Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 16

16 - Why When a Person Seeks Livelihood

They asked why when the person seeks livelihood, they do not give him prepared and set from heaven, but by means of causes, for each according to his cause, that this needs to sow grain and to plow and to reap etc., and this needs to travel and find his livelihood need there, and the like. And why is his livelihood not given prepared and set when he seeks it? And the answer. Know, that all the livelihood of Israel must be received through the king (see Zohar Trumah 153a), as it is written by king: "the tree that you saw that grew and was strong" etc. "and food for all in it you are the king" [Daniel 4:17-19]. And the main thing of kingship is by means of humility, the aspect of: "and before honor humility" [Proverbs 15:33], that the main honor and greatness of kingship is by means of humility precisely. For so the way of kingship, in every time that one needs that humility precede to his honor and his greatness. As each day in the hour that rises from his bed that then still he is in smallness that clothed in simple clothes and also his face is not in brightness and purity still before the washing. And after that beautifies himself and dresses in clothes of honor and spreads in his greatness as the way of the king. And so our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said (Yoma 22b). Why not extended the kingship of Saul, because there was no blemish in him. For they do not appoint a leader on the public unless a box of reptiles hanging behind him that if his mind [da’at] becomes haughty they say to him: turn to your rear. For the main thing of kingship by means of humility as above. And all that there is to the king more humility, his kingship spreads more as above.

And when the food is drawn by means of the king as above, clarifications are made from it such as grain, that much from it animals eat, and after that further clarified, and gentiles eat from it until it is clarified from it to Israel. And also in the eating there are clarifications until it is clarified and become from them beautiful words that is blessings that bless upon them beginning and end and pray and serve Hashem, blessed be He, with the powers of the eating (Genesis 49:11). "From Asher his bread is fat and he gives delicacies of king Naftali a hind let loose giving beautiful words" fat his bread etc., that is the livelihood which is aspect of delicacies of king, for receive it by means of the king. And therefore immediately after [the mention of the bounty], it is written, "Naftali etc., who gives beautiful words" that is beautiful words of blessings and prayers and the like that are made from the clarifications of delicacies of king as above.

And these clarifications they aspect of incense [ketoret, spiritual refinement], as known that incense is aspect of clarifications. And from these beautiful words that are made from delicacies of king is made crown to the king, and also can see this crown. And this aspect of: "Go forth and see daughters of Zion the king Solomon with the crown that crowned him his mother on the day of his wedding and on the day of the gladness of his heart" [Song of Songs 3:11], that is to see the crown of the king that is made on the day of his wedding, for the connection that connect the beautiful words with the king this aspect of wedding, aspect of: "grace of his lips his friend the king" [Proverbs 22:11], that the grace of the lips, that is the beautiful words connect with the king in aspect of friends. And this "on the day of his wedding" and this "and on the day of the gladness of his heart" this aspect of incense [ketoret, spiritual refinement] aspect of: "oil and incense gladden heart" [Proverbs 27:9], for the clarifications that from them made beautiful words as above that from them made the crown as above, they aspect of incense as above. And this "that crowned him his mother" that is aspect of Eve, that she was "mother of all living" [Genesis 3:20], for Eve acronym h ame’aterkhi chesed verachamim [Psalms 103:4], that is aspect of the crown the above that is made by means of aspect of: "who satisfies with good your adornment" that is aspect of delicacies of king as above [principal discourse missing].

And the general that need to see the king in aspect of: "king in his beauty your eyes shall see" [Isaiah 33:17], that is when he in his beauty and greatness, and not in time of smallness. And if they gave him his livelihood prepared and set, prepared and set bread, it would be possible that one would see the king in time of smallness such as in hour that minimizes himself and thinks himself that box of reptiles hanging behind him and the like as above. But now that give the livelihood by means of circuits it is found that comes in times particular, for to every cause needs time particular until the livelihood comes to him. And therefore not come to see the king in his smallness only in his beauty as above. For not give him the livelihood prepared and set only in time particular in way that not see him only in his beauty, aspect of king in his beauty etc. For by means of the livelihood see the king in the crown as above.

And this the secret hinted in the verse: "eyes of all to You hope and You give them their food in its time, open Your hand" etc. eyes of all etc. this the difficulty the above that is: "eyes of all to You hope, and You give them their food in its time" that is that seek on livelihood, and not give prepared and set, only in its time as above. And the answer: "open Your hand and satisfy every living favor" [and he did not conclude].