Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 159

159. Know that there is a mediator and she is the Shechinah.

Know that there is a mediator, and she is the Shechinah (Divine Presence), which serves as the mediator between people and Hashem, blessed be He, so to speak. It is known that there is a distinction in the study of Torah teachings (Torot), as not every individual studies in the same manner. One who merits studying for the sake of the Shechinah—such that their study ascends to the Shechinah—then the Shechinah receives the Torah study and elevates it to Hashem, blessed be He. From this, abundance (shefa) is drawn forth—both spiritual abundance and material abundance. For the Torah contains fire and water. When the Shechinah, in its role as mediator, receives the Torah, the power of the fire ascends upward, drawing abundance to all worlds, angels, seraphim, and so on—this is spiritual abundance. The power of the water then becomes material abundance, descending to this world. This reflects the right and left aspects in the Torah, as in: “Length of days in her right hand, and in her left riches and honor” [Proverbs 3]. “Length of days” refers to the world that is entirely long, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, stated [Kiddushin 39b]. It represents spiritual abundance, the right side, flowing to the wholly long world of the upper realms. Riches and honor, material abundance, pertain to the left side. However, not everyone merits their study ascending to the Shechinah. This requires one to be precious and study solely for the Shechinah—to raise the Shechinah from the dust. Not all merit such study. Even if one studies with fear of Heaven and claims it is to raise the Shechinah from the dust, who knows if they are truly worthy? When study does not ascend to the Shechinah, the Torah emerges but cannot rise to its proper place. Its nature is to elevate itself, but night intervenes, and the guardians of decorum and the like, as explained in the holy Zohar [Miketz 203b], emerge to strike it down. It falls and scatters across the world. All people draw from the air—awake or asleep—absorbing this scattered Torah. Depending on the person's essence, it transforms accordingly. For a worthy, Heaven-fearing person—even of lesser stature—or a great tzadik, it becomes Tal Torah (dew of Torah) [Introduction to Tikkunim; Tikkunim 47c; Yalkut Yeshayah 26], inspiring fresh awakening and desire for Torah, scaled to their level. Some derive Torah innovations, combining multiple teachings into new insights. For the lesser, it renews desire and awakening for Torah—itself an innovation. This applies to worthy people. For the unworthy, it reverses: becoming 39 labors, fueling intense desire for worldly toils—the direct opposite of Tal Torah, as in “By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread” [Genesis 3]. This echoes the Torah's right and left: for the worthy, dew of Torah (right); for the opposite, 39 labors (left). Ascending Torah yields spiritual and material abundance from fire and water. Non-ascending, scattered Torah yields dew or labors based on the recipient. This manifests physically: study produces warm, moist vapors from the mouth—like fire and water. If unable to ascend, night strikes them (guardians emerging), scattering them in the air for absorption. Physical dew similarly holds dual powers—to kill or revive—formed from earth's rising mists struck by cold night winds, falling as dew. It vitalizes grasses and animals, fattening some, harming others, even causing plagues in humans, G-d forbid. Thus, dew has powers to kill and revive; so too these Torot, akin to material dew, yield T"L.

[After saying this Torah, he responded: But I found no verse or rabbinic statement containing these ideas. Perhaps someone can find them in Scripture or our Rabbis' words, of blessed memory. He then mentioned Rabbi Yehoshua's words [Sotah 27a]: “Who will uncover the dust from your eyes, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai? You said a future generation... lacks a Torah verse, yet your student Rabbi Akiva derives one from Torah.”]