Translation:Likutei Moharan/10

"V'eileh (And these) are the laws that you must place before them."

(Exodus 21:1)

[Divine Judgments]
When, God forbid, there are Divine judgments / decrees affecting the Jewish people, through dancing and hand-clapping these Divine judgments / decrees can be mitigated.

[God's Greatness]
For the essence of God's greatness is that the idolators, as well, should know there is an Almighty who rules and governs [the world]. As it is brought in the Zohar (II, 69a): When Yitro came, he said, "Now I know that God is great." With this His Name grew greater and more exalted.

[City of our God]
But it is impossible for the idolators to know of the Holy One's greatness except through the aspect of Yaakov, as is written (Isaiah 2:5), "O House of Yaakov, come let us go in God's light." This is because [Yaakov] revealed the Holy One's greatness even more than the other patriarchs.

[Our Sages taught:] Avraham called it a mountain and Yitzchak called it a field (Pesachim 88a). People have a better understanding of and more need of a field than a mountain. Yaakov, on the other hand, referred to it as a house (ibid.), which is even more suitable for human habitation than a field. For the place of the Holy Temple, the place of prayer, Yaakov called a house - a place which people inhabit.

[Yaakov] elevated prayer from mountain and field to the aspect of house, which is more comprehensible to people than either mountain or field. For in the concept of house, idolators, too, have an understanding, as in (Isaiah 56:7), "for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. And when it is on the level of house, then - "with this His exalted name grew still greater."

{"God is great, and highly praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness" (Psalms 48:2).}

This is the meaning of "God is great, and m'ode (highly) praised." That is, when is it that God is great? - when He is highly praised by the side of death, the idolators. {As our Sages taught: In the verse (Genesis 1:31), "...and behold, it was m'ode good," the word m'ode alludes to the Angel of Death (Bereishit Rabbah 9:5).}  When they praise Him, then He is great; this being the quintessence of His greatness.

And when is it that they praise Him? "...in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness." [The idolators will praise God] when mountain becomes "the city of our God," a place of habitation / house, which is more understood than a mountain or a field. In other words, when prayer is elevated from the level of mountain to that of city and house - so that the idolators will also gain understanding - precisely then, "God is great..." For this is the essence of the Holy One's greatness: when those who are distant also know of Him.

[The Haughty Individual]
And this matter of elevating prayer from the levels of mountain and field to that of house and "city of our God," so that His sovereignty will also be revealed to the idolators in order for them to have an understanding of His Godliness, can only be achieved through the tzaddikim of the generation. As our Sages taught: When a person has someone sick at home, let him turn to a wise man who will arouse mercy for him (Bava Batra 116a).

{"Now hashev (return) aishet ha'ish (the man's wife), for he is a navi (a prophet). He will pray for you, and you will live" (Genesis 20:7).}

For the essence of prayer is only known to the tzaddikim of the generation. But there are haughty individuals who do not want to go to the tzaddikim. They say that they themselves can pray. They also prevent other people - when they experience suffering and sickness - from turning to the tzaddikim. Of such individuals, it is said, "return the man's wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live."

This haughty individual is called "Avimelekh." Avi connotes "desire," he desires to m'lokh (rule). Hence, Avi-melekh (I desire to rule). For the truth is that the tzaddik rules through his prayer, as is written (2 Samuel 23:3), "The tzaddik rules..." But [this haughty individual] boasts that he can pray and that rulership is his. This is the reason why he is called "Avimelekh," for he desires to rule and says, "I will m'lokh."

And this is the explanation of hashev aishet ha'ish. The letters of AiSheT (wife) are an acrostic for Adonay Sefatai Tiftach, which is the aspect of prayer. In other words, "return the wife" - the aspect of prayer - to the tzaddik, "for he is a prophet."

For God desires the prayers of the tzaddikim (Yevamot 64a). He sends a well arranged prayer into [the tzaddik's] mouth, so that He might derive pleasure from his prayer. This is, "...for he is a NaVi," which denotes NiV sefataim (an expression of the lips). (Isaiah 57:19) - if his prayer was fluent in his mouth, [he knew he was accepted] (Berakhot 34b).

And this is HaSheV, the letters of which form an acrostic for Har (mountain), Sadeh (field) and Bayit (house). This alludes to the perfect nature of the tzaddik's prayer, which he elevates from the levels of mountain and field to the level of house, as explained above.

But these haughty individuals prevent God from having this pleasure. They do not ask the tzaddikim to pray on their behalf. They think that because they fasted and mortified themselves, this has made them into tzaddikim. It is not so. All the fasts they fasted are only like a sack with many holes. Even when the sack is emptied, the holes remain.

And the body is called a sack, as in the words of the Tanna: "Sharp scholar, open your sack" (Shabbat 152a). Were they to look carefully at themselves they would see that even after all the fasting, they still have all their passions tied up in their sack - i.e., their bodies. And, not only are their own passions still bound to their bodies, but also their father's passion. This has been with them from birth, because their fathers did not sanctify themselves during cohabitation. This, too, is still bound in their bodies. Were they aware of all this, they would undoubtedly be overcome by fright. For they would realize that they are standing on an inferior and very low level.

{"And it happened as they began emptying their sacks, that behold, each one's bundle of money was [found] in his sack. And when they and their father saw the bundles of money, they became afraid. Avihem (Their father) Yaakov said to them, ' Otee shekaltem (You're making me lose my children).  Yosef is gone.  Shimon is gone.  And now you want to take Binyamin!  All these things are happening to me!'" (Genesis 42:35-36).}

This is the explanation of, "And it happened as they began emptying their sacks, that behold, each one's bundle of money was [found] in his sack." Even after all the fasts - which is "emptying the sack," the body - "each one's bundle of KeSeF (money) was found" - his  and passions were bound and tied "in his sack" and his body. "And when they and their father saw the bundles of money" - in other words, [they realized that] not only their own bundles of money, their own passions, but also "they and their father," their father's passion had not fallen from them. Thus, "they became afraid" - they were overcome by fright, and so no longer wanted to take power and rule.

This is the explanation of: "Avihem (Their father) Yaakov said to them, 'Otee shekaltem (You're making me lose my children).  Yosef is gone...'"  This is an allusion to the intellect's rebuke, because the intellect reproves the haughty individuals who seek prominence. For YaAKoV corresponds to intellect, as Onkelos renders YaAKVeiny ("he went behind my back"): "he outsmarted me" (Genesis 27:36).

And this is "Avihem," because AV (father) indicates wisdom (Megillah 13a). In other words, the SeKheL (intellect) rebukes them, saying, "otee sheKaLtem." For whenever someone is haughty, his wisdom leaves him (cf. Pesachim 66b).

"Yosef is gone." This corresponds to making amends. In other words, you have still not rectified that which is awry, and this is a humiliation and a disgrace. You should be ashamed because of this. Because making amends corresponds to yOSeF, as in (Genesis 30:23), "God OSaF (has gathered up) my humiliation."

"Shimon is gone." That is, because you do not have the quality of Yosef, you therefore do not have the quality of Shimon. ShiMAon corresponds to, "for God ShaMA (has heard) that I am despised" (Genesis 29:33). But you are not despised because you have not rectified yourself. As such, you certainly cannot rebuke others, for they will say to you: "First adorn yourself..." (Bava Metzia 107b). This is why you are not despised. For the person who gives reproof is despised, as our Sages taught: When the people of a city are fond of a rabbinical scholar, it is not due to his excellence, but because he fails to rebuke them in spiritual matters (Ketuvot 105b). This shows that one who gives reproof is despised.

"And now you want to take Binyamin!" This indicates prominence, as Rashi explains (Genesis 35:18): "BiNYaMIN - he was called this because of the Land of Israel:  BeN YaMIN." And the Land of Israel is higher than all the other lands (Zevachim 54b).

In other words, not enough that you lack all these qualities, but on top of this "you want to take Binyamin" - you want to take prominence for yourselves. And this is how the intellect concluded its reproof of them: "All these things are happening to me!" Everything is happening to me, because "whenever someone is haughty, his wisdom leaves him."

[TeRuAh]
Now, the main solution for eliminating haughtiness - itself considered idolatry, as in (Proverbs 16:5), "God considers an abomination anyone whose heart is haughty" - is to draw close to the tzaddikim. As is brought in the Tikkuney Zohar (#21 p.49a): With a teruah (shofar blast), which is ruach, [belief in an] "other god" disappears.

