Translation:Likutei Etzot

by Nachman of Breslov

Version notes and goals: There is the following Greenbaum translation, "Advice," that is very powerfully written and with a beautiful English, however it is sometimes loose in translation and some numbers don't match the original and some Ot's are missing: https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Etzot
The following draft version attempts to be more accurate and literal, but it needs improvement: https://breslovbooks.com/pdf/hebrew-likutay-eitzot.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20210804153231/https://breslovbooks.com/download-books.html

B"H This translation should try to be both accurate, easy to read, and powerfully written.

Introduction from the Second Edition

"Who is the man that desires life?" (Ps. 34:13). Who will choose eternal life? Who truly cares about his soul? Who is for Hashem? (Ex. 32:26) Pay attention to this little book. It is small in size but rich in quality. "Look.. behold, and be totally astounded, for a great work has been done in our days" (Hab. 1:5), when paths and advices, wondrous and awesome, new and old, have been revealed, "founded on bases of fine gold" (Song 5:15), "planted by flowing water" (Ps. 1:3), gushing from "the spring that comes from the House of Hashem" (Joel 4), "deep waters, the counsel in the heart of the Leader, drawn by the Discerning Man" (Prov. 20:5).

"Come and see the works of Hashem" (Ps. 46:9). Pay attention to these words, for they are words that stand at the peak of the world, "words of the Living God" (Eruvin 13b), King of the World. Words to revive all souls, from the smallest to the greatest, from the soul at the top of all levels to that at the very bottom. No holy word of advice is hidden from you that you will not find in this book. Nothing that your soul asks will not emanate from this little book.

Prick up your ears and hear. Open your eyes and see. Understand and see the very truth. Turn away from crookedness of heart, from the paths of scoffing and falsehood. Keep far from vain sophistication. Take pity on your soul and direct your understanding and your thoughts to the truth alone. For if you stray from the truth, who will you be deceiving? Only yourself.

Take this book; examine it. Do its words contain even a hint of dishonesty, God forbid?! Have its footsteps strayed from the path of righteousness and truth that our fathers of old walked? In Hashem I have trusted - I will not be ashamed of these words, not in this world nor in the Coming World. "I will totally acknowledge Hashem with my mouth, and among the multitudes will I praise Him" (Ps. 109:30), Who "has stood by the right hand of one poor as myself" (:31), and has given me the strength and the courage to gather such precious flowers, precious segulot, and eternal healings. Such a source of vitality, from "the fountains of living water" (Gen. 26:19), "out of the wellsprings of salvation" (Isa. 12:3). Everything that flows from them is founded on the words of our fathers and teachers, of blessed memory, in the Written Torah and the Oral Torah, in the Scriptures, the Babylonian Talmud, the Jerusalem Talmud, the Midrashim and the books of the Holy Zohar and the Arizal's writings. These are the sources for all the teachings set forth in this awesome volume. To dwell on their praises would be to detract from the many veils that conceal their depth. But anyone whoever honestly examines them will see for himself the rare glory of their greatness.

The truth will testify for itself. Hashem, God of truth will give truth to Yaakob (Mic. 7:20); He will send His light and truth and shall ever lead us in the path of truth. He will incline our shoulders to serve Him all the days of our lives in truth, and to love peace and truth, until the throne of David will be set in kindness and he will sit upon it in truth, soon in our days, Amen.

Cover Page

Sefer

Likutei Etzot

containing

Part One and Part Two

Arranged by Alef-Bet

Straight ways and wondrous advices, "Hashem's counsel standing forever," flowing from that Spring that comes out of the House of Hashem, from the Torah of Rabbeinu haKadosh MOHARAN - Moreinu W'Rabbeinu Ha-rav Rabbi Nachman, Memory of the Righteous for Blessing for the Life of the World to Come. To motivate, to awaken, to strengthen, and to attract every person wherever he may be, to guide him toward revival, recovery and healing, and to enliven him with True Eternal Life, to give him something that remains forever in everlasting, Amen so be His will.

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This holy book has been printed previously but not in entirety, only in part. It also had errors and things out of order. Therefore we now print it again, the entire book with the topics in order, the way they should be and with precise editing.

Table of Contents

• 1 AEMET W'EMUNAH - Truth and Faith
• 2 ANACHAH - Sighing
• 3 Eating
• 4 Hospitality
• 5 Eretz Yisrael
• 6 Berit
• 7 Children
• 8 Trust
• 9 Shame
• 10 Clothing
• 11 Arrogance and Humility
• 12 Knowledge
• 13 Speech
• 14 Hitbodedut
• 15 Strengthening
• 16 Divine Attainments
• 17 Confession
• 18 Memory
• 19 Philosophy and Secular Wisdom
• 20 Marriage
• 21 Midnight
• 22 Travel
• 23 Fear of God
• 24 Anger
• 25 Honor
• 26 Scoffing
• 27 Money and Livelihood
• 28 Thoughts
• 29 Dispute and Discord
• 30 Obstacles and Inhibitions
• 31 Mikveh
• 32 MOADEI HASHEM -- Shabbat
  • 33 Rosh Chodesh
  • 34 Three Festivals
  • 35 Nisan and Passover
  • 36 Omer and Shavuot
  • 37 Three Weeks
  • 38 Elul
  • 39 Rosh Hashana
  • 40 Yom Kippur
  • 41 Sukkot
  • 42 Chanukah
  • 43 Purim
• 44 Music
• 45 Patience
• 46 Brazenness
• 47 Advice
• 48 Eyes
• 49 Redeeming Prisoners
• 50 Tzaddik
• 51 Charity
• 52 Tzitzit
• 53 Sanctity
• 54 Desire and Yearning
• 55 Healing
• 56 Happiness
• 57 Peace
• 58 Torah Learning
• 59 Prayer
• 60 Discipline
• 61 Tefillin
• 62 Fasting
• 63 Repentance
• 64 Completeness

Alef

AEMET W'EMUNAH - Truth and Faith

1. Redemption depends mainly on faith, because the root cause of Exile is none other than lack of faith. (Likutei Moharan 7:1)

2. Faith, prayer, miracles, and the Land of Israel are one thing; they are all interdependent (Ibid.).

3. There are people who cover over all the miracles with natural explanations. When these unbelievers are finished, who have no faith in miracles, and when faith abounds in the world – then Mashiach will come, for Redemption depends on faith, as mentioned (Ibid.).

4. The only way to get faith is by truth. (That is, faith can only be in something the intellect cannot discern, for where the intellect can discern something, faith does not apply. Now then, when the intellect cannot discern something – from what [basis] should he come to believe in the thing he should believe in?! Therefore the root of faith depends on truth: if a man wants to honesty look at the very truth – he will discern automatically that he needs to believe the holy faith in Hashem Yitbarakh and the True Tzaddikim and His Holy Torah, even though it's impossible to understand with his physical mind. For by gazing at the truth honestly he will discern from afar that the truth is just so; only, it's impossible to understand intellectually so one must simply strengthen himself in complete faith. Understand this well.) (2).

5. To come to the truth is impossible except by following the True Tzaddikim and carrying out their advice, without veering left or the right from their words. Then the truth will be etched in you and you will achieve genuine faith etc. as mentioned. Also you must keep well away from the advice of the wicked who raise every kind of question about the truth. All this you can get by the miswah of Tzitzit [the fringes, v. Tzitzit #1], which are a hedge against sexual misdeed which is the aspect of the advice of the wicked, and you will be able to purify yourself and observe the Covenant which is the aspect of the Tzaddikim's guidance (Ibid. 3-4).

6. Praying vigorously and putting all your strength into the letters – will bring you to faith (9:1).

7. The people that deny that miracles are possible and claim that everything that happens has a natural explanation, and who can actually witness a miracle and still glaze over it with a natural explanation – they are extremely damaging to religious faith, prayer, and the Land of Yisrael, and they prolong the exile (Ibid. 2).

8. The less faith there is, the more the face of Hashem is concealed and the more fiercely His anger burns, God forbid. At such times the Tzaddikim shy away from accepting positions of authority and honor and the world is left without true leadership. But if people break their anger and show loving compassion instead, then (God's own) anger will be sweetened, and then the true Tzaddikim will again be willing to accept roles of leadership and honor and the world will be ready for the true leader who has the power to bring each person to his own complete fulfillment (18:2).

9. Nobody should accept a position of leadership and authority unless he has attained the complete level of faith. Even someone who still has some trace of Amorite ways (superstition) such as "a deer crossed my path," even if he believes in Hashem Yitbarakh he should not become a leader. Even if someone is convinced he loves the world and claims this as his motive for leadership, really he is pursuing prestige and attributing his motive to love. This can result in heresy and apostasy, God forbid. But Heaven takes pity and doesn't let these people take hold of authority (Ibid. 3).

10. You need to take great care that your faith never gets weak, God forbid. For a person whose faith is weak is unable to accept honest criticism. Then peace is ruined, causing breakup and disputes, God forbid, and one comes to denial, idolatry, and false beliefs. For faith is the main high seal of holiness so one must guard it well since by guarding it all sanctity is preserved (22:1,2).

11. It is impossible to reach total faith except by coming to the True Tzaddikim of the Era, for they are the ones who instill the Yisraelite faith into the people of the era, for they are the encompassment of all sanctity (Ibid. 3).

12. Truth and faith align with anpin nehorin (a shining face), joy, and life - therefore you attain arikhut yamim ("length of days"). Conversely sheker (untruth and things that are detrimental to faith) shortens days, for deceit corresponds to death, anpin chashukhin ("a dim face"), and foreign devotions, God forbid (23:1).

13. Faith is (Gen. 49:1, Dan 10:14, et. al.), acharit ha-yamim ("the last of days") for all the traits stand on her, for faith is the basis and root of all sanctity. And it has already been explained above (#4) that truth leads to faith. (Ibid. 3).

14. Even a person who attains a certain level of religious insight and understanding needs to fill that intellect with faith, for an intellect alone is not something to rely on. (Ibid. 6).

15. Torah scholars with knowledge of the hidden Torah (talmidei chakhamim) who lack personal integrity, who teach "fallen Torah" – they cause the spread of heresy and lack of belief, and for those who fear Hashem to be despised and opposed. The remedy for this is to extend welcome and hospitality to true Talmidei Chakhamim, which will lead to faith and to breaking the heresy and contempt, and to overcome the opposers (28:1-3).

16. The root of charity's importance and completeness is faith, and all the blessings that come by doing charity – they are not complete except when there is faith, which is the source of all blessings. And the main way to faith is by keeping the holy Shabbat (31:2).

17. And all things depend on faith for their perfection, and without faith nothing is complete. Even the Torah which is the source of Godly knowledge only has perfection through faith, for faith is the foundation of the whole Torah, for the main thing is faith (Ibid.).

18. Faith only lasts by guarding of the Covenant (31:3).

19. Faith refreshes the intellect - which is the soul - during sleep. And sleep helps a person attain new insight and a new spirit from the light of God's "face" (35:3-5).

20. Any flaw in people's faith, God forbid, is tantamount to idolatry. Because of this the rains are withheld (Taanit 8) and the world has no contentment or peace, and no one helps his neighbor, and everyone has to travel from place to place to make a living (40).

21. Truth is the source of genuine wealth. Whoever blemishes the truth will come to poverty, and also be despised and disgraced. But whoever maintains the trait of truth will have abundant livelihood (47).

22. Falsehood damages the eyes — physically and spiritually (51).

23. When a person tells lies it stirs up impurities in the blood, causing melancholy. The resulting tears are very harmful to the eyes. One cannot speak lies unless his blood is impure; and he cannot speak truth unless he first purifies his blood (Ibid.).

24. Falsehood is evil and corrupt. A person who is false tosses Hashem Yitbarakh's protective care from himself. But a person who is truthful will enjoy God's care and protection in all ways (Ibid.).

25. There is only one truth but a whole multitude of lies. You can only say one truth about any given object — just what it is and nothing else. Silver is silver and only silver. Gold is gold and only gold. But lies can be multiplied without end. Silver can be called copper...or tin...or lead...or any other name you can think of. That is why the truth will come out in the end and all the current opposition to the true Tzaddikim will disappear. The basic cause of this opposition is the terrible spread of falsehood everywhere. Where the truth is acknowledged to be only one there is no place for opposition. Therefore the truth which is definitely one will stay and thrive forever, because the truth is HaShem's oneness. All lies, from which opposition comes, will be lost and it [truth] will stand forever, for "the truth of HaShem is forever." (Ps. 117:2) (Ibid.).

26. When you want to become merged with "One" and to connect "after Creation" with "before the Creation" where it is all one, all good, and all holy, as it was before Creation - guard yourself from deceit and speak truth. Be a man of real truth and through this you'll be incorporated into "One," for truth is one as we have already stated (Ibid.).

27. Faith opens the gates of holiness (57:8).

28. It's only called "faith" when the one who believes does not know the reason why. Even so, for the believer himself the thing he believes in is perfectly clear and obvious to him — as if he sees with his own eyes what he believes in; that's how great is his total faith. (62:5).

29. To complete your faith you need to draw the distant people closer to Hashem Yitbarakh. This is achieved by fasting, and then by his eating the Holy One and His Divine Presence are united face to face (Ibid. 1,3,5).

30. When people lack absolute faith, many of them fall into misguided thinking of making the [physical] means obligatory between themselves and Hashem Yitbarakh. That is, they believe in Hashem Yitbarakh, but they believe also in the means and they think those means are obligatory. For example they put their faith in their means of livelihood, that it's the commerce, thinking that the commerce is the essential thing — as if God forbid without it Hashem Yitbarakh would have no other means of providing them with their sustenance. Or in the means of healing, they make the medicine the essential thing, as if God forbid without those medicines Hashem would have be unable to cause healing. Not so. For Hashem Yitbarakh is the means of all means and the cause of all causes, so you don't need any one means. When involved with these means we need to put our faith only in Hashem Yitbarakh, and not to make the means the main thing (Ibid. 6).

31. The rule is everything we do: prayer, learning Torah, carrying out the commandments - everything is in order that the kingship of, and the faith in, His Blessedness be revealed (77).

32. If you are very strong in your faith you will eventually reach understanding of what you believe in. The stronger your faith the greater your understanding will be. At the outset you have no option but to have faith because you cannot understand the matter rationally. Through faith you will come to understand it. Except that then there will be new, more exalted levels which are still hidden from you and beyond your ability to understand rationally. Here again you will have to make the effort to believe. You must always have faith in the levels that are hidden from you. In the end you will understand them also. And so the process goes on. The main thing is that your faith must be so strong that it spreads to all your limbs. This faith will bring you to true wisdom (91).

33. One who always wants to be victorious is intolerant of truth. The truth may be staring him in the face, but because he is determined to win he rejects it. So if you want the real truth you must rid yourself of the urge to win. Then you will be able to see the truth if you really want it (122).

34. Faith contains the power of growth; faith is the way to patience. That is, a person with perfect faith will grow and develop in serving His Blessedness no matter what he may have to go through, because no difficulty or obstacle will throw him off course. He will just have patience and endure whatever he's going through. For, all the obstacles and confusions in serving Hashem, in which he doesn't draw closer to those who fear Hashem, is all a result of being unhappy, lazy and heavy due to a lack of faith, because if he truly had as complete faith as he should, he would definitely run and hurry to follow them. Similarly, that he does not pray properly is also because of laziness and heaviness that comes from lack of faith. Because definitely if he had total faith, he would believe Hashem Yitbarakh stands over him, hears every word coming out of his mouth and listens to the voice of his prayer; he would definitely pray properly, with enthusiasm and aspiration. Just the main thing that confuses people to not pray is a lack of faith. Similarly, when people do not go and follow Tzaddikim and the pious, and do not serve Hashem in truth – it is all due to a lack of faith, which makes him lazy, sad and heavy. But when he has complete faith, nothing can hold him back. He just exercises patience and endures everything, and he grows and develops in serving Hashem no matter what (155).

35. You get this faith and patience by the Land of Yisrael. Everyone needs to pray to Hashem Yitbarakh with longing and yearning for the Land of Yisrael, till he merits to get there. Even all the tzaddikim should have great longing for the Land of Yisrael. And this is a segulah (propitious method) to neutralize anger and sadness. For faith and patience which one merits in the Land of Yisrael are the opposite of anger and sadness (Ibid.).

36. The main thing that makes total faith is that he has to have such as strong faith that it's extremely pure and clear, so much so that it's like he actually sees with his eyes the thing that he believes in, as explained above, #28 (234).

37. Controversy and divisiveness can cause kosher people to start having the thoughts of evil people, thoughts of disbelief. To fix this: be silent and leave "the battle to Hashem" (Ex. 17:16) (251).

38. A man of truth, who carries out all the miswoth with all their fine details between him and his Creator, making no difference for him whether people are present or not - for in him is no trace of deceit, God forbid, to do some motion in His service for peoples' display - he draws to himself the power of all the forms of charity, and thereby neutralizes the thoughts of disbelief (Ibid.).

39. When a man is experiencing some kind of suffering, God forbid, it means the truth has become flawed. Therefore he must guard himself exceedingly, that he not be ensnared in error and falsehood because of the suffering (II 2:4).

40. By giving thanks to His Holy Name at all times for whatever one is experiencing - and especially when he gets out of some suffering, God forbid - and by the study of Halakhot (Torah law), truth will radiate in his speech, and will perfect all aspects of his speech. For the existence and the perfection of speech comes only through truth. Then he merits to pray in truth, which is the essence of perfect prayer, and he'll merit receiving the Torat Emet from a True Rabbi who will show him the way in his True Torah, and he will merit arranging real matches - that Hashem Yithbarakh should summon for him and for his children their true match. All this is attained through thanks and acknowledgment to His Blessed Name and by learning Halakhot, as mentioned. In this way one can draw down the blessing, the sanctity, and the joy of Shabbat into the secular weekdays. Then the simple Unity which underlies all the diverse phenomena of this world will be revealed: to believe and to know the truth, that all the different things in the world stem from the simple Unity, of the Blessed One. Knowing this is very precious on High; even in His Blessedness's view it is something wondrous, precious and important (Ibid.).

41. The main thing is Emunah (faith). So every person has to search himself, and strengthen his faith. For blemish of faith brings extraordinary afflictions, that neither treatments nor prayer nor ancestral merit can help. The sick person isn't even helped by the sound of his sighs and groans, for such sounds can sometimes help the sick person by arousing mercy for him. But on account of the fall of faith, these too do not help (II 5:1).

42. When a man is so fallen from faith, God forbid, that even the wordless screams are of no avail, then one has to cry out from the heart (alone), as in (Ps. 130:1) "From the depths I call to you, Y-H!" This causes deep counsels to be revealed. Then all of the aforementioned is repaired, which are the healing, prayer, ancestral merit, etc. (Ibid. 2).

43. Allowing the holy faith to decline, causes false doctrines and beliefs to gain strength. Conversely, raising and repairing the holy faith, causes the false beliefs to weaken and fall, and the idolaters turn away from their false beliefs toward the holy faith and they convert. Sometimes they become "potential converts," meaning that even though they don't actually come and convert, they nevertheless recognize Hashem Yitbarakh in the place where they are, and they know and believe that there is a One, a First, Yitbarakh. And sometimes they become actual converts, who come and convert. These converts can cause harm to Yisrael, and they bring pride and promiscuity into Yisrael. So for this there are many tikkunim (repairs) that are still needed (see there) [and see Tefilin #6, Joy #24] (Ibid. 4,5).

44. The main way to attain perfect faith is by following the True Tzaddik who has attained the level of Ruach haKodesh ("holy spirit" of prophecy), whereby the Medammeh ("imagination;" man's faculty for symbolic thought and fantasy) is refined and cleansed, which is the main thing that perfects the faith, as it allows him to believe in Hashem Yitbarakh and in the Renewal of the world, which is the foundation of everything. The whole world depends on this (see Tzaddik #98) (8:7,8).

45. Faith depends on a person's mouth. You must declare the faith with your mouth, as it's written (Ps. 89:1), "I will declare Your faith with my mouth." So when someone falls from the faith, God forbid, the solution is to declare the faith with his mouth, saying out loud, "I believe!" and so forth. For this very act of declaring the faith, is itself a type of faith. Also it will bring you to perfect faith, for faith depends on your mouth, as mentioned (44).

