Sefer ha-Bahir - "The Book of
Illumination"
Attributed to Rabbi Nehunia ben haKana
What is the Sefer ha-Bahir?
The Bahir is one of the oldest and most
important of all Kabbalistic texts. Until the publication of the Zohar, the
Bahir was the most influential source of Kabbalistic teachings. It is quoted in
virtually every major Kabbalistic work and is cited numerous times by the
Ramban in his commentary on the Torah. It is also paraphrased and quoted many
times in the Zohar.
The name 'Bahir' literally means 'brilliant'
or 'Illumination', and is derived from the first verse quoted in the text of
the Bahir "And now they do not see the light, it is brilliant [bahir] in
the skies", which itself is a quote from the book of Job (37:21).
This book is also called "The Midrash of
Rabbi Nehuniah ben haKana". Although the Bahir is a fairly small book,
12,000 words in all, it was very highly esteemed. It was first published in
One of the most important concepts revealed
in it is that of the ten Sefirot. Also discussed are the opening verses of
Genesis and their true meaning; The mystical aspects of the Hebrew alphabet; A
discussion of Gilgul [reincarnation]; The 32 paths of Wisdom, and the Tzimtum,
among other topics.
Answer from the soc.culture.jewish FAQ
INDEX
Section I
The First Verses of Creation
1. Rabbi Nehuniah ben HaKana said: One verse (Job
37:21) states, "And now they do not see light, it is brilliant (Bahir)
in the skies...[round about God in terrible majesty]." Another verse,
however, (Psalm 18:12), states, "He made darkness His hiding
place." It is also written (Psalm 97:2), "Cloud and gloom
surround Him." This is an apparent contradiction. A third verse comes and
reconciles the two. It is written (Psalm 139:12), "Even darkness is
not dark to You. Night shines like day - light and darkness are the same."
2. Rabbi Berachiah said: It is written (Genesis
1:2), "The earth was Chaos (Tohu) and Desolation (Bohu).
What is the meaning of the word "was" in this verse? This indicates
that the Chaos existed previously [and already was ]. What is Chaos (Tohu)?
Something that confounds (Taha) people. What is Desolation (Bohu)?
It is something that has substance. This is the reason that it is called Bohu ,
that is, Bo Hu - "it is in it."
3. Why does the Torah begin with the letter
Bet ? In order that it begin with a blessing (Berachah). How do we know
that the Torah is called a blessing? Because it is written (Deuteronomy
33:23), "The filling is God's blessing possessing the Sea and the
South." The Sea is nothing other than the Torah, as it is written (Job
11:9), "It is wider than the sea." What is the meaning of the
verse, "The filling is God's blessing?" This means that wherever we
find the letter Bet it indicates a blessing. It is thus written (Genesis
1:1), "In the beginning (Bet Reshit) [God created the heaven
and the earth." BeReshit is Bet Reshit .] The word "beginning" (Reshit)
is nothing other than Wisdom. It is thus written (Psalm 111:10),
"The beginning is wisdom, the fear of God." Wisdom is a blessing. It
is thus written, "And God blessed Solomon." It is furthermore written
(I Kings 5:26), "And God gave Wisdom to Solomon." This
resembles a king who marries his daughter to his son. He gives her to him at
the wedding and says to him, "Do with her as you desire."
4. How do we know that the word Berachah
[usually translated as blessing] comes from the word Baruch [meaning blessed]?
Perhaps it comes from the word Berech [meaning knee]. It is written (Isaiah
44:23), "For to Me shall every knee bend." [ Berachah can
therefore mean] the Place to which every knee bends. What example does this
resemble? People want to see the king, but do not know where to find his house (Bayit).
First they ask "Where is the king's house?" Only then can they ask
"Where is the king?" It is thus written, "For to Me shall every
knee bend" - even the highest - "every tongue shall swear."
5. Rabbi Rahumai sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy 33:23), "The filling is God's
blessing, possessing the Sea and the South"? This means that wherever we
find the letter Bet it is blessed. This is the Filling referred to in the
verse, "The filling is God's blessing." From there it nourishes those
who need it. It was from this Filling that God sought advice. What example does
this resemble? A king wanted to build his palace among great cliffs. He mined
into the bedrock and uncovered a great spring of living water. The king then
said, "Since I have flowing water, I will plant a garden. Then I will
delight in it, and so will all the world." It is therefore written (Proverbs
8:30), "I was with Him as a craftsman, I was His delight for a day, a
day, frolicking before him at every time." The Torah is saying, "For
two thousand years I was in the bosom of the Blessed Holy One as His
delight." The verse therefore says, "a day, a day." Each day of
the Blessed Holy One is a thousand years, as it is written (Psalm 90:4),
"A thousand years in Your eyes is as but yesterday when it is
passed." From then on, it is at times, as the verse states,
"[frolicking before Him] at every time." The rest is for the world.
It is thus written (Isaiah 48:9), "I will [breathe out] My praise
through My nose for you." What is the meaning of "My praise"? As
it is written (Psalm 145:2), "A praise of David, I will raise You
high [my God, O King, and I will bless Your name for the world and forever]."
Why is this a praise? Because I will "raise You high." And what is
this elevation? Because "I will bless Your name for the world and
forever."
8. What is a blessing? It can be explained
with an example. A king planted trees in his garden. It may rain and water
them, and the ground may be wet and provide them with moisture, but still, he
must water them from the spring. It is thus written (Psalm 111:10),
"The beginning is Wisdom, the fear of God, good intelligence to all who do
them [His praise endures forever]." You may think that it lacks something.
It is therefore written, "His praise endures forever."
7. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy 33:23), "The filling is God's
blessing, possessing the Sea and the South?" Moses was saying, "If
you follow my decrees, you will inherit both this world and the next." The
World to Come is likened to the sea, as it is written (Job 11:9),
"It is wider than the sea." The present world is referred to as the
South. It is thus written (Joshua 15:19), [Give me a blessing] for you
have set me in the land of the south, [therefore give me springs of
water]." The Targum translates this, "behold the earth is the
south."
8. Why did God add the letter Heh to
Abraham's name, rather than any other letter? This was so that all parts of
man's body should be worthy of life in the World to Come, which is likened to
the sea. To the extent that we can express it, the Structure was completed in
Abraham. [Regarding this Structure] it is written (Genesis 9:6),
"For in the form of God, He made the man." The numerical value of
Abraham is 248, the number of parts in man's body.
9. What is the meaning of (Deuteronomy
33:23), "[The filling is God's blessing, the Sea and the South] he
shall inherit it (YiRaShaH)?" It would have been sufficient if the
verse said, "inherit (RaSh) [the Sea and the South]." But this
comes to teach us that God must also be included. The word YiRaShaH thus
contains the letters RaSh YH [meaning, "inherit God"]. What does this
resemble? A king had two treasuries, and he hid one away. After many days he
said to his son, "Take what is in these two treasuries." The son
replied, "Perhaps you are not giving me all that you have hidden
away." The king said, "Take everything." It is thus written,
"the Sea and the South, he shall inherit it." Inherit God (YH
RaSh) - everything will be given to you if you only keep My ways.
10. Rabbi Bun said: What is the meaning of
the verse (Proverbs 8:23), "I was set up from eternity (Me-Olam),
from a head, before the earth?" What is the meaning of "from eternity
(Me-Olam)?" This means that it must be concealed (He-
11. What is the meaning of the verse (Ecclesiastes
7:14), "Also one opposite the other was made by God." He created
Desolation (Bohu) and placed it in Peace, and He created Chaos (Tohu)
and placed it in Evil. Desolation is in Peace, as it is written (Job 25:2),
"He makes peace in His high places." This teaches us that Michael,
the prince to God's right, is water and hail, while Gabriel, the prince to
God's left, is fire. The two are reconciled by the Prince of Peace. This is the
meaning of the verse, "He makes peace in His high places."
12. How do we know that Chaos is in Evil? It
is written (Isaiah 45:7), "He makes peace and creates evil."
How does this come out? Evil is from Chaos, while Peace is from Desolation. He
thus created Chaos and placed it in Evil, [as it is written "He makes
peace and creates evil." He created Desolation and placed it in Peace, as
it is written, "He makes peace in His high places."]
