Kabbalah Library

2. Three holy brothers walked among them: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. By their merit, the Creator gave them sublime gifts. All of Aaron’s days, the clouds of glory did not move from Israel. Aaron is the right arm of Israel, as it is written, “And the Canaanite, the king of Arad … heard that Israel came through the Atarim.” “Through the Atarim” means that Israel were like a man who is walking without an arm, supporting himself in every place, since Atarim means “places” [Atar means “place” in Hebrew]. And then, “And he fought against Israel and took some of them captive,” since they were without the right arm. Aaron was the right arm of the body, Tifferet. This is why it is written, “Leading to the right of Moses, the arm of His glory,” which is Aaron, the right arm of Tifferet.

3. “And Moses went.” Where did he go? “And Moses went” means that he went as a body without an arm, as it is written, “and they are gone without strength before the pursuer” because Aaron, the right arm, died, and the body, Moses, wanted to depart because of that.

4. Throughout Moses’ life, Israel ate bread from the sky. When Joshua came, it is written, “The manna ceased the next day, and they ate from the produce of the land,” the day after the Pesach [Passover]. What is the connection between the manna and the bread from the earth? The manna is from above, from heaven, from ZA, and the bread from the earth is from below, from Malchut, which is called “earth.” As long as Moses was present, the body of the sun, ZA, was governing, illuminating to the world. When Moses departed, the body of the sun departed and the body of the moon emerged, meaning Malchut, Joshua. This is why the bread from the heaven stopped and they ate from the produce of the land, Malchut.