Kabbalah Library

224. “If you do not know for you, O most beautiful among women, follow the tracks of the flock.” The assembly of Israel said this before the high king. The assembly of Israel is an assembly, a gathering, as it is written, “the rear guard of all the camps,” since it collects to it all the upper camps, which is Malchut, who receives from the first nine.

225. Since sometimes, the Nukva, Malchut, is called Knesset [gathering], and an assembly is written about her, from the word “closing” [in Hebrew], as it is written, “For the Lord had completely closed,” meaning that she receives but does not give. Because of the great loyalty in her, where no blemish is found in her, she is given without any delay.

When the abundance reaches Malchut, she closes everything that she has collected and detains it so it does not come down and shines. Rather, like dew, drop-by-drop, bit-by-bit, and no one will detain her at all. However, if the lower ones have no faith, they detain those gifts from being imparted upon Malchut, and they detain Malchut from bestowing upon the lower ones. At that time, she is called “assembly.” “For the Lord had completely closed,” as though giving the extract, and nothing more.

227. Nevertheless, like a mother who secretly gives to the children, so they do not know of her, Malchut does to her children, to Israel. When Malchut ascends to receive delights and desirable things, and there is a blemish in Israel below, a drop of blood comes to her like mustard, her governance is revoked immediately, and she sits on it for several days. At that time, they know above that there is a blemish in Israel.

228. Promptly, the left awakens and draws a thread below, and it is written “His eyes were dim and he could not see,” that what he previously saw with a favorable eye, included in Abraham, Hesed, without any judgment, now, “His eyes were dim and he could not see.” Seeing means looking at the mercy in general. At that time, Sam awakens with a loud voice, to awaken over the world, as it is written, “He called Esau his elder [also means “great”] son.” Great, toward the camps of the Sitra Achra, and driving all the ships at sea which encounter the evil spirit, to drown them in the sea, in its depths.

There are two states in Malchut: In the first state, she is as big as ZA, where ZA clothes the right of Bina, and Malchut clothes the left line of Bina. At that time, she is in Hochma without Hassadim since she is not united with ZA and the lights in her freeze. Since she cannot tolerate that state, she is diminished into to a dot and loses her lights, and she is rebuilt so that she has nothing of her own and must receive everything from ZA, her husband, which is the second state.

Out of the great loyalty in her, where there is no blemish in her, in the first state, at which time it is written about her, “You are all beautiful, my wife, and there is no flaw in you,” as she is as great and important as ZA and receives from Bina as ZA receives. She is given without any delay whatsoever. At that time, she receives the illumination of Hochma from the left line of Bina without any delay.

When the abundance of that Hochma came to her without Hassadim, everything she collected, she would close and detain, meaning that the lights would freeze within her as the sea freezes, so it would not come down and shine, but rather like dew, drop-by-drop, bit-by-bit, like frozen water, since she does not find faith below.

The first state continues as long as the lower ones do not repent, as we learn concerning Rosh Hashanah, that before she is built in the second state, she must be diminished into a dot under the Yesod, at which time the power of judgment of the screen of the lock of Hirik is revealed on her, causing her diminution. This is the drop of blood that is like mustard. Promptly, her governance was revoked, for then she was removed from her Gadlut [greatness/adulthood] and returns to being a dot under Yesod, and sits seven days over her, to sweeten her again with the seven Sefirot of Bina until she is rebuilt in the second state.

When the Creator is in mercy, in the second state, when ZA reunites with her, He gives him all the sins and all of Israel’s iniquities, and he throws them into the depths of the sea. This is the correction of the goat to Azazel, for all the camps of Sam are called “depths of the sea,” and they take Israel’s iniquities and sins and give them to the rest of the nations. But why would the nations do that? Taking upon themselves the iniquities of Israel? They think that they are gifts, but in the end, they are Israel’s iniquities.

We should understand how they have come to such a grave mistake. Two kinds of judgments are the roots of all of Israel’s sins and iniquities: 1) male judgments, which come from the first state of the Nukva, 2) female judgments, which come from the diminution of GAR.

On Rosh Hashanah, male judgments govern, which come from the first state of Malchut. By the blowing of the Shofar [festive ram’s horn], female judgments awaken and revoke the male judgments. You find that only half a thing was corrected—the male judgments. However, there are female judgments in their stead, since she was diminished from GAR. Hence, on the Day of Atonement, the goat to Azazel comes for correction, being an extension of GAR of Hochma, as it was in the first state, so the male judgments would be canceled.

However, it is impossible to draw something without a recipient. Since Israel had already repented and adhered to the middle line, how will they now receive the GAR of the left? Moreover, they are afraid of the male judgments in it, for they have already tasted of them on Rosh Hashanah. This is the sending of the goat to Azazel to the desert, when drawing GAR of the left for Sam and his company so he will impart them to the nations of the world, and they will certainly accept it with all the judgments in it, since they have no other illumination.

Since there is a recipient, Israel can already draw it, and then the female judgment from the diminution of GAR are revoked, as well, as it is written, “And the goat to Azazel shall carry on it all their iniquities,” since it carries on it the punishments of the male judgments, that Israel fear and are promised that they will not sin in it, and it also carries on it the atonement of the iniquities of the female judgments, since its mere exposure cancels the female judgments, although Israel do not accept it, but rather the nations.

They wait and expect the gifts of above, the GAR of the left, which is the illumination of the living goat to Azazel. When the Creator takes all of Israel’s iniquities and throws on them, by revealing the goat to Azazel that carries on it all of Israel’s sins, both male judgments and female judgments, they think that those gifts and presents that are drawn from the GAR of the left, which He wanted to give to Israel, He passed from Israel and gave to them.

They think that the Creator has sent them this illumination out of loving them more than Israel, and this is why He forbade Israel and sent it to them. And although they suffer from the male judgments on it, they still consider it a great reward, since they have no other light.

229. When the Creator is in mercy, He gives all of Israel’s sins and iniquities and throws them to the depths of the sea, to his camps, since all His camps are called “depths of the sea.” They take them and roam in them to all the other nations. But do they throw and hand out Israel’s sins and iniquities to their nations? Why would they do that?

Rather, they wait and expect the gifts of above like dogs by a table. When the Creator takes all of Israel’s iniquities and throws on them, they all think that He took the gifts and presents He contemplated giving to Israel, and gave it to them. Promptly, they throw them on the rest of the nations.

230. First, the assembly of Israel said, “I am black and beautiful,” diminishing herself before the upper king. Then she asked him and said, “Tell me, whom my soul loves, where do you pasture your flock, where do you make it lie down at noon?” Why the twofold “where”? They imply two destructions of two Temples, for everyone reads “where” “where.” “Where do you pasture” is the ruin of the first Temple; “where do you make it lie down” is the ruin of the second Temple, hence the twofold “where.”

231. “Pasture,” “lie down.” One is not like the other. What is the difference between them? It is written about the exile in Babylon, which is a short time, “pasture.” The exile of Edom, which is a long time, it is written about it, “lie down.” Hence the twofold “where.”

Also, “pasture” and “lie down.” Should it not have said “will pasture”? And also, should it not have said “will lie down”? After all, she said this about Israel. However, the Shechina said about herself, “Where is your bride, the Shechina, pasturing her children in exile, so they are among the rest of the nations, how will she lie down at noon, how will she drip on them dew and water, meaning Hassadim, in the midday heat, during the governance of the judgments?”

232. “For why should I be like one who veils herself?” When Israel call the Creator out of their trouble and distress, and the rest of the nations swear and curse them, “When will you come out of exile? How does your God not perform miracles for you?” And I sit, as one who is veiled, and cannot perform miracles for them and give them vengeance against their enemies, ZA replies to her, “If you do not know for you, O most beautiful among women.”

This verse should have been written, “If you do not know, O most beautiful among women,” why is it written, “for you”? “If you do not know for you,” if you do not know how to strengthen yourself in the exile, and prevail in strength to protect your children, “follow the tracks of the flock,” go out to grow stronger. “The tracks of the flock” are the children in their teacher’s house learning Torah. From them you will take strength to protect your children.

233. “And graze your kids [young goats] by the tents of the shepherds.” Your kids are those who were detached from the breasts and passed away from the world. They were drawn to the house of the upper seminary, which is by the tents of the shepherds. “By the tents of the shepherds” is the seminary of Matat, which is above the tents of the shepherds in this world. The shepherds, the leaders in this world, rise there after their demise, for there are all the mighty ones and all the children in the world, and the leaders of the Torah in this world, in prohibition and in permission, in everything that the people of the world need. This is why they are called shepherds, since in the tracks of the flock are the children, and the shepherds are the leaders of the world.

234. “The tracks of the flock” are the disciples in the seminary, who come later to the world and find the Torah on a straight way and an open way. For this reason, they renew ancient things each day, and the Shechina is on them and listens to their words, as it is written, “And the Lord listened and heard.”

