BAHIR

BAHIR 123-200

THE TEN SEPHIROTH [§ 123-193]

123. Rabbi Amorai said: What is the meaning of the verse (Leviticus 9:22) , “And Aaron raised up his hands to bless the people, and he blessed them and he descended [from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings].”? Did he not already descent? But he descended “from making the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the peace offerings,” and then “Aaron raised up his hands to bless the people.” What is the meaning of this raising [of hands]? It was because he had offered a sacrifice and brought them before their Father in heaven, as we have said. Those who offer sacrifice must elevate them, [and those who] unify them [must] unify them among these. And; what are they? The people, as it is written “to the people.” [This means] “for the sake of the people.”

124. Why are the hands lifted when they are blessed in this manner? It is because the hands have ten fingers, alluding to the Ten Sephiroth with which heaven and earth were sealed. These parallel the Ten Commandments. In these Ten are included the 613 Commandments. If you count the letters in the Ten Commandments, you will find that there are 613 letters. They contain all 22 letters except Teth , which is missing in them. What is the reason for this? This teaches us that Teth is the belly and in not included among the Sephiroth.

125. Why are they called Sephiroth ? Because it is written (Psalm 19:2) , “The heavens declare (me-Saprim) the glory of God.”

126. And what are they? They are three. Among them are three troops and three dominions. The first dominion is light. Light is the life of water. The second dominion includes the Chaioth Ha-Qadesh , the Ophanim , the wheels of the Chariot, and all the troops of the Blessed Holy One. The bless, exalt, glorify, praise and sanctify the might King with the Kedushah . Arranged in the mystery of the great Kedushah is the fearsome and terrible King. And they crown Him with three “holies.”

127. Why are there three “holies” and not four? Because the holiness on high is three by three. It is thus written, “God is King, God was King, God will be King forever and ever.” It is also written (Numbers 6:24-26) , “May God bless you... May God shine upon you... May God lift...” It is furthermore written (Exodus 34:6), “God (YHVH), God (YHVH). “ The third one includes the rest of God’s Attributes. What are they? [As the verse continues], “God, merciful and gracious” the thirteen Attributes [of Mercy].

128. [The Kedushah is the verse (Isaiah 6:3) , “Holy holy holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His Glory.”] What is the meaning of “holy holy holy”? [And why is it] foollowed by, “the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His glory”? The [first] “holy” is the highest Crown. The [second] “holy” is the root of the Tree. The [third] “holy” is attached and unified in them all. [This is followed by], “the Lord of Hosts, the whole earth is filled with His glory.”

129. What is the “holy” that is attached and unified? What is this like? A king had sons, who in turn also had sons. When the [grand]sons do his will, he mingles with them, supports them, and satisfies them all. He gives [his sons] everything good, so that they should be able to satisfy their children. But when the [grand]children do not do his will, then he only gives the fathers as much as they need.

130. What is the meaning of, “the whole earth is filled with His glory”? This is the earth that was created on the first day. It is on high, filled with God’s glory and paralleling the Land of Israel. And what is [this glory]? It is Wisdom, as it is written (Proverbs 3:35), “The wise shall inherit glory.”

131. What is “God’s glory”? What is this like? A king had a matron in his chamber, and all his troops delighted in her. She had sons, and each day they came to see the king and to bless him. They asked him, “Where is our mother?” He replied, “You cannot see her now.” They said, “Let her be blessed wherever she is.”

132. What is the meaning of “from His place”? This indicates that none know his place. This is like a royal princess who came from a far place. People did not know her origin, but they saw that she was a woman of valour, beautiful and refined in all her ways. They said, “She certainly originates from the side of light, for she illuminates the world through heer deeds.” They asked her, “From where are you?” She replied, “From my place.” They said, “If so, the people of your place are great. May you be blessed, and may you place be blessed.”

133. Is this “glory of God” then not one of His hosts? Is it not inferior? Why then do they bless it? But what is this like? A man had a beautiful garden. Outside the garden but close to it, he had a nice section of field. On this section, he planted a beautiful flower garden. The first thing that he would water would be his garden. The water would spread over the entire garden. It would not reach the section of field however, since it was not attached, even though it was all one. He therefore opened a place for it and watered it separately.

134. Rabbi Rahumai said: Glory (Kavod) and Heart (Lev) both have the same [numerical value, namely 32]. They are both one, but Glory refers to its function on high, and Heart refers to its function below. “God’s glory” and the heart of heaven” are therefore both identical.

135. Rabbi Yochanan said: What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 17:11), “And it was when Moses would raise his hands, Israel would prevail, and when he would lower his hands, Amalek would prevail.”? This teaches us that the whole world endures because of the Lifting of Hands. Why? Because the name of the power given to Jacob is Israel. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were each given a particular Power. The counterpart of the attribute in which each one walked was given to him. Abraham did deeds of kindness. He prepared food for everyone in his area and for all wayfarers. He acted kindly and went out to greet them, as it is written (Genesis 18:2), “and he ran to greet them.” Not only that, but (Genesis 18:2) , “He bowed to the earth.” This was a complete act of kindness. God therefore granted him the same measure and gave him the attribute of Kindness (Chesed). It is thus written (Micah 7:20) , “You give truth to Jacob, Kindness to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from days of yore.” What is the meaning of “from days of yore”? This teaches us that if Abraham did not do deeds of kindness, then he would not have been worthy of the attribute of Truth. Jacob would then not have been worthy of the attribute of Truth. In the merit through which Abraham was worthy of the attribute of Kindness, Isaac became worthy of the attribute of Terror. It is thus written (Genesis 31:53), “And Jacob swore by the Terror of his father Isaac.” Does anyone then swear in this manner, mentioning his belief in the Terror of his father? But up until that time, Jacob had not been given any power. He therefore swore by the power that was given to his father. It is for this reason that it is written, “And Jacob swore by the Terror of his father Isaac.” What is it? It is Chaos. It emanates from evil and astounds people. And what is that ? It is that regarding which it is written (I Kings 18:38), “And fire came down and it consumed the burnt offering, and the stones, and the earth, and it evaporated the water that was in the trench.” It is also written (Deuteronomy 4:24), “The Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.”

136. What is Kindness? It is the Torah, as it is written (Isaiah 55:1), “Ho, let all who are thirsty come for water, let he without silver come, [stock up and eat come, stock up wine and milk, without silver and without payment].” [Kindness is therefore] silver. It is thus written, “come, stock up and eat come, stock up wine and milk, without silver and without payment.” He fed you Torah and taught you, for you have already earned it through the merit of Abraham, who did deeds of kindness. Without silver, he would feed others, and without payment, he would give them wine and milk.

137. Why wine and milk? What does one have to do with the other? But this teaches us that wine is Terror and milk is Kindness. Why is wine mentioned first? Because it is closer to us. Do you then think that this refers to actual wine and milk? We must say that it is the Form of wine and milk. Through the merit of Abraham, who was worthy of the attribute of Kindness, Isaac was worthy of the attribute of Terror. And because Isaac was worthy of the attribute of Terror, Jacob was worthy of the attribute of Truth, which is the attribute of Peace. God bestowed him according to his measure. It is thus written (Genesis 25:27) “Jacob was a complete man, dwelling in tents.” The word “complete” means nothing other than peace. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 18:13), “You shall be complete with the Lord your God,” and the Targum renders this, “You shall be at peace (sh’lim). “ The word “complete” refers to nothing other than the Torah. It is thus written (Malachi 2:6), “A Torah of truth was in his mouth.” What is written in the very next phrase? It sates, “With peace and uprightness, he walked before Me.” “Uprightness” is nothing other than peace, as it is written (Psalm 25:21) , “Complete and upright.” It is therefore written (Exodus 17:11), “And it was when Moses would raise his hands, Israel would prevail. This teaches us that the Attribute that is called Israel has in it a “Torah of Truth.”

