Sweetening Of Judgments

1. At the time when suffering is sent upon a person, it is sworn not to commence (lit. go or embark) except on a specific day, and not to desist (lit. leave) except on a specific day and a specific hour, and through a specific medication. However, repentance, prayer and charity annul the oath.

2. Being disheartened (lit. weakness of the mind), that is to say, depression, draws bad fortune, and when one's fortune is bad, the attribute of harsh judgment dominates.

3. The scriptural verses about the Choshen (breast plate worn by the high priest) is a tikun (rectification or remedy) for Dinim.

4. When a person has pain, he should give charity. For the charity is like he's paying for the judgment, and through this the Dinim ( defined at the beginning of this entry) are lightened (lit. sweetened). Because someone who takes payment to judge, his rulings are void.

5. What is the extent of suffering?!

6. Anyone who has gone forty days without suffering, he has received his world, and disasters are prepared for him.

7. One who chastises his fellow for the sake of Heaven, a thread of kindness is extended upon him.

8. Three things call attention to one's sins: A leaning wall, prayer with concentration (with anticipation and examination to see its fulfillment), and one who brings prosecution on his friend.

9. Four things tear up the (bad) edict on a man: Charity, crying out, changing one's name, and changing one's deeds.

10. Crying out helps an individual specifically before the edict.

11. A (Heavenly) decree that is accompanied by an oath, even for a group, cannot be torn.

12. Through fasting in years of famine, one is saved from a grotesque death.

13. When some decree is decreed on a person, it is decreed on him specifically for a certain place. Through this he can save [himself] with a change of place.

14. One who has pain in his eyes or stomach pains, it is certain that Dinim (see title of this entry) rest upon him.

15. One should make his suffering known to the public, and the public will ask ( in prayer) for mercy on his behalf.

16. When there is some Din (judgement or contention) on the Jewish People, G-d forbid, the Holy One Blessed He notifies the tzadikim, so that they should pray for Israel, and whomever does not pray for them, the Holy One Blessed He is angry with them.

17. When a man sees that Dinim are weighing on him, he should talk about his enemies and justify them.

18. Through the appointing of kosher judges, hardships are annulled.

19. One who made a vow and did not fulfill his vow, the Holy One Blessed He brings suffering upon him. When he is silent (in response), it is considered as if he has fulfilled his vow.

20. One who accepts suffering with love, it is considered as if he offered a sacrifice.

21. When a man is walking and falls, it is a sign that he was met out from Above for a failure (he had coming to him. See also below #52.).

22. Through immersing in a Mikveh, suffering is annulled and salvation comes.

23. When some harsh decree is passed on a man, before people know about it, it is easily overturned.

24. One who falls from his faith, should know that he is being judged from Above.

25. One who has Dinim upon him should look frequently (lit. every time) upon the heavens.

26. One who shows the good path to evildoers, the Holy One Blessed He justifies him in judgment.

27. Through Truth, the Holy One Blessed He does with him kindness that is not dressed in Din (judgement).

28. That which the Holy One Blessed He hides His Countenance from you, it is because of the blasphemy that is within you.

29. Through trust (in G-d), the judgment is sweetened and kindness is drawn forth.

30. Through faith, you can direct the blessed G-d to do your will.

31. Through charity, one transforms judgment and Din to the attribute of kindness.

32. Someone who does not have faith, it is certain that the Holy One Blessed He has removed His kindness from him.

33. When harsh decrees prevail, and kindness is rare (lit. precious) and not found, know that crying is helpful for this. (I heard from his holy mouth, at the time when I transcribed this before him, that a hint for this is in the verse: "How precious is Your kindness, G-d (Tehillim 36:8)" – Explaining as follows, when kindness is rare (precious), and unavailable, that is dinim prevail G-d forbid, then the action to be taken for this: (the continuation of the verse) "And people in the shadow of Your wings take refuge." The initials (of the last three words) spell out "crying", because crying helps for this, as previously stated).

34. Through cognizance, kindness is drawn forth.

35. Through giving charity to an upright man, you will merit to draw kindness also to your friends.

36. Someone who does not accept rebuke, suffering comes upon him.

37. To sweeten Dinim, recite Tehillim (Psalms), Chapter 39. [Lamnatzayach Al Yidusun (starting words)].

38. Someone who strengthens himself before prayer and prepares himself thoroughly (lit. greatly), even if afterwards he does not pray appropriately, through this suffering separates from him.