46. Conversely, too, God forbid: One must be very careful to not utter any words of doubt or disbelief, God forbid, even as a joke. That is, in his heart he believes, but he just quotes somebody's words of disbelief and ridicules them. This too is very forbidden, because it damages your faith. For regarding Hashem Yitbarakh it's forbidden to say words of mockery, even as a jest (Ibid.).

47. You must take great care to not look at philosophical books at all, for they cause severe destruction and damage to the holy faith. We have explained this in many places, but we need to repeat this warning many times, so that you do not lose your eternal reward in an instant, God forbid (Ibid.).

48. It's better to believe some things that are foolish or untrue, in order to have faith in the truth as well, than to have disbelief in everything, God forbid. That is, one could so much deny the foolish and untrue things, that he mocks everything and denies the truth as well (Sichot haRan #103).

49. Perfect faith is only when you believe in Hashem Yitbarakh without any sophistication at all - without signs or miracles, without any philosophical reasoning - just a simple, pure and innocent faith, like the Yisraelite women and simple folk believe (Ibid. 33).

50. There are intellectuals who are versed even in the hidden Torah and who have no faith [in God]. These intellectuals are called Baalei Raathan [Ketubot 77b]. You must stay far from them and their area as far as you can get, for our sages obm warned us to literally stay far from Baalei Raathan, for the very breath of their mouths can be very destructive to kosher people and it cause them to fall into promiscuity, God forbid. For these intellectuals are themselves usually sexually immoral (Ibid. 106).

51. When you take such joy in Torah and miswoth that you dance for joy (raising your feet), it will elevate your faith (LM II 81).

52. When a person is in a state of "constricted consciousness" and weak in his faith, this is the time for difficult devotions such as fasting etc. But someone with total faith can serve Hashem Yitbarakh with all things, for "The Holy One, Blessed is He, does not act like a despot over His creatures" (Avodah Zarah 3a) (86).

53. Faith is counted as a righteous merit (Gen. 15:6) (Sichot haRan 34).

54. Faith brings children. Emunah אמונה is gematria Banim בנים (Ibid.).

55. Faith has an enormous power. Through faith and simplicity alone, with no sophistication whatsoever, you can reach the level of Ratzon (Desire) which is beyond even that of the Wisdom of Holiness (Chokhmah d'Kedushah). That is, your desire for Hashem Yitbarakh will be so extraordinarily strong with such a rapid yearning that you simply do not know what to do because of the great longing and you cry out with yearning (Ibid. 32).

56. There are cases where people are riddled with doubts about the holy faith because they were not conceived in holiness. And some people have made this worse by their own misdeeds, for there are transgressions that cause a person to have doubts. For all of this, one needs to feel shame and to have a "broken heart," for whoever has doubts like this, God forbid, against the holy faith, ought to be very, very ashamed for causing this by his transgressions. But the shame and a "broken heart" will drive out and break the doubts. Also a great advice for attaining faith has already been described - declaring words of faith with his mouth, as mentioned (in #45) (Ibid.).

57. Whoever has faith lives life; but someone without faith, God forbid, has no life at all. There is nobody who doesn't go thorough many troubles - incidents and hardships - for (Job. 5:7) "Man was born to struggle." But when he has faith then even when troubles and hardships come, God forbid, he can give himself comfort and vitality, that Hashem Yitbarakh loves him and means everything for his ultimate good, and that the hardships are for his benefit and atonement: for everything that Hashem does is for the best. But the sophisticated disbeliever, when some trouble comes he has no one to turn to and no way to give himself vitality and comfort. This is why he has no life at all, since he chooses to go without Hashem Yitbarakh and not under His watch, God save us. But with faith, life is always good (Ibid.).

58. Faith in the unity of God comes mainly through the True Tzaddikim, who are spike of the letter Daleth (ד), as it is brought in the holy Zohar, that the Tzaddik is the spike of the letter Daleth etc. [and without this spike Echad becomes Acher - "one" becomes "other," God forbid] (Tikkunei Zohar #21 55b; LM 10:5).

ANACHAH - Sighing

1. The sighing and groaning that the "Ish ha-Yisraeli" does, is very precious, for it brings completion to anything that is lacking. But the sighing only brings completion to whatever is lacking if he is a follower of the Tzaddik who is the True Rav of the Era, for the Ruach Chayyim (Spirit of Life) is received from him, to bring completion to the lackings by means of sighing (Likutei Moharan 8; see Tzaddik #11).

2. A person may be praying properly or doing Hitbodedut (talking to God) - when meanwhile he falls from the level he is at. This is caused by some flaw in his faith. He should feel a "broken heart" and embarrassment - how could he fall from heaven to earth?! He should have pity on himself to the point that he sighs, and the sigh with bring him back to his level (108).

3. How precious when you sigh out of longing for something holy. The sigh you let out because you are far from holiness breaks the bonds of impurity and ties you with the bonds of holiness. But the opposite is true if you sigh for some craving, God forbid (109).

4. One sigh of regret for your sins or how little you've attained (in perceptions of Godliness) is worth more than many acts of self-deprivation and fasts (Ibid.). See more regarding sighing in Azut #2-3. Because sighing for something holy can actually break the bodily Azut (brazenness). Then the soul can approach the body and inform it something of her perceptions of God and so forth; see there.

ACHILAH - Eating

1. Eating in a kosher, proper way - when you eat deliberately and don't just gulp it down - this repairs your intellect and subdues folly. But when someone eats like a glutton and drunkard then the foolishness overwhelms the intellect and the light of the Tzaddik becomes dim for him, and he cannot receive from him the fear and the love (of God) (17:2,3).

2. Giving charity to True Tzaddikim and to poor people who are genuinely deserving, causes converts to be made and the blemish in eating to be repaired. Then your intellect is completed and you will be privileged to see the light of the Tzaddik, which will make you privileged to receive the fear and the love from him (Ibid.).

3. When a person attains perfect mastery of the Holy Tongue and guards the Holy Covenant, he has the power to arouse the sparks of all the Letters that exist throughout every thing. Then his eating and drinking and other enjoyments comes only from the sparking of the Letters, which makes his heart shine, causing his face to shine. Then he reaches where his face is so pure that other people are moved to Repentance just by seeing his face, for whoever looks at his face sees his own reflected there as if in a mirror, and sees how deep in the dark he is - to the point that without any rebuke or moral teaching he arouses the other to Repentance just by seeing his face (19:7-9).

4. When someone feels a kind of hunger that is an urgent craving, he should know there are forces that hate him. So he has to attack and break his beastly urge to eat, because this hunger is being caused by the beastly part of his nature; then he'll be safe from the forces that hate him (39).

5. Craving food brings strife on a person; people will insult and despise him. But a person who breaks the love of food attains peace - and then there will also be peace in the realms Above. Then a great contentment in the world will reveal itself and flourish (Ibid.).

6. Whoever is sunk in the love of food, it is certain that he is far from the truth, and it is certain that he's under the force of heavenly judgments. It's also a sign of coming poverty, and that he will be subject to disgrace and shame (47).

7. Whoever breaks the love of food, the Holy Blessed One will perform miracles through him (Ibid.).

8. There are people who sleep away all their days. Some have fallen in the category of sleep through cravings and bad deeds. And some are kosher, decent people, except that their downfall is from eating. Because sometimes when a person eats a food that isn't refined to the level of Man's food, it causes his mind to fall in a kind of sleep. For when you eat in a sanctified way, food that is pure, it lights up your face, meaning your intellect. But when someone's eating is not sanctified then the food brings evil upon his heart causing the loss of this face and intellect, and he falls into a kind of sleep. Even if everyone thinks he is serving Hashem and involved in Torah and prayer, nevertheless he is in the category of sleep, because all his service stays down below and Hashem Yitbarakh has no satisfaction from it. He needs to be awakened from his sleep - but it's impossible to awaken him unless he first has a bit of awakening by himself. The awakening from sleep so that people don't waste their days, God forbid, in sleep, is achieved by the True Tzaddik's story telling. Fortunate is whoever can come to a Tzaddik like this that can awaken him from his sleep, to not sleep away all his days, God forbid! (60:6)

9. The food for "Ish ha-Yisraeli" needs to first be refined of any impurity of the Sitra Achra, because food that has impurities can cause a person to make mistakes. The refinement of the food is by faith, which is attained by fasting; and then his eating causes the unification of the Holy Blessed One and his Divine Presence, face to face (62:1,2,5).

10. All cravings are aspects of Klipot (husks) and Motarot (excess; waste), because the body could survive without the cravings. When a person is hit by cravings, the holiness is being attacked by the Klipot. The chief cravings are the food and drink cravings, because all the other cravings derive from them. When they gain power they drag a person's speech into exile and then he is in the category of (Ps. 69:4) "My throat is become dry" and he is unable to say any words to Hashem Yitbarakh. The remedy for this is fasting; then he'll be able to speak. Through this, one can bring those who are far toward Hashem Yitbarakh, which is the main thing that makes the faith complete. Then, his eating is a very precious thing, as explained above, for his eating causes a superb unification as mentioned (Ibid. 3-5).

11. Eating greedily damages the honor of that which is holy. Then the "brazen-faced" [unabashed tyrants] gain strength, because the honor falls to heathen nations, the wicked, and the brazen-faced of the generation who gain all the respect and power, and then it's the category of "hiding His face," the category of tragic decrees prevailing, God forbid. But when we break the craving of food then it's the "lifting of His face" upon us, the category of cancelling the severe decrees. Then the Holy Honor is made whole, and the brazen-faced have no power or authority (67:2,3).

12. You have to be very exact and eat no more than you need. Because when one eats more than his need, it does him great harm, for even the food that he needed joins together with that food and they do him severe damage (257).

13. When a person eats too much he is like a beast. Because what defines a Man is eating just what he needs - so eating more than that is really what a beast does. And overeating can cause fever (Kadachat, Lev. 26:16), God forbid. Also if what the Man eats contains some food that is insufficiently pure to be Man's food this can also cause that sickness, God forbid (263).

14. Greed for food is one of the three cravings that damage and destroy the heart's reverence. But proper celebration of Sukkot gives you an awareness (Daat) that repairs the greed for food; then you can attain reverence and prayer (II 1:4,5).

15. Sometimes the food someone eats brings him a bad dream, in the category of (Ber. 55b) "a dream sent by a demon," God forbid, which could cause a nocturnal emission, God forbid. To correct this just be happy; bolster yourself to be constantly happy (5:10).

16. Whoever is privileged to follow a True Rabbi who is able to properly illumine the Awareness of the Holy (haDaat haKadosh) for the Yisraelite people, and he himself is a successful person (Ish Chayyil) and not the opposite, a "Shlimazelnik" (unfortunate; loser) - this makes him able to receive an extraordinary revelation of the Divine Will when he eats. Meaning, the Divine Will lights up for him while eating, and he has such a powerful yearning and longing for Hashem Yitbarakh that it's infinite beyond comprehension. He has no idea what he wants; he has just a simple consuming desire toward His Blessedness (Ibid.).

17. Bodily nourishment, meaning the urge for food and drink, can weaken a person's spiritual nourishment, damaging his Reverence, which is the category of "a good smell" (Reyach Tob), which is the essence of spiritual nourishment (II 8:1).

18. By accepting rebuke from the True Tzaddik, who is able to properly rebuke Yisrael (as explained there), we make the spiritual nourishment gain strength over the physical nourishment (Ibid.).

19. A main purpose of eating is for the Berurim (clarifying, refining and extraction): in order to refine the food transforming it into fine speech, which are the blessings that are said over it, and the prayer, the learning, and serving Hashem Yitbarakh by the power of the food. Everyone needs to have these intentions when eating, and then the food becomes the aspect of the Incense and he attains happiness, and this becomes a crown of lovingkindness and goodness for King Shelomoh, of which it says (Song 3:11), "Go out and see ... the crown ..." - and this makes his livelihood come easily (16).

20. Every Yisrael, even the greatest Tzaddik, has to go through some suffering every day. The deeper his consciousness (Daat), the greater his pain. But eating in sanctity and with the fear of Heaven can help to sweeten this pain so it doesn't become overpowering, God forbid (77).

21. Eating with sanctity and fear of Heaven brings your mouth to the status of Qomat Adam (the image of God). Then you'll be privileged that the Shekhina could speak out of your throat. But whoever does not eat in sanctity, his mouth is in the animal realm; behold, he's just like an animal, God forbid (Ibid.).

22. When you are eating - it is one of the main times when the fear of Heaven comes and approaches you. Therefore you should take great care to eat in sanctity and draw upon yourself the Reverence that's approaching you then. Then you'll attain all the aforementioned (in #20-21, ibid.).

23. Take great care to never eat a fruit before it has fully ripened on the tree, for it could kill a person's life. It is also forbidden to pick a fruit before it's ripe, just as it's forbidden to chop down a fruit tree before its time (88).

24. By properly making the blessing over fruit with intense concentration and with fear of Heaven, you can avoid the dangers of unripe fruit. In fact, you need to be very careful with all the blessings of the enjoyments (food, drink, fragrances etc.) but especially with the blessings over fruit, because many lost items are actually present in the fruit of the tree, deep mysteries [such as the transmigration of souls are involved here]. These lost objects need to be refined and elevated (see there, Ibid.).

25. Cooking unripe fruit in order to make it fit for eating still doesn't help if the fruit did not ripen on the tree. But if unripe fruit is left for a time after it is picked until it ripens by itself, this does help and the fruit may be eaten (Ibid.).

26. Be careful to not gulp down your food hurriedly like a glutton. It was Esau who said (Gen. 25:30), "Let me gulp some [of this red pottage]." Be in the habit of eating at a moderate pace, calmly and with the same table manners you would show if an important guest were present. You should always eat like this, even when you are eating alone (see above, #1). Fortunate is whoever achieves this! (Chayei Moharan 515)

hakhnasat AORCHIM - HOSPITALITY

1. Welcoming true Talmidei Chakhamim (Torah scholars that are also expert in the Hidden Torah) into your home brings you to acquire faith and to break the prevalent Kefirot (heresy and lack of belief). This elevates and repairs the "fallen Torah" of the unscrupulous talmidei chakhamim, who are in the category of "Jewish demons" (see Zohar III:253a); they are the source of all the hostility towards those who fear Hashem. So this leads to defeat of the opposition (Likutei Moharan 28).

2. Offering hospitality to a Talmid Chakham repairs your prayers. Because everyone has offered some bad prayers, and they come back and confuse him when he stands up to pray a proper prayer. Welcoming and hosting the Talmid Chakham is a tikkun for this (209).

AERETZ YISRAEL - the Land of Yisrael

1. The root of faith, which corresponds to prayer and miracles, is none other place than the Land of Yisrael. That is the main place from where prayers ascend [to Heaven]; your prayers can achieve whatever is needed, and can accomplish true miracles and wonders in the world. (Likutei Moharan 7:1).

2. When the Land of Yisrael, which corresponds to faith and prayer, is abused, then we descend into exile. The main concern is prayer descending into exile: then it is impossible to pray and to do miracles in the world (Ibid.)

3. Whoever wants to really be an "Ish Yisraeli," meaning someone who keeps going from one level to the next, can only achieve this through the Land of Yisrael's holiness. Because every step that you need to ascend in holiness can only be accomplished through the Land of Yisrael. Likewise every ascension in prayer is only through the Land of Yisrael (20; Chayei Moharan 15).

4. In the merit of the Torah that we bring forth, we merit the Land of Yisrael. Also, by being present with the Tzaddik while he is drawing forth Torah and then teaches it in public - then we also have a portion in the Torah that the Tzaddik draws, and this also makes us merit getting into Eretz Yisrael (Ibid. 4,6).

5. You can only get to Eretz Yisrael through hardships. The root of the hardships stems from the wicked detractors that publicize a bad image of the Land. But drawing the Torah as mentioned, subdues the detractors and hardships. The more complete the Torah that you merit to draw forth in greater tikkun, the more you merit subduing the detractors and getting into Eretz Yisrael (Ibid. 6,10).

6. When a person has attained the aspect of Eretz Yisrael, he is called "Gibbor Takkif" (a man of strength and valor, Sifra d'Tzniuta, Gen. 10:8, Ruth 2:1). For before he's attained the aspect of Eretz Yisrael (1 Kings 20:11), "He that girds [his sword to fight] shall not boast as he that ungirds it [having won the battle]." But after, when he has won the battle, he's called Ish Milchamah (Man of War, I Sam. 16:18) (Ibid. 10).

7. By giving charity to the Land of Yisrael you become included in the air of the Land of Yisrael, which is holy breath that has no taint of sin (Shabbat 119b), and this banishes the forces of severity, darkness etc. from the world. This also guards you against foreign thoughts during prayer and makes your mind and thoughts clear and pure, which is a type of Tikkun Habrit (37:4; 44).

8. Eretz Yisrael is a Segula (has a mystical power) for having children and for relief from divisiveness and strife. Also, the sanctity of the Land of Yisrael will inform people who is the True Rabbi of the Era. Truth will spread throughout the world, and everyone will return to Hashem Yitbarakh, even the nations of the world, to serve Him (Zeph. 3:9) "with one consent" (48).

9. Praying vigorously is the way to get to Eretz Yisrael; another way is the miswah of Sukkah. Because Sukkah, vigorous prayer, and Eretz Yisrael are all one thing; they are all interdependent (Ibid.).

10. The only way to see the downfall of the wicked is by the aspect of Eretz Yisrael (55:1).

11. Praying in the proper way (as explained in Prayer #51-56) causes sparks of the Patriarchs' merits to flash forth. This allows us to feel the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael even today during the Exile, even when it's under the hand of the Sitra Achra (the forces of the Other Side) and her sanctity is hard to see. Nevertheless even in this bitter Exile these sparks of the Patriarchs' merits reveals and draws to us her sanctity. The revelation of her sanctity lets us see the downfall of the wicked. Not only will we be delivered from their evil - we will see them suffer the very evil they sought to inflict upon us. All this is accomplished by evoking the favorable side [of Heaven, causing the Tzaddikim to escape] when we look for merits in the wicked ones. This also allows the Tzaddikim, the Osei Tob (doers of good), to see and to attain P'nei Hashem (the "face" of God) (Ibid. 2,3,8,9,11,12).

12. The miswah of separating Challah is also bound up with the inherting Eretz Yisrael, because it allows us to draw the light of the Patriarchs, which lets us reveal the sanctity of the Eretz Yisrael and attain all the aforementioned (Ibid. 8).

13. Whoever travels to Eretz Yisrael truly for the sake of Heaven, to find or to get closer to Hashem Yitbarakh - Eretz Yisrael will definitely benefit him a great deal. For just by entering E"Y he is "eaten by her" (Num. 13:32) and transformed by her sacred character. Therefore, even "whoever walks four cubits in E"Y will assuredly inherit the Coming World." But whoever's motive is not at all for serving Hashem, to rid himself of his evil - then even dwelling in E"Y will be of no use, for she spews him out, a la (Lev. 18:28) "as it vomited out the nation that was before you" (129).

14. The sanctity of E"Y will bring you to faith and thereby to Arikhut Appayim ("long breath;" patience), meaning you'll break the force of anger, sadness, lethargy, and heaviness. You'll just make yourself very quick in serving Hashem, and you'll let no detractors or obstacles hinder you, because you're Erekh Appayim, patient, to endure anything (and see Aemuna #34) (155).

15. You need to pray of Hashem Yitbarakh, to have the desire and yearning for Eretz Yisrael until you merit to get there; and also that all the tzaddikim should have yearning for Eretz Yisrael. This is a Segula to cancel out anger and sadness, as mentioned (Ibid.).

16. When Hashem Yitbarakh pays back a person measure for measure it is really a great kindness, so that the person can understand from it and examine his deeds. The essential place where this happens [most directly and precisely] is Eretz Yisrael (187).

