Sugiyot Class #4 How and When to Give Criticism

(1) “Tik’u (Sound) the shofar at the moon’s renewal, when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day. For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov.” (Psalms 81:4-5)

(2) Although tokhachah (moral guidance and reproof) is extremely important, and it is incumbent upon every Jew to reprove his fellow Jew when he sees him acting incorrectly, as it is written (Leviticus 19:17), “You shall surely reprove your fellow,” nevertheless, not everyone is fit to offer moral guidance. As Rabbi Akiva said: I doubt if there is anyone in this generation who is capable of giving reproof (Arakhin 16b). And if Rabbi Akiva said this in his era, then it is all the more so now, in this current era.

(3) When the one who gives moral guidance is unfit to give it, not only does he not help with his reproof, but he even causes the souls which hear it to raise a bad odor. For his reproof arouses the stench of the wicked deeds and bad traits of the people he reproves.

(4) This is akin to when something that has an unpleasant odor is at rest. As long as we don’t move the object, the foul odor is undetected. But when one starts to move that object, the stench is stirred up. Likewise the reproof given by someone who is unfit to give it; it moves and stirs the stench of the wicked deeds and bad traits of the people he reproves. He causes them to raise a bad odor and, through this, weakens their souls. Consequently, the flow of bounty is suspended from all the worlds which are dependent upon these souls.

(5) This is because the soul mainly nourishes from scent, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: From where is it derived that we recite a blessing over fragrances? It is stated: “Let every soul praise God” (Psalms 150:6). From what does the soul derive pleasure but the body does not? You have to say it is fragrance (Berakhot 43b). Therefore, on account of this reprover who causes them to raise a bad odor, the souls, whose nourishment is from scent, are weakened. The flow of bounty to all the worlds which are dependent upon them is then automatically suspended.

(6) But when the one giving the moral guidance is fit to give it, then, on the contrary, he enhances and gives the souls a pleasant scent through his reproof. This is because the reproof must resemble Moshe’s reproof of the Jews over the incident of the [Golden] Calf. Through his reproof he gave them a pleasant scent, as in “my nard gave forth its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12), which was said in reference to the incident of the Calf. It does not say “leave behind” but “gave forth,” as Rashi expounds there and as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught in the Talmud (Shabbat 88b).

(7) Moshe’s reproof over the incident of the Calf gave them an added pleasant scent, which is sustenance for the soul. For the soul nourishes mainly from scent. Through his voice, the one fit to offer moral guidance gives the souls a pleasant scent, i.e., spiritual sustenance.

(8) There is sustenance for the soul and sustenance for the body. The body’s sustenance weakens the soul’s sustenance. This is because the body’s sustenance—i.e., through eating and drinking—raises the heel of the Other Side, as in “eating my bread has raised the heel over me” (Psalms 41:10). Through eating, the heels and the feet are strengthened, as in “Eat well and it will be noticeable in the feet” (Shabbat 152a). And then, as a result of the aikev (heel) of the Other Side growing strong, God forbid, the aikev of holiness—the aspect of “Aikev (the end product of) humility is fear of God” (Proverbs 22:4), which corresponds to scent, as in “He will be imbued with the scent of the fear of God” (Isaiah 11:3), namely, spiritual sustenance—becomes weak, God forbid.

(9) The rectification for this is brought about through the concept of voice. For the voice waters the garden in which all the scents and fears grow, as in “A river issues from Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:10). “A river issues from Eden” alludes to the voice, as in “the rivers raise up their voice” (Psalms 93:3). And this is the concept of “I heard Your voice in the garden and I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10). It is this voice watering the garden that causes all the scents/fear of God—i.e., sustenance for the soul—to grow there.

(10) This voice subdues the heel of the Other Side, for it is the concept of “The voice is the voice of Yaakov” (Genesis 27:22). Yaakov therefore attained the concept of scent, as in “See, my son’s fragrance is like the scent of a field” (ibid. :27). This was said of yaAKoV, who subdues the AKeiV of the Other Side, as in “his hand holding on to Esav’s akeiv (heel)” (Genesis 25:26).

(11) And this voice is the voice of the fit reprover, as in “raise your voice like a shofar and tell My people of their transgression” (Isaiah 58:1). One who would reprove the Jewish people and tell them of their transgression and wrongdoing must possess this voice so as not to cause them to raise a bad odor by arousing their sins. He must therefore possess this voice, because through this voice—which waters the garden and causes all the scents to grow—he enhances them and gives them a pleasant scent.

(12) This is the meaning of “raise your voice ka’shophar (like a shofar).” Specifically “like a shofar,” because this voice which waters the garden, the aspect of “A river flows from Eden,” corresponds to the voice of the melody of the song destined to burst forth in the Future when He renews His world—i.e., the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song. This is Ka’ShoPhaR, the first letters of Pashut-Kaful-Sh’loosh-Ravua. This is the Song of the Future, the voice that waters the garden; the specific voice through which he is able to give reproof. Thus, this is “raise your voice like a shofar”—specifically ka’shophar.

(13) And this is the meaning of “they draw a thread of lovingkindness over him,” which is said in reference to one who is fit to offer moral guidance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Tamid 28a) : Whoever reproves his fellow Jew for the sake of God, they draw a thread of lovingkindness over him, as it is stated: “He who reproves a person will later find favor” (Proverbs 28:23).

(14) “A thread of lovingkindness” signifies that strands have been wound and twisted and made into a thread. These are the strings upon which this melody and Song of the Future will be played. They number seventy-two, corresponding to the Holy Name Y-YH-YHV-YHVH—the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song, as brought in the Tikkunim (Tikkuney Zohar # 21, p.51b)—which [likewise] has a total value of seventy-two. And the Song of the Future, when He renews His world, will be played upon these strings, as in “The world will be built on lovingkindness” (Psalms 89:3), for the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song is destined to burst forth then.

(15) Thus, this is the meaning of “a thread of lovingkindness” mentioned in connection with the fit reprover; it refers to the thread made from the strings upon which this song will be played when the world is renewed, the concept of “The world will be built on lovingkindness.” And this is the meaning of “a thread of lovingkindness is drawn over him.” The drawing signifies drawing on and plucking the strings in order to play the aforementioned song on them. It follows that with his voice, the one fit to offer moral guidance gives the souls a pleasant scent, as mentioned above.

(1) 2. The only way to attain this aforementioned voice is through prayer. The essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty (as explained in Avot 2:13). And compassion depends mainly upon daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God), as it is written, “They will do nothing evil or destructive anywhere on My sacred mountain, for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed” (Isaiah 11:9). In the Future, daat will increase. There will then be no destruction or cruelty, for daat will bring to the proliferation of compassion, which depends primarily upon daat.

