Hasidut untuk Yesaya 48:13

2. And when da'at disappears, as seen above - in other words, no one knows, G-d forbid - that everything {in the world} runs only on the providence of Hashem Yisbarach, and {they} believe that things take their natural course, G-d forbid, this is the aspect of sleep, which is the absence of da'at, the aspect of night and darkness. The essence of the light of day is the aspect of da'at, as shown. In other words, light is only {from} Hashen Yisbarach, so to speak, in the aspect of (Psalms 27:1) "The Lord is my light and my salvation", corresponding to (Psalms 118:27) "The Lord is G-d, and He gave us light". This is the essence of the sun's light, the aspect of (Psalms 84:12) "For a sun and a shield is the Lord G-d". In other words, when one knows that Hashem Yisbarach rules the world only with providence, this is the essence of light. For the essence of light, in every place where light is found, like the light of the sun and similar {places}, is only the Light of Hashem Yisbarach, so to speak, that illuminates us, as explained above. When we fall, G-d forbid, from this knowledge and we attribute things to nature, G-d forbid, this is the aspect of the absence of light. Then it corresponds to night and darkness, G-d forbid. And this is the aspect of (Isaiah 13:10) "the sun has become dark in its going forth", etc., the aspect of (Joel 2:10) "the sun and moon darken", etc. and other similar verses like these. All of them were said regarding the time of the exile; in other words, because in exile it seems like the light of the sun has darkened because the exile is similar to night, as explained by Rashi. In other words, in the time of the exile, which is evoked only because we attributed things to nature, G-d forbid. Then 'the sun has become dark in its going forth' because immediately when we relied on nature, G-d forbid, then the light escaped from the sun, as if the sun actually darkened. For in reality, the sun has no light at all except from Hashem Yisbarach, as explained above. Therefore the exile resembles night and darkness. For the essence of the exile is only because we attribute things to nature, G-d forbid. The it is the aspect of night and darkness, the disappearance of the light, as explained above. This corresponds to sleep, the disappearance of da'at to know that everything is divine providence, which is the essence of the light, etc., as explained above. Therefore, at the time of sleep, the forces of evil descend upon a person, and the essence is on the hands, as is written in the Holy Zohar (Vayeshev 184b). For the essence of the Other Side is the aspect of the gentiles as is known, who draw nourishment only from the aspect of heresies, which is the essence of the Evil Inclination, which is called 'going after atheism', as is brought; in other words, they attribute {everything} to nature, as explained above. Then the aspect of the gentiles increases, the aspect of power of the exile which resembles night and sleep and which they absorbed from the aspect of the strengthening of nature, as explained above. This is the aspect of the spirit of impurity which rests upon a person {at night}. Therefore, the essence of the rectification of sleep in holiness is through faith, as is brought in the words of Rabbeinu, z"l (Likutei Moharan 35). In other words, when da'at disappears, corresponding to sleep, when man sees that his knowledge is confused and is not perfect, and he is not able to ascertain and to understand that everything is by divine providence from Hashem Yisbarach alone, as it is now in exile amidst the gentiles who resemble night and darkness, and when the knowledge of natural science has increased, G-d forbid - then it is incumbent upon every Jew to cast out and to remove his knowledge completely and to strengthen himself in faith alone, to believe with perfect faith that everything is only through divine providence alone and there is no nature in the world at all. This is the aspect of rectifying sleep through faith. In other words, at the time of sleep, as explained above one must enter into the midst of the aspect of faith, to rely on faith alone after his da'at has fled, just as now in the exile. We must always strengthen ourselves in faith alone, since now we have not elevated da'at perfectly to know that everything is done with divine providence. Therefore, one must clear his mind and rely only on faith alone, in the aspect of (Psalms 92:3) "and Your faith at night". And since at night, at the time of sleep, the disappearance of knowledge strengthens the knowledge of natural science, G-d forbid, which is the aspect of darkness, as explained above, in the aspect of (Genesis 15:12) "and a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and behold, a fright, a great darkness...", etc. This is demonstrated by the power of the exile. In other words, at the time of sleep, and deep sleep, the disappearance of da'at strengthens the power of the exile, from which they nourished, in the aspect of the strengthening of natural science, as explained above. And this is why a spirit of impurity rests upon a person at the time of sleep, as explained above. Therefore, as soon as one awakens from sleep one must wash his hands with water, because the spirit of impurity rests mainly upon the hands, as it is written in the Holy Zohar. For the hands corresponds to heaven, שָׁמַיִם - fire and water, אֵשׁ וּמַיִם, on the right side and left side, corresponding to (Deuteronomy 32:40) "For I raise up My hand to heaven" as is brought in the words of Rabbeinu in another place (Likutei Moharan 56). This is the aspect of the grasp of the Other Side, the aspect of natural science, the aspect of hands, for they attribute causes to the arrangement of constellations, which corresponds to 'hands'. Therefore the essence of the strengthening of the Other Side is at the time of sleep, which corresponds to nature and is with the hands specifically, as explained above. Because the hands have 28 phalanges which correspond to the 28 letters of the act of creation, through which the heavens and the earth were created, in the aspect of (Isaiah 48:13) "Even My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured the heavens". And therefore the main way to subdue the forces of evil, represented by the gentiles of the world, the aspect of natural science through which they are strengthened, as explained above, the aspect of