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LIKUTAY HALACHOS — ORACH CHAIM, PART III
Laws of Purim
Section Aleph [א] This is the matter of the tremendous power of the miracle of Purim — which is the downfall of Haman-Amalek. For at first glance it is astonishing: do we not see many wealthy people who are great men of anger, and yet they possess great wealth? And especially the nations of the world, among whom all the wealth resides, and they are filled with anger and murder. But in truth, the essential wealth is holy wealth — which is the magnification of the Name and the holy soul, as is explained there in §59 cited above, that the essential magnification of the Name and the soul is through wealth. And through this, all souls yearn to be rooted in His name, etc. And through this one can draw many souls close to Hashem, blessed be He, and build the bechina of the Holy Sanctuary upon its foundation (as explained there). And such wealth cannot be attained except specifically through the subduing of anger, as stated above. And in truth, this is the essential wealth — and all wealth, all the silver and gold and precious stones, etc. that exist in the world — their essential root flows only from there, from the root of the souls and the holy Name of Israel. For all the divine abundance in the world and all wealth flows only in the bechina of "all of Israel are children of kings" — and certainly all wealth belongs to the children of kings. And this is what Rabbainu, of blessed memory, took such care to articulate (in §68), saying that all of Israel deserve to have wealth, except that there is one quality that harms it and that is anger, etc. For certainly all wealth reaches only Israel, as stated — for each one of Israel, according to the root of his soul, which is his name that is rooted in the Name of Hashem — where is the root of all abundance and wealth — so too is he deserving to have wealth even materially. For each one of Israel, from the greatest to the smallest, must engage in building the Holy Sanctuary mentioned above — that is, to draw souls close to Hashem, blessed be He, for this is why he was created. And the essential means by which they draw close is through magnifying the Name and the soul, which is through wealth, which is the root of the souls as stated. But because of our many sins, the evil quality of anger grows so powerful that it ruins the aforementioned wealth. And through this one tears his own soul with his anger — which is his name, etc., as stated. And this is what caused the destruction of our Holy Temple and the exile of our glory, etc. — for the essential cause of the destruction was through the tremendous power of anger that was aroused among them, until a mighty dispute fell between them and hatred and murder and bloodshed multiplied, and through this our Holy Temple was destroyed. And the essential destruction occurred through the aforementioned bechina — that all the abundance was taken from Israel, that is, all the wealth that was stripped from Israel and given to the nations, which is the essential bechina of exile — as it says: "And these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt" — "names" specifically, meaning the souls whose root is in wealth, all of whom went down into the Egyptian exile which encompasses all the exiles, which are all called by the name of Egypt. And therefore all the enemies who exiled Israel set their faces and their evil intent specifically to destroy the Holy Temple — for in the Holy Temple was all the wealth of Israel, for the Temple itself was built with immense riches, and there too were the treasuries of the House of Hashem, etc. — for the root of all our souls is in the Holy Temple, therefore immense treasures were there, for the root of the souls is in wealth as stated. And therefore the essential fury of the enemies was directed against the Holy Temple and the treasuries of the House of Hashem and the royal palace — for their essential fury was over the wealth of Israel where the root of their souls lay, as stated. And this is what Yirmiyahu lamented: "Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, etc." — meaning he laments that all of Israel's inheritance and their wealth was overturned for them, as stated.
Section Beis [ב] But Hashem, blessed be He, "makes nations great and then destroys them" — for the wealth will not endure in their hands, for "in vanity it comes and in darkness it goes, for a person cannot take it with him, and deceit shall not profit its pursuer". For in truth, the fact that the nations and the wicked have wealth, even though they are filled with anger and murder — this flows from the fact that they provoke Israel and introduce anger into them. For all the sustenance of the nations flows from Esav, from whom Amalek emerged — who is "the first of nations." And Esav is appointed over anger — for he is the Samech-Mem [the S"M — the Adversary], he is the one who incites, he is the one who provokes every soul of Israel when he sees that abundance and wealth flows to him — he provokes and introduces anger and fury into him. And through this he ruins the wealth and converts it to anger, as stated. And then, from the abundance that had been prepared to flow down to that person as wealth — even though it has been corrupted and overturned into anger — nonetheless, from the dross of that abundance, which is the bechina of suspita d'dahava [the slag of gold], the wealth flows to the Other Side — which are the nations and the wicked whose sustenance comes from the aforementioned bechina of suspita. And this wealth is the inverse of holiness — for through it the Name of Hashem becomes concealed, G‑d forbid, and the outer names grow strong. And therefore the nations and the wicked can receive wealth, even though they are angry — for all their wealth is the bechina of dross that flows from Israel's anger, as stated. And in truth, all the wealth of the nations and the wicked is not theirs at all — it is in the bechina of robbery in their hands, for the essential wealth flows from the souls of Israel; it is only that they provoked and introduced anger into Israel, and through this ruined the wealth and converted it to anger, and from the dross of that wealth they received their riches. And therefore they can receive it through anger, for that is the source of all their wealth. And it is like what one sees materially, that a robber stands against his fellow and steals his money and his wealth — so too is it exactly in the aforementioned bechina: through their anger they overpower and seize the wealth of Israel by provoking them and introducing anger into them, as stated. And therefore in truth, all the wealth of the nations and the wicked is not wealth at all — for it is filled with anger and suffering, as it is written: "Also all his days are anger and suffering, etc." And it is written: "And much vexation and illness and wrath." For it is "wealth stored up by its owner to his own harm" — which is the bechina of anger, which is called evil (as explained there). And it shall not succeed, for it shall not endure in their hands — for ultimately the wealth will return to its original Owner, to the one whose wealth it is by root, as it is written: "It shall not be stored up or hoarded, for those who dwell before Hashem shall be its commerce, etc." And it is written: "In place of the copper I will bring gold, etc." And this is: "One who makes wealth not through justice — in the midst of his days he shall leave it, etc." (And see further on this below and elsewhere.)
