39 – Shlach Lecha

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  1. “Send you men” Rabbi Chiya says that when the sun begins to set, the energy of the sun, Zeir Anpin, is less powerful, and that is when the left dominates and judgments pertain. At that time one must pray.1. “And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Send you men, that they may spy out the land of Canaan…'” (Bemidbar 13:1). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion saying, “Have you commanded the morning since your days began; and caused dayspring to know its place” (Iyov 38:12). It is written “dayspring” WITHOUT THE HEI (DEFINITE ARTICLE). Hei has been far from dawn. What is the reason? Rabbi Chiya said: When the evening shadows lengthen and the sun – THAT IS, ZEIR ANPIN – begins to set, MEANING AFTER MIDDAY, the strength OF THE SUN is less powerful, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. This is when the left rules and Judgments spread over the world. Then a person is required to pray and direct his desire to his Master.2. The name that rules after midnight Rabbi Yesa describes what happens when night falls and midnight comes. We read a detailed description of the thirteen carved letters in the Holy Name that dominates from midnight onward.2. As Rabbi Yesa said, when the sun is about to set, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN, and is losing its strength, MEANING PAST MIDDAY, an aperture in the sun opens – THE DOOR OF THE DOMINATION OF THE LEFT – AND THE SUN’S power is gathered in, THAT IS ZEIR ANPIN AND THE CENTRAL COLUMN, and the left reigns. Isaac, WHO IS THE LEFT COLUMN, digs the well underneath, WHICH IS MALCHUT THAT SUCKLES FROM THE LEFT, AND THEN HE ESTABLISHES HER.3. When the night falls, the written edicts are in their pockets. Many harmful demons spread out in the world, which all roam around in confusion. They go about and mock at the souls of the wicked and inform them of various matters, some false and some true. If any PERSON is found among them, they are given permission to do harm. Everyone is sleeping and tasting the taste of death, as we have already explained.4. Come and see: When the north wind stirs, the Congregation of Yisrael WHICH IS MALCHUT, is received in the left OF ZEIR ANPIN. They join together and she rests in her place in the LEFT arm and the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to delight Himself with the just who are in the Garden of Eden. Whoever is awakened to study the Torah during that period is participating WITH MALCHUT, because she and all her multitudes praise the high King, WHO IS ZEIR ANPIN. All who are present at the praising of the Torah are registered among the inhabitants of the temple, and are proclaimed there by their names. These are recorded during the daytime; THAT IS, THEY ARE REGISTERED TO RECEIVE CHASSADIM, WHICH IS THE MEASURE OF DAY, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN
  2. Come and see that there is a Holy Name of carved letters that rules from midnight onward. It is of these letters: Kuf-Lamed-final Kaf, Samech-Ayin- Pe-Hei, Yud-Aleph-Ayin-Vav-Tzadik-Hei, the final Mem-final Nun of ‘final Mem-final Nun-final Tzadik-final Pe-final Kaf’ inclusive. Mem was explained in the secret writing of: “For the increase (Heb. lamarbeh of the realm” (Yeshayah 9:6), WHERE A CLOSED FINAL MEM IS WRITTEN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORD, WHICH ALLUDES TO BINAH DURING THE DOMINATION OF THE LEFT WHEN THE LIGHTS ARE ENCLOSED WITHIN HER. Nun was hiding this and this, MEANING THE BENT NUN IN THE SECRET MEANING OF, “THE VIRGIN OF YISRAEL IS FALLEN; SHE SHALL NO MORE RISE” (AMOS 5:2), WHICH CONCEALS BINAH AND MALCHUT. For then the Sfirot were included, MEANING THAT MALCHUT AND BINAH WERE INCLUDED ONE WITHIN THE OTHER, AND BINAH WAS FALLEN LIKE MALCHUT. The Vav of the Holy Name restored MALCHUT, WHICH IS THE SECRET OF NUN, AND DREW THE LEFT COLUMN UPON HER IN THE FORM OF VAV. AT THAT POINT, SHE RISES FROM HER FALL. HOWEVER, he closed up her springs, SINCE, DUE TO THE DOMINATION OF THE LEFT, THE LIGHTS WERE CONGEALED AND FROZEN. THROUGH THIS, BINAH WAS CONCEALED BY THE DOMINATION OF THE LEFT COLUMN. THAT IS WHY BINAH IS THEN CONSIDERED A CLOSED MEM. After BINAH gave birth TO THE VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI – WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, THAT IS THE SECRET OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN – OR MALCHUT GAVE BIRTH TO THE SOUL, it became open in one end, MEANING THE CLOSED FINAL MEM WAS OPENED ON THE BOTTOM AND BECAME AN OPEN MEM.6. When the Temple was destroyed, MEANING WHEN THERE WAS NO UNION BETWEEN ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, WHEN THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED, WHICH IS MALCHUT, the springs OF MALCHUT were blocked from all sides. THAT MEANS, IT BECAME A CLOSED MEM IN THAT ALL ITS LIGHTS WERE FROZEN. THE CLOSED MEM is comprised of other letters, which are seven letters FROM THE HOLY NAME MENTIONED ABOVE. Three are from one side, WHICH ARE SAMECH, AYIN AND VAV, and four are from another side, WHICH ARE ALEPH, AYIN, TZADIK, AND HEI. Kaf-Lamed -Final Kaf, Yud-Pe-Hei REMAIN FROM THE HOLY NAME. This is derived from: “You are all fair (Heb. Kulach [Kuf-Lamed-Final Kaf] Yafah [Yud -Pe-Hei]), my love; there is no blemish in you” (Shir Hashirim 4:7). THAT IS THE SECRET OF FINAL NUN ALLUDING TO male and female in one composition. FINAL NUN is composed of three letters from this side, WHICH ARE KAF-LAMED-FINAL KAF, and three from that side, WHICH ARE YUD- PE-HEI, so there are six LETTERS. We have explained that these two letters, final Mem and final Nun, include the thirteen letters OF THE HOLY NAME – KAF-LAMED-FINAL KAF, SAMECH-AYIN-PE-HEI, YUD-ALEPH- AYIN-VAV-TZADIK-HEI, since two ASPECTS result from them, one ASPECT in one letter, WHICH IS FINAL MEM, and one in another letter, WHICH IS FINAL NUN.7. Kaf-Lamed-final Kaf, Samech-Ayin-Pe-Hei, Yud-Aleph-Ayin-Vav-Tzadik -Hei: Thus were the letters engraved. That is the secret meaning, in the portion of, “When you go forth to war” (Devarim 21:10), of the words, “If a girl (Heb. na’arah) that is a virgin” (Devarim 22:23), which is spelled “naara” WITHOUT HEI. After the night is gone and the morning light shines, the Hei ascends and is included in the letter above. Then IT IS SAID: “And caused dayspring to know its place” (Iyov 38:12). Dawn, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, knows the place of the Hei, and the latter is composed in it.3. The moon shines only when the sun sets We are told that God told Moses he could not enter the promised land because he was the sun, and the sun and the moon could not stand together since the moon would not shine while the sun was around. God suggested that Moses send men to spy out the land if he wanted to know about it. Moses was shown the land from Mount Avarim and he was also shown all the leaders who would arise in every successive generation. Finally we are told that Moses asked his spies to find out whether there was a tree in the land, and he was looking to see if it contained the Tree of Life.
  3. Come and see, Moses was THE ASPECT OF the sun, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, and he wished to enter the land of Yisrael. The Holy One, blessed be He, told him, ‘Moses, when the sunlight arrives, the moon, WHICH IS MALCHUT, is included in it AND HER QUALITY IS INVISIBLE. Now, you are the sun, AND IF YOU ENTER THE LAND WHICH IS THE SECRET OF THE MOON, MEANING MALCHUT, how can the sun and the moon stand together if the moon shines only when the sun is gathered in? However, now you can not ENTER THE LAND, and if you wish to know about it, “send you men” (Bemidbar 13:1), MEANING for your sake, so that you shall know.’9. Come and see: If you think Moses did not know at that time that he would not enter the land of Yisrael, it is not so. He most certainly knew and he wished to know about it before he departed; therefore, he sent spies. Since they did not report to him properly, he did not send more until the Holy One, blessed be He, showed IT to him, as it is written: “Go up into this mount Avarim…and behold the land” (Devarim 32:49). It is also written: “And Hashem showed him all the land” (Devarim 34:1). Not only WAS HE SHOWN this, but Moses was shown all those LEADERS who were destined to arise in each successive generation, as we have learned. This was already explained by the friends.10. As soon as Moses began to send out his spies, what did he say to them? “Whether there is a tree in it” (Bemidbar 13:20). What is the reason that he said this? Do you think that he did not know IF THERE WAS A TREE THERE? However, this is what Moses said: If “there is a tree in it,” I know that I will enter the land. What tree? That is the Tree of Life. It was not there, but rather in the terrestrial Garden of Eden. MOSES said to himself: If that tree is in it, I will enter there and if not, I cannot enter.4. Zelophehad was gathering sticks Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Shimon talk about the sin of the man who gathered sticks on the Shabbat. and who died in his own sin. Since he received his punishment of death, his sin was forgiven; this made it difficult for Moses to know what sentence to give his daughters. We learn that a person must never exchange the Tree of Life for the world, and that the Ark, Malchut, and the Torah, Zeir Anpin, exist as one. The Ark is the abode for the Torah. Moses had wanted to find out if the Tree of Life existed in the promised land, but his spies brought him only fruits from regular trees. Rabbi Yitzchak says that faithful messengers refresh the soul of their master.11. Rabbi Chiya said that it is written: “They found a man gathering sticks (also: ‘trees’) upon the Shabbat day” (Bemidbar 15:32). What are the trees involved here and who is THAT MAN? HE RESPONDS: That must be Zelophehad, who was particular IN KNOWING exactly about these trees, WHICH ARE ZEIR ANPIN AND MALCHUT, which of them was greater than the other. He did not care for the glory of his Master and exchanged the Shabbat to the other Shabbat. This is what is written: “But he died in his own sin (Heb. chet’o – Chet Tet Aleph Vav)” (Bemidbar 27:3), MEANING in the sin (Chet Tet Aleph) of the Vav, SINCE HE MADE A BLEMISH IN ZEIR ANPIN, WHICH IS REFERRED TO BY THE VAV OF YUD HEI VAV HEI, he died. Therefore, his sentence was left unsaid and not explained as other sentences. HE IS DESCRIBED SIMPLY AS A GATHERER OF STICKS, NOT SPECIFIED, because this matter had to be in secrecy and NEEDED TO BE veiled and not made known. Therefore, it was not mentioned openly and the Holy One, blessed be He, glorified His own glory.