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Likutei Moharan Torah 39

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לְשׁוֹן רַבֵּנוּ זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ (דברים י״א:ט״ו).

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

V’natati Aisev (And I Will Provide Forage) in your sadeh (field) for your animals, [and you will eat and be satiated].” (Deuteronomy 11:15)

עֵשֶׂב – רָאשֵׁי־תֵּבוֹת עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו.

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

AiSeV An acrostic for Oseh Shalom Bimeromav (“He creates peace in His heights”) (Job 25:2).

בְּשָׂדְךָ, לְשׁוֹן שִׁדּוּד וּשְׁבִירָה.

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

in your SaDeh This connotes SiDud and breaking.

כְּשֶׁאָדָם מַרְגִּישׁ אֵיזֶה רְעָבוֹן, שֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו תַּאֲוַת אֲכִילָה, יֵדַע שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ שׂוֹנְאִים, כְּמַאֲמַר חֲכָמֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: הַשָּׂם גְּבוּלֵךְ שָׁלוֹם (תהילים קמ״ז:י״ד), וּמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ רָשִׁים מִלְּמַטָּה, בְּיָדוּעַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ רָשִׁים מִלְּמַעְלָה (סנהדרין קג:).

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

When a person experiences a hunger, being overcome by the desire for food, he should know that he has enemies. As our Sages taught (Bava Metziah 59a): “He endows your borders with peace, [and satisfies you with choice wheat]” (Psalms 147:14). And, whoever has enemies below certainly has enemies Above (Sanhedrin 103b).

בְּכֵן צָרִיךְ לְשַׂדֵּד וּלְשַׁבֵּר הַבַּהֲמִיּוּת שֶׁלּוֹ הַמִּתְאַוָּה לֶאֱכֹל, כִּי עִקַּר הָרְעָבוֹן הוּא לְבַהֲמִיּוּת. גַּם אָמְרוּ בַּמִּדְרָשׁ (בראשית פ' סג): בָּא זָדוֹן וְיָבוֹא קָלוֹן – דָּא קְלוֹנוֹ שֶׁל רָעָב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (יחזקאל ל״ו:ל׳): אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִּקְחוּ עוֹד חֶרְפַּת רָעָב בַּגּוֹיִם.

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

Therefore, he has to turn over and break his animalistic quality which desires food. This is because hunger belongs mainly to the animalistic quality. The Midrash also states: “When wickedness appears, disgrace follows” (Proverbs 11:2) —this is the disgrace of hunger, as is written (Ezekiel 36:30), “so that you will never again be humiliated before the nations because of famine.”

נִמְצָא, הַמַּחֲלֹקֶת, הַיְנוּ מַה שֶּׁמְּחָרְפִין לָאָדָם, בָּא עַל־יְדֵי־ זֶה בְּחִינַת רָעָב. וְרָעָב הַזֶּה, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת מַחֲלֹקֶת, בְּחִינַת חֶרְפָּה, הוּא בְּחִינַת עָרְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (בראשית ל״ד:י״ד): כִּי חֶרְפָּה הִיא לָנוּ. וְהָעָרְלָה הֵם שָׁלֹשׁ קְלִפּוֹת, הַמְסַבְּבִים הַבְּרִית שָׁלוֹם, וּכְשֶׁמְּשַׁבְּרִין אֶת הָעָרְלָה, אֲזַי נִתְגַּלֶּה בְּרִית שָׁלוֹם. וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם לְמַטָּה, יֵשׁ לוֹ שָׁלוֹם לְמַעְלָה בִּמְרוֹמוֹ. וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ שָׁלוֹם לְמַעְלָה, אֲזַי נִתְגַּלֶּה וְנִתְרַבֶּה שׂבַע גָּדוֹל בָּעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב גַּבֵּי יוֹסֵף (שם מז): תֶּן זֶרַע וְנִחְיֶה:

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

We see, therefore, that conflict—i.e., when a man is disgraced by others—is an aspect of hunger. And this hunger—i.e., the aspect of conflict/disgrace—corresponds to the foreskin, as is written (Genesis 34:14), “We cannot… give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace to us.” For the foreskin comprises three evil forces surrounding the covenant of peace, as is brought elsewhere. And when the foreskin is broken, the covenant of peace is revealed. For when there is peace below, he has peace Above, “in His heights.” And when there is peace Above, then the world has a revelation and a great increase of satiation. As it is written concerning Yosef (Genesis 47:19), “Give us seed grain, that we may live!”

פֵּרוּשׁ אַחֵר:

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

Another explanation:

וְנָתַתִּי עֵשֶׂב – רֶמֶז לְבָנִים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (איוב ה׳:כ״ה): וְצֶאֱצָאֶיךָ כְּעֵשֶׂב הָאָרֶץ.

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

And I will provide forage — An allusion to children, as is written (Job 5:25), “your descendants like the forage of the earth.”

בְּשָׂדְךָ לִבְהֶמְתֶּךָ – הַיְנוּ, אֵימָתַי יִהְיֶה לְךָ בָּנִים חַיִּים וְקַיָּמִים, כְּשֶׁיִּהְיֶה זִוּוּגְךָ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, וּתְשַׁבֵּר נֶפֶשׁ הַמִּתְאַוָּה שֶׁלְּךָ, הַיְנוּ נֶפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִיּוּת, וְיִדְמֶה לְךָ כְּאִלּוּ כְּפָאֲךָ שֵׁד (נדרים כ:). וְזֶה בְּשָׂדְךָ – לְשׁוֹן שֵׁד, עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִהְיוּ לְךְ בְּנֵי קַיָּמָא.

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

in your sadeh for your animals — In other words, when will you have living and viable children? When your marital relations are in holiness and you break your desirous soul—i.e., the animal soul—so that it will seem as if you were possessed by a demon (Nedarim 20b). This is “in your SaDeh,” similar to ShaiD (demon). As a result, you will have viable children.

כִּי מִיתַת הַבָּנִים, זֶה מֵחֲמַת נְשָׁמוֹת הָעֲשׁוּקִים בְּטִקְלָא, כַּיָּדוּעַ. כִּי הַטִּקְלָא, הַיְנוּ קְלִפּוֹת נֹגַהּ, הִיא קְרוֹבָה אֶל הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבַּהֲמִיּוּת, כַּמּוּבָא בְּמִשְׁנַת חֲסִידִים בְּמַסֶּכֶת הַהַרְכָּבָה.

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

For the reason children die has to do with the souls which are oppressed within the scale, as is known. Because the scale—i.e., the evil force of nogah —is close to the animal soul, as is brought in Mishnat Chassidim, Mesekhta HaHarkavah.

גַּם צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא עִקַּר זִוּוּגְךָ בְּלֵיל שַׁבָּת, שֶׁאָז נִכְלֶלֶת בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, וְיִתְפָּרְדוּ מִמֶּנָּה כָּל פּוֹעֲלֵי אָוֶן. וְזֶה:

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

It is also necessary for your marital relations to be mainly on Shabbat evening, for then the evil force of nogah is encompassed in holiness and “all the evildoers will be scattered” (Psalms 92:10) away from her. This is:

וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ – זֶה רֶמֶז עַל שַׁבָּת, שֶׁאָז הַשְּׂבִיעָה, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ נִתְבָּרְכִין שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים:

Likutey Moharan Volumes 12-15, trans. by Moshe Mykoff. Breslov Research Inst., 1986-2012

and you will eat and be satiated — This alludes to Shabbat, for then there is satiation from which all the weekdays are blessed.

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