I once heard the following from the Rebbe.²⁸⁸ II, 88. See Likutey Halakhot, Birkat HaPerot 5; Alim LeTerufah #64. I saw a new angel today. I know his name and his deputies. These angels are all holding shofars.

footnotes: ²⁸⁸ This is also cited in Likutey Moharan

They first blow a long tekiah, then a staccato teruah, and finally another tekiah.

These angels seek out lost things.

Many things are lost. This is because of desire. It is written, “Ta'avot resha'im toved – The desire of the wicked shall be lost” (Psalms 112:10). The mnemonic for Tekiah, teRuah, Tekiah is TRT. The initial letters of the words in this verse are the same as the mnemonic: Ta'avot (Tekiah), Resha'im(teRuah), Toved(Tekiah).

Even a tzaddik who searches after lost things is himself lost sometimes. Thus it is written, “There is a tzaddik who is lost through his righteousness” (Ecclesiastes 7:15). The tzaddik must then repent for the sin that was responsible for the loss.

Although the sin was not actually committed by the tzaddik, he is still tainted by it. When he repents for that infinitesimal taint of sin, he is then able to recover awesome things that have been lost. When these are found, there is a great tumult and joy on high.

The Rebbe then said, “It is very difficult to receive alms.”

It appears that a person who receives alms can do much damage and make it more difficult to recover lost things. He can also cause things to become lost. This is my understanding [of what the Rebbe meant]. The Rebbe’s words here are awesomely deep.

See what he writes in Likutey Moharan II, 87 and 88. There he states that the Kabbalistic concepts for the month of Elul are very helpful for the blemish of the covenant that results from sexual sins. It also speaks of the mystery of unripe fruit. All this is related to the above.

I heard this explicitly from the Rebbe’s holy lips, and no one among us has begun to fathom its depth.