Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Knowledge 1-6

Knowledge

1. Knowledge is mainly in the heart. For also the idolatrous nations have knowledge, but it is without heart; rather, knowledge is mainly when it is in the heart. And there in the heard is the place of dear, that is, the know HaShem in one's heart and not in his brain alone. That is, that he should draw and attack his mind into his heart, until terror, fear, fright, and fear fall upon him from the greatness of HaShehm - until he awakens to serve him in truth, until he merits to fear of the loftiness [of HaShem, as opposed of fearing his punishment], that he'll know who he should fear. And this is merited through hitbodedut, through self-judging oneself , and through this the hidden light is merited. (From Likutei Moharan I, 15)

2. All of the sorrows, troubles, exiles, and lacking that a person has - be it [in] livelihood, children, or health of the body - all is only according to the measure of lack of divine knowledge; and when the divine knowledge is made whole, then the lacking is made whole (meaning there is no more lack). The eternal life in the future will be mainly because of knowledge, that knowledge will increase and everyone will know HaShem and through this will be included in his oneness and then they'll live eternal life like him. For through the knowledge of him are [people] included within him, which is the main yearning of the world to come. Therefore, it is necessary to guard divine knowledge and [one's] thoughts very well, that they'll be in holiness, to guard from the evil thoughts and to always dwell on thoughts of Torah and service [to HaShem] and to endeavor to arrive to holy knowledge, upon which everything depends. ((From Likutei Moharan I, 21)

3. To arrive to a wholeness of knowledge is impossible except by sanctifying the mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears. Meaning to guard himself from bringing deceit out of his mouth; that he'll have fear of Heaven, which is the holiness of the nostrils; that he'll have faith in the Sages, which is the holiness of the ears: to believe in them and to listen to their words; and that he'll close his eyes from seeing evil. And through this, he'll merit whole knowledge upon which all depends. And through that, he'll merit holy enthusiasm of the heart, for enthusiasm of the heart is born from movement of the intellect. Therefore, when a person thinks of Torah and service [to HaShem], through this his heard is enthused to HaShem. And all the more one grows his mind and moves his intellect in holiness, thus his heart is heated and enthused more, And through holy enthusiasm of the heart, one purifies his heart, for juxtaposed to [the heart] being enthused and burning for a transgression or an evil lust, God forbid, that from this the heart is made impure - juxtaposed to this one's heart must be enthusiastic and burn for HaShem in Torah and prayerl through that, his heart is purified and he merits a pure heart through which he merits to speak between himself and his Creator with new words each time, which is the aspect of ruah hakodesh. (There^)

4. Also, through a person being humble, lowly, and patient, and not raging his anger over his humiliation, he sanctifies the nose completely. Through him being the "faithful of spirit covers up a matter", and when he has a secret revealed to him and he is careful to keep it and not reveal it to another - through these he sanctifies the ears and through all of his one draws influx of knowledge. (There^)

5. Through the sanctification of the mouth and the ears, [eyes, and the nose], which are the seven candles, through this one merits to draw wondrous intellect which is the Godly influx, which is the wholeness of divine knowledge that one reaches without any previous parable (which would help him understand the concept; meaning without this he simply merits to receive an influx of divine knowledge directly to his mind without anything preceding it), rather [it is received] through Godly influx [alone], which is the aspect of ruah hakodesh. (There^)

6. The paradoxical matters by which we're confounded, like knowledge and choice (meaning how free choice can exist even though HaShem ultimately knows beforehand what we will choose) - know that the human brain cannot understand this knowledge. For this intellect is the aspect of a makif that this intellect is very, very great until [the point that] the brain cannot handle it, and it doesn't enter into the mind except that it is a makif (literally: it surrounds it) from the outside; and if he would know this intellect, he would be in the category of an angel and not [any longer] in the category of human.
Know, that this is the main power of choice (free will): that which isn't the intellect (awareness) of [foreknown] knowledge [of HaShem] and (as opposed to) [our own free will and] choice. And in the future, when the human intellect will become greater and [then] it will be revealed to the human [mind the reason of how HaShem can have fore-]knowledge and [yet we still have] choice - then, truly, choice will be nullified because then through the greatness of the intellect one will exit the vcategory of human and go up to the category of angel and choice will be annulled. From this, understand that your ideas about the matters of this paradox of knowledge and choice, and things like it, shouldn't confound you, because now it is impossible to understand this intellect (awareness) of knowledge and free choice in any way; for all of these [paradoxes] correspond to a makif that is impossible to bring into the mind in this world which is the world of choice. For this is the main power of choice, not knowing the intellect (awareness) of knowledge and choice. (There^)