Kabbalah Library

29. Rabbi Yitzhak and Rabbi Yehuda were walking along the way. They reached that place of the village of Sachnin, where Rav Hamnuna Saba was, and stayed as guests at his wife’s, who had a young son, and each day he was at school. That day, he went up from school and came to his home, and saw those sages.

His mother told him, “Approach those sublime people and receive blessings from them.” He approached them. While he approached them, he turned back and said to his mother, “I do not want to approach them, since that day, they did not read the Shema reading, and I was taught that anyone who does not read the Shema reading in its time is in banishment that entire day.”

30. They heard and wondered, picked him up and blessed him. They said, “Indeed, so it is; we did not read the Shema reading, as this day, we have been busy with a groom and a bride who did not have enough and were late to connect, and there was no one to plead in their favor, so we pleaded in their favor. This is why we did not read the Shema reading in its time, and one who engages in a commandment is exempt from the commandment.” They said to him, “My son, how did you know?” He told them, “I recognized it through the smell of your clothes when I approached you.” They wondered, sat, washed their hand, and ate bread.

31. Rabbi Yehuda, his hands were dirty, and he washed his hands and blessed. Before he washed his hands, the child told them, “If you are disciples of the Hassid Rav Shmaaiah, you should not have blessed with dirty hands, and one who blesses with dirty hands must die.”

32. That child opened and said, “When they come to the Tent of Meeting, they will wash their hands and they will not die.” We learned from this verse that one who does not take care of that and appears before the king with dirty hands must die. This is so because man’s hands sit at the top of the world; there is one finger in man’s hand, which is the finger that Moses lifted, the middle finger, which corresponds to Moses, the middle line.

33. It is written, “And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle.” And it is written, “and the middle bar, halfway up the frames, shall run from end to end.” The middle bar is included in those five bars.

Two bars from here, and two from here, and one in the middle is the middle bar, Jacob’s pillar, Moses, Tifferet. Two bars before him are Hochma and Gevura; two bars behind him are Netzah and Hod.

Opposite that there are five fingers in man’s hand, and the middle bar, the middle finger, called Ammah, is in the middle, bigger and higher than all, and the other fingers stand in it, since Tifferet incorporates all the VAK [six edges].

34. These five bars are called “five-hundred years,” HGT NH of ZA in which the tree of life walks. The holy covenant awakens in the five fingers of the hand since Yesod contains within it HGT NH. Hence, all the blessings of the priest depend on the fingers, and Moses’ spreading of the hands was about that.

35. If all this is in the fingers, there is no question that they must be clean when using them to bless the Creator, since in them and in their similitude, the upper HGT NH that are implied in them, the holy name is blessed. Hence, you, who have gained much wisdom, how did you not take care of that? How did you not serve the Hassaid Rabbi Shmaaiah, who said, ‘Any filth and dirt goes up to the Sitra Achra, since the Sitra Achra is nourished by those filth and dirt; hence, last water is a must.’”

36. They were perplexed and could not speak. Rabbi Yehuda said, “Son, what is the name of your father?” The boy was silent for a moment, then arose, went to his mother, and kissed her. He said, “Mother, these sages asked me about my father; do I tell them?”

His mother replied, “Son, have you checked them, if they are kosher [fitting/worthy]?” He said, “But I did check them and did not find them as they should be.” His mother whispered to him, and he returned to them and said, “You asked about my father, but he has already departed from the world, and each day, when holy pious people walk along the way, he drives their donkeys. And if you are high holy ones, how did you not find him walking and driving your donkeys behind you?”

37. “However, in the beginning, I saw in you that you did not read the Shema reading, and now I see in you that you are not high holy ones, since my father did not see a holy one riding a donkey, who does not lead a donkey after him in order to bear the burden of Torah. And since you were not rewarded with my father leading your donkeys behind you, I will not tell you who is my father.”

Rabbi Yehuda said to Rabbi Yitzhak, “It seems to us that this child is not a human being.” They ate, and that child was saying words of Torah and innovations in the Torah. They said, “Please may we bless.” He said to them, “Well said, for the holy name is blessed in this blessing only after summoning.”

38. “I will bless the Lord at all times.” What did David wish to say, “I will bless the Lord”? David saw that there is a need for summoning, and said, “I will bless.” When a person sits at his table, the Shechina [Divinity] stands there and the Sitra Achra stands there. When a person summons in order to bless the Creator, the Shechina is established upwards, to receive blessings, and the Sitra Achra surrenders. If a person does not summon to bless the Creator, the Sitra Achra hears and delights, for he will have a part in this blessing.

39. Why is there no summoning in the rest of the blessings? This matter of the blessing that we bless over is the summoning. One who blesses for the fruit, that fruit is the summoning, and we bless over it. The Sitra Achra has no part in it. However, before that, while that fruit was in the authority of the Sitra Achra, we do not bless over it, as it is written, “It shall be as uncircumcised to you; it shall not be eaten,” as it is in the authority of the Sitra Achra. We do not bless over that fruit so that the Sitra Achra will not be blessed.

Once it has emerged from the authority of the Sitra Achra, after the years without circumcision, it shall be eaten and we bless over, and the fruit is the summoning for the blessing. It is likewise with all the things in the world over which we bless; they are all the summoning for the blessing, and the Sitra Achra has no part in them.

40. It is so with the blessing over the food, as well, for the cup of the blessing is regarded as a summoning. So, why do we say, “Please let us bless” as a summoning? It is because at first, when he drank, he said, “Creator of the fruit of the vineyard.” Thus, the wine was already used for the summoning, so now, in the blessing over the food, there is a need for change, for a different summoning, since that cup is for the Creator and not over the food. Thus, we need a verbal summoning.

41. “Let us bless, of whose we have eaten” is the summoning. “Blessed [is He] for we have eaten” is the blessing. Thus, why is there a need to first say “Please let us bless”? It is indeed so. However, “Let us bless, of whose we have eaten” is a different blessing; it is a summoning to bless “creator of the fruit of the vineyard,” since first, when we say, “Please, let us bless,” it is simply a summoning for a cup of blessing, Malchut. This cup, once it is taken, there is another summoning in the words “let us bless,” the upper world, ZA, from which all the food and blessings come.

For this reason, it is in a concealed manner, where the name is not mentioned there, but rather, “Let us bless, of whose we have eaten,” since the upper world is hidden and there is no disclosed summoning in it. Rather, only on this degree of the cup of blessing is there a disclosed summoning.

42. A song is an angel of the Creator, His beloved one, as was said, “And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle at the rear westward.” Thus, there are many bars here, but the hands are only two, in which there are two times five fingers. The child said to him, “This is why it is said that from a person’s mouth, it is evident who he is. But since you did not observe so as to understand, I say it.”

43. “The wise, his eyes are in his head.” That verse is so indeed, that one should not walk four cubits bear-headed since the Shechina is on his head, and any sage, his eyes and words are in his head, in the Shechina that is present and stands over his head.

44. When his eyes are in his head, in the Shechina, he should know that that light that is lit on his head needs oil. A man’s body is a wick [candle string], and the light burns on top, in the wick. King Solomon cried out and said, “Let oil not be lacking on your head,” since the light in his head needs oil, which is the good deeds. He says about this, “The wise, his eyes are in his head,” and not elsewhere.

45. “You are certainly wise, and the Shechina is on your heads; how did you not look at what is written, ‘And you shall make bars of acacia wood, five for the frames of the one side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the other side of the tabernacle’? It is written one, and the other; it is not written ‘a third and a fourth,’ since one and the other are the number of the two sides, right and left, Hesed and Gevura, called ‘two hands,’ and the third one, in the west, is not counted, since it only receives from the two sides. This is why he calculated only with two hands.”

46. Rabbi Yehuda wept and said, “Rabbi Shimon, happy are you, happy is your generation, for by your merit, even schoolchildren are high and mighty mountains.” His mother came said to them, “Gentlemen, please, do not look at my son, except with a favorable eye.” They replied, “Happy are you, worthy woman, a chosen woman from among all the other women, for the Creator has chosen your part and lifted your banner over all the women in the world.”

47. The child said, “I am not afraid of the evil eye, since I am the son of a great and honorable fish, and a fish is not afraid of the evil eye, as it is written, ‘and let them grow as fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth.’ The multitude is to grow over the eye, so the evil eye does not rule over them.”

Like the fish at sea, which the water covers and the evil eye does not rule, these too, the evil eye does not rule over them. Hence, a multitude indeed. “In the midst of the earth” means among the people on the earth, that the evil eye does not rule over them, although they are not covered like the fish. They said to him, “The son of the angel of the Creator, we have no evil eye in us, nor do we come from the side of the evil eye, and the Creator is covering you with His wings.”

48. “The angel who redeems me from any evil will bless the boys, and my name and the name of my fathers will be called in them.” Jacob said this verse in the spirit of holiness. If he said to him with the spirit of holiness, there is wisdom in him. Here, Malchut is called “angel.”