39. To sweeten Dinim, say (learn) Mishnayot of Zeraim.

40. Sometimes the Holy One Blessed He expends all the suffering on the father, so that his son will have peace.

41. Through (making) a vow, the fury of the blessed G-d is forestalled.

42. To sweeten Dinim, say Tehillim (Psalms) Chapter 77.

43. Someone who attaches himself at night to the quality of faith, the Din (judgement) upon him is sweetened.

44. Through arrogance, kindness departs rising above (to the heaven).

45. Through saying Tikkun Chatzot (Midnight Rectification – special regiment of prayers said at midnight), the judgment is sweetened.

46. When you stay awake the whole night, by this you are saved from Dinim.

47. Through troubles that come upon a man, he can grasp and understand his sins.

48. Through that which one comes to the Tzaddik, the coming in its own right can sweeten the Dinim.

49. Also the money that is given to the Tzaddik, the giving itself sweetens the Din(judgement).

50. Due to depression, thoughts are aligned in Heaven for his detriment.

51. Through learning the Torah, accusers will retreat.

52. When one who goes and falls occasionally, he had been decreed to die, and now it is annulled through the falling (See also above #21).

53. For the evil decrees that the nations decree on Israel, they should say Tehillim (Psalms) Chapter 62.

54. Through staying in a Mikveh under the water, until one can no longer hold his breath, the Din is sweetened.

55. Sometimes wine arouses Din(judgement).

56. One who gives his bread to someone lacking cognizance, suffering comes upon him.

57. Someone without cognizance eventually is exiled.

58. A judgment that was forestalled overnight, the judgment is annulled.

59. One who learns Torah for the sake of Heaven, sets peace in the Upper Tribunal and in the Lower Tribunal.

60. One who reads a scriptural verse in its time, brings good to the world.

61. There are times and places destined for good, and the opposite is also true.

62. Sometimes a decree is forestalled by the Leader of the Generation, and sometimes by the people of the generation.

63. Through one's enemies, one can know the decree of Above.

64. When a man tells his suffering to a friend, the listener must act wisely at the time of hearing, so that the same suffering will not come upon him.

65. One who studies Torah in the night, the Holy One Blessed He draws upon him a thread of kindness in the day.

66. One must give money for a Pidyon (lit. redemption. Money is given to a tzaddik who redeems the contributor from any judgments).

67. As long as you can be saved through money, do not use prayers.

68. When there is a disagreement Above on some matter, they rely (lit. support themselves) on the (opinion of the) Tzaddik in this world.

69. In the moment when a person is being judged above, they judge his name. Sometimes the messengers switch it with another name, and through this the decree of death or hardship comes on someone else.

70. Someone who does not pray (lit. ask) for mercy for his generation, through this he is punished.

71. Someone who has a sick person or pain in his house should go to a Torah sage, that he should pray (lit. ask) for mercy on his behalf, or that he (the Torah sage) should bless him.

72. When it is heard that someone is making accusations on the Jewish people, those who hear should speak aloud of the merits of Israel (show a meritorious interpretation of the actions that brought on the accusation), and it is necessary to strive to find merit.

73. When the Holy One Blessed He sees that people are zealous for His honor, through this He retracts His anger.

74. The primary Pidyon (redemption, see above 66) or prayer is only in the day.

75. Not everyone is fitting to make a Pidyon (redemption, see above 66).

76. One who wants to sweeten Dinim should not drink any wine the whole day.

77. With humility, one can find favor with the Holy One Blessed He.

78. When there is a Din(judgement), pray with fervor.

79. Building a stone house entails danger of death.

80. Charity sweetens harsh judgment.

81. The (immersing in a) Mikveh sweetens harsh judgment.

82. After a decree has been passed, one needs to enclothe the prayer within stories (t.n. explained in Likutay Moharan, Torah 5).

83. Through the opening of a Torah scroll, judgment is sweetened, and it is settled in its place.

84. Through silence, the judgment is sweetened.

85. Fasting and sackcloth are conducive to annull an edict.

86. To sweeten the judgment, say the Torah portion concerning the eleven goatskin curtains (that served as roof for the Tabernacles - Shemot 26:7-14, 36:14-19), and the Ketoress (incense, Shemot 30:34-38), the eleven blessings that Moshe gave to the tribes (Devarim 33:6-25), and the Chariot of Yehezkel (Yehezkel 1).

