Translation:Tales of Rabbi Nachman/Rimzei haMaasiyot

In this book we have added hints about each story; what the things allude to, and their foundations in the holy mountains: in the holy Zohar, the Tikkunim and the writings of the Ari z"l. And also to explain the smart guidance that comes out of these stories according to the basic meanings of the things, as written, “Lehavin mashal umlitzah/ To understand an allegory and a figure” [Prov. 1:6], and also to alert the reader’s heart to the greatness of the matters that are told in them, from the rav, the genius, the pious; sharp and expert in the revealed and in the esoteric, and walking humbly, Rabbi Nachman [Goldstein] z"tzl, who was Av Beit Din in the city Tcherin, author of the book Parpar'oth Lechokhmah, the book Yiqra deShabbata and the book Zimrath haAretz, and compiler of the book Lashon Chasidim, the book Derekh Chasidim, the book Likutei `Etzoth Chadash, the book Likutei `Etzoth 2/e (Mahadura Bathra), and several other books and collections, “vehemah bakthuvim/ and they are [of those who] recorded” [Num. 11:26]. We have also interwoven into this the wonderful advices for the service of Hashem that flow out these holy stories that are explained in the holy book Likutei `Etzoth 2/e by the aforementioned holy rav, in order that whoever reads the stories can afterwards look at the advices, the inspirations and the wonderful guidance that comes from the story, and thereby merit to make himself strong in serving Hashem and to wake up from his sleep, which is the only reason the Admor z"l revealed to our fathers and to us these wonders.

Explained in the holy Zohar, in several places, is regarding the six sons and one daughter that the King has. What is inferred is that it hints to the aspect of the six directions and the aspect of malkhuth/kingship; and this daughter is most precious to him. And he would play with her a great deal, as known: “One time... and he said that the Not-Good should take [her]” etc. And this is the secret of “Lekhi um`ati eth `atzmekh, shetered utihyeh rosh leshu`alim/ ‘Go and reduce yourself,’ that she should go down and be a head of foxes” etc. [Zohar Chadash Shir H'Sh Ma'amar Mi`ut HaLevanah], until it comes about from this as written, “`Eth asher shalet ha'adam be'adam lera` lo/ What time one man has power over another to his hurt” [Eccl. 8:9], bikhdei levarer mimenu birurim/ in order to extract refinements from him etc. [Sefer haGilgulim]. And up until this time, when during the surge of the concealment she is hidden and concealed in this aspect of “Yerushalaim... samtiyah/ I have put Yerushalayim” [among the gentiles, Eze. 5:5], and her father has, as it were, pain from this, in the aspect of “Heviyu `alai kapara/ Bring atonement for Me” etc. [Chullin 60b] and the souls of Yisrael stir up, especially the souls of the tzaddikim, who are the aspect of the second to the kingship/the viceroy (for, “Hemah hayotzerim vehayoshevei neta`im... `im-hamelekh bimlakhto/ They are the yotzerim {potters, craftsmen}, and the dwellers in plantations... with the king in his work” [I Chron. 4:23], and tzaddikim resemble their Yotzer {Creator, Potter} [LM II #52; Ps. 145:17; Z"Ch 119a, 122a]), and they ask that they be given an attendant, horse and money (which are the aspect of soul, body and broad wealth), and they will go and seek her; and the very seeking is also a great thing. And at present time they reveal that she still has some aspect of existence in the world; she just needs to be sought after. For, in accord with the surge of the Sitra Achra, they want to hide her so much, God forbid, until it seems as though she no longer has any existence, God forbid. Only, the tzaddikim delve in this, revealing her holiness even though she is where she is, in the aspect of “Af gam zoth behiyotham/ Even this too, whilst they are” etc. [Lev. 26:44], until they merit to find her and bring her back to the place where her tent was at first. And behold, some little bit of the topic of this story is somewhat explained in the second preface; see there.

And behold, the first time, when he ate the apple and slept a vast time, nevertheless afterwards when he awoke he went there and found her in her first place; except he could not take her out of there, and she showed a great deal of pain in front of him, etc. But the second time, when he drank of the wine and slept all the way through seventy years, which is the aspect of falling from all the seventy faces of the Torah, as understood in the lesson Patach Rabbi Shim`on [LM #60], then as it were, even regarding the princess herself did the concealment overcome so much that she too moved from her first place to another, very distant hidden place, until there it is exceedingly hard to seek after her and find her. But nevertheless, “We'atah marom le`olam Hashem/ But You are on high for ever, Hashem” [Ps. 92:9], for when a man is strong in his mind, to not give up his place, to never despair himself of the asking and the searching after the holiness, then he can be privileged that the descent be the utmost ascent, which is the aspect that these who fell from all the seventy faces of the Torah — until it is no longer possible to awaken them by any means to the Torah, as they are in the aspect of the seventy “sleeps”— nevertheless when these ones also wake up a little then the True Tzaddik involves himself in awakening them and enlivening them by means of telling stories of Shanim Qadmoniyoth/ Ancient Character, which are, as it were, above the aspect of the seventy faces of the Torah, for they are in the aspect of “verav chesed/ and plenteous in mercy,” the aspect of `Atik/the Ancient One. And see Parpar'oth leChokhmah on the lesson “Pathach Rabbi Shim`on:” a little is hinted in clues, and it may be that this is the aspect of her informing him that now he needs to seek a gold mountain and a pearl castle where he will find her, that is, as mentioned. And also the first time, before the viceroy came to her first place, it is explained that he set down and left his horse and went to the castle; and now it is explained that he also left the attendant and went alone to seek her. And all this is hints in serving Hashem, for each person according to what he estimates in his heart.

And behold, the three aspects of man that are explained there, one appointed over the animals, one over the birds, and one over the winds, etc.: it is known and explained in the holy Zohar and the Tikkunim: Ki it adam ve'it adam, adam de'atziluth ude'bri'ah/ there is an Adam (man; image-of-God) and there is an Adam — an Adam of Atziluth and [an Adam] of Beriyah etc. And similarly in the aspect of the sefiroth themselves, as it were, there are several aspects of Adam. And similarly there are several aspects of trees, as explained in the holy Zohar: “Ilana `ila'ah binah, ilana tata'ah malkhut/ an upper tree, Discernment; a lower tree, Reign,” as explained by the mekubbalim a great deal regarding these matters. And similarly the animals, birds and winds hint to what they hint, as known. And therefore even the man appointed over the animals was a very giant man and carried an extremely large tree. And nevertheless he pushed away the viceroy, etc., but afterwards he sent him to his brother appointed over the birds, and he told him his brother had sent him to him. And he too pushed him away, but nevertheless sent him to his brother appointed over the winds, and he too pushed him away. And all this is because the concealment had waxed so great that he was unable to receive his complete deliverance from all the aforementioned great aspects. Only initially did it seem to him as if all of them were distancing and pushing him off from his interest, God forbid, which itself is the aspect of falling from all the seventy faces of the Torah to the point that it is impossible to enliven him with any facet from them. For, the seventy faces of the Torah are made up of all the three aforementioned aspects, which are the aspect of animals, birds and winds, which allude to what they allude to in their upper root, and similarly they are made up of the three aspects of Adam appointed over them, and of the aspect of the giant trees that they carried (and see LM #15, what Rabba bar Bar Chanah said, "Saliq yativ be'ilana/ [Benayahu] went up and sat in a tree” [Gittin 68a], which is the aspect of what is written in Zohar Mishpatim 99b: “Kol nishmatin me'ilana ravreva nafkin/ All the souls come from one vast tree;” and it is also the aspect of the hidden things of the Torah, etc.; see there. And it is known that also the seventy faces of the Torah are included in them). But insofar as the viceroy did not give up his place but was very strong in his mind and cried a great deal that he should attain his request perfectly, he merited afterwards that his deliverance was made complete and his desire fulfilled in whole, specifically by means of these aforementioned ones who seemed at first to be pushing away and distancing. For, this one sent him to that one, and that one to the other, until he came to the princess’s place and merited to take her out and bring her to her father’s house perfectly. And because all these things rise up to the top of heaven’s heights etc. and we have no grasp of them at all, therefore we do not elaborate.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Ratzon #3: The essence of Yisrael’s job is to raise the Shekhinah from the dust and take out the Shekhinah, as it were, from the exile, as is known. But it is impossible to take it out except by a man choosing for himself a special place where he should remain every day; and any time he has free he should just yearn, ask and be watchful to take it out. And certainly it would be very good if he would regularly fast, but because fasting is a difficult thing, especially in these generations that are of meager strength, therefore the main thing is to choose for oneself a special place to remain, yearn, long, hope and look out every day and each moment to take out the Shekhinah, which is the root of the holiness of Yisraelite souls, from its exile. And he should minimize his cravings of eating as much as possible, and especially of drinking wine, in order to not fall into sleep: that is, because through the craving of eating and drinking, thereby he loses his face, which is the aspect of the intellect and life of holiness, and falls into constricted consciousness, which is the aspect of sleep. (And see the second preface and the lesson “Pathach Rabbi Shim`on.”))

The secret meaning of this story still has no explanation, therefore what can we say? how can we speak? Especially since we have no knowledge of the esoteric. But nevertheless from afar it can be discerned by whoever looks into it that it speaks of the secret of the upper holiness’s union and how, as it were, (this union) arose in [the Blessed Creator’s] thought first, and how immediately the concealment overcame it from both sides until the interest of the tie was completely forgotten. But nevertheless its mazal oversaw and they happened to be together at one teacher and there was such great love between them that they of themselves also made a bond between them and he put a ring on her hand etc. (and the esoteric meaning of this is known and clear).

Also understood from there is the great exaltedness of its eminence at its root, such that it is the aspect of “esheth chayil `atereth ba`alah/ a woman of virtue is a crown to her husband” [Prov. 12:4], for she is the emperor’s daughter, in the secret of “Abba yasad barta” (Wisdom founded Kingship), the aspect of “Hashem bechokhmah yasad aretz” [Prov. 3:19 and Sha`ar haPesukim] etc.

And understood, there, is the great abundance of the obstacles and obstructions that then occurred to separate the bond between them; and how by the loss of the ring, which was in real actuality the beginning of the bond, afterwards was made the surge of the concealment and separation between them so much that they strayed from each other and became so far from each other. But “ve'atah marom le`olam Hashem/ But You are on high forever more, Hashem” [Ps. 92:9], and He “made the cure before the wound,” and from the wound itself He fashioned a bandage. So specifically by coming to the merchant’s son, which certainly was a great pain then, as inferred, still nevertheless by means of this specifically was the rise of the horn of salvation, through the good wine that was on the ship (the secret of which is somewhat understood), wherewith she made the sailors drunk and fled with the entire ship from the merchant. And even though for a while it was a great pain and he was expelled thereby from this father’s house, nevertheless since he did the thing innocently, afterward he received his reward complete, as explained at the end of the story. Also with this wine she fled afterward from the king’s home, and since he took her by circumstance, therefore he also had great suffering through her fleeing, but by the end returned to his place with the daughters of nobility, as a reward for carrying out his oath and not touching her. Also with this wine she was saved from the murderers and pirates, and they were completely destroyed; and similarly with this wine she was “married” with the queen etc., until thereby the salvation was made entirely complete. And the details of the interests of the wonderful secrets that are in each and every word and especially in each and every matter of this story, and also of the rest of the stories, they are all extremely “`amok amok, mi yimtza'enu/ deep-deep, who can find it out?” [Eccl. 7:24]

It is clear and understood by every one that the words of this story are exceedingly high, lofty and deep and there is no one to reveal them. But nevertheless it is understood and clear that discussed in it is the secret of Olam haTikkun/ the World of Repair, and the loftiness of the horn of holiness and the annulment of all the qelipoth/husks. And behold, the chakham/sage who drew his sons’ and family’s attention to water fruit trees, it is automatically understood that his meaning was to water the holy trees, which hint to what they hint to and as is explained a great deal in the holy Zohar and the Tikkunim and like Eliyahu’s statement [Patach Eliyahu], de'ihu shakiu de'ilana/ that [Hashem’s name] waters the tree [of the sefiroth] etc.; and as understood in this story itself regarding that the sun was talking with the moon regarding the holy tree, that it needed to be watered, and similarly at the end of the story a great deal is explained regarding the holy tree, that if it were watered then all the husks would be entirely nullified.

However, the whole concept of the story, the details of the interests in it, and their connection, are exceedingly awesome and wonderful: how it begins telling about the son who wanted to conduct trade etc., and about the thieves that fell upon them etc., and how he was forced to eat grasses etc. — which all this seems apparently at first glance to be a simple story. Immediately from there it leads into the matter of the grass that was good in his eyes, and he pulled it up with its root and under its root was a diamond and the diamond was quadrangular, and each side had a different segulah/special power. And on one side it was written that whoever grasps that side, it would take him to the place where day and night gather together etc., and it tells how this son arrived there and heard the conversation between the sun and moon, which is an exceedingly awesome and wonderful tale. And similarly how he gazed upon the diamond on another side and saw it written there that whoever grasps that side, it would take him to the path from which many paths go out. And he grasped that side and it took him there, and he put his feet on that road where the dust was healing for the legs and he was immediately healed, which this whole matter is awesome and wonderful. (And who knows the awesome and wonderful seguloth that were on the other two sides of the diamond, about which Rabbeinu z"l did not reveal any hint at all?) And it tells afterwards how the son picked up dust from all the paths and made packets for himself, and how he conducted himself wisely with this. And also within this matter he hints, incidentally, very necessary things: how even someone who is a tzaddik needs to be very wary of nonsense and craziness, for big mistakes can happen thereby, as explained there. And it also tells how the big chief thief among them repented, and returned his chest to him with the money, and also gave him all his stolen treasures that he had, and how they sentenced him to be hung, for it is understood that the thing also touches upon the secret of `Olam haTikkun, and how they will return to the holiness all the stolen things that they have stolen from us, in the secret of “chil bala` vayki'enu/ he has swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again” etc. [Job. 20:15]. And nevertheless this story also seems like a simple story, something that can happen according to its simple meaning, but immediately afterwards it tells that the son comes to the decision to go to the two thousand mountains, and it includes several wonderful and awesome stories within it, and amongst them are also some concepts that seem to be apparently as their simple meaning, until the matter ends with the tree being watered and none of them remain at all and they became as if they had never existed. So all these matters are exceedingly awesome and wondrous. “Mi shama` kazoth; mi ra'ah ka'eleh/ Who has heard such a thing? who has seen such things!?” [Isa. 66:8]

And similarly the clues that he hints afterwards, that the secret of this story is hinted in chapter one in the Tehillim, are very awesome and wondrous. And what is understood from them, slightly from afar, appears that the main watering of the holy trees in this matter is by means of the holy Torah, and this was the discussion between day and night, that the sun was complaining in front of the moon regarding the holy tree, that it is very mesugal, and it ought to have been watered etc., and if this tree is the very tree explained afterwards, which if it were completely watered then none of them at all would remain, then by the way it is understood that also the moon’s complaint, which was concerning the demons that nurse from her feet, was also concerning this matter. And in truth if this tree was watered, none of them at all would remain, so anyways it would be healing for the moon too for its affliction (and look in the book Zimrath ha'Aretz regarding this story). And this can be found hinted to in the aforementioned chapter one, “Ashrei ha'ish asher lo-halakh be`atzath resha`im/ Fortunate is the man that has not walked in the counsel of the wicked” etc. For, all the bad counsels and evil ways, everything is drawn from them, as mentioned there; also at the end of the story regarding the slanderers, that they coaxed the grandson of the elder who was a wonderful tzaddik to make use of the book that the elder commanded to not use, and the grandchild thought his heart was suggesting this to him. And if they tried to cause such a holy tzaddik to stumble by means of their evil counsels, all the more so how do they make most of the world stumble? And all the deteriorations explained there: whether it be the counsel of the thief who coaxed many people to be thieves, which is also the advice of the wicked; or also the king who made the people of his land apostates, which is the aspect of “derekh chata'im/ the way of those who err,” as explained there, that there exists a path of the apostates, for apostasy is the root and entirety of all mistakes entirely, as told; and this is the aspect of “uv'derekh chata'im lo-`amad/ and has not stood in the way of those who err,” such as the elder sage who gathered all the people of his family and emigrated with them from that country; and this is “uv'moshav leitzim lo-yashav/ and has not sat in the seat of the mockers,” for even though he settled with them close to the two thousand mountains, which is where the main residence of the mockers is, as explained there, nevertheless he was very far from them, for he made a circle so that the mockers would not be able to draw near them — and behold, all the aforementioned degradations of the wicked and those who err, everything is drawn only by means of the aspect of these mockers, which is the aspect of what our sages z"l said: whoever comes to defile himself, they open the door for him (Yoma 38b), as it says, “im-laletzim hu yalitz/ regarding the scorners, He scorns them” (Prov. 3:34). And all of what keeps these in existence is only by the fact that the tree is not completely watered, for the sake of which there are those of them who stand day and night digging and not letting water get to the tree. And therefore the holy tzaddik who did not walk in the way of the wicked etc. — he is the real opposite of them and is involved day and night in Torah, by means of which is the main watering of the holy tree, as mentioned above. And this is “Ki im beThorath Hashem cheftzo uv'thoratho yehgeh yomam valaylah/ But his delight is in none other than the instruction of Hashem, and in His instruction does he meditate day and night” specifically, as mentioned above; the opposite of them standing day and night digging and not letting water reach the tree, as mentioned. There is also reason to say that it also hints to the talk between the day and night, sun and moon; everything was regarding the Torah study of that tzaddik. For by means of his Torah the holy tree was watered, and the aforementioned mockers were finished and destroyed and became as if they had never been, and everything was repaired, including the sun’s complaint and including the moon’s complaint, who are day and night. Therefore the reward of this tzaddik was “ke'etz shathul `al-palgei mayim/ like a tree planted by streams of water” etc., the aspect of that tree, as explained there.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Leitzanuth #2: A man must guard himself against scoffery, for the place of the external forces, which are the qelipoth/husks, the Merciful One save us, is called “moshav leitzim/ dwelling-place of the scorners,” for they constantly practice mockery.

