Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Clothes 1-5 (end)

Clothes

1. One must guard his clothing very much [so as] not to disgrace them but to keep them well from stains and dirtiness, because the clothes themselves judge the person if he does not respect them properly. The greater one is, the more he needs to guard his clothes; for the greater one is, the more meticulously scrutinized he is. (From Likutei Moharan I, 29)

2. Through not keeping one's clothes from stains, one makes a separation between the Holy One Blessed is He and his divine presence; and then the 'bad maidservant' rules, which is the evil kingdom, and he [the person not keeping his clothes] is like a rebel against the kingdom [of HaShem]. Through this, his livelihood [comes] with hassle and difficulty. (There^)

3. Through making nice clothing for the tzadik, one clothes the divine presence with shining garments and all judgments are sweetened. (From Likutei Moharan I, 42)

4. Clothes should be whole constantly and not torn, because when clothes are torn, God forbid, it is a damage in protection, for the clothes are the secret of hashmal which is protection. (From Likutei Moharan I, 127)

5. The ba`al davar and the forces of evil grab a person by his clothes, that is, that they bother a person with the hassle of his clothes and garments; for the hassle of the need for garments and clothes of a person confuses the person a lot and prevents him from serving HaShem. However, one whose heart it strong in HaShem doesn't pay attention to this - even though he doesn't have clothes to wear, he does his [duty] in serving HaShem according to what he is able [to do], until HaShem looks down and sees from Heaven. (From Sihot HaRan 100)

Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Shame and Brazenness 1-4 (end)

Shame and Brazenness

1. Everyone needs to be very ashamed before HaShem, that he won't do [something] against his will, God forbid, and that all the more so he won't do some sin or transgression, God forbid. Shame is an extremely high level, for the essence of fear is shame, and if one doesn't draw upon himself holy shame in this world - he will be ashamed in the world to come, which is the hardest of all punishments. For the sorrow of shame in the future is very, very difficult and it is even more harsh than [the punishment of] the bitter Geihinnom. Even every tzadik will be ashamed before his friend who of a greater level than him. Our Sages of blessed memory said about this: woe to that shame, woe to that disgrace; and all the more so how the sinners will be ashamed, God forbid, that it is impossible to measure in this world the greatness of the sorrow and bitterness of this shame in the world to come, God forbid. And when a person merits holy shame [in order] not to sin, through this he merits prayer, joy, and holy brazenness and to draw closer to and be incorporated into the true tzadikim and to receive from them faith to the ultimate finality of completion. (From Likutei Moharan I, 22)

2. One must habituate himself to speak between himself and his Creator with great sincerity until he begins to speak words of truth [that are] in his heart, with the heat that is in the heart, in an arousal of repentance. [He should do this] until he sees his [own] insignificance and [sees] the greatness of the Creator, until he becomes very ashamed before HaShem. For until now, he threw his sins over his shoulder and didn't look at them; and now that he knows them, great shame then enters him over the greatness of his transgressions against the Mighty One, the Ruler, the essence and source of all the worlds.
And at the beginning, the shame is not yet in actuality before his face because his sins have stupefied his mind and awareness via the spirit of folly within him. Therefore, before he merits complete repentance, he doesn't have much divine knowledge to become ashamed properly, to be ashamed according to the vastness of his transgressions and according to the greatness of the Creator whom he sinned against. However, afterwards, when he repents and removes the foolishness from him and adds intellect in himself, then he will become exceedingly ashamed and the shame will be revealed on his face. This shame is the aspect of the light of the tefillin which are the sign of clinging to the Creator, the aspect of beaming light of the face, and through this shame all his transgressions are forgiven and he clings himself to the Tree of Life. (From Likutei Moharan I, 38; see sec. Speech 7)

3. One who brazenness of the forces of evil and doesn't become ashamed from the true tzadikim nor the [God-]fearers nor the [truly] good men - it is definite that his feet of his fathers did not stand at Mt. Sinai, and he damages the holiness of tefillin, which correspond to the Tree of Life, and he clings himself to the Tree of Death and [thus] he is banished from the Garden of Eden and he descends into Geihinnom. When he repents and is ashamed about his transgressions, through that he is immediately forgiven and he returns to himself divine knowledge and mind and he divorces the spirit of folly from his midst; he merits the aspect of the light of tefillin which corresponds to the beaming light of the face, the aspect of the Tree of Life. (There^)

4. The main repentance is through shame because a person must be very, very ashamed of himself. For a transgression is definitely shame, God forbid, because a transgression doesn't belong to and isn't appropriate to Israel at all. For the Israelite man is far from the source of transgression completely, and definitely it isn't attractive to the Israelite man to have transgressions, God forbid. However, also when he wants to do a commandment, it is proper that he should have great shame - because what merit does he have that he should merit to do the commandment? And how could be brazen his face to enter into the chamber of the King to do a commandment? He should weigh in his mind before who he is doing the commandment, and [he should also weigh] the degree of the commandment because the vastness of preciousness of the level of the commandment itself has no measure.
It is definitely proper that great shame should fall on him when he comes to do some commandment. How [can he] come to snatch tefillin, which are the crowns of the King, and place them on his head all the sudden? It is definitely proper that great feel should fall upon him. If a person had shame, he would be ashamed before HaShem even to take food into his mouth, for what merit does he have that he should have food? Yet, the main part of shame is merited through seeing oneself with the true tzadik, and through that repentance is merited, for repentance is essentially through shame. Through it, true humility is merited, which corresponds to the humility of Moses our teacher, which is the essence of life; [that is,] the aspect of eternal life of the world to come. (From Likutei Moharan II, 72)

Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Trust 1-4 (end)

Trust

1. Those in the generation who trust [HaShem] are the aspect of vessels of 'birth', for all 'birthing' and influxes are drawn through trust. One merits this through hearing stories from true tzadikim who have the power to awaken [people] from sleep via their stories; that through this, speech comes out with great power and those that were in the aspect of sleep, who were completely like mutes and were unable to speak any word of holiness at all - they are awakened now from their sleep and they begin to speak with great power, and through the speech, trust [in HaShem] is strengthened. [Also,] through this, barren women become fertile and fear [of HaShem] is merited. (From Likutei Moharan I, 60; see sec. Fear)

2. Through trust in HaShem, [that is,] when one looks and gazes at HaShem only and trusts in him - through this he makes a vessel to output abundance and the livelihood at the right time and instance as needed. (There^)

3. There are several steps and levels in trusting [HaShem] until infinity and all more greater the intellect is, the more trust one has. Thus, he merits to increase [giving] charity and through this he merits to perfect and repair speech which is the calssification of the human (meaning only humans have speech and speech is the defining characteristic of a human -translator's note). (There^)

4. There is trust of the forces of evil, corresponding to "trust in a traitor" (Proverbs 25:19). Through the attachment of marital relations in holiness, this [false] trust is broken like a shattered ceramic. This is what is hinted at when a ceramic [or glass] vessel is broken at the connecting of matches [that is, two people matched to be married].

To clarify the matter a bit:
The main levels of trust is to trust in HaShem and to do good, as it says "trust in HaShem and do good" (Psalm 37:3), meaning to not be confused from Torah and serving [HaShem] because of the worry and hassle of [making a] livelihood - only to engage in Torah and serving [HaShem] and to trust in HaShem, that he will give livelihood all the days of one's life. If one does not hold to trust like this, that he will remove himself from the business of this world completely, but he wants [instead] to also engage in way of the world in business or in labor - in any case he should set times for Torah and pray at [the set] time [for each prayer], and so on. He shouldn't worry or be confused by the worry for [making a] livelihood - he should just trust HaShem.

Also, for the idea of charity and good deeds and taking out money for the needs of [doing Torah] commands: one should have trust in HaShem, that HaShem will fill his lack, and on account of this thing [that is, the charity, good deeds, or money for commands] HaShem will bless him. Even if he knows himself that his actions aren't [so] nice as is proper - he shouldn't fall from his trust because of this saying, 'who am I to trust and rely on HaShem since I have made my actions so wicked', he should just trust in the mercies of HaShem which haven't worn off, and [trust] in his loving-kindness which hasn't run out; [to trust] that he will have mercy on him also and will provide and make a livelihood for him, because HaShem is good to all. He shouldn't hassle himself with the worry and fassle of [making a] livelihood because of his insignificance in his own eyes, [rather] he should only be strong in trust as it is, because he intention is for Heaven. This and all like it is holy trust.

However, to do some injustice, God forbid, and all the more so [to do] some highhanded theft and swindle, or to engage in some counterfeiting or deceptions or to trade in some trading outside the country which the kingdom has forbade, and to trust that HaShem will save one and help him finish the job and the matter won't be known - this is trust of the forces of evil, corresponding to "trust in a traitor" (Proverbs 25:19), corresponding to "you'll trust in exploitation and crookedness" (referring to Psalm 62), and trust like this is like broken ceramic which has no repair.

Even one who engages in business much greater than him, and he increases borrowing from several people and trusts that HaShem will help him finish the deal - this is also the aspect of trust of the forces of evil. On the contrary, he needs to have a strong trust, that even if he doesn't make big business deals, even so HaShem will provide a livelihood for him properly. The wise one will understand many things from our words - how to run from the trust of the forces of evil, which is against the Torah, and to strengthen himself in holy trust, even if he is as he is [a sinner]. (There^)

Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Children 1-16 (end)

Children 1-16

1. Praying with power is a segula for children. (From Likutei Moharan I, 48)

2. A suka is a segula for children. (There^)

3. The Land of Israel is a segula for children. (There^)

4. Through the effort of drawing people closer to HaShem and to the true tzadikim, one merits children. (From Likutei Moharan I, 53)

5. When your marital relations are in holiness and you break your soul that lusts, that is, your animalistic soul, and it will be for you as if a demon forced you - through this you'll have thriving [healthy and living] children. (From Likutei Moharan I, 39)

6. You also must have your marital relations mainly on the night of the Sabbath on order that you'll have living and thriving children. (There^)

7. Through an evil eye you won't merit to have a male child. (From Likutei Moharan I, 54)

8. Through lashon hara one does not merit to have a male child. (There^)

9. A segula for sustained [healthy and living] offspring is for both the man and his wife to say before their marital relations the section [of Torah] "On the new moon...". (From Likutei Moharan I, 151)

10. Through praising and thanking HaShem, and also through learning halakhot - and even moreso if he merits making new insights into them, through this the birth comes easily. Also, through supporting learning by strengthening Torah scholars monetarily, through this the birth will be easy. (From Likutei Moharan II, 2)

11. A segula for a woman who gives birth in difficulty is to say "Mizmor of thanks..." (Psalm 100). (There^)

12. Another segula for a woman who gives birth in difficulty is to do a lot of [acts of] mercy, that is, to increase in [giving] charity and acts of mercy. (From Likutei Moharan II, 4)

13. One who does not have children should habituate himself to become joyous in the joy of commandments, and to learn Torah and do all the commandments with joy. [to the point that] the joy is so great that he dances as a result of the joy. Through this he'll merit children. (From Likutei Moharan II, 81)

14. Through faith one merits children. The numerical value of 'faith' [in Hebrew] is [the same as that of the word] 'children'. (From Sihot HaRan 34)

15. It is more of a segula for [one's] children to live by him and [for him] to be distant from them; that is, not to be very bound to them or to have fun [with them] all the time. [Rather,] only to not look upon them except with what is necessary to educate them in serving HaShem when they begin growing up, but not to amuse oneself with them too much. (From Sihot HaRan 59)

16. Through joy one is spared from death of [his] children, God forbid. (From Sihot HaRan 65)

(Continue to the next section, Trust)

Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Brit - Its Damage and Rectification 61-71 (end)

Brit - Its Damage and Rectification (continued)

