Likutei Moharan 14:5/ליקוטי מוהר"ן י״ד:ה׳

15. Now, a person can only merit Torah through humility, as our Sages taught (Eruvin 54a): “And from the wilderness to Matanah” (Numbers 21:18). He has to break his haughtiness, [drawing] from the four aspects of humility. For a person has to humble himself <in four aspects. The first is> before those greater than he. <The second is> before his equals. <The third is> before those lesser than he. <The fourth aspect is> that he himself is sometimes the smallest of the small and must <then> humble himself relative to his own level. He should imagine himself lower than he [really] is, corresponding to (Exodus 16:29), “Every person must sit beneath his place.”

2This is what Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted:

3I once saw a one-day -old urzila (mountain goat) which was as big as Mount Tabor. And how large was Har (Mount) Tabor? Four miles. The length of its out st retched neck was three miles and the length of its head’s marvata (re st ing place) was a mile and a half. It ca st a ball of dung which ob st ructed the Jordan River (Bava Batra 73b).

4a one-day-old urzila (mountain goat) — This alludes to the aspect of glory, which is <in exile> b’ZiLuta (in disgrace). This is ur-ZiLa. Ur (illumination) corresponds to glory, as in, “The earth was illuminated by His glory.” And why was it called one-day -old ? because the glory will not be revealed until the arrival of our Mashiach. Of him it is written (Sanhedrin 98a): [When asked,] “When will my master arrive?” <he answered,> “Today!” <And Eliyahu, of blessed memory, explained:> “Today! If you will hearken to His voice.” Each day, the glory is <capable> of emerging from its disgrace. <This is the meaning of “one-day-old.”>

5which was as big as Har (Mount) Tabor — [Rabbah bar bar Chanah] saw that the elevation of glory depends upon a person breaking his haughtiness. Glory ascends in proportion to the extent one breaks one’s haughtiness, because His glory is elevated through Torah, as above. And, a person can only merit Torah through humility, as our Sages taught: “And from the wilderness to Matanah.” This is Har Tabor. Har denotes arrogance, as in (Psalms 30:8), “You have made my har stand proud”; and taBoR indicates sheBiRah (breaking). <Thus, “Har Tabor” alludes to breaking haughtiness.>

6And how large was Mount Tabor? Four miles — This alludes to the four aspects of humility mentioned above. A person must humble <himself> before the righteous, the ordinary people, the wicked and before his own level. He should see himself as if he has not yet attained [even] the level which he is on. This is Mount Tabor, four miles. The breaking of haughtiness is in four aspects.

7The length of its neck when out st retched was three miles — This corresponds to the things which people tend to be haughty about, of which there are three. A person must guard himself against them, as is written (Jeremiah 9:22), “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man in his might, nor the rich man in his wealth.” They are three aspects: wise, mighty, wealthy. And haughtiness is called an out st retched neck, corresponding to (Psalms 75:6), “Speak [not] with a haughty neck.”

8and the length of its head’s marvata (re st ing place) was a mile and a half — This alludes to the union which takes place in the beginning of Divine thought. [The word] maRVata connotes union, as in (Psalms 139:3), “… my way and my RiV’ee (laying down).” And through this union, there is a mile and a half. “A mile” hints to the drawing of souls to their sons, which is termed “a whole mile,” whereas the shining [by] which the souls shine, illuminate and arouse the Jewish sinners to repentance and give birth to the souls of converts is termed “half.”

9The reason for this is that [these baaley teshuvah and converts] are still very far from holiness, and are likely to encounter many obstacles. One has to expend great effort in order to strip them of the soiled garments which they put on, as in (Zekhariah 3:4), “Remove the soiled garments.” For it is these soiled garments that prevent them from returning to the Holy One. They are barriers, just as a river bars passage and makes it impossible to journey on in the direction of that river. These soiled garments are barriers that must be thrown off. And this is:

10It ca st a ball of dung which ob st ructed the Jordan River — By stripping and throwing off the soiled garments from them, all the obstacles and partitions separating them from holiness are eliminated.

11ob st ructed the Jordan River — This is because the Jordan separates between the holiness of the Land of Israel and the Diaspora. And this is the reason they are called “half,” for one still has to throw off the soiled garments from them in order to remove the barriers, obstacles and partitions separating them from holiness. But these souls which the Torah scholars draw down to their sons are termed “a whole mile,” for they have no separating partitions.

12This is the meaning of “and you shall honor it” (Isaiah 58:13) —honor it with clean garments! (Shabbat 119a). “Clean garments” alludes to throwing off the soiled garments. For this is the essence of God’s glory: “If you take out the precious from the vile”—to induce people to repent and to draw down the souls of converts.

13And when converts convert, they come under the wings of the Shekhinah (Divine Presence) (Sanhedrin 96b). This is why [the convert] is called a ger tzedek (righteous convert) (Zohar, Introduction, p. 13). As is brought in the Zohar (II, 93a): “Clean garments” is kanfey (garment corners of) mitzvah. This alludes to the Shekhinah, which is known as “mitzvah,” as in (Psalms 119:172), “All Your mitzvot are righteousness.” And this is the meaning of “and you shall honor it.” For this is the essence of His glory: to bring converts under the kanfey (wings) of the Shekhinah.