Translation:Likutei Moharan/58

It is brought in Zohar Bereishit: Tlat Nafkin Meichad (Three Emerge from One); one is maintained by three; one ascends between two; two provide for one; one provides for a number of directions. (Zohar I, 32b)

This refers to the well, the cloud and the manna; they all returned in Moshe’s merit. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Taanit 9a): “I concealed the three shepherds in a single month” (Zechariah 11:8). Did [all three] die in the same month? However, [the Sages] answered: When Aharon and Miriam passed away, the cloud and the well departed, and then returned in Moshe’s merit. When Moshe passed away in the month of Adar, the well, the cloud and the manna departed. Thus it was as if they all died in the same month. This is the explanation of “three emerge from one”—i.e., the well, the cloud and the manna were on account of one, on account of Moshe.

Moshe’s soul embodied the three Patriarchs. He thus had the power to draw these three influxes. The “well of living water” (Genesis 26:19) is the aspect of Avraham, [the aspect of] the waters of lovingkindness; and Avraham began to dig wells. The cloud is the aspect of Yitzchak, the aspect of “darkness, cloud and mist” (Deuteronomy 4:11); the aspect of “[Yitzchak’s] eyes grew dim and he could not see” (Genesis 27:1). And manna is the aspect of Yaakov, the aspect of “to nourish His people, Yaakov” (Psalms 78:71).

Thus of Moshe, who embodied the Patriarchs, it is said, “Moshe sat down beside the well” (Exodus 2:15); and it is written of him, “Moshe entered within the cloud” (ibid. 24:18); and it is likewise written of him, “Moshe said to them, ‘This is the bread’” (ibid. 16:15). Specifically “this,” referring to Moshe himself, because it was in his merit that they ate the manna.

And in the Future, at the time of the resurrection, Moshe will arise embodying the three Patriarchs as before, in the aspect of “That which was, is what will be” (Ecclesiastes 1:9); the aspect of “See, you will lie with your fathers, and then rise up” (Deuteronomy 31:16)—he will be resurrected embodying the three of them. This is the explanation of “one is maintained by three.”

And with the power [Moshe derived] from embodying the Patriarchs, he fought against Amalek, in the aspect of “a vengeful sword to wreak vengeance for the covenant” (Leviticus 26:25). For the Patriarchs are the brit (covenant), the aspect of “I will remember My covenant with Yaakov, [My covenant with Yitzchak and also My covenant with Avraham…]” (ibid.:42). But Amalek caused their brit to be defiled, in the aspect of “they polluted you on the way” (Deuteronomy 25:18). This is the explanation of “one ascends between two”—this is the war against Amalek, of which it is said (Exodus 17:12), “Aharon and Chur supported [Moshe’s] hands, one on each side.”

By subduing the evil force of Amalek and rectifying the brit, [Moshe] merited the aspect of “the bread will be mishneh (double) what they gather daily” (Exodus 16:5). And of Yosef, who merited the brit, it is written (Genesis 41:43), “[Pharaoh] had him ride in the mishneh (second) royal chariot”—i.e., “mishneh what they gather daily.” By means of the brit one merits double bounty.

This is the explanation of “two provide for one.” The aspect of Shabbat receives from Yosef “double bread”—i.e., Mishneh Torah, the aspect of “I was a source of daily delight” (Proverbs 8:30). And the aspect of Shabbat sends bounty to the other worlds, in the aspect of “But you may eat [the produce of] the Land’s shabbat (resting)” (Leviticus 25:6). This is the explanation of “one provides for a number of directions.”

Thus it is that daat produces the aforementioned three [influxes of bounty] — namely: eating, drinking and clothing—since they are encompassed in it. [This is] the aspect of “Come, eat my bread” (Proverbs 9:5), the aspect of eating, the aspect of manna, which is encompassed in the daat of Torah. Drinking is encompassed in daat in the aspect of “Let all who are thirsty come to the water” (Isaiah 55:1), this being the well, the aspect of “[So drink…] running water from your well” (Proverbs 5:15). Clothing [is encompassed in daat] in the aspect of “You have clothing—be our leader” (Isaiah 3:6), [this being] the aspect of the cloud/clothes, the aspect of “when I clothed it in a cloud” (Job 38:9). This is the explanation of “three emerge from one.”

Now, daat is maintained mainly through the Patriarchs, who are Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet:

Chesed (Lovingkindness) is the aspect of Avraham — i.e., one must teach one’s wisdom to others and draw them under the wings of the Divine Presence. This is the aspect of “and the Torah of lovingkindness is on her tongue” (Proverbs 31:26); of which our Sages, of blessed memory, said: This refers to someone who studies in order to teach it [to others] (Sukkah 49b). This is likewise the aspect of “the souls that they made in Charan” (Genesis 12:5).

Gevurah (Strength) is the aspect of giving priority to one’s fear of sin over one’s wisdom (cf. Avot 3:9).

Tiferet (Beauty) is that a person is careful how he dispenses his wisdom, so that it not be despised; in the aspect of “The sage’s words find favor” (Ecclesiastes 10:12). This is the explanation of “one is maintained by three.”

And when a person’s wisdom is maintained and in a state of perfection, he is then in the aspect of “one ascends between two.” He can fight God’s battles, in the aspect of “Wisdom is more valuable than weapons of war” (Ecclesiastes 9:18).

Then, when he subdues all the oppressors who pursue the weak among Israel, and he gets [these Jews] to serve God, he thereby merits a double amount of original Torah insights on Shabbat, in the aspect of “double bread”/ Mishneh Torah /“a folded scroll” (Zechariah 5:2). This is in the aspect of “two provide for one,” as explained above, the aspect of “a double-edged sword” (Psalms 149:6). [That is,] by means of “a vengeful sword,” as explained above, he merits a double portion, the aspect of “double bread.”

Shabbat then dispatches its illumination to all the levels, in the aspect of “one provides for a number of directions.” It provides a cure for the soul and a cure for the body, in the aspect of “except that he must pay [for the victim’s] ShiVTo (inactivity), veRaPo yeRaPei (and provide for his complete cure)” (Exodus 21:19)—two RePhuot (cures), by means of ShaBbaT.

The reason that the sage supplies the aforementioned “double bread” is that through his worthiness he merited his neighbor’s portion as well. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said: If he is worthy, he takes his own portion and that of his neighbor (Chagigah 15a). Thus, when the day of Shabbat arrives and his NeFeSh (soul) is encompassed in ShaBbaT, in the aspect of “for on that [day] ShaVaT va’yeNaFaSh (He ceased working and He rested)” (Exodus 31:17), [the sage] then gives “double bread” to the day of Shabbat, as explained above.

Through the illumination from Shabbat, the world is roused to repentance motivated by love. This is because ShaBbaT is the aspect of TeShuVah (repentance), the aspect of “Then ShaVTa (you shall return) to God your Lord” (Deuteronomy 30:2). This repentance is motivated by love, the aspect of “O love of delight” (Song of Songs 7:7), for the love stems from the delight of Shabbat, the aspect of “if you call the Shabbat ‘delight’” (Isaiah 58:13).

And repentance motivated by love is the aspect of “double bread,” as in the teaching of the Sages, of blessed memory: Here it was motivated by love, there it was motivated by fear (Sotah 31a). {It is brought there: Greater is the one who acts out of love than the one who acts out of fear, since [the merit of] the latter will abide for a thousand generations, while [that of] the former will abide for two thousand generations.} Through repentance motivated by love ‘He shows lovingkindness for two thousand’ (cf. Exodus 20:6).

Then, all the generation’s devout individuals are healed, in the aspect of “and so repent and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10); whereas earlier they endured suffering, in the aspect of “he bore our sickness” (ibid. 53:4)'.

{“How comely you are, and how pleasant, O love of delight” (Song of Songs 7:7).} People also admire them, in the aspect of “How comely you are, and how pleasant,” as a result of “O love of delight,” as explained above; whereas earlier they were in the aspect of “he was without handsomeness or beauty” (Isaiah 53:2).

And when everyone shows admiration for the generation’s devout individuals and considers them comely, then each one [of these individuals], commensurate with his devoutness, can understand that the generation’s sage has already supplied the aforementioned bounty of “double bread” on the day of Shabbat. The reason for this is that each one of them, commensurate with his devoutness, acquires comeliness and beauty and gains prominence in the eyes of the people.