17. Eretz Yisrael is the supreme holiness comprising all the holinesses. There, we can free ourselves of the naturalistic viewpoint and come to know and believe that everything is by Heavenly supervision alone, which is the summation of holiness. This can make us like the Blessed One - dividing between light and darkness. Then we can tell stories of True Tzaddikim, having the ability to discern the difference between stories of True Tzaddikim and the opposite of them. Then the stories of True Tzaddikim can purify our Mach'shava (thoughts and thinking) and sweeten the evil decrees, saving us from all suffering (234).

18. Where you should get the right Moach (consciousness, "vibe") and the Chokhmah (wisdom) is only from Eretz Yisrael. Even those Yisrael that are outside the Land, they receive or they suckle all their Moach and Chokhmah from E"Y. Now, every Yisrael has a portion in E"Y so he suckles or receives his Chokhmah from E"Y according to his portion there. But when someone blemishes the honor of Hashem Yitbarakh, God forbid, it causes the Mochin of E"Y to fall onto the Mochin of the foreign lands, which causes controversy and strife, for the Mochin of the foreign lands are the aspect of controversy (II 71).

19. The Mochin of E"Y have the quality of "Noam," the quality of Ne'imut haTorah, the pleasantness of the Torah, the quality of peace. Charity, particularly charity for the Land of Israel, makes a vessel to receive the influx of this Noam; and then one can repair even the Mochin of the foreign lands. But when God forbid the Mochin of the foreign lands are severely damaged by people dishonoring His Blessedness then they can't be repaired - on the contrary, these foreign land Mochin even damage the Mochin of E"Y which are the quality of peace, and then there's strife even in E"Y. This is what's going on with the divisions today in E"Y being as deep as in the foreign lands (Ibid.).

20. The graves of the True Tzaddikim have the the exact same holiness as the E"Y, as it is written (Ps. 37:29), "Tzaddikim inherit the Land." Now, E"Y is a great remedy for abuse of the Berit. Therefore one must make an effort to come to their gravesites, for their gravesites are holy as mentioned, and this is a huge repair for damage to the Berit (109).

Beit

BERIT - Covenant, Its Damage and Repair

1. By Shmirat haBrit (guarding the purity of the Abrahamic Covenant) you'll gain the ability to pray (in its twofold aspect including both praise of God and asking one's needs, like a double edged sword) (2:2).

2. The basic drive of the Yetzer haRa (Evil Inclination) is for sexual promiscuity, this being the fundamental source of defilement (Zohar III:15b). So you should know the main test of any man in this world is for this craving. Fortunate is whoever wins this war! (Ibid. 6)

3. Whoever has an awareness of himself that he has wasted "the drops of his brain" (meaning he wasted seed) needs to have mercy on himself and not let any of the controversy and divisiveness between the tzaddikim enter his heart; he should just believe in all of them. The only reason why any questions and crookedness of heart fall on his mind about the tzaddikim on account of the controversy between them is because he has wasted the drops of his brain - for had he not damaged his brain it wouldn't disturb him it all; the controversy is just for him (see Tzaddik #8) (5:4).

4. The counsel of the True Tzaddikim and their students are the aspect of Tikkun haBrit (purity), whereas the advices of their smooth-talking opposers inciting and repelling people away from the Point of Truth are the aspect of Pegam haBrit (damage to purity), because the advice that someone gets from a person are like drops of intellect. Therefore whoever has damaged his Berit needs to be extremely careful to guard himself from the influence of these enemies of the truth - otherwise he could lose his eternal reward in an instant, God forbid (7:3).

5. Wanton desire is mainly affected by what one sees, and the miswah of Tzitzit are a protection against this; it saves you from the abovementioned evil counsel and makes you able to receive the true advices of the True Tzaddikim. So you need to be extremely careful to do the miswah of Tzitzit. Also have the intention when you're doing their wrapping and blessing that you should attain Shmirat haBrit (guarding the Berit's purity) and True good advice. This will lead you to faith and Eretz Yisrael and will draw the Redemption closer, so you can attain prayer and miracles and wonders in the world; as well as livelihood, for livelihood primarily depends on Tikkun haBrit - and this will bring you to understand any part of Torah you're studying, and all the wisdoms will be revealed to you like a set table (Ibid. 1,4,5).

6. Pride and promiscuity go hand in hand. So by being Shomer haBrit a person can rid himself of pride and find the light that will guide him back to God (11:3).

7. A main cause of bitter struggle in order to make a livelihood, and why the man toils so much, is because of Pegam haBrit. For whoever is Shomer his Berit, even though he does work and commerce it's like the Mishkan construction, consisting of Thirty-Nine Lights. But he that is Pogem the Berit is pursued by poverty and he takes the yoke of bitter struggle on himself, like the thirty-nine 39 lashes (Deut. 25:2-3), God forbid. (Ibid.).

8. Shmirat haBrit has two aspects: One is that of the man whose marital relations is during the weekdays, and this is also called Shmirat haBrit, since his marital relations are permitted according to Torah - provided that he guards himself from transgression, God forbid. This is the aspect of "the lower union," which can bring one to attain Halakhah in the Torah, the aspect of Razin, secrets. But there is someone whose relations are only on Shabbat, and this is the aspect of "the upper union," and through this he attains also the aspect of Kabbalah and Razin d'Razin. However, even one whose marital relations are only on Shabbat also needs to be very careful that his marital relations be in sanctity and that he keeps them on the level of Shmirat haBrit - how much more so do those on the lower level whose marital relations are also during the secular days definitely need to be extra careful to not blemish their Berit, God forbid; but in any case they should just not transgress the Torah, God forbid. When Shmirat haBrit in observed on both of these levels then the Honor of Hashem Yitbarakh is complete and we attain all the abovementioned aspects, such that we arrive at deepest understandings in the Torah (Ibid. 5-7).

9. Talking with others about about self discipline and the fear of Heaven, inspiring them in searching for God, is a remedy for Keri (nocturnal emission) (14:13).

10. The sexual urge is the comprehensive evil that encompasses all the different kinds of evil of the seventy nations. For every nation and language has a hold on a certain evil, meaning some bad characteristic or some bad desire that is particular to that nation; they're mired in that urge and that's where they're under the grip [of evil]. But the sexual lust is the comprehensive vice where the evilest urges of all the evils of all the nations joins together. All these evils burn together to make a fire, and that's the blazing furnace that makes a person burn with sexual lust.

But Hashem Yitbarakh has separated us from the nations and elevated us over every tongue, so we need to keep apart from all of their wickedness, meaning from all those urges that are not appropriate for us - particularly the urge for sexual degeneracy which is the comprehensive evil of all the nations as mentioned. For this is the essential difference and delineation between us and the nations - that we keep away from promiscuity; it is the very main thing that makes Yisrael holy. For a man has the power to divert his mind from this urge and to break it - and this essence of our holiness (19:3).

11. The key to breaking all the cravings, especially promiscuous desires which are the main thing that needs to be broken, is by Shleimut Lashon haKodesh (perfection and mastery of the holy tongue, Hebrew). This means an abundance of holy speech: torah, prayer, and having chats with your Maker. Even though you speak with your Creator in Yiddish which is what we speak in this country, it's still counted as Lashon haKodesh, because in fact when you speak (your own words) with your Maker you need to specifically talk in your own language (as explained in elsewhere, Hitbodedut #13). The point is to guard your tongue, sanctifying it with holy words - which is an aspect of Shleimut Lashon haKodesh - and to guard your tongue so as to speak no evil words, which blemish the holy tongue. Then this sanctity of speech we've described will subdue the comprehensive evil as mentioned (Ibid.).

12. Tikkun haBrit and Shleimut Lashon haKodesh are interdependent: the more you speak holy words in the category of Lashon haKodesh, the more you attain Shmirat haBrit; and the more the Tikkun haBrit, the more Shleimut Lashon haKodesh. The same is true in reverse if someone blemishes, God forbid (Ibid.).

13. The sexual lust which is the comprehensive evil is embodied by the Serpent that seduced Eve and infected her with impurity that is [referred to in various of our holy literature as] "the temptest spirit," "the spirit of madness," "the foolish woman" (Prov. 14). It is the way of the Serpent to beguile the Ruach haKodesh (holy spirit of prophecy), which is Lashon haKodesh, corresponding to Shmirat Habrit, and to infect her with impurity. This is the aspect of (Gen. 4:7), "for the Petach (opening), misdeed crouches" - that this misdeed which is the Serpent, lies in wait to be nourished from a person through Pegam haBrit. For main object of the Yezter haRa is to make a person fail by this lust (Ibid.).

14. You need to speak a great deal of holy words, which are the aspect of Shleimut Lashon haKodesh, as (David haMelekh said, Ps. 39:4), "My heart waxed hot within me... then I spoke with my tongue" - using Lashon haKodesh to cool off your passion. This saves you from the Ruach Searah (tempest spirit) "cooling" you by a nocturnal emission, God forbid (Ibid. 5).

15. All the bad treatment and humiliation that happens to a person is due to Pegam haBrit. And conversely by Tikkun haBrit he is treated with respect (Ibid. 3).

16. Shleimut Lashon haKodesh, which is Tikkun haBrit, can give you the ability interpret dreams as did Yosef (Ibid. 4).

17. The essence of Shleimut Lashon haKodesh, which is the essence of Tikkun haBrit, which encompasses the repair of all the cravings and character traits - you can only receive from the mouth the True Tzaddikim. That's why you have to travel to the Tzaddik and hear from his mouth specifically. A book of moral teachings or hearing from another who heard from him is not enough, because the very root of Shleimut haDibbur (mastery and perfection of speech), which is the aspect of Shleimut Lashon haKodesh, which is the essence of its repair, you can only receive from his holy mouth specifically. Because the source of the Yir'ah (fear of Heaven), which is the key Shleimut Lashon haKodesh, which is Tikkun haBrit, which is comprised of all the Tikkunim, is there (Ibid. 20:1).

18. Because of Pegam haBrit a sword is let loose in the world, as in (Lev. 26:25), "the sword that executes the vengeance of the Berit" (Leviticus 26:25) (20:10).

19. Calling out to God in a loud voice is a Tikkun haBrit and bestows a revelation of the Daat (awareness and knowledge of Heaven), because at the outset when the Berit was pagum, the Daat was pagum (Ibid.).

20. For this reason we say the Haggadah in a loud voice, for the Haggadah is a Tikkun haBrit, and this is what brought the Redemption, because the Galut Matzrayim was over blemishing the Berit, as is brought (in the kabbalistic books). Also, the wine of the four cups (of the Seder) is Tikkun haDaat which is Tikkun haBrit (Ibid.)

21. Tikkun haBrit Kodesh (to try to a tzaddik in the aspect of Abraham) saves you from the "face" of Sitra Achra, which is the lust for money which is a foreign devotion, which is sadness, melancholy, darkness, "the dark face," death - and binds you to Godliness and you attain (Ps. 16:11) "satiety of happiness with (Hashem's) face," for the light of the face of the Living King dawns and shines on you (23:2)

22. By Tikkun haBrit you will be able to perceive the source of all the blessings and money, where at its root the abundance is entirely a pure and clear light, making the love of money just go away (Ibid. 5).

23. By Tikkun haBrit you'll perceive he'arat panim (revelation of the "face" of God and His ways), hadrat panim (the splendor of God's "face") [see the Idra Rabba, where the thirteen attributes of the Beard correspond to the thirteen attributes of mercy (Ex. 34:6-7)], meaning your mind gets purified by the Torah and you're able to entirely explain and teach it according to the thirteen principles of Torah exegesis, which are the very aspect of hadrat panim. This leads to the voice of your (joyous) shouting becoming so pure that just by the sound of your wordless cry the Holy Blessed One saves you at your time of trouble. Through this you attain peace, and you can even draw the whole world to the service of His Blessedness (27:1-6).

24. The more negative commandment prohibitions a person has transgressed, God forbid, the more he taints the Shekhinah with Dam Niddah (lit. banishment blood, menstrual blood) and sunders apart the Holy Blessed One and the Shekhinah. To repair all his transgressions in detail would be an extremely vast and difficult thing for the person, and it's impossible to repair them because there are many details and particulars in each prohibition. Therefore he needs to make the Tikkun haKlali (the General Remedy, the Comprehensive Repair) which is Tikkun haBrit (Restoration of the Covenant) and thereby all the prohibitions he transgressed will be anyway get repaired. Even in places so narrow and fine that a repair cannot get there - by Tikkun haKlali he disperses repairs even there (29:3-4)

25. By Tikkun haKlali which is Tikkun haBrit the Mochin ("brains," state of awareness) are elevated, because Tikkun haDaat (repair of awareness and knowledge) is mainly according to the Tikkun haBrit. The main way that Yisrael can get close to their Heavenly Father is by Shmirat haBrit (guarding the Berit's purity) (Ibid. 4).

26. Through Tikkun haBrit one receives livelihood without toil, in the aspect of Manna (Ibid. 5).

27. All the while a person has not achieved Tikkun haKlali, it's forbidden for him to speak. He doesn't know how to use speech and he's unable to reveal hidden Torah. Whoever speaks at such a time transgresses (Lev. 19:16), "Do not go talebearing among your people" and his (Prov. 11:13) "revealing secret is going talebearing." But with Tikkun haKlali he may feel free to speak; he can open his mouth and speech will shine with Torah (Ibid. 6).

28. Pegam haBrit can cause epilepsy (choli nofel), God forbid; but Tikkun haBrit brings healing from epilepsy (cholaat ha-nefilah) (Ibid. 7).

29. When someone has not yet achieved Tikkun haKlali he needs to avoid drinking wine, because it strengthens in him the blood that's the source of the transgressions, God forbid. It can also harm his livelihood and he could become impoverished. But whoever achieves Tikkun haKlali, then on the contrary his drinking raises high his Mochin (consciousness) and makes Tikkun haKlali even more complete (Ibid. 8).

30. The main thing that keeps faith enduring is Shmirat haBrit (31:3).

31. All the conduct (i.e. the laws and the behavior of) the Galgalim (heavenly orbs, the aspect of charity) and all the conduct on earth - all the blessings and all the devolutions (what passes down from level to level) - all depends of Shmirat haBrit (Ibid. 2,3).

32. Any trials a person has during travel are because of Pegam haBrit. But by Shmirat haBrit he won't suffer when traveling (Ibid. 4).

33. By Shmirat haBrit one achieves freedom (Ibid. 5).

34. There are two aspects of the Berit (the aspect of Abraham and of his servant Eliezer; master and servant; upper and lower firmament; Tzaddik and scholar). The one level is the guarding of the sanctity of the Covenant; this is the Upper Berit. The second level (the Lower Berit) is keeping [the laws of what is] forbidden and permissible. Therefore one needs to learn the laws of [what is] forbidden and permissible in order to also attain this second aspect. When Shmirat haBrit is achieved on both these levels then (M"K 17a) "he is like the Angel of Hashem Tzeva'ot," attaining perfect faith and conducting all the blessings and influxes as stated above. He is filled with love and good yearning and longing for Hashem Yitbarakh, so he is able to form the letters of the Torah for goodness. Then the letters of the Torah themselves ask of him that he speak them with his mouth, so that he forms them for goodness. This makes it that his eating and dining is in the category of the Lechem haPanim (the Showbread). Then his table atones like the altar, and then all the stars and constellations and all the nations which are under their influence all toil for his livelihood (Ibid. 5,6,9).

35. The main test of a person is the sexual urge, which is the sum total of the lusts of all the seventy nations. When a person is in this trial, constituting a kind of "exile" - each person in whatever way he's facing it, then he needs to cry out a great deal of shouts to Hashem Yitbarakh just like a birthing woman who cries out due to the bitter pain of the birthpangs, "cry after cry amounting to at least seventy" (Zohar III:249b). This is how he needs to call out out so many cries to Hashem Yitbarakh, so much that Hashem Yitbarakh has pity on him and he merits to overcome and break this craving. Then he'll merit to give birth to Mochin ("brains," a level of consciousness), and then the secrets of the Torah will be opened to him; d'tamirin m'galyan leih (what was hidden will be revealed to him). And every person, the more he withstands this test and breaks this craving, the more revelation in Torah and devotions he merits - even getting to (see) the "the seventy faces of the Torah" (36:1-2).

36. The remedy for sexual fantasies is to say (the twelve words) Shema' Yisrael H' Elokeinu H' Echad, and Barukh Shem Kevod Malkhuto Leolam Wa'ed. Then his Neshama-spirit will be joined with the twelve (Ps. 122:4) "Tribes of Y-h," and he separates his Neshama from that of the Erev Rav (the mixed multitude, Ex. 12:38) who are the children of "the harlot woman" (Prov. 6:26) who is the shifcha bisha (the wicked maidservant, T. Zohar 15a); for that's the source of this urge which is the fusion of all the evil character traits (Ibid. 3).

37. When a person merely has a stray thought or fantasy it will be effective enough for him to say these two verses we mentioned. But if he's someone who God forbid has thoughts of this all-encompassing evil lust all the time and he finds himself unable to rid himself of it - then when he's "accepting the yoke of heaven" (that is, when saying the Shema') he needs to also bring himself to shed tears. Meaning to motivate himself to literally weep and shed tears as he's saying "Shema ..." and "Blessed is the Name of His glorious Kingdom for ever and ever" (Ibid. 4).

38. When someone is me'Takken Ot Berit Kodesh (achieving high purity), then his Mochin (state of awareness) is complete, so he's able to understand what the Tzaddik says. The better a person's Tikkun, the better his religious perception. For this is a fundamental principle, that it is impossible for any person to perceive and retain what the Tzaddik says unless he is properly me'Takken Ot Berit Kodesh beforehand. But Pegam haBrit (damage to purity) damages his Daat and Moach to the extent that he's entirely unable to grasp and comprehend the Tzaddik's utterances; he could even stumble by them if he follows after the crookedness within his heart and the foolish and nonsense doubts and questions that arise in his mind. (Ibid 5).

39. Sexual temptation can literally make a person go out of his mind. This is why the medical authorities have written that castration is a cure for madness (Ibid. 6).

40. Once one breaks his sexual desire, he can easily break all his desires. This is why (the tikkun for sexual impurity) is called Tikkun haKlali the comprehensive tikkun. The further a person is from sexual desire, the closer he comes to the radiance of Torah. The opposite is also true; God save us. This explains why, before a person can receive a new revelation of Torah, he is first tested in the crucible of this passion. If he stands up to the test, breaking "the husk that precedes the fruit," he attains the fruit namely revelation of the Torah and the aforementioned things (Ibid. 1,2).

41. When your marital relations are in holiness and you break your craving soul (nefesh ha'mit'awweh) — i.e. the beastly soul (nefesh ha'bahamiyyut) — so that (Nedarim 20b) "it seems like you're being forced by a demon (to act vigorously and quickly)" — thereby you will have viable children. Because the reason children die, God forbid, has to do with the nefesh ha'bahamiyyut (39).

42. Also your marital relations should be mainly on Shabbat evening, so you shall have living and viable children (Ibid.).

43. Be careful not to listen to the words of someone who is wicked and also intelligent, because hearing his words incites wanton desire. For his speech is speech laden with poison, entering in the body of the listener (43).

44. One who abuses the Berit has the aspect of bitter waters — polluted waters, impure seed. Then he's unable to pray, as in (Ps. 35:10), "All my bones declare..." (and "Good tidings plump the bones," Prov. 15:30) meaning he can't taste sweetness in the words he prays. Then a dog comes down and eats his offering, his prayer (T. Zohar #3). This is the aspect of bitterness, corresponding to (Prov. 5:4) "a two-edged sword," the aspect of Gehennom (which "has two daughters that shout, 'Give! Give!'” (ibid. 30:15)).

But when one guards the Covenant in purity his prayers are in the category of sweet waters — the "waters of purity", the "seed of holiness;" then his words are sweet and beneficial, and when they go out of his lips and are heard by his ears they insert their sweetness into his bones, and then his prayer is in the category of, "All my bones declare ..." Then a lion comes down and consumes his offering (50).

45. Now know this - the Azei Panim (brazen-faced; unabashed tyrants or opposers) of the generation are the dogs, and they rise up and make opposition to an Ish ha-Yisraeli who has not yet repaired his Berit perfectly (Ibid.).

46. Whoever has been Pogem his Berit should be be wary of dogs and the sword (that is, weapons and battle) (Ibid.).

47. By subduing the Klipa (husk, impure spiritual forces) of Amalek, which is Pegam haBrit, attaining Tikkun haBrit, (Moshe) merited the double bounty which corresponds to Lechem Mishneh for Shabbat (the double bread given for Shabbat, Ex. 16:5), namely Mishneh Torah (Prov. 8:30 - yom yom is double). Through this, (a person doing the same) attains new Torah insights on Sabbath, "two for one," and Shabbat bestows on the rest of the worlds, dispatching its illuminations to all the levels, healing with spiritual healing and bodily healing, rousing the world to repentance out of love. And then all the devout people of the generation are healed and they become admired in the eyes of people. Through this, each one receives new Torah insights that the Tzaddik bestows on yom Shabbath (58: 4,5,7-9).

48. Hevel ha-yofi (the vanity of beauty, Prov. 31:30) leads men, when they don't guard against the beauty of women, to perform chen shel sheker (deceitful charms; false graces; putting on airs). For there are various forms of deceitful charm that a person does while standing, eating, talking with people and so forth. Whatever thing he does has another special "charm" for it. And all these kinds of chen shel sheker come by not being cautious of female beauty (60:3).

49. Hevel ha-yofi brings men to poverty (Ibid.).

50. Wantonness can cause breaks in breathing, which is the Neshama, which is the root of a person's vitality. This allows the bodily fluids to dry, which results in damage to the brain and the mind, because mental life depends on the fluids and fats in the body. This is why all forms of madness are caused fundamentally by sexual desire, as is known. Even other people that are not actually insane but who are very mentally feeble or confused, it's all because of wantonness, as it dries out the fluids and fats in the body, spoiling the intellect as mentioned (Ibid.).

51. Yir'ah (awe), namely the fear of heaven, fear of your rav, and fear of father and mother, saves you from the beauty of women and deceitful charms, and allows you to attain wealth (see Fear) (Ibid. 3,4).

52. Whoever marries a woman for money is a fool and an idiot (Kiddushin 72). He damages and ruins his mind and intellect. His children will turn out to be immoral (69).

53. Anonymous giving is a Tikkun for nocturnal emission, God forbid (83).

54. Pegam haBrit stems from sadness and melancholy. Conversely joy leads to Shmirat haBrit (see Simchah)(169).

55. Sexual desire is one of the three lusts that destroy and undermine fear (of God) in the heart. But by properly observing Chag Shavuot, we draw Daat (knowledge and awareness) into the heart to repair this lust. Thereby we attain fear, prophetic inspiration, and prayer [and medicine becomes unnecessary for we are healed as well by bread and water, and we are healed of illnesses when they're unknown and before they progress] etc. (see Festival, and Reverence) (Likutei Moharan II, 1:4,5,8-11).

56. A person's sexual desire is according to the milk he nursed as an infant. So great care should be taken that the baby nurse from a pious woman. For if the baby nurses from an immodest woman then the sex drive will be stronger than needed in him, God forbid. Conversely when he's nursed from a pious woman he won't have such passion in him except the little that's needed for the mitzvot of the Torah (Ibid. 4).

57. Today publicity and fame go to unworthy leaders and mefursamei shel sheker (who act like the Tzaddik and conduct themselves with prestige). The arrogance of the false leaders causes sexual immorality to become rife, leading to waste of seed, God forbid, as in (Lev. 15:3) "heChTiM besaro/ his flesh is stopped up (from his emission, it is his impurity)" - this is the ChoTaM, the seal and stamp, of the Sitra Achra. The only way to escape this is by the power of the Guardians of the era, who are the Tzaddikim and his pious followers who are called Maginnei Eretz, Guardians of the Land. They wage a fierce battle in this matter, but they transform heChTiM besaro to the ChoTaM diKedushah, the Seal of Holiness, which is the aspect of Tefillin, which are the hitnotzetzut haMochin (the dawning and shining of the "brains" and state of awareness of H"Y). For the main repair of the Moach goes according to breaking this lust, meaning when fantasies attack people very strongly and could result in an impure emission, God forbid, which is the aspect of heChTiM besaro, but they strengthen themselves well and drive away those fantasies and draw on themselves holy thoughts - by this they transform heChTiM besaro to the aspect of Tefillin which are the ChoTaM diKedushah, which is the hitnotzetzut haMochin.

So from these Maginnei Eretz every person needs to receive power to defeat the fantasies and reverse them to Mochin diKedushah as mentioned. And this, everyone needs to know, that the more the fantasies attack him, when he defeats them and flees from them and breaks them, by this he does an enormous Tikkun and raises the Kedushah from the Klipa, and draws the aspect of the Tefillin's sanctity, which are the hitnotzetzut Mochin, to know and to make known His Blessed Power in the world. And the more and the greater it attacks him, the more the tikkun of the Tefillin is accomplished, when he matches the powers of their campaign to break them. And it's only for this reason that those bad and foreign fantasies and ideas are sent upon him - in order that they be turned opposite and that from them specifically be made the Tikkun of the Tefillin as mentioned (Ibid. 6,7).

58. By breaking sexual fantasies we attain Tikkun haMochin as mentioned. This results in "a dream brought by an angel," and then is he called ADaM (Man, for he's on the level of "in our likeness [DeMuteinu]" - Gen 1:26). Conversely when the Mochin are not pure then the dream is brought by a demon, God forbid, and then he's "like a beast" (ka'b'hemot niDMu, Ps. 49:13) (Ibid. 9).

59. The food a person eats also influences his dreams. So sometimes the dream is damaged toward "a dream brought by a demon," God forbid, due to the food he ate, and it could cause him an impure emission, God forbid. The remedy for this is to be happy; to strengthen oneself in being always happy (Ibid. 10).

60. There are times when, God forbid, an impure emission results from unfit rabbis and judges perverting the mishpat (justice). The remedy for this is Kishur haMerkabah, "Assembling the Chariot" - a reference to what the early Sages instituted, to say before going to sleep, "(In the name of H' God of Yisrael:) To my right, Mikhael" etc.; this is Kishur haMerkabah. This is a Segulah for being saved from that defilement that is caused by perversion of the mishpat by the unfit judges (Ibid. 11, 12).

61. A person's Moach (mind) and Daat (knowledge, awareness) are the shield against sexual desire. For there are three Mochin in a person, and each one is a barrier deployed against this impulse. Where this impulse derives its strength from is "the spirit of folly." Therefore, every person needs to know and remember this, that every time these fantasies want to overpower him, God forbid, he should run away immediately from this spirit of folly unto divine knowledge and spread out the partitions of the mind against this lust just like a physical divider [because the true divine knowledge shields against this lust just like a physical divider]. Understand this. For it is not something than cannot really be explained; each individual just needs to see for himself how to escape from and divert his mind from this "spirit of folly" and pull himself to (his) spiritual powers (ha-Daat) which are the partitions against them (8:2).

62. Anger and cruelty damage the Daat, leading to immoral desire, God forbid. Then prayer falls into the aspect of Din, severe judgment, and the Sitra Achra, forces of evil, nourishes from it. Then we need a super powerful person to pray prayer in the category of Din and thereby everything is repaired (see there, Ibid.)

63. Every member of Yisrael, according to his purity and sanctity is the aspect of Mashiach that he has. Now, he needs to carefully guard against damaging this aspect of Mashiach he has. The main thing for that is to be on guard against sexual immorality. So he needs to guard himself very carefully, from even "a whiff of sexual immorality," because it damages his personal aspect of Mashiach (32:2).

64. The spirit of Mashiach produces a spirit of 'Kin'ah (zeal, jealousy and vengeance for Hashem's honor) that zealously protests wherever there is the blemish of sexual immorality, God forbid. So even where there is isn't an actual sexual misdeed but just some kind of blemish, it's also zealous over that. Because the enormous sanctity and purity of Mashiach's level is incompatible with even just a blemish of sexual immorality, so it's very zealous against that; God save us. (Ibid. 3)

65. When the Couple (זוג, the pair), namely the Man and Wife (איש and אשה, Man and Wife) are so Kosher (religiously fit, virtuous, pious) without any Shemetz Pasul (trace, blemish, suspicion of flaw) that their relations (זווג) are performed in great Kashrut and Kedushah (holiness), then their relations also unify the upper worlds (Yud and Hei), so their relations are an utterly, utterly precious thing (Ibid. 4).

66. One who attains Tikkun haBrit, utmost purity, knows how to send forth the words of prayer like arrows from a bow. Then the ray of Mashiach starts to shine, and becoming a truly free man he acquires the sanctity of Shabbat, attaining the culmination (Takhlit) of knowledge. He sheds his leprous body which is from the "skin of the Serpent" and is clothed in Shabbat garments - a holy body from Gan Eden. His Mazal rises to the top and he merits wealth. His Good Inclination takes power, and sadness and cynicism are eliminated. Then he is able to raise up those who have fallen into "degenerate loves and fears" (i.e. love and fear of anything but God), raising them up to holy loves and fears. He drives away the darkness from their eyes, and then their eyes see wonders. So it's considered as if he created the world. This leads to elevating all the requests and supplications that we pray, and awakening the Redemption which depends on the heart, eliminating the leaven and chametz of the human heart's inclination for evil, which remains from his youth. Then the heart can be ardent in Torah learning with "flames of love," and "mighty waters" which are the foreign loves and fears "cannot quench this passion" (Song 8:7). The Shekhinah with its wings covers Yisrael's blood (i.e. being embarrassed for one's sins constitutes as if his blood was spilt) with this love, so that the wicked seed which are the concept of the floodwaters cannot rule over them. All this is attained through Tikkun haBrit (83).

67. Pegam haBrit (sexual impurity) makes it hard for a person to find his mate, and even if he finds his mate she'll be oppositional and unwilling to follow his will. But the themes of Elul bring repair to Pegam haBrit. Thereby he can merit to find his mate, and she can be inclined to his will (see the secrets of the Elul themes in LM #6) (87).

68. It's an enormous repair for Mikreh Lailah (nocturnal emission) to say the ten chapters of Psalms on the same say it happened. And they are:

• Mikhtam L'Dawid, 16.
• L'Dawid Maskil, 32.
• Ashrei Maskil el-Dal, 41.
• K'ayyal ta'rog, 42.
• Lamnatseiach al-tashchet, 59.
• Lamnatseiach 'al-yeduthun, 77.
• Tefillah l'Moshe, 90.
• Hodu Lashem Kir'u bishmo, 105.
• Al naharot Bavel, 137
• Hallelu El b'kodsho 150.
  

Anyone who says them on the same day, need no longer have any fear at all of the terrible damage of the mikreh, God forbid, because it's definitely repaired by this (92).

69. When sexual fantasies arise in his mind and he breaks his desire and averts his mind from them, this is the core of his Teshuvah and repair for Pegam haBrit that he was pogem previously, each person (doing this detachment) relative to his level and circumstances. Because this is now actually a type of Teshuvat haMishkal ["the weighty repentance" - a suffering that a person undertakes to counterbalance the sin]. By this he frees all the sparks of holiness that were entrapped by Pegam haBrit, which allows him to attain Tikkun haBrit, which allows him to purify his intellect and voice as we've mentioned above in #23. And he attains Peace, by which he's able to draw all the people of the world to serving His Blessedness (see Thoughts and Fantasies #2) (27:8).

70. Gravesites of the True Tzadikim are holy with the actual same Kedushah of Eretz Ysrael; and Eretz Yisrael is a major repair of Pegam haBrit. Therefore a person needs to make effort to get to their gravesites - for their gravesites have the same holiness as Eretz Yisrael as mentioned - and this is a big repair for Pegam haBrit (109).

71. Today it is easy to withstand tests. Because there have already been many Tzaddikim and proper men that have withstood so many severe temptations of this lust, and they've so broken the Klipa of this lust that nowadays it's easy to pass a test - even for a simple person - if he chooses to care about and have pity on his life, both in this world and in the everlasting Olam haBa (Sichot HaRan 114).

BANIM - Children

1. Praying vigorously is a Segulah (a supernatural aid) for having children (Likutei Moharan 48).

2. Sukkah is a Segulah for having children (Ibid.).

3. Eretz Yisrael is a Segulah for having children (Ibid.).

4. By making efforts to bring people to Hashem Yitbarakh and the True Tzaddikim, a person merits having children (39).

5. When your ZWWG (relations) are performed in purity and holiness and you break your Nefesh ha'Mit'awweh, the lifeforce of the craving, which is the Nefesh ha'Behamiyyut, beastly lifeforce, and you make it so that (Nedarim 20b) "it seems like you're being forced by a demon (to act vigorously and quickly)" — thereby you will have viable children (protected from premature death, God forbid) (Ibid.).

6. Also, the main relations need to be on Shabbat night, in order that you should have viable children (Ibid.).

7. Ra Ayin, (an evil eye, demise of the heart) makes a person not merit leaving a male descendant (54:4).

8. Lashon haRa (slander) makes a person not merit leaving a male descendant (Ibid. 5).

9. A Segulah for having children that live and last, is both the man and his wife before the relations should recite the section U'be'rashei Chadsheikhem (Num. 28:11-15). Also if the child is sick, God forbid, the man and wife should also say this section U'be'rashei Chadsheikhem. (151)

10. Praise and thanks to Hashem Yitbarakh, as well as learning Torah laws, and all the more so if one is able to attain new insights in them, leads to easy childbirth. And Tomkhei Oraita, who support Talmidei Chakhamim monetarily, lead to easy childbirth (II:1:1-3).

11. A Segulah for a woman with difficult childbirth is to say Mizmor L'Todah (Ps. 100) (Ibid. 6).

12. It's also a Segulah for a woman with difficult childbirth, to perform a great deal of Chesed, namely to perform a lot of Tzedakah and Gemilut Chasadim (charity and acts of kindness) (Ibid. 3).

13. Whoever has no children should make it his normal practice to be joyful in the joy of a Mitzvah, learning Torah and performing all the Miswot in joy. Let his joy be so great that he dances from joy. Through this he'll merit having children (81).

14. Emunah (faith) leads to having children [אמונה is Gematria בנים] (Sichot Haran 34).

15. It's better for your children's development that you have distance from them. That is: don't be too glued to them, don't play with them all the time, don't pay overmuch attention to them at all [t.n. it's been noted these are three increasing degrees]. Do only what you have to in order to bring them up in serving Hashem as the times come for them to grow, but don't play with them too much (59).

16. If you are joyous it saves your children from death, God forbid (65).

BITACHON - Trust and Confidence

1. Batchanei ha-Dor (The Guarantors of the Era, those with deep trust in Hashem) are like the reproductive organs. Because all the births and blessing are drawn through Bitachon (trust, surety, confidence). Attaining it is by hearing Sipurei Maasiyot (stories) from True Tzaddikim, who have the power to awaken people from their sleep through their story telling. This causes the speech to emerge with great power, as those that were in the category of sleep, who were like actual mute people and completely unable to speak words of holiness now wake up from their sleep and start speaking with great power and this speech causes the Bitachon to grow strong. This leads to barren women being visited with children and people gaining reverence (See Yir'ah) (60:6,8).

2. By Bitachon in Hashem Yitbarakh, looking to Hashem Yitbarakh alone and putting your trust in Him, you make a vessel (namely dimension and time) to receive the blessing. The bounty and sustenance will come to you as and when you need it (76).

3. There are higher and higher levels of trust reaching unto Infinity. The greater a person’s wisdom and understanding the deeper his trust. The more trusting he is the more charity he will do. Thereby he'll perfect and repair the faculty of speech, which is the marker of a man (225).

4. There's a Bitachon of the Sitra Achra, as in (Prov. 25:19) “mibtach boged/ trust in a betrayer.” The making of marriage bonds in holiness and purity causes this false trust to be broken like a piece of earthenware. This is what's hinted in the custom of breaking a piece of earthenware at the marriage ceremony (as explained there) (60:8).

To explain the concept a little more fully: the essence of Bitachon is trusting in Hashem and doing good, as it's written (Ps. 37:3), “B'tach b'H wa'seh-tob/ Trust in Hashem and do good.” Meaning, one should never let himself be diverted from his Torah study, prayer or devotions because of worries or toil for sustenance; just engage in Torah and devotions and trust in Hashem Yitbarakh that He will sustain him every day of his life. And if he's not on the level of this kind of Bitachon, to withdraw entirely from worldly matters, and he wants to engage in a trade or craft, nevertheless let him fix a time for Torah and pray at appropriate times and carry out all his other religious obligations. He should not allow himself to be pushed off course by worries about earning a living. Just trust in Hashem. When it comes to giving charity and helping others or spending whatever is needed for the various mitzvot, he should trust in Hashem, that Hashem Yitbarakh will fill his need and (Deut. 15:10) "because of this thing Hashem will bless [him]." Even if he's aware that his deeds are not what they ought to be, he should not fall from his Bitachon because of this and think, "Who am I to trust in and rely on Hashem seeing that I have done so much that was wrong?" Just let him trust in (Lam. 3:22), "Hashem's kindness which does not cease;" in His love that doesn't end; that He loves him too and He will feed him and sustain him, for (Ps. 145:9) "Hashem is good to all." A person should not trouble himself with worries and toil for sustenance on account of being low in his own eyes. He should just hold fast in Bitachon no matter what level he's on, as long as his intention is for the sake of Heaven. This and things like this describe holy Bitachon. But wrong-doing, God forbid, and all the more so, theft, deception, or forgery, falsity, and smuggling contraband - in the hope that Hashem Yitbarakh will protect him and help him succeed and without being discovered - this is the Bitachon of the Sitra Achra, as in (Prov. 25:19), “trust in a betrayer.” This kind of Bitachon is like a hopelessly broken earthenware. Even if a person takes business risks that are far beyond him and he borrows heavily from many people to do so, trusting that H"Y will help him to complete the business venture, this is also in the category of Bitachon of the Sitra Achra. Now just the opposite - a person needs to have such a strong Bitachon that even if his business is not on a large scale, nevertheless Hashem Yitbarakh will give him his proper income. Anyone with intelligence will infer many lessons from within our words, how to flee from the Bitachon of the Sitra Achra which is contrary to the teachings of the Torah, and strengthen himself in holy Bitachon regardless of his (opinion of his) level, as mentioned above (Ibid.)

BUSHAH - Bashfulness

1. A person needs to have a great bashfulness (l'hitbayyesh) before Hashem Yitbarakh; to never act against His will, God forbid, and all the more so, not commit a mistake or transgression, God forbid. So Bushah, bashfulness is a very great virtue, for the root of Yir'ah, fear, is Bushah. And if he doesn't draw this holy Bushah on himself in this world - he will be ashamed (mitbayyesh) in the Coming World, which is hardest of all the punishments; for the torment of Bushah, shame, in the coming future is utterly, utterly hard, and it's even harder than the most bitter Gehenom, and even every Tzaddik will be ashamed before his colleague that is of greater level than him, and our Rabbis z"l said of this (B"B 75a), "Woe for that shame! Woe for that embarrassment!" How much more so will sinners be ashamed, God forbid! It's impossible to imagine in this world, the enormous torment and bitterness of that shame in the Coming World, God save us. And when a person attains holy Bushah, to commit no errors as mentioned, thereby he attains prayer, joy, holy boldness, and to follow and enwrap himself in True Tzaddikim, and receive Emunah from them in total perfection (22:3,4,9,11).