235. “If you do not know for you, O most beautiful among women.” Wherever Israel are in exile, the Shechina is in exile with them. This is why it is written “for you.” It is also written, “In all their affliction, he was afflicted.” This is “for you,” for she, too, is in exile, the most beautiful among women. She said that she is black, and he told her, “You are beautiful, very beautiful, the most beautiful among women, more beautiful than all the degrees,” and it is written, “You are beautiful, my wife.”

236. “The most beautiful among women,” for she is good in Hesed [mercy/kindness], that she does Hesed to her children under cover, in concealment. The Creator is only good to her for everything she does for her children under cover, in concealment, although the acts are not kosher [proper].

237. At that time, the Creator said to Moses to write the portion “Stubborn and Rebellious.” Moses told Him, “Master of the world, leave it, is there a father who would do such a thing to his son?” Moses saw far ahead with wisdom, everything that the Creator was to do to the people of Israel, meaning he looked into it from afar, and the portion “Stubborn and Rebellious” implies the conduct of the Creator with Israel. This is why he said, “Master of the world, leave this thing.”

The Creator said to Moses, “I see what you are saying. It is written, ‘Write, and receive reward.’ You know, and I know more. What you see about Me is the act; look into the text and you will find its meaning.”

238. At that time, He insinuated to Angel Yupiel, the minister of the Torah. Yupiel said to Moses, “I looked into this text. It is written, “If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, does not heed them.” “If a man has” is the Creator, as it is written, “The Lord is a man of war.” The son is Israel. “Stubborn and rebellious” is as it is written, “Like a stubborn cow, Israel is stubborn.”

“Who does not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother” are the Creator and the assembly of Israel, Malchut. “When they have chastened him,” as it is written, “Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer.” Yet, he “does not heed them,” as it is written, “then his father and his mother shall take hold of him,” in one view and in one agreement.

239. His father and his mother took hold of him and took him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place. It should have written “to the gate of their place”; why is it written “to the gate of his place,” in singular form? The elders of his city are the Creator, and “the gate of his place” is the assembly of Israel, Malchut.

“The elders of his city” are the distant past, the most ancient days, GAR of ZA, before whom is the sentence. “The gate of his place” is the addition of Shabbat [Sabbath], GAR of Malchut, which are added to her on Shabbat.

240. Nevertheless, although everyone knows there is judgment above, he nevertheless moved the judgment from the gate of his place, since the courthouse of the other, Malchut, are close to Israel and are gripped to them, and anyone who is close [also relative/kin] does not judge those who are close, and is disqualified from judging. Hence, at first, it is written, “to the elders of his city and to the gate of his place,” and once the Creator saw that they were close, He promptly moved the judgment from the gate of his place, GAR of Malchut, who are close, as it is written afterwards, “and said to the elders of his city,” and it is not written, “and to the gate of his place, but only “to the elders of his city.”

241. “And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.’” “This son of ours” is written about Israel, and not about the rest of the nations. What is the difference, that in the beginning, it is not written “glutton and a drunkard,” and afterwards it is written “glutton and a drunkard”? Who caused Israel to be stubborn and rebellious toward their father in heaven? It is because he is a glutton and a drunkard among the rest of the nations, as it is written, “They mingled with the nations and learned their actions,” and it is written, “And the people ate and bowed down to their gods,” since the heart and the basis are eating and drinking, as they did when they were among the rest of the nations. This caused them to be a stubborn and rebellious son toward their father in heaven.

242. This is why it is written, “Then all the men of the city shall stone him to death with stones.” These are all the other nations, who would shoot stones at them, and dropped walls, and smashed towers, but all this did not help them at all, for they could not prevail over Israel. When Moses heard this, he wrote this portion.

243. Nevertheless, “the most beautiful among women,” the best, and most distinguished of all the women in the world, Malchut, “follow tracks of the flock,” which are synagogues and seminaries. “And pasture your young goats” are the children who have begun to learn, who have never tasted the taste of sin. “By the tents of the shepherds” are those who teach the infants and the heads of the seminaries.

244. “By the tents of the shepherds” is missing a Vav in the word “shepherds” [in Hebrew], which spells like “the evil.” This indicates that they are evil, the kings of the Amorites, that Israel took their land to pasture their flock, and Israel have turned that land into a place for grazing. Then Balak heard that the land, which was so important, Israel made this war and corrupted it to the point that they turned it into a place of grazing. At that time, he tried with everything he tried and took Balaam to participate with him.