Rabbi Nachman

The Aleph-Bet Book (Sefer HaMidot) (The Book of Attributes) Rabbi Nachman's Aphorisms on Jewish Living by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov Translated by Moshe Mykoff Published by BRESLOV RESEARCH INSTITUTE JERUSALEM/NEW YORK Copyright © 1986, 2000 BRESLOV RESEARCH INSTITUTE All Rights Reserved ISBN NUMBER 0-930213-15-7

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Publisher's Preface 2. Translator's Introduction THE ALEPH-BET BOOK 3. Introduction 4. Truth 5. Hospitality 6. Love 7. Faith 8. Eating 9. Widower 10. The Land of Israel 11. Lost objects 12. Children 13. A House 14. Embarrassment/Modesty 15. Clothing 16. Trust in God 17. Tidings 18. Blessing 19. Crying 20. Haughtiness 21. Theft and robbery 22. True knowledge 23. Traveling 24. A judge 25. Sweetening judgement 26. Seclusion 27. Evil thoughts

57. Conflict and strife 58. Money 59. Miscarriage 60. An informer 61. Alcoholic beverages 62. The Messiah 63. Circumcisor 64. Fame 65. Adultery and immoral behavior 66. Menstruation 67. Spiritual decline 68. Obscene language 69. Benefitting from others 70. Song 71. A test 72. An olive oil lamp 73. The Omer Counting 74. Mysteries 75. Holy books 76. Divine remedy 77. Humility and humbleness 78. Depression 79. Constipation 80. Sin 81. Laziness 82. Punishment 83. Advice 84. impudence and disrespect 85. Fear 86. Redeeming captives

28. Prestige and importance 87. Abstaining from worldly pleasures 29. Success 88. Halakhic codifiers 30. Conception and pregnancy 89. Charity 31. Instruction 90. A righteous man 32. Confession 91. Cursing 33. Yielding/Easygoing 92. Evil forces 34. Fraud 93. Envy and jealousy 35. The merit of ancestors 94. Wasteful emission of seed 36. Memory and forgetfulness 95. Difficulty in childbirth 37. Elders 96. Keeping one's distance from the wicked 38. Zealousness 97. Compassion and pity 39. Dreams 98. Eyesight 40. Grace 99. Healing 41. Flattery 100. Joy and happiness 42. Philosophical 101. Drunkenness investigation 102. Public officials 43. Original Torah insights 102. Bribery 44. Marriage 103. Peace and tranquility 45. Nature 104. Swearing and taking oaths 46. Wandering 105. The Sabbath 47. Purity 106. Sleep 48. Salvation and miracles 107. A ritual slaughterer 49. Fear of God 108. Repentance 50. Distinguished ancestry 109. Rebuke 51. Honor/Respect 110. Prayer 111. Appendix I: Supplementary 52. Anger Anecdotes 53. Witchcraft 112. Appendix II: Addendum 54. Torah study 113. Appendix III: The Sources 55. Slander 114. Glossary 56. Derision and mockery A beautiful hardback edition of The Aleph-Bet Book is available from the Breslov Research Institue: The Aleph-Bet Book Translated by Moshe Mykoff Throughout his early life Rebbe Nachman penned succinct, powerful and challenging epigrams containing the distilled wisdom of the Torah on all areas of life, spiritual and physical. Calling his collection `My dearly beloved friend,' he used it to inspire himself along the path that led him to greatness.

THE ALEPH-BET BOOK Rabbi Nachman's Aphorisms on Jewish Living

The Breslov Research Institute extends its grateful thanks to

Eli and Ruth Assoulin who have generously supported this publication and dedicated it in honor of the birth of their daughter Rachel May God grant them all a joyous, healthy and successful life

Publisher's Preface Once, a non-Jew came to Shammai and asked, "What kind of Torah do the Jews possess?" Shammai replied, "Two! One Written and one Oral." The non-Jew said: "I believe in the Written Torah, but not the Oral Torah," and asked to be converted with that condition. Shammai refused and sent him away. He then came to Hillel with the same request and was accepted. On the first day of his studies, Hillel taught him: aleph, bet, gimel, dalet etc. The following day, he reversed the order: tav, shin, resh, koof etc. The convert exclaimed, "But yesterday you taught me the other way?!" Hillel replied, "Do you not have to rely on me to teach you the correct order for the AlephBet? Then rely on me that the Oral Law is an integral part of Torah too!" (Shabbat 31a). The Talmud (Bekhorot 30b) states: "If one wishes to convert, but refuses to accept one mitzvah, or even one rabbinical edict, then the conversion is not valid." Rashi (Shabbat 31a) suggests this as the reason for Shammai's refusal to convert the non-Jew. But, he asks, how could Hillel have accepted him if he refused to accept the Oral Law? Rashi answers that the non-Jew did not refuse the Oral Law - at that point he was simply incapable of believing in its Divine origin. Hillel knew that, given proper time and guidance, this convert would ultimately accept Oral Law. Shammai always maintained the straight, dogmatic approach: one who is serious about entering the realm of Judaism must, from the very beginning, totally accept all that there is to accept. Hillel, on the other hand, always maintained an open approach: accept the newcomer whether a convert or returnee - with an open heart and mind, and let him discover, at his own pace, the inner workings and beauty of Torah. Thus we are taught, "Since both schools [Shammai and Hillel] are the word of God, why then are we to follow the teachings of Hillel? Because the students of Hillel were very easy-going and modest, and always showed the highest respect for the school of Shammai" (Eruvin 13b). Throughout Jewish history we find these two opposing schools of thought. Who does one accept? Whose standards shall be the norm? Which approach is needed to face the modern challenge?

It was the Baal Shem Tov who first revealed that actually these views are compatible. There need not be either absolute dogmatism or total openness. One must judge each case on its merits and respond with the appropriate reply. Where direct law applies, one must be unrelenting in the pursuance of Torah Law. Where this is not possible, then one must use a pliable approach so that the uninitiated can also partake of Torah. Thus, numbering among the Baal Shem Tov's disciples were world renowned Torah scholars, and simple folk who could barely read. All were accepted. He was able to reach out to everyone. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, developed this approach to perfection. He taught (Likutey Moharan II, #7) that the true leader must be able to show even the most learned and serious student that he hasn't even begun proper study of Torah. He must put aside all his knowledge and begin serving God from anew, in order to receive the full benefits of Torah. But, for one who is first entering the realm of Judaism, that person must be shown God is with him, constantly. The true leader must reach out to him at his level, revealing the wonders of God and Creation while, at the same time, understanding that this person is presently incapable of anything more. Not only did Rabbi Nachman teach this lesson, he lived it! He embodied the lofty, dogmatic approach that there is only religion: the study of Torah, prayer and performance of mitzvof, that man should engage in. Yet, at the same time, we find Rabbi Nachman involved in mundane conversations, playing chess with prominent atheists, and otherwise engaged in reaching out with the basics, the Aleph-Bet, to those who were distant from God. He was able to show them, by his own example, that there exists a much greater meaning to life, than what they were experiencing to date. When Rabbi Nachman revealed The Aleph-Bet Book, he did not reveal the sources. Like Hillel, he only revealed the Aleph-Bet, the very beginning of what man needs to propel himself forward in Judaism. Yet, just like Hillel, Rabbi Nachman was saying: "Trust me! Rely on me to teach you the correct Aleph-Bet - the way to correct your each and every trait." The Breslov Research Institute extends its heartfelt thanks to Moshe Mykoff for this most exacting work. In a world where the translation of classical books is of great importance, this tome presented an exceptionally difficult challenge. How does one explain the unexplainable? Where does one find the right words to form the simple sentence from the complex combination of poetic thought and style that Rabbi Nachman used? Only with Rabbi Nachman's advice of beginning with Aleph and continuing on to Bet etc. is one able to start. Only by re ying on Rabbi Nachman, that there is a source and reason for everything, can one complete his mission. May it be the will of the Almighty that, in the merit of the Tzaddikim upon whom we rely, that we merit, in this month of Menachem Av, to see the coming of Mashiach, the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the ingathering of the exiles, Amen. Chaim Kramer Menachem Av 5746 TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION Improving and perfecting one's character are by no means exclusively Jewish endeavors. Throughout the ages, there has always been an emphasis on ethical and moral behavior as part

of man's intellectual and certainly spiritual development. Yet, Judaism's approach to the middot, as the character traits are known, has always carried one supreme aspect which keeps it definitively unique from all others. Succinctly put, Jewish ethics and moral values are based on a Divine rather than a relative truth. As such, it has neither been subject to temporal cultural and social norms (such as the practice of euthanasia, which certain societies even in recent times have seen as morally acceptable) nor for that matter been based on principles governed by human logic. Unlike the wisdom of the ancients which has given way to the so called enlightened attitudes of today, Jewish standards have always been constant and consistent, as they are based upon an unchanging and eternal - Divinely determined perception of good and bad. Furthermore, because the middot stem from a higher reasoning, they are not simple logical deductions for suitable social interaction and hence cannot always be understood or always verified by man's intellectual and emotional reality. This fundamental distinction was not only vital to this translation of Rabbi Nachman's AlephBet Book, it is also an essential concept for the reader to bear in mind when relating to the ideas being presented. A review of the material reveals three general categories into which the aphorisms can be divided. The first type can be recognized as those selections which are straightforward and most consistent with present day patterns of thinking and personal experience: e.g., the need for teaching children to behave properly right from the start (Children 64). Anyone with experience raising children knows this to be true. The second category consists of aphorisms which can neither' be verified nor negated by everyday experience and common logic: e.g., confessing one's sins earns a person a share in the World to Come (Repentance 8). In most cases, the reader, though not understanding why it should be so and therefore unable to come to this realization on his own, will nevertheless have no reason to raise objection to what he is being taught. The third type of aphorism, which comprises the major part of the work, are those teachings which at best are not absolutely consistent with our experience and reasoning and often even openly contradictory to them. We are being asked to accept ideas which neither conform to current perceptions nor fit into the modern framework. Indeed, were it not that the attributes are based upon a value system which remains true for all ages and in every situation, it would have been only too convenient - through a less exacting and more "scholarly critical" interpretation - to have translated the aphorisms in this third category in a more palatable way. The reader too must keep in mind the Divine nature of this value system. Even when his personal experience seems to refute the principle, it is only because he has yet to acquire a deeper understanding of the concepts being taught. By doing so, it will become evident that, in fact, this type of aphorism is no less valid than those which everyone knows to be true. Take for example the following aphorism on slander: a person guilty of slander will be afflicted with leprosy (51ander 19). An obvious problem presents itself. How is it then that we see people slandering others daily and yet they suffer no leprosy? No doubt, the reader with a background in the Bible could readily point to Miriam, who was stricken with %leprosy when she spoke badly of her brother Moses (Numbers 12) or even Moses himself who, when he slandered the Jewish People (Exodus 4), found his hand covered with leprosy. But, if this fundamental principle is to be valid, namely, the Jewish teachings on character traits are timeless and are as applicable today as they were in Rabbi Nachman's time 200 years ago and as when the Torah was given more than 2,000 years ago, then it must be that our own experience also verifies that slander produces leprosy. The question, of course, is how?

To explain this point, it is first necessary to introduce what we shall call the spiritual dimension. Judaism has always seen the world and its components as both spiritual and physical entities. These two aspects not only compliment one another, they also parallel each other in form and construct. This is perhaps nowhere more prominent than in man, whose physical body with its 248 organs and 365 veins has a transcendental counterpart in his soul with its own, albeit spiritual, 248 members and 365 veins. And, just as there are rules governing our physical reality: stick your hand in fire and it will be burnt, there are rules which govern our spiritual reality. In fact, the set of 613 spiritual rules - the Torah - is the blueprint of all Creation and also comprises 248 organs and 365 veins, namely, the positive and prohibitive commandments respectively. Hence, only by practicing the mitzvot and perfecting the character traits, which are the very foundation upon which the commandments depend, can a person hope to properly function within the spiritual reality and not be burnt beca use of a transgression of its rules. Yet, without going much further into what is basically a major principle of the Kabbalistic doctrine on transcendental reality, which would take us far beyond the scope of a translator's introduction, it is necessary to add one more point. Jewish lore has always recognized that the relationship between the physical and its spiritual counterpart cannot be limited to a mere abstract parallel in form and construct. Rather, there exists a very concrete causal relationship between the two. Accordingly, material objects, such as the hide of an animal upon which tefillin are written, can be used to produce spiritual effects; and spiritual deeds, such as repentance, give rise to material benefits. Unfortunately, most people today are no longer in tune with the way this interrelationship operates.- There are nevertheless certain individuals who, after having worked many years to purify their own corporeality, have mastered the rules of spirituality and its relationship to the physical (see Appendix 11). They are not only aware of how the spiritual dimension operates and how it effects our everyday reality, they are also capable of determining the way in which the spiritual world is affected, positively or negatively, by our own physical deeds. With this in mind, let's now return to the attribute of slander and how it produces leprosy. Webster's Dictionary defines leprosy as a chronic disease ... accompanied by a loss of sensation. For an alternative usage the dictionary offers the following: a morally or spiritually harmful influence. In point of fact, Judaism would see these two definitions as one and the same: the first being no more than an outcome of the latter. This can be understood from the spiritual definition of leprosy. Rabbi Nachman defines leprosy as the blocking out of spiritual light and the leper as one who is unable to perceive the light of the Infinite which permeates all of Creation (Likutey Moharan I:2i). Thus, we are being taught that when a person slanders and is derisive of others, he cannot hope to receive the Divine Countenance which, through his actions, he's rejected. His falsely accusing any of God's creations makes him incapable of experiencing Godliness and turns his entire world bitter. He has indeed lost all sensation of holiness. The 248 organs and 365 veins of his soul have truly become leperous.* *) The Mishnah (Avot 5:1) teaches that the world was created through ten Divine Utterances spoken in the Holy Tongue, Hebrew. The letters of the Holy Tongue are themselves physical embodiments of spiritual forces. Accordingly, the combination of letters which form the Hebrew name of any given object or concept has within it the spiritual dimension - the essence of that thing. It is therefore in no waycoincidental that the Hebrew word for slander METZORAH can be transposed to read MOTZE RAH he finds bad in others. A further

rearranging yields the words ETZ, a tree, and MOHR, which means bitter. When the first man, Adam, ate from the tree in the Garden of Eden, he essentially cut himself off from God; his expulsion from the Garden making his life and the life of all mankind bitter. Furthermore, our Sages (Bereishit Rabbah, 20:12) teach that when Adam was created, his body covering was a Heavenly light and only after he sinned - the punishment for which was the need to labor for his sustenance by separating the wheat from the chaff - was he given a covering of skin which concealed his essence in true corporeality. This too can be learnt from the word METZORAH which can be read OHR, skin, and MOTZ, which means chaff. It is not surprising then that the Talmud teaches (Nedarim 64b) that a person with leprosy is considered dead; foradam was supposedtoliveeternallyand it was only the slander of the snake, itself punished with leprosy, which brought death into the world (Tanchuma, Bereishit 8). Therefore, at least in the spiritual dimension,** slander does produce leprosy much as it has since the time of Creation. Being a truth of Divine origin, this teaching on slander - as well as the other aphorisms which are also not always verified by our physical senses and perceptions - remains universally applicable and eternally valid; in no way less so than those teachings which "everyone knows" to be true. As mentioned, in most cases it takes the eyes of the spiritually attuned to see this clearly, with all its ramifications. It does seem certain, however, that by following Rabbi Nachman's prescription The Aleph-Bet Book - we too can acquire an understanding of the interrelationship between spiritual and physical, itself a vital step on the road to self-perfection. **) Exactly why the spiritual rules which govern the world are not always manifested in the physical, as with the outbreak of leprosy on the body of a slanderer, is a question which has been pondered by a number of Jewish scholars throughout the ages (See Shmirat HaLashon, 1:6; Rabbi M.C. Luzatto, Daat Tevunot p. 104). Perhaps this is what Rabbi Nachman had in mind when he said, "Everything that you see in this world - everything that exists - is all a test to give man a freedom of choice" (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #300). Given that the purpose of all Creation is for man to earn his place in the World to Come (Etz Chaim, Shaar HaK'Iaiim 1), what would be the point if, instead of following God's will because of faith alone, a person could always immediately have his reward (and punishment) for the things he does. *** It is my hope that this translation - despite its deficiencies, of which I am only too well aware - will assist the English speaking reader seeking to immerse himself into the Torah in general and Rabbi Nachman's teachings in particular. The Rebbe's Sefer HaMiddotIThe Aleph-Bet Book, like the Likutey EtzotlAdvice, is a compendium of practical guidance and hence a hand oo tothelifeofajew.However,whereasAdviceisbased upon Rabbi Nachman's own Torah discourses, this work is a collection of distilled wisdom drawn from the Bible, Talmud, Midrash and other Rabbinical writings. As much of the material in The Aleph-Bet Book actually preceded both the Likutey Moharan and the Likutey Etzot, it can be seen as a forerunner to these and all other Breslov literature. Clearly, the Sefer HaMiddot serves as our earliest introduction to the very original way in which Rabbi Nachman interpreted both verse and Aggadic teachings (examples of which can be seen from such pieces as Eating B5, Sweetening judgement 33 and Prayer 84 within the text, as well as the sampling of sources provided in Appendix 111). As with any Torah work of this nature, a casual once over will not suffice for the more than 2,500 aphorisms presented here. Indeed, in the Breslov communities in Russia, it was not unusual to find chassidim who had memorized the entire Aleph-Bet

Book: no doubt the best way to fulfill Rabbi Nachman's desire that we carry it with us at all times. Realizing that this is something most of us will never achieve, it is my hope that this translation will at least inspire a deep involvement with the material so that we too might repeat the Rebbe's own description of the Aleph-Bet Book: "My dear beloved friend, my dear loyal friend. This [book] is what made me into a Jew." Moshe Mykoff 23 Tammuz 5746 INTRODUCTION Rabbi Nachman's Aleph-Bet Book is a collection of aphorisms on the various character traits, positive and negative, as well as other aspects of the spiritual life of the Jew. The material is arranged by subject in alphabetical order and is divided into two parts. The first part was written by Rabbi Nachman in his youth. He selected from numerous holy books those pieces relating to ethical behavior and righteous qualities. He did this in order to facilitate his recollection of these traits: to have before his eyes the benefits of each and every good quality as well as the harm brought on by its absence and by the possession of bad traits. Whether it was the Sages' explanation of these qualities or the implied understanding of a Biblical verse or Rabbinical teaching which he was able to discern through his keen ability to understand one thing from the next - everything was recorded concisely and according to subject. This, so that he could then follow these good paths and keep to the ways of the righteous. Indeed, many years later upon seeing a copy of the completed work in the hands of one of his followers, Rabbi Nachman remarked, "My dear beloved friend, my dear loyal friend. This [book] is what made me into a Jew." The second part is similar to the first in form and structure, and the aphorisms are, in the main, on the same subjects as in the first part. However, this second part, which also came to be known as the New Aleph-Bet, was written later on in his life and Rabbi Nachman revealed that it was based on deeper understanding of the sources than the Old Aleph-Bet. Accordingly, there are a good many pieces in this part whose sources and reasoning can only be somewhat understood when studied within a broader context as they appear in Rabbi Nachman's Likutey Moharan (translated in part by The Breslov Research Institute, 1986). Their inclusion in this work on attributes, albeit in concise form, was evidently due to the very practical advice they offer on the character traits which a person should strive to acquire or work to avoid. Rabbi Nachman kept the existence of his Aleph-Bet Book a guarded secret until after his arrival in Breslov in 1802. Thereafter, he began dictating the first part of the book to Rabbi Nathan. As he read from his manuscript, Rabbi Nachman carefuly selected only those pieces which he wished to reveal to the world. This would explain why he never gave over his original notes to be copied in their entirety and why, although Rabbi Nachman's own manuscript contained references to the sources he used in collecting these aphorisms, they were never recorded. Only after the first printing in 1811 were there any sources included; initially by Rabbi Nathan in 1821 and then in the 1873-74 edition, which for the first time incorporated the references researched by the Tcheriner Rav, and still later in 1909-10 in an edition which was published containing further sources researched by Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin (see Appendix III).

Rabbi Nathan began transcribing the first part of the text in the summer of 1803. But he was only able to complete about half a folio and then only a bit more at a second session three or four months later, after which no further work was attempted for another two years. Finally, before Chanukah 180,5, Rabbi Nathan had the opportunity to be in Breslov for an extended period of time. For three consecutive weeks, Rabbi Nathan spent a good part of his day with the Rebbe until the transcribing of the first part of the Aleph-Bet Book was completed. In Rabbi Nathan's own words, "It was very difficult for the Rebbe [who carefully dictated each piece, considering and weighing his every word] - But, because of the great benefit which he knew people would have from it and because of his love of Israel, he dedicated himself to its completion." Rabbi Nathan also writes that Rabbi Nachman had in his notes about an equal amount of material which he never gave over. This included as many as two-hundred folios on the subject of Healing alone (see Appendix II). As for the second part of the book, prior to Rosh HaShanah 1808 Rabbi Nachman gave over several sheets of material to his followers. As Rabbi Nathan was not present in Breslov at the time, he asked these other chassidim to alphabetize this new material. Unlike the first part, these aphorisms were recorded by Rabbi Nachman consecutively, each at the particular time he perceived it. After Rabbi Nathan arrived, he was given these sheets and later on received some additional material from the Rebbe. All this he organized and integrated with the Old Aleph-Bet, thus arranging the entire work in order. At the Rebbe's insistence, Rabbi Nathan took those pieces which were applicable to more than one character trait and incorporated them into each of the appropriate subject headings; hence the many repetitions within the second part of the book. It was Rabbi Nachman's intention to make it easier for the reader for the student wishing to put into practice these holy words of advice - to use the Aleph-Bet Book as a handy manual and guide for spiritual advancement. In Rabbi Nathan's words, "May God lead us on the true path. And,'just as we have merited organizing them, so may we merit performing them' (Passover Haggadah) - until Israel returns to her place of dwelling like the dove to its nest. May it be speedily, in our time. Amen." ALEPH TRUTH HOSPITALITY LOVE FAITH EATING WIDOWER THE LAND OF ISRAEL LOST OBJECTS EMET TRUTH A 1) A person who wants to attach himself to the Holy One, blessed be He - so that his thoughts travel from one chamber to the next, seeing these chambers with his mind's eye - should avoid speaking falsely, even by mistake. 2) One may distort [the truth] to preserve peace. 3)

Those who lie are not worthy of receiving the Shekhinah, the Divine Countenance. 4) A Tzaddik is free to act deceitfully with one who deceives others. 5) All those who add, detract. 6) Telling lies brings on thoughts of idolatry. 7) By being truthful, a person won't die before his time. 8) The breath of a liar gives rise to the evil inclination. When the Mashiach comes, falsehood will not exist and so there will be no evil inclination in the world. 9) A man of truth can recognize in another if he is speaking falsely or not. 10) A sign that something is false is that it encounters opposition from the majority [of wise men] - The liar is one of the three [types of people] whom God despises. 11) Reason cannot tolerate a rich man's deceit. Even he finds himself despicable. 12) Giving charity rectifies one's speech. 13) Truth protects the world from all forms of harm. 14) Flattery leads to lying. 15) A person who gives charity is rewarded with attaining the truth. 16) The liar despises humility. 17) One can see from a man's servants if he is fond of falsehood, for one is dependent upon the other. Occasionally, a person's servants fall into sin because he is a liar, and sometimes he stumbles into falsehood because his servants behave improperly. 18) When there is no truth, there is no kindness. Such a person cannot deal kindly with people. 19) Falsehood delays redemption. It brings a man's sins out into the open, thus preventing him from being saved. 20) Truth redeems from all suffering. 21) A person should rather die than live and be considered a liar by others. 22) Where there is truth there is peace. 23) One who is far from the truth is far from charity. 24) Truth protects the sign of the Covenant [from blemish]. 25)

By telling the truth, a person earns everlasting notoriety. 26) When a husband and wife accustom themselves to lying, their children will be rebellious and sexually immoral. 27) A person will speak falsely when he is afraid of other people. 28) Falsehood causes a person to forget God. 29) A person who does not trust in God speaks falsely, and by telling lies becomes incapable of trusting the truth. 30) The further a man is from truth, the more he considers one who turns away from evil to be a fool. 31) A person who wants to turn away from evil must play the fool when he sees that there is no truth in the world. 32) When a person does not speak falsely, God saves him in time of pain. He will also be blessed with children. 33) Idle talk brings on [the types of] disease which afflict children. 34) A person steeped in idleness becomes forgetful. 35) Falsehood leads to immorality and strengthens the hand of the evil-doers so that they do not return to God. 36) Because he lies, a person has no cure even if he uses numerous medicines. 37) A man who tells lies is cut down. He also becomes a fool. 38) Fear of God brings a person to truth. 39) A person who guards himself from falsehood is always victorious. 40) It is permissible to distort [the truth] in order to save oneself. 41) A person who is fond of falsehood will disgrace the Tzaddik, and will himself be shamed. 42) A man who speaks falsely perishes. 43) Truth saves a person from slander. By telling the truth, his prayers are accepted, and when judged Above, he will be judged according to his merits. 44) A man can tell from his dreams if his heart is true with his God. 45) A person who keeps his word can accomplish great things. 46)

One who has no haughtiness is saved from lies. 47) A person who guards himself from frivolity is known as a man of truth. 48) One who was a liar in a previous lifetime will be reincarnated lefthanded. 49) When a person is careful and always speaks truthfully, it is like he created heaven and earth, the seas and all which they contain. 50) Falsehood applies only to the spoken and not the written word. 51) The Bible, Prophets and Rabbis made use of speech [to teach a point]. B 1) People don't listen to one who speaks falsely. Lying also causes a person to be widowed from a number of wives. 2) The unity of God is revealed through truth. 3) When you see a liar, you should know that his spiritual leader is also false. 4) Falsehood leads a person to immorality and murder. It also causes the upright to err in sexual and homicidal matters, and teaches permissiveness in the Torah. 5) When a person does not distort his words, he is able to humble the haughty and elevate the meek. 6) A man who does not speak one way with his lips and another with his heart has no fear of drowning. 7) Truth produces satisfaction. 8) The disorders of diarrhea and constipation come from lying. 9) It is truth that will bring the final redemption. HACHNASAT ORCHIM HOSPITALITY A 1) An inhospitable person strengthens the hand of the evildoers so that they do not return to God. 2) The people of] a city where hospitality is not practiced will turn to immoral behavior, and this will bring murder into their midst. 3) Hospitality brings a woman to be blessed with children.

4) Receiving guests is like receiving the Sabbath. 5) When a person welcomes a Torah scholar into his home, it is like he brought the daily sacrificial offerings. 6) Hospitality is even greater than arriving early at the House of Torah Study and receiving the Shekhinah. 7) Jews who have no rabbis in their midst are like Kuttim, Samaritans. B 1) Hospitality earns a person the fearful-respect of others. 2) Hospitality is a segulah for returning a woman's menses [so that she can again bear children]. 3) The prominence of the leaders of the generation is strengthened by God's holiness. This [prestige] brings everyone to value the mitzvah of hospitality and causes those who study the Torah to have the law accepted as they understand it. AHAVAH LOVE A 1) When there is no love between people, they bear tales and then mock one another. Their mockery then leads them to telling lies. 2) Turmoil and [destruction by] fire are the result of hatred. 3) The love you have for God will protect your soul from misfortune. 4) Achieving a love for God requires that you first repent for your sins. 5) Everyone loves the person who is completely given over to praying for the Jewish People. 6) Love produces encouragement. 7) Encouraging someone in his service of God will bring him to love you: 8) You can merit loving God by reciting Haliel - the prayer extolling His praise - in a loud voice. 9) When you have litigation with a mute who refuses to reach an agreement, your having guarded yourself against unwarranted hatred will bring him to settle with you. 10)

A person who guards against swearing falsely will certainly not transgress the precepts of "not taking revenge nor bearing a grudge" (Leviticus 19:18). 11) Garlic is a segulah for [increasing one's feelings of] love. 12) The merit earned by a man who serves God out of love stands as a lasting protection for two-thousand generations. 13) God is present wherever pacts and agreements are made. B 1) When the earth's produce blossoms, it brings love into the world. 2) A woman's love for her husband can be detected by the [number of] flies and gnats which are in the house. From their love, one can also tell if the passion of the evil inclination has been weakened or not. 3) The wise men of the generation who love each other and visit each other from time to time have the power tojudge the entire world. Their judgement is lasting and no one will be able to change or nullify it, for God himself is the head magistrate of their court. 4) Unwarranted hatred causes a person to unintentionally eat non-kosher food. 5) A person's lust for food causes him to favor one son over the others. EMUNAH FAITH A 1) One's belief in God must come through faith and not because of miracles. 2) You can achieve faith by being humble. 3) When you see something out of the ordinary, don't say that it's coincidence; rather, believe that it is Divine Providence. 4) There are things which bring great harm to the world and it is hard to understand why they were created. You should know that they most certainly have some aspect of good. 5) Finding the words of an apostate pleasing will bring a person to thoughts of idolatry, even if these words are not heretical in and of themselves. 6) A person's faith endears him to God much like a wife [is endeared] by her husband. 7) Without first preparing his heart, a man cannot achieve faith.

8) When a person loses something it shows that he's fallen from his faith. 9) One who has lost his faith should visit Jewish graves and tell of the kindness which God has performed for him. 10) Faith is dependent upon a person's mouth. [Speaking about faith not only increases it it is faith!] 11) Torah study breaks all heresy. 12) Belief in God brings blessing. 13) Overeating leads to a fall from faith. 14) Gazing at the sky when it is clear and bright will bring you to faith in the Rabbis. 15) Should you find that you have doubts about God, remain silent. By virtue of this silence, your very thoughts will provide you with an answer to your question. 16) Remaining silent when you are insulted will earn you the answers to your questions and you'll merit a spirit of understanding. 17) When a person's adversaries are wise, rich and mighty, you should know that this is because he's more than once fallen from faith. 18) Faith is considered like charity. 19) Belief in God makes one wise. 20) It is first necessary to have faith in God, and only then will you be worthy of understanding Him with your intellect. 21) The unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, comes about through the soul of the Jewish People. 22) A person's sins bring him to entertain heresy. 23) When a person falls from his belief in God, he should cry. 24) Faith comes by remaining silent [in the face of criticism]. 25) A person's jealousy causes him to fall from his belief in God. 26) When a person has no faith, it is an indication that he belittles the words of the Torah. 27) A person who is always cleaning his hands is purifying his heart. 28) When a man falls from faith, he should know that he is being judged Above. 29)

A person will experience an emission, promiscuous thoughts or thoughts of idolatry because he has fallen from his belief in God. 30) Faith comes through giving charity. 31) By means of faith one can come to understand God intellectually. 32) Through faith, one can come to trust in God. 33) Because of faith, God will forgive you for all your sins. 34) There are times when God sends a person suffering and punishment but He does not weaken him. This is only intended [to increase his] faith. 35) Swearing falsely causes a person to fall from faith. 36) A man who has no faith does not accept rebuke. 37) The person who does not believe in the words of the Tzaddik will in the end have no benefit from them, though he will see that they've come to be. 38) A man who has no faith certainly despises God's statutes. 39) Mashiach will come suddenly and, because of their joy, the Jews will fear. 40) When Mashiach comes, the ministers of above and below will be weakened. But now, whenever there is an ascent by any minister, the Jews are weakened. 41) In the World to Come, whoever is "younger" than his neighbor will ascend to a higher level. 42) Jerusalem was only destroyed because the Jews desecrated the Sabbath, neglected reciting the Sh'ma - both morning and evening - and left the young school children unattended. They felt no embarrassment one for another, despised Torah scholars, and there were no longer any men of faith in the city. 43) Jerusalem will only be redeemed through charity. 44) War is the beginning of redemption. 45) A person who raises pigs delays the redemption. 46) Jerusalem will not be rebuilt until there is peace amongst the Jewish People. 47) This, that the Jews wander in exile from nation to nation, is a sign that Mashiach will come. 48) When the nations overly insult us, it is a sign of Mashiach's imminence. 49) The House of God will not be built until haughtiness ceases to exist.

50) Through the spirit of oneness that will exist amongst Jews, Mashiach will come. 51) Mashiach will come in a year of blessing. 52) The Mashiach won't come till all the souls have left their storehouse in the "body" [of Primordial Man]. When a person marries his daughter to a Torah scholar, or uses his possessions and engages in business to benefit a Torah scholar, he will merit being resurrected from the aead. 54) The breath of a liar gives rise to the evil inclination. When the Mashiach comes, falsehood will not exist and so there will be no evil inclination in the world. 55) A man of truth can recognize in another if he is speaking falsely or not. 56) The majority [of wise men] will not agree to something false. 57) The Holy One despises the man who speaks one way with his lips and another in his heart. 58) Reason cannot tolerate a rich man's deceit. Even he finds himself despicable. 59) Giving charity rectifies one's speech. 60) Truth protects the world from all forms of harm. 61) Flattery leads to lying. 62) A person who gives charity is rewarded with attaining the truth. 63) A person who lies will certainly despise humble people. 64) One can see from a man's servants if he is fond of falsehood or not. 65) When there is no truth there is no kindness. 66) If you are in any way false then when God [indicates] His desire to save you, this falsehood brings your sins out into the open so that He should not save you. 67) For telling the truth, God will redeem you from all suffering. 68) A person should rather die than live and be considered a liar by others. B 1) Occasionally, a person comes to some place and experiences anguish there. He should know that his ancestors were in this place and came to some form of heresy, or his descendants will one day be here and come to some form of heresy. This is the reason he is now suffering.

