Translation:Rimzei haMaasiyot - Hashmatot

Found in the sack of one of the Rebbe’s followers*, a summary from the book Biur haLikutim about the torah Pathach Rabbi Shim`on [LM #60] which is an explanation of the first story, the Lost Princess:

• probably R’ Avraham Peterburger z"l, who was the only one other than R’ Nathan to record the Rebbe’s teachings

According to what is understood from his holy words, that the Nefesh/soul of Malkhuth/Kingship, Dawidh [I Sam. 18:1 nefesh Dawidh; Arizal on Sifra deTzni`utha comments that the nefesh of Gen. 1:20 is nefesh Dawidh, Malkhuth], is the aspect of the king’s daughter that was lost [Malkhuth is “feminine”], and it is also the aspect of the hithbonenuth [deep contemplative understanding] of the Torah, as understood in the Second Preface to Sipurei Ma`asiyoth: Understood, by the way, is that from the time of Creation, his nefesh descended into the place of the qelipoth/husks, that is, to Sedom/Sodom in the qelipah of Moab, and therefore it is said about him, “Matzati Dawidh `avdi/ I have found my servant Dawidh” [Ps. 89:21], and our Rabbis explained in Midrash Rabbah, “And where did I find him? In Sedom, as it says, ‘Ve'eth-shetei venotheikha hanimtza'oth/ and your two daughters, that are found’” [Gen. 19:15], that is, the aspect of finding the king’s daughter. Also understood, by the way, in accord with this, is the count of his lifespan being seventy years, and his need for guarding against being overtaken by sleep, as brought in the words of Chazal, that he never in his life slept sixty breaths. Also understood, by the way, in accord with this, is the Admor z"tzl’s not telling us how he took her out; “Even from my heart to my mouth I did not reveal this” [Sanhedrin 99a on Isa. 63:4; Shivchei haRan #31]. And it is impossible to take her out except secretly and with cleverness and cunning, as it were. And behold, the matter of the cleverness and the slyness that one needs in order to take her out, perhaps it is the matter brought in the torah “Pathach Rabbi Shim`on” [Likutei Moharan #60], that when one wakes up a man from his sleep, then he needs to show him the faces of the Torah that he lost during his sleep, and needs to clothe the faces for him in order that the forces outside of holiness should not have any grip on him and not let him leave, in the aspect of “Meshaneh panav vateshalchehu/ You change his face and send him away” [Job 14:20], as mentioned there in that torah.

Also according to what is explained in that torah is that by means of reverence, one attains length of days on the side of holiness, whereby one attains riches of holiness, whereby one attains contemplation of the Torah, which is the aspect of the king’s daughter, as mentioned. Understood, by the way, is that the princess is the aspect of “ishah yir'ath-Hashem/ a woman who fears Hashem “ [Prov. 31:30] explained there; and thereby is subdued and nullified the promiscuous woman, the aspect of the king’s daughter of the Sitra Achra/ Other Side that is in the qelipah of hevel hayofi/ futility of beauty, whereby comes poverty, the aspect of, “Al-tachmod yofyah bilvavekha/ Do not covet her beauty in your heart [whereby a man is] `ad-kikar-lechem/ brought down to a loaf of bread” [Prov. 6:26], quoted there, whereby one does not attain finding her and repairing her. For, the essence of finding her is by the golden mountain and the castle of pearls [as in the story], which are the aspect of wealth on the side holiness, as explained in the Second Preface.

