בושה SHAME: 14- 19

14. When shame comes upon a person, it is certain that he does not have the quality of trust (in G-d).

15. One who digs a pit, in the end he will be shamed (to whatever degree), and sometimes the matter causes him to become the subject of gossip among people.

16. Through having trust (in G-d), shame will not come upon him.

17. One who steals from the poor, shame comes upon him.

18. When a person cusses and embarrasses you, and he is not your enemy, carry and bear the shame, for it is certainly from Heaven that he should berate you. And by this shame, you will be hidden and concealed from the satan, who hates you and is always overbearing upon you and accusing you. Through this shame that you bear from one who is not your enemy, through this the enemy, the satan, will not overbearing on you.

19. Through adulation, you will become an object of derision amongst the (gentile) nations, and the (gentile) nations will curse you and be enraged at you.

שוחט BUTCHER:

SECOND BOOK:

1. Through (morally) upright butchers, people have mercy on each other, and the opposite is also true.

2. A butcher who fulfills (the commandment to) honor his father, the Holy One -Blessed is He- guards him from feeding people non-kosher meat, and the opposite is also true.

3. Due to wicked butchers who feed (i.e. distribute) non-kosher meat, robberies increase in the world.

4. Those with pure vision can see on the knives of the butchers the vessels of the Holy Temple.

5. Someone who becomes suddenly mute, a kosher butcher's knife should be passed over his mouth.

ממון MONEY: book one 56-63

56. Through poverty, one is spared from the punishment of Hell.

57. Through using holy names, come poverty and death, and even to someone who is able to protest it and does not.

58. When someone is in a position that he should be screaming out against his fellowman who is stealing from him even jeopardizing his food, but is silent, G-d does justice for him.

59. When a man sees that his food (/income) is limited, he should give part of it to charity.

60. Worry and strain over his income (/food) diminishes the strength of a man.

61. Through sexual immorality comes poverty.

62. Sometimes when a tzaddik has no fortune with respect to income, opposers are brought up against him, and through this, he is given the income that was intended for them.

63. One who is involved with construction becomes poor.

ממון MONEY: book one 10-19

10. A man's wife does not die unless others ask him for money and he does not have it.

11. The power that the non-Jewish nations have to steal from Israel comes from their studying the Scriptures.

12. Wine brings poverty.

13. A man who has cognizance, in the end becomes wealthy.

14. One who steals from his fellow-man, through this they make him impure with the impurity of subconscious emission.

15. When some new understanding comes to a man, it is certain that great wealth is attached to its heel.

16. Money of a Jew that falls into the hands of a gentile, immediately becomes permissible (i.e. another Jew can salvage the money for himself).

17. One whose sons and daughters are enduring famine, through this he is spared from the judgment of burning that is one of the four death-sentences of the religious courts.

18. One who disregards the safeguards the Rabbis established to protect the Torah becomes poor.

19. One who overcomes his lust of eating, merits to a nice abode.

רחמנות MERCY: book one

1. One who has mercy on the poor, merits to see the comfort of G-d, may He be blessed.

2. Also, he will always win.

3. When there is no mercy, hunger comes to the world.

4. Also, thievery increases.

5. One who prays with force merits to have mercy on the poor.

6. One who does not have mercy goes insane.

7. One who pays back good for evil, increases his length of days and years.

8. Through having mercy, your base desires are annulled.

9. When you see that your brother is in pain, and you do not help him, it is as if you did the harm.

10. One who sees his friend in pain must ask for mercy on his behalf.

11. Through asking for mercy, one merits to make marital matches which are good and honorable.

12. One who judges people favorably merits receiving the festivals appropriately.

דעת COGNIZANCE (da'as): book two 12-17 (end)

12. Through converts, cognizance is increased in the world.

13. Even the prophets only know what the Holy One, Blessed is He, reveals to them.

14. One who is a man of great physical might does not have much cognizance.

15. Large steps confuse the mind from in-depth study.

16. Through stealing, one loses cognizance.

17. When the coarseness of one comes into the thoughts of his friend, and the coarseness of the friend come into his thoughts, from this is created the ceiling of the world.

נפילה Falling: - book one

נפילה Falling:

BOOK ONE

1. Sometimes, a man falls from his level in his old age.

2. Through collecting taxes, a man falls from his level.

3. Through jealousy one falls from his level.

4. Due to jealousy, a person does not have consistency. Sometimes he prays with enthusiasm and learns with diligence, and other times, the prayer and learning are a burden to him.

