Others eat like humans, but their food is is only fit for a beast. Sparks of holiness reside in food. If these sparks have not been sufficiently purified, the food is only fit for a beast and man.
It is written, “You have caused men to ride over our heads; we have gone through fire and water” (Psalms 66:12). When we eat like an animal, we are on a low, subhuman plane. This is when “men ride over our heads.” As a result, we “go through fire and water” — with the heat and chills of fever.
It is written, “The superiority of man over beast is Nothing” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). It is further written, “And holy wisdom comes from Nothing” (Job 28:12). This holy wisdom emanates from the ultimate Gogly Nothingness.
When one eats like an animal in either way, one falls from the level of holy knowledge. One falls away to a subhuman level. One then descends to the level of the fallen love and fear.
“You have caused men to ride over our heads” refers to a subhuman level, as explained earlier; we then “went through fire and water” — the fallen love and fear.
(כְּתַב יַד הַחֲבֵרִים וְהוּא שַׁיָּךְ לְסִימָן רס"ג בְּחֵלֶק רִאשׁוֹן):
[A manuscript from one of our group relating to the lesson in Likutey Moharan I, 263.]
כִּי יֵשׁ שְׁנֵי מִינֵי אֲכִילַת הַבַּהֲמִיּוּת.
There are two ways that one can eat like an animal.
דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ אָדָם שֶׁאוֹכֵל בְּתַאֲוָה גְּדוֹלָה כִּבְהֵמָה וְהַמַּאֲכָל הוּא מַאֲכַל אָדָם.
Some eat human food with an animal’s appetite.
וְיֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁאוֹכֵל כְּאָדָם אֲבָל הַמַּאֲכָל אֵינוֹ מַאֲכַל אָדָם, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁהַנִּיצוֹצוֹת לֹא נִתְבָּרְרוּ כָּל־כָּךְ שֶׁרָאוּי לְאָדָם, אֶלָּא הוּא מַאֲכַל בְּהֵמָה.
Others eat like humans, but their food is is only fit for a beast. Sparks of holiness reside in food. If these sparks have not been sufficiently purified, the food is only fit for a beast and man.
וְהָאוֹכֵל מִשְּׁנֵי הַמַּאֲכָלִים הָאֵלּוּ בָּא לִידֵי חֳלִי הַקַּדַּחַת.
Eating like an animal in either of the two ways leads to fevers.
וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב (תְּהִלִּים סו־יב): "הִרְכַּבְתָּ אֱנוֹשׁ לְרֹאשֵׁנוּ" דְּהַיְנוּ כְּשֶׁאָנוּ בְּמַדְרֵגָה קְטַנָּה, שֶׁאָדָם גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ שֶׁאָנוּ אוֹכְלִים מִשְּׁנֵי הַמַּאֲכָלִים הַנַּ"ל, אֲזַי "בָּאנוּ בָּאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם" הַיְנוּ קַר וְחַם דְּהַיְנוּ קַדַּחַת.
It is written, “You have caused men to ride over our heads; we have gone through fire and water” (Psalms 66:12). When we eat like an animal, we are on a low, subhuman plane. This is when “men ride over our heads.” As a result, we “go through fire and water” — with the heat and chills of fever.
וַאֲפִלּוּ הָרוֹפְאִים אוֹמְרִים גַּם־כֵּן כָּךְ, שֶׁקַּדַּחַת בָּא מִן מַאֲכָל יוֹתֵר.
Physicians say that fevers come from overeating.
וְזֶה בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת, וּבְרוּחָנִיּוּת גַּם־כֵּן כָּךְ, כִּי כְּשֶׁאָדָם הוּא בִּבְחִינַת דַּעַתף אֲזַי יֵשׁ בּוֹ אַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה.
This is on the physical plane. It is also true on a spiritual level. When man has holy knowledge, he then has holy love and fear.
וּכְשֶׁנּוֹפֵל ח"ו, מִבְּחִינַת דַּעַת אֲזַי נוֹפֵל לְאַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה הַנְּפוּלָה.
When he falls from this knowledge, he drops to fallen love and fear.
וּכְשֶׁאָדָם אוֹכֵל אֶחָד מִשְּׁנֵי הַמַּאֲכָלִים הַנַּ"ל, הוּא נוֹפֵל מִבְּחִינַת דַּעַת, כִּי (קֹהֶלֶת ג): "מוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן הַבְּהֵמָה אָיִן" הַיְנוּ בְּחִינַת דַּעַת בְּחִינַת (אִיּוֹב כח): "הַחָכְמָה מֵאַיִן תִּמָּצֵא".
It is written, “The superiority of man over beast is Nothing” (Ecclesiastes 3:19). It is further written, “And holy wisdom comes from Nothing” (Job 28:12). This holy wisdom emanates from the ultimate Gogly Nothingness.
נִמְצָא כְּשֶׁאוֹכֵל מַאֲכָלִים כָּאֵלּוּ הוּא בְּחִינַת בְּהֵמָה וְנוֹפֵל מִבְּחִינַת דַּעַת וְנוֹפֵל בָּאַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה הַנְּפוּלָה.
When one eats like an animal in either way, one falls from the level of holy knowledge. One falls away to a subhuman level. One then descends to the level of the fallen love and fear.
וְזֶה שֶׁכָּתוּב "הִרְכַּבְתָּ אֱנוֹשׁ לְרֹאשֵׁנוּ" הַיְנוּ כַּנַּ"ל, אֲזַי "בָּאנוּ בָּאֵשׁ וּבַמַּיִם" דְּהַיְנוּ בָּאַהֲבָה וְיִרְאָה הַנְּפוּלָה.
“You have caused men to ride over our heads” refers to a subhuman level, as explained earlier; we then “went through fire and water” — the fallen love and fear.