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בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי וְכוּ'

The World Was Created for Me

Every person must say the world was created for him, and so must pray for it. After a decree is sealed, prayer has to be clothed in a saying, and one knows which time it is through joy in the mitzvos themselves, wanting no reward but the mitzvah. That joy needs a straight heart, straightened by thunder: the voice of prayer, said with fear of Heaven joined to love, striking a mind kept clear of chametz. The Rebbe finds all this in a story of Rabbah bar bar Chanah and in the psalm of the shofar.

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🎧 Listen to the full shiur audio · 29 min 24 s · 13.5 MB

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Full shiur 29 min 24 s · 50.0 MB

Watch or download in 6 parts
  1. Part 1: Created for Me, and Prayer in Disguise 4 min 30 s▶ Play⬇ 7.7 MB
  2. Part 2: Joy in the Mitzvah Itself 5 min 15 s▶ Play⬇ 8.9 MB
  3. Part 3: The Voice That Becomes Thunder 4 min 31 s▶ Play⬇ 7.9 MB
  4. Part 4: Keeping the Mind from Turning Sour 4 min 34 s▶ Play⬇ 7.9 MB
  5. Part 5: Love Joined to Fear, and the Ship 4 min 18 s▶ Play⬇ 7.3 MB
  6. Part 6: Fear First, and the Psalm of the Shofar 6 min 17 s▶ Play⬇ 10.4 MB
הַמָּקוֹר · Original text 2,149 words
א׳

לְשׁוֹן רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי וְכוּ': (תהילים צ״ח:ו׳)

א כִּי צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם לוֹמַר: כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִי (סנהדרין לז). נִמְצָא, כְּשֶׁהָעוֹלָם נִבְרָא בִּשְׁבִילִי, צָרִיךְ אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת וּלְעַיֵּן בְּכָל עֵת בְּתִקּוּן הָעוֹלָם, וּלְמַלְּאוֹת חֶסְרוֹן הָעוֹלָם, וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲבוּרָם.

וְעִנְיַן הַתְּפִלָּה הֵן בִּשְׁנֵי פָּנִים, הַיְנוּ קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין מִתְפַּלְּלִין כְּסֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַלְבִּישׁ הַתְּפִלָּה, אֲבָל לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין צָרִיךְ לְהַלְבִּישׁ הַתְּפִלָּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבִינוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים הָעוֹמְדִים לִשְׂמֹאל, וְלֹא יְקַטְרְגוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (דניאל ד׳:י״ד): בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָּמִין, הַיְנוּ לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין, אֲזַי: בְּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתִּין, אֲזַי הַצַּדִּיקִים מַלְבִּישִׁים שְׁאֵלָתָם בְּמַאֲמָר:

ב׳

ב אֲבָל אֵיךְ יַדְעִינָן בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין בֵּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין, עַל־יְדֵי הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹשִׂים, יְכוֹלִין אֲנַחְנוּ לֵידַע בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין.

וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂין הַמִּצְווֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁאֵין רוֹצֶה בְּשׁוּם שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶלָּא הוּא רוֹצֶה שֶׁיַּזְמִין לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת בִּשְׂכַר מִצְוָה זֹאת, כְּמַאֲמַר חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (אבות ד): שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – מִצְוָה; כִּי הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

וְזֶהוּ הַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּין נְבוּאַת משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ לְבֵין נְבוּאַת שְׁאָר נְבִיאִים, כְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י: וַיְּדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת וְכוּ' זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה', פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י: כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים נִתְנַבְּאוּ בְּכֹה אָמַר ה', נוֹסַף עֲלֵיהֶם מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁהִתְנַבֵּא בְּזֶה הַדָּבָר. כִּי בְּחִינַת כֹּה הוּא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה, וְזֶה הַדָּבָר הוּא בְּחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה.

וְאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת נְבִיאוּת יֵשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא: יֵשׁ אָדָם הָעוֹשֶה הַמִּצְוָה בִּשְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, אִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ עוֹלָם הַבָּא בִּשְׂכָרָהּ, לֹא הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת כֹּה, אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה, כְּמוֹ אָדָם שֶׁרוֹאֶה אֵיזֶה דָּבָר מֵרָחוֹק, כֵּן הוּא עוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בִּשְׁבִיל שְׂכָרָהּ הַבָּא לְעֵת רָחוֹק, הַיְנוּ אַחַר עוֹלָם הַזֶּה.

וְשִׁלּוּם שָׂכָר נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם נָבִיא, כִּי רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת שֶׁל: יָבֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמּוֹתָיו,

וְשָׁם בַּפָּסוּק הַזֶּה נִרְמַז עַל שִׁלּוּם שָׂכָר: הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכֹה נוֹשֵׂא מֶשֶׁךְ הַזָּרַע (תהילים קכ״ו:ו׳) – שֶׁמִּצְטַעֵר בַּעֲשִׂיָּתָהּ, בֹּא יָבֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמּוֹתָיו – שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח לֶעָתִיד, כְּשֶׁיְּקַבֵּל שְׂכַר הַמִּצְווֹת. רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת שֶׁל יָבֹא בְּרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמּוֹתָיו, רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת נָבִיא:

אֲבָל נָבִיא שֶׁמִּתְנַבֵּא בְּזֶה הַדָּבָר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בִּשְׂכַר הַמִּצְווֹת, אֶלָּא רוֹצֶה בַּמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, שֶׁהוּא מְשַׂמֵּחַ כָּל כָּךְ בַּעֲשִׂיָּתָהּ, עַד שֶׁמְּמָאֵס בְּכָל מִין שָׂכָר, נִמְצָא שֶׁעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁלּוֹ בְּהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

וְזֶה בְּחִינַת נָבִיא, הַיְנוּ שִׁלּוּם שָׂכָר, בִּבְחִינַת זֶה הַדָּבָר, בִּבְחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה, כְּמוֹ אָדָם הָרוֹאֶה דָּבָר מִקָּרוֹב בִּרְאִיָּה יָפָה וּבָרָה, כְּמוֹ כֵן הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, וּשְׂכָרוֹ נֶגֶד עֵינָיו.

וּמִי שֶׁהוּא בַּמַּדְרֵגָה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁאֵין רוֹצֶה בְּשׁוּם שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא בִּשְׁבִילָהּ – הוּא יָכוֹל לֵידַע בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין,

כִּי הַמִּצְווֹת הֵם קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, וְהֵם מְחַיִּין אֶת כָּל הַקּוֹמוֹת, הֵן קוֹמַת אָדָם, הֵן קוֹמַת עוֹלָם, הֵן קוֹמַת שָׁנָה, כִּי עוֹלָם, שָׁנָה, נֶפֶשׁ – הֵן מְקַבְּלִין הַחִיּוּת מֵהַמִּצְווֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים ל״ג:ד׳): וְכָל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָה; וּכְתִיב (שם קיט): כָּל מִצְוֹתֶיךָ אֱמוּנָה. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הוּא אַחְדוּת פָּשׁוּט עִם הַמִּצְווֹת,

וּכְשֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא כְּתִקּוּנָן וּכְסִדְרָן, אֲזַי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְשַׂמֵּחַ בָּהֶם וּמִתְעַנֵּג בָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם קד): יִשְׂמַח ה' בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, כְּמוֹ בַּעַל־מְלָאכָה, שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה אֵיזֶה כְּלִי, וְהַכְּלִי הוּא יָפֶה – אֲזַי הוּא מִתְעַנֵּג בָּה; וְהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הִיא מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בְּהַמִּצְווֹת, כִּי הֵם אַחְדוּתוֹ,

וּמִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁנִּכְנָס בְּהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁבַּמִּצְוָה, הוּא נִכְנָס בְּשִׂמְחַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, שֶׁמְּשַמֵּחַ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם קמט): יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו.

נִמְצָא, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ אֵיזֶה צַעַר וְדִין בְּעוֹלָם, שָׁנָה, נֶפֶשׁ – אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי נִגְרָע מִשִּׂמְחַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית ו׳:ו׳): וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ (סנהדרין מו.): שְׁכִינָה מָה אוֹמֶרֶת, קָלַנִי מֵרֹאשִׁי וְכוּ'.

וְזֶה שֶׁנִּכְנָס בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׁמְחָה יָכוֹל בְּוַדַּאי לֵידַע לְפִי עִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה, אִם הוּא קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין, אִם הוּא לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין. גַּם יָכוֹל לֵידַע עַל אֵיזֶהוּ חֵלֶק מֵהַקּוֹמָה נִגְזַר הַדִּין, כִּי יוֹדֵעַ לְפִי קוֹמַת הַמִּצְווֹת: אִם אֵין יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה רָאשֵׁי הַמִּצְווֹת, הַיְנוּ מִצְווֹת הַתְּלוּיִים בָּרֹאשׁ, יֵדַע שֶׁהַדִּין נִגְזַר עַל רָאשֵׁי עוֹלָם שָׁנָה נֶפֶשׁ, וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָר קוֹמַת הַמִּצְווֹת.

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (מכילתא ועיין ביצה טז.) בְּשַׁבָּת: זָכְרֵהוּ מֵאֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת, הַיְנוּ שִׂמְחַת וְתַעֲנוּג עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת שַׁבָּת, יַרְגִּישׁ בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהֵן בְּחִינַת מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְווֹת, שֶׁבָּהֶם נִבְרְאוּ עוֹלָם שָׁנָה נֶפֶשׁ.

[וְזֶהוּ:] (דברים כ״ד:ט״ו) בְּיוֹמוֹ תִתֵּן שְׂכָרוֹ – שֶׁיְּהֵא שְׂכָרוֹ מֵהַמִּצְווֹת בְּעַצְמָן, וְלֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ – שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה הַמִּצְווֹת בִּשְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהִיא אַחַר בִּיאַת שִׁמְשׁוֹ, אַחַר מוֹתוֹ:

ג׳

ג וְעִקַּר הַשִּׂמְחָה הוּא בַּלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים ד׳:ח׳): נָתַתָּה שִׂמְחָה בְלִבִּי. וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַלֵּב לִשְׂמֹחַ אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁיָּסִיר עַקְמוּמִיּוּת שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ, שֶׁיְּהֵא לוֹ יַשְׁרוּת לֵב, וְאָז יִזְכֶּה לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם צז): וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה.

וְעַקְמוּמִיּוּת שֶׁבַּלֵּב מַפְשִׁיטִין עַל־יְדֵי רְעָמִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות נט.): לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים אֶלָּא לְפַשֵּׁט עַקְמִימִיּוּת שֶׁבַּלֵּב, וּרְעָמִים הוּא בְּחִינַת קוֹל, שֶׁאָדָם מוֹצִיא בְּכֹחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, וּמִזֶּה נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים.

כִּי אִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר (פינחס רלה:): כַּד קָלָא נָפִיק וְאַעָרָא בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, אִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, וְדָא אִינוּן רְעָמִים. וְעִקַּר הָרְעָמִים הֵם מִגְּבוּרוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (איוב כ״ו:י״ד): וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו מִי יִתְבּוֹנָן;

וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה אָנוּ מְבָרְכִין: שֶׁכֹּחוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ וְכוּ'. וְהַגְּבוּרוֹת הֵם בְּחִינַת כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה, שֶׁאָדָם מוֹצִיא אֶת הַקּוֹל בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל, וְהַקּוֹל הַזֶּה פּוֹגֵעַ בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת מֹחִין, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם יוֹרְדִין טִפִּין טִפִּין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר (פינחס רלה:): בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים וְנוֹזְלִים מִן לְבָנוֹן, מִן לִבּוּנָא דְּמֹחָא.

וּכְשֶׁפּוֹגֵעַ בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, אֲזַי אִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים. וְזֶהוּ (תהילים ע״ז:י״ט): קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל, הַיְנוּ בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא; כַּד אַעָרָא בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא, נַעֲשֶׂה מֵהַקּוֹל רְעָמִים, וְנִשְׁמָע לִבְרִיָּתָא.

וְזֶה (שם מט): פִּי יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת, הַיְנוּ הַדִּבּוּר הַיּוֹצֵא מִפִּי פּוֹגֵעַ בַּחָכְמָה, הַיְנוּ בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה: וְהָגוּת לִבִּי וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּתְעוֹרֵר עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הָרַעַם, נִתְעוֹרֵר הַלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: קוֹל מְעוֹרֵר הַכַּוָּנָה.

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ברכות ו:): מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין, כִּי מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאָה, קוֹלוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים, כִּי רַעַם מִסִּטְרָא דְּיִצְחָק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין, הַיְנוּ מִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, כִּי תַּמָּן תַּלְיָא שְׁמִיעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (חבקוק ג׳:ב׳): ה' שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ יָרֵאתִי.

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (תהילים ק״ג:כ׳): גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ; אִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר (לך לך צ.): זַכְיָן לְמִשְׁמַע קָלִין מִלְּעֵילָא, הַיְנוּ עַל יְדֵי הַגְּבוּרוֹת נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הַלֵּב שׁוֹמֵעַ, וְהַיְנוּ: וְהָגוּת לִבִּי תְּבוּנוֹת; וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (מלכים־א ג): וְנָתַתָּ לְעַבְדְּךָ לֵב שׁוֹמֵעַ, וְגַם דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין לִבְרִיָּתָא, וְזֶהוּ: לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ.

וְזֶה בְּחִינַת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר, דָּא שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל אַיִל – אֵילוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק, בְּחִינַת: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָו.