61. The mind and divine knowledge of a person shields him against the lust for promiscuity. For there are three brains in a person, and each is a spread partition against this lust. The essential increase of this lust is through the spirit of folly. Therefore, every person needs to know and remember this, that every time these thoughts want to overpower him, God forbid, he should run away immediately from this spirit of folly unto divine knowledge and spread out the partitions of the mind against this lust because the true divine knowledge shields against this lust exactly like a partition. Understand this, because it is impossible to explain this, only each one will understand from himself how to run away from and deflect his mind from the spirit of folly, and to draw himself to divine knowledge which is the aspect of a spread partition against them [the thoughts]. (From Likutei Moharan II, 8)

62. Through anger and cruelty the mind is damaged and through this comes the lust for promiscuity, God forbid. Then, prayer corresponds to judgment and the forces of evil nourish from it. And then, one of great strength is needed to pray a prayer corresponding to judgment, and through this everything is rectified, see further. (There^)

63. Everyone among Israel, according to his purity and holiness, thus has an aspect of the Messiah. He must guard well not to damage his aspect of the Messiah. The principle is that he should guard himself from promiscuity and he needs to guard himself much even from the scent of promiscuity because it damages his aspect of the Messiah. (From Likutei Moharan II, 32)

64. The spirit of the Messiah is made a spirit of zeal and it goes to zealously avenge every place where there is the damage of promiscuity. Even in a place where there is no complete promiscuity, only a minuscule damage, it also jealously avenges through this because the greatness of the holiness and purity of the aspect of the Messiah isn't able to suffer even a minuscule damage of promiscuity and it zealously avenges because of this, God forbid. (There^)

65. When relations, that is, a fit man and woman without any unacceptable trace, and their marital relations are proper and in great holiness; then through their relations an upper union is made and their relations are extremely precious. (There^)

66. Through tikun habrit one can bring out the words of prayer like arrows from a bow. Then is the beginning of the beam of the Messiah, and then one comes to the holiness of the Sabbath and he is made a free man who merits the utmost end of awareness. Then he stretches his leprous body which is the skin of the snake, and he dons Sabbath garments; that is, a holy body from the Garden of Eden. Then his mazal his raised up and he merits riches, his good inclination is strengthened, and [his] sadness and clowning-jest are canceled out. Through this, he raises those who fall into bad love and bad fear, and he raises them to holy love and holy fear and removes the darkness from their eyes, Then their eyes will see wonders and it is considered as if he created the world. Through this he elevates the requests and supplications that are prayed and the redemption that is dependent on the heart is aroused to cancel out the leavening of the evil heart of man that remains in him since his youth. Then he is able to become enthusiastic at learning Torah with a blaze of mercy. Mighty waters, which are the foreign love and fear, cannot extinguish this enthusiasm, and the divine presence, with her wings, covers over Israel's blood with this love, so that the seed of the wicked will not control them who are the waters of the flood. All this one merits through tikun habrit. (From Likutei Moharan II, 83)

67. Through damaging the brit it is difficult for a person to find his mate; and even if he finds his mate, she'll oppose him and won't go after his will will. However, through the kavanot of [the month of] Elul damage in the brit is fixed and through that, one merits to find his mate and she'll go after his will. (From Likutei Moharan II, 87). See the secret of the kavanot of Elul inside: [Likutei Moharan I,] 6.

68. To say the ten chapters of Psalms is a great remedy for a nocturnal emission, God forbid. These are they: "Mikhtam of David" (16), "Maskil of David" (32), "Fortunate is one who considers the poor" (41), "As a deer yearns" (42), "For the leader, al-tashheth" (59), "For the leader, on the yeduthun" (77), "A prayer of Moses" (90), "Thank HaShem, call on His name" (105), "On the rivers of Babylon" (137), "Praise God in His holy place" (150). One who merits to say them on the same day doesn't need to dread the great damage of the occurrence, God forbid, any longer because it is definitely rectified through this. (From Likutei Moharan II, 92)

69. When thoughts of promiscuity come upon one's mind and he breaks his lust and averts his mind from them, this is one's main repentance and rectification for damaging the brit, which one previously damaged, each according to his matter. For this is exactly the aspect of weighty repentance and by this one brings out the sparks of holiness that fell through the damage of the brit and through this he merits tikun habrit. Through this he'll merit to purify wisdom and the voice as we brought above in 23, and he merits peace, which through that one is able to draw the whole world to serving HaShem. (There^; see sec. Thoughts and Musings, 2)

70. The graves of the true tzadikim are holy with the holiness of the Land of Israel exactly, and the Land of Israel is a great remedy for damaging the brit. (From Likutei Moharan II, 109)

71. Now it is easier to withstand in tests because there were already several tzadikim and decent men who withstood great and mighty tests in this lust, until that now, easily, even a simple man can withstand a test - if he wants to spare his life in this world and in the next world forever. (From Sihot HaRan 114)

(Continue to the next section, Children)

Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Brit - Its Damage and Rectification 51-60

Brit - Its Damage and Rectification (continued)

51. Through fear, that is, fear of heaven, of one's Rabbi, and of one's father and mother - one is saved from the beauty of women and from deceitful charm and he merits wealth. (From Likutei Moharan I, 60; see sec. Fear)

52. One who marries a woman for money is an idiot and a fool and he damages and loses his knowledge and intellect. Through it, he'll have indecent children. (From Likutei Moharan I, 69)

53. [Giving] a secret gift is a remedy for a nocturnal emission, God forbid. (From Likutei Moharan I, 83)

54. The main damage of the brit is through of sadness and depression; and also the opposite: the main shmirat habrit is through joy. (From Likutei Moharan I, 169; see sec. Joy)

55. The lust for intercourse is one of the three lusts that deplete and damage the fear that is in the heart. Through receiving Shavuot properly divine knowledge is drawn to repair this lust, and through it one merits fear and an influx of prophecy into prayer. (From Likutei Moharan II, 1; see sec. Fear and sec. Yom Tov)

56. The lust for intercourse is according to the milk that one nursed off of in his youth. Therefore, one must carefully protect a baby that it will nurse from an fit woman because when a baby nurses from a brazen woman, then the lust for promiscuity increases in him [when he comes of age], God forbid. Thus to the opposite, when [a baby] nurses from an fit woman [the baby will] not have the heat of this lust, except for a little bit which is needed for the commands of Torah. (There^)

57. Through the pride of the leaders and the famed charlatans the lust for promiscuity increases in the world and through that comes destruction of seed, God forbid, corresponding to "his flesh is sealed up" (Leviticus 15:3) which is the seal of the forces of evil. It is impossible to be spared from this except through the power of the defenders of the generation who are the tzadikim and the fit ones who are called "defenders of the land" (Psalm 47:10); they have a great war in this matter, and they elevate the aspect "his flesh is sealed up" to the aspect of the seal of holiness which is the aspect of tefillin which [represent] the shining of the mind. For the main rectification of the mind is according to [the amount of] breakage of this lust which is when these thoughts very much overpower one to the point that he can come to a nocturnal emission, God forbid, corresponding to "his flesh is sealed up"; but instead he very much overcomes, breaking and divorcing the thoughts from him, drawing upon himself holy thoughts.
Through this, one elevates "his flesh is sealed up" to [the aspect of] tefillin which are the seal of holiness, the shining of the mind. Everyone needs to receive strength from these "defenders of the land" to overpower the [bad] thoughts and turn them into a holy mind. Everyone must know this: that all the more that [bad] thoughts increase - when one overcomes against them and runs from [being sucked into] them and breaks them, he is making a very big rectification and he elevates holiness from the forces of evil; he [also] draws the aspect of the holiness of tefillin which are the shining of the mind, to know and to make known HaShem's Godliness in the world.
The more [bad thoughts] increase against one, the more the aspect of the rectification of tefillin is made when one overcomes the greatness of their proliferation, breaking them. For only for this [reason] were these thoughts and wicked, foreign ideas sent against him - in order that he'll flip them around and that the rectification of tefillin, exactly, will be made from them. (From Likutei Moharan II, 5)

58. Through breaking thoughts of promiscuity and [thus] meriting a rectification of the mind as stated above, one merits to a dream via an angel and then he is called a human. Thus it is to the opposite: when the mind is not pure, then the dream is via a demon, God forbid, and then he is made to seem like an animal. (There^)

