חלק ב — תורה 15

There are those who falsely boast of extraordinary accomplishments and miracles, as if they are capable of everything and there is nothing they cannot do. Some among them are even leaders of the generation. Note! in the main their strength and sustainment come from none other than the great tzaddikim.

For there are true tzaddikim of extremely high levels, whose mouths are holy, whose way it is to speak of extraordinary accomplishments and miracles. And indeed they are capable of worshiping God with all things in the world: eating, drinking, or any other thing. This is as is brought in the Kavanot (Kabbalistic Meditations), that sometimes judgments are sweetened through eating and drinking. Thus, there are true tzaddikim who can effect a redemption through their eating and the like.

Yet the pride that emerges from the holy mouths of these great tzaddikim gives rise to charlatans, who impersonate them just as an ape [imitates a human]. They vaunt themselves with the very same expressions of pride that emerge from the holy mouth of the true tzaddik. This is similar to what we find of the prophets: Yirmiyahu would prophesy in the upper marketplace (Jeremiah 49:35), “Behold, I am going to break the might of Eilam,” and Chananiah ben Azur, a false prophet, would use precisely the same language to prophesy the reverse (Sanhedrin 89a). The same thing happens nowadays, as mentioned above.

Nevertheless, in the main their sustainment comes from none other than tzaddikim such as those whose way it is [to speak of] great accomplishments and miracles. For from the ordinary tzaddikim—those who worship God simply, through Torah, prayer and good deeds—they gain no strength. This is because these tzaddikim do not speak of extraordinary accomplishments, but conduct themselves with simplicity and unaffected worship. Therefore, the falsehood and self-importance of [the charlatans] have hardly any attachment to them. And although it is also possible to find a few charlatans of this sort—e. g., those charlatans who sit wrapped in tallit and tefilin all day long—even so, their ability to deceive people is considerably less than those who boast of extraordinary accomplishments.

For know! the aforementioned true tzaddik receives the speech of his holy mouth from those who are genuinely charitable. This is the meaning of “Please favorably accept the generosity of my mouth, O God” (Psalms 119:108). The tzaddik receives the speech of his mouth from the benevolent of heart, namely, those who are genuinely charitable.

Now, charity is synonymous with water, as in “Who turns the rock into a pool of water” (Psalms 114:8). “The rock” corresponds to “the rock of my heart” (Psalms 73:26), for there is “a heart of stone” (Ezekiel 36:26)—i.e., “the hardhearted, who are far from charity” (Isaiah 46:12). Thus, this is the meaning of “Who turns the rock into a pool of water.” In other words, the heart turns soft, as in “pour out your heart like water before God” (Lamentations 2:19)—i.e., a soft heart able to give charity generously. This is the reason that charity is referred to as water, as it is written (Amos 5:24), “charity like an unfailing stream.” This is also the concept of “Cast your bread upon the waters” (Ecclesiastes 11:1), which is said in regard to charity.

And it is through charity that the holy mouth of the tzaddik is made, as mentioned above. This is the concept of “b’PhIkha (with your mouth)” (Deuteronomy 23:24)—this refers to charity (Rosh HaShanah 6a). The mouth of the tzaddik is made by charity. As for the tzaddik himself, he is the concept of “The firstborn of his oxen, grandeur is his” (Deuteronomy 33:17). And the firstborn takes PI shnayim (“a double portion”). In other words, the speech of his holy mouth carries a double connotation. It is this that enables the aforementioned charlatans to gain strength and sustainment from them, turning [the tzaddik’s] words into their falsehood, since the holy speech is itself ambiguous, the concept of “a double portion.”