Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 27

27 - The Chick That Died in Its Egg

[Introduction: In the language of our rabbi, of blessed memory]

The chick [retzitza - chick] that died in its egg [be'utah - egg], where does the spirit go out? He said to them: Through that which it entered.

1. For to draw all the world to His service, to serve Him [with] one entity [shechem echad - united purpose] (Zephaniah 3:9, per Rashi: shechem as portion or unity), and all of them shall cast their idols of their silver and their gold and shall pray to Hashem [the Name, i.e., G-d], blessed be He, alone—this thing is done in every generation and generation according to the peace [shalom - peace] that is in the generation. For by means of the shalom that there is between children of man, and they investigate and explain this to that the truth—by means of this [every man] casts every man the falsehood of his idols of his silver. And he brings himself close to the truth.

2. And it is impossible to come to [the] aspect of shalom except by means of radiance of the face [heh'aras panim], splendor of the face [hadras panim]. And this is "And Jacob came complete to the city of Shechem" (Genesis 33:18). Awakening of [the] aspect of "To serve Him [with] one entity [shechem echad]" (Zephaniah 3:9), it is by means of shalom. And shalom, it is by means of [the aspect of] Jacob, who is [the] radiance of the face [heh'aras panim], [the] aspect of beauty of Jacob [shufreh deYaakov - beauty of Jacob] like the eye of beauty of Adam [shufreh deAdam - beauty of Adam] (Talmud Bavli, Bava Metzia 84a). And this is [the] aspect of "Seekers of Your face, Jacob" (Psalms 24:6).

3. And splendor of the face [hadras panim], this is [the] aspect of expoundings of the Torah [derushai haTorah - expoundings of the Torah] that the Torah [Teaching/Law] is expounded in thirteen measures that are drawn from thirteen adornments of the beard [tikunay dikna - adornments of the beard] (Zohar, Acharai 62a) from [the] aspect of hadras panim, as it is written "And you shall respect the face of the elder" (Leviticus 19:32).

4. And according to the purification of his wisdom in these thirteen measures [thirteen measures] aforementioned, so [is] the purification of the voice of his singing [kol rinnaso - voice of his singing] (Talmud Bavli, Kiddushin 32a) in [the] aspect of: Elder [zaken - elder] this [is] acquired wisdom [kanah chokhmah - acquired wisdom, root קנה] (Kiddushin 32b). The reed [kanah - reed, root קנה] emits voice [kol - voice] (Talmud Bavli, Berachos 61a and see Zohar Pinchas 232a–235a, Shir HaShirim 2a). And this is "Show me your appearance" (Song of Songs 2:14)—this [is the] aspect of hadras panim, [the] aspect of zaken as above. Make me hear your kol—for the kol [is] according to the wisdom of derushei haTorah according to the intellect of thirteen measures that he expounds in them the Torah. And this is "Seek Me and live" (Amos 5:4) for "Wisdom gives life to its owners" (Ecclesiastes 7:12).

5. And when his kol [voice] is purified, then by means of making heard his kol alone without speech, the Holy One, blessed be He, saves him in [the] time of his distress in [the] aspect of "And He saw in their distress when He heard their singing [rinnasam - singing]" (Psalms 106:44). By means of hearing of his kol, the Holy One, blessed be He, sees who distresses him—which nation [akum - nations, i.e., idol-worshippers] distresses us. And this is "Explain well [ba’er]" (Deuteronomy 27:8)—in seventy languages (Talmud Bavli, Sotah 32a brought in Rashi there), that derushai haTorah and drashos [drashos - homilies] of the Torah from where outcomes the kol by their hand did good for us in all the languages and in all the akum in [the] aspect of when He heard their rinnasam, initial letters באר [ba’er - explain], and ba’er is [the] language of explanation and drash [homily].

6. And to hadras panim the aforementioned, it is impossible to come, except by means of rectification of the bris [circumcision/sexual purity] in [the] aspect of "Splendor and majesty before Him" (I Chronicles 16:27) when strength and joy in His place, that he is bris, that is called in strength, and he is joy of the Matronisa (see Pri Etz Chaim, Gate of the Songs, Chapter 1). And this is "My strength" (Exodus 15:2)—this [is the] aspect of bris and my song [zimras - song], this [is the] aspect of kol and it was for me salvation, in [the] aspect of and He saw in their distress and so on.

And this is what our Chazal [our Sages of blessed memory] said (Talmud Bavli, Sotah 30a): When Israel ascended from the sea, they set their eyes to say song [shirah - song]. For on the sea was revealed [the] aspect of bris, as our Chazal said: The sea saw and fled and went out outside (Beraishis Rabbah 87:7). They set their eyes—this [is the] aspect of hadras panim, [the] aspect of zaken, this [is] kanah chokhmah as Rashi explained (Genesis 3:7): "And the eyes of both of them were opened" on account of the wisdom it is said. To say shirah—this [is the] aspect of kol, that was revealed by means of the wisdom. And this is what they said (Sotah there): Infants and sucklings said: "This is my G-d and I will beautify Him [anvehu - beautify Him, root נוה]" (Exodus 15:2)—this [is the] aspect of bris, [the] aspect of "And this for you the sign" (Exodus 3:12). And anvehu, this [is the] aspect of hadras panim [root הדר, related to נוה]. And this is the explanation of "One who shepherds prostitutes [zonos - prostitutes, implying spiritual unfaithfulness] loses wealth" (Proverbs 29:3)—wealth [hon - wealth] this [is the] aspect of kol as our Chazal said: Honor Hashem from your wealth [mehonecha] do not read from your wealth [mehonecha] but from your throat [migeronecha] (as brought in Be’er Haitev, Orach Chaim 53, citing Pesikta Rabbasi; and likewise in Rashi Proverbs 3 in the gloss there) (and [the] language of the Pesikta: but from your flattering and so on, if He gave you sweet kol and so on). And when [he] blemishes in the bris, [he] blemished his kol. And Jacob who guarded his bris, as "The first of my strength" (Genesis 49:3) merited to the kol, in [the] aspect of "The voice [kol] is the voice [kol] of Jacob" (Genesis 27:22). And from [the] aspect of kol [he] merits to shalom in [the] aspect of "Song of Songs [Shir HaShirim] which is to Solomon" (Song of Songs 1:1)—to the king that the shalom is His (Shir HaShirim Rabbah chapter 1). And for this, immediately after kol of singing [rinnah - singing] of the shirah of the sea they merited to Shabbos shalom (see Zohar Korach 176a). As it is written "And they came to Marah [Marah - bitter]" (Exodus 15:23) and Shabbos in Marah they were commanded (as our Chazal said, Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 56b, Exodus there).

"And Miriam answered them: Sing to Hashem" (Exodus 15:21)—initial letters שלום [shalom - peace], that by means of shirah they merited to shalom.

7. And precisely in Marah [bitter] they received Shabbos shalom for so [is the] way of shalom to be clothed in bitter, in [the] aspect of "Behold, for peace [shalom], bitter to me, bitter [mar lee mar]" (Isaiah 38:17). As all the remedies, they are in bitter drugs, so shalom that is [the] remedy for all the things in [the] aspect of "Peace [shalom] to the far and to the near, said Hashem, and I healed him" (Isaiah 57:19). And sometimes the weakness prevails so much until that there is no ability in the hand of the sick to bear bitterness [merirut - bitterness] of the remedies, and then the physicians withdraw their hands from the sick and despair him. So when the iniquities, that they are [the] sickness of the soul, prevail very much, then [he] cannot bear merirut of the remedies, and then: "There is no peace [shalom], said to the wicked" (Isaiah 48:22, 57:21). And this [is] what Hezekiah praised the Holy One, blessed be He, that He cast all his sins behind His back in order that he should not need to clothe the shalom in much merirut. And this is "Behold, for peace [shalom], bitter to me, bitter [mar li mar]" (there 38:17)—that is, this [is] known, for to shalom needs merirut, and You have held fast my soul from descent of pit [there written from pit of nothingness, and Rashi explained: From without descent of pit], for You knew that there is no in me power to bear merirut according to my sin, and You cast behind Your back all my sins in order that [it] be clothed, the shalom, in merirut according to my ability. And this is "And Abraham was old" (Genesis 24:1)—by means of zaken aforementioned, by means of this: "And Hashem blessed Abraham in all" (Genesis 24:1)—this [is] shalom, as it is written: Who makes shalom and creates all.

8. And shalom in his body, shalom in his money, and shalom in his Torah (Talmud Bavli, Shabbos 33b) [They expounded on the verse "And Jacob came complete," shalom in his body, shalom in his money, and so on], in four biles that one should not prevail one on its fellow. Shalom in his money, that there should not be, this comes and eats that, as the daughter of Nakdimon ben Gurion said (Talmud Bavli, Kesuvos 66b). Shalom in his Torah without difficulties. And this is the explanation: Chick, [the] aspect of crushed reed [kaneh ratzutz - crushed reed, root קנה] that they are the nations [akum - nations, i.e., idol-worshippers], that they are distant from [the] aspect of zaken, this [is] kanah chokhmah, from hadrat panim, and they cleave in kaneh ratzutz, as it is written "Rebuke the beast of the reed [kaneh]" (Psalms 68:31). That died in its be'usah—that is, to kill and to nullify their request [ba'oosam - their request] and their prayer [tzlosam - their prayer] from requesting yet from other gods, but to call all in the name of Hashem. Where does the spirit go out—that is, this aspect [is] impossible except by means of rectification of bris that is [the] aspect of "And there arose no more spirit in any man" (Joshua 2:11). And how brings out and emits sparks of holiness that fell by means of blemish of the bris? And he said to them: Through that which it entered—in this that entered in him spirit of foolishness—that is, thoughts of licentiousness [zenut - licentiousness], and he breaks his desire—in this he brings out and emits sparks of holiness of blemish of the bris. For this is [the] aspect of repentance of the weight "The elders [zkenim] have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music" (Lamentations 5:14).

[Until here the language of our rabbi, of blessed memory]

[Explanation of Rinnasam]

"And He saw in their distress when He heard their singing [rinnasam]"—by means of hearing of his kol, the Holy One, blessed be He, sees who distresses him, which (idoltarous) nation [akum] distresses us, and so on. And he said, that therefore when there is, Heaven forbid, some decree and distress to Israel from some akum, then [it is] good to play the melody of that akum that distresses them, Heaven forbid. And this is: "When He heard their rinnasam"—their rinnasam precisely—that is, rinnah and melody of theirs, of that akum that distresses Israel, Heaven forbid.