2. A person needs to accustom himself to talk with his Creator with such honesty, until it truly awakens his heart, until he starts speaking with the heat of his heart the words of truth that are in his heart with excitement for Teshuvah, until he sees his lowliness and the greatness of the Creator, until he's utterly bashful before His Blessedness. For until now he has cast his errors behind his back and ignored them; but now that he knows them, great bashfulness has entered him for his great sins versus the Great and the Ruler, the Essence and Root of all the worlds. And at first this Bushah isn't actually on his face, for his mistakes dull his intellect and awareness by the spirit of folly that's in him, therefore before attaining complete Teshuvah he doesn't have so much Daat to recognize the greatness of the Blessed Creator so much, until he's as bashful as he ought to be in accord with the enormity of his sins and the greatness of the Blessed Creator Whom he's sinned against. But afterwards when he makes Teshuvah and removes the folly from him and his intellect joins him, then he's more bashful and the Bushah is on his face, and this Bushah is the aspect of the light of the Tefillin, which are a sign of cleaving to the Blessed Creator, and it's the aspect of "radiant light of the face." And by means of this Bushah all his sins are forgiven and he glues himself to the Etz haChayim (see Dibbur #7) (35:5,6).

3. Whoever has Azut, brazenness, of the Sitra Achra, and is not mitbayyesh from Hashem Yitbarakh, Tzaddikei Emet, yire'im, and k'sherim (the pious) - it's a definite sign that the feet of his ancestors did not stand on Har Sinai, and he blemishes the sanctity of the Tefillin which are the aspect of the Etz haChayim. Instead he has attached himself to the Tree of Death, and he's expelled from Gan Eden and will descend to Gehenom. But if he does teshuvah and is ashamed of his sins, thereby he's forgiven immediately, and he brings back on himself the Daat and the Mochin, and he drives the spirit of folly out of him, and attains the aspect of the Light of the Tefillin which are the aspect of the Radiant Light of the Face, the aspect of the Etz haChayim etc. as mentioned. (38:6).

4. The essence of Teshuvah is through Bushah. Because a person needs to be very, very bashful. For, a transgression is definitely an enormous shame, God forbid, for sin is not pertinent or appropriate for Yisrael at all, for the Ish Yisraeli at his root is entirely far from sin, so it's definitely unseemely for Ish Yisraeli to sin; but even when he wants to do a mitzvah - it's proper for him to also have great Bushah, for what merit does he have that he should be privileged to do the mitzvah?! How can he be so brazen to enter the King's Palace and do a mitzvah, and estimate in his mind Who it is before Whom he does the mitzvah, and also the virtue of hte mitzcah, for the enormous value of the mitzvah's virtue is infinite, so it's definitely proper that a huge Bushah fall on him when he comes to do some mitzvah, if he'l just look at himself and see that he's utterly far from Hashem Yitbarakh, and he has no merit to do a mitzvah, so how does he come and grab the Tefillin, which are the King's crowns - and suddenly lay them on his head?! Definitely it's proper for a great Bushah to fall on him; and if a person had Bushah - he'd be mitbayyesh before His Blessedness to even take some food into his mouth, for what merit does he have that he should have food?! But, the essence of Bushah, one attains by seeing himself with the True Tzaddikm and thereby he attains Teshuvah, for the essence of Teshuvah is by means of Bushah as mentioned. And through this he attains true Anawah, humility, which is the aspect of Moshe Rabbeinu's Anawah, which is essence of The Life, the aspect of Everlasting Life of the Coming World (II:72).

BEGADIM - Clothing

1. You need to take good care of your clothes: never treat them carelessly, and guard them well against getting stained or dirty. For a person’s clothes themselves judge him if he does not show them the proper respect. The greater the man the more he has to care for his clothes, because the higher his level the more they're exacting with him (29:3).

2. A person who fails to protect his garments from stains causes separation between the Holy One, Blessed Is He, and His Shekhinah. Then the rule is taken by the Evil Maidservant, which is the Evil Kingship, the forces of evil. And such a person is like a rebel against God’s kingship, and thereby his livelihood only comes by great exertion and difficulty (Ibid. 3,5).

3. By making a beautiful garment for a Tzaddik the Shekhinah is clothed in radiant garments, and the harsh judgements are sweetened (42).

4. Keep your clothes always intact and never torn, for when clothes are torn, God forbid, it's a flaw in the protection, for clothes are in the secret of the Chashmal (Ezekiel 1:27) which is protection (127).

5. The Accuser and the Sitra Achra grab a person by his clothes, meaning they burden people by trouble for their clothing and dress. For the trouble people have to go to for their clothing can easily become a serious distraction and hinder him from serving Hashem Yitbarakh. But someone whose heart is firm in Hashem will not be concerned about this, and even if he has nothing to wear he will still do what he can serve in serving Hahsem to the full extent of his capability, until Hashem looks down from the Heavens and sees (Sichot Haran 100).

GIMEL

GA'AWAH WA'ANAWA - Arrogance and Humility

1. The enormous humility of the True Tzaddik that brings him to the level of Nothing gives him the power to atone for sins (4:7).

2. A person who is humble becomes stripped of material aspects and merged with the Infinite. He then attains the awareness of how everything that happens to him is only for his benefit. This aspect is a taste the life of the World to Come (Ibid. 9).

3. Pride brings poverty (Ibid. 8).

4. Through humility a person attains Teshuvah, repentance. For the essence of repentance by feeling his own lowliness, insignificance, and the many wrongs he has done, and to understand that it's definitely proper if he has to endure contempt and murderous opposition in his quest for the truth, and this is the essence of Teshuvah (6:2).

5. Even someone who has fasted and undergone privations, let him not think he's already a tzaddik, with the power to perform Pidyonot (redemptions) or to accomplish great feats through prayer. He just needs to contemplate himself and see that after all his fasting and asceticism, his physical desires are still attached to his body, as well as the impurity of his father's lust from the time he was conceived; this too is still attached to his body. As soon as he recognizes this he will be overcome with trepidation and he will no longer delude himself with the thought that he is a tzaddik. Instead he will turn to the True Tzaddikim and bring his prayers to them and ask them to intercede on his behalf. For they alone understand the secret of prayer and the way to elevate prayer, and the Holy Blessed One yearns for their prayers and sends an eloquent flow of words to their lips (10:4).

6. Those arrogant people who hinder themselves as well as others from going to the Tzaddikim to ask them to pray on their behalf, they deprive Hashem Yitbarakh of His desire (for the prayers of the Tzaddikim) (Ibid.).

7. Pride is idolatry. A main way to crush it is by following the Tzaddikim (Ibid. 5).

8. To break one’s pride is the foundation for attaining wisdom, life and length of days. The harsh decrees are sweetened, and one attains faith, great joy, and attains both the revealed and hidden Torah, and the aspect of Ruach Hakodesh, the spirit of holiness (Ibid. 8,9).

9. Arrogance is a type of idolatry. Arrogance makes a person unable to open his mouth. He lacks the faculty of speech and is unable to speak words that shine. And when words of Torah enter his mouth, not only do the words themselves fail to shine in him and draw him to improve, worse still, the Torah itself becomes coarsened and dimmed from his mouth (11:2).

10. Arrogance and sexual immorality are connected. A person who succeeds in resisting temptation and extricating himself from pride will attain the light that will illumine his path to repentance. In the end he will reach an understanding of the depths of Torah (Ibid. 2,3).

11. There is a kind of humility that is the ultimate arrogance, namely when a person acts humbly because he knows that people look down upon those who flaunt themselves, so he behaves humbly in order to gain their respect and honor. Hence his humility is for flaunting and honor. So it takes a good deal of intelligence and self-examination to rid yourself of pride, cleansing yourself of it completely, as our Sages obm said (Avot 4:4), “Be very, very, lowly in spirit.” For pride is the aspect of the “seven idolatrous temples” that caused Yisrael to be exiled from their land (Gittin 88), and whereby we still have not returned to our land, since people still pursue honor by prestige (Ibid. 7).

12. A person can only acquire Torah by Shiflut, meekness, by breaking his pride by the four aspects of Shiflut: he must diminish himself before those who are greater than him, before those who are on his own level, and before those who are less than him. And sometimes if he's the smallest of the small he must diminish himself even against his own level and view himself as lower than his own level (14:5).

13. A person has to guard himself from all the things that usually make people arrogant, and they are three things: intelligence, power and wealth. Namely, he must break the arrogance that comes to him from all these things, and be humble and meek in all of them (Ibid.).

14. The more a person breaks his pride the more he attains Torah. Thereby he will have the power to draw those who are far toward Hashem Yitbarakh, whereby the Kavod, glory and presence, of Hashem Yitbarakh will be magnified and exalted and he raises the Kavod to its root and he attains Yir'ah, reverence. Thereby he will attain Shalom Bayit, Shalom in himself, and thereby he attains prayer, and thereby he attains universal Shalom, Shalom in all the worlds (Ibid. 1,2,3,5,6).

15. Arrogance can cause a person to be imprisoned (Ibid. 22:11).

16. When the generation fails to guard their tongues, it can cause the K'sherim, the religiously fit people, of the generation to succumb to feelings of pride. Therefore these K'sherim of the generation need to carefuly contemplate the prestige, honor and respect that comes to them, each according to his value, small or great, and contemplate and inspect himself lest he stumble in pride which is the “Exile of the Shechinah,” God forbid (58:10).

17. The more a person diminishes himself, the more drawing power (koach ha-moshekh) he has: namely he can draw the Shechinah of His Godliness to the lowest worlds to dwell with us, which is precisely His Blessedness's desire since the day He created His universe. Also he can draw people to serving His Blessedness, and also channel blessing and goodness to Yisrael. And he himself is able to be drawn to and follow the True Tzaddikim (70).

18. By the sanctity of Shabbat a person can attain true humility, meaning to see one’s own lowliness and recognize the importance of Yisrael and be willing to sacrifice oneself for them, as did Moshe Rabbeinu a"h (79).

19. The essence of humility is for a person to regard himself as being lower than his actual level, lesser than he is. But at the very least he should not go out of his place and regard himself as being higher than the level he is at (Ibid.).

20. When a person is meek and lowly, no one can remove him or push him from his place, meaning to take away his livelihood, God forbid (Ibid.).

21. Humility protects against sexual immorality. Pride arouses the Yetzer haRa for this temptation (and see above #10) (130).

22. A Segulah for being saved from pride is to honor the festivals, receiving them with joy and open-heartedness to the extent of his means (135).

23. Following the True Tzaddik nullifies pride. So this is a sign whether he's truly connected to the Tzaddik: if he's meek (Ibid.).

24. When a person is so humble that he is literally nothing, he can attain Torah and greatness at the same time. Otherwise it is hard to have both of them together, Torah and greatness (162).

25. When a person is arrogant, it is a sign that he will end up in trouble. The opposite is also true: a person who is humble and lowly will come to great honor (168).

26. Regarding the "sword of pride" that results from converts etc. - see Kavod #28 (II, 5:5).

27. Whatever glory and greatness any kingdom or leader or ruler may possess, their true basis lies in humility. The greater the humility of the ruler or leader, the more his power and dominion will spread (16).

28. Regarding Hakhna'ah, submission, humility, people have very mistaken ideas. You must guard yourself well from false modesty (anawah pesulah). Pray to Hashem Yitbarakh a great deal about this and ask to be worthy of true humility according to His Blessed will (22).

29. The essence of the resurrection which is destined for the future, when people will be revived and resurrected, will be only for the lowliness of each individal. Namely, only the lowly, humble part of each person will be revived in the future resurrection. For, the indescribable bliss which is the eternal life of the Coming World cannot be received except by the true lowliness and meekness within an individual. It alone will be privileged to be revived and to experience the bliss and eternal life of the Coming World (72).

30. Rooted within every single Yisrael is the lowliness and humility of Moshe Rabbeinu a"h, in each and every limb. But this humility and lowliness is hidden within each person in the aspect of "death," therefore a person does not feel this lowliness within himself, and therefore he is far from this humility and lowliness. But by drawing closer to the True Tzaddik — when he sees him, and all the more so when he hears Torah from his mouth — thereby he attains Bushah and Teshuvah, and thereby he merits that this lowliness and humility comes to life, and then he attains true humility which is the aspect of everlasting life of the Coming World (Ibid.).

31. We must pray and plead a great deal with Hashem Yitbarakh to make us worthy of true lowliness and humility. We really have no conception what is true humility and lowliness, because being despised and worthless is certainly not the purpose; what people call a Shlemazelnik. For humility is the essence of the life that is in every single limb, and it's the bliss of the Coming World, and it's certainly not the aim of the Coming World to be despised and worthless etc., God forbid. So we need to just ask of Hashem Yitbarakh to help us attain true humility and lowliness, which is the essence of the life and the essence of the bliss of the Coming World, as mentioned (Ibid.).

32. When a person sees that things are not going well for him, he should know that there's some arrogance in him. He should do Teshuvah, lower himself, and bring himself to the level of Mah, “What?” Then things will begin to go well for him (82).

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DALET

DA'AT - Divine Awareness and Consciousness

1. Daat - awareness and consciousness of the Divine - lies mainly in the heart. Because the nations also have Daat but it doesn't lie in the heart; and the essence of the Daat is when it's in the heart. There in the heart is the place of Yir'ah, reverence, meaning the essence of the Daat is to know Hashem Yitbarakh in one's heart and not just mentally. This means drawing and connecting the Daat into the the heart until it's filled with the dread, fear and reverence of His Blessed greatness, until he's stirred up to truly serve Him, until he attains the fear of the Rommemut (His Exaltedness) - to know Who it is he should be fearing. And this he attains by doing Hitbodedut - secluded time and talk with God - until he judges himself from within himself. Thereby he attains the Ohr haGanuz, "the Light that is treasured up" for the just (15:1-3; 154).

2. All the afflictions, suffering, exile, and whatever a person is lacking - income, children, health and so forth - it's only according to his lack of Daat. When his Daat is perfected then all that was lacking is complete. And the essence of the eternal life of the future is on account of the Daat, when the Daat will abound, and everyone will know Hashem Yitbarakh, and thereby be merged in His Unity, and then they will live eternal life as does He. For by knowing the Blessed One a person is merged in the Blessed One, which this is the essence of the delight of the Coming World. So we need to diligently guard the Daat and thoughts, to keep it in holiness, guarding against bad thoughts and constantly pondering thoughts of Torah and devotion, to make the effort to arrive at the Daat of holiness, on which everything depends as mentioned (21:11).

3. Attaining perfection of the Daat is impossible unless you sanctify your mouth, nose, eyes and ears. This means: guarding your mouth from uttering falsehood; having fear of Heaven, which is the holiness of the nose; having Emunat Chakhamim, faith in the Sages, which is sanctity of the ears, believing in them and listening to their words; and averting your eyes from seeing evil. Thereby you will be privileged unto complete Daat, on which everything depends, as mentioned, and thereby you'll merit Hitlahavut Halev, burning of the heart, on the side of holiness. For the passion of the heart is generated due to movement of the intellect, therefore when a person contemplates Torah and devotion, thereby his heart burns for Hashem Yitbarakh, and the more he grows his Daat and moves his mind within holiness, the more his heart heats up and burns. And the burning of the heart on the side of holiness purifies his heart, for opposite to how it burns for sins or evil cravings, God forbid, which pollutes his heart, against this he needs his heart to burn for Hashem Yitbarakh in Torah and prayer, and thereby his heart will be purified, and he'll attain a pure heart, and thereby he'll always have new things to say when talking with his Creator, which is the category of Ruach haKodesh, the spirit of prophecy (21:2; 156).

4. Also when a person is humble, meek and patient, and doesn't let his anger flare when he's mistreated, thereby he sanctifies his nose completely. And by being (Prov. 11:13), "faithful-spirit covering a thing" so when he's told a secret he's careful to not disclose it to others, thereby he sanctifies his ears. By doing all this he draws the bounty of the Daat as mentioned (21:6).

5. By this sanctity of the mouth, eyes, ears etc. which are "the seven lamps," a person can receive a miraculous intellect (sekhel nifla) in the aspect of Shefa Eloki (Divine influx and gift), which is the essence of perfecting the Daat, perceiving and understanding Him without any introductions, but just by this Shefa Eloki which is the aspect of Ruach haKodesh (Ibid. 1-3).

6. Regarding those questions that trouble people, such as how can God be omniscient if we have Bechira, free will - know that the human mind is unable to understand this Omniscience, for this Sekhel, intellect, is the realm of Makif, "the surrounding lights;" it's so transcendent that the mind cannot bear it and it can't enter the mind except just encircle it from outside. If a person knew this Sekhel he'd be in the ranks of angels and not human. But know this: the essence of Bechira's power - is not knowing the Sekhel of the Omniscience and the Bechira. But in the future to come, when the human intellect expands and the Omniscience and Bechira is revealed to a mortal, then the Bechira will no longer exist, because then by the growth of the Sekhel he will leave the ranks of mortals and rise to the ranks of the angels and his Bechira will be no more. From this you should understand that you should not let such paradoxes as the Omniscience and the Bechira disconcert your mind, for at present there's no way to understand this Sekhel of the Omnicience and the Bechira, and they are the realm of Makif that cannot enter the mind in this world, which is the world of Bechira. For the essence of the faculty of Bechira is not knowing the intellect of the Omniscience and the Bechira (Ibid. 4).

7. When a person shows lack of respect for the True Tzaddik, the light of the Sekhel and the Daat is hidden from him, and he is unable to attain new Torah concepts. He's like a dead person (Ibid. 6).

8. Sometimes the consciousness and divine awareness (Mochin and Shefa Eloki) are obscured for a person (as if in "pregnancy"); it is very good then to cry out as he prays or studies. Thereby new divine consciousness is born (Ibid. 7).

9. The mind is man’s very essence. Wherever a person’s thoughts are, that is where his whole being is. So a person needs to totally run away from bad thoughts, in order to not acquire his place there, God forbid. He must force himself to think good thoughts, in order that he merits to get to know Hashem Yitbarakh, and then he's actually there; he's merged with His Blessedness! The more he knows (God) the more he becomes merged with Him, and he attains everlasting life, merits perfection of the Daat, and is delivered from lack of anything, as mentioned (Ibid. 11).

10. All the harsh judgements, God forbid, are drawn from lack of the Daat. This is why a sick person — who is under the sway of harsh judgements and constricted consciousness — is filled with anger. But by expanding one’s Daat, the harsh judgements are eliminated, and the anger and unkindness are dissipated, and great lovingkindness is attained - to know that everything that happens to him - it's all for the good, because it's all (for his ultimate) good (Ibid. 12).

11. All the greatness and prosperity that the nations of the world currently enjoy - it's all for our ultimate good and greatness. Even though presently it's impossible to understand all this - for we cannot deny the realities of what we see evidently before us - nevertheless in the future the Da'at will grow to the point where even the nations of the world themselves will know and understand that all the greatness and advantages they enjoy - are all for our benefit (Ibid. 13).

12. The main consolation from all the suffering, the essence of all our hope, and the essence of the life of the Coming World and its pleasure - lies only in the attainment of the holy Daat, which is to truly know His Blessedness. And as mentioned above, everyone will be purified and attain this in the future to come, even the nations of the world, as it's written (Isa. 11:9), "For the world will be filled with knowledge of Hashem" etc. But there will be a great difference between the understanding that they will attain and ours, for that which is considered by them a great and wondrous perception, will be for us a laugh and a simple thing. Even within the Yisraelite people themselves there will be great differences between the various Tzaddikim, and all the more so between the just and the wicked. For each person will attain according to his devotions, effort and toil that he toiled, strove and endured bitterness in this world for the sake of Hashem Yitbarakh. Even great Tzaddikim when they arrive in the Coming World at the perceptions attained in this world by a greater Tzaddik - they will be awesome matters for him, and they will be blaze and glow from them whilst for this Tzaddik that's greater than them it will be mere simple thing, for he attained these perceptions even in this world, so that which he attains in the Coming World - will be utterly huge. And similarly between one person and another. Understand this well and be well warned about these things! Make sure that you prepare yourself for the eternal life of the World to Come. “If you become wise, the wisdom is yours...” (Proverbs 9:12) (Ibid. 11-15).

13. When a person thinks good thoughts in Torah and devotions, thereby he merits knowing and understanding more all the time, and thereby he's protected from all lurking evil, ambushers and attackers, and the destroying forces all flee from him, and he needn't fear them at all (Ibid. 16)

14. The month of Elul is the time most Mesugal for attaining Daat, that is, to attain the Makifin, the transcendent comprehensions surrounding your Sekhel, and bring the Makif inward and make it Penimi, internal. When you bring [the Makifin] within your comprehension you create [new Makifin and] new garments for your Neshamah, which [disguises] and protects you from all the ambushers, attackers [and destroying angels] as mentioned (Ibid.).