וְזֶהוּ (תהלים פט): אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה – יוֹדְעֵי דַּיְקָא, שֶׁיִּפְגַּע הַקּוֹל בַּמֹּחַ, בְּחִינוֹת עָבֵי מִטְרָא, וְיִהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת רְעָמִים. וּמִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ תְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר מֵאִישׁ יָרֵא וְחָרֵד, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יִדְאַג כָּל הַשָּׁנָה מֵרְעָמִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: בְּקוֹלוֹת וּבְרָקִים עֲלֵיהֶם נִגְלֵיתָ, וּבְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר עֲלֵיהֶם הוֹפַעְתָּ – שֶׁבְּקוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר הוֹפִיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם מִקּוֹלוֹת וּבְרָקִים:

ד׳

ד אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לְפַנּוֹת אֶת הַמֹּחִין מֵחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת וּמִמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת. מֵחָמֵץ, שֶׁלֹּא יַחְמִיץ אֶת חָכְמָתוֹ בְּחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת וּבְתַאֲווֹת, כְּדֵי כְּשֶׁיּוֹצִיא אֶת הַקּוֹל וְיִפְגַּע בְּמֹחוֹ, יִתְעַבֵד מִמֶּנּוּ רַעַם; אֲבָל כְּשֶׁגַּלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא אָטוּם בְּטֻמְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ויקרא י״א:מ״ג-מ״ד): וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם; אֲזַי אֵין קוֹלוֹ נִשְׁמָע.

גַּם יִשְׁמֹר יִרְאָתוֹ, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת הַקּוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרֹתָו; שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לוֹ יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִיוּת, וְזֶה (אבות פ"ג): אִם אֵין חָכְמָה אֵין יִרְאָה; אִם אֵין יִרְאָה אֵין חָכְמָה.

וְזֶהוּ (שבת נו: ובסנהדרין כא:): יָרַד גַּבְרִיאֵל וְנָעַץ קָנֶה בַּיָּם. פֵּרוּשׁ, מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הַגְּבוּרוֹת, הַיְנוּ יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִיוּת, נָעַץ קָנֶה בְּיַם הַחָכְמָה. קָנֶה דָּא בְּחִינַת קוֹל הַיּוֹצֵא מֵהַקָּנֶה, הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הַגְּבוּרוֹת, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת סוּסְפִיתָּא דְּדַהֲבָא – יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִיוּת, נִשְׁאָר הַקּוֹל נָעוּץ בַּאֲטִימַת הַשֵּׂכֶל, וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּמַּע לִבְרִיָּתָא.

וְעִקָּר – לִשְׁמֹר מֹחוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַחְמִיץ, וְזֶהוּ (תהילים ס״ח:ל״א): גְּעַר חַיַּת קָנֶה, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר (פינחס רנב): קָנֵה חֵי"ת תְּשַׁבֵּר וְתַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה הֵ"א, וְתַעֲשֶׂה מֵאוֹתִיּוֹת חָמֵץ מַצָּה, הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא תַּחְמִיץ חָכְמָתְךָ.

וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן גְּעַר, לְשׁוֹן מְרִיבָה, כִּי מַצָּה לְשׁוֹן מְרִיבָה, דְּצַדִּיקַיָא עָבְדִּין מַצּוּתָא בְּסִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין, דְּלָא יִתְקְרֵבוּ לְמִשְׁכְּנָא דִּקְדֻשָּׁה,

הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁתִּשְׁמֹר אֶת חָכְמָתְךָ שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס בּוֹ חָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא תְּהַרְהֵר בְּהִרְהוּרִים רָעִים, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת קָנֶה דְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, כְּנֶגֶד קְנֵה חָכְמָה קְנֵה בִּינָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה – עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִּנָּצֵל מִבְּחִינַת חָמֵץ, שֶׁהִיא סִטְרָא דְּמוֹתָא, כִּדְאִיתָא: מַחְמֶצֶת, תַּמָּן סִטְרָא דְמוֹתָא. וְתַאֲמִין, כִּי כָּל מַצּוּתָא וּמְרִיבָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים הַשְּׁלֵמִים, אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּגָרְשׁוּ סִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין,

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (משלי ט״ו:ל״א): אֹזֶן שֹׁמַעַת תּוֹכַחַת חַיִּים בְּקֶרֶב חֲכָמִים תָּלִין – לְשׁוֹן תְּלוּנָה וּמְרִיבָה; כְּשֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ מְרִיבוֹת שֶׁבֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים, תֵּדַע, שֶׁזֶּה מַשְׁמִיעִין אוֹתְךָ תּוֹכָחָה, עַל שֶׁפָּגַמְתָּ בְּטִפֵּי מֹחֲךָ, שֶׁעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (משלי ב׳:י״ט): כָּל בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן, וְלֹא יַשִׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּים; שֶׁאַתָּה דָּבוּק בְּסִטְרָא דְּמוֹתָא, בְּחִינַת חָמֵץ, בְּחִינַת יָרַד גַּבְרִיאֵל וְכוּ', וְתֵדַע שֶׁנָּעַץ קָנֶה, הַיְנוּ חָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת נְעוּצִים בְּיַם חָכְמָתְךָ,

וּבְוַדַּאי אִם לֹא הָיָה נִפְגָּם מֹחֲךָ, לֹא הָיָה נִשְׁמָע לְךָ מְרִיבוֹת שֶׁבֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְאֵין הַמְּרִיבָה אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּשׁוּב מִמָּוֶת לְחַיִּים, מֵחָמֵץ לְמַצָּה, מֵחֵית לְהֵ"א, וְתָשׁוּב מִיִּרְאָה רָעָה, מִקּוֹל פָּגוּם, מֵחָכְמָה פְּגוּמָה לְיִרְאָה טוֹבָה, לְקוֹל טוֹב, לְחָכְמָה טוֹבָה.

וּכְשֶׁתִּשְׁמֹר אֶת מֹחֲךָ מִבְּחִינַת חָמֵץ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה אָטוּם, אֲזַי יִפְגַּע קוֹלְךָ בְּגַלְגַּלְתְּךָ, וְיִתְעַבֵד רַעַם, וְיִתְפַּשֵּׁט עַקְמִימִיּוּת שֶׁבְּלִבְּךָ, וְאָז תִּזְכֶּה לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה, וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ (תהלים פא): אֶעֶנְךָ בְּסֵתֶר רַעַם, אֶבְחָנְךָ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה סֶלָה, מֵי מְרִיבָה זֶה בְּחִינַת מַצָּה, בְּחִינַת מֹחִין, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים:

ה׳

ה וְתֵדַע, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף הַגְּבוּרוֹת בַּחֲסָדִים, שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (תהילים כ׳:ז׳): בִּגְבוּרוֹת יֵשַׁע יְמִינוֹ. כִּי עִקַּר הִתְגַּלּוּת עַל יְדֵי הַחֲסָדִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם קי): שֵׁב לִימִינִי.

וְכֵן צָרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף הָאַהֲבָה עִם הַיִּרְאָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְעַבֵד רְעָמִים, וְזֶה: מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא, מֹחָא חִוְרָא כְּכַסְפָּא (תיקון ע).

וְזֶה: וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם, הַיְנוּ יָם הַחָכְמָה, לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר, דָּא בֹּקֶר דְּאַבְרָהָם, בְּחִינַת: אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבִי (ישעיהו מ״א:ח׳); לְאֵיתָנוֹ דָּא גְּבוּרוֹת, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל.

וְזֶהוּ (שיר השירים ח׳:ז׳): מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה, כִּי עִקַּר הִתְגַּבְּרוּת עַל יְדֵי הָאַהֲבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: שֵׁב לִימִינִי וְכוּ'.

וְזֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ (תהלים כט): קֵ-ל הַכָּבוֹד. קֵ-ל דָּא חֶסֶד; כָּבוֹד דָּא חָכְמָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ג׳:ל״ה): כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ; הִרְעִים דָּא בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים, הַיְנוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים צָרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף עִמָּהֶם אַהֲבָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּפְגְּעוּ בַּכָּבוֹד, בִּבְחִינַת חָכְמָה, שֶׁיִּתְעֲבֵד מֵהֶם רְעָמִים וְתִתְגַּבֵּר עַל אוֹיְבֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: שֵׁב לִימִינִי וְכוּ':

ו׳

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ:

אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָא: זִימְנָא חֲדָּא הֲוָה אַזְלִינָן בִּסְפִינְתָּא, וְסַגָּאִי סְפִינְתָּא בֵּין שִׁיצָא לְשִׁיצָא דְּכַוְרָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמָא וּתְלָתָא לֵילוּתָא, אִיהוּ בִּזְקִיפוּ וְאָנָן בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי. וְכִי תֵּימָא לָא מַסְגֵּי סְפִינְתָּא טוּבָא, כִּי אָתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר: כְּמֵיחַם קֻמְקוּמָא דְּמַיָא מַסְגֵּי שִׁתִּין פַּרְסֵי, וְשָׁדִי פַּרְשָׁא גִּירָא וְקָדְמָה לֵהּ אִיהִי. וְאָמַר רַב אַשִׁי: הַהוּא גִּילְדְּנָא דְּיַמָא הֲוָא, דְּאִית לֵהּ תְּרֵי שִׁיצָא:

סְפִינְתָּא לְשׁוֹן חֲשִׁיבוּת, דָּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרָה יִרְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיהו ל״ג:ו׳): יִרְאַת ה' הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ; שֶׁהִיא עִקַּר הַחֲשִׁיבוּת.

שִׁיצָא לְשׁוֹן צָרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (במדבר ט״ז:כ״א) וַאֲכַלֶּה אֹתָם כְּרָגַע, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וַאֲשַׁצֵי יַתְהוֹן.

תְּלָתָא יוֹמָא וְלֵילוּתָא דָּא בְּחִינַת מִצְווֹת, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מֻשְׂכָּלוֹת וּמְקֻבָּלוֹת וְחֻקּוֹת, וּכְתִיב בָּהֶם (יהושע א׳:ח׳): וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה.

אִיהוּ בִּזְקִיפוּ וְאֲנַן בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי זֶה בְּחִינַת: יִשְׂמַח ה' בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו.

כְּמֵיחַם קֻמְקוּמָא דְמַיָא דָּא מֹחָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שיר השירים ד׳:ט״ו): וְנוֹזְלִים מִן לְבָנוֹן.

מַסְגֵּא שִׁתִּין פַּרְסֵי דָּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים, וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו.

וְכִי שָׁדִי פַּרְשָׁא גִּירָא פַּרְשָׁא דָּא בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד, שֶׁהוּא מוֹצִיא לָאוֹר תַּעֲלוּמוֹת, דְּבָרִים הַמְּצֻמְצָמִין הוּא מְפָרֵשׁ אוֹתָם.

גִּירָא דָּא (תהילים קמ״ד:ו׳): שְׁלַח חִצֶּךָ וּתְהֻמֵּם, דָּא בְּחִינַת: שֵׁב לִימִינִי וְכוּ'.

קָדְמָה לֵיהּ אִיהִי דָּא בְּחִינַת יִרְאָה שֶׁהִיא קֹדֶם, שֶׁהַיִּרְאָה הִיא קוֹדֶמֶת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (שם קיא): רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה וְכוּ'.

שֶׁרַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה סִפֵּר, שֶׁהָלַךְ כָּל כָּךְ בְּמִדַּת הַיִּרְאָה, וְרָאָה גֹּדֶל כֹּחַ הַיִּרְאָה, עַד שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהָבִין עַל יָדָהּ בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין, וְזֶהוּ: בֵּין שִׁיצָא וְכוּ'.

וְהָדָר מְפָרֵשׁ אֵיךְ יָכוֹל לְהָבִין, הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי הַמִּצְווֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת תְּלָתָא יוֹמָא וְכוּ', יָכוֹל לְהָבִין. וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂין אוֹתָן בְּשִׂמְחָה, וְעַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת הַמִּצְווֹת יָכוֹל לְהָבִין, כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְשַׂמֵּחַ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, וְהַשִּׂמְחָה הִיא מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בְּמִצְווֹת כַּנַּ"ל, וַאֲנַחְנוּ מְשַׂמְּחִין לְמַטָּה גַּם כֵּן בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו, וְאֵין רְצוֹנֵנוּ בְּשׁוּם שָׂכָר, אֲפִלּוּ שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶה: אִיהוּ בִּזְקִיפוּ וְאֲנַן בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי, לְפִי שִׂמְחָתוֹ כֵּן שִׂמְחָתֵנוּ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֲנַחְנוּ יְכוֹלִין לְהָבִין.

וְהָדָר מְפָרֵשׁ אֵיךְ לְהַשִּׂיג בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה, עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת רַעַם. וְזֶהוּ: כִּי אָתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר: כְּמֵיחַם קֻמְקוּמָא דְּמַיָא וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל. שִׁיתִּין זֶה בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, הַפּוֹגְעִין בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא, וְנַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנּוּ רְעָמִים. וְאִשְׁתַּמַע קָלָא, זֶה בְּחִינַת: הַקּוֹל מְעוֹרֵר הַכַּוָּנָה, בְּחִינַת: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים וְכוּ'.

וְהָדָר אָמַר, שֶׁעִקַּר הִתְגַּבְּרוּת הַגְּבוּרוֹת אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל־יְדֵי חֲסָדִים, וְצָרִיךְ לְאַכְלָלָא שְׂמֹאלָא בִּימִינָא כַּנַּ"ל, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן צָרִיךְ לְאַקְדָּמָא אֶת הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי בַּעַל אֲבֵדָה מַחֲזִיר עַל אֲבֵדָתוֹ.

(כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה קִדּוּשִׁין ב: דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אִישׁ לַחֲזֹר אַחַר אִשָּׁה. מָשָׁל לְאָדָם, שֶׁאָבְדָה לוֹ אֲבֵדָה וְכוּ'. פֵּרוּשׁ, כִּי אַהֲבָה הוּא בְּחִינַת אִישׁ, וְיִרְאָה הִיא בְּחִינַת אִשָּׁה, כַּיָּדוּעַ, וְעַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים אֶת הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי אָז תָּבוֹא אֵלָיו הָאַהֲבָה מִמֵּילָא, כִּי הָאַהֲבָה הוֹלֶכֶת וּמְחַזֶּרֶת אַחַר הַיִּרְאָה תָּמִיד, כִּי בַּעַל אֲבֵדָה מַחֲזִיר אַחַר אֲבֵדָתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל; כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּפֵרוּשׁ). וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת: וְכִי שָׁדָא פָּרְשָׁא גִּירָא וְכוּ'.

וְאָמַר רַב אַשִׁי: הַאי גִּלְדָּנָא דְיָּמָא וְכוּ'. גִּילְדְנָא הוּא בְּחִינַת שֵׁם אגל"א, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, כִּי הוּא רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת: אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹ-נָ-י, כַּמּוּבָא, כִּי גִּלְדְּנָא הוּא אוֹתִיּוֹת אג"ל וְשֵׁם אדֹנ"י בִּשְׁלֵמוּת, הַיְנוּ שֵׁם אגל"א כַּנַּ"ל.

ז׳

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ:

בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת קוֹל דְּנָפִיק, כַּנַּ"ל,

עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה: יִרְעַם הַיָּם וְכוּ', נַעֲשֶׂה בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים, בְּחִינַת: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל.

תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ – דָּא בְּחִינַת לִבָּא וְעָרְקִין דִּילֵהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים וְכוּ':

כִּי תֵּבֵל – אוֹתִיּוֹת תָּי"ו לֵב: תָּיו לְשׁוֹן רְשִׁימָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (יחזקאל ט׳:ד׳): וְהִתְוִיתָ תָּו – שֶׁנִּרְשַׁם הַקּוֹל בַּלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים וְכוּ'; וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה:

נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ כָף – בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל, וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה. וְעַל יְדֵי הַשִּׂמְחָה:

יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ. רִנָּה לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (מלכים־א ח): לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל הָרִנָּה וְכוּ';

הָרִים בְּחִינַת צַדִּיקִים, הַיְנוּ עַל יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת הַלֵּב יְכוֹלִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶת תְּפִלָּתָן בְּמַאֲמָר, כְּשֶׁיָּבִינוּ כִּי נִגְזַר הַדִּין, וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ יַחַד – שֶׁמַּלְבִּישִׁים תְּפִלָּתָם בְּסִפּוּרִים יַחַד:

Hebrew text: Likutei Moharan - rabenubook.com via Sefaria (Public Domain) · Sefaria. Names of Hashem are written in the customary form.

Transcripts

1-minute recap

Likutey Moharan, Torah five. B'chatzotzros: with trumpets and the sound of the shofar.

Every person must say: the whole world was created for me. So I must care for the world, and pray for it.

Before a decree, we pray plainly. After it, the tzaddikim clothe their prayer in a saying. How do we know which time it is?

Through joy in the mitzvos: doing the mitzvah for its own sake, wanting no reward but another mitzvah.

That joy needs a straight heart, and the heart is straightened by thunder: the voice of prayer, said with fear of Heaven, striking a clear mind.

So keep the mind from turning sour like chametz, and join love to fear. That is the power of the shofar.

Our own reflection: the world is yours to pray for. Find the joy in the mitzvah itself, and let your voice wake your heart.

Explainer

Likutey Moharan, Torah five: B'chatzotzros, with trumpets and the sound of the shofar. A teaching about prayer, joy in the mitzvos, and what the shofar's voice does inside a person.

It opens with a verse from Tehillim: with trumpets and the sound of the shofar, raise a shout before the King, Hashem. By the end of the teaching, every phrase of this psalm will have found its place.

Rebbe Nachman begins with a famous teaching of the Sages: every person must say, the whole world was created for my sake. Not as pride, but as responsibility. If the world is mine, then at every moment I must look at what it is lacking, try to fill that lack, and pray for its people.

But prayer has two forms. Before a harsh decree is sealed, we pray in the regular order, plainly. After the decree, a plain request would only stir up the accusing angels. So the tzaddikim clothe their prayer in a saying, a story, so that the accusers will not understand it. A verse in Daniel hints at this: the request is in the saying of the holy ones.

So how can anyone know whether it is before the decree or after it? Through the mitzvos. But only when a person does them with such great joy that he wants no reward, not even the World to Come. All he wants is another mitzvah, for the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah.

Rashi teaches that all the prophets said, thus said Hashem, while Moshe Rabbeinu said, this is the thing. Thus is a mirror that does not shine; this is the thing is a mirror that shines. The same two levels exist in serving Hashem. One does the mitzvah for a reward far away, after this life, like someone seeing from a distance. The other enjoys the mitzvah itself, and his reward is right before his eyes.

Even the word navi, prophet, hints at reward: its letters begin the words, he will come with joyful song, carrying his sheaves. One who serves for a later reward weeps as he sows, and rejoices only at the harvest. But the one who loves the mitzvah has his World to Come inside the mitzvah itself.

Why does this joy reveal the decree? Because the mitzvos form a complete stature, and they give life to every stature: to the world, to the year, and to the soul. Hashem is one with the mitzvos, and His joy is clothed in them, like a craftsman who delights in a beautiful vessel he has made.

So one who rejoices in the mitzvah enters Hashem's own joy: Israel rejoices in its Maker. And when there is pain or judgment anywhere in world, year or soul, Hashem's joy is lessened, and this person feels it. If he cannot do the mitzvos of the head with joy, he knows the judgment rests on the heads; and so with every part of the stature.

This, says the Rebbe, is why the Sages said: remember Shabbos from the first day of the week. The delight of Shabbos, a taste of the World to Come, should be felt in the six working days, in the doing of the mitzvos. And the Torah says of a worker: on his day you shall give him his wages, before the sun sets.

Now, how does a person come to this joy? Joy lives in the heart, and only a straight heart can rejoice: for the straight of heart, joy. And the Sages say that thunder was created only to straighten the crookedness of the heart.

What is this thunder? It is the voice a person brings out with strength in prayer. The Zohar says that when the voice goes out and strikes the rain clouds, the sound is heard: that is thunder. The rain clouds are the mind, from which wisdom comes down drop by drop. When the voice strikes a clear mind, it becomes thunder, and the thunder wakes the heart.

The strength of that voice comes from fear of Heaven, the gevuros, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds. So the Sages said: whoever has fear of Heaven, his words are heard. His voice becomes thunder; his own heart hears it, and others hear him too.

This is the shofar: the horn of a ram, the ram of Yitzchak, the quality of fear and might. Fortunate is the people who know the teruah: who know how to let the voice strike the mind and become thunder. One who hears the shofar from a person who truly fears Heaven need not worry about thunder all year.

But the mind must be kept clear. Outside wisdoms, bad thoughts and desires make it sour, like chametz, and a sealed mind does not turn the voice into thunder. In their letters, chametz and matzah differ only by a ches or a hei. Guard the mind, and the chametz becomes matzah.

The Sages tell that the angel Gavriel came down and stuck a reed in the sea. The Rebbe reads it inward: an outside fear sticks a reed, a blocked voice, in the sea of wisdom, and the voice stays stuck and is not heard. So a person must also guard his fear, so that it is not an outside fear.

And believe this: every quarrel between complete tzaddikim is only to drive away the other side. If you hear such quarrels, says the Rebbe, it is a rebuke meant for you, a sign that your own mind needs repair, so that you return from chametz to matzah, from death to life.

Fear alone is not enough. It must be joined with love, the left held within the right. The main revelation comes through kindness, as it says: sit at My right. Many waters cannot quench love. Only fear held in love becomes thunder.

Then the Rebbe opens a wondrous story of Rabbah bar bar Chanah: a ship sailed three days and nights between the two fins of a great fish, and outran a horseman's arrow. The ship is fear. The fins are trouble, the decree. The three days are the mitzvos, the sixty parsas are the gevuros of thunder, and the arrow is love. The ship outruns the arrow, because fear must come first.

Put fear first, and love will come by itself, the way someone who has lost something goes searching for it. Love is always searching after fear.

And now the opening verse reads as one movement. With trumpets and the shofar, the voice goes out. Let the sea thunder: it strikes the mind. The world and its dwellers, the heart and its veins, take its mark. The rivers clap their hands in joy. And together the mountains sing: the tzaddikim, in that joy, know the time, and pray, clothing their prayers in stories.

Our own reflection: the world was created for you, so pray for it. Find the joy in the mitzvah itself, not only in its reward. And sometimes pray aloud, with strength, and let your voice wake your heart.

Full shiur

— Part 1: Created for Me, and Prayer in Disguise —

Likutey Moharan, Torah five: B'chatzotzros, with trumpets. A shiur in six parts. Part one: the world was created for me, and prayer clothed in a saying.

A word on method. Every card carries a label. Gold is Rebbe Nachman's own words, from Likutey Moharan, Torah five. Grey is a verse or a teaching of the Sages that he quotes. Green is our own explanation, not a quotation. The Hebrew on screen is the public-domain text from Sefaria, and the English is our own paraphrase, kept close to the Hebrew.

The teaching opens with a verse from Tehillim, ninety-eight. With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, raise a shout before the King, Hashem.

Rebbe Nachman begins with a teaching of the Sages: Every person must say: the whole world was created only for my sake. So if the world was created for me, I must look and consider at every moment how to repair the world, how to fill what the world is lacking, and how to pray for its people.

Then he sets out two ways of praying, with a verse from the book of Daniel. Prayer comes in two forms. Before a decree is sealed, we pray in the regular order of prayer, with no need to clothe it. But after the decree, the prayer must be clothed, so that the angels standing on the left will not understand it and will not accuse. As the verse says: the matter is by the decree of the watchers; that is, after the decree. Then: the request is by the saying of the holy ones; the tzaddikim clothe their request in a saying.

Our explanation. The Rebbe begins with responsibility. If the world was made for me, its troubles are mine, and I must pray for it. But prayer has two forms. While a matter is still open, we simply pray in the set order. Once a harsh decree has been sealed, a plain request would only stir up the accusers, so the tzaddikim hide their prayer inside a saying, a story. That raises the question of the next section: how can anyone know which time it is?

Section two. But how can we know whether it is before the decree or after the decree? Through the mitzvos that we do, we can know whether it is before the decree or after it.

But not every way of doing mitzvos gives this knowledge. That is, specifically when a person does the mitzvos with such great joy that he wants no reward at all in the World to Come. He only wants the Holy One, blessed be He, to send him another mitzvah as the reward for this one, as the Sages say: the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah. For he takes pleasure in the mitzvah itself.

He compares this to Rashi's comment at the beginning of Parshas Matos. This is the difference between the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu and that of the other prophets, as Rashi explains on the verse: Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes: this is the thing that Hashem commanded. All the prophets prophesied with the words, thus said Hashem; Moshe went further, and prophesied with the words, this is the thing. For thus is a mirror that does not shine, and this is the thing is a mirror that shines.

He continues: These two kinds of prophecy are found in serving the Creator. One person does the mitzvah for the reward of the World to Come. He has no pleasure from the mitzvah itself; if he were not given the World to Come for it, he would not do it. This is thus, the mirror that does not shine: like a person who sees something from far away, he does the mitzvah for a reward that comes at a distant time, after this world.

Our explanation. A dim mirror shows things vaguely, as if far away. One who serves Hashem only for a reward after this life sees the value of his mitzvah dimly, from a distance. In the next part, the Rebbe describes the other way: the one who sees the mitzvah close up and clear, and finds his reward right now, inside it.

— Part 2: Joy in the Mitzvah Itself —

Part two: joy in the mitzvah itself, and how that joy reveals the decree.

He continues with a play on letters, from a verse in Tehillim, one hundred twenty-six. The payment of reward is called navi, prophet, because navi is formed from the first letters of yavo verinah nosei alumosav: he will come with joyful song, carrying his sheaves. And this verse itself hints at the payment of reward. He walks along weeping, carrying the bag of seed: he is pained while doing the mitzvah. He will surely come with joyful song, carrying his sheaves: he will rejoice in the future, when he receives the reward of the mitzvos.

Now the other side. But the prophet who prophesies with this is the thing does not want the reward of the mitzvos; he wants the mitzvah itself. He is so joyful in doing it that he spurns every kind of reward. So his World to Come is in the mitzvah itself.

This too is navi, the payment of reward, but in the way of this is the thing, the mirror that shines. Like a person who sees something close up, with a fine, clear view, so he enjoys the mitzvah itself, and his reward is right before his eyes.

This brings him back to the question he asked. And whoever stands on this level, doing the mitzvah with such great joy that he wants no reward of the World to Come for it, he is the one who can know whether it is before the decree or after the decree.

Why is that? He explains, with two verses from Tehillim. For the mitzvos form a complete stature, and they give life to every stature: the stature of man, the stature of the world, and the stature of the year. World, year and soul all receive their life from the mitzvos, as it says: all His work is done in faithfulness; and it says: all Your mitzvos are faithfulness. And the Holy One, blessed be He, is in simple oneness with the mitzvos.

When the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, are in their proper repair and order, He rejoices in them and delights in them, as it says: Hashem will rejoice in His works. Like a craftsman who makes a vessel: when the vessel is beautiful, he delights in it. And the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, is clothed in the mitzvos, for they are His oneness.

