Ki Tazria (When A Woman Delivers) : On My Bed at Night

Ki Tazria [When a Woman Delivers]
On My Bed at Night
1) Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, when a woman delivers and bears a male
hild!"# On my bed night a$ter night % so&ght him whom my so&l loves!# The assembly o$
%srael spoke be$ore the 'reator and asked (im abo&t the e)ile, sine she is seated among
the rest o$ the nations with her hildren and lies in the d&st! *nd bea&se she is lying in
another land, an imp&re one, she said, % ask on my bed, $or % am lying in e)ile,# and e)ile
is alled nights!# (ene, % so&ght him whom my so&l loves,# to deliver me $rom it!
+) % so&ght him b&t did not $ind him,# sine it is not (is way to mate in me, b&t only in
(is palae, and not in e)ile! % alled him b&t he did not answer me,# $or % was dwelling
among other nations, who do not hear his voie e)ept $or (is sons! ,id ever a people
hear the voie o$ -od.#
/) On my bed night a$ter night,# said the assembly o$ %srael, ,ivinity! On my bed % was
angered be$ore (im, asking (im to mate with me to delight me0$rom the le$t line0and to
bless me0$rom the right line0with omplete 1oy0$rom the middle line!# 2hen the king,
ZA, mates with the assembly o$ %srael, several righteo&s inherit inheritane o$ a holy
legay, &pper Mochin, and several blessings are $o&nd in the world!
* 2oman o$ 3alor, 2ho 'an 4ind
5) * woman o$ valor is the rown o$ her h&sband, b&t she who shames him is like
rottenness in his bones!# * woman o$ valor is the assembly o$ %srael, ,ivinity! 6he who
shames him is like rottenness in his bones# are idol worshipping nations, whih the 'reator
annot tolerate in the world, as it is written, *nd there$ore % abhorred them!# They are like
thorns and thistles that restrain a person and he annot tolerate them!
* woman o$ valor, the assembly o$ %srael, overomes several armies and amps o$ angels
that are in the world, that is, all the dwellers o$ BYA that e)pand $rom her! * woman o$
valor implies mistress and master! The rown o$ her h&sband# means the rown o$
Tifferet, $or Tifferet is the h&sband o$ ,ivinity!
7) * 2oman o$ valor, who an $ind.# 2ho an $ind# is as we said, who will $ind yo& at
the end o$ days, meaning obtain yo&! 2ho will $ind# means who will be rewarded and
ahieve being in her in wholeness, and being with her $orever!
8) 4or her prie is $ar above r&bies!# %t sho&ld have said worth,# that it is harder to b&y
her than r&bies, meaning that she sells and t&rns over to other nations all those who do not
$&lly ling to her and are not whole with her, as yo& say, *nd the hildren o$ %srael
abandoned the Lord,# and (e sold them to the hand o$ 6isera! *nd then they are all $ar
$rom those high and holy r&bies, whih are the serets and the internality o$ the Torah, $or
they will have no share in them!
9) The heart o$ her h&sband tr&sts in her, and he will have no lak o$ gain!# The heart o$
her h&sband tr&sts in her# is the 'reator, ZA! This is why (e appointed her over the world,
to be governed by her! (e appointed all (is arms in her hand, and all those warmongers!
(ene, (e will have no lak o$ gain,# $or (e plaed in her hands all the powers to make
war and to s&bd&e the Sitra Achra, by whih she brings o&t the holy sparks that $ell to the
o&ter ones d&e to the sin, and she brings them bak to holiness! *nd these holy sparks are
alled gain,# the gain o$ war!
Tazria :2hen a 2oman ,elivers;
<) 6he does him good and not evil, all the days o$ her li$e!# 6he does him good# means
she bene$its the world and bene$its the =ing"s palae and the sons o$ (is palae! *nd not
evil# needed to be said bea&se it is written, the tree o$ knowledge o$ good and evil,#
where Malchut is alled the tree o$ knowledge o$ good and evil# bea&se i$ he is
rewarded, good> i$ not rewarded, bad! This is why he says, *nd not evil!# -ood and not
evil# is while the days o$ the heaven, the Sefirot de :o$; ZA shine on her and properly mate
with her! The days o$ the heavens are the days o$ her li$e, sine the tree o$ li$e, ZA, sends
her li$e0the Mochin $rom Bina0and shines $or her! *t that time, 6he does him good and
not evil!# *nd all these writings were said abo&t the assembly o$ %srael!
* 2oman 2ho %nseminates 4irst, ,elivers a Male 'hild
?) * woman who inseminates $irst, delivers a male hild!# The 'reator sentenes whether
a drop is male or $emale, and yo& say, * woman who inseminates $irst, delivers a male
hild!# Th&s, the 'reator"s sentene is red&ndant! %ndeed, it is ertainly the 'reator who
deides between a drop o$ male and a drop o$ $emale! *nd bea&se (e has diserned it, (e
sentenes whether it is to be a male or a $emale!
There are three partners to a man@ the 'reator, his $ather, and his mother! (is $ather gives
the white in him> his mother0the red in him> and the 'reator gives the so&l! %$ the drop is
a male, the 'reator gives the so&l o$ a male! %$ it is a $emale, the 'reator gives the so&l o$ a
$emale! %t t&rns o&t that when the woman $irst inseminated, the drop has not beome a male
yet, i$ the 'reator had not sent within her a so&l o$ a male!
This disernment that the 'reator diserns in a drop0that it is $it $or a so&l o$ a male or a
$emale0is onsidered the sentening o$ the 'reator!# (ad (e not diserned it and did not
send a so&l o$ a male, the drop wo&ld not have beome a male! Th&s, the two statements do
not ontradit one another!
1A) *nd sine she inseminates, does she deliver. *$ter all, this reB&ires pregnany! %t
sho&ld have said, %$ a woman is impregnated, she delivers a male hild!# 2hat is, %$ she
inseminates, she delivers#. 6ine the day o$ insemination and oneption to the day o$
delivery, a woman has not a word in her mo&th e)ept her o$$spring, whether it will be a
male! This is why it is written, %$ a woman inseminates, she delivers a male hild!#
11) %$ a woman inseminates!# (ow mani$old are Co&r works, O Lord!# (ow mani$old
are the deeds o$ the (oly =ing in the world! %t is akin to a person who took some seeds
together and sowed them all at one, and then eah kind b&ds independently! Th&s, the
'reator does (is deeds with wisdom, and in wisdom does (e take them all together and
sows them! *$terwards, eah and everyone emerges in its own time, as it is written, %n
wisdom have Co& made them all!#
1+) (ow mani$old are Co&r works, O Lord!# (ow mani$old are the deeds o$ the (oly
=ing! *nd all o$ them, the whole o$ reality in the worlds, are hidden in Hochma :wisdom;,
as it is written, %n wisdom have Co& made them all!# *ll are inl&ded in Hochma and do
not ome o&t, e)ept by trails, whih are the thirtyDtwo paths o$ Hochma, to Bina! *nd
$rom Bina, all is made and orreted, as it is written, By &nderstanding it is established!
This is why it says, %n wisdom have Co& made them all,# with &nderstanding, thro&gh the
Bina!
The Earth %s 4&ll o$ Co&r Fossessions
1/) The earth is $&ll!# The earth is the assembly o$ %srael, Malchut! 6he is $illed by Bina,
as it is written, *ll the rivers r&n into the sea!# Co&r possessions# is Malchut, whih later
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bro&ght them o&t, as it is written, These are the generations o$ the heaven and the earth
when they were reated!# (e reated them with a Hey, whih is Malchut, the bottom Hey
o$ HaVaYaH! 4or this reason, The land is $&ll o$ Co&r possessions!#
15) 2hen a man omes to santi$y and to mate with his $emale, with his holy desire, the
spirit o$ holiness0whih onsists o$ male and $emale0awakens &pon him! This is so
bea&se he was born and e)tends $rom ZA and Malchut, whih are male and $emale! *nd
the 'reator implies to an emissary that is appointed over impregnating people and gives
him that spirit, and tells him in whih plae he sho&ld give it, as it is written, *nd the
night whih said, * boy is oneived!"# The night, Malchut, said to that appointee to
oneive a man $rom a ertain man, so he wo&ld plae the spirit there! *nd the 'reator
ommands that spirit, ad1&ring it to be righteo&s!
Man 2alks as a Mere 4ig&re
17) Then the spirit desends with one $ig&re with it! * $ig&re that has the shape o$ above is
alled the image o$ -od!# (e is reated in this image and walks in this world with this
image, as it is written, Man walks as a mere $ig&re!# *s long as the image is with him, a
man persists in this world! %$ the image departs him, he dies! *nd there are two images that
1oin together, and =ing 6olomon warned people and said, Gntil the day breathes and the
shadows $lee away!# Two!
18) %n the book o$ the magiians o$ *smode&s, % have $o&nd that those who wish to do
magi $rom the le$t side and to ling to them will rise by the light o$ the andle, or in a
plae where his image is seen by the light o$ the moon, and will say, These are the proper
words $or these harms!# (e will all &pon those sides o$ imp&rity by their names o$
imp&rity, and will s&mmon his images to these names o$ imp&rity that he has alled! *nd
he sho&ld say that he is willingly being set &p $or their a&thority and their ommand! Then
that person departs the domain o$ his master and the deposit o$ his master! This means that
he is giving the so&l that was given to him as a deposit $rom his master to the side o$
imp&rity!
19) *nd thro&gh these words o$ wiHardry that he was saying, inviting them to his images,
two spirits are seen, whih are established in his images! They have the semblane o$
people and at times they alert him things to harm him and at times to bene$it him! *nd
those two spirits were not inl&ded in the body, $or he did not make bodies $or them be$ore
he santi$ied the 6abbath! B&t now they are inl&ded in the images that man gave them,
and they are established in them and tell a man things that harm him! This is the meaning
o$ him departing his master"s a&thority and giving his deposit0the so&l0to the side o$
imp&rity!
1<) %n one"s anger, one m&st not throw ho&sehold &tensils or anything o$ the sort, and give
it to the Sitra Achra! (e m&st not do so, $or several investigators o$ law and 1&dgment are
ready to reeive that thing! *nd $rom that time, no blessings will be &pon him, $or he is
$rom the Sitra Achra! %t is even more so with one who invites the Sitra Achra, the other
one, over that high goodness, his image, sine he invited them to his images!
1?) 2hen the time approahes $or a person to leave this world, that high image he was
given, that evil spirit that l&ng to him everyday omes and takes that image away $rom
him, establishes itsel$ in it and leaves! *nd that image will never ret&rn to a person, and he
will know that he will be re1eted $rom everything!
+A) 2hen the so&l desends to the entrane to this world, she $irst desends to the -arden
o$ Eden o$ the earth and sees the glory o$ the spirits o$ righteo&s standing ol&mn by
ol&mn! *$terwards, she goes to hell and sees the wiked rying *lasI *lasI# and no one
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pities them! 6he is given testimony o$ everything@ the wiked testi$y how they are p&nished
$or eah sin, and the righteo&s testi$y to the good reward that they reeive $or eah Mitzva
:good deedJommandment;! *nd that holy image stands over her &ntil she leaves toward
this world!
+1) 2hen she omes o&t to the world, that image omes to her and partakes with her and
grows with her, as it is written, Man walks as a mere $ig&re!# *nd man"s days partake in
that image and are dependent &pon it! %$ it departs, man parts $rom this world, as it is
written, 4or we are b&t o$ yesterday, and know nothing, bea&se o&r days &pon earth are a
shadow!# O&r days &pon earth are a shadow# means that o&r days depend on this shadow,
and $rom the day a woman oneives &ntil the day she delivers, people do not know how
great and how s&blime are the deeds o$ the 'reator, as it is written, (ow mani$old are
Co&r works, O Lord!#
,elivers a Male 'hild
++) *ll the spirits in the world are made o$ male and $emale! 2hen they ome o&t to this
world, they emerge male and $emale! *$terwards, they divide aording to their way! The
spirit o$ the male dresses in a male, and the spirit o$ a $emale0in a $emale! *$terwards, i$
one is rewarded, they mate together, meaning with his mate, and they &nite in one Zivug
:o&pling; in everything0spirit and body, as it is written, Let the earth bring $orth the
living reat&re a$ter its kind!# *$ter its kind# is that spirit o$ man that emerges with its
similar mate!
+/) Let the earth bring $orth# re$ers to Malchut, $rom whom the living reat&re :in
(ebrew, living Nefesh#; emerges! This is the spirit o$ Adam ha Rishon, who was born and
ame o&t o$ Malchut, as it is written, B&t o$ the $r&it o$ the tree whih is in the midst o$
the garden!# The $r&it o$ the tree# is the 'reator, ZA, alled the tree o$ li$e!# (is $r&it is
the spirit o$ Adam ha Rishon! 2hih is in the midst o$ the garden# means within the
woman, who is alled garden# and Malchut, sine the spirit o$ Adam ha Rishon ame
$rom a Zivug o$ ZA and Malchut!
%$ a woman inseminates, she delivers a male hild!# The woman, Malchut, delivers the
so&ls, and delivers a male hild! %t is not inl&ded o$ male and $emale, as it is &s&ally when
the so&ls are born male and $emale, sine thro&gh the sins o$ the lower ones, they a&se the
so&ls to not 1oin male and $emale in Malchut, as they emerge above, in o&ples0male and
$emale! This is why it is written, 6he delivers a male hild,# sine what appears to this
world is only a male, who is not inl&ded with a $emale!
+5) 6ine Adam ha Rishon and Eve sinned be$ore the 'reator, they were divided into male
and $emale, and were there$ore divided into male and $emale, when they ome o&t $rom
above into this world! Th&s, a male so&l is born separately, and a $emale so&l is born
separately, &ntil the 'reator so wishes Ki$ one is rewarded) that one is given one"s mate, the
so&l o$ the $emale, who was inl&ded with him above! %$ not, she is separated $rom him and
is given to another, and they beget sons inappropriately!
This is why it is written, My spirit shall not abide in man!# 2hat is My spirit#. %t sho&ld
have said (is spirit,# meaning man"s spirit! (owever, they are two spirits, $or they emerge
as o&ples! Co& need not prono&ne My spirit# in sing&lar $orm, b&t in pl&ral $orm! *nd
the writing says that they sho&ld not abide together, $or they emerge separated $rom one
another! This is why it is written, 6he delivers a male hild,# witho&t inl&ding male and
$emale together, as is normally done above, sine they a&sed it!
+7) 6he delivers a male hild# means it is born $rom the Malchut into this world witho&t a
$emale! Cet, everyone omes as male and $emale, inl&ded together, and then divide and
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ome separately into the male and separately into the $emale! B&t 6he delivers a male
hild# means that the male and $emale are inl&ded together $rom the right side, whih is
onsidered male!
%$ she delivered a $emale it wo&ld mean that the $emale and male are inl&ded together
$rom the le$t side, whih is onsidered a $emale! Then the le$t side wo&ld be r&ling over the
right side, and the male on the right wo&ld yield and not dominate! %n that state, s&h a
male, who emerged $rom the Nuva, Malchut, $rom her le$t side, all his ways are as a
$emale, hene he wo&ld be alled $emale!# B&t a male that emerges $rom the right side o$
Malchut is the dominant, and the $emale that emerges with it s&rrenders, sine the le$t side
is not dominant! (ene, it is written abo&t it, 6he delivers a male hild!#
6he 6hall Lemain %n the Blood o$ F&ri$iation $or ThirtyDThree ,ays
+8) Tens o$ tho&sands o$ so&ls emerge in the world at one! *nd $rom the day she ed&es
them, they are not alled Nefashot :pl&ral o$ Nefesh;, reeiving their ill&mination $rom
Malchut, &ntil they settle in a body $or thirtyDthree days! Gntil then, the body is inomplete
$or the so&l to dwell and lothe in! *nd the so&l is imp&re $or seven days bea&se $or all
seven days, spirits do not enter the Malchut to onnet with her! *nd d&ring all those seven
days, the spirit walks in the body, to $ind its plae o$ dwelling! Then it is written, Then it
shall be seven days &nder its mother,# Malchut, meaning he is &nder her and annot attah
to her!
+9) On the eighth day, the spirit and body ret&rn be$ore the B&een, to attah to her and to
the male, ZA, in body and spirit! 6he shall remain in the blood o$ p&ri$iation $or thirtyD
three days# so that the spirit will settle in the body! Three days a$ter the ir&mision, the
hild s&$$ers the pain o$ the ir&mision and the spirit does not abide in the body as d&ring
the rest o$ the days! (ene, 6he shall remain in the blood o$ p&ri$iation $or thirtyDthree
days!#
The doe :$emale deer; annot deliver the so&l &nless the serpent bites her p&dend&m!
(ene, the so&l was made imp&re by his bites, sine the bite o$ the serpent and his $ilth
evokes the point o$ the B&ality o$ 1&dgment, whih is not assoiated with Bina, whih is a
lok! 4or this reason, the spirit, the light, annot lothe in the body, the !li, and the spirit
m&st rise bak to the Malchut that was mitigated in Bina, in the key, and onnet with her!
Then, it, too, reeives the mitigation o$ the assoiation o$ Malchut in Bina and an lothe
in a body, as it is written, Then she shall be &nlean seven days,# whih are the seven
Sefirot, H"T NHYM, when Malchut m&st rise to Bina to be mitigated in Bina!
