Likutei Moharan 80:5/ליקוטי מוהר"ן פ׳:ה׳

15. {Apparently, the explanation of the matter is that by means of peace it is possible to speak words of holiness. This is because peace unites opposites, benevolences and severities, which is the aspect of Yosef, of sacrificing oneself to sanctify the Name of God, as explained above.

2The essence of sanctity is wisdom and mentalities of holiness. This is because wisdom is called “holy,” as is known. Holy is synonymous with “first,” as it is written (Jeremiah 2:3), “Israel is holy to God, the first of His yield.” In every instance first is holy, and first corresponds to wisdom, as it is written (Psalms 111:10), “The beginning (first) of wisdom.”

3And when a person merits reciting the holy words of Torah and prayer, and puts his entire mind, wisdom and awareness into the words, i.e., firmly binding his thoughts to the words, and he also understands and gives ear to what he is saying—that is holiness. God has great pleasure from this. It is the concept of peace, which is the joining of benevolences with severities. One joins and binds the wisdom and mentalities, the element of benevolences, with the words, the element of severities, as explained above. This is the aspect of Yosef.

4And so of Yosef it is said: “Without your permission, no man will lift up his hand or his foot.” Yosef comprises the aspect of the hands and feet, which correspond to wisdom and speech. For the hands are wisdom/holy, as it is written, “Lift up your hands in the holy place.” And the feet are speech, as explained above.

5Therefore, studying Torah and serving God requires self-sacrifice. This is especially so at the time of prayer, since praying with self-sacrifice is the main perfection of prayer. A person has to have in mind that he is surrendering his soul to sanctify the Name of God. Sacrificing oneself in order to sanctify God’s Name is something every Jew, even the most unworthy, is certainly willing to do, as explained above. (As we have already seen for ourselves, in the preceding generations many unworthy and wretched people surrendered their souls and died sanctifying God’s Name; praiseworthy are they.) As soon as one is willing to sacrifice oneself to sanctify the Name of God, the aspect of peace/Yosef is awakened. And one is then able to speak—i.e., bind thought to speech. This is the essence of sanctity, which we merit by means of peace, as explained above.

6This is the meaning of “YHVH builds Jerusalem.” “Jerusalem” is speech, etc., as explained above. “YHVH” alludes to mentalities—i.e., being worthy of binding the mind to speech. This is “YHVH builds Jerusalem,” the mentalities build up sanctified speech. We merit this through “He gathers in the outcast of Israel”—sacrificing oneself in order to sanctify the Name of God. All those who have been cast out of the sanctity of Israel, should someone attempt to make them give up their religion, God forbid, they are immediately roused and surrender their souls to sanctify the Name of God. This shows that as a result of God’s Name being sanctified, all those cast out from Israel’s sanctity are gathered into the holiness. This is “He gathers in the outcast of Israel,” through which “YHVH builds Jerusalem.” For sanctifying God’s Name corresponds to peace, through which it becomes possible to bind thought to speech—this being “YHVH builds Jerusalem,” as explained above.