(2) But sometimes, when [evil forces of] the Other Side feed on the compassion, they draw it to themselves and thereby diminish our compassion. And even the little compassion which remains is an aspect of cruelty. As a result of their feeding on the compassion, it spoils and turns into cruelty, for “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty” (Proverbs 12:10). Consequently, even the little compassion we retain resembles cruelty, having been spoiled as a result of the Other Side’s feeding on compassion, God forbid.

(3) {“Even sea-serpents offer ShaD (the teat) to suckle their young; [but] the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches of the wilderness” (Lamentations 4:3) .} This is the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—alluding to the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “like ShoD (disaster) from ShaDai (the Almighty)” (Isaiah 13:6). ShaDai signifies holy compassion, as in “May El Shadai (God Almighty) grant you compassion” (Genesis 43:14). This refers to prayer, which is SiDuD (rearrangement) of the celestial order. But on account of “ShoD from ShaDai”—i.e., the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—“my people has become cruel.” Because they feed on compassion, even the little compassion we retain becomes flawed and turns into cruelty.

(4) And when compassion spoils and turns into cruelty, daat becomes flawed, as in: Whoever gets angry, his wisdom leaves him (Pesachim 66b). Daat diminishes, and turns into constricted mentalities. Then, the Other Side feeds on the flawed daat, God forbid, as in “Now the Serpent was cunning” (Genesis 3:1). This refers to daat of the Other Side. It feeds on the fallen holy daat, which has become flawed on account of cruelty and anger.

(5) This, in turn, leads to immoral desire, God forbid. For the mind is a barrier deployed against this desire. Thus, a person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him (Sotah 3a) [and flaws his daat, God forbid]. But when the mind and daat are whole, this protects against this desire.

(6) For there are three mentalities, each one a barrier deployed against this desire. And from these three mentalities three types of compassion are generated. For there are three types of compassion, as alluded to by that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught concerning the verse: “that you will not deal falsely with me, or my children, or my grandchildren” (Genesis 21:23)—thus is the extent of a father’s compassion for a child (Bereishit Rabbah 54:2 and Rashi on the verse). These allude to three types of compassion, which are generated from the three mentalities, because the mind of the son derives from the mind of the father (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p. 35a).

(7) This is also the concept of the three daily prayers. Each of the prayers corresponds to a specific one of the three mentalities. These are the three types of compassion that are dependent upon the mind, because, as mentioned above, the essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty. Therefore, when daat becomes flawed, God forbid, it brings to immoral desire, God forbid.

(8) And when compassion and daat are flawed, offering prayers in the form of compassion and entreaty is impossible. At such a time, prayer is in the category of judgment. And when prayer is in the category of judgment, the Other Side swallows it, God forbid. This is because the Other Side primarily feeds on strict judgments, i.e., the constricted mentalities, which correspond to Elohim, as is known. Therefore, they grab hold of this prayer in the category of judgment and swallow it, God forbid.

(1) 3. And then, when prayer is in the category of judgment, a master of great strength who can pray a judgment-prayer is needed; someone like Pinchas when he acted zealously in the Zimri affair, as it is written (Psalms 106:30), “Pinchas stood up vayePhaLeL (and disputed),” and our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: He engaged in P’LiLot (judicial dispute) with his Creator (Sanhedrin 44a)—i.e., a judgment-prayer.

(2) [Pinchas] acted zealously in the Zimri affair, which is the concept of “For that is licentiousness; that is a sin for p’lilim (judicial sentencing)” (Job 31:11). In other words, it is a sin that necessitates a judgment-prayer, namely, P’LiLim, the concept of “Pinchas stood vayePhaLeL.” Wherever there is the flaw of immoral desire, God forbid, so that prayer is in the category of judgment and the Other Side swallows it, God forbid, a master of great strength is needed to pray a judgment-prayer, as at the time of the Zimri affair, when Pinchas was obliged to offer a judgment-prayer.

(3) When this master of strength offers a judgment-prayer, the Other Side attempts to swallow it, because it always swallows the prayers in the category of judgment. But when it attempts to swallow the master of strength’s judgment-prayer, this prayer sticks in its throat, as in “Strength resides in its neck” (Job 41:14). In other words, the aforementioned prayer of the master of strength, which is the concept of a “staff of strength,” sticks “in its neck,” the throat, forcing it to vomit. The Other Side is compelled to vomit out all the holy elements of the daat, compassion and prayers which it swallowed, as in “He swallowed wealth and vomits it out” (ibid. 20:15).

(4) And not only does it vomit out all the holiness which it swallowed, but it is also compelled to vomit out its very life-essence. This is as in “God flushes it out of his innards” (ibid.)—i.e., it vomits out its very life-essence. This corresponds to those who convert. They were previously part of the very substance of the Other Side. But now they revert to holiness, because the Other Side is compelled to vomit out its very life-essence. This is the concept of converts.

(5) And this is the concept of “God will send forth from Zion the staff of your strength; R’Dei (rule) within your enemies” (Psalms 110:2). Specifically “within,” corresponding to “God flushes it out of his innards.” The staff of strength, i.e., the aforementioned prayer of the master of strength, literally yoReDet (descends) within it and causes it to vomit out its very life-essence from within its innards, the concept of “God flushes it out of his innards.”

(6) This is also the concept of “With Your might You drove back the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water” (Psalms 74:13). By means of the aforementioned staff of strength he smashes “the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” This refers to the Other Side, the Serpent, which would feed on the compassion and daat, the concept of “as water covers the seabed,” and “Now the Serpent was cunning,” as mentioned above. By means of the aforementioned staff of strength—i.e., the prayer of the master of strength, the concept of Pinchas—he extracts the holy elements of the daat and the prayers which [the Other Side] swallowed, and he smashes “the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” For the master of strength’s prayer—which is a judgment-prayer, as in “Pinchas stood vayephalel”—sticks in the Serpent’s throat and compels it to vomit out everything.

(7) Thus the letters that spell VaYePhaLeL are an acronym for V’hashlekh Lifnei Pharoh Yehi L’tanin (“and fling it down in front of Pharaoh; it will be a sea-serpent”) (Exodus 7:9). It is necessary to fling down the staff of strength, i.e., the aforementioned prayer, for the sea-serpent, as in “and fling it down in front of Pharaoh; it will be a sea-serpent.” One should intentionally fling down the staff of strength in front of the Other Side in order that it will be for the sea-serpent—i.e., in order that the sea-serpent should swallow this prayer. Through this, one extracts from it all the holy elements it swallowed, because [the staff/prayer] sticks in its throat, as mentioned above.