*nd be$ore she omes to Bina, whih is the eighth day, no spirit rises to her to attah to
her! (owever, the asent o$ Malchut to Bina is not $or her own need, b&t $or the p&rpose o$
p&ri$ying the so&l $rom the serpent"s bite in her p&dend&m while she was delivering! This
is so bea&se a$ter the so&l reeived the mitigation $rom Bina, she beomes worthy o$
onneting to the Malchut, whih is orreted in the key! Th&s, the spirit an lothe in a
body! %t is alled Ruach :spirit;, and not Neshama :so&l; bea&se on the eighth day, when
she reeives the mitigation $rom Bina, d&ring Malchut#s asent to Bina, she still does not
have "AR, Neshama, b&t only the !atnut, alled Ruach!
To reeive a so&l :Neshama;, she m&st sit $or thirtyDthree days in the blood o$ her
p&ri$iation! This is so bea&se bloods are 1&dgments that appear $rom the Masach de
!atnut :in$anyJsmallness;, whih prevents the "AR!
*lso, there is p&re blood and there is imp&re blood, sine they are two kinds o$ Masachim
:pl&ral o$ Masach;0the Masach o$ the lok, $rom Tzimtzum Ale$h :$irst restrition;, and
the Masach o$ the key, $rom Tzimtzum Bet :seond restrition;! The 1&dgments o$ the
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Masach o$ the lok are alled imp&re bloods,# sine as long as there is a hint o$ their $ilth
in the so&l, it is &n$it $or any light, as it is written, Then she shall be &nlean seven days!#
*nd the 1&dgments that e)tend $rom the Masach o$ the key are alled p&re bloods,# sine
they are $it to reeive light! (owever, she needs time $or the Malchut to onnet in H"T de
ZA, $rom whom she reeives the "AR!
*s it is written, she needs to wait in !atnut that is mitigated in Bina, alled p&re bloods,#
$or the d&ration o$ thirty days so that the Ruach will reeive its "AR, at whih time it will
lothe in the body! (owever, aording to this, thirty days sho&ld have s&$$ied, in
aordane with the three Sefirot H"T de ZA, eah o$ whih onsists o$ ten! B&t a$ter the
ir&mision, three days are reB&ired to heal the ir&mision! These are the three lines o$
!atnut, and when they are reeived, the ir&mision is healed, and the Malchut an rise
and onnet in three lines o$ "adlut, whih are thirty days!
+<) %s it blood o$ p&ri$iation or days o$ p&ri$iation. %n blood o$ p&ri$iation it is the
ir&mision blood0blood that is a$ter the blood that omes $rom the hild! The 'reator
wathes over those bloods all those days, as it is written, Lemain in the blood o$
p&ri$iation!#
M&st Taharah :p&rity;, whih does not have the Mafi Hey :a speial pron&niation mark;,
and is not prono&ned in the reading, indiates that he does not mention the bottom Hey o$
HaVaYaH, Malchut! B&t do not say that it is abo&t the p&ri$iation o$ Malchut, the mother
o$ the Neshama :so&l;, b&t abo&t plain p&rity! This is so bea&se plain blood o$ p&ri$iation
is what the p&re bloods are alled, sine it is only abo&t the so&l that is born o&t o$ her! *nd
all the asents and attahment that are said abo&t Malchut relate to Malchut being the root
o$ the so&l!
The ir&mision blood, whih are on the eighth day, are the root o$ the p&re blood that
e)tends $rom the Masach o$ the key, and the bloods that are drawn d&ring the thirtyDthree
days are drawn $rom the p&re blood o$ the ir&mision, as it is written, Blood o$
p&ri$iation,# whih are the roots o$ p&re blood!
*lso, the blood that is seen d&ring the thirtyDthree days is onsidered blood o$
ir&mision, p&re blood, $rom the Masach o$ the key! 2itho&t these 1&dgments o$ !atnut
it wo&ld not be possible $or her to ever reeive "AR! This is why the 'reator m&st keep
them, to B&ali$y her to reeive "AR!
+?) Eah day, the assembly o$ %srael, Malchut, takes $ood $rom the king"s ho&se $or
people"s spirits and no&rishes them with holiness, e)ept $or those spirits that are in the
thirtyDthree days o$ p&ri$iation! Gntil these spirits settle in a body a$ter thirtyDthree days,
she wathes over them daily, $or then the spirits attah to the body like the rest o$ the
dwellers o$ the world! *s the Malchut is present only in a whole plae, all her deeds toward
the spirits o$ people are in this manner &ntil they are per$eted, as it is written, 6he shall
not to&h any hallowed thing!# This is the meaning o$ wathing over the so&ls, meaning
she does not to&h holiness to reeive $ood $rom the holy, whih is ZA, $or the so&ls!
%$ 6he Bears a 4emale 'hild
/A) B&t i$ she bears a $emale hild!# Bea&se the le$t side dominates and the right
s&rrenders to it, everything is two instead o$ one, and the Nuva, Malchut, is removed $rom
ZA, to attah the Ruach so it lothes in a body! This is so bea&se the le$t does not sit in the
body like the right, $or it is more &nder the $ore o$ the "evurot, sine the right, whih is
male, o&ld mitigate only the 1&dgments o$ Nuva, whih are imp&re and p&re bloods!
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B&t in the $emale, in whih the le$t prevails, the 1&dgments o$ the le$t sho&ld be orreted,
too, meaning the male 1&dgments! This is why everything is do&bled! The imp&rity is two
weeks, orresponding to the male 1&dgments and the $emale 1&dgments! *nd also, the days
o$ p&rity are si)tyDsi) days, thirtyDthree orresponding to the male 1&dgments and thirtyD
three orresponding to the $emale 1&dgments!
'ir&mision and 4oreskin
/1) *nd in the eighth day the $lesh o$ his $oreskin shall be ir&mised!# This
ommandment to ir&mise the ir&mision o$ the holy ovenant on the eighth day is a
s&blime thing, as it is written, The o&nsel o$ the Lord is with them that $ear (im> and (is
ovenant, to make them know it!# (e anno&nes the o&nsel, whih is the ovenant, to
those who are a$raid, who $ear sin! This is so bea&se the meaning o$ the holy ovenant
sho&ld not be seen o&tside o$ them! *nd we already learned the meaning o$ the holy
ovenant in several other plaes!
/+) This o&nsel, whih is $or eight days, is mandatory $or the world, $or the whole o$ the
holy nation, as it is written, *nd in the eighth day the $lesh o$ his $oreskin shall be
ir&mised!# The eighth day is the sign o$ the holy ovenant, the Sefira o$ Yesod, whih is
the eighth among the degrees! %$ yo& o&nt the degrees $rom Hochma down, Yesod is in the
eighth degree, and !eter is %in Sof and is not o&nted!
*lso, the ir&mision o$ the ovenant is to remove the $oreskin, the imp&re serpent $rom
the ovenant, the holy Yesod! 2e may ask why is it that one he says that the eighth day is
Bina, meaning $rom below &pwards, and one he says that the eighth day is Yesod,
meaning $rom above downwards! %t is so bea&se o$ the inverse relation between the !elim
and the lights, sine in the light, the lower enters $irst and we begin $rom below> and in the
!elim, the &pper ones omplete $irst and we begin $rom above downwards!
//) This is so bea&se when the holy nation gathers to remove the $oreskin $rom the
ovenant, the 'reator assembles (is entire ento&rage and appears, so as to move the
$oreskin &p $rom the sign o$ the holy ovenant, whih is Yesod! *ll the deeds that %srael do
below evoke deeds above! (ene, at that time, the $oreskin0the imp&re serpent0is
repelled &pwards $rom the whole o$ the holy nation! *nd a vessel with d&st is set &p $or
this $oreskin, to p&t the $oreskin in it, as it is written, *nd d&st shall be the serpentNs $ood,#
and ,&st shall yo& eat all the days o$ yo&r li$e!#
/5) 2e learn $rom this that one need not be ontempt&o&s o$ the $oreskin, even tho&gh it is
removed $rom the ovenant! %ts plae, a$ter it is removed $rom this ovenant, is in the d&st,
sine a$ter that serpent was removed $rom man, the 'reator set &p its dwelling plae in the
d&st, as it is written, ,&st shall yo& eat all the days o$ yo&r li$e!# *nd sine the 'reator set
&p its residene in the d&st when (e removed it $rom man, when we remove the $oreskin,
we sho&ld set &p d&st $or it to dwell in, in this very way!
/7) Every person sho&ld gladly and willingly sari$ie that son as an o$$ering to the
'reator, to bring him &nder the wings o$ ,ivinity! This is regarded by the 'reator as a
omplete o$$ering and is reeived willingly!
/8) This o$$ering is like an o$$ering $rom the beast, sine this is $or eight days, and that is
$or eight days, as it is written, B&t $rom the eighth day and thene$orth it may be
aepted# bea&se it has already been thro&gh one 6abbath, sine there has to be one
6abbath among the eight days! *nd sine it has been thro&gh one 6abbath, this o$$ering0
the beast0is aepted!
9
The ir&mised hild is $or an o$$ering bea&se he was attahed and ame to be at this
6abbath, whih is Malchut, the holy ovenant0Yesod! On 6abbath, the Yesod is in its
$&llest per$etion> hene, the hild reeives ill&mination $rom it, to orret his holy
ovenant! *nd the beast is aepted as an o$$ering, as well, sine the o$$ering &nites Yesod
and Malchut! 4or this reason, it m&st reeive orretion $rom the omplete Yesod on the
day o$ the 6abbath! Th&s, everything is in the &pper one!
There %s No Lok 6&h as O&r -od
/9) There is none holy as the Lord, $or there is none besides Co&> neither is there any rok
like o&r -od!# There is none holy as the Lord# means that there is still another who is
holy, b&t is worse than the Lord! Neither is there any rok like o&r -od# means that there
is another rok, b&t it is worse than the Lord!
/<) (owever, ertainly, there is none so holy as the Lord! There are many holy ones above
0the angels! *nd %srael, too, are holy, as it is written, Co& will be holy!# B&t they are not
as holy as the Lord, as it is written, There is none besides Co&!# Th&s, the 'reator"s
holiness is witho&t the holiness o$ the angels and o$ %srael, $or (e does not need their
holiness! B&t they are not holy witho&t (im, and this is the meaning o$ There is none
besides Co&,# that they have no holiness witho&t Co&!
/?) Neither is there any rok like o&r -od# means that the 'reator $ormed a shape within
a shape, the shape o$ an embryo in the shape o$ its mother! (e orrets it and blows the
spirit o$ li$e into it, and delivers it into the air o$ the world! Neither is there any rok like
o&r -od# means that (e has governane and kingship over everything!
* 6tar that 6tr&k another 6tar Three Times
5A) Labbi (iya and Labbi *ha were seated one night be$ore Labbi *bba! They rose at
midnight to engage in Torah! *s they stepped o&tside, they saw a star striking another star
three times, bloking its light! *ll the while, they heard two voies $rom two sides, a voie
to the north and &p, and a downward voie! *nd the downward voie delared and said,
'ome in, gather &nto yo&r plaes, $or now the keeping o$ Nuva, Malchut, has beg&n, $or
the 'reator has entered the garden to stroll and to entertain with the righteo&s in the
garden!# Then that voie went silent!
The night divides into $o&r parts@ Hesed, "evura, Tifferet, and Malchut! On the $irst hal$ o$
the night, the two lines, Hesed and "evura in Malchut dominate! *t midnight, Tifferet,
whih is the middle line, begins to dominate and sentene and &nite the two lines, Hesed
and "evura in Malchut! The 'reator, Tifferet, the middle line, enters the -arden o$ Eden,
Malchut, and &nites the right and the le$t in her!
To &nite the right and the le$t, the middle line m&st e)tend the Masach de Hiri in both its
disernments, in the key and in the lok, sine the le$t does not s&rrender to &nite with the
right witho&t them! *lso, this Masach diminishes the "AR o$ the le$t line and bloks it!
These two ations in the key and lok, whih are operated by the Masach de Hiri are
alled two voies!# *nd the two ations in the middle line are the voie o$ the key that is
mitigated in Bina, and the downward voie0the voie o$ the lok, the voie o$ the lower
Malchut, whih was not mitigated in Bina! The voie o$ the lok0the $irst at o$ the
middle line0whih is the main $ore that diminishes the le$t line, delared and said to
those linging to the le$t line and wishing to e)tend $rom the "AR o$ the le$t, that voie o$
the lok told them to gather and ret&rn to their plaes, as in, %$ yo&r heart r&ns, t&rn bak!#
<
This is so bea&se the g&arding o$ the Malchut had beg&n! Gntil midnight, there was no
g&arding $or Malchut#s le$t line and the wiked o&ld s&k $rom the le$t line! B&t now, at
midnight, when the middle line r&les and has revealed the lok that diminishes the le$t line
and bloks it, there is g&arding, so the wiked an no longer s&k $rom the le$t in Malchut!
*nd the middle line, Malchut, reveals this voie o$ the lok! *$ter the anno&ner so&nded
and everyone saw that the le$t line has been bloked, it went silent, onealed, so the voie
$rom the north side o&ld dominate! This is the seond at in the Masach de Hiri, whih
omes $rom the Malchut that is mitigated in Bina, whih is a key, so it may reDe)tend VA!
de "AR o$ the le$t line! *nd had the voie o$ the lok not been silened, the voie o$ the
key wo&ld not have been able to dominate and it wo&ld be impossible to e)tend any
meas&re o$ "AR!
51a) Labbi *ha and Labbi (iya ret&rned to the ho&se and said, %t m&st be a time o$ good
will,# the awakening o$ the assembly o$ %srael to 1oin with the (oly =ing, ZA, the middle
line! *nd the assembly o$ %srael onnets to the 'reator only o&t o$ singing, o&t o$ her
praise $or (im!
Be$ore midnight, d&ring the time o$ the dominion o$ the le$t, its ill&mination was
onsidered e)ternal! This is why it is written that be$ore they reeived the e)ternal
ill&mination $rom the le$t, they already saw how the midnight point was arriving and the
middle line was shining in both its ations, &niting the le$t with the right! *nd then their
ill&mination was onsidered internality! This is why it is written that they did not ome o&t
to reeive ill&mination $rom the le$t line, b&t ret&rned into the ho&se, $or the right and the
le$t have already been &nited thro&gh the middle line, and their ill&mination was
onsidered internality!
,&ring the domination o$ the le$t in Malchut, prior to the point o$ midnight, Malchut0
whose essene omes primarily $rom the le$t0is remote $rom Tifferet, $rom the middle
line, whih leans to Hassadim and to the right, even tho&gh she is dark, witho&t the
Hassadim o$ the middle line! This is like the le$t line prior to the determining o$ the middle
line! *t midnight, when the 'reator omes to &nite the le$t with the right in its two ations,
Malchut reogniHed the merit o$ the 'reator, the middle line, d&e to the per$etion o$ the
&nity o$ right and le$t! *nd then she &nited with the 'reator!
51b) 2hen the morning omes, the king gives her a thread o$ grae! *t that time, the
Hochma in her lothes in Hesed and is ompleted, as it is written, *nd the king held o&t
to Esther the golden septer that was in his hand!# The king is ZA> Esther is Malchut> and
the golden septer is the thread o$ grae, whih is alled a septer o$ -od,# when the
Hochma in Malchut lothes in it! *nd do not say that the king holds o&t the golden septer
only to her, b&t to her and to all those who 1oin her! 'ome let &s 1oin together!
*nd (e Took One o$ (is Libs
5+) *nd the Lord -od said@ %t is not good that the man sho&ld be alone!"# %t does not say,
That it was good,# on the seond day, sine the rib $or b&ilding the Nuva was to be taken
$rom *dam! The seond day is "evura and le$t line! *nd ompleting the le$t line is only in
the Malchut, whih is b&ilt $rom it! *nd sine *dam, ZA, was alone and Malchut had not
yet been &t o$$ $rom him, it is written, %t is not good that the man sho&ld be alone!# This
is why it was not said, That it was good# on the seond day! Be$ore Malchut is separated
$rom ZA and is b&ilt into a separate &artzuf, the le$t line o$ ZA, whih is the seond day, is
not ompleted! %t is said abo&t it, %t is not good!#
5/) 2as he alone. %t is written, (e reated them male and $emale,# and we learned that
Adam ha Rishon was reated in two &artzufim, male and $emale, attahed to one another in
?
their Achoraim :posteriors;! *nd yo& say, %t is not good that the man sho&ld be alone#.
(owever, he did not try with his Nuva and she was not help made against him, $or she
was at his side and they were attahed at their baks, and then *dam was alone!
55) % will make him a help made against him,# opposite his &anim :$ae;, so they wo&ld
bond $ae to $ae! 2hat did the 'reator do. (e &t him and took the $emale $rom him, as it
is written, (e took one o$ his ribs!# One# is his Nuva, as it is written, My dove, my
&nde$iled, is b&t one,# and bro&ght her to *dam, who established her as a bride! *nd (e
bro&ght her to be opposite his $ae, shining $ae to $ae! *nd while the Nuva was l&ng to
his side, *dam was alone! *$terwards, the two rose and mated, and seven rose together@
'ain with his twin, *bel with two twins, th&s $ive, and *dam and Eve, th&s seven!
57) 2hen Eve was established with *dam, the 'reator blessed them, as it is written, *nd
-od blessed them,# like a antor who blesses the bride with seven blessings! 2e learn $rom
this that when the bride and groom are blessed with the seven blessings, they are attahed
together as it is above, when Malchut is blessed by the seven blessings $rom H"T NHYM
de ZA!
58) (ene, one who omes to bond with another man"s wi$e blemishes the Zivug
:o&pling;, sine the Zivug o$ the assembly o$ %srael is only in the 'reator, both when it is
in Rachamim :mery; and when it is in 'in :1&dgment;! 2hen one bonds with another
man"s wi$e, it is as tho&gh he is lying to the 'reator and to the assembly o$ %srael! (ene,
the 'reator does not atone him thro&gh repentane, and repentane is h&ng $or him &ntil he
departs $rom the world, as it is written, 6&rely this iniB&ity shall not be $orgiven yo& &ntil
yo& die!# %t is $orgiven when he enters in repentane into that world and reeives his
p&nishment there, and then he is $orgiven!
