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+Sefer HaMiddot
+ספר המדות
+merged
+https://www.sefaria.org/Sefer_HaMiddot
+This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
+-The aleph bet book, translated by Moshe Mykoff. New York: Breslov Research Institute, 1986
+-https://www.nli.org.il/he/books/NNL_ALEPH001029203/NLI
+-The Book of Character, trans. Simcha H.
+-https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:Sefer_Hamidot
+
+Sefer HaMiddot
+
+Introduction
+
+This book elucidates all the traits and conduct arranged according to the aleph-bet/alphabet. It is divided into two sections which are known to us by the names "Aleph-Bet of Old" and "Aleph-Bet of New." The first part is a wondrous collection, collected by our pure and holy master in his childhood, all that his huge intellect perceived by understanding one matter from another; and he gathered from all the holy books, everything that he found in them pertaining to morals, conduct, and upright behavior -- which he recorded to have by him for memory's sake. Whatever he found elucidated in the words of Our Sages of blessed memory, whether it be a virtue of a good trait, or the opposite -- derision of a bad trait -- everything in its entirety he would gather little by little and copy them by him in the order of the Aleph Bet by each and every trait, so that he should have them for remembrance, to see with his eyes the significance of each and every trait and its converse, in order to go in the ways of the good and guard the ways of the tzaddikim (based on Prov. 2:20). Moreover, his powerful intellect perceived many precious and wondrous matters which are not explicitly elucidated in the words of Our Sages OB”M; just by the sheer magnitude of his perception he understood one matter from another, and conceived precious novelty in the concepts of the traits from within the Scriptures and from within the words of Our Sages OB”M, which are not explicitly elucidated in their words, just hinted to -- for a genius of his caliber.
+Everything he gathered and assembled together in the order of the Aleph Bet, and in the course of time there was found by him a complete compilation on all the traits, and he instructed to copy all of it, and from his mouth he read to me, and I transcribed in the book (according to Jer. 36:18), in order that this book should not desist from our mouths (Josh. 1:8) to speak (/think) it always, in order that we cease from bad traits. For everyone, when he sees arranged the utter derision of a bad trait and the great loss it causes, and the dreadful violation that is realized through it, he will have compassion on his soul, and he will gird his loins to stand up against it, and he will beseech from He to whom mercy is His, to escape with his soul from the abyss, to save him from those bad traits or bad desires or similar ones, and so in the converse regarding good traits.
+Furthermore, (Prov. 16:20 -- Rashi) one who gives heart to contemplate his words (to forge his way), will find good -- true advice how to guard one's self from any particular vice, through making sure to be safe from the vice which is close (in the set up of the book, and it thus revealed that they are associated) to, for they are neighbors to each other, and each one guards her friend, as (this is) explained subsequently in the introduction that I heard from his holy mouth. The importance of this book, there is no need to explain, to anyone honest, who desires truth, and longs with cherishing to grasp the ways of propriety, certainly he will find in it a repose for his soul. Fortunate is he who takes hold of it, then it will be good for him in this (world) and in the coming (world), because this entire book is founded on verses of the Bible (Torah, Prophets, Scriptures) and on the words of Our Sages OB”M, all of them cogent to the understanding and straight, for those who have found cognizance (Proverbs 8:9).
+The second part is also similar to the first part, in form and arrangement, there is no (marked) difference between them, for it is also an elucidation of the virtue of good traits and the derision of bad traits and the like.
+Nevertheless, there is a difference between them, for the items elucidated in the first part, on each and every trait, they are matters which are elucidated in the holy books, explicitly or at least in allusion, so that someone who puts his heart to understand the matter, and who he who wants to study in depth to understand one matter from another, can understand and comprehend from where the Rav extracted this item, from which verse or from which teaching of Our Sages OB”M. For, all the matters elucidated in the Aleph Bet of Old are not remote and not distant (based on Deuteronomy 30:11) from the one studying them -- to come to its property, to understand and comprehend from where the items effuses. Albeit, without the Rav, who illuminated our eyes with these matters, it would not have occurred to the reader to extract these matters from within the holy books. However, after he already opened our eyes to these matters, it is possible for the enlightened (reader), whose heart is complete with the holy books; with the Tanakh (acronym for: Bible, Prophets, Scriptures -- 24 books in all), and with the Aggadot (lore) of Our Sages OB”M, and with the other commentaries, to understand and comprehend the relevant sources.
+In contrast to this, the issues elucidated in the second part are lofty and awesome conceptions perceived by the author OB”M, in the days of his greatness. All of these matters transcend human comprehension and are hidden from all eyes. For each and every item there is a very wondrous and awesome taam (reason, taste, cantillation, secret) and it is supported by some verse or teaching of Our Sages OB”M through a very wondrous and fabulous allusion, in his wondrous style, as the reader will see for himself. For there are many items elucidated here without (presentation of) any reason or proof, and within the major compilation of discourses (Likutay Moharan -- A Collection of the Teachings of Rabbi Nachman) it is expatiated there, a complete matter, and a wondrous and awesome exposition on this item at great length, and this you will find in many places. So too one should learn the characteristics of the vague from what is explained, that also in the places that he did not explain the item explicitly, also there his masterful hand attained a complete conception of it (the item presented without elaboration), just, for some ulterior reason he did not want to provide the explanation of the item.
+For all these matters, all of them are supernal and from a holy place they traverse, from a very extremely awesome lofty source, and they do not contain a single matter which does not command an awesome and wondrous exposition on what its foundations were cast, the reason for the matter, its characteristics, and a very hidden, deep, and wondrous support from within the Written Torah or Oral Torah. It is not for us to elongate on the paramount praise of these matters, because all who add, detract. For it is not hidden from our eyes the lowliness of our worth -- and the greatness of our master the holy Rav, supernal candelabra, OB”M, and his utter hiddenness and concealment from the eyes of the world (people), this being the case, we must put restraint to our mouth, to be silent and not to mention, not to relate the magnitude of his holy praise, not a matter nor half a matter, and the enlightened will be silent now, Almighty G-d Hashem -- He knows and Israel will know (based on Joshua 22:22). Fortunate is he who waits and reaches the days that have aspiration, at the time when the glory of Israel will rise, truth from the earth will rise (Psalms 85:12), a language of truth will be established forever (Proverbs 12:19), it does not say 'was established' but 'will be established' (Tikunay Zohar 63, pg. 95a). The medication for the matter -- silence, everyone, according to the fathoms of his heart, will understand and comprehend the extent, to where these matters reach.
+Still, we come with these words, to arouse the hearts of the readers, to make known to them the nature of the book and its affairs. It is incumbent upon us to make known and reveal to the ears of our peers (the hasidim of Breslov), that our honorable master, the hidden light, of holy and blessed memory, warned strongly to engage in this book, and that it should not cease from our mouths, for it is our life. He himself wrote it in a very small volume and said that his intent was to enable each and every one to carry it with him always, because the traits are the foundation of the entire Torah -- and with this a youth (or someone of that standing) will make his ways meritorious to heed everything that his written in this book, then he will bring success to his ways, and then he will be enlightened. For this is the main task of a person, all the days of his life, to flee from vice and bad desires, and to cling to virtue and upright conduct, that are elucidated in this book.
+Fortunate is the person who listens to these words, to fulfill all that is written herein. He will never slip (based on Psalms 112:6) and his righteousness will answer for him in the time to come (based on Beraishis 30:33), when he comes to receive his reward. In the measure that a person meets out -- so (In that same measure) is he met with. Fortunate is one who chooses life -- Hashem will repay his endeavors, if it is to scoffers He will scoff (Proverbs 3:34), he will not gain wealth and his wealth will not endure (Job 15:29), woe to his soul -- for the retribution of his handiwork will be done to him (Isaiah 3:11), it will not be cast to the ground (but on their heads -Job 15:29), one who is good before G-d will escape from it (Ecclesiastes 7:26). How great is the goodness hidden away for him (based on Psalms 31:20), in his joy no stranger will take part (Proverbs 14:10), a laboring soul benefits from its labor (Proverbs 16:26, see also Tractate Sanhedrin 99b -- he works here and his Torah works for him elsewhere). Let us pour out our souls to Hashem to put our portion with Him, to stand at the threshold of His shade, they will have no regrets -- those who put their trust in Him (Psalms end of Chapter 34), no eye has seen (their reward) except for You G-d, what He will do for those who put their hope in Him (Isaiah 64:3).
+The words of the transcriber, whom is reduced to sighing and is crushed by the departure of the splendor of our heads, the majesty of our strength, the cherishing of our eyes, what can we say? May G-d (lit. the place -- for G-d is the place of the world and not vice versa) comfort us very soon, the little one, Nussun, son of my master my father our teacher Rav Naftoli Hertz may his candle shine, from the greater Nemerov, son-in-law of the Rav, the genius, the famous, the tzadik, our teacher Rav Dovid Tzvi OB”M Chief of the Court of the Congregation of Muehluv.
+
+Second Introduction
+
+
+
+Truth
+
+Part I
+
+A person who wants to attach himself to the Holy One—so that his thoughts travel from one chamber to the next, seeing these chambers with his mind’s eye—should avoid speaking falsely, even accidentally.
+One is permitted to distort the truth in order to preserve peace.
+Those who tell lies are not worthy of receiving the Divine Presence.
+A Tzaddik is permitted to act deceitfully with one who deceives others.
+All those who add, detract.
+Telling lies brings one to thoughts of idolatry.
+By being truthful, a person will not die before his time.
+The breath from a liar’s mouth gives rise to the evil inclination. When Mashiach comes, falsehood will cease to exist and so there will be no evil inclination in the world.
+A person of truth can recognize in another if he is speaking falsely or not.
+A sign that something is false is that it is opposed by the majority. The liar is one of the three types of people whom God despises.
+Reason cannot tolerate a rich person’s deceit. Even he finds himself despicable.
+Giving charity rectifies one’s speech.
+Truth protects the world from all manner of harm.
+Flattery leads to lying.
+A person who gives charity merits attaining the truth.
+The liar despises humility.
+One can tell from a person’s servants whether he is fond of falsehood. This is because the one is dependent upon the other. There are times when a person’s servants fall into sin because he is a liar, and other times when he stumbles into falsehood because his servants behave improperly.
+One who lacks truth lacks kindness. Such a person cannot deal {kindly} with people.
+Falsehood delays redemption, for it brings a person’s sins out into the open, thus preventing him from being saved.
+Truth redeems from all suffering.
+A person should rather die, than live and be considered a liar by others.
+Where there is truth, there is peace.
+One who is far from the truth is far from charity.
+Truth protects the sign of the <i>brit.</i>
+By telling the truth, a person earns everlasting esteem.
+When a husband and wife accustom themselves to lying, their children will be rebellious and sexually immoral.
+A person will speak falsely when he is afraid of other people.
+Falsehood causes a person to forget God.
+A person who does not trust in God speaks falsely, and by telling lies becomes incapable of trusting the truth.
+The further a person is from truth, the more he considers one who turns away from evil to be a fool.
+Seeing that there is no truth in the world, a person who wants to turn away from evil must play the fool.
+When a person does not speak falsely, God saves him in a time of misfortune. He will also be blessed with children.
+Idle talk brings harm to one’s children.
+A person steeped in idleness becomes forgetful.
+Falsehood leads to immorality and strengthens the hand of evildoers so that they do not return to God in repentance.
+A person who lies has no cure even with numerous medicines.
+A person who tells lies is cut down. He also becomes a fool.
+Fear of God brings a person to truth.
+A person who guards himself from falsehood is always victorious.
+It is permissible to alter the truth in order to save oneself from harm.
+A person who is fond of falsehood will disgrace the Tzaddik, and will himself be shamed.
+One who speaks falsely perishes.
+Truth saves a person from slander. By telling the truth his prayers are accepted, and when judged on high, he will be judged according to his merits.
+A person can tell from his dreams whether his heart is true with his God.
+A person who keeps his word can accomplish great things.
+One who has no haughtiness is saved from lies.
+Whoever guards against frivolity is clearly a person of truth.
+When someone who was a liar in a previous lifetime is reincarnated, he comes back left-handed.
+When a person is careful and always speaks truthfully, it is like he created heaven and earth, the seas and all that they contain.
+Falsehood applies only to the spoken word, not the written one.
+The Torah, the Prophets and the Sages made use of hyperbole [in their teachings].
+
+Part II
+
+People don’t listen to one who speaks falsely. Lying also causes a person to be widowed from a number of wives, God forbid.
+Truth reveals God’s Oneness in the world.
+When you see a liar, you should know that his spiritual leader is also false.
+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.
+When a person does not distort his words, he is able to humble the haughty and elevate the meek.
+A person who does not speak one way with his lips and another in his heart has no fear of drowning.
+Truth brings to satisfaction.
+The disorders of diarrhea and constipation come from lying.
+Truth will bring the Final Redemption.
+
+Hospitality
+
+Part I
+
+An inhospitable person strengthens the hand of evildoers so that they do not return to God in repentance.
+[The inhabitants of] a city in which hospitality is not practiced will turn to immoral behavior, and this in turn will bring murder into their midst.
+Hospitality brings a woman to be blessed with children.
+Receiving guests is like receiving Shabbat.
+A person who welcomes a Torah scholar into his home is considered as having offered the daily-sacrifice.
+Hospitality is even greater than arriving early at the house of Torah study and receiving the Divine Presence.
+Jews who have no rabbis in their midst are like Samaritans.
+
+Part II
+
+A person’s hospitality causes people to revere him.
+Hospitality is a <i>segulah</i> for restoring a woman’s menses.
+God’s holiness validates and affirms the prominence of the generation’s leaders. This in turn brings everyone to value the <i>mitzvah</i> of hospitality, and the Torah scholars to merit having the law follow their opinion.
+
+Love
+
+Part I
+
+When there is no love between people, they bear tales. Their tale-bearing brings them to mock one another, and their mockery then leads them to telling lies.
+Hatred leads to turmoil and fires.
+One’s love for God protects his soul from misfortune.
+Achieving love for God requires that you first repent for your sins.
+Everyone loves a person who is completely given over to praying for the Jewish people.
+Love brings to encouragement.
+Encouraging someone in his service of God will bring him to love you.
+You can merit loving God by reciting the <i>Hallel</i> prayer in a loud voice.
+When engaged in ligation with a mute who refuses to reach a compromise, guarding against unwarranted hatred will bring him to settle with you.
+A person who guards against swearing falsely will certainly not transgress the precept of “not taking revenge nor bearing a grudge” (Leviticus 19:18).
+Garlic increases love.
+The merit earned by a person who serves God out of love stands as a lasting protection for two thousand generations.
+God is present wherever pacts and agreements are made.
+
+Part II
+
+When the earth’s plant life reaches full size, there is love in the world.
+The measure of a woman’s love for her husband is [in inverse proportion to the number of] flies and gnats in their house. Also, from their love we can tell whether the evil inclination’s power [over them] has been weakened.
+The wise men of the generation who love each other and visit each other from time to time have the power to judge the entire world. Their judgment is lasting and no one will be able to change or nullify it, for God Himself is the head magistrate of their court.
+Unwarranted hatred causes a person to unintentionally eat unkosher food.
+A person’s lust for food causes him to favor one child over the others.
+
+Faith
+
+Part I
+
+One’s belief in God must come through faith and not because of miracles.
+You can achieve faith by being humble.
+When you see something out of the ordinary, don’t say that it is coincidence; rather, believe that it is Divine providence.
+There are things that bring great harm to the world and it is difficult to understand why they were created. You should know that they most certainly have some aspect of good.
+Finding the words of a heretic pleasing will bring a person to thoughts of idolatry, even if those words are not heretical in and of themselves.
+A person’s faith endears him to God much like a wife is dear to her husband.
+Without first preparing his heart, a person cannot achieve faith.
+One who loses something has clearly fallen from his faith.
+One who has lost his faith should visit Jewish graves and recount the kindness that God has performed for him.
+Faith is dependent upon a person’s mouth. [Speaking about faith not only increases faith—it is faith! <i>(Likutey Moharan</i> II, 44)].
+Torah study destroys all heresy.
+Belief in God brings blessing.
+Overeating leads to a fall from faith.
+Gazing at the sky when it is clear and bright will bring you to faith in the Sages.
+Should you find yourself questioning God, keep silent. By virtue of this silence, your very thoughts will provide you with an answer to your questions.
+Remaining silent when you are insulted will earn you an answer to your questions and you will merit a spirit of understanding.
+You should know that when a person’s opponents are wise and very wealthy, it is because he has repeatedly fallen from faith.
+Faith is considered like charity.
+Belief in God makes one wise.
+It is first necessary to have faith in God, and only then will you be worthy of understanding Him with your intellect.
+The unification of the Holy One comes about through the souls of the Jewish people.
+A person’s sins bring him to entertain heresy.
+When a person falls from his belief in God, he will cry.
+Faith comes by remaining silent [in the face of criticism].
+A person’s jealousy causes him to fall from his belief in God.
+A person with no faith clearly belittles the words of the Torah.
+A person who is always cleaning his hands is purifying his heart.
+When a person falls from faith, he should know that he is being judged on high.
+One who has fallen from his belief in God will experience a seminal emission, and be plagued with promiscuous thoughts and thoughts of idolatry.
+Faith comes through giving charity.
+By means of faith one can come to understand God.
+Through faith one can come to trust in God.
+Because of faith, God will forgive all your sins.
+There are times when God sends a person suffering and punishment, but He does not weaken him. This is only in order to foster faith.
+Swearing falsely causes a person to fall from faith.
+A person without faith does not accept rebuke.
+A person who does not believe in the words of the Tzaddik will in the end have no benefit from them, even though he will see [them coming true].
+A person without faith certainly despises God’s statutes.
+Mashiach will come suddenly and, because of their joy, the Jews will fear.
+When Mashiach comes, all the ministers on high and also those below in this world will be weakened. But now, whenever there is an ascent by any minister, the Jews are weakened.
+In the World to Come, the “younger” one is the higher the level to which he will ascend.
+Jerusalem was destroyed only because the Jews: desecrated Shabbat; neglected reciting both the morning and evening <i>Shema</i>; were lax in educating their young schoolchildren; felt no shame in each other’s presence; equated the lowly with the great; did not rebuke one another, but ridiculed Torah scholars; and there were no longer any men of faith in the city.
+Jerusalem will be redeemed only through charity.
+War is the beginning of redemption.
+A person who raises pigs delays the redemption.
+Jerusalem will not be rebuilt until there is peace among Jews.
+That the Jews wander in exile from nation to nation is a sign that Mashiach will come.
+When the nations insult us a great deal, it is a sign that Mashiach’s arrival is imminent.
+The House of God will not be built until haughtiness ceases to exist.
+The spirit of oneness that will exist among Jews will bring Mashiach.
+Mashiach will come in a year of blessing.
+Mashiach won’t come until all the souls have been emptied from the body [of Primordial Man].
+When a person marries his daughter to a Torah scholar, or benefits a scholar with his possessions, or engages in business on the scholar’s behalf, he merits being resurrected from the dead.
+The breath from a liar’s mouth gives rise to the evil inclination. When Mashiach comes, falsehood will cease to exist and so there will be no evil inclination in the world.
+A person of truth can recognize in another if he is speaking falsely or not.
+A majority of people will not agree to something false.
+The Holy One despises a person who speaks one way with his lips and another in his heart.
+Reason cannot tolerate a rich person’s deceit. Even he finds himself despicable.
+Giving charity rectifies one’s speech.
+Truth protects the world from all manner of harm.
+Flattery leads to lying.
+A person who gives charity is rewarded with attaining the truth.
+A person who lies will certainly despise humble people.
+One can tell from a person’s servants whether he is fond of falsehood.
+When there is no truth, there is no kindness.
+If you are in any way false, then when God desires to save you, this falsehood brings your sins out into the open so that He should not save you.
+For telling the truth, God will redeem you from all suffering.
+A person should rather die, than live and be considered a liar by others.
+
+Part II
+
+There are times when a person comes to some place where he experiences anguish. He should know that his ancestors were in that place and came to some form of heresy, or that his descendants will one day be there and come to some heresy. This is the reason he is now suffering.
+Flattery leads one to heresy.
+The Holy One performs miracles only for a person who believes in both worlds.
+Our faith in God nullifies the evil decrees that the nations issue against us.
+Know! each and every herb has its own unique power to heal a specific illness. But this is only for a 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, when one has complete faith and also maintains sexual purity and fulfills “Do not despise any man,” his cure is not dependent upon particular types of herbs. Rather, he is healed by all food and drink, as in “And He blessed your bread” (Exodus 23:25). He does not have to rely upon receiving particular herbs to be cured.
+The future salvation will come about only because of faith, the measure of which is in accordance with the leaders of the generation.
+Going from one teacher to another requires that a person strengthen his faith in the unity of God. Learning from many teachers detracts from belief in His Oneness. Nevertheless, the teacher who has faith in His Oneness is able to enlighten each and every student according to his ability, as each student hears only that which is necessary for him and no more.
+Consolation comes through faith in God.
+Flies multiply in the world because there is a lack of faith.
+A person who is careful not to transgress the prohibition against coveting will be saved from anger and haughtiness, and from the lack of faith that results from those two evil traits.
+Because the Jews do not make His Godliness known to the peoples of the world, they are lured by the nations into following foreign ideologies.
+Corruption of faith gives rise to stern judgment. Thoughts of idolatry awaken doubly strict judgments. That is, even the judgments that have already been issued are reviewed to ensure that they were properly issued, without leniency.
+A person suffers childlessness, God forbid, when he causes another to fall from faith.
+When a woman is heedful of the <i>mitzvah</i> of <i>challah,</i> her sons will be masters of faith.
+Faith settles the mind.
+Torah brings to faith, and faith brings to sanctifying the Name of God.
+A person who finds that he cannot sleep should think about his belief in the resurrection of the dead.
+Those with only a small measure of faith have difficulty gaining new insights into the Torah.
+
+Eating
+
+Part I
+
+Leave over a bit of your meal so that your sustenance will receive God’s blessing.
+A person’s table purifies him from all his sins.
+A person’s table earns him the World to Come as well as a livelihood [in this world]. He is inscribed for good in the uppermost worlds and is also rewarded with increased power and strength when he needs it.
+The sins of delaying justice, distorting and corrupting judgment, and neglecting Torah study bring drought. People will eat, but will not be satiated; they will partake of their bread in measure.
+Eating just a little causes one’s heart to want more food; more so than when one has lost hope of eating and has eaten nothing at all.
+Why were the Jews deserving of destruction? Because they delighted in the feast of that wicked one, [Achashveirosh].
+The Altar abolishes evil decrees, atones for sin, nourishes and endears. One’s table is comparable to the Altar.
+When a person eats without first washing his hands [as Torah law prescribes], it is as if he visited a prostitute. Whoever ridicules this religious requirement is uprooted from the world.
+One should not drink water in public.
+
+Part II
+
+A person whose being reflects the Godly image is elevated through eating living things. The inverse is also true, [as one who does not reflect the Godly image is brought down by eating living things].
+Eating fish arouses the desire for marital relations.
+God is made known in the world through Grace after Meals.
+Reciting Grace after Meals brings the country’s government relief from disputes and wars.
+When a person studies Torah with pure thoughts, so that he eats with such holiness that he is nourished by the sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation. This is alluded to [by 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” (ibid. 16:13); “And it was at the morning watch...” (ibid. 14:24). <small>(I heard this explanation from the Rebbe’s holy mouth: ‘“And it was on the third day, in the morning’ was said during the Giving of the Torah and refers to a person who studies Torah with pure thoughts. ‘Then in the morning there was a layer of dew’ was said about the manna, the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our Sages taught (see <i>Yoma</i> 75b). ‘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, as our Sages taught (see <i>Ketuvot </i>30b).” Rebbe Nachman learned from one “morning” and applied it to the other, thereby deriving the above {insight} from the Torah.)</small>
+Whoever cannot taste the food he eats should know that God has removed Himself from him.
+When Tzaddikim eat, it is [an act of holiness] even greater than bringing sacrifices, and on a higher level than even their marital relations.
+Fish grow fatty in the merit of the sacrifices.
+A person bitten by a dog clearly has had Heaven’s mercy removed from him. It is also a sign that he has eaten forbidden food.
+Whoever is careful not to eat forbidden foods is saved from wild beasts.
+One whose enemies have gained prominence succumbs to a lust for food.
+A person’s lust for food causes him to favor one child over the others.
+<i>“L’chu lachmu v’lachmi u’shetu b’yayin masakhti</i> (Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine that I have mixed)” (Proverbs 9:5). The first letters of <i>L’chu Lachmu V’Lachmi U’shetu</i> spell <i>LULaV</i> (לולב). <i>B’yayin</i> (ביין), with its four letters, has a numerical value (76) equivalent to that of the first letters of <i>etrog</i> (אתרוג), <i>hadas</i> (הדס) and <i>aravah</i> (ערבה); and <i>maSaKhTi </i>is similar to SuKkoT. By fulfilling the <i>mitzvot</i> of the Four Species and <i>sukkah,</i> a person is rewarded with food, drink, clothing and a revived spirit. Through the <i>mitzvah</i> of <i>sukkah </i>he merits clothing, as in “When I made a cloud its garment” (Job 38:9). By virtue of the willow branch he merits sufficient drink; through the myrtle branch he brings vitality to the soul; and through the palm tree and the citron tree, both of which bear edible fruit, he merits having enough to eat.
+One’s food and drink come from observing the Torah’s statutes and laws.
+Drinking rouses a person to sing and play musical instruments, whereas eating does not. This is because [in the wilderness] the Jewish people sang the praise of God over the well, but not over the manna.
+
+A Widower
+
+Part I
+
+A person whose wife died should recite daily the chapter of the guilt-offering (Leviticus 7:1-7) until he remarries.
+
+Part II
+
+People do not listen to someone who speaks falsely. Lying also causes a person to be widowed from a number of wives, God forbid.
+When a man’s wife dies, it is like losing one of his bones. But this is not so for the Tzaddik when his wife dies, as hinted by the word <i>ALMan</i> (widower), whose letters stand for <i>“Achat Mehaynah Lo Nishbarah</i> (not one of them [the bones] was broken)” (Psalms 34:21).
+
+The Land of Israel
+
+Part II
+
+By settling in the Land of Israel, a person gains insight into God’s providence over the world.
+A person draws from the holiness of the Land of Israel in accordance with the original insights that he finds in the Torah.
+One’s yearning to come to the Holy Land brings him great blessing in his livelihood.
+Whoever provides support for many people draws blessing from the Land of Israel to the Diaspora.
+One’s yearning for the Holy Land arouses yearning in the souls of his father and mother, which then come to the Land of Israel. And God comes with them, so that together they look forward to and yearn for his arrival.
+The charity a person gives to the poor people of the Land of Israel causes him to prosper monetarily.
+Anyone who knows of the Holy Land, who has really tasted the Land of Israel, can recognize in another whether he has been with the {true} Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah. For when a person 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 the Land of Israel. Therefore, one who knows the taste of the Holy Land, each according to his own level, will of necessity feel the Land of Israel when he comes together with this person who has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, through whom the air becomes an aspect of the Holy Land.
+
+Lost Objects
+
+The same faculty that enables one to return a lost object to its owner enables him to win converts for God.
+
+Children
+
+Part I
+
+When one cries in mourning for the passing of an honest person, he merits raising his children.
+Care must be taken that a baby boy does not go bareheaded.
+A person need not worry about having enough to support his children. As they grow, so does his income.
+Anyone who prevents another person from ‘being fruitful and multiplying’ (Genesis 1:22) will descend into hell childless.
+A man who forces his wife to have marital relations will have indecent children.
+A woman whose menstrual flow is heavy will find the difficulties of child rearing a great burden.
+The daughter of a <i>Kohen</i> who marries a regular Jew (Israelite), or the daughter of a Torah scholar who marries a boor, will bear no offspring.
+Fasting on Thursdays is a <i>segulah</i> for raising children.
+A modest woman is rewarded with good children.
+When a man joyously celebrates the holidays, or properly dons <i>tefilin,</i> his wife bears him sons.
+There are times when praying for children on behalf of a person who has none will bring about that person’s death.
+For the sin of unfulfilled oaths, children are punished with death.
+Moving from one place to another causes a person to be blessed with children.
+Older children do not die for the sins of their fathers. However, where the desecration of God’s Name is involved, even older children die.
+One who eats meat and drinks wine will conceive healthy children.
+A person who stares at the heel of a woman, or at his own wife when she is ritually impure, will have indecent children.
+A man who has lived in the Land of Israel 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.
+What should a person do to have male children? He should marry a suitable woman, sanctify himself when he is with her, and beseech the One to whom the blessing of children belongs.
+Whoever bears children does so in his own likeness.
+A person should be careful not to cut down a tree before its time, because doing so is detrimental to the raising of children.
+Whoever exerts himself to be charitable will have children who are rich, wise and masters <i>oiAggadah.</i>
+What should a person do to have children? He should distribute his money to the poor and make his wife happy before having marital relations.
+Just as it is forbidden to kill a person, it is forbidden to chop down a fruit-bearing tree before its time.
+We find the term “death” applied to Joab because he left no progeny like himself. Of David it is said that he was “laid to rest” because he left a son like himself.
+The evil-eye does not rule over one whose first child is a girl.
+Whoever raises an orphan in his home, it is as if he fathered him.
+Whoever teaches Torah to the son of a fellow Jew, it is as if he fathered him.
+Forty days prior to the formation of the embryo, a man should pray that his wife bear a son.
+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.
+When a man is unfaithful to his wife, she will be unfaithful to him.
+Whoever burns a fellow Jew’s produce will leave no son to inherit him.
+A woman who loses her children in birth should put an apple on her head [while delivering them].
+Whoever begins a <i>mitzvah</i> but does not complete it buries his wife and sons.
+A man who marries a woman for money will have indecent children and also lose the money in no time at all.
+A person who occupies himself with Torah and acts of kindness is rewarded with many children.
+Children do not die for the sin of their fathers unless they carry on in their fathers’ ways.
+Marital relations are beneficial for the fetus; purifying and providing the child with alertness, strength and a distinguished appearance.
+A person who has no children should accept upon himself the travails of exile.
+Taking away a fellow Jew’s means of income is like violating his wife.
+Being given over into the hands of one’s enemies is like being bereaved of one’s sons.
+A person who has sexual relations with a gentile woman, or with another man, or who entertains thoughts of idolatry, will not have a Torah scholar for a son. Even if he should teach his son Torah, he will forget it.
+Good children bring great healing for their ancestors.
+Falsehood causes one’s children to die.
+Whoever does not separate from his wife close to the expected time of her menstruation, his sons—even if they are like those of Aaron—will die. But a man who does separate will have male children who are fit to render judgments in Torah law.
+Whoever uses wine in performing the <i>Havdalah</i> service separating Shabbat from the week, will have male children who are fit to render judgments in Torah law.
+A person who sanctifies himself by behaving modestly during marital relations will have male children.
+Care should be taken not to allow a baby to nurse from an evil woman, because the milk he suckles has the power to make him either pure or impure.
+Warm water and oil are good for an infant’s health.
+By not holding back when nature calls, a person’s prayers on behalf of his children will be accepted.
+Offspring take after their father and mother in height.
+Indecent behavior in one’s house is more destructive than the war of Gog and Magog.
+Coming early and staying late in the synagogue lengthens the days of one’s children.
+A person should not favor one of his children over the others.
+Lighting Chanukah and Shabbat candles makes one worthy of having sons who are Torah scholars.
+A person who shows love for the Sages will have sons who are sages. By honoring the Sages, his sons-in-law will be sages.
+One’s children die in youth for his sins of not fulfilling his oaths, neglecting to study Torah, failing to keep the <i>mitzvot </i>of <i>mezuzah</i> and <i>tzitzit,</i> and for the sin of unwarranted hatred.
+If a person tithes his wealth, his children will be saved from diphtheria.
+Schoolchildren die for the sins of their generation.
+Obtaining myrtle branches for Shabbat makes one worthy of having children who are Torah scholars.
+A <i>segulah</i> for a woman who miscarries is to bathe a bride before her wedding.
+The food one eats influences his sons and daughters [at the time of their conception].
+A person whose children die should not have marital relations during the week, but only on the night of Shabbat.
+Drawing a bow and arrow on <i>Lag B’Omer</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for having children, as is singing the prayers while leading the congregation in worship.
+Proper behavior must be taught from infancy.
+The songs and praises of God that are recited before the light of day are a <i>segulah</i> for having children, for increasing the milk of a nursing woman, and for being spared from a wife with an angry nature.
+A person who humbles himself in the presence of his teacher and turns to his teacher with all his doubts even though his teacher shames him, will merit having a son who is even greater than his teacher in the study of Torah.
+Aperson who accepts his suffering with love merits offspring who will live long.
+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.]
+A person who raises his voice in order to show off causes his children to be taken captive.
+A person who is childless should use oil regularly.
+There are times when changing one’s place of dwelling saves the life of his children.
+By pursuing peace, a person saves his sons from death and exile.
+When a person does something that is afterwards a hindrance for other people, all good is severed from his offspring.
+There are times when the great love between husband and wife prevents her from bearing children.
+Most barren women who later conceive will give birth to a son.
+Children die because of fraud.
+The Tzaddik has the power to curse a person so that he will not have decent children.
+A person in whose house the Tzaddik takes lodging is blessed with children.
+A person who desires to perform some <i>mitzvah</i> but does not merit fulfilling it, will be rewarded with children. They will inherit his greatness and will accomplish that <i>mitzvah.</i>
+When a person interferes with another’s livelihood, in the end his children die.
+A magnet is a <i>segulah</i> for having children.
+A person’s children die when he uses names of impurity or sorcery, of if he just believes in them.
+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 that they conceive.
+There are women who bear females, but not males.
+By reciting the chapter of <i>tzitzit</i> (Numbers 15:37-41) with devotion and great fear of God, and by clothing the naked, a person merits having sons.
+When the year has been a prosperous one, take it as a sign that the Jews will “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22).
+The children of a woman who uses sorcery will die, and she will become a widow.
+A <i>segulah</i> for increasing the milk of a nursing mother is for her husband to mourn the destruction of Jerusalem.
+Falsehood brings harm to one’s children. The place in which they live can also cause them harm.
+If a person brings joy to a groom and bride, or— 
+if he is heedful [of the <i>mitzvot</i> that involve] lighting candles, his wife will bear sons.
+An abundance of rain is a sign that many sons will be born during that year.
+Husband and wife who curse each other will not raise their children.
+A <i>segulah</i> for raising children: plant some type of produce, and when you harvest it, give it to the poor without having any pleasure from it yourself.
+A person who instills excessive fear in the people of his generation will not have progeny whose hearts contain wisdom.
+Whoever has no compassion for his children clearly has no understanding of holiness.
+Not reviewing one’s studies {and forgetting them} causes one’s children to die.
+A person who has acted immorally will not raise his children.
+The Name of God — <i>Elo'ah</i> — אלוה - protects children.
+Whoever makes an effort to secure a livelihood for those who seek God, his children will not follow evil ways.
+Through faith in the Tzaddikim a person’s children live and endure.
+When a male child comes into the world, so does lovingkindness.
+One who causes grief to his parents is not worthy of raising sons.
+By pursuing peace, a person lives to see his children’s children.
+Damage to a door or window is a sign that one’s children will suffer sickness.
+When there is strife, it is a bad sign for one’s children; whereas peace is a good sign for them.
+A person who cannot control his temper will have foolish children.
+One who shows respect for his father is rewarded with sons.
+
+Part II
+
+A person who feels the pains of child rearing should recite daily the Torah sections that depict Creation (Genesis 1). Reading this also saves one from being falsely accused of stealing.
+Humbling oneself is a <i>segulah</i> for having children.
+Planting a vineyard is harmful for the raising of infants.
+The effort one makes to redeem captives is a <i>segulah</i> for having children.
+Reciting the <i>Maamadot</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for having children.
+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.
+Whoever defends his faith against many people, countering them with convincing arguments, will, because of this, be worthy of many children. His progeny will fill the world.
+Silver shaped into the Hebrew letter ה <i>(heh)</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for being fruitful and multiplying.
+Sometimes, the structure of a house prevents the woman [living there] from bearing children. When the beams in the structure are not positioned in the manner designated for them since the six days of Creation, the house is considered a ruin even while standing. This ruin harms the woman and she cannot bear offspring.
+One should seek out a <i>mohel</i> who is both righteous and God-fearing. For when the <i>mohel</i> lacks expertise, the circumcision can, God forbid, cause the infant to be sterile, or an epileptic.
+When a person’s son engages in Torah study, it is as if that person never dies.
+The milk of a righteous woman provides the child with the fear of Heaven and gives him mastery in this world.
+A person who causes a fellow Jew to fall from faith suffers childlessness.
+When there is peace in the country, the Jewish people are blessed with children who will be instructors of Torah law.
+When one is careful that his marital relations are at a time when neither he nor the time itself are exceedingly hot or cold, the children born to him will be very wise.
+When a person controls his evil inclination, his children do not follow evil ways. Because of this his money is plentiful, and consequently he will not come to be tested.
+Even if she herself is righteous, a woman lacking distinguished lineage might have indecent children.
+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.
+One who has no son should regularly bring gifts to Torah scholars and recite the portion of <i>bikkurim</i> (Deuteronomy 26:1-11). He should also learn a great deal of Talmud and minimize his study <i>of Aggadah,</i> which is a <i>segulah</i> for having daughters.
+Mastering the study of Halakhic codifiers so that one is able to instruct others causes many barren women to conceive.
+Being taken captive sometimes spares a person the loss of his children.
+By giving charity one merits having children.
+A <i>segulah</i> for eliminating the difficulty a woman has in childbirth is to hang the cemetery key around her neck. This key is also a <i>segulah</i> for healing barrenness.
+A man who experiences a seminal emission [should be concerned that] his children will die.
+When used in building a bed, there are certain types of wood that will hinder conception and child rearing, and other types that are beneficial for conception and raising one’s children.
+A man whose children die young should have the mother of a remaining child make a garment for that child to wear until he grows up.
+When the Jewish people are fruitful and multiply, the nations issue new decrees against us.
+The suffering that a person endures is beneficial for bearing children.
+Thorns are a <i>segulah</i> for bearing children.
+Whoever is born circumcised clearly has a good and wholesome imagination.
+
+A House
+
+Part I
+
+A person should avoid entering an abandoned house, because it is a place of evil spirits.
+One who suffers misfortune in a certain town should move elsewhere.
+When the Tzaddik enters a house that is destined for blessing, the blessing comes as well.
+There are places that are designated to have good things to happen in them. The opposite is also true, [as there are places designated for bad to happen there].
+All the seemingly natural occurrences that befall a person, for good or bad, are influenced by time and place.
+Avenging one’s jealousy destroys a person’s home.
+A person has no desire to benefit a place from which he departs.
+Don’t live in the vicinity of a boor who behaves piously.
+Any house where the words of Torah are heard at night will never be destroyed.
+People age twice as fast in a city with many hills.
+There is blessing in a house where wine is poured like water.
+Do not enter a house in which there are crosses.
+A person who wants to move into a house should first recite the entire Five Books of Moses and then move in.
+One who owns no property is not a man.
+There are locations that induce one to sin.
+A woman’s anger and immorality destroy her home.
+It is a bad sign for a house when its threshold and entrances are destroyed.
+
+Part II
+
+Living in the upper storey of a house is better for serving God than living in a lower storey.
+Sometimes, the structure of a house prevents the woman [living there] from bearing children. When the beams in the structure are not positioned in the manner designated for them since the six days of Creation, the house is considered a ruin even while standing. This ruin harms the woman and she cannot bear offspring.
+At the entrance of a person’s house one can determine if the owner’s ancestral merit has ceased or if it is still in effect.
+One should take care that the wood of a fruit-bearing tree was not used in the construction of his house.
+Concerning the beams of a building: If one is worthy, they are like the standing seraphim, and the building will remain standing for a long time. If he is not worthy, the seraphim are consumed; this being a most common reason for fires.
+It is a bad sign for one’s offspring when he builds a wall and its top part falls off.
+A person has pleasure only when he lives in a place where his ancestors once lived.
+A <i>segulah</i> for a person moving into 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 <i>ChoKhMah</i> (wisdom)” (Proverbs 24:3); the letters standing for <i>“Klei Chamas Me’cheiroteihem</i> (weapons are their wares)” (Genesis 49:5) —<i>[me’cheiroteihem</i> referring alternatively to] “their swords” or “their dwelling places.”
+A house’s roof is indicative of what will happen to the group or family living there.
+
+Embarrassment; Modesty
+
+Whoever embarrasses a fellow Jew becomes dumbstruck and forgetful.
+It is permissible to embarrass those rabbis who purchase their position for self-pride. It is appropriate to disgrace them and 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.
+It is better to neglect Torah study than to embarrass a fellow Jew.
+Whoever embarrasses a Torah scholar, or shames a fellow Jew in the presence of a Torah scholar, will become a heretic. He is referred to as one who acts insolently toward the Torah.
+The Tzaddik’s coat atones for the spilling of blood.
+When people ridicule you, you should fast and cry.
+The reason you suffer shame is only so that you should repent for those transgressions that you take lightly.
+Embarrassment also comes when you rejoice in the troubles of a fellow Jew.
+Picture the letters of the <i>word emunah—</i>אמונה—and you will never be disgraced.
+Whoever has to offer an object as collateral in order to borrow money clearly must have despised that object in a previous incarnation.
+A person who suffers shame can hope for salvation.
+One who wants to be modest should picture his mother’s image.
+To attain the quality of modesty, give charity for the sake of Heaven.
+One who suffers some shame clearly lacks trust in God.
+A person who digs a pit will eventually suffer some shame. Sometimes, it even causes him to become the topic of everyone’s conversations.
+Having trust in God will spare one from being shamed.
+One who steals from the poor will suffer embarrassment.
+Accept 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 <i>is</i> your enemy and is always rising up against you with accusations. By accepting embarrassment at the hands of one who is not your enemy, the real enemy, Satan, will not rise against you.
+Flattery will cause you to be despised in the eyes of the nations. They will curse you and vent their anger against you.
+When someone embarrasses or ridicules you, clearly it is because you disgraced his ancestors.
+When everyone embarrasses you and causes you anguish, remain silent and don’t leave your house.
+When they shame you, give charity.
+By giving charity you will acquire the quality of modesty.
+The Holy One exacts payment for a king’s shame, even from a nation that embarrasses the king of another nation.
+In the World to Come, the sinner will be ashamed to face his teachers {ancestors}.
+One who embarrasses a Torah scholar will find no cure for his wounds.
+Don’t jump to embarrass a fellow Jew when you hear him saying something false. Rather, make some gesture so that he will recognize that it is not so.
+It is a <i>mitzvah</i> to publicize the wicked.
+One who tends to get embarrassed will not easily sin.
+If a person has no modesty, clearly his ancestors were not present at Mount Sinai.
+It is better to let oneself be thrown into a flaming furnace than to publicly shame a fellow Jew.
+When a fellow Jew embarrasses you, admit to his words.
+Publicly embarrassing a fellow Jew is like spilling his blood. A person who does this descends into hell and does not emerge.
+It is better for a man to have sexual relations with a woman whose marital status is in doubt, than to embarrass a fellow Jew in public, for which he loses his portion of the World to Come.
+Do not embarrass a fellow Jew who keeps the Torah and <i>mitzvot.</i> However, it is permissible to shame and verbally deceive a committed sinner.
+All heaven’s gates have been sealed, except for the gate [that receives the cries] of those who have been cheated.
+All retribution is exacted through a messenger other than in cases involving deceit, [for which the cheater is punished directly by God]. The curtain of heaven is never sealed to [the prayers of] a person who has been cheated.
+
+Clothing
+
+Part I
+
+The clothing that a person wears is indicative of his character.
+Whoever must go barefoot clearly must be a sinner.
+A person who is insolent, or who fails to fulfill his oaths, loses his clothing.
+A person who does not refrain from staring at his father’s nakedness will, in the end, see his children going unclad and barefoot.
+Anyone who eats before praying will lose his clothing.
+A haughty person loses his clothing.
+A person who lures a fellow Jew from the good path to the evil one will not have what to wear.
+Whoever stands as a guarantor for a gentile loses his clothing.
+There will come a time when the Holy One will exact punishment from those who dress in the clothing of the gentiles.
+A person whose poverty forces him to wear torn clothing can rectify this by crying out to God.
+Whoever disrespects clothing will in the end have no pleasure from them.
+By providing clothing for the poor, one is spared embarrassment.
+One who is careful not to embarrass any person is rewarded with clothing.
+
+Part II
+
+Telling stories about the Tzaddikim draws the light of Mashiach into the world. It also dispels much darkness and pain from the world. And the storyteller is rewarded with beautiful clothing.
+A person who is accustomed to cursing will lack clothing for Shabbat.
+Anyone who pays undue attention to adorning his feet, such as by wearing exquisite footwear or pants, will become duplicitous.
+One who shows disrespect for the <i>mitzvah</i> of <i>tzitzit</i> will not merit burial.
+Whoever provides clothing for a fellow Jew can alter his will in any way he wishes, in both physical and spiritual matters.
+When a person wears his father’s clothing, it is easier for him to follow in his father’s ways.
+<i>“L’chu lachmu v’lachmi u’shetu b’yayin masakhti</i> (Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine that I have mixed)” (Proverbs 9:5). The first letters of <i>L’chu Lachmu V’Lachmi U’shetu</i> spell <i>LULaV</i> (לולב). <i>B’yayin</i> (ביין), with its four letters, has a numerical value (76) equivalent to that of the first letters of <i>etrog</i> (אתרוג), <i>hadas</i> (הדס) and <i>aravah</i> (ערבה); and <i>maSaKhTi </i>is similar to SuKkoT. By fulfilling the <i>mitzvot</i> of the Four Species and <i>sukkah,</i> a person is rewarded with food, drink, clothing and a revived spirit. Through the <i>mitzvah</i> of <i>sukkah </i>he merits clothing, as in “When I made a cloud its garment” (Job 38:9). By virtue of the willow branch he merits sufficient drink; through the myrtle branch he brings vitality to the soul; and through the palm tree and the citron tree, both of which bear edible fruit, he merits having enough to eat.
+
+Trust in God
+
+Part I
+
+A person who trusts in God fears nothing.
+Trust in God brings peace.
+Trust in God comes from fearing Him.
+Faith brings to trust in God.
+A person who does not trust in God tells lies.
+Telling lies prevents one from trusting in the truth.
+When one trusts in God, the Holy One saves him from all anguish, and particularly from being killed.
+When a person trusts in God, he is free from having to rely on others. No one can insult him.
+Trust in God saves one from worry.
+By trusting God a person will merit knowing the Holy Names.
+A person who does not possess the attribute of trust in God should guard against shaming anyone. He should also take care to pray with an attentive heart.
+The life of a person who trusts in God will not be cut short.
+One who does not trust in God should rise before the morning’s light and recite supplications in a loud voice.
+Through silence one merits trusting in God.
+Not sealing one’s business agreements with a handshake enables one to attain trust in God. This can also be achieved by not associating with wicked people.
+A flatterer loses his trust in God.
+The waters of the Jordan River are a <i>segulah</i> for trust.
+By trusting in God a person comes closer to Him.
+When a person trusts in gentiles, what is his is theirs.
+
+Part II
+
+When in the course of doing something with faith a person encounters adversity, 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 same adversity.
+A person 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), and because of this, “{the Holy One} observed no iniquity and saw no misery in him” (Numbers 23:21). Whoever lays a hand on him, it is as if he were “harming the apple of God’s eye” (Zekhariah 2:12).
+
+Tidings
+
+Part I
+
+By making it a habit to be the bearer of good tidings, one clothes oneself in the attribute of the prophet Elijah.
+Don’t be the bearer of bad news. Many people have died after receiving bad tidings.
+A person who performs a <i>mitzvah</i> correctly is not brought bad news. The Holy One’s decrees and he annuls.
+Relating bad news causes a person to fall into constricted consciousness.
+
+Part II
+
+By making it a habit to be the bearer of good tidings, a person’s feet will not cause him pain.
+
+Blessing
+
+One who receives a blessing should give some gift to the person who blessed him.
+Don’t take the blessing of a gentile lightly.
+One who draws those who are far from God into serving Him is given the power to bless others.
+
+Crying
+
+A person who cannot bring himself to cry should gaze at the firmament, because it was the firmament that caused the waters to cry [by separating between the lower and upper waters of Creation].
+Crying nullifies immoral thoughts.
+Crying over the destruction of the Holy Temple is a <i>segulah </i>for healing a neck ailment.
+
+Haughtiness
+
+Mashiach will come only when {all} haughtiness is eliminated from the world.
+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.
+Haughtiness brings hunger to the world.
+Pride leads a person to drunkenness, and vice versa.
+A person’s haughtiness causes him to be afraid.
+Giving charity is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating pride.
+The Holy One incites enemies against a rabbi who haughtily rules over people against their will.
+When a person feels his heart is uplifted, he should know that this is an opportune time for him.
+One who saves the poor has the power to humble proud people by [merely] staring at them.
+A person who falls while walking in public clearly is haughty.
+A <i>segulah</i> for eliminating one’s pride is to empathize with the suffering of the Jewish people.
+You should know that when a wicked person persecutes a pauper, it is on account of the poor man’s pride.
+A person’s pride causes him to fall from his faith.
+Haughtiness prevents one’s heart and eyes from seeing God’s wonders and thus fearing Him.
+A person 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.
+Eating and drinking lead to haughtiness.
+Pride can be rectified through fasting.
+A <i>segulah</i> for eliminating pride is to gaze at the heavens.
+A person is sent confusing dreams in order to remove his deep seated haughtiness, which is hidden from him and of which he is unaware.
+When a person is haughty, his wisdom and foresight depart.
+Reason cannot tolerate the poor person who exhibits pride. He will one day regret his behavior and be ashamed of himself.
+A proud person is incapable of humbling his opinions. He will experience forgetfulness.
+A haughty person is flawed.
+There are certain circumstances in which one is permitted to behave in a manner that appears haughty.
+A person’s pride eventually leads him to immoral behavior with another man’s wife. When a person is haughty, it is as if he serves idolatry and 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 builds an altar [for unlawful worship]. His importance diminishes and disappears entirely, and it would be right to cut him down like a tree used for idolatry. The Divine Presence laments over him and he will not rise from the dust [at the time of the Resurrection].
+Wearing the Tzaddik’s hat is a <i>segulah</i> for removing pride.
+Having faith will give you the strength to break your pride; you’ll have mastery over the trait of haughtiness.
+The plans of a proud person will prove unsuccessful.
+Should you sin unwittingly, you can be sure that you possess pride. This is to show that you are not yet righteous.
+When you experience some feelings of haughtiness, beware of trouble.
+A humble pauper, though he does not give charity, is better than a haughty rich man, even if he is generous.
+When beset by feelings of pride, picture the image of your father.
+Haughtiness is a portent for disaster, God forbid.
+Pride stems from a person’s not having rectified the sins of his youth.
+When one’s wine ferments, clearly it is because he is haughty.
+36. One who is haughty, his dwelling place will not endure.
+God says of a haughty person: “He and I cannot live together in the world.” 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.
+One who undeservingly wears the mantle of a Torah scholar is not allowed to enter into the sanctum of the Holy One.
+Haughtiness delays Mashiach and drives a person from the world.
+Reciting the verses, “Though his excellence rises to the heavens...” (Job 20:6), and “For riches are not forever...” (Proverbs 27:24), is a <i>segulah</i> for breaking one’s pride.
+
+Theft and Robbery
+
+Part I
+
+Once a person whose heart is tempted to steal permits himself that which belongs to another, he is capable of committing any sin. There are no means to rectify this, to turn him from his evil ways.
+The sin of theft brings locust and famine, and people will even eat their own children’s flesh.
+Whoever has not allowed others to benefit from his wealth will be robbed.
+Stealing a penny’s worth from a fellow Jew, even indirectly, is akin to taking his soul and the souls of his children.
+Whoever shows no concern for another’s possessions is clearly a thief.
+Financially defrauding an idol-worshipper is permissible.
+A person who closes his hand to giving charity will be robbed.
+One who places his trust in gentiles will in the end have his possessions forcibly taken from him.
+Appointing unqualified judges, teachers or ritual slaughterers causes the livelihood of the Jewish people to be devoured by their enemies.
+Whoever dilutes the wine he sells will be attacked by thieves.
+A person who shares in stolen property will eventually be exposed.
+When thieves populate a city, clearly the rabbi there favors bribery.
+Idleness brings thieves.
+Deceiving people is permitted in order to save a Jewish soul.
+A person who embarrasses a fellow Jew will eventually testify falsely in order to steal money.
+A person whose trust in God has been nurtured from childhood will be saved from robbers.
+Thieves come when foolish matters are discussed.
+Falsehood brings thieves.
+
+Part II
+
+Deceit brings disease to one’s lungs and chest, God forbid.
+Deceit leads one to sexual thoughts for a gentile woman.
+A person who steals loses his wisdom.
+Stealing damages one’s eyesight.
+Reciting <i>Tikkun Chatzot</i> saves one from thieves.
+A person who feels the pains of child rearing should recite daily the Torah sections that depict Creation (Genesis 1). Reading this also saves one from being falsely accused of stealing.
+
+Knowledge of God
+
+Part I
+
+There are times when God causes a person to experience certain things so that through them he will appreciate His Godliness and mercy.
+A person who is confused should regularly recite the prayer of the prophet Habakkuk (Habakkuk 3:1-9). 
+Studying the Halakhic codifier known as <i>Siftei Kohen</i> is also especially beneficial for this; as is eating wheat.
+The foods that a person eats give rise to a nature in him similar to their own.
+The taste of grains brings one a capacity for knowledge.
+Wine and fragrance sharpen the mind.
+Dispute unsettles the mind.
+The suffering a person feels from something he has seen is greater than what he feels from something he knows only intellectually.
+One who studies Torah and engages in acts of kindness merits understanding.
+Eating bread in the morning makes one wise.
+II The Holy One rests His prophecy on a prophet for a specific mission, even if he is not a person of wisdom.
+With their wisdom, the wise are able to ascertain many things that one with normal intellect cannot comprehend.
+One who desires wisdom should turn southward [while praying],
+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.
+Olive oil makes the heart clever.
+Following the path of simplicity makes one intelligent.
+One who has faith will afterwards merit serving God with great wisdom.
+Fear of God will earn you wisdom.
+Recognizing Tzaddikim will earn you understanding and <i>daat.</i>
+When a person conducts himself with modesty, his thoughts are clear.
+It is easier to understand something when one sees it with his own eyes.
+Whoever is careful not to eat the cooked foods of gentiles, or drink their wine, merits wisdom and gains understanding in all the holy works.
+A haughty person cannot comprehend God’s sovereignty over everything.
+Not performing acts of kindness causes you to lack <i>daat.</i>
+Being the cause of any sort of damage should make you realize that you have blemished your intellect.
+One to whom some insight has been revealed clearly will soon experience some elevation.
+When a person wholeheartedly repents, the Holy One enables his heart to know His desire and will.
+A person who has not rectified his sins cannot truly know God.
+Through truth you will merit knowing the way of God. 
+You can also come to this by being hospitable.
+By performing deeds of true kindness for Tzaddikim, you will merit knowing that all paths—be it prayer, eating, or any of the physical pleasures—are the way of God.
+Expressing your happiness in song will make you wise.
+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.
+The more good deeds a person does, the more the Holy One deepens his thought; that is, He gives him a greater mind.
+
+Part II
+
+Know! each world and every creation has its own particular form and unique construction. For example, the build of the lion differs from that of the sheep in its strength and in its bone structure {also 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 between all the creations. He will also know what they have in common—namely, their origin and their end, in which they are identical, without distinction.
+Know! a person 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, since he was very wise and “no secret escaped him” (Daniel 4:6). He knows the lion’s nature, and Nature itself follows and is under the dictates of Torah knowledge. <small>(Reb Nachman Tulchiner said: “I heard from Reb Noson that this teaching relates to the one preceding it, to what is written there, ‘One who merits understanding the Torah...’ Thus, his understanding of the combinations of the 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 pleasing explanation of this, see <i>Likutey Halakhot, Yoreh Deah, Milah</i> 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. One 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 very outset view the Tzaddik’s holy writings with an eye to finding fault, will never find a satisfying explanation. Even after all these explanations and truths, they continue to look for pretexts and devise 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 a bit of what I heard regarding this. For truth stands! ‘But a lying tongue is for a moment’ (Proverbs 12:19), ‘and the truth of God is forever’ (Psalms 117:2). 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 <i>Likutey Moharan</i> 1,17 and 19, and you will understand a little.”)</small>
+When a person attains the insight that God is One and that there is no other, this enables him to force corporeality upon the angels on high, so that they go and do his bidding.
+When a person uses his faith to banish thoughts of idolatry, those thoughts are transformed into the aspect of “the dew of blessing.” This also results in his mind remaining firm and never becoming confused. Even when it is taxed by deep concentration on a complex subject, the Holy One provides him with thoughts that relieve his mind.
+The merit of those who support the poor saves the masses from plague. Also in their merit, expanded consciousness precedes [rather than follows] constricted consciousness.
+Even within foolishness and folly there is wisdom.
+Hearing the voice of a person who is wise in the ways of holiness is especially beneficial for acquiring the fear of God.
+Confusion of the mind corrupts one’s fear of God. It also diminishes his authority.
+The sages of a generation are its wings. The generation’s closeness to and understanding of God, or conversely its distance from Him, is in direct proportion to the wisdom of these sages. But in the future, people will not require wisdom in order to perceive His Godliness, for then, “And your Teacher will not withdraw Himself anymore” (Isaiah 30:20) will be fulfilled in us.
+One who wants to use his intellect to delve into and investigate some subject should bind his intellect to the Holy Temple. This is alluded to by 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).
+Faith settles the mind.
+When people convert, <i>daat</i> is increased in the world.
+Even the prophets know only that which the Holy One reveals to them.
+A physically strong person has only mediocre intelligence.
+Large steps hinder concentration.
+A person who steals loses his wisdom.
+When a person’s thoughts are on the physical needs of a fellow Jew, and that person’s thoughts are on his physical needs, this forms the crossbeams of the world.
+
+Traveling
+
+Part I
+
+When traveling across a sea, take along a bird and a sea fish, as this is a <i>segulah</i> for reaching one’s destiny in peace.
+A person who rejoices together with the groom and bride as they emerge from their wedding canopy will not be harmed when traveling.
+The Traveler’s Prayer should be recited while the coachman is preparing the wagon and horses.
+When traveling on the sea, taking along limestone is a <i>segulah</i> to save one from harm.
+A person who arranges livelihood for Tzaddikim is assured that God will protect him on the road and at sea.
+A person who rides a horse should take along willow branches.
+Before traveling, attach yourself to the trait of trust in God and your feet will not stumble.
+Give charity before setting out on a journey.
+All the paths that a person follows come from and are the will of God. But it is only the humble person who can understand His way.
+Carrying stones found in the fields will save you from wild beasts.
+Reciting the prayer of the prophet Jonah (Jonah 2:2-10) is a <i>segulah</i> when traveling on the sea.
+The escort a person receives when leaving a place protects him from harm on the road.
