The Calf

59) Who are the people? They are the mixed multitude. And who are the mixed multitude? Were the ones called “mixed multitude” from Lod, Kush, Caphtor, or Togarmah? They were Egyptians who came out of Egypt. Had they been a mixed multitude of many nations, it should have said, “A great multitude arose with them, Lods, Kushes, etc.,” according to their nations.

60) But the writing says, “And a mixed multitude went up also with them,” without specifying the names of the nations, since they were one nation and one language. But they were all of Egypt’s sorcerers and magicians, for it is written about them, “And they also, the magicians of Egypt, did,” meaning they wished to rise against the wonders of the Creator and show that they, too, can do like Him. Since they saw the miracles and wonders Moses had done in Egypt, they returned to Moses. The Creator said to Moses, “Do not accept them.” Moses said, “Dear Lord, since they saw your powers, they wish to convert; they will see your power every day and will know that there is no other God but You.” Thus, Moses accepted them.

61) Why did he call them “mixed multitude”? Indeed, all the magicians were of Egypt, headed by Yonos and Yambros. In the hours of the day, after six hours, they would always perform their magic. And all these high magicians would look, and when the sun began to set, at six and a half, they would perform their magic until the beginning of the hour nine and a half, meaning the big evening, which is the time of great Minchah. All the small magicians would perform their magic from nine and a half through midnight.

62) The highest among them would look from the time the sun began to set. This is so because then 995 degrees begin to roam over the mountains of darkness, and their spirits wander over all those magicians in their magic. And these can do anything they wish, until all the Egyptians put their trust in them. And they are called “mixed multitude” because there is mixed handful, which is from the hour nine and a half and down. Thus, they are two mixtures, which is why it is said, “And a mixed multitude went up also with them.”

63) The mixed multitude had great wisdom. They would look at the hours of the day, and they would look at the degree of Moses, and they saw on all sides, Moses was on six; on the first six hours of the day, which they could not control, on the six upper degrees, to which Moses was holding, and on all sides, he was in the sixth, that is he was made of the six edges HGT NHY. And on the six crowns of the six hours of the day, HGT NHY, he was destined to climb off the mountains, as it is written, “Moses delayed [also, “on six,” in Hebrew] to come down from the mount.”

64) Promptly, “The people gathered themselves together unto Aaron,” to be included in the right side, since the left emerges from the right. But they wanted the left from him, not the right. But to be included in the right, in the place from which he came out, they gathered unto Aaron, who is right, Hesed, and said to him, “Come, make us a god.”

65) As long as Moses was in Egypt, he did not mention the name God, but only the name HaVaYaH [Lord]. This is why Pharaoh said, “I know not the Lord,” since there would be no strength to the Sitra Achra, so it would not grow strong in the world, since the Sitra Achra, too, is called other gods. Now the mixed multitude wanted the power of the left, called “God,” as it is written, “Come, make us a God.” “Us,” said the mixed multitude, we need this thing to strengthen our side, which has thus far been rejected because Moses did not mention the name “God.”

66) This is what they said: “We saw that you, Israel, have all the bounty and treasures of the world, while we are expelled. This is because for you, ‘And the Lord went before them by day.’ We, too, wish it, meaning gods that will walk before us as the Lord walks before you, since there is permission to our side to walk before us, too, if we perform the deed with the calf for it.”

67) All the clouds of glory that were walking in the desert were covering only Israel. And that glorified cloud, as it is written, “And the Lord went before them by day,” was walking before them. And the mixed multitude and all the beasts of sheep and cattle were walking last, outside the camp. During the whole of the forty years that Israel walked in the desert, no filth and dirt reached from the clouds inwards. Hence, the sheep and the cattle, which were grass eaters, were outside, as well as all those who were keeping them.

68) Thus, did the mixed multitude not eat from the manna? They certainly did, but of what Israel gave them. It was as one gives to one’s slave. They ate from the extract, what was left after the mill, the waste. And the text declares and says, “And the children of Israel did eat the manna forty years,” the children of Israel, and not another. “And when the children of Israel saw it, they said… ‘What is it?’” and not the rest of the mixed multitude, the sheep, and the cattle with which they were.

69) Thus far, the mixed multitude were surrendering. Now they rose and asked to strengthen the Sitra Achra. They said, “Either we are all one nation, and we are included with you, Israel, or we will have someone to walk before us, as your God walks before you.” Aaron said, God forbid that they should partake in the holy nation, that they will all be one collective. The holy nation will not mingle with this nation into one collective. Rather, it is best to separate them from the holy nation until Moses comes.