87. And the portion about vows (Bamidbar 30) and Mishnayot of the Tractate of Shavuot.

88. Through submission (-before G-d), a decree is annulled.

89. Through the Song of Songs, decrees are annulled.

90. One who is able to engage in Torah, and does not, suffering comes upon him.

91. The Tractate Ohalot (Tents - dealing with the parameters of impurity) is conducive to annulling decrees.

92. One who raises a dog arouses Din(judgement).

93. Sometimes, the Holy One Blessed be He pushes a wicked person down into some hardship, in order that he go to the Tzaddik and ask that he (the Tzadik) pray on his behalf.

94. Sweetening the Dinim is through casting lots, as with (the goat sent) to Azazel (on Yom Kippur). (The explanation of this matter I heard from his (Rabbi Nachman) holy mouth, at the time when I wrote this before him: That one should take two coins, and cast upon them lots -- one lot “to G-d”, and one lot “to Azazel”. The coin that on it came up the lot "to G-d" should be given to charity, and the second one that on it came up “to Azazel” should be thrown away (destroyed), and through this the judgment is sweetened.)

95. Sometimes when the Tzaddik of the Generation with his anger that he is angry at you, he sweetens judgments.

96. When a new king arises among the nations or a new minister, then the Din(judgement) is aroused.

97. Through being stiff-necked against repentance, one brings on himself a great breakdown which has no healing.

98. It is not good for two people with the same name to dwell in the same home (lit. in one home).

99. Through depression, one arouses harsh judgment.

100. Through abashment the Din (judgement) is sweetened.

101. One should make known his suffering to the public (See also above #15).

102. When authority is given to a destructive angel, he doesn't differentiate between the righteous and the evil. Furthermore, he even starts with the righteous.

103. A change of place tears up an edict.

104. Through having mercy one sweetens the Din (judgement).

105. Sometimes a man dies from fear or some other sudden death, believe that this was his appointed time.

106. Through a lowly bearing, one can annul a harsh decree.

107. Through attending to tzaddikim, the judgment is sweetened.

108. In the merit of visiting the sick, one will not have a painful death.

109. When the measure (attribute) of Din (judgement) of Above reaches a man, even if it has not begun to prevail over him, one can sense the measure (attribute) of Din through the flies that are in the house.

1. One who works to sweeten judgments, through this it will be easy for him to sanctify G-d's name, without prevention. Also, his eyes will not become dim.

2. Through suffering, crowns are made.

3. One who accepts suffering in order to lessen the suffering of the Jewish people, through this he will merit Divine Inspiration.

4. The portions on the festivals written in the (Torah) portion of Pinchas are conducive (segulah) through reading them to annul Dinim, and they are conducive to triumph under the gentile legislation.

5. Through charity, one sweetens the judgments of the Time to Come, that is, of the Day of Judgment in the Time to Come.

6. One who knows, when he sees a Din (judgement) on Israel, to flip the Din onto another nation, in the aspect of "and I will put a man in your place"(Isaiah 43:4), through this all the creations return their power and become included in him – in this man, in order to renew their power. Also through this the gate of various parables is opened in the world.

7. Those benefactors of kindness, who do kindness and sometimes cause - through the kindness they do – something bad, and they pretend they do not see the bad which resulted from their kindness. This is the aspect of the warning given to the Cohanim (priests), who are the aspect of kindness, not to take large steps (end of the portion of Yisro, Shemos). Through this, they cause the Judgment Above to be without deliberation. Also the opposite: When they take particular care in their kindness, that evil should not result from it, through this the Judgment Above is with deliberation.

8. One who rebels (lit. kicks) against suffering is as if he says to G-d, "Leave me!"

9. When a man learns until he is exhausted, through this he sweetens judgments and arouses mercy. Also through this, he arouses mercy for (lit. by) his father in the grave.

10. Appeasement of the Measure (attribute) of Judgment is not (can not be accomplished) with empty hands.

11. One who was bitten by a dog, it is certain that G-d's mercy has been withdrawn from him. Also, it is certain that he has transgressed with (eating) forbidden foods.

12. Sometimes a man is hidden from the Measure (attribute) of Judgment, with this that the Tzaddik exalts and glorifies himself over the man and casts him down.