Likutay Moharan - volume 2 - Torah teaching 78 - Prostik

Likutay Moharan 2:78

Regarding the conduct of simplicity [פְּשִׁיטוּת, outward simplicity, even coarse, concealing spiritual depth] of the true righteous person [צַדִּיק הָאֱמֶת], it is that sometimes the true righteous person is literally a coarse simple person [פְּרָאסְטִיק], conducting himself in ways of simplicity, not revealing any Torah and engaging in mundane conversation or the like. He is then in the aspect of a coarse simple person literally.

Know that the essence of life is the Torah, as it is written: כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ (דְּבָרִים ל:כ / Deuteronomy 30:20)—For it is your life and the length of your days. Anyone who separates from the Torah is like one who separates from life (זֹהַר לֶךְ לְךָ צ"ב ע"א; בְּהַעֲלוֹתְךָ קמ"ח ע"א; וָאֶתְחַנַּן רס"א ע"א). Therefore, it seems astonishing and wondrous how it is possible to separate oneself from the Torah even for a fleeting moment. In truth, it is impossible to be constantly attached to the Torah, day and night, without any interruption. Every Torah scholar [לַמְדָן], whether one who studies Torah with גמפ"ת [Talmud with commentaries, גְּמָרָא, פֵּרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י, תּוֹסָפוֹת], or the like, each according to his level and engagement in Torah study, must inevitably pause from Torah for some time during the day. Likewise, even a person of attainment [בַּעַל הַשָּׂגָה], even one who is exceedingly lofty, must inevitably interrupt and pause from his attainment for some time, for it is impossible to be constantly attached to Torah and attainment without interruption. One must necessarily pause for some time, whether to engage in some commerce [מַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן] or the like, as one must also attend to the needs of the body. In general, it is impossible in any way to be attached to the Torah and attainment without any interruption, and one must inevitably pause for some time.

During that time when one pauses from the Torah, that scholar or person of attainment is in the aspect of a coarse simple person [פְּרָאסְטִיק] literally. At first glance, this seems very difficult: how is it possible to separate oneself from the Torah even for a fleeting moment, since it is our life? Who would willingly separate from life even for a moment? Although our Sages, of revered memory, said: בִּטּוּלָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה זֶהוּ קִיּוּמָהּ (מְנָחוֹת צ"ט ע"ב / Talmud, Menachot 99b)—The cessation of Torah is its fulfillment, who would be content to pause from the Torah even if it is its fulfillment? Certainly, it is better to be attached to the Torah, which is life and the length of days. Who would willingly separate from life even for a single moment, especially one who merits love of Torah, is very constant in Torah, and is greatly attached to it? Even more so, one who merits feeling some sweetness in the Torah, innovating some novelty, even a simple insight in גמפ"ת [Talmud with commentaries], and all the more so a person of attainment, especially one who merits the treasures of the King [גִּנְזַיָּא דְּמַלְכָּא], an exceedingly lofty level beyond comprehension. How could such a person be content to separate from the Torah even for a fleeting moment?

In truth, it is impossible to be constantly engaged in Torah study, as mentioned above, for one must inevitably pause and interrupt for some time. If so, how does one sustain oneself during that time when one is idle from the Torah, since the essence of life is from the Torah, as mentioned above? But know that the true righteous person sustains himself during that time when he is a coarse simple person, as mentioned above, from the path of Eretz Yisrael [דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, worldly conduct, path to holiness]. For know that all these coarse simple people—whether the scholar who, when idle from Torah, is then a coarse simple person, as mentioned above, or a literal coarse simple person [פְּרָאסְטַאקֶיס] who is not a scholar at all yet is upright and G-d-fearing, or even those of lower levels, even the nations of the world—all certainly receive vitality from the Torah. All these coarse simple people need a great coarse simple person [אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט גָּדוֹל] through whom they all receive vitality.

