Translation:Likutei Moharan/64

God said to Moshe, “Bo el Paroh (Go to Pharaoh), for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might set these signs of Mine in their midst; and that you might recount in the ears of your children and your grandchildren how I have made a mockery of the Egyptians, and of My signs which I have wrought in their midst—that you might know that I am God.” [Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh, and they said to him, “Thus says God,] ‘… tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders.’” (Exodus 10:1-4)

God created the world as a consequence of His compassion. For He wanted to reveal His compassion, and if Creation had not taken place, to whom would He have shown His compassion? He therefore created the entire creation, from the inception of Atzilut all the way down to the center point of the corporeal world, in order to display His compassion.

Yet when God wanted to create the world, there was no place in which to create it, since there was nothing but Ein Sof (the Infinite One). He therefore contracted the Light to the sides, and through this contraction the Vacated Space was made. Then, within this Vacated Space, all time and space came into existence—this being the creation of the world {as explained at the beginning of Etz Chaim}.

This Vacated Space was necessary for the creation of the world, since without the Vacated Space there would have been no place in which to create the world, as explained above. Yet, understanding and comprehending this contraction [that resulted in the formation] of the Vacated Space will be possible only in the Future, since it is necessary to say about it two contradictory things: existence and nonexistence.

The Vacated Space is the result of the contraction; that [God], so to speak, withdrew His Godliness from that place. Thus there is, so to speak, no Godliness there. Were it not so, it would not be vacated. There would then be nothing but Ein Sof, with no place whatsoever for the world’s creation. However the actual truth is that, even so, there is surely Godliness there as well. For there is surely nothing without His life-force. This is why it is not at all possible to comprehend the concept of the Vacated Space until the Future.

Know, that there are two types of heresy. One is the heresy that stems from secular wisdom. Of this it is said, “And know what to answer the heretic” (Avot 2:14), since this heresy has an answer. This is because it stems from secular wisdom, which stems from extraneous elements, from the aspect of the Shattering of the Vessels. An overload of the Light caused the vessels to break, and this brought into existence the forces of evil, as is known. And secular wisdom stems from there—i.e., from the Shattering of the Vessels, from extraneous elements, the dross of holiness.

This is analogous to the human [body], which has a number of types of extraneous elements and waste products, such as nails, hair and sweat, and other extraneous elements and waste products. Similarly, each secular wisdom stems from an extraneous element and known dross of holiness; and magic, too, stems from an extraneous element and known dross.

Therefore, although whoever succumbs to this heresy should surely flee and escape from that place, nevertheless, having fallen there it is possible for him to find the way to get free. For he will be able to find God in that place, provided he seeks and searches for Him there. Since the [heresies] stem from the Shattering of the Vessels, there must be some holy sparks and some letters that broke and fell there, as is known. Consequently, he can find Godliness and intellect there in order to answer the questions raised by this heresy that stems from secular wisdom, which [in turn] stems from extraneous elements, from the Shattering of the Vessels. For there is Godly life-force there—i.e., intellect, and letters that broke and fell into that place. This heresy therefore has an answer, and of this it is said, “And know what to answer the heretic.”

However, there is another type of heresy. These are pseudo-wisdoms, yet since they are intricate and people cannot comprehend them, they appear to be wisdom. For example, this is comparable to when someone postulates an untrue argument in Talmud and its commentaries. Since there is no learned individual to answer the question that arises from this argument, it therefore seems that he has postulated a superior argument and insight, even though in truth it is not at all [a valid] argument.

Likewise, the philosophers have a number of conundrums and questions that in fact have no [basis in] wisdom, and the questions are nullified from the outset, but since the human mind is incapable of answering them they consequently seem to be [based in] wisdom and [to raise legitimate] questions.

In truth, it is impossible to answer these questions. This is because the questions [that arise] from this heresy stem from the Vacated Space in which, so to speak, there is no Godliness. There is therefore absolutely no way that one can find an answer for these questions that come from there, from the aspect of the Vacated Space—i.e., [no way to] find God there. For if God were found there as well, it would then not be vacated, and there would have been nothing but Ein Sof, as explained above.

Therefore, of this heresy it is said (Proverbs 2:19): “None that go to her yeShUVun (return).” There is absolutely no teShUVah (answer) for this heresy since it stems from the Vacated Space, from which, so to speak, He contracted His Godliness.

But through faith, the Jewish people prevail over all the wisdoms and even this heresy that stems from the Vacated Space. This is because they believe in God, without any philosophical enquiry and intellection, but only with perfect faith.

