איתא כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה (עי' גמרא מנוחות דק"י ע"א), כשאדם מחדש איזה דבר חכמה בתורה הוא נותן מוחין באותן הדיבורים, מפני שהיו המוחין בתחלה בהעלם מלובשים באותן הדיבורים, ועכשיו הוא מפשיט אותם מהלבוש, ומתגלים ומתגדלים, וזהו קישוטי כלה, וכן כשהוא מדבר דברי תורה בדחילו ורחימו, הוא נותן מוחין באלו הדיבורים, [ולכן] כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה, מפני שכאשר הוא מדבק באותן הדיבורים ביראה ובאהבה, אז הוא נותן חיות חדש באלו הדיבורים, אף על פי שנתקלקלו מחמת חטאים, אף על פי כן הם לבושין דמלכא, אבל כשהיה בית המקדש קיים והיה מקריב קרבן עולה, היה נותן כח אף בעולם המעשה: (לקוטי אמרים ד"ג ע"ג, והוא בקיצור בכש"ט ח"ב ד"ג ע"ב).
It is said that whoever studies the laws of the burnt offering is considered to have actually offered it.1See Menachos 110a. [This is because] when a person develops an original insight into the [words of] Torah, he imbues those words with consciousness.2The Baal Shem Tov uses the Kabbalistic term Mochin, which literally means “brains,” but has the connotation of states of consciousness, such as Mochin d’Gadlus – expanded consciousness, and Mochin d’Katnus – constricted consciousness. Whereas, at first, the consciousness was hidden and enclothed in the words, he now divests it of its garments, and it becomes revealed and expanded. These are the “Ornaments of the Bride.” Likewise, when a person speaks words of Torah with fear and love [of G-d], he imbues the words with consciousness. [Therefore], whoever studies the laws of the burnt offering is considered to have offered it, for by cleaving to the words with fear and love, one gives them new life. Even though they have been damaged by sin, they are still the garments of the King.3The intention of this statement is not clear, and the words are not included in the version of this teaching found in Keter Shem Tov, par. 193. However, the Baal Shem Tov may mean that even though the Temple and sacrificial order has been destroyed due to the sins of the Jewish people, the words of Torah that correspond to these mitzvos remain. They are like a garment that covers the essential spiritual energy of the sacrifices, and allows us to add vitality to that energy when we recite the words properly. When the Temple actually stood, however, and the sacrifices were offered, vitality was drawn into the physical world itself, as the Baal Shem Tov explains further. However, when the Holy Temple stood, and the [priests] would offer the burnt offering, they would enliven even the physical world.4Literally, “the world of action.” Likutey Amorim 32
איתא כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה (עי' גמרא מנוחות דק"י ע"א), כשאדם מחדש איזה דבר חכמה בתורה הוא נותן מוחין באותן הדיבורים, מפני שהיו המוחין בתחלה בהעלם מלובשים באותן הדיבורים, ועכשיו הוא מפשיט אותם מהלבוש, ומתגלים ומתגדלים, וזהו קישוטי כלה, וכן כשהוא מדבר דברי תורה בדחילו ורחימו, הוא נותן מוחין באלו הדיבורים, [ולכן] כל העוסק בתורת עולה כאילו הקריב עולה, מפני שכאשר הוא מדבק באותן הדיבורים ביראה ובאהבה, אז הוא נותן חיות חדש באלו הדיבורים, אף על פי שנתקלקלו מחמת חטאים, אף על פי כן הם לבושין דמלכא, אבל כשהיה בית המקדש קיים והיה מקריב קרבן עולה, היה נותן כח אף בעולם המעשה:
(לקוטי אמרים ד"ג ע"ג, והוא בקיצור בכש"ט ח"ב ד"ג ע"ב).
It is said that whoever studies the laws of the burnt offering is considered to have actually offered it.1See Menachos 110a. [This is because] when a person develops an original insight into the [words of] Torah, he imbues those words with consciousness.2The Baal Shem Tov uses the Kabbalistic term Mochin, which literally means “brains,” but has the connotation of states of consciousness, such as Mochin d’Gadlus – expanded consciousness, and Mochin d’Katnus – constricted consciousness. Whereas, at first, the consciousness was hidden and enclothed in the words, he now divests it of its garments, and it becomes revealed and expanded. These are the “Ornaments of the Bride.” Likewise, when a person speaks words of Torah with fear and love [of G-d], he imbues the words with consciousness.
[Therefore], whoever studies the laws of the burnt offering is considered to have offered it, for by cleaving to the words with fear and love, one gives them new life. Even though they have been damaged by sin, they are still the garments of the King.3The intention of this statement is not clear, and the words are not included in the version of this teaching found in Keter Shem Tov, par. 193. However, the Baal Shem Tov may mean that even though the Temple and sacrificial order has been destroyed due to the sins of the Jewish people, the words of Torah that correspond to these mitzvos remain. They are like a garment that covers the essential spiritual energy of the sacrifices, and allows us to add vitality to that energy when we recite the words properly. When the Temple actually stood, however, and the sacrifices were offered, vitality was drawn into the physical world itself, as the Baal Shem Tov explains further. However, when the Holy Temple stood, and the [priests] would offer the burnt offering, they would enliven even the physical world.4Literally, “the world of action.”
Likutey Amorim 32