Sunday, November 15, 2015

Likutei Etzot, Speech 18-23 (end)

Speech (continued)

18. Speech in holiness; that is, words of Torah, prayer, and fear of HaShem, are very high and precious, because holy speech is an aspect of the Divine Presence, an aspect of the revelation of HaShem's kingdom and faith. It is [also] an aspect of the spirit of the Messiah, an aspect of ruah hakodesh, an aspect of the resurrection of the dead, an aspect of the unification of the Holy One Blessed is He and His Divine Presence. (From Likutei Moharan I, 78)


19. Speech is also the aspect of 'the mother of children' (Psalm 113), that is, like a mother goes with her child, even into places of filth, and never forgets him - thus does speech go with a person always, even into a place of filth, and reminds him always of HaShem. Even if a person is placed, God forbid, in a very lowly level, wherever he is at; even so, speech can remind him of HaShem always. Meaning, even if the is at the [low] level he is, God forbid, if he will strengthen himself there to nevertheless speak holy words of Torah, prayer, or conversation between himself and his Creator, or to converse with one's teacher or friend in fear of Heaven - he can always remind himself of HaShem, even there in the very farthest places from HaShem which are places of filth, even if one fell to such a place, God forbid. Speech never let's one forget HaShem.

Understand this matter well, of the great power of speech, because it is a awesome and wondrous advice for one who desires not completely lose his world, God forbid. (There^)

20. All words are an aspect of severity, and one must sweeten them. The sweetening is through learning Torah and good words [of Torah, prayer, fear of Heaven, etc] that are spoken. Therefore, one must guard speech well, to not speak evil speech, especially lashon hara, God forbid. All the more so must one guard against speaking [badly] about the tzadik, God forbid, that the judgments won't overpower. Via these evil words it is possible to cause the tzadik of the generation to fall from his level, God forbid, when he isn't greatly powerful [and capable] of sweetening the harsh severity [of the words], or he'll pass away from this. [For] through his passing away, his soul sweetens this severity. (From Likutei Moharan I, 207)

21. When a person sits to talk with his friend, this is an aspect of the day of judgment, because he sits and judges his friend. One must be very careful about this and look upon himself [to determine] if he is worthy of judging his friend - for judgment belongs to God, as our Sages of blessed memory said, "Don't judge your friend until you've been to his place." Who is capable of knowing and arriving to his friend's place, except HaShem alone? (From Likutei Moharan II, 1)

22. The main subsistence of speech is via truth. This is merited through praise and acknowledgement to HaShem and through learning halakhoth. Through these, all the lines of truth within all the sections of speech are enlightened and the speech is made whole. And then, one comes to wholeness of speech, which is the aspect of holy tongue which is connected to the Sabbath (see sec. Truth and Faith, #40). (From Likutei Moharan II, 2)

23. Speech has immense power. Therefore, it's necessary to greatly multiply words of Torah, prayer, supplications, requests, and even more so in words of conversation between one and his Creator. If one will be strong in this all the days of his life, he'll definitely merit a good end in this world and in the world to come, forever (see sec. Hitbodedut and above at #19 in this section). (From Likutei Moharan II, 96)

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