# Torah 21 - Atik Is Hidden

> מקור: https://rabenu.app/books/kitvey-en/21/torah-21/

a) Enthusiasm of the heart is created by the movement of the mind. According to the speed of the movement of the mind, this instills the heart with heat; for by nature, movement generates heat. That's to say, when a person makes his mind think all the time about Torah and prayer, this warms and enthuses his heart in the service of G-d. It turns out that when you merit to a holy influx such that the mind functions at great speed and you don't need any introductory information, by this, the flame of the heart always rises by itself.

(I added here part of Torah 156 "A pure heart", for that is how Rav Natan arranged it originally in the old Kitzur Lekutei Moharan and I didn't want to change it.)

b) By this enthusiasm, one merits to drive out this spirit of impurity and foolishness and this purifies the heart. For in contrast to the enthusiasm and being enflamed to perform a sin, or have an evil craving, from which his heart is made impure, one has to enthuse and enflame the heart to cleave to the Holy One. The nature of fire is to drive out the air as we can perceive clearly from many things. Therefore one needs to enthuse the heart, as it says, "anything that passed through fire, must be cleansed by fire."(Numbers,31). When one prays and learns with enthusiasm, by this one purifies one's heart from any spirit of folly and one merits to a pure heart. This will enable you to speak to your Maker, with new words each time; this is an aspect of having a holy spirit literally.

c) By movement one creates heat, that's to say, when one moves from one thought to another of the greatness of G-d and Torah, as mentioned. So too, the main heat of the element of fire is what it receives from the movement of the stars because the element of fire is close to the celestial 'wheels.' Similarly each 'wheel' receives from the 'wheel' above it. Therefore, by meriting the public, by bringing people closer to the service of G-d, or by judging each person favourably, which is also called meriting the public, this also generates heat and enthusiasm in serving the Holy One. This is as it says, "those who merit the public are like stars."(Daniel,12). He receives heat from what is above him and so too can transfer it to those below him, just like the stars do.

d) Through this enthusiasm of the heart, one merits to purify the heart and fulfills the verse which says, "Create in me a pure heart, O G-d, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."(Psalms,51,12). What a person speaks between himself and his Maker reflects a level of divine inspiration, each according to his level of service. For, by starting this and forcing himself and preparing himself to speak to G-d, the Holy One sends him words in his mouth and this is an aspect of the divine spirit. From this, King David composed the Book of Psalms. One has to always renew oneself and plead with the Holy One each time with new supplications, to which one merits through a pure heart. (See Midrash Yalkut Tehilim,87).

e) To achieve this intellect, which is a divine bounty, an aspect of divine spirit, as mentioned, one has to sanctify the mouth, the nostrils, the eyes and the ears. That's to say, one has to guard oneself from saying any lie, and to have fear of Heaven, which is the holiness of the nostrils; one needs faith in Torah sages, to believe in them and to listen to their words; by this one sanctifies the ears; and one needs to close one's eyes from seeing anything bad. By all this, one merits to that intellect and to perfect understanding upon which everything depends.

f) These seven openings in the head are dependent on the brain; they arouse the brain so that it reaches the aspect of 'before', which is an aspect of 'face', as a result of sanctifying the 'seven candles'. The Holy Candelabrum alludes to the brain. The body of the candelabrum alludes to the holy bounty. This is like the succah, whose name comes from to 'annoint' (saccah) with the divine spirit. That came from the seven Clouds of Glory that were in the Wilderness. (The succah is a rememberance of them, as brought in the Shulchan Aruch, Ch.625). Therefore, by the mitzvah of succah, we merit to the divine bounty which is a form of holy spirit, the spirit of wisdom, called "holy"-Kodesh (Zohar,Pt.3:pg.61).That's to say, we merit to achieve great intelligence, an aspect of 'enveloping brains' which is like an intelligence which comes to a person without any introductory effort but rather through divine bounty. All a person's service of G-d in This World is for this, in order to achieve these enveloping brains, for they are the main delight in the World to Come. By means of the mitzvah of succah we merit to a pure heart and as a result we can explain ourselves well in conversation before G-d, as is proper; this is an aspect of a divine spirit.

g) These 'enveloping brains' are such a very great intellect that the brain cannot stand them and they can't enter the brain, rather they envelop it from outside. Similarly, we see there are some deep wisdoms that the human brain can’t understand properly such as various perplexing ideas that confuse us like the dichotomy of Knowledge and Free Choice. The human brain cannot understand this contradiction. This wisdom envelops the brain but doesn't penetrate inside the brain; and the inner intellect draws its life-force from this 'enveloping brain'.

h) Know that the main power of choice stems from our not understanding the seeming contradiction between Knowledge and Free Choice. Because of this a person has the choice to choose life or the opposite. However, when this 'enveloping brain' enters the brain, the human intellect will grow and the solution to the dichotomy of Knowledge and Free Choice will be revealed to the human intellect; then, free choice will be nullified. So it will be in the future that by the intellect expanding it will go beyond the level of a human being and reach the level of an angel; then there will be no more free choice. From this, understand not to be confused by the issue of Knowledge and Free Choice and other such ideas, for now it is totally impossible to comprehend; it is an 'enveloping brain' which cannot possibly enter the brain in This World which is a world of free choice.

i) This is what the Sages said: "In the future every tzaddik will be burnt by the canopy of his fellow."(Baba Batra,75A) All these enveloping brains are like a wedding canopy, an aspect of holiness and a wedding ceremony; the intellect which envelops one person is within the brain of another. When a tzaddik reaches a level of perception which he didn't know previously and it's something new to him, he becomes enthused and he burns from the light of this perception, for holy enthusiasm comes from attaining new understanding, as mentioned, so the tzaddik is burnt by it. However, the tzaddik who is on a higher level than him doesn't consider this perception as anything so he isn't burnt or enthused by it at all; he just has to shelter and cover himself with another, higher perception in order to warm himself. The (wedding) canopy which is an aspect of the lights of the 'enveloping brain' is literally an aspect of a shelter and a cover which heats a person. The main root of heat and enthusiasm is from ascertaining these 'enveloping brains', as mentioned. This is like the seven days of celebration after a wedding ceremony, which are an aspect of the seven branches of the Menorah mentioned earlier. This is also like the seven days of mourning, Heaven forbid, during which we raise the soul of the deceased to the Light of the Face by these seven days. Therefore the mourner must make a tear ('kera') in his clothes for 'kera' has the same numerical value(370) as the three hundred and seventy Lights of the Light of the Face. This is the numerical value of twice Aleph Lamed (a Name of G-d) which is the Light of the Face.

j) This is also the reason for the spitting in the face of he who refuses to marry his dead brother's widow about whom it says, "and she should spit in his face." (Deut.25,9). By the saliva of this spitting he is shamed and the main shame is in the face, shame that he didn't want to marry his dead brother's wife, which would have drawn the soul of his brother into the world so he could have continued to rectify the Light of the Face. For the blemish of the dead man who died without children is that he didn't leave behind a blessing (children) who would draw the Intellect of the Face into the world by their good deeds.

 k) Someone who blemishes the honour of the true tzaddik has the light of the intellect and understanding closed before him so he can't innovate or ascertain understanding in the Torah. He is considered as dead.

l) When a person is humble and lowly and patient, and doesn't get angry when insulted, by this he sanctifies the nostrils perfectly. By being loyal "he conceals the matter." (Proverbs,11,13). When a secret is revealed to him he is careful to guard it, not revealing it to others. By this he sanctifies the ears and through all this he attracts a bounty of knowledge, as mentioned earlier.

m) When a person learns Torah and doesn't understand anything new, this is because his brains have disappeared like an embryo, an aspect of Ya'acov, as it says, "He took his brother by the heel in the womb" (Hoshea,12:4). Then he has to shout out like a woman giving birth who shouts seventy cries to bring out the baby. Shouting is good for a person whether in prayer or in learning Torah. The seventy shouts are like the seven voices that David said on the water for each one was comprised of ten. Then it is as if the Shechinah is shouting and this gives birth to new brains. This is what the Sages meant by "the voice arouses the intent", that's to say, the brains. It says that "the voice is the voice of Ya'acov" (Genesis,27) meaning that when he is an aspect of Ya'acov, he needs the voices, the shouts, in order to extract the brains from their being hidden. This is like a birth, like being revealed.

n) Someone whose Torah learning is without any new understanding should not teach it the way it is to the public, even though the Holy One takes pleasure from it, for his Torah is like Ya'acov, like an embryo. This is what it says, "Ya'acov G-d chose."(Psalms,135).When he is like Ya'acov, without brains, the Holy One chose this learning, but "Israel for His special charm." Israel contains the letters 'le' 'rosh', 'to me a head'. That's to say it alludes to a revelation of the brains and a drawing of the Light of the Face within the inner brain, as mentioned. To 'His special charm', this Torah, one can teach publicly to the Chosen People.

o) The Holy One took us as a holy Nation, "a nation from within a nation"(Deut.4) when the Attribute of strict Justice accused us, at the time of the Splitting of the Red Sea, "these are idol worshippers and these are idol worshippers" (Midrash,Exodus,Ch.21). So His choosing us was like a charm that one gives as a cure; it is above nature, above human understanding. This is like the 'enveloping brain'; we don't understand the wisdom that it has a special power to cure. Someone who merits to these 'enveloping brains', to give birth to them and to internalize them, can understand the special power, then, certainly, fairness requires him to reveal it and help the specially Chosen People to understand this special power, thus bestowing his goodness to others. Every individual, according to his aspect, has this inner brain and enveloping brain. Whatever G-d has granted him to understand and internalize this enveloping brain, to understand and innovate some perception, this good he should bestow to others.