their submission is only through the hands of holiness, when one merits to elevate them to da'at. And this is the aspect of (Exodus 17:11) "It came to pass that when Moses would raise his hand, Israel would prevail, and when he would lay down his hand, Amalek would prevail", etc. which was said regarding the war with Amalek. Because Amalek is in general all of the gentiles and the other side, in the aspect of “Amalek was the first of the nations“ (Numbers 24: 20). And Amalek was the essence of atheism and completely attributed everything to nature, G-d forbid. They would discern the hours based on their astrology as is brought in the explanation of Rashi and as shown in the words of Rabbeinu z"l. Therefore, the essence of their subjugation is through the raising of the hands. The raising of the hands, the 28 phalanges that are in the hands, to the head, in the aspect of (Psalms 134:2) "Lift your hands in the holy place". In other words, when the hands, with their 28 phalanges, are raised to da'at to know that all is divine providence, because Hashem Yisbarach created everything through the 28 letters of מַעֲשֵֹה בְרֵאשִׁית, which are the aspect of the 28 phalanges, as explained above. And then they are elevated - the aspect of heaven, because they are also the aspect of the hands, as explained above - to their root which is in knowledge, in the aspect of the 28 letters, as seen above. Because everything was created by G-d with the 28 letters and He gives life and established the heavens and all of their hosts and the land etc. through His divine providence alone and there is absolutely no nature or influence of the arrangements of the constellations at all. And then Amalek and the Other Side are subdued, as seen above. And this is the aspect of (Exodus 17:12) "so he was with his hands in faith until sunset". The essence of the subjugation of Amalek is through faith in divine providence which is drawn down through raising the hands, as explained above. Therefore at the time of sleep da'at disappears, for then nature is strengthened, G-d forbid. This is the root of the Other Side that is on a person. Therefore the essence of its grasp is with the hands, as seen above. Then, immediately after one wakes from sleep one must wash his hands with water with corresponds to the waters of da'at, the waters of Chesed/Loving-kindness, the aspect of (Isaiah 11:9) "for the land shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water covers the sea bed". In other words, through the washing one brings down the purifying waters of the waters of knowledge, in the aspect of "The whole world will know that then the world is filled with knowledge like water covers the sea bed". Then everyone will know that everything is only through divine providence alone, for {the concept of} nature will be nullified completely. And even now, at any time when one needs salvation and purification, to be saved from the midst of the Other Side, which is nourished from the aspect of the knowledge of nature, one draws down divine providence from the ends of the earth, as explained above in the lesson, as seem above. This corresponds to the water of washing the hands, which draws down the waters of knowledge from the ends of the earth, in the aspect of 'The whole world will know that then the world is filled with knowledge', etc. This is the aspect of Mikveh, which corresponds to the World of the Future (because Mikveh, מִקְוֶה, in Gematria is 151, corresponding to Binah, the World of the Future, as is brought). This corresponds to (Jeremiah 14:8) "O hope, ,מִקְוֶה of Israel, his Savior at time of trouble". Because all of the troubles and tribulations are only due to the lack of knowledge, in the aspect of the knowledge of nature, as explained above. In other words, they do not know, G-d forbid, that everything is divine providence, etc. This is the essence of the impurity, as seen above. Therefore the salvation from the trouble and the purification from the impurity is through Mikveh, which is the aspect of 'the World of the Future', the aspect of the waters of wisdom, the aspect of 'for the land shall be full of knowledge of the Lord as water', etc. Through entering the mikveh and occluding the eyes it blocks out the world and one ignores {the world} and covers himself there in the waters of the mikveh, which is the aspect of the waters of knowledge, the aspect of 'the Future World'. Through this one is included within the aspect of da'at, in the aspect of providence for he covers his eyes to the world which strengthens the errors of the wisdom of nature, from whence comes all trouble and impurities. Through this the eyes are damaged, whose root and vitality are from the aspect of the Eyes of G-d, which are the aspect of divine providence, as is understood in the lesson above. And when one falls from da'at and believes that there is nature, G-d forbid, this is the aspect of the damaging of the eyes and from this come all the troubles, etc., as seen above. Therefore one must cover his eyes completely from what goes on in this world and to lose himself and be included in the waters of the mikveh, which is the aspect of the knowledge of the World of the Future. For then the divine providence will be revealed and nature will disappear completely. And through this divine providence will be drawn down from the ends of the earth, in the aspect of mikveh. And through this salvation will come to him, for everything that he needs, the aspect of 'Hashem is the hope of Israel, his Savior in times of trouble', etc. This is the aspect of the washing of the hands in the morning, which draws down purified water which comes from the aspect of mikveh. Through this he purifies his hands, which are the aspect of the 28 phalanges, the aspect of the 28 letters of the act of creation. The essence of the defect of the aspect of the knowledge of nature, which is strengthened through sleep at night, and darkness afflicts them specifically, as seen above. For through the knowledge of nature the 28 letters are flawed, as seen above, and one associates with the order of the universe, G-d forbid, as seen above. This is the aspect of impurity which takes hold in the hands specifically at the time when da'at flees; in other words, at the time of sleep, as seen above. Therefore, we purify them through the waters of knowledge drawn down from the aspect of 'the World of the Future', etc., as explained above.

And this is, "Bless G-d, all servants of G-d, who rise in G-d's house at nights" (Ps. 124:1); specificallt 'who rise at nights', for rising at night to study Torah and pray is the main rectification, for that is how we bind night with day, disorder with order, which is the main rectification of all worlds. This is the juxtaposition of 'Raise your hands in holiness and bless G-d': 'raise your hands', for elevating and binding night with day, disorder with order, is accomplished specifically by the hands, the tools of action, the totality of the Torah. They raise all worlds to their root, as in, 'Raise your hands in holiness and bless G-d', as in, "When I raise my hand to heaven" (Deut. 32:40), which is the raising of the hands spoken about in the Zohar, for the totality of all worlds are held in the hands, as in, "My hand founded the earth and my right hand measured the heavens" (Isaiah 48:13). Therefore, holiness is mainly in the hands, for by fulfilling the Torah and the mitzvot that are held in the hands, the tools of action, we elevate all worlds, which represent disorder, raising and bringing them back to their source, to G-d, to order, represented by wisdom, which is called holiness, as is known. And this is, 'raise your hands with holiness' and it connects well with the previous verse, 'Bless G-d, all G-d's servants, who rise at nights'

And behold, the root of all desire for this world and all its pleasures and the conduct of the world is through silver and gold, for through them one can obtain all worldly desires and pleasures. And their root above is from the World of Love and the World of Fear: Silver from the World of Love, as it says (Genesis 31:30): “You longed [nikhsof niksafta] to your father’s house”—the word kesef (silver) being related to longing. And gold—its root is from the World of Fear, as it is written (Job 37:22): “From the north comes gold”, which is the left side. And it is known that the nature of the left is to repel, as it is said: “Let the left hand repel and the right hand draw near.” So we find, since their roots are above, as mentioned, and as it is written (Haggai 2:8): “Mine is the silver and mine is the gold,”—their source is Mine, for My Name, meaning: their purpose is to be means by which one may reach the supernal love and fear. For truly, the desire of a person in this world is to gather silver and gold, and through that desire—which drives him day and night, never ceasing in pursuit of his livelihood and accumulation of wealth—he ends up falling into the trap of the evil inclination, and becomes separated from the Blessed Creator. This is the snare spread over all the living, for even animals and birds are caught in their pursuit of sustenance. And similarly with most people in the world: This pursuit leads them to encroach upon others, to deceive, to steal, or similar actions. And this happens because they lack belief in the truth that “no person can touch what is prepared for his fellow,” since each individual’s root is in the Torah—in one of its letters—and each letter is distinct and separated from the others, without overlap. Just as in a Torah scroll, one letter touching another renders it invalid, even though all the letters form one unity, still each has its unique root above. And certainly, if a person believed that the essence of silver and gold is to serve as a means to bring him to love and fear of God, then when a desire would arise in him for something he could acquire with silver and gold, he would awaken himself to love and fear of the Blessed One. He would think: “This desire was only meant to awaken within me a connection to the supernal traits.” For love and fear in this world are merely garments for the supernal love and fear, as is known—that any spiritual thing from above that descends into this physical world must clothe itself in physical garments of this world. As it is said that supernal love and fear are the arms of the world, referred to as “hands”, as it is written (Isaiah 48:13): “My hand founded the earth, and my right hand spread out the heavens.” Just as the main activity of the body is through the arms and hands, so too, the primary governance of the worlds is through love and fear. And these traits are drawn down into the physical world as well, becoming clothed in silver and gold, which are the garments into which the spiritual traits are contracted. Understand this well. And if a person possessed da’at and emunah (inner knowledge and faith), then he would not pursue his livelihood day and night, as the wise man said: “If man were not chasing after his livelihood, his livelihood would chase after him.” For in truth, the root of the souls of Israel is higher than all of this world and all that is in it. And the nature of everything is to be drawn toward and yearn to be included in that which is higher than itself. Especially in the Jewish soul, for everything was created for his sake, as we mentioned at the opening—that he and the Torah are one with the Blessed One. But the reason people chase after livelihood is because they are separated from their root and from the Torah. And most of their actions are corrupt, not in accordance with the Torah. And not only do they fail to elevate the fallen traits embedded in silver and gold, but on the contrary, they cast them down even lower, because their behavior is not guided by Torah. And it turns out that silver and gold are on a higher level than they are, because within them there is definitely a condensed form of the holy traits, as explained above, and they have no capacity to corrupt themselves—whereas man does. And so, man chases after something greater than himself—silver and gold. Woe for such shame! As the sages say: “The servant walks on the earth while the master rides in the heavens.” Understand this. For in truth, before the formation of the child, when the drop is brought before the Holy One, blessed be He, to determine its fate—it is decreed: Will he be wise or foolish, rich or poor, etc.—but whether he will be righteous or wicked is not decreed. Rather, all matters concerning how he will function in this lowly world—whether poor or rich, etc.—are all decreed, according to the wisdom of the Blessed One, for that is what he needs for his spiritual work in this world. All of his circumstances, possessions, clothing, money—all of it is an extension of his soul and his spiritual stature, as is known. And whatever was decreed upon him, in terms of what he needs for his livelihood—nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be subtracted. No one has the power to diminish it—unless he himself corrupts his path and becomes separated from the Blessed One. For when he becomes cut off from his root, he removes himself from Divine Providence. But if he behaved as described above, then his livelihood would pursue him, to become included in him, so that it may be elevated to its supernal root, from which it was taken. And this applies as well to all matters in the world—such as the study of Torah and prayer, which are things that stand at the heights of the world, through which great rectifications are made in all the worlds. And yet, people treat them lightly. For example, when standing to pray—which is the time to make great rectifications—instead, all of one's thoughts and concerns about his business affairs come to confuse him, to the point that he doesn’t even hear with his own ears what his mouth is saying: “Heal us, O Lord…”, “Look upon our affliction…”, “Redeem us quickly…”, **“Blessed are You, the Redeemer of Israel”—**and yet his heart is not with him. How can such a prayer be accepted, or how can it make a rectification on high, in accordance with the root of his soul? How can the fallen holy sparks and letters be elevated, as is known, if he did not pay attention to his own words? On the contrary—not only does he fail to benefit, but he may even drag the words and letters further down, God forbid. This applies to all things: there are always two paths—either to elevate and rectify oneself and all the matters connected to the root of his soul, or through that same action, to further corrupt and drag everything down. And the main thing is the heart—according to one’s intention, faith, and inner knowledge. As the Baal Shem Tov, may his merit protect us, said on the verse (Psalms 79): “O God, nations have entered into Your inheritance, they have defiled Your holy sanctuary, they have turned Jerusalem into ruins… They have spilled their blood like water around Jerusalem, and there is none to bury.” He explained: The psalmist is lamenting what was described above: **“O God, nations have entered into Your inheritance”—**meaning, into Your holy domain, the place of Your condensed attributes, as explained earlier—that in all physical pleasures, silver and gold, etc., all is Your inheritance, for Your traits are condensed within them. Especially in the words of prayer and the letters of Torah, where the intention was that through them, Israel would be elevated and rectified. But instead, **“nations have entered”—**meaning, the forces of impurity, the evil inclination—and **“defiled Your holy sanctuary”—**that is, the letters and words of Torah and prayer. Because of the entry of these forces, a person causes himself and those things to fall even lower—as it were. This is the meaning of “They defiled Your holy sanctuary, turned Jerusalem into ruins…” And he said: All of this happened because “they spilled their blood like water around Jerusalem.” For it is known that the heart is called Jerusalem, as it is in the center of the body, just as Jerusalem is the center of the world. And it is known that prayer is called ‘pouring’, as it says (Psalms 102:1): “And before God he pours out his speech…” And it is called “the outpouring of the soul”. And it is known from the Sages' saying: “Do not eat on the blood”—do not eat before praying for your blood, i.e., your life. So “they spilled their blood” refers to prayer. This is what is meant by “They spilled their blood like water around Jerusalem”—meaning, around the heart: their prayer does not come from the heart, but only surrounds it. Their speech is not from within the heart, but only from the lips outward. This is “around Jerusalem”—and “there is none to bury”, meaning: There is no one to deepen the words, to draw them down into the heart, which is Jerusalem. Instead, it’s one thing with the mouth, and another in the heart.