" — the rock is the aspect of the supernal heart suspended in the air — which is like a lit candle. [See the introduction to Tikkun HaZohar, p. 13b — and this is also well-known in many places in the holy Zohar — and see Likutay Tinyana, Siman 91: that the heart is the aspect of a tower floating in the air.] But the intention of Hashem was that he take the staff of strength — in order to subdue the evil in the congregation — and to the supernal heart he should pray with supplications and appeasement and connection with their souls — and then: "and you shall bring forth water for them from the rock — to water the congregation and their animals." Meaning: the aspect of those sitting in circles — who are the Torah commentators who regularly receive — and also those simple people who receive and drink from the waters of interpretation as above. [Or perhaps his intention was also on those who eat only the chaff and straw of the Torah — as is elaborated in the holy Zohar — and they are truly the aspect of their animals. Nonetheless the Holy One also had compassion on them and wished to water them from the waters of the Torah — as the verse says: "the righteous man knows the life of his animal" — as the Sages also expounded on this very matter — see the above Yalkut.] And even within the inner part of the wheat — which is the essential food of man — there is also a shell and fruit. For from the physical substance a completely unfit waste product is made — excrement and refuse — and the inner part is only the power garbed in it from Hashem to give life to the person — and the person with this power will serve Hashem and through this Hashem receives glory from him. And as is known: "for not by bread alone does man live — but by every utterance of Hashem's mouth does man live" [Deuteronomy 8]. Now: this aspect of shell and fruit exists in nearly every level — as is elaborated greatly in the holy Zohar regarding these matters — how these [outer] shells press against those [inner] ones — for what in one level is inner becomes outer in the level above it. And even in the life-force that a person receives through eating there is also this aspect — for first the liver receives, then the heart, then the brain — as is elaborated in the holy Zohar. And likewise in all creation: the inanimate, vegetative, and animate are the aspect of the outer, relative to man who is the inner — the inner intention of creation. But within man himself: all the idol-worshippers and the heavenly bodies are the aspect of outer and shells — and the inner is only the holiness of Israel. And within Israel itself there is also outer and inner — the aspect of leaves, branches, and fruit — as the Sages said. And within each individual of Israel there is also outer and inner. Now: the aspect of shell and fruit are the aspects of darkness and light — the aspects of wisdom and folly.

But Moshe did not do so — rather he used his staff of strength at the time of his prayer — which is the aspect of the authorities throwing the merits forcefully toward the candle — the supernal heart. And this is the aspect of: "and he struck the rock" — and sparks fell from the candle into their mouths — meaning: they drew for themselves from the above candle warm words like coals of fire. And the candle turned and became a river — for from that very heart he drew Torah interpretations — which are the aspect of waters — the aspect of: "He opened the rock and waters flowed — they went in the wilderness like a river" . [And see in the above Yalkut — where it was also surprising: for the way of the rock is to produce fire — as it says: "and fire went out of the rock" — and here it produced water!] And they all drank from the river — as it is written: "and the congregation drank and their animals" — who received from the waters of Torah interpretation. And creatures were formed within them — the aspect of: "and Your Torah within my inward parts" — as is elaborated in the discourse. And when they opened their mouths to speak — the creatures came out from them — the aspect of: "and by the spirit of His mouth all their host" — as is elaborated in the discourse. And I saw them running and returning — and they were neither the kind of man nor the kind of animal — but creatures. For they are the spiritual forces made from the Torah innovations — and they are literally angels. And they are the very angels that Moshe sent to the King of Edom — which is the aspect of this awesome one standing from heaven to earth — holding a sword from heaven to earth. Meaning: the aspect of Edom who is assigned over the sword — as it is written: "by your sword you shall live." And he draws sustenance from the constellation of Mars which is in the heavens. And this sword has several mouths — as is elaborated in this discourse — for he is assigned over all punishments. And sometimes they receive