This comeliness and prominence are a mark and a sign and a hint to the aforementioned Mishneh Torah, in the aspect of “Mount Zion (TZiYON) on the northern side” (Psalms 48:3). “Mount” is the aspect of prominence, as in the teaching of the Sages, of blessed memory, concerning [the verse]: “Flee from your mountain like a bird” (Psalms 11:1) — this is kingship and prominence (Sanhedrin 107a). Prominence is a TZiYUN (mark) and a sign of “YaRKesei TZaFoNe (the northern side),” of “The roundness of YeReiKhayikh (your thighs)” (Song of Songs 7:2) — Torah haTZeFuNah (that is hidden).

{“If you tashiv (turn back) your foot on account of Shabbat, from pursuing your affairs on My holy day; if you call the Shabbat ‘delight’…; if you honor it by not doing your business… or speaking of [mundane] matters” (Isaiah 58:13).} This is the explanation of “If you TaShiV your foot on account of Shabbat”: the TeShuVah that stems from the aspect of Shabbat elicits “yarkesei tzafone” — i.e., “your foot.”

And each [devout individual] receives the mark and the sign commensurate with his devoutness, so that afterwards he receives the aforementioned “yarkesei tzafone” within the markings of prominence. This is because the prominence of the generation’s devout individuals is the aspect of a vessel for original Torah insights, in the aspect of…

Now, these devout individuals of the generation must thoroughly consider the grandeur, beauty and prominence that come to them, so that they do not succumb to pride. For it happens that, when the people of the generation fail to guard their tongue, they become incapable of receiving the aforementioned aspect of Shabbat. This is because Shabbat is contingent upon guarding one’s speech, in the aspect of “or speak of [mundane] matters” — that your conversations on Shabbat should not resemble your weekday conversations (Shabbat 113b).

Thus if they fail to guard their tongue, then even if the generation’s clever individuals supply the bounty of Shabbat, of the aforementioned repentance, the repentance they radiate becomes corrupted. As a result, the grandeur, beauty and prominence that come to the generation’s devout individuals becomes corrupted, and they grow proud. This is the aspect of “The transgression of their mouths is the word of their lips; they will be trapped by their pride” (Psalms 59:13) — the transgression associated with speech causes them to become trapped in the sin of pride.

And this is the exile of the Divine Presence. That is, prominence, which is the aspect of malkhut (kingship), the aspect of the Divine Presence, becomes blemished and turns into pride.

This is the explanation of: Why are the Babylonians’ heads segalgalot (oval)? Because they have no chayot pikchot (trained midwives) (Shabbat 31a).

Babylonians — This is the generation that blemishes speech, the aspect of “[That is why it is called BabeL,] because there God BaLal (mixed up) the speech of the whole earth” (Genesis 11:9).

heads — These are the generation’s devout individuals.

SeGaLGaLoT — That is, SeGoL GaLuT. SeGoL is the aspect of grandeur and kingship, the aspect of “SeGuLat (the treasure) of kings” (Ecclesiastes 2:8). The GaLuT (exile) of the Divine Presence, as explained above, is due to their grandeur having been blemished, so that they are trapped by pride.

And this is what he answered them: Because they have no chayot pikchot.

ChaYot — This is the aspect of Shabbat mentioned above, the aspect of “Those who taste [Shabbat] merit ChaYim (life)” (Shabbat Mussaf Prayer). [This is] the aforementioned aspect of repentance, the aspect of “repent viChYu (and live)” (cf. Ezekiel 18:32). [It is likewise] the aspect of healing, as it is written, “You have restored me to health and given me life” (Isaiah 38:16).

They do not receive ChiYuT (life-force), the aforementioned aspect of Shabbat, from the pikchey (clever ones) of the generation, from the generation’s sages/the aspect of Moshe mentioned above, because they cannot receive Shabbat/repentance from the aforementioned sage except by guarding speech, as explained above.

However, as explained above, a generation that is the aspect of Babylonians, that does not receive the life-force of Shabbat, its heads, who are the generation’s devout individuals, are segol galut — their grandeur and prominence are in exile; i.e., the aspect of kingship is blemished. And this is the exile of the Divine Presence: they succumb to pride, God forbid.