+One who has no one to escort him should study Torah.
+A person possesses the ground on which he treads.
+
+Part II
+
+On account of those who confess their sins, the Holy One provides schoolteachers who instruct faithfully. 
+Confession also brings about the repairing of roads from obstacles.
+The perils of traveling come about when a person blemishes the <i>brit,</i> as hinted in the verse, “You have measured my going about and my lying down, [and You are acquainted with all of my ways”] (Psalms 139:3).
+Travel provides a person with understanding.
+After a frightening dream at night, don’t take to the road on the following day.
+Being on the road brings a person to slander, idolatry, immorality and bloodshed. These sins also diminish one’s livelihood.
+Large steps hinder concentration.
+
+A Judge
+
+The decision of a truthful judge is never annulled. His verdict is carried out, even against the will of the litigants.
+A decline in adherence to legal rulings based on the Torah causes a decrease in livelihood. The inverse is also true, [as an increase in adherence to Torah law brings an increase in income].
+The appointment of unqualified judges gives rise to thoughts of idolatry.
+When people choose Torah scholars for their daughters to marry, proper judges are appointed.
+Proper judges cause the Torah to become valued in the world.
+The land’s produce is cursed when judges are treated with contempt.
+When Jewish judges are disgraced, the world is beset by inflation.
+Whenever a wicked person prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new logical arguments in disputed matters of Halakhah. Judges’ verdicts also become unacceptable to the litigants.
+A city’s taxes and property fees are raised on account of its judges.
+
+Mitigating Judgment
+
+Part I
+
+The afflictions dispatched against a person are made to take an oath that they will begin only on a set date and end only on a set date, and at a set time, and [carry out their mission] only through the designated means. Nevertheless, repentance, prayer and charity have the power to nullify their oath.
+Despair, that is to say, depression, opens a person to bad fortune, and through bad fortune the attribute of severe judgment rules.
+Reciting the Torah chapters about the <i>choshen</i> (Exodus 28:15-30; 39:8-21) is a rectification for harsh judgments.
+A person who suffers affliction should give charity. This charity will be like a fee paid to a judge for his services, which, if accepted, invalidates the judge’s verdict. The person’s severe judgments are thus mitigated.
+What is the least amount of suffering [that can still be considered suffering]? [See <i>Arakhin</i> 16b: “Even just reaching into one’s pocket for three coins and coming up with only two is a form of suffering.”]
+Whoever goes forty days without suffering has already been given his share of the World to Come. Misfortune is on the way.
+One who rebukes a fellow Jew for the sake of Heaven has a thread of lovingkindness drawn over him.
+There are three things that call to mind a person’s sins: a shaky wall, expectation in prayer, and an informant who brings judgment upon another.
+There are four things which abolish harsh decrees against a person: giving charity, crying out to God, changing one’s name, and improving one’s conduct.
+Crying out to God helps an individual only prior to the final decree.
+A final decree accompanied by an oath is not abolished, even for the sake of an entire community.
+Fasting during a year of hunger saves a person from an unnatural death.
+When judgments are decreed against a person, they are decreed for a specific place. This way, he can save {himself} by changing his place.
+When one feels pain in his eyes or intestines, clearly harsh judgments have settled upon him.
+A person should tell others about his anguish so that they will pray for mercy on his behalf.
+When there is some harsh judgment against Israel, God forbid, the Holy One informs the Tzaddikim of this so that they should pray for the Jewish people. Whoever does not pray for them incurs God’s anger.
+Seeing that he has been beset by harsh judgments, a person should talk about his enemies and justify their actions.
+Appointing worthy judges eliminates suffering.
+God punishes a person who makes a vow and does not carry it out. Then, if he remains silent, it is considered as if he fulfilled his vow.
+Accepting suffering with love is like bringing a sacrifice.
+When a person falls while walking, it is a sign that on high he has been designated for a downfall.
+Immersing in a <i>mikvah</i> relieves suffering and brings salvation.
+As long as a harsh decree against a person has not yet become public knowledge, it can be easily overturned.
+Whoever falls from faith should know that he is being judged on high.
+A person suffering from harsh judgments should regularly gaze at the heavens.
+The Holy One exonerates a person who teaches righteousness to the wicked.
+Through truth one receives God’s lovingkindness undisguised by judgments.
+The Holy One hides His face from you because of the heresy that you have within.
+Trust in God mitigates judgment and draws down lovingkindness.
+Through faith it is possible to convince God to follow your will.
+Charity turns justice and judgment into lovingkindness.
+When a person has no faith, clearly God has removed His lovingkindness from him.
+When lovingkindness is dear and scarce, you should know that crying helps for this. <small>(Reb Noson adds: “When I transcribed this from the Rebbe, I heard from his holy mouth 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’—that is, lovingkindness is dear and scarce since harsh judgments are prevalent, God forbid. The solution then is for ‘the children of man [to] <i>B’tzail K’nafekha Yechesayun</i> (take shelter under the shadow of your wings).’ The first letters spell <i>Be’KhY</i> (crying), since crying helps for this.”)</small>
+<i>Daat</i> draws down lovingkindness.
+Giving charity to a worthy person enables you to draw lovingkindness also upon your loved ones.
+A person who does not accept rebuke will experience suffering.
+To mitigate harsh judgments, recite Psalm 39.
+A person who girds himself and makes many preparations before praying is relieved from suffering, even if in the end he does not pray as he should.
+To mitigate harsh judgments, recite the <i>Mishnayot</i> of the tractate <i>Zera’im.</i>
+There are times when the Holy One will put an end to a father’s suffering so that his son finds peace.
+A vow forestalls God’s wrath.
+To mitigate harsh judgments, recite Psalm 77.
+Whoever binds himself to the quality of faith at night mitigates the harsh judgments that are upon him.
+Haughtiness causes lovingkindness to depart heavenward.
+Reciting <i>Tikkun Chatzot</i> mitigates harsh judgments.
+Remaining awake throughout the night saves a person from harsh judgments.
+From the suffering that he experiences, a person can determine and understand his sins.
+Visiting the Tzaddik is in itself sufficient to mitigate harsh judgments.
+Likewise, giving charity to the Tzaddik is in itself sufficient to mitigate harsh judgments.
+When a person is depressed, on high they consider ways to cause him harm.
+A person’s accusers are beaten off by the study of Torah.
+Falling down while walking sometimes nullifies a sentence of death that has been issued against a person.
+When the nations issue an evil decree against the Jews, Psalm 62 should be said.
+Remaining underwater in the <i>mikvah</i> until you can no longer hold your breath mitigates harsh judgments.
+There are times when drinking wine will arouse harsh judgments.
+Whoever gives his bread to someone with no <i>daat</i> will experience suffering.
+A person who lacks <i>daat</i> will in the end be exiled.
+Postponing harsh judgments causes them to be nullified.
+Whoever studies Torah for its own sake brings peace to the Divine agencies of both heaven and earth.
+One who recites a Torah verse at its appropriate time brings good to the world.
+There are certain times and places that are designated to have good things happen in them. The opposite is also true, [as there are times and places designated for bad].
+There are times when harsh judgment can be staid by the leader of the generation, and other times by the people of the generation.
+From one’s enemies it is possible to determine the harsh judgments that are on high.
+When hearing a fellow Jew speak of his suffering, one must listen wisely so that this suffering does not then befall him.
+When a person studies Torah at night, the Holy One draws a thread of lovingkindness upon him during the day.
+One should give money to charity for a <i>pidyon.</i>
+As long as it is possible to save yourself with money, don’t make use of the power of prayer.
+Whenever there is a dispute on high over some matter, the final decision follows the opinion of the Tzaddik who is alive in this world.
+When a person is judged on high, he is judged by his name, it sometimes happens that the heavenly messengers substitute another’s name, so that the decree of death or suffering falls upon someone else.
+Whoever does not plead for mercy on behalf of his generation is punished.
+If you have someone sick or suffering in your home, go to a sage so that the sage will plead for mercy on his behalf or will bless him.
+Those who hear accusations against the Jewish people must speak well of them and endeavor to find their good points.
+The Holy One removes His wrath when He sees His honor jealously defended.
+The best time for a <i>pidyon</i> or for prayer is only during the day.
+Not everyone is sufficiently worthy of performing a <i>pidyon.</i>
+A person who wants to mitigate harsh judgments should not drink wine that entire day.
+Through humility we appease the Holy One.
+In times of harsh judgment, a person should pray fervently.
+Building a stone house is mortally dangerous.
+Charity mitigates harsh judgments.
+Immersing in a <i>mikvah</i> mitigates harsh judgments.
+Once the final decree has been passed, it is necessary to veil one’s prayer in stories.
+By opening a Torah scroll, harsh judgment is mitigated and returned to its place of origin.
+Silence mitigates harsh judgments.
+Fasting and donning sackcloth are a <i>segulah</i> for nullifying a decree.
+To mitigate harsh judgments, recite the Torah sections about the eleven curtains of goat-skin (Exodus 26:7-14, 36:14-19), the incense-offering (Exodus 30:34-38), the eleven blessings that Moses blessed the Jewish people (Deuteronomy 33:6-25), and the Vision of the Chariot in Ezekiel (Chapter 1).
+Also, recite the Torah section on vows (Numbers 30), and the <i>Mishnayot </i>of the tractate <i>Shavuot.</i>
+Humbleness nullifies harsh judgment.
+Reciting the Song of Songs mitigates harsh judgment.
+A person who can study Torah but does not, experiences suffering.
+Studying the tractate <i>Ohalot</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for mitigating harsh judgment.
+A person who raises dogs arouses harsh judgment.
+There are times when God will bring suffering upon a wicked person so that he should turn to the Tzaddik to pray on his behalf.
+Harsh judgments can be mitigated by drawing lots, as was the case with the Azazel (see Leviticus 16). <small>(Reb Noson writes that he heard the following explanation from Rebbe Nachman’s holy mouth at the time of transcribing this aphorism: “A person should take two coins and draw lots—one for God and the other for Azazel. The coin that is designated for God should be given to charity; the other one, designated for Azazel, should be thrown away. This will mitigate harsh judgments.”)</small>
+Sometimes, the leading Tzaddik of the generation will get angry at you in order to mitigate harsh judgment.
+When a new king or minister rises to power among the nations, harsh judgment is aroused.
+When a person stubbornly refuses to repent, he brings irreparable harm upon himself.
+It is not good for two people with the same name to live in the same apartment.
+Depression arouses harsh judgment.
+Accepting embarrassment mitigates harsh judgment.
+A person should let others know of his suffering.
+When permission has been granted to the powers of destruction to act, no distinction is made between the righteous and the wicked. Indeed, the Tzaddik is the first to suffer.
+A change of place eradicates a decree of judgment.
+Being merciful mitigates harsh judgment.
+There are times when a person dies from fright or some other cause of sudden death. You should believe that his time had come.
+Humility enables a person to nullify a decree of judgment.
+Tending to the needs of the Tzaddikim mitigates harsh judgment.
+In reward for having visited the sick, a person dies without suffering.
+Once judgment has been passed against a person on high—even prior to its going into effect—it can be detected through the flies in the house.
+
+Part II
+
+A person who works to mitigate harsh judgments can easily and without hindrance sanctify the Name of God. His eyes do not grow faint.
+The suffering a person experiences elevates him.
+A person who accepts suffering in order to alleviate the suffering of the Jewish people is rewarded with Divine spirit.
+Reciting the Torah sections about the holidays, found in the portion of <i>Pinchas</i> (Numbers 28:15-31; 29:1-39), is a <i>seguldh</i> for nullifying harsh judgment and for success in one’s dealings in secular courts.
+Giving charity mitigates the harsh judgment destined for the Future, that is, for the Day of Judgment in the future to come.
+There is a person who, when he sees harsh judgments affecting the Jewish people, knows how to transfer them onto one of the nations, as in, “I shall put another in your place” (Isaiah 43:4). Through this, {all} creations return their energy and become encompassed in this person in order to renew their strength. [Turning harsh judgments onto the nations] also opens the gate of parables in the world.
+There are those whose acts of kindness sometimes have a negative effect. This corresponds to the warning given to the <i>Kohanim—</i> who personify the aspect of lovingkindness—not to take large steps [while performing the Temple service]. When people pretend not to see the harm brought on by their kindness, they cause the harsh judgment from on high to be without moderation. The inverse is also true. When care is taken that no harm comes from their kindness, it fosters moderation in the judgment.
+A person who rejects his suffering is in effect telling God, “Get away from me!”
+When a person labors in Torah study to the point of exhaustion, he mitigates harsh judgments and arouses compassion, even for his father who has passed away.
+It is impossible to appease harsh judgment with empty hands.
+A person bitten by a dog clearly has had Heaven’s mercy removed from him. It is also an indication that he has eaten a forbidden food.
+There are times when a Tzaddik’s priding himself with one of his followers conceals that person from the attribute of judgment.
+
+Seclusion
+
+Part I
+
+A person who secludes himself and separates himself from people is purified from on high.
+Isolation and turning one’s attention to idleness lead a person to anger.
+
+Part II
+
+The private conversation a person has with God later becomes a means of redemption and salvation for his children.
+
+Improper Thoughts
+
+Part I
+
+A person’s humility saves him from idolatrous thoughts.
+When bothered by thoughts of idolatry while praying, picture God’s Name <i>Eloheinu—</i>אלהיט—in your mind.
+Confessing in the presence of a Torah scholar brings to good thoughts.
+Good thoughts are drawn to a person who tells stories about the Tzaddikim.
+Anyone who has evil thoughts should always look to find good in others.
+A person’s tears cause him to view all passions with contempt.
+When a person does not believe in the Tzaddik, his heart is not right with God.
+Wearing a <i>gartel</i> once worn by a Tzaddik is a <i>segulah</i> for dispelling improper thoughts.
+Falsehood defiles the holy <i>brit.</i>
+If after being prideful for having sanctified himself a person breaks that pride, he will attain and acquire the Torah.
+Crying out to God eliminates distracting thoughts.
+Studying the four sections of the <i>Shulchan Arukh</i> eliminates distracting thoughts.
+Thinking about a Torah insight that you originated is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating undesirable thoughts.
+A person who has unholy thoughts should speak to himself in a degrading way.
+Eating and drinking make the mind sluggish.
+Anger brings to idolatrous thoughts.
+Idolatrous thoughts plague a person who shows disrespect for the Jewish Festivals.
+Sitting in the company of promiscuous people, or in a place where an immoral act was performed, leads one to unholy thoughts.
+The evil inclination desires only what is forbidden to it.
+All the passions contain an element of God’s lovingkindness.
+Through forgiveness for sin, you will be rewarded with a pure heart.
+Showing compassion will eliminate your lustful desires.
+The eyes cause the heart to desire.
+The passions of the heart make blemish unavoidable.
+Laxatives are a <i>segulah</i> against immoral thoughts.
+Prayer prayed with an attentive heart opens all the doors on high.
+A person with idolatrous thoughts should not wear any gold jewelry.
+Drunkenness leads to idolatrous thoughts.
+A passion for women causes one to lose respect. His wife will not conceive, or she will miscarry, or the child will die in birth.
+Strife leads to idolatrous thoughts. A house in which quarrel is present will be a place in which idolatry is practiced.
+A person beset by untoward thoughts can eliminate them by raising his voice as if to cry.
+Swearing and cursing bring on evil thoughts.
+Your trust in God will save you from evil thoughts.
+Gritting one’s teeth is a <i>segulah</i> against evil thoughts.
+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.
+The tractate <i>Yadayim</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for dispelling evil thoughts.
+Whoever prays only for the sake of the Divine Presence will be spared from untoward thoughts.
+Through peace God’s Name is exalted.
+When a husband or wife has amorous thoughts for a non-Jew during their marital relations, the child conceived will become an apostate.
+<i>Tzitzit</i> guard against immorality.
+Visiting the sick saves a person from the evil inclination.
+A person’s evil inclination rules over only that which he sees.
+A person not married by age twenty will be bothered by sinful thoughts for the rest of his life.
+Whoever commits a sin and then thinks about doing it again is made to pay for the thought even without having repeated the action.
+To chase away the evil inclination say: “O God, rebuke Satan” (paraphrase of Zekhariah 3:2).
+A person is not punished for a sudden lust or evil thought that he cannot prevent, unless he goes over it in his mind.
+Cupping is helpful against most bad character traits.
+Eating fish increases one’s sexual desire.
+When a person’s livelihood comes in the merit of his ancestors, he experiences thoughts of idol worship.
+Homosexual practices lead to idolatrous thoughts.
+A Jew whose thoughts are for a non-Jewish woman will have thoughts of idolatry.
+Staring at nakedness brings one to an aroused state.
+Disgracing the Festivals is comparable to idol worship.
+When a person has faith, God protects him from improper thoughts and helps him. He departs for the next world free of sin.
+At the time people study Torah and do acts of kindness, they have mastery over their evil inclination.
+A person who has pleasure from anything heretical will eventually be forced to worship idolatry.
+When a person keeps himself from transgressing and seeks forgiveness, he will consequently not sin—even in thought.
+A Jew who has relations with a non-Jewish woman pollutes himself. The child he later conceives with his wife will be an apostate.
+A belt is a rectification for improper thoughts.
+A person plagued by sexual fantasies can dispel them by not deceiving people, or by giving charity.
+or by giving charity.
+
+Part II
+
+When a person uses his faith to banish thoughts of idolatry, those thoughts are transformed into the aspect of “the dew of blessing.” This also results in his mind remaining firm and never becoming confused. Even when it is taxed by deep concentration on a complex subject, the Holy One provides him with thoughts that relieve his mind.
+A person 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), and because of this, “[the Holy One] observed no iniquity and saw no misery in him” (Numbers 23:21). Whoever lays a hand on him, it is as if he were “harming the apple of God’s eye” (Zekhariah 2:12).
+To dispel idolatrous thoughts, a person should think about and obligate himself to perform acts of kindness.
+Idolatrous thoughts shorten one’s breath, and he has no enjoyment from hearing good news.
+A person beset by idolatrous thoughts should know that he is being judged on high.
+Studying the Halakhic codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry.
+The appointment of unqualified judges gives rise to thoughts of idolatry.
+When a person is beset by idolatrous thoughts, he can expect to either suffer illness or be falsely accused by a government official.
+On account of idolatrous thoughts a person will eventually need to make use of God’s Holy Names.
+Tithing one’s wealth eliminates immoral thoughts.
+There are times when a person finds himself thinking about a particular disease. This comes from God, so that he should remind himself to rectify the evil thought that brings on this malady.
+Thoughts of idolatry, immorality, killing and slander beset a person who is in the habit of taking vows. However, they are eliminated when the city’s comptroller sets the appropriate amount of taxes to be collected from each inhabitant of the city.
+A person who is afraid of immoral thoughts because of the beautiful women he sees while out in the street should recite the verse: “Behold, the mighty ones will cry outside” (Isaiah 32:7). This will save him from wandering eyes.
+A person with idolatrous thoughts should know that the hand of the gentiles will rule over him.
+Idolatrous thoughts abound in a city that has large markets and special shopping days. A <i>segulah</i> for avoiding such thoughts is to immerse oneself in Torah study on those days.
+All a person’s sins are forgiven when he dispels thoughts of idolatry.
+Gazing to the east eliminates immoral thoughts.
+Crying eliminates immoral thoughts.
+Idolatrous thoughts can be nullified through religious fervor.
+Deceiving people brings one to immoral thoughts for a non-Jewish woman.
+Whoever desires a non-Jewish woman clearly will suffer some downfall, or some illness will befall his wife and children.
+Thoughts of idolatry enable one’s enemies to overpower him.
+In order to dispel immoral thoughts, a person should picture in his mind his father’s image. A practical solution for preventing improper thoughts is to become angry at something, as hinted by the verse, “Become angry and do not sin...” (Psalms 4:5). <small>(Reb Noson adds: I specifically heard from the Rebbe that the intent here is to become angry with oneself. This is alluded to in the Rabbinical teaching: “A person should always incite his good inclination against his evil inclination, as is written, ‘Become angry and do not sin...’” In other words, he should become angry with himself, but not, God forbid, real anger, which everyone knows is a most serious sin.)</small> Also a <i>segulah</i> [for dispelling immoral thoughts] is uprooting oneself and going elsewhere. It is also good to jump from one’s place.
+
+Prestige and Importance
+
+Part I
+
+When one’s reason for instilling abundant fear in people is not for the sake of Heaven, he will not have a Torah scholar for a son.
+A person who starts a <i>mitzvah</i> but does not complete it has his prestige diminished.
+To exact punishment from the enemies of the Jewish people, God appoints unsuitable leaders to lead them.
+People afford prestige to the Tzaddik’s son who does not follow in his father’s ways so that he might change for the better.
+A person gains prestige when he gives charity.
+A person does not attain greatness unless all his sins have first been pardoned.
+Once an important person has gained prestige, it is not taken from him.
+One’s wisdom, humility and geniality cause his words to be carried out on high.
+When the Holy One wants a Tzaddik to gain prestige and fame, He promotes conflict and strife among the wicked.
+When someone humiliates you and you accept it joyfully, you will be celebrated with honor and prestige.
+Whoever cannot accept rebuke does not advance.
+Prestige comes to a person who constantly reviews his studies.
+A person gains prestige by accepting rebuke.
+When God is with a person, he rises in stature.
+A change in name changes one’s fortune.
+When someone travels from town to town and from city to city, people don’t pay attention to what he says.
+Whoever favorably judges the Jewish people is rewarded with great prestige.
+When a person of status fears that he will have to die because the time has come for another to gain importance, he should abdicate his position, or else devise a plan causing that other person to flee from town.
+When people turn to someone and say, “Teach us the ways of God,” clearly his prestige will grow.
+A person’s fame does not grow unless the Holy One first rests His spirit upon him.
+A person gains prestige when, in times of trouble, he shows his trust in God.
+An intelligent person will certainly be quickly elevated.
+When the Tzaddik gains eminence, the world wonders about him.
+A person who despises thievery rises to greatness.
+It is either a person’s wisdom or his good fortune that causes him to become famous.
+One who receives gifts from gentiles should see it as a sign that God considers him deserving of that prestige.
+Reciting the Psalms raises a person’s stature.
+When a person gains prestige, it is as though he was just born.
+Mentioning the names of idols prevents a person from gaining prestige.
+A person gains prestige by studying <i>Aggadah</i> at night. 
+Prestige comes to a person who despises falsehood.
+A person gains prestige by loving Tzaddikim.
+A person will certainly gain prestige when he serves God consciously and not out of habit.
+Speaking to God brings a person prestige; 
+as does his humility.
+Sanctifying God’s Name causes a person to gain importance.
+Showing compassion brings one prestige.
+Faith enables a person to rule over haughty people.
+Whoever appoints an unworthy judge will eventually fall into the hands of gentile magistrates.
+A person merits prestige when his rebuke of others is for the sake of Heaven.
+By erecting a building in the Land of Israel, a person is rewarded with prestige.
+A person merits prestige when he honors the Torah.
+One cannot always exercise his authority. Certain times can come about only under another leader.
+Show respect for, and spend time in the presence of, a person to whom God has granted prominence.
+A person gains prestige in opportune times.
+
+Part II
+
+A person who trespasses the domain of another has his importance diminished.
+The Holy One does not grant importance to a person unless He has first tested him in some minor matter.
+When a person’s mind is confused, it ruins his fear of Heaven. It also causes his authority to diminish.
+When a person is zealous, he merits becoming a faithful leader. This is alluded to in the verse, “Go to the <i>NeMaLaH </i>(ant) you lazy one” (Proverbs 6:6). <i>NeMaLaH</i> is written with the last letters of <i>“mi’shaM ro’eH eveNyisraeL</i> (from then on he became a shepherd, a builder in Israel)” (Genesis 49:24).
+Bribing an official in order to gain appointment in place of another person is comparable to sorcery.
+Thoughts of idolatry, immorality, killing and slander beset a person who is in the habit of taking vows. However, they are eliminated when the city’s comptroller sets the appropriate amount of taxes to be collected from each inhabitant of the city.
+Whenever a wicked person prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new logical arguments in disputed matters of Halakhah. Judges’ verdicts also become unacceptable to the litigants.
+A religious person must humble himself when the wicked are in control.
+When a person’s authority is self-appointed, his daughter will prostitute herself.
+When a person refrains from working for the common good and is concerned only with his own well being, it is as if he were accepting a bribe.
+A person who confesses his sins gains prestige.
+God’s holiness validates and affirms the prominence of the generation’s leaders. This in turn brings everyone to value the <i>mitzvah</i> of hospitality, and the Torah scholars to merit having the law follow their opinion.
+
+Success and Prosperity
+
+Part I
+
+Whoever properly tithes his wealth loses nothing.
+Attach yourself to a successful person and you will succeed.
+Blessing is found only in that which is hidden from the public eye.
+Success is Heaven-sent.
+When a person whom Heaven has designated for success fails to succeed, he will afterwards find it difficult to do so.
+The endeavors of Torah scholars receive an immediate blessing.
+Torah study is a <i>segulah</i> for success.
+Whoever doesn’t leave over a piece of bread on his table will never see the signs of blessing.
+[Asking God for an omen that what one is about to do will succeed] is not considered divination if he mentions only the positive outcome.
+A home, a child and a wife are signs of a man’s success.
+A man who divorces his wife does not prosper.
+A person whom fortune favors turns proud. People tend to fear him [on account of his good fortune].
+Whoever refrains from idle chatter succeeds at everything he does.
+Anyone who always speaks the truth prospers.
+Confessing your sins will bring prosperity.
+Prosperity comes to a person who hosts a Torah scholar at his table.
+When you lack truth, your prosperity is taken away and given to the gentiles.
+In order to prosper, listen as a Tzaddikperforms a unification of God’s Name by reciting the <i>Shema Yisrael.</i>
+Faith in the Sages brings prosperity.
+
+Part II
+
+A person who is always happy succeeds.
+One should honor a person upon whom fortune smiles.
+When a person is successful, time is his to control.
+
+Conception; Pregnancy
+
+Part I
+
+Telling lies causes a woman pain in pregnancy.
+A woman who wants to conceive should carry a small piece of wood from the roof of the tomb built around a Tzaddik’s grave, or carry a magnet. She should also give charity.
+Eating small fish causes one to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:22).
+Pregnant and nursing women should avoid eating garlic and onions.
+A woman who sees the deeds of the wicked as despicable will be blessed with a child.
+Accepting the hardships of exile is a <i>segulah</i> for conceiving a child.
+Eating the meat of a lean animal and drinking olive oil are a <i>segulah</i> for conception.
+
+Part II
+
+A woman who cannot conceive should look at the circumcision blade after it has been used.
+
+Instruction
+
+When an instructor of Torah law humbles himself before others greater than himself, the Holy One protects him from making mistakes in his instruction.
+A courthouse of Torah law inspires the fear of God.
+When a person’s kosher food becomes mixed with forbidden food, if the kosher food is insufficient for nullifying the prohibition, the entire mixture is rendered unkosher. This happens in order to show him that he has blemished some supernal unification, because a supernal unification is spiritually akin to nullifying the forbidden through the permitted. This is <i>“motzeeASiRIMbaKOShaRote</i>  <small>(He releases prisoners at the most opportune times)” (Psalms 68:7), [which can also be read as: “He removes the forbidden”—<i>ASuRIM—</i>through the permissible—<i>KOSheR],</i></small>
+When there is peace in the country, the Jewish people are blessed with children who will be instructors of Torah law.
+A rabbi who is stringent when advising others but lenient with himself, and who claims to be versed in a matter when he is not, will not merit seeing the splendor of the King. This is because the evil force of Edom—namely, improper fear—dims one’s sight and prevents him from seeing the splendor of the King’s countenance.
+Sexual immorality leads to incarceration or pain in one’s legs. A student who, despite being unqualified, instructs others, will also be punished with one of these afflictions, and he will be placed at the mercy of harmful forces.
+
+Confession
+
+On account of those who confess their sins, the Holy One provides schoolteachers who instruct faithfully.
+Confession also brings about the repairing of roads from obstacles.
+A person who confesses his sins gains prestige.
+A person who does not confess his sins will be beset by fears.
+
+Easygoing
+
+When a person is easygoing, his sins cannot nullify the good that he has done.
+
+A Fraud
+
+A fraudulent person is punished with incarceration.
+A person’s fraudulence causes him to join up with those who oppose the righteous.
+
+Ancestral Merit
+
+Part I
+
+Immersion in a <i>mikvah</i> causes one’s ancestral merits to be recalled.
+
+Part II
+
+The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine. This fear sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to repentance.
+At the entrance to a person’s house it can be detected whether his ancestral merit has ended or carries on.
+A person whose deeds are filled with kindness has no need of ancestral merit.
+
+Memory
+
+A person who embarrasses a fellow Jew becomes forgetful.
+Worry leads to forgetfulness.
+Reciting the words while studying helps one remember them.
+Suffering causes forgetfulness.
+Picturing the image of your father and mother will improve your memory.
+Through <i>mitzvot</i> that require active performance a person is freed from forgetfulness and bonded to memory.
+Sexual immorality destroys a person’s memory.
+Falsehood leads to forgetfulness.
+A person with a poor memory should encourage others to return to God in repentance.
+One whose memory is weak clearly has not rectified the sins of his youth.
+A forgetful person should give charity.
+A person with a poor memory should work to achieve a high level of holiness.
+Being humble will help you improve your memory.
+Depression leads to forgetfulness.
+A person who expresses his erudition modestly does not forget [his studies].
+
+Elders
+
+Elders give strength to the Jewish people, and their advice is beneficial for us.
+The quality of a generation’s elders determines its economic well-being.
+The prestige of elders who lack wisdom comes mainly from young women.