And understood in accord with this, by the way, is the Pelishtim taking over Sarah and Rivkah, in their qelipah of hevel hayofi, which this is the matter of the loss of the princess to the place of qelipoth, until Avraham and Yitzchak had to be involved with this in all the holy repairs explained there in that torah, until they managed to take her out of there. Also discerned in accord with this is what Chazal explained (Bava Bathra 16b) about the verse, “VeAvraham zaqen ba bayamim vaShem berakh eth-Avraham bakol/ And Avraham was elder, advanced in yamim-days-years, and Hashem blessed Avraham with everything” [Gen. 24:1], quoted there in that torah: he had a daughter etc. (the aspect of finding the princess); Rabbi Shim`on ben Yochai says he had a gemstone (the aspect of the aforementioned castle of pearls, whereby he merited to find her). And even though the main repair depends on the special persons of the era, nevertheless there are aspects of these repairs found with each man and woman, and every person needs to involve himself in these repairs, each one according to his level, until he merits to find his mate, for she is what he has lost, whom he goes about searching for, as Chazal said, “The one who has lost the object goes searching for it” [Kiddushin 2b]. And understood, by the way, according to this, is the concept of the marital relations explained there in the torah Pathach R"Sh. Also discerned from this is how Yitzchak and Ya`akov came to meet their mates at a well and an `AeYN/source [of water], whereas the viceroy [in the story] did not attain this but drank from a spring (ma`yan, kval) [of wine] and became poor and destitute of the riches of holiness, and thereby the princess became more hidden from him; but they merited that the well and source became for them a head and brains in the clarification of the `AYN (i.e. seventy) faces of Torah in its contemplation, which is the aspect of the princess. Also understood, according to this, is the concept of Ya`akov Avinu being forced to take out Rachel and Leah, who are from the aspect of the princess on the side of holiness, from the place of qelipoth, the house of Lavan, by means of trickery, deception and cleverness. And also understood by the way and in accord with this is the matter of Leah having six boys and one girl — who also descended into the place of qelipoth, the house of Shekhem, and again there was no possibility of taking her out except by trickery and cleverness.

And behold, during the time when sleep overcomes a man — which is when the princess of holiness and the contemplation of the Torah is lost from him, as explained in that torah and the story, and in accord with the rule of zeh le`umath zeh (each thing in Holiness has its counterpart on the Other Side, and vice-versa) — then is when the princess of the Other Side comes to dwell by him. And in accord with this is understood what Chazal said regarding netilath yadayim/ the ceremonial hand washing three times alternating right-left when a man awakens from his sleep: [The bad spirit that remains on the hands after sleep] is a princess and insists [on remaining on the hands until washed it is washed off in that manner: Kaf haChayim 2:9 on SAOC #4; Shabbath 109a].

Also explained by the combination of that torah and the story, is concerning the soul of the tevunah/understanding and the kingship of the Davidic son, mentioned above, which descended from the day of Creation to a place of qelipoth/husks like Sedom, mentioned above, and became concealed and hidden among them, until it is not known where she will be found, and what kind of place of gemstones and pearls and golden-earth mountain is at where she is dwelling. For she is not at all found in civilization, in the land of the living. And all these pearls and gems are worth nothing more than introductions and scrap in compare to her. And also all the land animals and birds of the sky replied and said they have not set foot on it and not seen it and they do not know of it at all. Only upon gathering the winds, then it was made known by the spirit of God which arrived to him at the last end-time, by the great strength of his faith, as he destroyed and killed himself with his enormous effort and exertion in order to look for her. Gaze upon and see the wonders of the scripture’s language (Job 28:4): “Hanishkachim mini-ragel/ Those who caused the foot [of wayfarers] to be forgotten,” which the Admor z"l quoted, regarding the corruption of Sedom, where they wanted to eliminate commerce and the “one-third of one’s wealth a person should apportion in commerce” [B"M 42a] in order to overcome the aforementioned spirit of understanding and the kingship of the Davidic son. So discern from afar the loftiness of the whole matter that is there (in Job 28), from all the aforementioned, as this is the language of the scripture there, immediately after the aforementioned “hanishkachim mini-ragel:”

• 6 “Mekom-sapir avaneyah, we`afroth zahav lo/ Its stones are a place of sapphires, and its dust is gold” (which is the mountain and the castle mentioned).
• 7 “Netiv lo-yeda`o `ayit, welo-shezafato `ein ayah/ The path, no bird of prey knows, nor has the falcon’s eye seen it” (which are the birds mentioned).
• 8 “Lo-hidrikhuhu venei shachatz, lo-`adah `alav shachal/ The proud beasts have not trodden it, nor has the lion passed by it” (which are the animals mentioned)...
• 12 “Wehachokhmah me'ayin timatze, we'ey zeh meqom binah/ But the wisdom [Hei-Chokhmah i.e. the princess!], where shall it be found? And where is the place of understanding?”
• 13 “Lo-yada` enosh erkah, welo-timatze be'eretz hachayim/ No mortal knows her value; nor is she found in the land of the living...”
• 17 “Lo-ya`arkhenah zahav uzkhukhith, uthmurathah keli-faz/ Gold and glass cannot equal her; neither shall her exchange be vessels of fine gold.”
• 18 “...U'meshekh chokhmah mipnimim/ But the price of wisdom is above pearls” (for they are but scrap in compare to it)...
• 21 “Wene`elmah me`einei khol-chai, ume`of hashamayim nistarah/ As she is hidden from the eyes of all living, and concealed from the fowls of the air.”
• 22 “Avadon wemaveth amru, be'ozneinu shama`nu shim`ah/ Destruction and Death [which describe Malkhuth having descended into qelipah; perhaps referring to the viceroy going out to seek her] say: ‘We have heard a rumor of her with our ears,’”

and so forth, that is, as mentioned.

Also the matter of the verse “Pethach pikha le'ilem/ Open your mouth for the mute” [Prov. 31:8] that is quoted there in that torah, regarding when one awakens a man from sleep, then he [the one who was awoken] opens his mouth and speaks holy speech before Hashem Yithbarakh, with great power etc., until one merits thereby to arrive at contemplative understanding of the Torah, which is the aspect of the princess. Discern from afar, in this scripture stated in the cry of BATH SHEVA` [which can be read “daughter of seven,” i.e. the aspect of the princess] about Shelomoh haMelekh, who is the aspect of the viceroy (for he reigned over the upper and the lower worlds, as our rabbis explained) as she said, “Al lamlakhim shetho-yayin/ It is not for kings to drink wine” [ibid. :4] (for at that time he married the princess daughter of Par`oh/Pharaoh, of the Sitra Achra, and slept up to the fourth hour of the day, as our rabbis expounded: V. Rabbah 12:5). And thereby the princess on the side of holiness became more hidden from him, for “keshezeh qam zeh nofel/ When one side (impurity) rises, the other side falls (holiness, and vice-versa).” And she wakes him up with her screaming and crying and says to him, “Pethach pikha le'ilem,” which hints to the repairs of finding her, as in the text [LM #60]. And immediately he wakes up, feels remorse, and cries [Prov. 31:10], “Esheth-chayil/ Woman of (‘valor’ or ‘soldier’: for she traveled with the soldier to the place of the pearl castle) — who can find” her, now that her price is far above peninim/pearls. But by means of “Batach bah lev-ba`alah, veshalal lo-yechsar/ Her husband’s heart is sure about her, so he hath no lack of (booty, or something that is carried off)” [ibid. :11]: even today there is hope to find her, for this scripture hints to the confidence on the side of holiness, which is the aspect of the tie with an Yisraelite woman, which is drawn, at its root, from the aspect of the princess on the side of holiness, as explained in the torah Pathach Rabbi Shim`on. And she is in the aspect of, “Sheker hachen vehevel hayofi, ishah yirath Hashem hi tith'hallal/ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain; a woman who fears Hashem — she is to be praised” [ibid :30], which Shelomoh haMelekh concluded at the end of the matter.