2) The use of flattery leads one to heresy. 3) The Holy One, blessed be He, only performs miracles for the person who believes in both worlds. 4) The evil decrees which the nations proclaim against us are nullified because of our faith in God. 5) Know! Each and every grass has its own unique power to heal a specific sickness. This is only for the person who did not guard his faith and sexual purity, and did not keep from transgressing "Do not despise any man" (Avot 4:3). However, one who has complete faith and also keeps the Covenant and fulfills "Do not despise any man," his cure is not dependent upon particular types of grasses. He is cured by all foods and drinks in the "aspect" of "And your bread is blessed" (Exodus 23:25). He does not have to rely upon particular grasses to be cured. 6) The essence of the future salvation will only come about because of faith, the quality of which is in accordance with the leaders of the generation. 7) When one goes from one rabbi to the next, he must strengthen his faith in the unity of God. Learning from many teachers detracts from the belief in the Oneness. However, the rabbi who has faith in the Oneness is able to enlighten each and every student according to his ability; each pupil only hearing that which is necessary for him, and no more. 8) Consolation comes because of faith in God. 9) Flies multiply in the world because there is a lack of faith. 10) The person who guards himself from transgressing the prohibition against coveting what is not his, will be saved from anger and haughtiness, and from the lack of faith which they bring on. 11) Because the Jews do not make His Godliness known to the peoples of the world, they are seduced by the nations into following foreign ideologies. 12) Corruption of faith gives rise to stern judgement. Thoughts of idolatry awaken doubly strict judgements. That is, even the judgements which have already been passed are reviewed to see that they were sentenced properly - without leniency. 13) A person who causes his friend to fall from faith suffers childlessness. 14) When a woman is heedful of the mitzvah of challah, tithing the dough, her sons will be masters of faith. 15) Faith settles the mind. 16) Torah brings to faith, and faith brings to sanctifying the Name of God. 17)

A person who finds that he cannot sleep should think about his belief in the resurrection of the dead. 18) Those who have only a small amount of faith have difficulty gaining new insights into the Torah. ACHILAH EATING A 1) Make certain that there is something left over from the food you eat, so that your sustenance will receive God's blessing. 2) A man's table purifies him from all his sins. 3) A man's table earns him the World to Come as well as a livelihood [in this world]. He is recorded for good in the uppermost worlds and is also rewarded with added power and strength when he needs it. 4) The sin of delaying justice, distorting and corrupting judgement and neglecting Torah study brings drought. People will eat but will not be satiated; they will partake of their bread in measure. 5) By eating a little bit, a person's heart is drawn after food; more so than the one who has lost hope of eating and has eaten nothing at all. 6) Why were the Jews deserving of destruction? Because they delighted in the feast of that wicked one, [Achashveroshl. 7) The altar removes evil decrees, atones sin, nourishes and endears. And the table is comparable to an altar. 8) When a person eats without first washing his hands [as the law prescribes], it is like he visited a prostitute. One who ridicules this religious requirement is uprooted from the world. 9) A man should not drink water in public. B 1) A person whose being reflects the image of God is elevated through his eating of living matter. The opposite is also true. 2) Eating fish arouses the desire for marital union. 3) God is made known in the world through the Birkhat HaMazone, the Blessing after Meals. 4)

Reciting the Birkhat HaMazone brings the country's government relief from dispute and wars. 5) When a person learns the Torah with a pure mind, because he eats with such a degree of holiness that his sustenance is drawn from the sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation. This is indicated [in the verses], "And it was on the third day, in the morning..." (Exodus 19:16); "Then in the morning there was a layer of dew" (Exodus 16:13); "And it was at the morning watch..." (Exodus 14:24). (I heard this explanation from his holy lips: "And it was on the third day", was said during the giving of the Torah and refers to the person who learns the Torah with a pure mind. "Then in the morning, there was a layer of dew," was said about the manna, which is the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our Rabbis have taught. "And it was at the morning watch," was said at the splitting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were drowned, which is an "aspect" of strangulation. Rabbi Nachman learned from one morning and applied it to the other, thereby deducing the above statement from the Torah.) 6) A man who cannot taste the food he eats should know that God has removed Himself from him. 7) When Tzaddikim eat, [it is an act of great holiness,] even greater than the bringing of sacrifices and on a higher level than even their marital relations. 8) Fish grow plump in the merit of the sacrifices. 9) It is a known principle that a person bitten by a dog has had Heaven's mercy removed from him. It is also a sign that he has eaten a forbidden food. 10) The person who guards himself against eating forbidden foods is saved from wild beasts. 11) One whose enemies have gained eminence falls into a lust for food. 12) A person's lust for food causes him to favor one son over the others. 13) "Lchu lachmu v'lachmi u'shetu byayin masakhti - Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled' (Proverbs 9:5). L'chu Lachmu V'Iachmi Ushetu is an acronym for LULAV. B'yain - with its four letters - has a numerical value (76) equivalent to the first letters of etrog, hadas and aravah (1+5+70=76); and maSaKhTi is the aspect of SuKkoT. By fulfilling the mitzvot of the Four Species and sukkah, a person is rewarded with food, drink, clothing and with a revived spirit. Through the mitzvah of sukkah he merits clothing in the aspect of, "When I made a cloud its garment" (job 38:9). By virtue of the willow branch he gains sufficient drink, through the myrtle branch he brings vitality to the soul; and by taking the branch of the palm tree and the etrog of the citron tree, both of which contain edible fruit, he merits having enough to eat. 14) A person earns sufficient] food and drink by keeping the Torah's statutes and laws. 15)

Drinking rouses a person to sing and play instruments, while eating does not. This is because when the Jewish People [were in the desert, they] sang the praise of God over the well and not for the manna [which they were given to eat]. ALMAN WIDOWER A 1) A person whose wife died should recite daily the chapter on the asham, the offence offering (Leviticus 7:1-7), until he remarries. B 1) People do not listen to one who speaks falsely. Lying also causes a person to be widowed from a number of wives. 2) When a man's wife dies, it is like he has lost one of his bones. This is not so when the Tzaddik's wife dies, as is written, "Achat Meheynah Lo Nishbarah - not one of them [the bones] was broken"; an acronym for ALMAN, a widower. ERETZ YISRAEL THE LAND OF ISRAEL B 1) By settling in the land of Israel, a person gains insight into God's providence over the world. 2) A person draws from the holiness of Eretz Yisrael in accordance with the original insights which he finds in the Torah. 3) The yearning which a man has to come to the Holy Land brings him great blessing in his livelihood. 4) One who provides support for many people draws a blessing from Eretz Yisrael to the diaspora. 5) A person who yearns to be in the Holy Land arouses a yearning in his father and mother, that is, in their souls, which then come to Eretz Yisrael. God also comes with them, and together they look forward to and yearn for his arrival. 6) Because of the charity given to the poor people of Eretz Yisrael, a person prospers monetarily. 7) A person who knows of the Holy Land, who has really tasted Eretz Yisrael, can recognize in another whether he has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah. For when one merits being with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, wherever he focuses his attention he transforms the air there into an aspect of the air of Eretz

Yisrael. Therefore, a person who knows the taste of the Holy Land, each according to his own level, will of necessity feel Eretz Yisrael when he comes together with this man who has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, through whom the air becomes an aspect of the Holy Land. AVEDAH LOST OBJECTS B 1) The same strength which enables a person to return a lost object to its owner, enables him to win converts [for God]. BETH CHILDREN A HOUSE EMBARRASSMENT/MODESTY CLOTHING TRUST IN GOD TIDINGS BLESSING CRYING BANIM CHILDREN A 1) If a person cries and mourns the passing of an honest man, he will merit raising his children. 2) Care must be taken that a baby boy not go bareheaded. 3) A person need not worry about having enough to support his children. As they grow so does his income. 4) A person who prevents his fellow man from being fruitful and multiplying will go into hell childless. 5) A man who forces his wife to have marital relations will have indecent children. 6) The dif faculties of child rearing will be a great burden for a woman whose menstrual flow is heavy. 7) The daughter of a kohain who marries an Israelite and the daughter of a Torah scholar who marries a boor will bear no offspring. 8) Fasting on Thursdays is beneficial for raising children. 9) A modest woman is rewarded with good children.

10) Sons are born to the woman whose husband joyously celebrates the holidays and properly adorns tefillin. 11) There are times when praying for children on behalf of a person who has none will bring about that person's death. 12) Because people do not fulfill their oaths, children are punished with death. 13) Moving from one place to another causes a person to be blessed with children. 14) Older children do not die for the sins of their fathers. However, when the desecration of God's Name is involved, even older children die. 15) One who eats meat and drinks wine will conceive healthy children. 16) A person who gazes upon the heel of a woman or at his own wife when she is impure will have indecent children. 17) A man who has lived in Eretz Yisrael for ten years and has remained childless should divorce his wife: it would seem that he is unworthy of building himself [a family] through her. 18) What should a person do to have male children? He should marry an appropriate woman, sanctify himself when he is with her and beseech the One to whom the blessing of children belongs. 19) Whoever bears children does so in his own likeness. 20) A person should guard himself against cutting down a tree before its time, for this is detrimental to the raising of children. 21) Whoever exerts himself in charitable ways will have children who are rich, wise and masters of Aggadah, the non-legal passages of the Talmud. 22) What should a person do to have children? He should apportion his money to the poor and make his wife happy before having marital relations. 23) just as it is forbidden to kill a person, so it is forbidden to chop down a fruit-bearing tree before its time. 24) We find the term "death" applied to Yoav because he left no progeny like himself. Of King David it is said that he was "laid to rest" because he left a son like himself. 25) The evil-eye does not rule over one whose first child is a girl. 26) Whoever raises an orphan in his home, it is as if he fathered him. 27) Whoever teaches his friend's son Torah, it is as if he fathered him. 28)

Forty days prior to the formation of the embryo, a man should pray that his wife bear a son. 29) The wife of a man whose thoughts are immoral will also have such thoughts. When she entertains immoral thoughts, the forces of evil come to her in her dreams and, because of this, her children die. 30) When a man is unfaithful to his wife, she will do the same [to him]. 31) Whoever burns his friend's wheat will leave no son to inherit him. 32) A woman who loses her children in childbirth should put an apple on her head [while delivering them]. 33) Whoever begins a mitzvah but does not complete it buries his wife and sons. 34) A man who marries a woman for money will have indecent children and will lose the money in no time at all. 35) A person who occupies himself with Torah and acts of charity is rewarded with many children. 36) Children do not die for the sin of their fathers unless they carry on in their fathers' ways. 37) Marital relations are beneficial for the foetus: purifying and providing the child with alertness, strength and a prominent appearance. 38) A person who has no children should accept upon himself the yoke of exile. 39) Taking away a friend's means of income is like violating his wife. 40) Being given over into the hands of one's enemies is like being bereaved of one's sons. 41) If a man has sexual relations with a gentile woman or with another man or if he entertains thoughts of idolatry, his son will not be a Torah scholar. Even if he should teach his son Torah, he will forget it. 42) Good children are very beneficial for their ancestors. 43) Children die because of falsehood. 44) Whoever does not separate from his wife near to the expected time of her menstruation, his sons - even if they resemble those of Aaron - will die. A person who does separate will have male children who are fitting to be instructors of Jewish Law. 45) Whoever uses wine in performing the Havdallah service separating the Sabbath from the week, will have male children who are fitting to be instructors of Jewish Law. 46)

A person who sanctifies himself by behaving modestly during marital relations will have male children. 47) Care should be taken not to allow a baby to nurse from an evil woman, because the milk he suckles can either make him pure or impure. 48) Warm water and oil are good for an infant's health. 49) By not withholding oneself from nature's call, a person's prayers on behalf of his children will be accepted. 50) Offspring resemble their father and mother in appearance. 51) Indecent behavior in a man's house is worse than the war of Gog and Magog. 52) Coming early and staying late in the synagogue lengthens the days of one's children. 53) A person should not favor one of his children over the others. 54) Lighting Chanukah and Shabbat candles makes one worthy of having sons who are Torah scholars. 55) By showing love for the Sages, a person's sons will become rabbis. By honoring the Sages, his sons-in-law will become rabbis. 56) Children die in their youth when people do not fulfill their oaths; when they neglect Torah study; fail to keep the mitzvot of mezuzah and tzitzit; and for the sin of unwarranted hatred. 57) If a person tithes his money, his children will be saved from diphtheria. 58) Innocent] schoolchildren die for the sins of their generation. 59) Securing myrtle branches for the Shabbat makes one worthy of having children who are Torah scholars. 60) A segulah for a woman who miscarries is to bathe a bride before her wedding. 61) The nature] of a person's sons and daughters will be influenced by what he eats [prior to their conception]. 62) A person whose children die should not have marital relations during the week, but only on the night of Shabbat. 63) Drawing a bow and arrow on Lag B'Omer is a segulah for children; as is singing the prayers while leading the congregation in worship. 64) A child must be taught to behave properly right from the start. 65)

The songs and praises of God which are recited before the light of day are a segulah for having children, for a woman who lacks the milk [she needs for nursing] and for a wife whose nature it is to be angry. 66) A person who humbles himself in the presence of his teacher and despite being shamed, turns to his teacher with all his doubts, merits having a son who is even greater than this teacher in the study of Torah. 67) A person who accepts his suffering with love merits offspring who will live long. 68) God performs great deeds for a person in accordance with his name. This is because a person's name influences [all aspects of his life]. 69) When a person raises his voice in order to show off, his children will be taken captive. 70) A man who is childless should use oil regularly. 71) There are times when a person, by changing dwellings, saves the life of his children. 72) By pursuing peace, a man saves his sons from death and exile. 73) When a person does something which is afterwards a hindrance for other people, all good is severed from his offspring. 74) Occasionally, the great love between husband and wife prevents her from having children. 75) Most barren women who later conceive give birth to a son. 76) Children die because of fraud. 77) The Tzaddik has the power to curse a man so that he will not have decent children. 78) The person in whose house the Tzaddik takes lodgings is blessed with children. 79) A person who longs to perform some mitzvah but is unsuccessful will be rewarded with children. They will inherit his greatness and will accomplish this mitzvah. 80) When a man deprives others of their livelihood, in the end his children die. 81) A magnet is a segulah for having children. 82) A person's children die when he uses names of impurity or magic, or if he believes in them. 83) When a husband and wife wash their hands and give charity before engaging in marital relations, they remove the spirit of impurity from the children which they beget. 84) There are women who bear females and not males.

85) By reciting the chapter of tzitzit (Numbers 15:37-41) with great devotion and fear and by clothing the naked, a person merits having sons. 86) When the year has been a prosperous one, take this as a sign that the Jews will be fruitful and multiply. 87) The children of a woman who uses magic will die, and she will become a widow. 88) A segulah for a nursing mother with an insufficient supply of milk is for her husband to mourn the destruction of Jerusalem. 89) When people are false, their children are made to suffer. The place in which they live can also have [a negative] effect upon them. 90-91) If a person brings joy to a groom and bride or if he is heedful [of the mitzvot which involve] lighting candles, his wife will bear sons. 92) When there has been an abundance of rain it is a sign that many sons will be born during that year. 93) Husband and wife who curse each other will not raise their children. 94) Plant some type of produce, and when you harvest it, give it to the poor and have no pleasure from it yourself. This will be a segulah for raising children. 95) A man who places excessive fear [in the hearts] of the people of his generation will not establish progeny whose hearts contain wisdom. 96) When a person has no pity on his children, he shows that he hasn't any understanding of holiness. 97) Not reviewing one's studies and forgetting them causes one s children to die. 98) A person who has acted immorally will not raise his children. 99) The Name of God, Elohah protects children. 100) A person's children will not follow evil ways if he endeavors to secure a livelihood for those who seek God. 101) By having faith in the Tzaddikim, a man's children live and endure. 102) When a male child comes into the world so does lovingkindness. 103) A person who causes grief to his parents is not worthy of raising sons. 104) By pursuing peace, a person lives to see his children's children. 105) Damage to a door or window is a sign that one's children will suffer sickness.

106) When there is strife, it is a bad sign for one's children; peace is a good sign for them. 107) A man who cannot control his temper has foolish children. 108) A person who shows respect for his father is rewarded with sons. B 1) A person who feels the pains of child rearing should recite the sections of the Torah which depict Creation (Genesis 1), daily. Reading this also saves him from falsely being accused of stealing. 2) A segulah for having children is to humble oneself. Planting a vineyard is harmful for the raising of infants. 4) Working to redeem someone being held captive is a segulah for having children. 5) Reciting the maamadot, a collection of Torah readings originally read during the sacrificial ceremony, is beneficial for one's children. 6) A woman whose children die from diphtheria should bathe her [other] children in oil and then light this oil at the time of her ritual immersion. 7) A person who successfully defends his faith against a majority who argue against him, will, because of this, be worthy of many children; his progeny will fill the world. 8) Silver formed into the Hebrew letter heh is a segulah for being fruitful and multiplying. 9) Sometimes, the structure of a house prevents the woman [living there] from bearing children. When the beams in the structure are not placed into the position designated for them during the six days of Creation, the house is considered a ruin even while it stands. This ruin harms the woman and she cannot bear offspring. 10) [In choosing] a mohel, a circumcisor, one should look for a man who is both a Tzaddik and God-fearing. For when the mohel lacks expertise [and righteousness], it can, God forbid, result in the circumcised infant being incapable of reproducing or in his becoming an epileptic. 11) When a person's son occupies himself with Torah study it is as if he never dies. 12) The milk of a righteous woman provides the child with the fear of Heaven and gives him mastery in this world. 13) A person who causes his friend to fall from faith suffers childlessness. 14) When there is peace in the land, children are born to the Jews living there. [These children will develop into] instructors of Jewish Law.

15) When a person, while having relations with his wife, takes care so that neither he nor the time are exceedingly hot or cold, the children that are born will be very wise. 16) If a person rules over his evil inclination, his children will not follow evil ways and because of this he will prosper monetarily and not be put to a test. 17) Because a woman is not from distinguished lineage, she can have indecent children even if she herself is righteous. 18) When grain is abundant in the world, it is a sign that males will be born; when wine is abundant, it is a sign that females will be born. 19) A man who has no son should make it a habit to bring presents to Torah scholars and recite the portion of Bikkurim (Deuteronomy 26:1-11), the first fruit offering. He should also learn a great deal of Talmud and minimize his study of Aggadah which is a segulah for daughters. 20) When a person [masters] the study of Poskim, the Halakhic Codifiers, so that he is able to instruct others, through this he causes a number of barren women to conceive. 21) Sometimes, by being taken captive a man is spared the loss of his children. 22) By giving charity one merits having children. 23) A segulah for a woman who has difficulty in childbirth is to hang the cemetery key around her neck. This key is also a segulah for [countering] barrenness. 24) A man who experiences an emission [should be concerned that] his children will die. 25) There are certain types of wood which, when used in building a bed, will hinder conception and child rearing. Likewise, there are certain types of wood which are beneficial for conception and raising children. 26) When a man's children die in their youth, [he should have] the mother of his remaining son make a garment which the child should wear until he grows up. 27) When the Jewish people are fruitful and multiply, the nations issue new decrees against us. 28) The suffering a person endures proves beneficial for child bearing. 29) Thorns are a segulah for bearing children. 30) It is well known that when a person is born circumcised his power of imagination is good and wholesome. BAYIT A HOUSE

A 1) A person should avoid entering an abandoned house, because it is a place of evil spirits. 2) One who suffers misfortune in one place should go elsewhere. 3) When the Tzaddik enters a house which is destined for a blessing, the blessing comes as well. 4) There are places in which good things are destined to happen and [others destined] for the opposite. 5) The seemingly natural occurrences which befall man, for good or bad, are [actually influenced] by time and place. 6) Revenging one's jealousy destroys a man's home. 7) A person has no desire to [leave behind any] benefit to a place which he abandons. 8) Don't live in the vicinity of a boor who behaves piously. 9) Any house where the words of Torah are heard at night will never be destroyed. 10) People age twice as fast in a city built on a slope. 11) There is a blessing in a house where the wine pours like water. 12) Do not enter a house in which there are crosses. 13) A person who wants to move into a house should first recite the entire Pentateuch and then move in. 14) A person who owns no property is not a man. 15) A person's location can cause him to sin. 16) A woman's anger and immorality destroys her home. 17) It is a bad sign for a house when its threshold and entrances are destroyed. B 1) Living in the upper storey of a house is better for serving God than living in the lower storey. 2) Sometimes, the structure of a house prevents the woman [living there] from bearing children. When the beams in the structure are not placed into the position designated

for them during the six days of Creation, the house is considered a ruin even while it stands. This ruin harms the woman and she cannot bear offspring. 3) At the entrance of a person's house one can determine if the merit of the owner's ancestors has ceased or if it is still in effect. 4) A man should make sure that a fruit-bearing tree was not used in the construction of his house. 5) Concerning the beams of a building: If a man is deserving, they are like the standing Serafim - burning angels - and the building will remain standing for a long time. If he is not worthy, the Seraf im are consumed. This type of fire is most common. 6) It is a bad sign for a man's offspring when he builds a wall and its top part falls off. 7) A man only has pleasure when he lives in a place where his ancestors once lived. 8) A segulah for a person moving to a new house is to bring into it a sword, a knife or some other type of weapon. A hint to this is found in the verse "A house is built with ChoKhMah, wisdom" (Proverbs 24:3); the letters being an acronym for "Klei Chomos Me'cheiroteihem - weapons are their wares" (Genesis 49:5). [The explanation of me'cheiroteihem is alternatively,] their swords or their places of dwelling. 9) The roof of a house is an indicator of what will happen to the group or family [which inhabits it]. BUSHAH EMBARRASSMENT/MODESTY A 1) A person who embarrasses his friend becomes dumbstruck and forgetful. 2) It is permissible to embarrass those rabbis who purchase their position for self-pride. It is appropriate to disgrace them and to make light of their honor. Do not stand up for them or call them rabbi. The mantle they wear is like a donkey's saddle. 3) It is better to neglect Torah study than to embarrass a fellow Jew. 4) If a person embarrasses a Torah scholar or if he shames his friend in the presence of a Torah scholar, he will become a heretic. He is called "one who acts brazenfaced to the Torah." 5) The coat of the Tzaddik atones for the spilling of blood. 6) When people ridicule you, you should fast and cry. 7) The only reason you are shamed is so that you should repent for those transgressions which you take lightly. 8)

You are also sent embarrassment when you rejoice in your friend's troubles. 9) Picture the letters of the word Emunah - and you will never be disgraced. 10) A person who has to leave objects as collateral in order to borrow money must have despised these objects in a previous incarnation. 11) A man who suffers shame can hope for salvation. 12) One who wants to be modest should picture his mother's image. 13) You can acquire the quality of modesty by giving charity for Heaven's sake. 14) It is known that when a person is disgraced, it is because he lacks trust in God. 15) A person who digs a hole will eventually suffer some shame. Sometimes, the matter even causes him to become the topic of everyone's discussions. 16) Having trust in God will spare a man from being shamed. 17) A man who steals from a pauper will suffer embarrassment. 18) Be tolerant and bear the disgrace and shame you receive from a person who is not your enemy. His disgracing you certainly comes from Heaven; with it you will be hidden and protected from Satan, who is your enemy and who is always raising himself up against you with accusations. By being tolerant of the embarrassment at the hands of one who is not your enemy, the real enemy - Satan, will not 19) Using flattery will cause you to be despised in the eyes of the nations. They will curse you and vent their anger against you. 20) When a person embarrasses you and makes fun of you, it is because you must have disgraced his ancestors. 21) When everyone embarrasses you and they cause you anguish, remain silent and don't leave your house. 22) When they shame you - give charity. 23) By giving charity you will achieve the quality of modesty. 24) The Holy One, blessed be He, exacts repayment for a king's shame; even if one nation embarrasses the king of another. 25) In the World to Come, the sinner will be ashamed to face his rabbis. 26) One who embarrasses a Torah scholar will find no cure for his wounds. 27) Don't jump to embarrass a friend when you hear him say something false. Rather, make some gesture so that he will recognize that it is not so.

28) It is a mitzvah to publicize the wicked. 29) A man who gets embarrassed will not easily sin. 30) It is well known that if a person has no modesty, his ancestors did not stand at Mount Sinai. 31) It is better for a person to have himself thrown into a flaming furnace than to publicly shame a friend. 32) When your friend embarrasses you, admit to his words. 33) Publicly embarrassing one's friend is like spilling blood. [A person who does this] descends into Gehinom and does not come out. 34) It is better for a man to have sexual relations with a woman whose unmarried status is in doubt than to embarrass his friend in public, for which he loses his portion of the World to Come. 35) Do not embarrass a fellow Jew who keeps the Torah and mitzvot. But it is permissible to shame and verbally deceive an [intentional] sinner. 36) All of Heaven's gates have been sealed, except for the gate [which receives the complaints] of a man who has been cheated. 37) All retribution is exacted through a messenger other than in cases involving deceit, [where the cheater is punished directly by God]. The curtain of Heaven is never sealed to [the prayers] of a person who has been cheated. B'GADIM CLOTHING A 1) The clothing a person wears is indicative of his character. 2) A person who [must] go barefoot must be a sinner. 3) When a man is stubborn or fails to fulfill his oaths, he loses his clothing. 4) In the end, a man's children will have to go unclad and barefoot if he has not refrained from gazing upon his father's nakedness. 5) A man who eats before praying will lose his clothing. 6) A haughty man loses his clothing. 7) A person who lures his friend from the good path to the evil one will not have with what to clothe himself.

8) A man who serves as a guarantor for a gentile loses his clothing. 9) There will come a time when the Holy One, blessed be He, will exact punishment from those who dress in the clothing of the gentiles. 10) A person who, because of his poverty, must wear torn clothing will [only find] help by crying out to God. 11) Anyone who shows disrespect for clothing will in the end have no pleasure from them. 12) By providing clothing for the poor, a man is spared embarrassment. 13) A man who is careful not to embarrass anyone is rewarded with [fine] clothing. B 1) Telling stories about Tzaddikim draws the light of Mashiach into the world and dispels much darkness and pain. The teller is also rewarded with beautiful clothing. 2) A person who is accustomed to cursing will not have clothing for the Shabbat. 3) A person who [pays special attention to] clothing his feet, such as by wearing very exquisite footwear or pants, will become pretentious. 4) A person who shows disrespect for the mitzvah of tzitzit will not merit being buried [when he dies]. 5) A person who provides clothing for his friend can change his friend's will in any way he wishes - in both physical and spiritual matters. 6) When a man wears his father's clothing it is easier for him to follow in his father's ways. 7) "L'chu lachmu v'lachmi u'shetu b'yayin masakhti - Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled" (Proverbs 9:5). L'chu Lachmu V'Iachmi U'shetu is an acronym for LULAV. B'yain - with its four letters - has a numerical value (76) equivalent to the first letters of etrog, hadas and aravah (1+5+70=76); and maSaKhTi is the aspect of SuKkoT. By fulfilling the mitzvot of the Four Species and sukkah, a person is rewarded with food, drink, clothing and with a revived spirit. Through the mitzvah of sukkah he merits clothing in the aspect of, "When I made a cloud its garment" (Job 38:9). By virtue of the willow branch he gains sufficient drink, through the myrtle branch he brings vitality to the soul; and by taking the branch of the palm tree and the etrog of the citron tree, both of which contain edible fruit, he merits having enough to eat. BITACHON TRUST IN GOD

A 1) A person who has trust in God fears nothing. 2) Trust in God brings peace. 3) Trust in God comes from fearing Him. 4) Faith produces trust in God. 5) A person who does not trust in God tells lies. 6) Telling lies prevents a person from trusting in the truth. 7) When a man trusts in God, the Holy One, blessed be He, saves him from all anguish particularly from being killed. 8) When apersontrustsingod,heis freefrom having torely on others. No one can insult him. 9) Trust in God saves one from worry. 10) By trusting in God a person will merit knowing the Holy Names. 11) A person who does not possess the quality of trust in God should guard against shaming anyone. He should also take care to pray with an attentive heart. 12) The life of a person who trusts in God will not be cut short. 13) A person who does not trust in God should rise before the morning's light and recite supplications in a loud voice. 14) Through silence a person merits trusting in God. 15) By not sealing his business agreements with a handshake, a man attains trust in God. This can also be achieved by not associating with wicked people. 16) A flatterer loses his trust in God. 17) The waters of the Jordan River are a segulah for trust. 18) By trusting in God a person comes closer to Him. 19) When a person trusts in gentiles - what is his is theirs. B 1)

When a person does something with faith, and in the course of doing so stumbles, he should trust that the Holy One will save him. God arranged this obstacle for him so that he should pave the way for his sons to be saved from this stumbling block. 2) A man who guards against idolatrous thoughts will always trust in God; never worrying about tomorrow. He is on the level of, "Blessed is God who day after day bears our burden" (Psalms 68:20 ). Because of this, [the Holy One] "observed no iniquity and saw no misery in him," (Numbers 23:21), and anyone who lays a hand upon him, it is as if he attacks the apple of God's eye. B'SORAH TIDINGS A 1) A person who is in the habit of bringing good tidings clothes himself in the quality of Elijah the prophet. 2) Don't carry bad news: a number of people have died after receiving bad tidings. 3) A person who performs a mitzvah correctly is not brought bad news. He [even has the power to] nullify the Holy One's decrees. 4) Relating bad news causes a person to fall into constricted consciousness. B 1) By making it a habit to be the bearer of good tidings, a person's feet will not pain him. B'RACHAH BLESSING B 1) One who receives a blessing should give some sort of present to the person who blessed him. 2) Don't take the blessing of a gentile lightly. 3) A person who draws those who are distant into the service of God is given the power to bless others. B'CHIYAH CRYING B 1)

A man who cannot bring himself to cry should gaze at the firmament, because it was the firmament which caused the waters [of Creation] to cry [by separating the lower waters from the upper waters]. 2) Crying nullifies immoral thoughts. 3) A segulah for a person suffering from a neck ailment is to cry over the destruction of the Holy Temple. GIMMEL HAUGHTINESS THEFT AND ROBBERY GA'AVAH HAUGHTINESS A 1) Mashiach will not come until all haughtiness is eliminated from the world. 2) Pride leads a person to homosexual desires and anger. There are times when a woman cannot become pregnant because she glamorizes herself and is haughty. 3) Haughtiness brings hunger to the world. 4) Pride leads a person to drunkenness and vice versa. 5) A man's haughtiness causes him to fear. 6) Giving charity is a segulah for eliminating pride. 7) The Holy One incites enemies against a rabbi who haughtily rules over people against their will. 8) When a person feels his heart uplifted, he should know that this is an opportune time for him. 9) A man who saves the poor has the power to humble proud people by [merely] gazing upon them. 10) When a man falls while walking in public it shows that he is haughty. 11) A particularly propitious way to eliminate pride is to empathize with the suffering of the Jewish People. 12) You should know that when a wicked man persecutes a pauper it is because of the poor man's pride. 13) A person's pride causes him to fall from his faith. 14)

Haughtiness prevents a man's heart and eyes from seeing God's wonders and thus fearing Him. 15) A man should not take pride in his intellectual achievements and good deeds, which all stem from the Tzaddik of the generation. He is to the Tzaddik like a pen in the hand of a scribe. 16) Eating and drinking produce haughtiness. 17) Pride can be rectified through fasting. 18) A particularly propitious way to [avoid] pride is to gaze at the heavens. 19) A person is sent confusing dreams in order to remove his submerged haughtiness which is hidden from him, and of which he is unaware. 20) When a person is haughty, his wisdom and foresight depart. 21) Reason cannot tolerate the poor man who exhibits pride. He will one day regret his behavior and be ashamed of himself. 22) A proud person cannot humble his opinons. He will experience forgetfulness. 23) A haughty man is a cripple. 24) In certain circumstances it is permissible to behave in a way which appears haughty. 25) A person's pride will eventually lead him to immoral behavior with another man's wife. When a man is haughty it is as if he serves idolatry, denies God's existence, and as if he engaged in sexual relations with all the women forbidden to him by the Torah. He is likened to one who built an altar [for unlawful worship]. Such a person's importance diminishes and disappears entirely; it would be right to cut him down like a tree used for idolatry. The Shekhinah laments over him and he will not rise up from the dust [when the resurrection comes]. 26) Wearing the Tzaddik's hat is a segulah for removing pride. 27) Having faith will give you the strength to break your pride; you'll have mastery over the trait of haughtiness. 28) The plans of a proud person will prove unsuccessful. 29) Should you unwittingly sin, you can be sure that you possess pride. This is to show you that you are not yet a Tzaddik. 30) Should you experience some feelings of haughtiness, beware of trouble. 31) A humble pauper, though he does not give charity, is better than a haughty rich man, even if he is benevolent. 32)

When beset by feelings of pride picture your father's image. 33) Haughtiness is a portent of disaster, God forbid. 34) Pride stems from a person's not having rectified the sins of his youth. 35) It is known that when a person's wine ferments, it is because he is haughty. 36) When a person is haughty his home has no lasting existence. 37) [God says of] a haughty man: "He and I cannot live in the world together." Even a small wind causes him trouble. His prayers are not heard and he has no cure. He will be wanting in Torah and even his own wife will disgrace him. 38) One who underservingly wears the mantle of a Torah scholar is not allowed entry into the sanctum of the Holy One. 39) Haughtiness delays the Mashiach and drives a man from the world. 40) [Reciting] the verses, "Though his excellency rises up to the heavens..." (job 20:6), and, "For riches are not forever..." (Proverbs 27:24) is particularly beneficial for breaking one's pride. G'NEVAH U'G'ZELAH THEFT AND ROBBERY A 1) The person whose heart is tempted to steal - having permitted himself that which belongs to a friend - is capable Of committing any sin. There are no means for turning him from his evil ways. 2) The sin of theft brings locust and famine; people will even eat their own children's flesh. 3) A person who has not allowed others to benefit from his wealth will be robbed. 4) Stealing, even indirectly, a penny's worth from one's friend is akin to taking his soul and the souls of his children. 5) A man who shows no concern for the possessions of another shows himself to be a thief. 6) You are allowed to defraud an idol-worshipper. 7) A person who closes his hand to giving charity will be robbed. 8) A man who places his trust in gentiles will eventually have his possessions forcibly taken from him. 9)

[When Jews appoint] unqualified judges, teachers or even ritual slaughterers, their livelihood will be devoured by their enemies. 10) When a person dilutes the wine he sells, he will be attacked by thieves. 11) The man who shares in stolen property will eventually be exposed. 12) When thieves Populate a city, it is an indication that the rabbi there favors bribery. 13) Idleness brings thieves. 14) Deception is permitted in order to save a Jewish soul. 15) A person who embarrasses his friend will eventually testify falsely in order to steal money. 16) A man whose trust in God has been nurtured from childhood is saved from robbers. 17) Thieves come when foolish matters are discussed. 18) Falsehood brings thieves. B 1) Using deceptiveness brings disease to one's lungs and chest. 2) Deception leads a person to sexual desires for a gentile woman. 3) A person who steals loses his wisdom. 4) Stealing damages one's eyesight. 5) Reciting Tikkun Chatzot, the Midnight Lament, saves a person from thieves. 6) A person who feels the pains of child rearing should recite the sections of the Torah which depict Creation, daily. Reading this also saves him from falsely being accused of stealing. DALETH TRUE KNOWLEDGE TRAVELING A JUDGE DA'AT TRUE KNOWLEDGE A 1)

Occasionally, God makes certain things happen to a person in order for him to then appreciate Godliness and mercy. 2) When a person is confused he should make a habit of reciting the prayer of the prophet Habakuk (3:1-19). 3) Learning the legal codifier known as the Siftei Kohain is also particularly beneficial for [eliminating confusion]; as is eating wheat. 4) The nature of the food which a person eats will give rise to a similar temperament within him. 5) The taste of grains brings a person true knowledge. 6) Wine and fragrance sharpen the mind. 7) Dispute unsettles the mind. 8) A person suffers more from what he actually sees than from what he only hears about. 9) The man who studies Torah and performs acts of charity merits understanding. 10) Eating bread in the morning makes you wise. The Holy One rests His prophecy on a prophet for a particular mission, even if he is not a man of wisdom. 12) With their wisdom, wise men are able to ascertain many things which the normal intellect cannot comprehend. 13) One who desires wisdom should turn southward [while praying]. 14) When a person wants to know how to proceed in a particular situation, let him open a holy book and he will understand what to do. 15) Olive oil makes the heart clever. 16) Following the path of simplicity makes one intelligent. 17) He who has faith will afterwards merit serving God with great wisdom. 18) Fear of God will earn you wisdom. 19) The recognition of Tzaddikim will earn you understanding and true knowledge. 20) When a person conducts himself with modesty, his thoughts are clear. 21) It is easier to understand something when you see it with your own eyes. 22) A person who is careful not to eat the cooked foods or drink the wine of gentiles merits wisdom and understanding of all the holy writings. 23)

A haughty person cannot comprehend God's sovereignty over everything. 24) Not performing acts of kindness causes you to lack true knowledge. 25) Being the cause of any sort of damage should make you realize that you have blemished your intellect. 26) When a person gains a revelation of some deeper insight, it indicates that he will soon experience an elevation of some kind. 27) When a person wholeheartedly repents, the Holy One gives him [the ability] to grasp His desire and will. 28) A person who has not rectified his sins cannot truly know God. 29) By being truthful you will merit knowing the way of God. 30) You can also come to [know God's way] by being hospitable. 31) By performing deeds of true kindness for Tzaddikim, you will come to know that all paths - be it prayer, eating or any of the [physical] pleasures - are all the way of God. 32) Expressing your happiness in song will make you wise. 33) When a person is repaid with bad for the good he has done, God shows him mercy and grants him great wisdom in serving the Creator. 34) The more good deeds a person does, the more the Holy one deepens his thoughts; that is, he is given a great mind. B 1) Know! Each world and each creation has its own particular form and individual construction. For example, the structure of the lion differs from that of the sheep in its strength, in its bone structure, and in its voice. This is also true within the lion species itself; there being differences between one lion and the next. These distinctions between creations are alluded to in the forms of the letters and their combinations. One who merits understanding the Torah is able to understand these differences. He will also know what they have in common - their origin and end - in which they are identical, without distinction. 2) Know! A man has mastery over the world in direct proportion to his knowledge of Torah and Nature. This is why Daniel was able to subdue the lions, he was very wise and "no secret escaped him." He knew the lion's nature and Nature itself follows and is under the dictates of Torah knowledge. (The words of Rabbi Nachman Tulchiner: "I heard from Rabbi Nathan that this chapter belongs with the one preceding it. 'Know! A man has mastery ...' relates to 'One who merits understanding the Torah...' Thus, his understanding of the combinations of letters in the Torah is in direct proportion to his knowledge of the natural behavior of things in the world. Understand this! For a

wonderful and very gratifying explanation of this, see Likutey Halakhot, Yoreh De'ah, Milah 5:23ff. The truth is that one who looks with a positive and true eye and with an upright heart will find no difficulty in comprehending this. On the contrary, he will see the wonders of God's greatness and that of the true Tzaddikim. These opponents, who arrogantly speak against the Tzaddik and from the ery outset view the Tzaddik's holy writings with an eye towards finding fault, will never find a satisfying explanation. Even after all these explanations and truths, they continue to look for pretexts and false charges with which to haughtily speak against the Tzaddik and his disciples, may their merit protect us. Nevertheless, I could not hold myself back from presenting some of what I have heard regarding this. Truth stands! 'But a lying tongue is for a moment'(Proverbs 12:19),'and the truth of God is forever.' He will save us from the double-edged sword; and, as His mercy has supported until now, so will it support us evermore. Amen! Study Lik-utey Moliaran Lessons 17 and 19 and you will understand a little.") 3) When a person achieves the understanding that God is one and that there is no other, this enables him to force corporeality upon the angels and then send them to do his bidding. 4) When a person uses his faith to banish thoughts of idolatry, these thoughts turn into the "aspect" of the dew of blessing. As a result, his mind also remains firm and never becomes confused. Even when his mind is overtaxed by deep concentration on a complex subject, the Holy One provides him with thoughts that offer relief. 5) The merit of those who support the poor saves the masses from plague. It is also in their merit that expanded consciousness precedes [rather than follows] constricted consciousness. 6) Even foolishness and folly contain [some] wisdom. 7) The voice of a person who is wise in the ways of holiness is beneficial for [acquiring] the fear of God. 8) Confusion of the mind corrupts one's fear of God. It also causes his control [over others] to crumble. 9) The sages of a generation are its wings. The generation's closeness to and understanding of God, or on the countrary its distance from Him, is in direct proportion to wisdom of these sages. But in the future, they will not require wisdom in order to ascertain His Godliness, as in, "And your Teacher will not withdraw Himself anymore" (Isaiah 30:20). 10) A person who wants to use his intellect to delve into and investigate some subject should bind his intellect to the Holy Temple. This is indicated in the verses, "I will fetch my knowledge from afar" (job 36:3), and, "He saw the place, [the Temple Mount,] from afar" (Genesis 22:4). 11) Faith settles the mind. 12) When people convert they cause true knowledge to be increased in the world.