For all these coarse simple people mentioned above need to receive some vitality from the Torah, which is the essence of life. In truth, they are distant from the Torah because they are coarse simple people [פְּרָאסְטַאקֶיס]. Therefore, they need a great coarse simple person through whom they receive vitality from the Torah. For know that all these coarse simple people—whether the scholar who studies Torah for the sake of Heaven [for studying not for its sake benefits only himself, not the world’s sustenance, with varying levels], when he pauses from his study and is then a coarse simple person literally, as mentioned above, or other coarse simple people—each, according to their grasp of the Torah, sustains themselves during their simplicity from the aspect of the sustenance of the world before the giving of the Torah. For before the giving of the Torah, the world was sustained only by His kindness [חֶסֶד], as there was no Torah or mitzvah through which the world was sustained. The primary sustenance of the world was through His kindness alone. The righteous person, during his simplicity, when he separates from the Torah, receives vitality from this aspect.

This is the aspect of the treasury of free gift [אוֹצַר מַתְּנַת חִנָּם, divine kindness sustaining without merit], for there is a treasury of free gift from which one who has no merit at all receives (מִדְרַשׁ רַבָּה תִּשָּׂא, פָּרָשָׁה מ"ה). Certainly, this treasury is not prepared for the wicked, for if so, the wicked would be greater than the righteous, since the wicked surely has no merit at all and would thus merit receiving from the treasury of free gift. In truth, the wicked certainly does not receive from there; rather, this treasury of free gift is for the righteous alone, during the time when the righteous is a coarse simple person, as mentioned above. Then he receives from this treasury of free gift, which is the aspect of before the giving of the Torah, when the world was sustained by free kindness alone, in the aspect of: כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ (תְּהִלִּים קל"ו / Psalms 136), said about the time before the giving of the Torah [as per Pesachim, for the 26 generations] (פְּסָחִים קי"ח ע"א / Talmud, Pesachim 118a). For then there was no Torah, and they engaged only in the Derech Eretz [דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ, worldly conduct, path to holiness], as our Sages, of revered memory, said in the Midrash: גְּדוֹלָה דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ, שֶׁקָּדְמָה לַתּוֹרָה עֶשְׂרִים וְשִׁשָּׁה דּוֹרוֹת (מִדְרַשׁ רַבָּה צַו, פָּרָשָׁה ט)—Great is Derech Eretz, which preceded the Torah by 26 generations.

In truth, even before the giving of the Torah, the Torah certainly existed, for the Torah is eternal. However, before the giving of the Torah, the Torah was in a state of concealment and hiddenness, meaning that the entire Torah is included in the Ten Commandments [עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת]. Before the giving of the Torah, the Ten Commandments were concealed within the ten utterances [עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, divine utterances creating the world] by which the world was created. Thus, the entire Torah was concealed and hidden within the sustenance of the world, which was created by the ten utterances. In all the speech of the world and all the actions and deeds—whether one who chops wood or any action—the Torah is concealed, for everything was created by the ten utterances in which the Torah is hidden and concealed before the giving of the Torah. The righteous person, when he separates from the Torah and is in the aspect of a coarse simple person, receives vitality from this aspect of before the giving of the Torah. This is the aspect of the path of Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above, that the righteous person sustains himself during his simplicity from there.

For the primary power of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael is through the aspect of: כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ לָתֵת לָהֶם נַחֲלַת גּוֹיִם (תְּהִלִּים קי"א:ו / Psalms 111:6)—He declared to His people the power of His deeds [divine creation justifying Israel’s inheritance] to give them the inheritance of nations, as Rashi explains on the verse in Genesis: Therefore, it begins with In the beginning [בְּרֵאשִׁית], so that they should not say, “You are robbers,” for He, blessed be He, created everything, and by His will He gave it to them (רַשִׁ"י, בְּרֵאשִׁית א:א). Thus, the primary power of Eretz Yisrael is from the aspect of the ten utterances by which the world was created, which are the aspect of the power of His deeds. Through this, Israel was able to go and conquer Eretz Yisrael. Even here, in the diaspora, this aspect exists, for Israel, a holy people, sometimes comes to places that were very far from the holiness of Israel, such as a place that was originally of idol-worshippers or is now under the authority of those far from the holiness of Israel. Israel comes there, conquers the place, and sanctifies it to become a place of Israel, which is also the aspect of Eretz Yisrael. They could say, “You are robbers, for you conquered a place that is not yours.” But through the power of His deeds, the aspect of the ten utterances, Israel has the right to conquer and sanctify the entire world with the holiness of Israel, for He, blessed be He, created it, and by His will He gave it to us.

Thus, the ten utterances, clothed in Derech Eretz [דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ, worldly conduct, path to holiness]—that is, in the sustenance of the world, for the world was created by them—are the path to Eretz Yisrael. For through the aspect of the ten utterances, one can conquer Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above. This is the aspect of Derech Eretz, meaning the path and route to Eretz Yisrael. For Derech Eretz, which is the sustenance of the world created by the ten utterances, is itself the path and route to Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above. This is Derech Eretz, meaning the path to Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above. In this very Derech Eretz, the path of Eretz Yisrael, which is the aspect of the ten utterances by which the world was created, where the Torah is concealed, the world was sustained by His kindness for the 26 generations before the giving of the Torah. In this very aspect, the righteous person sustains himself during his simplicity when he is not engaged in the Torah, for then he sustains himself from the aspect of the Torah concealed within the world, in all the speech and actions created by the ten utterances, where the Torah is concealed, as mentioned above.

Therefore, the great righteous person [צַדִּיק הַגָּדוֹל] must descend and fall into simplicity [פְּשִׁיטוּת, outward simplicity, even coarse, concealing spiritual depth] and become a simple person [אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, outward simplicity concealing spiritual depth] literally for some time. For through this, he sustains all the simple people mentioned above, whoever they may be, even the nations of the world. He sustains himself in the aspect of the Torah concealed in the ten utterances [עֲשָׂרָה מַאֲמָרוֹת, divine utterances creating the world], clothed within the world, and from him, all the aforementioned simple people receive vitality. Each, according to their proximity to holiness and to the aforementioned righteous person, receives higher vitality from him.

Therefore, Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, when he sought to enter Eretz Yisrael, requested a free gift [מַתְּנַת חִנָּם, divine kindness without merit], as it is written: וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה' (דְּבָרִים ג:כ"ג / Deuteronomy 3:23)—And I pleaded with Hashem, in the aspect of a free gift (רַשִׁ"י, דְּבָרִים ג:כ"ג). This is: At that time, saying [בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֹר, time of concealed Torah], meaning that his prayer was with the power of the aspect of at that time, saying, the time when the world was sustained by the ten utterances, before the giving of the Torah, when the world was sustained by the ten utterances in which the Torah was concealed, and the sustenance of the world was through a free gift, as mentioned above. With this power of the sustenance of the world before the giving of the Torah, the aspect of a free gift, the aspect of the aforementioned ten utterances, one merits to enter and conquer Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above. Therefore, Moshe sought to enter Eretz Yisrael through this aspect. This is: And I pleaded with Hashem [וָאֶתְחַנַּן אֶל ה'], meaning a free gift, at that time [בָּעֵת הַהִיא], with the power of that time when the world was sustained by the utterances alone, when the world was sustained by the aspect of a free gift, as mentioned above, through which one can enter Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above. Therefore, Moshe sought to enter Eretz Yisrael through this aspect, as mentioned above. This is the aspect of at that time [הַהִיא], which is the aspect of concealed and hidden, for at that time, before the giving of the Torah, the Torah was concealed and hidden within the ten utterances, as mentioned above.

In general, one must not despair oneself, for even one who is a simple person [אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, outward simplicity concealing spiritual depth] and cannot study at all, or is in a place where he cannot study, or the like, even during his simplicity, he must hold fast to fear of Heaven [יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, reverence for G-d] and simple service according to his level. For even then, he receives vitality from the Torah, as mentioned above, through the great simple person, the great righteous person who is sometimes a simple person and sustains them all, as mentioned above. Even one who, Heaven forbid, is at the lowest level completely, Heaven forbid, Heaven save us, even if he is placed in the lowest depths [שְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּיּוֹת], Heaven save us, he must not despair himself and should fulfill: מִבֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל שִׁוַּעְתִּי (יוֹנָה ב:ג / Jonah 2:3)—From the depths of Sheol I cried out. He should hold fast to whatever he can, for even he can return and receive vitality from the Torah through the aforementioned righteous person. The main thing is to strengthen oneself in whatever way possible [for there is no despair in the world at all [אֵין שׁוּם יִאוּשׁ בָּעוֹלָם כְּלָל, Rebbe Nachman’s core teaching of hope] (and he then said in this language: קַיין יִאוּשׁ אִיז גָאר נִיט פַאר הַאנְדִין—No despair is present at all). He greatly emphasized these words no despair and said them with great power and wondrous, awesome depth to teach and hint to each person for all generations not to despair in any way in the world, even if something passes over him]. Whatever his state, even if he has fallen to a place where he has fallen, Heaven save us, since he strengthens himself in whatever he can, he still has hope to return and come back to Him, blessed be He.