Ibid., Tzaddik #84: The True Tzaddik, even though he has the power to use holy names, oaths, and so forth in great holiness, nevertheless he should not use this at all, but just have steadfastness in Hashem Yithbarakh at its basic level, and Hashem Yithbarakh shall help him. And sometimes it seems to the Tzaddik that he needs to use this, and that it is a big mitzvah, etc.; nevertheless he must think about it a great deal, for even though it seems to him that his heart counsels him thus, perhaps it is only from things that are coaxing him toward this.)

He begins telling of the king who decreed expulsion etc., and it seems like a simple story on the surface, for such a story can actually happen in its basic sense. And by the way, he tells how great is the love that Yisraelites love the mitzvoth, for even the anoos who was not able to withstand his test completely, nevertheless when a fit hour presented itself to him and the king swore to him to do his will and perform his request, even if he requests what he requests — the anoos did not ask of him anything except that he permit him to put on tallith and tefillin in public. And this itself was a great trial, for it upset the king a great deal; nevertheless he had to fulfill his request on account of his oath. Then it tells regarding the king who called all the stargazers etc., and they told him that his seed would not be cut off, but only he should be on guard against a bull and ram, etc., and how afterwards his son became king etc. and fell upon a wisdom to conquer the whole world, and regarding the man that he made from the seven kinds of metal etc., and this man did not have its special power unless the king would cast down the haughty and raise the lowly etc. This story is understood by everyone, that it is an awesome concept, especially what it tells afterwards, that there is a place where all the 365 processions of the sun shine upon, and an iron rod grows there. And incidentally it hints there of the gravity of the prohibition of anger, and the rest of the matter there until the end of the story, and how the matter of “Lama rageshu/ Why do [the nations] rage” (Ps. 2) is hinted to. All this is exceedingly awesome and wonderful.

And see Likutei Halakoth Vol. 5 Hekhsher Kelim #2.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzitzith #1: The great preciousness of the mitzvoth of tzitzith and tefillin are exceedingly great and dear, as our Rabbis z"l extolled them, and they are the main sign of the Yisraelite man’s accepting the yoke of Heaven. And behold, when the anoos actually saved the king from death and the king swore to him that he would give him any honor he wants, the anoos spoke up and answered that this is his main honor, that he be permitted to lay tallith and tefillin in public, and this was his main authority and appointment. And afterwards when the one king from his grandchildren came along and nullified him from these commandments, he saw afterwards that the bull and ram constellations were laughing at him (for tefillin and tzitzith are the aspect of bull and ram; see there). And even though this king was great and conquered the whole world with his wisdom, nevertheless he and his seed were cut off, and the great fire had power over them and they were all incinerated and cut off. But the rest of the kings who had Jews living in their lands who were dressed in tallith and tefillin, these kings were walking through this great fire and it did not harm them at all, in the merit of the mitzvoth of tzitzith and tefillin which the Jews in their lands were dressed in. See and discern how great is the power of these mitzvoth’s sanctity, how they guard and deliver from all this; and all the more so for Jews themselves who merit to be wrapped and dressed in them.

Ibid., Anger #3: There is an angel appointed over anger, for by anger one creates a destroying angel, and this angel is appointed over all the destroyers; and it is this angel whom they ask the way, how to come to the iron rod where one is saved from fear when he reaches there.)

Also apparent to whoever looks into it, is that this is an awesome and wonderful story, and incidentally it hints to “Hashem li lo ira mah-ya`aseh li adam/ Hashem is for me; I will not fear. What can man do to me” [Ps. 118:6] and “Raboth machshavoth belev-ish ve`atzath Hashem hi takum/ There are many devices in the heart of man, but the counsel of Hashem, it shall stand” [Prov. 19:21]. For specifically by the king’s daughter performing witchcraft on him and him becoming leprous, thereby when he was healed then afterwards he became entirely gemstone etc. And it is also a wonderful encouragement regarding what is explained elsewhere, that sometimes the descent is the ultimate ascent; aside from many hidden things that are in this story. And see Sichoth haRan #147, that there is reason to think that this story contains the entire 42-letter Name. And I heard something else, that there are those who say that this story also touches upon that certain person’s falling in water and almost drowning, etc.

This is also a wonderful story, as discerned by anyone who takes a look, and also the hints following it are wonderful words, and incidentally hinted in it are wonderful interests regarding the kinds of jest that are in the world, through which one can know and understand the substance of every thing; and that contained in this are also many kinds. And the concept that the truth cannot tolerate falsehood; the concept of how the land was so full of lies and its king was such a wonderfully truthful man that they never saw his face; and the sage who discerned it all and praised the king and extolled him exceedingly, whereby he brought the king to such a state of humility and minuteness that he revealed the light of his holy face to him and he was privileged to see him, as explained there.

And see Isa. 33, “Holekh tzedakoth vedover meisharim/ He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly... veno`er kapav mitemokh bashochadh/ and shakes his hand from holding of bribes” etc. (all this is the opposite of the conduct of the land in this story, where they were all full of lies and bribes). “...Hu meromim yishkon, metzadoth sela`im misgabo/ He shall dwell on high; rocky fortresses shall be his defense” etc., the aspect of the king, who was exceedingly mighty, for he dwelled in great reinforcements, as explained there. And it ends, “Melekh beyofyo techezeinah `eineikha, tir'einah eretz merchakim/ Your eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold a land stretching afar” etc., as this verse is brought there in the hints at the end of the story [but this verse is not printed there].

There in the hints at the end of the story, “Darkei Tziyon aveloth/ the ways of Tziyon are mournful” etc., this is to say, in accord with the explanation that our rabbis z"l expounded on the verse, “Mitziyon mikhlal yofi/ Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty” [Ps. 50:2], as from there went out sinews to all the lands, and King Shelomoh was expert in them etc. And here Rabbeinu z"l hints to us similarly, in matters that are much more spiritual and fine, for instance that the traits and mindsets of people are each different from each other, especially the general differences in these matters from one land to another, as known. But since each thing has some aspect of root also in holiness, as explained in the holy books, therefore everything was included in the holiness of Tziyon and Yerushalayim, especially the holiness of the Sanctuary and the holy Temple.

And see Likutei Moharan, in the lesson “Chadi Rabbi Shim`on” #61, that the Even Shethiyah/ Foundation Stone includes in it all the constrictions in the universe; and all the aspects of the intellects through which the constrictions are sweetened shined in it, especially through the Sekhel Hakolel/ General Intellect, which was the aspect of the Kodesh Kodashim/ Holy of Holies; see there. And this is the aspect of “Rabati vagoyim/ She that was great among the nations” [Lam. 1:1], where our sages z"l explained, “rabati vade`oth/ great in wisdom” [L. Rab. 1:4]; “sarati bamdinoth/ governess over the provinces” — for she was constituted of all of them. And perhaps this is the aspect of what is explained in this story, that there is a country that includes all the countries; this is the aspect of the general holiness of Eretz Yisrael’s territory. And in that country there is a city that includes all the cities in that country; this is the aspect of Tziyon and Yerushalayim. And in that city there is a house that includes all the houses in this city; this is the aspect of the Sanctuary and the Temple. And in it is a man etc. — you can understand this by yourself. These matters cannot be expressed too explicitly.

And hinted somewhat in the words of Rabbeinu z"l is that when the Men of the Great Assembly prayed that the Yetzer haRa`/ Evil Inclination be delivered into their hands, “A fire in the form of a lion-cub went out from the chamber of the Holy of Holies” [Yoma 69], and as explained in Likutei Moharan #72 regarding the supernal Yetzer haRa`: it has some aspect of supernal sanctity, as also explained in Parpar'oth Lechokhmah on this statement of Chazal. And there, it is only in the aspect of joking and pranks. And there are many kinds of jest. And another thing is what Rabbeinu z"l said regarding “Yehu ya`avdenu harbeh/ Yehu will serve [Ba`al] a great deal” [2 Kings 10:18]: even though he said it jokingly and sarcastically, nevertheless he was ultimately made to fall by this [Sichoth haRan #237]. And similarly, there is an aspect of jesting that is lower than this, the aspect of “Kemithlahleh hayoreh zikim/ Like a madman casting firebrands” etc. [Prov. 26:18] that is mentioned there. And so forth, from level to level going down from this. And similarly there are, as it were, these aspects higher and higher etc. For, the entire free will of man is only in regards to this jesting, for in truth the Yetzer haRa` which incites the man, it is only by way of prank, and the inside of its will is that he should not listen to it, as in the example of the harlot that is explained in the holy Zohar. And so on higher and higher etc. And are not all the strictures actually lovingkindness, and so forth? And it is impossible to be too explicit about this. And this is the aspect of “Hoy moshekhei ha`avon bechavlei hashav/ Woe to them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity” [Isa. 5:18], which is the aspect of the aforementioned jesting. And this is, “Shuvah Yisrael... ki kashalta ba`avonekh/ Return, O Yisrael... for you have stumbled in your iniquity” [Hos. 14:2]: for if you had known that the intention of the instigator was only a prank, you would definitely not have listened to it. Therefore “shuvah/return” from now anyhow. And thus it down-chains from level to level down and down from this, until there is made the Yetzer haRa` that is coarse and thick, that makes the whole world err in its nonsense and vanities, each and every land according to its aspect, and likewise each and every city, each and every man. And thereby the world is made exceedingly far from Hashem Yithbarakh and does not merit to see the face of the King, the Ruler of the Universe. And it could be that included in this is the aspect of “Shalosh pa`amim bashanah yera'eh kol zekhurkha/ Three times in a year shall all your males see [the face of Hashem your God]” [Deut. 16:16], as also explained in LM #30, the lesson “Meishra deSakina/ Bed of knives,” and other places. And it is impossible to fully explain this, but this is what Rabbeinu z"l hinted to us here in “Darkei Tziyon aveloth/ The ways of Tziyon are mournful (Lam. 1:4)... Tziyon is the aspect of the markers of all the countries, as they all meet up there” etc.: the simple meaning is that those who make the pilgrimage have ceased; so it all goes up in one branch, as mentioned above.

And similarly what he wrote afterwards, “'Chazeh Tziyon Qiryath Mo`adhenu''}/ Look upon Tziyon, the city of our assemblies” [Isa. 33:20], the acronym of which is MeTzaCheiQ (jesting), for that is where all the tziyunim [signs] gathered, and whoever needed to know whether to do something or some business transaction would know it there;” see there; this matter is also close to its simple meaning. For, since they were going up to there from all places together, thereby each person knew how to conduct himself in his business. And this is practiced in our land as well, as there is a council chamber for this. And in the spiritual sense, it means to say that a judgment can only be sweetened at is root; and all the doubts and division of counsel that exist in all worldly matters are all drawn only from the aspect of constrictions and judgments that have not yet been sweetened. But at the aspect of Tziyon that is mentioned there, it is all sweetened even at its uppermost root, where it is only in the aspect of jest and prank, as mentioned; it is only that all the Yetzer haRa’s, corrupt ideologies, and evil traits are down-chained from this, and subsequently Hashem Yithbarakh who is the King of the Universe hides His face, as it were, as mentioned, and the judgments and constrictions dominate exceedingly, and so the nations of the world overtake Yisrael, until thereby Tziyon and Yerushalayim were ruined and the pilgrimage-goers were made to cease, in the aspect of “Darkei Tziyon aveloth, mibli ba'ei mo`edh/ The ways of Tziyon are mournful, because none come to the solemn assembly.” And the main damage is touching the aspect of the Malkhuth diKdushah/ Holy Kingship, in the aspect of “Zoth Yerushalayim, betokh hagoyim samtiyah/ This is Yerushalayim! I have set her in the midst of nations” etc. [Eze. 5:5], as known; and it may be that this is the aspect of all the portraits of all the kings — who are the aspect of all the holy traits, as known — being found with the king, for all the supernal traits-dimensions shine in it, as known. And it is known that he is mighty because all the construction of the aspect of Malkhuth is from rigors, as known. Only the portrait of the truthful king, who is the aspect of Tif'ereth/Splendor, and the humble one, who is the aspect of Binah/Discernment, Ima Ila'ah/the Supernal “Mother,” which is the aspect of humility, as known, hid his face and distanced himself, as it were, from the world, on account of the great force of falsehood in the world, the aspect of “Lo charvah Yerushalayim `ad shepasku mimenah ba`alei amanah/ Yerushalayim was not destroyed until there ceased from it honest men” [Chagigah 14a]. But the Tzaddikei Emeth/ True Righteous Ones, Chakhamei haDoroth/ Sages of the Eras, delve into repairing this, as understood in the words of Rabbeinu z"l in many places, until in the final end all will be repaired.

And this is the prophet’s (Isa. 33) foretelling the fall of the idolater and the rise of the holy kingship, and that all the afflictions and fears will be done away from Yisrael by means of Yisrael meriting to repair the character traits, which is the aspect of “holekh tzedakoth vedover meysharim... no`er kapav mitmokh bashochadh/ He that walks righteously, and speaks uprightly... that shakes his hands from holding of bribes...” [Isa. 33:15]: and thereby they will be privileged to the aspect of “...melekh beyofyo techezeinah `eineikha, tir'enah eretz marchaqim/ Your eyes shall see the king in his beauty; they shall behold a land stretching afar” [ibid. :17]. That is, the lands that have been made very distant from seeing the king’s face, they too shall be repaired; so it ends, “Chazeh Tziyon qiryath mo`adhenu/ Look upon Tziyon, the city of our solemn assemblies” etc. [ibid :20], for all the judgments and constrictions shall be repaired at their upper root, as mentioned, and Yisrael will assemble together to go up on the pilgrimage-festivals to Tziyon and Yerushalayim, and the Holy King will shine His face upon us, and the holy kingship shall be in completion, which is the aspect of “Hashem Shoftenu... Hashem Malkenu, hu yoshi`enu/ Hashem is our Judge... Hashem is our King; He will save us” [ibid. :22]; look there some more and you will understand more. But we do not get involved in the esoteric.

And this is the scripture, “Ki tavo'u lir'oth panai, mi-bikesh zoth miyedkhem/ When you come to see My face, who has required this at your hand...?” [Isa. 1:12]: for has the King not hidden His face, as it were, from the world, since they are far from the truth? For, the truth is the aspect of the “Ohr haPanim/ Light of the Face,” as brought in his words z"l in several places, and this is the aspect of, “Dover sheqarim lo-yikkon leneged `einai/ He that speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes” [Ps. 101:7], and Yerushalayim and Tziyon is called `Ir Ha'emeth/ the City of Truth [Zach. 8], and that is where the light of the King’s face shines, especially during the Festivals, which are in the aspect of Binah/Discernment, the aspect of `Anavah/Humility, as explained in the lesson “Ki eqach mo`edh/ When I take the appointed time” [LM #135 on Ps. 75:3]. And therefore we ascend there for the Pilgrimage to receive the Light of the Face. But since you are so far from the truth, why do you come to see My face? And this is our rabbis’ statement, “Yir'eh yira'eh: kederekh sheba lir'oth kakh ba lira'oth/ [Only] one who is able to see is required to be seen [on the festival]: in the way that he comes to see, thus he comes to be seen” [Chagiga 2a], that is, as mentioned. All this I have written only to somewhat appease the reader’s mind; but in truth, Rabbeinu z"l’s thoughts were utterly deep, and who can comprehend the inner aspects of his words? — even in his “worldly” conversations, as explained elsewhere [CM #243], and as written in stories about him.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Emeth ve'Emunah/Truth and Steadfastness #27: Sometimes on account of the land being full of falsehood and the king being a man of truth, therefore he hides his face and he is exceedingly hidden, covered and concealed from them, until there is no man who is privileged to see the light of his pleasant face. For, “Dover sheqarim lo-yikkon leneged `einai/ He that speaks falsehood shall not be established before My eyes” [Ps. 101:7]. But when there comes along a great sage who thoroughly discerns all the lies and recklessness, he comes before the king and goes on to tell all the lies of the country, and begins to exceedingly praise the king, how from this itself one sees that he is a man of truth, as for this reason he is so far from them, since he cannot endure their falsehood. And the king, because he is extremely humble — and the way of a humble one is that the more they praise and extol him, the more he enters into humility and tininess, in the aspect of “bimkom gedulato sham anu motziyin `anvatnuto/ Where we find His greatness, there we find His humility” [Megillah 31a] — so on account of the enormity of the praise that the sage praises the king, thereby the king enters into such humility and tininess that he cannot hold back, and he moves away the veil from his face to see that sage: who is this that knows and discerns all this? And so the sage gets privileged to see the light of the king’s face. And this parable is aside from the great secrets hinted in it, as understood there [in the notes following it]. But even according to its actual simple meaning it is also understood by everybody, each one as he estimates in his heart.

Ibid. Leitzanuth/Scoffery #1: From the kinds of mockery and jesting which are called “katoyves/pranks” in a country, one can discern what is the essence of the country’s behavior.)

Whoever looks into it will rightly judge that it is a wonderful and awesome matter, even though there is missing from it a great deal that he did not tell, as it states there. And in it is hinted the secret of his holy journey to Navritch, which also was a very awesome and wonderful matter, as somewhat explained elsewhere [CM #151 ff.]. The interest of this story also touches upon the matter of the big controversy that was unduly upon him, as known. And how wonderful is this matter explained in this story, of the mountain that none can ascend except one who has all his teeth, and Hashem Yithbarakh provided that there grew there a grass that whoever came there, all his teeth would fall out! Isn't this matter also wonderful and closed up? And “neither is there anyone among us” [Ps. 74:9] to understand his holy intention in this. However, we saw wonders in this, for we heard from our grandfathers that some many years before he told this story, it was still the start of the time when the controversy sprung up on him; one time he z"l spoke about this and said that he has no fear of that person, for he himself had already shown him that he has no teeth in his mouth (that is, they met together then one time, and the other apologized in his presence z"l that his intention is not to increase the controversy over him, for how could such a thing happen by such an old man who already has no teeth in his mouth? And he forcefully took the finger of Rabbeinu z"l into his mouth and showed him that he already has no teeth in his mouth. And there is a whole story in this, and perhaps it will be explained elsewhere [CM #123]). So now see and discern the depth of his thoughts z"l in each and every utterance from beginning to end. For, at that time it did not at all occur to his mind that he z"l would have deep meaning and wonderful hints in these words, for it seems to them that he’s saying it as an expression like people use — until many years later when he told this matter of the mountain, it was understood anyhow retrospectively, for at that time too he had a deep secret in this utterance; and even now, is the secret of this matter not still entirely hidden, with no explanation at all?

So the rule is that each and every word of his z"l has supernal hints, and especially each and every utterance in these stories; and as heard from his holy mouth himself z"l regarding this and as explained elsewhere; and isn’t there “no one among us that knows how far” [Ps. 74:9] to discern a little of the great, hidden wonders in them? Nevertheless it is understood and clear to everyone that they are exceedingly great wonders, and each and every matter is a wonderful thing and a hidden secret on its own, as also understood of this story, from the order of the narrative in it, as he starts in the beginning to tell of the matter of the king etc. — and immediately he reveals his mind that he will not tell everything and that we will not understand — and then he tells about the feast that the king made and the jokes and plays that were there, and then enters into the story of the spider and the fly (which is a wonderful and awesome story, as we have seen, as the king himself was astounded at this and discerned that it is not an empty thing, as explained there). And he abbreviated this story as well and did not want to tell what happened to the fly. And this alone is also a wonderful matter. And then he tells how the king dozed off over the book and what he dreamed then, and the matter of the mountain that came to him, and what the mountain told him etc. All of these are wonderful and awesome things. And then he tells about how the king gazed upon the page that protected him, and that he saw written on it were the habits of Yisrael etc., and he came to the decision that he would definitely become an Yisraelite. But what does one do to bring everyone back to the right state, etc.? And how he traveled in search of a sage to explain his dream to him etc., and how the king saw everything that had happened to him from beginning to end etc. So he abbreviated very, very much in this story as well, as explained there. And these are all wonderful and awesome things. And similarly the hints that he hinted afterwards, how this matter is hinted in [Psalms] chapter three, Mizmor leDawidh bevorcho mipnei etc., it is all very wondrous and awesome. If we would just be privileged, through all this, to wake up and be strong in serving Hashem as we should, in accord with His Blessed will, and in accord with the will of Rabbeinu haKadosh z"l, who just for this reason told and revealed to our fathers and to us all these wonders and by such wondrous and awesome ways!

And see Chayey Moharan [#90]: “On Purim I came to know” etc.; and see the holy Zohar Tazri`a p. 49 which expounds regarding Korach, his blemish and his repair, the matter of the scripture “KeReaCh hu tahor hu/ he is bald, yet he is clean” (Lev. 13:40), and see the explanation of Rashi in Parashath Tazri`a on the verse “pachetheth hi beKoRChato o begabachto/ it is a penetrating lesion, on the worn or on the new [garment] [ibid. :55]: KoRaChath means old and gabachath means new, and possibly this is the concept explained here when he brought an oldster along with him etc. with whom he was already acquainted [at the end of Story #7].

And see Tikkunei haZohar, at the end of Tikkun #70 [137b]: “Like a king who had a faithful emissary... he said to his forces ‘...if there is anyone who knows otherwise, speak.’ When there was found no one to accuse him, he said ‘Let us make man’ [‘he who resembles,’ Gen. 1:26]” etc.; see there. And see the book Toledoth Ya`akov Yosef: Parashath Shoftim, what he heard from his holy teacher the Ba`al Shem Tov z"tzukl about the verse [Ps. 89:49], “`Al mah shav' barata/ For what futility have You created” etc.; see there.*

* ולהבין הענין נראה לי כי שמעתי ממורי בפ’ על מה שוא בראת (תהלים פ"ט) שהוא טענת היצר הרע והיה התשובה כל בני אדם כי בעת רדת הנשמה קדושה מלמעלה [הס"ם אמר] מעתה לא יוכל לפעול פעולתו להסטין ולפתות מאחר שזה יחזיר העולם למוטב ואם כן למה נברא לריק, עד שנותנים לו נגד זה איש בלע ת"ח שידין יהודאין שנברא גם כן אשר יתלוצץ מזה איש השלם ומי שירצה ידבק בזה או בזה והבחירה חפשית: תולדות יעקב יוסף פרשת שופטים דף תרס"ו

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzaddik #85: Before the soul of the True Tzaddik, who is the true conductor of the world, descends, they announce in all the upper worlds that whoever has something to say against this soul should approach. And presumably there is not even one who would bring accusation, God forbid, against such a holy soul. Meanwhile the Accuser, who is the S"M himself, comes, and screams, “If this Tzaddik comes to the world, what have I any longer to do? and for what futility have You created me?” For he will definitely bring the world back to its right state, and the whole world will be repaired by him in entirety. Then they reply to him, the S"M, “This soul needs to go down into the world, for sure; and you — think for yourself a counsel.” Then the Accuser gives himself an advice, that this Tzaddik will be permitted to go down into the world, but nevertheless the light of his truthfulness and the holiness of his righteousness will be very hidden, concealed and covered from the world. And presumably, the advice is by means that he will put up against him a popular person in that period who will argue against this Tzaddik and hide his light with great concealment. And this disputer, presumably the S"M already knows him, for there have already been many, many stories like this throughout the ages, and in almost each and every generation. And if not for the Accuser exerting such strength in each and every generation to close the light of the True Tzaddik, definitely the world’s repair would already be complete. But nevertheless, “`Utzu `etzah vetofar/ Take counsel, and it will be brought to nought” [Isa. 8:10], and “Raboth machashavoth belev-ish [beLeibish] ve`atzath Hashem hi takum/ Many are the contrivances in a man’s heart [Leibish], but it is Hashem’s counsel that shall stand” [Prov. 19:21; also a pun on the name Leib; v. CM #123]. So this soul goes down into the world, and even though in truth what happens to it happens, “Lulei Hashem shehayah lanu/ If it had not been Hashem who was for us” etc. [Ps. 124:2]: nevertheless this Tzaddik, he vanquishes many many wars and in the very end the world will be perfectly repaired through him).

A wonderful and awesome story and a smart life lesson, how the Accuser surges up and attempts schemes to prevent people from drawing close to the True Tzaddik, and primarily away from the Tzaddik upon whom the whole hope of Yisrael depends. And the greater a person is and the higher a level and aspect he has, the more he exerts strength on him to hold him back, for if he would become a follower, who knows what would come out of this? — goodness and repair for the entirety of Yisrael and for the entirety of all the worlds completely, as understood from this story itself. For wasn’t this Tzaddik also famous, and Yisraelite people were followers of him? for didn’t the same people who advised this rabbi’s son to travel to this Tzaddik belong to them? And specifically on this rabbi’s son, because in him was a high aspect, for he merited to the aspect of the Minor Luminary — and if he would have become a follower of this Tzaddik who was the aspect of the Major Luminary, there would have been the repair of the world, as explained there — therefore on him the Accuser exerted great strength, and the main part of his assault was to prevent him from becoming a follower of this Tzaddik specifically. But even the Accuser wanted to draw close to other tzaddikim, and it could be that these tzaddikim that this Accuser told him about (when they first met him), that “there, there is a tzaddik, and there and there,” there could be true tzaddikim among them as well, only without being on the degree and level of this Tzaddik on whom depended the perfection of the rabbi’s son’s soul and the completion of the whole entire world’s repair.

It is also understood from this story how in these matters one cannot rely on testing whether it goes in orderly fashion, for on the contrary, in most cases, if the interest is a truly big thing then definitely at the interest’s beginning the Accuser and prosecutors will be strong to summon some circumstances that are in the category of out of the ordinary, in order to prevent him thereby, God forbid. And one needs to pray a great deal about this to Hashem Yithbarakh to not summon him trials and circumstances, God forbid; and as King Dawidh a"h said, “Ger anokhi ba'aretz al-taster memeni mitzvotheikha/ I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not Your commandments from me” [Ps. 119:17] and many more verses like this on this topic. And if one sees that the obstacles wax strong upon him, then he needs to bring his strength up to the same level, with a will that is stronger, as explained in his words z"l a great about this. And the main thing is one needs to be strong against the brain’s obstacles, for the Accuser exerts great strength to make the heart and brain crooked, with false and errant reasonings, for in this story as well wasn’t the brain’s obstacle the main thing? So at first the obstacle was from his father, who replied to him, “Aren’t you more learned and pedigreed than him? It does not suit you to travel to him” etc., and then when he traveled he relied on a test, whether it will go in proper order etc. This too was from the side of the brain’s obstruction. And similarly after the horse fell off the bridge and the carriage turned over, and similarly the second time, when the two axles of the wagon broke, was there really through this any real impediment from traveling to the Tzaddik? Only, thereby the brain’s obstacle prevailed, and especially on the third trip, when they agreed to no longer rely on such tests, unless it will be a very detectable thing: and then they were held back by encountering the trader who spoke slander and lies about the Tzaddik. And is such a thing really a very truly substantial thing, such that one should be held back by it? Isn’t it known that the whole entire world is full of lies, as stated in the scripture, “Te'almanah sifthei-shaqer, hadoveroth `al-tzaddik `ataq/ Let the lying lips be dumb, which speak arrogantly against the righteous” etc. [Ps. 31:19]; and as is known and publicized, that essentially most of the great ones of Yisrael, especially the special unique ones of the era, suffered a great deal of controversy, and they spoke a great deal of lies and falsehood about them. And then they were so held back by what the trader said “innocently.” Who knows if it was “innocently?” — for perhaps he is one of his opposers and haters, and when they started talking about him he replied to them in his mode.

From all this it is understood by everyone that the main block in this matter in just the mental block. Therefore one needs to pray a great deal to Hashem Yithbarakh to be saved from this.

And the main thing is to minimize one’s own honor and to increase the honor of the Omnipresent, and to let all his deeds be just for the sake of Heaven in truth. Then Hashem will be at his help, to withstand and overcome all the obstacles, and he will merit to walk in the way of truth for its own sake. And as discerned from this story as well, that the obstruction from his father the rabbi was only on account of decrease in honor, for he replied to him, “Aren’t you more of a scholar and more pedigreed than him? So it’s unseemly for you to travel to him.” And in truth, the main perfection does not depend on being a scholar nor a pedigreed, but rather “on the preponderance of one’s deeds,” as Rabbeinu z"l also hinted in this story itself, in what is written there, that this son had performed a mitzvah through which he had come to reach the aspect of the Minor Luminary. See and be astonished at the depth of his words’ holiness z"l, for he did not simply say that this son was the aspect of the Minor Luminary; rather, he clearly explained that he had reached this level through the mitzvah that he had done, for everything is according to the preponderance of one’s deed’s, as mentioned. And here is not the place to elaborate these matters further; and they are explained elsewhere.

And look some more there, that afterwards when the rabbi met the trader after his son’s passing away and he recognized him that he was the trader he had seen before, he answered him, “Definitely you saw me,” and he opened his mouth and told him, “If you want, I will swallow you down” etc. And even though this expression is common among people, nevertheless it is a surprising expression, for who is it that wants someone to swallow him? And also, if he can swallow him, he will swallow him even if does not give him permission. Rather, he circles around with his many strategies, incitements and deceits until he inserts desire in the man’s heart to turn after him, and then he can really swallow him, God forbid, like also in this story he put it into the rabbi’s heart at the beginning to not want his son to travel to the Tzaddik, for it seemed to him that it was a reduction of honor for him. And as it is explained also afterwards when he met the trader he was embarrassed to say that he was traveling to that Tzaddik, so automatically when the Accuser put it in his mind to turn after his will, it was definitely in his power to overcome him. And this is his hinting him, “If you want,” that is: if your will will be drawn after my will, I will definitely swallow you, in the aspect of “Bevala` rasha` tzaddik mimenu/ When the wicked swallows up the man that is more righteous than he” [Hab. 1:13] specifically — and not a complete tzaddik, as our Rabbis expounded, for he definitely wants to swallow down the man completely, God forbid, in the aspect of “Tzofeh rasha` latzaddik umvakesh lahamitho/ The wicked watches the righteous and seeks to slay him” [Ps. 37:32]. And therefore the main advice for winning is to have no interest in him (for, does it make sense that a man should want his enemy to swallow him?), and then he will definitely overcome him, for Hakadosh Barukh Hu helps him and assists him, in the aspect of “Hashem lo-ya`azvenu beyado/ Hashem will not leave him in his hand” [ibid. :33], as our rabbis z"l expounded on the verse, “Ve'atah timshol-bo/ But you may rule over it” [Gen. 4:7]: if you want, you will defeat him — if you want specifically. And this is the aspect of what the scripture says, “Beni im-yifattukha chata'im al-toveh/ My son, if sinners entice you, do not want” [Prov. 1:10] — “do not want” specifically, and then you will definitely overpower him. And this is the aspect of what is said regarding Yosef the tzaddik, “Vayma'en/ But he refused” [Gen. 39:8] — refused specifically; and also as explained about this elsewhere.

And in truth, for the most part, the Accuser’s sometimes swallowing down a man completely, God forbid, is by first inciting him to what he incites him — and then when he is listens to him, he himself comes and informs him the enormity of the damage that he has caused by this, until thereby he weakens his mind and makes him fall entirely, God forbid. And therefore here too, when he came to inform the rabbi the enormity of the damage that he caused by being drawn after his incitements and lures, he said to him first, “If you want, I will swallow you,” that is, if now too he will want to be drawn after his advice and be extremely downcast [vaychalesh da`atho], then he can really devour him, God forbid, as there have already been many cases like this in the world; Hashem Yithbarakh save us.

Now look what else: explained and discerned from the beginning of this story is that it is needless to say that someone who does not delve in prayer and is entirely far from serving Hashem, such a person definitely needs to try to come and draw close to the True Tzaddik, for he will definitely wake up to make complete return through him; rather, even someone who delves in serving Hashem and is constantly studying and praying — nevertheless, to feel taste in his devotion, to serve Hashem in joy, and for his service to be perfect without any lacking, is only by following the True Tzaddik, as explained there, and more in many places in his words z"l. And see the lesson “Emor el-Hakohanim/ Speak to the priests” [Lev. 21:1] in Likutei Moharan #2: it explains that the whole aspect of prayer-service is the aspect of the Minor Luminary, therefore one must tie it and bring it to the True Tzaddik, who is the aspect of Moshe, the aspect of the Major Luminary, in order to illuminate it and perfect it, which is the aspect of “Lehaz'hir gedolim `al haketanim/ To make the big shine on the small” [a novel reading of Rashi on ibid. and Yevamoth 114a], which is the aspect of what is stated about the Tabernacle, “Vayavi'u eth-hamishkan el-Moshe... vayakem Moshe eth-hamishkan/ and they brought the Tabernacle to Moshe... and Moshe (specifically) put up the Tabernacle” [Ex. 39-40], and as also explained in the holy Zohar (Pekudei 238b); see more there, and several more places from his words z"l in this matter, and you will be delighted.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzaddik #86: Brought there is a summary in brief of all the aforementioned matter: the whole time a man does not merit to truly draw close to the True Tzaddik, then even though he is constantly studying and praying, nevertheless he does not attain feeling true taste in his learning and prayer. And if he paid good attention with his heart, he would feel it himself that something is lacking for him, without him knowing what (and in truth, the lack arises from not drawing close to the True Tzaddik who will truly illuminate him). So fortunate is one who merits to draw close to the True Tzaddik in this world, while alive in this lifetime, for the Accuser puts himself to this a great deal, to preclude the man from this all the days of his life, God forbid, since the essential perfection of his Judaic holiness depends on this. And sometimes there is a person who does such a mitzvah that through it he achieves the aspect of the Minor Luminary. And if this man would just merit to draw close to the True Tzaddik, who is the aspect of the Major Luminary, Mashiach would already come and the world’s repair would already be in full. And this man, even though he has great yearning and hope, presumably, to draw close to this Tzaddik, the Accuser presents great challenge for this man and summons other great obstacles for him repeatedly, especially the mental block, as explained elsewhere (and as explained above). And the main blocking is by the S"M himself clothing himself in some opposers and slanderers, “who speak arrogantly against the righteous” etc. Therefore one needs to very much ask from Hashem Yithbarakh to merit to break down all the obstacles and truly draw close to the True Tzaddik; see there.)

A wonderful and awesome story, and explained in it is how very lofty are the ways of simplicity, and how the simple man even during the time of his pressure and lowliness was constantly full of joy and cheer, and sufficed with what he had without ever lacking anything. And ultimately he merited through this simplicity and righteousness to rise to very great grandeur and heights, until the king made him minister over all the ministers; and he also became a great sage and very enlightened. And nevertheless even then he did not leave his simple ways. But with the clever man all this was the opposite, for he was always full of anger and pain, and even during the time of his stature and greatness, and even more so towards the end, when he became very poor and destitute, low and disgraced, nevertheless then too he did not leave his clever ways but disbelieved everything, God forbid, until thereby he reached hard and bitter torments for several, several years, God save us. And his ultimate hope and repair was only by means of the simple man, as is all well explained there. And also there, are things that are very wanted and needed for serving Hashem and living an everlasting life through them, as is understood and clear for whoever looks inside, aside from the great secrets that are in this story, as also understood at the end of the story, in the hints that hint that this secret touches the matter of the war and the suppression of the qelipah/husk of `Amaleq and Agag etc., to which the holy Torah alerted us a great deal and said, “Zakhor eth-asher `asah lekha `Amaleq... lo tishkach/ Remember all that Amaleq did to you... do not forget” etc. [Deut. 25:17-19]. And it says, “Milchamah laShem ba`Amaleq midor dor/ Hashem is at war with `Amaleq generation to generation” [Ex. 17:16], and our rabbis z"l said: until the generation of Mashiach. And similarly our rabbis z"l said [Tanchuma Ki Tetze, end]: The Name is not whole and the Throne is not whole (the aspect of the name of the Tzaddik, who is the aspect of the Ba`al Shem, whose name includes that of the Blessed One’s name, as explained elsewhere [Josh. 7 and Rashi there; LM II #67], and the aspect of the Kisse Malkhuth/ Kingship’s Throne) until the seed of `Amaleq is destroyed. And everything touches upon the secret of the interests that are explained and hinted to in this story. For, the whole essential repair of the world depends on this, that all the ways of the bad wisdoms be annulled from the world (which embitter the man’s life exceedingly, making him constantly full of lackings and all his days he is full of anger and pains, God save us; and not only that, but all kinds of apostasy and blasphemy are drawn forth from them as well, God save us), and all the world’s inhabitants reach the same perfect faith in Hashem Yithbarakh and His holy Tzaddikim and all their holy words that were stated in truth, great simplicity, and very wonderful and awesome wisdom, both spiritual and physical, as discerned from this story and more in many places in his words z"l.

And also discerned from this story is how much one needs to keep himself far from “sages” of the aforementioned wickedness, especially from listening to their evil words and their apostasies, God save us, because by the simple man sitting with the clever man at the same meal, when the clever man “proved” to him his opinion that there is no king whatsoever — even though the simple man, the minister, rebuked him etc. and was very upset at him about this, nevertheless he caused him some damage, to the extent that he was very frightened by the Devil (who is from the qelipoth/husks) sending for him too (because just by him sitting with the “sage” of evil and listening to his words of apostasy, therefore he had some grip on him as well), and the Ba`al Shem had to give him kameas (amulets with holy names) and protections etc., as explained there. And similarly, also understood from this story is how great the opposite is, the height of how dear is the connection and the love with the kosher and simple ones. For by means that the clever man had learned with the simple man during his youth, and he asked about his wellbeing in love and with joy, etc., then because of the love of youth that they had between them, the clever man drew him close and entered with him into the city, and the simple man brought him into his house afterwards, and he always opened his mouth to him and chastised him for always being full of suffering, until he told him with a full mouth, “If only you could reach my level” etc., as explained there. Thereby things circled around afterwards until in the final end the simple man, the minister, made effort with the tzaddik, the Ba`al Shem, until he took out the clever man from the mud and mire that he was engulfed in for so long, and made the truth clear to him, to his eyes, until the clever man also had to acknowledge the truth. So everything came about through the great love that he had with the simple man during the days of his youth, as mentioned.

And behold, it is illustrated there that when the simple man rose to greatness and became a governor and those who loved him advised him to also study wisdoms and languages, and the thing was accepted in the eyes of the simple man etc., discerned from this, somewhat, is the fact that there have been several great tzaddikim who were expert in wisdoms and languages, and it was perfumery and cuisine for them. This was because from the beginning they had served Hashem for many years in very extraordinarily great truth, wholesomeness and simplicity, and had really given their souls for the service of Hashem Yithbarakh from childhood to maturity, and themselves had fulfilled myriad times the scripture, “Beahavatah tishgeh tamid/ With the love of her [the Torah], be ravished always” [Prov. 5:19], as our rabbis z"l expounded [i.e. tishgeh, akin to shogeg/neglect, i.e. even to the neglect of one’s own needs], and they made their piety precede their wisdom, even the wisdom of the holy Torah, for “lo hamidrash hu ha`ikar elah hama`aseh/ not the exposition but rather the performance is the main thing” [Pirkey Avoth 1:17], and they excelled in their mitzvoth and good deeds, innumerably. And after they were extremely rooted in the ways of simplicity and the holy faith, then they were forced, for the benefit of the world, to sometimes enter into studying wisdoms/sciences. And due to their vast righteousness and the purity and cleanliness of their souls and bodies, therefore they did not need to spend a great deal of time on this study; just in a very short time they became expert in all the wisdoms. But still then they did not forsake or leave, God forbid, the ways of innocence, simplicity, and their holy faith. And therefore these wisdoms were not able to damage them at all, but just the opposite, etc. But those who are not yet thoroughly regular and rooted as needed, in the ways of simplicity and the holy faith perfectly, and enter into these wisdoms, it will definitely harm them very much, until it will be very, very hard for them afterwards to return and hold by the ways of the holy simplicity. For regarding this is said, “Kol ba'eyah lo yashuvun velo-yasigu orchoth chayim/ None that go to her return, nor do they attain the paths of life” [Ps. 2:19], which are the ways of simplicity and the holy faith, which are the essence of the paths of life, as written, “Vetzaddik be'emunatho yichyeh/ but the righteous shall live by his faith” [Hab. 2:4]. And this is the simple man saying to the clever man, “See, I have already reached your place, but you still have not come to mine. And I see that it is harder for you to come to my simplicity,” that is, as mentioned. And see LM II #19 regarding that the essence of the ultimate purpose and perfection is to just serve Hashem in complete simplicity, etc.; this also pertains to this story, as explained there. And there, this whole matter is further elaborated and explained.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Temimuth #4: The main cause of all declines is by means of cleverness. For, when a man walks after his wisdom, he can fall into very bad things. For, the wisdom makes him turn from one wisdom to another, and from one to another, until he is captured and lost in his own cleverness, until he becomes really insane, God save us. And he can fall into complete apostasy, God forbid, denying the king and his ministers, that is, denying the King of the Universe and all the true tzaddikim. And the whole world becomes nothing to him and he scorns the entire world, as if the whole world is mistaken, God forbid. And thereby he becomes very fallen, lowly and disgraced, spiritually and materially, aside from him being always full of very great afflictions and lackings. And everything that happens to him is all against his will, and he is constantly full of anger and pains, even when he is having great success. And all the more so afterwards when he declines from his height, and hard and bitter punishments come to him, God forbid, that are entirely unnatural, he still remains in his rebellion and errs with his wisdom, attributing everything to natural means, even though everyone discerns of his words then, that they are words of a really insane person. And discerned in there is that his cleverness and error is so great that he is resolute in his evil thinking then as well, and thereby automatically these afflictions and punishments themselves afflict and torture him and distress his soul exceedingly. For, since he does not believe, and he attributes everything to natural means, hence he has no way to console himself at all regarding his hard pain and afflictions, God forbid.

But one who is privileged to walk in the ways of simplicity in truth, he lives true life, truly good life, and whatever way it goes for him it is all good and right for him, and he is constantly full of joy. And even if he only has “lechem tzar umayim lachatz/ sparing bread and scant water” [Isa. 30:20], he delights in it a great deal and truly feels in the bread and water all the tastes of all the foods and drinks in the world. And similarly regarding clothing, even if he only has some very humble garment, he delights in it a great deal, as if he has all the good clothing in the world. And nothing at all is ever lacking for him, and he is never jealous of any man. He is just truly happy in his lot, spiritually and materially, and he does not look at others’ affairs at all. And he is not affected by the mockery of the generation’s mockers, and even when they mock him he replies to them in simplicity and truth, and speaks with everyone in great simplicity, without any cunningness at all. And by this itself he can merit to go up to a very high level, spiritually and materially, and be a ruler and a fair judge. Also he can later merit to be wise and enlightened in all the wisdoms on an extremely high level, spiritually and materially; but then too he does not forsake his ways of simplicity. Subsequently he is most important to the king, the King of the Universe, until He lifted him up to an even higher level (see LM II #5, the lesson “Tik`u — Emunah,” what we get by being simple). And in the end of ends, the final repair of these clever persons who were led astray after their wisdoms — after they will have very, very hard punishments and afflictions, God save us, in this world and in the next — the end of the repair will only be by means of these tzaddikim and kosher ones, those whose way is simple [Ps. 119:1; LM #1], who merited to truly go just in the way of innocence and simplicity all the days of their lives, as is fit, in truth.

Ibid. #5: The simple man went into his father’s house and inherited it, apparently to hint that his father’s house is the holy faith, which is the nachalath avoth/ paternal inheritance [Prov. 19:14] (see LM #94, the lesson “Zakhar chasdo/ He has remembered His mercy” [Ps. 98:3]). And therefore he had rest and residence in his nachalath avoth, because into the place that he was not able to reach with his intellect, he was planted in his nachalath avoth, which is the holy faith. But the clever man, his father’s house became lost and destroyed, because he goes after his intellect and does not want to rely on the faith, and therefore he is shaken and torn and he has no house of rest, since he has no foundation of faith, which is the strongest foundation to rely on and rest in.

Ibid. #6: It is easier for the simple one to reach the clever one’s level as well, that is, to be wise and enlightened in all the wisdoms more than the clever one, as we have seen with many, many simple ones and awesome tzaddikim who were wise and enlightened in all the seven wisdoms in ultimate simplicity. And not only that, but they attained a most lofty comprehension, from the aspect of Chokhmah `Ila'ah/ Upper Wisdom, which is above all the wisdoms. But whoever goes after his intellect and strays after external wisdoms and philosophy, it is very hard for him to return to the ways of truth and the holy faith in entirety, as mentioned above.

Ibid. #7: The king does not want to appoint a clever person to be in charge over the treasuries, lest by means of his cleverness and intellect he squanders the king’s treasury. Therefore the king (the King of the Universe) makes specifically a simple man in charge of the treasuries (see the lesson “Tik`u — Emunah,” LM II #5).

Ibid. #8: The clever man was so prideful in his cleverness, wealth and greatness that the whole entire world was as nil in his eyes, and he had great afflictions in travel, for on account of his cleverness he had no one to talk with, as told in the story. And toward the end, when the king sent for him, the clever man thought cleverly with his cleverness, “What is this? That such a king should send for such a humble and lowly person as I?!” etc., until he came to complete apostasy thereby, as he completely denied the king and “proved” that the entire government was by means of seventy senators. And at first his entire “proofs” were only, “Who has seen the king?” etc.; but towards the end when the simple man, the minister, told him, “Haven’t I myself seen the king?” he contradicted him as well and said, “From where do you know that this is the king?” etc. See and discern the depth of his blasphemy’s evil; and especially regarding the Ba`al Shem Tov, who was the aspect of the True Tzaddik, he disbelieved to the utmost, as explained there. And all this is due to the nonsense of his wicked and disturbed wisdom, which overturns the straight paths to the total opposite. For, the ways of the holy intellect, which are the aspect of simplicity, are the opposite of all this. For, we need to hold fast in belief in the sages and the True Tzaddikim, and all the more so in the King of the World himself. And in truth, belief in the sages and belief in Hashem Yithbarakh are all one, as explained elsewhere [Ex. 14:31 and Yalkuth there; LM #61], and they are interdependent. And we also need to believe that even though Hashem Yithbarakh is very great, above all spirituality and high above all blessing and praise, and thought cannot conceive of Him at all, nevertheless He desires our service specifically, as written, “Ve'abita tehillah migushei `afar um'krotzei chomer/ You desire praise from bodies of dust and from physical formations” [Yom Kippur liturgy]. So he sends for us and calls us at all times and hints to us holy hints to draw us close to Him, Yithbarakh, and even though a man definitely needs to be lowly in his eyes in truth, nevertheless he needs to believe that Hashem Yithbarakh gets great pleasure from our service. And we need to fulfill, “Al tehi baz lekhol adam/ Do not disdain any man” [Avoth 4:3], and to know and believe that within each member of Yisrael there is a very good and precious point that is in no other, and we have to receive this point’s revelation from him, as also explained elsewhere [LM #34]. And whoever goes on this path, definitely each and every member of Yisrael is very important and precious in his eyes, and when he meets even the least member of Yisrael, he will definitely have something to talk about with him and receive from him, or to illuminate him. And even when he meets an idolater, he can receive from him, as also explained in the lesson “Mi ha'ish hechafetz chayim/ Who is the man who desires life” [LM #33]. And all this we achieve through the ways of simplicity specifically.

Ibid. #9: The simple man, he knows his low [secular] worth, therefore he delves in his craft, the holy service and the service of Hashem, with perseverance, until he has not even free time to sit himself down to a meal, and so forth with his other worldly needs; just while he is occupied in his craft he snatches and eats his meal too, casually etc. And nevertheless if he sees that the project is not completely successful and it is only in the aspect of a “three-cornered shoe,” on account of this he does not expect a large payment for his work, since he knows in himself that it is not a perfect state; but nevertheless he delights in this work, feels in it very wonderful pleasure and sweetness, and does not at all look at someone else’s work being more perfect than his work, since the other is a very intellectual person and a perceptive person, and presumably also receives greater payment for his work. And the fact that there are many people who have become downcast and have fallen from their devotions due to things like this, that they were jealous of their peers, as they saw that their deeds and devotions were achieved more perfectly etc. — the simple man, however, that is, the one who serves Hashem in simplicity and truth, he does not look at this at all, for what is someone else’s affair to him? That is the other’s concern and this is his. And he is happy in his lot and has great pleasure from his labor, the service of Hashem, earning his profit handful by handful. And after all his constant work and toil, if he merits only that Hashem Yithbarakh receives from him some bit of satisfaction from a mere movement that he makes for the sake of Heaven in truth and simplicity, certainly this is very much dearer than all riches, to toil in this all the days of one’s life. And certainly his reward is not withheld either, and “Better is an hour of cool spirit in the coming world” [than all the life in this world, Avoth 4:17].

And see Likutei Halakhoth: Hilkhoth Pesach #9, which connects this to the concept that this is the aspect of “Echad hayah Avraham/ Avraham was one” [Eze 33:24], that a person should think as if he is the only person in the world, and should not look at someone else’s affairs; that he should not feel bad even if he is greater than him. And this is the aspect of, “Usfartem lakhem/ And you shall count to you” [Lev. 23:15] — to yourselves specifically etc.; look there and see wonderful ways in the service of Hashem.)

