Sunday, July 19, 2015

Likutei Etzot, Brit - Its Damage and Rectification 1-10

Brit - Its Damage and Rectification

1. Through shmirat habrit one merits prayer. (From Likutei Moharan I, 2)

2. "The main evil inclination is for forbidden relations and that is the main spiritual defilement." (Zohar, VaYikra) Therefore, one must know that every person's main test in this world is this lust - fortunate is the one who succeeds to win the war. (There^; see Sihot HaRan 115)

3. One who knows, himself, that he damaged the drops of the brain (these drops are the source of semen, meaning if he wastes his seed -translator's note), must spare himself, that dispute and quarrel between between the tzadikim does not enter his heart; but [me must] only believe in all of them. For all the questions and crookedness [of heart] that fall on his mind about the tzadikim as a result of the dispute between them are all because he damaged the drops of his brain, for if his mind wasn't damaged, he would have any question about them at all; the dispute is only for him. (From Likutei Moharan I, 5, 10; see sec. Tzadik, 8)

4. The advice of the true tzadikim and their students corresponds to tikun habrit; and the opposite: the advice of those who dispute, prevent, and speak slyly to incite and overthrow [people] from the point of truth - they correspond to damage of the brit because advice that one receives from a person corresponds to the drops of intellect. Therefore, one who damages his brit must keep himself very much from the opposing advice of those who dispute the truth, in order that he won't lose his world in an instant, God forbid. (From Likutei Moharan I, 7)

5. Essentially, promiscuity depends on the eyes, and the command of tzitzit is a defense for this. Through this, one is spared from bad advice as mentioned above, and one merits to receive the real advice of the true tzadikim. Therefore, one must be very careful with the command of tzitzit and to intend at the time of wrapping in holy tzitzit and in their blessing that he'll merit shmirat habrit and truly good advice through them. One will merit faith and the Land of Israel through this, and to draw the redemption closer and to merit prayer and to do miracles and wonders in the world. He'll [also] merit a livelihood, for livelihood mainly depends on tikun habrit, and through this he'll succeed to understanding at every place [in holy books] he learns, and all the wisdom of Shulhan Arukh will be revealed to him. (There^)

6. Pride and promiscuity depend upon each other; and when one has shmirat habrit and is saved from pride, he merits the light that shines for him to repentance. (From Likutei Moharan I, 11)

7. The main bitterness and hassle of [earning a] livelihood and its weariness is through [because of] damaging the brit. For one who has shmirat habrit, even though he does work and business, they're the aspect of the work of the Mishkan and the aspect of the 39 lights. However, one who damages his brit - poverty chases after him and he draws upon himself the burden of [making a] livelihood in great weariness and bitterness, corresponding to the 39 lashes, God forbid. (There^)

8. Shmirat HaBrit has two aspects: there is one whose marital relations is during the weekdays, and this is also called shmirat habrit, because his marital relations are permitted according to Torah - only [given] that he guards himself from transgression, God forbid. This is the aspect of 'the lower union', which through it, one merits to reach halakha in the Torah corresponding to hints.
However, there is one whose marital relations are only from Sabbath to Sabbath and this is the aspect of 'the upper union', and through this he reaches also kabbalah and hints within hints. However, even one whose marital relations are Sabbath to Sabbath also needs a great guarding that his marital relations will be in holiness and that he'll be incorporated into the inclusion of those who have shmirat habrit. How much more do those small ones whose marital relations is also during the weekdays need an especially extra guarding that they won't damage their brit, God forbid; nevertheless, they shouldn't transgress the Torah, God forbid [because they are still having marital relations according to Torah law].

Through shmirat habrit in both of these aspects, the honor of HaShem is [made] whole and one merits to all the above aspects until he merits to come to understanding the depths of the Torah. (There^)

9. Speaking with one's friend about discipline and fearing Heaven, to arouse him to repentance, is a remedy for keri. (From Likutei Moharan I, 14)

10. The lust of promiscuity is the all-encompassing evil, that all the wickedness of the 70 [prototype] nations are included in it. For every nation and language has a hold on a certain evil; that is, some bad characteristic or some bad lust that is particular to that nation, and they're sunken in that lust and that is their hold. However, the lust for promiscuity is the all-encompassing evil, that every evil [trait] of every nation, the evil of every lust, is gathered and assembled in this lust. All these evils burn together to make a fire, and this is the burning fire that burns in a person for the lust of promiscuity.
However, HaShem distinguished us from the nations and elevated us over every language; we need to be separate from all of their wickedness, from all lusts, since they don't belong to us at all - particularly the lust for promiscuity which is the all-encompassing evil of all the nations. For this is the main separation and difference between us and the nations: that we separate ourselves from promiscuity. This is the main holiness of Israel, for there is strength in a person to divert his mind from this lust and to break it - this is our main holiness. (From Likutei Moharan I, 19)

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