5. One who blunders in his speech [stammers —and certainly, one needs a fluent tongue for everything he needs to express—but one who (nevertheless) blunders in his speech, it is certain that his livelihood has been curtailed, and he is in need of great kindness and salvation, that the Holy One, Blessed be He, should grant him his livelihood.

6. By (taking) an oath, a person's longings can be recognized [alternate version: his longings are cut off. Both versions are correct, however only one justifies this dictum to be categorized here under the entry of falling].

7. When a man slips and falls, this is because he had strengthened himself to commit a sin.

8. When you begin doing a mitzvah, and the beginning is with all your heart, you will be successful in fulfilling this mitzvah, and no harm will come to you.

9. One who falls from his awe of G-d, it is certain that his awe was not pure.

10. A person falls due to desire for money.

11. If you guard yourself from thievery, and from oaths, and from falsehood, you will not fall from your level.

12. When a man prays in a minyan which includes wicked people, they sometimes send him down. A segulah (to be protected) for this is to raise one's hands up during prayer.

13. One whose heart falls from its enthusiasm, it is because he hates the Tzaddik.

14. The Tzaddik who rules the world with Truth will not fall from his importance.

15. One who flees from honor and the honor pursues him, will certainly not descend from nor fall in prestige.

16. Through attachment to tzaddikim, one will not fall from one's level.

נהנה מאחרים ACCEPTING BENEFIT FROM OTHERS: - book one

נהנה מאחרים ACCEPTING BENEFIT FROM OTHERS:

BOOK ONE

1. When a tzaddik accepts money from a wicked person, even if the money is possibly stolen, it is permitted for the tzaddik to accept it, so that the wicked one will not take on some wicked Torah scholar, claiming that the scholar is a tzaddik, giving him the money, and he will oppose the True Tzaddik.

2. Since the proliferation of those who accept gifts, days have become diminished and years shortened.

3. A person who you received benefit from one time - do not humiliate him.

4. One who weighs his clout on the Jewish people ends up being needy of others.

5. One who does favors for others is permitted to benefit from them, and they ought to serve him.

6. Through the benefit you receive from your fellow man, through this you suffer pain due to his sins.

7. One who does not accept money from others, will raise all his seed (the Hebrew word for raise or bring up, can also mean will make great).

8. The King funds his expenditures from the people.

9. One must be involved in some form of business, in order that ultimately he will not need arrest the study of (lit. words of) Torah.

10. One who asks for his portion verbally is as if he had stolen.

11. One who is reliant on his friend's table, his world is darkened, and his life is not considered life.

12. One who has a neshamah (Jewish soul) is able to enjoy from smell.

Children - BOOK TWO

BOOK TWO:

1. One who suffers in the raising of his children (this includes having children), should read the Biblical passages describing the Creation, everyday. Also, through this reading, one is saved from the accusations of being a thief.

2. A segulah for having children is humbling oneself.

.

3. Planting a vineyard is damaging to the growth of fetuses.

4. Endeavoring to free captives is a segulah for giving birth.

5. The saying of the ma'amadot is helpful for [having] children.

6. A woman whose children die from the disease called samkah—that is, zedushin— should wash them in oil, and then burn this oil afterwards while performing a ritual immersion.

7. 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.

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8. The letter hey (fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet) made out of silver, is a segulah for propagation.

9. Sometimes the construction of the house prevents a woman from birthing, as when the beams are not placed according to their order from the Six Days of Creation. In such a case, the house is as if it were destroyed, even though it is standing. This destruction comes and harms the woman, and she does not give birth.

10. One must look for a mohel who is righteous and G-d fearing. For when the mohel is not fitting, it can happen that the child, [when he is grown,] will not be able to have children (lit. cause birth). Also, when the mohel is not fitting, the child can, G-d forbid, come to suffer from "falling disease" (often translated as epilepsy).

11. [A deceased person] who has a son involved in studying the Torah, is as if he never died.

12. The milk of a righteous woman is good for a child’s (lit. baby’s) fear of Heaven, and also gives him dominion over this world.

13. Death of one's children, G-d forbid, comes through causing one's friend to fall away from his faith.

14. When there is peace in a country's government, the Jews give birth to master teachers.

15. One who guards himself in, as well as the season and time of, sexual relations, that they are balanced—that is to say, that neither he nor the season is too hot or too cold—through this, the children born to him will be great sages.

16. One who has control over his desires causes that his children will not be drawn to evil ways, that his money is blessed, and that he will not be put to a test.

