Likutei Moharan 30:9/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ל׳:ט׳

19. This is the explanation [of what the Wise Men of Athens asked]:

2Meishra d’sakina (a garden of knives) — This alludes to lower wisdom/ Malkhut. [For meishra d’SaKiNa] is study, as in (Numbers 22:30), “ha’haSKeiN hiSKaNti,” which connotes study {as Onkelos translates it: have I repeatedly learned}. This corresponds to “a vengeful sword” (Leviticus 26:25), which is the aspect of Malkhut .

3Meishra — Rashi translates this as ARuGa (a patch). This corresponds to “the screams of one who rules…,” as is written, “As a gazelle taARoG (cries longingly)” (Psalms 42:2).

4how does one harve st it — Rashi explains: With what does one cut it? That is, with what do we cut and free Malkhut in order to save it from screaming? This corresponds to “he quartered him,” explained above. [Rabbi Yehoshua] answered them:

5With a karna chamra (donkey’s horn) — In other words, with rebuke, by means of which lovingkindness is revealed. With this we cut and sever the dalet, as in, “Cut the harvest with lovingkindness.”

6Karna (a horn) corresponds to the voice which rebukes. It is an aspect of the shofar-horn, as in (Isaiah 58:1), “Raise your voice like a shofar and tell My people of their transgression”—namely, rebuke.

7Chamra corresponds to (Genesis 49:14), “Yissachar is a strong-boned chamor (donkey).” This is as in (1 Chronicles 12:33), “Of the descendants of Yissachar, men who had understanding of the times.” Through rebuke, it [the dalet] is elevated to the Festivals which are an aspect of “understanding of the times,” as above.

8They brought two BAy’ay (eggs) — This connotes entreaties and BAuta (supplications), aspects of prayer.

9they said to him, Which is from the white one and which is from the black one — In other words: You say that with rebuke we elevate Malkhut, yet how is it possible to give rebuke? All the prayers come together, so how can one know [whom] to rebuke based on the prayer? One does not know which is the prayer of the worthy and which is the reverse. Thus: Which is from the white one and which is from the black one? Which prayer is from the worthy person and which is from the opposite.

10He brought two cheeses — This is as in (Job 10:10), “like cheese taKPYaini (will you curdle me)?” This alludes to the two types of Torah mentioned above. They are KaPhuY (frothy) and slight, corresponding to p’solet, as in, “p’sol for yourself,” and “Do not make for yourselves a pesel .”

11and said to them, Which is from the white AiZ (goat) and which is from the black AiZ — This refers to the two types of AZut, the holy boldness and the brazenness of the Other Side, from which come the two types of Torah. And, as explained, commensurate with the boldness it is possible to know the prayers and thereby rebuke them. Through this we cut and free the aspect of Malkhut. We rescue it from “the screams of one who rules” and elevate it to the Light of the Face which shines on the Festivals, <the heart of the entire year, as in, “A joyous heart makes a good countenance”>.

12{Rebbe Nachman began this lesson quoting the verse (Genesis 41:1), “And it was at the end of [two full years],” but subsequently did not explain it based on the concepts taught here. He later said that had he wanted to finish the explanation of the verse, it would have been necessary to deliver another lesson like this one in order to do so.}