אות - רסא

I further found in the handwriting of the associates: Know that there is grace [chen] — and one who can make use of this grace can ask a dream question and know the future through dreams. For in all dreams there are certainly future matters, only that there are in them various dross and chaff — as it is brought that most dreams go after the mouth [interpretation]. But through grace one can extract from the dream the true matter alone.

And know — that this grace is not a name and not a matter of magic or witchcraft. Rather it is a spiritual matter. And one merits to this grace through the attribute of grace — that one is gracious to all people and conducts himself with graciousness to all. And through this one merits to this grace, and through this one knows the future through dreams as mentioned.

And this is the aspect of: "Grace is deceitful" (Proverbs 31:30) — because through grace one can draw the true matter from the dream, and false and deceit are dross that mixes in. And "beauty is vain" — for from those who only follow external beauty and appearance without grace — they have nothing. And "a woman who fears Hashem, she shall be praised" — for the fear of Heaven purifies the grace, so that through grace and fear of Heaven one can draw the true matter from the dream.

Someone told me who had been conversing with him, o.b.m., about the matter of young men — which is a common occurrence — where some failure occurs between them and their wives and they separate from each other for some time, and sometimes this leads to complete separation, Heaven forbid. He said this is the work of the destroyer [ba'al davar], Heaven forbid. And one must know that the world is full of such advice-givers who advise and push young married couples apart. For he lies in ambush greatly to trap them in their youth through the destruction of domestic peace, causing through his cunning the peace between them to be ruined. And he spoke at length in this discourse.

He warned to honor and cherish one's wife. For he said: Do not the women suffer very great pain and suffering from their children — the pain of pregnancy and birth and raising children — as is known to all, the great extent of their pain, suffering, and anguish in many difficult and heavy ways? Therefore one must have compassion for them, cherish them, and honor them very greatly. And so our Sages o.b.m. said (Bava Metzia 59a): 'Honor your wives so that you may become wealthy.' And so they also said (Yevamos 63a): 'It is sufficient for us that they raise our children,' etc.

He strongly warned against eating raw onions at all[451] — even with oil or fat, even through mixtures such as with eggs and the like — even on Shabbos.[452] And he ridiculed those who say that on Shabbos it is a mitzvah to eat something harmful, such as raw onions. And he said they are very harmful in many respects, and he then enumerated various matters of illness and pain and weakness that they cause — but I forgot them in their particulars. But the general rule is that he was very stringent and warned very greatly against eating them raw at all — even through mixtures, even on Shabbos. Only cooked is it permitted to eat them. And at first we asked him about this because we had heard in the name of the Baal Shem Tov that he had strongly warned against eating raw onions. He said it is certainly so, and began to enumerate how many things they are harmful to, etc., as mentioned above. And it was then that we heard all the abovementioned.

451. RAK: See Eruvin 29b; Tosafos there 29b, s.v. "mipnei"; Taanis 30a, s.v. "Erev."

452. RAK: See Ta'amei HaMinhagim, section 368.

He said: There are Tzadikim who are great in Torah and well-versed in many books and in the teachings of our Sages o.b.m. — and because of this very fact they cannot innovate in Torah, because they are so well-versed. For when one begins to say Torah and wants to innovate some matter, their great erudition confuses them — they immediately begin to say many introductions and many matters from what they know from books, and because of this their words become confused and they cannot bring forth any fine novelty. And he then took as an example a great man of his generation who could not say Torah because of this.

And what was understood from his words was: when one wishes to innovate novelties, one must contract one's mind — not to rush immediately to confuse one's mind with many introductions that are not essential to the novelty. And one should make oneself as if not knowing, and then one can bring forth and innovate many novelties in gradual order. And he spoke more about this, but it is impossible to explain such a matter in writing — and the wise person will understand it on his own.

He said: One who wishes to innovate in Torah may innovate and expound whatever he wishes — whatever he merits to innovate through his understanding — provided he does not derive some new halacha from his discourses when he speaks in a homiletical and esoteric manner. And what was understood from his words was that even in the Kabbalistic intentions of the Ari, o.b.m., and the ways of Kabbalah — one may innovate in them as one's intellect attains, provided one does not derive from them any legal ruling, Heaven forbid.

"How the Sanctuary was destroyed" etc. "How long shall the captive cry out" etc. "How long" etc. "Son of Your maidservant" etc. (from Tikkun Chatzos [Midnight Lament]). And he hinted to me that I must cry these before Him Yisburach very greatly. And he took this as an example of how these words arouse the heart, and he said them in the melody of Chatzos in a deep, pleasant voice. Also from the poem "Dodi yarad l'gano" [My Beloved went down to His garden] he told and praised it greatly. For it speaks of the argument of the community of Israel with Hashem Yisburach and greatly arouses the heart.