13) Even the prophets only know that which the Holy One reveals to them. 14) A physically strong person has only mediocre intelligence. 15) A hurried step hampers concentration. 16) A person who steals loses his wisdom. 17) When a person concerns himself with his friend's physical needs and his friend thinks about his, this forms the backbone of the world. DEREKH TRAVELING A 1) When traveling on the sea, take along a bird and a sea fish as this is a segulah for reaching one's destiny in peace. 2) A person who rejoices with the bride and groom as they exit from under their wedding canopy will not be harmed when traveling. 3) The Traveller's Prayer should be recited while the coachman prepares the wagon and horses. 4) Taking along lime is a segulah when traveling at sea. This will save one [from danger]. 5) A person who arranges the livelihood of Tzaddikim is assured that God will protect him on the road and on the sea. 6) A man who rides a horse should take along willow branches. 7) Before traveling, bind yourself to the quality of trust in God and You will not stumble [along the way]. 8) Give charity before setting out on a journey. 9) All the paths which a man follows come from and are the will of God. But it is only the humble person who can understand His way. 10) Carrying stones found in the fields will save you from wild beasts. 11) Reciting the prayer of the prophet Yonah (2:2-10) is a segulah when traveling on the sea. 12) The escort [which a person is given when he leaves a place] will protect him from harm on the road. 13) A man who has no one to escort him should study Torah.

14) A person acquires the place upon which he treads. B 1-2) In the merit of those who confess, the Holy One provides [the world with] schoolteachers who instruct faithfully. Confession also brings about the repairing of roads from obstacles. 3) The perils of traveling come about when a person blemishes the sign of the Covenant, as hinted in the verse, "You have measured my going and my lying down, [and You are acquainted with all my ways"] (Psalms 139:3). 4) Travel provides a person with understanding. 5) After having frightening dreams at night, don't take to the road on the [following] day. 6) Travel brings a person to slander, idolatry, licentiousness and bloodshed. These sins diminish one's livelihood. 7) A hurried step hampers concentration. DAYAN A JUDGE B 1) The decision of a truthful judge is never annulled. His verdict is carried out, even against the will of the litigants. 2) A decline in [adherence to legal] judgements based on the Torah produces a decrease in livelihood; conversely, [an increase in adherence brings greater sustenance]. 3) The appointment of unqualified judges gives rise to thoughts of idolatry. 4) When people choose Torah scholars for their daughters to marry, proper judges are appointed. 5) Through [the appointment of] proper judges, the Torah comes to be valued in the world. 6) The land's produce is cursed when judges are treated with contempt. 7) When Jewish judges are disgraced, the world is beset by inflation. 8) Whenever a wicked man prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new insights into Jewish Law. [His success also has an effect on court cases, in that] the litigants cannot accept the judge's verdict. 9)

A renewal of taxes and city charges [upon the inhabitants of any given place] is directly related to [the quality of] their judges.

HEH SWEETENING JUDGEMENT SECLUSION EVIL THOUGHTS PRESTIGE AND IMPORTANCE SUCCESS CONCEPTION AND PREGNANCY INSTRUCTION HAMTOKAT DIN SWEETENING JUDGEMENT A 1) When the messengerswhobring sufferingaredispatched, they are made to take an oath: that they will neither set out nor return except on such and such a day, at such and such a time and only [carry out their mission] by using the designated means. However, repentance, prayer and charity have the power to nullify [the enactment of] this oath. 2) Despair, viz depression, leaves a person open to misfortune; thus providing the attribute of severity with a free hand. 3) Reciting the Torah chapters concerning the Choshen, the Breastplate (Exodus 28:1530 ; 39:8-21) is a rectification for harsh judgements. 4) A person who suffers affliction should give charity. This charity will be considered as if it were a fee paid to a judge for his services, which when 'accepted, nullifies the verdict's validity. And through this his suffering will be alleviated. 5) What is the smallest amount of suffering [that can still be considered suffering]? [See Erkhin 16b: "Even reaching into one's pocket for three coins and coming up with only two is also a form of suffering."] 6) Anyone who goes forty days without suffering has already been given his share of the World to Come. Misfortune is on the way. 7) When a person rebukes his friend for the right motives, he has a thread of lovingkindness drawn over him. 8) There are three things which point out a person's sins: a wall which is about to fall, concentration in prayer and an informant who brings judgement upon his fellow man. 9) There are four things which abolish harsh decrees: charity, crying out to God, changing one's name and improving one's conduct. 10)

Crying out to God helps the individual only prior to the final decree. 11) A final decree accompanied by an oath cannot be abolished, even for the [sake of an entire] community. 12) Fasting during a year of hunger saves a person from an unnatural death. 13) The effects of a decree against a person apply only in a specific place. He can save himself by changing his location. 14) The pains which a person suffers in his eyes or intestines are indicative of the harsh judgements which have befallen him. 15) A person should tell others of his anguish so that they will pray for mercy on his behalf. 16) When there is a harsh judgement against Israel, the Holy One informs the Tzaddikim of this so that they pray for the Jewish People. Anyone who does not pray for them incurs God's anger. 17) When a person sees that he has been beset by harsh judgements, he should talk about his enemies and justify their actions. 18) Anguish is eliminated by appointing worthy judges. 19) God brings suffering upon a person who makes a vow and does not carry it out. However, if he remains silent, it is considered as if he fulfilled his vow. 20) Accepting suffering with love is like bringing a sacrifice. 21) A man who falls down while walking should see this as a sign of a downfall on a spiritual level. 22) Immersing in a mikvah relieves suffering and brings salvation. 23) A harsh decree against a person can be easily overturned as long as it has not yet become public knowledge. 24) A person who falls from his faith should realize that he is being judged Above. 25) A person who finds himself suffering from harsh judgement should make it a habit to gaze at the heavens. 26) The Holy One exonerates the person who teaches righteousness to the wicked. 27) A man of truth receives God's lovingkindness undisguised by judgements. 28) The Holy One hides His face from you because of the heresy which you have [in your heart]. 29)

Trust in God sweetens judgement and draws down lovingkindness. 30) Through faith, it is possible to convince God to follow your will. 31) Charity turns justice and judgement into lovingkindness. 32) When a person has no faith, it is obvious that the Holy One has removed his lovingkindness from him. 33) When lovingkindness is dear and rarely found, you should know that crying helps. (Rabbi Nathan adds: "When I copied this down from the Rebbe, he told me that this aphorism is alluded to in the verse, 'How dear is Your lovingkindness, God; therefore the children of man take shelter under the shadow of Your wings' (Psalms 36:8). 'How dear is your lovingkindness,' this is when lovingkindness is rare and harsh judgements are prevalent, God forbid. Then the solution is for 'the children of man to B'tzail K'nafekha Yechesayun - take shelter under the shadow of your wings'; the first letters of which form the word B'KHY - to cry.") 34) Da'at, true knowledge, draws down [God'sl lovingkindness. 35) By giving charity to a worthy man, you will be able to draw lovingkindness upon your loved ones. 36) A person who does not accept rebuke will experience suffering. 37) To sweeten harsh judgements, recite Psalm 39. 38) A person who strengthens himself and makes many preparations before praying is relieved from suffering, even if in the end he does not pray as he should have. 39) To sweeten harsh judgements, recite the Mishnayot of the Tractate Zera'im. 40) There are times when the Holy One will put an end to a father's suffering so that his son finds peace. 41) A vow forestalls God's wrath. 42) To sweeten harsh judgements, recite Psalm 77. 43) When a person binds himself to the quality of faith at night, he sweetens the harsh judgements which are upon him. 44) Haughtiness causes lovingkindness to depart Heavenward. 45) The Midnight Lament sweetens harsh judgement. 46) Remaining awake throughout the night saves a person from harsh judgement. 47) A person can determine and understand his sins from the suffering which he experiences.

48) Visiting the Tzaddik is in itself sufficient to sweeten harsh judgements. 49) When charity is presented to the Tzaddik, the act of giving is in itself enough to sweeten harsh judgements. 50) When a person is depressed, Heaven considers ways to cause him harm. 51) A person's accusers are beaten off by the study of Torah. 52) Falling down while walking sometimes serves to nullify a pronouncement of death which has been issued against the person. 53) When the nations have issued an evil decree against the Jews, Psalm 62 should be said. 54) Remaining underwater in the mikvah until you can no longer hold your breath sweetens harsh judgements. 55) There are times when [drinking] wine will arouse harsh judgements. 56) The person who gives his bread to someone who has no da'at, will experience suffering. 57) A person who lacks true knowledge will eventually be exiled. 58) Postponing harsh judgements causes them to [eventually] be nullified. 59) The person who studies Torah for its own sake brings peace to the Divine agencies of Heaven and earth. 60) Reciting a verse in its appropriate time brings good to the world. 61) Certain times and places are designated for good, and conversely, [there are some times and places which are ready and prepared for the opposite]. 62) Occasionally, harsh judgement can be staid by the leader of the generation, and sometimes by the generation itself. 63) From the nature of one's enemies it is possible to determine the harsh judgements which are Above. 64) When listening to a friend speak of his suffering, a person must be clever so that this suffering does not then befall him. 65) When a person studies Torah at night, the Holy One draws a thread of lovingkindness upon him during the day. 66) You should give money to charity for a redemption. 67)

As long as it is possible to save yourself with money don't make use of the power of prayer. 68) Whenever there is some dispute Above, the final decision is based upon the opinion of the Tzaddik who is alive in this world. 69) When a person is judged Above, he is judged by his name. It sometimes happens that the [Heavenly] messengers exchange his name with another, so that the decree of death or suffering falls upon someone else. 70) A person who does not beg for mercy on behalf of his generation is punished. 71) A person who has sickness or suffering in his house should visit a wise man who will pray on his behalf or grant him a blessing. 72) Those who hear accusations against the Jewish People must go out of their way to look for and speak of their good points. 73) The Holy One removes his wrath when He sees His honor jealously defended. 74) The best time for a monetary redemption or prayer is only during the day. 75) Not everyone is suitable to perform a redemption. 76) A person who wants to sweeten harsh judgements should not drink wine that entire day. 77) Humility appeases the Holy One, blessed-be-He. 78) In times of harsh judgement, a person should pray fervently. 79) Building a stone house is mortally dangerous. 80) Charity sweetens harsh judgements. 81) Mikvah sweetens harsh judgements. 82) Once the final decree has been passed, it is necessary to veil one's prayer in stories. 83) By opening a Torah scroll, harsh judgements are sweetened and returned to their place [of origin]. 84) Silence sweetens harsh judgements. 85) Fasting and donning a sackcloth are a segulah for nullifying a decree. 86-87) To sweeten harsh judgements, recite the Torah sections dealing with the eleven curtains of goat-skin (Ex. 26:7-14; 36:14-19), the incense (Ex. 30:34-38), the eleven blessings which Moses blessed the Jewish People (Deut. 33:6-25) and the vision of the

Chariot in Ezekiel (1). This is also true of the Torah section on vows (Num. 30) and the Mishnaic Tractate Shavuot. 88) Humbleness nullifies harsh judgement. 89) Reciting the Song of Songs sweetens harsh judgement. 90) A person who can study Torah but does not, experiences suffering. 91) The Tractate Ohalot is propitious for sweetening harsh judgement. 92) A person who raises dogs arouses harsh judgement. 93) Occasionally, God will bring suffering upon a wicked person so that he turns to the Tzaddik to pray on his behalf. 94) Sweetening of harsh judgements can be achieved by means of drawing lots, as was the case with the Azazel. (Rabbi Nathan writes that he heard the following explanation from Rabbi Nachman at the time of transcribing this aphorism: A person should take two coins and draw lots one for God and one for Azazel. The coin which is designated for God, should be given to charity; the one for Azazel, thrown away. This will sweeten harsh judgements.) 95) Sometimes, the leading Tzaddik of the generation will get angry at you in order to free you from harsh judgements. 96) When a new king or minister rises to power, harsh judgements are aroused. 97) When a person stubbornly refuses to repent, he brings irreparable harm upon himself. 98) It is not good for two people with the same name to live in the same apartment. 99) Depression arouses harsh judgement. 100) [Accepting] embarrassment sweetens harsh judgement. 101) A person should let others know of his suffering. 102) When permission has been granted to the powers of destruction to act, no differentiation is made between the righteous and the wicked. Indeed, the Tzaddik is the first to suffer. 103) A change of place eradicates a decree of judgement. 104) Being merciful sweetens harsh judgement. 105) There are times when a person expires from fright or some other cause of sudden death. You should believe that his time had come. 106)Humility enables the person to nullify a decree of judgement.

107)Tending to the needs of the Tzaddikim sweetens harsh judgement. 108)A person dies without suffering in reward for having visited the sick. 109)Once Heaven's judgement has been passed against a person - even prior to its going into effect - it can be detected by [observing] the flies in the house. B 1) A person who works to sweeten harsh judgements can easily and without hindrance sanctify the Name of God. His eyes do not grow faint. 2) The suffering a person experiences elevates him. 3) A person who accepts suffering in order to alleviate the suffering of the Jewish People is rewarded with receiving the Divine Spirit. 4) Reciting the Torah sections dealing with the holidays, found in the portion of Pinchas (Numbers 28:15-31; 29:1-39) is a segulah for nullifying harsh judgements and propitious for success in one's dealings in the secular courts. 5) Charity sweetens the harsh judgements destined for the future on the Day of Great judgement. 6) There is a person who, when he sees harsh judgements upon the Jewish People, knows how to transfer them onto another nation, as in, "I shall put another in your place" (Isaiah 43:4). Through this, all of creation gives over its energy and becomes united in this man, in order to renew itself [within him]. Turning harsh judgements onto the nations also opens the gate [and increases the use] of parables in the world. 7) There are those whose acts of kindness occasionally produce negative effects. When they pretend not to see the harm brought on by their kindness, they cause the harsh judgements from Above to be enacted without moderation. This coincides with the warning given to the priesthood - a priest being the "aspect" of lovingkindness - not to take hurried steps [while performing the Temple service]. However, when care is taken that no harm comes from their kindness, this fosters moderation in the judgement. 8) A person who rejects his suffering is in effect telling God, "Get away from me!" 9) When a person labors in Torah study to the point of exhaustion, he sweetens harsh judgements and awakens mercy - even for his father who has passed away. 10) It is impossible to appease harsh judgement emptyhanded. 11) It is a known principle that a person bitten by a dog has had Heaven's mercy removed from him. It is also a sign that he has eaten a forbidden food. 12) There are times when a Tzaddik's priding himself with one of his followers serves to conceal that person from the attribute of judgement.

HITBODEDUT SECLUSION A 1) A person who secludes himself and separates himself from people is purified from Above. 2) Isolation and turning one's attention to idleness brings a person to anger. B 1) The private conversation a person has with God later becomes a means of redemption and salvation for his children. HIRHURIM EVIL THOUGHTS A 1) A person's humility saves him from idolatrous thoughts. 2) When you are bothered by thoughts of idolatry while praying, picture God's name "elokenu" in hebrew - in your mind. 3) Confessing in the presence of a Torah scholar produces good thoughts. 4) Telling stories about Tzaddikim brings a person good thoughts. 5) A person who has unholy thoughts should always look to find good in others. 6) A person's tears lead him to view all passions with contempt. 7) When a person does not believe in the Tzaddik, his heart is not right with God. 8) Wearing a gartel, the prayer belt, once worn by a Tzaddik is a segulah for dispelling evil thoughts. 9) Falsehood defiles the sign of the holy Covenant. 10) A person who takes pride in having sanctified himself and then breaks this pride will acquire great insight into the Torah. 11) Crying out to God eliminates one's bias and self-interest. 12) Studying the four sections of the Shulkhan Arukh removes one's bias. 13) Thinking about an insight into the Torah which you originated is especially propitious for eliminating undesirable thoughts.

14) A person who has unholy thoughts should speak to himself in a degrading way. 15) Eating and drinking make the mind sluggish. 16) Anger produces idolatrous thoughts. 17) Idolatrous thoughts plague the person who shows disrespect for the Jewish festivals. 18) Sitting in the company of promiscuous people or in a place where an immoral act was performed leads one to unholy thoughts. 19) The evil inclination desires only that which is forbidden to it. 20) [Even] passions have clothed within them God's lovingkindness. 21) When a person is forgiven for his sins he is rewarded with a pure heart. 22) A person's lustful desires are eliminated when he shows compassion for others. 23) The eyes cause the heart to desire. 24) The passions of the heart make blemish unavoidable. 25) Diarrhetic medicines are a segulah [against] immoral thoughts. 26) Prayer recited with an attentive heart opens all of Heaven's doors. 27) A person bothered by idolatrous thoughts should not wear any gold ornaments. 28) Drunkenness produces idolatrous thoughts. 29) A passion for women causes a man to lose respect. It also effects him in that his wife will not conceive a child, [or if she does conceive] she either miscarries or the child dies at birth. 30) Strife produces idolatrous thoughts. A house in which quarreling is present will eventually be a place in which idolatry is practiced. 31) A person can eliminate distracting thoughts bothering him by raising his voice as if to cry. 32) Swearing and cursing bring on unholy thoughts. 33) Your trust in God will save you from unholy thoughts. 34) Gritting your teeth is a segulah against unholy thoughts. 35)

The particular way in which the holy sparks veil themselves in distracting thoughts and then come to a person for rectification depends upon where he is up to in the prayer. 36) The Mishnaic Tractate Yadaim is a segulah for dispelling unholy thoughts. 37) A person who prays only for the Shekhinah's sake will be spared from distracting thoughts. 38) Through peace God's name is exalted. 39) When a husband or wife has amorous thoughts for a non-Jew during their marital relations, the child conceived will turn into an apostate. 40) Tzitzit guard against immorality. 41) Visiting the sick saves a person from the evil inclination. 42) A person's evil inclination only has control over that which he sees. 43) A person not married by age twenty will be plagued by sinful thoughts for the rest of his life. 44) A person who commits a sin and then thinks about doing it again is punished for the thought even without his having repeated the action. 45) To chase away the evil inclination say: "God, rebuke the Satan!" (paraphrase of Zekhariah 3:2). 46) A person is not punished for a sudden lust or unholy thought which he is unable to prevent unless he then reviews it in his mind. 47) Cupping is helpful against most bad character traits. 48) Eating fish increases one's sexual desire. 49) When a person's livelihood comes in his ancestors'merit, he experiences thoughts of idol worship. 50) Homosexuality produces idolatrous thoughts. 51) A Jew will have thoughts of idolatry when he thinks about a gentile woman. 52) Gazing at nakedness brings one to an aroused state. 53) Disgracing the holidays is comparable to idol worship. 54) When a person has faith, God helps him and protects him from evil thoughts. He enters the next world free of sin. 55)

When people study Torah and perform acts of kindness, they have mastery over their evil inclination. 56) A person who has enjoyment from anything heretical will eventually be forced to worship idols. 57) When a person asks for forgiveness and keeps himself from transgressing, he will not sin - even in thought. 58) A Jew who has relations with a gentile woman pollutes himself. The child which he later conceives with his wife will be an apostate. 59) [From the priest's clothing we learn that] a belt has the power to rectify evil thoughts. 60-61) A person plagued by sexual fantasies can dispel them by giving charity or by not deceiving people. B 1) When a person uses his faith to banish thoughts of idolatry, these thoughts turn into the "aspect" of the dew of blessing. As a result, his mind also remains firm and ever becomes confused. Even when his mind is overta xed by deep concentration on a complex subject, the Holy One provides him with thoughts that offer relief. 2) A man who guards against idolatrous thoughts will always trust in God; never worrying about tomorrow. He is on the level of, "Blessed is God who day after day bears our burden" (Psalms 68:20 ). Because of this, [the Holy One] "observed no iniquity and saw no misery in him," (Numbers 23:21), and anyone who lays a hand upon him, it is as if he attacks the apple of God's eye. 3) To dispel idolatrous thoughts, a person should think about and then obligate himself to perform acts of kindness. 4) Idolatrous thoughts shorten one's breath. He no longer has any enjoyment from hearing good news. 5) When a person finds himself plagued with idolatrous thoughts, he should realize that he is being judged Above. 6) Studying Halakhic Codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry. 7) The appointment of unqualified judges gives rise to thoughts of idolatry. 8) When a person is plagued by idolatrous thoughts, he can expect to either suffer illness or to be falsely accused of a crime against the government. 9) A person [guilty] of idolatrous thoughts will of necessity have to turn to Sacred Names and amulets for help. 10)

Tithing one's wealth dispels immoral thoughts. 11) There are times when a person finds himself thinking about a particular disease. This comes from God and is intended to remind him of the need to rectify the unholy thought which brings on this malady. 12) When a person is in the habit of taking vows, he comes to thoughts of idolatry and immorality, killing and slander, all of which can be annulled by the governor in charge of determining the appropriate amount of taxation to be borne by each and every inhabitant of the city. 13) A person who is afraid of having immoral thoughts because of what he sees while walking through the marketplace should recite the verse: "Behold, the mighty ones will cry outside" (Isaiah 32:7). This will save him from [the evil effects which come from] his eyes having wandered. 14) A person plagued by idolatrous thoughts should know that the hand of the gentiles will rule over him. 15) Idolatrous thoughts abound in a city which has a large fair and special shopping days. A segulah for avoiding such thoughts is to immerse oneself in Torah study specifically on those days. 16) All a person's sins are forgiven when he dispels thoughts of idolatry. 17) Gazing to the east abolishes immoral thoughts. 18) Crying dispels immoral thoughts. 19) Idolatrous thoughts can be nullified through [religious] fervor. 20) Deceiving people brings one to desire a gentile woman. 21) A Jew who desires a gentile woman should expect to either suffer some type of downfall or have illness effect his wife and children. 22) Thoughts of idolatry enable one's enemies to overpower him. 23) In order to dispel immoral thoughts, a person should picture his father's image [in his mind]. A practical solution for preventing evil thoughts is to become angry at something, as in the verse, "Become angry and do not sin..." (Psalms 4:5). (Rabbi Nathan adds: I specifically heard from the Rebbe that the intent here is to become angry with oneself. This is hinted at in the Rabbinical teaching: "A person should always incite the anger of his good inclination against his evil inclination, as is written, 'Become angry and do not sin...' " In other words, to become angry with oneself, but not, God forbid, real anger, which is a most serious sin.) Also propitious [for dispelling evil thoughts] is to uproot oneself and go elsewhere, as well as jumping from one's place.

HITNAS'UT PRESTIGE AND IMPORTANCE A 1) [A leader] who places excess fear upon people for the wrong reasons will not merit having a son who is a Torah scholar. 2) A person who starts a mitzvah but does not complete it has his prestige diminished. 3) When the Holy One wishes to exact punishment from the enemies of the Jewish People, He sees to it that they appoint unsuitable leaders. 4) The Tzaddik's son who does not follow in his father's ways is [nevertheless] given a position of prestige so that he might change for the better. 5) A person gains prestige when he gives charity. 6) A person does not gain in stature unless all his sins have first been pardoned. 7) Once an important person has gained prestige, it is not taken from him. 8) When a person possesses wisdom, humility and geniality, his words [have authority] and are carried out Above. 9) When the Holy One wants a Tzaddik to gain prestige and fame, He promotes conflict and strife amongst the wicked. 10) By accepting humiliation joyfully you will be celebrated with honors and prestige. 11) A person who cannot accept rebuke does not advance. 12) Prestige comes to the person who constantly reviews his studies. 13) A person gains prestige by [accepting] rebuke. 14) When God is with a person [his stature] is elevated. 15) A change in name changes one's fortune. 16) When a person travels from town to town and from city to city, his words no longer command any respect. 17) A person who favorably judges the Jewish People is rewarded with great prestige. 18) A prestigious person who now fears that he may have to die because the time has come for someone else to gain importance should either abdicate his position or else devise a plan which would bring this other person to flee from the town. 19)

When people turn to a person for advice in serving God, his prestige will certainly grow. 20) A person's fame does not grow unless the Holy One first rests His spirit upon him. 21) A person gains prestige when, in times of trouble, he shows his trust in God. 22) An intelligent person will certainly be quickly elevated. 23) When the Tzaddik gains eminence, the world wonders about him. 24) A person who despises thievery rises to greatness. 25) It is either a person's wisdom or his good fortune which causes him to become famous. 26) When a Jew receives gifts from the gentiles, he should see it as a sign that God considers him deserving of this prestige. 27) Reciting the Psalms raises a person's stature. 28) When a person gains prestige it is as though he was just born. 29) Mentioning the names of idols prevents a person from gaining prestige. 30) By studying Aggadah at night, a person gains prestige. 31) Prestige comes to the person who despises falsehood. 32) A person's importance grows because of his love for the Tzaddkim. 33) A person will certainly gain prestige when he serves God consciously and not out of habit. 34) Prestige comes to the person who speaks [to God]. 35) A person's humility brings him prestige. 36) Publicly sanctifying God's Name causes a person to gain importance. 37) The compassion which one shows for others brings him prestige. 38) Faith enables a person to gain authority over haughty people. 39) One who appoints an unworthy judge will eventually fall into the hands of gentile magistrates. 40) A person wins prestige when his rebuke of others is for the sake of Heaven. 41) By building in the Land of Israel, a person is rewarded with prestige. 42)

A person gains prestige when he honors the Torah. 43) One cannot always exercise his authority. There are times when a given situation can only come about under a second leader. 44) You should show respect for and spend time in the presence of the person to whom God has granted eminence. 45) A person gains prestige [only] in opportune times. B 1) The person who trespasses into the domain of another hashis importance diminished. 2) The Holy One does not grant importance to a person unless He has first tested him in some small matter. 3) When a person's mind is confused, it corrupts his fear of Heaven. It also causes his authority to diminish. 4) When a person is zealous, he merits becoming a faithful leader [of the Jewish People]. This is alluded to in the verse, "Go to the ant - NeMaLaH - you lazy one (Proverbs 6:6); NeMaLaH being the last letters of the words, "mi'sham ro'eh even YisraeL - from then on he became a shepherd, a builder in Israel" (Genesis 49:24). 5) Bribing an official in order to gain an appointment in place of another person is comparable to witchcraft. 6) When a person is in the habit of taking vows, he comes to thoughts of idolatry and immorality, killing and slander, all of which can be annulled by the governor in charge of determining the appropriate amount of taxation to be borne by each and every inhabitant of the city. 7) Whenever a wicked man prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new insights into Jewish Law. [His success also has an effect on court cases, in that] the litigants cannot accept the judge's verdict. 8) A good person must humble himself when the wicked are in control [of things]. 9) The daughter of a person whose authority is self appointed will prostitute herself. 10) When a person refrains from working for the common good and is only concerned with his own well being, it is as if he accepts bribery. 11) A person gains prestige when he confesses h'fs sins. 12) The prominence of the leaders of the generation is strengthened by God's holiness. This prestige brings everyone to value the mitzvah of hospitality and causes those who study the Torah to have the law accepted as they understand it.

HATZLACHAH SUCCESS A 1) Anyone who properly tithes his wealth loses nothing. 2) Attach yourself to a successful person and you will succeed. 3) A blessing is only found on that which is hidden from the public eye. 4) Success is Heaven-sent. 5) A person to whom [Heaven] has granted prosperity but does not succeed will afterwards find it difficult to do so. 6) The endeavors of Torah scholars receive an immediate blessing. 7) Torah study is particularly propitious for success. 8) When a person doesn't leave a piece of bread on the table [after his meal], he will never see the signs of blessing. 9) [When a person seeks an omen to find out if he will succeed], mentioning only the possibility for the good is not considered divination. 10) A home, a child and a wife are signs of a man's success. 11) A man who divorces his wife does not prosper. 12) A fortunate person turns proud. People tend to fear him because of his good fortune. 13) One who refrains from idle chatter succeeds at everything he does. 14) A person who always speaks the truth prospers. 15) Confessing Your sins will bring you Success. 16) Prosperity comes to the person who hosts a Torah scholar at his table. 17) When you lack truth, your prosperity is taken away and given to the gentiles. 18) In order to prosper, listen carefully as the Tzaddik performs a unification of God's Name by reciting the Sh'ma Yisrael. 19) Faith in the Rabbis brings success. B 1) A person who is always happy succeeds.

2) Honor the person upon whom fortune smiles. 3) When a person is successful, he is in control of time. HAYRAYON CONCEPTION AND PREGNANCY A 1) Telling lies causes a woman to experience pain during pregnancy. 2) A woman who wishes to conceive a child should carry either a magnet or a small piece of wood from the roof of the tomb built around a Tzaddik's grave and give charity. 3) Small fish multiply rapidly. 4) Pregnant and nursing women should avoid eating garlic and onions. 5) When a woman despises evil, she will be blessed with a child. 6) Accepting the hardships of exile is a segulah for conceiving a child. 7) Eating the meat of a lean animal and drinking olive oil are a segulah for conception. B 1) A woman who cannot conceive should look at the circumcision blade after it has been used. HORA'AH INSTRUCTION B 1) When a rabbi humbles himself before greater men than himself, the Holy One protects him from making mistakes in his religious instruction. 2) A courthouse of Jewish Law inspires the fear of God. 3) There are times when a person's kosher food becomes mixed with forbidden food. According to Jewish dietary laws, if the kosher food is insufficient for nullifying the restriction, then the entire mixture is rendered unkosher. Whenever this happens, a person should realize that he has in some way blemished a holy unification, which is spiritually akin to the nullifying of the forbidden percentage by the permissible one. This is "Motzee A'SIRIM b'KOSHERot" - He brings out the bound into prosperity (Psalms 68:7); [which can also be read, "He takes out the forbidden"- A'SuRIMthrough the permissible KOSHER]. 4)

When peace reigns, the Jewish People are blessed with children who [will one day] serve as intructors of the Law. 5) A rabbi who is stringent when advising others but lenient with himself, and who claims to be informed when he is not, will not merit seeing the splendor of the King. This is because inappropriate fear - the evil force of Edom - will dim the light of his eyes and prevent him from seeing the splendor of the King's Countenance. 6) Incarceration and pain in one's legs are punishments for immorality. When a disciple who is unqualified to instruct others does so anyway, he is also punished with one of these afflictions, as well as being placed at the mercy of evil forces VAV CONFESSION YIELDING/EASYGOING VIDUY D'VARIM CONFESSION B 1) In the merit of those who confess, the Holy One provides [the world with] schoolteachers who instruct faithfully. 2) Confession also brings about the repairing of roads from obstacles. 3) A person gains prestige when he confesses his sins. 4) A person who does not confess his sins will be beset by fears. VATRAN YIELDING/EASYGOING B 1) When a person is easygoing and looks the other way [when offended], his sins are incapable of nullifying the good which he has done. ZAYIN FRAUD THE MERIT OF ANCESTORS MEMORY AND FORGETFULNESS ELDERS ZEALOUSNESS ZAYFAN FRAUD A

1) A fraudulent person is punished with incarceration. 2) A person's fraudulence brings him to join up with those who oppose the righteous. Z'CHUT AVOT THE MERIT OF ANCESTORS A 1) Immersion in a mikvah causes one's ancestral merits to be remembered. B 1) The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine [in the world]. This sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to return to God. 2) At the entrance to a person's house it can be detected whether his ancestral merits carry on or not. 3) A person whose deeds are filled with kindness has no need for ancestral merit. Z'CHIRAH MEMORY AND FORGETFULNESS A 1) The person who embarrasses his neighbor becomes forgetful. 2) Worry leads to forgetfulness. 3) Reciting the words while studying will help a person remember them. 4) Suffering causes forgetfulness. 5) Picturing the image of one's father and mother is helpful for developing a good memory. 6) Those mitzvot which require active performance free a person from forgetfulness and provide him with a good memory. 7) Immorality destroys a person's memory. 8) Falsehood induces forgetfulness. 9) A person with a poor memory should encourage others to return to God. 10)

When a person's memory is weak, it indicates that he has not yet rectified the sins of his youth. 11) A forgetful person should give charity. 12) A person with a poor memory should work to achieve a high level of holiness. 13) Being humble will help you improve your memory. 14) Depression leads to forgetfulness. 15) A person who expresses his erudition modestly does not forget this studies]. Z'KENIM ELDERS B 1) Elders give strength to the Jewish People and their advice is beneficial for us. 2) The quality of a generation's elders determines its economic well-being. 3) When elders gain their prestige mainly from young women, it shows that they lack wisdom. Z'RIZUT ZEALOUSNESS B 1) When a person is zealous, he merits becoming a faithful leader [of the Jewish People]. This is alluded to in the verse, "Go to the ant - NeMaLaH - you lazy one" (Proverbs 6:6); NeMaLaH being the last letters of the words, "mi'shaM roeH eveN yisraeL from then on he became a shepherd, a builder in Israel" (Genesis 49:24). CHETH DREAMS GRACE FLATTERY PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION ORIGINAL TORAH INSIGHTS MARRIAGE CHALOM DREAMS A 1) After a nightmare, a person should say: "Dreams are meaningless" (Zekhariah 10:2). 2)

After a good dream, a person should rhetorically ask: Are dreams meaningless? Is it not written, "I will speak to [the prophet] in a dream" (Numbers 12:6). 3) When a person behaves modestly in the lavatory, his dreams have a calming affect. 4) Speaking badly about a Tzaddik who is no longer alive causes a person to have disturbing dreams. 5) Disturbing dreams indicate that either a person's son or disciple will disgrace himself in public. B 1) A person who wants his dream to be fulfilled should record the details, including the date, time and place [when the dream occurred]. CHEN GRACE A 1) By giving charity a person earns grace. 2) Grace is also a reward for humility. 3) To acquire grace, treat your guests hospitably. 4) A person should guard against forbidden foods as well as forbidden speech in order to achieve grace. 5) A person who liberally spends his money in search of a rabbi from whom to learn will gain grace. 6) One who possesses forbearance will gain grace. 7) Rebuke earns grace for the one who gives it. 8) Olive oil is a segulah for gaining grace. 9) A segulah for grace is to write the following on a piece of parchment: "KESEF V'ZAHAV CHESED V'EMET ALUF" in hebrew 10) Reverence for a Torah scholar produces grace. 11) Words spoken calmly are accepted by those for whom they are intended. 12) Certain types of fish are particularly propitious for acquiring grace. 13) Studying Torah while traveling produces grace.

