Translation:Likutei Moharan/61

Chadi Rabbi Shim`on

Rabbi Shim`on was happy and said: "O Hashem, I have heard your speech, and was afraid" [Hab. 3:2] And he said: There it was proper for me to fear. (Zohar, Nasso p. 128)

1. Through faith in the Sages we can bring our mishpat’ (judgement, sentence) to light. For justice is the Central Column (see Pathach Eliyahu), i.e. like the middle road, that does not lean right nor left. And this we merit through faith in the Sages, which is like (Deut. 17): You shall not stray from the word that they tell you, right or left; therefore by this the sentence comes out clear, as mentioned above; as in sentences... of truth (Ps. 19); i.e. all the teachings that a man learns, he must receive and bring out from them sentences of truth, that it should not be like crooked judgment, i.e. that he should receive and learn from all the teachings that he learns, laws of conduct, that he should know how to behave, whether for himself, or whether for others that conduct themselves according to his opinion, each and every one according to his aspect, according to the governance and authority he has, whether it is great or small. And all this we merit through faith in the Sages, which is like "You shall not stray" etc., and then he can bring out straight laws of conduct, like judgements of truth, that he should not stray right or left, as mentioned above.

But when one blemishes the faith in the Sages, then he is judged in weariness of the flesh, i.e. in extra waste, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Eruvin 21): Whoever mocks the words of the Sages is judged with boiling feces, as it is written [Eccl. 12:12]: '''... and much study is a weariness of the flesh. '''And this is measure for measure, for he did not believe in their words, and mocked them, and their words were only extra waste according to him, therefore his is judged in extra waste. And all the judgements are from the brain, like (I Kings 3): '''And they were in awe before the King, for they saw that the wisdom of Elohim was within him, to perform justice. '''And the brain is according to the food, and when the body is clean then the brain is clear, and then he can bring out judgments of truth, straight ways of conduct. But when he is judged in extra wastes by blemishing faith in the Sages as mentioned above, then the putrid vapors go up to the brain, and mix up and confuse his mind, and then he cannot bring out judgments of truth, and then he brings out crooked judgment, like (Hab. 1): For the wicked does compass about the righteous; therefore wrong judgment proceeds; i.e. through the putrid vapors surrounding and enshrouding the brain and confusing it — through this the crooked judgment proceeds, like (Ps. 147) and as for His judgments, they have not known them, i.e. confusion of the brains.

And Doeg, because his learning was in this fashion of extra wastes, as in that which is said of Doeg (I Sam. 21): Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained (ne`etzar) before Hashem; and his name was Doeg etc. and Rashi explained: He stops (`otzer) himself etc. to delve in Torah; for his learning was in the way of stopping up, like extra waste; therefore he could not bring out from this learning judgements of truth, only crooked judgement. And therefore he judged that David was not fit to come in to the community (Yevamot 76); and this was because his learning was from the extra wastes as mentioned above:

2. And there are leaders who are called Rabbis, whose learning is from these extra wastes. And not only are they unable to even conduct themselves, as mentioned above — and all the more so are they unable to lead others — but also they take the honor for themselves to lead the world. And we must not ordain them, that they should have authority and power, that they should not be called Rabbis, for they themselves are not so guilty, for they have a great yetzer harah to conduct the world, but we just need to be very careful to not give them authority and power, for those who give them authority and power and by whom they are ordained that they should be called Rabbis — they shall give judgement and account [for it].

Because the semikhah (ordination; laying [of hands]), that they somekh (ordain, lay [hands on]) a rabbi or a writing — they are one idea, for the semikhah is by hands, as is written (Deut. 34): '''And Yehoshua Bin Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moshe laid his hands upon him. 'And this is the idea of writing, like the Writing Hand [Tikkunei Zohar, Tikun 56, folio 89, and see Zohar Chadash'' I:47]. For the writing is also like wisdom, for the letters of text — by them were all the worlds created, as is written (Ps. 33): By the word of Hashem were the heavens made etc.; and it is written (there 104): ...in wisdom have you made all of them, for there is in each and every letter a wisdom, that the Blessed One 's wisdom required that one letter should be in such a form, and through it should be created one world in this fashion, and to behave in this conduct that this world has — and likewise the other worlds in another fashion and conduct, through the fashion of another letter, for this is the decree of the Blessed One's wisdom.

And when a sage who is fit for semikhah is ordained with the name Rabbi, whose conduct is like sentences of truth as mentioned above, then through this semikhah, which then receives its wisdom from the aspect of the hand of Hashem, as in: And Yehoshua Bin Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom etc. as mentioned above, then he brings revelation and power to our writing, which is also the idea of wisdom, as mentioned above, as in (I Chr. 28): All this Hashem made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, which is the idea of semikhah — through this he brings revelation and power to the writing, as mentioned above. And this is like (Num. 11) and the spirit rested upon them; and they were of them that were written; because since they were ordained, therefore they received the spirit of wisdom, through this they brought revelation upon the writing, i.e. on our handwriting, as mentioned above. And then, not only is our handwriting not subject to their justice, but even all their judgements of conducts — all are by means of our handwriting, like (Ps. 149) '''To do on them the judgment written. But when we ordain a rabbi who is not fit, through this our handwriting is weakened, and we give authority to their writing, and all the sentences then need to be via their writings specifically, which is like and as for His judgements, they have not know them, '''like crooked judgment, as mentioned above.

And through this they decree to expel Israel from the place that they dwelled already, for in a place where Israel already dwells there, even outside the Land, it is like the kedushah of the Land of Israel, like (Eze. 11) miniature sanctuary; for via Israel dwelling there, the air is sanctified like the air of the Land of Israel. For via our handwriting the air is sanctified, like “the air of Eretz Israel makes one wise” (Baba Batra 158: Zoh. Pinh. 245 & Tikkun 22) for the writing is like “letters make one wise” [Migdal Oz 84 Ishut halachah 9: ''Shl”h hal. krait shm”ot; and see Tik. Zoh. 19: pg 40''] and through motions of the quill in the air during writing, the aspect of “letters make one wise” are etched into the air, and thereby is the air sanctified like “the air of Eretz Israel makes wise”; but via blemish of our handwriting through semikhah, that they ordain a rabbi who is not fit, as mentioned above, through this they expel Israel from the settlement, from the place that they already dwelled, which is like the air of Eretz Israel, as mentioned above, and they drive them out from there to a deserted and ruined place, that has no holiness, for Israel never ever dwelled there, as mentioned above.

3. And through this the wisdom of the processions of the celestial spheres, to know all the changes and futures that come via the celestial spheres, is taken away from us, and it is given over to them. For originally this wisdom was given over only to us, as is written (Deut. 4) For it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples; and our Rabbis expounded (Shabbat 75): which wisdom and understanding is in the eyes of the peoples? — you have to say it is the calculation of seasons (tequfot) and constellations (mazalot).

For in this there is tact, that the secret should remain by us, even though the wisdom is let known to them. For certainly we must let them know the wisdom, so that they should know of our wisdom, that we know this wisdom, as is written, For it is your wisdom etc.; and therefore, since we let them know, it is no secret, for now don’t they also know? But there is a tact here, that we can let them know the wisdom, and yet the secret remains by us. And this is like: For it is your wisdom and understanding in the eyes of the peoples — in the eyes of the peoples specifically, i.e. that it is in the eyes of the nations at the time we let them know, but immediately after, they know not at all; they only know the secret is by us, for we do not let them know this wisdom in essence, which is like the secret of intercalation, only that there is in this a tact, that we can only show in their eyes, so that they know that this wisdom is by us, but the essence of the secret of the wisdom stays but us.

And this is like the secret of intercalation, which is given over only to the giants of the generation [see Rashi R.H. 20 & 22 BD”H tehe mesurah. And see PDR”A 85 and in Rambam ''Hil. Kid. Hachodesh'' 11:4] who have great souls, for the orbits of the spheres is via the intellects, which are messengers/angels, and each and every sphere has a unique intellect, i.e. an angel by which is it is conducted, and through this is the variation of the orbits of the spheres, that one sphere goes in a month and in this order, and another sphere goes in a year or more, and there is a sphere that needs a great time, several thousands of years until it goes around. And everything is according to variation of the intellects, which vary according to their distance from the Superior, and that is how the spheres behave. And all these intellects, all receive from the General Conductor, which is the General Intellect, which is the soul that all behave according to, like (Job 32): And the soul of the Almighty shall understand them, since the soul pours the intellect into them. And therefore the soul is called "Heavens," for it is the makeup of the spheres, as is written (Ps. 3): He will call to the heavens above — this is the soul (Sanh. 91). For the soul is the general conductor of all the spheres, as mentioned above, and therefore the soul is called galgalta (the sphere) (O"Ch Shaar A"A P"D), as in the spheres of the firmament which are conducted through it. And therefore these great souls are strong in the secret of the intercalation, for who knows their conduct like the conductor does?

And these great souls need to have a body, as in (Isa. 4): The fruit of the earth, like the air of Eretz Israel. For when the air is sanctified like the air of Eretz Israel, then all the fruits and produce that grow there, from which a man is nourished, and from which comes the drop of seeding — all will be in the aspect of Eretz Israel, and from there the body is knit together, like (Ps. 139): I was knit together in the lowest parts of the earth, like Eretz Israel, and then the body is like the fruit of the Land, and then it is fit to receive a great soul, like He shall call to the Heavens above — this is the soul; "... and to the earth" — this is the body (there, Sanh.). For the soul is according to the body: When the body is pure and clean, it can receive a great soul, and vice-versa. And therefore there are lands where their intellect is coarse and material, and also there are lands where their intellect is pure and clear, and it is all according to the land, according to the food that comes out of it, and therefore through being driven out of the aspect of the air of Eretz Israel through the aspect mentioned above, then pure bodies cannot be knit together, and we cannot receive a great soul, and through this the secret of intercalation is taken from with us.

And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said (Ketuvot 112): '''And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity… they shall not be in the assembly of my people [Eze. 13:9] — this is the secret of intercalation; “neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel” — this is the semikhah; “neither shall they enter into the land of Israel” — is like it sounds, i.e. as mentioned above, “neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel” '— this is the semikhah; i.e. through semikhah'', when they ordain with the name “Rabbi” those who are not fit, through this we weaken the Israelite writing, as mentioned above. And this is: “neither shall they enter into the land of Israel;” i.e. they are driven out from the aspect of the air of Eretz Israel as mentioned above. And this is: they shall not be in the assembly of my people — this is the secret of intercalation; for through this the secret of intercalation is taken from with us as mentioned above. And all this is through the wastes mentioned above.

4. And through this he never has complete counsel, and is never able to give advice to himself, and he always doubts. For all his counsels are like boorish counsels (Isa. 19), advice of women, for the filth of the wastes goes up to the heart, like (Eze. 14): … brought up idols upon their heart; and his heart was made filthy like the toilet-room, which is the place of women’s advice, like Rabbi `Ilash said (Gittin 45): Women arrange all their words in the toilet-room, since all their advice is there.

5. However for one who is already sunken into these wastes, there is a water that purifies from this filth, like (Eze. 36): '''Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. And then he comes to complete counsel, like (there, 37): …neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all. Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols. For since they are purified from their idols and the filth as mentioned above, and through this: neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms (maMLaChot) — which is like counsel, as is written (Dan. 4) Let my advice (MiLCi) be acceptable unto you; i.e. one merits to complete counsel, for through this water mentioned above complete advices are made with him, like (Prov. 20): Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water. And these waters '''are like disputation, like (Deut. 20): waters of strife. And therefore dispute is called pelugta, like (Ps. 65): the river of Elohim, which is full of water; for from all the dispute a book is made, like questions and response. For dispute is questioning and counterpointing, for they counterpoint and ask him, and he comes back in return, and through this he answers and resolves the question, and from this is made an aspect of a book of questions and response. For through the answer, through this several books are renewed.