15. When a person does some Miswah, there's a power in the Miswah to awaken all the worlds toward serving Hashem Yitbarakh. This draws Berakhah - blessing and increase - to all the worlds. The essence of the Berakhah that is bestowed from Above is Sekhel, Intellect. And when it comes down, it's made for each individual according to his Ratzon, will. Accordingly, whoever is a Baal-Nefesh (cares for his soul), needs to direct his Ratzon to draw Birkat haSekhel (increase his Divine Intellect). And he needs to draw Emunah, faith, into Birkat haSekhel, the blessing of the Intellect, because the Sekhel alone is not to be relied on, as we know. Also by the Penimiyot haBerakhot (inner aspects of the Blessing) that are drawn by the Miswot, the M'yashev uM'sadder et-haMochin (the Settling and Organizing Agent of the Mind) is nitBarekh - blessed and increased etc. And by means of all this he gets privileged to attain the Light that is higher than Nefesh-Ruach-Neshama etc. which is the Light of the Ein Sof, the Infinite, that is impossible to attain in any Sekhel except by performing the Miswot in Simchah, and he attains it in the category of "matei w'lo-matei/ reaching but not reaching" etc. - see there, #24 (24).

16. Every person needs to extract himself from the Medammeh (beastly imagination and fantasy) and rise up to the Sekhel (Divine Intellect), and not pursue those Taawot heMedumiyyot, fantasmic cravings, the beastly cravings. Just follow the Sekhel, for the Sekhel keeps a person away from all the cravings entirely. And all the cravings are the opposite of the Sekhel, and they're only by the power of the Medammeh, imagination, which is the Koach haBahmiyyut, the beastly force. For a Behemah, beast, also has this Koach, and it too gets misled by these Taawot. And when he's drawn after the Medammeh in his heart - this is serirut lev (letting the heart rule and lead, Deut. 29:18), when he follows the Medammeh in his heart and does actual beastly acts. So he needs to escape from serirut halev, and break his "heart of stone", and follow the Sekhel (25:1).

17. Even if he's already broken his Medammeh - power of nonsense fantasy - thereby establishing the proper rule of his Sekhel, intellect - nevertheless his Sekhel is still B'koach, in a potential state and not actual. So he needs to utilize his Sekhel, meaning: use it to probe and contemplate in the service of Hashem. Then when he probes using his Sekhel and utilizes it - then he brings his Sekhel from out of Koach (potential) into Po'al (actual). Then when he attains in his Sekhel whatever a mortal person is capable of attaining - then this is what remains of him after passing away. The essential existence and permanence of a person's life after death - is none other than this Sekhel d'Kedushah, Holy Intellect on the side of Good, that he acquired and attained in Torah and devotions (25:1).

18. When a person's Dibbur (speech) is without Daat - holy knowledge and awareness - they contain no Tob, Good. Then his speech is neither listened to nor accepted; then it's not called Dibbur, speech, at all - for Dibbur that's not heard or listened to is not called Dibbur. (29:1).

19. Tikkun haDibbur - repair and proper condition of one's speech - comes by praising the Tzaddikim. For by praising the Tzaddikim you elevate the Daat, holy knowledge. Then you receive the Dibbur, speech, from the Daat; that's when it contains Good. Only then is your speech is listened to and received. This is Tikkun haKlali for one's Dibbur, speech (Ibid. 2, 10).

20. You need to know that the whole world is full of His glory and there's no place devoid of Him and He both fills all the worlds and is Sovev them (transcends, encompasses, and moves them). Even if and when a person has to be involved in commerce among the gentiles he cannot excuse himself and say he cannot serve Hashem Yitbarakh due to the 'Aviyut - coarseness and thickness, and Gashmiyyut, materiality, that constantly bears down on him due to the business he's constantly involved in among them. For even in every worldly thing and every language of the nations - he can find Godliness within them, for without His Godliness they could have no Chiyyut/vitality or Kiyyum/existence at all. It's just that the lower the level of something, the more His Divinity there is more in Tzimtzum, "contraction," and more covered in veils (32:2).

21. This means that even if you are sunk in the very lair of the Klipot, “husks” on the lowest of all levels - even if you think you are so far from Him that you can no longer draw closer to His Blessedness - nevertheless know that even where you are, even there you can find his Godliness, and from that very place you can attach yourself to His Blessedness and return to Him in perfect Teshuvah. For (Deut. 30:11), "it's not far away from you." It is only that in the place where you are, the veils are thicker (Ibid.).

22. A person who masters his evil inclination and subdues it is really like an angel of the Lord of Hosts, and he can find letters of Torah even where materialism is rampant. Even when he is in contact with non-Jews and sees their behavior, he is aware of the Godly vitality — the letters of Torah — that are clothed in it. The secrets of Torah — the hidden Torah of the Ancient of Days — will be revealed to him. He will taste the Ohr haAhavah sh'b'Daat, the Light of the Love that is beyond time and measure and traits (ha-midot), and he will attain a perception of the light and goodness which are hidden away — the hidden Torah and the hidden Tzaddikim (Ibid. 3, 5).

Lamed

LEITZANUT - Mockery

1. He that scoffs at the words of the Sages, is judged / to be sentenced to [punishment in] boiling excrement, and this causes putrid fumes to go up to his Moach/brain, which bury and mix up and confuse his Daat/mind, so he's unable to bring out from his learning, Hanhagot Yesharot / proper conduct and behavior, and his heart is polluted like a Beit Ha-kisse ("toilet room," outhouse), which makes his Eitzah (counsel, determination) always split and divided so he's unable to give counsel to his soul (decide) about any thing at all; this results in Yisrael being expelled from their place and the Sod ha-Ibbur ("Secret of Intercalation," the calendar setting; impregnation and implanting of holy things in higher senses) is taken away from us. Then this results in controversies and fights (61:1-3).

א. הַמַּלְעִיג עַל דִּבְרֵי חֲכָמִים, נִדּוֹן בְּצוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה עוֹלִים עֲשָׁנִים סְרוּחִים אֶל הַמֹּחַ, וּמְעַקְּמִין וּמְעַרְבְּבִין וּמְבַלְבְּלִין דַּעְתּוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיא מִלִּמּוּדוֹ הַנְהָגוֹת יְשָׁרוֹת, וְלִבּוֹ מְטֻנָּף כְּמוֹ בֵּית הַכִּסֵּא, וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה עֲצָתוֹ חֲלוּקָה לְעוֹלָם וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לָתֵת עֵצָה לְנַפְשׁוֹ בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר, וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה גּוֹזְרִין לְגָרֵשׁ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמְּקוֹמָם וְנִלְקָח סוֹד הָעִבּוּר מֵאִתָּנוּ. וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִמְשָׁךְ מַחֲלוֹקוֹת (סא, א ב ג)

2. There are already now many Sefarim, sacred Jewish books and still to come there will be many more Sefarim, and it's forbidden to be Mal'ig (to be dismissive, scorning, mocking, take lightly) any one of them, because the world needs every one of them [see Talmud Torah] (Ibid. 5).

ב. יֵשׁ עַכְשָׁו סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה וְגַם עֲתִידִין לִהְיוֹת עוֹד סְפָרִים הַרְבֵּה וְאָסוּר לְהַלְעִיג עַל שׁוּם אֶחָד מֵהֶם, כִּי כֻּלָּם נִצְרָכִים לְהָעוֹלָם [עַיֵּן תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָה] (שָׁם ה)

3. Mockery is "the fool's laughter" (Eccl. 7:6); you nullify it by Tikkun Habrit (II 83).

ג. הַלֵּיצָנוּת הִיא שְׂחוֹק הַכְּסִיל וְנִתְבַּטֵּל עַל־יְדֵי תִּקּוּן הַבְּרִית (ח"ב פג)

4. People (in general) are a great hindrance (to serving Hashem), but the main thing is their Leitzanut (mockery, disbelief, skepticism); it's a big obstacle to (getting to) the Truth; this is very well known to anyone that's versed in the cunning cleverness of their Leitzanut (humor). This is needless to say about the clever humor of irreligious and not-serious people of the world that go in the ways of reductionism, materialism and nihilism, who are very scornful and dismissive of Yisrael as is well known, as this can harm and uproot a man in entirety, the Merciful One save us — but even the cleverness and Leitzanut (sarcasm) of those that appear to be pious and followers (of True Tzaddikim; "chassidim") but who perform Leitzanut (mockery, derision) at many things that are in Kedushah — - they too cause tremendous harm, and drive a person very, very far from truly serving Hashem. In many ways their Leitzanut (indifference, mockery, doubt) is worse than the Leitzanut (agnosticism) of plain irreligious people. Because most (religious) people will keep distance from those irreligious people, because every one knows, that philosophy uproots a man out of both worlds [this one and the Coming World] and takes him down to the lowest hell (Sheol), the Merciful One spare us! But the Leitzanut and cleverness of those ones that appear to be pious, kosher people — a man doesn't run away from them as much, since it's coming out of the mouth of somewhat religious God-fearing people and yet they enclothe all of it in Darkhei Emet (ways of truth). This is all the work of the Accuser (the Devil). "But he that goes pure, simple and innocent - will go in confidence." He will keep away from them and their multitudes that are like them. He will not have a look at any of their cleverness and Leitzanut (indifference, mockery, doubt). He will just go with simple innocence in the ways of our Patriarchs "that are from eternity [and unto eternity good.]" (Sichot Haran 81).

ד. בְּנֵי אָדָם הֵם מוֹנְעִים גְּדוֹלִים מְאֹד, וְהָעִקָּר הִיא הַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁמּוֹנֵעַ מְאֹד מִן הָאֱמֶת, כַּיָּדוּעַ הֵיטֵב לְמִי שֶׁבָּקִי בְּחָכְמוֹת וְלֵיצָנוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם. לֹא מִבָּעֲיָא חָכְמוֹת וְלֵיצָנוּת שֶׁל קַלֵּי עוֹלָם הַהוֹלְכִים בְּדַרְכֵי הַמֶּחְקָרִים, שֶׁמִּתְלוֹצְצִים הַרְבֵּה מִדַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל כַּמְפֻרְסָם, שֶׁזֶּה מַזִּיק וְעוֹקֵר אֶת הָאָדָם לְגַמְרֵי רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלַן, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ הַחָכְמוֹת וְהַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁל הַנִּרְאִין כִּכְשֵׁרִים וַחֲסִידִים, וְעוֹשִׂים לֵיצָנוּת מִכַּמָּה דְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה, גַּם הֵם מַזִּיקִים הַרְבֵּה, וּמַרְחִיקִים הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד מֵעֲבוֹדַת ה' בֶּאֱמֶת. וּבְכַמָּה אוֹפַנִּים גָּרוּעַ יוֹתֵר הַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם מֵהַלֵּיצָנוּת שֶׁל הַקַּלֵּי עוֹלָם. כִּי מֵהַקַּלִּים הַנַּ"ל בּוֹרְחִים רֹב הָעוֹלָם, כִּי הַכֹּל יוֹדְעִין, שֶׁחָכְמַת הַפִּילוֹסוֹפְיָא עוֹקֶרֶת אֶת הָאָדָם מִשְּׁנֵי עוֹלָמוֹת וּמוֹרִידִין אוֹתוֹ לִשְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּיּוֹת רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן. אֲבָל זֹאת הַלֵּיצָנוּת וְהַחָכְמוֹת שֶׁל הַנִּרְאִין כִּכְשֵׁרִים הַנַּ"ל, אֵין הָאָדָם בּוֹרֵחַ מֵהֶם כָּל כָּךְ מֵאַחַר שֶׁיּוֹצְאִים מִפִּי הַכְּשֵׁרִים קְצָת וְהֵם מַלְבִּישִׁים הַכֹּל בְּדַרְכֵי אֱמֶת. וְהַכֹּל מַעֲשֵׂה בַּעַל דָּבָר. וְהוֹלֵךְ בְּתֹם יֵלֵךְ בֶּטַח. וְיִבְרַח מֵהֶם וּמֵהֲמוֹנָם, וְלֹא יִסְתַּכֵּל עַל כָּל מִינֵי חָכְמוֹת וְלֵיצָנוּת שֶׁלָּהֶם. וְיֵלֵךְ בִּתְמִימוּת וּפְשִׁיטוּת בְּדַרְכֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר מֵעוֹלָם (שהר"ן פא)

Mem

MIKVEH

1. Mikveh immersion saves you from all afflictions, God forbid, and purifies you from all impurities and from all sins. For the mikveh draws down unto you the very highest consciousness and kindness (daat w'chesed 'elyon m'od). (Likutei Moharan 56)

2. Immersing in a mikveh makes your livelihood come easy, causes dispute and anger to be annulled, and lets you attain abundant peace, goodness and consciousness, and to attain healing, life, and length of days, and to inspire people towards Hashem Yitbarakh (Ibid.).

3. Mikveh is not harmful at all. A doctor that says that a mikveh is harmful is not a doctor at all, for when the water is not too cold, then, on the contrary, immersing in a mikveh is very good for bodily health, for it opens the sweat pores, as the expert doctors know (Ibid. 123, and see Travel #8 [below] regarding mikveh).

MOADEI HASHEM - Elul

1. The kavanot/themes/meditations of Elul are a remedy for blemish of the Covenant. And through this one shall find his mate, and she will not be against him; she will only lean toward his will. And for the main kavanah of Elul, see Likutei Moharan 6.

2. The month of Elul is the time fit for attaining knowledge, i.e. that one should attain to know and understand what one did now know before; and through this one makes new garments for his soul, and is saved from all the afflictions (see Da`at/Knowledge).

3. Elul is capable of circumcising the foreskin of his heart, until he pays attention and thoroughly feels the pain of his sins in truth, until also all the hearts of all the drops that were drawn from him to any place that they were drawn, etc., should also feel, and a great noise should be made amongst them and they shall return in teshuvah, all of them (see Teshuvah/Return).

4. The main [time] of repentance is the month of Elul, for they are days of favor, since Moshe went up to receive the latter tablets and opened a paved road to go on. And the main way to repentance that Moshe made is to know that the Lord, blessed-be-He, is everywhere, and to find the Lord, blessed-be-He, everywhere, in all the declines in the world and in all the advances in the world, for sometimes through a man’s going up, for instance if he becomes wealthy, then he forgets the Lord, blessed-be-He. Also even in the service of the Lord we have found that there is one that went up to a great level, then denied at the root, may the Merciful One save us. Therefore one must ask of the Lord, blessed-be-He, that He should draw him close in an approach that will not harm him. And likewise in all the declines in the world, God forbid, even in the lowest level, also there one must tie himself to the Lord, blessed-be-He, for his Kingship rules over everything (see 27 in Hitchazkut/Strengthening and elsewhere). ...

Chanukkah

1. Through the mitzvah of Ner Chanukkah he recognizes Kavod Hashem Yithbarakh (H"Y glory or presence), and His Kavod is elevated and aggrandized in the world, and those who were distant are awaked to return to Hashem Yithbarakh, and they attain Awe and Shalom Bayith and prayer, and strife and slander are nullified, and universal peace is drawn to all the worlds. (LM #14)

א. עַל־יְדֵי מִצְוַת נֵר חֲנֻכָּה מַכִּיר כְּבוֹד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְנִתְעַלֶּה וְנִתְגַּדֵּל כְּבוֹדוֹ בָּעוֹלָם, וּמְעוֹרְרִין הָרְחוֹקִים לָשׁוּב לַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וְזוֹכִין לְיִרְאָה וְלִשְׁלוֹם בַּיִת וְלִתְפִלָּה, וְנִתְבַּטֵּל הַמַּחֲלוֹקוֹת וְלָשׁוֹן הָרָע, וְנִמְשָׁךְ שָׁלוֹם הַכְּלָלִי בְּכָל הָעוֹלָמוֹת (יד)

2. Through the mitzvah of lighting Ner Chanukkah one draws on himself the Holy Consciousness which is the aspect of shemen ha'tov/ the oil of the Good [Ps. 133:2], which is the aspect of remembrance, namely to constantly remember `alma d'atei/ the Coming World, in general and in particular. [See Memory #4] (LM #54)

ב. עַל־יְדֵי מִצְוַת הַדְלָקַת נֵר חֲנֻכָּה מַמְשִׁיכִין עַל עַצְמוֹ הַדַּעַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת שֶׁמֶן הַטּוֹב, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת זִכָּרוֹן, דְּהַיְנוּ לִזְכֹּר תָּמִיד בְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי בִּכְלָל וּבִפְרָט [עַיֵּן זִכָּרוֹן אוֹת ד] (נד)

3.

ג. יְמֵי חֲנֻכָּה הֵם יְמֵי הוֹדָאָה וְהַלֵּל, שֶׁזֶּה עִקַּר שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ עוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִין שֶׁיָּאִיר הָאֱמֶת, דְּהַיְנוּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בֶּאֱמֶת וְלִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה בֶּאֱמֶת מִפִּי רַב אֲמִתִּי, וְלַעֲשׂוֹת שִׁדּוּכִים אֲמִתִּיִּים שֶׁכָּל זֶה הֵם שְׁלשָׁה קַוֵּי הָאֱמֶת, וְהֵם מְאִירִין לְכָל חֶלְקֵי הַדִּבּוּר וּמַשְׁלִימִין הַדִּבּוּר. וְעַל־יְדֵי זֶה זוֹכִין לְהַמְשִׁיךְ הַקְּדֻשָּׁה וְהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁל שַׁבָּת לְשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַחֹל, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִתְגַּלֶּה אַחְדוּת הַפָּשׁוּט יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַתִּקּוּנִים נִמְשָׁכִין עַל־יְדֵי הַדְלָקַת נֵר חֲנֻכָּה וְעַל־יְדֵי הַלֵּל וְהוֹדָאָה שֶׁל חֲנֻכָּה. אַשְׁרֵי הַזּוֹכֶה לְחֲנֻכָּה כָּזֶה, לְהַמְשִׁיךְ בּוֹ כָּל תִּקּוּנִים הַנּוֹרָאִים הָאֵלּוּ (ח"ב. ב)

ד. כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁזּוֹכֶה כָּל אֶחָד לִפְעֹל בְּיוֹם כִּפּוּר בַּקָּשַׁת "סְלַח נָא" וְכוּ' כְּמוֹ כֵן הוּא זוֹכֶה לִקְדֻשַּׁת חֲנֻכָּה, כִּי קְדֻשַּׁת חֲנֻכָּה נִמְשָׁךְ עַל־יְדֵי הַסְּלִיחָה שֶׁל יוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כִּי חֲנֻכָּה הוּא בְּחִינַת חֲנֻכַּת הַבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁעַל־יְדֵי מִצְוַת חֲנֻכָּה אָנוּ מַמְשִׁיכִין עַל עַצְמֵנוּ קְדֻשַּׁת הַבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁזֶּה זוֹכִין עַל־יְדֵי הַסְּלִיחָה עַל הָעֲווֹנוֹת שֶׁפּוֹעֲלִין בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים, כַּמְבֹאָר בִּפְנִים. וְעִקַּר קְדֻשַּׁת הַבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁמַּמְשִׁיכִין בַּחֲנֻכָּה הוּא לִזְכּוֹת לַדַּעַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ לֵידַע וּלְהוֹדִיעַ, כִּי ה' הוּא הָאֱלֹֹקִים וְלִזְכּוֹת לָצֵאת עַל־יְדֵי זֶה מֵעֲווֹנוֹת, שֶׁזֶּהוּ עִקַּר הָרַחֲמָנוּת עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל [וְעַיֵּן תּוֹכָחָה וְצַדִּיק], וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ הֶאָרַת הַדַּעַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ לְבָנִים וְתַלְמִידִים לְדוֹרוֹת לָנֶצַח, וְלִזְכּוֹת עַל־יְדֵי זֶה לְהַשָּׂגַת הַמַּקִּיפִין הַקְּדוֹשִׁים שֶׁהֵם עִקַּר שַׁעֲשׁוּעַ עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהֵם נִמְשָׁכִין עַל־יְדֵי הַדְלָקַת הַשֶּׁמֶן הַקָּדוֹשׁ שֶׁל נֵר חֲנֻכָּה, וְלִזְכּוֹת עַל־יְדֵי זֶה לְפַרְנָסָה קְדוֹשָׁה הַנִּמְשֶׁכֶת מֵרָצוֹן הָעֶלְיוֹן, שֶׁיְּכוֹלִין לִזְכּוֹת עַל יָדָהּ בִּשְׁעַת הָאֲכִילָה לְהֶאָרַת הָרָצוֹן הַמֻּפְלָג, שֶׁיִּכְסֹף וְיִשְׁתּוֹקֵק לַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ בְּרָצוֹן מֻפְלָג בְּלִי שִׁעוּר. וּמֵאֵלָיו יָבִין הָאָדָם שֶׁחֲנֻכָּה כָּזֶה אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִזְכּוֹת כִּי אִם עַל־יְדֵי הִתְקָרְבוּת לְרַב וּמַנְהִיג שֶׁהוּא רַחֲמָן אֲמִתִּי [עַיֵּן צַדִּיק אוֹת צ"ו] אַשְׁרֵי הַזּוֹכֶה לִמְצֹא אוֹתוֹ (ז. יא)

1

The Purim simcha and festivities - with hand clapping and dancing - this draws to us the aspect of receiving both the revealed and hidden Torah; this is the aspect of the wondrous supernatural revelation and illumination of Mordekhai and Ester. And we become privileged to perform the miswa of Sefirat haOmer in the way it ought to be done. And we subdue the klipot/husks of Haman-Amalekh may their names be obliterated. And arrogance and idolatry and apostasy/indifference are eliminated. And enormous faith and wisdom/kabbalah/esoterics of holiness and life and length of days are drawn forth. And all the harsh judgements are sweetened and all the decrees against Yisrael are nullified (LM #10:8).