(8) This is also “Then Yitro heard”—What news did he hear on account of which he came? The splitting of the Red Sea and the war with Amalek (Zevachim 116a). Amalek had defiled Israel through the flaw of immoral desire, as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:18), “that he polluted you on the way.” This refers to nocturnal emissions, God forbid, which are brought about by the concept of Amalek. For Amalek feeds on daat, as in “Head among the nations is Amalek” (Numbers 24:20), which corresponds to “Now the Serpent was cunning.” It is this that leads to the defilement associated with this desire, God forbid, as mentioned above—i.e., “the war with Amalek.”

(9) The rectification for this is “the splitting of the Red Sea,” the concept of “With Your might You drove back the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” This alludes to the aforementioned staff of strength, through which one extracts from [the Other Side] the waters of daat which it swallowed from the realm of holiness.

(10) And as a result, “Then Yitro heard”—this alludes to converts. The staff of strength is the concept of “the splitting of the Red Sea,” and of “With Your might You drove back the sea…,” which rectifies and triumphs in “the war with Amalek.” This leads to people converting, the concept of “Then Yitro heard,” because it extracts also its life-essence, which is the concept of converts, as mentioned above.

(1) 4. And this is the concept of thunder. As mentioned above, making converts through the aforementioned staff of strength compels the Other Side to return all the holy elements which it swallowed, together with its life-essence. This magnifies and exalts the glory of God, as in “Bring to God families of the peoples, bring to God glory and might” (Psalms 96:7).

(2) This is the concept of thunder, as in “the God of Glory thunders; God is upon vast waters” (Psalms 29:3). “Vast waters” alludes to the waters of daat, the concept of “for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed.” These are the waters of daat that emerge from the Other Side and revert to holiness, making converts. God’s glory is exalted, which is the concept of thunder and “the God of Glory thunders.” For the uproar brought about by people converting and the public attention this calls to God’s glory are the concept of thunder, which is “a great roaring sound” (Ezekiel 3:12).

(3) For our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: What is thunder? It is clouds pouring water into one another (Berakhot 59a). “Clouds pouring water” alludes to the Other Side, which is the concept of “You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer should pass through” (Lamentations 3:44). This alludes to the forces of evil that impede prayer. When they return and pour out the waters of daat they swallowed, that is “clouds pouring water.” Then God’s glory is revealed, as in “God’s glory appeared in the cloud” (Exodus 16:10)—the concept of thunder.

(4) Thus the letters that spell GeiRIM (converts) are an acronym for Raam Gevurotav Mi Yitbonan (“Who can comprehend the thunder of His mighty deeds?”) (Job 26: 14), for converts are the concept of thunder.

(1) 5. And via the revelation of the glory [of God] comes the spread of prophecy. This is because prophecy stems from the root souls of Israel. These are the seventy souls, as in B’shivim Nefesh Yordu Avotekha (“With seventy souls did your fathers go down”) (Deuteronomy 10:22)—the first letters of which spell NaVYE. And the root of the souls is glory, as in “Let my soul not enter their plot, let my glory not be included in their assembly” (Genesis 49:6). Therefore, the revelation of the glory, the root of the souls, brings to the spread of prophecy.

(2) This is the concept of: Prophecy rests only upon someone who is wise, strong and wealthy (Nedarim 38a). All these qualities relate to glory, from which prophecy is drawn. Wise, as in “The wise will inherit glory” (Proverbs 3:35). Strong, as in “Who is this king of glory? God, the mighty and strong” (Psalms 24:8). Wealthy, as in “and from what belonged to our father he achieved this glory” (Genesis 31:1).

(3) And this is: Woe is to Me, for I have destroyed My House, I have burned My Sanctuary, and I have exiled My children among the nations of the world (Berakhot 3a). “I have destroyed My House” alludes to flawed prayer, as it is written, “for My House will be a house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). “I have burned My Sanctuary” alludes to flawed glory, the concept of “in His Sanctuary, all declare: ‘Glory!’” (Psalms 29:9). “And I have exiled My children” alludes to the elimination of prophecy which stems from the souls of the Children of Israel, the concept of “With seventy souls did your fathers go down to Egypt.” For the exile of the Children of Israel signifies the elimination of the prophecy that stems from their souls, as mentioned above.

(1) 6. This also corresponds to healing, because all the aforementioned concepts relate to healing. Glory’s revelation corresponds to the shining of the sun, as in “and the glory of God has shone upon you!” (Isaiah 60:1). And the sun’s rays bring healing, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: When the sun is lifted, sickness is lifted (Bava Batra 16b), as it is written, “And for you who fear My Name, a benevolent sun with healing will shine upon you” (Malachi 3:20).

(2) This is because the spirit of prophecy that spreads via the revelation of the glory corresponds to the healing produced by the shining of the sun, as in “Man’s spirit sustains him in his illness” (Proverbs 18:14). And the glory is revealed mainly through prayer, which causes the clouds—which are the Other Side and the forces of evil—to dissipate. When this happens, people convert and the glory of God is revealed, as mentioned above.

(3) And this corresponds to the forgiving of sin, which comes when, on account of the increase of the prayers, the sun shines and brings healing. For sin is analogous to a cloud that darkens the light of the sun, because darkness is inherent in sin, as it is written, “whose deeds are done in darkness” (Isaiah 29:15). This is also the concept of sickness, which stems primarily from sin, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: There is no suffering without sin, as is stated (Psalms 89:33), “I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their sin with plagues” (Shabbat 55a). For sins are analogous to clouds that darken the light of the sun through which there is healing.

(4) But through prayer, sins are atoned. This is because prayer is in place of sacrifice, and so it atones, as it is written, “I will bring them to My sacred mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer; their burnt-offerings and feast-offerings.”

(5) And when sin is atoned, the clouds dissipate, as in “I have wiped away your transgressions like a thick mist and your sins like a cloud” (Isaiah 44:22). Then, the sunshine engenders healing—because the essence of sickness is sin, i.e., a cloud and darkness, which darkens the light of the sun/healing. But when sins are forgiven, the clouds disperse, the sun shines and healing comes. All this is accomplished through prayer, which atones for sin, as mentioned above.

(6) And the main prayer through which sin is forgiven and one is saved from sickness is produced when a neighbor is added from the Jewish people. With each neighbor that is added from the Jewish people, the prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded. This is the concept of a gathering of Jews. The more the number of Jewish souls that gather together increases, the more the House of Prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded. This is because three stones build six houses; four stones build twenty-four houses; five, one hundred twenty houses, and so on, until the mouth cannot speak nor the heart fathom, as is brought in Sefer Yetzirah. It follows, that with each additional stone the houses increase and grow factorially.

