Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 239

239 - Through division it is impossible to speak

Through division [conflict or disunity] it is impossible to speak, because the main speech is from peace, as it is written: "I will speak now of peace" [Psalms 122:8]. And therefore one needs before the prayer to accept upon himself the positive commandment: "And you shall love your fellow as yourself" [Leviticus 19:18] in order that through this that there is love and peace, through this he will be able to speak in the prayer. But when there is no peace and there is division, it is impossible to speak and to pray. And therefore even if one wants peace, only that they dispute against him, with all this the peace is not in completeness. Therefore it is impossible to speak and to pray even though he is a man of peace, since they dispute against him. And this is what David the king, peace be upon him [traditional respect for biblical figures], said: "I am peace" [Psalms 120:7], because I am a man of peace and from my side there would be peace with all, and with all this "and when I speak, they are for war", that is, that even though I am peace, with all this it is impossible to speak because of the war and the division that they dispute against me as above. And behold all the speeches are from peace as above. And therefore one who is in the aspect of peace can know all the speeches of all the world, like the Holy One blessed be He who is called Peace, who knows all the speeches of all the world, as it is written: "And He declares to man what is his speech" [Amos 4:13] because all the speeches come from peace as above. And this is the letters of shalom [peace] the initial letters of “And He declares to man what is his speech” [acronym showing divine knowledge stems from peace]. All the speeches come from heat [warmth or passion], and one who has much heat speaks much, and similarly one who is cooled and has no heat, cannot speak, because speech is from heat, as it is written: "My heart was hot within me, while I mused the fire burned, I spoke with my tongue" [Psalms 39:4]. And it is the flame of fire and so forth [connecting physical heat to verbal expression, metaphorically linking emotion to speech].