a) Know, there are pathways of Torah which require very great contemplation, but to reach such contemplation it is impossible other than by tremendous wealth. The Tribe of Yissachar had this power of contemplation, as it says, "The sons of Yissachar had understanding of the times" (Chronicles,1,12:33). They did not merit to this other than by wealth, in the aspect of "Yissachar is a strong ass" (Gen.49:14) which the Targum translates as "rich in property". Therefore, all the prophets were wealthy, as the Sages said. So also, there have been very great and awesome tzaddikim who were very wealthy. This is especially true of those through whom the Torah passed, like Moshe our teacher who gave over the (Written) Torah to the People of Israel, and Rebbi, who arranged and sealed the Mishniyot and Rav Ashi who arranged and sealed the Talmud – they were all very wealthy, as the Sages tell us, for great wealth is needed for this contemplation.
b) To achieve such holy wealth is by longevity, that's to say, by seeing to it that every day and every hour will be longer and broader than what came before, with extra holiness and purity. Every single day begins for each person very narrowly, meaning that the day is very hard for him because of all the service of G-d that he has to do on that day. So a person has to be very strong each day in order not to fall when he sees the burden of the service of G-d needed each day. He has to start again each day, starting from the narrow, cramped and very difficult point, according to how he can overcome. Afterwards he can broaden and progress in his service of G-d. Every hour that then passes he can increase and broaden with additional holiness. So too each day of his life he should be sure to add more holiness than the day before, and similarly for always. This is the main form of longevity through which a person merits to holy wealth. That is what it says, "Avraham was old, advanced in days" (Gen.24:1), that's to say he had longevity. As a result, "G-d blessed Avraham with everything" meaning with holy wealth, as explained above.
c) By means of fear of G-d we merit to longevity, an aspect of "Fear of G-d prolongs days" (Proverbs,10:27). That's to say, fear leads to additional holiness every day through which the days become longer and broader, as explained.
d) There are several kinds of false charm which people show when standing, eating and talking with people, as well as other things; each thing has its own special charm. A person is trapped in this when he is not careful about the craving for the vanity of the beauty of women, for one depends on the other, as it says, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain" (Proverbs,31: 30). In consequence, a person comes to poverty, as it says, "Lust not after her beauty in your heart…for by means of a harlot a man is brought to a morsel of bread" (Proverbs, 6: 26). This is an aspect of "Wealth gotten from vanity will be reduced" (Proverbs,13:11). Fear is the opposite of this as it says, "False is charm and beauty is vain, a woman who fears G-d is praiseworthy" (Proverbs, 30:31). It turns out that by fear one is saved from the craving for false charm and the vanity of beauty which leads to poverty. By this (fear) one merits to holy wealth through which one merits to this contemplation.
e) The main contemplation of the intellect, when rectified, that allows one to contemplate, depends on the moisture and oils in the body. By the craving for sex and the vanity of beauty, one's breathing is halted. Breathing is the main life force of a man. By craving for sex, the moisture of the body dries up and this spoils the power of contemplation of the brain and the intellect. Therefore, all the madmen become so through the craving for sex, as is known. So also other men who are not really mad but suffer from a great lack and confusion in their knowledge, everything stems from the craving for sex which dries up the moisture and oils of the body which in turn spoils the intellect.
f) Perfection of fear has three aspects and each aspect includes all three. The first aspect is fear of Heaven; this is by contemplating the greatness of the Creator in one's Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge; all these three brains need to be full of fear of G-d. The second aspect is awe of one's rabbi. This is achieved by learning from him. One has to draw this fear into all the three portions of learning, an aspect of "The Torah of three parts" (Shabbat, 88). The third aspect is awe of one's father and mother which needs to be drawn into the aspect of "House and riches are the inheritance of fathers" (Proverbs, 19:14). This fear should be applied to the three pats of wealth that are an inheritance of the fathers. This is an aspect of what the Sages said, "A person should always divide his money by putting one third into ground property, one third into business and one third at hand" (Baba Metzia,42).
g) In all the Torah the word 'wealth' is mentioned only three times – regarding Sodom it says, "Don’t say I have made Avraham wealthy" (Gen.14:23) ; about Rachel and Leah it says, "For all the wealth which G-d has saved" (Gen.31:16); and thirdly, about the mitzvah of shekalim, it says, "The rich shall not give more" (Ex.30:15). These correspond to the three portions of wealth mentioned above. The third in business parallels what it says about Sodom, for in Sodom it says, "Forgotten by foot-travellers" (Job,28: 4) meaning that they wanted to cancel all trading there, for "foot" alludes to business, as it says, "Zevulun, rejoice in your going out" (Deut.33:18). Therefore one specifically needs one third in business and trading; one third in ground property parallels the wealth mentioned with regard to Rachel and Leah, for the truth is that the main reason for wealth is only in order to contemplate in the Torah; without this contemplation, wealth is just a waste product – it is then just for women and those with childish minds like them. This is what Rachel and Leah said, "All the wealth" etc. that is not for our contemplation or that of our sons, meaning just for women and those with childish minds, rather, it is for you, "and everything that G-d tells you to do, do it"; that's to say, 'you need the wealth for contemplation of the greatness of G-d'. Corresponding to this, one needs one third in ground property, an aspect of a woman being referred to as 'the ground of the world' (Sanhedrin, 74). One third at hand, parallels to what is mentioned regarding the shekalim where it says "to atone for your souls", an aspect of "in whose hand is the soul of all living things and the spirit of all flesh of man" (Job, 12:10). (Editor's note: Previously he wrote that the fear of G-d has to spread through all the portions of wealth…therefore the fear has to spread through the third of business affairs so that he will conduct them with proper faith; by fear in the third of ground property a person has to remind himself that if he doesn't use the wealth to contemplate in the Torah, he will be like a woman or those with a childish mind. The third at hand, in cash, is in order to give a lot of charity; then he has to remember that the evil urge wants to overcome him to make him not have mercy on the poor person. But his soul is in the hand of the Holy One so he has to donate a lot of charity to atone for his soul.)
h) Revelaton of fear is by causing barren women to give birth. However many
more barren women are caused to give birth, so fear is revealed that much more. Therefore, on Rosh Hashana Yitzchak was born (from Sarah who was barren) for he represents the power of the revelation of immense fear, an aspect of the fear of Yitzchak. When Sarah gave birth, many other barren women also gave birth together with her, as the Sages tell us. By this fear, one merits to longevity, an aspect of "old age" (said of Avraham). Therefore Sarah said, "I have born him a son in his old age" (Gen.21:7). Through the birth of Yitzchak, which is the revelation of fear, longevity was drawn into the world, an aspect of "old age", as mentioned above. (Editor's note: It says "Avraham was old and G-d blessed him with everything". "Everything", the Sages tell us, has the numerical value of 'son'. By the blessing of a son, representing the power of revelation of fear of G-d, he merited to longevity. And the above text already explained, according to the simple meaning, that he was blessed with holy wealth.)
i) Causing barren women to give birth is achieved by awakening people from their sleep. There are people who sleep their days away even though it seems to others that they are serving G-d, learning Torah and praying; nevertheless, they are in an aspect of sleep and all their service of G-d remains in the world below for it is without vitality or intelligence. The Holy One does not have pleasure from their service and it cannot elevate itself into the world above. Some people fall into an aspect of sleep through physical cravings and bad deeds. Others are good, kosher Jews but their fall is through eating. Occasionally when a person eats a food which hasn't yet been clarified (elevated) to the level of human food, by eating it a person loses his face, meaning that he loses his wisdom and intellect, like it says, "A man's wisdom shines in his face" (Eccl.8:1). (See original text.) Then he falls into an aspect of sleep and has to be aroused from his sleep. However, it is impossible to arouse him unless he first wakes up a little by himself – one needs arousal from below meaning that he has to arouse himself. It is just that when he does arouse himself, if others didn't continue to awaken him, he would remain even longer in sleep, so, as soon as he wakes himself up one has to show him his face and clothe the face (of Torah) in stories. There are seventy faces to the Torah and they are an aspect of seventy years (of a person's life). One has to deliberately clothe the faces (of Torah) like a blind man is cured – first they need to close him (in a dark room) and severely limit the light so that it won't hurt him from seeing it suddenly. So also with a person who was in sleep and darkness a long time, when they want to show him his face and arouse him from his sleep, they have to clothe for him the faces in stories so that the sudden light won't hurt him. (See the original text for two more reasons for this.) There are several aspects to this when clothing the faces. Some people cannot be awakened by seeing their own face, so they need to be shown a face spiritually higher than the level of their own face which departed from them when they fell asleep. Some people have fallen from all the seventy faces of the Torah; their fall is so great, Heaven forbid, that it is impossible to awaken them through any of the seventy faces which represent seventy years; only stories from ancient times can awaken them for all the seventy faces receive life-force from these stories; by these stories of ancient times, even someone who has fallen from all the seventy faces, Heaven forbid, can be awoken. Happy is he who merits to come to such a tzaddik who can awaken him from his sleep through wonderful rectifications like these so that he won't waste away his life in sleep, Heaven forbid. By this, barren women are caused to give birth for, previously, when people were in an aspect of sleep, they were deaf; they didn't hear the wise man's (tzaddik's) words of arousal and, as a result, they could not speak even one word to G-d; 'a regular deaf person can neither hear nor speak' (Chaggiga,2). Now that the wise man arouses him and he hears his words, he can then speak out holy words before the Holy One. Because their speech was very limited by them for such a long time while they were deaf and dumb, now, when the words come out it is with great power, in an aspect of "Mighty ones who perform his word" (Psalms, 103:20); this strength enters the limbs that are the vessels of birth, an aspect of "my might and the beginning of my strength" (Gen.49:3). Then one has to see to it that the means of speech be close to the tools of birth, which are the kidneys, in order that they be able to receive the power of speech, meaning that the words be uttered with truth, so as not to be in the aspect of "You are near in their mouth and far from their inner limbs/kidneys" (Jeremiah, 12:2). This leads to barren women giving birth. It turns out that through the true tzaddik, who arouses the world from their sleep by means of stories from ancient times, barren women are caused to give birth. As a result, great fear is drawn into the world and we merit to all the rectifications mentioned previously.