When Malchut is a messenger from above, and receives brilliance from the mirror of above, AVI bless her and say to her, “My daughter, go, guard your home,” which is the world. “Visit your home; do so for your home; go nourish them. Go, since that world below awaits you; your household awaits nourishments from you, here, take everything you need to give them.” At that time, Malchut is called an “angel.”

49. But in several places, Malchut is called an “angel” and does not come to nourish the world. Moreover, did he not fornicate the worlds under the name of an angel, but under the name of the Creator? When she is a messenger from AVI, she is called an “angel.” When she is in her place, on the two cherubim, her name is ADNI.

There are two couplings in upper AVI: 1) a coupling to sustain the world, which does not stop, even when people sin and blemish the coupling of ZON, since if it were to stop, the worlds would be ruined. However, the world takes from this coupling to satisfy its necessities, not abundantly. 2) A coupling to give Mochin for the coupling of ZON, for then there is a coupling of ZON. The world takes from this coupling to satisfy its necessities and to sustain itself, so the world is not ruined. It stops at AVI if the people of the world are unworthy.

From both the coupling to sustain the world and from the coupling for addition of abundance and blessing, the world receives only from Malchut. Therefore, when Malchut bestows upon the world from the coupling of AVI to sustain the worlds, she is called an “angel,” a messenger from AVI to provide for the world to satisfy its necessity and sustenance, so the world is not ruined. However, in and of herself, she bestows nothing upon them, since at that time, there is no coupling of ZA and Malchut. This is why she does not merit a name whatsoever.

Conversely, in the second coupling of AVI, when ZA and Malchut receive Mochin for a coupling and make a coupling in order to bestow additional abundance and blessing, Malchut in and of herself bestows upon the world from her coupling with ZA. At that time, she is given her own name, ADNI.

When Malchut is a messenger from above, when AVI bless her and tell her, “here, take everything you need to give them,” it is the first coupling of AVI, which is only according the level of the necessity of the worlds, so they are not ruined. When she is a messenger from AVI with regard to the coupling to sustain the worlds, when there is no coupling in ZA and Malchut, she is called an “angel,” since at that time, she does not merit her own name because she is not giving anything of her own.

When she is in her place on the two cherubim, when there is a coupling of ZA and Malchut in their own place, since they receive from the second coupling of AVI, she is called by her name, ADNI, for then she bestows upon them from her own phase.

50. When the Shechina appears to Moses at first, she is called an “angel,” as it is written, “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire.” She did not appear this way to Jacob, but rather through a semblance, in Rachel of below, who is a semblance of the upper Rachel, Malchut, as it is written, “And Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherdess.” This is the form of Rachel of above, Malchut.

It is also written, “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children.” This Rachel is Malchut. Here, too, “Rachel comes” implies Malchut. “With the sheep” means the degrees of Malchut. “Her father’s,” since Abba [father], Hochma, established his daughter, Malchut, and all the worlds were appointed and trusted to her. “For she was a shepherdess,” meaning she leads them and is trusted with them.

51. This is what is written about Moses: “And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire.” This is so because in the first time, Malchut appeared to him as an angel, which is more important than Jacob’s vista, which was only a semblance. Is Abraham’s merit more than his? After all, “angel” is not written about him, but rather “And the Lord appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre.”

However, there, with Abraham, the name ADNI appeared to him, with Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yod, as it is written, “ADNI [Sir], do not pass by your servant,” since when he accepted the covenant, what was hidden from him until then, was then seen to him as a master and a ruler, ADNI [sir/my lord]. He was worthy of it, since then he connected to that degree, to Malchut, and not more.

Because of it, the Lord was revealed to him with the name of a master and a lord over him, with the name ADNI. It is written, “And the Lord [HaVaYaH] appeared to him,” since the name HaVaYaH was clothed in the name ADNI, in regard to him, as it is written, “And My name is HaVaYaH; I am not known to them.”

52. But in Moses, there was no separation, as it is written, “Moses, Moses,” without any intonation mark separating them, and not as it is written, “Abraham, Abraham, with an intonation mark separating them. The separating intonation mark indicates that the second Abraham is now complete, which was not so in the first Abraham before that. There is a difference between the present Abraham and the Abraham before. But Moses, right as he was born, the illuminating mirror was with him, the light of ZA, as it is written, “And she saw him, that he was good,” and it is written, “And God saw the light, that it was good,” relating to ZA. The “good” here pertains to ZA, too, since Moses immediately connected to his degree, ZA. This is why it is “Moses, Moses,” without a separating intonation mark between Moses and Moses.

53. Hence, to Moses, who is always on the degree of ZA, Malchut diminished herself, as it is written, “the Lord’s angel,” and not with her own name, since Malchut receives from ZA. While Jacob was passing away from the world, he called Malchut by the name “angel,” like Moses, since at that time, he was inheriting her for ruling, like Moses, since Moses connected with Malchut during his life, and Jacob connected with her after he passed away from the world. Moses was with Malchut while still in a body, and Jacob only in spirit, after he went out from the body; happy is Moses.

54. It is written, “the angel who redeems me from any evil.” Jacob never approached the evil side, and the evil could not rule over him. He will bless the boys. Then, before his passing, Jacob was fixing his home, Malchut, as one who walks into a new house and corrects it with its corrections, and decorates it with its decorations. Bless the boys, the boys appointed over the world to draw blessings from them. They are the two cherubim, Matat and Sandalfon.

“And My name shall be called in them,” which is Tifferet, Jacob’s quality. Now he established his home, Malchut, and rose in his degree, in Tifferet. Because of the connection of Malchut to Jacob, Tifferet, the body, Tifferet, adheres where it should, in Malchut, and there are two arms with it, Abraham and Isaac, Hesed and Gevura.

55. After these boys, Matat and Sandalfon, are properly blessed, then “let them grow as fish into a multitude in the midst of the earth,” since the conduct of fish is to be fruitful and multiply inside the water. If they come out from the water to the dry land, they promptly die. These are not so. Rather, they are from the great sea, from Malchut, and their multiplication, to be fruitful and multiply, is in the midst of the earth, in the bottom worlds, which are extended below from Malchut, unlike all the fish in the world.

56. Prior to that, it is written, “And he blessed Joseph, and said,” but we did not find blessings here for him since afterwards he blessed him, as it is written, “Joseph is a fruitful branch.” However, since he blessed those boys, he blessed Joseph, since they can be blessed only from within Joseph, as Malchut has nothing of her own except that which Joseph, Yesod of ZA, gives him. Therefore, he blessed Joseph, who bestowed upon Malchut, and Malchut to the boys, who are Matat and Sandalfon.

Since Yesod is concealed and is unfit to reveal it, for fear that the foreskin would approach to suckle from it, it is written in concealment, “and my name and the name of my fathers will be called in them,” since they are blessed from the fathers, HGT, and not from elsewhere. “In the midst of the earth” is the cover, to cover Yesod, which Malchut, who is called “earth,” covers. This is why Joseph is also implied in the verse, but in concealment.

57. The boy said, “I will bless, for everything that you have heard thus far, you have heard from me, and I will make the verse, ‘A good-eyed, he will be blessed,’ come true in me.” What is the reason that we read in regard to him, “will bless”? It is because he gave of his bread to the poor, and you have eaten from my bread and food. And what we learn, that the landlord cuts and the guest blesses, I am not the landlord and you are not guests. However, I have found a verse and I will observe it, for I am indeed good-eyed, since were it not for your question, I would have still be saying my innovations in the Torah, and you would have eaten my bread and food.

58. He took a cup of blessing and blessed, but his hands could not tolerate the cup, and his hands were shaking. When he got to the words “for the land and for the food,” he said, “I shall raise a cup of salvation and I shall call out the name of the Lord.” He placed the cup properly and sat down on his right, and blessed. Finally, he said, “May one of these,” meaning Rabbi Yitzhak, life will be extended to him from the tree of life, for all of life depends on him, and the Creator will be his guarantor, and a guarantor below, Rabbi Shimon, will be found who agrees to be a guarantor with the holy king, as was said in The Zohar, that Rabbi Yitzhak was about to die, and Rabbi Shimon held him and vouched for him, and he stayed alive.

59. Once he blessed, he closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. He said, “Friends, greetings to you from the good Master, that all the world is His.” They were perplexed and wept, and blessed him. “Ours is that night.” In the morning, they arose early and went. When they arrived at Rabbi Shimon, they told him the story.

Rabbi Shimon was surprised. He said, “He is the son of a strong rock, and he is worthy of it even more than one can think; he is the son of Rav Hamnuna Saba.” Rabby Elazar was shaken. He said, “I must go and see that burning candle.” Rabbi Shimon said, “This one will not merit a name,” meaning he will not live long, “for there is a sublime thing in him, and the illumination of his father’s oil shines on him, and that secret does not spread among the friends.”

60. One day, all the friends were sitting and arguing with one another. They said, “But it is written, “Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them into war,” which is because of Ruth and Naamah, who were destined to come out from them.

Thus, Tzipora, Moses’ wife, who was from Midian, and Jethro and his son, who came from Midian, were all true righteous. It is all the more so that they should have protected Midian. Moreover, Moses, who was raised in Midian, and the Creator told him, Avenge the vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites, and Moses’ merit did not protect them. Hence, there is bias in the matter, since were the Midianites more worthy of being saved than Moab?

61. One who is destined to pick figs is as one who has already picked them. Ruth and Naomi have not come out from Amon and from Moab, whereas Tzipora has already come out from Midian. But although he has already picked the figs, it is a praise, so should they not have been saved thanks to them? However, one who has not picked the figs, always guards the fig tree so it will not be blemished, for the figs that the tree is destined to bring. After he has already picked the figs, he leaves the tree and does not guard it.

62. So are Moab. While it was destined to bring those figs, Ruth and her generations, the Creator guarded it, as it is written, “Do not harass Moab.” Midian, who have already given the figs and they were picked, it is written, “Harass the Midianites,” since from now on, this fig tree is not destined to bear fruit, and because of it, it should be burned by fire. He said, “And Moab said to the elders of Midian.” Moab are the ones who began to harass Israel, and because of those figs, Ruth and her generations, which Moab was destined to bring out to the world, they were saved from punishment.

63. Rabbi Elazar wanted to see Rabbi Yosi, and Rabbi Abba was walking along with him. They walked along the way and said words of Torah all along that road.

64. It is written, “And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them into war,’” and it is written, “And when you approach the territory of the people of Ammon, do not harass them or contend with them.” This matter concerning the children of Amon is as this matter regarding Moab. What is the difference between these and those, since they seem to be the same? We learned that when Israel approached the children of Moab, Israel showed themselves to them with every tool of war, as though they wanted to provoke them. With the children of Amon, Israel enveloped themselves with wrappings, and no tools of war were seen at all. But the writings show that they are equal to each other.

65. It is certainly so, as it is written about Lot’s elder daughter, “And she called his name Moab.” Israel were seen as insolent to them, as she was insolent saying “Moab,” that that son was Me’ab [from the father]. But the young one, who said Ben Ami [son of my people], and hid her ways, Israel, too, hid their ways, wrapping themselves with a Talit [prayer shawl] and seen before them truly as brothers.

66. As they were walking, Rabbi Elazar remembered that child. They strayed from the road three parasangs and got there. They stayed at that house, went in, and found that child sitting, and the table was being set before him. When he saw them, he approached them and said, “Come in, holy Hassidim! Come in, plants of the world, those of above and of below praise them, those for whom even the fish of the great sea come out to the land toward them.” He recognized in them that Rabbi Hamnuna Saba, his father, had appeared to them.

Rabbi Elazar came and kissed him on his head; he returned once more, as in the beginning, and kissed him on his mouth. Rabbi Elazar said, “The first kiss was for the fish that left the water and walked on land, for Rav Hamnuna Saba being revealed to them. The second kiss was for the eggs of the fish, which made good fruits in the world, meaning for the child himself, who is the son of Rav Hamnuna Saba.”

67. That child said, “By the smell of your clothes, I see that Amon and Moab provoked you; how were you saved from them? You did not have tools of war in your hands, and if not, how did you walk safely without fear?”

68. The child said, “Holy sages, do you want delicacy breads without war, and a table of tools of war, or a bread of war, as well? Or, would you like to bless the king with every tool of war? for the table does not ascend without war.”

Rabbi Elazar said, “Dear beloved and holy son, this is what we want; we have exerted in all those tools of war, and we know how to make war with a sword, with a bow, with a lance, and with slingshots, and you, child, have not yet seen how strong and mighty ones of the world make war.

As tools of war are needed in this world to drive away and subdue the enemies, so they do not destroy the earth, it is exactly so in the upper worlds: Several kinds of judgments are needed, called “tools of war,” in order to drive away the external ones so they do not divert the abundance of holiness to their side and destroy the sources of abundance. The origin of these tools of war emerges from the degrees of holiness themselves, and from there, they are extended down in order to subdue and drive away the external ones and the shells from the abundance of holiness.

However, there is extension of abundance that does not require any wars because the external ones have no grip on it at all: the abundance from the coupling of upper AVI to sustain the worlds. This is what the child asked, “Do you want delicacy breads without war,” it is the abundance of AVI that is extended without war since there is no grip on it to the external ones at all. With the innovations in the Torah that they were saying, they were drawing abundance from that degree, in which they were making innovations in the Torah. This is why he asked them from which degree they wanted to hear innovations in the Torah.

However, all that is extended from the phase of Malchut requires war in order to drive away and subdue the external ones, so they do not grip onto its abundance. This is why he said, “and a table of tools of war,” for the table, Malchut, necessarily requires tools of war in order to fight against the external ones, to drive them away. If we want abundance from the coupling of ZON, in whom there is a grip to the external ones, we must fight and drive them away.

He also asked them if they want him to say innovations in the Torah and draw abundance from all the degrees that require tools of war, when he said, “Or, would you like to bless the king with every tool of war,” so nothing of them will be missing since Malchut, called “the king’s table, does not ascend to bestow anything without war.

Rabbi Elazar replied that he wanted innovations in the Torah in the discernment of war and specified four kinds of tools of war: sword, bow, lance, and slingshots. With these we must fight until we are certain that no foreigner will touch the holy.

The sword is the judgments in the screen of Hirik, whose middle line serves in it to diminish the GAR of the left in order to unite it with the right. The sword of the Creator is Yod of HaVaYaH, the tip of the sword, the path of upper AVI, who are Yod of HaVaYaH, the root of everything. The Vav of HaVaYaH is the body of the sword, the middle line, which carries the screen of Hirik, and in whom the unification of the two lines, right and left, operate. The letters Hey, Hey, of HaVaYaH are the two mouths of the sword, since the screen of Hirik contains within it Malchut and Bina, key and lock, which are two forces for the operation of this unification.

The bow is the awakening of the harsh judgments of Nukva, as it is written, “I have placed My bow in the cloud.” It is Malchut, in which there are the three colors of the bow, three lines.

The lance is similar to the sword, the middle line with the screen of Hirik. The difference between them is that a sword has two mouths, and a lance has one mouth, that of the key.

The slingshots are Malchut of the quality of judgment that is thrown up to Bina, and they diminish the Bina from GAR to VAK in order to thereby drop all the external ones that grip the expansion of illumination of Hochma in the left line of Bina. There are several discernments in the slings.

69. That child was happy and said, “Indeed, I have not seen how mighty ones of the world make war, but it is written, ‘Let not him who straps boast as he who takes it off.’ First, hear the matter, and then praise yourselves.” They set the table with bread and with everything that was needed. Rabbi Elazar said, “There is so much joy in my heart about this child, and there will be so many innovations made on this table. This is why I said that I know that waists [body of a bell] with bells of the spirit of holiness go together.”

70. That child said, “whoever wants bread should eat it by the sword.” Rabbi Elazar was happy, he returned and brought the child to him. The child said to him, “Since you praised yourself, you should first make war. In the beginning, I said that the war will be after the eating, but now, whoever wants semolina clear of ban, of shells, will bring tools of war in his hands.” Rabbi Elazar said, “It is becoming that you will show of the tools of war in your hand.”

71. The child said, “‘It will come to pass that when you eat from the bread of the earth, you shall raise a contribution to the Lord.’ This verse, although it concerns the Hallah [Sabbath bread], was said about the wave offering. Waving, since the priest would wave it upward. How does it concern us if he waved and lowered?”

72. Indeed, it must be waved upward, and this is the contribution, and this is why it had to be called a “contribution,” from the word lifting [in Hebrew], and not “waving.” Although the letters of Trumah [contribution] is Trey [a third] of Me’ah [one hundred], the name Trumah is mainly because of the Harama [lifting] upward. But why is it called “waving,” since it is lifting? Should it not have been “contribution”?

73. Tnufah [waving] has the letters of Tnu Peh [give mouth], give glory to the Lord your God. Peh [mouth] is glory, Malchut, which should be given to the Creator to elevate and unite Malchut with ZA. Hence, we must lift her up to ZA to show that we are giving this mouth, Malchut, to ZA, since there is no praise to the upper king, ZA, except when Israel establish this glory, Malchut, and give it to the king of glory, ZA. This is the meaning of Tnu Peh, give glory, and it is certainly a lifting, to raise Malchut to ZA.

74. “And it shall come to pass, when you eat off the bread of the earth.” Is the bread of the earth only barley and not more? No, for there are five species of grain, and we offer barley because barley is the first among the rest of the species of barley in the world. Barley has the letters of Shiur [measure of] Hey, a place in the measure of Hey, Malchut.

Wheat is the middle point, in which the Sitra Achra has no part of a portion of debt there. Wheat is a daughter who sins to her father, and he does her wish. Wheat is all twenty-two letters.

Barley is from the illumination of Malchut when she is left without right, which is the beginning of her construction. The initial construction of Malchut is from left without right, a place in the measure of He [Hey with Aleph instead of Yod], since the illumination of the left is a certain place in the measure of Malchut, who is called Hey, in the posterior vessels of Malchut, which are a measure, a part of her construction.

Wheat is the middle point, the point of the key, which is sweetened in Bina, Yesod of Malchut, the middle point in the world. Since she sweetened in Bina, the Sitra Achra has no part in her.

The sweetening is done through the ascent of Malchut to Bina. although Bina is diminished through this ascent, she nevertheless does as she wishes and bestows her Mochin upon her, first the Katnut [smallness/infancy] and then the Gadlut [greatness/adulthood]. Although Malchut sins by her ascent to Bina, mixing her judgments inside Bina, she nevertheless imparts her lights to her. Were it not for this sweetening of Malchut in Bina, ZON, who are called “twenty-two letters,” ZON would not be suitable to receive any correction and any light.

But why is it called wheat? It is because all twenty-two letters emerged from her, from the sweetening of Malchut in Bina, both in ZA and in Malchut. Twenty-two letters are all the lights and Mochin of ZON, like the twenty-two letters in the alphabet, which are the totality of the Torah and the wisdom. All the wisdom from the combinations of the twenty-two letters comes and is bestowed by the combinations of twenty-two letters. This is why she is called “wheat,” since “wheat” is twenty-two in Gematria.

75. Rabbi Elazar said, “This is what we call it, wheat, but we see in all the tribes that there are no letters Het or Tet in their names since they indicate sin and a grip to the external ones, while in Hitah [wheat] there are Het, Tet. Thus, the external ones have a grip in it, and not as the child said, that the Sitra Achra does not have a portion of debt there.” That child said, “Indeed, so it is, since Het Tet that indicate the grip of the Sitra Achra are present near Malchut. In the tribes, these letters were absent since they came from the side of holiness of above, since the twelve tribes are extended from the twelve phases in Malchut, which comes from the twelve combinations of HaVaYaH, which are all holiness. However, in Malchut, who is called ‘wheat,’ the letters Het Tet are present, indicating the grip of the external ones.”

What the child said, that the Sitra Achra has no part in the wheat, means in her, herself, which is Yesod of Malchut corrected in Bina. But near her, in Malchut of Malchut, the illumination of the lock is concealed, and there, there is a grip to the external ones, and there, there are Het Tet of the wheat, and Yesod itself, the key, is the letter Hey of Hitah [wheat].

76. In the sin of Adam HaRishon, we learn that the sin of the tree of knowledge was wheat. That tree, Malchut, when it wins, everything is the side of the good; it takes all the Sitra Achra and subdues it. Because of it, the child said that the Sitra Achra has no grip on the wheat. Wheat is the correction of Malchut in Bina, by which Malchut becomes suitable for receiving all the lights; it is the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

There are two points in Malchut: key and lock. When a person is rewarded, the point of the key is revealed, controlled by Malchut, and the point of the lock is concealed. Hence, Malchut is suitable for drawing to the person all the lights, and then it is good. If a person is not rewarded, like Adam HaRishon, who sinned by drawing the Hochma in her from above downward, it is bad, since the concealed lock emerges and becomes revealed, and then all the lights depart from Malchut and the person falls into the shells.

Since Malchut is sweetened in Bina so there is no grip to the external ones, why does she need these letters, Het Tet? It is because even though she was established in the middle point that is sweetened with the quality of mercy, there is still the point of the lock in her in concealment. This is why Malchut is called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil, rewarded, it is good, not rewarded, it is bad.”

Adam HaRishon, who was not rewarded, the letters Het Tet were revealed to him because of the revealing of the lock. However, if he is rewarded, it is good, for the point of the lock is concealed and the point of the key rules, and then Malchut wins and she is all good and not bad at all, as the external ones have no grip on her whatsoever.

77. The tree of knowledge was wheat. The first one said, “simply wheat,” for wheat has the letters of sin and it implies sin. But this does not refer to actual wheat, but only an intimation. The last ones came and said, “actual wheat,” which implies Yesod of Malchut, since she is called “the tree of knowledge of good and evil.”

Isaiah came and interpreted it, “And from terror, for it shall not come near you.” For this reason, wheat is the middle point, the key, so there will not be a sin. Were it not for the point, there would be a sin. The swapping between Tet and Tav is a guarding of the Sitra Achra and her sorting.

Wheat is Yesod of Malchut that is sweetened in Bina. For this reason, she can receive all the lights. She is the letter Hey in the wheat, Het Tet are near her, in Malchut of Malchut, where the point of the lock is concealed, and in which there is a grip to the external ones. This grip is Het Tet, and it is adjacent to Yesod of Malchut, to be called “wheat” together, for the purpose of guarding, since if he is not rewarded, it is bad.

Hence, the middle point is wheat that is corrected in the middle point, the point of the key which is sweetened in Bina so her sin will not be, so the point of the lock is not revealed, since then there is a grip to the external ones and all the lights depart. Were it not corrected in the point of the key, there would be a grip to the external ones—called sin—in Malchut, and the lights would depart.

Malchut of Malchut, in which the key is concealed, is the final letter of the twenty-two letters, Tav. However, in Yesod of Malchut, although there are Het-Tet in her, implying the grip of the external ones in the key, there are no Het-Tav in her, implying the key in Malchut, but rather Het-Tet, since Tav has been replaced with Tet in Yesod of Malchut, indicating the concealing of the lock, which is not apparent in Yesod of Malchut.

Isaiah came and interpreted it, “And from terror, for it shall not come near you.” He interpreted the name “sin” with a Tet, indicting the concealing of the key, which is the letter Tav. If the key were seen in the wheat, its name would be Hitah [with a Tav], namely breaking. It follows that the name Hitah with a Tet indicates that no terror will approach her, since she was concealed in Tet. This is why it is written, “And from terror, for it shall not come near you,” since she was concealed in Tet.

The swapping between Tet and Tav is a guarding from the Sitra Achra, since he moved away from Malchut and has no grip on her, since the Tav has been replaced with Tet, for the lock, where there is his grip, has been replaced with Tet, and Malchut was sorted—that there is no bad in her at all, and she is all good.

78. Do the five species of grain—wheat, barley, rye, rice, and millet—have no part for the Sitra Achra in them? It is not so, since anything that decays in the ground has a part for the Sitra Achra in it, and the part that it has is chaff that the wind blows, as it is written, “Not so are the wicked, but are like chaff which the wind blows away.” This is the spirit of holiness, Malchut, as it is written, “For the wind passes over it, and it is gone,” since the spirit of holiness, Malchut, disperses it to all the sides of the world so it will not be found. Chaff is the shell of Nukva, and straw is the male shell.

79. Chaff and straw, male and female of the shell, go together. For this reason, it is exempt from tithing, as they have no part in holiness in them. The letter Hey in wheat is clean grain without straw or chaff. Het Tet of wheat are male and female, chaff and straw. If there is also a Hey with the Het Tet, it indicates clean grain. For this reason, the completeness of the tree, Malchut, is wheat, indicating clean grain without shells, and the tree in which Adam HaRishon sinned was wheat, for everything is in the word “wheat.”

80. Barley came to the world first because it is from the illumination of the left without right, Hochma without the Hassadim that are in Malchut, which is the beginning of the construction of Malchut, and is corrected as regular food for beasts. Malchut, which is called a “beast,” for it is fifty-two in Gematria, BON, HaVaYaH filled with the letters Hey, and barley is a thousand mountains, Hochma, called “one-thousand.” It is raised each day, and Malchut eats them. It is called “a bread of contribution,” a food of contribution, of Malchut.

It is offered at night since Hochma without Hassadim is darkness. This is why the time of revealing her is at night, without Hassadim, which are the light of day, for it is written, “And when the sun goes down, he shall be pure, and afterward he may eat the holy offerings, because it is his bread.” “From the holy offerings” indicates contribution. “From the holy offerings” and not “over the holy offerings” since simply holiness is not called “contribution,” as we learn, “matter in holiness than in contribution.”

81. The holy land, Malchut, is in the authority of the Creator, and no other authority enters there. How is the land checked if it stands in faith, it is in faith with her husband, who is the middle line, which corrects so that the Hochma on the left would shine only from below upward? If she did not connect to another authority, the Sitra Achra, whose way is to draw Hochma from above downward, opposite from the correction of the middle line, ZA, the checking is by offering this contribution of barley.

The holy hand has no other authority in it, the Sitra Achra, who does not enter there. Hence, chaff and straw, which are shells, from where did they come?

82. It is written, “And God made the man in His image.” It is also written, “And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” Can it be that had the snake not come on Eve, there would not be offspring in the world? Or, if Israel had not sinned with the calf, they would not have born offspring? But it is written, “And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply.’” Of course, even if the snake had not come on Eve, Adam would have immediately made offspring, since the degree was decreed right when he was created, as it is written, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth.” However, these offerings were all clean, without any filth.

So is the holy land in which another authority does not enter: It has chaff and straw in it, which are not from the Sitra Achra. Outside the land, there are chaff and straw of the Sitra Achra, which follows the holiness as an ape after humans.

There is no bearing of children without the evil inclination, as we learn, that when they wanted to cancel the evil inclination of prostitution, not even a day-old egg was found. Hence, after the reception of the Torah, when the evil inclination was canceled, when they became free from the angel of death, who is the evil inclination, you find that had they not sinned with the calf, they would not have had an evil inclination and would have no offspring. It is much more so with Adam HaRishon; had he not sinned and extended upon himself the evil inclination, you find that he would have been unable to bear offspring.

However, it is impossible to say this, since the verse “Be fruitful and multiply” was said before the sin of Adam HaRishon. Therefore, it is necessary that there is warming to make offspring in holiness, as well. Likewise, the chaff and the straw of the wheat in the holy land are extended from the holiness itself, and are not male and female of the shell, since there is no permission there for another authority to enter.

In the internality of the matter, the holy land is Malchut that is sweetened in Bina, and she has Mochin of Bina. At that time, ZA is called Yisrael [Israel], Li-Rosh [Mine is the head], and Malchut is called the “Land of Israel.” Since wheat implies Malchut that is corrected in Bina, and chaff and straw are male and female of the shell, how is it possible that the shells will enter Malchut while she is in the state of the Land of Israel?

The root of chaff and straw is in the holiness itself, since they are two points that were established in the holy Malchut, concerning “Rewarded, it is good; not rewarded, it is bad.” They are not shells but actual holiness, and what was said before, that they are shells, refers to outside the land, in BYA, which is the dwelling place of the shells. The chaff and straw that are there are the male and female of the shell, which are drawn from the chaff and straw of holiness like an ape that follows humans.

84. It is written, “There were three branches in the vine, and it was as though it budded, its blossoms went up, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.” Thus far the vision of the matter in his dream, a vine with three branches and the grapes. Henceforth was his own vision, where it is written, “And Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup,” meaning what he himself did, but the vision of the matter in his dream was for Joseph, to tell him, so Joseph would hear and know.

85. There are seven firmaments, and they are seven halls, and they are six, and they are five, and all emerge from the upper Atik. That wine, Jacob draws it from afar, and squeezes it out from the grapes of that vine. At that time, Jacob draws that wine that is destined for Isaac, and he is glad and he drinks, as it is written, “And he brought him wine, and he drank.” Here, they are incorporated above and below. This is why he distanced the word and drew it by prolonged playing of two movements, which are double Mirka [musical intonation in reading the Torah]. The word “him” in the verse “and he brought him wine,” under which the double Mirka is written, means him below, him above.

The vine is the unification of the three lines in order to bestow Hochma from the left line. Gefen [vine] has the letters Gimel [three] Pan [face], three faces: lion, ox, eagle. For this reason, the fruits, which are the abundance that comes from this unification, are called Anavim [grapes], with the letters of Bam [in them] Ayin [eye]. Also, the shape of corporeal grapes is as the shape of the eyes, and eyes imply Hochma.

The vine is discerned in three places. The root is in Bina, where there is the root of the emergence of the lines in the three dots Holam, Shuruk, Hirik. Since ZA is the middle line, which ascended and determined between the two lines in Bina, and three lines came out in Bina, ZA, too, earned them and drew them to his place, and ZA, too, has those three lines. Hence, there is the phase of vine in ZA, too.

However, since ZA is in covered Hassadim, the core of the vine is discerned in Malchut, in which the grapes are squeezed, to reveal the illumination of Hochma in them. Thus, the root of the vine and the squeezing of the grapes are in Bina, and from there they are drawn to ZA, and from there to the place of the squeezing, the Malchut.

This is the meaning of what is written, “There were three branches in the vine,” which are the three lines in Malchut, which is the place of the squeezing of the grapes. “It was as though it budded, its blossoms went up,” for the Hochma in her blossoms from below upward. “Its clusters brought forth ripe grapes.” Illumination of Hochma is called “grapes,” which are the fruits of the vine.

All the degrees in ZA and Malchut come out from Bina, and there is the place of their emergence. However, ZA is rewarded with them, for three come out from one, one is rewarded with the three of them, and ZA gives them to Malchut.

The seven firmaments are HGT NHYM of ZA. The seven halls are HGT NHYM of Malchut, which receive from ZA. Sometimes we call them only six, HGT NHY, without the Malchut, and sometimes we call them five, only HGT NH, according to the number of five phases KHB TM. However, the emergence of all the degrees is from the upper Atik, from Bina, and from there they are extended to ZA, and from ZA to Malchut.

It is written, “And he brought him wine, and he drank.” Wine is illumination of Hochma, whose origin is in the left line, the dot of Shuruk. Isaac is the left line, and Jacob is the middle line. Hence, was Isaac not supposed to give the wine to Jacob, rather than Jacob to Isaac? It was said about this that that wine, Jacob draws it from afar, through the ascent of ZA to Bina, where he diminished the GAR of the left through the force of the screen of Hirik, by which he united the two lines with one another and maintained the illumination of both of them, for the right to shine from above downward, and for the left, only from below upward.

After ZA, the three lines in Bina, came out through Jacob, Jacob extended them to his place. He squeezes it from the grapes of that vine, which is Malchut, which he drew to Malchut that shines only from below upward. There, he squeezed the grapes, disclosing the illumination of Hochma, called “wine.”

At that time, Jacob draws that wine, which is intended for Isaac, the illumination of Hochma that shines from below upward, which is suitable for drinking. However, Isaac himself could not draw the wine, for had he drawn it, he would have shone from below upward like the left line, which is the intoxicating wine. Rather, only after Jacob, the middle line, corrected the wine so it would shine only in the quality of Malchut, from below upward, it became suitable for drinking, and then it is regarded as wine that delights God.

“He is glad and he drinks,” since it is wine that delights, as it is written, “and he brought him wine and he drank.” Had Jacob not brought him with his correction, Isaac would have been unable to drink, since it would have been the intoxicating wine. In the word “him” contains the two phases of the left line, called Isaac: 1) the left line of Bina, for Jacob corrected his wine so it would shine only from below upward, 2) the left line of ZA, which is Isaac in his own place.

This is why it was said that the left line of Bina and the left line of ZA are incorporated here above and below. This is also why he distanced the word and prolonged it with a long playing of two vowels, since under the “him,” a double Mirka is written, whose playing should be prolonged since it implies Jacob’s correction of the left line of Bina and Jacob’s correction of the left line of ZA. Hence, “And he brought him,” with two vowels, indicates the two times of bringing, two corrections, to him above, in Bina, and to him below, in ZA.

86. Hanoch, who is Matat, the head of the seminary of the firmament, said, “and he brought him wine,” that he threw water into the wine. Had he not thrown water into it, he would not be able to tolerate. It is good that Hanoch said Matat. Because of it, he prolonged the word “him” with two intonations, a double Mirka, for it was gripped on two sides, on the right and on the left.

That wine goes from degree to degree; everyone tastes it until Righteous Joseph tastes it, Yesod of ZA, who is a faithful beloved one, as it is written, “Like the good wine, it goes down smoothly for my beloved.” “Like the good wine,” into which Jacob came and threw water. This is the good wine, as Hanoch said, Matat.

Before Jacob, the middle line, came and united the two lines with one another, there was a dispute between right and left, and the left shone the Hochma without the right, Hassadim. At that time, darkness and harsh judgments were extended from him. However, after Jacob, the middle line, came and united the lines with one another, and the illumination of Hochma on the left clothed in the Hassadim on the right, the illumination of Hochma was completed and shone in its fullest. Illumination of Hochma that is extended from the left is called “wine,” and the Hassadim that are extended from the right are called “water.”

“And he brought him wine,” throwing water in the wine, placing Hassadim in the illumination of Hochma, at which time the judgments and the darkness were removed from her and she could shine. Had he not thrown water into it, he would have been unable to tolerate since if the Hochma had shone without Hassadim, it would have been impossible to tolerate the multitude of judgments in her. This is why he prolonged the word “him” with two intonations, a double Mirka, since it was gripped on two sides. The two sides in the double Mirka indicate the unification of the two lines right and left that was done by Jacob, the middle line, and this is the correction implied in the verse, “and he brought him.”

87. Until now, the vine awaits bearing fruits, that the illumination of Hochma, which is its fruits, will be revealed in her. She is the vine in holiness, Malchut, since there is another vine, called “foreign vine,” whose grapes are not grapes, but are hard, pinch the heart and bite the palate like a dog. Those grapes are called “the degenerate plant of an alien vine,” which is the Sitra Achra.

However, this vine is Malchut. It is written about her, “There were three branches in the vine,” that vine in which all the holy ones taste old wine, good wine, the wine in which Jacob placed water, until all those who know how to taste wine taste it, and it is good to the palate.

88. The vine, Malchut, when reaching her, stretches out three branches, three forms of the father, three lines by which she is sanctified. This is so because there is holiness only in wine, and there is blessing only in wine. In a place where there is joy, it is the delighting wine. “It was as though it budded,” like a bride adorning herself and coming with the love and joy of the wine, illumination of Hochma, which is mixed with water, Hassadim.

At that time, “its blossoms went up,” meaning her love ascends to her beloved, ZA, and she begins to play and enter into love. Then, “its clusters brought forth ripe grapes,” meaning that those soft grapes filled up and ripened, and they are full of that good, old wine, wine in which Jacob threw water.

89. For this reason, one who blesses the blessing for the food over wine, and reaches the words “over the earth,” should throw water on it, since one must not bless “Have mercy, O Lord, on Israel, Your people,” unless there is water in the wine. As long as the illumination of Hochma on the left, wine, is not mixed with Hassadim on the right, water, there is no Rachamim [mercy] in Malchut, but she is all judgment without Rachamim. If one does not throw water into her, who can tolerate Malchut’s judgments? This is what the chief butler had to tell Joseph, Yesod of ZA, since the matter depended on him, as he was bestowing everything to Malchut.

90. Hanoch, Matat, said, “There are three branches corresponding to three fathers, three lines, Michael, Uriel, Rafael.” But four angels are hers, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Rafael, so why does he say three? However, it is as it is written, “It was as though it budded,” since when she buds and blossoms with her wings to rise, when she shines from below upward, it is as though she buds, the fourth, Gabriel, who rises with her and does not separate from her, since Gabriel is from the left line, and Malchut, too, is from the left line.

For this reason, he does not separate from her, for Gabriel, too, cannot rule unless when Malchut flies and shines from below upward, as it is written, “and he rode on a cherub and flew.” It means that when Malchut flies, she rides a cherub, Gabriel, as though blossoming. When she blossoms, she shines from below upward, since the left can shine only from below upward. It is good that Hanoch said Matat.

92. Bread and wine are the core of the table; the rest are foods that follow them. The Torah earned bread and wine, and they are hers. The Torah asks of you, please, with love, saying, “Go, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed.” Since the Torah invited you and asks of you this thing, then you should do her will. Please, since she invited you, do as she wishes.

93. It is not written, “And the elders of Moab said to the elders of Midian,” but rather, “And Moab said,” since Moab’s young took advice from the elders of Midian, and the elders were drawn after the wish of the young and gave them advice. What is the advice they had given them? That they took for themselves a bad advice.

The elders of Midian said to Moab, “A foul plant we have grown among us, and it is Moses, their rav [teacher/great one]. A parson who was among us trained him and raised him in his home, and gave him his daughter for a wife. Moreover, he gave him money and sent him to Egypt to destroy the entire land. The person and his entire household were taken after him. If we can uproot that rav of theirs from the world, his entire nation will immediately be uprooted from the world.” All of the bad advice concerning Pe’or was from Midian.

94. Everything was from Midian, and their whole advice was about Moses, and by the advice of Midian, they hired Balaam. When they saw that Balaam was incapable, they took for themselves another bad advice and pandered their wives and daughters more than Moab, since it is written about the women of Moab, “Look, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the Lord.” It was all from Midian. They sought counsel with their president to pander his daughter because they contemplated taking Moses into their net. They crowned her with several kinds of charms so she would catch the head of Israel, but the Creator sends the wise ones back.

95. They saw that their head would be caught in their net, and did not know who he was; they saw and did not see. They saw that the head of the people would fall with Kozbi, the daughter of Tzor, and several other thousands, and thought he was Moses. They pandered Kozbi and commanded her on Moses, that she was not to copulate with anyone but him. She said to them, “How would I know?” They told her, “The one you see that everyone rises in his presence, with him you shall copulate.”

When Zimri, son of Salu, arrived, 24,000 from the tribe of Shimon stood up before him, since he was their president. She thought he was Moses so she copulated with him. when all those 24,000 saw this, they did what they did, and what happened, happened.

96. Everything was from Midian in several manners. This is why Midian was punished, and the Creator said to Moses, “Avenge the vengeance of the children of Israel against the Midianites.” You are worthy of it, and it is becoming of you. To Moab, I am leaving them until two gems come out from among them. David, son of Yishai, will avenge the vengeances against Moab and wash Pe’or’s filth-filled pot,” as it is written, “Moab is My washpot.” As long as those two gems did not come out from among them, they were not punished. Once they came out, David came and washed the pot from their filth, and they were all punished, Midian in the days of Moses, Moab in the days of David.

97. Nevertheless, the wicked of Midian did not cease from all their evil. After generations, when they saw that Joshua had died, along with all those worthy elders by whom a miracle would be done, they said, “Now the time is good for us.” They came to Amalek and told them, “You should remember what Israel had done to you, and Moses their great one and Joshua his disciple, to obliterate you from the world. Now is the time, since there is none among them to protect them. We will go with you,” as it is written, “And Midian and Amalek came up, and the children of the east.”

There was no one in the world who had done harm to Israel like Midian. And Amalek, because of the envy of the covenant, that they approached the covenant in order to blemish it. For this reason, the Creator was zealous with everlasting zeal that will not be forgotten.

98. “And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab.’” Can it be that until now, we did not know that the Creator spoke with Moses and not with another, that it had to be written, “And the Lord said to me”? Why “to me”? The Creator commanded Moses not to harass Moab, but He did not command someone else. He did not command David, as it is written, “And the Lord said to me, ‘Do not harass Moab,’” even on the smallest of their borders, since from them the one who avenges the vengeances of Israel would emerge, and would avenge against them, too, against Moab, and it is David, who came from Ruth the Moabite.

99. Moses was commanded all this, but to another, it was permitted. To Joshua and to those elders who lived after him, it was not permitted, too, since they were all from Moses’ courthouse, and what was forbidden for Moses was forbidden for them, as well. Moreover, those good gems had not come out, since Ruth came out in the days of the Judges, and she was the daughter of Eglon King of Moab. When Eglon died, having been killed by Ehud, and another king was appointed, that daughter of Eglon remained and was a nursemaid in the house, and in Sdei Moab. When Elimelech came there, he took her for his son.

100. Elimelech did not convert her [to Judaism] there. Rather, she learned all the manners of the house, and eating and drinking. When did she convert? Afterwards, when she walked with Naomi. Then, she said, “Your people is my people; your God is my God.” Naama, who came from the children of Amon, came out in the days of David.

101. Then the spirit of holiness hovered over David, Malchut, and said to him, “David, when I measured the whole world and cast lots, and Israel were His allotted [also: line/rope] inheritance, I remember what Moab did to His allotted inheritance. It is written, “And he defeated Moab and he measured them with a line,” that line of the inheritance of the Creator, Israel. All those who were from that seed of the Moabites, who harmed Israel in the days of Moses, that rope was clinging to them.

102. It is written, “two ropes to put to death, and the entire rope to revive.” The entire rope is as it is written, “The whole earth is full of His glory,” Malchut, who would say, “This one to keep alive, and this one to kill.” And that rope clung to those who deserved to be killed. For this reason, he grabbed the rope and stretched the rope for what they did to that line, the allotted place of the Creator.

103. And Midian, Gideon was obliterating that whole seed, not leaving any of those who harmed Israel by counsel or by something else. All those who harmed Israel, the Creator holds a grudge against them and takes revenge against them. However, if good is destined to come to the world from them, He delays His anger and rage toward them until that good comes out to the world, and then takes revenge and judgment against them.

104. It is written, “Bless the Lord, His angels, mighty in power, doers of His word, to hear the voice of His word.” King David invited to bless the Creator. He invited the hosts of heaven, which are stars and signs and the rest of the hosts, and he associated his soul with them to bless the Creator, as it is written, “Bless the Lord, all His works in all the place of His governance; bless the Lord, my soul.” He signed all the blessings in his soul.

105. He invited the angels of above to bless Him, as it is written, “Bless the Lord his angels.” Before Israel came, the angels of above were doing and completing the work. When Israel came and stood at Mount Sinai, and said, “We will do and we will hear,” they took the work from the ministering angels. They were incorporated in His word, and since then, the work was only in the Land of Israel, and the holy angels were alone, and Israel finished and completed the work.

Hence, “mighty in power, doers of His word” were initially, before Israel came. Afterwards, when Israel came, the angels were only to hear the voice of His word. But the doers of His word were Israel. Happy are Israel that the work was taken from them and came true in them.

All the worlds come only for the correction of Malchut. Her first correction is her ascent and mixture with Bina. Were it not for that, she would have been unfit to receive any light. The whole of Malchut, from top to bottom, is mixed with vessels of Bina. However, there is a difference between her from-the-Chazeh-and-above, where there are mainly vessels of Bina, and her from-the-Chazeh-and-below, where they are mainly her own vessels.

Malchut is called “the word of the Lord,” and she is also called doing. Bina is called hearing. Accordingly, we should understand that from the Chazeh and above, where there are the vessels of Bina, she is called “to hear the voice of His word,” the hearing in Malchut, since His word is Malchut, and hearing is Bina. From the Chazeh and below, she is called “doers of His word,” doing in Malchut, since His word is Malchut, and “doers” is doing.