138. What is the meaning of “a Torah of Truth?” It is that which teaches (Moreh) the Truth of [all] worlds, as well as His deeds in thought. He erected Ten Sayings, and with them the world stands. It is one of them. In man He created ten fingers, paralleling these Ten Sayings. Moses raised his hands and concentrated to some degree on the Attribute that is called Israel, which contains the Torah of Truth. With his ten fingers, he alluded that he was upholding the Ten. For if [God] would not help Israel, then the Ten Sayings would not endure every day. It was for this reason that “Israel prevailed.” [The verse continues], “And when he lowered his hands, Amalek prevailed.” Would Moses then do anything that would cause Amalek to prevail? But [this teaches us] that it is forbidden for a person to stand for [more than] three hours with his hands spread out to heaven.

139. His disciples asked: To whom are the hands raised? He replied: To the heights of heaven. How do we know this? It is written (Habbakkuk 3:10) , “The deep gives forth its voice, it lifts up its hands on high.” This teaches us that the Lifting of Hands is only to the heights of the heaven. When among Israel there are people who are wise and know the mystery of the Glorious Name, and they lift up their hands, they are immediately answered. It is thus written (Isaiah 58:9), “Then (Az) you will call and God will answer.” If you call God “then” (Az) , He will answer you immediately.

140. What is the meaning of “then” [- Az spelled Aleph Zayin ]? This teaches us that it is not permissible to call Aleph alone. [It can] only [be called] through the two letters that are attached to it, which sit first in the kingdom. Together with the Aleph, they are then three. Seven of the Ten Sayings then remain, and this is the Zayin [which has the numerical value of seven]. It is also written (Exodus 15:1), “Then (Az) sang Moses and the children of Israel.”

141. What are the Ten Sayings? The first is the Highest Crown. Blessed and praised be it name and its people. Who are its people? They are Israel. It is thus written (Psalm 100:3) , “Know that the Lord is God, He made us, and not (Lo) we, His people.” [Lo is spelled Lamed Aleph and can be read, “to Aleph”. ] The verse then reads, “to Aleph are we.” [It is our duty] to recognise and know the Unity of Unities, who is unified in all His names.

142. The second one is Wisdom . It is thus written (Proverbs 8:22), “God procured me, the beginning of His way, before his works, from then (Az) .” A “beginning” is nothing other than Wisdom, as it is written (Psalm 111:10), “The beginning is wisdom, the fear of God.”

143. The third one is the quarry of the Torah, the treasury of Wisdom, the quarry of the “spirit of God”. This teaches us that God carved out all the letters of the Torah, engraved it with spirit, and with it made all Forms. This is the meaning of the verse (1 Samuel 2:2), “There is no Rock (Tzur) like our God” there is no Former (Tzayir) like our God.

144. These are three. What is the fourth? The fourth is (Deuteronomy 33:21) , “the charity of God,” His merit and his Kindness (Chesed) to all the world. This is the Right Hand of the Blessed Holy One.

145. What is the fifth? The fifth is the great fire of the Blessed Holy One> Regarding this it is written (Deuteronomy 18:16) , “Let me see the great fire no more, lest I die.” This is the Left Hand of the Blessed Holy One. What are they? They are the Chaioth ha-Qadesh and the holy Seraphim , to their right and their left. They are the “pleasant ones” which ascend higher and higher, as it is written (Ecclesiastes 5:7), “And ones higher than they.” It is also written (Ezekiel 1:18), “And as for their height, they had height, and they had fear, and their height was filled with eyes, around the four.” And around Him are angels. Those around them also bow down before them, kneeling and declaring, “The Lord He is God, the Lord He is God.”

146. The sixth one is the Throne of Glory, crowned, included, praised and hailed. It is the house of the World to Come, and its place is in Wisdom . It is thus written (Genesis 1:3), “And God said, `Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

147. And Rabbi Yochanan said: There were two [types of] light, as it is written, “[let there be light,] and there was light.” Regarding both of them it is written (Genesis 1:4) , “[And God saw the light] that it was good.” The Blessed Holy One took one [of these types of light] and stored it away for the righteous in the World to Come. Regarding this it is written (Psalm 31:20), “How great is the good that You have hidden away for those who fear You, that You have accomplished for those who find shelter in You...” We learn that no creature could look at the first light. It is thus written (Genesis 1:4), “And God saw the light that it was good.” It is furthermore written (Genesis 1:21) “And God saw all that He made, and behold, it was very good.” God saw all that He had made and saw shining, brilliant good. He took of that good, and included in it the 32 paths of Wisdom, giving to this world. This is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 4:2) , “I have given you a doctrine of good , My Torah, do not abandon it.” We say that this is the treasury of the Oral Torah. The Blessed Holy One said, “This Attribute is considered to be included in this world, and it is the Oral Torah. If you keep this Attribute in this world, then you will be worthy of the World to Come, which is the good stored away for the righteous.” What is it? It is the force of the Blessed Holy One. It is thus written (Habakkuk 3:4) , “And the glow will be like light, [He has rays from His hand, and His hidden force is there].” The glow that was taken from the first Light will be like [our visible] light if His children keep the “Torah and Commandment that I wrote to teach them.” It is thus written (Proverbs 1:8), “Hear my son, the admonition of your father, and do not abandon the Torah of your mother.”

148. And it is written (Habakkuk 3:4) , “He has rays from His hand, and His hidden force is there.” What is “His hidden force”? This is the light that was stored away and hidden, as it is written (Psalm 31:20), “[How great is the good] that You have hidden away for those who fear You, [that You have accomplished for those who find shelter in You].” What remains for us in that which “You have accomplished for those who find shelter in You.” These are the ones who find shelter in Your shadow in this world, who keep Your Torah, observe Your Commandments, and sanctify Your name, unifying it secretly and publicly. The verse thus concludes, “in the sight of the sons of man.”

149. Rabbi Rahumai said: This teaches us that Israel had light. Torah is light, as it is written (Proverbs 6:23), “For a commandment is a lamp, Torah is light, [and the way of life is the rebuke of admonition].” And we say that a lamp is a commandment, illumination (Orah) Oral Torah, and light (Or) is the written Torah. [How can we then say that the Oral Torah is light (Or) ?] Because this light has already been kept, it is called light. What is this like? A room was hidden at the end of a house. Even though it is day, and there is bright light in the world, one cannot see in this room unless he brings along a lamp. The same is true of the Oral Torah. Even though it is a light, it needs the written Torah to answer its questions and explain its mysteries.

150. Rabbi Rahumai said: What is the meaning of the verse (Proverbs 6:23) , “And the way of life is the rebuke of admonition”? This teaches us that when a person accustoms himself to study the Mystery of Creation and the Mystery of the Chariot, it is impossible that he not stumble. It is therefore written (Isaiah 3:6) , “Let this stumbling be under your hand.” This refers to things that a person cannot understand unless they cause him to stumble. The Torah calls it “the rebuke of admonition,” but actually it makes one worthy of “the way of life.” One who wishes to be worthy of “the way of life” must therefore endure “the rebuke of admonition.”