An awesome and wondrous story. Its solution is unknown, but from the hints at the story’s end it is discerned that it speaks of the secret of the future Redemption to come, soon in our days, and of the secret of drawing down the soul of Mashiach. And behold, from the story in general it is discerned and clear how the Sitra Achra/Other Side ambushes the holiness to hide it entirely, God forbid. And nevertheless “`atzath Hashem hi takum/ the counsel of Hashem, it shall stand” [Prov. 19:21]; “Ve'atah marom le`olam Hashem/ But You are on high for ever, Hashem” — Your hand is always on top [Ps. 92:9 and Yalkuth], and He, the Blessed One, finishes what is His. And specifically by means of the extreme surge of the hiding force, thereby is raised and exalted afterwards the horn of holiness all the more, as we saw in this story itself, that at first the burgher and the pauper (from whom afterwards emerged the holy couple who later ruled over the face of the earth) were entirely childless, and then the general grabbed the pauper’s wife (who was very righteous and Heaven-fearing and merited that afterwards the holy emperor’s daughter came from her), and the burgher’s compassion was very aroused and he did a very reckless thing (and it was a truly insane thing, etc.), until he merited to take her out of there, and he took cover with her in the seven bodies of water, which are the pit, mikveh, pond, spring, stream, river, and sea (which is discerned by everyone, that this hints to very high and hidden things), and in each and every place she swore to him etc., as explained there. And specifically due to the force of the surge of such great concealment, they merited afterwards to bear children and from them descended the holy couple mentioned. But then too the concealment surged up greatly, and they wanted to separate this holy couple. And they stalked the emperor’s daughter much more, and sons of nobility wanted to have matches with her. And similarly, the soaring success of the pauper, until he became emperor over the whole world, was also part of the surge and concealment, for thereby he further refused to have a match with the burgher’s son, and he devised thoughts about him to remove him from the world entirely etc. But Hashem’s counsel stands, and by the end all this was reversed into goodness, for the holy couple received the kingdom and they reigned over the face of the earth.

Also discerned from this story is how Hashem Yithbarakh conducts His world measure-for-measure. For just as the judges sentenced the burgher’s son to have him put in a sack and thrown into the sea, Hashem Yithbarakh then brought it about that the murderer upon the sea put the emperor’s daughter into the sack. And just as the burgher took cover with the pauper’s wife in the seven bodies of water, and she swore to him etc., likewise later the murderer took cover with the emperor’s daughter also in these places. And just as the burgher’s son had to be exiled from his father’s house, until he got lost in a wilderness, likewise the emperor’s daughter too came to this very same wilderness, and so too the emperor himself was driven out of his house and also came to this wilderness. But in the final end Hashem Yithbarakh brought it about that specifically through this was the redemption, for the three of them met up together, and the emperor’s daughter found the letter, and they all returned home, and the emperor too returned to his home, and the couple received the kingdom.

Also understood from the story is how it is completely forbidden for a man to despair, God forbid, for there is nothing in the world to despair of, as we saw with the burgher’s son, that it did not at all enter his mind to find the letter which he had hidden in a tree, for there were millions of trees there, and it was already concluded in his mind that he would never get back to any settled area, but just live out the days of his life there in the wilderness, and he proved to the emperor and the emperor’s daughter that it is good to live out all the days of their lives there. Nevertheless he still did not despair his heart entirely, but walked every day and made some sign on three trees, and looked for the document in them. “Kulei ha'i ve'ulai/ All this and only maybe” he would find the document (which contained the essence of the bond between him and the emperor’s daughter, which hints to the core source of holiness of all Yisrael’s hope). And when he sought and did not find it, he would cry a very great deal and return from there with cried-out eyes, and on the next day he did the same, as mentioned. And likewise each and every day, until later the emperor’s daughter herself found her document and returned it to him. And this was certainly a great and wonderful joy, but nevertheless despair overcame the burgher’s son and he said, “What good is the document for me? How can I find her... Here I will live out the days of my life.” And he gave the document back to her, until she had to ask him to go with her too etc. And he agreed to go with her, and from this is discerned by every man how it is forbidden to despair, but to just look for the holiness at all times, even if it seems to him that according to what he knows in his soul, the plagues of his heart and his pains, it is very far-fetched that he should attain the holiness. Nevertheless he should do his part, and seek after it with all his might, and even if it seems to him that even after searching so many, many years without finding and without attaining any level of holiness at all — and he will definitely need to cry about this a great deal every day, nevertheless he should still search. “All this and only maybe? All this and just maybe!” (kulei ha'i we'ulai, kulei ha'i we'ulai). Until if the man is truly very strong in this all the days of his life, Hashem Yithbarakh will have mercy on him, and the source of holiness itself will assist and help him search as well, until, as it were, she herself finds the document and returns it to him. Only, since the thing must be in secret and concealment of the thing, for the sake of free will’s existence, therefore the despair surges up on him then as well, until as it were she is forced to ask him to go with her, until they come to their home etc. Then they receive grandeur in perfectness.

But the inside of the story, and the holy lofty hints that are clothed in each and every interest in it, are very hidden, concealed and obscure. “`Amoq amoq, mi yimtza'enu/ Deep, deep, who can find it out?” [Eccl. 7:24] And see more in the new thoughts in Chayey Moharan pg. 5.

There, on the last page of the story, is written, “Ha'hárah himmalét (to the mountain flee for salvation, Gen. 19:17) — this is a burgher” [a play on words: Yid. barg mountain, pl. berg < Ger. berg mountain; ME burgh city < O. Eng. burg fortified town; O. High Ger. burg fortified castle, all from Indo-European root *bhergh]. And apparently this is incomprehensible, for didn’t he not flee to the mountain but only to Tzo`ar, as explicitly stated in the holy Torah? But the truth is: the angel who told him, “flee to the mountain,” meant that — that in truth, Lot would not be saved except in the merit of Avraham, and as written, “Vayhi beshacheth... vayyizkor Elohim eth-Avraham vayshalach eth-Lot/ And it came to pass, when God destroyed... and God remembered Avraham and sent Lot out...” [ibid. :29]. And the matter of his flight to Tzo`ar was by Hashem Yithbarakh’s providence, as thereby were born `Amon and Moav; hence the essential salvation of Lot was in the merit of Avraham, which the angel hinted to him in his statement, “Ha'hárah himmalét;” and this is the aspect of the burgher.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Yir'ah Ve`Avodath Hashem #35: It is known that the whole job of Yisrael is to extricate the holiness from the exile, from amidst the qelipoth/husks and the Sitra Achra/Other Side. And sometimes a man has a big arousal for some devotion and thing in holiness, when he might do a reckless thing that seems truly insane, and there is no human intellect that would agree to this, how he will be able to attain this thing. But nevertheless on account of his true arousal, Hashem delivers him success and he merits to get through all the boundaries and obstacles and break them all, until he merits to finish the thing and take the holiness out from them completely, while in truth it is above nature and human intellect entirely. However, all this is the aspect of retz'o/running, the aspect of entering [see LM #6:4 and Zohar II 213b: Fortunate is the lot of he who enters (to grasp higher perceptions of Godliness) and exits]. But the main trial is afterwards, when he is in the aspect of returning, when he returns to his mind and his existence; then the Sitra Achra pursues him and he has to take cover from it, with many, many strategies, and many, many kinds of waters change and pass over him, and many, many trials etc. etc. And whoever merits to be strong, he will merit then as well to pass through everything in peace; fortunate is he!

Ibid. #39: The root of Yisrael’s holiness gives and transmits signs to each member of Yisrael who makes an approach to cleave to and bind himself with her, in order that through these signs, the bond and the secluded unity [yichud] between them will be whole, and no other party mixes in between them. Except, the Accuser exceedingly attacks this, until he causes the man to be distanced and driven out from his holiness to a place of wilderness, and then he attacks yet more, until a storm wind comes and makes such confusion that he also loses the signs; and meanwhile what happens to the man happens. And similarly, to the branches of parts of holiness that pertain to each person happens a great deal as well, for many waylay them to catch them with their traps, and for the most part, the man himself causes this, and all of them are like envoys from him, God forbid, and then the Accuser surges up even more on the pieces of holiness, until the aspect of a murderer comes and entirely catches it in its trap, and wants to drown it completely, God forbid. But nevertheless “`atzath Hashem hi takum/ the counsel of Hashem, it shall stand” [Prov. 19:21]; “ve'atah marom le`olam Hashem/ but You are on high for ever, Hashem” [Ps. 92:9]. And when the man is strong in his mind and does not despair nevertheless, and fixes times every day to search and dig after the signs of holiness that were lost from him — and if he does not merit to find it, he nevertheless lays out his conversation about this before Hashem Yithbarakh and cries and pleads before Him Yithbarakh, “like a son imploring his father” [Ta`anith 23a] — then in the final end everything will be reversed to good, and specifically by means of this murderer who snatched the holiness into his trap entirely, through him Hashem brings it about that the holiness draws close to the man, really close to him. But only, they still do not know and recognize each other. Then Hashem Yithbarakh brings it about that the first one who caused the man to be distant and drove him out from his holiness, he too will turn out being there, and they all help the man to search and seek the signs of holiness. And Hashem Yithbarakh helps them that the holiness itself finds the signs and returns it to its owner, that is, the man. And then there is definitely a great celebration. But nevertheless the holiness still does not reveal herself to the man that this is she, in order that the approach and the secluded unification not be in the aspect of harisah/destruction, the aspect of “pen-yehersu/ lest they break through” etc. [Ex. 19:21], and not in the proper way, God forbid, in a place of wilderness, etc. And on account of this, even when she returns the signs to him, then the concealment and despair return and surge up on the man, for how can he seek out the holiness, knowing that to her as well has happened what has happened? so who knows where she is now? And then the holiness itself appeases the man and asks him to go with her, until both of them arrive and come back to their first place, to the source of the root of their holiness. And then they gather unto one another, and the reunion and joy is entire. “Vehayah Hashem lemelekh `al-kol-ha'aretz/ And Hashem will be king over the entire earth” etc. [Zech. 14:9]. Look some more there and discern further, according to what is hinted in [these] basic meanings of the things, aside from the awesome secrets that are in this story, as inferred in the notes following it.)

A very exceedingly awesome and wonderful story, as declared by his holy mouth himself z"l. And as explained at the end of the story, clothed in it are very holy and wonderful secrets, lofty hints. It speaks of the secret of `Olam haTikkun/ the World of Repair, and the repair of the holy souls and the holy sparks that have fallen where they have fallen and come to where they have come, by means of the force of the interchanges, from the secret of the Heikhlei Hatemuroth/ Interchange Palaces, until not only is the kingdom given to the servant’s son, and the king’s true son is given over to the servant and grows up in his house and becomes distant from royal manners (even though by his nature he is very much drawn after royal manners, as explained there), but also the interchanges become so strong that it is hushed to mention the affair of the interchange at all and to say about him that perhaps he is the true king’s son; and whoever talks about it, they punish him and take revenge on him; and not only that, but they devise thoughts to entirely annihilate the king’s son, God forbid, that his name be not mentioned at all, God forbid, in the aspect of “Lekhu venakhchidem migoy velo yizakher shem Yisrael `od/ Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Yisrael may be no more in remembrance” [Ps. 83:5], God forbid; and to the extent that the king’s son thereby has to be uprooted from his place and be a refugee and exilee, traveling about and wandering. And behold, truthfully this matter itself, that the king (who is actually the bondmaid’s son) attacks him so much that he has to flee, it is also only from the aspect of the sophistries and lies, the changes and interchanges of the Heikhlei Hatemuroth. For how can it arise in his mind to do such a great injustice against the bondservant himself, for maybe this is his father (as he actually was)?! Especially against the son — for not only are there those who say that he is the king’s son and the whole reign belongs to him, and through the switch and interchange the reign was given to the servant’s son, in the aspect of “Tachath-`eved ki yimlokh/ Because of a servant having the reign” [Prov. 30:22] — even devising thoughts to entirely eliminate the king’s son himself from the world, God forbid, until he had to flee and be exiled. And anyhow, he did not deserve this, which the king himself actually realized later, and he pondered in himself that he had committed a great injustice in this, as explained there. But more than all this, the interchanges grew so severe in the heart of the king’s son himself that he became very downcast in his mind, and he took to drunkenness and went after the dictates of his heart. This was worst of all. And this too was only on account of the fallacious sophistries and reasonings that are drawn from the Heikhlei Hatemuroth; thus did he himself meditate afterwards: “If it is so, that Hashem Yithbarakh can do such a thing... is it right what I have done?” And he regretted this very much, as explained there. But this very matter, that the king himself had thoughts of teshuvah/ return and regret, and also that such thoughts came to the king’s true son, and also the matter that then came about thereby, until the repair was complete, was all only by the graces of Hashem Yithbarakh, in the aspect of “Ve'atah marom le`olam Hashem/ But You are on high for ever, Hashem” [Ps. 92:9], that He caused and drew down some revelation and flash of holiness from the place where it was drawn and revealed, until the temuroth/interchanges became cleared somewhat, until the world was repaired and Hashem Yithbarakh brought it about that the king got lost in the thick of the forest, by means of chasing after the horse that ran away from him, and the king’s son got lost there by pursuing the beasts that ran away from him. And all this was measure for measure, because when the changes and interchanges grew so strong upon them here, to the same extent the king’s son received his punishment by chasing after the beasts until he got so lost thereby. For this is also from the aspect of the change and interchange, because Hashem Yithbarakh created the man with intellect and knowledge, whereby the horse is subservient to the rider, for the man is in control with his mind over all the beasts and animals and he conducts them. But those who are drawn after the folly and the interchanges, thereby the thing is altered for them, that the beasts were drawing and conducting them, until they got lost where they got lost by chasing after them so much. And therefore in truth, when the king’s son told the man of the forest that he is chasing the beasts, the man told him, “Leave off from chasing after your sins! For this is not beasts at all but rather your transgressions are what are making you go that way. Enough for you; you have received yours... so now leave off from pursuing them any more. Come with me and you will arrive at what befits you” etc. And specifically to the king’s son he said thus, as also indicated in the text. All this is understood from the simplest of simple meanings of the things.

But the wonderful depth and the lofty secrets that are in each matter of this holy story, even in matters that seem to us to be according to their simple meaning, and especially with what is obvious to everyone’s eyes that they are awesome secrets — for example the laughter that they heard in the forest, which the man of the forest later explained to them the secret of the matter, and the matter of the man of the forest himself, and the sack of bread that the king’s son found in the forest, by means of which the king was sold to him as a slave, and how the man of the forest made them to pass over the place where there were snakes and scorpions and brought them into his house that stands in the air, and fed them and went away, and how the king himself told the king’s son the reason why he arrived here, and how they heard the sound of the animals and birds and they inclined their ears and heard it is a wonderful melody, and how the man of the forest later explained to them the secret of this melody, and the matter of the instrument that he gave the king’s son, and ordered him to go to the country that is called by this name, “The Foolish Country and the Wise King,” and there he would come into his greatness, and all the matters of the story to the end — all of them are exceedingly awesome and wonderful, concealed, laid up, and covered from everyone’s eyes, in the aspect of, “Mah rav-tuvekha asher-tzafanta lire'eykha/ How abundant is Your goodness which You have laid up for those that fear You” [Ps. 31:20]. And fortunate, fortunate is he who merits discerning and attaining some flash in them!

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Da`ath #17: The fact that the world is so far from Hashem Yithbarakh, is only because they do not have yeshuv hada`ath/ a mind that is settled with the correct mindset, as explained elsewhere. For in truth, when the Heikhlei Hatemuroth/ interchange palaces wax strong, then not only do they exchange and alter bad to good and good to bad etc. in all the world, and give all the rule and the greatness to the bondmaid’s son, and also in the core of the thought of the bondmaid’s son’s himself the Heikhlei Hatemuroth grew so strong that they turned over his mind and heart so much to cause great ills to his true father himself, and to drive out the king’s son entirely, but also in the core of the thought of the true king’s son himself the Heikhlei Hatemuroth prevailed and exchanged and altered his mind to the opposite of the truth, until he became so downcast in his mind by being upset at being driven out, until he took himself to drunkenness and walked after his heart’s dictates (as explained above at length), and therefore in truth, afterwards even the bondmaid’s son himself when he somewhat entered into the category of yeshuv hada`ath discerned in himself that he had made a grave mistake in driving out the king’s son, for, “any way one looks at it” etc. And all the more so, the king’s son, when he came to his senses, then he discerned the truth, that on the contrary, “If Hashem Yithbarakh can do such a thing etc., then is it right what I have done” etc.? And he was very regretful, and by means of these regrets the world returned to its proper state, as in the text. So behold, we see that everything depends just on honest yeshuv hada`ath, as mentioned.

Ibid. Mamon Parnasah #23: Sometimes a man chases after his livelihood, or after other things that it seems to him that he is very much forced to pursue after them, and he chases after them all his days and is unable to attain them, and because of this he is constantly full of anger and pains. And in truth, if he would put it to his heart and see in himself that he is only chasing after his sins, because his transgressions are what make him stray from one thing to another and from one reason to another, until he is chasing after actual thin air all his days, and it does not let him rest his spirit, and in truth perhaps he has already received his punishment for his sins — enough; he is released, and the time of his repair and rest has already come.

Ibid. Teshuvah #8: If a man would attain honest, complete remorse, then even though it may be that afterwards he will go back to his place and whatever happens to him happens, nevertheless his thoughts of remorse and return have already mixed him up anyhow, until in the final end he will merit to reach his true repair in entirety. And this is as we saw with him [the bondservant’s son] afterwards too, constant regrets for the great evil and injustice that he did against the king’s son, for driving him out etc., until by means of these remorses of both of them, the world returned to its repair, as explained in the text.)

