אות - פז

The overturning of the table on Shabbat HaGadol [the Great Shabbos before Pesach] alludes to the fact that speech has not yet emerged from exile until Pesach, when speech emerges from exile — the aspect of "Peh Sach" [a speaking mouth], as is known (183), for this is the primary aspect of the exodus from Egypt — that speech emerged from exile. And the table is in the aspect of speech, in the aspect of (Ezekiel 41:22): "And he spoke to me: this is the table that is before Hashem" — the word "Vayidaber" [and he spoke] precisely — for the essential sustenance and eating which is the aspect of a table derives from there, from the aspect of speech, in the aspect of: "For by every utterance of Hashem's mouth does man live" (Devarim 8:3). And when speech is in exile, then the table which is the aspect of speech in the aspect of "face" [panim] — in the aspect of: "And he spoke to me — this is the table before Hashem" — precisely the aspect of "face" (184). And therefore on Shabbat HaGadol — which is before the exodus from Egypt — it is then in the aspect of the overturning of the table, alluding that speech was in the exile of Egypt, until we merited the exodus from Egypt on Pesach, when speech emerged from exile — the aspect of Peh Sach as mentioned above.

183. RAK: Shaar HaKavanos, Pesach 6. Likutay Moharan 49.

184. RAK: See Likutay Moharan 67. Zimras HaAretz, folio 135.

Know that there are bundles upon bundles of transgressions, may the Merciful One protect us (185), for "one transgression drags another transgression" (Avos 4:2) — when a person transgresses, Heaven forbid, the first transgression drags him to commit other transgressions that are specifically connected to it. And similarly when he commits another transgression, Heaven forbid, it also drags connected transgressions along with it — for every transgression and transgression drags the transgressions connected to it, which are pulled after it. But not transgressions unconnected to it.

And this is the aspect of bundles upon bundles of transgressions, Heaven forbid. For the first transgression together with the transgressions that were dragged after it — namely those connected to it as mentioned — they are in the aspect of one bundle of transgressions. And similarly another transgression together with the transgressions connected to it that were dragged after it is another bundle, and so on — until there come to be, Heaven forbid, bundles upon bundles of transgressions, may the Merciful One protect us.

And from each and every bundle a band of destroyers and accusers is created (Avos 4:11). And the destroyers cry out: "Give us life! Give us sustenance!" — for he is the ba'al averah [master of the transgression]. That is — he is the owner of the transgression and must give them life and sustenance (186). For the first transgression he committed without compulsion, and he must certainly give it sustenance. And even the other transgressions connected to the first transgression that were dragged after it — he must give them sustenance as well. And even though he was as though compelled to commit them since the first transgression dragged them as mentioned — even so he must give them sustenance, for they have the argument: you should have performed a mitzvah immediately after the first transgression, and the mitzvah would have protected him (187). Therefore he must give sustenance and vitality to all of them.

And the remedy is that he should learn to perform and fulfill the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy and kindness (188) — that is, to have compassion and to multiply acts of kindness and to fulfill all the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy (189). For by fulfilling the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy he arouses from above the Thirteen Supernal Attributes of Mercy, and through this the destroyers that were created by the transgressions are subdued and pass away — in the aspect of: "G-d, King Who sits upon the throne of mercy... forgiving the transgressions of His people, causing the first ones to pass first." That is — through the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, the Holy Blessed One causes the first transgressions of each and every bundle to pass away, and then the rest of the transgressions in the bundle return to Hashem Yisburach and He blessed He gives them vitality.