B 1) When a person moves to a new place, he should distribute meat to the poor inhabitants there. Doing so will earn him grace in the eyes of the town's leaders. CHANUFAH FLATTERY A 1) Using flattery brings a person to use vulgar language and vice versa. 2) Using flattery causes a person's wife to become a widow and his children to be orphans, and yet no one will show them any mercy. 3) Flattery leads to [unfounded] fears. 4) When a person falls while walking in the marketplace, it shows that he has been guilty of flattery. 5) Flattery produces heart-ache. 6) A person who places his trust in others will turn to using flattery. 7) When a person guards against using flattery he finds salvation. 8) Flattering the wicked is permissible in this world. 9) Using flattery arouses harsh judgement. 10) Flattery causes a person's prayers to be rejected and he is scorned by everyone. B 1) The use of flattery leads one to heresy. CHAKIRAH PHILOSOPHICAL INVESTIGATION B 1) Investigating the world of emptiness - namely, what is above and below, what preceded this world and what follows it - brings a curse. The person who guards against such investigation brings about a blessing. 2) By investigating what is above and what is below etc., a person will experience much difficulty in earning a livelihood. 3)

A person who delves into the study of the Works of the Chariot Will die before his time. CHIDUSHIN D'ORAYTA ORIGINAL TORAH INSIGHTS B 1) A person draws from the holiness of Eretz Yisrael in accordance with the original insights which he finds in the Torah. 2) Supportive proofs from the Torah for Rabbinical enactments bring abundant prosperity to the world. This is because there are a number of teachings which have no explicit verse in the Torah upon which they are based and the Rabbis labored to find some supportive reference [for their enactment]. 3) Original Torah insights increase Divine Providence in the world. 4) When a Jew is taken captive, the wise men of the generation are no longer able to draw from the wellsprings of wisdom which he brings into the world. The opposite is true when he is freed from captivity. 5) Original Torah insights bring an increase of converts [to Judaism]. 6) When a person wants to gain deeper insight into the Torah, he arouses great opposition and is then in serious danger. He should clothe himself in the image of the patriarch Abraham [who epitomizes lovingkindness] and he will be saved. 7) Those who want to reveal their original Torah insights should study the Codifiers beforehand and then again afterwards. This study of the Law will protect their insights from being affected by foreign influences. This same procedure should also be followed when a person wants to perform some act of charity. 8) Original Torah insights arouse the giving of charity and vice versa. 9) Insights are gained into the mysteries of Creation in proportion to the development of original insights into the Torah. 10) A person is at liberty to record all the Torah insights which he originates. However, there are certain revelations which are only meant to be given over verbally. The person who knows which insights are to be written down and which are not also has the ability to detect the lone Jew from amongst a thousand gentiles. 11) A person should refrain from teaching Torah at a time or in a place where it will not be appreciated. And even if his words will draw the proper attention, he must be careful to say only as much as is appropriate - unlike "The fool [who] speaks everything" (Proverbs 29:11). When one says everything which is on his mind, his body becomes swollen with an excess of water in the blood. [The need for such restraint can be drawn from the verse,] "He makes a weight for the wind and weighs the waters by measure" (job 28:25).

12) Through his Torah insights, a person merits having a beautiful tallit. 13) There are times when the Tzaddik strives to achieve something or struggles to understand a certain aspect of the Torah only to later find that it has come to someone less righteous than himself, without this person having to work to achieve it. This is only because the door had already been opened [through the Tzaddik's endeavors]. 14) Whenever a wicked man prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new insights into Jewish Law. [His success also has an effect on court cases, in that] the litigants cannot accept the judge's verdict. 15) People tend to be fond of a person who has satisfactorily revealed some aspect of the Torah's reasoning. 16) A person whose faith is lacking finds it difficult to gain insight into the Torah. CHITUN MARRIAGE B 1) A person who has difficulty finding a marriage partner should recite the Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Red Sea, with great concentration. 2) Reciting the Blessing of the New Moon is particularly propitious for finding one's match. This is hinted at by the Hebrew word for moon - LeVaNaH - which comprises the first letters of the expression, "B'tulah Ni'sait L'yom Har'veee - A virgin marries on the fourth day of the week" (see glossary B). 3) A man gains prosperity and blessing when he chooses a Torah scholar to be his son-inlaw. 4) Choosing a Torah scholar as one's son-in-law saves a person from the punishment he deserves for having given bad advice to his friend. 5) When people choose Torah scholars for their daughters to marry, proper judges are appointed. 6) A person who has difficulty finding a marriage partner should recite the Torah section dealing'with the Temple sacrifices brought by the heads of the twelve tribes (Numbers, chap. 7). 7) The pairing of potential marriage partners, even if only discussed and never actualized is also from Heaven. Mere talk of such a match has an effect on each of the potential partners. 8) The veil used to cover the bride before the ceremony carries with it a blessing for children. 9)

Through prayer a person can exchange the marriage partner designated for him in Heaven. 10) When a husband and wife are careful not to share sleeping quarters, even for one night, with another couple, they merit having kohanim and prestigious [young] men for sons-in-law. 11) When a widower takes another wife, his first wife suffers in her grave. TETH NATURE WANDERING PURITY TEVA NATURE B 1) A person's physical health, [the length of] his life and his nature are all patterned after those of his father and mother. 2) An abnormally hairy person is susceptible to much harm and misfortune at the hand of the Other Side. A segulah [for protection] is for him to recite the Torah section read on Yom Kippur (Leviticus, chap. 16). TILTUL WANDERING B 1) A person's wandering from place to place earns him a good name. 2) Generally speaking, the livelihood of God-fearing people comes as a result of their wandering and moving from place to place. 3) There are times when a Tzaddik must wander from place to place so that he can later recall all these places when he enters the World to Come; thereby bringing them prosperity. 4) Not all places are conducive for studying Torah and performing good deeds. Because of this, God brings about circumstances which cause a person to leave one's place and go elsewhere. 5) There are times when a person's sins require that he be punished with some form of exile, but instead [of wandering from place to place] he is beset by illness. TAHARAH PURITY

B 1) A woman's righteousness purifies her house from leprosy. YUD SALVATION AND MIRACLES FEAR OF GOD DISTINGUISHED ANCESTRY YE'SHUAH SALVATION AND MIRACLES A 1) Miracles are only performed for a person who is willing to sacrifice himself for God's honor. 2) A person who rejoices in his suffering brings salvation to the world. 3) Hitbodedut - private conversation with God - brings salvation. 4) Miracles are performed for a person who has been tested. 5) Charity brings salvation. 6) Modesty enables a person to win back all the good that another man has taken from him through prayer. 7) Miracles are not performed for an immoral person. 8) Do not rely on a miracle as long as it is possible to save yourself by using money or some other [similar] means. 9) Before God performs a miracle for him, a person first falls upon bad times - the dif f iculty of which is determined by the greatness of the miracle [about to be performed on his behalf 1. 10) God does favors for the person who does not allow the names of idolatry to pass from his lips. 11) A person in need of salvation should bring joy to the Tzaddik. 12) A person's trust in God saves him from suffering. 13) Giving charity frees you from having to rely on a human being for help. 14-15) Trust in God will enable you to understand that your salvation is from God and from no one else. Being truthful will also help you realize this. 16)

When a person finds himself being tested, he should realize that if he withstands this test God will perform a miracle on his behalf. 17) Rejoicing in God's kindness is a reward for having trusted in Him. 18) Standing while studying Torah overturns the machinations of the gentiles. 19) Fasting saves a person from death. 20) Trust in God and He will reward you with lovingkindness. 21) Humility brings salvation. 22) A person who prays joyously will rejoice in His salvation. 23) Miracles are performed because of truth. 24) Miracles are performed because of God-fearing people. 25) When a person teaches God's ways in public, even if he is amongst the gentiles, the Holy One will save him. 26) A person who prays all day long is rewarded with salvation. 27) When Jews speak truthfully, they are blessed with Heaven's lovingkindness. 28) By singing the songs particular to a certain gentile nation, God looks to see why they are persecuting you. YIR'AH FEAR OF GOD A 1) A person who does not consider himself clever can become God-fearing. 2) A person who is close to a [wise] old man and endures his wrath is rewarded with the fear of God. 3) When a person is given the opportunity to perform an act of kindness and fails to carry it out, his fear of God diminishes. 4) A person who limits his talking about mundane matters becomes God-fearing. 5) All the words a person uses to convince his friend of the need to be God-fearing are transformed into a holy book. 6) The words of a God-fearing person are valued. 7) Crying over a righteous person's death is as important as one s fear of God. 8)

The fear of God brings a person more than his mazal would dictate; whereas [a lack of fear will diminish his fortune]. 9) Attending to the needs of the Tzaddikim brings one to the fear of God; whereas, [not doing so will diminish his fear]. 10) A person's humility leads him to a fear of sin. 11) Reward for the fear of God lasts one thousand generations. 12) A person who leaves neither a son nor a disciple is said to be lacking the fear of God. 13) Wearing a headcovering produces God-fearingness. 14) When people bless each other by saying, "May you be like so and so," it shows that this individual fears God. 15-16) One who is God-fearing is able to break another person's haughtiness. He draws the Divine Presence into the world. 17-18) [The fear of God] brings one humility and he cannot be enticed [away from God]. 19) The Holy One performs miracles for a God-fearing person. 20) A person who constantly binds himself to the fear of God and is always conscious of Him is forgiven for all his sins. 21-22) A person who is God-fearing will certainly listen to the Tzaddikim. [This fear] will also bring him to trust in God. 23) Those who fear God He rewards with peace. 24) A person who lacks the fear of God does not follow in His ways. 25) Fearing God brings one [the quality of] truth. 26) A God-fearing person always advances and never falls in his [spiritual] growth. 27) When a person has the wisdom of God in his heart, people treat him with reverence. 28) Though other people maybe frightened of something, the God-fearing person is not only unafraid, but he even sees this thing as a reason to rejoice. 29) A God-fearing person will certainly humble himself before the Tzaddik. 30) Haughtiness prevents a person from fearing God. 31) To [increase] your fear of God, go to the mikvah. 32) By sanctifying God's name you will come to fear Him.

33) A person's sins remove his fear of God. 34) One who does not think about the day of death has no fear of God. 35) When a person's fear of God diminishes, he should realize that he is being judged Above. 36) When a person gives a present to a Tzaddik, he is rewarded with God-fearingness. 37) Immersing in a mikvah three hundred and ten times is a segulah for achieving the fear of God. 38) The desire which a person shows for performing a mitzvah indicates that he is Godfearing. B 1) Fearing God and acting kindly to others saves one from being harmed by fire and brings him his livelihood. 2) A courthouse of Jewish Law inspires the fear of God. 3) Studying the Shulchan Arukh brings one to the fear of God. 4) The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine [in the world]. This sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to return to God. 5) An individual can throw off Heaven's yoke; a community cannot. 6) The voice of a wise person is especially propitious for [achieving] the fear of God. 7) Confusion of the mind corrupts one's fear of God. It also causes his control [over others] to crumble. 8) Taking usury diminishes one's fear of God. 9) Those close to a God-fearing person will acquire fear and true knowledge [through him]. YICHUS DISTINGUISHED ANCESTRY B 1) A curse has no effect on a person of distinguished ancestry. 2)

Because a woman is not from distinguished lineage, she can have indecent children even if she herself is righteous. 3) God cannot easily overlook and nullify the benefits of distinguished ancestry which a person may have KHOF HONOR/RESPECT ANGER WITCHCRAFT KAVOD HONOR/RESPECT A 1) When a person [must] encounter obstacles, he is sent honor and prestige to preoccupy him and interfere with his serving God. 2) A person who speaks disparagingly about the Tzaddik will eventually be viewed contemptuously by all. 3) When a person criticizes himself daily, he becomes known to all and people name their children after him. 4) The Midnight Lament is a segulah for gaining respect. 5) A person who increases God's honor earns much recognition Above. 6) One who shows disrespect for the Tzaddikim falls ill. 7) Hugging the Torah scroll is particularly propitious for gaining respect. 8) Humility brings respect. 9) There are times when a person receives respect and prestige in the merit of a member of his household. 10) When a person says, "I have not sinned," everyone views him with contempt. 11) Most of the embarrassment which a person suffers comes as a result of the sins of his youth. 12) An unquenchable thirst is a sign that one's honor has been diminished. 13) A person who saves a Torah scroll from being destroyed is rewarded with honor. 14) The words of a prestigious person are fulfilled. 15) When you show respect for a person, honor his attendant as well.

16) When dead bodies are exhumed, it indicates that the Holy One intended to disgrace the living, but an exchange has taken place. 17) A person who disregards the instructions of the Tzaddik has his prestige diminished. 18) Running after glory brings thoughts of idolatry. 19) When a person is important, one need not disgrace him for his wickedness. 20) One must show respect for the leader of a country even if he worships idolatry. 21) The respect a person shows for the Torah saves him from his enemies. 22) The covertness of a miracle is its glory. 23) When a person is disgraced, it indicates that he has a penchant for falsehood. 24) A person's clothing brings him respect. 25) Honor is connected to the soul. 26) Honor is dependent upon what it is that the heart desires. 27) Your prestige in this world comes as a reward for having been persecuted. 28) When a person visits the sick, everyone wants to share in his glory. 29) A person who gains glory at his friend's expense will not merit having a holy book bear his name. B 1) The respect which people show each other attests to their righteousness. [Acting disrespectfully is a sign that] the opposite is true. 2) The glory of all the different nations is encompassed in the Four Empires [Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome]. Through the Temple candelabra, sanctifying the new moon, the Temple incense and guarding against impure foods, the Four Empires are made to return the glory to God. 3) Going out to greet an important person summons forth the Ten Statements through which the world was created. Bringing Jews who are distant from God closer to Him does this as well. 4) Honor the person upon whom fortune smiles. KA'AS ANGER

A 1-2) As long as a person keeps from getting angry, his enemies will have no control over him. He will dwell [securely] in his own home, no one will replace him. 3) A person's anger brings him disgrace. 4) Avoid becoming enraged and you will not sin. 5) An angry person loses his wisdom and foresight. Even if he had been destined for greatness, he loses this as well. 6) The Holy One loves the person who keeps from getting angry and who does not insist on retribution. 7-9) The life of a hot-blooded person is no life at all. All the punishments of hell and the evil forces of the lower worlds rule over him. 10-13) [The hot-blooded person] has no regard for the Divine Presence. He forgets his holy studies and his foolishness increases. It becomes obvious that his sins outweigh his merits. 14) Getting angry after eating is physically very harmful. 15) A woman's anger destroys her home. 16) A person who loses his temper humiliates himself. 17) Eating bread for breakfast is particularly propitious for controlling anger. 18) A person who does not complain about others gains their respect. 19) Falsehood brings anger. 20) A person. who gets angry should take a vow and immediately fulfill it. 21) Looking into the face of a liar causes a person to lose control of his temper. 22) Jealousy produces anger. 23) When a person gets angry, he brings harsh judgements upon himself. 24) A person's anger causes him to have foolish children. 25) Anger shortens one's life. 26) A segulah against anger is to make a haughty man suffer a downfall. 27) When you are devoid of any anger, you can humble the haughty by merely staring at them.

28) An angry person covets honor and all his good deeds are only for self-glorification. 29-31) When a person gets angry at a pauper whom others respect, it is as if he provoked the Holy One. [Such a person] is struck dumb and punished with leprosy. 32) A person who breaks his angry nature earns a good name for himself. 33) Occasionally, a person gets angry as a result of [having to bear] a heavy load. 34) Anger leads to depression. 35) [Even though hitbodedut is a very good thing,] improper seclusion leads to anger. 36) Where there is severity there is no peace. 37) Eating helps a person gain control over his temper. 38) Guard yourself against anger - particularly on a day in which you have been saved [from some misfortune]. 39) Giving charity eliminates anger. 40) Anger causes a woman to have difficulty in childbirth. 41) Anger causes a person to become frightened. 42) Getting angry is harmful for one's eyesight. KISHUF WITCHCRAFT A 1) Children born through the use of unholy names and witchcraft will be guilty of immorality. 2) Whoever makes use of unholy names will be harmed by everything [around him]. 3) Witchcraft only has the power to harm the haughty. LAMED TORAH STUDY SLANDER DERISION AND MOCKERY LIMUD TORAH STUDY A

1) A person who brings his father pleasure and happiness will have a desire and a love for learning. 2) If you want the Torah which you teach to be inspirational, only expound on those verses and topics which speak of good. 3) A person who teaches new insights into the Torah causes the Holy One to rejoice. 4) [Beware of] the wicked person who teaches Torah: he corrupts those who listen to his words. 5) A person who interrupts his friend's Torah study has turned away from God's path. 6) It is good to study Torah - even when you are half asleep. 7) When a person accepts suffering with love, he will not forget his learning. 8) Anything which a person studied but did not fully comprehend in this world, he will merit understanding its true meaning in the World to Come. 9) Those who stand in honor of the Torah sage will merit [the wisdom of] Torah. 10) All Torah knowledge - be it the dictates which govern man's relationship with his fellowman, or those dealing with his relationship to God - the very knowledge itself is beneficial for the soul. 11) Using a holy book which was written with ink containing olive oil is a segulah for [Torah] study. 12) Fear of a Torah scholar is particularly beneficial for study. 13) When one studies Torah at night, the Divine Presence stands by his side. 14) What should a person do to acquire wisdom? Let him increase his study, limit his business activities and ask for God's compassion. One without the others is not enough. 15) Reciting the words [of Torah] in a loud voice instills feeling and motion into all a person's limbs. 16) The Torah which a person studies in a loud voice stays with him and he is blessed with long life. 17-18) A truly humble person does not forget his studies. This is also true of one who teaches others. 19) A person benefits most when he hears [his studies] directly from a teacher. 20) The study of Torah is even greater than the daily Temple sacrifice.

21) When a person chooses between different teachings, saying, "This one is pleasing and this one is not," he loses [out on] the Torah's treasures. 22) [A person who takes his mind off of what he has learnt will find that] it is easier to learn something new than to regain what he has forgotten. 23) A person who [willfully] forgets even one detail of his learning brings exile to his children and has his prestige diminished. 24) A Torah scholar whose outward behavior does not match his inner self is considered an abomination. 25) Those who live in the same town as a Torah scholar are responsible for seeing to his needs. 26) Figuratively speaking, when Torah study is lax, God becomes poor. 27) Torah study is even greater than saving lives, building the Holy Temple and honoring one's parents. 28) Through holiness, a person attains understanding. 29) There are three things over which God cries each day: one of them being the person who has the ability to study Torah but does not. 30) [True] understanding leads one to return to God. 31) It is forbidden to teach the workings of [God'sl wonders to a wicked person. 32) Only a great person may learn from a wicked man: others may not. bove the fulfillment of all the 33) Diligent study rises a mitzvot. 34) A man who has no wife has no good. 35) The learning one does by himself cannot compare with that which he learns from a teacher. 36) The Holy One takes no pleasure from the Jews being judged unfavorably. 37) When a person feels love for a Torah scholar, the Torah becomes his and [an inheritance for] his descendants. 38) A person should study Torah even if he does not understand what it means. 39) Watching your teacher's mouth while he teaches is very beneficial. 40) Studying by the side of a river is very beneficial.

41) When a person studies Torah at night, it is as if he performed the Temple service. 42) When one studies the laws of the Temple service, it is as if the Holy Sanctuary was built in his lifetime. 43) A person who teaches Torah to an improper student falls into hell. It is as if he served idols. 44) The Torah itself was given to all the Jews. But the right to engage in polemical analysis of the Law was only given to Moshe Rabbenu, and he benevolently passed this privilege on to all of Israel. 45) When a person makes himself available for teaching Torah to anyone [who wishes to learn it], the Torah is given to him as a present. 46) A person's Torah study only stays with him when he sacrifices himself for it or when he approaches his learning as though he had no [previous] knowledge. 47) Study is a prerequisite for attaining the fear of sin and the fear of sin must itself precede one's analytical study of the Torah. 48) When a person eats bread for breakfast, he retains his learning and merits both studying and teaching Torah. 49) Torah study must be verbal. Learning which takes place only in thought is [soon] forgotten and does not lead to actual practice. 50) One who studies but does not review [what he has learntl is like a person who plants but does not reap. 51) When a person reviews his learning, the Torah itself asks of God that He reveal the Torah's reasoning and secrets to him. 52) A person who does not establish set times for Torah study will be plagued by immoral thoughts. 53) A person who fails to review his studies will find it difficult to raise his children. 54) When a person studies Torah for its own sake, he brings peace to the hosts above and below and protects the entire world with his merit. It is as if he built a palace in both worlds and hastens the final redemption. 55) When a person teaches his neighbor's son Torah, it is as if he brought the child, the Torah, and even himself into the world. 56) [When a person suffers embarrassment] for the sake of Torah, blackening his face in this world, the Holy One causes his countenance to shine in the World to Come. 57)

When a person denies himself the pleasures of this world for the sake of Torah, God rewards him with great contentment in the World to Come. 58) A person who reads books containing heretical ideas is called an apostate. 59) When a person appropriately applies a Torah verse to some current context he brings prosperity to the world. 60) Given the choice, one should always choose to expound a verse which interprets favorably and for the good rather than selecting a verse which teaches the opposite. 61) A person who cannot understand what he studies should spend time in the presence of the Tzaddik. This will also enable him to study Torah for its own sake. Alternatively, he should seek to please the Tzaddik or greet him with joy. Studying and greeting the Shabbat with joy [will also help improve his comprehension] . 62) Analytical study of the Torah helps a person pray better. 63) When a person encounters numerous obstacles interfering with his Torah studies, he should refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages. 64) Laxity in Torah study produces a laxity in prayer and vice versa. 65) A person who generally has no time for study other than on the Sabbath and the New Moon still manages to restrain the spirit of unholiness with the Torah he does learn. 66) A person who cannot understand the Torah he studies should realize that he has been beset by harsh judgements. 67) It is easier for a person to understand a complex Torah subject when he is on a mountain or some other high place. 68) Waking up early to study Torah is a segulah for hearing. 69) Teaching Torah to schoolchildren increases peace in the world. 70) [A teacher] should pray that he be sent proper disciples. 71) By expounding the Torah for the good, a person is capable of bringing salvation. 72) A person's broadmindedness provides him with the understanding necessary for [proper deductive reasoning so that he can] surmise one thing from the next. 73) A person whose desire for Torah study is lacking should never speak badly about anyone. 74) Only learn from a person who is God-fearing. 75) A person's Torah study brings him peace. 76)

When a person speaks words of Torah which are consistent with his level of understanding and not above it, the Holy One sees to it that his wishes are carried out. 77) The heresy inside a person destroys his desire for learning. 78) By giving charity for Heaven's sake, a person merits studying Torah for Heaven's sake. 79) By waking up from one's sleep to recite the Midnight Lament, a person merits understanding the Torah and is then able to expound upon its meaning. 80) A person who has neglected Torah study for idleness and nonsense should rectify this by awakening for the Midnight Lament. 81) A person who despises falsehood - like he would an abomination - will have a desire for studying Torah. 82) Don't study from a book which a wicked man used to study from: the letters themselves will have a bad influence upon you. 83) When you hear a person teaching Torah or ethics and yet gain no respect for him, this indicates that he is in fact a fool. 84) A Torah insight for which you have had to "pay a price" [stays with you]: you won't forget it. 85) When a person chases after his heart's desires, each and every Torah verse can be interpreted as alluding to his shame. 86) A person who separates himself from the path of Torah attaches himself to Satan. 87) When two Torah scholars show mutual respect and humbly dispute the Law for its own sake, the Holy One sees to it that they are successful and gain prestige. They merit [understanding] the Torah, which was given with the "right hand", and are rewarded with those things which emanate from the "right side" of the Torah. 88) Attach yourself to a Torah scholar who is as vindictive as a snake and you will eventually have pleasure from his learning. 89) It is forbidden to learn from someone who draws people to idolatry. One who learns from him deserves death. 90) A person who studies Torah but fails to perform mitzvot is like a myrtle branch which has a good smell but no taste. 91) In whom will you find [a mastery of the various] branches of Torah? It can be found in the person who arrives early and stays late to study in the House of Learning, and who resembles a raven because his face has "grown black" [from deprivation] and because he has deprived his children of his compassion. 92)

A person cannot successfully learn from everyone. This explains why people travel great distances in order to find a suitable teacher. B 1) Some of the suffering a person must endure is dictated by the laws of astronomy, which also determines the set time of this affliction. However, the will and desire aroused in the disciples when they are about to learn Torah from their rabbi nullifies this suffering before its time. 2) Studying Torah, giving tithes and keeping the Sabbath also provide material benefits. 3) Studying the Shulchan Arukh brings one to the fear of God. 4) When a person learns the Torah with a pure mind, because he eats with such a degree of holiness that his sustenance is drawn from the sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation. This is indicated [in the verses], "And it was on the third day, in the morning..." (Exodus 19:16); "Then in the morning there was a layer of dew" (Exodus 16:13); "And it was at the morning watch..." (Exodus 14:24). (I heard this explanation from his holy lips: "And it was on the third day", was said during the giving of the Torah and refers to the person who learns the Torah with a pure mind. "Then in the morning, there was a layer of dew," was said about the manna, which is the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our Rabbis have taught. "And it was at the morning watch," was said at the splitting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were drowned, which is an aspect of strangulation. Rabbi Nachman learned from one morning and applied it to the other, thereby deducing the above statement from 'the Torah.) 5) The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine [in the world]. This sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to return to God. 6) Studying Halakhic Codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry. 7) When one goes from one rabbi to the next, he must strengthen his faith in the unity of God. Learning from many teachers detracts from the belief in the Oneness. However, the rabbi who has faith in the Oneness is able to enlighten each and every student according to his ability; each pupil only hearing that which is necessary for him, and no more. 8) The rabbi who teaches his lessons in a way which allows each student to hear only that which he needs to know no more and no less - merits producing disciples who reveal the most fitting and choicest aspects of the Torah. 9) When a disciple hears a Torah lesson from his rabbi and finds his will negated to that of his mentor's, he can be certain that he has truly heard the teaching. However, if his will was not negated, then even if he heard - he did not really hear. Another way for him to determine if he truly heard his teacher's words is if he experienced a total negation of self [while the lesson was being given].

10) When a disciple comes to hear a Torah lesson from his rabbi, the negative forces created by this student's evil also come along to listen and draw [from the holiness]. But, when each disciple hears only that which applies to his soul, then the kelipot are forced to flee and thus prevented from hearing the lesson. There is, however, one type of kelipah which is very close to holiness and is only chased away when the lesson includes an instance of Jewish salvation. This is alluded to in, "And Moshe sent his father-in-law away" (Exodus 18:27); according to the opinion that Jethro [a symbol of the evil force which is very close to holiness] came and left before the Torah was given [at Sinai]. 11) Reciting the words of Torah saves one from punishment by stoning. 12) Not all places are conducive for studying Torah and performing good deeds. Because of this, God brings about circumstances which cause a person to leave this place and go elsewhere. 13) When a person labors in Torah study to the point of exhaustion, he sweetens harsh judgements and awakens mercy - even for his father who has passed away. 14) Torah brings to faith, and faith brings to sanctifying the Name of God. 15) Those with clear perception can tell who a person's Torah teacher is merely by looking at him, provided they already know what his rabbi looks like. When a disciple learns the Torah's laws, his face takes on a resemblance to the one teaching him. This is because the law is the wisdom which makes a person's face shine. By receiving the rabbi's wisdom he acquires a portion of his appearance, their resemblance increasing with each additional law [the student embraces]. 16) The prominence of the leaders of the generation is strengthened by God's holiness. This [prestige] brings everyo ne to value the mitzvah of hospitality and causes those who study the Torah to have the law accepted as they understand it. 17) A rabbi who is stringent when advising others but lenient with himself, and who claims to be informed when he is not, will not merit seeing the splendor of the King. This is because inappropriate fear - the evil force of Edom - will dim the light of his eyes and prevent him from seeing the splendor of the King's countenance. LASHON HA'RA SLANDER A 1) When a person slanders others, the Holy One says to the ministering angel of hell, "I [will judge him] from above and you from below." To rectify his misdeed, he must humble himself and engage in Torah study. Doing so will also keep him from slandering further. 2) Slander leads a person to committing the three cardinal sins [idolatry, immorality and murder].

3) Speaking negatively about a person in his presence or in the company of three people is not considered slander. 4) Though words of slander should not be believed, a person should be wary [that they may be true]. 5) A person who speaks badly of the Jewish People will eventually suffer from a diseased mouth. 6) When there is no love amongst Jews, they gossip about each other and then turn scornful because of their talebearing. 7) When there is love between neighbors it is permissible for one to tell the other what he heard from a third party. The one who hears it can accept what he was told without being guilty of accepting slander. 8) The person who slanders loses his desire for Torah study and falls guilty of having shamed the Tzaddik. 9) Truth saves one from slandering others. 10) A person who guards against slander will not come to plotting deceit against his neighbors. 11) The person who refuses to accept slander about the Tzaddik merits being counted amongst the righteous. 12) A person's haughtiness leads him to speak disparagingly of others. 13) A person does not speak slanderously of others unless he has already been guilty of denying the Holy One, thereby sinning against God and man. 14) It is permissible to speak slanderously of a person who instigates strife and conflict. 15) A person guilty of giving his friend a bad name is never pardoned. 16) A person guilty of slander cannot receive the Divine Countenance. 17) Both the slanderer and the one who accepts his words deserve to be thrown to the dogs. 18) Reciting the Torah section on the Temple incense offering (Exodus 30:34-38) is a rectification for slander. 19) A person guilty of slander is afflicted with leprosy. His crime is so great that it reaches the Heavens and he deserves to be stoned. B

1) A person guilty of slander will be punished with imprisonment. LEYTZONUT DERISION AND MOCKERY A 1) A derisive person will have many accusers exercising their control over him. [His mockery of others will lead him] to be guilty of immoral behavior and cause him to suffer at the hands of a domineering wife. 2) A derisive person loses his prestige and turns to falsehood, becoming a vagabond to wander from place to place. 3) Flattery leads to mockery. 4) Mockery brings suffering. 5) A derisive person has no wisdom. 6) A person who behaves derisively is detested by God and man. 7) Mockery brings destruction by fire. 8) A person who ridicules the words of the Sages will burn in hell. 9) All mockery is forbidden other than that which is directed at idolatry. 10) [The Punishment for] derision and mockery is most severe:beginningwithsufferingandendingindestruction. 11) A derisive person has his livelihood diminished. He is destined for hell and his mockery brings destruction to the world. MEM CONFLICT AND STRIFE MONEY MISCARRIAGE ANINFORMER ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES THE MESSIAH CIRCUMCISOR FAME MERIVA CONFLICT AND STRIFE A 1)

Victory in battle cannot be achieved when an oath has been broken. 2) When a person oppresses his friend, God sends him troubles so that he forgets about persecuting his friend. 3) By reciting the Hallel Prayer, the Holy One will save you from your enemies, 4) The respect a person shows for the Torah saves him from his enemies. 5) Praying to God is a necessary preparation for battle. 6) Any time a person falls from faith, the opposition he brings upon himself comes from a man of importance and wealth. 7) When a person prays for help against his enemies, he should do so in the morning hours. 8) You can nullify your enemies' hatred by habitually gazing Heavenward. 9) A person who forgets the poor cannot succeed. 10) You should know that when a wicked man persecutes a pauper, it is because of the poor man's pride. 11) God ignores and hides Himself from a contentious person. 12) When a person suffers misfortune, his enemies are exalted. 13) A contentious person suffers forgetfulness. 14) A person invites conflict when he has the opportunity to perform some mitzvah, but lets it pass unfulfilled,. 15) When a person quarrels with the Tzaddikim, he has obviously entertained evil thoughts. 16) Sometimes, it is [a person's] location which causes him to encounter conflict and strife. 17) A person who has enemies should humble himself, and then God will save him. 18) A person can defeat his enemies by seeking out any possible opportunity to show them affection. 19) When a person does not seek revenge against his enemies but focuses on rejoicing in God instead, the Holy One gives him the strength to avenge their wickedness. 20) Immoral people tend to quarrel with the Tzaddikim. 21)

A person's humility enables him to stand firm in battle, as if he sat [well protected] in a fortress. 22) A contentious person will be afflicted by incurable diseases. 23) When litigants turn to a gentile magistrate to adjudicate their dispute, the Holy One afflicts them with an incurable disease. 24) There are times when the Holy One hardens the heart of the wicked against the Tzaddikim in order to bring about the downfall of the wicked. 25) One who honors an elderly [sage] is spared [the travail] of war. 26) By talking to God about the strife which one encounters, a person merits seeing his revenge exacted against his enemies. 27) Conflict and quarrel bring poverty. 28) A person who is wont to quarrel with his neighbors will eventually be an object of scorn for his enemies. 29) One who hears himself shamed and remains silent is considered righteous and the Holy One will protect his soul. 30) When a person prays with such great fervor that it can be detected on his face, his enemies are subdued and set ablaze. 31) When a person has been righteous from his youth, he wins the hearts of many. They will lend him their support in any quarrel or conflict that may come against him. 32) One who leads his friend astray and prevents him from following the path of good, will find himself unable to stand up to his enemies in battle. 33) By confessing your sins, the evil plans of your enemies will be nullified. 34) By being quarrelsome, a person shows that [in his heart] he favors sin. 35) A person who is sparing with his words cannot be overcome by anyone. 36) Those who quarrel with the righteous and try to prevent them from serving God will suffer defeat. [Eventually, these opponents] will come to look upon themselves with disgust. 37) Recite Psalm 6 for victory in battle. 38) God does not allow the person who visits the sick to fall into the hands of his enemies. 39) When a person has enemies, he should spend his entire day reciting prayers and entreatments - without stopping. By doing so, God will save him and his enemies will be disgraced.

