Likutei Moharan 23:6/ליקוטי מוהר"ן כ״ג:ו׳

16. “Men of bloodshed and trickery will not have half their days, [but I will trust in You]” (Psalms 55:24). That is, someone who is contentious succumbs to greed. His days are consumed with running after luxuries.

2This is the meaning of, “will not have half their days”—man dies without even half his material desires satisfied (Kohelet Rabbah 1:34). This is “will not have half”—he will not achieve half his desires, as brought above on the verse, “He shall drive the enemy from your countenance and proclaim, ‘Destroy!’” Study there.

3And thus [the Psalmist] concluded: “but I will trust in You,” which is the opposite of greed. For someone who is steeped in the desire for money does not trust in God. He serves all idolatry. Rather, “I will trust in You”—that You can provide me with my livelihood in an easy way. I will rejoice in my lot and not become steeped in greed.

4Therefore, those who are steeped in [the desire for] money—the greater his wealth, the greater his worries, sadness and melancholy. This is because his money and wealth are in the category of “with great sorrow you will eat,” which is sadness, melancholy, darkened faces, death, as above. So the more money and wealth he has, the more he feels sadness, melancholy and worry. For his money is from the aspect of sadness, melancholy, etc.

5This is what our Sages taught: One who increases his possessions increases his worry (Avot 2:7). For he certainly increases worry and sadness because of an increase in possessions and wealth. For the possessions which he owns are themselves the aspect of sadness. Therefore, the more they increase, the more the sadness and worry increase, as above.

6Thus money and wealth shorten and consume a person’s days and life. For there is nothing that saps one’s vitality like worry and sadness, as competent doctors know. And the money and wealth add worry and sadness, as explained. Thus he diminishes and consumes his life, for he is bound to the countenance of the Other Side, “other gods,” darkness—which corresponds to death, the reverse of “the light of the Living King’s countenance,” as explained. Therefore, the money kills him. For it is in the category of death, which is sadness, etc. For all this is the desire for money, as above.

7This is the meaning of what is written (Genesis 3:14), “You will eat dust all the days of your life.” “Dust” corresponds to money, as in (Job 28:6), “Its dust is gold.” That is, the money and wealth, which correspond to dust, “will eat all the days of your life.” For money eats up and consumes all of a person’s days, as explained.

8This is because dust corresponds to sadness, which is greed, as is written in the Tikkuney Zohar: Dust is cold and dry. The spleen, too, is cold and dry (#70, p.134a). And from the spleen comes sadness, as is known. Thus the Tikkuney Zohar concludes there: Because of this, “you will eat dust all the days of your life.” This is as explained above. Study there and understand this well.

9And this is what is written in the Tikkuney Zohar (Addendum #3, p.140a): “The spleen is Lilit, the mother of the mixed multitude, the levity of the fool. Who is the fool? It is an other-god…. And she is the death which afflicts the infants of those who are guilty; she ensnares them with wealth in this world and afterwards kills them.”

10For those who are steeped in [the desire for] money are in the category of “with great sorrow you will eat,” the aspect of the spleen, which is sadness, melancholy and an increase of worries. They are bound to the countenance of the Other Side, an other-god, as above. All this corresponds to the spleen, the mother of the mixed multitude, the levity of the fool, an other-god.

11This is what is written there, “and afterwards kills them.” For certainly the money—the aspect of the spleen, sadness, etc.—kills them. This is because the money which he owns is in the category of death, darkened faces, sadness, etc., as explained.

12And this is what is written above, “Found or find.” The desire for money corresponds to “I find that more bitter than death is the wife.” For this is how it is explained there in the Tikkuney Zohar (#70, p.134a): “I find that more bitter than death is the wife”—this is the spleen, etc.

13But a livelihood of holiness corresponds to “He who has found a wife has found good,” which is the aspect of tzaddik, as explained. For the true tzaddik is spared from this, because the money does not harm him. Of him it is said (Ecclesiastes 7:26), “The one who is good before the Lord will escape from her, [but the sinner will be caught by her].” As it is written there in the Tikkuney Zohar (Addendum #3): And why are they called “infants”? because they lack the knowledge to flee from her. But an understanding heart flees from her—because that is where the tzaddik is. This is the hidden meaning of, “The one who is good before the Lord will escape from her, but the sinner will be caught by her.”

14Because one needs great wisdom and intelligence for the money not to harm him, for it not to consume the days of his life. For most of the world gets caught in this, namely in the desire for money. But the money murders and kills them, as explained. And it is only possible to escape from this through the tzaddik. Of him it is said, “The one who is good before the Lord will escape from her.” Happy is he.

15Study there in the Tikkuney Zohar and you will see amazing things; how now that Rebbe Nachman, of blessed memory, has opened our eyes and revealed to us these new and amazing introductions which have been explained above in this lesson—only now are the words of the Tikkuney Zohar clearly explained. For now, all the Rebbe’s words are clear. See. Understand. Be enlightened.

16Study that which is written there in Tikkun #70 (p.134): If he is worthy, [she will be] “a helpmate” (Genesis 2:18) ; if not, [she will be] “against him” (ibid.). Of this it is said: “I find that more bitter than death is the wife”—this is the spleen, Saturn, etc. {namely, the aspect of sadness/melancholy, which is the spleen/Saturn/a black vessel, as is known}. “A helpmate”—this is the Divine Presence. Of her it is said, “He who has found a wife has found good, and obtains favor from God.” And because of this, the masters of the Mishnah taught: “Found or find.” Study it well and understand; see that all of Rebbe Nachman’s words are now clearly explained, there and in Tikkun #3.

17The lesson, up until the point noted above, is leshon Rabbeinu —the words of the Rebbe himself. From there on the words are mine [Reb Noson], based on additional teachings that I heard [from the Rebbe] but which were not clarified in his holy discourse. I heard and understood more Godly words from him when I merited hearing this lesson directly from his holy lips: