Parashat Mishpatim / פרשת משפטים

“And these are the judgments which you shall set before them”
Rabbi Shimon says that the title verse refers to the rules concerning reincarnation – the judgments of souls that are to be sentenced according to
their punishable acts.
Rabbi Shimon opened with the words, “And these are the
judgments which you shall set before them” (Shemot 21:1). ALSO IN
THE ARAMAIC TRANSLATION, IT SPEAKS OF JUDGMENTS. These
are the rules concerning reincarnation, NAMELY, the judgments of
souls that INCARNATE AGAIN IN THIS WORLD to be sentenced each
according to its punishable acts.
“If you buy a Hebrew servant…”
Rabbi Shimon continues by saying that unperfected souls are forced to be born again until they have finished correcting the six levels of Chesed,
Gvurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod and Yesod. Only when they are from the aspect of the seventh, the Shechinah, are they allowed to go free. We learn of
the three souls: the one called a maidservant, the one called a handmaid, and the one called the King’s daughter. Rabbi Shimon also speaks of the
maidservant, that is the Neshamah of Briyah, the manservant, that is the Ruach of Yetzirah, and the handmaid of the King’s daughter, that is the
Nefesh of Asiyah. A righteous man can also be given a Nefesh of Atzilut and a Ruach of Atzilut and even a Neshamah from the aspect of Aba and
Ima. If he has more merit he is given Yud Hei Vav Hei which is the secret of man in the upper way of Atzilut. Then he is named after the image of his
Master, and will “have dominion over the fish of the sea.” He will have power throughout the firmaments.
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve, and in the
seventh he shall go out free” (Shemot 21:2). RABBI SHIMON SAID
TO THEM, friends, the time has come to reveal some hidden
mysteries concerning incarnation. “If you buy a Hebrew servant, six
years he shall serve,” NAMELY, the soul is required to incarnate,
EITHER BECAUSE OF SINS, OR BECAUSE IT HAD NOT
COMPLETELY FULFILLED DURING ITS LIFETIME THE TORAH AND
THE PRECEPTS. IT IS FORCED TO COME BACK TO THIS WORLD
AND DON A BODY, THAT IS, TO BE BORN AGAIN AND FINISH
WHAT WAS IMPOSED ON IT FOR THE SEVENTY YEARS OF LIFE IN
THIS WORLD. If it is of the aspect of THE ANGEL Metatron IN THE
WORLD OF BRIYAH, which comprises six levels OF CHESED,
GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, it is written of it,
“six years he shall serve.” It is required to incarnate only until IT
FINISHES correcting the six levels, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET,
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, of the same place whence it was
taken, NAMELY METATRON.
But if the soul is from the aspect of the Shechinah, which is
seventh, NAMELY MALCHUT OF ATZILUT THAT IS SEVENTH TO
CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, surely it
is written OF IT, “and in the seventh he shall go out free.” For no
work pertains to a righteous man, WHO MERITS A SOUL FROM
MALCHHUT OF ATZILUT, AS HE IS OF THE ASPECT OF SHABBAT,
TO WHICH NO WORK, NAMELY EXTRACTING MOCHIN, APPLIES.
Since no work or enslavement are affixed to him, it says of the soul
that originates there, “and in the seventh he shall go out free;” no
enslavement binds it.
In the meanwhile, behold an old sage coming down to him. He
said to him, Rabbi, if this is so, what about the addition of the soul
that is derived from it, of which it says, “in it you shall not do any
work, you, nor your son, nor your daughter, your manservant, nor
your maidservant…” (Shemot 20:10)?1
RABBI SHIMON said to him, old man, do you ask this?! Assuredly
it was said of the soul of a righteous man, WHICH IS FROM ATZILUT,
that though it had to come down to incarnate in all these, NAMELY,
even in a manservant or a maidservant, or cattle, which are Wheels,
NAMELY IN THE WORLD OF ASIYAH, or in any other living creatures
whence human souls originate, it is written of it, “you shall not do
any work.” This is the meaning of, “you shall not compel him to work
as a bondservant” (Vayikra 25:39), NAMELY you shall not compel a
righteous man, who is Shabbat, to work as a bondservant,
METATRON, who is a weekday.
Yet old man, Shabbat is an only daughter, NAMELY MALCHUT,
and the soulmate of the righteous, who is ALSO Shabbat, NAMELY,
ACCORDING TO THE VERSE, “AND IN THE SEVENTH HE SHALL GO
OUT FREE.” If this is so, what is the meaning of, “If he take another
wife” (Shemot 21:10)? He said to him, a distinction should be made
there. She is the secular part of Shabbat, AND THE VERSE, “IF HE
TAKE ANOTHER WIFE,” REFERS TO IT. For there is another KIND
OF NON-HOLINESS that is not the secular part of Shabbat but of the
impure handmaid. He said to him, so what is the secular part of
Shabbat? He said to him, it is the maidservant IN BRIYAH, who is the
body of the only daughter, as the only daughter, WHO IS MALCHUT
OF ATZILUT, IS CLOTHED IN IT AS A SOUL IN A BODY. It is of it that
it says, “If he take another wife.”
Come and see, there is a soul called a maidservant, a soul that is
called a handmaid and a soul that is called the King’s daughter.
EACH IS NAMED AFTER THE PLACE WHENCE IT ORIGINATES, OR
WHERE IT INCARNATES. There is a man here, NAMELY, A MAN
THAT SELLS HIS DAUGHTER FOR A MAIDSERVANT, of whom it
says, “Hashem is a man of war” (Shemot 15:3), NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN
OF ATZILUT, and a man, of whom it says, “and the man
Gabriel” (Daniel 9:21) IN THE WORLD OF BRIYAH. THIS IS THE
MEANING OF, “AND IF A MAN,” THAT IS THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED
BE HE, “SELL HIS DAUGHTER TO BE A MAIDSERVANT” (SHEMOT
21:7), NAMELY, THE SOUL OF ATZILUT CALLED “THE ONLY ONE
OF HER MOTHER” (SHIR HASHIRIM 6:9), TO INCARNATE IN THE
WORLD OF BRIYAH, TO WHICH BELONGS THE ASPECT OF THE
BODY OF THE SHECHINAH THAT IS CALLED A MAIDSERVANT.
For this reason, if the soul that requires incarnation is the
daughter of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY, DRAWN FROM
MALCHUT OF ATZILUT, it must not be thought of that it would be
sold to a foreign body OF THE KLIPAH, where the Evil Inclination of
the aspect of Samael rules. Heaven forbid ONE WOULD SAY SO, for
it is written, “I am Hashem, that is My name; and My glory will I not
give to another” (Yeshayah 42:8), which is the Evil Inclination. FOR
IF THE SOUL IS FROM ATZILUT, EVEN THOUGH IT INCARNATES
INTO THE WORLD OF BRIYAH, NO WORK OR ENSLAVEMENT TO
THE KLIPOT APPLIES TO IT, AS MENTIONED.
And if you ask whether the body where the King’s daughter
abides, WHICH IS CALLED A MAIDSERVANT, is sold to the lower
crowns of impurity, heaven forbid! It says of it, “the land shall not be
sold for ever; for the land is Mine” (Vayikra 25:23). The body of the
King’s daughter is Metatron, and the body is the Shechinah’s
maidservant, WHICH THE SHECHINAH DONS. And though the King’s
daughter’s soul is trapped there, incarnating there, it is written of it,
“And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go
out as the menservants do.”1
Also, “And if a man sell” refers to the Holy One, blessed be He,
and “his daughter” is Yisrael, who are from the aspect of the only
daughter. THAT IS, SINCE THEY ARE DRAWN FROM MALCHUT, they
are called His daughter. And if you argue that they will go out IN THE
FUTURE like those WHO LEFT EGYPT, WHO WERE from the aspect
of the servant Metatron, who were fleeing Egypt, IT SAYS OF IT, “she
shall not go out as the menservants do.” This is the meaning of, “For
you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight” (Yeshayah 52:12).
Come and see, when a man is born, he is given a Nefesh of the
animal element from the side of purity, from those that are called the
holy Wheels, NAMELY FROM THE WORLD OF ASIYAH. If he gains
further merit, he is given a Ruach from the aspect of the holy living
creatures, NAMELY FROM THE WORLD OF YETZIRAH. If he merits
further, he is given a Neshamah from the part of the throne, NAMELY
FROM THE WORLD OF BRIYAH. These three are the maidservant,
the manservant and the handmaid of the King’s daughter. THEY ARE
NESHAMAH, RUACH AND NEFESH FROM THE EXPANDING OF
MALCHUT THROUGH BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH. THE
MAIDSERVANT IS THE NESHAMAH OF BRIYAH, THE MANSERVANT
THE RUACH OF YETZIRAH AND THE HANDMAID IS THE NEFESH OF
ASIYAH.
If he gains further merit, he is given a Nefesh of the path of
Atzilut, from the part of the only daughter called the King’s daughter,
NAMELY MALCHUT OF ATZILUT. If he is more meritorious, he is
given Ruach of Atzilut from the side of the Central Pillar THAT IS
ZEIR ANPIN and he is called a child of the Holy One, blessed be He.
That is the meaning of, “You are the children of Hashem your
Elohim” (Devarim 14:1). If he has more merit he is given a Neshamah
from the aspect of Aba and Ima, WHICH ARE BINAH, as written, “and
breathed into his nostrils the breath (lit. ‘NESHAMAH’) of
life” (Beresheet 2:7). What is life? It is Yah, WHICH ARE ABA AND
IMA, of whom it says, “Let everything that has breath (lit.
‘NESHAMAH’) praise Yah (Yud Hei)” (Tehilim 150:6). With them, the
name of Yud Hei Vav Hei is completed. FOR RUACH AND NEFESH
OF ATZILUT ARE VAV HEI AND NESHAMAH OF ATZILUT IS YUD
HEI, THUS FORMING TOGETHER YUD HEI VAV HEI.
If he has more merit, he is given Yud Hei Vav Hei fully spelled
THUS: Yud Vav Dalet, Hei ALEPH, Vav ALEPH Vav, Hei ALEPH,
which is the secret of man, WHICH NUMERICAL VALUE IS 45, in the
upper way of Atzilut. THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN WHEN HE IS A GARMENT
TO SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA, WHICH ARE THE SECRET OF
CHOCHMAH, WHICH IS SPELLED WITH THE SAME LETTERS AS
THOSE OF ‘THE POWER OF (HEB. KO’ACH) MEM HEI’. And he is
named after the image of his Master, and it says of him, “and have
dominion over the fish of the sea…” (Beresheet 1:28). He has power
throughout the firmaments, over all the Wheels, Serafim and living
creatures, and over all the hosts and legions above and below.
Hence, when one merits the Nefesh of the aspect of the only
daughter, it says of him, “she shall not go out as the menservants
do.”
The old sage (Saba)
Rabbi Yosi recounts to Rabbi Chiya a number of annoying riddles that had been posed to him by an old merchant with whom he had traveled on a
voyage. The two rabbis call for the merchant to speak to them. The merchant says that there are matters of wisdom hidden in every subject of the
Torah, all of which require interpretation. He goes on to speak about the verse “And if a priest’s daughter be married to a stranger”, telling how the
soul is drawn from Binah and clothed with Chesed that puts them into the Tree of Life; then the souls soar from there and enter the treasury,
Malchut. He says that it is important to know how to be careful when attracting a soul into a body during intercourse. During our lives we must
conduct ourselves to the good side so that the great scales are balanced and tipped to the good side.1
Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi met one night in a tower in Tyre and
lodged there. They rejoiced in each other. Rabbi Yosi said, how glad
I am to have seen the face of the Shechinah, for the whole way I was
annoyed by a certain old merchant, who questioned me throughout
the voyage.
HE ASKED ME who is the serpent that soared in the air and goes
on in separation so that in the meantime there is rest to a certain ant
that lies in its jaws. It starts connected and ends up divided. And
what is an eagle that nests in a tree that does not exist; its stolen
young are not creatures, because there were created where they
were not created. When they go up they go down and when they go
down they go up; two that are one and one that is three. What is a
beautiful eyeless maiden, whose body is hidden yet revealed, who
goes out during the morning and covers herself during the day, and
adorns herself with nonexistent adornment.
He asks me all that along the way and I was annoyed. Now I have
rest. Had we been together, we would have delved into the words of
the Torah, instead of my dealing with other vain things. Rabbi Chiya
said, do you know that old merchant? He said to him, I know that his
words are senseless, for had he known he would have expounded
with the Torah and the way would not have been spent aimlessly.
Rabbi Chiya said, the merchant is here. Sometimes one may find
golden bells, THAT IS, GOLDEN TONGUES in vain people. He said to
him, he is here and gives his ass fodder.
They called for him and he came before them. He said to them,
now two are three, BECAUSE AFTER JOINING THEM THERE ARE
THREE; and three are as one, AS THEY JOINED TOGETHER. Rabbi
Yosi said, did I not tell you that his words are senseless and empty?
He sat before them.
He said to them, gentlemen, I have become a merchant but a
while ago. At first I was not a merchant but I had a young child,
whom I placed in school and wanted him to study Torah.
THEREFORE I BECAME A MERCHANT SO I COULD SUPPORT HIM.
When I find one of the sages travelling, I lead my donkeys after him.
Today I have thought I would hear new expositions of the Torah, but
have heard nothing.1
Rabbi Yosi said, in all your words, I wondered about one only.
Either you spoke in jest or these words are worthless. The old man
asked, what is that? RABBI YOSI SAID, a beautiful eyeless maiden,
etc.
The old man opened with, “Hashem is on my side: I will not fear:
what can a man do to me? Hashem takes my part with those who
help me…It is better to take refuge in Hashem…” (Tehilim 118:6-8).
How goodly, pleasant, precious and lofty are the words of Torah.
And I, how could I say before these sages that I have heard from
them not even one word until now? Yet I should speak up, because I
am not ashamed to speak words of Torah in public.
That old man wrapped himself, and spoke, “And if a priest’s
daughter be married to a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of
the holy things” (Vayikra 22:12). This verse is followed by another,
“But if a priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no
child, and has returned to her father’s house, as in her youth, she
shall eat of her father’s bread: but no stranger shall eat of it” (Ibid.
13). These verses may be understood literally, yet the words of the
Torah are undisclosed, AS THERE ARE SECRETS IN EACH AND
EVERY MATTER.
And many are the matters of wisdom hidden in each and every
subject in the Torah, which are known to the wise who know the
ways of the Torah. For the Torah is not the context of dreams
handed to those who interpret them, or follow the mouth of the
interpreter, yet they have to be interpreted according to their ways.
And if dream matters need interpreting according to their ways, how
much more so the words of the Torah, the delights of the Holy King,
needs to be followed in the true path, as written, “for the ways of
Hashem are right…” (Hoshea 14:10).
Now we should say, “a priest’s daughter” is the supernal
Neshamah, the daughter of the patriarch Abraham, the first of
converts, WHO IS CHESED. He attracts this Neshamah from a
supernal place, THAT IS BINAH. HE ASKS, what is the difference
between the verses, “And the daughter of any priest” (Vayikra 21:9),
and “And if a priest’s daughter”? HE ANSWERS, some priests are
called ‘any priest’ but not a real priest. In the same way, there is a
priest, an aid and a high priest, and a priest that is not high. A mere
priest is higher than any priest. THEREFORE THERE ARE GRADES
TO THE SOUL, there are Neshamah, Ruach and Nefesh. THE HIGH
PRIEST IS THE NESHAMAH, A PRIEST IS RUACH AND ANY PRIEST
IS NEFESH.1
“And if a priest’s daughter be married to a stranger”: this is the
holy Neshamah that is drawn from a lofty place, WHICH IS BINAH,
and enters into the closure of the Tree of Life, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN.
And when the Ruach (or ‘wind’) of the high priest, WHICH IS
CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN, blows and bestows souls, THAT IS,
CLOTHES THE SOULS WITH CHESED AND PUTS THEM in that tree,
WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, the souls soar from them and enter a
treasury, WHICH IS MALCHUT.
Woe to the world, for people do not know how to be careful when
attracting A SOUL INTO A BODY DURING INTERCOURSE by means
of the Evil Inclination, which is a stranger. And that priest’s
daughter, WHICH IS THE SOUL, flies down and finds an edifice,
NAMELY A BODY, in a strange man. Since this is the will of its
Master, it goes in there to be subdued and has no power, and is not
perfected in this world upon its leaving it. It “may not eat of an
offering of the holy things,” like the other souls that reached
perfection in this world.
There is something else to this verse, “And if a priest’s daughter
be married to a stranger.” The holy soul is ashamed to be married to
a stranger, that is, it is drawn upon a converted proselyte and flies to
it from the Garden of Eden in a hidden way, to the edifice, NAMELY
THE BODY, that is built of the impure foreskin, SINCE ITS FATHERS
WERE NOT CIRCUMCISED. This is the meaning of “a stranger.”
This is the loftiest secret. On a pillar set for weighing, in the
midst of the blowing air, there are scales on the one side, THE
RIGHT, and other scales on the other, THE LEFT; true scales on this
RIGHT side, and false scales on that LEFT side. These scales are
never quiet. The souls go up and down, come and return BY MEANS
OF THESE SCALES. Some souls are wronged, when the man OF
THE OTHER SIDE has power over the man OF HOLINESS, as written,
“a time when one man rules over another to his own hurt” (Kohelet
8:9), assuredly to his own hurt.
But the soul that was married to the Other Side CALLED a
stranger and was wronged by it, it is “to his own hurt,” that of the
stranger. And it, “may not eat of an offering of the holy things,” AS
THE OTHER SOULS, until the Holy One, blessed be He, does with it
that which is to be done, THAT IS, HE CORRECTS IT, AS SHALL BE
EXPLAINED. CONCERNING THIS the verse says, “And if a priest’s
daughter be married to a stranger,” it shall be so, THAT IT “MAY NOT
EAT OF AN OFFERING OF THE HOLY THINGS.”
There is a secret here about the way souls are wronged. For
everything in this world is guided by the Tree of Knowledge of Good
and Evil, WHICH IS MALCHUT. When people in the world conduct
themselves according to the good side, RECONCILED BY THE
CENTRAL COLUMN, the scales are balanced and are tipped to the
good side. When they conduct themselves according to the Evil
Side, the scales tip to that side, THE OTHER SIDE, which takes all
the souls that were on the scales at that time and wrongs them.1
But it is “to his own hurt,” THE OTHER SIDE’S, because those
souls subdue all they find of the Evil Side and consume it. And
indicative for that is the holy Ark, which was violated by the
Philistines who had power over it to their own hurt, SINCE THEY
AND THEIR DEITIES WERE PLAGUED BY IT. Here too, the souls
wronged by the Other Side, it is to its own hurt.
We have seen in ancient books what had come of these wronged
souls. Some of them were righteous of the nations. These are
bastard scholars, and bastard scholars are better than ignorant high
priests, and are more valuable in the world, even though THE HIGH
PRIEST enters the innermost HOLY OF HOLIES. The old man wept
for a moment. The friends were amazed and said nothing.
The old man opened with, “If she please not her master, who has
designated her for himself, then shall he let her be redeemed, to sell
her to a strange nation…” (Shemot 21:8). This passage was said in
relation to this hidden matter OF WRONGED SOULS, “And if a man
sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the
menservants do. If she pleases not…” (Ibid. 7). Master of the
Universe, who will not fear You, who governs all the kings in the
world, as written, “Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
For to You it is fitting…” (Yirmeyah 10:7).
How many people in the world read wrong and err in this verse.
They all recite it, yet they do not rightly explain the verse. Is the Holy
One, blessed be He, called the King of the nations? Yet He is the
King of Yisrael. And He is also named in the verse, “When the most
High divided to the nations their inheritance” (Devarim 32:8), and,
“For Hashem’s portion is His people” (Ibid. 9). So He is called the
King of Yisrael. If you argue that He is called the King of the nations,
it is to their advantage that the Holy One, blessed be He, reigns over
them instead, as it is said, that they were given to His ministers and
appointed officers.
Moreover, the end of the passage states, “for among all the wise
men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like
You…” (Yirmeyah 10:7). All this praise is directed to the other
nations. It is wonder that they are not raised in this verse to the
highest heaven. AS THE VERSE GIVES THEIR SAGES AND
KINGDOMS SOME RELATION TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE,
THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO SAY THAT HE IS GREATER THAN THEY.
But the Holy One, blessed be He, blinds their eyes so they do not
know Him at all, which is what we say that they are all nothing, less
than nothing and vanity, as written, “All nations before Him are as
nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and
vanity” (Yeshayah 40:7). Yet the verse gives them great and precious
importance IN SAYING THAT AMONG ALL THE SAGES OF THE
NATIONS AND THROUGHOUT THEIR KINGDOM THERE IS NONE
LIKE YOU.
The merchant talks about the greatness of God, and how he is
falsely compared to the sages of the various nations. We hear of the
names Elohim, Yud Hei Vav Hei fully spelled out, King of the Nations,
and Hashem. “For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all
their kingdoms, there is none like You.”1
Rabbi Chiya said to him, yet it is written, “Elohim reigns over the
nations…” (Tehilim 47:9). He told him, I see that you were behind
their wall, and came out with this verse to support them. I should
have answered first to all that I said, but since I have found you on
the way, I will remove you from there and thence I will move
everything.
Come and see, all these names and appellations to the names of
the Holy One, blessed be He, expand to their paths, and are clothed
in each other, and separate into specific ways and paths except for
one name, that is more refined than any other name, which He
bequeathed to the unique people, the most purified of the other
nations. It is Yud Vav Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav Aleph Vav, Hei Aleph, as
written, “For Hashem’s portion is His people,” and “But you that did
cleave of Hashem” (Devarim 4:4), CLEAVING to this very name more
than to any other name.
There is one name, of all His names, that extends into several
ways and paths, called Elohim. He bequeathed this name, and it was
divided among the lower beings in this world. This name was divided
among the ministers and the appointed officers that lead the other
nations, as written, “And Elohim came to Bilaam at night” (Bemidbar
22:20), and “But Elohim came to Abimelech in a dream by
night” (Beresheet 20:3). Also every minister that the Holy One,
blessed be He, had designated to the other nations, are part of this
name. Even idolatry is called by this name. And this name reigned
over the nations, and not the name that reigned over Yisrael, WHICH
IS THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI, which is unique to the unique
nations, the people of Yisrael, the holy nation.
But if you argue that we can explain the verse, “Who would not
fear You, O King of the nations?” that the name that is king of the
nations is Elohim, as fear pertains to it, and Judgment abides in it,
this is not so. It was not said in this context, for otherwise even
idolatry would be included in that, IN “WHO WOULD NOT FEAR
YOU,” AS EVEN IDOLATRY IS CALLED ELOHIM.1
But once the wall behind which you were leaning is torn down,
the verse prevails after some observation. “Who would not fear You,
O King of the nations?” If you would say it refers to the Holy One,
blessed be He, as the King of the nations, it is not so. But THE
EXPLANATION IS, What king of the nations would not fear You, nor
be in awe of You or tremble before You? IT IS AS IF IT WERE
WRITTEN, ‘What king of the nations would not fear You?’ Similarly,
“Haleluyah! Give praise, O servants of Hashem, praise the name of
Hashem” (Tehilim 113:1). Whoever hears it does not know what it
means. After saying Haleluyah, IT SAYS also, “Give praise, O (or:
‘to’) servants of Hashem.” It should have been written, ‘Servants of
Hashem, praise the name of Hashem’. BUT YET IT IS NECESSARY,
FOR THOUGH IT FIRST SAYS HALELUYAH, THE SUBJECT IS THE
SERVANTS OF HASHEM. Here too, THOUGH IT SAYS FIRST “WHO
WOULD NOT FEAR YOU,” THE SUBJECT IS ‘THE KING OF THE
NATIONS’. IT IS AS IF it were written, ‘Who among the kings of the
nations would not fear You’. It was all said properly.
“For among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their
kingdoms, there is none like You…” means, what is the phrase
spread among them in their wisdom – it is “there is none like You,”
and they all acknowledge that. When they see in their wisdom Your
deeds and mighty actions, this phrase spreads among them and
they say, “there is none like You.” THE LESSON OF THE VERSE IS
THAT among all the sages of the nations and throughout their
kingdoms, they say “there is none like You,” and it is known among
them. The friends rejoiced and wept, but said nothing. He too wept
again.
We learn about idolatry and about the soul that incarnates for evil
deeds in the world, as alluded to in “And if a man sell his daughter to
be a maidservant”. When God sees that a child will turn bad later in
life he gathers it in to Himself while it is still young and fragrant. The
merchant says that when God created the world he also created all
the souls that would later be incarnated into bodies, and that even
when souls do not wish to come to the world he makes them do so,
since that is why they were created. When the time comes to depart
from the world the soul must be free, refined and cleansed so that
God can be pleased with it and reward it in the Garden of Eden. The
souls are entered into the King’s book, where they are recorded with
their names. If the soul was soiled, and not worthy, it is met by
strange camps of demons who bring it to Gehenom. Pure souls are
protected by the garment that is spread on them, which is the name
Eloha. We hear that the souls of the beloved enter into the chamber
of love, which is situated underneath the Holy of Holies of Briyah, in
the hidden firmament. The Holy One, blessed be He, finds that holy
soul there, and raises it with up with Him in delight.
He opened with, “So she said to Abraham, Cast out this
bondwoman and her son…” (Beresheet 21:10). The friends have
remarked that Sarah wanted to remove idolatry from the house.
Therefore it is written, “all that Sarah has said to you, hearken to her
voice” (Ibid. 12), AS THE BONDWOMAN IS CONSIDERED IDOLATRY.
Here it is written, “And if a man sell his daughter to be a
maidservant” (Shemot 21:7), namely, the soul that incarnates for evil
deeds in the world. “To be a maidservant” refers to that other side of
the evil incarnation of the scales that reverted INTO FALSE SCALES
AS MENTIONED, and it is wronged BY THE OTHER SIDE. In taking it
out of there, it “shall not go out as the menservants do” (Ibid. 8),
which are the wronged souls, BUT IT RECEIVES A CROWN ON ITS
HEAD, AS WILL BE SAID.1
HE ASKS, who are THE SOULS mentioned here, AND ANSWERS,
this is a secret. These are the souls of young children, who suckle
on their mothers’ strength. The Holy One, blessed be He, sees that if
they will live in the world they will be bad smelling and turn sour like
vinegar. THEREFORE He gathers them when they are still young and
emit good fragrance.
What does THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, do He allows them
to be wronged by the hands of the bondwoman, who is Lilit. Once
they are placed under her power, she rejoices in that child and
oppresses him. She takes him away from the world while he is still
suckling on his mother’s strength.
If you argue that these souls will do good in the world, it is not
so, as written, “If she please not her master” (Shemot 21:8), as that
man will turn sour by it after some time, if he will go on living. This
soul is oppressed, while another is not. Of these it is written, “and
considered all the oppressions” (Kohelet 4:1). That is the meaning
of, “If she please not her master.”
“Who has designated her for himself (Heb. lo)” (Shemot 21:8).
The word ‘lo’ is spelled with Aleph to mean not. If you say the Holy
One, blessed be He, gave it to the Other Side from the first day of its
existence, it is not so. For now with the turnings of the scales, He
“has designated her for himself,” ‘lo’ being pronounced as with Vav
to mean for himself, which it was not before.
“Then shall he let her be redeemed” (Ibid.). What is the meaning
of that? HE ANSWERS, the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems it now,
WHILE it still emits GOOD fragrance, before it turns sour. He raises it
to the highest skies to His Yeshivah. If you say that since it was
wronged by the Other Side, He hands it, as was said, to scholarly
bastards and to the righteous of the nations, the verse proves that,
“to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he
has dealt deceitfully with her” (Ibid.), as He oppressed it with the
turning of the scales. But assuredly He will give it to Yisrael and to
no other. When it emerges from the scales, it “shall not go out as the
menservants do,” but is given a crown high on its head.
If you say that that side comes in the child, WHICH MEANS IT
HAS POWER OVER HIS SOUL, it is not so. But it takes the soul and
rejoices in it. He flies out of its hands and enters that place OF THE
OTHER SIDE, where it visits that child. It is delighted with it and
mocks it, lusting after that flesh, so that the Holy One, blessed be
He, takes its soul while it TAKES its body. After that everything is
under the control of the Holy One, blessed be He.1
Come and see, “she shall not go out as the menservants do.” HE
ASKS, what is the meaning of, “GO OUT AS THE MENSERVANTS,”
AND ANSWERS, when it leaves the scales and that side with joy, the
Holy One, blessed be He marks it and seals it with a certain ring,
spreads on it His precious garment, which is the Holy Name Eloha.
That is the meaning of, “he has dealt deceitfully with her (also: ‘his
garment is with her’),” that is, while the precious garment of the King
is on it. Since His garment is upon it, it is written, “to sell her to a
strange nation he shall have no power.”
This is the meaning of, “as in the days when Eloha preserved
me” (Iyov 29:2), WHICH REFERS TO THE PRECIOUS GARMENT
CALLED ELOHA, AS MENTIONED. It is in reference to this secret
that it is written here, “to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no
power, seeing that his garment is with her.” It is because the
precious garment of the King is upon it, since “His garment is with
her” then “to sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power.”
HE ASKS, what of the dominion that side has over that soul. FOR
HE SAID THAT THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, GIVES
PERMISSION TO THE OTHER SIDE TO WRONG THAT SOUL. HE
ANSWERS, come and see, the people in the world are all under the
dominion of the holy King; they all have time TO LIVE in this world
until He wishes to raise them from the world. THE OTHER SIDE IS
NOT ALLOWED TO HARM THEM BEFORE THAT TIME. Yet as for it, it
has not SET time TO LIVE. THEREFORE it mocks and delights in that
soul AND TAKES IT AWAY FROM THIS WORLD. THUS, SINCE IT
WAS NOT ALLOTTED TIME, THE OTHER SIDE IS GIVEN
PERMISSION TO OPPRESS IT.
Moreover, these verses contain admonitions to people, and much
good lofty advice is present in all the words of the Torah, which are
all true and of a true way. They are known to the wise, who know and
walk the path of truth. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to
create the world, He so desired it and fashioned all the souls that will
be placed in people afterwards. And they were all fashioned before
Him in the very shape they will have later in people, and He saw each
and every one.
Some of them will befoul their ways in the world. When their time
comes TO DESCEND INTO THE WORLD, the Holy One, blessed be
He, summons that soul and says to it, go, enter a certain place, a
certain body. It replies to Him, Master of the Universe, I am satisfied
with the world I dwell in and shall not go into another world, where I
shall be enslaved and soiled in their midst. The Holy One, blessed be
He, said to it, ever since you were created, this is the reason why
you were created, to be in that world IN A BODY. When the soul sees
that, it descends despite itself and there enters A BODY.1
The Torah that gives advice to all who realize that, admonishes
the people in the world, saying, See how much the Holy One,
blessed be He, has compassion for you. He sold for free the good
gem He had, NAMELY THE SOUL, so that you will cultivate it in this
world.
“And if a man sell,” the Holy One, blessed be He, “his daughter,”
the holy soul; “to be a maidservant,” to be an enslaved maidservant
among you in this world. I pray you, when its time comes to depart
from this world, that “she shall not go out as the menservants do,”
not soiled with iniquities, but free, refined and cleansed, so that its
Master will be happy with it, praise Himself with it and give it good
reward in the brightness of the Garden of Eden. This is the meaning
of, “and satisfy your soul in drought (also: ‘brightness’)” (Yeshayah
58:11). THIS IS surely when the soul emerges properly clear and
clean.
But “If she please not her master,” emerging soiled with the filth
of transgressions, and it not presentable before Him as it should,
woe to that body that was lost to the soul forever. For when the
souls ascend clear and come out cleansed from this world, each
soul enters the book in the King’s bag. They are all RECORDED with
names, which says that the soul of so and so is designated to the
body it left. Then it is written, “who has designated her for himself.”
But when it comes out not pleasing its Master, soiled in the
iniquities and filth of sins, then, “who has designated her for himself
(Heb. lo, Lamed Vav)” is pronounced as “not (Heb. lo, Lamed Aleph)
designated her,” and the body is lost to it and it is not designated for
it. The exception is the soul, which Master desires, as the body
repented. Then it is written, “redeemed,” as in, “Thus he will redeem
his soul from going into the pit” (Iyov 33:28). “Redeemed” refers to
man, whose advice is to redeem it and repent. And to both sides THE
VERSE SAYS, “THEN SHALL HE LET HER BE REDEEMED.” THE
FIRST IS the Holy One, blessed be He, “THEN SHALL HE LET HER
BE REDEEMED” FROM GEHENOM. THE SECOND CONCERNS MAN,
who shall “let her be redeemed” by repentance, for after he repents,
the Holy One, blessed be He, redeems them from the way to
Gehenom.
“To sell her to a strange nation he shall have no power.” HE
ASKS, what is the strange nation, AND ANSWERS, the soul is
ashamed when it departs from the world, if the man deviated from
the way together with it. It seeks to rise up to the holy camps, for
holy camps are situated on the way to the Garden of Eden and
strange camps, THAT IS, DEMONS, stand on the way to Gehenom.1
If that soul is worthy and the precious garment is spread on it,
NAMELY THE NAME ELOHA, many holy camps meet it to join it and
bring it to the Garden of Eden. If it is not worthy, many strange
camps meet it to bring it to Gehenom. The camps of demons will
wreak vengeance on it. For that the verse instructs, “To sell her to a
strange nation he shall have no power,” to the demons, “seeing that
his garment is on her,” which is the protective GARMENT, as the
Holy One, blessed be He, protects it so that a strange nation will not
rule over it through that protection spread over it, WHICH IS THE
NAME ELOHA.
“And if he designated her for his son” (Shemot 21:9): come and
see how much a man should beware of not turning aside from his
ways in this world. For if a man gains merit in this world and
properly guards his soul, such is a man whom the Holy One, blessed
be He, desires and is praised with every day before His retinue,
saying, see the holy child I have in that world. He did such and such,
these deeds of his are well done.
When this soul emerges from this world pure, clean and refined,
the Holy One, blessed be He, shines upon it many lights and
announces daily of it, ‘this it the soul of so and so my child, a
keeping shall be provided for the body it left.’
This is the meaning of, “And if he designated her for his son, he
shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.” What is “the
manner of daughters”? Here is a secret to the wise. Within the
strong rock, WHICH IS THE WORLD OF BRIYAH, in the hidden
firmament, ABOVE EVERY OTHER FIRMAMENT THERE, there is a
certain chamber called the chamber of love, WHICH IS SITUATED
UNDERNEATH THE HOLY OF HOLIES OF BRIYAH. There are hidden
treasures there, and all the kisses of the King’s love are there. All the
souls beloved of the King enter there.
When the King enters that King’s chamber, it is written of that,
“And Jacob kissed Rachel” (Beresheet 29:11), AS THE UNION OF
KISSES LIES THERE. The Holy One, blessed be He, finds that holy
soul there, and immediately hastens to kiss and embrace it, and
raises it with Him to be delighted with it.
This is the meaning of, “he shall deal with her after the manner of
daughters,” like a father would do to his favorite daughter, kissing
her, embracing her and giving her gifts. Thus the Holy One, blessed
be He, does to the worthy soul every day, as written, “he shall deal
with her after the manner of daughters.”1
Hence it is written, “should do such a thing for him that waits for
Him” (Yeshayah 64:3). Just as the daughter, NAMELY THE SOUL,
finished its doing in this world, so the Holy One, blessed be He,
finishes a different kind of action in the World to Come, as written,
“neither has the eye seen, that an Elohim, beside You should do
such a thing for him that waits for Him,” while here it is written, “he
shall deal (do) with her.” THERE IS AN ANALOGY BETWEEN THE
WORDS ‘DO’ IN THE VERSES. THE EYE CANNOT SEE THE DOING IN
THE SECOND VERSE AS WELL. So far. The old man prostrated
himself ON THE GROUND and prayed. He wept again.
He said, “If he take another” (Shemot 21:10). HE ASKS, what
does that mean, did the Holy One, blessed be He, prepare another
soul to return to the righteous in this world? Is it not the same soul
who filled to completion in this world the wishes of its Master? In
that case there is no surety to the righteous at all. What is the
meaning of, “If he take another”?
The old man opened with, “and the dust returns to the earth as it
was; and the spirit returns to Elohim who gave it” (Kohelet 12:7). The
friends ascribed this verse to the destruction of the Temple. “And
the dust returns to the earth as it was” here accords with the verse,
“And the Canaani was then in the land” (Beresheet 12:6). FOR
AFTER THE DESTRUCTION THE LAND RETURNED TO BE UNDER
THE RULE OF THE KLIPAH OF CANAAN AS BEFORE. “and the spirit
returns to Elohim who gave it.” What does it mean, “the spirit
returns”? This is the Shechinah, which is the Holy Spirit. When the
Shechinah saw in the ten journeys She took that Yisrael do not want
to repent before the Holy One, blessed be He, and that the Other
Side rules over the Holy Land, THE SHECHINAH DEPARTED AND
RETURNED TO ELOHIM. The friends have explained it.
Come and see, the spirit of a righteous man is crowned with an
image in the lower Garden of Eden. On every Shabbat, holiday and
first day of the month, the spirits are crowned and take off THEIR
IMAGE OF THE LOWER GARDEN OF EDEN, and rise up TO THE
UPPER GARDEN OF EDEN. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He,
does to the holy soul above, so He does with this spirit below in the
lower Garden of Eden that rose before Him. He says, this is the spirit
of the body of so and so. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He
crowns that spirit with many crowns and delights in it.
If you wonder if the Holy One, blessed be He, leaves His dealings
with the soul for that spirit it is not so, but, “her food, her clothing,
and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish” (Shemot 21:10).
These are the three lofty names, as “neither has the eye seen, that
an Elohim, beside You,” WHICH IS THE SECRET OF BINAH.1
They all abide in the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH, and flow
from there. One of them is “her food,” which is a flowing of radiance
and light, WHICH ARE RETURNING LIGHT AND STRAIGHT LIGHT
that shines in an obscure way. It is sustenance that nourishes
everything and is called Yud Hei Vav Hei with the vowels of Elohim,
WHICH IS THE NAME OF BINAH. She’erah (Eng. ‘her food’), with the
letters in a different order, becomes ‘Asher Hei’. ASHER IS BINAH,
WHICH IS THE FIRST HEI OF YUD HEI VAV HEI. This is the meaning
of, “Out of Asher his bread shall be fat” (Beresheet 49:20), FOR
FOOD FLOWS FROM IT. This is the meaning of, “her food.”
“Her clothing” is the covering the King SPREADS OVER IT,
NAMELY THE PRECIOUS GARMENT OF THE NAME ELOHA. This is
another shining flow, which always protects THE SOUL. It is the
covering of the garment of the King that Eloha spreads over it. This
is the meaning of, “he has dealt deceitfully with her (also: ‘his
garment is with her’)” (Shemot 21:8) always, never absent from it.
This is the meaning of, “her clothing.”
What is “her duty of marriage”? It is a flow from the World to
Come, WHICH IS BINAH that contains everything. It is Yud Hei Vav
Hei Tzva’ot THAT IS THE NAME IN NETZACH AND HOD IN BINAH. It
shines with all the high hidden lights of the Tree of Life, where the
duty of marriage is hidden and whence it comes out with the
pleasure and yearning of the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH.
These three must He not diminish, when it is properly worthy. If it
is not as it should be, these three are taken from it, as not even one
becomes a crown for it. Come and see, it is written, “And if he do not
these three to her” (Ibid. 11), that is, it is not worthy of them, “then
shall she go out free without money” (Ibid.), go out from Him. It is
pushed out. It is “without money,” without yearning, OR LONGING,
and derives no pleasure at all.
Up to here the Torah admonishes, from which come every kind of
advice, and gives good advice to people. From now on, let us return
to the first subject of the lofty protection the Holy One, blessed be
He, spreads over it, THE SOUL, so it shall not be to a strange nation,
because “his garment is with her,” and always protects it.
“And if he designated her for his son, he shall deal with her after
the manner of daughters.” The old man said, friends, when you go to
that rock that supports the world, THAT IS, RABBI SHIMON, tell him
to remember the snowy day when beans were sown in 52 ways. Then
shall you recite this verse and he will tell you ITS MEANING.
The merchant turns to the question of who is the son of the Holy
One, blessed be He, explaining that at the age of thirteen a boy is
considered a son to the Congregation of Yisrael, and at the age of
twenty a man is considered to be a son of the Holy One, blessed be
He. The merchant tells of the additional soul that is attained by the
righteous on the Sabbath.1
The said to him, if you please, whoever opened the discussion,
let him tell it. He said to them, assuredly I knew that you were
righteous, and that you are to be intimated to as the sages are. As
for my words TO YOU, when you mention this sign TO RABBI
SHIMON, he will finish it, THAT IS, FINISH MY WORDS. Now let us
say who he is that is called the son of the Holy One, blessed be He.
Come and see, whoever reached thirteen years and on is
considered a son to the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS
MALCHUT. Whoever is twenty years old or older and gains merit in
them, is considered a son of the Holy One, blessed be He, NAMELY
ZEIR ANPIN, as written, “You are the children of Hashem your
Elohim” (Devarim 14:1).
When David was thirteen years old and gained merit on the day
he entered his fourteenth year, he wrote, “Hashem has said to me,
You are my son; this day have I begotten you” (Tehilim 2:7). What is
the reason for it? Before that, he was not His son, as the supernal
soul did not dwell on him, since he lived during the Orlah years.
Therefore it is written, “this day have I begotten you.” Assuredly I
have begotten you, I and not the Other Side, as it was until now. BUT
NOW it is I alone. Upon his reaching his twentieth year, it is written
of Solomon, “For I was my father’s son” (Mishlei 4:3), my own
father’s NAMELY THE SON OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE.
FOR AT THE AGE OF TWENTY HE MERITED THE MOCHIN OF
CHAYAH, WHICH MADE HIM A SON OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED
BE HE, NAMELY TO ZEIR ANPIN.
“And if he designated her for his son,” that is, since he is thirteen
years old or more, when he is no longer under the dominion of the
Other Side that comes his way. Then it is written, “he shall deal with
her after the manner of daughters.” What is the manner of
daughters? HE ANSWERS, we learned that the Holy One, blessed be
He, sees daily that child under the rule of the Orlah. When he comes
out of it and goes to school to break it, goes to the synagogue to
break it, the Holy One, blessed be He, takes that soul into His room
where He gives it many gifts and offerings and adorns it with
supernal adornments until the time comes when He brings it under
the canopy into that son, NAMELY HE CLOTHES IT WITH HIM, after
his thirteenth year.
“If he take another”: WHAT IS ANOTHER? Here there are secret
mysteries given to the sages. First I have to inform you of
something. Come and see, on Shabbat, when the day is sanctified,
souls emerge from the Tree of Life, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. These
souls blow on the lower beings, who rest for it throughout the
Shabbat day. THEY ARE THE SECRET OF THE ADDITIONAL SOUL
THAT THE RIGHTEOUS ATTAIN ON SHABBAT DAY. At the end of
Shabbat, all the souls go up AGAIN to be crowned with holy crowns
above. HERE too the Holy One, blessed be He, summons for that
man ON THE DAY OF SHABBAT AN ADDITIONAL SOUL. This is the
other soul, OF WHICH THE VERSE SAYS, “IF HE TAKE ANOTHER.”
And though this soul came to him, as for the soul he had before, the
food of the first one, “her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he
not diminish,” THE MEANING OF WHICH IS according to the
explanation given.1
The old man wept again and said to himself, old, old man, how
much have you toiled to attain these holy matters, and now you say
them in an instance. If you contemplate sparing these matters and
not disclosing them, yet it says, “Withhold not good from those to
whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do it” (Mishlei
3:27).
What is THE MEANING OF, “Withhold not good from those to
whom it is due”? HE SAYS, the Holy One, blessed be He, and the
Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, are here. For
wherever words of the Torah are spoken, the Holy One, blessed be
He, and the Congregation of Yisrael are present, and hearken to
them. Then, when THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND THE
CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL go away from the Tree of Knowledge
of Good and Evil, WHICH IS MALCHUT, to listen to words of Torah,
its good side is elevated and rises high, and the Holy One, blessed
be He, and the Congregation of Yisrael are crowned with that
goodness. They are those to whom it is due. THEREFORE
“WITHHOLD NOT GOOD FROM THOSE TO WHOM IT IS DUE”
REFERS TO THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND THE
CONGREGATION OF YISRAEL.
AGAIN HE SAID TO HIMSELF, old, old man, you have spoken
these words, yet you did not know whether the Holy One, blessed be
He, is here, and whether those present here are worthy of these
words. Do not fear, old man, for you have participated in several
wars with mighty men yet you had no fear, yet now you fear. Speak
up, for assuredly the Holy One, blessed be He, and the Congregation
of Yisrael are here, and those present are righteous. Otherwise, I
would not have met them, or began with these words. Speak up, old
man, speak without fear.
We hear an explanation of “Hashem my Elohim, You are very great,
You are clothed with glory and majesty,” “who covers Himself with
light as with a garment,” “who stretches out the heavens,” “who lays
the beams of His chambers in the waters,” “who makes the clouds
His chariots,” “who walks upon the wings of the wind,” who “makes
the winds His messengers.” Next we learn about the souls of
converts that soar from the Garden of Eden.1
He opened up with the words, “Hashem my Elohim You are very
great, You are clothed with glory and majesty” (Tehilim 104:1).
“Hashem my Elohim” is the beginning of Faith: the rising of thought,
WHICH IS CHOCHMAH, and the World to Come, WHICH IS BINAH,
ARE PART OF the same secret, without separation. FOR ABA AND
IMA, WHICH ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, ARE TWO FRIENDS
THAT NEVER SEPARATE. “You are very great” is the beginning OF
THE SEVEN LOWER SFIROT, the first day, WHICH IS THE FIRST
SFIRAH, CHESED. They are ancient days, NAMELY, IT RECEIVES
FROM THE SFIROT OF ATIK, and is the right side. “Very” is the left
side, NAMELY GVURAH.
“You are clothed with glory and majesty”: these are the two
branches of willow, WHICH ARE NETZACH AND HOD. IT SPOKE
until here; once it reached the Tree of Life, WHICH IS TIFERET, it hid
and could not be counted, because of “very.” What is “very?” It is
the left, as all the lower branches, among which is one bitter branch,
WHICH IS SAMAEL, ARE INCLUDED IN THE LEFT. Therefore the
Tree of Life hid, and did not wish to be part of the count, until it
again praised in a different manner.
It says, “Who covers Himself with light as with a garment” (Ibid.
2): this is the beginning of the first day, NAMELY THE FIRST
SFIRAH, CHESED. “Who stretches out the heavens” (Ibid.) IS
TIFERET THAT IS CALLED HEAVENS. Here the left side, WHICH IS
GVURAH, is included, yet it does not say ‘very’, for the left is
included in the right so it illumines throughout the heaven, THAT IS
TIFERET. “Who lays the beams of His chambers in the waters” (Ibid.
