Likutei Moharan, Part II 82:3/ליקוטי מוהר"ן·תנינא פ״ב:ג׳

13. Primary repentance is in the month of Elul because [its days] are days of favor, when Moshe ascended to receive the latter Tablets and opened a beaten path in which to go. Now, the path which Moshe made is this: Moshe bound himself with even the least Jew, and gave his life for them, as it is written, “But if not, please blot me out!” (Exodus 32:32). This is also the meaning of: “And Moshe assembled…” (Exodus 35:1)—that Moshe would gather, unite and bind himself with all of Israel, even with the least of the least. This is the meaning of “They have entirely withdrawn; together” (Psalms 53:4). Even when I see a Jew who has totally withdrawn from God, I nevertheless need us to be “together”—I must unite and bind with him, just as Moshe did.

2For an aspect of Godliness exists even in the lowest level, even in the Ten Crowns of Impurity, in fulfillment of “His Malkhut rules over everything” (Psalms 103:19). This is the concept of chirik, as it is written: And as a chirik, to draw it down below, to enthrone Her over those below (Tikkuney Zohar #10, p.25a). It follows, that the least Jew certainly possesses some Godliness, and through it I am able to be united with him. This is: “They have entirely withdrawn; together.”

3In addition, Moshe had another quality. No matter how high the level to which he ascended, he found God there, as it is written, “And Moshe went up to the Lord” (Exodus 19:3). We see in the physical world that a person who is down-and-out serves God and acknowledges Him, but when he moves up, becoming affluent, he then forgets about God.

4King David said: “If I ascend to heaven—You are there!” (Psalms 139:8). Even in heaven, God is there. With each and every ascent he must find God there. Yet we find that Elisha-Acher ascended on high through a Divine Name, and even so denied the essence of God (Chagigah 14b- 16a).

5This is perplexing, because, on the contrary, the further a person ascends, the closer he surely is to God. For all which is good is Godliness, as it is written, “God is good for all” (Psalms 145:9). Yet we see the reverse, that when a person comes to wealth, to good, he then forgets about God.

6But know! this is the concept of “his eyes grew dim and he could not see” (Genesis 27:1). On account of his getting too close to the light of Godliness, the light then dims his eyes and harms him. It is like when a person looks directly at the sun. The sun’s light harms his eyes. However, there is the concept of segol, as it is written: It is a segol when it is between the two arms of the King (Tikkuney Zohar #18, p .32b).

7{“And [Moshe] said, ‘Show me, please, Your glory.’ [God] said, ‘I shall cause all My goodness to pass before you….’ And He said, ‘You shall not be able to see My face, for no human can see Me and live’…. ‘And so when My glory passes over, I will put you in the cleft of the rock and I will shield you with My palm until I have passed over. And I shall remove My palm and you will see My back, but My face will not be seen’” (Exodus 33:18, 20, 22-23) . This is the concept of “and I will shield you with My palm.” Without this, the power of the glory’s light would have harmed Moshe, as it is written, “for no human can see Me and live… and you will see My back….” This is also what David requested: “and receive me after glory,” (Psalms 73:24). Bring me closer with the closeness of Moshe. He requested of You, “Show me, please, Your glory,”and You showed him the aft of Your glory, as it is written, “and I will shield you… and you will see My back.”