Kabbalah Library

224. On the day of Rosh Hashanah, the moon, Malchut, was covered and does not shine until the tenth of the month, when all of Israel return in complete repentance, and upper Ima, Bina, returns and shines for her. On Yom HaKippurim, Malchut takes the illuminations of Ima, Bina, and is in joy in everything. This is why it is written, “It is a day of Kippurim [atonements]” in plural form, and not “a day of Kippur [atonement],” since then two lights shine together, the upper light, Bina, shines to the lower light, Malchut. On that day, Malchut shines from the upper light, Bina, and not from the light of the sun, ZA. This is why it is written, “on our feast day on the day of our festival,” since Malchut does not shine until Yom HaKippurim.

226. There is coupling of the king with the queen, ZA with Malchut, only when she shines from upper Abba, for then the Hochma from Ima is clothed in the Hassadim of Abba. When she shines from him, she is called “holy,” since she takes it from upper Abba, since Abba is holy. At that time, ZON make a coupling together because the king is called “holy,” as it is written, “Israel was holy to the Lord,” taking from a place called “holy.”

Then, ZA says, “My sister is my father’s daughter, but not my mother’s daughter,” since that name, holy, is from the father’s house, and not from my mother’s house, not from Bina. Hence, “and she became my wife,” to make a coupling as one at that time and not at another time, when she takes from the father’s house, and not when she takes from the mother’s house. Yom HaKippurim proves, for intercourse is forbidden on it because the coupling of ZA and Malchut is not present then, since she takes from the mother’s house on Yom HaKippurim and not from the father’s house.

227/1. Adam was created on Rosh Hashanah and stood in judgment before his master for eating from the tree of knowledge. He repented, and the Creator accepted him. He told him, “Adam, you will be a sign for your descendants for generations to come, that on that day, they are judged. If they repent, I will accept them and rise from the throne of judgment and sit in the throne of mercy and have mercy on them.” David said, “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas.” This is why it is written, “But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared,” and it is written, “For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.”

227/2. It is a commandment to fast on Yom HaKippurim, to subjugate the body and the soul with five torments, five degrees of Yom HaKippurim, HGT NH, since the slanderer is coming to mention their iniquities, and all of Israel are in complete repentance before their father.

228. “For David, a maskil. Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are a cover.” “For David, a maskil.” The book of Psalms is read in ten different ways of singing: conducting, with a melody, with a maskil, with epigrams, with a tune, a song, with gratitude, with a prayer, with a confession, with a praise. The highest one of all is the praise [Hallelujah].

229. The place of the Maskil [learned] is known: Yesod of Bina. Maskil is one whose water makes those who drink them wise, meaning it imparts Hochma [wisdom]. That place that is called Maskil is as it is written, “He who heeds the word wisely will find good.” If the Maskil bestows on something, there is good in it, which is illumination of Hochma clothed in Hassadim. Because this is what it is called, forgiveness depends on it, and freedom of freedom, since forgiveness and freedom are bestowed from Bina, as it is written, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are a cover,” since his transgression are forgiven through the abundance of Hochma.

230. “Whose sins are a cover,” for the sin is covered from a person who sinned against the Creator and confessed before the Creator. When a person sins, and sins once, twice, and thrice, and does not repent, his sins are revealed because they are publicized above and publicized below, and clarions walk before him and declare, “Move away from so and so, he is rebuked by his master, rebuked above and rebuked below.” Woe unto one who has blemished his master’s image; woe unto him who does not fear for his master’s honor. The Creator reveals his iniquity above. When a person walks in the way of his master and engages in his work, and a sin happens to him, everyone covers him, upper ones and lower ones. This is what is called “Whose sins are a cover.”

