Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 87

87

Immediately when a person wants to walk in the upright path

[In the language of the ḥaverim (friends)]:

"Titen emet le-Yaakov, ḥesed le-Avraham" [“Give truth to Yaakov, kindness to Avraham” — Micah 7:20].

The matter is as follows: we see tangibly that immediately when a person desires to walk in the upright path, dinim [judgments] are aroused upon him — and logically, this appears to be the opposite of what one would expect.

However, there are two types of yirah [fear/awe]: yirat ha-onesh [fear of punishment] and yirat haromemut [awe of exaltedness].

Yirat ha-onesh is called tzedek [righteousness], and yirat haromemut is called emunah [faith].

Because when a person believes with complete faith that the Blessed Name is great and sovereign — the root and essence of all worlds — he is in awe of Him.

And it is known that it is impossible to come to emunah [faith] except by means of yirat ha-onesh [fear of punishment].

For when a person fears punishment, he believes that the Blessed Name is powerful — the Master of all capacity and of all forces — and from this, he comes to a greater level of emunah [faith].

It follows that immediately when a person wishes to walk the upright path, he must possess yirah [fear/awe], which is called tzedek [righteousness], as it is written: "VeHu yishpot tevel b’tzedek" [“And He shall judge the world with righteousness” — Psalms 9:9].

Therefore, dinim [judgments] are aroused upon him.

But when he reaches the level of emet [truth], that is — to the form of yirah [awe] which is called emunah [faith] — then all the dinim [judgments] are sweetened at their root.

And this is the meaning of: "Titen emet le-Yaakov" — that is, to yirah [awe], for Yaakov represents yirah, as it says: "Ekev anavah yirat Hashem" [“The reward of humility is fear of Hashem” — Proverbs 22:4].

Then, surely: "ḥesed le-Avraham" — for Avraham is called one who attaches himself to the Blessed Name, from the expression "Avo Ram" [“I will come aloft,” as in the Zohar, Balak 198b].

And it is stated: "V’hayah tzedek ezor motnav v’emunah ezor chalatzav" [“And righteousness shall be the belt of his loins, and faith the belt of his hips” — Isaiah 11:5].

That is to say: initially, it is called tzedek [righteousness], and only once emet [truth] is joined with it, is it called emunah [faith].

And in that place — where truth is unified with awe — all goodness and all light reside.