More Pearls from the Tzaddik: The Secret of the Heel and the Joy of Dancing

More pearls from the Tzaddik (righteous leader):

Now it is all the curses, the 98 curses (found in the Torah). The main thing is the songs and the dances of the "Ekev" (heel), because all the curses come from the verse, "Because you did not serve Hashem your G-d with joy and gladness of heart." "And it shall be Ekev" (as a consequence/heel)—the heel is what is affected.

The whole matter is to become "Ehyeh" (the Divine Name meaning "I will be"). We come to this world to be "Ehyeh"—that a person should allow himself to be trampled from all directions, and then we merit the coming of Mashiach (the Messiah). To turn into a baby, "Like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me." A person comes to this world to be like a baby. Leftovers (Shirayim). For she traveled to China and showed the Rav (Rabbi Berland) the garment, a completely white dress, pure as snow. "They shall be white as snow," she said, "and there is no Shatnez (forbidden mixture of wool and linen) in it, I checked!" The Rav said: "It is written 'borrowed'" (referring to the Talmudic teaching that on Tu B'Av, the daughters of Israel would go out in borrowed white garments so as not to embarrass those who did not have any). In another 30 days, on Yom Kippur, there will be dancing from morning until evening in the Holy Temple. What dancing! A person comes to this world for the sake of dancing.

There were 600,000 prophetesses.

A person comes to be "leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills," like Joseph, a "Gever Kapuz" (a leaping man). What is Joseph? Kapuz! (The Rav dances). He was a leaper! A person comes to the world as a "Gever Kapuz." A person comes to the world to be a leaper. This is his entire purpose.

"Ekev" (the heel)—the whole point is to make the heels jump, so that the Name Havayah (the Tetragrammaton) will enter the heels. That a person should be entirely the Name Havayah, not a single point without the Name Havayah! Dchura and Nukva (Male and Female aspects).

Balak and Bilaam suckle from the heels of Leah, which is the numerical value (Gematria) of Rachel and Leah. From the sole of Leah comes the Keter (Crown) of Rachel. Shoes—it is written that a person should sell his house to buy shoes! How much does a house cost? 5 million. And shoes? 100 shekels? If I am already selling the house, let’s build a shoe factory for the whole world.

Every person is obligated regarding the heels. "The smallest of all the nations." The Vilna Gaon zt"l brings the 98 curses, and Rabbi Meir of Shklov in "Mayim Adirim" page 118—all the curses are only... the intentions (Kavanot) of Sukkot. The whole matter until the Resurrection of the Dead, the whole matter of the "Zevuv" (fly), the Gematria (numerical value) of Zevuv is...

That the woman should be modest.

Amram divorced Yocheved; they said she "spoiled her dish" (a Talmudic idiom for a marital rift). Miriam returned them, she said, "Return to Mother!" There will be another son. For Miriam, no cloud moved (while she was quarantined with her Tzara'at/leprosy); not a single cloud rose even one millimeter. She used to walk at the head of the camp. She was the holiest. She was the "ugliest" in the world (referring to when she was afflicted with leprosy)—such ugliness had not existed since the creation of the world, the dregs of the human race... the whole test is not to curse! And afterwards (when she was healed and purified), she became a "Tzohar" (a shining precious stone), shining like the sun at noon! A person comes to the world to stand in the test! That day and night he should not embarrass such an "unattractive" woman—it doesn't matter what her beauty is, what matters is what her soul is. Afterwards, she stood in the test and became radiant like the sun at noon! Like Sarah, like the sun at noon in the light of day, literally! Her candle never went out. "And Isaac was comforted after his mother"—he saw that the candle did not go out.

The 13th of Elul is the Yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad zt"l).

All the billions in the Caribbean.