13. Rabbi Bun also sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the verse (Isaiah 45:7), "He forms light and creates
darkness?" Light has substance. Therefore, the term "formation"
is used with regard to it. Darkness has no substance, and therefore, with
regard to it, the term "creation" is used. It is similarly written (Amos
4:12), He forms mountains and creates the wind." Another explanation
is this: Light was actually brought into existence, as it is written (Genesis
1:3), "And God said, let there be light." Something cannot be
brought into existence unless it is made. The term "formation" is
therefore used. In the case of darkness, however, there was no making, only
separation and setting aside. It is for this reason that the term
"created" (Bara) is used. It has the same sense as in the
expression, "That person became well (hi-Bria)."
14. Why is the letter Bet closed on all sides
and open in the front? This teaches us that it is the House (Bayit) of
the world. God is the place of the world, and the world is not His place. Do
not read Bet , but Bayit (house). It is thus written (Proverbs 24:3),
"With wisdom the house is built, with understanding it is established,
[and with knowledge are its chambers filled]."
15. What does the Bet resemble? It is like a
man, formed by God with wisdom. He is closed on all sides, but open in front.
The Aleph , however, is open from behind. This teaches us that the tail of the
Bet is open from behind. If not for this, man could not exist. Likewise, if not
for the Bet on the tail of the Aleph , the world could not exist.
16. Rabbi Rahumai said: Illumination
preceeded the world, since it is written (Psalm 97:2), "Cloud and
gloom surround Him." It is thus written (Genesis 1:3), "And
God said, 'let there be light,' and there was light." They said to Him,
"Before the creation of
Section II
The Aleph-Beth
17. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: Why is
the letter Aleph at the beginning? Because it was before everything, even the
Torah.
18. Why does Bet follow it? Because it was
first. Why does it have a tail? To point to the place from which it came. Some say,
from there the world is sustained.
19. Why is Gimel third? It has three parts,
teaching us that it bestows (
20. And why is there a tail at the bottom of
the Gimel? He said: The Gimel has a head on top, and is like a pipe. Just like
a pipe, the Gimel draws from above through its head, and disperses through its
tail. This is the Gimel.
21. Rabbi Yochanan said: The angels were
created on the second day. It is therefore written (Psalm 104:3),
"He rafters His upper chambers with water [He makes the clouds His
chariot, He walks on the wings of the wind]." It is then written (Psalm
104:4), "He makes the winds His angels, His ministers from flaming
fire." [ Rabbi Haninah said: The angels were created on the fifth day, as
it is written (Genesis 1:20), "And flying things shall fly upon the
firmament of heaven." Regarding the angels it is written (Isaiah 6:2),
"With two wings did they fly."] Rabbi Levatas ben Tavrus said: All
agree, even Rabbi Yochanan, that the water already existed [on the first day].
But it was on the second day that "He raftered His upper chambers with
water." [At that time He also created] the one who "makes the clouds
his chariot," and the one who "walks on the wings of the wind."
But His messengers were not created until the fifth day.
22. All agree that none were created on the
first day. It should therefore not be said that Michael drew out the heaven at
the south, and Gabriel drew it out at the north, while God arranged things in
the middle. It is thus written (Isaiah 44:24), "I am God, I make
all, I stretch out the heavens alone, the earth is spread out before Me."
[Even though we read the verse "from Me" (May-iti), it can
also be read] Mi iti - "Who was with Me?" I am the One who planted
this tree in order that all the world should delight in it. And in it, I spread
All. I called it All because all depend upon it, all emanate from it, and all
need it. To it they look, for it they wait, and from it, souls fly in joy.
Alone was I when I made it. Let no angel rise above it and say, "I was
before you." I was also alone when I spread out My earth, in which I
planted and rooted this tree. I made them rejoice together, and I rejoiced in
them. "Who was with Me?" To whom have I revealed this mystery?
23. Rabbi Rahumai said: From your words we
could conclude that the needs of this world were created before the heavens. He
answered yes. What does this resemble? A king wanted to plant a tree in his
garden. He searched the entire garden to find a spring flowing with water that
would nourish the tree, but could not find any. He then said, "I will dig
for water, and will bring forth a spring to nourish the tree." He dug and
opened a well, flowing with living water. He then planted the tree, and it
stood, giving forth fruit. It was successfully rooted, since it was always
watered from the well.
24. Rabbi Yanai said: The earth was created
first, as it is written (Genesis 2:4), "[On the day that God made}
earth and heaven." They said to him: Is it not written (Genesis 1:1),
"[In the beginning God created] the heaven and the earth"? He
replied: What is this like? A king bought a beautiful object, but since it was
not complete, he did not give it a name. He said, "I will complete it, I
will prepare its pedestal and attachment, and then I will give it a name."
It is thus written (Psalm 102:26), "From eternity You founded the
earth" - and then, "the heavens are the work of Your hands." It
is furthermore written (Psalm 104:2), "He covered Himself with
light like a garment, He spread out the heaven like a curtain, He rafters His
upper chambers with water." It is then written (Psalm 104:4),
"He makes the winds His angels, His ministers of flaming fire."
Finally, it is written (Psalm 104:5), "He founded the earth on its
pedestals, that it not be removed for the world and forever." When He made
its pedestal, He strengthened it. It is therefore written, "that it not be
moved." What is its name? "And Forever (VoEd) is its name. And
[the name of] its pedestal is "World" (Olam). It is therefore
written, "for the World And Forever."
25. Rabbi Berachiah said: What is the meaning
of the verse (Genesis 1:3), And God said, 'Let there be light,' and
there was light"? Why does the verse not say, "And it was so"?
What is this like? A king had a beautiful object. He puts it away until he had
a place for it, and then he put it there. It is therefore written, "Let
there be light, and there was light." This indicates that it already
existed.
26. Rabbi Amorai said: What is the meaning of
the verse (Exodus 15:3), "God is a man (Ish) of war"?
Mar Rahumai said to him: Great master, do not ask about something that is so
simple. Listen to me and I will advise you. He said to him: What is this like?
A king had a number of beautiful dwellings, and he gave each one a name. One
was better than the other. He said, "I will give my son this dwelling
whose name is Aleph. This one whose name is Yod is also good, as is this one
whose name is Shin." What did he do then? He gathered all three together,
and out of them he made a single name and a single house. He said: How long
will you continue to conceal your meaning? The other replied: My son, Aleph is
the head. Yod is second to it. Shin includes all the world. Why does Shin
include all the world? Because with it one writes an answer (T'shuvah).
27. The students asked him: What is the
letter Daleth? He replied: What is this like? Ten kings were in a certain
place. All of them were wealthy, but one was not quite as wealthy as the
others. Even though he is still very wealthy, he is poor (Dal) in
relation to the others.
28. They said to him: What is the letter Heh?
He grew angry and said: Did I not teach you not to ask about a later thing and
then about an earlier thing? They said: But Heh comes after [Daleth]. He replied:
The order should be Gimel Heh. Why is it Gimel Daleth? Because it must be
Daleth Heh. And why is the order Gimel Daleth? He said to them: Gimel is in the
place of Daleth, on its head it is in the place of Heh. Daleth with its tail is
in place of the Heh.
29. What is the letter Vav? He said: There is
an upper Heh and a lower Heh.
30. They said to him: But what is Vav? He
said: The world was sealed with six directions. They said: Is not Vav a single
letter? He replied: It is written (Psalm 104:2), "He wraps Himself
in light as a garment, [he spreads out the heavens like a curtain]."
31. Rabbi Amorai asked: Where is the Garden
of Eden? He replied: It is on earth.
32. Rabbi Ishmael expounded to Rabbi Akiba:
What is the meaning of the verse (Genesis 1:1), "[In the beginning
God created] (et) the heaven and (et) the earth"? [Why is
the word et added in both places?] If the word et (an untranslated
preposition that connects a transitive verb to its predicate noun) were
absent, we would think that "heaven" and "earth" were gods.
[For we could have read the verse, "In the beginning, God, the heaven and
the earth created..." taking all three nouns as subjects of the sentence.]
He replied: By the Divine Service! You may have reached out for the true
meaning, but you have not sorted out, and therefore you speak in this manner.
But [in the case of "heaven"] the word et comes to include the sun,
moon, stars and constellations, while [in the case of "earth"] it
comes to add trees, plants, and the Garden of Eden.
33. They said to him: It is written (Lamentations
2:1), "He threw the beauty of
34. They asked him: Why is the letter Cheth
open? And why is its vowel point a small Patach? He said: Because all
directions (Ruach-ot) are closed, except for the North, which is opened
for good and for evil. They said: How can you say that it is for good? It is
not written (Ezekiel 1:4), "And behold, a stormy wind coming from
the north, a great cloud and burning fire." Fire is nothing other than
fierce anger, as it is written (Leviticus 10:2), "And fire went out
from before God, and it consumed them and killed them." He said: There is
no difficulty. One case is speaking of when
35. What is this like? A king wanted to
punish and whip his slaves. One of his governors stood up and asked the reason
for this punishment. When the king described the offence, the governor said,
"Your slaves never did such a thing. I will be their bondsman until you
investigate it more thoroughly." In the meantime, the king's anger was
calmed.
36. His students asked: Why is the letter
Daleth thick on the side? He replied: Because of the Segol which is in the
small Patach. It is thus written (Psalm 24:7), "The openings (pitchey)
of the World." There He placed a Patach above and a Segol below. It is for
this reason that it is thick.
37. What is the Petach? It is an opening (Petach).
What is meant by an opening? This is the direction of north, which is open to
all the world. It is the gate from which good and evil emerge. And what is
good? He mocked them and said: Did I not tell you that it is a small Patach (opening)?
They said: We have forgotten, teach us again. He reviewed it and said: What is
this like? A king had a throne. Sometimes he carried it on his arm, and
sometimes on his head. They asked why, and he replied: Because it is beautiful
and it is a pity to sit on it. They asked: Where did he place it on his head?
He replied: In the open Mem. It is thus written (Psalm 85:12),
"Truth sprouts up from the earth, and the righteousness looks down from
heaven."
38. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the verse (Psalm 87:2), "God loves the gates of
39. This is like two men, one who is inclined
to do evil and does good, and the other who is inclined to do good and does
evil. Who is more praiseworthy? The one who is inclined to do evil and does
good, for he may do good again. It is therefore written (Psalm 87:2),
"God loves the gates of
40. His students asked: What is Cholem? He
replied: It is the soul - and its name is Cholem. If you listen to it, your
body will be vigorous (Chalam) in the Ultimate Future. But if you rebel
against it, there will be sickness (Choleh) on your head, and diseases (Cholim)
on its head.
41. They also said: Every dream (Chalom)
is in the Cholem. Every white precious stone is in the Cholem. It is thus
written [with regard to the High Priest's breastplate] (Exodus 28:19),
"[And in the third row...] a white stone (aChLaMah)."
42. He said to them: Come and hear the fine
points regarding the vowel points found in the Torah of Moses. He sat and
expounded: Chirek hates evildoers and punishes them. Its side includes
jealousy, hatred and competition. It is thus written (Psalm 37:12),
"He gnashes (Chorek) his teeth at them." Do not read chorek (gnashes),
but rochek (repels). Repel (rachek) these traits from yourself,
and repel yourself from evil. Good will then certainly attach itself to you.
43. Chirek. Do not read ChiRiK but KeRaCh (Ice).
Whatever the Chirek touches becomes ice. It is thus written (Exodus 34:7),
"and cleanses."
44. What is the indication that Chirek has
the connotation of burning? This is because it is fire that burns all fire. It
is thus written (1 Kings 18:38), "And God's fire fell, and it
consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, the dust, and evaporated the
water that was in the trench."
Section III
The Seven Voices and the Sephiroth
45. He ( Rabbi Amorai) said: What is
the meaning of the verse (Exodus 20:15) , "And all the people saw
the voices." These are the voice regarding which King David spoke. It is
thus written (Psalm 29:3) , "The voice of God is upon the waters,
the God of glory thunders." [This is the first voice.] [The second voice
is] (Psalm 29:4), "The voice of God comes in strength."
Regarding this it is written (Isaiah 10:13) , "By the strength of
my hand have I done it." It is likewise written (Isaiah 48:13) ,
"Also My Hand has founded the earth." [The third voice is] (Psalm
29:4), "The voice of God is with majesty." It is also written (Psalm
111:3), "Splendour and majesty are His works, his righteousness stands
forever." [The fourth voice is] (Psalm 29:5), "God's voice
breaks the cedars." This is the bow that breaks the cypress and cedar
trees. [The fifth voice is] (Psalm 29:7), "God's voice draws out
flames of fire." This is what makes peace between water and fire. It draws
out the power of the fire and prevents it from evaporating the water. It also
prevents [the water] from extinguishing it. [The sixth voice is] (Psalm
29:8) , "God's voice shakes the desert." It is thus written (Psalm
18:51) "He does kindness to his Messiah, to David and his descendants
until eternity" more than [when
46. One verse states (2 Samuel 22:10),
"He bent the heavens and came down, with gloom under His feet."
Another verse says (Exodus 19:20) "And God came down on
47. What is the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy
4:12), "You saw no form, only a voice"? This was explained when
Moses said to
48. One verse (Exodus 20:15), states,
"and all the people saw the voices." Another verse, however, (Deuteronomy
4:12) states, "The voice of words you heard." How can [the two be
reconciled]? At first they saw the voices. What did the see? The seven voices
mentioned by David. But in the end they heard the word that emanated from them
all. But we have learned that there were ten. Our sages taught that they were
all said with a single word. But we have said that there were seven. There were
seven voices. Regarding three of them it is written (Deuteronomy 4:12) ,
"The voice of words you heard, but you saw no form, only a voice."
This teaches us that they were all said with a single word. This is so that
49. Another explanation: It was so that the
world should not say that since there were ten sayings for ten kings, it might
be that He could not speak for them all through one. He therefore said (Exodus
20:2), "I am [the Lord you God]," which included all ten. What
are the ten kings? They are the seven voices and three sayings (Amarim).
What are the sayings? [They are the ones alluded to in the verse] (Deuteronomy
26:18) "God has said for you today." "What are the three?
[Two are mentioned in the verse] (Proverbs 4:7), "The beginning is
Wisdom: acquire Wisdom, with all your acquisition, acquire Understanding."
It is thus written (Job 32:8), "The soul of Shaddai gives them
Understanding." The soul of Shaddai is what gives them Understanding. What
is the third one? As the old man said to the child, "What is hidden from
you, do not seek, and what is concealed from you, do not probe. Where you have
authority, seek to understand, but you have nothing to do with mysteries."
50. We have learned (Proverbs 25:2),
"The glory of God is to hide a word." What is "a word"?
That of which it is written (Psalm 119:160), "The Beginning of Your
word is truth." [It is also written] (Proverbs 25:2), "The
glory of kings is to probe a word." What is this "word"? That of
which it is written (Proverbs 25:11), "A word spoken in its proper
place (Aphen-av) ", do not read "its proper place" (Aphen-av),
but "its wheel" (Ophen'av).
51. The students asked Rabbi Berachiah,
"Let us discuss these words with you," but he would not give them
permission. Once, however, he did give them permission, but he did so to test
them, to see if they would now pay good attention. One day he tested them and
said, "Let me hear your wisdom." They began and said: "In the
beginning" is one. [Two is] (Isaiah 57:16), "The spirit that
unwraps itself is from Me, and I have made souls." [Three is] (Psalm
65:10), "The divisions of God are filled with water." What are
these "divisions?" You taught us, our master, that God took the
waters of creation and separated them, placing half in the skies and half in
the ocean. This is the meaning of "the divisions of God are filled with
water." Through them, man studies the Torah. Rabbi Chama thus taught:
Because of the merit of deeds of kindness, a person can study the Torah. It is
thus written (Isaiah 55:1), "Ho, let all who are thirsty come for
water, let him without silver come, stock up and eat." Go to Him, and He
will do kindness with you, and you will "stock up and eat."
52. "Let him without silver come"
can also be explained in another way. Let him come to God, for He has silver.