+
+Zealousness
+
+When a person is zealous, he merits becoming a faithful leader. This is alluded to in the verse, “Go to the <i>NeMaLaH </i>(ant) you lazy one” (Proverbs 6:6). <i>NeMaLaH</i> is written with the last letters of <i>“mi’shaM ro’eH eveNyisraeL</i> (from then on he became a shepherd, a builder in Israel)” (Genesis 49:24).
+
+Dreams
+
+Part I
+
+After a nightmare, a person should say: “Dreams are meaningless” (Zekhariah 10:2).
+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)?
+When a person behaves modestly in the bathroom, his dreams have a calming effect.
+Speaking badly about a Tzaddik who is no longer alive causes one to have disturbing dreams.
+Disturbing dreams indicate that either a person’s son or student will disgrace himself in public.
+
+Part II
+
+A person who wants his dreams to be fulfilled should record them in a notebook, including the date, time and place they occurred.
+
+Grace
+
+Part I
+
+Giving charity earns a person grace.
+Grace is also a reward for humility.
+To acquire grace, welcome guests into your home. 
+One should also guard against forbidden foods, and keep his mouth from forbidden speech.
+A person who spends his money liberally in order to acquire a teacher from whom to learn will find grace.
+One who possesses forbearance will find grace.
+Rebuking another earns one grace.
+Olive oil is a <i>segulah</i> for acquiring grace.
+A <i>segulah</i> for grace is to write the following on a piece of parchment: כסף וזהב חסד ואמת אלוף <i>(kesef v’zahav chesed v’emet aluph).</i>
+Reverence for a Torah scholar earns one grace.
+Words spoken calmly are accepted by those for whom they are intended.
+Certain fish are a <i>segulah</i> for acquiring grace.
+Studying Torah while traveling brings grace.
+
+Part II
+
+When a person moves to a new place, he should distribute meat to the poor inhabitants there. Doing so will earn him favor in the eyes of the town’s officials.
+
+Flattery
+
+Part I
+
+Flattery brings a person to use vulgar language. The inverse is also true, [as proper language keeps one from flattery].
+Flattery causes a person’s wife to become a widow and his children to become orphans, and yet no one will show them any mercy.
+Flattery leads to unfounded fear.
+A person who falls while walking in public clearly is guilty of flattery.
+Flattery brings to heartache.
+A person who places his trust in others will turn to flattery.
+Whoever guards against flattery finds salvation.
+Flattering the wicked is permissible in this world.
+Flattery arouses harsh judgment.
+It also causes a person’s prayers to be rejected, and everyone finds him repugnant.
+
+Part II
+
+Flattery leads one to heresy.
+
+Philosophical Investigation
+
+Investigating the World of Emptiness—namely, what is above and what is below, what preceded this world and what follows it—brings a curse. But guarding against such investigation brings blessing.
+Through investigating what is above and what is below, etc., a person will experience much difficulty in earning a living.
+A person who deeply ponders the Works of the Chariot will pass away before his time.
+
+Original Torah; Sights
+
+The radiance that a person receives from the holiness of the Land of Israel is commensurate with the insights he originates in the Torah.
+Supportive proofs from the Torah for Rabbinical enactments bring abundant prosperity to the world. This is because there are a number of things for which we find no explicit verse in the Torah on which to base them, and the Sages labored to find some supportive reference [as proof for their enactment].
+Original Torah insights increase the revelation of Divine providence in the world.
+When a Jew is taken captive, his aspect of the wellsprings of wisdom becomes sealed from the sages of the generation. The reverse happens when a person is freed from captivity.
+Original Torah insights bring an increase of converts.
+When a person wants to gain deeper insight into the Torah, great opposition is aroused against him and he is in grave danger. He must clothe himself in the image of the patriarch Abraham [the exemplar of lovingkindness], and so will be saved from the opposition.
+Those who would reveal original Torah insights must study the Codifiers beforehand and then again afterwards. This study of Torah law will protect their insights from foreign influences. This same procedure should also be followed when a person wants to perform some act of charity.
+Originating Torah insights arouses the giving of charity, and vice versa.
+Insights are gained into the mysteries of Creation in proportion to the insights into the Torah that are originated.
+Not all the Torah insights that a person originates may be written down. There are certain insights that are meant to be given over only verbally. One who knows which insights are to be written down and which are not also has the ability to detect the lone Jew from among a thousand gentiles.
+A person should refrain from teaching Torah at a time or in a place where it will not be appreciated. And even at a time or in a place that 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 on his mind, his body becomes swollen with an excess of liquid in the blood. [The need for restraint can be derived from the verse,] “He makes a weight for the wind and weighs the waters by measure” (Job 28:25).
+Through his Torah insights a person merits having a beautiful <i>talit.</i>
+There are times when the Tzaddik strives to achieve something, or struggles to comprehend a certain aspect of the Torah, only to later find that it has come to someone less righteous than himself, without that person having to work to achieve it. This is only because the door had already been opened [through the Tzaddik’s efforts].
+Whenever a wicked person prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new logical arguments in disputed matters of Halakhah. Judges’ verdicts also become unacceptable to the litigants.
+People approve of a person who has satisfactorily revealed some aspect of the Torah’s reasoning.
+A person of little faith finds it difficult to attain Torah insights.
+
+Marriage
+
+A person who has difficulty finding a marriage partner should recite “The Song at the Sea” (Exodus 15:1-19) with concentration.
+Reciting the Sanctification of the New Moon is a <i>segulah</i> for finding one’s match. This is hinted at by the Hebrew word for moon—<i>LeVaNaH</i>—which is spelled with the first letters of <i>“B’tulah Ni’sait L’yom Har’ve’ee</i> (A virgin marries on the fourth day of the week)” (<i>Ketuvot</i> 2a; see Glossary, “B”).
+A person gains prosperity and blessing by taking a Torah scholar as his son-in-law.
+Taking a Torah scholar as one’s son-in-law saves a person from the punishment he deserves for giving harmful advice to a fellow Jew.
+Taking a Torah scholar as one’s son-in-law brings to the appointment of proper judges.
+A person who has difficulty finding a marriage partner should recite the Torah section about the Temple sacrifices brought by the princes of the twelve tribes (Numbers 7).
+The pairing of potential marriage partners, even if only discussed and never actualized, is also from Heaven. Mere suggestion of the match has an effect on each of the potential partners.
+The veil used to cover a bride before the ceremony carries with it a blessing for children.
+Through prayer a person can exchange the marriage partner decreed for him in heaven.
+When a husband and wife are careful not to share sleeping quarters with another couple, even for one night, they merit having <i>Kohanim</i> and prestigious individuals for sons-in-law.
+When a widower remarries, his first wife suffers in the grave.
+
+Nature
+
+A person’s physical health, lifespan and nature all follow those of his father and mother.
+An abnormally hairy person is susceptible to much harm and misfortune at the hand of the Other Side. A <i>segulah</i> for protection is for him to recite the Torah section read on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16).
+
+Wandering
+
+Wandering from place to place earns one a good name.
+In general, the livelihood of God-fearing people comes as a result of their wandering and moving from place to place.
+There are times when a Tzaddik must wander from place to place so that he can later recall all of these places when he enters the World to Come; bringing them benefit by doing so.
+Not all places are conducive for studying Torah and performing good deeds. Because of this, God brings about circumstances that cause a person to leave one’s place and go elsewhere.
+There are times when a person’s sins require that he suffer some form of exile, but instead [of wandering from place to place] he is beset by illness.
+
+Purity
+
+A woman’s piety purifies her house from leprosy.
+
+Salvation and Miracles
+
+Miracles are performed only for a person who is willing to sacrifice himself to sanctify God’s Name.
+A person who rejoices in his suffering brings salvation.
+<i>Hitbodedut,</i> private conversation with God, brings salvation.
+Miracles are performed for a person who has undergone a test.
+Charity brings salvation.
+Modesty restores to a person all the good that another person has taken from him through prayer.
+Miracles are not performed for an immoral person.
+Do not rely on a miracle as long as it is possible to save yourself by using money or some other means.
+Before God performs a miracle for a person, he first falls upon hard times—the extent of which is determined by the magnitude of the miracle.
+God does favors for a person who does not allow the names of idolatry to pass his lips.
+A person in need of some salvation should bring joy to the Tzaddik.
+Through trust in God one is spared from suffering.
+Giving charity frees you from having to rely on a human being for help.
+Trust in God enables you to understand that your salvation is from Him, and not from any human being. 
+Truthfulness also enables you to realize this.
+When a person finds himself being tested, he should know that if he withstands the test God will perform a miracle for his sake.
+By trusting in God one merits rejoicing in His lovingkindness.
+Standing while studying Torah overturns the machinations of the gentiles
+Fasting saves a person from death.
+Trust in God and He will reward you with lovingkindness.
+Humility brings salvation.
+A person who prays joyously will merit rejoicing in His salvation.
+Miracles are the result of truth.
+Miracles are the result of the fear of God.
+The Holy One will save anyone who teaches God’s ways in public, even if he is among gentiles.
+Whoever prays all day long is rewarded with salvation.
+When Jews speak truthfully, they are blessed with lovingkindness from heaven.
+Singing the songs particular to a gentile nation arouses God to investigate that nation, to see why they are persecuting you.
+
+Fear of God
+
+Part I
+
+A person who does not consider himself clever can become God-fearing.
+Whoever is close to an elder and endures his wrath is rewarded with the fear of God.
+When a person is given the opportunity to perform an act of kindness and fails to carry it out, his fear of God diminishes.
+Whoever keeps his conversing to a minimum merits fearing God.
+All the words a person speaks in order to convince a fellow Jew to be God-fearing are transformed into a holy book.
+The words of a God-fearing person are heeded.
+Crying over a devout person’s death is as important as the fear of God.
+The fear of God brings a person more than his <i>mazal</i> would dictate. The inverse is also true, [as a lack of fear will diminish his good fortune].
+Attending to the needs of the Tzaddikim brings one to fear God. The inverse is also true, [as not assisting the Tzaddikim diminishes one’s fear].
+Humility leads to the fear of sin.
+Reward for the fear of God lasts a thousand generations.
+A person who leaves neither a son nor a student is said to be lacking the fear of God.
+Wearing a head covering leads to the fear of God.
+When people bless each other by saying, “May you be like so and so,” clearly that individual fears God.
+One who is God-fearing is able to break another person’s haughtiness. 
+He draws the Divine Presence into the world.
+[One’s fear of God] brings him humility, 
+and no one can lure him away [from God].
+The Holy One performs miracles for a person who always cleaves to the fear of God.
+A person who constantly binds himself to the fear of God and is always conscious of Him is forgiven for all his sins.
+A person who is God-fearing will certainly listen to the Tzaddikim. 
+He will also attain trust in God.
+Those who fear God, He rewards with peace.
+A person who lacks the fear of God does not follow in His ways.
+Through fear of God one attains truth.
+A God-fearing person never falls from his spiritual level, but consistently advances.
+When a person has the wisdom of God in his heart, people revere him.
+When something happens that frightens everyone, the God-fearing person remains unafraid. He even sees this thing as a reason to rejoice.
+A God-fearing person will certainly humble himself before the Tzaddik.
+Haughtiness prevents a person from fearing God.
+To acquire the fear of God, go to the <i>mikvah.</i>
+By sanctifying God’s Name you will come to fear Him.
+A person’s sins remove the fear of God from him.
+Whoever does not think about the day of death consequently has no fear of God.
+When a person’s fear of God diminishes, clearly he is being judged on high.
+By giving gifts to the Tzaddikim one is rewarded with God-fearingness.
+Immersing in a <i>mikvah</i> 310 times is a <i>segulah</i> for achieving the fear of God.
+The desire that a person shows for performing a <i>mitzvah </i>indicates that he is God-fearing.
+
+Part II
+
+Fear of God and acts of kindness save one from fire and bring him his livelihood.
+A courthouse of Torah law inspires the fear of God.
+Studying the <i>Shuchan Arukh</i> brings one to the fear of God.
+The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine. This fear sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to repentance.
+An individual has the ability to throw off the yoke of Heaven; a community does not.
+Hearing the voice of one who is wise in holiness is a <i>segulah </i>for acquiring the fear of God.
+Confusion of the mind destroys one’s fear of God. It also diminishes his authority.
+Charging usury decreases one’s fear of God.
+Those close to God-fearing people will also merit the fear of God and <i>daat.</i>
+
+Distinguished Ancestry
+
+A curse has no effect on a person of distinguished ancestry.
+Even if she herself is righteous, a woman lacking distinguished lineage might have indecent children.
+God cannot easily overlook or nullify the advantage of distinguished ancestry.
+
+Honor and Respect
+
+Part I
+
+In order to keep a person from serving God he is given honor and prestige to preoccupy him.
+Whoever speaks against the Tzaddik will eventually be viewed disparagingly by all.
+A person who belittles himself daily is rewarded. His name is never forgotten from people’s lips and they name their children after him.
+Reciting <i>Tikkun Chatzot</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for gaining respect.
+A person through whom God’s honor is elevated gains fame.
+Whoever shows disrespect for the Tzaddikim falls ill. 
+Hugging a Torah scroll is a <i>segulah</i> for gaining respect. 
+Humility brings respect.
+There are times when a person receives respect and prestige in the merit of a member of his household.
+A person who says, “I have not sinned,” is viewed by everyone with contempt.
+Most of the embarrassment that a person suffers is on account of the sins of his youth.
+An unquenchable thirst is a sign of diminished honor.
+Whoever saves a Torah scroll from being destroyed is rewarded with honor.
+The words of a prestigious person are fulfilled.
+When you show respect for a person, honor his attendant as well.
+When dead bodies are exhumed, clearly the Holy One intended to disgrace the living, but an exchange has taken place.
+Whoever transgresses the instructions of the Tzaddik has his prestige diminished.
+Running after glory brings thoughts of idolatry.
+An important person need not be disgraced, even though he is wicked.
+One must show respect for the leader of a country even if he worships idolatry.
+The respect a person shows for the Torah saves him from his enemies.
+The covertness of a miracle is its glory.
+A person who is disgraced clearly has a penchant for falsehood.
+A person’s clothing brings him respect.
+Honor is connected to the soul.
+Honor is dependent upon what the heart desires.
+A person who is persecuted will be rewarded with prestige in this world.
+When a person visits the sick, everyone wants to share in his glory.
+A person who gains glory at a fellow Jew’s expense will not merit having a holy book bear his name.
+
+Part II
+
+People who show each other respect clearly are devout individuals. The inverse is also true, [as disrespecting one another indicates their lack of devoutness].
+The glory of all the different nations is encompassed in the Four Empires (Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome). Through the <i>Menorah,</i> the new moon, the Temple incense-offering and guarding against impure foods, the Four Empires are made to return the glory to God.
+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.
+Honor the person upon whom fortune smiles.
+
+Anger
+
+When a person keeps from getting angry, his enemies will have no control over him. 
+He will reside in his own home, and no one will replace him.
+A person’s anger brings him disgrace.
+Avoid becoming enraged and you will not sin.
+Anyone who gets angry loses his wisdom and foresight. Even if he is destined for greatness, he loses that as well.
+The Holy One loves a person who keeps from getting angry, and also one who does not insist on retribution.
+The life of a hot-blooded person is no life at all. 
+All the punishments of hell rule over him, 
+as do the evil forces of the lower worlds.
+[A hot-blooded person] has no regard for the Divine Presence. 
+He forgets his holy studies, 
+and his foolishness increases. 
+Clearly, his sins outweigh his merits.
+Getting angry after eating is physically very harmful.
+A woman’s anger destroys her home.
+A person who loses his temper humiliates himself.
+Eating bread for breakfast is a <i>segulah</i> for controlling anger.
+A person who does not complain about others gains people’s respect.
+Falsehood leads to anger.
+An angry person should take a vow and immediately fulfill it. This will eliminate his anger.
+Whoever looks into the face of a liar loses control of his temper.
+Jealousy leads to anger.
+When a person gets angry, he incites harsh judgments against himself.
+Getting angry causes one to have foolish children.
+Anger shortens one’s life.
+A <i>segulah</i> for eliminating anger is to make a haughty person suffer a downfall.
+When you are devoid of any anger, you can humble the haughty by merely staring at them.
+An angry person clearly covets honor, and all his good deeds are only for self-glorification.
+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.
+A person who breaks his angry nature earns himself a good name.
+There are times when a person gets angry as a result of bearing a heavy load.
+Anger leads to depression.
+[Even though <i>hitbodedut</i> is a very good thing,] improper seclusion leads to anger.
+Where there is strictness there is no peace.
+Eating helps a person dismiss anger.
+Guard yourself against anger, particularly on a day you have been saved from some misfortune.
+Giving charity eliminates anger.
+Anger causes a woman to have difficulty in childbirth.
+Anger causes a person to become frightened.
+Anger harms one’s eyesight.
+
+Sorcery
+
+Children born through the use of unholy names or sorcery will be guilty of immorality.
+Whoever makes use of unholy names will be harmed by everything [around him].
+Witchcraft can harm only the haughty.
+
+Torah Study
+
+Part I
+
+A person who brings his father pleasure and happiness will have a desire and love for learning.
+If you want the Torah that you teach to be inspirational, don’t expound on evil topics, but on those verses and topics that speak of good.
+A person who teaches new insights into the Torah causes the Holy One to rejoice.
+You should know that when a wicked person teaches Torah, he corrupts those who listen to his words.
+Whoever interrupts a fellow Jew’s Torah study clearly has turned away from God’s path.
+It is good to study Torah, even when half asleep.
+A person who accepts suffering with love will not forget his studies.
+Whatever a person studied but failed to fully comprehend in this world, he will merit understanding its true meaning in the World to Come.
+Those who stand in honor of a Torah sage merit [the wisdom of] Torah.
+All knowledge of the Torah’s precepts—whether of the commandments between a man and his fellow man, or those between a man and his Maker—the very knowledge itself is beneficial for the soul.
+A holy book that was written with ink containing olive oil is especially beneficial for study.
+Fear of a Torah scholar is especially beneficial for study.
+When one studies Torah at night, the Divine Presence stands by his side.
+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.
+Reciting the words of Torah in a loud voice instills feeling and motion into all a person’s limbs.
+One who studies in a loud voice is blessed with long life and his studies remain with him.
+Whoever has no haughtiness retains his studies. 
+This is also true of one who teaches others.
+A person benefits most when he hears his studies directly from a teacher.
+The study of Torah is even greater than offering the daily-sacrifice.
+By saying “This teaching is pleasing and that one is not,” one loses out on the Torah’s treasures.
+It is easier to learn something new than to recover what one has forgotten.
+Whoever [willfully] forgets a single detail of his studies causes his children to be exiled and has his prestige diminished.
+A Torah scholar whose inside is not like his outside is considered an abomination.
+Those who live in the same town as a Torah scholar are responsible for seeing to his needs.
+When Torah study is lax, God, figuratively speaking, becomes poor.
+Torah study is even greater than saving lives, than building the Holy Temple, and than honoring one’s parents.
+Through holiness one merits understanding.
+There are three things over which God cries each day, one of which is a person who has the ability to study Torah but does not.
+Through understanding one merits repenting.
+It is forbidden to teach the wonders of God to a wicked person.
+Only a great person may learn from a wicked individual; others may not.
+Diligent study surpasses the fulfillment of even all the <i>mitzvot.</i>
+Whoever has no wife has no good [namely, Torah].
+That which a person studies on his own cannot match that which he learns from a teacher.
+The Holy One takes no pleasure from the Jews being judged unfavorably.
+When a person feels love for a Torah scholar, the Torah returns that love to him and his descendants.
+A person should study Torah even without understanding.
+Seeing your teacher’s mouth while he teaches is very beneficial.
+Studying by the side of a river is very beneficial.
+When a person studies Torah at night, it is as if he performed the Temple service.
+When one studies the laws of the Temple service, it is as if the Holy Sanctuary was built in his lifetime.
+Whoever teaches Torah to an improper student descends into hell, and it is as if he worshiped idols.
+The Torah itself was given to all Jews, but engaging in polemical analysis of Torah law was given to Moses alone, and he benevolently passed this privilege on to all of Israel.
+When a person makes himself available for teaching Torah to anyone [who wishes to learn it], the Torah is given to him as a gift.
+The Torah endures only with one who “stands naked” [of all he has] for its sake, or who makes himself as if he knows nothing.
+Study is a prerequisite for attaining the fear of sin, and the fear of sin is a prerequisite for analytical Torah study.
+By eating bread for breakfast a person retains his studies and merits both studying and teaching Torah.
+Torah study must be verbal. That which one studies in thought alone is forgotten and does not lead to actual practice.
+One who studies but does not review his studies is like a person who plants but does not reap.
+When a person reviews his learning, the Torah itself asks God to reveal its reasoning and secrets to him.
+Whoever doesn’t have set times for Torah study will be bothered by immoral thoughts.
+Whoever fails to review his studies will find it difficult to raise his children.
+A person who studies Torah for its own sake brings peace to the hosts of angels above and below, and protects the entire world with his merit. It is as if he built a palace in both worlds, and he hastens the Final Redemption.
+Whoever teaches Torah to the son of a fellow Jew, Scripture says that it is as if he created the child, created the words of Torah, and also created himself.
+When one blackens his face in this world {for the sake of Torah}, the Holy One causes his face to shine in the World to Come.
+When one denies himself the pleasures of this world for the sake of Torah, God rewards him with great contentment in the World to Come.
+A person who reads the books of heretics is called an apostate.
+One who recites a Torah verse at the right time brings good to the world.
+Given a choice between two verses, one that you can interpret as speaking favorably and positively, and one that you can interpret as saying the opposite, you should choose to expound the former.
+A person who cannot understand his studies should spend time in the company of the Tzaddik. This will also enable him to study Torah for its own sake. Alternatively, he should endeavor to please the Tzaddik in some way, or he should study with joy, or greet the Shabbat with joy, or greet the Tzaddik with joy.
+Analytical study of the Torah enables one to pray.
+A person who has numerous obstacles interfering with his Torah study should refrain from drinking alcohol.
+Laxity in Torah brings one to laxity in prayer. The inverse is also true, [as diligence in Torah brings diligence in prayer].
+A person who has no time for study other than on Shabbat and the new moon still manages to restrain the spirit of impurity [through the Torah he does study].
+A person who cannot understand his Torah studies clearly has been beset by harsh judgments.
+It is easier for a person to understand a complex Torah subject when he is on a mountain or some other high place.
+Waking up early to study Torah is a <i>segulah</i> for repairing one’s hearing.
+Teaching Torah to schoolchildren promotes peace.
+One should pray to be worthy of proper students.
+Expounding the Torah positively enables a person to bring salvation.
+A person’s bigheartedness gives him the ability to deduce one thing from another.
+A person who has no desire to study Torah study should never say anything bad about anyone.
+Learn only from a person who is God-fearing.
+Through Torah study you will be rewarded with peace.
+When the Torah you teach is consistent with your level, and not above it, the Holy One carries out your wishes.
+Heresy destroys a person’s desire for learning.
+By giving charity for the sake of Heaven, you will merit studying Torah for the sake of Heaven.
+By waking up from sleep to recite <i>Tikkun Chatzot</i> a person merits understanding the Torah and expounding its meaning.
+Whoever has neglected Torah study for idleness and nonsense should rectify this by waking up for <i>Tikkun Chatzot.</i>
+Whoever despises falsehood like he would despise an abomination will have a desire to study Torah.
+Don’t study from a book that a wicked person studied from, because the letters themselves will turn you to evil.
+When you hear a person teaching Torah or ethics and yet gain no respect for him, it is an indication that he is a fool.
+When you pay a price for a Torah insight, you won’t forget it.
+When a person chases after his heart’s desires, each and every Torah verse can be interpreted as alluding to his shame.
+Whoever separates himself from the path of Torah attaches himself to Satan.
+When two Torah scholars show mutual respect and humbly dispute Halakhah for its own sake, the Holy One sees to it that they are successful and gain prestige. They merit Torah, which was given with the “right hand,” and are rewarded with those things that emanate from the Torah’s “right side.”
+A Torah scholar is as vindictive as a snake. Attach yourself to him so that eventually you will derive benefit from his learning.
+It is forbidden to learn from someone who draws people to idolatry. One who learns from him deserves death.
+Torah without <i>mitzvot</i> is like a myrtle branch, which has a good smell but no taste.
+With whom will you find the various branches of Torah? With a person who arrives early to the study hall and stays late in order to study them, and who on their account resembles a raven, blackening his face [with deprivation] and bringing himself to be unpitying with his children.
+A person cannot successfully learn from everyone. This is the reason people travel great distances in order to study.
+
+Part II
+
+There are afflictions that one suffers whose appointed time is determined by the astronomical factors that require those afflictions. However, the will and yearning aroused in the students at the time set for them to go and learn Torah from their teacher nullifies these afflictions before their appointed time.
+Studying Torah, giving tithes, and observing Shabbat provide material benefits as well.
+Studying the <i>Shulchan Arukh</i> brings one to fear God.
+When a person studies Torah with pure thoughts, so that he eats with such holiness that he is nourished by the sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation. This is alluded to [by 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; see above, <i>Eating </i>B:5).
+The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine. This fear sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to repentance.
+Studying Halakhic codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry.
+Going from one teacher to the next requires that a person strengthen his faith in the unity of God. Learning from many teachers detracts from belief in His Oneness. Nevertheless, the teacher who has faith in His Oneness is able to enlighten each and every student according to his ability, as each student hears only that which is necessary for him and no more.
+The teacher who teaches his students in a way that allows each one to hear only that which he needs to know—no less and no more—merits producing students who reveal the finest and choicest aspects of the Torah.
+When a student hears a Torah lesson from his teacher and finds his will negated to that of his mentor’s, he can be certain that he has truly heard the teaching. For if his will was not negated, then, even if he heard—he did not hear. Another way for him to determine if he truly heard is if he experienced a total negation of self while listening [as the lesson was being given].
+At the time a student comes to hear a Torah lesson from his teacher, the <i>kelipot</i> created by the student’s evil also come along to listen and draw sustenance [from the holiness]. But, as a result of each student hearing only that which applies to his soul, the <i>kelipot</i> flee and are thus prevented from hearing the lesson. There is, however, one semi-refined <i>kelipah</i> that is very close to holiness and flees only when the lesson includes an instance of Jewish salvation. Then it, too, runs away. This is alluded to in, “And Moses sent away his father-in-law” (Exodus 18:27); according to the opinion that Jethro [personifying the evil force that is very close to holiness] came and left before the Torah was given.
+Verbally reciting the words of Torah saves one from punishment by stoning.
+Not all places are conducive for studying Torah and performing good deeds. Because of this, God brings about circumstances that cause a person to leave one place and go elsewhere.
+When a person labors in Torah study to the point of exhaustion, he mitigates harsh judgments and awakens mercy, even for his father who has passed away.
+Torah brings to faith, and faith brings to sanctifying the Name of God.
+Those with clear vision can tell who a person’s Torah teacher is merely by looking at him, provided they already know what his teacher looks like. When a student learns the Torah’s laws from his teacher, his face takes on a resemblance to the one teaching him. This is because Halakhah is the wisdom that makes a person’s face shine (cf. Ecclesiastes 8:1). By receiving the law, he receives a portion of his appearance, their resemblance increasing with each additional law the student receives.
+God’s holiness validates and affirms the prominence of the generation’s leaders. This in turn brings everyone to value the <i>mitzvah</i> of hospitality, and the Torah scholars to merit having the law follow their opinion.
+A rabbi who is stringent when advising others but lenient with himself, and who claims to be versed in a matter when he is not, will not merit seeing the splendor of the King. This is because the evil force of Edom—namely, improper fear—dims one’s sight and prevents him from seeing the splendor of the King’s countenance.
+
+Slander
+
+Part I
+
+When a person is guilty of slander, the Holy One says to the ministering angel of hell, “I [will judge him] from above and you from below.” His rectification is to engage in Torah study and humble himself. This will also keep him from slandering further.
+Slandering others increases the measure of one’s guilt equivalent to the three cardinal sins (idolatry, immorality and murder).
+Speaking negatively about a person in his presence, or in the company of three other people, is not considered slander.
+Although words of slander should not be accepted, one has to be wary [that they may be true].
+Whoever speaks badly of the Jewish people will in the end suffer from a diseased mouth.
+When there is no love among Jews, they gossip about each other, and then turn scornful on account of their talebearing.
+When there is love between fellow Jews, one is permitted to tell the other something that he heard from a third party. The one who hears it can accept what he was told without being guilty of accepting slander.
+A person guilty of slander loses his desire for Torah study and also shames the Tzaddik.
+Truth saves one from slandering others.
+Guarding against slander keeps one from plotting evil against his fellow Jews.
+Whoever refuses to accept slander about the Tzaddik merits being counted among the righteous.
+Haughtiness leads a person to speak disparagingly of others.
+One does not speak slander unless he has first been guilty of denying the Holy One. He thus sins against God and man.
+It is permissible to speak slanderously of a person who instigates strife and conflict.
+A person guilty of giving a fellow Jew a bad name is never pardoned.
+A person guilty of slander cannot receive the Divine Presence.
+Both the one who speaks slander and the one who accepts it deserve to be thrown to the dogs.
+Reciting the Torah section on the Temple incense-offering (Exodus 30:34-38) is a rectification for slander.
+A person guilty of slander will be afflicted with leprosy. His crime is so great, that it reaches the heavens and he deserves to be stoned.
+
+Part II
+
+A person guilty of slander will suffer imprisonment.
+
+Derision and Mockery
+
+A person’s derisiveness causes him to have many accusers exercising control over him. He will also be guilty of immoral behavior, and have a domineering wife.
+Being derisive causes a person to lose prestige. He also turns to falsehood, and strays from place to place.
+Flattery leads to mockery.
