Likutei Moharan 8:11/ליקוטי מוהר"ן ח׳:י״א

111. “From the k’naf (corner) of the earth we heard songs, tzvi latzaddik (glory to the righteous). But I said, ‘A secret to me, a secret to me, woe to me! Traitors have betrayed; and beged bogdim bagadu (those who betrayed the traitors have betrayed). [Fear, and the pit, and the trap are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth]’” (Isaiah 24:16,17).

2“From the K’NaF (corner) of the earth” corresponds to KaNFey (corners of) tzitzit, in which there is the ruach-of-life—the aspect of King David’s harp, which was played by the northern ruach, as explained. This is because melody and song are drawn from the ruach-of-life in the KaNFey reiah (lungs). And this is the meaning of “we heard songs,” which corresponds to the song of King David’s harp, the ruach-of-life. This also corresponds to the corners of the tzitzit, as in, “From the corner of the earth.” And through this the wicked are subdued, as in, “To take hold of the corners of the earth, that the wicked be shaken off of it.”

3And this is “TZVi latzaddik.” Rashi explains: “There will be a maTZaV (firm positioning) and a standing up for the tzaddikim.” As we’ve seen, through the ruach-of-life the tzaddikim overcome the wicked.

4“But I said, ‘A secret to me, a secret to me, woe to me!’” Rashi explains: “Two secrets were revealed to me, the secret of suffering and the secret of salvation. However, the salvation remains distant, until….” For the ruach of the wicked is mighty while it lasts, just like the ruach se’arah from which come all the suffering and the lengthy exile of the Jews.

5And so, “Traitors have betrayed; and BeGeD bogdim bagadu.” The traitors and wicked people draw from a blemish in the BeGaDim (garments)—i.e., a blemish of the tzitzit, which are on the corners of the garment—which is a blemish in the four elements, whose attachment and transcendent root correspond to the four tzitzit.

6But in the end, “Fear, and the pit, and the trap are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.” All the wicked will be subdued and humbled, for they will eventually be destroyed and disappear. The perfect tzaddikim subdue them and “cast down the wicked to the ground” through their ruach-of-life/the tzitzit, corresponding to, “From the corner of the earth we heard songs.”

7King David’s harp had five strings. They are representative of the Five Books of the Torah. The Zohar (III, 32a) likewise teaches: Those who grasp the Torah are like players of the harp.

8“There are five lobes to the lungs” (Chullin 47a). This is because the ruach-of-life resides in the lungs, and it is from there that the ruach of the sigh is drawn, as is known empirically. Thus, there the lungs have five lobes, paralleling the Five Books of the Torah, the five strings of King David’s harp in which there is the ruach-of-life. (See Tikkuney Zohar #10: “The corners of mitzvah have five knots, corresponding to the words Shema Yisrael YHVH Eloheinu YHVH, which correspond to the five strings of King David’s harp….”)