Translation:Likutei Moharan/62

“Vayaseiv Elohim et HaAm (So God Led the People Roundabout), by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea. The Israelites went up armed, out of the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 13:18)

Know! when Jews eat they effect a face-to-face union between the Holy One and the Divine Presence, in the aspect of “Boaz said to Ruth at mealtime, ‘Approach here’” (Ruth 2:14). Specifically “at mealtime” — i.e., through eating. “Approach here” — this is the union between the Holy One and the Divine Presence, the aspect of “Then Yehudah approached him” (Genesis 44:18): this is a meeting of one king with another (Zohar I, 206a).

However, this eating must be of food that has already been purified, having nothing mixed into it. This is because a food that contains an admixture [of good and evil] can cause a person to sin.

Food is purified through faith.

In truth, it is a great mitzvah to sharpen the intellect in order to understand clearly that which God demarcated as comprehensible to the human mind. Concerning this it is said: And know what to answer the heretic (Avot 2:14).

For there are different types of questions: There is the question whose solution a man can understand, of which it is said: “And know what [to answer the heretic].” And there is the question whose solution is incomprehensible to the human mind; only in the Future will the solution be revealed. It is forbidden for a person to delve into these. Anyone who does rely on his intellect and delves into them, of this it is said (Proverbs 2:19): “None that go to her return.” This is because for such a question he may not rely on his intellect, but rather be steadfast in faith.

Even for those questions that have a solution — there are times when the paths of the intellect are blocked, so that a person does not know how to respond to it. He is then injected with heresy and does not know how to respond to it. With each person, this heresy is commensurate with his level: he can understand either more, or less.

For a person must worship God with both inclinations, with the evil inclination being subservient to the good inclination. This is as in the teaching of the Sages, of blessed memory: “You shall love [God your Lord] with all leVaVekha (your heart)” (Deuteronomy 6:5) — with both your inclinations (Berakhot 54a). His heart should be whole with God his Lord; there should be no maChLoKet (dispute) between his two inclinations — i.e., his heart should not be divided, the aspect of “Their heart is ChaLaK (divided)” (Hosea 10:2).

In truth, were a person to know with a whole heart that “all the earth is filled with His Glory” (Isaiah 6:3), and that the Holy Blessed One stands [nearby him] during prayer and hears the prayer, he would surely pray with great enthusiasm. He would be extremely meticulous to recite his words with focused intention. However, because a person does not know this with a whole heart, he does not get very enthusiastic and is not very meticulous. And each person’s enthusiasm and meticulousness is commensurate with the limitations of his intellect and knowledge. This knowledge stems from the good inclination in the heart, while the concealment of this knowledge is due to the evil inclination in the heart. Indeed, this concealment of the knowledge is the heresy and questioning; the evil inclination perplexes his heart so that he should succumb to evil (cf. Proverbs 28:14).

The way to rectify this dispute in the heart is at its root. That is, in its essence, dispute of the evil inclination is rooted in the dispute of holiness. When [the latter] descends level after level until it descends below, it becomes dispute of the evil inclination, in the aspect of “Their heart is divided.” It instills him with heresy and conceals from him the intellect’s paths, so that he does not know how to answer.

Dispute of holiness is the dispute of the Tannaim and Amoraim in the Talmud: one prohibits while the other permits. But as a result of their [dispute] descending below, it becomes dispute of the evil inclination. Thus, when one rectifies the dispute of holiness, dispute of the evil inclination is consequently eliminated, since its hold is solely from there.

The rectification for dispute of holiness is legal rulings. A legal ruling is the peace and resolution of the dispute of the Tannaim and Amoraim. By studying the Codes of Law, a person binds himself to the peace of holiness and rectifies the dispute of holiness. Then, the dispute of the evil inclination in his heart is eliminated and he is able to worship God ‘with all his heart’ — with both inclinations. The gates of the intellect are thus open for him, so that he knows how to answer the heretic.

All this comes about through the aforementioned resolution and peace. Thus the letters ShaLOM (peace) are an acronym of “V’da Mah Shetashiv L’apikoros (And know what to answer the heretic).” Through the peace, he knows how to answer the heresy in his heart.

This is the explanation of “I will praise You with an upright leVaV (heart), when I study Your just laws” (Psalms 119:7). Specifically “heart” — with both inclinations. When is this? When “I study Your just laws” — i.e., through the study of the Codes of Law.

Yet it is forbidden for a person to delve into the questions that have no solution. Rather, he should strengthen himself with faith. And when his faith is perfect, his eating can effect a union between the Holy One and the Divine Presence, as mentioned above. This is the aspect of “and nourish faith” (Psalms 37:3) — i.e., the aspect of eating through faith.

