86. And They Built Arei Miskenot

I heard from my father, Shevat 3, January 31, 1941

The writing says (Exodus 1): “And they built for Pharaoh Arei Miskenot,¹ Pithom and Raamses.” We should ask, “Pithom and Raamses means that they are beautiful cities, while the words Arei Miskenot imply poverty and meagerness [see footnote], and they also imply danger!” And we must also understand what Abraham the Patriarch asked, “And he said … ‘How will I know that I will inherit it?’” (Genesis 15:8). What did the Creator reply? It is written, “And He said unto Abram: Know for certain that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them, and they shall afflict them four hundred years.”

The literal meaning is hard to understand, since the question was that he wanted guarantees on the inheritance, and there is no apparent guarantee in the Creator’s answer, that your seed will be in exile, but it seems that this was a sufficient answer for him. Moreover, we see that when Abraham had an argument with the Creator regarding the people of Sodom, he had a long argument with the Creator, and he kept saying “perhaps.” Here, however, when the Creator said that his seed would be in exile, he immediately accepted it as a sufficient answer and did not argue or say, “perhaps?” Instead, he accepted it as a guarantee for the inheritance of the land.

We must understand this answer, and we must also understand what The Zohar interprets about the verse “Pharaoh brought near.” It interprets that he drew them toward repentance. Can it be that wicked Pharaoh would want to draw them toward repentance?

In order to understand all that, we must understand what our sages said (Sukkah 52a): “Rabbi Yehuda says, ‘At the end of days, the Creator brings the evil inclination and slaughters it before the righteous and before the wicked. To the righteous, it seems like a high mountain. To the wicked, it seems as a thread of a hairsbreadth. These cry and those cry. The righteous cry and say ‘How could we conquer such a high mountain?’ and the wicked cry and say ‘How could we not conquer this hairsbreadth?’’”

This verse is perplexing through and through:

1. If the evil inclination has already been slaughtered, how are there still wicked?

2. Why do the righteous cry? Quite the contrary, they should have been happy!

3. How can there be two opinions in reality when they have both arrived at the state of truth? This verse speaks of the end of days, which is certainly a state of truth, so how can there be such a difference in reality between a hairsbreadth and a high mountain?

He explains this with the words of our sages (there): “Rabbi Assi says, ‘In the beginning, the evil inclination seems like a spiderweb, and in the end, it seems like cart-ropes,’ as was said, ‘Woe unto them who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as though with a cart rope’” (Isaiah 5).

There is a great rule we must know. Our work, which was given to us to be based on faith above reason, is not because we are unworthy of a high degree. Hence, this was given to us so as to take it all in a Kli [vessel] of faith. It appears to us as ignominy and worthlessness, and we are anxious for the time we can rid ourselves of this burden called “faith above reason.” However, it is a great and very important degree, whose exaltedness is immeasurable.

The reason it appears to us as ignominy is because of the will to receive in us. We must discern a Rosh [head] and a Guf [body] in the will to receive. The Rosh is called “knowing,” and the Guf is called “receiving.” Because of this, we consider anything that is against knowing as low and beastly.

Now we can interpret what Abraham the Patriarch asked of the Creator: “How will I know that I will inherit it?” For how will they be able to accept the burden of faith, since it is against reason, and who can go against reason? Thus, how will they come to be granted the light of faith, since perfection depends on this alone?

The Creator answered him about this: “Know for certain, etc., that they will be in exile.” This means that He prepared a Klipa [shell], which is the evil inclination, an evil person, Pharaoh king of Egypt. The letters of the word Pharaoh are like the letters of the word Oref [back of the neck], as the ARI wrote (Shaar HaKavanot for Pesach) that Pharaoh is considered the Oref, the narrow in the sea. He would suck out the abundance that comes to the lower ones with his question (Exodus 5:2), “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” By this very question, they are in the hands of the Klipot [shells], as the Maimonides says (Hilchot Deot) regarding not turning to idol gods, that with this approach alone, meaning with the very question, the prohibition on turning to them is broken.

The evil inclination wishes to suck abundance from the Kedusha [holiness]. Thus, what does it do to suck abundance from the Kedusha? The writing tells us, “and Pharaoh brought near.” The Zohar interprets that he brought them near to repentance. It asked how can we say that Pharaoh brought them close to repentance if the conduct of the Klipot is to turn one away from the Creator.

We must understand this by what is written in The Zohar (“Introduction of The Book of Zohar,” p 41 [in Hebrew]): “Transgression is concealed within you, like the serpent that strikes and hides its head inside its body.” Also, in the Sulam [“Ladder” commentary on The Zohar]: “Like, etc. Since that transgression is concealed, the force of the serpent that strikes the people of the world and brings death to the world is still in all its power and cannot be revoked. It is like a serpent that bites a person and immediately puts its head in its body, and then it is impossible to kill it.”

There is yet another saying in The Zohar—that the serpent bows its head and strikes with its tail. This means that sometimes it lets one take upon himself the burden of faith, which is above reason, which is the bowing of the head, but it strikes with its tail. The tail can be interpreted as “the end,” that it bowed its head so as to ultimately receive in order to receive. In other words, it first gave one permission to take upon himself faith so that afterward it would take everything into its own authority, for the Klipa [shell/peel] knows that there is no way to receive abundance except through Kedusha [holiness].

This is the meaning of Pharaoh bringing them near. It is explained that he deliberately brought Israel to repentance, so as to afterward take everything from them into his own authority. This is why the ARI wrote that Pharaoh sucked all the abundance that came down to the lower ones. He sucked from the Oref and from the throat, which is considered the beginning of the body, meaning he would take everything in his vessels of reception.

This is the meaning of “And they built Arei Miskenot,” meaning that this was for Israel. In other words, all their work during the exile was taken into Pharaoh’s custody, and Israel remained poor, for Miskena means poor.

We should also interpret Miskenot from the word Sakana [danger], meaning that they were in great danger of remaining in that state for the rest of their lives. However, to Pharaoh, the work of Israel was Pithom and Raamses, meaning very beautiful cities.

Thus, the meaning of “And they built Arei Miskenot”—to Israel, and to Pharaoh—Pithom and Raamses. This is because all the work of Israel fell into the Klipot, and they saw no blessing in their work.

When they prevailed in their work in faith and bestowal, they did see fertility. And the moment they fell into knowing and receiving, they fell into the hands of the Klipa of Pharaoh. Finally, they came to a determined resolution that the work must be in faith above reason and in bestowal.

However, they saw that they were unable to come out of Pharaoh’s power by themselves. This is why it is written, “And the children of Israel sighed from the work,” since they feared that they might stay in exile forever. Then, “their cry came up unto God,” and they were rewarded with emerging from the exile in Egypt.

It turns out that before they saw the situation—that they are in the hands of the Klipot, and were hurting and afraid that they would remain there forever—they had no need for the Creator’s help from vessels of reception, if they do not feel the shortcoming and detriment caused by them, that this is all that obstructs them from adhering to the Creator. This is because otherwise one has a higher regard for work in the form of knowledge and reception, and faith is considered lowliness. They prefer knowledge and reception since this is what man’s exterior mind necessitates.

Hence, they were given the exile, to feel that they do not progress in nearing the Creator, and all their work sinks in the Klipa of Egypt. Finally, they saw that they had no other choice but to take upon themselves the work of lowliness, which is faith above reason, and yearn for bestowal. Otherwise, they feel that they are in the domain of the Sitra Achra [other side].

It turns out that the faith that they took upon themselves was because they saw that otherwise they would have no counsel, and hence agreed to a work of lowliness. This is called “conditional work,” that they accepted this work so they would not fall into the net of the Klipot. This is why they had taken upon themselves this work.

However, if the reason is revoked, the love for this work is revoked, too. This means that if the evil inclination is canceled, and there is nothing that brings them thoughts of not turning to idol gods, then the love for the work in lowliness is canceled.

Now we can understand what our sages wrote: “In the beginning, the evil inclination seems like a spiderweb, and in the end, it seems like cart-ropes.” We know that there is a discernment of “coercive,” “mistaken,” and “deliberate.” The will to receive that is imprinted in man is considered “coercive,” since one cannot revoke it, and it is therefore not considered a sin, but an iniquity, as it is written, “Woe unto them who draw iniquity with cords of vanity.” It cannot be rejected or hated, since he does not feel that it will be a sin.

However, afterward, it becomes a “sin, as it was with cart-ropes,” and the Klipot were then made of this will to receive, which have a complete structure, as in “God has made one opposite the other.” This is where the evil inclination comes from, meaning everything comes from this hairsbreadth.

Since it has already been revealed that it is a sin, then everyone knows to guard themselves from this hairsbreadth, and they understand that there is no other choice if they want to enter Kedusha, except to resolve to work in lowliness, meaning faith and bestowal. Otherwise, they see that they are under the control of the Klipa of Pharaoh, King of Egypt.

It follows that the benefit from the exile was that they would feel that the will to receive is a sin, and this is the reason to decide that there is no other choice but to try and acquire vessels of bestowal. This is the meaning of the Creator’s answer to Abraham the Patriarch about his request for guarantees for the inheritance of the land: “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers, etc., and they shall afflict them.” Through the exile they would come to discover the hairsbreadth, which is a sin, and then they would accept the real work in order to detach themselves from the sin.

This is the meaning of what Rabbi Yehuda said, that in the future, death shall be swallowed up forever, meaning the Creator will slaughter the evil inclination, and all that will be left of it is but a hairsbreadth, which is not even felt as a sin (The hairsbreadth is something that cannot be seen with the eye).

Yet, some wicked and righteous do remain, and they all want to adhere to Him. The wicked have not yet corrected their hairsbreadth, when the evil inclination still existed, and they could feel that it is a sin. Now, however, when there is no evil inclination, all that is left is but a hairsbreadth, so they have no reason to make them turn their vessels of reception into vessels of bestowal, since a hairsbreadth is unfelt. But nevertheless, they cannot adhere to Him because there is disparity of form, and He and I cannot dwell in the same abode.

Their correction is to be dust under the feet of the righteous. This means that since the evil inclination has been canceled, the righteous have no reason to have to go with faith above reason. Hence, since they have no reason, who would make them?

They see that the wicked are left with the hairsbreadth and did not correct the hairsbreadth while there was evil inclination, and it was the time to correct it since then the will to receive was evidently a sin, whereas now it does not seem like a sin, but like a hairsbreadth. Hence, if there is no reason, there is no place to correct.

Yet, there is also no place for Dvekut [adhesion], since the disparity of form remains, and all their correction is that the righteous walk on them. This means that they now see that there is no fear from the network of the Klipot since the evil inclination has been slaughtered.

Thus, why do they now have to work in faith above reason? Now they see that the wicked cannot reach Dvekut because now they have no reason, meaning an evil inclination that will be distinguished as a sin, yet they remain outside for there is still disparity of form.

Hence, when the righteous see this, they understand how good it was for them that they had a reason to work in bestowal. They thought they were engaged in bestowal only because of the evil inclination, but they see that the sin they saw was for their own good. In other words, this is the real work, and it is not because of fear of falling into the hands of the Klipot that they do this work. The evidence of this is that they see that the wicked, who did not correct the hairsbreadth, now they have no reason to, and they remain outside and cannot come to Dvekut with the Creator.

It follows that the righteous receive the strength to go from strength to strength through the wicked, the wicked have become dust under the feet of the righteous, and the righteous walk on the discernments that remain as wicked.

Hence, in retrospect, specifically this work is important. And it is not because of coercion, as it seemed to them before while they had the evil inclination. Now they see that even without the evil inclination, it is worthwhile to work in bestowal and faith.

Regarding “these cry and those cry,” it is known that weeping is Katnut [smallness/infancy], VAK. There is a difference between GAR and VAK. Mochin de VAK illuminate from the past, meaning they take sustenance and light from what they experienced in the past. Mochin de GAR, however, shine in the present by uniting the Zivug [coupling].

This is the meaning of the righteous crying and saying, “How could we conquer such a high mountain?” Now they see what was prior to the slaughtering of the evil inclination, that its dominion was indeed great, as it is written, “God has made one opposite the other,” and they received great mercy from the Creator, Who gave them the power to win the war against the inclination, and now they rejoice in the miracle that they had then, meaning in the past. This is called Mochin de Katnut.

The wicked cry because now they have no way to adhere to Him, even though now they see that it is only a hairsbreadth. But since now there is no evil inclination, they have no reason to turn the vessels of reception to bestowal; they can only see that they are outside; this is why they cry.

However, their correction is in becoming dust under the feet of the righteous. In other words, by the righteous seeing that although now there is no evil inclination, the wicked still cannot attain Dvekut, they say about their thought that they had to follow the path of bestowal only because of the evil inclination, they see that this is the real vessel. This means that even if there were no evil inclination, this path is still true, that the path of faith is a wonderful path.

Now we understand why wicked remain after the slaughtering of the evil inclination; it is so that they will become dust under the feet of the righteous. If no wicked would remain, there would not be anyone to show this great thing, that the path of faith is not because of conditional love. That is, it is not because of the evil inclination that we should follow the path of faith, but this is unconditional love, since now there is no longer any evil inclination, and still, only through faith can we attain Dvekut with the Creator.

I heard on another occasion: The reason we need faith specifically is the pride within us, for then it is difficult for us to accept faith. This means that although faith is an exalted and wonderful degree, which the lower one cannot attain and understand its preciousness and sublimity, it is only because of our pride, meaning the will to receive. We imagine it as low and beastly, and for this reason we were given the evil person.

And I heard on another occasion: We see that when we do not want to accept faith, we fall from our state. We rise and fall each time until we resolve that we have no other choice but to set faith permanently. This was in order to receive faith, and this is “And they built Arei Miskenot” (for Israel), for Pharaoh.