For God “fills all worlds and encircles all worlds.” Thus we find that He is, so to speak, within all the worlds and round about all the worlds. Yet there has to be a separation, so to speak, between the filling and the encircling, for if not, then it is all one. That it is not, is due to the aspect of the Vacated Space, from which He contracted His Godliness, so to speak, and within which He created the entire creation.

Thus it is that the Vacated Space surrounds the entire world, and God, Who encircles all worlds, encircles the Vacated Space as well. It is therefore relevant to say “He fills all worlds”—i.e., the entire creation that was created within the Vacated Space—and also “He encircles all worlds”—i.e., He encircles also the Vacated Space. In between, the Vacated Space acts as a separation, since [God], so to speak, contracted His Godliness from there.

Now, through faith—their believing that God fills all worlds and encircles all worlds, and since He encircles all worlds then also the Vacated Space itself exists by virtue of His wisdom, and in actual truth His Godliness is surely in that place, just that it is impossible to comprehend this and to find God there, as explained above—they accordingly prevail over all the wisdoms, questions and heresies that stem from the Vacated Space. They know that it is surely impossible to find an answer for [these heresies], because if one would find an answer for them—i.e., would find God in them—then there would be no Vacated Space and the creation could not have come into existence.

Nevertheless, the actual truth is that there surely is an answer for them, and there certainly is Godliness there. However, as a result of philosophical enquiry they become submerged there, because it is impossible to find God there since it is the aspect of the Vacated Space. Rather, a person must believe that God encircles that as well, and that in truth His Godliness is certainly there as well.

This is why the Jews are called IVRiim (Hebrews), because with their faith OVRim (they prevail over) all the wisdoms, and even the pseudo-wisdoms—i.e., the second heresy, which stems from the Vacated Space, as explained above.

And therefore God is called “the God of the IVRiim” (Exodus 3:18), from the expression “EiVeR (beyond) the river” (Joshua 24:3), which connotes sides. That is, His Godliness encircles also the Vacated Space, which comes from the contraction whereby He contracted the Light to the sides. And therefore the Jews are called Ivriim, because through their faith—that they believe God is “the God of the Ivriim,” as explained above—they prevail over all the wisdoms and also all that is pseudo-wisdom, namely the second heresy, as explained above.

This is why a person must surely be extremely wary of this second heresy; to flee and escape from there without delving or looking into their words at all, because, God forbid, he will surely become submerged there. Of this it is written, “None that go to her return…,” as explained above.

But know! if there is a great tzaddik who is the aspect of Moshe, he must especially delve into these words of heresy. And even though it is impossible to answer them, as explained above, nevertheless, by his delving into there, he elevates from there a number of souls that fell and became submerged within this heresy. This is because these conundrums and questions [raised] by the heresy that stems from the Vacated Space are the aspect of silence, since there is no intellect or letters to answer them, as explained above.

The creation came into existence by means of the spoken word, as it is written (Psalms 33:6) “By the word of God the heavens were made, and by the breath of His mouth their entire host [was created].” The spoken word contains wisdom, because the whole of speech is but the five articulators of the mouth. Through them all the things of the entire creation came into existence, as it is written (ibid. 104:24), “You created them all with wisdom.”

The spoken word is the demarcation of all things. [God] circumscribed His wisdom in the letters, such that certain letters demarcate one thing, while other letters demarcate something else. But there in the Vacated Space—which surrounds all the worlds, and which is, so to speak, vacated of everything, as explained above—there is no spoken word at all, and not even intellect without letters, as explained above. Thus the conundrums that stem from there are in the aspect of silence.

This is analogous to what we find of Moshe: When he asked regarding the death of Rabbi Akiva, “Is this the Torah, and is this its reward?” they answered him, “Be silent! Thus has it arisen in thought” (Menachot 29b). That is, you must be silent and not ask for an answer and solution for this question. This is because “thus has it arisen in thought,” which is more exalted than speech. Therefore, you must keep silent regarding this question, because it is in the aspect of “arisen in thought,” where there is no speech to answer it. The same is true of the questions and conundrums that stem from the Vacated Space, where there is no spoken word or intellect, as explained above. They are thus in the aspect of silence; one must simply believe and keep silent there.

This is why it is forbidden for anyone other than the tzaddik who is the aspect of Moshe to enter and delve into these words of heresy and the conundrums. For Moshe is the aspect of silence, in the aspect that is called “heavy of speech” (Exodus 4:10), the aspect of a silence more exalted than speech.

Therefore, the tzaddik who is the aspect of Moshe, the aspect of silence, is capable of delving into these perplexing words, which are the aspect of silence, as explained above. He should especially delve into [them], in order to elevate the souls that fell into there, as explained above.