151. Another explanation: “Life” is the Torah, as it is written (Deuteronomy 30:19), “And you shall choose life.” It is furthermore written (Deuteronomy 30:20) , “For it is your life and your length of days.” If one wants to be worthy of it, he should reject physical pleasure and accept the yoke of the commandments. If he is afflicted with suffering, he should accept it with love. He should not ask, “Since I am fulfilling the will of my Maker and am studying the Torah each day, why am I afflicted with suffering?” Rather, he should accept it with love. Then he will be completely worthy of the “way of life.” For who knows the ways of the Blessed Holy One? Regarding all things, one must therefore say, “Righteous are You, O God, and Your judgment is fair. All that is done from heaven is for the good.”

152. You said [that the sixth one was] His Throne. Have we then not said that it is the Crown of the Blessed Holy One? We have said, “Israel was crowned with three crowns, the crown of priesthood, the crown of royalty, and the crown of Torah above them all.” What is this like? A king has a pleasing, beautiful vessel and he was very fond of it. Sometimes he placed it on his head this is the Tefillin worn on the head. At other times he carried it on his arm in the knot of the Tefillin worn on the arm. Sometimes he lend it to his son so that it should remain with him. Sometimes it is called His Throne. This is because He carries it as an amulet on His arm, just like a throne.

153. What is the seventh? It is the heaven [called] Aravot. And why is it called heaven (Shamayim)? Because it is round like a head. We learn that it is in the centre, with water at its right and fire at its left. It supports water (Sa Mayim) from fire and water, and brings peace between them. Fire comes and finds the attribute of fire on its side. Water comes and finds the attribute of water on its side. It is therefore written (Job 25:2) , “He makes peace in His high places.”

154. Is it then the seventh? Is it nothing more than the sixth. But this teaches us that the Holy Palace is here, and it supports them all. It is thus counted as two. It is therefore the seventh. And what is it? It is Thought that does not have any end or boundary. This place likewise does not have any end or boundary.

155. The seventh one is the east of the world. It is from where the Seed of Israel comes. The spinal cord originates in man’s brain and extends to the [sexual] organ, where the seed is. It is therefore written (Isaiah 43:5), “From the east I will bring your seed, [and from the west I will gather you].” When Israel is good, then this is the place form which I will bring your seed, and new seed will be granted to you. But when Israel is wicked, [then I will bring] seed that has already been in the world. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 1:4), “A generation goes and a generation comes,” teaching us that it has already come.

156. What is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 43:5), “And from the west I will gather you”? [This means that “I will gather you”] from the attribute that always points to the west. Why is [west] called MaAReV? Because it is there that all seed is mixed together (MitAReV). What is this like? A king’s son had a beautiful bride and he hid her in his chamber. He took riches from his father’s house and constantly brought it to her. She in turn took everything, constantly put it away, and mixed it all together. Ultimately he seeks to see what he had gathered and accumulated. It is therefore written, “And from the west I will gather you.” And what is his father’s house? It is that regarding which it is written, “From the east I will bring your seed.” This teaches us that it is brought from the east and sowed on the west. He then gathers what he has sowed.

157. What is the eighth one? The Blessed Holy One has a single Righteous One (Tzadik) in His world, and it is dear to Him because it supports all the world. It is the Foundation (Yesod). This is what sustains it, and makes it grow, increasing and watching it. It is beloved and dear on high, and beloved and dear below; fearsome and mighty on high, and fearsome and mighty below; rectified and accepted on high, and rectified and accepted below. It is the Foundation of all souls. Did you then say that it is the eighth? And do you say that it is the Foundation of all souls? Is it then not written (Exodus 31:17), “And on the seventh day He rested and souled”? Yes, it is the seventh. This is because it decides between them. There are six, and three are below and three above, and it decides between them.

158. Why is it called the seventh? Is it then the seventh? It is not. But it is because the Blessed Holy One rested on the Sabbath with the attribute regarding which it is written (Exodus 31:17), “For six days God made the heaven and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and souled.” This teaches us that each day has a Saying that is its Master. This is not because it was created on that day, but because that is when it does the task to which it was assigned. Each one does its task and maintains its activities. The seventh day therefore comes and does its task, making them all rejoice. Not only that, but it also causes their souls to grow, as it is written, “on the seventh day He rested and souled.”

159. What is this “rest”? It is the absence of work. It is a cessation which is called Shabbat (meaning rest). What is this like? A king had seven gardens, and the middle one contained a fountain, welling up from a living source. Three [of his gardens] are at its right, and three are at its left. When it performed its function and overflowed, they all rejoiced, saying, “It overflowed for our sake.” It waters them and makes them grow, while they wait and rest. Do we then say that it waters the seven? But it is written (Isaiah 43:5), “From the east I will bring your seed.” This indicates that one of [the seven] waters it. We must therefore say that it waters the Heart, and the Heart then waters them all.

160. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: Each day we speak of the World to Come. Do we then understand what we are saying? In Aramaic, the “World to Come” is translated “the world that came.” And what is the meaning of “the world that came”? We learned that before the world was created, it arose in thought to create an intense light to illuminate it . He created an intense light over which no created thing could have authority. The Blessed Holy One saw, however, that the world could not endure [this light]. He therefore took a seventh of it and left it in its place for them. Thee rest He put away for the righteous in the Ultimate Future. He said, “If they are worthy of this seventh and keep it, I will give them [the rest] in the Final World.” It is therefore called “the world that came,” since it already came [into existence] from the six days of creation. Regarding this it is written (Psalm 31:20), “How great is Your good that You have hidden away for those who fear You.”

161. What is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 15:27), “And the came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy date palms, and they encamped there by the water”? What is so special about seventy date palms? In one small place there can be a thousand. But [this teaches us that] they were worthy of their counterpart. They are likened to date palms. It is written (Exodus 15:23) , “And they came to Marah, and they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter (marah) .” This teaches us that the north wind confused them. It is thus written (Exodus 15:25), “And he cried out to God, and He showed him a tree. He cast it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.” God immediately placed His hand against the Satan and diminished him. It is thus written (Exodus 15:25), “There He gave them a decree and a law, and there He proved them.” This teaches us that at this time, the Satan attached himself to them in order to blot them out from the world. It is thus written (Exodus 15:24), “And the people complained to Moses saying, `What shall we drink?’” [The Satan] continued to denounce Moses until he cried out to God and was answered. What is the meaning of the verse, “And He showed him a tree”? This teaches us that the Tree of Life was near the water. The Satan came and removed it in order to denounce Israel and cause them to sin against their Father in heaven. [The Satan] said to them, “Are you now then going into the desert? Even now [you have nothing] other than bitter water, but this has some benefit, since you can make some use of it. But when you enter the desert, you will not even find [water] with which to wash your hands and face. You will die from hunger and thirst, naked and having nothing.” The people came to Moses and repeated these words, but he put them off. When [the Satan ] saw that he could not overcome them, he strengthened himself [to overcome] Israel and Moses. The people came, and “they complained to Moses.” They said, “Even here we lack water. What will we drink in the desert?” The Satan had falsified the situation in order to cause the people to sin. As soon as Moses saw the Satan, “He cried out to God, and He showed him a tree.” This is the Tree of Life that Satan had removed. He then “cast it into the water, and the water became sweet.” The Blessed Holy One then gave the Satan a “decree and a law,” and it was there that He “proved” Israel. The Blessed Holy One warned Israel saying (Exodus 15:26) , “If you listen to the voice of the Lord your God, [and do what is upright in His eyes, give ear to His commandments, and keep all His decrees, then all the sickness that I brought upon the Egyptians, I will not bring upon you, for I am God who heals you].”

162. What is this like? A king had a beautiful daughter, and others desired her. The king knew about it, but could not fight those who wanted to bring his daughter to evil ways. He came to his house and warned her, saying, “My daughter, do not pay attention to the words of these enemies and they will not be able to overcome you. Bo not leave the house, but do all your work at home. Do not sit idle, even for a single moment. Then they will not be able to see you and harm you.” They have one Attribute which causes them to leave aside every good way and choose every evil way. When they see a person directing himself along a good way, they hate him. What is [this Attribute]? It is the Satan. This teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has an Attribute whose name is Evil. It is to the north of the Blessed Holy One, as it is written (Jeremiah 1:14), “From the north will Evil come forth, upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” Any evil that comes to all the inhabitants of the earth comes from the north.

163. What is this One Attribute? It is the Form of a Hand. It has many messengers, and the name of them all is Evil Evil. Some of them are great, and some are small, but they all bring guilt to the world. This is because Chaos is toward the north. Chaos (Tohu) is nothing other than Evil. It confounds (Taha) the world and causes people to sin. Every Evil Urge (Yetzer HaRa) that exists in man comes from there. And why is it placed to the left? This is because it does not have any authority any place in the world except in the north. It is not accustomed to be anywhere except in the north. It does not want to be any place but in the north. If it remained in the south until it learned the routes of the south, how could it lead others astray? It would have to stay there for [several] days until it learned, and then it could not cause people to sin. It therefore is always in the north, to the left. This is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 8:21), “For the Urge of man’s heart is evil from his youth.” It is evil from his youth, and it does not incline [in any direction] other than the left, for it is already accustomed to be there. It is regarding this that the Blessed Holy One said to Israel (Exodus 15:26), “If you listen to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is upright in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments” and not to the commandments of the Evil Urge “and keep all His decrees” and not the decrees of the Evil Urge “[then all the sickness that I brought upon the Egyptians, I will not bring upon you,] for I am God who heals you.”

164. What does the Evil Urge gain? What is this like? A king appointed clerks over the lands of his kingdom, over his work and over his merchandise. Each and every thing had its clerk. There was one clerk in charge of the storehouse containing good food. Another was in charge of the storehouse containing stones. Everyone came to the storehouse containing good food. The clerk in charge of the storehouse of stones came and saw that people were only buying from the other [clerk]. What did he do? He sent his messengers to tear down the weak house [so that people would need stones to rebuild them]. They could not do so, however, to the strong ones. He said, “In the time that it takes to tear down one strong [house], you can tear down ten weak ones. People will then all come and buy stones from me, and I will not be inferior to the other.” It is thus written (Jeremiah 1:14), “From the north will evil come forth, upon all the inhabitants of the earth.” The verse then continues (Jeremiah 1:15) “For I call all the families of the kingdom of the north says God and they will come, and each one will place his throne at the opening of the gates of Jerusalem...” Evil will be their business, and the Evil Urge will also constantly strive. The word Satan means “turning aside,” since he turns all the world aside to the balance of guilt. How is this indicated? It is written (Genesis 38:16) , “And he turned aside to her,” and the Targum renders this VeSata, [ Satah being the root of Satan]. It is likewise written (Proverbs 4:15), “Turn aside (S’the) from it and pass on.”

165. What is the significance of the seventy date palms? They had accepted upon themselves the commandments, as it is written (Exodus 15:26), “If you listen to the voice of the Lord your God.” Immediately after this we find (Exodus 15:27) “And they came to Elim (Elimah) [where there were twelve wells of water and seventy date palms].” What is the meaning of Elimah? It is Eli Mah “to me is what.” “Where there were twelve wells of water.” At first God gave it to them as wells, and in the end, he gave it back to them as stones. It is thus written [regarding the stones set up near the Jordan] (Joshua 4:9), “twelve stones.” What it the reason? It is because the Torah was originally likened to water in the world. Only later was it put in a permanent place. Water, however, is here one day and elsewhere the next.

166. What are the seventy date palms? This teaches us that the Blessed Holy One has seventy Structures. These draw from the twelve Simple Ones. Just like water is simple, so are these simple. How do we know that the date palm is a Structure? Because it is written (Song of Songs 7:8) , “Your structure is like a date palm.” Besides that, there are seventy kinds of date palms. It is therefore written that there were seventy date palms. One was not like the other, their functions were all different, and the taste of one was not like the taste of the other.

167. You said that the seventy date palms represent the seventy Structures. But have you not said that there are 72? There are 71. Israel makes 72, but it is not included. But did you not say that there were seventy? One is the Officer of the Satan. What is this like? A king had sons and bought slaves for them. The king then told his sons, “I am giving you all equally.” One of them replied, “I do not want to be with you, for I have the power to steal everything from you.” The king then said, “Because of this, you will not have a portion among them at all.” [The rebellious son] did what he could. He went out and lay in wait for [the slaves], showing them much gold, jewels and troops. He said, “Come over to me.” What did the king do? He amassed his armies together with the armies of all his sons. He showed them to the slaves and said, “Do not let him trick you into thinking that his armies are stronger than mine. Behold the troops of that son. He is deceitful and wants to rob you. Therefore, do not listen to him, for at first he will speak smoothly in order to entice you into his trap, but in the end he will laugh at you. You are my slaves, and I will do for you everything good if you turn away from him and do not listen to him.” He is the Prince of Chaos. It is thus written (1 Samuel 12:21), “Do not turn aside, for you will follow Chaos. It will not help or save, for it is Chaos.” [It cannot help or save,] but it can do harm. The advice that I give you is that you should (Exodus 15:26), “Listen to the voice of the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His decrees.” When you keep all His decrees, then, “All the sickness that I brought upon the Egyptians, I will not bring upon you.” Why did He say all this? In order to close all doors, so that he should not find you soft at times and hard at times. When you keep all His decrees, then “all the sickness that I brought upon the Egyptians” through My hand “I will not bring upon you.” What is the meaning of “for I am God who heals you”? This means that even when he comes and strikes, I am God who will heal you.

168. Why do you call it the eight? Because with it the eight are begun, and with it the eight numbers are completed. In function, however, it is the seventh one. And what are [the eight] that were begun? This is the fact that a child enters the Covenant of Circumcision when eight days old. Are they then eight? They are nothing more than seven. Why then did the Blessed Holy One say eight? Because there are eight directions in man. What are they? They are as follows: The right and left hands; The right and left legs; The head, the body, and the Covenant as an arbitrator; And his wife, who is his mate. It is thus written (Genesis 2:24), “And he shall cling to his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” They are the eight, and they parallel the eight days of circumcision. Are they then eight? They are nothing more that seven, since the body and covenant are one. It is therefore eight.

169. What is the ninth? He said to them: the ninth and tenth are together, one opposite the other. One is higher than the other by 500 years. They are like two Wheels (Ophanim). One inclines toward the north, while the other inclines toward the west. They reach down to the lowest earth. What is the lowest earth? It is the last of the seven earths down below. The end of the Divine Presence of the Blessed Holy One is under His feet. It is thus written (Isaiah 66:1) , “The heaven is My throne, and the earth is the hassock for My feet.” The Victory (Nitzachon) of the world is there. It is thus written (Isaiah 24:10), “for Victory of Victories (Netzach Netzachim) .”

170. What is the meaning of “Victory of Victories”? There is a single Victory (Netzach). Which is it? It is the one that inclines toward the west. And what is secondary to it? This is the one that inclines toward the north. And the third one? This is the one that is below. The third one? But you have said that the Chariot has two wheels. We must therefore say that the end of the Divine Presence is also called Victory. This is the meaning of “Victory of Victories.” “Victory” is one, and “Victories” is two, giving [a total of] three.

171. His disciples said to him: From above to below we know. But from below to above we do not know. He replied: Is it not all one below to above and above to below? They said: Our master, ascending is not the same as descending. One can run while descending, but cannot do so while ascending. He replied: Go out and see. He sat and expounded to them: There is a Divine Presence below, just like there is a Divine Presence above. What is this Divine Presence? We have said that it is the light that was derived from the first Light, which is Wisdom. It also surrounds all things, as it is written (Isaiah 6:3), “The whole earth is filled with His glory.” What is its function? What is this like? A king had seven sons, and he assigned each one a place. He said to them, “Sit here, one above the other.” The lowest one said, “I will not sit at the bottom. I do not want to be far from you.” [The king] replied, “I will surround you and see you all day long.” This is the meaning of the verse, “The whole earth is filled with His glory.” Why is He among them? This is so that He should support them and sustain them.

172. And what are the sons? I have already told you that the Blessed Holy One has seven Holy Forms. All of them have a counterpart in man, as it is written (Genesis 9:6), “for in the form of God He made man.” It is likewise written (Genesis 1:27), “In the form of God He made him, male and female He made them.” This is what they are: The right and left legs; The right and left hands; The body, covenant and head. But these are only six. You have said that there are seven. The seventh is with his wife. It is thus written (Genesis 2:24) , “And they shall be one flesh.” But she was taken from his ribs, as it is written (Genesis 2:21), “And He took one of his ribs.” He said: Yes from his ribs. Does he then have a rib? Yes. It is written (Exodus 26:20), “the ribs of the tabernacle.” The Targum renders this, “the side of the tabernacle.” And what is His side? What is this like? A king had an idea to plant ten male trees in a garden. All of them were date palms. He said, “Since they are all the same kind, it is impossible for them to endure.” What did he do? He planted and Etrog among them. This was one of those which he had intended to be male. And why is the Etrog female? Because it is written (Leviticus 23:40), “The fruit of a beautiful tree, fronds of a date palm, [branches of a tree of leaves, and willows of the brook].” What is the fruit of a beautiful (hadar) tree? The Targum renders this verse, “The fruit of the Etrog tree, and the Lulav. “

173. What is the meaning of “beautiful”? It is the beauty of all things. This is also the beauty of the Songs of Songs. Regarding it, it is written (Songs of Songs 6:10) , “Who is she who looks forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, terrible like an army with banners?” This relates to the Female. Because of her, the female was taken from Adam. This is because it is impossible for the lower world to endure without the female. And why is the female called Nekevah ? Because her orifices (Nekev) are wide. Also because she has more orifices than the male. What are they? They are the orifices of the breasts, the womb, and the receptacle.

174. And what is the reason that you said that the Song of Songs is beautiful? Yes, it is the most beautiful of all the Holy Scriptures. Rabbi Yochanan thus said: All Scripture is holy, and all the Torah is holy, but the Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies. What is the meaning of the Holy of Holies? It means that it is holy for the Holy Ones. What are the Holy Ones? They are the counterparts of the six directions that are in man. That which is holy for them is holy for everything.

175. What is this that is Holy? It is the Etrog , which is the beauty (hadar) of them all. Why is it called beautiful (hadar) ? Do not read hadar , but HaDar “Which dwells.” This refers to the Etrog which is not bound together with the Lulav. Without it the commandment of the Lulav cannot be fulfilled. It is also bound with them all. It is with each one of them, and is unified with them all.

176. What does the Lulav parallel? It is the counterpart of the spinal cord. It is thus written (Leviticus 23:40), “[fronds of a date palm,] a branch of a tree of leaves, and willows of the brook.” The [leafy] branches [of the myrtle] must cover the majority [of the bunch]. If its branches do not cover its majority, it is invalid. Why? What is this like? A man has arms, and with them he protects his head. He has two arms, and his head makes three. [It is therefore called] “a branch of a tree of leaves.” A “branch” is to the left, and the “leaves” are to the right. It then comes out that the “tree” is in the centre. And why is it called a “tree”? Because it is the Root of the Tree.

177. What are “willows of the brook”? There are two [willow branches in the Lulav, ] and these parallel the two legs in man. Why are the [“willows of the brook”] called Arvey Nachal ? Because the greater of the two is inclined toward the west (ma-Arev) and draws its strength from there. The one to the north is smaller than it by a journey of 500 years. It is on the northwest side, through which it functions. It is named after it, since they are both mixed (Arav) .

178. Another explanation: [Willows of the Brook] are called Arvey Nachal because the function of one is sometimes mixed (ma-arav) with that of the other. Why are they called Willows of the Brook ? This is because of the place in which they are fixed, which is called Brook. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 1:7) , “All the Brooks go to the sea, but the sea is not filled.” What is this sea? We say that it is the Etrog. How do we know that each of the seven Attributes is called a Brook (Nachal) ? Because it is written (Numbers 21:19), “From Gift to Nachaliel [, from Nachaliel to Bamot, and from Bamot to the valley that is in the Field of Moab, the head of the cliff, and it looks down on the face of the Yeshimon].” Do not read Nachaliel, but Nachley El Brooks of God. And all six then go on one path to the sea. What is this path? It is the one that arbitrates between them. It is thus written (Habbakuk 3:5), “Before Him goes the pestilence, and fiery bolt at His feet.” All of them go to that pipe, and from that pipe to the sea. This is the meaning of the verse, “From Gift to Brooks of God.” [Gift] is the place that is given, namely the brain. From there they go to the Brooks of God. “And from Brooks of God to Bamot.” What is Bamot? As the Targut renders it, Ramta “heights.” This is the Segol that follows the Zarka . [The verse continues,] “And from Bamot to the valley that is in the Field of Moab, the head of the cliff, and it looks down on the face of the Yeshimon.” “And from the heights (Bamot) to the valley that is in the Field of Moab.” This is that which is prepared. And what is that which was in the Field of Moab? Do not read Moab, but May- av “from a father.” This is the father regarding which it is written (Genesis 26:5) “Because Abraham hearkened to my voice, kept My trust, My commandments and My decrees...” What is this field? It is the one that is at “the head of the cliff,” and which also “looks down on the face of the Yeshimon.” [Yeshimon] is interpreted to mean Heaven. Regarding that pipe, it is written (Song of Songs 4:15) , “A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, flowing from Lebanon.” What is Lebanon? We say that this is Wisdom. What are the Willows of the Brook (Nachal) ? We say that this is that which gives inheritance (Nachalah) to Israel. It refers to the two Wheels of the Chariot.

179. We learned that there are Ten Spheres and Ten Sayings. Each Sphere has its Saying. It is not surrounded by it, but rather, it surrounds it. This [physical] world is like a mustard seed inside a ring. Why? Because of the Spirit that blows upon it, through which it is sustained. If this spirit were to be interrupted for even a moment, the world would be annihilated.