And the tzaddik corresponds to ruach, as in (Numbers 27:18), "a man in whom there is  ruach (spirit)." Through him, the haughty spirit - the "other god" - is humbled; the acheR (other) is transformed into echaD (one). This is because [the tzaddik] is the back-point of the letter dalet (Tikkuney Zohar, p. 55). From him are the four ruchot, as in (Ezekiel 37:9), "Thus says God: Come from the four winds, O spirit." And this is the connotation of TeRuAh. It is similar to (Psalms 2:9), "You shall TRoAim (break them) with a rod of iron" (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p.36a), because it breaks the haughty spirit / "other god" / atheism.

[The Emanation of the Hands and Feet]
And this is the aspect of dancing and hand-clapping, because dancing and clapping are drawn from the spirit in the heart. As is readily observable, when a person's heart is happy he dances and claps his hands. And, as is brought in the Tikkuney Zohar (#21, p.51b): "This ruach blows in the six sections of the arms and the six sections of the legs" - the aspect of clapping and dancing. This corresponds to "his heart carried his feet" (Bereishit Rabbah 70:8). In other words, the spirit in the heart produces dancing.

Thus, through the tzaddik / the ruach, haughtiness is eliminated, as explained. As is written (Psalms 36:12), "Let not the foot of pride come against me." Idolatry is also eliminated. As is written (Genesis 18:4), "... and wash your feet" - this alludes to idolatry (Bava Metzia 86b).

And when the feet are lifted up in dance, corresponding to "his heart carried his feet," haughtiness - i.e., idolatry - is eliminated. Through this, Divine judgments / decrees are mitigated. For "As long as there is idol worship in the world, there is charon af (Divine anger) in the world" (Sifri 13:18). But when idolatry disappears, Divine anger disappears and chasadim (benevolences) are drawn [to the world]. Then the feet are "the feet of ChaSiDav (His pious ones)" (I Samuel 20:9) - i.e., the aspect of ChaSaDim. This corresponds to (Isaiah 55:3), "...the kindnesses of David are faithful." Specifically, "faithful" because heresy and atheism are eliminated.

And [ruach] also corresponds to hand-clapping. For through the ruach, the emanation of the hands is revealed, as in (Song of Songs 5:1), "The sound of my beloved dofeik (pulsates)." Dofeik, as the Tikkuney Zohar (#25, p.70a) brings, is an aspect of ruach. The verse adjacent to this, "My beloved put his hand in through the hole" (Song of Songs 5:4), alludes to the revelation of the hands' emanation - i.e., hand-clapping. And then idol worship - i.e., heresy - is eliminated. As it is written (Exodus 17:2), "And his hands were faith."

We find, therefore, that through the tzaddik - i.e., the ruach in the heart - the emanation of the hands and feet - i.e., clapping and dancing - is revealed. Haughtiness and atheism are thus eliminated, and faith is increased. And then, "My foot stands in an even place" (Psalms 26:11) is fulfilled. ["My foot stands"] is a reference to faith, whereas heresy is called a "bent foot." As Asaf said (Psalms 73:2), "My feet were almost bent," which in context refers there to his having turned his heart to heresy. But, "My foot stands in an even place" indicates faith. And then, "His hands were faith" is fulfilled.

[The Revealed and the Hidden]
The Torah, too, corresponds to hands and feet. For the Torah consists of both revealed and hidden [teachings]. The revealed corresponds to the hands, as in, "My beloved put his hand in through the chor (hole)." "In by the ChoR" alludes to "ChoRut (engraved) on the tablets" (Exodus 32:16) - this being the revealed. The hidden corresponds to the feet, as our Sages said: "The rounded thighs" (Song of Songs 7:2) - just as the thigh is hidden, so too, the words of Torah (Sukkah 49b).

And the Torah in its entirety is called lev (heart), because it begins with a Bet and concludes with a Lamed. [The heart] is the dwelling place of the spirit "which blows in the six sections of the arms and the six sections of the legs" - i.e., in the revealed and the hidden.

[Mordekhai and Esther]
And [all] this corresponds to Mordekhai and Esther, Haman, the aspects of Purim, the lots which Haman cast and the measure of barley offering.

