Likutay Moharan - Torah-teaching 97

97

G‑d, do not be silent; for You—do not be deaf; do not be still, O G‑d!

[L’shon HaChaveirim – In the language of the companions]

“G‑d, do not be silent; for You—do not be deaf; do not be still, O G‑d!” (Psalms 83). The matter is thus: it is known that there is a place above called Eldad and Medad, from where abundance (the shefa) descends to the world. For the two letters א"ל (A"L) are ד (Dad), and the two letters מ"י (M"Y) are also ד (Dad) [as brought in **Likutay Torah** of the Ari, Parashat Beha’alotcha]. And the abundance is called ה (He), as it is written (Genesis 47): “Heh for you is seed”. And the Name Elokim is completed from “Shalem.” But sometimes, through our many sins, the abundance withdraws, and it becomes “from ה‑ד” (Heh‑Daled)—a Name that has nothing of its own [i.e. lacks independent abundance]. And every Israelite must hasten himself to form from ה‑ד into ד‑ה (“from Daled‑Heh”). And how is this done? (Psalms 60): “For me is Gilad, and for me is Menashe; Ephraim is the strength of my head; Judah is my lawgiver.” The explanation is thus: before the creation of the world, the Blessed Name delighted and adorned Himself with the prayers and good deeds of righteous ones (tzaddikim) that He foresaw would exist—such that through their deeds and prayers they would rule in their prayer and accomplish all they wish, like “The righteous rules in fear of G‑d” (2 Samuel 23) [see Moed Katan 16b]. And any Israelite can reach that level—to rule in his prayer—except for two obstacles. The first comes before prayer: standing to pray in greatness (e.g. of noble lineage or from toil in the Creator’s service). Because of this, one’s prayer cannot rule; one must forget all that, and behave as though he were created today and alone in the world [this is the aspect of Menashe—language of forgetting, “For G‑d has made me forget all my father’s house” (Genesis 41): lineage and toil]. The second obstacle is during prayer: due to prior willful sins or intentional thoughts, foreign thoughts enter during prayer, and they prevent prayer from ruling. Therefore one must break foreign thoughts through holy thoughts within prayer, transforming those willful thoughts (foreign thoughts) into merits—this is the aspect of Ephraim, as it says: “For G‑d has made me fruitful in the land of my poverty.” That is: what was in poverty—ruined and dry—is made into merits through holy thoughts. When one prays in these two aspects—Menashe and Ephraim—and certainly one reaches humility and lowliness (“The reward of humility is fear of G‑d” Proverbs 22), then his prayer is also in fear [and “fear” is called “kingship,” as our Sages said (Avot chap.3): “Were it not for the Fear of Kingship…”, showing prayer takes on rule]. This becomes the pleasure of the Blessed Name, filling the Creator’s will. Originally He foresaw that tzaddikim would pray in this way—and from that pleasure the world was created in ten utterances. Now that pleasure returns: the Blessed Name renews His world in ten utterances—as it is written: “And in His goodness He renews every day continuously the work of creation.” Now the verse “For me is Gilad”—language of revealed witness: the pleasure that the Blessed Name foresaw before creation, that He would delight in the prayers of tzaddikim when they reach Menashe and Ephraim as above. “Strength of my head” is strengthening holy thoughts (Ephraim); “Judah” is the prayer (“This time I will praise,” Genesis 29). “My lawgiver”—Rashi explains authority and kingship: that prayer will have rule, the pleasure will be manifest, and He will renew His world in ten utterances. And those ten utterances correspond to Yud‑Yud and Daled‑Heh (i.e. the name entries) as the “let there be … He” of Psalms 89, “I said: World kindness shall be built.” Kindness is called E-l, as Psalm 52: “Kindness of E-l all the day.” And here is the verse’s explanation: “Elokim, do not be silent”—when You see that from the Name Elokim letters result—do not be silent, i.e. from ה‑ד. “Do not be deaf, and do not be still, O E-l”—that You arouse aspects of E-l through prayer in those two aspects, thus forming from ה‑ד as above, eventually producing the א"ל aspect of 'dod' (דד-breast) and מ"י aspect of 'dod' (דד-breast) and the He which is abundance in its three forms (gematria חָלָב = חלב = “milk”), with two inclusions, known to the knowledgeable in kabala [ח"ן - chuchmas hanistar, see Mi-Oaray Ohr entry of milk, and Etz Chayim Shaar HaKlalim chap.3].