180. There are three Spheres in this world. How? This world inclines to the north and the south. How? North west south. North west is the first sphere that revolves around us. Do we then say that it is to the north-west? But we say that its strength is to the north. This is the left foot. Above it is the second Sphere, which is entirely to the west. Do we then say that it is to the west? But we say that its power is to the west. These are the Victories of the world. Above it is the third Sphere, and its power is to the south-west. What is the original power that you said was second? We say that this is the right foot. And what is the power that is to the south-west? This is the Foundation of the world. Regarding this it is written (Proverbs 10:25) , “The Righteous is the Foundation of the world.” The second power stands behind the Chariot, while the first power stands in front of it. The “Righteous, Foundation of the world” is in the centre. It emanates from the south of the world, and is officer over the other two. In its hand are also the souls of all living things. It is the Life of Worlds. Whenever the word “creation” (Beriah) is used, it is done with it. Regarding it, it is written (Exodus 31:17) , “He rested and souled.” This is the attribute of the Sabbath day. Regarding this it is written (Exodus 20:8), “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” But it is also written (Deuteronomy 5:12), “Keep [the Sabbath].” This is speaking of the seventh attribute. Regarding this seventh attribute it is written (Leviticus 19:30) , “My sabbaths you shall keep , and My sanctuary you shall fear.” What is the seventh attribute? This is the Blessed Holy One’s attribute of Goodness.

181. Why is it written, “My sabbaths you shall keep,” [in the plural] rather than “My sabbath” [in the singular]? What is this like? A king had a beautiful bride, and every week she would set aside a day to be with him. The king also had beautiful beloved sons. He said to them, “Since this is the situation, you should also rejoice on the day of my joy. For it is for your sake that I strive,, and you also respect me.”

182. What is the reason that [the Torah says] “remember” [in one place,] and “keep” [regarding the Sabbath in another]? “Remember” (zachor) refers to the male (Zachar) . “Keep” (shamor) refers to the bride. Why is it connected to, “and My sanctuary you shall fear”? This is because My sanctuary is holy. Why? “Because I am God who makes you holy” from every side.

183. Why do we say [in the blessing after food], “On all that He created...[Blessed]is the Life of Worlds.” Why do we not say, “On all that You created”? But we bless the Holy One, who grants His wisdom to this “Life of Worlds.” It then provides for all.

184. What is the reason that we say [in blessings, “Blessed are you...] who made us holy with His commandments and commanded us” [in the third person]? Why do we not say, “that You made us holy with Your commandments, and You commanded us, “ [in the second person]? This teaches us that all commandments are included in the Life of Worlds. Because of His love for us, He gave us [the commandments] in order that they should make us holy and allow us to be worthy. Why? Because when we are in this world, we can become worthy of the World to Come, which is great. In its hand is the treasury of souls. When Israel is good, these souls are worthy of emerging and coming to this world. But if they are not good, the [these souls] do not emerge. We therefore say, “The Son of David will not come until all the souls in the Body are completed.” What is the meaning of “all the souls in the Body”? We say that this refers to all the souls in man’s body. [When these are completed] new ones will be worthy of emerging. The Son of David (the Messiah) will then come. He will be able to be born, since his soul will emerge among the other new souls. What is this like? A king had an army, and he sent them much bread to eat. They were so lazy that they did not take care of [the bread] which they did not eat [immediately]. The bread therefore became mouldy and went to waste. The king investigated to find out if they had what to eat, and to see if they had eaten what he had sent them. He found that the bread had become mouldy and they were ashamed to ask for new bread. How could they tell the king, “We did not take care of [what you sent us,] but now we are asking for more”? The king also became angry. He took the mouldy bread and ordered that it be dried and rectified as much as possible. He swore to the men, “I will not give you any more bread until you eat all this mouldy bread.” He then returned the bread to them. What did they do? They agreed to divide it up, and each one took his portion. The diligent one took his portion and placed it in the air, taking care of it and keeping it in good condition to eat. The other one took it and ate it lustfully. He ate what he could and laid the rest aside, not taking care of it since he had given up on it. It spoiled even more and became so mouldy that he could not eat it at all. He therefore starved to death. He was then blamed for the sin of his body: Why did you kill yourself? Is it not enough that you ruined the bread the first time? But I returned it to you and you ruined it [again]. You ruined your portion because you were too lazy to take care of it. And not only that, but you also killed yourself.” [The solder] replied, “My lord, what could I have done?” He answered, “You should have taken care of it. And if you claim that you were not able to, you should have watched your friends and neighbours with whom you shared the bread. You should have seen what they did and how they took care of it, and you should have kept it like they did.” They also interrogated him: Why did you kill yourself? Is it not enough that you ruined the bread? But you also went ahead and killed the matter of your body. You shortened the days of your life, or [at least] caused it. It may have been possible that you would have had a good son. He could have saved you, and [rectified] the damage that you and others did. Your suffering will therefore be increased on all sides. He became confused and replied, “What could I have done when I did not have any bread? With what could I have sustained myself?” They answered: If you would have strived and worked in Torah, you would not reply foolishly and brazenly like this. Because of your reply, it is obvious that you have not worked or strived in Torah. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 8:3) , “For not by bread alon does man live, but form all that emanates from God’s mouth does man live.” You should have searched and probed and asked, “what is it through which man lives?” What is this which “emanates from God’s mouth” From here they said, “An ignoramus cannot be pious.” If a person does not act with kindness (Chesed) toward himself, he cannot be called pious (Chasid) .

185. How can one do kindness to his Master? By studying the Torah. All study of Torah is a deed of kindness toward one’s Master. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 33:26) , “He rides the heavens with your help, [His pride is in the skies].” God says, “When you study Torah for its own sake, then you help Me and I can ride the heavens.” Then, “His pride is in the skies (Shechakim). “ What is Shechakim ? We say that it is in the innermost chamber. The Targum thus renders it, “His word is in the Heaven of Heaven.” Therefore, “not by bread alone does man live, but from all that emanates from God’s mouth does man live.” However, “the fool answers brazenly.” “Abandon this brazenness, and do not reply in this manner!” He is therefore punished. What is his punishment? We have already discussed it.

186. What is the meaning of the verse (Job 15:2), “Should a wise man answer knowledge of spirit?” What is “knowledge of spirit”? This is the Knowledge that is close to the spirit. Regarding this it is written (Isaiah 11:2) , “And there will rest upon him a spirit of God, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, [a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of God].” [First comes] Wisdom, and then comes Understanding. And in Understanding is “counsel, strength, knowledge and the fear of God.” But you told us that “counsel” is deeds of Kindness, and that Understanding is the Attribute of Justice. [One is above the other.] Knowledge is Truth. Knowledge is therefore that with which one recognises the truth. “The fear of God” is the Treasury of the Torah . This is like I say, but one is above the other. Rabbi Akiba thus said: With whatever God created, He created its counterpart. It is thus written (Ecclesiates 7:14) , “Also one opposite the other has God made.” What is the Treasury of the Torah? It is that regarding which it is written (Isaiah 33:6), “The fear of God is His treasury.” A person must first be god-fearing, and then he can study Torah. This is like a person who comes to buy date honey but does not bring a vessel in which to carry it. He says, “I will carry it in my bosom.” He tries to carry it in his bosom but it was very heavy, and he is also afraid that it will tear and soil his clothing. He therefore throws it away on the road. This person is then punished twice. First because he ruined good food, and second because he wasted his money.