(7) The souls are the concept of stones, as in “the hallowed stones have been poured out” (Lamentations 4:1), and the houses are the concept of “for My House will be a house of prayer.” It follows, that with each soul that is added and increases the gathering of Jews, the House of Prayer is greatly multiplied and expanded. This is because when one more soul is now added to the gathering, very many other, new permutations are made, increasing their number factorially. Therefore, when a neighbor is added from the Jewish people—for example, when yet another neighbor is added to an existing Jewish community—the prayer is very greatly multiplied and expanded as a result of this one soul that is added to the gathering. And via the increase of prayer, sin is forgiven—this being the concept of healing, as mentioned above.

(8) {“No neighbor will say, ‘ I am sick’; the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne” (Isaiah 33:24) .} This is also the concept of “No neighbor will say, ‘I am sick.’” The addition of a neighbor saves people from sickness, for “the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne.” As a result of the neighbor, prayer is multiplied and there is then forgiveness for sin. This, in turn, brings healing, and sickness is eliminated. {And know! there are times when sin is borne because of the gathering, but other times when, God forbid, there is the concept of “Surely it was our sickness that he bore” (Isaiah 53:4). For when the members of the gathering are not worthy, they do not merit having their sins forgiven. The tzaddik is then compelled to accept suffering upon himself for the sake of the Jewish people. Everyone else is saved from sickness, but not the tzaddik, God forbid, because he accepts suffering for the Jews, the concept of “Surely it was our sickness….” But when they are worthy and their prayer is proper, it is the concept of “the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne,” and then the tzaddik, too, is saved from sickness, as in “No neighbor will say, ‘I am sick’; the nation that resides in her, its sin is borne.”}

(1) 7. Also through the spread of prophecy the imaginative faculty is refined and rectified, as in “by the hands of the prophets I am imagined” (Hosea 12:11). For the imagination is primarily rectified and refined when in the hands of the prophets. And when rectified, the imagination rectifies true holy faith, and false beliefs are eliminated.

(2) This is because faith primarily depends upon the imaginative faculty. For in matters which the intellect comprehends, faith does not apply. Essentially, faith is only in a place where the intellect is suspended and a person cannot comprehend the matter with his mind. It is there that one requires faith. And when he cannot comprehend the matter intellectually, all that is left [to him] is the imaginative faculty, and there one needs faith. It follows, that faith is essentially associated with the imagination. Thus, when prophecy spreads and, consequently, the imagination is refined and rectified, as a result the true faith of holiness is rectified.

(3) For prophecy is comprised of ten levels. They correspond to the Ten DiBRot (Commandments), which are the concept of ten levels of prophecy, as it is written (Deuteronomy 5:4), “Face to face God DiBeR (spoke) to you.” “DVaR (the word) of God” refers to prophecy, as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Shabbat 138b).

(4) Therefore, through prophecy/ten levels/Ten Commandments one merits faith in God—to believe that God created everything with Ten Utterances. It follows, that the main rectification of holy faith is through the spirit of prophecy.

(1) 8. This is why one has to do one’s utmost to seek and search after a true leader, to draw close to him. Every leader has an element of the spirit of prophecy. Even in our time, when prophecy has ceased, a leader necessarily possesses “a different spirit” (Numbers 14:24), one not found among the rest of the people, by virtue of which he deserved to become a leader. For without this, what is it that makes this person deserving to be a leader and not someone else?

(2) However, in truth, each and every Jewish leader possesses “a different spirit,” because a leader is “a man in whom there is spirit,” “who will lead them out and in” (Numbers 27:17,18). The leader who leads the Jews out and in certainly possesses “a different spirit” on account of which he, in particular, became their leader. And this “different spirit” which the leader possesses is a form of holy spirit, a spirit of prophecy. Even though at present the prophetic spirit, actual holy spirit, is not extant, he must certainly nevertheless possess “a different spirit” drawn from holiness, one not found among the rest of the people and which is also holy spirit. Although it is not actual holy spirit through which to know the future, it is nevertheless a form of holy spirit, a spirit of prophecy.

(3) And through the aspect of holy spirit/prophetic spirit of the true leader, the true holy faith of all those who draw close to him grows stronger and is rectified. This is because when anyone merits getting close to a true leader, his drawing closer to him causes the leader’s prophetic spirit to rectify and refine that person’s imaginative faculty. For the imagination is primarily rectified through the spirit of prophecy, as mentioned above. And rectifying the imagination rectifies and refines holy faith, as mentioned above. Therefore, all who draw close to a true leader merit virtuous holy faith.

(4) But in fact, a person has to do his very utmost to seek and search after such a true leader. And he has to plead with God a great deal to merit drawing close to a true leader in order to attain perfect true faith. This is because drawing close to a false leader, God forbid, brings to false beliefs, God forbid. A false leader is analogous to a false prophet, the concept of “a lying spirit” (1 Kings 22:22). In that case, on the contrary, the imagination is marred and one comes to false beliefs. For faith is rectified primarily through the true leader’s spirit of prophecy, which, by refining the imagination, rectifies faith. But without the concept of prophecy, the imagination lacks refinement and rectification, and so it confounds and confuses a person with false beliefs.

(5) This is the concept of the Serpent’s pollution. For the confounding and confusing of the imagination through false beliefs corresponds to the pollution of the NaChaSh (Serpent). All m’NaChaShim (diviners) and sorcerers exist because the imaginative faculty is unrefined and unrectified. It confounds and confuses them with false beliefs of foolishness and lies—i.e., the Serpent’s pollution.

(6) Therefore, Israel, who stood at Mount Sinai, their impurity ceased (Shabbat 146a). This is because everyone attained prophecy there, on account of Moshe Rabbeinu, master of all the prophets. He was their true leader, and this lead to the refining and rectifying of their imagination, so that they merited perfect faith in God. Thus their impurity—the Serpent’s pollution, i.e., false beliefs—ceased, because they merited perfecting virtuous holy faith by refining the imagination through the spirit of prophecy, as mentioned above.

(7) And this is the concept of the Heh of Ha-shishi mentioned in the account of Creation, as it is written, “and there was evening and there was morning, yom ha-shishi (the sixth day)” (Genesis 1:31). Our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: The entire universe hung in the balance until the sixth of Sivan, when the Jewish people accepted the Torah (Shabbat 88a).

(8) The essence of chidush haolam—i.e., knowing that the world is ex nihilo and that God created it by an act of His Will—is dependent upon faith. For it is impossible to intellectually comprehend the origination of the world. And because the intellect cannot comprehend it, unbelievers refuse to believe it. The essence of the chidush of the world is only through faith: our faith in God that He created the world ex nihilo. For, in truth, the world’s origination occurred through faith, as it is written, “and all His work is done with faith” (Psalms 33:4). It follows, that the essence of the world’s renewal depends upon faith.

