Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 142

Likutay Moharan 142

One for whom it is impossible to study at all

One for whom it is impossible to study at all — such as if he is an ignoramus, or he has no book, or he is in the wilderness — but his heart burns within him and he longs greatly to study and serve Hashem: then what the heart desires to study is itself an aspect of study from within the book.

For in this world there are two tzadikim who speak to one another, though they are separated by many hundreds of parasangs. That is, this tzadik raises a difficulty in the Torah, and the second tzadik in his place offers a resolution to that difficulty. Similarly, sometimes one poses a difficulty and the other resolves it; the difficulty of one is the resolution of his fellow’s difficulty. Through this they "speak" to each other.

And no one hears this except the Holy One, Blessed be He Himself. This is as it says: "Then those who fear Hashem spoke, one man to his fellow" [Malachi 3:16]. That is, they do not literally speak to each other, but their "conversation" is automatic — through the posing and resolving of difficulties. No creature hears this but Hashem alone. This is also: "And Hashem hearkened and heard", for only He hears, connects the words one to another, and writes them in a book for a memorial.

"And it was written in a book of memorial" [Malachi 3:16].

This book, upon which their words are written, is an aspect of the heart that is above; their words are written there in the sense of: "Write them on the tablet of your heart" [Proverbs 3:3]. And when his heart burns within him and desires to study, but it is impossible for him to do so, he receives a heart from the heart above — which is an aspect of the book of memorial as mentioned.

From there, his heart receives its desire, and this is literally an aspect of study from within the book. "And it was written in a book of memorial before Him for those who fear Hashem and esteem His name", as our Rabbis of blessed memory explained [Berachos 6a]: even if a person thought to perform a mitzvah and was prevented and did not do it, Scripture attributes it to him as if he had done it.

For the very fact that his heart longs and thinks to do, but it is impossible for him, is considered as if he did it. For he receives his desire from the heart above — which is an aspect of the book of memorial. And this book of memorial, created from the two tzadikim as above, is for "those who fear Hashem and esteem His name" — those who desire and long to perform mitzvot and study Torah but have hindrances and compulsions preventing them from studying.

They receive through the strong desire of their heart from this book, which is an aspect of the heart as above. Therefore, Avraham, who was the head of the converts and had no one from whom to learn, and had only the heart that longed greatly to serve the Creator — he also received from this heart above, called the book of memorial.

At that time, there were no tzadikim in the world, and it was written on the heart what the souls innovated before creation. Therefore, Avraham our father is called “rock,” as it is written: "Look to the rock from which you were hewn" [Isaiah 51:1] — which refers to Avraham (as Rashi explains there) — for he is an aspect of: "Rock of my heart" [Psalms 73:26].

For he had only a heart desiring Hashem, Blessed be He. Therefore, all converts are called by his name and are called: Princes of peoples, the people of the G-d of Avraham [Psalms 47:10], an aspect of: Those with willing heart [Exodus 35:5]. For they have only that their heart longs for Hashem Blessed Be He like Avraham.