59. Food also has a part in a dream. Therefore, sometimes a dream is damaged [into] the aspect of a dream via a demon, God forbid, because of food; and one can come to a nocturnal emission because of this, God forbid. The remedy for this is joy, and to strengthen oneself to be in joy. (There^)

60. Also, sometimes through Rabbis and [Torah] judges who are not fit, who distort the judgement, comes a nocturnal emission, God forbid. The remedy for this is the 'connection of the Divine Chariot', which is what [our] ancestors established to say before sleep: "In the Name of HaShem...from my right: Michael..." - that's the 'connection of the Divine Chariot' and it is a segula to be spared from a nocturnal emission that comes through the distortion of judgment by the [Torah] judges who are not fit. (There^)

(Continue to the last part)

Likutei Etzot (Compilations of Advice), Brit - Its Damage and Rectification 41-50

Brit - Its Damage and Rectification (continued)

41. When your marital relations are in holiness and your break your soul that lusts, that is, your animalistic soul, and it is like a demon forces you - through this, you'll have surviving/healthy children because death of children, God forbid, is a result of the animalistic soul. (Likutei Moharan I, 39)

42. Also your marital relations need to be on the night of the Sabbath in order that you'll have living and surviving/healthy children. (There^)

43. One must be careful from hearing words of a wicked person who has knowledge, for his words give birth to promiscuity by the listener, because his words are venomous words of promiscuity and they enter the body of the listener. (Likutei Moharan I, 43)

44. One who damages his brit corresponds to the bitter water, putrid water, impure seed - and then he is not able to pray, as corresponding to [the negative aspect of the verse] "all my bones will say..." (Psalm 35). That is, he is unable to taste the sweetness of the words of prayer, and then a dog comes to eat his sacrifice, that is his prayer. This corresponds to bitterness, the aspect of a double-edged sword, Geihinnom. However, through shmirat habrit is the aspect of sweet water, clear water, holy seed - and then his words are sweet and good and when they leave his mouth and are heard by his ears, then the sweetness of the words enter into his bones. Then his prayer corresponds to [the positive aspect of the verse] "all my bones will say" (Psalm 35), and then a lion comes to eat his sacrifice. (Likutei Moharan I, 50)

45. Know that the brazen-faced in the generation are the dogs, and they stand and dispute the prayer of the Israelite man who has not yet repaired his brit completely. (There^)

46. One who damages his brit should guard himself from [literal] dogs and from the sword [that is, literal weapons, warfare, and fighting]. (There^)

47. Through subduing the impure spiritual forces of Amalek, which is damaging the brit, and [through which] he attains tikun habrit - through this one merits double abundance which corresponds to the double [portion of] bread on the Sabbath (the Israelites were able to collect double the amount of manna on the sixth day so that they would have enough for the Sabbath without having to gather it on that day -translator's note), corresponding to double/repeated/learning Torah. Through this one merits to author new Torah insights on the Sabbath, doubled. The Sabbath provides abundance to the rest of the worlds, it sends its illuminations to all the levels, it heals the soul and the body, and the world is awoken to repentance from love [through it]. And then, all the good [people] in the generation are healed and made honorable in the eyes of people. Through this, everyone receives new Torah insights that the tzadik provided on the day of the Sabbath. (Likutei Moharan I, 58)

48. Through the vanity of beauty, that is that one isn't protected from the beauty of women, one comes to deceitful charm. For there are several kinds of deceitful charm that people do while standing, eating, and speaking with [other] people. For everything there is another specific charm. All these kinds of deceitful charm come through not being careful with the beauty of women. (Likutei Moharan I, 60)

49.Through the vanity of beauty comes poverty. (There^)

50. Through promiscuity breath, which is the main life-force of a person, is stopped. Through this, the moisture of the body is dried up and through that the mind and intellect are damaged. For essentially, the intellect [is sustained] through the moisture and fats of the body. Therefore, all of those who are crazy get that way through promiscuity, as is known. Thus, the rest of people who aren't exactly crazy, yet they have a lot of lack and confusion of mind, all of it comes through promiscuity which dries the moisture and fats of the body since through that the intellect is damaged. (There^)

(Continue to the next part)