Section Gimel [ג] And this was the error of Haman-Amalek, may his name be blotted out — for he thought he could overpower Israel specifically through the force of his anger, as it is written: "And Haman was filled with fury" — for he saw that Israel had been in exile for some years and all the wealth was with him [with the Persians], and therefore he incited greatly against Israel, and especially over the fact that they wished to return and rebuild the Holy Temple and restore the wealth to holiness. And therefore his sons — may their names be blotted out — wrote accusations to prevent the building of the Holy Temple. And he thought he could draw down wealth through anger and fury, for he saw that he possessed such extraordinary wealth, as it is written: "And Haman recounted to them the glory of his wealth and the multitude of his children" — these being his children, that is, the evil souls that depend upon his wealth, and he was filled with fury. He therefore thought he could overpower Israel — and principally through his wealth specifically, as it is written: "And ten thousand talents of silver I will weigh out, etc." And this is why the holy Megillah begins at its opening by recounting the extreme extraordinary wealth of the wicked kingdom — that of Achashverosh — as it is written: "In his showing the wealth of the glory of his kingdom, etc., white, fine cotton, and blue, etc., couches of gold and silver, etc., on a pavement of marble and alabaster, etc." — such wealth as had never been heard of — and all this in order to recount and reveal to us the tremendous power of the wondrous miracle of Purim, for the essential strength of the wicked kingdom at that time was through the force of their great wealth, as stated. And this is the bechina of "and vessels from various vessels" — and our Sages of blessed memory interpreted that they used the vessels of the Holy Temple, for they thought that through this they would overpower Israel — by conquering the essential root of Israel's holy wealth, which is the vessels of the Holy Temple. For the entire essential wealth of Israel is the Holy Temple and its vessels, as stated.
Section Dalet [ד] And in truth, there was then a time of great distress the like of which had never occurred — for Haman sought to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, etc. For since the root of their souls is in wealth, and since he saw that all the wealth was with him, he thought he had power over all the souls of Israel to destroy them, G‑d forbid. And truly Israel was then in very great danger, as is known. But "a crude man does not know, and a fool does not understand this — when the wicked bloom like grass, etc." — for Hashem, blessed be He, foils the schemes of the cunning, etc. For all the power of the Other Side — which is Haman-Amalek — comes through the force of their evil anger, as stated. Therefore Hashem, blessed be He, sets them against one another in the bechina of "And I will pit Egypt against Egypt", and as it is written: "And nation shall crush nation, etc." — for He raises up from among them and against them [enemies from within], for Hashem, blessed be He, in His mercy arranges wondrous circumstances so that against the hating, pursuing, angry enemy, there shall be aroused against him a master of anger and fury greater than he — so that specifically through anger and fury he shall fall with a fall from which there is no recovery. As we saw then: all the rise of Haman — may his name be blotted out — was through anger and fury, as stated. What did Hashem, blessed be He, do? He arranged circumstances through His wonders until He brought Achashverosh into a great anger against him, as it is written: "And the king arose in his fury, etc." — and through this his evil fate was sealed, and they hanged him on the tree that he had prepared for Mordechai, and then specifically: "and the king's wrath subsided."
Section Heh [ה] For the wicked Haman thought he had power through his anger to overpower everything — just as he had seen that he overpowered Vashti and introduced anger into Achashverosh, as it is written: "and his fury burned within him", until he had her killed through his counsel — and he thought that now too he would succeed in his wickedness and prevail through his anger until he would destroy, G‑d forbid, all of Israel. "But a crude man does not know" — for Hashem, blessed be He, is with Israel always and promised them: "And yet for all that, etc., I have not despised them nor abhorred them to destroy them, etc." "And a fool does not understand this" — for His thoughts, blessed be He, are very deep. On the contrary — the very fact that he had prevailed through his anger and killed Vashti — that itself was his tremendous downfall, for Hashem, blessed be He, sends the remedy before the blow, as our Sages of blessed memory interpreted. For such is the way of Hashem, blessed be He — that He takes vengeance upon them from among themselves and through themselves, as stated. For the wicked Vashti in her wickedness had set the daughters of Israel to work in labor on the Shabbos — therefore Hashem, blessed be He, repaid her in kind: she was killed through the anger of Haman and Achashverosh. And through this very thing the matter unfolded until Esther the righteous woman caused anger to arise in Achashverosh until he hanged Haman, and all Haman's wealth was stripped from him and given to Mordechai — as it is written: "And Esther appointed Mordechai over the house of Haman, for the word of our G‑d shall stand forever."
Section Vav [ו] And this is [the meaning of]: "The wrath of man shall praise You; the residue of wrath You shall gird" — and Rashi explained there that the meaning is: when the nations are in anger and fury, through this Hashem, blessed be He, grows great and they give thanks and praise to Him, blessed be He, when they see the tremendous downfall of the wicked — see there. And this is "the residue of wrath You shall gird" — meaning, the verse explains how Hashem, blessed be He, causes them to fall when they grow powerful in great anger up to the point where they wish to destroy, G‑d forbid — that is, as stated, that He, blessed be He, causes them to fall specifically by raising up against them masters of fury greater than them who bring about their downfall, as stated. And this is "the residue of wrath You shall gird" — that Hashem, blessed be He, girds others with great furies, and through this comes their downfall — from among themselves and through themselves, as stated. And this is "Vow and pay to Hashem, etc., they shall bring tribute to the Awesome One" — meaning, they must vow and pay, etc., that is, to give tzedakah for the sake of Hashem, blessed be He — to restore and lift all the wealth back to holiness — for the essential rectification of wealth is through tzedakah to the deserving poor (as is written in §69 cited above). And this is "He cuts off the spirit of princes" — He cuts off and diminishes the spirit of the princes of the Other Side through all the above.
Section Zayin [ז] And the essential miracle of Purim came about through Mordechai — through the great abundance of cries and shouts that he cried out to Hashem, blessed be He, and through which he also brought Israel to cry out and call greatly to Hashem, blessed be He. For there is no counsel against them except through this — for our only strength is in the mouth. For they provoke Israel in many many ways until they wish to introduce, G‑d forbid, anger and fury among Israel themselves, and through this they wish to seize the abundance from Israel, G‑d forbid, and overpower them, as stated. And therefore there is no counsel or strategy except to cry out greatly to Hashem, blessed be He, and to pray and implore before Him, blessed be He, in the bechina of "my heart burned within me; in my meditation a fire kindled — I spoke with my tongue" — for one must turn the heat that blazes in the heart from the multitude of troubles that seeks to introduce anger, G‑d forbid — turn all of it into prayers and supplications and requests and cries to Hashem, blessed be He, with warmth of heart, in the bechina of "my heart burned within me, etc., I spoke with my tongue", as stated. And this is the bechina of what is written at the beginning of §59 cited above — that the essential rectification of the Holy Sanctuary is through judgment — that one judges himself in every matter — meaning, that one engages in hisbodedus [secluded personal prayer], makes an accounting with his soul, judges himself, and pours out his speech before Hashem, blessed be He, with warmth of heart, until the fire of judgment is ignited and burns the evil of the souls that he draws close, etc., see there. And the essential subduing of the evil within the souls is to nullify the anger and fury from them (as is evident at the conclusion of the Torah teaching cited above) — for the rectification of the fury, which is the bechina of the Name [i.e., the rectification of the Name-defect caused by anger], which comes through the rectification of anger — this is itself the bechina of nullifying the evil from the bechina of the Throne of Judgment cited above, from the bechina of igula [the circle], etc. — see there carefully and you will understand. Thus it emerges that through prayer and hisbodedus one subdues the evil of anger that seeks to ruin, G‑d forbid, the wealth of holiness and draw it to the Other Side, G‑d forbid. And this was the entire holy counsel of Mordechai — that he cried out greatly to Hashem, blessed be He, and brought Israel to cry out and pray to Hashem, blessed be He, with warmth of heart, in the bechina of "my heart burned within me, etc." — to convert the heat of anger into the heat of crying out and prayer to Hashem, blessed be He, as stated. And through this he subdued the evil — which is the anger — which is the bechina of Haman, from whom comes all the wealth of all the nations and the wicked who oppose the truth and oppose those engaged in building the Holy Sanctuary, as stated. And through this the matter was overturned in the bechina of "and it was reversed", etc. — and all the wealth was taken from the Other Side and overturned to holiness, as stated. And then: "And Mordechai went out from before the king in royal garments of blue and white, etc." — which represents very great wealth — for that is the essential miracle: that the wealth returned to holiness. And through this: "And many of the peoples of the land became Jews, etc." — for when wealth returns to holiness, many souls yearn to be included in His name and soul, and many converts and penitents are made in the world, in the bechina of "and many of the peoples of the land became Jews, etc.", as stated.
Section Ches [ח] And all this can be alluded to in the combination of verses of the masorah that cites six verses each consisting of five words of only two letters each. They are: (1) "And Noach begot Shem, Cham"; (2) "For also this one is a son for you"; (3) "For a hand is on the throne of Y-H"; (4) "Therefore he did not come to the table of the king"; (5) "Neither mine nor yours shall it be"; (6) "This is nothing other than an evil heart." That is: "And Noach begot" — he is the true tzaddik who is engaged in building the Holy Sanctuary cited above, "Shem, Cham" — meaning, he begets the holy souls which are the bechina of Shem [Name], the bechina of "a living soul — that is his name", and the essential means by which they are drawn close is through magnifying the Name, which comes through holy wealth. But the Adversary provokes and clings to holiness and seeks to strengthen the evil within the souls he draws close — which is anger and fury. But the true tzaddik overturns the evil — which is the bechina of Cham [heat], the bechina of the heat of anger and fury — and converts it to the bechina of "my heart burned within me, etc., I spoke with my tongue" — that is, to cry out and pray to Hashem, blessed be He, with warmth of heart, as stated. And this is "and Noach begot" — that the tzaddik — "Shem" — meaning the souls he draws close, "and Cham" — meaning the heat of heart that clings to them and wishes to introduce anger and fury — but the tzaddik converts it to the bechina of "my heart burned within me" cited above — through which everything is converted to holiness, and he begets many souls and magnifies the Name of Hashem, as stated. And this is "for also this one is a son for you" — for the souls he draws close are called sons, as our Sages of blessed memory interpreted — and every time he draws close a new soul it is in the bechina of a son, in the bechina of "for also this one is a son for you." And this is "for a hand is on the throne of Y-H" — which was said regarding the war with Amalek — that the Holy One, blessed be He, swore that His Name is not complete and His throne is not complete until the memory of Amalek is blotted out. And the essential war is over the aforementioned bechina — for Amalek constantly provokes Israel to diminish their Name, G‑d forbid, through anger, through which he steals their abundance — until Hashem Himself, so to speak, must fight against him, in the bechina of "for a hand is on the throne of Y-H" — that His Name and His throne are not complete until his memory is erased and anger is nullified from the world, and then the Name of Hashem shall be magnified — which is the name of Israel, the name of the true tzaddikim. And then all will return to Hashem, blessed be He — which is the bechina of "and Noach begot" cited above. And this too is the bechina of the completion of His throne, as is written there regarding the Throne of Judgment — see there. And the essential war with Amalek is because he wishes to take all the wealth for himself — for his desire and his honor — which is the bechina of the wealth of the nations and the wicked who do not strive that from their wealth there should come benefit to Hashem, blessed be He — to support the proper Torah scholars who truly fear Hashem. And this is "therefore he did not come to the table of the king" — for the one who opposes does not wish to come with his wealth to the table of the King, the King of the universe, to sustain all those who are close to Him — that is, the true tzaddikim and those attached to them. And through this: "neither mine nor yours shall it be" — for such wealth shall not succeed, for in the midst of his days it shall abandon him, as stated. And in truth, the Other Side desires this — for it is the inciter, the seducer, the prosecutor, etc. — for it incites those who oppose [the truth] to grow powerful in anger and have wealth from the Other Side, and afterward it itself prosecutes them and seizes their wealth until nothing at all remains in their hands — which is the bechina of what the Other Side itself says: "neither mine nor yours shall it be." And this is "this is nothing other than an evil heart" — for all of this flows from an evil heart, which is the bechina of anger called evil heart, as stated. But Hashem, blessed be He, fights against the Other Side — which is the bechina of Amalek — in the bechina of "for a hand, etc." — and brings Israel to cry out to Him with warmth of heart, and through this He foils the counsel of nations and merits the tzaddik to bring the wealth out from the Other Side and introduce it to holiness — through which the tzaddik begets many souls, in the bechina of "and Noach begot Shem, etc.", the bechina of "for also this one is a son for you" — for each time, souls are added who draw close to the truth, who are called sons, as stated.