+Mockery brings suffering.
+A derisive person has no wisdom.
+A person’s derisiveness causes him to be detested by God and man.
+Derisiveness brings destruction by fire.
+A person who ridicules the words of the Sages will burn in hell.
+All mockery is forbidden other than that which is directed at idolatry.
+[The punishment for] derision and mockery is most severe: beginning with suffering and ending with destruction.
+A derisive person has his livelihood diminished. He is destined for hell and his mockery brings destruction to the world.
+
+Conflict and Strife
+
+Part I
+
+Victory in battle cannot be achieved when an oath has been broken.
+When anyone persecutes a fellow Jew, God brings evil upon him so that he forgets that other person and stops persecuting him.
+By reciting the <i>Hallel</i> prayer, the Holy One will save you from your enemies.
+The respect a person shows for the Torah saves him from his enemies.
+Praying to God is a necessary preparation for battle.
+Any time a person falls from faith, the opposition he brings upon himself comes from an individual of importance and wealth.
+A person who prays for help against his enemies should do so in the morning hours.
+Repeatedly gazing heavenward will nullify your enemies’ hatred.
+When a person forgets the poor, he cannot be victorious.
+You should know that when a wicked person persecutes a pauper, it is because of the pauper’s pride.
+God ignores a contentious person and hides His face from him.
+When a person suffers misfortune, his enemies are exalted.
+A contentious person experiences forgetfulness.
+A person invites conflict when he has the opportunity to perform some <i>mitzvah,</i> but lets it pass unfulfilled.
+One who quarrels with the Tzaddikim clearly has entertained evil thoughts.
+There are times when it is one’s location that causes him to encounter conflict and strife.
+Whoever has enemies should humble himself, and this will cause God to save him.
+A person with enemies can rid himself of them by seeking every way possible to show them affection.
+When a person does not seek revenge against his enemies, but instead focuses on rejoicing in God, the Holy One gives him the strength to avenge their wickedness.
+Immoral people tend to be in conflict with the Tzaddikim.
+A person’s humility causes him not to fear in battle, as if he was sitting inside a fortress.
+A contentious person will be afflicted with incurable diseases.
+When litigants turn to a gentile magistrate to adjudicate their dispute, the Holy One afflicts them with an incurable disease.
+There are times when the Holy One hardens the hearts of the wicked against the Tzaddikim so that the wicked suffer a downfall.
+Whoever honors an elderly sage is saved from war.
+Whoever tells God of his strife merits seeing his revenge exacted against his enemies.
+Conflict and quarrel bring poverty.
+A person who quarrels with his fellow Jews will in the end be an object of scorn for his enemies.
+One who hears himself shamed and remains silent is considered righteous, and the Holy One will protect his soul.
+When a person prays with such great fervor that it can be detected on his face, his enemies are defeated and set ablaze.
+A person who has been good and upright from his youth wins the hearts of many. They will lend him their support in any quarrel or conflict against him.
+Whoever leads a fellow Jew astray and prevents him from following the path of good will not be able to overcome his enemies in battle.
+By confessing your sins, the evil plans of your enemies will be nullified.
+A quarrelsome person clearly favors sin.
+A person who is sparing with his words cannot be overcome by anyone.
+Those who quarrel with the righteous and want to prevent them from serving God will suffer defeat and be repugnant to themselves.
+To be victorious in battle, recite Psalm 6, “upon the <i>sheminit-</i>instrument.”
+When a person visits the sick, God does not hand him over to his enemies.
+Whoever has enemies should spend his entire day reciting prayers and entreaties, without stopping. As a result, God will save him, and his enemies will be disgraced.
+A person who is persecuted is rewarded with children and grandchildren.
+A person with enemies should ask numerous people to pray for God to show him mercy. This will bring him peace from his enemies.
+When you have enemies below, clearly you also have enemies on high.
+The study of Torah turns away one’s enemies.
+By trusting in God, your enemies will not be able to harm you.
+By being humble, your enemies will fall into the trap that they set for you.
+When a person prays all day, disgrace will come to his enemies.
+Whoever brings harm to an enemy of a Tzaddik merits always being victorious.
+When people talk against you, study <i>Aggadah</i> nightly.
+Two Tzaddikim cannot live harmoniously in the same city unless they both possess truth.
+When a person trusts in God, his enemies will never rejoice in his suffering.
+When one never embarrasses a fellow Jew, his enemies will never rejoice [in victory] over him.
+The hatred of many enemies is clearly unjustified, since it is impossible for all of them to be avenged.
+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.
+Whoever has faith has no fear of enemies.
+Crying out in prayer prevents one’s enemies from rejoicing [in victory] over him.
+A person with enemies who is uncertain whether he will fall into their hands should look inward. If he has fallen from his level of serving God, he can be certain that he is destined for defeat.
+To guard against conflict, study the tractate <i>Sukkah.</i>
+When the wicked come together, quarrel ensues.
+When you are depressed, even your loved ones turn against you.
+Strife is not found in a person’s home until the food runs out.
+There are times when God will side with a group of Tzaddikim in their dispute against a single Tzaddik. Even if the truth is with the lone Tzaddik, the Tzaddikim draw God’s favor to them.
+[Charging usury for lending money to a fellow Jew is considered wicked.] The borrower may then call him wicked, and is permitted to cut into his means of income, diminishing it by up to a third.
+A person would rather die than have no friends and loved ones.
+All things are created male and female, even kings. There are kings who embody the male aspect, and kings who embody the female aspect. They Holy One distances one from the other so that they do not [come together and] destroy the world.
+Do not honor a contentious person, even if he is an accomplished Torah scholar.
+Satan is found wherever there is conflict and dispute.
+A person who fulfills the obligation to recite <i>Shema Yisrael </i>morning and evening will not be handed over to his enemies.
+When a person studies Torah and performs acts of kindness, his enemies suffer defeat at his hands.
+The persecution that a person suffers transforms him into a fitting sacrifice for God.
+Always side with the oppressed and help them.
+The world exists only in the merit of a person who seals his mouth in a time of dispute.
+When a person forgets a single detail of his studies, opposition rises up against him.
+Quarreling with a Tzaddik leads to an outbreak of war.
+When people talk against a person, the evil inclination is able to overpower him. He must ask for God’s compassion regarding this.
+A person who is difficult to appease is from the Feminine World.
+When confronted by conflict, you should arrive early to the study hall and stay late in order to study Torah. If this is not possible, then through prayer you can bring judgment upon your oppressors and God will see to their downfall. You must never hand them over to a government official.
+When a person has the right to take revenge against a fellow Jew but instead remains silent, the Holy One makes certain that he sees justice.
+Don’t argue with someone stronger than yourself, even if he forces you to do something improper. If, however, that person is afraid of a government official, report him to that official rather than doing that which is improper.
+Slander causes a person to fall in battle.
+Whoever refrains from speaking slander will be victorious.
+Studying Torah and then stopping causes one’s enemies to persecute him.
+When one’s wife experiences a show of blood outside her menstrual period, clearly some animosity has been aroused against him.
+Wherever possible, the Tzaddik should use money rather than his righteousness as a means for overcoming his enemies.
+All participants in a quarrel have in them sparks from the souls of Datan and Aviram, [the two men who repeatedly sought to foment strife against Moses].
+When two Tzaddikim are at odds over an issue concerning the good of the Jewish people, you should know that there are two corresponding angels in heaven that also dispute the matter. It takes God Himself to arbitrate between them.
+Whoever hears himself shamed and remains silent eliminates many of the evils that were meant for him.
+God consistently sides with the majority opinion. But if the majority is comprised of wicked individuals, His opinion does not follow theirs.
+We do not seek merit in one who turns others astray.
+When two people disagree, each is often supported by others who side with his point of view. Should there then be a decree in heaven that one of those involved in the dispute must die, the judgment begins with the least of them and not with one of the original disputants.
+There are times when being handed over to one’s enemies saves a person from a decree that would have destroyed all his offspring.
+When one person causes another to distance himself from serving God, his offspring will suffer at the hands of the other’s descendants.
+When a person is in a position to protest against the actions of the wicked but does not, it is as if he himself was guilty of their evil deeds.
+Whoever takes part in a quarrel transgresses a prohibitive commandment of the Torah and deserves to be punished with leprosy.
+Whoever disputes the royal lineage of the house of David deserves to be bitten by a snake.
+Torah study enables one to remain firm in combat.
+A person should take courage against his enemies and use cunning in battling them. God will then do as He sees fit.
+A <i>segulah</i> when encountering conflict is to recite the verse: “And Asa cried out to God, his Lord, and said ‘It is nothing for You to help, whether the many or those who have no power. O God, our Lord, help us for we rely on You and in Your Name we go against the multitude’” (2 Chronicles 14:10).
+A person who does not trust in his God invites battles and conflicts.
+Studying Torah instills fear into the nations so that they refrain from waging war against the Jews.
+When encountering conflict, recite the words of Yehoshafat, “And he said, ‘God, Lord of my fathers...for our eyes are turned to You’” (2 Chronicles 20:6-12).
+In a 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.
+When a person chooses a fixed place for prayer, he defeats his enemies.
+Never pray that a person die, even an apostate. It is better that he be killed by the hand of man than through Heaven’s intervention.
+Never provoke a wicked person, especially one upon whom fortune smiles.
+It is permitted to disavow the truth and even dispute it in order to keep the world from being led astray by a wicked person.
+Unwarranted hatred brings great strife and conflict into a person’s home.
+The postponement, distortion or corruption of justice bring to destruction and much pillaging, as does neglecting the study of Torah.
+When a woman at the end of her menstruation period passes in between two men, it causes them to quarrel.
+Pacifying one’s persecutor arouses harsh judgment against him.
+Giving one’s enemies food to eat causes them to be sentenced to punishment by fire.
+
+Part II
+
+Those who talk against the Tzaddik bring to increased [interest in] heretical philosophy in the world. The inverse is also true, [as speaking positively of the Tzaddik decreases the study of heretical philosophy].
+There are certain well-known people whose fame comes mainly as a result of conflict and dispute.
+A person involved in dispute succumbs to immoral desires.
+Whoever defends his faith against many people who argue against him, countering them with convincing arguments, will, because of this, be worthy of many children. His progeny will fill the world.
+One who is always scrutinizing the leaders of his generation and examining their behavior with an eye to finding fault will suffer from hunger. “Not a hunger for food” (Amos 8:11), but the hunger of the future, [a hunger for the word of God]. Thus the Hebrew word for hunger, רעב, is formed by placing an ע (<i>ayin</i>, which also means “eye”) between the letters רב (“rabbi” or “leader”).
+By giving charity, a person can defeat his enemies through minimal means [and effort], as God will save him from even their greatest means [and effort].
+Reciting Grace after Meals causes God’s greatness to become known in the world. Grace after Meals also brings the government tranquility from conflict and war.
+When a person studies Torah with pure thoughts, so that he eats with such holiness that he is nourished by the sustenance of the angels, his enemies are sentenced to strangulation. This is alluded to [by 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” (ibid. 16:13); “And it was at the morning watch...” (ibid. 14:24). <small>(I heard this explanation from the Rebbe’s holy mouth: ‘“And it was on the third day, in the morning’ was said during the Giving of the Torah and refers to a person who studies Torah with pure thoughts. ‘Then in the morning there was a layer of dew’ was said about the manna, the food from which the angels draw sustenance, as our Sages taught (see <i>Yoma</i> 75b). ‘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, as our Sages taught (see <i>Ketuvot</i> 30b).” Rebbe Nachman learned from one “morning” and applied it to the other, thereby deriving the above {insight} from the Torah.)</small>
+The affliction and provocation that a sage suffers cause him to forget his learning.
+As a result of quarreling, the less qualified students are accepted into positions of authority prematurely. This corresponds to a miscarriage, to a child being born too early. It leads to poverty and sometimes even death, God forbid.
+Sometimes there is no peace in one’s home and all one’s family members are at odds with each other. Clearly, this is because there are evil forces in the house, and as a result his family suffers.
+A person’s location can at times be the cause of the strife he encounters. This is similarly the reason one does not ask after the well-being of a fellow Jew in an unclean place.
+Grief and depression lead to conflict, whereas joy brings peace to the world.
+The Torah is revealed through peace.
+If, while fasting, a person expends his energy on work or business, it saves him from enemies and murderers.
+Whoever has enemies finds it difficult to concentrate while praying.
+A person who causes a rift between husband and 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.
+When God sees that a certain Tzaddik has the ability 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, which a Tzaddik without enemies cannot do. This can be likened to the times of Mashiach, when people will be at peace and coverts will no longer be accepted.
+Thoughts of idolatry enable one’s enemies to overcome him.
+One whose enemies are elevated succumbs to a lust for food.
+A person whose body itches should realize that he has enemies. Sometimes, the abrasions and scratches he makes on his body [in attempting to relieve the itching] will save him from his enemies; this being in exchange for that.
+There are two types of Tzaddikim: one whose words are the aspect of plowing, and one whose words are the aspect of reaping. Said otherwise, one Tzaddik’s speech corresponds to the male arousal for marital relations, while the other’s corresponds to drawing the seed into the womb, and fetal conception and gestation. Therefore, when there is a quarrel between these two Tzaddikim, an outsider should not meddle in their verbal exchanges, so as not to ruin the deeper intention.
+A person with enemies should take an oath not to drink wine. This will give him mastery over them.
+A <i>segulah</i> for a person hoping to be saved from his enemies, whether they are opponents in a dispute or highwaymen whom he fears, is to recite the cantillations that accompany the words of the Torah: <i>pashta, munach, zarka,</i> etc.
+
+Money
+
+Part I
+
+When a person is derisive of others, his livelihood diminishes.
+The words of the Sages bring wealth.
+One’s wealth does not last if he shows no compassion for others.
+Whoever withstands a test of his morality merits great wealth in the midst of his enemies.
+An occupation is a great thing; God Himself cautioned mankind to engage in some form of work. 
+[Nevertheless, if one has no choice, he should] borrow in order to eat.
+[A farmer] who wants to grow wealthy should plow with a lean animal.
+A person 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 spending on them beyond what he can afford.
+Poverty in one’s home is worse than fifty plagues.
+A man’s wife won’t die unless he is first approached for money and has none to give.
+The ability that the nations have to steal from the Jews comes from their learning <i>TaNaKh.</i>
+Drinking wine leads to poverty.
+Whoever possesses <i>daat</i> will in the end be wealthy.
+One who steals from his fellow Jews is made impure by a chance seminal emission.
+A new insight that comes to a person clearly will be followed by great wealth.
+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].
+A person whose children are starving is spared from death by fire, one of the four judicial forms of capital punishment.
+Whoever transgresses a Rabbinical enactment becomes poor.
+Whoever breaks his desire for food merits beautiful dwellings.
+Providing a person with his livelihood is as difficult [a miracle] as splitting the Red Sea. It is even more difficult than bringing the Final Redemption, and twice as difficult as [the miracle of] childbirth.
+Once a person has been put in charge of the public’s welfare, he becomes wealthy.
+The incense-offering brought wealth [to the one who burnt it in the Temple].
+You need not worry that someone will interfere with your livelihood. Against his will he will call you by name for you to take what is rightfully yours.
+There are four things that cause a man of means to lose his wealth: delaying to pay his workers’ salaries; outright refusal to pay their wages; shirking an obligation and instead placing the burden on someone else; and a haughty spirit.
+A change of place and a change of name improve one’s livelihood.
+Rain is withheld only because of the following: ceasing to tithe the Holy Land’s produce, speaking slander, arrogance, disrupting Torah study, and the crime of theft.
+Rainfall can be restored through many prayers.
+Faith in God increases livelihood.
+When there is satiation in the world, sickness is diminished.
+Rain is held back only because of those who publicly pledge to charity but don’t give.
+Disgusting behavior in one’s home leads to poverty.
+Three things bring a person to poverty: urinating in the nude in one’s bedroom, taking lightly the requirement to wash one’s hands before eating, and a man’s wife cursing him to his face.
+Tithing is a <i>segulah</i> for wealth specifically in the Land of Israel.
+Honoring the Torah and honoring Shabbat are a <i>segulah</i> for wealth.
+The olive-size helping of bitter herbs eaten on Passover is a <i>segulah</i> for earning a living.
+Writing a Torah scroll is a <i>segulah</i> for earning a living.
+When the daughter of a <i>Kohen</i> marries a regular Jew (Israelite), or when the daughter of a Torah scholar marries a boor, she causes her husband to become poor.
+Associating with someone upon whom fortune smiles is beneficial for one’s own prosperity.
+A person who loves God in his eating, drinking and other physical pleasures merits sustaining many nations.
+One who despises money merits long life.
+A person who searches for treasures hastens his own death.
+Whoever has not rectified the sins of his youth becomes poor.
+A person who struggles day and night to make a living but still does not have enough can rectify this by bringing people closer to God.
+Whoever accidentally breaks something clearly has sinned.
+Someone with an unquenchable desire to work the land is certainly worthless.
+In whatever you do, ask the Tzaddik to pray on your behalf.
+Constant joy is a <i>segulah</i> for success.
+Earning a living requires strengthened effort.
+Whoever makes the Name of Heaven a partner in his distress [by asking for God’s mercy] has his livelihood doubled, and it comes flying into his hands like a bird.
+For the sin of not tithing the Holy Land’s produce, wages are lost and people’s pursuit of livelihood is without success.
+The rains come for the sake of an individual; livelihood, for the sake of the many. But an individual whose merit is powerful is reckoned as the many.
+Sanctifying [Shabbat and the Festivals by reciting the blessing] over wine brings rain and causes one’s prayers to be heard.
+Whoever keeps in his house a Torah scroll that belonged to his father is rewarded with wealth.
+Rain falls in the merit of a single man, a single field and a single blade of grass; as well as in the merit of the land, kind deeds, and because of suffering.
+Rainfall is withheld because of idolatry, immorality, because a Tzaddik has not been properly eulogized, and because people interfere with the livelihood of others.
+One who suffers poverty is spared the punishment of hell.
+Misusing God’s Holy Names brings poverty and death, even to anyone who has the ability to protest their misuse but does not.
+The Holy One exacts judgment on behalf of anyone who has a complaint concerning his livelihood against a fellow Jew and is nevertheless silent.
+When a person sees that his livelihood is limited, he should give charity.
+Worry and distress over one’s livelihood sap a person’s strength.
+Immorality leads to poverty.
+A Tzaddik who has no <i>mazal</i> when it comes to earning a living will sometimes have opponents sent against him. He is then given the income that was coming to them.
+One who works in construction puts himself in danger.
+Modest behavior is a <i>segulah</i> for wealth.
+Once coveting and envy spread in the world, people began interfering with each other’s livelihood.
+A person’s livelihood diminishes when he judges others unfavorably, 
+or dilutes the alcohol [he sells], 
+or follows the advice of someone who persuades others to turn against God.
+When one sins out of spite, he becomes impoverished, yet no one will believe that he is poor.
+One who makes use of unholy names and sorcery becomes poor.
+When consumption, a disease that weakens the body, affects a member of one’s family, it is a sign of impending poverty.
+When a person suffers some embarrassment, it is a sign that he will soon become poor.
+Whoever despises money is shown by Heaven the path that he should follow.
+There are times when death by excision at the hand of Heaven is replaced by impoverishment.
+A poor person is confused, like a drunkard.
+Fraudulent practices cause one to become poor.
+Anyone who acts hastily, without presence of mind, falls into debt.
+Interfering with one’s means of income is akin to killing him.
+A person should always hold onto his ancestral inheritance, never selling or exchanging it.
+One who lusts for money falls from his spiritual level.
+Atheism leads to poverty.
+A person who is poor should work diligently to provide sustenance for those who seek God.
+Faith is beneficial for livelihood.
+Pain of the eyes is a sign of poverty.
+By being humble, a person livestock multiplies.
+By giving charity, a person is rewarded with livelihood.
+When a person gives money to sorcerers, his livelihood will require him to work in the homes of non-Jews.
+The words of the Tzaddik bring livelihood.
+Depression decreases one’s income.
+Giving charity will alleviate your financial restraints.
+Too much sleep makes one poor.
+One who is diligent in Torah study and giving charity merits wealth.
+Honor your wife and you will become rich.
+Blessing is found in a person’s house only because of the honor he has shown his wife.
+When a person charges usury for lending money, his financial worth plummets and never recovers.
+Forbidding the singing of frivolous songs lowers prices.
+A person without a living should occupy himself with Torah study and then pray for livelihood. His prayers will certainly be accepted.
+One should never sell the first property he purchased.
+Whoever deprives a fellow Jew of income is considered wicked.
+Were it not that he has grown haughty, no Jew would have the audacity to harm a fellow Jew’s livelihood.
+Leaving fallen crumbs triggers poverty.
+Wealth is a masculine principle, whereas poverty is feminine principle.
+Pain of the eyes {teeth} is a sign of impending harm to one’s livelihood.
+Whatever one wants, whether it is wisdom, or wealth, or children, he should strive to attain it through natural means, and plead for mercy that these means prove successful.
+
+Part II
+
+When the year is one of economic prosperity, it augurs physical health.
+Whoever has an unquenchable desire to work the land will come to one of three things: either shedding innocent blood, or leprosy, or drunkenness.
+Fearing God and acting kindly to others saves one from being harmed by fire, and he merits earning a living.
+A decline in adherence to legal rulings based on the Torah causes a decrease in livelihood. The inverse is also true, [as an increase in adherence to Torah law brings an increase in income].
+Supportive proofs from the Torah for Rabbinical enactments bring abundant prosperity to the world. This is because there are a number of things for which we find no explicit verse in the Torah on which to base them, and the Sages labored to find some supportive reference [as proof for their enactment].
+The Holy One will at times boast to Satan about a righteous gentile. This is so that God can then provide the Jews with livelihood without any opposition.
+When a person yearns to be buried in the Land of Israel, he is blessed with abundant livelihood.
+A person should expend energy on [the preparations for] a meal to be held in honor of some <i>mitzvah,</i> even chopping firewood. While chopping, he should have in mind that he is breaking apart and separating the bad from the good in the Tree of Knowledge. By doing so, he merits earning a living.
+By returning to God in repentance, one earns his living easily.
+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.
+Living from the fruits of one’s own labor is so great, that one who does so recognizes God’s glory in a way that even the angels cannot.
+The changes that take place in the angels—sometimes they are sitting and at other times standing, sometimes they appear as women and at other times as men, as well as all the other changes—are mirrored by the changes that take place in the flow of blessing that descends from heaven. Sometimes the blessings appear as fire, at other times as water, or as stone, or as any of the other forms. All of these changes affect both the world and man. A person’s will also alternates according to these changes, so that at times he wants one thing and at other times he wants something else.
+One’s livelihood is in accordance with [the holiness of] one’s marital relations.
+The economic prosperity of a generation is in accordance with its elders.
+Charging usury causes one to lose his fear of God.
+One who charges usury for lending money will not find anyone willing to speak favorably of him.
+A person who is careful not to transgress the prohibition against coveting will be saved from anger and haughtiness, and from the lack of faith that results from these two evil traits.
+Conducting one’s business affairs faithfully nullifies curses.
+One who is obliged to borrow from others is comparable to an animal.
+When the agent of someone important cannot convince an ordinary person to sell some object to his client, he should pray that the ordinary person accept the offer and agree to the sale.
+When a person controls his evil inclination, his children do not follow evil ways. Because of this his money is plentiful, and consequently he will not come to be tested.
+Being on the road brings a person to slander, idolatry, immorality and bloodshed. And these sins diminish one’s livelihood.
+The charity a person gives to the poor of the Land of Israel causes him to prosper monetarily.
+Fires rage in the world in order to consume the wealth associated with idolatry.
+When a new king or minister takes over, people’s livelihood is renewed and changes.
+When a person’s livelihood 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 that strengthens the worship of idolatry, his wife’s menstrual flow will begin soon after her ritual immersion.
+A person who causes a rift between husband and 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.
+A person is sometimes spared having to rend his garment in mourning because his merchandise and property are spread out and not located in one area.
+The most successful businessman of a town is the light of the town.
+
+Miscarriage
+
+Part I
+
+Fear causes a woman to miscarry.
+A <i>segulah</i> for a woman who miscarries is for her to carry magnets. She should also carry a small piece of wood from the tomb of a Tzaddik, and give charity.
+A woman who miscarries should carry around [melted] dew.
+A <i>segulah</i> against further miscarriages is for a woman to sell her embryo.
+The sin of unwarranted hatred causes a woman to miscarry.
+A woman’s craving for food and drink causes her to miscarry.
+
+Part II
+
+A woman with a history of miscarriages should refrain from wearing gold jewelry.
+Grinding flour and kneading dough for Passover <i>matzah</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for a woman who miscarries.
+
+An Informer
+
+Whoever informs against a fellow Jew to the authorities will in the end become a vagabond, have many opponents, and suffer that which he intended to bring upon that other person. Anyone connected with this informer will fall away, and whatever importance he may have had will be taken from him by the family of the wronged party.
+Whoever informs against the Tzaddik to the authorities loses his material possessions.
+Killing an informer is permissible.
+It is forbidden to hand over even a wicked person to be killed.
+
+Alcohol
+
+When a person steals, his alcohol goes bad.
+This also happens to one who is haughty.
+
+The Messiah
+
+Telling stories about the Tzaddikim draws the light of Mashiach into the world. It also dispels much darkness and pain from the world. And the teller is rewarded with beautiful clothing.
+Returning to God in repentance causes the spirit of Mashiach to blow against the evil decrees of the government and nullify them completely.
+There will yet be a generation in the world that is entirely righteous.
+Truth hastens the End of Days.
+By keeping Shabbat a person draws upon himself the light of Mashiach. Repentance also has this power.
+
+A Circumciser
+
+One should seek out a <i>mohel</i> who is both righteous and God-fearing. For when the <i>mohel</i> lacks expertise, the circumcision can, God forbid, cause the infant to be sterile, or an epileptic.
+A woman who cannot conceive should look at the circumcision blade after it has been used.
+A <i>mohel</i> infuses the child he circumcises with understanding in Torah.
+The <i>mitzvah</i> of circumcision has the same powers as the special clothing worn by the high priest.
+Whoever is born circumcised clearly has a good and wholesome imagination.
+When a person performs an act of kindness, the name he gives to another has permanence. It is therefore advisable to carry out some charitable deed before naming a newborn baby, thereby ensuring that the name will be everlasting.
+
+Fame
+
+There are certain famous people whose fame comes mainly as a result of their participating in some conflict.
+God tests a person in order to then grant him importance and fame.
+As a result of quarreling, the less qualified students are accepted into positions of authority prematurely. This corresponds to a miscarriage, to a child being born too early. It leads to poverty and sometimes even death, God forbid.
+
+Immoral Behavior
+
+Part I
+
+A man’s thoughts for a non-Jewish woman prevent his sons from becoming Torah scholars.
+A woman’s <i>mazal</i> is consistent with her husband’s <i>mazal.</i>
+Children conceived in a beautiful home will be beautiful and wholesome in appearance.
+Having sexual relations with a non-Jewess is like intermarrying.
+Fragrances increase a man’s desire.
+When the daughter of a <i>Kohen</i> marries a regular Jew (Israelite), or when the daughter of a Torah scholar marries a boor, the marriage will not go well. She will either be widowed or divorced or childless. He will bury her or she will bury him, or else she will bring him to poverty and shame.
+It is particularly repugnant when an old man behaves immorally. In the end, he will come to look upon himself with disgust.
+There are seven who are like outcasts, one of them being a man who has no wife.
+A person can distance himself from lustful desire only by distancing the desire from his eyes and thoughts.
+Don’t enter into arguments and counter-arguments with temptation. Allowing an immoral thought to linger in the mind, even in order to reject it, strengthens its attraction and wins one over to it.
+Most immoral behavior is brought on by drunkenness.
+Without a wife, a man is not a man. It is almost as if he is guilty of shedding innocent blood and diminishing the Divine Image.
+A man who causes his wife grief by neglecting her conjugal rights will be punished with death.
+It sometimes happens that after a couple gets engaged, one of them dies. This is because they were an unsuitable match.
+When a man marries a woman who was divorced by her first husband because of her wickedness, she will bury him.
+A woman’s licentiousness destroys the home.
+A man who commits adultery causes his wife to dream of impure things.
+When a man marries a woman for the sake of Heaven, it is as if he gave birth to her.
+Couples whose marital relations are devoid of holiness are punished by fire.
+Whoever has an opportunity to sin but refrains will have a miracle performed for his sake.
+When a man marries a woman who is unsuitable for him, it is as if he plowed up the entire earth and planted salt. When the Holy One will rest His Divine Presence upon the Jewish people, confirming the members of each tribe, that man will be left out.
+Violating the <i>brit</i> is equivalent to violating all the <i>mitzvot.</i>
+Wearing pants atones for the sins of incest.
+Where there is immorality, the Tzaddikim fall from stature.
+By mourning the death of Tzaddikim, one is able to break his love for women.
+By masturbating, a man creates evil forces that clothe themselves in people who oppose and argue with him and cause him suffering.
+A person guilty of adultery will eventually be guilty of shedding innocent blood.
+Whoever rids the world of adulterers rectifies the sins of his ancestors.
+Whoever desires to guard the sign of the <i>brit</i> will always tell the truth and act kindly even with someone from whom he expects nothing in return.
+Anyone guilty of blemishing the <i>brit</i> should make amends by pursuing peace.
+Contentiousness brings a person to blemishing the <i>brit.</i>
+Immoral thoughts come as a result of [what in Kabbalistic terminology is known as] breaking the vessel of lovingkindness. The amount of immoral thoughts that ensue corresponds to the amount of “sparks” [that fall when the vessel is broken].
+A person guilty of transgressing the prohibition against homosexual practices will suffer imprisonment.