Haman corresponds to idol worship, as our Sages taught: [Haman] made himself into an object of worship (Megillah 10b). This is the reason "the pur-lottery he cast" (Esther 3:7) [fell] in the month which Moshe died (Megillah 13b). For Moshe is the one who counters idolatry. This is why he was buried "opposite Bet Pe'or" (Deuteronomy 34:6), as our Sages expounded: This was in order to eliminate the idolatry that was Pe'or (Sotah 14a). For the letters of the name Moshe have the same numerical value as those of charon af (Divine anger). He is the one who counters the Divine anger resulting from idolatry, because it was [Moshe] who received the Torah - the hands and feet through which idol worship is eliminated.

This is why [Haman rejoiced when] the lot fell in the month of Moshe's passing. He presumed that [the power of] Moshe, the one who eliminates the power of idolatry, had already passed from the world and there was no one else who could counter the power of this idol worship.

But Mordekhai and Esther had the power to counter Haman's idolatry. This is why, in their day, the Jews received the Torah anew. As our Sages taught: "[The Jews] fulfilled and took upon themselves" (Esther 9:27) - they fulfilled that which they had previously taken upon themselves (Shabbat 88a).

This is the meaning of "they fulfilled and took upon themselves." "They fulfilled" corresponds to the feet, and "took upon themselves" corresponds to the hands. This is the very aspect of the Torah.

This also corresponds to Mordekhai and Esther. MoRDekhai is "MoR D'ror" (Exodus 30:23; cf. Chullin 139b). The word d'ror denotes CheRut (freedom), which is an allusion to the hands, as in, "My beloved put his hand in by the ChoR." And Esther corresponds to the thighs, as in, "Just as the thigh is hidden," as mentioned above.

And this is the connotation of [the festival's name,] PURim. It alludes to the elimination of idol worship, as is written (Isaiah 63:3), "The PURah (winepress) I have trodden alone; and of the nations, there was none with Me."

Through the emanation of Mordekhai and Esther, the aspects of the hands and the feet, atheism is eliminated. Faith is thus increased in the world because of them. As it is written (Esther 2:7), "And [Mordekhai] OEMeiN (raised) Hadassah - [i.e., Esther] - of whom it is written (Esther 2:20), "just as when she was OEMNah (raised) by him." For both [Mordekhai and Esther] correspond to EMuNah (faith).

And, as mentioned above, [elimination of atheism and an increase of faith] is achieved by means of the ruach. This corresponds to: The Book of Esther was dictated with ruach-of-holiness (Megillah 7a), an aspect of, "his heart carried his feet." For, in the main, the idolators are dependent upon [Esther], she being synonymous with the feet, as in (Proverbs 5:5), "Her feet go down to death." Therefore, the primary rectification of idol worship comes through her.

And so, specifically, "The Book of Esther was dictated with ruach-of-holiness." Even though it is true that idolatry is also rectified through Mordekhai, nevertheless, since the idolators are mainly dependent upon, the main rectification is through her. The book was therefore named after Esther (Megillah, ibid.). This is the reason that specifically "The Book of Esther was dictated with the spirit of holiness." For the spirit is in the heart, and through it the emanation of the hands and feet is revealed. It is just that the primary dependence is upon the feet/Esther.

This ties into the concept of the omer (sacrificial measure) of barley. The AoMeR corresponds to MoRDekhai: its letters Ayin MoR [suggest] MoR D'ror. The word d'ror denotes CheRut (freedom), which is "ChoRut (engraved) on the tablets." {As our Sages taught: Do not read that the tablets were chorut, but rather that they provided the Jews with cherut (Eruvin 54a).} And [chorut] corresponds to revealed Torah, an aspect of "Ayin b'Ayin (eye to eye)" (Numbers 14:14).

And Se'ORim (barley) corresponds to "The Book of Esther was dictated with ruach-of-holiness." As it is written (Deuteronomy 32:2), "Like Se'IRim (windblown rains) upon the grass," which denotes ruach.

This is why the Midrash teaches that when Haman came to Mordekhai, he found him teaching the laws of the barley offering. [Haman] said to them, "The measure of your barley offering will one day come to defeat" him and his sons (Esther Rabbah 10:4). Through the measured barley offering, which corresponds to the hands and feet - i.e., clapping and dancing - idolatry / Haman / haughtiness is eliminated.

And this is the reason why Haman ordered the preparation of "a tree of fifty cubits" [on which to hang Mordekhai] (Esther 5:14). He hoped to undermine the influence of the fifty days of Omer-Counting form which Mordekhai and Esther drew their power.