An awesome and wonderful story, marvelous and wondrous, as noted and explained at the end of the story, which talks about the secret of Mitath Hamelakhim/ Death of the Kings and their repair etc. And according to its simple meaning too, explained in it, in each and every matter, are smart guidance and straight ways, and it tells in general about almost every kind of error and deceptive reasoning of falsehood and error that is found in the world, and their clarification and repair.

And behold, the Prayer Leader, all of whose interests, thoughts and deeds were just for the true and eternal ultimate purpose, and who was constantly involved in prayers etc., dwelled outside the settled areas, except that he regularly entered in the settled area in order to draw people into serving Hashem Yithbarakh. And whoever gave him consent, he would immediately take him out of the settlement, because most of civilizations, as they are presently, before completion of the repair, are very far from the true purpose, as in the statement, “Ki rov ma`aseihem tohu/ For, most of their deeds are astonishingly void” [morning prayers, Ashkenaz and Sefard; v. Eccl. 3:19]. So all the practices of the Prayer Leader and his people were almost opposite the conduct of civilization, and therefore a big fast or deprivation was more a delight than all the pleasures in the world, as explained following this, the story of the world’s settlements, most of which are drawn after worldly vanities, pleasures and cravings, and therefore the Prayer Leader and his people’s place was outside of settlement. And so now as well, whoever wants to think just about the true purpose, which needs a great deal of actual isolated meditation, but even when he is in the settlement and is forced to be mingled with creatures such as these that are entirely far from the purpose — nevertheless it is known that the essence of man is his intellect and thought; therefore one must be alert then too that in any case that his thought be outside of settlement, and to distance his thought, mind and all his conduct from all the aspects of foreign practices, foreign mindsets and false reasonings that are very much found and present among most people in settlement. And it may be that this is also included in what is explained further on, that by means of the storm wind all the world was mixed up and desert made into settlement etc. For, at present, due to our many sins, most people in settlement are quite astray from the way of truth, and they are really in the aspect of “Ta`u bamidbar bishimon darekh, `ir moshav lo matza'u/ They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; they found no city of habitation” [Ps. 107:4], and not only that but also they do not at all feel that they are astray in wilderness; on the contrary it seems to them that this is the essential settlement. And therefore the Prayer Leader and his people were forced to dwell outside of settlement etc. And regarding clothing he was not particular at all, for most of mankind are very passionate about expensive clothes, and thereby they are more caught in the Accuser’s web, as explained elsewhere on the verse, “Vatitpesehu bevighdho/ And she caught hold of him by his garment” [Gen. 39:12]. And the Prayer Leader paid no mind to this specifically, at all. And nevertheless it is explained, further on, that when the Prayer Leader would discern of one of his people that he needed, for serving Hashem, that he be clothed in golden garments, he would provide it for him. However, it is understood that this was only for a few special people; but for most mankind the right way for them is to not be particular about clothes at all, especially as long as they have not reached a high level and great wealth; then if Hashem Yithbarakh wants for their benefit that they go dressed in expensive garments, because it is specially potent for them for serving Hashem, there is no limit for Hashem to deliver and bestow abundant riches on them. But they themselves need to be careful to thoroughly bind themselves in their minds that one does not need to be particular about clothes at all, as mentioned. And similarly regarding other needs of a man, such as eating and drinking: one also need not be particular, as explained there, that in this place where the Prayer Leader dwelled there was a river before him and trees and fruit, and they would eat from the fruit.

And behold, it is explained in the text that the people of the settlement lay in wait on the Prayer Leader to seize him. And this was on account of the world being confused and they were so lost in their distorted mindsets that whoever was drawn after the true purpose and talked against their errant reasoning and was involved in drawing people close to serving Hashem Yithbarakh, they lay in wait on him to capture and seize him, therefore he had to carry about this with great cleverness, as explained in the text the Prayer Leader’s practices in this.

And behold, explained in the text are various kinds of bizarre ways and practices and bad mentalities by which people of the world were distorted after the confusion of the storm wind, and most extensively it explains the matter of the country that was very sunk in the craving of money etc. Aside from the great internal matter that is in each of these stories, and the roots of the things, from where have been drawn down and evolved all these kinds of errors in which the world has been so confounded — aside from all this the reader will rightly judge that all of this is not a story that ever happened, but rather, this is how the world behaves presently, with all the details explained there. For some people, the errors and distortions drawn from one sect that chose for them that purpose overtook them the most; and others, other distortions of another sect overcame them the most. And so there are many variations in this, according to the variation of place and time. For, sometimes upon one person, one bad trait and one foreign mindset prevails in him, and at another time a different trait, different mentality and different distorted mindset prevails in him. The rule is that by means of all this the world grows so very far from the true purpose, that our rabbis z"l have said, “Ra'iti benei `aliyah vehema me'utim/ I have seen the elite members of Heaven, and they are few” [Sukkah 45b]. And therefore whoever looks into this story with an honest eye, discerning heart and straight and pure thought, will learn from all this, smart and righteous guidance how to be very careful with his soul, to not stumble and go astray on errant paths and distortion of his mind, by means of everything that is discerned in this awesome story, and from other words of Rabbeinu z"l haKadosh, which are faithful and stated in righteousness and judgment, truth and straightness.

Also discerned from this story is how much one needs to be strong and involve himself in this business, to talk with people regarding the true purpose and take them out from their error. And even if thereby he will have enemies and those who lie in wait to capture him, and even if it seems to him that he has accomplished nothing with them with his words and that they are not heard by them at all, nevertheless he should do his part and be strong and be busy with this, and talk with them once more, and very many times, even if he comes to exert great toil thereby and a vast amount of time will pass that he is involved with them and does not perfectly affect one thing in them at all.

But rather, in any case, it will be discerned from their words that they already have some doubt in their hearts: perhaps his words are true, that the main thing is to be involved for the true purpose? — even though in real actuality he will still not see anything in them that inclines toward this, but just the opposite, like their prior conduct. Nevertheless, these words too, that he will hear from them that they already have some doubt in this matter, this too will be very dear and precious in his eyes like one who finds a great prize, since it is discerned by him that the things have already begun to enter in their ears a little, confuse them, and make some doubt in them in any case, that they will not be so strong in their distorted mindsets, and he should trust in Hashem Yithbarakh that in the final end He will thereby finish every matter of the repair entirely.

And the rest of the matters of this story: particularly regarding the holy assembly of the King and his people, and how he showed each one of his people a way how to receive his power, and the matter of the Hand that the King had, which was a “landkart/land map” of all the worlds, and how they were all scattered by the storm wind, etc., and how afterwards they all gathered together and thereby the entire world was repaired, and the matter of the Warrior’s path to the Sword hanging in the air, from whence he received his power, and only by this way could they remedy and extricate people from the craving of money, by means of the foods cooked in the Kech/Kitchen, by means of the pipes that extend to it from the Fiery Mountain, on which a Lion crouches, and the rest of all the details of the matter explained in the text, and how this entire story is hinted in Isa. 31 etc. — even though we have no concept and no glimmer in the mind about all this, nevertheless it is discerned and obvious to everyone’s eye, really tangibly, that they are all very wondrous and awesome things; no thought can contain them; and there is awoken a wondrous desire for serving Hashem for everyone who looks into them. “Mi-shama` kazoth, mi ra'ah ka'eleh/ Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?” [Isa. 66:8]

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e: Yir'ah ve`Avodath Hashem #40: Everyone must admit that whoever makes more effort and is closer to the ultimate purpose, ought to be head and king over everybody. For, everyone acknowledges that the main thing is the ultimate purpose. But since the great storm wind happened and it confused and turned over the world entirely, water to dry land and dry land to water, wilderness to habitation and so forth, and the King and the Queen etc. and all his people were separated and scattered, and all the world’s people were confused and separated and partitioned into many factions over speculation what is the ultimate purpose: Some of them said that the main purpose is honor, to be pursuing, God forbid, after honor and attain it; and they had demonstrations, proofs and reasons for this. And some of them said that the main purpose is murder, anger, cruelty and brazenheartedness; some said the main purpose is procreation; and similarly all the factions who were very confused and disrupted regarding the purpose, as all this is explained in the text. And each faction of them in each trait or craving that they chose for themselves as the purpose, certainly were very sunk in it, for aside from man’s very nature being drawn after bad traits and cravings, apart from this the thing was for them like a religion, that this is the purpose, according to what each faction of them chose for themselves according to their confused opinions. And more than all, most disturbed and confused was the faction that chose for themselves that money is the purpose, until they made money a complete idol and god, God forbid; and they would offer themselves as sacrifices to the idol of money. And in truth, even though from all the bad cravings it is very hard to extract a man that is sunk in it, especially when he is rooted in them so much that they have become for him a religion and purpose — harder than all is to extract and repair these that are more fallen and sunken into craving money, for it is hardest to extract them from there, as in the text. And in truth, even though most people, each individual is composed of the evil of all the factions and his mind is disrupted and confused from all the kinds of the aforementioned disruptions, sometimes one trait and some craving challenges him more, and sometimes another craving and trait challenges him more. Nevertheless, in the generality of mankind there are also great differences from one man to another. This one is most excited about chasing honor; another, anger and murder challenge him the most by his nature, and so forth with all the aforementioned traits. So, fortunate is the holy faction whose mind honestly agreed with the true purpose and said that the main goal is just to occupy oneself with prayer and to be humble and lowly etc. (in the way that our rabbis z"l said the prayer of the lowly is not despised, Sotah 14), and they elected the Prayer Leader as king, who was an exceedingly great and holy tzaddik, and by means of the Prayer Leader and this faction of his, and in the merit of their many holy prayers, the King and his people were gathered together, and all the aforementioned factions went out from their nonsense and errors, and returned in repentance, and the whole entire world returned to its ultimate repair in entirety.

Ibid. Mamon Parnasah #21: One needs to be extremely careful to not be excited for the craving of money, because there are those who are so excited for money and extremely sunk in this, that all status and importance for them is only according to money, and whoever only has a little money, and especially someone who is entirely poor, is entirely not within the bounds of humanity, according to the nonsense of their mindset, and is considered among them just as an animal or bird. And accordingly whoever has a very great deal of money is in their eyes as higher than human bounds, and is instead in the category of a star, a constellation, an angel — and on up to those that have such abundant money that they are considered by them almost gods entirely and idols, God forbid. And many people in the world have so entered in this nonsense and error of craving money that the poor and those who lack money have so fallen in their own eyes and minds versus the rich and those who have money, until they virtually offer themselves as a sacrifice to them due to the self-deprecation they have in the presence of their big money. And in truth it is not so, as the scripture has said, “Mah-le`oni yode`a, lahalokh neged hachayim/ What [advantage] has the poor man that has understanding, in walking before the living” [Eccl. 6:8], for the [wise] poor person is considered in the category of mankind just as the rich, and also the rich are only humans, and are cut down like grass, and silver, gold and so forth do not follow a man [to the grave]. And in truth there are people that are so sunken in craving money that someone who comes to demonstrate to them that craving money is nonsense, and that money is not a purpose at all, then not only are his words not heard by them at all, but also he is for them like someone that talks against the religion, because money for them is the essential goal and the religion, God forbid. So in truth these that have fallen into craving money, it is much harder to take them out of this than all those that have fallen into the rest of the cravings, God save us, and only by the way explained in the text.

Ibid. #22: There exist such foods (presumably they are spiritual, we infer), that when a person merits to eat and taste of these foods, he immediately throws away the craving of money, and feels the great stench of money, which stinks like actually feces, to the extent that one is very embarrassed to have money, and money is the greatest shame of all shames, and whoever has more money is more ashamed, and even those of low level and who lack money are very ashamed of themselves for being so small in their eyes on account of lacking money. For, now it is revealed to them that on the contrary, money is the main embarrassment, and therefore the wealthy are much more ashamed, and they bury themselves in holes in the dirt due to the great embarrassment that one person feels before another, until they cannot raise their faces at all due to the shame. For, these foods have the special power that through them a person is repulsed by money with the utmost repulsion, and throws away his idols of silver and idols of gold [Isa. 2:20], as will happen in the future, soon in our days.

Ibid. Tzaddik #80: The True Tzaddik who occupies himself with drawing mankind to serving Hashem Yithbarakh dwells with his people outside the settlement, meaning: because all his abode and practices are definitely the real opposite of the ways of the settled area, whose deeds are empty and they chase after waste and weary themselves with the vanities of the time. But the Tzaddik and his people are far from all this entirely, and they suffice with what they have, and especially regarding their clothes they are not at all particular, so they are as people who really live outside of civilization entirely, in all their mindsets, practices and occupation only in prayer, songs and praise to Hashem Yithbarakh, and repentances, confessions, fasts etc. And for these people, all the great devotion in serving Hashem that seems to most of the world like a hard thing to accept upon themselves such devotion, especially deprivations, fasts etc. — for them, all this is more precious than all the world’s pleasures, for they have more pleasure from the great deprivation, fast, etc. than from all the world’s pleasures. But nevertheless even though they dwell outside of settlement, anyway they still go into settlement repeatedly, in order to draw more people into serving Hashem, and they carry about this with great cleverness, as explained in the text.

Ibid. #87: This Tzaddik can “suffice” for each and every person who follows him what he needs. If he discerns of one of his people that in accord with his brain he needs for serving Hashem to go dressed in very expensive garments, he provides him; and likewise sometimes the opposite, that is, some rich person draws close to him and he takes him out of settlement as mentioned, and leads him there in lesser garments. And the rule is that he knows the need of providing for each and every person, and thus he provides him and conducts him, as mentioned.

Ibid. Tefillah #24: How very lofty is the sanctity of prayer, which is beyond everything, for wasn’t the Prayer Leader, who was very great and holy in all the good traits and in all the levels of charity, nevertheless only called by the name “Prayer Leader?” And he compiled many books regarding prayer and arranged for his students a ready path for this, and he, specifically, merited passing by the places of all the King’s people; and all the King’s people themselves — each of whom was an awesome and wondrous novelty, each one according to his aspect and trait — nevertheless they all acknowledged and said that the fact that the King and his people were gathered together and the world was repaired in entirety, it was all only in the merit of the Prayer Leader and in the merit of his abundant holy prayers; and similarly the purification of the whole world and its repair, each and every sect according to its aspect, was only by means of this Prayer Leader.

Ibid. Tochakhah #7: This person who occupies himself with drawing mankind to serving Hashem, even though in truth the main thing is to try to draw great people, notable people, that is, the wise, the rich and the pedigreed, for such people have an additional, higher level also with regard to their souls; and also because when one merits to draw such people, then those of lower level draw close anyway, as this is discerned and explained elsewhere. But nevertheless, since the Accuser waxes very strong against this, and mainly against drawing great people, and summons against this many, many obstacles, therefore this True Tzaddik as well who begins to be involved with this, drawing people to serving Hashem, is also forced at the first beginning to be involved with people of low level, namely with the poor and so forth, talking to their hearts to wake them up to Hashem Yithbarakh and thoroughly explaining to them that there is no other purpose in the whole entire world except being busy in serving Hashem all the days of one’s life, and so forth such words, until his words enter in their ears and they consent with all their hearts and all their souls to be connected with him, and then he takes them and brings them to his place which is outside of settlement (and as explained above, the explanation of the matter of outside of settlement). And later when these who have become followers merit to truly receive his words and they delve only in prayers etc. and fasts etc., until there are found among them as well, some people who are also fit to draw people to serving Hashem, then the Tzaddik gives them permission to also enter into settlement and be busy with this matter, until the Tzaddik’s gathering increases and grows and it makes a big impression on the world.

Ibid. #8: This Tzaddik, who pertains to the Prayer Leader who draws people to serving Hashem, he conducts himself very cleverly in this, altering and changing himself for each and every person with a different change, as explained in the text. And so too when he discerns that he will have no effect he goes around with other words and hides his good intention, as explained there. And all this is in order that they do not recognize that this is he, because then it is possible that his words will not at all enter the ears of the listener and he will be unwilling to talk with him and hear his words at all, on account of the strength of the bad venom that is rooted in the heart of many mankind, by means of which as soon as one starts to talk with them and draw them close to the good, then the evil stirs up, God forbid, to the same degree, until thereby they not only do not listen to his pleasant words, but also sometimes they stir up against him in hatred and great warfare, as also discerned from the words of Rabbeinu z"l. And because of this the Tzaddik is forced to alter himself and hide his good intention, as in the text.)

An awesome and wonderful story including many interests, and each and every interest is a wonderful story, wondrous and marvelous, full of wonderful secrets and lofty hints, aside from the wonderful mussar/practical guidance that is discerned from each and every story, even according to its simple meaning.

And behold, from the start of the story, about the king who transferred the reign to his only son, it is discerned there how a man needs to constantly prevail in being strong in joy, even during the time of his fall from reign, God forbid (and whoever cannot prevail in joy even when he has a fall, then it is very right and fitting that he falls from his level, since he cannot prevail in joy during the decline, God forbid).