59) One who lies to the assembly o$ %srael, who omes to bond with another"s wi$e, his
repentane is not aepted be$ore he is sentened in hell> all the more so with one who lies
to the assembly o$ %srael and to the 'reator! %t is even more so i$ he ompels the 'reator to
make the $orm o$ a bastard in another"s wi$e and p&blily lies to the king, openly!
(e 2ho Lobs (is 4ather and (is Mother
5<) (e who robs his $ather and his mother!# (is $ather is the 'reator> his mother0the
assembly o$ %srael! Lobs,# as it is written, The pl&nder o$ the poor is in yo&r ho&ses!#
The pl&nder is one who ovets another woman, who is not his mate!
5?) *nyone who en1oys this world witho&t a blessing, as tho&gh steals $rom the 'reator
and the assembly o$ %srael, as it is written, (e who robs his $ather and his mother, *nd
says, %t is not a transgression" is the ompanion o$ a man who destroys!# *nyone who
en1oys this world0this r&le that says, *nyone who en1oys,#0is a woman! This is so
bea&se one who lings to a woman, who omes to en1oy her, even i$ she is available, b&t
en1oys her witho&t a blessing, witho&t the seven blessings that the bride is blessed, it is as
tho&gh he robs the 'reator and the assembly o$ %srael!
The reason is that their Zivug is in seven blessings! *nd one who en1oys witho&t seven
blessings blemishes the seven blessings above! *nd as with an available one, it is m&h
more so with the wi$e o$ another, who stands in a Zivug in seven blessings thro&gh her
h&sband, as it is above!
7A) %s the ompanion o$ a man who destroys# is Meroboam! *nd says, %t is not a
transgression,"# meaning he says, 6he is available> why is it $orbidden.# he th&s robs his
$ather and mother! Moreover, he is a ompanion to a man who destroys! 2ho is a man who
destroys. %t is one who blemishes the $orm and the orretion above! %t is even more so
1A
with one who ovets his $riend"s wi$e, to ling to her, $or he blemishes more! 4or that, he is
blemished $orever! * man who destroys,# sine he blemishes above, blemishes below, and
blemishes his so&l!
Let Me -o, 4or the ,awn %s Breaking
71) Then he said, Let me go, $or the dawn is breaking!"# Then he said, Let me go!"#
2as he a prisoner o$ Maob. (appy are the righteo&s, $or the 'reator spares their honor and
never leaves them, as it is written, (e will never allow the righteo&s to be shaken!# 6till, it
is written, *nd the hollow o$ MaobNs thigh was sprained!#
7+) B&t the angel took what was his, as it is written, *nd he himsel$ lodged that night in
the amp!# %t is also written, *nd he took them, and sent them over the stream!# 2hat was
on Maob"s mind, to take them aross the river at night. B&t he saw the a&ser walking
among his amps, and Maob said, % will move them to the other side o$ the river, perhaps
there will not be bewilderment!
7/) 2hat did he see. (e saw a blaHing $lame o$ $ire walking and $lying thro&gh his amps!
Maob said, %t wo&ld be best to take them $rom here aross the river so the river will part
between them and there will be no bewilderment, sine damagers do not ross rivers! *nd
he took them, and sent them over the stream!# *nd Maob was le$t alone!# *nd sine Maob
obstr&ted him $rom harming the amps, he to&hed the hollow o$ his thigh, *nd the
hollow o$ MaobNs thigh was sprained,# $or he had taken $rom him what was his! 2e learn
$rom this that one an be harmed i$ he is alone at home at night, or in a sel&ded ho&se
d&ring the day, and espeially d&ring the night in a sel&ded ho&se, separated $rom other
ho&ses, or walks alone at night!
75) *nd Maob was le$t alone!# Then, There wrestled a man with him!# The angel ame
$rom the side o$ 1&dgment and his government was on the side o$ the night, appointed over
bringing %srael into e)ile, whih is night, and darkness! *nd sine the light ame &p, his
power waned and Maob"s strength overame him, sine he ame $rom the side o$ the night!
(ene, while it was night, Maob o&ld not prevail over him, and when the light ame &p,
Maob"s strength intensi$ied and he held him and prevailed over him! Then Maob saw that
he was an angel!
77) The angel told him, Let me go $or % annot overome yo&!# (e o&ld not overome
him bea&se the light had ome &p and his spirit had been broken, as it is written, 2hen
the morning stars sang together, and all the sons o$ -od sho&ted $or 1oy!# They sho&ted
means that all those $rom the side o$ 1&dgment were broken! 6ho&ted means that they were
broken, as in, The earth is broken, broken down!# 6ons o$ -od# are those that ome $rom
the side o$ 1&dgment, alled -od!# Then Maob grew strong and gripped him!
78) (e told him, Let me go, $or the dawn is breaking!# %t was time to assemble and praise
the 'reator! *nd he said, % will not let yo& go, e)ept yo& bless me!# %t sho&ld have said,
%$ yo& will bless me# :in $&t&re tense;, why E)ept yo& bless me,# whih is past tense :in
(ebrew;. Maob told him, My $ather ertainly blessed me with these blessings, whih he
wished to bless Esa& with, and % am a$raid o$ yo& in regards to these blessings, whether
yo& admit to them> $or i$ not, yo& might slander me $or them!
79) (e said, Co&r name shall no longer be Maob!"# (e told him, neither by deeit nor by
&nningness did yo& obtain these blessings! (ene, Co&r name shall no longer be Maob!#
%t is as Esa& said, There$oreO he has s&pplanted me two times!# B&t this was not with
&nningness! Lather, it was %srael, ZA, $rom whom the blessings emerge! 'ertainly,
admitting abo&t yo& that the blessings are yo&rs bea&se yo& are gripped in it, and $or this
reason, % and all the amps o$ angels admit that the blessings are yo&rs!
11
7<) 4or yo& have striven with -od and with men and have prevailed!# 2ith -od# are all
those who ome $rom the side o$ harsh 1&dgment! *nd with men# is Esa& and his amps!
*nd have prevailed,# yo& overame them and they did not overome yo&! *nd Maob did
not leave him &ntil he admitted to these blessings be$ore him, as it is written, *nd he
blessed him there!#
7?) 2hen the light o$ Bina omes &p, all the litigants yield and are absent, and the
assembly o$ %srael speaks with the 'reator! That time is a time o$ good will $or all, and the
king gives a septer, a thread o$ grae to Malchut and to all who are with her, to be whole
in the holy king!
8A) 2hen the 'reator is with the assembly o$ %srael, Malchut, and she evokes the desire $or
him $irst, and attrats him to her with m&h love and yearning, Malchut is $illed with the
Hassadim o$ the male $rom the right side, and several amps o$ angels are on the right side
in all the worlds!
*nd when the 'reator evokes love and desire $irst, and Malchut awakens later, not while
the 'reator has awakened, then everything is in the $orm o$ $emale, Malchut, and the le$t
awakens! *nd several amps o$ angels stand and awaken on the le$t side in all the worlds,
as it is written, %$ a woman inseminates and delivers a male hild!# %$ the woman
inseminates $irst, she delivers a male hild, sine the lower world is akin to the &pper
world, and one is like the other! *nd as it is above, i$ Malchut awakens the desire $irst,
below, too, she is $illed with the male $rom the right side!
81) 4or this reason, the 'reator determines a male or a $emale, $or a desire, Malchut, e)ists
in the world $irst, and then the woman below awakens to inseminate $irst, and deliver a
male hild! This is so bea&se everything depends on above not on below, and in all things,
man m&st have his desire linging &pwards, toward the 'reator, so there will $irst be a
desire in the world, Malchut, and then his wi$e, too, will inseminate $irst and deliver a
male! (appy are the righteo&s who know how to attah their will to the (oly =ing! %t is
written abo&t them, Co& that leave &nto the Lord yo&r -od are alive everyone o$ yo&
today!#
Look Not &pon Me, that % *m 6warthy
8+) Look not &pon me, that % am swarthy, that the s&n has tanned me!# %n e)ile, the moon,
Malchut, is overed and says, Look not &pon me!# %t is not that she is demanding that we
do not see her! B&t bea&se she sees %srael"s desire to see her light she says, Look not
&pon me,# meaning yo& will not be able to see me> Look not &pon me# bea&se % am
swarthy, sine % am in the dark!
8/) 2hat is swarthy. 6ho&ld it not have said Blak#. %ndeed, there are two kinds o$
darkness@ 1) That the s&n has tanned me,# that the s&n, ZA, has parted $rom me, $rom
shining in me and $rom looking at me! +) My motherNs sons were inensed against me,
they made me keeper!#
85) Sheshza$htany :that has tanned me; implies si), sine Sheshza$htany is made o$ Shesh
:si); Za$htany! This is so bea&se when the s&n0ZA0shines, it shines in si) lights, in the
si) Sefirot H"T NHY! *nd when it leaves, all si) lights leave! My mother"s sons# are
those that ome $rom the side o$ harsh 1&dgment to p&nish $or the sins! 2ere inensed
against me,# as in, My throat is dried# :there is similarity o$ words and pron&niation in
(ebrew;! %t is written, To o&r very neks we are p&rs&ed,# sine when %srael ame to the
e)ile, their hands were tied behind them and millstones were aro&nd their neks, and they
o&ld not open their mo&ths, as it is written, My throat is dried!#
1+
87) They made me keeper o$ the vineyards,# to go into e)ile and to keep the rest o$ the
nations $or %srael! B&t % have not kept my own vineyard,# $or % annot keep them as in the
beginning! %n the beginning, % was keeping my own vineyard, %srael, and $rom it, the rest o$
the vineyards0whih are the nations0were kept! Now % keep the rest o$ the vineyards $or
my own vineyards, so it will be kept among them!
The Earth %s the LordNs, *nd *ll %t 'ontains
89) The earth is the LordNs, and all it ontains, the world, and those who dwell in it!# The
land is Malchut! 6ine he said, The earth is the LordNs, and all it ontains,# why the do&ble
wording, The world, and those who dwell in it#. %s the world not the earth. (owever, he
says, The earth is the LordNs, and all it ontains!# This is the holy land, alled the land o$
the living!# The world and those who dwell in it# are the rest o$ the lands!
8<) The earth is the LordNs, and all it ontains!# The earth is Malchut! *ll it ontains# are
the so&ls o$ the righteo&s in Malchut! The world, and those who dwell in it!# The world is
the earth below, in this world! Those who dwell in it are people, and the earth is the
Malchut, 4or (e has $o&nded it &pon the seas and established it &pon rivers!# This is so
bea&se the land o$ the living, Malchut, (e has $o&nded it &pon the seas, and established
it &pon rivers,# sine all o$ them, all the Mochin, emerge $rom the &ppermost river that
strethes o&t o$ Eden, $rom Bina! *nd the Malchut is orreted by them, to be rowned
with the (oly =ing and to no&rish the worlds!
8?) 2ho shall asend into the mo&ntain o$ the Lord. O who has not arried My so&l
:Nefesh; in vain!# My Nefesh is Malchut, and =ing ,avid was &nited in that heart, and that
Nefesh, in Malchut! This is why he says, 2ho has not arried his so&l :Nefesh; in vain!#
Fangs o$ Love
9A) *s they were walking, they ame aross a man whose $ae was $&ll o$ sores, who rose
$rom &nder a tree! They looked at him and saw that his $ae had t&rned red $rom all the
sores! Labbi (iya told him, 2ho are yo&.# *nd he replied, % am a Mew!# Labbi Cosi said,
(e is a sinner, or these bad sores wo&ld not be seen in his $ae! These are not alled
Fangs o$ love!"# Labbi (iya said, %t m&st be so, sine pangs o$ love are overed $rom
people!#
91) %t is written, 2hen a man shall have in the skin o$ his $lesh a rising, or a sab, or a
bright spot!# There are three kinds, and they are all alled The plag&e o$ leprosy,# as it is
written, *nd it beome in the skin o$ his $lesh the plag&e o$ leprosy!# The plag&e o$
leprosy is with a losed syllable :in (ebrew;, $or it is losed in everything, meaning that
the a$$lition is overed and hidden $rom the eye! %t is written abo&t that, (e shall be
bro&ght &nto *aron the priest!# B&t the sores that are seen on the o&tside, it is written abo&t
that, *nd the priest shall look on him, and prono&ne him &nlean,# sine what is seen to
people on the o&tside omes $rom the side o$ imp&rity and are not pangs o$ love!
9+) (ow do we know that. %t is written, Better is open reb&ke than love that is hidden,#
whih means that open reb&ke is better! *nd i$ the reb&ke is o&t o$ love, it is hidden $rom
people! 6imilarly, one who reb&kes one"s $riend with love m&st hide his words $rom people
so his $riend will not be shamed by them! *nd i$ his words are open be$ore people, they are
not with love!
9/) 6o is the 'reator! 2hen (e reb&kes a person, (e reb&kes him with love in everything!
4irst, (e strikes him in his body, $rom within! %$ he repents, good! %$ not, (e strikes him
&nder his lothes! *nd these are alled Fangs o$ love!# %$ he repents, good! %$ not, (e
1/
strikes him openly in his $ae, in $ront o$ everyone, so people will look at him and know
that he is a sinner and is not loved by his Master!
95) That man told them, Co& m&st have ontrived to ome over me to despise me! Co&
m&st be $rom among those who sit at the ho&se o$ Labbi 6himon BarDCohai, who $ear
nothing! %$ my sons, who ome a$ter me, sho&ld ome, they will perse&te yo&! 2hy do
yo& speak openly. *$ter all, yo& sho&ld $ear my sons!# They told him, 6&h is the Torah,
$or it is written, 6he alls at the head o$ the noisy streets, at the entrane o$ the gates in the
ity she &tters her sayings!" %$ we $ear yo& with words o$ Torah, we are in ontempt o$ the
'reator! Moreover, the Torah needs p&rity, meaning to speak openly!# The man started and
said, 2ho is a -od like Co&, that pardons iniB&ity.# (e raised his hands and ried! *t that
time, his sons ame and his 1&nior son said, (ere is heaven"s help to my $ather!#
There %s a Lighteo&s Man 2ho Ferishes in (is Lighteo&sness
97) *ll things have % seen in the days o$ my vanity> there is a righteo&s man who perishes
in his righteo&sness and there is a wiked man who prolongs his li$e in his wikedness!#
(ow did =ing 6olomon, the wisest o$ all, say that he saw everything while he was walking
in the darkness o$ the world, in the days o$ his vanity. *$ter all, one who engages in the
darkness o$ the world sees nothing and knows nothing!
98) (owever, in the days o$ =ing 6olomon, the moon was $&ll and 6olomon was wiser
than all the people in the world, and then he saw and knew everything! (e saw everything
is Yesod, whih is alled everything,# $or it does not move away $rom the moon, Malchut,
and was shining the s&n $or her, as it is written, *ll things have % seen in the days o$ my
vanity!# 3anity is the moon, Malchut, whih onsists o$ everything@ water0Hesed, $ire0
"evura, and Ruach0Tifferet! *ll is like Hevel :$&me; that omes o&t o$ the mo&th, whih
ontains everything0water, wind, and $ire!
99) *nd he saw everything, whih is Yesod, in Hevel0Malchut0whih grips it! There is
a righteo&s man who perishes in his righteo&sness!# 2hen there are many righteo&s in the
world, everything,# Yesod, is never removed $rom the moon, Malchut! *nd this
everything# takes all the oil and the valor and the 1oy above, and is $illed and re1oies and
rises to mate with the moon! *nd he gains all that $or her!
9<) *nd when the wiked in the world m&ltiply and the moon grows dark, the righteo&s,
Yesod, perishes in his righteo&sness! %t does not say, * righteo&s is lost,# b&t the
righteo&s perishes, sine he is not seen in the moon, to whih he is not imparting and does
not take oil and valor and 1oy to $ill her and to &nite with her! (ene, a righteo&s loses all
o$ that in his righteo&sness, whih is the moon, meaning he is lost bea&se the moon is not
there to &nite with him and he does not no&rish $rom the 1oy above, as he did! Then, the
whole o$ the le$t side awakens and the wiked prolong peae$&lly in the world, as it is
written, *nd there is a wiked man who prolongs his li$e in his wikedness,# in that evil
side that has l&ng to him!
9?) There is a righteo&s man who perishes in his righteo&sness# bea&se when the
righteo&s m&ltiply in the world and the 1&dgment is h&ng, the righteo&s perishes in his
righteo&sness! (e is a&ght in their iniB&ities like my $ather, who was a&ght in the
iniB&ities o$ his town"s people, who were all insolent and he did not warn them and never
shamed them, and he prevented &s $rom provoking the wiked! (e wo&ld tell &s, * Fsalm
o$ ,avid! ,o not $ret bea&se o$ evildoers> do not envy evildoers!# (is $ather said, The
'reator m&st have p&nished me $or it, $or % had the a&thority to stop them b&t % did not, and
% did not despise them, neither seretly nor openly!#
15
*nd Breathed into (is Nostrils the Breath o$ Li$e
<A) (is other son started and said, Then the Lord -od $ormed the man o$ d&st $rom the
gro&nd!# Then the Lord -od Yatzar :$ormed;,# The word Yatzar is written with two Yods
:in (ebrew;, indiating that man was reated in two inlinations, the good inlination and
the evil inlination! The good inlination orresponds to water, and the evil inlination
orresponds to $ire! The Lord -od# is a $&ll name! The man# onsists o$ male and
$emale, sine the# implies the $emale! ,&st $rom the gro&nd# is the d&st o$ a holy land,
$rom whih he was reated, the plae o$ the Temple! ,&st is Malchut> gro&nd is Bina, the
land o$ Edom! Adam ha Rishon was reated $rom Malchut that was mitigated in Bina, sine
the d&st o$ the Temple is onsidered Malchut that is mitigated in Bina!
