## Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book

###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 1
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א. מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ לְחַבֵּר אֵיזֶהוּ סֵפֶר וְאֵינוֹ מְחַבְּרוֹ, זֶה כְּמוֹ שִׁכּוּל בָּנִים.

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
When a person who is capable of authoring some holy work refrains from doing so, it is as if he remains childless.


###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 2
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ב. אֵלּוּ הַמְחַבְּרֵי הַסְּפָרִים – צָרִיךְ לָהֶם לִשְׁקל בַּמִּשְׁקָל אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַסֵּפֶר, אִם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם כְּדֵי סֵפֶר, כִּי עִקַּר הַסֵּפֶר אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים, הַנֶּאֱמָרִים בְּהִתְקַשְּׁרוּת הַנְּשָׁמוֹת בִּבְחִינַת: "זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם", וְאִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ מְעַט בְּהִתְקַשְּׁרוּת הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל, אֵין בּוֹ כְּדֵי סֵפֶר.

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
Those who author holy works should carefully weigh the contents of their work to see that there is sufficient material for a book. For the value of any book comes only from those parts that were written through a “binding of souls,” as in, “This is the book of the lineage of man” (Genesis 5:1). If but a minimum of the book was written through such binding, it is not worthy of publication.


###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 3
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ג. מְבִינֵי מַדָּע יְכוֹלִים לְהָבִין, כְּשֶׁרוֹאִים בְּסֵפֶר חִדּוּשִׁין דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, אִם בַּעַל הַמְחַבֵּר חִדֵּשׁ אֵלּוּ הַחִדּוּשִׁין בְּעַצְמוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁכְּבָר הָיָה לְעוֹלָמִים שֶׁחִדֵּשׁ אֵלּוּ הַחִדּוּשִׁין. וּמֵחֲמַת שֶׁלּא הָיָה בָּהֶם כְּדֵי סֵפֶר, נִתְגַּלָּה לְבַעַל הַמְחַבֵּר אֵלּוּ הַחִדּוּשִׁין, כְּדֵי לְחַבְּרָם בְּסִפְרוֹ, אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת לא טָרַח עַל אֵלּוּ הַחִדּוּשִׁין, כִּי בָּא לוֹ בְּנָקֵל, כִּי כְּבָר הָיָה מִי שֶׁטָּרַח בִּשְׁבִילָם וְהֵבִיא אוֹתָם לְגִלּוּי.

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
Those with insight are able to determine by looking into a holy book whether its original Torah teachings are solely the insights of the author, or they already existed, having been originated by another, but were insufficient for forming an entire work. [If it is the latter,] then the original ideas were revealed to this author so that he might bring them into print. Yet the truth is that he did not work for these insights, which came to him easily because someone else had already labored over them and brought them to light.


###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 4
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ד. כְּשֶׁנִּדְפָּס אֵיזֶהוּ סֵפֶר חָדָשׁ, עַל־יְדֵי זֶה הַבְּכִיָּה שֶׁעַל־יָדוֹ נִתְחַדֵּשׁ זֶה הַסֵּפֶר בִּבְחִינַת "וְשִׁקֻּוַי בִּבְכִי מָסָכְתִּי", הַבְּכִיָּה הַזּאת נִתְגַּבֵּר כְּנֶגֶד גְּזֵרוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל הָאֻמּוֹת, שֶׁלּא יִתְגַּבְּרוּ עָלֵינוּ. גַּם עִקַּר כּחַ מֶמְשַׁלְתָּם אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא בִּבְכִיָּה שֶׁל עֵשָׂו, וְסִימָן לַדָּבָר: וְהָיָה מִסְפַּר בְּ'נֵי יִ'שְׂרָאֵל כְּ'חוֹל הַ'יָם.

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
When a new book is printed, the crying it took to produce it—which is the aspect of “and mixed my drink with crying” (Psalms 102:10)—defeats the nations’ evil decrees and keeps them from overcoming us. Indeed, the essential strength of their rule stems only from the time Esau cried [when Jacob took his blessing]. This is alluded to in the verse, “And thus *mispar h’nai yisrael k’chol hayam* (the number of the Jewish people will be like the grains of sand in the sea)” (Hosea 2:1). [The word *mispar* can also be read *mi’sepher,* from a holy book; and the first letters of *B’nai Yisrael K’chol Hayam* spell *B’KhiYaH,* crying],


###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 5
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ה. מִי שֶׁאֵין מִסְתַּכֵּל עַל נָשִׁים, זוֹכֶה שֶׁזַּרְעוֹ יְחַבְּרוּ פֵּרוּשִׁים עַל הַתּוֹרָה.

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
Whoever refrains from staring at women is rewarded with offspring who will author commentaries on the Torah.


###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 6
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ו. מַה שֶּׁסְּפָרִים קְדוֹשִׁים שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים נִגְנָזִין וְנֶאֱבָדִין וְנִשְּׁכָּחִין מִן הָעוֹלָם, כְּגוֹן כַּמָּה סְפָרִים שֶׁל תַּנָאִים וְקַדְמוֹנִים שֶּׁנֶּאֶבְדוּ וְנִשְּׁכְּחוּ הוּא טוֹבָה לָעוֹלָם, כִּי עַל־יְדֵי זֶה נֶאֱבָדִין וְנֶעֱקָרִין וְנִמְחִין סִפְרֵי מִינִין וְאֶפִּיקוֹרְסִים הַרְבֵּה, יִמַּח שְׁמָם, גַּם עַל־יְדֵי זֶה נִתְבַּטֵּל קִנְאָה וְשִׂנְאָה בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ הַכְּשֵׁרִים, הַמִּתְנַהֲגִים בִּקְדֻשָּׁה.

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
It is actually beneficial for the world that many holy books written by righteous authors, including the Mishnaic Sages and other early Tzaddikim, have been lost and forgotten from the world. Their disappearance causes many books by apostates and heretics to be uprooted and erased from existence. The elimination of those holy works also eliminates any jealousy or enmity that exists between a husband and wife who conduct themselves with holiness.


###### Sefer HaMiddot, A Holy Book 7
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ז. עַל־יְדֵי סֵפֶר גָּדוֹל שֶׁיּוֹצֵא לָעוֹלָם, נִפְקָדִין עֲקָרוֹת, וְסִימָן "זֶה סֵפֶר תּוֹלְדוֹת אָדָם".

**The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986:**
When a great book appears in the world, it causes barren women to be remembered by God. This is alluded to in the verse, “This is the book of the lineage of man” (Genesis 5:1).