Likutei Moharan 5:4/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ה׳:ד׳

14. But it is [first] necessary to clear the mentalities of secular wisdom and undesirable thoughts—of chametz. A person must not sour his wisdom with secular wisdom or <evil> passions, so that the voice emerges <pure and clean.> It will then strike the <upper mentalities> and be converted into thunder. But when the sphere of the mind is clogged with impurity—as in (Leviticus 11:43), “… because nitmeitem (you will be made unclean) by them”—then his voice is not heard.

2He must also safeguard his fear of Heaven—from which the voice emerges, as in, “the thunder of His gevurot”—so that he has no extrinsic fears <but only a fear of the Holy One>. This is: Where there is no wisdom, there is no fear of Heaven; where there is no fear of Heaven, there is no wisdom (Avot 3:21).

3And <this corresponds to that which our Sages taught: When King Shlomo married Pharaoh’s daughter,> the angel GaVRiel descended and plunged a reed into the sea (Shabbat 56b; Sanhedrin 21b). The explanation is: From the devolution of the GeVuRot —<which correspond to gold dross,> extrinsic fears—he “plunged a reed into the sea” of wisdom. A kaneh (reed) is the aspect of the voice released from the kaneh (windpipe). Thus, <because of the secular wisdom and> extrinsic fears, the voice remains plunged in the mire of the intellect and will not be transmitted to the creation.

4But the most important thing is that a person safeguard his mind from becoming chametz. This is (Psalms 68:31), “Rebuke ChayaT (the beast of) the reed.” As the Zohar (III, 252a) states: Break the reed of the CheT and make it a heh, thus transforming the letters ChaMeTZ into MaTZaH. Your wisdom will then not turn sour.

5This is the connotation of “rebuke,” which conveys conflict. For the word MaTZah also implies conflict: the tzaddikim engage in MaTZuta (battle) with the Other Side in order to keep it from approaching the dwelling place of holiness (Zohar III, 251b).

6That is, when you protect your wisdom so that secular wisdom does not penetrate it, <and> you do not entertain evil thoughts—which is the KaNeH (reed) of the Other Side, in contrast to <the KaNeH (windpipe) of holiness, i.e.,> “K’NeH wisdom, K’NeH understanding” of holiness—you will be saved from the aspect of chametz, which is the side of death. As is stated (Zohar, ibid.): MaChMeTZeT —it contains < ChaMeTZ and MeT>. And believe that all strife and conflict between those tzaddikim who have reached perfection is only to dispel the Other Side.

7This is the meaning of (Proverbs 15:31), “He whose ear hears the reproof of life talin (lodges) among the wise.” < TaLiN> is similar to TeLuNah (complaint) and conflict. When you hear the tzaddikim arguing, know that this is to let you hear reproof for having blemished the drops of your mind. Concerning this it is said (Proverbs 2:19), “None that go to her return, nor do they regain the paths of life.” You have become attached to the side of death, the aspect of chametz, of “Gavriel descended.” Know also that “a reed has been plunged”—extrinsic wisdom has been plunged—into your sea of wisdom.

8And, certainly, if your mind had not been blemished, you would not have been given to hear the conflicts among the tzaddikim. This conflict is only for your sake, in order that you return from death to life, from chametz to matzah, from chet to heh ; and so that you repent from unwholesome fear <to fear of His exaltedness>, from a marred voice <to a flawless voice>, from blemished wisdom <to complete and true wisdom>.

9But when you guard your mind from the aspect of chametz, so that it does not become clogged, then your voice will strike your skull and be converted into thunder, and the heart’s crookedness will be made straight. Then, you will merit joy, as in, “and joy for the straight of heart.” This is the meaning of (Psalms 81:8), “When you called in secret, I answered you thunderously; I tested you at the Waters of Conflict, Selah .” The Waters of Conflict are an aspect of matzah, of mentalities, through which thunder is generated.