Kabbalah Library

215) We learned that since Abraham knew wisdom, he wished to part from all the other nations and to not cling to them. This is why it is written, “And I will make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.” Of course, as it is written, “And has married the daughter of a strange god.” “Among whom I dwell.” Precisely, “I,” for I am the Shechina, for she was in exile, and he adjured him to not be defiled in them.

216) Anyone who enters this holy covenant in a woman from other nations causes another place to be defiled, for he blemishes the high covenant and causes bestowal upon the maidservant. This is why it is written, “For three things the earth angered.” And even though he adjured him in the covenant, Abraham still did not trust him, but prayed his prayer before the Creator and said, “The Lord, the God of heaven… He will send His angel.” His angel certainly means the angel of the covenant. He would send him so as to keep this covenant and to not be defiled among the nations.

217) “Only do not take my son back there,” since Abraham knew that in all his family there was none who knew the Creator, and he did not want Isaac’s abode to be among them, but that his abode would be with him. And Isaac would always learn from him the ways of the Creator, so he will not stray to the right or to the left, but to the middle line. This is why Abraham did not wish for Isaac’s abode to be among them.

218) Abraham’s merit was with the servant, who arrived at the fountain on the same day he departed, as it is written, “And I came this day unto the fountain.”

219) “Open my eyes, that I may see wonders from Your law.” How foolish are people, for they do not know and do not consider engaging in the Torah. But the Torah is the whole of life, and every freedom and every goodness in this world and in the next world. Life in this world is to be rewarded with all their days in this world, as it is written, “The number of thy days I will fulfill.” And he will be rewarded with long days in the next world, for it is the perfect life, a life of joy, life without sadness, life that is life—freedom in this world and liberation from everything—for anyone who engages in Torah, all the nations of the world cannot rule over him.

220) What are those who were destroyed, the Ten Martyrs, since they engaged in Torah when the law was to not engage in Torah? This is a verdict from above, like Rabbi Akiva and his friends who were killed because they engaged in Torah. This is what He thought above when the world was created. But as a rule, the Torah is freedom from the angel of death, so he cannot control him.

Certainly, if Adam had clung to the tree of life, the Torah, he would not have caused death to himself or to the whole world. But because he left the tree of life, the Torah, and ate from the tree of knowledge, he caused death to himself and to the world.

For this reason, when the Creator gave the Torah to Israel, it is written, “Harut [engraved] on the tables; do not pronounce it Harut, but Herut [freedom],” for then they were liberated from the angel of death. Had Israel not sinned with the calf and not departed the tree of life, the Torah, they would not cause death to return to the world to begin with.

And the Creator said, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are sons of the upper one.’” “Indeed, you shall die as men,” meaning upon the reception of the Torah. Since you damaged yourselves, meaning sinned, indeed, you shall die as men. Hence, that evil serpent that darkened the world cannot govern anyone who engages in the Torah.

221) If one who does not sin does not die, why did Moses die? He died, certainly, but the angel of death did not control him. He did not die by him and was not defiled by him. This is why it is considered that Moses did not die but clung to the Shechina and departed to eternal life.

222) As such, he is considered alive, and one who approaches the Creator is called “alive.” This is why anyone who engages in the Torah has freedom from everything, freedom in this world, from enslavement of the nations of the world, idolaters, and freedom in the next world, since he will not be required to give an account in that world at all.

223) There are several higher and hidden meanings to the Torah, several hidden secrets that are in it. Hence, when David regarded the Torah in the spirit of wisdom, and knew how many wonders emerged from the Torah, he started and said, “Open my eyes, that I may see wonders from Your law.”