Contention - BOOK TWO

BOOK TWO:

1. Talking (bad) about a tzaddik causes [heretical] philosophy to gain strength in the world, and so too, the opposite [i.e. praising a tzaddik…].

2. There are famous religious leaders whose fame is primarily created through controversy.

3. Through strife, one falls into sexual lust.

4. One against whom many arise to challenge him on account of his faith; and he stands up against them and makes well-received counter-claims, through this he will merit having many children, and the world will be filled with his seed.

5. One who always sets his mind's eye to investigate the leaders of the generation, examining them unfavorably (lit. with a “bad eye”), through this he falls into the hunger predicted for the future, that is to say, "…not a hunger for bread…" (Amos 8) For the Hebrew word for hunger, Ra’AV, is the word RaV (denoting the head rabbi) with the letter Ayin (which is Hebrew for “eye”) in the middle (Reish and Beit spell Rav, and Reish - Ayin - Beit spell hunger. [I.e. putting a (bad) eye on (in) the Rav leads to hunger, Ra’AV.])

6. Through giving charity, one defeats his enemies through minimal means (/cause or effect) and the Holy One, Blessed be He, saves him from even the great means of his enemies.

7. By saying Birkat HaMazon (the blessings after the meal which fulfill the Torah mandate, “You shall eat, be satisfied and bless the L-rd, your G-d…”), the Blessed G-d becomes known in the world. Also through Grace After Meals, the government is rested from strife and war.

8. One who's Torah learning is with a pure mind, [including that his] eating is so holy that he is nourished from the [same] food from which the angels are nourished, causes that his enemies be punished with strangulation. A sign (or hint to the veracity ) of this matter is: (three similar Biblical phrases): "And it was on the third day, at the beginning of the morning…” (Shemot 19:16), "And in the morning there was a layer of dew…” (Shemot 16:13)" "And it was in the watch of the morning…” (Shemot 14:24)

[Rabbi Nosson states]: (“I heard an explanation of this sign from the his (Rabbi Nachman's) holy mouth. For the first passage, "And it was on the third day, at the beginning of the morning…," was said at the giving of the Torah, which is the aspect of what was said above, "One who learns with a pure mind..." The second quote, "And in the morning there was a layer of dew…," refers to the manna, which is the food by which the angels are nourished, as the Rabbis OB”M said. The third quote, "And it was in the watch of the morning…," refers to the splitting of the Red Sea, wherein the Egyptians were drowned, which is the aspect of strangulation, as the Rabbis OB”M said. Rabbi Nachman learned 'morning' from 'morning' (applying the concept found by one citing of morning to the other citings), and through this he found this perception in the Torah).

9. The suffering and accusations that come upon a Torah sage cause him to forget.

10. Quarreling causes that students of small stature become famous before their time. This is an aspect of miscarriage—when a fetus comes into the air of the world before its time. This causes poverty, and sometimes (even) causes deaths, G-d forbid.

11. Sometimes a man does not have peace in his house, and all the members of his household quarrel with each other. It is certain that there are demons in the house causing all this—and though this affliction comes upon his household.

12. Sometimes a person's place causes him quarrels for the same reason as it is forbidden to ask about a person's peace in an unclean place. [The Hebrew word for peace, “shalom” is a Name of G-d and should not be spoken in a filthy place – thus we find that certain places are contrary to peace.]

13. Through pain and sadness, contention comes to the world. Conversely, through joy, peace comes to the world.

14. Revelation of the Torah comes through peace.

15. The business or work that a man strains to do on a fast-day, this matter saves him from enemies and murderers.

16. One who has enemies has difficulty concentrating in prayer.

17. One who causes a separation between a man and his wife—that is, he goes to the husband and glorifies the wife in his eyes, and then goes to the wife and discredits the husband in her eyes, until it causes a separation between them—causes difficulty with his own livelihood.

18. When the Holy One, Blessed be He, sees that there is a tzaddik who has the power to draw people to the service of G-d, He raises up enemies against him inorder to enable him to draw people close [to G-d]. For a tzaddik without enemies cannot draw anyone close – just like in the days of the Messiah the world will dwell in tranquility, and then no new converts will be accepted.

19. Due to idolatrous thoughts enemies come and dominate (lit. elevate over) a person.

20. One whose enemies rise up (against him) falls into lust for food.

21. When a person feels itching in his body, he should know that he has enemies. Sometimes through the blows and bruises he brings upon his own body, he is saved from enemies, for one is in exchange for the other.

22. There are two tzaddikim, one of whose words are in plowing, and the other's in harvesting; or one whose words erect the the bris (circumcision – a holy reference to the male covenant) for relations, and the other's words draw the seed and create the fetus in its mother's womb, and cultivate it. Thus, when there is an argument between these two tzaddikim, an outsider should not involve himself in their words that they speak one on another, in order no to ruin the goal.

23. One who has enemies should prohibit himself from wine, and through this he will become their head (i.e. leader or ruler).

24. A segulah to be saved from one's enemies—whether they are enemies in controversy or enemies on the routes of travel— of whom he is afraid; is to say all the names of the ta'amim (incantation notes) of the Torah—that is: Pashta, Munach, Zarkah, etc.