Likutei Moharan 31:6/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ל״א:ו׳

16. Because of the one who is in the aspect of Covenant, chesed (lovingkindness) is revealed at the mouth of the male organ, as in (Psalms 89:29), “I will forever preserve My lovingkindness for him, and My covenant shall remain faithful to him.” This is why the trait of lovingkindness was given to Avraham. For he was the first to have faith and the first to be circumcised.

2When the lovingkindness—i.e., the love and yearning, as in (Song of Songs 2:5), “I am lovesick”—is revealed, he then makes souls, as in, “the souls which they made.” In other words, he makes vowel points for the letters of the Torah. For letters without vowel points are like a body without a soul; lacking a soul, they have absolutely no movement or function. The same applies to the combining and uniting of the letters in the Two Hundred Thirty-One Gates. The power they have to carry out some function is only in proportion to the vowel points. { “We will make for you torei (necklaces) of gold with points of kesef (silver)” (Song of Songs 1:11). }

3The vowel points are the love and the KiSuFin (yearning), as in, “points of KeSeF (silver).” And the kisufin are the soul, as in (Psalms 84:3), “My soul niKhSeFa and pines.” Commensurate with the yearning are the vowel points. If one yearns for evil, evil vowel points are created, and then the letters come together and unite to do evil deeds. But if one yearns to return in repentance, good points—good souls—are created, and the letters move and unite to do good deeds.

4This is the meaning of, “We will make for you necklaces of gold.” As is brought in the Zohar (I, 186b), “the arousal for union comes from the north,” and “gold comes out from the north” (Job 37:22). This is, “We will make for you TORei zahav (necklaces of gold)”: the arousal to union and the combining of the TORah’s letters to accomplish some act is only through the points of kesef. They have no movement except by means of the points that are made through the kisufin.

5And this is the meaning of, “If the teacher is like an angel of the God of Hosts,” as above. Then lovingkindness and love certainly reveal themselves. The longings, which are the vowel points, are revealed. Then, “seek Torah from his mouth.” The letters of the Torah themselves then plead with him to speak them, so that they will have vowel points and souls.