70) And Aaron meant well. But there were many from Israel who sympathized with the mixed multitude in their hearts. And for this reason, when Moses came, he had to sort out and cleanse the holy people from that sin, and gave them a potion until they were all sorted and there was no waste among them whatsoever.

71) “And Aaron said unto them: ‘Break off the golden rings.’” Did they have no other gold besides the golden rings? However, Aaron said, while they are fighting with their wives and children they will be delayed, and in the meanwhile Moses will come. We learned that the gentiles are as hard for Israel as psoriasis on the flesh. These mixed multitudes were not proper proselytes. What did they do? “And all the people broke off the golden rings which were in their ears.” Indeed, there were tens of thousands of rings from the rings of the mixed multitude.

72) It is written, “And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool.” Aaron was not careful from those two sages at the head of the mixed multitude. One of them was before him and the other was performing his magic. Since they had contrived together, they took that gold, two thirds in the hands of one and a third in the hands of the other, since so it should be in this kind of magic.

73) Rabbi Shimon wept and said, “Alas, the holy righteous, Aaron, the Messiah of the Holy God, with your righteousness, several of the holy nation fell and you did not know how to beware.” What did they do? When the sixth hour arrived and the day was even, meaning at noon, when the sun is in the middle of the sky and leans neither to the east nor to the west, like the balance pivot on the scale, they took the gold that they had taken off their ears, since one who wishes to make magic should not spare fortunes. They said, “Ours is the hour. If we do not restrain ourselves, it is not the time to spare the gold.” Promptly, “And all the people broke off.” “Broke off,” as it is written, “Rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks,” since they damaged and broke their ears.

74) “Then his master shall bring him unto God.” An ear that heard on Mount Sinai, “For unto Me the children of Israel are servants,” and cast off itself the burden of the kingdom of heaven and sold itself to another, will be pierced. And these transgressors, wicked ones, evil people, with their yearning to return to their bad ways, did not ask their wives and sons, but damaged their own ears. They damaged the ears that heard on Mount Sinai, “Thou shall have no other gods before Me,” which is worse than selling oneself to slavery. And they cast away from themselves the burden of the kingdom of heaven that Moses had commanded them and broke their ears and revealed that they had no share in the Holy Name and in the holy nation.

75) What did they do? They divided that gold between the two of them, Yonos and Yambros. One took two thirds and one took a third. They rose against the sun in the sixth hour of the day, performed their magic and enchanted with their witchcraft, with magic of the mouth. Since the beginning of the seventh hour arrived, they both raised their hands on Aaron’s hands, as it is written, “And he received it at their hand,” and they were not more than two, Yonos and Yambros. When he received it from their hands, a voice came out and said, “My hand upon it! The evil man shall not be unpunished,” as it is written, “That they are set on evil.” In other words, “And Aaron said: ‘thou knows the people, that they are set on evil,’” for they brought evil to the world.

The hands are considered GAR, extended from above downwards. Because he took from their hands, they could apply force to pulling Hochma from above downwards, which is the form of the ox of the Sitra Achra, while he took from the earth, which is VAK, from below upwards, and nothing extended from there to the Sitra Achra.

76) These wicked and sinners and sorcerers were the sons of evil Balaam, the grandchildren of wicked Laban. They saw that a cup of blessing, Malchut, was on the right and always gains strength from the right, from Hesed, and said, “If the Rosh [head] of the right, Aaron, were to be on the side of Sitra Achra, power and might would be ours, as it should be. The Sitra Achra extends from the left, meaning they wish to extend illumination of the left from above downwards. And their weakness is only because they do not have illumination of Hassadim, since there is no Hassadim in the left. This is why here they wanted to extend illumination of Hassadim by joining Aaron to them, meaning Hesed.

77) Since the seventh hour of the day arrived, they immediately gave to Aaron. Had he told them, “Put the gold on the ground first, and I will take it from the ground,” they would not have been able to affect anything with their magic. But he took it from their hands. And the text is angry and says, “And he received it at their hand.” See what Aaron did, a prophet, a sage did not know how to beware. Had he taken from the ground, all the magic in the world would not have succeeded. But the reason they succeeded with their deed was because he took it from their hands and not from the ground.

78) The meaning is not as people think, that he made drawings with dividers or with something else. Rather, the text comes to prove that Aaron did not know how to beware, for if he had thrown the gold to the ground when he took it from their hands, even if he would later take it off the ground, this evil deed would not have succeeded. But there was ill help in everything, for he took the gold and hid it from the eye. It is interpreted that he “fashioned it with a graving tool,” meaning bundled it in a sheet. Evil following evil—one is that he took it from their hands, and the other is that he did not throw it to the ground after he took it from their hands, and the third is that he bundled it with a graving tool and hid it from the eye. “And fashioned it with a graving tool” means that he put all the gold in one pocket and kept it from being seen by the eye. Then everything rose and became a fact.

79) In The Book of Hanoch, I found that an only son will be born to the Rosh [head] of the white, meaning Aaron, who was born from the side of Hesed, whose root is called “the Rosh of the white.” And when those who are from the flesh of asses come to him, meaning the mixed multitude, of whom it was said, “Whose flesh is as the flesh of asses,” they will mislead him, inserting jewels inside bells of gold, without his Daat [reason or the Sefira], and forming a shape with the graving tool, Enosh’s graving tool, which is the pen of evil Enosh, who misled the people.

There are two discernments in Malchut: Achoraim [posterior] and Panim [anterior]. In Achoraim, she is all left without any right, Hochma without Hassadim. In Panim, she is all right without left, Hassadim without Hochma. Hence, the Sitra Achra is removed from sanctity because the Sitra Achra is left, and therefore cannot nourish from the Panim of Malchut, since there is no left there at all. And they cannot nourish off the Achoraim of the Malchut because it is dark there and without any light, since Hochma without Hassadim does not shine.

Therefore, the mixed multitude, who are the magicians of Egypt, rebelled against holiness and gathered over Aaron, who is from the right side—Hesed. They said to him, “Make us gods,” so they will walk before us. God is the name of the left, whose place is in the Achoraim of Malchut. And they asked him to correct them to being at the Panim so they would have Hassadim, as it is written, “Who shall go before us,” in the Panim, and then they, too, will be able to suck from him.

As HaVaYaH is the God of Malchut de Hassadim in the form of Panim, as it is written, “And the Lord went before them,” the discernment of left would be in the form of Panim, and then they, too, will be able to receive from him. This means that there is permission to our Sitra Achra to walk before us, meaning in the Panim, if we summon for them the deed with the calf. It is written, “Thus they exchanged their glory for the likeness of an ox,” since they traded their glory, Malchut that was in the form of Panim, Hassadim, for a calf—left line—and abandoned the correction of the Panim of the Nukva.

Jewels are the discernments of the Masach de Malchut, which shines in the right line, called “jewel.” “Bells of gold” are considered left. And since it concerns the Sitra Achra, he calls them “bells,” for their content is as empty as bells. And the mixed multitude misled Aaron, inserting these jewels that shine in Hassadim into bells, which are the dark left. And they shine and can then suck from the left.

Now you can understand that the appointee is from holiness, and hence consists of right and left, and is therefore appointed over the left and over the red jewels on the right. Hence, those who follow the Sitra Achra serve it and offer sacrifices, to find the place where jewels and gold are together, so they can suck from the left.

80) This is the clarification: When Enosh was misleading the world to perform idolatry with his pen, he was taking notes of all the forms and idol worshipping with that pen. This is why it writes, “Graving tool,” for it indicates to do that with that graving tool. And this is the meaning of the thing.

81) The two meanings of the words “graving tools” were there: The Book of Hanoch and The Zohar. This is so because he certainly threw the gold in the pocket and hid it from the eye, as the magicians say. And so it should be with this kind of magic, for so is this magic done—for a thing that requires disclosure, to be revealed later, first needs a place for hiding and covering. First, it must be concealed from the eye, and then the craftsman lets his craft be shown. Thus, what needs covering later needs to be revealed first.

This is so because “God has made them one opposite the other.” All that exists in the degrees of holiness has its opposite in the Sitra Achra. And the only difference is that the Sitra Achra holds only the two lines, right and left, but they have no middle line. However, they are attached only to the left line. Still, it is impossible to extend left line if the right line had not been drawn first, since that Masach which rises and makes VAK without Rosh in the degree, when it is in the right line, descends and educes GAR in the degree when it is in the left line. Hence, they must first draw the right line, to reveal the GAR on the left line once more.

And know that this Masach, which is raised to the degree so as to diminish it from GAR, when it is in the right line, is called “pen” or “calamus.” Like the “pen of a ready writer,” which measures and reveals the shape of the letters to here and to here through the pen, the Masach that is raised in the right line, to diminish the degree, determines the whole shape of the Gadlut [greatness/adulthood] of the degree that comes out on the left line.

All the forms of the left, applied in idolatry, depend on and emerge from the calamus, which is a Masach that causes the Katnut and diminution in the left line, as it is written, “And fashioned it with a graving tool.” This means that he raised the graving tool, which is the calamus and the Masach, and first shaped it in diminution and concealment of the right line, and then extended the Gadlut of the left of the Sitra Achra, called “calf” or “ox.”

As we said, they cannot disclose the left line and suck from it before they extend the right line first, through raising the Masach, the calamus, to conceal the degree. This is so because the two meanings of the words “graving tool” are one thing. Rashbi interpreted, “Fashioned it with a graving tool” as dropping it in the pocket to conceal it from the eye, meaning to conceal it from the GAR, called “eye.” This means that they first extended the concealment and Katnut [smallness] that are in the right line. It is quite the same with the words of Hanoch. “Fashioned it with a graving tool” is also raising the Masach to conceal and diminish the degree in the right line, by which the Gadlut in the left is later directed.

82) On the side of holiness, the true God, who is the king of the world, was strengthened in three worlds, Beria, Yetzira, and Assiya. And they extended the mixed multitude from all of these three worlds opposite Beria. It is written, “And he received it at their hand,” meaning he took something of which he had nothing thus far, meaning the gold. This indicates the world of Beria, since Beria means something new that was not in it before. And opposite Yetzira, it writes, “And fashioned it with a graving tool.” And opposite Assiya it writes, “And made it a molten calf.” Who in the whole world saw such magicians?

83) Does it not say, “And I threw it into the fire,” and he did nothing more, “And out came this calf”? And now you say, “And made it a molten calf.” However, Aaron certainly did not make the calf, as the writing proves, for it is written, “And he took the calf which they had made.” It does not write, “Which he had made.” But the writing, “And he received it at their hand,” and the words, “And fashioned it” mean that it was all made by Yonos and Yambros. It seems as though Aaron had made it, but had it not been for those two, the calf would not have been made and would not have been crafted. Thus, who caused it to be made? It is those two. While Aaron took from their hands, they were doing their magic and whispering with their mouths, drawing Ruach [also spirit] below, from the Sitra Achra.

84) And they drew two Ruachs together, one from the male and one from the female. The male Ruach clothe in the form of an ox, and the female in the form of an ass. And both were mingled. Why these two? With an ox, we already learned that it is because the first damager of the Sitra Achra is called an “ox.” The ass is because it is written about those Egyptian magicians, “Those who are from the flesh of asses.”

85) Hence all those from Israel who died, connected with the mixed multitude in their hearts. And since there were two forms, ox and ass, it is written, “These are your gods O Israel.” It is not written in singular form because they were two, together. Also, “which brought you up out of the land of Egypt” is in the plural form [in Hebrew].

86) It is written, “And made it a molten calf,” since Aaron said nothing. We learned that it contained 125 Kikarot [talents] of gold. Masecha [mask, but referring to “molten”] is 125 in Gematria. This is so because from the God of holiness to other gods, 120 combinations of God expand, after which begin the other gods. Correspondingly, they took 125 talents—120 opposite the 120 combinations, and five opposite the five letters in Elokim [in Hebrew].

87) Why does it say, “Received it at their hand”? Did they have all 125 talents? Rather, they only took a handful of these talents, but that handful was considered as though they had it all in their hands.

88) It is written, “And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it.” Alas, the holy pious, how good was your will, but you did not know how to beware. When he threw it in the fire, the power of the Sitra Achra intensified in the fire and the shape of the ox emerged, as it is written, “in two extensions of the Sitra Achra—with an ox and with an ass.” Promptly, Aaron saw that the Sitra Achra had grown strong, and he immediately “Built an altar before it.” Had he not built this altar, the world would have reverted to its ruin.

89) Like a robber who emerges to destroy and to kill people, the king’s legion saw that that robber came out with great force. What did that legion do? It convinced the king to set out, and the legion pulled him toward the road where the robber was. While the robber was walking along that road, he saw the form of the king standing before him. When he saw the form of the king, he was startled and retreated.

90) Thus, “When Aaron saw this,” that the Sitra Achra had grown strong, he held to the cure and was strengthened, and extended the holy side and put it before him. When the Sitra Achra saw that the form of the King was before him, he immediately retreated and its strength and assertion weakened, since Aaron had grown strong and the altar, Malchut, intensified and the Sitra Achra weakened.

91) “And Aaron made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord,’” to the Lord, and not to the calf. He made it for the side of holiness, and to the side of holiness he proclaimed and said. This is the cure that he preceded. Had he not done so, the world would not have persisted. Still, His anger with Aaron did not subside, even though he did not mean to do harm.

92) The Creator told him, “Aaron, two magicians pulled you into what they wanted; thus, your two sons will fall, and they will be caught for this sin.” This is the meaning of the words, “Moreover the Lord was very angry with Aaron, to destroy him.” “To destroy him” are his sons, as it is written, “Yet I destroyed his fruit from above,” since man’s fruits are his sons.

93) Aaron put the altar, Malchut, before him, and put the calf, the Sitra Achra, behind him, for the essence of the sin with the calf was that they turned the left, whose place is in the back, and put it in front. Hence, now Aaron returned the holiness to the fore and the calf to the rear. And his sons put the Sitra Achra in the fore and sent the side of holiness back to the rear, similar to the sin of the calf, as it is written, “And offered strange fire before the Lord,” meaning they put the strange fire, the Sitra Achra, before the Creator, ahead. Thus, his sons were caught for this sin of the calf.

94) But Aaron thought that in the meantime, Moses would come. This is why he said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” This is why Moses did not shatter the altar he had made, for had it been as people think, that he built the altar before the calf, then the first thing that Moses would have had to shatter was the altar. As Ido prophesied about the altar of Beit-El, and his prophecy was about the altar in Beit-El. But with Aaron’s altar, this was not so, which is why it is written, “And he took the calf which they had made,” and not “And he shattered the altar.”

95) “And Aaron made a proclamation,” meaning he declared aloud, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” He was the announcer of the judgment. “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord” prophesied in the spirit of the altar, Malchut, on which the judgment is destined to be. “A feast to the Lord” means celebration and shattering, to execute judgment in you.

96) There were three judgments: 1) “And the Lord struck the people”; 2) the sons of Levi, who killed from among Israel; 3) intoxicating Israel. “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” A holiday indicates the killing of the sons of Levi. “To the Lord” indicates “And the Lord struck the people.” “Tomorrow” indicates Moses giving them the ashes of the calf to drink when they went to sleep that night, and were found swollen and dead the next day. He said about that, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” And all the healing that Aaron performed is in what is written, “He built an altar before it.”

97) “He saw the calf and the dancing.” However, it does not say “altar,” since Aaron knew that it is written, “He that sacrifices to the gods, save to the Lord only, shall be utterly destroyed.” Certainly, Aaron was saved by the good advice he had given to himself, to make an altar for the Creator, and all was with complete and good will, for he did not mean harm.

98) Of course this is so, and Israel did not make the calf. But Jeroboam, who made the calves, were Israel, and they made the calf. Jeroboam sinned and caused to sin, which is certainly a bad sin that he did. Moreover, he sinned in Malchut, like the mixed multitude in the sin of the calf.

99) Jeroboam said, “Surely, I know that the side of holiness is present only in the heart of the whole world, and this is Jerusalem. I cannot extend that side of holiness here. What shall I do?” Promptly, “Whereupon the king took counsel.” He took a bad counsel. He said, “After all, the Sitra Achra is immediately drawn to every place, especially in this land, where they wish to be in it. However, they can only clothe in the form of an ox.”

100) But why did he make two calves? Jeroboam said, “In the desert, they were the magicians, of whom it was said, ‘Those who are from the flesh of asses.’” Hence, they extended two Ruachs—an ox and an ass, male and female. But they did not clothe them; rather, they were both in one calf. Here, the same two evil spirits will clothe properly, in the two calves, for they are male and female—the male was in Beit-El and the female was in Dan.

And because it is written, “For the lips of a strange woman drop honey,” Israel were strongly attracted to them, as it is written, “For the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.” Thus, there were two calves in it, and Jeroboam drew them in the holy land, and the iniquity was upon him and upon Israel, and he prevented the blessings from the world. It is written about him, “He who robs his father or his mother,” for he flawed ZON, who are his father and mother.

101) Thus, there were two calves, since the first clothing that the Sitra Achra wears is an ox. Certainly, it is how it should be. And so it is in all the sides, since the beginning of the clothing is small, a calf.

102) Hence, My beloved sons, since they wished to extend the name “God,” the name of Malchut, and the act was built on the side of Malchut, the Holy God—which is Ima, Malchut, who always grips the King’s arm and moves away the strap—was not there. And Moses had to be there in her place, as the Creator hinted to him, and he observed and understood.

103) Thrice He hinted to him: “Alas, Moses, the loyal shepherd”; “How strong you are”; and “How great is your might.” Thrice He hinted to him: 1) “Now let Me alone”; 2) “My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them”; and 3) “And I will make of you a great nation.”

And Moses’ wisdom to hold back the strap was in these three implications. He held His right arm opposite, “Now let Me alone,” which his Hesed. He held the left arm opposite, “My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them,” which is Gevura. He embraced the King’s body opposite, “And I will make of you a great nation,” which is Tifferet. And when he embraced the body with both arms, meaning in all three Sefirot HGT, he could not sway and evoke judgment on any side in the world. This was Moses’ Hochma—from the King’s hints, he recognized in each of them which side will become stronger, and he acted wisely.

104) The friends came and kissed Rabbi Shimon’s hands. They said, “If we had come to the world only to hear this thing, we would have been content.” They wept and said, “Woe unto us. When you depart from the world, who will shine and reveal the lights of Torah?” This thing shines to the top of the heaven and is written in the King’s throne, and the Creator is now delighted about this thing. And how much joy over joy was added before the Holy King? Who will evoke words of wisdom in the world as you do?

105) Before Adam sinned, he rose and stood in the Hochma of the upper illumination, and was not separated from the tree of life. When he intensified his craving to know good and bad and to come down, he followed those of the Sitra Achra until he was separated from the tree of life and knew the bad and left the good. This is why it is written, “For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, no evil dwells with You.” This means that one who follows wickedness cannot dwell with the tree of life, and before they sinned, they heard a voice from above, from Bina, and they knew the upper Hochma but did not see. Since they sinned, they could not even stand in the voice below, from ZON, as it is written, “I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid.”

106) Similarly, before Israel sinned, while they were standing at Mount Sinai, the filth of the serpent was removed from them, since then there was the annulment of the evil inclination in the world and it was repelled from them. At that time, they united in the tree of life, rose to the uppermost degrees, and did not come down. Then they knew and saw the highest visions of ZA; their eyes shone and they were delighted to know and to here. At that time, the Creator girded them with belts of letters of the Holy Name, which are jewels from Mount Horeb, so the serpent would not be able to rule over them and would not defile them as before in Egypt.

107) When they sinned with the calf, all those degrees and upper lights parted from them, and the armed belts they were crowned with by the Holy Name were removed from them. And they extended upon them the evil serpent, as in the beginning, and caused death to the whole world once more. Afterwards, it is written, “And when Aaron and all the sons of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him,” meaning they feared even the light of Moses’ face.

108) First it writes, “And Israel saw the great work,” meaning that everyone saw the upper lights that shone in the illuminating mirror, ZA, as it is written, “All the people perceived the thunder.” But on the sea, they saw and did not see, as it is written, “This is my God, and I will praise Him.” And after they sinned, they could not see the face of the mediator. What does it say? “And they were afraid to come near him.”

109) It is written about them, “And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments from mount Horeb onward.” This means that the arms that they received on Mount Sinai so that the serpent would not rule over them were removed from them. And since it was removed from them, it is written, “Now Moses took the tent to pitch it outside the camp, afar off from the camp.” Because Moses knew that the Higher armor was removed from Israel, he said, “From now on, the evil serpent will certainly return to dwell among them, and if it stands among them here in the tent of meeting, it will be defiled. “Now Moses took the tent,” since he saw that the evil serpent would rule over them, which had not been the case before.

110) “And he called it ‘the tent of meeting.’” First, it was an ordinary tent, but now he called it, “the tent of Moed [meeting].” A Moed [which also means occasion in Hebrew] is a day of the joy of the moon, Malchut, for having gained more holiness and for not being ruled by the flaw. Here, too, he called it an occasion to show that the tent, Malchut, was removed from them and was not blemished.

111) First, Malchut was an ordinary tent, as it is written, “a tent that shall not be removed, whose stakes shall never be plucked up.” But now it is the tent of meeting, meaning only for a time and not forever. This is so because Moed means time [and occasion]. First, there was the tent, Malchut, giving long life to the world so death would not govern them. Henceforth, the tent of meeting, as it is written, “The house appointed for all living,” for now she has been given time and limited life for the world. In the beginning, there was no flaw in her, but now she has been blemished. In the beginning, there was connection and Zivug to the moon, Malchut, in the sun, ZA, which does not stop. But now their Zivug is occasional, hence he called it “the tent of meeting [occasion],” which did not exist previously.