17. Even a woman who is righteous, but not of respected lineage, will have unworthy children.

18. In a time of abundant grain in the world, it is a sign that males will be born. In a time of abundant wine, it is a sign for the birth of females.

19. One who does not have a son should accustom himself to bring gifts to Torah scholars, and say the section of Torah verses about the first-fruit offering. Also, he should increase his study of Talmud, and minimize his study of Aggadah, for studying Aggadah is a segulah for having girls.

20. By learning the codes of Jewish law until one is able to render halachic decisions, one causes a number of barren women to conceive.

21. Sometimes, through being held in prison, one is saved from being barren of children.

22. Through charity one merits to have children.

23. A segulah for a woman who is having difficulty giving birth is to hang the keys to the cemetery from her neck. This is also a segulah for becoming pregnant.

24. Children die, G-d forbid, by seeing a seminal emission.

25. There are trees which, when their wood is used to make one's bed, hinder birth and raising children. Conversely, there are trees which promote birth and raising children.

26. One who has had children die at a young age should have his [living] child’s mother make a coat that he should wear always, until he matures.

27. When the Jews are fruitful and multiply, the non-Jewish nations make new harsh decrees upon us.

28. Self-mortification is helpful for giving birth.

29. Thorns are fortuitous for giving birth.

30. Someone who is born circumcised, it is certain that his imagination is good and pleasant.

Charity - Book One

צדקה TZEDUKA - CHARITY:

1. All the charity and kindness that the Jewish People do in this world [engenders] great peace and [the formation of] angelic advocates between Israel and their Father in Heaven.

2. Great is charity, in that it brings the Redemption near.

3. And saves from death.

4. And [causes the] receiving of the Divine Presence.

5. And one is made a lender to the Holy Blessed One.

6. And raises his fortune (mazal).

7. And he is called a tzaddik completely (i.e. an absolutely righteous person).

8. Through charity, a person becomes (a fulfillment of Biblical injuction) “avoid evil”.

9. It is a greater mitzva (good Torah deed) to provide food for those who study (literally - occupied with) the Torah than for those who do not study. However, from the standpoint of halachah (religious law), there is no (grounds) to differentiate.

10. When one extracts stolen goods from the hands of his fellowman, it is as if he has given charity (translators note: according to Rabbi Nachman of Tcherin, Rabbi Nachman is coming from the same place as the Talmud in Tractate Sanhedrin 6b, if this is the case, the considered charity is being given to the thief, in that which he is being saved from retaining the theft).

11. Compromise is a legal judgment wherein there is charity (translators note: that part which is forfeited to the other litigant).

12. One who gives charity to an improper poor person is not rewarded for it.

13. It is necessary to be appreciative to one who gives, and you should not say that he didn't give of his own (translators note: Rabbi Nachman of Tcherin provides two places where this concept is found: 1. The Talmud (B”B 9b – see Charity item 19) teaches that by virtue of one's pursuit to give charity, God provides with money to enable him to give it, according to this it is understood that even though the money is from God, one should be appreciative to the giver. 2. The Talmud (B”K 92b) relates that people are appreciative to the waiter who brings them the wine, even though he is only delivering to them the King's wine. This is can be understood with everything in the world really belonging to God, even still one should be appreciative to the person who gives. This second instance is a much greater application, for here the waiter is simply a messenger giving nothing of his own, where as in the first instance the charity giver pursuit to give the charity is what led to God providing him with the means to do so).

14. Charity has the importance of all the other commandments combined.

15. The one who brings another to do [i.e. give charity, i.e. the one collecting the charity] is greater than the one who does [who gives the charity].

16. Every penny and penny (of charity one gives) is added together into a large sum.

17. One who gives charity in a hidden manner is greater than Moshe (Moses) [translators note: This has to be understood in context of the regular function of Moshe as the leader of Israel, because obviously Moshe also gave charity in a hidden manner (see Tosfos in B”B 9b)].

18. One who gives a coin to a poor person is blessed with six (blessings), and one who placates him is blessed with eleven (blessings).

19. One who pursues (opportunities to give) charity, G-d provides him with money, and provides him with upright people (in need of charity), in order that he should gain reward from (giving charity to) them, and he merits having children who are wealthy, wise, and masters of Aggadah (homiletic and non-legalistic exegetical section of the Torah).

20. On Rosh HaShana, man is judged how much money he will lose (i.e. fail to keep). If he merits, he gives that money to the poor.