187. The fear of God is the one that is higher. It is in the palm of God’s hand. It is also His Force. This palm (kaf) is called the pan of merit (Kaf Zechut). This is because it inclines the world to the pan of merit. It is thus written (Isaiah 11:3), “I will grant him a spirit of the fear of God, and he will not judge by the sight of his eyes, he will not admonish according to what his ear hears.” He will incline all the world to the pan of merit. From there counsel emanates, and from there health emanates to the world. [It is also written,] (Genesis 49:24) “From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel.” This is the place that is called “There.” Regarding this, it is written (Habakkuk 3:4), “[He has rays from His hand,] and His hidden Force is there. “

188. Once this thing comes, sharpen it. What is its sharpening? Tell us the meaning of the verse, “He has rays from His hand.” Why does it first say “rays” and they “His hand”? It should have said “His hands” [in the plural]. There is no contradiction. This is very much like the verse (Exodus 32:19), “And Moses’ anger flared, and he threw the tablets from his hands.” The way this is written, however, it would be read “His hand” [in the singular]. It is likewise written (Exodus 17:12), “And his hands was faithful until the sun set.” The verse says Emunah (“was faithful” - in the singular) and not Emunot (“were faithful” - in the plural). They replied: Our master, we are pointing out a contradiction in order to receive an answer, and you are covering our eyes. Did you not teach us, master, that you must answer first things first and last things last? [He said:] And what have you then asked? [The meaning of,] “He has rays from His hand.” By the Divine service, I have just explained it to you with my words. They were ashamed. When he saw that they were ashamed is it not true that [at first] there was water, and that fire emanated form it? Water therefore included fire. And Master, what is the meaning of “rays”? He replied: There are five rays. These are the five fingers on man’s right hand.

189. And master, you are the one who told us in Rabbi Yochanan’s name that there are only tow arms of the world.” He replied: Yes. But here “rays” allude to the two rays that are below them. And what are they? He said: With the anger of your head. And what is above? He said: The fear of God.

190. And what is the fear of God? It is the first light. Rabbi [Meir] thus said: Why is it written (Genesis 1:3), “And God said, ‘let there be light,’ and there was light”? Why does it not say, “and it was so”? But this teaches us that the light was very intense, so that no created thing could gaze upon it. God therefore stored it away for the righteous in the Ultimate Future. This is the measure of all merchandise (Secorah) in the world. It is also the power of the precious stones that are called Socheret and Dar. And upon what is the attribute of Dar? This teaches us that God took a thousandth of its radiance, and from it He constructed a beautiful precious stone. In it He included all the commandments. Abraham came, and He sought a power to give him. He gave him this precious stone, but he did not want it. He was worthy and took Kindness as his attribute, as it is written (Micah 7:20), “Kindness to Abraham.” Isaac came, and He sought a power, but He gave it to him and he did not want it. He was worthy and took the attribute of Strength, which is [called] Terror. It is thus written (Genesis 31:53), “And Jacob swore by the Terror of Isaac his father.” Jacob came and wanted it, but it was not given to him. They said, “Since Abraham is above and Isaac is below him, you will be in the centre and take all three.” What is the centre? It is peace, as it is written (Micah 7:20), “You give Truth to Jacob.” Truth is identical with Peace, as it is written (Esther 9:30), “Words of Peace and Truth.” It is likewise written (2 Kings 20:19), “For peace and truth will be in my days.” This is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 58:14), “I will feed you with the inheritance of Jacob your father.” This is a complete inheritance (Nachalah), comprising Kindness, Terror, Truth and Peace. It is therefore written (Psalm 118:22), “The stone despised by the builders has become the chief cornerstone.” This is the Stone that was despised by Abraham and Isaac, the builders of the world, and that then became the chief cornerstone.

191. And why did they despise it? Is it not written (Genesis 26:5), “Because Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My watch, My commandments, My decrees, and My Torahs.” What is the meaning of “My watch”? It refers to what the Attribute of Kindness said: As long as Abraham was in the world, I did not have to do my job. Abraham stood there in my place and “kept my watch.” It is my task to bring merit to the world, and even when people are guilty, I bring them merit. I also bring them back, directing their hearts to do the will of their Father in heaven. All this Abraham did, as it is written (Genesis 21:33), “And he planted a tamarisk in Beersheba, and he called there in the name of the Lord, God of the world.” He would share his bread and water with all the people in the world, bringing them merit. Seeking to convince them, he would say, “Whom then are you serving? Serve the Lord, God of heaven and earth.” He would preach to them until they would repent. How do we know that he would also bring merit to those who were guilty? It is written (Genesis 18:17), “Shall I then cover from Abraham what I am doing? Abraham is becoming a great, mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him.” [God said,] “I will give him merit. I know that he will seek mercy for them and be worthy.” Is it then possible to say that the Blessed Holy One did not know that they could be saved? But He told this [to Abraham] to bring him merit. From here they said, “If one comes to purify himself, they help him. If one comes to defile himself, they open for him.” What is the meaning of, “they open for him”? It refers to those that are always open. 192. [It is written that Abraham kept] (Genesis 26:5), “My commandments, My decrees, and My Torahs.” He said, “Since I do not want [the precious stone], I will keep all the commandments that are included in it.” What is the meaning of “My Torahs”? This teaches us that he knew and kept even the decisions (Horah) and discussions that are taught on high.

193. And what is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 49:24), “From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” From “There” is nourished the Rock of Israel. What is the meaning of “from There”? We say that this is the Supernal Righteous One (Tzadik). What is it? It is [the precious stone called] Socheret. And the stone that is below it is called Dar. And what are the rays mentioned in the verse (Habakkuk 3:4), “He has rays from His hand”? These are the five fingers of the right hand.

MYSTERIES of THE SOUL [§194-200]

194. Rabbi Rahumai said: This I received [from the tradition]. When Moses wanted to know about the glorious fearsome Name, may it be blessed, he said (Exodus 33:18), “Show me please Your glory.” He wanted to know why there are righteous who have good, righteous who have evil, wicked who have good, and wicked who have evil. But they would not tell him. Do you then think that they did not tell him? Can one then imagine that Moses did not know this mystery? But this is what Moses said: “I know the ways of the Powers, but I do not know how Thought spreads through them. I know that Truth is in Thought, but I do not know its parts.” He wanted to know, but they would not tell him.

195. Why is there a righteous person who has good, and [another] righteous person who has evil? This is because the [second] righteous person was wicked previously, and is now being punished. Is one then punished for his childhood deeds? Did not Rabbi Simon say that in the Tribunal on high, no punishment is meted out until one is twenty years or older. He said: I am not speaking of his present lifetime. I am speaking about what he has already been, previously. His colleagues said to him: How long will you conceal your words? He replied: Go out and see. What is this like? A person planted a vineyard and hoped to grow grapes, but instead, sour grapes grew. He saw that his planting and harvest were not successful so he tore it out. He cleaned out the sour grape vines and planted again. When he saw that his planting was not successful, he tore it up and planted it again. How many times? He said to them: For a thousand generations. It is thus written (Psalm 105:8), “The word that He commanded for a thousand generations.” It is in relation to this that they said, “Lacking were 974 generations. The Blessed Holy One stood up and planted them in each generation.”

196. Rabbah said: If the righteous wanted, they could create a world. What interferes? Your sins, as it is written (Isaiah 59:2), “Only your sins separate between you and your God.” Therefore, if not for your sins, there would not be any differentiation between you and Him. We thus see that Rabba created a man and sent it to Rav Zeira. He spoke to it, but it would not reply. But if not for your sins, it would also have been able to reply. And from what would it have replied? From its soul. Does a man then have a soul to place in it? Yes, as it is written (Genesis 2:7), “And He blew in his nostrils a soul of life.” If not for your sins, man would therefore have a “soul of life.” [Because of your sins, however] the soul is not pure. This is the difference between you and Him. It is thus written (Psalm 8:6), “And You have made him a little less than God.” What is the meaning of “a little”? This is because [man] sins, while the Blessed Holy One does not. Blessed be He and blessed be His Name for ever and ever, He has no sins. But the [Evil] Urge comes from Him. Can we then imagine that it comes from Him? But it originated from Him until David came and killed it. It is thus written (Psalm 109:22), “My heart is hollow within me.” David said: Because I was able to overcome it (Psalm 5:5), “Evil will not sojourn with You.” How was David able to overcome it? Through his study, since he never stopped [studying] day or night. He therefore attached the Torah on high. For whenever a person studies Torah for its own sake, the Torah attaches itself to the Blessed Holy One. They therefore say, “A person should always study Torah, even not for its sake, since if [he studies it] not for its sake, he will eventually come to [study it] for its sake.” What is this Torah that you are discussing? It is the Bride who is adorned and crowned, and who is included in the commandments. It is the Treasury of the Torah. It is the betrothed of the Blessed Holy One, as it is written (Deuteronomy 33:4), “Moses commanded us the Torah, the heritage (Morasha) of the congregation of Jacob.” Do not read “heritage” (Morasha) but “betrothed” (Me’urasa). How is his so. When Israel engages in the Torah for its own sake, then it is the betrothed of the Blessed Holy One, then it is the heritage of Israel.

197. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: Why was Tamar worthy of being the mother of Peretz and Zerach? It was because her name was Tamar. Tamar was [also] the sister of Amnon. She was therefore made for this. Why were they called Peretz and Zerach? Peretz was named after the moon. The moon breaks out (paratz) at times, and will be built up in the future. Zerach was named after the sun, which always shines (zarach) in the same manner. But Peretz was the first-born. Is then the sun not greater than the moon? This is no difficulty, as it is written (Genesis 38:28), “One put out a hand,” [indicating that Zerach’s hand emerged before Peretz was born]. It is then written (Genesis 38:30), “This his brother, upon whose hand was the scarlet thread, emerged, and he was named Zerach.” [Zerach] was supposed to have been the first-born. But God saw that Solomon would descend [from Peretz], and He had such great joy that He made [Zerach] return.

198. Why was she called Tamar and not any other name? Because she was female. Can we then say that [it was something special that] she was female? But it is because she included both male and female. For [Tamar means a date palm, and] every date palm includes both male and female. How is this? The frond (Lulav) is male. The fruit is male on the outside and female on the inside. And how? The seed of the date has a split like a woman. Paralleling it is the power of the moon above. The Blessed Holy One created Adam male and female, as it is written (Genesis 1:27), “Male and female He created them.” Is it then possible to say this? Is it then not written (Genesis 1:27), “And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him”? It is only then later written (Genesis 2:18), “I will make him a helper opposite him,” and (Genesis 2:21), “And He took one of his ribs, and closed the flesh under it.” [We therefore see that the male was created first, and only later the female.] But we must say that the Torah uses [three different words]: “formed” (yatzar), “made” (asah), and “created” (bara). When the soul was made, the word “made” is used. [The word “created” is then used:] “Male and female He created them.” The word “formed” was used when the soul was combined with the body and the spirit was brought together. How do we know that “forming” means bringing together? For it is written (Genesis 2:19), “And the Lord God formed (gathered) all the beasts of the field and all the flying things of the heaven, and He brought them to the Man to see what he would call each thing.” This explains the verse (Genesis 5:2), “Male and female He created them.” It is also written (Genesis 1:28), “And God blessed them.”

199. The soul of the female comes from the Female, and the soul of the male comes from the Male. This is the reason why the Serpent followed Eve. He said, “Her soul comes from the north, and I will therefore quickly seduce her.” And how did he seduce her? He had intercourse with her.

200. His disciples asked: Tell us how this took place. He replied: The wicked Samael made a bond with all the host on high against his Master. This was because the Blessed Holy One said [regarding man] (Genesis 1:26), “And let him rule over the fish of the sea and the flying things of heaven.” [Samael] said, “How can we cause him to sin and be exiled from before God?” He descended with all his host, and sought a suitable companion on earth. He finally found the serpent, which looked like a camel, and he rode on it. He then went to the woman and said to her (Genesis 3:1), “Did God also say, from all the trees of the garden [you shall not eat]?” [He said, “I know that He did not forbid all the trees,] but I will seek more - I will add in order that she should subtract.” She replied, “He did not stop us from anything besides” (Genesis 3:2) “the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Do not eat from it and do not touch it, lest you die.’” She added two things. She said, “from the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden,” while [God] had only said (Genesis 2:17), “from the Tree of Knowledge.” She also said, “do not touch it lest you die,” [while God had only spoken of eating it]. What did Samael do? He went and touched the tree. The tree cried out and said, “Wicked one, do not touch me!” It is thus written (Psalm 36:12), “Let not a foot of pride overtake me, and let not the hand of the wicked move me. There have the workers of iniquity fallen - they are thrust down, they cannot rise.” He then said to the woman, “See, I touched the tree and I did not die. You can also touch it and not die.” The woman went and touched the tree. She saw the Angel of Death approaching her and said, “Woe is to me. Now I will die and the Blessed Holy One will make another woman and give her to Adam. I will therefore cause him to eat with me. If we die, we will both die, and if we live, we will both live.” She took the fruit of the tree and ate it, and she also gave some to her husband. Their eyes opened and their teeth were set on edge. He said, “What is this that you have given me to eat? Just as my teeth were set on edge, so will the teeth of all [future] generations be set on edge.” [God then] sat down in true judgment, as it is written (Psalm 9:5), “[You have upheld my cause, You have sat on the throne as a] righteous Judge.” He called to Adam and said “Why do you flee from Me?” [Adam] replied (Genesis 3:10), “ ‘I heard Your voice in the garden’ - and my bones trembled. ‘I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid.’ I was naked of works, I was naked of commandments, and I was naked of deeds.” It is therefore written “because I was naked, and I hid.” What was Adam’s garment? It was a skin of fingernail. As soon as he ate from the fruit of the tree, this skin of fingernail was removed from him, and he saw himself naked. It is thus written (Genesis 3:11), “Who told you that you were naked? [Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from it?]” Adam said to the Blessed Holy One, “Master of all worlds: When I was alone, did I ever sin before You? But the woman that You placed with me enticed me from your word.” It is thus written (Genesis 3:12), “The woman that you placed with me [gave it to me, and I ate].” The Blessed Holy One said to her, “Is it not enough that you sinned? But you also caused Adam to sin.” She replied to Him, “Master of all worlds: The serpent enticed me to sin before You.” [God] took the three of them, and decreed upon them a sentence of nine curses and death. He then cast the wicked Samael and his group from their holy place in heaven. He cut off the feet of the serpent and cursed it more than all the other animals and beasts of the field. He also decreed that it must shed its skin every seven years. Samael was punished and made the guardian angel over the wicked Esau. In the Future, when God uproots the Kingdom of Edom, he will lower him first. It is thus written (Isaiah 24:21), “God will punish the host of heights of high.” This statement, death and punishment all came because she added to the commandment of the Blessed Holy One. Regarding this it is said, “Whoever increases diminishes.”

May God enlighten our eyes with the light of His Torah,
May He place in our hearts His fear,
May we be worthy to greet Him.
He will enlighten the ear
Waken the heart with understanding
Make the heart shine with brilliance.