Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 93

93

All who does business in faith

[In the language of the friends]

All who does business in emunah [faithfulness, integrity] fulfills the positive commandment of “Ve’ahavta” [“And you shall love (Hashem your God)”], which is the shoresh [root] of all positive commandments.

As it is written in the Tikkunim (Tikkun 21): On the verse “And make for me delicacies as I love” (Genesis 27:4) — these are from the pikudin de'asei [positive commandments].

And how does one fulfill the commandment of “Ve’ahavta”? For it is taught in the Gemara (Yoma 86a): on the verse “And you shall love” — that one should ensure that the Name of Heaven becomes beloved through him.

How? A person who reads and studies, and serves Torah scholars, and conducts his affairs with gentleness toward others, and his business is with emunah — what do people say about him? “Happy is the one who taught him Torah”, etc.

It is thereby found that the Name of Heaven becomes beloved through him. And he fulfills the commandment of “Ve’ahavta”, which is the root of all the mitzvot [see Mekhilta, Parashat Beshalach, on the verse: “and that which is upright in His eyes you shall do”, and also brought in Ramban there].

Also, by means of business in emunah, he ascends to a level that is above time, as it is in the Gemara (Yoma 86a, conclusion): “And upon him the verse says: ‘Israel, in whom I will be glorified’” (Isaiah 49:3).

And “Israel” ascended in thought — as the Sages taught (Bereishit Rabbah, Parasha 1): “Israel ‘rose up’ in thought”. And [to “rise up” in] thought means to transcend time itself.

Likewise, by means of business with emunah, one is able to pray with pure intellect. For prayer, too, is something that is above time, as the Sages said (Berakhot 6b): “It is a matter that stands at the height of the world.”

And also, due to the love that arises through this emunah, he comes to gadlut ha-mochin [expansion or greatness of the intellect], and becomes able to pray with sechel tzach [pure, clarified mind].