Likutei Moharan 60:1/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ס׳:א׳

1The Idra Rabba Kadisha:

2Patach Rebbe Shimon (Rabbi Shimon Opened) and said: “It is a time to do for God; [they have abrogated Your Torah]” (Psalms 119:126). Why is it “a time to do for God”? It is because “they have abrogated Your Torah.” What is “they have abrogated Your Torah”? This is the Supernal Torah, which would be nullified were this rectification not enacted. It refers to Atik Yomin .

3It is written (Deuteronomy 33:29): “Happy are you, O Israel! Who can compare to you?” And it is written (Exodus 15:11): “O God! Who among the mighty ones can compare to You?”

4He called to Rabbi Elazar his son and seated him to his right, and to Rabbi Abba, [whom he seated] on the other side. Then he said: “We are the encompassment of all things. The rectifications have in the meanwhile been effected.” [The fellowship] was silent. Then they heard a sound, and their knees knocked together. What sound was it? It was the sound of the heavenly entourage gathering. (Zohar III, 128a)

5Know! there are paths of Torah that involve very great contemplation, such contemplation that can be attained only by means of wealth. Just as with the Torah’s elementary interpretations, “If there is no bread, there is no Torah” (Avot 3:17), and at the very least one must have a livelihood, so too, for this contemplation, which is very great, a person must have very great wealth. One must possess bounteous riches from which nothing is lacking, since this contemplation requires having all the wealth of the world.

6The Yissakharites had this contemplation, in the aspect of “from the Yissakharites, men adept at understanding” (1 Chronicles 12:33). They merited this only by means of wealth, the aspect of “Yissakhar is a strong-boned donkey” (Genesis 49:14), which Onkelos renders as “[Yissakhar is] abounding with possessions.”

7This is why Moshe and all the prophets possessed very great wealth, so that they might attain this contemplation through it. And since the Torah involves this contemplation, the Torah itself is therefore called riches.

8The same is true of those through whom the Torah was transmitted; they were extremely wealthy. For example, Moshe Rabbeinu, who brought the Torah to the Jews, was very wealthy, as taught by our Sages, of blessed memory. Likewise Rebbe, who compiled and sealed the Mishnah, and also Rav Ashi, who sealed the Talmud and established its comprehensive framework; they, too, were extremely wealthy, as taught by our Sages, of blessed memory. Because they established and arranged the entire Oral Law, and through them the Torah was passed on, they, too, were wealthy, as explained above. This is because to achieve the aforementioned contemplation one must possess great wealth.

9This is the aspect of “PSoL (carve) for yourself” (Exodus 34:1), which our Sages, of blessed memory, expounded: The PSoLet (shavings) shall be yours (Yerushalmi, Shekalim 5:2). With regard to the elementary interpretations of Torah, one must first provide introductory information before presenting an original interpretation. Afterwards, the introductions are set aside and we arrive at the intended insight—since that is the main thing, and all the preceding material and introductions are the aspect of psolet that has been chiseled and carved away from around the intended insight. The same applies to the contemplation of Torah. One must first go round and round a number of times before arriving at the intended insight. The main thing is the intended insight, and all the circling is the aspect of psolet—the aspect of wealth, by means of which one attains contemplation.

10This is the aspect of “PSoL for yourself”—the PSoLet shall be yours. It was from there that Moshe became wealthy, since the shavings of the Tablets are the aspect of circling; that one chisels and carves round and round [the focus of] the contemplation. And [the shavings], as explained above, are the aspect of wealth, through whichone attains contemplation.

11Hence, the letters of MaMON (money) are an acronym of Misham Nitasher Moshe (from there Moshe became wealthy). And the vav is the aspect of the Tablets from which Moshe became wealthy, because the Tablets were six handbreadths long by six handbreadths wide, as taught by our Sages, of blessed memory (Bava Batra 14a) .