(9) The universe therefore hung in the balance until the receiving of the Torah. It was then that the spirit of prophecy brought them to perfect faith, as mentioned above. Thus, it was specifically then that the chidush of the world was revealed, because the essence of the world’s renewal is dependent upon faith.

(1) 9. And through faith the world will be renewed in the Future.

(2) For the gathering of the kindnesses—by means of which the world will be renewed, as in “For I said: ‘The world will be built on lovingkindness’”—comes about through faith, as in “To proclaim Your kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness in the nights” (Psalms 92:3). “Your faithfulness in the nights” alludes to faith, which is dependent upon the imaginative faculty, which itself corresponds to night, the concept of a nighttime dream produced by the imagination. And by virtue of this, “To proclaim Your kindness in the morning”—this alludes to the aforementioned concept of lovingkindness, through which the world will be renewed in the Future.

(3) And this is the concept of “They are renewed in the mornings; great is Your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23). “Great is Your faithfulness”—namely, faith—will bring to the renewal of the world, the concept of “They are renewed in the mornings,” and “To proclaim Your kindness in the morning…,” as mentioned above.

(1) 10. And when the world is renewed in the Future, it will be governed by wonders—i.e., solely through Divine providence, which is the concept of miracles, the supernatural.

(2) This is because renewal of the world in the Future will be through the attribute of the Land of Israel, which in essence is the concept of “He informed His people of His powerful works…” (Psalms 111:6). This is as Rashi explains the verse “In the beginning God created heaven and earth” (Genesis 1:1). Rashi explains that this is the reason Scripture begins with “In the beginning”: because “He informed His people of His powerful works, to give them the heritage of the nations.” In order to keep the world’s nations from saying, “You are thieves…,” Scripture therefore began with “In the beginning,” [to make known] that God created it. It follows, that the Land of Israel is in essence the product of “His powerful works”—through knowing that God created the world.

(3) And in the Future, the Holy Blessed One will renew the entire world through this attribute of the Land of Israel. It will be revealed then that God created everything, and then the entire world will be renewed through the attribute of the Land of Israel.

(4) Now, the essence of the Land of Israel’s holiness derives from the continuous presence there of God’s Divine providence, as in “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously, from the beginning of the year to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:12). Thus, in the Future, when the entire world will be renewed through the attribute of the Land of Israel, it will then be governed solely by means of Divine providence, just like the Land of Israel. The natural order will then be voided altogether, and the world will be governed solely through Divine providence, the concept of miracles, the supernatural.

(5) And then a new song will burst forth, the concept of “Sing to God a new song, for He has worked wonders” (Psalms 98:1). This alludes to the song destined to burst forth in the Future, a song of Divine providence/wonders, because the world will then be governed through Divine providence and miracles.

(6) For there is a song that corresponds to the natural order, the concept of “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims His handiwork” (Psalms 19:2). This is the melody and song of the natural order, the properties of the heavens—i.e., the songs and praises with which we extol God for the present manner of governance which directs the world through the natural order.

(7) But in the Future, a new song—the concept of miracles/Divine providence—will burst forth, because the governance will be solely through Divine providence. This new song that will burst forth in the Future is the concept of the simple-twofold-threefold-fourfold song, whose numerical value of seventy-two is the concept of lovingkindness, through which the world will be renewed in the Future, as in “The world will be built on lovingkindness.” This song is also the concept of the aforementioned voice that waters the garden; the voice that enables one to give reproof, as in “raise your voice Ka’ShoPhaR (like a shofar),” as mentioned above.

(8) It follows, that through prayer one attains the aforementioned concepts which bring to the voice that enables one to give reproof, as mentioned above. This is because prayer makes converts and reveals the glory of God, and this causes prophecy to spread. And through prophecy one merits faith, which, in turn, leads to the renewal of the world in the Future. Renewal of the world is through the attribute of the Land of Israel—i.e., by means of Divine providence, just like the Land of Israel. And then the song of Divine providence—namely, the concept of the aforementioned voice—and miracles will burst forth.

(9) And this is:

(10) “But he saw that the resting place was good, and that the land was pleasant, so he set his shoulder to the load and became l’mas oveid (an indentured servant)” (Genesis 49:15) .

(11) the resting place— This alludes to prophecy, as it is written in connection with Barukh the son of Neriyah: “and I have found no rest” (Jeremiah 45:3)—which refers to prophecy, as our Sages, of blessed memory, explained (Mekhilta, Bo, Introduction).

(12) the land— Namely, the Land of Israel.

(13) so he set his shoulder to the load— This alludes to melody, the aforementioned new song, the concept of “on their shoulder yisa’ u (they did carry)” (Numbers 7:9)—concerning which our Sages, of blessed memory, explained: yiSA’U is nothing other than song, as is stated (Psalms 81:3), “SA’ U (Raise up) a song and sound a timbrel” (Arakhin 11a). And by means of the melody/new song, scent is rectified, as mentioned above. This alludes to Mashiach, the concept of “The breath of our nostrils is m’shiach (the anointed) of God” (Lamentations 4:20). And this is:

(14) and became l’mas oveid— This alludes to Mashiach, as it is written, “Blessed is God, Who has not denied you a redeemer…. They named him Oveid” (Ruth 4:14, 17). And this is “l ’MaS”—this is MiSmus, dissolving an object that has a fragrance so that its scent is diffused. For by means of the aforementioned concepts, scent, the concept of Mashiach, is rectified, as mentioned above.

(1) 11. This is also the concept of Rosh HaShanah. On Rosh HaShanah, prayer is in the category of judgment, for “the judgment is the Lord’s” (Deuteronomy 1:17). And through this we extract all the life-essence of the Other Side that fed upon daat and the Jewish people’s prayers.

(2) This is the concept of “For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov” (Psalms 81:5). The word “statute” denotes sustenance, as our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded on this verse (Beitzah 16a). In other words, all the sustenance and life-essence is extracted from the Other Side, which is compelled to vomit out everything by means of the concept of “a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov”—i.e., by means of the judgment-prayer, which is the staff of strength that causes it to vomit out all the holiness which it swallowed from the daat and the Jewish people’s prayers.

(3) And this is Tishrei, the concept of “With Your might You drove back the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents upon the water.” The first letters of Yam Shebarta Rashei Taninim (“the sea; You smashed the heads of the sea-serpents”) in combination spell TiShReI. And when it returns the holy elements of the daat which it swallowed, then the daat and mind are whole. This is the concept of Rosh HaShanah, specifically rosh (head)—rectification of the head and mind by means of the aforementioned staff of strength.

(4) And when we extract from the Other Side what it swallowed, we extract also its life-essence—this being the concept of converts. This corresponds to Tishrei, the concept of “for you know eT nefeSh ha’geR kI (the soul of the convert, because) you were strangers…” (Exodus 23:9)—the last letters of which spell TiShReI. Through converts, the glory of God is revealed, prophecy spreads, holy faith is rectified, and false beliefs are eliminated.

(5) This is the concept of tekiah, teruah, shevarim. TeKiAh signifies the revelation of God’s glory, as in “u’ TeKAtiv (I will affix him) as a peg in a secure place, and he will be a throne of glory” (Isaiah 22:23). Teruah signifies the spirit of prophecy. This is as in “God, their Lord, is with them, the King’s teruah -blast in their midst” (Numbers 23:21), which Targum renders as “their King’s Divine Presence in their midst”—i.e., the indwelling of the Divine Presence, namely, prophecy. SheVaRim signifies the elimination of false beliefs. This is as in “ShaBeR t’ShaBeR (utterly shatter) their monuments” (Exodus 23:24)—i.e., the elimination of false beliefs and rectification of holy faith, the concept of “Everyone’s eyes y’SaBeiRu (look to You with hope)” (Psalms 145:15). And through faith, the world merits renewal.

(6) This is also the concept of Tishrei. For the world was created in Tishrei (Rosh HaShanah 10b), and the world will be renewed through the attribute of the Land of Israel, i.e., Divine providence—this being the concept of Rosh HaShanah, as in “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously, from the beginning of the year….” And then a new ShIR (song) will burst forth, as mentioned above. This, too, is the concept of TiShReI, as in “Come, TaShuRI (gaze) from the head of Amanah” (Song of Songs 4:8).

(1) 12. And this is conceptually related to the lungs. When the lungs are healthy, all the concepts mentioned previously are present.

(2) The aforementioned master of strength—who by praying a judgment-prayer extracts all holiness from the Other Side, the concept of “Pinchas stood vayephalel”—is “a faithful messenger to those who send him,” because he sacrifices himself for the sake of the Jewish people. This is the concept of the lungs, as in “Like the coldness of snow on a harvest day is a faithful messenger to those who send him” (Proverbs 25:13). Cold and coolness are representative of the lungs, which cool off the heat of the body, for if not for the lobes of the lungs fanning the heart, the heart would consume the entire body (Tikkuney Zohar #13, p.28a).

(3) The aforementioned perfected daat is conceptually related to the lungs. This is because the daat and the mentalities are mainly produced by the body’s fatty substances. The breathing of the lungs raises these fatty substances to the brain, enabling the intellect to burn like a lit lamp. Breathing also maintains all the body’s fatty substances, which are essential for the intellect’s existence. The mentalities are therefore referred to as the soul, as in “the NeShaMaH (soul) from the Almighty enables them to understand” (Job 32:8). For more than anything else, it is NeShiMaH (breathing) that ensures the proper functioning of the mind and daat. This is the concept of “The soul of man is the lamp of God” (Proverbs 20:27). The intellect is a lamp lit by means of the body’s fatty substances, which are maintained and raised to the mind through the breathing of the lungs. It follows, that daat’s existence is due primarily to the lungs.

(4) The aforementioned converts are the concept of “hevel descends, hevel ascends,” which is said about the lungs, as is brought (Tikkuney Zohar #69, p.105b). For there are havalim in the world that are the concept of “They are hevel (futility), the work of delusion” (Jeremiah 51:18)—i.e., the futilities of foolishness. But when one inhales this hevel and infuses it into Torah study and prayer, so that it becomes a hevel of holiness, that is the concept of converts. This is because “hevel, the work of delusion” turns into the holy hevel of Torah study and prayer—i.e., the concept of converts. This is “hevel descends, hevel ascends,” which is said about the lungs, because they take in hevel and expel hevel. This alludes to converts, who are made by one’s taking in the hevel of the world—i.e., “They are hevel, the work of delusion”—and through Torah study and prayer elevating it to hevel of holiness.

(5) The aforementioned revelation of the glory is the concept of “Glorify God with your wealth” (Proverbs 3:9)—do not read “from honkha (your wealth),” but “from gronkha (your throat)” (Pesikta Rabbati #25). And the throat emerges from the lungs.

(6) The aforementioned spread of prophecy is the ruach (air) of the lobes of the lungs, which is the ruach (spirit) of prophecy, the concept of “The ruach of God has spoken through me” (2 Samuel 23:2).

(7) Rectification of the imaginative faculty is conceptually related to the lungs. This is because sleep and imagination are dependent upon the lungs. Coolness and moisture are essential for sleep and imagination, which is why people are sleepier when it rains. Thus the lungs, because they are cool and moist, conduce to sleep and imagination—i.e., the fantasies that visit a person while sleeping, namely, the imaginative faculty.

(8) The world’s renewal is conceptually related to the lungs. This is the concept of “You will send Your ruach—they will be created; You renew the face of the earth” (Psalms 104:30), which alludes to the ruach of the lobes of the lungs. And the world will be renewed through Divine providence, the attribute of the Land of Israel. This corresponds to the lungs, as in that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: Why is it called Rei’AH (lung)? Because it me’IRaH (brings light to) the eyes (Chullin 49a). This is “God your Lord keeps His eyes on it continuously…,” which was said in reference to the Land of Israel—i.e., the concept of Divine providence, as mentioned above.

(9) The aforementioned melody and new song are conceptually related to the lungs. This is the concept of “Cry out from the throat, without restraint; raise your voice like a shofar.” The throat is the lungs, as mentioned above. [The throat] is also associated with melody, which is the concept of Ka’ShoPhaR (like a shofar), as mentioned above.

(10) Rectification of scent and fear [of God]—namely, sustenance for the soul—which are rectified through all the concepts mentioned previously, are conceptually related to the lungs. This is because the letters that spell ReI’AH (lung) are the final letters of YHVH ro’I lO echsoR (“God is my shepherd, I do not lack”) (Psalms 23:1). “God is my shepherd, I do not lack” alludes to sustenance for the soul. This is the meaning of “I do not lack”—the concept of “for those who fear Him lack nothing” (Psalms 34:10), i.e., fear of God/scent, which is sustenance for the soul.