על ידי שמחת פורים בהמחאת כף ורקודין, על ידי זה ממשיכין בחינת קבלת התורה בנגלה ונסתר, שהיא בחינת הארה הנפלאה של מרדכי ואסתר וזוכין לקים מצות ספירת העמר כראוי, ומכניעין קלפות המן עמלק ימח שמם, ונתבטל הגאוה והעבודה זרה והכפירות, ונמשך אמונה גדולה וחכמה דקדושה וחיים ואריכות ימים וממתיקין כל הדינים ונתבטלין כל הגזרות מישראל (י. ח):

2

Purim is a preparation for Pesach. By the miswot of Purim we merit to be saved from chametz on Pesach (LM II 74).

פורים הוא הכנה לפסח. על ידי מצוות של פורים זוכין להיות נשמרין מחמץ בפסח (ח"ב. עד):

Shin

Simchah/Happiness

1. Seeing the Tzaddik's face makes you happy and quick (Likutei Moharan 4).

2. You need to do the miswoth in such joy that you don't want any reward of the Coming World for it, just that the Holy One, blessed be He, should bring you another miswah in reward for that miswah - because you benefited from the mitzvah itself. By this, one can know what is decreed upon the world, and whether it is now before the passing of the decree or after, and upon just whom is passed the judgement, God forbid; and he'll know how to pray for the world. For after a decree the Tzaddikim must clothe their prayers in stories. All this they attain by doing wiswoth in extreme joy from the miswah itself (5).

3. The way to attain this joy is by praying hard, with great fear and in love etc., as it says in the prayer [to love and fear Your name etc.] (Ibid.).

4. Dancing and clapping your hands can sweeten severe decrees (10).

...

29. You must bolster yourself to be happy by any means, and to try and search out in yourself any good points in order to get happy, as explained regarding the verse "Azammera l'Elohai B'odi" (I will sing to my God while I yet live; have my being) [I will sever my judgements by finding bits of points good in me] (Ps. 104:33 — and see Hitchazqut/Strengthening #26). In any case you should be happy in this — being privileged to be of the seed of Yisrael, "that He did not make him an idolater." This happiness is definitely a wondrous, infinite happiness without a doubt, since it's something Hashem Yitbarakh did, Himself (and see elsewhere regarding this). So say it often, with your mouth and in your heart with great joy, "Blessed is our God, Who has created us for His glory, and separated us from those who err" etc. This should make you happy all your days, no matter what you go through. And at times you need to cheer yourself up by means of nonsense activities and words of jest. Because people experience so many troubles - ailments of the body or money - therefore they are usually unable to cheer themselves up except by means of nonsense things, acting a bit like a drunkard (clowning around) in order to get happy, as the whole life of the body and the soul depends on this. This also makes a superb unification up above, by this Bedicha Daateh (joking; to jostle and clear the mind) — that is, happiness.

30. It is a big mitzvah to always be happy! You need to bolster yourself with all your strength to drive away the sadness and the melancholy, to be only happy always. This is healing for all kinds of sicknesses, because all kinds of ailments are due to sadness and "black bile," so you have to make yourself happy by any kinds of strategies. Usually this requires nonsense activities, items, or words, as mentioned above.

...

Tau

TALMUD TORAH - Learning Torah

1. Learning [the Tzaddik's] Torah ("ha-Torah" – the hidden Torah, "Torat Hashem"), gets all our prayers and requests to be received, causing the Chen (favor, grace, charm) and the Chashivut (standing, importance) of Yisrael to rise to the top, in the eyes of all the entities and creatures, wherever it's needed – both the physical and spiritual entities (1:1).

2. By studying this Torah vigorously, you give strength to the Malkhut d'Kedusha ("the Holy Kingship;" the powers of good) to be dominant (over the Malkhut d'Sitra Achra, the forces of "the Other Side;" evil), and you strengthen the Yetzer haTov (the good inclination within a person) over the Yetzer haRa (the evil inclination) (Ibid.).

3. Being engaged in this Torah will bring you to understand the hints from all the different things in the world – to attach and to get close to Hashem Yitbarakh through them. So that even in the darkest and dimmest of places where it might seem impossible to be close to Hashem Yitbarakh – there too haSekhel haEmet (the Intellect of the Truth) will light your way, to find H"Y even there - and even get close to H"Y from that place specifically (Ibid.).

4. "A person doesn't commit a transgression unless a spirit of insanity gets in him" (Sotah 3a). Therefore the sins and the damage a person has done, is actually just how insane he is. This is why all kinds of crazy and nonsense can be found in most people. The remedy is to study Torah intensively, because the Torah is entirely the names of the Holy One, Blessed Is He - so it has the power to crush the Yetzer haRa and banish the madness and the spirit of insanity that have clung to a person because of his sins (Ibid.).

5. Being engaged in this Torah also saves you from the sneaky tricks of the Yetzer haRa. Usually instead of trying to persuade a person to do a blatant sin right away, it disguises itself as mitzvot and so forth. But being engaged in the Torah allows you to develop True Intellect and to escape from all that (Ibid.).

6. Torah and prayer give strength to one another and illumine each other (2:6).

7. By studying Gemara at night, a "string of lovingkindness" [חוט של חסד - see LM II:8 and the relation to the Future Song of 72] is drawn to you, and you can free yourself from thoughts and motives that are not for the Torah's own sake. This leads you to the proper state and channeling of the sound of music – so that you can't be harmed by hearing the sound of the Sitra Achra's music, which could do severe damage your service of Hashem Yitbarakh. And you'll be able to raise up the Neginah diKedusha (holy music), so that people can cleave to H"Y by songs and music. This sets up and raises high the Malkhut di'Kedusha ("the holy Kingship;" the forces of holiness), and can make such a person worthy of a position of authority and having command over whatever he wants. He can even attain a kind of prophecy (3).

8. By learning the Poskim (decided halakhic codes) you separate and clarify the good from the evil and banish and nullify the evil from within the four elements that constitute all the human character traits - which is man's essential Tikkun (repair; thing to fix; the proper state). This leads to the thing that he's praying for to achieve completion and to emerge from potential to actual so that his request is fulfilled; and he's able to cast down to the earth those who argue against him and oppose him (8:6,7).

9. The way to clarify what's the Psak Halakha (the decided law) is by prayer (Ibid.).

10. By saying out loud your Torah learning - this speech illumines and shows you where Teshuva is needed, so you can get to make actual teshuvah that's substantive and proportional (to the damage, teshuvat ha-mishkal). And in an ongoing process by each and every teshuvah, you advance from one level to the next; so you can even get out from the lowest levels and reach the deepest understandings of the Torah (11:1).

11. But attaining this kind of illuminating speech is impossible unless you break your arrogance and pride, so that your learning isn't for the sake of prestige – to make a show of it or to quarrel, God forbid, or to attain rabbinic office and authority. Prerequisite for this is Shmirat haBrit (Ibid. 2,3).

12. When people study Torah with improper intentions - the main (problem) being if they learn the Oral Torah: the Gemara and the legal codes with not the right intentions - a mouth is made for them (forces and people) to say untrue things about the True Tzaddikim. This is why there is opposition to the True Tzaddikim from "Torah scholars," as explained there in LM #12 (12:1).

13. Before learning, you need to know that when you sit down to learn, the Tzaddik who is in Gan Eden will be listening to your voice. So you need to bind yourself to the Tanna (Mishnaic teacher) or Tzaddik who originated and revealed this Torah teaching that you're learning. This constitutes a "kissing" – a type of bond between the two spirits, a cause for great joy to the Tanna. This will bring you to Teshuvah and renewing your days that have passed in darkness. All this happens when you learn Torah for its own sake, in order to perform the mitzvah of learning Torah — which is equal to all the other commandments put together — bringing you to fulfill the Torah. But when someone just learns not for the sake of Torah – to called a "Torah scholar" or so forth, then (ref) "a carcass is better than him." He definitely can't connect with the spirit of the Tanna and therefore can't see the truth, and he turns into an enemy and critic of the True Tzaddikim, as mentioned above. The exile of the Shechinah is just this – this that the Oral Torah is in exile in the mouth of such Torah scholars (Ibid.).

14. When the kosher Torah scholar learns the words of a Tanna, he thereby restores the soul of the Tanna to his (the Tanna's) body (Ibid.).

15. It is a good practice to study legal rulings in conjunction with the Be'er HaGolah (the commentary which gives the Talmudic source of each ruling), in order to mention the name of the Tanna or legal authority who originated the ruling in question, in order to attach your spirit with his spirit and achieve all the aforementioned (Ibid.).

16. Engaging in Torah in holiness and purity arouses the sinners of Yisrael and converts to return to God. But it is only possible to achieve this when one is absolutely humble and lowly (14:3-5).

17. Whenever a person learns Torah – and this applies especially to a Talmid Chakham – he must aim to send light to the root of the Neshamot. Then he'll be able to cause the wicked and the proselytes to turn back and make Teshuvah - even those who are far from Him; and he'll we worth of having a son who is also a Talmid Chakham. But when a person doesn't learn in this manner, his son will not be a Talmid Chakham (Ibid. 3,4).

18. By Hitbodedut, meaning, having a private experience (a time and conversation with God), judging and evaluating yourself regarding everything you do, you attain fear of God, which is the means to understand the Revealed Torah and attain true humility. Thereby you'll attain prayer in self-sacrifice - nullifying your very being and material existence during prayer - and this allows you to perceive Hidden Torah, which is the Hidden Light that will be revealed in the future. Fortunate is he that attains this (15)!

19. The secrets of the Torah can only be attained by someone who (Eruvin 22a), "blackens his face like a raven," becoming like a raven to its young, to the extent of nullifying all his physical existence as if he's not even in the world (Ibid.).

20. The secret aspects of Torah are called Koshesh, Holy. "And no common man shall eat the holy" (Lev. 22:13) - so only His Kedoshim - (truly) Saintly ones - and those whom (He/he) has called shall eat of it (Ibid.).

21. When Torah is drawn into the world, Hashem Yitbarakh's hashgachah (supervision, care, providence, tending) is drawn over us. And the closer a person is to the Torah, the more complete is Hashem Yitbarakh's hashgachah over him (13:4).

22. There are times when bittul Torah (neglecting Torah) is its fulfillment. Because someone who wants to be constantly engaged in Torah and in serving Hashem cannot be glued to Hashem Yitbarakh and His Torah continuously without a break. He's just forced to take some recess, for sometimes he has to go out and engage in worldly matters, so that the disturbances and distractions of the Sitra Achra can't rise up and destroy his mind completely, God forbid, so he has to desist sometimes. But when Mashiach comes then no one will need to interrupt from his devotions (16).

23. One who wants to receive new Torah insights must first draw to himself words hot as flaming coals. He must first pour out his words talking to Hashem Yitbarakh, warming up Hashem Yitbarakh's love toward him. Then the Lev Elyon (Supernal "Heart") opens and hot speech flows out - and this speech draws forth Torah insights from that place as well (20:2).

24. When he prays before giving a Torah lecture he needs to pray in Tachanunim (beseeching) - begging of Hakadosh Barukh Hu free grace and not because of his own right or merit. Just he should stand before Hashem Yitbarakh like a poor who has nothing, and speak Tachanunim. He also needs to bind himself with the Neshamot of his audience - and then his prayer is Tefillat Rabbim (prayer of the community) which is never spurned (Berakhot 8a) so it will surely be accepted. Then everybody who is present there will have a share in the Torah he reveals (see Tzaddik #32) (Ibid.).

25. Through the merit of this Torah that is revealed you can be privileged to enter the Land of Yisrael (Ibid. 6).

26. When a person learns Torah - and discerns no new aspect in it - this is because the Mochin ("brains," state of consciousness) are hidden from him, in the aspect of pregnancy. Then it is beautiful (i.e. appropriate) for the person to cry out, both in prayer and in Torah, and thereby he will bring the Mochin to fruition (21:7,8).

27. Whenever someone learns Torah without gaining any new original insights - even though HK"BH still delights in it, nevertheless he should not teach it publicly. But whoever Hashem has gifted with the understanding of some sort of original idea, according to his capacity - it's only proper that he reveal and introduce this understanding (that was previously Segulah, supernatural, and Makif, hovering, for him) to the Am Segulah (Yisrael, who were given the Torah by the Supernatural) and share his own goodness (TUBO) with the others (Ibid. 8,9).

28. Through Torah and prayer one attains joy. And from joy one attains Azut di'Kedushah (holy boldness), and from Azut di'Kedushah he merits following True Tzaddikim, and through them he attains perfect faith. And from faith he has the aspect of "hands" to receive Mussar (rebuke, also tradition or ethical teachings) from True Rebukers. Through this we are saved from expulsion and controversy, and peace in the world is increased, and peace is made between Yisrael and their Heavenly Father. Then he repairs the seal of holiness, in the aspect of a "seal within a seal" (22:9).

29. You need to keep far away from listening to Torah lessons from Talmidei Chakhamim (scholars who are learned in both halakhah and hidden Torah) that are unscrupulous, for they are the aspect of "Jewish demons" (v. Zohar III:253) who receive their Torah from the demons who are in possession of fallen Torah. This is why they seem to always give amazing lectures that are well received by the masses, and all their speech is by way of allegory, rhetoric and explanations that amaze. But there is nothing to be gained from them, because the torahs of these "Talmidei Chakhamim" have no power to direct men on the path of good. Just the opposite - their torahs lead people into severe disbelief and heresy, and they end up vilifying and shaming the Yir'ei Hashem (God Fearing), and all the opposition (to the Yir'ei Hashem) originates from them (28:1).

30. The remedy for this is to extend hospitality to True Talmidei Chakhamim within your house. This will bring you to faith, Chesed (Divine benevolence; human kindness and charity), and nullifying yourself before Hashem Yitbarakh, as in (Ps. 22:7), "But I am a worm and not a man." Through this, you defeat the opposers, and break the disbelief and heresy they cause - and you'll be able to elevate and refine the good that is in their Torah (Ibid. 3-5).

31. You can only attain true Torah through Azut di'Kedushah (holy boldness) - being "bold as a leopard" (Avot 5:24) in serving Hashem, paying no attention whatsoever to those who hinder you and try to ridicule you and so forth. According to a person's Azut is the Torah he will attain. For whoever has Azut diKedushah will gain true new Torah insights from the side of Kedushah. Conversely whoever has Azut of the Sitra Achra, who is brazen-faced in mirror opposition to the kosher and devout people of the generation etc. <rtl>(עז פנים כנגד כשרי הדור וכו')</rtl> doesn’t attain true Torah insights - only from the Sitra Achra attaining Torah. And according to the Torah a person receives in accord with his Azut as mentioned, the prayer he attains is such (30:8).

32. Shleimut haAdam (reaching the complete state of Man) - is to be both a Tzaddik and a Torah scholar. For if he's not learned our Sages obm said (Avot 2:6) "W'lo am-ha'aretz chasid/ An ignoramus can't be pious" (chasid also means a follower of the Tzaddik). On the other hand, to be learned by itself is for sure nothing, because one can be learned and completely wicked, God forbid, and (Yoma 72b on Deut. 44:4) "when a person is unworthy the Torah becomes the Sam (drug) of death for him." Therefore, a person needs to be both learned in Torah and pious in good deeds - and then, he is (Chagigah 15b) like (Mal. 2:7) mal'akh H' Tzevaot/ the angel, of the Lord of Hosts" and he forms the letters (Ot) of Torah for goodness, and brings life and all goodness to the world.

But whoever errs and thinks the main thing is to just be learned, he is like Acher (R' Elisha ben Abuya, the notorious scholar-turned-disbeliever of the Talmud) who (Chagiga 14b) "uprooted the saplings" (31).

33. Now, even when a perfect Tzaddik - being both a Tzaddik and Lamdan (Torah scholar) - when he occasionally falls from his level, as it's a known thing that it's impossible to constantly remain on the same level: Then when he's falling from his level, if he wants to hold on to the level of Lamdan that he still has - it's not good. He just needs to bolster himself in the the fear of Heaven and with the good points that are still in him (Ibid.).

34. By the Torah and the Tzaddikim you attain Shalom (peace, wholeness) - that there's Shalom among Yisrael, and Shalom for each person in his traits. Meaning, he's not divided in his traits [t.n. cf. schizophrenia lit. "split mind"] or by his experiences - they make no difference to him. Whether in good (times) or in bad, he always finds Hashem Yitbarakh there (33:2).

35. Chokhmot chitzoniyyot ("external wisdoms"; secular arts and sciences) are stupid and dark in relation to Chokhmot ha-Torah. By fasting and charity to Eretz Yisrael you can attain Chokhmot ha-Torah, which are a form of hit'alut ha-nefesh, elevation of the soul, the category of Chesed [72, Nanach] lovingkindness, light, and life, causing the Dinim (harsh judgements and decrees) to be sweetened and nullified (see Tzedakah #15,16) (35:1).

36. The judgements can only be sweetened, and the world can only exist, by "the breath of little children (learning Torah) of Beit Rabban" (Shabbat 119b). So every person needs to very much pray for and seek out a kosher, upright, God-fearing teacher — praying to Hashem Yitbarakh a great deal for this — so that the teacher shouldn't corrupt the holy breath of the children (37:4).

37. Through the Torah a person studies in times of hardship, in poverty and pressure, a thread of kindness (chut shel Chesed (=72), Chagiga 12b) is extended to him, and he drives out the masters of judgement and all the all the Sitra Achra. By this, he rectifies speech and elevates it to its source, to the point that he's able to lay out his speech beautifully before Hashem Yitbarakh, speaking with the warmth in his heart (Ps. 39.4), words of truth that are in his heart (Ibid. 15:2) (38:4).

38. When a person sharpens his Sekhel by studying Torah, his Mochin are sharpened, and haKarah (recognition) is added for him, to recognize the greatness of Hashem Yitbarakh. Then he's utterly ashamed of his mistakes, which is the essence of Teshuvah, and he attains the light of Tefillin, which are the aspect of the Or haPanim (Light of the Face), the aspect of the Etz haChayim (the Tree of Life). (Ibid. 5).