The angels and Israel are the generations of Malchut, upon whom it is incumbent to correct their root. However, the angels emerge from the coupling of kissing of ZA and Malchut, from the Chazeh of Malchut and above, where the vessels are mainly from Bina, hearing. The souls of Israel emerge from the coupling of Yesodot [pl. of Yesod] of ZA and Malchut from the Chazeh of Malchut and below, where the vessels are mainly from Malchut, doing.

Before Israel came, the entire correction of Malchut was upon the angels, who had to complete the correction of from-the-Chazeh-and-below of Malchut, although their root is only from the Chazeh and above, since there was no one to correct the from-the-Chazeh-and-below.

And before Israel came, the angels of above were doing and completing the work, and the angels were in the form of “hearing the voice of His word,” which is from-the-Chazeh-and-above of Malchut, and they are regarded as “doers of His word,” which is from-the-Chazeh-and-below of Malchut.

When Israel came and stood at Mount Sinai, and said “We will do and we will hear,” they took the doing from the ministering angels, took upon themselves the correction of from-the-Chazeh-and-below of Malchut, where there is the phase of Malchut herself, called “doing.” They became incorporated in His word, which is the totality of Partzuf Malchut, and became discerned as the doers of His word, to correct the from-the-Chazeh-and-below of Malchut, which is the state of doers of His word.

Since then, doing, which is from the Chazeh of Malchut, was alone in the Land of Israel, as that whole place is only the inheritance of Israel, since their root is from there. And the holy angels are alone, for the place from the Chazeh and above is only the inheritance of the angels, as their root is from there.

Israel complete and finish the doing. It is incumbent upon Israel to finish the end of correction of from-the-Chazeh-and-below of Malchut. Hence, “mighty in power, doers of His word” is written about the angels before Israel came. After Israel came, to hear, the angels were left only with hearing the voice of His word, and not more, since the doers of His word, Israel took it from them.

106. That child said, “Guard yourself and succeed in your vessels.” Did Israel take only this praise, and not another praise? Rabbi Elazar said to him, “I have found this praise and none other.” That child said, “Since your sword is not succeeding, or you are not moving it properly, leave that sword to one who is proficient at war.”

A sword implies the engagement in a double-edged sword of two kinds of judgments—of Bina and of Malchut. Since Rabbi Elazar engaged in two kinds of judgments, in hearing and in doing, the child told him, “Since your sword is not succeeding.”

107. A high praise that is not given only to the high angels unless together with Israel, is holy. The blessing that was given only to them, as it was given to Israel, but “holy” was not given to them alone, but along with Israel, since they do not sanctify holiness unless with Israel, and what is written, “And one called to another and said, ‘Holy, holy, holy,’” is when Israel sanctify below. Until Israel sanctify below, they do not say holiness.

The meaning of the three-times holy is two lines, and a middle line that unites the two lines through the force of the screen of Hirik. However, Israel must raise MAN from the Chazeh and below of Malchut, where that screen reigns. If Israel do not raise MAN, to awaken that screen in ZA, ZA cannot unite the two lines. For this reason, the angels, which are from the Chazeh and above, cannot awaken the screen in ZA, and have a part only in the two lines right and left. In order for it to also hold the middle line, they must participate with Israel.

108. Because holiness rises from three worlds, three lines, and not from two worlds, two lines, “And he called to one” is the right line, “to the other” is the left line, and “and said,” is the middle line. The three worlds correspond to three Kedushot [pl. of Kedusha (holiness)]. This is why the merit of Israel is because they take the holiness of below, the middle line, alone.

The three worlds BYA are one Partzuf. The world of Beria is GAR, Rosh. The world of Yetzira is HGT, Guf. The world of Assiya begins from the Chazeh of the world of Yetzira and below, half of Tifferet and NHYM. The place of the angels is from the Chazeh and above, in Beria and Yetzira, up to the Chazeh. From the Chazeh and below, it is the world of Assiya. Although there are several manners there, as well, they nevertheless grip only to Israel.

The root of the angels is from the Chazeh and above in all the degrees, and the root of the souls is from the Chazeh and below in all the degrees. The first two, right and left, are always from the Chazeh and above in all the degrees, and the middle line is from the Chazeh and below in all the degrees. This is a general property that applies to each degree in particular.

However, individually, there are three lines from the Chazeh and above, HGT through the Chazeh, and three lines from the Chazeh and below, NHY. Yet, when you divide each degree to from-the-Chazeh-and-above, the GAR of that degree, and from-the-Chazeh-and-below, the VAK of that degree, there will be two upper lines, GAR, and a middle line, VAK, and the angels are from the two upper lines, and the souls of Israel are from the middle line.

Accordingly, if we consider the three worlds BYA in general, the angels will be from the Chazeh and Yetzira an above, and Israel from the Chazeh and Yetzira and below. Individually, Beria is also divided in this way, as is Assiya, where from the Chazeh and above of Assiya are the angels, and from the Chazeh and below of Assiya is Israel.

109. Rabbi Elazar said, “Three Kedushot were handed over to Israel below in the verse, ‘Sanctify yourselves and be holy, for I the Lord am holy.’” The child said to him, “This is very good, but you did not remember the lance until I took it behind your shoulder and placed it in your hand. From now on, you will remember the lance that is in your hand. Return to the place that you left,” meaning to the interpretation in which he began.

A lance means the female judgment. Hence, the interpretation about holiness, that Israel awaken the judgments of the screen of Malchut by themselves, is regarded as a lance. Conversely, the interpretation of Rabbi Elazar, who spoke from the doers of His word, which is judgments of Malchut, and from hearing the voice of His word, which is the judgments of Bina, this is regarded as a sword with two edges, Bina and Malchut.

For this reason, the child said, “You did not remember the lance from the interpretation of Kedushot until I took it from behind your shoulder and placed it in your hand.” The child reminded him, and as he took the lance he had forgotten and left behind, and placed it in his hand, from then only you will remember the lance that is in your hand, meaning use the interpretation of the Kedushot.

110. It is written, “Bless the Lord His angels.” “Bless” is extension of the blessings from the place from which all the blessings come out, from Bina, until they become a pool. From the extensive extensions that are extended, and from the multitude of water in the pool, from the multitude of abundance, promptly, many fish are multiplied in the water, many degrees, to several kinds. This extension is the letter Hey, Malchut, an extension of light that shines inside the illuminating mirror, ZA, who is extended from above, from Bina, to below, to Malchut.

111. The high angels, at the top of the top chamber, were told, “Bless the Lord.” We who dwell below, why do we say, “Bless the Lord”? It is because we must draw on ourselves the word “the,” which is Malchut, and in it, we come before the king, ZA, to see his face.

This is why David said, “I will behold Your face in justice.” “I, in justice,” in Malchut, where through justice, Malchut, I will behold Your face.” This is why the beginning of the prayer is “Bless the Lord,” to extend on our heads the word “bless,” Malchut. After we have extended on ourselves, we should say the prayer and praise.

112. This is why it is forbidden to greet a person before one has prayed his prayer and extended over his head the “the,” which is Malchut. If one greets a person first, that person as though extends a stage on his head instead of “the,” which he should have extended on his head. For this reason, it is as though he has made him a stage.

113. this is why it is written about the high angels “Bless the Lord [without the “the”],” and we, “Bless the Lord [with the “the”],” as an addition, for we must first extend the Malchut.

The child said, “Indeed, I have known that your tools of war are good. Remember them and do not forget them. Certainly, the strength of a man of war is in the lance and in the sword. But why is it written, ‘mighty in power, doers of His word, to hear the voice of His word’? Rabbi Elazar said, ‘But I have already said its meaning.’”

That child said, “I already knew that your strength has weakened,” since he said, “I have found this praise and none other, and he forgot three Kedushot. Now is the time not to wait, but to strike with the slingshot stone after stone, as it is written, “with a slingshot and with a stone,” in haste, one after the other.

114. The child said, “It is written, ‘I am black and beautiful, daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Kedar, like the curtains of Solomon. Do not see me as dark.’” When Malchut is in great love for her loved one, ZA, out of the pressure of her love, that she cannot tolerate the separation, she greatly diminished herself until all that was seen of her was one dot, the letter Yod.

At that time, she is covered by all her hosts and camps and says, “I am black,” that there is no whiteness inside this letter Yod, as with the rest of the letters. I am black and I have no place in which to let you in under my wings, like the tents of Kedar, which are Yod without white in it. “Like the curtains of Solomon” are Vav.

115. For this reason, “Do not see me,” you will not see me at all for I am a tiny dot. What do her hosts do, the brave mighty ones? They roar as mighty lions, as it is written, “The young lions roar after prey.” Through the sounds and roars that they roar as strong and mighty lions, her loved one above hears and knows that his loved one is in love with him, as he is, and she has diminished herself out of his love until nothing of her form and beauty was seen.

116. Then, out of the sounds and roars of those mighty ones of hers, her beloved, ZA, comes out of his hall with several gifts and presents, with fragrances and perfumes. He comes to her and finds her black and small, without any form and beauty.

He approaches her, embraces her, and kisses her until she gradually awakens because of the fragrances and perfumes, and through the joy that her beloved, ZA, is with her, she is built and becomes corrected in her form, in her beauty, and she becomes the Hey of HaVaYaH, as in the beginning.

117. The mighty ones did this to her, returning her to her form and beauty, and their power and might caused it. This is why it is written, “mighty in power, doers of His word.” They do His word because they correct this thing, Malchut, who is called “thing,” and restore her first form.

Since she is corrected and her form becomes as beautiful as before, they, and all the rest of the hosts, stand to hear what she says, as it is written, “to hear the voice of His word.” She stands as a king among his armies, and this is as it is written, “doers of His word,” that they make the Malchut [kingship].

118. It is likewise below. When there are wicked in a generation, Malchut covers and diminishes herself until all that is seen of her form is but one dot. When mighty ones and true righteous come, they do this thing, Malchut, who is called a “thing,” and she shines bit-by-bit, and returns to her form and beauty, and becomes the Hey of HaVaYaH as in the beginning.

There are two manners by which Malchut returns and diminishes herself to a dot under the Chazeh, which is her point of Keter, and her bottom nine disappear: The first manner is in the order of her emanation and construction. There are two states in Malchut during her construction. The first state is in the two great lights. At that time, Malchut is in Hochma without Hassadim, and greatly yearns for a coupling face-to-face with ZA, that he will impart her with Hassadim. Because of it, she cannot tolerate that state and diminishes herself to a dot under the Chazeh with respect to the vessels of ZA, and to a dot under Yesod with respect to the lights of ZA, since there is an inverse relation between vessels and lights. After she returns to that diminution, the lower ones raise MAN and she ascends to AVI and is built anew.

When Malchut is in great love for her beloved, ZA, out of her great love for ZA, to receive Hassadim from him, until she cannot tolerate the state of separation, to be in Hochma without Hassadim, she diminishes herself with a great diminution into a dot under the Yesod, her Keter, and all her bottom nine disappear. Then, out of the sounds and roars of those mighty ones of hers, where through the raising of MAN of the righteous, she is rebuilt and comes to a second state, a coupling face-to-face with ZA.

The second manner is when she is diminished into a dot due to the sins of the lower ones. Here, too, she is rebuilt through the true righteous who can protect their generation. But there is a big difference between these two manners. In the first manner, when she is diminishes into a dot of her own volition, for a coupling face-to-face with ZA, the bottom nine that have disappeared from her do not fall into the shells. Rather, they return to their root, to ZA. Conversely, in the second manner, when she is diminished due to the sins of the lower ones, her bottom nine fall into the shells, and it is impossible to rebuild her until her nine Sefirot are taken out from the shells.

119. That child said, “I will bless.” They said, “You bless, it is appropriate that you should bless.” He said, “How holy you are; several blessings are destined for you from the holy mother, Bina, because you did not prevent me from blessing.”

120. It is written, “The people will curse he who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of he who sells it.” Every person is obligated to do the blessing for the food. If he does not know, his wife or children bless for him. A curse will come to one who does not know how to bless, to the point that he needs his wife and children to bless for him.

121. If he knows, he should educate his son and give him a cup so he will bless. One who prevents him from being educated, the people will curse him. One who denies grain, who prevents the son from blessing the Creator and being educated in the commandments, the people will curse him before the holy mother, Malchut. They will curse that person who prevents his son from blessing the Creator, so he will be cursed before Malchut so she does not impart blessings upon him.

122. “I am my mother’s only child; give me a cup and I will bless the holy king, for he placed mighty ones in my mother’s house, and I spoke harsh words before them and defeated them. For this reason, I will bless. But before that, I will settle the verse properly, this verse with which he began.”

123. “He who withholds grain,” who prevents his son from blessing, “the people will curse him,” as it is written, “And the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the name of the Lord and cursed.” “Curse” means “interpret,” meaning that his sins will be interpreted to the holy mother, Malchut. “Blessing will be on the head of he who sells it,” that person, who educates his son to bless the Creator and educates him in the commandments of the Torah.

124. It is written, “What is His name, and what is His Son’s name, if you know?” That name is known: His name is the Lord of Hosts, Bina, for all the hosts are hers. The name of his son is Israel, ZA, as it is written, “My son, my firstborn, Israel.” But all the keys of faith, all the degrees of Malchut, called “faith,” are dependent on him, on ZA, who is called Israel. He is praised and says, “The Lord said to me, ‘You are My son,’” that HaVaYaH, Bina, said to ZA, “You are My son.”

AVI, the right and left of Bina, who are called YESHSUT, as soon as AVI crowned ZA and blessed him with several blessings, since all the Mochin of ZA is from YESHSUT. They said and commanded everyone, “Kiss the son,” kiss the hand of this son, ZA, to whom He has given governance over everything, that everyone will serve him, “lest he be angry,” since AVI crowned ZA with judgment and with mercy. One who is rewarded with judgment is for judgment; one who is rewarded with mercy is for mercy.

125. All the blessings of above and of below rise to that son, ZA, and are crowed. One who denies blessings from that son, his sins will be interpreted before the holy king, the mother, Bina, and it is written about that, “The people will curse he who withholds grain.”

“But blessing will be on the head of he who sells it,” meaning one who blesses and invites the Creator with a cup of blessing. By this, the Sitra Achra breaks, and with her breaking, she surrenders and the side of holiness ascends. This is the meaning of what is written, “but blessing will be on the head of he who sells it.” As he extols and blesses the Creator, and makes the Sitra Achra break, so the Creator draws upon him blessings from above, and the one who is called “blessing,” Malchut, is on his head.

126. “From here on, friends, let us bless.” He was given a cup for blessing and he blessed, and all the friends were glad, for since the day of the jubilee of Rabbi Elazar, the friends had not rejoiced as on that day when they sat there. They rushed to bless him with joy and a willing heart. That child said, “You should not part unless with words of Torah.”

127. It is written, “And the Lord walks before them by day in a pillar of smoke.” “The Lord” implies Malchut. The intonation above it is Zakkof, meaning that it is written above the word “the Lord,” and the intonation Pazzer, which stands upright. At that time, how comely and beautiful it was for the bride, Malchut, who has been subjugated until now in the exile, and now she walks with head upright among her crowd with joy.

128. In the word “the Lord,” the intonation Zakkof is on top. Afterwards, it is written, “walks before them by day.” Until now, it is not known if this bride, Malchut, implied in the name “and the Lord,” walks before them or not, since the intonation stops in the word “and the Lord,” since the melody of the Pazzer on “the Lord” stops between “and the Lord,” Malchut, and “walks before them by day.”

However, the Malchut implied in the name “and the Lord” was there, but the one who walks before them is the elder of the house, the landlord, the one to whom the Creator swore. It is Abraham, Hesed of ZA, as it is written, “By day, the Lord commands His mercy [Hesed],” as well as “If not My covenant day and night.”

Hesed is called “by day” because it is a day in which all the days, all the Sefirot of ZA, are included, in Hesed. It is a day of the rest of the days, and it is the rest of all the days. This is why it is called “by day” and not “day,” and this is why it is written, “and the Lord walks before them by day.”

Hesed of ZA walks by day, and the bride, implied in the name “and the Lord,” walks by night, as it is written, “And by night, in a pillar of fire to give them light.” This is the bride, Malchut. Each one as is appropriate for him, since ZA is the governance of the day, and Malchut is for the governance of the night. “And you, the friends, will have day and night before you, and at any time.” They kissed him and blessed him as before, and left.

129. They came before Rabbi Shimon and told him of the deed. He was surprised. He said, “How beautiful he is, but he will not merit a name. When a thin tree elevates its light, it rises for a time and promptly quenches and sinks. Also, I have already said from what was that light, that he was the son of Rav Hamnuna.”

130. He opened and said, “His descendants will be mighty in the land, a generation of upright shall be blessed.” When a person is mighty in the land, mighty in the Torah, mighty over his evil inclination, he is mighty in the land, for his light rises and great extension is extended in him. Then, “the generation of the upright will be blessed.”

131. Thus, we see children saying sublime things, and afterwards, they are the heads of the world. He said to them, “Children who say one or two things for the time being, without their intention, by this, a person is guaranteed to be rewarded with learning Torah in Israel. However, that child, whose light stands on his existence with complete knowledge, is not like that, especially since the Creator’s passion is to smell that apple. Therefore, it is a must that he will depart; happy is he.”

132. Happy are you righteous, for it is written about you, “And the surviving remnant of the house of Judah shall again take root below and bear fruit above.” The root below is like Rav Hamnuna, who departed from the world and is a root below, in the seminary of the firmament, the seminary of Matat. He made fruit above, in the upper seminary, the seminary of the Creator. How good is the root and the fruit.

Had I not been distressing the Creator by this, since He wants to smell him, I would have made it so that no one would be able to govern him, so he would live long. But may his mother not see grief over him. And so it was, that he passed away.