from him power to punish the wicked with sword and slaughter — and sometimes only to subdue them alone — and bring fear into their hearts — and so on — as is elaborated in the discourse. And they came to him and began to beg — this is the aspect of: "you know all the hardship… let us pass, please, through your land…" — and they did not accomplish anything with him — this being the aspect of: "and Edom said: you shall not pass through me… and Edom refused…" — and they returned — the aspect of: "and Israel turned away from him." Meanwhile a command came to kill the authorities — this being the aspect of what is written immediately afterwards: "and Hashem said… let Aharon be gathered to his people… because you rebelled against My word at the waters of Meribah." And afterwards was the removal of Moshe. Meanwhile the vision returned to what it had been — only now the authorities did not throw the merits toward the candle — but rather took the merits and went to the candle and broke their hearts in supplications — and they were told these shall live. For such was Hashem's intention as above — as is elaborated in the discourse. Section 14 — Letter יד — Commentary: continued

And now you, the reader — stand and contemplate the wonders and awesome-ness of this holy revelation — and the wonders and awesome-ness of the holy and awesome connection and building of this wondrous vision with the connection of several portions and matters in the holy Torah — from the secret of the striking of the rock and the sending of angels to Edom — together with the awesome discourse of the Sifra d'Tzni'usa: "nine precious rectifications" — and with the wondrous and awesome revelation that our holy Rabbainu revealed about it. And see further in the book Chayyay Moharan — where he elaborated somewhat on the greatness of the magnitude and holiness of Rabbainu — and on the greatness of the magnitude of the holiness of his awesome and wondrous attainment — "the eye has not seen." For certainly darkness and folly have no existence or vitality whatsoever — only through them is the superiority and advantage of light and wisdom made apparent — the aspect of: "as the advantage of light over darkness — so is the advantage of wisdom over folly" [Ecclesiastes 2]. And they are the aspect of shell and fruit as above — for it is His will at present to maintain both for the sake of the preservation of free will — for through this comes the essential glory that Hashem receives from Israel. And the essential revelation of His kingship — which is only through man who possesses free will. Now since the life-force in the food is garbed in its physical substance which is the aspect of the shell — the aspect of folly — therefore folly has sustenance from the aspect of eating. But when a person eats in holiness — meaning: only so that he will have strength and vitality for the service of Hashem — and Hashem receives glory from this — through this the folly does not receive and draw sustenance from the eating — only enough for its minimal existence and no more. And through this the folly is subdued and the intellect is elevated — for it is revealed through this that the essential thing is the inner part which is wisdom — from which the essential vitality flows — as it is written: "and wisdom gives life" [Ecclesiastes 7] — and as is elaborated in the holy Zohar: this is the essential inner vitality of the food as well. Only: it is His will that this holy vitality descend from level to level until it garbs itself in the physical food which is the aspect of folly — in order to subdue the Sitra Achra and convert darkness to light — so that even folly become a throne and chariot for holiness — which is the aspect of the vitality of holy wisdom. But when one eats as a glutton and drunkard, G-d forbid — then it is not revealed in that eating that it was created only for the sake of the holy glory that Hashem receives from this — since one does not eat for that intention at all — only: one is captured in the physical cravings of food which is the aspect of folly. And through this folly becomes more empowered and floods the intellect — until one comes to derangement, G-d forbid — meaning: folly becomes so empowered that it seizes and snatches even the inner part — which is the aspect of the vitality of the point of wisdom and Da'as — and draws it too into folly — until: "they are wise to do evil — but to do good they have no knowledge" [Jeremiah 4] — one cannot use one's intellect to do good — only to do evil — as is elaborated in Letter Beis. And through this folly one cannot understand and see the light of the Tzaddik who engages to reveal the glory that Hashem receives from Israel — which is the very root of creation.

📋 Translator's Summary — Siman 20 (Tes Tikkunin) For this matter is clear and apparent from the matter of holy eating specifically — as above.

This discourse was said on Shabbas Nachamu [the Shabbas of Consolation] of the year [5]564. Before this — in that summer — I heard from him certain matters of the above discourse section by section. And afterwards he said it in completeness on the road on Shabbas Nachamu as above. And before this — I stood before him on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Menachem [Av] — on the first day, Shabbas, toward evening — and he was then very awesome and lay on his bed. [See the conversation that was then — on the matter that everything he wishes to do he is compelled to do with self-sacrifice.] And then he told me and said: "This Shabbas a question was raised on high — and I gave the answer to it. And the question is: there are surrounding lights [makifin] of the intellect and there are surrounding lights of the Torah — and what should one do so that the makifin enter within?" — as is printed at the end of the above discourse. And this is what is written there: that through eating in proper fitness one subdues and seizes the kelippos and folly. For even after a fitting person eats there is some confusion of mind for a short time — because the sustenance of folly is from there, as elaborated in this section. But then: through the clarification and ascent of the holy vitality — which is the aspect of the holy sparks garbed in the food — which at their root are the aspect of sparks of wisdom — for "You made all of them with wisdom" [Psalms 104] — and they are included in the strength and vitality of man which is the aspect of his wisdom and intellect — and the physical waste of the food which is the aspect of folly becomes excrement and refuse and falls outward — through this the folly is subdued and the intellect elevated. This is the aspect of seizing the folly — extracting the holy sparks that were garbed within it. But through the damage of eating — through this on the contrary the folly seizes one's mind — for even the sparks of Da'as that were there are seized and confused as well — until one cannot use them for good as above. And to complete the damage of the altar — this is through converts.

Afterwards he set out on the road — and said the discourse Atika above there on the road on Shabbas Nachamu as above. And while he was on the road — his small daughter Feigah passed away. And when he came home they concealed it from him and did not inform him at all — for she had not been raised at his home but in the nearby town of Ladizin — where she was with a wet-nurse — and therefore they were able to conceal it from him. And immediately when he descended from the wagon and entered his home — he found people from our fellowship [anash] who had come to him from the community of Nemirov. He then immediately said much Torah before them from the above discourse Atika — and he wove into his Torah the matter of the seven days of mourning — as is elaborated there in Letter Hay. And also on the road before entering the town — they understood from his words that he knew by his holy spirit that she had departed. And afterwards when he entered his home he asked and inquired of his household — and they concealed it from him. And he did not observe mourning at all — and he was not informed by any person until after Rosh Hashonoh. And then he observed one hour of mourning as required by law — for it was already after thirty days. And he said then: as long as one does not know through a person's mouth — one need not observe mourning — even though one knows through attainments. And since all the above rectifications — that are needed for the drawing of Torah in perfection according to the truth of His will — are all contained and alluded to in the nine precious rectifications transmitted to the beard — as is elaborated in the discourse — therefore the holy old man grasped his holy beard in his hand and said to him: "here is my beard — it is the explanation of the vision." And what he grasped his beard specifically — one can say: for the essential totality of the rectifications — the essential thing is through prayer — and that prayer be in the perfection of the rectifications elaborated in the discourse. And prayer is the aspect of his hand — the aspect of: "and his hands were faithful" — as is elaborated in the discourse. For converts are also produced through this aspect — for through the folly and kelippos being so empowered that they captured and subdued even sparks of holiness — which are the aspect of portions of the souls of Israel — among them — through this the wheel turned upon them afterwards: until not only did the good — which is those above-mentioned sparks — escape from them, but it also pulled and uprooted with it some of the evil of theirs — which is the aspect of the converts who converted. And this is precisely the matter of the above — produced through the rectification of eating: not only did the folly not become empowered over the intellect — but on the contrary: they extracted even the holy sparks that were previously garbed within the folly itself and were of the very substance of its vitality — and this is the aspect of converts. And see in Likutay Tinyana in the discourse Tik'u Tochachah, Siman 8 — and see in Likutay Torah of the Holy Ari, portion Eikev, where he writes at the beginning: "Know that all eating is in the world of Action [Asiyah]." And through this is understood somewhat what is written at the end of the discourse: that the essential deficiency — namely the clouding of the brain — depends only on the vessels of Action [klay hama'aseh]. And likewise in Letter Beis: that through the clouding of deeds the intellect is darkened by folly. And in Letter Gimmel it is elaborated that the empowerment of folly over the intellect comes through improper eating — eating as a glutton and drunkard. But according to the above — the damage of eating is itself what causes the clouding of the deeds — for eating is in Asiyah as above. And see in the holy Zohar, portion Balak, p. 198: "What causes Israel to be a stubborn and rebellious son against their Heavenly Father? Because he is a glutton and a drunkard… for the root and foundation of eating and drinking — when done as the other nations — this causes them to be a stubborn and rebellious son against their Heavenly Father… for it is written: 'and they mingled with the nations and learned their deeds' [Psalms 106:35] — 'their deeds' specifically, as above — and it is written: 'and the people ate and bowed to their gods' [Numbers 25:2] — for the essential sustenance of idolatry is from the damage of the altar as elaborated in Letter Daled — "and therefore: 'and all the men of his city shall stone him' — these are all the other nations" — for through this the nations who are the aspect of folly become empowered. Siman Twenty-One — Atika Tamir v'Satimסימן כא — עתיקא טמיר וסתים And likewise this is elaborated in many places in the holy Zohar and in the rest of the Sages' words: that the evil inclination is found only through excess eating and drinking. And see there further at the end of the discourse: that the essential rectification — namely the perfection of the intellect — also depends on the vessels of Action [klay hama'aseh] — namely charity — which is called ma'aseh [deed] — as it is written: "and the deed of charity shall be peace" [Isaiah 32]. And see in Pri Etz Chaim in the kavvanot of the daily sacrifice — for it is elaborated there that the kelippos of Asiyah are very evil and difficult and are called idolatry [also brought in the discourse Bnay Lan, Siman 28]. And it has already been elaborated in Letter Daled that the essential sustenance of idolatry is from the damage of the altar. And therefore the essential rectification is through charity — which is also the aspect of Asiyah — the aspect of: "and the deed of charity shall be peace." For through charity a calm and pure air is produced — through the aspect of: "wealth adds many friends" [Proverbs 14] — this being the aspect of: "he who increases charity increases peace." And through this the air of the world of Asiyah is refined and becomes the aspect of flying air [avir me'ofef] — until the words of the Tzaddik go out and are written in their books — the opposite of their faith — until through this converts are produced and the altar is completed. And then the intellect is completed — [and this itself is the above-mentioned aspect: that through holy eating specifically the intellect is completed] — and one merits to see the light of the Tzaddik who reveals the glory that Hashem receives from the world of Asiyah specifically — for "the end of the deed was first in thought" — the aspect of Israel who arose first in thought — which is also the aspect of what is elaborated above. For even though the world of Asiyah receives its power and vitality from the worlds above it — nonetheless it arose first in thought — and all were created only for Israel who are in the world of Asiyah. And this is precisely the matter of charity — for even though the poor person receives from the householder — he does more for the householder — as the Sages said [Vayikra Rabbah 34]: "he does" — specifically — the aspect of Asiyah as above. This discourse was said in Tiriovitzia. [It seems it was in the year 5564.] Some time before he said this discourse, I and a companion of mine entered to him once — came to his room — and he was lying on his bed. And he began to speak with us and said: "Today I have lived a life such as I have never lived before — for there are several kinds of life, and all are called life. But today I lived a good life such as I have never lived before." And then he began to speak and throw from his holy mouth words — and he revealed several chapter-headings of this awesome discourse, without revealing to us the full discourse in detail — only chapter-headings with great joy. [All of this is copied from Chayyay Moharan — see there further.] There — Letter Beis — "And it is impossible to bring this goal close to the thoughts of men…" — This means: for the essential coming of man to this world and the purpose of all his deeds is the pleasure of the World to Come. And the goal is very close to thought — as above. If so, this should be in the mind of man always — to remember only this goal always.