Kabbalah Library

18. “And Jacob took for himself a rod of moist poplar and of almond and chestnut trees.” “Took for himself” means for himself and for his own correction. A branch of poplar is the Vav of the holy name, Tifferet, to which Jacob is gripped, and which is like a stick since the shape of the Vav is like a stick. Poplar is a son to the upper, hidden one, Bina, who is called poplar. “Moist,” from the side of the water, Hesed.

Chestnut is from the side of the fire, Gevura, since Luz [chestnut] comes from the word Naloz [deviant], which means deviation from the right path, indicating the fire of the judgments of the left. With respect to itself and its own part, the chestnut is Tifferet, which contains all the colors. Chestnut contains all the colors. Armon [chestnut] comes from the word Orma [cunningness], implying Jacob, since Jacob was wise in cunningness.

19. “And split white splits in them.” Should it not have written “and split in it,” since it was one stick? However, in them means in all seven degrees implied in the verse, “Yours, Lord, are the greatness and might,” completing them with those white splits that the side of the fire split in them, the left and the Gevura, and surrounding them with the side of water, right and Hesed, as it is written, “exposing the white that was on the rods,” for white is Hesed.

20. Seven merits from the sticks are implied in the verses: “And Jacob took for himself a rod” is one, “which is on the rods” is two, and together they are three merits. “And he set the rods” is another two, thus five. “And the flocks conceived before the rods” is another two, and together they are seven merits.

21. They are nine voices in the psalm, “Give to the Lord, you children of gods.” These are the seven days of creation that shine from Resheet, from Hochma. They are seven pillars HGT NHYM, on which the Creator established the world, and it is all the holy name.

22. When the rod was in the hands of Jacob, a whole man, the Torah called it a stick. When it was in the hands of Moses and Aaron, it called it a staff, as it is written, “And Moses took the staff of God in his hand,” and Aaron, too, was holding it. Why was it called “stick” here, and “staff” there?

23. When it was in Jacob’s hands, the Torah called it a “stick,” from the side of the voice, Tifferet, since Jacob is called “voice,” as it is written, “the voice, the voice of Jacob.” He is gripped in the voice since this is his degree. For this reason, Tifferet is called a “stick” in it, from the word “voice” [in Hebrew].

24. When it was in the hands of Moses and Aaron, who are gripped to Netzah and Hod, the two supporters of the body, Tifferet, it was called a “staff,” from the word “support” [in Hebrew], since the world was supported by them in the Torah, which comes out from between the two knowledgeable ones of the Lord, NH, and by whom it was given. And because they support the world with the Torah, which emerges from between Netzah and Hod, who are gripped to them, it called it a “staff.”

One who grips the Torah, it grips him and holds him on her thighs, so he does not deviate to the right or to the left. With respect to the Torah, Tifferet, which shines from between Hesed and Gevura, the quality of Jacob, she is called a “stick,” from the word “voice” [in Hebrew]. The Torah, Tifferet, which shines from between NH, below the Chazeh, is called a “staff,” after NH that support the world, ZA.

25. Happy are Israel, for whom the Creator gave the Torah, to reveal to them high secrets. One who holds the Torah, the Torah supports him and holds him on her thighs, NH, so he does not deviate to the right or to the left, but rather in the middle line, in the Torah. Happy are Israel, for whom the Creator gave the Torah, to reveal to them high secrets. It is written about them, “And you, who adhere to the Lord your God, are alive every one of you today.”