{“For then I will turn [the speech of] the nations into pure speech, that they may all call out in God’ s Name and serve Him with one accord” (Zephaniah 3:9).} Faith is mainly perfected and adorned by bringing close in particular those who are distant, the aspect of “that they may all call out in God’s Name.” Even idolaters will draw close to the faith of the Jews “and serve Him with one accord.”

To perfect faith — i.e., to bring close those who are distant, as explained above — a person must first raise up the sparks of the letters of speech. Once the letters of speech are purified, speech turns itself around and gathers up the sparks of holiness that are among the forces of evil. The evil forces are left without life-force. Then, when the idolaters who are sustained by the evil forces see that they are bereft of life-force, they cast off their beliefs — the aspect of “At that time a man will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold” (Isaiah 2:20) — and adhere to the faith of the Jews.

This is the aspect of “For then I will turn [the speech of] the nations into pure speech.” “Pure speech” is speech that has been purified [and removed] from their midst. It turns itself to the nations in order to gather up the remaining holy sparks from them. Thus is fulfilled “that they may all call out in God’s Name” — they all adhere to the faith of the Jews.

To raise up the sparks of speech it is necessary to fast. This is the aspect of “their sinfulness and iniquities lead them to fast…,” because of which “He sent His word [to heal them]” (Psalms 107:17, 20). For speech is rectified mainly through fasting, since for the most part the evil forces are sustained only by the back of holiness. It is impossible for them to draw sustenance from the face of holiness due to the brightness of the light.

However, occasionally, from on high they are intentionally given strength to draw sustenance from the face of holiness. Yet this is invariably to their detriment, the aspect of “a time when one man rules over another to his own detriment” (Ecclesiastes 8:9).

Now, all the desires of the body are the aspect of kelipot (evil forces). This is because the physical desires are extraneous, since the body could exist without them. They are extraneous to the body’s existence, just as the kelipot are extraneous. For the main thing is only the fruit, whereas the kelipot (shells) are extraneous. Thus, physical desire overcoming a person is the evil forces overpowering holiness.

The primary physical desires are Pharaoh’s three officials: the wine steward, baker and butcher. These are the trachea, esophagus and veins, which are the aspect of the physical desire for food and drink. These are primary, since all the [other] physical desires follow them. And they draw sustenance from PhaRaOh, the same letters as ORePh (nape) — i.e., from the AChoRayim (back). They are mainly sustained by the DiBuRiM (words), the aspect of “AChaR haDeVaRiM (the back of the words).” For they are close to it, because the trachea, esophagus and veins are adjacent to the five articulators, and they sustain themselves mainly from the words that are insufficiently pure.

Thus when the primary physical desires, which are the evil forces, gain power, it is necessary to attach and conceal the back of holiness so that they cannot draw sustenance [from it]. The back of holiness is attached through fasting. This is analogous to the way we write God’s Name in the aspect of achorayim (stepping back): we first write a yod; and then, when we want to write a heh, we turn back and write yod heh, and so on. Fasting, which is the primary way to subdue the aforementioned officials, is likewise in the aspect of attaching the back of holiness.

For the principal merit of fasting is [evident] only when we reckon the hours from when the fast began. For example, when a person fasts two days, the reason the second day is the more valued is not because of itself, but because we return to the first day; then the second day is reckoned as having greater merit. Another reason is that the main thing is the beginning, since all beginnings are difficult, because they entail going from one extreme to the other. After beginning, however, a person becomes somewhat habituated, and it is not as difficult for him. Likewise, with each day that passes from the beginning, the thing becomes commensurately easier, as it becomes somewhat routine.

Thus the beginning is invariably the primary impetus for the devotions of all the days. We have to turn back, to ‘the first day that he began to understand and to fast.’ This is the beginning of the repentance. The beginning was difficult for him, since he went from one extreme to the other. And each day he turns back to receive energy from the beginning.

Now, since the aforementioned officials are close to speech, when they become powerful, they draw speech into the exile of MiTZRayim (Egypt) — the aspect of MeiTZaR (constriction) of the throat, the aspect of “my throat is dry” (Psalms 69:4) — and he cannot say anything before God. But by fasting, his starving himself, he draws the waters of the benevolences to moisten the throat, and then is able to speak.

{“Then Avram journeyed on his way, moving steadily toward the Negev (south). There was raav (famine) in the Land, and Avram went down to Mitzrayim … Pharaoh’s officials saw her and they praised her to Pharaoh… But God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Avram’s wife Sarai” (Genesis 12:9-17).} This is the aspect of “There was famine in the Land.” “Raav (famine)” is the aspect of fasting, his starving himself. This is attaching the back of holiness, since the aspect of achorayim of YHVH ELoHYM is numerically equal to RaAV. {The achorayim of the Name YHVH — yod, yod heh, yod heh vav, yod heh vav heh — equals 72. The achorayim of the Name Elohym — aleph, aleph lamed, aleph lamed heh, aleph lamed heh yod, aleph lamed heh yod mem — equals 200. The two together equal R-A-V (272).}

“Avram went down to MiTZRayim” — i.e., drawing down the waters of the benevolences to moisten the MeiTZaR of the throat, removing the throat from the aspect of “my throat is dry.” This is in the aspect of “moving steadily toward the NeGeV (south),” to moisten the NeGiVah (dryness), so as to fulfill “Cry out from the throat; don’t hold back” (Isaiah 58:1).