+Mercury is a <i>segulah</i> for virility.
+The child conceived at a time when a husband feels hatred for his wife will turn into an apostate.
+Immoral behavior leads one to be exiled under the rule of derisive rulers. He also falls into debt.
+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], and the glory of the righteous will increase.
+Unholy divination and sorcery lead to immorality.
+A man who has relations with a non-Jewess transfers all blessing over to the Other Side.
+Infidelity leads to forgetfulness.
+The way to make amends for wasting seed is by striving to bring people back to God in repentance.
+The Holy One grants merit to a person who guards the <i>brit, </i>even if he has no ancestral merit.
+{43 Immoral thoughts come from a lack of faith.}
+The sins of sorcery and immorality cause the Tzaddik to be taken from the world.
+Children born from adultery will have need of sorcery.
+Children born through the use of sorcery will be immoral.
+Most of those guilty of immoral behavior are opponents of the Tzaddikim.
+Masturbating is like sacrificing one’s children to idolatry. Such a person is sentenced to stoning.
+Immoral behavior causes one to lose his memory.
+Immoral behavior causes one to lose his feelings of shame.
+Gluttony leads to immoral behavior.
+A person who sins will afterwards feel remorse because of the holy spark within him. The exception is someone who defiles the <i>brit.</i> He feels no remorse afterwards, because the holy spark has already left him.
+Whoever keeps from defiling the <i>brit</i> keeps his memory sound.
+Swearing falsely brings to immoral thoughts.
+Whoever stands as a guarantor for a wicked individual turns to immorality.
+Whoever destroys his seed becomes penniless.
+Incest leads to murder.
+
+Part II
+
+Sexual immorality leads to incarceration or pain in one’s legs. A student who, despite being unqualified, instructs others, will also be punished with one of these afflictions, and he will be placed at the mercy of harmful forces.
+Quarreling causes one to succumb to immoral desires.
+Marital relations with one’s wife on days when it is prohibited causes a person to be imprisoned.
+Immoral desires cause constipation, which in turn brings leprosy.
+Doing favors for others removes one’s lustful desires. The inverse is also true, [as failing to do favors for others brings on those desires].
+Whoever guards the <i>brit</i> is the source of blessing [for the entire world].
+Whoever guards the <i>brit</i> merits understanding the seventy languages hidden in the Torah.
+It is forbidden to find merit in those guilty of homosexuality.
+One’s livelihood is in accordance with [the holiness of] one’s marital relations.
+When a person is idle, doing nothing constructive, his sexual desires increase and he constantly speaks of filthy matters.
+Whoever guards the <i>brit</i> is permitted to rejoice when seeing his enemies defeated.
+Blemishing the <i>brit</i> brings to the dangers associated with traveling, as hinted in the verse, “You have measured my going about and my lying down [and You are acquainted with all my ways”] (Psalms 139:3).
+A woman who is the object of a sexual advance, even if nothing comes of it, is affected by the suggestion itself.
+Anyone who closes his eyes so as not to look at evil saves himself from humiliation.
+Promiscuity leads to murder.
+Promiscuous behavior with gentiles leads to apostasy.
+The daughter of a person whose authority is self-appointed will prostitute herself.
+Most account-keepers are filled with lustful desires.
+Whoever refrains from staring at women is rewarded with offspring who will author commentaries on the Torah.
+
+Menstruation
+
+Part I
+
+A woman with an abnormally heavy menstrual flow will talk a lot. [To lessen the flow], she should refrain from appearing beautiful in public, bathe in spring water, and not overly exert herself—and her husband should perform the <i>mitzvah </i>of hand-washing meticulously. She should also avoid getting angry, and give charity after her ritual immersion—and her husband should study the tractate <i>Nidah</i> and afterwards recite the daily psalm [sung in the Holy Temple]. And she should wash herself with things brought up from the river’s depth, drink goat’s milk, scrub herself with [a brush of] goat’s hair when bathing, and perfume herself with frankincense.
+A woman whose menstrual flow is heavy should write down the words <i>10)</i> לא אחד<i> echod),</i> [from the verse (Job 14:4), “Who can bring the pure from the impure? <i>Lo echod</i> (not one)”] and carry it around with her.
+When a woman is promiscuous, her menstrual cycle becomes irregular and she experiences an abnormally heavy flow.
+When a woman’s menstrual period is begun by an unexpected show of blood, it is because of a sin that her husband has committed.
+
+Part II
+
+A woman who has no menstrual cycle should fast.
+Hospitality is a <i>segulah</i> for restoring a woman’s menses.
+When a person’s livelihood 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 that strengthens the worship of idolatry, his wife’s menstrual flow will begin soon after her ritual immersion.
+
+A Fall
+
+Part I
+
+In some cases a person falls from his level when he reaches old age.
+When one is appointed to be a tax collector, he falls from his level.
+Jealousy causes one to fall from his level.
+A person’s jealousy keeps him from progressing steadily. At times he is able to pray fervently and study diligently, while at other times prayer and Torah study are a heavy burden for him.
+One who blunders with his words, and certainly one who is unable to express them with his usual fluency, clearly will see his livelihood diminish. He is in need of much lovingkindness and salvation in order for God to provide him with livelihood.
+One makes his yearning for something evident through an oath.
+When a person stumbles and falls, it is because he feels secure in his sinful behavior.
+When you wholeheartedly begin performing some <i>mitzvah, </i>you will complete it unharmed.
+One who falls from his fear of God clearly lacked pure fear [in the first place].
+A person’s lust for money causes him to fall from his level.
+Guarding against stealing, swearing and falsehood will keep you from falling from your level.
+When a person prays in a congregation that also includes some wicked individuals, they sometimes bring him down. A <i>segulah</i> for preventing this is to raise one’s hands heavenward while praying.
+A person loses his religious fervor because he despises the Tzaddik.
+The Tzaddik who guides people truthfully will not fall from his importance.
+Anyone who receives honor despite his attempts to flee from honor will certainly not descend or fall from prominence.
+By attaching oneself to the Tzaddikim a person ensures that he will not fall from his level.
+
+Part II
+
+A person falls while walking because his guardian angels have left him.
+Whoever desires a non-Jewish woman clearly will suffer some downfall, 
+or some illness will befall his wife and children.
+
+Obscene Language
+
+Whoever speaks obscenities clearly has been thinking sinful thoughts.
+Obscene language leads to flattery.
+Because of the sin of obscene language, suffering and harsh decrees are renewed; the young men of Israel die, God forbid; and orphans and widows cry out, but are not answered.
+Even a signed verdict for seventy years of good life is turned to evil when one uses obscenities. The bowels of hell are also deepened for him. This fate also awaits a person who hears [obscenities spoken] but remains silent.
+Speaking obscenities is even worse than carrying out the act.
+
+Benefitting from Others
+
+Part I
+
+Even though the money that a Tzaddik receives from an evil individual might be stolen money, the Tzaddik is permitted to accept it. This is so that this individual does not find himself some wicked scholar to call a Tzaddik, give him the money, and then oppose the true Tzaddik.
+Once it became common practice to take gifts from others, the human lifespan grew shorter.
+Never embarrass a person who has once done you a favor.
+One who employs a heavy hand in exercising authority over the Jewish people will eventually become dependent upon others.
+A person who works for the good of the people may benefit from them, and they should assist him.
+By accepting favors from a fellow Jew you will share in his suffering for his sins.
+One who refuses to accept money from others will merit raising all his children.
+A king may collect his expenses from the people.
+A person should work at some means of livelihood so that he will not in the end be forced to terminate his Torah study.
+It is like stealing when one outright requests the reward he deserves.
+The entire world turns dark for one who envies another’s possessions. His life is no life at all.
+Only one with a <i>neshamah</i> can derive pleasure from the sense of smell.
+
+Part II
+
+The labor of one’s own hands is so great that it saves a person from murder.
+Whoever despises gifts has no fear of being libeled.
+
+Song
+
+When the fame of the Tzaddikim spreads in the world, new songs are composed.
+The Levites had a particular song for each day of the week. Nowadays, being in exile, we no longer remember these tunes. Yet whenever some tragedy befalls any nation, it revives the particular tune of the Levites that countered this misfortune.
+Tunes that contain the sound of weeping have the ability to free captives, as in, <i>“Motzee asirim bakosharote</i> (He releases prisoners at the most opportune times)” (Psalms 68:7). [The word <i>bakosharote</i> can be read as a compound of <i>be’khy</i> and <i>sheerote</i>—weeping and songs].
+From the songs a person sings one can tell if he has dedicated himself to Torah study.
+Drinking rouses a person to sing and play musical instruments, whereas eating does not. This is because [in the wilderness] the Jewish people sang the praise of God over the well, but not over the manna.
+
+A Test
+
+God tests a person in order to then grant him importance and fame.
+When a person wants to inspire others to serve God, but lacks the requisite level of righteousness and has no ancestral merit, he should avoid being tested. He should particularly keep from arousing the jealousy of the wicked.
+When a person controls his evil inclination, his children do not follow evil ways. Because of this his money is plentiful, and consequently he will not come to be tested.
+
+An Eternal Flame
+
+In reward for keeping a flame of olive oil burning constantly, people are spared from a decree of forced conversion.
+
+Counting the Omer
+
+Counting the Omer saves one from being banished.
+During the weeks of Counting the Omer it is all the more important to immerse in a <i>mikvah</i> after a seminal emission.
+Through counting the Omer it is possible to overcome an informer. This is alluded to by the word <i>L’OMeR,</i> which is an acronym for <i>“Me’igra Rama L’hira O’mikta</i> (from a high place down to a deep pit).”
+
+Mysteries
+
+By deeply studying the Torah’s mysteries one can bring barren women to bear children and also heal serious disease.
+
+A Holy Book
+
+When a person who is capable of authoring some holy work refrains from doing so, it is as if he remains childless.
+Those who author holy works should carefully weigh the contents of their work to see that there is sufficient material for a book. For the value of any book comes only from those parts that were written through a “binding of souls,” as in, “This is the book of the lineage of man” (Genesis 5:1). If but a minimum of the book was written through such binding, it is not worthy of publication.
+Those with insight are able to determine by looking into a holy book whether its original Torah teachings are solely the insights of the author, or they already existed, having been originated by another, but were insufficient for forming an entire work. [If it is the latter,] then the original ideas were revealed to this author so that he might bring them into print. Yet the truth is that he did not work for these insights, which came to him easily because someone else had already labored over them and brought them to light.
+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)—defeats the nations’ evil decrees and keeps them from overcoming us. Indeed, the essential strength of their rule stems only from the time Esau cried [when Jacob took his blessing]. This is alluded to in the verse, “And thus <i>mispar h’nai yisrael k’chol hayam</i> (the number of the Jewish people will be like the grains of sand in the sea)” (Hosea 2:1). [The word <i>mispar</i> can also be read <i>mi’sepher,</i> from a holy book; and the first letters of <i>B’nai Yisrael K’chol Hayam</i> spell <i>B’KhiYaH,</i> crying],
+Whoever refrains from staring at women is rewarded with offspring who will author commentaries on the Torah.
+It is actually beneficial for the world that many holy books written by righteous authors, including the Mishnaic Sages and other early Tzaddikim, have been lost and forgotten from the world. Their disappearance causes many books by apostates and heretics to be uprooted and erased from existence. The elimination of those holy works also eliminates any jealousy or enmity that exists between a husband and wife who conduct themselves with holiness.
+When a great book appears in the world, it causes barren women to be remembered by God. This is alluded to in the verse, “This is the book of the lineage of man” (Genesis 5:1).
+
+A Divine Remedy
+
+The feathers of birds of prey are a <i>segulah</i> for curing diseased lungs and for strengthening one’s life force.
+The heavens change their appearance to match the different colors of the grasses that grow because of them. It is a <i>segulah</i> to stare at these colors.
+Rainwater is a <i>segulah</i> for one who lacks virility.
+Reciting Psalms is a <i>segulah</i> for bringing rain. [We learn this from the Hebrew word for Psalms], <i>TeHiLiM,</i> which is an acronym for <i>“Limtar Hashamayim Tishteh Mayim</i> ([the Land of Israel] drinks water from the rain of heaven)” (Deuteronomy 11:11).
+Hospitality is a <i>segulah</i> for restoring a woman’s menses.
+An abnormally hairy person is susceptible to much harm and misfortune at the hand of the Other Side. A <i>segulah </i>is for him to recite the Torah section read on Yom Kippur (Leviticus 16).
+A person who suddenly loses his ability to speak should have a knife fit for ritual slaughtering passed over his mouth.
+A <i>segulah</i> for eliminating the difficulty a woman has in childbirth is to hang the cemetery key around her neck. This key is also a <i>segulah</i> for healing barrenness.
+Crying over the destruction of the Holy Temple is a <i>segulah </i>for healing a neck ailment.
+A <i>segulah</i> 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 <i>ChoKhMah</i> (wisdom)” (Proverbs 24:3); the letters being an acronym for <i>“Klei Chamas Me’cheiroteihem</i> (weapons are their wares)” (Genesis 49:5). [The explanation of <i>me’cheiroteihem</i> is alternatively] “their swords” or “their places of dwelling.”
+Apples are a <i>segulah</i> for women who have difficult births.
+
+Humility
+
+Part I
+
+A person who empathizes with the suffering of the Jewish people and prays for them acquires humility.
+A person’s truthfulness earns him humility.
+Faith leads to humbleness.
+Having a fixed place in which to pray brings a person to humility and piety.
+A person’s humility causes his prayers to be heard. It is as if he offered all the various sacrifices.
+One’s prestige and importance grows and grows on account of his humility.
+Humility leads to a long life.
+When a person is humble, his deeds are not scrutinized.
+The day you humble yourself is the day that strength, might and exaltedness are added to the hosts on high.
+When you see an increase of humility in the world, you can look forward to the imminent arrival of Mashiach.
+A person’s humility nullifies his fear of enemies.
+Humility eliminates dispute and suffering.
+When a person is humble, everyone gets along with him.
+Humility leads to grace.
+A person who is humble is never afraid, even when he finds himself in dire straits.
+A person who is not humble does not fear God.
+Humility causes a person to advance, and keeps him from falling from his level.
+A person with a soft heart is able to greatly humble himself.
+A person’s humility causes God to remember him.
+God fulfills the desires of a humble person.
+The world exists only because of the person who makes himself as nothing.
+
+Part II
+
+Humbling oneself is a <i>segulah</i> for having children.
+Asa result of extreme haughtiness one will be sodomized.
+A person’s voice indicates whether he is humble or haughty.
+Sometimes, by lowering oneself or being humbled by others, a person is spared from a death sentence.
+When a person feels lowly, he should realize that a death sentence has been issued against him.
+
+Depression
+
+Part I
+
+A person who has not rectified the sins of his youth is beset with worries.
+A person suffers mainly because of the things he says.
+When you are suffering, talk about it.
+The fear of death befalls a person who carries worries in his heart.
+A person’s humbleness eliminates misfortune and sorrow.
+When a person is depressed, observing the Tzaddikim will bring joy to his heart.
+Entering the house of a gentile leads to depression.
+Depression makes one weak.
+A person’s face changes because of the evil in his heart.
+When you suffer anguish on a day of joy and all your happiness has ceased, you should know that your ancestral merit has expired.
+A depressed person should regularly give gifts to the Tzaddik.
+Depression leads to an outbreak of fires.
+Depression is a sign of some imminent sickness.
+The Holy One does not reside with a person who is depressed.
+Depression causes one to experience a seminal emission.
+Anger leads to depression.
+When a person is depressed, he cannot achieve his goals.
+Depression makes one despised.
+When a person cries, he cannot eat.
+Anyone who is never depressed, but always happy, will certainly gain prestige.
+Depression brings degradation.
+It is a good sign when a sick person cries.
+Sadness causes a person’s enemies to be elevated.
+Sadness brings heartache.
+The hasty person is a sad person.
+Closeness to Tzaddikim makes the heart happy.
+A <i>segulah</i> for eliminating depression is to listen to an esteemed Tzaddik singing.
+A person who does not confess his sins will be beset by sighing and worry.
+When a person desires things that are against God’s will, he is given reason to sigh.
+Feeling bad over a bad dream nullifies it.
+Sound, sight and smell calm a person’s mind.
+Calling out to God eliminates suffering.
+A person who is depressed brings suffering upon himself.
+Whoever dwells on his suffering more than he should suffers even more.
+Eating dates eliminates worry.
+Studying <i>Aggadah</i> makes one happy.
+
+Part II
+
+Depression is felt in the heart. This is because the heart—which designs everything one does, whether good or otherwise—feels its own wrongdoing.
+A person must avoid depression so as not to be given reason to mourn.
+Grief and depression lead to conflict, whereas joy brings peace to the world.
+When a person’s happiness is ruined, he becomes sick.
+Compassion is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating depression.
+Taking vows and pledging charity bring happiness.
+
+Constipation
+
+Constipation leads to thoughts of idolatry.
+For any deadly disease one should empty his intestines.
+Constipation harms the eyes.
+
+Sin
+
+There are sins that are caused by one’s location.
+Whoever deliberately sins will in the end suffer public humiliation. He, in turn, will get angry at those [in whose eyes he has been disgraced].
+
+Laziness
+
+Being unable to satisfy one’s desires makes a person lazy. The converse is also the case, [as a person’s laziness keeps him from attaining his desires].
+Zealousness chases away sleep and revives the mind.
+
+Punishment
+
+A person is sometimes punished even in the performance of a <i>mitzvah.</i> This is because, previously, he passed up an opportunity to fulfill just such a <i>mitzvah.</i>
+A person sometimes unknowingly passes judgment on himself [by being asked to select a fitting punishment for someone else].
+There are times when a person is killed because he failed to speak out on behalf of someone who is unjustly despised.
+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.
+The Holy One hastens to exact punishment from an ungrateful person, punishing him at the hands of another ingrate.
+Aperson bitten by a dog clearly has either accepted malicious gossip or spoken it.
+
+Advice
+
+Seek advice only from someone well versed in the mysteries of the Torah.
+It is good to seek the advice of elders.
+A person who gives a fellow Jew unsuitable advice will be beset by thoughts of idolatry.
+Do not take advice from someone who is full of evil thoughts.
+By taking advice from a rabbi, you will be helped.
+When your friends won’t help you, clearly there is no advice that will help you.
+When you help other Jews, the advice you receive will be beneficial.
+Counsel is best taken in open fields.
+He who follows his wife’s advice [in religious matters] will descend into hell.
+Seek spiritual advice only from a man, and not from a woman.
+
+Arrogance
+
+Part I
+
+One who turns arrogant clearly sinned on purpose in the past.
+Anger brings to arrogance.
+An arrogant person will not accept rebuke.
+Arrogance hardens a person’s heart, and clearly he has yet to rectify his ancestors’ sins.
+One can remedy one’s arrogance by wearing <i>tefilin</i> that were on the head of a Tzaddik.
+A devout person is made the object of a wicked man’s disrespect only so that the devout person should scrutinize his own behavior.
+A person who is arrogant clearly is never satisfied with his lot.
+Torah study is a rectification for arrogance.
+A person’s arrogance causes drought. Clearly, he has sinned in the past and will do so again. One is permitted to call him wicked and to despise him. His soul is from the 974 generations [that existed before the world was created].
+Disrespect, even towards Heaven, helps a person get his way. Yet, arrogance is like a “king with no crown.”
+
+Part II
+
+Those who see people treating the Torah sages disrespectfully should know that great wars will break out in that country.
+A person suffers headaches because he has shown disrespect for one of King David’s descendants.
+
+Fear
+
+Part I
+
+Whenever a wicked person is stricken with fear, clearly the Holy One is fulfilling the desire of a Tzaddik.
+Fear leads to mistakes.
+Trust in God and you will be saved from fear.
+Calling to mind our patriarch Abraham is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating fear.
+Giving charity eliminates fear.
+Reciting the words <i>HaShem Tzevaot</i> (God of the Hosts) is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating fear.
+Fear nullifies one’s haughtiness.
+Fear saps a person’s strength.
+A person with intelligence should not be afraid of insignificant sounds.
+Even if a person cannot see what is terrifying him, his guardian angel sees. To dispel this fear he should jump four steps from where he is; or recite the <i>Shema Yisraeh,</i> or proclaim, “The goat in the slaughterhouse is fatter than me!” <i>(Megilah</i> 3a).
+A person who is afraid should sing happy songs.
+Picturing God’s Name <i>Elohim -</i> אלהים - in your mind’s eye will dispel any fear you may have.
+Whoever consumes money belonging to Jews will be stricken with fear.
+A person who is lax in reciting the required blessings before and after eating will be stricken with fear.
+By trusting in God you will not become frightened.
+The beaten willow branches [of Hoshana Rabbah] are a <i>segulah</i> for dispelling fear.
+One who is attentive to and fulfills the verdict of a Jewish court is saved from fear.
+Immersing in a <i>mikvah</i> 310 times eliminates fear. One should also give a gift to a Tzaddik.
+Speaking truthfully saves a person from nighttime fears.
+By being humble you will not become frightened.
+The Other Side clearly has a portion in a house where fear is present.
+When a feeling of fear is followed by a fire, clearly the fear will be dispelled.
+Fear comes because of flattery.
+When Jews are united, the nations are afraid of them.
+When the Jews forget God and no longer rely upon Him, they become frightened of the nations.
+Worry brings to fear.
+Fear brings to lies.
+The light of a candle is a <i>segulah</i> for dispelling fear.
+Taking pride in one’s wealth brings to fear.
+Fear comes because of anger.
+Worry and fear clog the heart.
+Studying Torah while sitting at a meal saves a person from fear.
+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 judgments.
+A person who does not confess his sins will be stricken with fear.
+
+Part II
+
+When a person is stricken with fear, he should know that some trouble has befallen one of his contemporaries.
+A person will sometimes become frightened prior to receiving some good.
+Anyone who flees from trouble is wise.
+After a frightening dream at night, don’t take to the road on the following day.
+When a person’s death is imminent, even if he is perfectly healthy and isn’t aware of his fate, he will experience fear and say that his death is at hand.
+
+Redeeming Captives
+
+Part I
+
+A person’s haughty heart causes him to be taken captive.
+One who agrees with idolaters will fall into their hands. Refute whatever they say!
+Attributing a statement to its originator brings redemption to the world.
+By redeeming captives, that which the redeemer has cast out is also gathered in.
+A person who does not leave his house is like a captive.
+For the sin of homosexuality a person is taken captive.
+When a person shows compassion for captives, God saves him from death.
+Whoever is imprisoned, clearly his soul is also imprisoned on high.
+One who comes to the Tzaddik for advice and later violates that advice will be taken captive.
+When a person feeds the starving, the Holy One saves him from being jailed.
+One who does not rectify the sins of his youth will be taken prisoner.
+A person who regularly circumcises children, or who regularly provides the food a poor person needs in order to make a meal in honor of his son’s circumcision, will be saved from imprisonment.
+
+Part II
+
+Sexual immorality leads to incarceration or pain in one’s legs. A student who, despite being unqualified, instructs others, will also be punished with one of these afflictions, and he will be placed at the mercy of harmful forces. 
+Giving charity is a <i>segulah</i> for nullifying these afflictions.
+Not pleading for mercy for a fellow Jew causes a person to fall into captivity. He can make amends by providing food for some living creature.
+Marital relations with one’s wife on days when it is prohibited causes a person to be imprisoned.
+When a Jew is taken captive, his aspect of the wellsprings of wisdom becomes sealed from the sages of the generation. The reverse happens when a person is freed from captivity.
+Sometimes, by being taken captive, a person is spared the loss of his children.
+A person guilty of slander will suffer imprisonment.
+While in captivity, a person’s hair and clothing acquire a foul spirit that makes him both repugnant and despicable.
+The effort one makes to redeem captives is a <i>segulah</i> for having children.
+Whoever works to redeem captives carries [the support of] all the leaders of the generation.
+
+Abstinence
+
+A person who abstains from worldly pleasures and later retreats from his asceticism will succumb to another desire, in addition to those he had before.
+Abstinence brings to satisfaction.
+When a person abstains from sexual relations, it is as if he fasted.
+A person turns sick and spits up blood when he abstains from marital relations on the night of ritual immersion.
+
+Halakhic Codifiers
+
+Mastering the study of Halakhic codifiers so that one is able to instruct others causes many barren women to conceive.
+Studying the <i>Shulchan Arukh</i> brings one to fear God.
+Studying Halakhic codifiers nullifies thoughts of idolatry.
+Whenever a wicked person prospers, it becomes difficult to develop new logical arguments in disputed matters of Halakhah. Judges’ verdicts also become unacceptable to the litigants.
+
+Charity
+
+Part I
+
+I All the charity and kindness that the Jews do in this world creates advocates of merit and leads to great harmony between Israel and their Father in heaven.
+Charity is so great that it hastens the Final Redemption, 
+saves the giver from death, 
+and enables one to receive the Divine Presence.
+[The giver of charity] becomes a creditor for God, as it were. 
+His fortune is enhanced, 
+and he is called a perfect Tzaddik.
+Giving charity enables one to turn from evil ways.
+It is a greater <i>mitzvah</i> to provide for those who occupy themselves with the study of Torah than to provide for those who do not. With regards to the letter of the law, however, no distinction should be made.
+Removing a stolen object from a fellow Jew’s possession is like giving charity.
+Compromise is a form of judgment that contains the quality of charity.
+Giving charity to a poor person who does not deserve it carries no reward.
+Always be grateful to the giver, never saying that it was not his to give, [but God’s].
+Charity is equal to all the other <i>mitzvot</i> combined.
+Getting others to do (give) is even greater than doing (giving) oneself.
+All the pennies one gives to charity make up one large sum.
+Anyone who conceals his charitable deeds is even greater than Moses.
+A person who gives a penny to charity receives six blessings, but one who consoles a poor person is rewarded eleven times over.
+The Holy One makes certain that a person who is eager to give charity has the money to do so, and deserving 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 <i>of Aggadah.</i>
+On Rosh Hashanah it is determined how much money each person will lose during the coming year. If he is worthy, he gives it to poor people.
+Jerusalem will be redeemed through charity.
+The evil Ahab had half his sins forgiven because he gave charity.
+Hospitality saves one from the sin of idolatry.
+So great is hospitality that [failing to be hospitable] repulses those who are near, while [being hospitable] draws near those who are distant.
+Hosting an idolater in one’s home causes one’s children to suffer exile.
+When people do not give charity, the government issues evil decrees and takes their money from them.
+Give charity with both hands and your prayers will be heard.
+By being generous, you will be able to stand your ground.
+Charity brings to faith.
+Whoever goes about collecting charity removes wrath from the world. 
+He also merits truth.
+By giving charity, you will be blessed with children and they will live together peacefully.
+Giving charity causes the land’s produce to grow.
+Charity hastens salvation
+In a time of trouble, a person’s charitable deeds are recalled for him.
+When you give charity, officials and rulers will be sympathetic to you.
+By giving charity, a person is spared injustice, robbery and misfortune.
+Giving charity brings a person grace.
+A person who encourages others to give charity increases salvation.
+A town in which there is no one to support the poor will experience an outbreak of fires.
+In reward for his generosity, a person is saved from haughtiness.
+Faith in God is considered like giving charity.
+By giving charity for the sake of Heaven one attains the quality of modesty.
+A person’s benevolence causes him to feel love for the Tzaddikim.
+Whoever steals from a poor person will be disgraced.
+Giving charity is tantamount to bringing a sacrifice.
+Charity brings rain.
+When Jews give charity, they are not exiled from their country.
+When people give charity, the land’s produce is blessed and there is peace in the world.
+By being truthful, your charitable deeds are noticed.
+Giving charity protects a person’s offspring.
+When one person prays for another, he is credited with having given charity.
+If, despite having all he needs, a person looks disapprovingly at the poor people who approach him with outstretched hands, he will have the following prophecy applied to him: “In the fullness of his sufficiency he will be pained... [Heaven will reveal his sin... The abundance of his house shall depart...] This is the lot of a wicked man...” It will also be fulfilled in a 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, is resentful and pained by their success.
+When a person performs kind deeds for those who love God, he rectifies having blemished the <i>brit.</i>
+The merit of the poor saves us from the gentiles.
+When doing a <i>mitzvah,</i> don’t try to have it not cost you; rather, pay a full price for it.
+For the sin of not tithing one’s produce, the heavens are restrained and there is inflation.
+Giving charity happily is a sign of wholeheartedness.
+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 give].
+Whoever becomes accustomed to supporting one particular <i>Kohen</i> brings hunger to the world.
+One who provides a Torah scholar with all his needs earns himself a place in the Academy of heaven.
+Charity is greater than all the sacrifices.
+Acts of kindness are even greater than giving charity.
+Should you think that anyone who is eager to give charity is granted the opportunity and is 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 individuals. Indeed, deserving paupers through whom a person can gain merit are hard to find.
+Charity has two faces: [The unstinting person who doesn’t have much should give] in line with what he can afford; and [the stingy person who has been blessed with wealth should give] in line with God’s blessing.
+When a person has enough for his own needs but chooses instead to take from others, you should know that he will be made to repay after death, being enslaved to the one from whom he took.
+Even by giving charity a person has no guarantee that he won’t become impoverished.
+When someone closes his eyes to giving charity, it is as if he worships idolatry.
+A person who trims his wealth to give charity is spared from the judgment of hell.
+Even a poor person should give charity. The signs of poverty will then no longer be his lot.
+
+Part II
+
+Sexual immorality leads to incarceration or pain in one’s legs. A student who, despite being unqualified, instructs others, will also be punished with one of these afflictions, and he will be placed at the mercy of harmful forces. Giving charity is a <i>segulah</i> for nullifying these afflictions.