And this verse is quoted at the beginning of that torah, regarding finding the contemplative understanding of the Torah, and also in the matter of the scripture, “Beshuv Hashem eth-shivath tziyon/ When Hashem brought back those that returned to Tziyon” etc. [Ps. 126:1], which is mentioned in the Gemara at the beginning of the story of Choni Ham`agel. It seems clear that the Babylonian exile, seventy years, is the seventy years that the Admor z"l mentioned in this story, and the Redemption and the construction of the Temple is the aspect of waking up from sleep. From this it is understood that Rabbeinu z"l also hints to the matter of the Holy Temple, which is built on the mountain where there is all the wealth of sanctity of the land of Yisrael, which is the aspect of the golden mountain. And the Holy of Holies is the aspect of the pearls, as our rabbis z"l expounded on the verse, “Yeqarah hi mipnimim/ She is more precious than pearls” [Prov. 3:15], and there specifically, were laid the Testimonial Tablets, which are the aspect of the contemplative understanding of Torah, as in the text, and Dawidh HaMelekh a"h merited to find the Temple Mount by means of sleeplessness specifically, the aspect of, “Im eten shenath le`einai/ I will not give sleep to my eyes... `ad emtza maqom laShem/ until I find the place for Hashem” etc. [Ps. 132:4].

Also by what is explained in that torah — that the whole entirety of being asleep from the seventy years is considered one particular face of the contemplative understanding of the Torah (which is the aspect of the princess, as mentioned), and in accord with the known rule that every aspect is made up of all other aspects — understood from this is the princess’s advice for finding her, that the viceroy should sit and tarry a complete year.

Also by what is explained in that story, that on the last day of sleep, if he would withstand the test, he would merit to find her, that is, at the very last moment, for then the waning of the moon (which is also drawn from the utterance that was spurted out by the high king, unintentionally, “Lekhi um`ati eth `atzmekh/ Go and reduce yourself” etc. [Zohar Chadash Sh"HSh Ma'amar Mi`ut HaLevanah]) will be reversed, toward the birth and head of the year, which at that time, “Dirshu Hashem behimmatzo/ Seek Hashem when he may be found” [Ps. 55:6], as known [i.e. these are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, R"H 18a] — beHimmatzo [when finding Hi/Her] specifically, the aspect of finding the princess: thus behold, it is clear from this that on Rosh Hashanah is repaired the damage of her being lost, if one merits to withstand the test. And understood, by the way, in accord with this, is what is explained in that torah, about the repair of Rosh Hashanah, that it revolves around all these repairs.

I heard from my father z"l that after the Admor z"tzukl told the story of the Burgher and the Pauper, then there was a big enormous celebration among his followers, and during it they sang the scripture, “Ki nicham Hashem [eth] Tziyon/ For Hashem has comforted Tziyon” etc. [Isa. 51:3]. For, then they realized from his holy comments that he said after it, which are explained at the end of the story, that the matter of the young man [the Burgher’s Son] and the emperor’s daughter that is discussed there, hints to the soul of Mashiach and Kenesseth Yisrael, who are presently apart from each other. And all of Kenesseth Yisrael and the Malkhuth on the side of holiness that is drawn from her, fell under the hand of the qelipoth of the murderer’s anger, such that a man dreads and is afraid to shout out to Hashem Yithbarakh, and he tells him, “If you shout I will strangle you right away.” And also, they fell under the hand of the qelipoth of pride of the [emperor-pauper] who was poor of da`ath/knowledge etc. And as it were, he [the young man] is also bound in fetters, as is known, for the soul of Mashiach as well is also subjugated in exile under the qelipoth in a place of wilderness and desolation, where no man passed by; and the storm wind went around, mightily, and mixed things up with such disturbances, that lost from him were even the signs that were given to him from the roots of souls of Yisrael, until it is impossible for them to in any manner recognize him, because due to the great events that happen to him, it subjugates him under their hands, and due to their enormous feeding off of him, transmitted to them too are some of the signs, markers, and wonders, until there have been, from them and among them, those who were as a monkey imitating a man, calling themselves by the name of “Mashiach,” which is the whole matter of the false mashiachs who have been in the world. And afterwards when their lies and recklessnesses became known, it was very hard to then believe in the light of his identity’s truth when he is revealed to them, for behold, also regarding the first one they imagined it clear as day that this is he, and likewise regarding the second one, and likewise regarding the third, as described there in the story. And now, “Where shall their help come from” to recognize him himself, since the liars who wanted to connect with her, also each had such signs and wonders (and this matter was an indirect cause of damages [garma benizkin, B"K 60a B"B 22b] also in the controversies and fights that were on the true great tzaddikim as the Ba`al Shem Tov z"tzukl and our Admor z"tzukl, such that the whole world has not been privileged to recognize the level of their greatness, and if all Yisrael were to follow them, there would definitely be a complete Redemption). And from then and till today, the descent of Kenesseth Yisrael has grown even stronger, to be caught by murderers and desperados who have removed from her all the glory of her precious garments [and see CM #422], until her appearance [lit. face] has been so altered as to be totally unrecognizable, as in the story. But over all this, the Cause of all Causes and the Prime Mover rises up, exalts Himself and reverses even such declines as these into ascents, and brings it about through His chains of causes that specifically by this they will be convened together and will join together, and she herself will find the signs, to recognize them eye to eye that they are genuine, until they rise up and return to their place, and the Kingship is given to them for ever and ever, “Ki nicham Hashem Tziyon...”

And even though it is clear, there, from his holy words, that those who approach to make an effort for her, hint to the truly great ones of Yisrael — see there — yet there is double, infinitely much more, to his holy stories. And it is also possible to explain that his words revolve around this as explained earlier, regarding those who make an approach to have a match with her, that to some of them she sent a reply by a messenger, and to some of them she sent a reply by herself from behind the wall; and of those who strove for this the most, such that she showed them her face, some looked and went insane, and some looked and fainted (the aspect of looking and dying) [v. the four who entered Pardes, Chagiga 14b] and it is of course understood that some apostatized entirely, God forbid. And finally, in the aspect of entering in peace and leaving in peace there are many aspects, and the essence is the aspect of the chosen one among the choicest for this [habachur shebamuvcharim; in the story, the burger’s son is called the bachur, which also means young man]. “Ashrei hamechakeh veyagi`a/ Fortunate is he that waits and arrives” [Dan. 12:3].

On the subject of entering Pardes [“Garden”], which is the Ma`aseh Merkavah [The Work of the Chariot, Eze. 1], wherein one of them looked and was stricken, one looked and died, and only Rabbi `Akiva entered in peace and left in peace, and Chazal said that we do not transmit the Ma`aseh Merkavah to anyone but a wise person with a discerning mind: Understood, by the way, is what is explained in the story of the exchanged children, that all the people who entered the garden were so chased about that they were forced to flee out of the garden, but the king’s son, because he became able to extrapolate, entered in peace and left in peace. And everything depends only on the man standing next to the garden and Pardes, who is of one aspect with the throne, as explained there at the story’s end, for “`al demuth hakisse demuth kemar'eh adam `alaw milema`elah/ upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above” etc. [Eze. 1:26]. And therefore even Moshe Rabbeinu was not spared from the jealousy of the angels who chase a man who wants to enter the garden of the Torah so they envy him, except by the advice of, “Echoz bekisse kevodi/ Hold on to My Throne of Glory” [Shabbath 88b; Job. 26:9], upon which stands the aforementioned “as the appearance of a man,” as also explained in LM II in the torah Tik`u — Memshalah #1, and he too entered in peace and left in peace in the utmost degree, by means of him being wise and discerning and adding one day of his own understanding, as Chazal explained [Shabbath 87a; Ex. 19:10-15].

