For example: A doctor took sick and was forced to put himself in the care of a top physician. Yet, the doctor wants him to prescribe a cure according to what he knows—to extract his tooth and shave his hair. But the physician is familiar with the special and superior cures which he has to give him.
Likewise, it happens that a person comes to the Torah scholar and tzaddik of the generation, who is a healer for ailing souls, and wants the tzaddik to prescribe for him a cure, i.e., practices and routines according to what he knows. But, in truth, the tzaddik has the upright cures and methods which [the person] needs to be guided to health.
Now, sometimes, it is vital that the sick person be given a certain medication, but if given the medication itself, straight, the sick person will undoubtedly die. It is therefore necessary to mix the medication with other things.
So, too, there are people to whom it is impossible to reveal the inner teachings of the Torah that are needed to heal them. For the Torah is called a cure, as it is written (Proverbs 3:8), “It shall be a healing for your navel.” For there is a dual force in the Torah: [it can be] an elixir of life or a potion of death. As our Sages teach: If one is worthy, it becomes an elixir of life; if one is not worthy, it becomes a potion of death (Yoma 72b).
Therefore, if they tell him the Torah itself, straight, he will undoubtedly die. In his case, because he is not worthy, it becomes a potion of death. Consequently, for him, it is necessary to enclothe the inner teachings of the Torah in other Torah teachings.
Sometimes, he is not even able to tolerate this, even if it is enclothed in other Torah teachings. So they enclothe the Torah in mundane, everyday conversations, in order for him to be able to take the cure that is hidden there. For the Torah, too, is presently enclothed in stories, because it is impossible to give it over straight.
לְעִנְיַן סִפּוּרֵי דְּבָרִים שֶׁל הַצַּדִּיק הָאֱמֶת.
Regarding the everyday conversations of the true tzaddik:
לְמָשָׁל: רוֹפֵא שֶׁנֶּחֱלָה וְהֻכְרַח לִמְסֹר אֶת עַצְמוֹ לְיַד הַדָּאקְטֶיר הַגָּדוֹל, וְהָרוֹפֵא רוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ רְפוּאוֹת כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ, לְהוֹצִיא לוֹ שֵׁן וּלְגַלְּחוֹ, אֲבָל הַדָּאקְטֶיר יוֹדֵעַ רְפוּאוֹת יְקָרִים וַחֲשׁוּבִים שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִתֵּן לוֹ.
For example: A doctor took sick and was forced to put himself in the care of a top physician. Yet, the doctor wants him to prescribe a cure according to what he knows—to extract his tooth and shave his hair. But the physician is familiar with the special and superior cures which he has to give him.
כֵּן יִזְדַּמֵּן, שֶׁיָּבוֹא אִישׁ לְהַתַּלְמִיד־חָכָם וְצַדִּיק הַדּוֹר, שֶׁהוּא רוֹפֵא חֳלִי הַנְּפָשׁוֹת, וְרוֹצֶה שֶׁיִּתֵּן לוֹ הַצַּדִּיק רְפוּאוֹת, הַיְנוּ הַנְהָגוֹת וּדְרָכִים, כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ. אֲבָל בֶּאֱמֶת הַצַּדִּיק יֵשׁ לוֹ רְפוּאוֹת וּדְרָכִים יְשָׁרִים, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהַנְהִיגוֹ לִרְפוּאָתוֹ.
Likewise, it happens that a person comes to the Torah scholar and tzaddik of the generation, who is a healer for ailing souls, and wants the tzaddik to prescribe for him a cure, i.e., practices and routines according to what he knows. But, in truth, the tzaddik has the upright cures and methods which [the person] needs to be guided to health.
וְהִנֵּה לִפְעָמִים הַהֶכְרֵחַ לִתֵּן לְהַחוֹלֶה אֵיזֶה סַם, אֲשֶׁר אִם יִתְּנוּ לוֹ הַסַּם בְּעַצְמוֹ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא, יָמוּת הַחוֹלֶה בְּלִי סָפֵק, עַל־כֵּן הַהֶכְרֵחַ לְעָרֵב הַסַּם בִּדְבָרִים אֲחֵרִים.
Now, sometimes, it is vital that the sick person be given a certain medication, but if given the medication itself, straight, the sick person will undoubtedly die. It is therefore necessary to mix the medication with other things.
כֵּן יֵשׁ אֲנָשִׁים, שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לְגַלּוֹת לָהֶם פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה הַצָּרִיךְ לִרְפוּאָתוֹ, כִּי הַתּוֹרָה הִיא רְפוּאָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב (משלי ג׳:ח׳): רִפְאוּת תְּהִי לְשָׁרֶךָ; כִּי בְּהַתּוֹרָה יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי כֹּחוֹת: סַם חַיִּים וְסַם מָוֶת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא עב:): זָכָה – נַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ סַם חַיִּים; לֹא זָכָה – נַעֲשֶׂה לוֹ סַם הַמָּוֶת.
So, too, there are people to whom it is impossible to reveal the inner teachings of the Torah that are needed to heal them. For the Torah is called a cure, as it is written (Proverbs 3:8), “It shall be a healing for your navel.” For there is a dual force in the Torah: [it can be] an elixir of life or a potion of death. As our Sages teach: If one is worthy, it becomes an elixir of life; if one is not worthy, it becomes a potion of death (Yoma 72b).
וְעַל כֵּן אִם יֹאמְרוּ לוֹ הַתּוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִיא, יָמוּת בְּלִי סָפֵק, כִּי אֶצְלוֹ שֶׁלֹּא זָכָה נַעֲשֶׂה סַם מָוֶת, עַל־כֵּן הַהֶכְרֵחַ לְהַלְבִּישׁ לוֹ פְּנִימִיּוּת הַתּוֹרָה בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה אֲחֵרִים,
Therefore, if they tell him the Torah itself, straight, he will undoubtedly die. In his case, because he is not worthy, it becomes a potion of death. Consequently, for him, it is necessary to enclothe the inner teachings of the Torah in other Torah teachings.
וְלִפְעָמִים גַּם זֶה אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְקַבֵּל אַף אִם יַלְבִּישׁוֹ בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה אֲחֵרִים. עַל־כֵּן מַלְבִּישִׁין הַתּוֹרָה בְּסִפּוּרֵי דְּבָרִים חִיצוֹנִיִּים, לְמַעַן יוּכַל לְקַבֵּל הָרְפוּאָה הַגְּנוּזָה שָׁם. כִּי גַּם הַתּוֹרָה בְּעַצְמָהּ מְלֻבֶּשֶׁת עַתָּה בְּסִפּוּרֵי מַעֲשִׂיּוֹת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לְמָסְרָהּ כְּמוֹת שֶׁהִיא:
Sometimes, he is not even able to tolerate this, even if it is enclothed in other Torah teachings. So they enclothe the Torah in mundane, everyday conversations, in order for him to be able to take the cure that is hidden there. For the Torah, too, is presently enclothed in stories, because it is impossible to give it over straight.