Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 82

82

Those who are insulted and do not insult

[In the language of the friends] It is stated in the Gemara [Shabbat 88b]: Those who are insulted and do not insult, hear their reproach and do not reply. About them the verse says: "And His lovers like the going forth of the sun in its might" [Judges 5:31].

Behold, it is known that there are three klipos [husks, negative spiritual forces]: ruach se’arah [storm wind], anan gadol [great cloud], and aysh mislakachas [consuming fire]— all mentioned in [Ezekiel 1:4].

And the klipas Nogah [husk of radiance], which is situated between the three klipos and holiness, is sometimes included within holiness and sometimes within the klipos. It is considered the aspect of nishmas ha’ashukim [soul of the oppressed] [and sufficient for understanding] [see Saba Mishpatim, 113a].

This corresponds to the order of creation, the three years of orlah [forbidden fruit of a tree’s first three years], matching the three aforementioned klipos. The fourth corresponds to Nogah, which is an aspect of Chashmal [divine fiery brilliance]. Sometimes it is included among the Ma”l [circumcision lights].

This is the secret of milah [circumcision], for there are three skins, which are the three klipos, and a thin fourth skin, the aspect of Nogah.

All reproaches that come to a person stem from these three klipos, as seen in: "We cannot give our sister to a man who has a foreskin, for it is a reproach to us" [Genesis 34:14], and "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Israel" [Joshua 5:9]. The main reproaches come from the aspect of orlah, which corresponds to the three klipos mentioned above [see Tikkun 58].

Therefore, when Yosef was born, his mother said: "G-d has gathered my reproach" [Genesis 30:23]. With the revelation of Yosef, who represents the holiness of the bris [covenant], the aspect of milah, the reproaches—the three klipos—were gathered.

This is the intention behind washing with hot water on Shabbat eve: at this time, the klipos of Nogah are included in holiness, and the desire is for the three klipos to ascend and grasp holiness.

Then descends the aspect of: "Flame of Yah" [Song of Songs 8:6], which burns them so they do not grasp holiness. This corresponds to hot water, and it is the reason for cutting nails on Shabbat eve, as is known [symbolizing removal of impure forces].

This explains the Gemara’s teaching on "those who are insulted and do not insult": it represents the aspect of Cha”sh [silence], hearing their reproach and not replying, and acting out of ahavah [love].

Sometimes silence is used by a person to cause suffering to another; then it belongs to the klipos. But when it is out of ahavah, silence is the aspect of Cha”sh included in holiness. About them, the verse says: "And His lovers like the going forth of the sun in its might", which is the aspect of the Flame of Yah as above.

[Explanation: By hearing their reproach and not replying, they push away the three klipos (the aspect of orlah, the aspect of reproach), which are included in the aspect of Chashmal through silence, the aspect of Cha”sh. This silence pushes away reproach because the person does not wish to quarrel or reproach his fellow, which is the aspect of Ma”l, the nullification of the orlah, the aspect of reproach, the three impure klipos mentioned above. This is Chashmal, Cha”sh, Ma”l: silence, which is the aspect of milah—nullification of reproach, which is the aspect of orlah. This silence is done out of ahavah, which is the aspect of Chashmal, corresponding to Nogah, which has two aspects: sometimes included in holiness, sometimes included in the klipos, among the three klipos that are the aspect of reproach, as mentioned above. That is, sometimes a person remains silent toward his fellow in order to cause him greater suffering; then he reproaches his fellow more intensely through this silence, and thus the silence, the aspect of Nogah, is included in the klipos, in the aspect of reproach, as mentioned above. But when he acts out of ahavah, remaining silent out of love because he does not wish to shame or reproach his fellow, then the aspect of Nogah is included in holiness, in its might, which is the aspect of the Flame of Yah mentioned above. Through this, Nogah is included in holiness, in the aspect of Chashmal, as mentioned above.]