סוד SECRET:

SECOND BOOK:

Through deep contemplation on the secrets of the Torah, one can bring conception to barren women and heal a serious illness.

תשובה REPENTANCE: book one 56-64

56. The demand to earn a living, and enemies, and disease, and overabundant wealth prevent a man from reaching perfection and the ultimate purpose.

57. When you do some damage, it is a sign that the evil inclination dominates over you.

58. One who tempts his fellowman away from the good path, fire (lit. burning) comes upon him.

59. One who is unable to cry, the segula (propitious) for this is – he should sit in a place where two rivers pour out together.

60. One who returns people back in repentance merits wisdom.

61. Through laziness, it appears to a person that the way of repentance is hidden from him.

62. One who reveals his secrets, it becomes hard for the thing (he revealed) to endure (- or be fulfilled).

63. One who is ashamed of his sins, the Holy One – Blessed is He- deals with him charitably.

64. A fast that is without cognizance is not considered a fast.

למוד LEARNING: book one 50-59

50. One who learns but does not review is comparable to one who sows but doesn't harvest.

51. One who reviews his learning -- the Torah requests from G-d to reveal to him the taamei Torah (lit. the taste or cantillation or reasoning, with an inference to the esoteric) and its secrets.

52. One who does not have established times for learning comes to promiscuous thoughts.

53. One who does not review his learning has difficulty raising children.

54. One who learns Torah for its own sake creates peace in the pamalia (– gathering of the wise, often translated as tribunal) Above and Below, and protects the whole world, and is as if he built the Upper and Lower Palace, and hastens the Redemption.

55. One who teaches his friend's son Torah, is considered as if he created him, and as if he created the words of Torah, and as if he created himself.

56. One who blackens his face for the words of Torah in this world, G-d will make his face radiant in the World to Come.

57. One who goes hungry for the sake of learning Torah, G-d will satiate him in the World to Come.

58. One who reads books of apostates is considered an apostate (lit. is called an 'apikorus').

59. One who reads a scriptural verse in its time brings good to the world.

שכרות DRUNKENNESS: book one

שכרות DRUNKENNESS:

BOOK ONE

1. Through drunkenness, one falls from his level.

2. Through drinking wine, one ends up accepting bribes.

3. Drunkenness brings one to deny truth and to attest to falsehood.

4. The Holy One, Blessed be He, loves one who never gets drunk.

5. Oil nullifies drunkenness.

6. Vision intensifies drunkenness.

7. Through drunkenness, one falls to having promiscuous thoughts.

8. One who is drunk (/a drunk) does not have the power to sweeten harsh judgments.

9. One who is drunk (/a drunk) - secrets of the Torah are not to be revealed to him.

10. Wine with the spice of frankincense confound a person.

Advice

עצות AITZOT - ADVICE:

1. Do not ask advice except from one who knows secrets of the Torah.

2. It is good to ask advice from the elderly.

3. One who gives his fellow advice inappropriate for him, through this he is beset by idolatrous thoughts.

4. Someone who is accustomed to having bad thoughts, do not take advice from him.

5. Through that which you take advice from the official rabbi, through this you will merit salvation.

6. When you see that your friends are not helping you, it is known that no advice (or remedy) will help you.

7. When you help the Jewish People, advice can help you.

8. Advice is more propitious in a field.

9. One who follows the advice of his wife falls into Hell.

10. Do not ask advice; only from a man, and not from a woman.