תורה 62

5. To raise up the sparks of speech it is necessary to fast. This is the aspect of “their sinfulness and iniquities lead them to fast…,” because of which “He sent His word [to heal them]” (Psalms 107:17, 20). For speech is rectified mainly through fasting, since for the most part the evil forces are sustained only by the back of holiness. It is impossible for them to draw sustenance from the face of holiness due to the brightness of the light.

However, occasionally, from on high they are intentionally given strength to draw sustenance from the face of holiness. Yet this is invariably to their detriment, the aspect of “a time when one man rules over another to his own detriment” (Ecclesiastes 8:9) .

Now, all the desires of the body are the aspect of kelipot (evil forces). This is because the physical desires are extraneous, since the body could exist without them. They are extraneous to the body’s existence, just as the kelipot are extraneous. For the main thing is only the fruit, whereas the kelipot (shells) are extraneous. Thus, physical desire overcoming a person is the evil forces overpowering holiness.

The primary physical desires are Pharaoh’s three officials: the wine steward, baker and butcher. These are the trachea, esophagus and veins, which are the aspect of the physical desire for food and drink. These are primary, since all the [other] physical desires follow them. And they draw sustenance from PhaRaOh, the same letters as ORePh (nape)—i.e., from the AChoRayim (back). They are mainly sustained by the DiBuRiM (words), the aspect of “AChaR haDeVaRiM (the back of the words).” For they are close to it, because the trachea, esophagus and veins are adjacent to the five articulators, and they sustain themselves mainly from the words that are insufficiently pure.

Thus when the primary physical desires, which are the evil forces, gain power, it is necessary to attach and conceal the back of holiness so that they cannot draw sustenance [from it]. The back of holiness is attached through fasting. This is analogous to the way we write God’s Name in the aspect of achorayim (stepping back): we first write a yod; and then, when we want to write a heh, we turn back and write yod heh, and so on. Fasting, which is the primary way to subdue the aforementioned officials, is likewise in the aspect of attaching the back of holiness.

For the principal merit of fasting is [evident] only when we reckon the hours from when the fast began. For example, when a person fasts two days, the reason the second day is the more valued is not because of itself, but because we return to the first day; then the second day is reckoned as having greater merit. Another reason is that the main thing is the beginning, since all beginnings are difficult, because they entail going from one extreme to the other. After beginning, however, a person becomes somewhat habituated, and it is not as difficult for him. Likewise, with each day that passes from the beginning, the thing becomes commensurately easier, as it becomes somewhat routine.

Thus the beginning is invariably the primary impetus for the devotions of all the days. We have to turn back, to ‘the first day that he began to understand and to fast.’ This is the beginning of the repentance. The beginning was difficult for him, since he went from one extreme to the other. And each day he turns back to receive energy from the beginning.

Now, since the aforementioned officials are close to speech, when they become powerful, they draw speech into the exile of MiTZRayim (Egypt)—the aspect of MeiTZaR (constriction) of the throat, the aspect of “my throat is dry” (Psalms 69:4)—and he cannot say anything before God. But by fasting, his starving himself, he draws the waters of the benevolences to moisten the throat, and then is able to speak.

{“Then Avram journeyed on his way, moving steadily toward the Negev (south). There was raav (famine) in the Land, and Avram went down to Mitzrayim … Pharaoh’s officials saw her and they praised her to Pharaoh… But God afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Avram’s wife Sarai” (Genesis 12:9-17).} This is the aspect of “There was famine in the Land.” “Raav (famine)” is the aspect of fasting, his starving himself. This is attaching the back of holiness, since the aspect of achorayim of YHVH ELoHYM is numerically equal to RaAV. {The achorayim of the Name YHVH— yod, yod heh, yod heh vav, yod heh vav heh—equals 72. The achorayim of the Name Elohym— aleph, aleph lamed, aleph lamed heh, aleph lamed heh yod, aleph lamed heh yod mem—equals 200. The two together equal R-A-V (272).}

“Avram went down to MiTZRayim”—i.e., drawing down the waters of the benevolences to moisten the MeiTZaR of the throat, removing the throat from the aspect of “my throat is dry.” This is in the aspect of “moving steadily toward the NeGeV (south),” to moisten the NeGiVah (dryness), so as to fulfill “Cry out from the throat; don’t hold back” (Isaiah 58:1) .

And so, when the back of holiness becomes attached, such that it is impossible for the evil forces to enter there and draw sustenance, the face of holiness is revealed. Then, “Pharaoh’s officials saw her”—i.e., the aforementioned officials discover the splendorous beauty of speech, “and they praised her to Pharaoh.” God engineers all this in order to remove what they swallowed from their mouths, the aspect of “a time when one man rules over another to his own detriment.” This is “But God afflicted Pharaoh.”

{“Grace is deceptive, and beauty is vain; it is for her fear of God that a woman is to be praised! Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own deeds praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:30-31).} And this is “it is for her fear of God that a woman is to be praised,” the aspect of “and they praised her to Pharaoh.” This is only so as to “Give her of the fruit of her hands”—i.e., to remove the sparks of holiness from their midst. When she removes all her life-force from the evil forces, then all the idolaters cast off their idols and turn to the faith of the Jews, “that they may all call out in God’s Name.” This is the main adornment of faith: that others draw close to her faith.

This is the aspect of: {A beautiful maiden who has no aynin (eyes). Her body is concealed and revealed. She comes out in the morning, and is covered during the day. She adorns herself in ornaments that were not (Zohar II, 95a).} A beautiful maiden who has no aynin—“A beautiful maiden” is the aspect of faith, the aspect of “You are beautiful, RaAyati (my beloved)” (Song of Songs 6:4), the aspect of “and Re’Ay (befriend) faith.” “Who has no AYNin”—i.e., the aforementioned questions that a person should not AYeiN (delve) into, but must [instead] be strong in his faith.

Her body is concealed and revealed—She is “concealed,” since if you ask a believer a reason for faith, he will surely not know what to answer you. This is because faith is applicable only to something whose logical reason one does not know. Even so, it is “revealed.” That is, for the believer the thing is revealed; by virtue of the magnitude of his perfect faith it is as though his eyes see that which he believes in.

She comes out in the morning, and is covered during the day—This is because a person’s faith renews itself each morning, the aspect of “They are renewed each morning; [abundant is your faith]” (Lamentations 3:23). “And is covered during the day”—due to burdens of daily existence, faith is covered over.

She adorns herself in ornaments that were not—That is, the main adornment of faith is when those people who were not close to her are brought closer.