<1) *nd breathed into his nostrils the breath o$ li$e# is the holy so&l that e)tends $rom this
li$e above, $rom Bina!
*nd man beame a living so&l,# meaning man was mingled with the Nefesh o$ holiness o$
the &pper Haya, Bina, who ed&ed the land, Malchut!
Let the earth bring $orth the living :Haya; so&l# is the Nefesh o$ that &pper Haya, Bina!
<+) 2henever the holy so&l is attahed to a person, he is his Master"s beloved! (e is kept
by g&ards $rom all sides, written $avorably above and below, and the (oly ,ivinity is &pon
him!
</) *nd when he diverts his ways, ,ivinity parts $rom him and the holy so&l does not ling
to him! *nd a spirit awakens on the side o$ the evil, harsh serpent, and wanders abo&t in
the world! %t stays only in a plae where the &pper holiness has parted and it hovers over
man! Then, man is de$iled and he beomes $lawed in all his $lesh and in the appearane o$
his $ae!
<5) Bea&se this living so&l is holy and s&blime, $rom Bina, when the holy earth, Malchut,
p&lls her and mingles within her, she is alled a so&l,# sine the light o$ Bina is alled a
so&l!# %t is she who rises and speaks be$ore the holy king and enters in all the gates, and
there is no one to stop her! This is why she is alled the whispering Ruach :wind;,# the
speaking Ruach,# $or all other so&ls that are not $rom Bina have no permission to speak
be$ore the king, e)ept this one, who is $rom Bina!
<7) This is why the Torah delares and says, =eep yo&r tong&e $rom evil!# %t is also
written, 2ho keeps his mo&th and his tong&e,# sine i$ one"s lips and tong&e say these
bad things, the words rise &p and everyone delares and says, T&rn away $rom the evil
words o$ so and so, make room $or the way o$ the harsh serpent!# Then the holy so&l is
removed $rom him and departs, and annot speak, as it is written, % was m&te and silent, %
re$rained $rom good, and my sorrow grew!#
<8) *nd that so&l rises in disgrae, in a$$lition $rom everything, and it is not given room as
be$ore! %t is written abo&t that, 2ho keeps his mo&th and his tong&e, keeps his so&l $rom
tro&bles!# (is so&l, whih &sed to speak, is now silent bea&se o$ the evil words that she
spoke! Then omes the serpent, $or everything has reverted bak to the beginning, as be$ore
he was rewarded with a so&l! *nd when the evil speeh rises by ertain ways to being
be$ore the harsh serpent, several spirits awaken in the world, and an imp&re spirit desends
$rom that side, o$ the serpent, and $inds that that man evoked it with the evil speeh! %t
$inds that the holy speaking Ruach is removed $rom him, at whih time the imp&re Ruach
is &pon him and de$iles him, and then he is a leper!
<9) *s man is p&nished $or evil words, so he is p&nished $or good words that he o&ld say
b&t did not! This is so bea&se he has $lawed that speaking Ruach, $or he has been
orreted to speak above and speak below, and all in holiness! %t is even more so i$ the
17
people walk on a twisted path, and he an speak with them and reb&ke them, b&t he does
not speak! %t is said abo&t him, % was m&te and silent, % re$rained $rom good, and my
sorrow grew!# %t grew by the a$$litions o$ imp&rity, as we said, that =ing ,avid was
a$$lited with leprosy and the 'reator t&rned away $rom him, $or he asked, Oh t&rn &nto
me and be graio&s &nto me,# whih means (e had t&rned (is $ae $rom him!
The Flag&e o$ Leprosy
<<) 2hen the plag&e o$ leprosy is in a man, then he shall be bro&ght &nto the priest!# The
$riends evoked all the olors o$ this a$$lition in him, and the priest knew them, to p&ri$y
and to de$ile! (e knew that they were pangs o$ love, or those that are $o&nd in those whose
Master despises and t&rns away $rom them, sine the plag&e is a&sed in the world
aording to man"s ways!
<?) %t is written, %nline not my heart to any evil thing, to be o&pied in deeds o$
wikedness!# 2e learn $rom this that when a person wishes to walk, he is walked, and that
the 'reator l&res a person to walk by the way o$ sin and to do evil deeds, $or he says,
%nline not my heart to any evil thing!# Th&s, there is no 1&dgment in this world or in the
ne)t world, and the Torah is not established, $or it is written o$ her, 2hether yo& hear or
do not hear!# Th&s, does it all depend on man.
?A) (owever, ,avid warned his heart with his words, %nline not my heart to any evil
thing,# to lead it in the path o$ tr&th, as it is written, *nd lay it to thy heart!# *nd lay it#
means one m&st rehearse with the heart0one, twie, and thrie0to lead it on the path o$
tr&th and to a&tion it! *nd this is what he told him, %nline not my heart to any evil
thing,# $or an evil thing a&ses a$$lition in the world! Then there is 1&dgment in the world,
the plag&e o$ leprosy!
?1) Leprosy means losing, sine it loses the &pper lights and does not open! *nd when it
loses and does not open, it is alled a plag&e!# The patriarhs, H"T, are not no&rished,
$or they do not reeive light, and all the more so the sons, NHY! %t is written, 2hen the
plag&e o$ leprosy is in a man,# meaning at&ally in *dam, in ZA, who is HaVaYaH with
Ale$hs, whih is *dam in "ematria! *nd $rom here it desends to the lower *dam, who
a&sed it, and bloks his light, and there is a$$lition $or all by that losing o$ lights!
?+) This is the meaning o$ the thing! %t is written, (e has abhorred (is sant&ary,# when
the lights o$ the Temple, Malchut, were losed bea&se the people o$ the world a&sed it
with their iniB&ities! %t is written, (e has de$iled the sant&ary o$ the Lord!# ,e$iled,#
sine ZA departed and the harsh serpent is present and asts $ilth and de$iles, and all
bea&se o$ the iniB&ities o$ the world!
6he Eats, and 2ipes (er Mo&th
?/) 2hen the primordial serpent begins to show, the s&pporters, Netzah and Hod,
disappear, and the str&t&res, whih are the Mochin, are removed $rom the Malchut! Then
omes the strong serpent and asts $ilth, and the sant&ary is de$iled! The sant&ary is as it
is written, *nd % p&t the plag&e o$ leprosy in a ho&se o$ the land o$ yo&r possession!# %t is
written, Now the serpent was more ra$tyO and he said &nto the woman,# at&ally to the
woman, in whom the plae o$ the sant&ary &nites, whih is Malchut! (e has de$iled the
sant&ary o$ the Lord# thro&gh his sins, sine thro&gh his sins, the strong serpent appeared!
?5) (is sins are slander, sine the primordial serpent appears bea&se o$ slander, whether
above or below, as it is written, *nd the Lord sent $iery serpents among the people!# %t
does not say, b&rning# or b&rnt,# b&t $iery!# 4iery relates to the primordial serpent! *nd
18
he says serpents,# in pl&ral $orm, as it is written, heads o$ the seaDmonsters,# two, $or one
gripped above and one gripped below in this world!
%t is also written, *bove (im stood the seraphim,# opposite the 'reator, sine the
1&dgments are the sons o$ -od, and the Lord is Rachamim :meries;! *bove him# is the
same as opposite him, and then it is omplete losing, $or all the lights are losed and there
is no one to open! *t that time omes the serpent and asts $ilth at the root o$ the sinner"s
so&l, whih is in Malchut, and this is onsidered ad&ltery! This is why it is written, This is
the way o$ an ad&ltero&s woman@ 6he eats and wipes her mo&th, and says, % have done no
wrong!"#
?7) By the will o$ everything, meaning by the will o$ the Gpper One, the serpent is not
present below, sine it is present above! *nd it is present above only where it is present
below, in the iniB&ities o$ the world, $or everything is interdependent!
There are two points in Malchut@ the $irst point is Malchut de :o$; Tzimtzum Ale$h :$irst
restrition;! %t was not mitigated in Bina, in the B&ality o$ Rachamim, and is there$ore &n$it
to reeive any light, sine the $ore o$ the Masach and Tzimtzum is over it! The seond
point is the Malchut that was mitigated in the B&ality o$ Rachamim, in Bina! *ll the lights
that Malchut reeives are $rom the seond point! (ene, the $irst point is onealed within
her, and only the seond point is revealed and governs her! This is why she is $it $or
reeption o$ the &pper lights!
4or this reason, Malchut is alled the tree o$ knowledge o$ good and evil,# sine i$ a
person is rewarded, it is good!
2hen the $irst point is onealed and only the seond point r&les, there is ab&ndane in
Malchut and the lower one reeives $rom her! %$ he is not rewarded, $or he is a sinner, then
there is power in the serpent to reveal the $irst point in Malchut, whih did not partake in
Bina, and then she is bad bea&se all the lights depart her, $or the $ore o$ Tzimtzum that
rides over her appeared, as it is written, 6in ro&hes at the door!# This is when the sinner
gives strength to the Sitra Achra to e)tend $rom the le$t, $rom above downwards, as did
'ain! Then the serpent, alled sin,# whih ro&hes at the door o$ Malchut, disloses the
$irst point, whih is hidden in Malchut, and all the lights depart $rom the root o$ the so&l o$
the sin$&l person Kin Malchut), as in, %$ not rewarded, bad!#
*$terwards, the serpent intensi$ies $&rther and asts $ilth, and blemishes and e)pels the
lights $rom Bina de Malchut, too! This is so bea&se a$ter Malchut is assoiated with Bina,
Bina reeives the $orm o$ Malchut! (ene, a$ter Malchut was $lawed d&e to the appearane
o$ the Tzimtzum over her, Bina in Malchut is $lawed, as well, sine she has the $orm o$
Malchut! Th&s, in the beginning, only Malchut is blemished by the dislos&re, and this is
Malchut o$ the B&ality o$ 1&dgment! *$terwards, Bina de Malchut is blemished, too, sine
she has the $orm o$ Malchut d&e to the assoiation o$ the seond point!
(e says here that there are two serpents! This is so bea&se one who &novers the point o$
Tzimtzum Ale$h, whih blemishes only Malchut and none o$ the $irst nine Sefirot, annot
blemish Bina later! B&t another serpent awakens and rises and lings to Bina bea&se she
has the $orm o$ Malchut, d&e to the assoiation!
The sinner a&ses the &novering o$ the serpent, as it is written, 6in ro&hes at the door!#
The serpent aB&ires strength thro&gh its sin to &nover the hidden point o$ Tzimtzum
Ale$h, when the !elim o$ NHY de Bina that are present in Malchut depart, meaning the
ones thro&gh whih Malchut reeives all her lights! *nd she reeives these !elim de NHY
$rom Bina thro&gh assoiation o$ the B&ality o$ mery, as it is written, The mother lends
her lothes to her da&ghter!# The !elim and the lights in the !elim depart with them
19
bea&se the assoiation with Bina that is in her was orr&pted by the dislos&re o$ the point
o$ Malchut de Tzimtzum Ale$h, whih is not assoiated with Bina whatsoever!
*nd one all the lights depart, d&e to the dislos&re o$ the $irst point to whih the serpent
l&ng, there omes another serpent and asts $ilth in Bina de Malchut, alled 6ant&ary,#
and then the sant&ary is de$iled! This is why he alls the seond serpent, a strong
serpent,# sine it rose and l&ng not in its plae, in Bina, whih is all Rachamim witho&t
any 1&dgment at all! (owever, it has the strength to ling to her bea&se she was assoiated
with Malchut in order to mitigate her!
%t was written, *nd he said &nto the woman, at&ally to the woman,# to Malchut! The
!elim o$ Bina0the plae o$ the sant&ary0were mingled with Malchut by the assoiation
o$ Malchut in Bina, as it is written, (e has de$iled the sant&ary o$ the Lord!# (ene,
when the serpent ast $ilth in Bina de Malchut, alled the sant&ary o$ the Lord,# d&e to
the assoiation o$ Malchut in Bina, Bina reeived the $orm o$ Malchut and the serpent had
the power to ast $ilth in her!
This means that the seond serpent, alled the strong serpent,# appeared and rises and
lings to Bina, $or one who slanders, who asts $laws at one"s $riends when they are not on
him gives strength to the seond serpent to throw $ilth and to blemish Bina de Malchut,
even tho&gh it is lean $rom any restrition and 1&dgment! (owever, sine the seond
serpent an at only by the $ore o$ the earlier $law in Malchut, thro&gh the $irst serpent, it
t&rns o&t that he $laws both Bina0thro&gh the seond serpent0and Malchut0thro&gh the
$irst serpent, sine to give strength to the seond serpent, the $irst serpent neessarily
awakens!
*nd he brings evidene that there are two serpents $rom the verse, *nd the Lord sent $iery
serpents among the people!# %t says serpent,# in pl&ral $orm, one in Bina de Malchut and
one only in Malchut! This is why he says, 4iery serpents,# in pl&ral $orm!
The $iery serpents are orporeal serpents, whih is why it is said $iery!# *nd the sons o$
-od are 1&dgments, $aing HaVaYaH, Rachamim! %n the verse, *bove (im stood the
seraphim,# they are opposite the 'reator, too, and they are the sea monsters! The $iery
serpents here are the sea monsters, too! %t was written that all the lights were losed, sine
wherever the point o$ Malchut o$ Tzimtzum Ale$h appeared, all the lights lose and there is
no one to open them! This is so bea&se in Malchut de Tzimtzum Ale$h, repentane does
not help, b&t only in Malchut de Tzimtzum Bet :seond restrition;!
%t is written that $or repentane to help, This is the way o$ an ad&ltero&s woman!# The
dislos&re o$ the point o$ Tzimtzum Ale$h thro&gh the serpent and its grip in it, whih
removes the lights o$ holiness, is onsidered that the serpent is really the ad&ltero&s
woman! 6he eats and wipes her mo&th, and says!# This is perple)ing@ Bea&se the $irst
serpent dislosed the point o$ Tzimtzum Ale$h, whih is not assoiated with Bina, she lost
the assoiation with the B&ality o$ Rachamim, Bina! Th&s, sine the assoiation with Bina
was parted, there sho&ld not be the $orm o$ Malchut in Bina! Th&s, how will the seond
serpent be able to ast $ilth in Bina bea&se she has the $orm o$ Malchut. %t is a
ontradition!
This is why the te)t says, This is the way o$ an ad&ltero&s woman,# who is the $irst
serpent! 6he eats and wipes her mo&th# a$ter she $laws Malchut and her lights depart d&e
to the orr&ption o$ the assoiation o$ the B&ality o$ Rachamim! 6he wipes and leans her
mo&th as tho&gh she had done nothing, *nd says, % have done no wrong,"# to keep the
$orm o$ assoiation o$ Malchut in Bina as prior to the orr&ption o$ the serpent, so the
seond serpent may ling to Bina bea&se she has the $orm o$ Malchut!
1<
%ndeed, this asent o$ the serpent to ling to Bina is an obstale to the serpent, sine now
that it has l&ng to Bina, the serpent itsel$ anelled the $law o$ Malchut de Tzimtzum
Ale$h and established the $law o$ the sin in Malchut de Tzimtzum Bet! This allowed $or a
possibility to anel the $law thro&gh repentane bea&se thro&gh repentane, ill&mination
omes down $rom AB SA" de A!, whih lowers the Malchut $rom Bina and p&ri$ies Bina
$rom the $ilth o$ the serpent! (ad it not l&ng to Bina, the $law o$ the $irst serpent wo&ld
have remained, meaning the dislos&re o$ the point o$ Malchut de Tzimtzum Ale$h, where
the $ore o$ the restrition rides atop Malchut, making her &n$it to reeive light! (ere
repentane is irrelevant bea&se repentane does not revoke Tzimtzum Ale$h and the
Masach that prevents Malchut $rom reeiving the &pper light! Th&s, onerning the seond
serpent that l&ng to Bina, it was deliberately given this grip, so that repentane o&ld
work! This is an obstale only to the serpent!
This is done by a higher will! 6ine there is the grip o$ the serpent above, whih B&ali$ies
the sinner to repent, there is the grip o$ the serpent below to reveal the Tzimtzum Ale$h in
Malchut, and there is no $ear that repentane will not work there and the $law will remain
$orever! *$ter all, it is ertain that the serpent will rise and ling in Bina above, and it,
itsel$, will anel the $law o$ Tzimtzum Ale$h, as it is written, 6he eats and wipes her
mo&th, and says, % have done no wrong!"# *nd then repentane will work!
*lso, there is no $ear that the serpent might not rise to ling to Bina, sine it is instilled in
the serpent"s nat&re to always rave to grip &nto a higher plae! *nd i$ it $inds a way to
ling to Bina, it is ertain that it will! (ad the serpent not initially revealed the $law o$
Tzimtzum Ale$h in Malchut, to not reeive light, the seond serpent wo&ld not have been
able to ling to Bina and to blemish her bea&se she has the $orm o$ Malchut, while the
$law wo&ld not appear in Malchut hersel$! *lso, had there not been the grip o$ the serpent
above, whih allows $or repentane and orretion o$ the $law, no possibility wo&ld have
been given $rom above $or the serpent to ling to Malchut, below! *nd i$ there weren"t the
grip o$ the serpent below $irst, it wo&ld be inoneivable $or the serpent to grip above, in
Bina! Th&s, they are interdependent!
2isdom E)els over 4olly
?8) *nd % saw that wisdom e)els over $olly!# % looked in several plaes in the words o$
=ing 6olomon, and % observed his great wisdom, where he onealed his words inside the
holy palae! 2hy did he say, *nd % saw#. ,o the rest o$ the people in the world not know
and do they not see it. *$ter all, even one who has never known wisdom and has never
observed it knows that wisdom e)els over $olly as light e)els over darkness! *nd he
praises himsel$ and says, *nd % saw!#
?9) (owever, we learn that there is none so wise as 6olomon, who was alled by seven
degrees o$ wisdom, s&h as above, opposite H"T NHYM de Malchut, whih is the lower
Hochma, the degree o$ 6olomon! There are si) days above, H"T NHY de ZA, and the
seventh one above them is Bina! The si) days below, in Malchut, are H"T NHY, and the
seventh one above them is Bina! There are si) degrees to 6olomon"s throne, and he is on
the throne, as it is written, Then 6olomon sat on the throne o$ the Lord as king!# There are
seven !eters o$ days above, whih are seven Sefirot H"T NHYM! Opposite them are the
seven names o$ 6olomon, to show the holy wisdom in them! This is why he is alled by
seven names@ 6olomon, Medidiah, *g&r, 6on o$ Makeh, Lem&el, %thiel, and =oheleth!
?<) (e said seven vanities! Hevel Havalim :3anity o$ vanities;, says =oheleth> vanity o$
vanities, all is vanity!# There are three times vanity here, and two times vanities, whih are
$o&r, and together they are seven! *nd what did he see that no other person saw! 2hen he
1?
olleted the wisdom and rose in the degree o$ Hochma :wisdom;, he was alled =oheleth!
(e said the seven vanities opposite the seven Sefirot above, and eah vanity was made into
a voie, and the world e)ists only on vanity, the seven vanities ZAT o$ Y%SHS(T! These
are essentially the le$t line de Y%SHS(T $rom be$ore the deiding $rom the middle line,
whih &nites the right and le$t! *lso, the ill&mination o$ the le$t is onsidered vanity,
a$$lition, and ill spirit! *$ter the &ni$iation thro&gh the middle line, it is seven vanities
$rom whih ZA is emanated, and it is alled a voie,# and the world e)ists $rom them!
??) Hevel :vanity, b&t also $&me $rom e)haling; is le$t line! %t prod&es a voie with the
wind and water in it, in the mingling o$ right line, alled water,# and the middle line,
alled wind!# There is no voie e)ept in Hevel! *nd in the seven vanities, whih are
H"T NHYM de Y%SHS(T, the Gpper Ones0Z)N0e)ist, as well as the lower ones0the
dwellers o$ BYA! Th&s, the world e)ists on Hevel! 2itho&t the Hevel oming o&t o$ a
person"s mo&th, he wo&ld not be able to e)ist $or even an ho&r!
1AA) * person annot e)ist witho&t the Hevel o$ his mo&th! 6olomon said his words, by
whih the world lives, and he said that by that, the world persists! *nd this Hevel, by whih
the world persists, omes $rom the Havalim above, as it is written, 3anity o$ vanities,#
meaning vanity $rom the vanities above! *ll his words were so! %t is written onerning the
vanities above, that man is aording to what omes o&t o$ the mo&th o$ the 'reator! 2hat
omes o&t o$ the mo&th o$ the 'reator is the vanities above, ZAT de Y%SHS(T!
1A1) *nd % saw that wisdom e)els over $olly!# The bene$it $or the wisdom omes $rom
the very $olly, $or i$ there had not been $olly in the world, wisdom and its words wo&ld not
have been known! *nd we learned that it is mandatory $or a man who learned wisdom to
learn a little bit o$ the $olly and to know it, $or it is $or that that wisdom has ome, 1&st as
there is bene$it to light $rom darkness, $or witho&t darkness, light wo&ld not have been
known and no bene$it wo&ld ome $rom it!
1A+) There is advantage to wisdom, $or it ontains &pper wisdom and wisdom o$ this
world! The &pper wisdom does not shine and is not ill&minated, e)ept $or a $olly that has
awakened $rom another plae! 2ere it not $or this $olly, there wo&ld not be the light and the
great and e)essive pride, and the bene$it $rom wisdom wo&ld not be seen! *nd bea&se o$
the $olly, the wisdom shines more and it is shone &pon more, as it was said, that wisdom
e)els over $olly both above and below bea&se this is how it is below! %$ there weren"t
$olly in the world, there wo&ld not be wisdom in the world!
1A/) 2hen the $riends learned the serets o$ the wisdom $rom Lav (amn&na 6aba, he
wo&ld set &p be$ore them hapters o$ words o$ $olly, so as to yield bene$it $or them $rom
wisdom, as it is written, * little $olly is weightier than wisdom and honor!# This is so
bea&se $olly is the orretion o$ wisdom and weightier than wisdom, whih is why it is
written, *nd my heart ond&ting itsel$ with wisdom, how yet to lay hold on $olly!#
1A5) 2eightier than wisdom and honor# re$ers to the weight o$ wisdom and its bea&ty!
*nd what is the weight o$ the honor o$ above, whih is Malchut. %t is a little $olly! This is
bea&se a little $olly shows and reveals the weight o$ wisdom and the honor o$ above more
than any other way in the world!
1A7) *s light e)els over darkness!# The bene$it o$ the light omes only o&t o$ the
darkness! The orretion o$ the white is blak, $or witho&t the blak, the white wo&ld be
pointless! *nd bea&se there is blak, the white is elevated and respeted! %t is like sweet
and bitter! * person annot know the taste o$ sweetness be$ore he has tasted bitterness!
Th&s, what makes it sweet is the bitter!
+A
%n things where there are opposites, the one reveals the other, s&h as in white and blak,
light and darkness, sik and healthy! %$ there were no sikness in the world, the term
healthy wo&ld be &nattainable, as it is written, -od has made the one opposite the other!#
*nd it is also written, %t is good that yo& grasp the one, and also not let go o$ the other!#
2hat does =ing 6olomon tell &s with the words, *nd % saw that wisdom e)els over $olly
as light e)els over darkness#. *$ter all, who does not know it. To answer that, he bro&ght
the e)planation o$ the seven vanities that he said in =oheleth! There are two disernments
in Hevel@
1! 2hen it is in the $orm o$ the le$t line witho&t &ni$iation with the right! Even
tho&gh at that time, "AR de Hochma shines in it, it is still onsidered Hevel and
a$$lition, Hevel and ill spirit! This is so bea&se when it is separated to itsel$,
witho&t the right, it is Hochma witho&t Hassadim, and then it is darkness and not
light! Moreover, harsh 1&dgments e)tend $rom there, $or whih it is onsidered
Hevel and ill spirit!
+! 2hen it is &nited with the right thro&gh the middle line! This determines between
right and le$t, where the right, Hassadim, shines $rom above downwards, and the
le$t, Hochma shines $rom below &pwards, whih is VA! de Hochma! *t that time
the Hochma o$ the le$t lothes in Hassadim o$ the right! 4rom here stem all the
Mochin o$ Z)N and BYA, and all the worlds persist on this Hevel!
The seven vanities are the seven Sefirot de Y%SHS(T, eah o$ whih onsists o$ Hevel,
wind, and water, sine all the Mochin o$ the &pper ones, whih are Z)N, and the lower
ones, in the three worlds BYA, ome o&t o$ these vanities! %t t&rns o&t that even tho&gh at
that time the le$t line in and o$ itsel$ has "AR de "AR, it does not shine at all! On the
ontrary, it is Hevel and a$$lition! *nd when it &nites with the right, altho&gh it
onseB&ently diminishes into VA! de Hochma and laks "AR de Hochma, all the worlds
persist $rom it!
%t is written, *nd % saw that wisdom e)els over $olly as light e)els over darkness!# %n
three things are wisdom and $olly akin to light and darkness@
1! %$ there were no darkness, there wo&ld be no advantage to the light and there
wo&ld be no onept o$ alling it by that name! Likewise, were it not $or $olly,
there wo&ld be no advantage to wisdom, $or &s to all it by that name! On the
ontrary, we wo&ld all it vanity and a$$lition!
+! Even tho&gh witho&t the darkness we wo&ld have no pereption in the light, it
does not mean that the light wo&ld be an at&al reality witho&t it, b&t only that we
wo&ld not have the onept in and o$ itsel$, to de$ine it by a name! 6o is wisdom@
even tho&gh witho&t $olly it wo&ld be &nattainable, it does not mean that there
wo&ld be no wisdom in reality at all! Moreover, at that time there is wisdom, sine
when it is witho&t any $olly, the "AR de Hochma :wisdom; shine! *nd yet, it
wo&ld not be attained in the de$inition o$ wisdom!
/! *s a dark plae is one witho&t light, a plae witho&t wisdom is one with $olly!
Now we an &nderstand the whole essay! 2e said that be$ore the le$t line &nites with the
right, it has "AR de Hochma, b&t they do not shine and they are onsidered Hevel and
a$$lition! Only later, when it is inl&ded in the right line thro&gh the middle line is it
ompleted and all the Mochin in the world e)tend $rom it! (owever, it loses the "AR de
Hochma d&e to the sentening o$ the middle line that the right will shine $rom above
downwards, and the le$t, whih is Hochma, will shine $rom below &pwards!
+1
The ill&mination $rom below &pwards is ill&mination o$ VA! de Hochma, whih laks
"AR! *nd it has been e)plained above, in the third omparison between wisdom and light,
that where there is lak o$ wisdom there is $olly, as where there is lak o$ light there is
darkness! %t t&rns o&t that a$ter the &ni$iation o$ the le$t line with the right there is $olly in
the le$t, in the plae o$ the lak o$ "AR! Th&s, prior to its &ni$iation with the right, even
tho&gh it was not shining, the presene o$ wisdom in the le$t line0in the seond
omparison0was witho&t $olly, sine then the le$t line was in "AR de Hochma! Now,
however, when it laks "AR de Hochma, there is $olly opposite it!
The absene o$ "AR de Hochma that was done a$ter the &ni$iation o$ right and le$t is
onsidered $olly! (owever, o&t o$ this $olly appeared the ill&mination o$ Hochma :wisdom;
to the worlds! This is so bea&se prior to the &ni$iation, when it was witho&t $olly,
Hochma was dark, and did not shine! B&t now Hochma is shining in its $&llest per$etion
d&e to the $olly, sine it has been diminished $rom "AR and an &nite with the Hassadim
on the right! Th&s, $olly, whih is the absene o$ "AR, reveals the VA! de Hochma so it
may shine in whole! *nd had there not been $olly, there wo&ld not have been wisdom!
*nd had $olly not awakened $rom the dimin&tion o$ "AR, b&t remained as "AR de
Hochma in the le$t line and wo&ld not &nite with the right, Hochma wo&ld not have shone
and wo&ld have been dark! Then, all those great Mochin wo&ld not have been revealed to
the worlds!
* man who e)tends the &pper Hochma m&st also p&ll his hands away $rom e)tending "AR
and Hochma! *nd even tho&gh $olly appears in a plae o$ absene o$ Hochma, instead, he
learns wisdom o&t o$ this $olly! %n other words, the wisdom he obtains is thro&gh this $olly,
whih he does not to&h, and whih is there$ore not onsidered at&al $olly b&t a spek o$
$olly, s&$$iient to learn and to know the wisdom that shines!
Th&s, we learn $rom it how to e)tend the wisdom that shines, and it arranges $or them that
they do not draw the Hochma in the hapters o$ "AR de Hochma, sine at that time, $olly
appears in those hapters and teahes them that bene$it will ome $rom this $olly to the
wisdom that shines! *s long as "AR de Hochma ill&minated and there was no spek o$
$olly, the Hochma was Hevel and ill spirit, witho&t wisdom and witho&t honor! B&t now
that the le$t has been &nited with the right, even tho&gh there is a little $olly d&e to the
absene o$ "AR de Hochma, $or that, she shines with m&h glory and elegane! This is
bea&se one who attains it is rewarded with wisdom and honor, as it is written, *nd my
heart ond&ting itsel$ with wisdom,# VA! de Hochma! Cet to lay hold on $olly# means to
not e)tend "AR de Hochma, as it is written, %t is good that yo& grasp the one,# meaning
wisdom, *nd do not let go o$ the other,# meaning hold on to the $olly o$ the absene o$
"AR de Hochma, as well!
*dam, Man
1A8) By how many degrees is a person alled. *dam, man, h&man, and person! The
greatest among them is *dam, as it is written, *nd -od reated man :in (ebrew@ *dam;
in (is own image!# *nd it is written, 4or in the image o$ -od made (e man :in (ebrew@
*dam;!# %t is written, 2hen any man :in (ebrew@ *dam; o$ yo& brings an o$$ering &nto
the Lord!# 2ho needs to bring an o$$ering. Only one who sins, whih is a bad degree! B&t
sho&ld it write *dam# abo&t s&h as that.
1A9) The persistene o$ the world, &pper and lower, is a sari$ie, $or it is the ontentment
o$ the 'reator! *nd who is worthy o$ sari$iing this ontentment be$ore (im. *dam, the
most preio&s, more preio&s than man, h&man, and person! %t is written, 2hen a man :in
(ebrew@ *dam; shall have in the skin o$ his $leshO the plag&e o$ leprosy!# *nd this is why
++
he is alled *dam!# The 'reator needs to p&ri$y him more than anyone, $or one who is in
the highest degree annot stay like that, witho&t p&rity!
1A<) 4or this reason, it is written abo&t *dam, then he shall be bro&ght &ntoO the priest!#
%t does not say, *nd he ame to the priest,# b&t bro&ght,# indiating that anyone who
sees him m&st sari$ie him be$ore the priest so that the holy $orm o$ *dam will not stay as
it is! %t is written, *nd when a man or woman has a plag&eO i$ a man or a woman have in
the skin o$ their $lesh bright spots!# %t does not say abo&t them, bro&ght!# Only abo&t
*dam does it say, bro&ght,# d&e to his importane!
1A?) %t is written, *nd the man :in (ebrew@ person; Moses!# *s $or this Moses, the man
:in (ebrew@ person;,# why was he not alled *dam. %t is bea&se he was alled a servant
o$ the king, as it is written, My servant Moses is not so!# 6imilarly, he is alled a person#
ompared to the &pper *dam, ZA, in HaVaYaH in Ale$hs, whih is *dam in "ematria! %t is
written, The Lord is a man :in (ebrew@ person; o$ war,# and it does not say *dam! %n this
plae, % was not rewarded with &nderstanding!
11A) %t is onsidered the per$etion o$ everything when the 'reator sits on the throne,
Malchut! *nd be$ore (e sits on the throne, be$ore (e 1oins with the Malchut, there is no
wholeness! %t is written, *nd &pon the likeness o$ the throne was a likeness as the
appearane o$ a man :in (ebrew@ *dam; &pon it above!# *nd when it writes, *dam, when
he sits on the throne, it means he is in wholeness, sine the name, *dam, onsists o$ the
$o&r $aes in the hariot, as it is written, *nd the $orm o$ their $aes was the $orm o$ a
man :in (ebrew@ *dam;,# whih is the wholeness o$ everything! (e said to him, B&t it is
written, The Lord is a man :in (ebrew@ person; o$ war," it does not say *dam.#
111) There on the sea, the omplete wholeness was not $o&nd, sine he per$ormed
1&dgment in Egypt! This is why it writes person!# B&t here, when he sits on the throne, it
is the omplete wholeness and ontains everything, and this is why he is alled *dam!#
11+) %t is written, Man :in (ebrew@ *dam; and beast,# and not person and beast,#
altho&gh here it is a small degree, sine he ompares him to a beast! The reason it writes,
Man :*dam; and beast# is that so is the ond&t o$ the te)t@ to grip the highest o$ all and
the lowest o$ all! The highest o$ all is man :*dam;, and the lowest o$ all is the beast!
11/) B&t it is written, *nd there was not a man :*dam; to till the gro&nd! 2hy is it
important to mention the name *dam here. Everything that there is in the world e)ists
only $or *dam, and all e)ists $or him! (ene, they were not seen in the world and
everything was delayed &ntil the one alled *dam# ame, as it is written, No shr&b o$ the
$ield was yet in the earth!# Cet# means not yet,# sine the &pper $orm, alled *dam,#
had not been seen! %t is written, *nd there was not a man :*dam; to till the gro&nd!# This
means that everything was delayed bea&se o$ that $orm, &ntil it was seen! 4or this reason,
that shape o$ *dam was reated only in its proper $orm, as it is written, Then the Lord
-od $ormed man :*dam;,# with a $&ll name, $or the name *dam is the wholeness o$
everything and ontains everything!
115) *dam was reated on the si)th day, whih is a hariot $or the &pper *dam, ZA, when
the throne was ompleted, Malchut! There are si) steps to the throne, H"T NHY! (ene,
*dam was reated on the si)th, when the si) Sefirot H"T NHY had already been
ompleted, when the &pper *dam was already set to sit on the throne! *nd when *dam was
reated, everything was orreted, all that is above0ZA and Malchut0and below, and all
is ontained in *dam!
Be$ore Adam ha Rishon was reated, ZA and Malchut were bak to bak, witho&t
onnetion! On the si)th day, a$ter the VA! were ompleted and *dam was born, he a&sed
+/
by his ations $or ZA and Malchut to ret&rn to being $aeDtoD$ae and to &nite! (ene,
*dam was reated on the si)th, a$ter VA! de ZA were ompleted, at whih time the ZA is
$it to sit on the throne, sine then it is possible $or *dam to bring ZA and Malchut bak to
$aeDtoD$ae and they will &nite! This was not possible be$ore the si)th day sine their own
VA! had not been ompleted, neither in ZA nor in Malchut!
117) *nd the $orm o$ their $aes was the $orm o$ a man :in (ebrew@ *dam;!# %n other
words, the $ae o$ *dam ontains everything, and all three $aes, lion, o), and eagle are
inl&ded in this $orm o$ the $ae o$ a man :*dam;! %t is written, *nd they $o&r had the
$ae o$ a lion on the right side> and they $o&r had the $ae o$ an o) on the le$t side!#
Th&s, are there $orms o$ lion and o), as well. They were all the $ae o$ *dam! *nd all the
olors and shapes are seen in this $orm o$ *dam! %t is not that the $ae o$ an eagle is an
eagle, b&t within the $orm o$ *dam appears the $orm o$ an eagle! B&t its essene is the
$orm o$ *dam bea&se *dam"s $ae ontains all the olors and all the $orms!
118) Everything that is &nder the governane o$ *dam is alled person,# sine it is
established in the manner o$ *dam, $rom another degree, whih was in him $irst, meaning
VA!, whih *dam had be$ore he obtained "AR! 2hen *dam was reated, he desended in
a high, holy $orm, and two spirits ame down with him on either side0on the right and on
the le$t0and they are the whole o$ *dam!
The spirit on the right hand side is alled the holy so&l,# as it is written, *nd breathed
into his nostrils the breath o$ li$e,# and the spirit on the le$t hand side is alled a living
so&l!# *nd he desended $rom above downwards to the -arden o$ Eden, and the so&l $rom
the right did not sit with the other, on the le$t, meaning he sinned in the tree o$ knowledge
and separated the right $rom the le$t!
119) 2hen the 6abbath entered and *dam had already sinned, reat&res that spread in the
world were made o$ the spirit o$ the le$t! Their bodies were inomplete, meaning demons,
and they 1oined in this body o$ *dam in the male, and in the $emale, in Eve, and proreated
in the world! These are alled, The strokes o$ the sons o$ men!# 2e learned that there are
&pper spirits, $rom among those who were made o$ the spirit o$ the le$t o$ Adam ha Rishon!
Those do not ling below in this world, and they hang in the air and hear what they hear
$rom above! 6ome o$ them know other spirits below in this world, and appear to people in
their dreams and alert them!
11<) 2e learned that 1+7 sparks ome o&t o$ the harsh spark! They are arved and are
1oined together $rom the side o$ "evura, and they are alled "evurot! They &nite and
beome one, and when they enter the body, ZA is alled a person!# There is a person who
is blameless and &pright, and there is a righteo&s person! B&t the person here is a person o$
war, as it is written, The Lord is a man :person; o$ war,# $or (e is all 1&dgment, and it is
all one!
2hy is it all one. *$ter all, a blameless, &pright person is Rachamim, and a man o$ war is
1&dgment. *lso, we learned that it is written, 6he shall be alled 2oman, $or she was
taken o&t o$ man :person;!# B&t we learned that a person is Hesed, and here he is
1&dgment!
(ere he is speaking o$ the orretion o$ &artzuf !atnut :smallnessJin$any; o$ ZA! %t is
known that all the &artzufim in the worlds were sorted and made o$ !elim and sparks o$
the seven kings o$ Neudim that broke, whose disernments add &p to /+A, and they are
alled /+A sparks! *lso, eah little item that is sorted o&t o$ them onsists o$ all o$ them
and its n&mber is /+A sparks, as well! *nd sine the shattering o&rred bea&se o$
+5
Malchut o$ the B&ality o$ 1&dgment that was mingled in them, they are all onsidered that
the Malchut o$ the B&ality o$ 1&dgment rides atop them!
To orret them so that they are worthy o$ reeiving light, this Malchut m&st be mitigated
in Bina, whih is the B&ality o$ Rachamim! (ene, $ive sparks $rom H"T NH in Bina0
whih are the !atnut o$ Bina0are e)tended to them, as well, so they will later be $it to
reeive the "adlut $rom Bina, too! *nd the &artzuf o$ !atnut de ZA is orreted by these,
as well! *lso, it is known that eah lower &artzuf is orreted in the &artzuf above it!
(ene, it t&rns o&t that these /+7 sparks o$ ZA are orreted in Bina!
*nd he said, $rom the harsh spark,# meaning the $ores o$ 1&dgment in Bina, /+A sparks
o$ ZA emerge and rise to Bina $rom the shattering o$ the seven kings, and the $ive sparks o$
Bina hersel$, whih orret the /+A sparks! *nd all o$ them are $rom the side o$ "evura, $or
the /+A sparks and the $ive sparks &nite and beome one, $or they reeive only the $ore o$
1&dgment mitigated in Bina! *lso, the $ores o$ Malchut o$ the B&ality o$ 1&dgment are
swallowed in the $ores o$ Malchut that is mitigated in Bina, and when they enter ZA, they
are established in a headless body! *nd then he is alled a person,# $or this level o$ !atnut
o$ ZA is alled a person!#
(oly, F&re
11?) %t is all o$ eB&al weight and it is all one, meaning that a person# is both Hesed and
'in :1&dgment;! *nd sine the 1&dgments o$ the lower ones &nite and onnet in the
Se#arot :hair; o$ this one, he is alled harsh 1&dgment!# *nd when the Se#arot o$ his Rosh
:head; are removed $rom him, he is per$&med and the 1&dgments o$ the lower ones are not
eno&ntered! 4or this reason, he is alled p&re,# sine p&re is only one who omes o&t o$
the side o$ imp&rity! *nd when he emerges o&t o$ imp&rity, he is alled p&re,# as it is
written, 2ho an bring a lean thing o&t o$ an &nlean,# ertainly $rom an &nlean! B&t
here it writes, *nd i$ a manNs hair be $allen o$$ his head, he is bald> yet is he lean!#
1+A) *t the head o$ this person is the harsh spark! 4or this reason, the sk&ll o$ the head is as
red as a rose, and the hairs are red within the redness o$ the sk&ll! *nd the lower Sefirot
below, whih evoke 1&dgments in the world, hang down $rom it, and when the hairs are
removed $rom him and he has gone bald, everything is per$&med by the &pper Hesed, $or
the ill&mination o$ Hochma in it is per$&med by the &pper Hesed and he is named p&re#
a$ter him!
1+1) %$ he is named a$ter him, he sho&ld have been alled holy,# not p&re!# B&t this is not
so, sine he is alled holy# only when there are hairs hanging o$$ his head, $or holiness
depends on the Se#arot, as it is written, (e shall be holy, he shall let the loks o$ the hair
o$ his head grow long!# *nd this man is alled p&re# bea&se o$ those that hang down
$rom him, whih are the e)ternal, imp&re ones that were removed along with the removing
o$ his hair! This is why his hair was removed and he was p&ri$ied!
(ere the hair in the head means 1&dgments, whih red&e the lights o$ the Rosh $rom the
&artzuf and establish it as VA! witho&t Rosh! This is so bea&se yo& know that the $ive
additional sparks to the /+A sparks are $ive disernments $rom H"T NH de Bina $rom her
!atnut! *nd her !atnut omes $rom the entrane o$ the Yod in her light o$ "AR, so they
beome Avir :air;, meaning VA!! *nd $rom this Yod, whih removes the "AR, emerge the
Se#arot Rosh de !atnut, sine Se#arot are like Sa#arot :storms;, meaning 1&dgments! The
e)ternal ones ling to them bea&se it is their way to ling to a plae o$ de$iieny in
holiness!
Even tho&gh a person# is Hesed, meaning has the level o$ Hassadim o$ Behina Ale$h,
VA!, the Se#arot Rosh emerge in him bea&se o$ the Yod that entered the light and
+7
diminished it into VA! witho&t "AR! The o&ter ones grip these Se#arot below, and they are
alled harsh 1&dgment# bea&se o$ the grip o$ the e)ternal ones!
*nd when the Yod omes o&t o$ the Avir one more, and the Avir ret&rns to being )hr
:light;, meaning when the "AR ret&rns, at that time, the hair on the head is removed $rom
him! This is so bea&se sine the Yod has been removed $rom the Avir, who was their root,
all her branhes are removed with her and the grip o$ the o&ter ones below is anelled!
*nd sine the Se#arot are removed, the grip o$ the imp&re o&ter ones that l&ng to the
Se#arot is revoked!
%t t&rns o&t that he has parted and ame o&t o$ the imp&rity altogether, whih is why he is
alled p&re,# as it is written, *nd i$ a manNs hair be $allen o$$ his head, he is bald> yet is
he lean!# Th&s, one the hair is removed $rom a person, the grip o$ the imp&rity o$ the
o&ter ones has been separated $rom him> hene he is p&re!
*t the Rosh o$ this person, who is &artzuf !atnut de ZA, there is the harsh spark, the
1&dgment $ore o$ !atnut de Bina, the Yod that entered the light o$ the Rosh and beame
VA!, Avir! The red olor is $rom Bina! *nd sine there is !atnut o$ Bina in him, the olor
o$ the sk&ll is red, as is the hair! (owever, i$ the !atnut omes $rom the $ore o$ the
Malchut that is not mitigated in Bina, the olor o$ the Se#arot is blak! (e tells &s that even
tho&gh the Se#arot o$ ZA are blak, as it is written, (is loks are &rled and blak as a
raven,# it is so when he is in "adlut! B&t in !atnut, his hair is red!
*nd when he obtains "AR de !atnut, in the desent o$ the Yod $rom the Avir, the Se#arot
are removed $rom him altogether! *nd when he obtains Mochin de "adlut, when Malchut
that is not mitigated in Bina0$rom whih the blak olor is ed&ed0is onealed in his
"AR, his hair grows again and his Se#arot are as blak as raven!
*nd even tho&gh the Se#arot grow $rom the Avir :air;, $rom the Yod that entered the )hr
and beame Avir, $or whih the o&ter ones grip to the Se#arot, there is still p&re Avir! This
is bea&se no grip to the o&ter ones e)tends $rom him, that is, in &pper A*a ve +ma that are
orreted $rom "AR de Bina de AA, in whom the Yod never leaves the Avir! 4or this
reason, the Avir is regarded by them as p&re Avir, sine this dimin&tion, whih e)tends
$rom the Yod that entered the Avir, is only dimin&tion with respet to reeiving Hochma!
B&t sine AV+ never reeive Hochma, $or they delight in mery and not in Hochma, they do
not onsider this dimin&tion as de$iieny at all, their Hassadim are &tterly per$et, and
there is no room $or grip o$ the o&ter ones in them! %ndeed, they are regarded as omplete
"AR! Moreover, they are more important than Hochma bea&se the Hochma is imparted to
all the &artzufim $rom them, altho&gh they themselves are merely Hassadim witho&t
Hochma!
*nd all o$ that is only in the &pper AV+! B&t in ZA, whose essene is Hassadim in
ill&mination o$ Hochma, the entrane o$ the Yod in the light that diminishes it $rom
Hochma is regarded as de$iieny! (ene, the o&ter ones grip to the Se#arot that grow $rom
this Yod, $or it is their ond&t to ling wherever there is de$iieny! 4or this reason, this
Avir o$ ZA is not p&re Avir like the Avir o$ AV+, $or it ontains a grip to the imp&re o&ter
ones! %t is onsidered p&re only when these hairs are removed $rom him!
*ll o$ that is in VA! and "AR de !atnut de ZA, whih grows red hair in the state o$ VA!!
%n the state o$ "AR de !atnut, they are removed $rom him and he is p&re! *$terwards,
thro&gh the asent o$ MAN $rom lower ones, ZA rises to a state o$ Mochin de "adlut, and
asends and lothes &pper AV+! *nd sine it is known that the lower one that rises to the
&pper one beomes like him, it is onsidered that at that time, he, too, does not ontain the
Yod, that it departed the Avir, as in AV+!
+8
The Masach that e)tends the Hassadim de AV+, whih are p&re Avir, e)tends $rom this Yod!
*lso, the Se#arot Rosh e)tend $rom it! *nd when ZA reeives this p&re Avir $rom AV+, he is
alled holy,# like AV+!
The holiness e)tends to ZA $rom &pper AV+ a$ter he rises and lothes them! *t that time,
the Yod is in his Avir as in AV+> hene, he has Se#arot! %$ he has no Se#arot, it means he is
not lothing &pper AV+, and is there$ore not holy! Th&s, holiness depends on the Se#arot!
(e brings evidene $rom a naHirite :hermitJaseti;, as it is written, (e shall be holy, he
shall let the loks o$ the hair o$ his head grow long!# The naHirite ass&mes the holiness o$
&pper AV+ in order to e)tend &pon himsel$ p&re Avir :air;! This is why he abstains $rom
wine, ale, and grapes, whih are onsidered le$t and e)tension o$ Hochma, and have no
room in the &pper AV+, sine the Yod in them, whih is the root o$ the Se#arot, does not
depart the Avir! (ene, the naHirite, too, sho&ld grow his hair!
AV+ themselves, however, have no Se#arot at all bea&se Se#arot e)tend $rom de$iieny in
Hochma, and it is not a de$iieny at all in them bea&se they never reeive Hochma $or
themselves! *s $or ZA, sine he does need ill&mination o$ Hochma, he an retire $rom
Hochma and be as AV+0in overed Hassadim, holding his Yod in the Avir as they do0b&t
only a$ter he reeived ill&mination o$ Hochma and his Se#arot o$ !atnut have been
removed! (owever, sine at his ore he does need Hochma, the Yod in the Avir, whih
diminishes the Hochma, a&ses growth o$ the Se#arot in him!
%n that, he is di$$erent $rom AV+! *lso, the naHirite that e)tends $rom ZA has Se#arot $rom
that Yod in the Avir o$ AV+! (owever, sine the Se#arot ome $rom the Yod in the Avir o$
AV+, they indiate the p&re Avir that he reeives $rom AV+, $rom whih the holiness
e)tends, as it is written, (e shall be holy, he shall let the loks o$ the hair o$ his head grow
long!# Th&s we see the great di$$erene between holy and p&re@ in the p&re, all his p&rity
omes $rom balding o$ the hair! *nd in the holy, all his holiness omes $rom growing the
hair!
1++) *nyone who omes $rom the side o$ 1&dgment, and 1&dgments ling to him, is not
p&ri$ied &ntil the Se#arot are removed $rom him! 2hen the Se#arot are removed $rom him,
he is p&ri$ied! *nd i$ yo& say that *dam is ZA in Mochin de "adlut, that he has HaVaYaH
$illed with Ale$hs, whih is *dam in "ematria, and that the Se#arot need to be removed
$rom him, it is not so! (e is the wholeness o$ everything and there are Rachamim in him!
This is why it is not so! *ll the $emale holy ones and male holy ones, whih are the &pper
AV+, &nite in him> hene, moreover, the growing o$ the Se#arot is his whole bea&ty, $or they
e)tend $rom p&re Avir that he reeives $rom &pper AV+! B&t when he is alled person# and
not *dam,# whih is ZA in !atnut and VA! witho&t "AR, in that state he is 1&dgment, and
1&dgments ling to his hair! (ene, he is not per$&med &ntil the hairs are removed $rom
him!
1+/) The Levis that ome $rom the side o$ 1&dgment are not p&ri$ied &ntil the Se#arot are
removed $rom them, as it is written, *nd th&s shall tho& do &nto them, to leanse them@ O
and let them &se a raHor over all their $lesh!# To make them more per$&med, the priest, who
omes $rom the side o$ the &pper Hesed, m&st wave them, as it is written, *nd *aron shall
o$$er the Levites be$ore the Lord $or a waveDo$$ering,# to mingle the ill&mination o$
Hochma in them with the Hassadim o$ the priest, as it is in this person above, who is ZA de
!atnut a$ter his hair has gone bald thro&gh the ill&mination o$ Hochma he had reeived!
*nd when he wishes to beome more per$&med, the &pper Hesed that lothes the Hochma
appears in him, and he is per$&med! *nd also, it per$&mes the Hesed below, in the Levis!
1+5) *nd this man is *dam, whih are two &artzufim o$ one &artzuf, whih is ZA! This is
so bea&se a person# is the &artzuf !atnut in him and *dam is the &artzuf "adlut in him,
+9
and they are lothed in one another0the *dam in the person! *nd when the 'reator wishes
to wage war in this &artzuf o$ person, (e wages war in them, in this very person, as it is
written, The Lord is a man :in (ebrew@ person; o$ war!#
(e does not wage war with them &ntil (e removes the Se#arot Rosh :hair on the head;
$rom (imsel$, so they will desend $rom their gripping and hanging and will break all
those !eters o$ e)ternality that hang and grip to the Se#arot de ZA in the person! %t is
written abo&t that, %n that day shall the Lord shaveO beyond the Liver, even with the king
o$ *ssyria, the head and the hair o$ the $eet> and it shall also sweep away the beard!# %n
other words, to overthrow the king o$ *ssyria, (e will shave all the &pper Se#arot to whih
they ling!
1+7) *nd th&s shall yo& do &nto them, to leanse them!# *nd th&s,# meaning as above,
as in &artzuf person# o$ ZA! 6prinkle the water o$ p&ri$iation &pon them# relates to the
resid&e o$ rystal dew, an ill&mination o$ Hochma that is bloked in Bina! Thro&gh this
ill&mination, Bina ret&rns to being Hochma, and all who are below her reeive ill&mination
o$ Hochma thro&gh her, $or p&rity omes $rom her!
