Likutei Moharan 4:10/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ד׳:י׳

110. This is the explanation:

2Rabbah bar bar Chanah recounted: One time we were traveling on a sephina (ship) and we saw this kavra in whose nostrils was sitting a mudeater. The kavra died and the water tossed it about and cast it ashore. It destroyed sixty cities. Sixty cities then ate from it. Sixty cities salted its flesh. And from one eyeball they filled three meah (hundred) kegs with oil. When we returned after twelve months time, we saw them sawing planks from its bones with which to rebuild those cities (Bava Batra 73b).

3The explanation is:

4SePhiNa — This connotes importance, corresponding to Malkhut. Rabbah bar bar Chanah used his intellect to investigate the status of Malkhut and the means by which the Jewish people could elevate it.

5we saw this kavra — The Jewish people are called “fish,” as in (Genesis 48:16), “May they increase in the land like fish.”

6in whose nostrils was sitting a mudeater — This corresponds to the prayers of the Jewish people. As is written (Isaiah 48:9), “For My praise, echtom (I will restrain my anger) from you.” A worm, an impurity, had become intermingled in his prayer and divine service. It disturbed him and this Jew could not perform his divine service properly. What did this person do? He executed the three steps mentioned above. These are: attaching himself to the tzaddik, donating charity, and spoken confession.

7And this is the explanation:

8The fish died and the water tossed it about and cast it ashore. The three steps are mentioned from top to bottom.

9It died — This is the step of spoken confession, as is said: “All those about to be put to death, confess.”

10the water tossed it about — This is charity. As is written, “Cast your bread upon the waters” (Ecclesiastes 11:1), and, “Happy are you that sow beside all waters” (Isaiah 32:20).

11and cast it ashore — The tzaddik is called a “shore,” which has the connotation of fence, because he “fences in the breaches of Israel.” This is, and cast it ashore. <He gave charity to the tzaddik he had gotten close to>.

12And because of these three steps:

13It destroyed sixty cities — That is, through death, which is spoken confession, he elevated Malkhut from among <the nations>, and the tzaddik taught him the proper path.

14{“I will destroy mountains and hills…. I will lead the blind by a road they did not know” (Isaiah 42:15-16).} As is written in the haftarah of Bereishit, “I will destroy mountains and hills”—this alludes to the destruction of the rule of the nations. <And afterwards,> “I will lead the blind by a path they did not know”—this corresponds to the tzaddik guiding him along the proper path. This is the aspect of “a crossroads.” And sixty cities alludes to the ascent of MaLKhuT, as is written (Song of Songs 6:8), “There are sixty M’LaKhoT (queens).”

15Sixty cities then ate from it — This alludes to the two vices that stem from the animal and human life forms, which, as mentioned, lead to poverty. But by giving charity, they are rectified and abundance is drawn [into the world]. This is: then ate from it. And sixty cities alludes to the aspect of “sixty men of strength” (Song of Songs 3:7). Livelihood stems from there, as is taught: “strong rains” (Berakhot 33a).

16Sixty cities salted its flesh — This alludes to the rectification of the two vices [that stem from] the mineral and vegetable life forms. This is accomplished by means of <drawing close to the tzaddikim>, because the tzaddik is “a covenant of salt forever” (Numbers 18:19). Both melancholy and evil passions come from putrid blood, whereas salt expels the bad blood. And sixty cities alludes to the sixty letters of the Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing), which are in the hands of the tzaddik, as is written (Proverbs 10:6), “Blessings are upon the head of the tzaddik.”

17And from one eyeball they filled three meah (hundred) kegs with oil — The kegs with oil correspond to daat, because “holy anointing oil” (Exodus 30:31) is the aspect of intellect.

18Now, three MeaH alludes to Moshe. This is the concept of the tzaddik contracting himself in the aspect of MaH . He must make himself insignificant in three attributes: <wisdom, strength and wealth>. As is written (Jeremiah 9:22), “Let not the wise man… the strong man… the rich man exult.” We find, then, that in each of these three steps he becomes mah.

19In this way he is able to strip himself of corporeality and adhere to the Light of Ein Sof, where there is no change of will whatsoever. Rather, “YHVH is the Elohim”—i.e., “entirely ‘Who is good and beneficent.’” This is the aspect of one eyeball. As is brought in the Idra (Zohar III, 137b): In the time to come, there will be the one eye of compassion. This corresponds to “entirely ‘Who is good and beneficent.’”

20We find, then, that when the tzaddik makes himself mah, he attaches himself to “the one eye of compassion,” to Ein Sof. And afterwards, when he returns in an aspect of “running and returning,” he draws from the Light of Ein Sof —the oneness <and> the uniform will—by way of his mah. MaH is thus transformed into MeAH. As is taught: Do not read mah, but rather meah (Menachot 43b). Three hundred is made from the three mah, and he draws this light to his daat and intellect. This is kegs with oil, which is intellect, as explained.

21[This is the meaning of] “It has been clearly demonstrated to your daat” (Deuteronomy 4:35). He draws the Light of Ein Sof to his daat, so that he might know the oneness: “YHVH is the Elohim.” He then makes the blessing “Who is good and beneficent” over everything, as it will be in the Future.

22When we returned after twelve months time, we saw them sawing planks from its bones with which to rebuild those cities — Behind holiness—[holiness being] the twelve tribes, through whom Malkhut is rectified—is impurity.

23Now, there are people who move outside the realm of holiness. This is what the Tanna recounted: He returned to inquire about those who are after twelve months time —those who are behind the twelve tribes of holiness. They move outside the Jewish community as a result of their evil deeds.

24we saw them sawing from its bones — That is, in consequence of their evil deeds, which were etched upon their bones; with the etching crossing over from side to side, exactly like a saw mark.

25But because of the Jew mentioned above, who was moved to repentance by the small worm in his nostrils—because [his prayer] had been disturbed by a small impurity—[they can be saved]. By means of his repentance, he causes also these evildoers to be transformed into an abode for holiness.

26with which to rebuild those cities — These [evildoers] also help those serving God in rebuilding the above mentioned cities.