So one who does the mitzvah with joy from the mitzvah itself, when he enters the joy that is in the mitzvah, enters the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, who rejoices in His works. This is: Israel will rejoice in its Maker.

It follows that when there is some pain or judgment in world, year or soul, the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, is surely lessened, as it says: and He was saddened in His heart; and as the Sages said: what does the Shechinah say? My head is heavy upon Me, and so on.

He draws the conclusion: So the one who has entered into this joy can surely know, by the state of the joy, whether it is before the decree or after it. He can also know on which part of the stature the decree was made,

for he knows it by the stature of the mitzvos. If he cannot do the head mitzvos with joy, the mitzvos that depend on the head, he should know that the decree rests on the heads of world, year and soul; and so too with the rest of the stature of the mitzvos.

This is what our Sages said about Shabbos: remember it from the first day of the week. That is, the joy and delight of the World to Come, which is Shabbos, should be felt during the six working days, which are the doing of the mitzvos, through which world, year and soul were created.

He adds a verse from Devarim, about paying a worker on time. And this is: on his day you shall give him his wages; his reward should come from the mitzvos themselves. And the sun shall not set upon it; he should not do the mitzvos for the reward of the World to Come, which comes after his sun has set, after his passing.

Our explanation. Hashem's joy in His world is clothed in the mitzvos. A person who loves the mitzvah itself enters that same joy, and so he can feel it when that joy is lessened. If joy comes easily, the way is open. If one kind of mitzvah suddenly feels heavy, that tells him where a judgment rests: on world, on year, or on soul. Then he knows how to pray.

Our summary of the first two sections. The world was created for me, so I must pray for it. After a decree is sealed, prayer must be clothed in a saying. And joy in the mitzvah itself is how a person knows which time it is. Next, the Rebbe asks: how does a person come to that joy?

— Part 3: The Voice That Becomes Thunder —

Part three: a straight heart, and the voice that becomes thunder.

Section three. The main place of joy is the heart, as it says: You have put joy in my heart. And the heart cannot rejoice until a person removes the crookedness in his heart and has a straight heart. Then he merits joy, as it says: and for the straight of heart, joy.

And what straightens the heart? The crookedness of the heart is straightened by thunder, as our Sages said: thunder was created only to straighten the crookedness of the heart. And thunder is the voice a person brings out with strength in his prayer; from this, thunder is made.

For the Zohar says: when the voice goes out and strikes the rain clouds, a sound is heard by the creatures, and that is thunder. And thunder comes mainly from the gevuros, the powers of might, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds, who can understand?

He explains the parts of the picture. That is why we bless: whose strength and might fill the world. The gevuros are strength and might: a person brings out his voice with great strength, and this voice strikes the rain clouds, which are the mind, from where drops come down, drop by drop; as the Zohar says: a well of living waters, flowing from Levanon, from the whiteness of the brain.

When it strikes the rain clouds, the sound is heard by the creatures; this is thunder. And this is: the voice of Your thunder is in the galgal, the sphere; that is, in the galgalta, the skull of the brain. When the voice strikes the skull of the brain, thunder is made of the voice, and it is heard by the creatures.

And this is: my mouth will speak wisdom; the speech that goes out of my mouth strikes wisdom, the skull of the brain. And through this: and the meditation of my heart, and so on; that is, through this the thunder is awakened, and the heart is awakened, as the Sages said: the voice awakens the intention.

Now he brings in fear of Heaven. This is what our Sages said: whoever has fear of Heaven, his words are heard. For one who has fear, his voice becomes thunder, since thunder is from the side of Yitzchak, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds. So his words are heard, the sound is heard by the creatures; for hearing depends on fear, as it says: Hashem, I have heard Your report, and I was afraid.

This explains: mighty in strength, who do His word, to hear the voice of His word. The Zohar says: they merit to hear voices from above. That is, through the gevuros thunder is made, and through this the heart hears; this is: the meditation of my heart is understanding; and as it says: give Your servant a hearing heart. And his words are heard by the creatures too; this is: to hear the voice of His word.

And now the shofar itself. And this is the voice of the shofar: the shofar of a ram, the ram of Yitzchak, which is: the thunder of His mighty deeds.

This is: fortunate is the people who know the teruah. Who know, precisely: that the voice should strike the mind, the rain clouds, and become thunder. And whoever hears the shofar blown by a man who fears Heaven and trembles surely will not worry about thunder all year, as it says: with voices and lightning You were revealed to them, and with the sound of the shofar You appeared to them: through the sound of the shofar He shone upon them out of the voices and lightning.

Our explanation. Picture it as a chain. A person prays aloud with strength, a strength that comes from fear of Heaven. That voice strikes his mind, and if the mind is clear, it becomes like thunder. The thunder wakes and straightens the heart, and a straight heart can rejoice. That is why the shofar, blown by one who truly fears Hashem, has such power on Rosh Hashanah.

— Part 4: Keeping the Mind from Turning Sour —

Part four: keeping the mind from turning sour, and the quarrels of the tzaddikim.

Section four. But one must clear the mind of outside wisdoms and of foreign thoughts; of chametz, so that his wisdom does not turn sour through outside wisdoms and desires. Then, when he brings out his voice and it strikes his mind, thunder will be made of it. But when the skull of the brain is sealed in impurity, as it says: and you will be made impure by them, then his voice is not heard.

He must also guard his fear, from which the voice comes out, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds; so that he will not have an outside fear. And this is: if there is no wisdom, there is no fear; if there is no fear, there is no wisdom.

Now a teaching of the Sages: This is: Gavriel came down and stuck a reed in the sea. That is, from the chain of the gevuros coming down, an outside fear, he stuck a reed in the sea of wisdom. The reed is the voice that comes out of the windpipe. Through the descent of the gevuros, the dross of gold, which is outside fear, the voice stays stuck in the sealed mind, and is not heard by the creatures.

The main thing is to guard his mind from turning sour. This is: rebuke the beast of the reed. As the Zohar says: break the reed of the ches and make it a hei, and from the letters of chametz make matzah; that is, do not let your wisdom turn sour.

And this is the meaning of rebuke, a word of quarrel. For matzah means quarrel: the tzaddikim wage a quarrel against the other side, so that it will not come near the dwelling of holiness.

That is, when you guard your wisdom so that outside wisdoms do not enter it, and you do not think bad thoughts, which are the reed of the other side, opposite the holy reed of acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, then you will be saved from chametz, the side of death; as it says: machmetzes, what is leavened, there is the side of death. And believe that every quarrel and dispute between complete tzaddikim is only to drive away the other side.

He goes further, with a verse from Mishlei. This is the meaning of: the ear that hears the rebuke of life will dwell among the wise. Talin, will dwell, is a word of complaint and quarrel. When you hear quarrels between the tzaddikim, know that you are being made to hear a rebuke, because you have damaged the drops of your mind,

of which it says: none who go to her return, nor do they reach the paths of life. For you are attached to the side of death, to chametz, to Gavriel came down; and know that he has stuck a reed: outside wisdoms are stuck in the sea of your wisdom.

Surely, if your mind had not been damaged, you would not hear the quarrels between the tzaddikim at all. The quarrel is only for your sake, so that you return from death to life, from chametz to matzah, from ches to hei; and return from bad fear, a damaged voice and damaged wisdom, to good fear, a good voice and good wisdom.

He closes the section with a verse from Tehillim, eighty-one. And when you guard your mind from chametz, so that it is not sealed, your voice will strike your skull and become thunder, the crookedness of your heart will be straightened, and then you will merit joy, as it says: and for the straight of heart, joy. And this is: I answered you in the hidden place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Merivah, selah. The waters of Merivah, of quarrel, are matzah, the mind; through this, thunder is made.

Our explanation. Chametz and matzah are the same dough; in their letters, the difference is only a ches against a hei. A mind kept clean of foreign ideas and bad thoughts is like matzah: the voice of prayer strikes it and becomes thunder. And the Rebbe adds a striking idea. The disputes we hear between true tzaddikim are not there to confuse us. Hearing them is itself a call to clean our own minds, and to return.

— Part 5: Love Joined to Fear, and the Ship —

Part five: joining love to fear, and the story of the ship.

Section five. And know that one must join the gevuros with the chassadim, the left within the right, as it says: with the mighty deeds of His saving right hand. For the main revelation comes through the chassadim, as it says: sit at My right.

So too one must join love with fear, so that thunder can be made. And this is: from the side of the right, the brain is white as silver.

He reads a verse from the splitting of the sea. And this is: and the sea returned, the sea of wisdom; toward morning, the morning of Avraham, as it says: Avraham who loved Me; to its strength, which is the gevuros, as it says: the voice of Your thunder is in the sphere.

And this is: many waters cannot quench love; for the main strength comes through love, as it says: sit at My right, and so on.

He ends the section with a verse from Tehillim, twenty-nine. This explains: the Kel of glory thunders. Kel is chesed, kindness; glory is wisdom, as it says: the wise shall inherit glory. Thunders: this is thunder. The gevuros, the thunder, need love joined with them, so that they strike the glory, which is wisdom, and thunder is made of them; and you will overcome your enemies, as it says: sit at My right.

Our explanation. Fear of Heaven gives prayer its force, but force alone is not enough. It must be joined with love, the right hand, kindness. Only fear held inside love becomes the thunder that opens the heart. Now the Rebbe shows that this whole teaching is hidden in one of the wondrous stories of the Gemara.

Section six. The Rebbe now explains a story of Rabbah bar bar Chanah, from the Gemara in Bava Basra. Rabbah bar bar Chanah said: once we were travelling on a ship, and the ship sailed between one fin of a fish and the other for three days and three nights; it was raised up, and we were down low. And if you say the ship was not going fast: when Rav Dimi came, he said, in the time it takes to heat a kettle of water, it went sixty parsas; and a horseman shot an arrow, and the ship got ahead of it. And Rav Ashi said: that was a sea gildena, which has two fins.

He explains it phrase by phrase. Sefinta, ship, is a word of importance: this is gevurah, fear, as it says: the fear of Hashem is His treasure; for fear is what is truly important. Shitza, fin, is a word of trouble, as it says: and I will consume them in a moment, which the Targum renders with this very word.

Three days and nights: these are the mitzvos, which include laws of reason, laws received by tradition, and chukim, and of them it says: you shall meditate in it day and night. It was raised up and we were down low: this is, Hashem will rejoice in His works; Israel will rejoice in its Maker.

In the time it takes to heat a kettle of water: this is the mind, as it says: flowing from Levanon. It went sixty parsas: these are the gevuros, as in: sixty mighty men; and: the thunder of His mighty deeds.

And a horseman shot an arrow: parsha, horseman, is chesed, kindness, which brings hidden things out to the light; things that are closed and concentrated, he explains, mefaresh. The arrow is: send out Your arrows and confound them; this is: sit at My right, and so on.

The ship got ahead of it: this is fear, which comes first; fear comes before, as it says: the beginning of wisdom, and so on.

— Part 6: Fear First, and the Psalm of the Shofar —

Part six: the story explained, fear that comes first, and the psalm of the shofar.

Now the Rebbe puts the story together. For Rabbah bar bar Chanah was telling that he had gone so far in the quality of fear, and saw the great power of fear, that through it he could understand whether it was before the decree or after the decree. And this is: between one fin and the other.

Then he explains how he could understand: through the mitzvos, which are the three days, and so on; through them he can understand. And specifically when they are done with joy; through the joy of the mitzvos he can understand,

for the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices in His works, and His joy is clothed in the mitzvos, as above. And we below rejoice too in the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says: Israel will rejoice in its Maker, and we want no reward at all, not even the reward of the World to Come. This is: it was raised up, and we were down low; as His joy, so is our joy, and through this we can understand.

Then he explains how to reach joy: through thunder. This is: when Rav Dimi came, he said, in the time it takes to heat a kettle of water, and so on; this is: the voice of Your thunder is in the sphere. Sixty: these are the gevuros that strike the skull, and thunder is made of it. And the sound is heard: this is, the voice awakens the intention; as in: thunder was created only, and so on.

Then he said that the main strength of the gevuros comes only through the chassadim, and the left must be included in the right, as above. Even so, fear must come first, for the one who lost something goes looking for what he lost.

As our Sages said in Kiddushin: it is the way of a man to go looking for a wife; it is like a man who lost something, and so on. The meaning is: love is the aspect of the man, and fear is the aspect of the woman, as is known,

and so one must put fear first, for then love will come to him by itself, since love always goes searching after fear, as the owner of a lost object goes searching for what he lost. So I heard it explicitly from his holy mouth. And this is: and a horseman shot an arrow, and so on.

And Rav Ashi said: that was a sea gildena, and so on. Gildena is the Name AGLA, which is gevuros,

Rebbe Nachman continues, and we give it in our words. AGLA is formed from the first letters of the words in the second blessing of the Amidah: You are mighty forever, my Master, which ends with the Name Adnus. And the word gildena itself is made of the letters A G L together with the letters of the Name Adnus. So the great fish is the Name AGLA, the might of Hashem. Our explanation: the Name Adnus is not shown on screen here, out of respect.

Our explanation. Put together, the story becomes a map of this whole teaching. The ship is fear of Heaven. Between the fins, the trouble, he could tell before the decree from after it. The three days are the mitzvos, done with joy. The heated kettle and the sixty parsas are the voice of prayer striking the mind and becoming thunder. The horseman's arrow is love, and the ship that outruns it is fear, which must come first. And the words, so I heard it from his holy mouth, are Reb Noson's, who wrote the teaching down.

Section seven. The Rebbe returns to the verse he began with. And this is the meaning of: with trumpets and the sound of the shofar, and so on; that is, through the voice that goes out, as above. Through this: let the sea thunder, and so on; thunder is made, as in: the voice of Your thunder is in the sphere.

The world and those who dwell in it: this is the heart and its veins, as the Sages said: thunder was created only, and so on. For teivel, world, has the letters tav, lev: tav means a mark, as it says: and make a mark; the voice is marked on the heart, as they said: thunder was created only, and so on. And through this:

Rivers will clap their hands: this is joy, as above, and for the straight of heart, joy. And through the joy: together the mountains will sing. Rinah, song, is a word of prayer, as it says: to hear the song, and so on.

Mountains are the tzaddikim. Through the joy of the heart they can pray, and clothe their prayer in a saying, when they understand that a decree has been made. And this is the meaning of together: they clothe their prayer together with stories.

Our summary. The whole psalm now reads as one movement. With trumpets and the shofar, the voice goes out. Let the sea thunder: it strikes the mind and becomes thunder. The world and its dwellers, the heart and its veins, take the mark of that voice. The rivers clap their hands in joy. And together the mountains sing: the tzaddikim, in that joy, know the time, and pray, clothing their prayer in stories.

Some reflections of our own, not a quotation. The world was created for you, so its troubles are yours to pray for. Look for the joy in the mitzvah itself, not only in its reward. And sometimes pray aloud, with strength, and let your own voice wake your heart.

This has been Likutey Moharan, Torah five. B'chatzotzros.

Sources for this Torah

Texts used

Hebrew: Likutei Moharan (Part I), Torah 5, edition 'Likutei Moharan – rabenubook.com', public domain, via Sefaria — https://www.sefaria.org/Likutei_Moharan.5

English: our own paraphrase of the Hebrew, written for these videos. It is not copied from any published translation.

Verses and teachings of the Sages appear only as Rebbe Nachman quotes them inside this Torah.

How the text is shown

The Divine Name is shown as ה' and voiced as Hashem. Other Names are written in the customary form (אֱלֹקִים, קֵ-ל, קָהּ, שַׁ-דַּ-י, אֲדֹ-נָ-י, אֶקְיֶ-ה, צְבָקוֹת). No full Name is written or voiced.

Parenthetical source references inside the printed Hebrew are left off the screen to save space; the citation line names the source instead.

Long paragraphs are shown in consecutive pieces. Every Hebrew word on screen is from the edition above; nothing is reworded.

Cards labelled EXPLANATION (green), and every line marked 'our own reflection — not a quote', are our own words, not quotations.

Every on-screen quotation in the full shiur, by part

Part 1 — Created for Me, and Prayer in Disguise

Scene 3 · Tehillim 98:6, as quoted in LM I:5 · paragraph §1.1

בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי וְכוּ':

EN (our paraphrase): With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, raise a shout before the King, Hashem.

Scene 4 · LM I:5 §1 · paragraph §1.2

כִּי צָרִיךְ כָּל אָדָם לוֹמַר: כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִי. נִמְצָא, כְּשֶׁהָעוֹלָם נִבְרָא בִּשְׁבִילִי, צָרִיךְ אֲנִי לִרְאוֹת וּלְעַיֵּן בְּכָל עֵת בְּתִקּוּן הָעוֹלָם, וּלְמַלְּאוֹת חֶסְרוֹן הָעוֹלָם, וּלְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעֲבוּרָם.

EN (our paraphrase): Every person must say: the whole world was created only for my sake. So if the world was created for me, I must look and consider at every moment how to repair the world, how to fill what the world is lacking, and how to pray for its people.

Scene 5 · LM I:5 §1 · paragraph §1.3

וְעִנְיַן הַתְּפִלָּה הֵן בִּשְׁנֵי פָּנִים, הַיְנוּ קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין מִתְפַּלְּלִין כְּסֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה, וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לְהַלְבִּישׁ הַתְּפִלָּה, אֲבָל לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין צָרִיךְ לְהַלְבִּישׁ הַתְּפִלָּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבִינוּ הַמַּלְאָכִים הָעוֹמְדִים לִשְׂמֹאל, וְלֹא יְקַטְרְגוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: בִּגְזֵרַת עִירִין פִּתְגָּמִין, הַיְנוּ לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין, אֲזַי: בְּמֵאמַר קַדִּישִׁין שְׁאֵלְתִּין, אֲזַי הַצַּדִּיקִים מַלְבִּישִׁים שְׁאֵלָתָם בְּמַאֲמָר:

EN (our paraphrase): Prayer comes in two forms. Before a decree is sealed, we pray in the regular order of prayer, with no need to clothe it. But after the decree, the prayer must be clothed, so that the angels standing on the left will not understand it and will not accuse. As the verse says: the matter is by the decree of the watchers; that is, after the decree. Then: the request is by the saying of the holy ones; the tzaddikim clothe their request in a saying.

Scene 7 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.1

אֲבָל אֵיךְ יַדְעִינָן בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין בֵּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין, עַל־יְדֵי הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁאָנוּ עוֹשִׂים, יְכוֹלִין אֲנַחְנוּ לֵידַע בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין.

EN (our paraphrase): But how can we know whether it is before the decree or after the decree? Through the mitzvos that we do, we can know whether it is before the decree or after it.

Scene 8 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.2

וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂין הַמִּצְווֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁאֵין רוֹצֶה בְּשׁוּם שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא, אֶלָּא הוּא רוֹצֶה שֶׁיַּזְמִין לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת בִּשְׂכַר מִצְוָה זֹאת, כְּמַאֲמַר חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – מִצְוָה; כִּי הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

EN (our paraphrase): That is, specifically when a person does the mitzvos with such great joy that he wants no reward at all in the World to Come. He only wants the Holy One, blessed be He, to send him another mitzvah as the reward for this one, as the Sages say: the reward of a mitzvah is a mitzvah. For he takes pleasure in the mitzvah itself.

Scene 9 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.3

וְזֶהוּ הַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּין נְבוּאַת משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ לְבֵין נְבוּאַת שְׁאָר נְבִיאִים, כְּפֵרוּשׁ רַשִׁ"י: וַיְּדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל רָאשֵׁי הַמַּטּוֹת וְכוּ' זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה', פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י: כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים נִתְנַבְּאוּ בְּכֹה אָמַר ה', נוֹסַף עֲלֵיהֶם מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁהִתְנַבֵּא בְּזֶה הַדָּבָר. כִּי בְּחִינַת כֹּה הוּא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה, וְזֶה הַדָּבָר הוּא בְּחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה.

EN (our paraphrase): This is the difference between the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu and that of the other prophets, as Rashi explains on the verse: Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes: this is the thing that Hashem commanded. All the prophets prophesied with the words, thus said Hashem; Moshe went further, and prophesied with the words, this is the thing. For thus is a mirror that does not shine, and this is the thing is a mirror that shines.

Scene 10 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.4

וְאֵלּוּ הַשְּׁתֵּי בְּחִינוֹת נְבִיאוּת יֵשׁ בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַבּוֹרֵא: יֵשׁ אָדָם הָעוֹשֶה הַמִּצְוָה בִּשְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, אִלּוּ לֹא הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ עוֹלָם הַבָּא בִּשְׂכָרָהּ, לֹא הָיָה עוֹשֶׂה אוֹתָהּ, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת כֹּה, אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה, כְּמוֹ אָדָם שֶׁרוֹאֶה אֵיזֶה דָּבָר מֵרָחוֹק, כֵּן הוּא עוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בִּשְׁבִיל שְׂכָרָהּ הַבָּא לְעֵת רָחוֹק, הַיְנוּ אַחַר עוֹלָם הַזֶּה.

EN (our paraphrase): These two kinds of prophecy are found in serving the Creator. One person does the mitzvah for the reward of the World to Come. He has no pleasure from the mitzvah itself; if he were not given the World to Come for it, he would not do it. This is thus, the mirror that does not shine: like a person who sees something from far away, he does the mitzvah for a reward that comes at a distant time, after this world.

Part 2 — Joy in the Mitzvah Itself

Scene 2 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.5, §2.6

וְשִׁלּוּם שָׂכָר נִקְרָא בְּשֵׁם נָבִיא, כִּי רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת שֶׁל: יָבֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמּוֹתָיו, וְשָׁם בַּפָּסוּק הַזֶּה נִרְמַז עַל שִׁלּוּם שָׂכָר: הָלוֹךְ יֵלֵךְ וּבָכֹה נוֹשֵׂא מֶשֶׁךְ הַזָּרַע – שֶׁמִּצְטַעֵר בַּעֲשִׂיָּתָהּ, בֹּא יָבֹא בְרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמּוֹתָיו – שֶׁיִּשְׂמַח לֶעָתִיד, כְּשֶׁיְּקַבֵּל שְׂכַר הַמִּצְווֹת. רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת שֶׁל יָבֹא בְּרִנָּה נֹשֵׂא אֲלֻמּוֹתָיו, רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת נָבִיא:

EN (our paraphrase): The payment of reward is called navi, prophet, because navi is formed from the first letters of yavo verinah nosei alumosav: he will come with joyful song, carrying his sheaves. And this verse itself hints at the payment of reward. He walks along weeping, carrying the bag of seed: he is pained while doing the mitzvah. He will surely come with joyful song, carrying his sheaves: he will rejoice in the future, when he receives the reward of the mitzvos.

Scene 3 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.7

אֲבָל נָבִיא שֶׁמִּתְנַבֵּא בְּזֶה הַדָּבָר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה בִּשְׂכַר הַמִּצְווֹת, אֶלָּא רוֹצֶה בַּמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, שֶׁהוּא מְשַׂמֵּחַ כָּל כָּךְ בַּעֲשִׂיָּתָהּ, עַד שֶׁמְּמָאֵס בְּכָל מִין שָׂכָר, נִמְצָא שֶׁעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁלּוֹ בְּהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

EN (our paraphrase): But the prophet who prophesies with this is the thing does not want the reward of the mitzvos; he wants the mitzvah itself. He is so joyful in doing it that he spurns every kind of reward. So his World to Come is in the mitzvah itself.

Scene 4 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.8

וְזֶה בְּחִינַת נָבִיא, הַיְנוּ שִׁלּוּם שָׂכָר, בִּבְחִינַת זֶה הַדָּבָר, בִּבְחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה, כְּמוֹ אָדָם הָרוֹאֶה דָּבָר מִקָּרוֹב בִּרְאִיָּה יָפָה וּבָרָה, כְּמוֹ כֵן הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, וּשְׂכָרוֹ נֶגֶד עֵינָיו.

EN (our paraphrase): This too is navi, the payment of reward, but in the way of this is the thing, the mirror that shines. Like a person who sees something close up, with a fine, clear view, so he enjoys the mitzvah itself, and his reward is right before his eyes.

Scene 5 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.9

וּמִי שֶׁהוּא בַּמַּדְרֵגָה הַזֹּאת, שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה גְּדוֹלָה כָּל כָּךְ, עַד שֶׁאֵין רוֹצֶה בְּשׁוּם שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא בִּשְׁבִילָהּ – הוּא יָכוֹל לֵידַע בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין,

EN (our paraphrase): And whoever stands on this level, doing the mitzvah with such great joy that he wants no reward of the World to Come for it, he is the one who can know whether it is before the decree or after the decree.

Scene 6 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.10

כִּי הַמִּצְווֹת הֵם קוֹמָה שְׁלֵמָה, וְהֵם מְחַיִּין אֶת כָּל הַקּוֹמוֹת, הֵן קוֹמַת אָדָם, הֵן קוֹמַת עוֹלָם, הֵן קוֹמַת שָׁנָה, כִּי עוֹלָם, שָׁנָה, נֶפֶשׁ – הֵן מְקַבְּלִין הַחִיּוּת מֵהַמִּצְווֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְכָל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ בֶּאֱמוּנָה; וּכְתִיב: כָּל מִצְוֹתֶיךָ אֱמוּנָה. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הוּא אַחְדוּת פָּשׁוּט עִם הַמִּצְווֹת,

EN (our paraphrase): For the mitzvos form a complete stature, and they give life to every stature: the stature of man, the stature of the world, and the stature of the year. World, year and soul all receive their life from the mitzvos, as it says: all His work is done in faithfulness; and it says: all Your mitzvos are faithfulness. And the Holy One, blessed be He, is in simple oneness with the mitzvos.

Scene 7 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.11

וּכְשֶׁמַּעֲשֵׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא כְּתִקּוּנָן וּכְסִדְרָן, אֲזַי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְשַׂמֵּחַ בָּהֶם וּמִתְעַנֵּג בָּהֶם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: יִשְׂמַח ה' בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, כְּמוֹ בַּעַל־מְלָאכָה, שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה אֵיזֶה כְּלִי, וְהַכְּלִי הוּא יָפֶה – אֲזַי הוּא מִתְעַנֵּג בָּה; וְהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הִיא מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בְּהַמִּצְווֹת, כִּי הֵם אַחְדוּתוֹ,

EN (our paraphrase): When the works of the Holy One, blessed be He, are in their proper repair and order, He rejoices in them and delights in them, as it says: Hashem will rejoice in His works. Like a craftsman who makes a vessel: when the vessel is beautiful, he delights in it. And the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, is clothed in the mitzvos, for they are His oneness.

Scene 8 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.12

וּמִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה הַמִּצְוָה בְּשִׂמְחָה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ, נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁנִּכְנָס בְּהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁבַּמִּצְוָה, הוּא נִכְנָס בְּשִׂמְחַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, שֶׁמְּשַמֵּחַ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו.

EN (our paraphrase): So one who does the mitzvah with joy from the mitzvah itself, when he enters the joy that is in the mitzvah, enters the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, who rejoices in His works. This is: Israel will rejoice in its Maker.

Scene 9 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.13

נִמְצָא, כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ אֵיזֶה צַעַר וְדִין בְּעוֹלָם, שָׁנָה, נֶפֶשׁ – אֲזַי בְּוַדַּאי נִגְרָע מִשִּׂמְחַת הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וַיִּתְעַצֵּב אֶל לִבּוֹ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: שְׁכִינָה מָה אוֹמֶרֶת, קָלַנִי מֵרֹאשִׁי וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): It follows that when there is some pain or judgment in world, year or soul, the joy of the Holy One, blessed be He, is surely lessened, as it says: and He was saddened in His heart; and as the Sages said: what does the Shechinah say? My head is heavy upon Me, and so on.

Scene 10 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.14

וְזֶה שֶׁנִּכְנָס בְּתוֹךְ הַשִּׁמְחָה יָכוֹל בְּוַדַּאי לֵידַע לְפִי עִנְיַן הַשִּׂמְחָה, אִם הוּא קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין, אִם הוּא לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין. גַּם יָכוֹל לֵידַע עַל אֵיזֶהוּ חֵלֶק מֵהַקּוֹמָה נִגְזַר הַדִּין,

EN (our paraphrase): So the one who has entered into this joy can surely know, by the state of the joy, whether it is before the decree or after it. He can also know on which part of the stature the decree was made,

Scene 11 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.14

כִּי יוֹדֵעַ לְפִי קוֹמַת הַמִּצְווֹת: אִם אֵין יָכוֹל לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּשִׂמְחָה רָאשֵׁי הַמִּצְווֹת, הַיְנוּ מִצְווֹת הַתְּלוּיִים בָּרֹאשׁ, יֵדַע שֶׁהַדִּין נִגְזַר עַל רָאשֵׁי עוֹלָם שָׁנָה נֶפֶשׁ, וְכֵן בִּשְׁאָר קוֹמַת הַמִּצְווֹת.

EN (our paraphrase): for he knows it by the stature of the mitzvos. If he cannot do the head mitzvos with joy, the mitzvos that depend on the head, he should know that the decree rests on the heads of world, year and soul; and so too with the rest of the stature of the mitzvos.

Scene 12 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.15

וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּשַׁבָּת: זָכְרֵהוּ מֵאֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת, הַיְנוּ שִׂמְחַת וְתַעֲנוּג עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת שַׁבָּת, יַרְגִּישׁ בְּשֵׁשֶׁת יְמֵי הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁהֵן בְּחִינַת מַעֲשֵׂה הַמִּצְווֹת, שֶׁבָּהֶם נִבְרְאוּ עוֹלָם שָׁנָה נֶפֶשׁ.

EN (our paraphrase): This is what our Sages said about Shabbos: remember it from the first day of the week. That is, the joy and delight of the World to Come, which is Shabbos, should be felt during the six working days, which are the doing of the mitzvos, through which world, year and soul were created.

Scene 13 · LM I:5 §2 · paragraph §2.16

וְזֶהוּ: בְּיוֹמוֹ תִתֵּן שְׂכָרוֹ – שֶׁיְּהֵא שְׂכָרוֹ מֵהַמִּצְווֹת בְּעַצְמָן, וְלֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ – שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֶׂה הַמִּצְווֹת בִּשְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁהִיא אַחַר בִּיאַת שִׁמְשׁוֹ, אַחַר מוֹתוֹ:

EN (our paraphrase): And this is: on his day you shall give him his wages; his reward should come from the mitzvos themselves. And the sun shall not set upon it; he should not do the mitzvos for the reward of the World to Come, which comes after his sun has set, after his passing.

Part 3 — The Voice That Becomes Thunder

Scene 2 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.1

וְעִקַּר הַשִּׂמְחָה הוּא בַּלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: נָתַתָּה שִׂמְחָה בְלִבִּי. וְאִי אֶפְשָׁר לַלֵּב לִשְׂמֹחַ אֶלָּא עַד שֶׁיָּסִיר עַקְמוּמִיּוּת שֶׁבְּלִבּוֹ, שֶׁיְּהֵא לוֹ יַשְׁרוּת לֵב, וְאָז יִזְכֶּה לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה.

EN (our paraphrase): The main place of joy is the heart, as it says: You have put joy in my heart. And the heart cannot rejoice until a person removes the crookedness in his heart and has a straight heart. Then he merits joy, as it says: and for the straight of heart, joy.

Scene 3 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.2

וְעַקְמוּמִיּוּת שֶׁבַּלֵּב מַפְשִׁיטִין עַל־יְדֵי רְעָמִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים אֶלָּא לְפַשֵּׁט עַקְמִימִיּוּת שֶׁבַּלֵּב, וּרְעָמִים הוּא בְּחִינַת קוֹל, שֶׁאָדָם מוֹצִיא בְּכֹחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, וּמִזֶּה נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים.

EN (our paraphrase): The crookedness of the heart is straightened by thunder, as our Sages said: thunder was created only to straighten the crookedness of the heart. And thunder is the voice a person brings out with strength in his prayer; from this, thunder is made.

Scene 4 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.3

כִּי אִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר: כַּד קָלָא נָפִיק וְאַעָרָא בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, אִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, וְדָא אִינוּן רְעָמִים. וְעִקַּר הָרְעָמִים הֵם מִגְּבוּרוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו מִי יִתְבּוֹנָן;

EN (our paraphrase): For the Zohar says: when the voice goes out and strikes the rain clouds, a sound is heard by the creatures, and that is thunder. And thunder comes mainly from the gevuros, the powers of might, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds, who can understand?

Scene 5 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.4

וּבִשְׁבִיל זֶה אָנוּ מְבָרְכִין: שֶׁכֹּחוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ וְכוּ'. וְהַגְּבוּרוֹת הֵם בְּחִינַת כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה, שֶׁאָדָם מוֹצִיא אֶת הַקּוֹל בְּכֹחַ גָּדוֹל, וְהַקּוֹל הַזֶּה פּוֹגֵעַ בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת מֹחִין, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם יוֹרְדִין טִפִּין טִפִּין, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר: בְּאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים וְנוֹזְלִים מִן לְבָנוֹן, מִן לִבּוּנָא דְּמֹחָא.

EN (our paraphrase): That is why we bless: whose strength and might fill the world. The gevuros are strength and might: a person brings out his voice with great strength, and this voice strikes the rain clouds, which are the mind, from where drops come down, drop by drop; as the Zohar says: a well of living waters, flowing from Levanon, from the whiteness of the brain.

Scene 6 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.5

וּכְשֶׁפּוֹגֵעַ בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, אֲזַי אִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים. וְזֶהוּ: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל, הַיְנוּ בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא; כַּד אַעָרָא בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא, נַעֲשֶׂה מֵהַקּוֹל רְעָמִים, וְנִשְׁמָע לִבְרִיָּתָא.

EN (our paraphrase): When it strikes the rain clouds, the sound is heard by the creatures; this is thunder. And this is: the voice of Your thunder is in the galgal, the sphere; that is, in the galgalta, the skull of the brain. When the voice strikes the skull of the brain, thunder is made of the voice, and it is heard by the creatures.

Scene 7 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.6

וְזֶה: פִּי יְדַבֵּר חָכְמוֹת, הַיְנוּ הַדִּבּוּר הַיּוֹצֵא מִפִּי פּוֹגֵעַ בַּחָכְמָה, הַיְנוּ בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה: וְהָגוּת לִבִּי וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ שֶׁנִּתְעוֹרֵר עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הָרַעַם, נִתְעוֹרֵר הַלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: קוֹל מְעוֹרֵר הַכַּוָּנָה.

EN (our paraphrase): And this is: my mouth will speak wisdom; the speech that goes out of my mouth strikes wisdom, the skull of the brain. And through this: and the meditation of my heart, and so on; that is, through this the thunder is awakened, and the heart is awakened, as the Sages said: the voice awakens the intention.

Scene 8 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.7

וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין, כִּי מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאָה, קוֹלוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים, כִּי רַעַם מִסִּטְרָא דְּיִצְחָק, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין, הַיְנוּ מִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, כִּי תַּמָּן תַּלְיָא שְׁמִיעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: ה' שָׁמַעְתִּי שִׁמְעֲךָ יָרֵאתִי.

EN (our paraphrase): This is what our Sages said: whoever has fear of Heaven, his words are heard. For one who has fear, his voice becomes thunder, since thunder is from the side of Yitzchak, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds. So his words are heard, the sound is heard by the creatures; for hearing depends on fear, as it says: Hashem, I have heard Your report, and I was afraid.

Scene 9 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.8

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ עוֹשֵׂי דְּבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ; אִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר: זַכְיָן לְמִשְׁמַע קָלִין מִלְּעֵילָא, הַיְנוּ עַל יְדֵי הַגְּבוּרוֹת נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה הַלֵּב שׁוֹמֵעַ, וְהַיְנוּ: וְהָגוּת לִבִּי תְּבוּנוֹת; וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְנָתַתָּ לְעַבְדְּךָ לֵב שׁוֹמֵעַ, וְגַם דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין לִבְרִיָּתָא, וְזֶהוּ: לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ.

EN (our paraphrase): This explains: mighty in strength, who do His word, to hear the voice of His word. The Zohar says: they merit to hear voices from above. That is, through the gevuros thunder is made, and through this the heart hears; this is: the meditation of my heart is understanding; and as it says: give Your servant a hearing heart. And his words are heard by the creatures too; this is: to hear the voice of His word.

Scene 10 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.9

וְזֶה בְּחִינַת קוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר, דָּא שׁוֹפָר שֶׁל אַיִל – אֵילוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק, בְּחִינַת: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָו.

EN (our paraphrase): And this is the voice of the shofar: the shofar of a ram, the ram of Yitzchak, which is: the thunder of His mighty deeds.

Scene 11 · LM I:5 §3 · paragraph §3.10

וְזֶהוּ: אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה – יוֹדְעֵי דַּיְקָא, שֶׁיִּפְגַּע הַקּוֹל בַּמֹּחַ, בְּחִינוֹת עָבֵי מִטְרָא, וְיִהְיֶה בִּבְחִינַת רְעָמִים. וּמִי שֶׁשּׁוֹמֵעַ תְּקִיעַת שׁוֹפָר מֵאִישׁ יָרֵא וְחָרֵד, בְּוַדַּאי לֹא יִדְאַג כָּל הַשָּׁנָה מֵרְעָמִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: בְּקוֹלוֹת וּבְרָקִים עֲלֵיהֶם נִגְלֵיתָ, וּבְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר עֲלֵיהֶם הוֹפַעְתָּ – שֶׁבְּקוֹל הַשּׁוֹפָר הוֹפִיעַ עֲלֵיהֶם מִקּוֹלוֹת וּבְרָקִים:

EN (our paraphrase): This is: fortunate is the people who know the teruah. Who know, precisely: that the voice should strike the mind, the rain clouds, and become thunder. And whoever hears the shofar blown by a man who fears Heaven and trembles surely will not worry about thunder all year, as it says: with voices and lightning You were revealed to them, and with the sound of the shofar You appeared to them: through the sound of the shofar He shone upon them out of the voices and lightning.

Part 4 — Keeping the Mind from Turning Sour

Scene 2 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.1

אֲבָל צָרִיךְ לְפַנּוֹת אֶת הַמֹּחִין מֵחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת וּמִמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת. מֵחָמֵץ, שֶׁלֹּא יַחְמִיץ אֶת חָכְמָתוֹ בְּחָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת וּבְתַאֲווֹת, כְּדֵי כְּשֶׁיּוֹצִיא אֶת הַקּוֹל וְיִפְגַּע בְּמֹחוֹ, יִתְעַבֵד מִמֶּנּוּ רַעַם; אֲבָל כְּשֶׁגַּלְגַּלְתָּא דְּמֹחָא אָטוּם בְּטֻמְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְנִטְמֵתֶם בָּם; אֲזַי אֵין קוֹלוֹ נִשְׁמָע.

EN (our paraphrase): But one must clear the mind of outside wisdoms and of foreign thoughts; of chametz, so that his wisdom does not turn sour through outside wisdoms and desires. Then, when he brings out his voice and it strikes his mind, thunder will be made of it. But when the skull of the brain is sealed in impurity, as it says: and you will be made impure by them, then his voice is not heard.

Scene 3 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.2

גַּם יִשְׁמֹר יִרְאָתוֹ, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ תּוֹצְאוֹת הַקּוֹל, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְרַעַם גְּבוּרֹתָו; שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה לוֹ יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִיוּת, וְזֶה: אִם אֵין חָכְמָה אֵין יִרְאָה; אִם אֵין יִרְאָה אֵין חָכְמָה.

EN (our paraphrase): He must also guard his fear, from which the voice comes out, as it says: the thunder of His mighty deeds; so that he will not have an outside fear. And this is: if there is no wisdom, there is no fear; if there is no fear, there is no wisdom.

Scene 4 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.3

וְזֶהוּ: יָרַד גַּבְרִיאֵל וְנָעַץ קָנֶה בַּיָּם. פֵּרוּשׁ, מֵהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הַגְּבוּרוֹת, הַיְנוּ יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִיוּת, נָעַץ קָנֶה בְּיַם הַחָכְמָה. קָנֶה דָּא בְּחִינַת קוֹל הַיּוֹצֵא מֵהַקָּנֶה, הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי הִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הַגְּבוּרוֹת, שֶׁהִיא בְּחִינַת סוּסְפִיתָּא דְּדַהֲבָא – יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִיוּת, נִשְׁאָר הַקּוֹל נָעוּץ בַּאֲטִימַת הַשֵּׂכֶל, וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּמַּע לִבְרִיָּתָא.

EN (our paraphrase): This is: Gavriel came down and stuck a reed in the sea. That is, from the chain of the gevuros coming down, an outside fear, he stuck a reed in the sea of wisdom. The reed is the voice that comes out of the windpipe. Through the descent of the gevuros, the dross of gold, which is outside fear, the voice stays stuck in the sealed mind, and is not heard by the creatures.

Scene 5 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.4

וְעִקָּר – לִשְׁמֹר מֹחוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַחְמִיץ, וְזֶהוּ: גְּעַר חַיַּת קָנֶה, כִּדְאִיתָא בַּזֹּהַר: קָנֵה חֵי"ת תְּשַׁבֵּר וְתַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנָּה הֵ"א, וְתַעֲשֶׂה מֵאוֹתִיּוֹת חָמֵץ מַצָּה, הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא תַּחְמִיץ חָכְמָתְךָ.

EN (our paraphrase): The main thing is to guard his mind from turning sour. This is: rebuke the beast of the reed. As the Zohar says: break the reed of the ches and make it a hei, and from the letters of chametz make matzah; that is, do not let your wisdom turn sour.

Scene 6 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.5

וְזֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן גְּעַר, לְשׁוֹן מְרִיבָה, כִּי מַצָּה לְשׁוֹן מְרִיבָה, דְּצַדִּיקַיָא עָבְדִּין מַצּוּתָא בְּסִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין, דְּלָא יִתְקְרֵבוּ לְמִשְׁכְּנָא דִּקְדֻשָּׁה,

EN (our paraphrase): And this is the meaning of rebuke, a word of quarrel. For matzah means quarrel: the tzaddikim wage a quarrel against the other side, so that it will not come near the dwelling of holiness.

Scene 7 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.6

הַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁתִּשְׁמֹר אֶת חָכְמָתְךָ שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּנֵס בּוֹ חָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא תְּהַרְהֵר בְּהִרְהוּרִים רָעִים, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת קָנֶה דְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, כְּנֶגֶד קְנֵה חָכְמָה קְנֵה בִּינָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה – עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִּנָּצֵל מִבְּחִינַת חָמֵץ, שֶׁהִיא סִטְרָא דְּמוֹתָא, כִּדְאִיתָא: מַחְמֶצֶת, תַּמָּן סִטְרָא דְמוֹתָא. וְתַאֲמִין, כִּי כָּל מַצּוּתָא וּמְרִיבָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים הַשְּׁלֵמִים, אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּגָרְשׁוּ סִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין,

EN (our paraphrase): That is, when you guard your wisdom so that outside wisdoms do not enter it, and you do not think bad thoughts, which are the reed of the other side, opposite the holy reed of acquire wisdom, acquire understanding, then you will be saved from chametz, the side of death; as it says: machmetzes, what is leavened, there is the side of death. And believe that every quarrel and dispute between complete tzaddikim is only to drive away the other side.

Scene 8 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.7

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: אֹזֶן שֹׁמַעַת תּוֹכַחַת חַיִּים בְּקֶרֶב חֲכָמִים תָּלִין – לְשׁוֹן תְּלוּנָה וּמְרִיבָה; כְּשֶׁאַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ מְרִיבוֹת שֶׁבֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים, תֵּדַע, שֶׁזֶּה מַשְׁמִיעִין אוֹתְךָ תּוֹכָחָה, עַל שֶׁפָּגַמְתָּ בְּטִפֵּי מֹחֲךָ,

EN (our paraphrase): This is the meaning of: the ear that hears the rebuke of life will dwell among the wise. Talin, will dwell, is a word of complaint and quarrel. When you hear quarrels between the tzaddikim, know that you are being made to hear a rebuke, because you have damaged the drops of your mind,

Scene 9 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.7

שֶׁעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר: כָּל בָּאֶיהָ לֹא יְשׁוּבוּן, וְלֹא יַשִׂיגוּ אָרְחוֹת חַיִּים; שֶׁאַתָּה דָּבוּק בְּסִטְרָא דְּמוֹתָא, בְּחִינַת חָמֵץ, בְּחִינַת יָרַד גַּבְרִיאֵל וְכוּ', וְתֵדַע שֶׁנָּעַץ קָנֶה, הַיְנוּ חָכְמוֹת חִיצוֹנִיּוֹת נְעוּצִים בְּיַם חָכְמָתְךָ,

EN (our paraphrase): of which it says: none who go to her return, nor do they reach the paths of life. For you are attached to the side of death, to chametz, to Gavriel came down; and know that he has stuck a reed: outside wisdoms are stuck in the sea of your wisdom.

Scene 10 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.8

וּבְוַדַּאי אִם לֹא הָיָה נִפְגָּם מֹחֲךָ, לֹא הָיָה נִשְׁמָע לְךָ מְרִיבוֹת שֶׁבֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְאֵין הַמְּרִיבָה אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילְךָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּשׁוּב מִמָּוֶת לְחַיִּים, מֵחָמֵץ לְמַצָּה, מֵחֵית לְהֵ"א, וְתָשׁוּב מִיִּרְאָה רָעָה, מִקּוֹל פָּגוּם, מֵחָכְמָה פְּגוּמָה לְיִרְאָה טוֹבָה, לְקוֹל טוֹב, לְחָכְמָה טוֹבָה.

EN (our paraphrase): Surely, if your mind had not been damaged, you would not hear the quarrels between the tzaddikim at all. The quarrel is only for your sake, so that you return from death to life, from chametz to matzah, from ches to hei; and return from bad fear, a damaged voice and damaged wisdom, to good fear, a good voice and good wisdom.

Scene 11 · LM I:5 §4 · paragraph §4.9

וּכְשֶׁתִּשְׁמֹר אֶת מֹחֲךָ מִבְּחִינַת חָמֵץ, שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה אָטוּם, אֲזַי יִפְגַּע קוֹלְךָ בְּגַלְגַּלְתְּךָ, וְיִתְעַבֵד רַעַם, וְיִתְפַּשֵּׁט עַקְמִימִיּוּת שֶׁבְּלִבְּךָ, וְאָז תִּזְכֶּה לְשִׂמְחָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה, וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: אֶעֶנְךָ בְּסֵתֶר רַעַם, אֶבְחָנְךָ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה סֶלָה, מֵי מְרִיבָה זֶה בְּחִינַת מַצָּה, בְּחִינַת מֹחִין, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה רְעָמִים:

EN (our paraphrase): And when you guard your mind from chametz, so that it is not sealed, your voice will strike your skull and become thunder, the crookedness of your heart will be straightened, and then you will merit joy, as it says: and for the straight of heart, joy. And this is: I answered you in the hidden place of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Merivah, selah. The waters of Merivah, of quarrel, are matzah, the mind; through this, thunder is made.

Part 5 — Love Joined to Fear, and the Ship

Scene 2 · LM I:5 §5 · paragraph §5.1

וְתֵדַע, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף הַגְּבוּרוֹת בַּחֲסָדִים, שְׂמָאלָא בִּימִינָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: בִּגְבוּרוֹת יֵשַׁע יְמִינוֹ. כִּי עִקַּר הִתְגַּלּוּת עַל יְדֵי הַחֲסָדִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: שֵׁב לִימִינִי.

EN (our paraphrase): And know that one must join the gevuros with the chassadim, the left within the right, as it says: with the mighty deeds of His saving right hand. For the main revelation comes through the chassadim, as it says: sit at My right.

Scene 3 · LM I:5 §5 · paragraph §5.2

וְכֵן צָרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף הָאַהֲבָה עִם הַיִּרְאָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְעַבֵד רְעָמִים, וְזֶה: מִסִּטְרָא דִּימִינָא, מֹחָא חִוְרָא כְּכַסְפָּא.

EN (our paraphrase): So too one must join love with fear, so that thunder can be made. And this is: from the side of the right, the brain is white as silver.

Scene 4 · LM I:5 §5 · paragraph §5.3

וְזֶה: וַיָּשָׁב הַיָּם, הַיְנוּ יָם הַחָכְמָה, לִפְנוֹת בֹּקֶר, דָּא בֹּקֶר דְּאַבְרָהָם, בְּחִינַת: אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבִי; לְאֵיתָנוֹ דָּא גְּבוּרוֹת, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל.

EN (our paraphrase): And this is: and the sea returned, the sea of wisdom; toward morning, the morning of Avraham, as it says: Avraham who loved Me; to its strength, which is the gevuros, as it says: the voice of Your thunder is in the sphere.

Scene 5 · LM I:5 §5 · paragraph §5.4

וְזֶהוּ: מַיִם רַבִּים לֹא יוּכְלוּ לְכַבּוֹת אֶת הָאַהֲבָה, כִּי עִקַּר הִתְגַּבְּרוּת עַל יְדֵי הָאַהֲבָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: שֵׁב לִימִינִי וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): And this is: many waters cannot quench love; for the main strength comes through love, as it says: sit at My right, and so on.

Scene 6 · LM I:5 §5 · paragraph §5.5

וְזֶהוּ פֵּרוּשׁ: קֵל הַכָּבוֹד. קֵל דָּא חֶסֶד; כָּבוֹד דָּא חָכְמָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: כָּבוֹד חֲכָמִים יִנְחָלוּ; הִרְעִים דָּא בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים, הַיְנוּ הַגְּבוּרוֹת בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים צָרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף עִמָּהֶם אַהֲבָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּפְגְּעוּ בַּכָּבוֹד, בִּבְחִינַת חָכְמָה, שֶׁיִּתְעֲבֵד מֵהֶם רְעָמִים וְתִתְגַּבֵּר עַל אוֹיְבֶיךָ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: שֵׁב לִימִינִי וְכוּ':

EN (our paraphrase): This explains: the Kel of glory thunders. Kel is chesed, kindness; glory is wisdom, as it says: the wise shall inherit glory. Thunders: this is thunder. The gevuros, the thunder, need love joined with them, so that they strike the glory, which is wisdom, and thunder is made of them; and you will overcome your enemies, as it says: sit at My right.

Scene 8 · Bava Basra 73b, as quoted in LM I:5 · paragraph §6.1, §6.2

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: אָמַר רַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָא: זִימְנָא חֲדָּא הֲוָה אַזְלִינָן בִּסְפִינְתָּא, וְסַגָּאִי סְפִינְתָּא בֵּין שִׁיצָא לְשִׁיצָא דְּכַוְרָא תְּלָתָא יוֹמָא וּתְלָתָא לֵילוּתָא, אִיהוּ בִּזְקִיפוּ וְאָנָן בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי. וְכִי תֵּימָא לָא מַסְגֵּי סְפִינְתָּא טוּבָא, כִּי אָתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר: כְּמֵיחַם קֻמְקוּמָא דְּמַיָא מַסְגֵּי שִׁתִּין פַּרְסֵי, וְשָׁדִי פַּרְשָׁא גִּירָא וְקָדְמָה לֵהּ אִיהִי. וְאָמַר רַב אַשִׁי: הַהוּא גִּילְדְּנָא דְּיַמָא הֲוָא, דְּאִית לֵהּ תְּרֵי שִׁיצָא:

EN (our paraphrase): Rabbah bar bar Chanah said: once we were travelling on a ship, and the ship sailed between one fin of a fish and the other for three days and three nights; it was raised up, and we were down low. And if you say the ship was not going fast: when Rav Dimi came, he said, in the time it takes to heat a kettle of water, it went sixty parsas; and a horseman shot an arrow, and the ship got ahead of it. And Rav Ashi said: that was a sea gildena, which has two fins.

Scene 9 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.3, §6.4

סְפִינְתָּא לְשׁוֹן חֲשִׁיבוּת, דָּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרָה יִרְאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: יִרְאַת ה' הִיא אוֹצָרוֹ; שֶׁהִיא עִקַּר הַחֲשִׁיבוּת. שִׁיצָא לְשׁוֹן צָרָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב וַאֲכַלֶּה אֹתָם כְּרָגַע, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וַאֲשַׁצֵי יַתְהוֹן.

EN (our paraphrase): Sefinta, ship, is a word of importance: this is gevurah, fear, as it says: the fear of Hashem is His treasure; for fear is what is truly important. Shitza, fin, is a word of trouble, as it says: and I will consume them in a moment, which the Targum renders with this very word.

Scene 10 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.5, §6.6

תְּלָתָא יוֹמָא וְלֵילוּתָא דָּא בְּחִינַת מִצְווֹת, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם מֻשְׂכָּלוֹת וּמְקֻבָּלוֹת וְחֻקּוֹת, וּכְתִיב בָּהֶם: וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה. אִיהוּ בִּזְקִיפוּ וְאֲנַן בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי זֶה בְּחִינַת: יִשְׂמַח ה' בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו.

EN (our paraphrase): Three days and nights: these are the mitzvos, which include laws of reason, laws received by tradition, and chukim, and of them it says: you shall meditate in it day and night. It was raised up and we were down low: this is, Hashem will rejoice in His works; Israel will rejoice in its Maker.

Scene 11 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.7, §6.8

כְּמֵיחַם קֻמְקוּמָא דְמַיָא דָּא מֹחָא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְנוֹזְלִים מִן לְבָנוֹן. מַסְגֵּא שִׁתִּין פַּרְסֵי דָּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, שִׁשִּׁים גִּבּוֹרִים, וְרַעַם גְּבוּרוֹתָיו.

EN (our paraphrase): In the time it takes to heat a kettle of water: this is the mind, as it says: flowing from Levanon. It went sixty parsas: these are the gevuros, as in: sixty mighty men; and: the thunder of His mighty deeds.

Scene 12 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.9, §6.10

וְכִי שָׁדִי פַּרְשָׁא גִּירָא פַּרְשָׁא דָּא בְּחִינַת חֶסֶד, שֶׁהוּא מוֹצִיא לָאוֹר תַּעֲלוּמוֹת, דְּבָרִים הַמְּצֻמְצָמִין הוּא מְפָרֵשׁ אוֹתָם. גִּירָא דָּא: שְׁלַח חִצֶּךָ וּתְהֻמֵּם, דָּא בְּחִינַת: שֵׁב לִימִינִי וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): And a horseman shot an arrow: parsha, horseman, is chesed, kindness, which brings hidden things out to the light; things that are closed and concentrated, he explains, mefaresh. The arrow is: send out Your arrows and confound them; this is: sit at My right, and so on.