It is thus written (Haggai 2:8) , "Mine is the silver, and Mine is
the gold." What is the meaning of the verse, "Mine is the silver, and
Mine is the gold"? What is this like? A king had two treasuries, one of
silver, and one of gold. He placed that of silver to his right, and that of
gold to his left. He said [of the silver], "This should be ready, and easy
to take out." He keeps his words calm. He is attached to the poor and
directs them calmly. It is thus written (Exodus 15:6) , "Your right
hand, O God, is mighty in power." If he rejoices in his portion, then all
is well. If not, then (Exodus 15:6), "Your right hand, O God,
crumbles the enemy." He said to them: This is referring to the gold. It is
thus written, "Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold."
53. Why is [gold] called Zahav ? Because it
includes three attributes, [alluded to in its three letters, Zayin, Heh, Beth
]. [The first attribute is] Male, (Zachar) . This is the Zayin . [The
second is] the Soul. This is the Heh. [The numerical value of Heh is five,
alluding to] the five names of the soul: Nephesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chiah,
Yechidah. What is the purpose the Heh ? It is a throne for the Zayin . It is
thus written (Ecclesiastes 5:7), "For one above the other
watches." The Beth is its sustenance. It is thus written (Genesis 1:1),
"In (Beth) the beginning [God] created..."
54. What is its function here? What is this
like? A king once had a daughter who was good, pleasant, beautiful and perfect.
He married her to a royal prince, and clothed, crowned and bejewelled her,
giving her much money. Is it possible for the king to ever leave his daughter?
You will agree that it is not. Is it ever possible for him to be with her
constantly? You will also agree that it is not. What can he then do? He can
place a window between the two, and whenever the father needs the daughter, or
the daughter needs the father, they can come together through the window. It is
thus written (Psalm 45:14) , "All glorious is the king's daughter
inside, her garment is interwoven with gold ."
55. What is the Beth at the end? [As it is
written] (Proverbs 24:3), "With wisdom will the house (Bayit)
be built." The verse does not say "was built", but "will be
built". In the future God will build and decorate it, thousands of times
more than it was. It is as we have said: Why does the Torah begin with a Beth ?
As it is written (Proverbs 8:30) , "I was with Him as a craftsman,
I was His delight for a day, a day, [frolicking before Him at every
time]." These are the two thousand years, which are the
"beginning". Two? But the scripture says seven, as it is written (Isaiah
30:26), "The light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun shall be sevenfold [like the light of the seven
days." And we said, "Just like the sun was for seven, so the moon was
for seven." [He replied,] "I said thousands." 56. They said to
him: Up until now there are five. What comes next? He replied: First I will
explain gold. What is gold? We learn that it is where justice emanates. If you
bend your words to the right or left, you will be punished.
57. What is the meaning of the verse (Isaiah
30:26) , "The light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, like the light of the seven
days." The verse does not say "seven days," but " the seven
days." These are the days regarding which it is written (Exodus 31:17),
"For six days God made [the heaven and the earth]." As you said, God
made six beautiful vessels. What are they? "The heaven and the
earth." Are they not seven? Yes, as it is written (ibid.) "And
on the seventh day, He rested and souled." What is the meaning of
"souled?" This teaches us that the Sabbath sustains all souls. It is
therefore written that it souled.
58. Another explanation: This teaches us that
it is from there that souls fly forth. It is thus written, "and He
souled." This continues for a thousand generations. It is thus written (Psalm
105:8), "The word that He commanded until a thousand
generations." Immediately after this it says, "[the covenant] that He
cut with Abraham." What is the meaning of "cut"? He cut a
covenant between the ten fingers of his hands and the ten toes of his feet.
Abraham was ashamed. God then said to him (Genesis 17:4), "And I,
behold My covenant is with you," and with it, "you will be the father
of many nations."
59. Why is heaven called Shamayim? This
teaches that God kneaded fire and water, and combined them together. From this
He made the "beginning of His word." It is thus written (Psalm
119:160), "The beginning of your word is truth." It is therefore
called Shamayim Sham Mayim (there is water) Esh Mayim (fire
water). He said to them: This is the meaning of the verse (Job 25:2),
"He makes peace in His heights." He placed peace and love between
them. May He also place peace and love among us.
60. We also say (Psalm 119:164),
"seven times each day I praised You for Your righteous judgement."
They asked him, "What are they?" He replied, "You do not look at
it carefully. Be precise and you will find them."
61. They asked him, "What is the letter
Tzaddi ?"" He said: Tzaddi is a Nun and a Yod . Its mate is also a
Nun and a Yod . It is thus written (Proverbs 10:25), "The righteous
(Tzadik) is the foundation of the world."
62. They asked him: What is the meaning of
the verse [with regard to Balak and Balaam] (Numbers 23:14), "And
he took him to the field of the seers."? What is the "field of the
seers"? As it is written (Song of Songs 7:12), "Come my
beloved, let us go out to the field." Do not read Sadeh (the field),
but Sidah (carriage). What is this carriage? He said, "The Heart of
the Blessed Holy One." His heart said to the Blesssed Holy One, "Come
my beloved, let us go out to the carriage to stroll. It will not constantly sit
in one place."
63. What is his heart? He said: If so, Ben
Zoma is out side, and you are with him. The heart (Lev) [in numerical
value] is thirty-two. These are concealed, and with them the world was created.
What these 32? He said: These are the 32 Paths. This is like a king who was in
the innermost of many chambers. The number of such chambers was 32, and to each
one there was a path. Should the king the bring everyone to his chamber through
these paths? You will agree that he should not. Should he reveal his jewels,
his tapestries, his hidden and concealed secrets? You will again agree that he
should not. What then does he do? He touches the Daughter, and includes all the
paths in her and in her garments. One who wants to go inside should gaze there.
He married her to a king, and also gave her to him as a gift. Because of his
love for he, he sometimes calls her "my sister," since they are both
from one place. Sometimes he calls her his daughter, since she is actually his
daughter. And sometimes he calls her "my mother."
64. Furthermore, if there is no wisdom, then
there is no justice. It is thus written (1 Kings 5:26), "And God
gave wisdom to Solomon." He then judged the case [of the two mothers and
the infant] correctly, and it is then written (1 Kings 3:28), "And
all
65. And what wisdom did God give to Solomon?
Solomon had God's name. We have thus said that whenever Solomon is mentioned in
the Song of Songs, it is a holy name, except in one case. God said to him,
"Since your name is like the name of My Glory, I will let you marry my
daughter." But she is married! Let us say that He gave her to him as a
gift. It is thus written (1 Kings 5:26), "And God gave wisdom to
Solomon." Here, however, it is not explained. Where then is it explained?
When the scripture states (1 Kings 3:28), "For they saw that the
wisdom of God was in him to do judgement." We then see that the wisdom
that God gave him was such that he could "do judgement." What is the
meaning of "to do judgement?" As long as a person does judgement,
God's wisdom is inside him. This is what helps him and draws him near. If not,
it repels him, and not only that, but it also punishes him. It is thus written (Leviticus
26:28), "I will chastise you, also I."
66. And Rabbi Rahumai said: What is the
meaning of the verse (Leviticus 26:28), "[I will chastise you,]
also I"? God said, "I will chastise you." The Congregation of
Israel said, "Do not think that I will seek mercy for you, but I will
chastise you. Not only will I render judgement, but I will also chastise
you."
67. What is the meaning of (Leviticus 26:28),
"[I will chastise you, also I], seven for your sins"? The
Congregation of Israel said: "I will chastise you, also I" and also
those regarding which it is written (Psalm 119:164) , "Seven each
day I praised You." They joined her and replied: Also us seven. Even
though among us is the one who reverses itself, the one who oversees good and
merit, we too will reverse ourselves and chastise. Why? Because of your sins.
But if you return to Me, then I will return to you. It is thus written (Malachi
3:7), "Return to Me, and I will return to you." The scripture
does not say, "I will bring you back to Me." Instead it says, "I
will return to you" with you. We will all seek mercy from the King. What
does the King say? [He says] (Jeremiah 3:22), "Return you backsliding
children, I will heal your backslidings." [He also says] (Ezekiel
18:30), "Return and bring back." What is the meaning of the
verse, "Return and bring back"? Come back and ask those Seven to
return with you. The scripture therefore says, "and bring back "
those regarding which it is written, "seven for your sin."
68. The disciples asked Rabbi Rahumai: What
is the meaning of the verse (Habakkuk 3:1), "A prayer of Habakkuk
the prophet, for errors." A prayer? It should be called a praise [since it
speaks of God's greatness]. But whoever turns his heart from worldly affairs
and delves in the Works of the Chariot * is accepted before God as if he prayed
all day. It is therefore called "a prayer." What is the meaning of
"for errors"? As it is written [regarding wisdom] (Proverbs 5:19),
"With its love you shall always err." Regarding what is this
speaking? The Works of the Chariot, as it is written (Habbakuk 3:2) *
i.e "Maaseh Merkavah" or Merkavah Mysticism which Kaplan says was
synonymous with the Qabalah at the time the Bahir was first composed. "O
God, I heard a report of You and I feared."
69. What is the meaning of, "I heard a
report of You and I feared, [O God, bring to life Your works in the midst of
the years]"? Why does the verse say "I feared" after "I
heard a report of You," and not after "in the midst of the
years"? But it was "from the report of You" that "I
feared." What is the "report of You"? It is the place where they
listen to reports. Why does the verse say "I heard" and not "I
understood"? [The word "heard" has the connotation of
understanding] as we find (Deuteronomy 38:49), "A nation whose
language you do not hear."
70. Why did he say "I feared"?
Because the ear looks like the letter Aleph . The Aleph is the first of all
letters. Besides this, the Aleph causes all the letters to endure. The Aleph
looks like the brain. When you mention the Aleph you open your mouth. The same
is true of thought, when you extend your thoughts to the Infinite and
Boundless. From Aleph emanate all letters. Do we not see that it is first? It
is thus written (Micah 2:13), "God (YHVH) is at their
head." We have a rule that every Name that is written Yod He Vav He is
specific to the Blessed Holy One and is sanctified with holiness. What is the
meaning of "with holiness"? This is the
71. Habakkuk therefore said: I know that my
prayer is accepted with delight. I also delighted when I cam to that place
where I understood "a report of You and I feared." Therefore,
"Bring to life your works in the midst of the years" through Your
unity. What is this like? A king who was talented, hidden and concealed went
into his house and commanded that no one seek him. One who does seek is
therefore afraid, lest the king find out that he has violated the king's order.
[Habakkuk] therefore said, "I feared, O God, bring to life Your works in
the midst of the years." This is what Habakkuk said: Because You name is
in You, and You is Your name, "bring to life Your works in the midst of
the years." Thus will it be forever.
72. Another explanation of "Bring to
life Your works in the midst of years": What is this like? A king had a
beautiful pearl, and it was the treasure of his kingdom. When he is happy, he
embraces it, kisses it, places it on his head, and loves it. Habakkuk said:
Even though Kings are with You, the beloved pearl is in Your world. Therefore,
"Bring to life Your works in the midst of years." What is the meaning
of "years"? It is written (Genesis 1:3), "And God said,
`Let there be light.'" Light is nothing other than day, as it is written (Genesis
1:16) , "The great light to rule the day, and the small light to rule
the night." Years are made from days. It is thus written, "Bring to
life Your works in the midst of years" in the midst of that pearl that
gives rise to years.
73. But it is written (Isaiah 43:5),
"[Fear not, for I am with you,] I will bring your seed from the
east." The sun rises in the east, and you say that the pearl is day. [He
replied:] I am only speaking with regard to the verse (Genesis 1:5)
"And it was evening and it was morning, day." Regarding this it is
written (Genesis 2:4), "In the day that God made earth and
heaven."
74. And it is written (Psalm 18:12),
"He made darkness His hiding place round about, His Succah the darkness of
waters , thick clouds of the skies (Shechakim) ." He said:
Regarding this it is written (Isaiah 45:8), "The skies (Shechakim)
pour down righteousness." This righteousness (Tzadik) is the
Attribute of Judgement for the world. It is thus written (Deuteronomy 16:20),
"Righteousness, righteousness shall you pursue." Immediately after
this, it is written, "that you may live and occupy the land." If you
judge yourself, then you will live. If not, then it will judge you, and it will
be fulfilled, even against your will.
75. Why does the Torah say
"righteousness, righteousness" twice? He said: Because the scripture
continues (Psalm 18:13) , "At the glow opposite Him." The
first "righteousness" is literal righteousness (Tzedek). This
is the Divine Presence [i.e Shekinah] . It is thus written (Isaiah 1:21),
"Righteousness dwells in it." What is the second "righteousness"?
This is the righteousness that frightens the righteous. Is this righteousness
charity (Tzadakah) or not? He said that it is not. Why? Because it is
written (Isaiah 59:17), "He put on righteousness like a coat of
mail, and [a helmet of salvation on His head]." His head is nothing other
than Truth. It is thus written (Psalm 119L160), "The head of Your
word is truth." Truth is nothing other than peace. It is thus written
[that King Hezekiah said] (Isaiah 39:8), "There shall be peace and
truth in my days." Is it possible for a man to say this? But this is what
Hezekiah said: The attribute that You gave to David my ancestor is half of my
days, and peace and truth are half of my days. It is for this reason that he
mentioned "my days." He mentioned both "peace and truth"
and "in my days," since it is all one. It is thus written (Genesis
1:5), "And it was evening, and it was morning, one day." [The day
reconciles morning and evening, and is therefore peace.] Just as the day is
peace, so he chose peace. It is therefore written (2 Kings 20:19),
"Peace and truth shall be in my days." This shall be through the
attribute that You gave to David. Regarding this, it is written (Psalm
89:37), "His throne shall be like the sun before Me."
76. What is the meaning of the verse (Habakkuk
3:2), "In the midst of years make it known"? He said: I know that
You are the holy God, as it is written (Exodus 15:11), "Who is like
You, mighty in holiness?" Holiness is in You and You are in holiness.
Nevertheless, "in the midst of years make it known." What is the
meaning of "make it known"? [This means] that You should have mercy.
It is thus written (Exodus 2:25), "And God saw the children of
77. What is the meaning of the verse (Habakkuk
3:2) "In anger, you shall remember love (rachem)" ? He
said: When Your children sin before You and You are angry at them,
"remember love." What is the meaning of "remember love"?
That regarding which it is written (Psalm 18:2), "I love (rachem)
You O God, my strength." And You have him this attribute, which is the
Divine Presence of Israel. He recalled his son whom he inherited, and whom You
gave to him. It is thus written (I Kings 5:26), "And God gave
wisdom to Solomon." And You should remember their father Abraham, as it is
written (Isaiah 41:8), "The seed of Abraham My friend"
"In the midst of years make it known."
78. Where do we see that Abraham had a
daughter? It is written (Genesis 24:1), "And God blessed Abraham
with all (Bakol) ." It is also written (Isaiah 43:7), "
All that is called by My name, for My glory I created it, I formed it, also I
made it." Was this blessing his daughter, or was it not? Yes, it was his
daughter. What is this like? A king had a slave who was complete and perfect
before him. The king tested the slave in many ways, but the slave withstood all
temptation. The King said, "What will I give that slave? What should I do
for him? I can do nothing but command my older brother to advise him, watch
over him and honour him." The slave thus went to the older brother and
learned his attributes. The brother loved him very much, and called him his
friend. It is thus written (Isaiah 41:8), "The seed of Abraham My
friend." He said, "What will I give him? What can I do for him?
Behold I have made a beautiful vessel, and in it are beautiful jewels. There is
nothing like it in the treasuries of kings. I will give it to him, and he will
be worthy in his place." This is the meaning of the verse, "And God
blessed Abraham with all."
79. Another explanation: [It is written] (Habakkuk
3:2), "I heard a report of You and I feared." [This means]
"I understood what was reported about You and I feared." What did he
understand? He understood God's thought. Even [human] thought has no end, for
man can think, and descend to the end of the world. The ear also has no end and
is not satiated. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 1:8), "The ear is
not satiated from hearing." Why is this so? Because the ear is in the
shape of an Aleph. Aleph is the root of the Ten Commandments. Therefore
"the ear is not satiated from hearing."
80. What is the meaning of the letter Zayin
in the word Ozen (ear)? We have said that everything that the Blessed
Holy One brought into His world has a name emanating form its concept. It is
thus written (Genesis 2:19), "All that the man called each living
soul, that was its name." This teaches us that each thing's body was thus.
And how do we know that each thing's name is its body? It is written (Proverbs
10:7) , "The memory of the righteous shall be a blessing, and the name
of the wicked shall rot." What actually rots, their name or their body?
[One must agree that it is their body.] Here too, [each thing's name refers to]
its body.
81. What is an example of this? Take the word
for root Shoresh (Shin Resh Shin). The letter Shin looks like the
roots of a tree. [ Resh is bent, since] the root of every tree is bent. And
what is the function of the final Shin? This teaches us that if you take a
branch and plant it, it will root again. What is its function of the Zayin [in
Ozen ear]? [Its numerical value is seven] corresponding to the seven days of the
week. This teaches us that each day has its own power. And what is its function
[in the word Ozen ]? This teaches us that just like there is infinite wisdom in
the ear, so is there power in all parts of the body.
82. What art the seven parts of man's body?
It is written (Genesis 9:6), "In the form of God, He made
man." It is also written (Genesis 1:27), "In the form of God
He made him" counting all his limbs and parts. But we have said: What
does the letter Vav resemble? It is alluded to in the verse (Psalm 104:5),
"He spreads out light like a garment." For Vav is nothing other than
the six directions. He replied: The covenant of circumcision and man's mate are
considered as one. His is two hands then make three, his head and body, five,
and his two legs make seven. Paralleling all these are their powers in heaven.
It is thus written (Ecclesiastes 7:14) , "Also one opposite the
other had God made." These are the days [of the week, as it is written] (Exodus
31:17), "Because six days God made the heaven and the earth." The
scripture does not say "in six days," but rather, "six
days." This teaches us that each day [of the week] has its own specific
power.
83 What is the significance of the Nun [in
the word Ozen ]? This teaches us that the brain is the main part of the spinal
cord. It constantly draws from there, and if not for the spinal cord, the brain
could not endure. And without the brain, the body could not endure. The entire
body exists only in order to provide for the needs of the brain. And if the body
did not endure, then the brain would also not endure. The spinal cord is the
channel from the brain to the entire body. It is represented by the bent Nun .
But [in the word Ozen ] the Nun is a straight one. The straight Nun is the one
that is always at the end of a word. This teaches us that the straight Nun
includes both the bent one and the straight one. But the bent Nun is the
Foundation. This teaches us that the straight Nun includes both male and
female.
84. The open Mem . What is the open Mem ? It
includes both male and female. What is the closed Mem ? It is made like a belly
from above. But Rabbi Rahumai said that the belly is like the letter Teth . He
said it is like a Teth on the inside, while I say that it is like a Mem on the
outside.
85 What is a Mem ? Do not read Mem, but Mayim
(water). Just like water is wet, so is the belly always wet. Why does
the open Mem include both male and female, while the closed Mem is male? This
teaches us that the Mem is primarily male. The opening was then added to it for
the sake of the female. Just like the male cannot give birth, so the closed Mem
cannot give birth. And just like the female has an opening with which to give
birth, so can the open Mem give birth. The Mem is therefore open and closed.
86. Why should the Mem have two forms, open
and closed? Because we said: Do not read Mem, but Mayim (Water). The
woman is cold, and therefore, must be warmed by the male. Why should the Nun
have two forms, bent and straight? Because it is written (Psalm 72:17),
"Before the sun shall his name reign (ya-Nun). " [This is]
from two Nuns, the bent Nun and the straight Nun , and it must be through male
and female.
87. It is written (Ecclesiastes 1:8),
"The ear is not satiated from hearing." It is also written (Ecclesiastes
1:8), "The eye is not satiate from seeing." This teaches us that
both draw from thought. What is thought? It is a king that is needed by all
things that were created in the world, both above and below.
88. What is the meaning of the expression,
"It rose in thought"? Why do we not say that "it descended [in
thought]"? Indeed, we have said, "One who gazes into the vision of
the Chariot first descends and then ascends." We use the expression [of
descent] there because we say, "One who gazes into the vision (Tzafayat)
of the Chariot." The Aramaic translation of "vision" (Tzafiyat)
is Sechuta [meaning a covering, and alluding to the fact that one is looking
down from above]. It is also written (Isaiah 21:8), "And he called
as a lion: `Upon the watchtower (Mitzpeh), O God.'" Here, however,
we are speaking of thought, [and therefore only speak of ascent]. For thought
does not include any vision, and has no ending whatsoever. And anything that
has no end or limit does not have any descent. People therefore say,
"Someone descended to the limit of his friend's knowledge." One can
arrive at the limit of a person's knowledge, but not at the limit of his
thought.
89. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the Segol ? Its name is Segulah (treasure). It comes
after the Zarka. What is the meaning of Zarka? It is like its name something
that is thrown (ni Zrak). It is like something that is thrown, and after
it comes (Ecclesiastes 2:8), "the treasures of kings and
lands."
90. What is the reason that it is called
Zarka? It is written (Ezekiel 3:12), "Blessed is the glory of God
from His place." This indicates that no being knows His place. We recite
[God's] name of the Crown, and it goes to the head of the Owner. It is thus
written [regarding God] (Genesis 14:19), "Owner of heaven and
earth." When it goes, it is like it is thrown (Zarka) . Following
it is treasure (Segulah). It is at the head of all letters.
91. Why is [this accent] at the end of a
word, and not at the beginning? This teaches us that this Crown rises higher
and higher. It is included and crowned, as it is written (Psalm 118:22),
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the head
cornerstone." It ascend to the place from which it was graven, as it is
written (Genesis 49:24) , "From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of
Israel."
92. He also said: What is the reason that we
place blue wool in the Tzitzit ? And why are there 32 [threads]? What is this
like? A king had a beautiful garden, and in it were 32 paths. He placed a
watchman over them to show that all these paths belong to him alone. [The king]
said to him, "Watch them, and walk upon them every day. As long as you
walk these paths, you will have peace." What did the watchman do? He
appointed other watchmen [as his assistants to watch] over them. He said,
"If I remain alone on these paths, it is impossible for me, a single
watchman, to maintain them all. Besides that, people may say that I am the
king." The watchman therefore placed his assistants over all the paths.
These are the 32 paths.
93. What is the reason for the blue? The
watchman said, "Perhaps those assistant watchmen will say that the garden
belongs to us." He therefore gave them a sign, and told them, "See
this. It is the sign of the king, indicating that the garden belongs to him. He
is the one who made these paths, and they are not mine. This is his deal."
What is this like? A king and his daughter had slaves, and they wanted to
travel abroad. But [the slaves] were afraid, being in terror of the king. He
therefore gave them his sign. They were also afraid of the daughter, and she
[also] gave them a sign. They said, "From now on, with these two signs,
`God will watch you from all evil, He will safeguard your soul.'"
94. Rabbi Amorai sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the verse (1 Kings 8:27), "Behold the heaven and the
heaven of heaven cannot contain You"? This teaches us that the Blessed
Holy One has 72 names. All of them were placed in the Tribes [of
95. The Blessed Holy One has a single Tree,
and it has twelve diagonal boundaries: The northeast boundary, the southeast
boundary; The upper east boundary, the lower east boundary; The southwest
boundary, the northwest boundary; The upper west boundary, the lower west
boundary; The upper south boundary, the lower south boundary; The upper north
boundary, the lower north boundary; They continually spread forever and ever;
They are the arms of the world. On the inside of them is the Tree. Paralleling
these diagonals there are twelve Functionaries. Inside the Sphere there are
also twelve Functionaries. Including the diagonals themselves, this makes a
total of 36 Functionaries. Each of these has another. It is thus written (Ecclesiastes
5:7), "For one above another watches." [This makes a total of
72.] It therefore comes out that the east has nine, the west has nine, the
north has nine, and the south has nine. These are twelve, twelve, twelve, and
they are the Functionaries in the Axis, the Sphere, and the Heart. Their total
is 36. The power of each of these 36 is in every other one. Even though there
are twelve in each of the three, they are all attached to each other.
Therefore, all 36 Powers are in the first one, which is the Axis. And if you
seek them in the Sphere, you will find the very same ones. And if you seek them
in the Heart, you will again find the very same ones. Each one therefore has
36. All of them do not have more than 36 forms. All of them complete the Heart
[which has a numerical value of 32]. Four are then left over. Add 32 to 32 and
the sum is 64. These are the 64 Forms. How do we know that 32 must be added to
32? Because it is written (Ecclesiastes 5:7) , "For one above another
watches, [and there are higher ones above them]." We thus have 64, eight
less than the 72 names of the Blessed Holy One. These are alluded to in the
verse, "there are higher ones above them," and they are the seven
days of the week. But one is still missing. This is referred to in the next
verse (Ecclesiastes 5:8), "The advantage of the land in everything
is the King." What is this "advantage"? This is the place from
which the earth was graven. It is an advantage over what existed previously.
And what is this advantage? Everything in the world that people see is taken
from its radiance. Then it is an advantage.
96. What is the earth from which the heavens
were graven? It is the Throne of the Blessed Holy One. It is the Precious Stone
and the
97. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: What
is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 25:2), "And they shall take for
Me a lifted offering (Terumah) "? It means, "Lift Me up with
your prayers." And whom? Those whose "hearts make them willing."
These are the ones who are willing to draw themselves away from this world.
Honour him, for it is in him that I rejoice, since he knows My name. From him
it is fitting to take My lifted offering, as it is written (Exodus 25:2),
"from each man whose heart makes him willing, you shall take My lifted
offering." From he who makes himself willing. Rabbi Rahumai said: [This
refers to] the righteous and pious in
98. And all the Holy Forms oversee all the
nations. But
99. What are these Forms? They are that
regarding which it is written (Genesis 3:24), "And He placed the
Cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden, and the flame of a sword revolving,
to guard the way of the Tree of Life." What is the meaning of, "He
placed to the east (kedem) of the Garden of Eden"? He placed it in
those paths that preceded (kadmu) the place that was called the Garden
of Eden. It was also before the Cherubim, as it is written, "the Cherubim."
It was furthermore before the flame, as it is written, "the flame of a
sword revolving." Is it then before [the flame]? Heaven is called Shamayim
, indicating that fire and water existed before it. It is written (Genesis
1:6), "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it
be a division between water and water." It is then written (Genesis
1:8), "And God called the firmament heaven (Shamayim). "
How do we know that the heaven is fire? It is written (Deuteronomy 4:24),
"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."
100. And how do we know that ""
refers to the Blessed Holy One? It is written (1 Kings 8:36), "And
you, O Heaven, shall hear." Was Solomon then praying to heaven that it
should hear their prayers? But [we must say the he was praying] to the One
whose name is Heaven. It is thus written (1 Kings 8:27), "Behold
the heaven and the heaven of heaven cannot contain You." This is the name
of the Blessed Holy One. You therefore have fire. How can you then say that it
was before? But we must say that their Power existed before the Forms of that
place. Only then did these Holy Forms come into existence. What is their Power?
It is that regarding which it is written (I Samuel 2:2), "There is
none holy like God, there is none other than You, and there is no Former like
our God."
101. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: What
is the Lulav that we discusses? It is the 36 (Lu) given over to 32 (Lav). And
how? He replied: There are three Princes, the Axis, the Sphere and the Heart.
Each one is twelve, and the three therefore constitute a sum of 36, through
which the world is sustained. It is thus written (Proverbs 10:25), "And
Righteous is the foundation of the world."
102. We learned: There is a single pillar
extending from heaven to earth, and its name is Righteous (Tzadik) . [This
pillar] is named after the righteous. When there are righteous people in the
world, then it becomes strong, and when there are not, it becomes weak. It
supports the entire world, as it is written, "And Righteous is the
foundation of the world." If it becomes weak, then the world cannot
endure. Therefore, even if there is only one righteous person in the world, it
is he who supports the world. It is therefore written, "And a righteous
one is the foundation of the world." You should therefore take My lifted
offering from him first. Then (Exodus 25:3), "And this is the lifted
offering that you should take from them" from the rest. What is it?
"Gold, silver and copper."
103. Another explanation: It is written
(Exodus 25:2) , "and the shall take for Me (Li) a lifted offering." [
Li (for Me) can also be read, "for the Yod. "] They shall take the
Yod , which is the tenth, as a lifted offering to make it holy. How do we know
that the tenth is holy? Because it is written (Leviticus 27:32) "The tenth
shall be holy to God." What is holy? That regarding which it is written
(Ezekiel 44:30), "The beginning of all the first fruits ... and every
lifted offering of every thing." It is furthermore written (Psalm 111:10)
, "The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God." Do not read "is
the fear" but "and the fear." [The verse will then read,
"The beginning is wisdom and the fear of God.]
104. The disciples asked Rabbi Eliezer: Our
master, what is the meaning of the verse (Exodus 13:2), "Sanctify to Me
every first-born"? Does the Blessed Holy One then have a first-born? He
replied: "Sanctify to Me (Li) every first-born" refers to nothing
other than the second level of holiness. It is the name that is given to
105. What is the meaning of, "and the
children you shall take for yourself"? Rabbi Rahumai said: These are the
children that she raised. And who are they? They are the seven days of
creation, and the seven days of Succot . Are the seven [days of Succot ] then
not the same as the seven days of the week? The difference is that [the days of
Succot ] are more holy. Regarding them it is written (Leviticus 23:37),
"holy convocations." But then, why not [also include the seven weeks
before] Shavuot, since this is also called (Leviticus 23:21), "a holy
convocation"? He replied: Yes, but this is the one and the other is two.
It is thus written (Exodus 12:16), "The first day shall be a holy
convocation, and the seventh day shall be a holy convocation." He said:
Why is Shavuot one [day]? Because the Torah was given to Israel on that day.
And when the Torah was created in the beginning, the Blessed Holy One ruled His
world alone with it. It is thus written (Psalm 111:10), "The beginning is
wisdom, the fear of God." [God] said [to it], "This being so, your
holiness shall be yours by yourself." And what is Succot? He replied: the
letter Beth [which has the connotation of a house (Bayit) ]. It is thus written
(Proverbs 24:3), "With wisdom a house is built." And how do we know
that Succot has the connotation of a house? As it is written (Genesis 33:17) ,
"And Jacob travelled to Succot. He built himself a house, and for his
livestock he built Succot (huts). Therefore he named the place Succot."
106. Rabbi Berachiah sat and expounded: What
is the Axis (Teli) ? This is the likeness that is before the Blessed Holy One.
It is thus written (Song of Songs 5:11), "His locks are curled (Taltalim).
" What is the Sphere? This is the Womb. What is the Heart? It is that
regarding which it is written (Deuteronomy 4:11) , "unto the heart of
heaven." In it are included the 32 mystical paths of Wisdom.
107. What is the meaning of the verse
(Numbers 6:24-26) , "May God (YHVH) bless you and watch you. May God
(YHVH) make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. May God (YHVH) lift
His face to you and give you peace." This is the explicit Name of the
Blessed Holy One. It is the Name containing twelve letters, as it is written,
YHVH YHVH YHVH. This teaches us that God's names consists of three troops. Each
troop resembles the other, and each one's name is like [the other's] named. All
of them are sealed with Yod He Vav He . And how? The [four letters] Yod He Vav
He can be permuted 24 different ways, forming one troop. This is, "May God
(YHVH) bless you..." In a similar manner, the second one, "May God
(YHVH) make His face shine..." These are 24 names of the Blessed Holy One.
In a similar manner, the third one, "May God (YHVH) lift His face..."
These are 24 names of the Blessed Holy One. This teaches us that each army,
with its leaders and officers, has 24. Multiply 24 by three and you have the 72
names of the Blessed Holy One. These are the 72 names derived from the verses
(Exodus 14:19-21), "And travelled... And came ... And stretched ..."
108. And who are the Officers? We learned
that there are three. Strength (Geburah) is the Officer of all the Holy Forms
to the left of the Blessed Holy One . He is Gabriel. The Officer of all the
Holy Forms to His right is Michael. In the middle is Truth. This is Uriel, the
Officer of all the Holy Forms [in the centre]. Each Officer is over 24 Forms.
But there is no reckoning of his troops, as it is written (Job 25:3), "Is
there a number to His troops?" But if so, then there are 72 plus 72
[making a total of 144]. He said: This is not the case. For when Israel brings
a sacrifice before their Father in heaven, they are united together. This is
the unification of our God.
109. Why is this sacrifice called a Karban
[which means "bringing close"]? Because it brings the Forms of the
Holy Powers close. It is thus written (Ezekiel 37:17) , "And you shall
join one of them to the other, making one stick, and they shall become one in
your hands." And why is [the sacrifice] called a "pleasant
fragrance"? Fragrance is only in the nose. The sense of smell is through breath,
and this is nowhere but in the nose. "Pleasant" (nicho'ach) means
nothing other than "descending." It is thus written (Leviticus 9:22),
"And he descended," and the Targum translates this as Ve-Nachit
[having the same root as nicho'ach ]. The fragrance-spirit descends and unifies
itself with those Holy Forms, bringing itself close through the sacrifice. It
is for this reason that [a sacrifice] is called a Karban .
110. There is a name that is derived from the
three verses (Exodus 14:19-21) , "And travelled ... And came ... And
stretched..." The letters of the first verse, "And travelled..."
are arranged in this name in the order that they are in the verse. The letters
of the second verse, "And came ..." are arranged in the name in
reverse order. The letters of the third passage, "And stretched..."
are arranged in the name in the same order as they occur in the verse, just
like the case of the first verse. Each of these verses has 72 letters.
Therefore, each of the names that is derived from these three sentences,
"And travelled... And came... And stretched..." contains three
letters. These are the 72 names. They emanate and divide themselves into three
sections, 24 to each section. Over each of these sections is a higher Officer.
Each section has four directions to watch, east, west, north and south. The
four directions then have a total of 24 forms. [This is true of the first
section] as well as the second and the third. All of them are sealed with YHVH
, God of Israel, the living God, Shaddai, high and exalted, who dwells in
eternity on high, whose Name is holy, YHVH. Blessed be the name of the glory of
His kingdom forever and ever.
111. Rabbi Ahilai sat and expounded: What is
the meaning of the verse, "God (YHVH) is King, God (YHVH) was king, God
(YHVH) will be King forever and ever."? This is the Explicit Name (Shem Ha
Mephoresh) , for which permission was given that it be permuted and spoken. It
is thus written [regarding the above-mentioned Priestly Blessing] (Numbers
6:27) , "And they shall place My name upon the children of Israel, and I
will bless them." This refers to the Name containing twelve letters. It is
the name used in the Priestly Blessing, "May God bless you..." It
contains three names [each having four letters] making a total of twelve. Its
vowel points are Yapha'al Y'pha'oel Yiph'ol. If one safeguards it and mentions
it in holiness, then all his prayers are heard. And not only that, but he is
loved on high and below, and immediately answered and helped. This is the
Explicit Name that was written on Aaron's forehead. The Explicit Name
containing 72 letters and the Explicit Name containing twelve letters were
given over by the Blessed Holy One to [the angel] Mesamariah, who stands before
the Curtain. He gave it to Elijah on Mount Carmel, and with them he ascended
and did not taste death.
112. These are the Explicit Holy Exalted
Names. There are twelve Names, one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel:
Ah-Tzitzah-ron Aklithah-ron Shemaqtharon Demushah-ron Ve-Tzaphtzaphithron
Hurmyron Brach Yah-ron Eresh Gadra-aon Basavah Monahon Chazhavayah Havahayryhah
Ve-Harayth-hon All of them are included in the Heart of heaven. They include
male and female. They are given over to the Axis, the Sphere and the Heart, and
they are the wellsprings of Wisdom.
113. Rabbi Rahumai sat and expounded: What
are the twelve tribes or Israel? But this teaches us that the Blessed Holy One
has twelve rods [on high. The word Shevet is the same for both
"tribe" and "rod."] What are they? What is this like? A
king had a beautiful fountain. All his brothers has no water other than this
fountain, and could not endure thirst. What did he do? He made twelve pipes for
the fountain, and named them afters his brothers' children. He then said to
them, "If the sons are as good as their fathers, they will be worthy, and
I will let water flow through the pipes. The fathers will then drink all they
wish, and so will the sons. But if the sons are not worthy and do not do what
is right in my eyes, then regarding this, these pipes will stand. I will give
them water only on the condition that they give none to their children, since
they do not obey my will."
114. What is the meaning of the word Shevet
[which has the connotation of both a tribe and a rod]? It is something simple
and not square. What is the reason? Because it is impossible to have one square
inside another square. A circle inside a square can move. A square inside a
square cannot move.
115. What are the things that are circular?
They are the vowel points in the Torah of Moses, for these are all round. They
are to the letters like the soul, which lives in the body of man. It is
impossible for [man] to come [into this world] unless [the soul] endures within
him. It is impossible for him to speak anything, great or small, without it. In
a similar manner, it is impossible to speak a word, great or small, without the
vowel points.
116. Every vowel point is round, and every
letter is square. The vowel points are the life of the letters, and through
them, the letters endure. These vowel points come through the pipes to the
letters through the fragrance of a sacrifice, which immediately descends. It is
therefore called "A descending (pleasant) fragrance to God"
indicating that it descends to God. This is the meaning of the verse (Deuteronomy
6:4) , "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One."
117. Rabbi Yochanan said: What is the meaning
of the verse (Exodus 15:3) , "God is a man (Ish) of war, God (YHVH) is His
name"? Man (Ish) indicates a sign. The Targum thus renders, "God is a
man of war," as "God is the Master of victory in war." What is
this Master? Aleph is the first, the Holy Palace. Do we then say that the
Palace is holy? Instead we say, "the Palace of the Holy One."
118. Yod is the Ten Sayings with which the
world was created. What are they? They are the Torah of Truth, which includes
all worlds. What is the Shin ? He said: It is the root of the tree. The letter
Shin is like the root of a tree.
119. What is this tree that you mentioned? He
said: It represents the Powers of the Blessed Holy One, one above the other.
Just like a tree brings forth fruit through water, so the Blessed Holy One
increases the Powers of the Tree through water. What is the water of the
Blessed Holy One? It is wisdom. It is the souls of the righteous. They fly from
the fountain to the great pip, ascend and attach themselves to the Tree.
Through what do they fly? Through Israel. Whey they are good and righteous, the
Divine Presence dwells among them. Their deeds then rest in the bosom of the Blessed
Holy One, and He makes them fruitful and multiplies them.
120. How do we know that the Divine Presence
is called Tzedek (Righteous)? It is written (Deuteronomy 33:26), "He who
rides in the heavens is your help, and His majesty is in the skies (Shechakim).
" It is also written (Isaiah 45:8) , "The skies (Shechakim) run with
Righteousness (Tzedek) ." Tzedek is the Divine Presence, as it is written
(Isaiah 1:21), "Righteousness (Tzedek) dwells in it." Righteousness
was given to David, as it is written, (Psalm 146:10) , "May God reign
forever, your God O Zion, for generation to generation." It is also
written (1 Chronicles 11:1) , "Zion is the city of David."
121. What is the meaning of "generation
to generation"? Rabbi Papias said: "A generation goes and a
generation comes (Ecclesiastes 1:4) ." Rabbi Akiba said: "The
generation came" it already came.
122. What is this like? A king had slaves,
and he dressed them with garments of silk and satin according to his ability.
The relationship broke down, and he cast them out, repelled them, and took his
garments away from them. They then went on their own way. The king took the
garments, and washed them well until there was not a single spot on them. He
placed them with his storekeepers, bought other slaves, and dressed them with
the same garments. He did not know whether or not the slaves were good, but
they were [at least] worthy of garments that he already had and which had been
previously worn. [The verse continues] (Ecclesiastes 1:4), "But the earth
stands forever." This is the same as (Ecclesiastes 12:6) , "The dust
returns to the earth as it was, but the spirit returns to God who gave
it."
Section IV
The Ten Sephiroth
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 judgement 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 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.
Section V
Mysteries of the Soul
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 my 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 judgement, 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 (Gensis
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 of 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
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.