(1) 13. This is the explanation of the teaching of our Sages, of blessed memory, about King Og of the Bashan: [Og] said : How big is the Israelite camp? It is three parsei (parasangs). I will go and uproot a three-parasang mountain and cast it upon them. He went and uprooted a three-parasang mountain and set it on his head. [But the Holy One, blessed be He,] brought kumtza (ants) onto [the mountain] and they bore a hole through it, so that [the mountain] dropped on his neck. He tried to remove it, but shinei (his teeth) extended downward on this side and the other [and he could not]. … How tall was Moshe? Ten cubits. He took an ax that was ten cubits long, jumped ten cubits, and struck [Og] on his ankle and killed him (Berakhot 54b) .

(2) Og’s hold was on the right side, as is brought (Zohar 184a). He fed on the daat of holiness, because from the right side comes a mind as white as silver (Tikkuney Zohar #70, p.129a). He therefore sought to overpower the Jewish people, and so said: “How big is the Israelite camp? It is three parasangs.”

(3) the Israelite camp— This alludes to the holiness of the Israelite camp, the concept of “Your camp must therefore be holy” (Deuteronomy 23:15). The essential sanctity of the Israelite camp stems from guarding against immoral desire, i.e., against a nocturnal emission, God forbid, as discussed in that section. And the primary means for guarding against this desire is the “three parasangs”—i.e., the three mentalities, each of which is a separate barrier deployed against this desire, as mentioned above. And this is:

(4) How big is the Israelite camp? It is three parasangs— In other words, the essence of the Israelite camp’s sanctity—their keeping separate from this desire, from a nocturnal emission, God forbid—is produced by the “three PaRSei”—i.e., the three mentalities, which are a barrier PRuSah (deployed) against that desire, as mentioned above.

(5) I will go and uproot a three-parasang mountain and cast it upon them. “A mountain” alludes to prayer, as in “I will bring them to My sacred mountain and make them joyful in the house of My prayer.” This is the meaning of “a three-parasang,” because prayer, too, is drawn from the three mentalities, the deployed barriers from which three types of compassion—namely, the three daily prayers—are drawn, as mentioned above.

(6) In other words, Og is the concept of the Other Side that feeds on daat, God forbid. It wants to uproot the prayers of the Jewish people, to draw them to itself and swallow them, God forbid, as mentioned above. This is what [Og] said, “and cast it upon them.” [The Other Side’s] greatest desire is to draw the Jewish people’s prayers to itself and grab hold of them. But afterwards, once it has them, God forbid, it is pleased to return [them] and cast them upon the Jews. For once it has already sustained itself on them, then even if it returns them and throws them to the Jews of its own accord, the flaw induced by its sapping the sustenance remains. This is because “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty,” as mentioned above. Therefore, when [the Other Side] feeds on the Jewish people’s compassion and prayers, even though it returns them to the Jews of its own accord, they nevertheless are flawed as a result of its hold on them. This is what [Og] said: “and cast it upon them,” because when [the Other Side] afterwards uproots and swallows them, God forbid, it wants to return them and throw them to the Jews, for it has already damaged them. {Since the Other Side has not been subdued, but returns [the prayers] to Israel of its own accord, they remain flawed. But when they are removed from it against its will, by means of the staff of strength, as mentioned above, then the Other Side is entirely defeated and returns absolutely everything to the realm of holiness. Understand this; [so] it appears to me.}

(7) He went and uprooted a three-parasang mountain and set it on his head— In other words, it overpowered and uprooted the prayers of Israel, which are “a three-parasang mountain.” “And set it on his head”—it drew the prayers, which are daat and compassion, into its head and mind. This is the concept of “Now the Serpent was cunning,” as mentioned above.

(8) brought KuMTZa (ants)— This alludes to the master of strength’s prayer, which is KiMuTZ (constricted) and judgment, the concept of the aforementioned staff of strength.

(9) and they bore a hole through it— This is the concept of “With his own staff You bore through the head of his arrayed troops” (Habakkuk 3:14). Through the aforementioned master of strength’s constricted judgment-prayer, which is a staff of strength, he subdues and defeats [the Other Side], because it sticks in its throat, as in “Strength resides in its neck.” And this is:

(10) [the mountain] dropped on his neck— It stuck in its neck, as in “Strength resides in its neck.” And this is:

(11) He tried to remove it— It is compelled to vomit out all the holy elements of the prayers and daat which it swallowed, as in “He swallowed wealth and vomits it out,” as mentioned above. And this is:

(12) shinei extended downward— Not only does it vomit out the holy elements of the Jewish people’s prayers, etc., but also “God flushes it out of his innards”—i.e., it is compelled to expel its life-essence, this being the concept of converts. This is the meaning of “ShINei (his teeth) extended downward,” the concept of “its innards are sparkling SheIN (ivory)” (Song of Songs 5:14). In other words, it is compelled to expel its life-essence from within its innards, as in “God flushes it out of his innards,” the concept of “r’dei (rule) within your enemies,” as mentioned above.

(13) How tall was Moshe? Ten cubits— “Moshe” signifies prophecy, because he was the master of all the prophets. “Ten cubits” alludes to the ten levels of prophecy. By means of the aforementioned staff of strength, through which the glory is revealed, one attains prophecy, as mentioned above.

(14) He took an ax that was ten cubits long— “Ax” signifies the tools of the Act of Creation. This is the meaning of “that was ten cubits long”—it alludes to the Ten Utterances with which the world was created, which are the tools of the Act of Creation. Through prophecy one merits faith, which corresponds to the Ten Utterances/tools of the Act of Creation. Faith brings to believing in the creation of the world; that God created everything with Ten Utterances, as mentioned above. And through faith one merits the renewal of the world in the Future, when the aforementioned new song will burst forth. And this is:

(15) jumped ten cubits— This alludes to the Song of the Future, the simple-[twofold-threefold-fourfold] song of ten letters, the concept of “ten cubits.” “Jumped” is the concept of “skipping over mountains, jumping over hills” (Song of Songs 2:8). “Mountains” and “hills” allude to scents, as in “I will take me to the mountain of myrrh, to the hill of frankincense” (ibid. 4:6)—i.e., the scents that grow in the garden by means of the voice of the melody, which waters the garden, as mentioned above.

(16) This is the meaning of “skipping over mountains, jumping….” It alludes to the aforementioned melody which enhances the scents—i.e., the concept of mountains and hills. This is “skipping…”—it refers to the notes of the melody, the masin, which are played by skipping and jumping across the strings of the instrument. This is the meaning of “jumped ten cubits.” It alludes to the aforementioned melody, which is “skipping over mountains….” For it is through the aforementioned concepts that one attains the melody, and this melody is the aforementioned voice—i.e., the voice of yaAKoV, who subdues the AKeiV of the Other Side. And this is:

(17) and struck [Og] on his ankle and killed him— He struck and subdued the heel of the Other Side by means of the aforementioned voice of the melody. This is the voice of Yaakov, who subdues the heel of the Other Side, as in “his hand grasping Esav’s heel,” as mentioned above.