3). Here the Tree of Life gladly emerged, which is the tree that went
out of Eden, NAMELY TIFERET. The two branches of willow, WHICH
ARE NETZACH AND HOD, were rooted in its waters, where they
grow. This is the meaning of, “Who lays the beams of His chambers
in the waters.” What are His chambers? They are the two branches
of willow, NETZACH AND HOD.
This is the meaning of, “and that spreads out its roots by the
river” (Yirmeyah 17:8). This is a secret mentioned in, “There is a
river, whose streams make glad the city of Elohim” (Tehilim 46:5).
Who are the streams? They are His roots, NAMELY NETZACH AND
HOD. They are so called, His beams, roots and streams. They all
grew roots in the water of the river, WHICH IS TIFERET.
“Who makes the clouds His chariots” (Tehilim 104:3): these are
Michael and Gabriel, who are clouds. “Who walks upon the wings of
the wind” (Ibid.) to give healing to the world. This is Refael. From
now on, He “makes the winds His messengers…” (Ibid. 4). Old, old
man, since you know these matters, speak and do not be afraid,
speak up and let the words of your mouth shine forth. The friends
rejoiced and were listening with joy to his holy words. THE OLD MAN
said TO HIMSELF, Oh old man, what have you got yourself into? You
have come into the great sea, and now you should swim to get out of
there.1
“If he take another” (Shemot 21:10). How many ancient
incarnations are here that were not yet revealed, which are all
properly true, for one should not turn from the true path even a
hairbreadth. First it should be commented that all the souls of the
converts soar from the Garden of Eden by a hidden path TO BE
CLOTHED IN CONVERTS. HE ASKS, once they depart from this
world, to where do the souls the converts merited return? THAT IS,
WHO RAISES THEM BACK TO THE PLACE FROM WHENCE THEY
CAME, NAMELY THE GARDEN OF EDEN?
But we learned that whoever seizes and takes first the
possessions of a convert WHO HAS NO HEIRS gets them. Here too,
all these holy supernal souls that the Holy One, blessed be He,
summons to come down as we said, emerge in specific times,
NAMELY ON SHABBAT, HOLIDAYS AND THE FIRST DAY OF THE
MONTH, to enjoy in the Garden of Eden where they meet the souls of
the converts. Whichever of the souls they take, they merit and clothe
themselves with it and rise. They all remain in that garment and
descend into the Garden of Eden in that garment, since all those
who stay there do so only in a garment. THUS, THOSE SOULS RAISE
THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS BACK TO THE GARDEN OF EDEN.
If you say that for that garment OF THE CONVERTS’ SOULS, their
former delight is diminished, it is written of it, “If he take another
wife, her food, her clothing, and her duty of marriage, shall he not
diminish.” They remain in the Garden of Eden in that garment that
they were the first to take and get, NAMELY THE GARMENT MADE
OF CONVERTS’ SOULS. When they rise, they strip themselves from
it, because there, ABOVE, they are not clothed.
The old man cried as before, and said to himself: Old, old man,
most certainly, you have reason to cry! Surely you have justification
to shed tears for each and every word. Yet it is revealed to the Holy
One, blessed be He, and His sacred Shechinah, that it is willingly
and for their worship that I speak, since they are the owners of every
word, and are adorned with them.
All those sacred souls, when they have descended to this world,
come with a view to finding their proper resting place within the
human being. They all come clothed with these souls OF
CONVERTS, as we have stated, and in this manner pass into the holy
seed. And with this raiment they are ready to be provided for in this
world, WITH THE PRECEPTS AND GOOD DEEDS; and when these
vestments have been satiated with the things of this world, NAMELY,
THE PRECEPTS, then these sacred souls take pleasure in the
fragrances that exude from their attire.1
All the esoteric functions that the Holy One, Blessed be He,
performs are committed to the sacred Torah, and all are found
therein. All concealed matters are revealed by the Torah, and
immediately thereafter are clothed with another vestment, to be
secreted therein and never to be revealed. Yet the sagacious
scholars, whose eyes are filled, even though a matter is concealed in
its vestment, can see it inside its garment. And when the matter is
revealed, before it again is concealed in its vestment, they behold it
fully; and even though it immediately passes from sight, it is never
lost to their eyes.
In many places, the Holy One, blessed be He, cautioned the holy
seed, NAMELY YISRAEL, to beware of the convert, since afterwards
the hidden thing came out of its case, NAMELY ITS COVERING.
Immediately after being revealed, it returned to its sheath to be
covered there.
Since He cautioned in relation to the convert so many times, the
matter came out of its sheath, was revealed and said, “for you know
the heart of the stranger (also: ‘convert’)” (Shemot 23:9), THAT IS,
BY MEANS OF THE SOULS CLOTHED IN HIM AS MENTIONED.
Immediately it is inserted in its sheath, dons its garment and hides,
as written, “seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Ibid.),
WHICH IS A SECONDARY EXPLANATION. The verse reckons that
since it is immediately clothed, none would notice it. Through the
Nefesh of the convert, the Neshamah is made aware of worldly
matters and enjoys them, BEING AN INTERMEDIARY BETWEEN THE
SOUL AND THE BODY. HENCE IT SAYS, “FOR YOU KNOW…”
The merchant says that “And Moses went into the midst of the
cloud, and went up into the mountain” means that the rainbow, that
is the secret of Malchut, stripped off her three colors and gave them
to Moses, in which garment he ascended the mountain. The old man
reminds us that the Torah reveals its secrets subtly and fleetingly to
those who love it and who pursue it with heart and soul.
The old man opened with the verse, “And Moses went into the
midst of the cloud, and went up into the mountain…” (Shemot 24:18).
HE ASKS, what is this cloud, AND ANSWERS, it accords with the
verse, “I have set my bow in the cloud” (Beresheet 9:13). We have
learned that this rainbow, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT
WHEN RECEIVING THE THREE COLORS, WHITE, RED AND GREEN,
FROM THE THREE COLUMNS OF ZEIR ANPIN, stripped of her
clothes, THE THREE COLORS, WHITE, RED AND GREEN, and gave
them to Moses. In that garment Moses ascended to the mountain,
and from within it he saw all that he saw and took delight in all.
WHEN THE OLD MAN reached this place, the friends came to him,
NAMELY RABBI CHIYA AND RABBI YOSI, and prostrated before him.
They said, had we come into the world only to listen to these words
out of your mouth, it would have sufficed us.
The old man said, friends, I have not started speaking for that
alone, for an old man like me does not make ado for one thing and
does not cry out TO MAKE HIMSELF KNOWN. THAT IS, UNLIKE THE
NATURE OF AN IGNORANT PERSON, WHO, WHEN HE KNOWS
SOMETHING, CREATES A COMMOTION AND MAKES A NAME FOR
HIMSELF, ACCORDING TO THE PROVERB, ‘AN EMPTY VESSEL
RATTLES THE MOST’. How confused are the people in the world,
and do not regard the Torah in the true way. The Torah calls to them
daily with love, but they do not care to turn their heads TO LISTEN
TO IT.1
And though I said that in the Torah the matter comes out of its
sheath to be seen little by little, and immediately hides, it is certainly
so that when it does come out of its sheath to hide forthwith, THE
TORAH does it but to those who have knowledge of it and become
knowledgeable in it.
This is likened to a beautiful and good-looking beloved, who
hides in the secret of her chamber. She has a lover unknown to men,
who is in hiding. That lover, for the love he bears her, passes always
around the gate to her house and looks everywhere. She knows that
her lover always goes around her house’s gate so she opens a small
aperture in that hidden chamber when she stays, and reveals her
face to her lover. Then immediately she is concealed again. None of
those who were with the lover looked or observed, save the lover
alone, whose entrails, heart and soul go out to her. And he knows
that for the love she has for him, she is revealed to him for a moment
to arouse the love of him. It is so with the Torah that is revealed only
to its lover. The Torah knows that the wise-hearted paces around its
gate every day, so it reveals its face to him from within the chamber
and immediately return to its place to be hidden again. None of those
with him knew or beheld it but he himself, and his entrails, heart and
soul go after it. Hence the Torah is revealed and concealed and
lovingly goes to its lover to arouse love with him.
Come and see: such is the way of the Torah. At first, when it
begins to be revealed to man, it gives him a slight hint. If he
recognizes it, well, but if he does not, it sends for him and calls him
a fool. The Torah says to whoever it sends for, ‘Tell that fool to come
here so I can talk to him’. This is the meaning of, “Whoever is simple,
let him turn in here: and as for him that lacks
understanding…” (Mishlei 9:16). THAT MAN approaches, and it
begins by speaking to him from behind the veil that it spreads before
him, of matters according to his understanding, until little by little he
will pay attention. This is homiletic interpretation.1
Afterwards it speaks with him in riddles from behind a thin
sheet. This is Hagadah. When he frequents it, it is revealed to him
face to face, and tells him all the obscure secrets and obscure ways
that were hidden in its heart since primordial days. Then that man is
a ruler, man of the Torah, the master of the house, since it revealed
to him all its secrets and has not kept or concealed from him
anything.
THE TORAH said to him, have you seen the allusion I gave you
in the beginning? Tt contained such and such secrets, this is the
way it is. He then sees that one must not add or diminish from the
words in the Torah. Then the literal meaning is as it is, so that not
even one letter must be added or taken away. Therefore the people
in the world must take heed to chase after the Torah and love it, as
we learned.
Come and see: “If he take another” (Shemot 21:10). The
incarnations in this verse are great and lofty, as all souls incarnate.
Yet people do not know the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He,
and how the scales are placed and men judged every day at every
season, and how souls are sentenced before they come into this
world and sentenced after leaving this world.
How many incarnations and obscure deeds does the Holy One,
blessed be He, bestow upon naked Neshamot WITHOUT A
GARMENT OF THE TORAH AND THE PRECEPTS. And how many
naked Ruchot walk about that world, not entering the presence of
the King, and how many worlds are turned for their sakes, THAT IS,
THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE GRADES, CALLED WORLDS, IS
CHANGED FOR THEM. AND THE WORLD is turned around in many
obscure wondrous ways. Yet people do not know nor observe. And
how do souls roll (incarnate) as a stone in a sling, as written, “and
the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the
hollow of a sling” (I Shmuel 25:29)!
He now reveals that all the Neshamot emerge from the great strong
tree that is the river that comes out of Eden, that is Zeir Anpin, and
all the Ruchot emerge from another smaller tree that is Malchut.
They join together as male and female, and when they unite they are
called a candle as they shine forth a great light. The Neshamah is
enveloped in the Ruach so as to be there above in the Supernal
Garden of Eden in the hidden chamber; the Nefesh does not come
there, but when the Neshamah and Ruach descend to the lower
Garden of Eden they are clothed in another spirit, the soul of a
convert. The explanation turns to the concept of Levirate marriage
following the death of a man who left no children. The merchant tells
of the seven lands: Eretz (Land), Adamah (Ground), Gai (Valley),
Nishyah (Forgetfulness), Tziyah (Wilderness), Tevel (World) and Arka.1
Now is the time to reveal that all the Neshamot emerge from the
great strong tree, which is the river that comes out of Eden, NAMELY
ZEIR ANPIN, and all the Ruchot emerge from another, small tree,
WHICH IS MALCHUT. A Neshamah emerges from above and a Ruach
from below, and they join together as male and female. When they
unite they shine forth a lofty light. The joining of the two is called a
candle (Heb. ner), WHICH IS MADE OF THE INITIALS OF NESHAMAH
RUACH, AS WRITTEN, “The soul of man is the candle of
Hashem” (Mishlei 20:27). What is the candle? Neshamah Ruach. The
joining of the two together is called a candle, as written OF THEM,
“The soul of man is the candle of Hashem.”
The Neshamah and Ruach are male and female that shine
together. They do not shine without each other, and when they join,
the whole is called a candle. Then the Neshamah is enveloped in a
Ruach in order to be there above IN THE SUPERNAL GARDEN OF
EDEN in the hidden chamber, as written, “but the spirit…should faint
(or: ‘envelop’) before Me” (Yeshayah 57:16). It is not written, ‘be
enveloped’ but “envelop,” WHICH MEANS IT ENVELOPS OTHERS.
The reason is that the Neshamah that I have made there, in the
UPPER Garden OF EDEN, in the hidden chamber, is enveloped and
clothed in the Ruach, as it should be.
Since this chamber has, and employs, only the Neshamah and
Ruach, the Nefesh does not come there. Only THE NESHAMAH is
clothed in the Ruach there. When it descends to the lower Garden of
Eden, it is clothed in another spirit that emerges from there that
dwelt there, THAT IS, THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS. THE
NESHAMAH dwells in this world in them all and is clothed in them,
THAT IS, BOTH IN ITS OWN RUACH AND THE SOULS OF THE
COVERTS.
That Ruach that comes out of this world, having neither grown
nor expanded in this world, THAT IS, HAD NO CHILDREN, incarnates
and finds no rest. It incarnates in this world as a stone in a sling,
until he finds a redeemer to redeem him, THAT IS A KINSMAN TO
MARRY HIS WIFE, and places him in the very vessel he employed
and cleft to in Ruach and Nefesh, and which used to be his spouse,
spirit to spirit, NAMELY HIS WIFE. That redeemer establishes him as
before, THAT IS, BRINGS HIM INTO THE SON BORN FROM HIS
WIDOW, SO HE COMES BACK TO LIFE IN THIS WORLD AS BEFORE.1
The spirit he left WITH HER IN HIS PRIOR LIFE, AS SHALL BE
SAID THAT THE HUSBAND LEAVES IN HIS WIFE A SPIRIT IN HIS
PRIOR LIFE, that cleaves to that vessel, NAMELY HIS WIFE, AS IT IS
NEVER ABSENT FROM HER EVEN AFTER HIS DEMISE, is not lost.
For there is nothing in the world, be it ever so small, that has no
place or stand to hide in and go there, and it is never lost. The spirit
he left in that vessel is therefore there, and it surely follows its root
and foundation whence it came, NAMELY, THE HUSBAND WHO
DIED CHILDLESS. It brings him and establishes him in his place, that
is, the place of the spirit, which is his spouse that went out with him,
THAT IS, HIS WIFE. There he is newly built, and is now a new
creature in the world, a new spirit and a new body.
You may argue that the spirit IN THE BORN BABY is what it
used to be, NAMELY, THE MAN HIMSELF AND NOT THE SPIRIT HE
LEFT WITH HER WHEN HE INCARNATED BEFORE, WHICH IS BUT A
PART OF HIM. HE ANSWERS, it is so, but he is established IN THE
BORN SON only by means of the other spirit he left in that vessel,
HIS WIFE. Here is the most secret of mysteries, in the book of
Enoch. The edifice BUILT IN THE SON BORN TO THE LEVIRATE
MARRIAGE is built only by means of the other spirit he left in that
vessel, NAMELY HIS WIFE IN THE PRIOR LIFE. When it begins to be
built, THE SPIRIT attracts the naked CHILDLESS spirit and draws it
to itself. So two spirits are made there into one. Afterwards the one
becomes a Ruach and the other Neshamah, both being one.
If he merits to be properly purified, the two become one, so that
another, supernal Neshamah will be clothed in them. Just as other
people in the world have a spirit that the Neshamot that come first
hold on to, THAT IS, TO THE SOULS OF THE CONVERTS, and
another spirit above, and the holy Neshamah above is clothed in
both, so he too has two spirits, HIS OWN AND THE SPIRIT HE LEFT
IN HIS WIFE IN A FORMER LIFETIME, so that the supernal Neshamah
will be clothed in them.
HE ASKS, NOW THAT he has a body newly built BY LEVIRATE
MARRIAGE, what is made of the first body he left? Either the one or
the other is in vain. According to human understanding it seems that
the earlier body that was not completed first is lost, because it did
not acquire merit. If so, in vain was it occupied in the precepts of the
Torah, even if it dealt with but one of them. Yet we know that even
the most ignorant people of Yisrael are full to the brim with precepts.
So this one, though it was not made whole in procreating and
meriting and growing in the world, yet kept other precepts of the
Torah, and did not lose them, was it for nothing?1
Friends, friends, open up your eyes, for I know that you think
and know that all those bodies are noted FOR DISTINCTION in vain,
that they have no everlasting existence. This is not so, we must not
look into these matters.
The old man opened with, “Who can utter the mighty acts of
Hashem? Who can declare all His praise” (Tehilim 106:2). Who in the
world can speak of the mighty acts the Holy One, blessed be He,
constantly performs in the world? The first body he left is not lost. It
will exist in the future to come, for it already received punishment in
several manners. And the Holy One, blessed be He, does not
withhold the reward of any creature He created, except those who
came away from the faith in Him, and never had anything good in
them, and those who did not bow at ‘Modim’ IN THE AMIDAH
PRAYER. From these, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes other
creatures, as that body will not be built in a human form and will
never resurrect. But it is not so for those WHO DIED CHILDLESS.
If the spirit attained improvement in this world in that other
body, what did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? The spirit of the
redeemer who redeemed him, NAMELY, HIS BROTHER, that he put
in there and mixed with the spirit that was in that vessel, WHICH HIS
BROTHER LEFT IN HIS FORMER LIFE, is surely not lost. What is to
become of it, seeing there are three spirits there – the first is THE
SPIRIT that was in the vessel and remained there, THAT IS, THAT
HIS DEAD BROTHER LEFT BEHIND IN HIS LAST LIFE. Another IS
THE SPIRIT OF THE DEAD BROTHER ITSELF that is drawn there,
which was naked, CHILDLESS. Yet another is the spirit that the
redeemer put in, NAMELY THE KINSMAN, and mixed with them. For
three spirits to be there is impossible, what is to be done?
These are the lofty mighty acts the Holy One, blessed be He,
performs. The Soul is clothed with the spirit the redeemer put in
there, instead of the garment of converts’ souls. The DEAD MAN’S
spirit, naked AND CHILDLESS, that returned there to be built ANEW,
will serve as a garment to the supernal Soul. The spirit that was
there before, which remained in that vessel, NAMELY THE SPIRIT
HER DEAD HUSBAND LEFT IN HER FROM HIS PRIOR LIFE, flies
away from there, and the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges a place
within the secret of the window in the rock behind the back of the
Garden of Eden where it hides. It rises to the former body that HE
WHO DIED CHILDLESS had before. With that spirit, that body will
rise AT THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. This is the one that is
two, which I mentioned.1
But the punishment of that body, until it rises AND
RESURRECTS, is great, since it did not merit growth BY CHILDREN,
so it is brought down into Adamah, close to Arka. FOR THERE ARE
SEVEN LANDS, ERETZ (LAND), ADAMAH (GROUND), GAI (VALLEY),
NISHYAH (FORGETFULNESS), TZIYAH (WILDERNESS), TEVEL
(WORLD). There he is punished. Then it is brought up to Tevel,
WHERE WE ARE, and it descends BACK TO ADAMAH. Now it rises
and now it descends. It has no rest, save on Shabbatot, holidays,
and the first days of months.
These are those that sleep in the dust of the ground. Ground IS
SO CALLED since it is from Adamah, dust IS SO CALLED since it is
from Tevel. Of those it is written, “And many of those who sleep in
the dust of the earth (Heb. adamah) shall awake, some to everlasting
life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). If
the naked spirit, NAMELY THE SPIRIT OF HE WHO DIED
CHILDLESS, was worthy of coming back into the world as before IN
THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE to perfect itself, it
is meritorious. For the spirit HE LEFT IN HIS WIFE IN THE FORMER
LIFE, of which we said it was hid in the rock, will be corrected in the
former body THAT THE CHILDLESS DECEASED LEFT BEHIND. Of
these it is written, “some to everlasting life, and some to shame…”,
NAMELY, all those who did not attain perfection.
These are the lofty mighty acts of the holy supernal King, that
nothing is lost. Even a breath has a place and rank, and the Holy
One, blessed be He, does something from it. Even a man’s word,
even a voice are not in vain. Everything has place and station.
He who was just built, NAMELY THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN,
WHO INCARNATED IN THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE
MARRIAGE, and came into the world a new creature, has no
soulmate. This is why HIS SOULMATE is not announced BEFORE HE
IS BORN, because he lost his soulmate, who became his mother,
while his brother became his father.
The merchant, during these expositions, constantly berates and
questions himself about the propriety of revealing these secrets, but
then regains strength and sureness of purpose, and continues.
Now he speaks of “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold King
Solomon”, saying that Zeir Anpin calls Malchut daughter, sister and
mother – everything is in her. The merchant explains at length the
complicated arrangement of souls in the dead husband, the widow
and the children of a Levirate marriage. The question of the role of
soulmates in this instance is also addressed.
He said to himself, old, old man, what have you done? Silence
would have been good for you. Old, old man, I have told you that you
entered the great sea without ropes or a flag. What shall you do? If
you mean to rise up, you cannot. If you intend to descend, behold
the depth of the great abyss. What shall you do? Woe, old man, woe,
it is not for you to turn back. In such times you were not wont to
weaken in strength, for you knew that no other man in the generation
would enter in a ship to the depth where you are.1
The son of Yochai, NAMELY RABBI SHIMON, knows how to
guard his paths. Had he entered the deep sea, he would pay
attention, before entering, how he is to pass in a certain time and
then roam in the sea. Yet you, old man, have not looked first. Now,
old man, since you are there, do not weaken in strength, nor leave
your path to roam right or left, to the length of width, to the depth or
height. Do not fear, old man, strengthen yourself in your power. How
many mighty men of strength have you broken, in how many wars
have you conquered.
He wept, then and opened with the verse, “Go forth, O
daughters of Zion, and behold King Solomon with the crown with
which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the
day of the gladness of his heart” (Shir Hashirim 3:11). This verse has
been expounded and it is so, yet go forth and behold – who could
behold King Solomon (Heb. Shlomo), that is, the King that peace
(Heb. shalom) is His, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN. For He is concealed from
all the celestial high armies that are in that place that, “neither has
the eye see, (that) an Elohim, beside you” (Yeshayah 64: 3), WHICH
IS BINAH. Yet you say, “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and behold
King Solomon.” Moreover, as His glory, all the celestial angels ask,
saying, ‘where is the place of His glory’, WHICH IS THE
CONCEALMENT, SO WHAT IS THE GOOD OF “GO FORTH…”?
HE ANSWERS, yet in the words, “Go forth, O daughters of Zion,
and behold King Solomon,” it is written, “with the crown,” instead of
‘and the crown’. For whoever sees that crown, WHICH IS MALCHUT,
sees the pleasantness of the King that the peace is His. “with which
his mother crowned him,” REFERS TO MALCHUT THAT
SURROUNDS ZEIR ANPIN, for we have learned that he calls her
daughter, sister and mother. She is all that and everything is in her.
Whoever looks to know it, MALCHUT, will have knowledge of
precious wisdom.
THE OLD MAN SAID TO HIMSELF, what shall I do now, if I say,
yet this obscure secret must not be revealed. If I do not speak, these
righteous men will remain bereaved of this secret. The old man fell
on his face and said, “Into Your hand I commit my spirit: You have
redeemed me, Hashem El of truth” (Tehilim 31:6). The vessel below,
NAMELY THE WIDOW WHO USED TO BE THE DEAD CHILDLESS
MAN’S WIFE, AND WAS UNDER HIM, how could it be above, AND
BECOME HIS MOTHER? Her husband, NAMELY HE WHO DIED
CHILDLESS, who was above her, how could he turn to be under,
BECOMING HER SON? His spouse turns into his mother. Wonder
upon wonder, his brother is his father. If the father of the former, HIS
WIFE, would have redeemed him, AND MARRY HIS WIFE, it would
have been well. But that his brother would be his father, is not it a
wonder? Assuredly it is a world turned upside down, the upper
below and the lower above.1
But, “Blessed be the name of Elohim for ever and ever: for
wisdom and might are His: and He changes the times and the
seasons… He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells
with Him” (Daniel 2:20-22). Come and see, whoever is in a lighted
place, cannot look to see what is in the darkness. But it is not so
with the Holy One, blessed be He. He knows what is in the darkness,
even though light dwells with Him, and from within the light regards
the darkness and knows all that exists there.
Here we should first introduce something the ancient people
said in regard to visions at night. We learned that whoever comes
into his mother (Heb. em) in a dream should expect Binah, as
written, “if (Heb. im) you cry after wisdom (Binah)” (Mishlei 2:3). We
should check this. If the reason for this is that it is a mother THAT
HE SHOULD EXPECT BINAH, it is well. BUT it should have said that
he who sees his mother in a dream should attain Binah, but not he
who comes into his mother. Wherefore IS THAT?
HE ANSWERS, this is a high mystery. For he turned and rose
from below upwards. At first he was a son, NAMELY BELOW HER;
once he rose up AND CAME IN TO HER, the tree turned over so he
became part of the supernal world and ruler over her, and attained
Binah.
HE EXPLAINS HIS WORDS: at first, when a man reaches his
thirteenth year, it is written, “Hashem has said to me, You are my
son; this day have I begotten you” (Tehilim 2:7), FOR HE BECAME A
SON OF MALCHUT, AND MALCHUT HIS MOTHER. Then he is under
her. Once he came over her AND BECAME HER HUSBAND, he is of
the supernal world, ZEIR ANPIN, because he rose to the grade of
Joseph, WHO IS YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. Assuredly he merits Binah,
LIKE ZEIR ANPIN THAT HAS MOCHIN OF BINAH.
It the same with the vessel, THE WIDOW. At first he, HER DEAD
HUSBAND, was of the grade of Joseph, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN,
THAT IS, the husband of the lower tree, MALCHUT. She obeys his
wishes and he rules over her, because every woman is fashioned in
the shape of the Nukva, WHICH IS the lower tree, MALCHUT. Since
he did not wish to abide in the grade of Joseph, and did not live to
use it and multiply in the world and beget offspring, BUT DIED
CHILDLESS, he went down, AND INCARNATED IN THE CHILD BORN
TO THE LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, while she, HIS WIFE, becomes his
mother. The redeemer, HIS BROTHER, received the inheritance of
Joseph that he, HIS BROTHER, had before, while he descended AND
INCARNATED IN THE BORN CHILD.1
Since he descended, it was fulfilled in him, “Hashem has said to
me, You are my son; this day have I begotten you,” FOR HE
BECAME HER SON. The tree turned over, whatever was below that
he had power over AS A HUSBAND OVER HIS WIFE, now that he
descended TO INCARNATE IN THE CHILD BORN TO THE LEVIRATE
MARRIAGE, he, who inherited the place of Joseph, NAMELY HIS
BROTHER THE REDEEMER, is called is father, and is his father.
Everything is now in place, as it should be.
Before he was of the world of the male, THE ASPECT OF
JOSEPH. But he was uprooted there and is now of the world of the
female, WHICH IS MALCHUT. He used to rule her but now she rules
him and he is back in the world of the female. Therefore he has no
spouse at all, and no proclamation regarding spouse is made on his
behalf, AS IS DONE FOR ANY MAN BEFORE HE IS BORN, ‘THE
DAUGHTER OF SO AND SO TO SO AND SO’. For he was returned to
the world of the female.
If people would know the grief of the first body, which he WHO
DIED CHILDLESS left, when it is uprooted from the world of the male
and returned to the world of the female, they would know that no
grief equals that grief. He has no spouse since he is not in the place
of the male. No wife is proclaimed for him, because he is of the world
of the female. If he does have a wife, it is with mercy THROUGH
PRAYER that he meets a woman, who until now had no husband. In
relation to that we learned that ‘maybe another will precede him
through mercy’, the meaning of another IS THAT HE WHO DIED
CHILDLESS IS CALLED OTHER. And everything is in order.
Regarding this it is written, “But if a priest’s daughter be a
widow, or divorced, and have no child, and has returned to her
father’s house, as in her youth” (Vayikra 22:13). We have explained
the phrase ‘a priest’s daughter’ AS THE SOUL. It is a widow from the
former body OF THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN, ‘divorced’ because it
does not enter the King’s curtain, because all those not of the world
of the male have no share in it. He has gone and uprooted himself
from the world of the male, so he has no share IN THE KING, ZEIR
ANPIN. Hence it is divorced; “and have no child,” for had it had a
child, it would not be uprooted FROM THE WORLD OF THE MALE,
nor had it descended to the world of the female.1
“And has returned to her father’s house”: what is her father’s
house? HE ANSWERS, it is the world of the female, as that world is
called her father’s house. The vessel, HIS WIFE that was prepared
for his use, turned; he came down while the vessel rose up, AS
MENTIONED. “as in her youth,” as in the time of which it is written,
“this day have I begotten you” (Tehilim 2:7), AS HE BECAME THE
SON OF THE FEMALE, WHICH IS MALCHUT. Assuredly “have I
begotten you” and “he shall return to the days of his youth” (Iyov
33:25), as he used to be from his thirteenth year on.
If it merited perfecting itself, once it “has returned to her father’s
house…she shall eat of her father’s bread,” and partake of the
delight of the world of the female where one eats of the bread of the
noble that descends from above, FROM ZEIR ANPIN. But it cannot
behold and enjoy what the rest of the righteous enjoy, because it is a
stranger there, AS WRITTEN OF IT, “NO STRANGER SHALL EAT OF
THE HOLY THING” (VAYIKRA 22:10), SINCE THE HOLY THINGS ARE
IN THE WORLD OF THE MALE. But it does eat of the heave-offering,
because it dwells in the world of the female.
Since it is of the world of the female, it eats it only at night,
WHEN THE NUKVA, MALCHUT, REIGNS, as written, “And when the
sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterwards eat of the holy
things; because it is his food” (Ibid. 7). For the holy things that are
from the world of the male are eaten only by day, THE TIME OF THE
REIGN OF THE MALE, ZEIR ANPIN. Hence IT IS WRITTEN, “Yisrael is
holy to Hashem, the first fruits of His increase” (Yirmeyah 2:3). IT IS
CALLED FIRST, because the highest beginning of the whole world of
the male is holy, NAMELY SUPERNAL ABA AND IMA THAT ARE THE
MOCHIN OF ZEIR ANPIN. Whatever came out of holiness is Yisrael,
NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, and hence, “Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the
first fruits of His increase.”
When spirits visit the cemetery at appointed times, NAMELY
FROM NIGHTFALL UNTIL MIDNIGHT, they do not visit those WHO
DIED WITHOUT CHILDREN, since they do not attain the world of
holiness, as written, “No stranger shall eat of the holy thing,” AND
THEIR SPIRITS HAVE NO ABUNDANCE TO BESTOW UPON THE
BODY IN THE CEMETERY. And if the spirit did not attain proper
correction, once it reincarnates, even in that place OF THE WORLD
OF THE FEMALE, it does not eat of the heave-offering and is
considered a stranger even to the lower world, THE FEMALE
WORLD, and does not eat in it. Up to here concerning the secret OF
LEVIRATE MARRIAGE.
HE SAID TO HIMSELF, old, old man, once you started to sail in
the wide sea, go as you wish in every direction in the sea. It is now
the time to reveal, for I have said that the redeemer, NAMELY THE
KINSMAN, when he comes and enters the vessel I mentioned,
NAMELY THE WIDOW, brings his spirit there and causes it to cleave
to that vessel. Thus nothing is lost, not even a breath. It is well and it
is so. Old man, if you talk and reveal, speak without fear.1
As for other people who depart from the world, we know that the
spirit one left in the wife he had, the spirit he placed there IN
FORMER LIFE, what has become of that spirit? And if the wife
remarries, what becomes of the spirit her first husband left in her,
seeing that another man came in to her?
For a spirit to coexist with a spirit is impossible. For the one
who just came in to her inserted a spirit in her, and also the first one
who is gone placed a spirit in her. The first who is gone had children,
so the current man is not a redeemer. Hence, the spirit the first
husband left in the vessel and the spirit the other who came and
brought in to her ALSO, surely cannot coexist in the body of that
woman. If you say it is lost, this is impossible, AS NOTHING IS
LOST. SO what has become of it?
Also, if she does not remarry, what becomes of the spirit her
husband left in her? If you argue it is lost, it is not so. All this has to
be revealed now. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, old, old man, see what you
have done, what you have got yourself into. Arise, old man, raise
your banner. Rise, old man and humble yourself before your Master.
The talk turns to “Hashem, my heart is not haughty”, and we are
reminded how important it is to be humble of heart before the Holy
King, however powerful we are in the world. The merchant then
begins a section about divorce and the rules about remarriage. We
hear of persons mentioned in scripture who were reincarnations of
other named persons; for example, the merchant says that Boaz was
a reincarnation, and that good often emerges from what had been
evil.
The old man began with the verse, “Hashem, my heart is not
haughty, nor my eyes lofty…” (Tehilim 131:1). King David said that,
because he was a high king, ruler over all high kings and rulers from
east to west, THAT IS, THEY WERE AFRAID OF HIS POWER. Yet it
did not enter his mind to deviate from the way, and he always
humbled his heart before his Master. When he was occupied with the
Torah, he became strong as a lion, and his eyes were always cast to
the ground for fear of his Master. When he walked among the people,
he had no arrogance at all.1
Therefore it is written, “Hashem, my heart is not haughty…” My
heart is not haughty though I am a king and ruler over all the other
kings in the world. “Nor my eyes lofty” when I am before You,
delving in the Torah. “Nor do I exercise myself in great matters, or in
things too high for me” (Ibid.), when I walk among the people. If King
David said so, how much more so the rest of the people in the world!
And I, how humble of heart I am and lowering my eyes before the
holy King. Far be it for me to be proud in the holy matters of the
Torah! He wept and his tears fell on his beard.
He said TO HIMSELF, old man, weary and powerless, how
becoming are the tears on your beard, the good old man as
becoming as the precious ointment running down on the beard of
Aaron. Speak up, old man, for the holy King is here. Other people,
when they depart from the world, leaving a spirit in the vessel they
used, NAMELY THEIR WIVES, what happens to the first spirit, if she
remarries and another comes and puts another spirit in that vessel,
as I mentioned?
Come and see how lofty the mighty acts the holy King performs
are. Who could tell them? When the second husband comes and
inserts a spirit in that vessel, IN THE WIFE, the first spirit OF THE
FIRST HUSBAND denounces the coming spirit, and they do not get
along together.
For that reason the woman does not get along well with the
second husband, since the spirit of the first is tapping inside her.
She then remembers him always, weeps for him or sighs for him,
since his spirit taps in her innards like a snake, and speaks ill of the
other spirit that came from the second husband. They assail each
other a long time.
If the one coming FROM THE SECOND HUSBAND removes the
former spirit OF THE FIRST HUSBAND, it leaves and goes away. At
times the first pushes away the second and attacks it, until it takes it
out of the world. In relation to this we learned that from two or more,
THAT IS, AFTER HER TWO HUSBANDS DIED, a man should not
marry this woman, because the Angel of Death is strong in her. But
people do not know that once the spirit OF THE FIRST HUSBAND
prevailed and overcame the other, second spirit, AND PUSHED IT
OUT OF THE WORLD, from now on no one should mix with her.1
Friends, I do know that now you should raise a question and
say that in this case, the second husband died unlawfully and was
not judged from above, BUT WAS REJECTED BY THE SPIRIT OF
THE FIRST HUSBAND. Come and see, everything is according to
law, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN DECREED ABOVE that either one
would overcome one, or that one would not attack one. He who
marries a widow is like he who enters the sea with strong winds
BLOWING, without ropes, and does not know whether he will pass in
peace or drown in the deep.
If the second spirit that JUST entered prevails and overcomes
the first SPIRIT, the first goes away from there and goes its way. HE
ASKS, whither does it go, and what becomes OF IT? HE SAID TO
HIMSELF, old, old man, what have you done? You thought you
would speak a little and come away, but you have entered a place
where no one else has entered since the day Do’eg and Achitofel
formed these questions of the four hundred questions they were
asking about the tower soaring in the air. None had answered them
until King Solomon came, who properly clarified each one. Old, old
man, you have come to reveal a concealed lofty secret, what have
you done?
Old, old man, you should have guarded your path in the
beginning and observed when you started, but now is not the time to
hide. Old man, answer with your might. Whither does the spirit go,
which left? He wept and said, friends, all these tears I wept were not
for your sakes, but I feared the Master of the universe, for revealing
hidden ways without permission. But it is known before the Holy
One, blessed be He, that is not for my own glory or the glory of my
father, but my wish is to serve Him. And I have seen the
preciousness of one of you in that world, and I know it is the same
with the other, though it has not been disclosed to me. But now I see.
We have learned that a man is pushed aside for another, and
they are rejected in many hidden ways. The first spirit that was
pushed aside before the second, where does it go? HE ANSWERS,
the spirit leaves and goes to roam the world unbeknownst, and goes
to the grave of that man, from whence it goes about the world, to be
seen to people in dreams. They see in a dream the image of that
man, who informs them of things according to the way of the first
spirit that came out of him. As things are in that world, it goes about
and informs so in this world.1
In this manner it goes about the world, always visiting that
grave, when spirits visit the graves of the bodies. THEN THE SPIRIT
ITSELF OF THE FIRST HUSBAND GOES TO THE GRAVE TO VISIT
ITS BODY. Then this spirit, WHICH IS JUST A PART OF THE MAIN
SPIRIT, joins its MAIN spirit, which is clothed in it and goes its way.
And when THE SPIRIT enters its place, it is divested of it. And it has
place in the chambers in the Garden of Eden, or outside, according
to the way of each individual. There it hides.
And when the spirits visit this world, the dead are engaged with
the living only by means of the attraction of that spirit, NAMELY, THE
SPIRIT THE HUSBAND LEAVES IN HIS WIFE IN THE PREVIOUS LIFE,
in which the other, MAIN spirit is clothed. If it is said that it is for the
good of the spirit, and the woman does good in every way,
BECAUSE BY MEANS OF THE SPIRIT HER HUSBAND LEFT IN HER,
THE SPIRIT IS ATTACHED TO THE LIVING, it is not so. For had she
not married another, and had the first spirit not been rejected before
the other man, THE SECOND HUSBAND, he would have derived
benefit in another way, and not TOIL in that world as he does, nor be
attached to the living in this world, roaming to and fro.
HE ASKS, if so, the second marriage of the woman is not
decreed from above, because you said one man is rejected before
another. HE ANSWERS, yet I say that the second husband who
married this woman, she is his very soulmate, while the first is not
her real soulmate. Therefore she is of the second, and when his time
comes AND HE MARRIES HER, the first is pushed aside from before
him. Assuredly it is so, because the spirit of the first that was in that
woman is rejected only because the second is her soulmate. THUS
THE SECOND MARRIAGE IS FROM HEAVEN.
All those second HUSBANDS rejected before the first
HUSBANDS, the first ones were their soulmates while the latter were
not. This is why they do not live with them, and the second spirit is
pushed from before the first spirit. Hence one says of he who
marries a widow, “and knows not that it is for his life” (Mishlei 7:23),
“For no heed is taken of the net” (Mishlei 1:17), since it is not known
if she is his real soulmate or not.
An unmarried widow, who does not wish to marry even if her
soulmate comes, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not force her to
by law. And the Holy One, blessed be He, arranges that man another
wife, and THE WIDOW is not judged for this in that world, even if she
does not have a child, since a woman is not commanded to be
fruitful and multiply, as we explained.1
What becomes of the spirit in this woman, who does not
remarry, whose husband left in her IN HIS LAST LIFE? HE
ANSWERS, it remains there, IN THE WIFE, twelve months, and every
night it comes out, visits the Nefesh and returns to its place. After
twelve months, the sentence is alleviated from that man, NAMELY
HER HUSBAND, for during the twelve months the spirit is downcast
with sadness the whole day. After twelve months it goes away from
there, FROM THE WIFE, and goes to stand at the gate of the Garden
of Eden, and visits in this world that vessel, THE WOMAN, which it
left. When the woman leaves the world, that spirit comes out and is
clothed in her spirit, OF THE WIFE, and she gains it by her husband,
and they both illuminate worthily, united into one.
Having come to this place, it is now proper to reveal the hidden
ways of the Master of the universe, which people do not know of.
They all follow the true path, as written, “for the ways of Hashem are
right, and the just do walk in them: but the transgressors shall
stumble in them” (Hoshea 14:10). But people do not know nor care
how lofty the deeds of the Holy One, blessed be He, are and how
diverse, yet the people in the world do not know it. They are all in the
path of truth, not turning right or left.
As for those incarnated, who were driven out (divorced) of that
world and have no spouse, HE ASKS, the spouses they marry in this
world, who are the women whom they marry in this world? For any
man has a spouse except him WHO INCARNATES.
See now how great and lofty His mighty acts are. We learned
that whoever divorces his first wife, the altar sheds tears for him. HE
ASKS, why the altar, AND ANSWERS, I say that all the women in the
world are fashioned in the shape of the altar, WHICH IS MALCHUT,
AS EVERY WOMAN’S ROOT IS IN MALCHUT. They therefore inherit
seven blessings, all from the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS
MALCHUT. And if he divorces her, HIS FIRST WIFE, the stone OF
THE SUPERNAL ALTAR, NAMELY, THE ROOT OF THAT WOMAN,
WHICH IS IN MALCHUT, reverts to a state of deficiency and lack.
What is the reason for this? IT IS because the two divorcees are
united. JUST AS SHE WAS DIVORCED FROM HER HUSBAND, IT IS
DIVORCED FROM ITS ROOT IN MALCHUT.1
This is the secret of the words, “then let him write her a bill of
divorce, and give it in her hand…And when she is departed out of his
house, she may go and be another man’s wife” (Devarim 24:1). HE
ASKS, seeing that “she may go and be another man’s wife,” do I not
know he is not the one who divorced her? Why DOES IT SAY
“another”? HE ANSWERS, it is as we learned it, we learned of the
other, and it is written of “another,” and he is called another, as
written, “and out of the earth shall others spring” (Iyov 8:19). HENCE
THE INCARNATED IS CALLED ‘ANOTHER’. And the divorcees are
joined together, he who is divorced from that world, NAMELY THE
INCARNATED MAN WHO HAS NO SPOUSE, WHO IS DRIVEN AWAY
FROM THAT WORLD INTO THIS WORLD, WHO MARRIED THE
DIVORCED WOMAN, and the divorced WOMAN in this world FROM
HER HUSBAND, as this woman who had the supernal shape OF
MALCHUT, is now enslaved to the lower shape, NAMELY TO THE
INCARNATED MAN WITHOUT A SPOUSE, WHO MARRIED HER, who
is called another, AS MENTIONED BEFORE. FOR HE CLEAVED TO
ANOTHER EL, FOR WHICH REASON HE AGAIN INCARNATED IN
THIS WORLD.
And he is called ‘last’. Whence do we know he is called latter?
From the words, “and that he who outlives all things (lit. ‘latter’), will
rise” (Iyov 19:25). SO THE INCARNATED MAN IS CALLED LATTER.
And here it is written, “And if the latter husband hate her” (Devarim
24:3), or, “or if the latter…should die” (Ibid.). HE ASKS, it says latter,
while it should have said ‘second’. If you say THE PURPOSE OF THE
VERSE IS TO FORBID that she would marry ten one after the other, it
is not so. For she would marry this husband and no other,
WHEREFORE SHOULD SHE BE FORBIDDEN TO ANOTHER? Why is
he then called ‘last’?
HE ANSWERS, this is the last we mentioned. He is another and
is last. For now the stone turns in the sling, WHICH MEANS THAT IN
RELATION TO THE FIRST BODY THAT DIED, THE INCARNATED IN
THE SLING, WHO CAME AGAIN INTO THE WORLD IS CALLED BY
THE NAME ‘ANOTHER’ AND ‘LATTER (LAST)’. SINCE HE HAS NO
SPOUSE HE MARRIES THE DIVORCEE AND HENCE THE VERSE
CALLS HIM ‘ANOTHER’ AND ‘LAST’. HE ASKS, why is he called
another IN RELATION TO THE FIRST BODY THAT DIED, seeing that
the whole edifice, NAMELY THE FIRST BODY, collapsed and
returned to the dust AND IS AS IF IT NEVER EXISTED, and that THE
INCARNATED is what THE FIRST BODY was and not another. Why
then is he called another, and also why latter? If he is the latter
because he straightens his ways AND IMPROVES, it is well,
BECAUSE HE IS LAST AND INCARNATES NO LONGER. But if not,
he incarnates again to be planted as before. Why then is he called
last?
Yet come and see, it is written, “And Elohim saw everything that
He had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Beresheet 1:31). What
is ‘good’? It is the Angel of Good; ‘very’ is the Angel of Death. The
Holy One, blessed be He, summons ways of correcting for everyone,
SO THAT EVEN THE ANGEL OF DEATH REVERTS TO BEING VERY
GOOD.
Come and see, “And a river went out of Eden to water the
garden” (Beresheet 2:10), WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT WATERS
MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED GARDEN. This river never ceases from
multiplying, increasing and producing fruit, while another El is
sterile and never has any desire, does not fertilize or produce fruit.
For had it produced fruit, it would have troubled the world.1
This is why the man who caused that side to increase in the
world is called evil and never beholds the face of the Shechinah, as
written, “nor shall evil dwell with You” (Tehilim 5:5). An incarnated
man, who transgresses and cleaves to another El, which does not
produce fruit nor multiplies in the world, is therefore called another.
The name OF THE OTHER SIDE brought it upon him that even if he,
THE DEAD MAN, is THE INCARNATED ONE, he is called another
LIKE THE OTHER SIDE, another surely.
“Latter”: he is called latter since from the first time onward one
is always called latter, and named latter IN THE TORAH. Be he
second, he is called latter forthwith, and the Holy One, blessed be
He, calls him thus, latter, so that he will be perfected IN THIS
INCARNATION and be last and come back no longer TO INCARNATE
AGAIN. The third too IS CALLED LATTER, and so each time HE
INCARNATES after the first time, he is called latter. And he should
be called latter, for were he called second, an excuse WOULD BE
GIVEN for him TO INCARNATE again, and for the current edifice to
collapse.
Whence do we know that? From the second Temple that is
called latter, as written, “The glory of this latter house shall be
greater than that of the former (first)” (Chagai 2:9). For from the first
onward it is called latter, so there will be no excuse that the edifice
will collapse and will BE BUILT again as before.
In this case too, the incarnated man also is called last, LIKE THE
SECOND TEMPLE. Hence it is written, “her former husband, who
sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife” (Devarim 24:4).
HE ASKS, why “may not”? It should have been ‘will not take her.’ HE
ANSWERS, once the woman cleaved to another and went down to be
enslaved to the lower grade OF THE OTHER SIDE, the Holy One,
blessed be He, does not wish the former to descend from his grade
and produce fruit and cleave to a grade that is not his.
And come and see, if that woman does not marry, even if she
whores with all the men in the world, if her husband wishes to, he
may return to her. But if she cleaved in marriage to another, she
cannot return to the former grade she had. HENCE IT IS WRITTEN,
“MAY NOT”; assuredly he may never return to that grade.1
“After she is defiled” (Ibid.). We learned that she is defiled in his
heart. HE ASKS, if this is so, even if she goes out to whore without
marriage SHE SHOULD BE FORBIDDEN. HE ANSWERS, once she
cleaves to the other, she accepts upon her the portion of that EVIL
side. Her first husband is of the other, good side, BUT she shall
never have a portion of that good, and he must not increase that
place at all. Hence, if the latter man sends her out or “if the latter
husband…should die” (Ibid. 3), she is forbidden to the first one. But
she is permitted to other men; perhaps she will find a place again
and a latter one to come and marry her.
Whoever has children from the first wife, yet brings this
WOMAN into his house, cleaves that day to the relentless revolving
sword for two reasons. The first is that she has already rejected two
men, and he is the third. Another is that how could he put his spirit
in a vessel that another had joined, to join her and cleave to her, not
because she is forbidden but it is a bad alliance for himself.
Rabbi Levitas, the leader of Kfar Ono, used to laugh and joke
about such a woman, when he saw someone marrying her. He would
say, it is written, “and she laughs at the time to come” (Mishlei
31:25); if she marries a latter man, he later becomes a laughing stock.
Let us come back and contemplate a certain great and lofty
place that was in the world, a true stock and root. It is Oved, the
father of Yishai, father of David. We learned that THE INCARNATED
is the latter, AND OVED WAS AN INCARNATION OF MACHLON, WHO
DIED CHILDLESS. How could a true root come from such a place?
HE ANSWERS, but Oved was improved by lofty correction, and
the root of the inverted tree, WHERE THE WIFE BECOMES THE
MOTHER, was set aright again. And he rose in it and was duly
perfected. Hence he is called Oved, DERIVED FROM WORK,
something that none of the people in the world merited.
OVED came, cultivated (Heb. avad) and hoed the trunk and root
of the tree, came out of the bitter face and again improved the
branches of the tree, MALCHUT. Yishai his son came, strengthened
and fixed it, and held to the boughs of another, higher tree, ZEIR
ANPIN. He joined one tree to another and they intertwined. When
David came, he found the trees, ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT,
intertwined and bound to each other. He then inherited dominion in
the land. All this Oved brought about.1
The old man wept and said TO HIMSELF, Woe old man, have not
I told you that you entered the great sea. Now you are in the great
deeps. Prepare to rise. Old, old man, you have brought all this about.
Had you been quiet before, it would have become you, but now you
cannot, and there is none to hold your hand save you alone. Arise
old man, and rise up.
Oved was corrected and came out of the evil field of evil
cisterns. His son Yishai came and fixed and hoed the tree.
Nevertheless, this is the most secret of mysteries, and I do not know
whether I should tell it or not. Speak up, old man, assuredly I say
that in this way are recognized all the incarnated. Though Oved fixed
the tree, when King David came, he remained in the lower tree of the
female, WHICH IS MALCHUT, and had to receive life from another,
for of himself he had no life. And if this is so for he, who was
perfected and perfected everything, this is much more so for other
people, who cannot be thus perfected.
The merchant tells the rabbis about the levels Chesed, Gvurah,
Tiferet and Malchut attaching to the grades Reuben, Shimon, Levi
and Judah, and how this relates to barrenness. He speaks a great
deal about Judah, and about the twelve tribes of Judah, saying that
they are celestial shapes after the supernal shape; since they were
real people in this world, the Shechinah was perfected by them.
In every respect this turns to incarnation. Peretz was so, AN
INCARNATION OF ER; Boaz was so, AN INCARNATION OF JUDAH;
Oved was so, AN INCARNATION OF MACHLON. In them all, the tree
came out of the evil side and then cleaved to the good. At first, “And
Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of Hashem” (Beresheet
38:7). Machlon was also evil, though not as much. But in these, evil
was consumed, and good then emerged, THAT IS, him of whom it is
written, “good looking” (I Shmuel 16:12), AND “Hashem was with
him” (Ibid. 18). Here the lower tree, MALCHUT, reached completion,
and “Elohim reigns over the nations” (Tehilim 47:9).
In the very beginning, the grades, Reuben, Shimon, Levi and
Judah struck root in the supernal essence and foundation. THEY
ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT. It is written of
him, “Now I will praise Hashem…and she left off bearing” (Beresheet
29:35). This is the meaning of, “Sing, O barren one, you that did not
bear” (Yeshayah 54:1), since when Judah was born, the Nukva,
MALCHUT, came out attached to the Male, ZEIR ANPIN, but there
were not well set face to face, and MALCHUT was not capable of
bearing. When the Holy One, blessed be He, sawed her, THAT IS,
DETACHED HER FROM THE BACK OF THE MALE, and fixed her, she
became capable of conceiving and bearing, AS WILL BE EXPLAINED.
In the book of Enoch it is written that, “she left off bearing” does
not refer to Leah, WHO IS THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN ABOVE THE
CHEST, but to Rachel, who is “weeping for her children” (Yirmeyah
31:14). It is she, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN BELOW THE CHEST,
who struck root in Judah, who is composed of the letters Yud Hei
Vav and Dalet Hei. “And she left off bearing,” because she is not yet
corrected.1
At first, everything had the upper form, AND EVEN RACHEL
ASCENDED ABOVE THE CHEST. Reuben is composed of the
segments Or (Eng. ‘light’) Ben (Eng. ‘son’), which is the secret of,
“And Elohim said, Let there be light” (Beresheet 1:3), which is right,
NAMELY CHESED OF ZEIR ANPIN. Shimon is the left, and is light
together with the oars of gold, because Shimon is composed of the
segments Shem Avon (Eng. ‘name of iniquity’), WHICH IS THE LEFT,
GVURAH OF ZEIR ANPIN. Levi is overall unity, the joining of the two
aspects, BEING THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT UNITES THE RIGHT
WITH THE LEFT. HE IS TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN. AFTER THE
EMERGENCE OF CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET ABOVE THE
CHEST, THE NUKVA CALLED RACHEL CAME OUT. That is Judah,
WHO IS THE NUKVA. The Female cleaves to the Male, WHO IS
CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN; Yud Hei Vav is the
Male, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET; Dalet and Hei are
the Nukva, RACHEL who was with him, WITH THE MALE.
HE ASKS, THE NUKVA IS ALLUDED TO IN THE LETTERS Dalet
Hei. Why Dalet Hei? HE ANSWERS, THE NUKVA IS CALLED Dalet
while evil cleaves to her, NAMELY WHEN SHE IS OF THE QUALITY
OF THE LEFT ONLY, AND IS ATTACHED TO THE BACK OF THE
MALE. She is Dalet, which means she is poor (Heb. dalah), and
needs to reincarnate, REFERRING TO THE INCARNATIONS FROM
JUDAH TO KING DAVID, to destroy that evil, wither in the dust and
grow again on the good side, NAMELY BY BUILDING ABA AND IMA
ANEW, ACCORDING TO THE SECRET OF THE VERSE, “AND OF THE
SIDE, WHICH HASHEM ELOHIM HAD TAKEN FROM THE MAN, HE
MADE A WOMAN” (BERESHEET 2:22), to emerge from poverty to
wealth. She is then called Hei, and hence JUDAH IS COMPOSED OF
THE LETTERS Yud Hei Vav and Dalet Hei, YUD HEI VAV BEING
CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET OF THE MALE, AND DALET AND
HEI ARE THE NUKVA IN HER TWO STATES MENTIONED BEFORE
THAT UNITES WITH THE MALE.
HE SAID TO HIMSELF, come, old man, out of the depth, have no
fear. How many ships are waiting for you when you sail in the sea, to
rest in. He wept again and said, Master of the universe, lest the
celestial camps shall say that I am old and cry like a child, it is
known before You that for Your glory I do that, and not for my own
glory. For at first I should have kept from entering the great sea, yet
now that I am in it, it behooves me to sail in every direction and
come out.
“Judah you are he whom your brethren shall praise” (Beresheet
49:8), that is, when we say, ‘blessed are you’, he is blessed, WHEN
YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN POURS CHASSADIM UPON MALCHUT, IT IS
CALLED ‘BLESSED’ and she ‘you’. MALCHUT IS CALLED ‘YOU’,
SINCE THE NAME ‘YOU’ ALLUDES TO CHASSADIM, AS IN, “YOU
SHALL BE A PRIEST” (TEHILIM 110:4), AS SHALL BE SAID. Jacob
mentioned ‘you’ in relation to none of his sons, except the needed
place. FOR MALCHUT IS DRAWN FROM THE LEFT SIDE, WHERE
CHOCHMAH ILLUMINES WITHOUT CHASSADIM. SHE NEEDS THE
NAME ‘YOU’, WHICH IS CHASSADIM, WITH WHICH TO CLOTHE
CHOCHMAH. FOR WITHOUT CHASSADIM, CHOCHMAH DOES NOT
SHINE, AND IS IN THE SECRET OF DARKNESS. This is WHY HE
SAID TO JUDAH ‘you’.1
“He whom your brethren shall praise,” they shall all praise you
for that name; assuredly, “you are he whom your brethren shall
praise,” for it is due to that name that the other side was gone and
subdued. This is because when THE NAME JUDAH is called and
mentioned, the Other Side comes out with it, NAMELY, IN THE
DALET OF JUDAH, THAT ALLUDES TO ITS FIRST STATE, WHEN
SHE IS DRAWN FROM THE LEFT ALONE, WHERE THE OTHER SIDE
FEEDS, DUE TO THE LACK OF CHASSADIM IN THE RIGHT. Once
‘you’ is uttered, WHICH IS THE DRAWING CHASSADIM FROM THE
RIGHT, she has power and greatness and the Other Side is subdued
and not seen there. Assuredly it is by means of this name that she is
marked and extracted from the Other Side, BECAUSE WHEN SHE IS
CLOTHED WITH CHASSADIM, THE OTHER SIDE IS DISTANCED
FROM HER. This is the elevation and power OF MALCHUT and
breaking and evil to the Other Side. Once “your brethren shall
praise” you for the name ‘you’, then “your hand shall be on the neck
of your enemies” (Ibid.); immediately THE OTHER SIDE is subdued
before you, which is brought about by that name.
I know, friends, I do know that you ascribe the name ‘you’ to
another, higher place, as written, “you shall be a priest
forever” (Tehilim 110:4), which is at the supernal right, NAMELY
CHOCHMAH. It is well because since the high and low praise Rabbi
Shimon, and he attained everything, everything he said is so, and is
well.
But when you arrive at his place, tell and remind him of the
snowy day, when we planted fifty-two kinds of beans. For “you shall
be a priest” MEANS THAT here the cup of blessing, WHICH IS
MALCHUT CALLED YOU, is attached to the right, WHICH IS CHESED
CALLED PRIEST, without any separation. Hence, “you shall be a
priest forever,” for here the cup, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is properly
attached, AND SO ENDURES FOREVER.
In regard to this, the verse says, “Judah you,” and to ‘you’ “your
brethren shall praise.” For it is not written just, ‘Judah is he whom
your brethren shall praise,’ but the name ‘you’ HIS BRETHREN WILL
PRAISE. This place, MALCHUT, needs the name ‘you’ and none other.
Judah is the father first OF ER AND ONAN, and father a second
time TO PERETZ AND ZERACH, WHO ARE THE INCARNATIONS OF
ER AND ONAN. He was never exchanged, AS THE GRADE NEVER
CHANGED BY THE BROTHER BECOMING THE FATHER. FOR THE
CHILDLESS DEAD INCARNATES IN THE SON BORN TO HIS
BROTHER, WHO BECOMES HIS FATHER, WHICH IS CONSIDERED A
DESCENT IN GRADES AND A BLEMISH. BUT THERE WAS NO
CHANGE AND DESCENT OF GRADE IN JUDAH, BECAUSE HE WAS
ALSO THE FIRST FATHER OF ER AND ONAN, WHO INCARNATED IN
PERETZ AND ZERACH. This is why Peretz was very forceful, AS
WRITTEN OF HIM, “WHY HAVE YOU MADE SUCH A BREACH FOR
YOURSELF” (BERESHEET 38:29). THIS IS BECAUSE HIS GRADE
DID NOT DESCEND, which is not the case for any other man in the
world WHO INCARNATES, WHO DESCENDS, AS THE BROTHER
BECOMES HIS FATHER. Therefore the establishment of David
begins to be counted with Peretz and not with Boaz, who suffered a
change, NOT BEING THE FIRST FATHER OF THE INCARNATED
MAN, WHO IS MACHLON. Friends, if you observe my words, such
words are not spoken vaguely WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF
UNDERSTANDING THEM, though they are vague.1
Hence Judah achieved the name called ‘you’. He was properly
established the first time WITH ER AND ONAN and the second time
WITH PERETZ AND ZERACH and never changed. His children and
descendants praise and say, “You are our father” (Yeshayah 63:16),
SINCE THEY DID NOT SUFFER A DESCENT, WHEN THE BROTHER
BECOMES THE FATHER. This is not so with other incarnated in the
world. Other people who incarnate, two fathers and two mothers
have a party in their edifice. FOR IN ADDITION TO HIS FIRST
FATHER, HIS BROTHER BECOMES HIS FATHER, SO HE HAS TWO
FATHERS, AND ALSO TWO MOTHERS, AS IN ADDITION TO HIS
FIRST MOTHER, HIS WIFE BECOMES HIS MOTHER. These mysteries
are in the depths of the sea, in the middle of the abyss. Who could
take them out of there? Arise, old man, grow strong with your might,
and draw pearls out of the depths.
Boaz seems to have changed when he begot Oved, since Oved
is changed, FOR HE IS HIS SECOND FATHER. HE SAYS, it is not so,
Ivtzan is Boaz. WHY IS HE CALLED BOAZ? BBECAUSE he is the first
father to bring no change, NAMELY, JUDAH, WHO IS THE FIRST
FATHER, INCARNATED IN HIM. You may argue that it was he
himself, AND NO INCARNATION OF JUDAH, YET surely when he was
roused to perform the act OF LEVIRATE MARRIAGE, he who was
fierce as a lion and a lion’s whelp, THAT IS, JUDAH was present in
him. HENCE HE WAS CALLED BOAZ, DERIVED FROM BO AZ (ENG.
‘FIERCENESS IS IN HIM’), WHO REFERS TO JUDAH. THIS WAS so
that there will be no change in David. AND SINCE JUDAH
INCARNATED IN HIM, the matter reverted to the former root, so that
all will originate in one father and lineage. It is all the same, and
there was no change in the incarnation of David’s seed. Thus you,
from beginning to end, are entirely without change.
Now, old man, you have come out of the depths of the sea.
Judah is ‘you’ surely, from beginning to end. It is not worthy to name
none of the sons ‘you’ except him alone. Happy is the portion of
David, who was so extracted and rose above other roots of people in
the land.
“Your brethren shall praise.” HE ASKS, it should have said, ‘all
the people in the world should praise’. Why DOES IT SAY, “your
brethren”? HE ANSWERS, it is not the custom in the world to
perform levirate marriage for the sake of incarnation OF THE
CHILDLESS DEAD, except for kinsmen. The brother would perform
levirate marriage, and you yourself performed levirate marriage. Here
all your brethren praise you, that the lineage of kingship did not
come from them, from none of them, but from you alone. It is you,
who performed it from beginning to end, and from you the whole
lineage and race of the lion emerged.1
Your descendants are lion cubs, who have not turned into your
brothers, nor changed into a lamb, an ox, or a kid. FOR THERE ARE
TWELVE SHAPES IN THE TWELVE CONSTELLATIONS, WHICH
CORRESPOND TO THE TWELVE TRIBES. THE CHILDREN OF
JUDAH HAD ALL THE IMAGE OF A LION, NOT THE IMAGE OF
OTHER TRIBES. A lion began to establish and a lion concluded the
edifice. Your whole lineage is of lion cubs, for had anyone on the
side of your brothers incarnated INTO YOUR CHILDREN, the images
would have changed and mixed with each other. For that “your
brethren shall praise,” that none of them incarnated into your
descendants’ ancestry. Raise your hand for none of them was
mingled.
This is the meaning of, “from the prey, my son, you are gone
up” (Beresheet 49:9), for there is no prey OR FOOD for another on
your table. “He stooped down” when Er died, “he couched” when
Onan died. He then got stronger “as a lion” to sire Peretz, “and as a
lioness” to raise up Zerach. “Who shall rouse him up?” (Ibid.), as
written, “And he knew her again no more” (Beresheet 38:26), which
is translated into Aramaic as, “and he stopped not.” This is the
meaning of, “Who shall rouse him up?” Who can say this woman is
forbidden, who can say that once she completed her practices, you
need her no longer, that once the widow has finished her practices,
she is of no more use to you, and you are beholden to withdraw from
her. But, “Who shall rouse him up?” From now on she is his,
because she bore him, who was moving about in her belly, NAMELY
THE SPIRIT OF HER FIRST HUSBAND, WHICH HE LEFT IN HER IN
HIS FORMER LIFE. IT WAS MOVING IN HER BELLY, AND NOW SHE
BORE IT.
There is a hidden mystery here. Why SHOULD a man’s brother
MARRY HIS WIDOW, and moreover, why SHOULD Judah his father
MARRY HIS WIDOW, INSTEAD OF A STRANGER WHO IS NOT A
KINSMAN? HE ANSWERS, because he who moves about in the belly
OF THE WIDOW, NAMELY, THE SPIRIT HER DEAD HUSBAND LEFT
IN HER, sees him who keeps him, THAT IS, HIS KINSMAN, and
charges against him in every manner. HAD HE BEEN A STRANGE
MAN, HE WOULD HAVE REJECTED HIM, BUT HE DOES NOT WISH
TO PUSH AWAY HIS KINSMAN. Hence he wishes to go away FROM
THERE. Once he leaves, he summons the other, NAMELY the other,
MAIN spirit OF THE DEAD, and the TWO enter THE WOMAN’S BELLY
again, until he is newly established, NAMELY, INCARNATES IN THE
SEMEN OF THE KINSMAN. THIS CAME ABOUT by means of the
fierce denouncement against his brother, FOR WHICH REASON HE
DECIDED TO GO AWAY FROM HER. From now on the woman is
permitted to him, SINCE THE DENOUNCING SPIRIT HAS ALREADY
LEFT HER. THIS IS WHY THE KINSMAN SHOULD MARRY HER,
BECAUSE A STRANGE MAN, WHO IS NOT A RELATIVE, WOULD
HAVE BEEN REJECTED BY THE SPIRIT.
Happy is the portion of Judah. At first he was a whelp, then a
lion, as he grew greater and stronger as a lion. He finished as a
lioness. It is not so with other people in the world. Hence ‘Judah
YOU’, like we said.1
Reuben, Shimon and Levi are a threesome, as we said THAT
THEY ARE CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET. Judah, WHO IS
MALCHUT, joined them, SO EVERYTHING IS AS IT SHOULD BE.
Issachar and Zebulun are the two thighs, NETZACH AND HOD,
whence the true prophets are sustained. Issachar is the right thigh,
WHICH IS NETZACH. It is written, “And of the children of Issachar,
men who had understanding of the times” (I Divrei Hayamim 12:33),
WHICH MEANS THAT NETZACH DRAWS THE LIGHT OF BINAH TO
MALCHUT CALLED ‘TIMES’. And it is written, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in
your going out” (Devarim 33:18), WHICH MEANS THAT HOD IS THE
LAST OF THE FIVE SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH
AND HOD, WHICH IS THE MEASURE OF THE EXPANDING OF THE
LIGHT OF BINAH. FROM IT DOWN IT IS CONSIDERED GOING OUT
OF THE GRADES. In the greater reckoning, THERE ARE SEVEN
SFIROT, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND
MALCHUT. THEN it is written, “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of
the sea; and he shall be a haven for ships” (Beresheet 49:13),
NAMELY, DOWN TO MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED BOTH A SEA AND
A SHIP. What is the reason HE DWELLS ALL THE WAY TO
MALCHUT – IT IS because “his border (or thigh) shall be at
Tzidon” (Ibid.), as the measure of his thigh, HOD, EXPANDS to
MALCHUT THAT IS CALLED Tzidon.
Benjamin remained above, between the thighs, BEING YESOD.
AND THOUGH JOSEPH IS YESOD, Joseph was its image on earth,
WHICH IS MALCHUT, for use in this world, WHICH IS MALCHUT.
Moses used him, as written, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph
with him” (Shemot 13:19). Benjamin rose up TO YESOD OF ZEIR
ANPIN, and Benjamin is the righteous one of the world, BEING
YESOD.
Below the knees THERE ARE TWO MORE PARTS. They are Dan
and Naftali, Gad and Asher. In the left leg, Dan reaches the joint of
the foot, NAMELY THE MIDDLE PART, Naftali is the foot segment,
NAMELY, THE LOWER SECTION. Hence, “Naftali is a hind let
lose” (Beresheet 49:21), being light footed. In the right leg is Gad,
who “shall overcome at last” (Ibid. 19), that is, down to the heel joint,
WHICH IS THE MIDDLE PART; Asher is in the section of the right
heel, NAMELY THE LOWER PART. Hence, “let him dip his foot in oil.
Your shoes shall be iron and brass” (Devarim 33:24). THUS, IN THE
THREE SEGMENTS OF THE RIGHT LEG ARE ISSACHAR IN THE
UPPER, GAD IN THE MIDDLE AND ASHER IN THE LOWER PART. IN
THE THREE PARTS OF THE LEFT LEG ARE ZEBULUN IN THE
UPPER, DAN IN THE MIDDLE AND NAFTALI IN THE LOWER PART.
All these TWELVE TRIBES are celestial shapes after the supernal
shape. Since they were real people in this world, the Shechinah was
perfected by them, through the twelve parts, which are the twelve
flows that were drawn from Yisrael himself, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN, as
written, “All these (Heb. eleh) are the twelve tribes of
Yisrael” (Beresheet 49:28). The flows from Yisrael are called ‘Eleh’
FROM WHICH the name ‘mi’ spreads out, to make the building fit, so
that Yisrael will be included in the name Elohim (ALEPH LAMED HEI
YUD MEM). Eleh (ALEPH LAMED HEI) is Yisrael in general and Mi
(MEM YUD) unites Eleh with it, to make the building duly whole, into
one real name.
This is what the minister of Esau said to Jacob, as written, “for
you have contended with Elohim” (Beresheet 32:29), THAT IS, above,
SINCE HE ROSE WITH THE LETTERS OF ELEH OF MALE AND
FEMALE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NAME ELOHIM, WHICH WAS
THERE JOINED AND MADE WHOLE through the first correction in
the first establishment. “All these (Heb. eleh) ARE THE TWELVE
TRIBES OF YISRAEL.” Surely this is the first edifice, WHERE THE
JOINING OF MI WITH ELEH IS EFFECTED.1
Therefore Yisrael will never ever perish. Had they perished,
heaven forbid, the name Elohim would not have existed. This is the
meaning of, “and cut off our name from the earth: and what will You
do for Your great name?” (Yehoshua 7:9), NAMELY this great name,
the first establishment, the first name Elohim. Now that Yisrael are in
exile it is as if the whole establishment collapsed. In the future to
come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will redeem His children
from exile, Mi and Eleh that were apart in exile will join and the name
Elohim will be duly whole and the world would be scented. This is
the meaning of, “Who (Heb. mi) are these (Heb. eleh) that fly as a
cloud, and as the doves to their windows?” (Yeshayah 60:8).
Since the name is one whole, it is not written, ‘Mi and Eleh THAT
FLY AS A CLOUD’, but ‘Mi eleh’ as an indivisible name. This is the
name Elohim. For now in exile Mi has gone up so to speak INTO
MALCHUT, and the mother, NAMELY MALCHUT, is gone from the
children, YISRAEL. The children fell and the name ELOHIM, which
used to be whole, being the first great name, collapsed.
For this we pray and sanctify in synagogues the name ELOHIM,
so it would be established like it used to, and we recited the
KADDISH – ‘May His great name grow exalted and sanctified…Amen.
May His great name be blessed forever and ever’. What is His great
name – it is the first one, NAMELY THE NAME ELOHIM THAT WAS
COMPLETED IN THE FIRST ESTABLISHMENT. For it is established
only in us, as Mi will be only built with the letters of Eleh. Therefore
at that time, “Mi Eleh that fly as a cloud,” and the whole world will
see that the celestial name is well composed.
And if His great name Elohim is corrected and well built, Yisrael
rule over everything, and all the other names reach perfection. And
Yisrael have power over everything, since they all depend on His
great name, the first of all establishments.
The secret behind it is that when the Holy One, blessed be He,
WHO IS BINAH, created the worlds, MALE AND FEMALE, this name
was built as the first establishment, as written, “Lift up your eyes on
high, and behold who (Heb. mi) has created these (Heb.
eleh)” (Yeshayah 40:26), has created His name ELOHIM well formed.
When He created Eleh, He created it with all the powers proper to it,
to be His name suitably formed, as written, “that brings out their
host by number” (Ibid.).1
HE ASKS, what is “by number,” IN “THAT BRINGS OUT THEIR
HOST BY NUMBER,” AND ANSWERS, the Holy, One, blessed be He,
has a son that shines from one end of the world to the other. He is a
great and strong tree, YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. His top reaches the
height of heaven, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED HEAVEN,
and at his ending his roots spread and strike root in the holy earth,
WHICH IS MALCHUT, ACCORDING TO THE VERSE, “FOR ALL THAT
IS IN HEAVEN AND ON EARTH” (I DIVREI HAYAMIM 29:11). His name
is number. He originates in the upper heaven, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN,
and five firmaments hang IN HEAVEN, WHICH ARE CHESED,
GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH AND HOD down to this number,
WHICH IS THE SIXTH FIRMAMENT, NAMELY YESOD. All the
FIRMAMENTS receive the name ‘NUMBER (HEB. MISPAR)’ for
YESOD, as written, “The heavens declare (Heb.
MESAPRIM)” (Tehilim 19:2). Due to that number, the whole heaven,
THE FIVE FIRMAMENTS, attain this name for its sake. Hence, “that
brings out their host by number,” for were it not for that number,
there would never be hosts and generations, SINCE YESOD
PRODUCES OFFSPRING.
We hear an explanation of “Who can count the dust of Jacob, and
the number of the fourth part of Israel,” and “and many of those who
sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake”. The merchant says that
the “dust of the earth” was seen in the Book of Enoch as the letters
floating in the air. “The dust” is the first dust, that is the body of the
childless dead man, and “the earth” is the second, corrected one,
the body of the incarnated man which corrects the first. In the time
to come those who are corrected are destined to live forever, and the
other side will be removed from the world. Repentance breaks many
sentences and verdicts, and nothing withstands repentance; God
accepts everyone who repents, as He is full of compassion and
mercy. The Holy One, blessed be He, sees the ways of one who
walks in evil, and He holds his hand, and gives him healing, and
leads him in the true path.
In relation to this it is written, “Who can count the dust of
Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Yisrael” (Bemidbar
23:10). There were two who counted the flock that was numbered by
them, because the evil eye had no power over them. “Who can count
the dust of Jacob” refers to one who counts. “The number of the
fourth part of Yisrael” is the second enumerator.
Over these two the evil eye has no power, for “Who can count
the dust of Jacob” refers to the holy stones, strong stones, from
which water sprouts into the world. Of this it is written, “and your
seed shall be as the dust of the earth” (Beresheet 28:14). As the dust
of the world is blessed for his sake, so, “and in your seed shall all
the nations of the earth be blessed” (Beresheet 22:18), like the very
dust of the earth. ‘Number’ is the second enumerator, who counted
so as to cause all those females, the celestial pearls, to rest on the
bed on which Jacob was lying, WHICH IS MALCHUT.1
From then onward, it counts everything, because it, YESOD, has
a good eye. Hence it is written, “He counts the number of the
stars” (Tehilim 147:4), WHICH MEANS that they are all reckoned by
it. In the future to come it is written, “shall the flocks pass again
under the hands of him that counts them” (Yirmeyah 33:13), yet we
do not know who that is, WHETHER THE FIRST OR SECOND ONE.
But since at that time everything will be together indivisible, all will
be conducted by one enumerator.
HE SAID TO HIMSELF, rise, old man, wake up and grow strong
to sail in the sea. He opened with the verse, “Who can count the dust
of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Yisrael.” When the
Holy One, blessed be He, will awaken to raise the dead, those who
were incarnated, who are two bodies with one spirit, NAMELY THE
BODY OF THE DEAD MAN AND THE BODY OF THE INCARNATED,
WHO BOTH HAVE BUT ONE SPIRIT. They have two fathers, THE
FATHER OF THE DEAD AND THAT OF THE INCARNATED BODY, and
also two mothers. How many incarnations do they undergo for that
UNTIL ONE IS CORRECTED. For though we learned THIS and it is so,
yet “Who can count the dust of Jacob,” WHICH IS THE FIRST ONE
TO COUNT that will amend everything, ALL THE INCARNATED
BODIES, and nothing will be lost, so everything will rise TO
RESURRECT.
We have studied, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake” (Daniel 12:2). The dust of the earth IS as was
said in the book of Enoch that the friends looked at the letters
floating in the air, which are Aleph Ayin Dalet Pei Mem Tav Resh,
WHICH FORM ‘dust of the earth’.
Hence, “So I praised the dead that are already dead” (Kohelet
4:2), which are the letters of ‘dust of the earth’, THAT IS, BOTH THE
DEAD OF THE ASPECT OF DUST AND THE DEAD OF THE ASPECT
OF EARTH. A voice is roused to inform, saying so during the second
edifice, WHICH IS THE BODY OF THE INCARNATED, WHICH
CORRECTS BOTH THE BODY OF THE DEAD OF THE ASPECT OF
DUST, AND THE BODY ITSELF, WHICH IS THE ASPECT OF EARTH.
IT IS IT THAT SAYS, “SO I PRAISED THE DEAD,” THAT IS, FIXES
THEM. The dust is the first dust, WHICH IS THE BODY OF THE DEAD
MAN, the earth is the second, corrected one, THE BODY OF THE
INCARNATED MAN, TO WHICH the sterile, first one is refuse. FOR
THE BODY OF THE CHILDLESS DEAD MAN, WHICH IS STERILE, IS
AS REFUSE IN RELATION TO THE INCARNATED BODY, WHICH
CORRECTS IT. HENCE IT SAYS, “SO I PRAISED THE DEAD,” THAT
IS, FIXES THEM.
Those sleeping in the dust of the earth shall all wake up. Those
that were corrected are destined to live forever (lit. ‘for the world’).
Which world is that? It is the lower world, NAMELY MALCHUT, for
they did not merit being in the upper world BUT DESCENDED TO
THE FEMALE WORLD. Those who did not merit CORRECTING will
be “to shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2). HE ASKS,
what is contempt, AND SAYS that the other side will be removed
from the world, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will leave those
who flowed from that side for people to wonder about. THIS IS THE
MEANING OF, “TO SHAME AND EVERLASTING CONTEMPT.”1
Who brought all this about? THE MAN who did not want to be
fruitful and to procreate in the world or to uphold the holy covenant.
He thus brought about all that, and all the incarnations I mentioned
until now. HE SAID TO HIMSELF, up to here, old man. He was silent
for a moment. The friends were stupefied and did not know whether
it was day or night, or whether they were THERE or not.
The old man started with, “If you buy a Hebrew servant, six
years he shall serve: and in the seventh…” (Shemot 21:2). This verse
proves all that we have said. Come and see, every male is in the
image of the male world, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and every female is
in the image of the female world, WHICH IS MALCHUT. When one is
the servant of the Holy One, blessed be He, he cleaves to the six
primordial years, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH,
HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN. But if he tears himself away from
WORSHIPPING Him, the Holy One, blessed be He, tears him from the
six years of the male world, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET,
NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, and he is given to the
man of six extremities, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH,
HOD AND YESOD, whom he serves for six years, torn away from the
supernal six years OF ZEIR ANPIN.
After that, he descends from there and is given to the female
world. He who did not want to dwell in the male, goes down to dwell
in the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT. The Nukva comes, which is the
seventh SFIRAH, and takes him. OF HER IT IS SAID, “AND IN THE
SEVENTH HE SHALL GO OUT FREE” (IBID.). From now on he is of
the female world.
If he did not want to be maintained by her or her redemption,
SAYING, “I LOVE MY MASTER…I WILL NOT GO OUT FREE” (IBID. 5),
he goes down to cleave below, attaching himself to the Other Side.
From now on he is torn from the world of the male and the world of
the female, because he has joined the servants of the Other Side.
Now that it is so, AND HE IS ATTACHED TO THE OTHER SIDE,
he needs a blemish, to be branded with a mark of blemish, NAMELY,
“AND HIS MASTER SHALL BORE HIS EAR THROUGH WITH AN
AWL” (IBID. 6), since every blemish pertains to the Other Side.
THEN, “HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER (LIT. ‘TO THE
WORLD’)” (IBID.), THAT IS, UNTIL JUBILEE CALLED WORLD. From
the Jubilee on, he incarnates again and goes back into the world as
before, cleaving no further than the female world. If he attains merit,
he begets offspring in the world of the female, WHICH IS MALCHUT,
which are all described in the verse, “the virgins, her companions
that follow her, shall be brought to you” (Tehilim 45:15). He is
worthy, when he perfects himself to attain that.1
If he has no merit, even when he incarnates at the Jubilee he is
as if he never was, for HE INCARNATED again, yet did not perfect his
life by marrying in the world and siring offspring. It is then written,
“If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself” (Shemot 21:3).
If he entered the world alone, without children, and did not care to
strive after that but left the world alone without children, he moves
like a stone in a sling up to that place in the strong rock BEHIND THE
GARDEN OF EDEN. There he enters, but the lone spirit blows at
once that left his wife AND CAME THERE. THIS IS THE SPIRIT THAT
REMAINED IN THE WIFE BY HER FIRST HUSBAND, which goes
solitary like a snake that does not keep company on the road. FOR IT
IS SEPARATED FROM THE TWO SPIRITS IN THE WOMAN AND
GOES ALONE. It blows on him, ON THE SPIRIT OF THE CHILDLESS
DEAD MAN THAT JUST CAME THERE, THAT IS, PUSHES IT AWAY
FROM THERE, SO IT WILL INCARNATE AND PERFECT ITSELF.
Whereupon he leaves that place of the strong rock, alone
WITHOUT A WIFE, and roams in the world until he finds a redeemer
TO BRING HIM BACK TO THIS WORLD for his improvement. That is,
“If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself” WITHOUT A
WIFE, he who did not wish to marry and have children. SINCE HE
HAS NO SPOUSE HE HAS TO MARRY A DIVORCED WOMAN.
But, “if he is married” (Ibid.); he who did marry and tried with
her but could not BEGET CHILDREN, such a man is not driven away
like the other, nor comes out alone. But, “if he is married,” the Holy
One, blessed be He, does not withhold reward from anyone. Even
though he did not have children, it is written, “then his wife shall go
out with him” (Ibid.). The two incarnate, and are able to unite again.
He does not marry a divorced woman, LIKE THE OTHER WHO HAS
NO SPOUSE, but marries the same woman with whom he tried
before yet they had no children. Now they shall attain it together, if
they act well. Hence it is written, “then his wife shall go out with him.”
“If his master has given him a wife” (Ibid. 4): the verse returns
to another subject, to him who went out alone, without any wife. The
place called seventh, NAMELY MALCHUT, shall redeem him, and
that seventh is considered his master; it is the master of the whole
earth. If his master has compassion for him and brings him back to
the world solitary as he was and gives him a woman, for whom the
altar sheds tears, NAMELY A DIVORCED WOMAN, they marry and
she bears him boys or girls, “the wife and her children shall be her
master’s” (Ibid.), OF HOLY MALCHUT, as we learned.1
For if he repented and corrected the place he blemished during
his life, he is accepted before the holy King, who receives him and
then sets him aright. He is considered a penitent, since he inherited
a dwelling in that place of the flowing river, NAMELY MALCHUT. FOR
THE RIVER THAT COMES OUT AND FLOWS IS YESOD, ITS BED IS
MALCHUT. He improves his former state. Once he is corrected and
has repented, he achieves perfection, for there is nothing in the
world, no key in the world that the penitent cannot break.
HE ASKS, what is the meaning of, “he shall go out by himself
(Heb. gapo)”? HE ANSWERS, we have already studied it, yet it
contains another hidden meaning. “He shall go out by himself (Heb.
gapo)” is the same as in, “the highest (Heb. gapei) places of the
city” (Mishlei 9:3). As in the latter, GAPEI IS AN EXPRESSION OF
exaltation and praise, here too GAPO HAS THE MEANING OF
exaltation and praise. In the place to which the penitent rise, even
the most accomplished righteous cannot dwell. Therefore, once he
repented, the Holy One, blessed be He, accepts him.
We have learned that nothing in the world withstands
repentance, and the Holy One, blessed be He, surely accepts
everyone. If one repents, the way of life is prepared for him. Even
though he made any blemish, everything is mended and becomes
corrected. For even having uttered an oath, the Holy One, blessed be
He, accepts him, as written, “As I live, says Hashem, though
Konyahu…” (Yirmeyah 22:24), and “Write this man childless” (Ibid.
30). But after he repented, it is written, “And the sons of Yechonyah:
Assir…” (I Divrei Hayamim 3:17). From here we conclude that
repentance breaks many sentences and verdicts and many iron
chains, and that nothing withstands repentance.
In relation to that it is written, “And they shall go forth, and look
upon the carcasses of the men that rebel against Me” (Yeshayah
66:24). It does not say, ‘that rebelled against Me’, but “rebel against
Me,” NAMELY THOSE who did not want to repent and regret what
they have done. But if they regretted AND REPENTED, the Holy One,
blessed be He, accepts them.1
Therefore such a man, even though he rebelled against Him,
and blemished where he must not have blemished, but repented
before Him, He accepts him and has pity on him. For the Holy One,
blessed be He, is full of compassion, and is filled with compassion
for all His works, as written, “and His tender mercies are over all His
works” (Tehilim 145:9). His mercy reaches even beasts and fowls. So
if His mercy reaches them, all the more so people who recognize and
know how to praise their Master, when His mercy reaches them and
dwells on them. Regarding this David said, “Great are Your
compassions, Hashem: give me life as is Your wont” (Tehilim
119:156).
And if His mercy reaches the wicked, the righteous all the more.
But who needs healing? Those who suffer pains. Who suffer pain?
The wicked, who need healing and mercy, for the Holy One, blessed
be He, takes pity on them so they will not be forsaken by Him, and
He does not go away from them so they will return IN REPENTANCE
before Him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, beckons, He does so
with the right, and when He repels, He does so with the left. When He
repels, the right beckons; He repels with one side and beckons with
the other. The Holy One, blessed be He does not withdraw His mercy
from them.
Come and see, “but he went perversely in the way of his heart,”
followed by, “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him
also, and bestow comforts on him and on his mourners” (Yeshayah
457:17-18). HE EXPLAINS, “but he went perversely” MEANS though
the wicked do what they do willfully and follow the way of their heart,
and others admonish them but they care not to listen to them,
NEVERTHELESS, when they repent and take the good path of
repentance, remedy awaits them.
We should observe now whether the verse refers to the living or
the dead, for the beginning of the verse is not as its ending, nor the
ending the beginning. The first part of the verse points at the living,
SAYING, “BUT HE WENT PERVERSELY…”, yet the latter part points
to the dead, SAYING, “AND BESTOW COMFORTS ON HIM AND ON
HIS MOURNERS.” HE ANSWERS, the verse speaks of living man,
and it is thus: “he went perversely in the way of his heart,” because
the Evil Inclination within him is strong and gains power. Hence “he
went perversely,” and does not care to repent.1
The Holy One, blessed be He, sees his ways, that he walks in
evil to no use. He says, I need to hold his hand, as written, “I have
seen his ways” walking in the darkness; I wish to give him healing,
as written, “and will heal him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, brings
into his heart the path of repentance and healing for his soul. “I will
lead him also” – what does this mean? It resembles the words, “go,
lead the people” (Shemot 32:34), and the Holy One, blessed be He,
leads him in the true path as one holding someone’s hand, leading
him out of darkness.
“And bestow comforts on him and on his mourners”: HE ASKS,
it seems as if he is dead, NOT AS IN THE FIRST PART OF THE
VERSE. HE ANSWERS, assuredly he is dead; even though he is
alive, since he is wicked, he is considered dead. What is the meaning
of, “and bestow comforts on him and on his mourners”? HE SAYS,
the Holy One, blessed be He, acts kindly with people. Ever since
one’s thirteenth birthday, He gives two guardian angels to be with
him, and they guard him, one to his right and one to his left.
When man walks the right path they rejoice in him and uphold
him with joy, announcing before him saying, Give honor to the image
of the King. But when he treads the crooked path, they mourn for
him and leave him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, holds him
and leads him in the right way, it is written, “and bestow comforts on
him and on his mourners.” First I will “bestow comforts on him,” for
he regrets all that he did formerly and what he has done now and
repents. Then, “on his mourners,” who are the angels that mourned
him when they departed from him. Now that they have returned there
are consolations (Heb. nichumim) in every aspect, HE BOTH
REGRETS (HEB. MITNACHEM) HIS DEEDS AND TAKES COMFORT
(HEB. MITNACHEM) FOR HIS TROUBLES AND MOURNING.
Now he is surely alive, he is living in every respect, holding to
the Tree of Life. Since he is attached to the Tree of Life, he is called a
penitent, for the Congregation of Yisrael, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is
also called penitence. FOR REPENTANCE (HEB. TESHUVAH) IS
COMPOSED OF THE SEGMENTS, LET VAV RETURN (HEB. TASHUV)
TO HEI. THE VAV IS THE TREE OF LIFE, ZEIR ANPIN, AND HEI IS
MALCHUT. HENCE MALCHUT IS CALLED REPENTANCE. And he is
called a repentant, and the ancient sages called him man of
repentance literally, NAMELY, THE HUSBAND OF MALCHUT
CALLED REPENTANCE, WHICH MEANS HE BESTOWS PLENTY ON
HER. Therefore, even the wholly righteous cannot dwell where the
penitents do.
The old merchant talks about David’s situation when he took Bath-
Sheva to wife and when he slew her husband, Uriah, with the sword
of the children of Amon. He says that David did no sin when he took
Bath-Sheva, but that he should have killed Uriah when he rebelled
against the kingdom rather than using the Amonites to kill him.
Some sins are against other men, and some are just against God.1
King David said, “Against You, You alone, have I sinned and
done that which is evil in Your sight” (Tehilim 51:6). What is the
meaning of, “You alone”? HE ANSWERS, there are sins man
commits against the Holy One, blessed be He, and against people,
sins against people but not the Holy One, blessed be He, and sins
against the Holy One, blessed be He, but not against people. King
David sinned against the Holy One, blessed be He, alone, but not
against people. HENCE HE SAID, “AGAINST YOU, YOU ALONE,
HAVE I SINNED.”
HE ASKS, yet if you argue that he did commit that sin by
Bathsheba, we learned that whoever commits a sexual transgression
with a man’s wife, renders her forbidden to her husband, and THUS
sins against his neighbor and against the Holy One, blessed be He.
HE ANSWERS, this is not so. The sin you mentioned was permitted
and David took that which was his, for she had a letter of divorce
from her husband before he went to war. It was then the custom that
men in Yisrael, who went to war, gave their wives a letter of divorce
applicable after a certain time. Uriah did the same with Bathsheba.
After the time had elapsed she was permitted to any man, and David
married her. Whatever he did was permitted.
For had not it been so, but prohibited, the Holy One, blessed be
He, would not have let her stay with him. Thus it is written as
testimony, “And David comforted Bathsheba his wife” (II Shmuel
12:24). This is the testimony that she was his wife. Assuredly she
was his wife and soulmate, ready for him from the day the world was
created. This testifies that David did not commit sin by Bathsheba,
as we said.
What was the sin he committed against the Holy One, blessed
be He, and not against another? It is that he slew Uriah with the
sword of the children of Amon, instead of killing him when he said to
him, “and my lord Joab” (II Shmuel 11:11), seeing that he himself
was his master. This the verse proves in the words, “These are the
names of David’s warriors” (II Shmuel 23:8), and not ‘Joab’s
warriors’. THUS HE IS A REBEL AGAINST THE KINGDOM, WHICH IS
PUNISHABLE BY DEATH. Yet he did not slay him at that time, but
rather by the sword of Amon.
The text says that there was no fault found in him, “save only in
the matter of Uriah the Hittite” (I Melachim 15:5). “Save only”
indicates exclusion, that HE SINNED in the matter of Uriah, and not
SINNED by Uriah HIMSELF. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “and
have slain him with the sword of the children of Amon” (I Shmuel
12:9). On each of the swords of the children of Amon, a crooked
serpent was engraved, an image of a dragon, which is their idol. The
Holy One, blessed be He, said, you have empowered that
abomination. For when the children of Amon killed Uriah together
with many of the children of Yisrael, the sword of the children of
Amon grew strong at that time, and much strength was added to that
idol and abomination.1
You may say that Uriah was no righteous man, since it is written
of him that he is Uriah the Hittite. But it is not so, he was righteous,
only he was Hittite after his place, just like, “Yiftach the
Gil’adite” (Shoftim 11:1), was so named after his place. THE SAME
APPLIES TO URIAH THE HITTITE.
Hence it is written, “in the matter of Uriah the Hittite,” AND NOT
AGAINST URIAH HIMSELF, FOR HE WAS ALREADY LIABLE TO
DEATH PENALTY FOR REBELLING AGAINST THE KINGDOM, AS
MENTIONED. THIS IS BECAUSE HE CAUSED the abomination of the
children of Amon to prevail against the camp of Elohim of David’s
army, who had the very shape of above, OF THE HOSTS OF
SUPERNAL MALCHUT. When David caused a defect in his camp, he
caused a defect above in another camp. David therefore said,
“Against You, You alone, have I sinned”; against “You alone” and
none other was the sin he committed. Hence THE VERSE SAYS, “in
the matter of Uriah the Hittite,” and hence, “with the sword of the
children of Amon,” WHICH MEANS THAT THE SIN WAS NOT
AGAINST URIAH HIMSELF BUT IN THE MATTER OF URIAH, BY
GIVING POWER TO THE SWORD OF THE CHILDREN OF AMON.
It is written, “For the eyes of Hashem run to and fro throughout
the whole earth” (II Divrei Hayamim 16:9), which are female, AS
‘RUN’ HAS A FEMININE SUFFIX. And it is written, “the eyes of
Hashem, they rove to and fro through the whole earth” (Zecharyah
4:10), which are male, AS ‘ROVE’ IS MASCULINE. So they are
distinct, SOME OF THEM ARE CONSIDERED MALE AND SOME
FEMALE. David said, “and done that which is evil in Your sight
(eyes)” (Tehilim 51:6). HE ASKS, it says, “in Your eyes,” while it
should have been ‘before Your eyes’. HE ANSWERS, yet THE
REASON FOR SAYING “in Your eyes” IS THAT David said, the place
against which I have sinned was in Your eyes, because I knew your
eyes were ready and set before me, yet I was not mindful of them.
Thus the sin I committed was against Your eyes.