Section Tes [ט] And it was for this reason that Haman made a tree fifty cubits tall to hang Mordechai from it and cast him down from there — for he sought to blemish the root of holy wealth, which is the bechina of magnifying the Name and the soul of Israel — for all of them are rooted in the names of the twelve tribes, which contain fifty letters. And therefore these fifty letters of the twelve tribes of Y-H were engraved on the stones of the Choshen [Breastplate] and the Ephod — which are the bechina of wealth, for they were extremely precious stones — and the High Priest bore them upon his heart, and upon them were engraved the names of the children of Israel — which are the root of the souls and the names of all Israel, all of whom are rooted in these fifty letters that are engraved upon these precious stones that are the bechina of wealth — for the Name and the soul have their root in wealth, as stated. And therefore they were upon the heart of the High Priest in the Choshen Mishpat [Breastplate of Judgment] — to draw down the bechina of the fire of judgment, as stated — to subdue the evil that seeks to attach itself to these souls and to the heart of the one who draws them close (as explained there), as it is written: "And Aharon shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart, etc." And likewise our master, teacher, and Rabbainu, of blessed memory, brings there the connection from the Choshen Mishpat to the matter of the fire of judgment cited above — as is explained regarding the ribua [square] which is the bechina of judgment, as it is written: "It was square, doubled" — said of the Choshen Mishpat — which is as stated above. And the wicked Haman sought to cast Mordechai down from there — but Mordechai, through the force of his cry and his prayer, drew down the bechina of the fire of judgment cited above, until he heaped burning coals upon Haman's head, and returned his recompense upon his own head, and they hanged him and his sons upon that very tree — for all his defeat came through the fifty letters cited above, which are the bechina of the holy Name of Israel, the bechina of holy wealth, which Mordechai merited in holiness. And through this he cast Haman down from there and they hanged him and his sons on the tree, and all the wealth returned to holiness, as stated. And therefore fifty is the bechina of the minimum threshold of wealth — as it is stated in the Mishnah: one who has fifty zuz and engages in trade with them shall not take from tzedakah — for the root of wealth flows from the fifty letters cited above that are in the names of the tribes, in which each one of Israel has his name and soul rooted — for from there comes all wealth, as stated.
Section Yud [י] And this is the bechina of the Four Parshiyos [special Shabbos Torah portions] and Pesach — for all Four Parshiyos are a preparation for Pesach. For the essential bechina of Pesach is to rectify wealth — to elevate it from exile, from the Other Side, from impurity, to holiness — to take the wealth from the nations and the wicked and bring it to the righteous and worthy of Israel who serve Hashem, blessed be He, with all their wealth — to magnify their name and soul through this, in order to magnify the Name of Hashem which is joined to the name of Israel — so that many souls shall yearn to be included in the holy Name, etc. And this is the bechina of the Pesach sacrifice that comes from the flock — which is the bechina of wealth, the bechina of "the sheep-flocks that enrich their owners" — and therefore the Egyptians worshipped the sheep, for the essential falling of wealth is in Egypt where all the wealth of the Other Side resides, as it says: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, etc." — and "Egypt is man and not G‑d." And as our master, teacher, and Rabbainu, of blessed memory, alluded in the story of the Ba'al Tefillah [Master of Prayer] — which speaks at great length about the lust for money, how they made idolatry from money, etc. — in which everything is alluded to in that chapter, see there. For Egypt was full of idols and idol worship — which is the lust for money, for all idolatry is embedded there (as explained in §23) — and because of this they worshipped the sheep, which is the bechina of wealth as stated. And because of this, Israel went into exile in Egypt in order to clarify the wealth from there. For in the wealth — in silver and gold — fell all the sparks of holiness which are the supernal colors [gevanin ilayin] (as explained in the Torah teaching Hastara in §56). And the essential falling of the sparks was due to the sin of the first Adam who sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, and was expelled from the Garden of Eden, and decree of death was pronounced upon him, and the bitterness of livelihood — as it is written: "By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread until you return to the earth, etc." — which is the bechina of the falling of wealth that fell to where it fell. And from this comes the fact that livelihood is bitter and difficult. And because of this the essential Egyptian exile took place, as stated. And therefore the essential promise to Avraham Avinu was: "and afterward they shall go out with great wealth" — "great wealth" specifically — for this is the essential rectification that was effected through the exile: that they clarified and extracted the wealth from the Other Side, from the impurity of Egypt, to holiness, as stated. But because of our many sins, Israel did not merit to remain in their goodness, and the Adversary provoked them until they made the Golden Calf through the abundance of silver and gold — as it is written: "and much gold, etc." — as our Sages of blessed memory interpreted — and they again blemished the wealth, for the Other Side is essentially attached there in the matter of lust for money — for there all the holy sparks reside, as stated — and through this came all the exiles, the destruction of the First and Second Temple, and the wealth fell again to the Other Side, and Israel was sustained from the dregs — as is known, that this is the essential exile. And this is the bechina of "golden studs We shall make for you, with silver points" — which is adjacent to the verse "while the King was at His table, my spikenard gave forth its fragrance" — for "golden studs etc." is the bechina of the great wealth they merited at the Exodus from Egypt and the splitting of the Red Sea, as our Sages of blessed memory interpreted — therefore it is adjacent to: "while the King was at His table, etc." — which is the matter of the sin of the Golden Calf, as Rashi explained there — meaning that Israel lamenting and confessing over themselves that they did not stand firm in their goodness, that they merited to clarify and extract the wealth to holiness — and while the King was at His table they stumbled and made the Golden Calf through the abundance of money, which is the idol worship of lust for money, as stated — and through this our long exile was drawn out. But Hashem, blessed be He, sent the remedy before the blow and had mercy upon us, and gave us the holy sacred days — beginning with Pesach, on which flows each year the bechina of the rectification of lust for money (as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote in Likutay Tinyana §1). And therefore the Pesach sacrifice comes from the flock — which is the bechina of rectifying lust for money and wealth, which is the bechina of the flock, as stated — for the sacrifices are the bechina of nullifying idolatry, as is known.
Section Yud-Aleph [יא] And therefore it [the Pesach sacrifice] was eaten only roasted in fire — this is the bechina of the flame of fire mentioned in the Torah teaching cited above, which subdues the evil that seeks to attach itself to the heart, which is the bechina of the fire of anger — for this is the essential blemish of wealth, as stated. And this is: "its head with its legs and its innards" — for one must clarify all the wealth from beginning to end entirely to holiness, for "money answers everything", and all things in the world can be acquired through money — and from this flows the lust and desire for money, because through money one can acquire every thing. But one who has true knowledge knows that it is all vanity — for the money together with all the things and objects acquired through it will all perish and be lost and nothing will remain from them — for a person, together with all the desires and coveted things of the world, their foundation is from dust and their end is to dust. And nothing accompanies a person — neither silver nor gold nor precious stones and pearls — which are the cherished things acquired through silver and gold — and nothing remains from any of them except Torah and good deeds alone. And therefore, when the tzaddikim merit that wealth reaches Israel, they elevate all the money together with all the various goods acquired through it — they elevate everything to holiness for the sake of the honor of Hashem, blessed be He, alone. And this is what our Sages of blessed memory said (as cited in Rashi's commentary on the verse "your teeth are like a flock of ewes" — see there): "This ewe is entirely holy — her horn for the trumpets, her skin for the drum, etc., her wool for the blue thread, etc." — meaning, the flock which is wealth in its root in holiness is entirely holy — for through this wonderful things are revealed and made known, and wondrous melodies and songs are created — through the bechina of "lift up song and give a drum" — which is the rectification of commerce and wealth in holiness, in the bechina of "v'liba m'kabel lei b'chedva d'nigunah d'Levaei" [the heart receives it in the joy of the melody of the Levites] (as is explained in the Torah teaching Hashgachah §13, see there). And therefore the Torah commanded regarding the Pesach sacrifice — which is the rectification of lust for money, as stated — that it shall be roasted entirely in fire, its head with its legs and its innards — in order to clarify and elevate all the wealth entirely to holiness, from its head to its foot, in the bechina of "this ewe is entirely holy", as stated.
Section Yud-Beis [יב] And this is the bechina of the prohibition of chametz [leavened bread] and the commandment of eating matzah — for between chametz and matzah there is only a hair's breadth, meaning the hair's breadth between anger and wealth [which also hangs by a thread] (as is evident from the Torah teaching cited above) — for the essential distinction is in the single point between ches and heh. For matzah with a heh — this is the bechina of wealth, the bechina of "behold, here is seed for you", the bechina of the downflow of wealth that Yosef drew down in Egypt — for Hashem, blessed be He, arranged in advance that the wealth should be channeled through Egypt by Yosef specifically, so that they would have the power through this to clarify it from there and restore it to its original Owner. And chametz with a ches — this is the bechina of chemah [fury] and anger, for there is no chemah without a ches. And therefore the matzah is called lechem oni [bread of affliction] — which is a rectification for the poverty and affliction they suffered in exile, as Rashi explained that it recalls the affliction. For the essential rectification of wealth is through poverty — meaning, one who does not grow arrogant in his mind and always holds himself as a pauper, at whatever station he is at, whether he is truly poor or middling or exceedingly wealthy — he always holds himself as a pauper and a great destitute. In the bechina of King David — who in the greatness of his kingship and his grandeur and his immense wealth always said: "for I am poor and destitute" and "but I am poor and destitute." For a person ought to understand the extent of his poverty in this world — for even the tzaddik cannot fully discharge his obligation in this world before Hashem, blessed be He, as it is written: "for there is no righteous man on earth who does good, etc." — how much more so all other people of the world. And if so, even dry bread and pressed water is more than he deserves, G‑d forbid, according to his deeds — only Hashem, blessed be He, feeds the world in His kindness, as it is written: "He gives bread to all flesh, for His kindness is forever." And if so, there is none poorer than he — for he eats what is not his. And when he takes this truth to heart and knows it clearly — then it is always good for him, and he merits true wealth — as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Who is rich? One who is content with his portion." For he shall always rejoice in his portion, since he knows that everything is a great kindness from Hashem, blessed be He, even if only dry bread and pressed water — and through this he merits actual material wealth and all the world's riches, in the bechina of "man d'eehoo z'eir hoo rav" [one who is small is truly great] — for one who is small in his own eyes and has contentment and receives everything with love and joy will afterward merit wealth and greatness. And as it is said: "there is one who makes himself poor yet has great wealth" — and it is written: "He raises the poor from the dust, etc., to seat them with princes" — "raises from the dust" specifically — meaning one who places himself as dust, as stated. And also afterwards, when he merits actual wealth — in silver and gold and many objects — he shall not fall through this into desiring what is not his — for even in the midst of his great wealth he shall hold himself as a pauper and always be content with his portion, as stated. Not so the wicked — who are the opposite of all this: when he is poor he is angry at Hashem, blessed be He, over his poverty and his lack; and immediately when he has some money he dresses himself in garments not befitting his wealth, and through this he lacks more than before. And when he earns still more money he begins to acquire silver utensils and pearls and jewelry — and all of this beyond his means by double and double — and through this his life is always bitter and wretched. Until there are many who, in the days of their wealth, lead lives more wretched than in their days of poverty — to the point that many took their own lives because of this, as is known — the evil matter done under the sun through this. And in most cases through this they come to actual poverty and die indebted (which they call ob Schuldners), and even in the days of their wealth they were great paupers — for they always lacked more, according to their ways and their immense needs. And all of it is because of their terrible arrogance — and they do not think of their eternal purpose, and they act as if all wealth belongs to them alone. And "man d'eehoo rav hoo z'eir" [one who is great is truly small] — and one who is arrogant, the Holy One, blessed be He, humbles him and he dies poor and indebted. And this is the bechina of "poverty is becoming to Israel" — for the essential beauty and grace is poverty — meaning one who always holds himself as a pauper, he is always beautiful and gracious — for everything he has is beautiful and gracious to him always, even a linen garment with patch upon patch is all beautiful and gracious to him and he greatly rejoices in it — for he has at any rate such a garment with which to cover himself, for he knows that according to his deeds even such a garment is more than he deserves. And then he is always beautiful and gracious — for afterward when he has silk garments and of silver and gold they too shall be beautiful and gracious to him always. But one who does not hold himself as a pauper, and whatever he has makes him desire more — he shall never merit beauty and grace, as one sees tangibly — that even one who wears the most expensive silk garments, etc., always lacks still more precious garments of the greatest noblemen, and so on and so on — as is all known, and understand this well.
Section Yud-Gimel [יג] And this is the bechina of the matzah eaten at Pesach — which is the rectification of money and wealth, called lechem oni — the bechina of a broken matzah, for such is the way of a pauper with a piece of bread. That is, as stated — that the essential rectification of money and wealth is through poverty — through always holding oneself as a pauper, as stated. And this is the bechina of the way of a pauper with a piece of bread — that he breaks and diminishes his bread and his livelihood always — for whatever he has he considers as if only half of it belongs to him — and therefore nothing is ever lacking to him and he is always content with his portion, which is the essential wealth. And through this he merits actual wealth in this world and in the World to Come. And therefore it is said regarding the Pesach sacrifice: "upon matzos and bitter herbs they shall eat it" — for the Pesach sacrifice which is the bechina of "the sheep-flocks that enrich their owners" — holy wealth — the essential manner of eating it must be specifically upon matzos — which are the bechina of lechem oni — and bitter herbs — to recall the affliction they suffered in Egypt — meaning that even in his wealth he shall not forget the bitterness of his poverty — so that he shall not grow arrogant, as stated. This is the bechina of "better is a poor and wise youth, etc." — for even in his kingship he was born poor — as Rashi explained there: that even in his kingship and his wealth he holds himself as poor and destitute, as stated. For a person must always grasp the far end and remember that he was born naked, as it is written: "naked I came from my mother's womb" — which is the ultimate of poverty. And against this poverty, whatever he has is great wealth — and then he shall always be content with his portion, whatever he has, whether much or little. But immediately when one looks above himself — that is, when he envies those wealthier than himself — he shall certainly always be lacking. Thus it emerges: the essential wealth is when one holds himself as a pauper — for against the ultimate of poverty, everyone is wealthy, as stated. But when one forgets his poverty there is none poorer than he — for he lacks more and more every time, as stated.
Section Yud-Dalet [יד] And this is the bechina of "Ha lachma anya — this is the bread of affliction, etc." — and immediately one says: "Kol dichfin yeisai v'yeichol, kol ditzrich yeisai — let all who are hungry come and eat, let all who are in need come, etc." — that is, as stated: first one recounts that the matzah is the bechina of lechem oni — through which one recalls the poverty of exile and knows the truth of his great poverty from all matters, as stated — and immediately when one knows this, Hashem, blessed be He, helps him and fills all his lacks until he can even give to others, which is what one says immediately: "let all who are hungry come and eat, etc." — for specifically through the bechina of lachma anya cited above, one merits great wealth until whoever wishes may come and dine with him, as stated. And this is also the matter of removing the ke'arah [seder plate] immediately [before the meal] and asking the questions of Mah Nishtanah — for the essential all Four Questions revolve around this central axis — that one asks about the many paradoxes seen on this great night: on all other nights we eat chametz and matzah — for one sees that this is apparently the bechina of wealth — for certainly leavened bread is tastier and is the bread of the wealthy, more than the bread of matzah — and on this night entirely matzah, which is the bechina of poverty, the bechina of lechem oni. And against this we see the opposite — that on all other nights we do not dip even once; on this night, twice — which is the way of wealth, that one eats dipped foods, as the commentators noted that dipping alludes to wealth and freedom. And one adds still more such paradoxes to ask about — that on all other nights we eat various vegetables good for eating, and on this night entirely bitter herbs, which allude to the bitterness of poverty and livelihood. And against this we see the opposite — that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining; on this night all of us recline in the manner of freedom like the wealthy and like kings. And to this one answers and recounts the entire story of the Exodus from Egypt — that we were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt and were in great straits and great poverty, for all the abundance was with them and they were the kings and ministers and judges who ruled over us. And Hashem brought us out from there with great wealth and brought us to the Land of Israel, the desirable land, etc., and restored the abundance and the wealth to us. And as we recall in the Haggadah: He fulfilled His promise — "and afterward they went out with great wealth" — that He gave us their money. And all this great toil — that He first exiled us in such an exile, and afterward took us out with such wealth — why did He not give us the wealth immediately without the pain of exile? But all of it was for our benefit — to be purified in the iron crucible of exile — in order to clarify and purify the wealth, to take us out of lust for money which is the wealth and money of the Other Side, wherein the more one has the more one lacks — of which it is said: "The curse of Hashem is in the house of the wicked", in the bechina of "and the belly of the wicked shall want" — and to merit the holy wealth that comes specifically through poverty, as stated. And because of this we are commanded to eat matzah — lechem oni — and bitter herbs, and to make all these changes — in order to know and always recall the poverty and bitterness, through which specifically we merit wealth and to recline on the couch in the manner of freedom like kings. For one who does not recall, in the time of his wealth in the bechina of kingship, his poverty and bitterness — that is no wealth at all — for it is said of him: "wealth stored up by its owner to his own harm" — and he is worse than a pauper, for he lacks even more, until he suffers a bitterness worse than death, as one sees tangibly. And also because of this we remove the ke'arah before the meal — to allude that the meal is not ours and we are not permitted to eat from it until we first recall the kindnesses of Hashem and His wonders — how He took the abundance from the Other Side, from the exile of Egypt, and gave it to us — for then specifically the livelihood and the wealth return and we can eat. And this is the bechina of what the holy Zohar says — that Rav Hamnuna Sava, even when the table was set before him, would not eat until he had prayed over his food and said: "I shall not eat until it is given from the King's palace" — meaning, he said that the meal is not his until he clarifies it through his prayer — for the essential clarification of the livelihood from exile is through prayer, as is known.
Section Tes-Vav [טו] And so in every generation one is obligated to see oneself as if he himself went out from Egypt, etc., as is explained in the Haggadah — for this bechina applies in every generation and every person and every time: the essential bitterness of exile for each one according to his bechina, and the essential bechina of the redemption that each one draws upon himself — some bechinas freedom and redemption of the soul — all in the aforementioned bechina, when he merits to break the lust for money through drawing close to true tzaddikim, whose essence is to be content with one's portion as stated. And this comes through feeling one's poverty in all bechinas — body, soul, and money. And through this specifically he merits the bechina of redemption, the bechina of wealth — until he can merit actual material wealth as well. And this is the essence of the complete redemption through Mashiach Tzidkainu — whom we hope and long and await — for then all the wealth shall be restored to holiness, to Israel, who shall all be righteous then, as it is written: "In place of the copper I will bring gold, etc." And it is written: "And I will make your windows of precious stones, etc., and all your borders of precious stones, etc." — such wealth as was not merited even at the Exodus from Egypt, nor has such wealth ever been heard of. And Israel shall merit this specifically through the poverty they suffered in this bitter exile. And even then, when they go out of exile and merit such wealth, they shall not forget their poverty — for they shall be truly humble then, as it is written: "and the poor and humble people shall take refuge in Him." And also Mashiach himself is called poor, as it is written: "poor and riding on a donkey" — for the essential true wealth in matter and spirit is merited through genuine poverty and humility, as stated.
Section Tes-Zayin [טז] And this is what is adjacent in the Haggadah — "and afterward they shall go out with great wealth" and [then]: "and it is that which has stood for our fathers and for us, etc." — for the essential sustaining of our existence in this bitter exile is through the promise that He promised Avraham Avinu: "and also the nation that they shall serve — I shall judge; and afterward they shall go out with great wealth." And our Sages of blessed memory interpreted: "and also" — to include the subjugation by the kingdoms — for the essential subjugation was through their having taken and robbed the abundance of wealth to themselves, and through this they rule over us. But Hashem, blessed be He, already in advance promised us through our Forefathers: "and afterward they shall go out with great wealth." And from that promise, some of the abundance flows to us even now — so that we have sustenance in this bitter exile until the redemption — for the promise was that Israel must be in exile as strangers, as if all the abundance and wealth were theirs [the nations']. But all of it is for the good — so that we recognize our poverty and lowliness and return to Him — and through this the little abundance we have is worth more than all their wealth, as stated. And through this various tzaddikim and worthy people merit even in exile great wealth — and through this we have sustenance in exile to stand against the nations and against all those who oppose the truth. For not just one has stood against us to destroy us — but in every generation they stand against us to destroy us, and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand through our holy Elders who sustain us even in this exile and draw for us the holy abundance in a wondrous and awesome manner — until we merit complete redemption speedily in our days, Amen.
Section Yud-Zayin [יז] And this is the bechina of the Counting of the Omer — for the forty-nine days of the Counting correspond to the forty-nine letters in the names of the twelve tribes of Y-H — which is the bechina of the totality of the names of the children of Israel. For each one of Israel has his name and soul rooted in the forty-nine letters of the names of the tribes. That is — through the commandment of counting, by which one counts these forty-nine days, each person thereby rectifies his name and soul — meaning he shall merit to magnify his name and soul through holy wealth, which is merited through breaking anger, as stated. And therefore one counts la'omer [for the Omer] — for through the offering of the barley Omer, all the harsh judgments and severities included in the bechina of barley, etc., are sweetened, as is known. And through this the hold of anger is sweetened and nullified — for the essential hold of anger comes from the [attribute of] severities [gevuros], and from there too is the root of the soul — for at their root they are one, and there is the root of wealth (as explained in §68–69, see there). And when the severities and judgments are not sweetened at their root, then the Adversary grows powerful and overturns the wealth into anger, and through this one tears his own soul with his anger (as explained there). And therefore, after the waving of the barley Omer — through which all judgments and severities are sweetened at their root — through this the hold of the Adversary is sweetened, and one merits to magnify the Name and the soul, which is the bechina of the forty-nine days of the Counting — which are the bechina of the Name and the soul of each one of Israel, included in the forty-nine letters of the names of the tribes, as mentioned above. And this is what one prays after the Counting for the blessing of livelihood — as one says: "the earth has given its produce; may Hashem, our G‑d, bless us, etc." — for through the Counting one sweetens and nullifies the anger and draws the blessing of livelihood and holy wealth, as stated. And therefore the Man [manna] fell for Israel in [the month of] Iyar — when the essential days of the Counting occur — for the Man is the bechina of livelihood and holy wealth that flows in the days of the Counting, as stated.
Section Yud-Ches [יח] And therefore the Omer was from barley — which is animal fodder — for through its offering one sweetens the judgments and elevates [the level] from animal to human being. And through this one sweetens and nullifies the hold of anger — for through anger one's wisdom departs from him — for he is the image of G‑d — and he becomes likened to an animal, for whoever becomes angry, his wisdom departs from him, as is fully explained in the Torah teaching: "They asked of Reb Yosei ben Kisma, etc." (in §57). And therefore the rectification is through the offering of the barley Omer — for through this one elevates from animal to human being, and his wisdom returns to him — which is the essential rectification of anger, as stated. And this is the bechina of drawing down the mochin [higher consciousness] in the days of the Counting (as is cited in the kavanos [mystical intentions] of the Counting, see there) — for then one is engaged in sweetening the judgments and nullifying the anger through which the mochin become withdrawn, G‑d forbid. For through the commandment of Counting, the mochin are restored and drawn down each day (as explained in the kavanos).
Section Yud-Tes [יט] And the essential rectification is through counting the days of the Omer — for through the reckoning and counting of the days one draws down the bechina of the rectification of judgment mentioned at the beginning of the Torah teaching of the Holy Sanctuary cited above. For the rectification of judgment must be drawn down each and every day — in the bechina of "to do the judgment of His servant and the judgment of His people Israel, the matter of each day in its day" — for a person is judged each day, and every person must anticipate at the beginning of the day to judge himself — in order to sweeten and nullify the judgment from above. And this is itself the sweetening and nullifying of anger — for the essential anger flows from the strengthening of the judgments, G‑d forbid. And according to how much one merits to nullify the judgments through the aforementioned bechina of judgment — by judging oneself — through this one nullifies the anger. And this itself is what is explained at the beginning of the Torah teaching Heichal HaKodesh cited above: that through the judgment one nullifies and burns the evil of the souls that he draws close — so that they shall not attach themselves to the bechina of the Holy Sanctuary (as explained there) — for the essential evil is anger, as cited there from the verse: "and remove anger from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh." And see there carefully in the Torah teaching cited above — for the entire matter of the Holy Sanctuary and yad vashem [hand and name] explained there, and the Throne of Judgment, and igula [circle] and ribua [square] — are all one (see there carefully). And it is understood from there that anger — which is a blemish of the Name and the soul — is itself the bechina of blemishing the Holy Sanctuary through the evil of the souls. Thus the essential evil is anger, and it is nullified through the fire of judgment (as explained there). And this is what we draw down through the counting of the days — for one must make an accounting of each and every day, which is the bechina of judgment. For the essential judgment is according to the accounting that is reckoned with a person for each and every day over all that he did — as it is said: "and before Whom you will one day give account and reckoning, etc." And one who wishes to have mercy on himself and save himself from the heavenly account and reckoning must judge himself, making an accounting with his soul each and every day. And therefore, in the days of the Counting — which are a preparation for receiving the Torah — one must draw close himself together with all the souls of Israel depending on him to Hashem, blessed be He — which is the essential bechina of building the Holy Sanctuary cited above. Therefore one must each day upon its arrival count the day — to know that all the days are numbered and counted in reckoning — which is the bechina of judgment, which applies every day, as stated — meaning, he reflects upon his soul for each day and judges himself, as stated. And through the bechina of judgment the heart is inflamed and burns the evil — which is anger — and through this one magnifies the Name and the soul through holy wealth, which is the bechina of the forty-nine days of the Counting, as stated.
Section Chuf [כ] For the essential loss of days — that a person loses the days of his life, G‑d forbid — the essential cause is through lust for money and wealth and the anxiety of livelihood, as is tangibly seen. And as Rabbainu, of blessed memory, wrote on the verse: "and dust shall you eat all the days of your life, etc." And the essential lack of livelihood and the great bitterness and anxiety of each person is through anger — and it flows from the sin of the first Adam who blemished the Tree of Knowledge — of which it is said: "a fool makes his anger known that very day" — as the Midrash says, for then it was decreed: "by the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, etc." For one who nullifies anger merits wealth always — for he is always content with his portion, and through this merits actual wealth, as stated. But one who does not break his anger — of him it is written: "and it shall be that when he hungers he shall rage" — and even when he has wealth he is filled with anger, as it is written: "all his days are anger and suffering" — for each time he lacks more. And therefore in truth all his wealth is nothing — and of him it is said: "you lack knowledge — what have you acquired?" — "you lack knowledge" is the bechina of anger, the bechina of: "all who become angry, their wisdom departs from them — what have you acquired?" — for certainly his wealth is nothing, for he always lacks more and more, as stated. And of him it is said: "wealth stored up by its owner to his own harm", as stated — and ultimately nothing remains for him, as it is written: "and he shall take nothing with him in his hand, etc." And of this it is said: "one who makes wealth not through justice — in the midst of his days he shall leave it" — "in the midst of his days" specifically — for he does not merit to complete his days through the rectification of judgment that nullifies anger and completes the days, as stated — rather, he loses his days, as stated. And as one sees tangibly that a person loses his days through the anxiety of money. And therefore the expression used in the books of mussar: a person worries about the loss of his money yet does not worry about the loss of his days — for the two depend upon each other. And therefore in the Counting — in which one is engaged in completing and magnifying the Name and the soul through holy wealth — one counts the days, which is the bechina of judgment as stated. For through this is the essential rectification of the days — by nullifying anger and meriting holy wealth — to be content with one's portion, not to become outraged or angry or resentful over one's lacks. And through this one merits actual wealth — for according to the degree that anger is nullified, so is wealth merited, as stated. And this is the bechina of "seven complete Sabbaths" — and let no day be lost or blemished through anger — for through anger one tears his own soul and loses the days of his life, as stated. For one must begin to count at the beginning of the day, to fulfill "they shall be complete" — to draw down the bechina of the rectification of judgment at the beginning of the day, in order to save his soul from anger — through which his days shall be complete, in the bechina of "they shall be complete." And through this he shall merit that his soul be included with all the souls depending upon him in the bechina of the Holy Sanctuary cited above — to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, and to His holy Torah — which is the bechina of the preparation for Shavuos, which is the receiving of the Torah, as stated.
Section Chuf-Aleph [כא — Final Section] And therefore the disciples of Reb Akiva passed away in the days of the Omer — through the grievances that were between them — and through this they did not sweeten and nullify anger as was proper. And therefore they passed away in the days of the Omer specifically — when one is engaged in nullifying anger — and they blemished in this. Therefore they passed away then specifically. And therefore Reb Shimon bar Yochai said: "Anan b'chavivusa talya" [for us it depends on love] — for this is the essential rectification: to nullify the anger and grievances and draw forth love and kindness, as stated. And this is the bechina of Lag Ba'omer — which is the bechina of "this mound is witness" [eid hagal hazeh] (as cited in the sacred writings). For Lavan pursued Yaakov with all the souls of his household — and the essential jealousy was over the great wealth that [Yaakov] had gathered in his [Lavan's] house, as it is written there in the portion Vayishma Yaakov, etc.: "Yaakov has taken all that belonged to our father, etc." — for the souls depend upon wealth, as stated. And had it not been that Hashem, blessed be He, was aiding Yaakov, Lavan would have uprooted everything, G‑d forbid — as it is written: "An Aramean sought to destroy my father, etc." And it is for this reason that the Haggadah, after mentioning "and afterward they shall go out with great wealth", immediately says: "and it is that which has stood for our fathers and for us, etc., that in every generation they stand against us to destroy us, and the Holy One, blessed be He, saves us from their hand." Tzeh ulmad — go and learn what Lavan the Aramean sought to do to Yaakov our father. And the essential provocation of Lavan against Yaakov was over the wealth he gathered there — for in it our souls were rooted, as stated. And therefore Yaakov especially emphasized this — as it is written: "Were it not for the G‑d of my father, the G‑d of Avraham, etc., surely you would have sent me away empty-handed, etc." And when Hashem, blessed be He, saved Yaakov from Lavan and the wealth with the holy souls remained with him, it is written there: "this mound is witness, etc., that I will not cross to you, etc." — and there is alluded the secret of Lag Ba'omer. And then is the essential sweetening of the judgments of the days of the Counting — through which wealth is drawn to holiness, and the shell of Lavan the Aramean — who provokes the holy wealth — is subdued. For one draws down the bechina of "this mound is witness" — which is the bechina of the subduing of Lavan the Aramean before Yaakov our father — and all the wealth and souls return to holiness, as stated.
Translator's Summary — Halacha Six: The Central Thread
Halacha Six is the final and most expansive halacha in the Purim series, and it is built on a single central axis: the relationship between anger (ka'as), wealth (ashirus), and the holy Name (Shem), as developed in Heichal HaKodesh, Likutay Moharan §59.
The argument proceeds in two great arcs:
The Purim Arc (Sections Aleph–Ches): All wealth flows from the root of Israel's souls — which are rooted in the Divine Name. Anger is the one force that corrupts this flow, diverting wealth to the sitra achra. Haman-Amalek's entire strategy was built on anger. Mordechai's entire counter-strategy was prayer with a warm heart — converting the inner heat of distress into crying out to Hashem. The Megillah's narrative is decoded entirely through this lens: Vashti, the fifty-cubit tree, the fifty letters of the tribal names, the vessels of the Temple, Achashverosh's fury, and Mordechai's royal garments at the end. The six masorah verses (Noach, the son, the hand on the throne, the king's table, neither mine nor yours, evil heart) are shown to encode the entire dynamic of tzaddik, souls, Amalek, and the rectification of wealth.
The Pesach–Sefirah Arc (Sections Tes–Chuf-Aleph): The same rectification that Purim achieves in the Adar dimension is continued through Pesach, the Omer, and Shavuos. The Pesach sacrifice (from the flock = wealth), matzah (heh = wealth, chametz with ches = fury), maror, the removal of the ke'arah, the Four Questions, and the Haggadah narrative are all decoded through the wealth-anger-poverty axis. The forty-nine days of the Omer correspond to the forty-nine letters of the tribal names = the root of each Jew's soul and name = the root of holy wealth. Lag Ba'omer is revealed as the bechina of eid hagal hazeh — the moment Yaakov's wealth (= holy souls) was secured against Lavan the Aramean, the archetypal thief of holy wealth.
Key recurring themes: poverty as the royal road to wealth (the paradox of lechem oni); contentment with one's portion as true wealth; the daily reckoning of judgment (counting days = judging oneself daily = sweetening anger); the Other Side as essentially a robber — taking what was prepared for Israel by provoking their anger; and the promise to Avraham as the thread that sustains Israel in every exile.
