Behold, it is known that an olah (burnt-offering) is brought on account of the heart’s intentions, as it is written (Ezekiel 20:32), “that which your spirit olah (entertains)” (Vayikra Rabbah 7:3) . In other words, a burnt-offering is brought on account of intentions of the heart, which is the abode of the spirit.
Now, God does not reckon an [evil] intention as deed, except for idolatrous thoughts (Kiddushin 40a). Yet everyone is subject to idolatrous thoughts. That is, when a person starts to pray with devotion, or he secludes himself <to speak with his Master>, and in the middle of prayer or hitbodedut he falls from his level—this is an aspect of idolatrous thoughts.
All [spiritual] declines are on account of flawed faith. And when [a person’s] faith is flawed, he turns his face away from God, as it is written (Isaiah 1:4), “they have turned their backs [to Him].” Then God likewise conceals His countenance from him, <measure for measure>. It is thus <an aspect of> back to back.
He therefore has to bring a burnt-offering. Conceptually, a burnt-offering is when a person breaks the spirit within himself and feels ashamed <before God>. He thinks to himself, “How could I have fallen and been cast down from heaven to earth? I was in such an exalted place. But now I’ve fallen and have turned my face away from God, so that I find myself back to back [with Him].” He takes pity on himself, for there is nothing more [in want of] compassion than this.
For this he needs bifurcation, as happened to the first human. Two figures were created, [joined] back to back (Berakhot 61a), and afterwards <they were bifurcated and turned> face to face. This bifurcation corresponds to ChaTaKh (an incision), as recorded in the Kabbalistic meditations: The last-letters of “poteiaCh æT yadeKha (You open Your hand)” spell ChaTaKh. In other words, a person has to sever and separate himself.
[This bifurcation entails] breaking his heart, thereby creating the Name ChaTaKh. For when he breaks his heart, he certainly sighs, breathing out and breathing in. These are two breaths. The numerical value of twice RUaCh (breath, spirit) is ChaTaKh. This corresponds to a bifurcation, so that he can attain the aspect of face to face. And this is the aspect of a burnt-offering.
From Lesson #73, “When You Pass through,” until here is leshon hachaveirim. These also contain some short teachings that were taught prior to [Rebbe Nachman’s journey to] the Land of Israel. In the main, the terminology is not at all precise, so that in certain instances it is difficult to understand what is intended. Wherever I was able to, I made minor corrections. The rest I left as it was, since the terminology, whatever its quality, provides a great deal of moral instruction, wonderful explanatory prefaces, and awesome advice on how to draw closer to God.
זִבְחֵי אֱלֹקִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה (תהילים נ״א:י״ט):
“[True] sacrifice to God is a broken spirit.” (Psalms 51:19)
הִנֵּה יָדוּעַ, כִּי עוֹלָה בָּאָה עַל הִרְהוּר הַלֵּב, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (יחזקאל כ׳:ל״ב): הָעוֹלֶה עַל רוּחֲכֶם (מ"ר ויקרא פ"ז); הַיְנוּ שֶׁעוֹלָה בָּאָה עַל הִרְהוּרֵי הַלֵּב, שֶׁשָּׁם מִשְׁכַּן הָרוּחַ.
Behold, it is known that an olah (burnt-offering) is brought on account of the heart’s intentions, as it is written (Ezekiel 20:32), “that which your spirit olah (entertains)” (Vayikra Rabbah 7:3) . In other words, a burnt-offering is brought on account of intentions of the heart, which is the abode of the spirit.
וְאֵין הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ מְצָרֵף מַחֲשָׁבָה לְמַעֲשֶׂה, בַּר מֵהִרְהוּרֵי עַכּוּ"ם (קידושין מ). וְהִרְהוּר עַכּוּ"ם שַׁיָּךְ אֵצֶל כָּל אָדָם, הַיְנוּ מַה שֶׁמַּתְחִיל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בִּדְבֵקוּת, אוֹ מִתְבּוֹדֵד אֶת עַצְמוֹ, וּבְאֶמְצַע הַתְּפִלָּה אוֹ הַהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת נוֹפֵל מִמַּדְרֵגָתוֹ, זֶהוּ בְּחִינוֹת הִרְהוּרֵי עַכּוּ"ם.
Now, God does not reckon an [evil] intention as deed, except for idolatrous thoughts (Kiddushin 40a). Yet everyone is subject to idolatrous thoughts. That is, when a person starts to pray with devotion, or he secludes himself <to speak with his Master>, and in the middle of prayer or hitbodedut he falls from his level—this is an aspect of idolatrous thoughts.
כִּי כָּל הַנְּפִילוֹת בָּאִין מֵחֲמַת קִלְקוּל הָאֱמוּנָה. וּכְשֶׁנִּתְקַלְקֵל הָאֱמוּנָה, נִמְצָא מַחֲזִיר פָּנָיו מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (ישעיהו א׳:ד׳): נָזוֹרוּ אָחוֹר, וְהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ גַּם כֵּן מַסְתִּיר פָּנָיו מִמֶּנּוּ, נִמְצָא הוּא אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר.
All [spiritual] declines are on account of flawed faith. And when [a person’s] faith is flawed, he turns his face away from God, as it is written (Isaiah 1:4), “they have turned their backs [to Him].” Then God likewise conceals His countenance from him, <measure for measure>. It is thus <an aspect of> back to back.