And so, when the back of holiness becomes attached, such that it is impossible for the evil forces to enter there and draw sustenance, the face of holiness is revealed. Then, “Pharaoh’s officials saw her” — i.e., the aforementioned officials discover the splendorous beauty of speech, “and they praised her to Pharaoh.” God engineers all this in order to remove what they swallowed from their mouths, the aspect of “a time when one man rules over another to his own detriment.” This is “But God afflicted Pharaoh.”

{“Grace is deceptive, and beauty is vain; it is for her fear of God that a woman is to be praised! Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own deeds praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:30-31).} And this is “it is for her fear of God that a woman is to be praised,” the aspect of “and they praised her to Pharaoh.” This is only so as to “Give her of the fruit of her hands” — i.e., to remove the sparks of holiness from their midst. When she removes all her life-force from the evil forces, then all the idolaters cast off their idols and turn to the faith of the Jews, “that they may all call out in God’s Name.” This is the main adornment of faith: that others draw close to her faith.

This is the aspect of: {A beautiful maiden who has no aynin (eyes). Her body is concealed and revealed. She comes out in the morning, and is covered during the day. She adorns herself in ornaments that were not (Zohar II, 95a).} A beautiful maiden who has no aynin — “A beautiful maiden” is the aspect of faith, the aspect of “You are beautiful, RaAyati (my beloved)” (Song of Songs 6:4), the aspect of “and Re’Ay (befriend) faith.” “Who has no AYNin” — i.e., the aforementioned questions that a person should not AYeiN (delve) into, but must [instead] be strong in his faith.

Her body is concealed and revealed — She is “concealed,” since if you ask a believer a reason for faith, he will surely not know what to answer you. This is because faith is applicable only to something whose logical reason one does not know. Even so, it is “revealed.” That is, for the believer the thing is revealed; by virtue of the magnitude of his perfect faith it is as though his eyes see that which he believes in.

She comes out in the morning, and is covered during the day — This is because a person’s faith renews itself each morning, the aspect of “They are renewed each morning; [abundant is your faith]” (Lamentations 3:23). “And is covered during the day” — due to burdens of daily existence, faith is covered over.

She adorns herself in ornaments that were not — That is, the main adornment of faith is when those people who were not close to her are brought closer.

And when a person’s faith is so greatly perfected, his eating is then extremely precious, since it unites the Holy One and His Divine Presence, in the aspect of “Boaz said to Ruth [at mealtime, ‘Approach here’].” Faith then advocates before God on behalf of those who are distant, that He should take them under His wing.

Her argument is this: The main reason those who are distant from faith in God err is that knowledge of His Godliness is essentially only [by inference] from the revealed to the concealed. But since from what is revealed they see that the world operates according to the constellational configuration, they fall into error, each one in his way. There are those who conclude that the world operates according to the natural order. And there are others who conclude that it is necessary to serve an intermediary, like those who erred with the Calf. They wanted to make the Calf an intermediary between themselves and God, saying, “[Make us a god] who will go before us” (Exodus 32:1) — the aspect of an intermediary.

Many stumble because of misconceptions such as these, making the means an intermediary between themselves and God. That is, they believe in God, but believe also in an intermediary, insisting that a means is required. For example, they believe in the means of earning a living, namely, an occupation. They say that the means of an occupation is the essential thing; as if, Heaven forbid, without the means of an occupation God would be incapable of providing them with livelihood. They likewise make the means for healing, which is medicine, the essential thing; as if, Heaven forbid, without the medicines God would be incapable of healing.

It is not so! The Holy One is the Means of means, the Cause of causes, and has no need of any means. Our involvement in these means must be with faith in God alone; not making the means the essential thing.

Thus when the tzaddik nullifies some dictate of the constellational configuration through his prayer, it becomes known [by inference] from the revealed to the concealed that there is a God in existence — [a God] Who hears the tzaddik’s prayer and rearranges the configuration and changes nature. All this will be in the Future, as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: In the Future, the tzaddikim will resurrect the dead (Pesachim 68a), as well as [perform] other wonders.