[Repentance]
This is the explanation:

'''Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted: This merchant said to me, "Come, I will show you those swallowed up with Korach." I went and saw two cracks from which fumes were coming out. [The merchant] took a ball of omra (wool) and washed it in water. Then he put it on the head of his romach (spear) and inserted it there. When he removed it, it was ichrakh (scorched) entirely. He said to me, "Listen! What do you hear?" I heard them saying, "Moshe and his Torah are true, and we are false." [The merchant] said to me, "Once every thirty days Hell brings them back to here, like meat in a pot. And this is what they say, that Moshe and his Torah are true and they are false"''' (Bava Batra 74a).

Rashbam:

cracks - splits, as in, "And the earth split open": fumes - smoke: took a ball of omra - he took a clump of wool and soaked it in water:  scorched entirely - the ball of wall, even though it had been soaked in water:  Listen! - pay attention and hear:  I heard them saying - for they had descended to Hell alive:  Once every thirty days - every New Moon:  In a pot - which is stirred so that it cooks:

♦

those swallowed up with Korach - As we find in the Midrash: Korach was a heretic (Bamidbar Rabbah 18). And heresy is similar to idol worship.

I saw two cracks from which fumes were coming out - This alludes to the Divine anger brought on by heresy. As our Sages taught: As long as there is idol worship in the world, there is Divine anger in the world. The two cracks correspond ot the two nostrils from which smoke emanates, as in (Psalms 18:9), "Smoke went up out of his nostrils."

took a ball of OMRa (wool) - This is synonymous with the OMeR, as mentioned above. [It refers to Mordekhai/revealed Torah/hands, which is joined with hidden Torah, as in:]

washed it in water - This is the se'orim (barley), which corresponds to "The Book of Esther was dictated with ruach-of-holiness" / the feet. This is because the feet are the "water brooks" (Psalms 42:2), in that they correspond to willows of the stream. As our Sages taught: A person's feet are arvin (guarantors) for him (Sukkah 53a). ARVin corresponds to ARVey (willows) of the stream, the "water brooks." [Thus the wool in water] alludes to Mordekhai and Esther / the hands and the feet / clapping and dancing.

Then he put in on the head of his romach (spear) - RoMaCh is RuaCh Mem (cf. Zohar III, 237a), as in, "Come from the four RuChot (winds), O spirit. This is because the mem refers to the four winds, which corresponds to the ruach of the tzaddik that "blows in the arms and the legs."  And the head of the romach is the tzaddik from whom the ruach comes, as in, "A man in whom there is  ruach.

When he removed it, it was ichrakh (scorched) entirely - The word iChRaKh has the connotation of life and length of days. As our Sages taught: "The slothful man will not YaChaRoKh (roast) his catch" (Proverbs 12:27) - he will neither YiChyeh (live) nor YaaRiKh (have length of days) (Eruvin 54b). This is the meaning of scorched entirely: it alludes to life and length of days. By eliminating haughtiness - i.e., idolatry - [one's] wisdom is as it should be. And with wisdom, a person lives long, as is written (Ecclesiastes 7:12), "Wisdom gives life to those who possess it."

'''He said to me, Listen! What do you hear? I heard them saying, Moshe and his Torah are true''' - They admitted to the truth. This happens when a person draws closer to the in order to receive ruach from. As a result, [the spirit of] haughtiness and idolatry is shattered. Then even those [distant from God] - who are from  - recognize the greatness of the Holy One.

[The merchant] said to me, Once every thirty days Hell brings them back to here... And this is what they say, that Moshe and his Torah are true - Rashbam explains that this happened every New Moon. This is because everything has its root , and the root of repentance is the New Moon. As our Sages expounded: On the New Moon, the Holy One says, "Bring an atonement offering on My behalf [for My having caused the moon to be diminished]" (Chullin 60a). This is an aspect of repentance. And on the New Moon, this repentance is projected down [from God] into all of creation. Thus, even Korach and his followers must feel some remorse on the New Moon. But repentance does not help them, because essentially repentance is only in this world. For he who toiled on the eve of Shabbat will eat on Shabbat (Avodah Zarah 3a).