Even a simple person [אִישׁ פָּשׁוּט, outward simplicity concealing spiritual depth] must have fear of Heaven [יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, reverence for G-d]. There are many levels of fear [יְרָאוֹת], for above we spoke of the aspect of Derech Eretz [דֶּרֶך אֶרֶץ, worldly conduct, path to holiness], meaning the path to Eretz Yisrael. However, Eretz Yisrael itself also has the aspect of ten holinesses [עֶשֶׂר קְדֻשּׁוֹת, levels of holiness in Eretz Yisrael], for there are ten levels of holiness [יוּ"ד בְּחִינוֹת קְדֻשּׁוֹת], one above the other. These are the aspect of the ten utterances, and each utterance has an aspect of fear, the aspect of: הָקֵם לְעַבְדְּךָ אִמְרָתֶךָ אֲשֶׁר לְיִרְאָתֶךָ (תְּהִלִּים קי"ט:ל"ח / Psalms 119:38)—Establish Your word for Your servant, which is for Your fear. For there is fear above fear [יִרְאָה לְמַעְלָה מִיִּרְאָה] [and he did not finish explaining this matter]. One must strengthen oneself in fear of Heaven even during one’s simplicity in whatever way possible, and one can come to great joy through one’s innocence [תְּמִימוּת] and faith [אֱמוּנָה]. For wisdoms [חָכְמוֹת] are not needed at all, only faith and innocence and simplicity without any wisdom at all. For wisdoms greatly harm a person, and the wise are trapped in their own wisdom, as their wisdom leads them astray from one wisdom to another, and from that wisdom to another wisdom, and so from wisdom to greater wisdom, until they are trapped and led astray by their own wisdoms, in the aspect of: לָכֵד חֲכָמִים בְּעָרְמָם (אִיּוֹב ה:י"ג / Job 5:13)—He traps the wise in their cunning, specifically in their cunning [בְּעָרְמָם], meaning in their own cunning and wisdoms, which trap them. Happy is the one who walks in innocence.

One must greatly seek from Hashem, blessed be He, to merit drawing close to the true righteous person. For happy is the one who merits drawing close during his lifetime to the true righteous person, happy is he, happy is his portion [for after death, it is very difficult to draw close, and one must greatly increase in prayer and supplications to merit drawing close to true righteous people in his lifetime]. For The Litigator [בַּעַל דָּבָר, evil inclination, opposing redemption] greatly focuses on this now to confuse the world, for Israel is now very close to the end and has great longing and yearning for Hashem, blessed be He, such as there was not in earlier days. Every individual greatly yearns for Hashem, blessed be He. Therefore, The Litigator has cunningly introduced controversy among the righteous and raised up many false famous ones in the world, and even among the true righteous has introduced great controversy, so that no one knows where the truth lies. Therefore, one must greatly seek from Hashem, blessed be He, to merit drawing close to the true righteous person.

Copied from the manuscript of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, himself, what we found with him, which are chapter headings from the aforementioned matter, with additional matters in them that he did not explain explicitly. As understood from these chapter headings, the reader will see that there are many more matters in this topic, but we did not merit to hear them explicitly, only the aforementioned matter.

And I pleaded [וָאֶתְחַנַּן], free gift [מַתְּנַת חִנָּם], free gift, immorality [עֲרָיוֹת], blemish of knowledge [פְּגַם הַדַּעַת], Moshe, knowledge [דַּעַת], separation [פְּרִישׁוּת], mouth [פֶּה], He stood with me [עִמָּדִי], the Creation [הַבְּרִיאָה], free gift, the world is built with kindness [עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה], the Creation before the giving of the Torah, a time to act for Hashem [עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַה'], meaning the action of the world, they have nullified Your Torah [הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ], the cessation of Torah [בִּטּוּלָהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה], at that time, saying [בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֹר], the ten utterances, that [הַהִיא], the concealment [הַעְלָמָה], He declared to His people the power of His deeds [כֹּחַ מַעֲשָׂיו הִגִּיד לְעַמּוֹ].