232. There are two matters of wisdom in the verse “Whose sins are a cover”: The first interpretation is that from the good deeds that a person does in this world, a high and honorable garment is made for him in that world, to dress in. When one establishes good deeds but bad deeds overcome him, and the Creator sees that his bad deeds are more than his good deeds, then he is wicked and is guilty before his master since the sins are more than the merits, and he wonders and regrets the good deeds he had done before. At that time, he is completely lost, from this world and from the next world. What does the Creator do with those good deeds that that sinner had done before?

233. The Creator, although that wicked one is lost, the good deeds he had done are not lost, since there is a righteous one who walks in the ways of the upper king, who has established garments from his good deeds, but has not completed his garments before he passed away from the world. The Creator completes his garments for him from those good deeds that that wicked one, the sinner, had done, and completes his garments, to be corrected in them in that world, as it is written, “The wicked will prepare, and the righteous will wear.” That sinner had corrected, and the righteous one is covered by what he had corrected. This is “Whose sins are a cover,” where the cover, his garment, is from a sinner. For this reason, it is not written “covered,” but rather “a cover,” meaning a garment.

234. The second interpretation is that the sin that a righteous one has committed is covered by those that are called “the depths of the sea,” since what falls into the depths of the sea is never found because the water covers it, as it is written, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” The depths of the sea are those who grip to the evil kinds, the bottom Sefirot, like Azazel on Yom HaKippurim, like the waste of silver when examined in fire.

235. That Azazel is from those depths of the sea, the depths from that holy sea. “Depths” means filth of silver. Hence, all the sins of Israel are in it, it accepts them, and they are drawn into it, since Azazel is called “sin.” “Sin” means a deficit, taking the deficit of the body and of the soul. On Yom HaKippurim, that depths of the sea, the filth of the soul, descends and takes the filth of the body, those sins that are done by the evil inclination, who is called “filthy,” “villain.”

Malchut is called the tree of knowledge of good and evil because there are two points in her: 1) a point that is sweetened in Bina, from whose side she receives all the lights in her, 2) a point of the quality of judgment of the first restriction, from whose side she is unfit to receive the upper light.

If a person is rewarded, only one point is revealed in Malchut, called “key,” and the second point is concealed. At that time, Malchut receives all the upper lights for him. If he is not rewarded, the second point in Malchut becomes revealed, called “lock,” and all the lights in Malchut depart. Besides these judgments of the lock, which are concealed in Malchut, which are called “female judgments,” there are other judgments from the illumination of Hochma in the left line from above downward, which she has from her time in a state of posterior. These are called “male judgments,” and they are very harsh judgments.

Malchut is called “sea,” for underneath her are these two kinds of judgments as waste. They are called “the depths of the sea,” the waste at the bottom of the sea. The goat for Azazel is from those depths of the see, since it is male judgments at the bottom of the sea, the waste at the bottom of Malchut, which is the holy sea. There is also the waste of silver that there, in those depths, at the bottom of Malchut, which are female judgments. For this reason, Azazel draws to it all the sins of Israel, both sins that are dependent on the male judgments, and sins that are dependent on the female judgments, since the judgments of Azazel are called sin because they are extended by the sin of drawing Hochma of the left from above downward. A sin means a deficit and a deficiency, the filth of the male judgments. Since there is already the deficiency of the male judgments in it, which are called “the filth of the soul,” there is also the deficiency of the female judgments in it, called “the filth of the body.”

He takes the deficit of the body and of the soul, since a deficiency attracts a deficiency, and the female judgments adhere to Azazel, as well. On Yom HaKippurim, this depths of the sea, the filth of the soul, the male judgments in Azazel, descends and takes the filth of the body, the female judgments in the depth of the sea, and they are incorporated in Azazel. This is why it is written, “And the goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land,” even the female judgments, since a deficiency attracts a deficiency.

This is as it is written, “whose sins are a cover,” for Azazel is called “sin,” “deficiency,” covering the deficiency of the female judgments, and all their iniquities are forgiven. It is written, “Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven.” Happy is he whose sins that are rooted in a transgression have also been forgiven, meaning the female judgments, “whose sins are a cover,” since the sin, which is Azazel, has covered those judgments.

236. ‎“And Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord, and one lot for Azazel.” Thus, it is an honor for Azazel, for have you ‎seen a servant casting lots equally with his master? Typically, a servant receives what his ‎master gives, but because on that day, SAM was ready to gossip about Israel, to prevent ‎him from having something to say, he is given a share in it.

237. This lot falls on it by itself. There is a sublime matter about the lot. It is written about Joshua’s lot, “According to the lot, their inheritance shall be divided.” Indeed, according to the lot, for the lot said, “This is the portion of Judah, and this is the portion of Benjamin,” and the same for all of them. Here, too, since the priest gave his hands, the lots would skip and climb up the priest’s hands and come to their place, as it is written, “But the goat on which the lot fell,” meaning it fell by itself.

238. Moreover, whenever the slandered is read and is given permission, something to deal with should be placed before it, so it would leave Israel. On Yom HaKippurim, the slanderer is ready to spy through the earth, as it is written, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where did you come?’ And Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘From roaming in the earth.’” Roaming in the earth is the great prosecutor, Israel’s slanderer.

239. When Israel are ready to cross the sea and avenge against Egypt, the slanderer said, “I went through the holy land and I see that these are unworthy of entering it. If You are casting judgment, then their judgment here is the same as the Egyptians. How are these different from those? Either they all die together, or they all return to Egypt. After all, it was You who said, ‘And they shall serve them and they will be tortured four-hundred years,’ but it has been only two-hundred and ten years of the count, and not more.’”

240. The Creator said, “What will I do? We must bring here engagement and offer it to him. I will give him something to engage in, and he will leave My children.” And behold, someone to engage in was found. He immediately said to him, “Have you noticed My servant Job? There is none like him on the earth, a faultless and upright man, who fears God,” and He promptly stopped the accuser’s words. And Satan answered the Lord and said, ‘Does Job fear God for nothing?’”

241. It is like a shepherd who wanted to take his flock across a river. A wolf passed by to afflict his flock. The shepherd, who was smart, said, “What shall I do? While I am taking the goats across, it will destroy my flock. He raised his eyes and saw a big and strong he-goat among the goats, from those wild goats. He said, I will cast this one before it, and while they struggle with each other, I will take all my goats across and they will be saved from it.

242. So said the Creator, “I will cast before him a big and strong he-goat,” Job, “and while he is busy with him, the rest of my children shall cross the sea and there will be no accuser over them.” Promptly, He said to Satan, “Have you noticed My servant Job?” while the Creator bound them together, as it is written, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, he is in your hand.’” And while he was busy with him, he left Israel and did not slander them.

243. So it is on Yom HaKippurim: Satan is ready to spy across the earth and must be given something with which to busy himself. While he is busy with it, he will leave Israel. As an allegory, the lowliest in the king’s house, give him some wine and he will praise you before the king. If not, he will slander you before the king. Sometimes, the upper ones in the king’s house take that bad word and the king passes judgment on him.

244. Like the fool in the king’s house, give him wine and then tell him and show him all those abominations you have done, and all those evils, and he will come and praise you and say that there is none like you in the world. Here, too, the accuser is always in front of the king; Israel give him the goat to Azazel, and he comes and praises Israel and becomes their defender, and the Creator returns everything to the heads of the wicked ones of His people.

245. Woe unto the people of Esau: While they send that he-goat to the slanderer appointed over them, to SAM, Esau’s minister, for because of the he-goat, the slanderer comes to praise Israel and the Creator returns all those iniquities over the head of the people of the slanderer, for it is written, “He who tells lies shall not be established before My eyes.” Had the idol-worshippers known about this he-goat, they would not have let Israel be one day in the world.

246. That whole day, the slanderer is busy with that he-goat, and then the Creator atones for Israel and purifies them from everything, and there is no accuser before Him. Afterwards, the slanderer comes and praises Israel, and then the Creator asks him, as it is written, “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘From where do you come?’” and he replies in praising Israel, and the prosecutor becomes an advocate and leaves.

247. Then the Creator said to the seventy ministers, the courthouse of above, who surround His throne, “Have you seen that slanderer, how he is always poised to slander My children? But one he-goat is with him, in writing, that all their iniquities and all their abominations, and everything that they have sinned and transgressed before Him, he took them on himself.” At that time, they all agreed that these iniquities will return on the nation of the slanderer.

248. All those iniquities and sins first cling to him, as it is written, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Afterwards, they all return on the heads of their people, as it is written, “The goat shall bear on itself all their iniquities to an uninhabited land.” On that day, the priest is decorated with high decorations and stands between the upper ones and lower ones and atones for him, for his household, for the priests, for the Temple, and for the whole of Israel.

All the punishments in the world come from two kinds of things: 1) male judgments from the extension of the illumination of Hochma on the left from above downward, 2) female judgments from revealing the lock above in Malchut, concerning “not rewarded, it is bad.”

Through prayers and repentance and the sanctity of the day, Israel are rewarded with purifying from all the judgments and punishments, and their purity is established by sending the Azazel to the desert, since in the lots, illumination of the left is sent to them, for the he-goat for the sin offering is extension of holiness, which is from below upward, and this is the part of Israel. The he-goat is an extension of the Sitra Achra, which is from above downward. We awaken it with the lot to Azazel, and send it to an uninhabited land, to the governance of SAM and the nation of Esau, who draw the Hochma from above downward, and from whom the great punishments are drawn.

Since the repentance of Israel to part from the work of the wicked has been set, all the male judgments have been revoked from them, and they extend all the holy Mochin in the he-goat for the sin offering. However, first we must attach the judgments of the Nukva [female] to Azazel, as well, as it is written, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea,” since a deficit attracts a deficit. Afterwards, he is sent to an uninhabited land, so the judgments will part from Israel and will apply to those who are drawing the illumination of the left from above downward, which are SAM and his nation, the nation of Esau.

First, all the faults and iniquities extended from the male judgments and from the female judgments must cling to it, since a deficit attracts to it a deficit, as it is written, “You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” Afterwards, it is sent to an uninhabited land, to the authority of SAM and his people, who adhere to Azazael, whose way is to draw from above downward. Then, all the judgments, of the female and of the male, fall on their heads.

However, the slanderer could still slander Israel and reveal the point of the lock in their root, that all the lights depart because of it. This is especially so on Yom HaKippurim, when it is given permission to reveal it since on Rosh Hashanah, during the blowing of the Shofar, the lock has already been revealed, by which it was given permission to mention it. And since it has already been revealed on Rosh Hashanah, SAM is ready on that day to gossip about Israel. And in order for it not to be able to slander, it is given a part in the goat to Azazel, since the Sitra Achra is called “the end of all flesh,” as its desire is always for the flesh, to draw the Hochma on the left from above downward.

Hence, when we awaken the goat to Azazel for him and send it to him, it is a very important gift. If he slanders Israel in order to reveal the lock in Malchut, all the lights will depart from Malchut, and his part from Azazel will depart and be lost, as well. Because of his fear of this, he is afraid to open his mouth. Moreover, in order to be certain of this illumination of his, he even praises Israel. It is like a fool standing before the king: Give him wine and he will come and praise you and say that there is none like you in the world, since he will fear losing the intoxicating wine that he was given, which is the illumination of Azazel.

If idol-worshippers knew of this he-goat, that this illumination we give to their minister draws all the judgments on them, which should have come over Israel, they would not let Israel be one day in the world.

249. When the priest would enter with the bull’s blood, he would aim at the Rosh [top/head] of faith, in GAR, KHB. He would sprinkle with his finger, as it is written, “and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east side, and before the mercy seat,” meaning one above and seven below. He would dip the tip of the finger in the blood and sprinkle, as though whipping with the drops in the finger to the side of the mercy seat, so as not to drop the drops on the mercy seat itself, but next to the mercy seat, and the drops would fall on the ground. He would sprinkle and intend, and begin to count one, one and one, each one is one, which includes everyone. One is the praise of all; one, opposite whom everyone turns, one; one, which is the head of everything, the Sefira Keter. Afterwards, one and one, which are HB, who are together willingly, in brotherhood, and never part from one another.

250. After he reaches “and one,” which is the mother of everyone, Bina, he begins to count from here, from Bina, in adding. He counts and says “one and two,” connecting Bina with two, which are HG; “one and three,” connecting Bina with HGT; “one and four,” connecting Bina with HGT and Netzah; “one and five,” connecting Bina with HGT NH; “one and six,” connecting Bina with HGT NHY; “one and seven,” connecting Bina with HGT NHYM, in order to continue to lead one, upper Ima, Bina, through the known degrees to Keter of the lower Ima, Malchut, and extend deep rivers, the lights of Bina, from their place to the assembly of Israel, Malchut. Hence, on that day, two lights shine together: upper Ima, which shines to the lower Ima, Bina to Malchut. This is why it is written, Yom HaKippurim [atonements] in plural form.

251. There was a chain tied to the legs of the priest when he entered the holy of holies, so if he dies, he will be pulled out, since it was forbidden enter there. By what would they know if he were alive or not? By the strip of red wool. When its color does not become white, at that time, it is known that the priest who is inside is in sin. If he comes out unharmed, its color becomes white, and then there is joy in the upper ones and in the lower ones. If not, everyone is in grief, and everyone would know that their prayer was not accepted.

252. When he would enter and shut his eyes, so as not to look where he should not, and he would hear the sound of the wings of the cherubim, who were singing and praising, the priest would know that all is in gladness and that he will come out unharmed. Nevertheless, in his prayer, he knew that the words came out of his mouth with joy and were accepted and blessed as it should be. At that time, there is joy in the upper ones and in the lower ones.

253. Why is the day of Yom HaKippurim dependent on Bina? For Malchut ascends to Bina, the left, and not elsewhere, for in it, Malchut will make a coupling with her husband ZA, the right.

254. The holy king has left his hall and his house in the queen’s hands. He left her children with her in order to lead them and strike them and be within them. If they merit, the queen enters the king with joy and honor. If they do not merit, she and they are returned to exile.

255. Hence, there is one day in the year to examine them and observe their actions. When that day comes, upper Ima, Bina, that all the freedom is in her hand, the Mochin of illumination of Hochma that is clothed in Hassadim, which lock and subjugate all the shells, is summoned opposite that day to bestow upon Israel. On that day, Israel rush with several works, several prayers, and several abstentions. But they are all in merit. At that time, freedom comes to them from the place where all the freedom is in the hands of Malchut, when Malchut ascends to Bina and receives all the freedom that is in Bina.

The king’s children, Israel below, who are her children who were given to her, are all faultless, without sins and without iniquities. At that time, she makes a coupling with the king in the light, in joy, in wholeness, willingly, since she raised children to the upper king as it should be, for she is adhered to the right. However, before Israel receive purity and freedom from Bina, Malchut cannot make a coupling with ZA and receive from the right.

256. When that day is not proper, woe to Israel, woe to their messenger, the High Priest, woe, for the queen has moved away from the king, and upper Ima, Bina, has departed and freedom does not emerge from her to the worlds. Happy are Israel, for the Creator has taught them His ways, to be saved from the judgment, and they will be found faultless before Him, as it is written, “For on that day, He will atone for you, to purify you,” and it is written, “And I will sprinkle pure water on you, and you will be pure from all your impurities.”