+Studying Torah, giving tithes, and observing Shabbat provide material benefits as well.
+By giving charity, a person can defeat his enemies through minimal means [and effort], as God will save him from even their greatest means [and effort].
+Helping a Torah scholar nullifies the dictates of the stars and constellations.
+The merit of those who support the poor saves the masses from plague. Also in their merit, expanded consciousness precedes [rather than follows] constricted consciousness.
+Giving charity mitigates the harsh judgment destined for the Future, that is, for the Day of Judgment in the future to come.
+There are those whose acts of kindness sometimes have a negative effect. This corresponds to the warning given to the <i>Kohanim—</i> who personify the aspect of lovingkindness—not to take large steps [while performing the Temple service]. When people pretend not to see the harm brought on by their kindness, they cause the harsh judgment from on high to be without moderation. The inverse is also true. When care is taken that no harm comes from their kindness, it fosters moderation in the judgment.
+Those who would reveal original Torah insights must study the Codifiers beforehand and then again afterwards. This study of Torah law will protect their insights from foreign influences. The same procedure should also be followed when a person wants to performs some act of charity.
+Originating Torah insights arouses the giving of charity, and vice versa.
+So great is the power of tithing that it can turn a curse into a blessing.
+Tithing eliminates immoral thoughts.
+A person whose deeds are filled with kindness has no need of ancestral merit.
+Doing favors for others brings a person long life.
+Certain prayers are accepted on high only after sufficient money, equivalent to the number of letters in the relevant prayer, is given to charity. For example, when a person prays, “Give me children,” he must contribute the sum equal to the letters of these very words.
+By giving charity one merits having children.
+Whoever provides support for many people draws a blessing from the Land of Israel to the Diaspora.
+One who gives charity to the poor people of the Land of Israel will prosper monetarily.
+When a person moves to a new place, he should distribute meat to the poor inhabitants there. Doing so will earn him favor in the eyes of the town’s officials.
+Giving <i>Shekalim</i> saves a person from the evil inclination.
+
+A Righteous Person
+
+Part I
+
+Don’t be surprised when you find that the Tzaddik has left something unperfected. This is God’s doing, so that the Tzaddik leaves an area through which his son can later gain prominence.
+There are times when the interruption of Torah study strengthens it.
+[A Tzaddik will] accept gifts from the wicked so that they might repent.
+The Tzaddikim use their merit to benefit the world, but not themselves.
+It is common for one Tzaddik to do something that will make him another Tzaddik’s teacher.
+Seeing the faces of the generation’s leaders is of great benefit.
+A Tzaddik will be punished when he fails to pray for his generation.
+A person who teaches Torah to an unsuitable student is called wicked.
+The manner in which the Sages speak brings prosperity and healing. A person should therefore learn to speak as they did.
+When a person teaches Torah to others, the Torah is revealed to him with minimum effort.
+It is common for a Tzaddik to complain when one of his disciples draws closer to another Tzaddik in order to gain prestige.
+When drawing closer to Tzaddikim requires overcoming difficulties, it is all the more beneficial for serving the Creator.
+There are times when Heaven shows the Tzaddik something that is only imaginary.
+Doing a favor for someone who is unaware of it is like “throwing a stone at Mercury” (a form of idol worship).
+Each person should practice [the Torah] as it was taught to him by his teacher.
+There are times when God will bring a number of Tzaddikim together in one place so that the irritation caused by their mutual infringement brings them to fully mature.
+Anyone who does not delay answering nature’s call merits having students.
+It happens that a Tzaddik’s fame spreads far and wide, yet afterwards he falls. This is because of his desire for wealth.
+Anyone who holds God important will record in a book all the names of the Tzaddikim, the Mishnaic Sages and the God-fearing, in order to remember them.
+“Why do the Tzaddikim accept benefits from others so that their family members can live in affluence and splendor? Wouldn’t it be better to forgo such a lifestyle and not be obliged to take from others?” This should not trouble you. For whatever pleasure and broadness the Tzaddik experiences expands his soul, thereby providing the Holy One’s Divine Presence with a tranquil place to reside. Therefore, one should never come to the home of a Tzaddik empty-handed.
+When you want a Tzaddik to pray for you, go to a Tzaddik who is compassionate.
+You must refer to the most prominent leader of your generation as “my master,” even if you are greater than him.
+When a Tzaddik suffers some misfortune, he should ask another Tzaddik to pray on his behalf.
+Even if those who travel to be with the Tzaddik do not receive any Torah lessons from him, they are rewarded for having made the journey.
+Whoever does not attend to the needs of Torah scholars deserves to die.
+The Tzaddik can elevate the dead to a very high level.
+By journeying to be with a Torah scholar, a person rectifies any spiritual damage he caused by [failing to recite] the <i>Birkhot HaNehenin.</i>
+When a person is in a position to protest [against the actions of the wicked] but does not, he is punished for their sins.
+It is inappropriate to accept the authority of others while in the Tzaddik’s presence.
+One who is apathetic at the eulogy of a Torah scholar will not live long.
+The Tzaddik’s ability to exact punishment is proportional to his <i>mazal.</i>
+When a Tzaddik dies, the void he leaves behind is consistent with the attributes by which he lived.
+The disciples of a Tzaddik earn their livelihood in his merit.
+When a person hears a Torah lesson from the Tzaddik, it is as if he delivered it himself.
+The death of a Tzaddik is as much a tragedy as the burning of God’s Temple.
+If a Torah scholar is fitting, learn from him; if not, part from his company.
+One should not stare at his teacher’s nakedness in the bathhouse, or in any other similar situation.
+There are times when two Tzaddikim are on equal par, yet great mysteries are revealed to only one of them. You should know that the reason the other is not shown is because his merit is needed elsewhere, to protect others.
+It is better to draw close to a Tzaddik who is compassionate.
+In the merit of attending to the needs of a great person, one is saved from death.
+A person who issues a Halakhic ruling in the presence of his teacher 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. He will descend into hell, childless.
+Once you’ve made certain that the source from which you draw wisdom—namely, your teacher—is blessed and fitting, don’t substitute or exchange it for another.
+Each person should behave in a manner consistent with the blessing given to his tribe [by the patriarch Jacob].
+The wellspring of Torah departs from the Tzaddik when there is a wicked person in his home.
+In the merit of the Tzaddikim buried in their midst, also those buried outside the Holy Land will merit resurrection without suffering.
+Benefitting the Tzaddik with one’s money is tantamount to performing the service of the Holy Temple.
+There are some Tzaddikim who are never known by the title “rabbi.”
+When the Tzaddik says something that remains unfulfilled because its time has not yet come, his words are engraved on high but lack luster. However, once the time comes for his words to be realized, they begin to shine brightly.
+One who benefits a Torah scholar has to strengthen [his faith] so as not to lose his respect for that scholar.
+Denying one’s student Torah is tantamount to stealing his ancestral inheritance. Even a fetus in its mother’s womb curses such a teacher, whose body will be riddled with holes, like a sieve. Conversely, by teaching his student, he is rewarded with great blessing, like Joseph, and merits teaching Torah in the World to Come.
+A person who does not use his wealth to benefit a Torah scholar will never see a blessing in what he owns.
+One who ridicules the words of the Sages is punished with death.
+Being close to the Tzaddikim is beneficial in both this world and the next.
+The Tzaddik has the power to decree heaven for one person and hell for another.
+It is worthwhile expending even a great deal of time in order to spend but a single hour in the proximity of a Tzaddik.
+When a person begins losing the use of his physical senses, he should worry that death, or some other misfortune, is near.
+There are those who can create beautiful Torah expositions and yet not be in tune with the truth.
+One Tzaddik can elevate the Torah lesson of another Tzaddik.
+The insight that a Tzaddik originates in Torah, God repeats in his name.
+The words of wise Tzaddikim are dearer than the words of Torah and the Prophets. You must hearken to and obey them even if these Tzaddikim do not impress you with any miracle.
+One who praises the Tzaddik will have blessings placed on his head.
+Everything that happens in a town depends on the Tzaddik living there.
+A Tzaddik may have a student of Halakhah attend him, provided he teaches this student something new.
+Whoever brings a boor under the Tzaddik’s influence will be rewarded.
+One who goes out to greet his teacher will never see the netherworld.
+There are times when a person’s prayers help as long as he keeps praying. Once he stops, the Holy One does as He sees fit.
+Giving a gift to a Torah scholar is like bringing a first-fruit offering.
+Do not try to force God’s hand.
+One who loves the Tzaddik must keep him from getting a bad name.
+The Tzaddik despises all the favors of wicked men.
+Do not beseech or bother your Master as long as it is possible to achieve what you seek through your own efforts.
+While a Tzaddik is still in this world, his portion in the Garden of Eden is being used by the Tzaddikim already there.
+There are certain disciples whose very essence is dependent on the merit of the Tzaddik. When the Tzaddik dies, they also die, or are punished.
+Those who were followers of the Tzaddik during his lifetime will be his followers even after his death, or after theirs.
+When a person is close to one Tzaddik and then becomes a follower of a second Tzaddik, the Torah taught to him by the first Tzaddik troubles him.
+There are times when a Tzaddik must die in order to suppress some harsh decree on high.
+Who merits the World to Come? The one whom people honor for his wisdom.
+A person who gives charity is able to turn from evil ways.
+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 too will take heed.
+A person sometimes dies before his time because of the Tzaddik’s complaints against him.
+It is possible for a person to be a great Tzaddik even without being very learned.
+A person who does not believe in the words of the Tzaddikim, and certainly one who ridicules them, deserves to be punished.
+The Tzaddik is permitted to discourage a person who wants to get closer to him but raises questions unnecessarily.
+Before publicly delivering a Torah lesson, the Tzaddik may say things that will endear his words to his listeners.
+[Although decreed in heaven,] even a person’s first marriage partner can be changed through prayer.
+In this world, whoever wants to get closer can do so. But in the World to Come, the only ones brought close are those who already were.
+When a person rejects the Tzaddik’s attempts to draw him closer, the Tzaddik has every right to push him away.
+The Tzaddik can punish his offender with death even for a slight offense, and even if that offense was accidental.
+That which you hear directly from the Tzaddik is more beneficial than that which you learn from a book.
+A person is better able to understand when he sees the face of the speaker.
+The Tzaddik’s simple statement opens up a great light, making it easy for common people to understand exalted wisdom.
+When a person behaves improperly, it is permitted to make him your servant.
+The Tzaddik will sometimes elevate a person only to later lower his status. This is for that person’s own good.
+Some Tzaddikim are called good, while others are not. Likewise, some evil men are called wicked, while others are not.
+It is a disgrace and a humiliation for the generation when its leader has no one tending to his affairs.
+Teaching others [to perform <i>mitzvot</i>] is preferable to practicing oneself.
+Be careful not to display piety in front of a great person.
+You can determine a person’s inner character from his affiliation, when you see which Tzaddik he follows.
+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.
+The Tzaddik’s prayer has the power to save a person from sinning.
+The Tzaddik is the image of God for his generation.
+In their time of trouble, the Tzaddik bears the suffering of those who support him.
+A person can be a Tzaddik even if he hasn’t perfected his trust in God.
+The Tzaddik is able to enjoy physical pleasure without fearing the evil inclination, because his Torah study will protect him.
+A person who does not rise in the presence of his teacher is called wicked. He will not live a long life and will forget his learning.
+Do not burden the Holy One when you can find help by some other means.
+Sometimes, pleasing the Tzaddik just once, and only slightly, is enough to earn the World to Come.
+A person who has perfect faith in God is capable of pleasing the Tzaddik.
+One who is free of idolatrous thoughts will always yearn to save the Tzaddikim.
+When a person wants to benefit the Tzaddik, the Holy One gives him the ability to do so.
+A Torah scholar who rejects his teachers has his years shortened.
+A person who assumes the position of rabbi when there is someone greater than himself has his years cut short.
+When a Tzaddik must pray for something but is afraid of those who will dispute his righteousness, he should ask for the very opposite of what he wants.
+When a wicked person who has done some evil comes to the Tzaddik seeking his approval, the Tzaddik may save himself by telling the wicked person that he has done well.
+Preventing others from coming under the wings of the Divine Presence (i.e., serving God) causes a person’s children to fall into servitude.
+There are times when the mercy one must seek for a sick person is that he die.
+The Holy One first reveals a hidden teaching in the Torah to the Tzaddik and then repeats that teaching in the Tzaddik’s name.
+There are times when the fasting and prayers of the Tzaddik are to no avail.
+The Tzaddik may violate the boundaries set by others in order to establish his own path [in serving God].
+There are times when among those who’ve been sentenced to death in heaven is someone whom the Tzaddik loves. The Tzaddik has the power to pray for him and save him by putting someone else in his place.
+The Tzaddik has the power to take from one person and give to another.
+The Tzaddik’s blessing is a <i>pidyon.</i>
+Each Tzaddik has a particular devotion that another Tzaddik, even one greater than him, is unable to match.
+The reason Tzaddikim travel from place to place collecting money is that the words of Torah are poor (concise) in one place and rich (extensive) in another.
+Torah scholars live long when they show each other respect.
+The prayers of a Tzaddik who is the son of a wicked person cannot compare to the prayers of a Tzaddik who is the son of a Tzaddik.
+Testing the Tzaddik is like testing God.
+All the demands for money that the gentiles make of the Jews are only on account of the disrespect that the Jews have shown the Tzaddik.
+It is a great honor for the Tzaddik when those who are God’s enemies also speak against and argue with him.
+Faith in the Tzaddik mitigates harsh judgment.
+The Tzaddik uses God’s Torah to teach Him how to act towards us.
+A prayer that a person prays while binding himself to the Tzaddikim will be answered.
+The Holy One pardons the sins of the Jews because of the Tzaddikim.
+A person’s derisiveness prevents him from going to the Tzaddikim
+By giving charity, a person merits coming closer to the Tzaddikim.
+There is no Tzaddik who is free from controversy and scrutiny.
+The wicked person who is too embarrassed to repudiate the Tzaddik himself will instead berate those who follow the Tzaddik.
+Seeing the face of the Tzaddik sharpens the mind.
+Whoever protects the Tzaddik from suffering merits respect and will benefit from the Tzaddik’s righteousness.
+By hearing a Torah lesson from a Tzaddik one receives vitality.
+A wicked person who has sinned often can make amends by doing things that bring vitality to the Tzaddik.
+When a wicked person humbles himself before the Tzaddik, clearly some punishment had been decreed against the Tzaddik, but now that punishment will no longer come.
+When you fear the Tzaddik, you merit turning away from evil.
+When a wicked person prays for mercy on behalf of a Tzaddik who is in pain, he merits standing at the gates of the righteous.
+The Holy One will sometimes ignore the Tzaddik’s prayers in order to push aside the wicked, so that they will remain with their evil ways.
+Those who quarrel with the Tzaddik forget the Torah.
+Praising the Tzaddikim is like praising God.
+Neither the sound of war nor turmoil nor bad news is heard in a city that obeys the Tzaddik.
+Opposition to the Tzaddikim stems from the opposition the Tzaddikim show for each other.
+God makes the Tzaddik dependent upon the masses for his livelihood so that he should have some connection to them. Thus, when God remembers the Tzaddik, He also remembers everyone else.
+Mashiach’s coming is dependent on our getting closer to the Tzaddik.
+The soul’s perfection depends mainly on getting closer to the Tzaddikim.
+When a person’s drawing closer to the Tzaddik lacks sincerity, he will later turn into the Tzaddik’s adversary.
+While in the presence of the Tzaddik, a liar’s heart wonders how he will ever be able to speak afterwards.
+People who speak against the Tzaddik eventually have their words turn on them. They also fall ill.
+Whoever humbles himself before the Tzaddik arouses the Tzaddik’s love for him.
+Telling stories about the Tzaddikim brings a person closer to them.
+The more God rests a spirit of holiness upon a Tzaddik, the more that 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 in repentance.
+The Tzaddikim are made to suffer so that in the World to Come the wicked will have no claim against the good that God will give the righteous.
+When God-fearing people join with the Tzaddik, they cause the Holy One and His Divine Presence to unite face to face; after which, there is no descent [from this elevated state].
+Praising the Tzaddikim causes the wicked to suffer a great downfall.
+The Tzaddik dies on account of the sins of sorcery and immoral behavior.
+People guilty of immoral behavior are usually opponents of the Tzaddikim.
+When the Tzaddik passes away, people are left in a state akin to impurity and their righteousness is repulsive in God’s eyes.
+When people rise up against the Tzaddik, they incite Heaven’s wrath and promote an outbreak of fires.
+There are times when Tzaddikim are made to wander from place to place in order to reveal the existence of some hidden Tzaddik.
+There are times when the Tzaddik is made to suffer in order to lessen the suffering of the Jewish people.
+The masses filling their stomachs brings about the loss of the Tzaddik.
+The suffering of the Tzaddikim atones for all of Israel.
+God grows angry with, and strikes fear into, a person who refuses to accept the authority of the Tzaddik.
+God grants contentment to anyone who brings a gift to the Tzaddik.
+By bringing a gift to the Tzaddik, a person defeats his enemies and nullifies the evil spirit that has rested upon him.
+The Holy One shows favor to a person who prostrates himself on the grave of a Tzaddik, even if he does not deserve it.
+God performs acts of lovingkindness for a person who relates stories about the Tzaddikim.
+The Tzaddik is able to lead people because of the fear of God that he possesses.
+A person must stand while receiving the Tzaddik’s blessing.
+A king may raise the funds needed for his expenditures by taxing his nation.
+The respect shown for the Tzaddik’s offspring awakens the Holy One’s will to bring Mashiach.
+Traveling to visit the Tzaddik subdues one’s enemies.
+Anyone who violates the Tzaddik’s instructions falls from esteem.
+When a person uses his possessions to benefit the Tzaddik, it is as if he benefits all Jews and he will be saved from death.
+Objecting to the words of the Tzaddik is tantamount to seeking advice from a sorcerer.
+When a person possesses genuine wisdom, God is with him and people fear him.
+One who provides all sorts of support for the Tzaddik will be close to and near this Tzaddik in the World to Come.
+Aperson who provokes the Tzaddik will in the end be caught in an evil trap.
+When one relates stories about the Tzaddikim, his own righteousness is remembered [by God].
+A Tzaddik is able to give even something that does not yet exist.
+The Tzaddik takes possession of wherever he sets his foot.
+By offering advice to Tzaddikim at a time they face opposition, a person’s achievements will be established and will never be undone.
+While observing the Tzaddik, a person should gaze with reverence so that he will not be punished by Heaven.
+A person’s fear of Heaven makes him yearn to draw closer to the Tzaddik.
+Sitting at the table of the Tzaddik eliminates war.
+A fraudulent person eventually joins those who oppose and quarrel with the Tzaddik.
+There are times when the Tzaddik will contract leprosy because he has recently gotten some person to repent.
+Whoever says of the Tzaddik that he is wicked, and of a wicked person that he is a Tzaddik, will fall ill. Through this he also causes an eclipse of the sun, and of the moon.
+Binding oneself to the Tzaddik is a great healing.
+It is very difficult for a person to achieve the assistance he needs when there is a Tzaddik in his city and he does not ask the Tzaddik to pray for him.
+It sometimes happens that although a person is very close to the Tzaddik, he doesn’t feel any fear of God. He should know that were he not close to the Tzaddik, he would not even deserve to be alive.
+There are times when the Tzaddik is too embarrassed to ask God to relieve his suffering. What does God do? He brings similar suffering upon a wicked person so that he comes to the Tzaddik and asks the Tzaddik to pray for him. In this way, the Tzaddik, too, is relieved of his suffering.
+Whoever disagrees with a Tzaddik to his face clearly has no fear of Heaven.
+Sometimes, the strife a Tzaddik encounters is definite proof of his righteousness.
+There are wicked people who are successful. But when they persecute the Tzaddik, the evil forces themselves take revenge against them.
+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.
+Whoever speaks against the Tzaddik clearly is arrogant.
+When the Holy One wants a Tzaddik to teach the proper path to people, He indicates this to the Tzaddik through his livelihood.
+TheTzaddik, while praying for a person, isable to understand which sin is the cause of that person’s particular misfortune.
+One who guards his sexual purity certainly cherishes the Tzaddik.
+When the Tzaddik serves God but shows no concern for teaching the common people, he will fall from his spiritual level.
+By financially supporting the Tzaddik, all a person’s sins are pardoned, just as when the <i>Kohanim</i> eat from a sacrifice and the sins of the animal’s owners are atoned.
+
+Part II
+
+Telling stories about the Tzaddikim draws the light of Mashiach into the world. It also dispels much darkness and pain from the world. 
+And the teller is rewarded with beautiful clothing.
+During the seven days of mourning after the Tzaddik’s death, God fills the mourners with the light that has been hidden away since the Six Days of Creation.
+It should not surprise you that a human being, despite being such a miniscule creation, has all the worlds dependent upon him. For this is true of wherever the Divine Presence resides: The little sustains the much.
+Each person’s portion in the Garden of Eden is pictured in the shine of his face.
+Generally, the God-fearing have to roam from place to place to obtain their livelihood.
+There are times when a Tzaddik must wander from place to place so that he will later recall all of them when he enters the World to Come. Through this, prosperity will come to those places.
+Whoever knows the names of the living descendants of the Tzaddikim knows everything that is going to happen.
+A person who justifies the actions of others will have all his wishes fulfilled, without any interference.
+When a Tzaddik loses his strength, so that he cannot fulfill the will of his Creator the way he once did, he should know that God no longer wants him to teach the path of repentance to the wicked.
+The Tzaddik’s power is strongest when harsh judgment is mitigated—that is, through God’s Oneness.
+When the fame of the Tzaddikim spreads in the world, new songs are composed.
+When a person sacrifices himself for the Jewish people, his directives cannot be annulled. Whatever he decrees will come to be.
+Tending to the needs of the Tzaddik brings freedom and nullifies curses.
+Those close to God-fearing people similarly merit fear and <i>daat.</i>
+When the Tzaddik becomes wealthy, the wicked return to God in repentance.
+When God sees that a certain Tzaddik has the ability 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, which a Tzaddik without enemies cannot do. This can be likened to the times of Mashiach, when people will be at peace and coverts will no longer be accepted.
+There are two types of Tzaddikim: one whose words are the aspect of plowing, and one whose words are the aspect of reaping. Said otherwise, one Tzaddik’s speech corresponds to the male arousal for marital relations, while the other’s corresponds to drawing the seed into the womb, and fetal conception and gestation. Therefore, when there is a quarrel between these two Tzaddikim, an outsider should not meddle in their verbal exchanges, so as not to ruin the deeper intention.
+When visiting a Tzaddik’s gravesite, a person needs some merit in order to gather the Tzaddik’s spirit and soul to the grave, so that it will be as if he were alive. Without this merit, the Tzaddik’s spirit and soul ascend on high to join the other Tzaddikim.
+Mentioning the names of the Tzaddikim has the power to bring about a change in the Act of Creation, altering Nature. This is alluded to through [a combination of the verses]: “These are the generations of heaven and earth” (Genesis 2:4) and “These are the names of the Children of Israel” (Exodus 1:1).
+One who knows of the Holy Land, who has really tasted the Land of Israel, can recognize in another whether he has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah. For when a person 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 the Land of Israel. Therefore, one who knows the taste of the Holy Land, each according to his own level, will of necessity feel the Land of Israel when he comes together with this person who has been with the true Tzaddik for Rosh HaShanah, through whom the air becomes an aspect of the Holy Land.
+
+A Curse
+
+Part I
+
+Cursing brings to mourning, God forbid.
+One may not curse another person unless he can foresee the future generations of the one he curses.
+Do not take the curse of an ordinary person lightly.
+It is the intention behind the curse that matters.
+There are times when a Tzaddik’s curse lasts as long as he is alive, but not after he dies.
+An unjustified curse eventually turns back on the curser.
+The wise person’s curse, even if unjustified, and even if conditional, comes to be.
+Even a gentile who blesses a Jew will be blessed.
+
+Part II
+
+A person who is always cursing comes from the World of Emptiness, while a person who is wont to bless is from the World of Rectification.
+Investigating the World of Emptiness—namely, what is above and what is below, what preceded this world and what follows it—brings a curse. But guarding against such investigation brings blessing.
+A person who is accustomed to cursing will not have clothing for Shabbat.
+A curse has no effect on a person of distinguished ancestry.
+Tending to the needs of the Tzaddik brings freedom and nullifies curses.
+Conducting one’s business affairs faithfully nullifies curses.
+When one person curses another during a time of panic, the curse proves very damaging.
+
+Forces of Evil
+
+Part I
+
+The letters of the word <i>ATaH -</i> אתה - defeat the forces of evil.
+Writing on parchment the verse, “God, when Your hand is uplifted, they will not see” (Isaiah 26:11), protects a woman who has just given birth.
+Evil forces are prevalent in ruins and destroyed buildings.
+The light of a candle overpowers the rule of the evil forces.
+A person’s <i>mazal</i> protects him from harm.
+Reciting the “seven voices” that David recited upon the waters (Psalm 29) subdues the evil spirit.
+Harmful forces are as prevalent in ditches as they are in fields.
+Demons frequent uninhabited places, even during the day. In the city, however, people need not fear even at night.
+Many demons are revealed to a person out of the north.
+Reading the Torah portion <i>Noah</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for chasing away the spirit of unholiness.
+The breath of an evil person causes those who talk with him to turn vulgar and crass.
+
+Part II
+
+There are demons found in a person’s house that destroy domestic harmony by bringing anger and quarreling into the home. This is the why the woman is most often the initiator of dispute, as she is the essence of the home, as in: ‘“His house’ refers to his wife” (<i>Yoma</i> 2a). However, sometimes, the demons 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 that destroy peace. Thus, the verse concludes, “and the rod of God is not upon them,” which alludes to the abovementioned suffering.
+
+Envy and Jealousy
+
+When envy is eliminated, it will herald the ingathering of the Jews from exile.
+Jealousy brings to an outbreak of fires.
+Envy leads to the shedding of innocent blood.
+Anyone who is envious of another person’s wealth turns foolish.
+Visiting the Tzaddik will eliminate your jealousy.
+Jealousy causes a person’s bones to rot.
+Garlic roots out envy.
+A person whose jealousy leads him to take revenge destroys his own home.
+Envy saps one’s strength.
+
+A Seminal Emission
+
+Part I
+
+A person will experience a seminal emission after having spoken of immoral matters or after losing his faith in God.
+One who spills his seed will in the end go naked.
+Depression causes one to experience a seminal emission.
+A person who is careful not to eat food about which there is some Halakhic question is protected from being made impure by a seminal emission.
+One who has experienced a seminal emission should immerse in a <i>mikvah</i> before eating at the Tzaddik’s table.
+Rejoicing in the good that befalls the Tzaddik is a rectification for wasting one’s seed.
+By mocking others, a person will come to pollute himself with a seminal emission.
+Wasting seed comes from frivolity.
+A wasteful emission of seed is brought on by eating garlic and eggs, 
+or by engaging in idle talk, or by using obscene language.
+
+Part II
+
+Drunkenness causes exile and leads to the wasteful emission of seed.
+Embarrassment comes from having spilled one’s seed.
+The inability to pronounce one’s words properly, speaking only half words, is the same aspect as the wasting of seed.
+A man who experiences a seminal emission [should be concemed that] his children will die.
+Reciting the following ten psalms on the day one experiences a seminal emission 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 beneficial for rectifying this sin. A person who is careful to recite the psalms as prescribed needs no longer fear. He will definitely make the necessary amends, for these ten psalms are a very great rectification.
+
+Difficulty in Childbirth
+
+A woman who eats radishes during pregnancy will have difficulty giving birth.
+Giving a woman to drink from the waters of seven wells is a <i>segulah</i> for preventing difficulty in childbirth.
+[Other <i>segulot</i> that are beneficial for alleviating difficulties in childbirth are:] keeping her other children out of the house during labor, 
+whispering the letters of the Holy Name <i>SaG</i> (<i>Yud Vav Dalet, Heh Yud, Vav Aleph Vav, Heh Yud</i>) into her ear, 
+not placing her bed in the western or southern part of the room, 
+and putting around her neck some bitter herbs leftover [from the Passover <i>Seder</i>].
+Whispering into a woman’s ear the letters <i>peh aleph, vav aleph vav, ayin yud nun, heh aleph</i> is also [a <i>segulah</i> for easing the difficulties of childbirth].
+
+Distancing the Wicked
+
+Part I
+
+The Tzaddik brings a blessing when he enters the house of a wicked person, but only if the house is suitable for a blessing.
+Keep away from the wicked so that you won’t be caught up in their punishment.
+Showing a bit of friendliness to the wicked is permitted in order to avoid hostility.
+There are certain times when doing something good for a totally wicked person pleases God.
+It is forbidden to praise the wicked. However, when such praise also reflects positively upon the Tzaddik, limited praise is permissible.
+One who finds good in the wicked is also called wicked.
+We do not rely on a wicked person even if he has done something properly and in accordance with Torah law.
+Whoever stands as a guarantor for a wicked person succumbs to lustful desires and sickness.
+A wicked person who has completely forsaken God clearly will never have worthy offspring.
+Have no mercy on an enemy of God when he falls into your hands.
+Avoid associating with people who are known for telling lies and you will be worthy of detecting deceivers.
+Whoever despises those who entice people away from God is assured that he won’t be affected by their words.
+The study of Torah drives a wedge between wicked people who have joined forces.
+The Holy One rescues a person who keeps his distance from the wicked.
+When the wicked are scattered, it is a sign of salvation.
+Avoid living in a house once inhabited by a wicked person.
+Don’t talk to those who try to lure you away from God, even to admonish them and bring them closer to Him.
+The wicked joining forces is detrimental to one’s serving God.