(ere water o$ p&ri$iation# are the resid&e o$ the dew $or the $&t&re, as it is written, *nd
% will sprinkle lean water &pon yo&,# meaning the Hassadim o$ &pper AV+! *lso, their Avir
is p&re! 4or the $&t&re# implies &pper AV+! *nd let them wash their lothes,# s&h as
above, in ZA, when the orretion o$ this person who washes in the &pper Hesed is p&ri$ied
$rom everything! (ere, too, Let them wash their lothes# in Hesed, alled water!#
1+8) %t writes 2ith a raHor,# not with sissors, so that the Se#arot will be removed $rom
their roots, sine the raHor removes the hairs $rom their roots, and the lower 1&dgments will
leave their grip on his Se#arot! *nd when the deeds o$ the lower ones are &pright, the
'reator is destined to remove their Se#arot and pl&k them so it will not grow and m&ltiply,
as it is written, %$ the hair on a man"s head is pl&ked!#
1+9) The greatest o$ all the Levi"s is =orah! The 'reator made him s&h as the person#
above, and alled him =orah when (e pl&ked this person o$ above $or him, as it is
written, %$ the hair on a man"s head is pl&ked, he is bald!#
1+<) *nd when =orah saw his hair witho&t Se#arot and saw *aron being adorned with
ornaments o$ kings, he was dishonored in his eyes and he envied *aron! The 'reator told
him, % made yo& s&h as above and yo& do not wish to rise in the Gpper Ones and mingle
with the right line as do the &artzufim o$ holiness! -o down and be in the lower ones, as it
is written, *nd they desend alive into 6heol!"# 6heol is hell, where the wiked ry and
there is no one to pity them! *nd they are destined to be revived and rise $rom hell when
the 'reator awakens (is people and revives them, as it is written, The Lord kills and
makes alive> (e brings down to 6heol and raises &p!#
1+?) 2hat i$ his hair is pl&ked bea&se o$ his $ae! 2e learned that there is a shining $ae,
as it is written, The Lord make (is $ae shine on yo&,# and there is a dark $ae o$ anger!
%n the words, *nd i$O $rom the $ront part o$ his head,# this is alled a $ae o$ anger,#
and all those who hang down $rom this $iere $ae are harsh, and they are all meriless!
*nd when the Se#arot are removed $rom the $ront o$ this $ae, all the e)ternal ones that are
dependent on them are removed and break!
1/A) *ll those e)ternal ones that hang down the Se#arot Rosh are s&perior to others and
they are not as insolent as they are! *nd all those who hang down the edge o$ the Se#arot o$
this $iere $ae are insolent and harsh! This is why his $ae is as hot as $ire, d&e to the harsh
spark within them! This is why it is written, The anger o$ the Lord has divided them,# and
The $ae o$ the Lord is in them that do evil!#
+<
The di$$erene between "algalta :sk&ll; and &anim :$ae; is that "algalta is orreted with
the Mem de Tzelem, and there is no plae $or dislos&re o$ Hochma there! B&t the &anim
are ,amedDTzadi de Tzelem, where Hochma appears! (ene, when the harsh spark is
present in the Rosh, the o&ter ones have two grips in the Se#arot o$ the Rosh@ 1) in the
de$iieny o$ Hochma in "algalta> +) in the de$iieny o$ Hochma in the &anim! *nd sine
there is no dislos&re o$ Hochma in "algalta, no de$iieny is apparent and the o&ter ones
are not insolent! *nd those that ling to the de$iieny o$ Hochma in the &anim are all
insolent and &nompromising, sine the de$iieny is apparent only in the &anim, the plae
o$ dislos&re o$ Hochma! %t is written abo&t it, * manNs wisdom ill&minates his $ae#>
hene, they are $iere and insolent!
* LeddishD2hite Flag&e
1/1) 2hat is a reddishDwhite plag&e. %t is a real plag&e i$ the white is seen and the red does
not go away! This is the meaning o$ the words, reddishDwhite!# Th&s, they are both seen
there! LeddishDwhite means that the white is seen only in the red, like white and red
together! Even tho&gh the white is visible, it is a plag&e i$ the red does not disappear $rom
there, as it is written, tho&gh yo&r sins be as sarlet, they shall be as white as snow!# This
is so bea&se when it beomes ompletely white, there is Rachamim and the 1&dgments are
absent!
2hite is Hesed and red is 1&dgment! The Yod that entered the )hr made it Avir, whih is
the harsh spark, and a&ses it to display the olor red! %$ the Yod e)its the Avir and he
ret&rns to being )hr, the redness disappears!
The Yod that enters the )hr is the Masach de Behina Ale$h, whih eliits the level o$
Hassadim! %t is alled plag&e# bea&se o$ the redness, whih is 1&dgment with absene o$
Hochma! Th&s, even when there are Hassadim, the Hassadim do not help in p&ri$ying him
&ntil the Yod departs the Avir, whih is the disappearane o$ the redness! *lternatively, the
Hassadim emerge on Masach de Behina Ale$h, when the Yod enters the Avir! *t that time,
the Hassadim are like the 1&dgment that a&ses them, too! *nd sine the level o$ Hassadim
is invisible d&e to the Masach de Behina Ale$h, the red, the white, too, meaning Hesed, is
not more important than it!
1/+) One it writes plag&e# in mas&line gender, and one it writes plag&e# in $eminine
gender! 2hen the Nuva, Malchut is de$iled by the iniB&ities o$ the lower ones, it writes
plag&e# in $eminine gender! *nd when the male is not p&ri$ied d&e to the iniB&ities o$ the
lower ones, whih is ZA at the degree o$ person,# it writes plag&e# in mas&line gender!
1//) These things are known to a priest, whether the 1&dgments ome $rom ZA or $rom
Malchut! *nd the o$$erings that sho&ld be o$$ered are known, as well, as it is written, *
male witho&t blemish!# %t is also written, (e shall bring it a $emale witho&t blemish!#
These things are known to the priest0where the 1&dgments ome $rom and where
iniB&ities are $rom, and whether they ling to the male or to the $emale! This is why it is
written abo&t these o$$erings, The sari$ies o$ -od are a broken spirit,# &nlike the rest o$
the o$$erings, o$ whom it does not say, Broken spirit,# sine they are peae to the world
and the 1oy o$ the &pper ones and the lower ones!
(e 6hall Be Bro&ght Gnto the Friest
1/5) O Co& who hears prayer!# The one who hears the prayer is the 'reator, ZA! *nd what
is prayer#. %t sho&ld have said, (ears prayers!# (owever, a prayer# is the assembly o$
%srael, Malchut, as it is written, B&t % am all prayer!# Malchut is alled %,# and it is alled
prayer!# %t is said abo&t that, 2ho hears prayer,# meaning Malchut! This is a prayer o$
+?
the hand, o$ whih it is written, Gpon thy hand# with a Hey at the end :o$ the word
hand,# &n&s&al in (ebrew;, whih indiates Malchut!
1/7) Gnto Co& shall all $lesh ome!# 2hen the body is a$$lited by disease and sores, as it
is written, 2hen the body has a boil on its skinO the plag&e in the skin o$ the $lesh,# the
raw $lesh! This is why it is not written, Gnto Co& shall all spirit ome,# b&t *ll $lesh
ome!# Gnto Co&,# as it is written, Then he shall be bro&ght &nto the priest,# the 'reator,
as it is written, B&t i$ the priest look on it,# whih is the 'reator! %n one plae it writes,
*aron the priest,# and in another plae, 1&st The priest,# witho&t writing *aron, and this
is the 'reator!
1/8) 2hen the plag&e o$ leprosy is in a man, then he shall be bro&ght &nto the priest,#
whih is the 'reator, sine every p&rity and holiness depends on the 'reator! (ene, why is
it said 6hall be bro&ght#. %t sho&ld have said, 6hall be raised,# sine it is asent when it
is toward the 'reator, not bringing! %t is similar to the words, %ts poles shall be inserted
into the rings,# meaning bringing one within the other! (ere, too, bro&ght# means &shered
into the 'reator, who is alled Friest,# in order to p&ri$y him, and the thing was bro&ght
be$ore him!
1/9) The plag&e o$ leprosy!# * plag&e means harsh 1&dgment that is present in the world!
Leprosy means losing, as we learned that it is losing o$ the &pper light, losing o$ the
&pper goodness, whih does not desend &nto the world! %s in a man,# plainly man,
re$erring to man above and *dam below! 6hall be bro&ght &nto the priest# is the priest
below, who is orreted so as to open the losing, to light the andles, the Sefirot! Th&s,
blessings will be on his hands above and below, and that plag&e will be removed and gone,
and the light o$ mery shall be &pon everyone! 4or this reason, (e shall be bro&ght &nto
the priest!#
1/<) % see the people in the world who do not observe and do not know the glory o$ their
Master! %t is written abo&t %srael, % have set yo& apart $rom the peoples to be Mine,# and it
is written, 6anti$y yo&rselves and be holy> $or % am holy!# *nd i$ they part $rom the
'reator, where is their santity. *$ter all, it is their desire that t&rns away $rom (im!
The writing delares and says, ,o not be as the horse or as the m&le whih have no
&nderstanding!# %ndeed, what is the di$$erene between a h&man and a horse or a m&le.
Only their santity0to be whole and marked above all!
1/?) (ene, the o&pling o$ people is at set times, to aim their desire to adhere to the
'reator! *nd they already ommented that at midnight, the 'reator enters the -arden o$
Eden to entertain with the righteo&s, and the assembly o$ %srael, Malchut, praises the
'reator! This is a good time to ling to them, to the 'reator and (is ,ivinity!
*nd Be (oly
15A) The $riends who engage in Torah &nite with the assembly o$ %srael to praise the
'reator, and they engage in Torah! *nd $or the rest o$ the people it is then a good time to
be santi$ied with the santity o$ the 'reator, in a Zivug, and to aim the desire to adhere to
(im! *nd the Zivug o$ those $riends who engage in Torah is at a time when another Zivug,
the &pper one, $rom 6abbath to 6abbath, is to aim the desire to adhere to the 'reator and to
the assembly o$ %srael! This is so bea&se it is a good time, when everyone is blessed,
&pper and lower!
151) %$ people dri$t a$ar $rom the 'reator and behave as beasts, where is their santity, so
they are holy. 2here are the holy so&ls that draw $rom above. =ing 6olomon ried o&t
and said, *lso, that the so&l be witho&t knowledge is not good!# =nowledge# is the
/A
'reator! The so&lO is not good# is Nefesh that they draw by their ations! %t is Not
good# bea&se the Nefesh is drawn &pon them $rom the Sitra Achra, who is not good, sine
they do not aim their hearts to the 'reator!
15+) One who is $lared by the evil inlination witho&t a desire and intention in the heart
toward the 'reator, a so&l that is not good e)tends &pon him $rom the evil inlination, as it
is written, That the so&l be witho&t knowledge is not good, and he who h&rries his
$ootsteps errs!# One who h&rries his $eet and p&ts o$$ the ho&r, who does not see that the
time is ripe $or it, b&t is witho&t a holy desire, sins, $or he ertainly sins in everything!
15/) This is why there are many bad sores in people, whih testi$y to their insolene in
their $aes, to show that the 'reator despises them and his mind is not $or them &ntil they
are worthy and better their deeds as be$ore, and they are blessed! This is why the sores are
apparent to the priest0those that ome $rom imp&rity and those that ome $rom the Sitra
Achra!
%n$eted (o&ses
155) 2hen yo& enter the land o$ 'anaan Oand % p&t a mark o$ leprosy on a ho&se in the
land o$ yo&r possession!# %s this the good reward, that there will be in$etions in the ho&ses
o$ those who have been rewarded with entering the land o$ %srael. (owever, a$ter they
shatter the in$eted ho&ses they will $ind treas&res that the 'anaanites hid in their homes
and %srael will en1oy them!
157) (appy are %srael who adhere to the 'reator and whom the 'reator loves, as it is
written, % have loved yo&, says the Lord!# *nd $or (is love, (e bro&ght them into the holy
land to instill (is ,ivinity among them and to dwell with them, so %srael will be holier than
all the people in the world!
158) *nd all the women whose heart stirred them &p,# when they did their hores, wo&ld
say, This is $or the Temple> this is $or the tabernale> and this is $or the &rtain# :(ebrew@
&arochet0a &rtain overing the holy ark;! *nd so did all the ra$tsmen, so there wo&ld be
holiness in their hands and so that that work wo&ld be santi$ied! *nd when it was bro&ght
to its plae, it rose and was in holiness!
159) %t is similar with one who per$orms idolatry or who is toward another side, whih is
not holy! 2hen he mentions that work, the spirit o$ imp&rity is on him, and when the work
rises, it rises in imp&rity!
The 'anaanites were all idolaters! They all adhered to the spirit o$ imp&rity in idol
worshipping and b&ilt str&t&res $or their $aes and their abomination o$ the imp&re side,
$or idolatry! *nd when they began to b&ild, they wo&ld &tter some thing! *nd sine it was
mentioned in their mo&ths, a spirit o$ imp&rity rose &pon that b&ilding! *nd when the work
rose, it rose in the spirit o$ imp&rity!
15<) 2hen they ame to the land o$ %srael, the 'reator wished to p&ri$y $or them, to
santi$y the land $or them, and to make room $or ,ivinity so ,ivinity wo&ld not be in an
imp&re plae! (ene, by that a$$lition o$ leprosy, they wo&ld destroy the b&ildings o$ trees
and roks that were made in imp&rity!
15?) %$ this at o$ shattering the in$eted ho&ses was only to $ind treas&res, they sho&ld
have bro&ght the stones bak to their plaes a$terwards, as they were be$ore! *lso, they
sho&ld have bro&ght the d&st bak to its plae! (owever, the writing says that they were to
take o&t the stones!# %t is also written, and he shall take other mortar,# to remove the
spirit o$ imp&rity, so the land will be leared and santi$ied as be$ore! Th&s, %srael wo&ld be
in holiness and in santi$ied ho&sing so ,ivinity wo&ld be among them!
/1
2ho B&ilds (is (o&se witho&t Lighteo&sness
17A) 2hen one begins to b&ild a ho&se, he sho&ld mention in his mo&th that he is b&ilding
it $or the work o$ -od, bea&se it is written, 2oe to him who b&ilds his ho&se witho&t
righteo&sness!# Then, help $rom above will be over his ho&se and the 'reator prepares (is
santity over him and alls peae &pon him, as it is written, *nd yo& shall know that yo&r
tent is in peae> and yo& shall visit yo&r habitation, and shall miss nothing!# *nd yo& shall
visit yo&r habitation# implies ommanding :ommanding# is written similar to visiting#
in (ebrew; with the words o$ his mo&th with whih he b&ilds, that is, prono&ning with his
mo&th that he is b&ilding it $or the work o$ -od! Then it is written, *nd shall miss
nothing!# %$ not, the Sitra Achra is ready to be over his ho&se!
171) %t is even more so with one who b&ilds and wishes $or another thing, sine he &nites
his ho&se with the other side, to be de$iled in it! Th&s, the spirit o$ imp&rity is ertainly in
it! *nd that person does not pass away $rom the world be$ore he is p&nished in that ho&se!
*lso, one who dwells in it o&ld be harmed bea&se the spirit o$ imp&rity is in that ho&se,
and harms all who are in it!
17+) (ow does one know i$ the one who b&ilt it e)tended the spirit o$ imp&rity there. %$
the one who b&ilt that ho&se or the ones who live in it are harmed, either in body or in
possession, and two neighbors a$ter him who were dwelling in it were harmed, as well,
then a person sho&ld ertainly r&n $or the mo&ntains and not dwell in it, or live in a ave o$
d&st, b&t not dwell in it!
17/) This is why the 'reator spared %srael, who did not know at all i$ there was the spirit o$
imp&rity in all the ho&ses that they $o&nd in the land or not! *nd the 'reator said, Co& do
not know, b&t % know, and % will mark them with an in$etion!# *n a$$lition in the ho&se is
the Sitra Achra! Th&s, % have sent there another, strong a$$lition to bring it o&t and remove
it $rom the world! *nd then, (e shall there$ore tear down the ho&se, its stones, and its
timbers!# *nd sine the a$$lition has gone, d&e to the other a$$lition that has bro&ght it
o&t, what is the reason $or tearing down the ho&se i$ the Sitra Achra has already gone $rom
there. %t is that as long as the ho&se is standing, it belongs to the Sitra Achra and he an
ret&rn!
One who b&ilds a ho&se sho&ld b&ild it in righteo&sness, to be a hariot $or ,ivinity, alled
ho&se,# and righteo&sness,# meaning the ill&mination o$ Hochma in it, as it is written,
%n wisdom is a ho&se b&ilt!# %$ not, the Sitra Achra is drawn into the ho&se and the spirit
o$ imp&rity o$ the Sitra Achra is in it, and this is the opposite o$ the holy spirit o$ ,ivinity!
%t is written abo&t that that he is ,ivinity, alled righteo&sness!#
The di$$erene between the Sitra Achra and ,ivinity is that the orretion o$ ill&mination
o$ Hochma in Malchut is to shine $rom below &pwards as the deision o$ the middle line,
and the Sitra Achra e)tends the Hochma $rom above downwards, separating the le$t $rom
the right! *nd those ho&ses o$ the 'anaanites who b&ilt their ho&ses $or the Sitra Achra and
idolatry ontain harsh 1&dgments o$ the le$t line there, $or the spirit o$ the Sitra Achra $rom
the le$t line is in them, and they harm people!
%t is known that when the le$t line is separated $rom the right, it is impossible to bring it
bak to the right e)ept thro&gh awakening o$ the 1&dgments $rom the Masach de Hiri,
whih is to elevate the Malchut to the plae o$ Bina, whih diminishes the le$t line $rom
"AR de Hochma! *nd the a$$litions e)tend $rom these 1&dgments o$ the asent o$ Malchut
to the plae o$ Bina, too, when the Yod enters the )hr :light; and the light is diminished
into Avir!
/+
*nd sine the a$$lition o$ the presene o$ the Sitra Achra is in the ho&se, being the
ill&mination o$ the le$t $rom above downwards, it separated $rom the right! This is the
a$$lition that the 'reator sends into these ho&ses, whih e)tend $rom the Yod that entered
the )hr and diminishes the le$t o$ Hochma! *nd the Sitra Achra e)its the ho&se bea&se it
does not have the strength to e)tend anything $rom the separated le$t! Bea&se it
diminishes the le$t line, the $ore o$ the Sitra Achra, it not only e)its the ho&se, b&t the
world, $or she has all been anelled! (owever, a$ter the a$$lition overomes the spirit o$
imp&rity and revokes it, the a$$lition remains in the ho&se and there is no one to anel it!
*nd (e 6hall Break ,own the (o&se
175) %n the holy land, and all the more so in another land, the more the spirit o$ imp&rity is
in those ho&ses, the more a person an be harmed by it! Moreover, the spirit o$ imp&rity
that is there alls &pon its $riends, the other !li$ot, to be there! *nd even knoking on
vessels Kthey &sed to knok on vessels to drive o&t spirits and damagers $rom plaes) does
not remove the damagers $rom that ho&se! This is why the te)t delares and says, 2oe to
him who b&ilds his ho&se witho&t righteo&sness,# $or the dwellers in that ho&se ertainly
say that verse, every day!
*$$lition and the 6pirit o$ %mp&rity *re Opposites
178) %dol worshippers and other people live in the ho&se and they are whole, meaning they
are not harmed! They ome $rom their side, whih is why they are not harmed! B&t one
who $ears sin o&ld be harmed! B&t even i$ they ontin&e to live in it, they annot be
&nharmed! %t is written, Their ho&ses are sa$e, witho&t $ear,# meaning that the ho&se was
$rom another, who b&ilt it in righteo&sness, and the wiked took it and sat in it! B&t the te)t
says Their ho&ses are sa$e, witho&t $ear,# meaning when their ho&ses are sa$e, witho&t
$ear0$or they were b&ilt in righteo&sness0-od"s rod is not &pon them!
17<) 2hen a$$lition enters the ho&se, the spirit o$ imp&rity that was in the ho&se appears,
and they $ight one another! *t $irst it seems that the spirit o$ imp&rity that was overed has
reappeared, and the a$$lition that was revealed has been overed! *$terwards, it appears
that an a$$lition was revealed in the ho&se and that the spirit o$ imp&rity has been overed!
%t is written abo&t that, 6hall ome and tell the priest,# $or it is a word o$ wisdom!
The a$$lition and the spirit o$ imp&rity that is in the ho&se are opposites, sine it is not
b&ilt in righteo&sness! The spirit o$ imp&rity e)tends ill&mination o$ Hochma o$ the le$t
line $rom above downwards, "AR, and the a$$lition is onsidered Avir de !atnut that
diminishes the "AR o$ the le$t line! (ene, when the a$$lition is seen in the ho&se, the
spirit o$ imp&rity is immediately overed bea&se the "AR o$ the le$t has been diminished
and he has nothing $rom whih to s&k! *$terwards, however, he ret&rns and overomes the
a$$lition and appears, and the a$$lition beomes overed and &nseen!
2hen the a$$lition enters and appears in the ho&se, the spirit o$ imp&rity overomes it and
appears, and the a$$lition is overed, as they $ight eah other! This is why he says, %t
seems to me,# sine he $irst saw that the spirit o$ imp&rity that was overed when the
a$$lition ame has reappeared! *nd the a$$lition that was revealed in the ho&se has been
overed d&e to the appearane o$ the spirit o$ imp&rity! This means that the a$$lition has
ret&rned and overame the spirit o$ imp&rity, and the $orm o$ the a$$lition reappears to
him in the ho&se! Then the spirit o$ imp&rity is overed and disappears!
(e writes, %t seems to me like an a$$lition in the ho&se!# *s an a$$lition, b&t it is not an
a$$lition, sine he saw them $ighting eah other and tho&ght that the spirit o$ imp&rity
wo&ld prevail and wo&ld over and oneal the a$$lition! This is why he says, %t seems to
//
me,# $or it seemed to him that the a$$lition has overome the spirit o$ imp&rity and its
shape was seen in the ho&se! B&t $or another or $or a priest, it may seem di$$erent, meaning
that it is abo&t the word o$ wisdom, sine the a$$lition ann&ls and oneals the
ill&mination o$ Hochma!
17?) *nd then ame the priest, and they will tear down the ho&se, its timbers, and its
stones and all! *nd sine they tore and p&ri$ied everything, they are blessed! *t that time, it
is written, *nd have b&ilt good ho&ses and lived in them,# meaning they will be b&ilt in
righteo&sness! Those are alled good,# sine the $irst ho&ses were not good and were not
inl&ded in holiness and p&rity!
18A) Th&s, how do we &nderstand the te)t that they wrote, *nd ho&ses $&ll o$ good things
whih yo& did not $ill#. %$ the spirit o$ imp&rity is in them, how are they $&ll o$ good
things. They are $illed with ab&ndane o$ money, silver, and gold, and with everything, as
it is written, 4or the good things o$ all the land o$ Egypt!#
B&t all o$ the ho&ses o$ the Egyptians were $illed with harms and idolatry! (ow an the
verse say, 4or the good things o$ all the land o$ Egypt#. %t was said, -ood things#
bea&se o$ the wealth o$ the land! *nd here, too, it says, *nd ho&ses $&ll o$ good things#
$or the wealth and the $ort&ne!
181) On two oasions did %srael take wealth@ one was when they ame o&t o$ the e)ile in
Egypt, and the other was when the ame to the land and tore down the in$eted ho&ses! *ll
the in$etions o$ the ho&ses were ertainly to santi$y the land and to remove the spirit o$
imp&rity $rom the land and $rom %srael! Cet, when he smashed the ho&se, he wo&ld $ind
$ort&ne in it, s&$$iient to b&ild and to $ill his ho&se, so he wo&ld not regret that he had
shattered the ho&se and will be in the abode o$ holiness!
18+) *nd i$ a man or a woman have in the skin o$ their $lesh bright spots, even white
bright spots!# There is great arimony in the bright spots! Three h&ndred r&les and verdits
were said abo&t it! %t is in a vision, and in a vision is it 1&dged by these many ways! There
are those who observe three h&ndred reasons in the strong brightness! *nd % learned them
all e)ept that one blak hair is still imp&re bea&se it is one witness, while two blak hairs
are two witnesses and it is p&re! (ene$orth, even a h&ndred hairs are as two, and two hairs
are as a h&ndred! This is what % later learned $rom the verse, * single witness shall not rise
&p against a man on ao&nt o$ any iniB&ity or any sinO on the evidene o$ two
witnesses!#
2hite 'olor and Led 'olor
18/) %t is written, * reddishDwhite plag&e,# sine then it is a plag&e! This is bea&se the
white that implies Hesed does not remain &naltered, b&t leans toward the red, whih
implies 1&dgment! %t is written, Tho&gh yo&r sins be as sarlet, they shall be as white as
snow!# (appy are %srael, $or the 'reator wishes to p&ri$y them ompletely, so they will not
be g&ilty be$ore (im and the litigants will not govern them!
Everything $ollows its kind@ red goes to 1&dgment and white goes to Hesed! Light, whih is
white, is to the right, whih is Hesed, and le$t, whih is red, is to the le$t, whih is
1&dgment!
185) %t is written abo&t Esa&, *nd the $irst ame $orth r&ddy!# (ene, his kind0
1&dgments, whih are red0is in him! *nd sho&ld yo& say that it writes r&ddy# abo&t
Esa&, it says abo&t ,avid, *nd bro&ght him in! Now he was r&ddy!# Esa& was made o$
the $ilth o$ gold, whih are harsh 1&dgments, and ,avid l&ng to the radiane o$ gold,
whih is the le$t o$ Bina, Rachamim!
/5
%t is written abo&t Esa&, L&ddy all over like a hairy mantle,# meaning he ame o&t o$ the
waste that remains a$ter the $&sion o$ gold! B&t o$ ,avid, it says, 2ith bea&ti$&l eyes and
a handsome appearane,# whih implies ill&mination o$ Hochma, alled eyes and seeing,
whih e)tends $rom the le$t line o$ Bina, whih is inl&ded with the right in her!
187) 2hat is the reason that a reddishDwhite plag&e is imp&re. %t is known that white
appearane is Hesed and red appearane is 1&dgment! (ene, i$ it were red at $irst and now
the white appears in it, then p&rity is born in it and begins to be p&ri$ied! *nd i$ it were
white $irst, and now the red appears in it, it is beginning to beome de$iled!
%t is written, Then the priest shall prono&ne him &nlean# bea&se red was born in him,
whih is 1&dgment, beoming imp&re! *nd the priest was aware o$ all those visions!
6ometimes, when a vision o$ p&rity was seen in him, he losed him, to see i$ another vision
is born in him! *nd i$ not, he p&ri$ies him, as it is written, Then the priest shall prono&ne
him lean!#
6he 6eeks 2ool and Linen
188) The leprosy o$ Naaman shall ling to yo& and to yo&r seed $orever!# %$ he sins, why
are his sons striken. Elisha saw more than the rest o$ the prophets! (e saw that no deent
son wo&ld ome o&t o$ -ehaHi> hene, he &rsed all o$ them!
189) Moreover, he told him, % served a s&blime servie &nder Eli1ah, and % was rewarded
with twie the spirit o$ Eli1ah, $or % was serving in tr&th! B&t yo& are wiked and yo&
blemished me, $or yo& have sworn a lie and yo& oveted the gi$t o$ Naaman! Th&s, yo&
have broken the whole o$ the Torah, and one who breaks it is dead $or the ne)t world! B&t
sine yo& were working $or me, yo&r servie will not be $&tile, and yo&r death will be in
this world and not in the ne)t!# 4or this reason, The leprosy o$ Naaman shall ling to yo&
and to yo&r seed!#
18<) 2hy the garments o$ wool or linen. (e sho&ld have 1&st said garment! The plag&e is
present everywhere and governs everything! 2ool omes $rom Bina and linen $rom
Malchut, and the plag&e governs both! %t is written, 6he seeks wool and linen!# This
teahes &s that Malchut is &sing both! 4or this reason, here, too, it teahes &s that the
dominion o$ this a$$lition, whih omes o&t o$ a high plae, $rom the 1&dgments o$ the
Malchut in Bina, governs the wool and the linen! This is why the te)t says, This is the law
$or the mark o$ leprosy in a garment o$ wool or linen!#
2ho B&ilds (is (o&se witho&t Lighteo&sness K+
nd
Essay)
19+) ,o yo& know i$ another person was damaged in the ho&se. % know that a man was
harmed in it, and they say it is a disease! B&t others say that the spirit in the ho&se harmed
him! *$terwards, several people went in and were not harmed! * ho&se that was b&ilt
witho&t righteo&sness, the spirit o$ imp&rity is in it! %t harms its dwellers and woe &nto
those that breah their words!
19/) 2oe &nto one who b&ilds his ho&se witho&t righteo&sness, $or wherever there is
righteo&sness, Malchut, all the spirits and all the damagers in the world $lee him and avoid
being be$ore him! Cet, he who omes $irst and takes the plae wins it! %$ the holy Malchut
takes the plae $irst, holiness wins it! B&t i$ the Sitra Achra omes to the plae $irst, the
Sitra Achra wins it! Th&s, is the (oly Name eB&al to the spirit o$ imp&rity, that yo& say that
whoever omes $irst wins it.
195) This is not so! Lather, the (oly Name, whih is Malchut, is not present in a plae o$
imp&rity! 4or this reason, i$ the (oly Name takes the plae $irst, all the spirits and
/7
damagers in the world annot be seen there, m&h less ome near it! *nd i$ the spirit o$
imp&rity preedes, it takes the plae and the (oly Name is not in it, $or this is not its plae!
197) *nd when the plag&e o$ leprosy wo&ld ome down to the ho&se, it wo&ld p&ri$y the
plae and wo&ld bring o&t the spirit o$ imp&rity $rom its plae! *$terwards, the ho&se is
shattered, the wood, the stones, and everything, and he b&ilds it $rom the start, on the holy
side, in righteo&sness, mentioning the (oly Name and instilling holiness in it! *nd yet, he
will b&ild it with di$$erent d&st and will remove the ho&se two handbreadths $rom its plae,
$rom the $irst $o&ndation!
198) *nd now that he is not seen and there is no one to desend and $ight that spirit o$
imp&rity, to remove it $rom its plae, sine now there are no plag&es in the ho&se, what is
the orretion o$ a ho&se in whih the spirit o$ imp&rity has sat $irst. %$ one an take it o&t
o$ the ho&se by himsel$, good! %$ not, he sho&ld b&ild $rom the start, with di$$erent stones
and woods and all, and will take it o&t and remove it $rom its initial plae, and will b&ild it
$or the (oly Name!
199) 6till, the spirit o$ imp&rity does not leave the $irst plae, and holiness is not present in
an imp&re plae! Th&s, why tro&ble himsel$ so, to tear down the ho&se and reb&ild it in a
di$$erent plae, when there are no plag&es. %t is written, That whih is rooked annot be
made straight!# This is so bea&se sine the r&in o$ the Temple, sine there are no plag&es,
there is no &re in the world! This is why one m&st be are$&l and keep himsel$ $rom the
spirit o$ imp&rity, and not dwell in this ho&se anymore!
6ay Co& *re My 6ister
1<1) Flease say that yo& are my sister!# This is a perple)ing verse! 2o&ld *braham, who
$eared sin and loved the 'reator, say that abo&t his wi$e so that he wo&ld be $avored. B&t
even tho&gh *braham $eared sin, he did not rely on his merit and did not wish $or the
'reator to diminish his merit! %nstead, he relied on his wi$e"s merit that he wo&ld gain $or
her the money o$ the rest o$ the nations, sine a man is rewarded with money thanks to his
wi$e, as it is written, (o&se and rihes are the inheritane o$ $athers> b&t a pr&dent wi$e is
$rom the Lord!# Th&s, one who wins a pr&dent wi$e wins everything, and it is written, The
heart o$ her h&sband tr&sts in her, and he will have no lak o$ gain!#
1<+) Th&s, thanks to her was *braham going to eat the gain o$ the rest o$ the nations, *nd
he will have no lak o$ gain!# (e relied on her merit that they will not be able to p&nish
him and to mok her, so he gave them nothing by saying, 6he is my sister!# Moreover, he
saw an angel walking be$ore her, saying to *braham, ,o not $ear $or her, $or the 'reator
sent me to draw o&t the money o$ the rest o$ the nations and to g&ard her $rom everything!
*nd then *braham was not a$raid $or his wi$e b&t $or himsel$, $or he did not see the angel
with him, b&t with his wi$e! (e said, 6he is g&arded and % am not g&arded!# *nd this is
why he said, Flease say that yo& are my sister!#
1</) That it may go well with me!# 6ho&ld it not have said, That it may do well $or me#.
*$ter all, it is written, 2hen the Egyptians see yo&, they will say, This is his wi$e!"#
(ene, it sho&ld have said, That it may do well $or me!# (owever, That it may go well
with me# re$ers to the one who walks be$ore yo&, the angel! The 'reator will do well $or
me in this world in money, and my so&l will live in that world bea&se o$ yo&, $or yo& will
not stray $rom the path o$ tr&th! %$ % gain money $or yo& in this world and yo& stray $rom
the way, then death awaits me in that world! (ene, stand g&ard so that my so&l will live in
that world bea&se o$ yo&!
1<5) *nd bea&se there was an angel walking be$ore her and g&arding her, it is written,
*nd the Lord plag&ed FharaohO bea&se o$ 6arai,# meaning bea&se o$ her words, $or
/8
she wo&ld say to the angel, 6trikeI# and he wo&ld strike! This is why *braham had no $ear
$or her, $or she was g&arded! 2hat he did $ear $or was himsel$, sine he saw no g&arding
over himsel$!
1<7) Ten times did 6arah ommand the angel to strike Fharaoh, and with ten plag&es was
he str&k! This is so bea&se 6arah made a mark $or her sons a$ter her in Egypt, meaning
that the Egyptians will be str&k by ten plag&es &ntil they are redeemed $rom their hands!
1<8) *s in the days when yo& ame o&t $rom the land o$ Egypt, % will show yo&
mirales!# The 'reator is destined to show redemption to (is sons, s&h as in the days
when the 'reator sent to deliver %srael $rom Egypt! *nd (e showed these plag&es on the
Egyptians and str&k them $or %srael!
2hat is the di$$erene between the redemption at the end o$ days and the redemption $rom
Egypt. The redemption $rom Egypt was in one king and in one kingdom, while here it is in
all the kings in the world! *t that time, the 'reator will be honored thro&gho&t the world
and everyone will know the reign o$ the 'reator, and everyone will be str&k by blows
$rom above, twie $or one, sine they will all re$&se to let %srael go!
1<9) Then will the reign o$ the 'reator appear, as it is written, *nd the Lord shall be =ing
over all the earth!# *nd then the nations will vol&nteer to bring %srael to the 'reator, as it is
written, *nd they shall bring all yo&r brothers!# Then the patriarhs will be revived in 1oy
to see the redemption o$ their sons as in the beginning, as it is written, *s in the days
when yo& ame o&t $rom the land o$ Egypt, % will show yo& mirales!#
/9

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