For there are many books now, and there shall also be many more books to come, and the world needs all of them. And in the beginning, when he did not have faith in the Sages, then all the books were like nothing by him, for he mocked them, as is written (Eccl. 12): of making many books there is no end; and much study etc., i.e. he mocks that there are so many books, and then they are like nothing, in his view. And when he comes back in return on this, then each time a book is renewed by him, for all the books that were like nothing in his eyes come back and are valued by him. And all is according to the dispute, for he looks and meditates on the dispute, as to why they are arguing so, with these words, and not in another way, and through this he understands how to come back in return and repair the faith in the Sages, for that is where the dispute is drawn from, through blemishing faith in the Sages. And according to the return, according to the dispute, so he comes back to the faith in the Sages, and likewise a book is renewed by him, for it returns and is valued in his eyes, that which before in his eyes was like nothing. And likewise each time according to the dispute, so is the return, that he returns to faith in the Sages, and likewise another book is renewed by him, for some other book comes back and is valued in his eyes, that before he would mock and which was like nothing in his eyes, as mentioned above. And this is like (Job. 31): Let whoever contends with me write a book — since through argument and dispute a book is made.

And there are righteous of the generation, whose faith is certainly complete, and despite this there is dispute upon them; it is like (Isa. 53): and he bare the sin of many etc.; he shall bear their iniquities; i.e. he bears dispute for the sake of the world. And through the dispute that is upon him, through this he repairs the faith in the Sages by the multitudes of people.

And there are those who have dispute upon them because they do not have faith in themselves, and they do not have faith in their Torah-revelations that they invent, and they do not believe that Hashem Yithbarakh has great amusement from their revelations, and because of this, that they do not have faith in themselves, through this they back down from their revelations, and therefore dispute comes upon them, but through this they come back in Return and review, and their revelations become esteemed by them, and they repeat and invent, and from this produce a book.

And sometimes a book is made from this on high, for through this that someone asked and posed a difficulty, and this one came back in return, through this he answers and solves and through this a book is made on high, like (Mal. 3): Then they that feared Hashem spoke often one to another: and Hashem hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written.

6. And through this all the constrictions are sweetened, which are the strict judgments. And any place that has some judgment and constriction, is sweetened through this, and through repair of faith in the Sages, through this the books of holy Torah are multiplied. For all the sweetenings of all the constrictions and judgements are through the intellect, for all were created in the thought (see Zohar Pikudei daf 254B). For the mind is the root of the judgments, and there the judgments are sweetened. For a judgement can only be sweetened at its root (`Etz Chayim Shaar 3 Ch. 11), and each judgement and constriction needs to be sweetened by the intellect pertaining to it, for its root is from there. And each and every construction has an intellect, through which it is sweetened.

But there is an Upper Wisdom, where all the wisdoms are included and from which they receive, and therefore all the judgements are sweetened there. For the particular intellects cannot be sweetened except by the intellect pertaining to that constriction specifically, which is its root; but through the aspect of the Upper Wisdom which is made up of all of them — there all the entire constrictions and judgements are sweetened.

And the Torah which goes out from the Upper Wisdom, for “Torah goes out from the Upper Wisdom” (Zohar Beshalach daf 62), and which cannot receive from the Upper Wisdom unless it has completion — and completion of the Torah is through the Oral Torah, for the Written Torah does not have wholeness except through the Oral Torah, and therefore through the books mentioned above, which are renewed through the dispute, like: “Let whoever contends with me write a book,” like “of making many books there is no end,” and through this the Torah is completed, and then the Torah is like (Ex. 24): tablets of stone, which receives its illumination from the aspect of the Foundation Stone, for each think in the world has a different constriction in quantity and quality, and all the constrictions in the world, all of them are inscribed in the Foundation Stone, from which the world was drawn forth, and they all receive from it, and there all the judgements are sweetened, for it is like the Upper Wisdom, like the Holy of Holies.

For the intellect is called The Holy (see Zohar Acharei 61), and they all receive and are included in the aspect of Holy of Holies, which is like the Upper Wisdom, which is made up of all of them, and from there is the sweetening of all the judgements, in particular and in general. For also when the judgements are sweetened in particular by some intellect of some constriction, it also needs to draw power from the Upper Intellect mentioned above, so that this particular intellect should have power to sweeten the judgment. And also in general, to sweeten all the judgements that may be from some constriction, is impossible except by the aspect of the Upper Intellect, like the Holy of Holies, like the Foundation Stone as (see Zohar Wayechi daf 231, and Tanchuma parashat Eikev) as mentioned above.

And when the Torah has completion through the books as mentioned above, then it receives from the Upper Wisdom, like the Stone Tablets, like the Foundation Stone, and then it bestows on all the Wisdoms, and all the judgements are sweetened, like (Ps. 20): He shall send your help from the Holy, since the main help and salvation, which is like the sweetening of judgments, is from the Holy, i.e. through the intellect which is called The Holy, as is known [Zohar part 3, 61]. And this is why the letters of SheTiYiaH (Foundation) are an acrostic for: Hen Tawi Shaddai Ya`aneni (the text of Job 31: behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me [or: the marks of the Almighty answer me]; Let whoever contends with me write a book). Hen TaVI [marks of] Shaddai… — i.e. the aspect that the impressions of all the constrictions are sweetened through coming into shetiyah [setting, making, placing, drinking], like the Foundation Stone mentioned above — is the reason for …Ya`aneni (answering me), like sweetening, like: He shall send your help from The Holy, as mentioned above.

And this is: Behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me; Let whoever contends with me write a book, for through him writing a book as mentioned above, i.e. abundance of books that are made through the dispute as mentioned above, after which the Torah has completion, and received from the General Intellect, from the Upper Wisdom, which is like the Foundation Stone as mentioned above, and through this Behold, the marks of the Almighty would answer me — like sweetening, through the aspect of the Stone Tablets, which receive from the Foundation Stone as mentioned above:

7. And this is the concept of why we go on Rosh Hashanah to Tzaddikim. For Rosh Hashanah is the Judgment Day of the whole year, and each and every one comes with his holiness and his constrictions to the Tzaddik of the Generation, who is like the Holy of Holies, like the Foundation Stone, like (I Shm. 2): for the pillars of the earth are Hashem's, and he has set the world upon them (see Yoma 38b), ''Sanh. 26b), which are the Tzaddikim, for upon them the world was founded, and through this all the judgments are sweetened, through the aspect of the Foundation Stone as mentioned above. And this is like the stones of Yaakov, where all of them were amassed into the foundation Stone (B”R Wayetze P. 68, see Zohar daf 58, Wayechi ''231), for the souls are like stones, as is written (Job 4): Let the stones of The Holy be poured out; and all of them come and are included inside the Tzaddik of the Generation, who is like the Foundation Stone, and through this all the constrictions are sweetened, as mentioned above.

8. And through this, that all the souls are included together as mentioned above, through this joy is made, like (Prov. 13): The light of the righteous shall rejoice.  For the souls is like a candle, like (Prov. 20): The candle of Hashem is the soul of a man; and when all are included as one a light is made from them and through this joy is made, like: '''the light of the righteous shall rejoice.

And this is the explanation of: Rabbi Shim`on was happy and said: "O Hashem, I have heard your speech, and was afraid" And he said: There it was proper for me to fear. For Habbakuk said this prophecy regarding Rabbi Akiva and his friends, who died because they did not have love in them, as our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Yev. 62): For they were in the way of strengths and constrictions, and were not included as one, and were not sweetened. But Rabbi Shim`on and his friends who were their rectification, and who therefore said: We depend on affection, i.e. the aspect of love and unity, that they were united together, and through this is the sweetening and the remedy as mentioned above. And from this comes the aspect of: Rabbi Shim`on was happy, i.e. the aspect of joy, which is made through the inclusion and the love, like: the light of Tzaddikim shall rejoice.

He opened and said: A tale-bearer goes and reveals a secret [Prov. 11: 13] — A tale-bearer goes etc. — for his spirit is not an enduring spirit, i.e. a spirit of wisdom; and it is not faithful, i.e. faith in the Sages as mentioned above, for because there is no faith in the Sages in him, there is no spirit of wisdom in him, for he is judged in extra wastes as mentioned above. And reveals a secret — this is like nullification of our handwriting, for we cannot receive the light of the intellect from the hands of semikhah as mentioned above, like (Job 36): Upon the hands he covered light; for the letters must receive the light of the intellect from the hands of the semikhah as mentioned above, but through blemish of faith in the Sages, which is like a tale-bearer goes, through this he reveals a secret, for the light of the intellect is exiled and removed as mentioned above, and through this they shall not be in the assembly of my people, as mentioned above. “But he that is of a faithful spirit conceals the matter — for the enduring spirit is in him” — through the aspect of faith in the Sages, through this he conceals the matter, like: Upon the hands he covered light as mentioned above: