VaYechi [Jacob Lived]

Jacob Lived in the Land of Egypt

1) “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt.” Jacob’s heart saw in a prophecy in Egypt that his sons would be in all the exiles that have been thus far and through the end, and the time of the coming of the Messiah.

2) Jacob arrived at the prophecy of “Jacob lived,” only in Egypt. This is an important prophecy, which is like no other prophecy. It came to none of the sons of the prophets, but only to him and to Moses. With Moses, it is written, “For man shall not see Me and live,” and with Jacob, it is written, “Jacob lived.” “Lived” means a prophecy that comes down from the illuminating mirror, Tifferet.

This is so because illumination of Hochma is life, as it is written, “Wisdom preserves the life of him that has it,” and this is the prophecy of “Lived.” And there is a big difference between the prophecies of Jacob and Moses and those of the rest of the prophets. This is so because the rest of the prophets received their prophecies from NH de ZA, which is from the Tabur down, where it is the Nukva, which is regarded as not illuminating. For this reason, they prophesied with the word Koh [thus], which is the name of the Nukva.

But Jacob and Moses received from Tifferet, which is called “illuminating mirror,” from Tabur de ZA and above, although in the form of Achoraim [posterior] that is there. This is why it was said to Moses, “You shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” And also, you cannot see My face, “For man shall not see Me and live.” But when he received in the form of Achoraim, he lived. Also, it was said, “Lived,” in regards to Jacob only in Egypt, which is discerned as Achoraim.

When it is written that Jacob achieved the prophecy of “Lived,” only in Egypt, since he received the prophecy from Tabur de ZA and above, where it is written, “You shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” Hence, the prophecy came to him only in Egypt, which is Achoraim. And when it is written that no other prophecies were made except him and Moses, since all the prophets receive from Chazeh de ZA and below, from NH, as is written about Moses, “For man shall not see Me and live,” it means that he is alive because he did not receive from the Panim [anterior], but from the Achoraim, meaning by extension of Hochma.

Also, it is written about Jacob, “Jacob lived,” which is extension of Hochma in Egypt in the form of Achoraim, as it is written, “Lived.” It is a prophecy that comes down from the illuminating mirror from Tabur de ZA and above, from Tifferet, which is called “the illuminating mirror.” However, there is a difference between Jacob and Moses, too, since Jacob is from Tifferet and Moses is from the interior of Tifferet—the Daat.

3) Jacob wished to prophecy about the exiles that would happen to his sons in the land of Canaan and in any land that they lived in, which are from the land of Egypt, meaning that all the exiles are included in the land of Egypt. His heart was broken, as it is written, “That there was Shever [which means both ‘food for sale’ and ‘shattering’] in Egypt.”

4) This is why “Jacob lived in the land of Egypt,” and he was not happy because in that land was the connection of the peoples, meaning that all the filth of the nations was incorporated there, as well as the sapphires of the throne, which are sparks of Hochma that are captive among them, and they are called “sapphires.” It is written about it, “And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne.” And no man came to sort them, neither from the upper ones nor from the lower ones. Rather, “alive” [Hey-Yod], as it is written, “For man shall not see Me and live.”

Due to the sin of Adam ha Rishon, the Kelim and Nitzotzin [vessels and sparks, respectively] of the degree of Hochma fell into the Klipa of Egypt. It was written that he was not happy because in that land was the connection of the nations, since the land of Egypt is a hard Klipa [shell], since the filth of all the nations is attached to her. For this reason, there was no joy in them. However, the sapphires of the throne, which are the Kelim and Nitzotzin of the degree of Hochma, feel there, too, and it is known that the degree of Hochma cannot shine unless by mingling with light of Hassadim. At that time, the light of Hochma is called light of Haya, as it is written, “Wisdom preserves the life of him that has it.”

It was written, “And no man came to sort them, neither from the upper ones nor from the lower ones. Rather, ‘alive.’” This means that no one can be rewarded with Hochma, except those who receive with integration of Hassadim, and then the receiver is called “alive,” the degree of Yesod de [of] Gadlut, which is called “Joseph.”

It is written, “And Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes,” on the light of the eyes, the light of Haya. This is so because the light of Haya does not shine in a Partzuf before there is the discernment of Joseph there, Yesod de Kelim, due to the inverse relation. Hence, Yesod is called “The one who lives forever,”

And it was written, “For man shall not see Me and live,” since in the Panim [anterior], there is no degree of “alive.” This is why it is written, “For man shall not see Me,” since seeing is Hochma, which shines only at the degree of light of Haya, meaning in its incorporation with Hassadim, while the Panim extends from AA, which is Hochma without Hassadim.

5) There are several hidden meanings to this text. About “Lived,” in which Jacob is mentioned, it should have said, “Israel,” “Israel lived.” This is so because the name Jacob points to Katnut, and the name Israel indicates that he already has Mochin de Gadlut. The words, “Lived” imply to the light of Haya, Mochin de Gadlut, so it should have written, “Israel lived.”

How do we know that it is Israel that indicates to Mochin de Gadlut? Because it is written, “Israel was holy to the Lord,” and holy implies Gadlut. It is also written, “My son, My firstborn, Israel.” “Firstborn” implies Gadlut; thus, the name Israel is mentioned in Gadlut, and not Jacob, which is the name of Katnut, as it is written, “Who would raise Jacob, for he is small?” But it is written, “And he sold his birthright unto Jacob,” so birthright, which is Gadlut, is mentioned in regards to the name, Jacob, too.

6) While Israel were men of truth and righteous and performing good deeds, Israel were not afraid, only Jacob. It is written about him that he was afraid, as it is written, “For I fear him.” This is so because Israel is the name of Gadlut, and there is no fear in him, since due to the good deeds that Israel were doing—they did a lot of Hesed [mercy/grace] to each other—there was no fear in them.

7) When they sinned and were exiled for their iniquities and bad deeds, they could not tolerate, for fear that they would forever stay in exile for their iniquities. This is the reason why Midat ha Din [quality of judgment] and Midat ha Rachamim [quality of mercy] came together, for it is the indication of the name, “Israel,” and it placed them in the land of their exile.

This means that Divinity exiled with them, and it is to that that the name “Israel” points. This is why they were certain that they would be redeemed along with Divinity, and by that, they tolerated the exile and did not fear. This is the reason why the name Israel is in exile, as it is written, “And Israel was exiled from over its land.”

8) “And he sold his birthright unto Jacob.” It should have said, “To Israel,” since birthright is Mochin de Gadlut. But the man who was observing knew him—that Jacob who was connected to “Lived” was holiness, like the name Israel. In other words, the rule is that Jacob is the name of Katnut, but it is not necessarily in a place where the Gadlut that he obtained is explicit. This is why it is written here, “Jacob lived,” and it should not say, “Israel.”

And also, “And he sold his birthright unto Jacob” should not say “Israel,” since that Jacob, who is connected with the Gadlut, is necessarily holy, as is Israel. This is the reason why they said, “Jacob, the Creator chose him to be a sapphire in the throne,” and they did not say, “Israel,” since the Gadlut is explicit.

9) “And the depressed and him who is of low of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the depressed.” “The heart of the depressed” is Jacob, since below the degree, from the Achoraim [posterior] the prophecies and blessings came down upon him in Egypt, and Egypt is considered Achoraim. This is why his heart was depressed.

10) Jacob, who was in Egypt, his prophecy was not transcendent because the land was hated.

11) He was not rewarded with blessing any of his sons, and he could bless only in Egypt, when he blessed each of them according to a secret. And the secret is as it is written, “And Jacob saw that there was Shever [food for sale/shattering] in Egypt, and ... said to his sons, ‘Why do you fear?’” Indeed, the prophecy was given only to the heartbroken, as it is written, “Go down there and break.”

And it was written, “Jacob arrived at the prophecy of ‘Lived,’ only in Egypt,” it is because “But My face shall not be seen.” This is why he did not have the Ruach to bless his son but only in Egypt, which is considered Achoraim. For this reason, Jacob had the heart of the depressed. This is why he brings evidence from the writing, “And Jacob saw that there was Shever in Egypt, which implies to the breaking of the heart that he had in Egypt. And he immediately awakened to send his sons there, since he knew that this prophecy was given only to the brokenhearted. And so he says, “Go down there and break,” which implies to the breaking of the heart.

12) Under the holy throne there is the sapphire Jacob, and sapphire is Jacob’s Midat ha Din [quality of judgment]. The writing comes and says, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel; for you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed.” Jacob saw Midat ha Din for his discernment, as it is written, “And the sun rose upon him.” And the meaning of it is, “Woe unto us for the day has set.”

The holy throne, Bina, stands on four legs—three lines and the Nukva, which receives the three lines. The Masach of Behina Aleph on which the middle line comes out, which is called Jacob, is called “sapphire.” This is why it is written that Jacob is sapphire, and he is under the throne, and this is his Midat ha Din. It is so because this Masach diminishes him into VAK, and he brings evidence to that from the words, “And the sun rose upon him as he passed over Peniel, and he limped on his thigh,” which is a light that brings healing, to heal him from the twilight on the left. And since this light comes out only on Masach de Behina Aleph, Masach of the point of Hirik, he was limping on his thigh.

The text seems to mean that Jacob saw Midat ha Din for his discernment, which is the Masach de Behina Aleph, to heal him from the twilight on the left. And the meaning of it is, “Woe unto us for the day has set.” This is so because through the integration of the left in Jacob, the day has set, meaning that the lights departed. This is why he needed Midat ha Din, which is the Masach de Behina Aleph, to re-extend the light of the sun, even though by that he became limping on his thigh. This is why the text says, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob,” where there is Midat ha Din, “But Israel,” where there is Midat ha Rachamim [quality of mercy], too, meaning GAR from upper AVI, pure air.

13) When they were exiled from Jerusalem and the continual was removed, and the enemy defiled the palace, at that time, Malchut—Nukva de ZA—could not tolerate the children of Israel for their iniquities. But the degree of the name “Israel” did tolerate them because it is on two sides, Rachamim and Din. And the Din is the reason for the disclosure of the Rachamim; hence, the Din, too, is regarded as Rachamim.

14) The meaning of the words, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel” is that when it becomes clearer in the understanding, Israel Jacob are atop one another, where Israel is more important than Jacob; this is why the angel blessed him with the name, “Israel.” Because of them, Moses’ scepter was engraved with His holy name on both its sides—one is Rachamim in Din, the degree of Israel, and one is Din in Din, the degree of Jacob.

15) It is as was written, “None has seen iniquity in Jacob, nor seen toil in Israel.” This means that he did not see iniquity in Jacob, but did see toil. But in Israel, he did not even see toil because the Din is regarded as Rachamim in him, as well. And since in exile we are pressed amongst the enemies, and Divinity has departed from the King, ZA, and moved far from him, this became the reason that in the end, Divinity will be among us and will redeem us.

This is so because the pressure brings us to repentance, and repentance—to redemption. Thus, the Din at the degree of Israel becomes Rachamim, as well. This is why it is written that he did not see toil in Israel, but it is all Rachamim. However, at the degree of Jacob, it is not so, hence there is toil in him. This is the reason why the angel blessed him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel,” who has Din, as well as Rachamim, exile, as well as redemption, and it is all Rachamim.

This is why it was written, “Thus says the Lord, King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts.” It is written, “And Jacob lived,” alive. “King” means the Din in the name “Israel.” “His Redeemer” is the Rachamim in the name “Israel,” and both are included in the name “Hosts,” which is NH—Netzah is the Rachamim in it and Hod is the Din in it. And they are called, “Lived,” alive.

Netzah, the right leg, shines only from below upwards. This is why it is called “Lived,” in past tense. The Hod is the left leg, and shines from above downwards, too, which is why it is called “alive,” in present tense. All of that is in the upper degree, Israel. But below the degree of Israel it is written, “Thus says the Lord, ‘The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool.’” This is so because above, at the degree of Israel, both My legs are alive—the right leg is Netzah, “Lived,” and the left leg is Hod, “alive.” But here they are called “Hadom Raglai [My footstool],” from the word Demama [stillness], the opposite of life.

16) At the higher degree, Israel, both legs, NH, are alive—the Netzah is “Lived,” and Hod is “alive,” and both are included in the words “Lived.”

There are two discernments in the letters: simple and filled. For example, when pronouncing Aleph, the letters Lamed-Peh are heard with it, meaning Eleph. And when pronouncing Bet, the letters Yod-Tav are heard with it, meaning Bet. The letters, Aleph and Bet, are called “simple,” and the letters Lamed-Peh, Yod-Tav, which are sounded with them, are the filings of the simples. Accordingly, when the four letters VaYeChI [Vav-Yod-Het-Yod, “and lived”] are filled, they are Vav-Yod-Vav, Yod-Vav-Dalet, Het-Tav, and Yod-Vav-Dalet.

Also, two divisions are discerned in them: 1) The four simple letters, VaYeChI; 2) The seven letters of the fillings, Yod-Vav, Vav-Dalet, Tav, Vav-Dalet, which are Galut [exile] with three letters in Gematria (436).

Also, they are two legs, NH, where the first division, VaYeChI, is Netzah, and the second division, which is exile in Gematria, is Hod. And both are “alive,” meaning included in the word, VaYeChI, since because the exile is the reason for the redemption and revival, the exile is regarded as revival, too.

It was written that in the higher degree, Israel, both legs, Netzah and Hod, are “alive,” meaning they are both included in the word VaYeChI. The big Yod, the simple one, has a small Yod in its filling, and Vav-Dalet, which are ten in Gematria. The Het has Tav in its fullness, there are Vav-Yod in the filling of the Vav, and there are Vav-Dalet in the filling of the Yod.

17) Those two divisions are included in the gem, sapphire, which is under the throne in the land of Egypt. It is written, “And the Lord will smite Egypt.” This is the second division, the letters of the filling, which imply to the exile. And the words, “Your dew is as the dew of light,” it means dew of revival, the first division, the letters of the simple, which imply revival.

18) For this reason, the second division—which implies to the exile—conjoins with the first division—which implies to revival and redemption. It is written, “House of Jacob, go and let us walk by the light of the Lord.” This means that the letters that imply to the exile to which they were sentenced for their iniquities, in a true judgment, have correction in the Torah, and by keeping it you will come out of the sludge that is the exile, and you will walk by the light of the Creator. And the meaning of the words, “House of Jacob, go” refers to the exile. Hence, by strengthening there in the Torah, you will be rewarded, as it is written, “And let us walk by the light of the Lord,” which is the revival and the redemption. It follows that the exile is the reason for the redemption. Thus, the two divisions come as one.

19) The letters Aleph, Reish-Tzadi are in a saddened land that comes into exile in the division in the book of Torah, meaning in the 400 years in the sentencing between the pieces. And in the Aretz [land], they are divided into A’ [Aleph]-Retz. In the division of the book of Torah, the Reish and Tzadi unite in the exile, meaning that they were in exile in Egypt for Reish-Tzadi (290) [in Gematria] years. And the filling Lamed-Peh of the Aleph in Aretz is 110 in Gematria, and 110 plus 290 are 400 years.

What is the exile in Egypt? After all, Abraham was told that his children would be in exile for 400 years, but if you count them, they were only 290 years.

The Zohar calculates the beginning of the days of exile in actual fact as the time of the selling of Joseph to the Egyptians, when he was seventeen. It took thirteen years until he became a king because when he stood before Pharaoh he was thirty years old. By the time Jacob and his sons came to Egypt, Joseph was already thirty-nine years old, since when Jacob came to Egypt, the seven plentiful years had passed, plus two years of famine. And Joseph lived seventy-one more years after Jacob had arrived in Egypt, since Joseph lived 110 years and the enslavement did not begin as long as Joseph was alive.

Kehat was among those who descended to Egypt, and he lived for 133 years. Amram, his son, lived 137 years. And Moses’ age when they were redeemed was eighty. If we say that Amram was born at the end of Kehat’s days, and that Moses was born at the end of Amram’s days, then together, they are 350 years. Thirteen years had passed from the selling of Joseph until he became king, and this falls into the calculation of the exile, thus they are 363 years. Subtract seventy-one years that he ruled after Jacob’s arrival in Egypt, for during his reign they were not enslaved, and it is 292 years. But The Zohar calculates only 290 years because it considers two years as overlapping, since Amram was not born precisely at the end of the days of Kehat or Moses was not born precisely at the end of the days of Amram.

20) It is written, “And Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old. And it is written, “The young woman shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanu El.” In this text, conception and delivery have been filled into exiles and much troubles and bad times, as it is written, “For before the boy will know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land… will be forsaken. … The Lord shall bring upon you ... days that have not come.” And although the Creator will be with us during those years—as indicated by the name of the boy, Immanu El [Hebrew: God is with us], the name of Divinity—Divinity will have been shaken and become removed from her husband, ZA, and she is with us in exile. And although Divinity is with us, she is afflicted in exile and without a Zivug.

We learn from the text that there is conception that precedes the birth of the exile. And the 110 years of age are the additional carving, considered the conception of the existence of the exile. And the writing will wish to say that 110 years of the exile in Egypt had already passed in the form of conception, which, together with the 290 of being in actual exile, they are 400 years that the Creator told Abraham in the covenant between the pieces.

Also, Jacob’s exile was counted only since the death of Joseph, and these 110 years of conception of exile are implied by the filling of Lamed-Peh of the Eleph in Aretz, which is 110 in Gematria. And the 290 of being in actual exile are implied by the Reish-Tzadik in Aretz. And all that is as it is written, “From the time that the continual is removed and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.” The text says 1,000 [in Hebrew, Eleph] over 290, as it is explained that the exile divides into conception and actual exile. Eleph is the conception, and in Gematria, its filling of Lamed-Peh is 110, and the 290 are the actual exile. And they are the letters of Aretz, meaning Aleph-Retz.

21) “So the length of Jacob's life was one hundred and forty-seven years.” Here—in the 147 years of Jacob’s life—lies the number of corrections in the exile that the exiled children will have in Midat ha Din [quality of judgment] in three exiles. The first correction is with Egypt, which corresponds to seven years. It is written about it, “I adjure you… that you do not arouse or awaken my love until it pleases.” Here, too, the number seven in Jacob’s years is an oath, indicating not to wake the love—redemption—until it pleases.

22) From this we understand the meaning of the number seven, as it is written, “From afar the Lord appeared unto me; ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love.’” “From afar” means in exile. This was because of the great love that appears only through exile. Exile is the correction; when the children of Israel are liberated from the exile, the Creator’s love for us will be revealed.

In the number seven in Jacob’s life, the text wishes to say that the holy sons who were exiled for their transgressions will be in Din for many years, until they are “Seven times according to your sins.” It also says, “If Cain is avenged sevenfold,” for with this number, it corrects the corruptions that they had done and reveals the light of redemption. This is in the first exile, in Egypt, the smallest of the three exiles.

23) The second exile is the exile in Babel, which corresponds to forty years in Jacob’s life. In relation to Egypt’s seven, they are bigger, since they came to the exile in Egypt as lay people and their sorrow was not great. But to the exile in Babylon, they came like captive royalty, for they had already had the Torah, the land, and the Temple. Hence, their affliction was great, and it is considered forty years compared to Egypt’s seven.

24) The third exile is the long exile that we are in, which corresponds to 100 years in Jacob’s life compared to the forty in the exile in Babylon.

And the Time Drew Near that Israel Must Die, and He Called His Son Joseph

25) “And the time drew near that Israel must die.” He saw that this trouble of the exile would happen to his sons, and he brought it closer to his soul, “And his soul was annoyed to death.” And he did not remain alive when he descended from his degrees due to the sins of Israel. And Israel, ZA, did not descend with them into exile, as did Divinity, who went down into exile with them.

Happy are Israel because if ZA did come down with them into exile, they would remain among the nations and would not be able to come out of them. And it is written, “Why have I come and there was no one, I called and none answered? Is My hand too short to redeem?” “And none answered” is Israel, ZA. “[Why] have I come and there was no one” is Divinity, whose hand is too short. Thus, ZA, too, went into exile with them.

However, the Creator gave a portion to Israel, so no other minister would rule over them. For this reason, he was in exile with them. And when they went into exile, Divinity is with them. But ZA is far from Divinity. Indeed, ZA is in exile with Israel, too, as well as Divinity. But he is far from Divinity and there is no Zivug between them. This is why he said before that ZA did not go down to exile.

And He Called His Son Joseph

26) “And he called his son Joseph.” Jacob questioned his sons and told them, “I see many and great troubles coming over your children. It is necessary to find higher Rachamim [mercy].

27) “And if you wish to be out of all the troubles, swear to me and we will place the Maker of the world between us forever, so you will practice truth and judgment and will be as your fathers. And you will command this in each generation following you. If you wish to do so, you will come out of all the troubles that will come upon you.”

28) And he called only his son Joseph, and not all the tribes, as it is written, “And present justice in the gate; perhaps the Lord ... will pardon the remnant of Joseph.” All of the children of Israel are called “Joseph.” Here, too, the name Joseph includes all the tribes.

29) Jacob said, “If you do so, you will not bury any of my sons in Egypt, but bring me back to your land in peace.”

30) And said to him, “If I have found favor in Your eyes,” “Put your hand under my thigh.” What is “Your hand”? It is written, “Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one, Your glory and thy majesty.” And also, “Your hand under my thigh” means a sword. A sword has Hesed and truth, Yesod, in which there is light of Hassadim and light of Hochma, which is called “truth,” and is called “the light of the face.” He says about it, “Mercy and truth will go before Your face.” The face of the Creator is their share.

Had his sons been good and done what they had taken upon themselves, none of their sons would have died in Egypt, since the abundance that the Creator sentences to people is only on condition that they are good. As David said, “That the Lord may fulfill His word, which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your children keep their way, to walk before Me in truth.” And if not, then not.

31) How fairer is the spirit of the father than the spirit of the son? The spirit of the father is the spirit of the son, spirit that extends from spirit. Thus, the preeminence of the spirit of the father over him is as the value of the root compared to its branch. If there is assistance of another air in the spirit of the son—from the Sitra Achra—he is born incomplete, since he becomes deficient by that air of the Sitra Achra.

33) “And ... said, ‘Swear to me,’ and he swore to him,” as it is written, “The Lord has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength.” “The Lord has sworn,” to deliver Israel from their exile. This is what He swore to them. “And he swore to him” relates to the Creator, too, who swore that He would not leave them in the land of their enemies.

34) “Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the dawn is breaking.’ But he said, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’” What is, “You bless me”? It is the blessing that the angel blessed him—giving them exile and swearing that he would redeem them from it, as it is written, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel,” since the name, Israel, contains Din and Rachamim, exile and redemption, and the exile is a direct cause of the redemption.

35) The Creator is destined to make it so that each and everyone of the sons of Israel will be under His throne, and they will be more important than all the angels above. This is the reason why you find a long Vav in the Torah, such as the Vav from the verse, “Whatsoever goes on the belly” [Gahon (belly) is written with a long Vav, ], which implies that the Creator swore to the perfection of six generations—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, and Joseph—the six Sefirot HGT NHY. And because of those six, it is written, “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head,” since Israel is ZA, which includes HGT NHY. Israel’s bowing implies that the Messiah will come at the end of the six thousand years, which implies to the six complete Sefirot, HGT NHY, related to his clothing of upper AVI, whose Sefirot are one thousand each, and Divinity will be with them.

Behold, Your Father Is Ill

36) “And it came to pass after these things, that Joseph was told, ‘Behold, your father is ill.’” The text does not come to tell us what Joseph did, but what was to happen at the end of the exile, that all those will be at the end of the count that was counted, the end of the six thousand years.

The words, “Joseph was told, ‘Behold, your father is ill,’” wish to say that a Messiah, Joseph, will come and he will be told, “Your father in heaven is rushing to see your face, who is overlooking the end of the Messiah.” “Your father is ill” means that he is concerned and in a hurry.” And the words, “And he took with him his two sons, Menasheh and Ephraim,” wish to say, “May it please God in heaven to welcome His sons, who have been fruitful and multiplied in the exile,” hence the name Ephraim [Ephraim contains the word Parim (multiplying)], “And whose iniquities have been forgotten by the exile,” which is why they are called Menasheh, which means forgetting [Menasheh comes from Neshia (oblivion)], since the Creator forgot their iniquities against the truth.

37) “The Lord will add to me another son” interprets the Holy Name in Joseph, the three letter name YaHU [Yod-Hey-Vav]. In the same way, it is written, “Joseph was told, ‘Behold, your father,’” belonging to the next world, ZA in Mochin of upper Bina, who is called “the next world,” wanting to do good to His sons so they will come out from their exile. And if, in Your truthfulness, you will not want, meaning you will not find them worthy of it, then the Name with four, “HaVaYaH is one” [“The Lord is one”] will correct you and Divinity will return to her place. This is so because if the sons are not worthy of redemption of their own, ZA will correct them for elevating them to the next world, which is Bina, and by that, the unification of One HaVaYaH will be established.

38) The patriarchs are the upper Merkava [chariot/structure] of the Holy Name, as it is written, “And God went up from Abraham,” meaning He was riding it. It is also written, “You will give truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham.” This means that Jacob is a Merkava for Tifferet, who is called “truth,” and Abraham is a Merkava for Hesed [mercy]. This is why we explained the words, “Behold, your father is ill,” in regards to ZA, and that through the unification HaVaYaH is one, the Messiah will come.

At Evening Time There Shall Be Light

39) “And there shall be one day which shall be known as the Lord's, not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.” Two bad incidents were to come upon Jacob: 1) they were to be exiled in the land of their enemies; 2) that He would not look at them for many years because of their iniquities in the truth, and thus, He would forget them in the land of their enemies.

This is considered Ephraim and Menasheh. And in the end, He will take their sons, to whom these two bad things happened, and will lead them to a good land, as The Zohar interprets the verse, “And he took with him ... Manasseh and Ephraim,” to whom these two incidents happened, and will lead them to their good land.

40) There were two great and important ministers that were knocking under the throne of Israel’s supervisor, the fifth quality, so they will be in the exile the whole time that they need. This is considered Ephraim. Worse yet, He would forget them in the land of their enemies, and this is discerned as Menasheh.

One minister is from the discernment of Ephraim. Hence, his quality is to sustain Israel in exile and let them multiply there. And the other minister is from the discernment of Menasheh, hence his quality is to make them forgotten in exile.

41) These two ministers are two qualities, each of which contains two tongues. One quality came out and spoke before the Master of the world and was given permission to say anything it wanted. It saw Israel on one side, that Israel must be sentenced to redemption from exile for the merit of their fathers. But on the other hand, it saw that they should be sentenced to remain in exile for their iniquities, since the slanderers reported great evils about them. Thus, they are four qualities. This is so because each of the ministers, which are two qualities, had two tongues, one for merit, and one for fault. But there was no fifth quality in them, Israel’s supervisor, and they said anything that they wanted. At one time, the two ministers spoke in favor, and at one time, they spoke against. And there was no fifth quality in them, which brings everything back to favor.

In and of herself, Malchut is considered Midat ha Din [quality of judgment]. She is unfit for reception of the upper light due to the Tzimtzum [restriction] and Masach on her. Her whole correction for reception of light is through her ascent and integration with Bina, Midat ha Rachamim [quality of mercy]. These are the two qualities in the two ministers, Midat ha Din and Midat ha Rachamim, which are mingled in one anther—Bina and Malchut.

And they become four Malchuts because Bina included Bina and Malchut, and Malchut included Bina and Malchut, too. Hence, they turn from Rachamim to Din and from Din to Rachamim. At times they are males and at times they are females, since the parts of Bina in them are males and Rachamim and the parts of Malchut in them are females and Din.

And they are two qualities, Midat ha Rachamim is Bina and Midat ha Din is Malchut after they were included in one another. The first minister, whose quality is to sustain Israel in exile and to multiply them, is from the quality of Malchut, which is Midat ha Din, as it is written, “But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad.” The second minister makes them forgotten in the land of their enemies, since he does not look at them for many years due to their iniquities in the truth. In other words, he does not sentence them for their iniquities and because of that comes the forgetting. Also, he is from Bina, Midat ha Rachamim, hence he does not look at their iniquities.

And it writes that they are two qualities where there are tongues in each, thus they are four qualities. This is so because after they were mingled with one another, they became four Malchuts, since Rachamim and Din were made in Bina, and Rachamim and Din in Malchut, meaning merit and fault in each of the Malchuts. They alternate—once to merit, that they will be redeemed from exile by the merit of their fathers—and once to fault—that they should remain in exile for their iniquities. It was written that she would be given permission to say anything she wants to say, since Malchut in and of herself is Midat ha Din entirely, hence even after Midat ha Rachamim participated, she causes Din and fault wherever she is seen.

However, at the end of correction, when Malchut receives her complete correction and the Din in her is cancelled, and she is worthy of receiving the lights, like Bina, the inversion from Rachamim to Din will be cancelled in the Malchut that is conjoined with Bina, too. And this Malchut is called “the fifth quality,” which is no longer mingled with Bina, like the four Malchuts, but is corrected in and of herself.

42) When the fifth quality—which will appear at the end of correction—comes to them, meaning when Malchut herself, without the association with Bina, is corrected into being the throne like Bina, speaking well of Israel, all the Dinim will be lifted from her. Then the first two qualities—Bina de Bina and Bina de Malchut—will not be afraid to speak before him in favor of Israel, as they feared before that the other two qualities—Malchut de Bina and Malchut de Malchut—would turn them into fault. This is so because the fifth quality, which thus far was regarded as night, due to the Dinim in it, has now come out to shine for them. In other words, it has turned into light and Rachamim, and all the Dinim in the two qualities that were accusing about Israel were cancelled.

It was written about it, “And there shall be one day which shall be known as the Lord's, not day, and not night; but it shall come to pass, that at evening time there shall be light.” This is so because as long as Malchut herself is not corrected, except through association with Bina, Bina is called day and Malchut is night. The night is illuminated by the moon and the stars, which receive from the sun, the light of day, but at the end of correction, “And there shall be one day ... not day, and not night.” This means that the darkened Malchut will not be needed for the correction of day and night, but “At evening time,” when Malchut herself, who is called “evening,” is revealed, “There shall be light,” since the very darkness of Malchut will turn to light. Then she will no longer need the moon and the stars, which receive from the light of day—the fifth quality.

This is why it is written, “And he took with him ... Manasseh and Ephraim,” two qualities, Bina and Malchut. This implies to the time of redemption, when the fifth quality appears. At that time, these two qualities will be all Rachamim and they will not turn to fault again.

43) “And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night.” Nukva de ZA, who is darkness and night, receives from the day, who is ZA. But it is written, “And darkness was upon the face of the deep,” which means that darkness is Klipa and not Kedusha.

However, from Beresheet and during six generations, which are HGT NHY de ZA, He created one HaVaYaH, Bina. Vav de HaVaYaH is ZA, in whom Bina placed the spirit of Hochma; hence, thus far it was not known what darkness is. This is so because the Mochin de Hochma cancel all the Klipot, and after ZA received Hochma from Bina and imparted HGT NHY to the Nukva, the darkness was revoked from them. Hence, it was not known what darkness is, as it is written, “And the darkness He called Night.”

But below the six generations, HGT NHY de ZA, meaning below the world of Atzilut, there is darkness, Klipa, and it was said about it, “And darkness was upon the face of the deep.”

44) Rabbi Abba rose and asked, “What is darkness?” The friends toiled but did not attain to reply to what he asked. They did a deed, meaning a unification, and a voice came from before the Master of the world in this verse, “A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself; a land of the shadow of death, without any order, and where the light is as darkness.” Darkness means Hell, for even before the world was created, it was concealed for the wicked. Thus, darkness is Hell.

Woe unto the wicked ones who will be in this darkness. Happy are Israel, for the Creator did not create this darkness for them. Happy is the people for whom it is so. Happy is the people that the Lord is his God.

And He Said unto Jacob

45) “And he said unto Jacob, ‘Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you.’” The one who told Jacob was to speak favorably of Israel. When they return to the Creator with all their plight, when the time of the Messiah arrives and they are redeemed from all the troubles that have come upon them, he said to the quality, which is Jacob, Tifferet, “Your sons are coming to you, and the good ones,” meaning Israel, “Will be redeemed.”

46) Happy are Israel, who are called “the sons of the Creator,” who are as angels. It is written about them, “And all the sons of God shouted for joy.” Also, Israel are called “The sons of the Creator, as it is written, “You are the sons of the Lord your God.”

47) How do we know that the Creator called Jacob “God,” that he told him, “You will be in the lower ones, and I will be God in the upper ones?” It is written, “And God went up from Abraham.” Thus, the patriarchs are the Merkava [assembly/chariot] of the Creator. It is written, “You will give truth unto Jacob, mercy to Abraham,” thus two Sefirot—Hesed and truth, which is Tifferet—in the two great upper Merkavot [plural of Merkava], Abraham and Jacob.

48) The third one is Isaac, who became a Merkava for the Sefira of Gevura, as it is written, “And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.” Because of Isaac’s fear, who is a Sefira of the Creator—Gevura—which is called “fear,” he became the throne, a high Merkava for her. And the Sefira of Isaac, Gevura, is more important and more explicit than all the Sefirot of the patriarchs, Hesed and Tifferet, as it is written, “And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac,” by the Sefira of Gevura, called “fear,” which is more important than all of them because the illumination of Hochma came only from the Sefira of Gevura, from the left line, and the illumination of Hochma cancels all the Klipot.

49) “‘The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, let the God of their father, judge between us.’ And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father Isaac.” The Sefira of Isaac is the most important, since he did not swear by the God of Abraham, but by the fear of Isaac.

And Israel Grew Stronger, and Sat upon the Bed

50) “And Israel grew stronger, and sat upon the bed.” It is written, “And at that time shall Michael stand up ... and it shall be a time of trouble.” This is the might of the hand of the great Michael, who will stand for Israel at the time of redemption, when it is a time of trouble, as it is written, “Such as never was since there was a nation and until that same time.” It is about that time that it writes here, “And Israel grew stronger.”

“And sat upon the bed.” As previously he was bowing before it, as it is written, “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head,” now he was sitting on it. A bed means Malchut, who receives from Jacob, ZA. “Sat upon the bed” means that he bestowed upon her.

To whom was Jacob bowing? You can say that he was bowing to the bed, Malchut. But the bed was open to receive from him, and one who gives does not bow to the one who receives from him. Indeed, he was bowing to the circumcision, Yesod, since he was fond of it.

The bed is Malchut. The head of the bed is Yesod, the Rosh [head] of Malchut. He was bowing to the quality of Yesod, the most favored of all the Sefirot.

51) “For he [Judah] profaned and married the daughter of a strange god.” When the light departed from ZA, due to the iniquities of Israel, Divinity could not stand before ZA, and Divinity was exiled from the king, meaning she went to exile among the nations along with Israel because she could not leave her sons among the nations to kill them. ZA was in the holy land, and it is written, “Married the daughter of a strange god” because other nations were to be with him. In other words, Divinity went into exile among the nations, and while she was not in the land and was among the nations, the nations around them were kept by the light of Israel. It was said about it, “Married the daughter of a strange god.”

52) There were two angels, ministers, under the throne. The name of one was “bed,” who is in the treasury of the palace. In the exile, it is all that is left between us, since he is a coin of the Creator and signed with the name of the Creator, Angel Matat, whose name is as the name of his Master, as it is written, “For My name is in him.”

53) The next world, Bina, is the keeping on the way. The power of force of keeping extends from Bina, and this is why Bina said to Israel, “Behold, I will send an angel before you,” Divinity, “To keep you along the way,” and not some other degree. This is because the keeping is from her, and she said, “I place Divinity among you,” to keep you in the exile. She will keep you until she brings you to your country as you were before, as it is written, “To bring you into the place which I have prepared,” for the land was their dwelling place before.

54) The angel in the text is Divinity, who dresses and operates through Matat, since in the exile, called “way,” Divinity was exiled from the King, ZA, and operates through Matat until the days of redemption, when she returns to her place, to ZA. It is written about it, “For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron; it is in Rabbah of the children of Ammon.” This is so because Og king of Bashan is the Klipa opposite Matat. This is why he is also implied in the name Mita [bed], similar to Matat.

55) And a way that is an allegory on the exile, Divinity will keep you in exile from all the troubles that will come upon you until He comes and gathers you in the land that He has sworn to your fathers that it is kept for you.

56) The second minister under the throne, who is in the palace’s treasury, is Nuriel. This is so because the minister of Israel, who was appointed over them, is the first minister under the throne—Matat. At any time when Divinity was with the King, he, Matat, would come out and enter before them. And the second minister, Nuriel, receives the work of Israel to the Creator as fire. When the fire is cancelled because Israel have been exiled and do not raise MAN in their work, the light of Divinity departs and Divinity departed from the King.

57) “Stay the night, and when morning comes, if he redeems you, good, let him redeem.” Rachamim rule over the Din. Ruth is Malchut, Din, and good is Rachamim, as it is written, “And God saw the light, that it was good.” Thus, good and light are the same, and it is the source of the streams from which the sea and the streams in the world come. Thus, what is written about Ruth, “If he redeems you, good” means that Rachamim, which is called “good,” will redeem and rule over Ruth, who is Din.

58) Rabbi Shimon said, “Once I rose and descended to illuminate in the place of the streams.” In other words, he raised MAN and brought down MAD to the Malchut from the source of the streams, Bina. It is written, “All the streams go unto the sea, but the sea is not full.” All the ministers in the world were created from the light of Bina, and all the streams in the world stem from His light, meaning that “All the streams go unto the sea, but the sea is not full.”

“The sea is not full” is Malchut in this exile, since the darkness and gloom in the exile were made by the love of Ima, Bina. If the darkness had not been made, the stream that shines to the daughter, Malchut, would not have been made. Also, the sea will not be full and complete until the other side comes, that which was not in exile, the right side, which no Klipa governs, and then the sea, Malchut, will fill.

The Names Are Called “Hand”

59) The names are called “hand,” meaning the hand of the Lord, “the great hand,” the mighty hand,” and they are the source of light for everything. The name “hand,” is mentioned only in the name HaVaYaH, which is Rachamim, as it is written, “The Lord's hand is not shortened.”

60) “The hand upon the throne of the Lord: the Lord will have war with Amalek.” “The hand upon the throne” is for HaVaYaH, Rachamim, who enthrones the Rachamim over the Din. The text wishes to say, “May it be that it will be forever, instead of Gevura, the great hand that was in Egypt, the Rachamim. Were it not for the great hand, the war would have been in Din without Rachamim.

61) And when the Messiah comes, he will come by the renewal of the great hand and will wage war against Amalek, and the Rachamim will overcome the Din, as during the exodus from Egypt. It is written, “By strength of hand the Lord brought you out from Egypt.” When the name “hand” comes, only “By strength of hand, and not “the hand of the Lord” or “the great hand,” it is in Din, meaning that He will wage war against Amalek in Din and the Messiah will come.

He will wage two wars against Amalek: by overcoming of the Rachamim over the Din, and by Din alone, and then redemption will come. And the evidence is as it is written, “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fought on the day of battle.” The first half of the verse is with the aid of Rachamim, as it is written, “Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight,” meaning that HaVaYaH is Rachamim. The latter half is in Din, without Rachamim, as it is written, “As when He fought on the day of battle,” and HaVaYaH is not mentioned in it. Thus, there will be two kinds of wars.

62) Come and see how great is the strength of the great hand, the right hand, that it came to this upper hand, the left hand, called “the mighty hand,” as well as “upper one,” since it shines only from below upwards. It is with this hand that they came out of Egypt, as it is written, “By strength of hand the Lord brought you out from Egypt.” They join together because their number is equal: Yod counts as Yod, Dalet as Dalet; they are equal to each other. He wishes to say that the name, “great hand,” and the name “upper hand,” which come out together, are equal in their letters and their number is as their number, meaning that the unification received two Yod-Dalet [hand], two together, meaning that the right and left conjoined.

63) How was their joining not prevented? After all, they are not equal since one is called “great” and one is called “mighty.” The joining of those two is explained because they are equal in their letters Yod-Dalet, even though the two are not completely clarified in their eyes. Since they are equal in the name “hand,” it is possible that they will conjoin, even though one is called “great” and the other is called “mighty.” The heaven and earth and all that is in them were created out of those two hands.

“Yod counts as Yod, Dalet as Dalet.” After The Zohar explains the great importance of the unification of the two hands, the great hand and the mighty hand, a unification from which the whole of heaven and earth were created. And although they are remote from one another, since the great hand is right and the mighty hand is left, because both are called “hand,” the word “hand” contains a common interest, hence they unite. Now The Zohar comes to explain how they unite in the word “hand” [Yod-Dalet] by the ten Sefirot in each of them.

The GAR of each degree is considered the Sefira of Keter in her, with the simple letters of the name of the degree. The fillings of the simple letters are the Hochma in her, and the fillings of the fillings are Bina in her. The name Yad [hand, consists of Yod-Dalet]: the simple letters Yod, Dalet are the Sefira of Keter in her. In the letters of the filling of Yod and Dalet—Yod [Yod-Vav-Dalet] and Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav] are the Sefira of Hochma in her. The letters of filling within filling, meaning the fillings of the letters Yod-Vav-Dalet, and Dalet-Lamed-Tav are Yod [Yod-Vav-Dalet], Vav [Vav-Vav], Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav], and Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav], Lamed [Lamed-Mem-Dalet], Tav [Tav-Vav], and they are the Sefira Bina in her.

Accordingly, The Zohar depicts three circles one inside the other. The simple letters Yod-Dalet from the great hand are dedicated to the GAR in the upper one, with the simple letters Yod-Dalet from “the mighty hand.” It is written about it in The Zohar, “Yod counts as Yod, Dalet as Dalet,” meaning Keter of the great hand with the Keter of the mighty hand, since the simple letters of the name imply to Keter.

In the second circle inside the upper one, the letters of the filling of Yod-Dalet from the great hand unite—Yod-Vav-Dalet-Dalet-Lamed-Tav—with the letters of the filling of Yod-Dalet from the mighty hand—Yod-Vav-Dalet-Dalet-Lamed-Tav, as The Zohar wrote, “Yod counts as Yod.” The Yod of the great hand connects with the Yod of the mighty hand, and also the Vav to Vav. Also, the Dalet of the great hand with the Dalet of the mighty hand, and those are written to the right of the circle.

On the left of the circle, the fillings of Dalet—Dalet-Lamed-Tav—are written, as The Zohar writes, “Dalet as Dalet.” The Dalet of the great hand joins the Dalet of the mighty hand, and the Lamed of the great hand joins the Lamed of the mighty hand. Also, the Tav of the great hand joins the Tav of the mighty hand. And the reason why the fillings of the Yod are written to the right of the circle while the fillings of the Dalet are written to the left of the circle is that the Yod itself implies to Hochma, which is right, and the Dalet itself implies to Bina, which is to the left of Hochma, although for the most part, the second circle is Hochma, as it is a filling.

In the third circle, within the second one, the filling of the filling of the name “hand” from the great hand unite with the letters of the filling of the filling from the name hand from the mighty hand, which is the Sefira of Bina in her. They are Yod [Yod-Vav-Dalet], Vav [Vav-Vav], Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav], and Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav], Tav [Tav-Vav], of the great hand, with the Yod [Yod-Vav-Dalet], Vav [Vav-Vav], Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav], and Dalet [Dalet-Lamed-Tav], Tav [Tav-Vav] of the mighty hand.

However, The Zohar does not count the filling of the filling of the Yod, here, but only of that of the Dalet. The reason is that because this circle is the Sefira of Bina, and the Yod in itself is Hochma, it is therefore not calculated in this circle, but only the filling of the filling of the Dalet, which in itself is the Sefira Bina.

The Zohar writes, “Dalet as Dalet.” This means that the Dalet from the filling of the great hand joins the Dalet of the filling of the filling of the mighty hand. It is the same with Lamed for Lamed, Tav for Tav, and they are to the right of the circle because they are the primary letters of the filling of the filling. To the left of the circle, the Lamed of the filling of the filling from the great hand joins the Lamed of the filling of the filling from the mighty hand, and the same for Mem to Mem and for Dalet to Dalet. And also, Tav for Tav, and Vav for Vav. At their center, the Vav is written on top and it implies to their HGT, and bellow it, Yod-Hey, Yod-Hey that imply to the NH in them. Below those is Shadai [Shin-Dalet-Yod], which implies to their Yesod, and below that is a Merkava [chariot/assembly], whose father is Israel, who implies to their Sefira of Malchut.

The first Sefira, the top circle, is the upper Keter, since the simple letters are in it, Keter.

The second circle is as it is written, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch upon the evil and the good,” meaning the Sefira of Hochma, since eyes are Hochma. This is why there are letters of the filling of Hochma in it.

The third circle is the Sefira of Bina, since the letters of the filling of the filling are in it, which help and bestow upon the Vav of the name HaVaYaH, ZA, who performed many miracles in the land of Egypt.

Appeared unto Me at Luz

64) “And Jacob said unto Joseph, ‘God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan.’” Luz is the upper Jerusalem, Bina, which instills Divinity between us. The upper Jacob, ZA, said to Jacob below, “Bina gave me a blessing: she wishes to multiply you and to give the land to your children.” Luz is the upper Jerusalem, and she is Bina, the Creator. He gave a blessing, and this blessing will be through Him in the holy land. But in another land, the blessing will not be.

65) “He who blesses his friend with a loud voice early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him.” The Creator called upon Israel, “Brothers and friends.” “He who blesses his friend” means that the Creator is blessing Israel. The blessing that He gave is that this people will be pure under His hands and He will keep them. Because of this blessing, the Creator brings upon Israel reasons that seem like punishments. This is the reason why the verse concludes, “It will be counted a curse to him,” since they do not understand that it is for their best, so that the blessing is kept.

66) Happy is the pure people that He keeps, who are called “sons.” They are favored more than the upper ones, as it is written, “You are the children of the Lord,” and it is all because of that, since the name Shadai was complemented in their seal, when they are circumcised.

67) The name of the Creator, Shin, is in the face of a man. But the Yod is missing from him, and he is incomplete. Abraham came and was fond of the Creator. The Creator told him, “The name will be complemented in you.” He was circumcised and the name was complemented with the Yod of the Mila [circumcision]. The Shin [] of Shadai is in the face of a man—two eyes and the nose in between. And there is a Dalet [] in his arm, without the Yod. It is completed by the Yod of the circumcision, and then they are called “Sons of the Lord,” “holy sons.”

68) When they defile the holy covenant and it is placed into another authority, in which he transgresses, the holiness of the seal departs him and it is as though he destroys the world, since he defiled the seal that the name of the Creator was completed in and he destroys the world, since it arrests the bestowal of the Creator upon the world.

I Will Make You Fruitful, and Multiply You

70) “Jacob shall not be ashamed now, nor shall his face turn pale now.” If a person promises something good to a person like himself, but does not keep his word, he is ashamed. It is all the more so with a promise that comes from the upper ones to a person, if He does not bring all the good that He said about His sons, He is ashamed.

71) The Creator said to Jacob, “I am the upper Israel, I will make you fruitful, and multiply you ... and I will give this land to your seed with this blessing that Bina gave to Me, and I will give this land to your children.” Yet His children are not in the land and the Creator is not with them. This is a shame that He promises but doesn’t keep.

And when the end of the Messiah arrives and His promise is kept, the Creator said, “Jacob shall not be ashamed now.” “Now” means the face of the Jacob of above. They will not be ashamed because He told them, “And I will give this land to your seed,” since thus far He had nothing to give them and His face was shamed. And now His promise was kept before the Lord of heaven and earth.

72) The war of Amalek, when the end is completed, will be only by the strength of hand, as on a day of battle, as it is written, “Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights in the day of battle,” meaning He Himself and none other.

And Now Your Two Sons, Who Were Born

73) “And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt.” This is Israel below, in the exile, and they are the sons of the Creator, which are born among the nations. The text relates to Israel, who are in exile in the nations, since the land of Egypt includes all the exiles. Israel, who will be in the holy land of Israel, are sitting in the land. When the Messiah comes, they will be in their place with their brothers, since it is considered exile only for those who dwell in a foreign land, and are called “exiles.” But those who dwell in the land of Israel are not called “exiles” and are not in exile even before the arrival of the Messiah. This is why the text makes the precision, “Who were born to you in the land of Egypt,” who are regarded as exiles, and not those who are born in the land of Israel.

74) “And I will remember My covenant with Jacob.” The Vav of Jacob is in excess, which indicates that the Vav that departed when the house was ruined will come and will assist Jacob at the time of redemption. And the holy son, Jacob, will have a permanent lot in the land and his sons will be in their land, in which they lived before, happy are they.

75) Now, sons that were deported abroad and forgotten are discerned as Menasheh, and who were fruitful and multiplied are considered Ephraim. And the upper Jacob, who is ZA, said to the one below, “Your sons, who are abroad, who were born in exile in each and every land before I came to Egypt and executed judgment upon them for their iniquities, I do not consider all those creatures in exile abroad, in a foreign land, as your sons. And although they are many, meaning Ephraim, and are forgotten, which is Menasheh, they are My sons. And when I saw this exile of theirs, I healed their pains and I heard their prayer.

It is written about it, “Before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Menasheh are to Me as Reuben and Shimon [Simeon].” Reuben, “For the Lord saw the affliction”; Shimon, “Because the Lord heard [Shama] that I am hated.” Ephraim and Menasheh means that they multiplied in the exile and were forgotten. “[They] are to Me as Reuben and Shimon” means that He will see their affliction, will hear their prayer, and will redeem them, as implied in the names, Reuben and Shimon. Think in your heart as though they are before Me, and when we return from Egypt, which includes all the exiles, after the judgment is executed in them, we will deliver them from the land of their exile.

76) We learn from this that after He executes judgment in Egypt, which includes all the nations, Israel will be redeemed from the exile, as it is written, “And they shall bring all your brothers out of all the nations for an offering unto the Lord.” This means that when the Creator is in Din [judgment] in Egypt, meaning in all the nations, all the peoples will bring an offering when they hear of the Creator, as it is written, “And all the nations shall flow unto Him.”

77) The Creator will make a Huppah [wedding canopy] for every righteous in Jerusalem, as it is written, “The voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride,” when Divinity returns to the King and she is engaged. “On the day of his wedding, and on the day of his gladness of heart.” “On the day of his wedding” is the giving of the Torah. “And on the day of his gladness of heart” is the building of the Temple, may it be built soon in our days.

78) “But your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours.” This is Israel below, which will be born after the redemption, to the patriarchs, which are Merkavot [chariots/assemblies]. Their names—those who were born after the redemption—will be named after their brothers; they will be named in their lot.

79) “But your offspring” is Jerusalem below. “Your offspring” are the people who will be born in this Jerusalem, once the world returns to the Master of heaven, since they will convert after the redemption. They will be named after the sons of Israel and not after their fathers, like the proselyte from Kaputkia, but by the name of Israel.

80) “Shall be yours” means that they will be named after Israel. They will be named after their brothers in their lot. And when they return, they will settle with Israel in the land and each tribe will take its own. And for people of theirs who are strangers, each will inherit from the land according to his number.

Rachel Died on Me on the Way

81) “A voice is heard in Ramah ... Rachel is weeping for her children.” “Thus says the Lord, ‘Restrain your voice from weeping,’” for there is reward to your action, “And your children have returned to their boundary.” Should it not have said, “And your children will return to their boundary”?

82) When there is Din on the mountain and Divinity is crowned on the mountain, meaning she receives Mochin there, a crown, and thinks that her children will be lost in Din at that time, it is not so. Many will be sons of the throne, from Bina herself, as it is written, “For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous than the sons of the married woman,” and then Divinity will return to her husband. “On that day, the Lord will be one and His name One.”

There are two states to Divinity:

1. When she is a fourth to the patriarchs. At that time her level equals that of ZA, HGT. They are called “mountains” because they are both a throne to the Bina. At that time, he is the three legs of the throne, HGT, mountains, and Divinity is the fourth leg of the throne, and she is regarded as a mountain, meaning HGT, as well. In that state, she is Achoraim [posterior] and Dinim [judgments].

2. When she is rebuilt in Panim [anterior] and Rachamim [mercy]. However, her level diminishes and she is no longer fit for being a throne to the Bina. Rather, she becomes a recipient of ZA, meaning she descends to NHY, though they mate Panim be Panim and in Rachamim. The Mochin and the birth of the souls of Israel come from the second state, since in the first state, she is full of Dinim, and then all who receive from her are lost.