But the rest of the people, devoid of these vessels, were forced to stand from afar, “lest they break through” [ibid. :21], and come there without those vessels, and then they would be “stoned-stoned, or shot-shot” etc. [ibid :13]. And behold, the whole change of the throne as explained there [i.e. the rose that was missing from the top etc.], and also the change of the garden from the placement of the likeness of the man, the king to whom peace belongs, and also the change of the country’s name [to] “The Wise Land With the Foolish King,” in the aspect of “Ei-lakh eretz shemalkekh na`ar/ Woe to you, land, when your king is a fool!” [Eccl. 10:16] — it is all drawn from the interchanges of the king’s son and the bondservant’s son. And when the animals of the chair sang the song and the melody when they were clarified of the changes, everything was clarified, and everything changed over into the aspect of “Ashreikh eretz shemalkekh ben-chorin/ Fortunate are you, land, when your king is a free man,” and he said, “Now I know that I am the truly the king’s son.” And by the way, it is clear that the animals’ song and melody, this is that melody and song that Moshe himself will sing in the future, until all the earth’s inhabitants will recognize and know: who is the bondservant riding on the horse, and who is the prince who is the true ruler. who is included in the rule and kingship of the Blessed One Himself, Who shall reign forever and ever. And this is, “Ashirah laShem ki-ga'oh ga'ah, sus verokhevo/ I will sing unto Hashem when He is exalted-exalted, the horse and its rider...” mentioned above (namely, the bondservant’s son, who rode a horse) “ramah vayam/ He has thrown into the sea” [Ex. 15:1]. So be His will, soon in our days, Amen!

It is clear from the words of the Admor z"tzl that the ten people along with the King are the aspect of the ten Sefiroth. And by the way, we discern from this that the Warrior corresponds to the attribute of Gevurah/ Stricture and Din-Judgment. And he, in his hard strictures, wants to demolish the world if they do not subdue their uncircumcised heart to return in complete repentance, as explained in the story of the Prayer Leader, that the Warrior wanted nothing else but subdual, and if not, he would destroy them. And in like fashion did our teacher the great tzaddik Rabbi Nathan z"tzl once talk about this, that this is the matter that after the curses in Torath Kohanim, who are from Hakadosh Barukh Hu’s traits of stricture and judgment, is said, “O-az yikana` levavam he`arel/ If then, their uncircumcised heart will be subdued...” [Lev. 26:41]. And this is the scripture concluding the end of Malakhi with, “Hineh Anokhi sholeach lakhem eth Eliyah hanavi, vehashiv/ Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet, and he shall bring back” etc. [Mal. 3], that is, they will return in complete repentance, “pen-avo vehikeithi eth-ha'aretz charem/ lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction,” that is, as mentioned. But the tzaddikim with their awesome prayers sweeten the judgments, and they cause Him to lengthen His temper and extend time for them; perhaps they will turn around, as explained in the story, that the Prayer Leader and the Warden over the treasuries had an effect on the Warrior, that he should extend time for the country that was sunk in craving money. And Hashem Yithbarakh helped, in the merit of the kosher Prayer Leader’s prayers, that the end of the repair was made complete and they were all repaired. And behold, it is known from the kabbalists that Techiyath Hamethim/ Resurrection of the Dead will be from the aspect of the attribute of gevurah, which is the matter that in the blessing “Atah gibor.../ You are Mighty” we mention resurrection of the dead. And this is what is explained at the end of the story, that afterwards at the end of the repair the Warrior came and took them out from the holes and graves, which is the aspect of “befithchi eth-qivrotheikhem/ when I open your graves” [Eze. 37:13] which refers to resurrection of the dead. And then everybody will throw away their idols of silver and gold [Isa. 2:20], and all the world will involve itself just with Torah, prayer, repentance and good deeds. So be His will, soon in our days, Amen!

And see in the Tikkunim, Tikkun #70 [daf 123b]: “Dawidh, shiv`ah minei dehava havah bese`aroi/ Dawidh had seven kinds of gold in his hair... kelil kol givunin/ including all the colors” etc.; see there; and understand regarding the seven golden hairs that had all the colors, of the Child, which the Warrior took. Also, the faction that chose for themselves merriment as a purpose, accepting over them the Trusty Friend as king: look in the book Yiqra deShabta regarding this story; explained there is that in truth, joy on the side of holiness is sanctified and intertwined with love on the side of holiness; the aspect of “Veya`letzu vekha ohavei shemekha/ Let them also that love Your name ecstasize in You” etc. [Ps. 5:12]; see there.