Scene 13 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.11

קָדְמָה לֵיהּ אִיהִי דָּא בְּחִינַת יִרְאָה שֶׁהִיא קֹדֶם, שֶׁהַיִּרְאָה הִיא קוֹדֶמֶת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): The ship got ahead of it: this is fear, which comes first; fear comes before, as it says: the beginning of wisdom, and so on.

Part 6 — Fear First, and the Psalm of the Shofar

Scene 2 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.12

שֶׁרַבָּה בַּר בַּר חָנָה סִפֵּר, שֶׁהָלַךְ כָּל כָּךְ בְּמִדַּת הַיִּרְאָה, וְרָאָה גֹּדֶל כֹּחַ הַיִּרְאָה, עַד שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהָבִין עַל יָדָהּ בֵּין קֹדֶם גְּזַר דִּין לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין, וְזֶהוּ: בֵּין שִׁיצָא וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): For Rabbah bar bar Chanah was telling that he had gone so far in the quality of fear, and saw the great power of fear, that through it he could understand whether it was before the decree or after the decree. And this is: between one fin and the other.

Scene 3 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.13

וְהָדָר מְפָרֵשׁ אֵיךְ יָכוֹל לְהָבִין, הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי הַמִּצְווֹת, שֶׁהֵם בְּחִינַת תְּלָתָא יוֹמָא וְכוּ', יָכוֹל לְהָבִין. וְדַוְקָא כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂין אוֹתָן בְּשִׂמְחָה, וְעַל־יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת הַמִּצְווֹת יָכוֹל לְהָבִין,

EN (our paraphrase): Then he explains how he could understand: through the mitzvos, which are the three days, and so on; through them he can understand. And specifically when they are done with joy; through the joy of the mitzvos he can understand,

Scene 4 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.13

כִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא מְשַׂמֵּחַ בְּמַעֲשָׂיו, וְהַשִּׂמְחָה הִיא מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בְּמִצְווֹת כַּנַּ"ל, וַאֲנַחְנוּ מְשַׂמְּחִין לְמַטָּה גַּם כֵּן בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו, וְאֵין רְצוֹנֵנוּ בְּשׁוּם שָׂכָר, אֲפִלּוּ שְׂכַר עוֹלָם הַבָּא כַּנַּ"ל. וְזֶה: אִיהוּ בִּזְקִיפוּ וְאֲנַן בְּשִׁפּוּלֵי, לְפִי שִׂמְחָתוֹ כֵּן שִׂמְחָתֵנוּ, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֲנַחְנוּ יְכוֹלִין לְהָבִין.

EN (our paraphrase): for the Holy One, blessed be He, rejoices in His works, and His joy is clothed in the mitzvos, as above. And we below rejoice too in the Holy One, blessed be He, as it says: Israel will rejoice in its Maker, and we want no reward at all, not even the reward of the World to Come. This is: it was raised up, and we were down low; as His joy, so is our joy, and through this we can understand.

Scene 5 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.14

וְהָדָר מְפָרֵשׁ אֵיךְ לְהַשִּׂיג בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה, עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת רַעַם. וְזֶהוּ: כִּי אָתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר: כְּמֵיחַם קֻמְקוּמָא דְּמַיָא וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל. שִׁיתִּין זֶה בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת, הַפּוֹגְעִין בְּגַלְגַּלְתָּא, וְנַעֲשֶׂה מִמֶּנּוּ רְעָמִים. וְאִשְׁתַּמַע קָלָא, זֶה בְּחִינַת: הַקּוֹל מְעוֹרֵר הַכַּוָּנָה, בְּחִינַת: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): Then he explains how to reach joy: through thunder. This is: when Rav Dimi came, he said, in the time it takes to heat a kettle of water, and so on; this is: the voice of Your thunder is in the sphere. Sixty: these are the gevuros that strike the skull, and thunder is made of it. And the sound is heard: this is, the voice awakens the intention; as in: thunder was created only, and so on.

Scene 6 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.15

וְהָדָר אָמַר, שֶׁעִקַּר הִתְגַּבְּרוּת הַגְּבוּרוֹת אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא עַל־יְדֵי חֲסָדִים, וְצָרִיךְ לְאַכְלָלָא שְׂמֹאלָא בִּימִינָא כַּנַּ"ל, וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן צָרִיךְ לְאַקְדָּמָא אֶת הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי בַּעַל אֲבֵדָה מַחֲזִיר עַל אֲבֵדָתוֹ.

EN (our paraphrase): Then he said that the main strength of the gevuros comes only through the chassadim, and the left must be included in the right, as above. Even so, fear must come first, for the one who lost something goes looking for what he lost.

Scene 7 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.16

כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה קִדּוּשִׁין ב: דַּרְכּוֹ שֶׁל אִישׁ לַחֲזֹר אַחַר אִשָּׁה. מָשָׁל לְאָדָם, שֶׁאָבְדָה לוֹ אֲבֵדָה וְכוּ'. פֵּרוּשׁ, כִּי אַהֲבָה הוּא בְּחִינַת אִישׁ, וְיִרְאָה הִיא בְּחִינַת אִשָּׁה, כַּיָּדוּעַ,

EN (our paraphrase): As our Sages said in Kiddushin: it is the way of a man to go looking for a wife; it is like a man who lost something, and so on. The meaning is: love is the aspect of the man, and fear is the aspect of the woman, as is known,

Scene 8 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.16

וְעַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים אֶת הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי אָז תָּבוֹא אֵלָיו הָאַהֲבָה מִמֵּילָא, כִּי הָאַהֲבָה הוֹלֶכֶת וּמְחַזֶּרֶת אַחַר הַיִּרְאָה תָּמִיד, כִּי בַּעַל אֲבֵדָה מַחֲזִיר אַחַר אֲבֵדָתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל; כָּךְ שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפִּיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּפֵרוּשׁ. וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינַת: וְכִי שָׁדָא פָּרְשָׁא גִּירָא וְכוּ'.

EN (our paraphrase): and so one must put fear first, for then love will come to him by itself, since love always goes searching after fear, as the owner of a lost object goes searching for what he lost. So I heard it explicitly from his holy mouth. And this is: and a horseman shot an arrow, and so on.

Scene 9 · LM I:5 §6 · paragraph §6.17

וְאָמַר רַב אַשִׁי: הַאי גִּלְדָּנָא דְיָּמָא וְכוּ'. גִּילְדְנָא הוּא בְּחִינַת שֵׁם אגל"א, שֶׁהוּא בְּחִינַת גְּבוּרוֹת,

EN (our paraphrase): And Rav Ashi said: that was a sea gildena, and so on. Gildena is the Name AGLA, which is gevuros,

Scene 12 · LM I:5 §7 · paragraph §7.1, §7.2, §7.3

וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ: בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ עַל־יְדֵי בְּחִינַת קוֹל דְּנָפִיק, כַּנַּ"ל, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה: יִרְעַם הַיָּם וְכוּ', נַעֲשֶׂה בְּחִינַת רְעָמִים, בְּחִינַת: קוֹל רַעַמְךָ בַּגַּלְגַּל.

EN (our paraphrase): And this is the meaning of: with trumpets and the sound of the shofar, and so on; that is, through the voice that goes out, as above. Through this: let the sea thunder, and so on; thunder is made, as in: the voice of Your thunder is in the sphere.

Scene 13 · LM I:5 §7 · paragraph §7.4, §7.5

תֵּבֵל וְיֹשְׁבֵי בָהּ – דָּא בְּחִינַת לִבָּא וְעָרְקִין דִּילֵהּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים וְכוּ': כִּי תֵּבֵל – אוֹתִיּוֹת תָּי"ו לֵב: תָּיו לְשׁוֹן רְשִׁימָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: וְהִתְוִיתָ תָּו – שֶׁנִּרְשַׁם הַקּוֹל בַּלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים וְכוּ'; וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה:

EN (our paraphrase): The world and those who dwell in it: this is the heart and its veins, as the Sages said: thunder was created only, and so on. For teivel, world, has the letters tav, lev: tav means a mark, as it says: and make a mark; the voice is marked on the heart, as they said: thunder was created only, and so on. And through this:

Scene 14 · LM I:5 §7 · paragraph §7.6, §7.7

נְהָרוֹת יִמְחֲאוּ כָף – בְּחִינַת שִׂמְחָה כַּנַּ"ל, וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה. וְעַל יְדֵי הַשִּׂמְחָה: יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ. רִנָּה לְשׁוֹן תְּפִלָּה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב: לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל הָרִנָּה וְכוּ';

EN (our paraphrase): Rivers will clap their hands: this is joy, as above, and for the straight of heart, joy. And through the joy: together the mountains will sing. Rinah, song, is a word of prayer, as it says: to hear the song, and so on.

Scene 15 · LM I:5 §7 · paragraph §7.8

הָרִים בְּחִינַת צַדִּיקִים, הַיְנוּ עַל יְדֵי שִׂמְחַת הַלֵּב יְכוֹלִין לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶת תְּפִלָּתָן בְּמַאֲמָר, כְּשֶׁיָּבִינוּ כִּי נִגְזַר הַדִּין, וְזֶה פֵּרוּשׁ יַחַד – שֶׁמַּלְבִּישִׁים תְּפִלָּתָם בְּסִפּוּרִים יַחַד:

EN (our paraphrase): Mountains are the tzaddikim. Through the joy of the heart they can pray, and clothe their prayer in a saying, when they understand that a decree has been made. And this is the meaning of together: they clothe their prayer together with stories.

Hebrew phrases in the Explainer

Scene 2 · §1.1: בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְקוֹל שׁוֹפָר הָרִיעוּ לִפְנֵי וְכוּ':

Scene 3 · §1.2: כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִי.

Scene 4 · §1.3: אֲבָל לְאַחַר גְּזַר דִּין צָרִיךְ לְהַלְבִּישׁ הַתְּפִלָּה,

Scene 5 · §2.2: שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – מִצְוָה; כִּי הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

Scene 6 · §2.3: כִּי בְּחִינַת כֹּה הוּא אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְאִירָה, וְזֶה הַדָּבָר הוּא בְּחִינַת אַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא הַמְּאִירָה.

Scene 7 · §2.7: נִמְצָא שֶׁעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁלּוֹ בְּהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

Scene 8 · §2.11: וְהַשִּׂמְחָה שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא הִיא מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת בְּהַמִּצְווֹת, כִּי הֵם אַחְדוּתוֹ,

Scene 9 · §2.12: וְזֶה בְּחִינַת: יִשְׂמַח יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעוֹשָׂיו.

Scene 10 · §2.15: זָכְרֵהוּ מֵאֶחָד בְּשַׁבָּת,

Scene 11 · §3.1: וּלְיִשְׁרֵי לֵב שִׂמְחָה.

Scene 12 · §3.3: כַּד קָלָא נָפִיק וְאַעָרָא בְּעָבֵי מִטְרָא, אִשְׁתַּמַּע קָלָא לִבְרִיָּתָא, וְדָא אִינוּן רְעָמִים.

Scene 13 · §3.7: מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, דְּבָרָיו נִשְׁמָעִין,

Scene 14 · §3.10: אַשְׁרֵי הָעָם יוֹדְעֵי תְרוּעָה

Scene 15 · §4.4: וְתַעֲשֶׂה מֵאוֹתִיּוֹת חָמֵץ מַצָּה, הַיְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא תַּחְמִיץ חָכְמָתְךָ.

Scene 16 · §4.3: יָרַד גַּבְרִיאֵל וְנָעַץ קָנֶה בַּיָּם.

Scene 17 · §4.6: וְתַאֲמִין, כִּי כָּל מַצּוּתָא וּמְרִיבָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בֵּין הַצַּדִּיקִים הַשְּׁלֵמִים, אֵין זֶה אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּגָרְשׁוּ סִטְרִין אָחֳרָנִין,

Scene 18 · §5.2: וְכֵן צָרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף הָאַהֲבָה עִם הַיִּרְאָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתְעַבֵד רְעָמִים,

Scene 19 · §6.11: קָדְמָה לֵיהּ אִיהִי דָּא בְּחִינַת יִרְאָה שֶׁהִיא קֹדֶם,

Scene 20 · §6.16: וְעַל־כֵּן צָרִיךְ לְהַקְדִּים אֶת הַיִּרְאָה, כִּי אָז תָּבוֹא אֵלָיו הָאַהֲבָה מִמֵּילָא,

Scene 21 · §7.7: יַחַד הָרִים יְרַנֵּנוּ.

Hebrew phrases in the 1-minute recap

Scene 2 · §1.2: כָּל הָעוֹלָם לֹא נִבְרָא אֶלָּא בִּשְׁבִילִי.

Scene 3 · §1.3: אֲזַי הַצַּדִּיקִים מַלְבִּישִׁים שְׁאֵלָתָם בְּמַאֲמָר:

Scene 4 · §2.2: שְׂכַר מִצְוָה – מִצְוָה; כִּי הוּא נֶהֱנֶה מֵהַמִּצְוָה בְּעַצְמָהּ.

Scene 5 · §3.2: לֹא נִבְרְאוּ רְעָמִים אֶלָּא לְפַשֵּׁט עַקְמִימִיּוּת שֶׁבַּלֵּב,

Scene 6 · §5.2: וְכֵן צָרִיךְ לְשַׁתֵּף הָאַהֲבָה עִם הַיִּרְאָה,

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