Ba'al Shem Tov

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Noach.107.1
Each person has within them potential powers. In one realm they need to use one power, and in a different realm another. As your soul ascends through the various worlds that it needs to pass through, it is tested: if it is unworthy of ascending to such a world, it is cast out. Sometimes, a foreign thought is sent to you in order to cast you out. If you are wise, however, with this very thought you might be able to connect to the Holy One. This is because thought is composed of letters, which themselves are organs of the Shechina, the Divine Presence. Yet these letters descended from their proper place on account of the force of the shattering, and their configuration is wrong. Just like some foods, even though each on their own is good, when they are mixed together they taste terrible - so too these letters, mixed as they are, are terrible.
Noach.107.2
Understand the essence of the thought - if it's a desire, it comes from the World of Desire; a fear comes from the World of Awe; pride comes from the World of Splendour; and so too with all the others. All these fell from the seven days of construction - and when you reconnect them to the Holy One through love of the Creator and awe of the Creator, you bring them back to their source. So too with all dispositions - each thought fell from a certain quality and can be reconnected to that quality. Then, the husks fall off and the configuration is restored. This is the meaning of the Talmudic passage (Shabbat 153a) "One unties the knots and the sacks fall on their own -" the 'sacks' are the unwanted husks.
Noach.107.3
The Holy One rejoices in such things, just like a prince who falls into captivity - when he is finally brought before the king, the king rejoices even more than with the child who is always close to him.
Noach.108.1
In the name of the Baal Shem Tov: when a foreign thought comes to you, during prayer or study - smash that thought and cleave to the Blessed Creator. Doing this will rectify the holy spark that was residing within this thought. This is like a man who was counting his money, while his son had been kidnapped, and the son calls out to his father: you have the coins! Redeem me from captivity!
Noach.109.1
If you are engaged in Torah study and in prayer without awe and without love, you will not soar upwards (Tikkunei Hazohar 10). This is especially so if you entertain foreign thoughts, which are called 'unfit sacrifices' that have been given over to the external forces. When you realign yourself, however, you can raise up these sacred sparks that had been with the external forces. Therefore, whenever you begin to pray or to study Torah, the foreign thoughts are poised to confuse your prayer and study. These foreign thoughts are actually your sins, they stand before you as if prepared for warfare, but truly they wish to be repaired and elevated from their heavy husks. This can be done by opening up in awe, and feeling that they are remnants of sins, and regret them. All these explanations I learned from my Master, but I can not expound any more here.
Noach.110.1
I heard from my master an explanation of the alphabet, how each letter demands submission and distinction and sweetening. He wanted to say that regarding the harsh judgements known as 'Shach v'Par' hinted at in the word Adonai that opens up the prayer, these can all be found and sweetened there, since the first letter is Alef, which holds the secret of wonder ['Pele', the same letters as Alef], and this is hidden in the next letter,Bet, which is simply two times Alef. The next letter Gimmel is three times Alef, and so on until Tav, which is four hundred timesAlef. The further the letter is from the life-source, the more it is concealed by layers known as klippot, until the level called Malchut shebaMalchut, the source of evil thoughts. When you focus your thoughts on this exile of the Shechina, whose spark is concealed in these ugly layers of klippot, you will be filled with dread. At that moment all the evil forces will leave, and a mighty act of unification through awe will have been accomplished. The holy spark will be distinguished from the rest,and be able to rise and join its life-source, in the manner of (Ezekiel 1:14) "the living-angels run to and fro". This is freedom from exile, and submission of the self, for it is as if not you are speaking but the Shechina herself. This is distinction, in that the klippot are cast off, and a sweetening, in that the words rise and are sweetened at their divine roots. How beautiful are the words of the wise!
Noach.111.1
The words Alufeinu mesubalim (Psalms 144:14), can be interpreted so: when you know that the Master (Aluf) of the Universe is in every action, then you are able to bear (lisbol) everything, and nothing is able to breach this. Moreover, as I heard from my Teacher, that when you comprehend that the presence of the Holy One fills the entire world, and that every action and thought is divine - even if it seems that some words of our prayers say otherwise - even so, "all evildoers shall be scattered." (Psalms 92:10) I also heard this: you need to possess the qualities of submission, distinction and sweetening, which reflect the ancient shattering, by which divine sparks fell within the klippot, the harshness of the world. You need to be able to separate improper thoughts from within the Shechina, the divine presence. Truly, the words of the wise are beautiful! The wise will discern here that there are two aspects, one general and one particular. I have written more about this elsewhere, commenting on the Talmudic passage (Ketubot 16b): "How does one dance before the bride? Beit Shammai say that one praises her as she truly is, while Beit Hillel say that one always calls her a beautiful and modest bride." Beit Shammai hold that during this era of exile, it is enough to treat her [the Shechina] in general as she truly is; Beit Hillel hold a particular method, that she needs to be adorned until she is beautiful and modest, etc. Truly, the words of the wise are beautiful! So too, if you are able to purify your thoughts, how good and wonderful it is to be particular and to use these qualities of submission, distinction and sweetening, since these are very profound. And if not, you should accept that in general, everything is from the Blessed God, and you will be able to stand firm; the klippot will be unable to harm you at any level, since you cleave to God firmly. This is God's promise (Zachariah 3:7) "I will permit you to move about among these standing attendants" - these are the angels, and the external forces will be unable to move you from your firm position.
Noach.112.1
I heard this from my Master of blessed memory, regarding the Talmudic teaching (Ketubot 16b): "How does one dance before the bride? Beit Shammai say to praise her as she truly is, while Beit Hillel say to call her a beautiful and modest bride." He explained this as follows: in the future, the Shechina will be called a bride, which is not the case now, when she is referred to as zot, 'that'. Now you can understand how we dance at this time, in the era of exile of the Shechina, before she is referred to as a bride. 'Dancing' is the raising of holy sparks from the lowest levels to higher ones, like a sacred dance. This is difficult to do properly during exile, as the Holy Ari of blessed memory taught regarding the prayers of Nefilat Apayim, the essence of which is to raise sparks from the world of action upwards. His disciple, R. Hayim Vital, commented that none of us know, etc. Therefore, Beit Shammai said that one praises the bride as she is, as it is written (Zohar 1:103b) on the verse 'The groom is known within the gates' - that each one can know God according to their own comprehension and ability. This can be done generally, if you can't do it in detail by adorning the Shechina and unifying her - in any case, you can comprehend the bride as she is. Beit Hillel, however, said that the bride is beautiful and modest - that you need to know in detail how to remove the garments of filth and excrement, and dress her in detail, so that the bride is beautiful and modest. Truly, the words of the wise are beautiful!
Noach.113.1
I've written elsewhere in the name of my Master of blessed memory the explanation for the argument (Ketubot 16b) between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, regarding how to dance before a bride. Beit Shammai hold that the bride is praised as she actually is, in general terms - you should know that the presence of the divine is concealed everywhere, etc. Beit Hillel, however, hold that every bride should be called beautiful and modest - you should know every detail, how the light of the divine sparks fell into the husks, and how, during prayer, when base thoughts arrive, they should be separated from their husks and the divine sparks should be elevated to adorn the bride, so that she be beautiful and modest.
Noach.114.1
It is upon you to know and to believe that the presence of God fills the universe, and every action and thought all derive from God. "Then all evildoers will scatter" (Psalms 92:10). This is the meaning of the verse (I Chronicles 28:9) "Know the God of your father" - which my Master explained in a similar way.
Noach.115.1
I heard from my Master of blessed memory about foreign thoughts and how to enter their essence and repair them, removing the outer parts. If you do not know the details, at least know the general principle, that in each and every thing there is a unification of the two names h v y h and a d n y, etc. Truly, the words of the wise are beautiful! I also heard on these matters the secret of the spear, etc. [See Baal Shem Tov on Parashat Balak]
Noach.117.1
The Baal Shem Tov, may his soul rest in supernal gardens, explained the Talmudic passage (Berachot 34a), that one who does not have kavvanah in prayer should be 'beaten with a blacksmith's hammer' - this is the death of the soul.
Noach.118.1
In the books, we find a tradition in the name of the Baal Shem Tov of blessed memory, regarding that which was said by the sages of blessed memory (Berachot 34a) "One who repeats the Shema etc. ... if they have such absence of any intention, they are beaten with a blacksmith's hammer." See what was written there in his holy name. And the root of the matter is such: that the foreign thoughts that fall into your mind during your prayer, or during your study, they are actually the holy sparks that you yourself let fall into the outer husks, the kelippot. This was done either in this lifetime or in an earlier incarnation, or even by the sin of Adam, in whom all the souls of Israel were included. This is why each person has the duty to repair the sparks that arrive to them. Therefore, when you stand in prayer and want to cleave to holiness, then these specific sparks come to you too, in order to be repaired, etc. I myself heard his holy mouth phrase it in this way: You need to be very sneaky with the foreign thoughts that come to you during prayer, because they are your own forces coming back to you to be repaired.
Noach.119.1
I heard from my teacher an explanation of the verse (Psalms 109:7-11) "Let his prayer be considered a sin... may his children be orphaned and his wife widowed... let the creditor take all he has." He explained this in light of the Talmudic statement (Kiddushin 40b) "Great is study, since it leads to action." It can be countered that this implies that action is greater than study etc., but he explained that study has both aspects within it, in the way that the rabbis said (Menachot 110a), "All who study the laws of the olah sacrifice, it is as if they offered an actual olah." If so, both study and action are included in study, which is not the case with action on its own. Now, since the soul (nefesh) is a garment for the spirit (ruach), and ruach is a garment for the neshamah-soul, if so, nefesh is considered the 'wife' of ruach, which in turn is the 'wife' of neshamah. Similarly, the sages taught (Megillah 6b) that the wicked devours one who is more righteous than he, and so too, King David of blessed memory said of Do'eg and Ahitofel who at least taught him some Torah, which is considered feminine waters with regards to prayer. The Maharsha wrote that all Torah is preparation for the awe that we call prayer, and in prayer you receive masculine waters. When you study for its own sake, the feminine waters arrive just like the masculine waters. This is not so when you study for an ulterior motive, and you receive a similar kind of [impure] inspiration, and then is your prayer considered a sin, since your prayer is confused by foreign thoughts. So too, your soul, your nefesh is a widow, since it is no longer connected like a 'wife' to the spirit, ruach, giving feminine waters. And your children, which are your good actions, are orphaned, since Torah study is considered action, as we explained, ans since it is not done for its own sake, these actions are scattered about and do not rise upwards, and are therefore orphans. "The creditor will take all he has," because the evil inclination lends you some mitzvah that you can do in order to show off and glorify yourself, or you will teach some Torah which is also called 'an act of glory', leading to masculine waters flowing down. Much harm and sorrow is in store, for the evil inclination then comes to take back what he lent, and then "takes all he has" - may the Merciful One protect us! Wonderful are the words of the wise.
Noach.120.1
In the works of the Ari, may he be remembered in the coming world, he explains that the prayer of this day is not like the prayer of tomorrow, until the coming of the Messiah. This is the meaning of the mishna (Berachot 28b): "One who makes their prayer regular, it is not considered a supplication." Now, I heard in the name of my master a wonderful teaching about this about the foreign thoughts that come to you in the middle of your prayer, reflecting the mystery of the breaking of the vessels, and the 288 sparks that one is required to discern each day. They come to you in order that you repair and elevate them. And the foreign thoughts of today are not like the foreign thoughts of tomorrow, and this is clear to one who pays attention to them. This is what I learned from my master on the matter of repairing foreign thoughts: if they are thoughts of sexuality, one can elevate them and bring them to their root of hesed, which is the secret of the verse (Leviticus 20:17) "If a man takes his sister... this is hesed." Thoughts of idolatry are rooted in a flaw in tiferet. But this is enough on this subject.
Noach.121.1
Within prayer, there are gifts and there are battles. You need to battle against the foreign thoughts until each one can be bound to its root. This is what my master taught on the matter of the three pillars, etc. Afterwards, you will receive it as a gift - this is what used to be a foreign thought, now attached by its holy root to our Heavenly Father.
Noach.122.1
Even if foreign thoughts arrive, my master taught me how to discern whether a thought is from the pillar of kindness, hesed, that fell through the breaking of the vessels and needs to be elevated. Some thoughts, however, are thoughts of transgression, and when such a thought arrives, you should know that there is judgement against you that want you to be punished, and you should tremble greatly at this understanding. By doing so, you can unite Awe and Awed, and "all evildoers will disappear." In this way he interpreted the verses "I know that you are a beautiful woman" (Genesis 12:11) and "Lest they kill me" (Genesis 26:7) - a hint at the punishment of one who harbours this type of thoughts of sexuality.
Miketz.1.1
“And it came to pass, at the end of two years . . .” (Genesis 41:1) “He makes an end to darkness” (Job 28:3). A limit was set as to how long the world will remain in darkness. For as long as the evil inclination is in the world, there is darkness and distress; when the evil inclination is removed from the world, there will be no more darkness and distress. (Midrash Rabbah, Miketz 89:1) The mystical writings of the Arizal explain the concept of the extraction of the holy sparks, that fell in the time of the breakage [of the vessels], and how a person must raise these sparks from the level of mineral to vegetable, animal and speaker. Extracting these sparks of holiness from among the “shells” is the purpose of all a Jew's actions, in Torah study, fulfillment of the commandments, and in the mystical intentions of eating.
Miketz.1.2
Each spark found within these lower levels of existence has a complete form, with 248 [spiritual] organs and 365 sinews. However, as long as it is on that level, it is imprisoned, with its head on its knees and belly, unable to extend its hands and feet. A person, with the goodness of his thoughts and intentions, can uplift the spark of holiness from the [level of a] plant to [that of a] speaking being. He brings them out to freedom. This is the greatest fulfillment of the mitzvah of redeeming captives. And since it is the king’s son himself who is in captivity, a person works to free him from his imprisonment will certainly receive abundant reward. Nevertheless, everything follows the supernal judgment that puts a limit to darkness, and has determined just how long something will remain imprisoned, when it will deserve to exit, and through whom it will attain freedom. (Ben Porat Yosef, p. 74b)
Miketz.5.1
I heard from my master an explanation of the Talmud (Berakhot 35b): Many did like Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, and they did not succeed, etc. And that idea is that there are two types of people — there is one who behaves according to nature, he plows at plowing time, he harvests at harvest time, etc.; the second one acts above nature to trust God, that He will bring sufficient sustenance from his few business dealings, such that he can devote himself to being occupied in the service of God, may He be blessed, all of his days. And then his work will be done by others. And this is [the idea of] But the righteous person shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4) that they expounded in Makkot (24a:27), "Habakkuk came and established [all of the commandments] upon one [statement], etc." This is not the case with one is not on the level of trust, but wants to act like R. Shimon ben Yochai. For he leaves his level of nature but has not reached the elevated level. So he ends up shorn here and shorn there. And this is the meaning of what they said, "Many did like R. Shimon ben Yochai," even those who are not in this category; hence "they did not succeed." And the words from the mouth of a sage are graceful [hidden wisdom]. And this is with my own expansion to explain it. Although I also heard that it was because many did like R. Shimon ben Yochai, that is why they did not succeed. And the words from the mouth of a sage are graceful [hidden wisdom]. (Toledot Yaakov Yitzchak, Parashat Miketz 35b)
Vayechi.3.1
Issachar is a strong-boned ass, crouching down between the stables (Gen. 49:14). In the name of Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem, on the verse Issachar is a strong-boned [garem] donkey: that is to say, there is reward [s’khar] by way of that which the “donkey” causes [gorem]. (Tzava'at HaRivash p.12b)
Vayechi.4.1
In the name of the Ba’al Shem Tov, this is the explanation: “There is reward that the ‘donkey’ [hamor] causes,” meaning by way of food and drink, which are physical [homer] matters, he causes this reward – by way of his elevating to the Cause of Elevation the holy spark that was crouching down between the stables, which was among the lower elements. (Or HaGanuz le-Tzadikim, Vayehi)
Vayechi.5.1
It is stated in the Talmud: “The Torah has mercy on Israel’s money” (Rosh HaShanah 27a), and why so? Because this is an important principle, that whatever thing a person wears, or eats, or uses as a tool – he benefits from the life-force that is within that thing; for without the spirituality that thing would have no existence, and there [in the thing] are holy sparks relevant to the root of his soul. And I heard that for this reason there is a person who loves a certain thing, and there is a person who hates that thing and loves another thing; and when he uses that tool, or eats foods even for his body’s needs, he fixes the sparks. For afterward he serves [God], with that same power that comes to his body from that food or clothing or other things, with that power he serves Blessed God, and we find that through this [the sparks] are fixed. Therefore sometimes it happens that when he has already finished fixing all the sparks that were in that thing, which were related to the root of his soul, then Blessed God takes that tool from him and gives it to someone else, since the sparks that [remain] in that tool are relevant to a different root.
Vayechi.5.2
And Rabbi Israel Ba’al Shem, peace be upon him, said that people eat and people drink and people use [tools], meaning the sparks that are in those things; therefore a person must be sensitive about his tools and everything else that he has, meaning from the side of the sparks that are within them, in order to have mercy on the holy sparks. (Tzava'at HaRivash p.13a)
Yitro.26.13
"'Those who go down to the sea in ships' (Psalm 107:23) etc. — this means: sometimes a great soul descends from a high and exalted place into the realm of the kelipot. And the kelipot rejoice over the soul that has descended among them. This is [the meaning of] 'those who go down to the sea in ships' — it refers to the soul that has descended into the sea of the kelipot, as is explained in the Sava of Parashat Mishpatim, see there (folio 95b). But the kelipot do not know that 'their work is in great waters' — meaning that these holy souls accomplish their work through their descent into the great waters: they raise up souls from the kelipot [variant reading: and these souls destroy/consume the kelipot], and from there they ascend to their place. This is the secret of the verse (I Samuel 2:6): 'He brings down to Sheol and raises up.' That is: the soul descends to Sheol, and 'raises up' — when they accomplish their work. And this is hinted at in the initial letters of 'those who do their work' (osei melakhah) — [whose] initial letters [together with the phrase] 'for the portion of God is His people' (ki chelek Hashem ammo): do not read ammo [with a kamatz — 'His people'] but immo [with a chirik — 'with Him']. But a soul that is not from such an exalted place — dread and fear will fall upon it when the Holy One blessed be He brings it down to the kelipot. This is not the case with a soul that is from a high and exalted level — no fear rises upon its head. And all of this is during its descent. But during its ascent — in the secret of 'descent for the sake of ascent' — it is in the secret of ohr chozer (returning light). It raises up many sparks, in the secret of (Parashat Balak): 'Behold, a people that came out of Egypt' — and this is hinted at in the reversed initial letters of 'in great waters' (be-mayim rabbim) — the letters [in reverse spell] rav [רב — 'great/master']. Understand this."
Ki Tisa.15.1
And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face. Here it is written like water face to face, so answers man's heart to another (Proverbs 27:19), in the name of the Baal Shem Tov his soul in Heavenly Gardens, When a man stands in water, his shadow looks great on the water, and when the man lowers himself, the shadow becomes small, and everything that the person bends himself more in the water becomes even smaller shadow, until the person's face is on the water then the face of the shadow also comes against the person's face, yes the heart of a man to man, when a person thinks he is big, then his friend is also great, And when a person reduces himself before his friend, Then his friend also reduces himself, Until the smallest is that he can no longer reduce, Then his friend does likewise, and then the value is made, And we will make them equal, This is what Moses said, and the Lord spoke to Moses face to face when a man spoke to his neighbor, According to the smallness of a man against his neighbor, his friend is also small, Good deeds face to face, Yes Moses, since he would reduce himself against the Creator, blessed be He, Yes, as it were, the Creator reduced himself to Moses and spoke to him face to face, Found in the interior of the Creator is like a shadow made according to the value of Moses' face, And no one can do that, Only Moses, who is the knowledgeable, etc.: (Or HaChochma P. Vayakhel)
Metzora.6.1
I heard from my teacher (the Baal Shem Tov) regarding the verse "behold, darkness will cover the land etc" (Isaiah 60:2) and on the verse "love covers all sins" (Prov. 10:12) that the base is the center and the root of all construction. If the base is unstable and weak the building will fall. So too a person whose base is unstable and weak, such as when a person has arrogance, then all that person's good deeds are built on a basis that is weak and unstable. This is not the case with a strong base, that is able to deal lovingly with hatred and sin, covering them. And those are words of a wise mouth. (Tzfonat Paneach, Terumah, 5:36)
Kedoshim.9.1
I heard from the holy mouth of the late rabbi, pious man and outstanding preacher, our teacher Rabbi Yehudah Leib Polnoyer, when he gave a reason for the [sages'] statement, may their memory be blessed, when they said (Arakhin 15b), "Three are struck by the iniquity of evil speech: The person who speaks evil speech, the person who accepts it, and the person who they are speaking about." As all of [our] predecessors had difficulty with this: What did this one who they are speaking evil speech about do [wrong], that he should be struck with them? And the pious rabbi, may his memory be blessed, said — and it appears to me that he said it in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be blessed — that it is from the causes of the matter that bring a certain person to speak evil speech about his fellow. Behold, the one that causes this thing is the person himself who they are speaking about. It is like what the sages, may their memory be blessed, said about the verse: For He pays a man according to his actions (Job 34:11). That it means to say, that the sin itself which a person sinned is that which afflicts him. And that means that through the sin that one sinned, a husk [klipah] is then created, and that husk itself is what afflicts him with afflictions according to the measure of the sin that he sinned. And it is also like that with this thing. For is it not known that something is created for every word a man puts out of his mouth? If the word is one of holiness, something holy will be created from it. And also the opposite, if the word has a transgression in it, some husk is created from it. However, there are types of words that are not from this side nor that side, like words that a person speaks that are not needed at all, not for the body and not for the soul, or if he speaks words that are a little self-serving. Also from them is something created. However, this creation does not have its own power to afflict him, so it clings to a wicked person. And then that man to whom it clings, he speaks evil speech from that power about that very person from whose speech that power was created. And that is why it is good for him also to be struck; to rectify those words. (Divrei Moshe, Parashat Mishpatim)
Kedoshim.21.1
And you shall love your neighbor like yourself, [I am the Lord]: The explantion of the verse, "and you shall love your neighbor," is [that] just like you act towards your neighbor with love and unity - "like yourself, I am the Lord"; that I the Lord will be like yourself. And this is according to the secret of, "the Lord is your shadow" (Psalms 121:5), that is explained in the words of our Godly teacher, the Baal Shem Tov: That like a person behaves below with his friend and neighbor, with love and with proper traits, so too will the supernal King behave towards him. And it is like a shadow - that every movement that a a person makes, the shadow corresponds to it. So too is He, may He be blessed, with man. And that is [the meaning of], "and you shall love your neighbor" - that like yourself, I am the Lord," to also act towards you with love and all goodness. (Otzar HaChaim, Kedoshim, p. 172, column 4).
Bechukotai.12.1
In the name of the Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be a blessing for the world to come: He was troubled; what is the reason that we only mention the merit of the three forefathers, who are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and why we do not mention the merit of Reuben, the merit of Simon, etc.; the merit of Chanoch and Palu, even though they were also greatly righteous people? Another difficulty is that we find in the holy Zohar, a few teachers whose souls would come to study the secrets of the Torah after they died with Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai and his colleagues — for example, the elder Rav Hamnuna and his son, etc. Yet we do not see that [other] teachers came back once they died, neither them nor their souls! The Baal Shem Tov, may his memory be a blessing for the world to come, explained like this. That a righteous person whose service and prayer was always for the generation continues with his traits even after his death. So he comes to rectify the generation by way of teaching them Torah, etc. And it is like they, may their memory be blessed, said in the holy Zohar (Tikkunei HaZohar 69), "Our teacher Moses, peace be upon him, extended over several generations, etc.," for every sage and righteous person. It is because, just like while he was alive, he gave over his life for the sake of all of the Jewish people — like the statement: if You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, etc. (Exodus 32:32 in Parashat Ki Tissa) — so too, after his death, did he come to rectify each sage and righteous person. So the whole generation is rectified through him. Likewise with the forefathers whose actions and service was to rectify all the generations, as per our rabbis' statement, may their memory be blessed, "Were it not that the forefathers consumed and received their reward in this world, etc." (Bemidbar Rabbah, Bechukotai 30:3). That is why their merit is mentioned for all of the generations, which is not the case with righteous people whose actions and service were only to rectify themselves. That is why their merit is not mentioned, and their souls also do not come to study Torah with the other righteous people in order to rectify the generation.
Eikev.8.1
“…lest your heart grow haughty and you forget the LORD your God…” (Devarim 8:14) They said in the gemara (Sotah 5a) This is a warning to the proud in spirit, as it is written ‘lest your heart grow haughty and you forget.’ The Rav Moshe m’Kotzi counted this as a negative commandment and wrote that God revealed to him in a dream, that the essential warning of all the Torah is the commandment to remember and that forgetting, which is its opposite, God forbid destroys the whole Torah. And the Holy Ba’al Shem Tov explained - when the blood is clouded, then one is in the aspect of the ‘back end’ which has the numeric value of ‘and you forget’ because memory flows from the names of zachor and forgetting from the ‘back end’ of Aba and Ima which is the numeric value of ‘and you forget’ as is written in the Yichudim (Sha'ar Ruach ha-kodesh, tikun 26 (daf 17, column 3)). As it is with an individual, so it is with humanity – exile flows from forgetting and redemption from remembering. “The words of a wise man’s mouth find favor…” (Kohelet 10:12)
Eikev.12.1
Traducción al Español: Por Jaim Yoel ben Avraham
Eikev.12.2
"Y ahora, Israel, ¿qué pide el Señor tu Dios de ti, sino que temas al Señor tu Dios...? Y se dice en el Talmud (Berajot 43b): ¿Acaso el temor de los cielos es un asunto pequeño...? Para Moisés no es un asunto pequeño... Escuché de mi maestro una explicación del Talmud... y la dificultad es conocida: pues a Israel se le dijo esto... Y explicó que el Rashba escribió que 'temer al Señor tu Dios' incluye a los sabios (Baba Kama 82b), porque un ignorante no teme el pecado, y al ser un sabio llega al temor de Dios... Y he aquí que en Moisés encontramos (en la porción de 'Tetzaveh') 'y el pueblo temía acercarse a él'. Si ya habían alcanzado el temor de un sabio, entonces fácilmente podrían llegar al temor de Dios. Y esto es lo que se dijo: 'Para Moisés no es un asunto pequeño', es decir, ya que habían alcanzado el temor de un sabio, que es en relación a Moisés, como se dice 'y el pueblo temía acercarse a él', entonces es un asunto pequeño llegar también al temor de Dios, ya que esto se deriva de aquello. Y una dificultad adicional..." (Tikkunei Zohar, hoja 73).
Re'eh.14.2
And the explanation is that the rich one who gives tzedakah, they are the one who fulfils the commandment of 'you shall surely give to them... you shall surely open up your hand to your kin... ' (Devarim 15:7-8). But the poor one who receives it, it seems that this one does not do any mitzvah. However, this is specifically in the case that the poor person who receives the tzedakah receives it with this intent: 'Since I need to receive, such as if my wages are not enough to live on', for regarding this it is said (Talmud Yerushalmi Peah 37b): "All who need to take alms and do not take, they are a shedder of blood", and in Mishna Peah 8:8 "If one had 199 dinarim, even if a thousand gave to one at once, behold one should take". If so, when the poor person receives with this intent: 'Since I need to receive, behold, I am causing the rich who do tzedakah with me to merit!', it turns out that the deed is greater than the doer (Bava Batra 9a). For behold, the poor person who receives, they can on one day receive tzedakah from many people, more than the giver can give to. And this was said explicitly by our rabbis regarding the verse (Ruth 2:19) - "The man with whom I worked today is Boaz". 'The man who worked with me' is not said, rather, 'the man with whom I worked', since more than the homeowner does with the poor, the poor does with the homeowner. And behold the poor person who receives tzedakah for the sake of Heaven, it's fitting for them that they only receive from righteous donors, that they will merit by the poor person's hand. But not from wicked donors, as we find with Elisha, that from righteous men he received tzedakah, but from Na'aman he did not want to take - and this is even though Na'aman converted and became a resident alien (Gittin 57b), he still didn't want to receive from him since he was not worthy to receive merit by Elisha's hand. And this is the the explanation of the Gemara: the one who wishes to benefit should benefit like Elisha, meaning, that they should intend in their taking of tzedakah to merit the rich who give to them, and if so they should only receive from righteous Jews who are worthy to receive merit by their hand. And one should not say, 'since it's a mitzvah to receive tzedakah, by this path, if so I should chase after any taking!' Regarding this it is said that even though this is permissible, the one who does not wish to benefit should not benefit, like Shmuel the Ramatite [?] who did not benefit from other creatures.
Ki Tavo.1.1
When it happens that you come to the land, etc. You are to take of the first of all the fruits of the ground, etc.: The words of our Godly teacher: The secret of the first fruits is the return of the lights of the feminine (nukva, another characterization of malkhut) to the priest, who is kindness (chesed), in order that the external forces not derive sustenance from it. And the explanation of the words of our teacher refer to that which we have learned (Ketuvot 105b) - "anyone who brings a gift to a Torah scholar is as if he offered first fruits": Why are specifically first fruits differentiated [here] from all [other] gifts to the priesthood. And the clarification of this matter is that it is because 'The Lord has made every thing for His purpose' - as He created everything for His glory, to extract the sparks of purity that have been scattered into all things. And the community of Israel is elevated with all of the extractions, and it becomes 'a new offering to the Lord.' This is like the explanation of the 'kav (a measurement, whose numerical equivalent has kabbalistic significance) of the new and kav of the old,' that is known to those that know. And a man that clings to his God makes a unification of His name with everything that he sees, hears, smells and feels; and through this, the Divine Presence (the feminine, malkhut) is 'adorned with adornments that [previously] did not exist' (the language of the holy Zohar, Mishpatim 3:15), 'and all doers of iniquity shall be scattered. So the evil will be sweetened and the good will be purified. And he hints with the lower and makes a tremendous unification in the upper.
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.1.1
Our sages, may their memory be blessed, established that we should blow [the shofar] every year from the first day of Elul, like the shofar of the desert (Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 46). And the understanding of this is that if the heads of the generation improve (meshaper) their deeds, like Moshe in the wilderness, they will then ascend and attach themselves to the people of the generation. But that is not the case if the heads of the generation do not do this, but are rather in the exile of the evil impulse. Then the people should make efforts for themselves. This is like I heard in the name of my master, may his memory be a blessing for life in the world to come, about the prayer leaders - that they are heads of the war party, such that it is fit that they should wear armor, etc.; but if not, each one should make efforts for himself, since they cannot be relied upon, etc. And these are words from the mouth of a sage of [the hidden wisdom]. (Tzafnat Paneach, page 25d)
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.10.2
Master of the Universe, You said to Jonah, "You cared about the plant, which you did not work for and you did not grow, which appeared overnight and perished overnight. And should not I care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand persons who do not yet know their right hand from their left, and many beasts as well!” -Why will you not care and show mercy on us, who have the minds of human beings?
Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.40.1
To rectify all the disqualified prayers that are imprisoned in the hands of the angels designated over this, and those are the prayers that have external thoughts mixed with them. For the disqualified prayers are given over to the hands of the appointed ones the whole year until a person prays a proper prayer. Then the disqualified prayers arise from the appointed one called Sahadiel to the angel that is called Sandalfon, and he brings it up above. But if one does not pray a proper prayer, then the appointed one waits until [Rosh Hashanah] and Yom Kippur. And when one then prays properly, then the disqualified prayers also arise. But if not, the appointed one hurls them to the disqualified sanctified [offerings], which is outside of the firmament. And that is where the woman of licentious, Lilith, holds sway. So she takes the disqualified prayers and makes a firmament out of them, a worthless firmament. Then she goes up and prosecutes about those prayers, God forbid.

Sefaria Community Translation. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: https://www.sefaria.org Licence: CC0. Source.