תּוֹרָה לח - מַרְכְּבוֹת פַּרְעֹה

Markivos Par'oh — "The Chariots of Pharaoh" · Opening: Song of Songs 1:9 · Likutay Moharan Part I, Toirah 38

Every person must examine himself at all times to see whether he is cleaving to Hashem Yisborach. And the sign of clinging [ devekus ] is tefillin (see Chidushay Aggados Maharsha , Berachos 6a).

And it is impossible to come to the aspect of tefillin except through the sanctity and rectification of speech. For speech is the aspect of malchus peh [the sovereignty of the mouth] — the aspect of the sea — the aspect of Adonai — as it is written: "Adonai — open my lips" [Psalms 51:17]. And when speech is blemished — which is the breath of the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He — then through the blemish the breath of His mouth becomes a storm-wind [ ruach s'arah ]. For the twenty-seven letters — each one comprising ten — numerically equals 270. And from the aspect of speech — the aspect of Adonai — 270 letters — s'arah [storm] — (65 is the numerical value of Adonai — and 270 [resh-ayin] letters). And this storm-wind is the great accuser — from whom come all accusations and trials. And it is: "after the words" — as brought in the holy Zohar [Part I, 119b]. And it agitates the body of the person [ m'sa'er gufah d'var nosh ] [Tikunay Zohar, Tikun 18]. And all the slanders and evil things that are spoken about a person come from this storm-wind — for it is the aspect of keitz kol basar [the end of all flesh] — which makes an end and conclusion of all flesh.

And people who judge everyone unfavourably and constantly investigate the debts of people — they are from the power of the Other Side — from the aspect of keitz kol basar as above — which constantly investigates to make an end and destruction, G-d forbid — and to arouse judgment and slander and accuse. And the primary strength of their power is drawn from the blemish of speech. And the primary subduance and nullification of them is through the rectification of speech.

And every person must see to subjugate the side of keitz kol basar beneath holy speech — that is, to take from it all the words that fell into it through the blemish of speech — and to elevate speech to its root and rectify it. And then one merits to come to the aspect of tefillin — which is clinging.

And one must elevate speech to its root — which is the arm — which is five fingers of the left hand — which are five g'vuros [strengths] — the aspect of the five articulation-points of the mouth [ chamisha motza'os ha-peh ] — from which and from g'vuros speech is formed — as it is written: "and Your might they speak" [Psalms 145:11]. And the beginning of the ascent of speech is from its head — that is, from the choicest truth that is in speech — which is called rosh [head]. For there are many kinds of truth — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Sanhedrin 96a]: truth has become [scarce and goes about in] flocks. And as it is said: "the head of Your word is truth" [Psalms 119:160] — that is, one should speak before Hashem Yisborach and set out all his conversation in great truth in its truest sense — with strength and might. For when the storm-wind reigns it is impossible to speak in an upright way — for the wind confuses him. And one must bend the way when one cannot speak any word in truth because of the confusion. And when it is rectified — then there is no confusion.

And the rectification of speech is through the Torah one studies even in poverty and difficulty at the time of distress — and in all kinds of darkness, troubles, and suffering, may the Merciful One spare us, that pass over the person. And when one then strengthens oneself to engage in Torah — through this a thread of chesed is drawn upon him — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Chagigah 12b] regarding one who studies Torah at night — which is the time of rule of the above-mentioned keitz kol basar . And through this all the accusers who rule over speech fall — and they — and all masters of judgment — and all the side of impurity — are expelled. And through this speech is rectified and elevated to its root. And then speech goes forth in song, praise, and hallel to the Holy One, blessed be He. And one merits to pray and give thanks and praise to Hashem Yisborach and to set out his conversation properly with the warmth of heart before Hashem Yisborach.

And through this one merits to speak between himself and his Creator in the flame of the g'vuros [strengths]. For every person must accustom himself to speak between himself and his Creator in great truth in its truest sense as above — and to set out all his conversation — until he arouses his heart in truth to the service of Hashem Yisborach — until he begins to speak with the warmth of the heart — words of truth that are in his heart — in the arousal of teshuvah — until he sees his own baseness and the greatness of the Creator, may He be blessed — until he is greatly ashamed before Him, may He be blessed. For until now he had thrown his sins behind his back and had not contemplated them. And now when he knows them — great shame enters him — on account of the greatness of his transgressions against the great and ruling One — the primary source and root of all worlds. And at first the shame is not yet in actual upon his face — for his sins block his intellect and his da'as through the spirit of foolishness within him. Therefore before he merits complete teshuvah — he does not have enough da'as to be ashamed as he properly ought to be ashamed according to the enormity of his transgressions and according to the greatness of the Creator, may He be blessed, against whom he transgressed. But afterwards when he does teshuvah and removes the foolishness from himself — and his intellect is added to — then he is more ashamed and the shame is revealed upon his face. And this shame is the aspect of the light of the tefillin — which are a sign of clinging to the Creator, may He be blessed. And it is the aspect of the radiance of the skin of the face [ keron ohr ha-ponim ]. And through this shame all his transgressions are forgiven — and he attaches himself to the Tree of Life.