“So that You are justified in Your sentence, and clear in Your
judgment” (Ibid.), and he will have no excuse to say before You,
“EXAMINE ME, HASHEM, AND PROVE ME” (TEHILIM 26:2). Come
and see, every artist speaks of his craft. David was the King’s jester,
and even though he was grieved, when he was before the King, he
employed his jests as before, to amuse the King.
He said, Master of the universe, I said, “Examine me, Hashem,
and prove me,” and you said I cannot withstand the test. Here I have
sinned “so that You are justified in Your sentence,” and your words
prove right. For had I not sinned, my word would be true and Yours
vain. Now that I have sinned, I did it so that Your sentence will be
true. I have allowed place to justify Your sentence, which I did, “so
that You are justified in Your sentence, and clear in Your judgment.”
For David reverted to his craft, and said in his grief words of jest to
the King.1
We learned that the deed was not becoming of David, as he
said, “and my heart is wounded (or: ’empty’) within me” (Tehilim
109:22). It is so, as David said, there are two chambers in the heart,
one with blood and the other with air. The one filled with blood is an
abode for the Evil Inclination, yet my heart is not so, because it is
empty, and I have not given place for the evil blood to allow the Evil
Inclination to dwell in it. My heart is surely clear, without an evil
dweller. Since it is so, it was not befitting David to commit that sin,
only to give a pretext for the wicked to say that if King David sinned
and the Holy One, blessed be He, forgave him, how much more so
the rest of the people in the world. Hence David said, “Then I will
teach transgressors Your ways; and sinners shall return to
You” (Tehilim 51:15).
And it is written, “And David went up by the ascent of the Mount
of Olives, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he
went barefoot” (II Shmuel 15:30). HE ASKS, wherefore was “his head
covered, and he went barefoot”? AND HE ANSWERS, he was
reprimanded; he made himself reprimanded in order to receive
punishment, and the people were four cubits apart from him. Happy
is the servant who serves his Master this way, and makes known his
sin, in order to wholly repent it.
Come and see, what Shim’i the son of Gera did to him was
greater than all the troubles he had until that day, yet David did not
answer back anything, for so it became him and thus his iniquities
were atoned for.
We should now observe this. Shim’i was a sage and had great
wisdom. Why did he come to David and do what he did to him? HE
ANSWERS, this came from a different place that put it into him.
Whatever he did was for David’s benefit. For what Shim’i did to him
caused him to wholly repent, and broke his heart greatly, so he shed
many tears from his heart before the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence
it says, “because Hashem had said to him, curse” (II Shmuel 16:10).
He knew that this has come down from another, high place.
David bade his son Solomon do two things, one concerning
Joab, the other Shim’i, among the other commands he bade him.
One concerned Joab, as written, “Moreover you know also what
Joab the son of Tzruyah did to me” (I Melachim 2:5). It was
something unknown that even Solomon could not have known. But
since others knew, Solomon found out. Hence he said, “Moreover
you know,” what he was not supposed to have known.1
One concerned Shim’i, as written, “And, behold, you have with
you Shim’i the son of Gera” (Ibid. 8). What is the meaning of, “with
you”? HE ANSWERS, he is always at your disposal, since he was his
teacher. This is why he did not say of Joab, ‘And, behold, you have
Joab with you’. But of Shim’i, who was constantly by him, he said,
“And, behold, you have with you.”
“And the king sent and called for Shim’i, and said to him, Build
you a house in Jerusalem” (Ibid. 36). HE ASKS, where was King
Solomon’s wisdom in doing this? AND HE ANSWERS, he did
everything wisely and noticed every aspect, that Shim’i was a sage.
Solomon said, I want Torah to increase in this land by Shim’i, and
that he shall not leave it.
Another thing is that Solomon observed wisely the words, “he
came out, cursing as he came” (II Shmuel 16:5). Why does it say
‘came’ twice, ‘he came out cursing’ should have sufficed. AND HE
ANSWERS, once he came out of the study hall TO CURSE David, and
once he came out of Jerusalem for his servants, for which he died.
He came out once for the king and once for his servants. Solomon
saw all this and looked through the Holy Spirit at the second coming
out. Hence he said, “For it shall be, that on the day you go out” (I
Melachim 2:37), he knew that he will die going out.
“And cast dust” (II Shmuel 16:5). HE ASKS, What does it mean,
“and cast dust”? AND HE ANSWERS, it was dust by my father, and
water by Shim’i, as written, “For it shall be, that on the day you go
out, and pass over the wadi of Kidron.” It was dust there and water
here. Solomon took account of them both so that he will be
PUNISHED by dust and water like a Sota (a wife suspected of
adultery), he who accused his father by the way.
It is written, “who cursed me with a grievous curse…and I swore
to him by Hashem, saying, I will not put you to death with the
sword” (I Melachim 2:8). HE ASKS, what is “with the sword”? Was
Shim’i a fool THAT HE DID NOT UNDERSTAND that had he sworn
this way, he may not say later, not with the sword, but with a spear
or an arrow.
HE ANSWERS, there are two matters here. The child, the son of
the great fish whose scales rise to the height of the clouds, spoke of
the first. When David wanted to swear an oath, he would draw his
sword, on which the engraved name was imprinted, and thus swore
it. So he did with Shim’i, as written, “and I swore to him by Hashem,
saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.” How did he swear

with the sword. The other MATTER IS THAT Solomon considered,
and said, he came cursing to my father, THAT IS, words, so I TOO
HAVE words for him. So he slew him with the Tetragrammaton, and
not with the sword. This is why Solomon acted this way.1

We should now observe. If David swore to him, why did he kill
him, for it seems as if this oath was false, since he did not speak his
mind. HE ANSWERS, surely David did not kill him. It is known that
every body part receives, but the heart does not receive even a
hairsbreadth. King David was the heart OF YISRAEL, but received
what was not befitting for him to receive, NAMELY, SHIM’I
THROWING STONES AND CASTING DUST AT HIM. Therefore, “know
what you ought to do to him” (Ibid. 9). Moreover, THE TREE,
NAMELY HIS BEING OF THE ASPECT OF MALCHUT, THE SMALL
TREE, caused him to be vindictive and grudging as a snake.
It is written, “For You desire not sacrifice; or else I would give it:
You delight not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of Elohim are a
broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, Elohim, You will not
despise” (Tehilim 51:18-19). HE ASKS, “For You desire not
sacrifice”: does not the Holy One, blessed be He, desire a sacrifice
to be offered Him? He did decree that the wicked would sacrifice an
offering so their iniquities would be atoned for. AND HE ANSWERS,
But David addressed that to the name Elohim, WHICH IS THE
ATTRIBUTE OF JUDGMENT. A sacrifice is not brought to the name
Elohim, but to the name Yud Vav Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav Aleph Vav,
Hei ALEPH. For a sacrifice is not brought to severe Judgment, the
attribute of Judgment, as written, “If any man of you bring your
offering to Hashem” (Vayikra 1:2), to Yud Hei Vav Hei, and not to the
name Elohim. IT IS ALSO WRITTEN, “And when any will offer a meal
offering to Hashem” (Vayikra 2:1), “a sacrifice of peace offerings to
Hashem” (Vayikra 22:21), and “a sacrifice of thanks-giving to
Hashem” (Ibid. 29), YET THE NAME ELOHIM IS NOT MENTIONED.
Therefore, since King David addressed the name Elohim, it had
to be written, “For You desire not sacrifice; or else I would give it:
You delight not in burnt offering,” for to that name only a broken
spirit is offered, as written, “The sacrifices of Elohim are a broken
spirit.” A sacrifice to Elohim is sadness and a broken heart. Hence
whoever had a bad dream needs to look sad, because he is under
the attribute of Elohim and the sacrifice to the attribute of Judgment
needs TO BE sadness and a broken spirit. Sadness is useful for bad
dreams, so judgment has no power over him, for he offered the
proper sacrifice to the attribute of Judgment.
“A broken and a contrite heart, Elohim, You will not
despise” (Tehilim 51:19). HE ASKS, Is, “you will not despise,”
indicative that there exists a heart to be despised? HE ANSWERS,
Yes, namely a heart that is haughty, a heart that is presumptuous.
Such is a heart He despises, but a broken and contrite heart, Elohim
will not despise.1
“Do good in your favor to Zion: build you the walls of
Jerusalem” (Ibid. 20). HE ASKS: What is meant by “Do good”? Is it
not apparent that there already exists something good in it? Thus,
WHY DO WE NEED TO PRAY to do good to that which is good?
ANSWER: It is certain THAT PRAYER IS NEEDED FOR THE
PURPOSE OF DOING BETTER, as from the day that the Holy One,
blessed be He, was involved with the construction of the supernal
Temple until this day, no good will dwell in that edifice, and so it was
never completed. But when the moment arrives when His favor on
high is aroused, He will do good and kindle the lights of that edifice
which shall project to such an extent that even the angels on High
will not be able to gaze at that edifice, that Temple. Then the Temple
with its auxiliary tasks will be completed. CONCERNING THIS, HE
PRAYED, “DO GOOD IN YOUR FAVOR TO ZION.”
“build You the walls of Jerusalem.” HE ASKS: Is it possible that,
from the day that He endeavored to build the Temple to the present,
He did not construct them? If the walls of the Temple were not built,
then surely the Temple WAS NOT BUILT, AND SO WHY DOES HE
SAY TO “DO GOOD IN YOUR FAVOR TO ZION,” MEANING, THE
TEMPLE? NORMALLY WALLS ARE BUILT FIRST THEN THE TEMPLE
ITSELF. ANSWER: The works of the Holy One, blessed be He, are not
similar to those of man. When building the Temple below, man first
constructs the walls of the city, then the Temple. The walls of the
city must first protect them, then work can be done with the Temple.
This is not so with the Holy One, blessed be He. First He constructs
the Temple and later, after lowering it from Heaven and placing it
upon its site, He builds the walls of Jerusalem which are actually the
walls of the city. Therefore, David, may he rest in peace, said, “Do
good in your favor to Zion,” first, and then, “build You the walls of
Jerusalem.”
Here there is a secret. Generally, in all doings of the Holy One,
blessed be He, at the outset He proceedes to work upon what is on
the outside, and then He proceeds to the inner part within. Yet here it
is not so, SINCE HE PROCEEDED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF
THE TEMPLE PRIOR TO CONSTRUCTING THE WALLS, WHICH ARE
IN THE EXTERIOR. WHY? HE ANSWERS Come and behold: In all
doings where the Holy One, blessed be He, proceeds with the outer
work, in the planning stage He begins with the inner, MEANING THE
INNERMOST. However, in actual doing, He proceeds with that which
is found in the outside – just as the Klipah, MEANING THE SHELL
OUTSIDE, stems from the Other Side, yet the inner part is drawn
from the inner part, MEANING THE SIDE OF HOLINESS. The Other
Side proceeds consistently, and it grows and protects the fruit. Once
the fruit ripens, THE SHELL is cast aside, “the evil may prepare it,
but the just shall put it on” (Iyov 27:17). The shell is thrown away and
the righteous of the world are blessed.1
But here, concerning the construction of the Temple OF THE
FUTURE when the Evil Side will be removed from the world, there
will not be a need TO BEGIN WITH THE OUTSIDE because the inner
part and the shell will both be His, so that He will commence with the
inner part, as it is written, “Do good in Your favor to Zion,” first, and
then, “build You the walls of Jerusalem.” For the outside wall, the
shell, will be His own, as written: “‘for I’, says Hashem, ‘will be to her
a wall of fire round about,'” (Zecharyah 2:9) “I” and not the side of
evil.
Yisrael is the supernal core of the world, as the thought of
Yisrael came first – AS IN THOUGHT, THE INNERMOST PRECEDED
THE SHELL, AS MENTIONED BEFORE. The heathen nations are like
the shell TO YISRAEL. They came first IN DEED, BECAUSE IN
ACTION THE SHELL COMES BEFORE THE INNER PART OF THE
FRUIT AS LISTED EARLIER, as written: “And these are the kings that
reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the
children of Yisrael” (Beresheet 36:31). In the future, the Holy One,
blessed be He, will bring forth the fruit without the shell, as written:
“Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the first fruits of His increase” (Yirmeyah
2:3), MEANING that the fruit comes before the shell. Even though the
fruit will stay without a shell, who would dare extend his hand to eat
of it, because of the verse “all that devour him shall be held guilty;
evil shall come upon them, says Hashem” (Ibid.).
Of that time, IT IS WRITTEN: “Then shall You be pleased with
the sacrifices of righteousness” (Tehilim 51:21), because then all will
be enjoined into one and the Name will be whole in all its aspects,
and there will be a whole sacrifice to Hashem Elohim. Presently,
Elohim is not enjoined with the sacrifice, for if He was enjoined with
it, numerous other Elohim would raise their ears in an attempt to join
AND NURTURE FROM HOLINESS, HEAVEN FORBID. However, in the
future time, IT IS WRITTEN, “For You are great, and do wondrous
things, You are Elohim alone” (Tehilim 86:10), without any other
deities.
At the time of resurrection, we are told, all those who have not died
will experience death from the Holy One, blessed be He, and will
then immediately rise back to life; this is in order that none of the
impurity in the world will remain, and that the new world will be
brought about from the workings of God.
At that time, it is written: “See now that I, even I, am He, and
there is no Elohim with Me” (Devarim 32:39). HE ASKS: “See now
that I, even I, am He”; THIS WOULD BE sufficient, so why MENTION
THE WORD “now”? ANSWER: This situation never existed before,
but from this time on, it will exist. The Holy One, blessed be He, said:
‘See now what you were unable to see before.’
“That I, even I, am He…” HE ASKS: Why is “I” written twice?
ANSWER: It is to stress that there is no other Elohim but Him
THERE. Sometimes where it writes “I” once and not more, there may
be the Other Side, but now, “I, even I, am He, and there is no Elohim
with Me,” for the Other Side has vanished, stressing exclusively that
‘I alone am HE’.1
“I cause death and bring life…” (Ibid.). Until this moment, death
was brought about via the Other Side; from this time on, “I will cause
death and give life,” MEANING from that time on – MEANING AT TIME
OF RESURRECTION – all those who did not experience the taste of
death from Him, FROM THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, will then
experience death and rise immediately back TO LIFE. DEATH WILL
BE BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, in
order that none of that impurity in the world will remain. There shall
be a new world brought about from the workings of the Holy One,
blessed be He.
“And if the servant plainly said… I will not go out free” (Shemot
21:5). As we explained, then he is impaired with a blemish,
MEANING, “HIS MASTER SHALL BORE HIS EAR WITH AN AWL.” “If
he came in by himself” (Ibid. 3). What is meant by “by himself”? We
learned with the Aramaic translation that this “alone” is a fine
translation. However, we did learn that the world maintains itself with
only one fin of the Leviathan.
This is its secret: where there was both male and female
LEVIATHAN, as the Holy One, blessed be He, created them as male
and female, wherever they went they caused the earth to tremble.
Had not the Holy One, blessed be He, sterilized the male and cooled
down the female, they would have disturbed the earth. As a result,
they do not produce offspring. THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF: “If he
came in by himself (Heb. gapo)” MEANING IF HE COMES under the
wing (Heb. gaf) OF THE LEVIATHAN, that is, if he produces no
offspring, “he shall go out by himself.” He is thrust away there, and
can not enter in the vicinity OF THE KING at all. He is thrust away
and caused to be lost from that world. Thus, “he shall go out by
himself,” truly alone.
Come and behold: it is written, “They will die childless” (Vayikra
20:20). The word “childless” comprises male and female. He arrives
through the secret of the male, and departs by the secret of the
female. He arrives with one and departs with the other. This is that
place that he clings to in that world, MEANING IN MALCHUT. The
Holy One, blessed be He, does not want anyone to come before Him
who sterilized himself in this world.
Come and behold: this is the example of the sacrifice. They did
not offer before Him that which has been castrated. They would
remove it so as not to offer it before Him. He commanded: “neither
shall you do thus in your land” (Vayikra 22:24). And so unto all
generations it is prohibited to emasculate any creature created by
Hashem, as emasculation stems from the Other Side.1
If he endeavored and married and did not produce offspring, or
he did not want to although married, or she did not want to produce
offspring and later came to that world childless, we find the verse
says: “if he is married,” and he did not give proper attention to to the
work of the Holy One, blessed be He, TO HAVE CHILDREN, “then his
wife shall go out with him.” He enters under the wing of the male and
she under the wing of the female, DENOTING MALCHUT, AND EACH
ONE OF THEM who “came in by himself… shall go out by himself
(also: ‘his wing’)” as we explained. Everything fits in well.
“If his master has given him a wife…” As we learned, “if his
master,” refers to the Master of the universe, NOTABLY MALCHUT,
who “has given him a wife.” We see here that man does not have the
complete authority to marry a woman. All depends on the scale,
MEANING ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF HIS MERITS, and so,
He “has given him a wife,” as this is not under his authority. Who is
she? She is not his, NOT HIS MATE, and not set for him. Who is she?
She is a WOMAN designated for someone else, but through mercy,
he won her first and married her. This woman was given to him
though she was not the proper one for him.
The Holy One, blessed be He, sees this from afar, that this
woman is poised to bring offspring into the world. AND AFTER this
man initiated with pleas of mercy she was given to him; he thus had
offspring and planted a seed with the woman that was not his.
Therefore, “the wife and her children shall remain her master’s and
he shall go out by himself.” See how a wretched poor man toiled for
naught to bring forth fruit in a garden that was not his, and departed
empty-handed.
HE SAYS TO HIMSELF: Old man, in a time such as this, you
were not as one who pushes the gate open with his feet, as one who
lies on the ground without strength, and as a result of his weakness,
he is unable to OPEN THE GATE so he pushes on it with his feet.
Have courage, old man, do not fear. This poor unfortunate toiled for
naught – why? Is it because he did not plant in a garden of his own?
Then we could understand. But here, the Holy One, blessed be He,
gave him this garden to plant; he did not take it ON HIS OWN
INITIATIVE.
But, come and behold: all the things the Holy One, blessed be
He, has done are according to the Law; there is nothing found
wanting. If the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him a wife, and he
produced fruits and plants, he is not like other incarnated ones. One
who endeavors in this world to enlarge the tree but is unable is not
the same as one who makes no effort to enlarge, but instead
uproots, causes leaves to fall from the tree and diminishes its fruits.1
He whose Master gave him a wife to produce offspring, who
strove before to enlarge the tree, but was unable, does not possess
many merits. Had he possessed the proper merits, he would not
need to reincarnate, as it is written: “And to them will I give in my
house and within My walls a memorial better than sons and
daughters” (Yeshayah 56:5). But now that he does not merit, the
Holy One, blessed be He, sees that he tried to have children and was
unable. Then “his Master has given him a wife,” as we learned, and
as a result of the Holy One, blessed be He, showing mercy, that He
gives him A WIFE out of mercy, He takes His own back, He takes
what caused that well to diminish FROM BEFORE THIS. For this
reason, “the wife and her children shall be her master’s.” Later, he
must return and work on himself to compensate for his loss. Here
ends the secret of the verse.
HE SAID TO HIMSELF: Old man, you are saying that he toiled in
vain TO BEGET CHILDREN. But you really did not pay attention to
yourself that you walk in vain, for in regard to what you said, there is
a verse that contradicts your entire construction, and you thought
that you were swimming in the sea to your heart’s content. What is
this VERSE? It is written, “If the servant plainly says, ‘I love my
master, my wife and children…'” (Shemot 21:5), WE SEE THAT HE
AGAIN MERITS THEM, AND SO HE DID NOT TOIL IN VAIN.
Woe, old man, weary without strength, what shall you do? You
thought that there was no one pursuing you, but there is a verse
pursuing you, coming out from behind the wall like a doe in the field.
THAT IS, THAT HE DID NOT REMEMBER BEFORE, BUT SUDDENLY
REMEMBERED, as if His hopping after you with thirteen hops behind
you, DENOTING THE THIRTEEN WORDS IN THE VERSE FROM, “IF
THE SERVANT PLAINLY SAYS” UNTIL THE WORD “FREE” (WITH
THE LAST WORD NOT INCLUDED). It did reach you. What should
you do, old man? Now, strengthen yourself because you were a
mighty person until now. Old man! Remember the snowy day we
planted beans and there were mighty warriors against you, and you
alone defeated thirteen warriors who had each slain a hungry lion.
If these thirteen mighty ones have you defeated, then how much
more so these thirteen WORDS IN THE VERSE, “IF THE SERVANT
PLAINLY SAYS…” which have no more power than words. It is
written, “He will surely say.” The way of the Holy One, blessed be
He, is to execute His Judgment with all. When the time arrives for
that woman THAT THE SERVANT TOOK to find her real mate, what
does THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, do? He slays THE SERVANT
THAT MARRIED HER, NOT BEING HER REAL MATE, and her real
mate takes her, and THE SERVANT departs this world alone.1
“And if the servant shall plainly say (lit. ‘speaks, saying’)” The
friends have maintained according to the literal meaning of the
verse: and if he speaks at the beginning of the sixth year, he will be
saying at the end of the sixth year just before the entry of the
seventh year. If he made this declaration even one day into the
seventh year, his words would be void. What is the proof? It states
“the servant,” as long as he is a servant, meaning in the sixth year. If
he spoke in the beginning of the sixth year and did not repeat at the
end of the sixth year, it would be meaningless. For this reason, it
writes twice, “speaks, saying.”
Here, CONTINUING WITH OUR SUBJECT, while the servant is
still with his wife, he intensifies his prayer and requests daily before
the Holy King. Just as he acquired her through mercy, so too the
ending is with pleas for mercy. This is the essence of “speaks,
saying.” He speaks at the beginning to hasten the taking of her
through mercy and later PLEADS THAT HE SHOULD NOT BE
SHUNTED ASIDE BEFORE HER REAL MATE, AND THAT HIS
PETITION be received with mercy. He says: “I love my master.”
Because of his numerous prayers, he is beloved by the Holy One,
blessed be He. He amends his actions, saying, “I love my master, my
wife and my children: I will not go out free.” The Holy One, blessed
be He, receives his penance and manifold prayers.
What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? Though he was
prepared to reincarnate him and cause him to endure punishment in
this world for his actions, He does not return him to this world. What
does He do? He brings him near to the Heavenly Council, they judge
him, submit him to the house of punishment, and the Holy One,
blessed be He, brands him WITH THE AWL. He is handed over to
punishment house to remain under the dominion of the
uncircumcised until a specific time, and then He redeems him.
If at that time when he is being marked WITH THE AWL the
Jubilee has arrived, and even if it is one day until Jubilee it is thus
considered as if he spent the full time until Jubilee. This is the
penalty and no more. With the arrival of Jubilee he is redeemed and
brought into the presence OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE. The
old man closed his eye for one moment.
The merchant now begins a long section to do with strength,
speaking about strong mountains, about the strong foundations of
the earth, about King Solomon and about the mighty patriarchs. This
leads to the issue of the birthright that Jacob took from Esau, and
Jacob’s strength over his brother. The serpent was able to seduce
Adam because Adam lacked strength and might; that quality first
appeared in Seth. Jacob’s strength already existed in the form of
Joseph.1
He began and said, “Hear, O mountains, Hashem’s controversy,
and you, strong foundations of the earth: for Hashem has
controversy with His people” (Michah 6:2). HE THEN SAID TO
HIMSELF: Old man, until now you were in the depths of the sea, and
now you have skipped over the powerful mountains to wage war
with them. Until now, surely, you were in the strong sea, but prior to
coming into the deep sea, you met these powerful mountains that
are located in the midst of the sea. Now you need to wage war
against the depths of the sea and these mountains.
Weary old man without strength, who put you into this. You
were in a state of peace, but you wanted this; you caused this, you
are going to suffer. Now there is no other way for you but to wage
war and conquer everything, and not turn back. Be strong, gird your
loins, and do not fear to smash these mountains so they do not
overpower you. Say to them: high mountains, mighty peaks, how
strong you became.
Two verses are written. One writes, “Arise, contend before the
mountains, and let the hills hear your voice” (Ibid. 1). Another writes,
“Hear, O mountains, Hashem’s controversy.” There are mountains,
and there are other mountains. There are mountains, very lofty,
DENOTING CHESED, GVURAH, and TIFERET. About these, it is
written, “Hear O mountains, Hashem’s controversy.” There are other
mountains whose heights are somewhat lower, DENOTING
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD. Regarding these, it is written, “Arise,
contend before the mountains,” because the pursuer of quarrels is
upon them, MEANING, THERE ARE JUDGMENTS IN THEM. Hence,
there are different mountains.
You may say that yet it writes, “let the hills hear your voice.”
These hills are below and you make mountains of them. HE
ANSWERS: It is so. When compared to the lofty mountains, these
are called hills, but by themselves, they are called mountains.
Come and behold: it is written, “and you strong foundations of
the earth.” HE ASKS: If it wrote, “Hear, O mountains,” who then are
these strong ones? HE ANSWERS: Mountains and strong ones are
really the same. However, mountains are the three upper ones
overtop OF THE STRONG ONES, DENOTING CHESED, GVURAH,
AND TIFERET. The STRONG ONES are three lower ones, NAMELY
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD. It is all one. Concerning the upper
mountains, David said: “I lift my eyes to the mountains” (Tehilim
121:1). These refer to the three primary ones, NAMELY CHESED,
GVURAH, AND TIFERET; “strong foundations of the earth,” refer to
the three secondary ones below the primary, WHICH ARE the
supports of the Temple, NAMELY NETZACH AND HOD, and one is
the joy of the Temple, NAMELY YESOD. These are called ‘the
foundations of the land’; they are strong and are called ‘strong’.1
HE SAID TO HIMSELF: Old man, you are aware that he who
wages war, if he is not on guard, can not win wars. He needs to
strike with his hand, and be on guard in his thoughts. Whatever the
other plans, he must anticipate AND BE ON GUARD. The right hand
is designated at all times to strike, and his left hand and his thoughts
to receive and be on guard – THE THOUGHTS TO BE ON GUARD,
THE LEFT HAND TO RECEIVE BLOWS FROM THE ADVERSARY. The
right serves in any THING.
Now you speak of the strong ones. The strong ones (Heb.
eitanim) are below, DENOTING NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, and
mountains above DENOTE CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. Be on
guard, old man, as there is another thought that conflicts with yours,
as written, “A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite” (Tehilim 89:1), referring
to old Abraham, called Eitan. So if Abraham is known as ‘Eitan’ then
Isaac and Jacob must be referred to as eitanim (lit. ‘strong ones’)
AND WE KNOW THAT THE FATHERS DENOTE CHESED, GVURAH,
AND TIFERET, FOR CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET ARE
REFERRED TO AS ‘STRONG’. Rise, old man, as you see that this
thought conflicts with your thought.
“…and took up his discourse, and said, ‘Strong is your dwelling
place…'” (Bemidbar 24:21) ‘Eitan’ refers to the morning of Abraham,
as written “As soon as the morning was light” (Beresheet 44:3). This
refers to the pillar, DENOTING YESOD, that the entire earth,
DENOTING MALCHUT, leans upon. Its light is received from
Abraham, DENOTING CHESED. The river exiting Eden is so called,
DENOTING YESOD, AND SO YESOD IS REFERRED TO AS ‘EITAN’.
HE SAID TO HIMSELF: Old man, one thought is in opposition to you,
and you are unable to be on your guard. How can one wage war, old
man, where is your strength? Surely “nor the battle to the
strong” (Kohelet 9:11).
It is written “A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite,” and there is a
verse, “A maskil of David,” denoting the river that flows from Eden,
ALLUDING TO YESOD, that clarifies David, REPRESENTING
MALCHUT, to inform him of these concealed heavenly matters, AND
SO YESOD BECOMES REFERRED TO AS ‘MASKIL’ (ENG.
‘ERUDITE’). Now if maskil alludes to the river flowing from Eden,
MEANING YESOD THAT IS BELOW, IN NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD,
then Eitan the Ezrachite ALLUDES TO Abraham, whom I know to be
above, WITH CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET. And though I am an old
man, I overcome this thought. BUT Eitan the Ezrachite points to two
grades, as the verse says: “As soon as the morning was light.”
“Light” denotes Abraham, WHO IS CHESED; “morning” is the river,
WHICH IS YESOD. So in relation to Eitan the Ezrachite, ‘Ezrachite’
alludes to Abraham and ‘Eitan’ is, as we said, that river flowing from
Eden, NAMELY YESOD.
Now, old man, stand upon your chariot, as you will now fall and
will not be able to rise. Behold King Solomon. He came with his
hosts, chariots, warriors, and cavaliers and they come towards you.
Rise, and leave the field so they will not find you there. It is written,
“And all the men of Yisrael assembled themselves to king Solomon
at the feast in the month of etanim” (I Melachim 8:2). THIS MEANS
the month that the eitanim (lit. ‘strong ones’) were born. Who are
these? They are the Fathers, who are the mighty ones of the earth.
This month is Tishrei, in which the alphabet is in reverse order, from
below upwards, MEANING PROCEEDING FROM TAV TO SHIN-RESH-
KUF. SO ALSO THE LETTERS OF TISHREI REPRESENT THE
LETTERS GOING BACKWARD, FOR THE EITANIM ARE THE
FATHERS, WHO ARE CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET.1
Furthermore, from your OWN words, SAYING THAT EITAN THE
EZRACHITE REPRESENTS TWO LEVELS, you had better leave the
field and not be found, for had the verse said, “A maskil Eitan the
Ezrachite,” then things would be FINE, since as you maintained, IT
REPRESENTS TWO LEVELS. But now that it writes, ‘A maskil of
Eitan the Ezrachite,’ your fight is meaningless, BECAUSE NOW IT
APPEARS THAT IT IS ONE LEVEL, NOT TWO. Depart the field
unwillingly, and do not be seen.
O poor unfortunate old man, how are you going to leave THE
FIELD? If you do, they will be victorious over you and you will have
fled the field. Everybody will chase you and you will never have
courage to see anyone. No, now I swear that I will not leave the field,
I will see King Solomon face to face, and any man of Yisrael with the
warriors, cavaliers, and chariots. The Holy One, blessed be He, will
help you, old man, as you are weary and without strength. Arise, old
man, have courage, for until now you were a mighty force.
He commenced: it is written, “A maskil of Eitan the Ezrachite.”
Had it been written ‘A maskil of David’, the explanation would have
been as you said, REFLECTING YESOD THAT OFFERS BOUNTY TO
MALCHUT, CALLED ‘DAVID’. But IT IS WRITTEN “A maskil of Eitan.”
HE ANSWERS: There is maskil and there is maskil, a maskil on high
and one below. Maskil of Eitan is to tell us when that river, YESOD,
rises with yearning, all limbs rejoice and join with him. If it rises to
the point that that supernal mind, CHESED BECOMING CHOCHMAH,
is favored to him and rejoices in him, then you have a maskil of Eitan
the Ezrachite. For it instructs (Heb. maskil) Eitan the Ezrachite,
instructing YESOD, and informs him through Abraham his beloved,
REPRESENTING CHESED THAT ROSE TO BECOME CHOCHMAH,
with all that is necessary. That supernal mind, BEING CHOCHMAH,
is maskil of Eitan, DENOTING YESOD. When king David, DENOTING
MALCHUT, is established with yearning TO YESOD, YESOD informs
(maskil) David, just as the supernal mind maskil TO YESOD. So there
is maskil and maskil.
“…the month of etanim…” For in this month were born the
eitanim (lit. ‘strong ones’). The edifice below, NETZACH, HOD, AND
YESOD, is similar to that above, CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET,
and so were four mountains and strong ones born in it. The
mountains, BEING CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, are concealed,
AS CHOCHMAH IS CONCEALED AND DOES NOT ILLUMINATE. The
strong ones, the thighs, NETZACH AND HOD, are strong as copper;
eitan (lit. ‘strong’, sing) is between them, DENOTING YESOD THAT
AFFECTS THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH.1
Rise, old man, strike out on all sides. At the time Moses
ascended to receive Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, handed him
seventy keys of the Torah, NAMELY SEVEN SFIROT: CHESED,
GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD, AND MALCHUT, EACH
POSSESSED ITS OWN TEN SFIROT, TOTALING SEVENTY. When he
reached 59, MEANING YESOD WITHIN THE TEN SFIROT OF THE
OVERALL YESOD, there was one hidden, concealed key, NAMELY
MALCHUT WITHIN THE TEN SFIROT OF THE OVERALL YESOD,
KNOWN AS THE DIADEM OF YESOD, that was not handed to him. It
pleaded before him, saying, ‘Moses, all the upper and lower keys are
dependent upon this key’. Moses said, ‘Master of the World, what is
its name?’ He replied, ‘Eitan and all other Eitanim are dependent
upon it.’ Within it are maintained NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD,
which are outside of the body of the written Torah, WHICH IS ZEIR
ANPIN, It, ZEIR ANPIN, informs it, MEANING, FLOWING WITH
KNOWLEDGE, and instructs it. And it, THE DIADEM OF YESOD, is
the principal and the key of the written Torah, ZEIR ANPIN.
And when Oral Torah, WHICH IS MALCHUT, affixes itself to it,
then, it, THE DIADEM OF YESOD, becomes its key, MEANING OF
YESOD OF MALCHUT, then surely YESOD is referred to as ‘A maskil
of David’, WHO IS MALCHUT. And due to the fact that the Oral Torah
inherits it, AND IT BECOMES ITS YESOD, CALLED ‘RESH-SHIN-TAV’,
THAT ILLUMINATES FROM DOWN UPWARDS. SO IN IT, the letters
are in reverse order, and as a result, ITS YESOD IS CALLED ‘Tishrei’,
IN WHICH THE LETTERS ARE IN REVERSE ORDER, THAT IS, TAV-
SHIN-RESH-KUF. The letters are Tav-Shin-Resh, but being the secret
of the Holy Name, NAMELY MALCHUT, the Holy One, blessed be He,
imprinted a letter of His name, Yud, THUS CALLED ‘TISHREI’ (TAV-
SHIN-RESH-YUD). Upon the altar, ALSO A NAME OF MALCHUT, He
added IN ITS YESOD the letter Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, such as the
Hei of: “that the net (Heb. hareshet – Hei-Resh-Shin-Tav) may reach
the midst of the altar” (Shemot 27:5). Dvorah came, ALSO BEING A
NAME OF MALCHUT, AND He placed in her Vav, as it is written,
“Then sang (Heb. vatashar – Vav-Tav-Shin-Resh) Dvorah.” And in
this place, YESOD OF MALCHUT, the seal of the Holy Name is
imprinted upon it.
When that key, THE DIADEM OF YESOD, opens the Oral Torah,
MEANING WHEN IT IS AFFIXED TO ITS YESOD, it is necessary to
understand it. This is the meaning of Tanya (lit. ‘it has been taught in
the Baraita’) CONSISTING OF THE LETTERS IN EITAN, AND THEN
APPLIES, “Strong (Heb. eitan) is your dwelling place” (Bemidbar
24:21), AS MALCHUT IS CALLED ‘DWELLING PLACE’. WHEN IT
RECEIVES FROM THE DIADEM OF YESOD, IT IS MENTIONED
REGARDING IT, “STRONG IS YOUR DWELLING PLACE,” CALLED
‘BARAITA’ MEANING SOMETHING outside of the body OF ZEIR
ANPIN. BARAITA STEMS FROM THE WORD ‘OUTSIDE’, WHICH IS
EXTERNAL. Eitanim IN THE WRITTEN TORAH, ZEIR ANPIN,
becomes the Tanaim OF THE ORAL TORAH, MALCHUT. These are
supporting pillars outside of the body, MEANING NETZACH, HOD
AND YESOD. Now it needs to be known that when these, NETZACH,
HOD AND YESOD, are called with regard to the written Torah, ZEIR
ANPIN, Eitanim, then with regard to the Oral Torah they are called
Tanaim, which is spelled with the same letters. Eitan is used with
regard to the written Torah, Tanya with the Oral Torah, and
everything is as it should be.1
Friends, behold, I am in the field. King Solomon the king and his
mighty warriors will come and find an old weary man who is strong,
a warrior, victor of wars. I know that he will come, standing behind
the rock in the field. He watches me, how my strength abides in the
field. He alone watches me, he is a man of peace, who has peace. Go
now old man, with your strength, you are alone in the field. Return to
your place. Remove your weapons from yourself.
“Hear, O mountains, Hashem’s controversy, and you, strong
foundations of the earth.” “Hear, O mountains,” is TO BE
EXPLAINED as we have said. “…and you, strong foundations of the
earth…” is the foundations of the earth indeed, WHICH IS MALCHUT,
REFERRED TO AS ‘EARTH’. For from them, THE STRONG ONES –
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD – MALCHUT is nurtured and receives
bounty daily. THEREFORE they are the foundations of the earth.
“…for Hashem has controversy with His people…” Who can
stand his ground when the Holy One, blessed be He, quarrels with
Yisrael, regarding which He says to them, “Hear, O mountains,
Hashem’s controversy.” This is one dispute. “Arise, contend before
the mountains,” is the second dispute. The Holy One, blessed be He,
won in all disputes with Yisrael; and all the admonitions are as a
father admonishes his son. So we have explained it.
About Jacob, it is written concerning the time he came to be
victorious over him: “Hashem has also a controversy with Judah,
and will punish Jacob” (Hoshea 12:3). What is the controversy? It is
as it is written: “He took his brother by the heel in the womb” (Ibid.
4). And this resulted in the admonition and all these controversies.
This is an important matter that “He took his brother by the heel in
the womb.” What he did in the belly is not a simple matter. HE ASKS:
Was he deceitful in the belly? HE ANSWERS: Assuredly so.
So we learned that in every way, Jacob rejected Esau so that he
would not have any share IN HOLINESS. Esau complained only
about one which equaled two, as it is written, “for he has supplanted
me these two times” (Beresheet 27:36). It should have been written,
‘he has supplanted me two times’. What is the meaning of the word
“these (Heb. zeh, lit. ‘this’)”? HE ANSWERS: HE WAS INSINUATING
about one thing which has the value of two, one that turned into two.
What is it? When rearranging the letters of “my birthright (Heb.
bechorati)” it becomes “my blessing (Heb. birchati).” “…this two
times…” MEANS one item equaling two.1
Esau did not know what Jacob did to him in the belly, but his
Appointed Minister knew. The Holy One, blessed be He, caused the
heavens and the hosts to tremble from the sound of the voice OF
THE ACCUSATION OF THE MINISTER OF ESAU. He could have
claimed blessing and birthright, but said nothing. He should have
put in a claim for the blessing, but did not; he claimed brotherhood,
as it is written, “and that you hide not yourself from your own
flesh” (Yeshayah 58:7). Jacob did not want to give him any food
before he took the birthright from him.
What birthright did he take? He took from him the birthright of
above and below, MEANING THE HOLY BIRTHRIGHT ON HIGH, TO
OFFER SACRIFICE, AND THE BIRTHRIGHT BELOW TO RECEIVE
TWO SHARES. The word ‘bechorah (‘birthright’) IS WRITTEN minus a
Vav. He then supplanted (Heb. ikev) his brother and made a heel
(Heb. akev) of him and threw him backwards. What is backwards? He
caused Esau to precede him into this world. Said Jacob to Esau:
‘You take this world first, and I will follow.’
Come and behold: It is written, “And after that came out his
brother, and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel” (Beresheet 25:26).
What is meant by Esau’s heel? Do you really believe that his hand
was grasping the other’s leg? Not so. His hand was grasping
someone who is a heel. And who may that be? It is Esau. Esau is
known as the heel. From the time that Jacob followed him and from
the day of Creation, the Holy One, blessed be He, called him ‘heel’,
AS ESAU IS OF THE ASPECT OF THE SERPENT, as it is written
concerning him, “it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his
heel” (Beresheet 3:15), MEANING you who are called ‘heel’ will bite
first and in the end he will bruise your head. Who is HIS HEAD? IT IS
Samael, the head of the serpent that strikes in this world.
And so in the womb he was insidious, and deceitful to his
brother, and so Esau took first this world as the verse writes, “And
these are the kings that reigned in the land of Edom, before there
reigned any king over the children of Yisrael” (Beresheet 36:31). This
secret is alluded to by King Solomon who says, “An estate may be
gotten hastily at the beginning; but its end shall not be
blessed” (Mishlei 20:21), by the end of the world.
And so, “He took his brother by the heel in the womb, and by
his strength he strove with Elohim.” HE ASKS: what is meant by “his
strength”? HE ANSWERS: They explained it as his might, and this is
well; but actually it is not so. The true clarification of the matter is
that Jacob was a supernal image and holy body to the extent that
since Adam, there was no body AND BEAUTY as that of Jacob. The
beauty of Adam was literally the beauty of Jacob, and the image of
Jacob was actually the image of Adam.1
When the Serpent came and seduced Adam, the serpent was
able to overcome him as Adam lacked strength or might, as up until
that day, he who was comprised of his strength and might was not
born. And who is Adam’s strength and might? This was Seth, who
possessed the identical image of Adam, as it is written, “and begot a
son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name
Seth” (Beresheet 5:3). What is the meaning of, “in his own likeness,
after his image”? It means born circumcised. So when the Minister
of Esau came to Jacob, Jacob’s strength and substance already
existed in the form of Joseph. This is the meaning of, “and by his
strength he strove with Elohim,” AS JOSEPH WAS HIS STRENGTH.
What is the sound of the woman, which the sound of the snake
can join with, as do a male a female dog? HE ANSWERS: The
serpent’s voice can not cling to any voice of a woman, but there are
two kinds of women with whom he can unite. One is a woman who
does not observe the days of her menstrual impurity and the day of
cleansing, and purifies by immersion a day too early, or a woman
who delays the marital visits to spite her husband, unless her
husband does not mind or does not care about it.
With these two women, as one hastens TO IMMERSE BEFORE
THE PROPER TIME, one also tarries with the voice of the serpent,
until the voices merge. Just as she delays her marital visit to
distress her husband, in postponing the performance of a precept,
so the voice of the serpent advances to merge with the voice of the
woman. These two women with whom the sound of the serpent is
caught up are comparable to the union of the male and female dog.
Uncleanliness follows uncleanliness, a species seeks out its own.
One may ask why it should bother us if one voice is caught up
with another, or not? HE ANSWERS: Woe that the people in the
world perish unknowingly. If the woman’s voice mingles and joins
with the voice of the serpent, when sinful evil LILIT comes out of her
lair, when she meets these two voices, the voice of the serpent and
the voice of the woman, the woman LILIT is heated by them, and
they by her. Thus she conceives and a spirit is formed, and they
follow it until THE SPIRIT invades the intestines of that woman.1
The sinful LILIT comes and visits the spirit, of this child that is
born, which came about from this awful merger with the sound of the
serpent that rattles inside her. This SPIRIT plays with the child until
the evil LILIT arrives, just as a woman might visit another woman’s
child and prattle with it until its mother arrives. Many times, this
SPIRIT, a messenger of the evil LILIT, may kill it. The verse writes,
“and on the side of their oppressors there was power” (Kohelet 4:1).
The explanation OF THE VERSE is not as you suggest, but ITS
EXPLANATION IS AS FOLLOWS. The strength of that spirit
OPRESSES HIM. And so twice is written in the verse, “but they had
no comforter” (Ibid.), from the wicked Lilit and from that spirit.
HE SAID TO HIMSELF: Old man, now you have friends, you
speak like one who never saw war wagers. They are at peace with
you. From now on I will not remove from me weapons of war in order
to make my name remembered.
That sin that lies in wait, MEANING THE SERPENT ABOUT
WHOM IT IS WRITTEN, “SIN CROUCHES AT THE
DOOR” (BERESHEET 4:7), BEING THE DOOR OF MALCHUT, stands
by the door like a dog. When the last sound is emitted, when the
woman about to give birth cries, JUST BEFORE BIRTH, he skips
from the door and goes after the woman. Why? Because the Holy
One, blessed be He, sends a key TO OPEN THE WOMB and when the
voice flies forth, the key comes. The serpent follows the voice that is
emitted and goes to the hill of the stomach – DENOTING YESOD, AS
NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD ARE CALLED ‘THE LOWER
MOUNTAINS’ – IT BITES THAT PLACE, OPENS THE WOMB, and
knocks there until such time that she is cleansed from the filth of the
bite of that evil serpent. The Holy One, blessed be He, brings about
situations and performs fitting actions.
All this NURTURING OF THE SERPENT comes because that
belly was rejected. It is sure THAT THE SERPENT was shunted from
that belly and has no part IN IT. ALSO, he is shunted from the belly
below of other women in the world, AS WOMEN BELOW ARE
BRANCHES OF THE SUPERNAL NUKVA. So even though he can
distress them, he has no right to dominate them. Which belly does
he have authority to dominate? It is the belly of the sotah (lit. ‘a
married woman suspected of adultery’) about whom it is written:
“and her belly will swell” (Bemidbar 5:27). With this belly, he acts
with vengeance as this belly is his to do with what he wishes, and
the Holy One, blessed be He, allowed him this in order that he not be
totally shunted. My friends, listen! I have not seen you or spoken to
you, “All things are full of weariness” (Kohelet 1:8); no one can
speak, even Torah words are wearisome.1
It is written: “And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a
man with him” (Beresheet 32:25), and, “And when he saw that he did
not prevail against him, he touched the hollow of the thigh.” From
that hollow did THE OTHER SIDE profit FROM JACOB. That thigh
was in a state of weakness until Samuel came. What is its
weakness? It did not draw THE LIGHT OF prophecy. When Samuel
arrived, he took that thigh and removed it from the place OF THE
OTHER SIDE and snatched it away from it. From that time that it was
removed from it, it had no part of Holiness at all.
The Holy One, blessed be He, did not withhold or reject it totally
when Samuel took the thigh, but gave it one portion. He gave it the
thigh and belly of the Sotah, in exchange for the thigh and belly
taken from him. Both things, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to
the Other Side so that the place of Holiness would be free of it
altogether.
It is written, “and your thigh to fall away” (Bemidbar 5:22). HE
ASKS: IT SHOULD READ, ‘and her thigh shall fall away’. It is written,
“to make the belly to swell” (Ibid.), yet it should be written, ‘and her
belly shall swell’. HE ANSWERS: This is similar to one who throws a
bone to a dog and tells him: This is your share. HENCE, THE VERSE
SAYS, “TO SWELL…TO FALL AWAY.” Nothing hurt it so much as
when it was deprived of the thigh for which it struggled, AS
INDICATED FROM THE VERSE: “AND THERE WRESTLED A MAN
WITH HIM…” It earned it, yet it was taken from it, so the Holy One,
blessed be He, threw it the bone of the Sotah, as we said, and with
that it was happy and satisfied.
All these Chariots and its companions always desire the thigh
and yearn for it. As a result the knees of the sages are weary from
THE OTHER SIDE, as all its yearning is for the thigh, and particularly
for the sage’s thigh. Everything is returned to its place and the Holy
One, blessed be He, lacks nothing, and He wishes that only His
people, His lot, His portion, shall approach Holiness. As the Holy
One, blessed be He, does above, so the children of Yisrael do below,
and so it should be. As we learned, the children of Yisrael are
prohibited from teaching Torah to the heathen, as it is written, “He
declares his word to Jacob… He has not dealt so with any other
nation” (Tehilim 147:19-20), FOR IT IS NECESSARY TO DISTANCE
THEM FROM SANCTITY.
And so Jacob and Samuel shunted it aside so that it would have
no part of Holiness. For this reason, all the preservation of hatred
towards the children of Yisrael is about this. It is SIMILAR to a dog
that seized a clean bird from the market, and before HE HAD A
CHANCE to shatter it, a man came, snatched it from him, and later
gave him a useless bone to carry about.1
So it is with the Minister of Esau. He was removed from the
womb, the thigh taken from him and later given a bone, namely, the
stomach and thigh of the Sotah, and of none other. This is the bone
given to him as his share and lot, and this was delightful to him. All
Judgments of the Holy One, blessed be He, are truthful, yet people
do not realize or pay attention to the Holy One, blessed be He.
However, all is with Truth. She, THE OTHER SIDE, deviated from her
husband, as the verse says, “who forsakes the friend of her
youth” (Mishlei 2:17), and so too the corresponding wife on earth,
MEANING THE SOTAH, IS HANDED OVER TO HER.
Come and behold: one who finds a friend like himself, who acts
like him, will love him, cling to him and favor him with kindness.
However, the Other Side is not so. When it finds someone who has
left the holy side of the Holy One, blessed be He, and behaves like it,
and clings to it, then it attempts to destroy him. This woman imitated
its way and clung to it. Look what it did to her. “…and her belly shall
swell, and her thigh shall fall away.” The Holy One, blessed be He, is
not so. He will love that person who leaves the Other Side and clings
to the Holy One, blessed be He, and He will dispense every kindness
in the world to him. HE SAID TO HIMSELF: Now, old man, prepare
yourself as the serpent tries to entice you but is unable.
The old man’s talk returns repeatedly to the issue of one who has no
offspring. He says that God does not want anyone who practices evil
to produce future generations that might devastate the world. The
merchant tells the story of King Solomon riding on the eagle four
hundred parasangs until arriving at the mountains of darkness.
There, in the area of the olive tree, King Solomon learned the foreign
wisdom that he was interested in, and then went aboard the eagle
again and returned home. Then he contemplated that wisdom that he
had learned. He knew of the many oppressions of the world.
He began to say, “What profit has a man of all his labor wherein
he labors under the sun” (Kohelet 1:3). HE ASKS: Is Solomon trying
to teach us only this? Had he said “in his labor that he does,” I
would understand that there is work that brings profit. However,
when he writes, “of all his labor,” that includes everything, that
nothing has profit.
HE ANSWERS: Solomon did not make his statement regarding
all people. There are people that are constantly busy doing evil and
harming others, and do nothing positive at all. Therefore, the verse
uses the expression, “his labor,” instead of ‘his toil’. “…his labor
(Heb. amalo)…” MEANS IN EVIL DEEDS, as a verse writes, “His
mischief (Heb. amalo) shall return upon his own head” (Tehilim
7:17), or, “nor has he seen perverseness (Heb. amal) in
Yisrael” (Bemidbar 23:21). The word ‘toil’ IS USED TO IMPLY
POSITIVE ACTS, as the verse says, “For you shall eat the toil (Heb.
yegia) of your hands” (Tehilim 128:2), and, “Elohim has seen my
affliction and the labor (Heb. yegia) of my hands” (Beresheet 31:42).
But of ‘amal’ it says, “mischief and spite” (Tehilim 10:14). Hence, HE
SAID, “WHAT PROFIT HAS A MAN OF ALL HIS LABOR WHEREIN HE
LABORS UNDER THE SUN,” for it is under the sun, ALLUDING TO
THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH IS BELOW THE SUN.1
When man practices evil, the verse writes, “He will have no
child nor offspring among his people” (Iyov 18:19). The Holy One,
blessed be He, does not want him to produce future generations, for
if he produced offspring, he would devastate the world. And so it
says, “What profit has a man of all his labor”; one who does not try
to have offspring becomes part of this evil man and finds himself
under his wing.
Ruth said “spread therefore your skirt (also: ‘wing’) over your
handmaid” (Rut 3:9) so that she would mate with the righteous man
to produce offspring. And the Holy One, blessed be He, spread His
wings over people in order that they should be fruitful. BUT the one
who refuses to produce offspring, “he came in by himself (also: ‘in
his wing’)” the wing of the evil man who remains childless, as the
serpent who operates alone. “…he shall go out by himself…” refers
to one who did not try to have offspring. We have already discussed
THIS sufficiently.
The dispute that the Holy One, blessed be He, engaged with, we
have learned, is as the verse says, “Arise, contend before the
mountains.” Who are they? They are the mountains below, NAMELY
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD. What is the essence of this
contention? With them are intertwined all sins that Yisrael commit
before their Heavenly Father. How is that? Yisrael knew of the
worship, THE CONJURING of the heavenly angels. Not even one
name of theirs was unknown to them, nor their worshipping.
In two ways, they used to whore after them. 1) They knew how
to draw the powers of the stars and constellations on earth, and 2)
they knew how to cause them to call upon them in all that is needed.
For this, the Holy One, blessed be He, was to engage in contention
and Judgment against them, THE MOUNTAINS, AS ALL ANGELS
AND HEAVENLY MINISTERS RECEIVE THEIR POWER FROM
NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, REFERRED TO AS ‘MOUNTAINS’.
Inasmuch as they are subject to contention and Judgment, THEIR
LIGHTS WILL BE BLURRED; the entire chain, MEANING THE
ANGELS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH AND ASIYAH, shall fall as they will
be of no use, SINCE THEIR POWERS HAVE BEEN MADE VOID. And
therefore, it says, “Arise, and contend…” “and let the hills hear your
voice.” HE ASKS: Who are the hills? HE ANSWERS: These are the
mothers, NAMELY THE SEVEN CHAMBERS IN BRIYAH, who are
levels called “the virgins… that follow her” (Tehilim 45:15), MEANING
SEVEN MAIDENS THAT SERVICE MALCHUT. So did Yisrael do until
they took part with the lower levels. He said to himself: Old man,
return to the earlier words.1
Yisrael sharply struck THE OTHER SIDE with this thigh that we
spoke of. Mordechai showed the evil Haman his thigh, for which
reason he became furious, claiming it was his, THAT HE EARNED IT
FROM JACOB. Mordechai incensed him, SHOWING HIM THAT IT
WAS ALREADY SNATCHED FROM HIM. Behold friends, it is written,
“And Rivkah took the best clothes of her elder son Esau” (Beresheet
27:15). With these garments, Jacob was able to snatch all his
blessings and birthright.
For this reason, chariots OF THE OTHER SIDE found a reason
to be hostile to the sages. They robbed the garments of the sages at
every chance – MEANING, their thighs and garments, as these two
items belonged to the Other Side. Their anger was primarily due to
the theft of these items. AND SO, they can complain only to the
sages. For this reason, the sages’ garments wither from rubbing
against them. The weakening in the knees is due to them, and in this
way they show their grievance against THE SAGES and demand
what is theirs. They are seeking from the sages that which is theirs.
Why the sages? They represent he who is sitting in the tent, JACOB;
there is no accusation without a cause, nothing happens without
justice and judgment, and so everything returns to its place.
Solomon said, “So I returned, and considered all the
oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold the tears of
such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side
of their oppressors there was power: but they had no
comforter” (Kohelet 4:1). We have spoken of what he is hinting at.
The verse says, “I returned.” From where did Solomon return? One
may conclude THAT it MEANS, after this matter, he repeated
something else, AND SO HE MEANS ‘I HAVE GONE BACK’. This is
fine, but if so HE SHOULD HAVE SAID, ‘returned, and considered’;
WHY DOES HE SAY, “I RETURNED”?
There we learned that daily Solomon would rise early, turn his
face eastward, NAMELY TO TIFERET AND THE CENTRAL COLUMN,
and see what he saw. Later he would turn to the south, NAMELY
CHESED AND THE RIGHT COLUMN, and see what he saw. Later he
would turn northward, BEING GVURAH AND THE LEFT COLUMN,
stand there, lower his eyes, and raise his head.1
At that moment, a pillar of fire and pillar of cloud would come.
On the cloud pillar was an eagle, large and powerful. In this manner
DID THE EAGLE APPROACH; the right wing was over the pillar of
fire, its body and left wing on the cloud pillar. That eagle brought two
leaves in its mouth. All three, the pillar of cloud, pillar of fire, and the
eagle bowed before King Solomon.
The eagle came, bent before him, and presented him with the
leaves. King Solomon took them, smelled them, and recognized the
sign. He said that one is from “falling down,” and the other is of
“having his eyes open” (Bemidbar 24:16). When the two leaves were
before him, he realized that both “falling down” and “having his eyes
open” wished to reveal something to him.
What did he do? He stamped his throne with the same seal in
which the Holy Name was engraved. He took the ring that was
engraved with the Holy Name and went up to the attic. He rode on
top of the eagle and took off. The eagle climbed to the highest
clouds and wherever he passed, the light dimmed. The wise men
where the light dimmed understood and said that King Solomon was
passing by, but they did not know where he was going. The fools
said the clouds are causing the darkness.
The eagle lifted a bird with him and flew four hundred
parasangs until arriving at the mountains of darkness. There Tarmod
lies amidst the wilderness in the mountains. He descended there,
raised his head, saw the mountains of darkness and knew all that
was needed. He realized that he MUST enter there. He rode the eagle
again and flew into the mountains to that place where the olive tree
is located. He cried loudly, “Hashem, when Your hand is lifted up,
they will not see” (Yeshayah 26:11).1
He entered and approached the area OF THE OLIVE TREE,
placed the ring before them, and approached. There he learned
whatever he wished of the foreign wisdom that interested him. Once
told what he needed, he again boarded the eagle and returned to his
place. Once again sitting on his throne, he thought of and discussed
this precious wisdom with himself. He then said, “So I returned, and
considered,” MEANING, I have returned from that trip, I have brought
back this wisdom and I have assembled it in my mind, and
considered then “all the oppressions that are done.”
Do you really believe that all the oppressed in the world were
seen by King Solomon, THAT THE VERSE SAYS THAT I
“CONSIDERED ALL THE OPPRESSIONS”? HE ANSWERS: But the
oppressed mentioned are the children dying while on the knees of
their mother, deprived in several ways: oppressed in the supernal
area above, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THEIR SPIRIT, and
oppressed below, FROM THE PHYSICAL STANDPOINT. The friends
have commented about this. Yet there are many OPRESSED
BESIDES THESE. HE SAID TO HIMSELF: Old man, rise, be alert,
speak your words, for surely you will speak without fear.
There is no one so oppressed as those whom one oppressed
previously BY SINNING, or IF DUE TO HIS SIN, the third generation
TO THE FOURTH after him ARE PUNISHED; THE CHILDREN DIE
WITHOUT SIN AND SO THEIR OPPRESSION IS NOT THAT HARSH.
THIS IS NOT SO IF THEY THEMSELVES, THEIR FATHERS, OR THEIR
GRANDFATHERS SIN. As it is written: “punishing the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth
generation” (Shemot 20:5).
HE ASKS: How would he oppress? WHAT WAS HIS SIN? HE
ANSWERS: King Solomon cried out, “A man that is burdened with
the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let none support
him” (Mishlei 28:17). Now that he is oppressed WITH THE SIN OF
SHEDDING the blood of the soul, he, his son or grandson will be
held hostage upon the scale BY THE OTHER SIDE, as it is written,
“shall flee to the pit; let none support him.” So to the pit OF THE
OTHER SIDE let him flee from Holiness without support in this world.
Once guilty of THE SIN OF blood of any person, he or his seed will
be oppressed by the Other Side.
There are those oppressed more than others. They are
OPPRESSED BECAUSE OF THE SIN OF: “YOU SHALL NOT
DEFRAUD,” WHICH HIS FATHER, OR GRANDFATHER, HAS
TRANSGRESSED, as written “You shall not defraud your
neighbor” (Vayikra 19:13). He transgressed and oppressed, SO HE IS
REPAID MEASURE FOR MEASURE. Thus, he becomes oppressed
via his sons through the hands of the Other Side. Therefore Solomon
says, ‘of “all the oppressions (also: ‘oppressed’)” I am aware, AND
KNOW of every oppression, from whatever side it comes’. IT WAS
NOT NECESSARY THAT HE SAW EVERY OPPRESSION IN THE
WORLD.1
HE ASKS: Why in the verse, “the oppressions (also:
‘oppressed’) that are done under the sun” does it say “that are
done,” when it should have been ‘that dwelt’? Also, if the doing is
praiseworthy, then their doing is above the sun, WHERE BENEFIT
AND CORRECTION TAKE PLACE, BUT HERE THE VERSE
MENTIONS “BENEATH THE SUN.”
HE ANSWERS: Assuredly they “are done,” but howso? If they
are deprived of their spirit, why come to this world THROUGH
REINCARNATION? THE EXPRESSION ‘DOING (HEB. ASIYAH)’
APPLIES TO THE BODY, WHICH IS IN THE WORLD OF ASIYAH.
Spirits are surely completed, fashioned with spirit and body in this
world. When the body is perfected, and that spirit is fashioned AND
CLOTHED in a pure, clean body without the soil of sin in this world,
then the body becomes as deprived as the spirit. This is the body
that THE OTHER SIDE enjoys above all others. There are other
oppressed SPIRITS of various types not fashioned into bodies,
NEVER INCARNATED IN THIS WORLD. But these are “the oppressed
that are done” WITH BODIES, AND SO THE VERSE IS WRITTEN,
“THAT ARE DONE.”
There are others that were made where people implored their
Master. Who are they? The child born from one who oppressed his
neighbor’s wife secretly or openly is oppressed, as the consent of
their Master was not obtained and it was without knowledge of the
husband of the woman. These creations are oppressions, and they
make it imperative that the Holy One, blessed be He, provide them
with a body, and design an image. There are “the oppressions that
are made,” since their bodies are made by compulsion. For this
reason, King Solomon said: ‘I “considered all the oppressions,” I am
aware and know of many kinds of oppression made in Asiyah.’
Like these, there are oppressions that were done by the
foreskin, that took, caused the body to grow, made it, and later,
UPON BECOMING BAR-MITZVAH, they snatch it from it. This is
another example of “oppressions that are done.” About all these,
King Solomon said: ‘I am aware AND KNOW of all “the oppressions
that are done.”
“and behold the tears of such as were oppressed.” Everybody
shed tears with complaints before the Holy One, blessed be He,
because the foreskin, THE OTHER SIDE, caused them to reach
thirteen years and then later they were taken from the foreskin, and
the Holy One, blessed be He, takes them. These are oppressions that
were already done.1
A THIRTEEN YEAR AND A DAY OLD that committed a sin FOR
WHICH THE PENALTY IS DEATH, is put to death. These people have
reason to complain and may in the future say: Master of the
Universe, a child one day old who has sinned is SO judged?! I am
like a child one day old, AS RIGHT AFTER BAR-MITZVAH, the Holy
One, blessed be He, called me son, as it is written, “Hashem said to
me, ‘you are My son, this day I have begotten you'” (Tehilim 2:7).
Master of the universe, is a child who is one day old to be so
judged? These are “the tears of such as were oppressed, and they
had no comforter.”
There is another example of oppressed. This oppressed one is
called a bastard. When he is deceased, he is set apart from the holy
congregation. This poor, unfortunate bastard [this refers to a real
bastard, born to illicit relationship] pours out tears before the Holy
One, blessed be He, with the following complaint: Master of the
Universe, if my forebearers sinned, what wrong have I done, my
actions are proper before you! Here are “the tears of such as were
oppressed, and they had no comforter.” It is the same with all these
oppressed who have reason to complain to the Holy One, blessed be
He; with this complaint there is no comforter and no one to soothe
their hearts.
This that says, “behold the tears of the oppressed,” refers to
those who die in the bosom of their mother. These are bound to
shed tears for mankind, for there are no other tears from the heart
like these tears. For all the people in the world stand in wonder and
say: But the Judgments of the Holy One, blessed be He, are True and
follow a truthful course; why do these innocent children die? Where
is the Judgment of Truth, that the Holy One, blessed be He,
practices? If it is due to the sins of the parents, why is this so?
Assuredly, “they had no comforter.”
Moreover, “behold the tears of such as were oppressed” refers
to their tears in that world that protects the living. We learned there
is a designated place in that world, where even the completely pious
have no standing. And the Holy One, blessed be He, loves them,
clings to them and places them in His supernal Yeshiva. About them
it is written: “Out the mouths of babes and sucklings have you
founded strength” (Tehilim 8:3). What is the gain from their being
there, and why do they ascend there? AS THE VERSE CONTINUES,
“because of your enemies, that you may silence the enemy and the
avenger.” There is also another place for those who repent.
The merchant says that prior to the Sabbath, the letters, the written
alphabet and the tablets had already been created. These were the
work of Elohim, and it is only after the completion of Creation that
we find the full name “Hashem Elohim”. “engraved upon the tablets”
means freedom from everything – from the Angel of Death, from the
subjection of nations. It is the seal of the World to Come.1
We learned of ten things which were created just prior to the
Shabbat: the letters, the written alphabet, and the tablets, as it is
written, “And the tablets were the work of Elohim, and the writing
was the writing of Elohim” (Shemot 32:16). HE ASKS: wherein do we
see that they were created just before Shabbat? Perhaps they were
created a thousand years later or at the time Yisrael stood at Mount
Sinai? HE ANSWERS: It surely was just before Shabbat. Come and
behold: throughout Creation we do not find the full Name, but only
Elohim. That Name is found throughout until Creation is completed
at Shabbat eve. Only after the completion of Creation, do we find the
full Name: “Hashem Elohim.”
Even though with the name Elohim He created all, it did not go
into effect until just prior to Shabbat. Only then was the work
completely done, as it is written, “His work which He had
done” (Beresheet 2:2), and, “from all His work, which Elohim had
created” (Ibid. 3) MEANING, only then did it go into effect. And so the
verse, “And the tablets were the work of Elohim,” MEANS when the
world was completed and done with the Name of Elohim, WHICH
WAS AT SHABBAT EVE and not later, as when the verse refers to
Hashem Elohim, then completion came to the world and it was set.
Come and behold: at the time Moses smashed the tablets, as it
is written, “and broke them at the foot of the mountain” (Shemot
32:19), the ocean rose from its position to flood the universe, and at
once, “he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire…
and scattered it upon the water” (Ibid. 20). Moses rose against the
ocean and said: ‘Waters, waters, what do you want?’ They replied:
‘The universe can only survive through the Torah upon the tablets,
but the children of Yisrael have rejected the Torah and made a
golden calf instead. We wish to inundate the world.’
Immediately, he said to them: ‘All that transpired with the sin of
the golden calf is known to you. Is it not enough the thousands that
perished because of it?’ Immediately, he “scattered it upon the
water,” but the waters were not pacified until he took water from
them, FROM THE OCEAN, and caused the children of Yisrael to drink
of it. Then the ocean sank to its position.1
For in the wilderness, there was no water, as it is written, “it is
no place of seed… nor is there any water to drink” (Bemidbar 20:5),
SO HE MUST HAVE USED THE WATERS OF THE OCEAN. One may
think that he threw THE ASHES into the well of Miriam, but heaven
forbid that Moses would throw a memorial of this terrible act there,
and drink of it afterwards. Furthermore, at that point they did not
have that well, it was only when arriving at the wilderness of Matana,
as it is written, “the well dug by the prince… and from the wilderness
they went to Matana” (Bemidbar 21:18); at that point they acquired
the well. It is written here, “upon the water” (Shemot 32:20), and it is
written elsewhere, “upon the face of the deep” (Beresheet 1:2); JUST
AS THERE THE REFERENCE IS TO THE OCEAN, SO IT IS HERE TOO.
“engraved upon the tablets.” What is meant by, “engraved (Heb.
charut) upon the tablets”? HE ANSWERS: We have that it means
freedom (Heb. cherut) from the Angel of Death, freedom from
subjection of nations, freedom from everything. What is freedom? It
is the seal of the World to Come, wherein there is freedom expressed
in all kinds of freedoms. Had Moses not broken THE TABLETS, what
followed in the world would not have happened; Yisrael would have
retained an angelic image above and below. This is what the verse
proclaimed, “And the tablets were the work of Elohim.” Do not say
that once the world was completed, and the complete name OF YUD
HEI VAV HEI ELOHIM was mentioned, then THE TABLETS came
about. It is not so, but rather when the world was completed with the
name of Elohim prior to the Shabbat.
HE ASKS: IT IS WRITTEN, “WERE (HEB. HEMAH) THE WORK
OF ELOHIM.” What is meant by hemah, WHICH IS SUPERFLUOUS?
HE ANSWERS: Switch its letters into mehah (lit. ‘from Hei-Hei’)
MEANING from two sides, THE TWO HEI’S OF THE NAME YUD HEI
VAV HEI, BINAH AND MALCHUT. One, in deed – NAMELY THE LAST
HEI, MALCHUT – one of the freedom above, WHICH IS THE FIRST
HEI, BINAH, registered above IN BINAH to watch over everything.
Hence it is written, “hemah.” “…the writing is the writing of Elohim…”
MEANING black fire on white fire. “…is (Heb. hu) the writing of
Elohim…” resembles the verse, “the Levites shall do the service of
the Tent (lit. ‘of him’, hu)” (Bemidbar 18:23) REFERRING TO BINAH
CALLED ‘HU’, DENOTING freedom, as we said, for Jubilee
DENOTING BINAH, is also called ‘freedom’ as it proclaims freedom
to all.
The old merchant now reveals himself to be Yeva Saba (the elder),
and Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yosi prostrate themselves before him
and weep. They said to him: “May we be favored that our image be
engraved in your heart as your seal is engraved in our heart.”
Until this point ARE MY WORDS. From here on, be advised that
the evil side will not have any hold on you. I, Yeva Saba (the elder)
stand before you to make you aware of these things. RABBI CHIYA
AND RABBI YOSI arose as one who had awakened from sleep,
prostrated before him, unable to speak. After some time they wept.1
Rabbi Chiya commenced the discussion: “Set me as a seal
upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm…” (Shir Hashirim 8:6). “Set
me as a seal”; when the Congregation of Yisrael, MALCHUT, clung to
her husband, ZEIR ANPIN, she said, “Set me as a seal.” The way of a
seal is as follows: Once it comes in contact with something, it leaves
its mark even though the seal itself moves about and does not
remain there. It left its shape there, and there remains ITS SHAPE.
The Congregation of Yisrael says the same: once I have clung to
You, my mark will be engraved with You even though I move from
place to place, my mark will remain with You and you will thus
remember me.
“…as a seal upon your arm…” like the verse, “His left hand is
under my head, and his right hand embraces me” (Shir Hashirim
2:6). So here, my mark will be engraved, and so I will always adhere
to You and not be forgotten by You. “…for love is as strong as
death…” mighty as that place where death dwells. Love is the place
known as eternal love.
“…jealousy is cruel as Sheol…” The same is here, AS
MENTIONED EARLIER WITH LOVE. These names, SUCH AS LOVE,
JEALOUSY, stem from that side, MEANING THE LEFT SIDE. “…the
coals thereof are coals of fire.” HE ASKS: What are these coals? HE
ANSWERS: These refer to precious stones and pearls formed from
this fire, REPRESENTING SUPERNAL LEVELS – MEANING from
these flames emanating from the supernal world, FROM THE LEFT
SIDE, BINAH takes hold of the Congregation of Yisrael to become
one unity. AND HE SAID TO THE OLD MAN: As for us, our love and
flaming heart is with you. May we be favored that our image be
engraved in your heart as your seal is engraved in our heart. THE
OLD MAN kissed them, blessed them and they left.
When they reached Rabbi Shimon, they told him what
transpired. He stood in awe and said: How fortunate are you to have
merited this, you were with this supernal lion, this mighty hero
compared to whom all mighty people are nothing, and you did not
recognize him at first. I wonder how you were saved from his penalty

but the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to protect you. He said
about them: “But the path of just men is like the gleam of sunlight,
that shines ever more brightly until the height of noonday” (Mishlei
4:18). “When you go, your steps shall not be confined: and when you
run, you shall not stumble” (Ibid. 12) “Your people also shall be all
Righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever; they shall be the
branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be
glorified” (Yeshayah 60:21). UNTIL THIS POINT ALL COMES FROM
RAV YEVA SABA (THE ELDER).

“If men strive”
The title verse is explained as saying that if Michael, representing holiness, and Samael, representing defilement, strive and hurt the congregation of
Yisrael, Samael will be punished by the Holy One, blessed be He.1
Ra’aya Meheimna (the Faithful Shepherd)
“If men strive…” (Shemot 21:22) These are Michael and Samael-
MICHAEL REPRESENTS HOLINESS, SAMAEL, DEFILEMENT. “…and
hurt a woman with child…” (Ibid.) This is the Congregation of Yisrael,
DENOTING MALCHUT; “so that her children depart from her,” refers
to the exile; “he shall be surely punished,” refers to Samael;
“according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him” refers to the
Holy One, blessed be He.
Setting aside cities of refuge
Rabbi Shimon continues to speak to Moses, telling him that he has merited the last Hei, Malchut, due to his seeking it with repentance, returning it
to his Master, leading it out of exile and not seeking any reward. God put His name in Moses and he put His thoughts with Moses. Moses
endeavored his whole life with Truth, so God allowed him to be raised with the Torah of Truth and to be incorporated with all its qualities and letters

with the Holy Name, Yud Hei Vav Hei.

Now we have the commandment of setting aside cities of refuge
for one who killed, due to the Egyptian man you slew in Egypt who
contained within him the primordial serpent and his encampment
that surrounded him. You killed him prematurely and you did not
fear his followers. Numerous women pursued you in your youth –
THE KLIPOT, Na’amah, Agrat – black Lilit. And the Holy One, blessed
be He, gave cities of refuge to save you from them. These are the
gates of repentance.
This is because you are a son of Yud-Hei, AS MOSES WAS AT
THE LEVEL OF VAV, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, being the son of Aba
and Ima, WHO ARE CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, YUD-HEI. And after
you returned with repentance with the LAST Hei OF THE NAME YUD
HEI VAV HEI, you ascended to Binah AND MERITED NOW THE
NAME Yud-Hei-Vav, which is the Tree of Life – FOR BINAH IS
CALLED ‘LIVING ELOHIM’, AND ZEIR ANPIN THAT ASCENDS TO
BINAH IS CALLED THE ‘TREE OF LIFE’, and therefore you have
merited the LAST Hei, WHICH IS MALCHUT. All this is due to your
bringing yourself after it with repentance, returning it to your Master,
leading it out of exile, and not seeking reward.
And the Holy One, blessed be He, put His name in you, and
since your thoughts were with the cause of causes, NOTABLY
KETER, He put His thoughts with you – DENOTING THE SECRET OF
CHOCHMAH, which is YUD HEI VAV HEI, FULLY SPELLED WITH
ALEPH’S, WITH THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF MEM-HEI (=45) AS
CHOCHMAH (CHET-CAF-MEM-HEI) CONSISTS OF THE FORCE (CAF-
CHET) OF 45 (MEM-HEI). FOR THROUGH THE NAME OF MEM-HEI
WHICH IS THE CENTRAL COLUMN OF THE MOCHIN, WHICH IS
CHOCHMAH REVEALED, the Cause of all causes unifies all these
letters within you in order to reorganize and know Him through these
letters.1
AFTER BEING INCLUDED IN THOUGHT, WHICH IS THE SECRET
OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, HE GOES ON TO EXPLAIN HOW HE
RECEIVED THE OTHER SIX SFIROT, AND SAYS: Since you
dispensed kindness with the Shechinah, as all the precepts are
yours with which to provide for the pious (Heb. chasid) man, who is
pious to his Possessor, so He gave you the quality of Chesed. You
observed the negative commandments and had to overcome your
inclinations to tie it under you, and you strove with this precept only
to tie up Samael under the Holy One, blessed be He, and to have the
mate OF SAMAEL, who is an evil maidservant, bound under her
mistress, NAMELY MALCHUT, and THEN all their appointees and
their hosts. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, has given you
the quality of Gvurah, that will be at your assistance to cause
Samael, his mate and all their hosts to fear and be tied in a chain
under you.
And since you repented with the sign of the Covenant, NAMELY
YESOD, Binah descended, BEING THE LETTERS Yud-Hei-Vav, to
join with the Righteous, NAMELY YESOD, for your sake. And so the
Holy One, blessed be He, gave you the sign of the Covenant of the
righteous, NAMELY, YESOD. As you did everything with a pure
thought, so descended the explicit name upon you, and from there,
FROM THE THOUGHT, WHICH IS THREE FIRST SFIROT, did it
descend on you.
And because you strive daily, with both of your lips in prayer to
extol your Master with, “Adonai, open my lips,” utilizing both lips
with words of the prophets and the writings and all types of song
and tune in prayer, the Holy One, blessed be He, lowers them
through your two lips, NETZACH AND HOD. Even more so in your
level, being the middle pillar, NAMELY TIFERET, with which you
endeavored all your life with Truth; the Holy One, blessed be He,
allowed you to be raised with the Torah of Truth, incorporated with
all qualities and letters – SUCH AS CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET,
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD – with the explicit Name consisting of
four letters, YUD HEI VAV HEI, WHICH IS THE FIRST THREE SFIROT.
Before you repented, you were associated with the Tree of
Knowledge of Good and Evil. Servant and child were your original
names, as it is written: “and, behold, a weeping boy” (Shemot 2:6),
or a devoted servant, as written, “My servant Moses is not so, for he
is the trusted one in all My house” (Bemidbar 12:7). The evil, that is
the partner of a servant, caused you to sin by the rock, as the staff
handed you came from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
MEANING METATRON AND SAMAEL. Metatron is good, and Samael
is evil.
Mem-Tet and Mot (‘the rod’)
Rabbi Shimon tells Moses that the staff given to him will be a Tree of Life, denoting Vav, which will become a rod. He explains that two precepts
were validated: “you shall surely help him to lift them up again” and “You shall surely unload it with him.” These allude to Messiah the son of David
and Messiah the son of Joseph. The third precept is that of the gleaning, the forgotten sheaf and the poor man’s tithe. The rising, meaning
redemption, is in Moses’ level.1
And now that you have repented and enjoined yourself with the
Tree of Life, and you have relinquished the role of servant and
returned to be a son to the Holy One, blessed be He, the staff (Heb.
mateh) given to you will be a Tree of Life – denoting Vav, which is the
son of Yud Hei. THE VAV will penetrate the Mem-Tet (=49) aspects
you have in Torah, and will become a rod (Heb. mot: Mem-Vav-Tet)
and as such can be fulfilled with the verse: “He shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved (Heb. mot)” (Tehilim 55:23). The 49 aspects
ARE THE SECRET OF the 49 letters in ‘Sh’ma Yisrael’ and ‘Blessed is
the Name OF YOUR GLORIOUS KINGDOM FOREVER’,
REPRESENTING the six words of supernal unity, pointing to the
supernal Vav (=six) denoting Tiferet. And then the six words of
“Blessed is the Name” is a second group OF LOWER UNITY,
meaning to point to the second Vav IN THE LETTER VAV FULLY
SPELLED (VAV-ALEPH-VAV) denoting the Righteous, REFLECTING
YESOD. AND THEY ARE a rod (Heb. mot). We find in the middle OF
TWO VAV’S there is an Aleph, the secret of the verse, “and they
carried it between two on a pole” (Bemidbar 13:24), MEANING TWO
VAVS.
If it lacks a Vav in the middle, the word becomes Mem-Tet,
MEANING the righteous bends (Heb. mat) before the villain. What
caused this? Aleph (=one) one of fifty, as fifty gates minus one were
given to you; as the masters of the Mishnah explain, fifty gates
minus one of Binah were given to Moses. This is the missing Aleph
from the fifty, so only Mem-Tet (=49) remained. This is why the
righteous bends before the villain. Who is the villain? It is Samael.
This Mem-Tet stems from your staff (Heb. mateh: Mem-Tet-Hei)
as it is written: “with the rod (Heb. mateh) of the Elohim in my
hand” (Shemot 17:9). Your staff is that of Moses, and therefore the
letter Aleph, which is Binah, comes back to you, as recorded in the
Mishnah; Aleph is Binah. It returns to you as a result of repentance,
and enters between the two Vav’s to become Vav-Aleph-Vav. Thus is
fulfilled in you the verse: “but with great mercies will I gather
you” (Yeshayah 54:7) for the sake of Yisrael. From this point will be
fulfilled: “He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved (Heb.
mot).”
At that time two precepts were validated. 1) “you shall surely
help him to lift (lit. ‘lifting will you lift’) them up again” (Devarim 22:4),
and 2) “You shall surely unload it with him” (Shemot 23:5). “Surely
help” lift together with the supernal Vav, alludes to the first Messiah
NAMELY MESSIAH, THE SON OF DAVID; and in helping with the
second Vav, NAMELY THE SECOND MESSIAH, BEING MESSIAH THE
SON OF JOSEPH. “Him” refers to the son of Amram, that ascended
to Binah – which is equal to Aleph, SITUATED BETWEEN THE TWO
VAVS, AS MENTIONED. THEY REFER TO THE VAV, WRITTEN OUT
FULLY AS VAV (VAV-ALEPH-VAV).1
Whom shall you help to rise? It refers to the letter Hei, NAMELY
MALCHUT, that fell in the fifth millennium after seventy-two YEARS,
according to the count in “You shall surely unload (Heb. azov) it with
him.” “Azov” (Ayin-Zayin-Vav-Bet) EQUALS THE LETTERS Ayin-Bet,
Zayin-Vav; Ayin-Bet (=72) refers to the 72 names derived from: “And
removed…and it came… And…stretched” (Shemot 14:19-21). ZAYIN-
VAV MEANS THE INITIALS OF ‘THIS IS (HEB. ZEH) VAV’, the Vav
from Yud-Hei-Vav EQUALING ZEIR ANPIN. There, IN THE YEAR FIVE
THOUSAND AND SEVENTY-TWO, he helped, HELPING THE FALLEN
HEI, but did not lift, FOR THE TIME OF RISING AND REDEMPTION
HAS NOT ARRIVED. Hence, it says, “You shall surely unload it with
him” – JUST HELPING. There IS PRACTICED “in its due season, the
early rain and the late rain, that you may gather in your corn, and
your wine, and your oil” (Devarim 11:14). This alludes to Yisrael.
“CORN” REFERS TO YISRAEL, “WINE” REFERS TO THE LEVITES,
AND “OIL” TO THE PRIESTS. AND SO APPLY THE CUSTOM OF the
gleaning, the forgotten sheaf, and the poor man’s tithe – “you shall
leave them for the poor and strange” (Vayikra 19:10). So here we
learn about the third precept OF THE GLEANING, THE FORGOTTEN
SHEAF AND THE POOR MAN’S TITHE.
You must seek them TO SUPPORT THEM, as the poor are from
the aspect of the Righteous, MEANING YESOD. “You shall surely
unload it,” YESOD, the Righteous; “with him,” refers to the son of
Amram. This is the meaning of, “you shall leave them for the poor
and strange.” You are a stranger, a poor nation, as it is written about
you at the start, “I have been an alien in a strange land” (Shemot
18:3).
But the rising, MEANING REDEMPTION, is in your level – lifting
points to the lower Vav, the FULFILLMENT OF VAV, DENOTING
YESOD. “…lift with him…” with the son of Amram, with your level,
being Tiferet, USING THE NAME Mem-Hei of yours, BEING YUD-HEI-
VAV-HEI FULLY SPELLED WITH ALEPH’S THAT NUMERICALLY
REACH MEM-HEI, which is the explicit Name in its completeness.
Following the two Kuf’s of “lifting… lift (Heb. hakem-takim: Tav-Kuf-
Yud-Mem)” remain Tav-Yud-Mem. HE ASKS: What does this teach?
HE REPLIES: It points to, “Jacob was a plain (Heb. tam: Tav-Mem)
man” (Beresheet 25:27), DENOTING TIFERET, SO THE
EXPLANATION OF THE VERSE IS, “with him,” MEANING with the
son of Amram he will rise. “…lifting…” refers to the Righteous,
MEANING YESOD. “…lift…” refers to the plain one, MEANING
TIFERET.
Redeeming a Hebrew servant
This section tells us that we must strive to serve our Master to become His servant. A person who toils in Torah in order to merit the World to Come
is called ‘an acquisition’, as in “when you acquire a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve.” After the acquisition, he will achieve redemption.
Rabbi Shimon speaks of the Kriat Sh’ma, and says that the cantor can fulfill a man’s obligation for one who is incapable of praying. The six years
correspond to the three initial and the three concluding blessings of the Amidah prayer. Rabbi Shimon closes by saying that in the World to Come
one will not be able to find redemption through another: “If I am not for myself, who is for me?”1
The precept that follows is to redeem the Hebrew servant and
the Hebrew maidservant, to marry off the Hebrew maidservant, and
to contemplate the method of acquisition of the Hebrew slave: “you
shall furnish him liberally” (Devarim 15:14). As the verse reads,
“when you acquire a Hebrew servant, six years he shall
serve” (Shemot 21:2). HE ASKS: What is meant by, “six years he
shall serve,” and how is he to be purchased? HE ANSWERS: With
the secrets of Torah. The ANGEL Metatron IS the servant of Hashem,
incorporating the six ends, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET,
NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD, with the same number of the six
letters, BEING THE SECRET OF the six orders of the Mishnah. With
them one should strive to serve his Master to become His servant.
Money represents the right and Abraham, whose level is Chesed,
and Torah was given from them.
One who toils IN TORAH in order to merit the world to come is
called ‘an acquisition’; his money refers to the world of pleasure, the
buying is derived from to “the most high El, the possessor of heaven
and earth” (Beresheet 14:22); “Get wisdom, get
understanding” (Mishlei 4:5).
After he acquires him, redemption will come to him. There are
those bought forever, and others bought for six years. Of those
bought forever, the verse writes, “His master will bore his ear with
an awl and work for him forever” – forever, meaning Jubilee
DENOTING BINAH REFERRED TO AS JUBILEE which amounts to
fifty. This alludes to the reading of Sh’ma, which contains 25 and 25
letters, of the morning and evening services, which are the fifty
gates of Binah.
After man joins the Holy One, blessed be He, through their
means, becoming His servant through the yoke of Tefilin on his
head, and his ear pierced, MEANING open to hear Kriat Sh’ma – as
the word Sh’ma means in any language that you hear – HEAR means
‘meaning’ (Heb. mashmaut) AS ONE MUST UNDERSTAND THE
READING OF SH’MA SINCE IT IS THE SECRET OF THE UNITY.
For that person whose redemption is dependent on the reading
of Sh’ma, which is the secret of fifty, ALLUDING TO BINAH, there
can be no redemption through the intervention of someone else, as
he is pierced only for his Master. In this verse, we do not find
mentioned “one of his brethren may redeem him” (Vayikra 25:49). In
regard to man’s prayer, he can be like a slave, as it is written, “six
years shall he toil.” Here, toil means prayer. “Six years shall he toil”
POINTS TO the first three and last three blessings OF THE AMIDAH,
with which the cantor can fulfill man’s obligation for one who is not
capable of praying. IN THIS CASE, THERE IS REDEMPTION
THROUGH SOMEONE ELSE INASMUCH AS THE CANTOR REDEEMS
HIM, as the Righteous who lives forever – DENOTING YESOD,
REFERRING TO THE CANTOR – is then called by the names of Boaz:
Righteous, Kinsman, Near Kinsman, Faithful. THE MESSAGE FROM
THOSE NAMES ILLUSTRATES THAT THEY REDEEM ONE WHO CAN
NOT HELP HIMSELF, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE LAW OF THE
LEVIRATE MARRIAGE AND INCARNATION.1
“Hashem is near to all those who call upon Him” (Tehilim
145:18). It is better for man to be “a neighbor that is near than a
brother far off” (Mishlei 27:10), meaning the middle pillar, DENOTING
TIFERET – AS YESOD IS CALLED ‘A CLOSE NEIGHBOR’ AND
TIFERET IS CALLED ‘A DISTANT BROTHER’ that is considered as
the son of Yud-Hei that ascended above to Binah. This world is the
world of Jubilee consisting of the fifty letters of the unity OF KRIAT
SH’MA, BEING THE FIFTY GATES OF BINAH, AS EXPLAINED
ABOVE. In this world, NAMELY MALCHUT, man can redeem himself
through the righteous, DENOTING YESOD, BEING six years that
incorporates the three initial and three concluding blessings OF THE
AMIDAH PRAYER; THIS IS THE SECRET OF the small Vav,
DENOTING YESOD. This is the meaning of, “six years he shall toil.”
However, in the world to come, the world of Jubilee DENOTING
BINAH, where there is present the fifty letters of Kriat Sh’ma, the
cantor can not exempt another from his duty, as there is no
redemption through others, so hear (Heb. sh’ma) in whatever
language you understand, BUT IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU READ IT
YOURSELF. Present here is the hint, “If I am not for myself, who is
for me”. “I” DENOTES MALCHUT; “who” (Heb. mi) refers to the world
of Jubilee DENOTING BINAH. THIS INSINUATES ABOUT SH’MA
WHERE “I” DOES NOT APPLY, BUT “MI” DOES.
A two edged sword
The head Rabbis of the Yeshiva have descended with Rabbi Shimon and are addressing Moses. They speak about the verse, “The high praises of El
are in their throats, and a two edged sword in their hand.” They tell Moses that he is the mouthpiece of the higher and lower Shechinah, with which
God spoke to him mouth to mouth. For this reason, they tell him, Elijah has been delayed above and cannot come down because, while he would
bring wealth, the poverty of Moses is a redemption for Yisrael. Moses replies that he releases him from his oath, and that they should all work to
release Elijah so that he may descend to them.
As soon as THESE head Rabbis of the Yeshivas, who
descended with the Holy Luminary, RABBI SHIMON, heard these
things, they commenced to say TO MOSES: ‘Faithful Shepherd, YOU
ARE the mouthpiece of the higher and lower Shechinah, BEING
BINAH AND MALCHUT, with which the Holy One, blessed be He,
spoke to you, mouth to mouth, through Kriat Sh’ma – as it is written:
“The high praises of El are in their throats, and a two edged sword in
their hand” (Tehilim 149:6) – as the Yud OF YUD-HEI-VAV-HEI is the
top of the sword surrounding your lip. The Vav OF YUD-HEI-VAV-HEI
is like the tongue of your sword. The two Hei’s OF YUD-HEI-VAV-HEI
are two edges in your two lips. And surely the Name of your Master,
BEING THE SHECHINAH, speaks through your mouth. Yud Vav
Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav Aleph Vav, Hei Aleph is in your thought, that
produced these fifty GATES of BINAH from your mouth.
Surely for these reasons CITED ABOVE, THEIR ROOT IS TO
PERFECT MALCHUT IN BINAH AND PLACE THEM SIDE BY SIDE,
AND BECAUSE OF THIS Elijah has been delayed above, where he is
confined, AS IN PRISON. And he does not descend to you because
he would have come down with wealth for you, but he is confined
above and descends not, as your poverty is in reality a redemption
for Yisrael. Hence the Messiah says: ‘Until a poor man comes’, as the
verse says, “and by his injury we are healed” (Yeshayah 53:5).1
He said to them: ‘If so, let us give him a release so that he can
descend, as he is more precious to me than all silver in the world.
Behold, I pardon him, free him and release him of the oath. You, too,
release him; if he needs pardon, pardon him. Let us work to release
him so he may descend to us.
A vow and an oath
Rabbi Shimon says that Hashem’s oath is the Shechinah, the only daughter, and that three people are required to release one from an oath. A vow is
superior to an oath because, while an oath can take effect only on something of substance, a vow can take effect even on something insignificant; a
vow is considered as being made on the Life of the King. Moses reminds the Head Rabbis that from darkness emanates light, and that “Elohim has
made the one as well as the other.” He says that vows stemming from the World to Come, being Binah, surpass the oaths, which are considered
only of this world. Anyone who swears by the Name of Hashem falsely is considered as though he is demolishing the construction of heaven and
earth and restoring the world to void and formlessness. Moses says that falsehood abides in Samael’s place, and that the false oath can be
compared to building heaven and earth on a base of falsehood; falsehood can not prevail, as it must become void, and therefore he has demolished
the structure and caused the fall of heaven and earth. At the end the Yeshiva heads say that they will ask God to lower Elijah to Moses, laden with
riches for him.
The holy Luminary said to him: Hashem’s oath is the
Shechinah, the only daughter, CALLED ‘HASHEM’S OATH’. It is not
for naught that it was decided that three people are needed to
release one FROM THE OATH; IT IS THE SECRET OF the letter Shin
of Shabbat that three branches of THE LETTER SHIN IMPLY the
THREE fathers, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, AND
THE THICK LINE UNITES THE THREE BRANCHES OF THE BOTTOM.
Thus, IT IS an only daughter CALLED shevuah (lit. ‘oath’) as it joins
THE THREE BRANCHES OF THE SHIN.
It is sure that an oath can only take effect on something of
substance, but a vow can take effect even on an insignificant thing,
and so it is established in the Mishnah. Furthermore, they said that a
vow is superior to an oath in that the one uttering the oath swears by
the King himself, DENOTING MALCHUT, whereas a vow is
considered making the vow by the Life of the King, DENOTING
BINAH FROM WHENCE LIFE IS DRAWN, NAMELY MOCHIN, TO
MALCHUT.
The Faithful Shepherd replied: Head Rabbis of the Yeshivas. I
am certain that you are well aware of THE TOPIC OF OATHS AND
VOWS. However, He who renews daily the act of creation will make
us aware of new insights, for though Kohelet said, “and there is
nothing new under the sun” (Kohelet 1:9) DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN,
above the sun there is. Regarding the secrets of Torah, I wish to say
that from “For Hashem Elohim is a sun and shield” (Tehilim 84:12), it
IS TO BE INFERRED THAT HE ILLUMINATES AND SHIELDS EVEN
BELOW THE SUN. THIS IS TRUE in His world, MEANING THE
WORLD OF ATZILUT, but not in the Common world, MEANING THE
THREE WORLDS OF BRIYAH, YETZIRAH, AND ASIYAH, WHICH
CONTAIN KLIPOT, THAT DENY HIS UNITY. This is so even though
“Elohim has made the one as well as the other” (Kohelet 7:14),
MEANING THAT THE KLIPOT ARE ALSO THE WORK OF ELOHIM.
For from darkness, WHICH IS THE KLIPOT, emanates light, WHEN
PEOPLE OVERCOME THEM. THIS IS UNTIL THEY ARE CONSIDERED
AS COMMON WORLD, AND THE LIGHT OF THE SUN, THAT IS ZEIR
ANPIN OF ATZILUT, DOES NOT EXTEND TO SHIELD THEM.1
Most certainly, the world to come, being Binah, is above the
sun, being the middle pillar, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN. Thus, vows
stemming from there surpass the oaths and take effect even in
insignificant matters. An oath is considered of this world, DENOTING
MALCHUT, which survives only through Yesod, as the verse writes,
“but the righteous is an everlasting foundation” (Mishlei 10:25), SO
IT CAN ONLY TAKE EFFECT ON A MATTER OF SUBSTANCE.
WITHIN YESOD are oaths made, as it is written, “as Hashem
lives: lie down until the morning” (Rut 3:13). “LIVES” IS CALLED
‘YESOD’, as the lower Shechinah is called the ‘western wall’, BEING
MALCHUT, His dwelling, being the mount (Heb. tel-Tav Lamed)
which all turn to. The WALL (HEB. KOTEL) IS SPELLED Caf-Vav Tav-
Lamed – Yud Hei Vav Hei, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, NUMERICALLY
equals Caf-Vav. And surely the Shechinah is the mound (Heb. tel) OF
ZEIR ANPIN based on the verse: “his locks (Heb. kevutzotav) are
wavy (Heb. taltalim) and black as the raven” (Shir Hashirim 5:11). It
was established that every tip (Heb. kotz) of any letter contains
heaps (Heb. tel) of rules. The Dalet of ‘one ‘(Heb. echad – Aleph-Chet-
Dalet) is a hill that all turn to, DENOTING MALCHUT. This tip OF THE
DALET THAT DIFFERENTIATES IT FROM THE RESH FORM, WHICH
DENOTES YESOD, is caught between the Aleph and Chet of the
word echad, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, and the Dalet of echad,
DENOTING MALCHUT. THUS THE VERSE, “for all that is in heaven
and on earth” (I Divrei Hayamim 29:11); as Targum Yonatan reads, ‘it
is caught between heaven and earth’, MEANING THAT “ALL” IS
ANOTHER NAME FOR YESOD, AND IT IS HELD BETWEEN ZEIR
ANPIN, REFERRED TO AS ‘HEAVEN’, AND MALCHUT, REFERRED
TO AS ‘EARTH’.
Upon it, YESOD, have the masters of the Mishnah stated in
Tractate Chagigah: “…on what does the world stand?” On one pillar
whose name is Righteous, MEANING YESOD, or as it is written, “but
the Righteous is an everlasting foundation,” surely it is the covenant
in the oath, DENOTING MALCHUT. Upon this pillar stands Aleph-
Chet and Dalet, which are heaven and earth, as it is written: “If My
covenant be not day and night, it would be as if I have not
established the ordinances of heaven and earth” (Yirmeyah 33:25).
Aleph-Chet point to heaven, as written, “then hear you IN heaven” (I
Melachim 8:32), WHICH REFERS TO ZEIR ANPIN, and Dalet points to
earth as the verse reads, “and the earth is my footstool” (Yeshayah
66:1), DENOTING MALCHUT.
And since the covenant, DENOTING YESOD, is held between
heaven and earth, DENOTING MALE AND FEMALE, and contains an
oath, BEING MALCHUT, where the verse reads: “as Hashem lives: lie
down until the morning,” SO AN OATH IS DEPENDENT UPON
YESOD, REFERRED TO AS ‘LIVING’. One who swears by His Name
falsely is considered like one who demolishes the construction of
heaven and earth, and restores the world to void and formlessness.
When man removes the tip, BEING YESOD, from the Dalet of echad,
BEING MALCHUT, what remains is an other (Heb. acher: Aleph Chet
Resh) namely Samael – REFERRED TO AS ‘THE OTHER’, in whose
place abides falsehood. This can be compared to building heaven
and earth on a base of falsehood. Truth prevails; falsehood can not,
as it must become void. As such he has demolished the structure
and caused the fall of heaven and earth.1
This one, WHO SWEARS FALSELY, is like the verse “He threw
earth from the heavens, the glory (Heb. tiferet) of Yisrael” (Eichah
2:1). HE ASKS: Who placed earth in heaven so that it could be cast
out from there? HE ANSWERS: It points to the Shechinah, CALLED
‘EARTH’, and Tiferet, CALLED ‘HEAVEN’ (HEB. SHAMAYIM) is with
her, as it did not part from her EVEN at her downfall. This concept is
found in the verse “Hashem is My Name and My glory, I shall give to
another” (Yeshayah 42:8). How do we know that truth, DENOTING
ZEIR ANPIN, fell with her – as it is written, “and it cast down the truth
to the ground” (Daniel 8:12). SO WE SEE THAT WHICH CAUSES THE
FALL OF MALCHUT LIKEWISE CAUSES THE FALL OF ZEIR ANPIN,
AND SO HE WHO SWEARS FALSELY CAUSES THE DOWNFALL OF
HEAVEN AND EARTH. One who swears truthfully fulfills the verse:
“Truth will spring out of the earth” (Tehilim 85:12), THE INITIALS OF
WHICH SPELL OUT EMET (‘TRUTH’), which is the middle pillar –
MEANING ZEIR ANPIN THAT IS CALLED ‘TRUTH’ upon which stands
the structure, as written, “Elohim created the” (Beresheet 1:1), THE
LAST LETTERS OF WHICH SPELL OUT EMET. Then the verse
continues, “the heaven and the earth,” SO WE SEE THAT THE
STRUCTURE OF HEAVEN AND EARTH IS BASED ON TRUTH.
As the oath is the edifice of this world, MALCHUT, it having no
continuity without Yesod, which is a matter of substance, a vow,
alluding to the world to come, BINAH, supersedes the oath and can
take effect even on matters lacking substance, AS in order to prevail,
BINAH does not require Yesod, the male organ which pertains to
marital relations. For IN THE FIRST THREE SFIROT, CHOCHMAH
DOES NOT NEED CHASSADIM WITH WHICH TO BE CLOTHED, AS
ALSO MENTIONED EARLIER. Hence, on Yom Kippur (Day of
Atonement), signifying the World to Come, BINAH, FOR which the
prayer Kol Nidre (lit. ‘all the vows’) was composed – AS THE VOW
STEMS FROM BINAH – prohibits marital relations, AS THE MATING
OF YESODOT IS NOT PRACTICED IN BINAH, AS INDICATED.
There, IN BINAH, the letter of the Covenant, Yud – MEANING
YESOD OF BINAH is the crown of the Torah scroll, namely the
righteous, DENOTING YESOD OF ZEIR ANPIN, as explained. In the
World to Come there is no eating, drinking, and no marital
intercourse, but only righteous people sitting, with their crowns on
their heads.
And since there can be no use made in this world, NAMELY
MALCHUT, with the crown – BEING THE CROWN ON THE HEAD OF
THE RIGHTEOUS, PRACTICED ONLY WITH BINAH – so the masters
of the Mishnah have announced that all who make use of the crown
shall depart FROM THIS WORLD. The crown in this world is below
YESOD AND NOT AT THE HEAD OF THE RIGHTEOUS. The vowels
are to be used by the letters. However, in the world to come, BEING
BINAH, there will be no use of the letters, WHICH INSINUATE MALE
AND FEMALE. Hence, in the Torah scroll, there are no vowels but
crowns, DRAWN FROM BINAH, AND THEY ARE THE CROWN ON
TOP OF THE LETTERS, BEING MALE AND FEMALE. So, he who
makes use of a Torah scroll will depart THIS WORLD, and also one
who makes use of one who studies Halachah, the Rabbis predicted,
will die.1
All the Yeshiva heads prostrated before him and said: Surely
the Holy One, blessed be He, speaks through your mouth, and to
Him do we bend. We realize from these words that no human being
beside yourself could utter them. These prove the verse which
testifies about you: “With him I speak mouth to mouth” (Bemidbar
12:8). Elijah must not be withheld from you, we must ask of the Holy
One, blessed be He, to lower him to you, laden with riches and
treasures for you.
The threshing flour and the winepress
We are told that the Hebrew letters of ‘winepress’ are the initials of unison, holiness and blessing – this is the Shechinah, the blessing of God. God is
always with one who is well versed in the Torah and the Halachah. Moses speaks of the two worlds, and says that for those who are clothed with the
lowly body the spirit can not see what is above it, but that one should ‘Know what is above you – a watchful eye, an attentive ear, and all your deeds
are recorded in a book.’ He who is in the body has no permission to look at the angels or the Shechinah or the Holy One, blessed be He. Due to their
sins, men are separated from God, who covers Himself with His wings. Yet in the time to come “yet your teacher shall not withdraw himself any
more, your eyes shall see your teacher.”
A Faithful Shepherd, loyal servant, in relation to you IT WAS
SAID OF the Hebrew slave “You shall furnish him liberally” (Devarim
15:14). You shall furnish him, and be liberal to his sons with these
concealed things: “out of your threshing flour” (Ibid.), the threshing
flour of your Torah, “and out of your winepress.” The verse refers to
the threshing flour and to the winepress, the same way as the
scholars of the Mishnah established, namely, to the residue of the
threshing floor and the winepress.
The winepress (Heb. yekev; Yud-Kuf-Bet) ARE THE INITIALS OF
yichud (lit. ‘unison’) kedushah (‘holiness’) and berachah (‘blessing’)
of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is the Shechinah, DENOTING
MALCHUT, being the blessing of the Holy One, blessed be He, WHEN
SHE IS THE SECRET of the right, NAMELY CHASSADIM. It is the
Holiness OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHEN SHE FINDS
HERSELF in His left, MEANING IN CHOCHMAH. She is the unison OF
THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHEN IT IS FOUND IN THE
Central COLUMN. The letters of the Holy One, blessed be He, equal
112 (Yud-Bet-Kuf) BEING also the letters Yud-Kuf-Bet. FOR THE
HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, IS ZEIR ANPIN, AND THE NUKVA IS
THE SECRET OF THE NUMEROLOGY OF ZEIR ANPIN.
The Holy One, blessed be He, is with one who is well versed
(Heb. baki, Bet-Kuf-Yud), WHICH IS SPELLED WITH YUD-KUF-BET,
in the Halachah, denoting the Shechinah. For her sake, He will never
forsake him. There is Halachah, which is a SERVING maiden of the
Halachah from the standpoint of the lad – MEANING METATRON OF
BRIYAH – and there we say that the Halachah is according to so and
so, AS IT ALLUDES TO ITS MAIDEN. But of your Halachah, Faithful
Shepherd, it is written: “The tradition attributed to Moses hails from
Sinai”; by divine command did the Holy One, blessed be He, give
you His daughter, NAMELY THE SHECHINAH.1
For this reason, concerning other Halachot, we read, “Many
daughters have done virtuously” (Mishlei 31:29), but with your
Halachah, it reads “but you excel them all” (Ibid.), as yours
overpowers them all, with might. “Hashem is with you, you mighty
man of valor” (Shoftim 6:12). The edifice of the King, DENOTING
SHECHINAH, is fixed and completed as He builds His edifice through
your mouth and hands. How fortunate is your lot.
The Faithful Shepherd commenced to say: “the angel who
redeemed me from all evil” (Beresheet 48:16), refers to the
Shechinah, of whom it is written, “the angel of the Elohim…
removed” (Shemot 14:19). He will bless you in the world to come,
WHICH IS BINAH. “…and let them grow into a multitude in the midst
of the earth…” referring to this world, NAMELY MALCHUT, so your
governance shall be in two worlds where you live. One who is from
this world, MALCHUT is called ‘living’, as it is written, “She is a Tree
of Life to those who lay hold on her” (Mishlei 3:8) – life there, IN
BINAH, and life here, IN MALCHUT.
This is not so with whoever is clothed with the Klipot of the
skin, flesh, bone and sinews of the lowly body. His spirit dies there.
Just as a corpse sees not, hears not, speaks not, and has no limb
movements, so the spirit sees not what is above it, as it is written of
them in the Torah: ‘Know what is above you – a watchful eye, an
attentive ear and all your deeds are recorded in a book’.
Numerous angels accompany him, as it is written: “For He shall
give His angels charge over you” (Tehilim 91:11), but he who is in
the body has no permission to look at them or hear their voices, as
they are fiery creatures that speak, sanctify and bless both the Holy
One, blessed be He, together with Yisrael. This is all the more so
with regards to the Shechinah that is above them, and even more so
with the Holy One, blessed be He, who is above the Shechinah, that
receives the supplications of Yisrael.
Due to sins, they were clothed with these Klipot like people who
possess the sins of their fathers, or as the sages of the Mishnah
expressed, ‘when they maintain the sins of their fathers.’ Due to
these Klipot, STEMMING FROM THE SINS, the verse says: “but your
iniquities have made a separation between you and your
Elohim” (Yeshayah 59:2). And as a result of these Klipot, the Holy
One, blessed be He, covers Himself with numerous wings, as it is
written: “with two He covers his face, and with two He covers his
feet…” (Yeshayah 6:2).1
In the time to come, THE VERSE SAYS: “yet your teacher shall
not withdraw himself (lit. ‘be winged’) any more, your eyes shall see
your teacher” (Yeshayah 30:20). When you are in this world,
MALCHUT, where you have no Klipot, skins, then you may look at
other humans, and they at you. Thus, you are called ‘living’ and your
world is the world of living. But this lowly world is the world of the
dead, as all the deities of the nations are dead except Hashem.
“He looks in at the windows”
Rabbi Shimon tells Moses that Moses can see everything with the wisdom of his heart – the inhabitants of the World to Come, angels, the Holy One,
blessed be He, and the Shechinah. A prophet can see only with his eyes, but the wise man who perceives with his heart is better. “And in the hearts
of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom”: such is not so with eyes. He says that for one who possesses a heart that sees more than a prophet,
surely his thoughts which are endless can see Him who is endless – that which could not be perceived with eyes. “He looks in at the windows”
means the windows of the eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth; with prayer, the soul ascends through these seven openings.
Rabbi Shimon said to him: Faithful servant, with your eyes you
are not able to see the inhabitants of the world to come, nor angels,
certainly not the Holy One, blessed be He, nor His Shechinah, but
with the wisdom of your heart you can see everything: the
inhabitants of the world to come, angels, the Holy One, blessed be
He, and the Shechinah. Therefore, Solomon, about whom it is
written, “For he was wiser than all men” (I Melachim 5:11), said, “for
my heart has seen much wisdom and knowledge” (Kohelet 1:16),
NAMELY, THROUGH HIS MIND’S EYES.
But when it comes to prophecy, a prophet can not see through
his mind’s eyes but with his eyes alone, as it is written, “I, Hashem,
make Myself known to him in a vision” (Bemidbar 12:6) – that is, a
sight by night or a vision by day, both by eye. The TWO eyes serve
as two agents of the heart that mediate BETWEEN THE EVIL
INCLINATION OF THE HEART AND MAN and serve it, and it is their
king. For this reason, the wise man WHO PERCEIVES WITH HIS
HEART’S EYES is better than the prophet WHO SEES WITH HIS
EYES. And similarly, the two ears are two agents of the heart.
For this reason, the sages have declared that a heart sees,
hears, understands, knows, “and in the hearts of all that are wise
hearted I have put wisdom” (Shemot 31:6). So we see that wisdom,
understanding, and knowledge are in the heart, with which heaven,
earth, and the deeps were made. Also it says, “and I have filled him
with the spirit of Elohim, in wisdom, and in understanding and in
knowledge” (Ibid. 3). Such is not so with eyes.1
Faithful servant, one who possesses such a heart that sees
more than a prophet, surely your thoughts which are endless can
see Him who is endless – that which you could not perceive with
eyes. As it is written: “and you shall see My back, but My face shall
not be seen” (Shemot 33:23).
The foolish-hearted people are dead, blind with the Klipot OF
THE BODY. With you these do not matter and do not act as an
obstruction between you and the Holy One, blessed be He, and His
Shechinah, members of the world to come, and angels. He will come
to you through the windows of the eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth, as
a king who enters a secret compartment to speak with his son. Such
is the prayer of Yisrael – ‘you may search all the inward parts of the
belly, examine the kidneys and heart, and nothing is hidden from
you’.
Thus spoke Solomon: “he looks in at the windows” (Shir
Hashirim 2:9). These are the windows of the eyes, ears, nostrils and
mouth. Through these seven openings does the soul ascend with
seven types of spice. And so does prayer rise with these seven
types of spice, which are: “Nard and saffron; calamus and
cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all
the chief spices” (Shir Hashirim 4:14). At the time the prayer so
rises, “perfumed with myrrh…” (Shir Hashirim 3:6), the Holy One,
blessed be He, asks about it: “Who is this coming out of the
wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh…?”
Assuredly, “Who (Heb. mi) is this,” indeed, from the side of mi that
represents Binah which incorporates the seven types of spice –
WHICH ARE CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, YESOD,
AND MALCHUT THAT ILLUMINATE IN THE SECRET OF
FRAGRANCE OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH.
Kriat Sh’ma is composed of the fifty gates OF BINAH, consisting
of 25 plus 25 letters, 25 FROM THE MORNING SH’MA AND 25 FROM
THE EVENING SH’MA. It is composed of the seven blessings: in the
morning, two before and one following; in the evening, two before
and two following. They are THE SEVEN SFIROT, “the greatness,
and the power (Gvurah) and the glory (Tiferet) and the victory
(Netzach) and the majesty (Hod): FOR ALL THAT IS IN HEAVEN AND
ON EARTH, (DENOTES YESOD)…Yours is the kingdom” (I Divrei
Hayamim 29:11), denoting Malchut; she consists of three spices;
“perfumed with myrrh,” denotes Keter, “frankincense” denotes
Chochmah, and the “powders of the merchant” denotes Binah.
Come and complete the precepts of your Master.
“You shall not follow a multitude to do evil”
We are told that a judge who does not render a truthful verdict is equivalent to having given dominion of the world to Samael. When a judge is about
to render judgment, Gehenom is open before him on the left, a sword (the Angel of Death) is at his neck, Samael stands behind him, the Garden of
Eden is open to the right, and the Tree of Life is open above his head. Depending on his judgment he is killed and punished, or rewarded, as
appropriate. We learn that the judgment of the kingdom is the law, the law that is in the heart, and as we have already been told, ‘the heart sees’. The
eyes of God, the Judge, are open upon man, and “he looks in at the windows.”1
“You shall not follow a multitude to do evil…to incline after a
multitude to pervert justice” (Shemot 23:2). HE EXPLAINS: A
multitude is no less than three. If the judicial court lacks three
members, you are not bound by its judicial decisions. The court
represents the Shechinah; with three are the living creatures of the
Chariot, NAMELY CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. THE
SHECHINAH IS CALLED THE ‘Law of Torah’, Truthful law, the middle
pillar, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN REFERRED TO AS ‘TRUTH’;
SHECHINAH IS HIS PROMULGATED LAW. A judge that does not
render a truthful verdict is equivalent to having given dominion of
the world to Samael. “…and it cast down the truth to the
ground…” (Daniel 8:12) REFERRING TO ZEIR ANPIN who cast the
Shechinah with him, causing Gehenom (which is the mate of
Samael) to rise with Samael. Instead of rendering true justice, he
encourages falsehood. The truthful Justice is considered the middle
pillar, while falsehood is Gehenom and Samael.
As a result, when a judge is about to render judgment, the
Gehenom lies open before him on the left, being the mate of Samael.
A sword is by his neck, which is the Angel of Death. Samael stands
behind his neck; the Garden of Eden is open to the right, and the
Tree of Life is open above his head.
If he delivers a false judgment, the Angel of Death seizes him
and slays him and later burns him in Gehenom. If he judges
truthfully, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings him into the Garden
of Eden and gives him a taste of the Tree of Life, as it is written
about him: “and take also of the Tree of Life, and eating, live for
ever” (Beresheet 3:22). “For ever,” as it is created by the Torah, of
which it is written: “She is a Tree of Life to those who lay hold on
Her” (Mishlei 3:18); a Tree of Life, Tiferet – its life is Chochmah and
Binah, the life of the king indeed.
Forever the Judgment of the kingdom is the law, the law that is
in the heart, and it is said regarding it, ‘the heart sees’. Therefore, the
Judge has only what his eyes observe. The Judge is none other than
the Holy One, blessed be He, and his eyes observe, “For the eyes of
Hashem run to and fro throughout the whole earth” (II Divrei
Hayamim 16:9). “For His eyes are upon the ways of man” (Iyov
34:21).
Through them “…He looks in at the windows…” (Shir Hashirim
2:9) MEANING through the seven openings of man, two eyes, two
ears, two nostrils and mouth. Behold the seven SFIROT of supernal
Ima. So He examines deeds with seven from the standpoint of the
lower Shechinah: the two hands and neck, WHICH ARE three, with
body and the sex organ, NAMELY TIFERET AND YESOD, are five,
and WITH two legs, seven – BEING THE SEVEN SFIROT OF THE
LOWER SHECHINAH. TWO LETTERS OF THE NAME Yud-Hei THAT
ARE IN THE FIRST THREE, FULLY SPELLED AS Yud-Vav-Dalet, Hei-
Aleph, EQUAL SEVEN LETTERS. With these seven letters He
examines the seven openings of the head. They are called openings
after the female (derived from aperture), DENOTING THE SUPERNAL
IMA whose openings are open to receive. The two letters Vav-Hei IN
THE BODY, MEANING LOWER SHECHINAH, FULLY SPELLED AS
VAV-ALEPH-VAV, HEI-ALEPH, EQUAL SEVEN LETTERS. With these
seven letters, He examines the seven lower limbs; HANDS, NECK,
AND SO ON. They compliment the body with which to perform the
precepts.1
The wife OF ZEIR ANPIN, DENOTING SHECHINAH, is like the
body – AS THE BODY OF MAN BELOW IS DRAWN FROM HER – and
after the precepts, it is called ‘limbs’, DENOTING THE TWO
HUNDRED AND FORTY-EIGHT LIMBS. After the Shechinah, it is
called ‘body’. Because from the Other Side THE BODY MEANS ONLY
the garments, such as skin and flesh, as written, “You have clothed
me with skin and flesh, and have knit me together with bones and
sinews” (Iyov 10:11). Wherever the Shechinah is not, the body OF
LOWER MAN is called but ‘the garment of man’, DENOTING ZEIR
ANPIN, alluding to Torah CALLED ‘MAN’, as it is written, “This is the
Torah: when a man dies in a tent” (Bemidbar 19:14), and, “according
to the beauty of a man; that it may remain in the house” (Yeshayah
44:13). Where there is a precept, DENOTING SHECHINAH, SO THE
BODY OF LOWER MAN is called “the body of man” – just as we find
the expression, the essentials of Halachah and sentences of laws,
WHICH ARE NAMES OF THE SHECHINAH.
The Holy One, blessed be He, is Judge – DENOTING the Central
Column, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, from the standpoint of Binah,
MEANING THE MOCHIN OF THE FIRST THREE SFIROT DRAWN
FROM BINAH – being Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei, he is REFERRED TO AS
MAGISTRATE. Judge IS CALLED SO from the aspect of Malchut. An
officer is the ruler, as it is written: “And Joseph was the
governor” (Beresheet 42:6). All the Sfirot are Judges from the
standpoint of Ima Supernal, BEING BINAH, wherein ARE THE
MOCHIN as Tiferet, THAT IS DRAWN FROM IT is the Judge,
WHEREIN ARE INCLUDED ALL SFIROT. These ARE officers from
Malchut, FROM WHICH COMES RULERSHIP, and the righteous rules
from there.
“Keep you far from a false matter”
The commandment is to treat the protagonists equally and be far from falsehood. This section explores the issue of ‘the evil man – goodness befalls
him’ and ‘the righteous – evil befalls him’. Even in the evil man there is still goodness existing somewhere; perhaps he will repent and overpower his
inclination. When evil befalls the righteous it stems from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; the Good Inclination controls him and so he is
righteous, although there is evil present in him which is under domination. The perfect righteous who has no evil inclination stems from the Tree of
Life.
“Keep you far from a false matter” (Shemot 23:7). The
commandment is to treat equally the protagonists and be far from
falsehood, so that no one will say there is favoritism IN THE
MATTER. Regarding the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written: “who
favors no person, and takes no bribe” (Devarim 10:17). The last letter
of these words equals One (Heb. echad). A judge must be like the
“One”-One Yud Hei Vav Hei, without bribe, so as to be in His image.
So in judgment, one should treat both protagonists the same,
and not bend the law to favor one over the other, but give them
similar importance, until they receive judgment. Later each is judged
according to his deeds.1
The masters of the Mishnah have established that the righteous
is judged by the Good Inclination, and the evil man by the Evil
Inclination. The intermediate man is judged by both. The one who
stems from the Tree of Life, WHICH IS DRAWN FROM ZEIR ANPIN,
has no Judgment at all, no Evil Inclination. Such is the perfect
righteous, ‘the righteous-goodness befalls him’, and goodness
means only the Torah, as it is written, “For I give you a good
doctrine, forsake not My Torah” (Mishlei 4:2). ‘The righteous- evil
befalls him’, stems from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
DENOTING MALCHUT. Why is he called righteous if he has evil,
which is the Evil Inclination, REFERRED TO AS EVIL? The answer is
that the Good Inclination controls him and so he is a righteous man
even though there is evil present which is under domination.
HE ASKS: ‘The wicked-goodness befalls him’, REFERS TO
TORAH THAT IS CALLED ‘GOOD’, AS MENTIONED. IF SO, why is he
called ‘evil’? HE ANSWERS: He is at the head of his Evil Inclination.
Goodness is under his control, like a servant serving under his
master. Even though the evil one crowns the righteous, and the
perfect righteous can punish him, “Neither is it good to punish an
innocent man (lit. ‘the righteous’)” (Mishle 17:26); because of that
goodness that still exists beneath the feet of the evil man, perhaps
he will repent and overpower his inclination, and THE EVIL
INCLINATION will become as dust beneath his feet.
From the aspect of: ‘the evil man-goodness befalls him’, the
Shechinah lies, AS THE VERSE SAYS: “and uncovered his feet, and
laid herself down” (Rut 3:7). This is in essence, “and a handmaid that
is heir to her mistress” (Mishlei 30:23). The maid is considered the
female of the Evil Inclination. The Evil Inclination is male, and so it
says, “and My glory will I not give to another” (Yeshayah 42:8), and it
says, “and the stranger that comes near shall be put to
death” (Bemidbar 1:51). FOR THE EVIL INCLINATION IS CALLED
‘ANOTHER’ AND ‘A STRANGER’.
From the aspect of: ‘the righteous-evil befalls him’, the
Shechinah here is like a crown on the head of man. The maid, the
Evil Inclination, is subjugated beneath Her mistress. From the
standpoint of the perfect righteous, there is neither a stranger, nor
an Evil Inclination here. From the aspect of the completely evil man,
he has no part with the Shechinah because man can only have a
share in the Shechinah from the Good Side.
Not all of the Shechinah is the same. The Shechinah of the Tree
of Knowledge of Good and Evil is considered a throne, SITUATED IN
THE WORLD OF BRIYAH OR ‘BODY OF MAN’. But of the Shechinah
of the Tree of Life, BEING THE WORLD OF ATZILUT, it is written:
“nor shall evil dwell with You” (Tehilim 5:4). But since it is written,
“and His kingdom rules over all” (Tehilim 103:19), one who causes a
defect in Her site, IN BRIYAH OR ‘BODY OF MAN’, is considered as
one who causes dishonor in the Matron herself, IN ATZILUT.
Dishonor of the Matron is considered of one who cheapens Her in
Her abode. Dishonor of the Matron is equivalent to disgrace of the
King, ZEIR ANPIN, AND RESULTS IN DISGRACE TO ZEIR ANPIN.1
Even more so for the one who causes Her to move from Her
position IN BRIYAH, and appoints the maid in Her stead, for
wherever he dishonors Her, the Matron does not abide, but rather
the maid, who is defected and dwells in a defected place. The defect
of man due to his sins causes defects to all his limbs to the extent
that the Matron finds no place to dwell. There is no remedy for him
until he returns Her all his limbs, MEANING HE REPENTS HIS SINS.
The Holy Luminary, RABBI SHIMON, said: Faithful Shepherd,
you therefore make ready, with this composition of 248 precepts, the
means to coronate the Holy One, blessed be He, upon all the limbs
of the Shechinah, in each and every precept, and you are not
concerned about your honor. Happy is your lot! As you coronate the
Holy One, blessed be He, over the limbs of the Shechinah – that are
the men of virtue of all Yisrael, inasmuch as the men of virtue are the
Shechinah’s limbs – so does the Holy One, blessed be He, cause His
name to dwell upon you and coronate you over the upper and lower
encampments.
The order of laws in Tractate Nezikin (cause of injuries)
Here we learn about the judgments regarding the laws of damage; the four primary causes of injury are the ox, the pit, crop destroying beast, and
fire. Lastly there is man, who is always prone to harm. Moses says that the letters of Adonai, when rearranged, form Dina, which is judgment. All
judgments are executed by that Name. Moses lists other laws which require judgment, and he talks about damage, idleness, shame and weakness.
We are reminded of the blessings that were stolen from Yisrael through heavy tax burdens, different kinds of harsh judgments, and Temple
sacrifices deprived from the Shechinah. The bull that has gored thrice has devastated everything with sin and destruction, anger and wrath. Moses
also speaks about the exile of the children of Yisrael. He tells us that there are angels that serve the body, and angels that serve the soul, and there
is a difference between them. Every lower level receives from the higher. In man there is division between body and soul, one being material and the
other mental, one being Life and the other Death. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is Life and His Shechinah is also Life.
Arise, Faithful Shepherd, to arrange the Judgments regarding
the laws of damage in the order of the name Yud Hei Vav Hei, being:
“The chariot of Elohim are twice ten thousand, thousands upon
thousands (lit. ‘shin’an’)” (Tehilim 68:18), that is, the ox, eagle, lion
and man. From the right side where there is Yud Hei Vav Hei, such is
the order of the four living creatures: man, lion, eagle, ox, MEANING
THAT OX, BEING GVURAH, IS LISTED LAST, and according to the
changes that take place in them, so is their movement and order.
The animals on the Other Side are the caves of injuries on the left,
‘shin’an (‘thousand’, also: ‘angel’)’, MEANING THE INITIALS OF OX,
EAGLE, LION, MAN. Hence it starts with ox, which is connected with
the four primary causes of injury: the ox, the pit, crop destroying
beast, and fire. Their last one is man, WHO IS ALWAYS prone to
harm.1
Arise, awaken with Judgment. The Faithful Shepherd
commenced to say: “Adonai, open my lips; and my mouth shall
rehearse Your praise” (Tehilim 51:17). Adonai, when rearranged,
spells Dina (Lit. ‘judgment’). So Mishnah masters said: The law of the
kingdom is the law, SINCE MALCHUT IS CALLED ‘ADONAI’, THE
LETTERS OF DINA (ENG. ‘LAW’). All Judgments are executed by that
Name, and are executed by the letters Dalet and Gimel. The Dalet
alludes to the Shechinah corresponding with the Gimel (=three)
patriarchs, TO WHOM SHE BECOMES THE FOURTH. GIMEL
REPRESENTS the Central Column, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN, WHO
INCORPORATES CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, which is a True
Judge, Judging from the side of Adonai – DENOTING MALCHUT
where the true judge abides. From the side of the Name of Elohim,
DENOTING BINAH, there is a magistrate as it says: “but Elohim is
the Judge” (Tehilim 75:7).
What are these Judgments? First to judge the damages by the
ox, secondly, damage of the pit, thirdly, fire damage, fourth, damage
by man. Later, the law of the four watches, namely he who watches
free of charge, he who watches for a fee, the borrower, and the
renter. These correspond to four laws: the law of division between
partners, division of lands, laws of male and female slaves, laws of a
claimant and a respondent in matters of money, theft, lost articles,
injury to fellow man and the four types of death penalty through
court.
The Holy One, blessed be He, is Master (Heb. adon) through
Adonai, AS ADON STEMS FROM DIN (LIT. ‘LAW’), to judge with
various judgments against the wicked maidservant who is heir to her
mistress, from whom stems all harm, being demons, and from whom
come the souls of the wicked as established by the masters of the
Mishnah, that the souls of the wicked cause havoc in the world.
Another El IS harmful, a thief, evil, and Another El’s mate is deadly
poison.
Damage, idleness, shame and weakness MUST BE PAID to the
Shechinah and her children, THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL. HE
EXPLAINS: Idleness means idleness from studying Torah, WHICH
THE OTHER SIDE brings upon the children; weakness, because it
causes them to be slack from the words of the Torah; damage, the
various injuries by damaging demons, anger and wrath; shame,
because they shamed the Shechinah with their idols and asked:
‘Where is your Elohim?’ So much plunder did the evil maidservant
pilfer, as it is written: “the robbery of the poor in your
house” (Yeshayah 3:14).1
So many blessings did the evil maidservant steal from the
Shechinah through heavy tax burdens, different kinds of harsh
judgments against the SHECHINAH’S children, numerous Temple
sacrifices deprived from the Matron, the shaming of the Matron, who
remained deprived of: her four golden garments sparkling from the
four rows of precious stones – MEANING CHESED, GVURAH,
TIFERET, AND MALCHUT – on the twelve gems – AS EACH OF THE
CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, AND MALCHUT, IS PART OF THREE
COLUMNS EQUALING TWELVE; the cloak with bells and ornaments;
four garments of white with which the Matron adorns Herself before
the King, as the verse says: “and I will look upon it, that I may
remember the everlasting covenant” (Beresheet 9:16), and also the
stealing from the mistress, NAMELY THE SHECHINAH, of numerous
sacrificial offerings.
The bull that has gored thrice, the husband OF THE EVIL MAID,
enters the abode of his Master, the King, with his four primary
causes of injury, namely: sin and destruction, anger and wrath, all
calculated to destroy. With his body, he crushes the vessels, altar,
menorah, table and other vessels; he lies upon them and destroys
them. With his tooth, he consumes the sacrificial offerings on the
table; the rest he tramples with his feet. With his horn, he gores the
priests and Levites, and devastates everything, “he has profaned the
kingdom and its princes” (Eichah 2:2).
The pit represents the evil wife, Lilit, in her house, namely the
prison. The evil maid seized the Matron and her children, NAMELY
THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL, put them in her exile, placed them in
twisted chains, and tied their hands to the back; “she dwells among
the nations, she finds no rest” (Eichah 1:3). Furthermore, “all that
honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness:
she herself also sighs, and turns backward” (Ibid. 8).
And in addition to this is the EVIL KLIPAH, the harlot, the
Consuming Fire, as it is written, “a fire engulfed Zion” (Ibid.). Later, a
vile man came fourth in the series of principal damages, WHICH IS
THE DAMAGE OF CROP DESTROYING ANIMAL, as it says regarding
man that he is eternally liable whether awake or asleep. “He sent in
his cattle to graze,” MEANING HIS LEGIONS, which ate, consumed,
pillaged the vineyards and orchards of Jerusalem and devastated
everything.
Master of the Universe. You are True, your Torah is truth. You
gave us the precept of Tefilin, for the perfect Righteous it serves as
reward for their deeds, an article of beauty upon their heads, and
they serve their Father and Mother WITH THIS, BEING MALE AND
FEMALE, such as the body, where all limbs serve the head. And so
the woman, DENOTING MALCHUT AND THE HAND TEFILIN, serves
her husband, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN.1
There are angels that serve the body, and angels that serve the
soul. Just as there is a distinction between body and soul, so there
is a difference between angels of the body and angels of the soul.
There is a soul over the soul and angels over the angels, as it says,
“for there is one high one who watches over him that is high; and
there are yet higher ones over them” (Kohelet 5:7). This is the soul of
a soul, COMING FROM ATZILUT, all of them one, NO DIVISION
AMONG THEM AT ALL. Even though metaphorically EVERY LOWER
LEVEL COMPARED TO A HIGHER ONE is like a body compared to
soul, it is because they receive one from another. So the Shechinah,
when compared to other lights in the world of Briyah, is like the soul
to body, but when compared to the Holy One, blessed be He, ZEIR
ANPIN, She is considered like a body. But it is all one, the body and
soul. Not so with man, where there is division between the body and
soul. One is material, the other mental; one is Life, the other Death,
but the Holy One, blessed be He, is Life and His Shechinah is Life, as
written, “She is a Tree of Life to those who lay hold on Her” (Mishlei
3:18).
Those marked with the signs of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah
We are told that God marked Yisrael so that they will be recognizable to the angels. Those who have Torah in them are marked on the right with
Chesed; those that did precepts are marked on the left with Gvurah; those who keep Tefilin, Shabbat and the Covenant are marked with the
Righteous, Yesod. The evil-doers are without any markings of purity; their punishment is poverty. Yet when that spirit blesses and sanctifies and
unifies God, then He descends to that spirit with many hosts.
All those that are marked with the signs of the Holy One,
blessed be He, and His Shechinah: with the sign of Tefilin and the
sign of circumcision during the week days, and are marked with
‘remember’ and ‘keep’ on the Shabbat, and they are marked by the
written Torah given from the right and the Oral Torah given from the
left. With the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘remember’ is from the right
and ‘keep’ from the left. Also with the Shechinah ‘remembering’ is
from the right and ‘keeping’ from the left. So also the Head Tefilin OF
MAN STEMS FROM THE RIGHT. And the Tefilin of the hand, FROM
THE LEFT. So the Shechinah is called “The Torah of Hashem is
perfect” (Tehilim 19:8), FROM ITS RIGHT SIDE, and precept FROM
ITS LEFT. This is all from the direction of the Central Column,
NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, that comprises Judgment and Mercy, BEING
‘remember’ and ‘keep’. AND FROM ITS POSITION, MALCHUT is also
called ‘remembering’ and ‘keeping’, for from the standpoint of the
precepts she is on an equal level with him.1
But from the aspect of Chesed, the Holy One, blessed be He, is
considered ‘remember’ and the Shechinah ‘keep’. The Mishnah
masters have established ‘remember’ is applicable to the male and
‘keep’ to the bride. Within the right and left, FROM THE CHEST AND
UP OF ZEIR ANPIN, the branches separate like the wing-like lung
where they separate above. Correspondingly, the living creatures OF
WHICH IT IS WRITTEN, “Thus were their faces: and their wings were
divided upwards” (Yechezkel 1:11), correspond to the open Torah
scroll. Now below, MEANING, FROM THE CHEST DOWN, IS FOUND
THE NUKVA CALLED ‘PRECEPT’, both ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT
are together in one unity like the closed chapters in the Torah scroll,
where there is no separation. SO THEY ARE BOTH EVEN, JUST AS
ZEIR ANPIN IS CALLED ‘REMEMBER’, SO ALSO SHE IS CALLED
‘REMEMBERING’ AND ‘KEEPING’, AS MENTIONED. IT IS NOT SO
ABOVE THE CHEST, RIGHT AND LEFT, WHERE MALCHUT IS
CALLED ONLY ‘KEEP’ BUT NOT ‘REMEMBER’. As a result, at the
place of unity, the body, MALCHUT, is similar to the spine-like stalk
of the Lulav: if it breaks or splits it is rejected.
In several markings did the Holy One, blessed be He, mark
Yisrael, so they will be recognizable to the angels. Those OF
YISRAEL THAT DRAW from the right, are dependent upon the Holy
One, blessed be He; those that draw from the left are dependent on
the Shechinah; those dependent on the Holy One, blessed be He,
and His Shechinah are in one unity. HE EXPLAINS: Those who have
Torah in them are marked ON THE RIGHT with Chesed; those that
did precepts are marked ON THE LEFT with Gvurah. Those who keep
Tefilin, Shabbat and the Covenant are marked with the Righteous,
NAMELY YESOD.
Those OF YISRAEL that are beasts and ignorant are marked by
the symbol of the removal of the foreskin and the splitting of the
corona, BEING TWO SIGNS OF PURITY, AND SO ARE fowl also with
two signs, the crop and the peeled stomach – the removal of the crop
and peel of the stomach being the signs permitting the fowl to be
eaten. The two signs in animals are chewing the cud and split hoofs.
All are marked with two signs, such as the foreskin and the
uncovering of the corona that are removed from the holy people.
But the students of the Torah are listed ABOVE, some in the
throne, DENOTING MALCHUT, some with the angels, the four living
creatures carrying the throne, some with stars and planets. Some
are marked with the measures, NAMELY THE SFIROT, through which
the Holy One, blessed be He, is made known. Those involved in the
Torah and the precepts for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be He,
and His Shechinah, not seeking any recompense but rather like a
son duty bound in honor of his parents, are indeed bound. And so
this is marked in the central pillar, NAMELY THE HOLY ONE,
BLESSED BE HE, and His Shechinah becoming as One. One who
has Torah without precepts, or precepts without Torah, so to speak,
is as if there is a split within him. However, when there is both,
TORAH AND THE PRECEPTS, he is comparable to a tree whose
branches spread to the right and left, but the tree itself is the
unifying factor in the center.1
The evil-doers are without any markings of purity, they have
neither head nor arm Tefilin, and are not marked by the Torah and
the precepts, or by ‘remember’ and ‘keep’, or by the blue and white
of the Tzitzit (‘the fringes’). Those lacking these markings are an
abomination to you, not pertaining to Yisrael, but to the ignorant.
Just like those LACKING CLEAN MARKINGS are abominable and
detested insects, so also these people are detestable. As the
Mishnah masters have established, the ignorant masses are
abominable, their wives detestable and of their daughters it is
written, “Cursed be he that lies with any manner of beast” (Devarim
27:21).
Their demise is a public one, demise meaning poverty. Their
punishment of poverty is not to be kept secret, like the case of fowl,
which hints at those who perform the precepts – FOR THEIR BLOOD
IS COVERED, but here it is public for the eyes of all. He EXPLAINS: A
pauper is considered like a dead man. Some poverty is hidden from
the eyes of man, and some is public knowledge such as the
sprinkling of cattle blood where the blood is shed before all. So there
are paupers whose blood is shed publicly, and they become green
as corpses.
If they repent, do not complain before heaven, and accept death
without a murmur like cattle experiencing death without a sound,
and they confess saying, ‘I am speechless to speak back, nor can I
lift my head in arrogance’. If they will confess and declare the unity
of the Holy One, blessed be He, AND ACCEPT UPON THEMSELVES
to die, pronouncing ‘one (Heb. echad)’ with the twelve checks with
the SLAUGHTERING knife of animals, PLUS the knife ITSELF NOW
THIRTEEN EQUALING, THE FIGURE echad (=thirteen).
And if he blesses and sanctifies the Holy One, blessed be He,
daily with the barchu (‘Bless Hashem’) and kedushah
(‘sanctification’). And when eating or drinking, such as when the
priest blesses, WHO IS CHESED ‘Blessed are you’ represents
blessing, ‘that sanctified us’ represents sanctification. When the
spirit blesses the Holy One, blessed be He, daily with ‘blessed’ and
sanctifies Him with the sanctification, and unifies Him with
unification, which is His Shechinah, the Holy One, blessed be He,
descends to that spirit with many hosts.
A spirit ascends and descends every night
They who offers their spirits as an offering to Hashem are happy, and every night their spirits ascend to Him. They who ascend by a precept,
meaning the precept of Tefilin, are happy. We read about the connection of deed, speech and thought, and about the seventy words in the psalm,
“May Hashem hear you in the day of trouble”. Among the masters of Torah there are two grades: morning and dawn. The morning of Abraham,1
Chesed, appears on the Day of Redemption, but the dawn precedes the Day of Redemption, being Netzach, as the Shechinah from this aspect is
called the star of dawn. The morning alludes to the right hand of Abraham, which alludes to Messiah the son of David.
THE FAITHFUL SHEPHERD SAID TO ELIJAH: Elijah, certainly
WHEN EVEN ORDINARY PEOPLE bless and sanctify and unite the
Matron, numerous hosts of the Matron ascend with him, and hosts of
the King descend to him and all with the purpose to guard him, to
make known to that spirit many novel ideas, and forecasts within the
dream of prophecy and many hidden matters. An example is Jacob,
about whom is written, “and behold the angels of Elohim ascending
and descending on it” (Beresheet 28:12). Regarding the hosts of the
King and the Matron are written: “and he called the name of that
place Machanaim (lit. ‘two camps’)” (Beresheet 32:2). However the
King and Matron THEMSELVES do not descend there, WHEREAS
WITH REGARD TO A REPENTANT, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE
HE, PERSONALLY DESCENDS TO THAT SPIRIT, AS DISCUSSED.
Elijah said: Faithful Shepherd, so it is. As a result of your efforts
in every precept to unify the Holy One, blessed be He, and His
Shechinah with all the hosts above and below, so the Holy One,
blessed be He, and His Shechinah and all Her hosts above and
below unify with your spirit, with every precept done. As a prince
whose parents love and kiss him, they do not rely on their hosts, but
choose to guard him themselves.
EXPLANATION: Your spirit stems from the central pillar,
NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, being the Vav that comprises Aba and Ima,
which are Yud-Hei. Your soul is an only daughter from the aspect of
the letter Hei, the lower Shechinah, NAMELY MALCHUT, that does
not move from you. Just as Aba and Ima guard the son, NAMELY
ZEIR ANPIN, so they guard the daughter, NAMELY MALCHUT, in the
supernal hosts, the two camps. With the supernal thought, WHICH IS
CHOCHMAH, they raise your spirit, as was stated. The thought of
Yisrael came to mind, being Yud Hei Vav Hei. When does your spirit
come up in thought? When it is complete. It is said about it: “Let
everything that has breath (lit. ‘every soul’) praise Yah” (Tehilim
150:6), and with the Nefesh too, being the Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI,
MEANING THE SOUL ASCENDS WITH THE SPIRIT.
Regarding the spirit of Hashem, it is written, “Come from the
four winds (also: ‘spirits’) O breath (also: ‘spirit’)” (Yechezkel 37:9).
WHEN COMPOSED OF THE FOUR SPIRITS, IT IS CALLED ‘THE
SPIRIT OF YUD HEI VAV HEI’; that is: “and the spirit of Hashem shall
rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of
counsel and might…” (Yeshayah 11:2). If he is perfect with the four
letters OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, the thought of him occurs, NAMELY
CHOCHMAH, and the Cause of all Causes adorns him with the
crown. Within all this glory, your spirit ascends and descends
nightly. All things are revealed to you with Chesed, of which the
verse says, “But you that did cleave of Hashem” (Devarim 4:4); you,
but not the nations of the world. Hence, “He that sacrifices to any
Elohim,” other Elohim, “save to Hashem only, he shall be utterly
destroyed” (Shemot 22:19).1
Fortunate is the Holy Nation that are called ‘sheep of the Holy
One, blessed be He’, ready to offer themselves as a sacrifice for Him,
as it is written: “But for Your sake are we killed all the day long; we
are reckoned as sheep for the slaughter” (Tehilim 44:23). They would
sacrifice themselves as sheep by fasting. Diminishing one’s own fat
and blood during a fast takes on more importance than animal
sacrifice, where the diminishing of animal fat and blood takes place,
as well as the nightly burning of the limbs and parts OF THE
SACRIFICES.
Happy are they that offer their spirits as an offering to Hashem,
and nightly their spirits ascend to Him. If it ascends with Torah and
the precepts, meaning the Ten Commandments that were given by
the Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, AS THE NUMBER OF the Ten
Commandments are from the letter Hei (=five) OF YUD HEI VAV HEI,
ADDING TO TEN. Now with the Vav OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, with six
books of Torah with the book of Beresheet, five are called the Five
Books – AS HE COUNTS TWO VERSES OF “AND IT CAME TO PASS,
WHEN THE ARK SET FORWARD…” (BEMIDBAR 10:35) AS AN
INDEPENDENT BOOK, AS TOLD BY OUR SAGES OF BLESSED
MEMORY. SO THERE ARE FIVE BOOKS, BEGINNING WITH THE
BOOK OF SHEMOT. Beresheet is considered the sixth Book. If it
occurs to thought, being Yud Hei Vav Hei OF THE FIRST THREE
SFIROT, it is written: “Yisrael occurred to mind (lit. ‘Yisrael ascended
with thought)”; to where does he ascend? To Keter, the site of the
most wondrous, concealed cause of all causes.
Happy is he who ascends by a precept, meaning the precept of
Tefilin, containing the four chapters containing the name Yud Hei
Vav Hei. Yud OF YUD HEI VAV HEI is the portion: “Sanctify to
me” (Shemot 13:2). Hei OF YUD HEI VAV HEI alludes to: “And it shall
be when Hashem shall bring you” (Ibid. 11). Vav OF YUD HEI VAV
HEI, in “Hear, O Yisrael” (Devarim 6:4); and the last Hei OF YUD HEI
VAV HEI: “And it shall come to pass, of you shall hearken” (Devarim
28:1). ALL ARE INCLUDED in thought, MEANING THE FIRST THREE
SFIROT, IN THE HEAD, to connect thought with the hand –
ALLUDING TO THE SHECHINAH, REFERRED TO AS THE HAND
TEFILIN. THE SHECHINAH IS COMPOSED OF DEED, SPEECH, THE
SIX SFIROT, AND THOUGHT. She is composed of Deed, being the
Hei, ALLUDING TO HER MALCHUT; of speech, being Her Binah;
composed of six Sfirot, BEING HER TIFERET – and composed of
thought, being Yud-Vav- Dalet, Hei-Aleph, Vav-Aleph-Vav, Hei-Aleph

Yud-Hei-Vav-Hei EQUALING fourteen letters, equaling the
numerical value of Yad (Lit. ‘Hand’) WHICH IS HER FIRST THREE
SFIROT. THE NUMBER FOURTEEN alludes to four chapters and one
compartment of HAND Tefilin, with two straps – now we have seven –
two Shin’s ON THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF THE TEFILIN
COMPARTMENT – NOW equal nine – WITH the knot of the strap –
NOW ten – with the four chapters of the hand TEFILIN – which equal
fourteen. So that is why the Shechinah is called ‘hand’, ‘the hand of
Yud Hei Vav Hei’.

About Her it is written: “Into Your hand I commit my
spirit…” (Tehilim 31:6). The spirit is deposited with Yud Hei Vav Hei,
and the Holy One, blessed be He, descends to receive it and place it
by the Shechinah. For the Holy One, blessed be He, and His
Shechinah guard it. Who brought this about? He who with every
precept lifted the Shechinah to the Holy One, blessed be He.1
The seventy words IN THE PSALM: “May Hashem hear you in
the day of trouble” (Tehilim 20:2), ALLUDE TO THE SEVENTY
SOUNDS MADE BY THE EXPECTANT MOTHER ABOUT TO GIVE
BIRTH, BEING ALSO THE SEVENTY SOUNDS GIVEN OUT BY THE
SHECHINAH FOR THE DISTRESS OF THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL
PRIOR TO REDEMPTION – CONSIDERED THEN “A DAY OF
TROUBLE.” HE ASKS: Why does She cry out? HE ANSWERS: It is
known that among Yisrael there are masters of Torah and kings from
the aspect of the star of dawn, namely the Shechinah. There are two
grades: morning and dawn, about which it is said: “at Your right
hand are pleasure for evermore (Netzach)” (Tehilim 16:11). The
morning of Abraham, Chesed, appears on the ACTUAL Day of
Redemption. But the dawn precedes the Day of Redemption, being
Netzach, as the Shechinah from this aspect is called ‘the star (or
dow) of dawn’.
Hence, “the chief musician (Heb. lamenatzeach),” WRITTEN
BEFORE, “MAY HASHEM HEAR YOU IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE,” is
spelled Netzach and Lamed-Mem, AS THE WORD LAMNATZEACH IS
SPELLED LAMED-MEM-NETZACH, SINCE THE PREVALENCE OF
DAWN IS FOREVER (HEB. NETZACH). THE NUMERICAL VALUE OF
LAMED-MEM IS SEVENTY, which are the seventy sounds that the
dow of dawn cries out for her children when the darkness of the
exile overcomes them, NAMELY the darkness (Heb. shacharut) of
dawn (Heb. shachar) taking place at the last seventy years. At that
time will be fulfilled in Yisrael: “Like a woman with child, that draws
near the time of her delivery, is in pain, and cries out in her pangs;
so have we been in Your sight, Hashem” (Yeshayah 26:17). And SO
SINCE THE SHECHINAH SUFFERS WITH US, “And therefore we
hope for You, Hashem our Elohim,” THAT YOU WILL REDEEM US.
And with them, MEANING THE SEVENTY SOUNDS OF THE
DOW, BEING THE SHECHINAH, She places Her head between Her
knees. Her head is the righteous, the Foundation of the World, and
between Her knees are Netzach and Hod; and he takes an oath BY
THE RIGHTEOUS to redeem Her children in the morning, which is a
lion, NAMELY CHESED REFERRED TO AS ‘LION’. The morning
alludes to the right hand of Abraham, DEPICTING CHESED,
ALLUDING TO Messiah, the son of David, who stems from Judah,
about whom it is written, “Judah is a lion’s whelp” (Beresheet 49:9).
For this reason, THE VERSE SAYS, “as Hashem lives: lie down until
the morning” (Rut 3:13), UNTIL THE APPEARANCE OF MESSIAH,
THE SON OF DAVID, WHO IS CALLED ‘A LION’, AND IS MORNING,
NAMELY THE LIGHT OF CHESED.
“That caused His glorious (tiferet) arm to go at the right hand of
Moses, dividing the water…” (Yeshayah 63:12) since Tiferet, the level
of Moses, is considered a body THAT INCLUDES ALL SIX SFIROT –
CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET, NETZACH, HOD, AND YESOD. Chesed
is His RIGHT arm. Moses is bound by THE NAME Ayin-Bet, Chesed,
WHICH IS the level of Abraham, AS AYIN-BET is the numerical total
of FOUR TIMES eighteen (‘living’) – three Vav’s (=eighteen) AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE THREE VERSES OF “And the angel…removed…
and it came…And Moses stretched out” (Shemot 14:19-21), BEING
THE SECRET OF THE NAME AYIN-BET, containing the three
branches of the fathers, CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, AS “AND
REMOVED” DENOTES CHESED; “AND CAME” DENOTES GVURAH,
AND “AND STRETCHED OUT” DENOTES TIFERET. THEY ARE
THREE TIMES EIGHTEEN BOUND with the Shin of Moses THAT
CONTAINS THREE BRANCHES, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE
THREE FACES, LION-OX-EAGLE. As it is said about them: “and the
four had the face of a lion, on the right side: the face of an ox on the
left side, and also had the face of an eagle” (Yechezkel 1:10); THEY
DENOTE CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET. The Mem-Hei of the
name Moses IS “As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face
of a man” (Ibid.), DENOTING MALCHUT AS “ADAM (‘MAN’)”, WHICH
EQUALS MEM-HEI, BEING THE FOURTH EIGHTEEN – THIS BEING
THE SECRET OF “AS HASHEM LIVES (HEB. CHAI=EIGHTEEN): LIE
DOWN UNTIL THE MORNING” (RUTH 3:13). THROUGH THE1
MORNING LIGHT IS COMPLETED THE FOURTH EIGHTEEN, WHICH
IS MALCHUT, AND THE NAME AYIN BET THAT ENCOMPASSES
FOUR TIMES EIGHTEEN IN THE FOUR FACES OF THE CHARIOT
INDICATED WITH THE SHIN OF MOSES AND WITH THE MEM-HEI OF
MOSES.
Two Messiahs
This section begins by telling of Messiah son of Ephraim. Later it says that the verse, “May He have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the
river to the ends of the earth,” will be fulfilled in Messiah. The flag of Messiah son of David will come, and the flag of Messiah son of Joseph will
come; the flag of Moses will be in the middle or central column. Messiah son of Joseph will consume the ministers of world nations, and Messiah
son of David will divide the spoils for the children of Yisrael. At that time, no more converts will be accepted. Yisrael is compared to the five grains,
crushed during the exile; once they are sorted from the straw, i.e. the other nations, they will assemble at the place called Jerusalem. After leaving
exile they are compared to apples and other fragrant things.
Of the left arm, DENOTING GVURAH, it is written: “the left
pushes aside, the right brings near”; even though he sped up THE
TIME FOR REDEMPTION to the month of Tishrei, as the masters of
Mishnah have posited that in Tishrei shall be the Redemption, SINCE
TISHREI IS CONSIDERED THE LEFT SIDE OF MONTHS, it will delay
THE REDEMPTION in order that the Messiah, son of Ephraim, will
not die BY THE JUDGMENTS OF THE LEFT. FOR MESSIAH, SON OF
EPHRAIM, IS THE REINCARNATION OF YARAVAM WHO HAS
ACCUSERS UPON HIM FOR SINNING AND CAUSING OTHERS TO
SIN. So it was deferred from Tishrei until the approach of the right,
namely Pesach (Passover) considered the right arm, DENOTING
CHESED. THEN WILL THEY BE REDEEMED to fulfill the verse, “As in
the days of your coming out of the land of Egypt I will show him
marvelous things” (Michah 7:15). Hence, it is stated: “they were
redeemed in Nissan, and in Nissan will they again be redeemed,” to
fulfill the prophecy, “but with everlasting faithful Love will I have
Mercy on you, says your Redeemer, Hashem” (Yeshayah 54:8).
And later, all are taking from Gvurah, whence comes Messiah,
the son of Ephraim, to avenge his enemies. So it is necessary first to
cleanse the grain, namely Yisrael, with the right. Later, it is
necessary to burn the stubble which is with the left. As it is written:
“The House of Jacob shall be fire, and the House of Joseph flame,
and the House of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and
devour them” (Ovadyah 1:18). The gathering of the grain will be with
the Central Column, where IT IS SAID, “and was
gathered” (Beresheet 25:8). Where ASSEMBLED to? To the House,
which is the Shechinah.
But of the level of Messiah, son of Joseph, it is indicated: “Now
shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licks
up the grass of the field” (Bemidbar 22:4), REFERRING TO MESSIAH,
THE SON OF JOSEPH, CALLED ‘OX’. About them it is written: “When
wicked spring like grass” (Tehilim 92:8). From Pesach until Tishrei
will be the Redemption CALLED ‘forever’; from then on will come
their destruction, as written, “that they shall be destroyed
forever” (Ibid.), until Tishrei arrives, being an ox. Then it will be
fulfilled, “as the ox licks.”1
The support of Yisrael DURING THE EXILE is with the right,
namely the lion, CHESED, but their rising, THEIR REDEMPTION, is in
the trunk of the tree, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN. Therefore, kneeling is
always with the mention of ‘blessed be’, DENOTING THE
RIGHTEOUS, MEANING YESOD, as it is written: “and, behold, your
sheaves stood round about, and bowed to my sheath” (Beresheet
37:7). This is what is written: “as Hashem lives: lie down until the
morning” (Rut 3:13). FOR IN THEIR SITUATION OF KNEELING AND
LYING, THEY REQUIRE SUPPORT OF CHASSADIM FROM YESOD.
Rising is at the mention of “name,” being the level of the Moses
above, DENOTING DA’AT. With Moses below, DENOTING TIFERET,
will all the children of Yisrael rise as the limbs of the body. When all
line up at the time of standing, with this all who straighten
themselves do so by the “name,” about which it is written: “and I
know you by name” (Shemot 33:17).
Messiah, the son of David, designated as the lion, CHESED, will
be to the right of Moses and Messiah, the son of Joseph, designated
as an Ox, GVURAH, to his left – MEANING WITHIN THE SECRET OF
THE THREE COLUMNS, where on the right stands Abraham,
DEPICTING CHESED, to the left Isaac, DEPICTING GVURAH, and
Moses himself depicted as an eagle, TIFERET, stands in the middle.
Their chain, MEANING THE THREE COLUMNS REFERRED TO AS
‘CHAIN’, stems from Jacob, MEANING THREE COLUMNS
INCORPORATED IN JACOB BEING TIFERET. This is the secret of the
Shin in the name Moses, ALLUDING TO THE THREE COLUMNS
INCORPORATED IN MOSES, BEING THE CENTRAL COLUMN.
DA’AT, THE SECRET OF ‘thrice repeat holy unto You’; MEANING
THAT EVERY COLUMN IS COMPOSED OF ALL THE THREE. From
the side of the lion, DENOTING CHESED, there are three facets of the
fathers, CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, and all THREE are called
‘lions’. The cattle, MEANING FROM THREE FACETS in the left, THE
THREE are called ‘goring oxen’. NOW THE THREE FACETS
INCLUDED in the central Column, WHICH IS MOSES AND JACOB,
are called ‘eagles’. Of them it is said: “I bore you on the wings of
eagles and brought you to Myself” (Shemot 19:4). THE RESULT IS
THAT THE THREE COLUMNS become nine, AS EACH IS COMPOSED
OF THREE. The tenth, or the fourth OF THE THREE ENCOMPASSING
COLUMNS, is Adam (‘man’) who is the Mem-Hei of the name Moses,
riding over the three living creatures, LION, OX, EAGLE – BEING
THREE BRANCHES OF THE SHIN IN THE NAME OF MOSES.
It is written regarding Yisrael: “and let them have dominion over
the fish of the sea” (Beresheet 1:26), MEANING the ministers in the
sea from the sphere of the serpent, the Minister of Egypt that will
expand with the last exile, from sea to sea. “…and over the birds of
the air…” (Ibid.) refers to the evil crowd of giant Amalekites, a
mixture of all nations in the last exile from all spheres, either Yisrael,
Ishmael or Esau. “…and over the cattle…” refers exclusively to the
children of Esau, whose dominion is over all the earth.1
The verse, “May He have dominion also from sea to sea, and
from the river to the ends of the earth” (Tehilim 72:8), will be fulfilled
in Messiah. And so with the two Messiahs, and so with the children
of Yisrael, all through the merit of the Mem-Hei in the name of Moses
(Mem-Shin-Hei), BEING THE FACE OF MAN. The flag of Messiah, the
son of David, will come, BEING of Judah, with a lion marked upon it,
and the flag of Messiah, the son of Joseph, on which is the mark of
an ox, and the flag of Shilo, BEING MOSES, AS HIS NAME
NUMERICALLY EQUALS SHILO. And so, we have the lion to the
right, ox to the left, and eagle in the middle, AS MOSES IS THE
SECRET OF THE EAGLE, NAMELY, THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT
INCORPORATES WITHIN IT RIGHT AND LEFT. The man is above all,
AS IN EACH OF THE THREE FACES A MAN IS INCLUDED, as each
OF THREE CREATURES has four faces – BEING THE SECRET of the
four tribes, each having three living creatures, LION, OX, AND
EAGLE, totaling twelve. By the FACE OF man, which is the Mem-Hei
of his name, MEANING THE VALUE OF WHAT (HEB. MAH, MEM-HEI)
WILL BE the sons of Moses; for at that time, will be fulfilled in
Moses, “and will make of you a greater nation and mightier than
they” (Bemidbar 14:12). At that time “That (Heb. mah, Mem-Hei)
which (Shin) has been, it is that which shall be” (Kohelet 1:9),
MEANING MOSES WAS THE REDEEMER IN EGYPT, AND HE WILL
BE THE FUTURE REDEEMER. “…and that which is to be has already
been…” (Kohelet 3:15) MEANING THE TWO MESSIAHS, SON OF
JOSEPH AND SON OF DAVID, AS JOSEPH AND DAVID ALREADY
EXISTED.
“…and only the Elohim can find the fleeting…” (ibid.) NAMELY
the children of Yisrael, of whom it is said: “But you my flock, the
flock of my pasture, are men” (Yechezkel 34:31). They were the
pursued before the motley crowd, evil wolves. “Benjamin is a
ravenous wolf” (Beresheet 49:27) against them, that rends them. And
then will be fulfilled: “in the morning he shall devour the prey (Heb.
ad)” (Ibid.), meaning “until (Heb. ad) Shiloh comes” (Ibid. 11),
REFERRING TO MOSES – the morning being the morning of
Abraham, DEPICTING CHESED, MEANING, IN THE MORNING, WHEN
THE GREAT CHESED BECOMES REVEALED, THEN Ad, WHO IS
MOSES, WILL BE REVEALED. “…and at night he shall divide the
spoil…” refers to the evening of Isaac, MALCHUT BUILT FROM THE
LEFT COLUMN, where both Messiahs are located – TO HER RIGHT,
MESSIAH, THE SON OF DAVID, TO HER LEFT MESSIAH, THE SON
OF JOSEPH. One will consume AND DEVASTATE the ministers of
world nations, THIS BEING THE ONE FROM THE HOUSE OF
JOSEPH, and the other will divide the spoils for the children of
Yisrael, THIS BEING THE ONE FROM THE HOUSE OF DAVID.
Yisrael, who are as a doe, are pursued by the wicked, who are
lions. This will alert Naftali, who is “a hind let loose: he gives goodly
words” (Ibid. 21). It will alert on the right the lion, Messiah, the son of
David, about whom it is written: “Judah is a lion whelp from the prey,
my son, you have gone up” (Ibid. 9), and he will go around to the
nations of the world. “…he stooped down, he crouched…” upon
them, to devour them; “who shall rouse him up,” MEANING at that
time, what deity can rouse him AND NOT PERMIT HIM to devour
them, or what nation WILL BE ABLE TO RISE TO STOP HIM FROM
EATING THEM.1
And Yisrael are like a dove pursued by the eagle, representing
the birds of the nations of the world. At that time will be aroused the
eagle OF HOLINESS. He shall spread his wings upon the mixed
multitudes, Esau, Ishmael, Amalekites, and the evil multitudes of
Yisrael, and devour them. And not one will remain, to fulfill that
which is written about Yisrael: “so Hashem alone did lead him, and
there was no strange El with him” (Devarim 32:12).
From that time on, no converts will be accepted, as the masters
of the Mishnah have expressed it: At the days of Messiah, no
converts will be accepted. The nations of the world that will remain
will see the Holy One, blessed be He, stir upon them the beasts of
man, to fulfill the words of the prophet: “For the nation and kingdom
that will not serve you shall perish” (Yeshayah 60:12), and to fulfill
with Yisrael: “and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea…”
“And the fear of you and the dread of you…” (Beresheet 9:2).
Now from the subject of grain, five types of bread that are the
most broken of them all, WITH THE THRESHING AND MELTING, are
wheat, barley, spelt, rye, and oats. Yisrael have been compared to
them, as it says: “Yisrael is holy to Hashem, the firstfruits of his
increase (Heb. tevuatoh, also: ‘grain’)” (Yirmeyah 2:3). Tevuatoh is
written with Hei (=five) TO ALLUDE TO THE FIVE TYPES OF BREAD.
When YISRAEL will exit the exile, they will be broken so that the
edible will be collected from the refuse, the straw, which is the mixed
multitude, until Yisrael will be picked and recognizable from them,
already picked from the straw and hay.
Until they are sorted, the Yud OF THE NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI,
which INDICATES THE tithe, does not rest upon the Hei OF YUD HEI
VAV HEI, which HINTS AT THE bread of the five kinds, thus fulfilling
the oath: “Because Yah has sworn by his throne” (Shemot 17:16) –
THE OATH BEING THAT THE NAME AND THE THRONE REMAIN
INCOMPLETE UNTIL THE ERADICATION OF THE SEED OF AMALEK.
Therefore, chaff and straw are not subject to tithing until it is all
sorted. After THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL are picked, they will
assemble at that place called Jerusalem. Like wheat after the
removal of chaff and straw is brought into the storehouse, so Yisrael
will gather, which are grains, to Jerusalem that is built on the
mountain of Hashem, as it is written; “Who shall ascend into the
mountain of Hashem? Or who stand in His holy place? He that has
clean hands, and a pure (Heb. bar) heart” (Tehilim 24:3-4). “…
clean…” is the corn (Heb. bar), meaning grain after it was sorted out
of the chaff. At that time, his kisses are clean (Heb. bar) as the verse
says, “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth” (Shir Hashirim
1:2). Bar is Aramaic for son meaning at that time after being
cleansed from chaff and straw (Heb. bar) His name will hover over
them and will call them, “Yisrael is My son, My firstborn” (Shemot
4:22).1
And so with the trees, no tree is so broken like the vine. In
planting, it is hammered, AS IT HAS NO STRENGTH TO STAND BUT
LAY ON THE GROUND. Its grapes are broken, crushed under feet.
And so the olive is crushed. Yisrael is compared to them in the exile,
as written: “You have brought a vine out of Egypt” (Tehilim 80:9).
And so in the fourth exile, “For the vineyard of Hashem Tzevaot is
the House of Yisrael” (Yeshayah 5:7). And likewise Yisrael is likened
to the olive, as it is written, “A green olive tree, fair with goodly
fruit” (Yirmeyah 11:16). Therefore, IT IS WRITTEN, “Your wife shall
be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your house: your children
like olive plants” (Tehilim 128:3). They here are side by side, because
YISRAEL becomes broken LIKE THEM in the exile.
After THE GRAPES AND OLIVES are cleaned from all refuse,
they become sanctified for the Temple: wine for libation upon the
altar, the olives for kindling the candle, MEANING the candles of the
lamp. Who merits this? Wine not libated in idolatry. The mixed
multitudes are like wine poured for idol worship, among them are
apostates and non-believers, that transgress the whole Torah.
About Yisrael, it is written, “but were mingled among the
nations, and learned their works” (Tehilim 106:35), and until they are
trampled under their feet in the exile, they can not be sorted out from
them. About them, David of blessed memory said. “Why should I fear
in the days of evil, when the iniquity of my persecutors (also: ‘heels’)
compasses me about?” (Tehilim 49:6). About them Solomon said
“Go your way forth by the footsteps (Heb. ikvei, lit. ‘heels’) of the
flock” (Shir Hashirim 1:8); IKVEI ARE THE SAME LETTERS as Jacob,
about him is written concerning the original serpent who seduced
Eve, “it shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his
heel” (Beresheet 3:15). After leaving exile, they are compared to
apples and all matters of fragrance, as happened when departing
Egypt, as it says “I roused you under the apple tree” (Shir Hashirim
8:5).
Concerning tithing
The precept discussed here is to offer the first fruit, then to confess by the first fruit and later to publicly announce the crop by tithing. The question
that arises is whether to tithe before or after the fruits and grains are formed. Yisrael are compared to the tree and to grain; they are called a large
powerful tree with sustenance for all within it. The Torah is sustenance on high and prayer is sustenance for those below. Even the sustenance for
angels comes only through Yisrael because of their Torah study and their following of the precepts. The Torah is compared to water and to fire, both
of which are required to ripen fruit (the sun being fire). Those who study the Torah, the Tree of Life, follow the blossoming, and so they are tithed
because Chochmah dwells in them.1
The following precept is to offer the first fruit, and then to
confess by the first fruit, later to publicly announce the crop by
tithing. The masters of the Mishnah question IN ORDER TO
UNDERSTAND concerning tithing, if tithing should take place prior
to its gleaning, MEANING FROM TIME OF ITS FORMING so TITHE
ACCORDING TO THAT YEAR or after gleaning. Like the Etrog, where
the Rabbis said: In regard to fruits of the tree, you tithe according to
the forming of the fruit; some say WITH ETROG, you follow the
ripening of the fruits, as the Etrog is similar somewhat to the tree
and somewhat to grain, namely seeds, where you tithe according to
its forming, and not like trees that follow the rule of ripening, THAT
FOLLOWS ITS FORMING GRAIN.
And because they postulated TO SAY blessing over bread, on
that which is well cooked, excluding burnt bread, but rather which
tastes good. So with grain, you follow its forming, which is
equivalent to ripe fruit. THEN IT IS TASTY.
Yisrael are compared to the tree and to grain LIKE ETROG IS TO
THE TREE as it is written: “The first of the firstfruits of your land you
shall bring to the house of Hashem your Elohim” (Shemot 23:19),
and so also, “and the first of the fleece of your sheep shall give
him” (Devarim 18:4), HINTING to the children of Yisrael, about whom
it is written, “But you My flock” (Yechezkel 34:31). And so Yisrael
ARE COMPARED TO GRAIN, AS IT IS WRITTEN “Yisrael is holy to
Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase” and so after being picked up
from exile, is the term for His tithing; THEN they are called “holy to
Hashem.”
And Yisrael are called a large powerful tree with sustenance for
all within it. Within is the Torah being sustenance on high, FROM
THE ASPECT OF ZEIR ANPIN. Within is prayer, sustenance for those
below, FROM THE ASPECT OF NUKVA. Even the sustenance for
angels comes only through Yisrael, for were it not for Yisrael
studying the Torah, sustenance would not have come from the Torah
that is compared to a tree, as is written, “She is a Tree of Life to
those who lay hold on her” (Mishlei 3:18), and also from the fruit OF
THE TORAH, namely the precepts.
And so the Torah is compared to water, and so to fire. The
waters would not descend, and the sun, being fire, would not come
to ripen the fruit of the trees, only because of Yisrael. For this
reason, it is written concerning Yisrael, “the fig puts forth her green
figs” (Shir Hashirim 2:13), referring to the doer of precepts, “and the
vines in blossom give their scent” (Ibid.), when people commence to
repent. Immediately it writes about Yisrael, “Arise, my love, my fair
one, and come away” (Ibid.), from out of exile.1
By the tree, the Tree of Life, MEANING Torah, BEING ZEIR
ANPIN, those who study it, THE TORAH, follow the blossoming,
MEANING AS THEY START STUDYING IT, and they are tithed,
because the Yud, being Chochmah, dwells upon them, AND SO
THEY ARE TITHED one out of Yud (=ten). With it is gathered from
exile the last ‘Hei’ OF YUD HEI VAV HEI BEING YISRAEL, the fruit of
the tree, WHICH IS THE TORAH. And what is the tree? This is Vav,
NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN BEING THE SECRET OF TORAH. The rest of
the nation are tithed following their being plucked from exile.
HOWEVER, Righteous men, of whom it is written, “And you shall
take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of the tree
hadar” (Vayikra 23:40), namely, glory (Heb. hadar) in the deeds
attached to AND PERFORMED BY students of Torah who perform
precepts. With this group, we follow the blossoming, as in a tree,
AND SO IT SAYS REGARDING THEM, “THE FIRST DAY” AS THEY
DO NOT NEED TO WAIT UNTIL BEING PLUCKED FROM EXILE.
And so it was established in Tractate Kidushin, Etrog’s law is
that of a vegetable. Just as a vegetable can thrive from all sources of
water, and its tithing depends on time of picking it, so the Etrog
thrives on all sources of water… AND SO ALSO YISRAEL HAS THE
SIMILARITY TO ETROG IN THAT IT ALSO THRIVES UPON ALL
SOURCES OF WATER, as from the aspect of Chochmah, water can
mean only Torah, on which YISRAEL THRIVES. In another place
before we learned that Etrog is similar to a tree in three ways,
MEANING Etrog, DEPICTING MALCHUT, is held on two sides,
CHESED AND GVURAH, CONSISTING OF TWO WAYS; ‘Etrog’
ITSELF has a shape of a heart held above and below; held above
means to imply that the Heart sees, BEING CHOCHMAH REFERRED
TO AS ‘SEEING’; it is held below, meaning with Da’at (Eng.
‘knowledge’) as expressed: ‘the heart knows’. NOW A THIRD WAY:
Da’at is a tree, THE INTERNAL ZEIR ANPIN; Torah, WHICH IS THE
BODY OF ZEIR ANPIN, is the fruit OF DA’AT, SPREADING FROM
DA’AT. The eyes are the precepts with which the heart sees.
End of Ra’aya Meheimna
“And you shall be holy men to Me”
Rabbi Yehuda says that God told Yisrael that they should be to Him “a kingdom of priests,” “a holy nation,” “a holy people,” and “holy men”. He
considers the verse, “But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?” saying that the Torah emanated from
Chochmah from the place called ‘holiness’, and that Chochmah emanated from the place called ‘Holy of Holies’. The law to do with “neither shall you
eat any meat that is torn of beasts in the field” is explored; it is prohibited for those called ‘holiness’ to eat of it. Rabbi Aba concludes by telling us
that this law is considered one of the most difficult laws of the Torah, and that all difficult matters of the Torah were given only to those fearing sin
who keep God’s commandments, not to the other nations.
“And you shall be holy men to Me” (Shemot 22:30): Rabbi
Yehuda commenced: “But where shall wisdom be found? And where
is the place of understanding?” (Iyov 28:12). Fortunate are Yisrael as
the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to honor them above all
mankind. First He said to them, “and you shall be to Me a kingdom of
priests” (Shemot 19:6). He never removed from them His great love,
so much so that He called them, “a holy nation” (Ibid.), considered a
more WORTHY STATEMENT. Love was not removed until He called
them “For you are a holy people” (Devarim 14:2). He did not remove
His love until He called them, “And you shall be holy men (lit. ‘men of
holiness’) to Me,” the most worthy statement.1
It is written, “But where shall wisdom be found?” The Torah
emanated from Chochmah from the place called ‘holiness’,
DENOTING CHOCHMAH. Chochmah emanated from the place called
‘Holy of Holies’ DENOTING KETER. Rabbi Yitzchak said: So is
Jubilee DENOTING BINAH, called ‘holiness’, as written, “For it is the
Jubilee; it shall be holy (lit. ‘holiness’) to you” (Vayikra 25:12).
Yisrael is composed of them, CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, as in the
verse; “And you shall be men of holiness to Me.”
At first, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, called them ‘holy’,
now He call them ‘holiness’. What is the difference? Rabbi Yosi said
‘HOLINESS’ is most high, IN CHOCHMAH AND BINAH AS
MENTIONED, ‘HOLY’ is not so, AS ‘HOLY’ POINTS TO MALCHUT, as
it is written, “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion,
and he that remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy” (Yeshayah
4:3). In this place, ZION AND JERUSALEM, it is called ‘holy’, with the
most High WHEN IN CHOCHMAH AND BINAH it is called ‘holiness’.
Rabbi Aba was walking and Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chiya went
along. Rabbi Chiya spoke: “And you shall be men of holiness to Me”
WAS EXPLAINED TO MEAN CHOCHMAH. Whence do we know this?
He replied: Rabbi Yosi and all the scholars already said, IT MEANS
CHOCHMAH, and it is, because it is written, “Yisrael is holiness to
Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase” (Yirmeyah 2:3), first being
Chochmah called ‘first’ as it is written: “The fear of Hashem is the
beginning of wisdom” (Tehilim 111:10).
Now that Yisrael is called ‘holiness’, which comprises every
perfection, the verse says “neither shall you eat any meat that is torn
of beasts in the field” (Shemot 22:30), as Yisrael are in a state of
perfection, they do not nurture from the aspect of harsh judgment,
TO WHICH TORN MEAT ALLUDES, “you shall cast it to the
dogs” (Ibid.): surely to the dog, which symbolizes insolent judgment
to all, so since the harsh judgment dwells upon THE TORN MEAT
and inserted foulness within, it is prohibited for those called
‘holiness’ TO EAT OF IT. THIS IS THE ESSENCE OF THE VERSE,
“AND YOU SHALL BE MEN OF HOLINESS TO ME: NEITHER SHALL
YOU EAT ANY MEAT THAT IS TORN OF BEASTS IN THE FIELD,” SO
WE SEE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE PROHIBITION OF TORN
MEAT AND PEOPLE OF HOLINESS. But “you shall cast it to the
dogs” where insolent judgment and harsh judgment apply as the
verse says “the dogs are greedy” (Yeshayah 56:11).
Come and see, when the Torah mentions ‘a thing that dies of
itself’, it refers to Yisrael as holy, not holiness. It says here “And you
shall be men of holiness to me: neither shall you eat any meat that is
torn of beasts in the field.” There, with regard to a thing that dies of
itself, it writes “You shall not eat of any thing that dies of itself: you
shall give it to the stranger who is in your gates…for you are a holy
people” (Devarim 14:20) – ‘holy’ and not ‘holiness’. A thing that dies
of itself is caused by one of Yisrael, IT BECAME SO FROM AN
IMPROPER SLAUGHTER BY ONE OF YISRAEL, SO THAT it became
forbidden to be eaten because of Yisrael. SO THE LAW IS NOT SO
STRINGENT; HOWEVER WITH THE TORN MEAT THAT IS
REJECTABLE DUE TO BEING RIPPED BY WILD BEASTS, THE LAW
IS MORE STRINGENT, SO DISTANCE FROM TORN MEAT IS CALLED
‘HOLINESS’, FROM ANY THING THAT DIES OF ITSELF IS CALLED
‘HOLY’. There are other shades of meaning in relation to a thing that
dies of itself, as we explained.1
Rabbi Shimon said: It is written here, “And you shall be men of
holiness to Me.” It is written there, “for you are a holy people to
Hashem your Elohim.” HE ASKS: Why does it write; “to Hashem
your Elohim” instead of “to Me.” HE ANSWERS, the verse here
speaks about the ultimate high, NAMELY OF CHOCHMAH AND
BINAH, while there, it refers to the Shechinah NAMELY MALCHUT
SO IT WRITES “TO HASHEM YOUR ELOHIM” AS MALCHUT IS
REFERRED TO AS ELOHIM. It is written, “And it shall come to pass,
that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem shall be
called holy,” rather than ‘holiness’, because here IN MALCHUT ALSO
CALLED ZION AND JERUSALEM is considered ‘holy’, while above IN
CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, we say ‘holiness’. It is also written,
“Yisrael is holiness to Hashem, the firstfruits of his increase (Heb.
tevuatoh)” (Yirmeyah 2:3), the word ‘tevuatoh’ written with an EXTRA
Hei, HINTING ABOUT BINAH BEING THE FIRST ‘HEI’ OF YUD-HEI-
VAV-HEI, AND FIRST ALLUDES TO CHOCHMAH, AS WE
ESTABLISHED, therefore “And you shall be men of holiness to me.”
Rabbi Yitzchak was sitting before Rabbi Shimon. He said to him,
it is written, “Yisrael is holiness to Hashem,” and the end of the
verse reads, “all that devour him shall be held guilty.” What does it
mean? Rabbi Shimon replied, it speaks well when it says: “all that
devour him shall be held guilty”, as there is a verse, “And if a man
eat of the holy thing (lit. ‘holiness’) unwittingly…” (Vayikra 22:14) and
there is a verse, “No stranger shall eat of the holy thing (lit.
‘holiness’)” (Ibid. 10). Since Yisrael are called holiness, it follows that
“all that devour him shall be held guilty.” Rabbi Yitzchak kissed his
hand, said, if I came only to hear this, it is worth it.
RABBI YITZCHAK said to him, Rabbi, we learned that ‘holiness’
is considered higher than ‘holy’. If so, there is a verse, “Holy, holy,
holy is Hashem Tzevaot” (Yeshayah 6:3), which expresses
perfection, AND YET IT IS WRITTEN ‘HOLY’. He said to him, come
and see, when you enjoin THREE ‘HOLY’ together, it becomes one
house, and this house is called ‘holiness’, being the sum total of the
three ‘holy’, THUS BECOMING TOTAL PERFECTION. As a result,
‘holiness’ is a generalization that includes all; when Yisrael
incorporates within the total Faith, they are called ‘holiness’, which
is the sum of all, as it is written: “Yisrael is holiness to Hashem.”
Hence it is written, “And you shall be men of holiness to Me.”
A legionnaire, NAMELY A GENERAL, asked Rabbi Aba: Is it not
written, “neither shall you eat any meat that is torn (Heb. trefah) of
beasts in the field”? yet there is a verse, “He has given food (Heb.
teref) to those that fear Him” (Tehilim 111:5). Teref should go to
dogs, why does it say “to those that fear Him”? He replied, fool, does
it write “He has given trefah to those that fear Him?” “Teref” is
written MEANING SUSTENANCE. And even if you say Teref is the
same as Trefah, assuredly He gave it “to those that fear Him.” THE
MEANING CONVEYED IS THEY SHOULD BE CAREFUL OF IT AND
NOT EAT IT, AND WHAT IT MENTIONS means that none can be
careful in this, save those who hold His name in awe, who fear Him;
and that is why this law was not given to you, as He knows that you
do not revere Him nor keep His commandments. This law is
considered one of the difficult laws of the Torah, and requires care,
He gave it to those that fear Him and not to others. And all difficult
matters of the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave to those
fearing sin, these that are careful TO KEEP His commandments, not
to you.1
“And you shall be men of holiness to Me”
Rabbi Elazar teaches that since Yisrael are called ‘holiness’ and because they are ‘holiness’, no one must call his neighbor a shameful name, nor
should he make up a name for him, because there is a great penalty for it. As a result of bad talk, illnesses come into the world. Rabbi Aba says that
Yisrael are fortunate, because God did not call them just ‘like holiness’, but actual ‘holiness’.
Rabbi Elazar taught, it is written, “And you shall be men of
holiness to Me.” Why write “men” and then “holiness,” IT WOULD
SUFFICE TO SAY ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY TO ME? HE ANSWERS:
good reason to write “men of holiness,” we learned, Yisrael had won
freedom only as a result of Jubilee DENOTING BINAH; after gaining
freedom, Jubilee accepted them under its wings and they are thus
called its people, its children, and about Jubilee, it is written, “For it
is the Jubilee; it shall be holy (lit. ‘holiness’) to you” (Vayikra 25:12).
Hence it says “And you shall be men of holiness to Me,” its men in
deed.
And the Holy One, blessed be He, said this, “AND YOU SHALL
MEN OF HOLINESS TO ME.” And so Yisrael merited to be called
brothers of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: “For my
brethren and companions’ sakes” (Tehilim 122:8), AS YISRAEL ARE
SONS TO JUBILEE, BEING BINAH, AND ZEIR ANPIN IS SON OF
BINAH, THE RESULT BEING THAT THEY ARE ALSO BROTHERS TO
ZEIR ANPIN. Then they get called ‘holiness’ literally, as it says,
“Yisrael are holiness to Hashem, the firstfruits of His increase.” Here
it is written holiness, not ‘men of holiness’, and therefore “all that
devour him shall be held guilty,” and, “No stranger shall eat of the
holiness” “And if a man eat of the holiness unwittingly…”
So we learned, Yisrael are called ‘holiness’, and because they
are ‘holiness’, no one must call his neighbor a shameful name, and
not make up a name for him, as there is a great penalty, all the more
so in other matters. We learned, “Keep your tongue from
evil” (Tehilim 34:14). What is meant by evil? As a result of bad talk,
illnesses come to the world.
Rabbi Yosi said, one who calls another with a name that is not
proper and shames him, he is brought TO JUDGMENT for something
he did not do, as Rabbi Chiya said in the name of Rabbi Chizkiyah:
One who calls his neighbor a villain, is lowered to Gehenom, and he
is slapped on his cheek, the exception being those acting insolently
to the Torah, whom one may call villains.1
A man cursed his neighbor, and Rabbi Yesa passed by and said
to him: “you acted like a villain.” The person came before Rabbi
Yehuda with a complaint. He said to him, I did not say to him, that he
is a villain, but acts like a villain exhibiting cruel behavior, but I did
not call him a villain. Rabbi Judah came and asked about this case of
Rabbi Elazar. He told him: Surely he is not liable, and the proof, there
is a verse, “Hashem was like an enemy” (Eichah 2:5), but not an
actual enemy. Were it now so, nothing would have remained of the
race of Yisrael in the world. Similarly, “like a widow” (Eichah 1:1),
not actual widow, but like a widow whose husband went overseas
and she awaits him, AND BEING ALONE WITHOUT A HUSBAND SHE
IS LIKENED TO A WIDOW.
Rabbi Chiya said, is the proof from here? IS IT NOT from there
which is the principal, MEANING THE PROHIBITION OF IMAGE, as it
is written: “and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as
the appearance of a man” (Yechezkel 1:26), again, it writes “like the
appearance of man,” not “the appearance of man,” EVIDENTLY ‘LIKE
THE APPEARANCE’ IS NOT SIMILAR TO ‘THE APPEARANCE’. Rabbi
Yitzchak said: it is written, “Like the apple among the trees of the
wood” (Shir Hashirim 2:3), meaning, “like the apple,” but not ‘the
apple’, to be understood, like the apple is recognizable by its colors,
and unified through its colors, AS THE UNITY OF THE HOLY ONE,
BLESSED BE HE, IS THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS BEING
THE SECRET OF WHITE, RED, AND GREEN AS EXISTING WITH THE
APPLE, TO BE UNDERSTOOD AS CHESED, JUDGMENT, MERCY.
Rabbi Yehuda said, if I came only to hear this, it was worth it.
We learned, it is written: “and he that stumbles among them at
that day shall be like David” (Zecharyah 12:8), MEANING like David
but not David, for he says, “Now, behold, in my trouble I have
prepared for the house of Hashem” (I Divrei Hayamim 22:14), and it
is written, “for I am poor and needy” (Tehilim 86:1). And he was at
the time a king over kings, and yet referred to himself so. Rabbi Aba
said, fortunate are Yisrael, that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not
call them “like holiness” but actually “holiness,” as it is written:
“Yisrael is holiness to Hashem,” the end of the verse reads, “all that
devour him shall be held guilty,” LIKE A STRANGER EATING OF
THE HOLINESS.
“Execute judgment in the morning”
We learn that the laws were instituted after the ten commandments because the earth can survive only with law; consequently the world was created
with law, and so it survives. Rabbi Aba talks about “execute judgment in the morning,” saying that it means to judge before the judge has a chance
to eat or drink, so he will render a truthful verdict. Rabbi Yehuda says that the institutions of the King are those mentioned in “who exercise faithful
love, justice, and righteousness, in the earth.”
We learned, Rabbi Yosi said, why did the Holy One, blessed be
He, see fit to place the chapters of laws, MEANING THE PORTION OF
JUDGMENTS, after the ten commandments? HE ANSWERS: we have
learned that from the aspect of Gvurah Torah was given to Yisrael.
As a result, it is important to establish harmony among them,
THROUGH LOWER AND JUDGMENT, in order that the Torah be the
guardian from all sides. Rabbi Aba said on behalf of Rabbi Yitzchak,
the earth can survive only with law; without law, the world cannot
survive, so consequently the world was created with law and so it
survives.1
Rabbi Aba taught, it is written, “Execute judgment in the
morning” (Yirmeyah 21:12). HE ASKS: Why only in the morning and
not all day? HE ANSWERS: “Morning” MEANS, to judge before the
judges has a chance to eat or drink, for we know that one who judge
after consuming food or drink does not render a truthful verdict, as it
is written, “You shall not eat anything with the blood” (Vayikra
19:26). What is meant “with the blood”? It is a warning to judges that
they not eat before judging, for one who judges a case after food and
drink is considered causing the loss of blood of the individual and
giving it to another, as he is literally transferring blood to another,
THROUGH THE MEANS OF FALSE JUDGMENT. If this holds true in
monetary matters, then how much more so in capital matters.
Judges must be careful to judge only before food or drink is
consumed. So that is why it is written: “Execute judgment in the
morning” and it writes “that I am Hashem who exercise faithful love,
justice, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight,
says Hashem” (Yirmeyah 9:23).
Rabbi Yehuda said, He who falsifies judgment, is false to the
institutions of the King. What are the institutions of the King? They
are those of which we learned, “who exercise faithful love, justice,
and righteousness, in the earth” and further “for in these things I
delight, says Hashem.” And all these, FAITHFUL LOVE, JUSTICE,
AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, are intertwined. Rabbi Yosi said, these are
the institutions of the throne, DENOTING MALCHUT, as it is written,
“Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of Your
throne” (Tehilim 89:15), and, “And in mercy a throne was
established” (Yeshayah 16:5).
The assembly discussing the tabernacle
Here follows a long metaphorical exposition of the features of the head and body of the King, Zeir Anpin: hairs, forehead, eyes, eyebrows, nose,
ears, face, lips, the mouth, the palate, the body, the legs and the kidneys – linking them all to the various aspects and combinations of the Sfirot. The
text turns to the issue of judgment, telling us that when judgments are not rendered below then the same occurs above; all arrangements do not
work properly. Then the mighty serpent controls, and the righteous cannot draw from the Nukva because she is not blessed. Rabbi Aba recalls that
Rabbi Shimon told him that the river flowing out of Eden is Binah, and that it came out to water the Garden, Malchut, to nurture it.
Here begins the discussion of the tabernacle
We learned in the utmost secret, that the head of the King is
arranged with Chesed and Gvurah. From that head OF ZEIR ANPIN
hairs come down, hairs upon hairs, which are all flows, through
which the supernal and lower GRADES are united. THIS MEANS,
THAT THROUGH THEM, EACH LOWER GRADE RISES TO THE
UPPER, AND THEY BECOME ONE. FROM FEW OF THE HAIRS ARE
DRAWN men of power, men of truth, men of weight, who sigh, who
weep, who judge, who are compassionate, who possess secrets of
the Torah about kinds of purity and impurities. They are all called the
King’s hairs, that is, those which are drawn from the holy King. And
everything descends from the most ancient concealed one, WHICH
IS ARICH ANPIN.1
The forehead of the King, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, brings to
mind the remembrance of the wicked. When their deeds are
remembered and their sins exposed, this is called ‘Forehead of the
king’ meaning that Gvurah becomes reinforced in its judgments and
extends itself. This change comes from the forehead of Atika
Kadisha called will.
The eyes of the King MEANS the overall supervision,
supervision over the upper and lower. All these supervisors OF THE
KING are called so, EYES. With the eyes the colors are unified,
MEANING WHITE, RED, GREEN. By these colors are named all the
supervisors of the King, each in his own way, all called colors of the
eye. As appears the supervision of the King, so are the colors
stirred. IF THE SUPERVISION IS OF CHESED, THEN IT IS WHITE; IF
OF JUDGMENT, IT IS RED; IF OF MERCY, IT IS GREEN.
