Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 95

95

When the Providers and Leaders of the Generation Become Arrogant

[In the language of our Rebbe, of blessed memory]

When the providers of the generation and the leaders of the generation become arrogant, then the **Holy One, Blessed be He**, raises against them people who will **argue with them and speak about them**—in order that **they not become presumptuous in their own minds**. As our Sages, of blessed memory, said (Yoma 22b): “They do not appoint a provider over the community unless a box of creeping things is hanging behind him.” And this is the explanation: A secret that is brought in Etz HaChayim (Sha’ar Arich Anpin, ch. 12): The Back of Ma”H — [“Ma”H” (מ״ה) is the Divine Name associated with humility and nullification ("What am I?"), whose gematria is 45. In Kabbalah, “the back” (achor) of a word refers to the sequential buildup of its letters, similar to the practice with “Na Nach Nachma Nachman”—one letter, then two, three, and so on. Thus, the “back of Ma”H” is: י, then י-ה, then י-ה-ו, then י-ה-ו-ה. Spelled out in full: יוד, יוד־הא, יוד־הא־ואו, יוד־הא־ואו־הא. The total gematria of this sequence is 130.] Remove Ma”H, [meaning, subtract the base value of 45] and what remains is 85, which is the gematria of Peh (mouth). Explanation: By means of a box of creeping things (kupah shel sheratzim) that is hanging behind him, [i.e., a hint to this “back of Ma”H” sequence as just explained], through this he holds himself in the aspect of MaH [the consciousness of “What am I?”—humility and self-nullification], and as such in the state of Efes v’Ayin [“Nothingness and Non-being”]. But when he removes from himself the MaH—that is, he no longer holds himself to be a “what,” but rather becomes arrogant— Then remains only Peh (mouth) [i.e., the final “Heh” from the last stage is removed, leaving just the first three levels of the sequence, which sum to 85 = Peh]. That is: people open their mouths and say to him, “Go back!” (חזור לאחוריך) [which is the Talmud’s own phrase: “If his mind grows haughty, they say to him: ‘Return to what is behind you.’” This “return to behind you” literally reverses the process—removing the final step of the back of Ma”H and leaving only Peh.] And they despise him. [Furthermore, the word “קופה” (box) is itself significant: the last two letters, פ״ה, spell mouth; and the first letter, ק, is gematria 100. The Talmud elsewhere plays on “MaH” to mean “Me’ah” (מאה = 100). Thus, “MaH” can be understood as 100 in this context as well, aligning with the kuf at the start of קופה. The box hanging on his back hints both to the structure of Ma”H’s back and the embedded Peh-mouth waiting to emerge if he forgets his humility.] [Until here is his language, of blessed memory.]