And similarly it is discerned there how even the greatest of great men need to be very careful to not stumble, God forbid, by too much cleverness, such as what happened with the king’s son and his wise men, that by their over-cleverness they fell into heresy, God save us; and the king’s son himself, even though on account of having good in him and reflecting occasionally where he is in the world, and moaning and sighing a great deal for having fallen into such confusions — as soon as he began to use his intellect, the cleverness of apostasy came back and prevailed in him. And thus it happened several times, as explained in the text. Discerned from this is how one needs to be careful and guard himself against entering in this at all. And regarding this was said, “Ve'al-tithchakam yother/ Neither be overly wise” [Eccl. 7:16]. And many warnings about this are already explained in his words z"l.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Chaqiroth #4: Sometimes there are people who delve a great deal only in wisdoms, and for the most part, their intention in this is only for the sake of the futilities of this world, that is, for the sake of prestige, honor, money and so forth. And because they delve only in wisdoms, thereby they completely forget the strategies of war (that is, how to fight the greatest war that a man needs to fight in this world, which is the war with one’s yetzer/ evil inclination). And sometimes they arrive at complete heresy by the wisdoms, as explained above; therefore one needs to be very careful about this.)

And behold, after this story of the son (which is also an incomplete story and still not finished), he begins to talk about the matter of the children who are the boy and girl who got lost during the fleeing of people that passed through the forest, and how the beggars came to them and gave them bread and blessed them. Then he tells about their wedding, how they longed for the beggars; and they [the beggars] came again to them and gave them derashah geshenk. And each and every story is a very awesome and wonderful matter and extremely wondrous, as discerned by whoever looks into it.

And behold, the story of the beggars as a whole encompasses almost the entire Shi`ur Qomah [“measurements” of the Divine “image”]. For, the first one was blind, the second was deaf, the third was speech-impaired, the fourth was crooked-necked, the fifth was hunchback, the sixth was armless, and the seventh was footless. But in fact they were intact in all these limbs of theirs, in such great perfection that has no greater perfection beyond it; just the opposite: on account of the greatly exceptional perfection of their height and their very lofty, enormous and awesome level, and also on account the great strength of the world’s concealment, therefore they appeared in the world’s eyes like blind, deaf and so forth. Similarly discerned there as well is the power of the strength of this world’s concealment and hiding, until the aspect of such a holy, wondrous and awesome wedding that is made up of such wondrous and awesome stories as these, had its place of chupah/wedding-canopy and wedding inside a big pit that they covered with reeds, dirt and garbage, and the feast was from their collecting bread and meat from the myenines (birthday) of the king. But this wedding was such a big, awesome and wondrous joy and with such awesome and wondrous revelation. Also discerned there is the great loftiness of holy longing and hope, for by means of the holy children longing, crying and yearning each time how to bring the beggars here etc., they merited one beggar from these beggars revealing himself to them each time, and revealing new, wondrous, awesome things to them; and not only that, but the children merited that the beggars conferred and gave to them all these aspects in the legality of a derashah geshenk. And accordingly, also discerned is the great high level of the holy children, who merited receiving such gifts; but in any case everything was by means of their holy longing, yearning and hope.

Also discerned there is how when some time of celebration comes to a man (for instance, a wedding celebration and so forth), he needs to remind himself of the great charities that Hashem Yithbarakh has done for him from the time he came to exist until this day, and to give Hashem Yithbarakh praise and thanks for all this from amidst his joy, and to wake up from within his joy with great hopes and yearnings for Hashem Yithbarakh who has bestowed and performed such kindnesses, specifically — because it is all only in the legality of a charitous gift from Him, Yithbarakh.

And behold, the first Blind Beggar boasted of his long life, and said about himself, “I am very old and still I am entirely a suckling babe” etc.; and that he has a consensus on this from the Great Eagle, and he told, regarding this, about the people who journeyed a great deal by ships on the sea, and a storm wind came and broke the ships etc., and the matter of the elders, where each one told an old story, what he remembers from his first memory etc. And behold, all of this story is awesome and wondrous even according to their actual simple meanings, for who has heard such a thing, that a man boasts of such a memory, that he remembers even when they cut his umbilical cord, which is really right after birth when he emerges from his mother’s womb? (And even though we have found in the Yerushalmi Ketuboth, chapter “Af `al pi...” [perek 5 halakhah 6 Gemara, daf 36] that Shmuel boasted that he recognizes his midwife from the time of his birth, and Rabbi Yehoshu`a ben Levi said he recognizes the mohel from when he was circumcised, and Rabbi Yochanan said he recognizes the women who accompanied his mother when he was born — in truth they too were prodigious at a very extraordinary level, as the greatness of their level is well known throughout all of Shas.) And here the first elder boasted of the aspect of this memory, and the second elder was surprised at him and replied in astonishment, saying, “That is an old story?! … But I remember also when the candle was burning” etc., and thus it is inferred that the first elder’s aspect of boasting of memory has no value at all compared to the second elder’s aspect of memory. And similarly with the second elder’s memory compared to the third elder’s aspect of memory, and so forth, higher above higher, with no bound or limit at all. And similarly even the eighth beggar’s memory has no value at all compared to the Blind Beggar, who was altogether a suckling babe then, and he spoke up and said to them, “I remember all these memories — and I remember ‘Nothing At All’ (Un ikh gidenk gar nit)!” Who has heard boasting of such wonders and awesome things as these, even according to the things’ simple meaning?

But in truth, from what the Great Eagle concluded and said to them, “Go back to your ships, which are your bodies, that were broken, which will be rebuilt” etc. — from this it is inferred that these people who went by ships a great deal, are souls of tzaddikim who came to this world clothed in bodies, which are the aspect of ships, in the way that is explained in the holy Zohar P. Vayak'hel 199, “Yonah who went down into the ship, this is the soul of man, which went down into this world to be in a man’s body... And now, a man goes out in this world like a ship in the great ocean, which is thought to be broken, as stated (Yonah 1), ‘And the ship was thought to be broken...’ And then Hakadosh Barukh Hu picks up a powerful storm wind... and this is what shakes the boat” and so forth. Also discerned in the Tikkunim, Tikkun #18, which is the aspect of what is explained in this story, is how a big storm wind came and broke the ships (implying that the bodies broke and died, God save us), and the people were saved and came to one tower and went up on the tower etc., and all good and all the worldly pleasures were there. (We infer that Rabbeinu z"l’s apparent meaning is the souls of the tzaddikim, which were clothed in those bodies, and which ascended to their place of rest in the Lower Gan `Eden, and perhaps in the Upper Gan `Eden.) There each one of them told what he remembers from his first memory. And anyhow we discern that there, it is irrelevant to say that any of the boasting of these aspects of memory are according to their actual simple meanings, but rather are much higher than high above; altogether inestimable and boundless. And in accord with this, it is discerned, by the way, that the Great Eagle who came and knocked on the tower etc. and explained to them all the stories that all the elders told etc. and said to them, “Go back to your ships, which are your bodies, which were broken, which will be rebuilt; now go back to them” — this Great Eagle, apparently he is the aspect of the one in charge of awakening those who rest in the dirt for revival of the dead, and therefore he said of himself that he is old, “but yet I am a suckling babe,” as also discerned in the holy Zohar Vayeshev pp. 181-182, that of him was said, “Na`ar hayithi gam zaqanti/ I have been young, also I have been old” [Ps. 37:25]; see there. But there are many aspects in this, higher above higher, and higher above those; but in truth in matters such as these we are merely as blind ones groping in the dark, and we have no inkling of knowledge or concept at all in any of this, and all our words here are merely to somewhat alert the one who looks into it. And see the wonders in this in Likutei Halakhoth: Hilkhoth Tefillin #5 and in Hilkhoth Milah and Avadim veGerim.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e: Tzaddik #88: Insofar as the Tzaddik renews himself more in his devotions each time, and makes himself as if he has no knowledge, and as if he is entirely a suckling babe, and has still not begun living at all, and begins each time anew, as explained elsewhere — by means of this specifically he merits to go up, each time, to higher perceptions and levels, “eye has not seen” etc. [Isa. 64:3], until thereby even though he is most infantile as mentioned, nevertheless he is older, up above, than everyone, and he attains such long life that all the world’s time in entirety does not count by him so much as an eyeblink. And on account of this he has no looking at this world, since all the world’s time does not count by him as much as an eyeblink.)

And similarly, on the second day, about the deaf one who boasted of his good life etc., it is also a very awesome and wonderful story. And in it is also discerned how even among the greatest tzaddikim on extremely exceptional levels there are also levels and degrees, higher above higher. For, even the country of wealth, where they had great treasuries and they lived good lives, and each one boasted of his good life — anyhow it is also inferred that they were awesome tzaddikim and they had great treasuries in great spirituality and on a very high and wondrous level, until through them they truly lived the aspect of good life, as also discerned further on in the text regarding the country that had a garden through which they lived a good life and the gardener became lost etc. (and behold, the matter of the garden and the gardener hints to what it hints, as somewhat discerned in the Zohar Terumah 166b and other places); and they came to the decision, inasmuch as there is a country of wealth, that it appears to them that their gardener that was lost is from the same root as those people of the wealthy country that also live a good life. Also discerned from this is: the people of that country were great and awesome tzaddikim and they lived truly good lives; and nevertheless the good life of the deaf one was on a level higher than and above their aspect of good life, with no bound or measure at all. And the proof is: when they came close to that country, in which their good life had become spoiled, the taste and the other things were spoiled for them as well, and when the deaf one gave them from his bread and water, they felt in his bread and water all the tastes etc., and everything that was spoiled for them was repaired, and then the deaf one also repaired that whole country with the garden, until the gardener through whom they lived a good life came back and was revealed to them.

And behold, the holy inner things and the lofty hints that are in this story are also very awesome and wonderful; and according to the simple meanings of the things one can also learn from them a great deal of smart guidance: How one very much needs to guard against tipping a judgment or sentence, favoritism, or taking bribes, for by means of this the eyes were darkened and the aspect of sight was spoiled. And similarly one must guard against all kinds of obscene language, even in a very fine manner, and even just hearing such speech and having some enjoyment from it at all, for by means of obscene language was spoiled the aspect of taste, until all the tastes were of rotten flesh. And all the more so, one needs to guard against any sort of aspect of adultery: real or even in a very fine degree, for by means of this, the aspect of smell was spoiled, that all the smells would be like the smell of galbanum. All this is aspects of total blemish and spoilage of the aspect of good life. And also discerned, by the way, is that the intention is not just spoilage of sight, taste and smell in physicality, but presumably the main intent is regarding spoilage of all these three aspects also in spirituality, as they are the essence of the aspect of truly good life. And when one merits to return in complete repentance from all these three transgressions and distance oneself very far from all people that stumble in it, thereby not only are the taste, sight and smell repaired, but also the gardener by whom they lived a good life and was lost — presumably also by some aspect of fine blemishes that came about in his countrymen, and now specifically after the cruel king came over them and spoiled their good life entirely, by means of the three factions of agents, who introduced these sins among them — now when they merit to return and repair all this, thereby they merit that their gardener also returns to them, and they merit to live a good life through him in entirety. And everything is repaired by means of the deaf one, who merited to live a good life that has no lack in it at all. For, all the sounds in the world are all only from lackings etc.; but for this deaf one, the whole entire world does not count as anything for him, that they should bring into his ears its lack (and therefore he appears deaf, as explained in the text). For, he lives a good life that has in it no lacking at all, and his good life is that he would eat bread and drink water etc. From this whole story is also discerned smart and wondrous guidance for whoever truly desires. And see regarding this in Likutei Halakhoth: Hilkhoth Ishuth.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzaddik 89: All the voices in the world are all only due to lackings. For, each and every person cries out for his lack, and even all the celebrations in the world are only on account of the lacking that was missing for him and now has been filled for him. But there is a True Tzaddik who merits to live a good life that has in it no lacking at all. And he appears like a deaf person because the whole world does not amount to him as anything, that he should hear their lackings. And his good life is bread and water; but in his bread and water one can feel all the tastes, all the smells, and all the pleasures in the world, until through them one truly lives a good life with no lacking at all.

Ibid. #90: There is an aspect of such a garden, in which grow wonderful fruits and crops that have all the tastes, all the smells and all the sights in the world. And the whole world would be able to live a truly good life through this garden. And over this garden there is a gardener, which is called “agradnik,” that is, such a holy and supernal Tzaddik who is in charge over it and constantly exerts himself with all the garden’s repair. And sometimes due to the generation’s transgression, the gardener is lost, that is, the light of this Tzaddik is hidden and covered up and the world is not privileged to know of him that he is this gardener through whom they can all live a truly good life through the garden and this gardener. Even though he goes about and says he is the gardener, the world, however, regards him as an insane person, God forbid, and they throw rocks at him and drive him away. And subsequently he cannot exert himself with the garden’s repairs, and thereby whatever is in the garden definitely must end and be cut off, since there is no one in charge there, that is, the gardener. But nevertheless they would be able to live from the after-growths in the garden; but the Accuser challenges this a great deal as well, and brings into the world such bad traits that spoil the good life that they were able to live through the garden. For, through these traits, every kind of taste is spoiled to the point that is the aspect of rotten flesh flavor, and every kind of smell until it is in the aspect galbanum smell, and also the eyes are darkened by the aspect of clouds that cover the eye, until thereby all the kinds of sights and colors in the world are damaged. And behold, even though there are definitely such tzaddikim in the world that have great wealth and large treasuries in spirituality, who also boast that they live a good life — and verily they live a good life through their holy treasuries — nevertheless those spoilages that spoil the world can also spoil for them the taste, the smell and the other things mentioned. And all the more so, they have not the power to repair the world and return to them the good life that they were able to live through the holy garden. And therefore sometimes when their good life is also spoiled then their whole repair is by the great Tzaddik on the aforementioned level, who is the aspect of deaf; who lives a good life that has in it no lacking at all, and he gives them to taste from his bread and water, in which they feel all the tastes, as mentioned, and also thereby is repaired what was spoiled for them. And this Tzaddik can repair also the good life of all the world, and he makes it known that the essence of the spoilage of their good life comes to them from the bad traits that the Accuser introduces to them, that is: through lewd speech is spoiled for them the taste, that all the tastes are of rotten flesh; and by actual adultery the smell is damaged; and by them not having truth, tipping the judgment, showing favoritism, and taking bribes, thereby the sight is spoiled for them. And he warns them direly to purify themselves from these transgressions, and then not only will the taste, sight and smell be repaired for them, but also they will thereby merit to find the gardener who was lost. So they attain all this through this deaf Tzaddik.

Ibid. #91: When people begin to open their eyes to what they are busy with, that is, thinking thoughts how to repair the good life that has become spoiled for them, then they first come to these tzaddikim who live a good life though the wealth and treasuries of holiness that they have. Only if the world is meritorious and the time of their repair has already arrived, then these tzaddikim acknowledge the truth and inform the world that all the repair is by these tzaddikim themselves. And likewise the repair of all the world’s creatures depends only on this deaf beggar.)

On the third day of the wedding is the extremely wondrous and awesome story about the speech-impaired one, who boasted how he is a very wonderful orator and speaker, and is able to say such wonderful riddles and poems that there is no creature in the world that will not want to hear him (examine and discern from this wording, “no creature,” that it includes all creatures in the world, which are: inanimate, plant, animal, speech-capable; and also all the spiritual entities up to the top-top, for they are all creatures, in the aspect of “ki hu tzivah venivra'u/ for He commanded, and they were created” etc. [Ps. 148:5]). And within these riddles and poems are all the wisdoms, except that since the world’s speech that is not praise of Hashem Yithbarakh does not have perfection, therefore he appears speech impaired (and from this is discerned even from its simple meaning, smart guidance on guarding one’s speech). And then he tells how he has approbation of his boasting from the great man, the Truly Gracious Man etc. And the whole matter there is very awesome and wonderful, and speaks of Dawidh haMelekh a"h, and somewhat hints to Tehillim Ch. 61, as explained at the end of the story, what was heard from his holy mouth himself z"l, aside from what we somewhat inferred when this holy story was heard from his holy mouth. For, he told it with awesome and wonderful passion, enormous awe, and enormous and awesome wondrous attachment. From this we also discerned that in this story are enormous awesome things in the extreme. Fortunate are the ears that merited hearing such awesome stories from his holy mouth and merited gazing on and delighting from the bliss of his holy face’s radiance then, in the aspect of, “Vehayu `eineikha ro'oth eth-moreikha/ Your eyes shall see your teacher” [Isa. 30:20]. Happy is their lot. And see Likutei Halakhoth Hilkhoth Tzedakah.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzedakah #8, Tzaddik #92: The essence of how time is generated, which is the essence of how the Spring and the Heart maintain existence, as explained in the text, through which is the essence of how the whole entire world exists, is by means of the true kindnesses (and from this is discerned that a man has to be very careful to do some true kindness every day, in order that he also has some part and pertinence in all this). And each and every day, when it emerges from the place where it comes from, it goes forth with very wonderful riddles and songs that have in them all the wisdoms. And there are differences between the days, for no day is like another, as in the text. And there is a big and wondrous Tzaddik who involves himself in this. That is, he goes and collects all the true kindnesses and brings them to the Truly Gracious Man, who is truly a very great man, and that is the essence of how time is generated. And this Tzaddik who involves himself with this, collecting the true kindnesses, he is definitely a very great and wondrous sage, and he too is a very wondrous orator and speaker, and can speak riddles and songs so wonderful that there is no creature in the world that will not want to hear him, and in these riddles and songs are contained all the wisdoms. And all this is understandable as a matter of course, since the essence of the existence of the world, the Spring, the Heart, and all the creatures in entirety, is only by means of him collecting all the true kindnesses. Similarly, all the riddles and songs of each and every day, which these songs contain all the wisdoms — it is all through him. Thus he knows very wondrous riddles and songs, as mentioned. But since the world’s utterances that are not praises to Hashem Yithbarakh do not have perfection, therefore this Tzaddik specifically appears in the world’s eyes as a speech-impaired, for he is “speech-impaired” from these worldly utterances that are imperfect. But in fact he is not speech-impaired at all, rather just the opposite: he is a very wonderful orator and speaker, as mentioned.

