Kabbalah Library

89. “You shall not curse the deaf.” Every branch below points to its root above. One who curses one’s friend, and he is before him, and degraded him, it is as though he has shed his blood. When his friend is not before him and he curses him, that utterance rises up and complains about him.

90. There is no speech that comes out of a person that has sound. The voice rises up, and several angels of destruction connect with it, until the place of the great abyss, the shells, rises and awakens.

91. “…or put a stumbling block before the blind.” One who causes another to sin, as well as one who strikes his eldest son. “…or put a stumbling block before the blind,” one who has not reached teaching and teaches, as it is written, “for many a victim has she laid low, and all her slain are a mighty throng.” This transgresses the verse, “…or put a stumbling block before the blind,” since by his teaching, he fails his friend for the next world.

92. One who walks on the straight path in the Torah, and one who engages in Torah properly, always has a good portion for the next world, since the words of Torah that he utters from his mouth walk and roam the world, and rise up. Several high and holy angels connect to that speech, and it rises on a straight path and is crowned with a holy crown and baths in the river of the next world, Bina, which is extended and comes out from Eden, Hochma. It is accepted in it and swallowed within it, and the upper tree, ZA, is delighted around the river, causing ZA to receive the illumination of the river from Bina. At that time, upper light is drawn and comes out, and is decorated with that man throughout the day.

93. One who engages in Torah but does not engage in it truthfully and honestly, that speech rises and veers off the path, and there is no one to connect with it. Everyone rejects it, and it walks and roams the world but does not find a place. Who caused this to it? That person who deviated from the straight path, as it is written, “…or put a stumbling block before the blind,” not to place an obstacle before the words of Torah that he utters from his mouth. This is why it is written, “And you will fear your God, I am the Lord.”

94. One whose yearning is to engage in Torah but does not find who will teach him, and he speaks of the love of Torah and stutters in it, for he does not know, each word rises and the Creator delights with that speech and He accepts it, and plants it around that river, Bina, and these words become great trees, great lights, and they are called “willows of the brook,” as it is written, “and always be enraptured with her love.”

95. King David said, “Teach me Your way, O Lord, that I may walk in Your truth,” and it is written, “and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.” Happy are those who know the ways of Torah and engage in it on the straight path, for they plant the trees of life above, drawing Mochin to ZA, the tree of life, and all of them are a healing to his soul. This is why it is written, “True law was in his mouth.” Is there a Torah [law] that is untrue?” Indeed, for if someone who does not know teaches, it is untrue, and one who learns something from him, learns something that is untrue. This is why it is written, “True law [Torah] was in his mouth.”

96. Nevertheless, a person must learn Torah from any person, even from someone who does not know, since by this he will awaken in the Torah, and will come to learn from someone who knows. Afterwards, he will find that he has walked in the Torah on the path of truth. One should always engage in Torah and in its commandments, even if he works Lo Lishma [not for Her sake], since from Lo Lishma he will come to Lishma [for Her sake].