Know, too, that dispute is the aspect of Creation. For the world was created mainly by means of the Vacated Space, as explained above. This is because without it there would have been nothing but Ein Sof, with no place for the creation of the world, as explained above. He therefore contracted the Light to the sides, and the Vacated Space was made. Within it He created the entire creation—i.e., time and space—by means of the spoken word, as explained above: “By the word of God the heavens were made….”

The same is true of the aspect of dispute. If all the Torah scholars were one, there would be no place for the world’s creation. However, as a result of their dispute and their separating from one another, with each one withdrawing to a different side, the aspect of the Vacated Space is made between them. This is the aspect of the contraction of the Light to the sides, within which the world is created by means of the spoken word, as explained above.

This is because whatever each one of them says is only for the sake of creating the world, which they bring about within the Vacated Space that is between them. For the Torah scholars create everything through their words, as it is written (Isaiah 51:16), “and I have declared to Zion: You are ami (My people)”—do not read ami, but imi (“with Me”). Just as I make heaven and earth through My word, so you do the same (Zohar, Introduction, p.4b-5a).

Nevertheless, they must take care not to say more than is necessary; only as much as is needed for the world’s creation, no more. For as a result of an overload of the Light, the vessels, which could not bear the overload of Light, shattered. From the Shattering of the Vessels, the forces of evil came into existence. So, too, if one speaks overmuch; he thereby brings the evil forces into existence. For [his speaking] is the aspect of an overload of the Light, as a result of which there was the Shattering of the Vessels that led to the forces of evil coming into existence.

This is the explanation of the Mishnah: All my days gadalti (I was raised) bein (among) the scholars and have found nothing better for the body than silence; the main thing is not the expounding but the practice; and whoever speaks overmuch brings on sin (Avot 1:17).

All my days I was raised bein the scholars…—“Bein the scholars” is the aspect of the Vacated Space that comes into existence and is made bein (between) the scholars as a result of the separation and dispute between them, as explained above. Thus it is specifically “bein the scholars”—i.e., there is a separation and dispute between them. For if they were all one, it would not be pertinent to say “bein the scholars.” But by means of the dispute, the aspect of the Vacated Space is made, and within this Vacated Space the world is created—i.e., time and space. This is:

All my days I was raised—I would raise my time (“days”) and space, which is the aspect of the creation of the world.

bein the scholars—Specifically “bein the scholars”; within the Vacated Space, because that is where the entire creation comes about, as explained above. This is:

GaDaLti, I was raised—I raised my time and space from constriction to GaDLut (expansion).

He called them “my days” because time is his, since he creates the world etc., as explained above. And this is:

and have found nothing better for the body than silence—For there, in the Vacated Space, nothing is better than silence, as explained above. This is because entry to there is forbidden other than for someone who is in the aspect of silence, the aspect of Moshe, as explained above.

Thus he said: “All my days I was raised among the scholars and have found nothing….” By attaining this level, in the aspect of silence—as he said: there is nothing better than silence—he therefore expanded his time and space there in the Vacated Space, because entry there is forbidden other than for someone who is in the aspect of silence, as explained above. And this is:

the main thing is not the expounding but the practice; and whoever speaks overmuch brings on sin—For the main thing in all the expounding and the words that these scholars speak is not the expounding alone but the practice; that through their words they should make and create the world, as explained above: “Do not read this ‘My people,’ but ‘with Me,’” as explained above.

However, “whoever speaks overmuch brings on sin,” because an overload of the Light brings the forces of evil into existence, as explained above.

Know, too, that by means of the melody of the tzaddik who is the aspect of Moshe, he elevates from the heresy of the Vacated Space the souls that fell into there. For know! each and every wisdom in the world has its particular song and melody. This song is particular to that wisdom, so that this wisdom is derived from that song. This is the aspect of “sing an intelligent song” (Psalms 47:8), since each intellect and wisdom has a song and melody.

Even heresy has a melody and song that is particular to heretical wisdom. This is as our Sages, of blessed memory, said: And Acher, what was his shortcoming? A Greek song never ceased from his lips, and when he would rise from his studies, books of heresy would fall from [his bosom] (Chagigah 15b). For one is dependent upon the other: because of the aforementioned song that did not cease from his lips, the books of the heretics would fall from him. This is because that song was particular to this heresy of his.

Thus it is that every wisdom, commensurate with its aspect and level, has its song and melody that pertains and is particular to it. The same is true for each and every level. The aspect of wisdom of a higher level has a more exalted song and melody commensurate with its level. And likewise higher and higher, until the starting point of the creation, which is the inception of Atzilut. There is nothing higher than it. Thus there is nothing surrounding the wisdom there other than the Light of Ein Sof that surrounds the Vacated Space in which are all the creations and all the wisdoms.

Certainly there is an aspect of wisdom there as well, however it is impossible to know and comprehend the wisdom of the Light of Ein Sof. This is because Ein Sof is God Himself, and His wisdom is altogether incomprehensible. In that place there is only the aspect of faith; that we believe in God, that His Infinite Light encircles all worlds and surrounds everything. And faith, too, has a song and a melody particular to faith. We find this even with regard to the misguided beliefs of idolaters; each idolatrous faith has its particular melody, which they play and perform in their houses of prayer. The same is true of its opposite, of holiness. Each faith has its song and melody.

The song that is particular to the aforementioned faith, the faith that is more exalted than all the types of wisdom and faith in the world—i.e., faith in the Infinite Light itself, which encircles all worlds, as explained above—that song, too, is higher than all the melodies and songs in the world that pertain to every wisdom and faith. And all the songs and melodies of all the wisdoms are drawn from this song and melody, which is more exalted than all the songs and melodies of all the wisdoms because it is the song that pertains to faith in the Infinite Light itself, which is higher than everything.

But in the Future, when ‘[the speech of] all the nations will be turned into pure speech, that they may all call out in God’s Name’ (cf. Zephaniah 3:9), and they will all believe in Him, then “Come, sing from the summit of Amanah” (Song of Songs 4:8) will be fulfilled. Specifically “from the summit of AMaNaH”—i.e., the aspect of the aforementioned exalted ÆMuNaH (faith), which is the summit of all the faiths, as explained above. And this is specifically “sing”—i.e., the melody and song that pertains to this summit of faith, as explained above.

Now, the only one who merits the aspect of the melody of this exalted faith is the tzaddik of the generation, who is the aspect of Moshe. He is on this level of faith, which is the aspect of silence, the aforementioned aspect of “Be silent! Thus has it arisen in thought.” That is, it is still higher than speech, because Moshe is the aspect of silence, as explained above.

This is the explanation of (Exodus 15:1): “Then Moshe will sing.” Our Sages, of blessed memory, said: It does not say “sang” but “will sing.” This is a Biblical source for resurrection of the dead (Sanhedrin 91b). Moshe will sing in the Future as well. For all the songs, whether of this world or of the Future, are only with Moshe, who is the aspect of silence. He merited the song that pertains to the most exalted faith of all, in which all the songs are encompassed since they are all drawn from it.

This is as Rashi comments: “yashir (will sing): the yod connotes thought”—i.e., the aforementioned aspect of “Thus has it arisen in thought,” the aspect of Moshe/silence, as explained above.

Therefore, by means of the melody of the tzaddik who is the aspect of Moshe, as explained above, all the souls that succumbed to this heresy of the Vacated Space ascend and emerge. This is because his melody is in the aspect of the summit of faith—i.e., the most exalted faith of all—since through this melody and faith all heresy is nullified. And all the melodies are encompassed and made null within this melody, which is the highest of all since all melodies are drawn from it, as explained above.

And this is [the explanation of the opening verse]: God said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened [his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might set these otote (signs) of Mine in their midst; and that you might recount in the ears of your children and your grandchildren how I have made a mockery of the Egyptians, and of My otote which I have wrought in their midst—that you might know that I am God.” Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh, and they said to him, “… tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders.”]

Pharaoh—He is the aspect of the Vacated Space, since “PhaRaOh” connotes nullification, from the expression “taPhRiOo (stopping) the people” (Exodus 5:4). “Pharaoh” also connotes revelation—i.e., the aspect of the Vacated Space, which is void and vacated of everything and the entire creation is revealed within it, as explained above.

And there in the Vacated Space, since it is impossible to comprehend the aspect of the Vacated Space, as explained above, there is a hardening of the heart. Thus all the wisdoms that stem from there involve hard-heartedness. They leave one with questions about God, and it is impossible to find God there since He vacated His Godliness from there, so to speak, in order that the creation could come into existence, as explained above. Therefore:

God said to Moshe, Go…—That specifically Moshe should go to Pharaoh, the aspect of the Vacated Space, because entry to there is forbidden other than for someone who is the aspect of Moshe, as explained above. This is because it is impossible to find God there, as explained above. And this is:

for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants—“Servants” are the aspect of the introductions to all the wisdoms. Each wisdom has introductions, which are called servants and attendants to the wisdom. That is, all the wisdoms and introductions that come from there, from the Vacated Space, involve hard-heartedness, because one is left with questions, as explained above. And this is:

that I might set these OTOTe, signs, of Mine in their midst—In other words, the reason that “I hardened his heart…,” such that it is impossible to find God there, was “in order that I might set…”—in order to set into it the OTiyOTe (letters) of the creation. That is, in order that the creation might come into existence within the Vacated Space, He contracted and vacated His Godliness from there, so to speak, since if He had not contracted His Godliness from there, there would have been no place for the creation, as explained above. And this is:

and that you might recount …—For there, inside the creation that came into existence within the Vacated Space, you will be able to recount and speak. This is because the letters and speech through which the creation came into existence are there, as explained above. And this is:

in the ears of your children and your grandchildren—In the main, the entire creation was for the sake of His compassion, as explained above. And the creation was through the spoken word, as explained above. Thus, in each thing that was created within the Vacated Space there is a contraction of compassion. For God contracted His compassion and created that thing, in that shape and form in accordance with His compassion; with the measure of God’s compassion determining that this thing be as it is. This is because compassion is the root of the entire creation, since everything was created in order to reveal His compassion, as explained above.

This is, “You will then be able to recount in the ears of your children and your grandchildren”—thus is the extent of a father’s compassion for a child {as Rashi comments on the verse (Genesis 21:23): “that you will not deal falsely with me, or with my children, or with my grandchildren”}. With regard to that which is after Creation, you will be able to recount and speak and comprehend the contraction of His compassion that is in each thing. “Thus is the extent of a father’s compassion [for a child]”—i.e., that this thing contains this much compassion, and that thing contains that much compassion. And this is:

how I have made a mockery of the Egyptians…—This is the aspect of the forces of evil that come from an overload of the Light, from the Shattering of the Vessels. For Rashi explains that “I made a mockery” means “I made a parody”—i.e., I created parody and mockery in the world, namely the aspect of the evil forces. They parallel holiness only as one who imitates, parodies and mimics his friend; they are only like a monkey that parodies and imitates a human being. And this is:

and of My OTOTe which I have wrought in their midst—There are OTiyOTe there, because they stem from an overload of the Light, from the Shattering of the Vessels, as explained above. Therefore:

that you might know that I am God—In that place you will be able to recognize God, since there are holy sparks and letters there, as explained above. That is, even within the aspect of parody/the forces of evil—i.e., the aspect of the first heresy, which stems from an overload of the Light, as explained above—there too you will be able to recognize God. Of this it is said: “And know what to answer the heretic,” as explained above. For it is possible to find there letters and sparks to answer them, since they stem from the Shattering of the Vessels, as explained above.

And this is: Moshe [and Aharon] went to Pharaoh… tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders—“Tomorrow” is the aspect of the Future, because “tomorrow is for receiving [their] reward” (Eruvin 22a), the aspect of “Tomorrow, my righteousness will bear witness for me” (Genesis 30:33)—i.e., the aspect of receiving reward in the Future. Then, they will understand the aspect of the Vacated Space produced by the contraction: how it is possible that in fact there is Godliness there and even so it is the Vacated Space, as explained above. This in itself is the receiving of reward, since the main receiving of reward in the Future is their comprehending deeply and understanding that which was impossible for them to understand in this world.

And then they will know that the Vacated Space is the aspect of “locusts”: “Like the grasshopper, whose garment is part of itself” (Bereishit Rabbah 21:5). {As the works of Kabbalah bring, this is the mystery of the Vacated Space.} “Garment” is the aspect of the contraction [that formed] the Vacated Space, which produces the aspect of garments. They will understand that it “is part of itself,” that in fact there is Godliness there and even so it is the aspect of a garment/contraction [that formed] the Vacated Space.

This is the aspect of “Tomorrow, my righteousness will bear witness for me.” “My righteousness” is the aspect of garments, the aspect of “I clothed myself in righteousness” (Job 29:14). For then, “tomorrow,” when reward will be received, the mystery of the aspect of garments, the aspect of the contraction [that formed] the Vacated Space, will be revealed, as explained above. This is because the aforementioned “summit of Amanah” will be revealed then—the aspect of “Come, sing from the summit of Amanah,” the aforementioned aspect of the exalted melody of the summit of Æmunah, through which all the conundrums of the Vacated Space are nullified, as explained above.

And this is “tomorrow I will bring arbeh (locusts).” [ARBeH] is an acronym for “Akhein Ruach Hu B’enosh (But it is the spirit in men)” (Job 32:8). This is the aspect of melody, which is the aspect of ruach. That is, the melody and song of the summit of faith will be revealed then, as explained above, and consequently all the heresy—even that of the Vacated Space—will be nullified, as explained above.