וְצָרִיךְ לְהָבִיא עַל זֶה עוֹלָה. וּבְחִינוֹת עוֹלָה הוּא כְּשֶׁמְּשַׁבֵּר אֶת רוּחוֹ בְּקִרְבּוֹ, וּמִתְבַּיֵּשׁ וְחוֹשֵׁב בְּעַצְמוֹ: אֵיךְ נָפַלְתִּי וְנִשְׁלַכְתִּי מִשָּׁמַיִם לָאָרֶץ, שֶׁהָיִיתִי בְּמָקוֹם גָּבוֹהַּ כָּזֶה, וְעַכְשָׁו נָפַלְתִּי וְהֶחֱזַרְתִּי פָּנַי מֵהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ, וְנִשְׁאַרְתִּי אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר. וּמְרַחֵם עַל עַצְמוֹ, כִּי אֵין רַחֲמָנוּת גְּדוֹלָה מִזּוֹ.
He therefore has to bring a burnt-offering. Conceptually, a burnt-offering is when a person breaks the spirit within himself and feels ashamed <before God>. He thinks to himself, “How could I have fallen and been cast down from heaven to earth? I was in such an exalted place. But now I’ve fallen and have turned my face away from God, so that I find myself back to back [with Him].” He takes pity on himself, for there is nothing more [in want of] compassion than this.
וְצָרִיךְ לָזֶה נְסִירָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה אֵצֶל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, שֶׁנִּבְרְאוּ דּוּ פַּרְצוּפִין אָחוֹר בְּאָחוֹר (ברכות סא), וְאַחַר־כָּךְ נִנְּסַר וְהָיָה פָּנִים בְּפָנִים. וְהַנְּסִירָה הוּא בְּחִינַת שֵׁם חֲתַ"ךְ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּכַּוָּנוֹת: פּוֹתֵ'חַ אֶ'ת יָדֶ'ךָ – סוֹפֵי־תֵּבוֹת חֲתַךְ, הַיְנוּ שֶׁחוֹתֵךְ וּמְנַסֵּר אֶת עַצְמוֹ.
For this he needs bifurcation, as happened to the first human. Two figures were created, [joined] back to back (Berakhot 61a), and afterwards <they were bifurcated and turned> face to face. This bifurcation corresponds to ChaTaKh (an incision), as recorded in the Kabbalistic meditations: The last-letters of “poteiaCh æT yadeKha (You open Your hand)” spell ChaTaKh. In other words, a person has to sever and separate himself.
וְהַשֵּׁם חֲתַ"ךְ נַעֲשֶׂה עַל יְדֵי שֶׁמְּשַׁבֵּר אֶת לִבּוֹ, כִּי כְּשֶׁמְּשַׁבֵּר אֶת לִבּוֹ, בְּוַדַּאי מְאַנֵּחַ וּמוֹצִיא רוּחַ וּמַכְנִיס רוּחַ, וְהוּא תְּרֵין רוּחִין. וּשְׁנֵי פְּעָמִים "רוּחַ" גִּימַטְרִיָּא חֲתַ"ךְ, וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינוֹת נְסִירָה, וּבָא אֶל בְּחִינוֹת פָּנִים בְּפָנִים, וְזֶהוּ בְּחִינוֹת עוֹלָה.
[This bifurcation entails] breaking his heart, thereby creating the Name ChaTaKh. For when he breaks his heart, he certainly sighs, breathing out and breathing in. These are two breaths. The numerical value of twice RUaCh (breath, spirit) is ChaTaKh. This corresponds to a bifurcation, so that he can attain the aspect of face to face. And this is the aspect of a burnt-offering.
וְזֶהוּ: זִבְחֵי אֶלֹהִים, הַיְנוּ בְּחִינוֹת עוֹלָה, הוּא רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה, כַּנַּ"ל.
Thus this is the meaning of [the opening verse]: sacrifice to God—namely, a burnt-offering— is a broken ruach, as explained above.
(מִסִּימָן ע"ג "כִּי תַעֲבֹר" עַד כָּאן, הוּא לְשׁוֹן הַחֲבֵרִים. גַּם יֵשׁ בָּהֶם כַּמָּה דְּבָרִים קְטַנִּים שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ קֹדֶם אֶרֶץ־יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעַל־פִּי הָרֹב הַלָּשׁוֹן אֵינוֹ מְתֻקָּן כְּלָל, עַד שֶׁבְּכַמָּה מְקוֹמוֹת קָשֶׁה לַעֲמֹד עַל הַמְכֻוָּן. וּבְכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁמָּצְאָה יָדִי לְתַקֵּן תִּקַּנְתִּי קְצָת, וְהַשְּׁאָר הִנַּחְתִּי כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא, כִּי הַלָּשׁוֹן אֵיךְ שֶׁהוּא, יוֹצֵא מֵהֶם עַל כָּל פָּנִים דִּבְרֵי מוּסָר הַרְבֵּה, וְהַקְדָּמוֹת נִפְלָאוֹת, וְעֵצוֹת נוֹרָאוֹת לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ):
From Lesson #73, “When You Pass through,” until here is leshon hachaveirim. These also contain some short teachings that were taught prior to [Rebbe Nachman’s journey to] the Land of Israel. In the main, the terminology is not at all precise, so that in certain instances it is difficult to understand what is intended. Wherever I was able to, I made minor corrections. The rest I left as it was, since the terminology, whatever its quality, provides a great deal of moral instruction, wonderful explanatory prefaces, and awesome advice on how to draw closer to God.