When the Din is on the mountain, meaning when Divinity is in the first state, when she rose to HGT, which are mountains, the Dinim govern the mountain and Divinity is crowned on the mountain. This means that she receives great Mochin like ZA and becomes a throne to the Bina, like him, a fourth leg. She considers those who receive from her as lost, due to the profusion of Dinim that are given off her in that first state. Hence, in that state, Divinity is considered sterile, for she has no sons, meaning receivers, for anyone who receives from her is lost.

At the end of correction, when Malchut herself is entirely corrected and no longer needs to receive mitigations from Bina, then it will be said, “Sing, O barren,” since many will be sons of the throne, of her own sons. This is so because all those who received from him in the first state, in the degree of the throne to Bina, who were lost from the world due to the profusion of Dinim in her, have all been revived. And Divinity, who thought she was barren without sons in the first state, will now see that the sons from the state of the throne are more numerous than her own sons, from the sons in the second state, before the correction, when she was the only one with sons.

This is the meaning of what is written, “For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous.” The sons of the throne are more numerous than the sons of the married woman, from the sons of the second state, for only she was married and with sons. And then Divinity will return to her husband, as it is written, “In that day the Lord will be one and His name One.” This is so because prior to the end of correction, only one HaVaYaH was said, since Divinity is included with ZA, HaVaYaH. But at the end of correction, it is also said, “And His name One,” since she herself will be corrected.

83) Therefore, first, Divinity will say to her husband, “Where are my sons from the first state?” And he will tell her, “They are in Din,” and she thinks that they were lost in the Din and cries for them, as it is written, “A voice is heard in Ramah ... Rachel is weeping for her children.” And he will tell her, “Restrain your voice from weeping,” for there is reward for your action, since you were with them and the sons have already returned from the hated land, as they have already been redeemed. Hence, “And your children have returned to their boundary,” in past tense, since the Creator replied to her, “For there is reward to your action,” since the end of correction already happened and the sons have already returned to their boundary.

84) “Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me.” Did Joseph not know that his mother had died? After all, he was there with her when she died, so why did Jacob have to tell him that? Rather, the upper Israel will say that when we come from the redemption of Israel, Divinity will awaken, and the assembly of Israel will awaken and wage war with the peoples. And there will be dead among Israel in this war, and they will gradually come closer to the land. The Creator will tell her, when she is crying for her slain sons, “Do not be afraid, there is reward to the sons who died in a war for My name. Others, who did not die, have already returned, and those that have died will relive at the revival of the dead.”

85) “Rachel died on me.” She died for the unification of the name of the Creator. Her sons were killed for sanctifying the Creator, and it is written about it, “When there was still some distance to go to Ephrat.” They died for the unification of the name of the Creator abroad, in the war to come to the land because in the land of Israel, none of them will die, only to come to the land of Israel, since after they come to the land of Israel, they do not die any more.

86) Israel are destined to make war on the way to Ephrat, and many of them will die. Afterwards, they will rise for the revival of the dead and additional governance will be given to those who died on this way to Ephrat, from among all those who were already in Jerusalem before them, meaning more than all those who did not die in the war.

87) And why is this holy place called “bread,” since the writing says that Ephrat is Beit Lechem [House of Bread]? This is because it is from the name of the Creator, for they will die there in fighting for His name, “The hand upon the throne of Koh [Yod-Hey]: the Lord will have war against Amalek.” This means that they will die there to complement the name Yod-Hey. This is so because the name is not complete with HaVaYaH until the memory of Amalek is blotted out, and this is why the war is toe complement the name Yod-hey with Vav-Hey. This is why the name is called Lechem, from the word Milchamah [war], since he fought in exile because he came to complement the name of the Creator.

And Israel Saw the Sons of Joseph

88) “And Israel saw the sons of Joseph and said, ‘Who are these?’” meaning “Who bore those to me?” The text wishes to say that Israel below saw that the sons of Israel would come before him, when they come “From Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamat, and from the islands of the sea,” and they will all gather and be a great many people. And Divinity will say, “Who are all these? Is there no fault in them from foreign sons?” And they will tell him, “All of us are of your sons. There is not a foreign son among us,” since they parted from each other, meaning the mixed multitude will part from Israel and they will circumcise together and convert, and the strangers will return with Israel and they will be together.

89) “And the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel.” When the sons return to their land and there is love in them, “The Lord will be one and His name One.” At that time, strangers will connect to Israel and will be as barnacle in their flesh.

90) Why are they as barnacle? Rabbi Shimon said that it concerns the boundaries of the land, since everyone will want to live in the land of Israel, and the tenants will appear outside the border. It is written about it, “And strengthen your pegs,” which means that the pegs that were with you before, at the time of exile, strengthen them and fix them more than all the other nations, seemingly as you saw fit to strengthen them while you were among all the other nations, in exile among the nations, and the strangers will be many.

The only difference between Israel and the nations is in Israel’s grip on the middle line, which limits the level of the left and unites it with the right line, which is the boundary of Israel. But the rest of the nations grip to the left line and have no desire for the middle line. At the end of correction, the boundary of this Masach will expand from the level of MA (45) to the level of AB (72). And then it is written, “Enlarge the place of your tent ... lengthen your cords,” since the boundary of Israel will expand from the level of MA to the level of AB. And this is why the verse ends, “And strengthen your pegs,” meaning the boundaries, because it is written, “For you shall spread to the right and to the left, and your seed shall inherit the nations.”

The gentiles that will convert and live in the land of Israel should be feared that they will breach the boundary entirely and will not wish to take upon themselves the great Masach of AB, since their root is not of the seed of Israel. This is why the pegs should be strengthened, meaning the boundaries, since the tent-peg creates a boundary across the tent, as it is written, “And strengthen your pegs, for you shall spread to the right and to the left, and your seed shall inherit the nations.”

Hence, they said about the boundaries of the land that this is the reason why the strangers are regarded as barnacle due to the boundaries of the land. It is so because at that time, everyone will want to dwell in the land of Israel, meaning that all the strangers from all the nations will come and sit in the land of Israel, as it is written, “For you shall spread to the right and to the left, and your seed shall inherit the nations.” Thus, the strangers will breach the boundaries of the land and will be seen outside the border, due to the root of their fathers, who have no desire for any boundaries. This is why it is written, “And strengthen your pegs.”

He wishes to say that the pegs who were with you before, at the time of the exile, strengthen them and fix them more than all the other nations. They should strengthen the border to be strong so that the rest of the nations do not breach it. And the reason why he speaks of the pegs that were with you before is that at the end of correction, they will not have Aviut [thickness] to raise MAN for a Masach and a boundary. Hence, then they will need to use the Aviut that they had had before to raise MAN for a Masach and a boundary, for they seemingly need to strengthen the pegs, the Masachim [plural of Masach], as when they were in exile among the other nations. This is so because after the end of correction they will not have sufficient Aviut for a Masach and will need to use the Aviut that they had during the exile.

Whom God Has Given Me by This

91) “Joseph said to his father, ‘They are my sons, whom God has given me by this.’” Israel below, who are called “Joseph,” will say—when the upper Israel is atop them from above—“They are my sons.” “The Creator has given me the Torah,” which is called “This,” and this is why it is written “By this.” “How many are they” relates to Israel and their real laws in the laws of the Torah that was given to them.

When Israel are under the wings of Divinity, the Torah is called “This,” as it is written, “This is my God, and I will glorify Him.” “Whom God has given me by this” is the Torah. Each time David did not speak under the wings of Divinity, but prophesied what was to be, the Torah is called “This,” as it is written, “This is the law [Torah] which Moses set before the children of Israel.”

Sometimes the Torah is called “this” [in male form] and sometimes it is called “this” [in female form]. The difference between them is that male means active and bestowing, and female implies receiving of the act, while not performing any act of her own. It is written about it, “Ester was the ground of the world.”

When is it called “this” [in male form] and when is it called “this” [in female form]? When Israel are under the wings of Divinity in exile, when they take shelter under the wings of Divinity, they are called “keepers of the Torah,” for they act and make the Torah. At that time, the Torah is considered a male, active, hence it is called “this” [in male form]. And whenever David did not speak from under the wings of Divinity, but prophesied what was to be, the Torah is called “this” [in female form].

During the revelation of the Torah and the disclosure of all the secrets in it, the Torah is considered female because then only the reward in it is revealed and there is no action in it. It is like the ground of the world, and for this reason, at that time it is called “this” [in female form], as it is written, “This is the law [Torah].”

92) From this we learn the difference between “this” [in male form] and “this” [in female form] when it is written, “If a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; if war should arise against me, in this [female] I trust.” “This” [female] is the Torah that will be when the Messiah comes, when the Torah is revealed. This is why it is written, “And the voice of the Tor [turtledove] is heard in our land.” It writes Tor, in male form, and not Torah [in female form], as it usually does. Tor is the name of the dove, as it is written, “Turtledoves or young pigeons.”

Also, the Torah is compared to a dove because the dove has a pleasant voice and the Torah has a pleasant voice, as well. And this voice will be when the Messiah comes on judgment day, prior to the redemption. At that time, the Messiah will execute judgments and wars on the nations that enslave Israel. But because it is still not the time for disclosure of the Torah, she is called Tor, in male form, and she is called “this” [male form].

93) “'The flower buds have appeared in the land; the time of singing has arrived, and the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.” “The flower buds” are the patriarchs from the Merkava [assembly/chariot]—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who will rise in the world and will appear in the land.

94) “The time of singing has arrived” is the song that the Levites will sing when they return to their work as in the beginning. “And the voice of the turtledove” is the voice of Torah in male form, which is called “this” [male], of which it is written, “Whom God has given me by this.” These are the words of Torah, which are as pleasant as the voice of the turtledove, who is “this” [male].

95) When Israel do not take shelter under the wings of Divinity, the Aleph of “this” [female] descends below all the degrees and the Hey of “This is my God” departs. This is so because once the house has been ruined, the Hey could not be among the idol-worshipping nations. Thus, the holy Hey was separated from the name. When Israel return to their land, the holy Hey will return to “this” and will depart from the judgment day, and the Aleph will receive her correction and will return to “this” [female].

Which is more important, the Hey or the Aleph? The Hey is more important in regards to Kedusha [holiness], and the Aleph is more important in regards to the letters.

96) “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and established the heavens with the span [the little finger].” This is equal Tors, which unite. The Zayin of Zeh [“this” in Hebrew] joins the Reish of Tor, and the Reish of Tor joins the Tav of Tor, and the combination Zeret [little finger] results from it. The Vav of Tor joins the Hey of Zeh, making Vav-Hey of the name HaVaYaH, which are ZA and Nukva.

The span [little finger] of the Creator is in 670 years, from heaven, ZA, to earth, which is Nukva. How so? Because this Tor has two combinations: 1) Zeret [Zayin-Reish-Tav] Vav-Hey; 2) Hey-Vav Terez [Tav-Reish-Zayin]. This means that the Hey of Zeh advanced toward the Vav of Tor, and the advancement of the Hey implies to Bina, who gives to ZA, Vav. Vav advances toward the Tav of Tor, Tav to Reish of Tor, and Reish to Zayin of Zeh.

In other words, the combination of the two Hey-Vav Terez is 670 years from heaven to earth, meaning the level of the light that is imparted from heaven, ZA, to earth, the Nukva. It indicates that it lacks thirty for the seventh century, which is the missing GAR in this level. And even though there are only 607 here, the seven is multiplied by ten, and they are 670.

By that, he tells us that two combinations arise out of the names Zeh and Tor, which are equal as one: 1) Vav-Hey Zeret, ZA, is the heaven itself; 2) Hey-Vav Terez, ZA, is the level of bestowal upon the Nukva. It was written, “It shall be square and folded double, a span [little finger] in length and a span in width.” “A span in length” is the level of bestowal of ZA, 670, which is Zeret in Gematria. “And a span in width” is ZA himself.

97) “And he said, ‘Bring them to me, please, and I will bless them.’” Because the sons engage in words of Torah, as Joseph said, “Whom God has given me by this,” this is the Torah, and there is a measure of “this” [male form] between them, “And I will bless them.”

98) It is written, “‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’” The name Jacob implies Katnut and contentment with being without Mochin. Afterwards, it is written, “And Jacob asked him and said ... ‘Why do you ask for my name?’” A name implies attainment. In regards to that other matter—that you said your name was Jacob—it means that you settle for Katnut and do not seek attainment and knowing the Creator. “And Jacob asked him and said ... ‘Why do you ask for my name?’ And he blessed him there.” This means that he told him that he is not destined to bless them but only thanks to “this” [male form].

99) The Torah is called “this” [male form]. It is written, “This Sinai, at the presence of the Lord, God of Israel.” Sinai is the Torah that was given at Sinai. Also, when the Torah was given through Moses, it was said about him, “For this is Moses, the man.” It is also written, “This is my God, and I will glorify Him,” which means that the Torah, called “this” [male form], was coming down from before the God of Israel, and then they said, “This is my God.”

And the Eyes of Israel Were Dimmed with Age

100) “And the eyes of Israel were dimmed with age.” This is Israel below. And this is the reason why you do not find such as this verse in the whole of the Torah. This is so because when Israel are in exile all the days of this ruin, we have grown old and could not see the face of Divinity, until another spirit comes within them.

101) Prior to that, they were defiled in the land of the nations, in their exile, and did not follow the laws of the Torah as they should have. They sat among the foreigners for a long time, generation after generation, and learned from their ways, as it is written, “And they mingled with the nations and learned their conducts.” When they returned to their land, in the beginning they could not see the face of Divinity until the Creator placed His spirit within them.

102) It is written about it, “And I will put My spirit within you.” Afterwards, “And [I will] cause you to walk in My statutes, and you shall keep My ordinances, and do them,” since after I place My holy spirit within you, you will walk in my statutes and walk in them.

103) “In the light of a king's face is life, and his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain.” This is so because when they accept the face of the Divinity of the Creator and engage in those Merkavot [chariots/assemblies] from which the animals of the world come, the animals that carry the Merkava [singular of Merkavot], as written in Ezekiel, it will be said about them, “In the light of a king's face is life.”

104) You will not find in these verses—from the portion, “Jacob Lived” and thus far—that they speak of the Creator. Even though they are concerned with redemption, when it writes, “Jacob,” it refers to the upper Jacob or the upper Israel, the Creator. Why does the text speak in a language and in names of people?

It is so because when they return to their land and the Creator gives them the spirit of Hochma [wisdom], their language will always be about the Creator, as it is written, “My tongue also will utter Your righteousness all day long.” This is so because the verses thus far speak of the coming to the land, before the Creator placed the spirit of Hochma in them. This is why they speak in names of people and the Creator’s name is not mentioned explicitly.

Jacob Lived

105) “Your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever.” Happy are Israel more than all the idol-worshipping nations because the Creator called them “righteous,” to bequeath them everlasting inheritance in the next world and to delight in that world. It is written about it, “Then shall you delight in the Lord,” since Israel adhere to the body of the King, to the middle line, as it is written, “And you who cleave unto the Lord your God are alive everyone of you this day.”

106) “Your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever.” This verse has a sublime meaning among the harvesters of the field, those who have been rewarded with receiving fruits from their work in the upper filed, the Nukva. There is no one to inherit the lot of the upper inheritance of that land, the Nukva, other than the one who is called “righteous,” since the Nukva clings to him to be mitigated from the bitter Dinim in her. This is why the righteous inherits Divinity.

107) With the love of the Creator for Israel, He said, “And your people are all righteous.” For this reason, “They shall inherit the land forever,” since they are worthy of inheriting Divinity because a righteous inherits Divinity.

Israel are called “righteous” and inherit Divinity because they were circumcised. This is so because anyone who is circumcised and enters this lot, Divinity, keeps this covenant, enters, and clings to the body of the king. In other words, he becomes a Merkava for ZA and enters this righteous, who became a Merkava for the Yesod. For this reason, Israel are called “righteous.” Hence, “They shall inherit the land forever,” the land of the living, Divinity.

108) “The branch of My planting, the work of My hands, wherein I am glorified.” “The branch of My planting” is a branch of those branches that the Creator planted when He created the world. It is written about it, “And the Lord God planted a garden in the east.” This land is one of those plantings, the Nukva. This is why it is written, “The branch of My planting, the work of My hands, wherein I am glorified.”

109) “Your people are all righteous” is Jacob and his sons, who descended to Egypt among a stiff-necked people, and they were all found to be righteous. This is why it is written about them, “They shall inherit the land forever,” since from there, from Egypt, they rose to inherit the holy land.

110) “And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt.” Why is this portion closed, since there is no space at all in the book of Torah between the end of the portion VaYigash [Judah Approached] and the beginning of the portion VaYechi [Jacob Lived]? When Jacob died, the eyes of Israel were closed because then, after Jacob’s death, they descended into exile and the Egyptians enslaved them.

111) “And Israel lived in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, and they took hold of it, and were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly,” since they had kings’ delights there. Afterwards it is written, “And Jacob lived,” in one succession, without any space between them, indicating that they were in kings’ delights and received pleasures and delights for themselves.

112) In Egypt, this is called “Lived,” since it is considered for him as life. After all, throughout his life he was not called “Lived,” since all his life was in sorrow and in affliction, as it is written, “I was not at ease” in the house of Laban, “And I was not quiet” from Esau, “And I did not rest” from Dinah and Shechem, “And vexation came,” the vexation over the selling of Joseph.

And after he descended to Egypt, he was called “Lived.” He saw his son as king, he saw all his sons pure and righteous, all are delighted and with everlasting dainties, and he is sitting among them as a good wine that is resting on its yeast. And then he is called “And Jacob lived.” This is the reason why he does not separate, not leaving a gap between “Were fruitful and multiplied exceedingly,” and “Jacob Lived,” for so it should be, as they are one succession.

113) What is the reason that it is written, “And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years”? All of Jacob’s days were in grief. When he saw Joseph and stood before him, meaning when Jacob looked at Joseph, his soul was made whole as if he saw Joseph’s mother, since Joseph’s beauty was similar to the beauty of Rachel, and it seemed to him as though he had never known sorrow.

114) When Joseph parted from him, the words, “I was not at ease, and I was not quiet, and I had no rest; and vexation came,” came true because this trouble was harder for Jacob than anything he had ever experienced. And when Joseph parted from him, it is written, “Joseph was seventeen years old.” And in all of Jacob’s days he had not known such grief, and he was crying each day for those seventeen years of Joseph.

115) He was answered from above, “And Joseph shall put his hand on your eyes.” Here you have seventeen other years—in pleasures, dainties, joys, and delights, as it is written, “And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years.” All those years, the Divinity of the glory of the Creator was with Him, and for this reason, those years in Egypt are called “life.”

116) “And the spirit of Jacob their father revived.” This means that in the beginning, his spirit was dead. He also did not intend to continue and receive another spirit, since the upper spirit is not present in an empty place. Divinity is present only in a whole place, and not in a deficient place or a flawed place or a place of sadness, but in a proper place—a place of joy. For this reason, all those years when Joseph was separated from his father and Jacob was sad, Divinity was not on him.

117) “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with singing.” There is no service of the Creator unless out of joy. Divinity is not present in sadness, as it is written, “‘And now bring me a player.’ And it came to pass that when the player played.” It writes “Play” three times, to evoke the spirit from the source of wholeness, ZA, which includes three lines, which is the complete spirit. The threefold “play” corresponds to his three lines.

118) Everything is present from the four directions, which are the three lines in ZA—south, north, east, and Divinity, who receives the three lines, which are the West direction. The three worlds BYA and everything in them come out of them, and all the roots in the upper and lower worlds cling to them.

The right line, south, enters and illuminates. The left line, north, comes out and does not illuminate, for it does not illuminate without the right line. It blocks the middle line, the east, which illuminates only in covered Hassadim prior to its Zivug with the Nukva. He interprets the Nukva, which illuminates in disclosed Hassadim during the Zivug with ZA, who is the West direction. Each of the directions unite with each other, mingle with each other, and then they are the fathers of everything, for the whole of reality, BYA, extends and is born out of them.

119) “Only your fathers did the Lord desire.” “Your fathers,” actually three—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It writes, “Only,” really only, that there are no more than these three, and from them all the others branch out and grip, meaning all the degrees in BYA. They rise for MAN to ZON, to crown the Name, to extend new Mochin to the Nukva, who is called “Name.”

Two Camels

120) Since the day Rabbi Shimon came out of the cave, nothing was hidden from the friends. They looked at the high secrets and were revealed in them as though they were given at that time at Mount Sinai. After Rabbi Shimon died, the fountains of the deep and the windows of heaven were closed. The fountains of wisdom were stopped. The friends were contemplating matters, but they did not stand in them, to know their meaning.

121) One day, Rabbi Yehuda sat by the gate of Tiberias and saw two camels throwing a bundle of precious wool garments off their shoulders. The load of wool garments fell and birds came to the place where the load was to fall. And before the garments reached them, the birds were split [broken].

122) Afterwards, a few birds came and walked on the birds that were split, and stayed on the rock but did not split. They shrieked to the birds, to drive them away from the split birds, and they did not move from them. They heard a voice, the crown over the crowns is in the dark and her master is outside.

123) The order of expansion of the Mochin is in the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik. In Holam, the lights of VAK without a Rosh remain after the splitting of the degree by the force of the ascent of Malchut to Bina, which are lights of Hassadim and right line. Shuruk is the return of half of the degree to its place, and the lights of GAR come in it once more but are regarded as GAR de Achor [posterior GAR], since they are Hochma without Hassadim, which cannot shine. Hence, at the appearance of these GAR, all the lights in the degree freeze and it becomes dark. This is the left line.

Hirik comes to correct the left line so it will mingle and unite with the right line. Hence, it elevates the Masach of Behina Aleph, which extends VAK without a Rosh once more. At that time, the left line surrenders and unites with the right, and Hochma dresses in the Hassadim on the right. By that, GAR de Panim [anterior GAR] come out.

The point of Hirik, the middle line, comes out in three orders—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—as well. First, the root of Masach de Hirik appears, the Masach de Man’ula [lock], from Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction], which is the only one to which the left line surrenders. At that time, GAR de Achor immediately disappear from the left line.

However, the disclosure of this Masach still does not make it fit for reception of GAR in the world. Hence, it must be mitigated once more, through the ascent of Malchut to Bina. At that time, the point of Holam of the middle line appears, the mitigated Malchut. And even though she is VAK without GAR, too, these VAK are already suitable for reception of GAR because they are in Masach de Miftacha [key].

After that, the point of Shuruk appears, meaning GAR de Achor and the freezing of the lights, since they are Hochma without Hassadim. Finally, the Zivug on Masach de Hirik in Behina Aleph occurs once more, through raising of MAN, and then the right and left lines unite in each other, Hochma dresses in Hassadim, and GAR de Panim come out. Thus, the point of Hirik, the middle line, must come out on the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—as well.

Souls that are immersed under the domination of the left line, the point of Shuruk, received the form of camels. They are called “A camel that is carrying a heavy load” because all the sublime degrees that these souls had have been frozen and have grown dark, and they could not enjoy them. Finally, they became a heavy load on them until their only wish was to be rid of them. This is why they are like camels, since a camel, even if it carries all the treasures and fortunes, it will loathe them and they will be a burden to it since it takes no interest in enjoying them.

It is written, “And saw two camels throwing a bundle of precious wool garments off their shoulders,” since he saw those souls—on which the Masach de Hirik appeared—to save them from the domination of the left and to unite them with the right. He saw the souls while they were removing and throwing off themselves the precious wool garments, meaning the degrees that have frozen on them and have become a burden to them. And through the appearance of Masach de Hirik as a root, meaning Masach de Tzimtzum Aleph that brings the left line back to VAK, the precious wool garments fell off them, meaning the degrees of GAR, which have become a burden.

“Birds came to the place” refers to degrees of GAR, which extend from Kelim de Ima, Bina, which the flaw of the falling of the load does not reach. And although the flaw of the falling of the load does not reach them, still, they were split, meaning that the mitigation of the ascent to Bina appeared on them, and this ascent splits the degrees into two halves: KH with lights of NR remain in the degree, and Bina, Tifferet, and Malchut fall below the degree. This is the disclosure of the point of Holam once more in the middle line, by which they are made suitable for reception of GAR once more.

Afterwards, when they received the Katnut of Holam, they became fit for reception of the GAR de Achor, as well, meaning the point of Shuruk of the middle line. This is why it writes, “Afterwards, a few birds came and walked on the first birds that were split,” meaning that the GAR of the new birds was relying on the splitting that occurred in the previous birds, for without their splitting, there would not be disclosure of these GAR of the point of Shuruk. “And stayed on the rock” means that their lights froze once more and they became like a rock, like the nature of the point of Shuruk.

To bring the ZON back from Achoraim, the point of Hirik of the middle line is required, which brings the GAR de Panim back to the souls. It is also a correction that brings to ZA Hassadim in Panim and in Achor. For this reason, at that time, all the Se’arot [hairs] depart from it, from before and from behind. Se’arot are Dinim, from the word Se’arot [“storms,” it’s spelled a little differently here]. This means that the storms and the Dinim must be moved from Rosh ZA from before and from behind, since all the Dinim must be moved from ZA and be given to the Nukva.

Afterwards, ZA and Nukva mate and the Se’arot depart from the Nukva, too, but only from GAR de Panim, the place of Zivug with ZA de Panim. But in her GAR de Achor, all the Dinim remain, to punish the wicked who wish to suck from these GAR de Achor.

Mine Is the Silver, and Mine the Gold

129) It is written, “And they shall take the gold, and the blue, and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.” It does not say “silver.” And yet, in the donation of the Temple, it writes “silver and gold.” Also, it does not say “copper,” although silver and copper were in the count of the donation of the Temple, but here they are not mentioned in the garments of the high priest.

130) There is gold that precedes silver, and it is Bina, as it is written, “Out of the north comes golden splendor.” In the donation of the Temple, it writes silver and gold, where the gold is of greater value than silver, which is Hesed de ZA. And there is gold that is below silver, Gevura de ZA. It is called “gold,” too, as it is written, “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold, says the Lord.” Bina, which is called HaVaYaH, says, “Mine is the silver,” meaning Hesed de ZA, “And Mine is the gold,” meaning Gevura de ZA, as it is written, “The heavens are heavens for the Lord.” Heaven is ZA. “Heavens for the Lord” are from Bina, who is called HaVaYaH. “Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold, says the Lord” is Bina, too, who says, “Mine is HG de ZA,” which are called “silver” and “gold,” “For they stem from Me.”

131) The holy vessels are the garments of the high priest, as it is written, “They are holy garments.” They are as AVI, who are called “holy,” since the high priest is considered upper Aba, hence his clothes are called “holy garments.”

132) The high priest above, Aba, has the high priest below, opposite him. Hence, the garments of glory of Aba correspond to the garments of glory of the high priest below. For this reason, as Aba is holiness, the high priest is holiness. And as the garments of glory of Aba are holy garments, the garments of the high priest are holy garments.

There are no silver and copper in the garments of the high priest because they are attributed to another place and do not correspond to upper AVI, as it is written, “All the pillars around the court shall be furnished with silver.” It is also written, “And their sockets of copper,” which are vessels to be used for the tabernacle, Nukva de ZA, to use them.

133) However, no one with the oil of the holy ointment on his head is to use the garments of glory of the high priest, since in these garments, he is similar to the one above—upper Aba. This is why only gold is written in regards to them, meaning upper Bina, from whom come the garments of upper Aba, and not silver and copper, who are from ZON, and are not at all considered the high priest, but as the pillars of the court.

The Time for Israel to Die Drew Near

134) “And the time for Israel to die drew near.” Woe unto the world for people do not see, do not hear, and do not know that each and every day, the voice of the herald is sounded in 250 worlds.

The illumination of the Zivug of the night is dominated by the left. The incomplete illumination of Hochma is called “herald” or “the voice of the herald,” since a complete Zivug of day is called “voice” and “speech.” Bina contains five Sefirot KHB TM or HGT NH, and they are five worlds. Because the Sefirot of Bina are in hundreds, they are five hundred worlds. Through the ascent of Malchut to Bina, she was split into two halves. 250 worlds remained in Bina, and the 250 lower worlds fell from her and outside the degree. Even though in Gadlut these 250 worlds return to Bina, they are still regarded as Achoraim of Bina, and the 250 upper worlds are considered the Panim of Bina.

When the midnight Zivug, whose illumination is called “a herald,” takes place in the 250 worlds that fell from Bina, the voice of the herald is heard in them and brings them back to their degree, to Bina. Also, in all the degrees below Bina, each of which is complemented by the sound of that herald, all the half-degrees that fell from them return to their degrees and they are completed.

135) One world is known above—the Nukva. When the herald comes out and complements it, that world shakes and startles because this Zivug comes by domination of the left, which evokes the Dinim. Two birds come out, rising from that world. Their abode is under the tree, in which there is the vision of life and death.

Two birds are two sparks from HB de Nukva that fell into the Klipot at the time of the sin of the tree of knowledge with the Kelim de Achoraim of the Nukva, at which time they descended into the Klipot. With the midnight Zivug, which brings the Kelim de Achoraim back—those that fell from the Nukva and connect them in the Nukva—the two birds return with those Kelim de Achoraim to the Guf [body] of the Nukva. When the herald comes out—meaning the illumination of the midnight Zivug—those two birds, whose abode is under the tree in which there is the vision of life and death, and which departed from the Nukva and fell to the Klipot, come out and reconnect to the Nukva, meaning in Achoraim de Nukva, called “under the tree in which there is the vision of life and death.” This is so because “under” means Kelim de Achoraim, and the Nukva is called “the tree of good and evil.” And the abode of those birds is there because they descend to the Klipot with them and they rise from there with them.

136) One bird comes out to the south, right—the one that comes from a spark of Hochma. Also, one bird comes out to the north, left—the one that comes from the spark of Bina. One comes out when the day rises, from Hochma, and one when the day sets, at evening time, after midday, from Bina. Each calls and declares what it heard from that herald. In other words, they shine to the same extent that they received from the illumination of the midnight Zivug, called “a herald.”

137) Afterwards, when the night darkens, they wish to rise to their place, to Achoraim de Guf de Nukva, which is their abode, but their legs fall into the hole of the great deep. This is so because in the beginning of the night, the Dinim proliferate and the Kelim de Achoraim de Nukva fall once more into the Klipot de Beria, called “the hole of the great deep,” and the birds fall and become trapped with them. They are trapped inside of it until midnight. When half the night is through and the midnight Zivug takes place, the herald calls, as it is written, “As birds that are caught in the snare.” This is so because through the illumination of the Zivug, called “herald,” they are saved and come out of the snare and reconnect to Atzilut, to their abode as in the beginning. So it is each day.

138) When people’s feet are caught and their days draw near, that day is called “The day of the Lord to return the spirit unto Him.” At that time, the holy Keter [crown] commands man’s spirit, as it is written, “The days of our years are seventy years,” which is Keter, the seventh to all, meaning the Nukva, the seventh Sefira, which ends all the Sefirot.

139) And if the Nukva comes to a person from the side of Gevura, which is Bina above the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, it is written, “Or if due to strength [Gevurot], eighty years,” since Keter of the Gevura is the eighth. Henceforth, there is no more room for the continuation of life because in a place where there is no foundation, the building cannot be. Keter means Sefira.

Man’s soul is born out of ZON, which are seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, each of which consists of ten, thus they are seventy. This is why the number of these seventy Sefirot is as it is written, “The days of Jacob, the years of his life.” With respect to the Kelim, they begin from above downwards. Thus, the first ten years of his life are from Hesed, the second are from Gevura, through the last ten years, which are from Malchut. And then he has no one from whom to receive and thus he dies, since he no longer has a basis from the upper Sefirot de ZON, from which to receive vitality.

And if the root of his soul is from Bina, which is Gevura, as it is written, “I am Bina, Gevura is mine,” then his years of life are eighty. And if he lives longer than that, it is labor and sorrow, for he has no one from whom to suckle.

140) Happy are the righteous when the Creator wishes to bring their spirits back to Him and to draw that spirit that is within them. When the Creator wishes to bring the spirit back to Him, if he is righteous, that spirit is as it is written, “And the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

141) And if he is not righteous, woe unto that spirit, for it must bathe in burning fire and be corrected so as to be sucked into the King’s body, the Creator. And if he is not corrected, woe unto that spirit for it rolls like a stone in a sling, as it is written, “And the soul of your enemies He will sling out in the hollow of a sling.” And if that spirit is rewarded, how good is what awaits him in the world, as it is written, “Neither has the eye seen.”

142) When one’s days draw near to dying, he is declared in the world for thirty days that his time to die has come. Even the birds in the sky declare him. And if he is righteous, he is declared for thirty days among the righteous in the Garden of Eden.

143) During all those thirty days, the soul comes out of him each night, rises, and sees her place in that world, and that person does not know about it and does not notice. He does not govern his soul for all those thirty days as before. It is written about it, “No man governs the spirit to imprison the spirit.” When those thirty days begin, one’s image darkens and the form of the image that is seen on earth is prevented from being seen.

Rabbi Yitzhak Sat and Was Sad

144) One day, Rabbi Yitzhak sat by the door of Rabbi Yehuda and was sad. Rabbi Yehuda came out and found him sitting by his door, sad. He told him, “How is this day different from other days?”

145) He told him, “I have come to ask three things of you: One) When you speak words of Torah and mention any of the words that I said, say them in my name, to mention my name. Another one) Reward my son, Yosef, with the Torah. And another one) go to my grave during all seven days of mourning and pray your prayer for me.”

146) He told him, “How do you know that you are going to die?” Rabbi Yitzhak told him, “My soul leaves me each night and does not shine for me in a dream as before. Moreover, when I pray and reach, “Who hears a prayer,” I look in my semblance on the wall and I don’t see it. And I say that I will die since my semblance has passed away from me and it is not seen because a herald comes out and declares, as it is written, “Surely man walks as a mere semblance.” As long as man’s semblance has not left him, the man walks and his spirit lives within him. When man’s semblance departs and is not seen, he passes away from this world.

147) Rabbi Yehuda told him, “It seems that way from here, too, as it is written, ‘Because our days upon earth are a shadow.’ All those things that you have asked of me, I will do. However, I ask of you that in that world, you will choose my place with you, as I was with you in this world.” Rabbi Yitzhak wept and said, “Please do not part from me all these days.”

148) They went to Rabbi Shimon and found him engaged in Torah. Rabbi Shimon raised his eyes, saw Rabbi Yitzhak, and saw that the angel of death was running and dancing before him. Rabbi Shimon rose, held Rabbi Yehuda’s hand and said, “I sentence that those who usually come to my place shall come, and those who do not usually come to my place shall not come.” Rabbi Yitzhak and Rabbi Yehuda went inside. By that, he tied the angel of death outside and he couldn’t come in.

149) Rabbi Shimon looked and saw that it was still not his time to die, but the eighth hour of the day was his time. He sat him down and engaged in Torah with him. He said to Rabbi Elazar, his son, sit at the door, and whomever you see, do not speak to him. And if he wishes to enter, swear that he will not enter.

150) Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Yitzhak, “Did you see your father’s form today or not?” When a person leaves the world, his father and his kin are there with him. He sees them and recognizes them, and all those with whom he will dwell in that world, on one degree, gather and are there with him, and go with his soul until the place where he will stay. Rabbi Yitzhak said, “Thus far, I haven’t seen my father’s form.”

151) Rabbi Shimon rose up and said, “Lord, Rabbi Yitzhak is with us, and of those seven eyes, he is here, meaning of the seven disciples that were alive upon their departure from the Idra Rabah [the cave where Rabbi Shimon and his disciples stayed]. Here I am, holding him. Give him to me.” A voice came out and said, “The throne of his Master,” the Nukva, “Approaches the Zivug on the wings of Rabbi Shimon,” meaning through his work and raising of MAN. “Behold, Rabbi Yitzhak is yours, and you will come with him when you come to sit at your throne,” meaning when Rabbi Shimon passes away from the world. Rabbi Shimon said, “So I will do. I will bring him with me upon my passing from the world.”

152) In the midst of all that, Rabbi Elazar saw that the angel of death departed and said, “No sentence holds where Rabbi Shimon is.”

Rabbi Shimon said to Rabbi Elazar, “Come here and hold Rabbi Yitzhak, for I see that he is afraid.” Rabbi Elazar came in and held him, and Rabbi Shimon turned his face and engaged in Torah.

153) Rabbi Yitzhak slept and saw his father. His father told him, “My son, happy are you in this world and in the next world, for you are sitting among the leaves of the tree of life. Rabbi Shimon is a great and strong tree in both worlds, and holds you in his branches. Happy are you, my son.”

154) He told him, “Father, and what am I there, in the world of truth?” He told him, “For three days they were hasting to prepare your dwelling place. They fixed open windows for you, to illuminate for you from the four directions of the world, and I saw your place and I was glad, for I said, ‘Happy are you, my son.’ Only, thus far, your son has not been rewarded with the Torah, and I regretted that.

155) “And now twelve righteous from among the friends intended to come to you. But while they were leaving, a voice arose through all the worlds, ‘Who are the friends here? Crown yourselves for Rabbi Shimon. He asked of the Creator that Rabbi Yitzhak will not die and it was given to him.

156) “Even more, seventy places are crowned here for him, and in each place, doors are open to seventy worlds. And each world opens to seventy couriers, each courier opens to seventy high crowns, and from there, roads are opened to Atik, the most hidden of all, to see the uppermost pleasantness, who illuminates and delights all, as it is written, ‘To behold the pleasantness of the Lord, and to visit in His Temple.’ And it is also written, ‘In all My house, he is trusted.’”

We have no attainment in GAR, even the GAR of the ten Sefirot of the world of Assiya, but only in ZAT. In ZAT, a chosen few can attain even in ZAT de GAR of the world of Atzilut. Rabbi Yitzhak’s father tells us that Rabbi Shimon held the ZAT of all the Partzufim of Atzilut, even the ZAT de GAR de Atzilut.

A place is the Nukva de ZA, as it is written, “Behold, there is a place with Me,” and as it is written, “Seventy places are crowned here for him,” meaning ZAT de Nukva, each of which comprises ten, thus they are seventy.

ZA is called “world,” as it is written, “Let a world of Hesed [grace] be built.” And in each place, doors are open to seventy worlds, which are ZAT de ZA, each of which consists of ten.

The lights of Bina are called “couriers,” as it is written, “For in haste did you come out from the land of Egypt,” which is Bina. It was written, “Each world opens to seventy couriers,’ which are ZAT de YESHSUT, each of which consist of ten.

The Sefirot of Hochma—Partzuf upper AVI—are called “upper Ketarim [“crowns,” plural of Keter].” It was written, “Each courier opens to seventy high Ketarim, and from them to ZAT de Atik, and from there, roads open to Atik, the most hidden of all. It says that they open from here and from there, since five Partzufim clothe one atop the other and the beginning is from Nukva. It is considered that from her, the doors open to ZA because she clothes it, from ZA to YESHSUT, from YESHSUT to upper AVI, and from upper AVI to ZAT de AA, who is called Atik, since they clothe one atop the other.

When His Time Comes to Depart from the World

157) How much longer is one given to live in this world? There is no permission to inform this, and one is not informed of this. But Rabbi Shimon was in great joy on the day of his demise, and there was great joy in all the worlds because of the many secrets he had revealed then.

160) And the harsh and terrible day when one’s time to depart from the world arrives, the four directions of the world, HG TM, are in the harsh Din, to sentence the world. Dinim awaken from the four directions of the world, and man’s four elements—fire, wind, water, and dust, which are tied to one another—quarrel and a strife is there between them. They wish to part each to his side: The element of fire in a person to the general element of fire of the world; the element of water in a person to the element of water of the world, and the element of dust in a man to the element of dust in the world, since the four elements of man part upon his death.

161) The herald, the illumination of Hochma from the Zivug of the left, comes out and declares in the upper world, Tevuna, and is heard in 270 worlds—from the Chazeh down, where there are two Sefirot, NH, which are 200, and the two thirds of Tifferet, which are seventy. If he is righteous, all the worlds rejoice toward him, since if he is rewarded, it is good. And if he is not righteous, woe unto that person and to his share, for if he is not rewarded, it is bad.

162) At the time when the herald declares, a flame comes out from the north. It goes and burns in a river of fire—the River of Fire—and spreads to the four directions of the world, burning the souls of the wicked.

163) That flame—the Din of Malchut—comes out. It appears when he is not rewarded, and it is bad. It ascends to Bina, descends in the world, and returns to Malchut. And this flame comes under the wings of a black rooster, who strikes with his wings and calls out in the door between the gates.

The writing explains how the Din of Malchut, which appears in “If he is not rewarded, it is bad,” can blemish the Kelim de Bina. And that flame—which rises to Bina and blemishes it—comes down to Malchut, which is called “a world,” and can blemish the Kelim in her. This flame comes under the wings of a black rooster, who extends from Gevura de Bina, and calls at the gate, in the middle of the two gates—the gates of Bina and the gates of Malchut—since it is standing in the middle, through the integration of Malchut in Bina. Hence, it blemishes both of them. And because of it, both of them are corrected in the midnight Zivug.

164) In the first time, he calls and says, “Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, it burns as a furnace.” In the second time, he calls and says, “For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind and declares to man what are His thoughts.” At that time, the man sits and hears his actions, which the witnesses testify before Him, and he is thankful for them. In the third time, when they want to take his soul out from him, the rooster calls out and says, “Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? Indeed it is Your due!”

165) The black rooster, why does he come? Everything that the Creator did in the land implies to Hochma, except people do not know, as it is written, “How manifold are Your works, O Lord! In wisdom have You made them all; the earth is full of Your possessions.” And because they were made in wisdom [Hochma], they are all implied in Hochma.

166) In regards to a black rooster, we learned that there is Din only in a place that is of its kind. Also, black comes from the side of Din, since black indicates to Malchut, who is Midat ha Din [quality of judgment]. For this reason, at midnight, when the north wind awakens, meaning the left line, a flame comes out and strikes under the wings of the rooster, and he calls. It is all the more so with a black rooster, who comes from Midat ha Din—he aims with this intimation more than a rooster of a different color.

167) At a time when the Din awakens on a person, the black rooster begins and calls. But no one knows of it except that person who is going to die. This is so because when a person is going to die, and the sentence to exit the world is on him, the high spirit is added to him to an extent which he never had before.

And since it is upon him and becomes attached to him, he sees what he has never been rewarded with seeing, due to the spirit that was added in him. And when the spirit is added in him and he sees, then he departs from this world, as it is written, “You withdraw their breath, they perish, and return to their dust.” Then it is written, “For man shall not see Me and live.” In their lives, they are not rewarded with seeing. But upon their death, they are rewarded with seeing.

168) When a person dies, he is given permission to see. He sees his kin and his friends from the world of truth, he recognizes them, and they are all engraved in the same form that they had in this world. If a person is righteous, they all rejoice before him and greet him.

169) And if he is not righteous, only those wicked ones appear to him and strike him each day in Hell. Everyone is sad and they begin with “Woe” and end with “Woe,” and the man raises his eyes and sees them as a burnt thing that rises out of the fire, and he, too, begins and says about them, “Woe.”

170) Upon the departure of one’s soul, all his kin and friends in the world of truth walk his soul and show her the place of Eden and the place of the punishment. If he is righteous, he sees his place and rises and sits. And he is refined in the high Eden [delight/refinement] in that world. If he is not righteous, that soul remains in this world until the body is buried in the earth. When it is buried, several litigants hold her until she reaches Dumah, and she is put into the chambers of Hell.

171) All seven days of mourning, the soul goes from the home to the grave and from the grave back to the home, and mourns the body, as it is written, “But his flesh grieves for him, and his soul mourns over him.” She walks and sits in the house, and sees everyone sad, and she, too, mourns.

172) After the seven days, the body becomes what it becomes and the soul enters her place. She enters the Cave of Machpelah and sees what she sees. She enters where she enters until she reaches the Garden of Eden and meets the Cherubim and the blazing of the sword that is in the Garden of Eden. If she is worthy of entering, she enters.

173) Four pillars, which are four angels that extend from the four spiritual elements, HB TM, are available for the soul. One form of hers is in their hands—the clothing, called “the robe of our great ones.” She wears it gladly and sits in the chamber of the lower Garden of Eden for the time that she is sentenced to sit there.

174) A three-color pillar is found in the lower Garden of Eden, the three colors of the rainbow. This pillar is called “The basis of Mount Zion,” as it is written, “And the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke.” And the soul ascends on the pillar to the door of Tzedek [justice], in which there are Zion and Jerusalem, meaning Yesod and Malchut of the Nukva de ZA, which is called Tzedek.

175) If she is rewarded with rising higher than that, her share and lot is rewarded with adhering to the King’s Guf [body], to ZA, since she has already been rewarded with rising to Zion and to Jerusalem, to the Nukva, and the subsequent degree is the Guf of the King, ZA.

And if she is not rewarded with rising higher, it is written about her, “And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem,” the Nukva, “Shall be called ‘holy.’”

And if she is rewarded with rising higher, happy is he, for he is rewarded with the glory of the king, ZA, to be refined in the upper Eden of above, meaning heaven, ZA, as it is written, “Then shall you delight in the Lord.” “In the Lord” means ZA, who is called HaVaYaH [Lord]. Happy is he who has been rewarded with this Hesed, as it is written, “For Your Hesed [grace] is great above the heavens.”

176) But is Hesed above the heaven? After all, it is written, “For Your grace is great up to the heavens,” which means that the Hesed is below the heaven? Indeed, there is Hesed and there is Hesed—an upper Hesed and a lower Hesed. The upper Hesed is Hesed de ZA itself, above the heaven, since the heaven is Tifferet and Hesed comes before Tifferet. And it is written about that, “Your Hesed is great above the heavens.” The lower Hesed, Hesed de ZA, clothes in the Nukva through NH de ZA, as it is written, “The faithful mercies of David,” named after the Nukva, who is called “David.” And it is written about those, “Your grace is great up to the heavens,” since they are below the heaven, Tifferet de ZA.

A Joyful Mother of Children

177) “A joyful mother of children. Halleluiah.” Mother is Bina. The Creator, Bina, has two children: male and female. The male gave to Jacob, as it is written, “My son, My firstborn, Israel,” and as it is written, “Israel, in whom I will show My glory.” He gave the daughter to Abraham, as it is written, “And the Lord blessed Abraham with everything.” Abraham had a daughter named Everything.

Bina had two children, Tifferet and Malchut, who extend from her. He gave the male, Tifferet, to Jacob, since Jacob is a Merkava [assembly/chariot] for the Sefira, Tifferet, and he gave the daughter, Malchut, to Abraham, since Abraham is a Merkava for Hesed de ZA, and the Nukva is corrected only in Hesed.

178) Mother, Bina, lies over ZON and nurses them. It is written about that, “You shall not take the mother with the young,” so that a person does not increase iniquities below in this world, since by that the mother, Bina, departs from the children, ZON. It is also written, “She is your mother; you are not to uncover her nakedness,” to not cause her departure from over the children.

179) And when the people in the world repent and multiply the good deeds before the Creator, and Ima, Bina, covers the children, ZON, once more, then Bina is called “repentance” [Teshuva, which also means “returning”], for she returns to her existence. She returns to covering the sons, ZON, and nurses them as before. Then it is written, “A joyful mother of children.” Hence, a man is not exempted from multiplication until he has a son and a daughter, which correspond to ZON, the children of Bina.

180) It is written, “To behold the pleasantness of the Lord.” This means that the desire of the righteous is to see the pleasantness of the Creator, the pleasant Mochin of ZA. The text seems to imply that the whole of the craving of the righteous is to “Behold the pleasantness of the Lord,” ZA, and not above it. Thus, how is it written, “Then shall you delight in the Lord,” meaning above the degree of ZA? Indeed, it is all one. The pleasantness of the Lord comes from AA to the heaven, the Mochin that ZA receives from above. And the craving of the righteous is only to attain these Mochin de ZA, and not above ZA, for there is no attainment in GAR.

“For Your Hesed [grace] is great above the heavens.” It writes, “Above” because they come from above ZA. It is also written, “Then shall you delight in the Lord,” although they are already clothed in ZA, hence they are called “The pleasantness of the Lord.” However, before that pleasantness dresses in ZA, there is no attainment in it whatsoever. Happy is one who is rewarded with it; they must be few.

My Mother's Sons Were Angry with Me

181) “My mother's sons were angry with me.” “My mother’s sons” are as it is written, “He has cast the earth,” Nukva, “From heaven,” since when the Creator wished to destroy His lower house, the Temple, and exile Israel among the nations, He removed the earth, Nukva, from before Him, and moved away from her. It is written about it, “And his sister stood afar off.” And when the earth was distanced from the heaven above, which is ZA, the earth below, meaning the Temple, was ruined and Israel dispersed among the nations. The assembly of Israel said, “Who caused me that? My mother’s children, ZA and Nukva, who were angry with me and departed from me,” since ZA and Nukva are the children of Bina.

182) Rabbi Yosi was walking along the way with Rabbi Hiya. Rabbi Yosi said, “I see a man in the river, a bird on his head, teeth in the bird’s mouth, and she is eating and trampling with her feet, and that man is yelling.”

183) Rabbi Yosi said, “Let us approach the man and hear what he is saying.” Rabbi Hiya said, “I am afraid to approach.” He told him, “But is it a man in this place? It is the Creator who insinuated to us.” They approached him. They heard him say, “O crown, o crown.” ZA and Nukva are called “crowns.” “Two children,” the children of Bina, “Are outside their place,” meaning ZA “[He] is not resting, and there is no rest” for the Nukva “Until the bird is thrown,” shredded to pieces.

A bird implies to the nations that enslave and torture Israel in the exile. And the man in the river implies to Israel, on whose head the bird stands and eats and tramples him with her feet. He says, “O crown, o crown, two children,” ZA and Nukva, the children of Bina, “Are outside their place.” This is what causes Israel to be in exile, as it is written, “My mother's sons were angry with me.” ZA “[He] is not resting, and there is no rest” for the Nukva “Until the bird is thrown,” shredded to pieces, until he takes his revenge on that nation.

184) “My mother's sons were angry with me” refers to ZON, since “I did not keep my own vineyard.”

185) The exile continues; hence, the birds of the sky, meaning the ministers of the nations, are not removed from their office until the government of the idol worshipping nations is removed from the world. And this will be when the day of the Creator arrives and His Dinim awaken in the world, as it is written, “And there shall be one day which shall be known as the Lord's, neither day nor night.”

186) While they were walking, they heard a voice saying, “The flame of the button,” Malchut, “Has arrived with its judgments.” A flame came out and burned the bird. It is written in Daniel, “In the fourth animal of the four animals,” implying to the nations of the world who enslaved Israel in four exiles, and the fourth animal is the last exile. And it seems that a bird is the fourth animal, as well.

Your Covenant with Death Will Be Atoned

187) The Creator did not appear to Israel except at a time when there was no faith—meaning Divinity—among them, since they have blemished their covenant and Divinity has departed from them. This is so because when faith is taken from them, Divinity separates from ZA above, as well, as it is written, “Your covenant with death will be atoned.” Thus, the keeping of the covenant atones for death, and it would certainly atone for them so they would not be exiled. However, they blemished their covenant and Divinity departed from them.

188) When the Creator evokes His right, death will be swallowed up from the world, as it is written, “And death shall be swallowed up forever.” And this right will awaken only when Israel awaken to cling to the right of the Creator, who is the Torah [law], as it is written, “On His right, a fiery law unto them.” At that time, it is written, “The right hand of the Lord succeeds.” After that, it is written, “I shall not die but live.” Thus, the right revokes the death.

189) That righteous, whom the Creator desires, a herald declares of him for thirty days among the righteous in the Garden of Eden. All the righteous rejoice, and all the righteous come and decorate the place of that righteous until he comes to sit among them.

190) And if he is wicked, a herald declares of him in Hell for thirty days. All the wicked are sad; they all start and say, “Woe, a new Din has now awakened for so and so.” Several litigants approach him, to meet him and say, “Woe,” “Woe unto the wicked; woe unto his neighbor.”

Woe unto an Evil Wicked

191) And everyone starts and says, “Woe unto the evil wicked, for the reward of his hands will be done to him.” The reward of his hands includes the one who solicits fornication with his hands, to ejaculate his seed in vain.

192) Anyone who ejaculates his seed in vain is called “wicked,” and does not see the face of Divinity, as it is written, “No evil dwells with You.” It is also written, “And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked.” Here, too, woe unto the evil wicked relates to one who ejaculates his seed in vain. Woe unto that wicked who is evil, who makes himself evil, since the reward of his own hands shall be done unto him. One who solicits fornication with his hands, to eject and to ruin his seed in vain, is punished in the world of truth more than for all the transgressions.

193) It is written, “Woe unto the wicked.” Since it is written, “Woe unto the wicked,” why did he also have to say, “Evil,” since wicked means evil? Yet, one who makes himself evil is who ejaculates his seed in vain. Everyone rises from Hell, and he does not rise. And will the rest of the wicked, who killed people, be better than him, and they will rise and he will not rise? They all rise and he does not rise because they killed other people, and he killed his very own children and spilled much blood. In regards to the rest of the wicked of the world, it does not say, “And the thing which he did was evil in the eyes of the Lord,” but here it is written, “And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was wicked.” What he did was wicked in the eyes of the Creator because it is written, “And he spilled it on the ground.”

194) There is not a transgression in the world on which there is no repentance, except for one who ejaculates his seed in vain. And there are no wicked who will not see the face of Divinity upon their death, except this one. It is written about him, “No evil dwells with You,” at all. Happy are the righteous in this world and in the next world. It is written about them, “And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever.” “They shall inherit the land forever” is as it is written, “I shall walk before the Lord in the lands of the living,” in Divinity, which is called “a land.”

The Tzelem

196) What is the difference between Israel and the idol worshipping nations? In Israel, when a person dies, he defiles each body and the house is defiled. And the body of an idol worshipper does not defile another, nor is his body impure when he dies.

197) When one of Israel dies, all the sanctities of his master are removed from him, the holy Tzelem [semblance] is removed from him, the holy spirit is removed from him, and his body remains impure.

198) However, an idol worshipper, a foreigner, one who performs idolatry, who is impure in every way during his life, his Tzelem is impure and his Ruach [spirit] is impure, since these impurities are within him. It is forbidden to draw near him. Once he dies, all these impurities come out of him and the body remains without impurity so as to defile.

199) And although their Guf [body] is impure both in their lives and in their death, in their lives, all the impurities within them have the power to defile others. In their death, when all the impurities come out of them, they cannot defile. And the Guf of Israel can defile others after its death, since all the sanctities have departed it and the other side is on it.

200) This holy Tzelem, when a person grows and is made, and his form is completed in this Partzuf, another Tzelem is made, which connects to the first, and one receives the other. When a person has two Tzelamim, the man is guarded and the body and the spirit are in him.

201) When one’s days to die draw near, the Tzelamim [plural of Tzelem] are removed from him. One removes the other because they are connected together, and the person remains without guarding. It is written about it, “Until the day breathes and the shadows flee away.” He does not say that the Tzelem [shadow] fled away, but “Shadows,” meaning two. This is so because Tzelamim are clothes of Mochin that the lower one receives from the upper one, since in themselves, ZON are unfit for reception of Mochin because their Kelim are from Malchut, on which there was Tzimtzum Aleph [first restriction] to not receive the upper light.

However, because Bina and TM de AVI descended into the Kelim de ZON during Katnut de AVI, ZON rise to AVI with the same Kelim during their Gadlut, when they return their Bina and TM to their degree. At that time, ZON receive the Mochin de AVI, and as they receive Mochin from AVI, they must also receive their Kelim to clothe the Mochin, since their own Kelim are unfit for reception of light. Thus, they receive Kelim—called Tzelamim that clothe the Mochin—from the same Bina and TM de AVI that descended in them. And they are two—from Bina and TM de Aba, and from Bina and TM de Ima.

And as the two Tzelamim de ZON receive from AVI, the same applies in souls of people, which are born from ZON, to clothe in people. This is so because ZON do not beget souls before they rise and clothe upper AVI, and the lower one rises to the upper one and becomes like him. At that time, they are completely regarded as AVI themselves and the male and female souls that are born from ZON have the same relation as ZON to AVI. Also, the souls receive the clothing of Mochin from ZON from their Bina and TM, which are called Tzelamim, one from Nukva and one from ZA. First, he receives the Tzelem from the Nukva and then from ZA.

It is written, “This holy Tzelem.” When a person grows and forms and his shape becomes completed in that Partzuf, he first receives Tzelem from Nukva, and when the shape of this Tzelem is completed, he receives the other Tzelem from ZA. When it writes, “Another Tzelem is made, from ZA,” they unite as one and one receives the other because they need each other, since the Tzelem de Nukva extends Hochma, for it cannot shine without Hassadim, and Tzelem de ZA extends the Hassadim for clothing of Hochma. At that time, they unite as one and shine together, and one receives the other because one cannot shine without the other.

And it writes, “When one’s days to die draw near, the Tzelamim are removed from him.” This is so because the departure of the Tzelamim are the reason for his death, since they are the Kelim and the clothing of the Mochin, the light of life. And when the Kelim depart, the light of life departs, since there is no light without a Kli, and hence he dies. And one transfers to the other, for they need each other, since Hochma, the light of life, cannot shine without Hassadim, and the person remains unguarded, without Kelim for keeping the Mochin. For this reason, the Mochin—the light of life—departs.

202) When Din awakens in the world and the Creator sits on the throne of judgment, to sentence the world in the beginning of the year, a person should awaken in repentance, to repent for his iniquities. This is so because on that day, papers are written and they are all in a file. If the man is rewarded with repenting before his master, the papers about him are torn.

203) Afterwards, the Creator has prepared the day of atonement before a person, the day of repentance. If he repents from his sins, good. And if not, the king orders the papers signed and woe unto him, since repentance wishes to depart from him.

204) If one is rewarded with repenting but it is still incomplete, they leave them hanging until the last day, the gathering, the eighth day of the holiday of Sukkot. If he has made complete repentance before his master, the papers are torn. If he is not rewarded, the papers come out of the king’s house and are given into the hands of the punishing angel and the Din is done. Once the papers are brought out, they no longer return to the King’s house, but the Din that is written in them must be carried out.

205) At that time the Tzelamim depart from him and are not with him. And once they are removed from him, it is certain that the King’s punishment will be executed on him and he will taste the cup of death. On the night of the last festival, the night of the assembly, the eighth, the punishers are ready. They receive the letters and the Tzelamim depart from them. And if the Tzelamim are in them, no Din or bad illnesses come upon him, which come in the flaw of the Tzelamim.

206) When the head is removed from the shadow and the body remains, it indicates that either his son or his wife will remain alive and he will pass away. These things apply if all through that time, he did not repent. But if he repents, he will only taste the taste of death, and he will be healed from his illness.

207) And if the body of his shade is not seen and only its head exists, his household will depart and he will remain alive. These words apply only if his young son is still under his authority.

208) And if the hands of the shade are flawed, it indicates that the work of his hands will be spoiled. If its legs are flawed, it indicates that diseases chase him. And if his shade runs away from him and returns, runs and returns, it is written about it, “In the morning you shall say, ‘Would it be evening.’” And this is so only when the moon shines and the night is corrected in her light when he examines his shade.

209) But righteous and followers [Hassidim] see in their hearts as though they pass away from the world each day, and make complete repentance before their Master, and they do not need to examine the shade. Happy are they in this world and in the next world.

Four Species

210) Come and see how important are the works of the Holy King. In the deeds that are done below, they tie them with the high things above, in their root, since anything below in this world has its root above in the upper worlds. And when they are taken down and worked with, the act above awakens corresponding to them, in the roots in the upper worlds, like the hyssop, the Cedar, which the Torah instructs to take to the purifier.

211) Some of them grip to the holy name above, such as Lulav [palm branch], Etrog [citron], Hadas [myrtle], and Arava [willow]. Hence, they need to be united and tied together, and work must be done with them, to shake them so as to evoke joy in the root, which is gripped to it above. In the blessing of the Mitzvot and in the act of Mitzva, it is necessary to show in the thing below, to thus evoke the thing above, its upper root.

212) It is written about it, “Every one that is called by My name ... for My glory,” so that I will be respected. “Whom I have created,” to unify Me. “I have formed him” to do good deeds unto Me, and “I have made him” to evoke the upper force through it.

213) It is written, “And on the first day you shall take for yourselves fruit of a citrus tree, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook.” “Every one that is called by My name” is the fruit of a citrus tree. “Whom I have created for My glory” is palm branches. “Whom I have created” is the boughs of leafy trees. “I have made him” is the willows of the brook.

The roots of the four species are the four worlds ABYA. The citron corresponds to the world of Atzilut. It is written about it, “Every one that is called by My name,” since the Nukva de Atzilut is called “name.” The palm branches correspond to the world of Beria. It is written about it, “Whom I have created in My glory.” The bough of a leafy tree corresponds to the world of Yetzira, and it is written about it, “I have formed him.” The willows of the brook correspond to the world of Assiya, and it is written about them, “I have made him.”

214) Their correction is as is written, “And on the first day you shall take for yourselves,” precisely five over ten, since the fifteenth of the month shows that the Nukva, the tenth Sefira—implied in the number, ten—rose and is included in Ima, which is discerned in the number five, since she contains within her five Sefirot HGT NH, each of which consists of ten. And when those five Sefirot of Bina shine in Nukva, Nukva is called “the fifteenth of the month.” At that time, the moon, which is the Nukva, is in its complete fullness.

215) On the first day is the day that was the first to journey to the sources of living waters, the first of the three lines, which travel in three places. From their journeying, Hassadim that are disclosed in Hochma come out, and they are called “living waters.” The right line, Hesed, travels first, and we need to extend it in the world because Sukkot is the time for extending Hassadim, as it is written, “And his right hand shall embrace me.”

216) There is an allegory about a king who imprisoned people in his prison. His mother, the mistress, came and freed them. The king, who was watchful of her honor, gave them to her authority, and she found them hungry and thirsty. She said to her son, the king, “I brought them to freedom; give them food and drink.”

217) On Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement], Ima, Bina, brought everyone out to freedom, and we are hungry for food and thirsty for drink, since corporeal eating and drinking do not extend from Bina, hence we fast and torment on Yom Kippur. For this reason, she crowns the King, ZA, the son of Bina, with his crowns—Mochin de Hassadim.

On this day, the first in the festival, we know that living waters are with her and we seek to drink to the one who brought us out to freedom so she imparts Hassadim upon ZA on our behalf, after we have been rewarded with Mochin de Hochma from her on Yom Kippur, which is freedom. This is why we call this day, “The first day” [Sunday].

218) That day, which implies to Abraham, the Sefira of Hesed, is the beginning of everything, whether clouds of glory—surrounding lights—is the beginning, where the first surrounding light is Hesed—and whether water—inner light—is the beginning, for the first inner light is Hesed, when Abraham began to dig wells of water.

219) “The fruit of a citrus tree” is Isaac’s well, a Nukva, which is called “a well” when she receives Hochma from the left line de ZA, called Isaac. Isaac adorned the Creator and called him “A citrus [Hebrew: Hadar, which also means glory] tree.” The Nukva is the fruit of this citrus tree. The palm branches are as it is written, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree.” Yesod is righteous, and there is no separation between Yesod and Nukva. This is why it does not write Kapot [“spoons,” which is how palm branches are called in Hebrew], but Kafut [“tied”], from the words tied and bound, since they are never one without the other and are always tied together. By that, the well, Nukva, is filled with the well of upper living waters, from Bina, since Yesod is filled by Tifferet, first, and Tifferet by Bina. And from that, the well is filled until it becomes a spring for all.

220) “And boughs of leafy trees.” This is a branch of the great tree, Tifferet, which prevailed and struck roots and became a tree that is higher than all, gripped from all sides—referring to Tifferet that contains all six Sefirot HGT NHY, which grip it from all its sides. The branch is a leafy tree, a tree that grips the patriarchs because it is the middle line, which contains the right and left within it, HG, Abraham and Isaac. Avot [“leafy,” with an Ayin at the beginning of the word] is like Avot [“fathers,” with an Aleph at the beginning of the word], since the Ayin and Aleph interchange. This is so because the Yesod [also foundation] of the world receives from Tifferet and is filled so as to empty to the well, the Nukva. It is a land that is all drink, since when the Nukva receives from Yesod, she is called “a land that is all drink.”

221) “Willows of the brook” are two, which imply to two streams of water, Netzah and Hod, in which the waters gather for emptying into the righteous, Yesod, who receives from NH.

Another thing: Willows of the brook are Gevurot, which cling to Isaac, the left line, and come from the side of the upper stream, Ima, and not from the side of Aba, the right line. For this reason, the willows are all beautiful, but they are not as sweet as the fruits and do not bear fruit. This is so because the Dinim of the left are abundant and it does not bear fruit, even though it is beautiful, meaning there is Hochma in it, since beauty implies to Hochma. Hence it is implied in the willows of the brook, which are beautiful and do not bear fruit.

222) Willows of the brook are two pillars, on which the Guf [body] stands, meaning Netzah and Hod. Also, willows of the brook are Gevurot that extend from the left line. These Gevurot continue in these NH, and they are all to empty water to the well, which is to bestow upon the Nukva.

223) “You shall take for yourselves the fruit of a citrus tree” is Abraham, Hesed. “Palm branches” are Isaac, Gevura, and “Boughs of leafy trees” are Jacob, Tifferet. “And willows of the brook” are the two degrees, NH.

224) We learn that the fruit of a citrus tree is Abraham and the palm branches are Isaac. This is so because the leafy tree is Jacob, who holds all parts, meaning that all six edges of HGT NHY are included in it, which is why he is called “leafy tree.”

But the fruit of a citrus tree is Isaac’s well, the lower Gevura, Nukva. Kapot Temarim [Palm branches] are written as Kafat [tied], without a Vav, meaning that it is a knot that is tied in the well. It is said about Yesod and Nukva that they are tied in their ties, and do not rise without each other. And this branch of a leafy tree is the upper branch, which became a leafy tree that grips to each side, the whole of HGT NHY. Tifferet is the Guf [body], HG are its arms, NH are its legs, Yesod is the holy covenant. Willows of the brook are Isaac on each side, which grips to the stream, Ima, and not from the side of Aba, even though there are no Dinim in the stream, Bina, hence the Dinim awaken from there.

225) Willows of the brook are two pillars, NH. The heavens come out from them. Two degrees, NH, stand on the degree of righteous, Yesod, and fruits and the collection of blessings come out from them. But willows of the brook, which imply to NH, as well, neither fruits nor scent comes out of them. Willows of the brook imply to NH that receive only Gevurot de Yitzhak [Isaac] from the left side. Hence, they do not bear fruit because there are Dinim on them. But when they receive the Hassadim, as well, all the blessings in the world come from them.

226) This is why a citron is held with the left hand, opposite the heart, and the palm branch with the right, bound with the rest of the species, and tied to all of them. This is so because a righteous, Yesod, is bound with all the Sefirot and tied to all of them. This is the tie of faith, to illuminate the Nukva, called “faith.”

227) All of those four species are the guests. They are the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM that the holy people invited on this day, as we pray during the days of Sukkot prior to the meal and say, “Come, you high guests.” They must be found because he invited them and one prays the prayer to the King in them. And he attains them through the four species, which imply to these Sefirot. Happy are Israel, who know the ways of the Holy King and know the ways of Torah, to walk in the path of truth, and by which to be rewarded with this world and with the next world.

228) On this day, Israel come out with written signs from the King—the four species—because they were triumphant in the Din [judgment]. These are the signs of faith, Divinity, which the High King, ZA, signs. It is like two people who came before the king to be sentenced, and people did not know which of them won. A minister came out of the king’s house and they asked him. He told them, the one who leaves the king’s house with marks of the king in his hands is the triumphant one.

229) All the people in the world come to be sentenced before the High King. He sentences them on the day of Rosh Hashanah [New Year’s Eve], and on Yom Kippur, until the fifteenth of the month. During that time, all of Israel are rewarded with repentance and labor in building the Sukkah [the Sukkot hut], in the palm branch, and in the citron. And it is not known who won the judgment. High angels ask, “Who won the judgment?” And the Creator tells them, those who hold My signs in their hands, the four species, have won the judgment.

230) On that day, Israel come out in the inscription of the King with a song of praise. They enter the Sukkah with a citron on the left and a palm branch on the right, and everyone sees that Israel are inscribed in the lists of the Holy King. And they open and say, “Happy is the people for whom this is so.”

231) Even the nations of the world rejoice in this joy and are blessed by it. Hence, they offer sacrifices on them each day—to place peace upon them—and they will be blessed from it. Henceforth, one day of the High King, in which the people of Israel rejoice, as it is written, “On the eighth day you shall have a festive assembly,” since this day is only from the King, whose joy is in Israel.

It is like a king who invited guests, and all those in his palace toiled for them. In the end, the king said to the people in his palace, “Thus far, you and I have all labored over the guests and made sacrifices over all the other nations each day—seventy bulls. Henceforth, you and I will rejoice one day, as it is written, ‘On the eighth day you shall have a festive assembly.’” “You,” to offer his sacrifice for you.

A Lily and a Rose

232) “I am the lily of the Sharon, the rose of the valleys.” How endeared is the assembly of Israel to the Creator. The Creator praises her and she always praises the Creator, as it is written in the Song of Songs. She always provides the Creator with several poets and singers. How happy are Israel, who cling to the lot of the holy part, as it is written, “For the portion of the Lord is His people.”

233) “I am the lily of the Sharon” is the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, who stands in magnificent beauty in the Garden of Eden. She is called “Of the Sharon” because she Meshoreret [sings and writes poems] and praises the High King.

234) “I am the lily of the Sharon” means that she must be watered by the potion of the deep stream, the source of all streams, Bina, as it is written, “And the parched land shall become a lake.” This is why the Nukva is called “Sharon,” from the word Sharav [hot and dry weather], for she is thirsty to drink the waters of Bina.

She is called “The rose of the valleys” because she is in the greatest of depths. “Valleys,” as in, “Out of the depths have I called You, O Lord.” In “The lily of the Sharon,” the lily is from the place where the streams pour out and never cease. In “Rose of the valleys,” rose is from a place that is deep and hidden from all sides.

There are two states to the Nukva:

1. A fourth to the patriarchs, when she rises above Chazeh de ZA and becomes the fourth leg of the high throne, Bina. At that time, they are the two great lights on the same degree because they both receive from Bina: HGT de ZA receives from the right line of Bina, and Nukva receives from the left line of Bina Hochma without Hassadim. At that time, she is thirsty and deeply craves to receive the Hassadim because Hochma does not shine without Hassadim. In that state, she is called “The lily of the Sharon.” Sharon comes from the word Yashuru about people, which means seeing, reception of Hochma. Havatzelet [Lily] implies to Havuy Mitzel [hidden from shade], meaning she has no shade that extends Hassadim.

3. A seventh to the building, after she diminishes herself, descends from Chazeh de ZA downwards and receives NHY de ZA, meaning after she is established in two points comprised in the Masach de Hirik, called Man’ula [lock] and Miftacha [key]. This is so because at that time, she consists of Hochma and Hassadim together—Hochma, from the time when she was a fourth to the patriarchs, in HGT de ZA, and Hassadim, since she is now a seventh to the building, in NHY de ZA.

This is why it is written, “I am the lily of the Sharon,” which must be watered by the potion of the deep stream because she needs to receive Hochma and Hassadim together from Masach de Hirik, once it has been mingled with Bina. At that time, Bina is called “a deep stream.” The stream of Bina is the source of all bestowals and the Mochin. It is named, “deep,” after her integration with a Masach de Hirik from the middle line. At that time, it is said about the Nukva, “And the parched land shall become a lake,” since when she was a lily, she was dry without water, devoid of Hassadim. But once she received Hassadim from a deep stream, she became a lake.

When it writes, “And she is called ‘The rose of the valleys,’” it is because she is in the greatest of depths. This is the second state, where she is included in the Man’ula, regarded as the deepest of all that is deep and there is none who can attain her. But if she were only as the point of Man’ula, she would not be fit for reception of Mochin. Rather, she must be mitigated in Bina and receive the point of Miftacha, by which she is mitigated and becomes worthy of Mochin. At that time she is considered to have two points, regarded as two valleys. And then it is said about her, “Out of the depths have I called You, O Lord.”

It writes, “The lily of the Sharon.” A lily is from a place where the outpouring of the streams comes out and never ceases. The lily is hidden from a shade, the shade of Bina, from which Hassadim come out in a never-ending Zivug. Hence, she only has Hochma without Hassadim. It is written, “The rose of the valleys.” A rose is from a deep place, hidden from all sides. The name Amakim [valleys] extends to her from the Man’ula that is included in her in the second state, when she is more Amuka [deeper] and hidden from all sides.

235) In the beginning, she is as green as a lily, whose leaves are green. In the first state, when she is called “a lily,” she is on a par with ZA, whose color is green, hence she is green, as well. Afterwards, in the second state, she is a red rose in white colors because in the second state, she has two points—Man’ula and Miftacha, Din and Rachamim, good and bad, for if he is rewarded, it is good; if he is not rewarded, it is bad. A rose has six leaves, for she is in the seventh, receiving from HGT NHY. A Shoshanna [rose] comes from the word Shinui [change], since she changes from color to color, changing her shades. She changes from Din to Rachamim, from red to white, and from Rachamim to Din. This is the reason why she is called Shoshanna, from the word Shinui.

236) She is called Shoshanna [rose] because at first, she is a lily. When she wishes to mate with the King, she is called “a lily,” since in the first state, she does not have a Zivug with ZA, but a preparation for a Zivug. After she mates with the King with those kisses in the second state, she is called Shoshanna because it is written, “His lips are roses.” She is called “The rose of the valleys” because she changes her colors, once to good, once to bad, once to Rachamim, and once to Din, since if he is rewarded, it is good, and if he is not rewarded, it is bad.

237) People do not look, do not know, and do not observe that when the Creator created man and cherished him with the upper Mochin, He asked of him to adhere to Him so he would be unique and would have one heart, and would adhere to a single place of Dvekut [adhesion], which does not change—in ZA. It was said about it, “I the Lord do not change,” and which never inverts, and to which everything ties in a knot of unification, as it is written, “And the tree of life,” ZA, “In the midst of the garden.”

238) Afterwards, they moved from the path of faith and left the unique tree, ZA, which is superior to all the trees and clung to a place that changes and inverts from color to color, from good to bad and from bad to good, meaning to the Nukva when she is not in Zivug with ZA and nurses only from the left. They descended from above downwards in many changes, as it is written, “God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices.”

239) At that time, their hearts certainly turn to that very side because they have undergone many changes, once for better and once for worse, once for Rachamim and once for Din. When they clung to the left, indeed they asked for many calculations, many changes, and clung to them.

240) The Creator told Adam, “You have abandoned life and have clung to death. “Life” is as it is written, “And the tree of life in the midst of the garden [ZA].” It is called “life” because one who clings to it never tastes death, whereas in clinging to another tree—the Nukva, when she is not in Zivug with ZA—death is certainly before you. It is written about it, “And her legs go down to death.” In other words, if he is not rewarded, it is bad. And it is written, “I find the woman to be more bitter than death,” meaning the Nukva, when she is not in Zivug with ZA. Indeed, when he clung to the place of death and departed the place of life, he and the whole world were therefore sentenced to death.

241) If he sinned, what is the sin of the whole world? And why was the whole world sentenced to death? Did the whole world eat from this tree and therefore all were sentenced to death? When Adam was created and rose to his feet, all the people saw him and feared him. They followed him as slaves after the king. And he told them, “Me and you, let us bow and kneel down.” When they saw Adam bowing to the left side and clinging to it, they all followed him. This is why he caused death to the whole world.

242) Then Adam changed once to Din, once to Rachamim, once to death, once to life. And he did not stand in either of them permanently because that place caused him. This is why that place is called “The blazing of the sword that turns every way.” It turns from this side to that, from good to bad, from Rachamim to Din, from peace to war. It usually turns from good to bad, as it is written, “And the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

243) The High King, for His love for His works, He reproached him and told him, “But you shall not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” And he did not receive from Him but followed his wife and was expelled from the Garden of Eden forever, since the woman rises no further than the place of inversion of life and death. This is why the woman inflicted death on all.

244) For the next world, it is written, “For as the days of a tree shall be the days of My people.” “As the days of the tree” means the tree of life.” At the same time, it is written, “Death shall be swallowed up forever,” for there are no changes and no death in the tree of life.

And the Days for Israel to Die Drew Near

245) “And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt.” While he was alive, it was written, “Jacob,” and when he died it was written, “Israel,” as it is written, “And the days for Israel to die drew near.” But is the name Israel not more important than the name Jacob? It should have said “Israel” here because it does not say, “The day for Israel to die drew near” but rather, “The days.” But does one die during several days? One dies and passes away from the world in an hour, in an instant!

246) But when the Creator wishes to bring man’s spirit back to Him, all those days that he lived in this world are counted before Him and are taken into consideration. When the days to be accountable before Him come, the person dies and the Creator brings the person’s spirit back to Him. He brings back to Him the Hevel [breath fume and also vanity] that one breathes in and out.

247) Happy is a man whose days to die before the King come without shame, and not a single day among them is rejected to the outside because it is found that he committed some transgression on that day. This is why it writes “drawing near” in regards to the righteous, since the days draw near before the King without shame.

248) Woe unto the wicked, for nearing is not written about them. This is because how will his days draw near before the king when all his days are in transgressions of the world? Because of it, they do not draw near before the King and are not counted before him and will not be remembered above. Rather, they perish by themselves. It is written about them, “The way of the wicked is as darkness.”

249) And here it writes, “And the days for Israel ... drew near.” Of course they drew near, without shame, in wholeness, in complete joy. This is why it is written, “The days of Israel” and not “The days of Jacob,” since the name Israel is more complete than Jacob. But it is written, “Jacob was a whole man.” Thus, is the name Jacob not whole, too? Indeed, the name Jacob is whole, too, but it is not whole at a high degree like Israel.

250) When a person’s days are counted before the King, there is a righteous whose days are counted and are far from the King, and there is a righteous whose days are counted and are near and close to the King, and do not draw far. They enter and draw near the King without shame. Happy are they, as it is written, “And the days for Israel to die drew near.”

And He Called His Son, Joseph

251) “And he called his son, Joseph.” Why did he summon only Joseph? Were the rest of the tribes not his sons? Indeed, Joseph was his son more than the others. When Potiphar’s wife besought Joseph, it is written, “And he went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house were in.” It should have said, “And no man was home.” What is “The men of the house?” It is to include Jacob’s image, who was there. When Joseph raised his eyes and saw his father’s image there, he reconsidered and turned back.

252) It is written, “And he refused, and said unto his master's wife.” The Creator told him, “You say,” “And he refused and said,” “Another will come to bless your sons and they will be blessed in him.” It is as it is written, “And his father refused and said, ‘I know, my son, I know; he too will become a people and he too will be great.’”

253) Why did Jacob say, “I know my son, I know”? “I know, my son,” that you observed being my son in your body, when you saw my semblance and returned to your covenant and did not desecrate it. This is why it is written, “I know, my son.” And the second, “I know” is when Joseph said that Menashe was the elder. And he replied to him about that, “He too will become a people and he too will be great.” This is why it is written, “And he called his son, Joseph, for he observed being his son in his body.

254) “And he called his son, Joseph.” They seemed to have one form; anyone who saw Joseph testified that he was Jacob’s son. He called him, “his son” because they were of a single form, since Joseph nurtured him and his sons in his latter days. This is the reason why he is his son more than all the others. “And he called his son, Joseph,” and not another, since he had permission to raise him from there to the Cave of Machpelah, since he was a King, but he did not have permission for another.

255) Since Jacob knew that his sons would be enslaved in Egypt, why was he not buried there so his merit would protect his children? And why did he wish to be raised from there? It is written, “As a father has compassion for his children,” so where is the compassion?

256) When Jacob went down to Egypt, he was afraid. He said, “Perhaps my children would be extinct among the nations, and perhaps the Creator will take His Divinity away from me as before?” It was written, “And God appeared unto Jacob and told him, ‘Do not fear going down to Egypt, for I will make you a great nation there. And what you said, that I might take my Divinity away from you, I will go down to Egypt with you.’”

257) He said further, “I fear that I will be buried there and will not be buried with my fathers.” He told him, “I will raise you indeed; I will raise you indeed from Egypt, to be buried in the tomb with your fathers.”

258) This is why he wanted Him to raise him from Egypt. Another reason was so that he would not be made into a god, since he saw that the Creator was to avenge the gods of the Egyptians. And another one is that he saw that Divinity would place her abode among his children in the exile so he did not need to be buried in Egypt to protect them. He wanted his body to dwell among the bodies of his fathers, to be included in them, and not that it will be among the wicked in Egypt.

259) Jacob’s body extends from the beauty of Adam HaRishon. His form was that of Jacob, a high and holy form, the form of the holy throne. He did not wish to be buried among the wicked, since there is no separation in the fathers; they are always connected. This is why it is written, “That I may lay with my fathers.”

260) “And he called his son, Joseph.” “His son,” since they were of a single form of face because he begot him with more willingness of spirit and heart than in all the tribes, since Jacob’s only desire was for Rachel. This is why it is written, “And he called his son, Joseph.”

261) “The secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” Man should beware of his sins and beware of going against his Master’s will, since all that man does in this world, these deeds are written in a book and are counted before the holy King, and everything is revealed before Him, as it is written, “Can a man hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him, says the Lord?” Thus, how can one keep himself from sinning before his master? Even what a person contemplates and wishes is present before the Creator and is not lost from Him.

262) On the night when Leah came to Jacob and gave him those signs, which Jacob gave to Rachel for fear that her father would substitute her for another, when Rachel saw that her father was bringing Leah in her stead, and she did not know the signs, she was ashamed. Promptly, she gave her the signs. He thought she was Rachel and he laid with her, and the drop of Jacob was the first, as it is written, “My might and the beginning of my strength.” And he thought she was Rachel.

The Creator reveals deep secrets and knows what is in the dark. He raises that desire to its place and the birthright was taken from Reuben and was given to Joseph, since that first drop that came out of Jacob belonged to Rachel. And since Reuben’s birthright was hers, Joseph inherited it, and Rachel inherited hers.

263) This is the reason why Reuben did not merit a name like the rest of the tribes, but Reuben, Reu-Ben [“See, a boy”], a boy whose name was unknown. This is why Leah did not call him, “My son” and he was not called Reubni [Reu-Bni, “See, My boy”], since Leah knew the fact, that Jacob’s mind was on Rachel and not on her.

264) It is revealed before the Creator that Jacob did not contemplate sinning before Him by being with Leah and thinking of Rachel. He did not knowingly look at another woman at that time, as the rest of the wicked of the world. It is written about that, “And Jacob’s sons were twelve,” since the sons of the rest of the wicked of the world who do that thing are called by another name, meaning they are replaceable. Hence, “And he called his son, Joseph,” his son from the very beginning, from the time of Reuben’s birth. And in the end, he was his son.

265) By what did Jacob adjure Joseph, as it is written, “Please put your hand under my thigh?” It was by the sign of the covenant that was inscribed in his flesh, which is the importance of the patriarchs more than anything. The covenant is Joseph and the quality of Yesod is righteous, a Merkava [assembly/chariot] to him.

266) Concerning Abraham and Jacob, it is written, “Please put your hand under my thigh,” meaning that place which is implied in the holy name, to elicit the holy seed—the seed of faith—to the world. It does not say in Isaac, “Please put your hand,” since Esau came out of him.

267) Why does it say here, “Please put your hand under my thigh, do not bury me in Egypt?” Jacob told Joseph, “Swear to me in this holy inscription,” which educed a holy seed and was faithful forever, was kept, and was never defiled, so he will not be buried among the impure ones who never kept it. It is written about them, “whose flesh is like the flesh of donkeys and whose ejaculation is like the ejaculation of horses.”

268) But Joseph, who kept his covenant more than anyone, why was he buried among them in Egypt? It is written, “And the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.” But Divinity is only in the land of Israel, so why was Divinity revealed here? It is written, “By the river,” since the water do not absorb impurity and are not as the land of the nations. It is also written, “And there the hand of the Lord came upon him,” meaning Divinity. Here, too, Joseph’s coffin was thrown to the water. The Creator said, “If Joseph departs from here, there will not be an exile, since Israel would not tolerate it. However, his burial shall be in a place where he is not defiled, and the children of Israel will tolerate the exile.”

269) Jacob saw that in everything, a throne is established in the patriarchs, Abraham and Isaac on the right and left, and he is in the middle. Jacob said, “If he is buried here in Egypt, how will this body connect to the patriarchs? Even the cave where he was buried was called “Machpelah” [multiplication], since everything that is multiplied to the right and to the left is two and one. In other words, they need a third one to decide between them. Similarly, the cave is two and one, Abraham and Isaac to the right and to the left, and Jacob decides between them.

270) The patriarchs were rewarded with burial in the Cave of Machpelah, they and their wives. Jacob was buried with Leah. What is the reason that Rachel was not buried with him? After all, it is written, “Rachel was barren,” which indicates that she was the lady of the house [Akara (barren) is similar to Akeret (landlady)]. But Leah was rewarded more with him, bringing out six tribes from the holy seed; this is why she was placed as his spouse in the cave.

271) Each day, Leah would stand at a crossroads and weep for Jacob, that he would marry her, since she heard that he was righteous. She would rise early and pray over him. It is written about it, “And the eyes of Leah were soft.” As we said, she rose early and sat at a crossroads to pray.

272) Rachel never went out to the roads to pray to be married to Jacob, as did Leah. This is why Leah was rewarded with being buried with him, while Rachel is at a crossroads and was buried there, as it is written, “Now as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died on me.” “On me” means “For me.” “In the land of Canaan on the way” means she died for me on the way, since she never went out for me, to pray, like her sister.

273) For this reason, Leah, who went out and wept on the crossroads for Jacob, was rewarded with being buried with him. Rachel, who did not wish to go out and pray for him, was buried in a crossroads for the same reason. Rachel is the revealed world, from Chazeh de ZA and down, where the Hassadim appear. Hence, her burial is in a revealed place. Leah is the concealed world, covered Hassadim, from Chazeh de ZA and above. This is why she was buried in the cave of Machpelah, in a place that is covered from the eye.

274) Many tears did that righteous woman, Leah, shed for being in Jacob’s part and not in that of that wicked one, Esau. Any person who sheds tears before the Creator, even if his sentence has already been given, that sentence will be torn and the punishment will not govern him. How do we know that? From Leah, since Leah was sentenced to being in Esau’s share, and with her prayer, she was wedded to Jacob first, and was not given to Esau.

And Solomon's Wisdom Excelled

275) “What advantage does man have in all his work, which he does under the sun?” We study the words of Solomon but his words seem abstruse. Yet, all of Solomon’s words are read with wisdom.

276) In the days of King Solomon, the moon, Nukva, was in her fullest. The Nukva clothed upper Ima, which is her complete filling, as it is written, “And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east.” The wisdom of the children of the east is wisdom that they had inherited from Abraham.

277) It was written, “And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.” This is the upper Hochma, who knew the holy name of the Creator. It is implied in what is written, “All that he had,” that was his, upper Hochma. It is written about it, “And the Lord blessed Abraham with everything,” meaning with that daughter that Abraham had, whose name was “With everything.” The Nukva, the bottom Hochma, is called “With everything.” She is considered his daughter because the father establishes the daughter. And yet, Abraham himself is considered upper Hochma because Abraham is Hesed that rose to Hochma, and this is what he gave to Isaac.

278) “And unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts.” He gave them things that are known in the lower Ketarim [plural of Keter], and placed them in the land of the east. And from there the children of the east inherited wisdom [Hochma], from the lower Ketarim, as it is written, “The wisdom of all the children of the east.”

280) Hochma settles in only when a person sits, not when he walks. Rather, when he is complete, as it is written, “And I remained in the mountain forty days.”

281) “And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt.” What is the wisdom of Solomon, what is the wisdom of Egypt, and what is the wisdom of all the children of the east? The moon, Nukva, is blessed by all the Sefirot. It writes, “excelled,” which is said about the days of Solomon that the Nukva grew and was blessed and stood in its fullest.

282) A thousand mountains grow hay before her, and they are all one swallow before her. She has a thousand great rivers and she gulps them with a single sip. Here The Zohar brings the sequence of the growth of the Mochin of the Nukva during the days of Solomon. During the Gadlut of the Nukva, only VAK de AB extend from Mochin de Hochma, not GAR de AB. However, it is impossible to extend half a degree, so in the beginning, a complete degree of GAR and VAK de AB must be extended. Afterwards, the GAR is placed in their place in the Nukva and only the VAK is extended. This is the meaning of, “Who grows hay for the beast,” meaning GAR de AB. Half of this light remains as food for Nukva herself, who is called “a beast,” and the remaining half of the light, VAK de AB, is extended to people, as it is written, “And herb for man’s work.”

GAR de AB have eating in them, the part of Hassadim in them. And there is drinking in them—the part of Hochma in them. They are intermingled. A thousand mountains are eating and a thousand rivers are drinking. The number “one thousand” indicates to Hochma, and since eating consists of Hochma, too, the number 1,000 is mentioned in regard to them, as well.

It was written, “They are all one swallow before her ... and she gulps them with a single sip.” This is so because these Mochin are from the path under Hotem [nose] of AA, who is established as a path in which to pass and not to stop in. Hence, these Mochin are always received in haste, to not allow suction to the Dinim [judgments]. For this reason, Nukva, too, receives them in haste.

283) Her nails connect 1,070 sides. Her hands are gripped from 24,000 sides, and none comes out of her to the right and to the left, but in the middle. Also, several thousand protectors grip to her hair.

The fingers are Hochma. There are ten Sefirot in them: GAR, ZAT, and Parsa in between. GAR is the flesh in them, the Panim [anterior/face]. It is written about them, “You cannot see My face.” The nails are the Parsa between GAR and ZAT, the Achoraim [posterior]. ZAT are included in the Parsa, the nails, and it is written about them, “And you see My back.”

In Gadlut, the Parsa comes down, raises, and connects the Kelim de [of] Achoraim [posterior Kelim] to their degree along with the Kelim de Panim. Kelim de Panim are the flesh of the fingers, 1,000, since 1,000 indicates to Hochma. Kelim de Achoraim are ZAT, each of which consists of ten, hence the number seventy. It was written, “Her nails connect 1,070 sides,” which means that the nails, Parsa, connect to the 1,000, the Panim of the fingers, and the seventy is the Achoraim of the fingers. And through the nails, the two connect into a single degree, the Panim.

It was written, “Her hands are gripped from 24,000 sides,” since the number twelve indicates to Hochma. There is a twelve of ZA—twelve hours of the day—and there is a twelve of Nukva—twelve hours of the night. When Nukva is in Gadlut, in Zivug PBP [Panim be Panim (face-to-face)] with ZA, she contains within her the twelve of ZA, too, the twelve of ZA are in her right hand, and her own twelve are in her left hand. And when the moon is full they are thousands, meaning 24,000 sides—12,000 on the right hand and 12,000 on the left hand. “Also, several thousand protectors grip to her hair.” Protectors are angels that do not rise to receive GAR but always stay below in the place of GAR de VAK, watching over the Mochin so that none of them will get to the outer ones. They grip to the Se’arot [hair] of the Nukva, the Dinim.

284) One boy, whose length is from the top of the world to its end, meaning Matat, whose height is from the Rosh [head] of Beria to the Sof [end] of Assiya, comes out between the legs, from NHY de Nukva. He dresses in sixty strikes of fire, by which he scares off the outer ones so they will not grip the legs of the Nukva. He is appointed over the lower ones from the four sides. It is a boy who grips 613 upper keys from the side of Ima, and all the upper keys in the blaze of the sword that turns every way, which is girded to his waist, are hanging.

Now The Zohar explains the three worlds, BYA, which receive from the Nukva de Atzilut in the days of Solomon through the angel Matat. This is so because the Parsa below Atzilut detains the light of Hochma from descending to BYA, hence illumination of Hochma shines in BYA by clothing of the Achoraim de Nukva de Atzilut. This is so because since the Achoraim are harsh Dinim, the Masach does not detain them from spreading into BYA. And since they are from Nukva de Atzilut, they transfer the illumination of Hochma in them to the three worlds BYA, too, and the appointee over all the illuminations in BYA is Matat.

It is written that he dresses in sixty strikes of fire because the powers of Din [judgment] from Achoraim de Nukva in her HGT NHY—each of which consists of ten—are sixty. In this way, he is appointed over the lower ones from the four sides, which affects the Mochin from the four directions of Nukva, HG TM, upon the lower ones.

It is written that he is a boy who grips 613 upper keys from the side of Ima. The boy is Matat, and he has VAK from the side of Ima, whose Sefirot are hundreds, and they are six hundred.

With respect to the Mochin, he has thirteen—twelve oxen and one that includes them. Together they are 613, meaning only the Mochin from Ima, since Mochin de Aba cannot illuminate in Beria due to the Masach below Atzilut, which detains the light of Aba.

When it writes, “All the upper keys ... which are hanging,” it is to open the illumination of Hochma by the blaze of the sword that is girded to his waist. By that, he is guarded so that illumination of Hochma will not be able to transfer from Parsa de Atzilut down. And how do these 613 keys grip to BYA, which are extensions of Hochma? All those keys depend on the blaze of the sword, the Achoraim de Nukva de Atzilut, harsh Dinim. The Parsa does not detain them and they can expand to BYA, extending illumination of Hochma with them from the Nukva.

285) In the Baraita, that boy is called “Hanoch Son of Yered,” as it is written “Hanoch [which also means “educate”] the boy, according to the boy’s way.” The Mishnah and the Baraita are internality and externality because the Baraita is the externality of the Mishnah. With regard to the externality, the VAK is called Matat, Hanoch Son of Yered, since Yered comes from the word Yerida [descent] and externality. However, Matat is called Hanoch Son of Yered with respect to the internality, as well. In the internality, Son of Yered is said in his merit, since the descent caused him the internal Mochin.

Both Mishnah and the Baraita regard his descent. However, in the Baraita, his descent still did not cause Mochin, but an actual descent, but in the Mishnah, the descent has already been mended and become a cause for Mochin. Below him, meaning under his shade, all the animals of the field will take shelter, meaning the angels in Yetzira. It is as the holy, upper Israel, ZA, is called “a son” to his mother, Bina, as it is written, “For I was a son to my father, tender, and an only one before my mother.” It is also written, “My son, My firstborn, Israel,” relating to ZA. Also, below Atzilut it is Matat, who is called “a boy” of his mother, the Nukva, as it is written, “When Israel was a child, I loved him,” which relates to Matat.

He is called “Son of Yered” in several ways, once as a fault and once as a praise, according to the difference between the internality of Matat and the externality of Matat. However, here it is about the actual Son of Yered, the externality of Matat, whose descent is a fault because he still does not cause Mochin. This is because by ten descents did Divinity go down to the land, and all were set up by the friends. And under the externality of Matat stand angels in Yetzira, which are called “animals of the field.”

286) Under these animals, the Se’arot of the moon, Nukva, grip. They are called “Shevet Stars” [sun-like stars, as opposed to planets], and they are an actual Shevet [rod] by which to sentence the world. They divided into litigants, heavy, harsh judges, and insolent. And they are all called “those with hair.” Her hands and legs grip it as a mighty lion that grips to its prey, and it is written about it, “And preys, and there is no savior.”

The Shevet stars is Masach de Malchut of Midat ha Din [quality of judgment], which is called Man’ula [lock], the hidden gate, which does not open before the end of correction. It is written, “Under these animals, the Se’arot of the moon, Nukva, grip.” They are called “Shevet Stars.” These are not merely the Se’arot of the Nukva, which are mitigated in Bina, in Miftacha [key], of which it is written that several thousand protectors grip to her hair. Rather, it is those same Se’arot, the Shevet stars, Malchut of Midat ha Din, which are only in BYA, under the animals of the field. And The Zohar makes the precision of saying that they are an actual Shevet, that they have the actual form of Malchut of Midat ha Din, called Shevet.

There are two discernments in them: Litigants and heavy. 1) When the Masach is in the place of Malchut, the Se’arot are called “litigants.” 2) When the Masach rises in its form, settles in Bina, and divides the degree there into two halves, KH and Bina and TM, by which they are corrected into being a scales. For this reason, in this discernment, the Se’arot are called “heavy.”

Two others extend from them: 1) Harsh judges, who extend from the litigants, and 2) insolent, who extend from the heavy, and which rise in the place of Bina, who have no right gripping there, and this is considered insolence.

The two lines—right and left—are disputed and each wants to cancel the illumination of the other. Hence, they cannot shine until the middle line comes out on Masach de Hirik, which decides and makes peace between them. This Masach must first be from Midat ha Din, Man’ula, for then the left line diminishes from GAR, yields before the right, and unites with it.

It is written, “Her hands and legs grip it as a mighty lion that grips to its prey.” This refers to the two lines from the Chazeh and above, which are called “hands,” while the two lines from the Chazeh down are called “legs.” They grip to illuminate in whole, and only through the Masach de Hirik, which is accepted from Midat ha Din in those Se’arot, the Man’ula.

And because the GAR of the left line is diminished by the Masach from this harsh Din, it is called “prey,” since the Masach de Hirik preys the GAR of the left line. This is why he compares it to a mighty lion that grips its prey, as it is written, “And preys, and there is no saver.” Hence, the two lines—called “hands”—promptly unite with one another, and the two lines—called “legs”—also unite, and then they shine in the greatest wholeness that is possible during the 6,000 years.

287) Her nails mention people’s transgressions and write and inscribe their iniquities by the strength of the harsh Din. It is written about it, “The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen and a Shamir stylus.” Shamir means that it Roshem [inscribes] and punctures the stone, and carves it from all sides.

Nails are the Parsa that was made in the middle of the degree, due to Malchut’s ascent to Bina of that degree. It follows that two forces are included in the Parsa: the Malchut that rose, which is the harsh Midat ha Din, and Bina that received the form of Malchut because of her ascent to her. Those two forces are the Man’ula and the Miftacha, the two points that were erected in the Nukva. It is said about them, “If he is rewarded, it is good,” meaning that Midat ha Din, Man’ula, has been concealed, and only Midat ha Rachamim, Miftacha, governs. If he is not rewarded and extends lights from above downwards, it is bad, and then the hidden Midat ha Din appears on him, meaning the Man’ula, and his lights depart.

It was written, “Her nails mention people’s transgressions and write and inscribe their iniquities by the strength of the harsh Din.” This means that if he is not rewarded, the power of Midat ha Din that was hidden in the nails appears. And when this Midat ha Din is revealed, one is punished severely.

It is written about it, “The sin of Judah is written with an iron pen and a Shamir stylus,” since the point of Man’ula that is contained and hidden in the nail is called “An iron pen,” and the point of Miftacha that is revealed in the nail and governs when Israel are worthy is called “A Shamir stylus.”

“The sin of Judah,” if they sin, the two points appear on them and the sins are written in both the iron pen and the Shamir stylus. And when the point of Man’ula appears on them, as well, they are immediately punished. However, it is written of those who do his will, “No tools of iron were heard in the house, while it was being built.” This was because the Shamir would cut everything, and the iron tools, the Man’ula, was not heard because it was concealed. It was written, “Shamir means that it Roshem [inscribes] and punctures the stone,” meaning it inscribes and punctures the elicitation of the Katnut of the degrees, which are called “Stones,” “And carves it from all sides,” meaning gives it its shape from each side during the elicitation of the Gadlut of the degrees.

288) The filth of the nails means that all those who do not cling to the Guf [body] of the King, to the middle line, but cling to the left, and suck from the side of impurity when the moon is diminished, the abundance that they extend at that time from the nails goes to the side of impurity and is regarded as the “filth of the nails.”

289) And because King Solomon inherited the full moon, the Nukva in her Gadlut, he needs to inherit her during her diminution. This is the reason why he strove to know in the knowledge of the ghosts and demons, to inherit the moon, the Nukva in all the aspects.

This is so because Mochin de Katnut induce Mochin de Gadlut. During the ascent of Malchut to Bina de Ima, Ima returned to Mochin de VAK without a Rosh due to the fall of Bina and TM from her to ZON. At that time, ZON receives Mochin de Katnut from Ima by clothing of Bina and TM de Ima in them. Also, Bina and TM de ZON descend to the souls of people and the souls receive Mochin de Katnut from ZON. This became a cause that they would receive Mochin de Gadlut, as well, since afterwards, at the time of Gadlut de Ima, when Ima brings Bina and TM that fell from her to ZON back to her degree, ZON, too, rise with these Bina and TM to Ima and receive the Mochin de Gadlut from her. Afterwards, they bring back their own Bina and TM, which fell into the souls of people, and the souls rise with them, too, and receive Mochin de Gadlut from ZON. Thus, you see that if the lower one did not receive the Katnut of the upper one—Bina and TM of the upper one—it would be impossible for it to receive the Mochin de Gadlut from the upper one.

290) In the days of King Solomon, the moon illuminated from all the degrees, as it is written, “And Solomon's wisdom excelled.” “Excelled” means that his wisdom excelled over the wisdom of all the children of the east, who were then included in the Nukva, as well as from the wisdom of Egypt, who was included in her. The wisdom of the children of the east has a high meaning to it. It is written, “These are the kings that ruled in the land of Edom.” They are called “the children of the east,” and none of them persisted except the one who consisted of male and female, whose name was Hadar, as it is written, “And Hadar reigned in his stead ... and his wife's name was Mehetabel.” However, in the previous kings, a female was not mentioned.

291) And although the Nukva was sustained by the king Hadar, she did not fully illuminate until Solomon came, who was worthy of her. This is the reason why his mother was Bat Sheba. That is, the Nukva in Gadlut is called Bat Sheba because she consists of the entire HGT NHYM de ZA, and she was his mother. This is why he is worthy of inheriting her in the days of her fullness.

292) The wisdom of Egypt is the lower Hochma, called “The maid-servant that is behind the mill.” And this wisdom [Hochma] of Solomon was mingled with everything—the wisdom of the children of the east and the wisdom of Egypt.

There are three Hochmot [plural of Hochma] in Atzilut:

1) The eight Sefirot of AA, Hochma of the ten Sefirot de Ohr Yashar. After the breaking of the vessels in the world of correction, this Hochma was completely hidden and she no longer shines in Atzilut. What fell from this Hochma during the breaking of the vessels is the Hochma [wisdom] of the children of the east. The wisdom of the children of the east is a high secret, as it is written, “These are the kings that ruled in the land of Edom.” The reign and death of those seven kings are the breaking of the vessels.

2) Upper Hochma. This is Bina that went out of Rosh de AA, returned to it, and became Hochma. Even though all the Hochma in the worlds comes from her, she herself shines only in Hassadim, as it is written, “For he desires Hesed [mercy].” What fell from this Hochma into the Klipot is the wisdom of Egypt, the lower wisdom, which fell from upper Hochma to the Klipot, to the bottom Ketarim. And she is called “A maid-servant that is behind the mill.”

3) The Hochma of Solomon, the bottom Hochma, Hochma that shines in Nukva PBP [Panim be Panim (face-to-face)] during her Gadlut. At that time, all three Hochmot shine in her together, and then she brings the Hochma of the children of the east and the Hochma of Egypt out of the Klipot, and becomes much greater than them. It is written about that, “And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east, and all the wisdom of Egypt,” meaning that her Hochma grew more than them.

293) “What advantage does man have in all his work, which he does under the sun?” The toil of Torah, too, means to toil under the sun. The toil of Torah is different; it is above the sun, from the upper ones. Thus, so is the toil of Torah. It is said about it, “What advantage does man have in all his work, which he does under the sun?” whether he toils in Torah for people or for his own honor. It is about that that the verse says, “Under the sun,” since this Torah does not rise, and even if one lived a thousand years, on the day he departs from the world, it will seem to him as though he lived only one day.

And When I Lied Down with My Fathers

294) “And when I lied down with my fathers.” Happy are the patriarchs, whom the Creator has made into a holy Merkava [assembly/chariot], and desires them—to crown Himself in them—as it is written, “Only your fathers did the Lord desire.” Jacob knew because his crowning is in his fathers, since the crowning of the fathers was with him, and he with them.

We learn about it in engraved letters that there are three knots to the Shin—two knots to the right and left, and one knot that contains them—the middle one. It is written about it, “And the middle bar in the midst of the boards, which shall pass through from end to end.” This is so because the knot in the middle grips the right and the left, and it is written about it, “And when I lied down with my fathers.”

Abraham is the right line, Isaac is the left line, and Jacob is the middle line. In the three heads in the letter Shin, the two lines—right and left—cannot shine unless through the middle line, which decides between them and unites them. Also, the middle line has no Mochin of its own. Rather, to the extent that it decides and induces complete illumination to the right and to the left, three come out of one and one is rewarded with all three. This is why it is written that his crowning is in his fathers, that the Mochin of Jacob is in the patriarchs. Because he decides between them, he receives the Mochin from them. It is written, “And he is with them.” If he were not with them, the fathers would not shine because they can only shine through the middle line. This is the meaning of “And when I lied down with my fathers,” for they need him and he needs them.

295) It was written, “The deaf heard and the blind looked, so as to see.” “The deaf heard” are those people who do not listen to the words of Torah and do not open their ears to hear the commandments of their Master. “The blind” are those who do not look to know what they are living for because each day, a herald comes out and calls, and there is no one to notice him.

296) Those are man’s days from the time he was created. On that day when he came out to the world, they all exist already. They are real illuminations and man’s days extend from them. They walk and roam the world, descend and warn man each day separately. And when the day comes and he warns the man, and on that day the man transgresses before his Master, that day rises in shame and testifies about him, and he stands outside alone.

297) And after he stands outside alone, he sits and waits for the man to repent for the sin. If he is rewarded and he repents, the day returns to its place. If he is not rewarded and did not repent, that day goes down and joins the wind outside and returns to its home, where it is established in precisely the same form as that man’s so as to harm him. The day sits in his home with him, and if he repents, its dwelling with him is favorable. If he is not rewarded, its dwelling with him is bad.

298) In any event, man’s days are counted and they are lacking. Those that remained due to sins are not counted. Woe unto that person who decreased his days before the holy King and does not have days to crown with them above in that world, and with which to draw near before the holy King.

299) When these days before the holy King approach, if the person who died was righteous, he rises and enters these days, and they are clothes of honor, and his soul dresses in him. And those days were because he was rewarded with them and did not sin in them.

300) Woe unto a man who decreased his days above. When he should be clothed in his days, those days that he corrupted with his sins are missing from that garment and he wears a deficient Kli. It is all the more so if many are the days that were corrupted and man had nothing with which to clothe in that world. Woe unto him; woe unto his soul, for he is sentenced in Hell for those days, days over days, double days. He is punished for years for each day. And when he comes out of the world, he does not find days to clothe in them and does not have a clothing in which to cover. Happy are the righteous, whose days are all hidden with the holy King and garments of honor are made of them, to clothe in them in the next world.

301) It is written, “And they knew that they were naked.” It is real knowing that they knew, for they were deficient of that garment of honor that was made of the days, and they did not have a single day to clothe in. It is written, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance, and in Your book were all written, days were ordained and not one of them,” in relation to Adam HaRishon. “Days were ordained” indeed, for they were made to be a clothing. “And not one of them” means that not even one of them was left for him to clothe in, until Adam exerted and repented and the Creator accepted his repentance and made for him another Kli and clothing. But not of his own days, for with his repentance, he did not correct the sin of the tree of knowledge in completeness, as it is written, “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them.”

302) Of Abraham, who was rewarded, it is written, “Coming in days” [advanced in age]. Hence, when he departed from this world, he entered and clothed by these very days of his. He did not subtract anything of that garment of honor because it is written “Coming in days.” It is written about Job, “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return there,’” for he had no clothing left to dress in.

303) Happy are the righteous, whose days remain clean of sin and they remain for the next world. When they come out of the world, they all connect and become a garment of honor for them to dress in. In that clothing, they are rewarded with delighting in pleasure in the next world. And in that clothing, they are destined to rise in the world and live at the revival of the dead. And all those who have a clothing will rise. Woe unto the wicked of the world, whose days were decreased by their iniquities and who did not have what to cover themselves with when they departed from the world.

304) All those righteous who were rewarded with clothing a garment of honor from their days are crowned in that world by crowns that the fathers were crowned in, from that river that extends and goes out to the Garden of Eden. It is written about it, “And the Lord will guide you always and satiate your soul in brilliance.”

305) Happy is Jacob, for he had great confidence, as it is written, “And when I lied down with my fathers.” He was rewarded with them, and not with another. He was rewarded with them, with clothing in his own days and in their days.

306) It is written, “And he smelled the smell of his garments, and blessed him.” It should have said, “The garments of Esau,” and not “His garments,” since those were the garments of Esau, as it is written, “And Rebecca took the garments of Esau her elder son,” and here it says, “The smell of his garments,” meaning Jacob’s.

307) However, “And he smelled” means he looked further and smelled his garments in the world of truth, and then he blessed him. It is written about that, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field,” a field of holy apples, the Nukva de ZA. He said, “Since you were rewarded with these garments of honor, “May God give you the dew of heaven.” This means that the dew of heaven was dependent upon the garments of honor. Because it is a field of apples, which the garments of honor resembled in their scent, he received dew all day long from a place called “heaven,” ZA.

308) He blessed him with everything, as it is written, “Of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth,” and from the affluence of the Nukva, land, as well. This is so because it was written, “And he smelled the smell of his garments,” and these garments, too, are received from the Nukva.

Each day, 1,500 smells rise from the Garden of Eden, the Nukva, in which they are perfumed. These are clothes of honor that crown from the days of Adam in that world. But the clothes are received from the Nukva, too. The number 1,500 is the smell. It is not the complete degree of GAR, but only half of the degree because it is not received from above downwards but from below upwards. The complete degree of GAR is 3,000, and its half is 1,500.

309) How many garments does one have from his days? They are three. One is when he wears the garment of Ruach in the Garden of Eden of the earth. One, the most precious of all, is when the Neshama dresses in him, whose abode is within the bundle of life, the Nukva, among her garments, called “Royal clothes.” And one is the outer apparel, which is present and absent, seen and unseen, because being from the externality, it does not have perpetual existence. Rather, at times it is present and at times it is not present; at times it is seen and at times it is not seen. In this garment, the soul dresses and walks and roams the world.

310) Each beginning of a month and Shabbat, the soul goes and connects to the Ruach in the Garden of Eden of the earth, which stands between the precious curtain. And from it, the soul learns and knows what she knows, and roams and alerts in the world.

311) In two ties does the soul tie each beginning of a month and Shabbat: 1) In the tie of the Ruach between the scents of the perfumes in the Garden of Eden of the earth; 2) from there, the soul walks and roams and connects with the Ruach in the Neshama, which is bundled in the bundle of life. She is nourished and satiated by those precious lights from the right and from the left, as it is written, “And the Lord will guide you always,” to indicate that she receives from all sides and that she does not cease.

312) “And satiate your soul in Tzachtzachot [brilliance].” She receives one Tzach [part of Tzachtzachot] when she connects with the Ruach in the lower Garden of Eden. She receives the Tzach before the Tzach when she connects with the Neshama above, in the bundle of life, as it is written, ‘In Tzachtzachot [brilliance].’ Tzach is one, Tzachtzachot is two. They themselves are above, at the precious part of the Neshama. It is said Tzachtzachot about the one who inherits them. This is the meaning of “Your soul,” who inherits them from the Neshama. Happy are the righteous.

313) Rabbi Shimon said, “When I am among the friends from Babel, they gather to me and learn the matters in disclosure. They put them in a box that is sealed by hard iron, which is hidden from all sides, and conceal them so they will not be known to anyone.

314) “Several times have I taught them the ways of the garden of the king, the Nukva, and the ways of the King, ZA. Several times have I taught them all those degrees of the righteous in that world. They all fear studying these things and they study in stuttering. This is why they are called ‘stutterers,’ since they stutter in their mouths.

315) “But I judge them favorably because they are afraid, since the holy air and the holy spirit have moved away from them, as they are abroad and nurse from the air and spirit of a different authority from that of Kedusha [holiness]. Moreover, the rainbow is seen on them, which is a sign that they are in Din and they need mercy. They are unfit to welcome Elijah, much less to welcome anyone else.

316) “However, it is good for them that I am in the world and I support the world, since in my life, the world will not be in grief and will not be judged by the Din of above. After me, no generation such as this generation shall arise. It will occur in the world that there will be no one to protect them, and every insolent face will be both above and below, since above, too, there will be insolent faces, which are the slandering of the Klipot, due to the iniquities below and their insolence.

317) “The people of the world will shout but no one will watch over them. Their heads will search in every direction for some salvation but they will not return with any cure for their plight. But I have found them one remedy in the world: Where they engage in Torah, and a book of Torah that is unflawed is among them, when they take it out, the upper ones and lower ones will awaken. And it is all the more so if the Holy Name is written in it properly.

318) “Woe unto a generation that a book of Torah appeared among them, which was thrown into the city street, etc., to pray, and there was no awakening for her above and below, and whose prayer was not accepted above because their prayer was without fasting and without repentance below. Who will awaken over her to pray when the world is afflicted and the world needs rains, and the book of Torah must be revealed due to the stress in the world?”

319) But when the world is afflicted and people ask for mercy over the graves, all the dead awaken to ask for the world. This is because the soul rushes to alert the wind that the book of Torah is in exile, that it was exiled because of the pressure in the world and the living came over the graves and ask for mercy.

320) At that time, the spirit alerts the soul, and the soul alerts the Creator, and then the Creator awakens and takes pity on the world. And all of that is for the exile of the book of Torah from its place, and since life came to ask for mercy for the grave of the dead. Woe unto a generation if a book of Torah must be exiled from place to place, and even from synagogue to synagogue, to pray, since none is found among them who will watch over them and pray for them, for there is not a righteous one among them.

321) When Divinity was exiled in the last exile, until it rises up, she said, as it is written, “Who will give me a wanderer’s lodge in the desert?” and not to rise up, since she desires to walk with Israel in the exile. Afterwards, when she was already in exile with Israel, when there was much stress in the world, she is in the world in the desert, in the place of Klipot. Also, in the exile, the book of Torah is in the desert, and everyone awakens and regrets over her, the upper ones, as well as the lower ones.

322) If those foolish Babylonians knew the words of the secrets of the wisdom, such as what the world stands on and why its pillars quake when the world is under pressure, they would connect to the words of King Solomon in the high meaning of the wisdom. But they did not know his merit.

323) And now they seek words of wisdom and there is no one to understand their secret and no one to teach. And yet, there are wise ones among them in determining the impregnated year [a year with an extra month in the Hebrew calendar] and determining the month, even though it was not given to them to impregnate the year and to sanctify the month, since the year is impregnated and the month is determined only in the land of Israel.

324) For twelve months, the soul connects to the body inside the grave and they are sentenced together in Din, except for a soul of a righteous. She is in the grave and feels her sorrow for the affliction and the sorrow of life, and she does not try to pray for them.

325) And after twelve months, the soul dresses in another clothing and walks and roams the world, and knows what she knows from the wind and tries to ask for mercy for the affliction in the world and to feel the sorrow of the living.

326) And who awakens all of that, that the souls of the dead will pray for the living? There is a righteous one in the world who announces them properly, and that righteous one was recognized among them because when a righteous one remains in the world, he is known among the living and among the dead, since each day he is declared among them. And when there is much affliction in the world and he cannot protect the generation, he alerts them of the affliction in the world and they ask for mercy over the living.

327) And when no righteous is found, who is declared among them, and there is no one to awaken the souls in the affliction in the world except for a book of Torah, the upper ones and lower ones awaken on it, to pray for the world. However, at that time, everyone must be in repentance. If they are not in repentance, the litigants awaken upon them to punish them for throwing the book of Torah. And not only the souls, even the wind in the Garden of Eden awakens over them for the book of Torah, to ask for mercy.

328) “And when I lied down with my fathers,” who are in Guf [body], Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshama, contained in a single Merkava [assembly/chariot] in a high degree. “And when I lied down with my fathers” revolves around the Guf and all the aspects of the Neshama, so they will be together with his fathers.

How impervious are the people of the world in all the senses. They do not know, do not notice, do not hear, and do not look at the matters in the world and how the Creator fills with pity over the world at all times, and there is no one to notice.

329) Three times a day, a wind comes into the Cave of Machpelah and blows through the graves of the patriarchs. Their bones heal and they maintain their existence. That wind draws dew from above, from the head of the King, HBD de ZA, the place of the upper patriarchs, HGT who became HBD. And when the dew comes from them, the lower patriarchs awaken in the Cave of Machpelah.

330) The dew falls through the degrees and reaches the lower Garden of Eden, and the perfumes in the Garden of Eden bathe in that dew. At that time, a spirit [Ruach] that is included in two others awakens—the Ruach from the middle line, Jacob, includes two lines, Abraham and Isaac. It rises and wanders among the perfumes and enters through the cave door. Then, the fathers and their wives awaken and ask for mercy over the sons.

331) When the world is in grief and they are not granted, it is because they, the patriarchs, are asleep due to the iniquities of the world, and that dew does not awaken them because it is not drawn and is not present until the book of Torah properly awakens in the world. At that time, the Nefesh alerts the Ruach, the Ruach alerts the Neshama, and the Neshama alerts the Creator. And then the King sits on the throne of Rachamim [mercy] and draws from the holy Atik, AA, extension from the crystal dew—the Mocha Stimaa de AA—which reaches the Rosh of the King, HBD de ZA, and the fathers—HGT de ZA—are blessed. Then that dew is drawn to those who are asleep, the fathers in the Cave of Machpelah, all unite to pray for the world, and the Creator has mercy over the world. However, the Creator does not have mercy over the world until He alerts the fathers and the world is blessed through their merit.

332) And Rachel did more than all the fathers, for she stands at the crossroads each time the world needs mercy.

And Israel Bowed Down Upon the Bed's Head

333) “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head.” “The bed’s head” is Divinity because Divinity is over the head of the sick. However, we should not say that he was bowing down to Divinity, since he was a Merkava [assembly/chariot] to the Sefira Tifferet, which is above Divinity. Rather, he was bowing before his own quality, Tifferet.

The bed is Divinity, as it is written, “Behold, it is Solomon’s bed.” The bed’s head is the foundation of the world, the head of Divinity. Over the head is Israel, Tifferet, who stands over the bed’s head, Yesod, since Tifferet is above Yesod. This is the reason why Israel was bowing before himself, before Tifferet.

334) We should not say that he was bowing before Divinity, which is over the head of the sick, since at the time, he was still not sick, as afterwards it is written, “And it came to pass after these things, that he told Joseph, ‘Behold, your father is sick.’” At the time he was bowing, he was not sick, necessarily so, and this is why he bowed, since he knew that at that time he rose to a high and holy degree in the complete throne, Tifferet. This is why he was bowing before the Merkava, the upper throne, since HGT is an upper throne to Bina, and Tifferet includes all of them. It is the completeness of the great and powerful tree, called after his name, Tifferet, which is called by his name, “Israel.” Hence, “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head,” since he rose to his degree and was crowned with crowns, the Mochin of the holy King, Tifferet.

335) King Solomon said, “I have tried all that with wisdom [Hochma].” He inherited the moon, Nukva, from all of her Behinot [discernments/aspects], and in his days, the moon was full because she was blessed from all the degrees. When he wished to understand the laws of Torah he said, “I said, ‘I will be wise,’ but she was far from me.”

336) Jacob said, “And when I lied down with my fathers you shall carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their burial-place.” One whose soul departed into another authority, abroad, and whose body was buried in the holy land, it is written about him, “And you came and defiled My land.” And Jacob said, “And bury me in their burial-place,” and his soul went out into another authority, in Egypt.

337) Jacob is different from other people because Divinity gripped him and clung to him, as it is written, “I will go down with you to Egypt,” to dwell with you in exile. “And I will also surely bring you up,” meaning your soul will mate in Me and your body will be buried in the graves of your fathers. Even though his soul departed in another authority, yet, “I will also surely bring you up,” meaning that he would be buried in the grave of his fathers.

338) “And Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes,” for he is the elder, and the elder places his hand on his father’s eyes. With respect to the thought in the heart, he was from the first drop. And because the Creator knew this secret, that his mind was on Rachel, he was told this in Joseph—that he would put his hand on his eyes, meaning that all his love depended on him.

339) What is, “And Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes”? This is Jacob’s honor—that his son, who is a king, will put his hands on his eyes, to tell him that Joseph is alive and will be present at his death.

340) A man who is rewarded with a son in this world, the son must put dust on his eyes when he is buried. This is his honor, to indicate that the world has been sealed off from his father and that the son is succeeding the world.

341) Because the view of the world is seen in a man’s eyes, and all the colors are in them, too, and the white color in them is like the great ocean that surrounds the world from all sides, the other color in them is like the land that the waters brought out, and the land stands between the waters. Similarly, this color stands between the waters, in this white color, which implies to the ocean water.

342) The other, third color, is in the middle of the eye. This is Jerusalem, the middle of the world. The fourth color in the eye—the black in the eye—is where all the power to see in the whole of the eye is found. It is called “pupil,” and in that pupil, the face is seen. And the most precious vision of all is Zion, the point in the middle of everything. The vision of the whole world is seen there, and Divinity—the beauty of everything and the view of everything—is present there. This eye is the inheritance of the world. For this reason, the one who dies leaves it and his son takes it and inherits it.

343) This is a hidden thing, and the people of the world do not know and do not look, since when a person leaves the world, his soul is hidden with him and before she leaves the body, a man’s eyes see what they see, as it is written, “For man shall not see Me and live.” In their lives, they do not see; but in their death, they see.

344) His eyes are open from that vision that he saw. Those who stand over him should place a hand over his eyes and close his eyes. When his eyes remain open from that precious view, if he is rewarded with a son, the son should put his hand on his eyes first, and close them, as it is written, “And Joseph shall put his hand upon your eyes.” This is so because another view, which is not Kedusha [holiness], appears before him, and the eye that now sees a high and holy view shall not look at the other view.

345) The soul is close before him, at home. If the eye remains open and the other view, of the Sitra Achra, is over his eyes, everything that he will look at will be cursed. And since his soul is before him, he will look at the soul and she will be cursed. This is not an honor to the eye, much less to the relatives of the dead, and even more so to the dead himself. It is not honorable for him to look at what he should not look at, and to place the Sitra Achra over his eyes. This is why he is covered in dust. The friends have already commented on the Din that the dead is sentenced in the grave, and it is honorable that the eye will be closed to everything by the son that he left in the world.

346) All seven days past his death, the soul goes from the house to the grave and from the grave to the house and mourns for him. Three times a day they are sentenced as one, the soul with the body, and there is none who knows this in the world. And he should regard it, to awaken the heart.

347) Afterwards, the body is closed in the grave and the soul goes and bathes in Hell, and comes out and wanders in the world, visiting the body in the grave, until she dresses in what she dresses.

348) After twelve months, they all rest. The body is calmed in the dust and the soul is bundled and enlightened in the spirit and in the clothing that the spirit wears. Then the spirit delights in the Garden of Eden and the soul rises to the bundle of life, the Nukva, the greatest of all pleasures. They are all tied to one another, the Nefesh [soul] in the Ruach [spirit], and the Ruach in the Neshama [soul, but this time it means Neshama], on Sabbaths, on good days, and in beginnings of months.

349) Woe unto people who do not look and do not know and do not recognize what they are standing on, and the practice of the Mitzvot of Torah is forgotten from them. There are Mitzvot of the Torah that make a garment of honor above, in the upper Garden of Eden, there are Mitzvot of the Torah that make a garment of honor below, in the lower Garden of Eden, and there are Mitzvot of the Torah that make a garment of honor in this world. And man needs all of them, and all are corrected by his days.

350) One day, old Rabbi Yehuda was excited. He wished to know what will become of him in the world of truth. In a dream, he was shown one form of his: a strong light that shines to the four directions. They told him, “This is your clothing for your sitting here.” And from that day on, he was happy.

351) Each day, the spirits of the righteous sit in their clothes, row after row in the Garden of Eden, and praise the Creator in the high honor.

In the beginning, it writes, “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head.” “The bed” is the assembly of Israel, the Nukva. “The bed’s head” is a righteous. “Upon the bed’s head” is the holy King, Tifferet, that all the peace is his, as it is written, “Behold, it is Solomon’s bed,” since he would bow before himself, for he is a Merkava [chariot/assembly] for Tifferet, for the one who stands at the bed’s head, whose name is Israel. Tifferet is called “Israel,” hence “And Israel bowed down upon the bed's head.”

352) Afterwards, Jacob knew that he was completed in a high degree and that his degree was Tifferet, above with the fathers, who are HG, and he alone was the complete correction because Tifferet is the middle line that contains HG within it, and he is equal to the whole of HGT. Hence, he held his heart, rejoiced, and was strengthened in the upper desire of the Creator, who desires him. It is written about him, “And Israel was strengthened and sat upon the bed,” on the actual bed, on Malchut, since he was completed in a higher degree, in the quality of Tifferet, above Malchut. Happy is he.

The World Is Judged Four Times a Year

353) The world is judged four times a year: on Passover, for the grain; on the eighth of Sukkot, for the fruits of the tree; on Rosh Hashanah [beginning of the year], for all the people of the world who pass before him as the children of Meron, and on the holiday, they are sentenced for the water.

“On Passover, for the grain,” opposite the high Merkava, the patriarchs, HGT, and King David, Malchut. The four times correspond to the patriarchs and King David. He interprets that a Matza comes on Passover because a Matza is the Din of Malchut. It is when Israel began to enter the holy part of the Creator and to root out the leaven—idolatry—the appointees over the idol worshipping nations, called “other gods,” “foreign gods,” and which are called “leaven,” “the evil inclination,” and to enter the Matza, the Malchut, the holy part of the Creator. This is why on Passover, the judgment is on the grain, since the world is judged on the Din [judgment] of the Hey, the Malchut, and Tevu’ah [grain] comes from the words Tavo Hey [Let the Hey come].

354) “On the eighth of Sukkot, for the fruits of the tree.” Should it not have said, “The fruits of the trees”? However, this is a strong and mighty tree above, ZA. The fruits of the tree are the souls of the righteous, the fruits of ZA. They are judged on the eighth day, Tifferet.

355) On Rosh Hashanah, they pass before him as the children of Meron. Rosh Hashanah is the Rosh [head/beginning] of the Shanah [year] of the king. Rosh Hashanah is Isaac, who is called Rosh, one Rosh of the King, ZA, his Rosh of Gevura, a place called “year.” This is the reason why all the people of the world will pass before him like the children of Meron, since on Rosh Hashanah, Isaac is present—the Rosh of the left, in which there are Dinim [judgments]. This is why it is said on Rosh Hashanah, “His left under my head.”

356) “On the holiday, they are sentenced for the water.” This is the beginning of the illumination of the right of the king, Hassadim, water, since on the holiday, it is said, “And his right shall embrace me.” Hence, the joy of the water is in everything, when water is poured and pumped, since water is Hassadim.

Everything is found in these four times. On Passover, the Din is in Malchut, which is called “grain.” On the eighth of Sukkot, the Din is in Tifferet, which is called “a tree.” On Rosh Hashanah, it is in Gevura, and on the holiday, it is in Hesed.

357) Everything is found in those four times: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, who are HGT, and King David, who is Malchut. The world is judged in those HG TM, and people are sentenced in four times, which are the days when HG TM are in the world. Each day, the books are open and peoples deeds are written, and there is none who watches over and none to lend one’s ears. And each day, the Torah testifies, as it is written, “Whoever is a fool, let him come here. ‘Heartless,’ she said to him.” And there is no one to listen to her voice.

358) When a person rises in the morning, witnesses stand opposite him and testify about him. And he does not notice. And the soul testifies about him every time and each hour. If he hears, good. And if he does not hear, the books are open and the deeds are written. Happy are the righteous who do not fear the Din of this world or the Din of the next world. It is written about it, “But the righteous are secure as a young lion,” and “The righteous shall inherit the earth.”

When the Sun Was Setting

359) “When the sun was setting, deep sleep fell upon Abram.” This is the day of the harsh Din, which brings a person out of this world. When it is time for a man to exit this world, it is the great judgment day, when the sun darkens from shining to the moon. It is written about it, “Until the sun darkens.” This is the holy soul that avoids the man thirty days before he leaves the world and he sees that he is devoid of the semblance and it is not seen.

360) The semblance passes away from him because the holy soul has departed and moved from him and is not seen. It cannot be said that when a person dies and weakens, the soul moves away from him. Rather, while he is alive, in full strength, the soul [Neshama] moves away from him and does not shine to the spirit [Ruach], and the Ruach does not shine to the Nefesh. Then the semblance moves away from him and does not shine for him. From that day forth, everyone declares about him that he will die, even the birds in the sky, since the Neshama has departed from him and the Ruach does not shine to the Nefesh, so the Nefesh weakens and eating and all the lusts of the body depart and move away from him.

361) Even more, each time a person falls ill and cannot pray, the Neshama moves away from him. And then the Ruach does not shine to the Nefesh until a person’s Din is given. If he is judged favorably, the Neshama returns to her place and shines to the Ruach and the Nefesh. This is why the matter depends on the Din. When the matter does not depend on the Din, because his Din has already been set to die, the Neshama departs thirty days before everyone and the semblance disappears from him.

362) When a person is sentenced above, his soul is raised to the court, and she is judged by her word. She testifies to everything and she testifies in all the evil thoughts that the man thought. But she does not testify to bad deeds because they are all written in a book. And when one is judged above, he is judged for everything, both for thoughts and for actions. And then the body is in greater trouble than at all other times.

363) If he is judged favorably, he is left alone and sweat comes out on the body. Then the soul [Neshama] returns and shines for the Ruach and the Nefesh. But one is never healed until his sentence is given above. But many sinners in the world and many wicked in the world persist and heal from their illnesses. Indeed, the Creator watches over a person’s judgment, and even if he is not rewarded now, if the Creator sees that he will be rewarded afterwards, He judges him favorably. Or, sometimes he may beget a son who will be righteous in the world, so the Creator judges him favorably.

364) All of the Creator’s deeds and actions are for the best, and He watches in all of them, as it is written, “‘As I live,’ says the Lord. ... I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way.’” For this reason, all those wicked in the world who restore their health, the Creator sentenced them favorably.

365) Sometimes the illnesses have completed the time that they were given to afflict a person, as it is written, “Severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and lasting sicknesses,” which they execute faithfully. They stay with a person and depart once their time is up, for both the righteous and the wicked. It is all done by judgment, as we said.

And Israel Saw Joseph's Sons

366) “And Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, ‘Who are these?’” It is written, “And the eyes of Israel were dim with age, and he could not see.” If he could not see, what is, “And Israel saw”? He saw Joseph’s sons in the holy spirit, referring to Jeroboam and his friends. Jeroboam made two golden calves and said, “These are your gods, oh Israel.” This is why Jacob asked, “Who are these?” Who is the one who is destined to say, “These are your gods” to idolatry? It is written about that, “And Israel saw Joseph's sons.”

367) Righteous see things before they come to the world because the Creator crowns them with His crown. The Creator sees far ahead, as it is written, “And God saw all that He has done.” This is so because the Creator sees all the deeds before they are done, and they all pass before Him.

368) All the generations of the world, from the end of the world to the end of the world, stand before Him before they come into the world. Before they come down, all the souls that come down to the world stand before the Creator in the form they appear in this world and are called by their names, as it is written, “He calls them all by name.”

369) The Creator shows the righteous all the generations of the world before they come and are present in the world. The Creator showed Adam HaRishon all the generations before they came, as it is written, “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” He showed him all the generations that were destined to come into the world.

It was the same with Moses, as it is written, “And the Lord showed him all the land.” The Creator showed him all the generations in the world, all the leaders in the world, and all the prophets, before they came into the world.

370) Here, too, “And Israel saw Joseph’s sons” means that he saw far ahead how they were destined to commit idolatry, and he was shaken and said, “Who are these?” This complements both for Jeroboam, who said, “These are your gods, oh Israel,” and for asking about Menashe and Ephraim. To that, Joseph replied and said, “They are my sons, whom God has thus given me,” meaning they are kosher [fit/qualified/proper]. However, he did not reply to him about Jeroboam and his friends. And the Creator pointed to Jeroboam and his friends, since it is written, “And lo, God has also shown me your seed.” The word “also” comes to multiply those generations that came out of him.

And He Blessed Joseph

371) “And he blessed Joseph.” We find no blessing for Joseph here, that Jacob blessed Joseph, but for his sons. But if for his sons, it should have said, “And He blessed them.”

372) But Joseph implies to Malchut, the blessing of his sons, because his sons—Menashe and Ephraim—are Malchut, which is called Et [of]. And when his sons are blessed, he is blessed first. This is why it writes Joseph, too, since a man’s sons are his blessing.

373) “And He blessed Joseph.” Et [“of,” used in Hebrew before the word “Joseph”] implies to Malchut. He blessed as a sign of the covenant that Joseph—Malchut—kept. For this reason, the righteous, who is Joseph, is called Et, and it says Et Yosef [of Joseph] because Joseph includes the covenant, Malchut, which is with Joseph.

374) And Jacob said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked.” “The God” is the holy covenant, Malchut, called “holy covenant.” “Before whom my fathers,” since my fathers were the first and highest before Malchut, since my fathers are Abraham and Isaac, HG de ZA, were before Malchut and superior to her because she is nourished by them and nurses that place, the Malchut.

375) “The God who shepherds me.” He said God a second time because he blessed that place, Malchut, the living God, Bina, the source of life, from which the blessings stem. This is the reason why he mentioned himself in that place, saying “The God who shepherds me,” since Jacob, the middle line, receives all the blessings that extend from the source of life, Bina. Without him, the two lines of Bina cannot shine. And when he receives them, he receives this place, the Malchut, the blessings from him, and it all depends on the male, Jacob. This is why it is written, and He blessed Joseph, where Et is the Malchut, who received the blessings from Jacob, ZA.

376) Wherever blessings are required, the Creator, Malchut, should be blessed first. And if the Creator is not blessed first, the blessings do not persist.

377) When Isaac blessed Jacob, he first blessed the Creator, as it is written, “See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed.” Here, there is a blessing for the Creator, as it is written, “which the Lord has blessed,” meaning that he was blessed with the keeping of the blessings. Afterwards, it is written, “And may God give you of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth.” This is so because a field, Malchut, has already been kept by the keeping of the blessings because the blessings stem from her only after she was already kept in the blessings. Similarly, first, Jacob blessed the Creator, and then he blessed his sons, as it is written, “In the morning he eats prey.” In the morning, a person should bless the Creator first, and then the rest of the people in the world.

378) When Jacob wanted to bless the sons of Joseph, he saw in the spirit of holiness that Jeroboam son of Nebat was to come out of Ephraim. He said, “Who are these”? And he said, “These are your gods, oh Israel.”

In all those sides in the evil serpent, from the spirit of impurity, it is the serpent, and SAM is riding it. They are a male and a female, and when they mate, they are called “These,” in plural form, to indicate that they are not united like the male and female in Kedusha [holiness], but are separated. They appear in the world in all the aspects that extend from the serpent, and they are from the Zivug of male and female, called “These.”

379) The spirit of holiness, Nukva de ZA, called “this,” is the covenant. It is the imprint of the word that is always within man. Also, “This is my God, and I will praise Him,” is the Creator, ZA, in singular form. However, ZON de Sitra Achra, SAM and the serpent, are called “these,” in plural form. This is why it is written, “These are your gods oh Israel.”

380) This is why it is written, “Even these may forget,” which are ZON de Sitra Achra, “And I will not forget you.” This “I” is the Nukva de ZA, “Will not forget you.” It is written, “For these I weep,” since the sin of the calf, which is called “these,” caused them weeping, as it is because of that that the Temple was ruined. “For these I weep,” since the serpent and SAM have been given permission to rule over Israel and to destroy the Temple. This is the holy spirit, the Nukva, called “I.”

381) It is written, “These are the words of the covenant.” And how is it possible that “these” is the name of ZON de Sitra Achra? However, all those curses exist within the “these,” the Sitra Achra, since there is where all the curses are present. The serpent is cursed. It has been cursed, “You are more cursed than all the animals of the field.” And this is why the Torah comes first and says, “These,” referring to one who broke the words of the covenant.

382) And why does it even say in Kedusha, “These are the commandments which the Lord commanded”? It is because all the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Torah are to cleanse man, so he will not stray from this path and will keep from the Sitra Achra and part from them. And why does it say, “These are the generations of Noah”? There, too, it is the Sitra Achra, since Ham, the father of Canaan came out, and it is written, “Cursed be Canaan,” and he is of these, since the serpent is cursed.

383) And they said, “These are your gods, oh Israel.” All of that is the insides of the waste of gold. Aaron offered gold, his side, left, which comprises fire. This side is regarded as gold and as fire. The waste of gold is the Klipot and the impurity. The spirit of impurity is always in the desert, and it found a place at that time to strengthen in it and to grip to Israel.

384) And Israel’s purification from the first filth of the serpent, which cast in the world and caused death to the world by the sin of the tree of knowledge—from which they were purified when they stood by Mount Sinai—returned again. And once again, the serpent caused them to defile them and to overcome them, and caused death to them and to the generations following them, as it is written, “I said, ‘You are godlike, but you will die as humans.’” This is so because due to the calf, the sentence of death returned to them, as in Adam HaRishon.

385) Hence, when Jacob saw in Jeroboam son of Nebat—who was an idolater—in the spirit of holiness, he was alarmed and said, “Who are these?” Afterwards, when he wanted to bless them, he blessed Divinity first, and then blessed his sons. Since he blessed the Creator first, from that place, which he blessed first, he later blessed them, as it is written, “The angel that redeems me from all evil shall bless the boys.” This means that Divinity, who is called “an angel,” will bless them, and by that, he was certain that his blessing will not reach Jeroboam and his friends.

And Hezekiah Turned His Face to the Wall

386) “And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord.” One should pray only next to a wall and nothing should part between him and the wall. How does it differ? Regarding all the others who prayed, it does not write, “He turned his face to the wall.” It was enough to say, “And he prayed to the Lord.” One who prays a prayer, properly aims his mind even when he is not turning his face to the wall, as it is written about Moses, “And he prayed to the Lord.” It is written, “And Moses cried unto the Lord,” and it does not say, “And he turned his face.” But here, with Hezekiah, why does it say that he turned his face to the wall and then prayed to the Creator?

387) At the time, Hezekiah was unmarried; he did not have a wife and did not bear sons. It is written, “And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came to him and said to him, ‘For you shall die and not live.’” “For you shall die” in this world, “And not live” in the next world because he did not bear sons.

388) Anyone who does not try to bear sons in this world does not persist in the next world and has no share in that world, and his soul is banished in the world and finds no rest anyplace in the world. This is the punishment that is written in the Torah, “They will die alone,” without children, since when one who is without a child goes to that world, he dies there. Thus, he dies in this world and in the next world. This is why it is written, “For you shall die and not live.”

389) Moreover, Divinity is not over him whatsoever. Then it is written, “And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall,” meaning he placed thoughts and directed himself to taking a wife, so that Divinity, called “a wall,” will be over him.

390) This is why it is written, “And he prayed to the Lord.” One who has a transgression in his hand, and who wishes to plead for mercy for himself, should aim his face and thoughts to correcting himself from that transgression, and then ask his prayer, as it is written, “Let us examine and probe our ways” first, and then, “Let us return.” Here, too, since Hezekiah knew his iniquity, it is written, “And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall,” meaning he turned his face to correct in Divinity, who is a wall, since there was the place where he sinned.

391) Because all the females in the world are in Divinity, one who has a female, Divinity is on him. And one who does not have one, she is not over him. This is why Hezekiah corrected himself into being corrected with her, and took it upon himself to marry a wife, and then, “And he prayed to the Lord.”

392) A wall is the Lord of all the land, Divinity, as it is written, “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth.” Thus, the ark of the covenant, Divinity, is the Lord of all the earth, which is a wall, and for this reason, “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall.”

393) It is written in a prayer, “Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You,” meaning that he kept the holy covenant and did not defile it, “In truth and with a whole heart, intending in all the meanings of faith that are included in the truth.

394) “And have done what is good in Your eyes,” attaching redemption to prayer. Yesod is called “redemption.” The Nukva is called “prayer.” He intended to make that unification properly, hence, “And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” There is no gate that stands before tears and does not open. When redemption is attached to prayer, the Nukva, the redeeming angel, is found in all the redemptions in the world.

The Redeeming Angel

395) “The angel that redeems me from all evil shall bless the boys.” After Jacob blessed and intended to unify from below upwards, when he said, “The God,” Malchut, “Before whom my fathers,” HG, “Walked,” he extended from above downwards when he said, “The God,” Bina, “Who has been my shepherd,” Tifferet, and extended from Bina to Tifferet. When he received blessings, he then gave blessings to Nukva. And after the blessings arrived at the place he started and said, “The angel that redeems,” from whom the blessings extend to the lower ones.

396) The cherubim were standing in a sign and a miracle. Three times a day, they were spreading their wings and sheltering the ark below. It is written, “The cherubim spread wings.” It does not say, “Whose wings are spread,” which would mean that their wings are always spread. Rather, it is written, “Spread wings,” meaning that they do a deed and spread wings three times a day.

397) The Creator did below as above. The cherubim in the tabernacle are as the cherubim above. The shape of the cherubim above is as boys who are standing under the Nukva de Atzilut on the right and on the left. They stand at the holy of holies of Beria, who are Matat and Sandalfon, and they are blessed first by the blessings that extend from above, and from here the blessings extend below.

398) “The angel that redeems me” is Tifferet, who receives blessings from above. And since he received, he will bless the boys, the cherubim, who are Matat and Sandalfon, from whom the blessings extend from upper ones to lower ones.

399) It is written, “House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, and a wise wife is from the Lord.” The Creator gives everything to a person. When the Creator awards a man with a house and a fortune, sometimes he bequeaths it all to his son and it becomes a patrimony for him. “And a wise wife is from the Lord” means that a man is rewarded with a wife from the Creator because the Creator rewards a person with her only after he is declared in the firmament.

400) The Creator makes couplings even before they come to the world. When people are rewarded with them, according to their actions, they are given a wife, and all the deeds of people are revealed before the Creator. And by the deeds of the righteous, He makes couplings before one comes to the world.

401) Sometimes in a bonding, a daughter of so and so is declared to so and so before they come to the world, but when he is born, the man corrupts his ways, so his mate is given to another until he straightens his ways. If he improves his ways and it is time for him to marry his mate, then a man is rejected before a man, and he comes and takes what is his. And the one who married his mate, before he improved his deeds, is now repelled because of him and dies, and he receives his mate from him. It is hard for the Creator to repel a man because of another man, so the Creator is the one who gives the woman to the man and the couplings come from Him. This is why it is written, “And a wise wife is from the Lord.”

402) In truth, the Creator gives everything to a person, not just a wise wife. Even though the Creator summons good to give to man, if the man diverts his ways from the Creator to the Sitra Achra, from that Sitra Achra that clung to him in all the slandering and all the evils, what will come upon him will come, and they do not come to him from the Creator, but from that evil side that clung to him due to the deeds that he did.

403) Hence, a woman that is not wise, Solomon says about her, “I find the woman more bitter than death, since he drew her upon him through his iniquities and the deeds that he did, and not through the Creator. Hence, when the Creator desires a person because of his good deeds, he provides him with a wise wife and redeems him from the Sitra Achra.

404) This is why Jacob said, “The angel that redeems me from all evil,” meaning that I did not get a wife from the Sitra Achra and no blemish was placed in my seed, and they are all righteous and whole, complete, since he was redeemed from all evil, from the Sitra Achra. Also, Jacob did not cling to that Sitra Achra at all.

405) Hence, “The angel that redeems me from all evil shall bless the boys,” who are worthy of being blessed because Joseph kept the sign of the holy covenant. Joseph said about it, “They are my sons, which the Lord has thus given me,” meaning that the covenant kept him and his sons worthy of being blessed, and he is worthy of many blessings. For this reason, Jacob gave each a single blessing, and many blessings to Joseph, as it is written, “The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors ... may they be the head of Joseph.”

406) It is written, “Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwells in the heavens.” The prayer of a man who intends in it is above in the upper depth, Bina, from which all the blessings extend, meaning from the right line, as well as every freedom, meaning from the left line, and from there they come out to sustain everything from her middle line.

407) Hence, there is an extra Yod here, for it writes, “Yoshvi [dwells] in heaven” instead of “Yoshev [“dwells” as it is usually spelled] in heaven.” This is so because the Yod, Hochma, never stops from that place because the Zivug of Hochma and Bina never stops. This is why it is written, “Who Yoshvi [dwells] in the heavens” with an extra Yod, since Bina is gripped to upper Hochma, above, who is called, Yod, and gripped below, meaning she sits on the throne of the fathers, HGT, the throne that is called “heaven,” ZA, which includes HGT. This is because HGT de ZA are the three legs of the upper throne, which is Bina, hence the words, “Who dwells in the heaven.”

408) This means that when the blessings extend from above, from this depth, Bina, all of heaven receive them, meaning ZA, and from him, they extend below until they reach the righteous, Tzadik and Tzedek, everlasting covenant, the Nukva, and from her, all the armies and all the camps, which are the lower ones in BYA, are blessed.

409) The Nukva, a world, receives from the heaven, who are HGT de ZA. The crown of all the armies, Nukva, from whom all the armies in BYA receive, rises in seventy-two lights, which are seventy-two names in HGT de ZA. She is established into being the circle of the world in seventy places, where the seventy-two names of ZA illuminate in the Nukva in seventy places in the form of a circle, which means that it illuminates only from its center up and does not spread from above downwards.

They are all one circle, all seventy places. Within that circle is a point that stands in the middle. This is the Masach on which the Zivug was made, and the light is received from there and above to all the sides. Hence, from that point, the whole circle is nourished. She is called “the house of the holy of holies,” and she is a place for the Ruach of all the Ruchot [plural of Ruach], where ZA, the light of Ruach, mates, and from which all the Ruchot in the worlds extend. This is the secret, that in all the secrets, the point of Man’ula [lock] is hidden within it and only the point of Miftacha [key] is revealed and dominating. He is hidden among the armies that spread from the Nukva and is hidden in her herself. When the Nukva rises through the seventy-two lights, all the worlds rise in her wake.

Do Not Remember the Iniquities of Our Forefathers against Us

410) For the Creator’s love for Israel—His lot and His share—no other considers their Dinim [judgments] but He. And when He considers their Dinim, He is filled with mercy over them as a father is merciful toward his sons, as it is written, “As a father is compassionate for his children, The Lord has compassion.” And if He finds that they have iniquities, He pardons them all until no iniquities remain over them—to give governance to the Sitra Achra—for which they could be judged.

411) They came to sin before Him as in the beginning, the first sins, which He already pardoned, and He reconsiders them. This is why it is written, “Do not remember the iniquities of our forefathers against us; let Your compassion come quickly to meet us.” If Your mercy does not come quickly to meet Israel, they will not be able to persist in the world, since several litigants of harsh Din stand and slander Israel above, and if the Creator had not brought Rachamim [mercy] over Israel first, before He noticed their Din, they would not be able to persist in the world. This is why it is written, “Let Your compassion come quickly to meet us, for we are very poor,” poor in good deeds, poor in upright deeds.

412) Had Israel gathered good deeds before the Creator, the idol worshipping nations would never have risen against them. But Israel cause the rest of the nations to raise their heads in the world, for if Israel had not sinned before the Creator, the rest of the idol worshipping nations would have surrendered before them.

413) If Israel had not extended bad deeds to the other side in the land of Israel, the rest of the idol worshipping nations would not have ruled in the land of Israel and they would not be exiled from the land. It is written about that, “For we are very poor” because we have no good deeds as we should.

Serve the Lord with Fear

414) “Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling,” and it is written, “Serve the Lord with joy; come before Him with singing.” Anyone who comes to serve the Creator should serve the Creator in the morning and in the evening.

415) In the morning, when the light rises and the awakening of the right side has awakened in the world, which is Hesed, one should connect to the right of the Creator and serve before Him in the work of prayer. This is because a prayer brings power and might above and extends blessings from the upper depth, Bina, to all the upper worlds. From there, it extends blessings to the lower ones. Thus, the upper ones and lower ones are blessed by the work of the prayer.

416) One should perform the work of prayer before the Creator with joy and singing, with Hesed and Gevura, to include the assembly of Israel, Nukva, between them, and then to unite the unification in ZA, as it is written, “Know that the Lord He is God.” This is the unification in the work.

417) And yet, one should serve the Creator with joy and show gladness in His work. And those two, joy and singing, are opposite two offerings a day—joy in the morning and singing in the evening. It is written about that, “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight.”

418) Hence, the evening prayer is optional, since at that time, she gives prey to all the armies and it is not time to be blessed, but to give nourishments. In the day, she is blessed by both sides—HG in the morning and in the evening, out of joy and singing—and in the night she dispenses the blessings to all, as it should be. It is written about it, “She rises while it is still night and gives prey to her household.”

May My Prayer Be Counted as Incense

419) “May my prayer be counted as incense before You; the lifting up of my hands as the evening offering.” Incense comes for joy, as it is written, “Oil and incense delight the heart.” Hence, when the priest would light the candles, he would burn incense, as it is written, “When he dresses the candles, he shall burn it. And when Aaron lights the candles at dusk, he shall burn it.” In the morning, he burns incense for joy because the time causes, for morning is a time of joy. In the evening, he burns incense to delight the left side, and so it should be. Incense always comes only for joy.

420) Incense ties knots, the ties of the Sefirot to one another, and grips above and below, removing death, accusations, and anger so they cannot govern in the world. It is written about it, “Moses said to Aaron, ‘Take your censer and put in it fire from the altar, and lay incense on it.’ ...and the plague was stopped.” This is so because all the evil discernments and all the slanderers cannot resist the incense, hence, it is the joy of everything and ties everything.

421) During the afternoon prayer, when the Din is in the world, David intended with a prayer of incense, as it is written, “May my prayer be counted as incense before You.” This prayer that he raised will remove the irritation of the harsh Din that governs in the evening by the force of the incense, which repels and removes all irritation and every slandering in the world. The evening offering is an offering when the Din governs in the world.

422) When the Temple was burned it was the time of the afternoon prayer. This is why it is written, “Woe to us, for the day declines, for the shadows of the evening lengthen.” The shadows of the evening” are the slanderers of the world and the irritation of the Dinim that are ready at that time. Hence, one should aim one’s mind during the afternoon prayer. In all prayers, one should aim his mind, but in this prayer most of all, since the Din is in the world. This is why Isaac established the time of the afternoon prayer.

The Terrible Mountain

423) Rabbi Yosi said, “This mountain is terrible, let us go and not stay here because this mountain is terrible.” Rabbi Yehuda said, “We learned that one who walks alone risks his soul, but three do not. And each of us three is worthy of protection that Divinity will not depart from us.”

424) One should not rely on a miracle. How do we know this? From Samuel, as it is written, “How can I go? When Saul hears, he will kill me.” Was Samuel more worthy of a miracle than three? Samuel was alone, so if Saul heard, he would certainly kill him. But for three, the harm is not certain because harm-doers, demons, do not appear before three and do not harm.

425) It is written, “The angel that redeems me from all evil.” Should it not have said, “That redeemed?” It is “That redeems” because it is always with man and never parts from a man who is righteous.

The redeeming angel is Divinity, who always walks with man and never parts from him as long as one keeps the Mitzvot of the Torah. Hence, one should be careful not to go out on the road by himself. What does it mean, “By himself”? One should be careful to keep the Mitzvot of the Torah so that Divinity will not part from him and he will be forced to walk alone, without a Zivug with Divinity.

426) When a man goes out to the road, he should set up his prayer before his Master, to extend the light of Divinity on himself, and then set out. It turns out that the Zivug of Divinity is to redeem him on the way and to save him however is needed.

427) It is written about Jacob, “If God is with me.” This is the Zivug of Divinity. “And keeps me on this way” is to redeem him from all evil. At that time, Jacob was alone, and Divinity was walking before him. It is all the more so with the friends, who have words of Torah among them.

Three Watches [parts of the night]

432) “Maschil of Eitan the Ezrahite” [Psalms 89]. Abraham the patriarch said this psalm while he was exerting in the work of the Creator, and was doing grace to the people of the world so they would all know the Creator, since the Creator governs the land. He is called “Eitan” [strong] because he grew strong in the Creator.

433) “I will sing of the Hassadim [mercies] of the Lord forever.” But is the coming to the singing from the side of Hassidim, meaning the right line? After all, singing comes from the left line. However, here the left side is incorporated in the right, hence the Creator tested Abraham and tried him.

Isaac was thirty-seven at the time of the tying. So why does it write that He tested Abraham? It should have said that He tested Isaac. Indeed, it is written that He tested Abraham so that he would be in Din [judgment] and would be properly improved in Din, since his quality was all Hesed, so that he would be properly completed. This is why, “I will sing of the Hassadim [mercies] of the Lord forever,” since he was already integrated with the left line, from which singing comes.

It should have said that he tested Isaac, who was already thirty-seven and could protest. However, testing means rising and completion, since through the tying, which is an act of Din and Gevura, Abraham was incorporated with the left line and his quality was fully completed.

434) “I will sing of the Hassadim [mercies] of the Lord forever.” These are the Hassadim that the Creator does with the world, as it is written, “To all generations I will make known Your faith with my mouth,” meaning the grace and truth that He does with all. “To all generations I will make known Your faith with my mouth” is the faith in the Creator that Abraham announced in the world, and which he mentioned in the mouth of all the people. For this reason, “I will make known Your faith with my mouth.”

435) The Creator announced the meaning of faith, Nukva, to Abraham. When Abraham knew the meaning of faith, he knew that he was the kernel and the sustenance of the world, that the world was created and persisted for him, since he was the Hesed, as it is written, “For I have said, ‘Let a world of Hesed be built.’”

This is so because when the Creator created the world, Nukva, He saw that the world could not persist until He reached out His right, the Hesed, and it persisted. Had He not reached out His right over it, it would not persist because this world, Nukva, was created in Din, hence it cannot exist without Hesed.

436) We learn about Beresheet [In the beginning] that there are two manners in one inclusion here. Although we said that Beresheet is the beginning from above downwards, meaning Malchut, Resheet [beginning] also means Hochma, meaning Bina that returned to being Hochma. Beresheet is also Be [the letter Bet] Rasheet [major/prime/first], like Beit Kodesh ha Kodashim [the house of the holy of holies], Nukva, the house of the beginning of Hochma. Also, the word Beresheet includes Nukva and Hochma as one.

437) This world, Nukva, was created with this Bet. It is built as a house to Hochma, which she receives from the left line. For this reason, she is devoid of Hassadim and exists only in the right, Hesed, since Hochma without Hesed cannot exist. It is written about it, “These are the generations of the heaven and the earth BeHibaram [when they were created],” which has the letters of BeAvraham, Hesed. This is why it is written, “For I have said, ‘Let a world of Hesed be built.’”

In the first building of the world, the Nukva, that light of the first day had the sustenance, Hesed. Afterwards, on the second day, it was included in the left, Gevura, and by those the heavens, ZA, were set up. It is written about it, “In the heavens You will establish Your faith,” for because the heavens were established with the two lines, HG, the preparation for faith was made, meaning Nukva, to be corrected in the two lines, HG.

438) “In the heavens You will establish Your faith.” The heavens is ZA. He was corrected by those Hassadim, and faith—the Nukva—was corrected in them, as it is written, “Let a world of Hesed be built.” It follows that the heavens imparted the Hesed to the Nukva, who is called “world.” This is why it is written, “In the heavens You will establish Your faith,” since there is correction to the Nukva only from heaven, ZA.

439) “I have made a covenant with My chosen.” Covenant is the faith that was given to David. Covenant is a righteous, Yesod, from whom blessings stem to all the lower ones, and all the holy animals, the angels, are blessed by that bounty that pours out to the lower ones.

440) “I have sworn to David My servant.” This oath is the faith, Nukva, which always stands in the righteous, Yesod. This is the oath of the world that they will never part. Alone during the exile, when they are parted, the abundance of blessings is prevented and faith is not completed, and any joy is hindered. Also, when the night comes, as of that time, joys do not enter before the King.

441) Although joys do not awaken at night, outside the King’s hall, angels stand and sing songs. When half the night is through and the awakening rises from below upwards, the Creator awakens all the armies of heaven for weeping, He kicks the firmament, and upper and lower shake.

442) He has no contentment unless when there is awakening in the Torah below. At that time, the Creator and all the souls of the righteous listen and delight in that voice, and then He has contentment. This is so because since the day the Temple was ruined below, the Creator swore that He would not enter Jerusalem above until Israel enter Jerusalem below. It is written about it, “A holy man among you who is holy, and I will not come into a city.” That is, even though there is a holy man among you, I will still not come into the city—Jerusalem above—until Israel enter Jerusalem below.

This is so because the night—Nukva—and the day—ZA—are in Zivug, as it is written, “And there was evening and there was morning, one day,” and all the orders that apply during the day, apply at night, as well. However, there is a difference in the dominion: the Nukva governs the night, from the left, when Mochin de Achoraim [posterior Mochin] are extended, and ZA governs the day, when Mochin de Panim [anterior Mochin] are extended.

Hence, as there is the order of three lines at the daytime Zivug, extending from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik—there are three watches to the night Zivug, during which the angels sing, since the Mochin appear in singing. However, they are only Mochin de Achoraim, externality and Katnut, and with respect to the Panim and interior, it is dark and not light. This is so because then there is darkness and no joy in the lights of Panim, but Mochin de Achoraim do shine, since at that time Mochin de Achoraim are extended, meaning GAR of externality. This is why the angels stand outside the hall and sing songs from those Mochin.

The three watches are three lines from the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik. The first two watches are the two lines—right and left—which extend from the Holam and the Shuruk. In the middle of the second watch, the point of midnight, the Masach de Hirik is drawn out, on which the middle line comes out. It carries two actions: 1) reducing the ten Sefirot of the left, which shine only in Achoraim, from GAR to VAK; 2) connects the left with the right.

When half the night is through and its awakening rises from below upwards, when MAN is raised for disclosing the Masach de Hirik for the elicitation of the middle line, the Creator awakens all the armies of heaven for weeping. Weeping implies diminution of GAR, since through the disclosure of the Masach de Hirik, the GAR of the left is diminished and all the angels cry, even the angels that still do not have GAR on the outside.

And when the Creator disclosed the Masach de Hirik since all the Mochin are cancelled, there is an immediate second act—extending the level of Hassadim on the Masach de Hirik. Through it, He connects the two lines, right and left, and re-extends the GAR, but in VAK de GAR. When MAN is raised for extending of the level of Hassadim, by that, the right and left unite and the GAR return, and the angels, too, sing once again.

Nukva, the Temple, was ruined by the illumination of the left. At that time, the Creator raised the Masach de Hirik and extended a middle line to unite the left with the right, which is the reason why GAR de GAR were diminished into VAK de GAR. This diminution is regarded as an oath because since this correction, GAR de GAR no longer shine until the end of correction. At the end of correction, when the whole of Malchut is corrected, the Zivug of GAR de GAR will return, meaning that Jerusalem above will enter, and this explains, “I have sworn to David My servant,” the oath that He will not enter Jerusalem above until Israel enter Jerusalem below.

443) All the singers stand outside the palace and sing during the three watches of the night, corresponding to the three lines. Also, all the armies of heaven awaken at night, since they are from the externality, and at night the Mochin of the externality illuminate. Israel are during the day because they are from the internality, and Mochin of internality shine only at daytime.

No Kedusha [holiness/sanctity] is said above until Israel sanctify below, since the Mochin of externality of the angels cannot exist unless through the middle line, which shines during the day, for Israel. At that time, all the armies of heaven sanctify the Holy Name together. Hence the holy Israel are sanctified by upper ones and lower ones together, as it is written, “You shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy.”

444) When the Creator created the world, Nukva, He created it on pillars, which are the seven pillars of the world, HGT NHYM. It is not known what those pillars stand on, as it is written, “On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone?”

The world, Nukva, stands on seven pillars—the seven Sefirot, HGT NHYM—that she receives from Bina and from ZA. Nukva herself is unfit to receive upper light because she is the Malchut that was restricted during the creation of the world to not receive of the upper light. It is not known what these pillars, the seven lights HGT NHYM in her stand on because the Nukva cannot receive them due to the Tzimtzum [restriction] on her.

445) The world, Nukva, was not created until the Creator took a single stone, called Even Shtiah [a cornerstone], and threw it into the deep, and it was stuck from above downwards. And from it, the world, Nukva, was planted. This is the middle point of the settlement of the world, and at this point, the holy of holies, GAR de Nukva, stands, as it is written, “Who laid its cornerstone?” It is also written, “A costly cornerstone,” and it is written, “The stone which the builders loathed has become the cornerstone.” All those are cornerstones.

The cornerstone, Malchut, called “stone,” rose to Bina and was included in it. Through this ascent, she received the Kelim of Ima—Yod-Hey de HaVaYaH—and could therefore receive the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM from Ima. This is why she is called Shtiah, meaning Sht-Yod-Hey, since Ima, who is Yod-Hey, corrected her.

And before Malchut rose to Bina and obtained the Kelim from Bina, who was then referred to as “cornerstone,” she could not receive any light due to the Tzimtzum upon her, and she could not exist. The Creator threw a cornerstone, the mitigated Malchut, into the place of Malchut herself, which is called “the deep,” and it was stuck from above downwards, since she came down from Bina’s place and was stuck in the deep—the Malchut below—of the Nukva, by whom she receives GAR, called “holy of holies.”

446) This stone was created of fire, wind, and water, which she receives from the three lines of ZA, and she was hardened by all of them and became a single stone, standing on the deep. Sometimes, water flows out of her, the deeps are filled, and this stone stands as a sign in the middle of the world. This is the stone that Jacob set up and planted for the expansion and persistence of the world, as it is written, “And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar.”

447) “This stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God's house.” Did Jacob set up this stone? After all, it was created in the beginning, when the Creator created the world. However, He placed it for sustenance above and below, hence when it writes, “Which I have set up for a pillar,” what does, “Which I have set up” mean? It is as it is written, “Shall be God’s house,” meaning that he placed the section of above here, that is, extended the upper Mochin into her.

448) This stone has seven eyes on it, as it is written, “Upon one stone are seven eyes.” Eyes are Hochma. The Hochma appears from HGT NHYM de Nukva, who is called “seven eyes.” She is called Shtiah because from her, the world was Nishtal [planted]. Shtiah has the letters Sht-Yod-Hey, meaning that the Creator put her—Bina, who is called Yod-Hey—for the world to be blessed by her.

449) When the sun sets, in the first watch of the night, those cherubim stand at the holy of holies, which stands in the middle point, which is the cornerstone. It was a miracle that they were sitting, meaning through the lights of Bina, which do not belong to her and are regarded as a miracle to her. They were striking their wings and spreading them, and the sound of the singing of their wings was heard above. Then the angels that sing in the beginning of the night begin to sing so that the glory of the Creator will rise from below upwards. The poems that the wings of the cherubim would say is as it is written, “Bless the Lord, all servants of the Lord ... Lift up your hands to the sanctuary,” and then the singing reaches the upper angels, to sing.

450) On the second watch, the cherubim strike their wings above and the sound of their singing is heard. At that time, the angels that stand on the second watch begin to sing the singing of the wings of the cherubim, as it is written, “Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which will not fall.” And then the singing reaches the angels who stand on the second watch, to sing.

451) On the third watch, the cherubim strike their wings and sing, as it is written, “Praise the Lord! Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Blessed be the name of the Lord ... from the rising of the sun to its setting.” Then all the angels that stand on the third watch sing.

Cherubim are small Panim [face], GAR de Katnut. This is so because GAR that extend during the night are GAR de Achoraim, externality and Katnut, and stand at the holy of holies, GAR de Nukva. And since they are Mochin de Achoraim, it is said in regard to their disclosure that they were striking their wings because the Achoraim are called “wings,” and their extension comes by striking.

The three lines apply to the night Mochin, too, meaning three watches that extend from the Mochin that are called “cherubim.” Hence, their singing divides into three lines, too. For this reason, on the first watch—the right line, which extends from the Holam, meaning the disclosure of VAK without a Rosh in them—it is said, “Behold, bless the Lord,” “And I will raise my hands,” since hands indicate VAK without a Rosh. It is also said that they are spreading their wings, meaning disclose the Din in them.

On the second watch, “Those who trust in the Lord are as Mount Zion, which will not fall.” This indicates to the left line, which extends from the point of Shuruk, in which the essence of these GAR de Achoraim is revealed, and it is said about the GAR, “Which will not fall.”

On the third watch, the middle line, which extends from the point of Hirik, it is said, “Praise the Lord! ... Blessed be the name of the Lord ... from the rising of the sun to its setting.” This is because the entire perfection and sustenance of these Mochin depend on the third line.

452) All the stars and signs in firmament begin to sing on the third watch, as it is written, “When the morning stars sing together and all of God’s children cheer.” It is also written, “Praise Him, all the stars of light,” since those are stars of light that play the light, where through the singing, the light is drawn out.

453) When the morning rises, Israel below sing after them, meaning receive GAR of internality, GAR de Gadlut, and the glory of the Creator rises from below upwards. Israel sing below during the day, and the upper angels during the night, and then the holy name is completed on all sides, both in Mochin de Achoraim and in Mochin de Panim.

454) All the upper angels and Israel below are strengthened by that stone, Malchut, from which they received their Mochin, while she rises up to be crowned, to receive Mochin from the fathers, HGT de ZA, during the day. At night, the Creator, ZA, comes to play with the righteous in the Garden of Eden, Malchut, meaning receives her Mochin de Achoraim from her.

455) Happy are those who are present in their existence and engage in Torah at night, since the Creator and all the righteous in the Garden of Eden hear the voices of people who engage in Torah, as it is written, “You who sits in the gardens, friends listen to your voice. Let me hear it.”

456) This stone is a good stone. It was mitigated in Bina and it is fit for reception of Mochin, as it is written, “You shall mount on it four rows of stones.” These are the orders of the good stone, the fillings of a precious stone, which are Mochin of illumination of Hochma that are received in Malchut three times four, which are twelve. It is so because there is another stone, unfit for Mochin—Malchut that was not mitigated in Bina—and it is written about it, “And I will remove the heart of stone.” It is also written, “And I will put My spirit within you,” which means that as long as the heart of stone is not removed, the spirit of the Creator is not in us because it was not mitigated in Bina, and she, too, is called “A costly cornerstone.”

457) It is written about that, “The stone tablets,” since those tablets were carved from here, from a good stone. This is why they are named after this stone, as it is written, “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,” who is also a good stone.

458) “The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve.” These are high, precious stones, and they are called “the stones of the place,” as it is written, “And he took of the stones of the place,” meaning the Sefirot of Nukva, since Nukva is called “a place.” “The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel: twelve,” since as there are twelve tribes below, there are twelve tribes above, in the Nukva, and they are twelve precious stones.

“Four rows of stone” are HB TM in her, each of which consists of three lines, thus they are twelve. And it is written, “To which the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony to Israel.” This is Israel above, ZA, who imparts these twelve upon the Nukva, and all of them are to thank the name of the Lord, the Nukva. This is why it was said, “The stones shall be according to the names of the sons of Israel.”

459) As there are twelve hours in the day, which are the twelve of ZA, there are twelve hours at night, which are the twelve of the Nukva. During the day, above; during the night, below. The twelve of ZA are above, and the twelve of Nukva are below, receiving from the twelve of ZA. And all are one opposite the other. These twelve hours of the night divide into three parts, which are three watches, and several appointed armies stand under them, degree after degree. They are all appointed at night, first receive prey, and then they sing, as it is written, “She rises while it is still night and gives prey to her household.”

460) And then, when half the night is through, there are two orders on this side and two orders on the other side, and the upper spirit comes out between them. At that time, all the trees in the Garden of Eden begin to sing and the Creator enters the Garden of Eden, as it is written, “Then [all the trees of the wood] shall sing.” It is also written, “He judges the poor with justice,” since the sentence, ZA, has come between them, and the Garden of Eden was filled with him.

“Night” is the Partzuf of the Nukva, in whom the left line governs, Hochma without Hassadim. This is why she is dark. The point of midnight is the point of Chazeh in her, Masach de Hirik, on which the middle line is revealed, which unites the two lines. And then there are two lines from the point of Chazeh and above, which are from the beginning of the night through midnight, and two lines from the point of Chazeh and below, meaning from midnight through morning. The middle line comes out on the Masach de Hirik, the point of midnight, called “upper spirit [Ruach],” ZA.

When the middle line, ZA, connects right and left in the Garden of Eden, Nukva, they are all filled with light, and the Creator, the middle line, enters the Garden of Eden, Nukva. ZA, the middle line, is called “a sentence,” and the Garden of Eden is filled by him because the sides from the Chazeh and above and from the Chazeh and below have conjoined.

461) Northern wind awakens in the world and joy is present because after the sentencing of the middle line, the north dresses in the south, and Hochma dresses in Hassadim. And then there is joy in the illumination of the north, the left line, since that wind, the middle line, blows through those perfumes, illumination of Hochma, by which the illumination of Hochma in the perfumes dresses in the Hassadim in the wind [Ruach]. At that time, the perfumes raise a scent from below upwards and not from above downwards, and the righteous crown in their crowns, receive Mochin, and enjoy the luster of the illuminating mirror, ZA.

462) Happy are the righteous who are rewarded with that upper light, the illuminating mirror that shines to all sides, to the right and to the left. Each of those righteous receives in his share what he should, meaning receives according to his actions in this world. And there are some who are ashamed by that light, of which their friend received more to illuminate.

463) The night watches: On the first watch, from the time the night begins to fall, several emissaries of judgment awaken and roam the world, and the vents of the light shut. Afterwards, on the second watch, several types of forces of Din [judgment] awaken. The second watch is the left line, the northern wind. As long as it is not connected with the southern wind, right, many Dinim [judgments] awaken from it. And then, when half the night is through, in the middle of the second watch, which is the point of Chazeh, the north wind comes down from above the Chazeh to below the Chazeh and grips the night, Nukva, until the end of the two watches of the night.

The first watch is the right line and the second watch is the left line. And although the Masach de Hirik awakens at midnight, in the middle of the second watch, it is only to extend the northern wind below the Chazeh, while its main power to connect the left with the right appears after the end of the second watch.

464) On the third watch, the south side—Hesed—awakens to connect to the north by the force of the middle line until the morning comes. When the morning comes, the south and north are already gripped to the Nukva, and Israel below come with their prayer and request and raise her to ZA until she rises and is concealed among them in the lights of ZA. That is, she diminishes herself, annuls before the degree of ZA, and takes blessings from the head of the King, meaning receives GAR de Panim [anterior GAR] from ZA, who is His Rosh [head].

465) She is blessed by that dew, which is drawn to ZA from above, from Galgalta de AA. That dew divides to illuminate to several directions, to the right and to the left, although the dew itself is only the light of Hesed. And several tens of thousands of degrees are nourished by that dew, and from it, the dead will be revived. It is written about it, “Awake and sing, you who lie in the dust, for your dew is a dew of lights,” dew from those upper lights that shine above.

466) When the north wind awakens and the night divides, the Creator desires the voice of the righteous in this world, who engage in Torah. Now the Creator listens to them.

The Redeeming Angel

467) “Behold, I am sending an angel before you, to keep you on the way.” This is the angel who redeems the world. He is called “the redeeming angel” and he keeps people, as it is written, “To keep you on the way.” He is the one who summons blessings to the whole world because he receives them first, and then he, the angel Matat, makes them available in the world. This is why it is written, “Behold, I am sending an angel before you.” And it is also written, “And I will send an angel before you.”

468) It is an angel who is at one time a male, and at one time a female. When he summons blessings to the world, he is called “a male.” As a male summons blessings to the Nukva, he summons blessings to the world. And when he is in Din over the world, he is called “a female,” since he is filled with Dinim like an impregnated female. Thus, at one time he is called “a male,” and at one time he is called “a female,” and it is all one.

Three Colors

469) “And on the east of the Garden of Eden, He placed the cherubim and flaming sword which turns every way.” The angels, the emissaries in the world, turn to several manners, once to a female, once to a male, once to Din and once to Rachamim, and it is all in the same matter, the same angel in many ways. All the colors of the world, the Nukva—white, red, and green—are in this place, as it is written, “As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud.” The three colors are the appearance of the bow, the Nukva, and just as all those colors exist in the angel, so he conducts to the entire world.

470) The high beloved, those with intelligence—those souls that belong to the right line—behold. Certain litigants with a whip—who belong to the left line, from which the Dinim come—are coming to know which of you with the eyes in Tevuna [intelligence], who belong to the middle line, has been rewarded with the Hochma that is received through the Tevuna? He knows that when He wishes to bring out the three colors that are mingled together—white, red, and green—the three lines—white for right, left for red, and green for middle, meaning the three colors that are mingled together and conjoined—at that time the lower rake, Nukva, was painted and came out of these colors.

471) These colors—white, red, and green—appear in the Nukva, and she is the mirror in which to look, for only in her is there vision, when she appears like crystal. As ZA struck within her, according to the Zivug de Hakaa de ZA, who mated in her in his three colors, so the Nukva appears on the outside. These three colors surround her to her right, to her left, and to her middle. And a color goes, ascends, and descends. The white color, right, goes to be included in the left; the red color, left, ascends and shines from below upwards; and the green color, middle, descends and shines from above downwards. Appointees, operators of the Din, are set within her, to punish those who extend the illumination of the left from above downwards.

472) The colors that surround the Nukva, which are mingled together, elevate her for a Zivug PBP with ZA during the day, and she descends to her own self at night. She is like a burning candle whose illumination appears at night, and during the day, its illumination is hidden and unseen. The light is hidden in 248 worlds. They all go and shine within her from above downwards, within 365 parts, which are hidden and covered below.

This is so because there are two Zivugim in the Nukva—of the daytime and of midnight. There is merit to the night, for then her own self shines, meaning illumination of Hochma. And there is a demerit, a Zivug de Achoraim [posterior Zivug], which is devoid of Hassadim, for which she does not shine. There is an advantage to the daytime Zivug, for then she receives from Zivug PBP [face-to-face] with ZA, but there is a disadvantage, for then her own self is completely annulled before ZA.

During the day, as well as during the night, Nukva receives her illuminations from ZA, who is called “Torah,” which is entirely right and left. Torah [611 in Gematria] with two inclusions of right and left, is 613 in Gematria. 248 are on the right, given to Nukva during the day, and 365 are on his left, and are given to Nukva at night. 248 shine in her from above downwards, and 365 only from below upwards.

473) One who courts to obtain her will break the wings of those who hide her and the hidden Klipot, and then he will open the gates. One who is rewarded with seeing will see with Daat and Tevuna, as one who sees through the wall. Only Moses, the superior, trusted prophet, saw Him eye to eye above, in an unknown place, from Chazeh de ZA and above, where the Hassadim are covered and are unknown. All the prophets received from Nukva, from the wall; and Moses received from ZA, the illuminating mirror.

474) One who is not rewarded is repelled outside. Several regiments of angels are ready for him; they are ready and they come out to him and take him out so he will not look at the delight of the King. Woe unto the wicked of the world who are not rewarded with looking, as it is written, “But they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are being covered.”

475) When clinging to that place, the Nukva, the souls of the righteous look from within those lights, the three colors. These colors—white, red, and green—rise and mingle together, and happy is one who knows how to mingle and unite all of them as one, to correct everything—where it should be above, above—and then one is kept in this world and in the next world.

The Strength of the King Loves Justice

476) “The strength of the King loves justice.” This is the Creator, Nukva, who loves justice, meaning the Mochin that consist of right and left together. “The strength of the King,” the strength in which the Creator, Nukva, was strengthened, is only in justice, as it is written, “By justice shall a King establish a land,” since it consists of Hochma and Hassadim together, Hassadim on the right and Hochma on the left.

477) This is why it is written, “The strength of the King loves justice,” since the assembly of Israel, Nukva, was established only in justice, which is Mochin that contain Hochma and Hassadim together. This is because she is nourished from there, which is Hassadim, and in all the blessings that she receives from there, she receives Hochma. This is why it is written, “The strength of the King loves justice,” since all her desire and all her love is to receive justice, as it is written, “You have established the just,” meaning the two cherubim below, who are called “the just,” meaning that they are the correction of the settlement of the world.

Praise, You Servants of the Lord

478) “Hallelujah. Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.” Since he said, “Hallelujah” [praise the Lord], why does he also say, “Praise, you servants of the Lord,” and afterwards, “Praise the name of the Lord”? One who praises another should praise him according to his honor. And one who praises another with a praise that is not in him causes his indecency to appear. Hence, one who mourns for a person should do it according to his honor and not more.

479) “Hallelujah” is the high praise of the Master of every place, which the eye does not govern, to know and to behold, who is more hidden than all that is hidden. It is the name, HaVaYaH, the most superior to all. The name YaH [Yod-Hey, pronounced Koh] is GAR. This is because the tip of the Yod is Keter, Yod is Hochma, and Hey is Bina, and there is no attainment in GAR.

480) Hence, Hallelujah is the praise and the name together, included as one. And here he makes the matter unclear, since he says, “Hallelujah,” but he is not saying who is saying, “Hallelujah,” and to whom they are said. Rather, as the name Koh is unclear, the praise that is praised is unclear, and he does not know who are the ones who are praising.

So should everything be, unclear. And after he revealed and said, “Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord,” he disclosed who were the ones who were praising and whom they were praising, since this is not as unclear as that hidden upper one, Koh, since He is called “name,” Nukva. It is written about it, “Which is called by a name, the name of the Lord,” Nukva, which is called “name.”

481) The first one, Koh, is hidden and not revealed. The second, “The name of the Lord,” is hidden and revealed, and is in disclosure, hence they are praising the name of the Creator. And who are the ones who are praising? They are the servants of the Creator.

482) “Let the name of the Lord be blessed.” What is the difference for which he says, “Let”? “Let” is an extension of that high and hidden place, Koh, to the covenant, which is the bottom Yod, like the upper Yod; the beginning is as the end.

ZA is called HaVaYaH, and Nukva is called ADNI. This is why it is written, “Be the name of the Lord,” since name is the Nukva, the Hey of ZA. When they unite, the two names conjoin and become Yahdonhy. There are two letters Yod here. The first Yod is Hochma, Yod de HaVaYaH, and the last Yod is Yod of ADNI, bottom Hochma.

From the first Yod of Yahdonhy, abundance of Hochma extends through the covenant, which is the Nukva, the bottom Yod, the last Yod of Yahdonhy. As the upper Yod of Yahdonhy is Hochma, the bottom Yod of Yahdonhy receives from her and becomes the bottom Hochma. The first Yod and the last Yod become equal and both are Hochma.

483) For this reason, Yehi [“Let,” consisting of Yod-Hey-Yod] is an extension from the most hidden of all that is hidden, the first Yod of Yahdonhy, through the bottom degree, the last Yod of Yahdonhy, and they are the two letters Yod of Yehi. By that, the whole act of creation unfolded, as it is written, Yehi Rakia [Let there be a firmament], Yehi Meorot [Let there be lights], Yehi Ohr [Let there be light].

484) In all the actions above, the firmament, the light, and the lights, it is written, Yehi. In all the acts below, the earth and the waters and all that is in them, it does not write, Yehi. This is so because it is an extension from the most hidden of all that is hidden, the first Yod of Yahdonhy, and persists only in high things of above, and not in those things of below.

485) By that, the holy name is blessed with everything. This is why it is written, “Let the name of the Lord be blessed from the rising of the sun unto its setting.” This is a high place, from which the sun, ZA, shines, the place of the upper, hidden Rosh [head], the Rosh of AA.

486) “Unto its setting” is the place of connection to which faith connected, meaning Nukva, as it should. There is the unification of ZA and Nukva, and from there the blessings come out to all, and the world, Nukva, is nourished from here. For this reason, this place, the Nukva, is set up to be nourished from above and to be blessed from there. But it all depends on the awakening below, when these servants of the Creator awaken when they bless the holy name, the Nukva, since she is revealed, as it is written, “Praise, you servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord.”

And He Blessed Them on That Day

488) “And he blessed them on that day saying, ‘By you will Israel bless.’” What is, “On that day”? It would have been enough to say, “And he blessed them.” Also, in all other places it writes “saying” without a Vav [in Hebrew], why does it write “saying” with a Vav here?

489) “On that day” is the degree that was appointed over the blessings above, Bina. “That day” is ZA, from a high place called “He,” Bina, where there is no separation between “day” and “He.” And wherever it says, “That day,” the upper degree, Bina, and the lower one, ZA, are together, meaning ZA rose to Bina and became like her.

490) For this reason, when Jacob wished to bless the sons of Joseph, he blessed them with the unification of above and below, all as one, so that their blessing will persist. Afterwards he included all of them together and said, “By you will Israel bless.” “By you” is the unification: In the beginning, he blessed from below upwards, “And he blessed them on that day,” meaning that ZA and Bina are together. Afterwards, he descended to the middle, to ZA, and down to Nukva, meaning with a Vav it is the middle because Vav is ZA. And then he descended below and said, “By you,” which indicates to the Nukva. Thus, the blessing is from below upwards and from above downwards.

491) Israel is Ysrael Saba, ZA de Bina. It does not write, “...will Israel be blessed,” but “...will Israel bless,” meaning that he will bless others, since Ysrael Saba receives the blessings from above and blesses all through the lower degree, the Nukva, as it is written, “By you will Israel bless.” Through the “By you,” which is the Nukva, Ysrael Saba blesses all.

492) “'May God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh. And he put Ephraim before Manasseh.” He put Ephraim first because Ephraim is named after Israel because when the tribe of Ephraim came out, before the time of the enslavement in Egypt was completed, they rushed the hour and came out of exile, and their enemies rose against them and killed them.

It is written, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel.” this means that Ephraim was called “Israel,” since it is written, “[they] are the whole house of Israel.” This is why he preceded Ephraim to Manasseh. For this reason, Ephraim’s journey was to the west, and this was his journeying, since Divinity—in whom all of Israel are included—is on the west. And for this reason, Ephraim, who is called by the name, “Israel,” was on the side of Divinity.

493) Regarding the blessing that he blessed the sons of Joseph, why did he bless them first, before he blessed his own sons? It sounds as though one loves one’s grandchildren more than one’s own sons. And because the love of one’s grandchildren comes before one’s sons, he blessed them first.

494) “And he blessed them on that day saying, ‘By you will Israel bless.’” This is as it is written, “The Lord has been mindful of us, He will bless—He will bless the house of Israel.” Why does it write, “Bless,” twice? “The Lord has been mindful of us, He will bless” are the men, and “He will bless the house of Israel” are the women. This is so because the males need to be blessed first, and then the women, for women are blessed only by the blessing of the males. And when the males are blessed, the women are blessed, as it is written, “And made atonement for himself, and for his house.” Thus, one needs to make atonement for oneself first, and then for one’s home, since the male comes before the female so that she will be blessed from him.

495) Women are blessed only by males, when they are blessed first. And they are blessed from this blessing of the males. They do not need a special blessing of their own. Then why does the verse say, “Will bless the house of Israel,” if the women do not need a special blessing? Indeed, the Creator gives an additional blessing to a male who is married to a woman so that his wife will be blessed from him.

Similarly, in all places, the Creator gives additional blessing to a male who has married a woman so she will be blessed by this addition. And since a man marries a woman, He gives him two shares, one for himself and one for his wife. And he receives everything, his own share and his wife’s. This is why a special blessing is written for the women, “Will bless the house of Israel,” for this is their share. However, the males receive their share, as well, and give it to them later.

496) “And he blessed them on that day saying.” “Saying” is with a Vav [in Hebrew], implying to the firstborn son, since the Vav indicates to birthright, as it is written, “My son, My firstborn, Israel,” and as it is written, “Ephraim is My firstborn.” For this reason, the added Vav comes on the name, Ephraim, who is included in that blessing.

Your Eyes Saw My Unformed Substance

497) “Your eyes saw my unformed substance, and in Your book they will all be written,” All those souls that have been since the day the world was created stand before the Creator before they come down to the world in the very same form that they will later be seen in the world. In the same appearance as a body of a man who is standing in this world, so he stands above.

498) When the soul is ready to come down to the world, she stands before the Creator in the exact same form that she stands in this world, and the Creator adjures her to keep the Mitzvot [commandments] of the Torah and to not breach the laws of Torah.

499) How do we know that the souls stand before Him? It is written, “As the Lord, before Whom I stood, lives.” This means that he stood before Him before he was created. This is why it is written, “Your eyes saw my unformed substance,” before he appeared in the world. It is written about it, “And in Your book they will all be written,” since all the souls are written in the book in their very form.

It is written, “Days were fashioned, and not one among them.” “Days were fashioned” means that they were made into a garment to wear. “And not one among them” means that there is not a single day among them in this world that can maintain its existence before its Master as it should.

What Is the Measure of My Days

500) When one is rewarded with good deeds in this world, his days are blessed above from a place called “The measure of his days,” meaning Bina. David said, “Lord, make me know my end, and what is the measure of my days.” “My end” is the end of the right, which connects to David. “The measure of my days” means that he was actually appointed over his days, which is Bina.

501) This verse was said about the days that were cut off from Adam HaRishon, the seventy years, for David had no life at all, but Adam HaRishon gave him seventy years of his life.

502) This is the firmament, the curtain, opposite Malchut. It serves nothing because the moon, Malchut, does not shine by herself at all. David, who corresponds to Malchut, has no life. And the seventy years illuminate for Malchut on all her sides, meaning the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM of ZA, each of which consists of ten, thus they are seventy. They are the life of David. For this reason, David asked of the Creator to know why the moon had no life of her own; he wanted to know her root.

503) “The measure of my days” is a concealed, high degree, meaning Bina, which is called “The measure of my days” because she stands atop all those days, which are the life of Malchut. This is so because HGT NHYM de ZA extend from Bina, which is the place that shines for all. “Let me know how short-lived I am,” said David, meaning let me know why I have no light of my own, prevented from being like all the other upper lights, all of which have lives of their own. “And I, why have I no light? Why is it denied of me?” This is what David wanted to know, and he was denied permission to know.

All the Blessings—to This Degree

504) All the upper blessings were given to this degree, to Malchut, to bless all. And even though she has no light of her own, all the blessings, all the joy, and all that is good is in her and stems from her. This is why she is called “a cup of blessing.” She is considered an actual blessing, as it is written, “The blessing of the Lord shall make rich,” and the blessing of the Lord is the Malchut. This is why it is written, “And full with the blessing of the Lord, you inherit the sea and the south.”

505) For this reason, Malchut has a residue in all the Sefirot, since they are all mingled with her and she was filled by all of them and contains something from them all. In other words, they are all included in her and she was blessed from all the upper blessings, and the blessings were given into her hands to bless. Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph from a place where all the blessings were given into his hands to bless, as it is written, “And you will be a blessing,” meaning he will be rewarded with Malchut, who is a blessing. And henceforth, the blessings were given into his hands because all the blessings are in the hands of Malchut.

When Malchut was told, “Go and diminish yourself,” she waned herself and went out from Atzilut to Beria. Since then, she has no life of her own. And while she was previously included in the Sefirot of Atzilut, she went out of them and nothing of her remains in all the Sefirot. This is why it is written that David has no life.

However, afterward, she was corrected by ZA, who built her from his seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, which is the seventy years that Adam HaRishon gave to David. Thus, now, although she has nothing of her own, she obtained a complete structure of a Partzuf once more, although through ZA.

For this reason, she was included among the Sefirot of Atzilut once more, and all the Sefirot returned and were included in her. This is why Malchut has a residue in all the Sefirot, for she was re-included in them. Also, they all have a part of her because all the Sefirot were re-included in her as prior to the diminution.

506) As she was built in the seven Sefirot of ZA, we bless and praise this name to Malchut, and this is why we say Hallel [a prayer of praising] on those days. There are three degrees in the Hallel: Hassidim [pious] on the right, Tzadikim [righteous] on the left, and Israel on all sides, since Israel are mingled with all of them, for it is the middle line, which comprises both lines—right and left. They correspond to the three lines that Malchut receives from ZA, even though she has nothing of her own. This is why the praise of the Creator, Malchut, rose more than all the Sefirot. Also, wherever Israel praise the Creator below, meaning raise MAN, His glory rises in all the Sefirot.

The Sound of the Rolling Wheel

507) The sound of the rolling wheel rolls from below upwards. Hidden Merkavot [structures/chariots] go and roll. The sound of melodies rises and falls, wanders and roams the world; the sound of the Shofar [ram’s horn] stretches through the depth of the degrees and orbits around the wheel.

The Mochin come out in three places one at a time. They are called “the three points—Holam, Shuruk, Hirik,” and they are the three lines—right, left, and middle. Also, they shine by rolling in three places, in which they walk and roll one at a time. Hence, their mode of illumination is called “rolling.”

These three points are included in one another, hence there are three points in the Holam—the right line, three points in the Shuruk—the left line, and three points in the Hirik—the middle line. It follows that there is rolling in each of the three lines. Here The Zohar speaks of the three lines in Hirik, the middle line, which is ZA, which is called “Voice.” This is why it refers to them as “three voices.”

The sound of the wheel rolls from below upwards. This means that the rolling is from the right line to the left line. Yet, the illumination of the left is only from below upwards, which is why it was said, “Rolling from below upwards.” However, before the left line connects with the right, its illuminations are shut, for it cannot shine without Hassadim. Afterwards, the left line rolls to the right line and the sound of melodies rises and falls, meaning the abundance of pleasantness and Hassadim that appears from the right line and shines from above downwards, too. This is why it was said, “Walks and wanders in the world.”

Subsequently, it rolls from the right line to the middle line. ZA is the middle line, called “the voice of the Shofar.” It extends and comes out on the Masach de Hirik, which is Dinim, at the depth of the Dinim, and it is the essence that completes and discloses the illumination of the three lines, and mainly what orbits around the wheel, uniting the three lines in one another.

508) Two rakes sit, meaning forces that extend from the right and from the left, appointed to punish and to reward. They are in two colors—white and red—mingled in each other, and both turn a wheel above. When it turns to the right, the white goes up. When it turns to the left, the red goes down. The wheel turns constantly and never stops. They orbit the wheel, meaning the three lines, according to the actions of the lower ones. If they are righteous, the force on the right turns the wheel, and the white, Hassadim, rises—to reward the righteous. If they are wicked, the force on the left turns the wheel and the red, the Din [judgment], descends and punishes the wicked.

509) Two birds, HB de Nukva, rise when they tweet, one to the south, Hochma, and one to the north, Bina. They fly in the air, meaning shine in VAK de HB, since VAK are called “air.” The tweeting of the birds, Nukva, and the sound of the melodies of the wheel—ZA—unite, and then it is a psalm, a song for the Sabbath day.

At that time, during their Zivug, the lights that are detailed in the psalm—the song for the Sabbath day—illuminate. Then, all the blessings, Hochma, extend in a whisper and clothe the melodies of the wheel, which is the right line of ZA, Hassadim, out of the love of the voice of the Shofar—the middle line of ZA. The middle line, the voice of the Shofar, unites the two lines, and Hochma does not shine before she dresses in Hassadim. It is considered that she is extended in a whisper and is not heard. Afterward they are heard, when she dresses in the melodies of the wheel.

510) To receive these blessings, for Hochma to clothe in Hassadim, the blessings, Hochma, descend from above downwards and are concealed together in the depth of the well, Nukva, who cannot shine without Hassadim. The fountain of the well does not stop being in a whisper, meaning it does not shine, until that turning wheel—the middle line—is full, meaning the main one that orbits the wheel. When the middle line, the turning wheel, continues and fills with Hesed, Hochma dresses in the Hassadim of the middle line and shines in full, and she is no longer in a whisper.

511) Those two rakes roll. The one on the right, which rolls the three lines under the dominion of the right, called out loud and said, “The illumination of the lights that rise and fall.” This is so because being right, its illumination descends from above downwards. Two thousand worlds—HB, which are called “thousands,” extending from the two lines, right and left—illuminated. The middle world within them, Daat, which extends from the middle line, illuminates the light of your master. All those with eyes, who are worthy of attaining Hochma, look and open your eyes, and you will be rewarded with that light, that subtleness.

These are the blessings that extend from above. One who is rewarded, the wheel rises and rolls to the right, bringing the illumination of the three lines that are dominated by the right, and lowers and extends to the one who was rewarded, and is refined by those upper blessings that shine. Happy are those who have been rewarded with them.

512) When he is not rewarded, the wheel rolls and the rake on the left, rolls it, bringing illumination of the lines that are dominated by the left, bringing the light down and extending illumination of the left from above downwards. By that, it extends Din on the one who was not rewarded and a voice comes out. Woe unto the wicked from the left, who were not rewarded. A flame of fire comes out, burning and lingering over the head of the wicked. Happy are those who walk on the path of truth in this world, to be rewarded with that upper light, the blessings of the purity, as it is written, “Saturate your soul with purity.”

Be Gathered, that I May Tell You

513) “He has regarded the prayer of the destitute and has not despised their prayer.” It should have said, “listened” or “heard,” but what is “regarded”?

514) Indeed, all the prayers in the world, prayers of many, are prayers. But a solitary prayer does not enter before the Holy King, unless with great force. This is so because before the prayer enters to be crowned in its place, the Creator watches it, observes it, and observes the sins and merits of that person, which He does not do with a prayer of many, where several of the prayers are not from righteous, and they all enter before the Creator and He does not notice their iniquities.

515) “He has regarded the prayer of the destitute.” He turns the prayer and examines it from all sides, and considers with which desire the prayer was made, who is the person who prayed that prayer, and what are his deeds. Hence, one should pray one’s prayer in the collective, since He does not despise their prayer, even though they are not all with intent and the will of heart, as it is written, “He has regarded the prayer of the destitute.” Thus, He only observes the prayer of an individual, but with a prayer of many, He does not despise their prayer, even though they are unworthy.

516) “He has regarded the prayer of the destitute” means that He accepts his prayer, but it is an individual who is mingled with many. Hence, his prayer is as a prayer of many. And who is an individual who is mingled with many? It is Jacob, for he contains both sides—right and left, Abraham and Isaac, and he calls out to his sons and prays his prayer for them.

And what is the prayer that is fully granted above? It is a prayer that the children of Israel will not perish in the exile. This is because every prayer in favor of Divinity is received in full. And when Israel are in exile, Divinity is with them. This is why the prayer is regarded as being in favor of Divinity and is accepted in full.

517) At the time when Jacob called out to his sons, Divinity parted from him. When Jacob called out to his sons, Abraham and Isaac came there, with Divinity over them. Divinity was happy about Jacob bonding with the patriarchs, connecting with their souls to become a Merkava [chariot/assembly].

518) Jacob said, “Be gathered, that I may tell you what will befall you in the end of days.” “In the end” is Divinity, who is the end of the Sefirot. He said, “What will befall you in the end of days.” He mentioned the exile, meaning placed sadness in Divinity, and she parted. Afterward, her sons brought her back through the unification that they had made with their speech, when they started and said, “Hear O Israel.” At that time, Jacob erected her and said, “Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom for all eternity,” and Divinity settled in her place.

519) “And Jacob called unto his sons,” to sustain the Malchut, since by his calling them, he tied them at their root, to sustain them above, at their root, and below in this world. It is written about it, “And he called his name Jacob,” which is a calling. It is to sustain the place, Malchut, in the place where it is needed, and to tie him in her. It is also written, “And he called him unto the God of Israel,” meaning he sustained that place by that name that he called him, since calling is for sustaining and for strengthening.

520) “And they called unto God.” What sustaining is there here? Even the calling here is to tie and to keep the persistence above, the praising of his Master and all the things that one prays before one’s Master, which give sustenance and strength to one’s Master. By that, he shows that everything depends on Him and not on any other place. Thus, even in the calling here, there is sustenance. Similarly, “And Jacob called unto his sons” means that he kept them in complete sustenance. Likewise, “And He called unto Moses,” by which he maintained his existence.

521) If “And He called unto Moses” indicates keeping and reinforcing, why is the Aleph in the word “called” [in Hebrew] small? It is because Moses existed in wholeness, due to the calling and not in all of him, since for this reason he abstained from his wife. This is why it writes a small Aleph. His abstinence from his wife is a merit, not a fault. But while he retired from his wife and adhered above, he must connect above and below, meaning with his wife, as well, and then he is whole. Thus, the abstinence from his wife is a deficiency on his part, and this is what the small Aleph implies.

A small Aleph implies that the calling is from a small place, Malchut. It is small which is great when it connects above, to ZA, who is Moses. Hence, “And He called unto Moses,” so she would be great.

522) If he said to the emissaries to gather his sons, he should have said, “Gather,” and not “Be gathered.” However, “Be gathered” is from above. He said, “Be gathered,” to their upper roots in Malchut, meaning that they would gather in a complete connection in a single unification. “That I may tell you” is the Hochma, and it indicates that he will extend Hochma to them.

523) Wherever it says “telling,” it is Hochma. This is so because a word that comes with the letters Gimel-Dalet [in Hebrew] without separation between them implies to the complete unification, since Gimel is Yesod and Dalet is Malchut, which is Hochma. The word that comes in completeness in the letters Gimel-Dalet is one of Hochma. However, Dalet without Gimel is incomplete, and so is Gimel without Dalet. This is so because one who separates Gimel and Dalet that were tied to each other without separation inflicts death on himself. This was Adam’s sin—extending the light of Malchut from above downwards, separating her from Yesod de ZA and separating the Dalet from the Gimel.

524) For this reason, telling is a word of Hochma. And although at times there is a Yod between the Gimel and the Dalet, as in the case of “That I may tell” [in Hebrew], it is not separation and everything is one knot, since Yod implies to Yesod, as well. Here, too, “That I may tell you” is Hochma. He wished to disclose the end of all the deeds of Israel, the meaning of the end.

525) He did not disclose what he wished to disclose. Thus, why is the thing of the complete Jacob written in the Torah, when he was corrupted and was not complemented later? Indeed, he was complemented, and all that needs disclosing, he disclosed and hid. He said some thing and disclosed to the outside, and hid within. A thing of the Torah is never spoiled.

526) Everything is hidden in the Torah because the Torah is the wholeness of everything, the wholeness of above and of below, and there is not a word or a letter in the Torah that is flawed. All that Jacob needed to say, he said. However, he revealed and concealed, and did not blemish any of what he wished to reveal, not even a single letter.

527) Jacob blessed his sons, as it is written, “And he blessed them.” Yet, where are their blessings? All are blesses that he blessed them, as it is written, “Judah, you, your brothers shall praise,” “Dan shall judge his people,” “Asher, his bread shall be fat,” and likewise with all of them.

528) However, he did not disclose what he wished to disclose, since he wished to reveal the end to them. There is an end to the right and an end to the left. He wished to reveal to them the end of the right, to be kept and to be purified from the foreskin in the end of the left. And what he revealed to them was known and was revealed until they arrived at the holy land. However, he did not disclose other things, and they are hidden in the Torah, in those blessings.

Reuben, You Are My Firstborn

529) “Reuben, you are my firstborn.” Why did Jacob begin the blessings with Reuben and not with Judah? After all, in the journeying of the banners he was travelling before all the camps, and he is a king. Moreover, he blessed Reuben but the blessings departed him until Moses came and prayed for him. Accordingly, it would be better if he began with Judah and would begin with a blessing.

530) However, he certainly blessed Reuben and the blessing rose to its place. There is an allegory about a man who had a son. When his time to depart from the world had come, the king came to him and said, “All my money will be in the hands of the king, kept for my son.” When the king sees that the son is worthy of receiving it, he will give it to him. Similarly, Jacob said to Reuben, “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my beloved, but your blessings will be in the hands of the holy King until he sees that you are worthy of them.”

531) People are so obtuse that they do not know and do not notice the King’s honor. Indeed, the Torah declares about them each day, “And there is none to lend an ear to her.”

532) The wisdom is learned from two commandments: one is to awaken from below upwards, as it is written, “Prophesy to the wind,” since if they do not awaken below first, they do not awaken above. And in the awakening below, there is awakening above. The second commandment is to awaken from above downwards, as it is written, “Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind.”

533) Even above, in the awakening below, upon raising of MAN, the upper one receives from the one above it. Even in the high degrees the lower one receives from the one above it only through an awakening below. It is written about it, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Come from the four winds, O wind,” meaning Hesed, Tifferet, Gevura, and Malchut. The wind comes from the west, Malchut. She joins the others—south, east, and north—which are HGT, to whom Malchut raises MAN, and they connect to her. Thus, in the upper ones, too, there is an awakening from below, raising of MAN.

534) Ruchot [plural of Ruach (wind/spirit)] and Neshamot [plural of Neshama (soul)], come out of Malchut, to be depicted in the people in the world, meaning to receive the form of GAR from them. “And breathe on these slain,” as it is written, “And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”

Malchut receives from that side and gives on the other side. Hence it is as is written, “All the rivers go to the sea, but the sea is not full.” It is not full because it receives and gives, lets in and lets out. This is so because even though Malchut receives from the three sides of ZA—south, north, and east—in the beginning she still receives from the left line, north, and then she has GAR de Hochma. However, it is without Hassadim, hence her lights freeze within her and she cannot shine. Afterwards, when she receives from the middle line, east, the north unites with the south, the lights open, and she shines upon the lower ones. However, then she is diminished from GAR de GAR, due to the middle line, and remains in VAK de GAR.

535) Since the Creator knows that people will die, why bring Neshamot down to the world? Why does He need them? The Creator gives Neshamot that come down to this world to make His glory known, and then He takes them. Hence, why did they come down?

536) It is written, “Drink water from your cistern and liquids from your well.” A cistern is a place that has no springing of its own. A well springs of its own. Water spring of its own when the Neshama is completed in this world and rises for MAN to Malchut, the place where she was tied. At that time, she is whole on all sides, from below and from above.

537) When the Neshama rises as MAN to Malchut, the craving in the Nukva awakens toward the male, and water spring in Malchut from below upwards. And while she was a cistern, she became a well of flowing water. At that time, there are bonding, unification, craving, and desire, since Malchut was completed in the souls of the righteous, affection and desire awakened above, and ZA and Malchut joined as one.

538) “Reuben, you are my firstborn.” He is Jacob’s first drop, since he never emitted in his sleep and his will was in another place, in Rachel. Reuben and all of the twelve tribes united in Divinity, and when Jacob saw Divinity over him, he called his twelve sons to join her.

539) A complete bed was never more present since the day the world was created as when Jacob wished to depart the world—Abraham to his right, Isaac to his left, Jacob laying between them, and Divinity before him. When Jacob saw it, he called his sons and made them grip around Divinity, and set them up in a complete order.

540) He set them up around Divinity because it is written, “Be gathered,” meaning gather above, around Divinity. And then all the wholeness was there, and several high Merkavot [assemblies/chariots] around them started and said, “To you, O Lord, is the greatness and the might.”

At that time, the sun, Jacob, ZA, assembled with the moon, Nukva, and the east, ZA, drew near to the west, Nukva. It is written about it, “He drew his feet into the bed,” which indicates to the Zivug. And the moon illuminated from him and she was whole.

Jacob did not die. Rather, he mated with Divinity. Since he saw a complete order, that there was no other person, he was glad and praised the Creator and blessed his sons.

Asher, His Bread Shall Be Fat

541) All of Jacob’s sons were set up in a complete order, meaning became a Merkava [chariot/assembly] to arrange high Sefirot. Each was blessed to the extent that he was worthy. And what does it say in this verse? “Asher, his bread shall be fat.”

542) Asher dwelt by the seashore. One who lives by the sea, at Yesod de Malchut, uses the delicacies of the world, meaning Mochin that extend from Eden. Asher is the high opening of the righteous, Yesod, when he is blessed to pour out blessings to the world. This opening is always known for the blessings of the world, and it is called “Asher.” It is a pillar, one of those on which the world stands.

The four sons of the maidservants are the four Achoraim [posteriors] in the four Sefirot HG and NH. Asher is the Achoraim de Hod, where there are the Dinim of Masach de Hirik, on which the middle line comes out, which unites the two lines and brings the Achoraim back to being internality, as it is written, “All their rear parts turned inward.” Asher is the upper opening of the righteous, since righteous, Yesod or middle line, receives the power of the Masach de Hirik from Achoraim de Hod, which is Asher. This is why Asher is regarded as the high opening for the Yesod.

Had it not been for the Masach de Hirik that receives from Asher, he would not have blessings to impart upon the world. And even though he is Dinim, still, the world, Nukva, stands on him. Without him, the middle line would not be able to unite the two lines in one another and the world would be ruined and dry.

543) A place that is called “Bread of affliction” is the Nukva, who receives only from the left line. He is established from that place, from Asher, from whom the Masach was made for the middle line. It is written, “Asher, his bread shall be fat,” meaning that what was previously “Bread of affliction” has now become “a bread of delight” once more—once the two lines have united with one another. This is so because he emptied and placed blessings in it, and the end of the verse proves, as it is written, “And he will yield royal dainties.” “Royal” refers to the assembly of Israel, Malchut, from whom the world is nourished with the dainties of the world. And he, Asher, will give to this King, to Malchut, all the blessings, every joy and bounty. He gives to her, to Malchut, and from her it comes out to the lower ones.

Reckless as Water, You Shall Not Have Preeminence

544) Reuben was Jacob’s firstborn. He was to receive everything—kingship, birthright, and priesthood—and everything was removed from him—the kingship was given to Judah, the birthright to Joseph, and the priesthood to Levi. It is written, “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence,” meaning you will not remain in them. And what Jacob said, “Reuben, you are my firstborn; my might and the beginning of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power,” here he blessed him and mentioned him before the Creator.

545) It is like the king’s beloved one, whose son was passing through the market one day. He said to the king, “This is my beloved son.” The king heard and realized that he was asking him to benefit his son. Similarly, Jacob said, “Reuben, you are my firstborn; my might and the beginning of my strength,” reminding him to the King, so he will benefit him.

546) “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence.” Here he said what was to happen to him: that he would not remain in the land but be abroad, on the east side of the Jordan. Correspondingly, one appointee from the side of the tabernacle, Nukva above—appointed under the hand of Michael—was rejected outside the tabernacle, as well.

This is so because there are twelve roots to the twelve tribes in the upper tabernacle, the Nukva. Since Reuben was rejected from the land of Israel to the other side of the Jordan, his root, too, was rejected outside the tabernacle.

Some say that the rejected appointee from the tabernacle above was under the hand of Gabriel. And even though Reuben is Hesed and Michael is the head of the angels on the side of Hesed, while Gabriel is the head from the left side, Gevura, there is Gevura in Reuben nonetheless. He brings evidence from the verse, “Judah is still down on God.” This descent indicates that he is the side of Gevura and is called “a courthouse.”

Also, Reuben is near his inheritance in the land, since the inheritance of Judah extended to the Jordan on the west, and the inheritance of Reuben extended to the Jordan on the east. This proximity indicates that there is Gevura in Reuben, as well. And although Malchut, the bottom Gevura, was taken from Reuben and belongs to Judah, he is still not completely clean of Gevura, since Reuben’s inheritance was adjacent to his, which indicates that there is Gevura in him.

547) The sons of Reuben were to hold two wars in the land. It is written, “My might,” about the exile in Egypt. “The beginning of my strength” means that they were the first among their brothers to go to war. “Preeminent in dignity” refers to the exile in Assyria, where the sons of Gad and the sons of Reuben were exiled first and suffered many hardships and torments, and have not returned from there thus far.

548) “Preeminent in power” means that when the Messiah King awakens in the world, they will go out and wage war in the world and will be triumphant, prevailing over the nations, and the peoples of the world will fear and dread them. The sons of Reuben will contemplate overcoming in kingship and will not remain in it, as it is written, “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence,” meaning that they will not remain in kingship even on a single side in the world because it is written, “For you went up to your father's bed,” meaning that they will come and wage war inside the holy land. “Your father’s bed” is Jerusalem, and they will want to take it from the Messiah King.

549) The sons of Reuben spread to the four directions of the world in exile, corresponding to the whole of Israel, who were exiled four times in exile, in the four directions of the world. It is written, “My might,” which is one exile, “The beginning of my strength” is the second, “Preeminent in dignity” is the third, and “Preeminent in power” is the fourth. Similarly, they are destined to wage war against the four directions of the world and by war, they will govern everyone. They will defeat many nations and will rule over them.

550) “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence” implies to the first thought that Jacob had in the first drop—that of Rachel. Had the thought of that drop been on Leah, instead, Reuben would have remained with everything, with the kingship, the priesthood, and the birthright. However, “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence, for you went up to your father's bed,” meaning you went up with a different thought, so you defiled.

551) “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence” because when the sons of Reuben wage war in the world and defeat many nations, the sons of Reuben will not remain in kingship because they will make war in the holy land. This is so because it writes precisely, “For you went up to your father's bed,” which is Jerusalem.

But should it not have said, “Bed”? “Your father’s” is Ysrael Saba, ZA. This is why he says, “Your father’s bed” and not “Bed,” since Jerusalem was ruined twice, and in the third time, it will be built during the Messiah King. And here a blessing was revealed in the words, “You are my firstborn; my might and the beginning of my strength.” And the blessing, the kingship, and the priesthood being taken away from him were as it is written, “Reckless as water, you shall not have preeminence.”

And when they come to the land of Israel, he will have no part in the land, but on the other side of the Jordan. And what will happen with Reuben at the time of the Messiah King is that he will wage wars on many nations and in Jerusalem, as well.

Shimon and Levi Are Brothers

552) “Shimon and Levi are brothers; their dwelling places are tools of robbery.” Here he fastened them to the left side of Divinity because he saw actions of the harsh Din [judgment] in them, which the world could not tolerate. Shimon was unworthy of a blessing because he saw several bad deeds in him, and Levi came from the side of harsh Din, upon which blessing does not rely. Even when Moses came, he did not rely his blessing on him, as it is written, “Lord, bless his substance,” meaning that his blessing was dependent upon the Creator.

553) It is written, “There is the sea, great and broad, in which are swarms innumerable, animals both small and great.” “There is the sea” is Divinity, who stood over Jacob when he wished to depart from the world. “Great and broad,” since the whole world is filled, complemented, and restricted in Divinity, who is filled and complemented by the power of the south, and restricted by the power of the north. “In which are swarms innumerable,” since there are many high and holy angels there. “Animals both small and great” are the twelve tribes, Jacob’s sons, who are there in full, Naphtali the doe, Benjamin the wolf with Gad the kid [a young goat], Judah the lion, Joseph the lamb, and all of them, small animals being with great ones.

554) In all of them, in all the tribes there are small animals with great ones. However, Judah is a lion and Shimon is an ox because Shimon is Gevura and Gevura is the face of an ox. They were staring opposite each other, Judah on the right and Shimon on the left, like an ox, whose deeds are bad. He looked at the image of the lion that was painted on its stall and feared it. Thus, Shimon is an ox and Judah is a lion. Shimon, who is an ox, is Gevura, and he surrenders by looking at Judah, who is a lion, Hesed.

555) Shimon was not rewarded with blessings from Jacob. Rather, Moses joined him with Judah, as it is written, “The Lord heard the voice of Judah,” and it is written, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated,” which is why Leah called him Shimon. And as the Creator heard with Shimon, the Creator heard that Judah includes Shimon. Jacob did not bless Shimon and Levi because he raised them to Moses, so he would bless them. What is the reason that their father did not bless them?

557) Jacob had four wives and bore children from all of them. He was complemented by his wives. When Jacob wished to depart from the world, Divinity stood over him. He wished to bless Shimon and Levi but he could not because he feared Divinity. He said, “How will I do it, since both come from the side of harsh Din and their blessing would blemish Divinity? I cannot attack Divinity! I had four wives, who extended unto me from the four Behinot [discernments] HG TM in Divinity. I was complemented in them because they bore twelve tribes to me, which are the entire perfection. And since I received my perfection from Divinity, how can I bless Shimon and Levi against Her will? Instead, I will hand them over to the Master of the house, Moses, the queen’s husband, the one by whose will the house is present, and He will do as He pleases.”

558) So said Jacob, “I received my share in wives and sons in this world from Divinity and I was complemented. Thus, how can I attack the queen, Divinity? Instead, I will hand the matters over to the Master of the queen, to Moses, and He will do as He pleases, and He will not fear.”

559) It is written, “This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the sons of Israel.” “Man of God” is the Master of the house, the Master of the queen. Man means master, as it is written, “Her husband may raise it and her husband may annul it.” Divinity is called “Moses’ bride.” Moses is a Merkava [assembly/chariot] above Chazeh de ZA. For this reason, the husband of the queen is like ZA, and he was the giver to Divinity, since the giver is a master to the receiver. Hence, he is called “The man of God.”

For this reason, Moses blessed whomever he wanted and did not fear blemishing Divinity, since he could correct her as he pleased. This is why Jacob said, “I see that those sons of mine are on the side of harsh Din; let the Master of the house come and bless them.”

560) Moses was certainly the man of God and did as he pleased in his home, as it is written, “Her husband may raise it,” meaning that he would give him Mochin de Hochma, called “raising,” as it is written, “And Moses said, ‘Rise up, O Lord, and Your enemies will scatter.’” This is so because along the way there is gripping to the Klipot, and Mochin de Hochma chase the Klipot away.

“And her husband may annul it,” as it is written, “When he rested he said, ‘Return, O Lord,’” since when Divinity is in a place of rest, the Klipot have no hold of her and there is no fear. Hence, “Her husband may annul it,” meaning that he annuls the GAR de Hochma by the force of the middle line, to clothe her in Hassadim, as it is written, “When he rested he said, ‘Return, O Lord.’”

Certainly, the Master of the house does as He pleases and there is none to protest against Him. It is like a man who commands his wife and she does as he wishes. For this reason, although Jacob was gripped to the tree of life, ZA, he was not the master of the house, as was Moses. This is because he was gripped below Chazeh de ZA, which already belongs to Nukva de ZA. Moses, however, was above, gripped above Chazeh de ZA, in the male world. Hence, he was the Master of the house, like ZA, and this is why Jacob handed them over to the Master of the house to bless them.

561) “Let my soul not enter their council.” It is written, “The council of the Lord is for those who fear Him. This is a sublime secret in the Torah, which the Creator gives only to those who fear sin. One who fears sin, the high secret in the Torah appears to him. This is the sign of the covenant of holiness called, “the secret of the Lord.”

562) Shimon and Levi troubled themselves with this secret of the sign of the covenant of holiness with the people of Shechem, so they would circumcise themselves and take that secret on themselves, to keep the sign of the covenant of holiness. However, it was in deceit.

Zimri, too, the leader of the fathers' households in the tribe of Shimon, disqualified that secret in the matter of Cozbi the daughter of Zur. Jacob said about that, “Let my soul not enter their council.” “My soul” is the soul that rises and unites in the upper covenant above, meaning Malchut that unites with the upper covenant, Yesod de ZA. Also, Nefesh is called “the bundle of life.”

563) “Let not my glory be united with their assembly,” as it is written, “Korah assembled all the congregation against them.” Thus, only Korah, son of Izhar, son of Levi, was mentioned there, and not the son of Jacob. “Let not my glory be united” refers only to the glory of Israel. Hence, because of these actions, Jacob did not bless Shimon and Levi, but handed them over to Moses.

This means that they were not united with each other but were scattered, as it is written, “I will divide them in Jacob and spread them in Israel.” And so it should be, since they are harsh Din, and hence require scattering. For this reason, there is everything in him, for all of Israel are in their harsh Din, since with their scattering in Israel, Israel absorbed the harsh Din in them. Hence, there is not a generation in the world when their harsh Din did not come down to slander in the world. Because of it, they multiply and beg for alms. Thus, you see everything, that the whole of Israel were hurt by their Din.

The Nations of the World Count by the Sun, and Israel by the Moon

564) “He made the moon for the seasons.” “He made the moon” with which to sanctify the beginnings of months and the beginnings of years. The moon always shines only from the sun, and when the sun governs, the moon does not govern. When the sun sets, the moon governs, and there is no counting of the moon unless when the sun sets.

565) The Creator made both of them shine, as it is written, “And God set them in the firmament of the heaven,” to shine upon the earth. “And let them be signs,” which are the Sabbaths, “And seasons,” which are the good days, “And days,” which are the beginnings of months, “And years,” meaning the beginnings of years. And let the nations of the world count by the sun, and Israel—by the moon.

566) “If you multiplied the nation, you have increased its gladness.” “If you multiplied the nation” relates to Israel, of whom it is written, “For what great nation,” and it is written, “One nation in the land.” “Its” means “for it.” Increasing the gladness, the moon, means that her light will grow for Israel. The nations of the world calculate the times according to the movement of the sun, and Israel by the movement of the moon.

Which of them is more important? Is it the counting by the sun or the counting by the moon? The moon is above, and the sun of the nations of the world is below the moon, and that sun receives light from the moon and shines. Israel grip to the moon and hang down by the upper sun, gripping to the place that shines from the upper sun and clinging to it, as it is written, “And you who cleave to the Lord your God.”

The sun implies to ZA, and the moon to his Nukva. There is a time when the Nukva is at the degree of the sun, but on the left and in Achoraim. At that time, ZA dresses and receives its light from the right side of Ima, and the Nukva dresses and receives her light from the left side of Ima. Hence, at that time the Nukva, too, is in a state of “sun,” like ZA, since she receives from the same place from which ZA receives. And then she is in Mochin de Achoraim, which do not shine.

Afterwards she comes down from there, from Chazeh de ZA, and becomes a recipient of ZA. At that time, she is called “a moon,” like the moon that receives from the sun and thus obtains Mochin de GAR. Both the nations of the world and Israel receive from Nukva de ZA. However, the nations of the world, which are left, count by the sun of the Nukva, to her Mochin de Achoraim, at which time the Nukva is entirely left, as suitable for them. And Israel count by the moon when she descends from Chazeh de ZA and below and receives from the sun, ZA, at which time she is called “moon.”

The sun of the nations of the world is below the moon, in the Achoraim of the moon, Nukva, since “below” means Achoraim. This means that when she receives from the left of Ima, at which time she is in the form of “sun,” that sun receives the light of the moon and shines because at that time, she is in Achoraim and does not shine. Thus, how can they persist? Through the sins of Israel: they grip and suckle the part of Israel from the moon, as it is written, “Tyre was built only on the ruin of Jerusalem.” It follows that that sun, from which the nations of the world suckle, receives light from the moon to sustain the nations, since their sun burns and he has no light except what he receives from the moon, from the part of Israel.

Israel grip to the moon, to the Nukva, when she is below Chazeh de ZA and receives from him, and they hang down and descend below Chazeh de ZA, which is the upper sun, where the moon is, and they unite in the place that shines from the upper sun and cling to it. This is unlike the nations of the world, which united in the Nukva when she shines from the left side of Ima. However, Israel cling to her when she shines from the upper sun, who is ZA, as it is written, “And you who cleave to the Lord your God.”

Judah, You, Your Brothers Shall Thank You

567) Malchut existed for Judah, as it is written, “This time I will thank the Lord,” since he is the fourth. Hence, “I will thank the Lord” because he is the fourth leg of the throne. HGT are the three legs of the throne, and Judah, Malchut, is the fourth leg. Hence, he was given the Malchut [kingship] over Israel.

Yod-Hey-Vav de HaVaYaH are HGT, the Reshimo of the upper name, ZA, which is completed in the Hey, Malchut, the last Hey of the holy Name, with which the holy Name is complete in its letters. She is the connection that unites the letters of the holy Name. Hence, “Your brothers shall thank you,” since for you is the Malchut worthy of existing, since you are a Merkava [chariot/assembly] for Malchut. It is written, “Judah is still down on God, and faithful with holy ones.” These holy ones are high holy ones, the holy Sefirot HGT. All thank him and made him a trustee, giving him all that is in them. And this is why he is before everyone and king over everyone.

568) “The king’s daughter—all her glory is within.” “All her glory” refers to the assembly of Israel, Nukva. She is called “Her glory” because ZA is called “glory” [also “honor”] and they are one. She is called “glory” with an added Hey, befitting a female [a common suffix for words in female form in Hebrew]. “The king’s daughter” is Bat Sheba, the Nukva. She is an echo because ZA is called “a great voice,” “the upper king,” and Nukva is called “an echo.” “Within,” since there is a king, Malchut, who is not inside, like him, for sometimes Malchut clothes in Beria. This is the meaning of “The king’s daughter—her glory,” meaning inside, in Atzilut.

569) “Her garment is plaids of gold.” This means that she dresses and unites with the upper Gevura on the left side of Ima, and Ima is called “gold,” as it is written, “Out of the north comes gold.” Ima is called “king,” as well, and for her the land exists, meaning Malchut.

When does Malchut exist? When she unites in a sentence, ZA. This is so because when she receives from the left of Ima, she receives Hochma without Hassadim. Hence, she still has no persistence, unless she unites in a sentence, ZA, and receives Hassadim from him, and then she has persistence, as it is written, “The king establishes the land,” Malchut, “By justice.” This is called, “the kingdom of heaven,” and “Judah united in it.” This is why he inherited the Malchut in the land.

570) It is written, “And He drove the man out.” “He drove out” means that the Creator drove out the Nukva like a man who divorces his wife. “The man” is accurate because Nukva is called “the.”

571) Adam was caught in what he sinned and caused death to himself and to the whole world. He caused deportation to that tree in which he sinned, to Nukva, to be expelled because of him, and to be expelled due to the sins of his sons forever. It is written about it, “And He drove the man out.” “The” is as is written, “And I shall see the Lord,” which means Nukva. Here, too, “The man” refers to the Nukva.

572) “At the east of the Garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” This is below Atzilut. And as there are cherubim above, in Atzilut, ZON, there are cherubim below Atzilut—the angels Matat and Sandalfon. And this tree, the Nukva, called “the tree of knowledge,” is on them.

“The flaming sword which turned every way” are forms of flames of fire that extend from that flame of the sword, and keep the way of the tree of life. This does not relate to the flame of the sword itself. The turning of the sword means that it suckles from the right and from the left, turning from side to side. The flame of these forms of flames of fire turn from one form to another, at times they are men and at times—women. They turn from their place to all the forms, keeping the way of the tree of life, as it is written, “Who makes a way in the sea,” referring to Yesod de Nukva.

573) Adam caused that tree in which he sinned, Nukva, to be expelled. And even if the rest of the people in the world sin, they cause her to be expelled, as it is written, “For your sins was your mother sent away.” It means, as it is written, “And He drove the man out,” where “the” is the Nukva, Adam’s wholeness. With her deportation, he lost all of his wholeness.

574) Since the day she was expelled, the moon, Nukva, was blemished, until Noah came and entered the ark. The wicked came and she was blemished once more until Abraham came and corrected her and she was completed through Jacob and his sons. Then Judah came and gripped her, and intensified in Malchut and inherited her, an everlasting inheritance, he and all his descendents after him. It is written about it, “Judah, you, your brothers shall thank you,” meaning that when Israel stood by the sea, the tribe of Judah went down to the sea first, and everyone thanked him and followed him into the sea.

575) “Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies,” as it is written, “Judah shall rise,” to war. “Your father's sons shall bow down to you.” He includes all the tribes, which is why it is written, “Your father’s sons” and not “Your mother’s sons,” since the sons of your father are all the rest of the tribes. And although Israel were divided into two kingships, when they would go up to Jerusalem they would still kneel and bow down to the king in Jerusalem, since the Malchut in Jerusalem, which extended from the holy Malchut, Nukva, was from Judah.

576) “Will bow down to you.” Had it said, “And they will bow down,” it would have included the rest of the nations, that all the nations of the world would bow down to him. However, when the Messiah King arrives, it is written, “Ministers bowed down,” meaning bowed down to you, which comes to show that only the whole of Israel will be enslaved to the exiled head in Babylon, and not other nations.

577) “Judah is a lion's cub.” First he was a cub, then a lion, hence the doubling. When ZA is in Mochin de Katnut, he is called “a youth.” In Malchut de Gadlut, he is called “a man,” as it is written, “The Lord is a man of war.” Similarly, in Mochin de Katnut, Judah is called “a cub,” and in Mochin de Gadlut, he is called “a lion.”

“From the prey, my son, you have gone up.” “From the prey” includes the angel of death, who stands over the prey to kill the people of the world and there is no savior, as it is written, “And preyed, and there is none to save.” It is of that prey that Divinity departed, and it is said about it, “From the prey, my son, you have gone up,” meaning that Judah was saved from the angel of death, Satan, the evil inclination, and did not fail in it.

578) “Bowed down” was said about the exile in Babylon. “Crouched” was said about the exile in Edom. “As a lion” means that he is strong, and “As a young lion” means he is stronger than a lion. Similarly, Israel are strong. The people of the world, the idol worshippers, entice and pressure them, but they maintain their law and their customs as a lion and as a young lion.

579) Divinity, too, is like that. Although it is written, “She has fallen, she will not rise again—the virgin Israel,” she is as strong in this falling as a lion and as a young lion. As lions and young lions do not fall, unless to take down prey and to govern, since it smells its prey from afar and from the time it smells, it falls, crouching to the ground to forcefully leap onto its prey. It does not rise until it leaps on its prey and eats it. Similarly, Divinity falls only as a lion and as a young lion, to avenge the idol worshipping nations and to leap onto them, as it is written, “Moving in the greatness of His strength.”

580) “He crouches, he lies down as a lion, and as a young lion; who dares raise him?” He will not rise to take a small revenge against them. Rather, “Who will raise him” means “who,” as in “Who will heal you?”

The upper world, Bina, is called “Who,” in which there is the governance to attack everything. And it is written, “Out of whose stomach came forth the ice?” Through that Din, called “ice,” he subdues all the Klipot.

581) “The scepter shall not depart from Judah until Shiloh comes.” Shiloh is written with a Hey, and in the rest of the places, Shiloh is written with a Vav, indicating the holy Name, Koh [Yod-Hey]. This is so because in another place it is written Shiloh without a Hey, and in another place Shiloh without a Yod. And here, Shiloh is with a Yod and a Hey, which is the high and holy Name. Divinity will rise from her fall in exile in this name, Koh, which is MI, since Koh is the name of Bina, who is called MI, as well.

He Ties His Foal to the Vine

582) “The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul.” Since he said, “The Lord will protect you from all evil,” why was it also said, “He will keep your soul”? The Lord will keep you from all evil in this world and will keep your soul in the world of truth.

583) The keeping in this world is that a person should keep from several bad kinds, slanderers, which go to slander people in the world and cling to them. The keeping in the world of truth is that if a person who passes away from this world is rewarded, his soul rises and is crowned in her place. If he is not rewarded, several camps of saboteurs come to him to pull him to Hell and give him into the hands of Dumah, and through him, he is given into the appointee over Hell. There are 130 thousand appointees with him and they all come over the souls of the wicked.

584) There are seven rooms and seven openings in Hell. The soul of the wicked enters, and several sabotaging angels, spirits, keep the gates, and there is an appointee over them, one in each gate. The souls of the wicked are handed over to those appointees by Dumah. When they are handed over to them, they close the gates of blazing fire.

585) These are gates after gates, doubled, and the gates are all open and closed. The ones on the outside are open and the ones on the inside are closed. Each Sabbath they are open and the wicked come out, up to the gates on the outside where they meet other souls who are detained there in the doors on the outside and do not enter Hell. At the end of the Sabbath, the herald comes out in each door and says, “Let the wicked return to the netherworld.”

The Creator keeps the souls of the righteous from being given into the hands of Dumah the appointee, as it is written, “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in,” and as it is written, “He will keep your soul.”

586) “He ties his foal to the vine.” The vine is the assembly of Israel, Nukva, as it is written, “Your wife shall be as a fruitful vine.” Your wife is as this holy vine, the upper Nukva, a vine on which we bless, “Maker of the fruit of the vine.” Maker, as it is written, “A fruit-bearing tree.” The vine is a fruit-bearing tree. “Fruit-bearing” means a male, ZA. A fruit-tree is the Nukva de ZA. For this reason, “Maker of the fruit of the vine” is male and female together, ZON.

587) The vine is the Messiah King, who is destined to rule over all the armies of the nations and all the armies of the appointees of the idol worshipping nations, whose fort shall grow stronger. But the Messiah King will overcome them.

588) This vine, the Nukva, governs all the lower Ketarim [plural of Keter], by which they govern all the idol worshipping nations, and it is Netzah above. Israel are called “choice vine,” as it is written, “And his donkey's colt to the choice vine.” They will destroy and defeat other armies below. But the Messiah King will prevail over all of them, as it is written, “Behold, your king is coming to you; he is ... poor and mounted on a donkey and on a foal of a donkey.” “Foal” and “donkey” are two Ketarim that the idol worshipping nations govern. They are from the left side, secular, and the Messiah King overcomes them.

589) The Messiah King will be called “poor” because he has nothing of his own, for he is the Nukva de ZA, and she is called “the Messiah King.” However, this is the holy moon above, Nukva de ZA, who has no light of her own, except what she receives from the sun, ZA. This is why she is considered poor.

590) The Messiah King, the Nukva, will reign in His dominion, will unite in His place above. And then, as it is written, “Your king shall come to you,” precisely “King,” since he contains the Nukva above and the Messiah King below.

If below, he is poor, the moon, the upper Nukva, since it is discerned as the moon, which is the upper Nukva, since the Messiah King below extends from the Nukva and is therefore called, “poor,” like her. And if above, which is the Nukva herself, she is poor, since she is a mirror that does not shine by itself, but from ZA. For this reason, she is called, “bread of affliction.” Yet, the Messiah is riding on a donkey and a foal, the stronghold of the idol worshipping nations, to subdue them under him. And the Creator, the Nukva, will strengthen in His place above, for the words, “Your king shall come to you” contain them both.

591) “He washed his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.” “Who is this who comes from Edom, with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah?” It is written, “I have trodden the wine trough alone.” Washing in wine is the side of Gevura de ZA, the harsh Din, since it is over the idol worshipping nations. “His robes in the blood of grapes” is the lower tree, Nukva, a courthouse, which is called “grapes.” The wine is given in the blood of grapes, to clothe in both of them, in the harsh Din of ZA and in the Din of Nukva, to break all the idol worshipping nations and kings in the world under him.

The illumination of the left is called “wine.” If he extends in the measure of holiness, meaning only from below upwards, it is wine that delights God and people. If he extends more than a measure, it is from above downwards, too. Then it becomes an intoxicating wine and harsh Din appears in it, which consumes and destroys those who extend it. There are two discernments in it: from the left side of ZA, it is harsh Din, and from the left side of Nukva, it is soft Din.

When the righteous see the harsh Din from the side of ZA and from the side of the Nukva, which is done in the wicked who extend it as intoxicating wine, they strengthen in their work. This is regarded as washing their clothes and cleaning them from any hint of sin. The words, “He washed his garments in wine” mean that he washes his clothes through the harsh Din, which is done in the idol worshipping nations.

This wine is the side of Gevura de ZA, a harsh Din, since it is male. “And his robes in the blood of grapes” is the lower tree, the Nukva, a courthouse that is called “grapes,” the left side of Nukva, which is a soft Din. The wine of ZA is given in the blood of grapes of the Nukva so their two kinds of Dinim will join. At that time, all the idol worshipping nations and the kings of the world that extend this intoxicating wine break.

592) How obtuse are people, who do not know and do not notice the glory of their Master? They do not consider words of Torah and do not know their ways, by which they are caught, as it is written, “The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.”

593) Initially, there was prophecy among men. They knew and beheld to know the glory of the upper one. When prophecy had ceased in them, they used an echo. Now prophecy, as well as the echo, has stopped and people use only dreams.

594) The dream—the lowest degree—is on the outside, since the dream is one part out of sixty of prophecy, for it comes from the sixth degree below. This is so because it comes from Hod de Nukva, the sixth degree to NH de ZA, from which prophecy arrives. The dream is seen to all because the dream is from the left side, from Hod de Nukva, and descends many degrees through Angel Gabriel, from whom the dream is received. Also, the dream is seen even by wicked and even by idol worshippers.

595) Sometimes, these kinds of evil angels receive the dream and hear and notify people. Some of them mock people and give them false knowledge, and sometimes words of truth that they hear. And sometimes, they are emissaries of the wicked and inform them of high matters.

596) It is written, “And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, ‘In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; and in the vine were three branches.’” This wicked one saw a true dream, for it is written, “And in the vine were three branches.” A vine is the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, as it is written, “Look from heaven and see, and visit this vine.” “From heaven,” since she was thrown from that place, as it is written, “He has cast the earth from heaven.” “And visit this vine.” Vine, “this,” is the Nukva. This is why he says “vine,” the name of the Nukva, like “This.”

597) “And in the vine were three branches, and as it was budding, its blossoms shot forth.” “Three branches” are as it is written, “Three flocks of sheep were lying there beside it,” three lines. “And she blossoms,” as it is written, “And Solomon's wisdom excelled,” meaning that the moon, Nukva, illuminated.

“It was budding” refers to Jerusalem below, the Nukva. “It was budding” means above, the same degree that stands on the Nukva and nurses it, Yesod, as it is written, “Whose seed is on the earth,” meaning Yesod, which gives to the Nukva, earth.

“Its clusters produced ripe grapes,” to keep the kept wine in them, so no Klipa in the world would have a grip on it.

598) How much did this wicked one see? It is written, “And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and squeezed them into Pharaoh's cup.” Here he saw the cup of poison, the suction of the courthouse that was coming out of those grapes, which were given to Pharaoh, and he drank them, as it was in Israel’s exodus from Egypt. When Joseph heard it, he rejoiced and knew the word of truth in this dream. This is why he resolved the dream for him favorably, since by that, he announced Joseph.

599) “He ties his foal to the vine,” since all the mighty ones of the idol worshipping nations surrendered under this vine, for by the power of this vine, the Nukva, their power was tied and yielded.

600) There is a vine and there is a vine. There is a high and holy vine, the Nukva, and there is the vine of Sodom, an evil Klipa [shell]. And there is also a foreign vine, the daughter of a strange god. This is why it writes, “This vine,” implying that it is the Nukva, who is called “This,” the one who is called, “Entirely a seed of truth,” as it is written, “Yet I planted you a choice vine, entirely a seed of truth.” The choice vine are Israel, who come out of this vine. When Israel sinned and left this vine, it is written, “For their vine is of the vine of Sodom.”

601) It is written, “She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.” The sentence of the wicked in Hell is twelve months—half in the heat of a blazing fire, and half in snow.

602) When they walk into the fire they say, “This must be Hell.” When they walk into the snow they say, “This is the great chill of the Creator’s winter.” In the beginning, they say, “Hurray,” since they are glad that they were rid of the Hell. But later, when they realize that it is a Hell of snow, they say, “Woe.”

David said, “He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, and He set my feet upon a rock.” From the place where “Hurray” is said first, and “Woe” next, the “miry” has the letters Vav-Hey Vav-Yod [in Hebrew]. Vav-Hey mean “Hurray” and Vav-Yod mean “Woe.”

603) When their souls are complemented in the Hell of snow, as it is written, “When the Almighty scattered the kings there, it was snowing in Zalmon,” they can think that Israel, too, are sentenced in snow. It is written about that, “She is not afraid of the snow for her household,” since “all her household are clothed with scarlet.” Do not call it “scarlet” with a Shin with Kamatz [Heb: Shanim], but Shnaim [two], with a Shin with a Shva, an open Nun, and a Yod with Hirik. In other words, circumcision and exposing, Tzitzit and Tefillin, Mezuzah and a Hanukah candle.

Thus, the quick to perform the Mitzvot [commandments] have twofold Mitzvot, since in the circumcision, they have circumcision and exposing; in the prayer, they have Tzitzit and Tefillin; and in their doorposts, they have the Mitzvot of Mezuzah and a Hanukah candle. For this reason, they do not fear the Hell of snow, which comes for laziness and idleness in the Mitzvot.

604) “She is not afraid of the snow for her household” is the assembly of Israel. “All her household are clothed with scarlet” is a clothing of harsh Din, to avenge the idol worshipping nations. The Creator is destined to wear a red garment and a red sword and to avenge Edom [red], Esau. The red garment is as it is written, “Garments of glowing colors.” A red sword is as is written, “The sword of the Lord is filled with blood.” To avenge Edom is as is written, “For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah.” We should also interpret, “For all her household are clothed with scarlet,” since the Nukva comes from a harsh Din, hence she does not fear snow, since snow is male Dinim, and Dinim de Nukva are opposite from the male Dinim and cancel it out.

605) “All her household are clothed with scarlet.” Scarlet are early years, the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, since she comprises all of them and sucks from all the sides, as it is written, “All the rivers go to the sea.” This is why she does not fear the Dinim, which are snow.

606) While they were walking, they met a child who was walking to Kaputkia behind a donkey, and an old man was riding it. The old man said to the child, “Son, tell me your verses.” The child told him, “I have many verses, not one, but either you come down or I will ride with you before you and will tell you.” The old man replied, “I am old and you are a child; I do not wish to equal myself to you.” The child told him, “Then why did you ask me for verses?” He told him, “So we would walk together on the way.” The child said, “Damned be that old man, who is riding and knows nothing, and says that he does not wish to equalize with me.” He parted from that old man and walked on his way.

607) The child approached them. They asked him and he told them the story. “You did well. Walk with us and we will sit here and hear a word from you.” He told them, “I am tired for I have not eaten today.” They took out bread and gave to him. A miracle happened to them and they found a little stream under a tree. He drank from them; they drank and sat.

Do Not Fret Because of Evildoers

608) That child started and said, “To David, do not fret because of evildoers.” It writes, “To David.” If this is a psalm, why is it not saying, “A psalm of David”? And if it is a prayer, why is it not saying, “A prayer of David”? Indeed, wherever it writes only David, the holy spirit said it.

609) “Do not fret because of evildoers.” Should it not have said, “Do not bond with evildoers”? Rather, do not create quarrel among evildoers because you do not know your own foundation, the incarnation of your own soul, and perhaps you will not be able to withstand it if it is a tree that is never uprooted, meaning a soul that never reincarnates, which is very strong, and then you will be repelled before it.

610) “And be not envious toward wrongdoers.” Do not look at their actions and you will not come to envy them. This is so because anyone who sees their actions and does not envy the glory of the Creator breaches three prohibitions: “You shall have no other gods before Me, You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any image,” and “You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God.”

611) For this reason, one must be rid of them and move away from them. This is why I parted and turned my way from him. Henceforth—now that I have found you—I will say these verses before you.

And he said, “And He called unto Moses.” In the word, “Called,” there is a small Aleph [in Hebrew], indicating that this calling was incomplete because it was only in the tabernacle—which is not a permanent place—and in another land, as there is wholeness only in the land of Israel.

A Small Aleph

612) He also said that in the calling to Moses, the small Aleph is Divinity, and in the words, “Adam, Seth, Enosh,” Adam is with a big Aleph, indicating the completeness of male and female together. When a small Aleph is written, it implies the Nukva only, Divinity.

Also, “And He called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying...” The tent of meeting is the Nukva. Thus, the speaking was only from the Nukva. This is why it is written with a small Aleph, since small letters indicate Nukva, regular ones, ZA, and big ones, Ima, or the wholeness of male and female together, which is only through Ima.

613) Also, it is like a king who sat on his throne with his crown on him. He is called “the High King.” And when he comes down and goes to his servant’s house he is called, “a small king.” So is the Creator. As long as He is above everything, he is called “a High King.” When he lowers his abode below, to the tabernacle, He is a king, but He is no longer as superior as before. This is why it is written with a small Aleph.

614) “And He called” means that He called him and summoned him to His palace from the tent of meeting. The tent of meeting is a tent on which the counting of the seasons, the holidays, and the Sabbath depend, as it is written, “And let them be for signs, and for seasons.” In it is the calculation of the counting. Also, she is the moon, the Nukva, and all the changes from regular days, seasons, holidays, and Sabbaths, come from changes in the stature of her Mochin. The Nukva is called “a tent.”

615) “Saying” means revealing what was hidden inside. Wherever it writes, “Saying,” it means that permission has been given to reveal. However, the disclosure is given into the hands of the moon, the Nukva, from the place where Moses, ZA, stands.

616) “And the Lord spoke” is above, Bina. “To Moses” is in the middle line, ZA, since Bina imparts to ZA, and “Saying” is the last one, the Nukva, who receives from ZA, the place where there is permission to reveal—the revealed world—since the Hochma appears only in her and not in the Sefira above her. Hence, the word, “Saying” relates to her, and implies revealing what was hidden inside, revealing what is hidden above her, which is considered internality with respect to the Nukva.

It is also written, “And they brought the tabernacle to Moses.” “To Moses,” since Moses saw it in the mountain, since the Creator showed him the vision, as it is written, “As it was shown to you in the mountain.” It is also written, “According to the vision that the Lord had shown Moses.” Hence, now they brought him the tabernacle, to see if it is like that other tabernacle that he saw.

617) However, why, “And they brought the tabernacle to Moses”? Why did Moses not go to the tabernacle? It is similar to a king who wished to build a palace for the queen. He commanded the craftsmen: “This palace in this place; that palace is in that place; a place for the bed, and a place for rest.” Once the craftsmen made it, they showed it to the king. Similarly, “And they brought the tabernacle to Moses,” the master of the house, the man of God. This is why Moses did not go to the tabernacle, but they brought the tabernacle to him.

When the palace was completed, the queen invited the king to the palace, meaning she invited her husband the king to be with her. This is why “And He called unto Moses” is with a small Aleph, the Nukva, since she called unto Moses, ZA, her husband, to be with her.

618) And because Moses, the master of the house, ZA, is the queen’s husband, it is written, “And Moses used to take the tent,” Nukva, “And pitch it outside the camp,” which no person is permitted to do.

619) “And the Lord spoke” is another degree, a high one, Bina, since “And He called” is the Nukva, “Unto Moses” is Tifferet, and “The Lord spoke” is Bina. Then, when Moses was summoned to come into the Nukva, Bina started and said, “When any man of you brings an offering,” since Bina is the one who speaks. What is “man” here? It would have been enough to say, “When one of you makes an offering” or “One who makes an offering.” However, when the sun and the moon conjoined, meaning TM, Bina started and said to them, “Man.” And then both of them were called “Man,” in singular form, as it is written, “The sun and the moon stood.” He does not say “stood” in plural form [in Hebrew], since the text speaks of a time when they are in a Zivug.

620) “When any man of you brings an offering unto the Lord.” Anyone who performs the work of making a complete offering will be a male and a female, meaning he will be married to a wife. This is the meaning of the words “Of you,” that it will be in your vision. In other words, Bina said to TM, which is Moses, who is called “a man.” “Brings an offering” means who will be an offering from among you, a male and female, like you. “An offering” means uniting as one above and below. This is why he first says, “An offering to the Lord,” unifying from below upwards, and then he says, “Your offering,” unifying from above downwards.

621) “You shall bring your offering of the cattle, of the herd, and of the flock.” “Of the cattle” is to show the unification of man and cattle. The offering to the Lord is man, the unification from below upwards. And from him it extends below, which is “Your offering of the cattle.” These two unifications shine together. “Of the herd and of the flock” are the pure Merkavot [chariots/assemblies]. When he says, “Of the cattle,” one might think this means any beast, pure or impure, hence he repeats and says, “Of the heard and of the flock.”

622) “You shall make your offering.” Should he not have said, “His offering”? However, first, there must be an offering to the Lord, and then your offering. “An offering to the Lord” is the unification called “man,” when Nukva must be raised for a Zivug from Chazeh de ZA and above, which is called Adam [man/Adam]. “Your offering of the cattle, of the herd, and of the flock” is to extend the illumination of the Zivug from the Chazeh and above to the lower ones from the Chazeh down, to show the unification from below upwards and from above downwards. From below upwards it is an offering to the Lord, and from above downwards it is your offering.

623) It is like a king who sits on the top of a very high mountain and the throne is set up on that mountain. The king who sits on the throne is superior to all. A man who offers a gift to the king should bring it up degree-by-degree until he raises it from below upwards to the place where the king sits, above everything, and then it becomes known that the gift is being raised for the king and that gift is the king’s. When a gift descends from above downwards, it is known that that gift of the king descends from above to the king’s loved one below.

624) Similarly, in the beginning, a person ascends in his degrees from below upwards, and then he is called “An offering to the Lord.” “Of the cattle, of the herd,” he descends in his degrees from above downwards and then he is called “Your offering.” This is why it is written, “I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk,” meaning man and an offering to the Lord, since the Creator says, “I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk.” “Eat, friends,” is “Of the cattle, of the herd, and of the flock,” and then make your offering.

He Ties His Foal to the Vine

626) That child started and said, “He ties his foal to the vine, and his donkey's colt to the choice vine.” It is written, “He ties his foal.” Should it not have said, “He ties a foal”? However, beginning students should beware of the arrow of the Klipa of a foal, and the holy Name, Koh, is included there, to subdue it, meaning the Yod of “I have tied” and the Hey of “His foal.”

627) As the holy Name is implied here, it is implied in the words, “And his donkey’s colt to the choice vine [Hebrew: Soreka].” Should it not have said “The Ben [colt, singular, “son of”] to the Sorek [“choice vine” without the suffix of Hey], as it is written, “Yet I have planted you a choice vine [Sorek],” without the Hey? Ben means a donkey’s colt, without the Yod. Why does he say Soreka and why Bnei [“sons of,” plural]?

628) Indeed, as there is the holy Name to subdue the Klipa of a foal, there is also the holy Name to subdue the force of the Klipa, the donkey, the mare, which is the Yod of the Bnei and the Hey of the Soreka. Were it not for the holy Name that is implied here, those two Klipot would have destroyed the world. Hence, Koh was given in this power and Koh was given in that power, to keep the world from them and to keep man, so they will not overtake the world.

629) The vine is the assembly of Israel. It is called “a vine” because as a vine does not take any other planting on itself, the assembly of Israel takes only the Creator on herself. And because of the assembly of Israel, all the other forces—donkey colt and donkey—surrender before her and cannot harm and rule over the world. Hence, the writing cast the holy Name, Koh, between them, in the donkey colt and in the donkey.

In the donkey colt, the Koh is written, “His foal” [an added Hey in Hebrew], “He ties his foal to the vine,” and in the donkey, it writes Koh—“And his donkey's colt to the choice vine” [with an added Hey in Hebrew]. “His donkey colt,” for he was uprooted for this choice vine, which is the assembly of Israel. He is not saying here, “He ties his donkey’s colt to the choice vine,” as is written, “He ties his foal to the vine.” It was written that his donkey’s colt was completely uprooted by the choice vine, and not just tied, as with the vine. This is so because tying is only for surrendering, while here the Klipa was completely uprooted.

630) “He washed his garments in wine, and his robes in the blood of grapes.” It should have said, “Is washing,” since “washed” is in past tense. However, “washed,” since the day the world was created. This is the Messiah King, the Nukva, where through the Din that is done to the wicked, they extend illumination of the left from above downwards. She would wash her clothing, which is the righteous who clothe the Nukva, who see the Dinim and improve their deeds.

It has been so since the day the world was created. This is why he says, “washed,” in past tense. “In wine” means left, Gevura de ZA. And “In the blood of grapes” means bottom left, the left of the Nukva. Through those two Gevurot, of ZA and of the Nukva, she washes her clothes. The Messiah King, Nukva, is destined to rule above over all the other forces of the idol worshipping nations, and to break their fort from above and from below.

631) “He washed his garments in wine,” like wine that indicates joy, as it is written, “Wine that delights God and people,” and it is all Din. So is the Messiah King, the Nukva, who shows Israel joy, meaning that they extend it by the measure of Kedusha [holiness], and it is all Din to the idol worshipping nations, who extend more than the measure. It is written, “And the spirit of God hovered over the face of the water.” This is the spirit of the Messiah King, which hovers to and fro, to Din and to Rachamim, and since the day the world was created, he washes his garments in the upper wine.

632) Subsequently, it writes, “His eyes are red from wine, and his teeth white from milk.” “Eyes are red from wine” refers to the upper wine, the illumination of the left from Bina. When the Torah, Nukva, intoxicates, meaning gives Dinim to those who extend it from above downwards, she drinks from it. This is why Bina is considered to have Dinim awakening from her. “Teeth white from milk” is the written Torah, ZA, which receives Hassadim, milk, since the Torah is called “wine” and “milk.” The written Torah, ZA, is milk, and the oral Torah, Nukva, is wine. Wine is received from Bina; milk is received from Aba.

633) It is written, “And wine which makes man's heart glad, to make a face glisten with oil,” from a place called “oil,” Aba. The beginning of the wine is gladness, the place from which all joys emerge, Bina. Its end is that it spreads to the Nukva, Din, since its end is the place of the gathering of all the Sefirot, the Nukva, for which she is called “the assembly of Israel,” the place of the gathering of ZA, Din, and the world is judged in it.

The Din in the Nukva is the reason for all the Sefirot de ZA to gather in her, since because of that she is thirsty for Hassadim. Hence, since the beginning of the wine is gladness and its end is Din, hence, “To make a face glisten with oil,” from the place from which all the joys emerge. To extend the joy in wine, as it was in Bina, she extends Hassadim from Aba, who is called “oil.” By that, all the Dinim in her are cancelled and she obtains GAR, which are called Panim [face], as it is written, “To make a face glisten with oil.”

634) “And bread will sustain man's heart.” The bread that he says here is bread that nourishes the world, the Hassadim that extend from HGT de ZA. If you say that the sustenance of the world depends on this alone, it is not so, for wine is needed too, meaning illumination of Hochma because there is no night without a day, but day, ZA, and night, Nukva, must be conjoined. Hence, there is a need for bread from ZA and for wine from Nukva, for both of them together nourish the world.

There is no need to separate them and extend only bread from ZA, without the Nukva. One who separates them will part from life, as it is written, “To make you know that man does not live by bread alone,” for they must not be separated.

635) However, David said, “And bread will sustain man’s heart.” There is an added Vav [“and”] in the bread, as in “And the Lord.” The added Vav multiplies the Nukva, since wherever it writes, “And the Lord,” it means He and His courthouse, the Nukva. Here, too, the Vav in the word “And bread” multiplies the Nukva, hence everything is together in a Zivug.

636) He who blesses for the food will not bless on an empty table. The bread—the abundance from ZA, right—must be on the table, which is the Nukva, left. A cup of wine—the abundance of Nukva—is on the right, which indicates ZA, to connect the left with the right, so they will be included together, and the bread, right, will be blessed by them from the Zivug with the left and will connect them, making all one tie, properly blessing the holy Name. Bread, which is right, from ZA, was tied to the wine from the left, from Nukva. And wine, from the left, will tie to the right, in the right hand, indicating ZA. By that, Hochma is mingled with Hassadim and Hassadim with Hochma, and then there are blessings in the world and the table, the Nukva, is properly completed.

Out of the Eater, Out Came Food

640) “From the eater, out came food; and from the strong, out came sweet.” “From the eater” means “of the righteous,” as it is written, “The righteous eats to satiate his soul.” A righteous is Yesod. Food is the abundance from all the Sefirot of ZA. “To satiate his soul” means to satiate that place which is called “the soul of David,” Nukva. “From the eater, out came food,” for without that righteous, no nourishments would come to the world, and the world, Nukva, would not be able to exist. “And from the strong, out came sweet” is Isaac, who blessed Jacob, as it is written, “Of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth.”

641) Although all the Sefirot are one, were it not for the harsh Din in the left of ZA, no honey would come out, meaning abundance of illumination of the left in the Nukva, which is received from the left of ZA. Honey is the oral Torah, Nukva, of whom it is written, “Sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.” Accordingly, “From the strong” is the written Torah, as it is written, “The Lord will give strength to His people,” referring to ZA. “Out came sweet” is the oral Torah, the Nukva, in whom there is the honey.

642) The Creator is with those who follow the Torah, inherit it, they and their sons forever, as it is written, “And I, this is My covenant.”

643) “Zebulun will dwell by the shore of the seas; and he is at the shore of the ships, and his flank shall be toward Tyre.” It is written, “Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One, in Your splendor and Your majesty!” Is it splendid and majestic to gird oneself with weapons and to be armed with them? After all, one who engages in Torah and fights the war of Torah, and equips himself with that, this is the praise.

644) However, the Creator gave the sign of the covenant of holiness and inscribed it primarily in people, for them to keep it and not to blemish the inscription of the king. And one who blemishes it, the sword of the vengeance of the covenant stands against him, to avenge the vengeance of the covenant of holiness in which he was inscribed and which he blemished.

645) One who wishes to keep the covenant of holiness should arm himself and correct himself, and place it before him, so that the evil inclination will attack it—that sword that is on the thigh—to avenge the one who blemishes the place called “thigh.” This is the meaning of “Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One.” “Mighty One” is one who defeats the evil inclination, “Your splendor and Your majesty.”

646) “Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One.” One who sets out to the road should correct himself with a prayer to his Master and arm himself with justice, Malchut, the high sword, with prayers and litanies before he sets out, as it is written, “Righteousness will go before Him and will set out to the road.”

647) Zebulun always went out to roads, to Man’ula [lock], and to ways, Miftacha [key]. He fought wars and armed himself with the high sword—the Nukva in the form of the Dinim in her illumination of the left—with prayers and litanies, before he set out to the road, and then he defeated the peoples and overcame them. But Judah was established in this sword, to hold wars and corrections, since he is Malchut, so why Zebulun? All twelve tribes are the correction of Malchut, and Zebulun, too, is considered Malchut.

Two Corrections of the Females

648) Solomon said two corrections of the Nukvas [plural of Nukva] in Song of Songs, one for the upper shepherd, Yovel, Bina, and one for the bride, the year of Shmita [remission], the Nukva. One correction above, in Bina, and one correction below, in Nukva. The act of creation, too, is in these two places, for in each there was one Assiya above, in Bina, and one Assiya below, in Nukva.

This is the reason why the Torah begins with the letter Bet, which implies to these two females. Assiya below is completely similar to Assiya above. Aba made the upper world, Bina, and ZA made the lower world, the Nukva. The two corrections of the females that Solomon said are above and below—in the upper correction of the holy Name, Bina, and below in the correction of the lower one, Nukva, like the correction of the upper one, in Bina. This means that he extended all the corrections that he made in the upper Nukva into the lower Nukva, by which she was complemented and became the lower Nukva, Malchut, like the upper Nukva, Bina.

649) Happy is the holy Jacob, who was rewarded with it. Since the day the world was created, no bed was as whole as Jacob’s bed. Nukva is a bed whose wholeness is to receive all the corrections in the upper Nukva. This is completed in the twelve tribes of Jacob, since in the twelfth correction, the lower Nukva was made as whole as the upper Nukva.

When he wanted to depart from the world, he was whole on all his sides. Abraham, Hesed, is on his right. Isaac, Gevura, is on his left. He, Tifferet, is in the middle. Divinity was before him, the completion of the four legs of the upper throne, for each of these HG TM consists of three, and they are twelve, with Bina atop them.

When Jacob saw it, he called his sons and said, “Be gathered,” so there will be correction above and below, for his twelve sons were the correction of the bottom Nukva, like Jacob’s twelve for the upper Nukva. Thus, now the two thrones have been completed—the upper and the lower.

650) There are two corrections there, upper and lower, so that everything will be complete, so the Nukva will be as whole as Bina. The correction of the upper one is hidden and revealed because it is a correction of Yovel, Bina, which Solomon said in Song of Songs. The Rosh, GAR de ZA, is hidden and was not revealed, nor should it be revealed, since Rosh de ZA was erected in HBD. The arms and the body, HGT, are the ones who were disclosed. The thighs, NH, are concealed and are not revealed because the prophecy, the abundance of NH, is present only in the land of Israel, the Nukva. This means that their abundance appears in the Nukva, illumination of Hochma, which belongs to her and not to ZA, and this correction is hidden and revealed.

The upper correction of Bina is through the correction of the four legs of the throne, HG TM de ZA from the Chazeh and above, where each was divided into the three lines, and they are twelve. Why are only the four Sefirot HG TM from Chazeh de ZA and above counted? It is because GAR, HBD de ZA, are concealed, and NH from the Chazeh and below are concealed, as well, since all their illumination is Hochma, and she is not in ZA because only Hassadim illuminate in ZA. For this reason, we calculate only HGT in ZA, along with the Malchut that is connected in them. This correction is hidden, meaning that there is no Hochma in it. However, it is still revealed, since the Hassadim extend from the pure air in upper AVI, who are more important than Hochma.

651) A correction after the lower one is the correction of the bride, Nukva, which Solomon said in the Song of Songs. It appeared more because here illumination of Hochma is shining, meaning the correction in the twelve tribes below her and the correction of her Guf, the four Sefirot HG NH, in each of which are three ties, hence they are twelve. And the Nukva, the Tifferet in them, is atop them.

Corrects in Twelve in Two Worlds

652) “And he made the sea.” “It stood on twelve oxen.” This sea is established in twelve in two worlds: in the upper world, Bina, and in the lower world, Nukva. In the twelve above, the appointed Merkavot [chariots/assemblies] above, HG TM above Chazeh de ZA, each consists of three, hence they are twelve, and Bina rides them from above. For this reason, HG TM are called Merkavot. In the twelve below, the twelve tribes, HG NH de Nukva, each consists of three, hence they are twelve, and the Nukva, the Tifferet in her, rides them.

When Jacob saw the upper correction, HGT, and saw Divinity standing in front of him, Malchut—the four legs of the upper throne—he wished to complete the correction. He called his twelve sons and told them, “Be gathered, brace yourselves to complement the faith,” Nukva, meaning they should correct themselves in the correction of the twelve of Nukva, and Nukva will be as complete as the Nukva above, Bina, and the correction will be complete.

653) Three turn to the north, three turn to the west, three turn to the south, and three turn to the east, and the sea is over them. The twelve tribes are in four banners in four directions, three tribes to each side in the four directions of the world. Three tribes are to the right arm, Hesed, three tribes to the left arm, Gevura, three tribes to the right thigh, Netzah, and three tribes to the left thigh, Hod. The body of Divinity, her Tifferet, is over them, as was written, “And the sea is over them.”

654) What is the reason that there are three tribes per arm and three tribes for all of them, as well? There are three ties in the right arm in the lower body—three on the left one, three on the right thigh, three on the left thigh, and there are twelve, connected to the body, as above. There are twelve tribes, HG NH of the Nukva, with three ties in each, hence they are twelve. The body of the Nukva, her Tifferet, is connected with them from above, as it is written, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them.” Nukva is called “this,” since the count is completed with her, as it was written, “And the sea is over them from above,” referring to the Nukva. Thus, the twelve tribes are connected to the body of the Nukva atop them.

655) HGT NHYM de Rosh of the Nukva are the seven eyes of the congregation, as it is written, “The seven eyes of the Lord.” And since they are Mochin de Hochma, they are called Eynaim [eyes]. They are seventy Sanhedrin, as each of these HGT NHYM consists of ten Sefirot, hence they are seventy. The Se’arot [hairs] that extend from this Rosh are as it is written, “The total of the numbered men of the camp of Judah: 186,400, by their armies,” and as it is written, “The total of the numbered men of the camp of Reuben,” and so on for all of them. All these numbers are considered Se’arot of the Nukva.

656) In Egypt, at the time when Jacob departed from the world, when wholeness was present at that time, where were all those numbered of the camps, the Se’arot of Nukva? If they were not there, Nukva would be lacking in her completeness, which are the Se’arot. They were certainly seventy souls when they came to Egypt, corresponding to the Mochin of the seventy Sanhedrin. And all those that they begot during the seventeen years that Jacob lived in the land of Egypt were too numerous to count, as it is written, “And the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty.” They were considered the Se’arot of the Nukva, and they were present at the time of Jacob’s departure from the world. For this reason, none of the wholeness was lacking. Happy is the complete Jacob, who was completed above and below.

658) The upper correction in Bina is all one. There was no separation in it, as in the correction of the lower one, in Nukva. It was written about the Nukva, “And from there it parted and became four heads.” This is so because there is separation in the Nukva. And even though there is separation in her, when observing the matters, it all comes out as one, since the separation in her, too, is corrected through the correction of the twelve, and then she, too, is all one. But Bina—in whom there never was separation—does not require the correction of the twelve to correct her.

659) However, the correction of the upper one, the Yovel, Bina, stands on twelve, as well, like the lower one, the Nukva. And although he is one and there was never any separation in him, this one complements each side: the one in the Sefirot of the right side complements the left side, and the one in the Sefirot on the left side complements the right side. It follows that those upper VAK, HGT NHY in Bina, are twelve, since each of the HGT NHY lends of its lights to the other and is mingled with the other’s lights, hence they are twelve, and the body of Bina is over them.

The lending means that once the right, Hassadim, was complemented by the inclusion of the Hochma on the left, it returns its illumination to it and remains in the light of Hassadim. Also, the left returns the Hassadim to the right, once it is complemented by them and remains in Hochma. It follows that their giving to each other is only a lending, to be returned.

This is why it stands on twelve, and even Bina, since the six Sefirot, HGT NHY, in her are included in one another. There is HGT NHY on the right side, and HGT NHY on the left side, and not due to the correction of the separation, as in the Nukva. The body is Jacob, Tifferet, and not Bina, which is Rosh [head] and not Guf [body]. But how can it be that Bina, which is above the twelve, is the Guf? In truth, the Rosh and Guf stand together, included in one another, hence there is Tifferet in the Rosh in Bina, too.

660) There are three ties in the right arm, which is Hesed Hassadim, meaning that all three are Hesed, three ties in the left arm, Gevura Gevurot, meaning three Gevurot, three ties in the right thigh, Netzah Netzahim, meaning three Netzahim, and three ties in the left thigh, Hod Hodot. Thus, together they are twelve, and the Guf, Tifferet, stands over them, thus thirteen. This is so because the Torah is elucidated in thirteen qualities, thirteen qualities of Rachamim that extend from the thirteen corrections of Dikna de AA. And it is all one, for there is no separation there. They extend from above downwards in unification, from the thirteen corrections of Dikna de AA, from there to the thirteen of Bina, from there to the thirteen of ZA, and up to the place that stands on the separation, the Nukva.

661) Seven upper eyes are the seven Sefirot HGT NHYM de Mochin de Hochma, as it is written, “The eyes of the Lord are wandering.” They are males of ZA, since it is the place of the male. When it writes, “The eyes of the Lord are wandering,” they are in corrections of Divinity below, the place of the Nukva. The seven upper eyes, whether of the male or of the female, correspond to the words, “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness.” This is Hesed and Gevura, Tifferet, Netzah, and Hod, since “All that is in the heaven and in the earth” is Yesod, “Yours is the kingdom” is Malchut, which complements each edge of the VAK, HGT NHY.

662) The Se’arot in ZON are Gevurot, as it is written, “Who can speak of the mighty deeds of the Lord.” Although the Se’arot are Gevurot, Hassadim still extend through them. They are innumerable, and it is written about them, “The mercies of the Lord have not ceased.” These corrections rise to another place, to Mochin that cannot be counted.

And even though in the Mochin in the calculation—which are the seven eyes of the Creator—more was said about it, it rose in weight, meaning in the middle line, which decides between the two ends of the scales, right and left, in the upper one, Bina, and in the lower one, Nukva. And King Solomon clarified those two females in Song of Songs. But Mochin de Se’arot do not require interpretation, since there is no number. Hence, both are needed, for by these two kinds of Mochin, wholeness comes. Happy are the righteous, who know the ways of the Creator, and in the Mochin of the number, everything appears to those who know the ways of judgment and sentence.

Zebulun Will Dwell by the shore of the seas

663) Zebulun and Issachar made a condition between them: Issachar will sit and contemplate the Torah, and Zebulun will go out and engage in trade and will support Issachar, as it is written, “They who support it are happy.” He would travel by sea and trade, and so was his share, for the sea was his inheritance.

664) This is why he calls him, “thigh,” as it is written, “And his flank shall be toward Tyre” [“flank” and “thigh” contain the same letters]. This is so because it is the custom of a thigh to come and go, as it is written, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth, and Issachar, in your tents.”

“Zebulun will dwell by the shore of the seas,” by those sea goers, to trade. Although only the great sea was in his inheritance, it still writes, “seas,” since he was between two seas—the great sea and the Sea of Galilee—although his inheritance did not stretch as far as the Sea of Galilee.

665) All the traders of the rest of the seas were wooing merchandise in his sea. This is why it writes, “By the shore of the seas,” in plural form. “And his flank shall be toward Tyre.” But the boundary of Tyre was far from the boundary of Zebulun? His thigh reaches the boundary of Tyre, a narrow streak of land, like a thigh, extended from the part of Zebulun and stretched through the boundary of Tyre. Thus, the boundary of Zebulun stretched through the boundary of Tyre. And there was the place of trading, since all the traders come and go to that place with their merchandise.

666) It is written, “Neither shall you lack the salt of the covenant of your God from your offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.” Why is salt so important? It is because it cleanses and perfumes the bitter, and makes it tasty. Salt is Dinim in the Masach de Hirik, on which the middle line emerges, which unites the right with the left. It cleanses, perfumes, and sweetens the Dinim of the left, which are bitter, with the Hassadim on the right line. Had there not been salt, the middle line would not have been extended and the world would not have been able to tolerate the bitterness, as it is written, “For when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.”

It is the law of Tifferet—the middle line from the Chazeh upwards—that the Dinim in the Masach in it are called “salt.” Justice is the bitter Dinim in Malchut, and when the law, which is salt, is to the earth, the Nukva, they “learn righteousness,” so they can accept the bitterness of justice. It is also written, “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne,” where righteousness is complemented through the justice, the salt.

667) Salt is a covenant, Yesod, middle line, from the Chazeh down, on which the world (Nukva) persists, as it is written, “If My covenant for day and night stands not, I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth.” And because the middle line, Yesod, emerges on it, the salt is called “the covenant of your God,” since Yesod is the covenant, and we call it the Sea of Salt [a.k.a. The Dead Sea], where the sea, the Nukva, is named after the salt that sweetens it.

668) It is written, “For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness.” This is the salt, which is Yesod, at sea, which is Malchut. Righteous is Yesod; righteousness is Malchut, and one who separates them brings death upon himself. This is why it is written, “Neither shall you lack the salt of the covenant of your God from your offering,” so you will not separate the Yesod, which is salt, from the offering, the Nukva. One does not go without the other.

669) The sea is one, and it is called “seas” in the text. “Zebulun will dwell by the shore of the seas” because there is a place in the sea that is pure water, there is a place of sweet [a.k.a. fresh] water, and there is a place where there is bitter water. And because there are different places, it is called “seas.” This is why it is written, “By the shore of the seas.”

Each tribe, each one is a tie from among those ties that connect to the body of the Nukva. For this reason, there are different places in the Nukva, who is called “sea,” according to the tribe that is related to there. For this reason, the Nukva is called “seas,” in plural form.

672) It is written about Rahab, “Give me a true token and spare my father and my mother.” She wanted the sign of life, as it is written, “And spare my father and my mother.” She said that the sign of life is found only in a true token, which is the letter Vav of HaVaYaH, Tifferet, since in it is life. She wanted the sign of Moses, Tifferet, so why did they give her the hope of a scarlet thread, as it is written, “Bind this hope of scarlet thread,” which is a sign of Joshua, Malchut?

673) They said, “Since Moses passed away from the world because the sun had set,” meaning Tifferet, Moses, “Had set, it is time for the moon to rule. For this reason, the sign of the moon,” Malchut, the hope of the scarlet thread, the sign of Joshua, Malchut, “Will be with you, since now it is the governance of the moon.”

674) All of Jacob’s sons were twelve tribes, and they were set up below the same as above, as twelve ties in the HG NH of Nukva. And why did he always precede Zebulun to the blessings before Issachar? After all, Issachar was the one engaging in Torah, and the Torah is first in every place, in every thing, so why did he put Zebulun first in the blessings?

675) Zebulun was rewarded with preceding Issachar in the blessings because he took bread out of his mouth and gave it to Issachar’s mouth. Thus, one who provides for one with Torah receives blessings from above and from below. Moreover, he is rewarded with two tables, with which no other person is rewarded. He is rewarded with wealth—blessed in this world—and with having a share in the next world.

It is written about it, “Zebulun will dwell by the shore of the seas, and he is at the shore of the ships.” Since it is written, “By the shore of the seas,” why does it also write, “The shore of the ships”? “By the shore of the seas” is in this world; “At the shore of the ships” is in the next world, as it is written, “There the ships go,” said about the great and broad sea, Bina, the next world, for there is the abundance of the next world.

I Have Adjured, You, O Daughters of Jerusalem

676) “I have adjured, you, o daughters of Jerusalem.” If you find my beloved, what will you tell him? That I am lovesick. Who is closer to the King than the assembly of Israel, the Nukva? She tells them, “If you find my beloved, what will you tell him?” The daughters of Jerusalem are the souls of the righteous, who are always close to the King and alert the King each day of the well-being of the queen, the Nukva.

677) When the soul comes down to the world, the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, comes to her with an oath that she would tell the King and notify Him of her love for Him, to appease Him.

ZA is the right line and Nukva is the left line. The two lines, right and left, are in dispute. And as ZON rise for MAN to the two lines of Bina, YESHSUT, and make peace between them in the middle line that comes out on the Masach de Hirik, the souls of the righteous rise for MAN to ZA and to Nukva, and become a middle line for them, making peace between them. This is why it was said that the Nukva adjures the souls to tell and to alert the King, ZA, of her love, to appease him, so they will raise MAN and become a middle line that makes peace between the two lines, right and left, ZA and Nukva.

678) How do the souls alert the love of the Nukva to the King? It is man’s obligation to unite the holy Name, Nukva, with ZA, in mouth, heart, and soul, and to connect wholly in ZON, to raise MAN to them as a flame tied to an ember. And in that unification that it does, it causes the King to be appeased about the queen and alerts the King of her love for Him. By the ascent of the soul for MAN to ZA, she becomes a middle line between them, makes peace, and unites them with each other.

679) The daughters of Jerusalem are the twelve tribes, the twelve connections in HG and NH, on which the body of the Nukva stands. Jerusalem, the Nukva, stands on twelve mountains, and one who says, “On seven,” is not on the side of wholeness. And even though all is one, there are seven Behinot [discernments] HGT NHYM in her, and there are four Behinot HG TM in her. And there are twelve Behinot in her, the twelve ties, and it is all one. However, they are specific degrees in her, while the twelve is the wholeness.

680) Jerusalem stands on twelve mountains, three to one side, three to the other side, and so on through the four angles. In other words, they are three ties in Hesed, three ties in Gevura, three ties in Netzah, and three ties in Hod, and the body of the Nukva is atop them. And then they are called Haya [animal] as it is written, “This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel.” They are called “Daughters of Jerusalem” because Jerusalem, the Nukva, stands atop them, and they testify to the love of the assembly of Israel before the King.

She tells them, “If you find my beloved, what will you tell him? That I am lovesick.” It is written, “The tribes of the Lord, as a testimony unto Israel.” It is said, “A testimony unto Israel,” meaning ZA, about the love of the Nukva. Happy are Israel, who know the ways of the Creator.

Issachar Is a Strong-Boned Donkey

681) “Issachar is a strong-boned donkey, lying down between the systems.” If he is called “a donkey” because he engaged in Torah, why should he not be called “a horse,” “a lion,” or “a leopard”? It is because the donkey takes a load upon itself and does not kick its master like the rest of the beasts; it is not arrogant and does not need to lay in a fixed up place.

Issachar, too, whose engagement is in the Torah, assumes the load of the Torah and does not kick the Creator; there is no arrogance in him, as a donkey that does not care for its own honor, but for the honor of its master. Hence, he is “Lying down between the systems,” as it is written, “And you shall sleep on the ground, live a sorrowful life, and toil in the Torah.”

682) It is written, “To David. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” How lovely are words of Torah? How lovely are those who engage in Torah before the Creator? Anyone who engages in Torah is not afraid of harm-doers in the world; he is kept above and kept below. Moreover, he subdues all the harm-doers in the world and brings them down to the great abyss.

683) When the night comes, the doors above close and dogs and donkeys are present in the world and roam it. Then, permission is given to harm-doers to destroy, and all the people of the world sleep in their beds, and the souls of the righteous rise and delight themselves above. When the north wind awakens and the night is halved, Kedusha [holiness] awakens in the world.

684) Happy is that man who rose from his bed at that time and engaged in Torah. When he opens the Torah, he puts all those evil harm-doers in the holes of the great abyss and subdues the Klipa of the donkey, bringing it down through the rifts below the dust, in the filth of the waste and refuse that is gathered there.

685) For this reason, Issachar—whose engagement was in the Torah—subdued the Klipa of the donkey and brought it down. And what was the donkey? A staircase, as it is written, “A strong-boned donkey” [“strong-boned” and “case” are written the same in Hebrew]. He would rise to harm the world, and now there is his dwelling place, between the systems, in the garbage, in the filth of the rifts of the dust. Through his engagement in the Torah, Issachar lowered the Klipa of the strong-boned donkey and made him lie down between the systems, meaning he lowered him to the rifts in the ground, in the garbage that is there.

686) “He saw that rest was good” is the written Torah, and “The land was pleasant” is the oral Torah.

“He bowed his shoulder to bear burdens,” to bear the burden of Torah and to cling to it day and night.

“And became a slave at forced labor,” a servant of the Creator, cleaving unto Him and weakening himself due to all his engagement in the Torah.

687) Anyone who knows how to engage in Torah and does not engage risks his soul. Moreover, he is placed under a burden of manners and evil enslavement, enslavement of the kingship, as written about Issachar. “And he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens.”

“He bowed.” “Bowed” means what is written, “Turned aside after greed,” meaning he strayed from the right path. One who strays from the path, to not bear the burden of Torah, immediately becomes “A slave at forced labor,” falling under the burden of manners and enslavement of the kingship. “And he saw that rest was good” means that he saw that it was good to take upon himself the burden of Torah. Moreover, “He bowed his shoulder to bear the burden,” meaning bowing himself, to not suffer. Promptly, “And became a slave at forced labor,” meaning he was placed under the burden of manners and the enslavement of the kingship.

688) Happy are the people in the world who engage in Torah, because anyone who engages in Torah is loved above and loved below, and each day he inherits the inheritance of the next world, as it is written, “To endow those who love me with substance.” The substance is the next world, Bina, whose waters, his abundance, never stops, since one who engages in Torah receives a good high reward, with which another person is not rewarded, meaning the substance, Bina. For this reason, this name, Issachar, who engaged in Torah, implies that Yesh Sachar [there is reward], and the reward of those who engage in Torah is substance, Bina.

689) It is written, “I was seeing until the thrones fell down.” When the Temple was ruined, two thrones fell: two thrones above and two thrones below. The two thrones above are the throne of Jacob, ZA, and the throne of David, Malchut. And since the lower throne parted from the upper throne, meaning that Jacob’s throne parted from David’s throne, David’s throne fell, as it is written, “He has cast from heaven to earth.”

And the two thrones below are Jerusalem and they who engage in Torah. The thrones below are like the thrones above because they who engage in Torah are the throne of Jacob, ZA. Jerusalem is the throne of David, Malchut. It follows that two thrones fell, the throne of David above, the Nukva, and the throne of Jerusalem below. This is why it is written, “Until the thrones,” in plural form, since many thrones fell, and fell because of the affront of Torah.

ZON divide at the Chazeh. Above the Chazeh are two thrones above, and below the Chazeh are two thrones below. The two thrones that fell are the Nukva above the Chazeh and the Nukva below the Chazeh.

690) When true righteous engage in Torah, all the forces of the rest of the nations and the rest of the armies, and all the forces and their armies surrender and do not rule in the world. Israel are destined to the nations of the world, and the nations of the world invite Israel, to raise them to being the head of all the nations. This is the meaning of Issachar, Yesh Sachar [Hebrew: “there is reward”]. If not, the Klipa of the donkey will cause Israel to go in exile and to fall among the nations, meaning that they will govern them. This is so because “And he saw that rest was good,” meaning he saw the Torah, that it was good and corrected before him and he could be rewarded by it with several benefits and several lovely and precious things. Thus, he deflected his path to not bear the burden of Torah, and for this, he “Became a slave at forced labor” in exile.

691) It is written, “The mandrakes have given forth fragrance.” These are the mandrakes that Reuben found, as it is written, “Reuben went and found mandrakes in the field.” There are no new words of Torah in Israel except through him, as it is written, “Of the sons of Issachar, men who know the understanding of the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do.”

The twelve tribes are twelve ties in the two arms, HG, and the two thighs, NH, in illumination of three lines, each of the four Behinot [discernments], HB TM, which are HG and NH in the Nukva. Hence, it is considered that there are three ties in each of the HG NH, and they are twelve.

With respect to the four banners, Judah and Reuben are the two arms, HG, and Ephraim and Dan are two thighs NH. The three ties in the left arm, Judah, are Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the illumination of the three lines in the left arm. Judah is the first tie, from the right line. Issachar is the second tie, from the left line, and Zebulun is the third tie, from the middle line. Issachar is from the left line, in which there is illumination of Hochma. And since the Hochma does not shine without Hassadim, it is considered that he does not have nourishments by which to persist. Zebulun, from the middle line, which comes out on the Masach de Hirik and extends Hassadim, clothing the Hochma of the left line, goes far away to trade, to extend nourishments so Issachar may persist.

“The mandrakes have given forth fragrance” is the illumination of Hochma in the left line, Issachar, the second tie in the left arm. It is said that innovations in the Torah are made in Israel only by him because innovations in the Torah are illumination of Hochma, and are only in the left line, Issachar, as it is written, “Of the sons of Issachar, men who know the understanding of the times.” It is written, “Who know the understanding [Bina],” and not know the wisdom [Hochma], since Hochma on the left line is not real Hochma, but Bina that returned to being Hochma. This is so because real Hochma is only on the right line. However, this Hochma was hidden, and only the Hochma on the left line shines, whose source is only Bina.

692) “And over our doors are all choice fruits, both new and old.” The sons of Issachar caused the choice fruits to be on our doors, the doors of synagogues and seminaries. “Both new and old” means that several words of Torah, new and old, are revealed through the sons of Issachar, to bring Israel near their Father in heaven, as it is written, “With knowledge of what Israel should do.”

693) “I have saved up for you, my beloved.” Anyone who properly engages in Torah and knows how to properly delight matters and renew matters, those matters rise up to the throne of the King, the Nukva, who is the throne to ZA, and the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, opens gates for them and hides them. When the Creator enters the Garden of Eden to play with the righteous at midnight, she brings out those innovations in the Torah before Him, and the Creator looks at them and He is glad. At that time, the Creator crowns Himself with the high crowns and delights with the queen, the Nukva, as it is written, “Both new and old, which I have saved up for you, my beloved.”

She says it at midnight, when she takes out the innovations of Torah before the Creator, and from that time forth, the words of the innovator and the one who delights words of Torah are written in the high book, as it is written, “And a book of remembrance shall be written before Him.”

694) Happy is one who engages in the Torah properly, happy is he in this world and happy is he in the next world. Thus far, the government of Judah, a seed that was included in everything. The three lines, by the force of all the sides—south, north, east—meaning the three ties in the arm, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun together, are as banners. Judah is the illumination of the right line; Issachar is the left line, and Zebulun is the middle line, so Judah will prevail over the entire Sitra Achra.

Dan Shall Judge His People

696) “Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.” Dan, as it is written, is the last of all the camps, the left thigh, Hod. He walks last because Judah and Reuben journey, the Levites and the ark set up banners, and the banner of Ephraim journeys to the west. The right thigh journeys according to the order that the right thigh comes before the left thigh, Dan. Thus, Dan journeys last. Zebulun comes in and out, as it is written, “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going forth.” Zebulun is the thigh, and not Ephraim. Judah, however, was mingled with all of them. Because Zebulun is included in the banner of Judah, he has no measure of his own but is included in Judah, the head of the banner. Only Ephraim, the head of the banner, has a measure of his own—the right thigh, Netzah.

697) Explaining the order of the four banners: Malchut above is the Nukva de ZA. She consists of all twelve ties. Judah is the lower Malchut. As the upper Malchut is mingled in everything, the lower Malchut, Judah, includes everything, a body and a thigh, meaning Tifferet and the twelve ties in the arms and thighs, to prevail in his strength.

698) It is written, “On his right was a fiery law. The Torah was given from the side of Gevura, fire. However, Gevura is included in the right, Hesed, in the Guf, Tifferet, and in the thigh, NH, and in all the Sefirot. Similarly, the first order of the journeying of the banners is Judah, meaning Malchut that comes from the side of Gevura but is included in the right in body and thigh, and mingled with all the Sefirot, similar to the Malchut above, Nukva de ZA, which was included in all the Sefirot.

699) The second order of the banners is Reuben, who is to the south, right, Hesed. However, Judah took all of Reuben’s power of the right because the kingship was taken from Reuben, and Judah increased in the power of the right, which was from Reuben. It is also written about David that he is from Judah, “The Lord says to my Lord, ‘Sit on my right,’” since the left is included in the right and is empowered by its strength, as it is written, “The right arm of the Lord does valiantly.” For this reason, Judah took all of Reuben’s power of the right and hence journeyed first. Judah and Reuben are two arms. Reuben is the right arm and Judah is the left arm.

700) The third order for the banners is Ephraim, the right thigh, Netzah, which always travels before the left thigh. Dan is the left thigh, Hod, and travels last. For this reason, he is the last among all the camps and their armies, and he walks last.

701) Judah took part in the two arms, HG, since Reuben, the right arm, had lost the birthright, the priesthood, and the kingship. This is why it is written about Judah, “His hands will contend for him,” meaning the two hands, HG.

702) It is written, “And King Solomon made a great throne of ivory.” He made Solomon’s throne as above: all the shapes of above—lion, ox, eagle, and man—he made here. Thus, Malchut below, Solomon, which comes from Judah, mingled with all the Sefirot, is as the upper Malchut, as it is written, “And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king.” “King” is an unclear word. It is not necessarily referring to Solomon, but refers to the upper Malchut. This is why it is written, “And Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord,” like a king, the upper Malchut, included in all the Sefirot, like her. It is also written, “And Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established firmly.” The words, “His kingdom,” relate to the upper Malchut [kingship], when the moon, upper Malchut, is in her full. Here, too, Melech [king] refers to the upper Malchut.

703) In the beginning it writes, “Dan shall judge his people,” and then it writes, “As one of the tribes of Israel.” “As one” means as the Unique one in the world, who judges alone, like the Unique one in the world, as it was with Samson, who performed Din [judgment] in the world alone, judging and killing together, and without needing help.

704) Dan is a serpent that lurks on roads and trails. Above, it is the small serpent behind all the camps, at the end of all the degrees of Kedusha, lurking on roads and trails. Afterwards, armies and camps of saboteurs come out of here, lurking for people to punish them for the sins that they cast behind their shoulders, which they do not sense and say, “We did not sin.” He is the primordial serpent above, before he was sweetened in the wine that delights.

There are two kinds of Dinim [judgments] from the two points: Man’ula [lock] and Miftacha [key]. The root of the Dinim in Bina is called Miftacha, and the root of the Dinim in Malchut is called Man’ula. Two serpents extend from them: the great serpent from the Miftacha, and the small serpent from the Man’ula. Dan—part of the Malchut, of the twelve ties in her end—is in the left thigh, Hod, and the power of the small serpent is placed in him, to subdue the Sitra Achra, as it is written, “Which bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.” Also, there are roads and trails that extend from the Miftacha and which are called “roads,” and those that extend from the Man’ula are called “trails.”

“Dan is a serpent that lurks on roads and trails,” since being a small serpent he has power in the roads, from the Miftacha, and in the trails from the Man’ula.

Above in Bina, too, there is a small serpent, and it, too, lurks by roads and trails because the Malchut rose to Bina and elevated the power of Dinim in her to the Bina. Hence, there is a small serpent there, as well, which extends from the Man’ula.

Also, there is the primordial serpent above, in Bina, before the Bina was mitigated in the delighting wine from the time of Bina’s Katnut, which she received by Malchut’s ascent to her. However, once she received the Gadlut, the delighting wine, she lowered those Dinim from her and the small serpent is no longer in her.

705) “Dan shall be a serpent in the way.” As there is a road above in Bina, Miftacha, there is a road below in Malchut, Man’ula. The sea divides by two ways into several ways on each side, where each way consists of both. There is one road only from the Miftacha, in which there is no part of the Man’ula, which comes and increases the sea, Malchut, with Mochin de GAR, since the Mochin de GAR extend only through the Miftacha. It raises all kinds of bad fish because the Klipot draw near to suck the abundance from there and they grow from it. As the water below produce good fish, bad fish, and frog-type fish, all kinds of bad ships emerge in the upper sea, as well.

706) When the Klipot use this road in the sea, meaning suck abundance from there, they are seen riding their horses. And had it not been for the serpent behind all the camps, Dan, the little serpent, lurking at the end of the roads and scattering them back, they would have destroyed the world, as it is written, “Which bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward,” the harm-doers who ride horses. Enchanters go out to the world from those Klipot, and it is written about Balaam, “He did not go, as on other times, toward serpents,” since they are poised to whisper in the charms of the world.

707) “Dan shall be a serpent in the way.” What is “In the way”? One who follows the serpent denies the household of above, causing emaciation in the armies of holiness in the upper worlds. This is so because that high way that comes out from above—Miftacha that comes out of Bina, as it is written, “Who makes a way in the sea”—one who follows the serpent, it is as though he is following that high way, to emaciate it, meaning to reduce the abundance. This is so because the upper worlds are nourished by that way, and he is spoiling their nourishments, inflicting emaciation in them, since one who follows the serpent, who extends the abundance of the left from above downwards, causes a cessation of the upper Zivug, from which the worlds are fed.

708) Is Dan at this degree because he is an evil Klipa? It is written, “And the flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” Similarly, here it is written, “Which bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward,” to keep all the camps. In other words, Dan’s gripping of the degree of Klipa is a correction of the throne, the Nukva, to keep it from the suction of the harm-doers that ride the horses. Solomon’s throne was a serpent hanging by the knots of the scepter above the lions in the throne. Thus, there is a serpent in the correction of the throne.

709) It is written, “And the woman bore a child and called his name, Samson ... and the spirit of the Lord began to beat in him in the camp of Dan.” Samson was a hermit from the world, abstained from the world. A mighty force mounted in him and he was a serpent in this world against the idol worshipping nations because he inherited the part of the blessings in the inheritance of his father Dan, as it is written, “Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path.”

710) The meaning of the correction of the spells is that the serpent is a horned snake. Even though they are two kings, their charmers make them as though they were one kind. Similarly, that wicked one, Balaam, knew everything, as it is written, “And he went Shefi [alone],” which implies to Shefifon [horned snake]. And previously, it was written, “He did not go, as on other times, toward serpents.” Thus, at times he used this and at times he used that, at times a serpent and at times a horned snake, since he knew how to use both.

711) But is it not Dan’s degree to use the serpent and the horned snake? Of course it is. However, he was appointed over this degree to rule over it for the needs of holiness, since he is the last discernment. It is to his merit, since there are the King’s appointees on this, and there are appointees on that. It is an honor to all the appointees together to be appointees of the King without considering what he is appointed on.

The King’s throne is corrected with all the appointees together. Under all these appointees, ways and degrees divide, for better and for worse, and all of them together unite in the corrections of the throne, the Nukva. For this reason, Dan is to the north, on the left thigh of the Nukva, Hod, at the hole of the great abyss at the end of the left thigh, Bina de Klipa, where there are several regiments of harm doers, all of whom are ministers appointed to harm the world.

712) This is the reason why Jacob prayed and said, “For Your salvation I hope, O Lord.” In all the tribes, he does not say, “For Your salvation.” Why does he do it in this one? It is because he saw the might of the serpent’s power upon the awakening of the Din to prevail over the Kedusha [holiness], hence he prayed, “For Your salvation.”

713) “One should always praise one’s Master and then pray his prayer.” One whose heart is pure and wishes to pray his prayer, or is in trouble and cannot praise his Master, what is he?

714) Even though he cannot aim the heart and will, why should he diminish his Master’s praise? Rather, he will praise his Master even though he cannot aim, and then he shall pray his prayer. It is written, “A prayer of David. Hear a just cause, O Lord, hear my singing, listen to my prayer.” “Hear a just cause, O Lord,” first, since he praised his Master. Afterwards, “Hear my singing, listen to my prayer.” One who can praise his Master and does not do so, it is written about him, “Even if you pray profusely, I do not hear.”

715) They set up prayers corresponding to the continual offerings. The morning prayer corresponds to the morning continual offering, and the one of noon corresponds to the offering of the afternoon. In the awakening below through the making of the offering, above awakens, too. It is likewise in the awakening above toward the one above it, until the awakening reaches a place where the candle must be lit, and it is lit. It follows that upon the awakening of the smoke that rises from the offering below, the candle above, the Nukva, lights up. When this candle lights up, all the other candles light up and all the worlds are blessed by it. It follows that the awakening of the sacrifice is the correction of the world and the blessings of all the worlds.

This is so because the lower ones in the world of Assiya cannot raise MAN directly to ZON de Atzilut, but only to the adjacent degree above. In turn, that degree raises higher, to the one adjacent to it from above, and so the MAN rises from degree to degree until the MAN reaches ZON de Atzilut. This is why it is said that upon the awakening below through the offering that the lower ones offer in the world of Assiya, above awakens, too, meaning that the degrees in the world of Yetzira awaken to raise the MAN that they received from Assiya to the world of Beria. And upon the awakening of the degrees of Beria above to the one above it, the world of Atzilut, its own adjacent superior awakens until the MAN reaches the Nukva and raises the MAN to ZA, and she shines from him. Lighting the candle means uniting the Nukva, who is called “a candle,” in ZA, to receive light from it. This is considered that she is lit by it.

716) How is this done? The smoke of the offering begins to rise—those holy forms appointed over the world of Assiya. They are established to arise to raise MAN, and they awaken to degrees above them in the world of Yetzira, in high craving, as it is written, “The young lions roar for prey.” Those in the world of Yetzira awaken to degrees above them in the world of Beria until the awakening reaches the place where they must light the candle, meaning until the king, ZA, wishes to unite with the queen, the Nukva.

717) What are MAN? In the craving below, lower waters rise, meaning MAN, to receive upper waters, MAD, from the degree atop them. This is so because lower waters, MAN, spring out only by an awakening of the desire of the lower one. At that time, the craving of the lower one and the upper one become attached, and lower waters spring out opposite the descending upper waters, the Zivug ends and the worlds are blessed, all the candles light up, and the upper ones and lower ones are in blessings.

Each lower degree is considered a female with respect to the degree above it. Thus, Assiya is considered a female with respect to the world of Yetzira, and Yetzira is considered a female with respect to the world of Beria. Similarly, the upper degree is considered a male with respect to the one below it, such as Yetzira being considered a male with respect to the world of Assiya and Beria is considered a male with respect to the world of Yetzira. This is so because the rule is that the giver is a male and the receiver is a female.

And since a degree cannot receive anything from a degree that is more than one degree above it, and receives only from its adjacent higher degree, it follows that each upper degree that gives is a male, and each lower degree that receives from it is a female. And through the craving, when each lower one craves to receive abundance from the one above, it raises MAN to it in a way that each lower one raises MAN to the one above it, adjacent to it, until it reaches Ein Sof. At that time, Ein Sof brings down abundance, MAD, and each upper degree gives the abundance that it received to the adjacent degree below it, since the MAD cascades from one degree to the next, through the lower ones in the world of Assiya.

718) The priests are right line, and the Levites are left line, awakening upon the offering of the sacrifice, to unite the right with the left. With the priests and the Levites, upon offering the sacrifice, one evokes the left, the Levites, and one evokes the right, the priests, since the bonding of male to female is only in left and right, as it is written, “Let his left be under my head, and his right shall embrace me.” Then, after the embrace of right and left, the male bonds with the female and the craving is present, the worlds are blessed, and the upper and lower rejoice.

The Nukva has nothing of her own and ZA gives her everything. In the beginning, he gives her illumination of Hochma from the left line, and then gives her the light of Hassadim from the right line. This is not considered a Zivug, but an embrace, when he embraces her with his left and right. This is so because although now the Nukva has right and left, as do ZA, they are still not equal, since the right and left in ZA are dominated by the right, the left does not shine in it, and the right and left of the Nukva are dominated by the left, and the right does not shine in her. A Zivug is equivalence of form. Hence, here it is not considered a Zivug, but an embrace.

Once the Nukva is completed in right and left, he unites with her through the middle line, which contains an equal measure of right and left. At that time, ZON are equal to each other, in the quality of the middle line, which shines in both of them together. At that time, it is considered a Zivug—that they are in equivalence of form. Thus, the majority of abundance is the illuminations on the right and on the left, and nothing more. However, the Nukva receives them only through the middle line, the Zivug, by equivalence of form, and then she receives the abundance from ZA to the worlds.

719) Hence, the thing below, the offering, is evoked through the priests and the Levites, to evoke craving and love above. Also, craving is left and love is right, since everything depends on the right and the left, since the middle line is only what unites them. It follows that the offering is the foundation of the world, the correction of the world, the joy of upper and lower. And it all ascends in one, in the middle line, which unites and complements the right and the left.

720) Now, the prayer is in the place of the offering, and one first needs to properly praise the Creator. If he does not praise Him, his prayer is not a prayer. The complete order of the praise of the Creator is that one who knows how to unite the holy Name properly, meaning raise MAN for the unification of ZON, by that, the upper ones and lower ones awaken and draw blessings to all the worlds.

Since the prayer is in the place of the offering, first one needs to praise the Creator, meaning extend the two illuminations from the right and from the left, as with the offering, which is the embrace. Afterwards, he will pray the prayer, in which the Zivug is in the middle line that unites the both of them. If he does not extend the right and left beforehand, his prayer is not a prayer because the Zivug is only the unification of the right and left, and since he still did not extend them to the Nukva, no Zivug is possible, since there is nothing to unite there.

721) The Creator placed Israel in exile among the nations for the sole purpose that the rest of the nations would be blessed because of Israel, since they draw blessings from above downwards each day.

723) “Dan shall be a serpent in the way.” Dan was a serpent in the days of Jeroboam, since a serpent is idolatry. “In the way” means that they would avoid ascending to Jerusalem on it. This Dan was a serpent in the way for Israel, to prevent the pilgrimage to celebrate their celebrations and to offer sacrifices and offerings, and to worship there.

724) When the blessings came to Moses’ hand, to bless all the tribes, he saw Dan tied to a serpent. He retied him to a lion, Hesed, as it is written, “And to Dan he said, ‘Dan is a lion's whelp that leaps forth from the Bashan.’” This is so to make the beginning and the end of the four banners tied—in Judah, who is a king, as it is written, “Judah is a lion’s whelp,” the beginning of the banners—and the end of the banners, which is Dan, as it is written, “Dan is a lion’s whelp,” to make the beginning and the end tied in one place: in a lion, Hesed.

725) “For Your salvation I hope, O Lord.” It is written, “And he shall begin to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines.” It is to this salvation of Samson that Jacob said, “For Your salvation.” Why was it said, “I hope”? After all, Jacob had already passed away from the world, so why did he say that he was awaiting that salvation? It is written, “And it came to pass that when Moses held his hand up Israel prevailed.” Simply Israel is ZA. Here, too, “And he shall begin to deliver Israel” is simple Israel, ZA, Jacob’s quality. It follows that this salvation of Samson relates to Jacob even though he had already passed away from the world. This is why he said, “For Your salvation I hope, O Lord.”

Gad, Regiments Will Come Forth from Him

726) The name Gad implies that armies will come forth from him to wage war. Gad has the letters Gimel-Dalet [in Hebrew], Yesod and Malchut, which armies and camps emerge from their Zivug, since Gimel, which is Yesod, gives, and Dalet, which is Malchut, collects. This means that several armies and camps depend on them.

727) The waters of the river that stretches out of Eden, Bina, never stop. It complements the poor because it imparts the light of Hassadim through a Gimel, Yesod, to the Dalet, Malchut, who is poor and meager. For this reason, several armies and several camps are standing, which are nourished from Bina, the river. This is the reason why this Zivug is called “Gad,” Gimel taking out of Bina and giving, and Dalet, collecting and receiving from it, and the house, the Nukva, and the entire household is nourished—meaning all of the people of the home, the armies, and the camps of angels that spread forth from her.

728) Were Gad not one of the sons of the maidservants, who are Achoraim, he would have had the fortune of being more complete than all the other tribes due to the high and perfect source to which Gad implies. Because at first, he was fortunate to be complete, and subsequently the completeness departed him, due to that river that stretches, which is Bina, who is called “a stream.” At that time he departed because Gad was considered Achoraim, while the stream, Bina, does not bestow in the Achoraim. Thus, the Gimel had nothing to impart upon the Dalet, which is why he was not rewarded with the holy land, but the other side of the Jordan was his inheritance.

729) Reuben was like Gad, too. First, he was at a degree of Gadlut, and then it departed him, when the waters, the light of Bina, departed and no longer extended. He was flawed because Jacob was thinking of Rachel, hence the birthright was taken from him and was given to Joseph. Both of them, Reuben and Gad, were not rewarded with the holy land but with the other side of the Jordan, and elicited from there armies and camps to be the vanguards before the children of Israel, to inherit the land to Israel.

That which was flawed in Gad, was complemented in Asher, for Asher is the Achoraim de Hod, where there are the Dinim de Masach de Hirik, on which the middle line emerges, uniting right and left with one another and returning the Achoraim to being internal. And since the Achoraim returned to being internal, Bina shines for them once more, and the Gimel bestows the Hassadim of Bina to the Dalet, and she is complemented. Thus, what is missing in Gad, the light of Bina, is complemented in Asher.

Put Me like a Seal Over Your Heart

730) Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Abba escaped into a cave in Lod. They came there because the light of the sun was too strong for them to bear as they were walking along the way. Rabbi Abba said, “Let us circle this cave with words of Torah.” He started and said, “Set me as a seal upon your heart… its flashes are flashes of fire.” The assembly of Israel, Nukva, has complete desire and craving for the Creator only through the souls of the righteous, who awaken the springing of the lower water in the Nukva, opposite the upper water of ZA, which raise MAN to the Nukva. This is so because at that time, the complete desire and craving are in adhesion, to bear fruits.

731) And once ZON are clung to one another and she receives a desire for ZA, she says, “Set me as a seal upon thy heart.” It is the conduct of a seal that once it is attached to a place, it leaves its imprint there although it is removed from there. Thus, she does not move from him, and all of his impression and form remain there. Thus said the assembly of Israel, the Nukva: “Behold, I have clung unto you. And even though I will depart you and go into exile, set me as a seal upon your heart, so that my whole shape will remain in you,” like a seal that leaves its whole shape in the place where it had been attached.

732) “For love is as strong as death.” It is as strong as the separation of the spirit from the body. When a person’s time to depart the world arrives, and he has seen what he has seen, the spirit goes to all the organs in the body and raises its waves, as though sailing in a ship at sea without oars, futilely rising and falling, coming and seeking to bid farewell from all the organs of the body. There is nothing harder than the day when the spirit departs the body. Such is the power of the love of the assembly of Israel to the Creator, as the power of death at the time when the spirit wishes to depart the body.

733) “Jealousy is as harsh as the netherworld.” Any person who loves, and jealousy is not tied to it, his love is not love, since jealousy completes the love. From this we learn that a man must be envious for his wife, so he will connect with her in complete love, since as a result, he does not look at another woman. “Jealousy is as harsh as the netherworld.” As the netherworld is harsh in the eyes of the wicked—to go down it, jealousy is harsh in the eyes of the envious lover—to part from the love.

734) When the wicked are brought down to the netherworld, they are told why they are being brought down, and it is harsh for them. Thus, one who is envious demands for sins and thinks how many suspicious deeds she has done, and then a tie of love is tied in him.

735) “Its flashes are flashes of fire, the flame of the Lord.” “The flame of the Lord” is a burning flame that emerges from the Shofar [a ram’s horn], Yesod Ima, called Koh [Yod-Hey], which has awakened and burns. It is the left line of Ima, as it is written, “Let his left be under my head.” This burns the flame of love of the assembly of Israel, Divinity, for the Creator.

736) For this reason, much water will not be able to quench the love, since when the right—water, Hesed—comes, it adds to the burning of the love and does not quench the flame of the left, as it is written, “And his right shall embrace me.” This is so because during the illumination of Hochma in the left line of Ima to the Nukva, it is a burning fire, as it is without Hassadim. And when the right line comes with its Hassadim, called “water,” to quench the fire, it does not quench the illumination of Hochma by that. On the contrary, it adds and complements her illumination because it clothes the Hochma with Hassadim, and the Hochma shines in complete perfection.

739) In all the places, the male chases the Nukva and awakens the love toward her. But here it turns out that she awakens the love and chases him, as it is written, “Set me as a seal upon your heart.” Usually, however, it is not to the Nukva’s credit to chase the male. Indeed, this is an unclear matter and a sublime thing, hidden in the treasures of the King.

Three Souls

740) There are three souls, and they rise in the upper degrees. And because they are three, they are four. The first soul is the uppermost soul, which is imperceptible. The upper treasurer did not comment on her, much less the lower one. This is the soul of all souls; it is concealed and is never revealed. It is unknown and all are dependent upon her.

741) She is clothed in a garment from the radiance of the Carmel, within the radiance that drips drops of gemstones. They are all tied as one, as ties of organs in a single body. And the uppermost soul permeates them and reveals her actions through them, like a body that reveals the deeds of the soul. She and they are one, and there is no separation between them. This is the highest soul, which is hidden from all.

A soul means the light of Bina. The nine Sefirot de [of] AA are the roots of all the Sefirot in the worlds. It turns out that the root of all the souls is the light of the Sefira of Bina de AA. Hence, she is called “the uppermost soul.” And because of Malchut’s ascent to Rosh de AA, Bina de AA departed Rosh de AA and became VAK without a Rosh, which means light of Hassadim without Hochma. Thus, two Sefirot, Keter and Hochma, remained in the Rosh, since the place of the Zivug—called Yesod—was made in the Malchut that rose to Rosh de AA, and the Sefira of the Rosh ended in her.

And due to the departure of Bina from Rosh de AA, Bina was divided into two separate discernments: her GAR, upper AVI, and her VAK, YESHSUT. This is so because the flaw of Bina’s departure from the Rosh does not touch GAR de Bina whatsoever, since she is essentially only light of Hassadim, for she desires mercy [Hassadim] and never receives Hochma. Hence, there are no changes in that light from the time it is in Rosh de AA to the time it departs the Rosh de AA.

For this reason, GAR de Bina is regarded as though they had never departed Rosh de AA. And even after Bina’s departure, the concealed Hochma of AA still shines in them, but in great concealment, since they do not receive Hochma, but only light of Hassadim. And these GAR de Bina were erected as Partzuf upper AVI, which are in a never ending Zivug, for they are always GAR and there is never any diminution in them.

But ZAT de Bina is Hitkalelut [mingling] of ZON in Bina, hence they need Hochma. And since after the departure of Bina from the Rosh, they were left with Hassadim without Hochma, it is considered that they were flawed due to Malchut’s ascent to Rosh de AA, and remained without a Rosh. At the time of Gadlut [adulthood], Malchut descends from Rosh de AA to her place, and Bina de AA returns to the Rosh, obtaining her GAR from Hochma de Rosh AA once more. And the order of emergence of the GAR is in the three points, Holam, Shuruk, Hirik, and these ZAT de Bina were erected as Partzuf YESHSUT.

This uppermost, imperceptible soul is GAR de Bina de AA, upper AVI, where Hochma de AA shines in them in great concealment because they do not receive Hochma. Hence, the upper treasurer, Yesod—the place of Zivug where all the lights gather—did not awaken in her. And Malchut that rose to Rosh de AA and became the place of the Zivug in the Rosh is called “the upper treasurer.” This is why she became the Sium [conclusion] of Rosh de AA, and Bina departed.

The upper treasurer did not awaken anything in this soul, for he did not blemish it by Bina’s exit, since she does not receive Hochma even when she is at the Rosh. It is even more so with the lower treasurer, during Gadlut, when the middle line emerges on the Masach de Hirik, which diminishes the level from GAR de GAR to VAK de GAR once more. This is so because the lower treasurer, too, does not touch these GAR de Bina, AVI, whatsoever, since she never receives Hochma. Hence, she does not grow by her own luminescence and does not diminish by her own restriction.

It is written that she is the soul of all the souls because Bina de AA is the root of all the Binas in the worlds. Hence, the light in her is the root of all the souls. Also, she is concealed and never appears since Hochma de AA, which shines in her, is concealed and hidden in her, and never appears. Unknown means that the Yod does not depart her Avir [air], and all the souls depend on her, since she is the root of all the souls.

It was said, “She is clothed in a garment from the radiance of the Carmel.” GAR de Bina, AVI, clothe the garment of the radiance of the Carmel—ZAT de Bina, YESHSUT. And they are called, “the radiance of the Carmel,” as it is written, “Your head upon you is like Carmel,” since YESHSUT is the Rosh of the Nukva and is called “Carmel,” from the words Car Maleh [stuffed pillow] abundantly.

“Within the radiance that drips drops of gems.” In Gadlut, its Mochin of YESHSUT is three drops, Holam, Shuruk, Hirik. And upper AVI clothe within this radiance of the three drops, and they all connect as one, as the connections among the organs of a single body. The three drops are connected to each other in a way that one cannot illuminate without the other, and the upper soul enters them and reveals her deeds through them, like a body that discloses the deeds of the soul. Thus, upper AVI clothe in YESHSUT, and act through YESHSUT, which clothes them, and AVI and YESHSUT are one and there is no separation between them.

Even though AVI are in light of Hassadim and YESHSUT are in light of Hochma, they are still one and there is no separation between them. This is so because even YESHSUT do not receive the Hochma for their own needs but only to bestow upon Nukva de ZA, while they themselves shine in covered Hassadim, like upper AVI. Hence, the uppermost soul is always concealed, for GAR de Bina, AVI, and ZAT de Bina, YESHSUT, are both hidden from everything, since for its own needs, even YESHSUT shines only in covered Hassadim.

742) The second soul is the Nukva, which hides within her armies. She is a soul to them, receives a body from them, and dresses in them like a soul in a body—to reveal her deeds to the whole world through them—like a body that is a tool for the soul, by which she performs all her actions. And they are tied and united in one another as the hidden ones above—AVI and YESHSUT—are tied.

743) The third soul is the souls of the righteous below. The souls of the righteous come from among these higher souls, the souls of the Nukva and the souls of the male, ZA. For this reason, the souls of the righteous are higher than all those armies and camps of angels above, since the angels come from the externality of the Nukva, but the souls come from the internality of the Nukva and the internality of ZA, meaning from their own souls.

Thus, the three souls have been explained: 1. Bina de AA, AVI, and YESHSUT; 2. Nukva de ZA; and 3. the souls of the righteous. However, they are four souls, since Bina de AA divides into two souls with a difference between them, since AVI are the source of the Hassadim and YESHSUT are the source of Hochma. Hence, they are four—AVI, YESHSUT, Nukva, and the souls of the righteous.

Yet, since YESHSUT, too, are in covered Hassadim for their own needs, like AVI, they are regarded as one soul. Also, he does not count the souls of ZA, since it is in covered Hassadim, like upper AVI, hence there is no renewal in it.

744) Thus, the souls are higher from two sides, from ZA and from Nukva, and they come from their internality. Therefore, why do they descend to this world and why do they depart it? It is like a king who had a son, whom he sent to some village to raise him until he was grown and to teach him the ways of the king’s palace. When the king heard that his son had grown, he sent his mother out of his love for his son and she brought him to his palace, and he rejoiced with his son.

745) Thus, the Creator begot a son with its mother, which is the uppermost, holy soul. These are the generations of ZON. He sent him to a village, that is, to this world, to grow in it and to be taught the conducts of the King’s palace. When the King knew that his son had grown in that village, and the time had come to bring him to His palace, out of His love, He sent His mother and she brought him to His palace. The soul does not depart this world until his mother comes for her and brings him to the King’s palace, where she sits forever.

746) Yet, it is the nature of the world that the people of the village cry over the departure of the King’s son from them. There was a sage there, who told them, “Why are you crying? Is he not a prince, who should not be living among you any longer, but in his father’s palace?” So was Moses, who was a sage. He saw that the people of the village were crying and hence said, “You are the children of the Lord your God: you shall not cut yourselves nor shave your forehead for the sake of the dead.”

747) If all the righteous knew it, they would be happy when their day came to depart this world. Is it not the highest honor that the mistress comes for them to lead them to the King’s palace so the King will rejoice in them all day? After all, the Creator entertains only with the souls of the righteous.

748) The souls of the righteous, below, awaken the love of the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, to the Creator, ZA, since they come from the side of the King, ZA, from the male’s side. Thus, this awakening comes to the Nukva from the male, and the love awakens.

It turns out that the male awakens the fondness and love for the Nukva and then the Nukva connects to the male with love. This settles the question that it is not to the Nukva’s credit to chase the male. Now it is clear that the souls of the righteous, which are males, awaken this love for ZA.

749) Similarly, the craving of the Nukva to shoot lower waters opposite upper waters is only in the souls of the righteous. Happy are the righteous in this world and in the next world, for the upper and lower stand over them. Hence, “A righteous is the foundation of the world” can be related to the upper righteous, Yesod de ZA, and can be related to the souls of the righteous; both are true.

750) The meaning of all that is that the righteous is the Yesod above, Yesod de ZA, and Yesod below, in the Nukva and the souls of the righteous. And the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, is included in the righteous above and below. A righteous from this side is Yesod de ZA, and a righteous from the side of the soul of the righteous below, inherit her, meaning the Nukva. This is the meaning of, “The righteous shall inherit the land,” the Nukva. The righteous, Yesod de ZA, inherits this land, Nukva, imparts blessings upon her each day, and gives her pleasures and dainties extended from above, from Bina, which he draws to her.

Asher, His Bread Shall Be Rich

751) “As for Asher, his bread shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties.” Asher is righteous, Yesod de ZA, which bestows dainties upon Nukva. Yet, he is considered Nukva, and not Yesod de ZA. Yesod de ZA extends to this righteous from the next world, Bina, to give pleasures and dainties to this land, which was bread of affliction and has become bread of delight, as it is written, “Asher, his bread shall be rich, and he shall yield royal dainties.” Asher is Bina, giving the dainties of the king to Yesod, and the Yesod, to Nukva.

752) “His bread shall be rich” is a place that all approve, the next world, Bina, which upper and lower approve of and yearn for. There is bread and there is bread, as there is a tree and there is a tree. There is the tree of life, ZA, and there is a tree in which death hangs, the Nukva. Similarly, there is bread of affliction, the Nukva, and there is bread of delight, the Vav de HaVaYaH, ZA. This is his bread, with the letters Lehem [bread] and Vav, the bread of ZA. This is why it is written, “I will rain bread from heaven for you,” from ZA.

753) “His bread,” with the letters Lehem [bread] and Vav, the bread of ZA, called Vav, since this tree, ZA, is nourished from Bina, who is called “Asher.” And Bina crowns it with GAR, as it is written, “With the crown with which his mother has crowned him.” And when he, ZA, receives, he will certainly give royal dainties. The king is the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, because she is nourished by him, ZA, and he gives to her through the righteous, the degree of holiness, the sign of the covenant, Yesod de ZA. And from the Nukva to the rest of the degrees below in BYA, and all the corrections in BYA are as the corrections in Atzilut.

754) “Asher, his bread shall be rich.” This is the bread of the Sabbath, containing double the delight, as it is written, “They gathered twice as much bread.” The “Twice as much bread” is the two breads—bread from the sky, from ZA, and bread from earth, from Nukva. This is called “Bread of delight.” But without connection with bread from the sky, the bread from the earth is bread of affliction. On the Sabbath, the lower bread of Nukva mingles with the upper bread of ZA, and the lower one is blessed because of the upper one. This is “Twice as much bread.”

The abundance of the Nukva when she is in a state of left without right, Hochma without Hassadim, is considered bread of affliction. This is because the Hochma does not shine without Hassadim. And the abundance of ZA, the bread of delight, is Hassadim that extend from upper Bina, which always shine. On the Sabbath, the two bestowals—of ZA and of Nukva—unite in each other and the Hochma of the Nukva dresses the Hassadim of the bread of ZA, and her bread, too, becomes bread of delight, like the bread of ZA. This is the “Twice as much bread.”

755) “Twice as much bread” of the Sabbath. The bread of Nukva receives from the upper Sabbath, Bina, which stretches and shines for all. It connects the bread of Nukva with the bread of Bina, and it is doubled. He is not saying that it is the bread of Nukva in the bread of ZA, but in the bread of Bina, since in all places, bread is Nukva, or Nukva de ZA, or Bina (which is Nukva, too). But the abundance of ZA is not considered bread, which is male. This is why it writes, “rich,” in female form [in Hebrew], and not rich in male form. And bread is considered Nukva.

756) “For the bread is gone from our vessels.” It writes “gone” in male form [in Hebrew], not “gone” in female form, since we refer to the rest of the food besides the bread as bread, too. But there is a difference between bread that is other foods and actual bread. The bread of above, of ZA, is male everywhere. This is the rest of the food. The bread of below, of Nukva, is female everywhere, and this is real bread. At one time it writes in male form and another time in female form, but it is all one thing, except one is in ZA and the other is in Nukva.

757) Asher is mentioned above in Bina and below in the correction of the bride, the Nukva. This is so because all twelve tribes are the twelve oxen that the sea, Nukva, stands on and by which it is corrected. This is the meaning of “And the sea was atop them from above.” Thus, Asher is in the corrections of the Nukva. He is corrected above in Bina, and below in the earth, the Nukva. He is corrected above in the corrections of the upper world, Bina, and below in the twelve tribes, the corrections of the Nukva.

“As above” means as Bina that is corrected through the twelve corrections of ZA. This is why there is Divinity above, meaning Bina, which is on the twelve corrections of ZA, meaning three lines, in each of which there are four faces. And there is Divinity below, the Nukva, for Israel, which is included and corrected in the twelve tribes, and Asher stands in her corrections like the rest of the tribes.

758) And had Moses not revealed that Asher is in Bina, it would have been unknown, as it is written, “And let him dip his foot in oil,” to indicate where his connection is in its place, for he gives the anointing oil from his place above, from Bina. This is why he wrote, “Blessed be Asher above sons.”

Naphtali Is a Doe Let Loose

759) “Naphtali is a doe let loose; he gives beautiful words.” Since he said, “A doe let loose,” he should have ended, “She gives beautiful words,” not “He gives,” in male form. However, the upper world, Bina, is a male world. Because the thing rose from the assembly of Israel, Nukva, and above, it is all male. This is so because the sacrifice is called “an offering” [Ola] because it ascends [Ole] above the Nukva. This is why it is written, “If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish.” Thus, above the Nukva it is a male, hence the upper world, Bina, is considered a male world.

760) “A male without blemish” is as it is written, “Walk before Me and be wholehearted” [Tamim means both wholehearted and without blemish in Hebrew], meaning circumcised. This is so because a male is recognized in the place that is called “without blemish,” in the sign of the covenant, in which the male is recognized from the female, as it is written, “[Noah] was a righteous, wholehearted man”. Tzadik [righteous] is Yesod. A male without blemish means he is not emasculated.

761) But it is written, “A female without blemish,” since she receives everything from him, hence she is regarded as being without blemish, like him. However, the title, “without blemish,” is primarily in the male. This is why the burnt offering that rises from the female to the male is male, since from Nukva and above, everything is male, and from Nukva and below, everything is female.

762) But there is a Nukva above, as well, Bina. However, the Sium [end] of the Guf [body] indicates to the entire Guf, which is male. The Rosh and Guf of Bina, HBD HGT, are female, until she descends to the Sium of NHY, which clothe in Rosh ZA and become a male, like him. And when the Sium appears in the form of male, everything becomes a male. Even her HBD HGT, which are not clothed in ZA, are then considered as male, as well. However, in Nukva de ZA, the Rosh and the Sof are considered female, since the whole of the correction of her Guf is considered a female, since there is no discernment of male in her NHY.

763) Jacob blessed Joseph among his brothers because the Creator commanded four banners in Divinity, in the twelve tribes, for Divinity to be corrected in them. He deducted Joseph from them and placed Ephraim in his stead. What is the reason that Joseph is missing from among them?

764) Joseph is a fruitful bough, as it is written, “Joseph is a fruitful bough.” Yesod is called “A fruitful bough.” And because Joseph is the male imprint, he is called “righteous Joseph,” Yesod. This is why it is written, “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,” who gives to the Nukva.” The stone is the assembly of Israel, the Nukva. David said about her, “The stone which the builders loathed.” This settles the question about him beginning with the female, the “Doe let loose,” and ends with “He gives beautiful words,” in male form.

765) And because all the corrections of Divinity are females, since everything is female from the Nukva down, Joseph, the male, departed from there and Ephraim was appointed in his stead, meaning the discernment of the Nukva, for the twelve corrections. And because he is considered the Nukva, he was appointed to the west, the place where the Nukva is present, since Divinity is in the west, and the imprint of the male, Joseph, departed from the corrections because they are from the female world, and not from the male world, and all the corrections should be considered females.

766) For this reason, Joseph, the righteous, Yesod, which is a male, departed from the corrections and Ephraim was appointed in his stead. Hence, all twelve tribes, which are considered females, are corrections of Divinity, and all must be considered a female, like Divinity, except for the degree of the righteous in the tribes, Yesod, which makes all the organs of the body into males. He does not need to be among the twelve corrections, for he does not need to be withdrawn.

767) “Naphtali is a doe let loose; he gives beautiful words.” It is written, “And your mouth is lovely,” since the voice, ZA, leads the speech, Nukva, and there is no sound without speech. This sound was sent from a place that is deep above, in Bina, to lead the speech, for there is no sound without speech and no speech without a sound. This means that there is no action to ZA without the Nukva and no action to the Nukva without ZA, since the speech, Nukva, is from the left line, Hochma without Hassadim, which cannot shine without Hassadim. Hence, she needs a voice, the light of Hesed, and then she can shine. And the voice, ZA, is VAK without the speech, and the speech complements it into GAR, and hence he needs her.

This is a general that needs a particular, and a particular that needs a general. The general is ZA and the particular is Nukva. They need each other, for they can only shine together. This voice, ZA, comes out from the south, right line, light of Hassadim, and leads the west, the Nukva, while she inherits the two sides, the light of Hassadim from the south and the light of Hochma from the west.

It is written, “Of Naphtali he said, ‘...take possession of the sea and the south.’” This is why it is written, “Naphtali is a doe let loose,” the Nukva below. Similarly, the male above shines along with her. They do not shine without each other, which is why it is written, “He gives beautiful words,” “Gives” in male form, ZA.

Thought, Speech, Sound

768) Thought, which is the concealed Hochma de [of] AA, the beginning of everything, has been concealed in Rosh de AA and does not shine below. When it expands through Bina de AA, which emerges from Rosh [head] de AA and returns to the Rosh, by which the illumination of Hochma expands from Rosh de AA to its Bina, it comes to a place where there is Ruach. The middle line, Ruach, ZA, rises and decides between the two lines of Bina, in the Daat that decides between Hochma and Bina, and it is called Bina and not “concealed Hochma” as in the beginning because now she is illuminating through Bina that returned to the Rosh and became Hochma.

And even though Hochma is still hidden in Bina, the Ruach (Daat), which decides between the right and left of Bina, expanded from Bina to its own place and produced a sound made of fire, water, and wind, which are three lines—north, south, and east. This is so because after ZA rose to decide between the two lines, right and left of Bina, and expanded into three lines of its own, this voice contains all the forces, all the Mochin in Bina, and this voice leads the speech and gives the word, the Nukva, in her correction. It clothes her Hochma in Hassadim and the Hochma in her is corrected and can shine because the voice is sent from the place of Ruach in Bina, the Hassadim in Daat, and comes to lead the word, to utter upright words through the clothing of her Hochma in Hassadim. And this is when the Hochma in her—concealed in Rosh de AA—appears.

769) When you consider these degrees, you will find that the thought, Bina, the voice, and the speech are all one. And the thought is at the start of everything, and there was no separation, but rather it is all one and one connection. The thought connected to the absence, to Keter, and never retired. This is “The Lord is one and His name, One. And it is written about that, “He gives beautiful words.” This is the body, ZA, which clothes Hochma de Nukva in Hassadim and produces beautiful and upright words.

All the degrees through Nukva come to reveal the Hochma in the beginning, the Hochma in Rosh de AA, which cannot shine to the lower ones because it was hidden there. Hence, they are all one degree, only Hochma. Thought is Bina, for the thought, Hochma de AA, first appears in Bina. A thought is a voice, since the Hochma was concealed in the left line of Bina, and the voice, ZA, the middle line, decided between the two lines in Bina and opened the Hochma in her. A thought is speech, and in ZA himself, who received the three lines from Bina, the Hochma still does not shine, as it is the right line. In Nukva, however, the left line, the light of Hochma appears.

It is all one. The thought is the beginning of everything, for all the degrees are one degree, only the illumination of the thought at the beginning of everything, which everyone extends until she is revealed in the Nukva. This is the meaning of the words, “The Lord is one and His name, One,” for the Nukva, who is called “His name,” is the same degree as HaVaYaH, ZA, who is one with the first thought, who is one with Keter de AA. It is written about that, “He gives beautiful words,” for when she is one with all the degrees through Hochma de AA, connected to Keter de AA, called “absence,” ZA gives and corrects and educes beautiful words in Nukva, uniting voice and speech.

Joseph Is a Fruitful Bough

770) The Sium of the Guf, Yesod, is as it is written, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a spring.” It writes “A fruitful bough” twice, a fruitful bough above, Yesod above the Chazeh, and a fruitful bough below, Yesod below the Chazeh. Why is there no fruitful bough below in the corrections of the queen, among the twelve tribes, the twelve oxen that the queen is corrected over them from above? It is because it is written, “Daughters march on a wall,” meaning that daughters are required for her corrections, meaning females, which are the twelve tribes and not sons. Joseph, Yesod, is a son, a male. “Many daughters have done valiantly” are the twelve tribes corrected into a throne under the Nukva, as it is written, “And you excel them all.”

771) Malchut did not receive a complete and holy Malchut until she bonded with the patriarchs, HGT from Chazeh de ZA and above. When she bonded with the patriarchs, she was built as a complete construction from the upper world, the male world, Bina, for then HGT de ZA receive from the right side of Bina, and Malchut receives from the left side of Bina. Also, the upper world is called “seven years” because all seven years are in it, since the Bina contains within her all seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, which are called “seven years.”

772) The upper world, Bina, consists of seven years. This is why it is written, “And he built it seven years.” It does not say, “Within seven years,” as it is written, “For six days did the Lord make,” and not “Within six,” since the six days, HGT NHY de ZA made the heaven and the earth. Here, too, the seven years built it, meaning Bina.

It is written, “These are the generations of the heaven and the earth when they were created,” which means in Abraham, since Abraham, Hesed, is called “seven days,” and the upper world, Bina, was built in him. They are called “the male world,” since Hesed comprises all seven Sefirot and its place is from Chazeh de ZA and above, the place of the four legs of the throne, HGTM, to the Bina atop them. This is why it is regarded as though they build the Bina, since the Bina is supported by them.

773) It is similar below. There are seven years, HGT NHYM, divided into twelve tribes, which are the lower world, Nukva. It is written, “Seven days and seven days, fourteen days.” Since he said, “Seven days and seven days,” they are fourteen days, so why does he say, “Fourteen days”? It is to show the upper world and the lower world, seven days and seven days, hence he indicates them, “Fourteen days.”

Those in the upper world are males and those in the lower world are females. Those females, HGT NHY divided into twelve—this world, meaning the Nukva, is over them. This is why it is written, “Many daughters have done valiantly,” meaning the twelve tribes did valiantly, as it is written, “All the numbered men of the camp of Judah.” Also, they multiplied extensively. The writing ends, “And you excel them all,” meaning that the Nukva is above them all.

774) The writing says, “Many daughters have done valiantly.” However, they are only twelve, and not more, besides this valiant doing that they did. Each of them multiplied, and this is implied in the words, “Did valiantly.” Why does it say, “Many daughters”? It is as it is written, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, for it is great,” which means it has grown. Also, “many” means “great,” higher and greater than all. These are called “great animals.”

“Did valiantly” means that each tribe multiplied exceedingly. The ones that park on them are Issachar and Zebulun on the banner of Judah, Shimon and Gad on the banner of Reuben, Menashe and Benjamin on the banner of Ephraim, Asher and Naphtali on the banner of Dan. They are called “small animals,” uniting as one with the big animals, Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan, so the queen, the Nukva, will be corrected in them, to delight the upper and lower in them. It is written about it, “You have created this Leviathan [whale] to play with it.” A Leviathan means bonding—bonding of small animals with big ones. This is why it is written, “Many daughters have done valiantly.”

775) “A fruitful bough by a spring; daughters march on a wall.” It should have said “March” in plural form, like “daughters”. However, “A fruitful bough by a spring,” a spring is the eye of the justice [Ain means both “spring” and “eye”], the Nukva, who receives from justice, Tifferet. Joseph, Yesod, stands and bestows by a spring, the Nukva, and she is the spring, who marches and strides to take daughters for her correction. “Daughters march” means that the Nukva marches with daughters and not with sons. The Nukva marches with daughters who are fit for her correction, and not with sons, who are unfit for correcting her.

“And they dealt bitterly with him and quarreled, and the ones with arrows loathed him.” Through the gazing of love toward him, as it is written, “Turn your eyes away from me, for they make me arrogant,” since they burn me with the flame of your love. Here, too, he could not tolerate the Nukva’s arrows of love, which is why it was said about it, “And they dealt bitterly with him and quarreled.” This is why he says, “And the ones with arrows loathed him,” for he could not tolerate.

This is so because the Nukva is constructed of the left. Hence, her eyes stray ZA to the Dinim of the left. And since he is from the middle line, he cannot tolerate. Joseph, Yesod, is the middle line, as well, leaning neither to the right nor to the left. Hence, he, too, cannot tolerate the Nukva’s arrows of love, which are the awakening of the left.

776) “And his bow was set firm.” A bow is the Nukva. Why does it write, “His bow” and not “A bow”? It is Joseph’s mate, and this is why it says, “His bow.” “Firm” means that she clothed him in power and might, meaning that his power did not wane due to his Zivug with her, for she knew that Joseph would not stray in that degree, that he would not deviate to the degree of the left, the place of Dinim, due to the Zivug, since his sign of the covenant is to the right and left together.

777) “And the arms of his hands were made golden.” What does it mean that they were made golden? It is written, “Nicer than gold and from much gold.” It is also written, “Vessels of gold in exchange for her.” “Were made golden” means gold and precious, since the hands of his arms were made precious with the upper gems, the upper Nukva from Chazeh and above, since he received the abundance from her Zivug.

He received it, as it is written, “From the hands of the mighty one of Jacob,” meaning from those two sides, the right and left lines, in which Jacob was strengthened. It is from there that that precious stone was nourished, meaning the Nukva, as it is written, “From there he shepherds the stone of Israel.”

That stone is nourished from those twelve sides, north and south, the hands of Jacob, since there is HGT NHY in the north and HGT NHY in the south, which are twelve. And the Nukva is placed between them, is blessed from them, and is nourished from them through a righteous, Joseph.

778) Another blessing was added to Joseph, as it is written, “From the God of your father, and He will help you, and of the Almighty, and He will bless you.” It should have said, “The God of your father, and He will help you, and the God Almighty, and He will bless you.”

779) However, he inherited above, in ZA, and below, in the Nukva. He inherited above, as it is written, “From the God of your father,” the upper inheritance, the place that is called “heaven,” ZA, to which Jacob was a Merkava [chariot/assembly]. “And He will help you” means he will not exchange this place for another and his help will be from this place and not from another.

780) “And of the Almighty” is another degree, a lower one. In all places, “The Lord” is Divinity, as in “And I feared the Lord.” “And” includes Divinity. “And of,” with a Vav, implies to ZA, to include day, ZA, with night, the Nukva, and night with day, as it is written, “And of the Almighty,” with a Vav, since from there blessings go out to the world.

781) Why is it not written, “And the God Almighty”? After all, “And the God Almighty” means that it concerns the Nukva, since the Nukva is called God Almighty, too, as it is written, “And may God Almighty give you mercy.” It is all one place. God Almighty concerns the Nukva, too, just as “The Almighty.” Thus, why did it leave out the Lamed from El [God] and wrote the Tav instead, meaning Et [“of”]? It should have written, “And the God Almighty.”

However, when these trails come out from above, meaning the twenty-two letters, through which all the completeness comes, and which are the whole of the Torah, which is all the abundance in ZA, the heaven, ZA, inherits them. It is written about it, “The heaven,” where “the” [comprised of Aleph-Tav] is the sum of all twenty-two letters from Aleph [first letter in the Hebrew alphabet] to Tav [last letter].

From here it goes out to the oral Torah, called “earth,” Nukva, as it is written, “And the earth,” where “and the” is the sum of all twenty-two letters that the Nukva takes. In the beginning it is “And the heaven,” ZA, including all of them as one, and then the moon, Nukva, is crowned with all of them, receiving them from ZA, and sits with complete perfection. At that time, the blessings extend from there. The writing says about it, “And of the Almighty,” to indicate the great perfection of all twenty-two letters in the Nukva, from which are all the blessings.

782) It is written, “And He will bless you” with a Vav, so there will be more sustenance to the blessings, and forever. This is so because wherever there is a Vav, it implies that there is addition and sustenance in it. Thus far is the general.

Subsequently, he details them, as it is written, “Blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lies beneath.” Thus far the blessings from ZA and from Nukva are implied in general. “From the God of your father” implies to ZA, and “Of the Almighty” implies to the Nukva. Afterwards he details them, as it is written, “Blessings of heaven above,” for ZA, and “Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,” for the Nukva.

783) “The blessings of your father prevailed over the blessings of my parents.” “The blessings of your father,” Jacob, middle line, “Prevailed over the blessings of my parents,” Abraham and Isaac, since Jacob inherited more merit than all the patriarchs, for he was complete in everything. This is so because the two lines, right and left—Abraham and Isaac—have no perfection until the middle line, Jacob, comes and decides between them. For this reason, he inherited all the Mochin in the two lines, right and left. In that respect, it follows that the blessings of the middle line prevail over the blessings of the two lines, right and left, since it both complements them and inherits them.

He gave everything to Joseph because so it should be. The righteous, Yesod, Joseph, takes everything and inherits everything together, meaning receives from all the Sefirot of ZA together. All the blessings are in him, he extends the blessings from the Rosh, from GAR de ZA and above, and all the organs of the body of ZA, HGT NHY, are corrected to impart the blessings in him, in Yesod. At that time, Yesod becomes a river that comes out of Eden.

784) “Out of Eden” means that all the organs are in one connection, and in the pleasure of the craving from the abundance of the Rosh above and from below. They all impart their pleasure and craving into Yesod, who becomes a river that stretches and comes out of Eden. Eden means Idun [gentleness] and pleasure. We should also interpret that “Out of Eden” means that everything flows out of the upper Hochma, called “Eden,” to be drawn and to become a river. It stretches until it reaches Yesod, and then all the Sefirot of ZA are in blessings, and it is all one.

785) “Until the lust of the hills of the world” is the craving for those hills of the world, the two females, one above, Bina, and one below, Nukva de ZA. Each is called “a world,” and the craving of all the organs of the body, all the Sefirot ZA, is for two mothers. They have a desire to suckle from the upper Ima, Bina, and a desire to connect to the lower Ima, the Nukva, and they are all one desire. For this reason, they will all be the Rosh [head] of Joseph, Yesod, meaning that the degree of the righteous, Yesod, will be blessed; that is, he will take everything, as it should be.

786) Happy are those who are called “righteous,” since only those who keep that degree of the sign of the covenant of holiness are called “righteous.” Happy are they in this world and in the next world.

Benjamin Is a Wolf; He Will Prey

787) “Benjamin is a wolf; he will prey.” Why is he called “a wolf”? It is because he was inscribed in the throne, the Nukva, in the form of a wolf. This is so because all the animals, big and small, are inscribed in the throne, as it is written, “Small animals with big ones.” And the throne that Solomon made was inscribed so, too, like the throne above.

788) “[He] is a wolf; he will prey,” since the altar was in the part of Benjamin, and the altar is a wolf. Benjamin is not a wolf, but the altar, which was in his part, is a wolf, since it would eat meat each day, meaning the offerings that were sacrificed on it. Benjamin would feed it with offerings, and because it was in his part, he was regarded as providing for and nourishing this wolf. “He will prey” means “feed.” It is written, “Benjamin is a wolf; he will prey,” meaning that Benjamin will feed the wolf, the altar.

“...a wolf; he will prey” means “a wolf; he will feed.” The wolf are the hateful angels that stand above to slander Israel. They all enjoy and are established by the offerings and awaken an awakening of above. It follows that Benjamin, in whose domain is the altar, nurtures those slanderers, which are called “wolf,” so they will not slander Israel.

789) “In the morning he eats prey, and in the evening he dispenses spoils.” “In the morning,” since Abraham, Hesed, awakens in the world and it is a time of good will. The offering makes an awakening and contentment, and rises until the prey, meaning that place [Ad means “prey” (Aramaic) and “until” (Hebrew)], as it is written, “And you shall return until the Lord your God,” meaning ZA, from his Chazeh and above.

790) Morning is Abraham, Hesed, as it is written, “And Abraham rose early in the morning,” when the will was present. At that time, the place that is called Ad [until/prey], the upper throne, HGT from Chazeh de ZA and above, the throne of Bina, would eat the offering, and eating means Zivug.

791) The time of eating is in the morning of Ad, the time of the reign of Hesed de ZA. This Ad is above Chazeh de ZA, where it is all Hassadim, as it is written, Trust the Lord Adei Ad [forever].” This means that Ad is a place high above. “In the morning,” which is the time of the reign of Hesed de ZA, it is an offering for the Creator. The Nukva, who is called “an offering,” unites at that time with the Creator, hence “He will eat Ad [prey],” ZA, right, Hesed, and not another degree.

792) The order of the Zivug is done by the offering. The smoke of the offering rises, and this is the awakening from below. The awakening of the love ties and awakens above, between ZA and Nukva, and they stand one opposite the other, face-to-face. The candle, Nukva, burns and illuminates through this awakening below, which receives the abundance from ZA. The priest awakens, the Levites praise and show gladness, and then the wine is poured—from the left side, Gevura—to connect to the water—right and Hesed—and the wine shines and shows gladness. This is so because when the Gevurot clothe in Hassadim, the Gevurot are called “Wine that delights.” This is the reason why good wine should be brought below, to show joy to another wine, above, and all awaken to connect the left in the right.

793) The bread, which is semolina, is the Malchut, the Nukva. The awakening below awakened her because the Nukva is called “bread.” She is taken left in right and is tied to the body, ZA. At that time, the upper oil is poured down from ZA and she receives it through the righteous, Yesod de ZA. For this reason, an awakening below must be done with semolina in oil, and all is tied together.

Then there is gentleness and contentment of the single unification, and all the Ketarim [plural of Keter], the Sefirot of Nukva, receive the gentleness and contentment of the unification and ZA and Nukva become tied to each other. Then, the moon, Nukva, shines and connects to the sun, and all dwell in gentleness.

794) And then it is an offering to the Creator, meaning that the Nukva draws nearer to the Creator and not to another. This is why it is written, “In the morning he eats prey,” ZA, who is called “prey.” And not to another. It is written, “He will eat prey” and will be refined in his bonding in the beginning, in the morning, for then the Hassadim reign. The holy Name must be blessed first, and then others will be blessed, as it is written, “And in the evening he dispenses spoils.”

795) This is the reason why it is forbidden to bless one’s friend in the morning before one blesses the Creator, since one must be blessed first. It is written, “In the morning he eats prey,” ZA, and afterwards others will be blessed, as it is written, “And in the evening he dispenses spoils.” This is so because the offerings in the beginning were all offered to the Creator, and the awakening from below rose to there. And because he was blessed, he would tie ties to all the other upper armies and dispense them with blessings for each according to his merit. Thus, the worlds are sweetened and the upper ones and lower ones are blessed.

796) In the beginning, it is written, “I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey.” Afterwards, he dispenses for everyone and says, “Eat, friends, drink and be drunken, beloved ones.” In other words, he imparted blessings upon everyone and dispenses each of them according to their merit. This is why it is written, “In the evening, he dispenses spoils,” since the holy Name was blessed first, and now He dispenses blessings upon all the worlds.

It cannot be said that the offering was sacrificed to them or to another force. Rather, everything was sacrificed to the Creator, and He imparts blessings and dispenses blessings to all the worlds. For this reason, it is an offering to the Lord, and not to any other degree.

797) There is another awakening of the offering—entirely to draw blessings and to evoke blessings, so all the worlds will be blessed. However, in the beginning it writes, “An offering for the Lord,” to bring the Nukva closer to the degree of ZA, and not to another. And now that the unification in ZA was done, it is written, “You will offer your offering,” meaning all the worlds will tie together, and upper and lower will bond and be blessed.

The Nukva is left. Her Hochma is without Hassadim, and then Dinim extend from her, since the Hochma cannot shine without Hassadim. The lower ones in the three worlds, BYA, receive from the Nukva, as it is written, “In the morning he eats prey.” First, there must be a Zivug of Nukva with ZA, and then the Nukva is included in the right, Hassadim. She is an offering for the Creator, for the right, and not for another, for the left. However, after the Nukva is included in the right, she can illuminate to the lower ones from her illumination. This is why it is written, “In the evening, he dispenses spoils,” meaning that she imparts to all the worlds.

This Is What Their Father Said to Them

798) “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel.” It says “All these” to connect the tribes in the place from which all the blessings stem, in the Nukva. Twelve are twelve connections of the corrections of the Nukva, and she herself connected with them. This is why it is written, “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them, and he blessed them,” since the Nukva is called “This,” and she connected with the twelve tribes, since in this place, in the Nukva, there is the speech, since ZA is called “voice,” and Nukva, “speech.”

799) “This is what their father said.” Here there is one connection, tying from below upwards and from above downwards. From below upwards is in the twelve tribes, and from above downwards is “And this,” which is the Nukva, who bonded with them from above. “Said” is the connecting of male and female, since there is no speech without a voice. ZA is tied to two sides: from below, twelve, and from above, “And this.”

In the end he tied them in the high place, in ZON, from the Chazeh and above, where male and female are together, meaning that the Nukva is included in ZA, in the Hassadim in it, as it is written, “Every one with the blessing appropriate to him.” “The blessing appropriate to him” is his mate, the Nukva, who is called “blessing.” “Every one with the blessing appropriate to him” is both of them as one, when ZA and Nukva are included together.

800) It is written, “The Lord will bless you from Zion, and see the good of Jerusalem.” “The Lord will bless you from Zion” because from Him, all the blessings come out to water the garden, and He contains all the blessings and gives to her. Afterwards, “And see the good of Jerusalem,” that all the blessings come from a male and a female. Similarly, it is written, “May the Lord bless you and Keep you. “May the Lord bless you” is from the male, “And Keep you” is from the Nukva [female], since the keeping extends from the Nukva. “May the Lord bless you” is ZA, “And keep you,” the keeping of the Nukva. It is all one thing, since the blessings come out to the world from both of them. This is why it is written, “He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.”

There are two discernments in the Nukva: externality, her self, the interior, what she receives from ZA, for which she has two Behinot [discernments] of Yesod: the inner Yesod, Zion, a male in her Yesod, and the outer Yesod, Jerusalem, the Nukva in her Yesod. “The Lord will bless you from Zion,” since all the inner blessings come from the interior of Yesod, from ZA. Once the interior imparts upon the exterior Yesod, Jerusalem, it is written, “And see the good of Jerusalem.” There are those among the tribes that extend from the interior of the Nukva, and there are those that extend from the exterior of the Nukva. And He blessed them, every one with the blessing appropriate to him.”

And Jacob Concluded Charging His Sons

801) “And Jacob concluded charging his sons.” Why does it say, “Charging his sons”? Should it not have said, “Blessing”? However, he charged them with Divinity, to bond with her. Moreover, he charged in relation to the cave, which is close to the Garden of Eden, and where Adam HaRishon is buried.

802) This place is called Kiryat Arba [the city of four], since four couples were buried there: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. However, we learn that the patriarchs are a holy Merkava [assembly], and a Merkava is no less than four. The Creator connected King David with the patriarchs, and they became a complete Merkava with the number four. It is written, “The stone that the builders loathed has become the cornerstone.” This is so because David connected to be a complete Merkava with them. Thus, David should have been buried with the patriarchs, and with him, it will be Kiryat Arba. What is the reason that he was not buried with them?

803) King David had a set up place—Zion, Yesod de ZA—in which to bond as one. Adam, who was buried with the patriarchs, they were buried with him because he was the first king from whom the kingship was removed and given to King David, since King David existed since the days of Adam. Adam HaRishon was meant to live a thousand years, but seventy years were moved from him to the days of King David. This is why Adam HaRishon is considered Malchut, and he completed the Merkava of the patriarchs into the number four. Were it not so, how would the patriarchs rise in a complete Merkava with the number four, prior to David’s arrival? Necessarily, Adam HaRishon complemented them, and David was not buried with them, but was rewarded with his appropriate place, Zion. This is why he was not buried with the patriarchs.

804) We should also explain that the patriarchs are present in a male place, HGT de ZA, males, while David is a Merkava for Malchut, in a place of Nukva. Hence, the females of the fathers were buried with them and David was buried and connected in a male place, Zion, each according to what is appropriate to him.

He Perished and Was Gathered to His Peoples

805) “And gathered his feet into the bed,” since he was seated in a place of the living, which was a Merkava [assembly/chariot] for ZA, the tree of life. Hence, when Jacob wished to depart from the world, he lowered his legs to the bed, the Nukva, and was gathered and departed from the world, meaning rose for MAN and was included in a Zivug of ZON. It is written about it, “And he perished and was gathered to his peoples.” It does not mention death in regard to him, since he rose and was included in the upper life.

806) It is written, “My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord.” Why was he not longing for the house of the Lord, but for the courts of the Lord? There are lower sections in BYA, and there are higher sections in Atzilut. The souls are not present in the higher ones, since the souls are present in BYA. These sections are the inner houses in Atzilut and the outer houses in BYA.

The outer ones in BYA are called “the courts of the Lord” because they are in love and craving for the Nukva. This is why David said, “Yearned for the courts of the Lord,” since the souls do have a grip in more than BYA, who are called “the courts of the Lord.” However, when BYA rise to Atzilut, the souls of the righteous rise with them, too. When the soul rises, all the armies of BYA awaken and rise to the Nukva, since the Nukva unites through their rise to her, in a complete desire for ZA, and connects with him.

807) Jacob did not die, hence no death is mentioned in regard to him, but “And he perished and was gathered to his peoples.” “And gathered his feet into the bed” is the Nukva, like the sun, Jacob, sets [the Hebrew writes “gathered”] to the moon, Nukva. The sun does not die, but is gathered from the world and goes to the moon. As the light of the sun does not depart from the world during the evening, but rather subsequently gives its light in the moon, when Jacob departed, he rose for MAN to ZON and illuminated in Nukva de ZA. His light is not cancelled; hence it is considered that he did not die.

808) When Jacob was gathered, the moon illuminated and the craving of the upper sun, ZA, awakened toward her. This is so because when the sun, Jacob, awakens, another sun, ZA, awakens. ZA clings to the Nukva, and the moon—Nukva—illuminated from ZA.

809) The upper one, the male world, Bina, was tied to the lower one, the female world, Nukva de ZA, and the lower one was tied to the upper one. Through Jacob’s ascent for MAN upon his demise, Bina and Nukva connected, meaning ZON rose to AVI, and then the great Zivug to beget the souls was done.

810) They are two worlds, as it is written, “From the world and unto the world,” Bina and Nukva. And although they are two females—for Bina is a female, too—one is corrected in the male, Bina, who is regarded as a male when she is in Gadlut. And the one in Nukva is the Nukva de ZA. One is called Sheva [seven], meaning Bina, and one is called Bat Sheva [daughter of seven], the Nukva. One is a mother and the other is a mother.

“The mother of the sons” is Bina, as it is written, “Go forth, O daughters of Zion, and gaze upon King Solomon with the crown with which his mother has crowned him.” “Upon King Solomon,” the king that all of peace is his, meaning ZA, whose mother, Bina, is the mother of the sons.

Solomon’s mother is the Nukva, as it is written, “Bat-Sheva the mother of Solomon,” meaning the Nukva, since here it does not say King Solomon.

811) It is written, “Solomon’s wisdom excelled.” Solomon’s wisdom is Solomon’s mother, the Nukva, as it is written, “The words of Lemuel king of Massa, whose mother tormented him.” “The words of Lemuel king” are words that were said to God, a King, of whom it is written, “And a God who has indignation every day,” and also, “And God Almighty,” the Nukva.

812) “Lemuel” means “to God.” “Lemuel king” is Bat-Sheva, the Nukva. “Massa, whose mother tormented him” is when it appeared to him in Givon in the night’s dream.

813) Jacob was gathered to the moon, the Nukva. Upon his demise, he rose for MAN to ZON and bore fruits in her, meaning caused the Zivug of ZON in Gadlut for begetting souls, which are called “the fruits of ZON.” There is no generation in the world without the fruits of Jacob—the great souls born from the Zivug of ZON de Gadlut that Jacob caused upon his ascent for MAN. This is so because he evoked the awakening of the upper one for Zivug ZON, as it is written, “And he gathered his feet to the bed,” which is certainly Jacob’s bed, the Nukva.

814) Happy is Jacob, who was completed above and below, as it is written, “You, fear not, O Jacob My servant, for I am with you.” It did not say, “For you are with Me,” but “For I am with you,” meaning he was complemented below as well, for the instilling of Divinity.

Mourning-Egypt

815) “And they came to the barn of the lycium... and he observed seven days mourning for his father.” Why does it concern us that they came to the barn of the lycium? And what is the reason that this mourning is related to Egypt, as it is written, “The mourning at the barn of the lycium ... This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” It should have said, “Mourning for Israel,” why Egypt?

816) As long as Jacob was in Egypt, the land was blessed because of him, the river Nile would flow and water the land, and hunger stopped because of Jacob. Hence, the Egyptians made mourning and it is named after them.

817) “Who will utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, and sound all His praise?” “Who will utter,” as it is written, “Pluck corn-ears,” expressing separation and detachment. “The mighty deeds of the Lord,’ since they are many, for all the verdicts come from the mighty deeds [Gevurot] of the Creator, the left line. This is why he says, “Who will utter the mighty deeds of the Lord,” meaning who will cancel and revoke one verdict from those that the Creator has done?

818) “Who will utter” and “Who will speak” are all one. “Uttering” means “speaking,” since there are several Gevurot that cannot be counted, several prosecutors, several advocates, and several punishers of those who break rules, and speaking cannot detail them. This is why it is written, “Who will utter the Gevurot [mighty deeds] of the Lord.”

819) By what are all the Gevurot of the Lord known? By telling, since there is Hochma in it, and they are known in Hochma. This is so because in uttering and in speaking there is no one who can say them and know them. However, in telling, they are known, as it is written, “One generation shall praise Your works to another, and shall declare Your mighty acts,” meaning that in telling, in Hochma, they are known. However, “Your Gevura [mighty acts]” is lower Gevura, Gevura in the Nukva. “Shall speak” means that they can be said, as it is written, “And talk of Your power.”

820) “Will sound all His praise,” since many are the Dinim that are apparent and bond in praise. Several camps bond in her; hence, who can “Sound all His praise.”

821) The Egyptians were all wise. Several armies and several camps come out from the side of Gevura, the left line, and several degrees, until they reach the lower degrees. The Egyptians were sorcerers. There were wise among them who knew the hidden things in the world. They observed that while Jacob lived in the world, no people ruled over his sons. They also knew that they would enslave Israel for many days.

822) When Jacob died, they rejoiced, for now they could enslave Israel. They looked at what was to come in the end until they reached the verdict of the ruler, saw the Gevurot that would come upon them, the plagues, and the crossing of the Red Sea, thorns to this side and to that side. So is the hand: fingers come forth from it to this side and to that side, and each finger rises in several Gevurot, in several Dinim, several rules. Then, “They lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation.” It is written, “Therefore, it was named Mourning-Egypt,” for it is a great mourning for the Egyptians, and not for another.

823) When Rabbi Shimon interpreted the meaning of the portion, they came out of the cave in which they were dwelling. He said, “I see that today a house will fall in the city, and two Romans who slander Israel will die there. If I am in the city, the house will not fall because my merit will protect them.” They returned into the cave and he did not wish to go to his city, so that his merit would not protect them and the house would fall and the slanderers in there would be killed. They sat.

Cry Aloud with Your Voice, O Daughter of Gallim

824) “Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim.” “Cry aloud with your voice” was said to the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, who praises the Creator with singing. This is why it was said to her, “Cry aloud with your voice,” for one who wishes to praise the Creator aloud must have a pleasant voice, so it will be pleasant for others who hear him. Otherwise, he will not arise to raise his voice.

825) The Levites, who come from the side of singing and chanting, were told, “But at the age of fifty years they shall retire from the workforce,” since his voice is low at old age, and is not pleasant for the ears as the voice of the rest of his friends. Hence, he is removed from service in this workforce of above, who stand and play in this work, properly honoring the holy Name.

826) Armies above and armies and camps below praise the holy Name and sing for Him. For this reason, when the singers below are an example for the singers above, he will retire from the workforce. And because the assembly of Israel praises the Creator, the writing says, “Cry aloud with your voice, O daughter of Gallim,” daughter of the fathers. Because the Nukva is a fourth to the patriarchs, to HGT, she is the daughter of the fathers.

827) The next world, Bina, is called Gallim [waves], since everything is in it and is included in it piles over piles, like the waves of the sea. And from it, it comes out to all the Partzufim [plural of Partzuf] and the worlds. “Daughter of Gallim” is as it is written, “A locked Gal [spring].” The Mochin of the Nukva are called Gal, from the word Gilui [disclosure], and all those Gallim and springs come forth from the next world, Bina, and the assembly of Israel, Nukva, who receives from Bina, is called “Daughter of Gallim.”

828) In the beginning, it writes, “Cry aloud with your voice,” and then it writes, “Listen.” Thus, why does she need the “Cry aloud with your voice,” since it writes, “Listen”? It is so because when one listens, there is no need to raise the voice. It says, “Cry out,” to praise and to sing. Raising a voice is for the sake of the beauty of the singing, not for sounding.

If Israel begin to praise and to sing to the Creator, it writes, “Listen,” since Israel praise and sing for the Nukva, the Creator. This is why it says, “Cry out with your voice.” And it is written, “Listen,” since “Cry out” relates to Israel, and “Listen,” to the Nukva for whom the praising and singing are done.

829) It is written, “Listen, Laishah,” since the Nukva comes from the side of Gevura. This is why she is called Laishah, as it is written, “The lion [Laish] which is mighty among beasts,” and Laishah is mighty, to break the forces of the Gevura de Sitra Achra.

It is written, “Poor Anatot,” since a mirror does not illuminate. She is poor because the moon, Nukva—who is called “poor Anatot”—has no light except what the sun gives her.

830) Anatot is a village with poor priests who beg for alms and there is no one to notice them because all the people in the village are mocked by the nation. Their houses were emptier than the houses of all the nation and they had nothing except for what they were given, as poor who are despised by the people. This is why the moon is called “Anatot,” for she, too, does not have her own light, but when the sun connects to her, she shines.

831) It is written, “And to Eviatar the priest the king said, ‘Go to Anatot to your field, for you are a man of death.’” Was he called “a man of death” because his master called him to his meal? Rather, because he was from a place of poverty, the moon clung to him, meaning the Nukva, the poor Anatot. Eviatar was attached to the Nukva when she was in the left line, when all the lights freeze in her and do not shine, when she is poor Anatot. This is why he, too, was called “Anatot,” like her. And he was called “a man of death” because he has no light of life.

832) It is written, “Because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted.” That is, for his poverty, Eviatar was rewarded with not being killed by Solomon. But how is it possible that because of that he is called “a man of death”? Because Eviatar was from a place of poverty, David was rewarded with him before he rose to kingship, when Saul was lying in wait for him, meaning when his ways were as those of a poor man, and Eviatar was like that, too.

Even when he rose to kingship, the kingship was still incomplete and for the time when Solomon reigned, the moon, Nukva, stood in all the perfection and he was glad, for he had everything. This is why Eviatar was not rewarded with bonding with him, since what he told him, “Because you were afflicted in everything with which my father,” David, “Was afflicted,” means that you were worthy of bonding with him because your degree is equal to his, not to mine. Yet, his poverty itself did not have any merit to it, except that because of his poverty he was called “a man of death.”

833) A field of Anatot is the Nukva dominated by the left. When Jeremiah bought the field of Anatot it was to inherit the high secret, since afterwards he raised MAN for her Zivug with ZA, when the Hochma in her left dresses in Hassadim de ZA and she is fully complemented.

When the moon, Nukva, governs and shines in full, she is called “a field of apples.” When she is in poverty, she is called “a field of Anatot.” For this reason, the singing below makes her rich and whole. The singing evokes the Zivug of ZON, and when she receives the Hassadim from ZA, she has all the wholeness.

834) All his life, David strove to make her whole, to play psalms for singing and for praising, since by that the Nukva acquires wholeness. When David departed from the world, he left her whole, and Solomon received her rich and whole, since the moon came out of poverty and came into wealth. In this wealth, he ruled over all the kings of the land.

Silver Counted for Nothing in the Days of Solomon

835) It is written, “Silver counted for nothing in the days of Solomon,” but everything was gold, meaning that gold grew. At that time, it is written, “And its dust contains gold.” This is so because the sun, ZA, was looking at the dust above, the Nukva, and the looking of the sun and his power makes and raises the dust into gold.

836) From the mountains, where the light of the sun is strong, “From the dust of the earth among the mountains, they all make gold.” Were it not for the big bad animals that are there, people would not be poor because the power of the sun increases the gold.

Gold is illumination of Hochma in the left line of Bina. Mountains are HGT, for mountains are only fathers. The dust among the mountains is the Nukva that is connected with HGT, the fourth to the fathers. As long as she does not receive the Hassadim from the sun, ZA, the Hochma in her does not shine because she can shine only with clothing of Hassadim. This is why at that time she is called “dust.”

But when the sun looks at her—meaning gives her light of Hassadim—Hochma dresses in Hassadim and illuminates like the illumination of the left of Bina, and her illumination becomes gold, like her. Under the domination of the left, there is much keeping by the flame of the sword that turns every way, and not every person may receive from there, except those who are worthy of her.

837) For this reason, in the days of Solomon silver counted for nothing, since the power of the sun looked at the dust and made it gold. Also, that dust is Din, left without right, and does not shine. When the sun, ZA, looks at it, giving it Hassadim, it takes the power of the Din from it and gold grows, since now the Hochma in it shines by the power of the clothing of Hassadim, like the left line of Ima, who is called “gold.” When Solomon looked at it, he praised and declared, “Everything was from the dust.”

838) For this reason, Solomon does not need to play, like David, since the Nukva was already fully corrected. Instead, he cited poems, The Song of Songs, which is love and wealth, which is light and love. This is because all the poetry in the world was in Solomon’s poetry, for he said the poem of the queen, the Nukva, while she sits in the throne facing the King.

839) It is written, “The king made silver like stones in Jerusalem,” since everything was gold. The dust, Nukva, tied to the left on the side of love, the love of lovers that abides in the left, as it is written, “His left under my head and his right shall embrace me,” and the sun, ZA, clung to her and did not retire from her.

840) Solomon was wrong about that. He saw that the moon drew closer to the sun, that the right of ZA was embracing her with Hassadim, and the left of ZA was under her head, in illumination of Hochma. The left became her Rosh [head], since the right and left drew close to one another, and the Hochma in the left had already clothed in the right. Solomon said, “Since they have already come close, why is the right still here? After all, the right, Hassadim, is only to bring ZA and Nukva close together, so the Hochma in the Nukva will clothe the Hassadim of ZA. And since they have already come close to each other, why is there still a need for the right, Hassadim?” Promptly, it writes, “Silver counted for nothing in the days of Solomon,” since he rejected the silver, right.

841) The Creator told him: “You rejected the right,” Hesed [mercy/grace], “In your life; you have yet to need the Hesed of people, and you will find none.” Promptly, the sun, ZA, turned from facing the moon, Nukva, and the moon began to darken, and Solomon was begging for alms, saying, “I am Ecclesiastes,” and no one was merciful to him because he rejected the right, Hesed, and did not appreciate it. It is written about it, “Silver counted for nothing in the days of Solomon.”

842) For this reason, the more one praises the Creator, right, the more peace he brings above. This is why it is written, “Listen, Laishah,” the Nukva, when she is remote from the Creator, right. It is written about it, “The lion [Heb: Laish] is lost without prey.” Laish and Laishah are like Hok [law] and Hukkah [constitution]. They have the same meaning. “Lost,” as it is written, “And they who were lost shall come,” meaning lost. Oved [lost] means Ne'evad [also lost]. “Without prey,” since the Nukva demands of ZA to give, as it is written, “She rises while it is still night and gives prey to her household.”

843) “And the whelps of the lion shall part,” since all the armies, the angels that spread out from her when she gives them prey, unite as one and nurse together. When she sits without prey because of the exile, the whelps of the lion will certainly part, meaning that her armies part to several directions and paths to find a place to execute judgment.

Hence, while the offering is sacrificed, all are corrected and draw near together. And during the exile, when the offering is not sacrificed, the sons of the lion part. For this reason, there is not a day without Din in it, since the upper ones and lower ones do not awaken in the completeness of the upper one.

844) Now, during the exile, a man’s prayer evokes wholeness above and below. In the blessings that he blesses the Creator, upper ones and lower ones are blessed. Hence by the prayer of Israel, the worlds are blessed. One who blesses the Creator will be blessed; one who does not bless the Creator is not blessed.

A Cup of Blessing

845) The cup of blessing should be received with both hands, the right and the left, and to bless. The cup of blessing requires a cup, as it is written, “I will raise my cup of salvation,” the Nukva, since blessings from the salvations above extend in this cup, and the cup, the Nukva, receives them and collects them to it. There the upper wine, the illumination of the left in Bina, is kept and collected in a cup.

For this reason, it must be blessed with the right and the left, and the wine that is gathered in the cup, as well as the cup, are blessed together. The wine is illumination of the left from Bina, and the cup is the Nukva. The table, Nukva, must be blessed that it will not be devoid of bread and wine, and it is all one since the wine is illumination of Hochma in the left, and the bread is Hassadim from the right, and they must bond as one.

846) The assembly of Israel, the Nukva, is a cup of blessing. Since it is a cup of blessing, the right and left hands are required to receive it, since a cup is placed in the right and left hands, Hassadim and Hochma. It must be filled with wine from the wine of Torah, which is illumination of Hochma in the left, which comes out of the next world, Bina.

847) High things appear in the cup of blessing; the meaning of the holy Merkava [assembly] appears, meaning HG TM, since a cup of blessings must be received with the right and the left, north and south, HG. The cup of blessing receives blessing from them, and a cup of blessings is the bed of Solomon, Malchut, which must be placed between the north and the south, HG. It must be placed closer to the right, and the body of the one who blesses, Tifferet, must be corrected with them. He should look at the cup, bless it with four blessings, since it is written, “The eyes of the Lord are always upon her.” It follows that in a cup of blessing, which is faith, are north, south, east, and west, HG TM, and thus you have a holy Merkava.

848) The table with bread is so that the bread below, the Nukva, will be blessed. The “bread of affliction,” the Nukva when she lacks Hassadim, will be blessed and become “bread of pleasure” when her Hochma clothes in Hassadim. At that time, she is called “bread of pleasure.”

It follows that the assembly of Israel, the Nukva, is blessed above, in the four directions of the world, HG TM above, and NH below. The cup of blessing causes King David—the Nukva above the Chazeh—to bond with the fathers, HGT, since from here she takes Hochma. He will be blessed below, too, from NHY, and he has Hassadim, as well, meaning that man’s table will be blessed and there will always be bread in it.

The Barn of the Lycium

850) “And they came to the barn of the lycium.” The barn of the lycium is the governance of Egypt that was removed in favor of the governance of Israel, since they saw a barn, which implies to the governance of Israel, as it is written, “Wearing garments in the barn.” This is why it is written, “And they lamented there with a very great and sorrowful lamentation.”

851) Hence, he called its name, “Mourning-Egypt.” Certainly, the mourning was from Egypt, since their governance has been removed. Here, too, the cries are not for the Jews, although Jews were dying there. This is because those Jews, if they were Jews, they would not be killed. And when they die, the Creator atones their sins.

852) Although Jacob’s soul went out in Egypt, it did not leave in another’s authority, that of the Sitra Achra, since from the day the world has been created, no bed has been as whole as the bed of Jacob, whose every son was kosher [worthy/pure/qualified]. When he passed away from the world, his soul promptly connected to her place.

Jacob’s Embalming

853) When Jacob entered the cave, all the smells in the Garden of Eden were in the cave, and there was light in the cave, since a candle was burning there. When the patriarchs came to Jacob, to Egypt, to be with him, the candlelight departed from the cave. When Jacob came into the cave, the candle returned to it and the cave was completed with everything it should.

854) Through all the days of the world, the cave did not receive another person, nor will it receive. After their demise, the souls of the righteous pass inside the cave before the fathers so they will awaken and see the seed that they left in the world, and will rejoice before the Creator.

855) What was the embalming of Jacob? It is written, “And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Israel.” Is it possible that this embalming was as the embalming of the rest of the people? Is it because of the way—that they had to delay him—that they did it? Yet, it is written, “And Joseph died ... and he was embalmed and placed inside a coffin in Egypt.” Even though they did not go on the road with him, for he was buried there, they embalmed him.

856) The conduct of kings is that to keep the body from rotting, they are embalmed in the anointing oil, the highest of all the oils, mixed with perfumes. That good oil is absorbed in the body day by day for forty days. After this is through, the body persists for many days.

857) Because this entire land of Canaan and the whole of the land of Egypt consume the body and decay it more quickly than all other lands, it is practiced so as to keep the body. This embalming is performed in the interior of the body and in the exterior, since this oil is placed on the navel and enters the insides of the body through the navel, being swallowed in his intestines, sustaining the body for many days.

858) So was Jacob in the persistence of the body, and so it should be, since it is a body of the patriarchs, and the patriarchs are HG, two hands, and Tifferet, the body, and this was in the keeping of the soul and the body. Joseph is like the body, since Joseph is a covenant, and the covenant and the body are one in the keeping of the body and the soul. It is written about the keeping of the body, “And he was embalmed.” It is written about the persistence of the soul, “And [he was] placed inside a coffin in Egypt.” The meaning of the upper coffin, the Nukva, is that his soul was connected to there.

And Placed Inside a Coffin in Egypt

859) It writes, “placed” with two Yods [plural of Yod]. Joseph kept the covenant for him above and below, meaning he was a Merkava [chariot/assembly] for Yesod ZA. Hence, when he parted from the world, he was placed inside two coffins, a coffin below and a coffin above. It is written about the coffin above, “Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth.” This is so because the ark above, Divinity, is called “a covenant,” for only one who keeps the covenant will inherit it. And because Joseph kept the covenant, he was placed inside two coffins.

860) “And placed inside a coffin in Egypt.” This text implies that even though his soul departed in another authority—the Sitra Achra—she was tied to Divinity, as it is written, “And placed inside a coffin,” a coffin above and a coffin below. This is so because he was righteous, and any righteous inherits the holy land, the upper one, Divinity, as it is written, “And Your people are all righteous.”