Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 88

88

Who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth

[In the language of the friends]

"Who covers the heavens with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth" [Psalms 147:8].

Behold, it is known that the hashpa’os [influences] and brachos [blessings] cannot come to the world except through the tzadik [righteous one].

For the tzadik has hands with which to receive them—that is, ahavah [love] and yirah [fear]—for these are the hands with which all hashpa’os and brachos are received.

The tzadik must guard and preserve this ahavah and yirah so that the accusers do not accuse him and rob him of the hashpa’os.

This is the meaning of "Who covers the heavens with clouds," which are fire and water: when the tzadik can cover the heavens—that is, fire and water [symbolizing spiritual attributes]—that is, his ahavah and yirah.

Then, "who prepares rain for the earth" means that he can draw down all brachos, which are in the aspect of rain [divine abundance].

But when the tzadik is well-known and great, the accusers watch him closely and do not allow him to bring down shefa [abundance].

Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, places in the heart of another tzadik to hold him in controversy, to cover him, so that he can bring down the shefa.

This controversy is "for the sake of Heaven" [Avos 5:17], that is, for the sake of the tzadik, who is called by the name shamayim [Heaven] because he has ahavah and yirah. This is "for the sake of Heaven," the ahavah and yirah, in order to prepare rain, which is the aspect of hashpa’os and brachos [divine influences and blessings].