תּוֹרָה סה - וַיֹּאמֶר בֹּעַז אֶל רוּת

Vayomer Boaz El Rus — "And Boaz Said to Ruth" · Opening: Ruth 2:8 · Likutay Moharan Part I, Toirah 65

There is a supernal field [ sadeh ha-elyonah ] where all the souls grow. And these souls require a master of the field [ ba'al ha-sadeh ] who will engage in their rectification. And all who wish to have mercy on their soul — that it not be naked and wandering and driven outside the field — must seek and beseech much before Hashem Yisborach all their days — that they merit to draw close to this Tzadik who is the master of the field. For he looks at every person to bring him to the purpose [ tachlis ] — which is entirely one and entirely good — as explained below in notes §2 and §3. For it is impossible to come to the eternal good purpose except through this Tzadik who is the aspect of the master of the field.

The primary completeness of prayer is when one merits to come to the purpose — to make one from all the prayer. For when a person stands to pray — when he begins to say the first word — for example, the word Baruch — as soon as the first letter of the word goes out — for example the letter beis of the word Baruch — then the letter pleads and implores the soul not to separate from it — and does not allow the soul to go and speak more. And it embraces and entwines the soul — and pleads with it not to separate from it. And all the more so when one completes one word — then the entire word embraces and holds the soul and does not allow it to go from it to speak the other words of the prayer. For when a person stands and prays and speaks the words of prayer — he is gathering flowers and beautiful roses — like a person walking in a field and gathering beautiful roses and flowers one by one until he makes one bunch. And then he gathers more one by one and makes another bunch and joins them together. And likewise he continues gathering and collecting many many beautiful and lovely bunches. Similarly he goes in prayer from letter to letter — until several letters combine and a word is made from them. And then goes and joins more letters — and a second word is made from them etc. And then the two words combine — and then he goes and gathers more — until he finishes one blessing. And then he gathers more and more — and goes from Avos to Gevuros and from Gevuros to K'dushos — and so goes farther. And who can describe the greatness of the splendour of the gatherings and collections that a person gathers and collects in the words of prayer. And when the word goes out — and the word goes out from the soul and comes and is heard by the ears — then the word pleads from the soul and does not allow it to go farther — and embraces and entwines it — not to go and separate from it as above. For how can you go from me — do you not see the preciousness of my beauty and my radiance and my splendour and my glory? For am I not the word Baruch — listen now to what you are saying — and let your ears hear what you are bringing out of your mouth. And how can you go farther to gather yet more precious and greatly beloved treasures — for how can you separate from me and forget me? In any case — see to it that wherever you go and come — you will not forget me and will not separate from me. Therefore the primary completeness of prayer is when one merits to make one from all the prayer. And when one stands at the last word of the prayer — one should still be standing at the first word. So that through this one is never separated from the first letter of the prayer even at the completion of the prayer. And then the prayer is complete. But to merit this is impossible except through the great true Tzadik — who is the aspect of the master of the supernal field — who can bring each person to the true purpose — which is entirely good and entirely one. And through this one will merit to make one from all the prayer — which is the primary completeness of prayer as above.

When a person merits through the master of the field to look at the purpose — then there is no suffering and no afflictions for him from anything in the world. And in truth there is no evil in the world — only entirely good. And the primary suffering that a person has when he has some afflictions — G-d forbid — comes only from the fact that da'as is taken from him — so that he cannot look at the purpose — which is entirely good. For if he had merited to look at the purpose — he would have no suffering at all from these afflictions. For Hashem Yisborach's intention is certainly for good — whether to remind him to return in teshuvah — or to scour his transgressions so that he merits the life of eternity. And if so — the afflictions are great goods. And he ought to be filled with joy from the greatness of the good that Hashem Yisborach is doing for him with these afflictions — if he had merited to look at the good purpose.

One must accustom oneself each time to the aspect of bitul — to look at the true and eternal good purpose. And this is impossible except through closing one's eyes from the appearances of this world — not to look at all at the desires of this world and its vanities. For it is impossible to look at and be included in the purpose except through the closing of the eyes [ s'simu d'einin ] — shutting one's eyes completely from the appearances of this world — even to press them with the finger. And then there will be no suffering and distress for him from anything in the world. But it is impossible to remain constantly fixed in the aspect of bitul — for one would exit the bounds of humanity. And therefore the bitul must necessarily be in the aspect of ratzo va-shov [running and returning]. And then the trace [ reshimu ] of the bitul illuminates to the da'as — the light of sweetness — the pleasantness — the flashing of divinity — something impossible for one to tell another at all. And through this great joy is drawn. And through this Torah innovations are drawn. And through this one can give life to oneself through all the afflictions and adventures that pass over him — G-d forbid. And one merits to taste and feel in this world a foretaste of the World to Come.

In truth — at the moment of bitul toward the purpose which is entirely good — the afflictions are nullified as above. But it is impossible to remain always fixed in the aspect of bitul . And the bitul is compelled to be in the aspect of ratzo va-shov as above. And when the intellect returns from the bitul to the mind — then it is impossible for the minds to receive this intellect of the aspect of bitul — for it is of the aspects of the Infinite. And because of this the mind feels the pain of the afflictions — and even the afflictions intensify more than they were before. Like the way of two people fighting one another — when one sees that his fellow is overcoming him — he strengthens and overpowers even more. But afterwards the afflictions ease and one is consoled by them through the Torah innovations one merits through the afflictions. For through the bitul — that one nullified oneself toward the purpose — and attained that all the afflictions are great goods — one is filled with joy. And joy is the vessel for Torah innovations (see the main text). And through the renewal of Torah — the afflictions are cooled. And this is the aspect of: "praised is the man whom You discipline, O Yah — and from Your Torah You teach him" [Psalms 94:12]. For through the afflictions one merits to Torah renewal. (Said the copyist: and this is why the verse concludes: "to give him rest from days of evil" — for through the Torah innovations the afflictions are eased as above.)

This is the sign that one has acted through the afflictions and received them properly — when one merits afterwards to Torah innovations. For this is the sign that one merited to nullify oneself toward the purpose through the afflictions — and even though one was compelled to return oneself from the bitul — even so from the trace that remained from the bitul one is filled with joy — and merited to Torah innovations. (Said the copyist: see in the main text at the end of this Toirah where it is written: and this is the aspect of the Garden of Eden — the aspect of Moshe and Aharon. Gan [garden] is the aspect of: "their soul shall be like a watered garden" . Eden is the aspect of the purpose — for Eden is the aspect of "an eye has not seen" — the aspect of bitul as above — see there. It appears to me in my humble opinion to explain that his intention is that they are the masters of the field and the Garden of Eden who can bring the souls of Israel to the purpose. For Aharon is the aspect of the garden — in the aspect of: "their soul shall be like a watered garden" — as the verse concludes there: "and I will saturate the souls of the priests with richness." And Moshe is in the aspect of Eden — bitul toward the purpose. As it is written in §4 — that Moshe nullified all his existence and cleaved himself to the purpose — to the light of the Infinite — where there is no change of will — only Hashem He is G-d and entirely good. And there in the Garden of Eden the Holy One, blessed be He, will make the circle-dance for the Tzadikim in the future. And each one will point with his finger. As explained at the end of this Toirah — that this circle-dance is the joy coming from the above-mentioned bitul — which is the vessel for receiving the Torah — which is the aspect of: "written with the finger of G-d." ) 📜 Translator's Summary — Toirah 65 [from the Translator] Central theme: The supernal field and its master — the Tzadik who tends souls and brings each to the true purpose. The purpose is: all is one and all is good. Three teachings radiating from this: (1) the perfection of prayer as making one continuous unity out of all the letters and words — remaining at the first letter even when at the last; (2) looking at the good purpose removes all experience of suffering; (3) bitul toward the infinite purpose is necessarily intermittent ( ratzo va-shov ) — when the intellect returns from bitul , suffering may even intensify briefly — but the trace ( reshimu ) of the bitul produces joy, which opens the vessel for Torah innovations, which cool the afflictions. Prayer as field-gathering (§2): Among the most beautiful passages in the Kitzur — prayer visualised as the soul gathering flowers in a field, letter by letter, word by word, blessing by blessing. Each letter and word, once uttered, calls to the soul not to leave it behind. The ideal prayer is one in which the soul never actually departs from the first letter — remaining in a state of continuous gathering and unity until the final word. The bitul paradox (§5): After bitul — when the intellect returns to normal functioning — it cannot contain the infinite quality of the bitul -state. This gap manifests as intensified suffering. But the residual trace of the bitul produces joy, and joy opens the vessel for Torah innovation, which then cools the suffering. This is the spiritual mechanics of "the man whom You discipline — from Your Torah You teach him." Translation in the merit of Na Nach Nachma Nachman MayUman · May Hashem bless all who learn from it. נ נח נחמ נחמן מאומן