And through this we can understand whether a person has fear of Heaven — that is, shame — as our Sages of blessed memory said [Nedarim 20a] — after the rectification of the sin. When we look at his face and fear and shame fall upon us — that is, that da'as of the greatness of the Creator, may He be blessed, is drawn upon us. And this is the explanation of: "then you will understand the fear of Hashem" [Proverbs 2:5] — through this you will understand that he has fear of Hashem. And "and knowledge of G-d you will find" — that is, when there is also found in you da'as of the greatness of the Creator, may He be blessed — that is, shame and fear. And this is the aspect of: "and all the peoples of the earth will see that the Name of Hashem is called upon you" [Deuteronomy 28:10] — "these are the tefillin" [Berachos 6a] — and they will fear you — that is, that fear and shame will also be drawn upon them. The aspect of tefillin — which are called pe'er [beauty/glory] [Berachos 11a] — which is the totality of the colours. As it is written: "Israel — in whom I am glorified [ es'pa'ar ]" [Isaiah 49:3] — which are comprised of many colours. And this is what we see — that when a person is ashamed — he becomes several colours.

Therefore our Sages of blessed memory said: "one who transgresses and is ashamed of it — is forgiven immediately" [Berachos 12b]. For the transgression brings the spirit of foolishness into a person — and through shame he restores the minds — as it is written: "then you will understand the fear of Hashem" [Proverbs 2:5] — the aspect of shame as above. Which is the primary teshuvah — through which one merits the light of the tefillin in the aspect of the radiance of the skin of the face. "And one who has brazenness — it is known that his ancestors did not stand at Mount Sinai" [Nedarim 20a]. "And it is known that he stumbled with a married woman" [Ta'anis 7a] — for he is attached to the pollution of the serpent — from which came Kayin who stood over the twin of Hevel [Midrash Rabbah, Bereishis, Parshas 22 — a twin-sister was born with Hevel]. And Israel who stood at Mount Sinai — their pollution ceased — that is, the pollution of the serpent. And the nations who did not stand there — their pollution did not cease. And this is: "his ancestors' feet" — feet specifically — for they have no feet — as it is written: "upon your belly you will go" [Genesis 3:14]. And one is also attached to the tree of death and descends to Gehinnom. For the First Man blemished in the aspect of tefillin — the aspect of the Tree of Life — as it is written: "Hashem — upon them they live" [Isaiah 38:16] — and he attached himself to the tree of death. And through this "He drove him out of the Garden of Eden" [Genesis 3:24]. "For the brazen-faced — Gehinnom" [Avos, ch. 5]. And when he returned in teshuvah — it is written: "and He made for them garments of skin" — this is tefillin [Tikunim 105] — the aspect of the radiance of the skin of the face. It is found that through shame — the aspect of the light of the tefillin — all his transgressions are forgiven. And he attaches himself to the Tree of Life. And one who is not ashamed before true Tzadikim and the G-d-fearing and worthy — has the brazenness of the Other Side and descends to Gehinnom. And when he does teshuvah and is ashamed of his transgressions — he is forgiven as above. And he drives out the spirit of foolishness from within him — and merits the aspect of the light of the tefillin — the aspect of the Tree of Life as above. ["In the aspect of tefillin and so too with Kayin" (see the main text) — and I found in one book of responsa that cited a saying of our Sages of blessed memory: that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Kayin: "a head upon which no tefillin are placed — that is you." And this is: "and He placed a sign for Kayin" — this is the tefillin (see §6 — that judging favourably is the aspect of Keser — the aspect of tefillin ). Also our Sages of blessed memory said: this is the letter vav — that is, the Torah — which is the rectification for slander. As stated [Arachin 15b] — for slander is drawn from the pollution of the serpent. And at the standing at Mount Sinai their pollution ceased — as our Sages of blessed memory said.]

And this is what the Tanna related: "a cedar fell in our place and sixteen horns passed over its sharpness" [Bechoros 57a]. For it is known that the true Tzadik is called a cedar of Lebanon — [see Shabbos 118b — "and I planted cedars for Hashem" — and see Maharsha there. And according to the words of our Rebbe of blessed memory — there is no difficulty from there at all — for in any case his words require examination — for the truth changes — see there] — and he serves Hashem with great clinging and great intellect. And when he falls to some level lower than his own — even though this level he is at now is also a great level compared to other Tzadikim — and this is: "fell in our place" — for he fell to the attainment of His divinity, may He be blessed — called His place [ m'komo shel olam ] — according to our attainment — even though it too is great — but according to his own standard it is a fall. And the Tanna related in praise of the Tzadik of the generation that he is ashamed at this level — as if he had committed some sin — for it is counted as a fall for him — and he does teshuvah over it as if he had sinned. And through this he comes to great shame — which is the aspect of the light of the tefillin . And his intellect and minds are sharpened further — and new recognition and knowledge are added to him in the attainment of His divinity, may He be blessed — for through the renewal of his intellect in Torah that he received — through the Torah called yud-vav [sixteen] — on account of the root of the Torah which is the Tablets — and they are called yud-vav [sixteen] on account of the Ten Commandments — whose length was vav and whose breadth was vav [Bava Basra 14a]. And "passed" [ avru ] is the language of revelation — as it is written: "and Hashem passed to smite" etc. [Exodus 12:23] — and Onkelos translates: "and it was revealed." "Sixteen horns on its sharpness" — that is, through the sharpening and renewal of his intellect — which he received through the Torah called sixteen as above — the radiance of the skin of the face is revealed — which is shame — the aspect of tefillin . And he is more ashamed through the new recognition added to him of the greatness of the Creator, may He be blessed. And so too every person — through the renewal of the intellect in Torah — new recognition is added as above — and he is more ashamed of his sins. Which is the primary teshuvah. And he merits the light of the tefillin — the aspect of the Tree of Life etc. as above.

And every person must draw the holiness of Shabbos — the aspect of shame ( Bereishis = yarei boshet [fearing shame] = the aspect of yarei Shabbos [fearing Shabbos]) — the aspect of awe — the aspect of the light of the tefillin — to sanctify the weekdays. As stated in the Mechilta : "Remember the Shabbos day" — "remember it from the first day of the week." And according to the holiness with which one sanctifies the weekdays — so is the pollution of the serpent — keitz kol basar — which is the aspect of storm-wind as above — pushed away. And through this speech ascends to its root as above — through sanctifying the weekdays regarding the thirty-nine [ lamed-tes ] labours — thirty-nine [ lamed-tes ] curses that the pollution of the serpent caused. And it should seem to you on the weekdays as if it is now my holy day. 📜 Translator's Summary — Toirah 38 [from the Translator] Central theme: The sign of clinging to G-d is tefillin — and tefillin is the light of the radiance of the face — which is shame. The path to tefillin : rectify speech → drive out the storm-wind accuser → speak truthfully between oneself and one's Creator in hisbodidus → arrive at genuine shame → all transgressions are forgiven → clinging to the Tree of Life. The storm-wind as blemished speech (§2): When the twenty-seven letters of the Hebrew alphabet — each comprising ten — are blemished, they form a storm-wind of 270 letters. The numerical value of s'arah (storm) = resh-ayin = 270 = 27×10. This is the great accuser that agitates the body and causes all slanders. The remedy is restoring the 270 letters to their holy configuration through rectified speech. Shame as the light of tefillin (§7–§9): This is among the most personally transformative teachings of Rebbe Nachman. Shame — true, heartfelt shame before G-d for one's transgressions — is not merely an emotion. It is the radiance of the tefillin appearing on the face — the same light as the radiance of Moshe's face. When a person is ashamed, many colours appear on his face — these are the colours of the tefillin 's pe'er [glory]. Shame causes immediate forgiveness and re-attachment to the Tree of Life. The cedar and sixteen horns (§10): A profound passage about the Tzadik's teshuvah. Even a fall to a level that would be extraordinary for others registers as a fall to the Tzadik himself — and his resulting shame produces a new and deeper renewal of intellect. The "sixteen horns" are the Torah itself (the Tablets: 6×6×2 = 6+6 in each dimension = 16), whose reception sharpens the mind further. Shabbos sanctifying the weekdays (§11): The word Bereishis [In the beginning] contains the letters of yarei boshet [fearing shame] — and shame is the aspect of Shabbos. Each day of the week sanctified by remembering Shabbos pushes back the thirty-nine curses caused by the serpent's pollution — corresponding to the thirty-nine categories of forbidden Shabbos labour. Translation in the merit of Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman · May Hashem bless all who learn from it. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן