Kabbalah Library

2. “A Psalm of David. Lord, who may dwell in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy mountain? He who walks in wholeness, and works with justice, and speaks the truth in his heart.” The ten things are mentioned in this psalm correspond to the Ten Commandments that the children of Jacob are destined to observe in His holy mountain.

3. Are they not eleven things? One thing is as it is written, “he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor,” meaning that anyone who spies on his friend immediately does him harm. This is why “he who does not backbite with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor.” And what do these ten things do that will correspond to the Ten Commandments?

4. All of the Ten Commandments are heard from them. “Walks in wholeness” corresponds to “I am the Lord your God,” teaching that one should take upon himself the fear of the burden of the kingdom of heaven, and he has no permission to think of what he cannot attain, as is implied from the words “I am the Lord your God.” That is, you have no permission to think of what you were not permitted to, which is like “I am the Lord your God.”

5. “Works with justice” corresponds to “You shall have no other gods over Me,” you shall not bow to them or worship them. Nothing stands against desecration of the Lord, as it is written, “And you shall stone him with stones until he dies.” Why? Because as it is written, “he sought to entice you away from the Lord your God.” And if he kills him, he is called righteous, zealous, and works in justice. This is the meaning of “and works with justice.”

6. “And speaks the truth in his heart” corresponds to “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” “He who does not backbite with his tongue” corresponds to “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” and “nor takes up a reproach against his friend” corresponds to desecrating the Shabbat [Sabbath] openly, and corresponds to “You shall not steal,” as it is written, “If the sun has risen on him,” who is his father, “there shall be guilt for his bloodshed.” This is “nor takes up a reproach against his friend,” who is his father.

7. “In whose eyes a vile person is despised” corresponds to “You shall not kill,” for one who is despised in his eyes does not cause strife, to kill others or to be killed.

8. “But he honors those who fear the Lord” corresponds to “Honor your father and your mother.” One must honor his father and his mother in everything. It follows from this rule that if he is told to breach the words of Torah or to commit idol-worship, which he need not honor, as it is written, “But he honors those who fear the Lord,” then he will honor them.

9. “He who swears to his own hurt and does not change” corresponds to “You shall not commit adultery.” If his inclination wants to control him, he should cast an oath on his inclination, like Boaz, who said, “As the Lord lives, lie until morning,” meaning he swore to the Creator that he would not touch her.

10. “He who does not put out his money in usury” corresponds to “You shall not steal,” for if he does not perform usury, he will certainly not go and steal. “Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent” corresponds to “You shall not covet.”

11. Corresponding to these ten things, ten others are written in Jacob: 1) He came to a place, 2) and slept there, 3) for the sun had set, 4) and he took of the stones of the place, 5) and put it under his head, 6) and lied in that place. 7) And he dreamed and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, 3) and its top reaches heaven, 9) and behold, angels of God, 10) ascending and descending in it.

12. “He came to a place.” It is written, “Do not see me, that I am dark, for the sun has tanned me. My mother’s sons were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards, but my own vineyard I have not kept.” This verse relates to Jacob, since the governance of Jacob was initially the sun, and that governance was given to Esau, and was removed from Jacob.

Jacob said, “Do not see me that I am dark,” since I was given the governance of the moon, who is black at certain times. “For the sun has tanned me,” since the governance of the sun has been removed from me.

13. “My mother’s sons were angry with me” is Esau, who was his mother’s son, as it is written, “And Esau hated Jacob.” “They made me the keeper of the vineyards,” for I was with Lavan, as it is written, “As it was, the heat consumed me by day and the frost by night.” “But my own vineyard I have not kept,” as it is written, “And now, when shall I also provide for my own house?”