39. Damaged faith leads to neglect of Torah, resulting in exile, wandering and journeys. (40).

40. Even in learning Torah there has to be an aspect of contentment. Because sometimes a person gets confused by wanting to learn too much, for he sees there's a lot to learn and he wants to learn the entire Torah "standing on one foot" and due to this he gets very frustrated; he can even neglect it and not learn at all because of this. So he needs to have an aspect of contentment even in Torah, for (Avot 2:16) "it's is your duty to finish the work [but neither are you at liberty to neglect it]" as our Sages said (54:3).

41. New Torah insights bring the creation of new heavens and earth, and thereby all the influxes and blessings come to the world. However, there are new Torah teachings that come by way of the Medammeh, imagination, which constantly tries to dwell on those who study Torah law. This is why those novelties appear attractive and credible (in Yiddish glaykh, straight, right, reasonable) — because they come from the power of the Medammeh, which likens (medammeh) one thing to another. Now, even though there is good in them, since they're words of Torah - alas, the bad in them is more than the good. And Torah insights like these can bring famine in the world, God forbid, therefore they harm a person's livelihood; so we should pray to Hashem Yitbarakh to be saved from them. The remedy for it is: To guard oneself well from Lashon Hara (negative speech about others), from both speaking it or accepting (believing) it. And also to maintain oneself happy at all times, because the main cause of this disruption by the Medammeh and the source of all the lusts, is from being of sad spirits. And they way to subdue that is by being being happy (see Simcha #13) (Ibid. 6).

42. Through engagement in Torah we attain vitality and length of days. Because by Torah engagement we call the Chai haChayim, the Life Source of All Life, Blessed-be-He, and draw from Him life and length of days. And we need to engage in Torah with the mouth specifically, saying the Divrei Torah out loud; this way we call the Blessed One and draw from Him vitality and length of days (56:3).

43. A person who engages in the Torah can admonish even people that are very far from God, even without knowing what they need, and even without them being present. Even so, by his Torah learning and engagement, those who are far can hear the Torah’s proclamation. For the Torah proclaims, cries out, and admonishes constantly, declaring, "Until when, fools, will you love folly?" etc. (Zohar III: 36, 58, 126). Only, they don’t hear the voice of the Torah's proclamation due to the multiplied concealment resulting from multitude sins, God forbid. For nowadays God is hidden from us due to our many sins, in a "concealment within concealment" as in (Deut. 31:18) "Wanochi hasteir astir/ I will hide (even) the hiding." But by engaging in Torah we uncover the concealments, so much that even those who are utterly far (from God) hear the voice of the Torah's proclamation and admonishment and all return to Hashem (Ibid.).

44. And even people who are farthest from Hashem Yitbarakh, who have become "abandoned and estranged" from the Omnipresent One - including even those who had been at some time near Hashem Yitbarakh but who have already forgotten it, as well others who even now remember Hashem Yitbarakh but alas they haven't the strength to overcome their Yetzer - Nevertheless! by the enormous power of learning Torah earnestly, it can cause all of them to hear the Torah's own voice of proclamation and admonishment as mentioned and to all come back to Hashem (Ibid.).

45. When a person learns Torah he needs to see to it that from all his studies learning Torah that he receives and derives from them Mishpatei Emet, true justice and decisions, namely hangagot yesharot, proper conduct and behavior, both for himself and for others who conduct themselves according to his advice, each person according to his level, according to whatever greater or lesser rule and authority he has over him. He attains this by emunat chakhamim, faith in the Sages, by which he's able to receive and derive from all his studies learning Torah Mispatei Emet and hanagot yesharot, to know how to behave in every thing, both he and those who rely on him (61:1).

46. At present there are many (kosher holy) books, and there are still many such books to come. The world has need of them all, and it's forbidden to ridicule any of them, since their whole foundation and structure is according to the holy Torah, both the Written and the Oral. Only the books that go according to the Greek philosophies which are their speculations and secular philosophies and sciences, one must keep ultimate distance from them, no matter who composed them. But books that go according to the holy Torah that we have received from Har Sinai, the Written and the Oral, they are all extremely dear, and the world needs all of them, and whoever ridicules any one of them, God forbid, is sentenced to boiling excrement, and doesn't merit to derive and receive hanhagot yesharot, proper course of action, from his learning, and never attains perfect counsel, so his mind is always divided - until he makes complete Teshuvah on this and repairs this, so that all the holy books that go according the foundations of the holy Torah gain a renewed importance in his eyes. Thereby all the harsh decrees in the world are sweetened, and whatever decree may be in the world, everything will be sweetened by the holy Torah, whose completion and perfection is by the abundance of books on the Oral Torah, when people believe in them (Ibid. 5).

47. Likewise, whoever is able to innovate his own Torah insights and his intention is for the sake of Heaven, he needs to have faith in himself as well. He should believe that God has great delight from his innovations. He should not back off from them; rather he should hasten to develop new ideas all the time and write them down, until holy books are composed of them. Thereby all the judgements in the world will be sweetened, as mentioned (Ibid.).

48. Through studying the Poskim (the halakhic deciders' rulings, which represent the settlement of dispute between the Sages), one nullifies strife at its root (in holiness). This nullifies dispute that is below, eliminating the dispute of the Yetzer haRa (evil inclination) in his heart (libo), which are the doubts, disbelief and things that interfere with faith that arise in his heart, which make his heart divided from Hashem Yitbarakh making him unable to pray properly. For the root of the obstacles to prayer making him unable to pray with the proper devotion - it is solely due to imperfect faith. Because really if the person knew and believed whole-heartedly that (Isa. 6:3) "all the Earth is filled with His Glory" and the Holy Blessed One stands over him when he's praying and He hears, listens, and pays attention to his each and every word of prayer - he would definitely pray most fervently, taking great care to say his every utterance with concentration. It is only because the person isn't very strong in this, he therefore isn't so motivated and isn't so careful. All this stems from dispute by the Yetzer haRa in his heart; so the remedy is to learn the Poskim, as thereby he's connected with the peace that's in holiness, so the Yetzer haRa in his heart is nullified and then his heart is no longer divided and conflicted from Hashem Yitbarakh, so then he can serve Hashem "with all his heart" (levavo, Deut. 6:5) - with both Yetzers - and the gates of the intellect are opened for him, so that he "knows how to answer the heresies" (var. of Avot 2:14) that are in his heart and he's able to truly pray "with all his heart" (62:2).

49. When a person toils in Torah until he succeeds in knowing and understanding it, through this he heals his soul, he elevates it to its root, he sweetens all the judgements, and he plants a "tree of life" on high that has the power to heal. He also sustains and renews all the worlds and reveals God's Glory in the world. For the ultimate purpose of all man's devotions is only in order to magnify God's Glory, Blessed is His Name (74:1,9,17,18).

50. Someone who labors in Torah but is unable to understand (and so stammers the words), this is also extremely good. Because each and every word rises on high, and the Holy Blessed One delights in it, (plants it on the banks of "that Nachal," brook) - and these words become (great trees called) "willows of the brook" (Ibid. 3,15; Zohar III:85b).

51. Without engaging in the Torah it's impossible to live. At times a person is passionate for Hashem but it's so excessive he could burn up entirely due to such excess passion, God forbid. But being engaged in Torah cools the flame of passion so it's in proper measure and he can endure. The same goes for the opposite when God forbid sometimes a person burns for worldly lusts so much that the enormous heat burning for these cravings could engulf his whole body, God forbid - but when he learns Torah it protects him and saves him, putting out the fire burning in him and thus he can live. The Torah is therefore the source of all life (78).

52. (Complete) Teshuvah (repentance, return) depends primarily on Torah. That is, when a person (goes through the process to first) learn Torah and then continue and exert himself until he's able to be mevin davar mi-tokh davar (understand one thing from another) and gain new insights in it for the sake of Heaven, this is complete Teshuvah. Then he brings back and connects to their root and their place, all the letters and combinations that pertain to him in all the worlds, bringing all of them back from all the places they were banished and scattered, making him a brand new person. Then his Daat (spiritual awareness and mind) is settled - so he's able to arouse such Rachamim (goodness, compassion) from His Blessedness that Hashem Yitbarakh Himself prays for him. That is, Hashem Yitbarakh by His simple Rachamim (of Z"A) arouses His abundant Rachamim (of Atika Setima, Zohar III:137b); then he'll have abundant, complete salvation, Amen (105)!

53. When you learn some Torah it is a good thing to explain it in the language you understand. This is a benefit to the world (118).

54. No matter what a person is learning he should find himself in it: he should derive a personal lesson from what he is learning and recognize his own insignificance and lowliness. This is a sign that he wants to perform the will of God (121).

55. When someone unworthy teaches Torah he may be attacked by sexual craving, God forbid. For it is a grave sin for one who is unworthy to teach Torah even to one other person; all the more so a group (134).

56. When studying a Torah concept originally introduced by a Tanna or a Tzaddik, you should picture in front of you his appearance just like the Tzaddik or the Tanna is standing before you. This saves you from forgetfulness (of the teaching, and you also attain a resemblance of the teacher) (192).

57. Feels the sweetness in the Torah saved you from becoming a widower (199).

58. A person who wants to gain actual new Torah concepts needs to weep tears beforehand, to prevent the Sitra Achra and the Klipot from having any share in these innovations (262).

59. There are people whose Torah teachings are extremely broad below, as they elaborate them at great length - but up above their teaching is extremely narrow because above in Kedushah nothing remains except a mere spark. But there's also the opposite. Because the teachings of the True Tzaddikim may seem very short and narrow below, but in the worlds above they are enormously wide. Fortunate are they! The same is true of "awakening from below" (as with the Shofar which is narrow at the bottom end placed by the mouth, and with how David's prayers rise from out of his constraint and distress and enter into Ruach haKodesh) (see Prayer #75) (279).

60. Even a simple person who sits with a book and examines the letters of the Torah carefully can perceive new concepts and wonders. But don't make a test out of this (281).

61. A person has to snatch and steal times for Torah from out of his concerns and affairs. For even someone who has many matters and concerns, nevertheless it's impossible that he can't snatch and steal for himself some period of the day to engage in the Torah (284).

62. It is a tremendous duty that every member of Yisrael needs to learn every day a portion of Posek (legal codes), without fail. Even under pressure when he's not free or he's traveling, nevertheless let him still learn any Seif of Shulchan Arukh, even if it's not in the place where he's standing in his orderly course through the Shulchan Arukh - such that every day of his life not one day goes by without learning Shulchan Arukh. And on normal days when he's not under pressure, let him learn in sequence all the four Shulchan Arukh till he completes them all, and then start again in this order; do this every day of his life. And this is an enormous Tikkun, refining and repairing all the damages he's wreaked by his transgressions, because learning Poskim separates the good from the bad, which is the entirety of all the Tikkunim (Sichot Haran 29).

63. By learning Shulchan Arukh a person merits being lord and ruler of the earth, allowing him to raise up the gates of Gan Eden, and thereby attain both the Upper and Lower Chokhmah (Wisdom), which is the main pleasure of Gan Eden (Likutei Moharan 286).

64. The children of Beit Rabban (Torah schoolchildren), when they start in Torah reading, they begin from Wayyikra (Leviticus), for it is from there that they receive the undefiled breath of their mouths through the Tzaddikei haDor (282).

65. Learning Halachot, legal rulings — especially when you're able to make new insights in them — is a form of the “joy of the Coming World.” Thereby, giving birth is made easy and people are saved from all the troubles (Likutei Moharan II, 2).

66. Someone that prevents Talmidei Chakhamim from their studies, thereby becomes ill in his legs (Ibid. 3).

67. When a person teaches Torah in public and his words are heard by unworthy students, it causes drought, God forbid; he is also imprisoned in jail, God forbid (60).

68. Honoring the Torah - is the source of rain (Ibid.).

69. A Segulah (a supernatural aid) for a person to attain unflagging Torah study, is to be careful to never speak bad of any member of Yisrael. One should just do the opposite and try with all his might to find merit and good in every member of Yisrael. Even if one of them seems wicked, God forbid, one should try to find in him some good points where he isn't wicked (as innovated on the scripture, "and with just a little, the wicked is no more" in LM #282, see there) – until every member of Yisrael is beautiful in his eyes. This will bring him to apply himself to learning the holy Torah continuously (Sichot haRan 91).

70. Learning the Zohar haKadosh generates a deep yearning in all the learning of the Torah haKedoshah. Even just the holy language of the Zohar is extremely meSugal, stirring a person so much for serving Hashem Yitbarakh (Sichot haRan 108).

71. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (who wrote the Zohar) sanctified the Aramaic language so much that even other things written in Aramaic have the power to stir up a person for serving Hashem Yitbarakh (109).

72. There's a certain Ne'imut (pleasantness, bliss) in the Torah. The main thing is to be worthy of tasting this sweetness and pleasantness that's found in the Torah. Attaining it is by Tikkun haKavod (kavod - glory, honor, respect, presence) – that a person should not accept any Kavod for himself; only lift up all the Kavod to Hashem Yitbarakh. Also, by the mitzvah of tzedakah/charity, especially charity for (causes of) Eretz Yisrael, a person gets to feed from and receive from the Mochin (brains, consciousness) of Eretz Yisrael; the Ne'imat ha-Mochin, Ne'imat haTorah are rooted there. Fortunate is he that truly attains the Mochin of Eretz Yisrael; he will know the Ne'imat haTorah! (see Eretz Yisrael #18,19 and Kavod #32) (Likutey Moharan II, 71).

73. When a person truly learns Torah he can know the future from it (35).

74. When learning the books of True Tzaddikim you need to really put your heart and eyes into understanding the wondrous novelties they reveal, and the enormous depth and sweetness that is in them. Because due to the things haven been written down in a book - their light is very hidden. For as soon as they're made a book - even of the very, very highest and most wondrous Torah teachings - there's a great deal of cover and concealment over them, as their fine and wondrous light is concealed and covered up as a result of haven been made into a book. Even just the covers of the book, cover up a great deal. So you really need to pay attention and see the real wonder of the novelties that are in the book (36).

75. Those who study Torah need to be sure to produce original insights in the Torah. This is a very great repair of his imagination and fantasies. Also during marital relations he should contemplate words of Torah (105, 106).

76. When one studies subjects regarding tragedy, such as the laws of mourning etc., he should go through such places very rapidly (Sichot Haran 8).

77. The Torah has extremely great power. Someone who perseveres learning Torah continuously will have the power to bring about miracles - even without knowing mystical intentions - just specifically by learning Poskim until he knows how to make legal rulings. Like we are told of the greats of previous eras, that they were able to perform great miracles just by really engaging in Torah day and night (II:41).

78. The power of the Torah is strong enough to free a person from his sins. No matter how trapped he might be, God forbid, if he sets a fixed time and solid requirement to learn a certain amount every single day come what may, then he will manage to escape his evil past through the immense power of engagement in the holy Torah (Sichot Haran 19).

79. Even if a person learns and later forgets, it is still very good. Because in the future world they remind a person all that he learned, even if he forgot it. Still, it is certainly better if he can remember all the words of the Holy Torah (Ibid. 26).

80. It is proper for a man to visit all the holy places of the Torah during his time in this world. That is, he should learn all the holy books of the Torah: Torah, Neviim, Ketuvim, the Shas, and all the Poskim, Rishonim and Achronim, and all the books of the Zohar Hakadosh, all the Midrashim, the writings of the Arizal, and all the other holy books. In order that in the Coming World he will be able to boast that he was in all the places of the holy Torah. Don't be put off and say it's too hard and burdensome to learn all the sefarim, because really you don’t have to finish them in one day. But someone whose soul is passionate for the Torah and he makes his Torah studying permanent, with the passage of time he will be able to finish all these holy sefarim and more – many times. Like we've seen many baalei Torah of past eras who learned everything, and they were authorities in Shas and knew all the aforementioned sefarim almost by heart. This was all due to their constant dedicated learning. Any person of learning can attain all this if he wants, and still have time to do a great deal of prayers, supplications, requests, and conversation between him and his Creator each day. For there is time in the day for everything — time for Torah, and time for prayer and other devotions. And be most careful to learn all the Poskim such that you finish them several times over throughout your life, as mentioned (Ibid. 28).

81. When you're contemplating Torah, you need to think about the davar Torah in which you want to gain a new insight, reviewing that verse or thing repeatedly, very, very many times, knocking and beating on the door until they open it for you (Ibid. 58).

Travel

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8. When traveling you need to take great care about mikveh immersion, for mikveh is a Segula for being saved from murderers.

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Tzaddik

38. You need to search for the absolute greatest Rebbe. Because for the abovementioned [to attain perceptions of Hashem Yithbarakh's Divinity] you need the very greatest Rebbe who can illumine - even in you - perceptions of His Blessed Godliness. And the lesser the person, the more he needs the very greatest Rebbe, to be such a wondrous coach, who can enclothe a lofty consciousness like this, namely perceptions of Him, Yithbarakh Shemo, for a person as minor and as far as he. For the weaker the patient, the more he needs the greatest healer. So make no mistake and say, "It's enough if I just follow with a kosher simple leader that has a presumptive status of fearing Hashem and has some status. Why do I need to seek out big things and keep looking for the absolute greatest Tzaddik specifically? If I could first just be like this kosher leader! [like many followers say about that one]. Do not make the mistake and say this! Just the opposite - every person in accord with how he knows his soul is so low and so utterly far from Hashem Yithbarakh, accordingly he needs to follow specifically the True Rebbe of the utmost highest level. For the smaller he is, the more he needs the True Rebbe that is greatest of all as mentioned. (L"M 30:1-2.)

לח. צָרִיךְ לְבַקֵּשׁ אַחַר הָרַבִּי הַגָּדוֹל בְּיוֹתֵר, כִּי צְרִיכִין לָזֶה רַבִּי גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהָאִיר גַּם בְּךָ הַשָּׂגוֹת אֱלֹקוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ. וְכָל מַה שֶּׁהוּא קָטָן בְּיוֹתֵר הוּא צָרִיךְ רַבִּי גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹתֵר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אָמָּן נִפְלָא כָּזֶה, שֶׁיּוּכַל לְהַלְבִּישׁ שֵׂכֶל עֶלְיוֹן כָּזֶה, דְּהַיְנוּ הַשָּׂגָתוֹ יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, לְקָטָן וּמְרֻחָק כְּמוֹתוֹ, כִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁהַחוֹלֶה נֶחֱלָשׁ בְּיוֹתֵר, הוּא צָרִיךְ רוֹפֵא גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹתֵר. עַל־כֵּן אַל תִּטְעֶה לוֹמַר: דַּי לִּי אִם אֶהְיֶה מְקֹרָב אֵצֶל אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר פָּשׁוּט הַמֻּחְזָק בְּיִרְאַת הַשֵּׁם וְנִכְבָּד קְצָת, וְלָמָּה לִי לְבַקֵּשׁ גְּדוֹלוֹת וְלַחֲזֹר אַחַר הַצַּדִּיק הַגָּדוֹל דַּיְקָא, הַלְוַאי שֶׁאֶהְיֶה מִתְּחִלָּה כְּמוֹ אִישׁ כָּשֵׁר הַזֶּה [כְּמוֹ שֶׁטּוֹעִין בָּזֶה כַּמָּה אֲנָשִׁים]. אַל תִּטְעֶה לוֹמַר כֵּן כִּי אַדְּרַבָּא כָּל אֶחָד כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁיּוֹדֵעַ בְּנַפְשׁוֹ גֹּדֶל פְּחִיתוּתוֹ וְגֹדֶל רִחוּקוֹ שֶׁנִּתְרַחֵק מְאֹד מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ כֵן הוּא צָרִיךְ דַּיְקָא לְהִתְקָרֵב לְהָרַבִּי הָאֱמֶת הַגָּדוֹל בְּמַעֲלָה מְאֹד מְאֹד, כִּי כָּל מַה שֶּׁהוּא קָטָן בְּיוֹתֵר הוּא צָרִיךְ רַבִּי אֲמִתִּי גָּדוֹל בְּיוֹתֵר כַּנַּ"ל (שָׁם)