Likutei Moharan, Part II 60:5/ליקוטי מוהר"ן·תנינא ס׳:ה׳

15. “If not, I will speak…”—specifically, “I will speak.” In other words, Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Akiva that if he did not want to teach him Torah, then “I will speak”—[say] Torah.

2Thus, this is “I will speak to father Yochai.” Through all the original Torah insights that people reveal they uncover ChaSaDim (benevolences), as our Sages, of blessed memory, taught (Ketuvot 96a) : Whoever prevents his student from serving him, it is as if he denied him CheSeD (kindness), as it is stated (Job 6:14), “to one who withholds kindness from his friend.”

3Now, in each person there are chasadim and gevurot. The chasadim are from the side of the father…. But Rabbi Akiva did not have chasadim from his father’s side because he was a convert and so lacked ancestral merit. As our Sages, of blessed memory, taught: They did not want to appoint Rabbi Akiva as president because he lacked ancestral merit (Berakhot 27b). Thus, Rabbi Shimon reasoned that Rabbi Akiva did not want to teach Torah due to his lack of chasadim from his father’s side. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, on the other hand, certainly did have ancestral merit from the side of his father, Rabbi Yochai {who was a prominent Jew}. Therefore, Rabbi Shimon said: “If not, I will speak to father Yochai”—i.e., I will speak that Torah which is the concept of “father Yochai,” the chasadim from the father’s side. It is from there that the Torah is revealed, for the revelation of the Torah is the uncovering of the chasadim, as mentioned above.

4And this is [the meaning of] “to hand you over to the government.” Rabbi Shimon said that Rabbi Akiva’s reason for not wanting to teach Torah and reveal the chasadim—and through the revelation of the chasadim brought about by the Torah that Rabbi Akiva would now teach he would rectify the aforementioned blemish of teaching Torah to unworthy students, but Rabbi Akiva did not want to reveal original Torah insights and so uncover the chasadim because he had no fatherly chasadim—Rabbi Shimon said that this was due only to Rabbi Akiva’s humility. On account of his humility, Rabbi Akiva’s humility led him to believe that he could not reveal Torah because he lacked chasadim from the father’s side and so was incapable of rectifying the aforementioned blemish except through imprisonment, since captivity is the rectification and refinement of the words, as mentioned above.

5But, in reality, Rabbi Akiva was such a great teacher that he possessed chasadim in his own right and needed no ancestral merit whatsoever. Rabbi Akiva was capable of revealing Torah just through chasadim he had in his own right, and via this rectify the aforementioned blemish.

6Therefore, Rabbi Shimon said: “I will speak….” That is, I will speak Torah, for I have chasadim from the father’s side. Through this, he would bring Rabbi Akiva into a state of expanded consciousness, so that he would be compelled to teach Torah. In truth, Rabbi Akiva certainly could have revealed Torah even without ancestral merit, because Rabbi Akiva was so great that he could have revealed Torah through chasadim he had in his own right, were he not humble. But by Rabbi Shimon, his student, who possessed chasadim from the father’s side, revealing Torah, Rabbi Akiva would be brought into a state of expanded consciousness, forcing him, against his will, to teach Torah.

7This is “If not.” Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Akiva: If you refuse to teach Torah on account of your humility, then “I will speak to father Yochai”—i.e., I will speak Torah, because I do possess chasadim from the father’s side. “To hand you over to malkhut (the government)”—I will bring you and hand you over, against your will, to malkhut, to the state of expanded consciousness, so that you will be compelled to reveal Torah, which is the uncovering of the chasadim, as mentioned above. By Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, his student, teaching Torah, Rabbi Akiva would be brought, against his will, to a state of expanded consciousness. He would then be forced to teach Torah, which is the uncovering of the chasadim , which in turn is the rectification of the aforementioned blemish.

8{Rebbe Nachman did not explain how, through the revelation of Torah which uncovers the chasadim, the aforementioned blemish is rectified. He also did not explain how, when a student with ancestral merit reveals Torah, his teacher will thereby be compelled to enter into expanded consciousness and teach Torah.}

9Thus, this is “to hand you over to malkhut.” “Handing over” implies against his will, as it is written (Numbers 31:5), “So they were handed over from the thousands of the Children of Israel.” Rashi explains: they were handed over against their will. By teaching Torah, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai would bring Rabbi Akiva, against his will, to a state of expanded consciousness, as mentioned above.