40) A persecuted person is repaid [for his suffering] with children and grandchildren. 41) A person who has enemies should ask as many people as possible to pray for him. This will bring him peace from his enemies. 42) You can be certain that if you have enemies below, you also have adversaries Above. 43) The study of Torah turns away one's enemies. 44) Trust in God and your enemies can do you no harm. 45) By being humble, your enemies will fall into the trap which they had prepared for you. 46) When a person prays all day, his enemies will be disgraced. 47) One who brings harm to an enemy of the Tzaddik merits everlasting success. 48) When people talk against you, study the Agaddah each night. 49) Two Tzaddikim will only be capable of living harmoniously in the same city if they possess truth. 50) When a person trusts in God, his enemies will never rejoice in his suffering. 51) When one does not embarrass his friends, his enemies will never rejoice [in victory] over him. 52) When a person has many enemies, it is a sign that the hatred is unjustified. For it is impossible that all their hatred can be vindicated. 53) When a person has enemies and then one of his friends and confidants also turns against him, it is a sign that those opposing him will fail and suffer defeat. 54) A person who has faith has no fear of enemies. 55) Crying out in prayer prevents one's enemies from rejoicing [in their victory] over him. 56) A person who doesn't know if he will fall into the hands of his enemies or not should look [inward]. If he has fallen from his level of serving God, he can be certain that he is destined for defeat. 57) To guard against [the adversity of] conflict, one should study the Tractate Sukkah. 58) When the wicked come together, quarrel ensues. 59) When you are depressed, even your friends turn against you. 60) Strife in a person's home only begins when the food runs out. 61)

There are times when God's will is drawn to side with the majority in a dispute between a group of Tzaddikim and a singular Tzaddik; even if the truth is with the lone Tzaddik. 62) [A person who takes usury for lending money to his fellow Jew is considered wicked]. Once his neighbor [has a right to] call him wicked, this neighbor is free to cut into his means of income, diminishing it by up to a third. 63) A person would much prefer to die [than to live] without friends or loved ones. 64) All forms of creation are created male and female - even kings. There are kings who embody the male aspect and kings who embody the female. The Holy One places great distance between them so that they do not [come together and] destroy the world. 65) Do not give honor to the contentious person, even if he is an accomplished student of the Torah. 66) Satan can be found wherever there is conflict and dispute. 67) A person who recites Sh'ma Yisrael morning and evening will not be given over into the hands of his enemies. 68) When a person studies Torah and performs acts of kindness, he will overcome his enemies. 69) The oppression which a person suffers transforms him into a fitting sacrifice for God. 70) Always side with and help the oppressed. 71) The world only exists on the merit of the person who remains silent in the face of dispute. 72) When a person forgets even one detail of his studies, it gives rise to opposition against him. 73) Quarreling with a Tzaddik brings an outbreak of war. 74) When people talk against someone, this person is in danger of having the evil inclination overpower him. He should ask for God's compassion to help him withstand this. 75) The person [whose stubborness makes him] difficult to appease is from the Feminine World. 76) When confronted by conflict, you should rise early and remain late to study Torah in the House of Learning. If this is not possible, then by praying, you can bring judgement upon your oppressors and God will see to their downfall. But you must never hand them over to a government official [or the like]. 77)

When a person has the right to take revenge against his friend but remains silent instead, the Holy One makes certain that justice is carried out. 78) Don't argue with someone stronger than yourself, even if he forces you to do something inappropriate. If', however, this person is afraid of the government, take him to an official rather than continuing with this inappropriate action. 79) Slander causes one to fall in battle. 80) Refraining from slander brings victory and success. 81) When a person once studied Torah but has now gone away [from his learning], his enemies will oppress him. 82) When a woman experiences a show of blood outside her menstrual period, [her husband] should take it as a sign that some animosity has been aroused against him. 83) Whenever possible, the Tzaddik should use money rather than his own righteousness as a means of overcoming his enemies. 84) Wherever there is a quarrel, those involved acquire the qualities of Dathan and Aviram [the two men who constant y sought to foment strife against Moses]. 85) When two Tzaddikim are at odds over an issue concerning the good of the Jewish People, there are two corresponding angels in Heaven who also dispute the matter. It takes God Himself to arbitrate between them. 86) One who hears himself shamed and remains silent nullifies much of the misfortune which he had been destined to suffer. 87) God always sides with the majority opinion, unless those in the majority are wicked men. 88) Do not seek to find merit in one who turns others astray. 89) A dispute between two people [often takes on greater proportions], with each person being supported by others who favor his point of view. Should there then be a decree in Heaven that one of those involved in the dispute must die, the judgement begins with the smallest of them and not with one of the original disputants. 90) Falling into the hands of one's enemies sometimes saves a person from a decree that would have destroyed all his offspring. 91) A person who causes another man to distance himself from serving God [is later made to pay for his actions]. There will come a time when his offspring will suffer at the hands of this man's descendants. 92) When a person is in a position to protest against the actions of wicked men but does not, it is as if he himself was guilty of these evil deeds. 93)

Anyone who takes part in a quarrel transgresses a prohibitive commandment of the Torah and deserves to be punished with leprosy. 94) Disputing the royal lineage of the House of David makes one liable to be bitten by a snake. 95) Torah study gives a person [the strength needed] to remain firm in combat. 96) A person should strengthen himself and use his cunning when battling with his enemies, [yet realize that] God will then do as He sees fit. 97) Reciting the verse, "And Asa cried out to the Lord, his God, and said, 'It is nothing for You to help, whether the many or those who have no power. Help us, 0 Lord, our God; for we rely on You and in Your Name we go against the multitude' " (Chronicles 11 14:10), is particularly beneficial for overcoming one's opponents. 98) A person who does not trust in his God invites struggle and conflict. 99) Studying the Torah creates a fear in the nations so that they will refrain from waging war against Israel. 100) When confronted by conflict, recite the words of Yehoshafat, "And he said, 'God, Lord of my fathers ... for our eyes are turned to You,' " (Chronicles 11 20: 6-12). 101) In time of war one must prepare arms, as is common practice, and not rely on a miracle. The Holy One will then do as He pleases. 102) When a person chooses a fixed place for prayer he gains control over his enemies. 103) Never pray that a person die [at God's hand]- even an apostate. It is better that he be killed by another man than by Heavenly intervention. 104) Never quarrel with a wicked man, especially one upon whom fortune smiles. 105) You can deny the truth [when it comes from the mouth of a liar]. Such dispute is permitted so that others will not mistakenly follow after him. 106) Unwarranted hatred brings great stife and conflict into a person's home. 107) The postponement, distortion or corruption of justice will bring on destruction and great pillage; as will the neglecting of Torah study. 108) A woman, at the end of her menstruation period, who passes in between two men, causes them to quarrel. 109) By pacifying his oppressor, the oppressed person arouses harsh judgement against him. 110) By giving his enemy food to eat, a person causes his adversary to be punished by means of fire.

B 1) When people talk against the Tzaddik, they cause heretical ideologies to spread in the world. The opposite is also true. 2) There are certain well-known people whose fame comes essentially as a result of their being part of some conflict and dispute. 3) A person involved in dispute succumbs to immoral desires. 4) A person who successfully defends his faith against a majority who argue against him, will, because of this, be worthy of many children; his progeny will fill the world. 5) A person who is always evaluating the leaders of his generation, analyzing their behavior with an eye towards finding fault, will suffer from hunger. "Not a hunger for food," but the kind that will be evident in future times [viz. a hunger for the word of God]. Hence the Hebrew word :in [hunger]; which is formed by placing an v [ayin, which also means an eye] in between the letters n-i [a rabbi or leader]. 6) By giving charity, a person can defeat his enemies with a minimum of effort, as God will save him from even their greatest attacks. 7) By reciting the Birkhat HaMazone, God's greatness becomes known in the world. The Birkhat HaMazone also brings one's government a reign free of conflict and wars. 8) When a person learns the Torah with a pure mind, because he eats with such a degree of holiness that his sustenance is drawn from the sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation. This is indicated [in the verses], "And it was on the third day, in the morning..." (Exodus 19:16); "Then in the morning there was a layer of dew" (Exodus 16:13); "And it was at the morning watch..." (Exodus 14:24). (I heard this explanation from his holy lips: "And it was on the third day", was said during the giving of the Torah and refers to the person who learns the Torah with a pure mind. "Then in the morning, there was a layer of dew," was said about the manna, which is the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our Rabbis have taught. "And it was at the morning watch," was said at the splitting of the Red Sea when the Egyptians were drowned, which is an aspect of strangulation. Rabbi Nachman learned from one morning and applied it to the other, thereby deducing the above statement from the Torah.) 9) The suffering and provocation brought upon a sage cause him to forget his learning. 10) Quarreling causes the less accomplished students to be accepted into positions of authority, though they are not yet qualified for such. This can be compared to a miscarriage, where the child is born before its time, and it brings about poverty and sometimes even death [in the world]. 11) There are times when the members of one's household are at odds with each other and there is no peace in the home. It should be understood that there are evil forces in t e

house. These forces are behind all the quarreling and it is they who are responsible for the family's suffering. 12) A person's location can at times be the cause of the strife he encounters; just as it is prohibited to greet one's friend in an unclean place. 13) Grief and depression lead to conflict, whereas joy brings peace to the world. 14) The Torah is revealed through peace. 15) If, while fasting, a person occupies himself with work or business matters, he saves himself from enemies and murderers. 16) A person who has enemies finds it difficult to concentrate while praying. 17) A person who causes a rift between a man and his wife talking to the husband about how beautiful his wife is and telling the wife degrading things about her husband will, because of his actions, find it difficult to earn a living. 18) When God sees that a certain Tzaddik is unable to inspire people to devotional service, He stirs up opposition against him. God does this so that the Tzaddik will indeed succeed in inspiring others, for the Tzaddik who has no enemies cannot do so. This can be compared to the times of Mashiach, when peace will reign and converts will no longer be accepted. 19) Thoughts of idolatry enable one's enemies to overpower him. 20) One whose enemies have gained eminence falls into a lust for food. 21) A person whose body itches should take it as a sign that he has enemies. Sometimes, the marks and scratches he makes on his body [while attempting to relieve the itching] will save him from his enemies: one being exchanged for the other. 22) There are two types of Tzaddikim: one whose words resemble the art of ploughing and one whose words are like the art of reaping. Said otherwise, one Tzaddik's speech is the male arousal for marital relations while the other's is the drawing of the seed into the womb, the fetal conception and gestation. When there is a dispute between these two Tzaddikim, an outsider should not mix into their conversation, so as not to destroy the intended design. 23) A person with enemies should take an oath not to drink wine. This will give him mastery over them. 24) A segulah for a person hoping to be saved from his enemies, be they opponents or highwaymen whom he fears, is to recite the cantillations which accompany the words of the Torah: pashta, munach, zarka, etc. MAMONE MONEY

A 1) When a person is derisive of others, his livelihood diminishes. 2) The words of the Sages bring prosperity. 3) A person will lose his wealth because he shows no compassion for others. 4) One who withstands a test of his morality merits great wealth despite his enemies. 5-6) An occupation is a great thing; God Himself advised man that he must engage in some form of work. [But if a person has no choice, he should] borrow in order to eat. 7) [A farmer] who wants to grow wealthy should use a lean animal when ploughing. 8) A man should spend less than what his income allows for food and drink, clothe himself in accordance with his means and honor his wife and children by buying them things which are even beyond what he can afford. 9) Poverty in one's home is worse than fifty plagues. 10) A man's wife won't die unless he is first approached for money and has none to give. 11) The ability which the nations have to steal from the Jews comes from their learning the Written Law. 12) Drinking wine leads to poverty. 13) Anyone who possesses true knowledge must eventually prosper. 14) A person who steals from his neighbor is made impure by a chance nocturnal discharge. 15) Any new insight which a person gains carries with it great wealth. 16) As soon as the money of a Jew falls into the hands of a gentile it is instantly purged [of the special quality it acquires from Jewish ownership]. 17) A person whose children are starving is spared from death by fire, one of the four judicial forms of capital punishment. 18) One who transgresses a Rabbinical enactment grows poor. 19) A person who breaks his desire for food merits living in a beautiful house. 20) [God's providing] man with his livelihood is as great [a miracle] as His splitting the Red Sea. It is even greater than bringing the Final Redemption and twice as great as the miracle of childbirth. 21) Once a person has been put in charge of the public's welfare he becomes wealthy.

22) The incense in the Holy Temple brought wealth [to the one who burnt it]. 23) You need not worry that someone will take away your livelihood. Against his will he will call out your name for you to take what is rightfully yours. 24) There are four things which cause a businessman's possessions to be taken away from him: if he delays paying his workers' salaries; if he outright refuses giving them their wages; if he shirks on an obligation and instead places the burden on a neighbor; and haughtiness. 25) A change of place and name improve one's livelihood. 26) Rains are withheld because of a failure to tithe the land's produce, slander, disrespectful behavior, disrupting Torah study and the crime of theft. 27) Rainfall can be restored through many prayers. 28) Faith in God will increase your livelihood. 29) When there is prosperity in the world, sickness is diminished. 30) Those who publicly pledge to charity but do not give, prevent the rains from falling. 31) Disgusting behavior in one's home leads to poverty. 32) Three things cause poverty: urinating in the nude in one's bedroom, taking lightly the enactment to wash one's hands before eating and a man's wife cursing him to his face. 33) Tithing is a segulah for increased wealth specifically in the Land of Israel. 34) Honoring the Torah and honoring the Shabbat are a segulah for wealth. 35) The olive-size helping of bitter herbs eaten on Passover is segulah for earning a living. 36) Writing a Torah scroll is a segulah for earning a living. 37) When the daughter of a kohain marries a regular Jew or when the daughter of a Torah scholar marries an ignorant Jew, she causes her husband to suffer poverty. 38) Associating with someone while his fortune is going good will prove beneficial for one's own prosperity. 39) The person who loves God in his eating, drinking and other physical pleasures merits sustaining many nations. 40) One who despises money is rewarded with long life. 41) A person who searches for treasures hastens his own death. 42)

Whoever has not rectified the sins of his youth becomes poor. 43) When a person struggles day and night in search of a living but still does not have enough, he should make amends by bringing people closer to God. 44) When a person breaks something unintentionally, it attests to his being a sinner. 45) A person who has a burning desire to work the land is certainly worthless. 46) In whatever you do, ask the Tzaddik to pray on your behalf. 47) Joy is always propitious for success. 48) A man must take heart when involved in any worldly undertaking. 49) If a person turns to God while suffering, his livelihood is doubled and will comes flying into his hands like a bird. 50) For the sin of not tithing the land's produce, wages are lost and people run after their living without success. 51) The rains come on account of the individual, livelihood on but the individual whose merit is account of the many, strong has the power of many. 52) Sanctifying [the Sabbath and holidays by reciting the blessing] over wine brings the rains and causes a person's prayers to be heard. 53) When a person has in his house a Torah scroll which once belonged to his father, he is rewarded with wealth. 54) Rain falls in the merit of one man, one field and a singular blade of grass; as well as in the merit of the land, deeds of lovingkindness and because of suffering [endured]. 55) Rainfall is held back because of idolatry, immorality, when a Tzaddik has not been properly eulogized and when people interfere with the livelihood of others. 56) One who suffers poverty is spared the punishment of hell. 57) Misusing God's Holy Names brings poverty and death, even to the one who can object but does not. 58) The Holy One exacts judgement on behalf of a person who has a mouthful of complaints against his neighbor and still remains silent. 59) When a person sees that his income is limited, he should give charity. 60) Anxiety and distress over one's livelihood saps a person strength. 61) Immorality brings poverty. 62)

A Tzaddik who has no luck when it comes to earning a living will sometimes have opponents sent against him. He is then given the income which was coming to them. 63) A person who works in construction puts himself in danger. 64) Modest behavior is particularly propitious for gaining wealth. 65) Once coveting and envy spread in the world, people began interfering with the livelihood of others. 66-68) A person's livelihood diminishes when he judges others unfavorably, when he dilutes the alcoholic beverages [which he sells] or when he follows the advice of a person who persuades him [to turn against God]. 69) When a person sins out of spite, he becomes impoverished though no one will believe that he is poor. 70) One who makes use of unholy names and magic becomes poor. 71) When consumption, a disease which weakens the body, affects a member of one's family, it is a sign of impending poverty. 72) When a man suffers some embarrassment,it is a sign that he will soon become poor. 73) When a person despises money, Heaven shows him the [right] path to follow. 74) Occassionally, a person who deserves to die a death of Divine extermination suffers poverty instead. 75) A poor [man] is confused like a drunkard. 76) Fraudulent practices make one poor. 77) A person who acts hastily, without presence of mind, falls into debt. 78) Ruining a man's means of income is akin to killing him. 79) A person should always maintain possession of his inheritance, never selling or exchanging it. 80) One who lusts for money falls from his [spiritual] level. 81) Atheism leads to poverty. 82) A person who is poor should work diligently to provide sustenance for those who seek the service of God. 83) Faith is beneficial for one's livelihood. 84) Soreness of the eyes is a sign of poverty.

85) When a person is humble, his livestock multiplies. 86) By giving charity, a person merits earning his living. 87) When a person gives money to sorcerers, he will have to earn his living by working in non-Jewish homes. 88) The words of the Tzaddik bring sustenance. 89) When a person is depressed, his income suffers. 90) Give charity and you will prosper. 91) Too much sleep makes one poor. 92) One who is diligent in Torah and charity merits wealth. 93) Honor your wife and you will become rich. 94) The blessing in a man's house comes only because of the honor he has shown his wife. 95) When a person takes usury for lending money, the value of his property plummets and never recovers. 96) Forbidding the singing of frivolous songs brings down prices. 97) A person without a livelihood should occupy himself with Torah study and then pray for sustenance. His prayers will certainly be accepted. 98) A person should never sell the first [property] he ever purchased. 99) One who takes away his friends means of income is considered wicked. 100) Were it not that he has grown haughty, a person would never have the audacity to harm his neighbor. lol)Leaving food crumbs [to be trampled on] brings poverty. 102) Wealth is a masculine aspect, whereas poverty is from the feminine side. 103) Soreness of the eyes is a sign of impending harm, 104) Whatever you want, be it wisdom, wealth or children, You should first strive to attain it through natural means and then plead for mercy that these means prove successful. B 1) A year which is economically prosperous is also a year of physical health. 2)

A person with a burning desire to work the land will come to one of three things: bloodshed, leprosy or drunkenness. 3) Fearing God and acting kindly to others saves one from being harmed by fire and brings him his livelihood. 4) Wherever there is a decline in the practice of Torah Law there is a decline in prosperity. On the other hand, [adherence to Torah law increases prosperity]. 5) Supportive proofs from the Torah for Rabbinical enactments bring abundant prosperity to the world. This is because there are a number of teachings which have no explicit verse in the Torah upon which they are based and the Rabbis labored to find some supportive reference [for their enactment]. 6) The Holy One will occassionally boast to Satan about a righteous gentile. [By distracting Satan in this way,] God is then able to provide the Jews with prosperity free of any opposition [from Satan's forces]. 7) When a person yearns to be buried in the Land of Israel, he is blessed with a livelihood of plenty. 8) A person should take part [in the preparations] for a meal which is being held in honor of some mitzvah, even if it means that he has to chop fire wood. While chopping, he should keep in mind that he is splitting and separating the bad from the good which exists in the Tree of Knowledge. By doing so, he will merit earning his livelihood. 9) By returning to God in repentance, you will be able to earn your living easily. 10) One who fulfills, "Your neighbor's money should be as precious to you as your own" (Avot 2:12), merits praying with an attentive heart. 11) So great is the value of living from the fruits of one's own labor that a person who does so can recognize God's glory in a way which even the angels cannot. 12) The blessing which descends from Heaven alternates in form; at times appearing as fire, at other times as water, stone or any of the other forms. These changes are in accordance with the changes which take place amongst the angels: sometimes they are sitting and at other times standing, occassionally they are feminine and at other times masculine. All these changes effect both macrocosm and microcosm. Man's will also alternates according to these changes. At times he wants one thing and at other times he wants some other will. 13) A person prospers financially in accordance with [the holiness which he exercises in] sexual matters. 14) The quality of a generation's elders determines its economic well-being. 15) Taking usury causes one to lose his fear of God. 16)

One who takes usury for lending money will not find anyone willing to speak favorably of him. 17) A person who guards against transgressing the prohibition forbidding coveting is saved from anger and haughtiness, and the lack of faith which comes as a result of these two evil traits. 18) Conducting one's business affairs faithfully nullifies curses. 19) One who is obliged to borrow from others is comparable to an animal. 20) When an agent of an important individual tries unsuccessfully to convince an ordinary person to sell some object to his client, he should pray for the ordinary person to accept the offer and agree to the sale. 21) If a person rules over his evil inclination, his children will not follow evil ways and because of this he will prosper monetarily and not be put to a test. 22) Travel brings a person to slander, idolatry, licentiousness and bloodshed. These sins diminish one's livelihood. 23) Because of the charity given to the poor people of Eretz Yisrael, a person prospers monetarily. 24) Fires rage in the world in order to consume the wealth of idolatry. 25) When a new king or minister takes over, he brings with him a revival and improvement in the standard of living. 26) When a person's living comes from the business he does with gentiles during their holiday season, or even at other times of the year but involves his doing something which establishes their idolatry, his wife's menstrual flow will begin soon after her ritual immersion. 27) A person who causes a rift between a man and his wife - talking to the husband about how beautiful his wife is and telling the wife degrading things about her husband will, because of his actions, find it difficult toearnaliving. 28) A person is sometimes spared having to rend his garments in mourning because his merchandise and property are spread around and not in one area. 29) The biggest businessman in a town is its light. MAPELET MISCARRIAGE A 1) Fear causes a woman to miscarry. 2)

A segulah for a woman who miscarries is for her to carry a magnet, a small piece of wood from the tomb of a Tzaddik, and to give charity. 3) A woman who miscarries should carry dew. 4) A segulah against [further] miscarriages is for the woman to sell her embryo. 5) The sin of unwarranted hatred causes a woman to miscarry. 6) A woman's craving for eating and drinking causes her to miscarry. B 1) A woman with a history of miscarriages should refrain from wearing gold jewelry. 2) Grinding flour and kneading dough for Passover matzah is a segulah for preventing miscarriages. MASSUR AN INFORMER A 1) When a person informs against his neighbor to the authorities, he will eventually become a vagabond, have many opponents, and will suffer that which he intendedto bring upon his neighbor. Anyone dependent upon this informer will be defeated and any importance which he may have had will be taken from him by the family of the wronged neighbor. 2) Anyone who informs against the Tzaddik to the authorities loses his material possessions. 3) Killing an informer is permissible. 4) It is forbidden to hand over even a wicked person to be killed. MASHKEH ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES A 1-2) When a person steals or is haughty, his alcoholic beverages go bad. MASHIACH THE MESSIAH B 1)

By telling over stories about the Tzaddikim you draw the light of Mashiach into the world. Relating these stories also chases away much darkness and pain, and the teller is rewarded with beautiful clothing. 2) Returning to God in repentance Causes the spirit of Mashiach to blow away the evil decrees of the governm ent - nullifying them completely. 3) There will yet come a time when an entire generation will be righteous. 4) Truth hastens the advent of the "end of days." 5) When a person keeps the Sabbath he draws upon himself the light of Mashiach. Repentance also has this power. MOHEL CIRCUMCISOR B 1) [In choosing] a mohel, one should look for a man who is both a Tzaddik and Godfearing. For when the mohel lacks expertise land righteousness], it can, God forbid, result in the circumcised infant not being capable of reproducing or in his becoming an epileptic. 2) A woman who cannot conceive should look at the circumcision blade after it has been used. 3) A mohel infuses the child he circumcises with understanding [which later benefits the child] in his Torah study. 4) The mitzvah of circumcision has the same powers as the special clothing worn by the high priest. 5) It is well known that when a person is born circumcised his power of imagination is good and wholesome. 6) When a person performs an act of kindness, the name which he applies to another gains permanence. It is therefore advisable to carry out some kind deed before naming a newborn baby; thereby ensuring that this name will be everlasting. M'FURSAM FAME B 1) There are certain well-known people whose fame comes essentially as a result of their being part of some conflict and dispute. 2) God tests a person in order to then grant him importance and fame. 3)

Quarreling causes the less accomplished students to be accepted into positions of authority, though they are not yet qualified for such. This can be compared to a miscarriage, where the child is born before its time, and it brings about poverty and sometimes even death [in the world] NUN ADULTERY AND IMMORAL BEHAVIOR MENSTRUATION SPIRITUAL DECLINE OBSCENE LANGUAGE BENEFITTING FROM OTHERS SONG A TEST AN OLIVE OIL LAMP NIUF ADULTERY AND IMMORAL BEHAVIOR A 1) A man's thoughts for a gentile woman prevents his sons from becoming Torah scholars. 2) A woman's mazal is determined by that of her husband's. 3) Children conceived in a nice home will be beautiful in appearance. 4) Having sexual relations with a non-Jewess is like marrying her. 5) Attractive fragrances increase a man's desire. 6) When the daughter of a kohain or Torah scholar is wed to an ignorant Jew, the marriage will not prove successful. She will either be widowed, divorced or remain childless. If one won't have to bury the other, then she will bring him a life of poverty and shame. 7) It is particularly repugnant when an old man behaves immorally. Eventually, he will come to look upon himself with disgust. 8) There are seven types of people who are like outcasts; a man who has no wife being one of them. 9) A person can only distance himself from lustful desires by controling his eyes and thoughts. 10) Don't enter into arguments and counter-arguments with temptation. Entertaining such thoughts - even if you take a negative stance - will strengthen the objects' attraction and win you over to it. 11) Most lewd behavior is brought on by drunkenness.

12) Without a wife, a man is not a man. It is almost as if he is guilty of bloodshed and keeping God's image [from the world]. 13) A man who causes his wife grief by not having relations with her will be punished with death. 14) Occassionally, one of the partners engaged to be married will die [suddenly]. This happens because they were an unsuitable match. 15) When a man marries a woman who was divorced by her first husband because of her wickedness, [it won't be long before] she buries him. 16) A woman who prostitutes herself destroys her home. 17) When a man commits adultery, his wife will see impure visions in her dreams. 18) When a man marries a woman for the right reasons, it is as if he gave birth to her. 19) [The couple whose] marriage relationship is void of holiness will be [punished by] fire. 20) Whoever has an opportunity to sin but refrains will have a miracle performed on his behalf. 21) When a man marries a woman who is inappropriate for him, it is as if he ploughed up the entire earth and planted salt. When the Holy One causes His Divine Presence to rest upon the Jewish People, affirming the members of each of the tribes, this man will be left out. 22) Breaching the Covenant is equivalent to violating all the mitzvot. 23) Wearing pants atones for sins of incest. 24) Where there is immorality, the Tzaddikim fall [from stature]. 25) By mourning the death of Tzaddikim, you will be able to break your desire for women. 26) By masturbating, a man creates evil forces which clothe themselves in people who oppose him and cause him to suffer. 27) A man guilty of adultery will eventually be guilty of bloodshed. 28) A person who rids the world of adulterers rectifies the sins of his ancestors. 29) If you want to achieve sexual purity, always tell the truth and act kindly even with someone from whom you expect nothing in return. 30)

Someone who is guilty of blemishing the sign of the Covenant should make amends by pursuing peace. 31) Contentiousness brings a person to sexual impurity. 32) Illicit thoughts come as a result of [what is known in Kabbalistic terminology as] breaking the vessel of lovingkindness. The number of "sparks" [in the vessel] will determine the exact number of lewd thoughts that will ensue. 33) A person guilty of transgressing the prohibition against homosexual practices will suffer imprisonment. 34) Mercury is a segulah for virility. 35) The child conceived at a time when a husband feels hatred for his wife will turn into an apostate. 36) Lewd behavior leads one to become exiled under the authority of derisive rulers. It also causes him to fall into debt. 37) Mashiach will come in the merit of the women having guarded against immorality. At that time, people will not be dependent upon each other [for sustenance, as there will be abundant blessing from Above] and the glory of the righteous will increase. 38) The use of magic and unholy divination leads to immorality. 39) A man who has relations with a non-Jewess transfers all blessing over to the Other Side. 40) Infidelity leads to forgetfulness. 41) The way to make amends for wasting seed is to try and bring people back to God in repentance. 42) The Holy One grants merit to the person who guards the sign of the Covenant even if he hasn't any merit from his ancestors. 43) Illicit thoughts come from a lack of faith 44) The sins of magic and adultery cause the Tzaddik to be taken from the world. 45) Children born from adultery will be obliged to make use of magic. 46) Children born through the use of magic will be immoral. 47) People guilty of lewd behavior are usually opponents of the Tzaddikim. 48) Masturbating is like sacrificing one's children to idolatry. Such a person will suffer the judicial punishment of stoning. 49)

Behaving immorally causes a person to lose his memory. 50) Behaving immorally causes one to lose his feelings of shame for having done wrong. 51) Gluttony leads to immoral behavior. 52) A person who sins will later feel remorse because of the holy spark within him. However, one who violates the sign of the Covenant feels no remorse afterwards, because the holy spark has already left him. 53) By not violating the Covenant, a person keeps his memory sound. 54) Swearing falsely produces illicit thoughts. 55) One who accepts being a guarantor for a wicked person turns to immorality. 56) A man who destroys his seed becomes penniless. 57) Incest leads to murder. B 1) Incarceration and pain in one's legs are punishments for immorality. When a disciple who is unqualified to instruct others does so anyway, he is also punished with one of these afflictions, as well as being placed at the mercy of evil forces. 2) A person involved in dispute succumbs to immoral desires. 3) Having relations with one's wife on days when this is forbidden causes a person to be imprisoned. 4) Lustful desires cause constipation which then brings leprosy. 5) Doing favors for others removes a person's lustful desires, whereas [bringing harm to others increases these desires]. 6) One who is sexually pure becomes the source of [all the world's] blessings. 7) A person who guards the Covenant merits understanding the seventy languages hidden in the Torah . 8) It is forbidden to find merit in those guilty of homosexuality. 9) A person prospers financially in accordance with [the holiness which he exercises in] sexual matters. 10) When a person is idle and does nothing constructive, his sexual desires increase and he spends all his time speaking of filthy matters. 11)

One who guards the sign of the Covenant is allowed to rejoice when seeing his enemies fall. 12) The perils of traveling come about when a person blemishes the sign of the Covenant, as hinted in the verse, "You have measured my going and my lying down, [and You are acquainted with all my ways"] (Psalms 139:3). 13) A woman who has been the object of a sexual advancement, even if nothing came of it, is nevertheless affected by the suggestion itself. 14) By closing one's eyes so as not to look at evil, a person saves himself from humiliation. 15) Prostitution leads to murder. 16) Illicit behavior with gentiles leads to apostasy. 17) The daughter of a person whose authority is self appointed will prostitute herself. 18) The majority of accountants arefilledwithlustfuldesires. 19) By refraining from gazing at women, a man will be rewarded with offspring who will one day author commentaries on the Torah. NIDAH MENSTRUATION A 1) A woman with an abnormally heavy menstrual flow talks too much. [In order to lessen the flow she should make use of the following suggestions]: refrain from appearing beautiful in public, bathe in springwater, not overly exert herself, avoid anger, give charity after her ritual immersion, drink goat's milk, scrub herself with goat hairs when bathing and perfume herself with frankincense. Her husband should perform the mitzvah of handwashing meticulously, learn the Tractate Nidah and afterwards recite the daily psalm [sung in the Holy Temple], and wash himself with things brought up from the river's depths. 2) A woman whose menstrual flow is heavy should write down the words lo echod, -inx x5 [from the verse (job 14:4), "Who can bring the pure from the impure? lo echod not one"] and carry it around with her. 3) When a woman is licentious, her menstrual cycle becomes irregular and she experiences an abnormally heavy flow. 4) When a woman's menstrual period is begun by an unexpected show of blood, it is because of a sin which her husband committed. B

1) A woman who wants to restore her menstrual cycle should fast. 2) Hospitality is a segulah for returning a woman's menses [so that she can again bear children]. 3) When a person's living comes from the business he does with gentiles during their holiday season, or even at other times of the year but involves his doing something which establishes their idolatry, his wife's menstrual flow will begin soon after her ritual immersion. NEFILAH SPIRITUAL DECLINE A 1) Sometimes, a person's level declines when he reaches his later years. 2) When one is appointed to be a tax collector, his level falls. 3) Jealousy causes one's level to decline. 4) A person's jealousy prevents him from progressing steadily. At times, he is able to pray fervently and study diligently, while at other times prayer and Torah study are like a heavy burden for him. 5) When a person finds himself unable to express his prayers with the fluency he is accustomed to, he should see this as a sign of an impending decrease in his sustenance. He is in need of much lovingkindness and salvation so that God will provide him with his livelihood. 6) A person's great yearning for something shows itself when he expresses it in the form of an oath. 7) When a person feels secure in his sinful behavior he will stumble and fall. 8) When you wholeheartedly begin performing a mitzvah, you will complete it unharmed. 9) When a person falls from his fear of God, it is an indication that his fear was not pure in the first place. 10) A person's lust for money brings on his decline. 11) Guarding yourself from stealing, swearing and falsehood will keep you from falling in your spiritual development. 12) A person who prays in a congregation which also includes some wicked men, will at times be adversely affected by them. A segulah for preventing such a decline is to raise one's hands Heavenward while praying.

13) A person loses his fervor in serving God because he despises the Tzaddik. 14) The Tzaddik who guides others truthfully will not lose his prestige. 15) One who is honored despite his attempts to flee from honors will certainly not fall nor descend from prominence. 16) By attaching oneself to the Tzaddikim, a person ensures that his level won't decline. B 1) A person falls while walking because his guardian angels have left him. 2-3) A Jew who desires a gentile woman should expect to either suffer some type of downfall or have illness effect his wife and children. NIVUL PEH OBSCENE LANGUAGE A 1) A person who uses obscenities reveals that in his heart he has been thinking sinful thoughts. 2) Obscene language leads to flattery. 3) The sin of vulgar language brings a renewal of suffering and harsh decrees: the young men of Israel die, orphans and widows cry out but are not answered. 4) Even a sealed verdict for seventy years of good life will be overturned when one uses obscenities. Indeed, the bowels of hell will be deepened for him. This fate also awaits the person who hears [vulgarity spoken] but remains silent. 5) Obscene language is even worse than the act itself. NE'HENEH ME'ACHERIM BENEFITTING FROM OTHERS A 1) Even though the money which a Tzaddik receives from an evil man could be stolen money, the Tzaddik may still accept it. This is so that this man does not [try to] find himself some wicked scholar to call a Tzaddik, give him the money, and then take issue with the true Tzaddik. 2) Once it became common practice to take presents from others, man's lifespan grew shorter. 3)

Never embarrass a person once he has done you some favor. 4) One who uses a heavy hand when exercising authority over the Jewish People will eventually become dependent upon others. 5) A person who works for the good of the people may receive benefits from them and they should assist him. 6) By accepting favors from a friend you will also [have to] bear the suffering for his sins. 7) One who refuses to accept money from others will merit living to raise all his children. 8) A king may raise funds required for his expenditures by taxing his nation. 9) A person should work at some means of livelihood so that he will not eventually be forced to interrupt his Torah study [altogether]. 10) An outright request for a reward is like stealing. 11) The entire world turns dark f or the person who envies his friend's possessions. His life is no life at all. 12) Only a person with a neshamah, an upper soul, derives [true] pleasure from the sense of smell. B 1) The labor of one's own hands is so great that it saves a person from murder. 2) A person who despises taking presents has no fear of being libeled. NEGINAH SONG B 1) When the fame of the Tzaddikim spreads in the world, it inspires the composing of new songs. 2) The Levites had a special song for each day of the week. Nowadays, being in exile, we no longer remember these tunes, but whenever some tragedy befalls any nation it revives that particular tune of the Levites which [guarded] against this misfortune. 3) Sad tunes, those which contain cries of sorrow, have the ability to free captives, as in, "motzee asirim b'kosharot - he takes out the captives with prosperity" (Psalms 68:7). [The word b'ksharot is phonetically similar to b'khy and sheerot - crying and songs]. 4) From the songs a person sings, one can tell if he has dedicated himself to Torah study.

5) Drinking rouses a person to sing and play instruments, while eating does not. This is because when the Jewish People [were in the desert, they] sang the praise of God over the well and not for the manna [which they were given to eat]. NISAYON A TEST B 1) God tests a person in order to bring him prestige and fame. 2) When a person wants to inspire others to serve God but has not reached a level of righteousness and has no ancestral merit, he should avoid being tested. He should particularly keep from arousing the jealousy of the wicked. 3) If a person rules over his evil inclination, his children will not follow evil ways and because of this he will prosper monetarily and not be put to a test. NER TOMID AN OLIVE OIL LAMP B 1) In reward for keeping an olive oil light burning constantly, a person will be spared from a decree of forced conversion. SAMEKH THE OMER COUNTING MYSTERIES HOLY BOOKS DIVINE REMEDY SEFIRAT HA'OMER THE OMER COUNTING B 1) Counting the Omer saves one from being banished [from his homeland]. 2) It is all the more important to immerse [in a mikveh] after an emission during the weeks of the Omer counting. 3) The period of the Omer counting is a propitious time for defeating an informer. This is alluded to by the word L'OMER, which forms an acronym for "Me'igra Rama L'bira O'mikta - from a high place down to a deep pit." SOD MYSTERIES

B 1) By deeply studying the Torah's mysteries, you can bring barren women to bear children and heal serious diseases. SEFER HOLY BOOKS B 1) When a person refrains from authoring some holy work which he is capable of producing, it is as if he remains childless. 2) Those who author holy works should carefully weigh the contents of their work to see if there is sufficient material for a book. For the value of any book comes only from those parts which were written with a "binding of souls," as in, "Herein is recorded the history of mankind' (Genesis 5:1). If but a minimum of the book was written in this way, it is not worthy of publication. 3) Those with insight are ab - le to determine by looking into a holy book if its original teachings belonged entirely to the author or if they already existed but were never recorded because in and of themselves they were insufficient for forming an entire work. [If the latter is true,] then the original ideas were revealed to this author so that he might bring them into print. Actually, he did not work for these insights, which came easily because someone else had already labored to discover them. 4) When a new book is printed, the crying it took to produce it - which is the aspect of, "and mixed my drink with crying" (Psalms 102:10) - overcomes the nations' evil decrees against us. Indeed, the essential strength of their rule stems only from the time Esav cried [when Yaakov took his blessing]. This can be extracted from the verse, "And the number of the Jewish People will be like the grains of sand in the sea" (Hosea 2:1). [The word mispar -idon can also be read mi'sefer -idon, a holy book; and the words "B'nai Yisrael K'chol Hayatn - the Jewish People will be like the grains of sand in the sea" form an acrostic for B'KhiYaH, crying.] 5) By refraining from gazing at women, a man will be rewarded with offspring who will one day author commentaries on the Torah. 6) It is actually beneficial that certain of the holy books written by righteous authors, including Tanaim and other past Tzaddikim, have been lost and forgotten from the world. Their disappearance is the cause for many books on apostasy and heretical thought to be uprooted and erased from existence. The loss of these holy works also serves to eliminate the jealousy and hatred that may have arisen between husband and wife who have conducted themselves according to the principles of holiness. 7) When a great book appears in the world, it causes barren women to bear children. This is alluded to in the verse, "Herein is recorded the history of mankind" (Genesis 5:1); [alernatively translated: "This book is the birth of man."]

SEGULAH DIVINE REMEDY B 1) The feathers of wild birds of prey are a segulah for curing diseased lungs and for strengthening vitality. 2) The heavens change in appearance to match the different grasses which grow because of them. It is a segulah to gaze Heavenward. 3) Rainwater is a segulah for virility. 4) Reciting Psalms is a segulah for bringing the rains. [This can be seen from the Hebrew word for] Psalms - TeHiLiM which is an acronym of "Lim'tar Hashamayim Tishteh Mayim [the Land of Israel] drinks water from the rain of Heaven" (Deuteronomy 11:11). 5) Hospitality is a segulah for returning a woman's menses [so that she can again bear children]. 6) An abnormally hairy person is susceptible to much harm and misfortune at the hand of the Other Side. A segulah [for protection] is for him to recite the Torah section read on Yom Kippur (Leviticus, chap. 16). 7) A person who has suddenly lost his ability to speak should have a knife which is suitable for use in ritual slaughtering passed over his mouth. 8) A segulah for a woman who has difficulty in childbirth is to hang the cemetery key around her neck. This key is also a segulah for[countering] barrenness. 9) A segulah for a person suffering from a neck ailment is to cry over the destruction of the Holy Temple. 10) A segulah for a person moving to a new house is to bring into it a sword, or a knife or some other type of weapon. A hint to this is found in the verse "A house is built with ChoKhMah, wisdom" (Proverbs 24:3); the letters being an acronym for "Klei Chomos Me'cheiroteihem - weapons are their wares" (Genesis 49:5). [The explanation of me'cheiroteihem is alternatively,] their swords or t' eir p aces of dwelling. 11) Apples are a segulah for those [women] who have difficult births. - A segulah for curing sickness is to gaze upon the strings of the tzitzit. (This is the deeper meaning of the verse, "Behold, your son Yosef comes to you" (Genesis 48:2); whose Hebrew letters allude [through numerology] to the number of strings, twists and ties of the tzitzit (Pri Etz Chayim). [Yaakov was sick at the time he was told of Yosef's arrival, after which] it is written, "And Yaakov recovered.")

- Giving charity generously is a segulah for curing epilepsy. This is alluded to in the words, "Pizar Natan L'evyonim - he has generously given to the poor" (Psalms 112:9); the first letters of which form the word NeFeL, an epileptic (see glossary P). - A segulah for a woman who has difficulty giving birth is for her to bathe her entire body in wine; as in, "when wine enters, that which was hidden comes out" (Eruvin 65a). AYIN HUMILITY AND HUMBLENESS DEPRESSION CONSTIPATION SIN LAZINESS PUNISHMENT ADVICE IMPUDENCE AND DISRESPECT A'NAVAH HUMILITY AND HUMBLENESS A 1) A person who empathizes with the suffering of the Jewish People and prays for them acquires humility. 2) A person's truthfulness earns him humility. 3) Faith leads to humbleness. 4) Having a fixed place in which to pray brings a person to humility and piety. 5) A person's humility causes his prayers to be heard. It is as if he offered all the different sacrifices. 6) One's prestige and importance grows - and continues to grow - because of his humility. 7) Humility brings one long life. 8) When a person is humble, his behavior will not be scrutinized by others. 9) The day you humble yourself is the day that strength, might and exaltedness are added to the hosts Above. 10) When you see that there has been an increase of humility in the world, you can then expect the imminent arrival of Mashiach. 11) A person's humility nullifies his fear of enemies. 12)

Humility eliminates dispute and suffering. 13) When a person is humble, everyone gets along with him. 14) Humility produces grace. 15) A person who is humble is never afraid, even when he finds himself in dire straits. 16) A person who is not humble does not fear God. 17) Humility causes a person to advance and keeps him from falling from his level. 18) A person with a soft heart is better able to humble himself. 19) God remembers the humble person. 20) God fulfills the desires of a humble person. 21) The world only exists because of the person who makes himself as naught. B 1) A segulah for having children is to humble oneself. 2) A man who is very haughty will be [harmed spiritually] like a woman who has been raped. 3) A person's voice indicates whether he is humble or haughty. 4) Sometimes, by lowering oneself or being humbled by others, a person is spared from a decree of death. 5) When a person feels lowly he should realize that a decree of death has been passed against him. ATZVUT DEPRESSION A 1) A person suffers anxieties when the sins of his youth have not been rectified. 2) In the main, a person's suf f ering comes because of [his not having guarded] his tongue. 3) You should talk about your suffering. 4) A fear of death befalls the person who carries worries in his heart. 5)

A person's humbleness eliminates misfortune and sorrow. 6) When a person is depressed, observing the Tzaddikim will bring joy to his heart. 7) Entering the house of a gentile will bring you to depression. 8) Depression makes one weak. 9) A person's face changes because of the evil in his heart. 10) When you suffer anguish on a day of joy and all your happiness has ceased, it is a sign that your ancestral merit has run out. 11) A depressed person should give presents to the Tzaddik on a steady basis. 12) Depression brings [destruction by] fire. 13) An onset of depression is a sign of imminent sickness. 14) The Holy One does not stay with a person who is depressed. 15) Depression causes one to experience an emission. 16) Anger leads to depression. 17) When a person is depressed, he cannot achieve his goals. 18) A person's depression causes him to be despised. 19) When a person cries, he cannot bring himself to eat. 20) A person who is never depressed, but always happy, will certainly gain prestige. 21) Depression brings degradation. 22) It is a good sign when a sick person cries. 23) Sadness causes a person's enemies to be elevated. 24) Sadness brings heartache. 25) The hasty person is a depressed person. 26) Getting closer to Tzaddikim makes the heart happy. 27) A segulah for eliminating depression is to listen to an esteemed Tzaddik singing. 28) A person who does not confess his sins will be beset by sighing and worry. 29) When a person desires things which are against God's will, he is given reason to sigh.

30) Feeling remorse over a bad dream nullifies it. 31) Sound, sight and smell [have the power to] calm a person's mind. 32) When a person calls out to God, he eliminates the cause of his anguish. 33) When a person is depressed, he brings suffering upon himself. 34) Anyone who dwells on his suffering more than is necessary suffers all the more. 35) Eating dates eliminates anxiety. 36) Studying Aggadah makes one happy. B 1) Depression is felt in the heart. This is because the heart - which designs everything [a man does], whether good or otherwise - feels its own wrongdoing. 2) A person must avoid depression so as not to be given reason to mourn. 3) Grief and depression lead to conflict, whereas joy brings peace to the world. 4) When a person's happiness is spoiled he becomes sick. 5) Compassion is a segulah for eliminating depression. 6) Making vows and pledging charity bring happiness. ATZIRUT CONSTIPATION A 1) Constipation leads to thoughts of idolatry, 2) When a person suffers a deadly disease, he should clean out his intestines. 3) Constipation harms the eyes. AVERAH SIN A 1) Certain sins are brought on by the place [in which they were performed]. 2)

A person who deliberately sins [will eventually be humiliated in public. He, in turn,] gets angry at those [in whose eyes he has been disgraced]. ATZLUT LAZINESS A 1) When a person is unable to satisfy his desires he grows lazy. The reverse is also true: [he cannot fulfill his desires precisely because he is lazy]. 2) Zealousness removes sleep and awakens the mind. ONESH PUNISHMENT A 1) A person is sometimes punished even in the performance of a mitzvah. This is because he previously passed up an opportunity to fulfill just such a positive command. 2) A person sometimes unknowingly passes judgement on himself [by being asked to select a fitting punishment for someone else] 3) There are times when a person is killed because he failed to speak out on behalf of someone who is unjustly despised. 4) A person will sometimes be punished for having engaged in some illegal business practice, or because [he has been included in] a harsh decree passed against his neighbors or nation. 5) The Holy One hastens to exact punishment from an ungrateful person; punishing him at the hands of another ingrate. 6) A person bitten by a dog has either accepted malicious gossip or spoken it. ETZAH ADVICE A 1) Seek advice only from someone well versed in the mysteries of the Torah. 2) It is good to seek the counsel of elders. 3) A person who gives his friend unsuitable advice will be beset by thoughts of idolatry. 4) Do not take advice from someone who is full of evil thoughts. 5) By taking advice from a rabbi, you will be helped.

6) When you see that [even] your friends refuse to help you, you should realize that all counsel will prove futile. 7) When you help other Jews, the advice you receive will prove beneficial. 8) Counsel is best taken in open fields. 9) When a man follows his wife's [sinister] advice, he will go to hell. 10) Seek [spiritual] advice only from a man and not from a woman. AZUT IMPUDENCE AND DISRESPECT A 1) A person turns impudent after having sinned deliberately. 2) Anger breeds disrespect. 3) An impudent person will not accept reproof. 4) impudence hardens a person's heart: clearly, he has not yet made amends for his ancestors' sins. 5) An impudent person can reform himself by wearing tefillin which were worn on the head of a Tzaddik. 6) A righteous man is made to be the object of a wicked man's disrespect only so that the righteous man should scrutinize his own behavior. 7) When a person is disrespectful, it shows that he is never satisfied with his lot. 8) Torah is a rectification for impudence. 9) A man's impudence causes drought and attests to his having sinned in the past and that he will do so again. It is permissible to call him wicked and to despise him, as his soul belongs to the 974 generations [which were to be created before the world but which the Holy One distributed gradually throughout all successive generations]. 10) Disrespect, even towards Heaven, helps a person get his way [in that he is given the freedom to go against God's will]. [Impudence] is like "a king with no crown." B 1) When people treat the Torah Sages disrespectfully, it is a sure sign that great wars will break out in the land. 2)

A person suffers headaches because he has shown disrespect for one of King David's PEH FEAR REDEEMING CAPTIVES ABSTAINING FROM WORLDLY PLEASURES HALAKHIC CODIFIERS PACHAD FEAR A 1) At the very moment a wicked person is stricken by fear, the Holy One is fulfilling the desires of a Tzaddik. 2) A person who is afraid makes mistakes. 3) Trust in God and you will be saved from fears. 4) Remembering our forefather Abraham is a segulah for eliminating fear. 5) Giving charity eliminates fear. 6) Reciting the words, "HaShem Tevakot - God of Hosts," is a segulah for eliminating fear. 7) Fear nullifies a person's haughtiness. 8) Fear saps a person's strength. 9) A person with intelligence need not be frightened by insignificant sounds. 10) Even if a person cannot see what is terrifying him, his mazal sees. To dispel this fear he should either jump away four steps; recite the Sh'ma Yisrael; or say, "The goat in the slaughterhouse is fatter than I am (Megillah 3a)." 11) A person who is afraid should sing happy songs. 12) Picturing God's name, "Elohim" in your mind's - eye will dispel any fears you may have. 13) One who consumes money belonging to Jews will be beset by fears. 14) A person who is lax in reciting the required blessings before and after eating will be plagued by fears. 15) By trusting in God you will not become frightened. 16) The beaten willow branch [of Hoshanah Rabbahl is a segulah for dispelling fear.

17) One who is attentive to and fulfills the verdict of a Jewish court is saved from fears. 18) Immersing in a mikvah 310 times or giving a present to a Tzaddik dispels one's fears. 19) Speaking truthfully saves a person from nighttime fears. 20) By being humble, You will not become frightened. 21) When the inhabitants of a house are terrified, it indicates that the Other Side has a portion therein. 22) Whenever a feeling of fear is followed by an outbreak of fires, it is an indication that the fear will be dispelled. 23) Fear comes because of flattery. 24) When the Jews are united, the nations are afraid of them. 25) When the Jews forget God and no longer rely upon Him, they become frightened of the nations. 26) Anxiety produces fear. 27) A person's fears lead him to tell lies. 28) The light of a candle is a segulah for [dispelling] fear. 29) Taking pride in one's wealth brings fear. 30) Fear comes because of anger. 31) Anxiety and fear clog the heart. 32) Studying Torah while sitting at a meal saves a person from fear. 33) When a person is afraid, it is a sign that the Holy One has hidden His face from him and that he has been beset by harsh judgements. 34) A person who does not confess his sins will be plagued by fears. B 1) When a person is stricken by fear, he should realize that some trouble has befallen one of his contemporaries. 2) Sometimes, a person becomes frightened prior to receiving some good. 3) One who flees from trouble is wise.

4) After having frightening dreams at night, don't take to the road on the [following] day. 5) When a person's death is imminent, even if he is perfectly healthy and doesn't know that a decree of death has been passed against him, he will nevertheless experience fears and will [unwittingly] say that his death is at hand. PIDYON SHAVUYIM REDEEMING CAPTIVES A 1) A person's haughtiness causes him to be taken captive. 2) Refute the words of idolators! By acknowledging their ideas you will fall into their hands. 3) Attributing a statement to its originator brings redemption to the world. 4) By redeeming captives, those who have been led astray by the redeemer will also be gathered in. 5) A person who does not leave his house is like a captive. 6) For the sin of homosexuality a person is taken captive. 7) When a person shows compassion for captives, God saves him from death. 8) When a person is held captive, his soul is also in captivity Above. 9) One who comes to the Tzaddik for advice and then violates it, will be taken captive. 10) When a person feeds the starving, the Holy One saves him from being jailed. 11) One who does not rectify the sins of his youth will be taken prisoner. 12) A person who has often circumcised children or has regularly Provided the food required by a poor man to make a meal in honor of his son's circumcision will be saved from imprisonment. B 1-2) Incarceration and pain in one's legs are punishments for immorality. When a disciple who is unqualified to instruct others does so anyway, he is also punished with one of these afflictions, as well as being placed at the mercy of evil forces. Giving charity is a segulah for nullifying these afflictions. 3) A person who doesn't plead for mercy for his friend falls into captivity. He can redeem himself by providing food for some living creature.

4) Having relations with one's wife on days when this is forbidden causes a person to be imprisoned. 5) When a Jew is taken captive, the wise men of the generation are no longer able to draw from the wellsprings of wisdom which he brings into the world. The opposite is true when he is freed from captivity. 6) Sometimes, by being taken captive a man is spared the loss of his children. 7) A person guilty of slander will be punished with imprisonment. 8) While in captivity, a person's hair and clothing acquire a foul spirit which makes him both repugnant and contemptuous. 9) Exerting oneself to redeem captives is a segulah for having children. 10) [The strength of] all the generation's leaders are united in the person who works to redeem captives. PRISHUT ABSTAINING FROM WORLDLY PLEASURES B 1) A person who abstains from worldly pleasures and then retracts from his asceticism falls into even greater physical desires than beforehand. 2) Abstinence produces satisfaction. 3) When a person abstains from sexual relations, it is as if he fasted. 4) When a person abstains from his wife on the night of her ritual immersion, he will turn sick and spit up blood. POSEK HALAKHIC CODIFIERS B 1) When a person [masters] the study of Poskim, so that he is able to instruct others, through this he causes a number of barren women to conceive. 2) Studying the Shulchan Arukh brings one to the fear of God. 3) Studying Halakhic Codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry. 4) Whenever a wicked man prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new insights into Jewish law. [His success also has an effect on court cases, in that] the litigants cannot accept the judge's verdict.

TZADIK CHARITY A RIGHTEOUS MAN TZEDAKAH CHARITY A 1) All the charity and kindness which the Jews do in this world creates advocates and produces great harmony between Israel and their Father in Heaven. 2-4) So great is charity that it hastens the Final Redemption, saves the giver from death and enables him to receive the Divine Countenance. 5-7) [One who gives charity] becomes, as it were, a creditor for God. His fortune is enhanced and he is called a "perfect Tzaddik." 8) Giving charity enables one to turn from bad ways. 9) It is a greater mitzvah to support those who occupy themselves in Torah study than to provide for those who do not. With regards to the letter of the law, however, no differentiation should be made. 10) Removing a stolen item from a neighbor's possession is like giving charity. 11) Compromise is a form of judgement which contains the quality of charity. 12) Giving charity to a poor person who does not deserve it carries no reward. 13) You should always be grateful to the person who gives you something: never say that it was not his [but came from God]. 14) Charity is equal to all the other mitzvot combined. 15) Getting others [to give] is even greater than giving oneself. 16) Small amounts of charity [will eventually] add up to a large sum. 17) One who conceals his charitable deeds is even greater than Moses. 18) The person who gives even a penny to charity receives six blessings: the one who consoles a poor man is rewarded eleven times over. 19) The Holy One makes certain that the person who is eager to give charity receives the money to donate and appropriate paupers are sent his way so that he will be rewarded for his benevolence. Such a person is also rewarded with children who will be wealthy, wise and masters of the Aggadah. 20)

On Rosh Hashanah it is determined how much each person will lose during the coming year. If he is worthy, he gives it away to poor people. 21) Jerusalem will be redeemed through charity. 22) The evil Ahab had half his sins forgiven because he gave charity. 23) Hospitality saves one from the sins of idolatry. 24) So great is the mitzvah of hospitality that it has the power to draw near to God those who are far [from Him] and yet distance those who are close, [but who are inhospitable]. 25) A Jew who hosts an idolator in his home causes his children to suffer exile. 26) When people are not charitable, the government will invariably issue evil decrees, taking away their money. 27) Give charity with both hands and your prayers will be heard. 28) By being generous, you will move up [in the world]. 29) Charity fosters faith. 30-31) One who goes about collecting charity causes wrath to be abated from the world. He also merits truth. 32) By giving charity, you will be blessed with children and there will be harmony amongst them. 33) The land's produce blossoms in the merit of charity. 34) Charity hastens salvation. 35) In time of trouble, a person's charitable deeds are recalled. 36) When you give charity, officials and rulers will be sympathetic to you. 37) By giving charity, a person is spared from injustice, oppression and misfortune. 38) Giving charity brings one grace. 39) A person who speaks to others about giving charity increases salvation [in the world]. 40) A town in which there is no one to support the poor will suffer from an outbreak of fires. 41) In reward for his benevolence, a person is saved from haughtiness. 42) Having faith in God is reckoned like giving charity.

43) You can acquire the quality of modesty by giving charity for Heaven's sake. 44) A person's benevolence brings him to feel love for the Tzaddikim. 45) One who steals from a poor man brings disgrace upon himself. 46) Giving charity is tantamount to bringing a sacrifice. 47) Charity brings the rains [needed for the land's produce to prosper]. 48) When they give charity, the Jews will not be exiled from their land. 49) When people give charity, the land's produce prospers and there is peace in the world. 50) By being truthful, your charitable deeds are noticed [Above]. 51) Giving charity protects one's offspring. 52) When one prays for his neighbor, he is credited with having given charity. 53) The prophecy (job 20:22-29), "In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be pained ... [Heaven will reveal his sin ... The abundance of his house shall depart ... I This is the lot of a wicked man ... " will be applied to the person who has enough for all his needs but [selfishly] begrudges the poor who approach him with outstretched hands. It will also be fulfilled in the person who enables others to enter into a business venture by giving them half of what they require, but when they, through their efforts, earn enough to repay him and have sufficient livelihood besides, he is pained [by their success]. 54) When a person performs kind deeds for those who love God, he repairs the blemishes brought on by his immoral behavior. 55) The merit of the poor saves us from the gentiles. 56) When doing a mitzvah [which involves some expense], see to it that you pay a full price and don't try to get it for nothing. 57) Rains are held back and prices rise because people have failed to tithe their wealth. 58) Giving charity happily is a sign of a complete heart. 59) Keep giving: - for as long as you find [people in need]; - for as long as you have [what to give]; - and for as long as you [have the power to do so]. 60) Anyone who gives all his tithes to one particular kohain brings hunger to the world. 61)

One who provides a Torah scholar with all his needs earns himself a place in the Academy of Heaven. 62) Charity is greater than all the sacrifices. 63) Acts of kindness are even greater than giving charity. 64) Should you think that anyone who is eager to give charity is given the opportunity and immediately sent truly deserving paupers, the verse therefore uses the expression "how precious" to teach that we must exert ourselves and search after such worthy paupers. Indeed, deserving paupers through whom a person can gain merit are hard to find. 65) Charity has two facets to it: [A person who doesn't have much but is very generous should give] in line with his generosity and [a person to whom God has granted wealth but is not particularly generous should give] in line with God's blessing. 66) When a person has enough for his own needs but chooses to take from others instead, he is made to repay after his death, remaining indebted to the one from whom he took. 67) Even by giving charity, a person has no guarantee that he won't become poor. 68) Closing one's eyes to giving charity is tantamount to serving idols. 69) The person who diminishes his wealth for charity is spared from the judgement of hell. 70) Even a poor man should give charity; then the signs of poverty will no longer be his lot. B 1) Incarceration and pain in one's legs are punishments for immorality. When a disciple who is unqualified to instruct others does so anyway, he is also punished with one of these afflictions, as well as being placed at the mercy of evil forces. Giving charity is a segulah for nullifying these afflictions. 2) Studying Torah, giving tithes and keeping the Sabbath also provide material benefits. 3) By giving charity, a person can defeat his enemies with a minimum of effort, as God will save him from even their greatest attacks. 4) Helping a Torah scholar nullifies the dictates of astrology. 5) The merit of those who support the poor saves the masses from plague. It is also in their merit that expanded consciousness precedes [rather than follows] constricted consciousness. 6) Charity sweetens the harsh judgements destined for the future on the Day of Great judgement.

7) There are those whose acts of kindness occasionally produce negative effects. When they pretend not to see the harm brought on by their kindness, they cause the harsh judgements from Above to be enacted without moderation. This coincides with the warning given to the priesthood - a priest being the "aspect" of lovingkindness - not to take hurried steps [while performing the Temple service]. However, when care is taken that no harm comes from their kindness, this fosters moderation in the judgement. 8) Those who want to reveal their original insights into the Torah should study the Codifiers [of Jewish Law] beforehand and then again afterwards. This study of the Law will protect their insights from being affected by foreign influences. This same procedure should also be followed when a person wants to perform some act of charity. 9) Original Torah insights arouse the giving of charity and vice versa. 10) So great is the power of tithing that it can turn a curse into a blessing. 11) Tithing eliminates immoral thoughts [from the mind]. 12) A person whose deeds are filled with kindness has no need of ancestral merit. 13) Doing favors for others brings a person long life. 14) Certain prayers are accepted Above only after sufficient money, equivalent to the number of letters in the appropriate prayer, is given to charity. For example, when a person prays, "Give me children," he must contribute a sum equal to the letters of these very words. 15) By giving charity one merits having children. 16) One who provides support for many people draws a blessing from Eretz Yisrael to the diaspora. 17) Because of the charity given to the poor people of Eretz Yisrael, a person prospers monetarily. 18) When a person moves to a new place, he should distribute meat to the poor inhabitants there. Doing so will earn him grace in the eyes of the town's leaders. 19) Donating coins [to charity] saves a person from the Evil Inclination. TZADDIK A RIGHTEOUS MAN A 1) Should you find that a Tzaddik has left something unperfected, don't be surprised. This is God's doing, so that the Tzaddik leaves an area through which his son can later gain prominence.

2) There are times when the interruption of Torah study [actually] enforces it. 3) [A Tzaddik will] accept presents from the wicked so that they might repent. 4) The Tzaddikim use their merit to benefit the world, but not themselves. 5) It is common for a Tzaddik to do something which will make him another Tzaddik's teacher. 6) Seeing the faces of the generation's leaders is greatly beneficial. 7) A Tzaddik will be punished when he fails to pray for his generation. 8) The person who teaches Torah to an unsuitable student is called wicked. 9) The manner in which the Sages speak brings health and prosperity. A person should therefore learn to speak as they do. 10) When a person teaches Torah to others, the Torah is revealed to him effortlessly. 11) It is common for a Tzaddik to complain when one of his disciples draws closer to another Tzaddik in order to gain prestige. 12) When drawing closer to Tzaddikim involves [overcoming] difficulties, it is all the more beneficial for serving the Creator. 13) There are times when Heaven shows the Tzaddik something which is only imaginary. 14) Doing a favor for someone who is unaware of it is like "throwing a stone at Mercury," [a form of idolworshipl. 15) Each person should practice [the Torah] as it was taught to him by his rabbi. 16) There are times when God will bring a number of Tzaddikim together in one place so that the discomfort caused by their mutual infringement brings them to develop as they should. 17) One who does not neglect his physical needs will be worthy of having students. 18) There are Tzaddikim who, [even though] their fame has spread far and wide, will afterwards fall. This is because of their lust for wealth. 19) One who cherishes God will record all the names of the Tzaddikim, Tanaim and Godfearing Jews in a book to remember them. 20) "Why do the Tzaddikim accept benefits from others in order to have the members of their household live in splendor and glory? Wouldn't it be better to forgo such a lifestyle and not be obliged to take from others?" This should not trouble you. All the pleasures and satisfaction which the Tzaddik experiences actually serves to elevate his

soul, thereby providing the Holy One's Shekhinah with a place of tranquility and rest. Therefore, one should never come to the home [of a Tzaddik] emptyhanded. 21) When you want a Tzaddik to pray for you, go to a Tzaddik who is compassionate. 22) You are obligated to refer to the most famous leader of the generation as "my master," even if you are greater than he is. 23) When a Tzaddik falls upon some misfortune, he should ask another Tzaddik to pray on his behalf. 24) Even if those who travel to be with the Tzaddik do not receive any Torah lesson from him, they are rewarded for having made the journey. 25) A person who does not attend Torah scholars deserves to die. 26) The Tzaddik can elevate the dead to a very high level. 27) When a person travels to be with a Torah scholar, the journey itself rectifies the wrongs he committed [by failing to recite any of the required] Blessings for Enjoyments. 28) Anyone who is in a position to prevent [others from sinning] but does not, is punished for their sins. 29) It is improper to accept the authority of others in the Tzaddik's presence. 30) Anyone who is apathetic at the eulogy of a Torah scholar will not live long. 31) [The extent to which] the Tzaddik has the ability to exact punishment is proportionate with his mazal. 32) When a Tzaddik dies, he leaves behind a void [in the world] proportionate to the attributes by which he lived. 33) The disciples of a Tzaddik receive their livelihood in his merit. 34) When one hears a Torah lesson from the Tzaddik, it is as if he delivered it himself. 35) The death of a Tzaddik is as much a tragedy as the burning of God's Temple. 36) If a Torah scholar is fitting, learn from him; if not, part from his company. 37) One should not let his eyes fall upon his teacher's [nakedness] in the bathhouse, or in any other similar situation. 38) There are times when two Tzaddikim are on equal par, yet great mysteries are only revealed to one of them. You should realize that the reason one is not shown is because his merit is required [elsewhere,] to protect others. 39)

It is better to draw close to a Tzaddik who is compassionate. 40) One who attends to the needs of a great person is saved from death. 41) A person who teaches a Torah Law in the presence of his rabbi deserves to die, and by right should be bitten by a snake. He is called a sinner and should be removed from a position of status. [Eventually,] he will descend to hell, childless. source from which 42) Once you have ascertained that the you draw wisdom - your rabbi - is blessed and suitable, don't substitute or exchange it for another. 43) Each person should behave in a manner consistent with the blessing given to his tribe [by the patriarch Jacob]. 44) The wellspring of Torah departs from the Tzaddik when there is a wicked person in his home. 45) In the merit of the Tzaddik buried in their midst, all those buried outside the Holy Land will be resurrected without suffering. 46) Benefitting the Tzaddik with one's money is tantamount to performing the service of the Holy Temple. 47) There are some Tzaddikim who are never known by the title rabbi. 48) When the Tzaddik says something which remains unfulfilled because its time has not yet come, his words are engraved Above without shining brightly. However, once the time has come for his words to be realized, they begin to shine brilliantly. 49) One who benefits the Torah scholar should strengthen [his faith] so as not to lose his respect for this scholar. 50) Denying Torah from one's student is tantamount to stealing his inheritance. [Everyone] curses such a teacher, even the fetus in the womb, and his body will be riddled with holes like a sieve. However, by teaching his pupil, he is rewarded with great blessing, like Joseph, and he merits teaching Torah in the World to Come. 51) A person who does not use his wealth to benefit a Torah scholar will never see a blessing in what he owns. 52) One who ridicules the words of the Sages is punished with death. 53) Being close to the Tzaddikim is beneficial in this world and in the next. 54) The Tzaddik has the power to decree Heaven for one person and hell for another. 55) It is worth expending even a great deal of time in order to spend but one hour in the proximity of a Tzaddik. 56)

When a person begins to lose the use of his physical senses, he should beware of his impending death or some [Similar] misfortune. 57) There are those who can create beautiful Torah expositions and yet not be in tune with the truth. 58) One Tzaddik can elevate the Torah lesson of another Tzaddik. 59) When a Tzaddik originates an insight into the Torah, the Holy One repeats it in his name. 60) The words of wise Tzaddikim are more precious than the words of Torah and the Prophets. You must obey them even if these Tzaddikim do not [try to impress you] by performing some miracle. 61) One who praises the Tzaddik will be blessed. 62) Everything which happens in a town depends upon the Tzaddik living there. 63) [Even though it is forbidden to turn a student of the Jewish Law into one's attendant,] the Tzaddik may use him as his attendant, but only after he has taught this student something new. 64) One who brings an ignorant person under the Tzaddik's influence will be rewarded. 65) When a person goes out to greet his rabbi, he is rewarded with eternal life. 66) There are times when a person receives [God's] help as long as he keeps praying. Once he stops, the Holy One does as He sees fit. 67) Giving a present to a Torah scholar is like bringing a firstfruit offering. 68) Do not try to force God's hand. 69) One who loves the Tzaddik must keep him from getting a bad reputation. 70) The Tzaddik despises the favors of wicked men. 71) Do not beseech or pressure your Maker as long as it is possible to achieve what you want by doing something yourself. 72) As long as a Tzaddik is still in this world, his portion of Paradise is being used by the Tzaddikim already there. 73) There are certain disciples whose very essence is dependent upon the merit of the Tzaddik. When the I'zaddik dies, they either die or are punished. 74) Those who were followers of the Tzaddik during his lifetime will be his followers evenafterhis deathortheirs. 75)

When a person was close to one Tzaddik and then becomes a follower of a second Tzaddik, the Torah taught him by the first Tzaddik troubles him. 76) Occasionally, a Tzaddik [must] die in order to subdue some harsh decree from Above. 77) Who merits the World to Come? One who is honored for his wisdom. 78) A person who gives charity is able to turn from bad ways. 79) You need not chastise and chase away a student who refuses to follow the proper path. Rather, bring him closer to you. This will benefit your other pupils and eventually he will also take heed. 80) A person sometimes dies before his time because of the Tzaddik's complaints against him. 81) It is possible to be a great Tzaddik even without being very learned. 82) A person who does not believe in the words of the Tzaddikim and certainly one who ridicules them deserves to be punished. 83) The Tzaddik is permitted to discourage a person who wants to get closer to him but who poses questions unnecessarily. 84) Before publicly delivering a Torah lesson, the Tzaddik may say things which will endear his words to his listeners. 85) [Though Heaven decrees who will be] a person's first marriage partner, even this can be changed through prayer. 86) In this world, anyone who wants to get closer [to the Tzaddik] can do so. But in the World to Come, only those who were already followers are brought closer. 87) When a person refuses to respond to the Tzaddik's attempts to draw him closer, the Tzaddik has every right to push him away. 88) The Tzaddik can punish his offender with death even for [nothing more than] feeling that he's been slighted, and even if he is mistaken. 89) That which you hear directly from the Tzaddik is more beneficial than what you learn from a book. 90) A person is better able to understand when he sees the face of the speaker. 91) The Tzaddik's simple statement reveals a great light, making it easy for [even] common people to understand deep wisdom. 92) When a person does not behave properly, you are free to make him your attendant. 93)

The Tzaddik will sometimes elevate a person only to later lower his status. This is for the man's own benefit. 94) There are Tzaddikim known for their goodness and others who are not. Likewise, people call some evil men wicked, while others they do not. 95) It is a disgrace and a humiliation for the generation when its leader has no one tending to his affairs. 96) Teaching others [how to perform the mitzvot] is preferable to performing them oneself. 97) Don't display piety in front of an important person. 98) You can determine a person I s inner character from his affiliation [to a Tzaddik], provided you have seen [the Tzaddik] he follows. 99) A Tzaddik should not endanger himself by being the only one to pray on his behalf. Rather, he should ask a second Tzaddik to pray with him. 100) The Tzaddik's prayer has the power to save a person from sinning. 101) The Tzaddik is the image of God for his generation. 102) The Tzaddik bears the suffering of those who support him. 103) A person can be a Tzaddik even if he hasn't perfected his trust in God. 104) The Tzaddik is able to enjoy physical pleasures without fearing the Evil Inclination because his Torah study will protect him. 105) A person who does not rise in the presence of his rabbi is called wicked; his days are shortened and he will forget his learning. 106) Do not burden the Holy One when you can find help by some other means. 107) Sometimes, pleasing the Tzaddik just once, and only slightly, is enough to earn the World to Come. 108) A person who has perfect faith in God is capable of pleasing the Tzaddik. 109) One who is free of idolatrous thoughts will always yearn to save the Tzaddikim. 110) When a person wants to benefit the Tzaddik, the Holy One gives him the strength to do it. 111) A Torah scholar who rejects his rabbis has his days shortened. 112) The person who wears the mantle of rabbi when there is someone greater than himself has his days cut short.

113) When a Tzaddik must pray for something he needs but is afraid of those who will dispute his righteousness, he should ask for the very opposite of what he wants. 114) When a wicked man has done something evil and comes to the Tzaddik seeking his approval, the Tzaddik, in order to save himself, may tell him that he has done well. 115) A person's children fall into servitude because he has prevented others from joining the ranks of those who serve God. 116) There are times when the only way to seek mercy for a sick person is by praying that he dies. 117) The Holy One first reveals a hidden aspect of the Torah to the Tzaddik and then says it over in the Tzaddik's name. 118)There are times when the fasting and prayers of the Tzaddik are to no avail. 119) The Tzaddik may violate the boundaries set by others in order [to establish] his own path [in serving God]. 120) There are times when a person whom the Tzaddik loves has been included in a group of people who are destined to die. The Tzaddik has the power to pray for him and save him by putting someone else in his place. 121) The Tzaddik has the power to take from one person and give to another. 122) The Tzaddik's blessing is a redemption. 123) Each Tzaddik [exceils] in his own particular devotion, which even a greater Tzaddik is unable to match. 124) The reason Tzaddikim travel from place to place collecting money is because the words of the Torah are concise in one passage and [explained] extensively elsewhere. 125) Torah scholars live long when they show respect for one another. 126) The prayers of a Tzaddik who is the son of a wicked man cannot measure up to the prayers of a Tzaddik who is the son of a Tzaddik. 127) Testing the Tzaddik is like testing God. 128) All the demands for money which the gentiles make upon the Jews stem only from the disrespect the Jews have shown for the Tzaddik. 129) It is a great honor for the Tzaddik when those who are God's enemies also speak against and argue with him. 130) Faith in the Tzaddik sweetens harsh judgement. 131) The Tzaddik, using God's Torah, teaches Him how to act towards us.

132) A prayer which a person prays while binding himself to the Tzaddikim will be answered. 133) The Holy One pardons the sins of the Jews because of the Tzaddikim. 134) A person's derisiveness prevents him from going to Tzaddikim. 135) By giving charity, a person merits getting closer to the Tzaddikim. 136) There is no Tzaddik who is free from controversy and scrutiny. 137) The wicked man who is too embarrassed to deny the validity of the Tzaddik himself, will instead berate those who follow this Tzaddik. 138) Seeing the face of the Tzaddik sharpens the mind. 139) The person who protects the Tzaddik from suffering wins respect and will benefit from the Tzaddik's righteousness. 140) Hearing a Torah lesson from a Tzaddik gives one vitality. 141) A wicked man who has sinned often can make amends by doing things which bring vitality to the Tzaddik. 142) When a wicked man humbles himself before the Tzaddik, it indicates that some misfortune had been decreed against the Tzaddik but that it is no longer destined to come. 143) Fearing the Tzaddik will enable you to turn from your bad ways. 144) When a wicked man prays for mercy on behalf of a Tzaddik who is in pain, he merits standing at the gates of righteousness in the World to Come. 145) The Holy One will occasionally not listen to the Tzaddik's prayers. This, in order to dissuade the wicked [from repenting], so that they will then remain with their evil ways. 146) Those who quarrel with the Tzaddik forget the Torah. 147) Praising the Tzaddikim is like praising the Holy One. 148) The sounds of war, turmoil and bad news will not be heard in a city which obeys the Tzaddik. 149) Opposition to the Tzaddikim stems from the opposition which [the Tzaddikiml show for each other. 150)

God makes the Tzaddik dependent upon the masses for his livelihood so that the Tzaddik should have some connection to them. Thus, when God remembers the Tzaddik, He also remembers everyone else. 151) Mashiach's coming is dependent upon our getting closer to the Tzaddik. 152) The soul's perfection depends mainly upon getting closer to Tzaddikim. 153) When a person's drawing closer to the Tzaddik lacks simplicity, he will later become the Tzaddik's adversary. 154) While in the presence of the Tzaddik, a person who is a liar wonders how he will ever be able to speak afterwards. 155) Those who speak against the Tzaddik eventually have their words turn on them and they suffer sickness. 156) One who humbles himself before the Tzaddik arouses the Tzaddik's love for him. 157) Telling stories about Tzaddikim brings a person closer to them. 158) The more God rests the spirit of prophecy upon a Tzaddik the more this Tzaddik receives support from the wealthy; and the more support they give him the better the Tzaddik is able to bring the wicked back to God. 159) Tzaddikim are made to suffer so that the wicked will have no claim against the good which God will give the righteous in the World to Come. 160) When God-fearing people join with the Tzaddik, they cause the Holy One and His Shekhinah to unite face to face; after which, there is no descent [from this elevated state]. 161) Praising the Tzaddikim causes the wicked to suffer a great downfall. 162) The Tzaddik's death is brought on by the use of magic and by immoral behavior. 163) People guilty of lewd behavior are usually opponents of the Tzaddikim. 164) When the Tzaddik passes away, people are left [in a spiritual state] akin to impurity and their righteousness is repulsive in God's eyes. 165) When people rise up against the Tzaddik, they incite [Heaven's] wrath and promote an outbreak of fires. 166) There are times when Tzaddikim are made to wander from place to place in order to reveal the existence of some hidden Tzaddik. 167) Sometimes the Tzaddik is made to suffer in order to lessen the sorrows of the Jewish People. 168)

When the masses fill their stomachs, they bring about the loss of the Tzaddik. 169) The suffering of the Tzaddikim atones for all of Israel. 170) God grows angry with and strikes fear into the [heart of a] person who ref uses to accept the authority of the Tzaddik. 171) When a person brings a gift to the Tzaddik, God grants him with peace of mind. 172) A person can overcome his enemies and nullify the evil spirit which has rested upon him by bringing a gift to the Tzaddik. 173) By prostrating oneself on the grave of a Tzaddik, the Holy One shows a person favor even if he does not deserve it. 174) God performs acts of lovingkindness for the person who relates stories about the Tzaddikim. 175) The Tzaddik is able to lead others because of the fear of God which he possesses. 176) A person must stand up while receiving the Tzaddik's blessing. 177) A king may raise funds required for his expenditures by taxing his nation. 178) The respect shown for the Tzaddik's offspring awakens the Holy One's will to bring the Mashiach. 179)By visiting the Tzaddik, a person subdues his enemies. 180)One who violates the Tzaddik's instructions falls from esteem. 181) When a person uses his possessions to benefit the Tzaddik, it is as if he benefits all the Jews and he will be saved from death. 182) Objecting to the words of the Tzaddik is tantamount to seeking advice from a sorcerer. 183) When a person possesses [true] wisdom, God is with him and people fear him. 184) One who provides all sorts of support for the Tzaddik will be close to this Tzaddik in the World to Come. 185) A person who provokes the Tzaddik will eventually be caught in an evil trap. 186) One who relates stories about the Tzaddikim has his own righteousness recalled. 187) A Tzaddik is able to give even something which does not yet exist. 188) The Tzaddik takes possession of wherever he goes. 189) By offering advice to Tzaddikim who face opposition, a person's achievements will be established and will never be undone. 190)

While observing the Tzaddik, study him with reverence so that you will not be punished by Heaven. 191) A person's fear of Heaven makes him yearn to draw closer to the Tzaddik. 192) Sitting at the table of the Tzaddik eliminates war [from the world]. 193) A fraudulent person eventually joins those who oppose and disagree with the Tzaddik. 194) There are times when the Tzaddik will contract leprosy because he has gotten some person to repent. 195) One who says of the Tzaddik that he is wicked and of a wicked man that he is a Tzaddik will suffer sickness. He also causes the sun and the moon to be eclipsed. 196) Binding oneself to the Tzaddik is very healing. 197) It is very difficult for a person to get the help he needs if he does not ask the Tzaddik of his city to pray for him. 198) Occasionally, a person, though very close to the Tzaddik, feels that he has no fear of God. He should know that were he not close to the Tzaddik, he would not even deserve to be alive. 199) There are times when the Tzaddik is too embarrassed to ask for God's help in [alleviating] his suffering. What does God do? He brings similar suffering upon a wicked man who then comes and asks the Tzaddik to pray for him. In this way, the Tzaddik is also helped. 200) One who disagrees with a Tzaddik to his face clearly has no fear of Heaven. 201) Sometimes, the strife a Tzaddik encounters is definite proof of his righteousness. 202) There are wicked men who are successful. When they persecute the Tzaddik, however, the evil forces themselves take revenge against these wicked men. 203) The difference between a Tzaddik and a person who fears God is that the God-fearing person is not given permission to reveal God's secrets, whereas the Tzaddik is. 204) One who speaks against the Tzaddik is clearly arrogant. 205) When the Holy One wants a Tzaddik to teach the [proper] path to people, He indicates this to the Tzaddik through his livelihood. 206) The Tzaddik, while praying for a person, is able to understand which sin brought on his particular misfortune. 207) One who maintains a high moral standard certainly cherishes the Tzaddik. 208)

When the Tzaddik serves God and shows no concern for teaching the common people, he will fall from his [spiritual] level. 209) By financially supporting the Tzaddik, all a person's sins are pardoned just as when the kohanim would eat from a sacrifice and the animal's owners were forgiven. B 1-2) By telling over stories about the Tzaddikim you draw the light of Mashiach into the world. Relating these stories also chases away much darkness and pain, and the teller is rewarded with beautiful clothing. 3) During the seven days of mourning after the Tzaddik's death, God fills the mourners with the light which has been hidden away since the Six Days of Creation. 4) It should not surprise you that man, though such a small part of Creation, has all the Worlds dependent upon him. For this is true of wherever the Shekhinah resides: the little contains the much. 5) Each person's [portion in the] Garden of Eden is pictured in the shine on his face. 6) Generally speaking, the livelihood of God-fearing people comes as a result of their wandering and moving from place to place. 7) There are times when a Tzaddik must wander from place to place so that he can later recall all these places when he enters the World to Come; thereby bringing them prosperity. 8) Anyone who knows the names of the living descendants of the Tzaddikim knows everything that will happen. 9) A person who justifies the actions of others will have all his wishes carried out, without anyone interfering. 10) When a Tzaddik loses his strength, so that he cannot fulfill the will of his Creator the way he once did, he should realize that God no longer wants him to teach the path of repentance to the wicked. 11) The power of the Tzaddik is at its strongest [level] when harsh judgement is sweetened - through God's Oneness. 12) When the fame of the Tzaddikim spreads in the world, it inspires the composing of new songs. 13) When a person is totally self-sacrificing for the Jewish People, his directives are not annulled. Whatever he decrees will be fulfilled. 14) Tending to the needs of the Tzaddik brings freedom and nullifies curses. 15)

Those close to a God-fearing person will acquire fear and true knowledge [through him]. 16) When the Tzaddik becomes wealthy, the wicked return to God. 17) When God sees that a certain Tzaddik is unable to inspire people to devotional service, He stirs up opposition against him. God does this so that the Tzaddik will indeed succeed in inspiring others, for the Tzaddik who has no enemies cannot do so. This can be compared to the times of Mashiach, when peace will reign and converts will no longer be accepted. 18) There are two types of Tzaddikim: one whose words resemble the art of ploughing and one whose words are like the art of reaping. Said otherwise, one Tzaddik's speech is the male arousal for marital relations while the other's is the drawing of the seed into the womb, the fetal conception and gestation. When there is a dispute between these two Tzaddikim, an outsider should not mix into their conversation, so as not to destroy the intended design. 19) When visiting a Tzaddik's gravesite, a person needs some merit which will enable him to gather the Tzaddik's spirit and soul at the grave, as if he were alive. Without this merit, the Tzaddik's spirit and soul will ascend Above to join the other Tzaddikim. 20) Mentioning the names of the Tzaddikim has the power to bring about a change in the works of Creation - altering nature. This is alluded to through a parallel in the verses: "These are the generations of heaven and earth' (Genesis 2:4) and "These are the names of the Children of Israel" (Exodus i:i). 21) A person who knows of the Holy Land, who has really tasted Eretz Yisrael, can recognize in another whether he has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah. For when one merits being with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, wherever he focuses his attention he transforms the air there into an aspect of the air of Eretz Yisrael. Therefore a person who knows the taste of the Holy Land, each according to his own level, will of necessity feet Eretz Yisrael when he comes together with this man who has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, through whom the air becomes an aspect of the Holy Land. KUF CURSING EVIL FORCES ENVY AND JEALOUSY WASTEFUL EMISSION OF SEED DIFFICULTY IN CHILDBIRTH K'LALAH CURSING A 1) Cursing brings to mourning, God forbid. 2)

A person may not curse another unless he can forsee the future generations of the one he curses. 3) The curse of an ordinary man should not be taken lightly. 4) It is the intention behind the curse that matters. 5) There are times when a Tzaddik's curse lasts only as long as he's alive and no longer has any effect once he's died. 6) An undeserved curse eventually turns back on the curser. 7) The wise man's curse, even if undeserved or conditional, takes effect. 8) Even the gentile who blesses a Jew will be blessed. B 1) A person who is always cursing comes from the World of Void, while the person who is wont to bless is from the World of Rectification. 2) Investigating the world of emptiness - namely, what is above and below, what preceded this world and what follows it - brings a curse. The person who guards against such investigation brings about a blessing. 3) A person who is accustomed to cursing will not have clothing for the Shabbat. 4) A curse has no effect on a person of distinguished ancestry. 5) Tending to the needs of the Tzaddik brings freedom and nullifies curses. 6) Conducting one's business affairs faithfully nullifies curses. 7) When a person curses his friend during a time of panic, the curse proves very damaging. KELIPAH EVIL FORCES A 1) The letters of the word A TaH - -irim, have the power to suppress evil forces. 2) The verse, "God, when Your hand is uplifted, they will not see" (Isaiah 26: 1 1), when written on parchment, protects a woman who has just given birth. 3) Evil forces are prevalent in ruins and destroyed buildings. 4) [The light of] a candle subdues the rule of the kelipah.

5) A person's mazal protects him from being harmed. 6) Reciting the "seven voices" composed by King David (Psalm 29) humbles the evil spirit. 7) Harmful forces are as prevalent in ditches as they are in the fields. 8) Demons frequent uninhabited places, even during the day. In the city, however, people need not fear even at night. 9) Demons are most often revealed to man from the north. 10) Reading the chapter of Noah [in Genesis] is a segulah for dismissing unholy spirits. 11) The breath of an evil person causes those who talk with him to turn vulgar and crass. B 1) There are demons found in a person's house which destroy domestic harmony by bringing anger and quarreling into the home. This is the reason why the woman is most often the initiator of dispute, as she is the essence of the home: "a man's house is his wife." However, occasionally the demons do also attach themselves to the other members of the household, causing them to suffer as a result of their quarreling and contentiousness. This is explicitly found in the verse, "Their homes are peaceful without fear..." (job 21:9), about which the Sages teach: "without fear" - these are the demons. And this is, "peaceful without fear," because peace and fear are opposites; fear being the demons which destroy peace. Thus, the verse concludes, "and the rod of God is not upon them," which alludes to the suffering mentioned above. KIN'AH ENVY AND JEALOUSY A 1) When envy will be completely eliminated, [it will herald the] ingathering [of the Jews from] exile. 2) Jealousy brings on an outbreak of fires. 3) Envy leads to bloodshed. 4) A person who is envious of his neighbor's wealth turns foolish. 5) Visiting the Tzaddik will eliminate your feelings of jealousy. 6) Jealousy causes a person's bones to rot. 7) Garlic uproots envy.

8) A person whose jealousy leads him to take revenge destroys his own home. 9) Envy saps one's strength. KERI WASTEFUL EMISSION OF SEED A 1) A person will experience an emission of seed as a result of his having spoken of immoral matters or after having fallen from his faith in God. 2) One who spills his seed will eventually be stripped of everything he owns. 3) Depression causes one to experience an emission. 4) A person who is careful not to eat food about which there was some halakhic question is protected from being polluted by an emission. 5) One who has experienced an emission should first immerse in a mikvah before eating at the Tzaddik's table. 6) Rejoicing in the good which befalls the Tzaddik is a rectification for wasting one's seed. 7) By mocking others, a person will come to pollute himself with an emission. 8) Frivolity brings a person to wasting his seed. 9-10) A wasteful emission of seed is brought on by eating garlic and eggs, engaging in idle talk or using vulgar language. B 1) Drunkenness causes exile and leads to the wasteful emission of seed. 2) A person is made to suffer embarrassment because he has spilled his seed. 3) The inability to pronounce one's words properly - speaking only half words - is the same aspect as the wasting of seed. 4) A man who experiences an emission [should be concerned that] his children will die. 5) Reciting the following ten psalms on the day one experiences an emission of seed provides great remedy and rectification: Psalms 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137 and 150. You can be certain that these ten psalms are very, very propitious for rectifying this sin. The person who is careful in this matter, reciting the psalms as

prescribed, need no longer fear. He will definitely make the necessary amends, for these [Ten Psalms] are a very great rectification. KISHUY LEYLEID DIFFICULTY IN CHILDBIRTH A 1) A woman who eats radishes during pregnancy will have difficulty giving birth. 2) Giving a woman to drink from the waters of seven wells is a segulah for preventing difficulty in childbirth. 3-6) [Other segulot which are propitious for alleviating difficulties in childbirth are:] keeping her other children out of the house during labor, whispering the letters of the Holy Name SaG (Yud Vav Dalet, Hey Yud, Vav Alef Vav, Hey Yud) into her ear, not placing her bed in the western or southern part of the room, and putting some of what remained from the bitter herbs [used on Passover] around her neck. 7) Whispering the letters peh alef, vav alef vav, ayin yud nun, hey alef into a woman's ear is also [a segulah for easing the difficulties of childbirth]. RESH KEEPING ONE'S DISTANCE FROM THE WICKED COMPASSION AND PITY EYESIGHT HEALING HARCHOKAT RISHOIM KEEPING ONE'S DISTANCE FROM THE WICKED A 1) The Tzaddik brings a blessing when he enters the house of a wicked man, but only if the house is suitable for a blessing. 2) Stay away from the wicked so that you won't be caught up in their punishment. 3) Showing friendliness to the wicked is permissible so as to avoid hostility. 4) There are certain times when doing something good for a truly wicked person pleases God. 5) It is forbidden to praise [the wicked]. However, when such praise also reflects positively upon the Tzaddik, then limited praise is permissible. 6) One who finds good in the wicked is also called wicked. 7) We do not rely on [a wicked man] even if he has done something properly and in accordance with Jewish Law.

8) One who vouches for a wicked man falls upon lustful desires and sickness. 9) A wicked person who has completely forsaken God will certainly never have any worthy offspring. 10) Have no mercy upon an enemy of God when he falls into your hands. 11) Avoid associating with people who are known for telling lies and you will be worthy of detecting deceivers. 12) A person who despises those who try to entice people away from God is assured that he won't be affected by their words. 13) The study of Torah drives a wedge between the wicked men who have joined forces. 14) The Holy One rescues the person who keeps his distance from the wicked. 15) When the wicked are scattered, it is a sign of salvation. 16) Avoid living in a house once inhabited by a wicked man. 17) Don't talk to those who try to lure you [away from the Holy One], even to admonish them and bring them closer to God. 18) When the wicked join forces it is detrimental for serving God. 19) It is fitting and right for God's holy ones to create barriers and obstacles which will chase away all oppressive and wicked people from them. B 1) One who cannot see through the deception of the wicked is detested [by God]. 2) Imposters cause those whom they deceive to suffer soreness of the eyes. 3) A person should avoid exchanging kisses with the wicked, for the kiss creates a bond which lasts even after death. 4) There are people who, despite their being filled with heresy and atheism, are able to keep their ideas hidden. [Their deception is so clever,] a person who comes in contact with them has no idea that he has to be on his guard. However, when a person possesses the quality of modesty, he will be saved from such atheists. 5) The wicked disrupt our serving God more by the mitzvot they do than by the sins they transgress. This is why the gentile who observes the Shabbat deserves to die. RACHMANUT COMPASSION AND PITY

A 1-2) One who has compassion for the poor merits witnessing God's consolation and will always be victorious. 3-4) When there is no compassion, the world suffers from hunger and an increase in theft. 5) A person who prays fervently merits having compassion for the poor. 6) One who has no compassion goes crazy. 7) One who repays bad with good lives long. 8) By being compassionate, your lustful desires will be eliminated. 9) By ignoring your brother when he is in trouble, it is as if you were responsible for his misfortune. 10) One who sees his neighbor suffering should pray for mercy on his behalf. 11) Praying for God's compassion gives a person the ability to bring together appropriate marriage partners. 12) One who judges others favorably merits celebrating the holidays properly. B 1) A person who doesn't plead for mercy for his friend falls into captivity. He can redeem himself by providing food for some living creature. 2) A person suffers a toothache because he's been cruel to animals. 3) Compassion is a segulah for eliminating depression. living 4) A person should avoid inflicting pain upon creatures, as this will bring him harm. R'IYAH EYESIGHT B 1) The eye can only see what it is allowed to see. Even if the thing is right in front of him, a person won't notice it unless Heaven first grants him the right to see it. 2) The waning of the moon and its eclipse are damaging to those with weak eyesight. 3) Sanctifying the New Moon is a segulah for curing weak eyesight. 4) The Midnight Lament is also a segulah for curing weak eyesight.

5) Soreness of the eyes comes because the person has made some vow. 6) Imposters cause those whom they deceive to suffer soreness of the eyes. 7) When an important person suffers soreness of the eyes it is a sign that either his son or his student has committed some sin. 8) One who closes his eyes so as not to look at evil is spared embarrassment. 9) A person who is afraid of having immoral thoughts because of what he sees while walking through the marketplace should recite the verse: "Behold, the mighty ones will cry outside" (Isaiah 32:7). This will save him from [the evil effects which come from] his eyes having wandered. 10) Staring at an etrog is a cure for sore eyes. 11) When those with clear vision look at the knives used by ritual slaughterers, they can see the vessels of the Holy Temple. 12) Those with clear perception can tell who a person's Torah teacher is merely by looking at him, provided they already know what his rabbi looks like. When a disciple learns the Torah's laws, his face takes on a resemblance to the one teaching him. This is because the law is the wisdom which makes a person's face shine. By receiving the rabbi's wisdom he acquires a portion of his appearance, their resemblance increasing with each additional law [the student embraces]. 13) Soreness of the eyes can sometimes be harmful. 14) Stealing damages one's eyesight. REFUAH HEALING B 1) Know! Each and every grass has its own unique power to heal a specific sickness. This is only for the person who did not guard his faith and sexual purity, and did not keep from transgressing "Do not despise any man" (Avot 4:3). However, one who has complete faith, keeps the Covenant, and f ulf ills "Do not despise any man," his cure is not dependent upon particular types of grasses. He is cured by all foods and drinks in the aspect of "And your bread is blessed" (Exodus 23:25). He does not have to rely upon particular grasses to his cured. 2) By deeply studying the Torah's mysteries, you can bring barren women to bear children and heal serious diseases. 3) Salty things aggravate leprosy, whereas fresh water cures it. This is alluded to in the verse (job 36:27) "When He diminishes the drops of water" - in that leprosy comes from an imbalance of blood over water in the body, then, "yazoku matar l'eydo - the

rain is distilled into His cloud," (the word yazoku, distilled, can alternatively be understood as causing harm). 4) Staring at an etrog is a cure for sore eyes. SHIN JOY AND HAPPINESS DRUNKENNESS PUBLIC OFFICIALS BRIBERY PEACE AND TRANQUILITY SWEARING AND TAKING OATHS THE SABBATH SLEEP A RITUAL SLAUGHTERER SIMCHA JOY AND HAPPINESS A 1) When a person performs a mitzvah happily, it is a sign that his heart is wholly with God. 2) Joy opens the heart. 3) An increase in joy strengthens the intellect. Eating and drinking are excellent for instilling the heart with joy and for removing depression and anxiety. 4) Giving charity wholeheartedly brings happiness. 5) The joy of a mitzvah strengthens a person. 6) When you see a wicked man smiling, you should realize that he has come up with some scheme for sinning. 7) By giving good advice, you will be rewarded with happiness. 8) By moving about or dancing, you can awaken feelings of happiness inside yourself. 9) When you suddenly find yourself feeling happy, it is because some [future] Tzaddik has just been born. 10) Fear of God fosters religious fervor. 11) A person who is lowly in his own eyes achieves religious fervor. 12) Attuning the heart [to holiness] brings joy. 13) A person accustomed to frivolity is clearly distant from God's greatness.

14) Music will make you happy and bring you to religious fervor. 15) By making the Tzaddik happy, you will be able to serve God with joy. 16) A person who spreads the Tzaddik's fame merits happiness. 17) Trust in God brings happiness. 18) Energetic movement fosters religious fervor. 19) Having complete faith in God will bring you to a level where your desire to serve Him will be in body and soul. 20) A person who is humble will attain religious fervor. 21) joy enhances the mind's ability to comprehend. 22) A person's joy is proof that he [descends] from a lineage blessed by God. 23) The happiness of a bride and groom brings the [needed] rainfall. 24) God protects a person when he rejoices in performing a mitzvah. 25) By rejoicing on Simchat Torah, a person is rewarded with serving God out of love. 26) When happiness comes to a person spontaneously, it is clear that kindness and help are on the way. 27) By being happy, a person's fame spreads and he is rewarded with true knowledge. B 1) A person who is always happy succeeds. 2) Making vows and pledging charity bring happiness. SHIKHRUT DRUNKENNESS A 1) A person who gets drunk falls from his [spiritual] level. 2) Drinking wine will eventually lead one to taking bribes. 3) Drunkenness leads a person to deny truth and praise falsehood. 4) God loves the person who does not become intoxicated.

5) Oil is an antidote for drunkenness. 6) Seeing [a wine's redness] increases its power to intoxicate. 7) Drunkenness brings one to immoral thoughts. 8) A drunk is unable to sweeten harsh judgements. 9) The Torah's secrets are not revealed to a drunk. 10) [Drinking a potion of] wineandfrankincensewillunhinge the mind. B 1) A person with a burning desire to work the land will come to one of three things: bloodshed, leprosy or drunkenness. 2) Drunkenness causes exile and leads to the wasteful emission of seed. 3) When a person gets drunk, mishap becomes unavoidable. 4) A person who gets drunk forgets the directives of our teacher, Moses. This is because Moses is enclothed in the 248 organs of the human body and he instructs each and every organ to heed the mitzvot applicable to it. Thus, Moses was called law-giver m'chokek - which also has the numerical value of 248. 5) Drunkenness strips the mind from the lovingkindness the chasadim - which enclothes it and covers it in mighty judgements, God forbid. 6) A person with enemies should take an oath not to drink wine. This will give him mastery over them. SARIM PUBLIC OFFICIALS A 1) When a person sells diluted wine, public officials will treat him unfairly. 2) Not judging your friend favorably is tantamount to killing him. You will be treated unjustly by public officials. 3) Reciting the Haltel and giving charity are particularly propitious for finding favor in the eyes of public officials. 4) [Jews who] eat bread baked by a non-Jew will be [officially] prohibited from using the forest to chop firewood. 5)

There are four things which cause a person's possessions to be handed over to the government: [holding on to a paid IOU, taking usury for lending money, being in a position to object to some wrongdoing and not doing so, and pledging charity in public but not giving it]. SHOCHAD BRIBERY A 1) A city in which the people take bribes will be set upon by invading armies. 2) Bribery causes a person's importance to disappear. 3) Bribery leads to an outbreak of fires. SHALOM PEACE AND TRANQUILITY A 1) Lighting the Sabbath candles promotes peace. 2) By pursuing peace, a person will be rewarded with honors in this world and life in the World to Come. 3) Anything which is done to foster peace does not fall into the category of "distance yourself from falsehood." 4) Those who get others to give charity promote an increase in the government's wellbeing through their efforts. 5) Pursuing peace brings to trust in God6) Truth promotes peace. 7) Jerusalem can only be rebuilt when there is peace. 8) Peace brings good tidings. 9) Where there is reproof there is peace. 10) Teaching schoolchildren brings about an increase in tranquility. 11) Murky waters are a sign that there is no peace. 12) When there is no tranquility, people's prayers are not accepted. 13) When there is peace, people merit having Elijah the prophet revealed to them. 14)

When there is no peace, women do not give birth to sons. 15) In times of flight, the person who has lent things to others when they needed it will be saved. 16) When there is peace, there is life. 17) By pursuing peace, a person saves his children from death and exile. 18) Peace brings blessing. 19) When there is tranquility there is no fear. 20) When there is tranquility amongst the wicked, they have the best of everything. 21) There are times when God uses the wicked as a means for promoting peace amongst the Jews. 22) Where there is tranquility there is prosperity. 23) When the "ministers" in Heaven quarrel, this same dispute immediately breaks out amongst the nations and amongst [Torah] scholars. SHAVUAH SWEARING AND TAKING OATHS A 1) A city in which people swear and take oaths will be destroyed and demolished. 2) Swearing falsely causes a person to fall from faith. 3) Studying the Tractate Shavuot is a segulah for bringing rainfall. 4) Swearing falsely produces illicit thoughts. 5) A person who is always swearing will be constantly bothered by evil thoughts. 6) Victory in battle cannot be achieved when an oath has been broken. 7) When a person breaks an oath, it indicates that he has no respect for God-fearing people. 8) Whereas a person must pay for having committed any of the sins riientioned in the Torah, [for the sin of breaking an oath] punishment will be exacted not only from him, but also from his family and the entire world - though he will e punis e rig t away. 9) Swearing falsely will destroy even those things which fire and water cannot. 10) The angel Gabriel has been put in charge of fire: to destroy as well as to save.

SHABBAT THE SABBATH B 1) Studying Torah, giving tithes and keeping the Sabbath also provide material benefits. 2) A person who is accustomed to cursing will not have clothing for the Shabbat. 3) When a city's inhabitants are careful not to walk beyond the Sabbath limit [of two thousand cubits from the city's edge], meat will sell cheaply there. 4) When a person keeps the Sabbath he draws upon himself the light of Mashiach. Repentance also has this power. 5) A person who keeps the Shabbat is like an apologizing son whose father then gives him everything he wants. He decrees and the Holy One carries out [his wishes]. Furthermore, the reward he now enjoys is drawn against the profit earned from his good deeds; the principal remains intact for him to enjoy in the World to Come. SHEYNAH SLEEP B 1) The holier a person is the less sleep he requires. 2) Too much sleep and slumber causes a person to be pushed away from the source of holiness. His face changes and his Godly likeness is marred. 3) Reciting each of the fifteen psalms which begin "A song of ascent" (Psalms 120-134) is a segulah for eliminating sleepiness. 4) A person who finds that he cannot sleep should think about his belief in the resurrection of the dead. SHOCHET RITUAL SLAUGHTERER B 1) When those who perform ritual slaughter are worthy individuals, [the meat they provide brings] people to have compassion for one another. [When they are not worthy,] the reverse is true. 2) When a ritual slaughterer fulfills [the commandment to] honor one's father, God protects him from inadvertently distributing non-kosher meat. [However, when he does not honor his father], the opposite is true. 3)

Wicked slaughterers who distribute non-kosher meat bring about an increase of theft in the world. 4) When those with clear vision look at the knives used by ritual slaughterers, they can see the vessels of the Holy Temple. 5) A person who has suddenly lost his ability to speak should have a knife which is suitable for use in ritual slaughtering passed over his mouth. TAF REPENTANCE REBUKE PRAYER TESHUVAH REPENTANCE A 1) Fasting is beneficial for all things. 2) A person who is devoid of good deeds cannot get others to separate from their evil ways. 3) Fasting is harder [on the body] than the sword. 4) Ideally, repentance should involve the very same thing [through which one sinned]. 5) A person who thinks to himself, "By doing this and that I will achieve such and such," will not succeed. 6) Exile atones for everything. 7) When a person is humble, it is as if he offered all the different sacrifices. 8) Anyone who confesses his sins has a share in the World to Come. 9) When a person teaches his neighbor's son Torah, it is as if he brought the child, the Torah, and even himself into the world. 10) Rabbi Pappa fasted for having referred to a Torah scholar in a disrespectful manner. 11) A person should never say, "I am going to commit such and such a sin," even jokingly, because his words have the power to compel him to action. 12) When a person cries at night, his voice is heard and the stars and constellations cry with him. 13) Punishment by flogging exempts those who would otherwise deserve death by excision.

14) A person should consider his sins to be the cause of the world's suffering. 15) Each article of clothing made for the Tzaddik carries its own special power of atonement. 16) Once a man takes a wife, his sins are contained. 17) When a Jew sees or hears about the suffering of a gentile, he should think about repenting. 18) One who lives in the Land of Israel resides without sin. 19) It is best to make it easier for sinners to repent. 20) Sin saps a person's strength. 21) Given the chance to perform one of two possible mitzvot, choose the one which involves overcoming your evil inclination. 22) A person who causes the Tzaddik to suffer should fast. 23) A person who feels heartache is close to shedding tears. 24) When a person gets others to repent, he is rewarded with a place in the Heavenly Academy and the Holy One annuls harsh decrees because of him. 25) Feeling dismayed does more [for achieving repentance] than fasting. 26) When a person feels remorse for having committed a sin, he is forgiven for all his sins. 27) All a person's sins are forgiven when he conducts his business affairs honestly. 28) A person's original intentions help him carry out and conclude his actions in holiness. But if his original thoughts lacked holiness, he will encounter mishap after mishap to the very end. 29) The table upon which guests are served atones for sins. 30) Increased prominence atones for one's sins. 31) There are times when a person who has begun to repent encounters suffering. This is because he had previously delayed returning to God. 32) When one sighs he becomes a new person. 33) The love which people have for the Tzaddikim enables these Tzaddikim to bring the masses back to God. 34)

When a person brings the masses to repent, in his merit there will be no fear or controversy in the world. 35) By helping orphans, a person breaks the rule of the nations. And by breaking their [authority], the wicked Jews return to God. 36-38) A person who gets others to repent is saved from imprisonment. He is honored by God and achieves fame amongst the nations. 39) When a person is always getting others to repent, it is in his merit that the generation's leaders have their disturbing thoughts dispelled. 40-41) One who gets wicked people to repent merits keeping the Sabbath and will not be harmed by a snake. 42) By teaching the proper path to a wicked Man's son, you will have the power to nullify harsh decrees. 43) Falsehood strengthens the hand of the wicked. 44) For repenting wholeheartedly, the Holy One gives a person a "heart" through which he can truly know Him. 45) Hearing the shofar blown by a devout individual breaks the Evil Inclination and inspires repentance throughout the world. 46) A person who wants to repent should avoid being in debt 47) One who loves the Tzaddikim is capable of getting people to return to God. 48) When a person confesses, God loves him benevolently and removes His anger from him. 49) The nations bring [us] to repent. 50) Studying Torah atones [for one's sins]. 51) A person on a high [spiritual] level is able to attain perfection with but a minimum of effort. 52) Whenever you are beset by suffering, scrutinize your ways. 53) When a person wants to perform good deeds but encounters obstacles, God rewards him as if he had succeeded. However, when a person does not even do what he is capable of, he is punished for it. 54) By bringing merit to the masses, a person becomes God's partner in Creation. 55)

A mitzvah, no matter how great, which a person performs and thereby brings merit only to himself cannot measure up to even a small mitzvah which he does and thereby produces merit for the masses. 56) [Insufficient] income, enemies, sickness and great wealth are obstacles which deter a person from attaining perfection and ultimate completion. 57) When you are the cause of some damage, it is a sign that your evil inclination has mastery over you. 58) One who lures his friend from the proper path will be punished by fire. 59) A segulah for someone who cannot bring himself to cry is to sit at the spot where the flow of two rivers join as one. 60) One who brings people back to God merits wisdom. 61) A person's laziness leads him to believe that the path of repentance is hidden from him. 62) By disclosing his secret, it becomes difficult for him to carry out his plan. 63) When a person is embarrassed by his sins, God deals charitably with him. 64) When fasting is not accompanied by a deeper understanding, it is not considered fasting. 65) From the moment a person considers repenting, his prayers are accepted, even if he hasn't yet returned to God. 66) When you want to repent, ask the Tzaddik to bring you before God. 67) Sins are atoned through lovingkindness and truth. 68) By asking God for His love, He will cover over your transgressions. 69) A person who confesses his sins is spared from having to sell what he inherited from his ancestors. 70) When rebuking others for not rectifying the sins committed in their youth, include yourself amongst them and your words will be accepted. 71) The best way to rectify the negative effects of one's sins is through humility. 72) A person must rebuke himself each morning. 73) Each day a person serves God while he is young is more valuable than many years of such devotion in his old age. 74)

During one's lifetime, it is impossible for a person to know if his repentance has been accepted. 75) It is common for a person to be beset by suffering when he begins serving God. This is because his initial motivation came from his fear of justice. 76) When a person begins serving God, the Holy One says to him: "Though I know that your desire and will is to serve Me, what assurances do I have that tomorrow you won't leave Me? If so, how can I draw you closer because of your will [alone], how can I immediately reveal hidden things to you? Rather, what you must do is start by showing your love for Me in the present situation and perform My mitzvot even though you do not comprehend them. Serve Me with simplicity - without sophistication. By doing this for some time, I will then believe you and reveal the reasoning and wisdom behind each and every matter. 1 will draw you closer in all kinds of ways. For the lengthy time during which you served Me before [being shown all this] will guarantee that you won't leave Me." 77) The way in which a person can tell that he truly wants to serve God is if he has no desire for recognition. 78) One who does not know the way of God should humble himself. 79) By crying out your prayers, God will forgive you. 80) Falsehood prevents a person from improving his ways. 81) A person who cannot eliminate his evil inclination by "dragging it to the House of Study" should realize that he still maintains his evil ways. 82) God prefers a person's performing those mitzvot which are also pleasing to other people over those which are exclusively between man and his Maker. 83) It is better to perform as much of a mitzvah as is possible rather than not doing it at all. 84) Caring for the body precedes rectifying the soul. 85) By crying over and mourning [the passing of] a devout individual, a person has all his sins forgiven. 86) It is a mitzvah to warn people about any transgression. Should you fear that they will disregard you, tell it to them in the name of a Tzaddik so that they will take heed. 87) When anyone attentively recites the verses of Vayechulu (Genesis 2:1-3) and prays with concentration, the ministering angels ask the Holy One to pardon him [of his sins]. 88) When a person answers "Amen, may His Name be great!" with all his might, even if he has in [his heart I a morsel of idolatry he will be forgiven. 89)

The following people are spared the suffering of hell: the extremely poor, those who suffer intestinal disease and those [oppressed by] usurers and governmental restraints. 90) Perform even more mitzvot than you are capable of. 91) [Suffering] a monetary loss exonerates a person from physical punishment. 92) [Suffering from] thirst rectifies [the sin of] idle chatter. 93) Repentance brings healing to the world. 94) When a person's repentance is motivated by a fear of God, his intentional sins are reckoned as having been committed accidentally. When he is motivated by a love for God, they are transformed into merit. 95) Repentance hastens the Final Redemption and lengthens a person's days and years. 96) When an individual repents, he is forgiven as is the entire world. 97) God is appeased by a person's confession, which is like his having built an altar and brought a sacrifice. 98) A person who overlooks personal affronts has all his transgressions overlooked. 99) Torah and acts of kindness atone [for a person's sins]. 100) Screams and cries for [God's] mercy prove most effective at night. 101) A baal teshuvah should pray for rain and all his transgressions will be pardoned. 102) Jews who fast will not be answered [by God] unless there are some wicked people amongst them. 103) A man should select the following path: love rebuke and be firm in faith. B 1) Like Yom Kippur, the day a person repents is above [the constricts of] time and elevates all his days beyond time. 2) Repentance causes the spirit-wind of Mashiach to blow against governmental decrees, nullifying them. 3) Repentance also brings an end to a great heatwave. 4) It is easier to get the young to return to God than the old. 5) [Wherever possible,] a person should use money as a means of coercing the wicked into repentance.