(1) 14. This is the explanation [of the opening verses]: {“Tik’u (Sound) the shofar bachodesh (at the moon’s renewal), [when (the moon is) covered over on our chag (festive day). For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov].”}

(2) TiK’u— This alludes to the revelation of God’s glory, the concept of “u’TeKAtiv (I will affix him) as a peg in a secure place, and he will be a throne of glory.”

(3) BaChoDeSh— This alludes to the ChiDuSh (renewal) of the world, the aforementioned new song. And this is “shofar,” the concept of “raise your voice like a shofar,” as mentioned above.

(4) Then [the verse] further explains how revealing God’s glory/ tik’u warrants renewal of the world/a new song—i.e., “the shofar at the moon’s renewal.”

(5) And this is: when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day.

(6) When [the moon is] covered over— This alludes to prophecy, the concept of “Shall I conceal from Avraham what I am about to do?” (Genesis 18:17). This alludes to prophecy, the concept of “The Lord God does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets” (Amos 3:7).

(7) on our chag— This refers to Rosh HaShanah. This is faith, which is rectified through the rectification of the imaginative faculty, namely, the concept of ChaG, as in “and with a m’ChuGah (compass) ye’taareihu (he marks it out)” (Isaiah 44:13). “ye’TaAReihu” alludes to T’ ARim (attributes, depictions) and praises—i.e., the imaginative faculty. All the depictions and praises with which we envisage God are products of the imagination.

(8) For at the most abstract level, God is completely dissociated from all praises and depictions. It follows, that all praises and attributes are products of the imagination. Therefore, when the imagination is refined and rectified, it is possible to formulate praises and depictions of God. For if the imagination lacks rectification, no one knows how to depict God with praises and attributes, as it were, because all praises and attributes are products of the imagination.

(9) Thus, this is the concept of chag /“with a m’chugah ye’taareihu.” And through this [praising and depicting God], faith is rectified, which is the concept of Rosh HaShanah. For the essence of Rosh HaShanah—which is when the world is renewed, because the world was created in Tishrei—is dependent upon faith, as mentioned above. And this is:

(10) when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day— Imagination and faith are rectified primarily through prophecy, as mentioned above. Therefore, the essence of Rosh HaShanah/faith depends upon the month of Sivan, namely, receiving the Torah, through which faith is rectified, as mentioned above. And by rectifying the imagination and faith—which are rectified through prophecy, the concept of “when [the moon is] covered over on our festive day”—we merit renewal of the world/a new song, which is “the shofar at the moon’s renewal.” And this all stems from the revelation of the glory, the concept of Tik’u. For the revelation of God’s glory warrants the spread of prophecy, and so on, as mentioned above.

(11) And the totality of these concepts is achieved through the concept of For it is a statute for Israel, a judgment unto the Lord of Yaakov. As mentioned above, this alludes to a staff of strength, through which all the aforementioned concepts are achieved.

(1) 2. The only way to attain this aforementioned voice is through prayer. The essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty (as explained in Avot 2:13). And compassion depends mainly upon daat (unitive knowledge and awareness of God), as it is written, “They will do nothing evil or destructive anywhere on My sacred mountain, for the earth will be filled with daat, as water covers the seabed” (Isaiah 11:9). In the Future, daat will increase. There will then be no destruction or cruelty, for daat will bring to the proliferation of compassion, which depends primarily upon daat.

(2) But sometimes, when [evil forces of] the Other Side feed on the compassion, they draw it to themselves and thereby diminish our compassion. And even the little compassion which remains is an aspect of cruelty. As a result of their feeding on the compassion, it spoils and turns into cruelty, for “the compassion of the wicked is cruelty” (Proverbs 12:10). Consequently, even the little compassion we retain resembles cruelty, having been spoiled as a result of the Other Side’s feeding on compassion, God forbid.

(3) {“Even sea-serpents offer ShaD (the teat) to suckle their young; [but] the daughter of my people has become cruel, like ostriches of the wilderness” (Lamentations 4:3) .} This is the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—alluding to the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “like ShoD (disaster) from ShaDai (the Almighty)” (Isaiah 13:6). ShaDai signifies holy compassion, as in “May El Shadai (God Almighty) grant you compassion” (Genesis 43:14). This refers to prayer, which is SiDuD (rearrangement) of the celestial order. But on account of “ShoD from ShaDai”—i.e., the compassion of the Other Side, the concept of “Even sea-serpents offer ShaD”—“my people has become cruel.” Because they feed on compassion, even the little compassion we retain becomes flawed and turns into cruelty.

(4) And when compassion spoils and turns into cruelty, daat becomes flawed, as in: Whoever gets angry, his wisdom leaves him (Pesachim 66b). Daat diminishes, and turns into constricted mentalities. Then, the Other Side feeds on the flawed daat, God forbid, as in “Now the Serpent was cunning” (Genesis 3:1). This refers to daat of the Other Side. It feeds on the fallen holy daat, which has become flawed on account of cruelty and anger.

(5) This, in turn, leads to immoral desire, God forbid. For the mind is a barrier deployed against this desire. Thus, a person does not sin unless a spirit of foolishness enters him (Sotah 3a) [and flaws his daat, God forbid]. But when the mind and daat are whole, this protects against this desire.

(6) For there are three mentalities, each one a barrier deployed against this desire. And from these three mentalities three types of compassion are generated. For there are three types of compassion, as alluded to by that which our Sages, of blessed memory, taught concerning the verse: “that you will not deal falsely with me, or my children, or my grandchildren” (Genesis 21:23)—thus is the extent of a father’s compassion for a child (Bereishit Rabbah 54:2 and Rashi on the verse). These allude to three types of compassion, which are generated from the three mentalities, because the mind of the son derives from the mind of the father (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p. 35a).

(7) This is also the concept of the three daily prayers. Each of the prayers corresponds to a specific one of the three mentalities. These are the three types of compassion that are dependent upon the mind, because, as mentioned above, the essence of prayer is compassion and entreaty. Therefore, when daat becomes flawed, God forbid, it brings to immoral desire, God forbid.

(8) And when compassion and daat are flawed, offering prayers in the form of compassion and entreaty is impossible. At such a time, prayer is in the category of judgment. And when prayer is in the category of judgment, the Other Side swallows it, God forbid. This is because the Other Side primarily feeds on strict judgments, i.e., the constricted mentalities, which correspond to Elohim, as is known. Therefore, they grab hold of this prayer in the category of judgment and swallow it, God forbid.

(13) Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem.