She Who Had Borne Seven Is Miserable

174. People should be so careful of their iniquities and engage in their master’s will, since there were seven righteous ones in Israel who grew strong in the Creator wholeheartedly, and they are truly the seven pillars of the world: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and David. In their days, the right prevailed in the world over the left, and Israel over the nations of the world.

175. After the seven righteous ones were completed, seven true courthouses stood from the left side, who were all idol-worshipers. As the friends have commented, the Land of Israel was not ruined until the seven courthouses and those who came from them committed idol-worship. These were Yerav’am [Jeroboam] son of Navat, Baasha son of Ahia, Ahav son of Omri, Yehu son of Nimshi, Pekach son of Remalyahu, Menachem son of Gadi, Hosea son of Ellah. This is why it is written, “She who had borne seven is miserable,” which is the holy land that gave birth to those seven.

176. When the son does not do his father’s will, it is upon his mother to strike him and to lead him on the straight path, as it is written, “The words of King Lemuel, a burden with which his mother chastised him.” His mother is Bet Sheva, the mother of Solomon, the Malchut. It is not written, “whose father chastised him,” since Malchut was appointed over the house, and all the treasures and tools of battle were given to her, and she must lead her children on the straight path, so they will do the king’s will.

And for not leading those seven kings on the straight path, and for not striking them, they leaned to the left side and the left ruled over the right, and she went with them into exile. This is the meaning of the words “She who had borne seven is miserable.”

177. The first among them, Yerav’am [Jeroboam] awakened in the world to the side of he left, and made two calves. A calf is from the side of the ox, on the left, and in his work for them, he strengthened the side of the left over the right. They were two, since there are two forces in the left, male and female on the left, who come from the ox. At that time, the moon, Malchut, began to wane until those seven kings from the left side were filled. When Hosea son of Ellah came, who is the seventh, the moon, Malchut, was diminished and Israel were exiled, and the Shechina along with them.

178. They number seven because the assembly of Israel, Malchut, ascends in seven Sefirot HGT NHYM, and descends in seven Sefirot. She is completed in seven and blemished in seven. In seven, she is completed with faith, that the righteous who cling to her are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David, corresponding to the seven Sefirot in her. She is blemished in seven, the seven courthouses that committed idol-worship and Malchut was exiled from the holy land.

179. Those seven courthouses had twelve wicked sons, and then twelve supporters of Malchut above were broken corresponding to them, which are the twelve tribes around the Shechina, who are the four of the Merkava, each of which consists of three lines, and they are twelve. Israel went into exile, but ten kings waited for the tribe of Judah, since they are ten kings from Rehavam [Rehoboam] to Yehoyachin [Jehoiachin].

180. As long as there were no ten wicked kings in Jerusalem of below, it was not ruined and the Creator did not depart from it, and from Jerusalem of above, which is the tenth Sefira, which is also called seventh, Malchut.

These are the ten kings below: Rehavam, Avia, Yehoram, Ahazyahu, Ahaz, Menashe, Amon, Yehoahaz, Yehoyakim, Yehoyachin. When the tenth among them was bad and did not adhere to the Torah, he gave room for the left side to govern him and Jerusalem, and then the Shechina departed and Israel who were in Jerusalem were exiled.

This is why it is written, “Woe unto us for the day has set.” This is high mercy, called “day.” “The shadows of the evening are lengthening” is the left side, which began to rule, since from here, from the evening, comes the strength to the left side.

181. Solomon is in the middle, between the right, his father David, and the left, the ten kings from Rehavam his son and below. Solomon’s wisdom transcended in the right, in faith, more than all the people in the world, since his mother taught him, and in his days, the moon, Malchut, was in its full. It is written, “For he was wiser than all men,” since the Temple was built, Malchut, who is called bottom Hochma.

182. At the end of his days, the moon, Malchut, began to wane. At that time, it is written, “And Solomon did that which was bad in the eyes of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord like his father David.” “Did not fully follow,” did not complete everything he should have completed after David, who is from among those seven pillars that strengthened the right over the left. Solomon did not fill the moon after the Lord like his father David; rather, she was diminished.

183. This is why we do not count Solomon, not with those seven righteous ones, the pillar of the world, and not with those who rebelled against their master, with the ten kings, but in the middle, between David, from the seven pillars of the world on the right, and the ten kings on the left side, since he is complete from the right side, and flawed from the left side.

184. This is why it is written, “I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.” Because the right was better and the left was flawed, he should have torn the right from the left. This is the meaning of the king tearing his royal garment, since the word “kingdom,” “kingship” [Malchut], was said about Solomon, who is called the mother of Solomon, and this is Bat Sheva. “And [I will] give it to your servant,” to the left side.

This is why it is written, “Under a slave when he becomes king,” and it is written, “and a handmaid that inherits her mistress.” That servant was given the kingship only from here, as it is written, “And [I will] give it to your servant,” and then the handmaid began to rule.

185. In the beginning, it is written, “torn,” and then “I will tear,” since torn means a little bit, that he was torn from himself, since at that time, the moon, Malchut, began to wane. Afterwards, “I will tear,” when Malchut disappears in exile.

The Creator is destined to restore the Shechina to her place, and Israel to their place, and to avenge against those who are on the left side, who afflicted Israel, as it is written, “And saviors will climb Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau.” “Saviors will come” are the righteous, Yesod, and the assembly of Israel, Malchut. Mount Zion is the right, and to judge the mountain of Esau is the left.