21. Jerusalem is redeemed with charity.

22. Through charity, Achav (translator's note: one of the most evil Kings of Israel) was forgiven half (of his sins).

23. Hospitality protects one from the (punishment of the) sin of idolatry.

24. Great is hospitality, in that makes those who are close (to holiness) distanced (tranlator's note: If the purpose of the hospitality was to bring the guest to sin), and brings near (to holiness) those who are distant.

25. One who invites a non-Jew into his house and serves him causes his children to be exiled.

26. When the people do not give charity, the government passes harsh decrees and takes their money.

27. One should give charity with both hands [which causes] his prayer to be heard.

28. Through generosity you will have a standing.

29. Through charity comes faith.

30. One who goes out for the benefit of charities, sedates rage from the world.

31. Also, he merits to truth.

32. Through charity, you will have children, and there will be peace between them.

33. Through charity, the fruit proliferate.

34. Through charity, one draws salvation close.

35. In a time of trouble, the charity one did is remembered for him.

36. Through the charity you give, officials and kings will also have peaceful relations with you.

37. Through charity a person will not hear (know) from theft, armed pillage, or hunger.

38. Through charity a person merits grace.

39. One who urges people to give charity increases salvation.

40. When there is not someone in a city to support the needy, fire comes upon it.

41. In the merit of charity, one is saved from arrogance.

42. Faith is reckoned as charity.

43. Through charity given for the sake of Heaven, one comes to the quality of [holy] shame.

44. Through generosity one comes to love the tzaddikim.

45. One who steals from the poor, humiliation comes to him.

46. One who gives charity is as if he offered a sacrifice.

47. Through charity comes rain.

48. Through charity the Jews are not banished from their place.

49. When people give charity, the fruits are blessed and there is peace in the world.

50. Through truth, the charity you do is noted (lit. seen).

51. Charity protects a person’s descendants.

52. One who prays for one's friend, it is reckoned for him as charity.

53. One who is materially well-off, and despite that, is miserly (literally, a bad eye) toward the poor who approach and beg him (literally, stretch out their hands) to give them; also, one who provides funding for a venture for half the profits, and they work and bring him his half, and when he sees that they are profiting and have an income and enough to suffice, he is irked by this due to his miserliness (literally, bad eye)— on these will be fulfilled the prophecy beginning after the verse "In the fulfillment of his needs" until "This is the portion of a wicked man." (Iyov 20:22-29. See there, the Divine wrath rains down upon him etc.)

54. One who does kindness to those who love the Blessed G-d, through this he repairs the “spoiling of the Covenant” (referring to sexual transgressions).

55. In the merit of the poor, we are saved from the nations.

56. When you do a mitzvah (a commandment or good deed), see to it that the mitzva is not for free, but that you pay with a full purse.

57. Due to the sin of not giving the trumah and maaser (portions and tithes given to the priests, leviites, and poor), the Heavens are held up and there is strong inflation.

58. The joy one feels in giving charity is a sign of a whole heart.

59. Give charity (literally do), while you still have (the opportunity; that you) found [a befitting recipient], and you have [the money to give], and you are still in your own hands [i.e. able, i.e. before you die – interpretation of Rash”i in Tractate Shabbos 151b].

60. All who give their gifts to a specific Cohen (one of the Priestly tribe) [i.e. always favoring him and never giving the gifts to a different Cohen], bring famine to the world.

61. One who provides merchandise for Torah scholars to profit from, merits to sit in the Yeshiva of Heaven.

62. Charity is greater than all the sacrificial offerings.

63. Doing acts of kindness is greater than giving charity.

64. Lest you [err and] say that anyone who jumps to give charity, he is provided for, and there is produced for him proper (needy) people (to whom to give)—the Torah says, "How precious…", [meaning] one needs to labor and chase after them, for (the proper poor) they are not readily found, to merit (giving charity) with the proper (poor).

65. Charity is in two areas: According to one's generosity (i.e. when a person doesn't have very much, it is up to his generosity), and according to what God has blessed with him (i.e. when a person isn't generous, he should still be giving according to his wealth).

66. One who has (money), but does not want to use his own money for his expenditures, so he receives from others, know that they will collect from him after his death; that he will become a slave to one from whom he took.

67. One who gives charity, even still it is possible that he will be impoverished.

68. Anyone who averts their eyes from (seeing the need) to give charity, it is as if he is serving idolatry.

69. One who shears his possessions [to give charity] is saved from the judgment of Hell.

70. Even a poor person should give charity, and he will not see further signs of poverty.

Beverage

משקה MASHKE - BEVERAGES:

1. Through theft, drinks spoil.

2. Also through arrogance.