872. Who Makes a Way through the Sea

Nukva is units, ZA is tens, Ima is hundreds, Abba is thousands, Keter is ten thousand, KLA.

Commentary: Elef [one thousand], El-Af [God-nose]. The nose is the Kli [vessel] of life, as it is written, “And He breathed into his nose the breath of life.” This Kli was actually taken from MIKVEHON, but the Ruach that emerges from it emerges only from the side of Ima, and therefore can come into the nose once more, like death and resurrection. However, if the Ruach comes from MIKVEHON, what emerges from the nose is Ruach that leaves and does not return.

It is known that the Aleph ascended in KLA, and there is the ten thousand because she is included in all of them. When she was sorted from there and descended to OMETZ, it is in the manner of “I will teach you Hochma [wisdom],” as rising without standing there, for lack of adornment. Hence, she descends to Bina, as in “I will teach you Bina [intelligence]” in adornment, which is Me’ot [hundreds], from the words Min-At [heretic-you (female form)], for there she borrows from the daughter, or from the word Ot [letter], since it emerged from his nose and became a stranger.

When she descends to ZA, it is in the manner of tenth, everyone, as in “A king chained to troughs.” When she descends to Malchut, it is in units, for it is a very small number, the smallest there is.

Aleph is a view of MIKVEHON, Bet is a view of Hochma, Gimel is their merging with one another into one where they are indistinguishable. This is why the light is in Aleph of MIKVEHON. However, in Lamed-Hey and Lamed-Shin, the day and night work together until the second day, when the firmament was made. But from the words “to the stamper embroiders” because he wove two noses together will be doubled and divided between male water and female water, since from Tabur and above it were males and they do not have a nose, and from Tabur down “They have a nose and they smell.” Until the third day, when all the water from Tabur down gathered into one place, and the dry land that is the sealing under OMETZ emerged outside of the Rosh and was seen outside. Thus, the dry land was for the living, and the water for the dead. By this, the two Mi [two Mi make the word “water”] and the Tav connected in the upper one, too, which is the Tav of Mitta [death], from Yod and Tav.

Afterward, the dry land, too, which is from Tabur and above, a sealing before the MIKVEHON, which now receives the form of below the Tabur, but in the manner of “standing.”

Understand that the water gathered in the Kli of “nose” of the first day like a mother who lends her clothes to her daughter. The dry land, which is the Kli of Ima from the second day, emerged from the Kli of “nose” in the manner of “standing.” There, the light of the first day was included; hence, she is fit for life, since the control is mainly in the form of the Kli. This is the reason for the twofold “it was good,” meaning the dry land, since the two Mi in Mayim [water] returned to prepare life in itself. This is the meaning of TADSHE [will put forth grass], as an acronym, the image of his father.

“Herb yielding seed,” etc., means that if he is entirely as a mantle of hair, his name is called “herb.” Herbs grow on the dry land and cover it until the earth is not seen. It follows that the herb of the field is regarded as Saar [storm] of MIKVEHON. Yet, from the text, they grow and emerge from within the dry land, which is the sealing of OMETZ.

This is the meaning of “yielding seed after their kind,” meaning that the herbs that grow first are not seeds at all. However, after plowing for some time, they become an actual seed, as in “They were as antenna of grasshoppers, and He plucked them out and replanted them and they grew,” see The Zohar, Beresheet.

Similarly, “A fruit tree, a fruit bearing tree”: Likewise, a fruit tree in the first place does not bear fruit until they are relocated.

“With seed in them after their kind”: That is, it is known that its seed is in it to begin with, before the MIKVEHON, meaning in the place called “dry land.” For this reason, the seed is “after its kind,” meaning “kind” [type] of utterance, and in the upper Peh, and there is no grip there to the outer ones.

This explains the meaning of “dry land” and “water,” that they are in collaboration but the water is present. The water, which is light, covers the abyss, which is the Kli, the light of Behina Bet and the Kli of Behina Dalet. The opposite of it is the dry land, for the dry land is the sweetening of Behina Bet. The herb, which is Behina Dalet, covers it and conceals it.

Thus, all that is apparent on the water is the quality of Ima. This is the meaning of “As waters cover for the sea,” while Behina Dalet sinks like a stone and disappears. For this reason, anyone who drowns dies from the stormy wind of the abyss, and anyone who drinks or licks from the face of the water revives himself by the power of Bina, which is the “living God.”

This explains the essence of the water, which is very dangerous to man’s life, for anything that comes into it sinks and drowns in the abyss.

Even a ship that tries to sail across the sea, sometimes a stormy wind emerges from the abyss deep in the sea, from the quality of MIKVEHON, and then “the water will rise” by the power of Behina Bet, and “will descend to the abyss” by the power of Behina Dalet, “and their soul will delight in evil,” where their seed is not blessed, for “all their wisdom will be swallowed” because the big chasm and the little chasm mix with one another and the Hochma, too, is blemished, meaning the quality of “living soul” in it, and their living soul delights in evil.

This is the meaning of “who makes a way through the sea and a path through the mighty waters,” meaning that “He caused the storm to be still, so their waves were hushed.” The thing is that the whole danger is from the stormy wind at the sea, from which all of the sea’s inclinations come, as in man’s heart. There is the Nukva of the abyss, as in “And His wonders in the deep,” meaning in the depth.

Hence, “When He spoke, He raised a stormy wind,” where when he emits he has, and from above, he does not have. This is the opposite of the manna in the desert, which he had from above and he did not bring it out (however, “when the sun grew hot, it would melt,” since by the unbounded radiance, which is the bringing out of the sun from its sheath at high noon, at that time, it melts and disappears as in the sealing of OMETZ).

For this reason, “and it lifted its waves,” as in the verse, “He uncovered himself inside his tent,” since he attributed his corruption to the upper one. This is the meaning of “He raised a stormy wind,” which is not as “breathed” or “blew” or “walked,” since it is not back and forth, but forth without back. This is why it seems like one pillar from below upward that wants to destroy everything.

This is the meaning of “He caused the storm to be still,” since that storm will swirl on the head of the wicked, who deny the word of the Creator. But when they recognize the storm by the force of the Creator on the water, at that moment, they promptly silenced and “their waves hushed,” since they became very yielding. Hence, “They were glad because they were quiet.” That is, although they had nothing to be glad about, since they already threw all their possessions off the ship and into the sea, they were happy about the silencing itself, since they saved their lives.

This is the meaning of “He caused the storm to be still,” meaning that the storm itself becomes a source of silence. And from then, “He guided them to their desired haven,” since they were rewarded with obtaining their wish. This explains the meaning of the danger of the fierce water at sea.

Two objects: 1) MAALAD, which is the looting of Egypt, which is adornment and the looting of the sea, which is rising. This is the meaning of “He seems to them as a young man,” meaning discerned as the elders of the land, but as ZA itself, who rises through the power of his forefathers. This is the meaning of “a handmaid saw,” etc., since this rising reached the world of Assiya, externality.

For this reason, it is called “the tearing of the Red Sea,” for it is the lower water of MIKVEHON. This is the meaning of “The nations will hear and be angry,” etc., what our sages said at the time of the reception of the Torah, that the nations did not want to receive, as it is written, “And shone to them from Seir, appeared from Mount Paran,” one clung to murdering, one clung to adultery, and only the children of Israel said, “We will do and we will hear,” since He appeared to them as a merciful old man, meaning that in all His inclinations there was mercy.

This is so because there is a need for the power of judgment, too, as was said, “One must learn a tiny bit of folly,” etc., for then they could come to the promised land of Canaan to plow and to sow, “each man under his vineyard and each man under his fig.” However, by this, it was revealed that there is a tiny light in the Klipot [shells/peels], too, which sustains them, and this is why Seir and Paran braced themselves and did not yield. This is what it means that He appeared to them as an old man.

Old man and young man: The meaning of the young man is explained, that his illuminations come to this world. Hence, “The nations will hear and be angry.” The meaning of the old man is the inner ascension and scrutinizing them. For this reason, the nations do not yield at all, and only Israel yield and not the nations. Then the “Righteous in their land will inherit twofold,” rising and adornment. Conversely, in Egypt, which is a land that is not theirs, they had only adornment, meaning food and drink, but no rising.

“What rumor did he hear and come?” the tearing of the Red Sea and the war against Amalek. The first two objects (which are “We will do and we will hear”), the looting of the sea and the tearing of the Red Sea were not enough for them because they came into the dryness inside the sea. After the pleasantness of the miracle, the Klipa [shell/peel] of the dryness reawakened as the Sinai desert and not as a mountain, for they became thirsty for water.

Also, “They came to Marah [Hebrew: bitter],” etc., since they tasted there the bitter taste of MIKVEHON, for water that covers a person put him to death, while drinking a little bit of it revives him.

You saw Abba: There they tried the Creator, “If there is the Lord among us or not.” This is perplexing, for it is not written simply that the people were thirsty, and it is not written at all that they tried the Creator by this, for they almost died of thirst, which is the meaning of the dryness and fire of thirst. Moreover, this is what grows out of rising where there is no testing.

This is the sublime secret that is called “When he lowered his hands,” which is the striking of the rock. For when he raised his hand, the power of Israel and their sanctity became clarified, as AVI. When he lowered his hand to MIKVEHON, the power of Israel weakened. However, because “the people complained about Moses,” for they could not resist the power of ascension like Moses, as MA, but rather as rising, as in, Datan and Aviram are standing in pride.

It has also been explained that the rising was as in a young man at which time all the nations surrendered, where the thirst for water is a faithful Hesed [mercy/grace], for therefore, “and Moses lowered his hands” and struck the rock. In other words, that verse taught them “If there is the Lord among us or not,” and “much mighty water, waves of the sea” promptly came out. However, they drank a little to quench the fire of thirst, then they were rewarded with life again, which is the adornment.

“And Amalek came.” That is, by the striking of the rock, that Klipa that disappeared before, in the tearing of the Red Sea, returned and was reinforced. “And fought,” etc.

This is the meaning of “And you are tired” from the dryness, which the fire of thirst burned. “And weary” by the striking of the rock. They searched again for the two precious objects, “Have you seen Abba?” A tidal wave rose on them from MIKVEHON, in the image of a dog, and it is called a “tail,” like the Red Sea. And then, “They came to the Sinai desert,” for there is “Mount Horev,” and it became Mt. Sinai, where God appeared to him in Moses’ voice, as a merciful old man.

Rephidim means Rifion Yadaim [limpness of hands], when Moses lowered his hands, like the striking of the rock. At the time of the war against Amalek, everyone saw that when Moses raised his hands “Israel prevailed.” Hence, they had a true preparation to receive the Torah as an old man, which is the Netilah [washing] of the hands as in mountains. This is the meaning of “And they took a stone and put it under him,” and he seemed to them like that stone that sank in the fierce water. However, it was under Moses, for he needed it very much.

Were it not for the stone, there would be thirst for water. However, underneath him because “Moses’ hands were heavy,” since they caused them thirst.

Aaron and Hur supported him. Aaron is Abba. Hur is Miriam’s husband and the son of Caleb. This is the meaning of “My uncle stretched out his hand from the hole, for it is Hur [also “hole” in Hebrew] son of Caleb.

By this force, they journeyed from Rephidim and “came to the Sinai desert,” and were rewarded with limitation by the dryness and the thirst. They were rewarded with the revelation of the Creator by “And it came to pass when he raised,” and Aaron’s support.

This is the meaning of “And they saw the God of Israel, and under his feet was as the making of the sapphire brick. Yet He did not stretch out His hand against the nobles of the sons of Israel.”

This miracle and wonder was allotted them by the victory over Amalek, for the hand under Moses, and naturally, He did not stretch out His hand against Atzilut, as in “his neighbor’s work.”

This is the meaning of “What rumor did he hear,” etc., for Jethro was the priest of wickedness and knew that Moses sent for his wife and her two sons, for he did not need them after the adornment and the rising, those two above-mentioned objects.

However, after the war against Amalek, he said, “If she does not come out because of me,” as in stretching out a hand in the manner of a priest of wickedness, “come out because of your wife,” as in “And they saw God, and they ate and drank,” meaning as adornment and rising together. At that time, Moses came out toward his father-in-law, for he was his eyes in the desert, for he told you, “and you will see.”