It follows, certainly, that this confession, the remorse and admission [of Korach and his followers], does not absolve them from the punishment of Hell. This is why Hell brings them back to here. For they are not exempt with this. Even so, there is no [suffering in] Hell on the New Moon as on other days (Zohar II, 150b). Hell on the New Moon is only remorse: feeling sorry, confessing and feeling shame. This itself was their Hell. The language is precise: Hell brings them back to here. In other words, this that they are brought back to here, that they return and admit - this is their Hell.

[Rectification]
This is the explanation [of the opening verse]:

"V'eileh (And these) are the laws that you must place before them."

The Mekhilta (21:1, Bava Kama 15a) comments: that you must place before them - Woman is equated with man in regard to all dinim (laws) of the Torah. The explanation is as follows: For all the dinim (Divine judgments/decrees) in the Torah which need to be mitigated, one must equate - i.e., unite the Holy One and His Divine Presence. This is the aspect of Mordekhai and Esther. Thus:

V'eileh - Wherever the term v'eileh ("and these") is used, it comes to add to what went first (Bereishit Rabbah 30:3). [Thus, v'eileh] indicates an increase and a multiplicity, which correspond to haughtiness and idolatry. As it is written (Deuteronomy 7:7), "It was not because you had great numbers that God embraced you" - ["great numbers"] being explained as haughtiness. This is the meaning of "it comes to add to what went first." This is the aspect of Haman/Amalek, of whom it is written (Numbers 24:20), "First among nations is Amalek." And [Haman/Amalek] is rectified by means of:

the laws - This corresponds to ruach, as is written (Isaiah 28:6), "And for a ruach (spirit) of judgment...to them that turn back the battle." It is with the ruach [of the Torah] that haughtiness and idolatry are rectified. And through this:

that you must place before them - This is, "Woman is equated with man in regard to all dinim of the Torah" - i.e., mitigating all the Divine judgments/decrees. For "As long as there is idolatry in the world, there is Divine anger - i.e., Divine judgments/decrees - in the world. But, by means of the abovementioned ruach there is a union between the Holy One and His Divine Presence, and the Divine judgments/decrees are mitigated.  Divine anger then departs from the world.

Now, the sum of all this is as follows: Through the tzaddik, who corresponds to ruach, [belief in an] "other god" atheism disappear. And, as a result of the ruach, there is dancing and hand-clapping. As explained above, this is because through the tzaddik / the ruach, the feet are lifted up, the emanation of the hands is revealed, and faith increases. This is why of Yosef, who is the aspect of tzaddik, it is written (Genesis 41:44), "Without your permission, no man will lift up his hand or foot [in all of Egypt]." For without the aspect of Yosef, the tzaddik, it is impossible to lift up or raise either the hands or the feet.

And so, from all of this you can understand that revealed [Torah] corresponds to the hands, and hidden [Torah] corresponds to the feet - corresponding to Mordekhai and Esther. And even though the hidden is more exalted than the revealed, still, the revealed manifests in a higher position, i.e., the hands, whereas the hidden is in the feet, which are lower than the hands. This matter is complex, yet aligns with that which is written in the Zohar (II, 258a): The Tannaim (early Sages) are in the thighs and the Amoraim (later Sages) in the hands. Although the Tannaim are more exalted than the Amoraim, nevertheless, their position is lower than the position of the Amoraim. The same is true of the Books fo the Prophets vis-a-vis the Sacred Writings. And answer for this has already been given.

[Avimelekh]
From a manuscript written by Rebbe Nachman relating to this lesson:

And these are the laws that you must place before them:

{"Sing to God, for He has done gei'ut (glorious things); this is known in all the earth." (Isaiah 12:5)}

"This is known in all the earth," that gei'ut (haughtiness) is a despicable quality, one from which a person must flee. Yet, there are people who run after honor. They desire to rule and direct everything. They claim to have the "power in their hands" to perform redemptions and pray [effective] prayers. Of such individuals it is said, "return the man's wife, for he is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will live."

For this is known: The Holy One {desires the prayers of the tzaddikim. A person must turn to them, so that they will pray for him}. But the haughty people do not turn to the tzaddikim to request that they pray on their behalf. What is more, they also prevent others from going to the tzaddikim to enlist their prayers. For these haughty individuals claim that they, too, are tzaddikim capable of praying, and that there is no one more righteous than they in the world. This has earned them the title "Avimelekh": AVi connotes "desire," as in (Deuteronomy 23:6), "But God your Lord did not AVa (desire) to pay heed to Bilaam.