This is [the explanation of]: {“Then Yehudah approached him and said, ‘Please, my lord, let your servant say something to you personally. Do not be angry with your servant, for you are just like Pharaoh’” (Genesis 44:18). }

Then Yehudah approached him — This is a meeting of one king with another.

and said, Please, my lord — The Divine Presence asks the Holy One to show mercy to those who are distant.

let your servant say something to you personally — So that no intermediary will be heard anymore.

Do not be angry with your servant — Concerning the past.

for you are just like Pharaoh — “Pharaoh” connotes revealing.

Mankind knows You only from what is revealed. And since You are known only from what is revealed, they therefore erred, each one in his way. But when You nullify Your Will to the will of the tzaddik — as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: The Holy One decrees, and the tzaddik nullifies (Moed Katan 16b) — then, they will know [by inference] from the revealed to the concealed. When they see that the constellational configuration dictates some decree, but that the tzaddik nullifies it, they know that God exists; that He carries out the will of the tzaddik.

This is [the explanation of]: Just as Pharaoh decrees but does not carry out — “Pharaoh” is the constellational configuration, whose dictates are manifest for all to see.

you too decree but do not carry out — Since the tzaddik nullifies it.

And this is [the explanation of the opening verse]: {“Vayaseiv Elohim et HaAm (So God led the people roundabout), by way of the wilderness to the Red Sea. The Israelites went up chamushim (armed), out of the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt).”} Vayaseiv Elohim … — The Midrash brings: vayaSeiV connotes a meal (Shemot Rabbah 20:18). That is, it connotes haSiBah (the means).

ChaMuShim — One in ChaMiShah (five) — i.e., the five articulators, through which all the idolaters turn to the faith of the Jews “and serve Him with one accord,” as in, “For then I will turn [the speech of] the nations into pure speech….”

The Israelites went up … out of the land of MiTZRayim — Out of the MeiTZaR of the throat. That is, as a result of the Israelites going up out of the aforementioned primary physical desires, out of the constriction of the throat, speech directs the idolaters to the faith of the Jews. This is the main adornment of faith, the aspect of “she adorns herself in ornaments that were not.” Then, through perfected faith, eating became permissible — the aspect of vayaseiv. {Until here the lesson is leshon Rabbeinu z’l .}

(The following relates to section 2:) Thus ShaLOM (peace) is an acronym of “V’da Mah Shetashiv L’apikoros (And know what to answer the heretic).” Through the peace he knows how to answer the heresy in his heart, as explained above. See there.

The peace among Jews, between one person and another, also nullifies heresy, as elucidated elsewhere. This is what our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Bereishit Rabbah 38:6): “Ephraim is joined to idolatry; let him be!” (Hosea 4:17) — for when there is peace among Jews, then even if they worship idolatry, they are forgiven. But [if] “their heart is divided, now they will be found guilty” (ibid. 10:2), since dispute leads to heresy, as explained above.

Each one holds fast to his opinion, since they do not meet to discuss the matter in order that one might convince the other of his opinion. And even if they would come together and talk it over, neither one would change his opinion because of the need to triumph associated with dispute. But when peace prevails, even if they are idolaters, they are forgiven. The peace will surely nullify each one’s idolatry and heresy, through their discussing the matter and each one diverting the other from his evil and heretical ideas. And through peace they will surely attain perfected and upright faith, as explained above and as elucidated elsewhere.

(This too relates to section 2:) Dispute is transformed into laws, as explained in “A Psalm of David”; study there. It is elucidated there that laws are the rectification for dispute, since the letter permutations of the dispute are transposed back into laws. Study well what is written there, that the tzaddik studies these permutations of the dispute and turns them into permutations of law… This is the aspect of what is elucidated here, that we must study laws — i.e., the Codes — in order to rectify dispute. Understand this.

(The following relates to section 5:) Another reason is that the main thing is the beginning, since all beginnings are difficult, because they entail going from one extreme to the other…, as explained above.

Therefore, every time a person journeys to the tzaddik, he must make certain that each coming is anew; not as though he has already been to the tzaddik and is now coming again. Rather, it should be like he never visited the tzaddik before this. Then he will experience his coming as if it were new, for the first time. This is because “the main thing is the beginning, for all beginnings are difficult,” as explained above.

Thus the beginning is invariably the primary impetus for the devotions of all the days, as explained above; see there. A person will progress in and perform his devotions commensurate with the energy and enthusiasm of the beginning, for the main thing is the beginning, as explained above. This is why it is necessary to each time begin anew, for it is very possible that his beginning was not as it should have been. If so, his devotions too will not be as perfect as they should be, since everything proceeds commensurate with the beginning. He therefore has to each time begin anew; to visit the tzaddik anew, with the energy of great enthusiasm and with a new vigor for the service of God. This is in order that his devotions be fitting, commensurate with the energy of the beginning, as explained above. Likewise, he must repeatedly concern himself with the possibility that he has yet to make a fitting beginning, and so must each time begin and come to the tzaddik anew.