Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 37

Likutay Moharan II, Torah 37: Sometimes the Great One Goes and Travels to the Small One, and Sometimes the Opposite

Sometimes the great one goes and travels to the small one, and sometimes the opposite. That is, sometimes the tzadik [righteous one] travels to the province and illuminates the students, and sometimes the students come to him. And know that this aspect is great, that is, when the great one travels to the small one, this aspect is greater. For it is obvious that the small one needs to come to the great one because he needs to receive from him. But sometimes the light of the great one is very, very great, so that it is impossible for the small one to receive from the great one in his place because of the abundance of the very great light. Therefore, the great one is compelled to lower and humble himself to the small one and go after him so that through this the light is somewhat diminished and materialized so that the small one can receive it. It is found that when the great one needs to go to the small one, this is from the greatness of his virtue very much, as mentioned above. And Moshe, our teacher, peace be upon him, was so great in virtue that even before great ones, he needed to diminish himself and show humility toward them (Numbers 12:3): “And the man Moshe was very humble, more than any person”. That is, even though they were also very great, such as Yehoshua and Aharon, nevertheless, Moshe, our teacher, peace be upon him, was in such a great and tremendous virtue that he was compelled to diminish himself and humble himself toward them so that they could receive his light, as mentioned above (Megillah 31): “In every place where you find his greatness, there you find his humility”. That in every place where there is greater greatness, there humility and smallness are needed so that they can receive the light, as mentioned above.

And behold, when the small one comes before the great one to receive from him, and then the great one illuminates him, the main matter is to make from the mind of smallness a mind of greatness, that is, to illuminate in the small one, to expand his daas [knowledge/consciousness] so that he grows from his smallness and becomes great, that is, he comes to a mind of greatness, which is the aspect of sweetening. And sometimes he illuminates him through the illumination of the face and consolations, that he illuminates his face with smiling faces, shining faces. And sometimes he cannot receive through this, and he is in the aspect of: O’a d’lo dalik [a lamp that does not burn], they strike him, that he needs to illuminate him through yissurim [sufferings], that he needs to chastise him and disgrace him to nullify him so that he can receive. And know that even though the great one needs to lower himself and nullify himself somewhat from his greatness so that the small one can receive, nevertheless, this is not considered a loss or damage to the great one that he needs to nullify his light temporarily, in proportion to the rectification that is done in the small one, that he rectifies him and expands him. For the nullification and smallness of the great one is only temporary, and afterward, he returns to his level, and he rectifies and expands the small one completely, as mentioned above.

And there are differences in the matter of the smallness and humility of the great one toward the small one to receive his light, as mentioned above, for it all depends on the matter. Sometimes it is in mere movement in the world, and sometimes he needs to go and travel to him, and it all depends on the matter, like a candle that has gone out when there is still some light in it, one can still kindle it only by bringing it somewhat close to the burning candle, that is, holding it below near the burning candle, as is known by sense. And this is because there is still some light in it. But when there is no light in it at all, one cannot kindle it from afar unless one brings it actually to the light or the opposite, and so forth.