Who Is This Coming Up from the Desert?

222) Pillars of smoke were billowing upwards. These pillars of smoke from the offerings—when there were offerings on the altar—would always rise like that smoke. There was no anger at the world and Israel were not exiled from their land.

223) “Who is this coming up from the desert like pillars of smoke?” When Israel were walking in the desert, the Shechina was walking before them and they were walking behind her, as it is written, “By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud.” It also is written, “your following Me in the desert.” Thus, the Shechina walked before them and they followed her, receiving from her posterior.

224) And the Shechina was walking and all the clouds of glory with her. And when the Shechina moved, Israel moved, as it is written, “When the cloud would rise above the tent of meeting, the children of Israel would make all their journeys.” When she went up, the cloud rose up, and all the people in the world see, and ask, and say, “Who is this who comes up out of the desert like pillars of smoke?”

225) The cloud in which the Shechina was seen was smoke, since the fire that Abraham and his son, Isaac, had lighted gripped her and did not let go of her. And when that fire gripped her, she emitted smoke.

When the left line of Bina shines without the right, its illumination is like a consuming fire. And when the Shechina is in the form of posterior, she rises and clothes the left line of Bina, and then she is lit up by this fire, as was said, that the fire that Abraham and Isaac, his son, lit up, gripped her, since Isaac is the left line of Bina. Abraham drew it, and before he was incorporated in the right, he was as a consuming fire.

Also, the Shechina was lit up by this fire while she was in the form of posterior, and during the correction of the Shechina, when she receives the complete Mochin of face-to-face—when she imparts illumination of Hochma—she imparts with those vessels that are like a consuming fire. This is because she received from the left line of Bina while she was in posterior Mochin.

This fire does not part from the Nukva even when she is in anterior Mochin. When that fire gripped her, giving illumination of Hochma through them, she would raise up smoke, since then she awakens the posterior vessels, which are like a consuming fire and emit smoke.

226) “…perfumed with myrrh and frankincense from every powder of a merchant.” “Perfumed” means she is connected to the two other sides that are sweetened and included in one another, which are Abraham's cloud—to the right—and Isaac’s cloud—to the left. “…with all powders of the merchant” is Jacob. This means that she was connected in the three lines: myrrh—the right line, Abraham; frankincense—the left line, Isaac; all the powders of the merchant—the middle line, which contains both, and is therefore called “merchant,” for it has myrrh and frankincense.

227) Also, the powder of the merchant is the righteous Joseph. This is so because Joseph’s coffin, who is Yesod, went to her. And he is called “merchant” because he was gossiping on his brothers before his father.¹

228) The Shechina connects to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, which are as one and have one form, as it is written, “These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph.” This is why it is written, “all the powders of the merchant,” since the place from which the river comes out, meaning Yesod, which is Joseph, waters everyone, and everyone’s faces shine.

229) And when Israel were in the land and were bringing offerings, they were all properly near to the Creator. And when the offering was done and the smoke rose upright, they knew that the smoke of the altar lit the candle that was meant to be lit, and everyone’s faces shone and the candles were lit.

Candles are the Sefirot of the Nukva, the lights of the fire.

230) Since the day the Temple was ruined, there is not a day without rage and fury, as it is written, “a God that hath indignation every day”; joy had been taken away above and below, Israel walk in exile, and they are under the authority of other gods. Then, the verse, “and there shall thou serve other gods” comes true.

231) But why has all that come to Israel? It is written, “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things.” what is “the abundance of all things”?

Yesod is called “all,” as it is written, “all that is in the heaven and in the earth.” And when Israel were in the land, Yesod was shining for them and it is written, “abundance of all things.” But abroad, in exile, it is written, “in want of all things,” for Yesod does not shine there. This is why it is said, “You shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things.”

232) Until the Creator awakens and redeems us from among the nations, as it is written, “then the Lord your God will turn your captivity and have mercy on you.”