Ibid. Ratzon #5: The essence of the world’s vitality and existence is only by means of holy yearnings and hopes, as discerned in the text, that the world’s Heart, on which all the vitality and existence of the world depends, with all of creation in entirety — the essence of this very Heart’s vitality is by it standing facing the Spring that is at the world’s edge, constantly hoping and yearning very passionately, to come to that Spring, even though it is impossible for it to go and get close to the Spring due to the reason explained there; nevertheless the essence of its vitality is only by means of it standing, looking out, glancing and gazing at the Spring from very far away, from the end of the world, and longing, hoping, and yearning with great passion, with exhaustion of soul, and constantly crying out to come to that Spring; and also this Spring yearns for it, and thereby is the essence of the Heart’s vitality, on which the essence of life and the existence of the whole entire world depends, as discerned in the text.

Ibid. Tefillah #25: When the day comes to be ended and terminated (which is the time of the Minchah and Ma`ariv prayers) then a man needs to wake up with great arousal and remind himself how the world’s Heart and the Spring (by which is the essence of the world’s existence) begin to take leave of each other (which is called gizeginen zikh), and say wonderful riddles and songs to each other with great love and very great passion; therefore he too needs to participate with them, and wake up with great passion and hope towards Hashem Yithbarakh, and pray with great attachment. For, the creation of the entirety of this day is already ended and cut off, and who knows what a day will bring? — as discerned in the text. And similarly afterwards one needs to prepare himself to receive the holiness of the new creation of the coming day, and remind himself well, that each and every day, when it comes from where it comes, then it comes with wonderful riddles and songs that contain all the wisdoms. And there are variations among the days, for each day differs from another, especially sanctified days, which are Shabbath, Rosh Chodesh and Yamim Tovim. Therefore a man must also involve himself in this and pray each day and say before Him Yithbarakh songs, praises etc. with new desire and very great holy fervor, and with entirely new brains, and bind himself to and draw upon himself the merit and the power of the one who occupies himself with this, collecting the true kindnesses and bringing them to the Truly Gracious Man, whereby is the essential generation of time, the riddles, the songs, and the wisdoms mentioned above, and also the essence of the existence and vitality of the Spring and the Heart and the whole entire world, as in the text.)

(And by the way understood from this in particular is: when the year comes to its end and term, that is, in the last month of the year, the month of Elul, which are days of holy favor and hope, one definitely needs to remind himself of all the aforementioned, and wake up more at that time with great aspirations to Hashem Yithbarakh, and prepare himself to receive the holiness of the new creation of the coming year, and remind himself on the holy day of Rosh Hashanah, that such a holy day comes from where it comes, with very wondrous riddles and songs; therefore a man needs to also make himself part of this, and pray then with great desire and holy fervor, and draw on himself the merit and power of the Truly Gracious Man who is supreme on a very high level; especially the merit and power of the one who occupies himself with collecting the true kindnesses, whereby is the sustenance of the world and the creation in entirety which is created then, as written, “Zeh hayom hatchalath ma`aseikha/ This is the day of the beginning of Your works;” and as mentioned.)

On the fourth day of the wedding is the wondrous and awesome story of the one whose neck was crooked, and his telling that on the contrary he has a very even and handsome neck, but rather there are hevlei `olam/ worldly vanities-vapors and he twists his neck because he does not want to emit any vapor or wind (which is called dukh/breath) into the worldly vapors. (See and discern from this, smart guidance for your soul, and contemplate the vast enormity of the awes of this one’s righteousness.) But in truth he has a very wonderful neck and very wondrous voice, and he has a consensus on this, and the whole matter there is very awesome and wondrous, as discerned by whoever looks into it honestly. And see regarding this in Likutei Halakhoth H' Nedarim.

There, regarding that crooked neck boasted he can produce with his neck all the sounds in the world and can throw voices afar, and he has consensus on this from the country that was very expert in the wisdom of music, and he showed them that he is more expert than them in this, and that he can throw voices, and he told them an entire matter in this — actually it is not understood there. For, his boasting against them that he can quiet the sound of wailing and crying that the two countries have that are one thousand parsahs apart, namely, by his being able to throw voices and draw together the birds that are lost from each other, by throwing voices at them — in truth, it is not clear there that he did so and quieted the sound of wailing. Rather, he told a different matter, showing them that he can throw his voice; see there. Instead, the matter seems to me another thing that our Rabbis z"l said regarding the redemption’s appointed daybreak (which is the aspect of drawing the birds close to each other, which is the aspect of union of Kudsha Berikh Hu and His Shekhinah, and to quiet their yelling) is that it has two aspects, the aspect of be`itah/in its time, and the aspect of achishenah/I will hasten it [Isa. 60:22; Sanh. 98a]. And behold, the aspect of achishenah, which depends on the whole world repenting, it is understood of course that it is impossible to repair this until everyone returns in repentance, so it is understood that he must be talking of the drawing the birds close that will be be`itah, so therefore he was unable to finish the thing immediately, since it is not yet be`itah, so he is forced to still hold back until it will be the period and time for it, except that then too the repair will only be completed by the aforementioned voice throwing. Therefore he was unable to finish the thing presently, and he showed them this thing, that he can throw voices of things that are somewhat external, for instance a house that was open and the door being shut, and also the shooting of a gun etc. And all this is on account that then the matter of throwing voices was still clothed in external things, except nevertheless they discerned that his words were true and he can throw voices and finish the repair perfectly, except that the time has not yet come, therefore he only informed them of their lack of perfection, that they have not yet arrived at the perfection of the matter in this, and they all have to just receive perfection from him. And then when they all attain this, perhaps the time will come to complete the repair by this in perfection, even in the aspect of be`itah.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzaddik #32: There are two birds, one male and one female, and they are just one pair in the world. And these two birds have gotten so lost and far from each other, that one cannot find the other. And when night arrives then they wail with a very great voice of wailing, for each one wails for his mate. And these two birds hint to what they hint to (as somewhat discerned by those who know, and as written, “Ketzipor nodedeth min-kinah/ As a bird that wanders from her nest” etc. [Prov. 28:7], and the scripture, “Sha'og yish'ag `al-nawehu/ He roars mightily because of His fold” [Jer. 25:30], and there it is written [ibid. 31:14] “Meanah lehinachem `al-baneyah ki einenu/ She refuses to be comforted for her children, because he is not” — specifically, as our rabbis z"l have explained [i.e. he is missing in exile and she does not see him, the male bird — thus the explanation is perfect, and by the way, explains the verse’s seeming contradiction, “baneyah..einenu”]). And there is one Tzaddik who has a very beautiful and wondrous neck, and a very wonderful voice; and all the sounds in the world, which are voice without speech, he can emit all of them with his voice, that is, he can project in making his voice like all the kinds of sounds that are in the world, of all the kinds of animals and birds, and of all the kinds of instruments, and so forth, and also he can throw voices. That is, in the place where he emits the sound, the sound will not be heard at all; only at a distance will the sound be heard. And thereby he can draw these two birds close and unite them with each other, as in the text. However, since there are hevlei `olam/ worldly vapors-vanities, and this Tzaddik does not want to emit any spirit or breath (which is called dukh) into the world’s vapors, therefore he specifically appears in the world’s eyes like his neck is bent, because actually he bends his neck altogether from the worldly vapors and does not want to emit any vapor and wind into the worldly vapors. But in truth his neck is not bent at all, but rather just the opposite, as mentioned.)

On the fifth day of the wedding is the wonderful and awesome story of the one whose back was hunched, and his telling them that on the contrary he has such shoulders (pleytses) that have the aspect of the “little holding the much.” And they were laughing at and mocking one of the others [who boasted of this], who bragged that his brain is the little holding the much, because he carries in his mind thousands and myriads of people with all their needs and all their existence and movements etc., and therefore he is the little holding the much. And they laughed at him, and told him that his people are nothing and he is nothing. One of them spoke up and said a very minor, inferior and contemptible analogy to this person’s little holding the much etc. — and by the way, it is understood that this man too was very great, since he has connection with thousands and myriads of people, such that he thought he could boast of this aspect — nevertheless they replied to him as mentioned (and from this is discerned by anyone who looks into it, great guidance for his soul, how his days are consumed with futility and emptiness, and all his thoughts and ideas which he goes into a great deal for the sake of the management and the needs of himself and all his household who accompany and rely on him, while it appears to him that he carries all of them on his heart and mind — in truth if his intention in all this is not in the utmost perfection of intent, only for the sake of Heaven alone and to do the will of the Blessed One in this, then it is all vanity, as discerned from this story by whoever looks into the text). And the rest of them who boasted in this aspect had their words accepted, and there it is also discerned how also on the level of great tzaddikim there is higher above higher, and then higher above them, as discerned from this story in the text. And the matter of the story of the group that was investigating the wondrous and awesome tree explained in the text, and how even after they all attained all the traits of the tree, which are truth and steadfastness, humility and awe, nevertheless they were not able to come to the tree, since it is the aspect of above space, until the hunchbacked one brought them there. So the whole entire story is very wondrous and awesome. (And see Likutei Halakhoth H' Tzitzith #3 and H' Sefer Torah #3.)

There, regarding their laughing at the one who boasted that his brain is the little holding the much — and see there in the text, what they compared him with — discerned there is that in this they informed him the enormity of his error, the polar opposite. For behold, he imagined that he carries all of them on his brain, that is, because their existence, their uses, and all the good within them is all only from his brain; and ultimately it is the total opposite, that all the garbage and waste that is in each of them, it is all by him carrying them on his brain and leading a person according to his mind, whereby he adds a great deal of waste to them and makes the smell of their soul putrid; his are all these who hold on to him and are called by his name (and see in LM II the lesson “Tik`u — Tokhachah #8), and they are just like the parable of the garbage that was abundantly scattered on the mountain and the man that was sitting on the mountain boasting that it was all from him.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzaddik #94: There is someone who boasts that his brain is the aspect of “the little that holds the much,” in that he carries in his mind thousands and myriads of people will all their needs and practices and all their existence and motions; everything in entirety he carries in his brain, and therefore he boasts of himself that his brain is the little that holds the much. And in truth he is nothing and his people are nothing, and they all altogether from hevel/vapor-vanity; and there are many things that increase hevel. On the other hand, there exist truly great tzaddikim who each have the aspect of the little that holds the much, each one according to his aspect. There is one whose speech is the little holding the much, and there is one whose silence is the little holding the much. And there is one who moves the lunar orbit, even though the lunar orbit is very large, and he is what sustains the entire world, for the world needs the moon; hence he is truly the aspect of the little holding the much. But there is a further aspect of the little holding the much, that is above all of them entirely. And this Tzaddik who attains this aspect of the little that holds the much at the utmost highest level that has nothing above it, he specifically appears hunchback (which is called hoykir), and in truth he is not hunchback at all, rather just the opposite: he carries on him everything; see the text.

Ibid. #99: There is a tree in the shade of which all the animals would dwell, in its shade; and on the branches of which all the fowl and all the tziperei shemaya/ birds of the sky [Dan. 4] would dwell. And the wondrous delight that is there at that tree is unfathomable. And sometimes there is a group of people who perceive that there exists such a tree in the world and they want to go and arrive at it. However, there is no one among them to make the decision, which direction to go to reach that tree, and a dispute falls among them about this, as one says to this side they must go, and another says to that side, and there is no one to decide between them, until a sage arrives and informs them that is impossible to merit to come to that tree except for someone who has the characteristics of the tree. For, the tree has three roots, which are: faith, fear, and humility; and truth is the body of the tree. And then when they all manage to reach these traits, then they all agree with one mind that this is the way they need to go to get to the tree. But this tree has no place at all, for it is entirely above space, and therefore even these tzaddikim who attain the traits of the tree, it is nevertheless impossible for even them to go up and come to it, except by means of this Tzaddik, the aforementioned hunchback, who attained the ultimate highest level in the concern of the little holding the much, and he is on the end level of the aspect of space, for immediately above him is above space entirely, and therefore he can carry and raise them from within the aspect of space and bring them up to the tree, which is above space.)

On the sixth day of the wedding is the awesome and wondrous story of the one without hands, and him saying that in truth he has power in his hands, only he does not use this power in his hands in this world, because he needs this power for a different interest, and he has a consensus on this from the Watery Castle (has such an expression ever been heard in the world? especially with what is explained further on in the text, that there are ten walls, one within the next, and they are all of water, and also there are trees and fruits, and it is all of water, and the beauty of the castle and the greatness of the marvel of this castle is needless to say, etc.), and all the matter there, how the king’s daughter fled into this castle, and passed through the gates of the walls of water, until she arrived inside (after they shot her and all the ten kinds of arrows hit her), and she fell down faint there, and he heals her, etc.

(And also from this story is discerned how with the levels of the greatest tzaddikim as well there is higher above higher, for all of these who are explained in the text who boasted of the power that they have in their hands, each one was a wondrous and awesome novelty on a very extraordinary level, as discerned in the text, and nevertheless the handless one replied to each of them, “If so, you cannot heal the king’s daughter.”)

And the whole matter of the story in detail, as explained in the text, it is all very wondrous and awesome; no thought can contain it, and fortunate is he who can attain some true spark in the holy, awesome, and enormous stories explained in this whole book of stories, especially this holy story which he himself extolled its vast praiseworthiness and sanctity, as somewhat explained at the end of the text.

And see regarding the story of the Sixth Day in Likutei Halakhoth H' Rosh Hashanah and at the end of H' Pesach and in Hilkhoth Tola`aim and in Hilkhoth [P"U] Ishuth.

Regarding the boasting of the Sixth Day’s beggar, it was also in the manner explained above regarding the Fourth Day, that he still has not finished the repair perfectly, but rather he involves himself presently in healing the king’s daughter; and when they will merit to feel their deficiency, how they are far from the great power he has in his hands, then it is possible for the king’s daughter’s healing to be finished perfectly, more speedily; so be His will, soon in our days, Amen.

(Likutei `Etzoth 2/e Tzaddik #96: The essence of the king’s daughter’s complete healing is only through the very great Tzaddik who: [1] has such a power in his hands that he can go back and remove all the ten kinds of arrows even after they have reached whom they were shot at; [2] and also has the power in his hands that from whom he receives, he gives to, until thereby he has in his hands all the ten kinds of charity; [3] and also knows the ten kinds of pulse-beats, by means of having such a power in his hands that he can give to whomever he lays his hands on, all the ten measures of wisdom; [4] and also has such a power in his hands that he can hold back and grasp with his hands all the ten kinds of winds, and make weight for the wind with his hands, whereby he knows to play the ten kinds of melody. And the melody is the king’s daughter’s healing. Hence he has such power in his hands, but nevertheless he appears like one who is handless, since he does not use the power in his hands in this world, for he needs to use the power in his hands for the aforementioned interest.

Ibid. #97: You, reader, stand and contemplate from all the above, that the massive concealment of the light of the greatest tzaddikim is at so extreme that their light is hidden in this world, as this world is so very far from the awesomeness of their holiness that they appear as blind, as deaf, and as having defects in all the above; and not only that, but they are called “beggars” because this is the lowest and ignoblest of levels in this world. And also the matter of the holy wedding, where the whole matter was the revelation of their awesomenesses and wonders, was also in the very humblest and lowest place in this world, namely in a big pit covered with reeds, dirt and garbage. And thus it goes presently as well, in each and every generation, until the world comes to the completion of its repair, and then “the tzaddikim will see and rejoice” etc., and then the holiness of the True Tzaddik’s light will be revealed, that shines in all the worlds, especially in this world, as explained elsewhere.)

(Copyist’s and arranger’s note: I also heard that Rabbeinu z"l hinted, in his calling them beggars, that these awesome Tzaddikim did not reach the awesomeness of these wonders except by being beggars, that they constantly asked and entreated Hashem Yithbarakh to be privileged to serve His Blessedness, until they attained high lofty levels as these; and as brought in his words z"l elsewhere [LM II #25], that all the Tzaddikim did not reach their levels except through prayer. So may Hashem Yithbarakh let us merit to constantly be involved in prayer, until we merit to be in accord with His will, and according to the will of the holy ones who fear Him; may their merit protect us, Amen.)