+It is fitting and right for God’s holy ones to create barriers and obstacles that will chase away all tyrannical and wicked people from them.
+
+Part II
+
+One who does not see through the deception of the wicked is detested [by God].
+Imposters cause those whom they deceive to suffer pain of the eyes.
+A person should avoid exchanging kisses with the wicked, for the kiss creates a bond that lasts even after death.
+There are people who, despite being filled with heresy and atheism, are able to keep their thoughts hidden. [Their deception is so clever that] a person who comes in contact with them has no idea that he has to protect himself from them. However, when a person possesses the quality of modesty, he will be saved from such atheists.
+The wicked disrupt our serving God more by the <i>mitzvot </i>they do than by the sins they commit. This is the reason a gentile who observes Shabbat deserves death.
+
+Compassion and Mercy
+
+Part I
+
+Whoever shows compassion for the poor merits consolation from God. 
+He will also always be victorious.
+When there is no compassion, the world suffers from hunger. 
+There is also an increase in theft.
+A person who prays fervently merits having compassion for the poor.
+One who has no compassion goes crazy.
+One who repays bad with good lives a long life.
+By being compassionate, your lustful desires will be eliminated.
+By ignoring your brother when you see that he is in trouble, it is as if you were responsible for that trouble.
+One who sees a fellow Jew suffering should pray for mercy on his behalf.
+By praying for God’s compassion a person merits bringing together suitable marriage partners.
+Anyone who judges others favorably merits celebrating the Festivals properly.
+
+Part II
+
+Not pleading for mercy for a fellow Jew causes a person to fall into captivity. He can make amends by providing food for some living creature.
+A person suffers a toothache because he has been cruel to animals.
+Compassion is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating depression.
+A person should avoid inflicting pain upon living creatures, as this will bring him harm.
+
+Vision
+
+The eye can see only what it is allowed to see. Even if the thing is right in front of him, a person won’t notice it until he is granted permission from on high to see it.
+The waning of the moon and its eclipse are damaging to those with weak vision.
+Sanctifying the new moon is a <i>segulah</i> for curing weak vision.
+Reciting <i>Tikkun Chatzot</i> is also a <i>segulah</i> for curing weak vision.
+Pain of the eyes comes because a person has made some vow.
+Imposters cause those whom they deceive to suffer pain of the eyes.
+When an important person suffers pain of the eyes, he should know that either his son or his student has committed some sin.
+Anyone who closes his eyes so as not to look at evil saves himself from humiliation.
+A person who is afraid of immoral thoughts because of the beautiful women he sees while out in the street should recite the verse: “Behold, the mighty ones will cry outside” (Isaiah 32:7). This will save him from wandering eyes.
+Staring at an <i>etrog</i> is a cure for pain of the eyes.
+When those with clear vision look at the knives used by ritual slaughterers, they can see the vessels of the Holy Temple.
+Those with clear vision can tell who a person’s Torah teacher is merely by looking at him, provided they already know what his teacher looks like. When a student learns the Torah’s laws from his teacher, his face takes on a resemblance to the one teaching him. This is because Halakhah is the wisdom that makes a person’s face shine (cf. Ecclesiastes 8:1). By receiving the law, he receives a portion of his appearance, their resemblance increasing with each additional law the student receives.
+Pain of the eyes is sometimes harmful.
+Stealing damages one’s vision.
+
+Healing
+
+Know! each and every herb has its own unique power to heal a specific illness. But this is only for a 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, when one has complete faith and also maintains sexual purity and fulfills “Do not despise any man,” his cure is not dependent upon particular types of herbs. Rather, he is healed by all food and drink, as in “And He blessed your bread” (Exodus 23:25). He does not have to rely upon receiving particular herbs to be cured.
+By deeply studying the Torah’s mysteries one can bring barren women to bear children and also heal serious disease.
+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”—namely, leprosy, which stems from blood overpowering the water in the body—then, <i>“yazoku matar I’eido</i> (the rain is distilled into His cloud).” The word <i>yazoku,</i> “distilled,” can alternatively be translated as “causing harm.”
+Staring at an <i>etrog</i> is a cure for pain of the eyes.
+
+Joy and Happiness
+
+Part I
+
+When a person performs a <i>mitzvah</i> joyously, it is a sign that his heart is wholly with God.
+Joy opens the heart.
+An increase in joy strengthens the intellect. Eating and drinking are excellent means for instilling the heart with joy and for distancing depression and worry.
+Giving charity wholeheartedly brings happiness.
+The joy of a <i>mitzvah</i> strengthens a person.
+When you see a wicked person suddenly smile, clearly it is because he has come up with some scheme for sinning.
+By giving good advice, you will be rewarded with happiness.
+Dancing or energetically moving your body about will awaken feelings of happiness inside you.
+When you find your heart suddenly feeling happy, it is because some Tzaddik has just been born.
+Fear of God brings to religious fervor.
+A person who is lowly in his own eyes will come to religious fervor.
+Intention of the heart brings joy.
+Whoever is accustomed to frivolity clearly is distant from God’s greatness.
+Music will make you happy and bring you to religious fervor.
+By making the Tzaddik happy, you will be able to serve God with joy.
+A person who spreads the Tzaddik’s fame merits happiness.
+Trust in God brings happiness.
+Energetically moving your body about fosters religious fervor.
+Complete faith in God brings you to a level where you’ll desire to serve Him in body and soul.
+A person who is supremely humble merits religious fervor.
+Joy enhances the mind’s comprehension.
+A person’s joy is a sign that he is from a lineage blessed by God.
+Rain falls in the merit of bringing joy to a groom and bride.
+God protects a person when he rejoices in performing a <i>mitzvah.</i>
+By rejoicing on Simchat Torah, a person is rewarded with serving God out of love.
+When happiness comes to a person spontaneously, clearly kindness and help are on the way.
+By being happy, a person’s fame spreads and he merits <i>daat.</i>
+
+Part II
+
+A person who is always happy is successful.
+Taking vows and pledging charity bring happiness.
+
+Drunkenness
+
+Part I
+
+A person who gets drunk falls from his spiritual level.
+Drinking wine will eventually lead one to taking bribes.
+Drunkenness leads a person to disavow the truth and consent to falsehood.
+God loves a person who does not become intoxicated.
+Oil is an antidote for drunkenness.
+Seeing [a wine’s redness] increases its power to intoxicate.
+Drunkenness brings one to immoral thoughts.
+A drunk is unable to mitigate harsh judgments.
+The Torah’s secrets are not revealed to a drunk.
+A mix of wine and frankincense will unhinge the mind.
+
+Part II
+
+A person with a burning desire to work the land will come to one of three things: bloodshed, leprosy or drunkenness.
+Drunkenness causes exile and leads to a wasteful emission of seed.
+When a person gets drunk, mishap becomes inevitable.
+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 <i>mitzvot</i> applicable to it. This is the reason Moses was called <i>m’chokek</i> (lawgiver), which has a numerical value of 248.
+Drunkenness strips the mind from the <i>chassadim</i> (benevolences) that enclothe it, and covers it in powerful judgments, God forbid.
+A person with enemies should take an oath of abstinence from wine. This will give him mastery over them.
+
+Public Officials
+
+When a person sells diluted wine, public officials will treat him unfairly.
+Not judging a fellow Jew favorably is tantamount to killing him. One who does so will be treated unjustly by public officials.
+Reciting the <i>Hallel</i> prayer and giving charity are a <i>segulah</i> for finding favor in the eyes of public officials.
+Eating bread baked by a non-Jew causes [those in charge] to prohibit using the forest to chop firewood.
+There are four things that cause a person’s possessions to be handed over to the government: [holding on to a paid IOU, charging 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].
+
+Bribery
+
+A city in which the people take bribes will be set upon by invading armies.
+Bribery causes a person’s prominence to disappear.
+Bribery leads to an outbreak of fires.
+
+Peace
+
+Lighting Shabbat candles promotes peace.
+By pursuing peace, a person will be rewarded with honor in this world and life in the World to Come.
+Anything that is done to foster peace does not fall into the category of “distance yourself from falsehood.”
+Getting others to give charity increases the peace of the government.
+Pursuing peace brings to trust in God.
+Truth brings to peace.
+The rebuilding of Jerusalem is dependent upon peace.
+Peace brings good tidings.
+Where there is reproof, there is peace.
+Teaching schoolchildren increases peace.
+Murky waters are a sign that there is no peace.
+When there is no peace, people’s prayers are not accepted.
+Through peace, people merit a revelation of the prophet Elijah.
+When there is no peace, women do not give birth to sons.
+In a time when people are forced to flee their homes, a person who lends to others what they need will escape.
+The existence of peace indicates the existence of life.
+By pursuing peace a person saves his children from death and exile.
+Peace brings to blessing.
+When there is peace, there is no fear.
+When there is peace among the wicked, they have the best of everything.
+There are times when God uses the wicked as a means for fostering peace among the Jews.
+The existence of peace indicates the existence of prosperity.
+When the ministers on high quarrel, this same dispute immediately breaks out among the nations, and among Torah scholars.
+
+Oaths
+
+A city in which people take oaths will be destroyed and demolished, God forbid.
+Swearing falsely causes a person to fall from faith.
+Studying the tractate <i>Shavuot</i> is a <i>segulah</i> for bringing rainfall.
+Swearing falsely leads to immoral thoughts.
+A person who is always taking oaths will be constantly bothered by evil thoughts.
+Victory in battle cannot be achieved when an oath has been broken.
+Whoever violates an oath clearly has no respect for God-fearing people.
+Whereas a person must pay for having committed any of the sins mentioned in the Torah, punishment for violating an oath is exacted not only from him, but also from his family and the entire world—though he will be punished immediately.
+Swearing falsely will destroy even those things that fire and water cannot.
+The angel Gabriel has been put in charge of fire, to destroy as well as to save.
+
+The Sabbath
+
+Studying Torah, giving tithes and observing Shabbat provide material benefits as well.
+A person who is accustomed to cursing will lack clothing for Shabbat.
+When a city’s inhabitants are careful not to walk beyond the Shabbat limit [from the city’s edge], meat will sell cheaply there.
+By keeping Shabbat a person draws upon himself the light of Mashiach. Repentance also has this power.
+A person who observes Shabbat is like a son who apologizes to his father and is given everything he wants. Such a person can also decree and the Holy One will give him what he wants. In addition, the reward he enjoys for his good deeds is drawn against his earnings, whereas the principal remains intact for him to enjoy in the World to Come.
+
+Sleep
+
+The holier a person is, the less sleep he requires.
+Too much sleep and slumber causes a person to be pushed away from the seat of holiness. His face changes and his Godly image is marred.
+Reciting each of the fifteen psalms that begin “A song of ascent” (Psalms 120-134) is a <i>segulah</i> for eliminating sleepiness.
+A person who finds that he cannot sleep should think about his belief in the resurrection of the dead.
+
+A Ritual Slaughterer
+
+When ritual slaughterers are devout, [the meat they provide brings] people to have compassion for one another. The inverse is also the case, [as the meat of ritual slaughterers who are not devout causes people to lack compassion].
+When a ritual slaughterer fulfills the commandment to honor one’s father, God protects him from inadvertently distributing non-kosher meat. The inverse is also the case, [as transgressing this commandment leads to his inadvertently distributing non-kosher meat].
+Wicked slaughterers who distribute non-kosher meat bring about an increase of theft in the world.
+When those with clear vision look at the knives used by ritual slaughterers, they can see the vessels of the Holy Temple.
+A person who suddenly loses his ability to speak should have a knife fit for ritual slaughtering passed over his mouth.
+
+Repentance
+
+Part I
+
+Fasting is beneficial for all things.
+A person who is devoid of good deeds cannot get others to separate from their evil ways.
+Fasting is harder [on the body] than the sword.
+Repentance should ideally entail the very same thing [through which one sinned].
+When a person thinks to himself, “By doing this and that I will achieve such and such,” his thought will not materialize.
+Exile atones for everything.
+When a person is humble, it is as if he offered all the various sacrifices.
+Anyone who confesses his sins has a share in the World to Come.
+Whoever teaches Torah to the son of a fellow Jew, it is as if he created the child, created the words of Torah, and also created himself.
+Rabbi Papa fasted for having referred to a Torah scholar in a disrespectful manner.
+One should never even jokingly say, “I am going to commit such and such a sin,” because his words have the power to compel him to action.
+When a person cries at night, his voice is heard, and the stars and constellations cry with him.
+Punishment by flogging exempts those who would otherwise deserve death by excision.
+A person should consider his sins to be the cause of the world’s suffering.
+Each article of clothing made for the Tzaddik carries its own special power of atonement.
+Once a man takes a wife, his sins are contained.
+When a Jew sees or hears about the suffering of a gentile, he should think of repenting.
+Whoever lives in the Land of Israel resides without sin.
+It is best to make it easier for sinners to repent.
+Sin saps a person’s strength.
+Given the possibility of performing one of two <i>mitzvot, </i>choose the one that involves overcoming your evil inclination.
+A person who causes the Tzaddik suffering should fast.
+A person who feels heartache is close to shedding tears.
+When a person brings others back to God in repentance, he is rewarded with a place in the heavenly Academy and the Holy One annuls a harsh decree for his sake.
+Dismay does more [for achieving repentance] than fasting.
+A person who sins and feels remorse is forgiven for all his sins.
+A person who conducts his business affairs honestly is forgiven for all his sins.
+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.
+The table upon which guests are served atones for sins.
+Increased prominence atones for sins.
+There are times when a person who has begun to repent encounters suffering. This is because he had previously delayed returning to God.
+When one sighs, he becomes a new person.
+The love that people have for the Tzaddikim enables the Tzaddikim bring the masses back to God in repentance.
+In the merit of a person who brings the masses to repent, fear and controversy disappear from the world.
+By helping orphans, a person breaks the power of the nations. And by breaking them, wicked Jews return to God in repentance.
+A person who brings others to repent is saved from imprisonment. 
+He is also honored by God 
+and achieves fame among the nations.
+When a person perpetually brings others to repent, the disturbing thoughts of the generation’s leaders are eliminated in his merit.
+One who brings wicked people back to God in repentance merits observing Shabbat. 
+He will also not be harmed by a snake.
+By teaching the proper path to a wicked person’s son, you will have the power to nullify harsh decrees.
+Falsehood strengthens the hand of the wicked.
+Whoever repents wholeheartedly, the Holy One gives him a heart through which to know Him.
+Hearing the <i>shofar</i> blown by a devout individual breaks the evil inclination and awakens repentance throughout the world.
+A person who wants to repent should avoid being in debt.
+One who loves the Tzaddikim is capable of bringing people back to God in repentance.
+When a person confesses his sins, God loves him benevolently and removes His anger from him.
+The nations bring us to repent.
+Studying Torah atones for one’s sins.
+A person on a high spiritual level can attain perfection with but a minimum of effort.
+Whenever you are beset by suffering, scrutinize your actions.
+When a person wants to perform a good deed but encounters obstacles, God rewards him as if he had succeeded. However, when a person doesn’t do even what he is capable of, he is punished for it.
+By bringing merit to the masses a person becomes God’s partner in Creation.
+A <i>mitzvah,</i> no matter how great, which a person does and thereby brings merit only to himself cannot compare to even a minor <i>mitzvah</i> through which he brings merit to the masses.
+[Insufficient] income, enemies, sickness and great wealth are obstacles that deter a person from attaining perfection and his ultimate purpose.
+When you are the cause of some damage, it is a sign that your evil inclination has control over you.
+One who lures a fellow Jew from the proper path will be punished by fire.
+A <i>segulah</i> for anyone who cannot bring himself to cry is to sit at the spot where the flow of two rivers meet and become one.
+One who brings people back to God in repentance merits wisdom.
+A person’s laziness leads him to believe that the path of repentance is hidden from him.
+By disclosing his secret, it becomes difficult to carry it out.
+When a person is embarrassed by his sins, God deals charitably with him.
+When fasting is not accompanied by <i>daat,</i> it is not considered fasting.
+From the moment a person considers repenting, his prayers are accepted, even if he hasn’t yet returned to God.
+When you want to repent, ask the Tzaddik to bring you before God.
+Sins are atoned through lovingkindness and truth.
+Asking God for His love causes Him to cover over your transgressions.
+A person who confesses his sins is spared from having to sell what he inherited from his ancestors.
+When rebuking others for not rectifying the sins committed in their youth, include yourself among them and your words will be accepted.
+The best way to rectify the spiritual damage caused by one’s sins is through humility.
+A person must give himself rebuke each morning.
+Each day a person serves God during his youth is more valuable than many years of such devotion when he is old.
+During a person’s lifetime it is impossible for him to know if his repentance has been accepted.
+We often see that a person is beset by suffering when he begins serving God. The reason for this is that his initial motivation stemmed from his fear of justice.
+When a person begins serving God, the Holy One says to him: “I know that your desire and will is to serve Me, but what assurances do I have that tomorrow you won’t leave Me? If so, how can I draw you closer by virtue of your will alone? And how can I immediately reveal hidden things to you? Rather, you must do as follows: Start by showing your love for Me in the present situation, and perform My <i>mitzvot </i>even though you do not comprehend them. And serve Me with simplicity, without sophistication. After you’ve done this for some time, I will then believe you and reveal to you the reason and wisdom behind each and every thing. I will also draw you closer in all kinds of ways. For the extended time you served Me previously will guarantee that you won’t leave Me.”
+The way a person can tell that he truly wants to serve God is that he has no desire for recognition.
+Whoever doesn’t know the way of God should humble himself.
+By crying out your prayers God will forgive you.
+Falsehood prevents a person from improving his ways.
+A person who cannot eliminate his evil inclination by “dragging it to the house of study” (see <i>Sukkah</i> 52b) should know that he hasn’t abandoned his evil ways.
+God prefers those <i>mitzvot</i> that are also pleasing to people over those that are exclusively between man and his Maker.
+It is better to perform a <i>mitzvah</i> to whatever degree possible than to not do it at all.
+Caring for the body precedes rectifying the soul.
+One who cries over and mourns the passing of a devout individual has all his sins forgiven.
+It is a <i>mitzvah</i> to warn people about any transgression. Should you fear that they will not listen to you, tell it to them in the name of a Tzaddik so that they will take heed.
+When anyone attentively recites the verses of <i>Va’yechulu </i>(Genesis 2:1-3) and prays with concentration, the ministering angels ask God to pardon his sins.
+When a person responds “Amen, may His name be great!” with all his might, even if he has in him a bit of idolatry, he will be forgiven.
+The following are spared the suffering of hell: the extremely poor, those who suffer intestinal disease, and those oppressed by creditors or the government.
+Perform even more <i>mitzvot</i> than you are capable of.
+A monetary loss exonerates a person from physical punishment.
+Thirst rectifies the sin of idle chatter.
+Repentance brings healing to the world.
+When a person’s repentance is motivated by a fear of God, his intentional sins are reckoned as errors. But when he is motivated by a love for God, they are transformed into merit.
+Repentance hastens the Final Redemption and lengthens a person’s days and years.
+When an individual repents, he is forgiven and so is the whole world.
+God is appeased by a person’s confession of his sins, which is like his having built an altar and brought a sacrifice.
+Whoever overlooks personal affronts has all his transgressions overlooked.
+Torah and acts of kindness atone for a person’s sins.
+Screams and cries for God’s mercy are most effective at night.
+A <i>baal teshuvah</i> should pray for rain and all his transgressions will be pardoned.
+Jews who fast are not answered by God unless there are some wicked people among them.
+The path that a person should choose is to love reproof and be steadfast in faith.
+
+Part II
+
+Like Yom Kippur, the day a person repents is beyond time and elevates all his days beyond time.
+Repentance causes the spirit of Mashiach to blow against governmental decrees, nullifying them.
+Repentance also brings an end to a great heat wave.
+Getting the young to return to God is easier than getting the old.
+[Wherever possible] a person should use money as a means of coercing the wicked into repentance.
+By returning to God in repentance you will be able to earn a living easily.
+The outstanding and sharp minds of the generation cause the fear of Heaven to shine. This fear sparks the merit of ancestors, which in turn awakens the world to return to God.
+God forms “paths in the sea” in order to suppress our sins and bring forth our righteous deeds.
+When the Tzaddik becomes wealthy, the wicked return to God in repentance.
+By keeping Shabbat a person draws upon himself the light of Mashiach. Repentance also has this power.
+
+Rebuke
+
+Part I
+
+When a person rebukes others, he should bind his rebuke to their root and then his words will be accepted.
+Do not rebuke an apostate —it won’t help.
+When a person rejects rebuke, his place of dwelling will be destroyed.
+One who rebukes people unwisely elicits exile and oppression at the hands of the nations, God forbid.
+A person should never exclude himself from the community.
+For the sin of withholding rebuke, God retracts the good that He already guaranteed.
+Where you know that people will not accept rebuke, leave them be.
+When a person refrains from rebuking others because he is afraid of them, God will eventually break him in their presence.
+When a person knows how to warn others but does not, he will be made to pay for their blood.
+By giving charity you will merit accepting ethical reproof.
+A person who rejects ethical reproof has a death sentence issued against him.
+By giving rebuke, you will rest in your grave free from the suffering of hell and merit the Garden of Eden.
+It is permissible to emphatically reject someone who won’t accept your rebuke.
+As long as there is rebuke in the world, contentment and good and blessing come to the world.
+Rebuke mitigates harsh judgment and promotes loving-kindness.
+
+Part II
+
+When a person wants to inspire others to serve God, but lacks the requisite level of righteousness and has no ancestral merit, he should avoid being tested. He should particularly keep from arousing the jealousy of the wicked.
+Anyone who brings those distant from God to serve Him is given the power to bless others.
+A person who rejects rebuke should know that he will have to borrow from others. This is alluded to through [a combination of the verses in Proverbs]: “Words of rebuke will not move a slave to correct his ways” (29:29), and “A borrower becomes a slave to the lender” (22:7).
+One person will not be able to convince another of anything unless he first attaches his soul to that of the other person.
+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.
+
+Prayer
+
+Part I
+
+A person should hope and long for the good of the community, even though he himself stands to lose by it.
+When a person prays in a synagogue, it is as if he brought a pure meal-offering.
+God can be found in the synagogue.
+Flattery prevents a person’s prayers from being heard.
+When a person studies Torah despite difficult circumstances, his prayers are heard.
+When you pray for a fellow Jew even though you require the very same thing, God will answer your need first.
+A humble person’s prayers won’t be scorned.
+Don’t wait for trouble to begin before starting to pray.
+Whenever anyone devotes his strength to prayer below, in this world, his adversaries are unable to accuse him from on high.
+One should always entreat God for mercy that all things support his efforts [in prayer], that the ministering angels assist him in requesting mercy, and that he have no opposition from on high.
+Another person’s prayer is more effective than when one prays for oneself. Even a Tzaddik needs the prayer of others.
+One is permitted to pray for a slanderer’s death, or that he forgets his Torah studies, or that he will have no share in the World to Come, or any wise children.
+God fulfills the wishes of anyone who occupies himself with Torah study.
+It is good to cry out to God, whether before or after the decree has been issued.
+A person should not excessively pray for anything.
+When rain falls, it is a time of increasing salvation in the world and the advocates of merit are granted an audience before God.
+The prayers of an individual are not listened to unless he prays with an attentive heart. But the prayers of a congregation are heard even if they don’t all pray wholeheartedly.
+Don’t [simultaneously] pray for two things.
+It is forbidden to burden God [by praying that] He alter the dictates of Nature.
+When a person overlooks personal affronts, his prayers are heard.
+One who praises God excessively will be uprooted from the world.
+A synagogue in which people calculate business accounts will in the end be the site of a deserted corpse [whose burial becomes the obligation of those who find it.]
+Anything holy requires preparation and readiness.
+When asking for one’s needs, a person should not be so brazen as to ask for something great. However, with regard to Torah or the fear of God, a person should ask for all that he desires.
+It is a <i>mitzvah</i> to wear respectable clothing while praying.
+One should accustom himself to reciting the blessings in this world, so that he will be familiar with them in the World to Come.
+A person should ask for mercy that he not become impoverished.
+Through prayer a person has the ability to alter his fate.
+Speaking in a loud voice brings feeling and movement to all one’s limbs.
+One who thinks about entreating God thereby finds favor in His eyes.
+A person’s trust in God causes Him to listen to his prayers.
+Don’t pray in a place built by a contentious person.
+Before starting to pray, give charity and bind yourself to the Tzaddikim of the generation.
+The amount of bounty and spiritual strength a person receives depends upon the particular place in which he prays.
+While the community prays, it is a time of favor.
+One who has a synagogue [nearby] but doesn’t go there to pray, brings exile upon his descendants.
+Whatever you need, whether major or minor, pray for it.
+Come early and stay late in the synagogue so that you will live long.
+One who is capable of requesting mercy for a fellow Jew but does not is called a sinner.
+When a person answers nature’s call, washes his hands, dons <i>tefilin,</i> recites the <i>Shema Yisrael</i> and prays, it is tantamount to having built an altar and brought a sacrifice on it. It is also as if he immersed in a <i>mikvah.</i>
+Whoever avoids speaking of holy things in an unclean place will be rewarded with long life.
+Prayer is even greater than good deeds and sacrifices.
+Torah study, good deeds, prayer and engaging in worldly matters all require encouragement.
+Pray only in a place that has windows.
+Giving charity with both hands causes a person’s prayers to be heard.
+While praying, a person should spread out his hands as if he were receiving something.
+Stealing or embarrassing a fellow Jew prevents a person’s prayers from being heard.
+Shabbat and the new moon are especially beneficial times for elevating prayers.
+When a person is detained, it is a sign that his prayers are not being accepted.
+The yearning for God that a person expresses at night makes it easier for him to pray in the morning.
+A prayer accompanied by tears will be accepted.
+When asking God for something, mention the merit of your ancestors.
+When God punishes a wicked person whom He knows won’t repent and the Tzaddik prays excessively for that person, the Tzaddik too will be punished.
+When a person falls into a state of constricted consciousness while praying, it is a sign that his prayers will not be accepted.
+When you are not at peace with the world, your prayers will not be accepted.
+You should pray that there be peace in the city in which you live.
+Whoever prays joyously, God honors him and punishes those who oppress him.
+By reciting <i>Tikkun Chatzot</i> we remind God of the good that He guaranteed to the Jewish people.
+Whoever speaks favorably of the Jewish people arouses salvation, and this salvation will come about through him.
+Whoever doesn’t pray when Jews suffer is called a sinner.
+A person should pray for his children and for all his descendants.
+It is forbidden for a person to deny the good he has received, whether from a Jew or a gentile.
+When a person prays for the Jewish people, God pardons all his sins.
+When a sick person tearfully prays for himself, God will certainly heal him and accept his prayers.
+When you want to elevate your own prayers, pray for the Jewish people.
+The Holy One requests that a person pray to Him.
+Saving a poor person from someone stronger than him makes it easy for one to put energy into the letters of prayer.
+When a person trusts in God, his prayers are heard.
+A person who is humble is capable of crying out from the heart while praying.
+By being happy your prayers will reach the chamber of the King.
+One who gets no pleasure from his prayers should sing joyously while praying.
+Godlistens to theprayers of a person who prays energetically.
+The prayers of a person who has made some vow will not be accepted until he fulfills his vow.
+The prayers of a faithless person are not heard.
+When a person brings joy to the Tzaddik, his prayers are heard.
+Before praying a person should bind his spirit to the Creator. On account of this attachment the words will emerge from his mouth of their own accord.
+In reward for remaining silent when disgraced God will answer your requests.
+Whoever prays for a fellow Jew, God doubles his prosperity.
+79. Prayer that is not accepted above is burned.
+One who mourns the Temple’s destruction merits praying with his heart and body.
+A joyous prayer is both pleasing and sweet to God.
+When a person is humble, God will fulfill his prayers even if he prays only in thought.
+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 into his own sinful ways.
+Thoughts follow only the one who serves God. (This can be explained as follows: When a person serves God, he attracts and is trailed by confusing thoughts, more so than other people.)
+
+Part II
+
+Not pleading for mercy for a fellow Jew causes a person to fall into captivity. He can make amends by providing food for some living creature.
+Prayer is most effective when one faces heavenward.
+A person who requests compassion for his generation is rewarded with a revelation of the Divine Presence.
+Reciting the hymns and praises of God draws His Divine Presence below.
+The prayer leader’s supplication contains an aspect of warfare.
+When one fulfills “Your neighbor’s money should be as precious to you as your own” (Avot 2:12), he merits praying with an attentive heart.
+Reciting Psalms is a <i>segulah</i> for bringing rain. [We learn this from the Hebrew word for Psalms], <i>TeHiLiM,</i> which is an acronym for <i>“Limtar Hashamayim Tishteh Mayim</i> ([the Land of Israel] drinks water from the rain of heaven)” (Deuteronomy 11:11).
+When a person feels the suffering of other Jews and prays for them, even if he directs his words against Heaven, he will not be punished.
+Certain prayers are accepted on high only after sufficient money, equivalent to the number of letters in the relevant prayer, is given to charity. For example, when a person prays, “Give me children,” he must contribute the sum equal to the letters of these very words.
+Through prayer a person can exchange the marriage partner decreed for him in heaven.
+When the masses pray together, their prayers are more effective than when they pray in separate places.
+There are times when salvation will come only when many people pray for it; an individual’s prayers are not enough.
+A person with enemies finds it difficult to concentrate while praying.
+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. This spirit will go out and defeat those who put their trust in emptiness and vanity. Thus the verse <i>“B’sheim YHVH Eloheinu Nazkir</i> (we will utter the Name of God, our Lord)” (Psalms 20:8) [the first letters of which spell <I>NAVY,</I> the Hebrew word for prophet,] is followed by “they were subdued and defeated” (ibid. 20:9; see Glossary, “B”).
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