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Any deed of gift in which it is not written: "Write it in the marketplace and sign it in the open" — is not a [valid] gift.
For it is explained in the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, in the Torah-teaching that begins with the matter of the conduct of simplicity of the true tzadik, in Likutay Moharan II, 78.
And the general principle, in brief: there is an otzar matnas chinam [treasury of undeserved gifts] — from which whoever has no merit at all receives, etc. However, no one is able to receive from there except the true tzadikim. That is, even the tzadik must of necessity nullify himself from the Torah at times, for "the nullification of Torah — this is its fulfillment." And then, at the time when the true tzadik is idle from the Torah and is then a truly simple man — what they call a prastik [Yiddish: a simple, plain person] — then he receives vitality from the mode of the world's existence before the giving of the Torah, which is the aspect of "the world is built on chesed" [Psalms 89:3], the aspect of the otzar matnas chinam, which is the aspect of the concealed Torah — which is the aspect of the path to Eretz Yisrael. For the essence of Eretz Yisrael is through "the power of His works," etc.
And also now, Yisrael sometimes come to places that are very far from holiness, and [the nations] would be able to say to them, "You are robbers." But through the fact that they know that Hashem, blessed be He, created everything through the Ten Utterances with His chesed alone, etc. — through this, Yisrael are able to conquer all the places and sanctify them with the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, for everything belongs to Him, blessed be He, "and by His will He gave it to them, and by His will He took it from them and gave it to us," etc. See there, all of this very well, very well.
And see there at the end, what is explained there — that the essential thing is temimus [sincerity/innocence] and simplicity and emunah [faith], and there is no despair in the world whatsoever, and even in the lowest depths of She'ol [the abyss] one can find Hashem, blessed be He, etc. See there, all of this well.
And this is the aspect of a gift. For the essential [nature of] a gift — the fact that the concept of a gift exists in the world, that one person gives his fellow some gift — this is drawn from the otzar matnas chinam that exists Above. For there is nothing below that does not have a root Above. And the root of all gifts in the world is drawn from the otzar matnas chinam that exists Above.
And therefore one must write in the deed of gift: "k'savu'ha b'shuka va'chasamu'hu b'vara" — and if not, it is not a [valid] gift. For the essential [purpose of the] otzar matnas chinam is in order to sanctify and purify all the outer places with His holiness, blessed be He — to bring them from outside to inside, to sanctify them with the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, as mentioned above.
For in truth, the essential [purpose of the] otzar matnas chinam is in order to bestow undeserved chesed upon the wicked who do not fulfill the Torah, who have no source from which to receive vitality. Rather, Hashem, blessed be He, sustains them through His chesed alone, in the aspect of the world's existence before the giving of the Torah. However, the wicked are unable to receive from there [directly], for the aspect of the otzar matnas chinam is an exceedingly lofty aspect — the aspect of the hidden secrets of the Torah, the aspect of the concealed Torah, etc., as mentioned above. Therefore, no one can receive from there except the true tzadikim — that is, at the time when they are idle from words of Torah and they are truly simple people, then they receive from there, etc., as mentioned above.
And through what the tzadikim receive from there — through this they give life to all the simple people in the world, etc., as explained there. And this is what our Rebbe, of blessed memory, concluded there at the end: that there is no despair in the world whatsoever, and even in the lowest depths of She'ol one can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, etc. For all of this is drawn through the true tzadik. For since the tzadik receives from the otzar matnas chinam, which is the aspect of undeserved chesed that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah — therefore he is able to draw vitality even to those who are cast in the lowest depths of She'ol, even though they transgressed the Torah, G-d forbid. For the tzadik draws to them vitality of holiness from the otzar matnas chinam, which is the aspect of undeserved chesed that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah, at a time when there was as yet no Torah in the world. And through this, the tzadik gives life to everyone, even those who are very far from holiness, as mentioned above.
It turns out that the essential [purpose of the] otzar matnas chinam is in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to bring close those who are very far from holiness — who have no way to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, in any manner whatsoever, except through an undeserved gift alone. For the tzadikim do not need an undeserved gift, for they have already merited what they have merited through their good deeds. Rather, the main [reason] that the tzadikim receive from the otzar matnas chinam is in order to bring close the distant ones who have no merit whatsoever, and need only an undeserved gift. However, they are not given an undeserved gift, as mentioned above, except through the true tzadik — for which reason the true tzadik must of necessity be a completely simple man at times and nullify himself from words of Torah, so that he will then receive from the otzar matnas chinam, as mentioned above. And through this, he gives life to all the distant ones, all the simple people in the world, and even those cast in the lowest depths of She'ol — for they all receive vitality from the otzar matnas chinam through the true tzadik.
And this is the aspect of: "Any deed of gift in which it is not written: 'k'savu'ha b'shuka,' etc. — is not a [valid] gift." For the essential gift is drawn from the aspect of the otzar matnas chinam mentioned above, whose essential purpose is in order to sanctify all the places that are on the outside — to sanctify them with the holiness of Eretz Yisrael, as explained there in the aforementioned Torah-teaching, as mentioned above. For the tzadik sanctifies all the outer places, and all those who are far from holiness — all of them he draws close to Hashem, blessed be He, and sanctifies them with the holiness of Yisrael, through the otzar matnas chinam that he receives from there at the time when he is idle from the Torah, as mentioned above.
And therefore one must write in the gift [deed]: "k'savu'ha b'shuka va'chasamu'hu b'vara" — for the essential aspect of the gift is revealed in the marketplaces and the streets, which are the places distant from holiness, the outer places. And through the otzar matnas chinam, we reveal that also there, Hashem, blessed be He, is found. And we conquer them all and sanctify them with the holiness of Yisrael — for "by His will He gave it to them, and by His will He gave it to us," etc., as mentioned above.
And therefore, the gift has no sustenance except when it is written within it: "k'savu'ha b'shuka," etc. For the gift has no sustenance except when it receives from its root Above, which is the otzar matnas chinam, as mentioned above. And the essential [purpose of the] otzar matnas chinam is that His chesed and goodness, blessed be He, should extend also into the outer places that were very far from holiness — to reveal also there that there is a sole Master Who rules and governs, blessed be He, Who created everything through the Ten Utterances with His chesed and goodness alone. Through this, everything is sanctified with the holiness of Yisrael, as mentioned above.
And this is the aspect of Purim and the Four Parshiyos. For it is impossible to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, except through true tzadikim — for they draw holiness and vitality to the entire world, and they reveal His G-dliness, blessed be He, to those who are very far from holiness, through the otzar matnas chinam that they receive from there at the time when they are idle from the Torah.
And therefore our Rebbe, of blessed memory, concluded there — that the ba'al davar [the Adversary / Satan] has now concentrated himself very much on this, for he has made a great confusion in the world, such that machlokes [dispute/strife] and accusation have been made between the Torah scholars and the tzadikim, etc. — until no one knows where the truth is, etc.; see there.
And this is the aspect of the war of Amalek in every generation, as it is written: "Hashem has a war with Amalek from generation to generation" [Exodus 17:16]. And Hashem, blessed be He, swore that His Name is not whole and His Throne is not whole until the memory of Amalek is erased. For Amalek is from the seed of Esav, who is the Sitra Achra [the Other Side / forces of impurity], who is the great prosecutor against Yisrael. And the main [focus of] his jealousy and prosecution is against the distant ones who wish to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, who until now were captive in his grasp. And when the tzadik wants to extract them from between his teeth, [Amalek] becomes very jealous of him, and goes out with all his armies to wage war against the tzadik and the people whom he has brought close to Hashem, blessed be He.
As it is written: "And he smote the hindmost of you, all the feeble ones at your rear, and you were weary and exhausted, and he did not fear G-d" [Deuteronomy 25:18]. These are the weak ones among Yisrael, whom the cloud [of glory] would expel. And Amalek came to wage war only against them. For against the true tzadikim — "mighty ones of strength, they who subdue their inclination, who are likened to angels" — against them he has no power to wage war, for they have already waged great battle with him from their youth and have subdued him. Rather, he wants to wage war with the weak ones among Yisrael, who are the aspect of the "feeble ones," etc.
And even though in truth they are greatly culpable, for they did not subdue their desires — and certainly the choice is in the hands of each and every one, and if they had wanted to, they would have overcome them — and about them it is said: "And you have taught them to be captains over you" [Jeremiah 13:21] — nevertheless, Hashem, blessed be He, is full of compassion always, and He is "One Who desires chesed". And He sends us in every generation a true tzadik who is an exceedingly great man of compassion, beyond measure, who has great mercy upon those who are very far from holiness, and he endeavors with all his strength to bring them close to Hashem, blessed be He, and wages war on their behalf at every time — the war of Amalek.
And because Amalek sees that he has no power over those who are drawing close to the true tzadik — for the tzadik gives them life through all the falls in the world and does not distance them in any manner whatsoever, and constantly brings them close to Hashem, blessed be He, wherever they are — therefore [Amalek] devises with his cunning and creates a great machlokes in every generation against the true tzadik. And he goes and entices and incites the world to dispute against the true tzadik, and misleads them with many deceptions and with many proofs that he is not a tzadik at all — until they deny and dispute against him.
And this is the aspect of the jealousy of Haman against Mordechai. For it is found in the Torah-teaching "In the beginning, before the eyes of all Yisrael" [Likutay Moharan II, 67], that there is a tzadik of the generation who is the aspect of rosh bayis [head of the household] — he is the master of the house of the world. He is the aspect of Yosef, who was "handsome in form and handsome in appearance" [Genesis 39:6] — for he is the grace and the beauty and the splendor and the glory of the entire world. And whoever merits to be included in this true grace and glory of this tzadik is awakened to teshuvah [repentance], and he looks at himself — how he is holding in all the character traits that are drawn from the four elements. For this true tzadik is the aspect of the simple element, the aspect of "the tzadik is the foundation of the world" [Proverbs 10:25], who gives life to all the four elements, in the aspect of "And a river goes out from Eden to water the garden" [Genesis 2:10], etc. See there, all of this well.
And when this true tzadik becomes known in the world — that is, that he has a good name and people praise and glorify him in the world — through this, all who are included in this name and glory are awakened to teshuvah. For His Name, blessed be He, is intertwined with our name, etc.; see there.
And this is the aspect of Shabbos, which illuminates the Beis HaMikdash [the Holy Temple], which is the aspect of eyes. For this tzadik is the aspect of Shabbos, and he illuminates the Beis HaMikdash. And this is the aspect of rosh bayis — that the rosh [head], which are the mochin [mental faculties/intellects], which are the aspect of the four mochin contained in the four letters of the Name, blessed be He — which is intertwined with the name of the tzadik — from these four mochin are drawn all the aforementioned aspects, as explained there. And this rosh illuminates the Beis HaMikdash and all the dwellings of Yisrael, and saves them from conflagrations.
For there are m'oray or [luminaries of light] and there are m'oray aish [luminaries of fire]. And when the m'oray or prevail, the m'oray aish are subdued. And the m'oray or are the aspect of the Name of Hashem, which is the aspect of the name and glory of the true tzadik, which is the aspect of the four mochin, the aspect of the totality of the colors, the aspect of eyes, the aspect of the four elements of holiness. And against them are the aspect of m'oray aish, etc., which are the opposite of all this, etc.
And therefore, when this rosh bayis illuminates, then we are all members of the household, and then there is a master of the house over the world who looks to the rectification of the world, to return the entire world in teshuvah — through which we will merit that the Beis HaMikdash will be built, etc.; see there.