p) All the troubles and suffering, exile and all the deficiencies that a person has, whether in making a living or children or in health etc. are all in relation to his lack of knowledge. When his knowledge is perfected then all the deficiencies will be filled. This is like the Sages said, "If you acquired knowledge, what do you lack, and if you lack knowledge, what have you acquired." (Nedarim,41). Even if those who completely lack knowledge seem to really have all good, everything they have is nothing. So also, the opposite, someone who has full knowledge, even if he really lacks something, in truth that deficiency is nothing because the main lack and the fulfillment of it is dependent on knowledge.

q) In the future, the main essence of eternal life will be through knowledge; "all the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d" (Isaiah,11) and everyone will be included in the Oneness of G-d through knowledge. Then they will live eternally like Him. For by knowledge one is included in Him and this is the main delight of the World to Come, as it says, "If I knew Him, I would live be Him." Because of knowledge he will lack nothing; everything will be good, as the Sages said (Pesachim,50).

r) Even the gentiles will know G-d, but not like us. Everyone will know and understand that all the perfection and good that the gentiles have nowadays is really nothing, as mentioned. On the contrary, all their esteem and good is all for our benefit. In the future, when all the earth will be full of the Knowledge of G-d, even the nations will understand by themselves all this, even though now it is impossible to understand it for we can't deny what we see. Apparently, this is a great perception to understand that their greatness was in fact our greatness and for them a disgrace. Even so, this perception will be for us laughable and crude in comparison to the level of our knowledge which will become very great.

s) Among Jews also there will be great differences between each tzaddik and tzaddik, and even more so between a tzaddik and a sinner; for each person will attain according to his service (of G-d) his efforts and toil and the bitterness he suffers in This World for the sake of the Holy One. And even though everyone will be purified, even the nations of the world, not everyone will be equal; there will be a big difference between them and us. So also between one Jew and another, because whatever will be an enveloping brain to one Jew will be an inner brain to someone else. Every tzaddik will be burnt etc.(see para.i); he will be burnt by the 'enveloping brain' of his fellow.

 Take good note of these things so that you will prepare yourself for the eternal life, "If you are wise, you are wise for yourself."(Proverbs,9,12).

t) Knowledge has an enveloping brain and an even more all-encompassing brain. Knowledge is the main comfort in the face of all troubles. The essence of hope and the prime element of life in the World to Come and its delights is only the attainment of holy Knowledge which means to truly know the Holy One.

u) The essence of a person is his knowledge and intellect; therefore, in the place where the mind thinks, that is where all the person is. For this reason one must flee very much from any bad thought so that you won't acquire your place there, Heaven forbid. You have to force yourself to think good thoughts in order to merit to ascertain knowledge of G-d; that way, you are really there and become included within G-d. The more one knows, the more one becomes united with one's source, that's to say, the Holy One, praised be He. Then one merits to the eternal life and to perfection of Knowledge and one is saved from all the deficiencies, as mentioned.

v) From deficiencies in Knowledge come all the harsh judgements Heaven forbid. Also anger and cruelty come because of this, as it says, "Anger rests in the bosom of fools." (Ecclesiastes,7,9). For this reason a sick person is usually angry, because harsh judgement dwells upon him. Harsh judgement is a 'small brain' which leads to anger. However, by increasing Knowledge, we sweeten and nullify all the harsh judgements and cancel the anger and cruelty; we merit to compassion which is so great that it nullifies the anger even from the destructive animals, as it will be in the future, through the expansion of Knowledge, as it says, "The wolf shall dwell with the lamb." (Isaiah,11)

 Then we will bless on everything, "Who is good and does good." (Pesachim,50). For everyone will know that there is no evil in the world at all; everything is good and everything is one, for whatever happens to us, to each one of us, is all for the good. Furthermore, the essence of the Redemption will be through Knowledge, as was the Redemption from Egypt, for that was through Moshe who represents Knowledge.

w) When a person thinks good thoughts about Torah and the service of G-d, he merits each time to know and ascertain more. As a result he is saved from any ambusher or accuser and all the damaging forces run away from him; he will not fear them at all and will thus be saved from all troubles.

x) The month of Elul is the most opportune time to merit to Knowledge, to merit to ascertain the enveloping brains of the mind and to internalize them such that one gains other, higher brains which will enable you to understand what you previously didn't grasp. By this, one makes a new clothing to one's soul and one is saved from all the ambushers, accusers and troubles, as mentioned. That is "clothing, and she laughs at the time to come." (Proverbs,31:25) whose initial letters spell Elul, for the enveloping brain is like a clothing, in Hebrew 'malbush', which has the same numerical value as 'chashmal', meaning 'glow', which is so strong and pleasant that all the damaging forces are driven away.

y) Whoever merits to true knowledge, to know the Holy One, for him there is no difference between life and death, for he cleaves to and is included in the Holy One, whether in life or death. It is just that now, while alive, his dwelling is here, among the living in This World; afterwards his dwelling will be with those who dwell in the dust of the earth. There is no difference for him because he is really included in the Holy One, so he lives the eternal life, like the Holy One, so to speak. He is included in G-d's Oneness and he is at one with the Holy One who lives forever, may He be blessed.