Translation:Likutei Moharan/5
#5 Bachatzotzrot/On the Trumpets[edit]
Verbatim from Rabbeinu of blessed memory
Bachatzotzrot vekol shofar/On the trumpets and the sound of the shofar, hari`u lifnei hamelekh Hashem/shout out before the King, Hashem (Ps. 98)
1. Since each man must say, "The whole world was created just for me" (Sanh. 37), hence insofar as the world was created for me, I must at all times see and look into tikkun olam/rectifying the world, and filling the world's lackings, and praying for them.
And the matter of prayer comes in two aspects. Namely, before the gezar din/decree of the judgement, one prays according to the [regular] order of the prayer, and it is not necessary to conceal the prayer. But after the gezar din, one needs to enshroud the prayer, so that the mal'achim/angels that stand to the Left will not understand and not make opposition, as it is written (Dan. 4:14): "Bigzerath `irin pithgamin/Now that it has been decreed by the angels..." — namely after the gezar din, now — "...bema'amar qadishin she'elt[in]/by the saying of the holy ones is the request[s];" then the Tzadikim enclothe their she'elah/request in a ma'amar/discussion.
2. But how do we discern between before gezar din vs. after gezar din? By means of the mitzvot that we do, we can differentiate between before gezar din vs. after gezar din. And specifically by doing the mitzvot so joyously as to not want any reward of `Olam Haba/the Coming World, but just wanting Hakadosh Baruch Hu to send him another mitzvah in reward for this mitzvah, like our Sages obm said (Avoth 4), "A mitzvah's reward is a mitzvah," for he enjoys from the mitzvah itself.
And this is the difference between the prophecy of Moshe Rabbeinu and other prophets, as Rashi explained: "Waydaber Moshe el-rashei hamatoth... zeh hadavar asher tziwah Hashem/And Moshe spoke to the heads of the tribes... This is the DaBaR/word that Hashem has commanded (Num. 30)." Rashi explains: All the prophets prophesied with "Koh amar Hashem.../Thus said Hashem;" Moshe surpasses them, for he prophesied with "Zeh hadavar/This is the word." Because "Koh/thus" is like a mirky windowpane, but "Zeh Hadavar" is like a clear pane.
And both these aspects of prophecy occur in serving the Creator. There is a man who does a mitzvah for the reward of `Olam Haba, as he derives no benefit from the mitzvah itself. If he were not given `Olam Haba in reward for it he would not do it. And this is the aspect of Koh, a mirky pane, like a man who sees some thing from afar [v. Z. Wayeira 120], so he does the mitzvah for the reward that comes at a distant time, i.e. after this world, so the reward payment is called "NaVIA/prophet," acrostic for (Ps. 126): "Yavo Berinah Nosse' Alumothaw/shall come with singing, carrying his sheaves..." And there in this verse is hinted his reward payment (Ps. 126): "Halokh yelekh uvaKhoH nose' meshekh hazara`/He who is going for the future [payment] and weeping, bearing and dragging the seed..." — for he has performs it grudgingly, [so] "...Bo yavo berinah nosse alumothaw/He will come into his future with joyful shouting, carrying his sheaves," as he will rejoice in the future, when he receives the reward of the mitzvah. The acrostic of "Yavo Berina Nose Alumothaw" is the head-letters NaVIA.
But the prophet who prophesies with "Zeh Hadavar," whose desire is not the reward of the mitzvoth, but who rather desires the mitzvah in itself, for he so much rejoices in doing it, that he is spurns any kind of reward, hereby his `Olam Haba is the mitzvah itself. And this is the aspect of NaVIA, that is, reward payment, in the aspect of zeh hadavar, in the aspect of the clear pane, like a man who sees a thing from close with beautiful and pure vision; so too he enjoys from the mitzvah in itself, and his reward is neged `einaw/facing right before his eyes.
And whoever is on this level, that he does a mitzvah in such great 'simchah'/joy that he does not desire any reward of `Olam Haba for it — he can know whether it is before gezar din or after gezar din, for the mitzvot are a qoma shelemah/complete Anatomy [v. T"Z #70 daf 131...], and they nourish all the qomoth/Anatomies, whether the anatomy of man [soul], anatomy of the world [space], or anatomy of the year [time], for space, time and soul receive vitality from the mitzvot, as written (Ps. 33): "Wekhol-ma`asehu be'emunah/And all His works are [sustained] by emunah/faith;" and the scripture (ibid. 119): "Kol-mitzwotheikha emunah/All your mitzvoth are emunah." And Haqadosh Baruch Hu is a simple unity with the mitzvoth, so when the Haqadosh Baruch Hu's actions are in proper repair and order, then Haqadosh Baruch Hu rejoices in them and delights in them, as written (ibid. 104): "Yismach Hashem bema`asaw/Hashem will rejoice with his works," like a crafter who makes some object, and the object is beautiful, so He rejoices in it. And the joy of Haqadosh Baruch Hu is clothed in the mitzvoth, for they are His unity, and whoever does the mitzvah in joy from the mitzvah in itself, hence when he enters the simchah that is in the mitzvah, he enters the simchah of Haqadosh Baruch Hu, who is rejoicing in His works, and this is like (ibid. 149): "Yismach Yisrael be`osaw/Let Israel rejoice with its Maker."
Hence, when there is some affliction or judgement in the space-time-soul then surely it detracts from Haqadosh Baruch Hu's joy, as it is written (Gen. 6): "Wayyit`atzev el-libo/And it grieved His heart;" and as they said (Sanh. 46): "What does the Shekhinah say? 'Woe to my head!' etc." And this person who enters this joy can surely know according to the nature of the joy whether if it is before gezar din or after gezar din. He can also know on what part of the Anatomy the judgement is decreed, for he knows according to the mitzvoth's anatomy: If he cannot perform joyously the "heads" of the mitzvoth, i.e. mitzvoth that depend on the head, he knows that the judgment is decreed on the "heads" of space-time-soul, and likewise with the other mitzvoth anatomies.
And this is that which our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Mechilta, and v. Beitzah 16) regarding Shabbat: "Remember [the Shabbat] from Sunday," i.e. the joy and pleasure of `Olam Haba, which is the aspect of Shabbat, he should feel during the six workdays, which are the aspect of the action of the mitzvoth, as space-time-soul were created in them [the six days]. [And this is:] (Deut. 24) "Beyomo thiten sekharo/Give his wages on that selfsame day..." that his payment should be from the mitzvoth themselves, "...welo'-tavo `alaw hashemesh/...and let not the sun set on it," that he should not do the mitzvoth for reward of `Olam Haba, which is "after his sun sets," after his death.
3. And joy is mainly in the heart, as it is written (Ps. 4): "Nathatah simchah velibi/You have placed joy in my heart." And it is impossible for the heart to rejoice until he removes the crookedness in his heart, that he should have straightness of heart, and then he will attain simchah, as it is written (Ps. 97): "uleyishrei-lev simchah/And gladness for the straight of heart."
And the crookedness in the heart is shed via thunder, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 59a): "Thunder was created only in order to shed crookedness in the heart." Thunders are the aspect of voice that a man emits vigorously in his prayer, and thunder is created by this, for it is brought in the Zohar (Pinchas 235b): "Kad qala nafiq we'a`ara be'avei mitra ishtama` qala leviryatha we da inun r`amim/When a voice goes out and hits the rainclouds, sound is heard by mortals, and this is thunder." And thunder is rooted in gevurot/strengths/strictures/mighty deeds, as it is written (Job 26): "Wera`am gevurothaw mi yitbonan/But the thunder of His mighty deeds, who can understand?" And because of this we say the blessing "Shekocho ugvuratho male' `olam/Whose power and might fills the world." And the gevuroth/mighty deeds are the aspect of power and gevurah/might, for the man projects his voice with great force, and this sound hits the rainclouds, i.e. the aspect of brains, from whence "tipin tipin/droplets by droplets" descend, as written in the Zohar (Pinchas 235): "Be'er mayim chayim wenozlim min-levanon/a well of life-water dripping from LeVaNon" (Song 4:15) — from the white [LaVaN] of the brains. And when it hits the rainclouds, then the voice is heard by mortals, hence an aspect of thundering. And this is [Ps. 77] "Qol ra`amkha begalgal/the voice of Your thunder in the [atmo]sphere" i.e. in the skull of the brain. When it hits the skull of the brain, the voice generates thundering, and it is heard by Creation. And this is (Ps. 49): "Pi yedaber chokhmoth/My mouth will speak wisdoms..." i.e. the speech going out from my mouth will meet up with chokhmah i.e. the skull of the brain, and thereby "...wehaguth libi/and the contemplation of my heart...", that is, by the thunder being aroused, the heart is aroused, as they said: The voice arouses one's concentration [v. Berakhoth 24b ...], and this is that which our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhoth 6): "Whoever has awe of Heaven, his words are heard," for whoever has awe, his voice is made thunderous, for thunder is from sitra d'Yitshak/the side of Yitzchak [Zohar Pinchas 235b], as it is written: "wera`am gevurothaw," and thereby his words are heard, i.e. nishtam`a qala leviryatha, for that is what hearing relies on (Zohar Pinchas 230, and in Tik. 70), as it says (Hab. 3): "Hashem shama`thi shim`akha yarei'thi/Hashem, I heard a Your sound and was afraid." And this is the explanation of (Ps. 103): "Giborei koach `osei devaro, lishmo`a beqol devaro/Mighty [men] of strength doing His word, to hear his dictum audibly." It is brought in the Zohar (Lekh 90): "They are privy to hear voices from on high." That is, the gevuroth/strengths produce thunders, consequently the heart hears, hence "wehaguth libi tevunoth/and the contemplation of my heart is discernment," and as written (I Kings 3): "Wenathata le`avdekha lev shome`a/You have given Your servant a hearing heart." His words will also be listened to by mortals, and this is: "to hear his dictum audibly." And this is the aspect of the shofar sound; this is the ram's shofar, the ram of Yitshak (Zohar Pinchas 235b), the aspect of "wera`am gevurothaw." And this is (Ps. 89), "Ashrei ha`am yod`ei teru`ah/Fortunate are the people that know the teru`a/shofar-shout" — "know" specifically, that the voice should hit the brain, the aspect of rain clouds, and it should be in the aspect of thunder. And whoever hears shofar blowing from a pious man, surely all year will not worry from thunder, as it is written [in the Rosh Hashanah Mussaf prayer]: "In voices and lightnings You were revealed to them, and in the voice of a shofar You appeared to them" — for with the voice of the shofar He appeared to them more than with voices and lightning.
4. But one must liFNoTh/empty the brains from extraneous wisdoms and from foreign thoughts; from chametz, that he should not sour his wisdom with extraneous wisdoms and with cravings, in order that he can project his voice and it may strike his brain and produce thunder. But when the skull of his brain is aTuM/blocked with impurity, as it is written (Lev. 11), "weniTMetem bam/and you become contaminated with them," then his voice is not heard. He also must guard his piety, as from thence are the effects of his voice, as written, "wera`am gevurothaw/and thunder — his mighty deeds," so he should have no external fear. And this is [Avot 3], "Without wisdom there is no piety. And without piety no wisdom."
And this: "Yarad Gavriel neva`atz qaneh bayam/Gavriel descended [and] nailed a pipe in the sea" [Shab. 56b and Sanh. 21b]. Explanation: from devolutions of the gevuroth, namely external fears, he nailed a pipe in the sea of wisdom. Qaneh is the aspect of the voice that goes out from the qaneh/windpipe (Ber. 61 and v. Z. Pinchas 234), namely via the devolutions of the gevuroth, which is the aspect of the susfitha d'dahaba/gold slag, outside fears, the voice remains pinned in the impurity of the intellect, and is not heard by mortals.
So the main thing is to not let one's mind sour. And this is (Ps. 68), "Ge`ar ChaYaTh qaneh/Berate the wild animal of the reeds," as brought in the Zohar [Pinchas 252]: Break the stem of [the letter] CheYTh, and it becomes [the letter] He, and the letters of ChaMeTz become MaTzaH, that is, to not sour one's wisdom. And this explains the phrasing of ge`ar, a term for dispute, as matzah is a term for dispute [as in anshei matzuta/contentious men, Isa. 41:12], as the Tzadiqim strive with the Sitra Achras, that they should not draw nigh to the Shekhinah of Holiness [v. Z. III:251]. Namely, when you guard your wisdom, not introducing outside wisdoms in it, not entertaining bad fantasies, which are the aspect of the pipe of the Sitra Achra, in the aspect of the [Prov. 4:5] "qeneh chokhmah qeneh binah/acquiring wisdom acquire discernment" of holiness — is thereby saved from the dispute of Chametz, which is the Sitra d'Mota/Side of Death, as it is brought, "Machmetzeth, taman sitra demotha/The leavening, there is the side of death." Now, believe this: all the striving and dispute between complete tzadiqim, is only in order to expel Sitra Achras. And this is the explanation of (Prov. 15), "Ozen shoma`ath tokhachoth chayim beqerev chakhamim TaLiN/An ear hearing the rebukes of the living, will hang amidst the sages," an expression of TeLuNah/complaint and dispute. When you hear the dispute that is between the tzadiqim, know that this is sounding a rebuke of you, for having blemished the drops of your brain, of which it is said (ibid. 2), "Kol ba'eiyah lo-yeshuvun, welo'-yasigu orchoth chayim/All that come to her will not return, and will not reach the ways of the living", as you are clung to the Sitra d'Motha, the aspect of Chametz, the aspect of "Gavriel descended..."
Know this, that he "nailed a pipe" represents that outside wisdoms are lodged in your "sea of wisdom," and certainly if your brain was not blemished, no dispute among the tzadiqim would be heard by you, and the dispute is just on your account, in order that you turn back from it to the living, from Chametz to Matzah, from Cheith to He, and you return from corrupt fear, from blemished voice, from blemished wisdom, to good fear, to good voice, to good wisdom. And when you guard your brain from the aspect of Chametz, to not be obstructed, that your voice will hit your skull and produce thunder, and the crookedness in your heart be shed, then you will attain joy, as written, "Uliy'shrei-lev simchah/And joy to those who are straight of heart."
And this is the explanation of (Ps. 81), "A`ankha beseter ra`am, evchanekha `al mei-merivah selah/I will answer you in hidden, thunder; I will inspect you over the waters of dispute, Selah." Mei-merivah is the aspect of Matzah, the aspect of brains; thereby is made thunder.
5. Now know that you need to incorporate the gevuroth in the chasadim, the left in the right, as written (Ps. 20), "Bigvuroth yesha` yemino/In strictures, His right hand delivers." For the Revelation is mainly by the chasadim, as written (Ps. 110), "SheV limini/sit at my right." Accordingly you need to incorporate the fear in love, in order to produce thunder. And this is (T"Z 70) "misitra diy'mina, moach chivra kekaspa/from the right side, the brain is silvery white." And this is (Ex. 14), "wayShaV hayam/and the sea returned..." namely the sea of wisdom, "...liFNoTh boqer/toward morning," the aspect of boqer de'Avraham (Z. Terumah 170b), the aspect of (Isa. 41) "Avraham ohavi/Avraham who loves me." "...To its strength," this is the strictures [Z. I:230b], namely the aspect of "qol ram`amkha bagalgal/the voice of Your thunder in the [atmo]sphere."
And this is (Song 8), "Mayim rabim lo-yukhlu lekhaboth eth-ha'ahava/Mighty waters cannot extinguish the love," as written, "shev limini/sit at my right" etc. This is the explanation of (Ps. 29), "El hakavod/the God of Glory...": El is Chesed [Z. I:94a...]. 'Kavod' is Chokhmah [v. Z. I:31a], as written (Prov. 3), "Kavod chakhamim yinchalu/The wise will inherit glory." ..."Hir`im/thundered": this is the aspect of thunder, namely strengths, the aspect of thunder. You need to integrate love with them, in order that that they strike Kavod, the aspect of Chokhmah, producing thunder from them. Then you can defeat your enemies, as written, "shev limini" etc.
And this is the explanation of, "Said Raba Bar Bar Chana: One time we embarked on a ship. The ship sailed from one fin of the fish to the other [i.e. two fins on its back] for three days and three nights; it [swam] up [against the wind while] we [sailed] down [with the wind]. And if you think the ship did not sail fast enough, when R' Dimi came, he stated that it sailed sixty parsahs in the time it takes to warm a kettle of water. When a horseman shot an arrow [the ship] outran it. And R' Ashi said: That was one of the small sea monsters, which have [only] two fins." (B"B 73b)
Sefinta/ship is a term of prestige [v. M"Q 28a]; this is the aspect of strength and fear, as written (Isa. 33), "Yir'ath Hashem hi otzaro/The fear of Hashem is His treasure store," as that is the main thing that is important. Shitza/fin is a term of affliction, as written (Num. 16), "Wa'akhalah otam keraga`/And I will finish them in moment," which has Targum, Wa'ashatzei yath'hon/And I will [fin!]ish them."
"Three days and nights" is the aspect of the Mitzvoth, which have the rational, the traditional, and the super-rational [R' Bechaye Avot 3 end]. And it is written of them (Isa. 1), "Wehagitha bo yomam welailah/And you shall meditate on it day and night." "It went upwind and we downwind," this is the aspect of "Yismach Hashem bema`asaw, yismach Yisrael be`osaw/Let Hashem rejoice in his works; let Yisrael rejoice in its Maker." "keMeiCham/In [the time it takes] to warm a kettle of water," this is the MoaCh/brain, as written (Song 4), "Wenozelim min LeVaNon/And flowing from the White Mountains." "Sailed sixty parsahs": this is the aspect of strengths, "sixty mighty ones" [Song 3:7], and "the thunder of His strengths."
"And when a horseman shot an arrow": PaRSha/[chasing] horseman is the aspect of Chesed, as he recovers the hidden; he explains [meFaReSh] the obscure. "The arrow" is (Ps. 144) "Shelach chitzekha uth'humam/Cast Your arrows and let them be stymied." This is the aspect of "shev limini" etc. "[The ship] reached it first," this is the aspect of fear, which is first, as fear takes precedence, as written (Ps. 111), "Reishith chokhmah/[Fear] is the beginning of wisdom" etc.
What Raba Bar Bar Chana was telling, was that he went so far in the trait of fear, and saw how great is the power of fear, that by means of it a person can be able to discern between before gezar din and after gezar din. So this is "from shitza/fin/judgment to shitza." Then he explains how one can be able to discern, namely by the mitzvoth, which are the aspect of "three days" etc. he can discern. But only by performing them joyously, then by the joy of the mitzvah one can discern. For HKBH is "mesameach bema`ASaW/rejoicing in His works" and the simchah is clothed in the mitzvoth, as mentioned. And we are rejoicing below as well, in HKBH, as written, "...yismach Yisrael be`AoSaW/let Yisrael rejoice in their Maker," and our desire is in no reward, even the reward of `Olam Haba, as mentioned. So this is, "It up and we down," as His joy is according to our joy.
So by this we can discern. Then he explains how to attain the aspect of joy: by the aspect of thunder. And this is, "When R' Dimi came he said: In the time it takes to heat a kettle of water" etc., namely the aspect of "Qol ra`amkha bagalgal/Your thunderous voice in the [atmo]sphere." "Sixty" is the aspect of strictures, which hit the head, and produce thunder, and make sound to be heard.
This is the aspect of "Qol me`orer haqawana/Voice awakens one's concentration," the aspect of, "Thunder was created only for" etc. Then he said: That the essence of the strictures' overpowering is only by the Chasadim, and we need to include the Left in the Right, as mentioned. But yet we need to have the fear come first (v. T"Z Intro). For the owner who lost something is the one who should go searching again for it (as our sages obm said, "It is the way of the man to pursue the woman... comparable to a man who lost some item" etc. Explanation: For love is the male aspect, and fear the feminine, as known [explained in Z. I:30,70 ...].
Therefore, we need to have the fear come first, for then the love will come to him automatically. For love always searches after the fear, every time, For "the owner who lost it goes after his lost thing" as mentioned. Thus I heard explicitly from his holy mouth.)
And this is the aspect of: "When the horseman shoots an arrow..." Rav Ashi said: That was a sea gildena [a small fish among the sea monsters] etc. GILDeNA is the aspect of the name AGL"A which is the aspect of the strictures, for it is the acrostic of: Atah Gibor Le`olam Adonai, as is brought (Z"Ch Terumah), for Gildena is the letters of AG"L and the name ADN"I in full, hence the name AGL"A as above. And this is the explanation of: Bachatzotzrot veqol shofar/With the trumpets and the sound of the shofar..." that is, via the voice that goes out, as described above, thereby "...Yir`am hayam/The sea shall roar..." becoming the aspect of thunder, the aspect of, "The voice of Your thunder in the [atmo]sphere;" "...tevel weyoshvei bah/the land and those dwelling in it..." this is the aspect of the heart and its arteries, as they said, "Thunder was created only for ..."
For TeVeL is the letters of Tay"w LeV, TaW denoting impression, as written, "WehiThWitha TaW/you shall mark a sign," as the voice is makes an impression on the heart, as they said, "Thunder was created only for ..." And thereby "...Neharoth yimcha'u khaf/Rivers will clap their hands..." the aspect of joy, as mentioned. "And joy to those who are straight of heart."
And through the joy "...yachad harim yeRaNnenu/In unison the mountains will shout out." RiNah denotes prayer, as written (I King 8), "Lishmo`a el-haRiNnah/to hear the prayer..." Mountains are the aspect of the righteous (v. M"R Bo 15). That is, through the heart's joy, people can pray, or enclothe their prayer in speech, when they discern the judgement has been decreed. And this explains "yachad/in unison," for they enclothe their prayer together in stories.