6) By returning to God in repentance, you will be able to earn your living easily. 7) The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine [in the world]. This sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to return to God. 8) God forms a "path in the sea" in order to suppress our sins and bring forth our righteous deeds. 9) When the Tzaddik becomes wealthy, the wicked return to God. 10) When a person keeps the Sabbath, he draws upon himself the light of Mashiach. Repentance also has this power. TOKHACHAH REBUKE A 1) When a person offers rebuke, by binding his words to their root they will be accepted. 2) Do not rebuke an apostate; it will not help. 3) When a person rejects rebuke, his place of dwelling will be destroyed. 4) One who rebukes people unwisely arouses exile and oppression at the hands of the nations, God forbid. 5) A person should never exclude himself from his community. 6) For the sin of [withholding] reproof, God retracts the good which He already guaranteed. 7) Where you know that people will not accept rebuke, leave them be. 8) When a person refrains from rebuking others because he is afraid of them, God will eventually break him in their presence. 9) When a person knows how to warn others but does not, he will be made to pay for his friend's blood. 10) By giving charity you will merit accepting ethical reproof. 11) A person who rejects ethical reproof has a judgement of death passed against him. 12) By giving rebuke [while alive], you will rest in your grave free from the suffering of hell and be rewarded with Paradise. 13) It is permissible to emphatically reject someone who has not accepted your reproof.

14) As long as there is rebuke there is satisfaction, good and blessing in the world. 15) Rebuke sweetens harsh judgement and promotes iovingkindness. B 1) When a person wants to inspire others to serve God but has not reached a level of righteousness and has no ancestral merit, he should avoid being tested. He should particularly keep from arousing the jealousy of the wicked. 2) A person who draws those who are distant into the service of God is given the power to bless others. 3) A person who rejects rebuke should know that he will have to borrow from others. This is indicated by [a parallel between two verses in Proverbs,] "Words of rebuke will not move a slave to correct his ways" (29:19), and, "A borrower becomes a slave to the lender" (22:7). 4) A person will not be able to convince his friend of anyth ; ing, unless he first attaches his own soul to that of his friend. 5) Going out to greet an important person summons forth the Ten Statements through which the world was created. Bringing Jews who are distant from God closer to Him, does this as well. TEFILLAH PRAYER A 1) A person should hope and long for the good of the community, even though he himself stands to lose by it. 2) When a person prays in a synagogue it is as if he brought a pure meal-offering. 3) God can be found in the synagogue. 4) Using flattery prevents a person's prayers from being heard. 5) When a person studies Torah despite difficult circumstances, his prayers are heard. 6) When you pray for your friend - even though you require the very same thing - God will answer your [needs] first. 7) A humble person's prayers will not be rejected. 8) Don't wait for trouble to begin before you start praying. 9)

Whenever anyone strengthens himself in prayer from below, his adversaries are unable to accuse him from Above. 10) Before entreating [God] for mercy, a person should always pray that everyone will support him - even the ministering angels - and that there should be no Opposition to his [prayers] from Above. 11) Another person's prayers are more effective than when one prays for himself. Even a Tzaddik requires the prayers of others. 12) Praying for the death of a slanderer is permissible. [One may also pray that a slanderer] forget his Torah studies, have no share in the World to Come, and that he be deprived of having wise children. 13) God fulfills the wishes of a person who occupies himself with Torah Study. 14) It is good to cry out to God: before the decree has been passed and even afterwards. 15) A person should not excessively pray for anything. 16) When rain falls, it is a time of increasing salvation in the world and the advocates of merit are granted an audience before God. 17) The prayers of an individual will not be heard unless he prays with an attentive heart. But the prayers of the congregation will be listened to even if everyone does not pray wholeheartedly. 18) Don't pray for two things [at the same time]. 19) It is forbidden to burden God [by requesting that Hel alter the dictates of Nature. 20) When a person overlooks personal af fronts his prayers are heard. 21) One who praises God excessively will be uprooted from the world. 22) A synagogue in which people calculate business accounts will eventually be the site of a deserted corpse [whose burial becomes the obligation of those who find it]. 23) Anything holy requires preparation and readiness. 24) When asking for one's needs, a person should not be so brazen as to ask for something great. For Torah and the fear of God, however, a person should ask for all that he desires. 25) It is a mitzvah to wear respectable clothing while praying. 26) Accustom yourself to reciting the blessings in this world so that you will be familiar with them in the World to Come. 27) A person should ask for mercy that he not become impoverished.

28) A person's fortune can be changed through prayer. 29) Speaking in a loud voice brings feeling and movement to all one's limbs. 30) One who thinks about entreating God will thereby find favor in His eyes. 31) God listens to the prayers of those who trust in Him. 32) Don't pray in a place built by a contentious person. 33) Before starting to pray, give charity and bind yourself to the Tzaddikim of the generation. 34) The amount of vitality and spiritual strength a person receives depends upon the particular place in which he prays. 35) While the community prays, it is a time of favor. 36) One who has a synagogue [nearby] but doesn't go there to pray, brings exile upon his descendants. 37) Whatever you need - big or small - pray for it. 38) Come early and stay late in the synagogue so that you will live long. 39) One who is capable of requesting mercy for his neighbor and does not is called a sinner. 40) When a person answers nature's call, washes his hands, dons tefillin, recites the Sh'ma and prays, it is tantamount to having built an altar and brought a sacrifice on it; and as if he immersed in a ritual bath. 41) Avoid speaking about holy things in unclean places and you will be rewarded with long life. 42) Prayer is even greater than good deeds and sacrifices. 43) Torah study, good deeds, prayer and engaging in worldly matters all require encouragement. 44) Pray only in a place which has windows. 45) Giving charity with both hands causes a person's prayers to be heard. 46) While praying, a person should spread out his hands as if he were receiving something. 47) Stealing or embarrassing one's neighbor prevents a person's prayers from being heard. 48)

The Sabbath and New Moon are particularly propitious times for elevating prayers. 49) When a person is arrested, it is a sign that his prayers are not being accepted. 50) The yearning for God which a person expresses at night makes it easier for him to pray in the morning. 51) When your prayers are accompanied by tears, they will be accepted. 52) When asking [God] for something, mention the merit of your forefathers. 53) When God punishes a wicked man whom He knows won't repent and the Tzaddik prays excessively for this man, then the Tzaddik will also be punished. 54) When a person falls into a state of constricted consciousness while praying, it is a sign that his prayers will not be accepted. 55) When you are not at peace with the world, your prayers will not be accepted. 56) You should pray that there be peace in the city in which You live. 57) God honors the person who prays joyously and punishes his oppressors. 58) By reciting the Midnight Lament, God is reminded of the good which He guaranteed to the Jewish People. 59) One who speaks favorably of the Jewish People arouses salvation which will then come about through him. 60) A person who does not pray when Jews suffer is called a sinner. 61) One should pray for his children and for all his descendants. 62) It is forbidden for a person to deny the good he has received, be it from a Jew or gentile. 63) When a person prays for the Jewish People, God pardons all his sins. 64) When a sick person tearfully prays for himself, God will heal him and accept his prayers. 65) When you want to elevate your [personal] prayers, pray for the Jewish People. 66) The Holy One wants a person to pray to Him. 67) When a person saves a pauper from his oppressor, he will find it easy to put energy into the letters of prayer. 68) When a person trusts in God, his prayers are heard. 69)

A person's humility enables him to cry out from the heart. 70) By being happy, your prayers will reach [all the way] to the King's sanctum. 71) One who is not pleased with his prayers should sing while praying. 72) God listens to the prayers of the person who prays energetically. 73) The prayers of a person who has made some vow will not be accepted until he fulfills his pledge. 74) The prayers of a faithless person are not heard. 75) When a person brings joy to the Tzaddik, his prayers will be heard. 76) Before praying, a person should bind his spirit to the Creator. This attachment will cause the words to flow from his mouth of their own accord. 77) In reward for remaining silent when disgraced, God will answer your requests. 78) When a person prays for his neighbor, God will increase his prosperity doublefold. 79) A prayer not accepted Above will be consumed by fire. 80) One who mourns the [Temple's] destruction merits praying with his heart and body. 81) A joyous prayer is both pleasing and sweet to God. 82) When a person is humble, God will fulfill his prayers even if he prays only in thought. 83) There are times when God won't accept the Tzaddik's prayers on behalf of another person. This is because He knows that this person will eventually draw the Tzaddik to his own sinful ways. 84) A person's thoughts follow in line with his service. (This can be explained as follows: When a person serves God, he attracts and is followed by confusing thoughts, more so than other people.) B 1) A person who doesn't plead for mercy for his friend falls into captivity. He can redeem himself by providing food for some living creature. 2) Prayer is most effective when one faces Heavenward. 3) A person who requests compassion for his generation will be rewarded with a revelation of the Divine Presence. 4)

The Shekhinah is drawn down [from Heaven] by reciting the hymns and praises [of God]. 5) The prayer leader's supplications can be likened to engaging in battle. 6) One who fulfills, "Your neighbor's money should be as precious to you as your own" (Avot 2:12), merits praying with an attentive heart. 7) Reciting Psalms is asegulah forbringing the rains. [Thiscan be seen from the Hebrew word for] Psalms - TeHiLiM which is an acronym of "Lim'tar Hashamayim Tishteh Mayim - [the Land of Israel] drinks water from the rain of Heaven" (Deuteronomy 11:11). 8) Whenapersonfeelsthesufferingof otherjewsandprays for them, even if he directs his words against Heaven he will not be punished. 9) Certain prayers are accepted Above only after sufficient money, equivalent to the number of letters in the appropriate prayer, is given to charity. For example, when a person prays, "Give me children," he must contribute a sum equal to the letters of these very words. 10) Through prayer a person can exchange the marriage partner designated for him in Heaven. 11) When the masses pray together, their prayers are more effective than when they pray in separate places. 12) There are times when one person's prayers for salvation are not enough; [help] will only come when a number of people pray for it. 13) A person with enemies finds it difficult to concentrate while praying. 14) One should be careful to utter God's Name in holiness and purity. That is, he should sanctify his speech to such a degree that it becomes an aspect of the spirit of prophecy. Then his spirit will go out and defeat those who put their trust in emptiness and vanity. Hence the verse, "Bshem YHVH Elohenu Nazkir - we will utter the Name of God, our Lord" (Psalms 20:8) [the first letters of which forms an acronym for the Hebrew word for prophet] is followed by "they were subdued and defeated" (Ibid. 20:9). APPENDIX 1: SUPPLEMENTARY ANECDOTES Rabbi Nathan writes: When I transcribed the first part of the Aleph-Bet Book, the Rebbe dictated to me from his notes. This took a considerable amount of time (see Introduction).... Once, I sat with him for almost an entire day. Then, towards evening, he said to me, "Come, let's make an account of what we accomplished today. We prayed, we studied a little bit of Torah and then we wrote, which is also like studying. That is, writing words of Torah is tantamount to study." Then the Rebbe added, "Whatever I have to do, I very much want to complete it as quickly as possible and not wait for later on. Had it been possible to complete the transcribing of the Aleph-Bet Book in a single day, I gladly would have done it."

This was true of everything the Rebbe had to do. Whatever came up - even everyday matters he would take care of it immediately, without any delay whatsoever. He did not want to spend time thinking about it afterwards. For he knew that if he did not do it immediately, he might never get around to doing it. His thoughts were always centered on what he had to do in serving God and so he prefered taking care of what had to be done, even everyday concerns, immediately and without delay. Even when the Rebbe wanted to study or serve God in some other way, if something else came along which required his attention, even if this was not something absolutely within the realm of holiness, he would usually try to get it done as quickly as he could in order to then be free to concentrate on his studies and spiritual devotions. However, if he could not do it immediately, he would never spend time thinking about it. If he could do it later - the next day or some other time - the Rebbe would do it, and if not, then not. (Chayey Moharan 434) Rabbi Nachman Goldstein of Tcherin, Rabbi Nathan's student and author of numerous works on the Rebbe's teachings, writes: I heard details of the events which brought about Rabbi Nachman's revelation of the Sefer HaMiddot / The Aleph-Bet Book. It came about through one Rabbi Dov Chayalas, who exhibited great self-sacrifice in confirming his position as one of the Rebbe's followers. For a considerable time, Rabbi Dov was the rabbi in Ladizin, a town in Russia. And though he had already formed a relationship with Rabbi Nachman, it still came as a great surprise when he announced that he would be leaving his rabbinical post in order to fulfill his heart's yearning to be closer to the Rebbe. Relocating his entire family, Rabbi Dov moved to Breslov where he was able to see Rabbi Nachman on a steady basis. Each day he would visit with the Rebbe and tell him a story or Torah insight which he had discovered in some ancient book. Occasionally, the Rebbe would comment that the Torah insight Rabbi Dov had just related had, in fact, been revea ed through the spirit of holiness (a level of prophecy). On one such occasion, Rabbi Dov related the following story. There was once a Yeshivah dean whose daughter married one of his students. This student was an outstanding scholar who spent his entire time studying Torah. At night he would study alone in the large Study Hall of the Yeshivah. After a while, a magid, a Heavenly teacher, came to him to teach him Torah. The young scholar did not reveal this to anyone. What he did not know was that, because of some transgression he had committed, this magid came from the Other Side and not from the Side of Holiness. In time, the magid began telling the young scholar that it was Heaven's will that he have sexual relations with his wife during her menstrual period. Through this, the magid insisted, she would conceive the soul of the Mashiach. The young scholar believed him and tried to convince his wife to comply. He told her that he had been sent a magid and that it was Heaven's will. His wife, who was very God-fearing, insisted that she must first ask her father. When the Yeshivah dean heard of this he was taken aback. He immediately understood that this magid was from the Other Side. The dean quickly called for his son-in-law and told him, "You should know that this magid is from the Other Side. The proof of this is that a holy magid has the entire Hebrew alphabet enscribed on his forehead, with the letters of God's Holy Name shining more brightly than all the others. The unholy magid will also have the letters on his forehead, but God's Name does not stand out. When the magid again appears to you and these letters do not shine brightly,

you will know that he is from the Other Side. Beware of him because he will surely want to harm you. I am therefore giving you certain Holy Names and amulets for protection." That night, the magid again appeared to the young scholar. Sure enough, the letters of God's Holy Name did not stand out from the rest of the alphabet. The scholar knew that the magid was indeed from the Other Side, whereupon he followed his father-in-law's instructions and was saved. When Rabbi Nachman heard this story, he grew excited and said to Rabbi Dov, "But by us, thank God, all the letters of the aleph-bet shine brightly." Right after this, Rabbi Nachman revealed the existence of his Aleph-Bet Book and began the process which led to its being copied. APPENDIX II: ADDENDUM Some time before Rabbi Nachman actually began dictating the aphorisms of hisAleph-Bet Book, he told Rabbi Nathan about a work he had composed on the various character traits. W ile talking about this book, the Rebbe revealed that from the boundaries of the Land of Israel as they appear in the Book of Joshua he had ascertained all the remedies which exist in the world. By analyzing the names of the cities which are mentioned as demarcation points within the Holy Land, the Rebbe was able to decipher the names of all the various medicines as they are known in all the different languages. He based this understanding on his perception of the Land of Israel as a complete construct whose form parallels the construct of the human body. Thus, of the twelve divisions, for each of the twelve tribes, one particular portion of the Land corresponds to the head, another to the right hand and so forth. Accordingly, the name of the medicine appropriate for that particular organ was recorded next to its corresponding boundary. These insights into the remedies were evidently included within the approximately twohundred folios which Rabbi Nachman had recorded in his youth on the subject of Healing, but which he never revealed. The Talmud relates (Berakhot lob), King Hezekiah hid the Sefer HaRefuot - The Book of Healing, so that man would not mistakenly think that he could be healed by anyone but God. So too, after careful consideration an with astute foresight, Rabbi Nachman chose to give over only that which he deemed beneficial for the world. All the remaining insights, like some of his private manuscripts, he later ordered to be burned. (Rabbi Nathan's Introduction) The Rebbe said to Rabbi Nathan: Know! each and every character trait consists of numerous aspects and components, for each trait is in itself a complete construct. Accordingly, even if in general a person has perfected a particular trait, should there be but one aspect of that trait which is lacking, the entire trait appears incomplete. It is just like the person who has some deficiency in one of his limbs, all his limbs are affected and he feels the lack throughout his body. A flaw in one of the character traits is exactly the same. It will seem to him that there is a deficiency in the entire trait. Nevertheless, because the character traits are intertwined with one another, one trait is in a position to bolster a neighboring trait. As the Rabbis' taught, "One limb strengthens the other." That is, when man eats a certain limb of an animal, it gives strength to the corresponding limb in the human body. So too with the character traits: it is possible for a part of one trait, i.e. one of its limbs, to help out the limb of a neighboring trait. Therefore, when a person wishes to

follow the path of holiness, he must break all the bad character traits and acquire all the positive qualities. He must always engage in self-evaluation, checking each trait to see whether he has perfected it. And, upon seeing any deficiency in a particular quality, he should seek support and help from the trait alongside it. This point is applicable to the letters [of ourAleph-Bet Book]. Take the following example: When a person lacks humility but does possess the quality of trusting in God, which is a segulah for acquiring humility, then he must use his trust to bring him to humility. In other words, it is sometimes easier for a person to achieve a trust in God than to acquire humility. If so, he should work for the easier achievement and this will afterwards bring him to the quality which is harder for him to attain. Then again, a person may have a certain quality, but he does not make use of it. Should it be possible for this trait to assist him in achieving another one, he must see to start putting into use the trait he does possess. (Rabbi Nathan's Second Introduction) When a person is capable of originating Tora insig ts o the highest level, he can discover how all the mitzvot and character traits are connected and interrelated with one another. This can be likened to an experienced doctor, whose expertise enables him to properly diagnose the nature of his patient's disease and know how to treat it. This expertise implies a thorough knowledge of all the details of the human body and the functions of all its organs, veins, arteries etc. He must understand the positioning of all different organs and how each of their parts operates; how each and every organ and bone is bound and tied to the next through the sinews and arteries. Knowledge of the blood's circulation and all the other bodily functions is also essential for this expertise. And only when a doctor possesses this expertise is he really capable of diagnosing the true nature of the disease and hope to cure it. This also applies to the true Tzaddikim of the generation who attempt to cure the spiritual ills of the Jewish People. Unless they are knowledgeable in the nature of the soul's malaise, they cannot hope to heal it. This a so requires an expertise in the way the body functions. But in their case, they must have an understanding of Primordial Man, whose Godly form parallels the structure of the Torah, as in, "This is the Torah - a man..." (Numbers 19:14). just like the body is composed of 248 organs and 365 veins, the Torah is comprised of 248 positive mitzvot and 365 prohibitive commandments. And, just as a doctor must have an expertise in the functioning of man's organs and veins - how they are bound and arranged one next to the other, one with the other - so too, the spiritual doctor must be an expert on the structure of the Torah: the interelationship between the 248 positive mitzvot, 365 prohibitive commandments, all the character traits and Rabbinical ordinances. He has to k now how they are bound and arranged one next to the other, one with the other. Only then can he know the segulah of each mitzvah and character trait and its power for healing spiritually and physically. (Likutey Halakhot, Hilkhot Rosh Chodesh 5:6) APPENDIX III: THE SOURCES One should not view the Aleph-Bet Book, with its aphorisms on the character traits, as a mere collection from the various teachings of the Sages and other holy works. Rather, Rabbi Nachman has provided us with the deep insights which he perceived through great wisdom and purity. He drew these perceptions from their very exalted roots. And even though Rabbi Nathan, the Tcheriner Rav and Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin have researched and applied "sources" to the aphorisms, these are only supportive references found in Biblical verses and

Rabbinical teachings. Furthermore, they are only presented by way of suggestion, whereas the Rebbe understood each aphorism in its esssence. (Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz) When Rabbi Nachman composed the aphorisms for his Aleph-Bet Book, he also recorded the source references from which they were ascertained. However, when he had Rabbi Nathan transcribe the material, Rabbi Nachman only gave over the aphorisms without their sources. He did nevertheless indicate that anyone who studied the material would be able to discover these sources, be they from the verses in the Bible or the teachings of the Rabbis. It was this which prompted Rabbi Nathan to include a number of source references in the second printing of the Aleph-Bet Book in 1821; the first edition issued in 1811, within the first year of Rabbi Nachman's passing, had only the aphorisms arranged in two separate parts. Even for this second edition-which Rabbi Nathan personally printed on his own press in Breslov though in order to conceal the existence of his printing operation the city of "Moghilev" was put on the title page-Rabbi Nathan had his doubts about including these references. "But," as he writes, "I had a change of heart. Just because I could not complete the job, should I have done nothing at all? Is it not written, 'Whatever you are capable of doing, do!' " (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Rabbi Nathan therefore recorded those references which he and others had been a e to locate from both the Written and Oral Torah and also included the precious few references which he had heard from the Rebbe himself. Even with his decision to incorporate the references, Rabbi Nathan made certain to point out that his researching of the sourcesw sonlytoaddreferencesupporttoRabbiNachman's aphorisms and not in any way an attempt to prove their veracity, for which there is certainly no need, nor an attempt to explain their reasoning. As Rabbi Nathan writes in his introduction to the second edition: "The actual basis for the Rebbe's thinking - the way in which he perceived these insights - remains hidden from us." "Accordingly," he concludes, "had the Rebbe not removed the blinders from our eyes and revealed these insights, we never would have been able to deduce these precious pearls of wisdom from the Bible or Rabbinical teachings." The Tcheriner Rav, in his explanation of the source references which he researched (see below), concurs, adding that he is only offering the references by way of suggestion and possibility and not as the definitive source used by Rabbi Nachman as the basis for his aphor ism. All this very much coincides with what Rabbi Nathan said he heard in the Rebbe's name: "For all the aphorisms of my AlephBet I have a source and I know the reasoning behind it. There is, however, one aphorism in the second part whose source I know, but whose reasoning I have yet to discover." After Rabbi Nathan, it was his disciple, Rabbi Nachman of Tcherin (1825-1894), who devoted himself to researching the source references of the Aleph-Bet Book. The Tcheriner Rav, as he was known, displayed outstanding Torah knowledge as he added to Rabbi Nathan's more than one hundred references approximately two thousand five hundred of his own. His monumental effort first appeared in print at the end of the seventh edition, printed in 1873-74, and has been included in all subsequent editions until the present time. The next additions to the source references of theAleph-Bet Book came more than thirty years later from a most unexpected source. In 1908-09, a group of recently attracted chassidim were planning to reprint the Aleph-Bet Book in Lublin, Poland. Much to their surprise they discovered that the renowned Tzaddik, Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen of Lublin, had put his own

source references to Rabbi Nachman's aphorisms (as well as adding notes and sources to the Rebbe's other works). Owing to the general indifference which Breslov Chassidut had encountered throughout the years, it was of no small import that such a distinguished scholar should have displayed so great an interest in Rabbi Nachman's teachings. In fact, when Rabbi Avraham b'reb Nachman of Tulchin, a leading Breslov figure who was then living in the Holy Land, heard about Rabbi Tzadok's additions, he very much wanted to have this new edition of theAleph-Bet Book printed in Jerusalem. For their part, the chassidim in Poland were not willing to part with the mitzvah, and in 1910 the eighth edition was issued in Lublin; with the source references appearing on each page for the very first time. Indeed, when the new edition reached the Breslover Chassidim in Russia, Rabbi Alter Tepliker, author of Outpouring of the Soul and Restore My Soul (c Breslov Research Institute, 1980), was quoted as saying, "...Who could have believed that despite the great concealment which has enshrouded our country, there would be precious souls - Torah scholars and God-fearing individuals - who have drawn close to the Rebbe, studying his teachings and spreading the wellsprings of his wisdom without any assistance from the long-time Breslover Chassidim." Further source references for the aphorisms were later researched by Rabbi Nathan Tzvi Koenig and printed in his Pituchey Chotem, B'nei Brak, 1968. Rabbi Koenig's work cross references all of Rabbi Nachman's writings with itself, Rabbi Nathan's works and other Breslov literature. His section on the Aleph-Bet Book also includes additional references from Biblical and Rabbinical sources which were thereafter incorporated within a later edition of the Aleph-Bet Book by Agudat Meshekh HaNachal. This particular edition also contributed something new to the researching of the aphorisms by presenting a number of indices, including a cross reference index for the aphorisms themselves. Finally, the most recent edition of Rabbi Nachman's AlephBet Book was printed by the Breslov Research Institute in Jerusalem, 1985. Aside from all previous references, this edition also includes some additional sources researched by present day Breslover Chassidim. Its most outstanding feature, however, is an entirely original study of each source reference, expanding and explaining its relationship to the particular aphorism to which it has been applied. This study goes one step further in making Rabbi Nachman's aphorisms decipherable - if only by way of possibility and allusion - to anyone wishing to apply them in practice and to understand from where they were drawn. This, after all, must have been the Rebbe's intention when he told Rabbi Nathan to arrange and organize his aphorisms; thereby making it easier for the reader to use The Alepli-Bet Book as a handy manual and guide for perfecting his character traits and attaining his spiritual desires. On the following pages we have translated a few examples of the aphorisms together with their sources as provided by Rabbi Nachman of Tcherin and Rabbi Tzadok of Lublin. *** EMET 18-21 18) When there is no truth, there is no kindness. Such a person cannot deal kindly with people. 19) Falsehood delays redemption. It brings a man's sins out into the open, thus preventing him from being saved. 20)

Truth redeems from all suffering. 21) A person should rather die than live and be considered a liar by others. --TRANSLATION OF SOURCES 18) For "...there is no truth and no love and no knowledge of God in theland"(Hoshea 4:1). See Aramaic translation: There are none who act truthfully and none who act kindly. So that one who does not act truthfully will also not be kind. 19) "When I would have healed Israel, the sins of Efraim were uncovered ... because they commit falsehood..." (Hoshea 7:1). When I want to redeem and heal their sins, it was revealed to Me that they have continually been false. 20a) "...I would have redeemed them, but they spoke lies against me" (Hoshea 7:13). Rashi: I would have redeemed them - I wanted to redeem them from suffering ... and they spoke lies against me. That is, how can I redeem them from suffering if they speak falsely. 20b) "Simplicity and uprightness will preserve me... O'God, redeem Israel from all his suffering" (Psalms 25:21-22). Explanation: simplicity and uprightness - through my simplicity and uprightness (truth) I will be preserved, and because of this, God will redeem Israel from all its suffering. 20c) "But as for me, I walk in my simplicity: redeem me and be gracious with me"(Psalms 26:11). Explanation:l walk in mysimplicity (truth); and because of this, redeem me and be gracious with me. 20d) "...You redeemed me God, Lord of truth" (Psalms 31:6). Explanation: You redeemed me ... because of the truth. 21a) "But it displeased Yonah ... And he prayed to God...Isn't this what I said,',..foritis better to die than to live' " (Yonah 4:1-3).

Rashi: It displeased Yonah - that the nations will say that I am a false prophet. Isn't this what I said - they will consider me a liar. 21b) When Choni HaMaagat awoke after a seventy year sleep, no one would believe him that he was Choni. He asked to die. Upon hearing this, Rava said: This is the expression: "A person wants to have his companions [treat him with respect]; if not, he'd rather die." (Ta'anit 23a: Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen). *** HATZLACHAH 1-8 1) Anyone who properly tithes his wealth loses nothing. 2) Attach yourself to a successful person and you will succeed. 3) A blessing is only found on that which is hidden from the public eye. 4) Success is Heaven-sent. 5) A person to whom [Heaven] has granted prosperity but does not succeed will afterwards find it difficult to do so. 6) The endeavors of Torah scholars receive an immediate blessing. 7) Torah study is particularly propitious for success. 8) When a person doesn't leave a piece of bread on the table [after his meal], he will never see the signs of blessing. 9) By returning to God in repentance, you will be able to earn your living easily. 10) One who fulfills, "Your neighbor's money should be as precious to you as your own" (Avot 2:12), merits praying with an attentive heart. 11) So great is the value of living from the fruits of one's own labor that a person who does so can recognize God's glory in a way which even the angels cannot. --1) Rabbi Levi the son of China said: Anyone who tithes his wealth as he should, loses nothing (Yerushalmi Terumot 4:3; Eyn Yaakov #36). 2) Rabbi Akiva instructed his son, Rabbi Yehoshua, on seven things: ... and do business with someone whose fortune is going good. To which Rav Papa added: Don't sell to him or buy from him, rather, become his partner (Pesachim 112a; Eyn Yaakov #47). 3)

Rabbi Yitzchak said: A blessing is only found on that which is hidden from the public eye (Ta'anit 8b; Eyn Yaakov #24). 4) Rabbi Yitzchak said: If a person tells you, "I worked hard but did not succeed," don't believe him.... This applies to Torah study, but in business, [success] is Heaven-sent. And even in Torah study, [this proverb] only applies to attaining comprehension; the ability to successfully retain one's studies is also from Heaven (megillah 6b; Eyn Yaakov # 6). 5a) Rabbi Abba the son of Papa said: Once the door has been shut, it is not soon opened! Rashi: a door shut on a person's success is not soon opened except for those who increase their prayers (Baba Kama 80b; Eyn Yaakov #23). 5b) Rabbi Acha said: Anyone who encounters misfortune will afterwards not quickly find good fortune (Baba Batra 12b; Eyn Yaakov #20; Rabbi Tzadok HaKohen). 6) Abaya said: The endeavors of Torah scholars receive an immediate blessing (Berakhot 42a; Eyn Yaakov #107). 7) Rabbi Yehoshua the son of Levi said: It is written in the Pentateuch, repeated in the Prophets, and taught for the third time in the Hagiographa: "Anyone who is diligent in Torah study prospers financially" (Avodah Zara 19b; Eyn Yaakov #46). 8) Rabbi Elazar said: Whoever fails to leave a piece of bread on his table will never see the signs of blessing (5anhedrin 92a; Eyn Yaakov #140). 9) "...these forty years, God, your God has been with you;lochasarta davar -you lacked nothing" (Deuteronomy 2:7). Another explanation of lo chasarta DAVAR: there was nothing lacking in the world. And what had been lacking? Teshuvah - repentance! As it is written (Hoshea 14:3), "Take with you words - D'VARim - and return to God" (Shemot Rabbah, 21:10). Explanation: And what had been lacking beforehand that the verse now says, "you lacked nothing"? Tesliuvah! This can be understood in two ways. You lacked nothing because you lacked no D'VAR, i.e. repentance. Or, you lacked nothing - you had all you needed for your living expenses. 10) And Job said, "Though there is nothing stolen in my hands and my prayers are pure" (job 16:17). But Job, in whose hands there was nothing which did not belong to him, his prayers were pure ... And how do we know that anyone whodistances himself from theft, his prayers are pure? This can be seen from the verse, "He that has clean hands and a pure heart..." (Psalms 24:4), after which it is written Obid. 5-6), "He will receive a blessing from God... This is the generation of those who seek Him [through prayer] " (Shemot Rabbah, 22:3).

Thus, a person who distances himself from theft and his neighbor's money is as precious to him as his own, his prayers are pure and he merits praying with an attentive heart. 11) Rabbi Yehudah said: Who praised God? The children; those [children] Pharoah wanted to have thrown in the river. They recognized the Holy One. How? When the Jews were in Egypt, thejewish women would go out into the fields togivebirth. They would then leave the newborn baby in God's hands.... Rabbi Yochanan added: The Holy One, as it were, descended in all His glory and provided each baby with two stones from which to nurse; one stone providing oil and the other honey.... When the Jewish Peoplecame to the Red Sea, itwas thesechildren who recognized theHoly0ne, saying (Exodus 15:2), "This is my God and I will praise Him." Rabbi Berachya said: Come and see how great were those who went down into the Red Sea.... The Creatures who carry the Divine Chariot cannot recognize God's image, but those who crossed the Red Sea, each one pointed with his finger, saying, "This is my God and I will praise Him" (Shemot Rabbah, 23:8, 16). And, earning one's living is like splitting the Red Sea. Explanation: The children who benefited from the two stones in their hands one's own labor - were the ones who merited recognizing God's glory, which even the angels the Creatures who carry the Chariot - are incapable of recognizing and knowing. And, earning earning one's living is like splitting the Red Sea, as in the words of the Sages, "[God's providing] a person with his livelihood is as great [a miracle] as the splitting of the Red Sea" (Pesachim 118a). Thus, those whoenjoythefruitsof theirown labor - like those who when they crossed the Red Sea said, "This is my God and I will praise Him" - can recognize God's glory. *** Rabbi Eliahu, the renown Gaon of Vilna, is reported to have expressed his desire that those who study halakhah do so from what is known as the Shulchan Arukh HaGedolim, with its numerous glosses, rather than from the many abridged versions of Jewish Law. He reasoned that by studying abridged versions, which only offer a final decision on how the law is to be practiced, the student was more likely to forget. Studying the more comprehensive works, however, enables the student to follow the reasoning behind the legal decision and to refer to the source on which it is based. This not only provides better understanding, but also enables one to retain that which he has studied. *** Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz would often say: "Each and every aphorism of the Aleph-Bet Book requires study and serious analysis. They are the very basics of the Torah and wondrous morsels of wisdom; insights and revelations filled with intelligence and the knowledge of God which the Ancient of Days had concealed." Accordingly, Rabbi Avraham would repeatedly encourage Breslover Chassidim to look into and investigate the source references which his grandfather, the Tcheriner Rav, had researched and which now appear along with the text. By concentrating on the verses and Rabbinical teachings in context, it becomes possible to somewhat comprehend their hidden aspects. This will cause the aphorisms to enlighten all the more.

GLOSSARY The words in this glossary have been defined according to context. They have been italicized only once, when first appearing in the text. Aggadah: the non-legalistic passages of the Talmud aravah: willow branch; one of the Four Species special to Sukkot B: equivalent to the Hebrew letter bet which can also be read vet, hence interchangeable with the English letter v as in Marriage B2 Birkhat HaMazon: blessings recited after meal containing bread daat: knowledge, awareness etrog: citron fruit; one of the Four Species special to Sukkot hadas: myrtle branch; one of the Four Species special to Sukkot halakhah: Jewish Law, the fundamental codification of which is the Shulchan Arukh Hallel: prayer extolling God's praise recited on holidays and the New Moon havdalah: series of blessings recited at the close of the Sabbath separating it from the six days of the week hitbodedut: seclusion; private prayer and meditation - a major principle of Rabbi Nachman's teachings kohein: Jewish priest descending from Aaron lulav: a palm branch; one of the Four Species special to Sukkot magid: a Heavenly teacher mazal: fortune; a guardian angel mikvah: a pool for ritual immersion P: equivalent to the Hebrew letter peh which can also be read fay, hence interchangeable with the English letter feh as in Divine Remedy 11 poskim: Codifiers of Jewish Law segulah: talisman; The Jews are known as the Chosen People„Am Segulah. This is similar to the knowledge that doing a certain thing will prove particularly propitious„a segulah„for curing some disease. That this could be so is true even though the natural order of things would not necessitate its happening; a segulah being beyond the dictates of nature. This is not something which man's mind can grasp. In a similar vein, God selected the Jewish People as

His chosen nation. This, even though man's understanding cannot comprehend how God could [or why He would] have chosen one nation from all others (Likutey Moharan I, 21:9) Shekhina: GodÍs Divine Presence Shulchan Arukh: codification of Jewish Law by Rabbi Yosef Karo (see halakhah) Shema Yisrael: (Deuteronomy 6:4-9) the daily prayer proclaiming GodÍs unity tikkun: restoration or rectification of spiritual blemish Tikkun Chatzot: the Midnight Lament for the destruction of the Temple