But when this rosh bayis is removed and concealed, and there become famous in the world false celebrities who have no Name of Hashem in them at all — who are the aspect of rosh kol chutzos [the head of every street/intersection], the aspect of the outer names, the opposite of the Name of Hashem — who are the aspect of the m'oray aish, from which, G-d forbid, conflagrations come into the world, etc.; see there.
And the tikun [rectification] for this is to rise at chatzos [midnight] — through which one merits [the fulfillment of]: "To place upon the mourners of Tzion glory in place of ashes" [Isaiah 61:3]. "Glory" (p'er) — this is the aspect of the m'oray or, the totality of the colors, and all the aforementioned aspects. That is, one merits the p'er [glory] — to strengthen the m'oray or over the m'oray aish, which are the aspect of efer [ashes]. And this is: "P'er [glory] in place of efer [ashes]", etc. See there, all of this very well, very well — for these are extremely deep and lofty and exalted matters. Fortunate are the ears that hear such things, etc.
And this is the aspect of Mordechai and Esther, who are the aspect of rosh bayis. Mordechai is the aspect of rosh [head], as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Mordechai — from where [is he alluded to] in the Torah? As it says: 'mor d'ror' [Exodus 30:23], and its Aramaic translation is 'maray dachya' [pure myrrh]." And this is the aspect of rosh, as it is written there: "And you, take for yourself the finest spices — rosh — pure myrrh [mor d'ror]" [Exodus 30:23] — which is Mordechai, as mentioned above. And Esther is the aspect of bayis [house], as it is written: "Mordechai took her to himself as a daughter [l'vas]" [Esther 2:7]. And our Sages of blessed memory expounded: "Do not read it as l'vas [daughter], but rather as l'bayis [as a house/wife]." For Esther is the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, which is the aspect of malchus [kingship], as is known. As it is written: "The Sanctuary, Hashem, that Your hands established; Hashem shall reign" [Exodus 15:17–18], etc.
It turns out that the Beis HaMikdash is the aspect of malchus, the aspect of the Name Adnus [א-ד-נ-י], as is brought. And this is the aspect of Esther, who is also the aspect of malchus — "And Esther donned royalty [malchus]" [Esther 5:1].
And Haman the wicked one is against them — for he is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, the aspect of "the first of the nations is Amalek" [Numbers 24:20]. And his primary headship and empowerment is over those who are outside of holiness — for Amalek overpowered only those whom the cloud [of glory] would expel. And therefore he is called rosh kol chutzos — for they are outside of the Clouds of Glory, which are the aspect of a sukkah, as is known. And the sukkah is the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, which is called "the sukkah of Shalem [peace/Jerusalem]" [Psalms 76:3] — from which the essential building of the houses and dwellings of Yisrael derives, in the aspect of: "And Yaakov journeyed to Sukkos and built himself a house" [Genesis 33:17]. And as understood from the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory [Likutay Moharan I, 266]. And also the aforementioned Torah-teaching of "B'rayshis" was said in connection with Sukkos as well, as was understood by whoever was present at the time when this Torah was spoken.
It turns out that all those of Yisrael who were within the Clouds of Glory are within the house and boundary of holiness and are included in the rosh bayis. But those whom the cloud would expel, who are outside the camp, outside the house of holiness — upon these, Haman-Amalek overpowers and wants to be rosh kol chutzos, to subjugate them, G-d forbid, under his dominion, so as not to allow them to return to Hashem, to return within the camp of holiness.
And Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him — who is the aspect of the true tzadik in every generation — always wages the war of Amalek, in order to save these holy stones that are spilled and scattered "at the head of every street" [Lamentations 4:1], as it is written: "The holy stones are spilled at the head of every street" — to extract them from the domain of Amalek, to bring them into the house of holiness.
And therefore this battle is a harsh and great battle, greater than all the battles in the world — for Amalek, who is the ba'al davar, confuses the world until it is impossible in any way to know where the truth is. For the falsehood appears similar to the truth in every respect. And this is the aspect of the birth-pangs of Mashi'ach — which is the accusation and dispute among the Torah scholars. And the tikun for this is only temimus and simplicity — that whoever wants to have compassion on his soul, so that his hope should not be lost, G-d forbid — according to what each one knows within himself, his inner afflictions and pains — he must conduct himself with sincerity and truth, and cry out greatly to Hashem, blessed be He, that He should show him the truth in its truest form, so that he should know with whom to cleave, in a manner that he will merit to truly return to Him, blessed be He.
And this is what our Rebbe, of blessed memory, wrote there: that the tikun for this is to rise at chatzos and to mourn greatly over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash that one caused through one's deeds, etc., as is explained there. For whoever delays the building of the Beis HaMikdash — it is as if he destroyed it. And whoever conducts himself in this way — in the old path upon which our forefathers trod from of old — that is, to rise at chatzos and to examine his deeds and to mourn over the destruction of his soul and his neshamah that caused the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, and he should cry out greatly to Hashem, blessed be He, as is fitting for him to cry out over his soul, according to what he knows of himself — the state of his neshamah, to where he has brought it down through his deeds — then he will certainly merit to know the truth in its truest form. For whoever desires the truth is given an angel of truth.
And this is the aspect of what Mordechai did when he saw the great dominion of Haman, who is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, as mentioned above — for then it says: "And Mordechai knew all that had been done" [Esther 4:1]. For Mordechai the tzadik, the aspect of the rosh bayis in every generation, knows all that is done in the world — how the Satan confuses the entire world until it is impossible in any way to know where the truth is.
And then: "Mordechai tore his garments and went out into the midst of the city, and cried out a great and bitter cry" [Esther 4:1]. And likewise, all the upright of Yisrael — "In every place where the king's word and his decree reached — great mourning for the Jews, and fasting and weeping and lamentation; sackcloth and ashes were spread for the many" [Esther 4:3]. "And ashes" (va'efer) — specifically — to subdue the m'oray aish, which are the false celebrities, the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, as mentioned above. And through this they merited the aforementioned aspect — the aspect of "to place upon the mourners of Tzion p'er [glory] in place of efer [ashes]," as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of what they then merited — that Haman fell before Mordechai. And Mordechai — who is the true rosh bayis — "went out from before the king in royal garments of blue and white," etc. [Esther 8:15] — which are the aspect of p'er, the totality of the colors. And this is: "For the Jews there was light" [Esther 8:16] — the aspect of the m'oray or mentioned above.
For this miracle of Purim was close to the building of the Second Temple — [Haman] was jealous of them because he saw that they wanted to return and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash, as is brought in the kavanos [mystical intentions] of the Ari z"l. That is, as mentioned above: Mordechai is the rosh bayis who is engaged in the building of the Beis HaMikdash, for he illuminates the Beis HaMikdash, as mentioned above. And therefore Haman was jealous of him — for he is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, the aspect of the m'oray aish, who always wants to destroy the Beis HaMikdash. For the primary destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was through the aspect of the m'oray aish, which is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, etc., as mentioned above.
And therefore [Haman] cast the pur [lot] in [the month of] Adar, and he thought that then he would be able to overpower Yisrael, because Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, died in Adar. For the primary empowerment of the aspect of the m'oray aish — which are the aspect of the false celebrities, the aspect of rosh kol chutzos — is at the time of the passing of Moshe, that is, at the time when the true tzadikim pass away and the p'er [glory] of Yisrael is concealed — which are the aspect of the m'oray or, the aspect of the Name of Hashem, etc., as mentioned above — then, G-d forbid, the aspect of the m'oray aish mentioned above prevails, which is the aspect of Haman, etc., as mentioned above. And therefore he wanted to overpower specifically in the month in which Moshe died.
But in truth, no generation is orphaned, and before the sun of one tzadik sets, the sun of the tzadik after him rises, as our Sages of blessed memory said. And in every generation, a true tzadik is found who is the aspect of Moshe — who is the aspect of rosh bayis engaged in the building of the Mishkan [Tabernacle] — who is the aspect of the m'oray or, who subdues the false celebrities who are the aspect of the m'oray aish. For on the seventh of Adar Moshe died, and on the seventh of Adar Moshe was born [as our Sages of blessed memory said]. That is, the aspect of: "The sun rises and the sun sets" [Ecclesiastes 1:5] — "before [the sun of one] sets," etc. That is, on the day that the true tzadik, the aspect of Moshe, dies — on that very day, another tzadik is born in his place. For at that time, when Haman rose to power, it was Mordechai the tzadik who was the aspect of Moshe — for he is the aspect of the rosh bayis, etc., as mentioned above.
And therefore Hashem, blessed be He, swore that His Name is not whole and His Throne is not whole until He erases the memory of Amalek. For Haman-Amalek is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, which is against the rosh bayis, which is the aspect of the Name of Hashem — the aspect of "See, Hashem has called by name Betzalel" [Exodus 35:30], etc. — as is well explained in the aforementioned Torah-teaching.
And this is the aspect of His Name and His Throne, which are not whole until the name of Amalek is erased. Name and Throne — this is the aspect of rosh bayis. Rosh — this is the aspect of the four mochin, which are the aspect of the four letters of the Name, as is explained there; see there. Bayis — this is the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, which is the aspect of the Throne, as it is written: "The foundation for Your dwelling You have made, Hashem" [Exodus 15:17], and as it is written: "A Throne of glory, exalted from the beginning, the place of our Sanctuary" [Jeremiah 17:12].
And therefore the Name and the Throne — which are the aspect of rosh bayis, for His Name is intertwined with the name of the true tzadik, as mentioned above — therefore they are not whole until the memory of Amalek is erased. For [Amalek] is the aspect of the outer names, the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, the aspect of the false celebrities. As long as their name spreads in the world, the Name of Hashem — which is the aspect of the name of the true tzadikim, with whose name His Name, blessed be He, is intertwined, as mentioned above — is concealed.
And this is the aspect of the Four Parshiyos that are read close to Purim — before it and after it. For these Four Parshiyos are the aspect of the four letters of the Name, which are the aspect of the four parshiyos of the tefillin — through which we subdue the name and the memory of Amalek, may his name be erased.
For Parshas Shekalim — this is the aspect of the building of the Beis HaMikdash, for the shekalim are for the building of the Mishkan, which is the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, or for the communal offerings that were in the Beis HaMikdash. And therefore, through the donation for the Mishkan — which are the shekalim — through which one engages in the building of the Beis HaMikdash, through this the rosh bayis is strengthened and the rosh kol chutzos is subdued, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of: "When you raise the head [rosh] of the Children of Yisrael" [Exodus 30:12] — "the head of the Children of Yisrael" — specifically, the aspect of the true tzadik who is the head of the Children of Yisrael, the aspect of rosh bayis mentioned above. And when one wants to raise and elevate the true rosh above the false rosh, one must give shekalim for the donation of the Mishkan, which is the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, as our Sages of blessed memory said:
"The Mikdash is called Mishkan," etc.
For through the building of the Beis HaMikdash, the rosh bayis is strengthened — for the true tzadik and the Beis HaMikdash are one aspect, and they illuminate and strengthen each other.
And through the shekalim — which are the aspect of the building of the Beis HaMikdash, the aspect of the strengthening of the m'oray or, rosh bayis — through this, Haman-Amalek, who is the opposite, as mentioned above, is subdued. And therefore, afterward, we read Parshas Zachor. And this is what is written: "And it shall be, when Hashem your G-d gives you rest" etc., "you shall erase the memory of Amalek" [Deuteronomy 25:19]. And regarding the building of the Beis HaMikdash, a similar expression is also said, as it is written there: "And He shall give you rest from all your enemies around" [Deuteronomy 12:10], etc. For the one depends on the other: when there is a Beis HaMikdash, the memory of Amalek is erased — for [Amalek] is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, who destroyed the Beis HaMikdash, as mentioned above.
And therefore the primary downfall of Haman was through the shekalim, as our Sages of blessed memory said: "Wicked one! Their shekalim already preceded yours!"
And when the memory of Amalek is subdued — which is the aspect of rosh kol chutzos, the aspect of the false celebrities — then the Name of Hashem is revealed, which is the aspect of the name of the true tzadikim, which is the aspect of Mordechai, the aspect of rosh bayis. And therefore, afterward, is Purim. For on Purim, an exceedingly great light is revealed — one that is not revealed at any other time. And this light is the aspect of Mordechai — at no time is this great light, the aspect of Mordechai, revealed as much as on Purim, as is explained in the kavanos. And this is the secret of: "And Mordechai went out from before the king" [Esther 8:15]; see there in the kavanos. That is, on Purim we merit that the light of the true tzadik of every generation is revealed in a very great revelation, in the aspect of "And Mordechai went out," etc. For we merit through the holiness of Purim that the light of the true tzadik is revealed to us — that we merit to know the truth in its truest form, and to subdue the rosh kol chutzos.
And then, everyone merits to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He — even those who are very, very far from holiness — in the aspect of: "And many of the people of the land became Jews" [Esther 8:17], etc. For when the truth is revealed and one knows of true tzadikim, then everyone can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, for the true tzadikim bring everyone close to Hashem, blessed be He. And their primary power to bring close the distant ones is through the aspect of the otzar matnas chinam mentioned above, in the aspect of: "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious" [Exodus 33:19] — even though they are not worthy of grace — "and I will have mercy," etc. And this is the aspect of the undeserved chesed that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah — for which reason the true tzadik must of necessity nullify himself from the Torah and engage in milei d'shtusa [frivolous/mundane matters] and be a truly simple man, so that he will then sustain himself from the aforementioned undeserved chesed that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah — which is the aspect of the otzar matnas chinam. Through this, he gives life to all the simple people, and even those cast in the lowest depths of She'ol — for he gives life to and elevates them all through this undeserved chesed that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah, as mentioned above.
And this chesed is the aspect of Mordechai — whose gematria [numerical value] equals v'rav chesed [and abundant in lovingkindness]. For it is an exceedingly great chesed — which is the aspect of the concealed Torah, which is always in concealment. And now, on Purim, this great light is revealed.
And therefore, Yisrael have the custom on Purim to engage in milei d'shtusa — in various types of matters. And on the surface, this is puzzling, for on Purim an exceedingly lofty light of holiness is revealed — so why do they engage in simple matters, in milei d'shtusa, and idle from words of Torah? But in truth, the custom of Yisrael is Torah. And they do everything beautifully in its time — for then, such a great light is revealed, the aspect of Mordechai, which is the aspect of the undeserved chesed that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah. Through this chesed, one sustains oneself at a time when one is idle from words of Torah — for it is the aspect of the concealed Torah. For in every thing in the world, Torah is concealed — for everything was created through the Ten Utterances, within which the Ten Commandments are concealed, as explained there in the aforementioned Torah-teaching.
And therefore, on Purim, everyone can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He — even those who are very far — for then the aforementioned undeserved chesed is revealed, which the tzadik receives from it at the time when he is idle from the Torah, and which is revealed on Purim, as mentioned above. And everyone then receives from the light of this undeserved chesed. And through this chesed, everyone can draw close — for even though one has no merit whatsoever, nevertheless, through the otzar matnas chinam that the tzadik receives from it at the time of his simplicity, which is revealed on Purim, as mentioned above — through this, everyone can draw close to Hashem, blessed be He.
And therefore, Purim is [a time of] receiving the Torah, as it is written: "They upheld and they accepted" [Esther 9:27]. For "the nullification of Torah — this is its fulfillment." For the tzadik is able to reveal the aspect of the concealed Torah that he cleaves to at the time when he is idle from the Torah — and through this he returns and draws the fulfillment of the Torah to all the distant ones. For there are distant ones who have become very distanced from all the Torah through their evil deeds, and it is impossible to bring them close to Hashem, blessed be He, in any manner whatsoever, except through the true tzadik who knows how to receive from the otzar matnas chinam mentioned above, that sustained the world before the giving of the Torah. And through this, he gives them life at the time of their fall — so that they should not despair in any manner whatsoever in the world — for His chesed, blessed be He, is still upon them, for "the chasadim of Hashem have not ended, forever" [Lamentations 3:22]. And through sustaining them with this undeserved chesed, through this he brings them close to Hashem, blessed be He, and returns and draws Torah upon them and returns them to the Torah and the service [of G-d]. For he reveals the concealed Torah — which is the aspect of the aforementioned undeserved chesed, from which the Torah is drawn. For the essential drawing of Torah is from the concealed Torah, which is revealed from concealment into revelation.
And therefore, on Purim, whoever extends his hand to receive — they give him. This is the aspect of the otzar matnas chinam that is revealed then to all. And therefore, whoever extends his hand to receive — they give him an undeserved gift.
And this is the aspect of Parshas Parah [the Torah reading of the Red Heifer], which is read after Purim. For the Parah [Red Heifer] — all of its procedures are performed outside [the Temple] — which is the aspect of the tzadik nullifying himself at times from the Torah and going out from the house of his holiness and speaking with the world about mundane matters. And through this, precisely, he brings them close to Hashem, blessed be He, as mentioned above.
For all the offerings — their procedures are performed inside, within the Beis HaMikdash, where holiness is revealed. But the Parah — its procedures are outside. This is the aspect of "the nullification of Torah" mentioned above. For the Torah is the aspect of a house, the aspect of the beis of B'rayshis [the letter ב that begins the Torah], the aspect of rosh bayis. And when one is idle from the Torah, this is the aspect of going out to the outside. But the true tzadik, even at the time when he is idle from the Torah, sustains himself with the concealed Torah, etc., as mentioned above.
And this is the aspect of the Parah, whose procedures are all outside — the aspect of "the nullification of Torah," as mentioned above — which is the aspect of the concealed Torah. For the Parah Adumah [Red Heifer] is hidden from the eye of all, as it is written: "I said I would become wise, but it is far from me" [Ecclesiastes 7:23] — the aspect of the concealed Torah.
And therefore, the Parah purifies from the impurity of death, which is the foremost of all impurities — for it is the avi avos hatumah [the ultimate source of impurity]. And this is the aspect of Amalek, who is the contamination of the Serpent that brought death into the world — which is the aspect of the desire for ni'uf [licentiousness], which is the sitra d'mosa [the side of death], as it is written: "And her end is the ways of death" [Proverbs 5:4]; and as it is written: "And I find more bitter than death the woman" [Ecclesiastes 7:26], etc. And whoever falls into this impurity — it is impossible for him to be purified except through the true tzadik, who knows how to draw upon him undeserved chesed from the otzar matnas chinam that the tzadik receives from there at the time when he is idle from the Torah, as mentioned above. And this is the aspect of the concealed Torah within all the things in the world, as mentioned above.
And this is the aspect of the secret of the Parah Adumah, whose procedures are all outside — which is the aspect of the concealed Torah. And therefore the Parah purifies the impure and renders the pure impure. For the tzadik, when he nullifies himself from the Torah — through which he gives life to all the simple people and all the distant ones, as mentioned above, and purifies them from their great impurity, as mentioned above — but for the tzadik himself, this nullification is considered as a degree of impurity for the moment, relative to the greatness of his holiness when he is cleaving to the Torah. And as is understood from the words of our Rebbe, of blessed memory, in another place [Likutay Moharan II, 38], in the discourse that begins, "Sometimes the tzadik travels," etc. — that when the tzadik lowers himself at times to engage with the world, it is an aspect of descent for him for the moment. But afterward he returns and ascends to his place. But for the world, he does good forever, etc.
And this is the aspect of the Parah — which is the aspect of "the nullification of Torah" of the true tzadik — that it renders the pure impure and purifies the impure. For regarding the tzadik, this nullification is considered as a degree of impurity for the moment, and afterward he purifies himself immediately. For the impurity that the Parah imparts to those who engage in it is only temporary — until the evening. But he purifies those who are impure with a very great impurity, which is the impurity of death — which is a severe impurity — and he purifies them forever through the aspect of the Parah, whose procedures are outside — which is the aspect of "the nullification of Torah — this is its fulfillment," etc., as mentioned above.
And this is the aspect of Parshas HaChodesh [the Torah reading of the New Moon], which is the sanctification of the new month — which is the aspect of the filling of the moon, in the aspect of: "And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun" [Isaiah 30:26]. And this is the aspect of the subduing of the m'oray aish and the strengthening of the m'oray or, which are the aspect of the light of the sun, as is explained there in the aforementioned Torah-teaching. For in the east, the sun rises, and in the west it sets. And at night, at the time when the light of the sun sets, then is the empowerment of the m'oray aish. And therefore it is written regarding the Mishkan: "And fire would be upon it at night" [Numbers 9:16] — to subdue the m'oray aish.
And when, G-d forbid, the m'oray aish prevail — this is the aspect of the diminishment and blemishing of the moon. For the moon's dominion is at night, at the time of the withdrawal of the m'oray or. And therefore the m'oray aish, whose dominion is at night, seek to grasp hold of it, G-d forbid. And one must strive to subdue the m'oray aish so that they cannot grasp hold of the moon — which is the aspect of malchus, the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, the aspect of Esther, who is named for the concealment (hastarah) — which is the aspect of the blemishing of the moon during the time of exile.
For all of our service is to fill the blemishes of the moon — that is, to subdue the m'oray aish and nullify them from the world. And then, "the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun" — and this is the aspect of the building of the Beis HaMikdash, for then the blemish of the moon will be filled. For then Mashi'ach ben David will come, whose kingdom is compared to the moon. For everything is one, as mentioned above — for the m'oray aish destroyed the Beis HaMikdash, which is the aspect of the kingdom of David, the aspect of the moon, for they are the aspect of the blemishing of the moon.
And when the m'oray aish are nullified — by breaking all the evil desires and all the evil character traits that are drawn from the four physical elements — through this, the blemishing of the moon is nullified. And then, "the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun" — which is the aspect of the m'oray or. And then, the kingdom of the house of David will return to its place, and the Beis HaMikdash will be rebuilt as at first — for everything is rectified through the strengthening of the m'oray or over the m'oray aish, as mentioned above.
And this is [the reason] that Parshas Parah [which discusses chatzos/Parah] is adjacent to Parshas HaChodesh — for through rising at chatzos [midnight], the m'oray aish are subdued and the m'oray or are strengthened, through which [all] is rectified, as mentioned above.
And this is the aspect of the three things that Moshe found difficult — which are: the making of the Menorah, the Shekalim, and the sanctification of the New Moon (Kiddush HaChodesh), as is brought in the Zohar. And their mnemonic is מֹשֶׁ"ה — מנורה, שקלים, החודש; see there.
For all three of these mitzvos are the aspect of the subduing of the m'oray aish and the strengthening of the m'oray or — which is the essential generality of holiness. For the making of the Menorah is to kindle the eternal light in the Beis HaMikdash. And the essential [purpose of the] kindling of lights in the Beis HaMikdash is in order to sweeten and subdue and nullify the aspect of the m'oray aish, and to elevate and strengthen the m'oray or that illuminate in the Beis HaMikdash. For "judgment is only sweetened at its root." For in truth, at the root, everything is one — and Above, at the root, even the m'oray aish receive vitality from the m'oray or, which are the aspect of the four letters of the Name, blessed be He.
And therefore we recite the blessing on Motzaei Shabbos [Saturday night]: "Boray m'oray ha'aish — Who created the luminaries of fire." For Hashem, blessed be He, created everything with His will, blessed be He.
And this is what is found in the Holy Zohar: there are four colors in fire, which are the aspect of the three colors of the eye and the bas ayin [pupil]; see there. For in truth, at the root, everything is one. But below, the m'oray aish separate from the m'oray or. For there, in the aspect of the m'oray aish, the chitzonim [external/impure forces] take hold — for from there come all the desires that derive from the four physical elements.
And therefore, there, in the aspect of the m'oray aish, there is the secret of the Havdalah [separation/distinction] — that we make Havdalah over the light on Motzaei Shabbos. For when Shabbos departs — which is the aspect of the m'oray or that subdue the m'oray aish, in the aspect of "You shall not kindle fire in all your dwellings on the day of Shabbos" [Exodus 35:3], as is explained there in the aforementioned Torah-teaching — and then, on Motzaei Shabbos, when the aspect of the m'oray aish begins to be aroused, in which the chitzonim take hold, as mentioned above — for they are the aspect of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil — therefore we make Havdalah upon them then, and we recite the blessing over the light: "Boray m'oray ha'aish — Who created the luminaries of fire."
And through this, we separate and elevate the good from the evil — through the fact that we reveal that Hashem, blessed be He, created everything. For there, in the aspect of the m'oray aish, there is the secret of Havdalah, as is known.
And this is the aspect of the candles of the Menorah in the Beis HaMikdash — for all kindling of lights of holiness is to sweeten the aspect of the m'oray aish at their root, to subdue the evil that takes hold of them — until the m'oray aish are included at their root in the aspect of m'oray or.
And this itself is the aspect of Kiddush HaChodesh — which is to include the attribute of night within day, to fill the blemish of the moon, so that the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun, as mentioned above. For the moon's dominion is at night, at the time of the grasp of the m'oray aish; therefore it is blemished at times, and one must refine it and elevate it from the grasp of the evil in the m'oray aish — until the m'oray aish are included in the m'oray or. And this is the aspect of "the light of the moon as the light of the sun," as mentioned above.
And this is the aspect of Shekalim, which are for the donation of the Mishkan, which is the aspect of the Beis HaMikdash, which is the aspect of the m'oray or, as mentioned above.
It turns out that all three of these mitzvos are in order to strengthen the aspect of the m'oray or over the m'oray aish. And therefore Moshe found them very difficult — for there is the secret of Havdalah, and it is very difficult to stand upon them. For the m'oray or are the aspect of the true tzadikim, upon whom all the holiness of Yisrael depends. And the m'oray aish are the aspect of the false leaders and celebrities — and it is impossible to distinguish and separate between them and to stand upon the truth. For also the m'oray aish — the aspect of the false celebrities — certainly have in them some aspect of truth, which is the aspect of the m'oray or. For "any falsehood that does not have truth at its beginning cannot endure at all," as our Sages of blessed memory said.
But whatever aspect of truth they have — it is all drawn from the aspect of the m'oray or, which are the true tzadikim. And [the false leaders] ought to submit to these true tzadikim and nullify themselves to them — and then the m'oray aish would be included in the m'oray or, and everything would be rectified. But they want to dominate and to rule and they seize greatness for themselves, and they want to conceal and hide the aspect of the m'oray or, which are the aspect of the true tzadikim.
And it is impossible to clarify the truth — for the falsehood covers over the truth, and each one says that the truth is with him. And therefore, also Moshe found these three aforementioned mitzvos difficult — which are in the aspect of the subduing of the m'oray aish. For the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash and the lengthening of the exile and all the troubles of Yisrael — everything depends on this: that in every generation, the aspect of the m'oray aish — which are the aspect of the false celebrities — rise up. They are the evil that corresponds to the good, and they dispute against the true tzadikim and seek to conceal them.
And this is the essential chevlei Mashi'ach [birth-pangs of Mashi'ach] — which is the accusation among the Torah scholars.
And especially in these generations, when the truth has become absent — when it has become adarim adarim [flocks upon flocks] of truth, as our Sages of blessed memory said — and the world has become very confused. To the point that even among the true tzadikim there is great machlokes, and each one disputes his fellow and does not believe that his fellow also desires the path of truth — and perhaps even more than he. Rather, he thinks as if, G-d forbid, the rest deviate from the truth and the truth is only with him — and similar confusions beyond measure.
And whatever men of truth say, the falsehood turns it to itself and says that the truth is with it. And it is impossible to explain this — for whatever we say regarding this matter, the disputant will say the same. Rather, "each person, according to what he feels in his heart" — he can understand at every time and in every generation where the truth in its truest form resides.
And this war is Moshe's war, for it is the war of the true tzadik in every generation, who is the aspect of Moshe, as mentioned above. And the primary tikun for this is temimus and simplicity, as mentioned above. And Moshe is the aspect of temimus and simplicity, as is explained there in the aforementioned Torah-teaching in Likutay Moharan II, 78 — which begins: "Regarding the conduct of simplicity." For Moshe is the aspect of simplicity, in the aspect of: "And the man Moshe was exceedingly humble" [Numbers 12:3]. And this is the mnemonic מֹשֶׁ"ה — מנורה, שקלים, החודש — for all three of these mitzvos are the aspect of the subduing of the m'oray aish, which is the war of Moshe against Amalek, as mentioned above. And this is alluded to in his name: Moshe = Menorah, Shekalim, HaChodesh.
And the primary [tool for the] subduing of the m'oray aish is on Shabbos and its eve — for the aspect of Shabbos is the aspect of this tzadik, as mentioned above. And this is: "You shall not kindle fire in all your dwellings on the day of Shabbos" [Exodus 35:3]. "In all your dwellings" — specifically, for the m'oray or illuminate the dwellings [of Yisrael] and save them from conflagrations, as mentioned above. And we light Shabbos candles on the eve of Shabbos — for through this we draw the m'oray or and subdue the m'oray aish. And this is: "If you restrain your foot on Shabbos" [Isaiah 58:13] — "your foot" — for one must restrain the m'oray aish, which are drawn from the four elements, as mentioned above. And regel [foot] is the aspect of the four elements, which correspond to the four "feet" of the merkavah [Divine Chariot], as is known. And therefore on Shabbos one must "restrain his foot" — to subdue the m'oray aish that are drawn from the four elements.
And this is connected to the kindling of Chanukah lights, for the Menorah is the m'oray or themselves, as mentioned above. And the Chanukah lights are lit at the entrance to the house on the outside — for the essential [purpose of the] m'oray or is to illuminate on the outside, to subdue the m'oray aish that are the aspect of rosh kol chutzos. And this is the deeper meaning of: "a candle of mitzvah and the Torah is light" [Proverbs 6:23] — for the Menorah is the aspect of the Torah which is called light, which is the m'oray or. And these are also the aspect of the Parah Adumah, whose procedures are all outside, as mentioned above — to sanctify the outside, to subdue the m'oray aish. And this is: "For a commandment is a candle and the Torah is light" — "ner mitzvah" [a candle of commandment] — this is the aspect of the Parah Adumah, which is a commandment (mitzvah) without a reason. For the Parah is the aspect of the concealed Torah that has no revealed reason, as mentioned above. And "Torah or" [Torah is light] — this is the aspect of the Menorah, which is the m'oray or themselves, as mentioned above. And through all of this, the m'oray aish are subdued and the holiness is drawn also to the outside.
And this is: "A man is obligated to become intoxicated on Purim until he does not know the difference between 'cursed is Haman' and 'blessed is Mordechai.'" For on Purim we subdue the rosh kol chutzos, which is the aspect of Haman-Amalek, the aspect of the m'oray aish. And then, the most exalted supernal light is revealed, and all the judgments are sweetened at their source, and all the klippos [husks/shells of impurity] and all the m'oray aish are subdued at their source, until they are all transformed to good.
And then, one does not know the difference between "cursed is Haman" and "blessed is Mordechai" — for at their source, everything is one, for everything is sweetened at its source, as is known. And then, all the m'oray aish are transformed to m'oray or, and then it is possible to draw close to Hashem, blessed be He, from all the places in the world — even from the most distant places, even from the lowest depths, even from within the klippos themselves. For even there, one can find Hashem, blessed be He, for there is no despair in the world whatsoever. And all of this is through the power of the true tzadik who draws everything through the otzar matnas chinam, as mentioned above.
And through all of this, we can understand why the gift has no sustenance except when it is written within it: "k'savu'ha b'shuka va'chasamu'hu b'vara" — for the essential vitality of the gift is from the otzar matnas chinam, whose essential purpose is to draw holiness to the outside, to the marketplaces and the streets, as explained above at length.
✦ Translator's Summary ✦
This extraordinary halacha — the longest of the Matanah series — weaves together the laws of gift deeds with the deepest themes of Breslov thought: Purim, Amalek, the four special Torah readings, the Red Heifer, Chanukah, Shabbos, and the role of the true tzadik in every generation. The legal ruling — that a gift deed requires the clause "write it in the marketplace" — becomes the gateway to a sweeping spiritual panorama:
The Treasury of Undeserved Gifts (Otzar Matnas Chinam): Before Sinai, the world was sustained by pure chesed — a concealed Torah hidden within creation. The true tzadik accesses this treasury when he nullifies himself from Torah study, becoming a "simple man." Through this, he draws spiritual life to even the most distant souls.
Amalek's War — the battle for the distant ones: Amalek targets the weak — those expelled by the Clouds of Glory. He creates confusion (machlokes) so no one knows where truth lies. The tzadik fights this war by bringing close those whom Amalek claims as his own.
Mordechai and Esther = Rosh Bayis: Mordechai is rosh (head) — the four mochin, the Name of Hashem, m'oray or (luminaries of light). Esther is bayis (house) — the Temple, malchus (kingship), the moon. Haman is their opposite: rosh kol chutzos (head of the streets), m'oray aish (luminaries of fire).
The Four Parshiyos: Shekalim = building the Temple → strengthening rosh bayis. Zachor = erasing Amalek. Parah = the concealed Torah, purifying even from the impurity of death. HaChodesh = filling the moon, m'oray or overcoming m'oray aish.
On Purim: The greatest light is revealed. Mordechai (= v'rav chesed in gematria) emerges. Everyone can draw close — even from She'ol. "Whoever extends his hand to receive — they give him." The custom of engaging in levity reflects the concealed Torah within all things. Drinking until one cannot distinguish Haman from Mordechai reflects the root-level sweetening where all judgments become good.
The legal teaching: All of this is why "write it in the marketplace" is essential for a gift — because the spiritual root of all gift-giving is the otzar matnas chinam, whose entire purpose is to draw holiness to the outside.
Conceptual Architecture
Treasury of Undeserved Gifts
(Concealed Torah / Pre-Sinai Chesed)
when he becomes "a simple man"
(bitul Torah = its fulfillment)
Mordechai = Head
Esther = House
M'oray Or
Name of Hashem
Haman / Amalek
M'oray Aish
False celebrities
Shekalim (Temple) → Zachor (erase Amalek) → Parah (purify outside) → HaChodesh (fill the moon)
Greatest light revealed • Mordechai goes out
Everyone can draw close • Otzar opened to all
"Ad d'lo yada" — all sweetened at the root
The gift must be publicized because its root —
the Otzar Matnas Chinam — draws holiness to the outside
