Likutay Moharan - Volume 2 - Torah-teaching 15

15 - These Who Glorify Themselves in Falsehood in Great and Wondrous Things

These who glorify themselves in falsehood in great and wondrous things, and as if no thing is withheld from them, and all is in their hand, and there are among them leaders of the generation. Behold, the main thing of their strength and suckling is only from the great true tzadikim. For there are true great tzadikim in level, and they have a holy mouth, and their way is to speak great and wondrous things, and they truly can serve G-d in every thing in the world, in eating and drinking and other things, and as brought in the intentions that sometimes they sweeten judgments through eating and drinking, and there are true tzadikim who can make redemption through their eating and the like.

And because of the grandiose bragging of these great tzadikim, which elicits from their holy mouths, from this comes that there are found hypocritical liars who liken themselves like a monkey and glorify themselves also literally in these languages of glorification that come out from the holy mouth of the true tzadik. And like we find in the prophets, that Jeremiah was prophesying in the upper market: "Behold, I am breaking the bow of Elam" etc. [Jeremiah 49:35], and Hananiah son of Azzur, a false prophet, was prophesying in this language literally to the opposite (Sanhedrin 89a). Similarly now as above.

But the main suckling is only from such tzadikim who go in great and wondrous things as above. For from simple tzadikim who serve Hashem in simplicity, in Torah and prayer and good deeds, they have no strength, since the tzadikim themselves do not speak great things and conduct themselves in simplicity in complete service. Therefore, there is not to the lie and greatness of them attachment in them so much that there be found hypocritical liars in this way, like there is found that there are people who sit wrapped in tallit and tefillin all day, and they are hypocritical, even so they do not have strength to mislead the world so much like these who glorify in great things as above.

For know, that the true tzadik aforementioned receives the speech of his holy mouth from masters of charity. And this is the aspect of: "Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, Hashem" [Psalms 119:108], that the tzadik receives the speech of his mouth from generous of heart, that is, masters of charity (there 114): "Can you turn the rock into a pool of water" [Psalms 114:8], the rock this is the aspect of: "rock of my heart" [Psalms 73:26], for there is "heart of stone" [Ezekiel 36:26], that is, "the mighty of heart who are far from charity" [Isaiah 46:12]. And this is: "Can you turn the rock into a pool of water," that is, that it is turned to a soft heart, the aspect of: "Pour out your heart like water before Hashem" [Lamentations 2:19], that is, a soft heart to volunteer for charity. And for this charity is called water, as it is written: "and charity like a mighty stream" [Amos 5:24]. And this is the aspect of: "Send your bread upon the face of the waters" [Ecclesiastes 11:1], said regarding charity.

And through charity is made the holy mouth of the tzadik as above. And this is the aspect of: "with your mouth" this is charity [Rosh Hashanah 6a], that through charity is made the mouth of the tzadik as above (Deuteronomy 33:21): "the firstborn of his ox, majesty is his," and firstborn takes pey shna-yim [twofold, literally two mouths, referring to dual meanings], that is, that the speech of his holy mouth has dual meanings [literal and spiritual]. And from this comes that there is strength and suckling to the aforementioned hypocrites to suck from them [the tzadikim] to turn their words to the falsehood [of the wicked], since the holy speech itself has pey shna-yim [twofold, literally two mouths, referring to dual meanings] as above.

But in truth it is good [for the tzadik] what there are found these liars who liken to them. For there are wicked who give charity to tzadikim, and through the charity is made the aspect of Yabbok [spiritual unification through charity], that is, unification of blessing holiness. And all three aspects are said in water which is the aspect of charity as above (Genesis 1:9): "Let the waters be gathered from under the heaven to one place" blessing as it is written (there): "Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures" etc. holiness as it is written: "holy waters" [Numbers 5:17]. And because of this there are found masters of charity who are adulterers, for they suck from the aspect of the Yabbok [spiritual unification] aforementioned, and the aspect of Yabbok in holiness is the aspect of holy matings, and with them this suckling is spoiled and becomes with them adultery, Heaven forbid.

And therefore their charity is evil to the tzadik, for the tzadik receives the speech of his mouth from the charity. And when it is spoiled with them as above causes blemish to the speech of his mouth of the tzadik, that receives from there as above. And therefore it is good [for the tzadik] what there are found the aforementioned liars, that then these wicked who give charity turn to them and give to them. And as the saying of Jeremiah the prophet cause them to stumble in the poor who are not decent, as our Rabbis, of blessed memory, expounded (Bava Kama 16b). And then the true tzadik is saved from the blemish of their charity as above.

But the main strength of the suckling of the aforementioned liars is only from these great tzadikim, the ones who go in great things as above. But from these who engage in Torah constantly and conduct in simplicity they have no suckling and strength as above.

The language of the Gemara: what is the reason the camel has short tail, because it eats thorns. What is the reason the ox has long tail, because it dwells in marshes, and needs to swat flies. Rashi: that eats bags of thorns, therefore its tail is short, so that the thorns not stick to it. And needs to swat flies to drive away the mosquitoes. And this is what Rabbi Zeira asked Rabbi Yehuda. What is the reason the camel has short tail and the ox has long tail (Shabbat 77b).

Camel this aspect of the simple tzadik, the aspect of: "and I have not walked in great things and wonders like a weaned child upon his mother" [Psalms 131:2], for he conducts in simplicity, and does not speak great things, and all his service is in the aspect of silence, for there does not come out from his mouth great and wondrous things, and he is only like a weaned child upon his mother. And this is the aspect of camel, and short tail this aspect of false prophet and teacher, he is the tail, as it is written (Isaiah 9). That is these hypocritical who lie, aspect of prophets of the lie, their attachment is only in the great tzadikim as above. But in the simple tzadikim who are the aspect of camel, they have no attachment so much. And this is short tail as above.

And this is: ox long tail this aspect of the great tzadikim, aspect of: "firstborn of his ox majesty to him" as above. And long tail, that is, that main suckling of the prophet and teacher of the lie, who is the tail is only with them as above.

And this is that answered: because they eat thorns, that is these simple tzadikim, who are aspect of camel eat thorns, that eat and consume the thorns and the briars, that surround the supernal rose. And rose this aspect of the holy speech, aspect of: "his lips roses" etc. [Song of Songs 5:13]. For they engage in Torah and service day and night and consume all the briars that not have suckling from the holy speech, for from simple service in innocence they have no suckling as above. For they cannot liken to them and conduct their lie by means of them, since their conduct is only in innocence and simplicity as above.

And ox long tail because they dwell in marshes and need to swat flies. That dwell in marshes, that is, that they receive speech of their holy mouth from masters of charity from aspect of: "can you turn the rock into a pool of water" as above. And this is that dwell in marshes. And need to swat flies aspect of Yabbok [spiritual unification] the above that need to chase the Yabbok of the charity that wicked give, for with them the Yabbok is blemished as above, and causes evil to the tzadik that receives speech of his mouth from them as above. And therefore it is good [for the tzadik] what sucks from them the prophet etc. who is the tail, for by means of this they chase the wicked from themselves, for they cause them to stumble in the aforementioned liars that they turn to them and give them the charity, and the tzadikim are saved, as above.