The eyebrows is the name of the place that the supervisor gives
to all colors of the lower supervisors. These eyebrows in relation
downwards, MEANING CORRESPONDING TO THE EYES, ARE
eyebrows to look AND MOVE ON from that river that flows, NAMELY
BINAH. This is the place to draw from that river so as to bathe in the
whiteness of Atika, MEANING THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, from the
milk flowing from Ima. HE EXPLAINS, when Gvurah, BEING THE
LEFT COLUMN, extends itself; and the eyes, BEING THE SECRET OF
CHOCHMAH, become inflamed with the color of red FROM THE
ABUNDANCE OF JUDGMENT, BEING CHOCHMAH MINUS
CHASSADIM, then Atika Kadisha, BEING KETER, shines upon its
white BEING THE LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, kindles Ima, MEANING
ABA AND IMA SUPERNAL, and she is filled with milk, DENOTING
LIGHT OF CHASSADIM THAT SHE RECEIVED FROM KETER and she
nurtures these EYES, THAT wash themselves with the milk of
SUPERNAL Ima that flows constantly. CHOCHMAH THAT IS THE
EYES ADORNS ITSELF WITH THOSE CHASSADIM. This is the
essence of the verse, “washed with milk” (Shir Hashirim 5:12),
MEANING, “HIS EYES ARE LIKE DOVES BY THE WATER COURSES,
WASHED with milk” of Ima that flows constantly without stop, AS
THE MERGER OF ABA AND IMA SUPERNAL IS AN
UNINTERRUPTED UNITY AS EXPRESSED IN THE ADJACENT
PARAGRAPH.
The nose of the Holy King, DENOTING ZEIR ANPIN, is the
arrangement of the face. When Gvurot expand and unite, they are the
nose of the Holy King. These Gvurot with one act of Gvurah join
together and come out. When judgments are stirred and EACH steps
from their side, they are scented only by the smoke of the altar. Then
we find written: “And Hashem smelled the sweet savor” (Beresheet
8:21). The nose of Atika, BEING ARICH ANPIN, is different, however,
since it does not need THE SMOKE OF THE ALTAR and it is
considered wholly ‘long suffering (lit. ‘long nosed’), and the light of
concealed Chochmah is called its nose (Heb. Heb.chotem); this is
the meaning of the word ‘praise’, as it is written, “and for my praise
will I refrain (Heb. echetom) for you” (Yeshayah 48:9). Regarding this
David commented in “A praise of David…” (Tehilim 145:1).1
The ears of the King exist with the presence of goodwill, Ima
nurtures ZEIR ANPIN WITH LIGHT OF CHASSADIM, and the light of
Atika Kadisha shines; the illumination of two hemispheres of the
brain is roused, and the light of Aba and Ima and all those known as
the hemispheres of the brains of the King, and they enflame
together. And when they enflame together, they are called the ears of
Hashem. Then the prayers of Yisrael are received, and
consciousness then enlists for good or bad, and with this stirring
are awakened the winged ones that receive the voices of the earth;
all are called ears of Hashem.
The face of the King, BEING ZEIR ANPIN, is the light of Aba and
Ima and their extension, IN THE ORDER OF THE THREE DOTS-
CHOLAM- SHURUK-CHIRIK-that give light IN THE CHOLAM, go
around THE SHURUK and glow IN THE CHIRIK, in the head of the
King. Then flows from them the testimony, MEANING THE
ILLUMINATIONS OF CHOCHMAH, testifying for the King, NAMELY
ZEIR ANPIN. The image of the King is the most cherished. Within the
head, dwells supernal Chesed and Gvurah. The light of Aba and Ima
divides itself thus: The light of Aba in three lights, THE LIGHT OF
Ima in two lights, total of five LIGHTS. Chesed and Gvurah included
in one light, now total six. Later Chesed adorns itself and kindles in
two lights, now total eight; Gvurah kindles one LIGHT, now nine
LIGHTS. When all lights join, they are called the image of the King.
Then the verse writes, “Hashem shall go forth as a mighty man, He
shall stir up ardor like a man of war” (Yeshayah 42:13), AS THE
ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH IS DRAWN ONLY THROUGH
GVURAH.
The lips of the King: We learned that when the light of Aba,
NAMELY ABA AND IMA SUPERNAL, sheds light, it does so with
three lights; from one light, CHOCHMAH, kindles supernal Chesed;
from one light, BINAH, a light shines called the brain of the King.
One light, DA’AT remains suspended until the light of Ima ignites,
YISRAEL SABA AND TEVUNAH. When the light RETURNS, it shines
with five lights.
HE ASKS: From what does IMA give light? HE ANSWERS: From
one concealed path that Aba clings to, as the verse writes, “There is
a path which no bird of prey knows” (Iyov 28:7), as the male clings to
female. And she conceives and gives forth five lights. From these
five lights are engraved fifty gates of manifold lights BEING KETER,
CHOCHMAH, BINAH, TIFERET, AND MALCHUT WITH EACH
COMPOSED OF TEN SFIROT. They are fifty, facing them are 49 pure
aspects and 49 impure aspects of the Torah. There remains one NOT
IN THIS COUNT, NAMELY THE FIFTIETH GATE. The one sheds lights
to all, BEING THE SECRET OF THE PATH OF ABA ABOUT WHOM IT
IS WRITTEN: “A PATH WHICH NO BIRD OF PREY KNOWS,”
MEANING MOSES REFERRED TO AS ‘BIRD OF PREY’, AS HE TOO
WAS NOT GIVEN THE FIFTIETH GATE. THE LIGHT OF Aba remains
suspended. When ABA AND IMA join and become clothed with the
King, ZEIR ANPIN, they are called lips of the King, AS ABA IS
CLOTHED WITH A SUPERNAL LIP AND IMA WITH THE LOWER LIP,
and as a result, He decrees truthfully.1
The mouth OF ZEIR ANPIN; THE LIPS allow for a mouth
opening. HE ASKS: what is the mouth? HE ANSWERS: Da’at is
concealed in the mouth of the King, called Tiferet, NAMELY ZEIR
ANPIN AS DA’AT IS the extension of Tiferet, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN,
BEING THE SECRET OF ZEIR ANPIN THAT ASCENDED AND
BECAME THE CENTRAL COLUMN TO LINK ABA AND IMA WITH
EACH OTHER. All treasures and colors are united within, IN DA’AT
BEING THE CENTRAL COLUMN, as it is written, “and by knowledge
(Da’at) are the chambers filled” (Mishlei 24:4). This Da’at is
concealed in the mouth of the King and fills all the chambers and
porches, MEANING IT EXPANDS IN CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET,
NETZACH, HOD AND YESOD, OF ZEIR ANPIN AS CHESED, GVURAH
AND TIFERET ARE CALLED CHAMBERS AND NETZACH HOD
YESOD THE PORCHES. When the light of Da’at is stirred and
emerges, it is then referred to as ‘the mouth of Hashem’ and the lips,
being the two lights of Aba and Ima, when they meet the light of
Da’at, they join BY IT together, and the matter is pronounced in truth,
through Chochmah, Tevunah, and Da’at. Then all words of the Holy
One, blessed be He, are pronounced WITH CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND
DA’AT.
These three, CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA’AT, shed light and enter
in the most inner areas, MEANING THE HEAD OF ZEIR ANPIN WITH
THE ASPECT OF IMA AND FROM THERE THEY EXPAND and adorn
with the one, MEANING THE BODY OF ZEIR ANPIN, AS A RESULT
OF THE REASONING GIVEN ABOVE; SINCE THE THREE OF IMA
ARE DERIVED FROM ONE, FROM TIFERET THAT ASCENDED
THERE WITH THE ASPECT OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, SO ONE,
BEING TIFERET EXISTS IN THREE. When CHOCHMAH, BINAH,
DA’AT joins in one crown, then THE CROWN is called “His mouth is
most sweet” (Shir Hashirim 5:16). They are the palate of the King
FOUND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BODY and called the sweetness
of the King, and so it writes; “O taste and see that Hashem is
good” (Tehilim 34:9), SINCE THE SENSE OF TASTE IS IN THE
PALATE. And to this palate are linked all the appointees and officials
of the King, as it is written, “and all the hosts of them by the breath
of His mouth” (Tehilim 33:6).
Within the palate, all perfection is present, so the perfection of
all letters found in this place, is discernible. FOUR LETTERS Aleph,
Chet, Hei, Ayin ARE ARTICULATED IN THE THROAT. THEIR SECRET
IS AS FOLLOWS: Aleph is the light of the most concealed Atika
Kadisha, NAMELY KETER. Chet is light of Chochmah, not found nor
grasped, as it is written, “Man cannot know its price” (Iyov 28:13).
Hei is the light of Ima, that sheds light, comes out, waters
everything, nurtures the children, NAMELY MALE AND FEMALE,
until the HOLY anointing comes and fills the Righteous, BEING
YESOD, then joins the lower Nukva, BEING MALCHUT, that is
blessed from it, and they do not separate from each other. THE
BOUNTY OF IMA IS white from within the red, MEANING THAT THE
LEFT CALLED RED IS INCORPORATED IN THE RIGHT CALLED
WHITE, as it is written: “the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of
frankincense” (Shir Hashirim 4:6). THIS VERSE REFERS TO IMA
WHERE MYRRH SPICE IS RED AND FRANKINCENSE IS WHITE. Ayin
refers to the light of seventy ‘faces’, nourished from the breath
departing from the mouth, they are the seventy names of the Holy
One, blessed be He, ZEIR ANPIN, corresponding on earth to, “all the
souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were
seventy” (Beresheet 46:27). Jacob is the tree on earth,
CORRESPONDING TO ZEIR ANPIN; his seventy souls are the
seventy branches OF THE TREE.1
From these FOUR letters, ALEPH-CHET-HEI-AYIN, FOUR other
LETTERS SHINE, GIME-YUD-CAF-KUF THAT EMANATE FROM THE
PALATE. From the Aleph OF THE ALEPH-CHET-HEI-AYIN GROUP-
Gimel shines OF THE GIMEL-YUD-CAF-KUF GROUP being good
reward (Heb. gemul) to the Righteous, called ‘Gemul’ NAMELY
GIMEL; about this is written “Then shall you delight yourself in
Hashem” (Yeshayah 58:14). From Chet OF THE ALEPH-CHET-HEI-
AYIN GROUP, Yud shines OF THE GIMEL-YUD-CAF-KUF GROUP,
which is Chochmah, that becomes entirely enclosed within the Yud,
as it is closed on all sides, CONTAINING NO WHITE, so CHOCHMAH
is not to be found, as the verse writes, “nor is it found in the land of
the living” (Iyov 28:13), AS EXPLAINED. From Hei OF THE CHET-HEI-
AYIN GROUP Caf shines OF GIMEL-YUD-CAF-KUF being the light
and anointing oil poured from Ima to that place called ‘horn’ and
called “ram’s (Jubilee’s) horn” AS ‘HORN’ ALLUDES TO MALCHUT
AND JUBILEE TO BINAH. AND WHEN MALCHUT RECEIVES
BOUNTY FROM BINAH, SHE IS NAMED RAM’S HORN. This is a
Kingdom of David. Hence, so anointing of kings needs to be with the
secret of Caf.
The Kuf OF GIMEL-YUD-CAF-KUF shines from the Ayin OF THE
ALEPH-CHET-HEI-AYIN GROUP. Just as Ayin is seventy,
CONTAINING THE SEVEN SFIROT OF CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET,
NETZACH, HOD, YESOD AND MALCHUT WHERE EACH POSSESSES
TEN SFIROT, so the Kuf is one Hundred, AS IT POSSESSES ALSO
THE THREE FIRST SFIROT CHOCHMAH, BINAH, DA’AT, the
completion OF THE TEN SFIROT. It is so because the palate has the
total perfection. Whoever is familiar with this secret and is mindful of
it, happy is his portion.
The body of the King is the extension of THE SFIRAH OF Tiferet
wherein the colors WHITE AND RED are linked, BEING TWO
COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT, THE BODY BEING THE CENTRAL
COLUMN THAT UNIFIES THEM. The arms of the King are the lights
of Chesed and Gvurah; they are therefore THE TWO COLUMNS Right
and Left, WITH THE BODY AS THE CENTRAL COLUMN THAT
UNITES THEM. The intestines, MEANING THE INTERIOR are
arranged with Da’at that enters through the head AND SETS IN
BETWEEN THE TWO COLUMNS CHOCHMAH AND BINAH, and
extends to the interior within the body, DENOTING TIFERET.
The legs join with two lights, literally two lights, MEANING
NETZACH AND HOD. The legs and two kidneys join in one place, AS
THE TWO KIDNEYS ARE ALSO NETZACH AND HOD. There gather
the anointment and all oil of the body, and from there, FROM
NETZACH AND HOD flows all HOLY anointing oil to a place called
the foundation of the world, MEANING Yesod, from that place called
‘world’. What is this? It is Netzach and Hod and so, Hashem Tzevaot
is His name, AS NETZACH AND HOD are CALLED TZEVAOT,
Blessed be He and His name to all eternity.
All these arrangements join in the one, MEANING NUKVA, until
Yesod receives all the holy anointing oil and pours it to Nukva,
NAMELY MALCHUT, which is blessed from it. When is she blessed
from it? When judgments are arranged below; and when judgments
are rendered below, they are arranged above. All adornments of the
King, which are the Holy Name, are with joy and perfection. Then He
dwells in their midst, as it is written, “Elohim stands in the
Congregation of El; He judges among the judges” (Tehilim 82:1).
THEREFORE JUDGMENTS ARE COMPARED TO FIRE. JUST AS FIRE
IN A PROPER VESSEL GIVES FORTH LIGHT AND COOKS, BUT
WHEN IMPROPERLY USED, CONSUMES AND DESTROYS, SO IT IS
WITH JUDGMENTS.1
When judgments are not rendered below, so to speak, the same
occurs above, that all arrangements are not working properly,
ACCORDING TO THE MANNER WE DESCRIBED EARLIER. Ima then
deserts the children, THEY BEING MALE AND FEMALE; the children
do not suckle, Yesod does not pour into the Nukva, WHICH IS
MALCHUT, judgments are stirred up, and the mighty serpent
controls; the adornments of the King are removed due to the
Judgment. Since the Nukva is not blessed, the righteous, BEING
YESOD, does not receive FOR OF HER, the mighty serpent has
power. Woe to the world that is nurtured from them.
Rabbi Elazar said, my father revealed all these arrangements, so
he will not enter the World to Come in shame. But why is it
necessary now to reveal? Rabbi Aba replied: This is what I wrote
from the Holy LUMINARY, I said it is for the friends as they know
AND UNDERSTAND these matters. It is important to know them as it
is written, “that you may know that I am Hashem” (Shemot 10:2),
and, “And they shall know that I am Hashem” (Shemot 29:46). Thus
we understand the things said. From this point on, the matters are
treasured among us. Fortunate is our lot in this world and the world
to come. Until this point, the Holy Luminary was adorned with this
matter among us.
Come and behold. When I had seen him in a dream, I asked
Rabbi Shimon: Master, I learned that Yud OF THE NAME YUD HEI
VAV HEI represents Chochmah. And this is assuredly so. Hei OF
YUD HEI VAV HEI, why is it Binah? He told me: Come and behold. It
is written, “And a river went out of Eden to water the
Garden” (Beresheet 2:10). What is this river flowing from Eden? It is
Binah, THAT EXISTS FROM EDEN WHICH IS CHOCHMAH. As a
result, the Yud MEANING CHOCHMAH, is enclosed within that river.
This Yud spreads this light OF BINAH on all sides, MEANING
ABOVE, THE SECRET OF RIGHT, AND BELOW, THE SECRET OF
LEFT. It is now a Dalet. Later Binah begets a son beneath her, a Vav,
MEANING THE CENTRAL COLUMN, THUS becoming now like a Hei.
Now it is Yud-Hei, MEANING CHOCHMAH AND BINAH. Later, she
brings forth that son before her. Now we have Yud-Hei-Vav; the Vav
sat before her in order to suckle. About this we learned in our
Baraita that the Hei was ORIGINALLY a Dalet. When the male, BEING
CHOCHMAH, merged with it, it became pregnant with one son, and is
called Hei; later it gave birth to the Vav OUTSIDE ITSELF and placed
it before itself. Thus writes the verse, “And a river went out of Eden”,
WHICH IS BINAH THAT COMES OUT OF CHOCHMAH CALLED
‘EDEN’, it surely came out to water the Garden, BEING MALCHUT, to
nurture it.1
I seized his hand, and kissed it. During this period, I was stirred,
cried, laughed, for three days I did not eat anything, because of the
ecstasy and also since I merited not to see him again. Still I feel
bonded to him. I see his image rising before me. Fortunate are the
Righteous in this world and next world. Of them it is written: “Surely
the righteous shall give thanks to Your name: the upright shall dwell
in Your presence” (Tehilim 140:14).
(End of the assembly of the tabernacle)
“And all things that I have said to you be mindful of”
We are told that it is important to serve God so that He will be mindful that no harm will befall us, and that we must make no mention of the name of
other Elohim. Rabbi Yehuda says that the Torah cautions man in numerous places to observe the precepts of the Torah, because the whole Torah is
the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.
“And all things that I have said to you be mindful of (Heb.
tishameru)” (Shemot 23:13). HE ASKS: Why is the passive
’tishameru’? Should it not use the active form? HE ANSWERS:
’tishameru’ is correct referring to “all things that I have said to you”
meaning, I stressed the point of serving Me, be mindful that no harm
will befall you. “tishameru (also: ‘be guarded’)”: by My protection
alone. “and make no mention of the name of other Elohim” (Ibid.), is
to be understood as we established. Another explanation of the
verse “and make no mention of the name of other Elohim” meaning,
Do not refer to it, lest you will fall among nations in other lands and
may become fulfilled what is written in a verse “and there shall you
serve other Elohim… (Devarim 28:36).
Another explanation for “And all things that I have said to you
be mindful of.” Rabbi Yehuda commenced, “Hear, My people, and I
will testify against you…there shall be no strange El among you…I
am Hashem your Elohim who brought you out of the land of
Egypt” (Tehilim 81:9-11). David spoke these verses with the Holy
Spirit; Let’s examine them. “Hear, My people”: in numerous places
Torah cautions man, in numerous places the Holy One, blessed be
He, cautions man and it is for the benefit of man, so he will observe
the precepts of the Torah. He who is observant of Torah ways, and is
occupied with it, is considered as occupied with the Holy Name.1
We learned, the whole Torah is the name of the Holy One,
blessed be He, and one who is occupied with it is considered to be
occupied with the Holy Name, as the whole Torah is one Holy Name,
a supernal name, a name incorporating OTHER names. One who
deducts one letter from it is considered causing a defect in the Holy
Name. We learned, “and make no mention of the name of other
Elohim.” MEANING, do not add or detract from the Torah, AS HE
CAUSES A DEFECT IN THE HOLY NAME AND STRENGTHENS
OTHER ELOHIM. Rabbi Chiya said: “the name of other Elohim”
refers to those occupied with foreign books not of Torah. “neither let
it be heard out of your mouth”; it is forbidden even to mention them,
learn from them, especially AN EXPLANATION on the Torah.
Rabbi Yehuda taught it thus. What is the reason for the verse,
“the name of the other Elohim” and adjacent to it is this verse, “You
shall keep the feast of unleavened bread” (Shemot 23:15). The
explanation is that one who keeps not this, “THE FEAST OF
UNLEAVENED BREAD” is equivalent to one who lacks faith in the
Holy One, blessed be He. Why? The matter is closely connected to it.
Rabbi Yitzchak said: So it is with all other holidays and festivals, as
they are all connected with the Holy Name. About this we learned, it
is written, “Three times in the year” (Ibid. 17), because from them is
Faith suspended, BEING THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS
THAT MALCHUT, CALLED FAITH IS CONSTRUCTED FROM.
Every man of Yisrael, who is circumcised, should be presented
Rabbi Elazar tells us that every circumcised man of Yisrael needs to be seen before the Holy King in order to receive the blessings that flow from the
fountain. Through a story he illustrates that Yisrael must remain separated from the unbelievers.
“…all your males shall appear” (Ibid.). HE ASKS: Why “all your
males”? Rabbi Elazar said, literally all males for they receive the
blessing from the fountain of the spring, DENOTING YESOD. From
here we learned that every circumcised Jew needs to be seen before
the Holy king in order to receive the blessings from the fountain of
the spring. This is the essence of the verse “according to the
blessing of Hashem your Elohim which he has given you” (Devarim
16:17), and, “before the Master, Hashem.” As explained, THE
MASTER IS YESOD, because from there the blessings flow, and they
receive blessings. Fortunate is the lot of Yisrael above that of other
nations.1
One time Yisrael made a pilgrimage TO JERUSALEM to
celebrate the festival and there were non-Jews among them. That
year no blessings were present in the world. They came and asked
Rav Hamnuna Saba. He said to them, did you see any sign TO
INDICATE THAT THE PILGRIMAGE WAS INFAVORABLE? They
replied, we did see a sign; when we returned from there, all roads
were blocked by water, there were clouds and darkness so that none
of us who went there were unable TO RETURN. Furthermore, when
we came to be seen, the surface of the heavens became dark and
stormy. He said to them, for sure either there were among you some
uncircumcised people or idol worshippers. For in such moments, the
blessing reaches only circumcised Yisrael. The Holy One, blessed
be He, looks for that sign and blesses them.
The next year, they made pilgrimage, and idol worshippers were
dispersed with them. When they ate of the meat of the sacrifice and
were rejoicing, they saw the idol worshippers look like a wall,
NAMELY SAD. They watched how everybody made the blessing but
they did not. They told this in a court of law. They came and asked
them, what part of the sacrifice did you eat? They did not know.
Inquiring showed they were non Jews and they were slain. They
said, blessed is the Merciful One who saved His people. The
blessing rests only with Yisrael, holy seed, children of Faith, children
of truth. That year the blessing in the world reached its zenith. They
explained, “Surely the Righteous shall give thanks to Your
name…” (Tehilim 140:14).
Rabbi Chiya said, due to the merit of circumcised Yisrael, the
enemy is humbled before them and they inherit their land. Come and
behold: it is written, “all you males appear” (Shemot 34:23),
MEANING CIRCUMCISED MALES, then it is written: “For I will cast
the nations before you, and enlarge your borders” (Ibid. 24).
MEANING, IN THE MERIT OF CIRCUMCISION, the Holy One, blessed
be He, WHO POSSESSES JUDGMENT AND MERCY, uproots
dwellers from their place, REFERRING TO THE ENEMY, and replaces
dwellers to their place MEANING THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL. For
this reason, “all you males appear before the master, Hashem,”
NAMELY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, WHO IS TIFERET
POSSESSING JUDGMENT AND MERCY AND SO HE CAN UPROOT
SOME AND REPLACE WITH OTHERS. Rabbi Yehuda said, “the
master” resembles the words in the verse, “Behold, the master,
Hashem Tzevaot, shall lop the bough with terror” (Yeshayah 10:33),
WHICH REFERS TO UPROOTING DWELLERS. “And there shall come
forth a rod…” (Yeshayah 11:1) REFERS TO BRINGING BACK
DWELLERS. It is all the same, JUDGMENT AND MERCY WORKING
TOGETHER and he uproots dwellers and settles other dwellers.
Rabbi Yitzchak said, there is a master WHICH IS TIFERET, and there
is a master (Heb. adon) WHICH IS YESOD. All are dependent in one,
NAMELY MALCHUT CALLED ADONAI.
The Holy One, blessed be He, is called Adonai1
Rabbi Yosi says that Adonai refers to “visions of Elohim,” that includes Zeir Anpin and Malchut. Rabbi Yehuda adds that sometimes the celestial are
called with names of the lower levels, and sometimes the lower are called by names of the celestial.
Rabbi Yehuda said: Adonai, WHEN WRITTEN OUT FULLY, IS
SPELLED Aleph Lamed Pe, Dalet Lamed Tav, Nun Vav Nun, Yud Vav
Dalet, is called ‘the Holy One, blessed be He,’ DENOTING ZEIR
ANPIN, NOT YUD HEI VAV HEI, AS IT IS WRITTEN. That which is
pronounced as written IS CALLED ‘ADONAI’. Who is it? Rabbi Yosi
said: It refers to “visions of Elohim,” MEANING MALCHUT, CALLED
‘VISION’. HE ASKS: it is written visions, PLURAL NUMBER, why IS IT
WRITTEN visions? HE ANSWERS: IT INCLUDES ALSO the entirely of
all, Yud Vav Dalet, Hei Aleph, Vav Aleph Vav, Hei Aleph, DENOTING
ZEIR ANPIN. He asks, Visions of what? IF TO THE NAME YUD HEI
VAV HEI, OR THE NAME ADONAI? HE ANSWERS: Aleph Lamed Pe,
Dalet Lamed Tav, Nun Vav Nun, Yud Vav Dalet, AS BOTH ARE THUS
PRONOUNCED. The one, MALCHUT, is pronounced as written, while
the other, ZEIR ANPIN, is not pronounced as it is written, WITH THE
NAME YUD HEI VAV HEI BUT PRONOUNCE AS THIS NAME ADONAI.
And so it is written “visions of Elohim,” IN THE PLURAL NUMBER
FOR IT INCLUDES ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT. FOR THIS REASON,
BOTH ARE CALLED BY THE NAME ‘ADON (‘MASTER’)’. THIS IS THE
REASON FOR THE WORDS OF RABBI YITZCHAK.
Rabbi Yehuda ALSO said: Sometimes the celestial are called
with terms of the lower, and sometimes the lower are called by
names of the celestial. And so it WRITES “the master, Hashem” with
a supernal name, ZEIR ANPIN which is Adonai, WHICH IS A LOWER
NAME, MALCHUT. In many ways are the words clarified. Blessed is
the Merciful One, blessed is His name for ever and ever.
The kisses
Rabbi Yitzchak opens with “Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” and explains that kisses are the clinging of one spirit with another, as the
mouth emits and is the source of the breath, or spirit. One whose soul departs through a kiss joins the spirit of the Holy One blessed be He, never to
part from Him.
“Behold I send an angel before you…” (Shemot 23:20). Rabbi
Yitzchak commenced the discussion with: “Let him kiss me with the
kisses of his mouth…” (Shir Hashirim 1:2) The Congregation of
Yisrael, MEANING THE SHECHINAH says “Let him kiss me.” HE
ASKS: What is the reason for writing “Let him kiss me?” It should
say, ‘Let him love me.’ Wherefore “Let him kiss me”? HE ANSWERS:
we learnt that kisses are the clinging of one spirit with another, so
therefore a kiss is by mouth, as the mouth emits and is the source of
the breath (also: ‘spirit’) so a kiss is with the mouth with love, spirits
clinging one to another that do not part.
And so, one whose soul departs through a kiss, it joins another
spirit, MEANING THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, a
spirit never to part from him. This is what is meant by a kiss. So The
Congregation of Yisrael said “Let him kiss me with the kiss of his
mouth” in order that one spirit cling to the other and never part.1
“for your loves are better than wine” (Ibid.). Why mention here
wine? Does it not write, “But they also reel through wine” (Yeshayah
28:7), and “Do not drink wine or strong drink, you, nor your sons
with you” (Vayikra 10:9), so why mention wine here? Rabbi Chiya
said, it is of the wine of the Torah, MEANING, THE MOCHIN OF ZEIR
ANPIN CALLED TORAH AND THE MOCHIN OF THE ILLUMINATION
OF CHOCHMAH ARE CALLED WINE. Rabbi Chizkiyah said, hence it
is written, “and wine that makes glad the heart of man” (Tehilim
104:15), AND THIS REFERS TO WINE OF TORAH. And so it is
written: “for your loves are better than wine,” AS THEY ARE BETTER
for joy of the heart; more than wine that makes me happier than
everything else.
Rabbi Yehuda said, it is written, “And Jacob kissed Rachel, and
raised his voice, and wept” (Beresheet 29:11). HE ASKS: why did he
cry? HE ANSWERS: when his spirit clung to her, his heart could not
hold out, so he wept. One may inquire about: “and kissed him: and
they wept” (Beresheet 33:4). HE ANSWERS: As we learned, why are
there dots over the word “and kissed him”? It is because his spirit
did not cling to him at all. About this is written, “but the kisses of an
enemy are profuse (also: ‘deceptive’)” (Mishlei 27:6). What is meant
by “but the kisses of an enemy are profuse”? but one who kisses
with love, spirits cling one to another, clinging with love. One who
does not kiss with love, there is no clinging but deception. What is
meant by “deceptive”? It is coarseness, as the spirit does not cling
with that kiss and it does not cling at all. So therefore it is written:
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth,” which is the clinging
of spirit to spirit.
“Behold I send an angel before you”
This section talks again about the spirit clinging to Hashem. Moses realized that the angel of “Behold I send an angel before you” would constitute a
separation from Yisrael, and he wished the presence of Hashem to be with him. Rabbi Aba says that one should not mix a lower matter with a higher
one; the outside should not nurse from an inner level, as the inner represents holiness and the outer represents uncleanness. Rabbi Shimon
clarifies the matter by saying that the angel was meant only to guard Yisrael, and it did not mean there would be a separation from Hashem,
although other commentators on Torah have disagreed on this point. Rabbi Shimon concludes that Moses did not want an angel, as it is written,
“And he said, If now I have found favor in Your sight, Adonai, let my Lord, I pray You, go among us.”
We learned, as long as the Holy One, blessed be He, goes with
Yisrael, a spirit, so to speak, clings to a spirit. About this is written,
“But you that did cleave to Hashem” (Devarim 4:4), with all types of
clinging, with no parting one from another. When it was said,
“Behold I send an angel before you” (Shemot 33:2), Moses realized
this would constitute a separation FROM YISRAEL so he said, “If
Your presence go not with me, carry us not up from here” (Shemot
33:15).1
Rabbi Aba said, what is written before this verse, “The first of
the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of Hashem
your Elohim. You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Shemot
34:26). HE ASKS: what is it trying to imply with these words? HE
ANSWERS: do not mix a lower matter with an upper, the outside
should not nurse from an inner. What is the difference between
them? The outer, MEANING THE KID, represents the aspect of
uncleanliness, while the inner, MEANING ITS MOTHER, represents
holiness. Who is his mother? It is the Congregation of Yisrael,
MALCHUT called ‘mother’, FOR THE EXTENSION OF MALCHUT
REACHES UNTIL THE KLIPOT IN THE SECRET OF “HER FEET GO
DOWN TO DEATH” (MISHLEI 5:5). “…its mother’s milk…” MEANS that
those who are not supposed to, must not suckle from that side.
Here is written, “Behold I send my angel before you,” SO
YISRAEL WHO ARE THE INNERMOST AND ARE CLINGING WITH
HASHEM, ARE GIVEN OVER TO THE ANGEL, REPRESENTING THE
OUTER ASPECT. Moses said, I received a promise from You, that
You would never part from us, FOR AS A RESULT OF THE PRECEPT
OF THE FIRSTFRUITS THE OUTER WORLD SHOULD NOT
INTERMINGLE WITH THE INNER AS EXPLAINED. Surely, “If Your
presence go not with me, carry us not up from here. For in what shall
it be known…” ONE MUST NOT INSIST THAT THE LATTER VERSE IS
QUOTED FROM KI TISA, AS THERE IS NO CHRONOLOGICAL
ORDER IN THE TORAH.
Rabbi Elazar said: This statement the Holy One, blessed be He,
uttered out of love for Yisrael and to find favor with them. It is similar
to the case of a king who wanted to go with his son and not forsake
him. The son came but feared to ask the king to go with him. The
king spoke up to say, general so and so will go along to protect you,
later he said, be careful of him as he is not a perfect man. The son
said: If so, either I stay here or you go with me but I will not part from
you. So the Holy One, blessed be He, first said, “I send an angel
before you, to keep you in the way.” Later He said, be careful of
him… At that moment, Moses said, “If Your presence go not with
me…”
Rabbi Shimon arrived, found him, RABBI ELAZAR, SPEAKING
THIS STATEMENT. He said: Elazar, my son, what you are saying is
fine. But come and behold: in this place when the Holy One, blessed
be He, said, “Behold I send an angel…” Moses said nothing, or
retorted. Why? At this point there was no separation from Him, AS
THE ANGEL WAS SENT ONLY TO GUARD THEM, and this matter
was established with the friends. HOWEVER THINGS WERE
DIFFERENT REGARDING THE VERSE “AND I WILL SEND AN ANGEL
BEFORE YOU: AND I WILL DRIVE OUT…FOR I WILL NOT GO UP IN
YOUR MIDST…” (SHEMOT 33:2). Others understand these passages
in an opposite fashion; HERE THE VERSE INDICATES SEPARATION
WHEREAS THERE, THERE IS NO SEPARATION. The early
commentators did not see it this way. When you look into the matter,
everything turns out to be fine, each based their community using
one interpretation.1
When did Moses respond? This happened when He said, “and I
will send an angel before you” AFTER WHICH IT IS WRITTEN: “FOR I
WILL NOT GO UP IN YOUR MIDST.” But here it is written: “Behold I
send an angel” and the verse does not elaborate WITH THE WORDS
“FOR I WILL NOT GO UP IN YOUR MIDST.” Hence it says here “But if
you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak” (Shemot
23:22), “all that I speak” exactly, so it writes next to it, “then I will be
an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your
adversaries” (Ibid.). All is dependent upon Him BLESSED BE HE.
THERE IS NO SEPARATION HERE SO MOSES DID NOT ANSWER
BACK.
Rabbi Yehuda said: If you question that in both VERSES we are
talking about an actual angel WITH SEPARATION STILL Moses did
not reply as he had no strong position SINCE WE SEE THAT EVEN
WITH REGARD TO THE VERSE IN THE PORTION OF TISA, “AND I
WILL SEND AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU,” MOSES DID NOT
IMMEDIATELY REACT. When did he answer? When the verse writes,
“If Your presence go not with me, carry us not up from here,” AS A
REACTION TO THE VERSE, “MY PRESENCE SHALL GO WITH YOU,
AND I WILL GIVE YOU REST” (SHEMOT 33:14). THERE HE COULD
REACT. Rabbi Shimon said: In summary, Moses did not want an
angel, as it is written: “And he said, If now I have found favor in Your
sight, Adonai, let my lord, I pray You, go among us” (Shemot 34:9).
“You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk”
Here we learn about the prohibition of eating meat with milk, and other dietary restrictions, all designed to prevent impurity from entering people
due to the foods they consume. Like Daniel, those who guard themselves from impurity become perfect in the image of their Master, and cannot be
harmed because His image is not removed from them.
Rabbi Yehuda said: Thus spoke Rabbi Aba regarding the verse,
“You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Shemot 34:26): A KID,
BEING OF THE OTHER SIDE, SHOULD NOT SUCKLE FROM THE
SHECHINAH. It should write in the verse, “the mother’s milk.” Why
write “its mother’s milk”? If you say that the Congregation of Yisrael,
BEING MALCHUT is the mother of an impure aspect, this is not so.
For I have heard from Rabbi Shimon, the Congregation of Yisrael is
the saintly mother, joined in the portion of Yisrael as it is written,
“For Hashem’s portion is His people” (Devarim 32:9).
Rabbi Shimon replied, well spoken, and the words of Rabbi Aba
are fine. Things are intertwined. Come and see: Ima, BEING
MALCHUT joined with them above in this aspect OF HOLINESS, and
also that aspect OF IMPURITY. There are two, one to the right and
one to the left, MEANING, EVERY ASPECT HAS RIGHT AND LEFT, so
some of them are of the right and some of the left. They all depend
upon that mother, the holy mother, NAMELY MALCHUT and are
attached to her.1
When are they attached to her? When this mother suckles from
the Other Side, and the sanctuary thus becomes unclean, and the
mighty serpent begins to reveal himself. Then the kid suckles from
the milk of its mother and harsh judgment arouses. So Yisrael need
to hasten and come forth with firstfruits, and when they bring them
need to commence to speak about Laban, MEANING, THE CHAPTER
STARTING WITH THE WORDS, “AN ARAMMIAN ARAMI WISHED TO
KILL MY FATHER” (DEVARIM 26:5). He wished through sorcery to
control Jacob and his holy seed, but he was not permitted, and
Yisrael was not given over to this side, AND SO THEY REMOVE THE
POWER OF THE SERPENT SO THE KID WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO
SUCKLE THE MILK OF HIS MOTHER. And so it says, “The first of the
firstfruits…You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk,” so that side
would not suckle on the milk of his mother, BEING MALCHUT, so it
would not desecrate the sanctuary and awaken judgments.
As a result, those of the holy seed do not eat meat with milk,
and so also those that trace their lineage from the HOLY aspect in
order not to give any opening to that not desired. It depends all on
one’s actions, as a deed below is NEEDED to stir above. Fortunate is
Yisrael more than all idol worshipping nations, for their Master said
of them, “and Hashem has chosen you to be a special possession to
Himself” (Devarim 14:2); and “For you are a holy people to Hashem
your Elohim,” and it is written, “You are the children of Hashem your
Elohim…” (Ibid. 1).
Come and see, when deeds of Yisrael are unacceptable, the
verse writes, “As for my people, children are their oppressors, and
women rule over them” (Yeshayah 3:12), literally rule over them. So
it is derived from the hidden lore of the text of King Solomon, and so
we found therein. We also found, he who consumes food OF MEAT
AND MILK during the same hour or in one meal, so they join
together, AND HE IS CONSIDERED AS IF HE ATE MEAT AND MILK
TOGETHER, forty days a kid roasted with its skin, MEANING
ROASTED TOGETHER WITH ITS HEAD, appears to those above. A
unit of impurity approaches him, causing unholy judgments to
activate in the world.
If a son is born to him these days, a soul is borrowed from the
Other Side, which is not supposed to be with him, AS IT DEFILES
HIM, and the verse says, “you shall therefore sanctify yourselves
and be holy…” (Vayikra 11:44). One who wishes to profane himself,
he is assuredly defiled, as it is written: “that you should be defiled
(Heb. venitmetem) by them” (Ibid. 43). Now the word ‘venitmetem’ is
spelled in the verse without an Aleph MEANING a solid impurity
more than all other IMPURITIES that he can not ever cleanse himself
as with other impurities. Furthermore, he fears dangerous beasts, for
he appears before them as a kid and they are capable of harming
him because the image of man has been removed from him.1
Rabbi Yesa permitted to eat chicken with cheese or milk. Rabbi
Shimon said, it is prohibited for you. A man should not allow an
excuse to evil types, as the expression goes, ‘say to the Nazarite, go,
go, go around, go around, but don’t enter the vineyard.’ This item is
forbidden for it entails the complex laws of ritual slaughter just like
cattle. One who permits this brings to mind the verse, “But you gave
the Nazarites wine to drink” (Amos 2:12). One who permits one
matter tends to permit other things, AND A DEFECT MADE ABOVE
IS ONE OF THEM, and the verse writes, “You shall not eat any
abominable thing” (Devarim 14:3); “any” includes everything.
We learned, for what merit were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and
Azaryah saved from their tests, it is because they did not allow
themselves to become unclean due to the foods they consumed.
Rabbi Yehuda said? Tt is written “But Daniel purposed in his heart
that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s
food…” (Daniel 1:8). And we learned from the secret of Mishnah that
the food of that evil NEVUCHADNETZAR was meat in milk, cheese
with meat in addition to other foods. This menu was served up daily.
Daniel, who guarded himself from it, when he was thrown into
the pit of lions, he was perfect in the image of his Master, and his
image did not alter to any other image, and so the lions feared him
and did not harm him. But that tyrant, when the kingdom was
removed from him, and his dwelling was “with the beasts in the
field” (Daniel 4:20), the image of his face was removed. From that
day, his image did not resemble that of a human, and any animal that
approached him, thought it was its own kind, and a female, and so
all came in to him. Many times, the beasts of the field would have
attacked him were it not for the penalty decreed for him, as it is
written: “And they shall scoff at kings” (Chavakuk 1:10). As a result
all denigrated him all that time.
Come and see what is written: “And at the end of ten days they
appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the youths who did eat the
portion of the king’s fare” (Daniel 1:15). They appeared fairer,
MEANING that the image of their Master was not removed from them,
but was removed from the others. What caused this? Their not
soiling themselves with the soiled food. Praise the lot of children of
Yisrael where it is written: “And you shall be men of holiness to Me.”
“And He said to Moses, Come up to Hashem”
This section talks about the covenant established when Yisrael were circumcised and the uncovering of the membrane was completed. Then, “there
he made for them a statute and an ordinance.” Rabbi Yitzchak explains that Moses sprinkled half the blood of the sacrifice on the people and half on
the altar. The half that he sprinkled on the people made a bond with the Shechinah, so that the Shechinah and Yisrael were perfected together
through Moses. Lastly Rabbi Yitzchak speaks about “and there was under His feet a kind of paved work of sapphire stone,” saying that this is like
that with which the Holy One, blessed be He, will build the sanctuary.1
“And He said to Moses, Come up to Hashem…” (Shemot 24:1).
HE ASKS: “And he said”? Who said this? HE ANSWERS: the
Shechinah. “Come up to Hashem” as it says, “And Moses went up to
the Elohim” (Shemot 19:3). What was all this? It was IN ORDER to
establish with them a covenant as they completed the uncovering of
the membrane. This did not happen when leaving Egypt where they
were circumcised but did not complete the uncovering of the
membrane. Now it was done and were complete with the sign of the
circumcision, as it is written: “there he made for them a statute and
an ordinance” (Shemot 15:25), MEANING THE CIRCUMCISION AND
THE UNCOVERING OF THE CORONA. “…and there He tested them…”
with the holy sign that revealed itself in them. Now the bond was
ratified through Moses, as it is written: “And Moses took the blood
and sprinkled it on the people” (Shemot 24:8).
Rabbi Yitzchak said: referring to the verse, “and half of the
blood he sprinkled on the altar,” the verse does not say “at the
altar”, AS THE ALTAR HINTS AT MALCHUT, WHEREAS ENACTMENT
OF THE COVENANT IS IN YESOD, but the verse writes “on the altar”,
for an exact purpose, AS ON THE ALTAR HINTS TO YESOD THAT IS
ABOVE MALCHUT. “…and bow down afar off…” What is meant by
“afar off”? HE ANSWERS: It is as the verse, “Hashem appeared to
me from afar” (Yirmeyah 31:2), and “And his sister stood afar
off” (Shemot 2:4). Rabbi Aba taught, the moon BEING MALCHUT,
remained in its diminished state, AND SO IT IS SAID, “AND BOW
DOWN AFAR OFF.” At that moment, Yisrael merited more of the holy
share and the implementation of the Holy Covenant with the Holy
One, blessed be He.
“And He said to Moses, Come up to Hashem.” HE ASKS: what is
the reason for all this? HE ANSWERS: the Shechinah said to him, go
up BECAUSE I and the children of Yisrael will together gain
perfection through you, something that did not exist until this time.
Then the verse writes, “And Moses took half of the blood…” dividing
it in two AS IS DONE IN MAKING A COVENANT. Half of the blood he
sprinkled on the people, “and half of the blood he sprinkled on the
altar”, as we explained, THAT ON THE ALTAR INDICATES YESOD.
And the verse writes, “Behold the blood of the covenant, which
Hashem has made with you.” “…and put it in basins (Heb. aganot)…”
Aganot is written minus a Vav, similar to the verse, “Your navel is
like a round goblet (Heb. agan) that never lacks blended
wine…” (Shir Hashirim 7:4). AGANOT IS MALCHUT, BEING A ROUND
GOBLET, AND HENCE IT IS WRITTEN MINUS VAV. SO THE HALF OF
BLOOD THAT HE SPRINKLED ON THE PEOPLE, MADE A BOND
WITH THE SHECHINAH CALLED ‘AGANOT’ AND THUS THE
SHECHINAH AND YISRAEL WERE PERFECTED TOGETHER
THROUGH MOSES.
“And Moses alone shall come near Hashem” (Shemot 24:2).
Fortunate is Moses’ lot that he alone merited what no other man did.
Yisrael was now meriting what they did not merit until now. At that
moment they lived in a supernal holy existence. At that time they
were informed that in their midst shall be the sanctuary, as the verse
writes, “And let them make Me a sanctuary: that I may dwell among
them” (Shemot 25:8).1
“and they saw the Elohim of Yisrael: and there was under His
feet a kind of paved work of sapphire stone…” (Shemot 24:10): Rabbi
Yehuda commenced: “This your stature is like a palm tree” (Shir
Hashirim 7:9). How beloved is the Congregation of Yisrael before the
Holy One, blessed be He, that she never moves away from Him; like
this palm tree where the male never departs from the female, one not
growing without the other, so the Congregation of Yisrael never
moves apart from the Holy One, blessed be He.
Come and see, when Nadab and Abihu plus the seventy elders
saw, the Torah writes, “and they saw the Elohim of Yisrael;” for the
Shechinah appeared to them. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yosi said, “Et
(Eng. ‘the’)”; THE VERSE WRITES “THE ELOHIM” is written for a
specific reason. “Et” TELLS US that it was from a distance. “Et”
includes the inner part, MEANING THEY SAW WHAT WAS IN THE
INTERNAL PART OF THE SHECHINAH.
Rabbi Yitzchak said, it is written, “This is the same living
creature that I saw by the river Kevar” (Yechezkel 10:15). What is this
living creature? Rabbi Yosi quoted Rabbi Chiya, “a small living
creature, DENOTING MALCHUT.” Is there such a small living
creature? HE ANSWERS: Yes. There is a small living creature,
DENOTING MALCHUT and a supernal living creature, WHICH IS IN
CHESED, GVURAH, AND TIFERET, FROM THE CHEST UP OF ZEIR
ANPIN and also a very small living creature, DENOTING A
CREATURE FROM THE WORLD OF YETZIRAH.
“and they saw the Elohim of Yisrael.” “ET (‘THE’)” in the verse is
therefore a specific reason as we said. “and there was under His feet
a kind of paved work of sapphire stone,” having the appearance of a
gem with the like of which the Holy One, blessed be He, will build the
sanctuary, as it is written, “and lay your foundations with
sapphires” (Yeshayah 54:11).
“And upon the nobles of the children of Yisrael”
When they went to the mountain with Moses, “And upon the nobles of the children of Yisrael he laid not His hand.” The verse says “and did eat and
drink,” and Rabbi Yosi explains that this means they fed their eyes with the light. Rabbi Yehuda adds that they ate actual food and fed from the light
and thus connected themselves above. Rabbi Elazar says that Yisrael was proper at that time and the Shechinah was bound to them. And in the
future days the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal Himself to His children and all will see visually His glory.
“And upon the nobles of the children of Yisrael” (Shemot 24:11),
referring to Nadab and Abihu, “he laid not His hand.” He led them TO
JUSTICE later, but they were not punished now. Rabbi Yosi said, this
matter can be interpreted to their credit as the verse says, “and did
eat and drink” MEANING they fed their eyes with this light. Rabbi
Yehuda said, they ate actual food and fed OF THE LIGHT, and thus
connected themselves above, MEANING THEY EXTENDED THE
LIGHT FROM BELOW UPWARD; THERE WAS NO SIN IN THIS unless
they turned astray later as explained.1
Rabbi Elazar said, Even Yisrael at that time were all proper and
the Shechinah was bound to them. This Covenant and the entire
Torah took place at one time, MEANING THEY THEN HAD THE LIGHT
FROM THE ENTIRE TORAH. Yisrael never did experience a time like
that. In the future days, the Holy One, blessed be He, will reveal
Himself to His children and all will see visually His glory, as the
verse writes, “for they shall see eye to eye, Hashem returning to
Zion” (Yeshayah 52:8), and, “and the glory of Hashem shall be
revealed, and all flesh shall see it together…” (Yeshayah 40:5).