j) When a person is engaged in awakening people from their sleep, he has to guard himself from
unworthy students in order that their evil won't harm him. However, it is impossible for someone of flesh and blood to guard himself against unworthy students hearing him, therefore he has to teach his students as if he made them his friends and as if he made them words of Torah, as the Sages said (Sanhedrin, 99). Then the Holy One will guard him so that his words will not be written in the memory of the unworthy student, but, rather, be forgotten.
k) Those in the generation with trust in G-d are an aspect of the tools of birth, therefore the kidneys, which are the means of birth, are called "b'tuchot" (Psalms, 51:8), for all the births and all the bounty is drawn through trust. So, by hearing and learning holy stories of great tzaddikim, which arouse people from their sleep, by this they begin to speak to the Holy One with great strength and truth until this power reaches the limbs of birth, as above. By this, holy trust becomes stronger, barren women give birth and we merit to all the rectifications mentioned previously.
l) There is trust of the Other Side, an aspect of "Trust in an unfaithful man” (Proverbs, 25:19). Through the holy connecting of couples for the sake of giving birth, which is an aspect of trust, an aspect of kidneys, which are the tools of birth, as explained above, an aspect of "The heart of her husband safely trusts in her" (Proverbs, 31:11), through this the trust of the Other Side is broken like broken pottery. This is alluded to by breaking a china plate at the time of the engagement celebration, an aspect of "trust in oppression and perverseness…he shall break it as the breaking of a potter's vessel…there shall not be found in the bursting of it a shred" (Isaiah, 30:12-14). Let us explain it a bit further. The main virtue of trust is to trust in G-d and do good deeds, as it says, "Trust in G-d and do good" (Psalms, 37:3). (Thus the trust of the Other Side is broken like a broken china vessel.) That's to say, one shouldn't become confused in one's learning and service of G-d because of worries and the bother of making a living, rather, one should just engage in Torah and the service of G-d and put trust in the Holy One that He will provide an income all your life. If you are not holding by such trust of removing yourself completely from dealings regarding This World, but, rather, you want to engage in business affairs or a craft as well, then at least fix regular times to learn Torah and pray on time etc. Don't worry and don't get confused because of the worry of making a living; just trust in G-d. Also regarding giving charity, performing deeds of loving-kindness and spending money on performing mitzvot, have trust in G-d that He will replenish you with whatever you lack. Because of this thing, G-d will bless you! And even if you know that your deeds are not as proper as they should be, you shouldn’t fall from your trust because of this, saying 'who am I to put trust in G-d and depend on Him after I have spoilt my deeds so much.' Just have trust in the loving-kindness of G-d which never ceases and Whose mercy remains forever, that He will have mercy on you and provide a livelihood for you also, as it says, "For G-d is good for all." Don't bother yourself with the worries and efforts of making a living because of seeing your own worthlessness, rather, strengthen your trust nevertheless, knowing that your intentions are for the sake of Heaven. All this is holy trust. But, Heaven forbid, should you perform some injustice, or even more so, some theft or deceit, forgery or lie, like trading outside the country which the government doesn't allow, and then put trust in G-d that He will save you and help you to complete the deal without it becoming known. This is trust of the Other Side, an aspect of "trust in the unfaithful man", as mentioned before, an aspect of "trust in oppression and perverseness". Such trust is as broken pottery which has no hope (of repair). Even a person who engages in business way above his means and takes many loans from various people, trusting in G-d that He will help to complete the deal, this is also trust of the Other Side. On the contrary, he has to have strong trust that even if he doesn't engage in such big business deals, even so, the Holy One will provide for him fittingly. The wise person will understand a lot from our words about how to escape from trust of the Other Side which is against the Torah; rather, he should strengthen himself with holy trust even if he is however he is.
m) Blowing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana is an aspect of awakening from sleep for thus we arouse the people of the word from their sleep so that they will not spend their lives in sleep, Heaven forbid. By this they speak out words with great strength, thus drawing trust and causing barren women to give birth; great fear is attracted and, by this, people are saved from the craving for sex and from the vanity of beauty and the charm of falsehood. Then one merits to holy longevity, as above. Through this one merits to immense holy wealth which enables a person to contemplate deeply in the Torah. All this one merits to by the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Hashana by true tzaddikim who know how to bring about all these rectifications.