Kabbalah Library

98. One day, his mind was weak. He came across the village Sachnin in Rimon and fell asleep. He heard the voice of one Tana engaging in singing the Torah, saying, “If you come across a bird’s nest along the way.” The nest is repentance, Bina. “Along the way” is Rachel, Malchut, as it is written, “The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday.”

The path is Malchut. The righteous are two sons, Joseph and Benjamin, the two Yesodot [pl. of Yesod] of Malchut. Malchut is the moon, who walks all night and shines for them. “Until midday” is Jacob, ZA, who is “day.”

99. “If you come across a bird’s nest along the way in any tree or on the earth, nestlings or eggs.” “In any tree,” “any” means the righteous one who lives forever, Yesod of ZA. The tree is the Shechina [Divinity], as it is written, “She is a tree of life for those who hold her.” “Or on the earth,” the bottom earth. Nestlings are the twelve tribes in Malchut. Eggs, are Israel of below, like a garment for the body, for the twelve tribes of above.

“And the mother is lying over the nestlings or over the eggs. You shall not take the mother instead of the children; you shall indeed send the mother away,” as it is written, “for your crimes, your mother was sent away,” that the Shechina was sent to exile.

100. “And the sons you shall take for yourself.” This verse will not come true. One who takes pity on a bird’s nest leaves the mother with the sons and walks away, and does not send the mother away from the sons. When the mother is sent away from the nest, she says, “Woe, for I have destroyed my home and burned my hall, and exiled my children among the nations.” And about this, the Creator will have mercy, since He is merciful only in this.

101. The Shechina cries over her children over this, for it is written, “indeed send,” two times send [in Hebrew], which are the First Temple and the Second Temple. “Indeed send” even a hundred times, for if the mother returns to her nestlings out of the love of the children, “send” even many times until he goes and destroys her nest and takes the children who are hiding in the nest, to throw them on the roof so they are exposed to all the harm-doers.

Indeed, the merciful one is only in this, having mercy on them, and prolonging of days, being more patient than six days HGT NHY, which are called “patient,” as it is written, “Lord, Lord, merciful and gracious God, who is patient.”

102. When the Creator created the world, He created it with three connections: Hochma, Tevuna, and Daat, as it is written, “The Lord established the earth with wisdom [Hochma], founded the heaven with intelligence [Tevuna], and by His reason [Daat], the depths were broken open.”

103. All the connections are in man. The connection of Tevuna, which is extended from them, expanded in the rest of creations, since there is Tevuna in all of them, each according to its way.

104. The bird that flies from over its nestlings, who is sent away from over its nestlings, and does not know where it is going, wanders to lose himself. The Creator, of whom it is written, “And His mercy is over all His actions,” even about a tiny mosquito in the world,” whose mercy is over all, that appointee over the bird, from above, awakens for the Creator to have mercy on the bird.

105. And the Creator awakens for His children. At that time, a voice comes out before Him and says, “As a bird wanders from her nest, a man wanders from his place.” Then He awakens in mercy for all those wandering about from place to place, from one state to another, the broken at heart and the broken at strength, and the mercy awaken over all the worlds, and He has mercy on them and forgives the iniquities of the wanderers from their place, and has mercy on them and on the entire world.

106. For this reason, the Creator said, “Leave the bird outside and she will awaken mercy on the whole world.” The one who caused to have mercy on the world and awaken mercy on them is the same one who sent the bird to her grief in two manners: for losing her children, and for having no place to rest. In this way, the Creator was filled with mercy over all who are afflicted and over all the wanderers from their place. And for this reason, that person’s reward, it is written about it, “that it may be good for you and for prolonging of days.”

108. The voice returned as before and said, “How manifold are Your works, Lord; You have made them all with wisdom.” The whole world comes only in wisdom, and a person is filled from all the wisdom, and the wisdom that remains from the person is added to other people.

109. Although all the people are so, that wisdom is extended to them from man, there is no creation for whom it is easier to chase and equal man’s actions than the bird. A man builds a home for his dwelling; the bird, too, builds a home for its dwelling. The man brings food for his children, and the bird brings food for its children. The man heals his illnesses with herbs, and the bird heals illnesses with herbs. The craftsman makes ships at sea, and the bird takes its nestlings and fixes them on the seashore.

110. The man praises and extols the upper king, and the bird tweets and praises its master, who is the upper God. This is why it is written, “That it may be good for you.” It is not written, “I will do good for you,” but “that it may be good for you,” since it concerns the sending of the bird that he sends away, awakening mercy on the place, to do good for you.